From: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org (loud-fans-digest) To: loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Subject: loud-fans-digest V4 #96 Reply-To: loud-fans@smoe.org Sender: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk loud-fans-digest Monday, April 5 2004 Volume 04 : Number 096 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: [loud-fans] All Andy (NS) [Bill Silvers ] Re: [loud-fans] Wonderfalls (NS) [steve ] Re: [loud-fans] Wonderfalls (NS) ["David Seldin" ] [loud-fans] Bay Area happenings 4/23-24 ["David Seldin" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 04 Apr 2004 03:35:38 -0500 From: Bill Silvers Subject: Re: [loud-fans] All Andy (NS) Steve Schiavo wrote: >Well, Fox has given Wonderfalls the ax. I don't doubt that this is the case, but I'm unable to find anything about it on the web. Where'd you hear/see this? b.s. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 4 Apr 2004 08:37:34 -0500 From: steve Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Wonderfalls (NS) On Apr 4, 2004, at 3:35 AM, Bill Silvers wrote: >> Well, Fox has given Wonderfalls the ax. > > I don't doubt that this is the case, but I'm unable to find anything > about it on the web. Where'd you hear/see this? Here's Tim Minear's site - > Well, not sure what to tell ya'll -- but we're cancelled. Effective at > once. The cow creamer will be silent this Thursday and forever > forward. > > Once we recover from the not-shock, Todd, Bryan and I will see if > there's some venue in which to air the remaining episodes. As I have > said from the start, the thirteen taken as a whole tell a story and go > to a place, so a run of this "limited" series would not be > unsatisfying elsewhere. It's a question as to whether the studio will > want to invest in a DVD release of a failed series. Maybe the episodes > will sit in a warehouse someplace with that sled and the arc of the > covenant. > > Thanks for all the support and enthusiasm. > > Tim - - Steve __________ Why do the God-inebriated opponents of the separation of church and state in America, the righteous citizens who see God's hand in everything that Fox News reports, insult the Founders by revising and even rejecting their God? - Leon Wieseltier ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 4 Apr 2004 10:09:02 -0400 From: "David Seldin" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Wonderfalls (NS) "Arc of the covenant". I like that. There's a whole new theology in there somewhere... Grading on a curve, David - ----- Original Message ----- From: "steve" To: Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2004 9:37 AM Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Wonderfalls (NS) > On Apr 4, 2004, at 3:35 AM, Bill Silvers wrote: > > >> Well, Fox has given Wonderfalls the ax. > > > > I don't doubt that this is the case, but I'm unable to find anything > > about it on the web. Where'd you hear/see this? > > > Here's Tim Minear's site - > > > > > Well, not sure what to tell ya'll -- but we're cancelled. Effective at > > once. The cow creamer will be silent this Thursday and forever > > forward. > > > > Once we recover from the not-shock, Todd, Bryan and I will see if > > there's some venue in which to air the remaining episodes. As I have > > said from the start, the thirteen taken as a whole tell a story and go > > to a place, so a run of this "limited" series would not be > > unsatisfying elsewhere. It's a question as to whether the studio will > > want to invest in a DVD release of a failed series. Maybe the episodes > > will sit in a warehouse someplace with that sled and the arc of the > > covenant. > > > > Thanks for all the support and enthusiasm. > > > > Tim > > > > - Steve > __________ > Why do the God-inebriated opponents of the separation of church and > state in America, the righteous citizens who see God's hand in > everything that Fox News reports, insult the Founders by revising and > even rejecting their God? - Leon Wieseltier ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 4 Apr 2004 10:15:08 -0400 From: Dave Walker Subject: Re: [loud-fans] All Andy (NS) On Apr 3, 2004, at 11:43 PM, steve wrote: > Well, Fox has given Wonderfalls the ax. But there's a theme song > "making of" on the website and Andy did do the whole thing, down in > his recording shed. > > I don't think there's a physical single you can buy, but Andy's theme song is available at the iTMS: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum? playlistId=5511079 -d.w. [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type application/pkcs7-signature which had a name of smime.p7s] ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 4 Apr 2004 11:20:15 -0400 From: "David Seldin" Subject: [loud-fans] Bay Area happenings 4/23-24 My wife's going to be in the Bay Area this month, and is wondering if any of you have suggestions for music in SF/Berkeley/Oakland on the 23rd or 