B-5 Easter Egg Hunt

[bakana]

And a little Tougher one: quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We stand on the bridge and no-one may pass.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



That's Marcus's line from the Zarg episode of S3. The rangers' subplot was the only damn thing that kept me awake during that ep.

All true, but what makes it an Easter Egg?

Hint: It's a OLD Reference. Historic. Couple thousand years ago...

[Hichhiker]

Isn't the whole Soul Hunter thing based on Harlan Elison's short story?

-HH

[iamsheridan]

Originally posted by bakana
All true, but what makes it an Easter Egg?

Hint: It's a OLD Reference. Historic. Couple thousand years ago...

I thought it was Fõnrik StÕls sõgner (Tales of Ensign (?) Steel) by Johan Ludvig Runeberg.

[checking]
Actually the poem about Sven Duva (Sven Dove):
"Slõpp ingen djõvul ÷ver bron, hÕll ut en stund õnnu!"
(Don't let a devil cross the bridge, hold on a while yet!"

There should be an English translation somewhere.

/IamS

[jahkneebee]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by bakana
All true, but what makes it an Easter Egg?

Hint: It's a OLD Reference. Historic. Couple thousand years ago...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Would I be just too simplistic to guess the first meeting on the bridge of Robin Hood and Little John? The Ranger comment always made me think of that scene, although it does not have the broader 'good vs. evil' connotation that I would ascribe to the Rangers.

[Macbeth]

We stand on the bridge and no-one may pass

Two things spring to mind

Gandalf on the bridge of Khazad Dum

or

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Bridgekeeper: Stop. Who would cross the Bridge of Death must answer me these questions three, ere the other side he see.
Sir Lancelot: Ask me the questions, bridgekeeper. I am not afraid.
Bridgekeeper: What... is your name?
Sir Lancelot: My name is Sir Lancelot of Camelot.
Bridgekeeper: What... is your quest?
Sir Lancelot: To seek the Holy Grail.
Bridgekeeper: What... is your favourite colour?
Sir Lancelot: Blue.
Bridgekeeper: Go on. Off you go.
Sir Lancelot: Oh, thank you. Thank you very much.
Sir Robin: That's easy.
Bridgekeeper: Stop. Who would cross the Bridge of Death must answer me these questions three, ere the other side he see.
Sir Robin: Ask me the questions, bridgekeeper. I'm not afraid.
Bridgekeeper: What... is your name?
Sir Robin: Sir Robin of Camelot.
Bridgekeeper: What... is your quest?
Sir Robin: To seek the Holy Grail.
Bridgekeeper: What... is the capital of Assyria?
[pause]
Sir Robin: I don't know that.
[he is thrown over the edge into the volcano]
Sir Robin: Auuuuuuuugh.
Bridgekeeper: Stop. What... is your name?
Galahad: Sir Galahad of Camelot.
Bridgekeeper: What... is your quest?
Galahad: I seek the Grail.
Bridgekeeper: What... is your favourite colour?
Galahad: Blue. No, yel...
[he is also thrown over the edge]
Galahad: auuuuuuuugh.
Bridgekeeper: Hee hee heh. Stop. What... is your name?
King Arthur: It is 'Arthur', King of the Britons.
Bridgekeeper: What... is your quest?
King Arthur: To seek the Holy Grail.
Bridgekeeper: What... is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?
King Arthur: What do you mean? An African or European swallow?
Bridgekeeper: Huh? I... I don't know that.
[he is thrown over]
Bridgekeeper: Auuuuuuuugh.
Sir Bedevere: How do know so much about swallows?
King Arthur: Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you know

[WRTWORTHY]

hehehehe that is a great scene

[Capt.Montoya]

Here's an image of what comes to my mind with "we stand on the bridge and no one may pass"



(I'm intrigued about the real source)

[bakana]

Robin Hood only goes a few Hundred years back, not a couple Thousand.

OK, Here it is: Horatious at the Bridge. Roman.
Before the Empire. Before Christ

The Sublician Bridge well nigh afforded a passage to the enemy, had there not been one man, Horatius Cocles (fortunately Rome had on that day such a defender) who, happening to be posted on guard at the bridge, when he saw the Janiculum taken by a sudden assault and the enemy pouring down thence at full speed, and that his own party, in terror and confusion, were abandoning their arms and ranks, laying hold of them one by one, standing in their way and appealing to the faith of gods and men, he declared that their flight would avail them nothing if they deserted their post; if they passed the bridge, there would soon be more of the enemy in the Palatium and Capitol than in the Janiculum.

