Fantasist's Scroll

Is it the most elaborate hoax ever?

Well, according to this article from Scientific American, it very well could be. In fact, it might be the most famous con, too. Experts have analyzed this manuscript, found by Wilfrid Voynich, an American rare-book dealer, in 1912, but haven’t been able to come up with either the code or language in which the book is written. One theory is that English adventurer Edward Kelley may have created the document to defraud the Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolph II who reportedly paid a sum of 600 ducats (about $50,000 today) for the manuscript.)
The article goes into the details, but it seems quite plausable. So, I guess conlanging can be profitable after all!

Notice that I’ve been a little behind in posting?

Well, for that one person who reads this blog, I’ve been busy! As I mentioned in my other blog I’ve changed jobs which has been a little stressful. And, I’ve been Google spammed, so that’s been taking up a bunch of time. But, I hope the new job will allow me more time, thanks to less travel-time on my commute, to write, so it’ll be worth it. I hope. But, I do promise to do better on keeping this blog up to date.

I figure fuel-efficiency is a good trade off.

For speed, that is. Mostly, I don’t want to go anywhere in that much of a hurry. Which is good, because, according to this article on Wired News, hybrids don’t help save gas if you have a lead foot. But, it also isn’t effective if you’re too slow, either. A happy medium is the key to taking advantage of the battery power that makes the hybrid cars so effecient, but accelerating too quickly or slowly degrades that efficiency. So, all this time, the way Coach taught me to drive really was more fuel efficient!

In any case, it’s sort of an interesting article about the new hybrid cars. So, go check it out.

is back!

Well, at least the Warehouse 23 Basement is back. And, frankly, that’s all that matters. It’s loads of fun, especially if you’re a gamer. Or, and Indian Jones fan, oddly enough. It’s acutally based on that huge warehouse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Who knows, you might even find the lost Ark of the Covenant!

And, yes, once again, this first appeared on my other blog las week. What can I say? I’m strapped for material!
Anyway, it’s Friday, so go have fun!

Speaking of drugs…

Okay, no, it’s not the crazy hydroponics ads from High Times! Though, it’s pretty close. According to this article on Wired News, there’s an underground garden in Indiana somewhere that’s going to let researchers grow their pharmacologically enhanced plants without worring about contaminating the general populace. First, I think it’s a good idea to isolate the plants being tested. We have no idea what might happen if these things get loose in the wild, and I’d rather not find out. Second, I also think it’s great that someone has found a way to keep the research going, because it’s important.

Anyway, it’s a great article, so check it out.

I finished The Descent by Jeff Long the other day.

I liked it!
It’s actually in the Horror section of the bookstore, but I didn’t really feel the horror aspect of it that much. In a nutshell, mankind discovers an extensive system of natural tunnels under the Earth and they’re inhabited. The inhabitants aren’t all that friendly. Mayhem ensues.
There are actually some interesting plot twists along the way, but it’s pretty much some straight-on adventure fiction. Not the highest quality, but pretty good. And, most importantly, fun.

“Evercrack”, indeed!

I rarely make social commentary on this blog, but in this case, I’ll make an exception. Wired News ran an article recently about on-line game players and addiction. It seems that there are a number of games that include character boosting “drugs” that players can use to get more points in their respective games. These drugs work like real drugs, with side-effects. Like, for instance, they give you the boost, but eventually require higher doses. Eventually, requiring doses so high that they can kill your character. But, even knowing this, people still use them.

Wow. What does this say about our society? First, it’s interesting that the game designers would put drugs into the game. Especially drugs that have consequences. Second, that people who know better, or should know better, still use them speaks to something fundamentally flawed in our society. Has life become so cheap? Even virtual life? What’s next?
More importantly, how many good stories are there in the discussion of what this all means and what might be coming? Go, write them. Make us think!

“He’s go the whole blog, in his hands!”

My darling wife sent me a link to the World as a Blog, which is as fun a site as I’ve seen. It shows you a map of the world and, as registered blogs update, it pops up those updates in little windows! How cool!
So, if you sit and watch, you can see what bloggers all around the world are posting about. In real time! I haven’t signed up for this, yet, but you can bet I will!

Yes, this appeared on my other blog last week.
Now, it’s Friday, go have fun!