The Saturday game has been on hiatus for several months, due to the pipe band competition season. It was due to restart last weekend, but that fell through. Then, it was due to restart this weekend, but that has now fallen through. It can't restart next weekend, due to another commitment on my part, so is now rescheduled for the 24th. We'll see if that happens.
The truth is, I really need to put an end to this one. I don't really have time for everything that I'm involved with, so something has to go. And Saturday afternoon is 'premium time' - it's the time that is most useful for other things, and the time that is least suitable to just being wasted. I really can't afford to tie up every single Saturday afternoon for a game that is almost always cancelled, especially with a wedding to plan, and double especially after the wedding.
(That said, Lady Chocolat is flying off to Kenya in a few weeks and for a couple of months. So, the time between now and the end of November is slightly more flexible...)
So, this spell between now and the end of March was always going to be the last hurrah for this game group. After that, we were going to have to adopt an entirely different pattern, or simply stop getting together for the game at all. It's starting to look like I have to call a halt six months early.
So, I know what I need to do, but why the reluctance? Well, this group has been together (in one form or another) for sixteen years, since my second year at university. Two of my three "greatest ever" campaigns have been with this group (being the "Rivers of Time" chronicle for Vampire, and the "Shackled City" campaign in D&D). We've had a lot of good times.
But we're not 20 any more. We're not even 28 any more, which was probably the last time we really had the numbers for reliable gaming. Martin left to move to the States. Andreas left to return to Sweden. Johannes left to move to various places to continue his studies. Molly just left. Craig's work schedule meant that he could no longer attend. Andy's ever-growing family likewise meant he could no longer attend... Gradually, we went from having too many players down to a group of four. And since the game really has a quorum of four, that created the major problems that I've been posting about on and off for the last two years.
Killing the group probably means cutting ties with the remainder of the group. We only really get together for the game, and although we might well say we'd continue to get together at times for other things, the truth is that it just wouldn't happen.
It also means cutting the last link to my university days. Since leaving, I've basically lost touch with everyone I met at university (again, some immediately and others over the years). So, ending this group means finally closing that chapter.
But then, this isn't the first time. I had a game group during school, and it ended when I left school. Over the years, I've gradually lost touch with every friend I made at high school (although, oddly, there are a couple of people who are now friends who weren't when we were at school together).
It's time to pull the plug. I just wish it wasn't so hard.
Thursday, September 08, 2011
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
The Scottish Conservative Party
The Tories are finished in Scotland. They've been finished in Scotland since 1997 (actually, before that, but that was the election where we kicked them out). And there's really no way back - at every election they'll always be "the same old Tories".
So Murdo Fraser is absolutely right when he says that the best way forward is actually to dissolve the party. Where he goes wrong is that he then suggests they should reform with a different name... but as essentially the same party. Do that, and they're still "the same old Tories", whether they call themselves "Conservatives", "Unionists", "Progressives" or whatever else. And it's especially the case if, as is expected, they will formally ally with the Conservatives in England and take the Tory whip while serving in Westminster.
No, what they need to do is dissolve the party, and then reform several smaller parties each reflecting different aspects of the centre-right agenda. Then, over the next few years, gradually merge some of these new parties into a single entity with a new centre-right agenda. Also (and this is the important bit), they absolutely must not have anything to do with the Tories in England. They have to operate within Scotland (only) for the people of Scotland (only). And even if their MPs in London could prove the difference between a Tory majority forming there or not, they must resist that temptation, because the moment they form that alliance, they're "the same old Tories" once again.
The funny thing is, it doesn't actually make all that much difference to me, since I wouldn't vote for such a party anyway. On my prioritised list of parties to vote for, they actually come after "don't bother voting at all". (Along with Labour, the Lib Dems, and a great many 'minor' parties. At the moment, the SNP have my vote. Failing that, I might just be persuaded to vote Green.)
But the reason it's important is that there is a large group of voters who are rather more right wing in outlook than the SNP, Labour or Lib Dems (or, actually, the modern Tory party), but who cannot bring themselves to vote for "Thatcher's Party", and who are not the racist caricature of the BNP. And those people are currently left without anyone to represent them, and that is wrong.
So, yeah, I hope Murdo Fraser gets his way. I hope the Scottish Conservative Party winds up, and soon. But not because I want it gone; because it's important to have it back.
So Murdo Fraser is absolutely right when he says that the best way forward is actually to dissolve the party. Where he goes wrong is that he then suggests they should reform with a different name... but as essentially the same party. Do that, and they're still "the same old Tories", whether they call themselves "Conservatives", "Unionists", "Progressives" or whatever else. And it's especially the case if, as is expected, they will formally ally with the Conservatives in England and take the Tory whip while serving in Westminster.
No, what they need to do is dissolve the party, and then reform several smaller parties each reflecting different aspects of the centre-right agenda. Then, over the next few years, gradually merge some of these new parties into a single entity with a new centre-right agenda. Also (and this is the important bit), they absolutely must not have anything to do with the Tories in England. They have to operate within Scotland (only) for the people of Scotland (only). And even if their MPs in London could prove the difference between a Tory majority forming there or not, they must resist that temptation, because the moment they form that alliance, they're "the same old Tories" once again.
The funny thing is, it doesn't actually make all that much difference to me, since I wouldn't vote for such a party anyway. On my prioritised list of parties to vote for, they actually come after "don't bother voting at all". (Along with Labour, the Lib Dems, and a great many 'minor' parties. At the moment, the SNP have my vote. Failing that, I might just be persuaded to vote Green.)
But the reason it's important is that there is a large group of voters who are rather more right wing in outlook than the SNP, Labour or Lib Dems (or, actually, the modern Tory party), but who cannot bring themselves to vote for "Thatcher's Party", and who are not the racist caricature of the BNP. And those people are currently left without anyone to represent them, and that is wrong.
So, yeah, I hope Murdo Fraser gets his way. I hope the Scottish Conservative Party winds up, and soon. But not because I want it gone; because it's important to have it back.
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
Dear cyclist...
Look, I respect your right to be on the road. And I will do my utmost to drive safely and with consideration. I'll leave plenty of stopping distance behind you until I am able to pass safely. When passing, I will allow plenty of space to the side (and if the road doesn't allow that, then I won't pass). And, lest you get the wrong impression, that's not some major sacrifice on my part, and I don't expect thanks, or hailed as a hero, or whatever - that's just your right as a fellow road user.
However...
If you decide to cycle along an unlit country road at night, while wearing dark clothes, and on a bike that has neither lights nor reflectors, you will eventually be hit. And when you do, you will come off considerably worse on your flimsy bike than I do in my large and heavy car. That's just a fact, unfortunate as it is.
If I do not have the ability to see you, I do not have the ability to avoid you.
#25: "Pathfinder: The Brinewall Legacy", by James Jacobs
However...
If you decide to cycle along an unlit country road at night, while wearing dark clothes, and on a bike that has neither lights nor reflectors, you will eventually be hit. And when you do, you will come off considerably worse on your flimsy bike than I do in my large and heavy car. That's just a fact, unfortunate as it is.
If I do not have the ability to see you, I do not have the ability to avoid you.
#25: "Pathfinder: The Brinewall Legacy", by James Jacobs
Monday, August 29, 2011
Competition Season 2011 Wash-up
It's been a hard season, and a fairly disappointing one at that. Our initial optimism, bolstered by a strong winter and an early success at Dunbar, quickly gave way to increasing despondency as the season wore on. We thought perhaps the Scottish Championships were a blip, caused by bad weather, but then the British Championships proved a repeat, and so it went.
Still, it wasn't all bad. The result at Annan's "Riding of the Marches" was fantastic. And the Development Band was the major success of the year, starting as just an idea, meeting some fairly nasty resistance, and finally being able to take the field. Them winning a prize on that first outing was a great achievement, far better than could reasonably have been hoped.
Ultimately, the big outcome of this season is positive. Although we did poorly in terms of the championship, we did record a solid, mid-table result. Perhaps more importantly, we got a sense of what the judges are actually looking for, and should hopefully have some idea on what we need to do in order to do better next year. I have some thoughts in that regard, but at this point they are premature - there are some significant issues that need to be cleared up before we can move on.
Still, it wasn't all bad. The result at Annan's "Riding of the Marches" was fantastic. And the Development Band was the major success of the year, starting as just an idea, meeting some fairly nasty resistance, and finally being able to take the field. Them winning a prize on that first outing was a great achievement, far better than could reasonably have been hoped.
Ultimately, the big outcome of this season is positive. Although we did poorly in terms of the championship, we did record a solid, mid-table result. Perhaps more importantly, we got a sense of what the judges are actually looking for, and should hopefully have some idea on what we need to do in order to do better next year. I have some thoughts in that regard, but at this point they are premature - there are some significant issues that need to be cleared up before we can move on.
Cowal Highland Gathering 2011
So, the last competition of the season. Could it possibly be any worse than the last two years?
This time out, the bus left slightly later than normal. I didn't leave the house until 6:30, which I suppose wasn't too bad. The journey to the competition was likewise fairly quick, getting us there about 9.
At this point we were given some significant freedom. The bus had to travel early because the Development band were playing at 11:50, but the 4A band weren't playing until 3:50, so there was a long wait. I spent the time reading, and then headed down to watch the Development band play in their qualifier.
I thought they were pretty good, to be honest. Frankly, the Development band are a bit better now than the whole band were two years ago, when we recorded our best ever result at Cowal. So, that seemed okay.
Sadly, they didn't qualify, but that was to come later. First, there was the matter of yet more waiting. Again, I spent the bulk of the time reading. And then, just as the 4A band were getting ready to play, we learned the Development band results.
They failed to qualify, coming 12th in their heat: 11th and 10th for piping, 10th for drumming, and 13th for ensemble. I guess the judges just didn't rate them after all.
So, the 4A band went on, and played as well as we have all year. The issues with the reel that we had had at the Worlds and the Europeans seemed to be sorted out, and we came off feeling pretty okay about things.
There was then yet more waiting. I took the opportunity to wander into town to get some food, and then did some more reading. The rest of the band took the opportunity to drink large amounts of alcohol.
The march past was okay. The chieftain was Blythe Duff, who I recall as the rookie cop from Taggart, which I last watched when I was back in school. Surprisingly, she proved a better chieftain than Sylvester McCoy last year.
We didn't win a prize. In fact, we did rather poorly in the contest, coming 12th overall. In piping we came 17th (last) and 10th, 5th in drumming, and 11th in ensemble. All in all, a very disappointing result. Still, I was determined not to get too disheartened by this: we knew, regardless of the result, that the season was basically done, so it was important just to be happy with the performance. We'd achieved that, so who cares about the result, right?
So far, so good. It had actually been a fairly enjoyable day, an oddity for Cowal. Perhaps we might actually get away with it?
We got back to the bus. There were some few rumblings about marching down the street, but I think it's now accepted that we just won't be doing that until we win something at the event. Fair enough, I guess, although I would prefer to do the parade on principle. (That said, some members of the band were in no fit state to do the parade.)
We got on the bus, and waited for the police to clear us to move out. And waited, and waited. We could have done the parade twice over in the time we had to wait. Still, no matter. Eventually, we were off.
And that's when it all kicked off. There was an incident (which I'm not going to recount here; it was that bad!), and then there was almost a fight as a result of the incident (aggravated by alcohol). As the pipe major moved to deal with it, there was then an awful lot of shouting from other people, a lot of pushing and shoving...
As we came off the ferry, there was a strong suspicion that the bus driver would pull over and call the police. Frankly, I would have supported that call; what happened was an absolute disgrace. At length, though, we got everyone sat down, separated the people who needed separated, and made it home.
I got home at 11:45.
As a result of this, I will be surprised if that bus company will accept our business next year. Honestly, I wouldn't blame them if they did not. I will also not be surprised if several people leave the band as a result, including several members of the committee. As things stand, I will not be competing with this band next year (since I'm not travelling on a bus where this can happen, and I'm not paying a monthly sub to cover the bus and then taking my car to competitions).
Frankly, I'm just disgusted with the whole thing. I hate Cowal.
#24: "Pathfinder: Shadows of Gallowspire", by Brandon Hodge
This time out, the bus left slightly later than normal. I didn't leave the house until 6:30, which I suppose wasn't too bad. The journey to the competition was likewise fairly quick, getting us there about 9.
At this point we were given some significant freedom. The bus had to travel early because the Development band were playing at 11:50, but the 4A band weren't playing until 3:50, so there was a long wait. I spent the time reading, and then headed down to watch the Development band play in their qualifier.
I thought they were pretty good, to be honest. Frankly, the Development band are a bit better now than the whole band were two years ago, when we recorded our best ever result at Cowal. So, that seemed okay.
Sadly, they didn't qualify, but that was to come later. First, there was the matter of yet more waiting. Again, I spent the bulk of the time reading. And then, just as the 4A band were getting ready to play, we learned the Development band results.
They failed to qualify, coming 12th in their heat: 11th and 10th for piping, 10th for drumming, and 13th for ensemble. I guess the judges just didn't rate them after all.
So, the 4A band went on, and played as well as we have all year. The issues with the reel that we had had at the Worlds and the Europeans seemed to be sorted out, and we came off feeling pretty okay about things.
There was then yet more waiting. I took the opportunity to wander into town to get some food, and then did some more reading. The rest of the band took the opportunity to drink large amounts of alcohol.
The march past was okay. The chieftain was Blythe Duff, who I recall as the rookie cop from Taggart, which I last watched when I was back in school. Surprisingly, she proved a better chieftain than Sylvester McCoy last year.
We didn't win a prize. In fact, we did rather poorly in the contest, coming 12th overall. In piping we came 17th (last) and 10th, 5th in drumming, and 11th in ensemble. All in all, a very disappointing result. Still, I was determined not to get too disheartened by this: we knew, regardless of the result, that the season was basically done, so it was important just to be happy with the performance. We'd achieved that, so who cares about the result, right?
So far, so good. It had actually been a fairly enjoyable day, an oddity for Cowal. Perhaps we might actually get away with it?
We got back to the bus. There were some few rumblings about marching down the street, but I think it's now accepted that we just won't be doing that until we win something at the event. Fair enough, I guess, although I would prefer to do the parade on principle. (That said, some members of the band were in no fit state to do the parade.)
We got on the bus, and waited for the police to clear us to move out. And waited, and waited. We could have done the parade twice over in the time we had to wait. Still, no matter. Eventually, we were off.
And that's when it all kicked off. There was an incident (which I'm not going to recount here; it was that bad!), and then there was almost a fight as a result of the incident (aggravated by alcohol). As the pipe major moved to deal with it, there was then an awful lot of shouting from other people, a lot of pushing and shoving...
As we came off the ferry, there was a strong suspicion that the bus driver would pull over and call the police. Frankly, I would have supported that call; what happened was an absolute disgrace. At length, though, we got everyone sat down, separated the people who needed separated, and made it home.
I got home at 11:45.
As a result of this, I will be surprised if that bus company will accept our business next year. Honestly, I wouldn't blame them if they did not. I will also not be surprised if several people leave the band as a result, including several members of the committee. As things stand, I will not be competing with this band next year (since I'm not travelling on a bus where this can happen, and I'm not paying a monthly sub to cover the bus and then taking my car to competitions).
Frankly, I'm just disgusted with the whole thing. I hate Cowal.
#24: "Pathfinder: Shadows of Gallowspire", by Brandon Hodge
Friday, August 19, 2011
Getting Back On Top
The last few weeks have been pretty grim, and the less said about them the better. Suffice to say, things have been rough, and I haven't exactly covered myself in glory. And that's all I'm going to say about that.
But part of the problem, I think, is that I've gradually let things slide, neglecting one thing because another was pressing, then neglecting that because of the first, and then...
And so, since the start of this week, and for the next couple of weeks, I'm going through the steps of getting back on top of everything. The apartment needs a clean, I need to get back to the painting, and the blogging, I need to get on top of my preparations for the game, I need to restock the freezer with lots of yummy food, I need to get back on the diet, the Sky+ box needs emptied again (and my subscription probably cancelled - but that's hard when the box is full of things to watch!), there's a wedding to plan...
So, it's going to be crazy busy for a while here. But, really, that's the way I like it. Relaxation isn't really my thing.
But part of the problem, I think, is that I've gradually let things slide, neglecting one thing because another was pressing, then neglecting that because of the first, and then...
And so, since the start of this week, and for the next couple of weeks, I'm going through the steps of getting back on top of everything. The apartment needs a clean, I need to get back to the painting, and the blogging, I need to get on top of my preparations for the game, I need to restock the freezer with lots of yummy food, I need to get back on the diet, the Sky+ box needs emptied again (and my subscription probably cancelled - but that's hard when the box is full of things to watch!), there's a wedding to plan...
So, it's going to be crazy busy for a while here. But, really, that's the way I like it. Relaxation isn't really my thing.
World Pipe Band Championships 2011
Oh dear.
This contest started badly, requiring a 4:30 start in order to get to the contest grounds before they closed down the car parking. Worse was to follow soon, when the bus we had ordered failed to materialise, being replaced with one that was only just big enough for everyone - I had visions of having to nominate someone to get off in Cumbernauld! (Actually, I would have nominated myself and Lady Chocolat, as I was suffering with a nasty cold.)
Anyway, we went, and we struggled through the morning. It wasn't a pleasant time, grim and grey, but you just get on with it. We started to get ready, bid good luck to the Development Band, and waited...
The World Championships are the only contest this year where there's a pre-qualification round in our grade. This made it a huge challenge just to get to compete, and after Ireland hopes were not terribly high.
We went on, and played as well as we could. Unfortunately, as with Ireland, the first three tunes were excellent, but the last one was really poor. It really lost us our chance. (Spoiler alert!)
