JMS on CompuServe (Jul 01, 1996) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*
Brent Barrett
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WARNING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The following posts may contain SPOILERS for
upcoming Babylon 5 episodes.
Continue at your own risk.
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THE FOLLOWING MATERIAL IS THE COPYRIGHT OF THE
RESPECTIVE MESSAGE AUTHORS AND CANNOT BE
REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT THE EXPRESSED
PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR.
Note that JMS has expressed his public permission
that all of his messages may be reproduced freely.
I give permission for my summaries to be reposted in
any form, however I reserve all rights to them and
the right to revoke this permission at any time.
[ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
Sb: #532255-From jms re:Email
Sb: #532020-#Hyperspace vs. Distance
Sb: #532161-Hyperspace vs. Distance
Sb: #532018-Mimbari Anti Grav.
Sb: #532281-Minbari Males
[ Summary: A helpful poster suggests that JMS could try using a
dictation system to relieve the pain in his wrists from CTS. ]
#: 532471 S5/Babylon 5: General
30-Jun-96 20:17:43
Sb: #532255-From jms re:Email
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
I can't dictate scripts; I think through my fingers. Tried it, just
can't get into the characters.
jms
#: 532020 S5/Babylon 5: General
30-Jun-96 03:10:04
Sb: #531825-#Hyperspace vs. Distance
Fm: RICHARD WAKEFIELD
Okay. Thanks
So we know that journeys through Hyperspace have no revelance *really* to
normal space. It is *very* weird in there, as you say a trip to Earth may take
3 days and to Centauri Prime 4 days while it is twice the distance. It is
beginning to make sense now !
My only query is that in "Severed Dreams" the White Star seems to travel to
Earth in less than 48 hours (including time to get to WS). And as you pointed
out, and I have seen on episodes it takes 3 days to get to Earth. Does this
mean Ships travel at different speeds in Hyperspace ? - I also remember seeing
a Shadow Battlecruiser catching-up with the WS while in Hyperspace. I also read
a Document refering to "Hyperspace-engines". Was the 4 days Hyperspace in a
Centauri vessel (i.e shorter time). Maybe the EA, Narn, Centauri and Minbari
all go the same speed in Hyperspace. And maybe the Vorlons and Shadows are so
advanced they can go faster, hence the WStar + Battlecruisers ??
My final point (ever) is...do we know how many HSH (hyperspace hours) Minbar,
Narn, Vorlon or Shadow space is (anyone know this ?)
Thanks once again,
Richard
#: 532472 S5/Babylon 5: General
30-Jun-96 20:17:45
Sb: #532020-#Hyperspace vs. Distance
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Actually, the White Star doesn't go to Earth in "Severed," it goes in
"Messages from Earth," and it's stated in dialogue that it takes 3 days in that
episode as well.
jms
#: 532161 S5/Babylon 5: General
30-Jun-96 11:04:06
Sb: #531825-#Hyperspace vs. Distance
Fm: BILL DUGAN
Is it confusing for the First Ones, or just for us younger races?
#: 532473 S5/Babylon 5: General
30-Jun-96 20:17:47
Sb: #532161-Hyperspace vs. Distance
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Dunno, but it confuses the hell outta me....
jms
[ Summary: A terribly funny story, which the poster claims was written
by someone else. Since he doesn't give anyone credit, and it's darn
funny, I'm going to just reproduce it and hope no one gets mad. :-)
The Buttered Cat Principle
The Facts...
If you drop a buttered piece of bread, it will fall on the
floor butter-side down.If a cat is dropped from a window
or other high and towering place, it will land on it's feet.
The Problem Statement...
But what if you attach a buttered piece of bread,
butter-side up to a cat's back and toss them both out the
window? Will the cat land on it's feet? Or will the butter
splat on the ground?
The answer...
Even if you are too lazy to do the experiment yourself you
should be able to deduce the obvious result.The laws of
butterology demand that the butter must hit the ground, and
the equally strict laws of feline aerodynamics demand that
the cat can not smash it's furry back. If the combined
construct were to land, nature would have no way to resolve
this paradox. Therefore it simply does not fall.
That's right you clever mortal (well, as clever as a mortal
can get), you have discovered the secret of antigravity! A
buttered cat will, when released, quickly move to a height
where the forces of cat-twisting and butter repulsion are in
equilibrium. This equilibrium point can be modified by
scraping off some of the butter, providing lift, or removing
some of the cat's limbs, allowing descent.
Most of the civilized species of the Universe already use
this principle to drive their ships while within a planetary
system. The loud humming heard by most sighters of UFOs is,
in fact, the purring of several hundred tabbies.
