The Doc's Bio Lab for Scav Experiments - & other oddities.

[Rman Virgil]

Thought you might find these photos inspirational - the sense of desolation is overwhelming: http://www.kiddofspeed.com/

In particular, look through the "Elena revisits Chernobyl" and "Chernobyl - Land of the Wolves" links, they are sort of photo diaries of her trips to the nuclear wastelands. Note the constant signs of once thriving civilisation, derelict buildings and decaying echos of once-owned things, slowly being returned to nature by an army of moss, grass and trees. Should provide a visual reference for what the world might look like, and certainly feel like, post-Collapse.

Pic related: My desktop wallpaper...

Excellent.

Couple weeks ago I was doing research on fallout, bioremediation and Chernobyl and came across this on the wildlife preserve in Chernobyl:

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_an ... s_and.html

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[Rman Virgil]

I'm starting to think the timeline is gonna be a morphing WIP over the course of many weeks.

For this reason it's perhaps useful to make maintaining the timeline as simple as possible - don't treat it as a work of art at this juncture, think of it more as a draft or rough sketch that will be changed many times. Furthermore, even when the timeline starts to take a more stable form, the future will always provide reasons to edit it.

I'm deeply appreciateing the wisdom of that course now.

I will still continue with the sophisticated timeline and show a snap shot here of it's dev because I'm sure I will include it in the illustrated novel / ebook.

However, I will switch priority over to a plain vanilla version that anyone can easily edit / maintain on any platform in almost any graphic & text app. I see this best serving the inevitable morphing that will ensue with all the honeing and refining discussions yet to come.
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[Rman Virgil]

In fact, as a consequence of my research I'm trying to wrap my head around the enevitability of "Climate Wars".

Climate wars are already taking place - particularly in certain parts of Africa.

I recently met with some activists who had visited a refugee camp here in the UK. What they found most surprising is that the refugees were mostly from a business background - lawyers, doctors, etc. They had been forced to flee their homeland due to climate change, and the resulting wars caused by the resulting scarcity of basic essentials (food, clean water, etc) caused by that climate change.

This is really just an indicator of what the future holds for all of us, if we maintain the absurdity known as capitalism. As we can see with things like Tar Sands in Canada, Capitalism is utterly unable to see the correlation between the environment and survival of the human race (and, in fact, all life on Earth). If you remember the "economics is a form of brain damage" article I posted in this threat some weeks ago, Dr. Suzuki illustrated the point quite eloquently. This truth is very well asserted in the article "Human beings have no right to water". It's said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and this recent post by I F*cking Love Science does exactly that:




So yes, climate wars are inevitable unless we eradicate capitalism, economics, and in deed anything based on money. Anything short of such actions is akin to rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

Duely noted.

Brilliant graphic.

I tried to capture all of this capitalism - money - eco dynamics with the compression of poetic diction, a few weeks back here, using the narrative device of The Project historian, Landess Garibaldi, writing the introduction to his Project History tome. Now.... how do we do it on the timeline ?

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[Rman Virgil]

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I mentioned thinking on a PsyOp for the NWO. While doing so I came to the realization that even at this very early stage, I'm gonna have to make combinatorial linkages between all our declared catagories to come up with even just a select few milestone highlights for the timeline. Basically, I'm gonna have to excercise story mind even though, strictly speaking, I'm not yet writing story. Whether these combinatorial linkages hold up a month from now in light of other revisions down the road, is moot at this stage. The point being that you have to start substantive composition somewhere and begin the process of grounding disparate talking points, speculative thought experiments and brainstorming all over the map, into a cohesive vision.

So.... back to the NWO PsyOp..

Bare with me as I detail the combinatorial linkages upon which it is built.

~ Baseline: The NWO has their fingers in everything of any consequence to the reins of power they excercise on the global stage. What exactly will be the relationship with our lead characters, Reed & Hammond, is yet to be determined though for certain, the NWO has existed long before either was born.

~ New Presumptions and linkages: The philosophical tenets of Transhumanism, as well all associated technology, are a perfect fit for those who make up the NWO. That doesnot mean that Transhumanists would subscribe to the NWO agenda or its methodology. That's an important distinction to make clear up front because it has future ramifications that are pivotal.

