Episode Fifty Five – The Thirteenth Interplanetary Curling Competition

The Thirteenth Interplanetary Curling Competition

There was a glitch, by which I mean mistake, in editing, and the Introduction ended up over the top of the start of the episode.
I don’t think anything vital was obscured, but in any case, it’s fixed now.
What’s important is that you all know that it was Craig’s fault.
~ T. Jones

In our Most Canadian of Episodes yet, we are joined by Rob and welcome back John, who appeared on Episode 51.

  • A hallowed cultural event is dogged by a deadly curse.  Can the Royal Space Canadian Mounted Space Police spare this year’s event?! And what happened to the last dozen?
  • An advanced and morally questionable civilization plays a game with entire worlds in the balance.
  • A physics defying test of skill and nerve becomes a matter of life and death when the Universe’s rules refuse to stay over-turned.
  • Asteroid mining is a difficult, dangerous, lonely, and cold.   The games some of the miners play are even darker still.

Contains references to the noble sport of Curling.  Described on the show by avowed non-experts as “like Sideways Darts with a Broom” and “a cross between Lawn Bowls and Housework”.

 

Curling in NZ.  People are trying to get purpose-built rink constructed in Auckland, of all places.  Go you!

The Chesdale Cheese song and the alleged untruthiness of the “Mike Moore myth”.

Men with Brooms (2002)

Tchotchkes

Office Space (1999)

Basic rules and physics of Curling a ten minute video.  From an American in Alabama, so you know it’s legit.

Tokyo-3 from Neon Genesis Evangelion and Babylon 5 from Babylon 5.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police or “Mounties”.

Sparks Nevada from The Thrilling Adventure Hour.

Sam Steele, a distinguished Canadian soldier and police official from the turn of last century.  Possessed a mustache capable of felling an elk.

RPG – 2300AD – Originally had “Traveller” in it’s title despite not using the world or system normally assoccated with the name and being a follow up to Twilight 2000.  Oh, roleplaying games.

The Haka a traditional Māori dance / war-cry used variously as a challenge, celebration, or drunken gesture of nationalism.

The Blue Ensign, the current New Zealand flag versus a publicly submitted gallery of nearly 3000.  As mentioned, some are *quite* busy.

The Silver Fern, New Zealand’s unofficial flag.

The Culture, an interstellar anarchist utopian society created by Iain M. Banks.

RPG – Star Thugs by Mark Argyle – there’s a review, though the websites mentioned are a state of disrepair.

The Heralds of Galactus and the Big G-Man himself, one of the more loopy corners of the Marvel cosmic canon.  Clear evidence of PC power creep, that.

The Kardashev Scale

The Red Dwarf Episode “White Hole” Season 4 Episode 4

Chariots of the Gods? by Erich von Däniken.   Yes, the question mark is part of the title.  Sign of quality, that.

Planetes – the anime about the lowly but vital “trash collectors” of Earth’s orbit.

A Big Piece of Garbage – Futurama’s take on space junk.

Jupiter’s Moon, Europa

The Kuiper Belt – cold, dark, and not handy to the shops at all.

John Constantine from the comic Hellblazer

RPG – Paranoia

Portal 2 – Robot Crushing Fun

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2 thoughts on “Episode Fifty Five – The Thirteenth Interplanetary Curling Competition

  1. Burning says:

    No game pitch, but as I was re-listening to this episode, during the Space Canada portion, the phrase “Canadian Diaspora” sprang into my head. Make of that what you will.

    • Avatar photo Craig says:

      I can imagine a disaster situation where the only parts of the Commonwealth left with enough industrial base to go exploring & colonizing is Canada, planting a variant on the maple leaf with a few references to the junior members of the Canadian Commonwealth off in the red bits, where they won’t get in the way.

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