D&D Luminary Jim 'Drawmij' Ward Passes Very sad to hear. Rest in Peace.
The Chrysanthemum Throne (皇位, kōi, "imperial seat") is the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term also can refer to very specific seating, such as the Takamikura (高御座) throne in the Shishin-den at Kyoto Imperial Palace. Various other thrones or seats that are used by the Emperor during official functions, such as those used in the Tokyo Imperial Palace or the throne used in the Speech from the Throne ceremony in the National Diet, are, however, not known as the "Chrysanthemum Throne". In a metonymic sense, the "Chrysanthemum Throne" also refers rhetorically to the head of state and the institution of the Japanese monarchy itself.
Varney the Vampire; or, the Feast of Blood is a Victorian-era serialized gothic horror story variously attributed to James Malcolm Rymer and Thomas Peckett Prest. It first appeared in 1845–1847 as a series of weekly cheap pamphlets of the kind then known as "penny dreadfuls". The author was paid by the typeset line, so when the story was published in book form in 1847, it was of epic length: the original edition ran to 876 double-columned pages and 232 chapters. Altogether it totals nearly 667,000 words. It is the tale of the vampire Sir Francis Varney, and introduced many of the tropes present in vampire fiction recognizable to modern audiences. It was the first story to refer to sharpened teeth for a vampire, noting: "With a plunge he seizes her neck in his fang-like teeth".
One of my coworkers turned me on to the trailer for this show. It just so happened to be the same day the show dropped on Netflix, so I gave it a shot. It was entertaining, but VERY predictable. There were at least three or four major plot points I saw coming a mile away….. Spoiler:
That the eldest brother was still alive. That he’d joined the enemy. And that he’d become the new enemy leader. They telegraphed that stuff a mile away.
Also that the new assistant at the brewery would be a ninja of some kind. And that the politician from the beginning was secretly a member of the villain organization. Once they revealed the scroll the bad guys were trying to recover was a family tree, it was pretty clear it would show her. The only characters I truly liked were Soichi and Grandma (my favorite). Soichi was mostly just trying to keep his family safe, determined that at least one of his children would grow up as “normal”. When he realized that wasn’t to be, however, he manned up and did his job. And he was badass. Grandma I loved. She was funny, mysterious, and a bit cantankerous. And it seemed like most everyone was terrified of her (with good reason). Nevertheless, I enjoyed the show. The story was decent. The action was plentiful. They had some good bits of humor. And I read somewhere where someone thought it was an at least spiritual sequel to an old Sonny Chiba TV series. Which is cool. Anyway, for anyone who likes ninjas, I recommend it. Only 8 episodes.
Parenting “achievement” unlocked: kid with a broken bone. The boy was playing ball with his friends yesterday. He got tripped up, fell, and broke his arm. It’s a clean break. He’ll be in a soft cast for a week. Then he goes back for more X-rays and a hard cast. He’ll have to keep that on for about a month.
I don't think we can have nice things (especially in entertainment) anymore. People support crap. Sometimes it's for misguided reasons. Occasionally, but I think increasingly, its out of pure spite. Within the past year, I have seen examples of both expressed in posts here. Sad, but sadly not surprising.
The Red Fort or Lal Qila is a historic fort in the Old Delhi neighbourhood of Delhi, India, that historically served as the main residence of the Mughal emperors. Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned construction of the Red Fort on 12 May 1639, when he decided to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi. Originally red and white, its design is credited to architect Ustad Ahmad Lahori, who also constructed the Taj Mahal. The fort represents the peak in the Mughal architecture under Shah Jahan and combines Persian palace architecture with Indian traditions. The fort was plundered of its artwork and jewels during Nader Shah's invasion of the Mughal Empire in 1739. Most of the fort's marble structures were subsequently demolished by the British following the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The fort's defensive walls were largely undamaged, and the fortress was subsequently used as a garrison. On 15 August 1947, the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, raised the Indian flag above the Lahori Gate. Every year on India's Independence Day (15 August), the prime minister hoists the Indian tricolour flag at the fort's main gate and delivers a nationally broadcast speech from its ramparts through the Public Address System of Indian Army Corps of Signals. The Red Fort was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 as part of the Red Fort Complex.
