I apologize for the lack of posts. It is my fault, not Carlee's. She has plenty of posts written, but recently it has become my responsibility to upload them.
Life has not been normal recently. I cannot explain why, nor would I if I could. I will leave that for Carlee's posts to explain.
The next post will not be until Wednesday - once again my fault as Carlee wanted me to write the next post - but I feel that it dishonors Carlee not to have something posted today. So instead of a post, we will have a question opportunity.
Post your questions and I will do my best to answer them.
Showing posts with label questions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label questions. Show all posts
Monday, April 19, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Question Break 10
I think that every two weeks is a good time to have a question break since we only update on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays now. So are there any burning questions out there? Or maybe just curious questions? Let us know and we'll do our best to answer them!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Question Break Answers 9
You asked a question; we have answers, theoretically. So here is the question that was anonymously asked:
Since you seem to have gotten John to start giving his perspective, how does he view his own origin? We know how you feel about it, and we can guess Ven's thoughts, but what does an android think of his being an android? Did he view his placement on Earth as an assignment, or an escape?
For the answer, we go to John:
This question seems to have several parts. I will try to address all of them.
1) How does he view his own origin?
I don't really remember much before I was placed on Earth. Mainly because I was activated and then put on Earth very shortly after. I guess I don't really think about "my origin" very often. I would say that humans don't often think about the fact they were born very often either.
2) What does an android think of his being an android?
What does a human think of being a human? I am an android. There really isn't much to think about it. But if I were to think about it, I would say that for the time I was on Earth I mainly viewed myself as human. For all intents and purposes, I was human. It was not until we were taken off the planet that I was really forced to view my android-ness. Now this could be because of my programming. The nature of my existence is that I'm basically supposed to think and act like a human, observing all human practices. If everything went as planned, I would have lived out an entirely normal human existence on Earth until Carlee died of old age, and then I would be deactivated, as if I was dying of old age. It was not until I was freed from the Society that I had to face the fact that I really was an android and what exactly that meant.
I always knew I was an android, not completely human, but the fact that I was an android never really bothered me. It was the consequences of being an android that bothered me, dealing with people like Ven.
Frankly, being an android isn't that different from being a human. It simply means society views me as a second rate human. For a while after being taken off of Earth, I thought this meant I had to live as a second rate human. I thought this view was right. Sadly, it was not until recently that I've realize that it doesn't matter. It shouldn't matter. I am synthetic. Carlee is organic. But we're both human.
3) Did he view his placement on Earth as an assignment or an escape?
I viewed placement on Earth as life, neither an assignment or an escape. I was created to live on Earth for the entirety of my existence, like any normal human. I was supposed to view placement on Earth as life, because I was supposed to be observing human life in its entirety.
I hope this answers your questions. Feel free to ask more questions anytime.
Since you seem to have gotten John to start giving his perspective, how does he view his own origin? We know how you feel about it, and we can guess Ven's thoughts, but what does an android think of his being an android? Did he view his placement on Earth as an assignment, or an escape?
For the answer, we go to John:
This question seems to have several parts. I will try to address all of them.
1) How does he view his own origin?
I don't really remember much before I was placed on Earth. Mainly because I was activated and then put on Earth very shortly after. I guess I don't really think about "my origin" very often. I would say that humans don't often think about the fact they were born very often either.
2) What does an android think of his being an android?
What does a human think of being a human? I am an android. There really isn't much to think about it. But if I were to think about it, I would say that for the time I was on Earth I mainly viewed myself as human. For all intents and purposes, I was human. It was not until we were taken off the planet that I was really forced to view my android-ness. Now this could be because of my programming. The nature of my existence is that I'm basically supposed to think and act like a human, observing all human practices. If everything went as planned, I would have lived out an entirely normal human existence on Earth until Carlee died of old age, and then I would be deactivated, as if I was dying of old age. It was not until I was freed from the Society that I had to face the fact that I really was an android and what exactly that meant.
I always knew I was an android, not completely human, but the fact that I was an android never really bothered me. It was the consequences of being an android that bothered me, dealing with people like Ven.
Frankly, being an android isn't that different from being a human. It simply means society views me as a second rate human. For a while after being taken off of Earth, I thought this meant I had to live as a second rate human. I thought this view was right. Sadly, it was not until recently that I've realize that it doesn't matter. It shouldn't matter. I am synthetic. Carlee is organic. But we're both human.
3) Did he view his placement on Earth as an assignment or an escape?
I viewed placement on Earth as life, neither an assignment or an escape. I was created to live on Earth for the entirety of my existence, like any normal human. I was supposed to view placement on Earth as life, because I was supposed to be observing human life in its entirety.
I hope this answers your questions. Feel free to ask more questions anytime.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Question Break 9
So we haven't done a question break in a long, long, long time. Seems like a good time as any to have one. Does anyone have any questions? Any questions at all? Or just any thoughts they would like to share? John and I are here to answer them! So, ask your questions and we'll find answers. If we can.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Question Break Answers 8
Earlier this week, a question was asked through the wonderful tool of Facebook message. So Patricia asks:
I know you just posted an answer post, so maybe this can be for next week or something, but I was wondering what you miss most about Earth. I mean, besides the obvious, like your parents. And normalcy.
Thanks for sharing your story with us - I love reading it!
I've taken a while to respond to this because mainly I needed to think about it for a bit. I miss a lot of things about Earth. I miss mainly cultural things, like books, movies, and styles. I would have loved to have seen the sixth Harry Potter movie this summer. As it is, I have to wait until it makes it online somewhere. I miss my favorite books. I miss my favorite music. I miss my stuffed animals - yes stuffed animals, I have no shame. I miss my favorite t-shirts and jeans. The universe is a strange place. It's, well, alien. I feel so isolated and alien.
What do I miss the most besides Ellen and Scott? I have John, so I can't miss him. This might sound strange but I miss normalcy. I miss feeling normal. I miss not feeling like a strange alien, a backwoods alien that people find amusing.
I want to be normal again. I want to be average. I'm tired of being a spectacle. I'm tired of being strange. I want to be a normal teenager. I want to have a normal life. But that's gone now, and I must take life as it is. I have John and that is what matters the most.