24th. Thanks, David ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 4 Apr 2004 09:33:35 -0700 From: "Bradley Skaught" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Bay Area happenings 4/23-24 Outrageous Cherry are at the Hemlock Tavern on the 23rd. B - --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.648 / Virus Database: 415 - Release Date: 3/31/2004 ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 04 Apr 2004 13:03:47 -0500 From: "Fortissimo" Subject: [loud-fans] "may the fours be with you"? If I'm remembering right, not only is today Scott Miller's birthday, but it's his 44th birthday, on 4/4/04. Make of this what you will. - ------------------------------- ...Jeff J e f f r e y N o r m a n The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.blogspot.com/ :: crumple zones:: :: harmful or fatal if swallowed :: :: small-craft warning :: ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 4 Apr 2004 16:06:14 -0400 From: Overall_Julianne@emc.com Subject: 44 on 04-04-04 Happy Birthday Scott [was RE: [loud-fans] "may the fours be with you"?] Here are some tidbits I stumbled across 'googling' for fours today. Back to lurking... -julianne *********************************************************** Four seasons, four directions, four beatles Four elements: air, fire, earth, and water TS Eliot wrote the Four Quartets. Four - the number of wholeness; the completely integrated human psyche In the Kabbalah, there were four worlds of the Tree of Life. There are four creatures on the arms of Freemasonry. There are four primary mental functions according to Carl Jung. There are four dimensions of modern science: length, breadth, width, and time. The first stable element in the periodic table is helium, with its four component particles. The first element in the table with four valence electrons is carbon, the basis of all organic life. According to Jung (1969b), "quaternity is an archetype of almost universal occurrence. It forms the logical basis for any whole judgment". Quaternarian structures -- one could also say: structures based on the number four -- can be interpreted as symbols of all concepts of unbroken wholeness, whatever they may be, in both psychology and in physics, in the internal and in the external world. 4: Four is the number of manifestation and material reality. There are four elements, four sides of a square, four cardinal directions of a compass, four seasons, four winds, etc. It is a number of order, structure, power, and earthly dominion. Four is the number of the prototypical complete family: a father, a mother, a son, and a daughter. THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF NUMBERS. FOUR. Denotes creative works (3+1), and always has reference to the material creation, as pertaining to the earth, and things "under the sun", and things terrestrial. > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-loud-fans@smoe.org > [mailto:owner-loud-fans@smoe.org ] On Behalf Of Fortissimo > Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2004 11:04 AM > To: where they sleep better knowing stuff > Subject: [loud-fans] "may the fours be with you"? > > > If I'm remembering right, not only is today Scott Miller's > birthday, but it's his 44th birthday, on 4/4/04. > > Make of this what you will. > ------------------------------- > > ...Jeff > > J e f f r e y N o r m a n > The Architectural Dance Society > http://spanghew.blogspot.com/ > :: crumple zones:: > :: harmful or fatal if swallowed :: > :: small-craft warning :: ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 4 Apr 2004 13:22:04 -0700 From: Tim Walters Subject: Re: 44 on 04-04-04 Happy Birthday Scott [was RE: [loud-fans] "may the fours be with you"?] VIERHEBIGKEIT: the tendency of musical phrases to group themselves in fours. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 4 Apr 2004 18:49:40 -0700 (PDT) From: zoom@muppetlabs.com Subject: Re: [loud-fans] "may the fours be with you"? And let's not forget our other birthday boy, Mr. glenn mcdonald, not quite 44 yet. And I'll be looking for reviews of UFO (now with Jason Bonham action), Luka Bloom, and the Proclaimers, Andy THE PATH TO VICTORY 12:14pm (Nov 29th, 2003) - William's buddies ready his video camera and ensure that it is properly fixed on the game screen. When they give him the green light, he holds up 'The Coin', the quarter that will hopefully enshrine him into video game history. It is inserted into the game, and the timer is 12:14.54, and his friends count down 5...4...3...2...1 and the start button is pushed at exactly 12:15.00pm on the video camera timer display. His performance begins. 12:15.15pm - Amazingly, William loses a life almost immediately. He exclaims 'Not even 1,000 points !!'