Tidbits

"So, what brought you to culinary school?"

 "I want to work with children."

"Oh! You want to teach?"

"No, as the main ingredient."

Merry Christmas

"GIVE ME ALL YOUR SANTA KNOWLEDGE!" - Invader Zim

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Which Native American civilization had the best tattoos?

The Ink-ans.

Mood Music 27

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I want to design an ARG where you're stronger when you work alone than in a team.

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Turned Downton for what?

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Pulp in orange juice is basically plant mucous. Disgusting.

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Idea for a video game: the more buttons you press frantically, the more awesome things get. Being increasingly random when you hit the buttons is rewarded.

Mood Music 26

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Finally got around to watching the "Doom" movie. I loved the easter eggs they put in there (Carmack, the maps, etc.). But you know the writers didn't do too much research when the climatic final showdown is a fist fight between two guys. Seriously.

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Queen Beryl didn't destroy the Moon Kingdom. It was Piccolo.

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Cleanup: Rarely fun. Often necessary.

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Why can't we have a Doctor Who x Downtown Abbey crossover?

Mood Music 25 - Top 10

Here's the top 10 mood music I've used in the last 24 blog entries. They're not in any rank.

1. Behind Blue Eyes

We are quick to paint others as villains, because we fail to understand them.

2. Tom Sawyer

"What you say about his company / Is what you say about society."

Don't allow your mind to be controlled by external forces. Remain free internally and you'll find a path to freedom externally.

3. Exile Vilify

I mustn't fall for the same lies and empty words as I have before.

4. Under Pressure

We must face the terror of the world, whether we want to or not. But we can overcome it.

5. Let It Go

Enough worrying about the past - move forward to the future. Stand in the light of the day and damn those who seek to deny you that!

6. Viva La Vida

A tale of a deposed king's time in limbo becomes an anthem of triumph as glory is regained.

7. Database

"Living in a database" indeed. The madness may grow, but it doesn't matter. Control the encounters and win!

8. Hacking to the Gate

Even if you're trapped in the past, allow no miscalculations. Preserve what matters.

9. God Only Knows

"No matter how it's gonna be, I'll try it anyway."

"Continue to make progress, day by day and step by step."

There is always a victory path. Find it.

10. Sorairo Days (Movie Version)

"Who the hell do you think I am?!"

Through determination, one can defeat even a god. Pierce the heavens!

Tidbits

Stories awaken our ideals. When the world becomes dark and muddled, fiction can illuminate our path.

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What tavern does every fantasy RPG open with?

Dungeons and Flagons.

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Dark chocolate brownies with mint chips are amazing.

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That feeling when someone accuses you of having control issues in an attempt to control your behavior.

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"I'm an anarchist."

"Oh, why don't you believe in God?"

Mood Music 24

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"Did you hear about the latest baby trafficking incident?"

"I didn't know their feet could reach the pedals!"

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I'll say what's been on everyone's mind but we've all been to afraid to vocalize:

Sandwiches.

You may now go on with your lives.

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One of my greatest fears is for the good ideas I've had to be buried and forgotten, where they will never inspire anyone else.

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I'm going to start a business to export American made products to Cuba. My merchandise of choice? Che Guevara shirts. Guaranteed profits!

Mood Music 23

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Something I like in my stories and games: in a conflict between magic and science, science should win. Generally by dispelling the mysticism and secrets that magic relies on. Victory where the scientist has a better grasp of the basic concepts than the sorcerer.

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I once had someone seriously argue that studying economics at Harvard automatically makes you an expert on it.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.

Pull the other one.

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I hate it when my tone of voice comes out wrong so someone thinks I hate them when I don't.

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Pet peeve: when someone cites a pundit as a fact source. Pundits select from facts for the purpose of supporting a crafted ideology, a set of opinions they synthesize from current events. They are not reliable sources of factual information. Citing them in a philosophical argument is fine, but not one about data.

Tidbits

Random lady: Tech people love Silicone Valley! They'd never want to leave!

