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I don't want to stereotype or anything; I wasn't being serious. But, still, I just don't get going someplace cool like Rome, Italy and eating at a belching factory of death. I can understand giving he local food a try and not finding it to your liking, but there's got to be someplace better. Hell, fill up on desserts for the rest of your holiday.
My friend went to Hong Kong for two days before hitting Bali for his honeymoon. He really wasn't a fan of the food in HK, either; what he got was really greasy and not appetizing. Bali on the other hand, was apparently amazing. So I guess it depends on where you go.
No problem, James. It was just being stuck in a city where I can't stand the food (and it's not like I am particularly conservative in my eating) struck a nerve. Interesting comment from your friend - pretty much my experience. Right - Bali, here I come (before I waste away - ha! if only!).
Argh Damn the Swiss! just kidding; but Time; sheesh either you have to much of it or not enough; darn the Swiss for inventing something to track time; argh.
oh; and I was excited about Tom Petty doing the halftime show; just wished he would have done other songs, but hey, those are some of his biggest hits; just not my favorites.
I don't know if I should be pleased or annoyed that my two day a week glorified internship is becoming three or four days a week, whenever they want me there. It pays enough and offers enough resume padding to merit the commute and all, but some days it's just fifteen minutes of work stretched out as far as possible by dumb stuff like waiting on the printer or something equally groan enducing, making me wonder why they would even ask me in for something like that, especially if they have to struggle at times to think of things for me to do. And then other days it's cool and I'm doing stuff with my hands and I'm busy, even though I'm sure that lack of sleep will lead me to accidentally severing a digit with an exacto knife. And I don't know how long my dad's insurance will keep covering me in that event. Maybe for everything in my wallet they would at least tell me how to sew it on myself. Hmm.
But it does suck that I have absolutley no energy left to do anything when I get home, unless I leave early. Haven't been able to even draw except on weekends and days off. I obviously like kvetching about it, though. It's also the fact that I don't know how long they're going to keep me around. Tomorrow, they could just say,"Well, we're all set with you Keegs. See ya, good luck" and I would pretty much be exactly where I started.
I <3 freelancing.
I want to do something to really spice things up there. The other day, I had to replace all the plaques saying like "art department", "sales", "marketing", "men's room" and junk like that with newer, nicer ones. And I wanted to be really excited about them, even if I wasn't, so that when people came up with inane remarks like,"Oh, are those the new signs?" or to make a complaint about how they aren't lined up absolutely perfectly, I could be like,"Yeah, man! Don't these new signs f$#~in' RULE?! I bet productivity will be up like 30% from morale alone once these bad boys are double-sided taped on! HIGH FIVE, SLUGGER!"
Then I remembered that I want them to keep me around for at least a little while longer.
Director of Game Development
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I <3 freelancing..........
I want to do something to really spice things up there......
Then I remembered that I want them to keep me...
Screw it! Go nuts dude. Being careful and mediocre isn't what got this community to love you, why would anything else be really that much different? Rock that art til things bleed!
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Just saw Cloverfield--awesome!!!!!
My only rant against the movie; which I didn't even think about until after the film ended: why would the parasites be able to fly? I can totally buy in to the deep-ocean-creature-makes-its-way-to-land story, but there's no reason creatures that small would a) do well fathoms above their normal habitat (pressure issues); and b) have any ability to fly through atmosphere at all.
Now, my real reason for posting in the Rant Section:
To all fellow theater-goers...
If you don't like a movie, that's fine; but leave it at the red rope and out of the theater. Otherwise, contract the theater for a private screening for you and all your critique-er friends, or trash it over lattes after the movie! Furthermore, put your g+%%!&ned, motherf+&&ing, s%@+ty-ringtone cells on vibrate; and then carry the f$+%ers and your conversation to the lobby!
Thank you, and good night. I'm heading off to see AVP 2 now.
Just saw Cloverfield--awesome!!!!!
