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Below are the most recent 25 friends' journal entries.
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| Friday, December 18th, 2009 |
anivair
|
1:00p |
Who is James Cameron blowing at Rottentomatoes?
So I just went over to Rottentomatoes.com to see what they thought of Avatar and I was left wondering if I can read or if I know how the site works. Here's a few reviews. Now, ask yourself as you read them: are these positive or negative reviews? "I already saw this story earlier this year in a CGI animation called "Battle for Terra" and I certainly didn't experience the sense of awe that I recall upon seeing "Jurassic Park" way back in 1993..." "Avatar, essentially, is a film we’ve seen before, boldly made to look like nothing we’ve seen before. It is truly the Star Wars of our age." "It’s an achievement to make 3D look as good as it does here, but that counts for little if the characters are all in 1D. The film is a triumph of effects over affect. " "The villains are mostly out of pantomime; much of the dialogue needs a stretcher; and the save-the-rainforest plot is a pain. Just take your eyes to the film. Leave all other faculties at home." I mean ... those sound like negative reviews, right? But they are all listed as positive reviews. It looks to me like this film should actually have a rating somewhere around 50%, but it's pulling an 82. WTF? Current Mood:  confusedCurrent Music: Stephen Lynch: D&D |
smokeygray
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12:30p |
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ravenna_blue
|
10:29a |
I write the songs of love and special things.
( A little back story. )Cut to today. I have been thinking a lot about the music for rites. We always joke that they end up like funeral dirges. So, I had a happy song in my head. For the first time since 1997, I wrote a song. Actually, the chorus that gets repeated for the waters of life portion of the liturgy. I pulled up an online keyboard on my laptop and wrote it down before it fell away. It's not a great song. In fact, it's pretty crappy...but it feels damned good to be able to try again after 12 years of feeling not good enough. It's a pretty great high!!! *hugs all around* Also bonus points for folk who can tell me what my subject line is from. Current Mood:  ecstatic |
anivair
|
9:32a |
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anivair
|
9:03a |
Person of the year
So, it's almost the end of the year. Who is the most important person to have done anything this year? Last year, I'd have said Obama. He won the election and made history. But this year? We have a doozy. Joe Lieberman! that's right, he went from being a washed up douchebag to being the most important douchebag in America. And how? Basically, by siding with a party he doesn't ever agree with! See, Lieberman is basically a republican. But he doesn't want to call himself one, so he is an independant and caucuses with the democrats. But he has voted against them on almost everything all year and he has basically singlehandedly brought Healthcare Reform to a grinding halt. And that, to me, makes him the most important person of the year. What could have been an easy victory for the American people has become a huge crash and burn and crushed the democrats beneath it's heels because of this whining self entitled crybaby. |
michael_drago
|
12:16a |
Important December NcN Event News
Remember, we are at Camp Muskingum in Carrolton. Cell phones are virtually useless. The camp number is 330-627-2208 We will be using a different dorm for PC and some NPC sleeping. It is one level up from the last event, Dorm 1, next to the latrines. It has more beds and two restrooms which will be marked mens and womens. There are beautiful showers, bring a towel and a warm shower will take the chill off! Check in will be in the Meeting room next to the Tavern as will NPC shack The weather will be cold, even though this camp is very well set up for cold weather bring warm clothing and gloves. The latest weather report for the area is: Fri 40°/26° Sat 50 % chance of Snow Showers 30°/26° Little to no accumulation Sun AM Clouds / PM Sun 32°/24° NPCs remember EVERYONE MUST CHECK IN! |
| Thursday, December 17th, 2009 |
ravenna_blue
|
12:44p |
also, the antihisthimines are getting to me.
I've seen this video like a bajillion times, but today I smiled and then started crying. Yep, a sure sign I've just turned into a huge puss. I'm blaming the cold meds. Current Mood:  sympathetic |
ravenna_blue
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11:35a |
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jaysephus
|
1:45a |
Seek, and you shall find!
THE RULES: * Leave me a comment saying "Resistance is Futile". * I'll respond by asking you five questions so I can satisfy my curiosity. * Update your journal with the answers to the questions. * Include this explanation in the post and offer to ask other people questions . ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) daundelyon 's questions: Why Gnomes? - Gnomes are mischievous while still innocent, good natured and nature-oriented, and bring to mind laughs and smiles. Why not? Plus, the little buggers won't give me back my Terry Pratchett books until I say this stuff. If you could fix one mistake in your life, what would it be? - Always a fun one to answer. Should I want to fix anything? If I did, I literally wouldn't be where I am now, and now's kinda nice. Still... I suppose it would be picking up Mollie from that party when she called drunk, and suffering a day of work w/o sleep. Top Chef or Iron Chef? - Top Chef hands down. The side comments are hysterical, and its fun to see 'up and coming' chefs come up with things that impress the well-entrenched chefs who come to judge. And Padma's a HELL of a lot easier to look at then Chairman Kaga. What is your quest? - To seek the Grail! And by Grail, I mean my reason for being, and the source of my happiness. Any New Year's Resolutions? - Am currently debating a "no French fries" year to lessen my descent into flabbiness. This will only become a major issue when visiting Red Robin. :) Current Mood:  contemplative |
| Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 |
smokeygray
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3:47p |
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smokeygray
|
2:49p |
Writer's Block: Take this job and shove it ...