We then scattered to the four winds while awaiting the results. One of the major benefits of the Worlds is the easy access to Glasgow City Centre, and all the joys that affords.
We didn't qualify. Nor did the Development Band. (In the end, we scored 15th and 16th for piping, 6th for drumming, and 15th for drumming, coming 14th overall, falling far short of the 6th needed to qualify. The Development Band scored 12th and 8th for piping, 12th for drumming and 12th for ensemble, thus scoring 13th overall, where they needed 4th or better.)
So, by lunchtime we were finished. On the plus side, the weather had vastly improved; it was actually a nice sunny day.
At this point, a lot of people left. Given my cold, I also felt strongly that I just wanted to go home. So, I went looking for the Pipe Major to try to let him know, but found no sign. Instead, I checked that there would be enough people left for the march past, sent a text informing him that we were off, and caught a train.
Bad move. There was later a text from the pipe major, sent to all members, expressing some outrage that people elected to leave in this manner. I haven't seen him since, as he's currently in France.
Oh well. It can't now be helped. And I remain convinced that leaving was the right choice; I really didn't feel well. In fact, I probably shouldn't have gone at all, but didn't want to leave the band in the lurch.
Anyway, there is now one more contest left in the season, at Cowal. It cannot be over soon enough.
This contest started badly, requiring a 4:30 start in order to get to the contest grounds before they closed down the car parking. Worse was to follow soon, when the bus we had ordered failed to materialise, being replaced with one that was only just big enough for everyone - I had visions of having to nominate someone to get off in Cumbernauld! (Actually, I would have nominated myself and Lady Chocolat, as I was suffering with a nasty cold.)
Anyway, we went, and we struggled through the morning. It wasn't a pleasant time, grim and grey, but you just get on with it. We started to get ready, bid good luck to the Development Band, and waited...
The World Championships are the only contest this year where there's a pre-qualification round in our grade. This made it a huge challenge just to get to compete, and after Ireland hopes were not terribly high.
We went on, and played as well as we could. Unfortunately, as with Ireland, the first three tunes were excellent, but the last one was really poor. It really lost us our chance. (Spoiler alert!)
We then scattered to the four winds while awaiting the results. One of the major benefits of the Worlds is the easy access to Glasgow City Centre, and all the joys that affords.
We didn't qualify. Nor did the Development Band. (In the end, we scored 15th and 16th for piping, 6th for drumming, and 15th for drumming, coming 14th overall, falling far short of the 6th needed to qualify. The Development Band scored 12th and 8th for piping, 12th for drumming and 12th for ensemble, thus scoring 13th overall, where they needed 4th or better.)
So, by lunchtime we were finished. On the plus side, the weather had vastly improved; it was actually a nice sunny day.
At this point, a lot of people left. Given my cold, I also felt strongly that I just wanted to go home. So, I went looking for the Pipe Major to try to let him know, but found no sign. Instead, I checked that there would be enough people left for the march past, sent a text informing him that we were off, and caught a train.
Bad move. There was later a text from the pipe major, sent to all members, expressing some outrage that people elected to leave in this manner. I haven't seen him since, as he's currently in France.
Oh well. It can't now be helped. And I remain convinced that leaving was the right choice; I really didn't feel well. In fact, I probably shouldn't have gone at all, but didn't want to leave the band in the lurch.
Anyway, there is now one more contest left in the season, at Cowal. It cannot be over soon enough.
Bridge of Allan Highland Games 2011
I wasn't actually able to make it, but while I was away the band attended the Bridge of Allan Highland Games, where they competed at both Grade 4 and Grade 4A level. I'm not certain, but I believe it was the 4A band that competed at both, rather than the development band.
Anyway, in Grade 4 we scored 12th for piping, 10th for drumming, and thus 13th overall. In Grade 4A, we scored 5th for piping, 3rd for drumming, and so 4th overall, which would have placed us in the prize-winning positions at a slightly larger contest.
Anyway, in Grade 4 we scored 12th for piping, 10th for drumming, and thus 13th overall. In Grade 4A, we scored 5th for piping, 3rd for drumming, and so 4th overall, which would have placed us in the prize-winning positions at a slightly larger contest.
European Pipe Band Championships 2011
The band's annual trip to Ireland saw us leaving on the Friday at about 5pm. Following a delay on the ferry and the inevitable bout of being lost in Belfast, we finally reached the hotel around 1 am. Fortunately, we weren't playing until late in the afternoon, so that wasn't a problem.
The hotel itself was fine, and the breakfast was really quite nice. It turns out that the Premier Inn actually is a pretty decent place to stay, in Belfast at least.
The Saturday was hot and sunny, something of a change for this season. It was a fairly enjoyable day all around, until the time came to actually get ready to play. Unfortunately, this was badly rushed, as the Pipe Major was playing with another band just before, and they were a bit delayed. Moreover, there were several problems with pipes that should have been resolved earlier but which needed attention.
Anyway, we did manage to get ready, and went on and played. The first three tunes were excellent; the best we had played them. Unfortunately, the last tune was pretty dire, and cost us badly.
We were one of the last bands to perform, and so the prize giving followed pretty soon thereafter. Sadly, we knew we weren't actually in with a realistic chance at a prize, but hope springs eternal. In the end, we scored 8th and 17th for piping, 15th for drumming, 6th for ensemble, and 11th overall. A poor showing, but actually better than the previous two majors of the year.
The rest of the night was spent resting, and then the journey home the next day was largely uneventuful, barring one bout of travel sickness.
Onward to the Worlds!
The hotel itself was fine, and the breakfast was really quite nice. It turns out that the Premier Inn actually is a pretty decent place to stay, in Belfast at least.
The Saturday was hot and sunny, something of a change for this season. It was a fairly enjoyable day all around, until the time came to actually get ready to play. Unfortunately, this was badly rushed, as the Pipe Major was playing with another band just before, and they were a bit delayed. Moreover, there were several problems with pipes that should have been resolved earlier but which needed attention.
Anyway, we did manage to get ready, and went on and played. The first three tunes were excellent; the best we had played them. Unfortunately, the last tune was pretty dire, and cost us badly.
We were one of the last bands to perform, and so the prize giving followed pretty soon thereafter. Sadly, we knew we weren't actually in with a realistic chance at a prize, but hope springs eternal. In the end, we scored 8th and 17th for piping, 15th for drumming, 6th for ensemble, and 11th overall. A poor showing, but actually better than the previous two majors of the year.
The rest of the night was spent resting, and then the journey home the next day was largely uneventuful, barring one bout of travel sickness.
Onward to the Worlds!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
How Was This Game Ever Popular?
As I noted in the blog in January, and as I've continued to note in the ongoing list of books, I have been gradually reading through the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rulebooks for the first edition. I've been doing this mostly out of interest in the roots of the game; although my very first game was under first edition rules, I've never read the rulebooks before, nor have I ever run that edition.
Having read the 'core' rulebooks for the game (the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual), I am completely at a loss to understand why this game was ever popular. The rules are complex and badly laid out, the books are extremely dense, and there's no real sense of organisation.
The Dungeon Master's Guide, in particular, was rather shocking. I have occasionally heard this hailed as a work of genius, and that may be so. But if so, it was one of those crazy geniuses that you know is brilliant, but can't follow at all. The book was a nightmare!
Having read this I can say confidently that, had I started with this edition, I would not now play these games. And, in fact, as nearly-heretical as it is, I have to say that the much-maligned second edition is actually the better game, if only because it is significantly more approachable.
As for the popularity of the game, I can only posit three explanations:
Or maybe I'm just old, and jaded, and tired. But a year ago, when I started picking up the first edition rulebooks, I had a notion of running a few games under the system to see how it compares. Having now read through half the books, I'm disinclined so to do. Oh well.
Having read the 'core' rulebooks for the game (the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual), I am completely at a loss to understand why this game was ever popular. The rules are complex and badly laid out, the books are extremely dense, and there's no real sense of organisation.
The Dungeon Master's Guide, in particular, was rather shocking. I have occasionally heard this hailed as a work of genius, and that may be so. But if so, it was one of those crazy geniuses that you know is brilliant, but can't follow at all. The book was a nightmare!
Having read this I can say confidently that, had I started with this edition, I would not now play these games. And, in fact, as nearly-heretical as it is, I have to say that the much-maligned second edition is actually the better game, if only because it is significantly more approachable.
As for the popularity of the game, I can only posit three explanations:
- Most people actually started playing under the earlier 'original' D&D or the various 'basic' D&D sets, which had much shorter and more compact rulesets. When they moved to first edition they didn't read most of the new rules, but just continued using the old rules with the new monsters, spells and classes.
- Most people actually started playing under the tutelage of existing players. As such, they never read the rules, but instead just went with the flow. This is basically the 'Monopoly' approach.
- There was a fairly small corps of DMs in those days who had read the rules, and who served as the 'rule masters' for their respective groups. Most people just played under the aegis of these people. (This is similar to, but not quite the same as, #2 - in #2 people would gradually pick up some form of the rules; #3 posits a small, closed circle of 'expert users'.)
Or maybe I'm just old, and jaded, and tired. But a year ago, when I started picking up the first edition rulebooks, I had a notion of running a few games under the system to see how it compares. Having now read through half the books, I'm disinclined so to do. Oh well.
Thornton Highland Games 2011
The Thornton Highland Games took place a week ago on Sunday, and represented the first outing of our new Development Band. In fact, the 4A band, with which I play, were not competing at this contest. Nonetheless, several members of the 4A band travelled across to the Kingdom of Fife to support the younger members of our band.
It was a bright and sunny day, at least in the East. This was something of a surprise, as I had almost not left the house that morning, due to the heavy rain. Still, good weather makes for a better performance, so that was an advantage.
The Development Band went on, and they played very well. In fact, they actually played twice; once in the Grade 4 contest, and again in the Grade 3 contest. Both performances were good.
In the event, they came second out of three in the Grade 4, but came fourth out of four in the Grade 3 contest. This latter was entirely expected, since the other bands were all 'naturally' of a higher grade. The former was, of course, a fantastic result, not least because it was the band's first outing.
Watching from the sidelines was an interesting experience. Playing is definitely preferable! Still, I must admit to a certain pride. A few months ago, the Development Band was just an idea. It cost us a lot to get it going (in terms of finance, of course, but also in terms of the effort involved, and also in the loss of several promising young players). So, to finally see it all come together was a great feeling.
The 4A band next play at the European Championships in Ireland this weekend. The Development Band next play at the Dundonald Highland Games. Then, both bands will compete (in different grades) at the World Pipe Band Championships. Each band has three more contests before the season draws to its close.
It was a bright and sunny day, at least in the East. This was something of a surprise, as I had almost not left the house that morning, due to the heavy rain. Still, good weather makes for a better performance, so that was an advantage.
The Development Band went on, and they played very well. In fact, they actually played twice; once in the Grade 4 contest, and again in the Grade 3 contest. Both performances were good.
In the event, they came second out of three in the Grade 4, but came fourth out of four in the Grade 3 contest. This latter was entirely expected, since the other bands were all 'naturally' of a higher grade. The former was, of course, a fantastic result, not least because it was the band's first outing.
Watching from the sidelines was an interesting experience. Playing is definitely preferable! Still, I must admit to a certain pride. A few months ago, the Development Band was just an idea. It cost us a lot to get it going (in terms of finance, of course, but also in terms of the effort involved, and also in the loss of several promising young players). So, to finally see it all come together was a great feeling.
The 4A band next play at the European Championships in Ireland this weekend. The Development Band next play at the Dundonald Highland Games. Then, both bands will compete (in different grades) at the World Pipe Band Championships. Each band has three more contests before the season draws to its close.
Interminable
Is it just me, or is July lasting forever? I mean, it's not as if I necessarily want to rush through it, since we're only just getting what passes for summer up here, but June is a distant memory, and there's still almost a week to go!
#19: "Watcher of the Dead", by J.V. Jones
#20: "AD&D: Dungeon Master's Guide", by Gary Gygax
#21: "AD&D: Legends & Lore", by James M. Ward and Robert Kuntz
#22: "AD&D: Fiend Folio", edited by Don Turnbull
#23: "AD&D: Monster Manual II", by Gary Gygax
#19: "Watcher of the Dead", by J.V. Jones
#20: "AD&D: Dungeon Master's Guide", by Gary Gygax
#21: "AD&D: Legends & Lore", by James M. Ward and Robert Kuntz
#22: "AD&D: Fiend Folio", edited by Don Turnbull
#23: "AD&D: Monster Manual II", by Gary Gygax
Monday, July 04, 2011
The Riding of the Marches 2011
As was the case last year, the week after the British Championships, the band returned to Annan for "The Riding of the Marches", their version of the Highland Games.
It was a fantastic day - hot and sunny with just a hint of wind. I was very glad I took the last-minute decision to apply sunblock before leaving the house - the first time I have done so at a competition this year, and the first time it was necessary.
Unlike the British Championships, the bus to Annan didn't leave until just after 10, which meant that I woke at a somewhat civilised hour.
We went, we played, and it was good. Once again, we put in our best performance of the season, surpassing last week's effort. It is, however, worth noting that this week we played only our 4B set, not the somewhat harder MSR.
The rest of the day was spent in waiting. Not the best use of time, it must be admitted. And then there was the parade.
In truth, I quite admire the ingenuity of the organisers at Annan. They've found a way to get loads of bands to their gala day without having to pay them - run a competition with a big(-ish) prize, then have a street parade [i]before[/i] the prize-giving.
The band came second in our grade, having come second in piping, and first for both the drums and the bass section. A really good result, and marginally better than last year.
And then there was the journey home, which was fine but too long. There was some discussion of a stag weekend, which is apparently not to take place in Amsterdam as this is now too expensive. It sounds the sort of event that legends are made of. I wonder if I can persuade them to go without me...
#18: "Pathfinder: Wake of the Watcher", by Greg A. Vaughan
It was a fantastic day - hot and sunny with just a hint of wind. I was very glad I took the last-minute decision to apply sunblock before leaving the house - the first time I have done so at a competition this year, and the first time it was necessary.
Unlike the British Championships, the bus to Annan didn't leave until just after 10, which meant that I woke at a somewhat civilised hour.
We went, we played, and it was good. Once again, we put in our best performance of the season, surpassing last week's effort. It is, however, worth noting that this week we played only our 4B set, not the somewhat harder MSR.
The rest of the day was spent in waiting. Not the best use of time, it must be admitted. And then there was the parade.
In truth, I quite admire the ingenuity of the organisers at Annan. They've found a way to get loads of bands to their gala day without having to pay them - run a competition with a big(-ish) prize, then have a street parade [i]before[/i] the prize-giving.
The band came second in our grade, having come second in piping, and first for both the drums and the bass section. A really good result, and marginally better than last year.
And then there was the journey home, which was fine but too long. There was some discussion of a stag weekend, which is apparently not to take place in Amsterdam as this is now too expensive. It sounds the sort of event that legends are made of. I wonder if I can persuade them to go without me...
#18: "Pathfinder: Wake of the Watcher", by Greg A. Vaughan
Monday, June 27, 2011
Experimental Cookery 2011 #7: Chicken Chow Mein
Source: Chinese Food Made Easy by Ching-He Huang
Cook Time: About 15 minutes prep plus 15 minutes cooking
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 2
Equipment used: Wok, chopping board, sharp knives, spoons, etc.
This was an interesting one. I had previously tackled chicken chow mein while working through Jamie's book, so was curious to see how the two compared. This meal was considerably less involved than Jamie's version, considerably quicker and easier to put together, and generally less of a hassle.
The results from this meal were also quite excellent. Could perhaps have done with a bit more chicken (and I should probably have cut the chicken into smaller pieces), but otherwise it was pretty much ideal. I think this is the better of the two approaches.
Result: 8/10. Lady Chocolat gave this 10/10, but she is obviously easily impressed - after all, she agreed to marry me!
Cook Time: About 15 minutes prep plus 15 minutes cooking
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 2
Equipment used: Wok, chopping board, sharp knives, spoons, etc.
This was an interesting one. I had previously tackled chicken chow mein while working through Jamie's book, so was curious to see how the two compared. This meal was considerably less involved than Jamie's version, considerably quicker and easier to put together, and generally less of a hassle.
The results from this meal were also quite excellent. Could perhaps have done with a bit more chicken (and I should probably have cut the chicken into smaller pieces), but otherwise it was pretty much ideal. I think this is the better of the two approaches.
Result: 8/10. Lady Chocolat gave this 10/10, but she is obviously easily impressed - after all, she agreed to marry me!
The British Pipe Band Championships 2011
After a short break, our competition season resumed this week with the British Championships in Annan.
The weather forecast was for heavy rain. Fortunately, though, this never quite materialised, with the worst that we faced being a light shower or two during the march past.
The day started early, with a 5:30 start. The band were joined on this occasion by Lady Chocolat, who disappointed the ladies who follow the band by arriving absent her engagement ring (which was being resized). Still, we climbed aboard the bus, and began the long journey south.
The performance itself came and went, and went rather well, or so we thought. We were aware of a few things needing work, but both the Pipe Major and Lead Drummer were quite happy, thinking it our best performance of the season.
And then we settled in for the long wait...
Unfortunately, the results at the end of the day simply did not reflect our optimism about the performance. We came 13th out of 19, scoring a 4th and a 16th for piping, 14th for drumming, and 15th for ensemble. It would seem that there is something that the judges are looking for that we're just missing.
This was obviously a hugely disappointing result, especially given that we were quite happy with the performance. The one positive that we can take from this is that it basically means we cannot hope to be promoted this year (which was always a big ask), and so can relax a bit more, and try to enjoy the rest of the season.