For that reason he charged them to demolish the bridge, by sword, by fire, or by any means whatever; declaring that he would stand the shock of the enemy as far as could be done by one man.
He then advanced to the first entrance of the bridge, and being easily distinguished among those who showed their backs in retreating, faced about to engage the foe hand to hand, and by his surprising bravery he terrified the enemy.
Two indeed remained with him from a sense of shame: Sp. Lartius and T. Herminius, men eminent for their birth, and renowned for their gallant exploits.
With them he for a short time stood the first storm of the danger, and the severest brunt of the battle.
But as they who demolished the bridge called upon them to retire, he obliged them also to withdraw to a place of safety on a small portion of the bridge that was still left.
Then casting his stern eyes toward the officers of the Etrurians in a threatening manner, he now challenged them singly, and then reproached them, slaves of haughty tyrants who, regardless of their own freedom, came to oppress the liberty of others.
They hesitated for a time, looking round one at the other, to begin the fight; shame then put the army in motion, and a shout being raised, they hurled weapons from all sides at their single adversary; and when they all stuck in his upraised shield, and he with no less obstinacy kept possession of the bridge, they endeavored to thrust him down from it by one push, when the crash of the falling bridge was heard, and at the same time a shout of the Romans raised for joy at having completed their purpose, checked their ardor with sudden panic.
Then said Cocles: ôHoly Father Tiber, I pray thee, receive these arms, and this thy soldier, in thy propitious stream.ö
Armed as he was, he leaped into the Tiber, and amid showers of darts, swam across safe to his party, having dared an act which is likely to obtain with posterity more fame than credit.
The state was grateful for such valor; a statue was erected to him in the comitium, and as much land given to him as he could plow in one day.

Biblomania


Horatius at the Bridge

Last three verses of the Poem:

And in the nights of winter,
When the cold north winds blow,
And the long howling of the wolves
Is heard amidst the snow;
When round the lonely cottage
Roars loud the tempestÆs din,
And the good logs of Algidus
Roar louder yet within;


LXIX

When the oldest cask is opened,
And the largest lamp is lit;
When the chestnuts glow in the embers,
And the kid turns on the spit;
When young and old in circle
Around the firebrands close;
When the girls are weaving baskets,
And the lads are shaping bows;


LXX

When the goodman mends his armour,
And trims his helmetÆs plume;
When the goodwifeÆs shuttle merrily
Goes flashing through the loom;
With weeping and with laughter
Still is the story told,
How well Horatius kept the bridge
In the brave days of old.

About the poet
Thomas Babington Macaulay, Lord Macaulay

[bakana]

OK. Here's another Easter Egg:

Most people can tell you which episode First had Londo's "Attribute" in it.

How many noticed the scene when All 6 Attributes were visible at the same time ??

[Jan]

Originally posted by bakana
OK. Here's another Easter Egg:

Most people can tell you which episode First had Londo's "Attribute" in it.

Quality of Mercy - the 'attribute' helped him cheat at cards.

How many noticed the scene when All 6 Attributes were visible at the same time ??

You mean in 'The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari' when they were trying to stabilize him?

Here's one back:

When did we *first* see the Centauri 'attributes' anywhere?

Jan

[bakana]

When did we *first* see the Centauri 'attributes' anywhere?

The Parliament of Dreams When Londo held up the statue of Li, the Centauri goddess of passion and kissed it.

Li is both Female & Male and her/his Attributes are very prominent.

We see her again when Londo explains to Lennier just what an Attribute IS.

Lennier, very sensibly, takes a vow of silence on the entire subject.


BTW, we never Did find out Who got married that night...

Couple interesting goodies about the episode...

# BTW, re: Sinclair remembering all those names...we used many of the real names of the people standing in line, many of whom *did* belong to the religion they had come to represent.
We went down this line of 250 people, and went over their names *twice* with O'Hare. That's all.
After that, he got each name right every time; amazingly quick memorization.


