Artifacts: Classics Illustrated #135 and Dell #860 Wyatt Earp

Classics Illustrated seems like a pretty good idea: put classic novels into a comic book format for kids.  The artwork here is pretty good.

By and large, the story is from the regular soldiers' point of view and deals with events leading up to the conflict.  Here's the pivotal moment in the battle.

The war ends up leaving a bunch of cynical, jaded survivors to carry on.  Oh, belated spoilers.  The French lose.  Sorry.

Meanwhile, here we have an adaption of a 50's TV show.  My parents remembered it.

Old Black Bart (or whatever his name is) may be a dirty, no-good cattle rustler, and card cheat, but he does have a point here.

Lastly, I have to wonder.  How did Wyatt Earp get to be a quick-draw artist with that ridiculously long-barreled gun?  The guy must have insane reflexes.

Hopefully I will someday become famous enough on the Internet to merit my own comic page listing my enemies.  Dare to dream.

Artifacts: Dell Giant #44 Around the World with Huckleberry and Friends

It's nice the way the Hanna-Barbera characters get along with each other.  If you knew these characters and forgot about them, this should be nice jog to your memory.

And with that simple framing device splash page, the characters head off to their separate adventures.

And there are puzzle pages in the back.

This seems like nice, cheap entertainment for a kid on a Summer vacation road trip back in the day.

Baseball Journal 10-28-13 El Paso is Going to the Dogs

After knocking down city hall and going 40% over budget on building the new ballpark there, the El Paso Triple A franchise has a name: the Chihuahuas.  You might have heard about this on ESPN or on Deadspin.  What a tremendous publicity stunt!  Giving your new team the worst name possible to get national attention.  Brilliant.  I wonder how well the players will play wearing sacks on their heads.  I can see the player interviews now, with their faces blurred out so they can’t be identified.    

There was a theoretically a competition to determine the five finalists for the new name.  The other entries were the Buckaroo’s, the Aardvarks, the Sun Dogs, and the Desert Gators.  Yeah, nothing but winners in that contest, but was it really necessary to pick the worst one?  Supposedly, the Chihuahuas name won.  The rumor is that the owner’s wife picked the name and the whole contest was a sham.  Frankly, I don’t know which is worse.  Chihuahuas winning the contest or the whole contest being phony. 

Reaction has been unanimous, the name sucks.  It’s even been called “racist.”  If you identify yourself with a small Mexican dog, I’d say you have self-esteem issues more than legitimate ones.  I think we can hate the name without making it a Hate Crime.  We have been informed that the adorable, little snarling dog merchandise is flying off the shelves.  No doubt to dog lovers of the breed, not necessarily baseball fans.   Sunday night, on a local news issues show, the team name was the topic. The team general manager, Brad Taylor, and Jim Paul, former owner of El Paso’s old Double A team, were spinning the controversy so hard, I was getting dizzy trying to watch.  

What’s left to screw up?  Naming the mascot.  (I’m betting “Pepe” or “Ren.”)  Naming the stadium.  (Chicos’ Tacos Field, I’m sure.  The beloved local establishment has given gross indigestion and violent bowel movements to El Pasoans for years.  And so will the stadium.  It’s natural fit.)  And, not having the stadium ready for play next season.  (They’re already preparing their excuses.)  The anticipation is unbearable.      

When the Chihuahua name stops being funny and becomes more identified with horrific civic fraud, the merchandise sales will likely taper off, thus necessitating a name change to boost them.  The informal consensus is that they should have gone with the El Paso Desert Storm.  It fits with the desert and ties into El Paso’s Fort Bliss Army post.  The Padres parent club is the official team of the Navy and Marines.  (I’m not sure if that’s really a formal relationship or not).  The Padres already have an alternate desert camouflage top and hat that would look great as a regular uniform.  Put a snazzy logo on one sleeve and an American flag on the other.  Shoot, I’d buy one of those jerseys. 

Baseball Journal 10-28-13 World Serious Errors

The St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox were the two best teams in baseball.  It’s little wonder they’re pretty evenly matched, but who guessed that this series would be coming down to errors and umpiring?  The Series started off badly with a blown call at second.  It was correctly reversed immediately afterward by a meeting of the umps.  The issue then became, was it proper for them to have done that?  This then brings into question, why haven’t the umps been doing this all along to reverse bad calls?  Here’s a no-brainer prediction: instant replay will not clean all this up. 

No replay will be coming on balls and strikes.  We’ve been told that repeatedly.  What frustrates the hell out of me is that this is something they could fix with technology.  They could have a real-time electronic strike zone right now that would be much more consistent and accurate.  This came to me watching the blurry, incoherent strike zone being called in Game Three.  I can’t imagine the frustration of the pitchers and batters in a World Series putting up with that.

Errors have been pivotal in run scoring so far.  None have been bigger than Saltalamacchia’s ill-advised wild throw to Middlebrooks at third, trying to get Allen Craig in the 9^th on Saturday.  Craig was thrown out at the plate, trying to score.  The umpires once again stepped in, and called Obstruction on Middlebrooks for getting tied up with Craig, as he tried to scramble to the plate.  The winning run scores as an awarded base.