The journey home was interesting, and somewhat uncomfortable, but for reasons largely unrelated to the result. I may comment on that in a later post, but it is definitely a topic for another time.
The next competition is the Riding of the Marches next week, which also takes place in Annan. The next major competition is the European Championships in Ireland at the end of next month.
#17: "The Fort", by Bernard Cornwell
(My current plan is to try to read through the latest Pathfinder book and "Watcher of the Dead" by J.V. Jones over the next week or so. Then, after next week's Riding of the Marches, I'll move on to tackle "War and Peace"...)
The weather forecast was for heavy rain. Fortunately, though, this never quite materialised, with the worst that we faced being a light shower or two during the march past.
The day started early, with a 5:30 start. The band were joined on this occasion by Lady Chocolat, who disappointed the ladies who follow the band by arriving absent her engagement ring (which was being resized). Still, we climbed aboard the bus, and began the long journey south.
The performance itself came and went, and went rather well, or so we thought. We were aware of a few things needing work, but both the Pipe Major and Lead Drummer were quite happy, thinking it our best performance of the season.
And then we settled in for the long wait...
Unfortunately, the results at the end of the day simply did not reflect our optimism about the performance. We came 13th out of 19, scoring a 4th and a 16th for piping, 14th for drumming, and 15th for ensemble. It would seem that there is something that the judges are looking for that we're just missing.
This was obviously a hugely disappointing result, especially given that we were quite happy with the performance. The one positive that we can take from this is that it basically means we cannot hope to be promoted this year (which was always a big ask), and so can relax a bit more, and try to enjoy the rest of the season.
The journey home was interesting, and somewhat uncomfortable, but for reasons largely unrelated to the result. I may comment on that in a later post, but it is definitely a topic for another time.
The next competition is the Riding of the Marches next week, which also takes place in Annan. The next major competition is the European Championships in Ireland at the end of next month.
#17: "The Fort", by Bernard Cornwell
(My current plan is to try to read through the latest Pathfinder book and "Watcher of the Dead" by J.V. Jones over the next week or so. Then, after next week's Riding of the Marches, I'll move on to tackle "War and Peace"...)
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
The Eternal City
Thursday
We woke up at half past five in the morning, feeling appropriately awful. Staggered out of bed, struggled through a light breakfast, washed, showered, threw away the milk, emptied the bins, got in the car, and went to the airport.
Had a moment of worry when Lady Chocolat asked "do you have your passport?" just as we got on the shuttle to the terminal, but fortunately I had had the foresight to pack it directly in my hand luggage, rather than relying on picking it up in the morning. (In truth, I always do this, so it shouldn't have been a worry, but...)
The first flight was fine, punctuated by the pleasant surprise that they supplied a second breakfast. The stop in Amsterdam was too short though - just enough time to wolf down a Burger King meal, get indigestion, and pile onto the next plane. The second flight was appropriately uncomfortable, especially when my neck cramped and there was literally nothing could be done about it.
Eventually, though, we got to Rome, collected our bags, took a taxi to the hotel, checked in, and collapsed. Huzzah! (In hindsight, should have booked Expedia's shuttle to and from the airport; this would have worked out cheaper than the taxi and slightly less stressful.)
The hotel was great. The room was extremely small, but we'd known about that when booking, and although it was small, it was very high quality, nice and clean and, perhaps most importantly, right in the centre of the city. Basically, we were able to walk back from the Vatican City in about an hour. Also, they provided a complimentary breakfast in bed every day, which was a nice touch.
That evening, we went out for a wander, and grabbed a bite to eat. We made the significant mistake of spending way too much on the meal - should have just had a main course (no starter), or stuck to their 'special menu', or something. Oops.
We also wandered down to the Pantheon, and took in the sights there. Nice.
Went back to the hotel quite early, and got some sleep.
Friday
Friday was the Vatican City. We got up early, had breakfast, got dressed, and made our way to the Metro station, bought a ticket, four short stops across the two lines, then a short walk, and we were there.
At this point, I almost caused great offense when I discovered that my zipper had slipped down, and in fact had become stuck. Most annoying. Fortunately, I managed to get this sorted without causing a scene. Still, LC ordered me never to talk about this to anyone, and so I shall refrain from doing so.
The rest of the morning was spent in St Peter's seeing the sights. I can't do it justice, so won't even try to describe it here. Basically, if you get a chance, you should go.
Went for lunch, and again spent way too much money. This was the last time we did so; our mistake here was in spending our time choosing food, then ordering drinks without consideration; turned out soft drinks were vastly over-priced.
The afternoon was spent with yet more walking, this time around the Vatican Museum. Again, I cannot do it justice. Maps and tapestries, and endless, endless scupltures... There was also a special exhibition of Faberge egss, which was something to behold.
Afterwards, we walked back via Ponte San Angelo, as featured in "Roman Holiday", one of LC's favourite films. I then proceeded to walk into a lamppost, which scrambled my sense of direction. Such fun!
In the evening, we went out again and found a decently-priced meal. Then, we wandered down to see the Colliseum all lit up by night, before hopping on the Metro to go home.
Except...
It turned out that one of the lines was closed down at 9 for work to be done, and so we found ourselves stuck in the middle of Rome, at night, with no clear idea how to get back. So, we set off in a likely direction, and thanks to some skillful map-work made our way home. Quite fortunate, really.
Saturday
Saturday was the day for the Forum, the Capitolino and Palatino hills, the Colliseum and the Circus Maximus. Another busy day, filled with lots of walking. That was also the day of a gay pride march in Rome, but we saw very little sign of them.
Saturday was also the day that it rained. The unending sunshine was broken by a very brief, warm shower. We duly ducked into a likely museum, wandered around for a few minutes, and by the time we were done, the rain was ended. Ten minutes later, and it was as if it had never happened.
Speaking of the sunshine: Rome was extremely hot and extremely sunny. Both LC and I got burned at various points; LC on her back, and me on the top of my head. This did have the advantage that I then simply had to wear my silly hat, so it wasn't all bad.
In the Forum, and also in the Colliseum, there was a special exhibition on about the emperor Nero, the burning of the city, and the reconstruction of the city thereafter. Interesting stuff.
Unfortunately, by the end of all this, the walking had really taken a toll. I had developed a really nasty cramp in one foot, that never really let up. This wasn't for the best, what with two more days to go.
Late that afternoon, we went to another museum, which LC again believed had been used as a location for "Roman Holiday". Anyway, it was rather impressive.
That evening we found ourselves a fairly nice, very modest, eatery and had a decent meal. That was where we were reminded of another lesson about Rome - often, the more modest the facade, the better the restaurant itself. More pizza; yum yum.
Sunday
On Sunday we jumped on one of the tour buses, and went for a trip around Rome. This proved to be rather interesting, and we saw a lot of sights. We travelled the full circuit, and then made our way back round as far as the Circus Maximus.
From there, we walked to the Bocca Della Verita, the Mouth of Truth, where we took pictures of our hands being chewed off (like in "Roman Holiday"). We grabbed a snack from one of the mobile snack bars, and then took a gentle wander across to Piazza Navona, intent on getting a bottle of wine and just watching the world go by.
However, that plan soon changed, for two reasons. The first of these was that there was a small market going on, where I picked up a nice picture of sunset over Rome. The second was that we learned there was a concert of Russian dance happening there that night, so we decided to come back later to see that.
We went back to the hotel, dropped our bags, then made our way along to the Spanish Steps (as featured in, well, you know...), then a short jaunt through the Villa Borghese (where we took pictures of giant Jelly Baby Commandoes, and LC with Batman and Superman), and then on to Piazza Del Popolo. There, we caught the tour bus again, and back to the hotel.
That evening, we had to face the issue that we had spent too much money, especially on those first two meals. As a result, we needed to get some more. So, as we made our way back towards Piazza Navona, LC tried to withdraw some money. The machine refused, claiming her card wasn't valid for international withdrawals. Uh-oh...
We tried another machine, with much the same result. Worse still, this one declared "Card Captured", which really freaked us out. Fortunately, it then relented, and gave back her card.
Still, LC was rather upset by this, and I must admit to a little panic. What if none of our cards worked? We didn't have enough cash to manage completely without...
Fortunately, my own card did work, and I was able to withdraw some money. This was a huge relief, as I'm sure you can imagine. I was thus able to lend LC enough money to keep us both going.
We then went searching for somewhere to eat, preferably without too much hard work. Still, we managed a sight-seeing coup - we found the eatery where they only spoke Italian! (This wasn't too bad. Turns out Italian is extremely easy when you know some Spanish, and the rest I could cover with the universal mimes...)
Sadly, the Russian Dance Concert was a bit of a dead loss. They elected to start with an hour of long, tedious speeches (in Russian and Italian), before actually getting to the dances. I was paranoid about pick-pockets, and we were both extremely tired. So, we stayed for a couple of dances, but left pretty quickly. A shame; what we did see was really rather good.
Monday
We took things easy on the last day. Most of the day was spent in the huge Villa Borghese, a massive public park filled with all manner of tribes and factions. The turtles and the squirrels were in an uneasy stand-off, the giant fish moved to their own inscrutable agenda, and so on...
That was really a marvellous idea. We needed an easy day after three hard ones, and the park was the perfect setting.
In the afternoon, we went back to the hotel for a short rest, did what packing we could, then went out for ice creams. Afterwards, we wandered along past the Spanish Steps to complete our "Roman Holiday" tour, before doing a little window-shopping in the absurdly-priced designer shops, and then back to the hotel to get changed.
In the evening...
#16: "Cloud Atlas", by David Mitchell (a book from The List)
We woke up at half past five in the morning, feeling appropriately awful. Staggered out of bed, struggled through a light breakfast, washed, showered, threw away the milk, emptied the bins, got in the car, and went to the airport.
Had a moment of worry when Lady Chocolat asked "do you have your passport?" just as we got on the shuttle to the terminal, but fortunately I had had the foresight to pack it directly in my hand luggage, rather than relying on picking it up in the morning. (In truth, I always do this, so it shouldn't have been a worry, but...)
The first flight was fine, punctuated by the pleasant surprise that they supplied a second breakfast. The stop in Amsterdam was too short though - just enough time to wolf down a Burger King meal, get indigestion, and pile onto the next plane. The second flight was appropriately uncomfortable, especially when my neck cramped and there was literally nothing could be done about it.
Eventually, though, we got to Rome, collected our bags, took a taxi to the hotel, checked in, and collapsed. Huzzah! (In hindsight, should have booked Expedia's shuttle to and from the airport; this would have worked out cheaper than the taxi and slightly less stressful.)
The hotel was great. The room was extremely small, but we'd known about that when booking, and although it was small, it was very high quality, nice and clean and, perhaps most importantly, right in the centre of the city. Basically, we were able to walk back from the Vatican City in about an hour. Also, they provided a complimentary breakfast in bed every day, which was a nice touch.
That evening, we went out for a wander, and grabbed a bite to eat. We made the significant mistake of spending way too much on the meal - should have just had a main course (no starter), or stuck to their 'special menu', or something. Oops.
We also wandered down to the Pantheon, and took in the sights there. Nice.
Went back to the hotel quite early, and got some sleep.
Friday
Friday was the Vatican City. We got up early, had breakfast, got dressed, and made our way to the Metro station, bought a ticket, four short stops across the two lines, then a short walk, and we were there.
At this point, I almost caused great offense when I discovered that my zipper had slipped down, and in fact had become stuck. Most annoying. Fortunately, I managed to get this sorted without causing a scene. Still, LC ordered me never to talk about this to anyone, and so I shall refrain from doing so.
The rest of the morning was spent in St Peter's seeing the sights. I can't do it justice, so won't even try to describe it here. Basically, if you get a chance, you should go.
Went for lunch, and again spent way too much money. This was the last time we did so; our mistake here was in spending our time choosing food, then ordering drinks without consideration; turned out soft drinks were vastly over-priced.
The afternoon was spent with yet more walking, this time around the Vatican Museum. Again, I cannot do it justice. Maps and tapestries, and endless, endless scupltures... There was also a special exhibition of Faberge egss, which was something to behold.
Afterwards, we walked back via Ponte San Angelo, as featured in "Roman Holiday", one of LC's favourite films. I then proceeded to walk into a lamppost, which scrambled my sense of direction. Such fun!
In the evening, we went out again and found a decently-priced meal. Then, we wandered down to see the Colliseum all lit up by night, before hopping on the Metro to go home.
Except...
It turned out that one of the lines was closed down at 9 for work to be done, and so we found ourselves stuck in the middle of Rome, at night, with no clear idea how to get back. So, we set off in a likely direction, and thanks to some skillful map-work made our way home. Quite fortunate, really.
Saturday
Saturday was the day for the Forum, the Capitolino and Palatino hills, the Colliseum and the Circus Maximus. Another busy day, filled with lots of walking. That was also the day of a gay pride march in Rome, but we saw very little sign of them.
Saturday was also the day that it rained. The unending sunshine was broken by a very brief, warm shower. We duly ducked into a likely museum, wandered around for a few minutes, and by the time we were done, the rain was ended. Ten minutes later, and it was as if it had never happened.
Speaking of the sunshine: Rome was extremely hot and extremely sunny. Both LC and I got burned at various points; LC on her back, and me on the top of my head. This did have the advantage that I then simply had to wear my silly hat, so it wasn't all bad.
In the Forum, and also in the Colliseum, there was a special exhibition on about the emperor Nero, the burning of the city, and the reconstruction of the city thereafter. Interesting stuff.
Unfortunately, by the end of all this, the walking had really taken a toll. I had developed a really nasty cramp in one foot, that never really let up. This wasn't for the best, what with two more days to go.
Late that afternoon, we went to another museum, which LC again believed had been used as a location for "Roman Holiday". Anyway, it was rather impressive.
That evening we found ourselves a fairly nice, very modest, eatery and had a decent meal. That was where we were reminded of another lesson about Rome - often, the more modest the facade, the better the restaurant itself. More pizza; yum yum.
Sunday
On Sunday we jumped on one of the tour buses, and went for a trip around Rome. This proved to be rather interesting, and we saw a lot of sights. We travelled the full circuit, and then made our way back round as far as the Circus Maximus.
From there, we walked to the Bocca Della Verita, the Mouth of Truth, where we took pictures of our hands being chewed off (like in "Roman Holiday"). We grabbed a snack from one of the mobile snack bars, and then took a gentle wander across to Piazza Navona, intent on getting a bottle of wine and just watching the world go by.
However, that plan soon changed, for two reasons. The first of these was that there was a small market going on, where I picked up a nice picture of sunset over Rome. The second was that we learned there was a concert of Russian dance happening there that night, so we decided to come back later to see that.
We went back to the hotel, dropped our bags, then made our way along to the Spanish Steps (as featured in, well, you know...), then a short jaunt through the Villa Borghese (where we took pictures of giant Jelly Baby Commandoes, and LC with Batman and Superman), and then on to Piazza Del Popolo. There, we caught the tour bus again, and back to the hotel.
That evening, we had to face the issue that we had spent too much money, especially on those first two meals. As a result, we needed to get some more. So, as we made our way back towards Piazza Navona, LC tried to withdraw some money. The machine refused, claiming her card wasn't valid for international withdrawals. Uh-oh...
We tried another machine, with much the same result. Worse still, this one declared "Card Captured", which really freaked us out. Fortunately, it then relented, and gave back her card.
Still, LC was rather upset by this, and I must admit to a little panic. What if none of our cards worked? We didn't have enough cash to manage completely without...
Fortunately, my own card did work, and I was able to withdraw some money. This was a huge relief, as I'm sure you can imagine. I was thus able to lend LC enough money to keep us both going.
We then went searching for somewhere to eat, preferably without too much hard work. Still, we managed a sight-seeing coup - we found the eatery where they only spoke Italian! (This wasn't too bad. Turns out Italian is extremely easy when you know some Spanish, and the rest I could cover with the universal mimes...)
Sadly, the Russian Dance Concert was a bit of a dead loss. They elected to start with an hour of long, tedious speeches (in Russian and Italian), before actually getting to the dances. I was paranoid about pick-pockets, and we were both extremely tired. So, we stayed for a couple of dances, but left pretty quickly. A shame; what we did see was really rather good.
Monday
We took things easy on the last day. Most of the day was spent in the huge Villa Borghese, a massive public park filled with all manner of tribes and factions. The turtles and the squirrels were in an uneasy stand-off, the giant fish moved to their own inscrutable agenda, and so on...
That was really a marvellous idea. We needed an easy day after three hard ones, and the park was the perfect setting.
In the afternoon, we went back to the hotel for a short rest, did what packing we could, then went out for ice creams. Afterwards, we wandered along past the Spanish Steps to complete our "Roman Holiday" tour, before doing a little window-shopping in the absurdly-priced designer shops, and then back to the hotel to get changed.
In the evening...
#16: "Cloud Atlas", by David Mitchell (a book from The List)
Super Secret Goal #3
When we were in France last year, on our last night Lady Chocolat and I agreed to get a bit dressed up and go for a nice meal out. This year in Rome, for our last night we got dressed up and went for a nice meal out. Lady Chocolat wore a blue dress and flats, while I wore my lucky purple shirt and Superman socks. It's important to get the details right.
So, we went for a nice meal at a very nice little pizzeria. LC kept wondering what was wrong, but I was appropriately unforthcoming.
After the meal, we went to the Trevi Fountain, there to throw coins in, as is the tradition.
The fountain was busy, even just after sunset, and even on a Monday night. I hadn't expected to be working with an audience, but oh well...
So, we were there. We had thrown our coins. We had had our pictures taken. The moment was upon us.
