Cellcept + Prograf = Get your flu shot

Sick again! It has been a bad year for me on the illness front. This is caused by the immune suppressant medication I take for my transplant. This is one of the side effect you have to live with after organ transplant. I have been lucky most of the time and have been much healthier than my seemingly regular immune system having wife. This year has been bad though, I seem to get every little stupid thing and they wear on for far longer than they have in the past. I am beginning to think it was my missing the flu shot, It normally feels like a waste of time. I seem to get the same winter season illness with or without the shot. But maybe it helps with the spring and summer bugs which are the ones I am getting this year. I also have cut down on my soda, as crazy as it sounds I think soda does kill off much of the mouth and stomach bugs I would have gotten. So the moral is if you have an organ transplant don't be stupid like me get your shots.

August and Everything After

I know its not very metal to be a fan of the Counting Crows but I am too metal to lie and say I don't. I have all of their records! I have their back patch on my denim jacket.

August and Everything is the first record from the band and the one most people know. I really enjoy the record but find Recovering the Satellites to be a better work. It may seem odd to review a record that was so popular which is why my review will focus on the non single tracks.

Most of the non hit songs are decidedly down beat and somber. The possible exception is "A Murder of One" which it's had some minor airplay. This is in contrast to Mr. Jones which was almost insipidly poppy. It's almost funny how different the record is to the one big hit.

Omaha I would take a song about growing up in a somewhat bad situation. Its a solid song.

Perfect blue buildings, Anna begins and Time and Time again have a lot of loss in them. They seem to be calling out for someone without answer.

Sullivan Street is my favorite of the Crows songs on any record. For me, and perhaps not you, it has the feel of solitude and late night drives. Missing something not finding it but still keeping up the search. Going to place that you know have changed but you keep returning hoping to find it back the way you remember it.

Ghost Train and Baltimore have an almost western feel. I get sort of the store song vibe from these. A little bit like Marty Robbins.

This is a favorite album of mine I would consider it a desert Island sort of record. I hope you give it a listen if you have only hear only the hits. I think the undiscovered songs are the best on the record.

Too Many Things are Evident

Ashes of summer lift up beside the road to choke the path with embers and air set alight. Drawn upon the things evident, and it's all smoke and crumbling difference. Bleary eyes inward suffer unto night. Take it from my site. Softly Rain take this summer kingdom bless or mourn as you might.

Signal to Noise ( My trouble with HD Radio)

HD radio is a bit of a broken promise. My thoughts after a couple months of driving and listening in South Silicon Valley.

I am not sure if the HD stations are in fact clearer. They seemed clear before on conventional radio. I really do not hear a marked improvemnt, though I have very bad ears and am not the best person to ask about audio.

Is the song information nice? Yes well really sort of. If you are like me you can identify most songs after just a few notes. At least on the radio stations you commonly listen too. If you listen to college radio they do not often provide this information.

Those hidden radio stations they talk about have mostly been a fail for me. If you do not have a solid signal the radio does not play anything, it just goes to buffering. This can be very annoying, but is worse than you thing. These sub stations have super weak signal strength and are constantly buffering. San Francisco stations are ok when driving in Mountain View but basically non existent in south san jose.

As for stations I really like the live 105 classic station. It's pretty much what I expected and is nice to hear the old live 105 back on the radio. The Bone HD 2 is the other station I listen to or try to listen to. They should call it Wolfmother radio as that is the only group I know. It seems to be quasi screamo crap 24/7. I could probably program a better station and one of the many internet radio stations certainly do.

My wish would be KFOX to give Greg Stone the HD2 station and have an all progressive rock station, but some people would call that hell im sure.

Grails "Burden of Hope"

My introduction to Grails was with "the march" which I heard filled with static on a college radio station. Immediately I thought "that's almost the music in my head that I have been looking for." It was mournful and melancholy, sadly madly driven and beautiful.

Being instrumental, its often hard to figure out a song you heard with no chorus to search on, but I finally found them. It took a few months to find the CD, as record stores have no idea where to put it. In my local Streetlight records they had it in both Indy and Psychedelic for many years. Most people call it post but its progressive rock to me, a wonderful prog not tied down with all the prog that has come before.

