Temporarily Shutting Down the Blog

Welcome beloved readers. Thanks for being here.

With much gratitude to my regular readers I must say that I will be shutting down the Gavaskar Field Blog for short time. Those of you who have been following this blog know that recently I took on a full time job. At the same time I am trying to finish the final book in the Max Gavaskar series, The Mother of the Galaxy.

The book is written but still needs editing and some work. Writing is for me an emotional and taxing thing. I suffer with my characters.

I don’t have the energy to do all three things. The completion of my sci fi series is key and I need the income of a regular job. That puts this blog into the nice but optional category. I really enjoy telling tales from the Harappan Universe. I love sharing about Max Gavaskar. Writing about her in my blog keeps her alive for me. I will miss her greatly when the series is finished.

With all this in mind I will quit writing the blog while I complete The Mother of the Galaxy. When this book is finished and ready for print I will return. There are several back stories I want to share but not until the last book is out. I don’t want to give away too much. There are a couple of big surprises in the last book. So I’ll leave you with a tease for the upcoming book and a promise to return as soon as I can.

Coming Soon: The Mother of the Galaxy

Max Gavaskar’s story ends in the Mother of the Galaxy, an emotional, wild ride as Max is once again being hunted by the SID, this time by one of their sharpest weapons. Max’s insight from Kusha has opened the door for the first Galactic War. Max knows she is the one person who can do something to prevent the mass slaughter that galactic war will bring. See how Max evades capture and how she changes everything for the Milky Way one more time.

Never mix red wine with Oodo, but cider is fine.

Earth Year 2014

Philip the Bard's Harappan Blog: Plant Evolution on Planet Harappa

Welcome pure readers. Thanks for being here.

Yesterday we discussed the most basic form of life on planet Harappa, the algae in the oceans. Today we move up a step into the plant kingdom.

Like Earth and most other planets the plant kingdom developed before animal life. The surface of of Harappa was covered with plant life. They loved the place, even the hot zones near the equator.

Grasses, shrubs, trees and flowers all existed on Harappa. There were two large forest areas in the river valley we settled in, the Great River Valley. We replaced sections of these forests with trees from Earth and they did very well. We were not concerned with preserving the ecosystems on Harappa. We were most concerned with survival and that entailed replacing some of the ecological niches with plants more suitable for human support.

Now days we have a bit more respect for native ecosystems. The human race would be criticized for wrecking planet Harappa and the life contained there. The legal philosophy that this is based on is the notion that there is no determining what this life might evolve to. It might evolve the being that will move life towards the next step in evolution.

Back then we didn’t consider Fordian legal concepts, we only considered what we needed. We needed food, building materials and something familiar to our genetic memories. Harappa was ours to do with what we needed and we needed something from Earth.

Tomorrow we’ll take a step up the evolutionary chain.

Never mix red wine and Oodo.

Philip Normer

Kushan Year 88

Earth Year 2480

Philip the Bard's Harappan blog: Life on Planet Harappa

Welcome proud readers. Thanks for being here.

This week, we’ll take a look at Harappan botany and biology.

Harappa was a planet full of life. It wasn’t all the kind of life we knew from Earth. Most of Harappa had a harsh environment. Too hot for humans. We only settled two small river valleys near the south pole. Then there was the Dark Times. every eighteen years the Blue Moon passed between planet Harappa and its sun blocking light from the world for almost two weeks. Most of the surface freezes and what life lives must either hibernate or go underground. So there are several impediments to complex life, yet some complex life did exist.

Lets start from the bottom and work our way up the evolutionary chain.

The most common life on planet Harappa was/is the algae in the world’s oceans. It was the algae that produced the oxygen that we breathed. It also became one of the best food sources on the planet. Every Harappa I know still eats the stuff, despite all of us occasionally complaining about the smelly goo. It is grown in indoor tanks on planet Kusha and we still eat the stuff, though I have never heard anyone tout its culinary delights. We eat it because it is nutritious and because it is something from home.