I turned to Lady Chocolat, and looked into her eyes.
"___," I said, "I love you. You're my best friend. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So..."
I went down on one knee, my hand reaching into my pocket to produce the ring.
"will you marry me?"
She said yes. There was a round of applause.
The End.
So, we went for a nice meal at a very nice little pizzeria. LC kept wondering what was wrong, but I was appropriately unforthcoming.
After the meal, we went to the Trevi Fountain, there to throw coins in, as is the tradition.
The fountain was busy, even just after sunset, and even on a Monday night. I hadn't expected to be working with an audience, but oh well...
So, we were there. We had thrown our coins. We had had our pictures taken. The moment was upon us.
I turned to Lady Chocolat, and looked into her eyes.
"___," I said, "I love you. You're my best friend. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So..."
I went down on one knee, my hand reaching into my pocket to produce the ring.
"will you marry me?"
She said yes. There was a round of applause.
The End.
Monday, May 30, 2011
West Lothian Highland Games 2011
I noticed on Saturday that while the event took place in Bathgate, it wasn't actually the "Bathgate Highland Games". Not that it makes much difference.
Saturday was a mixed day, weather-wise. When it was nice, it was really quite nice. However, every so often there were showers, which were particularly nasty. Fortunately, I was able to dodge all but one of these; there was one shower during the results ceremony that there was just no missing out on.
We didn't take a bus to this one, which proved to be a blessing. Rather than being stuck there for an hour while the driver escaped the car park, I was able to slip out quickly and easily, and got home in less than half an hour.
In terms of the actual competition, well...
We went on, and we played okay, or so we thought. Certainly better than last week, although not as well as the previous week. The commentary sheet we received was also fairly complimentary - there was not a single thing that we had to work on.
Except... we came seventh out of nine, the same result as two years ago, and considerably worse than last year.
That was bad enough, but the choice of winner was... interesting, to say the least.
Oh well, so much for that. For next year, I'm planning on advocating skipping any contest that doesn't have a "Grade 4 MSR" competition (unless we get upgraded again), in which case we won't be competing here again next year. It's a shame, since this is actually a rather pleasant day. Still, there's very little to gain from playing in the 'wrong' grade.
#15: "Pathfinder: Broken Moon", by Tim Hitchcock
Saturday was a mixed day, weather-wise. When it was nice, it was really quite nice. However, every so often there were showers, which were particularly nasty. Fortunately, I was able to dodge all but one of these; there was one shower during the results ceremony that there was just no missing out on.
We didn't take a bus to this one, which proved to be a blessing. Rather than being stuck there for an hour while the driver escaped the car park, I was able to slip out quickly and easily, and got home in less than half an hour.
In terms of the actual competition, well...
We went on, and we played okay, or so we thought. Certainly better than last week, although not as well as the previous week. The commentary sheet we received was also fairly complimentary - there was not a single thing that we had to work on.
Except... we came seventh out of nine, the same result as two years ago, and considerably worse than last year.
That was bad enough, but the choice of winner was... interesting, to say the least.
Oh well, so much for that. For next year, I'm planning on advocating skipping any contest that doesn't have a "Grade 4 MSR" competition (unless we get upgraded again), in which case we won't be competing here again next year. It's a shame, since this is actually a rather pleasant day. Still, there's very little to gain from playing in the 'wrong' grade.
#15: "Pathfinder: Broken Moon", by Tim Hitchcock
Friday, May 27, 2011
Seriously Domino?
So, after returning from Dunbar, I couldn't be bothered cooking, and so I ordered a pizza from Dominos. This isn't exactly an unusual experience, but I finally took notice of something that I'm sure has been there for some time...
After placing the order, there's a little button to click to add this little factoid to a Twitter page.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Seriously? Is this what we've come to?
"Dear World, I had a pizza today! It had pineapple on it!"
The thing is, I know that almost nobody reads the blog, and it's mostly just me writing stuff for the sake of it. I get that. But I do at least try to have some sort of content, or at least something that requires at least some thought.
I also understand that the blog medium is not the twitter medium, and that the latter is indeed well-suited to just posting random thoughts.
But still, an update on pizzas? I'm sure I would never do such a thing!
After placing the order, there's a little button to click to add this little factoid to a Twitter page.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Seriously? Is this what we've come to?
"Dear World, I had a pizza today! It had pineapple on it!"
The thing is, I know that almost nobody reads the blog, and it's mostly just me writing stuff for the sake of it. I get that. But I do at least try to have some sort of content, or at least something that requires at least some thought.
I also understand that the blog medium is not the twitter medium, and that the latter is indeed well-suited to just posting random thoughts.
But still, an update on pizzas? I'm sure I would never do such a thing!
The Scottish Pipe Band Championships 2011
Last Saturday was the Scottish Pipe Band Championships, held once again in Dumbarton.
Unfortunately, it was a miserable day. The day started very windy, then shortly after we'd played it started to rain. And then it just didn't stop raining. Indeed, so bad was it that they cancelled the march past and prizegiving, and instead just gave out the results to the pipe majors in the hospitality tent at the end.
Tuning up was not a pleasant experience, as we were placed right on the water's edge, and the wind really destroyed the sound. This really wasn't a good idea; it effectively made it impossible to get a good sound.
Still, we went on, and we played. We were third on, so had had an early morning. It worked for the best, though, since we avoided the rain.
At the Championships, we only have to play once, at the Grade 4A level, playing our MSR. This week, we felt the performance was much better, at least from the pipers. The breaks were clean, the tunes were nice and controlled, and the sound was as good as could be hoped. Sadly, the drummers were less pleased with their performance, but we put that down to them having a bad day.
Unfortunately, the results didn't go our way. We were 7th and 15th in piping. Worse, the two judges failed to give consistent feedback; their remarks were directly contradictory literally on a paragraph-by-paragraph basis. The drummers came 14th, and the ensemble 12th.
Overall, the band was 13th, out of 23. This was a real shame, since we'd actually dared to hope for a prize, but definitely thought top-10 was reasonable.
Still, it was not to be. Next up is the Bathgate Highland Games, and then we have several weeks off before the British Championships at Annan...
Unfortunately, it was a miserable day. The day started very windy, then shortly after we'd played it started to rain. And then it just didn't stop raining. Indeed, so bad was it that they cancelled the march past and prizegiving, and instead just gave out the results to the pipe majors in the hospitality tent at the end.
Tuning up was not a pleasant experience, as we were placed right on the water's edge, and the wind really destroyed the sound. This really wasn't a good idea; it effectively made it impossible to get a good sound.
Still, we went on, and we played. We were third on, so had had an early morning. It worked for the best, though, since we avoided the rain.
At the Championships, we only have to play once, at the Grade 4A level, playing our MSR. This week, we felt the performance was much better, at least from the pipers. The breaks were clean, the tunes were nice and controlled, and the sound was as good as could be hoped. Sadly, the drummers were less pleased with their performance, but we put that down to them having a bad day.
Unfortunately, the results didn't go our way. We were 7th and 15th in piping. Worse, the two judges failed to give consistent feedback; their remarks were directly contradictory literally on a paragraph-by-paragraph basis. The drummers came 14th, and the ensemble 12th.
Overall, the band was 13th, out of 23. This was a real shame, since we'd actually dared to hope for a prize, but definitely thought top-10 was reasonable.
Still, it was not to be. Next up is the Bathgate Highland Games, and then we have several weeks off before the British Championships at Annan...
Dunbar Highland Games 2011
So, the piping season starts once again, this time slightly later than usual.
The first competition was, as always, at Dunbar. As with last year, they've moved the contest away from the seafront to another park. This cuts down on the wind considerably, which is a vast improvement.
For the most part, it was a lovely day - nice and sunny, with not too much wind. There was one extremely heavy shower, but it soon passed.
The band were playing twice - once in the Grade 4 contest (essentially, a Grade 4B contest), and again for a "Grade 4 MSR", which is basically a Grade 4A contest. This is a fairly new development at the minor contests - most of them still only have the one "Grade 4" contest.
We played really well at Grade 4 level, and left the field well pleased. However, there was a feeling that this was mostly meaningless, since it's not really the contest we're interested in. In the MSR, we unfortunately didn't play as well. The breaks from the march to the strathspey, and from the strathspey to the reel didn't go well. Also, the reel was too fast, causing it to fall apart a bit in the last part.
However, the results didn't seem to bear this out. In the Grade 4, we came third. In the MSR, we came fourth. (Unfortunately, the MSR only had a single prize for the winner.) So, a good result, albeit probably better than was really deserved.
And that takes us to the Scottish Championships at Dumbarton...
The first competition was, as always, at Dunbar. As with last year, they've moved the contest away from the seafront to another park. This cuts down on the wind considerably, which is a vast improvement.
For the most part, it was a lovely day - nice and sunny, with not too much wind. There was one extremely heavy shower, but it soon passed.
The band were playing twice - once in the Grade 4 contest (essentially, a Grade 4B contest), and again for a "Grade 4 MSR", which is basically a Grade 4A contest. This is a fairly new development at the minor contests - most of them still only have the one "Grade 4" contest.
We played really well at Grade 4 level, and left the field well pleased. However, there was a feeling that this was mostly meaningless, since it's not really the contest we're interested in. In the MSR, we unfortunately didn't play as well. The breaks from the march to the strathspey, and from the strathspey to the reel didn't go well. Also, the reel was too fast, causing it to fall apart a bit in the last part.
However, the results didn't seem to bear this out. In the Grade 4, we came third. In the MSR, we came fourth. (Unfortunately, the MSR only had a single prize for the winner.) So, a good result, albeit probably better than was really deserved.
And that takes us to the Scottish Championships at Dumbarton...
Experimental Cookery 2011 #6: Sticky Lemon Chicken with "Champ"
Source: Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food
Cook Time: About 20 minutes prep plus 20 minutes cooking
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: I made enough for three
Equipment used: Frying pan, 2 saucepans, chopping board, sharp knives, spoons, etc.
Well, I was due another complete disaster, and this was it.
The cooking of the chicken was nice and simple. I perhaps added too much salt and pepper, but it wasn't bad. Otherwise, it was just a case of adding things at the right time, and keeping a watchful eye.
But with the potato, I went badly wrong. Basically, I added way too much milk and cream to the potato. My own fault really, but I ended up with a runny slop that was fit only for the bin. Rather annoying, that, since it looked great right up to that point.
Result: 7/10 for the chicken; no score for the mashed potato
Cook Time: About 20 minutes prep plus 20 minutes cooking
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: I made enough for three
Equipment used: Frying pan, 2 saucepans, chopping board, sharp knives, spoons, etc.
Well, I was due another complete disaster, and this was it.
The cooking of the chicken was nice and simple. I perhaps added too much salt and pepper, but it wasn't bad. Otherwise, it was just a case of adding things at the right time, and keeping a watchful eye.
But with the potato, I went badly wrong. Basically, I added way too much milk and cream to the potato. My own fault really, but I ended up with a runny slop that was fit only for the bin. Rather annoying, that, since it looked great right up to that point.
Result: 7/10 for the chicken; no score for the mashed potato
Melancholy
I finished "Les Miserables" last night. It was a good read, not as good as "Tale of Two Cities" or "To Kill a Mockingbird", but certainly the best book I've read so far this year.
But I'm not sure what to make of the ending. Jean Valjean dies, of course, and it seems he dies rather unfairly, having been wronged one more time. And yet, he dies happy, and secure in having redeemed himself. As the bishop at the start claims, he has indeed "bought his soul for God."
So, is a happy ending, or a sad ending?
"It's an ending, and that's enough." - Marge Simpson.
#13: "Pathfinder: Trial of the Beast", by Richard Pett
#14: "Les Miserables, Volume Two", by Victor Hugo (a book from The List)
But I'm not sure what to make of the ending. Jean Valjean dies, of course, and it seems he dies rather unfairly, having been wronged one more time. And yet, he dies happy, and secure in having redeemed himself. As the bishop at the start claims, he has indeed "bought his soul for God."
So, is a happy ending, or a sad ending?
"It's an ending, and that's enough." - Marge Simpson.
#13: "Pathfinder: Trial of the Beast", by Richard Pett
#14: "Les Miserables, Volume Two", by Victor Hugo (a book from The List)
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Culling the Wardrobe
Once again, I've been going through my wardrobe, sorting out the things that don't fit (actually very few), the things that haven't been worn in some time (also few), and the things that are just a bit too worn.
The end result is that I need to pick up a handful of items, mostly printed t-shirts. For the most part, though, I'm in surprisingly good shape. Huzzah!
However, in amongst all this, I was confronted with the ultimate question: just how many socks does one man need?
After some consideration, I came to the conclusion that the answer was "enough pairs for six weeks."
Allow me to explain: obviously, I need a two-week supply (in case I miss a wash). However, I also need a backup supply, in case of sock-conspiracy action. And then, there needs to be a backup backup supply, just in case.
So, six weeks.
And, just in case you are wondering at my logic here, or indeed whether this truly is the ultimate question of not, allow me just to point out that six weeks times seven days equals 42 pairs of socks. QED.
The end result is that I need to pick up a handful of items, mostly printed t-shirts. For the most part, though, I'm in surprisingly good shape. Huzzah!
However, in amongst all this, I was confronted with the ultimate question: just how many socks does one man need?
After some consideration, I came to the conclusion that the answer was "enough pairs for six weeks."
Allow me to explain: obviously, I need a two-week supply (in case I miss a wash). However, I also need a backup supply, in case of sock-conspiracy action. And then, there needs to be a backup backup supply, just in case.
So, six weeks.
And, just in case you are wondering at my logic here, or indeed whether this truly is the ultimate question of not, allow me just to point out that six weeks times seven days equals 42 pairs of socks. QED.
Experimental Cookery 2011 #5: Incredibly Naughty Mini Toad-in-the-Hole
Source: Baking Made Easy, by Lorraine Pascale (p. 102)
Cook Time: Approx 80 minutes, including a 30 minute wait and a 25 minute wait.
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: The book claims 12, but I made a half batch. The book seems accurate
Equipment used: Chopping board, sharp knife, fork, teaspoon, tablespoon, measuring jug, baking tray, muffin tin
This is one of my dad's favourites, but done in a rather more involved style. I was curious to find how this version stacked up.
The truth is, not too well. The major advantage of toad-in-the-hole is that it's dead simple, and the same is not true here. Sure, it's easy, and the results are a little better, but I don't think they're "better enough" to justify the extra effort.
That said, they were nice indeed. It's also worth noting that "Baking Made Easy" is rapidly becoming one of my favourite cook books.
Result: Excellent. 7/10
Cook Time: Approx 80 minutes, including a 30 minute wait and a 25 minute wait.
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: The book claims 12, but I made a half batch. The book seems accurate
Equipment used: Chopping board, sharp knife, fork, teaspoon, tablespoon, measuring jug, baking tray, muffin tin
This is one of my dad's favourites, but done in a rather more involved style. I was curious to find how this version stacked up.
The truth is, not too well. The major advantage of toad-in-the-hole is that it's dead simple, and the same is not true here. Sure, it's easy, and the results are a little better, but I don't think they're "better enough" to justify the extra effort.
That said, they were nice indeed. It's also worth noting that "Baking Made Easy" is rapidly becoming one of my favourite cook books.
Result: Excellent. 7/10
Experimental Cookery 2011 #4: Peanut Chicken Noodle Salad
Source: Chinese Food Made Easy, by Ching-he Huang (p. 64)
Cook Time: Approx 45 minutes prep, though I had a second pair of hands to help
Difficulty: Easy, but quite fiddly
Servings: 2 large servings, as claimed in the book
Equipment used: Loads of stuff! Wok, chopping boards, 2 saucepans, knives, spoons, bowls
This was a fairly easy, and very tasty stir-fry. With this book, I've found that it's extremely important to prepare the ingredients before starting cooking - once you start, you have no time to do anything else.
(Actually, that's something that's quite annoying about this book. I quite like the format in Jamie's "Ministry of Food" book - ingredients, then preparation instructions, then cooking, then serving. However, that seems to be the only book I have that adopts that format.)
Anyway, once it was all put together, it made for a very filling meal for two, and was extremely tasty. Recommended.
Result: Excellent. 8/10
Cook Time: Approx 45 minutes prep, though I had a second pair of hands to help
Difficulty: Easy, but quite fiddly
Servings: 2 large servings, as claimed in the book
Equipment used: Loads of stuff! Wok, chopping boards, 2 saucepans, knives, spoons, bowls
This was a fairly easy, and very tasty stir-fry. With this book, I've found that it's extremely important to prepare the ingredients before starting cooking - once you start, you have no time to do anything else.
(Actually, that's something that's quite annoying about this book. I quite like the format in Jamie's "Ministry of Food" book - ingredients, then preparation instructions, then cooking, then serving. However, that seems to be the only book I have that adopts that format.)
Anyway, once it was all put together, it made for a very filling meal for two, and was extremely tasty. Recommended.
Result: Excellent. 8/10
Some Follow-up
On Voting
I voted as described.
I was surprised by the results. Not the nature of the results, but the magnitude. In all honesty, I'm not convinced it's a good thing for the SNP to have quite such a strong position in the Scottish Parliament - in general, I think very slight majorities (or even slight minorities) give a healthier politics.
Still, I'm quite hopeful, as I wouldn't have been had Labour won.
(I'm not even remotely surprised at the Lib Dem wipe-out. Nor terribly upset.)
On the Peanut Butter Cookies
They went down very well. Nonetheless, I'm going to give them 7/10 - they weren't as nice as the brownies, and there was an awful lot of eating in them.
I voted as described.
