User:	wickedthought
	Date:	2009-11-12 10:36
	Subject:	The Catholic Church Goes Neo-Christian on Washington DC
	Security:	Public

I've got a definition for you. Neo-Christian. Christians who believe any act is moral if it enforces their religion's dogma. You know, folks who blow up abortion clinics, murder doctors, lie about rival Presidential candidates' pasts, etc.

Here's one for you. How about political blackmail? From the Washington Post:

Under the bill, headed for a D.C. Council vote next month, religious organizations would not be required to perform or make space available for same-sex weddings. But they would have to obey city laws prohibiting discrimination against gay men and lesbians.

Fearful that they could be forced, among other things, to extend employee benefits to same-sex married couples, church officials said they would have no choice but to abandon their contracts with the city.

	User:	anaka
	Date:	2009-11-12 08:59
	Subject:	I wonder...
	Security:	Public

Just having finished Something Wicked This Way Comes (a great book, in case you haven't read it) by Bradbury, I find myself wondering about the odds of running an Innocents one-shot based on it. It would help if not everyone had read the book, of course, but that's probably easier to arrange than I'd expect. Dunno... could be good, assuming people would get into it.

	User:	dmwcarol
	Date:	2009-11-12 15:03
	Subject:	A quick update
	Security:	Public

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	User:	archangelbeth
	Date:	2009-11-12 10:02
	Subject:	Earl Veran: an excerpt
	Security:	Public

DRAMSMAN 1: Our master is dead! Alas!

DRAMSMAN 2: Dead, he is dead. Oh, M'lord!

COUNT: Dead? Why, then you are all free men. My draught will rectify this grave error.

FOOL 1: Worse and worse. Our new master thinks he is witty.

--From Earl Veran, an Imperial (and Cymelian) play.

	User:	walsfeo
	Date:	2009-11-12 10:00
	Subject:	My Television Life
	Security:	Public

Dollhouse Condemned

In a previous post I went on for far too long about how I had originally been thrilled, and then eventually dismayed,  about the cancellation of the Dollhouse show being cancelled by FOX.

AOL television reports that the show has once again been cancelled, and I wish they'd kept it alive. Dollhouse isn't a show that can reveal all of the cool in one shot - it's a conspiracy show that needs to simmer for awhile for the big payoff. I think the lead who plays Echo was another one of the weak points of the series, but I really liked the rest of it.

Flash Forward

Flash forward will probably fill the Dollhouse niche for me. It has an interesting mystery, where the investigation has both inductive and deductive reasoning plots. On the one hand they are trying to find out why the flash forward event happened, on the other hand one of the investigators was briefly exposed to a bunch of possible clues in that same event, so now they are assuming the random things he saw are important and trying to figure out why. I worry this show wont reach critical mass in viewers, and that it will soon be cancelled.

Some other shows I watch, though not all of them are on have the same seasons:

Star Gate Universe

The latest investment in the Star Gate Universe is a lot like the latest Battlestar Galactica had a baby with Star Trek Voyager, that had been adopted by the Star Gate universe. The setup is actually pretty good, but most of the characters are not likeable. Strong characters are one of the cornerstones of SG franchise, even the ultra-arrogant Dr. Rodney McKay was endearing. I really hope this show makes it to the second season and gets over it’s envy of Battlestar Galactica’s success.

Castle

Nathan Filion fills the lead role of Castle, a Murder Mystery write, who pulled strings to be imbedded in the homicide unit of a police force. This is a witty police procedural, I love it.

Big Bang Theory

Thanks to Warren for pointing this out to me last year. This is the smartest, funniest, comedy on TV.  

Heroes

Heroes has alternatively awed and disappointed me over the seasons. This season is different, confusing, and interesting. So far this season has kept me interested.

House

I love the cast changes – it’s great to keep freshness, and I hope they don’t stop.

Psych

Like the mentalist, only it doesn’t take itself so seriously. It is lots of fun.

Survivor

I mostly watch this because Connie watches it. I keep thinking of cool things they can do thing to spice things up, but it stays the same.

Lie to Me

Human lie detectors try to find the truth.

White Collar

I love “Con artist” shows, and this is almost like the TV version of Lie to Me.

Burn Notice

A spy on the outs has to survive without a support network. Great cast, excellent character interaction. Lots of fun.

Good Eats

Still the best cooking show.

What TV do you watch?