But I still wish I could have seen Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
I know you just posted an answer post, so maybe this can be for next week or something, but I was wondering what you miss most about Earth. I mean, besides the obvious, like your parents. And normalcy.
Thanks for sharing your story with us - I love reading it!
I've taken a while to respond to this because mainly I needed to think about it for a bit. I miss a lot of things about Earth. I miss mainly cultural things, like books, movies, and styles. I would have loved to have seen the sixth Harry Potter movie this summer. As it is, I have to wait until it makes it online somewhere. I miss my favorite books. I miss my favorite music. I miss my stuffed animals - yes stuffed animals, I have no shame. I miss my favorite t-shirts and jeans. The universe is a strange place. It's, well, alien. I feel so isolated and alien.
What do I miss the most besides Ellen and Scott? I have John, so I can't miss him. This might sound strange but I miss normalcy. I miss feeling normal. I miss not feeling like a strange alien, a backwoods alien that people find amusing.
I want to be normal again. I want to be average. I'm tired of being a spectacle. I'm tired of being strange. I want to be a normal teenager. I want to have a normal life. But that's gone now, and I must take life as it is. I have John and that is what matters the most.
But I still wish I could have seen Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Question Break 8
So I just realized I totally forgot to post yesterday. That is completely my bad. I had plenty of time to post - I just forgot. I can't believe it. I feel horrible. I hope you will forgive me. Posting will pick up as usual on Monday. Today we shall have a question day.
So maybe you have some questions on the Android Acts, since that's really what this week's postings were about. I know I was confused when I first heard about them.
Or maybe you have questions about something else entirely. Either way. Ask your questions. I am here to answer them.
Have a good weekend!
So maybe you have some questions on the Android Acts, since that's really what this week's postings were about. I know I was confused when I first heard about them.
Or maybe you have questions about something else entirely. Either way. Ask your questions. I am here to answer them.
Have a good weekend!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Question Break Answers 7
I know it has taken me a long time to get to this, but I finally got a decent enough connection to upload stuff to the internet. Sorry for the long wait. Hopefully anticipation did not kill anyone and hopefully the connection will hold out long enough for me to put up Entry 40. Otherwise, this may be all that you get tonight, so enjoy it. We’re still working on getting a stable internet connection.
So many moons ago, or so it feels like, I got a question from an anonymous source. The question was:
Ok, what is the deal with Ven and androids? From what I've heard of Ven's reasoning, you would think Ven's position is based on philosophical concepts; however, Ven's vehemence strikes me as something originating from deeper roots. He was so wrapped up with protesting John getting a room that he completely missed Blaue calling him grotesque (though how Blaue knows what Ven looks like naked is something I don't want to get into). He likewise seems driven to distraction whenever you or Blaue bring John up in any way positive. Was Ven bitten by an android as a child or something?
As a side question out of curiousity, why does Ven speak in German to Blaue and give her a German name? Is the human colony predominantly German or something?
So that’s totally more than one question, but I’m cool with that. Let’s see if I can clear some things up here.
First off there is the question of Ven and androids. What is Ven’s deal? I mean the man seems irrational, does he not? Well, like the questioner mentioned, Ven’s reasoning is based on philosophical concepts, but he does seem to take it personally.
The thing is: androids are personal.
Ven grew up on a human colony that was founded by people who all once had an android that they thought was a blood related sibling. Some, like me, don’t care if their sibling is made of skin and bones or syntha-skin and metal. Others take it very badly. But I think, regardless of how they viewed it, none of them ever really managed to escape the Society with their android sibling. They had to distance themselves from this person they valued and cared for all their life because this person was suddenly not a part of their lives anymore. So instead of grieving the loss of a sibling, they convince themselves they never really had a sibling at all because androids aren’t human. These people try very hard to convince themselves, though I think very few of them ever believe. However, their children and their children’s children, like Ven, do believe because they’ve never had an android sibling. They take their ancestor’s words to heart and make it a part of their mantra. And since their ancestors so passionately disabused androids, they learn to passionately hate androids. Of course, this is just a theory, I’ve only spent a little time on the human colony, but I think it’s correct. I’ve talked to the people in my situation, most of them much much older than me, and they all feel some sentimental attachment to their long lost android sibling. They spend their lives trying to convince themselves that their loss is nothing, but in the end, they still miss their sibling. Instead they succeed in instilling a vehement belief in their children that androids are subhuman.
That was probably the longest paragraph I’ve ever written in my life. A real writer would probably have divided it up somewhere but give a kid a break. I’ve been out of English class for quite some time now.
So you’re sort of not stated question of how Blaue knows what Ven looks like naked. Well, I don’t think Blaue meant Ven specifically when she said that. I think she meant males in general from a clinical perspective. She’s a computer, and she knows what humans look like because she probably has our biological specifications – not to mention genome – in her fundamental knowledge. She is supposed to know as much as she can about humans to make the ship to captain interaction as smooth as possible. But though I don’t think she meant Ven specifically, I’m pretty sure Blaue knows everything that is going on in the ship and has “eyes” for lack of a better term everywhere. I don’t think I sneeze without her knowing. So does she probably know what he looks like naked? Yes. Did she mean him specifically? I don’t think so. I think she meant males in general. Blaue is a computer. Cut her some slack.
And I don’t think Ven missed what she said. I think he ignored her. He does that a lot. Blaue loves to tease, especially Ven, and Ven knows she hates it when he does not rise to her teasing. So instead of responding, he ignores her, because he knows it bothers her more.
Last but not least question: why does Ven speak German and Blaue have a German name? Well, Blaue has a German name because Ven speaks German. Ven speaks German because his family speaks German. The human colony is not predominantly German, though there is a large German group. Ven’s most recent ancestor from Earth was German, and that’s on his mom’s side. His paternal line is British, hence the name Barker. However, his father’s mother is also descended from Germans. So both of Ven’s parents spoke German and he was raised speaking German in his home.
So I hope that answers all of your questions for now. If anyone has any other questions let me know!
