From: "Strong, Lee" <StrongL at MTMC.ARMY.MIL> To: "'WSFA members'" <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net> Subject: [WSFA] Re: Fwd: [BCI] Wisdom, of a sort . . . Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2002 14:53:13 -0500 Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net> Well, you can mention it to me since I'd like to find out more about the Federalist Society myself. Otherwise, be careful. Someone might get the vapors. :-) -----Original Message----- From: Cathy Green [mailto:dalek_cag at yahoo.com] Sent: Monday, February 25, 2002 1:49 PM To: WSFA members Subject: [WSFA] Re: Fwd: [BCI] Wisdom, of a sort . . . So I guess I shouldn't be mention my membership in the Federalist Society at WSFA meetings? --- "Strong, Lee" <StrongL at MTMC.ARMY.MIL> wrote: > Kit, > Excellent commments on all points. Yeah, I > associate with military > at work and play, and fans at WSFA and most cons, > and the contrast is often > startling. Several years ago, I casually refered to > "my right wing friends" > in a WSFA conversation, and people visibly flinched > at the thought of beings > more right wing than "Lee on the Right." > People who watch _Starship Troopers_ for the shower > scene should > probably be watching other forms of literature. I > usually treat Verhoven's > _Starship Troopers_ as a separate work from > Heinlein's novel -- more so than > the usual adaptation -- and watch it for itself. > How about writing a review of _Black Hawk Down_ > (movie and/or book) > for _The WSFA Journal_? Spread your wings! > > Lee (on the Right) > > -----Original Message----- > From: Kit Mason [mailto:kit at hers.com] > Sent: Monday, February 25, 2002 11:02 AM > To: WSFA members > Subject: [WSFA] Re: Fwd: [BCI] Wisdom, of a sort . . > . > > "Strong, Lee" wrote: > > > > Kit, > > My apologies. I run into so many WSFAns > who don't know the > > differences that I automatically offered advice > without knowing that it > was > > unnecessary. The cultures of some fans of science > fiction and fans of > > militaria are **so DIFFERENT**. > > A friend of mine claimed that _Black Hawk > Down_ was similar to > > _Starship Troopers_ because the low tech Somali > mobs attacking the > > numerically inferior high tech Americans and Paks > resembled van Verhoven's > > Bugs attacking the M.I. "Bugs, Mr. Rico! > Zillions of them! I'm'a > burning > > them down!" Heck! The Rangers even refered to > the Somalis as > Skinnies...! > > Lee, > > Not a problem. I know what you mean about different > cultures; it gets > very interesting being in several at a time. > > BHD does have similarities to ST in that way, but > there it ends for me. > When Verhoeven made ST, he dumped all of the > critique of society's roles > and the political system that were in the book and > changed it all to a > purely fascist state (heavily pointed out by the > Nazi-type uniforms on > the officers in the 'newscasts' toward the end of > the movie). BHD's > political background was simplified -- how else to > fit at least fifty > pages of politics into a few minutes introduction -- > but it was still > there and provided some level of context for the > movie. Also, the > primary technical consultants for Black Hawk Down > were the Rangers and > Delta Force members who *survived* the events being > portrayed. They > left in the crazyness -- the woman sheltering > children in the school, > the donkey cart going down the street between > battles -- as well as the > humanity; I have a much higher sense of reality > taking place with BHD, > and of the people in the movie being *people* as > opposed to pretty > cardboard cutouts without sense or character, as in > ST. (I know one > person who went to see ST four times just for the > shower scene.) > > I originally read Black Hawk Down when it was > published as research for > some fanfiction stories I was working on, and it > gives an excellent > portrait of the kind of men who become Rangers, the > training they go > through, and the mindset they bring with them. I > recommend it highly. > > Kit > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Kit Mason [mailto:kit at hers.com] > > Sent: Monday, February 25, 2002 10:13 AM > > To: WSFA members > > Subject: [WSFA] Re: Fwd: [BCI] Wisdom, of a sort . > . . > > > > "Strong, Lee" wrote: > > > > > > No, dear lady, you are confusing small > arms or side arms, long > > arms, > > > and field pieces. In addition, "the stuff you > trip over at Gettysburg > or > > > Masasses" is obsolete and is of interest to > historical collectors only. > > > Further, your estimaable spouse is confusing > toys (dueling pistols) and > > > fictional items (anything to do with Mr. deGriz) > with serious weapons. > If > > > you're interested in this subject, I highly > recommend _Black Hawk Down_ > -- > > > sort of _Starship Troopers_ with an all human > cast. > > > > Lee, I know the difference -- I was twitting Steve > because he mentioned > > to me a while back a duel in which the choice of > weapon was not sword or > > pistols but 'armies'. As far as whether it's > obsolete -- if it still > > works, it counts for me. (I still know my basic > swordplay from grad > > school, when I studied tai chi sword.) I've both > read and seen _Black > > Hawk Down_, and I think it's a damn sight better > than _Starship > > Troopers_ in more ways than I can count. > > > > Cheers, > > Kit > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Kit Mason [mailto:kit at hers.com] > > > Sent: Friday, February 22, 2002 5:00 PM > > > To: WSFA members > > > Subject: [WSFA] Re: Fwd: [BCI] Wisdom, of a sort > . . . > > > > > > Steve Smith wrote: > > > > > > > > "Strong, Lee" wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Among my peer group, a 45 is a small > caliber sidearm. /s/ > Lee > > > on > > > > > the Right > > > > > > > > Sheesh! What would be a *large* caliber > sidearm? A 50 caliber > dueling > > > > pistol? Slippery Jim deGriz's 75 caliber > recoilless? > > > > > > Musket. Goose gun. Cannon. Field artillery > pieces. You know, the > > > stuff you trip over at Gettysburg or Manasses... > > > > > > Kit > > > > > > -- > > > > > > kit at hers.com > > > Kit's Concatenation: > http://concatenation.blogspot.com/ > > > > > > "Don't you know by now that Nietzschians hold > the truth in high regard? > > > So high, > > > in fact, that we're extremely cautious about how > it's employed." -- Tyr > > > Anasazi > > > > -- > > > > kit at hers.com > > Kit's Concatenation: > http://concatenation.blogspot.com/ > > A Twist of Wry -- > http://www.mrks.org/~kit/index.html > > Kit's Works -- > http//www.kitsworks.com/stories/index.htm > === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Sports - Coverage of the 2002 Olympic Games http://sports.yahoo.com