Rachel Thurston
Rachel Thurston"Understanding is a three-edged sword." --Kosh to Talia, Babylon 5 "Deathwalker"
"Ignore the propaganda, focus on what you see." --Commander Sinclair, Babylon 5 "Midnight on the Firing Line"
"Everything operates, not on reality, but on the perception of reality." --Sneakers
"Reality depends on perspective." --Thomas Veil, Nowhere Man "Gemini"
Welcome to my website! It is:
Enter at your own risk...
Bear with me. I realize this website is badly out of date, but I just don't have the time to keep up with it. I'm in the process of updating and fixing the broken links. Yes, I know half of them are broken.
Funny you should ask. Like Delenn, I have been unable to answer these questions without falling back on how others see me, defining myself with duty and responsibility. I'm an engineer and scientist, a writer and a science fiction fan and a gamer, an amateur musician (piano and voice) and actor (musical theater), and occasional patron of the arts.
Yes, I realizes that these days this content would form blog entries. I wrote these long before blogs existed.
Oh, you mean like Babylon 5? Check out my Babylon 5 web page, and learn the depth of my obsession. There's more to come, as I keep finding new links and writing new bits. There are also convention reports from Marcon 31 and Marcon 32, which featured creator Joe Michael Straczynski and other Babylon 5 guests.
Well, okay, I must admit I am a serious science-fiction addict. Unfortunately, the television networks don't do much to support this habit. Or, to steal a phrase from Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy and Angel), "They cancelled my frikkin' show!"
By the way, if you're not familiar with the site, the SFTV page has a good collection of episode titles and schedule information for upcoming episodes and past seasons of many shows.
In addition to B5, past favorites included Earth: Final Conflict, Xena, Hercules, Mission Genesis, The X-Files, Highlander, Forever Knight, Gargoyles, Nowhere Man, Sliders, and Star Trek, plus the occasional Max Headroom rerun and whatever else I can find on The Sci-Fi Channel. (If you recognized any of these titles, check out Syndic-Aid '96.) I also read science-fiction books and magazines, write science fiction, and I adore Pinky and The Brain. (What are we going to do tonight? The same thing we do every night, Pinky. Try to take over the world.)
And speaking of reading science fiction, one of my favorite magazines, Analog, has a web site. Also check out Discover Magazine, which I enjoy for science non-fiction.
Just to make sure reality doesn't get in the way of keeping my (in?)sanity, I throw in some fantasy and science-fiction role-playing games from time to time. I will admit to having played AD&D, GURPS, Vampire, and a variety of systems under development. I also used to do live-action role playing, but I can't find a group in this area that runs live-action games any more.
I also play the Babylon 5 Collectible Card Game, and we're looking for new players in Central Ohio, so contact me if you're interested.
However, I am not a complete space cadet! (No snickering!) I have a real day job and everything!REDACTED
I graduated a few years ago from the Department of Macromolecular Science (which has this funky new building) at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. I wrote my Master's thesis on "The Role of Surfactants in Environmental Stress Cracking of Polyethylene" and I hope to publish some of the key results eventually. After graduation, I worked in Sandusky, Ohio for 8 months as part of a thermoplastic composites project. I am now working for a contract research company in Central Ohio that shall remain nameless. Needless to say, working in corporate America, it's a very Dilbert life.
VulcanThe Vulcan Resource Center is now online! (You knew Vulcans were involved somehow, with the nickname Surak.)
Once upon a time I maintained the FAQ for the vulcan-l mailing list and its echo in alt.fan.surak, which are groups devoted to discussion of the philosophies of the ancient Vulcan philosopher Surak, their impact on modern Vulcan society, and all topics related to the planet Vulcan from the TV show Star Trek. For more information about Vulcan, check out Marketa's Vulcan web page and Joel's Star Trek language pages.
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The Fight Against CensorshipI am a proud supporter of the Blue Ribbon Campaign to defend free speech on the Internet. The Supreme Court has issued a ruling against the Communications Decency Act, declaring it vague and poorly written, as well as a violation of the First Amendment right to free speech.
For more information, check out the Center for Democracy and Technology, the American Civil Liberties Union, or the Blue Ribbon Campaign.
Rachel M. Thurston
surakofb5@yahoo.com
Last updated September 23, 2006