Kind of creepy, really.

But, I can see how it would be usefull. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/08/03/1059849278131.html">This article on the Sydney Morning Herald </a>describes a new way to generate power from blood. Sure, the first comparison is to the Matrix, but it's more likely to be used like the Six Million Dollar Man. This process really doesn't create much power, so it can only power small devices. In fact, the article speculates that it will only be used to power internal "devices" or "enhancements".
So, now, imagine a cell-phone implanted into your jaw and mastoid cavity that's powered by your own blood flow. I can see it in the near future. Fascinating concept, actually. What else might this enable? What enhancements would you want to see installed? The answers to those questions are science-fiction stories ripe for the picking. Go forth and write!

Try reading the news!

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.msnbc.com/news/942994.asp">This article on MSNBC</a> describes as close to evil as I think mankind is capable of being. Of course, the article is about Saddam Hussein's infamous sons who were insanely sadistic. In fact, if anything, if one were to use them as the antagonist in fiction, they'd have to be toned down to seem more believable. These two, especially Uday, were so beyond our understanding that it's hard to get our minds around their evil. In many ways, they're the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thirdreich.net/Hitler_Bio.html">Adolf Hitler</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thirdreich.net/Goering_Bio_Anno.html">Herman Goering</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thirdreich.net/Himmler_Bio.html">Heinrich Himmler</a> of our generation.
So, when you want to make a villian, nothing you can come up with will top real-life, but maybe that's a good thing. And, remember, the larger and more horrible your villian, the bigger and better your hero needs to be as well.

I sure do, even though I've never gotten one.

Here's an <a target="_blank" href="http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=03/07/22/138257&mode=thread&tid=99">… on Slashdot about micropayments</a>. I remember thinking they were a good way to pay for a good website with fun tools. I remember a lot of people who felt the same way, once, too. I wonder what went wrong?

You know, if you'd like to experience micro-payments, you can donate to this site via PayPal:
<form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr&quot; method="post">
<input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_xclick">
<input type="hidden" name="business" value="ryumaou@hotmail.com">
<input type="hidden" name="item_name" value="Poor Wizard's Relief Fund">
<input type="hidden" name="item_number" value="Poor Wizard's Relief Fund">
<input type="hidden" name="amount" value="5.00">
<input type="hidden" name="no_shipping" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="return" value="http://www.fantasist.net/thanks.shtml"&gt;
<input type="hidden" name="cancel_return" value="http://www.fantasist.net/nexttime.shtml"&gt;
<input type="hidden" name="no_note" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="currency_code" value="USD">
<input type="hidden" name="tax" value="0">
<input type="image" src="https://www.paypal.com/images/x-click-but04.gif&quot; border="0" name="submit" alt="Make payments with PayPal - it's fast, free and secure!">
</form>
Or, via <a target="_blank" href="http://http://www.amazon.com/o/registry/3O8CM0D70H52V">The Magus' Wish List</a>.

All right, all right, my shameless begging is over!

The first movable type Bible available for free.

Gutenberg is widely aknowledged as the first Westerner to use movable type, an achievement that changed our world. His biggest seller was the world's best selling book, the Holy Bible. Now, thanks to Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at the University of Texas in Austin, the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/permanent/gutenberg/">Gutenberg Bible is available on-line</a>.
It's worth a look, even if you're not Christian, just for the historical significance.

Way back before the Comics Code, comics were bad.

Or at least, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,59684-2,00.html">this article on Wired News</a>, that's what a bunch of people thought. Frankly, when I read this, it reminded me of the whole controversy over explicit song lyrics. But, the funny thing is, nobody seemed to raise the same ruckus over the censoring of comic books. And, today, comics have gotten edgy again. They tell socially relevant messages. They take chances.
Anyway, it's interesting to see where they've come since then. And, it's an interesting Friday read.

Affirmitive action in comic books?

