The other day, I was catnapping on my bed, while Harley played up on the bed. He climbed up on my chest, and we quickly established two new ground rules for Harley.
1) Harley does NOT get to pick my nose.
2) Birdie kisses do NOT involve tongue.
But, I won’t post any spoilers.
Pretty decent book. Hermonie didn’t get any really nice scenes.
I’ve never really understood why the Potter series has been such a huge hit. Its a strictly average series, and virtually any fantasy book you pick up will be as good, if not a bit better.
I’ll post some spoiler thoughts in a couple of weeks, after the initial reading frenzy has died down.
On occasion, you learn things from pets. I bought Harley a toy. Its not the first, it won’t be the last. Its a “treasure chest”, or a clear, thick plastic chest with a number of openings in it, and soft wood multicolored blocks inside. The object is that by careful manipulation, you can get the blocks out, to chew on, or play with. I hung it from the top of his cage.
Harley didn’t approach it with careful manipulation. He promptly attacked it, and flailed it around with such vigor, that several blocks were expelled from the holes. He then went to the bottom of his cage, got the blocks, and destroyed them.
Sometimes, much of the time, force works.
One of the cowriters of one of my favorite blogs (a law blog) has already finished the Deathly Hallows.
I am still not starting it until I have a few more things done….
Kid sister ordered it for me for my birth. I got it this morning. Have I opened it? Nope. I’ve got a few things that have to be finished before I devote a few days to reading that book. I read bloody fast – but not fast enough to get through a book that size that fast. Especially now that I cannot read 24 hours a day….
Hermonie better live, thats my main concern. Harry can die – he’s turned into a spoiled, whiney little overwrought Jock. But Hermonie better live – and I would prefer that Snape live too…..
Okay, this was meant to be a post to a message board, I was writing it in MarsEdit just to be writing it in a light app…. accidently hit post, so what the hell, I’ll clean it up a bit, and leave it out here.
Basically, its a roleplaying session, not campaign. This is kind of a party game rpg setup. I haven’t played it yet, or read the rules even. I’m registered for a game of this at Dragoncon this year. The above review, by the way, is quite good.
Another one I’m scheduled to try at Dragoncon. The players work together to roleplay a TV series, that they have designed. I’m iffier on this one than the Roach game (I don’t watch a lot of TV, but I love the idea of telepathic soul eating roaches). Still, its suppose to have a lot of top notch GM advice on character arcs, pacing, etc, so I might get it.
Haven’t tried, probably will never get to try. Its next on my “to buy” list. I’m interested in it because it deliberately sets out to invoke a certain mythical atmosphere, and its a tragedy. Your character is doomed to die, his civilization to be destroyed, and his story forgotten. So its all about how well he dies. I’m a sucker for tragedy, and its something you don’t often get in RPG’s (or books, or movies much either).
I tend to agree with one reviewer, who says that he hasn’t seen any of the indie rpgs that he would like to play for more than a few sessions. But, I can’t help but think that parts of these can be pulled and incorporated into more mainstream rpgs. Like Caliphate nights has done with framing. Which, I would like to get Caliphate Nights, but not for the price that they want… (Thats a problem with most of the indie games above, as well, they are pricey…..)
Now I feel guilty. I got around to refilling the salt water bowl in the hermit crab tank tonight. It had been dry for a few days (the regular water bowl hadn’t, of course). So when I went downstairs just now, I flipped on the light, and saw the “Party at the salt water pool” going on in the Hermit Crab tank. So, I feel guilty. I’ll keep that bowl topped off better.
I am not doing too bad in the Hermit crab department, I don’t think. Its kind of hard to be sure. They are only marginally more entertaining than pet rocks, and are hard to keep track of. I bought 6, I think, about 14-15 months ago. I’ve got the exact date around here somewhere, but it falls into the “not interesting enough to look up” department. I spent damn near 200 bucks on their cage too. Its a 25 gallon long aquarium, with about 4 inches of Ecco Earth and play sand mixed together in the bottom. Its got a few pieces of wood, and some other props in it. I keep the humidity in the 60 to high 70′s relative range. The crabs spend most of their time hidden, except at night. I know I’ve got at least 4 still alive, and I think 5. I could have 6. I’ll know when I do the next “deep clean” (take all the stuff out of the cage, wash it, replace the sand and earth).
A woman had her purse stolen at work today, out of the front seat of her truck. It happened within 5 minutes of her parking in the front lot, in the visitor spot. A SUV pulled in beside her, and after she got out and went inside, a woman got out of the SUV, opened her car door, grabbed the purse, left.
