Month: July 2002

The Prime Directive

Post author By Dotan Dimet
Post date July 16, 2002

Taken from a google caching of this site, which appears to be down:

STARFLEET GENERAL ORDERS

General Order 1: The Prime Directive

“As the right of each sentient species to live in accordance with its normal cultural evolution is considered sacred, no Starfleet personnel may interfere with the normal and healthy development of alien life and culture. Such interference includes introducing superior knowledge, strength, or technology to a world whose society is incapable of handling such advantages wisely. Starfleet personnel may not violate this Prime Directive, even to save their lives and/or their ship, unless they are acting to right an earlier violation or an accidental contamination of said culture. This directive takes precedence over any and all other considerations, and carries with it the highest moral obligation. “

Roleplaying short

Belvane’s Trump Gallery

Post author By Dotan Dimet
Post date July 16, 2002

Belvane‘s lovely Amber Trump Gallery.

Science Fiction and Fantasy

John Brunner

Post author By Dotan Dimet
Post date July 14, 2002

I’m just writing an introduction to the story “The Dead Man” by John Brunner, a pastiche of Jorge Luis Borges. Looking it up, I learn that John Kilian Houston Brunner died on 25 August 1995. His wife Marjorie died in 1986, the same year as Borges.

The 25th of August is my Birthday.

Oddities

Polio virus from scratch

Post author By Dotan Dimet
Post date July 14, 2002

Scientists Have Constructed a Virus From Scratch

The researchers made the [Polio] virus in the laboratory using data from the Internet and tailor-made sequences ordered from a laboratory supply service. They injected the virus into mice to show that it worked. The animals were paralyzed and then killed.”

“I don’t think we need to encourage people to take this up as a hobby,” said [CJ] Peters [director of the Center for Biodefense at the University of Texas Medical Center at Galveston].“

Oddities

What is Cosplay?

Post author By Dotan Dimet
Post date July 12, 2002

Cruising Google image search, I ran across this home page called Second Skin: A Cosplay Site. The site explains that “cosplay (a Japanese word combining “Costume” and “Play”) is a meticulous, expensive, and very fun hobby of dressing up as anime, manga, and video game characters. ”

Apparently this is the hobby responsible for people dressed in Sailor moon costumes which I read about in various con reports.

On her site, she lists What every masquerade girl must carry with them at a convention, and in addition to the obvious (Camera, Safety pins/ Glue gun), recommends “A burly guy-friend to keep away the mouthbreathers. If you don’t see the necesity, you’ve never been to a con in a short skirt. “