The Drink Tank 005 (2005).pdf

The Drink Tank

Issue and a Fifth

More Thoughts and strangenesses

Written and Directed by

Christopher J. Garcia

My first Corflu is only a couple of weeks away. There's a lot I'm looking forward to, mostly

getting a look at the faces that go along with the names I've been reading most of my reading life.

The folks I'm most eager to get a chance to chat with are folks like Arnie Katz(who I didn't see on

the membership list, but he was the co-chair of the BBB movement), Bill Burns(to apologize for

the frequency of this publication), and Art Widner, just cause every other time I've ran into him,

he's always had a few good stories. There are of course others I'd like to get a chance to talk

with, like Marty Cantor, Bruce Gillespie, and Gordon Eklund. There's always someone else to

meet at these things.

This Just in

Two Millers have made significant moves. Reggie Miller of the Indiana Pacers has retired while

Arthur Miller has passed away. The great basketballer is one of those guys who stayed with his

team from the start and was one of the great shooters. Arthur Miller was a fine playwright, a

raging Pinko leftist, Marilyn's husband and a damn smart guy. Growing up as a Reagan-loving

Conservative, I always found his political works to be most annoying. I will say that the man

could write a tragic hero better than most.

My Favourite Fanzine Ever

I've never been shy about saying what my favourite fanzine

happens to be. For most of my life, it was Granfalloon. Then, in the

1990s, it became Mimosa. It's been challenged by a few things, but

nothing has ever come up to the Mimosa standards.

Richard and Nikki Lynch ran Mimosa starting in the 1980s. The

goal was to tell the stories of fandom's glorious, and schmutzig, past.

the history of fandom has always been one of my majour interests,

particularly the 1968 WorldCon. The first issue of Mimosa I got my

hands on, I think it was Mimosa 14, featured an article from David

Kyle on the Science Fiction League. I was deeply hooked.

The articles were by fans, and fans turned pro, who were some of the best and most entertaining

possible contributors. Kyle, Mike Resnick, Forry, The Benfords, Jack Chalker and so many

others. For me, Dave Kyle was the highlight writer. When I got a chance to read older issues, I

would always jump for the Kyle article first. Mimosa wound up doing 30 top-notch issues, and in

my eyes, went out still holding the belt.

In 2002, likely early in 2002, I came across Dick Lynch's outline for a book on 1960s Fandom. I

had heard so many of the full stories but had never seen all of them gathered in one place. It hit

me that the 1960s was probably the last decade you could do a view of a Grand Unified Fandom.

The 1970s explosion of Star Trek fandom and later Star Wars and anime, not to mention the Con

Explosion that followed, would make doing one of the 70s too hard and of the 80s even harder.

More than anything, I want that book to get released. Hell, I'd pre-pay for it before it was even

written. Fannish history is important, and folks like Richard are gonna make sure we know that.

Nearer Corflu to Thee...

The Drink Tank

Issue and a Fifth

Chess: The Computers and Women That Play

The Computer History Museum is putting together an exhibit on the history of Computer Chess.

While I've been doing a lot of the research, and believe me when I say that there is so very much

material to go through, I've managed to learn very little. Here's what I know: computers have been

playing chess as long as there have been computers to play the game. Some of the true legends in

computing history have worked on the chess problem. Alan Turing (who was named the Most

Important Gay Man of the Twentieth Century back in 2000), Stanislaus Ulam, John Von

Neumann, Ken Thompson (inventor of UNIX and the guy who bumped into me yesterday at the

museum) and of course, AI pioneer John McCarthy. We only managed to get computers to beat

Grand Masters by putting the programmes on specialized supercomputers.

I've studied chess games from the last fifty years of all the greats.

Kasparov and Karpov's games are amazing to analyze and the same can

be said of all the Bobby Fisher games. I've played games against a

dozen classic programmes. I managed to beat the first computer chess

board, the Exidy Chess Challenger, BattleChess, and MicroChess and

lost to programmes ranging from Mephisto and Shredder to Deep

Junior and one of the later versions of SARGON.

The G-Man Playing Deep Junior

The thing that interests me are the chess personalities. Gary Kasparov is the most famous,

since he lost Human Superiority to the Machines in that famous match. The most interesting

set of chess figures that I have stumbled across are the Polgar sisters.

The Polgar sisters are Judit, Sophia and Susan. Some say

that the Polgar sisters had a father who made the dad from

Shine look like Bill Cosby. He bragged that his daughters were

going to be the first female World Champions. Easily, Judit

and Susan are the best female chess players of all time, and

Sophia isn't too far behind.

I've seen their matches, both on tape and in report form, and

they are most impressive. I'd say that Susan might play the

most elegant game of chess in the world. Judit plays like a

juggernaut, she's unstoppable. I've not found any records of

matches between the two of them, though I know they exist,

and I'm pretty sure that they would be battles. Arguably,

Susan is better at central board control while Judit can

destroy a position better than anyone (OK, maybe that

Kasparov guy is good at that too).