The algae was also used in building materials and other fabrication projects. We don’t use it for those kinds of uses here on Kusha since it is fairly hard to produce in captivity. What we make here on Kusha is used for cereal and energy bars. While it may be a tad swampy smelling and not have a great deal of flavor it is indeed quite nutritious. I don’t know any Earthers or Lavans who eat the stuff. In fact most Harappans call it “stuff’ or “goo”, not exactly endearing terms but we still eat the stuff.

Tomorrow: We work our way up the evolutionary chain.

Never mix red wine and Oodo.

Philip Normer

Kushan Year 88

Earth Year 2480

Bubba the Science Fan's Friday Blog: Our Neolithic Ancestors

Welcome wonderful readers. Thanks for being here.

Typically I use my friday science blog to discuss something in the cosmic realm. The latest proof for the Big Bang or the latest new planetary discovery. But, today I’m going in another direction.

I love many realms of science and I also love history. At one time as a lad I wanted to grow up to be an archeologist. Then I got nervous about mummies’ curses. Give me a break, I was nine.

I have a theory about the Neolithic Era and new evidence has come to light that confirms my theory a little.

I believe that our Neolithic ancestors were a lot busier than we give them credit for. They didn’t write so we don’t have a written history for them. Much of what they did is lost to us. I believe they were traveling much more than many think. I do not think they had any advanced technology that we do not have. I do think they were quite clever and able to accomplish great things that some want to credit to magic or superpowers. Naw, just clever hard working people working together in groups.

Recently Graham Hancock has written about a new find of a large megalithic structure in the jungles of Indonesia. I know Hancock has many critics but some of his theories make sense. For example his theory about the rising ocean levels. He and I think that many of our Great Flood stories come from the ocean rising at the end of the last ice age. I think we will find more and more ancient cities buries off the coasts around the world. I think we will find more and more evidence that our ancient ancestors were traveling, trading and meeting each other much more than we currently think.

This new discovery along with Gobekli Tepe is the beginning of what I think will be many new discoveries that will eventually open the door to a better understanding ot Neolithic humans.

Never mix red wine with Oodo, but cider is fine.

Earth Year 2014

Philip the Bard's Harappan Blog: Surviving on Planet Harappa

Welcome majestic readers. Thanks for being here.

Planet Harappa is dying. Those of us who grew up there are spending a lot of time recalling our days there. This week I’ll spend some time discussing the botany and biology of the world I was born on.

When Marcus Johnson and his original followers first arrived on Harappa the world was already occupied by a fairly diverse ecosystem. Not nearly as diverse as Kusha or Earth but there was an active biological process going on.

Plant life was fully evolved. Tree, bushes, flowers, grasses and such. The Harappan sun is a yellow sun like Earth’s so the plant life there was very Earth-like.

The animal life was just beginning its trip up the evolutionary chain. The Harappan climate was just settling down after a long period of intense change. Then there was the problem of the Dark Times. Every eighteen years the Blue Moon would block out the sun for almost two weeks freezing most of the surface of Harappa.

What animal life that did evolve there had evolved to go dormant or underground during the Dark Times. That made the evolutionary process a challenge. There weren’t many complex life forms on the surface.

Next week: Who lived on the land? Who lived in the sea?

Never mix red wine and Oodo.

Philip Normer

Kushan Year 88

Earth Year 2480

Philip the Bard's Harappan Blog: Finding Planet Harappa

Welcome great readers. Thanks for being here.

The death watch of planet Harappa continues. It is only a matter of months before my homeworld crumbles apart and falls into its sun.

My childhood footprints will disappear, the home I grew up in will become stardust. The places I roamed as a child will be no more.

Thinking about this got me a little melancholy. I’m going to miss the world when Harappa is gone. I haven’t lived there for almost ninety years but it is still my homeworld. It is still where I grew up, I have memories there.

