The Cambias Digression

Notes and thoughts on everything from what I had for breakfast to the fate of the Universe.

  • Vacation in Prague: Day 5

    On Thursday morning we ventured down along the riverbank south of the Charles Bridge, admiring the gorgeous Beaux-Arts buildings. We wandered as far as Prague's newest (and, in my personal opinion, most over-rated) architectural landmark, the "Dancing Houses." If you haven't seen pictures, it's a pair of vaguely whimsical modern structures made to give the…

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  • Random Encounters: Derelict Space Colony

    When new, it was a glittering gem of the heavens: a rotating cylinder four kilometers across and ten kilometers long, with great mirrors to focus sunlight inside. It boasted towns, farms, schools, factories — a city in space. But time and economics haven't been kind to the colony. The resource ran out or the trade…

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  • Vacation in Prague, Day 4

    After all the activity of the first few days, we took it easy on Wednesday. Got up late and had breakfast even later, with the result that we didn't even leave the apartment until past noon. Following a suggestion from a Prague native (see below) we crossed the river to the lovely Letna/Letenska Park on…

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  • Vacation in Prague, Day 3

    On Tuesday the 16th we slept until nine and breakfasted on croissants and scrambled eggs, then set out to see the sights of the Jewish Quarter. This meant much less walking, as our flat was right in the middle of that part of town. We began at the Old New Synagogue, which follows the international…

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  • Vacation in Prague, Day 2

    We woke early and set out for Prague's biggest tourist attraction: The Castle. And when I say biggest, I'm being utterly literal. Prague Castle is a third of a mile long and includes four palaces, a cathedral, a basilica, the President of the Czech Republic, an art museum, a street market, and a TORTURE MUSEUM.…

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  • Vacation in Prague, Day 1

    A note to the reader: because I am too lazy to hunt around the option keys on my laptop to find the right characters, I am spelling all Czech words without accents or other diacritical marks. We flew to Prague via Philadelphia, with a five-hour wait between landing in the hometown of W.C. Fields and…

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  • Random Encounters: Prague

    The ancient capital of Bohemia, Prague boasts one of the world's most beautiful city centers. Since the fall of Communism, millions of people from all over the world have flocked to Prague to enjoy the city's beauty and amazing historical and cultural sights. Roll 1d20 every 15 minutes of walking around Prague to see what…

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  • Random Encounters: In the Wizard’s House

    It looks like a whimsical little cottage on the outside, but on the inside the Wizard's House is a bewildering maze of hallways, endless staircases, courtyards, and rooms of every size. The windows look out on a frightening variety of landscapes, some which cannot exist on Earth. You're not the only ones exploring the Wizard's…

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  • WorldCon Turns Eighty!

    I'm not actually going to this year's World Science Fiction Convention in Dublin, and I only just discovered something interesting: the first WorldCon was held July 4 weekend in 1939, so this year represents the eightieth anniversary of WorldCons. Happy eightieth birthday!

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  • Celebrating Independence Day

    "I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from…

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