I think of Burden of hope as Grail's source or root. Other records like Redlight have splashes of Jazz or Russian folk music. This record seems to be the dreamy core of their sound. Dreamy is a word I see repeated in reviews of Grails works. They remind my of Eno & Fripp in that since. Is both tangible and ethereal and you can say did that happen where those notes there as I remember or am I feeling an extra part to the music.

While there are ten songs on the record I hear three when I listen. Burden of hope, Lord I hate your day, The Deed, In the beginning and Invocation meld into a sing work for me. It almost feels like a collected work like something Rush might do. Space Prophet Dogon breaks this piece. Really this the one track I don't like it has a different feel, almost silly. Anywhere else it would be fine even good, but it breaks the dream of the other songs for me. The March. Broken Ballad, White Flag and Canyon Hymn again seem a long collected series. The sadness seems to really come on on these, but I feel they are the best on the record.

I want to call out Broken Ballad specifically. I think this may be my favorite song on all of the Grails records. It is also the most straight forward. If they had a vocalist this would probably have done well on the radio. Even without vox it is a lyrical song that sticks with you.

I think this is a great starting point if you are thinking about Grails. It really isn't a good starting point for post rock though, it will spoil you.

Used with conviction

I don't like showing off what I have, I mean buying something is not very hard. But I recently purchased an airsoft pistol and the experience wasn't as easy as I expected. My cousin and his son were talking about them ahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifnd I got interested. They were talking about a sale big five sporting goods had going on, which I decided to check out.

The guns they had at big five looked like toys. They were Crossman spring guns in clear plastic. Obviously I was pretty unimpressed and decided to not make a purchase. I sort of put airsoft out of my mind until I saw a store alone the freeway called Airsoft Extreme. I stopped in one day and wow they have some very cool stuff. Going into the store I really had my eyes opened.

There are all sorts of guns, with different firing systems. Spring pretty much sucks, except in the crazy sniper rifles they had in the storhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gife then its great. There are battery powered guhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifns, co2 guns. And there are green gas blow back guns which are cool. They pretty much work as the real gun would simulating recoil. This is what I decided to go with.

I purchased a WE high capa 1911 pistol. I also looked at a 1911 by KWA I believe, it felt much better in my hand but not sixty five dollars better. Especially after firing the WE which was really fun. I really like the close simulation of the actual pistol. And that I can't kill myself with it, I consider this a plus. Working in software QA it's always a concern.

Searching around I found you can shoot airsoft at the range on Metcalf. Thought you probably will be mocked fiercely. Also there is a bay area airsoft group and a place you can play at called area48.

Bytes break into bits

This is a simple batch file I wrote to help me at work. My problem is that my work machine has tons of stuff running when it starts. I am a little unsure of removing this stuff as I use some of it and some of it was installed remotely buy IT. I can kill the process though and do so every day. To make things easier I came up with this.

taskkill /f /im communicator.exe
taskkill /f /im WindowsSearch.exe
taskkill /f /im VProTray.exe
taskkill /f /im Dell.ControlPoint.exe
taskkill /f /im sttray.exe
taskkill /f /im BTTray.exe
taskkill /f /im hidfind.exe
taskkill /f /im AESTFltr.exe
taskkill /f /im DCPSysMgr.exe
taskkill /f /im AeXAgentUIHost.exe
@ECHO off
ECHO done
PAUSE
@ECHO on

It kills some of the larger memory hogs on my machine and then lets me know its done. Maybe its something you can use.

Sebaceous Hyperplasia

So there seems to be a new fault with my kidney transplant I must bear. Sebaceous Hyperplasia of the face which is often associated with the transplant drugs. I have got to say its utter shit. I got fat off these meds now I have to get uglier; I wasn't a male model to begin with.

It has something to do with the glands of the face sort of creating a deposit of tissue. It looks like a small zit or something .

I seem some information saying it is linked to Non melanoma skin cancer, but I really am having a hard time finding information in a simple format that I can understand.

Seems a storm of bull shit to me.

Krampus part seven

Looking at the Lights and tree, Krampus noticed and remembered as he looked at the family. On the children he had even laid an eye but the parents he had seen days long gone by. He last saw them as teenagers but he visited them as tots. Their families kept Christmas but here they did not? But why the tree and presents had there been a mistake? He would have to talk to Santa to see what he could make.