Okay, I guess I see their point regarding the lack of minorities in comics, but it seems like people spend way too much time thinking about this stuff. But, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,59683,00.html">this article on Wired News</a>, it's a big deal to some folks. I have to admit, the hyper-sexualized women get to be a little much sometimes. I mean, c'mon, don't these guys get out at all? When was the last time they saw a real, flesh-and-blood woman?
And, where <i>are</i> all the Asian heroes? Afterall, there are a lot more Asian people than there are Caucasian. It's changing, but very slowly. Look at how long it took to get realistic Black heroes in the comic books. And, even then, they still tend toward stereotypes.
Well, let's hope the anime craze will help change that some. Maybe the Asian animators will feature more Asian characters. Only time will tell.

"Good morning, Mr. Anderton..."

Wow, shades of science-fiction! According to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/55/31885.html">this article at the Register.co.uk</a>, the US is developing passports with so-called smartcards in them. And, they expect to have them out by the end of 2004. Again, wow.
These smartcards are going to hold biometric data about the holder so that, in theory, they're harder to copy or counterfeit. At least, that's what the government is hoping. On the other hand, as my opening line alluded to, there are always ways around security, even biometrics. The line is from <a href="http://us.imdb.com/Title?0181689">Minority Report</a>, which is a pretty damn good movie. It's based on a story by <A target="_blank" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=fantasistnet&keyw… K. Dick</A>, who is a great science-fiction author who also wrote the novel <A target="_blank" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0345404475/fantasistnet">Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?</A>, which is the basis for <a target="_blank" href="http://us.imdb.com/Title?0083658">Blade Runner</a>.
In any case, see the movie and you'll see how they get around security by messing with biometrics. It's really fairly obvious, when you think about it.

A build it yourself Gauss gun!

No, really, you can actually make this sucker in your own basement. <a target="_blank" href="http://members.optushome.com.au/dbsite1/www.pskovinfo.ru/coilgun/index… website</a>, in Russian and English, shows you how. It takes you through the process, step-by-step, in somewhat broken English. And, it makes a pistol, not a rifle, which is <i>doubly</i> cool. So, this isn't a "firearm", per se, is it covered by the same rules? I'd imagine so. It would be, basically, a concealed weapon. It looks pretty effective, too, based on the photos(<a target="-blank" href="http://members.optushome.com.au/dbsite1/www.pskovinfo.ru/coilgun/P009.j…; and <a target="-blank" href="http://members.optushome.com.au/dbsite1/www.pskovinfo.ru/coilgun/P010.j…;). And, because it doesn't use an explosive charge, there's virtually no sound when it discharges. I see all kinds of applications for this little sucker.
Look out <a target="_blank" href="http://www.travellerrpg.com/">Traveller</a&gt;, here we come!

This is too fascinating to pass up!

According to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=00063C75-D7C8-1… article on Scientific American</a>, blue crabs have two skeletal systems. The first, which is familiar to us all, is their shell. But, when they molt, they use another kind of skeletal system which relies on hydrostatic pressure to get around.
This leads me to imagine an intelligent alien that has a second, invisible, "back-up" skeleton, for emergencies. Or perhaps to make them flexible in some way. Imagine a shelled creature that escapes from a jail by shedding its shell and slithering out an air vent. Or, a humanoid wrestler or warrior who's neck can't be "broken". Really, the possibilities are endless.
Just think about them some, then write about them!

The <i>Argos</i> is going to look at sunken ships in the Black Sea.

The <i>Argos</i> is a robot explorer, for anyone who's not familiar with it. And its owner/operator, Robert Ballard, is going to look at some very well preserved ships from the Byzantine era. According to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,59651,00.html">this article on Wired News</a>, these 1,500 year-old ships are preserved so well due to a lack of oxygen. Apparently, the little beasties that ravage shipwrecks can't survive in an oxygen-free environment.
So, it looks like scientists are going to get a much better picture of what life was like in the Byzantine era. The researchers are hoping for everything from cargo to documents that might shed some light on the people who were running around at the time the ship sank. They might even be able to prove the "world flood" that seemed to take place and was recorded as the Flood that Noah survived in the Bible. Kind of cool.