Dark Alex's Really Long Post Thread.

[Alex]

Seems pretty accurate to me.




One of my female friends was complaining she got Leatherface. I told her that is what happens when you spend too much time in the sun. Me, I got Pinhead.

[indianasmith]

Which movie is "Sam" from?

[ER]

How the days roll by.  When I started counting down the days left in my job I had just short of 3000 (I think it was 2990) days left in my job. Now I am down to 1746. In 1746 the second Jacobite uprising took place. This was pretty much a Scottish civil war with the catholic highlanders versus the protestant lowlanders, but they invaded England to fight the war in another country.

After all, fighting a civil war in your own country and damaging your own infrastructure would be silly. Much more sensible to fight it somewhere else.

Nevertheless, the final battle of the uprising was fought at Culloden (not far from where I live currently). 5400 clansmen charged 9000 loyalists across a boggy field and under artillery fire. Bonnie Prince Charlie went against the advice of his most experienced general (who was reckoned to be one of the finest military minds of his age and well capable of winning the battle had he commanded) and conducted the battle under his direct command. The highlanders broke through the first line of troops but were gunned down by the second row and not to mention that Charlie had deployed his men in such a fashion that they were outflanked and cut down. Although there was more Scots fighting on the loyalist side than the rebels the country would suffer. The royalist commander, Cumberland had his army ride on into Inverness where they were welcomed by cheering inhabitants, the army was turned loose on the town in an orgy of destruction, rape and murder. Although during his lifetime he had two nicknames, Sweet William and Butcher Cumberland depending on what side of the political fence you sat, it is by the latter name that history remembers him by.

If you go to Inverness you can go see a quiet old churchyard in the town centre. It overlooks the River Ness and just over the other side of the river there is a whitewashed building with black painted windows. After the battle, the white building is where those captured were held (and where according to legend the song “The Bonny Banks of Loch Lomond” was written by a prisoner awaiting execution). They were taken from their prison, marched over the river to the graveyard where they would be sat on a headstone. Opposite them and lying his rifle on another headstone was their executioner. The two headstones are still there today and the men in the prison could see their fellow rebels being executed.

Chances are though, if Charlie had won he’d have been a terrible king. The Jacobite’s had been fairly bad rulers for the most part, and this was to be their last gasp at power. He escaped from Scotland disguised as a washer woman and if memory serves, died a penniless alcoholic.

A combined Austrian / Sardinian force defeated a Franco-Spanish army during the Battle of Piacenza, Phillip V of Spain died (maybe others did too this year, but I don’t know their names) and the forerunner to Princeton University received its charter.

Excellent history.

[ER]

Seems pretty accurate to me.




One of my female friends was complaining she got Leatherface. I told her that is what happens when you spend too much time in the sun. Me, I got Pinhead.

Yeeeuck, I'm a Chucky!

[Alex]

Which movie is "Sam" from?

Trick R Treat. Its a (very) slightly cleverer than usual anthology film that wraps its stories all around each other like Pulp Fiction. If you've not seen it Indy, well the perfect time to watch it is coming up fast. Sam(hain) is the central character binding the stories together.

[Alex]

Ever met someone you just didn't like from the moment you met them and you could never figure out why?

Kristi has a friend who I feel like that about. He has been round to our house a few times, and he has always been friendly, good company. He is the kind of guy who can walk into a group of complete strangers (and I've seen him do this a few times), and within minutes he is the centre of attention and everyone is his best friend.

Maybe I am just jealous of his socialising skills, although I don't think it is that as occasionally I've met someone I've felt that way about and I am generally honest enough with myself to say, hey the only reason you are feeling this way is because he can do something you wouldn't have a clue about how to do. In fact sometimes I wish my inner voice would just shut up and let me lie to myself about why I do things sometimes, but that is a by the by.

Anyway, one day I had a chat with Kristi and explained to her that while I didn't mind this person coming around to the house I just didn't trust him for some reason I can't put my finger on and I got her to promise me she'd never let him in the house if she was on her own.

[indianasmith]

Which movie is "Sam" from?

Trick R Treat. Its a (very) slightly cleverer than usual anthology film that wraps its stories all around each other like Pulp Fiction. If you've not seen it Indy, well the perfect time to watch it is coming up fast. Sam(hain) is the central character binding the stories together.

Oh yeah!  I've seen that one and enjoyed it; I just couldn't recall the character.

