Musings on Random Musings

[Cancer]

World War 1 is 100 years old today as this is the anniversary of Austria's declaration of war on Serbia.

The two don't even share a border any more. Good.

[tkdguy]

Towards the end of 1999 it really felt like mankind had won the game.  Dictatorial Communism was failing and the specter of nuclear annihilation had faded to almost nothing.  Wars were infrequent and minor--even the Israelis and Palestinians had cooled it for a few years.  Pollution had been solved, and the real implications of CO2 emissions weren't yet apparent.  Renewable energy was starting to show some real potential.  The world economy was skyrocketing.  The Internet promised a new era of communication unimpeded by borders and censorship.

 

And then it all went to s__t.

 

That would make a great blurb on the back of a paperback novel.

[Old Man]

Does that novel have a happy ending?  Spoil it for me.

[Cancer]

Rocks fall, everybody dies. Including the rich people who have the people warning about falling rocks ostracized and hounded into abject poverty. In 65 million years, another sentient species gets another crack at it.

[Bazza]

Does that novel have a happy ending? Spoil it for me.

yes but that would be telling

[BlueCloud2k2]

Gott in Himmel!

 

After many abortive attempts to get my wife to game -- to engage in any hobby that doesn't involve a book, really -- I gave up. And, honestly, with the two years I've had, whose had time? But, over the past year I've watched my family and myself settle back into who we are at heart. With that has come a return to Jewish tradition and practice. It is, no matter who or what we try to be, what and who were are. But, in Seattle, Shabbat can stretch until 10pm at high summer -- and unless you are living in a Jewish community and much socialization, which we won't be for another year or two, what is there to do? Kids get bored. Parents get bored.

 

We started with Ninja Burger, which is amusing but only goes so far. Then Marvel Legenday. Fun enough. My wife plays and shrugs. But then, I'm at the game-store with the girls, and the young man asks if we want a Magic demo. Now, you have to understand -- I am not a Magic guy. I am not a card game guy. I am not a board game guy. When Magic came out I ignored it. I am an old school pen and paper gamer. I like what I like. Maybe I'm a stick in the mud, but the only thing I remember about magic coming out was that it became harder to get a good old fashioned RPG together.

 

But -- after learning a chapter of tanakh with commentaries, a page of talmud with commentaries, and reviewing parts of a hassidic discourse follwoing shabbat lunch -- my brain has Saturday afternoon mush. Something must be done, and the family must be entertained. So, I say yes. Oldest daughter likes it -- and gets a devious and covetous look on her face when she discovers the hierarchy of card rarity. And youngest daughter turns out to be stoked. Me? Its not an RPG, but I enjoyed it enough to do it for a an hour or two on Saturday afternoon.

 

So, I invest in just enough after the the free gimme packs for demos (the first taste of crack) for us all to sit down and game. Wife sighs, says she'll try it, and half way through the game lights up like a menora that was lit underneath a Christmas tree. I mean, she is hot and bothered about Magic. She sat down after Shabbat and took notes on the rules and her cards. She's spent two days researching Magic and cards and whatnot online. Her birthday is coming up and -- wife who never wants anything -- bounced up and down like a girl saying "please, please can I have Magic cards for my birthday?"

 

Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.

 

Magic? After years of "I'd be too embarrassed to do anything so geeky..." Magic?! Really?!

 

*Sigh*

 

She openly said "I don't know whether to be grateful to you for introducing me to this, or mortified that I like it." Well, if this is her gateway geek, and she can come to accept that she likes it -- and is a geek -- then maybe hope can spring eternal. Just maybe, one day, she will roll zeh dice....

 

My wife is completely the opposite. She enjoys CHAMPIONS and DnD but refuses to sit down and play MtG.

[death tribble]

The two don't even share a border any more. Good.

To be fair nobody wants to share a border with Serbia

[Cancer]

Is it just me, or is Russia becoming a very very scary version of North Korea?

It hasn't become a family dynasty yet, nor is its population being held in slavery at gunpoint yet.

 

But the parallels between Joe Putin and Vladimir Stalin are very, very strong. Lacks mostly the mandatory Marxist trappings.

[BlueCloud2k2]

I don't see Soviet Union communism coming back anytime soon. Despotism and Plutocracy, sure.

[Pariah]

I think even the Chinese have given up on communism by now. They're accumulating capital better than we are in the USA right now.

[Cancer]

Aided by an artificial and predatory exchange rate, among other things.

[Pariah]

And yet, for some reason, we continue to trade with them....

[Old Man]

Because their workers are much cheaper than ours.

