A Muddy Pool

uncacreamy and I came up with the event we are going to run at next year's UBcon:

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with Changeling: The Lost.

It will pick up with the kids after they have received their punishments. Veruca is a Tunnelgrub, newly emerged from the garbage disposal system. Augustus is a rampaging Ogre, eating his way through the factory. Violet is an Elemental, still filled to bursting with blueberry juice. Mike is a Wizened, forced to work with the Oompa Loompa technicians in the television studio. And Charlie, of course, is the Fairest heir to the factory who has slipped away from Wonka in order to round up the others and try to escape. In order to do so, they will have to make their way through the factory to the Great Glass Elevator.

uncacreamy's brilliant idea is to have the description in the Con book just be the poem quoted by the Tinker in the '71 movie and his following lines:

"Up the airy mountain / Down the rushy glen, / We dare n't go a–hunting, / For fear of little men." You see, nobody ever goes in, and nobody ever comes out.

( Wednesday )

( Thursday )

( Friday )

( Saturday )

( Sunday )

Behind this cut are the results of a 6am brainstorming session between my best friend, my brother, and I about possible track names for an imaginary blues album we were considering. It is a very good indication of where we were, mentally, in the mid 90s (probably around 1995-6), after leaving college for various reasons and trying to make it in the real world, living in a rapidly decaying house we had neither the money nor motivation to upkeep.

Every track is autobiographical. Feel free to ask for details.
( Pathetic Post-College Blues )
Perhaps the most unhealthy period of my life. Enjoy.

Meme from wdomburg, bold-face for Oscar nominees I've seen, ones that I own are italicized:( List )

Suddenly, all your history's ablaze
Try to breath, as the world disintegrates
Just like autumn leaves, we're in for change
Holding tenderly to what remains

And all your memories, are as precious as gold
And all the honey, and the fire which you stole
Have you running through all your red-cheeked days
Shaking loose these souls, from their sacred hiding space

Hold your heart courageously
as we walk into this dark place
Stand, steadfast erect and see
that love is the province of the brave

Pushed under this expanse of bursting stars
Let this burning brightly illuminate the where we are
In this hollow that lovers' voices occupy
Let it follow that we let it free, let it fly

Breaking open the walls of this cage
Intoxicated, oh so amazed
Much like falcons tumbling from the heights at play
Conjoined, talons engaged

Hold these hearts courageously
as we walk into this dark place
Stand, steadfast beside me and see
that love is the province of the brave

Boy do I wish these two would just answer the goddamn question they were asked.

This is written as much to clear up things in my own head as to provide any information to those out there who might happen to care.

( Description of my move from Libertarian to Democrat )

Now that was a good debate. Issues, none of this campaign character attacking crap. This is what I've been waiting for.

The primary reason I loved this film is because it felt so character-driven, by which I mean that it felt the whole time like the events were necessitated by the characters. Most films are plot-driven and they feel a lot like the characters are acting out the plot rather than driving it. This film didn't feel that way and it was terrifying because the primary mover was The Joker. It many films with uncomfortable elements, I feel like you find some small measure of security in knowing that the writer is there to keep it from going to far. They subjugate the whims of the characters, no matter how dark and chaotic, to necessities of plot, theme, and the general thought that the viewers should enjoy the film. I didn't feel that here. I spent the entire movie tense and afraid of what would happen next because I felt like there was no writer there to save me, no happy ending things would be driven towards. I was terrified of where things were headed because the Joker was so well realized, so well acted and I knew he wasn't going to pull punches. It was very clear what he was capable of and I knew he'd do it.

In my opinion, this was the best film of the year that I've seen. It is now, however, the most enjoyable. Like Pan's Labyrinth, last year, it is a film I love but not one I enjoy watching. It is painful, tense, awful and terrible (not in a sense of quality, but in the sense of inspiring terror and awe).

I loved Dent's arc and agree that Batman was almost a secondary character, but didn't mind that. Ledger's performance was Oscar worthy. It was a fantastic performance of a very difficult character. Hell, the entire thing was a good film. Not a good genre film or a good superhero film. A good film. It is still a superhero film, of course, and definitely a summer action blockbuster, but it completely transcends any baggage of either label.

