How Many Centauri Does It Take to Screw In a Lightbulb?

Just because it gives me a chance to post another B5 reference. Open thread while I attempt to digest everything y'all talked about over the weekend. Ye gods, 300+ comments on Greenwald? Madness, utter madness.

Update: I excised a comment that was intended strictly in jest, because it can easily be taken the wrong way. My apologies.

Comments

[Slartibartfast]

And I was just about to request an open thread; I feel a whole string of denunciations coming on. Not least of which, that guy who was driving along in the passing lane, ten miles per hour under the speed limit.

[liberal japonicus]

Open thread while I attempt to digest everything y'all talked about over the weekend.

Don't attempt to digest the indigestible, just let it pass, Andrew.

[Slartibartfast]

Ewww.

[Dantheman]

"How Many Centauri Does It Take to Screw In a Lightbulb?"

I am less interested in their sexual habits than I am in the device which reduced them in size sufficiently to fit in a lightbulb. Do you have specs for it?

[Slartibartfast]

Riffing off Dantheman's comment: depends on how big the light bulb is. Sometimes, the light bulb is half as big as it needs to be.

[Chuchundra]

I don't understand all of this love for B5. The show was definitely different. However, it wasn't all that good. Parts of it, in fact, were downright terrible.

Interesting enough, the Usenet B5 fanboys of yore were very similar to today's, harcore GOP base. Even after it was obvious that the guy in charge had no real clue about what he was doing, where things were going or how to bring things to a reasonable conclusion, they continued to insist that everything was just great and any criticism of the great man was just the result envy or hatred.

In fact, I think Internet Legend Gary Farber was himself banned from the B5.moderated group.

[cleek]

how big is a Centauri?

[cleek]

nix that last 'i'.

for some reason i was thinking of the star, Alpha Centauri, which is singular, while the Centauri here obviously is not. plus, it's early in the AM.

[Dantheman]

cleek,

According to Wikipedia, they can pass as humans, and are humanoid sized.

Riffing on earlier comments, it would be even more difficult to find a lightbulb big enough for reproductive activities if they were big enough to pass humans, but that is likely enough about that thought.

[Andrew]

Hmmm...when I offered an open thread, I certainly didn't anticipate this particular tangent.

[Slartibartfast]

Ahem.

[Bernard Yomtov]

Is "centauri" the correct plural? Once we anglicize the word to centaur, from the Greek Kentauros, Latin Centaurus, (all per my dictionary - no classical languages spoken here) shouldn't we go with "centaurs?"

[Francis]

so....

who's going to win Hell's Kitchen? Frankly, none of them have looked like chefs to me. more like incompetent line cooks. but the dishes they came up with for the challenge last night were interesting.

or,

read any good books lately? the last book request thread never went anywhere.

or,

if anyone can spare some attention from Lebanon for a minute, it looks like the Iraqi govt itself is talking about partition. this is victory?

or, we could talk about sex.

[Andrew]

I just finished Jim Bennett's The Anglosphere Challenge. It's pretty interesting, although I think it's likely to miss the mark on a number of its predictions. Still, I think he's on to something regarding decentralization and voluntary associations displacing forced associations over time.

Last night I started American Sphinx, Ellis' take on Jefferson.

[Ugh]

it looks like the Iraqi govt itself is talking about partition. this is victory?

I don't know, did the Republicans hold the House and Senate in the fall elections? If so, yes victory; if not, utter defeat and devastation, all the fault of the Democrats and the MSM, of course, sapping our will.

[KCinDC]

Bernard, it's true that "centauri" is not the correct plural of "centaur", but centaurs have nothing to do with this discussion, really (and besides, the "centauri" in question -- in "Alpha Centauri" -- is genitive singular, not nominative plural).

[lily]

Actually Tacticus has decided that it is a good thing. I was wondering how Bush supporters would spin it ... maybe the party line will be that Bush has succeeded in creating three democracies in the Middle East, thus proving that the neocons were right all along!I have no opinion except that if it ends the violence then I am grateful.