	User:	robin_d_laws
	Date:	2009-11-12 09:20
	Subject:	Overheard
	Security:	Public

When a US studio snaps up remake rights to a foreign film, it’s often hard to picture the elements that made the original special in the first place surviving the translation into the Hollywood style. The piece might depend on cultural specifics that won’t work with American characters. It might succeed on the basis of a delicately sustained tone that seems impossible to capture a second time. The impending Hollywood version of Let the Right One In comes to mind. For similar reasons I've always been glad that the long-bruited American version of The Killer never made it out of development.

Overheard [HK, Felix Chong and Alan Mak] is, on the other hand, the kind of movie Hollywood should be remaking. It’s a plot-driven thriller with a fresh premise that could occur in any country with a stock market. The film makes diverting hay of its basic concept but doesn’t knock it out of the park, leaving room for the hypothetical remake writer to improve on the original.

Three underpaid cops from an electronic surveillance division enter a slippery slope of danger and corruption when they decide to cash in on the insider trading scheme they’ve been assigned to listen in on. Lau Ching Wan downshifts his charisma into a lower key as a passive guy secretly seeing getting another chance with his supervisor’s estranged wife. Daniel Wu is a young officer pressured by his rich fiancee’s father to increase his earning potential. The truly memorable performance comes from Louis Koo, who deglamorizes to play a disaffected working-class schlub facing a family medical crisis.

Of structural interest is the way that the film shifts through different cop sub-genres for each of its three acts. It starts as a stylish techno-procedural, becomes a noirish guilt spiral in the middle, and then rounds its final turns in typically doom-laden HK fashion.

Ragged in spots and perhaps failing to wring maximum juice from its original core idea, it’s still worth a gander if you like the actors or are a diehard Hong Kong cinema fan. Like most HK movies you can safely assume that it will show up as an import DVD in fairly short order.



I caught this at the gala opening of the Reel Asian Film Festival, which meant that it was proceeded by a punishing twenty minutes of welcoming speeches. Yikes!

	User:	savageplanet
	Date:	2009-11-12 06:00
	Subject:
	Security:	Public

• 10:08 "We say goodbye to those that now belong to Eternity." Awesome speech by the President: tinyurl.com/yktpl7d #fb #
• 13:57 Played #DnD w/ the Things using the 4e intro set. Kids had a good time but liked the 3e intro set more because of minis. (more) #
• 13:58 Thing 1 and 2 got the rules down quick and even Thing 3 figured out his DB paladin quick enough. Thing 2 is a great tactical player. #dnd #
• 13:59 On her own she figured out how to use her Fey Step power with Burning Hands to take out a bunch of minions. Made her dad proud. :) #dnd #
• 19:58 Took the kids to see the new Xmas Carol. I liked it a lot, one of the better versions out there. 2 thumbs up. #

	User:	wickedthought
	Date:	2009-11-12 04:43
	Subject:	The Shotgun Diaries: Soccer Mom
	Security:	Public

(Taken from the SGD Facebook Fan Page)




 

	User:	shannon_a
	Date:	2009-11-12 00:12
	Subject:	1000 Miles
	Security:	Public

Today the odometer on my bike hit 1000 miles. Well, it hit 999.73, and I did honestly consider riding an additional block or two and back to get it to the magic 1000 (or, as I expect 000). But I figured it was close enough. I think the actual number is up to 10% higher, given a combination of forgetting to attach my odometer at various times, having the sensor occasionally get knocked out of whack, and the being pretty sure it undercounts by a bit.

I think got it just after Thanksgiving last year, as I believe I didn't have it for my first ride of the Iron Horse Trail. So, that's a 50-week count, or about 20 miles a week. Not bad. I suspect the next 1000 miles will take a little less, as I'm now riding 20 miles most weeks just to EndGame and back (though I've also been doing fewer bike adventures).

Here's some of the highlights of my last 50 weeks:

• The Iron Horse Trail. This is a 25 mile rails-to-trails multiuse path that runs from Dublin to Concord. That's over in Contra Costa County, and I find the landscape there to be entirely beautiful (well, except maybe for San Ramon). It's also nice having such a long and protected trail.
  
• The Lafayette-Moraga Trail. Also over the hills in CCC, this one runs south from the Lafayette BART station up into gradually ascending hills. Highlights include the fact that: I've ridden this trail with Kimberly; it's got a waterfall off to one side (in the rainy season); and it climbs gradually up into the hills. I've also never seen the end of the trail, because the hills have made K. call a halt each of our two trips out, so it's a mystery that's not yet entirely explored.
  
