{"@attributes":{"version":"2.0"},"channel":{"title":"A Touch of Madness","link":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/","description":"A Touch of Madness - LiveJournal.com","lastBuildDate":"Thu, 05 Jan 2017 02:41:36 GMT","generator":"LiveJournal \/ LiveJournal.com","image":{"url":"https:\/\/l-userpic.livejournal.com\/59784952\/278046","title":"A Touch of Madness","link":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/","width":"100","height":"100"},"item":[{"guid":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/302265.html","pubDate":"Thu, 05 Jan 2017 02:41:36 GMT","title":"The Love of Things","author":"etherial","link":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/302265.html","description":"I love things. I love taking my things out of their boxes, holding them, fiddling with them, recalling previous times I'd played with them, worked with them, fiddled with them. I love making things, assembling things, disassembling things, and buying things. I think that's why I gravitate toward board and card games over computer games. It's certainly why my discretionary spending account is always empty.

Last month I backed a Kickstarter for a miniatures wargame called Burrows & Badgers<\/a><\/i>, with the intent of just getting the terrain piece. My mind seized upon the wargame, though, and is obsessing over the details of how to build and play a campaign for this particular wargame. Something about the cross between Redwall, Disney's Robin Hood, and Dark Sword & Sorcery roleplay is really scratching my imagination, and thinking of all the painting, the statbuilding, the moving minis, the measuring of distances, the rolling of dice...it's filling up the parts of my brain that love things. I want to thing the hell out of this game, but my attempts at finding other people interested in playing it have not met with significant results.

I'm sure this feeling will pass, but for now, I just want to buy all these figures and paint them and move them about on the table and twang their bows and pew-pew their slingstones and come up with funny pun-based furry names and medievaloid backstories for them. The brainweasels are busy, only this time they're wearing gauntlets and leather tunics.","comments":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/302265.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/301265.html","pubDate":"Sat, 19 Nov 2016 04:00:08 GMT","title":"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them","author":"etherial","link":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/301265.html","description":"While I continue to be ticked off at J. K. Rowling for her complete mishandling of Magic in North America, my position on this particular film has softened compared to Dr. Strange<\/i> due to the prominent roles of women and minorities, including two Jewish main characters and a Black President of Macusa (The Magical Congress of the United States of America). So while I did not set it high on my to-watch list, <\/a>rosinavs<\/b><\/a><\/a>rosinavs<\/b><\/a><\/a>eridun<\/b><\/a><\/span> and turned Wagons West into the rain. It was not as bad as my first Pennsic, but there were times when it poured torrentially and we coasted, hoping to not hydroplane and careen into another car. We arrived safely at our waypoint and went to bed early, eager to get back on the road the next morning.

Day 0:
I'd finally remembered to pack a power strip on the road to War and boy did it come in handy. Everything plugged in at one point and then I was able to just stuff all the cords into one bag and away we went.

We stopped for breakfast at the local diner and got underway. We managed to escape the worst of the traffic on I-80 and got to Pennsic at a reasonable time. Troll had worked out all the kinks of the new Land Management system and we were able to pitch our Pavilion on our land in the daylight (or close to it, there was more rain) on Friday. It was glorious.

Days 1-4:
The early days of Pennsic have started to blur into each other due to the delay in posting this and the general lack of time to sit and contemplate the day.

Many hands make light work and we had more than our usual number this year, so setup worked out really well. Bread production started a day early.

Our land was shaped differently than it usually is, and we pitched Hotel Johan horizontally instead of vertically. This turned out really well since it meant the sun-blocking walls were the ones we usually don't raise and we were able to keep the walls up for most of the day every day. This turned out to be a major lifesaver and could possibly have save us a hospital visit or two. We went out for dinner at North Country Brewing Company and had a lovely time.

Day 5:
We put on our Mundanes and head into Pittsburgh. First order of business is visiting <\/a>rosinavs<\/b><\/a><\/a>rosinavs<\/b><\/a><\/a>rosinavs<\/b><\/a><\/a>rickthefightguy<\/b><\/a><\/span> and his wife come over for dinner and a good time is had by all. Their Excellencies Carolingia come by for some freshly baked bread.

Day 13:
I'd intended to take a number of Calligraphy classes this Pennsic, but I ended up taking only one. Still, Gilded Lettering turned out to be the way to go. The process was really interesting to learn, and they set up stations with a variety of different calligraphy tools for people to experiment with. I fell in love with quills and look forward to getting one of my own to work with.

I took lunch at Kafe Merhaba. The Middle Eastern cafe has changed hands again, and while the name has remained the same, the atmosphere has changed significantly. I'm saddened that Pennsic has lost its only full service restaurant, but it may be for the best. It was the atmosphere, not the wait staff, that made Your Inner Vagabond the joy that it was. I'm hoping the new owners can get a good deal on pillows on the 50-week town run.

The heat index is so high that Battlefield Activities are canceled, so my Inspection Point shift is likewise canceled. Camp Crook'd Cat is close to melting. I lend a hand with the cooking a bit, burning my hand a little removing the bread from the oven.

Day 14:
I audition for the Known World Players' production of The Merry Wives of Windsor<\/i>. I apparently nailed what they were looking for for Abraham Slender. Teardown begins.

Day 15:
The idea of packing up my tent before camp is all torn down offends my delicate sensibilities. The truth, however, is that it's more important to take care of your own shit first. Other people can take up the slack on the group stuff, but no one can handle your own the way you can.

