The Making of a Cylon Raider In Discernment

I find that making model spaceship helps in me in my discernment process. Recently I have to make a major decision in my career and ministry. As an aid to my discernment process, I started assembling this plastic spaceship model by Moebius.

I find that model making helps me in my discernment process for two reasons. Firstly, the slow and tedious painting and assembling slow me down and allow me to catch up with myself. It also slows me down so that I can listen to God, Secondly, the focus and working with my hands helps to free up my conscious thoughts and allows me to listen to my subconscious and my heart. It also allow room for prayers.

first layer

second layer

third layer-filling in the lines

fourth layer

.

Random Glimpses of My Desktop

ED-209 Future of Law Enforcement

Ray Bradbury (1920-2012)

Ray Bradbury (1975)

(photo by Alan Light. Wikimedia Commons)

The Martian Chronicles is one of the first collection of stories by Ray Bardbury I read as a teenager. I was fascinated by the benevolence of the Martians towards the earth astronauts. This was fresh after reading the deadly Martians of H.G.Wells' War of the Wars. Later I remembered playing a PC game based on the Martian Chronicles. I also remembered reading with horror, Fahrenheit 451, a novel about a future where books are outlawed. Books found are burnt and their owners imprisoned. Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which books burn. It leaves a distinct impression upon me as I was slowly developing my love of books.

 "There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them."

Unlike Isaac Asimov which writes interesting stories and often epics such as the Empire and Robots series, Bradbury deals mainly with short stories, often focusing themes that borders on horror. Something Wicked This Way Comes and The Illustrated Man are smashing examples.Others are The Toynbee Converter, Dandelion Wine and I Sing the Body Electric (which was made into an episode of the Twilight Zone).  Bradbury's science fiction are not as well rooted in science as the works of Sir Arthur C. Clarke and the later authors that I enjoyed such as David Brin, Greg Bear, Ben Bova and Gregory Benford. Being scientists themselves, they gave us a corpus of science fiction that is as strong on science as they are on fiction.

"Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories."

 

Bradbury was also a playwright and screen writer. He was a prolific writer and many volumes flew from his typewriter. His bibliography here. Bradbury's books, plays, movies and television episodes have been helpful during my difficult and lonely adolescent years. He had expanded my world of the mind, enhancing my sense of wonder and appreciation of the fruits of the imagination. That is a great gift for a little boy. Thank you, my friend.

"I know you've heard it a thousand times before. But it's true - hard work pays off. If you want to be good, you have to practice, practice, practice. If you don't love something, then don't do it."

. 

Watching Stargate Universe

I love watching Stargate SG1, Stargate:Atlantis and now Stargate Universe. Unfortunately Stargate Universe was canceled after two seasons. The idea of a mismatched groups of military types and civilian scientist types trapped in an incredible ancient but technologically advanced spaceship has the fantastic potential for great science fiction television. Unfortunately, this series did not make the grade with two dimensional characterization and poor plotlines that do not correlation with accurate scientific facts. However, I still love watching it.

The spaceship Destiny is great. I am hoping to get a model of it. Anyone knows where I can get one?

Destiny model (source: mikiep)

Playing Halo:Reach on my XBox

Have been playing Halo:Reach on my xBox the last few evenings - man, what an adrenalin rush. It offers what the previous Halo games offered and more. The previous games are Halo 1 or Halo:Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3 and its spinoffs, Halo 3:ODST and Halo Wars, all of which I have enjoyed tremendously. Not to mention the novels and comics based on the Halo universe.



The game takes place in the year 2552, where humanity is locked in a war with the alien Covenant on the human colony of Reach weeks prior to the events of Halo: Combat Evolved. Players control Noble 6, a member of an elite supersoldier squad, during the battle for the world of Reach. As the Covenant begin their assault on the planet, the UNSC begin their heroic yet ultimately futile effort to halt the brutal alien invaders.



I spent most of the time blasting away with my trusty weapons though recently I have found myself running away as fast as I can...where's my backup?

.

Star Trek: 44 years of Awesomeness

On 8 September 1966, NBC aired the first episode of Star Trek in an episode named The Man Trap. That launched the phenomenon known as the Star Trek Universe.



Live Long and Prosper!

.

I love science fiction books. For a long time, science fiction is my stable diet and is still is. However I also venture into the worlds of fantasy. This interesting article from AbeBooks , one of my favourite used and rare books store explores Otherworldly books.

Otherworldly Books

by Beth Carswell

In fiction, people and scenarios are invented, but some authors take escapism a step further and create entire cities, planets and universes. A creative and skilled writer can build geography, languages, races of people, musical instruments, regional cuisine, traditions and more, unlike anything we see in reality, and the detail can be impressive.

Perhaps the best-known example is J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, the fictional setting for most of his works. Populated by elves, talking trees, hobbits and more, Tolkien even included maps. When writing about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, JK Rowling went so far as to invent an entire sport, with its own rules and equipment.

