JMS on CompuServe (Dec 10, 1996) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*
Brent Barrett
bbarrett at speedlink.com
Tue Dec 10 18:27:35 EST 1996
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WARNING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The following posts may contain SPOILERS for
upcoming Babylon 5 episodes.
Continue at your own risk.
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[ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
Sb: #623691-<Another death>
Sb: #623844-#ISDN Lines
Sb: #623894-B5 Movie?
Sb: #623910-Diseases in B5?
Sb: #623911-Human Emotions in B5
Sb: #623933-Job Description
Sb: #623936-Job Description
Sb: #623950-Motorola BitSurfrPro
Sb: #623951-B5 merchandise
Sb: #623976-#Comments and praise.
Sb: #624050-B5 merchandise
[ Summary: Asks if it's true that JMS is killing off a character that's
been around for four years. ]
#: 624163 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
10-Dec-96 13:00:23
Sb: #623691-<Another death>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Well...more than one, really....
jms
#: 623844 S5/Babylon 5: General
09-Dec-96 18:23:46
Sb: #623452-#ISDN Lines
Fm: SYSOP DUPA T PARROT
Joe,
>> I'm using a Motorola Bitsurfer, external. <<
Is that a "Bitsurfer PRO" or just a "Bitsurfer"? The plain-old Bitsurfer has
some built-in brain-damage that was only
fixable by releasing the Pro version. From what I heard, the Bitsurfer Pro is a
decent TA. It was literally "Plug and Play" with WIndows 3.x.
I considered getting a Pro when I decided to /s/c/r/a/p/ retire my WaveRunner.
The down side of an external ISDN terminal adapter (TA) is that the PC's serial
port is limit to 115 kb/s and since the COM port is asynchronous, 20% of the
bits are overhead, reducing the top speed to 92 kb/s. So, I chose an internal
to get full speed and so I don't lose a COM port.
There's a comparative review of ISDN TA's at URL
http://www.cnet.com/Content/Reviews/Compare/Isdn/. It was this and another
review that helped me make up my mind to choose the USR Sportster ISDN. The
price was right too (circa $299).
>From what I've read, getting an ISDN line to work is almost as hard as selling
a non-Trek SF TV show to syndication <g>. However, my ISDN line worked with
only a little effort (the USR with very *little* effort).
BTW, have you tried the ISDN forum (go ISDN)?
-Dupa T. Parrot, Team SF/F [Tech. Supp. SysOp]
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/dupa
OzWin 2.11 O-
#: 624164 S5/Babylon 5: General
10-Dec-96 13:00:24
Sb: #623844-#ISDN Lines
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
I have the Bitsurfer PRO, yes...and the line is all configured...the
installation tests show a green light...I just can't seem to get it to work
with 3.1, I couldn't find a server that handled ISDN in the area, so in the end
I pretty much gave up and now it just sits there, mocking me....
jms
#: 623894 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
09-Dec-96 19:10:47
Sb: #B5 Movie?
Fm: W. LEE
Greetings.
I've heard somewhere that there is going to be a Babylon 5 movie. Is this true?
If so, when can I expect to see it come out in the theatres?
Thanx
#: 624165 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
10-Dec-96 13:00:25
Sb: #623894-B5 Movie?
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
No, there is no theatrical B5 movie planned at this time.
jms
#: 623910 S5/Babylon 5: General
09-Dec-96 20:25:04
Sb: #623453-#Diseases in B5?
Fm: MICHAEL R. BREHMER
Joe:
<<my sense is that the biologies of aliens are sufficiently different to
minimize most transmitted diseases.>>
I'm straining to keep this post at at least the PG-13 level, but if diseases
are not likely to be transmitted, how do Sheridan and Delenn transmit... sort
of ... you know ... birds and bees ... "supposed" future child?
Then again, I once read that if you read a text in marine biology and
understood how octopi copulate, you would realize that nothing is impossible.
Cheers!
Mike
#: 624166 S5/Babylon 5: General
10-Dec-96 13:00:27
Sb: #623910-Diseases in B5?
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
That's why she underwent substantial genetic manipulation to make her
more human.
jms
#: 623911 S5/Babylon 5: General
09-Dec-96 20:25:12
Sb: #Human Emotions in B5
Fm: MICHAEL R. BREHMER
Joe:
I'm not sure if I can adequately ask this question, but here goes, with a
prelude.
S.T. Coleridge wrote that although writing must centralize on character and
plot, the key to the story is "to transfer from our inward nature a human
interest and semblance of truth to procure for these shadows of imagination
that willing suspension of disbelief for the moment which constitutes poetic
faith." Biographia Literaria (1817)
It would seem in writing science fiction that this suspension of disbelief
hinges upon making the fantastic believeable by oftentimes heavily relying on
human emotion as our hook because everything else is so unfamiliar. This is a
very fine line. If the writing to too fantastic, there is no hook to keep us
interested. If the writing is too familar, it's "been there, done that, bought
the teeshirt."