As is my custom, I focused on getting the firebox demolished but once that task was done I started doing the heavy lifting of packing our car while <\/a>rosinavs<\/b><\/a><\/a>rosinavs<\/b><\/a><\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/298317.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/298119.html","pubDate":"Tue, 01 Nov 2016 17:53:29 GMT","title":"NaBloWriMo","author":"etherial","link":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/298119.html","description":"I like to write, but I have difficulty motivating myself to do so at times. So while I have no overwhelming urge to write a novel at this time, I'm taking advantage of all my other friends' positive writing energy to get back in the habit of blogging again. I'm gonna try to post every day, although not every post will be Public, so be sure to login and friend me if you want to see them all.

I frequently have dreams while sleeping on the train, and some of them are dreams of me sitting on the train<\/i>. Now the worst ones are ones where I'm dreaming I'm going the other way, which is always just rude of my subconscious, but this morning I dreamt I was sitting next to the Royal Chiropractor on the train. When the train pulled into the station, I pulled my gloves off and there was another pair of gloves underneath them. \"I guess I'm still dreaming\", I said, and then I woke up.

I used to be a lucid dreamer. I got out of the habit in college because, well, sleeping for pleasure becomes less of a thing when there are friends and classes and games and parties and and and...I'd like to see if I can get back in the habit now.","comments":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/298119.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/297848.html","pubDate":"Wed, 07 Sep 2016 17:15:25 GMT","title":"I think I might be an actor","author":"etherial","link":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/297848.html","description":"It's getting rather difficult to keep track of what shows I've been in and what shows I want to be in. I'm the kind of nerd who uses The Complete Works of Shakespeare<\/i> as a To-Do List, so I'm including notes on which shows of his I've seen or studied. The list currently does not include shows done as a child or shows where I worked Tech.

Note: Plays marked with an asterisk (*) are now commonly referred to as the "late romances". Plays marked with two asterisks (**) are sometimes referred to as the "problem plays". The two plays marked with three asterisks (***) were not included in the First Folio.


To Do:

Shakespeare's Comedies<\/span>
Two Gentlemen of Verona
The Comedy of Errors (seen)
Much Ado About Nothing (seen, studied, loved)
Love's Labour's Lost (seen)
As You Like It (seen)
The Taming of the Shrew (seen, studied)
All's Well That Ends Well **
Twelfth Night (seen)
The Winter's Tale *, **
Pericles, Prince of Tyre *, ***
The Two Noble Kinsmen *, ***

Shakespeare's Histories<\/span>
King John
Richard II
Henry IV, Part 1
Henry IV, Part 2
Henry VI, Part 1
Henry VI, Part 2
Henry VI, Part 3
Richard III (seen, studied, loved)
Henry VIII

Shakespeare's Tragedies<\/span>
Troilus and Cressida **
Coriolanus
Titus Andronicus (seen)
Romeo and Juliet (seen, studied)
Timon of Athens **
Julius Caesar (seen, studied)
Macbeth (seen, studied)
Hamlet (seen, studied)
King Lear (seen, studied, loved)
Othello (seen, studied)
Antony and Cleopatra (seen, studied)
Cymbeline *

The Merry Wives of Windsor (auditioned, Known World Players<\/a>, August 11, 2017)

Have Done:<\/span>
Born Yesterday (Senator Hedges, Verse and Vodka Theater<\/a>, October 21, 22, 28, 29, 2016)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (Tom Snout, Verse and Vodka Theater<\/a>, May 13, 14, 20, and 21, 2016)
Inherit the Wind (Rev. Jeremiah Brown, Verse and Vodka Theater<\/a>, February 12, 13, 19, 20, 2016)
The Rivals (Faulkland, Verse and Vodka Theater<\/a>, October 9, 10, 16, 2015)
The Merchant of Venice** (Leonardo\/Tubal\/Jailer, Known World Players<\/a>, August 8, 2015)
The Tempest* (Gonzalo, Verse and Vodka Theater<\/a>, May 8, 9, 15, 16, 2015)
The Madwoman of Chaillot (Prospector, Verse and Vodka Theater<\/a>, January 30, 31 and February 6, 2015)
The Lady’s Not For Burning (Tyson, Verse and Vodka Theater<\/a>, October 10, 11 and 17 , 2014)
An Ideal Husband (Sir Robert Chiltern, Verse and Vodka Theater, November 22 and 23, 2013)
Lysistrata – the sex strike (as adapted by Germaine Greer and Phil Willmott) (Phylurgis, <\/a>Verse and Vodka Theater<\/a>, September 13 and 14, 2013)
Tartuffe (Orgon, Verse and Vodka Theater<\/a>, April 12 and 13, 2013)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (Egeus, Ghost Light Players<\/a>, September 8 & 15, 2012)
The Revenger's Tragedy (Ambitioso, The Baron's Players<\/a>, November 18, 2011
Measure for Measure** (Justice\/Friar Peter, The Baron's Players<\/a>, April 9, 2011)
Henry V (Westmoreland\/York\/Gower\/Bourbon\/Burgundy, Mummers of Carolingia<\/a>, June 6, 2009)<\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/297848.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/297500.html","pubDate":"Wed, 31 Aug 2016 20:15:51 GMT","title":"Invisibilia","author":"etherial","link":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/297500.html","description":"Back in June, I was running errands in the evening and there was no good music on my radio presets, so I put it on shuffle and came across this spellbinding program on NPR.

The New Norm<\/b>
It was about an ambitious deep sea drilling project that Shell had worked on and how, in order to succeed, they had to knowingly, deliberately, and fundamentally<\/i> alter drilling rig culture. Now I'm not normally an NPR kinda guy. I find the spoken word difficult to listen to for prolonged periods of time. My mind tends to wander. I secretly avoid Bardic Circles at SCA events because I hear it's rude to snore. But this story was so thoughtful, so interesting, got so deep into the meat and guts of the human mind, that I couldn't put it down. They didn't simply ask tough questions, they sought the tough answers<\/i> to the tough questions.

