March 2008 Muse Roll Call

Posted on February 23, 2008 by Robert Coontz (Administrator)

Let us know when your issue arrives. NO SPOILERS, please. There’s another thread for discussing the issue.

Posted in The magazine | 34 Comments

Shadow Play, Part 3

Posted on February 20, 2008 by Rebecca Lasley (Administrator)

The intersection of multiple sources of light and shadow, producing sometimes unexpected results: sounds like business as usual on the Random Thread.

Continued from Part 2.

(Users’ Manual: Obey The Rules. Consult The Guide. Have fun!)

Posted in Random craziness | 305 Comments

Total Lunar Eclipse Tonight

Posted on February 20, 2008 by Robert Coontz (Administrator)

It’s visible from the eastern half of North America to Western Europe, and points south. Worth a look if it’s not too cloudy where you are. Details are available at NASA’s eclipse page (delinked version below; paste it into your browser, and delete the spaces before “gov” and “html”):

sunearth.gsfc.nasa. gov/eclipse/lunar. html

Posted in The Universe | 78 Comments

Off With Their Heads! The Origins and Culture of HPBs — Part 2

Posted on February 19, 2008 by Robert Coontz (Administrator)

What are hot-pink bunnies? Where do they come from? What do they want? This unflinching thread continues the investigation detailed in Part One.

WARNING: Potentially disturbing content within. :idea:

Posted in Fan Page / MuseBlog business, Hot-Pink Bunnies, Random craziness | 303 Comments

RRR* The Sea Roc (a.k.a. Capt. Pye & Co.) — Part 4

Posted on February 15, 2008 by Rebecca Lasley (Administrator)

Continued from Part 3.

*Round Robin ‘Riting

Posted in Nonrandom Craziness, RRRs, RPWs, and RPGs | 319 Comments

Muse Academy RPG*, Part 2

Posted on February 12, 2008 by Rebecca Lasley (Administrator)

The *role-playing game continues just in time for class. Continued from Part 1.

Posted in Muse Academy, Nonrandom Craziness, RRRs, RPWs, and RPGs | 427 Comments

Happy 199th Birthday, Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin!

Posted on February 12, 2008 by Robert Coontz (Administrator)

It must be frustrating to turn 199 and realize that the really big party is a year off.

Posted in Birthdays | 17 Comments

MuseBlog By the Numbers

Posted on February 11, 2008 by Rebecca Lasley (Administrator)

If you thought blog traffic was heavy in January, you weren’t imagining things. It was the fifth busiest month in MB history. In contrast, January 2007 was the fifth slowest month in MB history.

Since we ♥ charts and maps, here are a couple to ponder.

MuseBlog Monthly Comment Totals by Standard Calendar Year

MuseBlog Monthly Comment Totals by Blog Year


Posted in Fan Page / MuseBlog business | 91 Comments

Shadow Play, Part 2

Posted on February 10, 2008 by Robert Coontz (Administrator)

The February Random Thread: don’t try this at home!

Continued from Part the First.

(Users’ Manual: Obey The Rules. Consult The Guide. Have fun!)

Posted in Random craziness | 372 Comments

Just Friends, v. 2008.1

Posted on February 10, 2008 by Robert Coontz (Administrator)

A thread for discussing non-romantic relationships.

Continued from Just Friends, Part 2.

Posted in Life | 265 Comments

The Peace of Zemtee, Part the Second

Posted on February 8, 2008 by Robert Coontz (Administrator)

The end of the latest Classic Pie War marked a new chapter in the Musiverse. The turning point came here. This thread continues the story.

Posted in Nonrandom Craziness, RRRs, RPWs, and RPGs, The Musiverse | 371 Comments

Happy Year of the Rat!

Posted on February 7, 2008 by Robert Coontz (Administrator)

Today begins the Year of the Rat on the Chinese lunar calendar. How do you plan to celebrate the noble rodent?

Posted in Life, The Universe | 76 Comments

Dealing with Stress

Posted on February 6, 2008 by Robert Coontz (Administrator)

Sometimes life just seems too much. Too many obligations, and not enough time. Too much work, not enough fun. What do you do then? What works best to get you back on track?