So many moons ago, or so it feels like, I got a question from an anonymous source. The question was:
Ok, what is the deal with Ven and androids? From what I've heard of Ven's reasoning, you would think Ven's position is based on philosophical concepts; however, Ven's vehemence strikes me as something originating from deeper roots. He was so wrapped up with protesting John getting a room that he completely missed Blaue calling him grotesque (though how Blaue knows what Ven looks like naked is something I don't want to get into). He likewise seems driven to distraction whenever you or Blaue bring John up in any way positive. Was Ven bitten by an android as a child or something?
As a side question out of curiousity, why does Ven speak in German to Blaue and give her a German name? Is the human colony predominantly German or something?
So that’s totally more than one question, but I’m cool with that. Let’s see if I can clear some things up here.
First off there is the question of Ven and androids. What is Ven’s deal? I mean the man seems irrational, does he not? Well, like the questioner mentioned, Ven’s reasoning is based on philosophical concepts, but he does seem to take it personally.
The thing is: androids are personal.
Ven grew up on a human colony that was founded by people who all once had an android that they thought was a blood related sibling. Some, like me, don’t care if their sibling is made of skin and bones or syntha-skin and metal. Others take it very badly. But I think, regardless of how they viewed it, none of them ever really managed to escape the Society with their android sibling. They had to distance themselves from this person they valued and cared for all their life because this person was suddenly not a part of their lives anymore. So instead of grieving the loss of a sibling, they convince themselves they never really had a sibling at all because androids aren’t human. These people try very hard to convince themselves, though I think very few of them ever believe. However, their children and their children’s children, like Ven, do believe because they’ve never had an android sibling. They take their ancestor’s words to heart and make it a part of their mantra. And since their ancestors so passionately disabused androids, they learn to passionately hate androids. Of course, this is just a theory, I’ve only spent a little time on the human colony, but I think it’s correct. I’ve talked to the people in my situation, most of them much much older than me, and they all feel some sentimental attachment to their long lost android sibling. They spend their lives trying to convince themselves that their loss is nothing, but in the end, they still miss their sibling. Instead they succeed in instilling a vehement belief in their children that androids are subhuman.
That was probably the longest paragraph I’ve ever written in my life. A real writer would probably have divided it up somewhere but give a kid a break. I’ve been out of English class for quite some time now.
So you’re sort of not stated question of how Blaue knows what Ven looks like naked. Well, I don’t think Blaue meant Ven specifically when she said that. I think she meant males in general from a clinical perspective. She’s a computer, and she knows what humans look like because she probably has our biological specifications – not to mention genome – in her fundamental knowledge. She is supposed to know as much as she can about humans to make the ship to captain interaction as smooth as possible. But though I don’t think she meant Ven specifically, I’m pretty sure Blaue knows everything that is going on in the ship and has “eyes” for lack of a better term everywhere. I don’t think I sneeze without her knowing. So does she probably know what he looks like naked? Yes. Did she mean him specifically? I don’t think so. I think she meant males in general. Blaue is a computer. Cut her some slack.
And I don’t think Ven missed what she said. I think he ignored her. He does that a lot. Blaue loves to tease, especially Ven, and Ven knows she hates it when he does not rise to her teasing. So instead of responding, he ignores her, because he knows it bothers her more.
Last but not least question: why does Ven speak German and Blaue have a German name? Well, Blaue has a German name because Ven speaks German. Ven speaks German because his family speaks German. The human colony is not predominantly German, though there is a large German group. Ven’s most recent ancestor from Earth was German, and that’s on his mom’s side. His paternal line is British, hence the name Barker. However, his father’s mother is also descended from Germans. So both of Ven’s parents spoke German and he was raised speaking German in his home.
So I hope that answers all of your questions for now. If anyone has any other questions let me know!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Question Break 7
It's another question day! You undoubtedly know what that means by now.
So summary:
John and I are getting settled in onboard Ven's ship, Der Blaue Stern.
Blaue, the ship's Artificial Cognizant, is fascinating.
Don't ask and don't tell when it comes to food.
If you have any questions let me know. Remember I'm also on facebook. You should totally friend me. I know some of you are just reading and not friending me. Shame on you. Become my friend!
Facebook shameless plug is over.
Ask your questions! I've got answers.
So summary:
John and I are getting settled in onboard Ven's ship, Der Blaue Stern.
Blaue, the ship's Artificial Cognizant, is fascinating.
Don't ask and don't tell when it comes to food.
If you have any questions let me know. Remember I'm also on facebook. You should totally friend me. I know some of you are just reading and not friending me. Shame on you. Become my friend!
Facebook shameless plug is over.
Ask your questions! I've got answers.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Question Break 6
It's another Saturday on Earth and therefore another question/summary day. So the summary is.....
I met my first Artificial Cognizant, which told us how to get to John.
Ven keeps trying to convince me that we're leaving John behind.
We found John laying lifeless in what seems to be an android storage room.
Ven turned John on.
So surely you guys know the drill by now. Ask me anything and I will answer it. Well, maybe not anything. Some stuff is personal, you know, and some stuff I just don't know. But if I don't know I will outsource to John or Blaue (not Ven, he's not very willing to help answer questions for this blog. He thinks this entire blog is a bad idea).
So any questions? Ask away!
I met my first Artificial Cognizant, which told us how to get to John.
Ven keeps trying to convince me that we're leaving John behind.
We found John laying lifeless in what seems to be an android storage room.
Ven turned John on.
So surely you guys know the drill by now. Ask me anything and I will answer it. Well, maybe not anything. Some stuff is personal, you know, and some stuff I just don't know. But if I don't know I will outsource to John or Blaue (not Ven, he's not very willing to help answer questions for this blog. He thinks this entire blog is a bad idea).
So any questions? Ask away!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Question Break Answers 5
Anonymous asks:
Have you noticed anything odd about Ven, in terms of his personality, that is due to his not growing up on Earth? I suppose it begs one to wonder how much of humanity is nature versus nurture. While John, an android, seemed in every way human (excepting the odd feat of superhuman strength), is there anything about Ven that seems somewhat out of place or unsettling?