My only rant against the movie; which I didn't even think about until after the film ended: why would the parasites be able to fly? I can totally buy in to the deep-ocean-creature-makes-its-way-to-land story, but there's no reason creatures that small would a) do well fathoms above their normal habitat (pressure issues); and b) have any ability to fly through atmosphere at all.
Now, my real reason for posting in the Rant Section:
To all fellow theater-goers...
If you don't like a movie, that's fine; but leave it at the red rope and out of the theater. Otherwise, contract the theater for a private screening for you and all your critique-er friends, or trash it over lattes after the movie! Furthermore, put your g@!#$+ned, motherf#@&ing, s~##ty-ringtone cells on vibrate; and then carry the f#@&ers and your conversation to the lobby!
Thank you, and good night. I'm heading off to see AVP 2 now.
1) Totally agree about theater etiquette (talking, mocking, cell phones and children).
2) Cloverfield was a good movie but...
The little parasites (symbiotic?) I think were dropping off the creature not flying. If they were dropping off they should go splat real good. Pressure issues and all. Exoskeletons (think tarantulas or crabs) dropped for great heights equals messy clean up. Oh and the parasites were exactly these creatures scaled down and coloured tan.
3) **Movie spoilers below and oh possibly above.**
And near the end. WTF??!? Who with any training (or survival instinct) flys their helicopter along side a rampaging monster? Peel off you frickin morons.
4)
The movie was a well put together patchwork of ideas from other places.
Monster scenes (the foot crushing tanks, etc): Godzilla.
Little Parasites: Starship Troopers
Camera Work: Blair Witch (which sucked A)
Parasite infection/birthing: Aliens
Creatures head/face: Rancor
Oh and as a final spoiler, here is a small clip of creature here.
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In response to your first spoiler, ArchLich--I wondered the same (and now I make excuses for writers and and begin to metaview the movie), and figured they were suffering from a moment of indiscipline--they knew to stick to training and plan, but couldn't help but watch the scene unfold...
As an aside...AVPR kinda sucked. I liked the nod to Alien mythology (Mrs. Yutani) at the end, but the rest of the film was very disappointing to me.
Just saw Cloverfield--awesome!!!!!
My only rant against the movie; which I didn't even think about until after the film ended: why would the parasites be able to fly? I can totally buy in to the deep-ocean-creature-makes-its-way-to-land story, but there's no reason creatures that small would a) do well fathoms above their normal habitat (pressure issues); and b) have any ability to fly through atmosphere at all.
Actually...
Actually... ** spoiler omitted **Just saw Cloverfield--awesome!!!!!
My only rant against the movie; which I didn't even think about until after the film ended: why would the parasites be able to fly? I can totally buy in to the deep-ocean-creature-makes-its-way-to-land story, but there's no reason creatures that small would a) do well fathoms above their normal habitat (pressure issues); and b) have any ability to fly through atmosphere at all.
Well that kind of brings up more questions then it solves. hmmmmm
Berkley to Marines: Get the F out!
Damn fools. If they want to be this way then leave the damn country! They do not have to join, but at the least the recruiters should be alowed over there. Oh, right! Feedom of speech should only work for them. ~grumbles and snarls~
While I am highly sympathetic to Berkley's position, I must say that I do agree with the veteran. This seems like an abuse of power, and I'm somewhat surprised that the city council has the authority to pass a law like that at all.
To be fair, the protestors aren't saying that those who oppose them have no freedom of speech. I can't really say that I think telling the recruiters to get out is an impingement on the recruiter's "freedom of speech" (I'm not even sure how that works when dealing with a government agency such as this).
Nor do I think it's fair to request they leave the country; this nation was founded by a bunch of traitors and rebels, you know? And, as previously stated, I am sympathetic to them and deeply opposed to what we are doing in the middle east, and the current administration as a whole.
But Berkely has better and more sensible options for protesting than this. It seems... childish, I suppose.
Speaking of confusing California laws, I've got a question regarding the ongoing legal issues concerning wacky weed in that state. It's been in the news a lot recently, but I don't understand how the issue exists at all. Isn't mara-ja-wana outlawed by the federal government? If so, then how can the state of California consider it legal? Shouldn't the federal law trump and void the state and end the whole issue right there?
