1) I haven't posted in a while. I apologize.
2) I have ceased work on my Necron army since their Codex is pushing back to at least 2010, maybe even longer. Currently their gauss rule has been gutted leaving the warrior to be woefully overpriced. They also are horrid in CC which has become much more common in 5th edition.
3) I have started to build up my Eldar army. I've spent some time researching and now have a much better idea of how to compose a force for the Eldar army. Now I just need to find a way to finance it!
4) Katie and I are going to start actively looking at houses.
5) Gossip is an interesting topic of conversation. It can become very meta at certain points.
6) Starting to exercise every day and do my devotional reading in the morning. Hopefully this'll leave more time to write in the evening.
7) I think I'm going to take a brief break from reading anything political for a while. It is starting to wear on me.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
The flies and spiders get along together
For some reason the song "Frank Sinatra" (by Cake) popped into my head the other day. I had not heard that song in probably over a decade. I went and listened to the song again and liked it so much I started looking at all the songs on Fashion Nugget. I used to really like this album. Now I absolutely love it. The style of the music, the lyrics, the composition of songs on the album are all amazing.
I really like it when I go back to look at something that I have fond memories of and find that it is even better than I remember. Too often things that I liked a kid or teenager sucked. I go back and look at them and find that my taste was horrible. Movies I liked aren't as funny as I remember, music usually isn't as good, and books usually aren't very well written. So when I run into that rare jewel of something I liked as a youngster that is actually really good it is a nice feeling.
Occasionally I could recognize good things. Either that or I liked it for all the wrong reasons.
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.
I really like it when I go back to look at something that I have fond memories of and find that it is even better than I remember. Too often things that I liked a kid or teenager sucked. I go back and look at them and find that my taste was horrible. Movies I liked aren't as funny as I remember, music usually isn't as good, and books usually aren't very well written. So when I run into that rare jewel of something I liked as a youngster that is actually really good it is a nice feeling.
Occasionally I could recognize good things. Either that or I liked it for all the wrong reasons.
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
I guess that's the way the whole durned human comedy keeps perpetuatin' itself.
So I knocked out some models this week. It was my birthday and I took the day off. I painted up the remaining 8 Guardians. I took Mechrite Red for the body. I had tried previously to do Mechrite Red, with white highlights followed by a Chestnut Ink, but that ended up looking horrible. After the failed Chaos Black->Skull White highlight -> Chestnut I decided that trying for a wash on these guys was a waste of time. I like the texture, but I don't think I can get the colors I want. I think should have used a White basecoat for these guys, but it's a bit late for that now. So my final was Mechrite Red for the body, Skull White for the helmet, Shining Gold for the visor. I'm going to do Mithril Silver (or maybe Chainmail) for the gun followed with a Shining Gold highlight (it looked good on my test model). It is very satisfying to actually get a unit done and table ready.
I also spent some time trying to get my unit of jetbikes table ready. Buying them used was an interesting experience. I've had to put multiple layers of a foundation paint on to cover up. They were a dark green and I'm covering with a red, so yeah multiple layers is a requirement. Luckily the drivers were mostly white so the mechrite red actually looks very nice on them. The unpleasant part was trying to get the broken off clear plastic base mounts out. I ended up having to drill through the material and just create a new hole. Yeah, little bits of plastic dust were all that remained. Now I have to actually buy the blasted small flying bases. It cuts into the profit of only paying 50% of the cost to buy the models from GW, but it is definitely more hassle. Oh, I'm also missing a few arms on my drivers. I guess I can claim they are "converted", but it's just minorly irritating. I'll keep that in mind for future used model purchases.
After that I started trying to glue together the Banshee models. I hate these models. The sword arms never want to stay on. I think I'm going to have to do pinning, but trying to drill a hole into a pewter figure with a hand drill isn't fun. Especially without a vise grip to hold the arm in. At least I haven't put a hole in my hand yet.