I was surprised by the results. Not the nature of the results, but the magnitude. In all honesty, I'm not convinced it's a good thing for the SNP to have quite such a strong position in the Scottish Parliament - in general, I think very slight majorities (or even slight minorities) give a healthier politics.
Still, I'm quite hopeful, as I wouldn't have been had Labour won.
(I'm not even remotely surprised at the Lib Dem wipe-out. Nor terribly upset.)
On the Peanut Butter Cookies
They went down very well. Nonetheless, I'm going to give them 7/10 - they weren't as nice as the brownies, and there was an awful lot of eating in them.
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Updated on Goals
We're now four months into the year, so I think it's time for an update on my goals for the year. Back in January, I listed seven goals. I also specifically didn't give a reading goal. Nonetheless, I'm going to give an update on that as well, and also on the painting of my Ork force.
- Super Secret Goal #3 is well in hand.
- My goal to "blog more" has been successful, but has now been superseded by a more specific target - I want to get to 1,000 posts. Probably not by the end of the year, as I don't think that's realistic, but early in 2012.
- I've made some progress towards getting back to my "fighting weight", but it's slow going. Plus, I miss Irn Bru.
- The band did indeed get promoted to grade 4A. Therefore, our goal is to get promoted again this year. This looks to be ambitious.
- The plan with the Saturday game is that we're going to try to get together one Saturday in each month (though not in May). Also, I'm not now running a game for that group, so don't have the same level of investment in it.
- I haven't yet written anything of consequence.
- I have indeed been more relaxed this year, though there is still a ways to go.
- On books: I'm halfway through "Les Miserables", haven't started "War and Peace", am up-to-date on Raymond Feist's novels and the Pathfinder books, but am behind schedule on reading the 1st Edition hardbacks.
- I finished the second of four batches of Orks on Wednesday, and varnished the two batches to date on Thursday. I'm now taking a short break to paint some miscellaneous other figures, but expect to have these all done fairly soon. My current projection is that I'll have the Ork force complete somewhere around October, unless I find myself even busier than expected.
Another One Bites the Dust
Despite the huge weight of advice to the contrary, and indeed despite knowing that other products are better, I still make heavy use of Microsoft software. Truth is, the products are still just about good enough to dissuade me from getting to know the alternatives.
But as time goes on, it gets increasingly difficult to do that.
Of course, it's well known that Windows Vista is just awful. Sadly, my current PC can't take an upgrade to Windows 7. And Windows is the one area where Microsoft still have the edge - I'm not ready to make the jump to Macland, and Linux just isn't for me.
Office, on the other hand, has been almost unusable since they brought in the "ribbon interface" in 2007. It's hard to express just how awful that interface is. Sure, the old interface wasn't exactly great, but at least I was able to use it. The ribbon... not so much.
And so, it has been very clear for a long time that my next PC (probably bought in 2012) will be installed with Windows 7 and OpenOffice.
But until this week, I hadn't really given any great thought to my choice of browser. Once again, I'd concluded that Internet Exploder was just about good enough for my purposes.
This week, Microsoft elected to 'upgrade' to IE9, with the consequence that Blogger doesn't work. The "Publish Post" button doesn't actually do anything.
Good work, guys! Thanks to your marvellous upgrade, I've just switched to Firefox!
But as time goes on, it gets increasingly difficult to do that.
Of course, it's well known that Windows Vista is just awful. Sadly, my current PC can't take an upgrade to Windows 7. And Windows is the one area where Microsoft still have the edge - I'm not ready to make the jump to Macland, and Linux just isn't for me.
Office, on the other hand, has been almost unusable since they brought in the "ribbon interface" in 2007. It's hard to express just how awful that interface is. Sure, the old interface wasn't exactly great, but at least I was able to use it. The ribbon... not so much.
And so, it has been very clear for a long time that my next PC (probably bought in 2012) will be installed with Windows 7 and OpenOffice.
But until this week, I hadn't really given any great thought to my choice of browser. Once again, I'd concluded that Internet Exploder was just about good enough for my purposes.
This week, Microsoft elected to 'upgrade' to IE9, with the consequence that Blogger doesn't work. The "Publish Post" button doesn't actually do anything.
Good work, guys! Thanks to your marvellous upgrade, I've just switched to Firefox!
Dealing With Sectarianism in Football
Given that I don't really like complaining about things without offering suggestions for a better way, here are three ways to deal with sectarianism in football. I should note that one of these is radical to the point of being utterly irresponsible.
1) The SFA/SPL could ban all football chants. Instead, allow people to bring in instruments (maybe even issue vuvuzelas to the crowd). This immediately limits sectarianism to those with the discipline to learn an instrument - and when there's trouble, it's considerably easier to remove "the guy with the bagpipes" than "whoever started that chant". (You'd continue to allow cheering, of course - just no chants that have a recognisable tune.)
2) The SFA/SPL could embed a couple more officials in the crowd, and if they hear sectarian chants, have them order the match abandoned. Afterwards, the points get divided based on the nature of the chants and the current score - the default is "no points for either team", but you need some process in place to avoid fans from deliberately getting games abandoned when their team is currently losing.
Or, of course, simply deduct points from teams whose fans do engage in the chanting.
3) Remove the police presence from the inside of grounds entirely. Instead, license the grounds to host football matches. The moment there is trouble, including sectarian singing, strip the club of the right to host matches. That this then provides clubs with a massive problem of fulfilling their league obligations is their problem (they would have to find a new ground, at short notice, and that ground would be at risk of also losing its license).
(If this were done, clubs would have to have the absolute right to ban away supporters if they felt that was necessary. The clubs would also have to massively increase the level of stewarding at games.)
And, yes, #3 is the one that is potentially irresponsible. To be honest, I think #1 is probably the best solution.
1) The SFA/SPL could ban all football chants. Instead, allow people to bring in instruments (maybe even issue vuvuzelas to the crowd). This immediately limits sectarianism to those with the discipline to learn an instrument - and when there's trouble, it's considerably easier to remove "the guy with the bagpipes" than "whoever started that chant". (You'd continue to allow cheering, of course - just no chants that have a recognisable tune.)
2) The SFA/SPL could embed a couple more officials in the crowd, and if they hear sectarian chants, have them order the match abandoned. Afterwards, the points get divided based on the nature of the chants and the current score - the default is "no points for either team", but you need some process in place to avoid fans from deliberately getting games abandoned when their team is currently losing.
Or, of course, simply deduct points from teams whose fans do engage in the chanting.
3) Remove the police presence from the inside of grounds entirely. Instead, license the grounds to host football matches. The moment there is trouble, including sectarian singing, strip the club of the right to host matches. That this then provides clubs with a massive problem of fulfilling their league obligations is their problem (they would have to find a new ground, at short notice, and that ground would be at risk of also losing its license).
(If this were done, clubs would have to have the absolute right to ban away supporters if they felt that was necessary. The clubs would also have to massively increase the level of stewarding at games.)
And, yes, #3 is the one that is potentially irresponsible. To be honest, I think #1 is probably the best solution.
Friday, April 29, 2011
An Over-abundance of Pizza
In a new entry in the category of "worst thing that's ever happened"...
For the concert today, I of course washed and ironed my short-sleeved shirt. This is my only shirt of this sort, and it was slated for replacement after the concert.
I then proceeded to drop it in the mud while getting out of the car.
Fortunately, there was a break built in to the proceedings - a chance to relax, get changed, and get something to eat. For me, this was changed to "rush to the shops like a madman, buy a new shirt, iron said shirt, order pizza, quickly eat said pizza, get changed, and rush back."
Well, so far, so good. The shirt is bought and ironed, the pizza is ordered and pending delivery, and now I'm taking a short break. Huzzah!
But it turns out that Dominos are having a special offer this weekend, in honour of the big day (see previous post), whereby one can order one pizza and get one free.
This would be great, except that two pizzas is just too much even for me. And I can't have the leftovers for breakfast, as I've already gotten the sausage and bacon out of the freezer. Nor for lunch, as I have leftover fajitas. Nor indeed for dinner tomorrow, as I'm away at an exciting barbeque.
Truly, it is a trial for the ages. I bet Julius Caesar never had problems like this to wrestle with on his quest for glory...
For the concert today, I of course washed and ironed my short-sleeved shirt. This is my only shirt of this sort, and it was slated for replacement after the concert.
I then proceeded to drop it in the mud while getting out of the car.
Fortunately, there was a break built in to the proceedings - a chance to relax, get changed, and get something to eat. For me, this was changed to "rush to the shops like a madman, buy a new shirt, iron said shirt, order pizza, quickly eat said pizza, get changed, and rush back."
Well, so far, so good. The shirt is bought and ironed, the pizza is ordered and pending delivery, and now I'm taking a short break. Huzzah!
But it turns out that Dominos are having a special offer this weekend, in honour of the big day (see previous post), whereby one can order one pizza and get one free.
This would be great, except that two pizzas is just too much even for me. And I can't have the leftovers for breakfast, as I've already gotten the sausage and bacon out of the freezer. Nor for lunch, as I have leftover fajitas. Nor indeed for dinner tomorrow, as I'm away at an exciting barbeque.
Truly, it is a trial for the ages. I bet Julius Caesar never had problems like this to wrestle with on his quest for glory...
The Big Day
Tonight, my band host our major fund-raising event of the year, a concert with Skerryvore. If this goes well, it will secure our funding for the rest of the season. If it goes badly, it could cause us some major problems. Our most recent projections suggest that we're on course to make a small loss.
It's a worrying day, not least because there's now nothing that can be done to help matters. The band have a practice later, but the truth is that how well we play with have no bearing on how much money we make.
Oh well. I just hope it's a good night.
Sorry, did you expect this post to be about something else?
It's a worrying day, not least because there's now nothing that can be done to help matters. The band have a practice later, but the truth is that how well we play with have no bearing on how much money we make.
Oh well. I just hope it's a good night.
Sorry, did you expect this post to be about something else?
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Swan Lake on Ice
Lady Chocolat and I have a standing agreement that once per year, round about Christmas, we'll venture out to the ballet. I've determined that I can just about survive the crazy flailing about of the limbs, and other madness, associated with it all. Last year was Cinderella, and the year before was the legendary Squirrel Ballet.
However, it was the Lady's birthday recently, and as luck would have it, Swan Lake on Ice was on at the Theatre Royal. And so, since this allowed me to sort out her birthday present with a minimum of fuss, and since it also allowed me to pretend to be far more sensitive and caring than is usually my wont, off we went.
Turns out, it was awesome.
We had seats in the dress circle, just a few rows back from the front. This proved to have many advantages - slightly more leg room, shorter queues for the bar, and a much better view. This last was key, for obvious reasons. All in all, a vast improvement.
As for the performance... well. There were things that they did that, had they been described to me, I would not have believed they were possible. In fact, I'm still not convinced. Basically, they seemed to spend their time whizzing about, performing all sorts of jumps, and twirls, and spins, and lifts, most of which were completely insane, and all on a rink that was just far too small for what they were doing. And all that was before they set the ice on fire.
No, really.
I think part of what set this apart from the ballet itself was that it was very obvious just how difficult and dangerous it all was. With the ballet, although I can appreciate that a hell of a lot of training has gone into it, the better the performers are, the easier they make it all look.
Anyway, all in all it was a great performance, and a good night.
And now I still have "The Sleeping Beauty" to look forward to in December...
However, it was the Lady's birthday recently, and as luck would have it, Swan Lake on Ice was on at the Theatre Royal. And so, since this allowed me to sort out her birthday present with a minimum of fuss, and since it also allowed me to pretend to be far more sensitive and caring than is usually my wont, off we went.
Turns out, it was awesome.
We had seats in the dress circle, just a few rows back from the front. This proved to have many advantages - slightly more leg room, shorter queues for the bar, and a much better view. This last was key, for obvious reasons. All in all, a vast improvement.
As for the performance... well. There were things that they did that, had they been described to me, I would not have believed they were possible. In fact, I'm still not convinced. Basically, they seemed to spend their time whizzing about, performing all sorts of jumps, and twirls, and spins, and lifts, most of which were completely insane, and all on a rink that was just far too small for what they were doing. And all that was before they set the ice on fire.
No, really.
I think part of what set this apart from the ballet itself was that it was very obvious just how difficult and dangerous it all was. With the ballet, although I can appreciate that a hell of a lot of training has gone into it, the better the performers are, the easier they make it all look.
Anyway, all in all it was a great performance, and a good night.
And now I still have "The Sleeping Beauty" to look forward to in December...
Experimental Cookery 2011 #3: Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies
Source: Baking Made Easy, by Lorraine Pascale (p.200)
Cook Time: Approx 20 minutes prep, plus 15 minutes cook time (done in two batches)
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: Makes 12 big cookies, as claimed in the book
Equipment used: Big bowl, scales, spoons, fork, frying pan, chopping board, sharp knife, 2 baking trays, baking paper
On Saturday, I'm heading over to a barbeque with cousin A (plus M, S and D). Consequently, I have decided to cook up another batch of the brownies, and also a batch of these peanut butter cookies. Because such things barbeque extremely well, of course!
These proved to be quite easy to make - one step followed on from the last naturally enough, and there was no pressure of time this time, so...
The only slight difficulty came when trying to lay them out on the baking tray - there simply wasn't room to do 12 all at once, and the cookies expanded into the oven to touch one another. Still, no harm done.
The cookies that have come out of the oven are giant! They're much thicker than in the picture, quite a bit bigger, and generally more suited to hungry Steph/vens. Huzzah!
Otherwise, they look pretty great, and so will do good service come the weekend.
Result: Not sure - I'm saving them until Saturday. But, of course, this means they're not exactly "irresistible", by definition!
Cook Time: Approx 20 minutes prep, plus 15 minutes cook time (done in two batches)
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: Makes 12 big cookies, as claimed in the book
Equipment used: Big bowl, scales, spoons, fork, frying pan, chopping board, sharp knife, 2 baking trays, baking paper
On Saturday, I'm heading over to a barbeque with cousin A (plus M, S and D). Consequently, I have decided to cook up another batch of the brownies, and also a batch of these peanut butter cookies. Because such things barbeque extremely well, of course!
These proved to be quite easy to make - one step followed on from the last naturally enough, and there was no pressure of time this time, so...
The only slight difficulty came when trying to lay them out on the baking tray - there simply wasn't room to do 12 all at once, and the cookies expanded into the oven to touch one another. Still, no harm done.
The cookies that have come out of the oven are giant! They're much thicker than in the picture, quite a bit bigger, and generally more suited to hungry Steph/vens. Huzzah!
Otherwise, they look pretty great, and so will do good service come the weekend.
Result: Not sure - I'm saving them until Saturday. But, of course, this means they're not exactly "irresistible", by definition!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
A Quick Thought on the Royal Wedding
I almost certainly won't be watching the royal wedding. With the band having a concert that night, I suspect I'll be too busy. Besides, even if I were free, it's very likely that I could find better things to do with the time.
That said, I have absolutely no objection to the coverage that is being given to this event, the amount of attention paid to it, or even to the cost. As I see it, if we're going to have a monarchy, then it is entirely appropriate to allow it to take centre stage when some significant event occurs - and the wedding of our future king certainly counts as a "significant event".
I say that despite feeling, as a matter of principle, that we probably should not have a monarchy, and that a democratic approach would be better. But I object to half-assed mediocrity a whole lot more than outdated notions of Divine Right.
That said, I have absolutely no objection to the coverage that is being given to this event, the amount of attention paid to it, or even to the cost. As I see it, if we're going to have a monarchy, then it is entirely appropriate to allow it to take centre stage when some significant event occurs - and the wedding of our future king certainly counts as a "significant event".
I say that despite feeling, as a matter of principle, that we probably should not have a monarchy, and that a democratic approach would be better. But I object to half-assed mediocrity a whole lot more than outdated notions of Divine Right.
I do apologise...
The last post was rubbish. The person responsible has been notified that he won't be being paid for his contribution.
Sorry.
Sorry.
Glorious Summer, except for one day...
I've been enjoying the nice weather lately, especially since I'm currently in the midst of a week off, which for once actually gives me a chance to enjoy it.
My best opportunity came on Saturday, when the band were playing in Falkirk High Street - a chance to do some much-needed fund raising, to get some much-needed outdoor practice in, and a chance to take advantage of the good weather (and the better crowds that result).
Naturally, Saturday was the one day that it rained.
Even worse, knowing that we'd play in several slots, with breaks in between, I cunningly packed a book in my pipe box to read while taking a break. My pipe box is mostly waterproof, with the one weakness being the side pocket with the vertical zip... the side pocket where my book was stored. Luckily, it was a trashy novel that I have since finished.
Saturday was not the very best of days.
#11: "Serenity: Big Damn Heroes Handbook", from Margaret Weis Productions
#12: "At the Gates of Darkness", by Raymond E. Feist
My best opportunity came on Saturday, when the band were playing in Falkirk High Street - a chance to do some much-needed fund raising, to get some much-needed outdoor practice in, and a chance to take advantage of the good weather (and the better crowds that result).
Naturally, Saturday was the one day that it rained.
Even worse, knowing that we'd play in several slots, with breaks in between, I cunningly packed a book in my pipe box to read while taking a break. My pipe box is mostly waterproof, with the one weakness being the side pocket with the vertical zip... the side pocket where my book was stored. Luckily, it was a trashy novel that I have since finished.
Saturday was not the very best of days.
#11: "Serenity: Big Damn Heroes Handbook", from Margaret Weis Productions
#12: "At the Gates of Darkness", by Raymond E. Feist
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
How I'm Going to Vote
In the Elections for the Scottish Parliament
Until a few years ago, it was my intention to vote SNP for everything except the Scottish parliament, because I fundamentally don't agree with independence but do agree with most of their other policies, and because the Scottish parliament is the one venue where I think there is an actual risk they might be able to achieve independence.
