Also a shame the season box sets cost so much more than regular shows. If the show was down in the $15 perhaps even to $25 range I would probably splurge on it. But nearly $34 on sale from a $60 SRP is just too much.

>> ^WKB:

Quite possibly the most underrated show of all time. Such a shame that all the spin offs crapped out.

Quite possibly the most underrated show of all time. Such a shame that all the spin offs crapped out.

Suggests a first-person Civilization spin-off

I'm usually very lenient with my opinions of movies, I'll watch anything that flickers and usually like it. But I carry a single caveat with that, if the movie is amazing yet then goes spinning off to orbit planet "WTF?", then it most certainly loses any and all points for the awesome part. My reasoning is that if I can see that they've gone right off the rails, then the professional "filmmakers" should have seen it too.

With "Sunshine" it has all the traits of a gripping psychological thriller about how confinement and loneliness can effect the passengers of a spacecraft. Yet just when it is building to a unbelievably tense climax, it turns left and races head long toward the Ron Paul Nebula and crashes into the heart of the bat-shit crazy red super giant star. The entire plot line of the religious lunacy of Capt. Pinpacker should have been excluded entirely.

"Stumblin' In", a duet recorded in 1978 for RSO Records with Chris Norman of the band Smokie reached a #4 peak in the U.S.

She is known in the United States for her role as Leather Tuscadero on the TV show Happy Days. Show producer Garry Marshall offered the role without an audition after seeing her on his daughter's bedroom wall. Leather was the younger sister of Fonzie's girlfriend, hot-rod driver Pinky Tuscadero. Leather fronted an all-girl rock band joined by principal character Joanie Cunningham. The character returned in other cameo roles, including once for a date to a fraternity formal with Ralph Malph. Marshall offered Quatro a Leather Tuscadero spin-off, but she refused, saying she did not want to be typecast.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzi_Quatro

And as for you mentality - that's a hard one. Discworld of course are his best books (he has done some others), and within that series of books there are different spin-offs. Some are written from the perspective of the witches of discworld, some on the wizards (unrelated to the witches), some on the police, some are randomly based on a few individuals.

My dad started with the book about the police (or The Watch, as they're known in discworld). I let him start from the 1st book and he really didn't enjoy it, too fantasy for him, but fortunately he quickly realises comedy rather than fantasy is his niche. So while the very early books are a good read if/when you love discworld or fantasy, they're not always the best starting point.

I'd recommend therefore the City Watch books, as i did with my dad. They're an easy starting point. In order:
* Guards! Guards! 1989
* Men at Arms 1993
* Feet of Clay 1996
* Jingo 1997
* The Fifth Elephant 1999
* The Truth 2000
* Night Watch 2002
* Monstrous Regiment 2003
* Thud! 2005

I would recommend starting at the start if you mean to go on. The characters become more familiar and often you find the stories more sentimental and humorous if you know the characters. This list includes my top 3 favourite books of his, so definitely a good starting point. The books about Death (the character Death) are very good too.

In reply to this comment by dannym3141:
And as for you mentality - that's a hard one. Discworld of course are his best books (he has done some others), and within that series of books there are different spin-offs. Some are written from the perspective of the witches of discworld, some on the wizards (unrelated to the witches), some on the police, some are randomly based on a few individuals.

My dad started with the book about the police (or The Watch, as they're known in discworld). I let him start from the 1st book and he really didn't enjoy it, too fantasy for him, but fortunately he quickly realises comedy rather than fantasy is his niche. So while the very early books are a good read if/when you love discworld or fantasy, they're not always the best starting point.

I'd recommend therefore the City Watch books, as i did with my dad. They're an easy starting point. In order:
* Guards! Guards! 1989
* Men at Arms 1993
* Feet of Clay 1996
* Jingo 1997
* The Fifth Elephant 1999
* The Truth 2000
* Night Watch 2002
* Monstrous Regiment 2003
* Thud! 2005

I would recommend starting at the start if you mean to go on. The characters become more familiar and often you find the stories more sentimental and humorous if you know the characters. This list includes my top 3 favourite books of his, so definitely a good starting point. The books about Death (the character Death) are very good too.

Thanks for the recommendations!

No offence r1ok, but terry pratchett is an intellectual of the highest order. Easy for me to say 'genius', but i won't because it's bandied around too much. His books are filled with such amazing philosophies and opinions, explained and parodied in such subtle ways often and never preachy, he always shapes it into the fiction of his novels. In the genre in which he writes, he is unparalelled. He's one of the greatest wits in the world. He's friendly, he's caring.

To attempt to ridicule THIS MAN because he has read the same material as you but forms a different opinion borders on the farcical. You engender the 'bible-thumping' stereotypes by doing this at all. Terry is more intelligent than you or i, more witty, far more experienced, he's read more than most of us ever will - yet when he expresses his opinion on a writing, you try to call him small minded.

SMALL MINDED? Terry fucking Pratchett? Who the fuck are you anyway?

And as for you mentality - that's a hard one. Discworld of course are his best books (he has done some others), and within that series of books there are different spin-offs. Some are written from the perspective of the witches of discworld, some on the wizards (unrelated to the witches), some on the police, some are randomly based on a few individuals.

My dad started with the book about the police (or The Watch, as they're known in discworld). I let him start from the 1st book and he really didn't enjoy it, too fantasy for him, but fortunately he quickly realises comedy rather than fantasy is his niche. So while the very early books are a good read if/when you love discworld or fantasy, they're not always the best starting point.

