Amazing Stories

 Amazing Stories was an early science fiction magazine that began publishing with its April 1926 issue.  It was started by Hugo Gernsback, for whom a prestigious science fiction award is named.  I know I've heard of this magazine before and I may have read reprinted stories that first made its appearance there.  As it is, I stumbled upon an archive with this magazine (and many others) and now there is one more thing, among many, that I like to do.

For some time now I've been reading archived copies of QST magazine, and I finished with the June 1922 issue last week.  I'm fascinated with ham radio history, well all radio history for that matter, and one century ago things were radically different with radio.  I then read the first two issues of Radio News, which was also published by Gernsback, and I decided to do a little bit of research on him.

I learned that not only was he a prolific publisher, but that some of his publications were of the "pulp" genre.  That might sound derogatory to some folks, but in my case I had a curiosity about them so I found a "pulp" magazine archive on the net.  I then downloaded the first two issues of Amazing Stories onto my Kindle, and you can now guess what I'm doing on some evenings.

I have read some compilations of the early science fiction stories that were assembled by Isaac Asimov.  I have enjoyed reading them, with a favorite being "The Jameson Satellite" which was written Neil R. Jones in 1932.  The story is about a professor preparing a satellite in 1958.....within one year of Sputnik, no less.  I won't give away what this satellite was about but I guarantee you that you'll enjoy reading it, and you don't have to be an aerospace engineer to understand it.

I am almost finished with the inaugural issue of Amazing Stories.  (I'm also a little late in exploring the Kindle that Sheila helped select.....I've had it for at least six months.)  I did jump ahead to read the conclusion of a Jules Verne story that was in the May 1926 issue, and that one was a fun read.

I plan on going back to the radio magazines.

For the time being, it will be early science fiction.

Good News, for a Change

Like a lot of people today, I woke up this morning to learn that Osama bin Laden is no longer with us.  He was taken out of commission by the Navy Seals, in a mission that was greenlighted by the White House.  Although I am no fan in any way of the current White House occupant, I will give him kudos on this one and I hope that it's an indication that he will approve similar missions in the future as the need arises.

Kudos also go to the Navy Seals for a job well done.  I haven't had much of a chance to digest all of the information that's out there, and I'm sure that more information will emerge, but I am really grateful that we have these kind of people on our side.

I am going to say this:  we, as a nation, need to be prepared to fight terrorism as long as we are a nation.  We have two choices.  We either fight terrorism until the world comes to an end, or we surrender.  Surrender is not an option.  Also, relaxing the fight against terrorism is not an option either.  It was this way before yesterday so the killing of bin Laden doesn't really change anything as far as the war on terrorism goes.  We fight this war one day at a time.  We keep our guard up one day at a time.  We don't consider the war "won".  We instead resolve each and every day to never give up our fight for our freedom.

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Some other good news to report.

I came in to work one week ago to learn that I was being assigned to a new business effort.  This will continue for several weeks, provided that this new effort is funded by upper management.  I am also challenged with keeping a new boss happy and the feedback I've gotten from him so far is very encouraging.

The project itself has its own unique set of challenges, but to be honest, I actually welcome these kinds of challenges.    I'm learning quite a bit and I've had to use some brain cells to figure out a new type of system, that is, new to me, and what really makes it tick.

I'm having fun.

I really am.

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Spring has arrived in southern Arizona, and I'm seeing a lot of cacti in bloom.....that is, the cacti that are out in the desert.  The only cacti in my yard that has bloomed are the prickly pear in the back yard, which have reliably sprouted new pads each spring.  The prickly pear that's on the other side of my back wall not only sprouts new pads but also blesses us with the appearance of yellow flowers.  That prickly pear is much more mature.  I don't know how old a prickly pear has to be before it blooms with flowers, but I can tell you that a saguaro won't bloom until it's about fifty years of age.

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I have finished reading what a lot of people call the "Second Foundation Trilogy".  That's the three novels written about the Foundation that Isaac Asimov first wrote about.  I didn't think very much of Foundation's Fear by Gregory Benford, but Foundation's Chaos and Foundation's Triumph by Greg Bear and David Brin, respectively, were both good reads.  Both fill in a lot of backstory with the latter doing an excellent job of tying in not only the Galactic Empire series of novels by Asimov, but also the "Caliban Trilogy" authored by Roger MacBride Allen.

One minor criticism of Foundation's Triumph:  it pre-supposes that you've already read the original Foundation trilogy as that premonitions of the events covered by them are introduced.  I'm not sure that the author should have done this, but with the original Foundation trilogy having been in print for nearly forty years it's not like there are a lot of readers who will read the second trilogy ahead of the first.

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That's going to be it for now.

Don't forget to pet a dog or a cat.