The call was correct.  (Obstruction pursuant to Rule 7.06.  Don’t ask me to explain the difference between Obstruction and Interference.)  Whether the Obstruction was on purpose or not (frankly, it looked kinda on purpose), was irrelevant.  That it ended a World Series game is not optimal, except if you wanted to generate the all-important media buzz for CONTROVERSY, but there’s no other way to call the game.

Unfortunately, the confluence of the blown call in Game 1, the impending implementation of instant replay, a general disdain for baseball umpires, and a game ending on an ump’s call of a seldom needed rule, has tarnished the sport on it’s biggest stage.  I’ve seen winning teams disgusted after doing so because of a Balk call bringing in the winning run.  The Cardinals are only pleased with the outcome because it’s the World Series.  Baseball fans and curious onlookers are less thrilled.  All I can say is, at least this World Series will not go unnoticed by the general public.     

I know this is Tim McCarver’s last Series, but I can’t take him anymore.  Between him overstating the obvious, calling attention to insignificant details, and heaping snarky criticism on the players, and Joe Buck trying to be the booming VOICE OF RECORD ON EVERY IMPORTANT PLAY, even if it turns out to just be an ordinary flyout, but you never know, so YOU HAVE TO USE THAT DRAMATIC INFLECTION ON EVERY PLAY, the game call sucks.  It’s nothing but mindless regurgitation of what the cameras have already shown, the constant reruns of important previous plays, and pointless speculation on an endless loop. 

I’m told they used to use local broadcasters to call national games.  Oh God, how wonderful it would have been to heard Eric Nadel and Jon Miller calling the World Series between the Rangers and the Giants a couple of years ago.  (Those are radio guys.  I don’t think they’d be doing the TV side in this instance, but it’s a nice thought.)  At least for the playoffs, can we consider having guys who actually really know the teams involved, can tell some stories about them, and can make the broadcast pleasant, instead trying to be historic and impartial.  I don’t care how much research Tim and Joe have done or how many stats they have access to, they’re the equivalent of verbal diarrhea, crapping all over the broadcast.      

On Saturday, I noticed a Juarez station was also broadcasting the World Series.  I actually left it there.  At least I could still hear the noise of the game.  If their broadcasters were just as obnoxious, they were in Spanish and I didn’t understand them anyway.  (I did have to flip back to Fox to get an explanation of that last play at the plate.)  As a bonus, no “Goat” shots (constantly showing a guy who’s made a bad play), more interesting commercials (I don’t care what shampoo Josh Hamilton and CJ Wilson use, they’re still losers), and no previews for Almost Human (I really like Karl Urban, but not to the point obsession). 

What else?  Game Four ended on a pick-off at first, with Boston winning after committing two errors themselves.  Neither team is exactly playing “loose.”  Shockingly on Saturday, Fox preempted the end of a college football game to go to baseball coverage.  If TBS was getting complaints about playoff baseball preempting reruns of Big Bang Theory, I can only imagine the outrage Fox must have gotten.  I missed the entire reason for “Catching Fire Sunday,” when I didn’t stay tuned for the movie trailer during the commercials.  Does this make me a bad baseball fan?  

Finally, I can’t help but notice in St. Louis the fans in those seats behind home plate, mostly because they’re continually being obstructed by camera there.  I see these heads poking around the camera, straining to see the action.  Essentially, the most expensive seats in the house at Busch Stadium the Third are no better than the seats behind the girders at Fenway.     

One NFL note.  Nice job Dallas defense.  Where were you guys the last minute of the game?  In the locker room, watching it on TV?  “Hey, lookee there at that guy running down the field!  Who is that?  What game is that?”  

Artifacts: Archie #70 and Uncle Scrooge #14

[Cyber-Pulp update: Made up some test characters today.  I've shown some rough draft material to playtester Evan, and he's enthusiastic about it, or enthusiastic about breaking the game.  "If my character goes into "Bullet Time, is he also healing at an accelerated rate?"]

The used bookstore I go to carries used comics as well.  A few months ago, they had a bunch of old comics from the 50's there.

I was very pleased to find an old Archie.  The humor is timeless.

I posted excerpts from it at the Archie Fan forum.

http://www.archiefans.com//index.php?action=gallery&g2_view=tags.VirtualAlbum&g2_tagName=Archie+70

[I just noticed this link no longer works.  Their servers crashed a while back and all the images I posted there disappeared.  Here are the scans.]

I like this ad and Archie in-house ads in general.

You gotta love this ad for 78 rpm records, featuring the music of Dean Martin and some Mambo selections.

Archie was popular enough to spawn a horde of imitators.  Wilbur was Archie's attempt at copying itself.

Ah, one of my favorite Archie characters, Katy Keene.

I am a huge Carl Bark's fan.  This old Uncle Scrooge was a treasure.

The main story was Uncle Scrooge finding the Lost Crown of Genghis Khan and meeting the Abominable Snowman, but I liked this story best.