I'd recommend therefore the City Watch books, as i did with my dad. They're an easy starting point. In order:
* Guards! Guards! 1989
* Men at Arms 1993
* Feet of Clay 1996
* Jingo 1997
* The Fifth Elephant 1999
* The Truth 2000
* Night Watch 2002
* Monstrous Regiment 2003
* Thud! 2005

I would recommend starting at the start if you mean to go on. The characters become more familiar and often you find the stories more sentimental and humorous if you know the characters. This list includes my top 3 favourite books of his, so definitely a good starting point. The books about Death (the character Death) are very good too.

I loved this. It felt a bit like a spin off curb your enthusiasm show with leon as the feature.

^Cleveland got a spin-off.

>> ^dannym3141:
>> ^demon_ix:
^ I used to believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Now I'm trying to get more followers for my Swimming Macaroni Critter spin-off faith. In a few centuries we'll see who rules the world!

You're just copying my Trotting Pasta Demon religion, formerly known as the Limping Alphabetti Fiend association


The eternal ravioli void slime will CONSUME YOU ALL!!!

>> ^demon_ix:
^ I used to believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Now I'm trying to get more followers for my Swimming Macaroni Critter spin-off faith. In a few centuries we'll see who rules the world!


You're just copying my Trotting Pasta Demon religion, formerly known as the Limping Alphabetti Fiend association

^ I used to believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Now I'm trying to get more followers for my Swimming Macaroni Critter spin-off faith. In a few centuries we'll see who rules the world!

The biggest problem i see is that there are so many ways to approach to the problem that all seem to do what is needed, but right now are scattered between researchers and projects all over the world, and i dont have access to them! For instance, you have massively excellent ideas, but would i have even known about them if i didnt come on videosift? so who else might already have another piece to the puzzle that i am completely ignorant of? that is my base starting point, because of my experience level and resources.

you are correct in approaching the linguistic AI component as the heaviest and most critical task to work on. Everything else is trivial in comparison.

The researchers at Cornell started a project in 2004 with a 10 year goal to accomplish basically what we're talking about in terms of analysis, only for a different purpose. I would not like to... spend time on that component when that research will save time and ultimately be better than what i can think of or make with my resources. I could essentially dig the hole, and fill it in with their system... a desire not driven by a particular ... inability... but out of desire for maximum efficiency.

I seem to be my best at unifying already developed systems, so right now... im identifying what components are needed, in what stage, if any, do they exist currently, where do they exist, and how can i use them in this new way.

The database component and GUI is likely where i personally could do the most work, but soon i will have access to the brains here at the CS department, and hopefully they will be interested enough to give me pointers in the right direction for the rest. I am about 7 months out from even getting to that point, so in that time, i am going to keep basically brainstorming and researching all the stuff i can so that the concept is presentable and accessible to new minds.

I can't contribute much at this point besides vision, time, and energy, but i feel like its such a worthy goal that i could easily spend a lifetime on it and consider it well spent. Your ideas make total sense to me, but... i wouldnt have been able to produce them in such logical context as efficiently... so at least, i can identify the need to be educated and educate myself more. I want to see what specific areas i excel at here at school so i feel i have validity to ... waste the time of more brilliant individuals such as yourself.

I mean, you already have such practical solutions for an AI framework, and i haven't even done anything as defined. so it makes me feel .. unworthy of attempting to interact at your level when i know i am not ready... but i know now you have a piece to the puzzle... so progress has been made... perhaps soon i can make the call to arms for the project in a way that is appropriate to the end goal, which is participation of everyone.

That's all i can spew forth ... once again thank you for making me see that it really is important to other people... that alone is enough to keep me going on this. I belive soon i will make a .org website for people to start brainstorming on, with a forum and such... that is how i can most effectively contribute at this point... organizing channels for ideas regarding the various components, as they are identified. My younger brother, for instance, is getting heavy training in the PeopleSoft/oracle suites, so there is another piece right there.

Sorry to be so vague in response to your very specific ideas.. all i can say to them is... YES MOAR PLS!1 and lol you found the same funny definitions for the acronym i did... heh heh heh. There needs to be a clearing house for these ideas... that's where i can come in the soonest, i believe... i would love to watch the conversation develop between more parties with interests and abilities such as yours! ok, well, back to the drawing board to channel some of this excitement productively! i have a large break time coming up in late august, and with that i hope to be in full swing making the website and "conceptual" framework for others to spin off of.

boy this will be neat... thanks D!

Ryjkyj - I actually agree with you on the Event Horizon part.. but within the confines of it being a movie it works for me. It's not perfect, sticking your finger into a black void? Uhmm.. yeah.... BUT that movie gave me a huge feeling of dread, and I can watch any given normal scary movie and walk out just fine. It's one of the rare ones that actually got to me. Keep in mind I saw it in a dark movie theater, on a ganormous screen with booming bass. The asteroid at the beginning shook the seats when it rolled by.

The other thing about it is, it IS related to Hellraser. Might even be considered a spin-off. How so?

"I have such wonderful things to show you.". - Event Horizon

"We have such sites to show you.". - Hellraiser

Both in reference to hell. Was the scientist in the movie becoming some sort of Cenobite?

Also the dark matter chamber resembles the designs on the boxes from Hellraiser.

I actually like that it ties in with the Hellraiser movies, and that's an area where others may or may not as well themselves.