Oh, if only there were a certain California-residing lawyer on the boards who could answer these questions!
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It's their opinion, so they're entitled to it. However, what pisses me off is that they are pursuing litigation based on their opinion. That's like me trying to force everyone with blond hair out of the town I live in based on the fact that I don't like the color yellow.
The whole "which side are you on" thing really bugs me. Always has.
I wonder how a thread utterly focused on ranting managed to live this long...
Sometimes we all need to rant...I feel one coming on...
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Actually... ** spoiler omitted **Just saw Cloverfield--awesome!!!!!
My only rant against the movie; which I didn't even think about until after the film ended: why would the parasites be able to fly? I can totally buy in to the deep-ocean-creature-makes-its-way-to-land story, but there's no reason creatures that small would a) do well fathoms above their normal habitat (pressure issues); and b) have any ability to fly through atmosphere at all.
Wow! I didn't know that. I stayed away from the internet in regards to this movie because I wanted to be surprised as much as possible. It's playing again tonight in the post theater; I think I'll take another look and watch for the splash at the end.
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Berkley to Marines: Get the F out!
Damn fools. If they want to be this way then leave the damn country! They do not have to join, but at the least the recruiters should be alowed over there. Oh, right! Feedom of speech should only work for them. ~grumbles and snarls~
Wow... I'm happy to defend my country and Constitution so that people like this can say what they like, but I sure wish they would think about the impact of their words on the common Soldier (and Marine, and Airman, and Sailor...).
Just reading that tapped the faucet of my rage so badly I can't type coherantly.
Aye ... and to think I once entertained thoughts of going to UC/Berkley to study journalism. That was a near miss. As a resident of Sigil might say, "Berkley? Innit where all the berks live?"
Well that kind of brings up more questions then it solves. hmmmmmActually... ** spoiler omitted **Just saw Cloverfield--awesome!!!!!
My only rant against the movie; which I didn't even think about until after the film ended: why would the parasites be able to fly? I can totally buy in to the deep-ocean-creature-makes-its-way-to-land story, but there's no reason creatures that small would a) do well fathoms above their normal habitat (pressure issues); and b) have any ability to fly through atmosphere at all.
Hey Archlich we are missing you over here
I'm starting to lose interest in my current campaign. Maybe because we don't play as regularly or because there's only two players running two PCs each, or maybe because we're getting in the 10th level range where fights are taking a really long time, but the enthusiasm just isn't there anymore for me. I want to play something new, with a full group of players. But I don't think that's going to happen. My players like the campaign and want to keep going, especially since we so rarely get past level 9/10 and it's new for them to have more powerful characters. But I'm starting to run low on pre-published adventures that fit with the flavor I'm doing and I just don't have time to do all of the mechanical stuff that is required, especially for high-level games.
I want to run Curse of the Crimson Throne when it comes out, or STAP or try my hand at AOW again or any of the million other campaign ideas I have in mind. Or try Forgotten Realms or something. But I also want to be fair to my players and do what they want to do. I'm thinking that maybe getting them to 15th level and having them defeat the BBEG for the time being might just be enough, but that's still a lot of time. And I feel lousy about not resolving the plots that are going on, but I also don't want to rush it. Eight months or so on this campaign and I don't know what to do anymore.
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Maybe you should have a deep think about the plots. It's a compliment if the players are enjoying themselves, so you must be doing something right. You probably need to think about bringing things to a resolution - rather than playing out the plotlines, think about how you can resolve them with maximum effect. Yeah - it might take time to actually get there and be effective dramatically, but those thought experiments could be fun. Plus it puts a light at the end of the tunnel.
[rant]
I am truly tired of customers who believe that since they are buying something you have become their serf. I understand that the function of a customer service representative is to help the customer and this I do every day to the best of my abilities. It does not help when customers feel that somehow you are thwarting them when you tell them that something isn't feasable or will look ridiculous even if we tried to do it for them.
