Vondy

Today's top headlines on CNN:
 
Hillary Clinton may have called Monica Lewinsky a "Loony Toon" when she learned Bill slept with her.  Oh my. Gasp. That's it?
 
And, a college jock who may well play in the NFL is gay. Yeah. Whatever.
 
Question to the editors: wag the dog, much?
 
There is real news out there to report that is much more important.
 
No, really. There is.

Frau Vondy watched Thank You For Smoking today.
 
She said, "Now I understand your take on of media and politics."
 
Word.
 
Good movie. Love it. One of my favorites.

At what point did our government decide that twitter was an acceptable medium for diplomatic communication?
 
I mean, talk about recipe for ineloquence, misunderstanding, and war.
 
One does not respond to criticism of the Secretary of State by foreign politicians in a tweet.
 
In fact, as a rule, one does not respond at all if its a mere politician and not a national leader.
 
If this is the thinking that drives Washington today -- no one is driving.

Edited to assuage the meek [Cancer]
 
"NSFW Pic" of Katy Perry suitably attired for an AC/DC video.

Apologies. Based on what is on network television these days, I didn't think it was pushing the line. I have turned it into a link...

Soulless by Gail Carriger. Its the first book of the Parasol Protectorate series. I picked it up so I'd have something to read to my youngest daughter, who is eleven -- thought they were not targeted at the YA audience. I have been very pleasantly surprised. While its a fairly boiler-plate urban vampire and werewolf fare, the author's love of the Victorian era really shines through and the main character has an interesting premise. She also has an excellent sense of characterization, a tongue clearly planted in cheek, and a highly witty turn of phrase that makes them a great deal of fun to read.

From the "Percy Jackson" based game I'm running for my eleven year old daughter. She's playing Diana, the fifteen year old demi-god daughter of Artemis. She and her companions are thumbing it on the side of the road when a black limo with tinted windows, lightning bolt hub-caps, grill-work, and a "shock'em" vanity plate rolls up. Sean Bean... er, Zues... gives them a ride. He wants to have a "talk" with her. Basically, Selene and Hecate and her Mom are vying for control of the moon while someone is using the stygian witches to try to kill her. Zeus tells he her that Gaia is involved and that "the three" have decided she must finally be removed. He wants Artemis to "take the Earth," but doesn't want Selene or Hecate to have the Moon -- instead, he wants her be the heir to her mother's portfolio.
 
Her response: "What? Are you nuts?!"
 
Twelve labors loom large in her future.... fortunately, Kevin Sorbo, er... Hercules... is her best friend's dad.

Without explaining the intricate and glorious history of PAID in Full on the boards.... the Prussian part is a running gag based on my family tree, which includes a chief of the Prussian general staff -- who seems to have lost every battle he oversaw on his meteoric rise to the top!
 
Such glory.

and looking at your sig, you are quoting Cicero? Why him, or do you just like the sentiment it expresses?  

so no to Prussian American Israeli Dictator then? 

My mother has traced our family tree back to Robert Hesbaye.
 
Which puts St. Chrodegang "in the family."
 
Huh.

Re: Quote of the Week From My Life.
 
From my kickoff for our Purim broadcast. About the Western Wall:
 
"Mr. Netenyahu - tear down that wall!"
 
Linkage: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Radio/Player.htm#2#506
 
It runs about 16 minutes with the last four being "Magic Carpet Ride." Its probably utterly irrelevant to the vast majority of you. If you do listen, sometimes it plays in firefox and sometimes it doesn't. If not, use IE. I've been on our programmer's case about it. And yes, I use a lot of poetic metaphor, especially early on. So be warned.

Every so often I get that fanciful question: "If you could live in any time period, which would it be?"
 
There seems to be some romantic notion that things were somehow better before.
 
I have, as I've grown older, started to think such people are mad.
 
We may like the fashions of a particular time, but really - living in the past?
 
I like hot-cold running water, electrical do-dads, modern medicine, instant communication, internet shopping....
 
And dozens of restaurants and movie theaters and shopping malls and global shipping.
 
Without modern medicine alone, I would already be dead. At 41. No ands, ifs, or buts about it.
 
