George R. R. Martin has finished A Dance with Dragons, which has a release date of July 12, 2011.

In 'Unrelated News' it's currently sunny out and 34 degrees, and the forecast calls for a 80% chance of frogs and locusts late in the day, with pockets of severe flying pigs north and west of the city...

I don't think I would. See, I can see this question like when stuff like 'Nerfing' comes up in errate for RPGs or MMO updates, and I ask myself the same questions.

Eliminating Valentine's Day would be taking it away. So, given the power, I would try a different tactic. Instead of taking away, I'd try 'adding.'

I'd adjust the holiday so: for one day, you can be with who you really want to be with. No recriminations, no lies, no bullshit made-up excuses. Let everyone enjoy the holiday with who they want to enjoy it with.

And, as always, I like my idea better.

Just...yeah, this was awesome.

I'm going to start with a story link.

From CNN: "Colombian drug strips users' free will"

That's the title of it, and how it showed up on Cnn.com a few weeks back. And I remembered, today, reading it.

See, the gist of the story seems to be this: There's some drug in Columbia, called scopolamine, which was said to pretty much wipe out free will in humans. In the story, the reporters go down to Columbia to get some of it, and see if it works that way and do a story about it.

This could've gone a few ways: "Okay, someone did try it in a controlled environment, and here are facts and debunked myths about it." Or "We did some research on our end about scopolamine, and here are facts about it, and how it corroborates or conflicts with the stories of what it has been claimed to do."


What happens, according to the article is this: The reporters go down there, hear some stories from other people there, get a sample of the drug...then throw it out and go home. The end.

So, as a reader, I was not given any new information, other than 'we heard stories, man.' Not much in the way of facts. I'm no expert on psychopharmacology, so the expected information of 'so what does scopolamine really do, anyway?' never came to pass.

As someone who writes as a hobby, I found it really...anticlimactic. The story, in and of itself, has a premise, and a buildup, and no action, really, especially when there should be.

I'm not going to venture an opinion from a journalism perspective: I am not a journalist.

I saw something else on an unrelated site today, where there was a lot of buildup in someone's story to 'well, and then nothing happened, the end.' Which made me think of this story, which has caused this post.

Did I miss a memo? That this kind of stuff would make a good story? Nothing happens in it.

It's always the really twisted dreams that my memory seems to hold on to.

Take last night's, for instance.

Let's see...it involved a missing car, a house that could only be exited by the front door by waiting for the time of day that it sinks into the ground, demonically possessed children with vines growing out of their backs, someone sacrificing themselves in a fight to bring about the birth of a new deity that they were destined to do, and someone I knew years ago...that I knew I had a crush on, admitting they they were really a girl all this time, and had feelings for me. And kissing.

It's like my Subconscious is in my head, sitting at a card table with my Id, Ego, Superego, and inner child, playing poker and trading "Almost Got 'im" stories.

Ahahahahahahahaha!

Just around the holidays? Hell no! It's a warm feeling of exclusion felt all year round.

And, as I learned recently, any attempts on my part to change this are a stark reminder that I should remember my place.

Now, I am sure there are psychological benefits to camping outdoors, and various advantages. The open air, the sense of being one with nature, the accomplishment of 'roughing it;' things like that.

Hell with that; I'll take the luxury hotel. :)

I am having some slight internet problems with IE. I uninstalled ZoneAlarm and re-downloaded it. With it on, I can't connect to IE?Webpages, despite giving it full allowance in my Program COntrol.

So, I want a different program. Suggestions?

A quote about Bacon.

It's made me realize how many running gags/in-jokes I have with my friends about bacon. It's so diverse! :D

I'm just tossing stuff up in the air at this point.

It started today with reading more of the Things Mr. Welch can no longer do in an RPG list.

1297. There is a 100xp penalty every time we remind the GM of the Bionic Six.

Which is mostly false, or that player has a dull GM; I have made references, have not been penalized, and as a GM-on-occasion I could conceivably reward players for doing this.

And it got me thinking...

See, I just ordered Volume 1 of Silverhawks on DVD. Birthday money ahoy!

And I got to thinking...what I have on DVD, 80's animation-wise.

Defenders of the Earth, Volume 1.
Bionic Six - Complete (admittedly bootleg)
Transformers - The Movie (I can't not have this DVD)

And someone in RL not on LJ admitted to me hoe got the complete run of M.A.S.K. (admittedly bootleg since I know it's not on region 1 DVD naturally) on DVD at a recent convention. I am...going to work on borrowing that one day. And finding a way to get a copy myself, because this was one of my favorite shows.

And I got to thinking of other shows...I mean, G.I. Joe and Transformers are the names that come to everyone's mind. G.I. Joe...I haven't seen episodes like The Viper, No Place Like Springfield, or any of the 5-part movies in a long, long time.

Transformers...not really. There's The Movie. Love The Movie, but I remember regular generation 1 episodes being...well...um...

sucky. Really really sucky.

And I got to thinking...what I remember.

C.O.P.S. For one.

And someone besides me actually remembered Bravestarr

And there's always He-Man. Filmation had a lot of busy, busy people in the 1980s.

Now...what do other people remember? Fondly? From the 80s and such?

See, I had a brief flash of idea of an 80s animation marathon, in the vein of 'I'm too old for adventures' these days. Because the living room TV is big enough and has a DVD player there. Or a hotel room, or...something.

Just a thought. At least it'd be fun.


Edited to Add: And for Frell's sake, I actually have the entire run of the D&D cartoon. With the radio play of the finale episode. Which I have never actually put into the DVD player...

Mine?

Little One Eye, Little Two Eyes, and Little Three Eyes.

The Table, the Donkey, and the Stick

G. K. Chesterton

Fairy tales are more than true — not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten.

or

Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.

