Comments on: Continuing the argument with Podrock

By: RL

RL — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 20:47:39 +0000

I write these things as a stream of consciousness ramble, leading to clumsy structure and inconsistencies.

And while Certified Public Accountants are, as a group, renowned for their wacky and whimsical sense of humor, and their ability to appreciate a good joke, even at their expense- Bland and Associates might have issues with this being published in a more public forum.

As CPA firms in Nebraska go, I am sure they are ‘one of the good ones’ given the relaxed and informal workplace environment and excellent work/life balance… but this may be a bridge too far for even them.

Perhaps I could rename them in the story so no connection could be made with the real-life company… perhaps rename the firm in the story “B.L. and Associates”

By: podrock

podrock — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 19:16:10 +0000

Nice!

By: podrock

podrock — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 19:15:51 +0000

It’s a good story, RL, you should consider submitting it somewhere.

By: RL

RL — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 17:50:43 +0000

It seemed to me that a periodically flooding parking garage would be an ideal depositional environment. Gentle deposition of sediments over a fairly short period of time. I also decided that the location should be in a flat geologically inactive area, so I picked Omaha. I looked up office buildings with parking garages in Omaha, and 450 Regency Parkway immediately popped up and caught my eye.

I then looked at the tenants of the building to see if any stood out as being particularly fun to watch die- The ophthalmology practice there certainly didn’t seem like they would be any fun, nor did Cushman & Wakefield – I considered looking for another office building, but then I found ‘Bland and Associates’ on the 3rd floor… I stopped looking- THEY were the ones I had been looking for.

I debated using the actual names of the Bland and Associates team in the story, but after much back and forth with myself I decided that some people might find that a little… disturbing.

In their defense, I am sure Bland and Associates is a fine place to work with nice people… Every day is jeans day at Bland, and they have ‘flip-flop fridays’, Hawaiian shirt day, ugly sweater day- I am sure its a real hoot. It’s just that- with a name like ‘Bland and Associates’- they were really just asking for it…

I also originally intended for Cynthia’s Precious Moments figurines to also be preserved and discovered by The Geologist- they would become the basis for reconstructing the human biology and culture… much hilarity would ensue, alas I was running out of steam there at the end- maybe I will add to it later.

By: RL

RL — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 17:04:38 +0000

And the idea of a biological technology also plays a role in the latest expanse book exploring the origins of the proto molecule builders…

By: RL

RL — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 16:08:47 +0000

Now you have to grade it.

By: podrock

podrock — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 05:00:24 +0000

Deserves a second read.

By: ER

ER — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 02:52:56 +0000

A lot of my ideas about SETI have had to be revised as I have contemplated how physics-oriented technology chauvinist we are. There are alternative technologies based on managed biological evolution that do not rely on fire, electricity/magnetism and in vitro chemistry, metallurgy, combustion and optics. Technical civilizations may be common in the cosmos, but the ability to build spaceships and radio telescopes may not.

Incidentally, have you been following how a group of cephalopod researchers have begun to promote the idea of sentience in octopi and have started agitating against fish farming the creatures for food?