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Sunday, April 27th, 2008
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3:22 pm - My Life In A Photograph
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I took this picture on a trip to Norway. I found it today and it sums up my life so far. ENJOY!
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3:01 pm - Ketchup Loves Potato
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Yes my subject is a song reference. Only those of you that bleed maple syrup will get it. The rest of you can politely leave the country.
Four more days until I get the HELL out of this place for two weeks back in Canada. I wasn't really sure about the trip until just now. I cannot WAIT to go home for two weeks. The down side is that I have to do some ridiculous commuting to get to the airport for my 8 am check in time. I leave Thursday evening at 10 pm to make my 8 am check in time. Did I mention the airport is only 1 hour away by car? Honestly, why they don't have an earlier train to the airport, I'll never know.
I have starting making a list of things I must do while I'm back. Most of them revolve around food. No surprise really if you haven't been brought up on overcooked roast beef and mushy peas. Actually, come to think of it I was brought up on that. Unlike the UK, however, I had options.
I also hear that the summer block busters will be in full swing by the time I get back. That means I should be able to cram in a bunch of movies while I am back. The best part will be coming back to the UK and telling people I already saw it. Of course, with the way the internet works, they will have already seen it too but at least I got the privilege of paying to see it. Uh....
In the meantime, I'm off to get my 'real fake tooth' installed tomorrow. I'm used to the jagged stump where my molar used to be so it almost doesn't seem worth it. However, when I am living up north with the Inuit and have to cure leather by grinding it with my teeth, it will have all been worth it when my closest rival is set adrift on an ice flow and not me.
oh ya!
The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets will be performing!
Saturday, May 10th
Media Club
Vancouver, BC
CANADUH!
I will be strapping on the axe and rocking out with my cocking out so you won't want to miss that!
More to follow.
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| Wednesday, April 16th, 2008
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10:11 am - We're Getting The Band Back Together
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The dual pronged guitar attack of The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets is back!
As you may know, I'll be back in Vancouver from May 2nd to May 16th. I have official word from Toren that The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets will have a show at the Media Club on the 10th. I will be there to rock the house party at the drop of a hat!
Full Details
Sat May 10th @ The Media Club
w/ a great celtic-punk rock band The Dreadnoughts (comparable to the Real McKenzies)
and The Get Away Sticks (Kyle from Los Furios punk rock side project)
We have the middle slot.
I will also drop a cryptic teaser here for all my readers. I will likely be back in epic rock form for a big American style gig (or gigs) with the band in August. That's right! The band is planning some American shows! Here's hoping we don't get hassled by 'The Man' and manage to get over that imaginary line at the 49th parallel so we can rock our neighbours to the south, extra 'u' and all!
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| Sunday, April 6th, 2008
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9:35 am - Amen Brother
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9:05 am - The Caps Are Back (In More Ways Than One)
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There was a lack of capital letters in my last entry. My keyboard was shot. I got a new one. Works like a dream. Hooray! If only all things in life were this easy. Sadly they are not.
As I eluded to in the subject line of this post, there are more caps in my life than just upper case letters. I went to the dentist on Thursday. The short story is my left, bottom rear molar was split in half. The dentist removed half (the bad half I assume) and left in the other half (the good half I assume) with a patch job until my next appointment. The fractured tooth had caused my gums to become infected so that needed to be taken care of before we can move to the next step which is...
A CAP!
Or as the dentist called it, my prothsetic tooth, which I like infinitely better. It makes me feel like a villain from a failed Fugitive sequel. "My dog was killed by a three molared man!"
Anyway, I'm currently on penicillin (again) and feeling much better. Interestingly enough, I think my tooth was being a problem for some time now and not just the last two weeks. That nasty sinus infection back in January may have solely been my tooth causing my gums to become infected ot at least part of the problem. Seeing the same penicillin medication makes me think I might be right. In either case, I feel confident that I've seen the last of the serious problems with my mouth for now.
Will my health be turning over a new leaf? We can only hope.
God I hope I didn't just jinx myself.
