News of the Weird - Toilets and Soccer

I'll bet you didn't realize those two things could go together, did you?

Only in Japan?

Yes, according to Orange News, two Japanese companies have combined forces to create a toilet that can also be a goalkeeper.

What's that? Why would you want your toilet to also tend goal on your soccer team?

You must not have an imagination.

Why pay extra for a goalkeeper when you can just bring out the toilet from the locker room? It doesn't even have to move, so you don't need things like rollers or actual, you know, feet or anything. It will never get hurt.


Ok, maybe it can't actually catch the ball and toss it to its own player to get the next play started, but surely that can be worked around somehow.

Playing soccer is a tiring sport, and you have to keep hydrated. Since play never stops during each half, you need to really load up during halftime. Of course, you know where all that water goes, right? Yep, your goalkeeper can then help you there too.

It's a win-win!

Just don't try to use it during the game, because you may not like it if somebody tries to score while you're taking a leak. It calculates the trajectory of the kick with motion sensors and then shoots a ball out of its bowl to deflect the soccer ball away. Ouch if you're standing in front of it!

This is a concept that was a long-time coming, I think. Soon, who knows? Maybe an entire team full of toilets?

It just might work.

My favourite line from the story:

"Toilet maker Toto and sports lottery agent Toto pitched their collaboration as an environmentally friendly project."

Well, it certainly makes it so you can recycle your goalkeeper!

Check out the video of how it works here.

Star Trek: DS9 - Ep 2 - Past Prologue

"Past Prologue" is the second Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode aired (third produced, which is why it's listed as "episode 4" in the database), right after "The Emissary". Thus, its purpose is to grab those people who were fascinated by the premiere and keep them coming back week after week. Sometimes, the first "regular" show after a premiere is even more important, because it has to demonstrate that the producers of the show are going to be able to consistently bring the same quality to the show as the premiere had, despite not having quite the same lead time (some premieres are in development for years).

"Past Prologue" does a wonderful job of that, showcasing one of the new alien characters, Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) and giving us even more of her background. We already know that Kira spent some time in the Bajoran Resistance fighting the Cardassians, but not a lot of detail was given in "The Emissary." This episode goes into great detail, however, also giving us an even stronger sense of her personality. The writing is sharp and the acting is generally top notch. It also introduces the wonderful Garak ("plain, simple Garak"), a Cardassian tailor who stayed on the station, and one who would quickly become a favourite recurring character on the series.

The episode opens with Dr. Bashir (Siddig El Fadil) having a pleasant lunch in the Replimat (basically, the food court of the station) when Garak (Andrew Robinson) approaches him and strikes up a conversation. It seems that Garak is the only Cardassian left on the station, and some people believe that he's the eyes and ears of the Cardassian government. Bashir quickly reports the conversation to Sisko (Avery Brooks) and the rest of the command crew, excited but also apprehensive about being approached by a potential spy. Sisko tries to assuage his fears, but is interrupted by a Bajoran ship appearing in the system, being hounded by a Cardassian ship. The Bajoran in question, Tahna Los (Jeffrey Nordling), requests asylum on the station. Gul Danar (Vaughn Armstrong) demands that he be turned over immediately, for crimes against the Cardassian Empire. Sisko has to consider the request, but ultimately decides against turning him over because it would harm relations with the Bajoran Provisional Government.

Tahna is a member of the Kon Ma, a fanatical Bajoran resistance movement that some say hasn't stopped fighting despite the fact that Cardassia has withdrawn from Bajor. Has he given up his ties to the organization? Or has the organization given up the fight and agreed to live in peace with the rest of the Bajorans? And what are Lursa (Barbara March) and B'Etor (Gwynyth Walsh), two Klingon renegades from Star Trek: The Next Generation, doing lurking around the station? The answer to all these questions will force Kira to make a decision and to face her past.

There was a lot in this episode that worked, and just a couple of logic problems that didn't. I'll get the bad stuff out of the way first, because it's a lot more minor. First, Tahna is Bajoran. In "The Emissary," it was spelled out quite clearly that the station is a Bajoran station, and Starfleet is only administering it. It's also spelled out this way in subsequent episodes. If that's the case, why does Tahna need to request asylum? It would be like an American running from the Soviet Union back in the 60s, arriving in Washington DC, and requesting asylum. Huh?