My mother would have been dead years ago.
 
Indeed, I am typing this post via the free wireless on the rapid ride on my commute home.
 
No, thank you, I do not desire to live in the past.

Every so often I get that fanciful question: "If you could live in any time period, which would it be?"
 
There seems to be some romantic notion that things were somehow better before.
 
I have, as I've grown older, started to think such people are mad.
 
We may like the fashions of a particular time, but really - living in the past?
 
I like hot-cold running water, electrical do-dads, modern medicine, instant communication, internet shopping....
 
And dozens of restaurants and movie theaters and shopping malls and global shipping.
 
Without modern medicine alone, I would already be dead. At 41. No ands, ifs, or buts about it.
 
My mother would have been dead years ago.
 
Indeed, I am typing this post via the free wireless on the rapid ride on my commute home.
 
No, thank you, I do not desire to live in the past.

Every so often I get that fanciful question: "If you could live in any time period, which would it be?"
 
There seems to be some romantic notion that things were somehow better before.
 
I have, as I've grown older, started to think such people are mad.
 
We may like the fashions of a particular time, but really - living in the past?
 
I like hot-cold running water, electrical do-dads, modern medicine, instant communication, internet shopping....
 
And dozens of restaurants and movie theaters and shopping malls and global shipping.
 
Without modern medicine alone, I would already be dead. At 41. No ands, ifs, or buts about it.
 
My mother would have been dead years ago.
 
Indeed, I am typing this post via the free wireless on the rapid ride on my commute home.
 
No, thank you, I do not desire to live in the past.

I had a middle-school aged kid call me a "dirty Jew" at the pharmacy this week -- totally out of the blue.
 
I suspect it was the kippa and tzitzit that gave me away.
 
Anyhow, his aunt - who looked absolutely mortified - tore into him in a rapid-fire, napalm-hot Spanish.
 
I told him, "Young man, if you want to play the dozens you're going to have to up your game."
 
He had no idea what the dozens were.
 
I did not say, "your mother mistook you for afterbirth and left you for the strays."
 
When the aunt apologized to me I bows and said, "Madame, you appear to have things well in hand."
 
Which she did. Literally. Ear cartilage really bends between the fingers.
 
When she made him apologize, I told him: "Being a minority does not render you immune to bigotry and racist hatred."
 
He looked shocked.
 
In truth, when he said it, I almost laughed. And, I almost felt for the little bastard -- it was clear he'd get worse at home.
 
I am proud to be a Jew, and like most committed Jews I have a Jesuitical obsession with cleanliness.
 
Or, should I say Mosaic?
 
Well, there's one for the books -- welcome to the inner city.

I had a middle-school aged kid call me a "dirty Jew" at the pharmacy this week -- totally out of the blue.
 
I suspect it was the kippa and tzitzit that gave me away.
 
Anyhow, his aunt - who looked absolutely mortified - tore into him in a rapid-fire, napalm-hot Spanish.
 
I told him, "Young man, if you want to play the dozens you're going to have to up your game."
 
He had no idea what the dozens were.
 
I did not say, "your mother mistook you for afterbirth and left you for the strays."
 
When the aunt apologized to me I bows and said, "Madame, you appear to have things well in hand."
 
Which she did. Literally. Ear cartilage really bends between the fingers.
 
When she made him apologize, I told him: "Being a minority does not render you immune to bigotry and racist hatred."
 
He looked shocked.
 
In truth, when he said it, I almost laughed. And, I almost felt for the little bastard -- it was clear he'd get worse at home.
 
I am proud to be a Jew, and like most committed Jews I have a Jesuitical obsession with cleanliness.
 
Or, should I say Mosaic?
 
Well, there's one for the books -- welcome to the inner city.

I had a middle-school aged kid call me a "dirty Jew" at the pharmacy this week -- totally out of the blue.
 
I suspect it was the kippa and tzitzit that gave me away.
 
Anyhow, his aunt - who looked absolutely mortified - tore into him in a rapid-fire, napalm-hot Spanish.
 
I told him, "Young man, if you want to play the dozens you're going to have to up your game."
 
He had no idea what the dozens were.
 
I did not say, "your mother mistook you for afterbirth and left you for the strays."
 