"The way Robin sees it, in the old way of doing things, men spent a lot of energy trying to preserve this hyper-masculine image of themselves. They were supposed to be physically tough, technically infallible, and emotionally detached. And that closedness? It actually got in the way of staying safe in an environment with thousands of moving parts.

...

And here's a question: Is the moral of this story that, in order to succeed in the 21st Century, it's better to choose an organizational structure that's girly? I mean, the norms these men learned, talking about their feelings, crying at work, eagerly admitting mistakes, these are behaviours that people associate with women, right?

...

That's a shorthand for the way people regard this change. It's not that the men are becoming more feminine. They're opening up and becoming more themselves."

I found myself sitting in my car in my parking space listening to this program. I'd never imagined an oil company could confront and successfully change in the face of this kind of toxic masculinity, or even the mainstream media picking up on it. And then the program ended and I turned off the car and went on with my life.

Time passed.

A couple weeks later, I was again running errands and again, unusually, there was no good music and again, unusually, I found myself listening to a program on NPR. It was spellbinding. And it was by the same people. This one was about mental health.

The Problem with the Solution<\/b>

"Ellen spent seven days in the Augusta [Maine] State Hospital. She says no one there knew she was a fake, and she spent her time just watching to see if there were any useful therapies being practiced."

Now, this was the 70s, so it doesn't really surprise us enlightened 21st Century moderns that these people were badly neglected. "One could almost see the humanity of these people evaporating<\/i>." And then one day, in the library, she stumbled across a reference to a little town in Belgium called Geel (pronounced CHeel). Geel had the dubious honor of being the place where the Patron Saint of the Insane was supposedly martyred and as a result it became a pilgrimage site for the mentally ill. And they decided to stay. And the people who grew up in the town took them in. They treated them with kindness. They treated them with respect.

In Geel, people volunteer to take in the mentally ill as boarders. The boarders meet with therapists, work on their issues, take medication, and live -- as much as possible -- normal lives, living with people who were not told what the diagnosis was<\/i>. Their hosts are taught how to deal with people who were hallucinating, people who were violent, people with PTSD, people with control, attachment, and anxiety issues without complaint.

"None of it made any sense to her until she met The Buttons Guy. The Buttons Guy was a middle-aged man, a boarder, who every single day, would twist all the buttons off his shirt, sort of nervously twirl them off every single day. And so his host mom, she has to sew these buttons on every night...I was just really perplexed by that chore that she had to sew all these buttons on every day so I suggested that she used fishing line so that it wouldn't twirl off and she was almost offended. She says 'No, no, you don't understand...That's the worst thing you could do...No, I will never use fishing line because this man needs to twist the buttons off. It helps him to twist them off every day.'"

This reminded me of a post I had seen on tumblr about a highly successful woman whose life was crippled by her constant nagging feeling that she had left the hair dryer on, until one day, her therapist suggested she just take it with her to work. Rather than drive home several times a day<\/i> in a panic that she had left it on, she could just keep it with her and see it and know that it was all ok. Many of this therapist's coworkers were horrified<\/i> by the idea that the therapist could tolerate the idea<\/i> that doing something so obviously crazy<\/i> could be allowed to be part of the treatment program. "They had let go of the mission to cure...The solution to healing a person you love with mental illness was to not seek a solution."

There's a gut-wrenching ending to the story of Geel. "Have you noticed the catch in this seeming paradise? ...Toni's son Edo, when he was in his early 20s, was working construction and fell off a wall. He hit his head and suffered really serious brain damage...And so she tried to have him live with her among the young men she had so effortlessly boarded over the last couple decades...It didn't work out...Is closeness a curse? Are we somehow incapable of healing our own?"

"A British Sociologist, George Brown, made a very surprising observation: Male patients who were suffering from Chronic Schizophrenia did a lot better after they left the hospital when they went to live in lodgings, rather than going home to live with their wives or their parents...They were coming back into the hospital and their schizophrenia seemed less well controlled overall." There are 3 emotions in relatives that correlate most strongly with triggering relapses in relatives. To find out what they are, go listen to Invisibilia.<\/a>

Invisibilia (Latin for invisible things) is about the invisible forces that control human behavior – ideas, beliefs, assumptions and emotions. Co-hosted by Lulu Miller, Hanna Rosin and Alix Spiegel, Invisibilia interweaves narrative storytelling with scientific research that will ultimately make you see your own life differently.<\/i>

http:\/\/www.npr.org\/podcasts\/510307\/invisibilia<\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/297500.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/297239.html","pubDate":"Tue, 03 May 2016 19:38:21 GMT","title":"O Canada","author":"etherial","link":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/297239.html","description":"I've been trying to get to a Canadian Crown Tournament for years<\/i>. Every six months, the Kingdom of the East holds a Crown Tournament to determine the Heirs to the Throne. Then five months later, those Heirs are Crowned and a new Crown Tournament needs to be held. The tournament travels through each region of the Kingdom in turn. I've been to every Fall<\/i> Crown Tournament since joining the SCA in 2006, but the Spring<\/i> Crown Tournaments happen at the ends of the Kingdom, and I live in the middle. I've been to two Southern Crown Tournaments now, but Tir Mara has remained elusive. 2010 was a week before my wedding. 2012 was in Nova Scotia and both money and PTO were extremely tight. We almost made it in 2014, but we were already running a local event that day. Finally, on the last day of the 50th year of the SCA, I made it to Crown Tournament in Canada, and it was glorious<\/i>.