It took three buses and some walking to get to the Mall. Then Krampus waited and waited for Santa hiding in an employee bathroom stall. Sometime after close he hear a grim groan and Santa took the stall next to krampus for his own. With a few bangs and a knock the monster gave Santa a shock. With quiet and whispers Krampus told the tale. Santa was silent then promised to look into it without fail. With this Krampus was away, he was lucky the real Santa was in this mall today.

Toy Soldiers

As I have said before I have a couple of friend into miniature wargaming. I have long been tempted buy the genre and have even bought and sold off armies for both War Machine and Warhammer 40K.

These games have a lot of appeal to them in that they are set up and done. You play when you can and don't have the weekly commitment that RPG's have. The support for the games is also awesome. With trophies and little metals here and there, plus the clubs offer a great little world of weird friends or foes.

If I had the skill to paint and put together the models I wouldn't even lament the time as I could probably work something out after my family is asleep. Then again mine would look like crap as I don't have the skill.

If you really want to getting into War Machine the Ray's Ninja Hut Link on my favorite links is a great start. Ray is an expert player of 40K and War Machine and has great insight into the game.

Its just the playing I wouldn't have time for, Setting up my life to be able to attend every con or weekend tourney just isn't going to happen for me. I sometimes envy people with all the time to pursue their hobbies. And I have too many interest that are mine and not my wives or daughters. Why they hell am I even looking at airsoft guns.

Krampus part six

Krampus crept and slid out of his yard, a swift hulking shadow stopping only to open the gate that was barred. Silent as Santa but twice as grim he moved as a monster three times as slim. Down the street well away form lights and finally stealing way into the night.

His bag was filled full with a big bundle of sticks. He would leave them on ill mannered kid's door steps so their parents could give them a few licks. He festooned switches with candy and little toys to soften the blow. But the message was clear for any kid to know. A christmasy warning to mend their way or else he would visit the night before Christmas day.

Krampus was the strong hand to Santa merry laugh. He would give out coal or whippings to kids on the wrong side of the list. Sometimes he could eat ones that really made Santa pissed.

But Krampusnacht was for warnings and mild mischief. He seemed to know those who didn't keep Christmas, It was sort of a gift.

A few streets over the Barries were the sort and a house without lights deserved some sort of retort. The old man was lazy but the kids and family was pretty good. So Krampus decorated their house himself, the brightest in the neighborhood. They even won a lights and display contest. Krampus had done his very best, hoping the Barries would decorate next year and the rest.

The monster was very busy the rest of the time. Beating on bad children's windows to set them right. Rounding up gangs or drunks to wassail through the night. Lone left out teens were hired to help in the work. They were dressed up like Krampus and told to harass shopper at the malls. Even whip and grab maidens if they had the balls. Christmas was for adolescent punks Christmas was always meant for all,

To the end of the night Krampus came upon a house that wasn't on his list. Not good not bad how were they missed. Krampus let alone those who kept other ways, only Christmas was his. But the house had a tree so he peered in wondering who it could be.

Sleep Come on Me Soon

Snakes boil out of the ground and drag me down, then I'm awake. It's the dawn riding me down or another day I'm yet ready to meet. Choked with need for sleep I'm fighting with seeds of a sleepless night that I've got to reap. Gathering rain would be ready relief but the suns battering down my door no matter how my head is soar. Up from bed, later I'm late again I've gotta set this thing to end make things right not indulge my plight and maybe get some sleep tonight

Deep Politics

I am by no means a reviewer, I only tend to have a desire to talk about things I love or Hate. I also tend to view things abstractly, some as a whole other times hacking off something I do not like. I like to leave the Rocky Horror Picture Show early, endings are just too hard. But I will try to talk about Grails Deep Politics record here.

Grails have often been called Post Rock but for my ear their music was something more like Pink Floyd's Ummagumma. For the most part I hear all of the Post genre like this but none so much as Grails. And none of their records have been so progressive as Deep Politics. It its a progressive rock record in my opinion. And as such I love it even more.

Grails have always had a dreamy quality that seemed to fall upon a regional music and take it up. Sometimes Middle Eastern, sometimes Russian. Deep Politics seems to have grasped on the folk music of 1970's England.

Taking the record as a dreamy whole, as with all their works it seems best this way, I am reminded of Echoes but not the one you think. But Camel's song instead. I even hear a little of zebra floating in there.

