Caught Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy) at Wolf Trap last night with geekchick, nminusone, kimberlogic, and some other folks I didn't get the LJ names for.

Life of Brian is my favorite Python movie, and I dig on Handel's Messiah, so this was a match made in heaven for me.

Lots of funny/silly songs, two or three really quite sweet songs, sheep puppets, and bagpipers.

Can't beat that with a stick.

I want this to come out on CD, so's I can learn all the words and sing along.

ALSO: Hey, all you folks who thought you were super-cool and were gonna get out of the parking lot early by running up the aisle when "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" started?

You idiots missed the encore: Idle singing the "Galaxy Song."

HA! TAKE THAT!

Tags: silly

In a comment on the second (slightly spoilery) post by toddalcott on The Dark Knight, I posted this:

All I can say is that this movie did something to my head.

I think you're spot-on with the Godfather and Heat references, Todd. I had similar feelings watching DK as I did with movies like those two and Network, Touch of Evil, Chinatown, and -- yes -- Casablanca.

That is, I didn't get my "flick" type of enjoyment (downloading pure fun via the eyes into the brain; see Speed Racer), my movie type of enjoyment (engaging entertainment, somewhat thoughtless, see Star Wars), or even my film level of enjoyment (artful entertainment that touches something in thought or emotion; see The Matrix, The Princess Bride, The Incredibles, or The Empire Strikes Back).

No, this went to a level beyond that: those movies that may not give me the jollies (as the woman you mention above seemed to be bewailing) all the time, but says something, beautifully/horribly, using words, picture, sound, and movement -- all crafted with great art.

The Dark Knight is one of those.

I highly recommend this post of toddalcott, as well as the first (non-spoilers) one he made, and am looking forward to his upcoming analysis.

I need to see it a few more times to nail down all of the wild thoughts raging in my head better.

Now, I need a name for that type of film experience to fit the schema.

Tags: batman, comics, movies, philosophy

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

Damned pretty. And many of the scenes in the trailer seem to be taken directly from the GN.

Tags: comics, movies

Act II is up. Check it out!

Tags: 240 dollars worth of puddin', comics, mad science, movies, sf&f, silly

(Major props to alycewilson.)

Tags: reference, silly

Act I is up. Check it out!

Tags: 240 dollars worth of puddin', comics, mad science, movies, sf&f, silly

With the IPR 2Q2008 numbers that came in recently, I can say that lifetime sales of T&J are approximately:

859

...and lifetime sales of ZoZ are approximately:

668

Thank you all!

( sales-site breakdowns behind cut )

Tags: asmp, gaming, sales, truth-and-justice, zoz

I will be at Gen Con this year.

Probably hanging out near the IPR booth, running (15 min) demoes of T&J and ZoZ.

(I need to test said demoes with local folks, btw. ALSO, ZoZT&J one.)

After-hours, I might EASILY be convinced to run demoes of S7S. Especially if you ply me with beer.

ALSO: I am looking for a copy of the Ghostbusters RPG (first ed., not GBI) and a non-XP version of The Yellow Clearance Black Box Blues.

LASTLY: I am unfortunately susceptible to female wiles. Take that into account.

Tags: asmp, conventions, covet, evilhat, game design, gaming, pdq, s7s, truth-and-justice, work journal, zoz

Made a chicken curry in the crockpot, after Frankenstein-ing several recipes I found online.

It came out very well.

The only "problem" is that I used too much chicken broth and no arrowroot starch, so it came out just a skinch watery. (If I'd let it cook down a little more or added the starch, it woulda been poifect.)

I was thinking about trying to add cauliflower in there, but all I had was frozen (and that would've added even more to the watery aspect) and the crock was looking pretty full anyway.

Chadu's Crockpot Chicken Curry
* 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1 inch strips or chunks; OR 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
# 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
* 1 can new potatoes, sliced, drained
* 1 can chickpeas, drained
# 1/4 cup chicken broth
* 1 large onion, quartered and sliced thinly
# 3 cloves garlic, minced
# 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
# 1 tablespoon soy sauce or Tamari
# 1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
# 1 teaspoon turmeric
# 1 teaspoon ground ginger
# 1 teaspoon hot sauce
# 1/2 teaspoon salt
# 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Whisk together all ingredients marked with an octothorpe (#) in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Layer onion, new potatoes, chicken, chickpeas in crock.

3. Pour mixture from step one over stuff in crock. Feel free to give it a stir.

4. Slow cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.

5. Make some rice -- brown rice packet from Trader Joes was excellent here (2 minutes in microwave).

6. Serve!

7. Eat!

8. Bliss out!

Tags: food

On July 11, RJ Eskow posted an article on HuffPo that sums up what I've been thinking re: Obama's style of politics for awhile now:

Have We Missed the Key to Obama's Leadership Style?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/have-we-missed-the-key-to_b_112289.html

Some quick quotes:

When I did some work [in Japan] nearly twenty years ago I encountered some of the same traits we're seeing in Obama now: The urge for consensus. The courtesy toward all parties, no matter how strong the disagreements. The nearly-holographic quality of appearing different to different observers. The centeredness and self-control.

It may be coincidental. Or it may be the result of growing up with Hawaii's Pacific Rim influence. But Obama's management style resembles the classic Japanese model. And, at least historically, these haven't just been behaviors. They're living embodiments of a spiritual perception which says that all humanity -- all existence -- is interconnected and equal.

The operative word, the core value behind this behavior, is unity. Unity means preserving the integrity of a social group. Where elections and debates emphasize process, and policies focus on outcome, unity creates an emphasis structure. That's unfamiliar to us.

[...]

Obama's been frustrating observers across the political spectrum lately. Progressive bloggers are debating whether he's driven by cynicism or centrism, while the rightwingers at Human Events claim there's a "Secret Plan Behind Obama's Move to the Right!"

They're all missing the point. He's not moving to the Right. His political architecture isn't built on the old foundation of Right vs. Left -- or on Right vs. Wrong, for that matter. It isn't even binary. When it comes to policy he inclines toward the progressive position, but he's not thinking in terms of "winning" or "losing." His goal is group unity around the best possible realistic outcome. That means assess the situation, get what you can, then move to bring the parties together around a new consensus.

Having read both of Senator Obama's books, and looking into his work in the IL state legislature and the US Senate, I think Eskow's analysis is spot on.

Give the article a read.

Tags: reference