ExXception Draft

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Every game of skill is susceptible of being played by an automaton.

Charles Babbage, 1864

as quoted in ‘The Difference Engine’, by Doron Swade, pg 172

surrogateself:

The Soul of a New Machine

(via dystopiantimes)

“Our new government is founded upon the great truth, that the negro is not equal to the white man.” - Vice President Alexander Stephens

The Civil War - by Ken Burns - part one - The Cause - 1861

I knew I was going to have my main character come from Lawrence, Kansas, which has a major history in the civil war. So, I’m watching this documentary on Hulu, and I’ll be reading on the history of the Civil War too.

I have vague notions of understanding Hegel. The Civil War was a long time ago. “Between 1861 and 1865, Americans made war on each other and killed each other in great numbers — if only to become the kind of country that could no longer conceive of how that was possible.” Of course, after I heard this quote I noticed on my twitter feed there was a happy hour that was going by the name ‘Class War’ Hour. Cryptic and mythopoetic as these nominal ‘trends’ may mask themselves as being, like Fallout tells us, War never changes. But sublation of such afterthoughts can be good for the present, unless you don’t believe in the future. And who can afford to these days?

Here’s a blog “called ‘White People Mourning Romney’, which features conservative Republican types as well as some of them mentioning hopes of states’ secessions from the U.S..

This is all total bullshit of course. Because the question is now not the future, because we are all inured with the future in our everyday. But now people with no imagination are fighting for an imaginary afterlife, for the subconscious belief to live alive without any thought of … what the hell am I talking about?

“As a nation of free men, we will live forever, or die by suicide.”

- Abraham Lincoln.

repulsed:

Peter McFarlane

(via thehiddenscience)

artmonia:

Electress | Nick Gentry.

(via rivaldesigncomics)

(via surrogateself)

Ex Machina, Vol. 1: The First Hundred Days by Brian K. Vaughan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Interesting story so far. The writing and art is good, and for five issues (I think that’s how many are in this collection) it has ranged suprisingly over a wide variety of topics. Of course, it’s set up to bridge many ‘worlds’, because this is not a typical genre outing. It’s the story of a superhero who in the first issue has gone into retirement, and is running for mayor of New York. He is basically a shoe-in because he prevented the second plane from hitting the second WTC building. There is a backstory that hasn’t be fleshed out enough by the end of this volume to really tell where it’s going. But the writing so far is pretty darn good, and is not afraid to take chances, even at appearing awkward, and pulling it off. As far as the world of the character, I will have to read more to find out about his origin story and such, but so far I’m into it.

View all my reviews

Jubilation “Jubilee” Lee is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men.

A mutant, Jubilee had the superhuman power to generate “sparkles” out of her hands; consisted of explosive plasma. A teenage “mall rat,” she was the X-Men’s youngest member in the early 1990s, often playing sidekick to Wolverine. She eventually joined the junior team Generation X. She was a prominent character in the 1990s-era X-Men animated series. In late 2004, Marvel launched a self-titled series for Jubilee set in Los Angeles, written by Robert Kirkman and covers by Casey Jones; it was canceled after six issues.

Jubilee is one of the depowered mutant characters who later reappeared using technology-based powers in the New Warriors comic series. She has since been turned into a vampire and lost her mutant ability, but gained vampire like powers.

If angels are pure spirits, do they have eyes?

Angels and Angelology in the Middle Ages,

by David Keck

(via quotestotheleftoftheline)

I think this quote could be used at the beginning of a story related to Artificial Intelligence Sentience perhaps…

(via theburningchrome)

(via neighborhoodtragedy)

In his oft-quoted work, Conflict between Religion and Science, Professor Draper shows a decided propensity to kick the beam of the scales of justice, and lay all such impediments to the progress of science at the door of the clergy alone. With all respect and admiration due to this eloquent writer and scientist, we must protest and give every one his just due. Many of the above-enumerated discoveries are mentioned by the author of the Conflict. In every case he denounces the bitter resistance on the part of the clergy, and keeps silent on the like opposition invariably experienced by every new discoverer at the hands of science. His claim on behalf of science that “knowledge is power” is undoubtedly just. But abuse of power, whether it proceeds from excess of wisdom or ignorance is alike obnoxious in its effects. Besides, the clergy are silenced now. Their protests would at this day be scarcely noticed in the world of science. But while theology is kept in the background, the scientists have seized the sceptre of despotism with both hands, and they use it, like the cherubim and flaming sword of Eden, to keep the people away from the tree of immortal life and within this world of perishable matter.

Isis Unveiled, ch. III

H.P. Blavatsky

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Interactive Fiction

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