BLUE SUN ROOM

Calender of the Verse???

POSTED BY: WYTCHCROFT
UPDATED: Saturday, November 24, 2007 15:50
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Wednesday, November 21, 2007 12:26 AM

WYTCHCROFT


Do we know – are we told in the (few) Serenity books I don’t yet own (or in the RPG) about the calender kept by the Alliance??? Calenders are a vital control mechanism after all… My guess is that (somewhat like time zones) planets would be allowed a degree of calender autonomy BUT within a broad limit (ala GMT) and with Alliance / Core day names, months and festival (e.g. Unification Day)*.
In a fic I threw in what I thought sounded like plausible western updates of the Chinese calender system – thus Kaylee is born under the sign of the Hammer, Mal under the Plough etc (if I remember my dead fic aright).

Does anyone know the calender? Does the kind of system I suggest sound viable???
* indie festivals on Shadow got banned.

there may be threads on this already - apologies if so...

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Friday, November 23, 2007 6:50 PM

SCHOONER


Quote:

Originally posted by wytchcroft:
Do we know – are we told in the (few) Serenity books I don’t yet own (or in the RPG) about the calender kept by the Alliance??? Calenders are a vital control mechanism after all… My guess is that (somewhat like time zones) planets would be allowed a degree of calender autonomy BUT within a broad limit (ala GMT) and with Alliance / Core day names, months and festival (e.g. Unification Day)*.
In a fic I threw in what I thought sounded like plausible western updates of the Chinese calender system – thus Kaylee is born under the sign of the Hammer, Mal under the Plough etc (if I remember my dead fic aright).

Does anyone know the calender? Does the kind of system I suggest sound viable???
* indie festivals on Shadow got banned.

there may be threads on this already - apologies if so...





I think what you said sounds very viable. Where I live, there are decent sized Chinese, Jewish, and Indian communities. In these neighborhoods, one thing you will always find hanging on the walls of shops is a calendar specific to that culture, and usually an "official" calendar right next to it. I imagine that sort of system would be common outside of the Core. The Alliance calendar is used for government functions, interplanetary trade, and taxes. Most everything else is a local calendar specific either to that world or the culture that is predominant on it.

I don't know if an official Alliance calendar exists, or if anyone's made one. I would guess it would resemble the French Revolutionary calendar, all sensible, idealogical and such with no regard for how people actually lived their lives.

I like your take on the Chinese calendar system. I've been giving some thought as to the constellations of the 'verse, myself.

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Friday, November 23, 2007 11:50 PM

WYTCHCROFT







Quote:




I don't know if an official Alliance calendar exists, or if anyone's made one. I would guess it would resemble the French Revolutionary calendar, all sensible, idealogical and such with no regard for how people actually lived their lives.



that's a very interesting analogy - and useful to my thinking.

maybe the Big Damn Zine could print a calender???

let me know your thinking on the constellations - i looked at various verse starmaps recently but - coudn't get a handle on it!

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Saturday, November 24, 2007 2:14 PM

JAMESTHEDARK


As I figure it, there would be a Terran Calander (12 months, for a total of 360 days). The actual solar years will vary extremely as the planet moves further away from the sun.
The Core planets, being close to the sun, will have much shorter sidereal periods. My estimation (Big sun, big solar system) means that Londinum would have a sidereal period of 720 days, or two calendar years. Planets like Boros would have a much longer period, ranging in the region of 12 to 20 calendar years. Planets in the Border, being so goddamn far away would have sidereal periods in the hundreds of calendar years. True Annual events would be a significant celebration on the distant worlds.

Of course, this presupposes the One Star system, with a giant in the heart of it, and I tend to make stuff up as I need it. I could be wrong.

--------------
I ain't lookin' for help from on high. That's a damn long wait for a train don't come.

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Saturday, November 24, 2007 3:50 PM

NCBROWNCOAT


Quote:

Originally posted by schooner:
Quote:

Originally posted by wytchcroft:
Do we know – are we told in the (few) Serenity books I don’t yet own (or in the RPG) about the calender kept by the Alliance??? Calenders are a vital control mechanism after all… My guess is that (somewhat like time zones) planets would be allowed a degree of calender autonomy BUT within a broad limit (ala GMT) and with Alliance / Core day names, months and festival (e.g. Unification Day)*.
In a fic I threw in what I thought sounded like plausible western updates of the Chinese calender system – thus Kaylee is born under the sign of the Hammer, Mal under the Plough etc (if I remember my dead fic aright).

Does anyone know the calender? Does the kind of system I suggest sound viable???
* indie festivals on Shadow got banned.

there may be threads on this already - apologies if so...





I think what you said sounds very viable. Where I live, there are decent sized Chinese, Jewish, and Indian communities. In these neighborhoods, one thing you will always find hanging on the walls of shops is a calendar specific to that culture, and usually an "official" calendar right next to it. I imagine that sort of system would be common outside of the Core. The Alliance calendar is used for government functions, interplanetary trade, and taxes. Most everything else is a local calendar specific either to that world or the culture that is predominant on it.

I don't know if an official Alliance calendar exists, or if anyone's made one. I would guess it would resemble the French Revolutionary calendar, all sensible, idealogical and such with no regard for how people actually lived their lives.

I like your take on the Chinese calendar system. I've been giving some thought as to the constellations of the 'verse, myself.



Both your answers make perfect sense, an "Official" Alliance Calender, and time ,a la GMT, to keep everyone in the 'verse synchronized and a local/cultural calendar and time unique to each planet.

BTW our concept of America "standard" time and time zone borders were drawn by the railroad industry in the late 19th century in an attempt to standardize rail time tables. So we are actually under a commercial time system, An "Alliance calendar" if you wish.

Here endth the useless trivia for today.

http://fireflyfaninnc.livejournal.com/









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