If Contact/Special Circumstances could be considered
to have a hierarchy, certainly at least outside
of The Culture, I suppose a mixed Navy/Army system
could be used.

i.e.

Referer(s)=
Admiral of the Fleet/General of Ground Forces
or Field Marshall

General Systems Vehicle=
Vice Admiral

Culture 'Mercenary'=
Major General

General Contact Unit=
Commander

SC Operative=
Lieutenant Commander/Major

Culture Warship (ROUs etc)=
Lieutenant/Captain

Superlifter=
Lieutenant (Junior Grade)/Second Lieutenant

Module=
Ensign

SC Drone=
Gunnery Sergeant

GCU crewman (Human)=
Petty Officer First Class

GSV crewman (Human)=
Petty Officer Second Class

Contact Drone=
Petty Officer Third Class/Corporal

Ship Drone=
Crewman/Private

Casimir Stardrive

You don't need any propellant for a spacecraft,
a solar sail and two electrically charged plates will
do (have to build it in orbit etc tho).

The first plate reflects the back plate (Casimir effect)
creating the first forward force; if the back
plate is reflective it will be accelerated back
(a moving reflective body will be accelerated depending
on velocity) where it will collide with the
first plate
=2nd forward force.

If a superconducting coil is used no further power
is required
=3rd and 4th forward forces ad infinitum.

OK, braking rockets, a second/third solar sail
or a second pair of plates to decelerate...and
increase the resistivity of the first coil/turn off
the current.

[Expanded version of post
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Immigration has no solution/Who Benefits?]

A re-evaluation of the 'Citizen's Income' proposal

ANYONE over 16 resident in the UK would be
entitled to a non-means tested CI of around 100 pounds
sterling a week SO LONG as they undertake less than or exactly
16 hours per week of PAID work [i.e. 5200 pounds per year].

Benefits: individuals can still apply for housing benefit
and interest-free loans/grants would be available to pay
for any extra costs associated with housing /study /disability
/childcare. This can also apply to MP's instead of them
having wages, and any extra costs could be put on grants or
interest-free loans. Only income earned would be taxed.
At over 16 hours a week (not including voluntary
work), the CI becomes classed as income for
tax purposes.

Migrants would only be able to work full-time
if granted citizenship, with the CI allowing for a decent
standard of living before this is achieved.

I should add that rents should be limited to not above
15 pounds a week per person.

Hi, thought I'd put in a briefish timeline
of Significant Events in the 'Culture' Galaxy

Based on the 'Culture' novels, some dates can be estimated
or ascertained based on some specific dates given:

Homo Sapiens evolves on Earth 200K BCE

Beginnings of language and self-awareness in H.Sapiens 180K BCE

Beginning of Idiran civilisation 40K BCE

Explosion in Art on Earth c.33K BCE

Homomda enter galactic scene c.14K BCE

Beginnings of Human/Humanoid/Panhuman civilisations
on several thousand planets and habs c.13K BCE

Civilisation on Char's World self-extinguished c.10K BCE

Several humanoid species become space-faring c.9K BCE

[1000 years later they invent 'Marain', a synthetic
language later used by The Culture]

[2000 years later these species form the space-faring
elements of The Culture]

First planetary civilisations join The Culture c.5K BCE

Culture citizens commonly existing in Virtual Forms c.4500
to 3900 BCE
(assumption based on "Look to Windward" and probable 600 year
lifetime of fads)

Brief terraforming period by the Culture c.3900 to 3300 BCE

First 'Orbital' under construction by the Culture, founding
of 'Contact' and 'Special Circumstances' c.700 BCE

General Contact Units still Captained at this time c.625 BCE
(2500 years before "Excession")

First Culture Mind constructed c.500 BCE

Birth of Christ on Earth (concerns "The State of the Art") by 1 CE

Chelgrian Unification Wars c.170 CE

First of four disputes between Culture and Idirans 1267 CE

Formal beginning of Idiran-Culture War 1327 CE

("Consider Phlebas" set in the war's early years)

Homomda enter Idiran-Culture war on Idiran side 1332 CE,

General Offensive Unit 'Limiting Factor' constructed c.1367 CE
(716 years before "The Player of Games")

Battle of Twin Novae in Arm One-Six 1367 CE
("Look to Windward" is set 800 years later)

Formal end of hostilities between Idir and Culture 1375 CE

Chelgrians achieve 'Involved' status in Galactic terms;
4% of Chelgrians Sublime and thus become the 'Chelgrian-Puen'
[16th century?]

Perosteck Balveda leaves Storage along
with millions of other Idiran War Veterans 1813 CE
("Inversions" probably set a generation after)

Diziet Sma explores Paris and Berlin on Earth 1977 CE
("The State of the Art)

Contact made with Earth c.2110 CE

Chelgrian Caste-War ends c.2152 CE

Novels confirmed to be set between 1330 and 2110 CE:
"Consider Phlebas" c.1330
"Inversions" c.1840
"Excession" c.1875
"The State of the Art" 1977
"Player of Games"-c.2081
"Use of Weapons"
("Slight Mechanical Destruction" wrote/set 2089
[Khmer year 115], most of the novel is set before this
date)

Novels and novellas set roughly before/circa 2110 CE:
"Descendant"
"A Gift From the Culture"
"Matter"
Novels set after 2110 CE:
"Look to Windward"-c.2167

8.6.2010

Lobotomy

Anti-Lobotomy

I feel like everyone else
has a square peg missing
from their brains

While I have a square peg
black mass
added to mine

A conversation
with a pyramid
of successive beetle shells

Maybe I've lost the plot
and gone off the
Uploaded Lobsters

But its all better than my
brain being eaten by cockroaches

Or Trepanning by Alcohol


Going to Venus with
the Prime Minister's wife
and wondering if Nazca Lines
indicate Ancient Astral Projection

If time and space
Are relative why not?

If time and space
Are relative is consciousness?

1.6.2010

General
Hiding behind a pen
Mightier than the sword

Astronaut
Hiding in a tin can
and higher than heaven

War as ritual
Field Marshals orchestrating Hell
for the Alchemical Politicians

Lithium
A simple element
A complex weapon
and Mass Medication

Psychiatrist
Hiding behind words
Arcane practices and invocations
In the Age of Astronauts

No hiding for the Shell-shocked Private

Corporal
as in body

Corps
as in bodies

Major
or Minor

A Qualification

In making more bodies