/** ************************************************************************ * ************************************************************************* * The Non-Sequitur Express * Canada geese -- they're just weeds with feathers.* * Published at fortnightly or random intervals by Phillip Thorne * http://www.underbase.org/nsx/ * * Volume 2, Issue 17: Thursday, 06 July 2000 * ************************************************************************* * *********************************************************************** */ OBSERVATIONS & C: EPA idiocy, exploding stuff, alt reality TV, banjos. UPCOMING: New Dilbert! New SFC! And many repeats. ERRATA & O+A+A: RSTC's missing eps, more Titan tie-ins. plus Legalese, acknowledgements and opt-in/out instructions. /** ************************************************************************ * OBSERVATIONS & COGITATIONS * EPA idiocy, exploding stuff, alternative reality TV, banjos. * *********************************************************************** */ Disturbing fact-cluster of the week: reportedly, the average age of staffers at the US Environmental Protection Agency is only 27 -- i.e. too young to have any practical experience in the industries the agency regulates. Moreover, recent directives indicate they're not only wet-behind-the-ears, but idealistic and incapable of formulating risk in any but boolean terms. Apparently, they've ordered the US chemical industry to phase out polystyrene ("Styrofoam") by 2005, because the gases now used to inflate the individual plastic beads might possibly damage the ozone layer -- albeit at a rate only 1% that of the CFCs they've replaced. Moreover, there's no practical replacement yet, and the third-generation hydrocarbon gas the EPA prefers is flammable, and is already used as a refrigerant in European and Australian cooling systems -- where it explodes on a regular basis. [Source: third-hand news via a friend, the son of a chemical engineer/liaison.] Exploding refrigerators, eh? Not reported in the US, eh? The obvious solution: a new mass-market periodical called _Exploding Stuff Quarterly_, that chronicles all the rocket launches, launch failures, comet impacts, fireworks company mergers, military pyrotechnics research, flammable automobiles, and gas main accidents worldwide. "All the news that's fit to detonate!" First we had television news. Then we were treated to "reality TV" (FOX's "Cops" and "World's Blankiest Blank," as "Futurama's" Fry puts it) and home video anthologies -- the latter idea imported from Japan. (Look for "Fun with Kato-Chan and Ken-Chan" at the tail of the credits for "America's Funniest People.") Somewhere in-between (chronologically and thematically), MTV invented "Real World" and "Road Rules." Now we Americans can partake of "alternative reality TV" -- this time, notionally imported from Europe. "Making the Band," "Survivor," "Big Brother," and their ilk. What next? A domestic version of the hit Russian program in which contestants, their cars equipped with locator beacons, evade police pursuers by running over rubbish bins and the occasional pedestrian? I seem to recall SF authors predicting all of this. And then BAD THINGS happened. Alternative reality? Apparently that's where the censors live, the ones who assign the MPAA-derived content labels to TV shows (up in the top left, catercorner to the network ID badge). Three examples: the first ep of "Secret Agent Man" and both eps of "Clerks" had obvious (albeit brief) sexual content -- but failed to get an "S" subtag. Maybe the censors adhere to some time-percentage threshold, and "Futurama" (example #4) frequently makes the grade. I dunno. Among other instruments, the five-string banjo was a fixture in every fashion-conscious Victorian parlor until the early 1900s, when the ascendance of ragtime music, its complex key changes unplayable on the banjo's "drone strings," relegated the slave-invented-African-derived instrument to history's back closet. * Today's quote is courtesy of my father. Southeast Pennsylvania, land of golf courses, landscaped corporate campuses and retaining ponds, is prime feeding-and-breeding ground for arrogant, unafraid Canada geese. The parents will lead a procession of a half-dozen chicks unhurriedly across the road because they *know* traffic will stop for them. Geese... rabbits... do we really *need* these things? /** ************************************************************************ * UPCOMING * Series, Seasons, Episodes, Movies, Books, Games * *********************************************************************** */ HEADS UP... That WB animated show whose title I couldn't remember, that I found more disgusting than most of the recent entrants, that vanished and has now returned to Sundays at 21:30? It's called "Mission Hill." Wonder of wonders! Behold -- next week (tue-11-jul-20:30) it's a *new* episode of UPN's "Dilbert" -- number 215, "Company Picnic." "Rocky and Bullwinkle" is already in theatres (now how do they explain R&B's cartoon status, but B&N are human?), and "X-Men" hits the silver screen (why silver? why not gold or tellurium or molybdenum?) on 14- jul. It's got Patrick "Picard" Stewart; it's *got* to be good. Vicarious Vision's space-sim "Terminus" (published by Vatical, with PC, Mac and Linux versions on one CD-ROM) is now available in stores -- well, "Stop and Save" anyway. I don't know about Babbage's, EB, Office Max, etc. The first patch (Mac and Linux problems) is also available. Buy it! Play it! If you don't see my name in the credits, complain to VV! (See: developer vvisions.com, fan coverage stationterminus.com, and publisher vatical.com -- beware, the last is a Flash site.) PRIMETIME ETC. PROGRAMMING... * SAM Uncle S.A.M. 109 pg upn f 0707-2100 * Inv Tiresias 404 pg sfc f 0707-2000 f 0707-2300 * Fsc Out of Their Minds 209 pg sfc f 0707-2100 z 0708-0000 * Lex Patches in the Sky 214 -- sfc f 0707-2200 z 0708-0100 mov Capricorn One (1978) pg plx f 0707-2100 125 min * FWv Ohio Players 211 14 sfc z 0708-1200 r Cle Trial and Error 1212 pg 17 z 0708-1300 r JAT Dead Woman Walking 1312 -- 17 z 0708-1330 r EFC Scorched Earth 314 pg 17 z 0708-1600 s 0716-2330 r SG1 1969 221 pg 29 z 0708-1700 s 0715-0400 * Inv Ralph 103 -- 48 z 0708-2000 r SG1 Show and Tell 220 pg 29 s 0708-0400 r Cle Double 1210 -- 17 s 0708-2000 z 0716-1300 r JAT Love Potion No.10 1313 -- 17 s 0708-2030 z 0716-1330 r Fut When Aliens Attack 112 pg fox s 0709-1900 * FWv Night Falls 212 14 sfc z 0709-1900 z 0709-2200 r Sim Pygmoelian 1112 pg fox s 0709-2000 Pry Collaboration 109 pg sfc s 0709-2000 r XF Theef 714 14 fox s 0709-2100 m 0710-0200 * Mis Andy Gets a Promotion --- 14 wb s 0709-2130 r Lex Patches in the Sky 214 -- sfc m 0710-0100 r Ros Heat Wave 108 pg wb m 0710-2100 r Buf This Year's Girl 415 14 wb t 0711-2000 * PJs Fear of a Black Rat 213 14 fox t 0711-2030 * Dil Company Picnic 215 pg upn t 0711-2030 r Ang Eternity 117 14 wb t 0711-2100 r FGy Brian: Portrait of a Dog 107 14 fox t 0711-2100 * PJs Ghetto Superstars 209 pg fox t 0711-2130 r 7D Buried Alive 212 -- upn w 0712-2000 * FGy E.Peterbus Unum 213 14 upn w 0712-2030 r Chm Murphy's Luck 4399037 pg wb r 0713-2100 * SAM Fail-Safe 110 pg upn f 0714-2000 * Inv Impetus 407 -- sfc f 0714-2000 f 0714-2300 * Fsc My Three Crichtons --- 14 sfc f 0714-2100 z 0715-0000 * Lex Woz 215 -- sfc f 0714-2200 z 0715-0100 r FWv Night Falls 212 14 sfc z 0715-1200 r EFC Through Your Eyes 316 pg 17 z 0715-1500 s 0723-2300 r SG1 Out of Mind 222 pg 29 z 0715-1600 * Inv Tiresias 104 -- 48 z 0715-2000 r Cle Last Stand 1211 pg 17 z 0715-2000 z 0722-1300 r JAT Up the Creek 1217 pg 17 z 0715-2030 z 0722-1330 r Fut A Bicyclops Built for Two 209 -- fox s 0716-1900 r Sim Days of Wine and D'Oh'ses 1114 -- fox s 0716-2000 r XF First Person Shooter 713 -- fox s 0716-2100 * Mis Unemployment --- 14 wb s 0716-2130 abc wpvi-6, cbs kyw-3, fox wtxf-29, ind wgtw-48, ind wfmz-69, nbc wcau-10, pbs whyy-12, pbs wybe-35, upn wpsg-57, wb wphl-17; plx MoviePlex, sci Sci-Fi Channel, and tnt is TNT. Clk Clerks, Dil Dilbert, FGy Family Guy, Fut Futurama, Mis Mission Hill, PJs The PJs, Sim Simpsons. 7D 7 Days, B5 Babylon 5, BCJ The Adventures of Brisco County Junior, Chm Charmed, Cle Cleopatra 2525, DS9 Star Trek: Deep Space 9, EFC Earth: Final Conflict, JAT Jack of All Trades, Ros Roswell, SAM Secret Agent Man, SG1 StarGate SG-1, SI1 Space Island One, TNG Star Trek: The Next Generation, TR2 Total Recall 2070, Vgr Star Trek: Voyager, Who Doctor Who, XF The X-Files. STRIPPED SF... Star Trek: Voyager (Is no longer stripped...), TV-PG, WPSG-UPN-57 r Tinker,Tenor,Doctor,Spy w 0705-2100 926/604 Doc's daydreams invite r Tinker,Tenor,Doctor,Spy z 0708-1800 bureaucratic scavenger aliens! Basics, part 2 z 0708-2300 846/301 Avoid the worms and lava. r The Voyager Conspiracy w 0712-2100 929/609 Seven, overloaded, paranoid. Sacred Ground z 0715-2300 843/307 Janeway gets religion for Kes. Star Trek: The Next Generation Weeknights (Tue,Thu,Fri) 21:00 1 hour, TV-PG, WFMZ-69 Force of Nature 261/709 t 0704 Warp bad! Speed limit good! Inheritance 262/710 w 0705 Data meets mom, reheat planet's core. Parallels 263/711 r 