~ New Presumptions & Linkages: The NWO will have its hand in climate wars, hacking the planet, and perhaps even building the first floating city off the Pacific West Coast, but they are not idiots for all their malevalence. They will hedge their bets and have fallback positions if all goes to hell, and out of their control, on the planet.

~ New Presumptions & Linkages: The NWO will do all in it's power to facilitate the Space Program as thier ultimate fallback position hinges on its progress. This means they will have thier hands in the nanotube research that will be key to building the Space Elevator that will inturn lead to the Moon Base Colony and Mass Driver, Asteroid Belt Mining, full fledged colonization of Mars and the L5 colony. They will hugely promote Mars colonization as the next great frontier of freedom, and fresh starts, especially to the segments of the populace identified as malcontents or members of resistence movements, and underplay L5 as no more than a research facility. In fact, L5 will be their ultimate fallback and the Mars colonization a PsyOp.

* Just because it is masterminded as a PsyOp doesnot make the Mars Colony any less real. Having their controlling hands on the entire supply chain to Mars, and able to weaponize the Moon Mass Driver with little difficulty, will ensure for some time that Martian freedom and independence is but a compelling illusion.

And there you have a taste, I think, of what is yet to unfold for all the milestones, and the so far declared catagories, on the expanded timeline.

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[Rman Virgil]

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"Defiance" has become a must see show even this early in its unfolding. IMHO, the richest of the lot. Though "Revolution" and "Continuum" each have strengths to recommend them and continue to be entertaining well into their run. Thanks again aubergine for the heads up on "Defiance".

My progress on the expanded timeline has been slowed down by a nasty virus and the stuff I've been taking to deal with the symptoms has made for some brain fog. I seem to have turned a corner today and may be up to full strength by the weekend to pick up the journey again with gusto..

Btw.... before the onset of medicine induced brain fog, my gut instinct told me I needed to add a forth main character - at least to the novel, if not necessarily to the expanded timeline. While still in the formative stages of coming to life, this much I can tell you in the broadstroke. This fourth main character will grow into a religious leader on the global stage and a force for the NWO to rechone with. The major world faiths of our time, still very much influential forces in our prognosticated future, will also have issues with this new religious movement. Yes, the tenets of this new religion are a creation along with the character. Feel free to express any thoughts that may come to mind on this new character and religion.
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[aubergine]

Religion as in spiritual or religion as in god? If the latter, not overly keen. What did you have in mind?

[Rman Virgil]

Religion as in spiritual or religion as in god? If the latter, not overly keen. What did you have in mind?

Spiritual. Non-dogmatic. No theism. I would go down an entirely different route than the writers of the BSG reboot did.

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Though only a few weeks have passed, this has already been quite a journey for me.

Some epiphanies I have spoken to, some not because they have just only revealed themselves to me.

I am of 2 minds about all this. I have a passion to write a Sci Fi novel inspired by the WZ material which itself was inspired by the "Terminator" and "Road Warrior" movie franchises along with other lesser known Sci Fi genre influences. In a real sense the canon backstory is Pumpkin's fanon to those other works.

In the course of realizing the novel I have to do certain types pre-story work. Whatever is useful out of that work that can be applied to the expanded timeline, and everything that represents, is up to the community participants in this process now and later on down the road. What is found or deemed not useful to the expanded WZ timeline, all well and good as far as I'm concerned... don't have the slightest quibble with that.

But understand this, it is quite possible that if something doesn't go into the expanded WZ timeline but I believe it integral to the novel's artistic wholeness, it will go into the novel. How folks here would cotton to that I couldn't say. But I'm sure WZ Creators would have no problem with that since I was trusted from the get go to do only good by the game and have not deviated from that in the intervening years.

If it turns out the expanded timeline is of no use here, that's ok too. If it is prefered there be no affiliation between the novel and games backstory that too can be very easily accomodated. No fuss, no muss. So really, I only see win-win. But a simple win will do too.

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[aubergine]

No matter what happens, the WZ universe will benefit from a richer tapestry to it's backstory.

Meanwhile, in the Rockies.... http://crmpi.org/CRMPI/Home.html

[Rman Virgil]

No matter what happens, the WZ universe will benefit from a richer tapestry to it's backstory.

