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Andy Weir suggested a way to make robots safer in this Casey and Andy strip:

http://www.galactanet.com/comic/view.php?strip=77

It seems like something out of a classic Star Trek episode, doesn't it!

Pun Police violation!"

Police Officer: "The light was red; you went through an intersection on a stop light"

Starship Officer: "It was green at the speed I was going"

Did you know that before he wrote the novel The Martian, Andy Weir had a geeky web comic called Casey and Andy? This strip was very popular:

http://www.galactanet.com/comic/view.php?strip=39

http://www.galactanet.com/comi...

I've never met Andy Weir, the author of the book, but he used to create a web comic called Casey and Andy, and he would write stuff in the "rant" section. And his writing "voice" then is pretty much the same as the writing "voice" of his fictional narrator-protagonist.

This makes sense to me; there's an old aphorism, "Write what you know." I believe that for his first novel, Andy Weir wrote a protagonist who talks a lot like Andy Weir actually talks, and I'm fine with that.

It may rub you the wrong way, but I enjoyed it completely. The book includes lines like "I don't want to brag, but I'm the best botanist on this planet". That's funny once, and the book only uses it once, and it's used to liven up a bunch of plot exposition.

The "pirate" thing was kind of a shaggy dog thing in the book: you know, they probably won't mind me grabbing that thing to save my life, but nobody gave me permission, and technically taking it could be called "piracy", which makes me a space pirate. If that annoys you immensely, I think you had better skip the movie and the book; they aren't for you.

Except, if he's talking to himself about how either awesome or charming and funny he is, he is NOT a funny guy.

At what point did he ever say "I'm awesome", "I'm charming", or "I'm funny"?

And the whole thing REEKS of MarySueism.

I disagree. The essence of the Mary Sue thing is that the character is the best at everything, everyone loves him/her, etc. Mark Watney does some smart things, but also makes mistakes that could get him killed. Not to give away too many spoilers, but he nearly blows himself up at one point, and fries a crucial bit of electronics at another point, and in his narration he doesn't shirk the blame. If he was a perfect Marty Stu then he would have had an easier time of things.

"Science the shit out of this" while looking at the audience. Yeah... That.

That line isn't in the book; that's Hollywood, and may not even end up in the movie. At the minimum they will swap out the swear word... I've seen the trailer about three times now, and the second two times I saw it that line had become "science the hell out of this".

Looking at the audience? No, he's narrating his diary to the camera on his computer, and of course Hollywood shows us the camera's-eye viewpoint since it's cinematic.

"I'm the bestest plant guy on this planet, getit you idiots, its a funny, ha-ha laugh."

That is not even remotely a fair summary of the trailer. We get it, you didn't like it, but you don't have to be such a jerk about it.

I'd never read that story, and I consider myself an Asimov fan. Thank you!

I was thinking of this one http://www.galactanet.com/oneo...

“How many times have I been reincarnated, then?” “Oh lots. Lots and lots. An in to lots of different lives.” I said. “This time around, you’ll be a Chinese peasant girl in 540 AD.”

They should have just embraced their inner mad scientist and called it the Rape-O-Mat

It's just some story by some guy (not finished yet), but I've enjoyed reading it

The Martian
:-Dave

You're making a few assumptions about the nature of reincarnation.

I think this is funnier description.

And a rather similar single strip from Casey and Andy

It's a bit like this, then? ;-)

Ah, that's one of many Quantum Cop jokes from Casey & Andy. (Not saying you stole it, just that C&A did it too.) Wish that comic was still alive...

Yes, that would be a good idea.

Try this explanation
 
  before anyone makes a whooshing noise, I just think the comic is funny and appropriate.