My friend out in California, my ex-roommate, actually, is jobless. Her boss groped her for a second time, so, as she had promised after the first time, she decked him. I’m not sure whether she quit, or he fired her. She can be difficult to get in touch with, so I’m not 100% clear on the details.
That kind of leads to this interesting quote, from an interesting interview with a “working girl”.
I tell them to not go into business with men even as partners because men are territorial, possessive, prone to testosterone-fueled stupidity, nonobjective and without finesse. I tell them that if they need to work with a man, before they start or agree to anything they must look at the situation, figure out where the various paths that come to them will lead and what the consequences might be with the choices they are tempted to make. I tell them that if they do try this life, they must first set a goal they want to achieve through it. They always have to be prepared for anything that might happen and, most importantly, they must always have an escape plan.
Thats pretty much truth. The older I get, the more I realize that anyone who thinks men and women are exactly alike, doesn’t know anyone of the opposite sex.
I don’t pay much attention to my wardrobe…. so long as it covers the fat, I’m cool with it, for the most part.
On occasion, I do expand my selection of t-shirts, as opposed to wearing work shirts all the time. (My work place provides 5 shirts a year, as part of the uniform. I have a few…..)
Long story short, I picked up the following two designs from Dirty Microbe.
Just a standard statement of fact here for the first one…
And the following one is my favorite – though its in white, and I would prefer black, or Gold.
I haven’t used Dirty Microbe before, so I’ll try to remember to post how fast their service is, etc.
Why does it surprise anyone that the Pope says the Catholic Church is the one true church? Of course he does! I mean, that is the essential nature of religion. The Atlanta Journal Constitution had a very interesting article a couple of weeks ago. Basically they asked five “prominent religious” thinkers what the most dangerous idea in religion is. Naturally they got five different answers (and one of their people wasn’t a religious person (the self help guru) but thats beside the point.)
Deepak Chopra put into a nutshell this flawed idea that is presently popular in “liberal” circles.
A tribal view of God
— Deepak Chopra
“The most dangerous idea is my God is the only true God and my religion is the only true religion. It leads to quarrels, divisiveness, terrorism, prejudice, racism and bloodshed. We see it in the world right now
“All religious ideas are programmed into our consciousness at a very early age. We hold them to be true. It’s very difficult to step out of that condition even in the face of good intellectual reasoning because of emotional bondage to our condition. We bristle with emotions when our beliefs are threatened.
“We are at a very critical stage in our evolution. We’re beginning to become aware. We know a lot about nature. We have a pretty good idea about the beginning of the universe. We understand to a great extent the law of physics, chemistry and biology. And yet for the vast majority of us, – though we have cell phones and can make nuclear bombs, – our psychological and spiritual evolution is frozen to a level that is very tribal.”
Deepak Chopra is chairman and co-founder of the Chopra Center for Well Being in Carlsbad, Calif. He is a best-selling author and popular lecturer best-known for integrating Western medicine with the natural healing traditions of the East.
Hell, I’m a logical person – mostly, and I’m not about claim that solid intellectual reasoning should trump emotion and faith. To do so is to be in intellectual bondage, instead of emotional bondage. His views are dangerous…. Of the five people questioned, only the islamic religious leader got it right
“I wouldn’t believe in a religion if I didn’t believe it to be better than other religions. The notion of superiority and exclusivity is inherent to religious beliefs. It can be dangerous and not be dangerous.
Dr. Abdullahi cq Ahmed An-Na’im
Dr. Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na’im is an internationally recognized scholar of Islam and human rights. He is the Charles Howard Candler Professor of Law at Emory University.
To restate the obvious The notion of superiority and exclusivity is inherent to religious beliefs. Bingo! Thats what makes a religion strong! Right now, on the global scale, Islam is the strongest religion. I’m not saying its right, I’m saying its the strongest. Thats why is the most dangerous foe that western thought has at the moment.
And thats why its a good thing that the Pope believes that the Catholic church is the one true church. It means a fire still burns in at least one part of Christianity (and whether or not you agree with him doesn’t have the slightest relevancy). Its why its good that all sorts of religious fanatics exist – its a vital hedge against stagnation and conformity. On a large scale, emotion and faith will trump reason every single time.
A common critique of the “average long tail” blog, is that you get a lot of useless information, like, “I had a cheese sandwich today”. Hold that thought a second…. Alright, now that I’ve had a cheese sandwich (and It was Good), on with my cheese sandwich post….