Some authors invent not only unique worlds, but unique atmosphere to go with them. When constructing the planet of Pern (seen in the Dragonriders of Pern series), science fiction great Anne McCaffrey imagined a dangerous weather phenomenon called Thread. On Pern, Thread falls from the sky like rain, but is a deadly spore that destroys everything organic it touches, including humans. Those caught unawares risk being Threadscored or even killed. But since Pern had to be realistically inhabitable, McCaffrey combated Thread with the addition of fire-lizards and dragons, which, after chewing a specific rock called Firestone, are able to breathe fire and burn the thread before it falls low enough to endanger those on the ground.

And McCaffrey is far from unique in her ability to conjure up astonishing animals. Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy involves numerous worlds populated by talking, armored polar bears, animal representations of the human souls, nightmarish creatures called cliff-ghasts, and a fascinating species of animals called Mulefa, which have evolved the ability to use giant seedpods as wheels, increasing their speed and mobility in the world which has extensive dry lava beds to act as roads. Just to name a few.

read more

Out of This World Books

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Lewis Carroll

Alice falls down the rabbit hole to find a bizarre tea party, an unusual game of croquet, a hookah-smoking caterpillar and more.

Dune
Frank Herbert


On the desert planet of Arrakis, Spice is the most precious substance in existence. He who controls the Spice controls the universe.

A Wizard of Earthsea
Ursula K. LeGuin

In the island archipelago of Earthsea, legend says that humans and dragons were once one race, and magic is a real part of everyday life.

Coraline
Neil Gaiman

In The Other World, the parents with buttons for eyes seem ideal, at first - until Coraline explores and learns the sinister truth of their intentions.

A Wrinkle in Time
Madeleine L'Engle

The book's main characters 'tesser' to the alien planet of Camazotz, which is shadowed by The Black Thing, and has become a dark planet steeped in fear.

The Fellowship of the Ring
J.R.R. Tolkien

Middle-earth is a vast and complicated place, with as many dangers, brutal terrain and evil forces as magic, wonder and creatures that defy belief.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams

The illustrious planet of Magrathea is home to the now-defunct society of builders who created luxury planets for the ultra-rich of the universe.

The Little Prince
Antoine de Saint Exupery

B612 is an asteroid roughly the size of a house, and is home to three volcanoes and a number of Baobab trees which threaten to overwhelm it.

The Colour of Magic
Terry Pratchett


Discworld is flat, so yes, there is an edge one can fall from. It is balanced on the back of four elephants. The elephants stand atop an enormous turtle.

Peter Pan
J.M. Barrie


Neverland is an island in the minds of children where children don't have to grow up. It is reached through flight via happy thoughts.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
L. Frank Baum

After a cyclone lifts Dorothy's house (with her and Toto the dog inside), she finds herself in Oz - land of munchkins, witches and flying monkey slaves.

Eragon
Christopher Paolini

Alagaësia is a mountainous and highly-forested continent where one can find creatures like shades, elves, werecats, urgals and the very occasional dragon.

The Secret Country
Pamela Dean

The Hidden Land is the mystical realm physically manifested by the game played by five young cousins. In it are witches, a magic ring, and frustrating unicorns.

A Spell for Chameleon
Piers Anthony

In the fantastic world of Xanth, one can find centaurs, mermaids, nymphs, curse fiends and more, and every human is born with a unique magical gift.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
C.S. Lewis

Narnia is a magical land created by the revered lion Aslan. Its inhabitants include animals (many talking), dryads, centaurs and other mythical creatures.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
J.K. Rowling

In the wizarding world, sports are played flying on broomsticks, the forest is full of talking spiders, mandrake roots scream, and one can learn to ride a Hippogriff.

The Summer Tree
Guy Gavriel Kay


Fionavar is the first of all worlds. It is home to gods, demigods and myriad supernatural beings, including the weaver, who creates the tapestry of all stories.

Swords and Deviltry
Fritz Leiber


Visitors to the city of Lankhmar in the ancient world of Nehwon: beware of thieves, corruption, bandits, smugglers. Have a drink at the Silver Eel Tavern.

The Phantom Tollbooth
Norton Juster

A bored little boy named Milo takes a trip to The Kingdom of Wisdom by way of a toy car and a magic tollbooth, and suddenly finds the world fascinating.

Haroun and the Sea of Stories
Salman Rushdie

In the magical story world of Kahani, the ocean is becoming polluted by sadness, tangling the story streams and making the world unhappy and frightening.

Lord Foul's Bane
Stephen R. Donaldson

The Land is home to numerous races of sentient beings, cave-dwellers, parasites, the half-human merewives, and the monstrous, partially-formed Soft Ones.

The Woman Who Rides Like a Man
Tamora Pierce

The people of Corus, capital city of Tortall range from knights and noble-borns to peasants and farmers, to sorcerers - and their enemies.

To Your Scattered Bodies Go
Philip Jose Farmer

The futuristic planet of Riverworld is covered in lush vegetation but has no visible moon, or animals besides fish and worms - until the resurrection of humans.

A Game of Thrones
George R. R. Martin

The continent of Westeros is populated by humans, giants, lizard-lions, direwolves and more. It also has unpredictable, irregular seasons, lasting indeterminately.

A Princess of Mars
Edgar Rice Burroughs

Barsoom is a wild frontier planet, loosely based on the real planet of Mars.The terrain is desert and dry seas, and its inhabitants are Earthlings and natives of Barsoom.

What are some of your favourite otherworldy books?

.