So, I thought I should spend some time mentioning things from planet Harappa.

Today, lets look at how the world was when we humans first got there. When Marcus Johnson firs discovered Harappa from planet Earth there were questions about how comfortable the world would be. He certainly knew that the planet was warmer than Earth and that the orbit of the planet had an unexplainable wobble that was troubling.

We now know that the wobble was caused by the Blue Moon. When the Harvest Day Blast freed the Blue Moon from its gravitational dance with Harappa, Harappa started its death spiral towards its sun.

When Johnson and his two thousand followers landed they found a world that was inhabited by a variety of plants and animals, none of which had evolved to the point of establishing a culture beyond hunting packs. Today we might think about not settling on a planet like Harappa was because we follow the Fordian restrictions about settling new worlds. We don’t go there if there is any complex life. The definition of complex life is a complicated affair and outlined in detail on the EG (the Encyclopedia Galactica).

As it was we couldn’t go anywhere else. The Arc of the New Millennium, the ship that took humans from Earth to Harappa was a one shot affair. It was not able to start another flight.

We stayed, we worked, we grew. We found one small valley that was comfortable enough and settled there. We built towns and cities and made babies, lots of babies.

Tomorrow: Flora and Fauna of planet Harappa.

Never mix red wine and Oodo.

Philip Normer

Kushan Year 88

Earth Year 2480

Philip the Bard's Harappan Blog: Starting to miss Max Gavaskar

Welcome fine readers. Thanks for being here.

Last week was the Kushan Yam Festival here in Harappa City. It was fine time for all. People are heading home now and only the memories remain. Several shuttles left yesterday taking people to their respective starships.

The big disappointment was the fact that Max Gavaskar was unavailable. Her health is not good and she was unable to greet visitors. Many came here to planet Kusha just for that. There is a galaxy wide malaise about the demise of the beloved Max Gavaskar. That she was even unable to see people is a huge concern. There has been hope that modern medicine would come up with something for her. Alas, that seems not to be available for our little Max.

With the festival over and Max disappearing to her private compound Harappa City is a sad place today. 

Not that Max Gavaskar was ever a regular fixture in Harappa City. She was usually too busy to spend a lot of time in town. When she was on Kusha she was usually here to rest between diplomatic missions. She mostly stayed with her family and friends at the Gavaskar Compound. She would come to town and visit but it was usually a quick visit and then she would retire to her private compound. But, that was enough. It was enough for the people to know she was there. To know that Max Gavaskar, the Mother of the Galaxy, was among us was enough. It gave us hope and pride. When she makes the final journey we will be lost without her. LIfe will go on but there will be a gap in all our lives.

Never mix red wine and Oodo.

Philip Normer

Kushan Year 88

Earth Year 2480

Philip the Bard's Harappan Blog: The end of the Festival

Welcome festive readers. Thanks for being here.

Whew! The Kushan Yam Festival is over. The prizes have been handed out. The cider and wine has been put back in the cellars and the musicians are putting their instruments away for the moment. Harappa City is calm and peaceful this morning.

The memories still linger. This week I’ll share some stories from the event. Some things I experienced and some that I heard of.

My personal experience of the event started with the opening ceremony. Me and the Gutterminds played for the opening and that got us involved right away. I enjoyed the event, we played well and after there were several folks wanting to buy us drinks.

I slept in the next day and that evening we played in a local tavern, the Bird in Hand. We were joined by a Loric guitarist and he was really hot. All I did the next day was take in a couple of Ball Games with my friend Dorian Thain.

The last day of the event, me and the Gutterminds played at a park. It was a lovely day, a lot of families gathered for a picnic. When that was over we all moved to the town square for the awards ceremonies. I didn’t win anything but then I guess you’d have to enter something to win.

Never mix red wine and Oodo.

Philip Normer

Kushan Year 88

Earth Year 2480

Bubba the Science Fan's Friday Blog: Debating Creationists

Welcome fine readers. Thanks for being here.