[KCinDC]

Yes, lily, but what does Strategicus have to say?

[rilkefan]

"Ellis' take on Jefferson"

Apropos genitives, I would recommend "Ellis's" unless the book is by several people named Elli.

[Ugh]

Why is the President giving away vital information on tactics and methods to the enemy? Traitor! Cue right-wing blog-storm.

President Bush says more U.S. military police units and troops will be deployed to Baghdad from elsewhere in Iraq to help fight increased insurgent attacks.

On cnn.com as "breaking news."

[Andrew]

Apropos genitives, I would recommend "Ellis's" unless the book is by several people named Elli.

Hey, if it's good enough for Strunk and White, it's good enough for ObWings.

[ScottM]

I enjoyed B5 quite a bit, though I missed parts of it, including the whole fifth season. It was definately a show you wanted to watch from the beginning.

Speaking of such shows, did anyone ever watch Nowhere Man (a few years later I think)? I enjoyed it, but missed a big chunk in the middle...

[lily]

I didn't read him. I didn't read all of Tacticus either. I can't read that site because the type is too small.

I really don't think it is our business what the Iraqis decide to do. It's their country. They are the ones dying at the rate of fifty or so a day. I know that are long range consequences that aren't good for us. The new Shi'a republic, for example, would be pro-Iranian and anti-Isreal. Turkey would not be happy at all with a Kurdistan on their border especally if the Kurds support separitists within Turkey, so there is a potential for war there. This is one of those butterfy effect situations wherein it is possible only to see that the creation of three Iraqs will have consequences but not possible to see what those consequences will be because there are too many variables.
Shoulda thought of that before invading.

[KCinDC]

Sorry, lily, it was just a little joke about your typo. You're talking about Tacitus, in this post, right?

[KCinDC]

Then again, maybe it wasn't a typo at all, but an attempt to avoid summoning him -- in which case I apologize to everyone.

[Andrew]

Chuchundra,

Hey, I never understood the appeal of Three's Company. I'm sure there are plenty of people who look at B5 and think very little of it. C'est la vie. Me, I enjoyed it, and since it provides a number of bon mots, I'll continue to borrow from it from time-to-time.

[lily]

I didn't see the typo! Opps! Yes, I did mean that post, and no I didn't read the whole thing, only the first bits so I could have misunderstood. He takes too long to get to whatever his point is. Besides typing too small.

[dutchmarbel]

B5 fans GOP lovers? The show was quite popular in Europe :)

On a more serious note: Harpers of this month mentioned threated like trash and their quotes allready disturbed me so much that I haven't dared to read the report yet...

[Bernard Yomtov]

KCinDC,

OK. I innocently took the headline to ask for a number of centaurs. I guess there's some inside joke I don't get here about B5 or something.

[Andrew]

Bernard,

The Centauri are one of the five major races in Babylon 5. The title refers to a joke told during the series.

[Catsy]

Babylon 5 was excellent, but I still maintain that the best sci-fi TV series I've ever seen was Firefly.

The new BSG is giving Joss a run for his money, though. Damn, it's great to have good sci-fi on TV again.

[Andrew]

I never saw Firefly, so I can't compare the two. I'm not sure that I could appreciate it as much as B5, though, if only because B5 had the blessing of five years in which to develop its characters.

[Gary Farber]

"Just because I'm worried about Gary's mental health...."

Um, this is a bit unpleasant.

Very, actually, Andrew.

I don't think you meant it that way, but, really. What would you think if someone posted that sentence with your name, on a blog with hundreds of readers?

Gosh. Very unpleasant.

[Gary Farber]

"In fact, I think Internet Legend Gary Farber was himself banned from the B5.moderated group."

Um, wtf?

No.

Wow, the nasty lies never stop.

What complete and utter crap.

I was a good friend of Jay Denebeim, and other mods, and this is utter ugly ugly crap.

I noticed this thread and thought it might be nice to chat in, and, of course, I find a complete set of ickiness.

I never before noticed "Chuchundra," but, wow, nasty ick.