[Alex]

Actually managed to get stuff prepped for tonight's game. With one thing and another it's been a few weeks since we last managed a game. Looking forward to it. The next part of the adventure is unfortunately fairly liner, although I have no doubt the party will manage to go off on all sorts of random tangents and force me to go improvising on the hoof.

Dagon has been missing for the past few days. I've had cats before and having them going walkabouts for three days has been nothing unusual in the past, however it is reaching the point where he's been away longer than I am happy with. When we first got him, I didn't really want him to be an outside cat but he had other idea's about that.

Kristi wanted to go to a car boot sale today. Turned out to be more of an inside jumble sale. Alas there were no really cheep games I've been looking for, for years going for silly money. I think I've used up all my luck for that for a while with Memoir '44, Pandemic and Twilight Imperium.

[Alex]

Kristi you are not allowed to read this post. Please stop now.

Nope, stop reading. Go do something else instead.

Yes, I really mean it. No, that isn't a good enough excuse to keep reading. STOP NOW!

Right, that is it! Sad puppy dog eyes are coming out as is Beaker voice and they are not going to go away for a long time. I may even tell you I love you in that special voice that creeps you out.

And I am going to throw away all the secret stash I keep hidden for when you are having a bad day and just need some chocolate. All of it will just go in the bin if you read any further.

You have been warned. You know you'll say something that will give away that you've read this. Well, I've tried my best and the consequences will be on you now.




In gaming circles it is not unusual to throw a special themed game at Samhain. I have however decided to do one for April Fools instead. I am going to have the party encounter characters from He-Man. I am going to try and not make it obvious who they are encountering. I figure Beast-Man (large angry looking cross between a man and a beast, very ginger colouration) is going to be easy, but it is going to be hard to describe a well muscled figure in skin tight purple clothes with a skull for a head and a staff with a ram on the end of it without giving away who that is. Triclops has to be included as well as Trap Jaw. As for the others, well I will just have to think about it a bit more. Putting Fistor in is just asking for trouble.

Who knows, maybe the party will end up with He-Mans sword of power.

Although if I could have anything from a He-Man cartoon it would be Evil Lynn without a doubt.

[Alex]

Well on the one hand today is a Monday. Generally this is considered to be a bad thing, however I am on nights so I don't care quite so much about it.

Are you one of those people who can't sleep Sundays because they have work the next day? Never had that myself but I know a few people who swear they suffer from it.

Just saw an advert for a game that promises to give you the most authentic experience of being in the Mafia ever. It also has a man wearing nothing more than shorts begging for protection money off a shop keeper. I have to say I am not entirely convinced.

One of the local bars (The Beach Bar) burned down on Friday night / Saturday morning. Locally it was known as Fight Club. I wouldn't mourn the place, but everyone who wanted trouble could go there for a fight and everyone else knew they were generally fine elsewhere. Wonder how it's loss will effect the town dynamics on a Friday night? Saturday night everyone goes out to Elgin. When I was on 6 foot (term for 617 sqn, alternately 6 spit to those actually part of it) I worked beside a guy who was always going out fighting, He decided to try for UFC and found out very quickly there was a whole big difference between a punch up in the local pub and a professional fighter. He did not go back for a second attempt.

Heh heh heh.

Mind you, I remember a story with the same lad. I'd been away on a deployment of some kind  through October and got back mid way through November. There is a tradition about growing a 'tache in November (refered to as Movember) and I saw him sitting at a table, his head hanging down. Walked up to him and said "Hey wants up mate? Why you not growing a 'tache like the rest of the lads?"

The look he gave me might have been the most pain filled expression I have ever witnessed and as he looked up at me I got to see the few faint hairs he had managed to sprout on his upper lip looking like tumbleweed drifting over a barren landscape.

Still, it gave me a good giggle afterwards.

[Alex]

Got my annual assessment last night. Vastly better than last years, although not one good enough to get a promotion out of (the UK does its assessments rather differently than the US forces which has led to some American's on swap assignments to the UK getting very upset when they are rated as doing their job as expected. Anyway, that is mostly what I got with a few areas where I am performing above expectations). Then again I am hardly seeking to go up the rank ladder any further.

Being promoted to SNCO would mean a tiny bit more money, a crap load more responsibility and I'd get less time at home. I have enough money for us to live comfortably coming in and I'd struggle to justify changing that to myself.