In my ongoing series of debates with creationists I have come to understand dogma. Firmly held dogma. Providing facts and links to scientific articles defending natural selection and evolution does no good. Asking questions that will not be answered does no good. 

Why do I do it?

My hope is that someday a fence sitter will read through one of my debates and be swayed to the scientific side of the argument. I don’t expect to convert my debate opponents. They have made it very clear that they have made up their minds. Usually they each have one comment they fall on to. Richard Dawkins or Lawrence Krauss quotes taken out of context appear often. Equating science with atheism happens a lot. We keep hearing the same bogus claims over and over. The scientists keep showing why the second law of thermodynamics does not disprove evolution and the creationists keep throwing it back in our face.

I have found one way to make them disappear. I ask them to offer some proof of their theory. Not an argument agains’t evolution but an argument for creation. They either come back with one more tired opposition to evolution or they disappear.

I don’t want to wreck anyones religion. What I want is for the religious to not try to take over the government to take away rights from those who do not support their particular beliefs and I don’t want their religion taught in the science classroom.

Simple.

Never mix red wine with Oodo, but cider is fine.

Earth Year 2014

Philip the Bard's Harappan Blog: Jammin' with a Loric Guitar Player

Welcome fine readers. Thanks for being here.

Last night my band The Gutterminds were playing at the Bird in Hand. We were really jammin’. We were sounding great. Then a Lor came into the bar. He was wearing one of their new head bowls. He asked if he could join in.

At first I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea. The Lor had a guitar and we already have a guitar player. Bubba said he was open to letting the Lor have a shot so we agreed. 

He identified him self as LM 279, his Fordian name, we called him  Mick.

Mick took out his guitar and it barely fit under his breathing helmet. We started an old Chuck Berry song and Mick joined in.

I’ve listened to a lot of Loric music. Their symphonies are spectacular. Their music is moving in ways we don’t usually get from even our own music. Well when this Lor started wailin’ on his guitar the room took notice. Their hands are very similar to our own and the guitar was more than just a tool in his hands. Bubba, our guitarist is a find guitar player but this Lor was transcendental.

Word started spreading around town and soon the place was packed and there was a growing crown outside trying to listen in.

I guess humans and Lor have more in common that most space species. I look forward to more musical interactions with Loric musicians. I’m not very impressed with their cooking but their music . . .

Never mix red wine and Oodo.

Philip Normer

Kushan Year 88

Earth Year 2480

Philip the Bard's Harappan Blog: Aliens and Games at the Festival

Welcome festive readers. Thanks for being here.

The Kushan Yam Festival is in full swing. Entries for the cooking contests are being prepared and sports teams are making final plans for their contests. Literary contest entrants are being read and evaluated. Party goers are doing what party goers do . . . partying.

Yes, Harappa City is a party town, especially during the Festivals, the Yam Festival being the biggest. All the taverns and saloons are operating on expanded hours and doing huge business.

The Gutterminds are playing most evenings this week at various venues. All the other bands around are playing too. There is music and wine everywhere.

Later in the week several alien species are sending representatives. Kusha gets lots of alien tourists and many of them are here already but the Bigwigs come later in the week.

The mingling of various alien species is something fairly new to Kushan festivals. The first few years that aliens came to attend there were some awkward moments as the species got to know one another. Not everyone in the Milky Way can handle alcohol like humans can. Neither the Lor nor the Fordians drink alcohol, however the Lors have a herbal libation they consume called Kallah. I’ve tried it but didn’t find it interesting in any way. It apparently does not have the same effect on humans. The Lor get quite giggly when they take this.

After a few years of alien participation we have all gotten to know one another quite well. There are no more drunken fights between alien races. There are still fights occasionally between fans of various sports teams but they seem to be mixed species fights and not one species against another.