When the aunt apologized to me I bows and said, "Madame, you appear to have things well in hand."
 
Which she did. Literally. Ear cartilage really bends between the fingers.
 
When she made him apologize, I told him: "Being a minority does not render you immune to bigotry and racist hatred."
 
He looked shocked.
 
In truth, when he said it, I almost laughed. And, I almost felt for the little bastard -- it was clear he'd get worse at home.
 
I am proud to be a Jew, and like most committed Jews I have a Jesuitical obsession with cleanliness.
 
Or, should I say Mosaic?
 
Well, there's one for the books -- welcome to the inner city.

Re: Musings on Random Musings
 

 
I won't let them sacrifice you to some pagan lava god. I will defend you with the Talmud. Its heavy.

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...
 

 
It was far less than I suspected, truth be told. His character has Unrequitted Love for Countess X, Oath of Fealty: Countess X, Code of Chivalry, and Rivalry Countess X's Husband, Social Limitation: Bastard, and Reputation: Paper Baron and Bastard Knight. Since the opening of the game the rivalry and the fact that he's in love with his liege have been played up on both of our parts. And the character has turned out to be religious and is struggling with both his desire to eliminate the husband and his passion for another man's wife in a big way.
 
However, he's just been elevated to be a Baron and is now leagues away from the Countess' Castle. He has three or four other immediate problems on his plate, and knows that, with the Countess in the running for the throne, that she is in the center of the intrigue swirling around the upcoming succession crisis. He isn't very well established and cannot afford to do anything stupid if he's to do his job. Now, in one post he learned Countess X's husband struck her during a major row they had over his appointment as baron and received two letters from her (I wrote both before starting the scene, but he played right into it):
 
1) very formal and businesslike - but it informs him she will be wintering at one of her more out of the way holdings (political reasons), but its also very close to the place he will be going to purchase horses for the troop he is raising. He deduced the political reasons with impressive exactness, but also made a deal about the character wishing she was going there to facilitate a romantic liaison with him (and also did the self-flaggelation thing over such sinful thoughts!).
 
Then he gets...
 
2) very personal - informs him of the row, but not the blow - and that her husband has withdrawn to one of his manors until spring. In it she mentions that the upper crust has been propogating some scandalous rumors about how he got his new post and muses that she wishes they were true. She also asks if he remembers the old garden bench (which is where they shared their only doomed kiss the day before her wedding six years before).
 
Ahem...
 
I haven't seen his reply, but between his Code of Chivalry and Oath of Fealty and Religious streak, and his Passionate Unrequitted Love and near violent Rivalry with the husband- the character is being twisted around like taffy. And the player knows it. He's really into the story and I have a feeling he's been pacing. Does he ride off to challenge the husband to a duel (imagine how that would look with all those rumors swirling about)? Does he leave the husband be, but fall prey to temptation when he goes to buy horses and fall from grace leading to massive self-hatred and angst? And what if the duel breaks out after he (presumably) cuckolds the husband? Can he truly feel like the good guy if he wins?
 
Its all so... Soap Opera!
 
The logs can be found at the link in the Chronicles of Counter Harn thread in the Fantasy Hero Forum.

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...
 

 
It was far less than I suspected, truth be told. His character has Unrequitted Love for Countess X, Oath of Fealty: Countess X, Code of Chivalry, and Rivalry Countess X's Husband, Social Limitation: Bastard, and Reputation: Paper Baron and Bastard Knight. Since the opening of the game the rivalry and the fact that he's in love with his liege have been played up on both of our parts. And the character has turned out to be religious and is struggling with both his desire to eliminate the husband and his passion for another man's wife in a big way.
 
However, he's just been elevated to be a Baron and is now leagues away from the Countess' Castle. He has three or four other immediate problems on his plate, and knows that, with the Countess in the running for the throne, that she is in the center of the intrigue swirling around the upcoming succession crisis. He isn't very well established and cannot afford to do anything stupid if he's to do his job. Now, in one post he learned Countess X's husband struck her during a major row they had over his appointment as baron and received two letters from her (I wrote both before starting the scene, but he played right into it):
 
1) very formal and businesslike - but it informs him she will be wintering at one of her more out of the way holdings (political reasons), but its also very close to the place he will be going to purchase horses for the troop he is raising. He deduced the political reasons with impressive exactness, but also made a deal about the character wishing she was going there to facilitate a romantic liaison with him (and also did the self-flaggelation thing over such sinful thoughts!).
 