Well, my anonymous friend, that is a good question. Have I noticed anything odd about Ven? I guess my first answer would be “are you kidding me? Yes?” but then you have to go and bring up this whole nature versus nurture thing. And you also seem to imply the question of whether John is more human than Ven by Earth standards. Such weighty questions! Makes me think my readers are way smarter than I am.
So I’ll take this one at a time.
Does Ven constantly surprise me with his oddness? Yes. He doesn’t understand my slang, he doesn’t get my cultural references, and he thinks everything I do is very backwards. He is unfazed by aliens who are so different from us that humans cannot communicate with them except through a complicated computer program that was developed by a species who happens to be capable of communicating with both humans and the other aliens; however, he has a most backward and ignorant view point when it comes to androids. He talks to his ship’s Artificial Cognizant like she’s a real person, but he treats John sort of like I treat my microwave. Is he different from me? Goodness yes. Would he be incredibly out of place on Earth? Yes. But at the core of your question, I think you’re asking me if he’s inhuman.
I think the answer to that is no.
Sometimes I don’t understand Ven. We have this insane cultural gap between us. But at the end of the day, I think he’s just human. He’s a human who was raised in an incredibly different environment, but he’s still human. Ven was raised on the human colony. For the most part he grew up around humans, of all different Earth cultures. These Earth cultures fused together and were influenced heavily by the cultures they encountered in the Universe through entertainment, trade, and vacations. This strange non-Earth culture does affect how Ven acts and behaves. But I wouldn’t call it unsettling or out of place when it comes to his humanity. Behind everything he does is a very human motivation.
In Ven’s mind, I’m the one who’s inhuman. Here I am prizing an android over his existence. I hold my android brother in higher regard than I hold any human. However, I think that’s human too. Some humans hold other human’s lives as the highest value. Other humans like trees better than they like people.
Does Ven unsettle me on a daily basis? Yes. Would he seem insanely out of place on Earth? Yes. But is he still human? Yes.
As to nature versus nurture, I think the core of Ven’s values would be the same whether on Earth or the edges of the Universe. He’s insanely loyal. He’s very intelligent. He’s too good looking for his own good. He takes his duty very seriously. And he loves his freedom. What is more human than that?
Have you noticed anything odd about Ven, in terms of his personality, that is due to his not growing up on Earth? I suppose it begs one to wonder how much of humanity is nature versus nurture. While John, an android, seemed in every way human (excepting the odd feat of superhuman strength), is there anything about Ven that seems somewhat out of place or unsettling?
Well, my anonymous friend, that is a good question. Have I noticed anything odd about Ven? I guess my first answer would be “are you kidding me? Yes?” but then you have to go and bring up this whole nature versus nurture thing. And you also seem to imply the question of whether John is more human than Ven by Earth standards. Such weighty questions! Makes me think my readers are way smarter than I am.
So I’ll take this one at a time.
Does Ven constantly surprise me with his oddness? Yes. He doesn’t understand my slang, he doesn’t get my cultural references, and he thinks everything I do is very backwards. He is unfazed by aliens who are so different from us that humans cannot communicate with them except through a complicated computer program that was developed by a species who happens to be capable of communicating with both humans and the other aliens; however, he has a most backward and ignorant view point when it comes to androids. He talks to his ship’s Artificial Cognizant like she’s a real person, but he treats John sort of like I treat my microwave. Is he different from me? Goodness yes. Would he be incredibly out of place on Earth? Yes. But at the core of your question, I think you’re asking me if he’s inhuman.
I think the answer to that is no.
Sometimes I don’t understand Ven. We have this insane cultural gap between us. But at the end of the day, I think he’s just human. He’s a human who was raised in an incredibly different environment, but he’s still human. Ven was raised on the human colony. For the most part he grew up around humans, of all different Earth cultures. These Earth cultures fused together and were influenced heavily by the cultures they encountered in the Universe through entertainment, trade, and vacations. This strange non-Earth culture does affect how Ven acts and behaves. But I wouldn’t call it unsettling or out of place when it comes to his humanity. Behind everything he does is a very human motivation.
In Ven’s mind, I’m the one who’s inhuman. Here I am prizing an android over his existence. I hold my android brother in higher regard than I hold any human. However, I think that’s human too. Some humans hold other human’s lives as the highest value. Other humans like trees better than they like people.
Does Ven unsettle me on a daily basis? Yes. Would he seem insanely out of place on Earth? Yes. But is he still human? Yes.
As to nature versus nurture, I think the core of Ven’s values would be the same whether on Earth or the edges of the Universe. He’s insanely loyal. He’s very intelligent. He’s too good looking for his own good. He takes his duty very seriously. And he loves his freedom. What is more human than that?
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Question Break 5
It’s another question break guys! Before I get into the very involved, in depth summary, I have a small note. One of the readers who got to this party late made a pdf of the first twenty or so entries. So if you're late to the party as well and want to catch up without worrying about navigating the blog, then you should check out this link to his website. He also has it in a tex file there, but I don't know what that means, so I'm just going to recommend the pdf.
So the summary:
We’re navigating through the society, trying to stay unnoticed.
Ven is trying to convince me that John is just a toaster.
The strange man in the portal knows who we are.
So questions, thoughts, concerns?
I really am sorry about Thursday, but Friday’s post was over twice as long. I hope you enjoyed it.
So the summary:
We’re navigating through the society, trying to stay unnoticed.
Ven is trying to convince me that John is just a toaster.
The strange man in the portal knows who we are.
So questions, thoughts, concerns?
I really am sorry about Thursday, but Friday’s post was over twice as long. I hope you enjoyed it.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Question Break 4
It’s another Saturday on Earth. You guys know what that means. It’s a question break/summary day. So the summary:
I ran away from Ven only to get distracted by a lecture about an android.
Ven found me but agreed to help me find John.
Ven thinks Earth is a war-filled place.
I just want to find my brother.
As usual you guys can ask anything you want. So far you have all been great about asking questions, for which I am glad. I love answering your questions about the great wide wonderful universe or questions about me. (I obviously like talking about myself – I mean I have a blog about my life). So feel free to ask anything, and I will answer.