Some of the aliens are starting to get involved in the contests. There is not yet a Loric Ball team but I understand there are teams forming on several planets and next year we may have off world entries. Not sure how the rules will have to be changed to accommodate the various attributes of the various alien species. We’ll have to see.

Never mix red wine and Oodo.

Philip Normer

Kushan Year 88

Earth Year 2480

Philip the Bard's Harappan Blog: Opening Ceremonies of the Kushan Yam Festival

Welcome festive readers. Thanks for being here.

We survived. We made it through the opening ceremony of the Kusha Yam Festival.

Me and my bandmates, "The Gutterminds” played for the opening ceremony. Lots of ale, cider and wine was flowing on and around the stage. I understand that there was Oodo too but I did not take any of that. I was playing bass after all. I can play under the influence to a point but Oodo makes you too crazy, even to play Toxik Idols music.

We did a ninety minute set before the speakers came on. We did come classics (Idols, Stones, Beatles . . .) and some new tunes done in the old rock and roll style. I’ve written a new song called “Mother, May I” about Max Gavaskar. There were a few tears when we played that as people came to understand that Max would not be there for the festival. Her absence is its own presence. It is something palpable this year. Next year will be different and the year after that. Eventually people will come to forget that she was even involved in the pageantry of the Kusha Yam Festival.

This year everyone is talking about Max. “How is she?”, “Does she  even know what is going on?” etc.

No one knows what Max knows right now beyond her small family circle. I understand a Fordian Ambassador is coming to Kusha in the next months or so for an official meeting so we assume Max is still alert and somewhat active.

Tomorrow we’ll discuss the people who are here and what they are doing.

Never mix red wine and Oodo.

Philip Normer

Kushan Year 88

Earth Year 2480

Philip the Bard's Harappan Blog: Opening of the Yam Festival

Welcome Festival Going readers. Thanks for being here.

Hooray! The Kusha Yam Festival starts today. Just a short blog today. I must get to the Square to help set up for a concert today. The Gutterminds are playing at the opening ceremony.

tomorrow, however, I’ll share tales from this years festival and perhaps some stories from past events. 

See you tomorrow then.

Never mix red wine and Oodo.

Philip Normer

Kushan Year 88

Earth Year 2480

Bubba the Science Fan's Friday Blog: Learning new things at Finnriver Farm and Cidery

Welcome groovy readers. Thanks for being here.

Another Friday another weekend at Finnriver Farm and Cidery. Today I am working in the label room in the morning and in the afternoon I will be working as host in the Tasting Room.

The jobs in production are more like meditations. Repetitive and calming. The crew usually plays music while they work. There is a camaraderie in the crew that is fun to be a part of. There is a joy in making cider. The work can be repetitive and physically hard but there is always in the back of your head the joy of creating something so fine, so fun.

The tasting room on the other hand requires you to be “on”. You can’t just cruise through the shift. While cleaning bottles for the label machine you can let your mind wander some. In the tasting room you have to be sharp all the time. The customers expect you to be knowledgable and charming.

Charming is not all that tough, most people come to the tasting room with a great attitude and the wonderful ciders of Finnriver melt the hearts of most skeptics. But, one has to keep up to stay with what’s going on at the cidery. We are always creating new ciders and wines. I learn more every day. Yesterday I was pouring buckets of blackberries into the vat for making our Spirited Blackberry Wine. Not very educational by itself but being around the cider maker and listening to him and watching him work is a learning process in itself.

What a great job when you can keep learning new things and spend time with charming people.

Never mix red wine with Oodo, but cider is fine.

Earth Year 2014

Philip the Bard's Harappan Blog: Max Gavaskar's Health

Welcome happy readers. Thanks for being here.

Yesterday after writing my blog it struck me that we were in the last days of Max Gavaskar. She may only  live for a few more months. I hope to get to see her again before she leaves us for good but I may not. I may have met the Mother of the Galaxy for the last time and that saddens me a great deal. Not that I have had regular daily meetings with her but knowing that she is a small part of my life makes me proud. Max Gavaskar has come to know many people areound the Galaxy and one of them is me.