This is the back cover.  Notice the Pledge to Parents in the corner.  Marvel and DC (and probably Archie) have nearly totally walked away from kid-friendly comics, even though their material hasn't matured in the slightest.

My Personal Anime History

[I forget the topic, but on the Archie Comics Fan Forum, they were discussing how people got interested in Anime.  I tapped this out, and thought I'd repost it here.]

Since some others here have mentioned how they got into anime, I thought I’d do the same. I remember watching Speed Racer (wow, was I shocked when that became popular again thanks to Will Smith and MTV in the 80’s), Battle of the Planets, and Starblazers (I even saw the third series on TV, though few believe that it was ever really on in English) as a child in the 70’s, but I doubt it ever occurred to me that they came from Japan.

It was a Saturday morning in the mid-80’s that I became interested in anime thanks to a 90 minute special called Codename: Robotech. In a word, compared to cartoons I had seen before, mind-blowing. Thereafter, I faithfully watched and recorded the show every weekday. I discovered the word “anime” thanks to a big, glossy book named Robotech Art 1. In addition to character sketches, an episode guide, and a production history, there was a whole chapter on anime and manga. You mean there’s more of this stuff out there! To quote Igor from Dork Tower, “It must be mine!”

Lucky for me, there on the border in El Paso, Texas, I had access to comic book shop owned by an Asian fellow from California. Not that he stocked much Japanese stuff, but I had a supplier. After Robotech came out, a few independent publishers tentatively put out a few titles. Hard to imagine now, but one could actually collect every Japanese comic published in the US at the time without going broke. I limited myself (or rather my meager funds limited) to getting Area 88, Mai the Psychic Girl, Battle Angel Alita, Appleseed, the Robotech comics (which was not actually produced in Japan), and a few, precious movie books from Japan, in lieu of actually being able to see them.

I have to make a special mention of a couple of manga. Akira was originally published by Marvel (Epic imprint) and was in color. I mean glorious, eye-poping animation cell-like color. Few manga would look good colorized, but the finely detailed lines here worked perfectly. It is a crying shame that this version hasn’t been reprinted. You seriously have no idea what you missed. (I no longer have mine, don’t ask.) The other is Adam Warren’s Dirty Pair. Incredibly, there was no manga version of the Lovely Angels at that time (only novels and anime). How a couple of Americans got the license is inexplicable. “Plague of Angels,” “Sim Hell,” and especially “Fatal, But Not Serious” are masterpieces of Sci-Fi and social satire in graphic novel form.

Strangely, the best source of anime I had was a Juarez station. They showed quite a bit of interesting stuff, such as Millennium Princess, Sailor Moon (unedited, Japanese version, where the girls actually died), Saint Seiya, and a slate of older movies. Anime on videotape was only a rumor to me at the time. I got more up to date information from magazines like Protoculture Addicts and Animag.

I guess Pokemon is credited with actually getting anime to stick in the US. I’ve never actually seen it. When I moved a little further north to Las Cruces, New Mexico in the 90’s, anime was now available everywhere. I rented or bought Evangelion, Ranma, Crusher Joe, Kimagure Orange Road, Macross Plus, Ninja Scroll, Ghost in the Shell, and many others. Information (though not streaming videos) could be found on the Internet (thank you especially to Ex.org, Rest In Peace). I even managed to get several volumes of the Kimagure Orange Road manga and actually understood them thanks to a saintly person posting a full translation guide on the Internet.

Later in the DVD era, I’d buy Robotech (to replace my over-watched tapes), Evangelion (again), Cowboy Bebop, and Martian Successor Nadesco. I got plenty of information thanks to Newtype USA (I had few copies of the Japanese version, it was nice to able to read the articles) and the Internet. I hung out at the college’s anime night and watched several movies (like Evangelion and Utena) and series (like DNA^2 and Berserk).

Anime had become fairly mainstream and manga finally found the right format and venue and exploded. In short, I couldn’t keep up with it anymore, or perhaps didn’t want to. I don’t blame Evangelion (the series or movie). That show actually spiked my interest. In spite of my complaints about the end, it was very entertaining up to that point.

I typically credit Witchhunter Robin with ending my active interest in anime. The promotion in Newtype looked very cool and had a great premise. When finally got to see the first four episodes, I was shocked by how flat it fell in actual viewing. Call it the “Evangelion Effect.” I’d noticed a recurring theme in several shows, where the producers had apparently decided to try and capitalize on Rei’s popularity by making their characters emotionally numb. I, apparently, had seen that motif repeated one too many times. Anime was no longer fun and I gave up.

This isn’t fair to Robin. I’m told it gets better about halfway through. Certainly Macross Zero and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (sorry, again, apparently the two episodes I watched were not indicative of the rest of the show) disappointed me just as badly. Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, which I found on Youtube, may have also played a part. This was a live-action version of the cartoon and was produced with so much warmth, comedy, and drama, it actually overshadowed the other versions I’d seen.