But therein also lies a possible problem. Alien species in B5 appear to have
all too many human emotions (fear, rage, joy, anger, jeolousy, etc.) Many of
the posts to this forum deal with emotions and motives of the various non-human
species. Our feeling for these characters is an emotional attachment because
of their emotions. However, have you ever considered creating a alien species
whose various emotions are totally outside the mainstream of human emotion and
are 100% unintelligible? (I don't know how you would do this, unless you have
met more aliens than the rest of us -- but I guess you have. There aren't too
many everyday models around for non-human emotions for us common-folk.)
BTW, B5 is excellent in the suspension of disbelief. While watching an episode
and occasionally at other times, the B5 universe is as real as "real" universe.
Cheers!
Mike
"Each age is a dream that is dying, or one that is coming to birth." Arthur
O'Shaughnessy
#: 624167 S5/Babylon 5: General
10-Dec-96 13:00:28
Sb: #623911-Human Emotions in B5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
The only problem becomes using a 100% unintelligible character in any
kind of story. It's hard to structure something like that. The closest I've
come to is Kosh.
jms
#: 623933 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
09-Dec-96 21:12:09
Sb: #623556-#Job Description
Fm: SANJIV S. PURBA
Michael,
Are you going to define where the older races went? Exactly what is beyond?
Sanjiv
#: 624168 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
10-Dec-96 13:00:31
Sb: #623933-Job Description
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
"To define is to kill, to suggest is to create." -- Mallarme
jms
#: 623936 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
09-Dec-96 21:15:21
Sb: #623556-#Job Description
Fm: SANJIV S. PURBA
Michael,
Is Talia going to come back? I really liked her character, and was surprised
at what you did to her character!
Incidently, I think its a great idea to have all the character actors (like
Walter Koenig, "Bobby" from Taxi, etc.).
Sanjiv
#: 624169 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
10-Dec-96 13:00:33
Sb: #623936-Job Description
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
No, no plans for Talia.
jms
#: 623950 S5/Babylon 5: General
09-Dec-96 21:58:49
Sb: #Motorola BitSurfrPro
Fm: DOUGLAS PILIGIAN
Joe,
I am using a BitSurfrPro with Windows 3.1 and have had no problem with it after
figuring out what initialization string to use. Try this:
at&f&c1&d2\q3%a2=95 at b0=2%a4=1
The software from Motorola for setup is a godsend, as long as you know the
correct information. When GTE (Great Telephone Experiment) installed my ISDN
line, the field tech actually gave me the wrong switch type! Once the correct
information was obtained it was a breeze. If you are still stuck and would
like some assistance please let me know. If I don't know the answer, someone
on my staff does.
Doug
#: 624170 S5/Babylon 5: General
10-Dec-96 13:00:35
Sb: #623950-Motorola BitSurfrPro
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
What software are you using for the modem, and what server are you
using? (I.e., Microsoft Network, IBM network, Earthlink, what?)
jms
#: 623951 S5/Babylon 5: General
09-Dec-96 22:06:02
Sb: #623555-#B5 merchandise
Fm: CARL CANTARELLA
>>We should be releasing these shortly.<<
Well, I know I'll be ordering all three. <bg>
The great thing about the phrases on
each of those shirts is that they will catch the eye of people who aren't
familiar with the show and it will make them wonder.
I would *never* wear a Trek shirt out in public
anymore. (Only really did so when I was much, much younger anyway.) I actually
bought one about six months ago in Blockbuster --a nicely styled shirt for what
it was, but I've never worn it period. Too nice to wear around the house, too
ridiculous to wear outdoors. However, your shirts I would wear in public, and
I'd do so with pride. :)
They sound classy. I can't wait.
#: 624171 S5/Babylon 5: General
10-Dec-96 13:00:36
Sb: #623951-B5 merchandise
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Yeah, they're fairly discreet, and kinda classy.
jms
[ Summary: Worries that the Vorlons have had such a change of heart and
are now acting as bad guys. ]
#: 624172 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
10-Dec-96 13:00:40
Sb: #623976-#Comments and praise.
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
I don't see it really as a change of heart...they've always been very
ruthless in their way. Remember, it was the Vorlons who simply decided to off
Deathwalker in first season.
There's some amount of escalation going on, obviously, which will be
explained a bit more in upcoming episodes, but they've always been this way,
it's your perception of them that's at odds. You fell for what they wanted you
to see them to be.
jms
#: 624050 S5/Babylon 5: General
10-Dec-96 05:25:19
Sb: #623555-#B5 merchandise
Fm: ANNE L. WARNER
Joe,
How are we going to order these, if we don't get to see the web site?
Greg's access is at work, and his boss watches the show, all right, but still
objects to browsing web sites like B5 and Xena. (I know that's an unreasonable
position, but he's stuck with it from *his* bosses.) ;-)
Like Dupa, I want one of each!
Anne
#: 624173 S5/Babylon 5: General
10-Dec-96 13:00:42
Sb: #624050-B5 merchandise
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
I'll post the info when we're ready to go. FC members generally get
discounts on all B5FC merchandise.
jms
[END]
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