Slow or fast I have yet to grasp the records soul. It is not as heartbroken as their other works. It almost has a technological hope but not a hope, more a forward walking without fear.

Head Games

I may have talked about gaming conversions in the past but the landscape has changed here in the Bay. Also I have just not felt able to go with a young child so I have been out of it.

There have been a number of small cons and game days that pop up here and there. I really don't know If I have a good handle on all of them. I also am well out of the scifi scene. I believe a Westercon has come and gone in San Jose recently and I know Baycon is still alive. I just looked online and I really can't tell if Silicon is still running. As for the smaller focus cons I have no idea about Anime, furries or cosplay. My first con experience were with Scifi cons and I quickly moved to gaming as that was where my heart was. I was never the a convention dilettante that had a hand in everything.

I can enjoy the broad focus conventions to see a bit of everything but the people that bask in it all are a bit much. I have a feeling that is what they do with all they have. Their house if full of collectibles and costumes and their spouses love it too. Their free time is going to ren faires or SCA practice and watching scifi channel. I am not belittling that its just not my life.I through much more of time time into gaming and as such the conventions just interest me more. Here are some local to the Bay that may interest you as well.

Dundracon is the grandpa of conventions in the Bay Area for good or ill. It is very established and it goes much the same year to year. I feel a little stagnation when going there but the people are not fixing something that works. One aspect that sucks is the time of year this falls on. Valentines day weekend is just a hard time to be away from home and family. The con does a good mix of minis from what I see as a role player. The RPG's are a little too focused on Hero and D&D but you can find what you want.

Kublacon is the big con in our area. you are going to find most anything you can imaging here. They do a great job of making it more than just gaming there is a lot of fun and extras. It seems like it's on the verge of becoming a major con for the west coast but something has been holding them back. If it could just get to three thousand I think it could really draw national support. If you are considering one con for gaming this year, go to this one.

Pacificon is an odd bird. It takes its name from one of the best cons to have even graced the area but it is only a spiritual successor. In truth it grew out of something called conquest. The real Pacificon was awesome, and it was so because of people. Old beardy types build cool one off games that were the highlight of the show. Live WizWar. A chariot game that was twenty feat long. The new pacificon has inherited some of the historical gamers but little of the cool scratch build wonders of the old con. A friend has called it a corpse of a con the last few years.

This leads me to Celesticon, its new and small and I think I may give it a try. At least for a day. I am going to try to keep an open mind and play more than I don't which is unusual for me. I will try to get some pics and thoughts posted after labor day.

Ladybugs Picnic

I must lament the company picnics they had in my youth. They just don't do them like they used to and its sad. Family isn't invited and that was half the point; to see where the parents were gone to half the day. And to say to the coworkers hey these are the reason I am busting ass and the reason I don't want to work overtime every night.

Seriously I have great memories from my childhood of my Dad's company picnics. I drank my first Coke at one and it was love at first sip. I have been a soda guy since. And all those weird picnic areas in the back end of amusement parks.

Does Great America even have that picnic area anymore? I know Frontier Village closed due to some town house land grab but where would it be without cooperate picnics. Blackberry park in Cupertino doesn't seem much more than a swimming pool these days.

I loved the prizes and drawings too, they made you feel apart of something even though you were just a kid. Even if it was just Pic N Save toys hastily purchased on the way to Ed Levine county park.

Also it was always odd to see how your parents coworkers were with them. They had friends at work, they didn't seem to at home. They had jokes and stories with all these people you didn't know. It was like you saw there second family.

But now too many companies want to keep work and family very separate. I guess its cost but I think It has a higher human cost they are forgetting.

Up Helly Aa

In the US we are cheated, our history deserts us, or we it. We have too few holidays and they are oft catered to kids. Only the 4Th remains with any danger and cowards afraid for their houses have defanged the fun of it.

But all falter to grasp at the wonder or "Up Helly Aa" viking festival of fire. My God if they added metal it would be perfect. Imagine Helloween throwing down some power metal behind the burning of a long ship. I don't even know majesty like that; and I have played a lot of AD&D.

That it's not celebrated in San Jose is the cruelest joke since they closed down Frontier Village.

Perhaps it is too great to just let go. Join with me friends. Buy axes at your next Renaissance fair and low helmet horned or not. Historical Accuracy be damned. Build and burn a little ship in your bathtub. And Up Helly Aa!!!