 

I'd like to think that as long as we have strong commercial ties with the Chinese, maybe that'll make it a bit less likely the shooting will start in Korea or Taiwan or the South China Sea. Might just be dreaming though.

[L. Marcus]

I believe that's the gist of it, sure. It's the whole deal with the EU Project.

[Cancer]

Well, that and enabling the German bankers to dictate to everyone else what they have to do.

[L. Marcus]

Pff, silly German bankers -- austerity proponents, the lot of them.

[Cancer]

Of course. They're bankers. It's what bankers do, make sure as many people are miserable while the bankers absorb everything there is.

[L. Marcus]

Just look at Mary Poppins.

[Enforcer84]

And yet we still let it happen.

[BlueCloud2k2]

A website about painting miniatures suggested that a good way to paint blonde hair is use a dark green wash on a yellow base coat. I just tried that technique. End result: Black Canary is now having a really bad hair day.

 

 

And you believed him.

[Old Man]

 

And you believed him.

It does seem kind of obvious, but then again I've had plenty of facepalm-worthy miniatures projects of my own. Pine-Sol is your friend.

[tkdguy]

Trying a darker green mix (Dark Angels Green + black ink) this time on a vampire miniature. Will see if it works better.

[BlueCloud2k2]

After priming (if needed at all; Bones and Heroclix don't need primer) I always wash in black and after that dries, dry brush pure white. Paint over that and it should provide all of the contrast and highlight you need.

[Cancer]

You know what the problem with politics is these days? We have a solid wing of engaged supporters for a party that doesn't dare call itself by its name!

 

That's why I bring you --The Bipolar Tweaker Party!

 

Slogan: Get back at everyone who is holding you back in 2016! (I'll leave the rest of the pitch 'till after you go check to see if someone is trying to steal your car.)

 

I, uhm, I, I'm sure I had that thing in my bag. That's why I've been standing here rummaging through it all the time you were gone. How long was that again? Wow. Is it 1 already? Wow. Just let me-- it's for allergies.

So. Anyway. OMG. I'vegotthepoliticalpartyOMGnomorepartisanthingbipartisanOMGitsalltheJewstryingtogetustosupportPutinISISIslamicpressurecookerbomb911insideNealBushOMG

 

Anyway. Breathe. It's gotta be inhere. The thing. My wallet. Oh? You'll pay for my espresso?Awesome.Okayhere'stheelevatorpitchOMG.

 

Breathe. Are you sure no-one's trying to steal your car? Someone tried to steal my car the other day. Got in somehow, but couldn't start it. I could tell. They rearranged my glove compartment. Now I can't even find it! That's why I wear these tinfoil gloves. So the NSA can't tell what I'm typing.

 

Sopitch. "Get back at everyone who ever tried to hold you back." Wait? I said that? Sookaythepoint

 

Breathe. I'll slow down. The longer pitch? The world is a scary place because people are plotting against you. Yes, you. Even members of your family. Do they tell you that you need to cut back, that you've been talking crazy, that it's possible for you to be on time for work and school every day? They're crazy. They're all crazy. That's why they say that you're crazy. They do, you know. Behind your back. Well, vote for the Bipolar Tweaker Party, and you can get back at them. You see on TV theawesomeexplodyjetswooshyArmyNavyAirForceSealTeam6? Awesome. China's gonna get that stuff when we're in charge. So hard so fast rush rush shock and awe like anonymous sex in the washroom at the club. Oh, you bet they are. Them and the North Koreans. That's for stealing our good job that we had back before we had to go on Ritalin for our ADHD and then the doctor said we couldn't be on it any more because of heart murmurs and now we have to score it in the back of the club every Wednesday night and what do you mean we have to be in class on Thursday morning, too?

 

So the point is, after we 'splode China, we'll 'splode Mr. Areshat principal and that stupid boss and Dad with his, "Oh, I think you've had enough for tonight" crap. And we'll get that ex of ours. We'll get everyone. Then everything will be awesome. Vote Bipolar Tweaker Party 2016! Or whenever you have elections in your country. (Or city. I hear you, Ford Nation!) If the JewsArabsRussiansIlluminatiChinese1%percentersmoochersKoreans let you. Have elections, I mean. If not, there's always pressure cooker bombs.

 

Gottarun. Very important text message. Meeting a guy in the park. For reasons. Not because he's got oxycontin and I've got these teeth whitening strips I just lifted. Nope. Not because of that.

This explains everything.

 

I need more antimatter.

[BlueCloud2k2]

This explains everything.

 

I need more antimatter.

 

There isn't enough antimatter in the universe to kill everyone one of these frackers. Harder to kill than cockroaches, they are.