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Monday, March 29, 2004
ACUS
Was a lot of fun. By Sunday morning, though, I was pretty much peopled out. So I headed home where I putzed around the house a bit, worked on a project due in class tomorrow (a 5 minute powerpoint presentation) and watched the Two Towers Extended version.
It was nice to just laze around home.
My First Time
I GM'ed my first game on Saturday night. I was a bit annoyed that one of the players didn't show up. He didn't contact me during the con to SAY he wasn't coming, he just didn't show up. That left me with two players for 4 hours. I had to keep them busy that entire time. I was counting on interactions among players to take up a chunk of time, but with only two of them I ended up running through a lot more stuff than I was planning. This means I ran out of planned events about 2 hours in. Oi. It was a crossover game, so I was hoping that folks from the other game would start entering in so there'd be more roleplaying and dialogue and less combat and searching, but they players in
The two players I had (Matthew and Jarrod) were pretty inventive, though. It was funny.
It was completely and utterly draining. I felt tapped by midnight, and the game had an hour left in the slot. Luckily, my game crossed over with James' game, so I had GM reinforcements. We split the 12 or 13 folks into groups for a chase scene at the end and mine seemed to finish quickly. My players weren't so much interested in combat as grabbing something from the thief, though, and two high Psyche characters blasted the Chaosian with a Pattern attack while another character wielding a Pattern blade struck the Chaosian.
All in all, I think it went alright. If I GM again, it'll be a shorter slot. Or I'll need more people so they can spend time interacting rather than relying completely on me for roleplaying.
Top ACUS2004 game...
...had to be Rachel H's game. Slot 4, called "Game One: Find and Seek." It used a new gaming system that hasn't been formally published yet, called "The Zero Movement". It's basically taking the modern world but adding in a neo-industrialism and urbanism that is based in the occult. Big corporate peoples are fueled by a very ritualized and time/resource consuming occult magic to obtain their goals. The net result is that they grow rich and powerful by draining the cities and the people. Characters, though, are the first generation of Will-makers (I think this is the wrong term, but it's close). They can perform magical feats WITHOUT hours and days of ritual. The game puts an emphasis on being young.
The game uses Tarot cards in the system, too. We were handed a Tarot card with a value, depending on the interpretation of the card. During the game you can use the card with whatever effect is listed on the card. So, for example, I had the Emperor. The Emperor represents Order, Government, Ambition, Power. I could use any of those facets, or I could have used any facet of the picture on the card (A guy on a throne with a scepter). I *really* needed something in the game behind a counter in a store, so I used my card to influence the clerk. She wanted nothing more than to sell my fellow PC a pair of jeans (Ambition). The Emperor was a +3 card (the most powerful score), so it was effective.
There are negative cards, too. You have to use the cards on yourself, to obtain the goals you want. You can use them on others to help others, but if negative cards are used on anyone else, that Karma goes into the universe and will eventually come back to you. So, you use Death to force someone to change their way of thinking (Death isn't always a physical death card, it means Change too). Some time during the game session, the GM will use that card on you.
I really like this system.
My only critique of the game was that character creation took more than half the slot. It's got a bit of a learning curve which could be overcome by a bit more clever use of the character sheet's design. When/if I ever get time, I might contact the creator and offer to help design forms.
[post.command] ::>auth-code~ Aular-0802ZXC -; ::>Time.stamp ~ 10:23 AM ::> [
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
He He ... He He ... that Tickles ... ehehehehheeheh
Got this Site URL from a friend in Boston. It's kind of interesting.
Think you know everything about me? Take the "How Well Do You Know Patrick?" quiz I created on Tickle and see how you score.
Here's my first question:
1. What's my sign?
* Gemini
* Libra
* Taurus
* Cancer
Just click (or copy and paste) this link and you'll be taken to my quiz.
http://connect.tickle.com/test.html?id=Dw8UmbQv8Jn4U8TY&
Patrick
[post.command] ::>auth-code~ Aular-0802ZXC -; ::>Time.stamp ~ 9:55 AM ::> [
Friday, March 19, 2004
Yuck
From a work e-mail:
The City of Ann Arbor, Public Services Department, has notified us that the
Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT)is scheduled to rehabilitate the
State Street bridge structure over I-94 starting on or about March 15, 2004,
weather permitting. Construction is anticipated to take approximately 70
days.
The following are excerpts from the announcement:
The project will be constructed in three phases. Phase 1, one lane of
traffic will be maintained in each direction throughout the work. The
project will maintain full access to all ramps at the I-94/S. State Street
interchange. However, during Phase 2, motorists will have to perform
"Michigan left turns" from both off ramps in order to proceed north or south
along S. State Street. MDOT will provide additional detour signs for
drivers along these ramps to assist them in their travel. The ramp from
northbound S. State Street to eastbound I-94 will be closed for a three week
period. The closure is unavoidable due to traffic control requirements
along I-94 just east of this structure. The closure is tentatively
scheduled from about April 5 to April 24, 2004. Northbound S. State Street
traffic will be detoured westbound along I-94 to Ann Arbor-Saline Road and
then eastbound along I-94.
