the EP avitar

[CGFxColONeill]

so I kinda got bored on the 24 hrs I spent in the car over the last about 2.5 days... ya if you get the chance I highly recommend avoiding that but it has nothing to do with what I wanted to ask about,,, anyhow back on topic. I got to looking at some of the artwork for things that I listen to and I was wondering what the kanji mean on the front of the pod in the avitar also the red 3 in the circle
thanks

[Heradel]

You killed Comma.

Don't mean to be out of line, but it just gets hard to read. Coming from someone only fractionally older than you — yes, it takes more effort, but as a reader when I come across a post like that I just... well, even if you have the greatest question in the world it's hard to make out, so my mind glosses over it and I head to the next post.

[Chodon]

Don't forget about this one.

Mr. Period is my hero.  I would love to do this to my co-worker's e-mails sometime.  "Apostrophes are for posessive, not plural!"

I think ONeill was wondering what the characters on the front of the spaceship on the Escape Pod logo meant.  I think you can pretty much ignore the first two "sentences". 

[CGFxColONeill]

ya sorry about that I was really tired last night lol.
lets try again.
I got to looking at some of the artwork for things that I listen to, and I was wondering what the kanji characters mean on the front of the pod in the avitar.  I was also wondering about the red 3 in the circle
thanks

sorry about that like I said I was not at my best writing wise last night lol

[Tango Alpha Delta]

Okay, Col., I'm going to give a scowly face to the other kids for picking on you while you were tired: 

BUT, I nearly wet myself laughing at those comix, so for THAT, I have to give them a bfg:   


Wish I could help with the non-English, but call me if you run across Cyrillic, and I'll see what I can do. 


 

[Thaurismunths]

You killed Comma.

Don't mean to be out of line, but it just gets hard to read. Coming from someone only fractionally older than you — yes, it takes more effort, but as a reader when I come across a post like that I just... well, even if you have the greatest question in the world it's hard to make out, so my mind glosses over it and I head to the next post.

hey that's kind of crappy of you maybe you could give this kind of feedback in a private message or something because as much as it annoys you to see it in a forum the world is a big damn place and not everyone is going to be as well written as you.

[CGFxColONeill]

You killed Comma.

Don't mean to be out of line, but it just gets hard to read. Coming from someone only fractionally older than you — yes, it takes more effort, but as a reader when I come across a post like that I just... well, even if you have the greatest question in the world it's hard to make out, so my mind glosses over it and I head to the next post.

hey that's kind of crappy of you maybe you could give this kind of feedback in a private message or something because as much as it annoys you to see it in a forum the world is a big damn place and not everyone is going to be as well written as you.

Thanks for sticking up for me but he was right I know better than that, I was just really tired and was not paying attention to what I was doing
their feed back allowed me the chance to improve on my question and hopefully clarified it
so ya I am glad that they helped me out

[Heradel]

hey that's kind of crappy of you maybe you could give this kind of feedback in a private message or something because as much as it annoys you to see it in a forum the world is a big damn place and not everyone is going to be as well written as you.

No they're not, and a PM would have been a good way of doing it, I just use them so rarely it didn't cross my mind. I should have done it that way, but I didn't think of it, and I'm sorry. And it's not so much that it annoyed me, but that it got in the way of the content of the post.

[SFEley]

To answer the original question:

Doug Triggs, the logo designer, put that in on his own whim.  I'm tempted to come up with some sort of contest to see who can come up with the most creative guess -- but of course we'll get a few dozen responses from people who can actually read it, which would suck some of the fun out of that.

Anyway, he tells me, and I must take his word on this, that it says "DANGER DEATH RAY."

[Planish]

That pod is only 8 millimeters in diameter, for a very small space-faring race.
It says "DO NOT EAT".

[Heradel]

"Avoid on Tuesdays"

[Thaurismunths]

"THIS SIDE UP"

[sirana]

"Remember the Alamo"

[Darwinist]

Nice job on the logo.  I never really looked closely at it until recently, in the back of my mind I always thought it was a lego thing because of the four dots on the side.   