One of my minor interests is in the Supreme court…. further proof that I’m a bit of a geek, I know. I’ve had a copy of Greenburg’s Supreme Conflict sitting on my kitchen counter for about 8 months now. So I finally got around to starting it tonight. I’ve only read the first two chapters, and my initial impression is that its like a book length magazine article. Interesting, informative, but still a bit fluffy compared to what you want in a book. We will see what I think when I finish it up. (I’m most interested in getting my hands on Clarence Thomas’s autobiography, and a recent biography of him).
Right now, the dogs are actively moth hunting. Thats rather loud and bangy all told, and will soon get the birds started as well……….
I had bought organic blackberries to give to the birds. Kermit at least, likes blueberries, so I figured it was worth a shot. Well, she doesn’t like blackberries – and neither does Harley. Harley’s view is “It looks healthy.” He peers closely at it… touches it “Yep. Healthy. I don’t do healthy.” Chunks it to the bottom of the cage. He does take after me, in many ways….. Well, the hermit crabs will eat them, anyway. (As for me eating the nasty things…. Ditto on Harley’s opinion)
Well, over the past few years I’ve missed a huge grand experiment in role playing games. So, now that my interest is piqued once again, I’ve got some catching up to do. There have been lots of indie rpgs published, which stretch the envelopment a good bit past that established by D&D. Stuff like The Mountain Witch, My life with Master, Polaris, Dogs in the Vinyard, and others. I really want to try Mountain Witch. I’ve got My life with Master ordered.
I’m going to Dragoncon, even though I would prefer Gencon or Origins. Specifically because its Origins, and is somewhere in Ohio, as opposed to Chicago. I’m not too keen on Chicago, even though I can’t really say I’ve been there. (I’ve been in the Greyhound station, twenty years ago, for a two hour layover). But – all of that is beside the point. I’m going to Dragoncon, because Johnny and Matt have chosen it, and its our traditional yearly con. Mind you, I haven’t been the last two years.
Friday I’ve booked solid for gaming. Starting at 9 am, and ending at 10 pm. My first game will be Prime Time adventures, the second The Shab-al-Hiri Roach, and the third Little Fears. I’ve not played any of them. I don’t own any of them, and I’ve never ran any of them. I’m quite looking forward to getting some exposure to them. I’m most looking forward to the Shab-al-Hiri Roach, because it doesn’t require a GM, and it involves a massively powerful roach which was once worshipped as a God in Ancient Sumaria. If I get a chance, I would like to try “By mutual consent” which is a combination party game/RPG about the breakup of a relationship. Where one of the people might, or might not be, a wererat. I’m a sucker for wererats.
Little Fears is a disturbing little game, which wouldn’t be to the taste of quite a few people. Its about children, and monsters under the bed. And fathers who drink too much, and pedophiles. Its a horror game, of course, where you play a child. No one past the age of 13 can see the monsters. One thing that annoys me, is that it does portray children as innocent. Thats a crock – they ain’t, and anyone who either remembers their own childhood, or listens to children playing, knows this. But, this stereotype is common in fiction, so its one that is easy to buy into, and to portray. (Now watch someone misunderstand what innocent means……)
Anyway, thats a bit of what Dragoncon will be this year, for me. Here’s hoping it’s enjoyable.
The Jehovah’s Witness’s came by today. Does anyone besides the Jehovah’s witness’s like the Jehovah’s Witness’s? Not that I am aware of. It was an older lady, a toddler, and a young teen female – cute too, with lots of freckles. She was the one doing the talking, so must have been in training. Now, I don’t like them (and didn’t talk to them) but I do respect them. See, their version of Christianity requires this sort of thing. While its annoying to the rest of us, its important to them. So they do it, even in the face of heavy community disapproval. Thats worthy of respect.
I enjoy eating at this little hole in the wall up in White Georgia. Its not much of a restaurant, but its probably my favorite place to eat. One of the waiters is a 17 year old guy, who I hadn’t seen in there the last few times I was up. So I asked him if he had been on vacation. Which he had, down to Panama City, and predictably he had gotten in trouble while there. He had gotten a tattoo, which is parents hated, and so they took away his car. But here is the absurd part. His parents had called the police on the tattoo parlor, since he is underage. A woman at the tattoo parlor ended up being fired. Thats an absurdity. Its wrong to require any private business to enforce any law, whether that to be checking ages, preventing smoking, preventing “underage” anything. If something is important enough that the government decides to pass a law requiring something, it should pay all costs associated with enforcing it. This would A) prevent many, many laws from being passed (a good thing) and B) make lawmakers think long and hard about laws, which is another good thing. It also means that parents who are so irresponsible that they think others should be raising their 17 year old men won’t be able to get a lady fired. Thats the best thing of all.
I am a forty-one year old computer geek!
Damn, I’m old.