Dark Alex's Really Long Post Thread.

[ER]

I had to slip out of the office and make a purchase and while out I bought my first MTG pre-con pack in ages, the new Vivien Planeswalker set, normally $17.99 on sale for $11.99, mostly because I liked the color scheme and because green tends to be my second best type of mana. Seen the Vivien release?

(Scroll down.)

http://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/core-set-2019-planeswalker-deck-decklists

[Alex]

Feeling a bit silly today. Maybe that is no different to how I feel any other day though and I am just being more self aware about it than usual today.

Started playing the original version of WoW on a private server with Kristi and some people she knows. Now, Kristi has never really experienced original flavour (or vanilla as it is termed) Warcraft before.

It has been a bit of a rude awakening for her. Back then you couldn't get a mount until you were level 40 (and that costs 100 gold, a huge amount in vanilla (although nothing compared to the 1,000 gold you need for the faster mount at level 60), whereas she has gotten used to me handing her 20,000 gold when she'd spent all her money on new shoes.

Being Kristi when people had some questions about the game, she being a very helpful soul went to give people answers, only to get told everything she'd just said was wrong (well, it was right just not for this older edition of the game). If she was playing the retail version she'd have been dead on. Anyway, I've suggested to her that she dumps all her preconceptions and what she thinks she knows because she is going to have to learn everything all over, and it is not the cosseted and mollycoddled experience players who came into the game in The Burning Crusade or later have experienced where they are pampered and spoiled.

Because I am running around on foot (if you cast a spell while you are mounted you get dismounted), I have been casting buffs on people as I pass them by. This got me an invite to a guild for being nice.

See, I can do it when I want to.

Anyway, you can take a couple of professions to make money in the game. I've picked tailoring as all the clothes I can wear as a priest are made from cloth, so I can make my own gear. For my second profession I took Flower Picking (officially referred to as Herbalism). Yup, my mighty hero runs around Elwynn Forest collecting flowers. My plan was to sell the flowers on the in game auction house (AH), which Alchemists can then buy and make potions with. However I have made a deal with a friendly mage to sell her my flowers. I am charging less than I could get from the AH, but you aren't guaranteed a sale in there, so I think it is a good deal for both of us. The idea is that I make 5 gold per level, every level from 20 to 40 and then I have the money I need. Did it last time I played WoW, but that was on a server with a lot more people so I'll see how it goes.

[Alex]

I had to slip out of the office and make a purchase and while out I bought my first MTG pre-con pack in ages, the new Vivien Planeswalker set, normally $17.99 on sale for $11.99, mostly because I liked the color scheme and because green tends to be my second best type of mana. Seen the Vivien release?

(Scroll down.)

http://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/core-set-2019-planeswalker-deck-decklists

I might pick up some of them just for the druids. I do miss the old random decks though.

[ER]

I had to slip out of the office and make a purchase and while out I bought my first MTG pre-con pack in ages, the new Vivien Planeswalker set, normally $17.99 on sale for $11.99, mostly because I liked the color scheme and because green tends to be my second best type of mana. Seen the Vivien release?

(Scroll down.)

http://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/core-set-2019-planeswalker-deck-decklists

I might pick up some of them just for the druids. I do miss the old random decks though.

This deck seems to be about massive green-fueled creatures and they're not expensive. I might see if my daughter wants to duel tonight.

[Alex]

Did you have a game with her, and if so who won?

Finished off the introductory adventure for the newest party member as well as giving Kristi's back up character a cameo role to make it easier to introduce her as a replacement should anything happen to Colesta. I had written a bit more of the adventure than I actually ran just because I wanted to finish it and get out the house for a walk.

After that we got dressed and wandered outside around half eleven. It was a lovely day. Took some photos which I'll share once I get home, since I didn't bring my phone to work with me.

Yes that is right, I went out without my mobile phone. Oh calamity and disaster. No doubt the sky will fall down because for a couple of hours I can't be contacted.

Anyway, we decided to go to an Italian restaurant for lunch. Kristi had a pizza while I decided to stick with a surf and turf burger since they don't seem to be doing steak on the menu these days.

Damn shame, I really wanted a steak.

The local library was having a sale of old books so we decided to pop in. Mistakes may have been made, although to be honest fifteen books is a lot less than I expected us to buy. Also got a bunch of new DVD's, mostly low budget horror, but Kristi did get something for herself too.