No relaxation for me, apparently, even admid skiffy stuff. Just creepiness. Eeeeuw.

Very very very creepy.

[Andrew]

I apologize. It was meant strictly to be tongue in cheek, in response to your requests for an open thread. I have no actual concerns for your mental health whatsoever; it was just supposed to be a joke.

[KCinDC]

Gary, I don't think Chuchundra's saying you had been banned from b5.moderated was part of a smear campaign against you. I'd assume it was a mistake, and one that no one would have expected you to react so strongly to ("nasty lies"? "utter ugly ugly crap"? "very very very creepy"?).

Please consider the possibility that you might be carrying the strong feelings sparked by discussions about Israel into threads where they're causing you to respond in a manner that's way over the top.

[Francis]

ok, new topic: shaving.

What tool do you use to remove unwanted hair?

[there's a joke in there about obsidian wings, but i can't quite make it happen.]

I use the Gillette Mach 3 with the little motor. Anyone have other preferences?

[Andrew]

I use a Braun electric razor, the kind with the base station that cleans it for me. The lazy man's razor. Make of that what you will.

[Ugh]

Francis - I use the same thing to shave my head and face, though I hear the new 5-blade by Gillette (don't recall the name) is even better for the former.

[Slartibartfast]

I burn any hair that dares surface off with acid. Or a propane torch, if acid isn't handy, but that smarts a bit more.

[cleek]

i've got this Braun oscillating head thing that sounds like a little weed-eater.

[rilkefan]

I stick my head into a particle beam. Clears the pores too.

[Slartibartfast]

What kind of particles? And does it leave you with a glowing complexion?

[rilkefan]

Blue particles.

[Slartibartfast]

So, what you're saying is: every day you have the blues?

[double-plus-ungood]

What tool do you use to remove unwanted hair?

I use a pink lady's shaver equipped with googly eyes and action figures.

[Chuchundra]

Gary, I'm sorry if what I said came off as a smear. It was meant to be rather silly (I thought the bit about B5ers and GOPers would make that obvious) and I humbly apologize for upsetting you.

I thought I did remember you getting into some sort of a dust-up with Stracynski and getting either banned or warned or something. Maybe it was Cronan or someone else. This was all some time ago and I'm relying on some pretty unreliable brain cells.

[Chuchundra]

By the way, as for shaving, I like my Mach 3, but I really love my King of Shaves

[rilkefan]

When you see me worrying, Slarti, it's not you.

[Andrew]

And, just because I'd feel I was letting you all down if I didn't answer the question posed by the post title:

Just one... but, in the great old days of the Republic, hundreds of servants would change a thousand lightbulbs at our slightest whim.

[Gary Farber]

"Gary, I don't think Chuchundra's saying you had been banned from b5.moderated was part of a smear campaign against you."

Yes, to be sure, it had to have been a mistake that he or she made up this crap.

Dunno if anyone is clear about how banning worked at that place. It took a lot of work. It took many people.

And everyone there would have taken many dozens of people to have accomplished a banning.

And anyone who would refer to such a banning knows that perfectly well.

So, yeah, someone making up that stuff out of no where, charged me with stuff that dozens of people fault me with, and yet, it's completely made up.

In the environment that Chuchundra made the charge, I'd be banned.

Absent the accuracy of said charge, Chuchundra would be banned.

I dunno who Chuchundra is. The making up of stuff: I don't appreciate.

Look, I'll bring in Jay or Cheryl or whomever, from b5.mod, to talk about this. I didn't introduce who got banned or where. Not hardly.

Wow, people get nasty around here.

Wow.

[double-plus-ungood]

Gary, two people have made handsome apologies to you for what they said, and have explained that the neither intended to give offense, nor were aware that they would,

For the record, Andrew's original statement caused me concern, as I wasn't aware that he was making a joke, but his apology cleared that up for me.

If those apologies won't do it for you, what would? As I'm sure that everyone involved would like you to know that they weren't trying to be nasty, and we can all share group hugs again.

[rilkefan]

"And anyone who would refer to such a banning knows that perfectly well."

