Official Uncertainty

One of the bitter disputes among Browncoats, especially detailed-oriented GM-types, is whether the 'Verse's solar system has one star or many. It's gotten pretty heated on some of the boards. "JOSS SAID IT right in this interview!" "Interviews aren't canon! This screenshot shows a graphic which shows . . ." etc, etc. Both sides are, of course, utterly full of certainty that they're right. So I loved seeing this quote from the guy who did the graphics they're citing as canon:

Q: Any chance of a Serenity Star Charts book?

More likely a ‘verse poster, if I can resolve the one star system/multiple star system issue.

Well, that explains the ambiguity in the graphics. Since the artist didn't know which one it was he had to do a planet-scape that would fit with either. Now if only some of the participants in the flame war would remember this the next time they're yelling at someone for disagreeing with their obviously correct position.

Swordplay

We gave Jamie a pair of boffer swords for Christmas. They haven't been out all the time--this is the kind of toy you only want the kids to have when you've got the energy to deal with damage control. But we've had some fun with them.

The other day Jamie was napping and Maggie wanted to play boffers with me. So we started swinging the swords at each other. Well, I swung--gently--at her. She waved hers around randomly. So I spent some time explaining parries and slowly moving my sword in to tap her stomach so she'd have a chance to block it. Made a little bit of progress.

Then she went down for her nap and Jamie got up. I gave him a turn with the boffers. No need to teach him about parries, he was instinctively batting at my sword whenever it came near him. Not that he was good at it--once he pulled a belly shot into his cheek. But he had the right attitude.

celticdragonfly was looking at Maggie waving the boffer as she charged across the living room shouting "Here I come! Here I come!" and explained it. Maggie is the B-movie actress going through the motions while waiting for the stunt double to take over. Jamie is the stuntman. It explains Maggie's stance--she wants to make sure the camera gets her good side.