Please notify your employees that travel this interchange to plan for delays
or for an alternate route. If your employees have any concerns with the
bridge project, they may contact MDOT's Resident Engineer at 810.227.4681.
[post.command] ::>auth-code~ Aular-0802ZXC -; ::>Time.stamp ~ 9:29 AM ::> [
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
whirlwind
Dinner last night was fun. Jack seemed to not be feeling well; I hope he's feeling better today. I indulged and had veal -- but it was Free Range Veal, so I felt it was ok. Even though the vegetable-tarians were teasing ME, this time. Must remember to not push the Pork jokes so much ;)
Got home and sent out character stuff to two of my three players. Midnight rolled around, and I couldn't finish the third. I also finished the trump of Cecil I was working on, for my one ACUS game with a character I create ahead of time. He is the son of Llewella, a naval captain and an Amberite. He should be fun to play. I guess he could be loosely based on Lysis, but Cecil's difference is that he's a realist and knows better, while Lysis is an idealist.
Tonight is dinner with Jarrod's folks, since we haven't seen them in a month or two. I'm grilling T-Bones and putting them with a Merlot Reduction sauce I made Monday night. Salad, steamed veggies, sautéd squash ... still have to figure out what to do for dessert. If I have time, I might slip over to Zingerman's to get some gelati. That'd be a nice change.
I *finally* got my Heart of Angel in PSO last night. The person I've been trying to trade with is rather elusive. We met up about midnight, and swapped items. My FORCE (think: Mage) character will soon have white Angel Wings following her around. That will be cool! I'm probably going to change her dress again (you can change the character's outfit in the game) back to green or the white dress with gold. I changed it to her current red because her Mag, Nidra, happened to be red and her dress clashed with it. We can't have that, now can we!?
I had bizarre dreams last night, about Krackel. I think about him now and again, but I haven't dreamt about him in a long time. In the dream, I went home (which was my parent's place), and he was "missing". No one had attempted to look for him, either, and it was hours since he ran away. My parents live on a major thoroughfare and even though it's country -- it's still a busy road. It'd be much like Michigan Avenue between Saline and Clinton -- country and farms, but lots of traffic. The dogs used to escape from time to time, and we'd have to chase them down in a panic. Anyway, the whole family were all busy playing with a new puppy, so they couldn't look for him. In a major panic, I went out into the front yard to call for him. He came right away, and we grabbed my wrist like he used to do when we were play-wrestling. We fell to the ground in a tumble, and I was so happy to see him that I hugged him really tight.
Which only makes me sad, now.
This was probably brought on by the fact that MOTHER bought a new puppy this past weekend. They had two of the older dogs put to sleep a few weeks ago. She's been bitching about the dogs for several years, telling me that they were too much for her to take care of. When the two were put down, I told mom and dad that they didn't need any more animals to take care. Dad agreed, and mom did too. At least verbally she did. Dad left for Japan last Wednesday, and Thursday I get a call from mom. The story was -- some lady in Alma received an "anonymous cashier's check" with a note saying that she got to pick up a "free" puppy, and she was calling everyone to see who could have done that. I told her there was no way I did, because I didn't think they should get another animal. She asked what she should do about the "free puppy", and I told her to wait to talk to dad, first. He was unreachable, since he's in aFOREIGNN COUNTRY fer-christ's-sake. She agreed. I found out that on Friday, though, that she went to pick the beast up. Of course she did. She thinks having another animal will make her happy. Just like she thought she'd be happy if she cashed out dad's retirement accounts and bought a hot tub and furniture with it. Of course she picked the thing up.
What I think happened: She bought a puppy while Dad was out of the country so he couldn't say no. She concocted a story and spread it around so that she'd have corroboration. She lied to me.
I'm rather furious with her. She lies to me all the time. She pulls shit like this all the time. And I've reached the end of my patience. I don't want to talk to her, and I don't want to call her. I'm tired of her constructed world, where in the space of the same conversation she wants to be buried in her new black-sequin dress and she's going to paint the sequins gold for her (HER, not THEIR) 50th wedding anniversary. I'm tired of hearing about the wedding she should have had 25 years ago, and wants to try and have now, if only her ungrateful children would pay for it. I'm tired of the "if only we hadn't spent soooo much money on Patrick's school, we'd have money now" routine that she never tells me, but freely tells my sisters.
I guess I'm tired of feeling that her entire life'sdisappointmentss are because she had me when she was 17. I'm sorry - that wasn't my doing, and I don't have to make up for her loss of youth and fun.
It's been a whirlwind of a few weeks. I'm ready for some peace and quiet, to be honest. Oddly enough, Ambercon will be a nice escape this year. I normally dread it (just a little) because I typically need quiet time to regenerate. But this year? I'm looking forward to it.