• The Bay Trail. I've ridden this from Fremont in the South to Point Pinole in the North, pretty much the entirety of the East Bay portion of the Trail. The actual trail isn't nearly as nice as either of those Contra Costa Trails because it rarely has more than a few continuous miles at a time. There are still chunks which are totally unavailable as well as chunks that are dirt for several miles. But riding next to the Bay is gorgeous. I think the best section is from Point Isabel to the Richmond Inner Harbor which is several continuous miles, all paved, and includes paths through beautiful wetlands.
  

• The Lafayette-Moraga Trail. And finish it.
  
• The Contra-Costa Canal Trail. (Or something like that.) This is a trail that runs northwest and northeast, bisected by the Iron Horse Trail. I've ridden the northeastern leg, but not the northwestern one.
  
• Over the Bridge. There's a bridge north of Concord that was just opened up to bicyclists. I'd like to ride over it and into the lands beyond.
  
• East from Point Pinole. This is the natural extension of my current Bay Trail journeys, but it includes both lots of unfinished trail and lots of hilly terrain, so it'll be a real test.
  
• Around the South of the Bay. From Fremont south and around, maybe ending at some random Caltrain station. If I take it early, I can head north up the peninsula until I'm tuckered out.
  
• To Mom's House. I've heard several times that there are some nice creek-adjacent trails heading down into south San Jose.
  

User:	sjgames
Date:	2009-11-12 06:49
Subject:	November 12, 2009: Back from Spiel '09!
Security:	Public

http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?m=November&y=2009&d=12

	User:	darkvictoria (posted by vinnie_tesla)
	Date:	2009-11-11 13:28
	Subject:	The Ontological Engine ~ Steampunk erotica
	Security:	Public

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	User:	chadu
	Date:	2009-11-11 23:27
	Subject:	Hunger: the Craving
	Security:	Public

Y'know what I want, RIGHT NOW?

City chicken.

Hurm.

I need to find appropriate skewers [1]; cubed pork and veal [2]; and a deep, lidded casserole dish [3].

[1] I haven't seen appropriate skewers down here, ever: they're all too thin. A city chicken skewer is substantial. (Pretty much a sharpened dowel rod.)
[2] While in the Canonsburg/Pittsburgh area, this is DONE for you at your grocery (srsly, you can buy "city chicken" packs in the meat section), I have NO IDEA which cuts to ask for down here. Anybody know?
[3] I have no idea how I've gone so long without having one of these.

I am also considering taking the recipe cards -- sent during my college years -- from my Mom and Grandma LaSalvia (and others), and typing them into a DOC, which I may make into a real book via Lulu.com.

There are so many idiosyncratic recipes from my family that are tried and true and familiar, but when I mention them to people, they look at me like I am crazy.

The way we do artichokes, for example (only at Xmas and Easter!). City chicken. Christmas rice (only at Xmas!). Halupki. Aunt Kathryn's gnocci [4]. Brujole. Various casseroles. MANY desserts (but I will not type out the mini-cheesecake recipe; I've always HATED those). My Mom's cheeseball. Grandpap Klinger's eggs and bacon. My Dad's keilbasa (kolbassi) and sauerkraut with barley and brown sugar. Grandma LaSalvia's anise cookies (XMAS!). Grandma Underkoffler's German potato salad (anytime!).

[4] Aunt Kathryn, my grandfather's sister (and thus, mostly PA Dutch) married an Italian. To impress his (female) relatives, she learned how to make the BEST DAMN GNOCCI in the world.

To such a cookbook, I may need to add recipes I don't currently have access to: my brother-in-law Mike's sausage recipe is the standout here. (Also, if I can convince step-dad Mike to introduce me to the secrets of the Russian ladies' nutroll, I will have scored info that has evaded many chefs for YEARS.) Step-mom Judith's various pierogies.


One last note: I am sad that the nearest Indian restaurant to Canonsburg is in Heidelburg. I really wanted my family to taste Indian food (despite their inevitable resistance).

	User:	archangelbeth
	Date:	2009-11-11 22:27
	Subject:	There was yarn today.
	Security:	Public

I have a plot for making something for myself somewhere in here. *plot plot*

INwatch: Core Rules: 436, Lilith: 375, Eli: 353, Liber Umbrarum: 222, Litheroy: 214 (pi?), Asmodeus: 185, Infernal Player's Guide: 117, GURPS In Nomine: 79.
Adventures: City On Fire: 115, Feast of Blades: 92, Strange Bedfellows: 92, The Rats' Revenge: 86.
Free Adventures: A Very Nybbas Christmas: 4126, The Sorcerer's Impediments: 2686.
Not IN: Sahudese Fire Drill: 76, GURPS Classic All-Star Jam 2004: 60, GURPS IOU: 59. Not IN or mine: Vorkosigan Saga Sourcebook and RPG: 218.