I've never walked off a job on the spot, but I have submitted by resignation out of the blue. Just once. And it's because the company fired my boss and then lied to me and told me she quit. It was then I realized I couldn't work for a company like that anymore. So the very next day, I put in my two weeks. Do I regret it? Not at all. They probably would have downsized me anyway. Current Mood:  working |
anivair
|
9:35a |
Tumbleweed (emphasis on the Tumble)
So Traci and I had a coupon for Tumbleweed. I haven't been to one in ages, so I looked around. Most of them are closed. I found one that was closest to us just off Sawmill and we gotin the car and headed there. First, we went at something like death-o-clock so we were in rush hour traffic. that sucked to start with. Then we drove around looking for it for ages. Only to finally spot an empty storefront that used to be a Tumbleweed. So we can add that one to the list of closed stores (both Google and their website had listed it as open). So basically, there's now one Tumbleweed left in all of Columbus ... I think. It may be dead, too. So we ended up eating at Golden Corral instead. That's right, we went from a low end stearkhouse to a step below Ponderosa. And honestly, while it was better than, say, a Hometown Buffet, it was not great. I got a steak. it was show leather. I literally had trouble getting the fork in. First time I've eaten a steak that bad in decades. But we did run into a fellow larper there, so maybe it was a good thing. Even if my belly doesn't like me now and demands quality for lunch. We went home and Traci crashed. We watched the most recent Dollhouse - which was amazing. I'm sad this show is going away because Joss is really pulling out all the stops and I know he'd like to get more in. Adelle is now reminiscent of Angel at the end of that run and she's doing it well. And Echo is finally a really fascinating character. It'd be nice if somebody else picked it up. it's not like Fox has ever done Joss any favors. I am almost done with the first of 4 books I'm making, so that one will be ready to go by this weekend (Yes, Liz, that's yours). Then I've got the grove book to finish (I'm excited about it) and two more. You know. No big. |
smokeygray
|
9:07a |
Holiday Eating Tips
Someone from work sent this to me. I thought I'd share with my Beloved Readers. 1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls. 2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare.. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas! 3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat. 4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission. 5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello? 6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog. 7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again. 8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day? 9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards. 10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by: "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate and wine in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"Have a great holiday season!! Current Mood:  silly |
smokeygray
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8:36a |
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| Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 |
anivair
|
9:25a |
the First Ammendment versus taste
okay, let's rehash this one more time. You have a right to free speech. Everyone has it. You, radical Islam, Nazis, Scientologists, and the guy who thinks that lizards run the world. Everyone. However, you have the right to speak, not to be heard. Nobody has to listen to you. People can tell you to go to hell. And if you piss enough people off, they'll probably throw fruit at you and chase you down the street. That isn't your free speech being stifled. It's people responding to the fact that what you're saying isn't okay. And their taste is subjective and unfair. Get over it. Just because you have a legal right to think and say anything you want doesn't mean you're not wrong and it certainly doesn't mean you don't sound like a retard, nor does it mean that people cannot and should not make fun of you for it. |
michael_drago
|
7:36a |
NcN This weekend
Exciting city adventure, nice modern warm camp, lots of NPCs to entertain you, an always open mod area, and the best costumes in NERO, what more could you ask for, come on out! |
| Monday, December 14th, 2009 |
anivair
|
1:02p |
Christmas and why it is and isn't a pagan holiday
So as many of you may recall, I am waging war of Christmas. How is it going? Well, not that great. I mean, Alton helped out a lot this year, but I still saw some Christmas decorations go up right after Halloween. Halloween! Unacceptable. A lot of pagans get snotty about how Christmas is "really" a pagan festival. And a lot of Christians get snotty about how people shouldn't take the Christ out of Christmas. And they're both full of shit, so let me clarify some things in an effort to get this war going full bore this year. First, Christmas isn't really a pagan festival. Nor is it really a Christian festival. It's not the huge epic holiday that it is because of the birth of the sun or of Christ. It's a huge epic holiday for 2 reasons. 