Me: Except when their buses get attacked by activists.

Lady: What? Tech companies don't own buses.

Me: You are too ignorant to continue speaking with. We're done here.

Mood Music 22 - Ponies

Tidbits

How did the cobbler use sales data to accurately predict the needs of his customers?

He found the line of best feet.

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How to start a fandom fight:

Person: I love this main character!

You: Yes, they're a great supporting cast.

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A quick way to kill a Facebook group: make an admin out of someone who blindly accuses other people of being trolls for no reason when they disagree. I think I just saw the beginning of the end of a rather large and (formerly) interesting group. Very sad to see such a turn.

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I fight poke wars with the force of a thousand thrusting fingers.

Mood Music 21

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What keeps every school admin up at night? Students realizing that they have the advantage of numbers.

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I like being alone.

I hate loneliness.

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Sometimes when reporters are covering an event, they'll reveal what they're really looking for in how they describe the scene.

"As we watch the live images of the burning cars, it must be devastating to the dealership owner, even as we wait for the inevitable explosions that should come at any time now."

Mood Music 20

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Tinder: Look at all these great people who have absolutely no interest in you, loser!

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Now and then I have a problem with my voice. Solution: piping hot apple cider down the gullet.

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That feeling of being back in the civilized world when you shop outside Austin and get plastic bags.

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School by its very design runs contrary to the positive mental impulses that are within every human on birth. It's why kids begin eager and most end up soulless husks. I wish I knew how to fix it.

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Ian: How many Tacos have you eaten?

Me: Only six.

Ian: looks surprised

Me: They're very small.

When someone asks me how much I've eaten, I tend to assume they're implying I've eaten too little. I forget that it's usually the opposite.

Mood Music 19

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One thing learned from the project I was doing in class these last few days: a LOT of my students have no idea how making videos works.

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Student yanked the fire alarm today so we had to go outside in the cold weather (actual cold, not "Texans whining" cold). Problem? It just ate away lunch time. If they'd waited about 10 more minutes, they would've delayed the start of class and actually gotten some benefit from it.

I teach at a school where the students can't even pull pranks right. Sigh.

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"Cell phones are like pacifiers for teens: they induce quiet."

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I lack the time to argue with know-nothing idiots. But don't worry, I will tell you to your face if you are one. Then I will begin ignoring the babble that comes out of your mouth.

Mood Music 18 - March Mashup

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I pick up on the moods and emotions of my students. So when they're having a collectively crappy time of life (which is often), it sets me in the same mindset. It's why, even if I have nothing going on, I can fall into a funk.

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You know things are going to be brutal when the bard of your party is Edgar Allen Poe.

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My two favorite skittles: red by a mile and purple. I once bought a large bag of skittles and ate nothing but the green, yellow, and orange ones for a couple years. When I was done, I had a bag of red and purple skittles. It was glorious.

Spock

For those wondering, the reason I use "fascinating" so often in normal conversation is because of Spock.

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Just opened a snack sized bag of Skittles (part of the discount Halloween candy I bought for my personal consumption). Not a single red Skittle. Darn it.

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"Head voices are liars. What do head voices know?" - Varrick, Legend of Korra

Happy Valentine's Day

"I need a place to eat that's cheap but sounds fancy for Valentine's."

"How about a Venezuelan Steak House?"

"Venezuelan? Don't you mean Brazilian?"

"No. At a Venezuelan steak house there's no steak. Or meat. Or food. The head manager just berates you for an hour about how it's your duty to appreciate being there."

"...How much?"

"A billion bolivars. So about 50 cents."

"I'll take it."

Mood Music 17

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I love crazy conspiracy theories. They make me want to imagine a world where they could happen and write about it.

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"I'm an anarchist."

"Oh, why don't you believe in God?"

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That feeling when you spend over an hour making a support character for an RPG and instead get thrown into PvP against someone 7 levels above you.

Whatever the feeling is, it's not enjoyment.

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As GM, I don't think I've ever started an RPG session in a tavern. I've tended to use offices and houses, but not taverns.

