Back to the main page

Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: David Buehrer <dbuehrer@******.CARL.ORG>
Subject: Re: Alzheimers and other diseases
Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 17:09:38 -0600
Erik Jameson wrote:
/
/ At 10:37 PM 8/10/98 +0100, you wrote:
/ >And verily, did Erik Jameson hastily scribble thusly...
/ >|Hey, I remember that I believe. If my aging memory holds, did not several
/ >|others take up the challenge also? And does anyone still have a copy of
/ >|the ShadowManiacs song? (written back when that show was new I do believe)
/ >
/ >D'OH!
/ >It's in the FAQ!
/
/ Yeah, well, it's that Part-Timers disease, you know? I had a senior moment
/ there for a bit. And I guess it goes to show I don't have a full copy of
/ the FAQ, just the mini one Adam sends out on occassion (and I've probably
/ several of those).

All three parts will be on their way to your mailbox after this post :)

/ To rescue this from OT and the cruel sledgehammers of Adam and Dvixen, what
/ about Alzheimer's and senility in Shadowrun?
/
/ Do you think that Alzheimer's is cured by 2060?

Maybe. Alzheimer's seems to be some sort of genetic type disease. The
cure might involve identification of the genetic marker at birth and then
correcting it *long* before it'll kick in. Which means that the current
generation will be okay, but people will still have to deal with the
current "old-timers" who have Alzheimer's. Just my two cents.

/ And for that matter, what about other diseases, such as AIDS? Cancer?

A lot of headway is being made on AIDS and Cancer. IMHO, yes.

/ If they have been cured, have other diseases (other than VITAS) sprung up
/ in their place, as diseases seemingly tend to do?

That's pretty much depends on one's imagination :)

I just read an article today about undernourished kids in Africa
suffering from a form of gangrene that basically eats a hole in their
face. It starts small on the lip, roof of the mouth, cheek, jaw line,
and then quickly devours a significant portion of soft tissue (goodbye
nose and upper mouth). The bodies defenses kick in and the diseased
flesh falls off, leaving a big hole. Bone tissue in the center of the
mess (the upper jaw) goes too.

If it starts in someplace like the forehead it just about strips the
flesh down to the bone.

It isn't pretty, and creates all sorts of health problems which finish
off the kid in short order if it's not attended to, which it ussualy
isn't.

In SR something like this might exist which is much quicker and reaches
accross social classes (i.e., it doesn't care if you're healthy or
not).

A good place to start looking for diseases is third world countries
which get hit by diseases and illnesses which don't exist in first
world countries.

/ I've got some thoughts on my own (big suprise, right) but I'd like to see
/ what others have to say first.

Watcha got?

/ Who thinks the list is suprisingly quiet with GenCon now over...must be the
/ calm before the storm... ;-(

It looks like they're all catching up on sleep :)

-David
--
"Earn what you have been given."
--
email: dbuehrer@******.carl.org
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/1068/homepage.htm
Message no. 2
From: Erik Jameson <erikj@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Alzheimers and other diseases
Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 20:30:38 -0400
At 05:09 PM 8/10/98 -0600, you wrote:

>/ Do you think that Alzheimer's is cured by 2060?
>
>Maybe. Alzheimer's seems to be some sort of genetic type disease. The
>cure might involve identification of the genetic marker at birth and then
>correcting it *long* before it'll kick in. Which means that the current
>generation will be okay, but people will still have to deal with the
>current "old-timers" who have Alzheimer's. Just my two cents.

Hmmmm...possibly. And perhaps for those too late for gene therapy, perhaps
certain pieces of bioware/cyberware might be ideal.

>/ And for that matter, what about other diseases, such as AIDS? Cancer?
>
>A lot of headway is being made on AIDS and Cancer. IMHO, yes.

Cancer, I'm going to say yes. If they have mastered forced clonal
replacements of organs and limbs, surely they must also know how to stop
what is in many ways the same thing, uncontrolled, cancer.

AIDS? I'm going to have to say no. There are variants of it, mutations
already. It's also a virus, which makes it akin in some ways to VITAS and
the cold. If they can't cure the common cold or VITAS, I don't see how
they can cure AIDS also.