0706 Worf goes universe-hopping. The Pegasus 264/712 f 0707 Riker, admiral, lost cloaked ship. Starship Mine 244/618 t 0711 Trilithium terrorists vs. Picard. Homeward 265/713 w 0712 Worf's bro tricks aliens to save them. Sub Rosa 266/714 r 0713 Crusher succumbs to family parasite-ghost. Lower Decks 267/715 f 0714 Junior officers, Cardassian informant. Babylon 5 Weekdays and Saturdays 06:00 1 hour, TV-PG, TNT Knives 216 m 0703 Londo's sword-comrade asks favor. Confessions and Lamentations 218 t 0704 Plague! Belief systems! Divided Loyalties 220 w 0705 Lyta flees from PsiCorps. The Long Twilight Struggle 219 r 0706 Narn lose, Sheridan meets Rangers. Comes the Inquisitor 221 f 0707 G'kar's resistance, Delenn's trial. The Fall of Night 222 z 0708 Narn+B5, Earth+Centauri, boom! Matters of Honor 301 m 0710 Londo vs. Shadows, Marcus arrives. Convictions 302 t 0711 Mad bomber traps Londo and G'Kar. A Day in the Strife 303 w 0712 Alien IQ probe. Passing Through Gethsemane 305 r 0713 Was monk a serial killer? Voices of Authority 306 f 0714 Ivanova's First One hunt, Nightwatch. Dust to Dust 307 z 0715 Bester, G'kar, Dust dealer. Exogenesis 307 m 0717 These parasites are different. Messages From Earth 308 t 0718 Earth's Shadowplans and martial law. /** ************************************************************************ * ERRATA & OMISSIONS, ADDENDA & ADMISSIONS * *********************************************************************** */ Regarding recent BKN airings of the end of the RSTC arc... ep.133/73 "Homefront," in which Buenos Aires (hometown of Rico, Flores, Jenkins and Ibanez) is destroyed by the Bugs, was never rendered due to the huge cg-modelling load. The final three, eps.138-140 "Gates of Hell," "Circle of the Damned," and "Final Inferno," in which Johnny Rico ends up in a solo confrontation with the Bug Queen during a huge SICON assault on the Bugs' Earth hive, went similarly unanimated. However, dialogue *was* recorded for all four, and fans are still petitioning that Sony-Tristar fund their production. (As I've mentioned before, online and hardcopy allotropes of the petition are available on www.roughneckchronicles.com.) [Source: Lee Thompson, www.siconhq.com] In issue 2.16, I forgot to mention a quartet of other "Titan A.E." tie-ins to be found at the bookstore: the prequel comic miniseries by Dark Horse, the prequel novels by Kevin J. Anderson (_Assemblers of Infinity_) and Rebecca Moesta -- _Cale's Story_ and _Akima's Story_ (space.com says they squander the setting), and the novelization itself (Steve and Dal Perry). According to Amazon.com, there's also the student planner, the calendar, and the locker calendar -- but the latter two haven't been published yet. Quick, buy things and reinflate their stock price! Oh, and there seem to be trading cards, too. Just so long as I don't see any Drej pencil-toppers or Gaoul erasers... /** ************************************************************************ * Legalese * Acknowledgments * Opt-in/out Instructions * *********************************************************************** */ The set of creative works herein reviewed and analyzed, including the subset {books, movies, TV shows, toys}, are the property of their respective copyright holders. No infringement or endorsement is expressed, implied or intended. The original reviews and analyses are themselves copyright 2000 by Phillip Thorne. Certain data has been obtained and aggregated from, repeatedly and in particular: Excite tv.excite.com Roughneck Chronicles roughneckchronicles.com Star Trek Continuum startrek.com Station Terminus stationterminus.com If you're receiving this newsletter, you've probably intentionally subscribed to it. Or possibly you've procrastinated in subscribing and I'm sending it to you anyway. Or maybe you're a family member and I'm demonstrating that I'm still alive. In any case, to cancel your subscription, send an email message to pethorne@earthlink.net with the words "UNSUBSCRIBE NON-SEQUITUR" in the subject line and/or body. Capitalization and punctuation don't matter, since I'm doing this all manually. /** ************************************************************************ * ************************************************************************* * The Non-Sequitur Express * http://www.underbase.org/nsx/ * Volume 2, Issue 17: Thursday, 06 July 2000 * Copyright 2000 Phillip Thorne, pethorne@earthlink.net * ************************************************************************* * *********************************************************************** */