I know Judit and Susan are moms, in fact, Judit just

returned to the circuit after having her kid. Judit won the

Japfa back in 2000 and did well at the Corus after coming

back this year. Susan won Gold at the 2004 Chess Olympiad.

Susan has been the Woman's World Chess Champion, though

Judit would probably have held that title since she was 15 or

so, but she refuses to play all woman tourneys.

Top: The sisters Polgar, Middle: Judit vs. Kasparov, Bottom: Fischer vs. Susan

The Drink Tank

Issue and a Fifth

Lord Kelvin's Machine

By James Blaylock

Ah, steampunk, that genre that has

pretty much always been around and only

after Sterling, Rucker and Gibson turned

everything into a -punk did it gain a name.

Jim Blaylock is one of the best steampunk

writers, along with Tim Powers. He

created a world surrounding a cast of

characters like Dr. Narbondo and Langdon

St Ives. It's a beautiful little world he's

created, but Lord Kelvin's Machine does

sort of drop off towards the end into a

rank-and-file time travel story. While I

was amused the whole way through, I

didn't think that it lived up to the early

chapters. Blaylock is as good a closer as

I've seen, unlike, say, Robert J. Sawyer, so

I was a little shocked at the flacidity of the

ending.

Still, it was enjoyable. I'm not a

Victorian fan at all, but the England

Blaylock presents is fun and at times

hilarious. I'm hoping that Homunculus,

which features the same characters, ends

better.

I'd suggest reading it if you're a

steampunk fan or like the Victorian Age in

general.

Danny Bot

Reviewed by Christopher J Garcia

Frankly, there are a lot of short films that are

just plain silly. Silly films can be great, like Lon

Lopez's Oh Yeah! (available on iFilm.com) but

mostly, they are just fluffy and insignificant.

Frank Lesser's Danny Bot is not at all fluffy...I

mean it is, but it's still a great little short.

Danny Bot is the story of Young Master, a

young man whose robot companion through his

childhood has been called up to the RoboWar.

So, in the grand tradition of all those left behind

as their nearest adn dearest go off to fight, Young

Master begins to sing.

Now, understand that this is actually a filk

song, taking the tune to Danny Boy and making

it about a Robot War instead of WWI. It's

hilarious, especially in combination with the

images of protestors and Young Master's

childhood. Plus, any song that calls a robot a

War-like Dove will have me in stitches.

I can't say that it's the funniest short I say last

year (that honour goes to Spam-Ku) but it is right

up there. Lesser does a great job and the

costume for the Tambor 3000 (which I'm betting

was named after the Patron Saint of The Drink

Tank, Mr. Jeffrey Tambor) was great.

Not only is it a fun short, but it's got a great

website at www.dannybot.com. It's got a

RoboBlog for Danny Bot and a bunch of funny

material that kept me entertained.

This is another short you can see at the

Cinequest Film Festival in March. I'll be

announcing one of the screenings, so hopefully

I'll get to meet the brains behind the madness!

A Very Short Story

Alternate History

Harry Turtledove sat at his desk,

distracted from his latest manuscript by

the third season finale of CopRock. To

clear his mind of concious thought, he

took a sip of his New Coke and freed his

brain by reading Dave Meltzer's column

in the National. He stopped, looked up

and had two very dark thoughts.

Iron Chef American: The Series

By M Lloyd

I love Iron Chef. We used to watch it together

back in the old days. The tapes the Jay sent me

are great. The Flay-Tsai battle was fun, but

nothing beats Buffalo as a theme. I wish they'd

have the challenger choose who he wanted to face,

and maybe bring in a chick soon! Alton rules!

First, he had written himself into his

latest story.

Second, he was running out of good

ideas.

The Drink Tank

Issue And A Fifth

Comments and Complaints

Sent to Garcia@computerhistory.org

By My Gentle Readers

Lloyd Penny- Etobicoke, ON Canada

Dear Chris:

Thanks for posting issues of The Drink Tank on eFanzines…you’re putting them out at a rate of

about one every two or three days! Before more arrive, I thought I’d do up the traditional letter of

comment on the first four issues.

I though that to put more time between issues, I should double the page count. I finished

the first ten pager in less than 5 hours and said 'nah, I'll stick to 5 (or now 6) a time.'

1…You must know Arnie Katz by now, for he also shares your twin interests of fandom and

wrestling. I think I can include Bill Kunkle in that, as well. I’ve never really been involved with

wrestling, but I do know that the initial organization that eventually became the WWE was

founded in Toronto. Wrestlers like Sweet Daddy Siki got their start here.

My own training is in journalism, so I had hoped to be an author by now, as well. Sometimes, I

don’t even think I’m a writer, but I do whomp out a lot of locs, and that’s what’s keeping me busy

these days.

There’s a group of fans in Montreal that do fan films every so often. Their latest one was Beavra!,

and they’ve done several others, too. Check out the Montreal Sf Association, give them a Google,

and see what they’re doing.

