Human corpses

Did I mention the cadavers?

Yes, you heard me right. We had heard that a traveling exhibit known as Bodies the Exhibition would be in an Atlanta museum at the same time we were. Cat, her parents, and I all arranged to see the exhibit.

Our purchased tickets for the 1PM time slot coincided with a Sunday panel or two at Dragon*Con that I wanted to see- a "How not to get published" horror story panel and a "Bad Movies and Why We Love Them" panel. Both quickly got shunted for the prospect of seeing actual medical cadavers in an almost once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. On the other hand, Cat's dad wanted to see the 2006 Miss Klingon Empire Beauty Pageant at 4PM, and I wanted to see a panel on the RPG business also at 4, so we had to be done by then.

Happily, the Civic Center was only a short walk from our hotel. Who needs a rental car in a major urban center anyway?

Upon arriving, we discovered that roughly half of Atlanta decided that it would be a good idea to come and see this exhibit. I was amazed at how different the throng as compared to at con. I saw a wide range of ages, races, etc., but they definitely were mundanes.

Once in the exhibit, I was a little stunned by the change in environment. Inside, the lighting was tightly controlled, people talked in hushed voices (if at all), and each room focused on a different aspect of the human body. Examples were actual human tissue; the water is chemically removed and replaced with a polymer of some kind- this effectively preserves the specimen indefinitely.

They showcased the brain, the skeleton, muscles, reproduction and birth, the organs of digestion, everything. Most memorable to me included a full-body specimen consisting solely of the blood vessels: arteries and veins in red and blue, hit with a tight spot in the darkness. It all but glowed. Also notable was a full body reduced to approximately seventy or eighty translucent slices in plastic, spread out to twenty or thirty feet- much like the Visible Human project, itself an amazing undertaking. I can't go on and describe every detail, apart from trying to express how strange it felt to stare into a stranger's guts, to see one dead man contemplate his own brain, to sense the pride of a woman with her womb visible. A complete digestive tract hung on the wall, from top to bottom. Silvery nerves flayed back from the skin; healthy and diseased organs side-by-side.

Specimens I've seen before; the Tulane School of Medicine had an embryology museum as well as human parts preserved on display. I would have loved to take pictures, but touching and photography were expressly forbidden. More than a legal requirement, I suspect, but rather a means to force respect. This science approached art.

Leaving the exhibit, I kept thinking how we are just made out of meat (story, video). I feel humbled and mortal and amazed that superstition once prevented human dissection and study. What does the future hold?

Grudging respect

Very occasionally, Microsoft does something that's not evil.

I now learn that their gas prices site pulls data from OPIS, the Oil Price Information Service. Hence, the data is very fresh- updated at least daily from actual sources, as opposed to some of the word-of-mouth gas price sites.

As of this writing, the cheapest gas in the US is in Caddo, Oklahoma at $2.00 per gallon. No, that's not a typo. Two bucks per gallon. Contrariwise, the most expensive gas in the US is Kaunakakai, Hawaii at $3.92. No, that's not a typo either: Three dollars and ninety-two cents.

As a geek, it's hard for me to not respect hard data.

New Rube Goldberg device

I saw this on a Scandanavian page showcasing a Japanese video. It runs about six minutes and uses the Back to the Future music, in case you can't name that tune.

Yet another anniversary

A year ago today, I arrived in Austin. By the 9th, we had found an apartment and were not living out of hotels and suitcases.

I'm not really loving the whole Austin experience. I don't drive a truck, like live music, or drink alcohol. The weather doesn't suit my temperament and I remain not acclimated to the geography. My office lunch buddy today told me that I'm the first person he's met who doesn't love Austin and want to stay here forever.

My official position remains "Austin is okay."

But how much of that is the cross product of "I didn't come here willingly" and "Cat hates it here?"

Terrorism

I hate to fly, I hate to fly, I hate to fly.

More accurately, I feel imposed-upon and dehumanized and presumed guilty. Also inconvenienced. I hate the new regime's idea of "security."

Bruce Schneier, who is much smarter about security than virtually anyone I have even heard of, argues that terrorists are getting what they want, since Asian men in leather jackets who look at their watches can now delay planes for three hours because of scared white people.

Are you scared? I'm not, and neither should you. Be aggravated and get angry! Keep your civil rights and your pens (I swear I am not making this up)!

After banning liquids, what's next? Banning food?

It's the belt and shoes for me. We are still (mostly) free citizens, not prisoners. I saw a joke somewhere: "Nudist Airlines. Take it off, or we're not taking off."

300-ish posts

I suspect that Blogger is counting my drafts, hence the "ish."

Tomorrow makes one year in Austin.

I have nineteen days to write sixty-five posts to make a ratio of one post per day.

Soon I go to Indian buffet with my brother.

I pretty much feel like this right now.

Post-Katrina quickies

At long long last, the Camellia Grill is due to reopen! Camellia is a 60-plus-year-old nearly 24-hour diner back in New Orleans; it's been closed since the storm. Famous for the straw-serving, chocolate Freezes ("Make it loose"), french-fry omelets, with both burgers and breakfast grilled next to each other, the storefront has since spawned dozens, if not hundreds of notes begging for it to reopen. The T-P nods to the rumor that Emeril Lagasse may be a silent partner. BAM!

My man Clinton and his wife, Crystal, got a Post-K newspaper write-up in their now-local newspaper in South Carolina. Crystal was en route back to New Orleans from Saigon when the storm hit. Clinton, I know, left with even less than we did, taking computer and a few game books and clothes. He might've had one bag and evacuated with four other people to Houston.

Crystal's blog pointed me to two paramedics' experiences of working in New Orleans during the hurricane. Just reading this brings it all to the forefront again, and I realize just how lucky we were and still are.

I re-read this prior to posting, and now I can't write any more just yet.

The Mundane Perspective

First day at work back from con, had lunch with two coworkers at Flores Mexican Restaurant. I had a crispy beef taco, a cheese enchilada, and rice and beans.

They asked me about my convention weekend and seemed faintly surprised that I had fun, enjoyed it, and wanted to go. I talked about the usual explanations of a con to mundanes: it's movies and comics and film and Star Wars and gaming and Japanese Animation and Star Trek and sci-fi and comics and miniatures and fantasy and Lord of the Rings and such like. I find that the large pop culture references help, but most people next ask if I dress up. (No, I don't.)

My two lunch buddies looked faintly surprised at my enthusiasm, and when pressed, revealed a fact that made me a little sad inside. They explained that they had never before gone to a convention for pleasure, only business. I found it hard to believe that people could be so... passionless about something in their lives to not share it with others, or to fail to pursue the interest in much regard.

I didn't have much of a response. How low has the modern American worker sunk?

Back to life, Back to reality

Yeah, yeah.

I slept for about thirteen hours last night, more sleep than I'd gotten for all of convention weekend, I believe.

I have a little bit of work to catch up on, but a fair amount of writing, email, and reading that I really need to get done. Expect some blog entries on the whole Dragon*Con experience soon: gaming, race/demographics, Katrina, security. Not as many pictures as you might expect, though.

Did I mention that I sold two copies of my game?

Alive

I'm in Atlanta, attending Dragon*Con, and running on about twelve hours of sleep since Friday. Life is good.

To entertain yourself, you can look at last year's official photographs, or see pictures that fans have taken.

I haven't been in much of a photographic mood this con.