LMB Quote Game

Caroline Tredez · Post by **Caroline Tredez** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 9:38 am

Anyway I'm not even sure the sun in the background of the Minchenko ballet would be any annoyance. Depends heavily on the distance from said sun : if it's roughly the same as the distance to the asteroid belt in our own system, it's no problem (there being no sky to diffuse its light and make a big luminous background). Further thought on the matter on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraterrestrial_skies.

At first I thought the quaddies would need to be close to their sun for hydroponics, but upon reflection, there's no compelling evidence of such a need : Kline Station is said to thrive far from it's ember of a sun, probably just on fusion as energy.

voralfred · Post by **voralfred** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 5:41 pm

To award a sherlock (or a half-sherlock bonus) go to the Sherlock thread, copy hte last post and edit it, by putting the winner on the appropriate line, "unbolding" the previous winner, "bolding" the new one and telling on which game the (half) sherlock was won. I'll do it this time, just compare the two last posts

E Pericoloso Sporgersi · Sun Jun 28, 2009 2:21 pm

HINT: Think of a one-ring circus ( Cirque Zabaglione ) where a flying trapeze performance is in progress . Compare that with the setup of the Minchenko Auditorium.

HINT 2: Now think about where the spotlights (stage lights) lighting the performers ought to be located. Would you like to be blinded by the glare of spotlights coming from behind the Quaddie dancers?

(The bonus question has been solved)

Caroline Tredez · Post by **Caroline Tredez** » Sun Jun 28, 2009 3:09 pm

Wait, I fail to see how that's a problem. Stage lights tend to be quite directional, if they arrange to point to the space beyond the performers (and a third of a sphere is a pretty big space), no one in the public is blinded (only the performers, but that's their problem, and always has been - same as for your trapezist

)

If the lights are more of less opposite to the transparent wall, among the public, it works.

E Pericoloso Sporgersi · Sun Jun 28, 2009 11:59 pm

Caroline Tredez wrote:Wait, I fail to see how that's a problem. Stage lights tend to be quite directional, if they arrange to point to the space beyond the performers (and a third of a sphere is a pretty big space), no one in the public is blinded (only the performers, but that's their problem, and always has been - same as for your trapezist )

If the lights are more of less opposite to the transparent wall, among the public, it works.

Ah, you too realize the stagelights would present a problem if they were interspersed with an audience seated on half or more of the surface of the sphere. So how much of the sphere is taken up by the public and the stage lights in LMB's design?

Caroline Tredez · Post by **Caroline Tredez** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 2:02 am

In her design a third of the sphere can be illuminated with no problem, so assuming the performers stay more or less in the middle, the third of the sphere opposite to the wall can support lights among the public. The last third forms a public-only ring.

If I may, there's an analogy : compare the Minchenko auditorium to an eye, were the pupil is the transparent wall, and the sensitive cells take the space where the stage lights can be interspersed with the people.

E Pericoloso Sporgersi · Mon Jun 29, 2009 4:01 am

Caroline Tredez wrote:In her design a third of the sphere can be illuminated with no problem, so assuming the performers stay more or less in the middle, the third of the sphere opposite to the [window-]wall can support lights among the public. The last third forms a public-only ring.
If I may, there's an analogy : compare the Minchenko auditorium to an eye, were the pupil is the transparent wall, and the sensitive cells take the space where the stage lights can be interspersed with the people.

(color added for emphasis)
Ah, but that part of the public (slightly more than half the audience) would see the artists well lit on one side but very darkly shadowed on the unlit side. Not very appealing.

Now consider and visualize this:
The Minchenko Auditorium should be a bubble on a hollow stem (for access) protruding from the space station, where the bubble is in the shadow. Ideally two thirds of the sphere's surface should be seamless window. The remaining third, a round slice of the sphere with its centre attached to the stem, should carry the audience surrounded by a circle of stage lights, providing perfect illumination of the artists.

I can imagine the enchanting sight it would present when seen from some distance in space while a performance is on. It would look like one those plastic snow globes you have to shake to make the snow swirl around.

Finally, I think your remarks deserve the Sherlock point because you did discuss the alleged flaw , unless Ghost and voralfred have any objections.

Caroline Tredez · Post by **Caroline Tredez** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 12:07 pm

Usual rule is, your question, your choice for the sherlock.

For the auditorium, I think even the "ring" public would have a good enough view - certainly as much so as the cheaper seats in more conventional performances. And there may have been a trade-off between structural solidity and effect (not to mention some economic considerations, here). Well, an interesting question, anyway.

So, next quote to find would be :

It would feel just like old times.

To whom would it feel so, in which book, and for a bonus to which specific event does the "old time" refer ?

E Pericoloso Sporgersi · Mon Jun 29, 2009 12:32 pm

I suppose I'm "pong" now?

Caroline Tredez · Post by **Caroline Tredez** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 2:07 pm

Yes, indeed ^^ You can't answer for five days, to let other players a chance to re-enter the game.

voralfred · Post by **voralfred** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 2:38 pm

Caroline Tredez wrote:
It would feel just like old times.
To whom would it feel so, in which book, and for a bonus to which specific event does the "old time" refer ?

OK, totally a shot in the dark, I don't remember the exchange at all, but by reasoning logically:

Diplomatic Immunity, an exchange between Miles and Bel, but the quote sounds like Bel, not Miles.
No idea about exactly which specific crazy situation of "old time" Bel is alluding to, there are so many possibilities....