I can honestly say that I knew her before she became known as the Mother of the Galaxy. When I first met her she was a refugee from the SID. Back then the SID was the most powerful human agency even though their influence was small on planet Kusha.

When Max first went underground she met Alice Toten who arranged for Max to hide out with David Green, a member of the Paladain Society. Unfortunately Mister Green was killed almost immediately after he and Max met.

In conversations I’ve had with Ms. Toten, I’ve come to learn that when Max first went to Ms. Toten Max wanted to try to get to planet Kusha. Alice Toten thought getting to Kusha would expose Max too much and assumed that the SID agents would be looking at the pathway between Harappa and Kusha. 

History tells us they were. The SID was focusing on starship loads going  to planet Kusha and mostly ignored the Lavan flights. Had that little quirtk of history gone only a little differently Max may have been found and arrested.

How would history have been different had Max been caught? 

Never mix red wine and Oodo.

Philip Normer

Kushan Year 88

Earth Year 2480

Philip the Bard's Harappan Blog: Kusha without the Mother of the Galaxy

Welcome joyous readers. Thanks for being here.

Everyone on planet Kusha is eagerly anticipating the Kusha Yam Festival. It will be a fun and exciting time for all . . .

Well, for most anyway. There is a sad undertone to this year’s celebration. Typically Max Gavaskar is the Grand Marshal and opens and closes the festivities.

Word has come that her health will prevent her from attending this year. Last year her activities were limited but she did appear at the opening and closing ceremonies in a hover bed. It was up lifting seeing her and sad to see her so diminished.

The Festival will go on without her but she will be on the minds of all attendees. No one is sure how much longer she will live but I hear from her doctors that her end wont be long, perhaps a few months, no more.

Max’s absence will be a physical presence this year but we march on. Next year things will seem more normal without the participation of the Mother of the Galaxy and better the year after. Eventually it will seem as if she was not ever really with us and w=she will ascend into the mythical realm. Her memory will become embellished as the memories of all great people are. The reality of her life will eventually fade behind the myth of the Mother of the Galaxy. 

Unless you read my blog posts about the real Max Gavaskar.

Never mix red wine and Oodo.

Philip Normer

Kushan Year 88

Earth Year 2480

Philip the Bard's Harappan Blog: Preparing for the Yam Festival

Welcome festive readers. Thanks for being here.

This week we’re getting ready for the Kushan Yam Festival. Certainly the event will honor the Kushan Yam and all the wonderful things you can do with them but that is only part of the event. There will also be sports, music, arts and crafts and of course much socialization.

Planet Kusha is a beautiful world and we have a happy population of active, hard working people. We socialize often. We work hard and we play hard. 

People have been working hard in the yam fields and the harvest is almost complete. Next week the work will be done and we play hard.

Never mix red wine and Oodo.

Philip Normer

Kushan Year 88

Earth Year 2480

Philip the Bard's Harappan Blog: The Kushan Yam Festival

Welcome open readers. Thanks for being here.

The Kushan Yam festival is coming again! Many preparations are yet to be made. Relatives are making plans to be here in Harappa City. Recipes are being refined. Ciders and brews are being finished and musicians are practicing new acts.

Me and my band the Gutterminds have been preparing for weeks. We’re adding some new Harappan folk songs and a couple of rock and roll songs from the Earth Classical Rock Era.

A new stage is being built in the City Square. A tent city is being set up on Rodin’s Field, east of town. Many of the out of towners will set up there. Shops, eateries and sports fields will be set up there as well. It will be a complete city before the end of the festival.

This week I’ll spend some time discussing preparations for the Kusha Yam Festival.  Next week the event takes place and I’ll have reports from the action.

Never mix red wine and Oodo.

Philip Normer

Kushan Year 88

Earth Year 2480