>/ If they have been cured, have other diseases (other than VITAS) sprung up
>/ in their place, as diseases seemingly tend to do?
>
>That's pretty much depends on one's imagination :)

Oooh, that's not a happy thought...

>A good place to start looking for diseases is third world countries
>which get hit by diseases and illnesses which don't exist in first
>world countries.

Yup. Even with parasites and insects. Apparently all sorts of vicious
stuff is being brought, unwittingly, into the US and Europe by people
coming back from the deepest darkest jungles.

Example? Apparently some guy in Alabama I think brought back some sort of
flesh eating fly from South America. Had some sort of head wound, some fly
laid eggs in his head, the eggs hatched, and began to eat his head for
food...apparently these things can eat an entire cow in a week. They
killed the ones they found and the guy is alive, but officials are
concerned that some may have escaped. Sickening thought, I know.

>/ Who thinks the list is suprisingly quiet with GenCon now over...must be the
>/ calm before the storm... ;-(
>
>It looks like they're all catching up on sleep :)

Sleep? Sleep is for weenies!! Just kidding. Somehow I expect there to be
a major storm of SR3 stuff tonight...

Erik the Impatient
Message no. 3
From: Robert Watkins <robert.watkins@******.COM>
Subject: Re: Alzheimers and other diseases
Date: Tue, 11 Aug 1998 10:42:58 +1000
Erik Jameson writes:
> AIDS? I'm going to have to say no. There are variants of it, mutations
> already. It's also a virus, which makes it akin in some ways to VITAS and
> the cold. If they can't cure the common cold or VITAS, I don't see how
> they can cure AIDS also.

IIRC, in one of the novels, it is mentioned that there is a vaccine for HIV,
but no cure. However, magic would be effective against AIDS (or VITAS as
well... it's just that VITAS hits too many people for magic to be much use)

--
.sig deleted to conserve electrons. robert.watkins@******.com
Message no. 4
From: Nexx Many-Scars <Nexx3@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Alzheimers and other diseases
Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 20:46:16 EDT
In a message dated 98-08-10 20:37:21 EDT, you write:

> >/ And for that matter, what about other diseases, such as AIDS? Cancer?
> >
> >A lot of headway is being made on AIDS and Cancer. IMHO, yes.
>
> Cancer, I'm going to say yes. If they have mastered forced clonal
> replacements of organs and limbs, surely they must also know how to stop
> what is in many ways the same thing, uncontrolled, cancer.

I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one. I think in most cases
they will be able to cure cancer, if its caught early, but it will by no means
be an eliminated disease. I believe its listed as a major problem for street
meat with certain types of cyber (it might only be cyberzombies, but I'm not
sure), and there is the fact that not everyone will be able to afford to
expensive clonal (or even type-O) replacements of major organs. It won't be
eliminated, but it won't be as big a danger to those with money, either.

Nexx
Message no. 5
From: Spike <u5a77@*****.CS.KEELE.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Alzheimers and other diseases
Date: Tue, 11 Aug 1998 12:25:25 +0100
And verily, did David Buehrer hastily scribble thusly...
|/ Do you think that Alzheimer's is cured by 2060?
|
|Maybe. Alzheimer's seems to be some sort of genetic type disease. The
|cure might involve identification of the genetic marker at birth and then
|correcting it *long* before it'll kick in. Which means that the current
|generation will be okay, but people will still have to deal with the
|current "old-timers" who have Alzheimer's. Just my two cents.