Meanwhile, in the Rockies.... http://crmpi.org/CRMPI/Home.html

Yep, and another terrific CO. resource along with Amory Lovins' "Rocky Mountain Institute". http://www.rmi.org/

Both the Institute and Permaculture first came to my attention long before I moved to Colorado, back in the 90's when I used to attend "Bioneer Confrences" around the US every year. http://www.bioneers.org/

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In reviewing and cataloging all the material in this thread relevant to the expanded timeline and novel, I noticed oversights in my declared influences, research and resources. I will quickly address that in this post and then that will be that. They are a score in number and reflect core story craft approach, psychological profileing, Transhumanism, re-booting cyborgs and the spiritual dimension just raised vis-a-vis the introduction of a fourth major character and associated world movement mid 21st century.

~ "The Hero With A Thousand Faces" by Joseph Campbell.

~ "Future Primal: How Our Wilderness Origins Show Us the Way Forward" by Louis G. Herman

~ "The Denial of Death" and "Escape From Evil" both by Ernest Becker

~ "Inventing Ironman: The Possibilty of a Human Machine" by E. Paul Zehr

~ "Mind Wars: Brain Science and the Military in the 21st Century" by Jonathan D. Moreno

~ "Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century" by P. W. Singer

~ "Saving Normal: An Insider's Revolt Against Out-of-Control Psychiatric Diagnosis, DSM-5, Big Pharma, and the Medicalization of Ordinary Life" by Allen Frances 

~ "The Psychopath: Emotion and the Brain" by James Blair MD

~ "The Power of the Herd: A Nonpredatory Approach to Social Intelligence, Leadership, and Innovation" by Linda Kohanov

~ "The Wholeness of Nature : Goethe's Way Toward a Science of Conscious Participation in Nature" by Henri Bortoft

~ "Hidden Nature: The Startling Insights of Viktor Schauberger" by Alick Bartholomew

~ "A Third Window: Natural Life beyond Newton and Darwin" by Robert E. Ulanowicz and Stuart A. Kauffman

~ "Out of this World: Otherworldly Journeys from Gilgamesh to Albert Einstein" by Ioan P. Culianu 

~ "Darwinizing Culture: The Status of Memetics as a Science" by Robert Aunger 

~ "The Basic Code of the Universe: The Science of the Invisible in Physics, Medicine, and Spirituality" by Massimo Citro and Ervin Laszlo

~ "Original Instructions: Indigenous Teachings for a Sustainable Future" by Melissa K. Nelson

~ "American Indian Thought: Philosophical Essays" Ed. by Anne Waters

~ "Native Science: Natural Laws of Interdependence" by Gregory Cajete

~ "The End of Big: How the Internet Makes David the New Goliath" by Nicco Mele  

~ "Better than Human: The Promise and Perils of Enhancing Ourselves" (Philosophy in Action) by Allen Buchanan  

~ "The Transhumanist Reader: Classical and Contemporary Essays on the Science, Technology, and Philosophy of the Human Future" Ed. by Max More and Natasha Vita-More
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[Merowingg]

<----- Mero looks from behind a corner to see if Rman is not holding sharp objects in his hand

Hello Rman

I presume Mero you are talking about the oral defense of the paper which is yet another challenge perhaps more intimidating than writeing the paper itself. Just make sure you do a lot of rigorous practice before hand till you get it down cold. Two different challenge experiences really. Writing a solid paper and defending it orally. Gotta come at it that way tactically which I'm sure you can.

Yes the defence I ment, we were given also general points which certainly will appear in detail during the defence except the paper ones But now I am facing greater enemy - the Italain Language I have postponed my paper work to extreme, to deal with the subjects now. I will not manage to defend in july anyway.

I am reading slowly posts here. I like the Loading and Hut pictures. What does the lapel in fron of the house says?

I also as always not asked give you one of the main themes from the Witcher series. It was impressive as it was used for long shots, or noble moments. Tell me what you think. The pictures are oryginal from the series. The series was accepted badly due to the fact that an extremely poor money was used for that. If we have Game of Thrones base, and a smart director. It would be a masterpiece I dare to assure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBSn8qQTxnQ

Best wishes to one of the most creative man I know

[Rman Virgil]

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Hi Mero.

