EP183: Beans and Marbles

[deflective]

And for this story, it didn’t really matter that it was moving or not, only that it had a door that locked and a PA that could be turned off.

the espresso machine needed gravity.

Nice try    Thing is espresso machines use pressurized steam, not a gravity feed.  That's one of the primary things that distinguish espresso from coffee.  Besides, I doubt they designed a generation ship around one crew-member's addiction (though authors have slightly different motivations than aerospace engineers, so in terms of the story you are, I suspect, dead on).

you said there was no need but there was a narrative need (which is what you seemed to be talking about). it wasn't a particularly rational from an engineering viewpoint, i noticed it myself =), but it was a vehicle to create conflict between the characters.

and, as already pointed out, do you want to be in zero g when an espresso machine starts jetting superheated fluid?

[Ellspacer]

It was the outro which blew me away. Candid and courageous.

[Windup]

Getting to this late; as the last before hiatus, I was saving it.

Since most of it's been covered, I'll pick up on a point from both the story and the outro.  In my experience, mental illness does seem to have a life of its own.  Including, in many cases, a powerful sense of self-preservation.  For that reason, I've often thought that the ancient belief in mental illness as demonic possession might be a better metaphor for the condition than we usually give it credit for.  Not that it helps you develop new drug therapies or anything, but in the day-to-day coping, you could do worse than approaching it as you would a struggle for control of your life with a self-willed entity whose goals are not necessarily your own. 

As for the story itself, I found it a suitably creepy Halloween treat; I thought it might go for a "double reverse" on the unreliable narrator for quite a while; and I thought the editing errors really were the narrator cracking up.  And as a caffine addict in good standing, I strongly agree with the moral of the story: Mess with a man's coffee and there will be consequences.   

I haven't listened to the story yet, but as usual I skipped ahead to the feedback first, and I want to point out that the quote of the week (from the feedback to "How the World Became Quiet"), which Steve attributed to me, is actually by Windup.

D'oh!  Sorry, Windup.  I'll put a correction in next week's episode.  Thanks for letting me know, Eytanz.

S'alright.  It's a complete mystery to me how you compile the feedback and keep it straight. It seems like one of those processes where the surprising part isn't the occasional mistake, but the fact it works at all. 

And, I was pleased to see the thought get out there under anybody's name. (I hope Eytanz doesn't mind...) Too often, critics paint environmentalists as "species traitors" who love nature more than they love humanity.  In my own case, the opposite is true. I believe it's a given that nature will continue in some form -- the open question is whether it's a form we can live in or not. 

[eytanz]

Getting to this late; as the last before hiatus, I was saving it.

Me too, same reason.

I liked this one less than most people here - no concrete reason, just didn't speak to me that much.

And, I was pleased to see the thought get out there under anybody's name. (I hope Eytanz doesn't mind...)

Oh, I don't mind, I thought it was a nice thought and that you deserved credit for it. Though it was a bit optimistic for me...

I believe it's a given that nature will continue in some form -- the open question is whether it's a form we can live in or not. 

Or, indeed, whether a lot of what lives now can.

[koda]

I enjoyed this story.  I was a barista for 3 years and I go into the local TV station where my bf works and make coffee for them on Thanksgiving. No rest for the media!  This story reminded me that I needed to solicit donations for supplies!

& yes, good coffee is THAT important. =)

Steve is usually a little too sappy for my taste, though that doesn’t take away from the immense respect I have for all the work he does.  I can’t even get one podcast “going” – you rock it, man. (Pun intended)

The outro meant the world to me though.  I am very open about my depression or mood swings, or whatever the hell they are.  Like everyone else, I can’t be put into a neat little box and prescribed a neat little pill.  It has been worse trying to find the right treatment then if I had just dealt with my illness alone.

entire response link here on my blog

Sorry for the essay here, I think I will just link to my blog if anyone is interested in my part in this..

Thank you for your honesty, man, and believe me when I say, “I totally feel you!”

OMG! I forgot the most important part!

When I first went to the doctor for help at 19 I was told, “If you think you might be crazy, you’re not.”

And I have never heard more true words.

[wintermute]

When I first went to the doctor for help at 19 I was told, “If you think you might be crazy, you’re not.”

There was a scene in LOST, where Jack thinks he's going crazy, and Locke tells him that people who are actually going crazy think they're going sane. I have no idea how well that can be generalised to real life, but it certainly sounds good.

[mudguts]

The story made me giggle.. it was a bit predictable and reminded me of "2001 A Space Odyssey" but all in all, it was a good tale and well told.

7/10

[Raving_Lunatic]

The most insane thing you can ever do is think that you understand everything- therefore have finally become sane.

[JoeFitz]

When I first went to the doctor for help at 19 I was told, “If you think you might be crazy, you’re not.”

There was a scene in LOST, where Jack thinks he's going crazy, and Locke tells him that people who are actually going crazy think they're going sane. I have no idea how well that can be generalised to real life, but it certainly sounds good.

I think Joseph Heller might have a thing to say about that.

[LadyIndigo]

Fun story, no real substance and with a twist I saw easily but it kept me very entertained.

The outro knocked me off my feet, though; thank you, Steve, for your candid honesty.  I intern in a mental health center, and also have friends of my own suffering with depression on the level requiring psychiatric care.  I see the denial and struggle to ask for help every day, and the more voices that speak about this and destigmatize it, the more mental health services can give people real relief (and subsequently improve themselves).    Thank you, and good luck.  You've already taken the biggest step there is towards being well again.

[Bdoomed]

reminded me of that Ren and Stimpy episode with space MADNESS!
good times.

[cxJvak]

My husband and I actually had to drive through Starbucks while listening to this. The urge for coffee was too great.

[DarkKnightJRK]

I probably am a working caffiene addict, so this one did hit home to me. I probably wouldn't murder people--but I would probably wallow with a massive headache for a while.

All and all, this was a pretty good story. It was somewhat predictable, but written well enough to still be entertaining.

[JaneE]

i was disappointed in Richard.

he was the sane guy, relatively, and had hundreds of lives and the fate of a planet depending on him. what does he do? get worked up into a shouting anger and launch himself midair with a hypodermic needle.

dude, too much was riding on you to make rookie mistakes at zero g combat.

right on!  i actually passed a comment while listening in traffic - people thought i was mad...

[Paranatural]

This should have been on Pseudopod.

[Unblinking]

Not a bad story, I like an unreliable narrator, though it didn't go anywhere I wasn't expecting.  I don't really relate to the coffee thing, I think I'm the only one at my office who doesn't drink coffee.  I just hate the flavor, for it to become palatable to me requires about 2 parts sugar for every part coffee.

I've somehow managed to not see 2001 yet in my life, though I know I need to, so that didn't come to mind.  What did come to mind though, was The Telltale Heart.

But Mr. Kleijne set the bar so high for himself with Deep Red over on Pseudopod(#1 on my Best Of list) that this one doesn't really compare.  I know every story can't be out of the park but I was hoping for something more unique.