Once Upon a Time Reactions Part 10: Season 7 Eps 1-3

Season 7! A whole new world, er, book! This one brought with it a lot of changes to the show (notably, the cast) and many long time fans, including myself, were pretty wary. Here's what I thought as the season began. Spoilers!

--

And it starts with a curse and amnesia. OF COURSE IT DOES.

I get that they're making Henry Mills to mirror Emma Swan from season 1, but it's kind of boring.

I like the new actor for Henry. He is a better actor than his predecessor. (Probably a controversial view.)

Why did they choose Cinderella? They already did Cinderella. And not just in season 1 - they further brought her back in season 6. It's not fresh. They teased Moana last season. Why can't we have that?

Alice? Okay, that has my interest piqued. I would've greatly preferred they make her the main focus.

I like the actress they picked for the evil stepmother. Loved her as Fiona in Burn Notice.

Henry's family died in a fire? Harsh. Something tells me there might be a twist there.

This show plays fast and loose with "realms." I really don't think passing to alternate timelines should be quite as easy as it is. That just strikes me as a much bigger leap than going to a different location related to the same timeline (Oz, Wonderland).

Rumple is a dirty cop? Okay...

Now I want a Rumple-Hook buddy cop comedy where they just cruise around Seattle getting into wacky hijinks. That would have been a pretty great show.

--

Second episode is much better than the first.

I do like that the writers are teasing us with what exactly Henry knows and doesn't know. He's acting like it's all in a book. Is that true? Or does he know everything?

The line in episode one where he jokes about calling Roni "mom" could have a very deep meaning.

"You fight like your grandfather." Which one? Obviously they mean Charming, but Rumple isn't half bad at swords, either.

I like the call back to last season with drunken Hook. And I just noticed that wish-realm Hook is basically Jack Sparrow. Ha.

Kudos for giving Hook and Emma a good conclusion to their story. I was worried when they cast Hook again.

I was not expecting Roni to actually be main universe Regina. I thought everyone we met would be an AU of themselves.

Who invites their mom along on an adventure? Seriously.

Current theory: Henry married the AU Cinderella and had Lucy. They died. So he ran away to yet another alternate reality. This Cinderella and Lucy are ghosts of who he lost. That'd be more interesting than "the curse made him forget." Also, have him be the one who did the curse, with Hook and Regina caught up by accident.

I'm also deeply troubled by Rumple's presence. Is he an AU Dark One? There was a Rumpelstiltskin in the wish realm, as well. That could be him. I really hope that's the case and the writers don't royally screw up Rumple and Belle AGAIN. Arrrrgh.

First ep left me meh. This episode actually raises some interesting possible twists. I just hope the writers are brave enough to pick some and give us something unexpected, rather than phone it in.

--

Third episode! More world building and intrigue. This is a good thing.

The roommate is Tiana! Yay! It's about time they brought in Princess and the Frog. Where's Moana, though?

It's amazing how Seattle's underground looks just like mines in Maine. Yeah. (Pretty obvious budget saving move there.)

Wait, Anastasia? Guys, that's Don Bluth, not Disney. Did they forget this?

Henry's wife and kid existed and they're dead. This does support the idea this could be yet another AU - a third reality he escaped to after they were gone. Or, at least, I'm hoping he's the one who did the curse this time in response to his grief.

The Stepmother has someone powerful under her spell. I wonder who it is?

Still no explanation of how Rumple got caught in all this. Really hope the writers don't screw with Belle to get him here.

Mood Music 16

A new year brings new mood music.

Tidbits

Writing, reading, creating, inventing, innovating, thinking, drawing, gaming...

The list of verbs a girl can do to catch my eye is is fairly long.

The Punching Nazi Argument

"Nazis advocate genocide. Genocide is violence. Therefore, it's okay to punch Nazis in the face."

Let's examine part of this argument.