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| Tuesday, April 1st, 2008
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11:13 pm - 2008: The Year Of Living Dangerously
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...if by dangerously you mean getting sick a lot.
i spend all of january and most of february fighting a series of colds/flues. i finally snap out of it and then i break my back lower left side molar. you don't realise how dependent you are on molars until you need one.
anyway, i'm in a fair amount of pain. it is manageable with pain killers but i don't think i can go on like this for long. thankfully, i only have to wait until thursday to get in to see a dentist. i'm actually more worried about the cost of the cure than the actual broken tooth but by thursday i'm sure i'll be willing to pay just about anything to make the hurting stop.
i'm not sure how people did it in the old days. this latest incident confirms my belief that i would be dead by now if this were 200 years earlier. if the ailments didn't get me, the pain and discomfort would probably have forced me to take my own life!
speaking of old days, we played Deadlands again tonight. the early reservations i had about the Savage World system are becoming some what lessened as we use the system more and grow accustom to it's mechanics. the system is based on a range of dice from d4 to d12 will most (perhaps all i'm not sure) skill rolls supplemented with a d6 'Wild Die' to off-set the chance of one bad roll. the typical target number is 4 which isn't that high until you get injured or accrue some kind of penalty. in a game where you are typically rolling a d4 or d6, at least early on, a -1 to your rolls really hurts and a -2 can be nearly insurmountable.
however, there is the chance to offset these penalties. your rolls 'explode' meaning if you roll the maximum number for that die, you roll again adding your previous tally. one player rolled a total of 28 with a remarkable string of sixes. there are also 'bennies' which are essentially re-rolls points. you start with three and they reset each adventure.
our problem was that 1) we hadn't 'optimised' (aka min/maxed) our characters as well as we could have and 2) neither the GM nor the players had gotten used to the idea of bennies. the GM wasn't handing out many and after a very nasty first encounter, the players weren't very forthcoming with their bennie spending, choosing to save them to help avoid damage.
this time around the GM was handing out more bennies and the players responded by using them more freely. we also created a house rule that put a cap on damage. while the players now can't kill a tough npc in one shot, neither can the npc put a player six feet under (or at least drain all the players bennies) with one roll.
anyway, enough about game mechanics. we finished part 2 of a two part adventure set in the town of Purity. Sgt. William McKenzie once again shone inspiring the locals to find bravery in the face of overwhelming danger by sharing a tale of how he rescued a small Inuit girl from a wild bear.
however Sgt. McKenzie did have world view turned upside down when the good constable found himself facing a disembodied hand and no rational explanation for just such an incident. worse, disembodied hands have no sense of fair play. thankfully capture the hand using an overturned umbrella stand, preventing the hand from breaking any more of the local laws.
calm has now been restored to Purity. that was until the mechanical spider trundled into town!
but more on that after next week's adventure!
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| Monday, March 31st, 2008
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2:32 pm - Holiday In Canada-bodia
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Hey all. Quick post to say I'll be back in Vancouver in May for two weeks starting Friday, May 2nd with a very powerful currency lining my pockets.
Let's party!
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| Saturday, March 22nd, 2008
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12:30 am - Bonus Photo: Giant Ape!
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| Thursday, March 20th, 2008
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6:59 pm - World's Tallest Filing Cabinet
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4:24 pm - Good Friday?
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More like Great Friday! Might as well throw a Great on Monday as well because this weekend is a four day sleep-in extravaganza! It couldn't come at a better time too. I'm getting a bit fed up with my job and I could use some time away from the office.
No real plans for the holiday. It sounds like some of the Derby Game Group are heading to see 10,000 BC. I know it sucks but there's nothing else on and I really could do with getting out of the house this weekend.
Speaking of the Derby Game Group, we started a new campaign last night. We are playing Deadlands using the Savage Worlds system. The group joked that I should play a Mountie, so I am. May I introduce you to Sgt. William McKenzie of the North West Mounted Police. Yes North West Mounted Police. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police didn't exist yet. Soon but not quite.
My fellow gamers were confused by Sgt. McKenzie's name, asking why I didn't use something more Canadian. I honestly can't think of a more appropriate English Canadian name, can you? Robert MacDonald maybe?
Anyway, last night was our first session. We were asked to investigate a disturbance at a railroad camp. It seems the Chinese workers refused to continue tunnelling in a particular area, claiming an ancient Chinese dragon of legend lived in it.
I'm don't mean to brag but not only did I nail Sgt. McKenzie's accent, but I single handedly managed to track down the culprits behind the ruse. Sadly, the trigger happy gunslinger in our group, Jose Cornwall (one step down from Jose Wales - get it?) filled them full of lead before I could make the arrest. The English rendition of American gunslingers are even more blood thirsty than the movies would depict! I guess the Americans had to get it from somewhere.
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| Tuesday, March 18th, 2008
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4:45 pm - Ever Feel Cheated?
