So the California state fire marshall has decreed that a certain kind of gas pump handle latch can no longer be used and, instead of allowing the stations that use it to have time to get replacements, they must all remove them at once!
This is, in theory, supposed to be for safety reasons and prevent gas spills or something.
Personally, I suspect that this will actually result in a more dangerous situation as people try improvised solutions to the problem.
Like this one . . .
In 1944 the inhabitants of Mattoon, Illinois began reporting a series of at pltempted nighttime home invasions in which the invader used some kind of gas, sprayed through their windows, to immobilize them.
It became a huge story. Numerous calls came in to the police. Parties of armed men roamed the streets, on the watch for the "Mad Gasser" plaguing the town.
People were hysterical!
Literally!
It is now widely thought that there was no Mad Gasser and that the whole things was a case of mass hysteria (initially started, I personally suspect, by a case of sleep paralysis).
A similar sequence of events happened in 1933-34 in Virginia.
WIKIPEDIA HAS A WRITE-UP ON BOTH.
They're both fascinating oddities in American history.
And maybe not just American.
And maybe not just history.
Turns out that there are reports from Italy–AND France–AND Spain–of thieves using sleeping gas to immobilize their victims before invading their homes.
Is there any more reality to these than the Mad Gasser of Mattoon?
For now it's an unsolved mystery, but . . .
BTW, it strikes me that this if there are such criminals, they're doing something *very* dangerous. Giving someone the right dose of anesthetic is tricky, and doing so by filling a large space with gas is even trickier–as the Russians found out a few years ago when they tried to use anesthetizing gas on a bunch of Chechnyan terrorists who had taken over a building. It's not like on the 1960s Batman show where you can spray someone with a bit of pink-colored smoke (which they don't even have to inhale) and have them go harmlessly to sleep until you use "Bat Wake" on them.
Later today I'm scheduled to get on a plane to fly to Reno, where I'm going to be giving a talk tomorrow morning on the Church Fathers.
I expect that they'll do the standard thing and have us board by "zone numbers" out of a desire to cut down on the time it takes to board so that we get on the plane in an efficient manner.
But it turns out that the "zone number" system is really poorly thought out.
In fact, new evidence suggests that it's worse than letting people board RANDOMLY.
Why?
Because everyone in a certain zone gets on at the same time and they get in each others' way trying to find their seats, stow their carry-on things, get seated, and buckle up. They're all seated next to each other. Of course they're going to get in each others way!
Randomness is better than that.
But it seems there's a better way still–designed by a Fermilab astrophysicist who, I'm guessing, is as frustrated with commercial air travel as the rest of us.
It helps keep people out of each others' way and cuts boarding times in half.
Maybe the airlines will implement it and we'll get some relief.
Probably not by later today, though. 🙁
HERE'S VIDEO!
Even if you’ve never taken Latin, this is funny. (It’s even funnier if
you have.)
Reminds me of my own Latin tutor.
No really! (This may not end well.)
And the manufacturer's name really is "Cyberdyne."
Although I played a good number of RPGs in high school and college–and though I even did game design work–I don't regularly play games of any sort. No computer games. No video games. No online games. No FaceBook games. None of that. (Too much else to do!)
But I recently ran across a game that Sprint is running in connection with FRINGE, which I am a fan of, and I thought, "Why not?" This game is called FRINGE: DIVISIONS (the plural makes me think that the Other Side may try to recruit me) and appears to have only five installments, being released once a week or so, so it's not a huge time investment. You can either play via your FaceBook account (the option I chose) or anonymously.
If you play by FaceBook, they personalize the game to you and tell you about your Red Universe counterpart.
How could I resist?
In chapter 1 of the game, SAIC Broyles greets me in his office, welcomes me to FRINGE DIVISION, warns me that anything I will learn is classified, and tells me that Dr. Walter Bishop will be joining us for a briefing.
Walter rushes in, apologetic about the fact he was (ahem) delayed. (I won't say by what.)
He then tells me that our universe is closely linked with another one, where just about all of us have counterparts. He puts his phone on Broyles' desk to show what he found out about my counterpart.
I took screen caps, so here is what is presently known about Jimmy Alt.kin (click to embiggen images):
Walter says, "As you can see your double looks exactly like you–just slightly better looking."
Walter says, "In the alternate universe, you married this person."
Guess there wasn't a picture available or something. Perhaps a faulty transmission from the Other Side.
Walter says, "You work for the government."
Well, y'know, church, state, whatever.
Looks like I'm based in Philadelphia and have a contract through January 2018.
Walter says, "This is interesting."
Hmmm! That alt universe apple didn't fall too far from the tree. Maybe there's a Church connection after all.
Walter says, "Oh my, look at this."
Cool! I've always wanted children! And I am, apparently, married to someone, even if her image didn't get transmitted.
Walter then picks up the phone, looks me in the eyes, and says, "You'll be contacted by my assistant, Astro, should we need you for anything else."
Cool. I can't wait. I think Jasika Nicole is the cutest, sweetest person on FRINGE!
So that's what's known about my Red Universe self: looks the same (only a little better), married to someone whose image didn't transmit, works for a branch of the government based in Philadelphia, lives in Rome, and has two children.
Meanwhile, the Blue Universe me is waiting for a call from the lovely and elegant Astrid Farnsworth.
Don't know how to choose between those two.
If you'd like to play, CLICK HERE.
And tells us about your alternate self in the combox!
I was pleased by how much of the video I was able to understand, even though it's been several years since I used ASL regularly.
My skills with ASL definitely aren't enough, though, to do an ASL translation of the Secret Vatican Zombie Hunters' Guide. However if, once it's out in English, anyone wants to do a version in ASL or another language, I'm definitely open to editions in other languages.
Proper zombie defense is essential no matter what language you use!
I'm working on getting The Fathers Know Best available on Nook.
As a test, I uploaded this short story for Nook (the same one I used to test the software for Kindle).
If you'd like to test things on your end, feel free to download it! It's only 99 cents.
BTW, the story was reviewed on Amazon by the Curt Jester and given four stars. (Thanks, Jeff!)
Also BTW, thanks to SDG for help upgrading the cover image!
Over on Facebook, someone writes:
So which church father (or any saint, I suppose) has the coolest super hero name?
If you want cool superhero names, I'd broaden it beyond just saints and church Fathers, because some historical figures have some really cool superhero names. Here are some of my favorites:
Francis Mayron was also known as Doctor Abstractionum.
So there's quite a bit of superhero cool in the naming department for many Church figures.