I am tired of dealing with rich people who come into my store and treat me like I am some sort of illiterate peon. I can tell you one thing: Money never made anyone smarter, handsomer, nobler, kinder or more beloved. Money just makes you richer. Just because I made the descision not to chase a high-profile job in finance doesn't mean that somehow I am subhuman. I would posit the ones overly concerned with riches are the subhuman ones.
I am tired with dealing with people day in and day out that feel as if they are the center of creation. Everyone these days seems to have this entitlement mentality where somehow everyone owes them something. I work in customer service and I try to be gracious and understanding when people who patronize my business have an issue, even if I think their issue is a load of baloney. When I patronize a store I would like the same level of respect paid to me. Perhaps I am getting old and crotchety, but when did common displays of courtesy go out of vogue? Is it such a hardship to greet a customer with a "Good Morning" or a "Thank you come again?". Is anyone taught these things anymore? I have been ignored, grunted at, stared down at ... usually for making the mistake of stopping for some groceries at the market or a soda at the local convenience store.
My final rant. I am tired of superiors who think their time is too precious to resolve a customer's problems. Trying to get an answer so you can help someone with their project shouldn't be like pulling teeth. It is immensely disrespectful to treat a customer like a jerk just because you have their money already.
My gawd that is cathartic!
[/rant]
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I'm starting to lose interest in my current campaign.
James, as for pre-published adventures that fit the setting, have you considered using modified versions of (parts of) the Istivin trilogy or the Seeds of Sehan campaign arc? From memory they are based at around the level your guys are at, and I could see at least parts of them fitting in quite well to a Styes campaign.
Also, your players should be approaching the levels where you can run through the two Styes adventures from Dungeon – that should give you some motivation (unless I have the level ranges completely wrong in my mind and you’ve already done those ones).
I'm just finishing up the Styes original story and I'll probably do the Weavers next week. Istivin's a pretty good idea; I'll take a look. I'm thinking I want to finish it up at 15th level so that they can at least have a taste of high level play before we move on to something else. I was kind of less than impressed with the Seed of Sehan adventures. Too much dungeon crawling for my taste; I would have liked to focus more on Exag and investigation, I think.
I may just try writing something myself.
I came down with a pretty bad 24-hour virus thing yesterday. That sucked.
Finally, my fever broke and I couldn't stand laying in bed any longer. So I turned on the TV and looked for something to watch. Mazes and Monsters sucks, too.
RANT (now has been properly placed).
Call of Duty 4 Sucks!
Man all I heard was "Awesome" "Its the best game ever!" and other totally positive things. But you know what? That game makes me want to find the designers and programmers and kick them in the nuts until they hemorrhage.
I mean you want to make it realistic? Great.
But if your going for realism, why is there arbitrary and ill designed level edges? Also why can't doors be opened? Or simple objects climbed?
Oh and g&+ d%*n fix your aiming system! 4 shots with a sniper rifle at a stationary target at the most 100' away. All targeted center mass. All miss?!?
The level design sucks. The game play is horrid. If you kill enemies during game play they just respawn continually till you move to a specific "goal line". The controls are biased to x/y access (Can't make your aim go in a smooth circle if you try for hours). As I mentioned the bullet trajectory seems random.
Oh and if you play online you encounter the most racist people that I have ever encountered during online xbox 360 play. And you can not mute them! The online play is dumb. They mix beginners with experts. And what makes that worse is that experts have better equipment. Also they seem to have the worst respawn points. Enemies will just appear behind you or you will appear right in an enemies line of fire. Also online has a horrible lag system. The host of the game has a huge advantage. I have shot person repeatedly in the head and then died when they shot me once. But guess what? On their screen though they see me firing at nothing and shoot me. Oh thats not frustrating.
Gah! I want my money back.
All companies that make people work on Sunday; really suck the hinnie; Patoowie to all of them!
Nostalgia's not what it used to be!
All companies that make people work on Sunday; really suck the hinnie; Patoowie to all of them!
Tell me about it. We’re 24X7X365. Whom the crap buys a car on New Years’?