Also just a friendly reminder that I’m totally on facebook. I know for a fact that I have readers who haven’t friended me. I would love to be your facebook friend. It makes me feel somewhat connected to Earth, like I still have friends there. You have to give me a break. The only people I see on a regular basis are John and Ven. There is only so much I can take of John and Ven 24/7.
I hope you guys have a great weekend!
I ran away from Ven only to get distracted by a lecture about an android.
Ven found me but agreed to help me find John.
Ven thinks Earth is a war-filled place.
I just want to find my brother.
As usual you guys can ask anything you want. So far you have all been great about asking questions, for which I am glad. I love answering your questions about the great wide wonderful universe or questions about me. (I obviously like talking about myself – I mean I have a blog about my life). So feel free to ask anything, and I will answer.
Also just a friendly reminder that I’m totally on facebook. I know for a fact that I have readers who haven’t friended me. I would love to be your facebook friend. It makes me feel somewhat connected to Earth, like I still have friends there. You have to give me a break. The only people I see on a regular basis are John and Ven. There is only so much I can take of John and Ven 24/7.
I hope you guys have a great weekend!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Question Break Answers 3
So we had three questions this round. Woohoo! I love having contact with Earth. This and facebook are all that is keeping me sane.
So questions and answers!!!
Anonymous (a word I usually can't spell, thank you spell check) asks:
A couple questions actually:
1. You mentioned in the last post that you don't do well with water. Did you have a scarring incident in some point of your childhood or something?
2. How would you describe John? Is he like the terminator from Terminator 2 that can learn and adapt, perhaps having grown into some level of consciousness? Or is he more like Sonny from "I, Robot" (the movie) where he always seemed human to you? Or is he more like Data from Star Trek, the machine striving to be man yet always somewhat falling short (even if barely noticeable)?
Anonymous,
I wouldn't say a scarring event...let's just say that bodies of water and myself never really got along. There is a list of events that cause me to dislike water: 1) Getting thrown into the pool by one of my foster parent's friends before I could swim, 2) an evil and mean swim instructor when I was younger, 3) going swimming with a friend who apparently couldn't swim and tried to drown me to keep her head above the water, 4) fun fun middle school pool parties (yes that was sarcasm). The list could go on. It just seems like every time I'm around a body of water, something bad happens. So was there one particularly scarring experience? No. Any one of those events is definitely recoverable. However, all of them added onto each other makes for an aversion to water.
How would I describe John? Well, I would describe him as my brother. It is my firm belief that he is as cognizant as you or I (man, cognizant - totally an SAT word). Many people exist on both sides of the camp on this matter, however. Ven, for one, thinks androids are just machines as he expressed earlier. I believe John is as human as I am. So he's definitely not like a terminator - a machine that kind of, sort of gets a grasp of human feelings. I don't know anything about Sonny from "I, Robot" the movie because John would not let me watch it (he said that Asimov is rolling in his grave somewhere because of that movie). I wouldn't compare him to Data either, because John will tell you he's an android, like Data, but John isn't striving to be human. He knows what he is, and he's ok with that. And he's basically completely human. Everyone believed he was the entire time he lived on Earth. He was one of the most popular and well liked kids in our school. Therefore, if I had to compare John to a fictional android/robot, I would compare him to Asimov's R. Daneel Olivaw, but more like Daneel is in the Foundation Series, not the Robot Series. He's completely cool with who he is, he's indistinguishable from a human, and he's secretly running the entire human race. Ok, that last one was not a true comparison. John isn't secretly running the entire human race. But like Daneel, I would say John makes a better human than most humans do. Wow, that made me thing of Stephen Byerley in "I, Robot" the book. Maybe I should compare John to him? Either way you get the idea.
That answer was a little long, but it's a question I have thought of myself and have thought a bit about.
Next Adrianne asks:
So what was the deal with the waterfall? Maybe I didn't read well enough.
Also, how do you pronounce your last name? Is it like Ear-heart or Air-heart? Just wondering.
The waterfall is what powers the zoo complex, according to Ven. John confirms this. I imagine it might work sort of like a dam, except I don't really know how dams work other than they provide power. If you need more info I'll ask John for a wikipedia-like answer. But if that's all you wanted to know, there it is.
And my last name is totally pronounced Air-heart. People who pronounce Ear-hart really annoy me. Air-heart just sounds sooo much cooler than Ear-heart, which makes it seem like I love ears or something. Not that I dislike ears. I just don't heart them.
So questions and answers!!!
Anonymous (a word I usually can't spell, thank you spell check) asks:
A couple questions actually:
1. You mentioned in the last post that you don't do well with water. Did you have a scarring incident in some point of your childhood or something?
2. How would you describe John? Is he like the terminator from Terminator 2 that can learn and adapt, perhaps having grown into some level of consciousness? Or is he more like Sonny from "I, Robot" (the movie) where he always seemed human to you? Or is he more like Data from Star Trek, the machine striving to be man yet always somewhat falling short (even if barely noticeable)?
Anonymous,
I wouldn't say a scarring event...let's just say that bodies of water and myself never really got along. There is a list of events that cause me to dislike water: 1) Getting thrown into the pool by one of my foster parent's friends before I could swim, 2) an evil and mean swim instructor when I was younger, 3) going swimming with a friend who apparently couldn't swim and tried to drown me to keep her head above the water, 4) fun fun middle school pool parties (yes that was sarcasm). The list could go on. It just seems like every time I'm around a body of water, something bad happens. So was there one particularly scarring experience? No. Any one of those events is definitely recoverable. However, all of them added onto each other makes for an aversion to water.