Secondly, Tahna is being chased for stealing a warp converter from the Cardassians. It's strongly implied that he was jumped by them almost immediately after stealing it. Something in this explanation stinks, because if this is true, one of two things would have happened: 1) it would have been destroyed when his ship was destroyed (and thus we have no episode), or 2) he would have had it with him when he beamed aboard (and again, we would have no episode). Yet again, a major logic hole defeats a television episode.

Despite all that, this episode wonderfully gets past its fairly pedestrian plot. It does this by emphasizing Deep Space Nine's best aspect: characterization. There are so many gems in this episode, that I can't really mention them all. The first is obviously Garak and Bashir. Bashir further demonstrates that he's quite naïve, and that brilliance doesn't necessarily mean that you are the best at every situation. Garak leads him around by the nose as he exposes the plot and hints at Cardassia's interest in the whole thing. The dialogue between these two is wonderful and there is great chemistry between the two actors. (As an aside, when I first saw most of this series, I had not seen the first Dirty Harry movie yet, where Andrew Robinson plays a psycho. After seeing the movie, I think I'm going to be looking at his portrayal of Garak in a whole new way)

Even better, though, is Kira. Nana Visitor does a wonderful job showing every aspect of her personality. She's a fierce nationalist who doesn't want the Federation hovering over Bajor. Unlike Tahna, though, she realizes that the Federation is a necessary evil at the moment, for protection if nothing else. Especially with the wormhole bringing new opportunities to Bajor, or whomever controls it. She's done many things in her past that she's not proud of in the name of fighting the Cardassians. She's slowly coming to terms with her new role as liaison with the Federation despite her misgivings. Tahna forces her to re-examine her role and decide whether this really is the best thing for Bajor. While I don't think Nordling did the best job as Tahna (he was a bit shrill at times), the interplay between the two is breath-taking. Especially good is Tahna's final line as he's led away: "Traitor." It's not the delivery that's so good, but Kira's reaction to it.

Another thing "Past Prologue" does is expand Kira's relationship with Odo (Rene Auberjonois). The conversation they have in the security office as she decides what she should do is great, and Auberjonois plays it wonderfully, letting Kira talk out everything she needs to and then pointing her in the right direction: following her heart. His sedate "There's somebody down here in Security who wants to talk to you, Commander" at the end is beautifully done.

The rest of the episode is fairly run of the mill. It's the second episode of a Trek series, so something to do with past series has to be done (Next Generation had a direct sequel to a TOS episode), so Lursa and B'Etor show up. There was no reason it couldn't be anybody else, so maybe they just wanted to show some Klingon breasts or something. I don't know, but I've never really cared for them and they don't bring anything to this episode either. The theme of the episode ("renegade forces a crew member to rethink his/her priorities") has been done many times before, but the quality always hinges on how it's performed. In this case, it was great, so I'll forgive the cliché.

"Past Prologue" showed that the producers could keep going at the same level (if not better) as the premiere. It was a welcome boost to an already strong franchise. The ideas weren't as grand, but the execution was wonderful.

Memorable Quotes:

“Cardassian rule may have been oppressive, but at least it was… simple.” Odo

“Go over my head again, I’ll have yours on a platter.” Sisko to Kira after she talked to an admiral about Sisko's handling of the situation.

4 Stars

How to tell you're a writer

I recently finished Con & Conjure, a book by Lisa Shearin, and decided to look up her blog since I haven't done so in a while. She's a fantasy writer, and that series is about an elf named Raine Benares who has basically been getting into a lot of trouble.

But this isn't a blog about Shearin or her books (that may come later).

Instead, it's inspired by one of her blog posts, where she talks about November being NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), a challenge where you are supposed to write 50,000 words in a month.

Right now, there's no way I can do that, but in her post talking about her plans for it, she linked to a wonderful post on the Writability blog.

The post, entitled "Ten Indisputable Signs that You're a Writer," gives...well, ten signs that you are a writer. I guess, going by this post, I am a writer! As long as you don't have to meet *all* of the criteria listed, anyway.

Let's see how I measure up.