The last new anime I saw was last year on SyFy. It was one of the Gundams, and I’m too lazy to look up which one, but I’d really enjoyed it, even with its questionable premise, deus ex machina, all-too-abrupt ending, and death to all the main characters (though they get better in the sequel). So, I’m still a fan. Rei, Madoka (a Japanese Veronica from Kimagure Orange Road), and Dirty Pair posters are still on the wall. And I still think Robotech is awesome.

Baseball Journal 10-20-13 The Rules

Let me address a couple of things I heard during LCS pre-games. 

Baseball may want to eliminate the “Neighborhood” play (a fielder taking a ball at second base not actually touching the bag for the runner to be out).  This unwritten rule (if it’s there I can’t find it on a cursory look) was instituted as a safety measure so that fielders would be in less danger from take-out slides.   The fielder will now have to touch the bag, but the runner will automatically be out if they stray out of a direct line with second base (which is already basically in the rulebook (7.08 (a) (1)).  Perhaps they might also call Interference on the runner going outside that line and call out a runner going to first as well.

MLB may also get rid of home plate collisions.  Rule 7.06 (b) clearly states that the catcher may not block the plate without the ball, though it may be inferred that the catcher may do so with the ball.  Presumably, the new ruling will be that the catcher may not block the baseline at all. 

Okay, I don’t know all of the details or how it will be implemented (or how the players will game it).  First let me state simply: baseball is not a contact sport.  The only player to player contact should be via being touched with the ball or a mitt with the ball in it.  A couple of years ago, I might have had a different attitude, but after Posey got his leg broken, it did cause me to question physical play on the field.  This post-season and last have also featured injuries on the bases from hard slides.  Pete Rose running over Ray Fosse* in the All-Star Game may have been cool, but just about every other time, it’s either an injury or doesn’t effect the play. 

Here’s my justifications on these potential changes.  The Neighborhood play is lazy, bad fielding.  The take-out slide is poor sportsmanship.  The runner is not allowed to hit the fielder to knock loose the ball at any other base, why home?  The catcher shouldn’t even have to block the plate, if the runner leaves the baseline to avoid a tag, they’re out anyway.  If my opinion makes me a baseball wimp, so be it.  I don’t think the game will suffer for it.  I also want to get rid of the pick-off move (more specifically the waste of time, throw to first to keep the runner close, witch it never does) but that’s a different post.

Baseball Journal 10-20-13 Sober Defeat Edition Part 2

I really should be more emotional about the Tigers losing the pennant, not just because they were my pick, but they’re also one of my favorite teams.  Since I don’t get to see a lot them, maybe I don’t have the deep connection to them that I do with teams in the West.  I think I’ve been in shell-shocked denial since the Ortiz grand slam.  Right up to that point, I had been mentally imagining the Kitties celebrating their all but inevitable World Series win.  I was still absolutely certain that the Tigers were going to make comeback, right up until the Victorino grand slam.  When another team wins the World Series, it’ll finally hit me and then I’ll get upset.       

Bottom line: the Tiger’s starters played like champions, but the rest of the team didn’t.  My off-season recommendations for the Tigers will address what I think went wrong with the team.  (No, there’s nothing that can be done about Prince Fielder, except perhaps picking up Ryan Braun and having him hit behind him in the batting order.  For everyone who thinks that Prince just needs to lose weight, please remember that was this same weight back when he was mashing it.)

One, get a legit closer.  It’s going to cost you, but you gotta do it.  Two, and this pains me, Leyland has to go.  I realize that manger decisions only look good if the players execute them, but it starts with knowing your players and making the right decisions to begin with.  I am not the “fire the manager” type, like somehow the manager is the embodiment of everything that is wrong with the team (okay, Bobby Valentine on the Red Sox last year, was most the problem), but even I was second-guessing Leyland’s decisions in the ALCS.  Moving Austin Jackson down the lineup was his only good decision and that still didn’t fix the problem at the top of the order.  Don’t even get me started on when to go to the bullpen and when not to. 

[And that observation went out of date the day after I wrote it, as Jim Leyland wasted no time in resigning on Monday.  A great manager and I don’t think he ever lost the players’ or fans’ respect.  I’m guessing he looked back and questioned his own decisions and also found them wanting.]       

What can I say about the Red Sox?  They give me hope that the Giants can come back quickly from being at the bottom of their division.  All they need to do is trade off all the overpaid, cancerous players from their team to the Dodgers.  The Giants won’t even need a new manager like the Red Sox did.  I’ll give Boston the praise they deserve: they were clutch.  I’m out of the prediction business for the rest of the season.  I’m just looking forward to watching the games from here out.  And go Cardinals!

Baseball Journal 10-20-13 Sober Defeat Edition Part 1

Playoff baseball is about the winners, but I’m more interested in talking about the losers this time.

I have to hand it to the Dodgers.  I really thought they’d implode first before being humiliated.  I can’t believe they made it as far as they did before taking it out on each other in an episode of team fratricide.  For a team made up of big egos and big salaries, I was surprised that some of these guys, who are better known for their bad attitude, actually played up to their potential for so long.  Hanley Ramirez, whom I’d assumed would start their downfall, was actually the difference-maker.  Had he not been injured so much, the Dodgers might have run away with it.