How would I describe John? Well, I would describe him as my brother. It is my firm belief that he is as cognizant as you or I (man, cognizant - totally an SAT word). Many people exist on both sides of the camp on this matter, however. Ven, for one, thinks androids are just machines as he expressed earlier. I believe John is as human as I am. So he's definitely not like a terminator - a machine that kind of, sort of gets a grasp of human feelings. I don't know anything about Sonny from "I, Robot" the movie because John would not let me watch it (he said that Asimov is rolling in his grave somewhere because of that movie). I wouldn't compare him to Data either, because John will tell you he's an android, like Data, but John isn't striving to be human. He knows what he is, and he's ok with that. And he's basically completely human. Everyone believed he was the entire time he lived on Earth. He was one of the most popular and well liked kids in our school. Therefore, if I had to compare John to a fictional android/robot, I would compare him to Asimov's R. Daneel Olivaw, but more like Daneel is in the Foundation Series, not the Robot Series. He's completely cool with who he is, he's indistinguishable from a human, and he's secretly running the entire human race. Ok, that last one was not a true comparison. John isn't secretly running the entire human race. But like Daneel, I would say John makes a better human than most humans do. Wow, that made me thing of Stephen Byerley in "I, Robot" the book. Maybe I should compare John to him? Either way you get the idea.
That answer was a little long, but it's a question I have thought of myself and have thought a bit about.
Next Adrianne asks:
So what was the deal with the waterfall? Maybe I didn't read well enough.
Also, how do you pronounce your last name? Is it like Ear-heart or Air-heart? Just wondering.
The waterfall is what powers the zoo complex, according to Ven. John confirms this. I imagine it might work sort of like a dam, except I don't really know how dams work other than they provide power. If you need more info I'll ask John for a wikipedia-like answer. But if that's all you wanted to know, there it is.
And my last name is totally pronounced Air-heart. People who pronounce Ear-hart really annoy me. Air-heart just sounds sooo much cooler than Ear-heart, which makes it seem like I love ears or something. Not that I dislike ears. I just don't heart them.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Question Break 3
Man, I totally forgot today was July 4th until Google reminded me. We don't really follow the Earth calendar out here in space. I hope you guys are having an excellent July 4th, celebrating American Independence with fireworks and hotdogs. Meanwhile I'll be in space with my android brother and a guy who doesn't know what America is.
So you guys should know the drill by now. It is another summary/question day. If you guys have questions then I will answer them.
Here is the summary:
For several weeks, I had been living in a hologram designed to make me feel I was on Earth.
I was rescued by a hot guy of about twenty who says his name is Ven Barker. He has the deepest voice I have ever heard from such a lean man, though he is quite tall.
Ven refuses to go back for John because he’s just an android. He obviously holds little respect for androids.
I bit Ven and escaped to go find John.
I have no idea where John is or how to find him.
So as I mentioned before you can comment here and ask questions. Also if you have questions in the middle of the week or just thoughts, feel free to comment on any of the other posts. And you can always talk to me on facebook.
It’s nice to have contact with Earth, you know? It’s lonely out here in space with just John and Ven for company.
So feel free to give me a holler anytime.
Have an excellent July 4th!
So you guys should know the drill by now. It is another summary/question day. If you guys have questions then I will answer them.
Here is the summary:
For several weeks, I had been living in a hologram designed to make me feel I was on Earth.
I was rescued by a hot guy of about twenty who says his name is Ven Barker. He has the deepest voice I have ever heard from such a lean man, though he is quite tall.
Ven refuses to go back for John because he’s just an android. He obviously holds little respect for androids.
I bit Ven and escaped to go find John.
I have no idea where John is or how to find him.
So as I mentioned before you can comment here and ask questions. Also if you have questions in the middle of the week or just thoughts, feel free to comment on any of the other posts. And you can always talk to me on facebook.
It’s nice to have contact with Earth, you know? It’s lonely out here in space with just John and Ven for company.
So feel free to give me a holler anytime.
Have an excellent July 4th!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Question Break 2
Today is another question break/summary day. This is where I recap in a few terse sentences exactly what you need to know to go on and you guys ask me all the questions you want. If you’re not brave enough to comment (I rarely comment on blogs myself, I always feel everyone else might find my comment somehow not worthy), then feel free to ask me questions on Facebook. What you didn’t know I was on Facebook? Well I am. Be my friend! Search Carlee Earhart. My Facebook profile pic matches the pic on this page. It’s a picture I took from our spaceship of Earth using my digital camera. It’s good, isn’t it?
So the summary.
I thought my brother was an android and that we had been abducted by the Society of Anthropologists.
I woke up in my room and everyone told me it was a delusion. They said I had been sick.
I don’t remember being sick.
Everything is normal. I wish it was normal.
But somehow it all feels wrong.
So do you have any questions? Want to know how exactly I was feeling at a particular point or unclear on exactly what the Society of Anthropologists is? If you are confused or curious at all, please just ask me a question. I’ll answer it in a comment myself or make a new post.
Have a good day. I hope Earth is treating you well.
Goodness knows, Earth must be treating you better than space is treating me.
So the summary.
I thought my brother was an android and that we had been abducted by the Society of Anthropologists.
I woke up in my room and everyone told me it was a delusion. They said I had been sick.
I don’t remember being sick.
Everything is normal. I wish it was normal.
But somehow it all feels wrong.
So do you have any questions? Want to know how exactly I was feeling at a particular point or unclear on exactly what the Society of Anthropologists is? If you are confused or curious at all, please just ask me a question. I’ll answer it in a comment myself or make a new post.
Have a good day. I hope Earth is treating you well.
Goodness knows, Earth must be treating you better than space is treating me.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Question Break Answers 1
So I had one question but it was a good one so I figured it deserved a post rather than just an answer in the comments. So Philip wrote in the comments:
So, Carlee, is it...now is that pronounced CAR LEE or..what am I thinking, there's only one way to pronounce that.
So, Carlee. I've always wondered what it would be like to teleport. You must inform me as to how it feels. Now I am given to understand that the way a teleporter works is to identify the quantum state of matter of the item in question and transmits the pattern to another location for reassembly. Now if this is true, you would not have actually transported the item, but in fact destroyed the item and recreated it elsewhere.
So I guess my question is, how does it feel to be completely disintegrated and recreated? Can you actually feel the disintegration process? Are there any side effects that future scientists should be weary of?
Thanks. I'm a big fan.
Phillip
Phillip,
Thanks for your question and yeah Carlee is pronounced exactly like it sounds, Car like the vehicle and Lee like the southern civil war general.