Gogmagog (also Goemagot, Goemagog, Goëmagot and Gogmagoc) was a legendary giant in Welsh and later English mythology. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae ("The History of The Kings of Britain", 12th century), he was a giant inhabitant of Albion, thrown off a cliff during a wrestling match with Corineus (a companion of Brutus of Troy). Gogmagog was the last of the Giants found by Brutus and his men inhabiting the land of Albion.
Firestorm is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein fused together debuted as the first incarnation in Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #1 (March 1978) and were created by Gerry Conway and Al Milgrom. Jason Rusch debuted as a modern update of the character in Firestorm (vol. 3) #1 (July 2004), and was created by Dan Jolley and ChrisCross.
The Aqueduct of Segovia (Spanish: Acueducto de Segovia) is a Roman aqueduct in Segovia, Spain. It was built around the first century AD to channel water from springs in the mountains 17 kilometres (11 mi) away to the city's fountains, public baths and private houses, and was in use until 1973. Its elevated section, with its complete arcade of 167 arches, is one of the best-preserved Roman aqueduct bridges and the foremost symbol of Segovia, as evidenced by its presence on the city's coat of arms. The Old Town of Segovia and the aqueduct, were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
The Robert E. Howard Museum is located at the junction of Texas State Highway 36 and Avenue J in Cross Plains, in the county of Callahan, in the U.S. state of Texas. The museum was the family home of author Robert E. Howard, creator of Conan the Barbarian. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Callahan County, Texas in 1994.
Damn! Just looking back on this, and I think this is the longest I’ve ever gone without booze since I was in high school. Coincidentally, I’m back down around my high school weight these days. Sadly, both were due to the same health issues. Happily, however, one new GI doctor later, it’s looking like I might be on the road to recovery. Hopefully, anyway. I’m sure that makes some folks around here very sad.
The Ajanta Caves are 29 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments dating from the second century BCE to about 480 CE in the Aurangabad District of Maharashtra state in India. Ajanta Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Universally regarded as masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, the caves include paintings and rock-cut sculptures described as among the finest surviving examples of ancient Indian art, particularly expressive paintings that present emotions through gesture, pose and form.
Renowned Hollywood Producer Marty Krofft Dead At 86 He helped create some great shows. Rest in Peace.
Hatshepsut (c. 1507–1458 BC) was the Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Thutmose II and the fifth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, ruling first as regent, then as queen regnant from c. 1479 BC until c. 1458 BC (Low Chronology). She was Egypt's second certain queen regnant, the first being Sobekneferu/Nefrusobek in the Twelfth Dynasty. Hatshepsut was the daughter of Thutmose I and his sister and Great Royal Wife Ahmose. Upon the death of her husband and half-brother Thutmose II, she ruled initially as regent to her stepson Thutmose III, who inherited the throne at the age of two. Several years into her regency, Hatshepsut assumed the position of pharaoh and adopted the full royal titulary, making her a co-ruler alongside Thutmose III. In order to establish herself in the Egyptian patriarchy, she took on traditionally male roles and was depicted as a male pharaoh, with physically masculine traits and traditionally male garb. Hatshepsut's reign was a period of great prosperity and general peace. One of the most prolific builders in Ancient Egypt, she oversaw large-scale construction projects such as the Karnak Temple Complex, the Red Chapel, the Speos Artemidos and most famously, the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari. Hatshepsut died probably in Year 22 of Thutmose III. Towards the end of the reign of Thutmose III and into the reign of his son Amenhotep II, an attempt was made to remove her from official accounts of Egyptian historiography. Her statues were destroyed, her monuments were defaced, and many of her achievements were ascribed to other pharaohs. Many modern historians attribute this to ritual and religious reasons, rather than personal hostility as previously thought.
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