I can see the appeal in it. We want to hate Nazis. They're bad hombres. Fighting Nazis has a gut reaction of "yeah, this is right" to it. Unfortunately, this is one of those cases where the gut instinct can lead to a very wrong path.

Let's look at the main flaw with step 1: the labeling of someone as a Nazi.

Examples:

1. Someone argued that every Trump voter is a Nazi. He believes they all advocate genocide. So you're a Nazi if you vote for a candidate this guy doesn't like. That's how he, and many like him, define Nazi.

2. A person posted hearsay about the recent ICE raids. They got a reply with a news article that corrected it. For that the person posting the news article was labeled a Nazi and unfriended. So you're a Nazi if you refute rumor with some measure of fact.

3. People have argued against ANTIFA setting fire to Berkley and beating innocent bystanders. (This was the very first Berkley incident - ANTIFA has since committed numerous additional acts of terrorism and violence.) Because people disapproved of ANTIFA's violent actions, they've been labeled Nazis. So if you oppose violence and destruction by masked goons, you're a Nazi.

4. Also, arguing that punching people in the face when they're not threatening you is wrong makes you a Nazi, since you're clearly a sympathizer. So arguing in favor of nonviolence makes you a Nazi. And if you cite Gandhi? Yep, you're a Nazi. Also, Gandhi has been retroactively made a Nazi because he didn't believe in punching people in the face when they opposed him.

These anecdotes all paint a rather grim picture. The label of "Nazi" is horrendously overused, to a degree worse than when Bush and Obama both got Hitler mustaches by various wingnuts. People who claim to only want to punch Nazis in fact want to punch anyone who proves them wrong, disagrees with their actions, or argues an opposing view.

It is not about "ethics in genocide prevention," as the people who argue in favor of face punching say. It's about finding a justification for unwarranted mob violence.

The Great Wall (2017 Film)

I am a huge fan of Zhang Yimou's work, so I was quite eager to see "The Great Wall." Overall assessment: pretty decent, with caveats.

Yimou does 2 major genres: historical dramas and martial arts. His historical dramas are the ones I prefer. They are, without a doubt, some of the best Asian cinema ever made. His martial arts movies tend to emphasize spectacle and symbolism. The Great Wall has this, but, again, with caveats.

I preferred this film to "Curse of the Golden Flower" and "Hero," two of Yimou's other martial arts films. Hero, to me, while visually stunning, had a weak main lead and a message I didn't agree with. Curse of the Golden Flower, while deeper than this film in symbolism, was a lot more depressing. Great Wall is fun, if light on symbolism.

The core message is East-West cooperation against a common foe. That's why Matt Damon is in there. The film is not a "white savior" flick like Last Samurai. Damon's character is there to specifically contrast with the honor and duty of the Chinese. And he grows as a character when he follows their lead. He is the one saved, rather than the one doing the saving.

The lead female, played Jing Tian, is really, really good. If we can get another big Asian actress in America (and we only ever seem to get one at a time), I hope she fills the role. In appearance, the armor design, make up, and hair combined perfectly. They eschewed any romantic subplots and that was a good move. It kept her character from being arm candy and allowed her to take a leadership role (one Damon's character played support to).

Now, caveats. The editing is not normal for Yimou's movies. He is known for amazing establishing shots with gorgeous visuals. We get some of it, but it was clearly cut down for American audiences. Likewise, the edits are quick and jerky between different subplots.

I have the distinct impression they edited this release for America while China got a different (and likely superior) cut. We got all the Damon scenes and stuff with his friend. They probably got characterization of the main generals and more exposition about the kingdom itself. This is a guess, anyway. The movie is not edited to the same maestro level I expect from a Yimou film.

I hope we get an extended edition or international cut of this film down the road. If not, I'll be disappointed. The lack of depth to the other Chinese characters really made the film seem much lighter weight than it should have been.

Tidbits

One of my traits is not to value things that come easily to me, as I see them as cheap. This includes my own abilities: anything I can do well without a struggle can't be very valuable. That means once I begin to get good at something, I begin to devalue it and seek something else.