One variant maybe.
Another one is, I've heard, caused by a buildup of Aluminium in the
body.....
--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|u5a77@*****.cs.keele.ac.uk| Windows95 (noun): 32 bit extensions and a |
| | graphical shell for a 16 bit patch to an 8 bit |
| Andrew Halliwell | operating system originally coded for a 4 bit |
| Finalist in:- |microprocessor, written by a 2 bit company, that|
| Computer Science | can't stand 1 bit of competition. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|GCv3.1 GCS/EL>$ d---(dpu) s+/- a- C++ U N++ o+ K- w-- M+/++ PS+++ PE- Y t+ |
|5++ X+/++ R+ tv+ b+ D G e>PhD h/h+ !r! !y-|I can't say F**K either now! :( |
Message no. 6
From: Erik Jameson <erikj@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Alzheimers and other diseases
Date: Tue, 11 Aug 1998 13:38:52 -0400
At 08:46 PM 8/10/98 EDT, you wrote:

>> Cancer, I'm going to say yes. If they have mastered forced clonal
>> replacements of organs and limbs, surely they must also know how to stop
>> what is in many ways the same thing, uncontrolled, cancer.
>
>I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one. I think in most cases
>they will be able to cure cancer, if its caught early, but it will by no
means
>be an eliminated disease. I believe its listed as a major problem for street
>meat with certain types of cyber (it might only be cyberzombies, but I'm not
>sure), and there is the fact that not everyone will be able to afford to
>expensive clonal (or even type-O) replacements of major organs. It won't be
>eliminated, but it won't be as big a danger to those with money, either.

Hmmm...good point Nexx, I had forgotten CZs.

And you alluded to it, but you are right in one aspect, in that it will
also be determined by nuyen. The poor will still die of cancer, while the
rich may very well be able to afford the surgery, the clonal organs, the
magic, whatever, that can cure them.

I'm pretty sure Martin agrees with me, but it really looks like there is a
massive divide between the haves and the have nots in Shadowrun 2060. It's
a pretty big divide now, but it looks like in 2060, the chasm between the
two simply dwarfs the Grand Canyon in size...

Erik the Impatient


http://www.fortunecity.com/rivendell/dungeon/480/index.html
The Reality Check for a Fictional World
Message no. 7
From: Martin Steffens <chimerae@***.IE>
Subject: Re: Alzheimers and other diseases
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 14:29:52 +0000
and thus did Erik Jameson speak on 11 Aug 98 at 13:38:

> And you alluded to it, but you are right in one aspect, in that it will
> also be determined by nuyen. The poor will still die of cancer, while the
> rich may very well be able to afford the surgery, the clonal organs, the
> magic, whatever, that can cure them.

Sorry, I wanted to join in this thread before, but forgot about it,
and afterwards I couldn't find it any more between the 3000 other
msgs...
To come back on a few previous items: Alzheimer.
IIRC right now they are close or already have indentified the gene
that causes Alzheimer. Also there's an enzyme that's going hyper in
the brain thanks to this gene. So the "haves" will go for corrective
gene-therapy and live happily ever after, or get mnemonic enhancers
if it's discovered after memory already degraded. The "have-nots"
might be able to buy medicines that suppress the enzyme, or simply
never discover the disease until its in an advanced state.

Cancer also should be curable by gene-therapy. For the not so
wealthy there should be a quite effective cocktail of medicines
available. This all depends on what happened in the 60 years between
now and then. Maybe a more aggressive form of cancer appeared, like
now is about to happen with many "old" diseases thanks to survival of
the fittests that weren't killed by anti-biotics. Did the west pick
up the "phage" research of the old Soviet Union, or did it fall in
disrepair? (phages are naturally occurring bacteria that specifically
destroy other bacteria. The USSR has used them for a long time in
hospitals to prevent wound infections to great effect. To bad the
mayor research facility in Georgia has serious funding problems
right now, and is waiting for a western financier).

If the cancer hasn't spread through the body it's operable removable
in some cases now. In 2060 I can imagine that they wouldn't take any
chances and just remove the infected organ and replace it with a
clone. Once it's spread however, gene therapy is the best possible
cure. The other medicines will just stop the cells for some time in
most cases. Although I can imagine a specific type of nanites
being injected in your bloodstream that are programmed to hunt down
cancer cells. Since ST only mentions them shortly (alas), I haven't
got the faintest clue how expensive that is.

Cyber zombies don't have to be a necessary good example of cancer
still being around. with their extensive modification they might be a
whole medical science in themselves, baffling their doctors with
every day they manage to survive. Also their body is dead and being
kept alive, which can seriously hinder any healing or medication.