Posted in Life | 140 Comments

Life on the Pieceful Pie Planet, Part 8

Posted on February 5, 2008 by Robert Coontz (Administrator)

Neither long ago nor far in the future, in a galaxy — who knows? Maybe this one. Anyway, it’s a pleasant place to be.

Continued from Part 7.

Here is the OFFICIAL ROSTER OF PPP PWNERs:

1. Tupisodaloric Groves – ΡÖŞΏĈ
2. Beevlonic Island archipeligo – Beavo
3. Feather and its two sister countries, Spinach and PPP 2 – The Man For Aeiou
4. Taruva – Cat’s Meow
5. Kokonillendor – Kokonilly
6. Duckland – Emmatheduck
7. Good Karmalot – beatlesrockr
8. New Atlantis – Alice

MOONS
1. Milkshake Moon – ¡Í߀ƒ!

Posted in Nonrandom Craziness, RRRs, RPWs, and RPGs, The Musiverse | 400 Comments

Attention, Pie Warriors!

Posted on February 5, 2008 by Robert Coontz (Administrator)

‘Way back at the dawn of history (April 2006, to be precise), your beneficent GAPAs proclaimed that “real” online wars would be banned from the blog but permitted MBers to engage in fantasy pie wars.

Since then, we’ve gradually relaxed that policy. MBers on “Pie War” threads have introduced swords, armor, explosives, and other accoutrements of warfare camouflaged with pielike names. Saying that a weapon is made of pietanium, however, doesn’t make it pastry — especially when the MBer bearing the weapon uses it to maim and slaughter. The results have been a steady string of duels, massacres, and assassinations on the threads and some nasty personal disputes behind the scenes — all highly unMuselike, and excruciatingly boring to anyone not directly involved.

Therefore, we are reasserting our original anti-war policy and taking steps to enforce it. The pie war thread in question will be closed to further comments. So will the hidden Jadestone and Glassboro Planning Thread (though we will still visit it occasionally to hear the singing bunnies). Attempts to continue the war or arguments about it on other threads will be ruthlessly suppressed. If you’re scrapping for a fight, go to World of Warcraft or some other site. That’s not what we’re about here. We have spoken.

–The Administrators

Posted in Fan Page / MuseBlog business | Leave a comment

Ble! Newluj—No Fulst, Part 1

Posted on February 4, 2008 by Robert Coontz (Administrator)

Muse‘s very own language, which Nak unleashed on the world in the November/December 2003 issue.

Continued.

Posted in Nonrandom Craziness, The magazine | 293 Comments

Welcoming Committee PIES Needed

Posted on February 4, 2008 by Robert Coontz (Administrator)

Please report to the Neophytes thread.

Posted in Fan Page / MuseBlog business | Comments Off on Welcoming Committee PIES Needed

Religion and Religions, v. 2008.1

Posted on February 3, 2008 by Rebecca Lasley (Administrator)

Continued from the 2007 edition.

The List:

Muslim: FantasyFan?!?!

Jewish: Sphinx, Quintessentia, hypermoocow, FairyDragon
Reform: yellowsharpiemarker, Sobriquet, Cliff Eagle Teh Pwnage
Reconstructionist: Kiki The Great, Anata~ChinTsu
Conservative: Copper Bigfoot, Brave Sir Robin, Zyviva, The Insane Blue Sage, RainbowFish
Orthodox: Phoenix, Jessie, groundhog22
Jewish Atheist: Lizzie, emmatheduck, speller73

Christian: Vendaval, Donaldo, MontgomeryGurl, Ninja For Christ, Eccentric the Afterthought, Lady Cinnamon Moon, IBCF, muselover
Lutheran: Queen-o-random, Capricious
Catholic: Kiara, Romana2, Ebeth, davidude, Piggy the Proud Catholic, Tumsymonster
Eastern Orthodox: Sunrunner Bramblewood, Dotty ‘Kay
Quaker: Zallie, Red Tailed HAWK, Liesolotte, Purple Panda, Taiwan Hippo Fan
Protestant: book_addict, VanZepplin, Otzi, Kagcomix
Mormon (LDS): Skwerl Overlord, Veralidaine, Zyka
Methodist: grnqween2011, bibliorose
Presbyterian: Elizabeth, gimanator, Kari
Baptist: jammin j
UCC:The Man For Aeiou
Catholic by birth, unsure now: Beavo, Kokonilly
Catholic plus Jewish holidays: Gaea