I've watched it a dozen times since this afternoon already. I can't wait.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/watchmen/high.html

From perich: make a list of your favorite movies, one for each year that you've been alive, and post it in your own journal / weblog / site.

1974: Young Frankenstein
1975: Monty Python and the Holy Grail
1976: Logan's Run
1977: Star Wars
1978: Animal House
1979: Alien
1980: The Blues Brothers
1981: Excalibur
1982: Blade Runner
1983: A Christmas Story
1984: Dune
1985: Ladyhawke
1986: Aliens
1987: The Princess Bride
1988: Die Hard
1989: Batman
1990: Hunt for Red October
1991: Soapdish
1992: Army of Darkness
1993: Groundhog Day
1994: Interview with the Vampire
1995: Se7en
1996: Trainspotting
1997: Boogie Nights
1998: The Truman Show
1999: The Sixth Sense
2000: Unbreakable
2001: Fellowship of the Ring
2002: Two Towers
2003: Return of the King
2004: The Incredibles
2005: Serenity
2006: 300
2007: Pan's Labyrinth
2008: Iron Man

Young, dumb, don't see a problem,
Bloodshot, Stare like a hoodlum,
Simple as this I'm in love with the risk,
I know what I've done, but tell me what did I miss,
So, please don't save something,
Waste not, save nothing,
Lose the halo, No need to resist,
A lick of the lips & my grip on your hips.

Sick, Sick, Sick
Don't resist,
Sick, Sick, Sick
Don't resist,

First thing we succumb to,
Shall erase and undo days of unrelease,
If there's no police,
Then race to slip into whatever fits you,
Make something, make someone,
Beg on a knee baby, baby please,
Pout your bottom lip, while crackin the whip,
You know what we want is,
Candy to cum too.

Sick, Sick, Sick
Don't resist,
Sick, Sick, Sick
Don't resist,
Sick, Sick, Sick
Don't resist,
Sick, Sick, Sick
Don't resist,

Eternal eclipse in the teeth of the risk,
The tounge is a twist in perpetual bliss,
Forever midnight forever midnight...

Sick, Sick, Sick,
Don't resist,
Sick, Sick, Sick,
Don't resist,
(I'm gonna change,
I don't wanna change),
Sick, Sick, Sick,
Don't resist,
Sick, Sick, Sick,
Don't resist

Weight: 299

Down 7.6 pounds from my last post, 47 pounds in total.

Goals:
- 300 by May 28, 2008 (overshot by a week)
- 275 by Aug 13, 2008 (24 to go)
- 250 by Jan 1, 2009 (49 to go)

A1C: 5.6 (down from 9.7)

Leave a comment and I will:
a) Tell you why I friended you.
b) Associate you with something - fandom, a song, a colour, a photo, etc.
c) Tell you something I like about you.
d) Tell you a memory I have of you.
e) Ask something I've always wanted to know about you.
f) Tell you my favorite user pic of yours.
g) In return, you must post this in your LJ

You wanna know if I know why?
I can't say that I do
Don't understand the evil eye
Or how one becomes two
I just can't recall what started it all
Or how to begin in the end
I ain't here to break it
Just see how far it will bend
Again and again, again and again

I wanna make it
I wanna make it wit chu
(Anytime, anywhere)

I wanna make it
I wanna make it witchu
(again and again and again)

Sometimes the same is different
But mostly it's the same
These mysteries of life
That just ain't my thing
If I told you that I knew about the sun and the moon
I'd be untrue
The only thing I know for sure
Is what I wanna do
Anytime, anywhere and I say

I wanna make it
I wanna make it wit chu
(Anytime, Anywhere)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=135LCGFuEQM

Weight: 306.6

Down 7.4 pounds from my last post, 39.4 pounds in total.

Goals:
- 300 by May 28, 2008 (6.6 to go)
- 275 by Aug 13, 2008 (31.6 to go)
- 250 by Jan 1, 2009 (56.6 to go)

Also dropped another pant size to 44 waist.