After that it was time to head home so I could get ready for work. The sun stayed shining all the way home, although in the last ten or so minutes of the journey Ash did get a bit grumbly. I think he was just done and ready to be home by that time though. Had enough time to grab a quick shower (and Ash ended up coming in with me. I get no peace to do anything. Seriously if I go to the toilet I got both him and the cat trying to follow me in lol). He is getting a lot more mobile and managed to do his body surfing thing that he does to move to go from the living room, out down the hallway, through the kitchen and into the utility room where if Kristi hadn't decided to stop him at this point he'd have started sharing the cat's food with him.

If he had, I'd be damn glad I am at work and would miss changing those nappies I tell you!

Today was a good day.

[Alex]

Just read an article about a mother and father in court for on a charge of being members of a far right extremist group in the UK.

Their kid has the middle name Adolph. They haven't said that he is named after Hitler, but given they have photographs of themselves giving nazi salutes over his cot... well I guess you can judge that one for yourselves.

Anyway, it got me thinking. Do parents have the right to bring a child up in an atmosphere of hate like the one these parents appear to have? I say appear because beyond reading this one article I have no other knowledge of this case and I am loathe to draw conclusions without more information on the case.

In other words, should the child be removed from its parents? For all I know, they could be the best, most loving parents out there. Or are they brainwashing their child with their own beliefs and condemning (and again I am assuming with the middle name of Adolph that the child is male), him to a life filled with hatred of others without a chance to form his own opinions and beliefs?

If you take the child away to give him a different upbringing, is that not simply another form of brainwashing? After all, isn't bringing up a child to be either religious or atheist simply another form of brainwashing where you seek to pass what you believe in onto the next generation? What I hope to do with Ash is give him a framework within which he can decide for himself what is good and bad, but that isn't an easy thing to do. I find it hard to believe that at some point in his life I won't simply tell him that something he is doing is wrong.

I am not making any judgements here on wither or not they should be allowed to bring up a child that way, regardless of how I am inclined to feel about it. Just posing the question to myself and debating the pro's and con's.

It isn't a debate that is going anywhere in my head. Every argument I come up with for or against one side or the other I find an equally compelling argument for the other side.

While I was courting Kristi she once complained that I could always see both sides of argument and that she wished just one time I would just be on her side without trying to explain what the other person might be thinking. Guess I have not changed there (although I do try now just to back her up without saying anything else and be properly supportive).

[ER]

Did you have a game with her, and if so who won?

Finished off the introductory adventure for the newest party member as well as giving Kristi's back up character a cameo role to make it easier to introduce her as a replacement should anything happen to Colesta. I had written a bit more of the adventure than I actually ran just because I wanted to finish it and get out the house for a walk.

After that we got dressed and wandered outside around half eleven. It was a lovely day. Took some photos which I'll share once I get home, since I didn't bring my phone to work with me.

Yes that is right, I went out without my mobile phone. Oh calamity and disaster. No doubt the sky will fall down because for a couple of hours I can't be contacted.

Anyway, we decided to go to an Italian restaurant for lunch. Kristi had a pizza while I decided to stick with a surf and turf burger since they don't seem to be doing steak on the menu these days.

Damn shame, I really wanted a steak.

The local library was having a sale of old books so we decided to pop in. Mistakes may have been made, although to be honest fifteen books is a lot less than I expected us to buy. Also got a bunch of new DVD's, mostly low budget horror, but Kristi did get something for herself too.

After that it was time to head home so I could get ready for work. The sun stayed shining all the way home, although in the last ten or so minutes of the journey Ash did get a bit grumbly. I think he was just done and ready to be home by that time though. Had enough time to grab a quick shower (and Ash ended up coming in with me. I get no peace to do anything. Seriously if I go to the toilet I got both him and the cat trying to follow me in lol). He is getting a lot more mobile and managed to do his body surfing thing that he does to move to go from the living room, out down the hallway, through the kitchen and into the utility room where if Kristi hadn't decided to stop him at this point he'd have started sharing the cat's food with him.

If he had, I'd be damn glad I am at work and would miss changing those nappies I tell you!

Today was a good day.

We ended up changing plans and going out for my dad's birthday, so no duel, but when we do I'm sure she'll win. :-)

[Alex]

Did you have a game with her, and if so who won?

Finished off the introductory adventure for the newest party member as well as giving Kristi's back up character a cameo role to make it easier to introduce her as a replacement should anything happen to Colesta. I had written a bit more of the adventure than I actually ran just because I wanted to finish it and get out the house for a walk.

After that we got dressed and wandered outside around half eleven. It was a lovely day. Took some photos which I'll share once I get home, since I didn't bring my phone to work with me.