[CGFxColONeill]

"Avoid on Tuesdays"

since we are guessing I am going to say that it is
"It must be Thursday"
since they are obviously having such a bad day that they cant get the hang of it

[Tango Alpha Delta]

"Look out below!"


(too obvious?)

[CGFxColONeill]

"Look out below!"


(too obvious?)

would "Oh no Not again" work?

[Heradel]

"I'm Very Depressed"

[FamilyGuy]

"Wheeeee"

[Planish]

"NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE"

Nice job on the logo.  I never really looked closely at it until recently, in the back of my mind I always thought it was a lego thing because of the four dots on the side.   

I thought "Lego" too.
I never noticed the exploding spaceship before reading this thread.

[Tango Alpha Delta]

"Brain the size of the galaxy, and here I am, hurtling out of an exploding ship!"

[Russell Nash]

"Oh shit, not again"

[jrderego]

"Tilt"

[birdless]

"NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE"

Nice job on the logo.  I never really looked closely at it until recently, in the back of my mind I always thought it was a lego thing because of the four dots on the side.   

I thought "Lego" too.
I never noticed the exploding spaceship before reading this thread.

Ha! Me too!... what exploding spaceship, though? That I don't see.

"If you can read this, you're too damn close."

Or

"Despite appearances to the contrary, I am NOT an Intergalactic Lego Baseball"

Or

"Baby on Board"

[eytanz]

Ha! Me too!... what exploding spaceship, though? That I don't see.

You need to look at the full version of the image, which is used as a banner at escapepod.org

The version used as cover art for the podcast (and Steve's forum avatar) crops out the spaceship.

[DKT]

"Darth Vader can kiss my ass."

[birdless]

Ha! Me too!... what exploding spaceship, though? That I don't see.

You need to look at the full version of the image, which is used as a banner at escapepod.org

The version used as cover art for the podcast (and Steve's forum avatar) crops out the spaceship.

OOoooooohhh.... 

Thanks. (I was looking at the cover art, btw)

[Windup]

"Remove before using Escape Pod"

I write directions professionally, and know for a solemn truth that the fact it's in red letters six feet tall will not help get it done...   

[Chodon]

"Remove before using Escape Pod"

I write directions professionally, and know for a solemn truth that the fact it's in red letters six feet tall will not help get it done...   

Hah!  Ain't that the truth.  I write assembly instructions in addition to various other engineering duties, and it's amazing how people (including myself) can miss things written in certain ways.

[Windup]

"Remove before using Escape Pod"

I write directions professionally, and know for a solemn truth that the fact it's in red letters six feet tall will not help get it done...   

Hah!  Ain't that the truth.  I write assembly instructions in addition to various other engineering duties, and it's amazing how people (including myself) can miss things written in certain ways.

Yup. Though in fairness to the users, it's often because you're trying to write directions to get them to perform inherently unreasonable actions.  Who, for example, would stop in the middle of a deep space emergency to check the exterior of the escape module for directions?  However, I'm sure by the time the problem was discovered, the development team insisted it was a "training issue..." 

[wintermute]

"Quarantine:- Do Not Open"

[Thaurismunths]

"Remove before using Escape Pod"

I write directions professionally, and know for a solemn truth that the fact it's in red letters six feet tall will not help get it done...   

Hah!  Ain't that the truth.  I write assembly instructions in addition to various other engineering duties, and it's amazing how people (including myself) can miss things written in certain ways.

I was out-right astounded to find out that the instructions for assembling and detonating atomic weapons are written at an 8th grade level.

[Heradel]

"Remove before using Escape Pod"

I write directions professionally, and know for a solemn truth that the fact it's in red letters six feet tall will not help get it done...   

Hah!  Ain't that the truth.  I write assembly instructions in addition to various other engineering duties, and it's amazing how people (including myself) can miss things written in certain ways.

I was out-right astounded to find out that the instructions for assembling and detonating atomic weapons are written at an 8th grade level.

Well, it's not like the base mechanics are that hard for you basic nuke — take Sphere A and Sphere B, put Sphere B into cannon and fire directly at Sphere A.