So, it had been my intention to vote Lib Dem at the Scottish elections. That will not now be happening.
Despite the terrible confusion of being faced with a political party that actually does deliver (most of) what it promises in its manifesto, a political party that does at least stand for something (even if it's something I don't agree with), and a political party that genuinely does seem to be mostly competent, I'll be voting SNP this time. Granted, any one of the above should really bar them from any sort of serious politics, but...
My prediction: This election is really too close to call. I expect the Tories to stay pretty much constant, the Lib Dems to be all-but annihilated, and the various minor parties and independents to do quite well. But will we see an SNP majority, a Labour majority, another minority government (probably SNP), or something else?
My guess is that we'll see another SNP government, with a very small majority. But I'm really not sure - it depends on where those Lib Dem voters go.
On the AV Referendum
I'm actually a bit annoyed about this one. If we're having a referendum on the voting system, why are the currently-elected politicians the ones to determine the terms of the decision? That is, why do they choose that we can have the Alternative Vote or First Past the Post, but can't decide that we want some other, better system?
Frankly, the ballot here should have at least four options: First Past the Post, the Alternative Vote, the Single Transferrable Vote, or Proportional Representation. (Amusingly, the vote itself should probably be done on an Alternative Vote mechanism.)
As things stand, we'll probably end up with another referendum in five years, either because we gave the 'wrong' answer (no) this time, or because we gave the 'right' answer (yes) and they now want to take the next step.
Plus, the Alternative Vote is a grubby little compromise that really doesn't help much. As far as I can tell, it's main effect will be to strengthen the grip of the 'big three' parties on the House of Commons, and since those 'big three' pretty much represent the worst thing about our current politics, I can't see that being a good thing.
And yet, despite this, I'm going to be voting 'Yes' to the Alternative Vote. Because I believe it does represent a small step towards a better politics, even if we won't get to the end result for a decade or more.
My prediction: It doesn't matter; nothing will change.
If the 'No' campaign have their way and win the day, the coalition government will fall apart. Without the promise of the AV floating around, the Lib Dems will have no reason to stick with their Faustian pact. It may be that Nick Clegg and a tiny faction of Lib Dems will stay with the Tories, and possibly even join the Tories formally, which may just be enough to maintain a majority. But I expect the bulk of the Lib Dems to walk away.
If the 'Yes' campaign wins, things are even more interesting. I would expect the government to delay bringing it to a vote for as long as they possibly can (again, once it's passed, why would the Lib Dems stay in coalition?). When it does come to a vote, there is absolutely no guarantee that it would pass. And, indeed, it may be that a significant number of Tories rebel (possibly even finding allies of convenience within the Labour party!), enough to block the measure. Again, that might well be enough to split the coalition - especially if it was suspected the Tory whips were less than enthusiastic in enforcing the line.
I really can't see this coalition bringing about any significant change to the voting system.
Until a few years ago, it was my intention to vote SNP for everything except the Scottish parliament, because I fundamentally don't agree with independence but do agree with most of their other policies, and because the Scottish parliament is the one venue where I think there is an actual risk they might be able to achieve independence.
So, it had been my intention to vote Lib Dem at the Scottish elections. That will not now be happening.
Despite the terrible confusion of being faced with a political party that actually does deliver (most of) what it promises in its manifesto, a political party that does at least stand for something (even if it's something I don't agree with), and a political party that genuinely does seem to be mostly competent, I'll be voting SNP this time. Granted, any one of the above should really bar them from any sort of serious politics, but...
My prediction: This election is really too close to call. I expect the Tories to stay pretty much constant, the Lib Dems to be all-but annihilated, and the various minor parties and independents to do quite well. But will we see an SNP majority, a Labour majority, another minority government (probably SNP), or something else?
My guess is that we'll see another SNP government, with a very small majority. But I'm really not sure - it depends on where those Lib Dem voters go.
On the AV Referendum
I'm actually a bit annoyed about this one. If we're having a referendum on the voting system, why are the currently-elected politicians the ones to determine the terms of the decision? That is, why do they choose that we can have the Alternative Vote or First Past the Post, but can't decide that we want some other, better system?
Frankly, the ballot here should have at least four options: First Past the Post, the Alternative Vote, the Single Transferrable Vote, or Proportional Representation. (Amusingly, the vote itself should probably be done on an Alternative Vote mechanism.)
As things stand, we'll probably end up with another referendum in five years, either because we gave the 'wrong' answer (no) this time, or because we gave the 'right' answer (yes) and they now want to take the next step.
Plus, the Alternative Vote is a grubby little compromise that really doesn't help much. As far as I can tell, it's main effect will be to strengthen the grip of the 'big three' parties on the House of Commons, and since those 'big three' pretty much represent the worst thing about our current politics, I can't see that being a good thing.
And yet, despite this, I'm going to be voting 'Yes' to the Alternative Vote. Because I believe it does represent a small step towards a better politics, even if we won't get to the end result for a decade or more.
My prediction: It doesn't matter; nothing will change.
If the 'No' campaign have their way and win the day, the coalition government will fall apart. Without the promise of the AV floating around, the Lib Dems will have no reason to stick with their Faustian pact. It may be that Nick Clegg and a tiny faction of Lib Dems will stay with the Tories, and possibly even join the Tories formally, which may just be enough to maintain a majority. But I expect the bulk of the Lib Dems to walk away.
If the 'Yes' campaign wins, things are even more interesting. I would expect the government to delay bringing it to a vote for as long as they possibly can (again, once it's passed, why would the Lib Dems stay in coalition?). When it does come to a vote, there is absolutely no guarantee that it would pass. And, indeed, it may be that a significant number of Tories rebel (possibly even finding allies of convenience within the Labour party!), enough to block the measure. Again, that might well be enough to split the coalition - especially if it was suspected the Tory whips were less than enthusiastic in enforcing the line.
I really can't see this coalition bringing about any significant change to the voting system.
Your Highness
Lady Chocolat and I went to see "Your Highness" on Friday, with several of the guys from my RPG group (plus several of their respective partners, and even some non-gamer friends). It was an enjoyable night.
By my count, there are exactly two ways to make a good fantasy film.
The first is to take the "Lord of the Rings" route, and take the whole thing seriously, filming it as though "this actually happened". That isn't to say there isn't humour in the "Lord of the Rings" films, but it's organic to the characters and the situation, rather than being inherent in the premise itself.
The second approach is to treat the whole thing as absurd, and build a comic fantasy. This is the approach taken in "Your Highness", and it works quite well.
I believe this is why the "Dungeons & Dragons" films failed so abysmally. The people making those films really wanted to treat them seriously, but they lacked the ability to pull it off. Fantasy is expensive - you need a big budget for spells, and monsters, and other-worldly vistas, and so on. The problem is, if you don't have a massive budget, you have to cut corners elsewhere. So, the quality of the script suffers. The quality of the actors suffers (and, if you do somehow manage to get a couple of good actors, they recognise the lack of quality everywhere else, and so just phone it in). The quality of the director suffers (or, worse, the director is a massive fanboi with no actual experience...).
And so it goes. By shooting for seriousness that they just couldn't deliver on the budget, they made a huge mess. They're not even "so bad it's good." They're just bad.
And so we come to "Your Highness". In all honesty, this isn't a great film, but it was a very entertaining one, largely because it embraced the absurdity of the genre as a whole. Plus, they seemed to have channelled every single "bad RPG" moment imaginable, and put them up on the screen - it played out very much like an RPG session might well.
I doubt there will be a sequel. This seems the sort of film that will make decent, but not outstanding money, will do quite well on DVD, will make a loss on paper (all films make a loss on paper), and will not quite earn a sequel. In all honesty, that's probably for the best.
Still, not to worry. I had fun.
#10: "Serenity: Spaceships and Six Shooters", by Lynn Blackson and Jason Durall
By my count, there are exactly two ways to make a good fantasy film.
The first is to take the "Lord of the Rings" route, and take the whole thing seriously, filming it as though "this actually happened". That isn't to say there isn't humour in the "Lord of the Rings" films, but it's organic to the characters and the situation, rather than being inherent in the premise itself.
The second approach is to treat the whole thing as absurd, and build a comic fantasy. This is the approach taken in "Your Highness", and it works quite well.
I believe this is why the "Dungeons & Dragons" films failed so abysmally. The people making those films really wanted to treat them seriously, but they lacked the ability to pull it off. Fantasy is expensive - you need a big budget for spells, and monsters, and other-worldly vistas, and so on. The problem is, if you don't have a massive budget, you have to cut corners elsewhere. So, the quality of the script suffers. The quality of the actors suffers (and, if you do somehow manage to get a couple of good actors, they recognise the lack of quality everywhere else, and so just phone it in). The quality of the director suffers (or, worse, the director is a massive fanboi with no actual experience...).
And so it goes. By shooting for seriousness that they just couldn't deliver on the budget, they made a huge mess. They're not even "so bad it's good." They're just bad.
And so we come to "Your Highness". In all honesty, this isn't a great film, but it was a very entertaining one, largely because it embraced the absurdity of the genre as a whole. Plus, they seemed to have channelled every single "bad RPG" moment imaginable, and put them up on the screen - it played out very much like an RPG session might well.
I doubt there will be a sequel. This seems the sort of film that will make decent, but not outstanding money, will do quite well on DVD, will make a loss on paper (all films make a loss on paper), and will not quite earn a sequel. In all honesty, that's probably for the best.
Still, not to worry. I had fun.
#10: "Serenity: Spaceships and Six Shooters", by Lynn Blackson and Jason Durall
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Can't Take the Sky From Me
As you may have noticed, in the last month I've been busily reading a number of "Serenity" books. These are actually supplements for the "Serenity RPG" by Margaret Weis Productions, a short-lived RPG based on the film "Serenity", which was itself based on the short-lived "Firefly" TV series.
At Christmas, I had the opportunity to run a one-off adventure using the "Serenity RPG", and although it was really not a great adventure, it was enjoyed by all present, and there was some interest in kicking off a campaign. And so, I hunted up the books, and got stuck in to the reading.
I've also been doing a far amount of musing about game design, and have been doing a fair amount of reading of late, largely into those blogs that are part of the "Old School Renaissance". A lot of what they have to say is really quite interesting (and a lot is nonsense, of course), but particularly of note is their emphasis on Doing It Yourself, rather than relying on publishers producing adventures, and settings, and other material to bloat out the setting.
In that regard, the fact that both the RPG, and indeed the "Firefly" series itself, was rather short-lived is actually a boon. There's just enough material to inspire campaigns, but not so much as to further constrain the group from making The 'Verse their own.
So, where am I going with this?
Well, firstly I think I'm inclined to actually throw out the rules system in use in the Serenity RPG. It's actually not very good. I'm probably inclined to go for Savage Worlds - it's pretty close, and it's a very good fit, but it also has a bit more robustness to it. (That said, I understand there's now a "Cortex 2.0", which takes the Serenity system and vastly improves it; perhaps that warrants a look?)
Secondly, if the crew are going to have their own ship (which of course they are), then they're going to be fairly mobile. This suggests to me that the best thing to do is a 'sandbox' style game - they can go wherever they want, and adventure will find them there.
This in turn suggests that, thirdly character advancement should be fairly slow, or indeed static. This is fine, since both the Serenity RPG and Savage Worlds use fairly slow advancement schemes anyway. Still, I may even be inclined to just not bother giving out advancements at all - characters are created at Veteran level, and stay there.
Fourth, since there is a fairly small amount of source material available, and a grand total of six published adventures (mostly short), I'll need to do a fair amount of leg work coming up with interesting things for the crew to do. I had hoped that the "Serenity: Adventures" book would be more useful in that regard, but it was not to be. Amusingly, the Star Wars Saga Edition book "Sum & Villainy" may be more use.
Fifth, I really need to watch "Firefly" again!
At Christmas, I had the opportunity to run a one-off adventure using the "Serenity RPG", and although it was really not a great adventure, it was enjoyed by all present, and there was some interest in kicking off a campaign. And so, I hunted up the books, and got stuck in to the reading.
I've also been doing a far amount of musing about game design, and have been doing a fair amount of reading of late, largely into those blogs that are part of the "Old School Renaissance". A lot of what they have to say is really quite interesting (and a lot is nonsense, of course), but particularly of note is their emphasis on Doing It Yourself, rather than relying on publishers producing adventures, and settings, and other material to bloat out the setting.
In that regard, the fact that both the RPG, and indeed the "Firefly" series itself, was rather short-lived is actually a boon. There's just enough material to inspire campaigns, but not so much as to further constrain the group from making The 'Verse their own.
So, where am I going with this?
Well, firstly I think I'm inclined to actually throw out the rules system in use in the Serenity RPG. It's actually not very good. I'm probably inclined to go for Savage Worlds - it's pretty close, and it's a very good fit, but it also has a bit more robustness to it. (That said, I understand there's now a "Cortex 2.0", which takes the Serenity system and vastly improves it; perhaps that warrants a look?)
Secondly, if the crew are going to have their own ship (which of course they are), then they're going to be fairly mobile. This suggests to me that the best thing to do is a 'sandbox' style game - they can go wherever they want, and adventure will find them there.
This in turn suggests that, thirdly character advancement should be fairly slow, or indeed static. This is fine, since both the Serenity RPG and Savage Worlds use fairly slow advancement schemes anyway. Still, I may even be inclined to just not bother giving out advancements at all - characters are created at Veteran level, and stay there.
Fourth, since there is a fairly small amount of source material available, and a grand total of six published adventures (mostly short), I'll need to do a fair amount of leg work coming up with interesting things for the crew to do. I had hoped that the "Serenity: Adventures" book would be more useful in that regard, but it was not to be. Amusingly, the Star Wars Saga Edition book "Sum & Villainy" may be more use.
Fifth, I really need to watch "Firefly" again!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Oh s***! What are we going to do now?
I thought carefully about the title of this post. As I'm sure I've mentioned before, I generally take the view that if you feel the need to use a profanity filter over what you're saying, it's generally a sign that you probably shouldn't be saying it anyway. However, I did consider that I may yet be on one or two blog-rolls, and while I may be happy swearing on my own blog, I'm not so keen on fouling the air over on Welshy's far more civilised blog.
Anyway...
One of my absolute favourite films of all time is, of course, "Transformers: the Movie". (Obviously, this is the animated one of yesteryear, not the Michael Bay abomination starring Foxy Megan and The Beef.) Truth be told, it's not really the best film, but it's a childhood favourite and so inherently great.
Way back when TF was in the cinema, and later on video, the BBFC had mandated some cuts to the film. The UK never got the cut that was shown in the States. With the DVD releases of the film, this was changed, mostly for the better.
However, at one point in the film, one of the characters is heard to utter the line, "Oh shit, what are we going to do now?"
Now, I'm an adult, and frankly don't really care about swearing in films. It just doesn't bother me. But the thing is, my nephew, PJ, is not. And, what's more, he's something of a sponge - he basically takes in absolutely everything he's exposed to. (Fortunately, his memory doesn't extend as far back as his first Christmas, when a supervillain who shall be known only as G commented on the existence of a certain present-bearing housebreaker...)
Anyway, this of course creates a certain problem. PJ loves Transformers (of course), and would love the film. But all the DVD versions include this swear-word. (Which, it should be noted, adds not a single thing to the film.) And that means that I cannot get him a copy, or let him watch my copy, or anything of the sort - his parents may make that decision, but I'm not entitled to do so. It's really frustrating.
So, I have to ask: what were the publishers thinking? And, indeed, what were the BBFC thinking in letting it go ahead in this form? Did they even watch the revised cut?
It just seems so pointless, and annoying.
(Incidentally, if and when I eventually have children, I feel I shall have to take the BBFC certificates as only the loosest of guidelines. Honestly, I don't believe they watch a lot of what they pass - there are some things that get through that really shouldn't (South Park's erect penis), and some things that get cut that shouldn't (Die Hard 4.0). It really seems to make no sense. Indeed, it often seems that they just translate the US rating into its UK certificate equivalent. This would certainly explain why the '12' became a '12A', thus making it exactly the same as the US PG-13...)
Anyway...
One of my absolute favourite films of all time is, of course, "Transformers: the Movie". (Obviously, this is the animated one of yesteryear, not the Michael Bay abomination starring Foxy Megan and The Beef.) Truth be told, it's not really the best film, but it's a childhood favourite and so inherently great.
Way back when TF was in the cinema, and later on video, the BBFC had mandated some cuts to the film. The UK never got the cut that was shown in the States. With the DVD releases of the film, this was changed, mostly for the better.
However, at one point in the film, one of the characters is heard to utter the line, "Oh shit, what are we going to do now?"
Now, I'm an adult, and frankly don't really care about swearing in films. It just doesn't bother me. But the thing is, my nephew, PJ, is not. And, what's more, he's something of a sponge - he basically takes in absolutely everything he's exposed to. (Fortunately, his memory doesn't extend as far back as his first Christmas, when a supervillain who shall be known only as G commented on the existence of a certain present-bearing housebreaker...)
Anyway, this of course creates a certain problem. PJ loves Transformers (of course), and would love the film. But all the DVD versions include this swear-word. (Which, it should be noted, adds not a single thing to the film.) And that means that I cannot get him a copy, or let him watch my copy, or anything of the sort - his parents may make that decision, but I'm not entitled to do so. It's really frustrating.
So, I have to ask: what were the publishers thinking? And, indeed, what were the BBFC thinking in letting it go ahead in this form? Did they even watch the revised cut?
It just seems so pointless, and annoying.