Enough backhanded praise.  Let’s gaze into the crystal ball and see what the Dodgers have to look forward to.  This off-season, in spite of having several large, immovable contracts, ownership will be committed to doubling down on picking more overrated, headcase players.  Look for Puig to have a Miley Cyrus-like meltdown over the winter (suppressing horrific vision of Puig twerking in his underwear in public), just to stay topical in the news.  (You’ll know he’s serious about becoming a star player, instead of a highly talented clown, when he starts hitting the cut-off man and learns English.) 

During Spring Training, the cracks in the weak foundation will start to show.  A team full of overpaid egomaniacs will start to turn on each other right from the start as crushing expectations will fall squarely upon them.  Those who trained harder over the winter will be in open discord with those who lived the good life instead.  The team will still be media darlings, even more so with the locker room controversy. 

That’ll change with the Dodgers’ first prolonged losing streak.  Everything the ESPN and Fox tools thought was so endearing about the team, all the bad sportsmanship and excuses they spun for the players, will suddenly be called into question.  In the clubhouse, the long knives will come out between the overpaid slackers and the overpaid overachievers.  Turmoil and scrutiny will now be the only news that the Dodgers generate.

The team will struggle along long enough for someone else to win the division.  After their dismissal in the Wild Card game, Don Mattingly will be seeking new employment.  Unfortunately, they won’t be able to fire the players so easily.  And from there, it’s straight into another disastrous off-season.  The Dodgers’ entire bench and injured reserve list will be staffed with players making a minimum of $100 million with contracts of at least five years.  Don’t even ask about the actual starters. 

The Dodgers will become MLB’s version of the National Debt.  Their spending will be unsustainable, but league can’t let them go bankrupt.  The government will be forced to intervene as the entire economy starts to swirl down a blue drain.  The Dodger-care Act is drafted where every American will be required to buy Dodger tickets. 

Oh.  Spoilers.  Sorry.  Should have said that up front.

As much as I hate to admit it, I couldn’t help but notice that some people at work, who don’t think anything of baseball, were watching these Dodger games.  Maybe it would have been good for the game if they’d made it into the World Series.  [JDH417 is suddenly pelted by a barrage of rotten tomatoes from the readers and is forced to temporarily abandon the keyboard.]

Artifacts: Motherboard Redux-RPG Notes

Motherboard, Fan Fiction 1, Fan Fiction 2, Definitions 

And right about here, this all stops being interesting.  No, there’s no Character Generation or Combat Rules to come.  That would have made too much sense.  Unfortunately, what my past self focused on was the economics and other random minutiae of the setting.  Do not expect all of this material to be coherent or consistent.  Little wonder my interest petered out.  Honestly, the setting is too esoteric and limited to merit the work to make playable, which is probably what I concluded back in the day.  It’s unlikely I’ll ever revisit this, but I’ll post it if I do.  

SKILLS

p+    

Warrior, Executioner, Wrecker/Demolition, Builder, Shield Smith, Armorer/Weaponer

e-      

Messenger, Spy, Assassin

n0     

Arranger, Locksmith, Legend Lore, Logic Probe, Encryptor, Tammer/Herder,

coder/decoder (company messages), data reader

TRADE TRICKS

e-      

Shadow, Circuit Breaker, Circuit Trailer, Current Reader, charge

tapper/discharger (illegal breaks in circuits to steal power)   

n0     

Ghost/Deadly Data, Charger/Uncharger, Lock Cracker

                                     

p+    

False/Deadly Construction, Shield Cracker, construction/demolition

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE SPECIAL EVENTS TABLE

Shock Invulnerability

Mass Blast Invulnerability

Radiation Invulnerability

Ghost

Circuit Scrambler

Hybrid

Circuit Breaker

Circuit Trailer

Current Reader

Telepath (Cybernetic)

Invisibility

Charge Tapper/Discharger

Shape Changer

Shield Cracker

Non-Racial Skill/Ability

Supernatural Ability

MICRONIAN DIVERSIONS

Inertia: Killer salom with an obstacle course.  Four Electronians set on course by linear accelerator, shoot at each other, launch one at a time, dodging miniature phenomenon, survivor/best time wins.

Crush: Like boxing, Protonians, magnetic forces

Mind Bender: Psi combat, Neutronians, alter-egos battle on giant video screen, different types of combat, kung-fu, swords, gunfight

Spider: Like Photon (Boy, there’s a blast from the past, pay Laser Tag), all races

Wormhole: Low power, like a black hole, sucks up energy, thrill-seeker sport, racing around the edge.

Warp: high power waves, thrill-seeker sport, riding the waves.

Collider: Donut shaped (like a super collider), team sport, Electronian, one tries to go around track the fastest, another controls several giant grid balls trying to knock racer off track.

Grid Ball: Like football, different types play different positions

Betting: Done on Data transactions and various games.  Everyone plays.

