<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:10pt"><div id="yiv791512431"><div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; "><div id="yiv791512431"><div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; " class="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132666848425850"><div id="yiv791512431"><div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; " class="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132658860654850 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132666848425856"><div id="yiv791512431"><div><div style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132654958692150"><div id="yiv791512431"><div id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_1326497361492173"><div
style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_132649736149250 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132654958692156" id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_1326497361492174"><div id="yiv791512431"><div id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_1326497361492175"><div style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132632909929250 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_132649736149256 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132654958692162" id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_1326497361492176"><div id="yiv791512431"><div id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326289027345183"><div style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132628902734550
yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132632909929256 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_132649736149262 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132654958692168" id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326289027345184"><div id="yiv791512431"><div id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326289027345185"><div style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132624188721350 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132628902734556 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132632909929262 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_132649736149268 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132654958692174" id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326289027345186"><div id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_132603867599648"><span id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_1326038675996130"><font size="2" id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326588606548189">David Stockhoff added a few comments recently about the use of "hundred day" in <span style="font-style:italic;" id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326588606548196">Home Fires</span>, exploring the possibility that the calendar is
altered in some way that may
illuminate the background of the story. Like the dialects of certain characters, the colloquial use of "hundred day"</font></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; " id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326549586921195" class="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326588606548154 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326668484258162"> adds a distinct flavor to the story, but </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; " id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326549586921213" class="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326588606548156 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326668484258164">I haven't found any indication the calendar has been changed</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; " id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326549586921218" class="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326588606548158
yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326668484258166">. <span style="font-style:italic;" id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326549586921231">Home Fires</span> seems to have a 24 hr clock, a 7 day week, and 365+ day year. Still, I keep wondering
whether we can eke out another layer of meaning.</span></div><div id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_132603867599648" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; " class="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132658860654884 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132666848425890"><span id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326289027345143"><br></span></div><div id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_132603867599648" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; " class="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132658860654886 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132666848425892"><span style="font-size:10pt;" id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326289027345191">I've been searching for some secondary association of "hundred day" that connects to mind-control or memory enhancement or some well-worn epigram of Simonides (as in the dedication to AEG) or some mnemonic device. This line of attack seemed reasonable because the first "Reflection" chapter opens
with a discussion of memories, where Skip offers the idea that each morning we rebuild our
identity with scraps of memories pieced together from "somewhere" upon waking. Unfortunately, the memory </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; ">approach leads nowhere.</span></div><div id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_132603867599648" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; " class="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132658860654888 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132666848425894"><span style="font-size:10pt;" id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326289027345194"><br></span></div><div id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_132603867599648" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; " class="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132658860654890 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132666848425896"><span style="font-size:10pt;" id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326289027345199">Just to see what would happen, I tried translating "hundred day" into standard metric form = "hectoDies." Maybe this refers to a person named Hector
who dies or someone whose alias is Hector Diaz. If there is such a person, Hector and
Achille would have it in for each other. <br id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326289027345204"></span></div><div id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_132603867599648" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; " class="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132658860654892 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132666848425898"><span style="font-size:10pt;" id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326289027345213"><br></span></div><div id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_132603867599648" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; " class="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132658860654894 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326668484258100"><span style="font-size:10pt;" id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326289027345218">Possibly interesting, but pretty flimsy unless there are other traces of the <span style="font-style:italic;" id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326668484258277">Iliad </span>hidden away somewhere.</span></div><div
id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_1326038675996293" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; " class="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132658860654896 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326668484258102"><br></div> <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; " id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_132603867599656" class="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_132603867599654 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132624188721356 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132628902734566 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132632909929280 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_132649736149286 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132654958692192 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132658860654898 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326668484258104"> <div style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; " class="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_132603867599661 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132624188721358 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132628902734568
yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132632909929282
yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_132649736149288 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132654958692194 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326588606548100 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326668484258106" id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_1326038675996290"> <font size="2" face="Arial" id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_1326038675996251"> <hr size="1">
<b><span style="font-weight:bold;" id="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_1326038675996248">From:</span></b> David Stockhoff <dstockhoff@verizon.net><br> <b><span style="font-weight:bold;">To:</span></b> Stephen Hoy <stephenhoy@yahoo.com>; The Urth Mailing List <urth@lists.urth.net> <br> <b><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, January 3, 2012 10:42 AM<br> <b><span style="font-weight:bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re: (urth) Home Fires questions<br> </font> <br>
<div id="yiv791512431">
<div>
On 10/23/2011 12:38 PM, Stephen Hoy wrote:
<blockquote type="cite">
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; " class="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_132603867599667 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132624188721364 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132628902734574 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132632909929288 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_132649736149294 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326549586921100 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326588606548106 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326668484258112">
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<div style="font-family: times, serif; " class="yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_132603867599671 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132624188721368 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132628902734578 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_132632909929292 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_18_132649736149298 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326549586921104 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326588606548110 yiv791512431yui_3_2_0_16_1326668484258116">
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<div><span>
<div><font class="yiv791512431Apple-style-span" size="2" face="Arial">
<div>On Wednesday, October 19, 2011 4:16 PM, David
Stockhoff <a rel="nofollow" class="yiv791512431moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" ymailto="mailto:dstockhoff@verizon.net" target="_blank" href="mailto:dstockhoff@verizon.net"><dstockhoff@verizon.net></a> wrote
in reply to me:</div>
<div>>> Hoy: What if a year is actually ten
hundred-days? Is there anything in Home Fires
that might contradict this metrification?