AIDS is an interesting case, I've often wondered if VITAS might not
be an airborne awakened mutation of AIDS. So while there might be
cure for AIDS, thinking mostly about programmed nanites that can kill
the virus (with a fuzzy logic recognition program), there isn't one
for VITAS, and that's after 50 years after it started. For medical
science to take that long to find a cure is very uncommon, so that
kind of supports my theory. I don't think there's much
combined magical-medical research yet.

> I'm pretty sure Martin agrees with me, but it really looks like there is a
> massive divide between the haves and the have nots in Shadowrun 2060. It's
> a pretty big divide now, but it looks like in 2060, the chasm between the
> two simply dwarfs the Grand Canyon in size...

I do indeed agree. If anything a technocracy is going to make the
divide bigger and bigger. Simply because there's more and more to
have for the "haves" and more and more the "have-nots" don't have.

Although in big parts of Europe there's still a public health system
and hardly any private clinics right now, so here it might be easier
to get a cure for those things (if you're willing to wait a long
time).

> Erik the Impatient

Two more days... I got to wait around four weeks probably... :(

Martin the Distributer Slayer
Message no. 8
From: Erik Jameson <erikj@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Alzheimers and other diseases
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 14:20:50 -0400
At 02:29 PM 8/12/98 +0000, you wrote:

>Sorry, I wanted to join in this thread before, but forgot about it,
>and afterwards I couldn't find it any more between the 3000 other
>msgs...

Been waiting for ya Martin!

>To come back on a few previous items: Alzheimer.
>IIRC right now they are close or already have indentified the gene
>that causes Alzheimer. Also there's an enzyme that's going hyper in
>the brain thanks to this gene. So the "haves" will go for corrective
>gene-therapy and live happily ever after, or get mnemonic enhancers
>if it's discovered after memory already degraded. The "have-nots"
>might be able to buy medicines that suppress the enzyme, or simply
>never discover the disease until its in an advanced state.

Sounds about right to me. I like it.

>Cyber zombies don't have to be a necessary good example of cancer
>still being around. with their extensive modification they might be a
>whole medical science in themselves, baffling their doctors with
>every day they manage to survive. Also their body is dead and being
>kept alive, which can seriously hinder any healing or medication.

True, but it does illustrate the point that not all cancers apparently have
been cured or are even potentially under control.

>AIDS is an interesting case, I've often wondered if VITAS might not
>be an airborne awakened mutation of AIDS. So while there might be
>cure for AIDS, thinking mostly about programmed nanites that can kill
>the virus (with a fuzzy logic recognition program), there isn't one
>for VITAS, and that's after 50 years after it started. For medical
>science to take that long to find a cure is very uncommon, so that
>kind of supports my theory. I don't think there's much
>combined magical-medical research yet.

I know I've thought of that before and I think other have vocallized
similar sentiments over the years on RN. Possible, but I'm not positive.

It does strike me as odd that VITAS still isn't really curable after 50
years. This indicates to me that there is something about the fact that it
is probably Awakened that is messing things up. What or how, I haven't the
foggiest.

>I do indeed agree. If anything a technocracy is going to make the
>divide bigger and bigger. Simply because there's more and more to
>have for the "haves" and more and more the "have-nots" don't have.

I thought as much, based on previous comments. I'd really like to see FASA
explore this divide more in the future. CP2020, if I recall, seems to do
so, with their Eurostyle stuff vs. gutterpunks.

>Although in big parts of Europe there's still a public health system
>and hardly any private clinics right now, so here it might be easier
>to get a cure for those things (if you're willing to wait a long
>time).

Oh, there's public clinics here too. The major difference is that a
private hospital may have access to CAT scans and all sorts of advanced,
expensive equipment. The public ones often don't, which should have
obvious reprecussions.