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I went to put 'Operation: Continental Drift' into action this weekend. I had a trip to Egypt all planned out and was about to put my money where my mouth is when the travel agent asked if my passport was valid for at least another six months. It was not (expires in July). Thus I was not allowed to book a flight to Egypt. Worse, I will not be able to get all continents in this passport. When 'The Canadian Man' tells you your passport is good for five years, well he/she/it is lying to you. You get four and a half. Pieces of shit.
I went and saw 'Be Kind Rewind' this weekend. OK. Some really good bits but Mos Def and Jack Black do not a film make. I'm a bit tired of Jack Black's shtick to be frank. Rental or cheap night viewing.
And that is my life right now. Exciting no?
Please god, send England some new movies.
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| Monday, March 3rd, 2008
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12:17 pm - One Step Closer To My Bag Of Holding
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Not much to report. Really busy at work for various reasons. Saw Eagle VS Shark on the weekend. Very hilarious. Very New Zealand. I have been watching David Attenborough's new series on the BBC as well. I think it is called 'Life In Cold Blood' and as usual, immensely enjoyable. I've also become interested in the science of how bee stings work which has lead to how poison works. Interesting stuff really.
Speaking of science, here is my new favourite discovery...
Physicists Successfully Store and Retrieve Nothing
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| Monday, February 18th, 2008
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2:52 pm - I Kill Unborn Orcs Not Unborn Children
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I was going to see Cloverfield this weekend but we were late in getting to the cinema and missed the start of the film so we wound up seeing Juno instead.
Good film. I had some problems with it, mostly with the lead character's dialogue. It was 'too cool for skool' lines for the entire film. Thus Juno came across as a bit unbelievable. Thankfully this was (almost) not the problem with the rest of the cast. Michael Cera (Arrested Development, Superbad) is still absolutely hilarious. I find it a bit odd that such a young actor can be so hilarious but as they say, the boy's got talent! I would definitely recommend Juno if you haven't already seen it. Just take a grain of salt for the uber-cool dialogue and you should be fine.
In a related note, so many films are shot in Canada and more particularly Vancouver, that when I go to the movies I have this tendency to tell the person I'm with "Hey that's right by where I used to live!" or "Hey that's Georgia Street!" to the point that I'm annoying myself. So you know I do it a lot. Chalk it up to homesickness.
Anyway, as we watched Juno, it was Louise that leaned over to me and said, "That looks like your brother's house!" Not wanting to fall into my usual trap (and thinking Juno was filmed entirely in the US) I just agreed.
A few minutes later, Louise said "Where is that in the US? It is a nice looking place." to which I replied, "I don't know. Perhaps somewhere in the north east. It is very clean where ever it is. I think I'd like it there." still thinking the movie was shot in the US.
THEN the scene where Juno goes to the abortion clinic arrives and I realise that the abortion clinic looks very familiar to me. Then it clicks. The abortion clinic in Juno is the Marpole Curling Club in Vancouver where we hold most of our gaming conventions! I've played D&D in an abortion clinic! I've also curled there but that is a story for another day.
So ya! Dungeons and Dragons in an abortion clinic! Can you get any more controversial? Perhaps if I listened to Judas Priest records while discussing the pro's of evolution at a gay marriage?
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| Thursday, February 14th, 2008
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1:17 pm - I'm Thirty Seven Now. That's Two Years In British Time.
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Two big celebrations this past few weeks.
First was my thirty seventh birthday. Someone asked me if I was where I thought I'd be at thirty seven, to which I replied "Does anyone think, at thirty seven I'll be here?". At least wait until I hit a number divisible by five before asking me that question.
I did get some cake and ice cream to celebrate. I also went out that weekend. I went hiking (or hill walking as they say round these parts) and had a nice, relaxing pub filled day. I was going to go out and drink that night but I was pooped after a long day of exercise. I'm still a bit out of shape thanks to the prolonged illness I recently experienced.
The second big day was February 13th, which marked my two year anniversary of living in England. OH WHAT A TWO YEARS IT HAS BEEN!
I celebrated by going out for lunch with my co-worker John and ordering fish, chips and mushy peas. You really can't get a more 'English Midlands' dish than that. In fact it is rare to see mushy peas outside the area. As gross as the concept of mushy peas sounds, they are actually pretty darn good.
I'm going to celebrate further, maintaining the spirit of the UK, by seeing a movie that has already been out for months in North America. It will either by Cloverfield or Juno. I got see No Country For Old Men last week so I'm attempting to keep the momentum. Anyway, No Country For Old Men is/was definitely worth the wait. I think I might have to go see it again. It is that good.