[CGFxColONeill]

Well, it's not like the base mechanics are that hard for you basic nuke — take Sphere A and Sphere B, put Sphere B into cannon and fire directly at Sphere A.

there are even diagrams of how all that works on how stuff works

[wintermute]

I don't get why nukes are so hard to disarm. At least, assuming Hollywood is telling me the truth...

Apparently, you have to enter a super-secret 20-digit number, which seems like overkill when these things are meant to be flying through the air while they're armed. I'd imagine that if they're armed and in a position where someone can physically get to them, you'd want to make it as easy as possible to disarm. Maybe a big flashing button that says "Push here not to be vaporised"...

[eytanz]

I don't get why nukes are so hard to disarm. At least, assuming Hollywood is telling me the truth...

Apparently, you have to enter a super-secret 20-digit number, which seems like overkill when these things are meant to be flying through the air while they're armed. I'd imagine that if they're armed and in a position where someone can physically get to them, you'd want to make it as easy as possible to disarm. Maybe a big flashing button that says "Push here not to be vaporised"...

I always thought that the lesson to take away from Hollywood is that the actual security measures are just there as a distraction. All nukes will disarm when the big red timer they carry reads "00:01", regardless of what anyone does.

[Heradel]

I always thought that the lesson to take away from Hollywood is that the actual security measures are just there as a distraction. All nukes will disarm when the big red timer they carry reads "00:01", regardless of what anyone does.

Or have a "humorous" flag shoot out saying "Boom" instead of a few megaton explosion.

[wintermute]

No, that only happens when someone actively presses the "explode now" button.

[Windup]

"Remove before using Escape Pod"

I write directions professionally, and know for a solemn truth that the fact it's in red letters six feet tall will not help get it done...   

Hah!  Ain't that the truth.  I write assembly instructions in addition to various other engineering duties, and it's amazing how people (including myself) can miss things written in certain ways.

I was out-right astounded to find out that the instructions for assembling and detonating atomic weapons are written at an 8th grade level.

OK, but let's assume you were actually in the position of having to assemble and detonate said nuclear weapon.  How much of your brain would actually be available to deal with the task at hand, and how much is busy thinking "WAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"? (Or whatever...)  I'm thinking under those circumstances, mustering an 8th-grade level of concentration might be a bit of a trick....  

[stePH]

I was out-right astounded to find out that the instructions for assembling and detonating atomic weapons are written at an 8th grade level.

Well, it's not like the base mechanics are that hard for you basic nuke — take Sphere A and Sphere B, put Sphere B into cannon and fire directly at Sphere A.

I am reminded of "Hobby Sheet #4: A Simple Atomic Bomb for the Home Craftsman" from R. A. Wilson's Shrödinger's Cat: The Universe Next Door.

Can't dig up the relevant quote though, as the book is still packed (went through a recent move and another is impending so not much point to unpacking).

[Thaurismunths]

"Remove before using Escape Pod"

I write directions professionally, and know for a solemn truth that the fact it's in red letters six feet tall will not help get it done...   

Hah!  Ain't that the truth.  I write assembly instructions in addition to various other engineering duties, and it's amazing how people (including myself) can miss things written in certain ways.

I was out-right astounded to find out that the instructions for assembling and detonating atomic weapons are written at an 8th grade level.

OK, but let's assume you were actually in the position of having to assemble and detonate said nuclear weapon.  How much of your brain would actually be available to deal with the task at hand, and how much is busy thinking "WAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"? (Or whatever...)  I'm thinking under those circumstances, mustering an 8th-grade level of concentration might be a bit of a trick....   

Yes. Mostly that.
Also, consider the kind of person who volunteers for such a duty.
A co-worker of mine use to be with the Marine Nuclear Ordinance Platoon, and specialized in "tactical" nukes. He mentioned a few times how the guys he worked with weren't mentally stable, for a reason. They had to employ people who actually would strap a suitcase bomb to themselves, jump out of a plane, and detonate it. Understandably these guys weren't mental giants either.

[Windup]

OK, but let's assume you were actually in the position of having to assemble and detonate said nuclear weapon.  How much of your brain would actually be available to deal with the task at hand, and how much is busy thinking "WAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"? (Or whatever...)  I'm thinking under those circumstances, mustering an 8th-grade level of concentration might be a bit of a trick....   