>Two more days... I got to wait around four weeks probably... :(
>
>Martin the Distributer Slayer

So are you related to Buffy in anyway? ;-)

Erik the Impatient


http://www.fortunecity.com/rivendell/dungeon/480/index.html
The Reality Check for a Fictional World
Message no. 9
From: Martin Steffens <chimerae@***.IE>
Subject: Re: Alzheimers and other diseases
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 18:48:00 +0000
and thus did Erik Jameson speak on 12 Aug 98 at 14:20:

> >To come back on a few previous items: Alzheimer.
> >IIRC right now they are close or already have indentified the gene
> >that causes Alzheimer. Also there's an enzyme that's going hyper in
> >the brain thanks to this gene. So the "haves" will go for corrective
> >gene-therapy and live happily ever after, or get mnemonic enhancers
> >if it's discovered after memory already degraded. The "have-nots"
> >might be able to buy medicines that suppress the enzyme, or simply
> >never discover the disease until its in an advanced state.
>
> Sounds about right to me. I like it.

Ack, well today I read that new research shows that Alzheimer might
be caused by a fairly common cold virus. It's been discovered that
people who have this bug, which is fairly common, are far more
likelier to get Alzheimer. If they can scientifically prove the link,
the cure might be something as simple as an anti-biotics treatment.
I still wouldn't mind getting a mnemonic enhancer level 6 though :)

[cancer cures vs cyberzombies]
> True, but it does illustrate the point that not all cancers apparently have
> been cured or are even potentially under control.

I truly wonder about that one... Unless there's going to be a new
strain which can rapidly mutate, I don't think that a cure for
a lot of forms cancer is that far away with current day science. I
remember seeing something very close along the lines of an
intelligent chemo-therapy being tested and developed in which the
normal cells are left alone and the cancerous ones are prevented from
multiplying, thus killing them of after their natural lifetime
without being able to duplicate.
Also check out ST p. 66:
In certain circumstances, such as cancer, VITAS, and other
genetically volatile development, [gene therapy] can be used in
conjunction with the specific neutralization processes.
And p.70 and 71:
... monoclonal antibodies are highly specific, recognizing and able
to react with only one type of molecule/microbe - the one for which
they were designed. Because of ... [this] ... monoclonal antibodies
are suited to many diverse purposes: as anti-cancer agents and
anticoalugants; for typing blood and identifying/treating/causing
pathogenic reactions;... . The uses of monoclonal antibodies are
limited only by imagination, and morality, of the gengineer or
protein designer.

BTW I really love that book! It's so clear and in-depth. They should
have let Karl Wu do the technical/medical writing for Cybertech too.

[AIDS vs VITAS]
> I know I've thought of that before and I think other have vocallized
> similar sentiments over the years on RN. Possible, but I'm not positive.

Well Greg effectively put an end to that one I would say. He's
completely right, and I should have checked the description for VITAS
before voicing this.
Interesting is how the writer in ST puts UGE and VITAS always in the
same line, just like they're two branches on the same tree. I know
there have been speculations before that VITAS might be responsible
for the elimination of one of the ED races, which I don't necessarily
support (I mean why Tskrang and Obsidimen, and not Orks, if you
subscribe to an elven conspiracy theory?). It might however be very
closely linked to UGE and only became lethal after the awakening
(first VITAS outbreak 2010). If it's possible for humans to have a
string of genetic code that only activates with mana, why not virii?
It might be possible for some magical strains to effectively block
any medicinal cure by using magic powers.

> It does strike me as odd that VITAS still isn't really curable after 50
> years. This indicates to me that there is something about the fact that it
> is probably Awakened that is messing things up. What or how, I haven't the
> foggiest.

Hohum, I think I jumped to conclusions here. Greg already mentions a
cure for VITAS in his mail, and I have to agree with his conclusion.
It's the newer strains that pop up from time to time that still are
effective. Monoclonal antibodies are supposedly the wonder medicine,
and combined with gene therapy it's possible to cure. Of course the
poor, and especially the third world countries won't be able to
afford to pay for the cure or set up an effective program for
battling the disease. I figure that Africa in the 2060's is fairly
empty after uncontrolled epidemics of AIDS, VITAS, VITAS II, VITAS
III and the gods know what other mayhem.