Thanks for the Witcher link. I like the music a lot. The choral and percussion elements especially. I've been struggling with a piece of music for a while that is intended to be a NEXUS theme and I'm trying to work with these elements predominating but I have not yet been able to it get right. The tempo and time signature changes are elluding me. Maybe listening to the Witcher music will be of some help. Never know where the lightening in a bottle will emanate from.

"Game of Thrones" budget is a little over 6 million US per hour which in these days of 200 million budgets for a 2 hour theatrical release is on the Indie low end. But i'll tell you the production folk of "GoT" are very smart in how they use their money plus the writing and acting are top shelf.

Just saw the 2nd reboot of the "Star Trek" franchise by J.J. Abrams and also "Ironman 3" . Both had extravagant budgets and you could see it on the screen with the top-flight SFX. But I found both movies disappointing and even boreing because the writing was weak and the acting reflecting the weak scripts, mediocre and on the side of bathos. You can throw 200 million at a project but if the writing sucks the result will suck no matter how pretty it may look because of all the money. But I am likely in the minority with these opinions. Both movies will make their investment back and lots of profit and be considered triumphs. To me they will both be failures no matter the economics or pretty impressive SFX.

And - all the best with your Italian studies ! As part of your unofficial coursework I recommend watching all of Federico Fellini , , Sergeo Leone and Lina Wertmuller's movies.

As for creativity - I owe it to my parents influence entirely. Both life long artists who instilled the urge in me before I even started school (ditto my 3 brothers and sister). In my life priorities, there is family, dear friends and, alas, I live to create and create to live. It's just that basic to me. I can't imagine any other way of being.


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Couple weeks ago we were discussing the characteristics of psychopaths and sociopaths in the context of rebooting the Dr. Reed character as well the relationship between him and the rebooted John Hammond character.

The current issue of Psychology Today has an absolutely facinating article that is an exerpt from a memoir soon to be published. It's called "Confessions of a Sociopath". Quick read and highly recommended.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles ... -sociopath

EDIT: Looks like the book was just released a couple days ago and has stirred up a hornet's nest of controversy already, including claims of fraud with pure mercenary intent. Interesting in it self. The notion of an individual falsely claiming to be a sociopath to make a buck.

A reliable work published 14 years ago would be:

"Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us" by Robert D. Hare PhD

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[Merowingg]

Rman if the melody of the NEXUS theme is to fit Warzone 2100 environment, please listen on youtube music by Daft Punk made to the rereleased TRON movie. There you shall find inspiration fitting NEXUS spirit. It is noble, modern, and ear friendly. According to me

Man I believe The Witcher series, the entire one, with about one hundred, maybe if the wind was appropriate two hundred thousand dollars It looks as many our "poor" historical movies, so it was accepted, but even the blindest fans of the White Wolf admit, it deserves better than that.

I have waited for Iron Man 3 very much. I love how Junior fits to the role of excentric millionnaire and savior of the world. I loved him since the Sherlock Holmes movie, where there he fits perfectly. New star treck look impressive too. What does not from the great explosion movies?

I have just recalles scene where in The Dark Knight Rises, Bruce asked Alfred if they have a car in the haiuse. Alfred said there should be something, and seconds later Bruce was driving newest Lamborgini

Have you seen the Pacific Rim movie trailer?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... guMumPFBag

But I do wait for this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzJNYYkkhzc

I agree on the fact that sometimes enormous money were wasted on something that could be very good in a spectacular way.

Speaking of watching movies as learning, do not bring evil notions to my head I am kidding, sounds like interesting idea. Seriously my brain says al lthe time now, listen to wise man, you need to wach movies to improve come on

Sen greetings to your parents then

Rman do you know what the label on the picture says? Isn't it Katyń?

Who would derail both artistically and somehow sometimes partly fitting your thread, if not me?

The moment you will get upset, please let me know

[Rman Virgil]

Rman if the melody of the NEXUS theme is to fit Warzone 2100 environment, please listen on youtube music by Daft Punk made to the rereleased TRON movie. There you shall find inspiration fitting NEXUS spirit. It is noble, modern, and ear friendly. According to me

Cool. Will check it out. I need something to get me unstuck.