Yes. Mostly that.
Also, consider the kind of person who volunteers for such a duty.
A co-worker of mine use to be with the Marine Nuclear Ordinance Platoon, and specialized in "tactical" nukes. He mentioned a few times how the guys he worked with weren't mentally stable, for a reason. They had to employ people who actually would strap a suitcase bomb to themselves, jump out of a plane, and detonate it. Understandably these guys weren't mental giants either.

Well, don't believe everything you're told by ex-Marines.  And realize that the system evolved over time, of course -- you didn't mention during exactly what period your co-worker was talking about.  Things were a lot looser in the early 50's than they were even by the mid-60's. 

By the time I was in the Air Force in the mid-80's, the Personal Reliability Program could (and did) remove people from the nuclear chain of command for "abnormalities" no more serious than insomnia.

[wintermute]

..."abnormalities" no more serious than insomnia.

Speaking as a some-time insomniac, it can be pretty serious.  Three or four days without sleep, and you're pretty much clinically insane. I fully agree that people having vivid hallucinations should not have the ability to set off a nuclear bomb.

[Windup]

..."abnormalities" no more serious than insomnia.

Speaking as a some-time insomniac, it can be pretty serious.  Three or four days without sleep, and you're pretty much clinically insane. I fully agree that people having vivid hallucinations should not have the ability to set off a nuclear bomb.

I'm a sometime insomniac myself, and I don't disagree with it being part of the Personal Reliability Program screening criteria.  My point is, that's a relatively low threshold for what's considered a problem in the world in general; PRP would presumably screen out the more serious problems you sometimes hear described.

[Thaurismunths]

OK, but let's assume you were actually in the position of having to assemble and detonate said nuclear weapon.  How much of your brain would actually be available to deal with the task at hand, and how much is busy thinking "WAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"? (Or whatever...)  I'm thinking under those circumstances, mustering an 8th-grade level of concentration might be a bit of a trick....   

Yes. Mostly that.
Also, consider the kind of person who volunteers for such a duty.
A co-worker of mine use to be with the Marine Nuclear Ordinance Platoon, and specialized in "tactical" nukes. He mentioned a few times how the guys he worked with weren't mentally stable, for a reason. They had to employ people who actually would strap a suitcase bomb to themselves, jump out of a plane, and detonate it. Understandably these guys weren't mental giants either.

Well, don't believe everything you're told by ex-Marines.  And realize that the system evolved over time, of course -- you didn't mention during exactly what period your co-worker was talking about.  Things were a lot looser in the early 50's than they were even by the mid-60's. 

By the time I was in the Air Force in the mid-80's, the Personal Reliability Program could (and did) remove people from the nuclear chain of command for "abnormalities" no more serious than insomnia.

Good points, and very true.
The Marine in question was in for 30 years, the last of which would have been around 2000. So we'll guess that he was playing with nukes around 1980.
As for mental in stability, nothing debilitating or terribly creative. Just the kind of instability that keeps one from having successful personal relationships: mild depression, mild bi-polar disorder, addictive personality, impulse and aggression control, low self-esteem, etc.

[Heradel]

Good points, and very true.
The Marine in question was in for 30 years, the last of which would have been around 2000. So we'll guess that he was playing with nukes around 1980.
As for mental in stability, nothing debilitating or terribly creative. Just the kind of instability that keeps one from having successful personal relationships: mild depression, mild bi-polar disorder, addictive personality, impulse and aggression control, low self-esteem, etc.

You know, with any other job I would care and be affronted, but not with people handling Nukes. I would prefer those people to have no imagination or tendencies beyond those necessary for life.

[wherethewild]

(Can I jump around the nuclear bit, and make a suggestion for the translation?)

"Gary and Maureen's Milky Way Tour 2008"

(I'm not sure if that needs explanation: In Germany all the 50 yr olds going around in their big white mobile homes will stick giant stickers on the back of it, often with photos of them grinning inanely. And these always say something like the above, only with Italy or Spain or The Baltics or something).