Crown Tournament is one of my favorite events, and not just because I'm working to make it happen. Or, more precisely, it's because so many people<\/i> are working to make it happen. The combatants and their consorts process into Court and are presented before the Crown. The shield heralds raise the combatants' heraldry for all to see. The field heralds announce each bout to great acclaim. The marshals work hard to keep the excitement and pressure from going to the combatants' heads. The list runners bring the results back to the Ministry of Lists, and we ministers move names on paper to figure out who's fighting who next. And the whole time, the Order of the Rose calls attention to great acts of chivalry (while also making sure to catch the winner's inspiration in case they faint).

We drove North to Montreal Friday night, having had a small snafu with the car, but otherwise proceeding apace. We got to Chateau de Robin around midnight and had a good time chatting, stretching, and decompressing until around 1:30.

Saturday, the weather was damn near perfect: sunny but not too hot, too windy, or too stifling. During the tournament itself, everything worked like clockwork. There were a few injuries and a few hotheads, but the marshals arranged for the occasional pause in the action to give the combatants a chance to cool down. And the winner? Duke Brion Anthony Uriel Tarragon -- Knight, Laurel, and Pelican -- fighting for his wife, Duchess Anna Ophelia Holloway Tarragon -- Laurel, Pelican, Lion of Atenveldt, and Tyger of the East -- AKA two really big deal people in their 50s. Brion took all comers with courtesy, chivalry, grace, and a great deal of serenity.

We left the event only to drive immediately back. A group of local folks had lost a critical engine belt and we gave one a ride back to the event to try and get some help. We had dinner at a local restaurant with a lovely house wine and delicious poutine.

Sunday, we had a nice leisurely breakfast where Jeanne put up with my deliberate mispronunciations of french, packed the car, went shopping for wine, and then slowly made our way home.","comments":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/297239.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/296338.html","pubDate":"Fri, 29 Jan 2016 04:42:51 GMT","title":"Scheduling","author":"etherial","link":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/296338.html","description":"For a year and a half, I tried to keep my schedule posted here. It was a dumb move. For starters, Livejournal just ain't the format for keeping track of calendar events. It was nice seeing everything laid out in a list, but that was about all it was good for. It didn't make for interesting reading, it failed as a writing prompt, but -- worst of all -- it raised the minimum hurdle for getting a post out there. So I've now made the effort to formally move everything to gcal.

However, one thing that LJ is great for is open-ended discussion, so I have ideas for a couple of events I'd like to spitball a bit:

1. Caper Night
Crime happens; hilarity ensues. I want to host a party where we watch a bunch of crime procedural films and marvel at how awesome they are. Over the years, I've developed quite the collection, some of which are rather obscure. Dinner will of course be deviled eggs, mescalin greens, and chicken piccata. This is closest to happening given that all I really need is a free weekend.

2. Casino Royale
A more ambitious sort of theme party, I want to host a tribute to spy movies. James Bond Marathon in the TV room. Roulette, Craps, Baccarat, and Texas Hold 'Em in the Great Room. Costume Contests, Assassin Games, and Beluga Caviar. I have a team of interested parties, I just need the money to make it happen.

3. Whiskey Party, AKA the cigar-smoke-filled backroom
I'd like to start holding a regular meeting of like-minded individuals who want to intellectually and then practically work towards solving the big issues of the day. The last time I tried to organize this, I only got 2 responses. Some of the principals from when this gathering was originally proposed are no longer talking to each other. This will probably never happen, and it makes me sad. Actually smoking cigars was never part of the plan. I do still like the idea of sipping whiskey at it, but that's not compatible with the biology of all the principals.

4. Grilling and Games, Miami 2017 Edition
I had a 4th of July party running for several years that was pretty awesome, designed around the idea of having fun on 7\/4 even when it is a weekday. 2017 begins a new 3-year series of 7\/4 on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, and we will begin by having the lights go down on Broadway.

5. The Battle of Five Armies
I play in the SCA with the Shire of Quintavia, which has the dubious honor of bordering on six other local groups, all Baronies. It is extremely rare for Quintavia to hold an event where none of its direct neighbors are holding competing events, let alone other groups in the region. I want to run a big outdoor camping event whose premise is to get several of our neighbors to commit to coming and fighting each other. We do the work, we collect the money, they get the prize, everybody has a good time. There will be War Points and Great Court and a White Elephant.","comments":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/296338.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/295536.html","pubDate":"Sun, 25 Oct 2015 22:46:25 GMT","title":"Gah!","author":"etherial","link":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/295536.html","description":"I'm not really sure why, but the urge to write is failing to coalesce. So here's what sense I can make of my current calendar. I'm worried I'm missing some things, but that's life.


Definitely:
  • Thursdays : An Earthdawn Campaign run by Y.T.
  • October 31: Game Day!
  • October 31: Halloween
  • October 31: A Housewarming Party
  • November 1: Arisia Event Staff Meeting
  • November 7: East Kingdom Crown Tournament<\/a>
  • November 22: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • November 26: Thanksgiving
  • December 6: Mandatory Fun
  • December 19: Yuuuuuuuuuule
  • December 25: Christmas
  • December 31: NYE
  • January 15-18, 2016: Arisia<\/a>
  • January 29-31, 2016: A Market Day at Birka<\/a>

    Probably:
  • November 21: Birthday Party @ Cambridge
  • November 29: C.R.A.F.T.
  • December 12: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • December 19: Cocktail Party
  • January 23, 2016: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • February 13, 2016: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>

    Maybe:
  • November 16: Mary Lambert Concert
  • March 12, 2016: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • Late March-Early April: East Kingdom Coronation
  • April 9, 2016: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • April 7-10, 2016: WPI Men's Glee Club Alumni Weekend
  • Late April-Early May: East Kingdom Coronation
  • May 14, 2016: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • June 11, 2016: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • July 4, 2017: The Lights Go Down on Broadway
  • July 9, 2016: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • July 29-August 14, 2016: Pennsic XLV<\/a>
  • September 18, 2016: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • Late September-Early October: East Kingdom Coronation
  • October 8, 2016: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • Late October-Early November: East Kingdom Coronation
  • November 12, 2016: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • December 10, 2016: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • ???: Australia
    <\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/295536.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/295357.html","pubDate":"Sun, 30 Aug 2015 20:55:29 GMT","title":"Andreiko's War Journal","author":"etherial","link":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/295357.html","description":"
    Pennsic, Day -1: In which I leave work later than planned, answer calls from a coworker with poor time management issues from the commuter rail train, and then get on the road.