Man I believe The Witcher series, the entire one, with about one hundred, maybe if the wind was appropriate two hundred thousand dollars It looks as many our "poor" historical movies, so it was accepted, but even the blindest fans of the White Wolf admit, it deserves better than that.

Well.... I'll tell you how the Polish fans could do something really good with very little money. The latest Witcher game engine, renderer and dev tools are really good. I'm sure you have talented Polish artists and modders of the game. Make a Machinima movie. Good voice acting would be the biggest challenge. Recruit talent from Uni theater folk. 60 - 90 mins. Put it on YouTube and Machinima.com. If it's decent and you get enough hits - big money will see the potential.

I have waited for Iron Man 3 very much. I love how Junior fits to the role of excentric millionnaire and savior of the world. I loved him since the Sherlock Holmes movie, where there he fits perfectly. New star treck look impressive too. What does not from the great explosion movies?

I like Robert Downey. Liked Ironman 1 and the first Sherlock Holmes he did. As far as re-booted Sherlock, the BBC's Benedict Cumberbatch in 21st century London is tops along with Johnny Miller's in "Elementary" in 21st century New York City a close second (plus Lucy Liu plays Dr. Watson and I know you of all people gotta appreciate that )

I have just recalles scene where in The Dark Knight Rises, Bruce asked Alfred if they have a car in the haiuse. Alfred said there should be something, and seconds later Bruce was driving newest Lamborgini

Imho, Nolan's "Dark Knight Rising" and Joss Whedon's "Avengers" are the 2 best superhero movies made to date.

We'll see how the new re-boot of Superman turns out.

Have you seen the Pacific Rim movie trailer?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... guMumPFBag

But I do wait for this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzJNYYkkhzc

Not familiar. I'll check 'em out. Thanks.

I agree on the fact that sometimes enormous money were wasted on something that could be very good in a spectacular way.

Speaking of watching movies as learning, do not bring evil notions to my head I am kidding, sounds like interesting idea. Seriously my brain says al lthe time now, listen to wise man, you need to wach movies to improve come on

It's how I keep up with my foreign language skills. Seriously. I just watched this movie made in Spain with no subtitles called "Entre Lobos" (Among Wolves). True story of a boy of 8 in the 1950's who lives with a wolf pack till he's 18, high up in the wilderness mountains of Spain. Beautiful movie. Whole thing is on YouTube. It was a theatrical release in Europe last year.

The best way I've learned foreign languages is to be immersed in the culture and if I can't live in the community itself, watching native movies without subtitles is a good fallback.

BTW - those 3 Italian movie directors I suggested are known for thier unique combination of humor, passion and grit which I think you would find appealing.

Sen greetings to your parents then

Will do in my prayers. Thanks.

Rman do you know what the label on the picture says? Isn't it Katyń?

? I like the name. Maybe we should use it for John Hammond's adoptive mother. Katyn Hammond. I like it.

Who would derail both artistically and somehow sometimes partly fitting your thread, if not me?

The moment you will get upset, please let me know

It's all good. I function more on an improv, analogical, plane than I do a mathematical proof mind set.

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Now I must disappear till late Sunday night to get the next iteration of the expanded timeline posted - plain vanilla version. After that I'll catch up the fancy shmancy version and post that next week. Then I need to focus on 1st draft chapters for the novel that are swirling in my head along with a couple scenes to illustrate. The research has been rewarding but I need to spend a lot more time creating story and art and less in this exclusive research and organizing mode.

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[aubergine]

Saw this and thought of the pre-collapse era: http://logica.ugent.be/philosophica/fulltexts/26-2.pdf

[Rman Virgil]

Saw this and thought of the pre-collapse era: http://logica.ugent.be/philosophica/fulltexts/26-2.pdf

Downloading now.

Edit: Good essay. But Illich misses one very key destructive, and insidious, economic dynamic: corporate externalization of costs. If not for that dynamic instead of a Bic Mac costing $3.00 bucks they'd have to charge $200.00 - 300.00 bucks.

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BTW... Hammond's attempts to reach and influence Reed to change his psychological bent are validated as possible by the latest science.

"Rethinking Madness: Towards a Paradigm Shift in Our Understanding and Treatment of Psychosis" [2012] by Paris Williams
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