# Just learned that Babylon 5 won an Emmy for its Makeup Design, for "The Parliament of Dreams."
This is our second Emmy so far, our first for the series. I'm determined that next year we get some notices for our acting and other above-the-line areas.

In any event, congratulations to our makeup and prosthetics design people.

[LukeL]

Alright - first time i'm posting so bear...bare?...whatever...work with me...

I have always wondered:

Jeffrey Sinclair
John Sheridan
Joe Straczynski

Was this intentional? Does JMS love his monogram? I dunno...Well maybe its been noticed before but I'm curious...

This concludes my first post...thanks!


luke

[nanorc]

No way its just a coincidence.

[Jan]

Originally posted by LukeL
Alright - first time i'm posting so bear...bare?...whatever...work with me...

I have always wondered:

Jeffrey Sinclair
John Sheridan
Joe Straczynski

Was this intentional? Does JMS love his monogram? I dunno...Well maybe its been noticed before but I'm curious...

It's been noticed before and (to my knowledge) JMS has never weighed in with a reason for it. I think his reasons for naming characters a certain way may be either deeper than that or way simpler than that, though. For instance, he's had at least 3 characters (that I remember) named Elizabeth and several named David. No telling if those names mean anything, could just be that he likes those names.

I did once stumble on an interesting example of character names that *definitely* meant something to JMS, though. I'd just read one of his columns in the B5 Magazine and he'd mentioned the names of two teachers who'd influenced him greatly. Not long afterward, I ran across those names as minor characters in one of his books. Which one escapes me at the moment...possibly Othersyde? Anyway, it was a neat moment of recognition.

Since this is the Easter Egg thread, here's an item I noticed the other day while watching a Crusade episode, Each Night I Dream of Home. After the Senator and David (see?) come aboard, Gideon expresses curiosity about David and Mattheson informs him that David is a plumber from Paterson, NJ. That's where JMS was born.

[This concludes my first post...thanks!

Nice to see you here!

Jan

[grumbler]

Originally posted by bakana
I'm pretty sure the Strapon weapons & Construction info came from JMS.

Well, if you can find a quote of that, I will concede the point. Until then, I don't believe it, as looking at a Starfury makes me think they are built-in.

The point is that, In Space, you don't have the same Engine constraints that you do on the ground. Totally different physics.

Nope, the physics are the same. The medium is different, but the physics are the same.

Accelleration is Accelleration. The comparison between Tugboats and PT Boats doesn't work.

The Amount of thrust the engine puts out is what mattters, for the most part. If you're hauling around a few tons of contruction materials, the thing is pretty sluggish. Dump those construction materials and your spacecraft can take off like a Drag Racer for the Exact same fuel cost.

These two statements are unrelated. Acceleration is the change in rate of speed over time. The total maximum power of the engine can be accessed either slowly or quickly, depending on design. The more rapidly it can be accessed, the more fragile the engine, in general. Thus the difference between, say, tugboats and PT boats, which may have the same total power but vastly different acceleration performance.

The Manouverability specs are also pretty much the same:

In a Fight, you want to have very exacting control so you can dodge and aim and maybe not get shot up yourself.

On a Construction job, you need that same (or More) exact control so that you can place the various pieces of the space station in exactly the right spot so the Welder can go ahead.
Without ramming a 2 ton structural member through his kidneys.

You are confusing maneuverability and control. The tug needs as much control as a fighter, but doesn't need instantaneous power like a fighter does, because the conditions under which it operates are far more predictable. Thus, the tug would be highly controllable but have engines that lack the sort of "afterburner" power of a fighter engine.

And No One builds a spaceraft of Any Sort planning on letting the engines tear themselves apart for a short term advantage and spending lots of time on Maintenance.
If your engine craps out in Space, you don't generally have the option of just sorta floating around while you putter around fixing it.

Exactly how many spacecraft have you built, to be so sure?

In fact, I can easily see the designers of a Starfury accepting the higher maintenance requirements of a current fighter (compared to, say, a jetliner) in order to have greater instantaneous power. Note that the "letting the engines tear themselves apart" is your argument, not mine. Current and past fighters didn't have engines that tore themselves apart, they just had engines that required far more maintenance hours per flight hour (and that had to be replaced after far fewer flight hours) than non-military aircraft. That is what "higher maintenance requirements" means as I use it.