Three circumstances in which I personally feel that holding the subway door open at the stop is acceptable:
1. Your friend JUST got through the turnstyle and is Six-Million-Dollar-Manning it for the doors or is otherwise only half a second from actually being on the train.
2. A child (or children) aged 14 or less have gotten on the train but the doors are closing before their parents/guardian can get on. This also applies to strollers, assuming that they are not intentionally jammed into the doors in a fitful act of child negligence/desperation.
3. A medical emergency; anything from "going to Ralph all over everyone if I don't get off this train" or "Holy S**@, I think I'm having a Heart Attack!"
Note that "Standing in the doorway for maybe two minutes, despite the conductor screaming at you on the P.A. and the hateful glares of everyone around you while you wait for your 'girls' to get on; said 'girls' being still on the opposite side of the turnstyle, buying their tickets" did not make the list. Doing that is pretty damn inconsiderate and I will not excuse it.
"Wow, James!", you say,"Inconsiderate people in New York City?! Who would have thought?!"
I know, really. I'm actually regularly impressed by how considerate and civil my fellow commuters are at times. I see young men, dressed in the height of Thug Life fashion, standing up and volunteering their seats for pregnant women. I see people yielding the right of way getting off the subway if they see someone standing, obviously waiting to get off. But I also see the above mentioned example and that is often enough to really get me going at the end of the day, when I have a train to catch. That two minute time frame screws up everything from that stop on, not just for every passenger in that subway, but also in the one after it. And on a personal level, it can mean the difference between me getting on my train or having to wait half an hour for another one or getting the train and having to stand in the vestibule for the whole trip. Stuff like that is just thoroughly inconsiderate and it really annoys me and that's my rant for today.
I never get tired of ranting about this one...dumb rules.
Example: Weapon sizes. Weapons do what they do because of their size and shape. A "small greatsword" is smaller and lighter and can't do what a greatsword can do because IT'S NOT A GREATSWORD!
I understand this is a fantasy game, but if you remove the game too far from reality it just becomes ridiculous.
Worse yet: "Small longspears." Let me get this straight, I have a spear which is smaller than a "medium longspear," that somehow allows a halfling to have a 10' reach when it has (effectively, not in actual gameplay) less reach than a human would have, due to having shorter arms?
...
Are you ****ing kidding me?
All for the sake of "game balance." Forget it. Look, kid, your halfling fighter is only 3 feet tall and weighs only a quarter of the weight of that big human bruiser over there. If you wanted to run a greataxe wielding bruiser, you should have rolled up a half-orc. Now grab your handaxe, shut up, and get back in the marching order!
Rant over.
I absolutely despise players who wait till their initiative to look up stupidly from a book or video game and say, "huh?" I would like to reach across the table and sap them with my Ptolus book.
While the idiot is laying on his/her back stunned. I would stand above them and throw d30's at their face (their golf ball sized) and ask them repeatedly "six seconds f***ker! (thunk) six seconds! (thunk) The party needs you (thunk) whats your action! (thunk)"
ALL of the other silly little broken rules and overpowered PrC's I can live with. I am a good DM that knows how to taketh away with style, but JESUS folks, can you at least pay attention for 8 minutes while the round cycles and show me you appreciate the 18 or so hours I put into this F***king game for you people this week!!!!
Wish we had a damned union. With swords.
I absolutely despise players who wait till their initiative to look up stupidly from a book or video game and say, "huh?" I would like to reach across the table and sap them with my Ptolus book.
While the idiot is laying on his/her back stunned. I would stand above them and throw d30's at their face (their golf ball sized) and ask them repeatedly "six seconds f***ker! (thunk) six seconds! (thunk) The party needs you (thunk) whats your action! (thunk)"
ALL of the other silly little broken rules and overpowered PrC's I can live with. I am a good DM that knows how to taketh away with style, but JESUS folks, can you at least pay attention for 8 minutes while the round cycles and show me you appreciate the 18 or so hours I put into this F***king game for you people this week!!!!
Wish we had a damned union. With swords.