I've been playing more World of Warcraft lately. I was pretty sick in January and the weather wasn't exactly inviting so I was staying in. Also, a few more Vancouver friends signed on to Horde on that characters are on (I can't recall the name of the server off the top of my head but if you want to know I'll post it later) and I'm getting to play with people again since we have a regularly scheduled Sunday meeting time.
As a result I've pulled Bumhole the Orc Warlock out of hiding and added a few more levels to his profile. He and his best friend Gimptard are currently terrorising Ogrimmar, making fun of Blood Elves and telling stupid jokes. He's up to level 24 now. It is only a matter of time before someone complains about my Orc's name and it has to change. I'm scared to play him more. I am not prepared to give him some mild variant of Bumhole (like Buumhole) and I don't want him to lose his identity.
It ain't easy being green!
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| Monday, January 28th, 2008
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9:00 am - Not Quite 28 Days Later
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Ya, I got sick again. I've been sweating it out for the past week trying to get better for my trip down south. You see I am headed to my first big UK game con. I'm going to Conception
I know, I know. Why would I want to spend my weekend in a crowded hall with a bunch of unwashed, overweight men? To that I counter, I live in England, you just described the entire country! Ba-dum CRASH! Thank you! Try the veal!
All joking aside, gaming in the UK is quite a different experience. I know I game with an older crowd but it seems that most of the gamers I sit at a table with are ridiculously well informed on the historic eras that the games tend to take place. You expect a group of UK gamers to have a bit more knowledge on a game set in Victorian London but when they pull out a wealth of info on the American Civil War, you start to feel a bit under educated. That is why I'm running a game about fur trapping in the Canadian north. I'll show those bastards they don't know everything!
Anyway, we head down to Bournemouth early Wednesday and I won't be back until Sunday. I haven't pulled a big gaming week(end) in some time. Let's see if I still have what it takes to be an elite gamer!
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| Wednesday, January 16th, 2008
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11:48 am - Buying Myself Some Time
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| Wednesday, January 9th, 2008
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2:49 pm - Emma Thompson: Destroyer of Worlds (no spoilers)
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I caught my first film of 2008 last night: "I Am Legend".
Unlike most people I've met here in the UK, not only am I aware that the film is based on a book but I've read it. I love the book. It is a provocative look at how man handles isolation and loneliness and despair. It also has interesting themes based on the 'Vampire Myth'. Since I want you all to read the book, I won't say much more.
I don't want to be one of those typical people that say "OH! The book was so much better." Of course it was. Books can convey so much more than a typical 2 hour movie. My main concern was would they stay true to the book? Will Smith is a pretty sunny personality and likes to star in positive films. "I Am Legend" is not a particularly positive book. Something had to give.
Or did it?
The first two thirds of the film were pretty close to the book. They had to make some changes to accommodate the two hour film obviously and I expected that. The changes they made in that first hour and twenty minutes were well done. I agreed with their decisions and they were generally well done, never straying too far from the source material. Needless to say, I quite enjoyed this part of the film. Will Smith did an excellent job acting. I'm surprised how well he did actually. Film was tense, well paced and exciting. Most importantly, it really took the time to explore the psychology of a man who hasn't seen another human in a long time. No unnecessary explosions or stunts.
Then the last third of the film unfolded.
This is where the film took a large departure from the book. I don't have a problem with films departing from the book but in this case, I think they made a terrible choice on where to take the story. It turned into an pointless action film with a heavy handed religious message at the very end.
The biggest crime though was the excruciatingly excessive and poor use of CGI. The threat to Will Smith's character are supposed to be transformed humans. Just bald and white with feral behaviour. No ridiculous transformations that warranted computer graphics. It could have easily been humans in makeup. Instead we got computer generated creatures that looked and acted like cartoon monsters, complete with over exaggerated jaw distention and unnaturally impressive athletic skills.
On the strength of the first part of the film, I recommend watching "I Am Legend". There are some gripping and powerful scenes that are worth the money. Unfortunately the last third keeps this film from being something truly great. If you are looking for a ranking, I'd give it a 6.5 out of 10.
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| Tuesday, January 8th, 2008
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3:17 pm - A Man Of Some Resolve
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At New Years, it is tradition for some to make a resolution or two. Typically this involves something along the lines of a diet or being more charitable or some other beneficial act. Some of my past resolutions were along these lines. One year I resolved to give up eating McDonalds for the rest of my life. So far so good. Another year I resolved to start up a regular running regime. Again so far so good. I like to think I am a man of my word so when I say I'm going to do something, I try really hard to stick to it. This is also why I'm a bit careful about what I make as resolutions.
