Gistmass Pageant

Gistmass Story: Context

Gistmass Story is a modern retelling of Homer’s Odyssey. The whole story starts here. The first installment is 83 pages long, and over 30,000 words.

A woman who hasn’t seen him since college, meets the protagonist, UV Faust (i.e. Ulysses), and the two discuss his relationship with his estranged ex-wife Penny (i.e. Penelope) and their son Telemachus (nicknamed Telly). That discussion begins here.

On the long train ride, he discusses his company’s involvement in the Free Software Community, and has to explain everything to her. That part begins here. The ubuntu installation process is mentioned on page 52.

In it he compares Microsoft to socialized medicine and the “free world” to free market health care. In one section, he labels Richard Stallman and Linus Torvalds as two leaders of the free world. That part beings here. The name Richard Stallman is mentioned on pages 53, 56, and 61.

He also uses an analogy of the American Revolutionary War, with the Microsoft monopoly like the English monarchy and the Free Software Community like patriotic American revolutionaries bringing democracy to the economic sphere. That part begins here.

During the long train ride, he also mentions an arbitration scheme he uses with Penny to handle relationship issues using ABBA songs. That explanation and many examples that lend insight into the relationship between Ulysses and Penny begins here.

Furthermore, he develops a model to diagram the satisfaction or frustration of needs. That part begins here.

Together these two tools can serve as the basis for improving and getting the most out of relationships.