Hindu: ♥ shriya siolashrwa jeffica ♥

Buddhist: 100% cotton

Agnostic: Sweet Melpomene, curious and questioning, SupremeMuser2000, Lady Visala of Reverie, Gwendolyn, Alice (?), POSOC

Wiccan: emogrl, FairyDragon

Mixed Bag of Random Beliefs: Pentatonikk, Unintended Pun, Gwendolyn of the Eastern Seas, Otzi, Axa, elassë~adael, curious and questioning, Musketeer Number, Sweet Melpomene, Drops of Jupiter

Druid Reconstructionist: Millie

Atheist: Skipper Nancy, johnkerry, Purple Panda, Taiwan Hippo Fan, Darth Yoda, Lizzie, penguini, violindino, Yup, Bobbyjkl, First Sorceress, Shadowkat, curious and questioning, Potato Chip, Cat’s Meow, C++darkmage, Drops of Jupiter, La Mort, nerdz_r00l, The Bookworm
Spiritual Atheist: The Bev, Harmony with short red hair
Radical Atheist: Queenie J, Drops of Jupiter, dark duke of darkness, agagabagabag
Happy Atheist: philosophical.bunny

Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM): Necromancer, Vixen in the Eyes of the Moon

Asatruar: Frigid Symphony

Green Cow: curious and questioning

The Church of the Carrot: emmatheduck, Unintended Pun, NerdAndProudOf It, Beatlesrockr

Very Confused: lifewithoutsuffering

Graeco-agnosticism: /gradster(1)/

Non-practicing Believer of Subwayism: Faye Beauchamp

Dumr-Sirism/Jedi (on Earth): KaiYves

Unitarian Universalist: Logogeo96

Posted in Life, The Universe | 392 Comments

Synesthesia

Posted on February 2, 2008 by Robert Coontz (Administrator)

Tasting colors, seeing musical tones — in general, perceiving anything through the “wrong” sensory channel — has fascinated scientists since they first identified it in the 19th century. Several MuseBloggers appear to have experienced it firsthand. Here’s a thread for discussing it, by special request of Faye Beauchamp.

Posted in The Universe | 150 Comments

Postcards from Muse Academy

Posted on February 2, 2008 by Robert Coontz (Administrator)

Those of you who don’t have time to follow and take part in the role-playing game might still manage to scribble a few lines to the folks back a home. E-mail messages are acceptable too, of course.

Posted in Muse Academy, RRRs, RPWs, and RPGs | 53 Comments

Let’s Get Physiognomical, 2008.1

Posted on February 1, 2008 by Robert Coontz (Administrator)

It was a hit last year and is bound to be again. Here’s how we described it then:

“Physiognomy” (which rhymes, sort of, with “Frog? Nah, me.”) is a fancy word for face. Here, by popular request, is a thread whereon MuseBloggers can guess what other MBers look like.

Posted in Nonrandom Craziness | 460 Comments

Jokes & Riddles, v. 2008.1

Posted on February 1, 2008 by Rebecca Lasley (Administrator)

Riddle me this: how did two years pass without a new Jokes & Riddles thread?

Posted in Random craziness | 181 Comments

No, This Is Pie War 2008, Part 1

Posted on February 1, 2008 by Rebecca Lasley (Administrator)

Technically this should be “No, This is Pie War 2007.2, Part 5, but who’s counting? Continued from 2007.2, Part 4.

Closed to comments.

Posted in Random craziness, The Musiverse | 112 Comments

Shadow Play

Posted on February 1, 2008 by Rebecca Lasley (Administrator)

If a groundhog sees Kokopelli instead of his own shadow, what does that mean for the next six weeks? Whatever the weather, the February Random Thread forges ahead.

First, though…

(Users’ Manual: Obey The Rules. Consult The Guide. Have fun!)

Posted in Random craziness | 421 Comments

February 2008 Incredible Morphing Chameleon Thread

Posted on February 1, 2008 by Rebecca Lasley (Administrator)

Unlike the random thread, this discussion thread stays on topic until the topic changes.

Newcomers should read The Rules and The Guide before plunging in.

Current topic: Favorite superhero
Makeup
Supernatural stuff
Larry Gonick

Posted in Ideas, Life, The Universe | 237 Comments