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.

something for nothing

I just saw an article by some sort of Lifehack outfit. I guess they are trying to make you a better you. Alas its was much more a better you as perceived by them. Who are them? douche bags! For my purposes Lets consider the supposed observer of change, Them or The They if you will. No unknown is going to understand my path from here and beyond and certainly will not be able to judge their ideal against my vector and intercept point. Even my friends and family are of poor judgment they are supposed to like me. And I think I am great, but look who is telling me this. Here I arrive at the judge I do value, my offspring. For me any life hack is a dad hack and let us have at it.

Learn baseball to the ability to teach your child the basics. That probably extends to basketball and football or soccer and softball if you have girls. Lets face it I earned my basket balling nickname "Air ball", I don't want my girl to have to wear it too.

Fix crap. Just do, you fuck it up, then call in the pros. You succeed and its free labor and you will feel better of yourself. Otherwise no loss. You kids want to see you as able.

Walk off pain. A beer and a wash clothe should be sufficient medicine for 90% of wounds. Chalk it up to straight up chuck Norris machismo. Kids should see their parents as tough. Again they want to know they are in good hands.

Be thy master of the grill. Hamburgers and Hot dogs should be your go to meal. Grill! It is Manly! It is Dadly!

Be a scout. You needn't be Les Stroud, but you should be able to pitch a tent. You may be roped into setting up a camp out any summers night in your backyard. Or volunteered to supervise a scout trip when someone ends up sick. You should have that covered. Don't be the reason your kid can't do some long hoped for activity.

Take up Krav Maga. Something goes down your the one between your precious and the bad people. I ain't looking myself in the mirror if something I could have stopped happens.

Know the basics. Why is the sky blue. who built the pyramids. You sir are expected to be a one man trivia expert. Your kid it more testing your knowledge than caring about answers. You should be the first person to show your kids knowledge is valuable and worth worrying about.

Don't believe in Karma. Only the weak believe justice is going to happen on its own. The just set things right even when they don't want to bother.

Veteran of the Psychic Wars

As you all I enjoy various fortean topics but i have a friend that absolutely gets his rocks off for that stuff. In the right circles he will start talking about Bigfoot being a CIA trained psychic sniper that took out Kennedy. The younger one, JFK is still alive apparently and may be one or more members of the Bush family. But lately he has gotten worse.

Enter his conspiracy pillow mate and they get going full steam. After listening in on one of their conversations I may be both the Lindbergh baby and jack the ripper. I have been trying to disprove their theory but their time line is iron clad. I am really sorry for whatever i did on the Ourang Medan too.

I wish these guys could just be sensible and give up junk like UFOs and psychic brain washing and get into ghost hunting like normal people.

watcher of the skies

Take this fretting rush away from me
and let me be sedate
let me sit motionless
only concerned with what is mine
Dreamless and worried over
foolish things meaningless
That I will regret
when it come to an end
Don't worry me with wrong paths
and tigers schemes of the rodeo

An open letter to the Stanford Theatre

Greetings

I can not count how many times I have started this letter over the years, only to discard it. Alas you have forced my had with the Stanford Theatres' latest schedule. You, or those who select the movies, are bland, unimaginative and lazy. Again I see titles that have been shown countless times. You will say some enjoy viewing these movies many times, but that's a cope out.

I feel that the Theater is a gift which you squander every year. I urge you to find new titles and expand your bill of fair. I also would like to see the time-line of movies expanded. You include a movie from 1964 with this schedule I think that is a fair range or films or at the very least the full life of the theater should be included, IE 1961.

Another issue is your lack of community input. At the writing of this letter I am planning on mailing this directly to the theater. Why is there no email address on the http://www.stanfordtheatre.org/stf/ site. There should be a route for communication. I am aware of difficulty in trying to acquire films for every request, but this is just not operating in the public trust.

In the past I had ideas that I would have voiced; horror or sci-fi films for October for example. But now I just would like to see a schedule that has something new.

Regards,

Again with this latest calendar you have proven yourselves to be near sited and lazy.  You craft a series of your back pocket favorites that is just plain sad.  Do you try anymore, I say the answer is no!  Gain and gain the same titles.  I have read your statements that many people like seeing the same film many times.  This has been rule for so long that you do not even consider the alternative.  There are so many files from the 50's that you could show and delight fans but you don't even try it.  You seem to have a vault that you work from but now are not trying to go beyond it.  LAZY!  You could do so much more and there are resources you could tie into but nope same old stuff.  It's as though you stick to a certain few films and disregard so much.  The movies you show don't need to be good.  Show some crap i would be interested.  Please try a wider selection of films.  How about you give us some early weekend shows with a lot of extras so families with kids could come and be entertained.  Try Disney non animated comedies perhaps they can't be expensive or in demand.  

A short lived galaxy

I feel a little hollow as if I don't experience all that is happening to me. I dont know it feels in the glare of the sun how you dont see the detail of anthing; but in experience. I think i am missing something about whats going on around me. Perhaps a lack of connection. Perhaps a regret of past connections getting weak over time.

I don't pretend to make any grand changes this time or feel some desperate attempt to mend things will work. Just an honest work to give more of myself with the people I can give more.

To get into that, some of you I just am just guarded and I dont know how to not be. I can try but it doesnt work in any way. I'm confounded from the inside.

Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A

Its been way too long for me to work on something. We had a party with my Atari set up going and it got me looking at a few things on the video game front. I saw a listing about Nintendo games that had a nice format listing games as free, pay for, work hard to get, etc. That is really a good way to look at Atari collecting. Many games have little to no value and you are going to get at little to no cost. These are the games that you can find on a website or good store at just a few dollars a cart. The pay for games are going to be your five to ten dollar games. Your work to find games are those that are just hard to find. You may need to pay a pretty penny or hunt around quite a bit to find.

For my NES and SNES I am basically not a collector. I have them and like to get games I played but I have not expectation to have any sort of meaningful collection. I really just want Mario 1 and 2, Metroid, Simon's quest and Bionic Commando. I wouldn't mind having a full collection of Activision titles like i am collecting for Atari, but I don't really care.

Yeah I sort of liked Mario 2 for some reason, better than three i guess i am messed up in the head. I should probably keep that a secret like being a bigger fan of Van Hagar than Van Halen. Oh shit I said that too.

Really my favorite NES game is Bionic Commando,its great. Its just fun to move around in that game. Swinging here and there from lights and stuff, really a great game.

I play with a FC twin just to avoid the pain of replacing the NES cart connection. I have considered getting the FC three to have sega in there too but I am waiting for them to add Turbografx into the mix.