Me? Burger King. Bacon Double Cheeseburger, no pickles.

Which I haven't had in at least 3 weeks. This explains a lot.

As political as I'm gonna get:

http://superobamaworld.com/

Happy Birthday blytheteach!!!

Happy Birthday to epeeblade and caffeieneferret!!!

Happy Birthday, taliabriscoe!!

For me, it would be Reunion.

Not even for one more season. See, the show was cancelled in mid-storyline. On a cliffhanger. And unlike other shows I care not to mention, there is no DVD set, there is no movie, and there was no support when I was upset about it. and so on.

Not even one more season; just give us the answer to the murder mystery and some resolution, and I'd be happy.

Initial, touch-spoilery reaction to The Dark Knight

( Behind a cut, natch.Collapse )

Okay, as folks around here know, I'm a video game junkie from way back. I'm 32, so that means way back. Like, when upright arcade games were only 1 quarter, and didn't involve guns-as-player-interface. And console games. A lot.

Hell, I even figured out with some online help how to get MAME to work. Which is basically an arcade system in my own computer at home. It's daunting, in its own way.

Also, I'm a fan of fighting games. More of the 2-D Street Fighter type than the others, by personal preference. On my MAME Library, I have the first 5 Samurai Showdowns, for example. Samurai Showdown 6 does exist, and will be released later this year on a Samurai Showdown compilation game. And because someone up there likes me and knows I didn't want to shell out money for a PS3 (my guess? Mom had a hand in it), it will be coming out for the PS2. Which I will get.

So, me Kyle like fighting games. And today I was surfing the 'I am Nor Making This Up-Videogames' thread on tropes.org... and found a link.

Oh my sweet merciful Jesus.

If this is real...my mind just kind of exploded with laughter. I mean, I'm the one who seeks out the weird, bizarre, and non-vulgar twisted stuff and holy crap this link wins this year's competition, if it's real.

Okay, to lithera mentioned NBC's new fall/winter/spring/summer lineup. Heroes will come back in the fall, of which I am pleased with. And American Gladiators will be back next summer, too.

But, for the Winter, on Sunday nights, I saw this, taken from here.


MERLIN - “Merlin” brings to life a new legend for a modern audience. “Merlin” is an exciting, hour-long fantasy series set in the mythic city of Camelot — but inspired by 21st Century storytelling. Before Merlin (Colin Morgan, “Doctor Who”) and Arthur (Bradley James, “Lewis”) became legends, they were ambitious young men looking for adventure, hoping to live up to their family’s expectations, discovering love and finding their own true destiny, making mistakes along the way. The innovative, action-packed drama has cross-generational appeal and paints a picture of Merlin and Arthur’s early life that audiences have never witnessed before. Anthony Head (”Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), Richard Wilson (”A Passage to India”), Angel Coulby (”Magicians”) and Katie McGrath (”The Tudors”) also star. A FremantleMedia Enterprises distribution of a Shine production for BBC.


Fucking finally!

From talisbriscoe:

I know very little about some of the people on my friends list. Some people I know relatively well. I read your journals, or we have something else in common and we chat occasionally. Some of you I hardly know at all. Perhaps you haven't been around for long, perhaps you lurk, for whatever reason. But you friended me and I thank you for your interest in my words.*

But here's a thought: why not take this opportunity to tell me a little something about yourself. Any old thing at all. Just so the next time I see your name I can say: 'Ah, there's so and so...'

I'd love it if every single person who friended me would do this. Yes, even you people who I know really well. Then post this in your own journal and see what gems of knowledge appear.

And also from Talia, I ask 'Please.'

Okay, I like this time of year. Because when you get closer to December 25th, people tend to be nicer to each other all over. Most of the time. But I see it; they're just a bit more considerate of others. Of course, the trick is to get them to be like that all year 'round. We're gonna need more work.

Anyways, one of my favorite things about this year is the music. I have a distinct weakness for Christmas music. Mostly the newer stuff. And one of the locak soft music radio stations has gone all X-mas already, but they play mostly stuff that was done before 1960. Like, the same five songs every two hours.

One of the ones I heard today, even if I know it was getting airplay last year, was Baby It's Cold OUtside. This time by Rod Stewart and Dolly Parton. Not the weirdest duet I've ever heard of, though I'm usually very antipathetic towards Stewart. Parton always had a nice voice. You ever hear her version of Collective Soul's Shine? Trippy bluegrass stuff.

But let's get back to Baby It's Cold OUtside for a sec. See, the 'plot' of the song is basic. It's cold outside, and the lady wants to go home, and the guy whose home she is visiting wishes for her to stay. And she stays at the end. It's pretty basic. But there's one exchange in this...

Dolly: Oh, the neighbors might think...
Rod: But baby, it's bad out there
Dolly: Say...what's in this drink?
Rod: No cabs to be had out there..

Wait. A. Frelling. Second. Did she just say What's in this drink?

Uh. Um. Okay, then. Apparently, nothing embodies the Christmas spirit and the feeling of togetherness than The Christmas Roofie Song. Perhaps they'll follow it up with more Christmas Classics like 'Spike the Halls,' 'Feliz Spanish Fly,' and 'Jolly Old St. Mickey.' Or perhaps they'll skip the skullduggery and just go straight for the hard stuff.

But. BUT, the song is still Miles ahead of 'The Christmas Shoes.' Man, that song is a guilt trip wrapped in tinny Christmas background music. It even outdoes 'Do They Know It's Christmas' for mood-spiking. Sheesh.

As for other Christmas music? One simple rule: When it comes to Christmas Eve Sarajevo 12/24 there is no, absosmurfly NO, volume setting for this that can be 'too loud.' If your speakers aren't bleeding tinsel and kickass while it's playing, you're not playing it loud enough.