( Dragons under fold )

User:	shadowrunrpg
Date:	2009-11-12 01:01
Subject:	Shadowrun tagged in io9 article
Security:	Public

http://www.shadowrun4.com/wordpress/2009/11/shadowrun-tagged-in-io9-article/

http://www.shadowrun4.com/wordpress/?p=750

I regularly check in with io9.com for its coverage of all things science fiction (their review of Transformers 2 was particularly brilliant), so I was happy to see a Shadowrun mention in their article on “Seven Ways the World Could End in 2012.” Check it out!

	User:	_grimtales_
	Date:	2009-11-11 23:00
	Subject:	Outboard Braincell
	Security:	Public

( Howling from the wilderness )

	User:	elissa_carey
	Date:	2009-11-11 18:37
	Subject:	Get lost, Safari.
	Security:	Public

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	User:	matt_m_mcelroy
	Date:	2009-11-11 17:33
	Subject:	Salvatore(s) Interview
	Security:	Public

FlamesRising.com is pleased to present an exclusive interview with Bob Salvatore and his son, Geno. R.A. Salvatore has written dozens of best-selling books such as The Ghost King, Road of the Patriarch and Highwayman. The Stowaway, the first in the Stone of Tymora series, is Geno Salvatore’s debut novel.

In this interview, we discuss the young adult series entitled Stone of Tymora which is co-written by Geno and R.A. Salvatore.

Interview with Geno and Bob Salvatore

Stay tuned to Flames Rising for more interviews, reviews and previews of your favorite horror and dark fantasy titles.

	User:	dmwcarol
	Date:	2009-11-11 22:27
	Subject:	This is going to be tough
	Security:	Public

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	User:	freeport_pirate
	Date:	2009-11-11 13:28
	Subject:	A Story for Veterans Day
	Security:	Public
	Music:	Dropkick Murphys "Far Away Coast"

My middle name is William, which is my father's name. He was named after his uncle, a Greek immigrant who fought in the American army in World War 1. When I was home a couple of years ago, my dad showed me a folder of paperwork regarding my great uncle. There was very little family lore about him because he died young on the Western Front. My father said he always wanted to know more, particularly how he died. In the folder I found his unit information and his date of death. I said I'd take to the internet and see what I could find out. My dad scoffed (to say he's not Mr. Computer is an understatement). "What are you going to find there?" he asked.

My great uncle William had been a private first class in the 3rd Infantry Division. He died on July 15, 1918. Finding out what happened to him was not too difficult as it turned out. July 15 was the first day the Second Battle of the Marne, which was Germany's last major offensive of the war. The 3rd Division, including William's 38th Regiment, was posted on the Marne River and here the Germans tried to break through to finally capture Paris. The units on either side of the 3rd Division fell back under the assault of German stormtroopers. The 3rd's commander, Major General Joseph Dickman, said to his French allies, "Nous resterons la." "We shall remain here." The 3rd held the line and earned a name they still  bear to this day: the Rock of the Marne Division.

That was the action and the day my great uncle was killed. I also discovered where he's buried: the Oise-Marne American Cemetery, Plot B, Row 25, Grave 33. No one from my family has ever visited his grave. Included in that folder were letters from the government offering his mother a free trip to France to do so. Apparently in the 1920s this offer was made to the mothers of soldiers who died in the war. She was too grief stricken to take the trip and the letters went unanswered. 

So I printed out what I had found online and brought it down to show my dad. He was impressed with what I had been able to dig up in just an hour. "See," I said, "the internet is good for something." I was glad my dad could finally find something out about his uncle and how he died. He had been wondering his whole life, but the family didn't like to talk about PFC Pramas. Too much pain I guess and I can understand that. I've since tracked down a history of the 3rd Division in WW1, published by the unit in Germany in 1919. I'm trying to learn more about where William's company was on that fateful day. Some day I'd also like to visit his grave. I feel that someone from my family should, since over 90 years have passed since his death.

I think of my great uncle when I see the anti-immigration bigots wrapping themselves in the American flag. William was a recent immigrant to the United States. He likely spoke little English and army life couldn't have been easy for him. But he joined up and he gave his life, as did many immigrants before him and as have many since. His willingness to do so did not diminish America, it enhanced it because we are fundamentally a nation of immigrants. Lets remember that this Veterans Day.

	User:	darkvictoria (posted by totally_waisted)
	Date:	2009-11-09 12:42
	Subject:	New Pieces up on Etsy.
	Security:	Public
	Music:	Bowerbirds ~ In Our Talons

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