. William loses his 2nd life at approx 25K, and leaves the 1st stage after 52K. He employs a strategy known as 'hunting', which for this particular title is a technique allowed under Twin Galaxies rules governing 'Asteroids' for many years now. In short, the gamer saves one or more rocks and drifts about waiting for the appearance of the 'command ship', which is worth either 200 points for the slow large ship, or 1,000 points for the smaller, faster ship. When the last rock of a given stage is destroyed, another wave appears, this time with more rocks than before up to a certain point. Then, the gamer has approximately 30 seconds to clear off as many rocks as they can before the next 'command ship' appears. And unlike the 'command ship' in the classic title 'Space Invaders', these ships shoot back !! 12:25.38pm - the 100K barrier is broken, and the score turns-over for the first time this game. Before his game would come to an abrupt end, William would roll-over the score an additional 126 more times. Before I continue with the next barriers broken, William's 3rd, 4th and 5th loss of ships came at 107K, 108K and 109K respectively. Twin Galaxies so often tracks some titles based on the first 5 lives that I felt it necessary to include this information in my report. 12:37.30pm - the 2nd roll-over at 200K occurs. 01:08.11pm - the half-million barrier is broken 01:31.30pm - William passes the 700K mark. Several minutes later at approx 740K, his row of reserve ships occupies half the distance from one end of the screen to the other. 02:04.18pm - the 1M barrier is passed !! William's score becomes one that is 7-digits in total, but this is just the beginning. Through this point in his performance, he is averaging about 100K every 11 minutes, a pace that, if sustained, would mean he would have to play close to 78 more hours to reach Scott's mark. But if there's one thing I have learned from my own personal experience with video game marathons, including knowing other players who have done this before, it is that when a player is 'resolved' to perform a marathon, little can stand in their way other than what they have no control over. In the past, marathons have come to premature conclusions for a number of reasons...power-outages, game-failure (either the controls, buttons or the machine itself), gamers succumbing to exhaustion, and in a few rare (and distasteful) cases, someone pulling the plug on the gamer. 'Asteroids' is a title that is very conducive to marathoning. The player has the capacity to earn up to 256 extra ships in storage (a 257th would be disastrous, as I mentioned earlier), and with some clever strategy, it is possible to minimize the number of ships lost during a 'rest period'. Under strict Twin Galaxies guidelines governing marathons as they now stand, a player is allowed to take up to 15 minutes in 'breaks' every 3 hours...providing their entire gameplay duration meets or exceeds 12 hours in length. Considering William's rate of point-acquisition, and rate of ship-loss during the few breaks that I carefully monitored for ship loss statistics, he averages approx 7-10 ships lost per minute, and gains approx 1 ship per minute. Based on how many ships he might be able to accumulate during his performance, he is hardly in danger of running out of ships once he reaches a certain point...providing fatigue does not set in. 03:22.22pm - score just passed the 1.7M mark, and for the first time this game, William has achieved a full row of reserve ships. For gamers who have never seen an 'Asteroids' master at work, this is truly an impressive sight. I don't know the exact number myself, but somewhere between 50-60 ships are all in a row from left-to-right. Extra reserves beyond the displayed amount are kept in memory. Years back, when we used to gather after school to play the game, we took one look at the screen and the number of extra ships present. Anything more than 6 and we knew we had a wait, but if we saw a half-completed row across the top, we didn't even bother putting our quarters down to wait for our turn. We just picked another game. One kid in high school did this on almost a daily basis. Why, we never knew, as he always had to go back to school when lunch hour ended. But at least it freed up the other games !! 03:57.00pm (even) - the 2M barrier is broken. Still a long way to go, but William is on pace at approx 1M points every 2 hours. 04:57.51pm - reaches 2.5M points 06:00.02pm - the 3M barrier is passed. The pace slowed due to a one or two bathroom breaks along the way. 07:43.46pm - passed the 3.9M mark. William is currently being interviewed while he is playing and provides such responses as what he's been eating during his performance (his secret is 'Peanut butter and jelly and fruit, nothing too heavy'...though I'm not sure if he ate them at the same time or not), and also where he was in the game ('I don't know what my score is right now, and I also don't know how many ships I have'). He is about to explain to the interviewer what the objective(s) of 'Asteroids' is, but it is time for his buddy to stop tape 1 and insert tape 2. I missed what he said by the time the second tape was inserted. 