Yes that is right, I went out without my mobile phone. Oh calamity and disaster. No doubt the sky will fall down because for a couple of hours I can't be contacted.

Anyway, we decided to go to an Italian restaurant for lunch. Kristi had a pizza while I decided to stick with a surf and turf burger since they don't seem to be doing steak on the menu these days.

Damn shame, I really wanted a steak.

The local library was having a sale of old books so we decided to pop in. Mistakes may have been made, although to be honest fifteen books is a lot less than I expected us to buy. Also got a bunch of new DVD's, mostly low budget horror, but Kristi did get something for herself too.

After that it was time to head home so I could get ready for work. The sun stayed shining all the way home, although in the last ten or so minutes of the journey Ash did get a bit grumbly. I think he was just done and ready to be home by that time though. Had enough time to grab a quick shower (and Ash ended up coming in with me. I get no peace to do anything. Seriously if I go to the toilet I got both him and the cat trying to follow me in lol). He is getting a lot more mobile and managed to do his body surfing thing that he does to move to go from the living room, out down the hallway, through the kitchen and into the utility room where if Kristi hadn't decided to stop him at this point he'd have started sharing the cat's food with him.

If he had, I'd be damn glad I am at work and would miss changing those nappies I tell you!

Today was a good day.

We ended up changing plans and going out for my dad's birthday, so no duel, but when we do I'm sure she'll win. :-)

Halfway through the game casually mention that cards are a tool of the occult and she is playing a game designed to turn her into a devil worshipper (any you could even throw in a Chick tract to back this up). At that point when she refuses to play any more you then win by default. Not only do you then win that game, but you also automatically win all the other games she won't play you.

If Ash follows Kristi's religious beliefs that is how I plan on keeping him away from all my stuff. Yup, tool of the devil that, you can't touch it.

Been feeling exhausted today. Did not want to get out of bed at all. Mind you, I felt quite run down last night too. I got home just before midnight and Kristi had just about the most welcome beer I have ever had waiting for me. Nicely cold too.

I do love that woman of mine.

Stress Head Jim and Swim Boy are both getting stressed out about some thing or another. Its funny to watch them getting increasingly wound about someone else doing something wrong. Me, I'd send it all back and say not done right, do it all over again. Oh, and this stuff needed sent off yesterday so you are going to have to work late to make sure you get yesterdays and todays work done and caught up with. And then you need to explain to the XO why you didn't do it right in the first place and delayed the operation.

Pretty sure they'd start doing it right after that.

In a few weeks I have to go off on a course and when I come back I'll be cross trained in doing the job the other side of the office does. Since I hate doing paperwork, anyone sending me some had better make sure it is done, not perfectly but certainly in a pretty damn good condition.

I did suggest to Swim Boy that he gets himself a bat, wraps it up and barbed wire and calls it Lucille. Then every time they mess up he can go over to their department and beats one of them to death with it. There is no possible outcome to that situation where he does not end up receiving less incorrect paperwork on his desk.

[Trevor]

I did suggest to Swim Boy that he gets himself a bat, wraps it up and barbed wire and calls it Lucille. Then every time they mess up he can go over to their department and beats one of them to death with it. There is no possible outcome to that situation where he does not end up receiving less incorrect paperwork on his desk.

 

We are still Negan I see 

[Alex]

Kristi is away out shopping with a friend today, leaving daddy holding the baby. I've put Ash down for a nap. He is drinking a bottle in there just now, although I had to persuade him to take his foot out of his mouth yet. Managing to get stuff done though. Carpets have been washed, laundry is being done, dishes washed and whatnot.

Also getting a few bad movies in of course. 

[Alex]

Having a day when I feel like saying f**k it to be responsible. Lets steal a battleship and become pirates!

Who is with me?

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Failing that, I'll even settle for becoming a bunch of monsters living in a remote cabin somewhere, waiting to pick off silly teenagers.

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[Alex]

Someone learned a new trick today.




And yes, that is a mobile made from knitted D&D dice. Tina and Anders had it made for Ash.

[ER]

Someone learned a new trick today.




And yes, that is a mobile made from knitted D&D dice. Tina and Anders had it made for Ash.

AnD sO iT bEgIns! Bwah-hahahaahaa!    (Seriously cool dice there!)

[Alex]

So today I have been thinking about people who know the cost of everything, except perhaps the value of a human life. Or the cost of everything, but the value of nothing if you prefer.