1) You constantly edit

Guilty as charged, at least to an extent. I find myself editing everything from the book I'm reading to the news crawl underneath the talking heads on the news networks. And inevitably I notice a funny misspelling. (1/1)

2) You're highly observant

Ok, I can't necessarily say that I am (just ask the wife, who has seen me not notice something that's right in front of me). I also don't file them away in a "I could write about this later" folder in my head. However, when I *do* notice things or events or people, I do find myself occasionally wondering how I could work that into a story.

So maybe give me half a point? (1.5/2)

3) You often ask "how could I describe this?"

No, I don't really do this at all, at least not consistently. If I'm out in a rainstorm, I'm typically just trying to stay dry or get to where I'm going. I'm not really thinking how I would describe the rain drumming onto my umbrella. (1.5/3)

4) You have a hyperactive imagination

Guilty! My imagination is on overdrive, and I sometimes think if I could just get some order to the ideas constantly speeding through my head, I might actually be able to develop one of them. My problem is that I can't switch it off, and it often becomes a blur. (2.5/4)

5) You feel inspired after reading a good book

That's definitely true, though I have yet to harness that inspiration. I also feel inspired when I hear others talk about their writing craft. That's one of the things I loved about V-Con this year. So many great panels and getting to talk to a plethora of writers.

Now it's up to me to do something with it. (3.5/5)

6) You often daydream about your WiP (Work in Progress)

The rare times I do have a WiP, I do find myself thinking about it a lot even when I can't actually be writing it. So I would say that's a definite yes (though I haven't been able to test it out *too* much). (4.5/6)

7) You feel guilty if you haven't written anything in a while

That's another one I'm guilty of. (see what I did there?) Yes, which is why it's been so hard to be away from this blog, not to mention actually writing stories. It's hard to stay away, but it's also hard to actually buckle down and do it. I have to get past that second part. If you can buckle down, then staying away from it becomes an easy thing to deal with. You just don't do it. (5.5/7)

8) Grammar jokes are funny

Yes, I do find grammar humour to be utterly hilarious. Much to my wife's chagrin sometimes, I think. I think that's why I'm such a fan of puns, too. (6.5/8)

9) You can't get enough books

Any who have seen my bookshelves know that's true. I have always loved books, always having one around at all times. The only time I've ever not been in the middle of a book is when I've finished one on a Saturday and the next book I wanted to read, I had left at work. Then I read a magazine or two until it's finally time to collect what I want to read.

There can never be too many books. (7.5/9)

10) You keep doing this writing thing

While I have my stops and starts, my writer's block, my laziness, my head is always thinking of something to write about. Even if I don't actually get it written. That's why this blog has been restarted twice, why I continue to look into short story courses and the like.

Because while I find it hard to keep going sometimes, I always feel so accomplished when I've been able to actually get something down on paper, or more exactly, on screen. That drive is always there, even if I deny it to myself. (8.5/10)

And that, my friends, is why I do believe I'm a writer.

What about you, my fellow writers. How do you fall in this "test"?

I'd love to know.

An Aging Benchmark

Who can resist having a picture of the good Doctor?

Yes, we are all getting older. With each passing day, we are inevitably one day older. Nothing can change that, and while some people try to stay looking as young as they can for as long as they can, there are some things that you just can't fight.

One of those things is your eyesight, and how it often fades over time.

I've had to face one of those milestones just in the last couple of weeks. Yes, I have broken down and purchased reading glasses.

Over the last few months, I've noticed that reading has become a bit more difficult and that I've had to hold the book further away from me than I used to. It finally became time to get my eyes checked again.

The verdict was as expected.

So now I have two pairs of reading glasses: one that I leave at work and one for home and if I need to go out anywhere that will require me to read. When I finally brought them home earlier this week, it was amazing to sit there and read my iPad, and later my book, and see how crystal clear everything was. You realize that things are a little off, but you don't realize how much until they are finally brought into focus.

Ooooooo, a life lesson too!

But I digress.

I've mastered this pose, minus the rugged good looks and all that

I have already mastered that "look over the top of the glasses to see things far away" look, because a lot of times when I'm reading on the couch, the TV's on too. They are still taking some getting used to, though. It's weird feeling these things on my face after nine years of being without them (I had laser surgery back in 2003 after having had glasses most of my life).