I also assembled a Destroyer model. That was very satisfying. Overall it was a pleasant experience actually getting some models into the table ready state. I'll need to decide on priming my Reapers/Farseer/Warlock/Weapon Support platform. All I have is black spray primer (whee!) so I'll probably only cost units that I plan to base in a dark color (like the red or black). Those stinking banshees with either have to be primed by hand or wait until I get my hands on some white spray primer.
I also spent some time trying to get my unit of jetbikes table ready. Buying them used was an interesting experience. I've had to put multiple layers of a foundation paint on to cover up. They were a dark green and I'm covering with a red, so yeah multiple layers is a requirement. Luckily the drivers were mostly white so the mechrite red actually looks very nice on them. The unpleasant part was trying to get the broken off clear plastic base mounts out. I ended up having to drill through the material and just create a new hole. Yeah, little bits of plastic dust were all that remained. Now I have to actually buy the blasted small flying bases. It cuts into the profit of only paying 50% of the cost to buy the models from GW, but it is definitely more hassle. Oh, I'm also missing a few arms on my drivers. I guess I can claim they are "converted", but it's just minorly irritating. I'll keep that in mind for future used model purchases.
After that I started trying to glue together the Banshee models. I hate these models. The sword arms never want to stay on. I think I'm going to have to do pinning, but trying to drill a hole into a pewter figure with a hand drill isn't fun. Especially without a vise grip to hold the arm in. At least I haven't put a hole in my hand yet.
I also assembled a Destroyer model. That was very satisfying. Overall it was a pleasant experience actually getting some models into the table ready state. I'll need to decide on priming my Reapers/Farseer/Warlock/Weapon Support platform. All I have is black spray primer (whee!) so I'll probably only cost units that I plan to base in a dark color (like the red or black). Those stinking banshees with either have to be primed by hand or wait until I get my hands on some white spray primer.
Monday, January 19, 2009
What makes a good stand-up comic?
I don't claim to be funny. I am not a stand-up at all. I don't even really tell jokes that well. However, much the same as a person that loves wine doesn't have to be good at making wine to be able to tell good from bad, I would like to think I can tell the difference between good and bad comedians.
I fancy myself a connoisseur of stand-up comedy. I realize that is pretentious of me, but nevertheless there it is. I think I have really good taste in comedians. Rather than take the time to disect whatever bizarre psychological trauma makes me have these delusions of grandeur, let's just assume I'm right.
Most people would say the same thing. I mean it's easy, right? If they make you laugh they are good, if not they are bad. I would disagree. There are many things to consider whether or not a comedian is good or bad.
First, we have to look at the simplest test. Do they make you laugh. If they don't make you laugh at all they are not a good comedian. They may not be a comedian at all. This is why some people would argue performers like Andy Kauffman (who was hilarious at times) was more of a performance artist than a comedy. He did not always make his audience laugh. Sometimes all he did was enrage people. That however is a debate for another time and Andy was a unique man. In general we can take as our first measurement "Does the person make me laugh". Whether or not you are chuckling or laughing so hard you can't breathe, do you laugh?
Now that is out of the way let us look at other measurements.
Repeatability - How many times can you listen to this comedian before you get bored? Assume the first time you listen to an album you die laughing, but on the tenth time you aren't even chuckling. That person is less funny than someone who still draws a chuckle on the tenth, fifteenth, and twentieth times you hear an album. Even when you know the punchline is coming, is it still funny?
Longevity - How long will the humor of this album last? Jokes about specific people generally don't age well. If the next generation doesn't know who a person is they won't be able to appreciate the joke. If you go back and watch Chevy Chase's impersonation of Gerald Ford (an SNL skit, not stand-up but the principle is the same) a person who has never seen Ford in office isn't going to get a lot of the jokes. This is the danger of particular person oriented observation humor. It has a shelf-life.