VIRUSES

Loop: String joined at ends, check digit lost, or beginning and end points lost

Crunched: Strings jumbled

Randomized: Changes data (0 to 1 or 1 to 0) or type

Trojan Horse: Created virus by Neutronian, inside normal data

Worm: Duplicates data randomly

Reactor: Cell that reacts to virus

PHENOMENON

Wormhole: Low energy, flux in grid (black hole)

Warp: High-energy flux in grid (hurricane)

Crash: Earthquake

Crash & Burn: A major crash, a volcano

COMPANIES

Trader: Buys data, arranges it, and puts it in storage or sells it to an Output Tower.

Safari: An outfit that catches, tames, and herds grid bugs.

Bounty Hunter: Searches for lost or stolen data.

Guard Service: Mercenaries that protect company holdings and personnel.

Lender (Loan Shark): A part of a large company that lends charge for a fee.

Spy: Steals/copies data and observes other companies.

Delivery: Delivers data and messages.

Bandit: Steals data outright.

Detective/Assassin: Finds and/or kills desired targets.

TYPICAL DATA PROCESSING CYCLE

1. Data is received at Input Tower.

2. It is auctioned off to the highest bidder.

3. The data is transported to the company at the Core.

4. Related data from other Towers are brought in.

5. The data bits are arranged into a string.  9 Bits, 8 data, 1 check

6. The string is transported, piece by piece, to storage or to an Output Tower to be sold.

STRING CLASSIFICATIONS

Immediate Sell (prices per bit)

Alpha buy 50          x number class (1-9) sell 300-600 x number class

Beta buy 60 x number class (1-9) sell 400-700 x number class

Storage (prices per string)

Tau buy 10 x number class (1-9) sell 10-300 x number class

Zeta buy 20 x number class (1-9) sell 100-400 x number class

Omega buy 50 x number class (1-9) sell 200-500 x number class

BUYING AND SELLING

Bought by a broker (who buys for only one company, only one classification), Protonian guard announces price, brokers that are interested bid, and it goes to the highest.  Brokers try to figure which data will be the hottest.  It is transported to the company.

Bits are bought individually by companies, but sold in 9's (eight bits plus check bit) at the Output Tower.  Bits come in at random times and its worth may go up or down until the last bit comes in.  Approximate price is not known until the last bit.  Protonian guardians receive buy/sell prices from Direct Input and are very secret, but often follow patterns. 

After the ninth bit comes in, a sell order comes from the Output Tower to whoever holds the most bits (or to the first holder).  The other bits can be sold to the company at no more than twice what they paid or the five bits may be sold off provided the other company holds the other four.  Must be sold in one cycle or all bits are gathered and sold at 50% list.  Unsold data goes into storage.

Storage data is often sold in string piles (two or more strings).  In 10 to 100 cycles the string pile is called for.  Companies have one cycle to deliver what they have.  A company may try to buy all strings.  A company holding one and offered a good price will often give it up.  Also given as tips to Neutronian guardians for future favors.

(I warned you up front, this wasn’t all going to make sense.)

[The good news is that I've been working every day on the Cyber-Pulp game and enjoying it.  The bad news is that I've had very little time to devote to it, so it's not ready.  The way things interconnect in it, I think I'll have to finish the whole thing before posting any of it.  The worse news is that I'm out of RPG posts.  I have some other assorted stuff to post though for now, starting Monday.]

Artifacts: Motherboard Redux-Definitions

Motherboard, Fan Fiction 1, Fan Fiction 2, RPG Notes

Here’s where some of the terms used in the Fan Fiction might make some sense.

DEFINITIONS

Anomaly (Glitch): Defects in the system that can cause random death and destruction like a natural disaster.  (Anti-Proton Storm, Grid Quake, Neutrino Blast)

Data Sheet: List supplied to players that shows what data is hot.

Circuit: A smooth roadway for high-speed travel.

Micronian: An Electronian, Protonian, or Neutronian.

Motherboard (The Grid): A small portion of a microchip upon which its inhabitants receive, arrange, and output data.

Input Tower: Huge tower to which data is transmitted.  Unusually large Protonian Guardians keep this data safe and award it to the highest bidder.

Bugs: Small creatures which live upon the Grid.  Most are fairly harmless, but they are wild.  Some Neutronians are trained in the art of taming them, so that data may be imprinted and stored on them (called cells).  They can only be imprinted once.

Electronian: Smallest of Micronians, with the ability to produce an electric shock and accelerate to high speeds on or off a circuit.  They are primarily used as messengers transporting bugs, and delivering power.  They are also used as scouts, spies, and assassins.

Neutronian: Large Micronians with high intelligence that can read or mentally attack other minds.  Neutronians have one of two basic disciplines.  Arrangers place delivered data into strings.  Tamers control and herd grid bugs.  Saboteur Neutronians of either discipline can be hired for various destructive acts.

Protonian: Largest of the Micronians.  They can magnetically manipulate the Grid for building (circuits and stores) and are capable of restraining and crushing other Micronians (mass blasts).  Protonians are natural leaders and some also serve as warriors.