    Day 0: In which I spend more time waiting in line to get into Pennsic than all previous years combined.

    In previous years, Land Negotiations officially began 09:00 Saturday morning. This year, the Land Office acknowledged that negotiations are conducted online and has changed the official start time to 12:00 Friday. Troll did not anticipate the surge of people who would be showing up on Friday and long lines were the order of the day. We had planned on signing off on our land at 17:00, but between personal delays and long lines at Troll, it didn't end up happening until almost 22:00. There had been much concern by the Coopers about the mud from the rains in June and we were all prepared for a Muddsic. And if the weather had gone the way it was expected to, we would have had one. Land Negotiations for the entirety of Pennsic were officially done by 09:00 Saturday, the usual start time.

    We then discovered that we had left our pavilion ropes at home. Fortunately, we had packed Bag End just in case and     <\/a>teenyweenyowen<\/b><\/a><\/span> was able to locate the ropes for us.

    Day 1: In which I end up with a mild case of heat exhaustion.

    <\/a>stormsdotter<\/b><\/a><\/span> and <\/a>udalrich<\/b><\/a><\/span> pick up our ropes at home and they begin the long ride to Pennsic. Ciana and Orlando are able to get onsite before the line gets long and we get their tent setup long before our scheduled trip to the storage cube. We make tremendous progress on setup, much moreso than we generally do on the first day of setup. I forgot to put on sunscreen.

    Day 2: In which I don't do very much at all.

    Day 3: In which I go shopping for camp supplies.

    Day 4: In which I learn how to make a cricket chair.

    Day 5: In which I read The God Engines<\/i>, a short novel by John Scalzi.

    Day 6: In which I pick up a preposterous number of plans for making camp furniture from materials available at Home Despot.

    A couple from Cynnabar<\/a> have done some very creative things with plywood sheets and 2x4s and were very excited about sharing them. We attended <\/a>jtdiii<\/b><\/a><\/span>'s Chocolate Bardic. Many people performed. Many more people had chocolate.

    Day 7: In which I spend the day reading Brave New Worlds<\/i>, an attempt at creating the definitive Dystopian Short Fiction Anthology. It is largely successful.

    Day 8: In which     <\/a>rosinavs<\/b><\/a>Gode Cookery<\/a>.

    Day 12: In which I cook another delicious meal.

    This was actually one of the most fun times I've had cooking dinner at Pennsic. It's always a lot of work and there isn't often a lot of time for idle chatter, but Deirdre and I had a great running conversation the entire time. We cooked Shashlyk, Kotmis Satsivi, Azerbaijan Pilaf, lobio, peas in Herb Sauce, and Vinegar for Meat. These recipes were all from     Katrusha's dayboard from Known World Dance and Music Symposium last year<\/a>.

    Wednesday night of War Week is Midnight Madness down in the Marketplace. The Merchants are open late, the weather is usually cool, and people go to shop, to see, and to be seen. We bought 3 math history books for     <\/a>rosinavs<\/b><\/a><\/a>perrodecroy<\/b><\/a><\/span>) join the production and completely redesign our lighting scheme. It was going to be brilliant.

    Around 19:00, just before call for the show, Butler County lost power. Safety is one of the things we take seriously, and nonelectric indoor lighting is a severe fire hazard. No electricity means no lights inside the Performing Arts Pavilion.

    The weather was fantastic, however, and the stage manager marked out an area just outside the PAP to act as our stage. The audience had already showed up by this point, and en masse they grabbed their chairs, carried them outside, and created an entirely new seating area.     <\/a>perrodecroy<\/b><\/a><\/span> took all the tiki torches, propane lanterns, candles, and whatever that Calontiri flame monstrosity is called and created a lighting scheme using tin foil, serving bowls, and any other reflective surface she could get her hands on, crawling around in front of the front row to add more lights as the twilight faded.

    The show itself got off to a rocky start - some of the actors were truly freaking out about all the last minute changes, especially the ones with quick changes that were now by flashlight in a much more open backstage area than in the morning - but we prevailed and by the end of Act II we had hit our stride. The audience was soaking in every morsel of performance, stifling their laughter to ensure the people behind them could hear with our improvised acoustics.

    After the show, I helped out for a good 3 hours dismantling the stage, removing labels from chairs, folding curtains, and disposing of our one-off props until the people leading the strike effort no longer had enough organizational brain to tell me what to do. Unable to receive orders, I went back to camp to celebrate.

    Day 15: In which it is my turn to run out of organizational brain

    The biggest challenge about teardown is that     <\/a>rosinavs<\/b><\/a><\/a>


    Definitely:
  • Thursdays : An Earthdawn Campaign run by Y.T.
  • September 4-6: WPI SFS Gaming Weekend
  • September 10: The Rivals Rehearsal
  • Sundays and Mondays in Septober: The Rivals Rehearsals
  • September 12: Mandatory Fun
  • September 13: Shire Meeting
  • September 25: My Birthday
  • October 8: The Rivals Rehearsal
  • October 9: Performance of The Rivals<\/a>
  • October 10: Performance of The Rivals<\/a>
  • October 15: The Rivals Rehearsal
  • October 16: Performance of The Rivals<\/a>
  • October 23: My Dad's Birthday
  • November 7: East Kingdom Crown Tournament<\/a>
  • January 15-18, 2016: Arisia<\/a>
  • January 29-31, 2016: A Market Day at Birka<\/a>

    Probably:
  • September 19: Camelot Workday
  • October 17: Simply Allegorical II: Saints & Sinners
  • October 25: Camelot Workday
  • October 31: It's Halloween!! @ Wilbraham
  • November 14: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • November 21: Birthday Party @ Cambridge
  • December 12: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • December 19: Yuuuuuuuuuule

    Maybe:
  • September 19: Dogs of War Werewolf LARP
  • September 25-27: Brian's Alternate Gaming Weekend
  • September 26: Artifacts of a Life II<\/a>
  • October 10: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • April 7-10, 2016: WPI Men's Glee Club Alumni Weekend
  • July 4, 2017: The Lights Go Down on Broadway
  • ???: Australia
    <\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/295357.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/295150.html","pubDate":"Sat, 13 Jun 2015 12:21:42 GMT","title":"Pan-Fried Peapods","author":"etherial","link":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/295150.html","description":"Since I have overheard multiple people exclaim how good these were last night:

    1 pound snow peas
    1 onion
    1\/4 cup scallions
    1\/4 cup parsley
    garlic to taste
    vegetable oil
    sesame oil
    sesame seeds
    soy sauce

    Wash and clean all vegetables. Chop the other vegetables but leave the snow peas whole. In a frying pan, heat the vegetable oil and add the snow peas. Note that sesame oil has a low smoke point and should be added later. If you add it now, it could scorch or start a fire.

    Since all of these vegetables are perfectly edible raw (with the possible exception of the garlic), the frying is mostly about adding and mixing flavors. After the snow peas have started to soften, add the other vegetables and continue frying until the onions have started to turn clear. Add the remaining ingredients and continue to cook for another minute.

    Ideally you have started with just enough oil to fry all the vegetables but that when you add the soy sauce, the water cooks off a little and it turns into a glaze.","comments":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/295150.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/294710.html","pubDate":"Fri, 08 May 2015 00:01:28 GMT","title":"Plus ca change...","author":"etherial","link":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/294710.html","description":"I have many posts brewing inside me, but I am stuck at work loading a build when I should be running my RPG. Would anyone be interested in Sense8 Til You Bleed on 6\/6? It's a new series on Netflix by JMS and the Wachowskis. It looks pretty cool.


    Definitely:
  • Thursdays : A new Earthdawn Campaign run by Y.T.
  • May 8, 9, 15, 16: The Tempest<\/a>
  • May 10: Mother's Day
  • May 17: Anniversary Dinner Party
  • May 20: Shire of Quintavia Business Meeting
  • June 20: St. Jean Baptiste Tourney & Feast<\/a>
  • July 24: Hobbit Party at Pennsic
  • July 24 - August 9: Pennsic XLIV<\/a>
  • August 7: Performace of Merchant of Venice at Pennsic
  • August 22: EK Equestrian and Thrown Weapons Championships<\/a>

    Probably:
  • May 31: Camelot Workday
  • June 13: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • June 21: Father's Day
  • June 28: Camelot Workday
  • July 4: Burdick Family Reunion
  • July 9-12: Great Northeastern War<\/a>
  • September 12: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • September 19: Camelot Workday
  • October 10: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • October 25: Camelot Workday
  • November 14: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • December 12: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>

    Maybe:
  • June 6: Binge watch Sense8
  • September 4-6: WPI SFS Gaming Weekend
  • September 26: Artifacts of a Life II<\/a>
  • November 3 +\/- 4: East Kingdom Crown Tournament<\/a>
  • April 7-10, 2016: WPI Men's Glee Club Alumni Weekend
  • July 4, 2017: The Lights Go Down on Broadway
  • ???: Australia
    <\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/294710.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/294606.html","pubDate":"Tue, 14 Apr 2015 15:39:30 GMT","title":"Three Logicians walk into a bar...","author":"etherial","link":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/294606.html","description":"There's a logic puzzle that's been going around that has a bunch of my friends stumped. I don't know if it's really from a primary school assignment in Singapore<\/a> (the syntax certainly reflects Singapore's mixed heritage), but I solved more complicated logic puzzles all the time in elementary school, so maybe.

    Albert and Bernard just become friends with Cheryl, and they want to know when her birthday is. Cheryl gives them a list of 10 possible dates.

    May 15, May 16, May 19, June 17, June 18, July 14, July 16, August 14, August 15, August 17

    Cheryl then tells Albert and Bernard separately the month and the day of her birthday respectively.

    Albert: I don't know when Cheryl's birthday is, but I know that Bernard does not know too.

    Bernard: At first I don't know when Cheryl's birthday is, but I know now.

    Albert: Then I also know when Cheryl's birthday is.

    So when is Cheryl's birthday?



    We have a bunch of initial facts and then 3 statements.

    0.

    I'm going to take it as given that Albert knows the month and Bernard knows the day. Other people do not assume this and arrive at the same answer, but the puzzle uses the word \"respectively\", so I conclude the first person (Albert) gets told the first thing (month) and the second person (Bernard) gets told the second thing (day).

    Albert knows the month and knows the day is one of {14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19}
    Bernard knows the day and knows the month is one of {May, June, July, August}
    We know the date is one of {May 15, May 16, May 19, June 17, June 18, July 14, July 16, August 14, August 15, August 17}

    1. Albert: I don't know when Cheryl's birthday is, but I know that Bernard does not know too.

    Albert knows that Bernard doesn't know.<\/i> The only way Albert can be certain of this is if the correct month does not have either of the unique days (18 and 19), so we can eliminate May and June.

    Albert knows the month and knows the day is one of {14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19<\/s>}
    Bernard knows the day and knows the month is one of {May, June,<\/s> July, August}
    We know the date is one of {May 15, May 16, May 19, June 17, June 18,<\/s> July 14, July 16, August 14, August 15, August 17}

    2. Bernard: At first I don't know when Cheryl's birthday is, but I know now.

    From the days that are left, it now must<\/i> be a unique day, so we can eliminate 14.

    Albert knows the month and knows the day is one of {14,<\/s> 15, 16, 17, 18, 19<\/s>}
    Bernard knows the date.
    We know the date is one of {May 15, May 16, May 19, June 17, June 18, July 14,<\/s> July 16, August 14,<\/s> August 15, August 17}

    3. Albert: Then I also know when Cheryl's birthday is.

    From the months that are left, it now must be a unique month, so we can eliminate August.

    Albert knows the date.
    Bernard knows the date.
    We know the date is July 16.

    One thing that confuses people is what is going on in Step 1. Albert is passing information to Bernard.<\/i> Of course Bernard doesn't know: the first statement is not Bernard saying \"I know what Cheryl's birthday is\". They know they're in a logic puzzle and need to collaborate in order to get enough information on the table for them (and you the reader) to solve it. Let's look at it again now that we know their starting information:

    0.

    Albert knows the date is either July 14 or July 16.
    Bernard knows the date is either May 16 or July 16.
    We know the date is July 16.

    1. Albert knows Bernard is staring at either July\/August 14 or May\/July 16. Albert knows that Bernard cannot eliminate either date without him and allows Bernard to eliminate May 16. If Bernard has July\/August 14, this doesn't actually help Bernard, but either way it gives Bernard the ability to help Albert.

    Albert knows the date is either July 14 or July 16.
    Bernard knows the date.
    We know the date is July 16.

    2. Bernard allows Albert to eliminate the 14th.

    Albert knows the date.
    Bernard knows the date.
    We know the date is July 16.
    <\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/294606.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/293951.html","pubDate":"Wed, 18 Mar 2015 19:15:40 GMT","title":"Andreiko's Guide to Pennsic","author":"etherial","link":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/293951.html","description":"A number of friends have expressed an interest in going to Pennsic this year. While http:\/\/www.pennsicwar.org\/penn44\/geninfo.html<\/a> has a lot of great info, I thought I'd organize my own thoughts on some of the concepts involved. Besides the items on the packing lists, there are three big-ticket items you need for a trip to Pennsic: Time, Money, and an Encampment.

    Time<\/big>
    Obviously any vacation will take time, but I wanted to talk a little about what the general Pennsic schedule is like. First up is Zero Night. This is the Friday night when - historically - everyone camps on the Battlefiled and parties because they have to be up at 9 AM on Saturday to setup their Land and have nothing to do until then. The Land Office has made some changes this year, and it's a little unclear how that will affect things, but I suspect the Zero Night That Was is now over, which is probably for the best -- it was a huge hassle for everyone involved. There will probably still be parties (I know I'm throwing one), but they will no longer be on top of each other.

    Land Grab (or Peace Week) is what follows, and it is the most relaxing vacation I've ever taken. We set up camp, sit around the fire drinking, take day trips to visit     <\/a>rosinavs<\/b><\/a><\/a>rosinavs<\/b><\/a><\/a>rosinavs<\/b><\/a><\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/293951.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/293724.html","pubDate":"Tue, 17 Mar 2015 20:35:28 GMT","title":"Stuff and Things","author":"etherial","link":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/293724.html","description":"I was totally going to post something substantive, but I forgot what it was, so I'll just update my calendar and be done with it. Anyone wanna give me a writing prompt?


    Definitely:
  • Thursdays : A new Earthdawn Campaign run by Y.T.
  • March 21: Dental Checkup
  • March 21: Gaming at <\/a>albreda<\/b><\/a><\/span>'s
  • March 27-29: WPI Men's Glee Club Alumni Weekend
  • March 22: Shire of Quintavia Business Meeting
  • April 4: Carolingian Baronial Investiture<\/a>
  • May 2: East Kingdom Crown Tournament<\/a>
  • May 8,9,15,16: The Tempest<\/a>
  • May 10: Mother's Day
  • May 17: Anniversary Dinner Party
  • July 24: Hobbit Party at Pennsic
  • July 24 - August 9: Pennsic XLIV<\/a>
  • August 7: Performace of Merchant of Venice at Pennsic

    Probably:
  • April 11: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • June 13: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • June 20: St. Jean Baptiste Tourney & Feast<\/a>
  • June 21: Father's Day
  • July 4: Burdick Family Reunion
  • July 9-12: Great Northeastern War<\/a>
  • September 12: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • October 10: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • November 14: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • December 12: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>

    Maybe:
  • April 15-19: Known World Dance and Music Symposium XI<\/a>
  • June 26-28: Known World Heralds and Scribes<\/a>
  • September 26: Artifacts of a Life II<\/a>
  • July 4, 2017: The Lights Go Down on Broadway
  • ???: Australia
    <\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/293724.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/293147.html","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Feb 2015 23:47:59 GMT","title":"The Dollar Dance","author":"etherial","link":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/293147.html","description":"Well, there was supposed to be a post or two in January, but here we are. The big news is that <\/a>rosinavs<\/b><\/a>The Madwoman of Chaillot<\/a> is going very well, people have been very impressed with our performance. Last show is this Friday, so please come by and watch the vagabonds of Paris get their revenge on the Corporate Machine.


    Short Term:
  • Thursdays: A new Earthdawn Campaign run by Y.T.
  • February 6: Performance of The Madwoman of Chaillot<\/a>
  • February 7: The Indigo
  • February 14: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • February 20-22: WPI SFS Gaming Weekend
  • March 7: A&S East Kingdom Championship and IDD BIA<\/a>
  • March 14: Black Rose Ball XXXVIII<\/a>
  • March 20-22: Return of Absolutely Nothing
  • March 21: Dental Checkup
  • March 27-29: Revenge of Absolutely Nothing

    Near Term:
  • March 29: Central Region Arts & Fiber Time
  • May 8: The Tempest<\/a>
  • May 9: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • June 13: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • June 20: St. Jean Baptiste Tourney & Feast<\/a>
  • July 24: August 9: Pennsic XLIV<\/a>
  • August 7: Performace of Merchant of Venice at Pennsic

    Long Term:
  • April 11: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • April 11: East Kingdom University; A&S, Service, Martial and More!<\/a>
  • April 15-19: Known World Dance and Music Symposium XI<\/a>
  • May 2: East Kingdom Crown Tournament<\/a>
  • May 15: A Second Wedding to <\/a>rosinavs<\/b><\/a>
  • Known World Heralds and Scribes<\/a>
  • July 4: Burdick Family Reunion
  • September 12: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • September 26: Artifacts of a Life II<\/a>
  • October 10: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • November 14: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • December 12: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • July 4, 2017: The Lights Go Down on Broadway
  • ???: Australia
    <\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/293147.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/293021.html","pubDate":"Mon, 22 Dec 2014 02:17:07 GMT","title":"Too Many Bells","author":"etherial","link":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/293021.html","description":"S.H.I.E.L.D.T.U.B. was a great success, we have about a dozen people for Season 1, then people slowly trickled out as we watched Season 2. However, I am still slightly overbooked and slightly broke. Since I wasn't able to pay for Intercon during the initial signups due to a financial scheduling snafu, I haven't signed up for it yet and might skip it this year in order to catch up on sleep. I am especially overwhelmed by Christmas this year. I just want to pull the ripchord. Here's what I am<\/i> looking forward to:


    Short Term:
  • Thursdays: Curing Corruption in Constantinople
  • December 31: Camelot New Year's Eve Party
  • Sundays and Mondays in January: Rehearsals for The Madwoman of Chaillot<\/a>
  • January 3: Gaming with Benjamin Black
  • January 10: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • January 16-18, 2015: SnowCon<\/a>
  • January 23-25: A Market Day at Birka XXVI<\/a>
  • January 30 and 31: Performances of The Madwoman of Chaillot<\/a>
  • January 31: Camp Crook'd Cat Pennsic Antipodal Party
  • February 6: Performance of The Madwoman of Chaillot<\/a>
  • February 7: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • February 20-22: WPI SFS Gaming Weekend
  • March 21: Dental Checkup

    Near Term:
  • Thursdays starting in February: A new Earthdawn Campaign run by Y.T.
  • Various: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • February 21: Embrodiery Event at Camelot
  • February 26-March 1: Intercon O<\/a>
  • March 7: A&S East Kingdom Championship and IDD BIA<\/a>
  • March 14: Black Rose Ball XXXVIII<\/a>
  • March 20-22: Return of Absolutely Nothing
  • March 27-29: Revenge of Absolutely Nothing
  • July 4, Burdick Family Reunion
  • July 24 - August 9: Pennsic XLIV<\/a>
  • August 7: Performace of Merchant of Venice at Pennsic

    Long Term:
  • February 5-8: TempleCon X<\/a>
  • April 11: East Kingdom University; A&S, Service, Martial and More!<\/a>
  • April 15-19: Known World Dance and Music Symposium XI<\/a>
  • Last Weekend of April\/First Weekend of May: East Kingdom Crown Tournament
  • May 15: A Second Wedding to <\/a>rosinavs<\/b><\/a>
  • Artifacts of a Life II<\/a>
  • July 4, 2017: The Lights Go Down on Broadway
  • ???: Australia
    <\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/293021.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/292647.html","pubDate":"Mon, 17 Nov 2014 02:56:38 GMT","title":"Absolutely Nothing","author":"etherial","link":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/292647.html","description":"I had a great time at the Masquerade Ball last night, but damn<\/i> I have been busy. That was the fourth SCA event in a row and I have not had a single free weekend since August. Fortunately, <\/a>rosinavs<\/b><\/a>
  • Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • December 13: Camelot Holiday Party
  • December 20: Quintavia Yule<\/a>
  • December 31: Camelot New Year's Eve Party
  • Sundays and Mondays in January: Rehearsals for The Madwoman of Chaillot<\/a>
  • January 10: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • January 23-25: A Market Day at Birka XXVI<\/a>
  • January 30 and 31: Performances of The Madwoman of Chaillot<\/a>
  • February 6: Performance of The Madwoman of Chaillot<\/a>

    Near Term:
  • Thursdays starting in February: A new Earthdawn Campaign run by Y.T.
  • January 16-18, 2015: SnowCon<\/a>
  • January 31, 2015: Camp Crook'd Cat Pennsic Antipodal Party

    Long Term:
  • Various: Rage Across the Cape Werewolf LARP<\/a>
  • February XX: Embrodiery Event at Camelot
  • April 15-19, 2015: Known World Dance and Music Symposium XI<\/a>
  • May 15, 2015: A Second Wedding to <\/a>rosinavs<\/b><\/a>
  • Pennsic XLIV<\/a>
  • August 7, 2015: Performace of Merchant of Venice at Pennsic
  • July 4, 2017: The Lights Go Down on Broadway
  • ???: Australia
    <\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/etherial.livejournal.com\/292647.html?view=comments#comments"}]}}