Originality - The first time you hear a comedian use a lot of filthy language you'll probably laugh. The first time you hear a joke stereotyping rednecks you'll probably laugh. The first time you hear someone tell about the differences between black people and white people you'll probably laugh. However this type of joke loses it's luster very quickly, because everyone does it. It is an obvious joke. This is where originality comes in. If you can take an old joke and make it new, then you are an excellent comic. Don't go 'White people go "doo dee doo doo" and black people go "bop bippity bop boop". We've all seen that. You can only do that bit if you have a new angle.
Universal Appeal - Who is going to get your jokes? Only young people? Only old people? Only married people? Only single people? Only people raised in Northwest Georgia in the early 80's? The more people that can access your jokes the more skillfull you'll have to be to get that deep connection. We don't all share the same culture so it'll need to be something that transcends culture. I think this is why so many comedians use relationships as banners. We all either are in or want to be in a relationship. All cultures have them, so everyone can relate. Mom and Dad humor is good because everyone had a mother and father. Even if they didn't have the same type of mom/dad people can relate to the idea of the mom/dad.
Presentation - How well is the joke told? Timing is important. I don't know if timing can really be taught or if it just something that you're born with. My timing is mediocre. Sometimes I draw a joke out too long. Pacing is important. You have to start well and end well. You can't maintain a manic pace for too long. People will get tired. You also have to know how to end a joke. One of my biggest complaints against Dane Cook is that he never ends a joke soon enough. He could have some killer material if he would just end his jokes about 20 seconds earlier. You don't have to explain the joke. People get it. Move on.
So, that is what I think makes a good comedian. I would probably say my favorite comedian of all time is Billy Cosby.
I fancy myself a connoisseur of stand-up comedy. I realize that is pretentious of me, but nevertheless there it is. I think I have really good taste in comedians. Rather than take the time to disect whatever bizarre psychological trauma makes me have these delusions of grandeur, let's just assume I'm right.
Most people would say the same thing. I mean it's easy, right? If they make you laugh they are good, if not they are bad. I would disagree. There are many things to consider whether or not a comedian is good or bad.
First, we have to look at the simplest test. Do they make you laugh. If they don't make you laugh at all they are not a good comedian. They may not be a comedian at all. This is why some people would argue performers like Andy Kauffman (who was hilarious at times) was more of a performance artist than a comedy. He did not always make his audience laugh. Sometimes all he did was enrage people. That however is a debate for another time and Andy was a unique man. In general we can take as our first measurement "Does the person make me laugh". Whether or not you are chuckling or laughing so hard you can't breathe, do you laugh?
Now that is out of the way let us look at other measurements.
Repeatability - How many times can you listen to this comedian before you get bored? Assume the first time you listen to an album you die laughing, but on the tenth time you aren't even chuckling. That person is less funny than someone who still draws a chuckle on the tenth, fifteenth, and twentieth times you hear an album. Even when you know the punchline is coming, is it still funny?
Longevity - How long will the humor of this album last? Jokes about specific people generally don't age well. If the next generation doesn't know who a person is they won't be able to appreciate the joke. If you go back and watch Chevy Chase's impersonation of Gerald Ford (an SNL skit, not stand-up but the principle is the same) a person who has never seen Ford in office isn't going to get a lot of the jokes. This is the danger of particular person oriented observation humor. It has a shelf-life.
Originality - The first time you hear a comedian use a lot of filthy language you'll probably laugh. The first time you hear a joke stereotyping rednecks you'll probably laugh. The first time you hear someone tell about the differences between black people and white people you'll probably laugh. However this type of joke loses it's luster very quickly, because everyone does it. It is an obvious joke. This is where originality comes in. If you can take an old joke and make it new, then you are an excellent comic. Don't go 'White people go "doo dee doo doo" and black people go "bop bippity bop boop". We've all seen that. You can only do that bit if you have a new angle.
Universal Appeal - Who is going to get your jokes? Only young people? Only old people? Only married people? Only single people? Only people raised in Northwest Georgia in the early 80's? The more people that can access your jokes the more skillfull you'll have to be to get that deep connection. We don't all share the same culture so it'll need to be something that transcends culture. I think this is why so many comedians use relationships as banners. We all either are in or want to be in a relationship. All cultures have them, so everyone can relate. Mom and Dad humor is good because everyone had a mother and father. Even if they didn't have the same type of mom/dad people can relate to the idea of the mom/dad.