That seems unlikely.

"charged me with stuff that dozens of people fault me with"

I can't see why he/she didn't simply stumble into inadvertently repeating an overheard (if I understand your comment) extant falsehood you take (for reasons unknown to her/him and me but surely reasonable) as a slur.

[Chuchundra]

Gary, I apologized already. See..scroll up a bit...the part where I say I'm sorry. Read that part.

It's been a long time since I read and posted regularly on Usenet and I'm just pulling stuff out of my faulty memory. I'm not interested in arguing about what I remember happening ten or twelve years ago. If I wanted to do that, I'd just phone up my ex-wife.

Now...accept my apology or I'm afraid it's going to be pistols at dawn.

[Macallan]

Now...accept my apology or I'm afraid it's going to be pistols at dawn.

Will there be a live video feed?

Please?

[Bernard Yomtov]

The Centauri are one of the five major races in Babylon 5. The title refers to a joke told during the series.

I see. Thanks. Sorry to be so uninformed, but I must say I find the name rather unimaginitive. What are the other four - the unicorns, the griffins, the phoenices, and the merpeople?

[Chuchundra]

Human, Minbari, Narn and Vorlon

Yes...not much better.

[Andrew]

The other four are humanity, the Vorlons, the Narn, and the Minbari.

[KCinDC]

As far as I know, there are no constellations named after unicorns, griffins, or merpeople, and thus no stars named after constellations named after them. And Alpha Phoenicis is much less well known (because it's farther away) than Alpha Centauri. But the connection between the Centauri and the constellation is unclear, in any case.

Still, presumably the name Vulcan didn't completely ruin "Star Trek" for you.

[Andrew]

I confess that the names of the alien species never even crossed my mind as a reason to like or dislike a TV show. The things you learn.

[Chuchundra]

Vulcans are much cooler than Centauri. Much much cooler. Or hotter maybe, because Vulcan is a hot planet.

Anyway...Star Trek rulez!

[KCinDC]

Oops, I was wrong about unicorns. But the name is Greek: Monoceros, genitive Monocerotis.

[Andrew]

Eh. Vulcans are archetypes. Centauri are individuals.

[Bernard Yomtov]

I confess that the names of the alien species never even crossed my mind as a reason to like or dislike a TV show. The things you learn.

Actually I've never seen the show. I might love it. I liked Star Trek fine.

[Andrew]

I love Star Trek as well, at least TOS and DS9.

[dutchmarbel]

Andrew: go watch firefly. From DVD, in the proper order. Really! It could have been sooooo beautifull and is still very enjoyable.

The new BSG rocks, and I am still very fond of dr Who (finally something I can see with my kids *and* enjoy).

No love left for Farscape though?

And aren't the Shadows a seperate race in B5? (one of the things on the list for this winter is rewatch the whole B5 series + films, I saw it scattered and have forgotten too much)

[Andrew]

Dutch,

I enjoy BSG; go to my site and you'll find my reviews of most of the episodes. But I think it pales next to B5 because it's a lot more haphazard. Moore and company clearly aren't sure what they want to do with it, and so the show has been very uneven. (Hell, JMS had a pretty good idea what he wanted to do, and B5 was still uneven in some areas.)

I think I've seen one Farscape; not enough to really make any assessment of it.

Yes, the Shadows are another race, however they're not considered one of the five major races because they aren't visible for the first season-plus.

[Sebastian Holsclaw]

I really enjoyed Farscape. Like most examples of the genre it started a bit hokey, but got really good for a number of years in a row.

As a taste, they did the "accidental clone" thing, and it worked. Really well!

[kenB]

Like most examples of the genre it started a bit hokey, but got really good for a number of years in a row.

Hmm, maybe I should give it another go then -- I watched the first four episodes and wasn't overly impressed.

[dutchmarbel]

Once you get over the 'but these figures are puppets' stage it is a really nice serie. Slightly uneven, as they all are, but with quite a nuber of highpoints.

I agree about the BSG vs B5 Andrew - I have great liking for arc

Sebastian: I cried...