Took the words right out of my mouth. Which is an amazing feat unto itself.
What pisses me off?
New Editions. I have character ideas stretching back as far as second edition and most of them are not even finished. 4E! Who give's a wererat's ass.
I'm not dumping twenty years of work just to start all over again.
My motto: 4E? - Forget it!
What eise!
Einstein Begals. Get! My! Order! Right!
Meat and Chesse dammit! How hard is it to screw up an order made with meat and cheese?!
Being sued without being served, not being able to buy so much as a stick of gum due to a frozen account, and everyone wanting their money yesterday.
Being sued without being served, not being able to buy so much as a stick of gum due to a frozen account, and everyone wanting their money yesterday.What are you being sued for?
I have no idea. Probably owe somebody money, but I have no idea who. I'll let you know as soon as I know. Fortunately, wife is being supportive. Should have posted this in the "Things In Life That Suck" thread, but this was more readily available. I don't think I'll be doing hard time, if anyone's concerned, but I don't think I'll be buying any new tubes of dice any time soon, either.
What eise!
Einstein Begals. Get! My! Order! Right!
Meat and Chesse dammit! How hard is it to screw up an order made with meat and cheese?!
I was at Einstein's again this morning. They got the order right but they added alfalfa spouts to the order when I said no. I do eat forage on my sandwiches!
Ever.
Doesn't take an Einstein, right?What eise!
Einstein Begals. Get! My! Order! Right!
Meat and Chesse dammit! How hard is it to screw up an order made with meat and cheese?!
They obviously use students who attend UNLV.....
Being sued without being served, not being able to buy so much as a stick of gum due to a frozen account, and everyone wanting their money yesterday.Did they get substitute service? Unless the defendant is served the suit should not be able to proceed.
If you live in NYC or another large city they perform what is called "sewer service". The process server scrawls a bogus, illegible signature on the complaint to say that someone signed for it. He will usually give a very vague and generic description of the person who supposedly signed for the suit papers.
Also, you should be able to call the court that the suit is filed with and obtain a copy of the suit. I emphasize "should".
I never did get served, but my wife got a copy of the original judgement from the court and it turns out someone named "Mary" signed for it at first. It was sent to my old address, and I have a sneaking suspicion that my old neighbors downstairs signed for it(who my wife eagerly points out don't speak a LICK of english, having been here for about 2 years or so, although none of them are named Mary). I'm bringing that up in court (improper service, I was out of the place in August and the papers were delivered in October), as well as disputing the amount (which has been inflated due to them dragging their feet). Wife suggests that if I do settle or negotiate for a smaller amount, I should be able to pay it in court right away. I'm a little on the fence about that, but I can see where she's coming from. I'm interested in finding out what the judge has to say.
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OK, for those of you that haven't read the Random Sh**e Thread in the past hour, I spent the past two days on a backpacking trip with my Explorer crew. Venturers / Explorers is a co-ed offshoot of Boy Scouts for 14-21-year-olds (Venturers) and 22 years and up (Explorers). I'm the crew vice-president, and was the highest ranking Venturer on the trip.
The thing I'm ranting about is that a lot of the Explorers were giving me flak for being the assistant leader of the trip (they were giving him flak, too, just FYI). The reason being is that myself and the co-leader are both 21. That's it. We're younger. It shouldn't matter- our group ranges from age 14 to age 61. And yet, it does. People keep second-guessing me.
This is what was going through my head the whole time:
"I know it's hard for you to believe, but I'm more experienced than you. I'm an Eagle Scout. I have been in various Scouting programs since I was five. That's sixteen years, by the way. You've been in the Explorer program for how long? A year? Wow. You've logged how many days in the outdoors? Seven? Me? Oh, I've only logged four hundred days in the outdoors since I was twelve. That's not counting Cub Scouts. And you're how old? Fifty-one? Oh, no problem. I should defer to you because you're old enough to be my mother. Great. Suck my pickle. You're listening to me, because if you don't, you'll get hurt, and I don't want to fill out the paperwork."
Some people really burn my ass.