Presentation - How well is the joke told? Timing is important. I don't know if timing can really be taught or if it just something that you're born with. My timing is mediocre. Sometimes I draw a joke out too long. Pacing is important. You have to start well and end well. You can't maintain a manic pace for too long. People will get tired. You also have to know how to end a joke. One of my biggest complaints against Dane Cook is that he never ends a joke soon enough. He could have some killer material if he would just end his jokes about 20 seconds earlier. You don't have to explain the joke. People get it. Move on.
So, that is what I think makes a good comedian. I would probably say my favorite comedian of all time is Billy Cosby.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Here. Simon Pegg explains my dislike of fast zombies.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/nov/04/television-simon-pegg-dead-set
I couldn't have said it better myself (and believe me I've tried). Why zombies should not ever run.
I couldn't have said it better myself (and believe me I've tried). Why zombies should not ever run.
Crack Free for over a week!
I have canceled my WoW account. I now have a lot more free time. What have I been doing with it?
Reading pulp fiction. Playing/Planning WH40k Armies. Played N and Desktop Tower Defense.
Unfortunately nothing in that list is actually productive. Luckily today I finally did something productive. I put together a "Recumbent Magnetic Resistance Exercise Bike". It was great fun. By great fun I mean "I forgot some washers, Put the wrong type of washers on some places, Stripped some threads, and Destroyed some screws" type fun. It only took me about an hour and a half, so all told I didn't lose a lot of time. Now we have this nice bicycle to exercise with. I wonder if we'll actually use it or not.
I debating between posting about my recent venture back into D&D or a long rant about my views on stand-up comedy. Either one would be interesting, but long. I'll get around to writing on one of those two topics soon.
I find that without WoW to spend my free time on I've forgotten how I used to spend time. That is a fairly disturbing thought. I could spend that time writing, but I don't think that is going to happen. It's much more likely that I'll end up picking up WC3 or installing something like Portal.
You don't ever really break the video game addiction. You just change brands every once in a while. (I'm kidding). I think I'll go get the living room setup for some model work later. If anyone knows of a small vise grip (to steady/hold parts for drilling for pinning) let me know. I'd like to get my hands on one so I don't drill a hole in my hand trying to pin metal figures.
Reading pulp fiction. Playing/Planning WH40k Armies. Played N and Desktop Tower Defense.
Unfortunately nothing in that list is actually productive. Luckily today I finally did something productive. I put together a "Recumbent Magnetic Resistance Exercise Bike". It was great fun. By great fun I mean "I forgot some washers, Put the wrong type of washers on some places, Stripped some threads, and Destroyed some screws" type fun. It only took me about an hour and a half, so all told I didn't lose a lot of time. Now we have this nice bicycle to exercise with. I wonder if we'll actually use it or not.
I debating between posting about my recent venture back into D&D or a long rant about my views on stand-up comedy. Either one would be interesting, but long. I'll get around to writing on one of those two topics soon.
I find that without WoW to spend my free time on I've forgotten how I used to spend time. That is a fairly disturbing thought. I could spend that time writing, but I don't think that is going to happen. It's much more likely that I'll end up picking up WC3 or installing something like Portal.
You don't ever really break the video game addiction. You just change brands every once in a while. (I'm kidding). I think I'll go get the living room setup for some model work later. If anyone knows of a small vise grip (to steady/hold parts for drilling for pinning) let me know. I'd like to get my hands on one so I don't drill a hole in my hand trying to pin metal figures.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
http://www.imdb.com/news/ni0642968/
*edit* This seems to have been done tongue in cheek.
*edit* This seems to have been done tongue in cheek.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
My Wife Dislikes Stupid People
As a note to those of you out there who are stupid people and realize it (a very small minority). My wife doesn't like you.
Booyah!
Booyah!
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