Comments on: Templars, Osama, Umberto Eco, D&D and OS X. Questions?

Templars, Osama, Umberto Eco, D&D and OS X. Questions?

freebird — Thu, 01 Apr 2004 23:03:52 -0800

I found an American "Grand Prior Chevalier" Knight Templar challenging Osama Bin Laden to a sword duel in the sand while I was trying to find the cool Mac / Neverwinter Nights project Open Knights. The whole thing seemed so much like an outtake from the wonderful Foucault's Pendulum that I had to share.

By: freebird

freebird — Thu, 01 Apr 2004 23:14:33 -0800

here is the Google cache in case you have trouble with that first link.

By: interrobang

interrobang — Thu, 01 Apr 2004 23:27:06 -0800

Here's the deal: if I win, Al Qaeda is disbanded-forever. If you win, then you can set the head of a Knight Templar on a pike outside your tent, and you can claim that you slew the chief of all Crusaders in the United States. ...that's not actually all that great of a deal, Osama. Don't take it! At least get him to agree to shut the US down for a weekend, or something!

By: stavrosthewonderchicken

stavrosthewonderchicken — Thu, 01 Apr 2004 23:38:40 -0800

Just want to add some lovin' for Foucault's Pendulum. Crikey, I love that book.

By: quin

quin — Thu, 01 Apr 2004 23:44:27 -0800

Crap, that was funny. Almost makes me like Christians again.

By: chicobangs

chicobangs — Fri, 02 Apr 2004 08:28:35 -0800

If you're gonna have quasi-religious wackos, then goshdarnit they oughta be entertaining. Which this rather is. That's a nice little gloveslap from our Grand Prior Chevalier friend. And yeah, it's oh so Eco.

By: tittergrrl

tittergrrl — Fri, 02 Apr 2004 08:34:26 -0800

Could the undercard be Umberto Eco beating the crap out of Dan Brown? That would be fantastic.

By: gsh

gsh — Fri, 02 Apr 2004 08:43:02 -0800

And after he finishes up Osama, he marches on Vatican City to take back what the Church plundered from the Templars back in 1314: "This is for DeMolay, you swine!" What a great story.

By: mbd1mbd1

mbd1mbd1 — Fri, 02 Apr 2004 09:25:44 -0800

I thought Island of the Day Before and Name of the Rose were both better than Foucalt's Pendulum. About halfway through it, I realized that I was just reading it to be done with it.

By: freebird

freebird — Fri, 02 Apr 2004 09:49:39 -0800

About halfway through it, I realized that I was just reading it to be done with it. It's hard to not start flipping pages, I'll admit. But the end made it all oh so very worth it - and wouldn't have been as (for me) earth-shaking without the very (over) abundance of detail and baroque conspiracy to which (I suspect) you refer. So I do hope you read the end - it changes everything.

By: Zonker

Zonker — Fri, 02 Apr 2004 12:47:00 -0800

I'm not sure that the phrase "here's the deal" belongs in a formal challenge to single combat, but even so, I love the idea. (And I loved Foucault's Pendulum, too -- for me at least, it's Eco's best.)

By: monkeyman

monkeyman — Fri, 02 Apr 2004 14:22:06 -0800

It was King Philip of France who made the move against the Templars. The Vatican at the time was relatively powerless.

By: Grod

Grod — Fri, 02 Apr 2004 23:18:45 -0800

mbd1², You liked Island of the Day Before?! I couldn't finish it. Loved, Love, will always love Foucault's Pendulum, enjoyed Name of The Rose (the movie wasn't bad, either) and am really enjoying Baudolino. even more OT, am I the only one who felt that Foucault's Pendulum was a thinking man's Illuminatus!?