Then he gets...
 
2) very personal - informs him of the row, but not the blow - and that her husband has withdrawn to one of his manors until spring. In it she mentions that the upper crust has been propogating some scandalous rumors about how he got his new post and muses that she wishes they were true. She also asks if he remembers the old garden bench (which is where they shared their only doomed kiss the day before her wedding six years before).
 
Ahem...
 
I haven't seen his reply, but between his Code of Chivalry and Oath of Fealty and Religious streak, and his Passionate Unrequitted Love and near violent Rivalry with the husband- the character is being twisted around like taffy. And the player knows it. He's really into the story and I have a feeling he's been pacing. Does he ride off to challenge the husband to a duel (imagine how that would look with all those rumors swirling about)? Does he leave the husband be, but fall prey to temptation when he goes to buy horses and fall from grace leading to massive self-hatred and angst? And what if the duel breaks out after he (presumably) cuckolds the husband? Can he truly feel like the good guy if he wins?
 
Its all so... Soap Opera!
 
The logs can be found at the link in the Chronicles of Counter Harn thread in the Fantasy Hero Forum.

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...
 

 
It was far less than I suspected, truth be told. His character has Unrequitted Love for Countess X, Oath of Fealty: Countess X, Code of Chivalry, and Rivalry Countess X's Husband, Social Limitation: Bastard, and Reputation: Paper Baron and Bastard Knight. Since the opening of the game the rivalry and the fact that he's in love with his liege have been played up on both of our parts. And the character has turned out to be religious and is struggling with both his desire to eliminate the husband and his passion for another man's wife in a big way.
 
However, he's just been elevated to be a Baron and is now leagues away from the Countess' Castle. He has three or four other immediate problems on his plate, and knows that, with the Countess in the running for the throne, that she is in the center of the intrigue swirling around the upcoming succession crisis. He isn't very well established and cannot afford to do anything stupid if he's to do his job. Now, in one post he learned Countess X's husband struck her during a major row they had over his appointment as baron and received two letters from her (I wrote both before starting the scene, but he played right into it):
 
1) very formal and businesslike - but it informs him she will be wintering at one of her more out of the way holdings (political reasons), but its also very close to the place he will be going to purchase horses for the troop he is raising. He deduced the political reasons with impressive exactness, but also made a deal about the character wishing she was going there to facilitate a romantic liaison with him (and also did the self-flaggelation thing over such sinful thoughts!).
 
Then he gets...
 
2) very personal - informs him of the row, but not the blow - and that her husband has withdrawn to one of his manors until spring. In it she mentions that the upper crust has been propogating some scandalous rumors about how he got his new post and muses that she wishes they were true. She also asks if he remembers the old garden bench (which is where they shared their only doomed kiss the day before her wedding six years before).
 
Ahem...
 
I haven't seen his reply, but between his Code of Chivalry and Oath of Fealty and Religious streak, and his Passionate Unrequitted Love and near violent Rivalry with the husband- the character is being twisted around like taffy. And the player knows it. He's really into the story and I have a feeling he's been pacing. Does he ride off to challenge the husband to a duel (imagine how that would look with all those rumors swirling about)? Does he leave the husband be, but fall prey to temptation when he goes to buy horses and fall from grace leading to massive self-hatred and angst? And what if the duel breaks out after he (presumably) cuckolds the husband? Can he truly feel like the good guy if he wins?
 
Its all so... Soap Opera!
 
The logs can be found at the link in the Chronicles of Counter Harn thread in the Fantasy Hero Forum.

Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now?
 
Your's Truly, Johnny Dollar: The Liard Douglas Matter.

Re: A Thread for Random Musings
 
If everyone is indeed an expert on everything, which seems to be message board debate status quo, why does the world have so many problems?

Re: Musings on Random Musings
 

 
Yes, I can rest assured my sense of irony is in tact