> >I do indeed agree. If anything a technocracy is going to make the
> >divide bigger and bigger. Simply because there's more and more to
> >have for the "haves" and more and more the "have-nots" don't
have.

> I thought as much, based on previous comments. I'd really like to see FASA
> explore this divide more in the future. CP2020, if I recall, seems to do
> so, with their Eurostyle stuff vs. gutterpunks.

Haven't got CP2020, not very likely to buy it either, I like SR too
much for that and figure one Cyberpunk RPG is enough. But you can see
it in the FASA publications too: The slums of e.g. Seattle are much
worse than they are now. "Never trust an elf" gives a good picture of
what it is to live in the slums and how the world is stratified even
more than now.

> Oh, there's public clinics here too. The major difference is that a
> private hospital may have access to CAT scans and all sorts of advanced,
> expensive equipment. The public ones often don't, which should have
> obvious repercussions.

Difference with Europe is that the public hospitals do have the more
expensive stuff, while the clinics are still fairly small and mostly
specialize in plastic surgery. And to my suprise I managed to get a
CT-scan within a week (and I only pay health insurance as a fixed
part of my salary). If you go for private insurance, you basically
still go to public hospitals, the only difference is that you get
placed in front of the queue and get better rooms and service (don't
know about the food, but knowing hospitals, it probably tastes like
crap no matter how much you pay for it :)
Tn'Og's health system is a good example, if you got the book.

> >Martin the Distributor Slayer
>
> So are you related to Buffy in anyway? ;-)

I wish.... erhm, maybe not. We use the same tools though, only I'm
not limited to /wooden/ stakes :)
Virgin, is Rigger 2 finally in? No?! Prepare to die, you hideous
spawn of evil!!

Karina & Martin Steffens
chimerae@***.ie
Message no. 10
From: Erik Jameson <erikj@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Alzheimers and other diseases
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 14:58:15 -0400
At 06:48 PM 8/13/98 +0000, you wrote:

<and with a mighty SNIP! it was cut!>

I think we are running into the same sort of problem that the firearms
people run into, which is to say that reality does not really match up with
the game's reality very well.

We can look at modern science and say that cancer and AIDS should be
curable by 2060, then look at the tech in the sourcebooks and the rules and
such and have that at least partially contradicted.

Somewhat annoying I must say; now I know how the firearms fanatics feel.

>> >Martin the Distributor Slayer
>>
>> So are you related to Buffy in anyway? ;-)
>
>I wish.... erhm, maybe not. We use the same tools though, only I'm
>not limited to /wooden/ stakes :)
>Virgin, is Rigger 2 finally in? No?! Prepare to die, you hideous
>spawn of evil!!

Heehee! I'm guessing it must cost much more to order via Amazon or
something, eh? Makes me so glad to have All Star Games to hook me up with
my crack - I mean Shadowrun books. I've even referred fellow RNers to them
for the purchase of Shadowbeat and other crack...I mean books, damnit!!

Erik the Really Impatient Crack Junkie
Message no. 11
From: "M. Sean Martinez" <ElBandit@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Alzheimers and other diseases
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 15:31:41 EDT
In a message dated 8/13/98 3:05:20 PM Eastern Daylight Time, erikj@****.COM
writes:

> We can look at modern science and say that cancer and AIDS should be
> curable by 2060, then look at the tech in the sourcebooks and the rules and
> such and have that at least partially contradicted.

I can not say much now, since I have signed a non-disclosure agreement, but
expect such things to be curable in the next 10-20 years.

-Bandit
Message no. 12
From: Erik Jameson <erikj@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Alzheimers and other diseases
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 17:04:09 -0400
At 03:31 PM 8/13/98 EDT, you wrote:
>In a message dated 8/13/98 3:05:20 PM Eastern Daylight Time, erikj@****.COM
>writes:
>
>> We can look at modern science and say that cancer and AIDS should be
>> curable by 2060, then look at the tech in the sourcebooks and the rules
and
>> such and have that at least partially contradicted.
>
>I can not say much now, since I have signed a non-disclosure agreement, but
>expect such things to be curable in the next 10-20 years.