No particular deep insights about them today, just wandering thoughts, although if you really want one, I could point out that all the people who I have encountered with this attitude all vote for the same political party in the UK. Either you know the kind of people I am talking about, or if not then the chances are you are one. Or you have just been very lucky never to have encountered one of these. It is odd given my job that how I generally feel about the human race (mostly ambivilent, cats are better conversationists in general, but much worse at writing) that I can care more about the people I am expected to blow up, shoot, stab or otherwise remove from this plane of existence and send beyond the veil than these people. Not that I lose any sleep over them, but sometimes I wonder what kind of lives they would have had otherwise, were they good people, bad, indifferent and what random strands of fate led our lives to affect the others without ever meeting.

Guess it goes along with my opinion that this whole war thing has gotten a bit silly and out and hand. We aren't just bashing each other over the head with clubs anymore y'know. I've also been wondering if the age of the aircraft carrier is now over. Governments have a very bad habit of equipping their military to refight the last war. All these things we've been doing over the world for the past couple of decades, none of it has been a major war where equal forces have faced each other and the carrier has reigned supreme since the height of WW2, but looking at some of the upcoming weapons like hypersonic missiles which you can't even detect has launched never mind counter. What happens if your nice shiny fleet gets hammered by a bunch of those weapons? Hell, stick a nuclear device onto such a weapon and suddenly you are halfway to winning a nuclear war via first strike. All you have to do then is counter the enemies submarine fleet. I guess that is where your hackers come in maybe? Hell, are nukes even that great a weapon (not that I'd consider them a great weapon, but against all logic and reason they did work as a deterant) any more?

Oh and reports suggest that China will have an operational hypersonic missile in 2020.

Still, what is the use of any of these weapons if your enemy can go cyber and shut down your critical infrastructure. How long does your society last if the lights go out? Or they are able to turn your own weapons against you. Imagine a world where your fleets are ordered onto collision courses (not as far fetched as you might think, indeed this may have already happened fairly recently to one nation...)

Came home for lunch today. Ash decided to be sick, so I picked him up to wash his face and he decided to wipe his mouth over my shirt. Time to iron a new one before going back to work then. Kristi hadn't gotten much sleep, so when I got home from work I sent her to bed, fed Ash, gave him a bath and then sat him in his bouncy chair while I went to have dinner.

At this point everything went badly wrong. Ash did not want to be in his bouncy chair so protested loudly. I let him out to crawl on the floor and he did not like that either. Indeed the only time he was quiet was when I picked him up and held him which made eating my dinner a bit impractical to say the least. Anyway his screaming (his loud volume crying), made sure Kristi wasn't getting her sleep so she gave up and got out of bed. Since his cheeks looked fine I decided it wasn't teething and he might just be tired and grumpy so put him down for an early night. He fell straight asleep after that. Kristi is now staying up until our bedtime as if she sleeps now, she'll be awake all night.

Still, wouldn't change him for the world. Although I do occasionally threaten to call on the Goblin King for a bit of baby sitting.

[Alex]

Spent the morning thinking it was Monday and that I had a full working week to slog my way through. Eventually it occurred to me that it was Wednesday, and that I’ll be finishing at lunchtime tomorrow which cheered me up on an already very happy day. Something had happened a while back, that while it was entirely someone else’s action, but it left me feeling somehow tainted. Today that was sorted and it feels surprisingly good (by which I mean I would have expected it to feel good, but it felt a whole lot better than I imagined).

Still feeling stoked about this weekend’s concert. Might have been a while since he was top of his game but that doesn’t mean I am any less of a fan of John Carpenter.

Hell, I even have a copy of Ghosts of Mars, although generally his sci fi work (thinking Dark Star here as well), hasn’t been my favourites. But give me Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween (I & II and while he might have not directed the second one he did do the screenplay), Escape from New York, The Fog, The Thing, Christine, Prince of Darkness, They Live, The Mouth of Madness… and so on, and I am a happy man.

Don’t know if anyone else out there ever listens to director’s commentary tracks? I occasionally do, and I can recommend any involving John Carpenter and Kurt Russell together. The pair of them don’t talk that much about the film, tending to spend more time being old friends catching up, but the stories and anecdotes they share are amusing to listen to (well for me anyway).

Got another practise session at the theatre tonight. It is ok, but if Kristi wasn’t interested it isn’t something I’d be overly interested in being involved in. Still I don’t mind doing it, and I am happy to take on one of her hobbies as she has taken an active interest in most of mine. I did initially try watching the musicals she enjoys with her, but neither of us enjoyed those experiences (‘Les Miserables’ (stop singing and either go get medical attention or hurry up and die) and ‘Into The Woods’ (I’d love to make a comment about this film, but I fell asleep during it).