07:55.56pm - the 4M mark is reached. 'Welcome to tape 2', William says a few minutes later. He's a very conscientious gamer and whenever possible points to the screen with each roll-over of the score, and periodically 'talks' to the camera for the benefit of the historical recording of his attempt. 09:57.46pm - reaches the 5M mark. Not many other players have, mind you. And reaching 10 hours into his attempt. 12:03.03am - officially November 30th, 2003, he reached the 6M mark 12:14.47am - just about 12 hours into his now-definite marathon attempt, his score is 6.1M 02:13.33am - the 7M mark is passed...still on-par with a 1/2 M per hour pace 03:18.26am - reaches 7.5M...and a few minutes later at 3:29.23am announces that it's time to switch to tape number 3 in the series. 04:23.15am - asks his friends to put on some 'Stone Temple Pilots' music to help keep him awake and I guess entertained as well...not that playing the same game of 'Asteroids' for 16+ hours wasn't enough !! A few seconds later, at 04:24.30am, he passes the 8M mark. 06:22.18am - the 9M mark is reached, though SLIGHTLY behind pace of 1M per two hours by about 7 minutes. 06:50.50am - for the benefit of the statisticians out there, at this precise moment, an even 9,200,000 is reached...the only time this entire game that this happens, where the score rolls-over to '00', which looks oddly out of place when seen next to an entire row of reserve ships. 08:43.19am - not sure what you were doing at this time back then, but William's score just passed the impressive 10M barrier, a feat even fewer gamers have achieved. After all, playing the same game credit for 20 hours is no small feat in and of itself !! His rate of point acquisition for the past million points has slowed, from 100K in approx 11 minutes to approx 14 minutes, largely due to a few much needed (and allowable) breaks under Twin Galaxies rules governing marathon gameplay. 11:09.57am - reaches the 11M mark. He's now talking to someone about how on the internet he found a bundle of web pages dedicated to the arcade game 'Asteroids' and how now, he's 'gonna be on ALL of them !!' once his mission is accomplished. 11:14.47am - tape (3) comes to an end, resuming at 11:15.19am, 23 hours after his marathon began. 11:25.11am - 11.1M - I thought this was amusing...all those 'one's'. Now if he did this about 14 minutes earlier, that would have been really scary, I think !! 12:15.00pm even - William's score after 24 hours of gameplay is 11,431,900 points (rounded)...a little less than a 1M per two hour pace, but close enough. After all, if it takes him an extra half-hour per day to makeup for lost points after potentially 3 days of gameplay, so be it. William won't lose any sleep over it. Pun intended !! 02:59.37pm - reached the 12.5M mark. 03:12.44pm - 12.6M points 03:27.45pm - 12.7M points 03:33.33pm (yes, exactly that !!) - 12,750,000 is passed. All those threes. Last time I saw so many was in a 'Star Trek' Next Generation' episode concerning a causality loop. I also noticed that if you treat this as a number '333333', split in half into two '333's' then add them up...whoa !! But all that just goes to show you that I must have too much time on my hands to be thinking about that. 03:34.26pm - Ironic that I should have said that, as William had no way to know how little time he had left in his game. You see, fellow gamers, the game betrayed him...it let him down. Somehow, at a final score of 12,756,970 points, in the beginning few seconds of a new wave, the display just 'disappeared'. Kaput, punto finale. 'Game over, man...game over !!', as Bill Paxton said in 'Aliens' in perhaps my favourite line from that movie. William stared at the screen for a few seconds while his friends were still talking in the background, and no one seemed to know what to make out of it. The red light was still on the console, yet no picture of sound was detectable. He shook the game a few times, and then, after accepting what apparently had just happened, said (and I quote) 'And THAT'S how you get fifth place. FIFTH place !! Number five of ALL TIME !!' He left his place at the game where he had just spent the last 27+ hours, and his friends checked it out. 'Sounds like it crashed', one of them said. And so, fellow gamers, we see before us a rare example of where man outlasted machine. [--only a small portion of the coverage you'll find at http://www.twingalaxies.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2167 ] ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 4 Apr 2004 19:21:56 -0700 (PDT) From: Phil Fleming Subject: [loud-fans] chatting?? I'm at irc.muppetlabs.com #loudfans come on over!! Phil F. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business $15K Web Design Giveaway http://promotions.yahoo.com/design_giveaway/ ------------------------------ End of loud-fans-digest V4 #96 ******************************