Output Tower: Like Input Towers, except that arranged data is delivered here for sale to the Protonian Guardians.  Large price tags are often contested and haggled over.

Charge: 1. Basic unit of currency.  2. Refers to the hit points of Micronians.

Logic Probe: Neutronian with the power to detect defects and sabotage in a bug, building structure, or data.  Not always scrupulous.

Protonian Guardian: Huge Protonians selected by previous Guardians to serve the Towers.  They are incorruptible and very well taken care of.  In spite of the power they wield, they almost always treat fellow Micronians fairly (part of the selection criterion).

Cycle: Day, basic unit of time, broken down metrically.

Data Store: Locked (by Neutronian numbers), encrypted, and/or shielded (by Protonian grid manipulation) places for data.

Phenomenon: Random dangerous events (like weather or natural forces).

Virus: Corrupts data (like plagues and disease).

Encoded Flash Message: An encrypted message sent by Electronian courier.

Metron: Basic unit of length.

Meton: Basic unit of weight

Micronian Names: Name, letter type, letter batch, number model.  Electronian (e-) Z, Protonian (p+) S, Neutronians (n0) O.  Name starts with these letters and are their type.  Zepher ZB3, Soloman SR10, Orly OK1

Input/Output Wire: Linear accelerators, parts-injector releases Electronians one at a time, as one reaches halfway, another is released, vacuum tube-airless circuit, magnetic coils-which surround the circuit, first part of trip acceleration coils push and pull forward, second coils push forward, third coils push back to decelerate.

Neutronian Clearing House: Unsold, unwanted data is brought here for 50% last price and then given to the Protonian guards for tips, which are sold to companies.

Artifacts: Motherboard Redux-Fan Fiction 2

Motherboard, Fan Fiction 1, Definitions, RPG Notes

One more piece of fan fiction for this setting.

Flashman-Raiders

          It felt odd.  Zepher ZB3, Pieces of Eight's best runner, trudging along the slower public access circuit under armed escort.  The eight bits in his memory lock comprised a Beta Z9 string worth 6300 charge.  Not only the most expensive string in five mega-cycles, but the most expensive ever handled by the company.  Costs for the transaction, including Neutronian tips, the buy price, paying off other companies to shut out other buyers, and the Power Play guards was at least 4000 charge.  But at the end of the circuit, at the output tower, was a projected 2300 charge of pure profit!

          "How you doin,' little buddy?" said Power Play captain Soloman SR10, "Nerves ain't getting to ya, are they?"

          "I'd feel a lot better, if there was a backup plan."

          Casually, Sol remarked, "If it gets too hot for us to handle, you just get to a junction and take-off on an output wire."

          Zepher wasn't impressed by the Protonian's "run like hell" tactics.  However, he did feel safer, surrounded by four guards and four more scouting their front and rear.  Even his memory lock had been affixed to his body in such a way that his arms would have to be removed before it would come off without the proper codes.  Zepher hoped it wouldn't come to that.

          A low rumbling reverberated along the circuit tunnel.  The sound became louder and Soloman brought the column to a halt.  Shaking into pieces, the circuit walls on either side crumbled to reveal four large Protonians.

          (Shoot first, ask questions later.)  The hiss and pop of Power Play's mass drives exploded the attackers.  Suddenly, Zepher realized the rumbling wasn't coming from the Protonians.  A familiar sounding crackling thunderstorm was coming from the output circuit running parallel to their own.

          Eight or more Electronians leapt through the fissure in the output circuit wall.  The raiders' shock rods reduced the four rear guards to burning embers.  The messenger group was quickly encircled.

          "Looks like it's time for Plan B!" yelled Sol.

          "Yeah," Zepher nodded.

          The guards moved in mass towards the fissure.  Under the Protonian's concentrated fire, the Electronian ring cracked.  Zepher jumped through the crack.  A slick, smooth surface for high- speed travel, he fell, rear first, onto the output circuit.  Another Electronian stood on the track in front of Zepher.  Recovering quickly, he charged.  With the sound of a sonic boom and the eruption of a volcanno, the circuit was torn apart.   Blown backward, Zepher went back through the hole.

          Power Play was still holding out.  "There's a circuit breaker in the tunnel and not enough time to get back to the buffer!"  Sol was about to reply by Zepher, when an explosion rocked them all.  The circuit breaker had snapped their line.  Seizing the advantage, the Electronians made quick work of the guards.  Alone, Sol prepared to defend the messenger, "Better take off!" Zepher had already made up his mind to make his stand with the captain, but instead found himself being tossed out the grid-side crack.

          The tunnel echoed thunder.  On the grid, Zepher was then struck to the ground by a nerve-breaking headache.  He looked up.  (Neutronian!)  Already, the Micronian was reaching for the memory lock.  Putting his hand to his attacker's face, Zepher delivered a large shock to the Neutronian.  As he fell backwards, several raiders came out of the tunnel.  Zepher sped off along the grid.  Two M Metrons away west was a cluster local circuit to the tower.  Twenty C Cylces until the string was due.  Several attackers and wild grid bugs in his way, Zepher poured it on.  (Some workout!)