I've exchanged a couple of emails with The Kingfish, but we've never met. I'm hoping to get

the chance at Corflu. Sweet Daddy Siki is a name that pops up a lot with old-timey

Canadian Fans. I met him when my Dad used to work up yonder. He was still wrestling

into the 1990s! I was about to say that I've seen your name in most of the fanzines I tend

to find myself reading. I'm wondering if my LoCer from issue 3, Mr. De Mey, is one of those

folks making fan films.

2…Television SF is one think I haven’t been watching at all. Enterprise was cancelled, Battlestar

Galactic hasn’t caught my eye at all…I haven’t gotten into a good television show since Babylon 5.

I can enjoy a good programme, but I’m waiting for one that I can really get into. Time will tell, and

I’ll wait…I’ve got enough on my plate right now.

Media fandom gets no respect because for many years, they were seen as almost illiterate,

preferring watching the small or large screen to opening a book. We know now that it’s not true;

many media fans I know have a respectable bookshelf; they simply find the fandom that’s more

friendly, and to be honest, that’s media fandom. Lit fandom can be pretty nasty to the neofan. I

should know…my own start in fandom was with Trek fandom, helping to start a club on the west

of coast of Canada in 1977. I did eventually ask if there was anything else fanwise, and that’s

when I found out about lit fandom, conventions, Hugos, Worldcons, and much more. I’m more

into lit than media now, but I know people on both sides, and our efforts with Torcon brought a lot

on either side together.

Lost is really good. I never got into any Star Trek after TNG and I've never seen any B5. I

pretty much think that I straddle the line of Media and Lit. I had an easy intro, though.

My dad wasn't about to put me through the paces before I could read and once you can

claim second generation, things are made much easier, I've noticed.

The Drink Tank

Issue and a Fifth

Comments and Complaints

Sent to Garcia@computerhistory.org

By My Gentle Readers

3…I notice there’s lots of poker, billiards and strongman competitions on the various sports

channels. A lot of it is because of the NHL hockey lockout. (As you can tell, I don’t watch ESPN,

but sometimes, I do watch TSN, which is their Canadian affiliate.)

I’ve heard the complaint that fandom is very white. Part of the complaint comes from my friend

Wayne Brown from Rochester, New York. Wayne is black, and a very busy fan in that city,

irregularly staging a con called Astronomicon. We plan to go to it this coming November. Wayne’s

black friends call him an Oreo cookie for his interest in fandom. They think it’s a white man’s

hobby. I find people of many different descents around Canadian fandom…black fans in Montreal

and Nova Scotia, oriental in Toronto, Hispanic out west. I am happy to say that race has never

entered into the equation; fans is fans. We all look different to each other, and somehow, that

makes us all the same.

I love Trick Shot Magic and Women's 9-Ball on the Deuce. I really do wish that someone

would start ESPN 8- The Ocho. I am in serious hockey withdrawl, especially since I live

around the corner from The Shark Tank. I notice that Anime and comic fandom both tend

to have a lot of ethnicity, especailly Asian kids. I've never actually seen any out and out

exclusion due to race, I more think it's a matter of interests not being presented.

4…and right up to date. I did hear that Max Schmeling has passed away. I think names like his

fade away from popular culture because it’s much more detailed these days, and modern pop

culture depends more on look than achievement. When it comes to SF writers, we feel that way

with Roger Zelazny. He was preparing to come up to our convention some years ago when he

passed away. We had an excellent reason to give to our convention members when we had to tell

them Roger wouldn’t be here this weekend…

I have found that as long as SF fanzines have been around, they provide someone to take a nasty

swipe as someone else. Feuds still take place, and people assume the worst in others. I don’t get

involved with them, in spite of the fact I’ve been a target a couple of times. rich brown doesn’t like

the way Cheryl Morgan does her zine, and Cheryl couldn’t give a rat’s ass about what rich thinks.

(Found that out this morning. She think rich is very entertaining, and gives her zine publicity she

couldn’t buy.) I know Cheryl doesn’t print locs, which seems to be the focus of his complaint. I loc

her zines anyway. They whole idea of communicating through zines is communicating. Getting

your byline printed with your loc is egoboo, and it’s fine.

In the locol, Helen is right. I am reading Somewhere to be Flying by deLint, and it’s quite

entertaining.

You're definitely right about the way Pop Culture works today. Max will probably be

better remembered than most of his contemporaries, save for Joe Louis. I miss Zelazny. I

do feel like he's been sort of pushed to the side after his death, sort of an anti-Cordwainer.

I try my hardest to avoid participating in politics, though I guess by commenting on them,

I'm doing just that.

Well, two pages to cover four issues isn’t too bad. Keep the issues coming, and I’ll write more

locs, simple as that. Many thanks, and see you with the next one.

Yours, Lloyd Penney.

Thanks for reading and writing in. Issue Six is cooling on the window sill as we speak.

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika: