Meme...

Brought to us by Calvin and Samurai Frog:

1. Three living things you treasure:

Dog, dog, wife - in reverse order.

2. Three non-living things that you treasure:

Kindle, signed copy of A Wrinkle in Time, rare Snaggletooth action figure.

3. Favorite time of the year and why:

Fall - though I despise football, I love the moderate cold that I call "football weather."

4. Favorite things to wear:

My "Meh." t-shirt.

5. Are you a perfume wearer? If yes, which one?

Yes, but can't remember the names. One from Clarins, and two from Lush.

6. Favorite animal:

I love owls, goats, dogs, and sharks.

7. Top three events in your life (so far):

Wedding, starting grad school, being atop the CN tower without vomiting.

8. Top three small pleasures:

Russ Meyer movies, D&D, Tumblr.

9. Top 3 favorite places in the world you have visited:

Toronto, Cozumel, Chicago.

10. Top 3 favorite sounds:

The bongo "running" sound from cartoons (think Barney Rubble), dreaming dogs (we call it "bubble talk"), flutes.

11. Top 3 favorite things to eat:

Ben & Jerry's, the wife's vegetarian meatloaf, pizza with mushrooms and extra cheese.

12. Three small ways someone has made your day lately:

Told I look cute in glasses. Laughed at my dumb ass jokes. Bought me a cool purse for Giftmas.

13. Three small habits/quirks:

I press my tongue against the inside corner of my mouth which makes me look snarky, I have great difficulty drinking beer slowly, I tend to use complete words and punctuation when texting.

14. Describe your life using 6 words maximum:

Remember, it is only a movie.

15. Favorite books, films, and music... list 3 in each category:

The 120 Days of Sodom, A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Big Sleep
The Maltese Falcon, The Way We Were, Gone with the Wind
Lady Gaga, Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen

16. Name 3 words that you hate, and 3 that you love:

Paradigm, tracking, empowered
Verisimilitude, ludicrous, egregious

17. What are a few of the goals you have for your future and how do you plan on making them a reality?

Change lines of work: going to grad school. Can't see any further.

18. What is the best piece of advice you've ever heard?

You wouldn't care what people thought of you if you knew how seldom they did.

19. What is your favorite quote and why?

"Character is what you do when no one is looking." - or words to that effect.

20. have any regrets?

A million and one.

Giftmas Rundown: "Are you out of your Vulcan mind?!?"

"Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence."

I never really dug Dr. McCoy until Karl Urban played him in the reboot movie. Now I like him all round, looking at Deforest Kelly's portrayal in a new light. So, when presented with an Amazon giftcard, I knew what I wanted. The 12" McCoy from Playmates.

Fiction's Finest Nerds: The Cowardly Lion

Sure, from the movie and original Baum book, The Cowardly Lion seems like an unlikely candidate for Fiction's Finest Nerds, however when looked at through Maguire's A Lion Among Men his image takes on a new cast.

The cowardly Lion, or "Brrr" as Maguire names him, is a false jock. He is all bluster and no balls—the worst type of bully. But through Maguire's lens, the lion is a troubled youth who is shunned by his kind and others. He is mocked by a society to which he feels he belongs, turned out by another pride of lions, treated as a novelty by the only group that takes him in, and knows that the medal for courage means nothing. He is also, like so many of Maguire's Wicked Years characters, an abject failure.

This makes his bully persona in Baum and the movie more understandable. Often outcasts are most cruel to their own kind. How often have you been involved in some nerdly activity, thinking yourself to be among peers, only to find at least one complete bastard at the table? He (it is typically a male) will often be the most socially unacceptable of the group and somehow feels that his fellow nerds are the only outlet for his aggression. Fanboys was a great example of this. The Star Wars fans beat up on the Star Trek fans, because if they went after jocks or douchebags they would get their asses handed to them. Randall Graves from Clerks is like this as well; disparaging others for interests that are oh-so similar to his own.

So, we should learn from the cowardly lion that nerd-on-nerd "violence" is not acceptable, witty, or self esteem building. Trolling on blogs, tea bagging in World of Warcraft, and 'dissing your fellow D&D players just shows your self-loathing. Be nice to your fellow nerds, for one day they may be the only friends you have.

Giftmas Rundown: Oh, the horror!

Hammer Glamour is a coffee table book full of pictures and bios on many of Hammer Films' biggest female stars, including (of course) Valerie Leon, Ingrid Pitt, The Collinson Twins, Raquel Welch, Caroline Monroe, and Madeline Smith (cover), and many more. The book is of pretty good quality and has a lot of pictures I had not seen before.

So glad I got some Amazon gift cards for Giftmas, as no one in my family is cool enough to have bought this for me. ;-)

Giftmas Rundown: "I like this ship. It's exciting!"

We dodged a bullet this Giftmas. My parents are obsessed with AppleTV and wanted to get us one. We said we'd prefer a Blu-Ray player, and they obliged. Oddly enough, once I run CAT-5 to the living room, the Blu-Ray will do most anything AppleTV will. Since we were pretty sure the Blu-Ray was in the bag, we bought ourselves a Giftmas present...

"Space. The final frontier..."

What better way to break our Blu-Ray cherry than with the Star Trek reboot? I already talked about it back in May, but must tell you, it holds up pretty well to a second viewing. I caught a few bits here and there that I missed before, or misinterpreted. There are a ton of special features on the Blu-Ray, but I am not a fan. I typically just watch deleted scenes and outtakes. The outtakes were pretty good, particularly the ones with Simon Pegg (Mr. Scott) who is pretty unflappable.

If you still have not seen this, it is well worth watching.

Giftmas Rundown: Oh, the 1990s!

I promised some Jersey love, and here it is. The State...

Back when MTV was finally getting away from all those pesky music videos [/sarcasm] there were a lot of sketch shows and cartoons. Probably the most over-all success story was The State. If you watch Reno 911 or have seen Wet, Hot, American Summer, then you have seen, more or less, The State.

This was a sketch comedy show starring Reno 911 castmembers Thomas Lennon (Lt. Dangle), Ben Garant (Dep. Junior), and Kerri Kenney-Silver (Dep. Trudy Weigel), as well as Michael Ian Black among others.

For the most part, the show is absurdist, and is unfortunately a bit dated. They tend to make fun of MTV a lot, so if you are a Gen X'er or older you might get a lot of it. Some is just weird, like the talk show where the cast, crew, and audience are running through a park.

My most memorable skit was "Louie" (the "I wanna dip my balls in it!" guy) was at the Last Supper where he leads off the apostles leaving Jesus alone. When the Roman soldiers come looking for Jesus he indicates it is the the guy who wants to dip his balls in things.

So, I have the DVD set with all three seasons. Other good news... Daria is going to be released on DVD soon! SQUEE!

Giftmas Rundown: "Hera! Give me strength!"

You know what is more fun than making a Giftmas list? Getting things you want off of it!

Giftmas item #1 is going to be much loved, and perhaps inspire jealousy amongst my nerdy compatriots. That gift is...

That's right. The complete series. Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. Fifteen DVDs and ninety-one episodes! It is even in a swanky lunchbox-style tin holder.

We watched the three-part Secret Origins episodes that showed how the Justice League came together, sans, of course, the Batman.

Oh, I do love the Justice League. You know I don't read comics, but I do love me some super heroes, and this show(s) is amongst my favorites.

Next item up? A Jersey favorite. Wanna hint? "I wanna dip my balls in it!"

Death and Atheism

I held out on posting this as I didn't want to be a crybaby, and it wasn't until now that I really felt like posting. Last week, my last grandparent died, and the funeral was on Monday.

Regular readers likely know my opinions on religion. I don't care what you believe, just don't push it on me, and I'll try my best to reciprocate. Since, however, we have a few Atheists here I thought I'd just make mention...

This was my first funeral since being a real, self-aware Atheist. I have been atheist all my life. I tolerated religious necessities as, well, social necessities. I was married Catholic as there was no sense in alienating the in-laws. I did lie to the Church and say I was confirmed. There was no harm in it.

This funeral, however, has changed my thinking. We sat through all these prayers, and speeches on how great jesus was (is?) and how lucky Grandma was to be with him in the "mansions of the saints." My extended family is very religious. Some devout Catholics, some are part of this bizarre neo-Protestant cult. My immediate family is not religious, but toy with their belief. I was probably a stand out at the services. I do not bow, I do not kneel, I do not pray. I was not there for this fictitious Nazarene. I was there for my Grandma.

So, I have been thinking about my own funeral. I am not convinced at times that I can die. I have had three near death experiences and am still here. I think I will have a funeral while still alive, and aware enough to enjoy it. People standing around talking about how much they loved someone without a drink in their hand, with the guest of honor being little more than a prop seems bizarre in the extreme. Also, I hate seeing people at their worst; just out of bed, sick, whatever; they do not want to be seen in a sorry state, and what state is sorrier than death?

So, for my funeral:

1. Open bar and a coffin-sized beer cooler. Beer to include my beloved Molson Canadian and Molson XXX, Fat Tire, Dogfish Head, Asahi Select, Kirin Ichiban. There will be no Bud Light or other such beer at my funeral. No well brand liquor either.
2. Strippers. Male and female. Everyone (of age) is to be present for both. If I sit quietly through your prayers, you can watch some asses shake.
3. No toasts or speeches if you have had less than four drinks. I want the truth, good or bad.
4. I am donating my body to science, so there will be no procession or grave, coffin or urn. However, since it is customary to have a song, I want it to be either: Born to Run, Thunder Road, I Wish I Was in New Orleans, or Folsom Prison Blues... Probably played by a female singer/pianist, as women get few such breaks and have better emotive qualities.
5. Pinball machines. I love pinball.

Well, that is all for now. In case I get hit by another car, I thought I should make some of my wishes known. You are all invited. It will probably be when I'm 69, just to add a little dirtiness. Keep the 2040s open.

The Song Stuck in My Head...

If you look at my Tumblr then you know I am a fan of Lady Gaga... or at least you know I post a lot of pics and videos. One of my blogger friends recently asked if I liked her music too, and could I recommend some. This led me to think that many of you might be unfamiliar.

La Gaga is a controversial figure, probably for all the wrong reasons. To us older folks she seems a throwback to Madonna or Cyndi Lauper; or perhaps more Dale Bozzio or Nina Hagen like. Younger readers may just see her as flashy and without substance. Here is rebuttal. Both assertions are right and wrong.

As far as being a throwback to earlier strange-girl acts, there is a lot of similarity—particularly with Bozzio, but I feel this is part reverential, and part '80s retroism or perhaps hipsterism. Considering the lack of substance and flash, my argument would be that she is in the pop music industry, and is successful. Pop music is by nature flashy and seemingly without substance.

I enjoy her music a lot. I am not a big pop music fan. I don't go to clubs. I don't dance. I do however really enjoy Lady Gaga's music. Here are a few of her bigger hits. Give them a try. Click the link for the song on Blip.fm.

Beautiful Dirty Rich: this one is more rocky/funky, but with a splash of Brittany Spears to it. Probably one of my top three songs by her.

Poker Face Live at the Cherry Tree: this is a piano and vocal version of the hit Poker Face that really shows off her voice and piano talents, as well as arrangement skill. This is an atypical version of a pop song and sounds like something out of Cabaret!

Love Game: now, I must admit that I thought Poker Face and Just Dance were stupid songs when I first heard them, but this one turned me around. It is delightfully filthy without saying anything overtly crass.

Okey, that is all for now. Give the Lady a try.

Premature Book Review: A Lion Among Men

Well, it is time for book three. A Lion Among Men is the continuation of Gregory Maguire's Oz retellings. Here we learn, initially, about The Cowardly Lion; his origin story, as it were. We also learn the history (perhaps) of another character, whom it would be a spoiler to name here.

If you read Son of a Witch you may feel like you want some closure... I did. This book at least teases you with potential answers, though I am not far enough along to be sure they will be delivered.

As for the style, it is a bit of an Interview with the Vampire, I guess (never read that). The Lion, now no longer cowardly, is interviewing an old favorite about dealings with the story so far. He is being interviewed in turn. The writing is clever and the story humourous, yet with that touch of ugliness/pathos that Maguire always includes. Thus far, I am very happy with it and would recommend it readily.

Did you guys hear something?

Look all ye with fear, on my growing zombie horde! Mua-ha-ha-ha!


I decided after the last session of Last Night on Earth that I was really into the game, so I got the Radioactive Grave Dead supplement (translucent green) and some additional zombies in purple and black (probably for D&D eventually).

I think some of my D&D people will be interested in playing, and I can perhaps stop annoying the wife with my zombie madness!

D&D Lookit: The Monk

Well, it appears that the good folks at Wizards of the Coast have finally gotten one of D&D's fabled classes right in Fourth Edition: The Monk. The monk will appear in Player's Handbook 3 next year, but has already been included in the Character Builder for DDI subscribers (yes, I drank the Kool-Aid).

Fourth Edition is perfectly suited for the monk, and makes good use of powers. The monk is highly mobile (something I miss from First Edition) and has numerous powers to make the character more competent at early levels. One nice addition is the flurry of blows which the monk can use after any successful melee attack to deals 2 plus Wisdom modifier damage to any adjacent creature the player chooses. Also nice is the fact that the monk seldom needs to hit against Armor Class, but more often versus Fortitude or Reflex, making the monk's attacks more like the Melee Touch Attacks of Third Edition.

I have only played the monk twice, both with an identical character as an NPC. They are very effective when played in the proper challenge range, but can be killed quite easily by overt threats. The first time I used one was fighting for the party against goblins with great success. The second time was against the party as part of a monster encounter. The party of fifth levels too this monk out in two rounds.

My typical build so far:

Human Monk

Feats: improved initiative and pointed step style. Pointed Step Style allows you to use your flurry of blows with a spear, and attack a target up to two squares away.

Powers:

Crane's Wings: (at-will vs Fortitude) 1d10 base damage and push target 1 square. Associated movement allows you to jump as with a running start with a +5 bonus.

Five Storms: (at-will vs Reflex) 1d8 base damage to all adjacent creatures. Associated movement allows you to shift two squares.

Dragon's Tail: (at-will vs Fortitude) 1d6 base damage and target is knocked prone. Associated movement allows you to switch places with the prone enemy.

Drunken Monkey: (encounter vs Will) 1d8 base damage and target is pushed one square. It then makes a basic melee attack against one of its adjacent allies. Associated movement is your speed +2. Ignore difficult terrain and Wisdom Mod bonus to all defenses against opportunity attacks.

Whirling Mantis Step: (daily vs Fortitude) Shift up to your speed and push every enemy one square. At the end of the shift deal 2d10 damage to up to three adjacent enemies, and they are slowed... Though I may have interpreted that incorrectly. Perhaps you deal damage to up to three of the enemies you pushed?

I am looking forward to playing a monk sometime as a regular character. There are additional powers already, and they get pretty cool looking as you advance in level.

Premature Book Review: Son of a Witch

In Gregory Maguire's Wicked we learn the story of Elphaba Thropp, better known as The Wicked Witch of the West. It is a retelling, and Maguire takes liberties with the original book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as well as the movie it inspired, making the Witch a sympathetic character. This is Maguire's modus operandi, as seen in his other retellings. In his defense, The Wizard of Oz takes a lot of liberties as well.

In Son of a Witch we hear the story of Liir, a young boy who was the companion of Elphaba, and quite possibly her son. The Witch is dead, and Liir has to find his way in the world with the few tools Elphaba left him; her broom, cape, and magic looking glass.

Liir's journey is also to discover what happened to the young girl Nor, his only childhood friend and possible half sister. He travels about Oz after aiding Dorothy's return to the Emerald City.

The book is a lot of fun, but also difficult. There is a lot of ugliness in Oz; genocide, war crimes, religious persecution, and the advent of new weapons of war that were perhaps stolen from Elphaba's experiments. The "Yellow Brick Road Irregulars" (Dorothy and company) are not the best people, and Dorothy in particular is quite the opposite of what we remember from Baum.

If you enjoyed Wicked, or the Sci-Fi Channel's Tin Man mini-series, you will likely enjoy Son of a Witch. It is more straight-forward than Wicked, as it deals with fewer characters, and since the reader already knows a bit about Maguire's Oz there is less need to go into great geographic/sociological background of the various regions.

Last Night on Earth - Redux

Just like a stinking, rotten corpse, I have returned from the grave! Yes, Fall term is over, and I hope to get much blogging in before the Spring begins.

Well, our normal D&D sessions are going on a haitus for the holidays, and as holidays were on my mind I decided to get out an old present, and force the wife to play along. That present was last year's Last Night on Earth from Flying Frog Productions.


There are a lot of great things about this game, but it is unfortunately quite complicated at times. The realism comes down to one thing: the zombies win. Otherwise, there are lots of fun items right out of horror and slasher movies; find just the right item event cards, teen angst and lust, the occasional bat-shit-crazy-fast zombie... The list goes on.

It is very similar to Risk. You move about the board and when combat arises it is D6s vs D6s. Zombies (generally) get 1D6, while humans get 2D6 (generally). Weapons and special event cards can change this. Zombies get to move one square, while humans get to move 1D6 squares.

I enjoy the game, but there is a lot going on at times. The Collectible Card Game aspects can make things hairy—particularly one card that forces the human player to reroll one fight die. If you don't play it quickly enough, and the human player retrieves his dice, you are S.O.L.

I have only played twice, so I am sure I am missing a lot. We played the "Save the Townsfolk" scenario, with me as the humans. I found all four required townsfolk, and just had to keep them alive a few more rounds. Then, in zombie movie fashion, at the last possible moment, a zombie swept in to kill my sheriff and assure zombie victory. Ah well.