CINEMA Operating System

Here's a list of all the virtual tabletops I know of
http://gametable.galactanet.com/
http://rptools.net/doku.php?id=maptool:intro
http://trisrpg.bronzeforge.com/index.htm
http://users3.ev1.net/~mem5000/
http://www.battlegroundsgames.com/index.html
http://www.codemonkeypublishing.com/index.php?modu le=htmlpages&func=display&pid=21
http://www.enworld.org/RolePlayingMaster/
http://www.fantasygrounds.com/
http://www.geocities.com/trainz_ca/ID/
http://www.ghostorb.com/
http://www.kloogeinc.com/
http://www.nbos.com/products/screenmonkey/screenmo nkey.htm
http://www.openrpg.com/
http://www.opnpw.com/
http://www.tabletopmapper.hpg.ig.com.br/
http://www.travellerrpg.com/Catalog/software.html
http://www.triaxe.co.uk/dnd/index.php?page=Online% 20Chat
http://www.viewing.ltd.uk/viewingdale/index.htm
http://www.webrpg.com/gamesystem/

Gametable is a remote RPG whiteboarding client. It is designed to play RPGs online, providing an interface for all players to use a shared map. Anything any player does to the map, all players see. The map can be drawn on, have miniatures (we call them pogs) placed on it and moved around, have terrain underlays placed on it, and a host of other features. You can even point at the map and people will see where you're pointing.

One feature it does not have is voice chat, so you'll still need another application to handle that part.

Gametable, by the guy who does the "Casey and Andy" webcomic, is pretty good as a simplified whiteboard. It's a java app, and works cross-platform (I run one instance on a linux system as a server, and the players all use different Windows versions to run it). It's not as full-featured as something like OpenRPG, but it is also a lot easier to set up and learn. It covers the basics, and doesn't focus on particular systems other than choosing between square or hex grids.

No built-in web cam or file transferring, but it has a whiteboard, text chat, dice roller, and unit markers.

Gametable, by the guy who does the "Casey and Andy" webcomic, is pretty good as a simplified whiteboard. It's a java app, and works cross-platform (I run one instance on a linux system as a server, and the players all use different Windows versions to run it). It's not as full-featured as something like OpenRPG, but it is also a lot easier to set up and learn. It covers the basics, and doesn't focus on particular systems other than choosing between square or hex grids.

No built-in web cam or file transferring, but it has a whiteboard, text chat, dice roller, and unit markers.

Anyhow, my point is that I don't think that the average voter could cope with more choices. We'd just wind up with either people voting straight party lines because that's what their daddy/religion/regional group/racial group always votes, leading to the two main parties getting the lion's share much as today, or people would vote piecemeal, voting in Doctor X because "he's tough on crime" without paying attention to his other stated goals of conquering the world and creating a dictatorship.

Jaded? Yeah, I guess I am.

Looks like they're aiming for another Mad Science Award.

Ahem. *coudon't forget gametablegh*

-If

If only OpenRPG didn't crash so much when you run it on macs...

I'm strangely reminded of http://galactanet.com/comic/39.htm

The Pun Paladin is watching you.

The Pun Paladin is watching you.

Holy crap!!! You just listed 2 out of the 3 comics I still read!! The other is:

Casey and Andy

While the art isn't as polished (although it has gotten a lot better in the last year or so) as some comics, the humor is fantastic. Sort of a goofy-buddy bit, it doesn't have a lot of long story arcs, but has a lot of one-off gags which are pretty damn intellectual. And a lot of slap-stick humor. It's a good, light read.

Your teacher is no match for Quantum cop

http://www.galactanet.com/gametable.html

"Gametable is a remote RPG host/client app that allows use of a D&D style battle map, die rollers, etc online."

Not exactly what you're looking for, but in the ballpark of nifty RPG related software.

http://www.galactanet.com/gametable.html

"Gametable is a remote RPG host/client app that allows use of a D&D style battle map, die rollers, etc online."

Not exactly what you're looking for, but in the ballpark of nifty RPG related software.

I swear, there's got to be a web comic for every situation: http://www.galactanet.com/comic/284.htm

Casey & Andy is probably the best geeky webcomic in existence! Though Irregular WebComic runs a close second...

Been tried before by Casey and Andy!

Yes, French - the only language with 1000 words for surrender and don't bomb Paris. :)

http://www.galactanet.com/comic/index.htm/ ;) Regards, Denis

This one, for instance.