As for your question on teleporting, well I’m not really qualified to talk about the theory. I’m struggling in Algebra II – do you really expect me to know how teleporting works? To me it’s sort of like magic. Luckily, my brother is an android and knows more about that sort of thing.
I can answer the how does it feel question. It sort of feels like your entire body fell asleep. I mean it’s pretty instantaneous but for this brief moment you feel tingly all over like right before your foot goes completely numb.
Man, you’re going to make me terrified of transporting with all this talk of destroying the item and recreating it elsewhere. Sort of reminds me of that movie the Prestige.
So now on to John for the technicalities.
Transporting: A Short Synopsis
The first transport device was invented by a species called the Yzbauir nearly seven hundred thousand Earth years ago (approximately 3,000 Yzbauir years). The device was investigated extensively by the Intergalactic Technology Regulation Administration (ITRA). After one hundred Earth years of investigation and use by the Yzbauir people with only a few minor incidents, the technology was approved by ITRA for use throughout the galaxy. By this time, other civilizations had developed their own transporter devices. Currently 7 forms of transport devices have been approved by ITRA for use.
Transporting is generally safe, though accidents have been known to happen when multiple transport devices are used in the same area. That is why transportation is heavily regulated by the Intergalactic Transportation Administration (ITA). Except in extreme emergency situations or on planets (like Earth) where absolutely no other transportation is taking place, all transports must be scheduled and approved at least three months in advance. This means that transportation is a technology mainly used by the important. The average citizen of the Universe generally chooses to travel by shuttle or spaceship.
How transporting works depends on the technology, and currently there are seven different forms. One transporter did take the person being transported apart on the molecular level as was described in the question. It is not, however, one of the 7 approved forms of transport. This transporter, though, approved as safe by the ITRA was taken off the market six hundred thousand years Earth years ago by the Intergalactic Council of Morality and because it was not selling. People were afraid to use something they thought might be killing them every time they used it.
The most popular transporter actually creates small tactical wormholes around the item or person to be transported. The actual matter is then transported in its entirety. The second most popular transporter shifts matter into energy and then shifts it back into matter on the other side, not destroying the traveler since energy and matter are connected and interchangeable. Many species made of matter still avoid this method, preferring the wormholes, but it is extremely popular among species composed of energy, who have no need to worry about matter shifting.
As stated before, transporting is not a common form of travel. Our transportation from Earth to the Ovleen spaceship was a rare occurrence, only allowed since landing on a primitive planet is strictly forbidden, it was a culture contamination emergency, and there was no possibility of anyone else transporting from the planet. The transporter that was used was one of the tactical wormhole transporters.
I hope this answer is satisfactory.
~John Earhart
Thanks John for your long, Wikipedia-esque answer. That was the only question on the blog, but a while ago Alisha asked a question on facebook (what’s that? You didn’t know I was on facebook. I may not be on Earth but I’m not that far out of touch). So I am adding our exchange after one of my status updates here.
Carlee Earhart wishes Ven and John would stop arguing for five minutes and find some way to fix her internet permanently instead of the quick patch throughs they keep coming up with.
Alisha: Hey Carlee! I’ve been following your blog, but you’ve only mentioned who John is, not Ven, so who exactly is he?
Carlee; Hey Alisha, Ven is a friend of ours who comes up a little later in the story of our adventures. I know I have not explained him yet. He’s a human (though not an Earthling – he’s third generation not Earth), and he helped us escape the Society of Anthropologists.
He doesn’t come into the story for a few more posts, but all you really need to know is that he’s around twenty and he doesn’t think Androids are real people. Needless to say he and John don’t get along very well.
He also owns the spaceship we’re traveling in, so until we get our own spaceship we sort of have to deal with him.
Alisha: Ahh ok. That’s silly that he doesn’t believe androids are real people, I mean look at Data. He sounds like a younger version of Mal the captain of Serenity. Oh well best of luck with getting the Internet patched I know how that feels. I look forward to reading more of your adventures.
Carlee: He wishes he was as awesome as Mal. But he doesn’t know who Mal is. Being not from Earth and all he doesn’t really follow Earth science-fiction, even if Firefly is awesome.
Well that’s all for questions being answered. If you have any more questions feel free to ask them on any of the pertinent posts or on future question days. You can also ask me any day on facebook!
So, Carlee, is it...now is that pronounced CAR LEE or..what am I thinking, there's only one way to pronounce that.
So, Carlee. I've always wondered what it would be like to teleport. You must inform me as to how it feels. Now I am given to understand that the way a teleporter works is to identify the quantum state of matter of the item in question and transmits the pattern to another location for reassembly. Now if this is true, you would not have actually transported the item, but in fact destroyed the item and recreated it elsewhere.
So I guess my question is, how does it feel to be completely disintegrated and recreated? Can you actually feel the disintegration process? Are there any side effects that future scientists should be weary of?
Thanks. I'm a big fan.
Phillip
Phillip,
Thanks for your question and yeah Carlee is pronounced exactly like it sounds, Car like the vehicle and Lee like the southern civil war general.
As for your question on teleporting, well I’m not really qualified to talk about the theory. I’m struggling in Algebra II – do you really expect me to know how teleporting works? To me it’s sort of like magic. Luckily, my brother is an android and knows more about that sort of thing.
I can answer the how does it feel question. It sort of feels like your entire body fell asleep. I mean it’s pretty instantaneous but for this brief moment you feel tingly all over like right before your foot goes completely numb.
Man, you’re going to make me terrified of transporting with all this talk of destroying the item and recreating it elsewhere. Sort of reminds me of that movie the Prestige.
So now on to John for the technicalities.
Transporting: A Short Synopsis
The first transport device was invented by a species called the Yzbauir nearly seven hundred thousand Earth years ago (approximately 3,000 Yzbauir years). The device was investigated extensively by the Intergalactic Technology Regulation Administration (ITRA). After one hundred Earth years of investigation and use by the Yzbauir people with only a few minor incidents, the technology was approved by ITRA for use throughout the galaxy. By this time, other civilizations had developed their own transporter devices. Currently 7 forms of transport devices have been approved by ITRA for use.