(Incidentally, if and when I eventually have children, I feel I shall have to take the BBFC certificates as only the loosest of guidelines. Honestly, I don't believe they watch a lot of what they pass - there are some things that get through that really shouldn't (South Park's erect penis), and some things that get cut that shouldn't (Die Hard 4.0). It really seems to make no sense. Indeed, it often seems that they just translate the US rating into its UK certificate equivalent. This would certainly explain why the '12' became a '12A', thus making it exactly the same as the US PG-13...)
Hmm...
I wonder if I can get to 1,000 posts before the end of the year?
I mean, if I do that then it must be time for Part Four!
729 and counting...
I mean, if I do that then it must be time for Part Four!
729 and counting...
Microwave Woes
A couple of months ago, my microwave gave up on my. I felt this was rather poor, as I'd only had it five years. (My parents have had their microwave longer than their youngest son.) Still, it was cheap...
Anyway, after several weeks of managing without, I bought a new and much more expensive model. (Also, more powerful, bigger, and energy efficient.)
Today, my new microwave has given up on me. It lasted all of four weeks. I find this shockingly poor, not least because I've only used it a handful of times. Guess I know what I'm doing on my day off on Friday...
Anyway, after several weeks of managing without, I bought a new and much more expensive model. (Also, more powerful, bigger, and energy efficient.)
Today, my new microwave has given up on me. It lasted all of four weeks. I find this shockingly poor, not least because I've only used it a handful of times. Guess I know what I'm doing on my day off on Friday...
Some Disturbing Developments
Two things in the news today left me really worried...
The Latest Twist in the Old Firm Saga of Hate
It was reported today that, at the last Old Firm match of the season, some of the police involved will infiltrate the crowd, and identify and arrest those singing 'banned' songs, and that those identified will be made subject to banning orders for up to 10 years.
Now, the thing is that if you are serious about freedom, you have to expend a fair amount of concern protecting the freedoms of people you don't particularly like to do things that you don't particularly like.
I really don't like Sectarian songs, but the simple fact is that this should not be a police matter. In fact, it is really, really important that this not be a police matter.
Freedom of speech is probably the single most important freedom that we have. Without freedom of speech, any of our other freedoms can be violated, and we won't be able to do anything about it. The police getting involved because of the singing of songs is wrong.
(Incidentally, we do have a law on the books banning "hate preaching". Now, the first thing to note is that this law should never, in fact, have been passed in the first place. The second is that it was never intended for this purpose - it was intended as an anti-terrorism matter.)
Now, I can quite understand the desire of the government to take action on this. The singing of Sectarian songs shames the clubs, it shames Scottish football, and it shames Scotland as a whole. But the government does not, and must not, have the right to do anything about it.
What should happen? Well, Rangers (and Celtic) need to be the ones taking action. They should have their stewards identify those singing the songs, they should eject them, and they should ban them. This is perfectly acceptable - a business can restrict freedom of speech on its premesis (of course). Indeed, UEFA can similarly require Rangers and Celtic to take some actions.
But the government must not.
What Are We Doing In Libya?
I have been troubled about our actions in Libya for some time. Because we refuse to take direct action to remove Gaddafi (because International Law does not allow us to explicitly do this), all we've been doing is prolonging the conflict - the rebels don't have the wherewithal to succeed without our aid, and we've prevented Gaddafi from wiping them out (probably rightly). The problem, of course, is that all the people in the middle have to suffer, and will continue to suffer indefinitely.
But that's actually less important than what has been reported today, which is that the British government are considering equipping the rebels with British-made body armour.
This must not be done.
Very simply, we don't know anything about these rebels. They are allies of convenience, nothing more. Once the fight is done, we don't know what their stance towards us will be, except that we can be sure that they won't be handing back the equipment.
We should have learned our lesson with Al Qaeda - todays ally may turn out to be tomorrow's enemy. Better that we fight the battle for them, even if that means removing Gaddafi in defiance of International Law, than that we equip a force of dubious intent with weapons that might be turned against us.
The Latest Twist in the Old Firm Saga of Hate
It was reported today that, at the last Old Firm match of the season, some of the police involved will infiltrate the crowd, and identify and arrest those singing 'banned' songs, and that those identified will be made subject to banning orders for up to 10 years.
Now, the thing is that if you are serious about freedom, you have to expend a fair amount of concern protecting the freedoms of people you don't particularly like to do things that you don't particularly like.
I really don't like Sectarian songs, but the simple fact is that this should not be a police matter. In fact, it is really, really important that this not be a police matter.
Freedom of speech is probably the single most important freedom that we have. Without freedom of speech, any of our other freedoms can be violated, and we won't be able to do anything about it. The police getting involved because of the singing of songs is wrong.
(Incidentally, we do have a law on the books banning "hate preaching". Now, the first thing to note is that this law should never, in fact, have been passed in the first place. The second is that it was never intended for this purpose - it was intended as an anti-terrorism matter.)
Now, I can quite understand the desire of the government to take action on this. The singing of Sectarian songs shames the clubs, it shames Scottish football, and it shames Scotland as a whole. But the government does not, and must not, have the right to do anything about it.
What should happen? Well, Rangers (and Celtic) need to be the ones taking action. They should have their stewards identify those singing the songs, they should eject them, and they should ban them. This is perfectly acceptable - a business can restrict freedom of speech on its premesis (of course). Indeed, UEFA can similarly require Rangers and Celtic to take some actions.
But the government must not.
What Are We Doing In Libya?
I have been troubled about our actions in Libya for some time. Because we refuse to take direct action to remove Gaddafi (because International Law does not allow us to explicitly do this), all we've been doing is prolonging the conflict - the rebels don't have the wherewithal to succeed without our aid, and we've prevented Gaddafi from wiping them out (probably rightly). The problem, of course, is that all the people in the middle have to suffer, and will continue to suffer indefinitely.
But that's actually less important than what has been reported today, which is that the British government are considering equipping the rebels with British-made body armour.
This must not be done.
Very simply, we don't know anything about these rebels. They are allies of convenience, nothing more. Once the fight is done, we don't know what their stance towards us will be, except that we can be sure that they won't be handing back the equipment.
We should have learned our lesson with Al Qaeda - todays ally may turn out to be tomorrow's enemy. Better that we fight the battle for them, even if that means removing Gaddafi in defiance of International Law, than that we equip a force of dubious intent with weapons that might be turned against us.
Update on Games
Speaking of my D&D groups, time for an update:
The Saturday game seems to have settled into a reasonable pattern. I have brought my Warhammer campaign to a close: the Company of the Black Hand uncovered the corruption at the heart of Walkenburg and rooted it out; in time they were able to depart the town as heroes, albeit ones wounded and deranged by their experiences.
I have taken a step back from running games with this group for the time being; one of my friends is instead running "Dark Heresy" for a while. It's an interesting game; we'll see how it pans out.
The group also seems to have settled into an almost-monthly meeting cycle, which seems to work reasonably well. It's not ideal - I would prefer to meet more often - but it's much better than our previous arrangements, and actually means we may meet more often this year than in each of the last two. So that's good.
The other group is currently in something of an interim period. We don't have any ongoing games running, with a couple of new campaigns about to kick off. Despite this, the group seems to be quite busy: we've had a number of one-off games, we have a cinema night planned for Friday (going to see "Your Highness"), and we're in the process of moving the site from Meetup.com to GroupSpaces, due to the changes made to Meetup.
In the middle of next month, I'm going to be starting up a new campaign, "The Eberron Code", which I've described as "like The Da Vinci Code, but starring Indiana Jones, set in Eberron, and better written". There seems to be quite a bit of enthusiasm about this one, and I'm rather looking forward to it also. I've had a good number of ideas for plotlines and adventures, have a good idea of the campaign metaplot, and am quite keen to run a game again.
So, it's all looking quite good, really.
The Saturday game seems to have settled into a reasonable pattern. I have brought my Warhammer campaign to a close: the Company of the Black Hand uncovered the corruption at the heart of Walkenburg and rooted it out; in time they were able to depart the town as heroes, albeit ones wounded and deranged by their experiences.
I have taken a step back from running games with this group for the time being; one of my friends is instead running "Dark Heresy" for a while. It's an interesting game; we'll see how it pans out.
The group also seems to have settled into an almost-monthly meeting cycle, which seems to work reasonably well. It's not ideal - I would prefer to meet more often - but it's much better than our previous arrangements, and actually means we may meet more often this year than in each of the last two. So that's good.
The other group is currently in something of an interim period. We don't have any ongoing games running, with a couple of new campaigns about to kick off. Despite this, the group seems to be quite busy: we've had a number of one-off games, we have a cinema night planned for Friday (going to see "Your Highness"), and we're in the process of moving the site from Meetup.com to GroupSpaces, due to the changes made to Meetup.
In the middle of next month, I'm going to be starting up a new campaign, "The Eberron Code", which I've described as "like The Da Vinci Code, but starring Indiana Jones, set in Eberron, and better written". There seems to be quite a bit of enthusiasm about this one, and I'm rather looking forward to it also. I've had a good number of ideas for plotlines and adventures, have a good idea of the campaign metaplot, and am quite keen to run a game again.
So, it's all looking quite good, really.
The Orks Are Coming!
Since the start of the year, I have completed the painting job on the first quarter of my Space Orks. The second batch are now about halfway done. At the current rate, I should be finished the whole force by the end of the year, which would be nice.
In parallel with this, some of the members of my gaming group have expressed an interest in actually playing some of the wargames (for which the minis are intended). Of course, they have naturally indicated a preference for the fantasy game, rather than the sci-fi one, rendering my orks somewhat useless!
(This is especially amusing as the only reason I have the orks in the first place is that when I moved to Yeovil, the group there played the sci-fi game rather than fantasy. I do have two entire armies for the fantasy game, but they're packed away in boxes, and I don't really want to unpack them, as they take up a lot of space.)
A funny thing about the painting: I find the whole process very relaxing, and yet there isn't a single part of the process that I would actually say I enjoy. Preparing the figures for painting is a hassle, the undercoating is a nuisance, the early coats are dull, and the later coats are very frustrating. I don't even particularly like looking at the finished figures - they tend to get shelved as I move on to something else.
But still, there's something about it. It's probably a combination of two factors: the ability to spend an hour here or there focussing on a simple task without worrying about anything else, and also the clear and obvious progress towards a clear goal - with every hour, the minis become visibly more complete.
It's interesting.
Plus, it's quite good fun to dream about the next painting project - do I build up my ork force into a proper army, do I invest in a bunch of character models for use in D&D, do I do something else entirely (maybe a Dwarf army for Warhammer Fantasy?)... or do I do nothing at all and just pack it all up again once these ones are done?
In parallel with this, some of the members of my gaming group have expressed an interest in actually playing some of the wargames (for which the minis are intended). Of course, they have naturally indicated a preference for the fantasy game, rather than the sci-fi one, rendering my orks somewhat useless!
(This is especially amusing as the only reason I have the orks in the first place is that when I moved to Yeovil, the group there played the sci-fi game rather than fantasy. I do have two entire armies for the fantasy game, but they're packed away in boxes, and I don't really want to unpack them, as they take up a lot of space.)
A funny thing about the painting: I find the whole process very relaxing, and yet there isn't a single part of the process that I would actually say I enjoy. Preparing the figures for painting is a hassle, the undercoating is a nuisance, the early coats are dull, and the later coats are very frustrating. I don't even particularly like looking at the finished figures - they tend to get shelved as I move on to something else.
But still, there's something about it. It's probably a combination of two factors: the ability to spend an hour here or there focussing on a simple task without worrying about anything else, and also the clear and obvious progress towards a clear goal - with every hour, the minis become visibly more complete.
It's interesting.
Plus, it's quite good fun to dream about the next painting project - do I build up my ork force into a proper army, do I invest in a bunch of character models for use in D&D, do I do something else entirely (maybe a Dwarf army for Warhammer Fantasy?)... or do I do nothing at all and just pack it all up again once these ones are done?
Mango Powder
There won't be an Experimental Cookery post this week. I was intending to do something from one of Gordon Ramsay's books (this being the only cookbook I own that I have not yet used). Unfortunately, the recipe calls for both mango powder and coconut oil, neither of which I have been able to source.
This is actually something that has annoyed me in the past: cook books do tend to require the occasional 'obscure' ingredient, not easily sourced from the supermarket, and they also tend to be quite poor in either identifying a substitute, or at least indicating where they believe you could source the ingredient. It's most vexing, as it can render large parts of the book unusable.
This is actually something that has annoyed me in the past: cook books do tend to require the occasional 'obscure' ingredient, not easily sourced from the supermarket, and they also tend to be quite poor in either identifying a substitute, or at least indicating where they believe you could source the ingredient. It's most vexing, as it can render large parts of the book unusable.
Update on Band
Once again, the competition season is almost upon us. The first competition of the new season, the Dunbar Highland Games, is a month tomorrow. And the band is not ready.
There was some significant enthusiasm and excitement a couple of months ago, when it was finally confirmed that the band were being promoted to Grade 4A. There was then some further discussion about a Development Band, providing a means for younger players to make the step from 'learner' to 'competing'. (Unfortunately, we lost a couple of people due to that; ironically, the very people the Development Band was intended to help.)
But of late, the practices have fallen into a depressing pattern: the attendences are poor (and always the same people), the progress is patchy, and things are just going on. The band is getting better, but slowly.
I suspect the end result will see us going to Dunbar with only a handful of pipers actually being able to play. No doubt, there will be several people who get a rude shock when they are told that they're just not reaching the required standard.
But the truth is, that may be a necessary step. It's really quite clear that some people are putting in the required effort, and some others just aren't. Well, it's simply not fair on those who are doing the work to be dragged back by those who aren't.
Still, it seems very unlikely that we'll come away from Dunbar with anything. It's one of the bigger minors, and it's also an event that lots of bands want to "put down a marker" at, to show their intentions for the year.
We'll see...
#7: "Serenity: Out in the Black", by Tracy and Laura Hickman
#8: "Serenity: Adventures", by James Davenport, Ted Reed, James M. Ward, Alana Abbot and Billy Aguiar
#9: "Pathfinder: The Haunting of Harrowstone", by Michael Kortes
There was some significant enthusiasm and excitement a couple of months ago, when it was finally confirmed that the band were being promoted to Grade 4A. There was then some further discussion about a Development Band, providing a means for younger players to make the step from 'learner' to 'competing'. (Unfortunately, we lost a couple of people due to that; ironically, the very people the Development Band was intended to help.)
But of late, the practices have fallen into a depressing pattern: the attendences are poor (and always the same people), the progress is patchy, and things are just going on. The band is getting better, but slowly.
I suspect the end result will see us going to Dunbar with only a handful of pipers actually being able to play. No doubt, there will be several people who get a rude shock when they are told that they're just not reaching the required standard.
But the truth is, that may be a necessary step. It's really quite clear that some people are putting in the required effort, and some others just aren't. Well, it's simply not fair on those who are doing the work to be dragged back by those who aren't.
Still, it seems very unlikely that we'll come away from Dunbar with anything. It's one of the bigger minors, and it's also an event that lots of bands want to "put down a marker" at, to show their intentions for the year.
We'll see...
#7: "Serenity: Out in the Black", by Tracy and Laura Hickman
#8: "Serenity: Adventures", by James Davenport, Ted Reed, James M. Ward, Alana Abbot and Billy Aguiar
#9: "Pathfinder: The Haunting of Harrowstone", by Michael Kortes
Sunday, April 03, 2011
Experimental Cookery 2011 #2: Cookies & Cream Fudge Brownies
Source: Baking Made Easy, by Lorraine Pascale (p.204)
Cook Time: Approx 30 minutes prep, plus 25 minutes cook time
Difficulty: Moderate - harder than the soup, but not hugely difficult
Servings: The book claims 16, but I got 18 of varying sizes
Equipment used: Loads of stuff! Mixer, saucepan, baking tray, greasing spray, baking paper, chopping board, sharp knife, two bowls, 2 tablespoons, 2 teaspoons
In honour of Mother's Day, and also because I really wanted to try these (they're the reason I bought the book), I made Brownies. These proved to be a bit fiddly to make, but mostly because I made the mistake of working on things in parallel, which meant that I had to wait for an earlier step to complete before I could move on to the next step.
The end result is just great, though. And totally evil, of course!
Result: 9/10 - oh, so very, very nice
Cook Time: Approx 30 minutes prep, plus 25 minutes cook time
Difficulty: Moderate - harder than the soup, but not hugely difficult
Servings: The book claims 16, but I got 18 of varying sizes
Equipment used: Loads of stuff! Mixer, saucepan, baking tray, greasing spray, baking paper, chopping board, sharp knife, two bowls, 2 tablespoons, 2 teaspoons
In honour of Mother's Day, and also because I really wanted to try these (they're the reason I bought the book), I made Brownies. These proved to be a bit fiddly to make, but mostly because I made the mistake of working on things in parallel, which meant that I had to wait for an earlier step to complete before I could move on to the next step.
The end result is just great, though. And totally evil, of course!
Result: 9/10 - oh, so very, very nice
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Experimental Cookery 2011 #1: Butter Bean, Chorizo & Red Onion Soup
Source: Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food (p.19)
Cook Time: 32 minutes start to finish. Note that I had a little help in the preparation phase; probably add a couple of minutes for that.
Difficulty: Dead easy
Servings: The book claims 4, but I only got 3 from it
Equipment used: Saucepan, chopping board, wooden spoon, 2 knives, ladle, bowl, strainer, small plate
This one is pretty much what it says on the tin - a soup made from butter beans, red onion and chorizo. Unlike the soups from Jamie's book (most of which I've now tried), this one didn't get liquidised at the end, and therefore was a chunky, rather than smooth, soup.