They call me the working man

Coming into a new Job setting and hitting the ground running is a hell of a thing. Adding that with working remotely and I think I am giving myself an ulcer.

When I come into a new environment I like to get the lay of the land and come up to speed with documentation or at the very least chatting with people. Getting throw into the fray makes me nervous.

Reporting status has always been failing point for me. And Its the constant source of my fear. I want these folks get their time and moneys worth from me. I am desperate to deliver really, but my learning a site doesn't equate directly to bugs. well not in the short term.

Still its an opportunity I have wanted for a long time,or at least a portion. Coming in at the ground floor and starting the ground work of test cases. I wish I would be involved in building out the team, but that is not my lot.

I am thinking a daily status of what i have testing may help everyone. If I could tell them yes I am working and here is what I have looked at, maybe I won't feel so panicked. If I was on site testing at least they would know hey this guy is here working, not conning us.

Sad Wings of Destiny

Its odd to find the road ahead of me speeding as it is. Odder still that I seem to be keeping up. I never expected myself the sort of person to rise to an occasion, I have seen so many that I feel to the shadows and watched from a seat. But its coming easier as it gets quicker, Perhaps I could have made something of myself. But I'm old and no Icarus, my destiny is on sad wings. At least they hold me up on the moments I presume to fly.

Cuz theyre more than meets the eye

Back when I was a kid I loved the Robotech TV series and I loved AD&D. You can imagine my shock to visit my cousins and be invited to play a role playing game based on the series that I loved. I saved up my allowance from that moment on to get the money to buy the book. My dad even bought me dice to play which i have kept precious to this day.

Back then my cousins and I went crazy for Palladium books. We had so many of their titles and they were all super easy to start playing, as they all use the same underlying system. So if you knew Robotch you knew TMNT, fantasy and Heroes Unlimited. Also the system just hit well for us in our youth. Its a very simple system to learn, I have long though Palladium was the best system to introduce new role players too. But also its very appealing to the mondo nature of younger players.

Getting older I have to say Palladiums appeal waned a bit. Other games showed up that seemed to offer a more adult setting and there was that feeling that Palladium was sort for kids. I am guilty of dismissing them off hand. As friends told their gaming stories some mentioned Rifts and they often seemed goofy and Monty haul over powered. With new games and systems I really didn't think much of Palladium.

My own role playing project finally brought me back to Palladium, well some nostalgia too. I am very interested in Scifi that focuses on living technology. Living machines and the use of symbiots as technology. Finding that in the roleplaying world will take you back to Palladium Books. Sure there are some one off books here and there from other publishers but it's sprinkled everywhere in Rifts. Then there was the near collapse of Palladium and their struggle to stay afloat. In that process they republished new Robotch material. I ordered it and waited excitedly as I had when I was a kid.

In looking at Palladiumbooks.com during my wait, I learned they really were not a huge company as I had expected. With Rifts they had seemed big and their CEO had seemed a bit of jerk. But now they seemed just a few people trying to keep a business they loved going after many years in business and some difficult problems. I was down with that, regular people just getting by are my kind of people.

In looking at the books I have bought, I realized they were not what I expected. For all the mondo crunch there is a lot of source material there. They have characters and backgrounds thoroughly fleshed out. Their source books cover worlds of play that are as inventive as many full role playing games. And when you look at their back catalog you realized damn these are some really imaginative people to have all these books.

While I think the system needs another edition to update it to more modern rules, its playable. Especially if you are looking for a light game. I'm not much a fan of survival horror so I am not going to play in any campaigns but a quick game would be fun, Palladium's Dead Reign may be just the thing for me.

shadow self

When I was a kid I was nervous but trying. Trying to get over my crap and just go on with the group. Not get held up on the fence even through i did. Not slow everyone down with drama but it always seemed to be the way it was. I was a joke in the waiting and still am most days. All eating and lust but it wasn't something I wanted even through its something I still am. If only I could rise above absorb the shell blast and throw off the shell of the being for the desire of the becoming. And I was there for a time but now I'm back to my shallow self, hoping for difference in the morning but fighting myself ever the same through the night.