Here Come the Republicans

This week the first session of the 112th Congress got under way.  As expected, John Boehner was elected Speaker of the House, and Nancy Pelosi as the Minority Leader.  First on the order of business was the reading of the Constitution.  Some view this as a nod to the Tea Party; others dismiss it as grandstanding, and still others (Democrats mainly) seem to be upset that it was read in the first place, and using the word "fetish" to describe those who approve of this reading.

Next on the order of business will be a repeal of Obamacare.  On this one there's also criticism from the Democrats, as well as some pundits who grandstand on how this is a wasted vote.  We even have Barney Frank grousing about the process, about not being allowed to offer amendments.....to a repeal measure, no less.

On these two events, I'm going to come to the defense of the Republicans, or more specifically, to the defense of the "House" Republicans.  First I'll look at the reading of the Constitution.

I'll grant that I don't know exactly what was on the minds of the leadership when they made this decision.  I could second-guess them as grandstanding or trying to curry favor with the Tea Party.  The perception of grandstanding, is of course, depending on your frame of reference as as you watch the reading, but the reality is that the House Republican leadership is going to have to keep the Tea Party as part of their base.  The Tea Party has demonstrated that they are a force to be reckoned with, and I'm going to tell you right now that if such an accommodation isn't made then the Tea Party will either try to hijack the Democratic Party or they're going to dedicate themselves to making the Republicans the next "third" party.  Reading the Constitution doesn't take up a whole lot of time in the grand scheme of things, and personally I would rather have all Congressmen tested on the Constitution before they're allowed to take the oath of office.

And for those who are throwing around the word "fetish":  what's your problem?  Right before the election, your party had that comedian, whats-his-name Colbert testifying in committee and asking that his colonoscopy be entered into the Congressional record.  So who's got the "fetish" here?  I'd rather have a reading of the Constitution on the House floor rather than some clown testifying before another bunch of clowns.  If you're upset about some "fetish" with the Constitution, then I'm going to respectfully suggest that you re-evaluate your priorities.

Next, the repeal of Obamacare.

First of all, we all know that the Senate will not act on the repeal.  So why do it?

Here's one reason:  many of the newly elected ran on campaign promises that they would fight Obamacare and vote to repeal it.  So now they have a chance to vote on it early on, and thus quickly uphold a campaign promise.

How often do you see a politician keep a campaign promise?  Aren't most of us ready to march on Capitol Hill with pitchforks because we feel that those bums up there on the Hill are out of touch with us?

Here's another reason:  if they don't vote on the repeal, then when the next campaign gets under way, their challengers are going to say, "hey, they promised you to repeal Obamacare, and they didn't so much as even vote on it!"  Of course the challenger isn't going to vote to repeal it either, but you won't be thinking about that  once it's pointed out that your guy didn't vote on it.  I don't see the House Republican leadership as having much of a choice, politically, in this matter.  They talked the talk.  Now they have to walk the walk.  Vote on it, send it over to the Senate, and if the Senate doesn't act, then the Republicans can make that an issue next year.

And as for Barney Frank upset about not being allowed to offer amendments......hello?  You're voting to repeal something!  You're going to amend a law that you're getting rid of?  Cheese Louise!  Write up your amendment and introduce it as separate legislation, or attach it to something else.  Do you really need an engineer from Tucson to give you instructions on how to do your job?

To be honest, I'm not really sure that Republicans in charge of Congress is really a good thing in and of itself.  I certainly am wary about giving them control of the Senate, when you consider that the elitists like John McCain and Lindsey Graham will be running the committees, while the Rand Pauls and Jim Demints are assigned to taking out the trash and changing the light bulbs.

But I'll have to say this:  week one of the new House session made a positive impression on me.  Let's hope that Boehner and his help are serious about reining in the deficit and and taking the time to actually read the legislation that they're going to vote on.

I would also hope that they keep one thing in mind.

The Republicans weren't given charge of the House of Representatives because they were the better party.

They were given charge of the House because they weren't Democrats.

If they go back to their previous ways, of drunken spending and working with the Democrats to give illegal aliens the right to a welfare check and the ballot box, then we'll have to rise up and vote them out of commission.

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I normally wouldn't add anything to a commentary, but I've got some odds and ends to pass along, mainly because I'm behind on my emails and having a few folks ask me if I'm all right.

Work-wise, I'm between assignments, as that my project had its funding cut off before we broke for Christmas.  I'm between jobs right now, but will be offered a part time assignment within the company by a program manager that I used to work for back in 2001.  I've got a lead on another part time assignment, which I'll pursue as well.

And, in six weeks or so, maybe eight, I'm going to be offered work helping out with some research, determining applications for some rather specialized components that I never heard of before until two days ago.  That sounds exciting as all get-out, and very promising.  The supervisor definitely wants me to work for him, but won't have funding for a while yet.  So, I'll be doing some odd jobs here and there until those higher up the food chain decide it's time to proceed.