1) Nostalgia 2) Presents Period. People like the idea of tradition and of having spent every year sitting around sipping hot chocolate with family while waiting for those sweet sweet gifts to arrive. It's a good time. it's like everyone getting their birthday at the same time. And what's not to like about that? In fact, all the other stuff kills the holiday, but more about that later. First: Christmas is really a lot of holidays crammed together. For starters, it's the Winter Solstice and Saturnalia and and the Dies Natalis Solis Invicti and whatever else you want to cram in there. So when Christians say "Jesus is the reason for the season" they are wrong in two important ways. The first and most obvious is that presents are the reason for the season. Without presents, nobody would give a damn about Christmas. Don't believe me? tell everyone the presents are off, but you're going to spend extra time at Church this year and see who is suddenly busy. Second, Jesus never was the reason for the season. His birth was not really celebrated till over a thousand years after his birth and even then the date moved a lot. he wasn't born in the winter at all, but likely in the Summer (if he was born at all). That tells us two things. First, that the early church didn't really care about the birth so much as the life. And second, that Jesus is a Leo. Doesn't he just scream Leo to you? Those wise men who gave him gifts? Added to explain the already present gift-giving tradition of the holiday at best. Where did it come from? Well, it likely came from Saturnalia, which was a roman festival that commemorated the dedication of Saturn's temple. Ah ha! So it IS a pagan holiday! (that was the pagans just then) Well, yes and no. Saturnalia wasn't the most awesome party in the Roman world because of the religious angle (just like Christmas isn't a big deal because of the religious angle now). It was popular because of the partying, the role reversal (where slaves and masters traded places for a day) and the gifts! that's right, the presents. they may have dedicated a temple on that day, but Saturnalia was really a secular holiday. it was introduced to raise morale after a crushing military defeat, and the religious aspect was secondary. Sound familiar? I hope it does, because Christmas was (as you will know if you read my other entries on this war) popularized in this country to revitalize a bad winter economy and quickly took off because of the presents and trappings. Okay, but it really is about Jesus's birth, right? Well, religiously, of course. And about the birth of every other sun god ever. See, the real religious celebration started with Dies Natalis Solis Invicti. For those of you who are not gamer geeks, that means The Birth of the Unconquered Sun. it was basically a way to celebrate the birth of all solar deities. And guess what? Jesus is a solar deity. So while the Christians may have "stolen" the day as their own, all they really did was engage in fair use. It was meant to be a day set aside for the birth of solar deities and they have just as much right to it as anyone else. Like it or not. So after all that, what is Christmas really? Well, really, it's about something way better than the birth of Christ, or Mithras, or Sol or any other god you like. Because really, what Christmas is now and what it has been since the Romans first stumbled on it (and what it keeps becoming over and over again) is a way to celebrate those that we love and care for by giving them gifts, spending time with them, and celebrating that the cold of winter will not last forever. And that, i think, is way better than any religious holiday could ever be. that doesn't build walls, it builds bonds. It reminds us that what we believe isn't as important as who we care about and who cares about us. And that belief is secondary to being a good person and taking care of those around us. Can you have all those ideas without religion? Of course you can. People always have. And they always will. And that is the real message of this war. that Christmas can be so much more than we make it if we just accept that our own small celebrations are just that: small when compared to the task of being a human being and living with other human beings. |
anivair
|
10:34a |
brought to you by rpg.net
This discussion happened on rpg.net, but I want opinions from here. So what would have happened, do you think, if Martin Luther King Jr had never been assassinated? Responses there were all over the board, including a reference to a Discovery Channel piece where he was RFK's VP candidate and eventually became president, ushering in an age of utopia. Screw the Discovery Channel and boo on them for such a terrible cop out. You guys can do better. |
cedarlock
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8:52a |
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| Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 |
anivair
|
8:45a |
current events
Regarding Tiger Woods: Are people shocked by this? let me get this straight: Good looking athletes bang lots of hot women. Oh my! What sort of mad world are we living in?! Songs. What is the most overplayed song of this year? I have a few ideas, but I want to know what you think. |
| Monday, December 7th, 2009 |
ravenna_blue
|
2:36p |
Seasonal Selfishness
So I haven't posted much on here lately. I have been spending much time crafting, studying and practicing my faith, posting to my craft blog or promoting my etsy site in the hopes of getting an order someday. I feel a rush in the month of December to accomplish a lot and it usually leaves me tired, emotionally worn out and frustrated with my time and project management skills. ( More life behind cut )I want to thank folk for their love, support and understanding during this time of introspection and self-analysis. Current Mood: peaceful |
michael_drago
|
9:27a |
Want to tell a story?
I am still looking for more people to run stories at NcN. You will have a team of NPCs to work with and I give great rewards, Goblins, formal levels, free food and more. |
anivair
|
12:05a |
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| Sunday, December 6th, 2009 |
ravenna_blue
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11:04a |
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| Saturday, December 5th, 2009 |
themaidmarian
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11:15p |
For my benefit, and maybe for avichan, the German tradition of bridal ornaments. ( Because some traditions have such glorious novelty... )So because the sets of blown glass are hideous, I think I am going to make it my quest to gather these things before 25 December to hang on our tree this year and every year hereafter. Current Mood:  happy |
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amused