General update thingy.

• Yeah, I wandered off for as few days. My bad.


• I haven't slept very well for the last few nights. So I've been a bit of a zombie during daylight hours.


• But there is big news!


• I've been off oxygen for almost 2 weeks, including the Reno trip, and my saturation number is staying well above 90%!


• My pulse rate is still getting a little high when I exert myself, and I still tire easily, but those are more from me being out of shape.


• Emailed my doctor to let her know. Hopefully, the Oxygen people will be able to come and take all this away!


• Need to win the lottery before Worldcon. If only so we can eat at the Atlantis' steakhouse.


• Winning the lottery would solve many problems, actually.


• I'm winning the battle over the infection in my esophagus. A few more days of meds and I'm done.


• Unfortunately, the medication for the infection doesn't react well to my blood thinner.. so I've been back on Lovenox shots since this thing was diagnosed.


• kshandra and I are both going to be happy when we're done with this series.


• In other health news, I've ditched the home care nurse. I'm healthy enough now to go to the hospital for my blood draws.


• Just have to remember to hydrate heavily before going.


• My beloved Giants are 1.5 games back of Colorado after sweeping the Rox in three really amazing games.


• Two of the games were walk-off wins in the 9th. The last was a pitchers duel that we won 3-0.


• Meanwhile, the San Jose Sharks seemed to be poised for their inevitable post-season choke.


• Good thing I don't really care about hockey.


• Starting to prepare for Baycon. It would be nice to know what panels I'm doing, even if there isn't a firm schedule yet.


• That way I can start putting things together for a better presentation.


• OK, time to consider food.

Scenes from an alternate civilization

Played a really fun game of Civ IV yesterday. I was the Romans under Caesar Augustus. I spread out along the southern coast of the world's main continent, as the Babylonian Empire was directly to my north. One tactic you can use against rivals is "flipping" their cities through cultural influences. Build enough culture-generating improvements in a city near the border, spend gold on culture, and you'll see your rivals' cities close to your border start to show more and more of your cultural influence. Get over 50%, and riots start breaking out. Eventually (unless the city is heavily garrisoned) the city will revolt and come over to your side.

In this game I had reached the point where my technological edge over Babylon gave me the confidence to start massing for an attack. I began piling riflemen and cannon just across the border from the cities on my hit-first list. Before I could launch my attacks, two of the cities I was going to attack revolted and joined my empire! Which led to my imagining this scene...

( On the walls of Sippara )

Eureka!

Which of course is Greek for "This bath is too hot."

Actually, that would be "Αυτό το μπάνιο είναι πολύ ζεστό!" (Af̱tó to bánio eínai polý zestó!)

But anyway, I was noodling around with some final details on my religious structure for Pathfinder, and I was still stuck on the name. "The Great Church" is too cliche. I didn't want to call it the Catholic Church for obvious reasons. Then I got into a page about St. Augustine's City of God and it hit me. Make Augustine of Hippo the primary founder of the church. He was the first to gather the various tales and revelations of the gods into one book. He called for religious leaders from all over the failing empire to gather together to ensure that the teachings of the gods wouldn't be lost. He also wrote numerous commentaries on the church, the gods, and planes of existence. His writings, along with the Holy Revelation of the Divine form the core of educated thought for much of Europe. In game terms, he was probably an epic-level cleric.

Because I have plans for the western Sahara, I have to move him. Augustine of Acre, then. Which means I can move the Synod of Hippo to Jerusalem. Which solves another problem. I needed a reason for Jerusalem to be the center of religious attention it is in our world without Solomon's Temple, the crucifixion, and Mohammed's miraculous journey to the city. Making it the birthplace of the church, even if the actual governing bodies went elsewhere, means that you'll still have holy sites a-plenty to draw in the pilgrims.

So, The Holy and Blessed Church of the Augustine Revelation, more commonly known simply as the Augustine Church. The Order of St. Augustine (Ordo Sancti Augustini, O.S.A.), is the largest clerical order in the Western Church.

Just imagine the relics...

Comments?