The one obvious danger is, of course, if the cats manage to
eat the bread off their backs they will instantly plummet.
Of course the cats will land on their feet, but this usually
doesn't do them much good, since right after they make their
graceful landing several tons of red-hot starship and pissed
off aliens crash on top of them.
]
#: 532474 S5/Babylon 5: General
30-Jun-96 20:17:50
Sb: #532018-Mimbari Anti Grav.
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Dropped out of counseling again, I see....
jms
#: 532281 S5/Babylon 5: General
30-Jun-96 15:52:22
Sb: #Minbari Males
Fm: BRENT BARRETT
Hello, Joe.
I was hoping you could answer a question that's been nagging at me recently.
Upon receiving copies (from a friend) of the first season and first episodes of
season two, I noticed that in two separate episodes, we've seen facial hair
(beards) on Minbari males. Both the original Draal (VitW) and the Minbari
captain in "Points of Departure" had beards.
I was under the impression that Minbari had no hair at all, but this seems to
indicate that at least some of them are capable of growing facial hair. Is
this a correct assessment?
Thanks,
-- Brent
#: 532475 S5/Babylon 5: General
30-Jun-96 20:17:51
Sb: #532281-Minbari Males
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Yes, they can grow facial hair only.
jms
John Schilling
bbar...@speedlink.com (Brent Barrett) writes:
> [ Summary: A terribly funny story, which the poster claims was written
> by someone else. Since he doesn't give anyone credit, and it's darn
> funny, I'm going to just reproduce it and hope no one gets mad. :-)
>The Buttered Cat Principle
>The Facts...
>If you drop a buttered piece of bread, it will fall on the
>floor butter-side down.If a cat is dropped from a window
>or other high and towering place, it will land on it's feet.
>The Problem Statement...
>But what if you attach a buttered piece of bread,
>butter-side up to a cat's back and toss them both out the
>window? Will the cat land on it's feet? Or will the butter
>splat on the ground?
>The answer...
>Even if you are too lazy to do the experiment yourself you
>should be able to deduce the obvious result.The laws of
>butterology demand that the butter must hit the ground, and
>the equally strict laws of feline aerodynamics demand that
>the cat can not smash it's furry back. If the combined
>construct were to land, nature would have no way to resolve
>this paradox. Therefore it simply does not fall.
The only thing obvious about this experiment is that its
proponent has never dealt with real cats.
Attempting to tie, staple, glue, or otherwise attach a piece
of buttered bread to any part of a cat's anatomy will be seen
as an intolerable insult to the dignity of the cat, and will
thus result in the experimenter being hideously mauled and then
either eaten or being buried in small chunks in the litterbox.
Nobody will ever get to the "and toss them both out the window"
part of the experiment.
There is a reason why scientific experiments involving cats
are presented as *thought* experiments, and it has nothing
to do with laziness. Simple self-preservation.
--
*John Schilling * "You can have Peace, *
*Member:AIAA,NRA,ACLU,SAS,LP * or you can have Freedom. *
*University of Southern California * Don't ever count on having both *
*Aerospace Engineering Department * at the same time." *
*schi...@spock.usc.edu * - Robert A. Heinlein *
*(213)-740-5311 or 747-2527 * Finger for PGP public key *
Timothy A. Roeder
In article <4r9lu1$i...@spock.usc.edu>, schi...@spock.usc.edu (John Schilling) wrote:
>bbar...@speedlink.com (Brent Barrett) writes:
[Munch}
>The only thing obvious about this experiment is that its
>proponent has never dealt with real cats.
>
>Attempting to tie, staple, glue, or otherwise attach a piece
>of buttered bread to any part of a cat's anatomy will be seen
>as an intolerable insult to the dignity of the cat, and will
>thus result in the experimenter being hideously mauled and then
>either eaten or being buried in small chunks in the litterbox.
>Nobody will ever get to the "and toss them both out the window"
>part of the experiment.
That's what I've never been able to figure out about our cat. He will put up
with almost *ANYTHING*, including being led by a leash (no acclimation
training there -- just plonked one on him one day for a walk, and off we
went!). He doesn't fight, scratch or bite when being bathed (although he
makes a great deal of noise) or clipped (including clipping his claws). You
can pick him up, fling him around, etc., and he just quietly goes along with
it.
Of course, he does other silly things as well -- like *ALWAYS* coming to you
when you call him, enjoying hanging around wherever you are (he especially
loves the lap). He's more like a dog in that respect. He wants and craves
human attention.
I rather suspect that he would quietly put up with tying a piece of buttered
bread to his back as well -- he'd just find a way to get it off and eat it
later.
