Robert Mackenzie

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD ***************** Investigation of: LOSS OF THE SUBMARINE TITAN IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN ON JUNE 18, 2023 * * * * * * Accident No.: *********** * * * * * * Interview of: Co-designer/Pilot Deepsea Challenger DCA23FM036 via Microsoft Teams Friday, July 26, 2024

INTERVIEW OF 10 BY LCDR 11 Q. So how did you get yourself started into submersible 12 operations? 13 A. Well, I'm sure you're familiar with my film Titanic. When I 14 set down the path to make that film, the first thing that I did 15 was arrange to be introduced to the head of the submersible 16 program at the P.P. Shirshov Institute in Moscow, a guy named 17| Professor I. I did that through a mutual friend 18 of ours, a guy named , who is one of the preeminent underwater cinematographers in the world. And had been on a 20 submersible expedition out to Titanic the previous year with the 21 Russians. And that was organized by a Canadian company that was 22 doing an IMAX film which was released under the title Titanica.

Learned that an anonymous outside expert on submersibles did an interview with the OceanGate Titan investigation, and they released a transcript, with all the names redacted. The first line of his first answer? "I'm sure you're familiar with my film Titanic."

Gutted to hear about Rob Wieland. Cool in my short interactions with him, long in the hours of joy he indirectly contributed to my table. Tabletop is a small place in a lot of ways, despite the ever growing player base. Voices sound a long way, Rob's sounded very loud but always graciously. RIP.

"You wanted a chance to make law? Make it a good one." Captain Picard, The Measure of a Man, Star Trek: The Next Generation Data protection legislation.

But Gene's robots are his nicest people! This is slander and I'm not having it.

Typical engineer really.

It's just Lex Luthor but he gets no respect in Coast City

No tidy resolution, just the loneliness of "...twenty minutes?". Just Picard and Kamin's flute, a tune only he will know and perhaps never entirely capture, knowing that in less than half an hour he's become inexorably separated from the understanding of everyone who knew him.

One for the Australians

That's the way it's gonna be, Clarice Starling/
We'll listen to Goodbye Horses, yeah yeah

Rules for "Oops...All Goblins", a one-page TTRPG.

Talking with some friends yesterday about the pure joy of watching goblins go to work causing havoc has become a free, rules light, one-page RPG.

I hope you all enjoy "Oops...All Goblins!"

Dear *God*.

Shifting the default video game presentation to 3D first person or over the shoulder to allow dominance for the console market was a mistake, beautiful 2D environments were robbed for decades.

Oh my yes

Garak reading the comics of Steve Ditko

Fucking *what*?

Oh, dip

Oh, yeah, I have that!

Have based more than one game on it, to a greater or lesser degree of inspiration! One (13th Age first, Everway later) still going strong after 12 years. So (though it was more tonal than direct inspiration) I strongly feel there were more stories to tell!

Every TV enthusiast I know has strong feelings about Terriers, the true tastemaker's classic. I've heard Gene Wolfe described as "your favourite author's favourite author", Terriers might have to be "your favourite critic's favourite show"

I think, still, after all this time, it's CARNIVALE. Twin Peaks got properly finished, I'd really REALLY like Carnivale to be completed too.

The rare work that changes you actively as you read it. Tehanu particularly I remember as a young man (read man especially) rewiring bits of my brain page by page.

Among other things, the Earthsea books are treatises on the limitations of power. Not just that they teach that power is finite, they actively question by what metric we measure success, how we measure selfhood, what the purpose is of our life. Power fantasies inverted into wonder fantasies.

The World’s Greatest Roleplaying Game is going to get a new edition!

If you get close enough, Wyrdbooks in Wentworth Falls!

Catching up, that's not even as bi as the bridge gets

Keep us posted. Though if you're doing the coast road it's anyone's guess.

It's a Queensland thing, mainly

If you call it aioli you can charge an extra $6 for it

How are you enjoying our fine nation? I mean, the trees, specifically.

Aargh should have done AZTEK here, whiffed it