This year I felt that I didn't have any benign impulses to act upon. I really gave it a really good think about how I could better myself and I couldn't come up with anything. That isn't to say I'm perfect and found nothing I could do to better myself or mankind. No far from it. There is plenty I could do in both those departments. However, I am a pragmatic and a realist and I know how to pick my battles. I know I won't commit to practising Buddhism or saving the environment so I don't try. No sense setting yourself up for failure. Instead this year I made a resolution that was a bit self centered but one that I think is still worth while and even some what redeeming. But first some back ground.
Last year my lady friend Louise and I were headed somewhere foreign. She saw the Antarctic stamp in my passport and made the comment that she nearly had all the continents in her one passport, only missing Antarctica and South America. Considering UK citizens get to keep their passport for 10 years, I argued she had an unfair advantage when she pointed out that my passport was only missing Africa and Asia. This planted the seed. Then on January 1st, as I lay in bed without a hang over, I thought the only other way to celebrate the New Years given my health was to make a resolution.
And so my new year's resolution is to visit the continents of Africa and Asia before my passport expires in October.
I've already got some concrete plans to hit Africa early this year. Unfortunately Asia might be a bit of a tough nut to crack. There is no where I particularly want to go in Asia. I am hoping that by the time I get Africa out of the way, some place in Asia will have inspired me to visit. If not, I hear Japan is nice in autumn.
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| Monday, January 7th, 2008
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2:00 pm - Cake Or Death
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I didn't really do much for New Year's Eve. Unless you consider clutching your head and rocking in place a full social calendar. I was at the peak of my sinus infection misery and wasn't much in the mood for going out. In fact, if it wasn't for the intense agony keeping me awake, I would have probably fallen asleep before midnight.
So there I lay in my room when suddenly the windows started rattling. Pain inspired crankiness forced me out of bed to yell at these celebratory pranksters. I leaped out of bed and marched over to the window and threw back the curtains to discover it wasn't people but new year's fireworks causing all the glass rattling. It wouldn't be a holiday in England without some fireworks being lit off.
On the sinus infection front, the penicillin seems to be working. I'm not out of the woods yet but at least I can now chew food. If you've ever had to go without solid food for any length of time, you'll empathise with my plight and understand when I say that yesterday when I discovered I could chew without pain, I went on a bit of a food bender. I could not eat enough. If the local super market had been open, I'd have marched up there and spent a lot of cash on various food stuffs, most notably chocolate cake. Not sure why but I was DYING for chocolate cake. I need to go grocery shopping on the way home today so safe money is on me stopping by the bakery for that quick cake fix.
That is if I can get to the super market. The weather here has been bizarre today. It was so windy that it blew the toque (wool cap for Americans or beanie for UK/Australians) off my head. You know it is windy when your toque gets blown off your head. But the strange part isn't the strength of the wind, it is the direction. Or should I say directions? The wind keeps coming at me from all sides. I feel like I'm back in high school caught in a hallway pushing game known as "Pinball". Not sure if that game was big elsewhere but it was in Buttsford back in my high school days. Anyway, I was damn near knocked over today when the wind hit me from the front then the side in quick succession.
Thinking about it, I think I'd rather be knocked to the ground then thrown out into oncoming traffic or over a guard railing. Perhaps it might be safer if I instantly fall to the ground when faced with a strong gale. I may look foolish but it just might save my life!
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| Friday, January 4th, 2008
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12:09 pm - Alexander Flemming! You're My Hero!
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I went to the doctor yesterday. Due to my current living conditions and my complete lack of a car, this became an all day affair. However, it will have all been worth it if the pain goes away.
Thankfully England runs something similiar to Canada in terms of health care. They have the NHS over here so I can see a doctor free of charge. However, you don't get a standard doctor (or at least I haven't been) so I don't know who I'm going to get each time I go. This time I got Dr. Aikman. Not the most promising name for a doctor, depending how you look at it.
I think the difference between the Canadian and the English system is that the English system doesn't subsidise perscriptions so medicine can be a bit costly. Though admittedly I'm no expert on the English health system so the high prices could be because everything is more expensive in England.
Anyway, ol' Doc Aikman reckons I've got an acute sinus infection. He's put me on three penicillin a day for one week. Says I should notice improvements in a day or two. This is day one and I'm not sure I can tell if the pain is subsiding yet (since I'm also on heavy pain killers) but it sure is making me sleepy!
If you are out this weekend, raise a glass to mold! It just might save your life!
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