Got the man cave carpet cleaned today. Although I've been scrubbing it when Ash has been throwing up or peeing on it, I decided the whole thing needed a deep wash. Also means Ash doesn't get to crawl around the carpet until it is all dried.

[Alex]

Last night I arranged for a whole load of stuff to be transferred half way down the country to have some work done on them.

Ok, so that is fine. All well and good so far.

Tonight the other side of the office found out because some work they'd done a few weeks ago had vanished and the stuff needs redone before Wednesday that they'd be working through until 2 am. They might have got it all done in time if they didn't have to process all the stuff I arranged to move last night too.

Still, I get to go to home at my normal time, so that's all good.

How do I sleep at night? Like a baby thanks for asking (well not really like a baby. I don't wake up every four hours wanting a feed and a nappy change), but still, I sleep pretty damn well.

So how do I feel my challenge story is going? Oh, in case I've not mentioned the story I am currently writing I was challenged to A) Put Jim (I think to differentiate him from the other Jims I know, I will start calling my work 'mate' Stress Head Jim) in the story and B) Put some sort of LGBT+ characters in the story.

I had already based several characters on people that I have known in real life (Ali really is that sweet and cute and her and Chris made a good couple. It is a shame they didn't last together, but I always hope they'll get back together, Paul was going to be a woman, but was changed into a gay man to meet the second part of the challenge and is based on a German guy I know called Dirk. Bev really was that big of a b***h).

The problem I am finding is that I am softening the gay characters a bit, whereas of they were their original personalities I've have played them out whichever way the story went. I have been trying for example to think of ways that Jim could be a nice drug dealer (my limited experiences with these people suggests they are rarely nice people). I remember when JK Rowling said that one of her characters in Harry Potter was gay (can't remember which one though, the wife is the Potter fan in our family) and generally she was getting a lot of comments that she should have made it clear from the start of the stories about this characters sexuality. My thoughts on that was well is it relevant to the character in the book? Does he have a boyfriend, or is there a scene where this would come up in a conversation? He might be a fanatical stamp collector too for all I know, but unless it has some relevance to the story why would you bring it up? When I am writing a story I might have an entire life story of a character in my head. It helps me write but it isn't stuff that is going to make it to the page. It's just background info that helps me write.

Maybe writing for the rainbow banner people just isn't for me. I don't do well with the political correctness and remember who want's to be called what and why. I'd just rather let people be who they want to be and get on with making the best out of life that they can. So I'll stick to making sure their is no bullying in the work place or discrimination for them going on. Either that is good enough or it isn't, but it is what I feel I can do to help.

Not the first time I've felt like a dinosaur that the world has just moved beyond. I think I first felt that way around age five and the feeling has never quite left me. On the other hand I also decided back then that it was the rest of the world's problem and they could just deal with it.

[Alex]

Rather dreary out today. Ash is full of smiles and giggles with no chance of him going to sleep any time soon. Kristi is having a migraine so sent her to lie down in the dark. Might take Ash for a walk if the rain lets up a bit today.

Dagon just wandered back in. No idea where he has been for the past six days (although if I had to guess I'd say it involved a female cat), but I am glad to see him back. He is most assuredly grounded for the next few days though so I can keep an eye on him.

Hmm, I have never seen an episode of Star Trek where people were teleported down and landed on anything but flat ground. Are there no slopes in the universe?

Saw this and thought it might be interesting for some of the folks here.

http://collider.com/eli-roth-history-of-horror-trailer/

[Allhallowsday]

...
Hmm, I have never seen an episode of Star Trek where people were teleported down and landed on anything but flat ground. Are there no slopes in the universe?
...

You're silly.  If they can beam people from a spaceship to a planet's surface, they must have technology to scan the surface and choose a good landing spot, instead of say, the side of a hill, or a rocky slope, or a volcano, or an ocean... 

[ER]

...
Hmm, I have never seen an episode of Star Trek where people were teleported down and landed on anything but flat ground. Are there no slopes in the universe?
...

You're silly.  If they can beam people from a spaceship to a planet's surface, they must have technology to scan the surface and choose a good landing spot, instead of say, the side of a hill, or a rocky slope, or a volcano, or an ocean... 

I can't wrap my head around how transporting someone is not killing that person, even if an exact replica is then created down to the last detail and with precise memories and personality. I know our atoms are constantly being replaced and so it doesn't much matter whether our cellular structure is composed of atoms that came in a microsecond before or much longer, but still....anyone else think transporters are killing and reincarnating everyone who uses them?