So yes, it is that time in my life, where the eyesight is kind of going. I say "kind of" because my distance vision is still 20/20. Hopefully that will never go away. It will just be reading that I need these for.

As of right now, I can still get by reading without them, so I probably won't really take them with me anywhere. That way, I won't lose them. My insurance covered them, but they're expensive! I don't want to be replacing them. But they will be nice to have around the home and around the office, there when I need them but otherwise put off to the side.

I acknowledge the aging process. I acknowledge that I actually have some grey hairs sticking out here and there.

Don't have to like it. Just have to accept it. And that I've done.

It helps that I look super-handsome in them, though.

Check out the new Buttoned-Up Mind!

Say, doesn't this blog look different? Are your eyes deceiving you?

No, they are not, and yes, it does look different.

Welcome to the new format for Dave's Buttoned-Up Mind. It's much more visually dynamic, I think. I love the slide-show of featured posts (though I may have to try and get pictures that fit better). Those will change periodically as more prominent ones get featured. If you have any posts that you think would look good up there, feel free to let me know. I will be rotating the DS9 and Book reviews, of course.

There are some lovely social media icons up at the top of the page which will let you find me on Twitter and Google+, as well as a link to email me.

New to the blog is the "Popular Posts" sidebar, where you can see which posts have been clicked on the most over the last seven days.

I really like the look of this new template, and now that I understand the "featured posts" slider a lot better than I used to, it doesn't frighten me as much. I think it does add a bit of colour and touch to the whole thing.

Since this is a new template though, please let me know if it gives you problems at all regarding page loading. I want to make sure the blog is accessible to everybody. Speaking of which, I also think the posts are easier to read than they were before. Or maybe it's just my eyes.

Changing the template was almost totally painless, which made me a happy blogger.

Now if I could only jump for joy in that sunset, I would be a very happy blogger.

Podcast Stuff - Jacked-Up Indie & Mojo Show - Ep 47

This is how I prefer to podcast: anonymously

This podcasting stuff is fun!

During my latest blogging hiatus, another appearance slipped past, in addition to the regular Down the Hall segments.

I was on Episode 47 of the Jacked-Up Indie & Mojo Show in late September. This is a podcast done by three great guys in the Game Informer community: Mojomonkey12 (Jeremy), Indie Jones (Daniel) and Jack Gardner (ummm, Jack). We talk a lot about video games, but we did delve into other topics as well. Stuff we we're doing, other pop culture items, can short-shorts really be *too* short on women out in public? That sort of thing.

You may even learn a little something about me that's *not* video game related, if you listen closely.

How's that for a tease?

It's a fun conversation, almost 90 minutes long (it felt like it flew by, though). So I hope you enjoy it!

It can be found here.

Voyager 1 moving beyond the solar system?

I wonder what it's like to be out there among the stars. Not just in the blackness of space where you can see tons of stars around you. I mean actually *among* the stars. Outside of the solar system. This idea used to be relegated to the realm of science fiction.

But maybe not anymore.

Before my latest blogging hiatus, I posted something on the Voyager space probes. I continue to marvel that these machines, built and launched in the 1970s, are still out there today transmitting back to Earth. Voyager 1 is the furthest out there right now, and a radio signal from it takes over 17 hours to reach Earth.

And boy are its arms tired!

Ummmm, anyway...

There's new stuff going on with the Voyager 1 probe. It's very possible that it has finally entered interstellar space, completely free of any gravitational pull put out by our sun, and completely at the mercy of those gravity and energy waves that inhabit that area.

Thankfully, the article's science isn't too heavy, and the graphs that it shows really illustrate why they think the probe may have left the solar system completely. The massive dive bomb of low-energy particle detections has to be seen to be believed.

I greatly anticipate hearing for sure whether it has. Our first interstellar voyager, out there where the aliens can really find it, and then find us. Isn't that the coolest thing?

I know this may not be of interest to all of you. I'm posting this for those science nerds among us (hi, Dawnie!!!!)

Let's just hope that the probe doesn't run into this guy.

That would be bad news for all of us, I think.