Griffin had a pre-school spring party this past Monday and Autumn and I prepared a dessert for the potluck part that we'd tried a while back from Cook's Illustrated, Key Lime Bars, a fine adaption of Key Lime Pie in bar form with an animal cracker and brown sugar crust. We made a double recipe of that one and one of a variant Triple Citrus Bars which uses orange and lemon in addition to the lime. Both were as fantastic as we remembered, but dangerous to have around the house. We left them the leftovers so we only had to contend with a few overflow ones in the fridge at home. Responsible eating is a bitch sometimes.

Anyway, the same day we hauled ass and cleaned like maniacs, throwing out a lot of crap that had accumulated over the winter. Old toys, boxes, a box of ancient VHS tapes of stuff we have on DVD now. Cleaned off the porch, reorganized the storage unit, and cleaned out the hall closet and laundry room of its accumulated detritus. Put the grill together and then was too tired to go shopping and ordered Chinese. Next night, though, we cracked out the hamburgers and hot dogs and entered Elysium. Split a rib eye the next day with sauteed mushrooms, fries, and salad. This weekend we are grilling for both our gaming groups. Got more hamburgers and hot dogs, pickles, chicken and teriyaki marinade (Soy Vey's Veri Veri Teriyaki), mustard potato salad, and chips. And I haven't even gotten started. When the family is over for Griffin's birthday, I'm going to do fajitas with fresh salsa and guacamole. I found a fantastic fajita recipe with this marinade that just elevates the whole dish to a new level.

Anyway, enough food rambling. Registration for Gen Con events is this weekend. Autumn and I are planning to register for a Hunter: the Vigil demo, a Dresden Files RPG playtest, a Godlike game with this marvelous GM we played with last time we went, and I'm on my own for World of Darkness: Innocents, because Autumn has a low tolerance for nasty stuff happening to children. We are also planning to hit the Costume Contest and the Gen Con Dance: Steampunk or Dance. Sadly, the Elder Party Rally conflicts with our Godlike game or we'd so be there. NO MORE YEARS! NO MORE YEARS! CTHULHU F'TAGN! WHY VOTE FOR THE LESSER EVIL! Decided not to do True Dungeon this year because it is really pricey. Also, we were aiming to keep the scheduled events light so we'd have plenty of time to hit the dealer room, art show, and just hang out with folks. The other times, we ended up skipping one out of three events to do so, so we decided to be smart this time and just sign up for one or two things a day.

Chris Chibnall, head writer and co-producer of Torchwood, is the worst professional writer in the world. His writing doesn't just disappoint me, it inspires me to want to inflict physical violence on him. It doesn't just ruin the episodes he writes, it sucks the goodness from the episodes around them, like a black hole of quality. I love Torchwood, but every time we hit an episode he's written, I seriously consider not watching anymore. It is apparent, from the pretentiousness of his writing, that he believes himself to be skilled, clever, and edgy. He is tragically mistaken. His dialog is terrible, his plot twists amateurish, his characterizations inconsistent, his sensibilities puerile, his sense of continuity non-existent, and his grasp of motivation and sexuality are juvenile. He sucks the joy out of me with his ineptitude. If I could kill him with my mind, I'd seriously consider it, for the good of mankind. Okay, maybe not, but still. The man's a menace to the small screen.

Weight: 314

Down six and a half pounds from my last post, 32 pounds in total.

Goals:
- 300 by May 2, 2008 (14 to go)
- 275 by Aug 13, 2008 (39 to go)
- 250 by Jan 1, 2009 (64 to go)

Tried Skillet Penne and Sausage Supper which turned out to be quite good. Can't wait for the weather to settle down enough to crack the grill out. I'm dying for summer food.

Getting excited about GenCon. I was checking out some events and stumbled on one that is being written by a friend of mine whom I haven't seen in close to fifteen years. I can't wait to track him down at the Con and say hi. Couple more weeks of saving and we should be able to buy our plane tickets. I am very happy that our finances are getting straightened out and we are still going to be able to go without being broke. Overall, life is very good.

Brainstorming with uncacreamy about her Changeling game is fun!