The end result was fairly tasty, but a little on the bland side. I think that if I do it again, I'll need to find something to add a bit more pep to it.
Result: 7/10
Cook Time: 32 minutes start to finish. Note that I had a little help in the preparation phase; probably add a couple of minutes for that.
Difficulty: Dead easy
Servings: The book claims 4, but I only got 3 from it
Equipment used: Saucepan, chopping board, wooden spoon, 2 knives, ladle, bowl, strainer, small plate
This one is pretty much what it says on the tin - a soup made from butter beans, red onion and chorizo. Unlike the soups from Jamie's book (most of which I've now tried), this one didn't get liquidised at the end, and therefore was a chunky, rather than smooth, soup.
The end result was fairly tasty, but a little on the bland side. I think that if I do it again, I'll need to find something to add a bit more pep to it.
Result: 7/10
Monday, March 28, 2011
Experimental Cookery: The Return
I have decided to return to doing "Experimental Cookery" posts, mostly because I now have loads of cookbooks, and have fallen into the trap I once complained about: I never cook from them. Plus, lots of people said they liked those posts. So, they're back, until I get bored again.
I'll be doing a couple of things differently this time: rather than picking one book and working through it, I'll jump from book to book according to my own secret design (or at random). I'll also not be sticking to Tuesday, as I'm frequently busy on that day. Oh, and I'll try to offer some more useful information with the posts: the book used, the cook time, the difficulty, and the list of equipment that was used.
So, onward!
I'll be doing a couple of things differently this time: rather than picking one book and working through it, I'll jump from book to book according to my own secret design (or at random). I'll also not be sticking to Tuesday, as I'm frequently busy on that day. Oh, and I'll try to offer some more useful information with the posts: the book used, the cook time, the difficulty, and the list of equipment that was used.
So, onward!
A nice restful weekend...
I had Friday and today off from work, mostly just to use up the last of my holiday allowance of the year. It has been a nice, restful time, by which I mean I busily worked through my list of things to do. Such as...
So, it's been a busy time. Also, despite the impression my previous post may have given, I'm not quite dead. At least, not yet.
#6: "Les Miserables Volume One", by Victor Hugo (a book from The List)
- Not going to tell you! Haha! Ha! Ha.
- Bought a new microwave.
- Started painting the second batch of Space Orks. Eight are finished, the second eight are now under way. I have another sixteen to do after these.
- Watched "Unthinkable" (not great), "Harry Brown" (good), and just enough of "Cabin Fever 2" to decide it wasn't worth watching.
- Watched the first two parts of the "Lord of the Rings". Yes, this is the same as the previous point, but it's good enough to deserve mentioning twice.
- Restocked the fridge with a meatloaf and chicken tikka masala.
- Washed the car.
- Lots of practice on the pipes.
- Finished Volume One of "Les Miserables". Poor young Marius is in love, at last.
- Ordered a frame for the picture that I got at Christmas.
- And the usual sundry and pointless tasks...
So, it's been a busy time. Also, despite the impression my previous post may have given, I'm not quite dead. At least, not yet.
#6: "Les Miserables Volume One", by Victor Hugo (a book from The List)
Sunday, March 13, 2011
An Apology and a Retraction
Lady Chocolat took offense at my previous post, which likened modern action films with ballet. She felt this did a disservice to ballet.
Which is a fair comment. Ballet doesn't have a character spouting inane dialogue.
(For the rest of it, though, I'm afraid the comparison is apt: both are heavily choreographed, both require extreme training for detailed physical performance, and ballet doesn't actually tend to have particularly coherent plots. I mean, just look at The Nutcracker: all those crazy squirrels running all over the place...)
Oh, I'm going to pay for that one...
Which is a fair comment. Ballet doesn't have a character spouting inane dialogue.
(For the rest of it, though, I'm afraid the comparison is apt: both are heavily choreographed, both require extreme training for detailed physical performance, and ballet doesn't actually tend to have particularly coherent plots. I mean, just look at The Nutcracker: all those crazy squirrels running all over the place...)
Oh, I'm going to pay for that one...
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Idiocy in Action Movies
Excuse me, but I need to rant for a bit.
I saw "The Transporter" in the cinema on a recommendation. And it all started rather well. We were introduced to Frank. He's a somewhat amoral mercenary driver. Oh, and he has a quirk: there are some rules that he won't ever break. Cute.
So, of course, on his next assignment, he breaks one of the rules, and looks inside "the package". And it's a cute girl. Okay, I think I see where we're going with this, but carry on...
Okay, he delivers the package. Oh, and there's the sudden but inevitable betrayal. Shocking! So, of course, he's going to go back and get the girl. But of course, because there are so many more of them, and he no longer has a car, he'll need to use a cunning plan to go get her...
Ah, no. He's just gone and kicked in the door.
And that was the point where the film lost any connection to reality. Simply put, beyond that point it didn't matter what they did, it just could not ever make sense.
This is akin to the "nuclear fridge" incident in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", John McClaine vs the Fighter in "Die Hard 4.0", or Pierce Brosnan's complete inability to sing. It doesn't matter what qualities the rest of the film has, it cannot get past that one thing.
Of course, the sequels to "The Transporter" and also the "Crank" films don't even pretend to make sense - they're stupid from the outset. People seem to view them as extreme action films, but they're really not. They're ballet, only with explosions and a CGI budget. I would say that they're a parody of action movies, but the people making them always seem to utterly humourless when talking about them. That, and they're not funny.
Frankly, I blame CGI for this. Prior to the advent of CGI special effects, stunts had to be done by real people. That scene in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" where Indy goes under the truck? Some poor stuntman had to actually do that. The ridiculous, impossible bus jump in "Speed"? Yep, some stuntman did that. Oh, and the scene from earlier in that film where Keanu's character jumps from the fast-moving car to a fast-moving bus? Yeah, someone did that... and his name was Keanu. Woah, indeed.
(Oh, about "Raiders...". There's a scene where Indy hitches a ride on a German sub, back to their base. On seeing that, my mind had filled in a bit, assuming Indy made his way into the sub, and lay low. But no. According to George Lucas, and therefore canon, Indy rides the outside of the sub all the way. And just like that George utterly ruins one of the best films of all time.)
It all makes me mad. Give me solid characters, a plot that actually stands up to a little consideration, and then layer on the stunts, the explosions, and everything else.
Or maybe I'll just stop watching action movies.
(Incidentally, this all came about as a result of an an argument about stupidity in the 4e rules. Apparently, it's unreasonable to think that fantasy should be grounded in some sort of reality, if only as a launching pad for the fantasy. But the problem is, if your 1st level adventure is "Die Hard", that gives you plenty of scope for further, escalating adventures. If your 1st level adventure is "The Expendables", then what the hell does your 30th level adventure look like?)
#5: "Pathfinder: Sanctum of the Serpent God", by Neil Spicer
I saw "The Transporter" in the cinema on a recommendation. And it all started rather well. We were introduced to Frank. He's a somewhat amoral mercenary driver. Oh, and he has a quirk: there are some rules that he won't ever break. Cute.
So, of course, on his next assignment, he breaks one of the rules, and looks inside "the package". And it's a cute girl. Okay, I think I see where we're going with this, but carry on...
Okay, he delivers the package. Oh, and there's the sudden but inevitable betrayal. Shocking! So, of course, he's going to go back and get the girl. But of course, because there are so many more of them, and he no longer has a car, he'll need to use a cunning plan to go get her...
Ah, no. He's just gone and kicked in the door.
And that was the point where the film lost any connection to reality. Simply put, beyond that point it didn't matter what they did, it just could not ever make sense.
This is akin to the "nuclear fridge" incident in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", John McClaine vs the Fighter in "Die Hard 4.0", or Pierce Brosnan's complete inability to sing. It doesn't matter what qualities the rest of the film has, it cannot get past that one thing.
Of course, the sequels to "The Transporter" and also the "Crank" films don't even pretend to make sense - they're stupid from the outset. People seem to view them as extreme action films, but they're really not. They're ballet, only with explosions and a CGI budget. I would say that they're a parody of action movies, but the people making them always seem to utterly humourless when talking about them. That, and they're not funny.
Frankly, I blame CGI for this. Prior to the advent of CGI special effects, stunts had to be done by real people. That scene in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" where Indy goes under the truck? Some poor stuntman had to actually do that. The ridiculous, impossible bus jump in "Speed"? Yep, some stuntman did that. Oh, and the scene from earlier in that film where Keanu's character jumps from the fast-moving car to a fast-moving bus? Yeah, someone did that... and his name was Keanu. Woah, indeed.
(Oh, about "Raiders...". There's a scene where Indy hitches a ride on a German sub, back to their base. On seeing that, my mind had filled in a bit, assuming Indy made his way into the sub, and lay low. But no. According to George Lucas, and therefore canon, Indy rides the outside of the sub all the way. And just like that George utterly ruins one of the best films of all time.)
It all makes me mad. Give me solid characters, a plot that actually stands up to a little consideration, and then layer on the stunts, the explosions, and everything else.
Or maybe I'll just stop watching action movies.
(Incidentally, this all came about as a result of an an argument about stupidity in the 4e rules. Apparently, it's unreasonable to think that fantasy should be grounded in some sort of reality, if only as a launching pad for the fantasy. But the problem is, if your 1st level adventure is "Die Hard", that gives you plenty of scope for further, escalating adventures. If your 1st level adventure is "The Expendables", then what the hell does your 30th level adventure look like?)
#5: "Pathfinder: Sanctum of the Serpent God", by Neil Spicer
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
No More Wheels for Sheila
The recent ruling by the EU that car insurers can no longer discriminate against men has had the very amusing effect of uniting both the left-wing and right-wing commentators in their condemnation of it. Those on the left hate it because for once this is a ruling that doesn't make women more equal. Those on the right hate it because this is yet another instance of that pesky EU getting involved in British business.
I do always love it when the two sides agree like this.
There is one argument against this ruling that has some weight, and it is this: young men do on average get involved in more accidents, and on average those accidents are more expensive. Therefore, since the insurance industry is entirely about managing risk, based on cold hard statistics, it makes sense that they apply those statistics.
I have big problems with this argument.
Firstly, it must be said that my insurance underwriter is not insuring men, they are insuring me. The driving habits of other men, no matter how outrageous, quite simply have no bearing on how I drive. And that's the thing about discrimination: although we always talk about discrimination against groups, discrimination is always felt by the individual.
(Statistically, women don't know the offside rule. Does that make it acceptable to assume any given woman doesn't know the rule, even if she happens to be an assistant referee? Similarly, if a young man grows up in a different country, absent the whole "boy racer" thing, is it still valid to charge them more based on that aspect of our culture? (Note: neither of these is a theoretical example.))
Secondly, we have always had a habit of ignoring statistics when they don't suit us. Tobacco is legal in this country, but cannabis is not. Indeed, the latter has just been re-reclassified as a class B drug, in defiance of the relevant statistics.
But leaving aside those quibbles, it remains the case that men on average do cause more accidents, and more expensive accidents. So, the underlying point remains, doesn't it?
Except... insurance premiums aren't based solely on the statistical model. Insurers are first and foremost businesses, and so a key factor in their equations is how much the customer will be willing to pay.
(As an experiment, when you get your renewal premium, phone up your provider and tell them Admiral have offered the same cover for £20 less. If your premium is based purely on the statistical model, their response has to be, "That's nice." I'm sure they won't mysteriously find that new and cheaper alternatives have just opened up.)
(Caveat: don't do this if your current insurer is Admiral!)
Then there are the usual marketing tools.
Consider introductory discounts. Your current insurer has at least 12 months of detailed data about your driving habits and claims history. Over time, they get a clear picture of exactly where in your category you sit. A new insurer does not have this data, so has to be more conservative - the risks are simply greater. Because of this, it should always be cheaper to continue with your current insurer. Somehow, though, it never is.
We also get the cross-promotions. Why is it cheaper to insure me as a driver if you're also insuring my home and contents? The one simply has no bearing on the other. It's not even as if they can claim reduced administraion costs - they're completely different departments!
And that's the crux of it: as soon as insurers stop using purely statistical means to arrive at quotes, the justification that discrimination is based on statistics loses its meaning. They charge what they charge because they can, because people expect it, and because they have no option but to pay.
If we're serious about equality, this was the correct ruling.
I do always love it when the two sides agree like this.
There is one argument against this ruling that has some weight, and it is this: young men do on average get involved in more accidents, and on average those accidents are more expensive. Therefore, since the insurance industry is entirely about managing risk, based on cold hard statistics, it makes sense that they apply those statistics.
I have big problems with this argument.
Firstly, it must be said that my insurance underwriter is not insuring men, they are insuring me. The driving habits of other men, no matter how outrageous, quite simply have no bearing on how I drive. And that's the thing about discrimination: although we always talk about discrimination against groups, discrimination is always felt by the individual.
(Statistically, women don't know the offside rule. Does that make it acceptable to assume any given woman doesn't know the rule, even if she happens to be an assistant referee? Similarly, if a young man grows up in a different country, absent the whole "boy racer" thing, is it still valid to charge them more based on that aspect of our culture? (Note: neither of these is a theoretical example.))
Secondly, we have always had a habit of ignoring statistics when they don't suit us. Tobacco is legal in this country, but cannabis is not. Indeed, the latter has just been re-reclassified as a class B drug, in defiance of the relevant statistics.
But leaving aside those quibbles, it remains the case that men on average do cause more accidents, and more expensive accidents. So, the underlying point remains, doesn't it?
Except... insurance premiums aren't based solely on the statistical model. Insurers are first and foremost businesses, and so a key factor in their equations is how much the customer will be willing to pay.
(As an experiment, when you get your renewal premium, phone up your provider and tell them Admiral have offered the same cover for £20 less. If your premium is based purely on the statistical model, their response has to be, "That's nice." I'm sure they won't mysteriously find that new and cheaper alternatives have just opened up.)
(Caveat: don't do this if your current insurer is Admiral!)
Then there are the usual marketing tools.
Consider introductory discounts. Your current insurer has at least 12 months of detailed data about your driving habits and claims history. Over time, they get a clear picture of exactly where in your category you sit. A new insurer does not have this data, so has to be more conservative - the risks are simply greater. Because of this, it should always be cheaper to continue with your current insurer. Somehow, though, it never is.
We also get the cross-promotions. Why is it cheaper to insure me as a driver if you're also insuring my home and contents? The one simply has no bearing on the other. It's not even as if they can claim reduced administraion costs - they're completely different departments!
And that's the crux of it: as soon as insurers stop using purely statistical means to arrive at quotes, the justification that discrimination is based on statistics loses its meaning. They charge what they charge because they can, because people expect it, and because they have no option but to pay.
If we're serious about equality, this was the correct ruling.
Monday, March 07, 2011
Not Hearing the People Sing...
It's funny to think that by this time last year, I had already read 16 books. This year, I have read four.
Still, that's not actually a problem. The reason for the relatively slow progress is that most of my reading so far this year has been in "Les Miserables", which has been extremely slow going. Last week, I finally finished up Part One (of five). I'm particularly enjoying the singing. Oh, and the bits that the editors decided not to translate from the French. (There was also a great pun that they did translate, but which was only funny in the French. Ho ho!)
The other reading I've been doing has all been game related. I've been slowly reading through the AD&D 1st Edition hardbacks (which have actually been fascinating - it seems I've been doing it wrong for years), and the most recent Pathfinder books.
The sort-of-but-not-quite goal for March is to finish the first volume of "Les Miserables", read through the "Dungeon Master's Guide", and read the latest Pathfinder, thus getting caught up on that front. Which will give me a grand total of seven books.
#3: "Pathfinder: Vaults of Madness", by Greg A. Vaughan
#4: "Pathfinder: The Thousand Fangs Below", by Graeme Davis
Still, that's not actually a problem. The reason for the relatively slow progress is that most of my reading so far this year has been in "Les Miserables", which has been extremely slow going. Last week, I finally finished up Part One (of five). I'm particularly enjoying the singing. Oh, and the bits that the editors decided not to translate from the French. (There was also a great pun that they did translate, but which was only funny in the French. Ho ho!)
The other reading I've been doing has all been game related. I've been slowly reading through the AD&D 1st Edition hardbacks (which have actually been fascinating - it seems I've been doing it wrong for years), and the most recent Pathfinder books.
The sort-of-but-not-quite goal for March is to finish the first volume of "Les Miserables", read through the "Dungeon Master's Guide", and read the latest Pathfinder, thus getting caught up on that front. Which will give me a grand total of seven books.
#3: "Pathfinder: Vaults of Madness", by Greg A. Vaughan
#4: "Pathfinder: The Thousand Fangs Below", by Graeme Davis
Monday, February 21, 2011
Guilty
For the first time, we've had to remove someone from our gaming group. Due to circumstances beyond the control of anyone in the group, one person just didn't fit (and, with the best will in the world, really couldn't). Unfortunately, the nature of what we do (and, particularly, where we meet) meant that there really wasn't a compromise solution available.
The worst part of all this was that I didn't have a particular problem with the person in question, but because I am the Organiser of the group (el queso grande), and indeed because I don't have a problem with this person, I felt it was my responsibility to be the one to break the news, and to be the bad guy in all of this.
Responsibility sucks.
Oh well, it can't be helped. It really had to be done. Still, if you'll excuse me, I have to go wash my mind out.
The worst part of all this was that I didn't have a particular problem with the person in question, but because I am the Organiser of the group (el queso grande), and indeed because I don't have a problem with this person, I felt it was my responsibility to be the one to break the news, and to be the bad guy in all of this.
Responsibility sucks.
Oh well, it can't be helped. It really had to be done. Still, if you'll excuse me, I have to go wash my mind out.
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