Okay El Bandit, elaborate please, as much as you can.

From the sentence offered, I would be guessing that you are referring to
the real world and not Shadowrun. This would imply you are privvy to
insider knowledge of some sort about the real world.

At least clarify that you mean (I think) RL and not SR.

Whatever it is, I hope you aren't a paid guinea pig... ;-)

Erik the Really Impatient
Message no. 13
From: K is the Symbol <Ereskanti@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Alzheimers and other diseases
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 03:11:04 EDT
In a message dated 8/13/1998 4:11:54 PM US Eastern Standard Time,
erikj@****.COM writes:

> Okay El Bandit, elaborate please, as much as you can.
>
> From the sentence offered, I would be guessing that you are referring to
> the real world and not Shadowrun. This would imply you are privvy to
> insider knowledge of some sort about the real world.
>
> At least clarify that you mean (I think) RL and not SR.
>
> Whatever it is, I hope you aren't a paid guinea pig... ;-)
>
If Bandit is part of the same program group/cluster that I know of here in
Lafayette, he will not even give much of a hint, as even that is target for
dismissal from those things. If he's not, then I'm tossing a raw stone the
wrong direction...oh well.

There are several diseases out there that are within the grasp of Mankind
-NOW- to be cured, but the methods in which this is done exceeds the
boundaries of morality and ethics as found within the current social structure
of the United States, and several other Global-Power Religious Organizations.
And I know of instances of even more drastic, powerful, measures occurring in
two European nations, Canada, and Argentina (this last one is foggy).

Suffice it to say, if Bandit is not exaggerating, and for some reason, I don't
think he is, the year 2003 is going to be very entertaining for many.

And very profitable, for others...

-K
Message no. 14
From: Martin Steffens <chimerae@***.IE>
Subject: Re: Alzheimers and other diseases
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 10:34:01 +0000
and thus did Erik Jameson speak on 13 Aug 98 at 14:58:

> <and with a mighty SNIP! it was cut!>

Arlgh! Oh the anguish the pain!! All my efforts undone with one
careless snip! ;)

> I think we are running into the same sort of problem that the firearms
> people run into, which is to say that reality does not really match up with
> the game's reality very well.
> We can look at modern science and say that cancer and AIDS should be
> curable by 2060, then look at the tech in the sourcebooks and the rules and
> such and have that at least partially contradicted.
> Somewhat annoying I must say; now I know how the firearms fanatics feel.

Well you can view it in another way: there is a cure for almost
anything, but distribution of medicines is limited to the lucky
Sinners and well-to-doers. The big masses still suffer from
everything that we're suffering from, and some nice new diseases.

One exception that I can remember is the Loup Garou. first time I
read that it really stuck in my mind thanks to the shadowtalk. there
is no cure for that... yuck... guns on full auto I guess when you see
something resembling a Loup Garou.

> Heehee! I'm guessing it must cost much more to order via Amazon or
> something, eh? Makes me so glad to have All Star Games to hook me up with
> my crack - I mean Shadowrun books. I've even referred fellow RNers to them
> for the purchase of Shadowbeat and other crack...I mean books, damnit!!

Well I did order SR3, T:UCAS, Awakenings, LS, and TirTa through
Amazon after discovering that Virgin Megastores hasn't got any closer
to getting me Rigger 2 and CyberPirates after six weeks of waiting. I
figured that their distribution network must be really bad if it
takes them more than six weeks to get me two perfectly available
books. Yep Amazon is a little bit more expensive, but not much, and
it does get cheaper if you order more than one book at once.

> Erik the Really Impatient Crack Junkie

Martin the Virgin Slayer (erhm, not in that way :)

Further Reading

If you enjoyed reading about Alzheimers and other diseases, you may also be interested in:

Disclaimer

These messages were posted a long time ago on a mailing list far, far away. The copyright to their contents probably lies with the original authors of the individual messages, but since they were published in an electronic forum that anyone could subscribe to, and the logs were available to subscribers and most likely non-subscribers as well, it's felt that re-publishing them here is a kind of public service.