By the way, Francis, if Caroline confirms I am right, you are allowed to answer the bonus immediately. "Ping-pong" does not apply to bonus, unless the bonus is so directly related to the main question that answering it is a total spoiler (which is usually, but not necessarily, the case, but it is clearly so this time)

Caroline Tredez · Post by **Caroline Tredez** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 3:18 pm

Only half-right. Try again

voralfred · Post by **voralfred** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 4:49 pm

So:
Diplomatic Immunity, but Miles himself (talking to Bel or, just possibly, to Nicol, but anyway you did not ask to whom; if it is indeed Miles he could also just reminisce alone, or in the presence of Ekaterin...)

Still no idea of exactly what "old time" means in detail.... though if it is told to Nicol that reduces the possibilities (hitting someone on the head with a float chair?)

Post by **Ghost** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 6:13 pm

Diplomatic Immunity, Miles is thinking up a plan with Roic in the bsckground (whom would not enjoy then plan); therefore I think it is Miles to whom it would feel like old times.

Caroline Tredez · Post by **Caroline Tredez** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 10:27 pm

Arf, hard time, Voralfred is right, but only Ghost gave enough details to let imagine he remembers the place (Miles thinking, not talking, a plan which Roic would disapprove).

Ok, so let's do this. I'll split the Sherlock half/half, and Ghost gets the next quote. Bonus still up for grabs.

E Pericoloso Sporgersi · Mon Jun 29, 2009 11:35 pm

Caroline Tredez wrote:
It would feel just like old times.
... to which specific event does the "old time" refer ?

When Miles cought a needle grenade with his chest? (in Mirror Dance)

Caroline Tredez · Post by **Caroline Tredez** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 5:34 am

Nope.

Post by **Ghost** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 11:45 am

Caroline Tredez wrote:Ok, so let's do this. I'll split the Sherlock half/half, and Ghost gets the next quote. Bonus still up for grabs.

Bonus answer: When looking for Mark?

New Quote:

"You're not a commander, you're a bloody holovid director," muttered X.

Book, X, the bloody holovid director?

E Pericoloso Sporgersi · Tue Jun 30, 2009 12:01 pm

Ghost wrote:New Quote:
"You're not a commander, you're a bloody holovid director," muttered X.
Book, X, the bloody holovid director?

story and book: Borders of infinity
X = Beatrice
director = Miles

Caroline Tredez · Post by **Caroline Tredez** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 12:04 pm

Ghost : no.

Hint for the bonus : unless you have the exact place of the main quote and its context, you're unlikely to see to which event it refers

E Pericoloso Sporgersi · Tue Jun 30, 2009 12:21 pm

Caroline Tredez wrote:
It would feel just like old times.
To whom would it feel so, in which book, and for a bonus to which specific event does the "old time" refer ?

It would feel so to Miles
book: A Civil Campaign
present time event: planning to clear the main drain of his parent's mansion
old time event: his investigation of the blocked culvert under the road on the army training camp island, where Miles does his stint as me-teo-ro-lo-gi-cal (whew) officer.

Am I still pong to your question? You awarded 1/2 point each to voralfred and ghost, so I feel that voids my pongness (isn't English a wonderfully flexible language?).

____________________________________________

Post by **Ghost** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 1:54 pm

E Pericoloso Sporgersi wrote:
Ghost wrote:New Quote:
"You're not a commander, you're a bloody holovid director," muttered X.
Book, X, the bloody holovid director?
story and book: Borders of infinity
X = Beatrice
director = Miles

Not Borders of Infinity.

E Pericoloso Sporgersi · Tue Jun 30, 2009 2:29 pm

Ghost wrote:New Quote:
"You're not a commander, you're a bloody holovid director," muttered X.
Book, X, the bloody holovid director?

book: Mirror Dance
X = Mark
director = Elli Quin

voralfred · Post by **voralfred** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 3:01 pm

E Pericoloso Sporgersi wrote:
Caroline Tredez wrote:
It would feel just like old times.
To whom would it feel so, in which book, and for a bonus to which specific event does the "old time" refer ?
It would feel so to Miles
book: A Civil Campaign
present time event: planning to clear the main drain of his parent's mansion
old time event: his investigation of the blocked culvert under the road on the army training camp island, where Miles does his stint as me-teo-ro-lo-gi-cal (whew) officer.

Am I still pong to your question? You awarded 1/2 point each to voralfred and ghost, so I feel that voids my pongness (isn't English a wonderfully flexible language?).

That can't be right, since between Ghost and I we got the main question (otherwise Caroline wouldn't have awarded us a 1/2 poinrt each): Diplomatic Immunity, Miles thinking up a plan that Roic won't approve.
The only thing left is the bonus, which you are welcome to try now, (bonus pongness indeed voided by our finding the main question) but as Caroline said, unless you find the right passage in Diplomatic Immunity you are not likely to find what that reminds Miles of.

Post by **Ghost** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 4:27 pm

E Pericoloso Sporgersi wrote:
Ghost wrote:New Quote:
"You're not a commander, you're a bloody holovid director," muttered X.
Book, X, the bloody holovid director?
book: Mirror Dance
X = Mark
director = Elli Quin

No not Mirror Dance.