>There is a reason why scientific experiments involving cats
>are presented as *thought* experiments, and it has nothing
>to do with laziness. Simple self-preservation.
Guess I'll have to keep our cat away from the scientists, eh? ;-)
Regards,
Tim
Keith Bennett
tro...@med.unc.edu (Timothy A. Roeder) wrote:
>In article <4r9lu1$i...@spock.usc.edu>, schi...@spock.usc.edu (John Schilling) wrote:
>>bbar...@speedlink.com (Brent Barrett) writes:
>
>[Munch}
>
>>The only thing obvious about this experiment is that its
>>proponent has never dealt with real cats.
>>
>>Attempting to tie, staple, glue, or otherwise attach a piece
>>of buttered bread to any part of a cat's anatomy will be seen
>>as an intolerable insult to the dignity of the cat, and will
>>thus result in the experimenter being hideously mauled and then
>>either eaten or being buried in small chunks in the litterbox.
>>Nobody will ever get to the "and toss them both out the window"
>>part of the experiment.
>
>
>That's what I've never been able to figure out about our cat. He will put up
>with almost *ANYTHING*, including being led by a leash (no acclimation
>training there -- just plonked one on him one day for a walk, and off we
>went!). He doesn't fight, scratch or bite when being bathed (although he
>makes a great deal of noise) or clipped (including clipping his claws). You
>can pick him up, fling him around, etc., and he just quietly goes along with
>it.
>
>Of course, he does other silly things as well -- like *ALWAYS* coming to you
>when you call him, enjoying hanging around wherever you are (he especially
>loves the lap). He's more like a dog in that respect. He wants and craves
>human attention.
>
Must be a burmese...
Korey Moeller
In <31d8e22d...@nntp.best.com> dke...@best.com (Keith Bennett)
writes:
and eat it later.
>>
>>>There is a reason why scientific experiments involving cats
>>>are presented as *thought* experiments, and it has nothing
>>>to do with laziness. Simple self-preservation.
>>Guess I'll have to keep our cat away from the scientists, eh? ;-)
>>
>>Regards,
>>
>>Tim
>>
>>
>
>
'tie' anything onto them. (Speedbump would of course eat it, he lives
for food.) The one thing they would all do, is look at me, as only a
cat can, and ask "what on earth were you thinking??!! Or do you know
how? Obviously, you still need more training!" Then the carnage would
follow....
kjm
Wesley Struebing
schi...@spock.usc.edu (John Schilling) wrote:
>The only thing obvious about this experiment is that its
>proponent has never dealt with real cats.
>Attempting to tie, staple, glue, or otherwise attach a piece
>of buttered bread to any part of a cat's anatomy will be seen
>as an intolerable insult to the dignity of the cat, and will
>thus result in the experimenter being hideously mauled and then
>either eaten or being buried in small chunks in the litterbox.
>Nobody will ever get to the "and toss them both out the window"
>part of the experiment.
>There is a reason why scientific experiments involving cats
>are presented as *thought* experiments, and it has nothing
>to do with laziness. Simple self-preservation.
ROTFLMAO! (and avoiding rolling on the cats!) This man obviously
knows cats, has some, or was a cat in a previous life!
Thanks, John! You made my day!
Take care and keep the faith!
Wes
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TheWrapParty in'98!
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Michael J. Hennebry
In article <4r9lu1$i...@spock.usc.edu>,
John Schilling <schi...@spock.usc.edu> wrote:
>There is a reason why scientific experiments involving cats
>are presented as *thought* experiments, and it has nothing
>to do with laziness. Simple self-preservation.
Another one for my .sig files.
--
Mike henn...@plains.NoDak.edu
Lennier does it with kindness. -- Garibaldi
Mark Five
henn...@plains.nodak.edu (Michael J. Hennebry) wrote:
>In article <4r9lu1$i...@spock.usc.edu>,
>John Schilling <schi...@spock.usc.edu> wrote:
>>There is a reason why scientific experiments involving cats
>>are presented as *thought* experiments, and it has nothing
>>to do with laziness. Simple self-preservation.
catomancy - (see cartomancy) cartomancy is telling forunes by use of
cards. Catomancy uses cat. Ask question, take cat, spin three times
(by tail) and release. If cat lands feet first, answer is yes, Other
than feet firs, no. If cat runs away, answer "ask again later".
Preferably much later, with different cat.
- Erwin Schroedinger
When asked by A. Hitler how long it would take German scientists
to construct atomic bomb, replied, "I'm not sure." Hitler, not
impressed, decided to invade Russia instead.
Don't blame me - I voted for Crane