On another front, State Farm has issued me one more check, as that the first one didn't cover the lodging and rental car in Lake Havasu City.  I split repairs and expenses between two credit cards and one bill has already been paid in full.  Now if the other issuer will only go ahead and send me their bill, I'll have that one paid off in one fell swoop as well.

And on another, I've caught up on a lot of reading.  I'm now working on Foundation's Fear by Gregory Benford, an Asimov Estate-authorized "Foundation" novel.  I am one third of the way thru it and it hasn't exactly been an easy read.  I think some of the backfill descriptions are superfluous, and I don't yet understand the relevance of the Joan of Arc and Voltaire "sims" to the Foundation story, but now I'm into a section where some political intrigue of the Galactic Empire and Emperor Cleon I is being explored.  This story may yet pick up, though most customer reviews of this book that I've seen online are negative.

That's all for now.

And.....(you saw this coming!).............don't forget to pet a dog or a cat!

I, Robot

I, Robot is the title of a "book" by science fiction master Isaac Asimov. Although not written as a "book", it is a collection of short stories that he wrote from 1941 to 1950. It was tied together as a "book" with the short stories being told in the form of recollections from Dr. Susan Calvin, a robot psychologist with the fictional U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men, Inc., who is narrating stories about her career to an interviewer.

As you have correctly surmised, these stories are about robots. In writing about robots, Dr. Asimov made it clear that they are subject to The Three Laws of Robotics. These Laws are:

1. A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

2. A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings except where such order would conflict with the First Law.

3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

These Three Laws of Robotics start out the novel, so that the reader instantly knows that he's not going to be reading about where a bunch of mechanical Frankenstein monsters end up taking over the earth. What happens instead is a series of situations as the robots progressively develop from non-speaking models to those that speak, to those that have reasoning capabilities, and there's even one robot that has the ability to read minds.

As the robots are progressing into newer and better models, mankind itself is progressing. We see the human race begin their conquest of space. Two characters, Greg Powell and Mike Donovan, are field testing the newer models as they work on the planet Mercury, later on a space station, and Dr. Calvin herself travels to Hyper Base, which we deduce is on an asteroid where scientists and engineers are developing the hyperatomic drive so that mankind's dream of interstellar travel can be realized. Later on, the hyperspace barrier is broken, and travel to distant star systems is made possible faster than the speed of light.

As the end of the book draws near, there is the suggestion that a robot who looks exactly like a human being has been constructed and runs for political office. This character goes on to play a key role in the final chapter, a story called "The Evitable Conflict". At this time, super machines have been created to help with the administration of Earth's resources. The Three Laws, which were put into place to prevent the robots from taking over, have prevented them from taking over........or have they?

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I first read I, Robot back in 1976, during my senior year of high school. It was one of the required reading novels assigned to me in an English class. I enjoyed reading this back then, I enjoyed it again last year, and even though I know the stories I know that I would find this book to be good reading if I were to pick it up again today.

As for why I read this fairly recently, it's due to a renewed interest in the books that Isaac Asimov wrote. He's known for his "Foundation" series of novels, which I read in my first year in college, and I recently decided that I wanted to re-read them. Having lost my copies of these books in one of my moves, it was necessary to re-purchase them, but while at the bookstore I learned then that he wrote more "Foundation" novels. I picked up Prelude to Foundation, found it to be a good read, and learned thru the book (and thru some online research) that Dr. Asimov decided to tie the "Robot" novels, the "Galactic Empire" novels and the "Foundation" novels into the same "universe". After reading Prelude to Foundation, I realized that I could have several hours of entertainment by reading the whole shebang of novels......of which the starting point is I, Robot.

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By the way, more robot stories, including those found in I, Robot can be found in Robot Visions. Robot Visions also includes several essays by Dr. Asimov in which he explained why he felt it necessary to include The Three Laws.

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Two weekends from now Lynette and I will be in Wisconsin. We are making a side trip to Iowa so that I can visit with Marge and Tony.

We're going to be gone for ten days. I will be bringing my laptop and checking email as time permits, and if I can, I might post some updates on what we're doing. I expect that visiting with her relatives and getting to know them will take up most of our time.

I'm not sure if there will be many opportunities to play "tourist". I do like to explore, and I'm especially fascinated with going to places that I've never gone to before. I have been to the state capitol building in Madison, and I've been to downtown Chicago. I wouldn't mind seeing the state capitol again but I can't think of a reason to see Chicago aside from visiting the eastern terminus of the old US 66 (I've been interested in highway history as of late).

It would be neat to see the circus museum in Baraboo, and I've heard about a mustard museum somewhere in southern Wisconsin, but I think that family has priority, and to be honest, I need to make the most of my opportunity in getting to know them.

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That is going to be it for this evening. I'm currently reading The Stars, Like Dust, also by Isaac Asimov, and it's a hard one to put down.