Transporting is generally safe, though accidents have been known to happen when multiple transport devices are used in the same area. That is why transportation is heavily regulated by the Intergalactic Transportation Administration (ITA). Except in extreme emergency situations or on planets (like Earth) where absolutely no other transportation is taking place, all transports must be scheduled and approved at least three months in advance. This means that transportation is a technology mainly used by the important. The average citizen of the Universe generally chooses to travel by shuttle or spaceship.
How transporting works depends on the technology, and currently there are seven different forms. One transporter did take the person being transported apart on the molecular level as was described in the question. It is not, however, one of the 7 approved forms of transport. This transporter, though, approved as safe by the ITRA was taken off the market six hundred thousand years Earth years ago by the Intergalactic Council of Morality and because it was not selling. People were afraid to use something they thought might be killing them every time they used it.
The most popular transporter actually creates small tactical wormholes around the item or person to be transported. The actual matter is then transported in its entirety. The second most popular transporter shifts matter into energy and then shifts it back into matter on the other side, not destroying the traveler since energy and matter are connected and interchangeable. Many species made of matter still avoid this method, preferring the wormholes, but it is extremely popular among species composed of energy, who have no need to worry about matter shifting.
As stated before, transporting is not a common form of travel. Our transportation from Earth to the Ovleen spaceship was a rare occurrence, only allowed since landing on a primitive planet is strictly forbidden, it was a culture contamination emergency, and there was no possibility of anyone else transporting from the planet. The transporter that was used was one of the tactical wormhole transporters.
I hope this answer is satisfactory.
~John Earhart
Thanks John for your long, Wikipedia-esque answer. That was the only question on the blog, but a while ago Alisha asked a question on facebook (what’s that? You didn’t know I was on facebook. I may not be on Earth but I’m not that far out of touch). So I am adding our exchange after one of my status updates here.
Carlee Earhart wishes Ven and John would stop arguing for five minutes and find some way to fix her internet permanently instead of the quick patch throughs they keep coming up with.
Alisha: Hey Carlee! I’ve been following your blog, but you’ve only mentioned who John is, not Ven, so who exactly is he?
Carlee; Hey Alisha, Ven is a friend of ours who comes up a little later in the story of our adventures. I know I have not explained him yet. He’s a human (though not an Earthling – he’s third generation not Earth), and he helped us escape the Society of Anthropologists.
He doesn’t come into the story for a few more posts, but all you really need to know is that he’s around twenty and he doesn’t think Androids are real people. Needless to say he and John don’t get along very well.
He also owns the spaceship we’re traveling in, so until we get our own spaceship we sort of have to deal with him.
Alisha: Ahh ok. That’s silly that he doesn’t believe androids are real people, I mean look at Data. He sounds like a younger version of Mal the captain of Serenity. Oh well best of luck with getting the Internet patched I know how that feels. I look forward to reading more of your adventures.
Carlee: He wishes he was as awesome as Mal. But he doesn’t know who Mal is. Being not from Earth and all he doesn’t really follow Earth science-fiction, even if Firefly is awesome.
Well that’s all for questions being answered. If you have any more questions feel free to ask them on any of the pertinent posts or on future question days. You can also ask me any day on facebook!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Question Break 1
You probably still don't think this is real. You are undoubtedly convinced that I am some wannabe author, hiding in the corner of my room, trying to trick the world as I type on my laptop. I don't blame you for not believing me. The Society of Anthropologists doesn't want you to believe me. If you believed me. then I would be "contaminating Earth's culture". They don't care so much for individuals, like me. They don't care if I become personally contaminated, but God forbid I try to tell my people the truth. Now I'm contaminating a primitive culture. Forget that it’s my own. It's still illegal. The Society of Anthropologists is probably trying to figure out right now how to block my blog. Not that it matters. You don't believe this is real, so I think that might get me out of jail on a technicality, if they catch me.
So today is a summary/question day.
The summary:
My brother is an android.
He and I are on a spaceship being taken who knows where.
They are not going to let me go back to Earth.
I had a very hard time taking all of this in, and it was happening to me. Since you're just reading it and not experiencing it, you still probably think this is fake. I had John to answer all of my questions, and I’m here to answer yours. So ask them. This is a blog, just like any other blog on the internet. Post a question. Ask me what you want to know about the Society of Anthropologists or what kind of spaceship we’re on. I’ll answer your questions either later today or on Monday.
I know, I know. No post on Sunday? What!
Heck if God can rest on the seventh day, so can I.
That and I don’t think we’re going to be able to. John was also trying to explain something about cosmic storms between where we are now and the Earth, blocking all transmissions. Ven doesn’t think I should even be writing this blog so it’s not like he’s going to maneuver his stupid ship by the 10 degrees it needs to be moved so I can transmit a blog tomorrow. Stupid Ven.
You know it’s really not fair that someone so mean can be so hot.
Oh well.
Anyways, ask your questions! I will answer as many as I can today and when I get back on Monday.
Have a good day!
So today is a summary/question day.
The summary:
My brother is an android.
He and I are on a spaceship being taken who knows where.
They are not going to let me go back to Earth.
I had a very hard time taking all of this in, and it was happening to me. Since you're just reading it and not experiencing it, you still probably think this is fake. I had John to answer all of my questions, and I’m here to answer yours. So ask them. This is a blog, just like any other blog on the internet. Post a question. Ask me what you want to know about the Society of Anthropologists or what kind of spaceship we’re on. I’ll answer your questions either later today or on Monday.
I know, I know. No post on Sunday? What!
Heck if God can rest on the seventh day, so can I.
That and I don’t think we’re going to be able to. John was also trying to explain something about cosmic storms between where we are now and the Earth, blocking all transmissions. Ven doesn’t think I should even be writing this blog so it’s not like he’s going to maneuver his stupid ship by the 10 degrees it needs to be moved so I can transmit a blog tomorrow. Stupid Ven.
You know it’s really not fair that someone so mean can be so hot.
Oh well.
Anyways, ask your questions! I will answer as many as I can today and when I get back on Monday.
Have a good day!
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