The Metal

My wife and I went to the Mayhem Music festival to see Megadeth and Testament a couple of weeks ago. Those bands were great but only had a short time on stage. There were many other bands there as well so we got to experience a few groups we would not have gotten the chance to otherwise. And Oh my god did many of them suck. Seriously one was so bad I would have been upset to see them at the Pony Express Pizza Parlor.

I was left sad and dejected, with a feeling that something was very wrong in the land of metal. And so I searched for bands that might restore my faith a little. Happily, there is hope.

Holy Grail sounds a mix of nwobhm and thrash, maybe a little like wrathchild USA or Armored Saint. They make me happy in a way that only Anthrax and Killer Dwarfs have. They are serious but something about the sound coming out of youths is a little odd. But in a delightful sort of way. I bought Crisis in Utopia and I think you should too.

OK Dawnbringer wow, just wow. I think you need to just go buy the nucleus record now, its cool Ill wait. OK, to me it sounds very progressive with a mixing of harder metal. The voice used is clean but different maybe a mix of Lemmy and King Diamond perhaps. Musically its very old school almost has a hint of Rainbow. Very much to my liking.

Ghost I am a little more hesitant about, It sounds like Mercyful Fate come again. Which in and of itself isn't every ones cup of tea. The stage show is also very King Diamond melodramatic. I think its worth a try if that is your thing.

Well I have hope again, Denim and Leather my friends.

Silly Love

Been a little while since
I set this thing running
I wasnt caught up
but now I'm falling and fumbling

You never broke down my door
I guess im just a bore

Call if your feeling funny
I be waiting by the phone
Kept the old line
In case you called any time

Always around the house
wont miss you I wont be out

Dont worry nothings changed
kept it all the same
I wasnt falling just lazy
Didnt feel like I was crazy

for you

Brescia

The blood soar up screwing through veins with hard tidal rush reigning down panic and sorrow left aside years ago. It wasn't one you forgot but sought aimless through the shallow moments of your life. Dreaming to choke back in the ever falling fretless enchantment it always brought. I was Aloysius though years I had forgot until at last I was not. Not waiting not wanting, not ever needing nor myself or someone else. Then moments atypical seem to seal our fate, again with the Ghrelin lizard wanting Aloysius woke from Sleep.

Crescent Star Progressive Rock Score Card 8

Don't break the Oath comes from one of Mercyful fates records.


A short Lived Galaxy is a line from Rush's natural science. This is off the Permanent waves record

Watcher of the Skies is a song from Genesis off Foxtrot


Veteran of the psychic wars is from Blue Oyster Cult, I know it form the heavy metal sound track but it actually if from Fire of unknown origin

Lessons of course is from Rush off 2112

Good day is from Abdominal i guess flowtation device is the record


To tame a land is from Maidens Piece of mind

Stand up you don't have to be afraid is a line from I love it loud by kiss, from the creatures of the night record.

Games without frontiers is from Peter Gabriels Melt i think

Touch and go is Emerson lake and Powell. For some reason i always through of this when i heard the name industrial music, maybe its just the video.


Skeleton on my shoulder comes from Coroners Punishment for Decadence.

Mudmen is from Pink Floyds obscured by clouds

Going up the Country is by canned heat not really something i like but whatever.

Sitting in the sand to watch the fireworks display is a line from Rush's lakeside park off Caress of Steel

Sitting in the sand to watch the fireworks display

Well the nook is less than ideal for blogging I found. Getting though my password is impossible without a keyboard to feel the right keys. So no posts

We went to Vancouver WA for the 4Th of July which was great fun. They do not have the draconian fireworks laws that wee have in California. Basically you can have near commercial grade fireworks and everyone does. We were on a little ridge and could hear the fireworks going of constantly around us. Everywhere you looked there were lights in the sky as nearly everyone was doing them. You really don't need to go anywhere or pay to have a great time. But from TNT fireworks we were able to get a decent six shot mortar for four dollars. Were buying eight packs of roman candles for the same price.

We also traveled up to the Indian reservation in Chehalis to buy some of the better stuff. But really that was sort of unneeded. The mortars make bottle rockets unimpressive and firecrackers are sort of dull too. We had a great time though, we even got tired before lighting everything off.

Going up the country

Heading out of town for a week. Sorry there will be a lack of posting for that time. I will try through the Nook just to see how it goes. Hope everyone has a great 4th of July.