Twenty-two years of hundred-time equals about
sixty of ours ...</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>> Stockoff: There was some discussion of
time a few months ago (see "Home Fires and
calendar reform"). The year seems to be 400
days, with 100-day quarters and (I guess) 33-day
months. So 500 days would be more than a year. I
just returned the book to the library---how long
is Chelle supposed to be on leave? Anyway, the
agent's assignment to Skip could be that long.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>> Stockoff: Now, if you allow massive
rounding (odd in a metric time system, but maybe
common among people who haven't adapted to it
yet), "200 days, about half a year" could mean
almost 250 days, so a year might be 500 days.
BTW, I think you're off by a decimal: 22 x 100 =
2200; 2200/365 = 6 of our years or 5.5 400-day
years. Or did I misunderstand you?</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I was calculating that 22 "thousand-day
years" is about 60 "three-hundred-sixty-five-day
years." 22 * 1000 = 60 * 366.666... But my
guess is refuted by a detail I hadn't noticed
& to which you refer: Ch 11 Right and Left,
Rick Johnson tells Skip about a temporary job he
once held for "two hundred days or so, about
half a year." </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>> Stockoff: Another approach: if tours of
duty are similar to our own, i.e., 6 months to 2
to 4 years, maybe that's a place to start. Given
interstellar distances, 2 years may be the
minimum time Chelle was away. Would 1000 days be
a typical tour, or 500 + star travel? How many
years would pass on Earth?</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Nailing down the length of a year has
significance if you want to know where Chelle
fought the Os.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>In Ch 2 When Janie Comes Marching Home,
Chelle asks, "How long was I gone?" "Twenty-two
years, one hundred and six days," Skip replies,
"I was..." then trails off into silence.
"Speechless, Counselor?" Skip offers up a few
words to explain how he felt, including a phrase
from Edward Coke,"Veritas nihil veretur nisi
abscondi." Truth is only afraid of concealment.
Curiously, we find a similar quote in <i>An
Evil Guest</i> from Coke's legal rival Francis
Bacon, the bit in the first chapter where the
President scoffs,"What's truth, said jestin'
Pilate."] This particular legal phrase doesn't
really fit Skip's situation. To me, it feels
more like "X" marks the spot.<br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>The time passed provides an estimate of the
distance traveled. There are only three stars
within 11 light years of Earth. Assuming
near-perfect lightspeed travel, Chelle possibly
traveled to Epsilon Eridani, 10.5 light years
distant. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Doesn't leave Chelle much duty time at her
destination--about 1 year 106 days--, but this
is consistent with the story. She returned early
due to injury.</div>
</font></div>
</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<br>
"Rational" calendars have been proposed that make all years
identical except for an extra week every 5-6 years:<br>
<br>
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/12/rational-calendar/#more-90639<br>
<br>
This one uses a 364-day year. If the financial sector and
spaceflight were to combine to change our calendar (interestingly,
this calendar is promoted by an astronomer AND an economist), as has
been proposed for HF, shifting emphasis from the messy but familiar
month to a less human-centric quarter-based system may be a logical
outcome. Under this calendar, an alternative to the above
calculations would be a 182-day half-year colloquially rounded up to
"200 or so" or 364 for the whole year. A quarter would be 91 days,
again colloquially rounded to 100. Why?<br>
<br>
The vagaries of our months force us to think in months of "about" 30
days; these future administrative needs plus the fact that every
year would be identical might explain the shift to rounded-up
100-day intervals, because it might be easier to think in terms of
quarters if all quarters are the same---every 3 months is a
predetermined 91-day block. Each third month has 31 days vs 30,
which makes the quarter (and half-year and year), not the month, the
smallest consistent base unit. <br>
<br>
Even given this determination, people might think in terms of 100
days. When the leap week is added, you get 98 days in that final
quarter where the week is technically applied, which is almost 100.
Knowing that some final quarters are longer might loom larger than
you'd think, because this would be the ONLY anomaly in the system
(aside from the first day of each month still shifting from month to
month, but not from year to year, so that people quickly would learn
the pattern) and it's a big one. Granted, rather than trade stocks
or work or fly space missions during this week, people would
probably just party, but still that makes a quarter = 91-98 days,
which is not exactly brain-friendly. Knowing the spread exactly
could, paradoxically, lead to an oddly casual routine approximation
among non-administrators.<br>
<br>
The argument is imperfect because we can only guess about human
behavior in such a system. The biggest weakness is that the above
arguments ought to work even better for a system with more regular
months, say where 3 months = 99 days or 1 week is 10 days. But not
only do no such systems exist, the characters' approximate language
suggests that no such precision exists either, nor has the Earth
year been ditched completely---they still have 12 months and 7
weekdays, just like the proposed calendar. The Earth year is
peculiar and even in a "rational" system humans will choose to
ignore its inevitable anomalies and cling to their perceptions of
time.<br>
<br>
Anybody recall any sign of a leap week in the text? Possibly, the
phrase "200 or so" included a leap week if it spanned a year-end,
making that half-year = 189 days.
</div>
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