(Hey, that was actually somewhat exciting.  I should have finished this at the time when I actually knew the setting better.)

Sports Journal 10-12-13

I’m going to give you the main pertinent stat from Saturday’s two league championship games. Cardinals over the Dodgers, 1-0, in a about two-and-a-half hour long game.  Tigers over Red Sox, 1-0, in a nearly four-hour long game. Now in all fairness, the Tiger-Red Sox game was probably more entertaining with the drama of the near combined no-hitter and on-base action, but not to the tune of an extra hour-and-a-half to get to the same low score (in fact the minimal score for finished baseball game).  (Okay, I admit.  That Cardinal-Dodger game may have been seriously quickened by the players, playing a day game after a long, extra innings night game.)

I’m going to flat out blame the American League East division, specifically the Yankees and Red Sox.  These jokers have pioneered the four-hour, nine-inning game.  Pitchers endlessly adjusting themselves and soft-tossing to first.  Batters all but playing with themselves as they constantly hop-scotch in and out of the Batter’s box, fouling off pitch after pitch in every at-bat.  Anybody who plays these teams usually ends up adopting their style. 

This movement must be CRUSHED for the good of the game.  This isn’t entertaining, half as much as it’s an endurance contest for the fans.  I want more guys like the Cardinals’ closer, Trevor Rosenthal.  He pitches so quick, it’s like he’s playing catch with the catcher.  Can we freaking pick up the pace a little bit?  All of the drama of the game will still be there, I swear it will, just play faster!

I listened to the Cardinal-Dodger game on the radio and was treated to Dodger team broadcast, featuring mostly Vin Scully.  He was in classic form, spinning little tales, painting word pictures, and eloquently describing the ambiance of the ballpark.  I loved his description of the St. Louis crowd being so perfectly composed, who only got excited when it was necessary.  But when they did, they’d roar like “waves crashing on to rocks.”  What else could you say about the game other than that Wacha kid is pretty good?  Come on, a double, a passed ball, and sacrifice flyball was the entirety of scoring action.  Dodger fan and sports talk broadcaster, Ben Maller, all but said after this loss, that the Dodgers have the Cardinals right where they want them. 

In Boston, the players grow beards.  The pre-game even ran a feature on them.  I loved Sox players referring to Dustin Pedoria as “a gnome,” and “like a lumberjack’s beard on a 12 year-old’s body.”  For the game, however, all the Red Sox players did was strikeout and complain about the umpiring.  There were a lot of close calls, but on replay, the umps did seem to get it right.  For their part, the Tigers couldn’t hit either, but at least took it like a man, instead of a whiney brat. 

Yeah, John Lester for the Sox and Anibal Sanchez for Tigers might have a little something to with that lack of offense.  I loved Sanchez’s pitching line: 6 innings, no hits, 6 walks, 12 strikeouts, including 4 in one inning, thanks to a wild pitch.  Sorry he shot off so pitches that there was no way he was realistically going to get a no-hitter by himself.  You know those guys behind you do have gloves?  You don’t have to walk or strikeout every batter.  8 1/3 of a staff no-hitter was still nice.     

I didn’t even try to watch any college football, but still filled up the day and night with sports.  There was the Drag-Boat race in the morning.  All I can say about that is that they go fast.  I unexpectedly finally got ABC back on my TV reception (this might part of a network contract dispute, I don’t know) and got to see a little of Nicole Briscoe’s awesome chest (sorry best pic easily available) .  I think there was a NASCAR race going on in the background, or paid commercial programming (who can tell the difference?).  I know the headlights on NASCARs aren’t real.  I don’t care if Nicole’s are.

I give up on boxing.  I was assured that the Marquez-Bradley was going to end in a knockout.  What did I get?  A split-decision with both boxers on their feet.  As what always happens when I watch.  All I can authoritatively say about boxing coverage is always go with the Spanish language broadcast.  Unless you’re really fluent in the language, you’re not going to pick up a word, because they’re going too fast, but their breathless commentary makes even a lousy fight somewhat  exciting.  Bradley won, I guess.  I can’t tell you who really won, but I know who lost: me and my time. 

(I’ll be back.  I know it.  It’s those damn Tecate Girl commercial bumpers they run in between the rounds.  I don’t care if their headlights are real either.)

It was a lovely, late afternoon, Fall day in the pleasant country of Japan, as I sat here after midnight and settled in for two hours of F1 coverage into the early morning.  Ah, Suzuka.  The racetrack with an overpass, just like out your own highway.  Seems like a safety hazard to me with cars running fast over each other, but they run with it anyway.  Sort like a life-sized slot car track.  The track was otherwise immaculately manicured like a baseball field, unlike the pasture they ran that Korean GP on last week.  I fully expected to see cars sliding on cow patties in that one.  The great crowd there was treated to Grosjean making a spectacular move at the start to get past Vettel and Webber, and then not being able to hold that lead for the rest of the race.  Vettel, Webber, Grosjean made up the podium.  Well, that was functionally the whole race.  Well worth staying up to 2:30 A.M. for.