Mudmen

Broken light comes like ghosts of the past Sheltering me in memory of the way it never used to be as the sun sunk through the trees Catching me up in strands of silken hopes that should have slipped by but I was afraid to let go but at times are all I know Sunk down with the bones hung with scarecrows that want to wander

Skeleton on My Shoulder

I'm raising my arm in triumph for the meal I just ate Little left of the day but the sunset greets me with the night No sorrows seem to be on my way Music on the radio is coming right right and forgotten favorites finishing the rite I'm not leading just following the clues where i need to go Crazy forgot tomorrow slipped far from my mind

Nook Color Vs. Printed Page test 1

Gaming with the Nook was ok, but not a solid test. It was an end of the adventure rap up session so there was no need to look up any information in the book. I had my blog up with the character sheet going most of the time, just in case i needed to roll anything. I am going to need a better test when I get to the next game, hopefully i will need to read up a spell effect or something.

I really need to get some sort of bookmarks set up for the main pathfinder rules that i use most often. It seemed a little difficult even using the easypdf application.

I will say having ten books on that thing is nice. no need to break my back carrying it all in.

I'm attacking the darkness

So here in the south bay we don't really have that large of a gaming community to support several stores of quality. We have had several great stores rise and fall. I loved GameScape and Griffin computer and A Wrinkle in time;a nerd lifestyle store. I think PDF's are going to be the route to go soon, which is why i got the Nook. But here are some thoughts on the stores I like.

GameKastle is probably the best store we have had in years. It has grown out of a poorly located hole in the wall. I wish they would carry used product but that is a hard market. They do flea markets every so often which is nice. Their gaming space is big, but occasionally the players are ripe and this can spread through the store. The place is big and you can find things. Expect all the newest gaming stuff to be up and on the shelves. They even do gaming programs for the PC.

Gator Games is a bit of a drive but is often worth it. They just have a weird selection and often you will find rare gems. Also they do used games. They have problems with space though the store is just too small and desperately needs to be reorganized. Its hard to get around and things seem to have been piled up years ago.

Legends of comics and Fantasy in Valco opened a new gaming store some time ago, it wasn't well stocked but it looked like it had potential to be come something. I haven't been back but I think they probably have done something more and are worth a look

Games Workshop Oakridge, well this isn't my sort of thing I think its going to have everything you can dream of for warhammer and 40K so if you are into that probably you should make a point to visit.

D&J Hobby is a shadow of its former self and just makes me sad, they have to give me good reason to go back and they haven't.

Space Cat is a wacko comic shop on bascom. I have no idea if they have games, they seem to have all sorts of crazy stuff. What they have are Video games. Carts for all sorts of systems and systems too. Its sort of a mess in there so wander around stuff is everywhere.

4Jays wow what a store. Its video game heaven only and hour drive from San Jose in Concord. If you love games you need to go its like a pilgrimage. Its so great you will just be happy.

Endgame and games of Berkeley are up there somewhere i hear good stuff but have never been.

Touch and Go

Well i got a nook color, with the intention of using it for gaming. I have loaded up several PDF's onto the base OS and downloaded the PDF program. I was quickly pissed off viewing PDF files with the normal viewer and figured this viewer had to be better, it is. I am trying to throw some MP3 files and maybe a movie just to try things out.

I am not sure what to do about the hacking of the OS. If having the OS on a microSD card is as easy as pulling it in and out then great. I will have my Nook then throw in the microSD for my dice roller. But if it take more than a few moments forget it. I could do with just a dice roller and ill be at 85% what i want. I probably don't even need that; not rolling your own dice is for sucks.

I will probably get this set up just to have the experience. So i can be more of a nerd. It's not enough to load The skyrealms of Jorune on your Nook.

Pathfinder Cleric I am playing Lately

Just throwing this up so I don't have to worry about missing my sheet at the next game. You are welcome to comment on what I am doing wrong. I am mainly a pathfinder healer cleric with a little flair to make it interesting

Twaller Milius
True Neutral human Cleric 3 of Sarena

STR 10 0
DEX 10 0
CON 12 +1
INT 8 -1
WIS 18 +4
CHA 16 +3

HP 28
AC 21
Fort Save +4
Ref Save +1
Will Save +7

B.A.B. +2

Feats
Weapon Focus Ray
Selective Channel

Skills
Diplomacy +3stat, +3ranks, +3Class=+9
Knowledge religion -1stat, +3ranks, +3class=+7

Domains Fire and Healing

Spells Cantrips
Purify food, Resistance, stabilize, detect magic
Spells 1st
Burning hands, bless, divine favor, command
Spells 2nd
Project Flame, Bulls strength, Resist energy

Items
Full Plate, +1 shield, Masterwork Scimitar, Heavy Mace, Backpack, bed roll, tinder and steel. hooded lantern , oil, Gp 180

Games Without Frontiers

I have been thinking of leveling as it relates to gaming. Its of critical importance to players and almost trivial to most game masters. And it often is the biggest reason games fail. Even before starting a game some fail for lack of wanting to run a campaign not understanding the advancement system. Others fail when players are dissatisfied with advancement.

Lately I have been thinking of something I am calling dramatic snap, well at least in my mind i think of it in those terms. The idea is advancement detached from numbers but rather tied to need. The dramatic part of this should be tied to accomplishment of goals. In saying snap i am thinking like a rubber band under tension.

My idea is to use the need of the adventure or the highest level character and the point that pulls the lower level characters along. The level difference will increase tension pulling the lower level character up. In that two aspects will be reflected, the first greater advancement at greater difference of level and two smaller goals required for advancement.

For example we have a party of characters running on of the pathfinder chain module series. If they are lagging behind the pace character and are having a great deal of trouble with conflicts. The tension here would pull them up to the pace character and then let off completely. Through some minor successes the party could be raised up in level and giving the tools to complete the adventure. After words though the tension would be gone and they would not have a hug pay off for completing the quest. Or a new character that is brought in at a lower level than the group would catch up by nature of the tension.

The base metric is to decide what is meaningful advancement in the game. In D&D it is a level or in skill based systems it is raising a skill from 75% by 3-5%. In that I am saying an above average skill by a small but meaningful percentage, high skill levels often require greater effort to raise. Next I like to think of the max number of sessions i would require someone sitting on their ass doing nothing would require to advance. I am going to say about seven sessions to level and two or three to up the skill.

In combining the two you are just taking the tension between high and lower level points and figuring if any actions would warrant a snap. If none come up screw em just give them a session worth of gain. If you need them to level, invent a challenge and give them a win. Your need as a GM comes first.

If you want to do something positive with the character ask them their goals, and build in those so the character has their own actions to generate a snap. If they want to see the world, have them reach a snap upon reaching the next town or country. If they want to be a great solider one for their first battle or joining an army.

Well its a thought

Stand up you don't have to be afraid

While I know this site sucks, as does my writing, it's ad free and done for the viewer. Well OK its done for me but you get to laugh at me. I don't want much for this, comments would be nice, but more people looking would be nicer. If you get enjoyment out of this, even as a goof, tell your friends. Don't be ashamed to recommend it to friends. Especially anyone outside of the bay area or even those outside of the US.

To tame a land

Taking a look at Game of Thrones. I really don't know how I feel about the show after last night. I think they really short changed the viewer not showing the battle sequences from either the battle with Tywin or the capture of Jamie. I think they could have had two extra episodes if they would have extended the fights here and battles in previous episodes. I really just felt cheap.

Saying that I have not read the books and am just a viewer. The books may also gloss over these scenes. But I just it's not very metal. You need a release after a build, Mr. Martin please see Saturday Night (high and dry) by Def Leppard. There has been enough blood in the series already that I didn't expect you to shy away from a great battle sequence. Sure it may increase production costs but its what we were waiting for.

I dare say you may just loose viewers if you continue these sort of lack of content into session two. I really have no idea why you are waiting a year for the next series. Ten episodes is a British series plus. I guess I am not used to HBO series, I only got the channel to watch your show. Thankfully I am not paying for it as of yet.

In closing give me more and go bloody. the show has all the sex it needs now deliver on the violence. Do let this turn out like the Dune mini series from SciFi

good day

I need a weekend that starts some Friday with friends and you forget its not Saturday and then you think hey I got another day. Hot dogs burning on the grill and charcoal rising to the sky above backyards happy for what they have. Years ago monkeys would mock but these are people simply happy for good works coming to fruit and roses in bloom. Let the night come in slowly as the day is long but churn with crickets song.