[post.command] ::>auth-code~ Aular-0802ZXC -; ::>Time.stamp ~ 9:59 AM ::> [
Friday, March 12, 2004
heh
Via A2MacGeek
[post.command] ::>auth-code~ Aular-0802ZXC -; ::>Time.stamp ~ 11:29 AM ::> [
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
An Lo, He has Risen from the Dead to Walk the Earth once more....
The Palm died a few weeks ago. Fatal error something-something. I had to do a hard-reset. It roared back to life, then promptly refused to connect to my computer to get any of the stored data from it.
Today, I learned the magic incantation that brought it back to life.
I'll now know what I'm doing and when :) Just in time, too. March looks busy!
[post.command] ::>auth-code~ Aular-0802ZXC -; ::>Time.stamp ~ 5:09 PM ::> [
Monday, March 08, 2004
UgH. SORE.
Very sore this morning. Which means I'm either:
A) Getting Old.
B) Out of shape.
C) A & B.
Ah well. Matthew's place looks awesome, and the mural he's been planning for 2 years or so turned out really well. It was fun to help. Makes me want to start getting our place into some semblance of 'decorated'. :D
[post.command] ::>auth-code~ Aular-0802ZXC -; ::>Time.stamp ~ 8:34 AM ::> [
Friday, March 05, 2004
Theme song, of late
Every single night, the same arrangement
I go out and fight the fight
Still I always feel the strangest strangement
Nothing here is real, nothing here is right
I've been making shows of trading blows
Just hoping no one knows
That I've been going through the motions
Walking through the part
nothing seems to penetrate my heart...
[post.command] ::>auth-code~ Aular-0802ZXC -; ::>Time.stamp ~ 2:55 PM ::> [
The Next Chapter...
Right about now, Matthew is signing all the documents to buy his first house.
Congratulations, Matthew. You've earned this.
[post.command] ::>auth-code~ Aular-0802ZXC -; ::>Time.stamp ~ 10:12 AM ::> [
Thursday, March 04, 2004
On the Sanctity of Marriage....
from an e-mail sent to deanpolls, a Yahoo! group
Will Bush support biblical marriage?
AMENDMENT XXIX.
No state may sanction marriage between a man and a woman who was married previously but has since divorced (Matthew 5:32).
AMENDMENT XXX.
No state may sanction marriage involving a widow (unless it is to her brother-in-law-sea amendment 34). All women whose husbands have passed away are to refrain from intimacy and pleasure for the remainder of their lives (1 Timothy 5:5-15).
AMENDMENT XXXI.
No state may sanction marriage between people of different races (Deuteronomy 7:3; Numbers 25:6-8; 36:3-9; 1 Kings 11:2; Esra 9:2; Nehemiah 13:25-27).
AMENDMENT XXXII.
No state may sanction marriage between a Christian and a non Christian (2 John 1:9-11; 2 Corinthians 6:14-17).
AMENDMENT XXXIII.
No state may sanction marriage involving a man who has had sexual thoughts about a woman other than the one he intends to marry (Matthew 5:28).
AMENDMENT XXXIV.
No state may sanction marriage between a man whose brother has passed away and any woman other than his brother's widow. Each state must require the brother of a deceased man to marry his brother's widow (Deuteronomy 25:5-10).
AMENDMENT XXXV
No state may sanction marriage between a man and any woman unwilling to promise in her wedding vows to obey her husband and submit to his every whim (Ephesians 5:22-24; 1 Corinthians 11:3; Colossionas 3:18; 1 Timothy 2:11-12; Titus 2:3, 5; 1 Peter 3:1).
AMENDMENT XXXVII
No state may sanction marriage in which the wedding ceremony is to occur during the woman's menstrual cycle unless the
prospective spouses agree to refrain from intimate relations until the woman's period of uncleanness has terminated (Levitious 18:19, 20:18; Ezekiel 1825-6).
AMENDMENT XXXVIII
No state may sanction marriage between a minister and any woman other than a virgin (Levitious 21:13-14).
AMENDMENT XXXIX
No state may sanction marriage between a rapist and any woman other than his victim. States must require a rapist to marry his victim (Deuteronomy 22:28-29) unless the victim failed to cry out, in which case the rapist is relieved of this obligation (Deuteronomy 22:23- 24).
AMENDMENT XXXX
No state may sanction marriage between a man and an aggressive or contentious woman (Proverbs 21:9, 21:19, 25:24, 27:15).
*Ronald Reagan - divorced the mother of two of his children to marry Nancy Reagan who bore him a daughter only 7 months after the marriage.
*Bob Dole - divorced the mother of his child, who had nursed him through the long recovery from his war wounds.
*Newt Gingrich - divorced his wife who was dying of cancer.
*Rep. Bob Barr of Georgia - Barr, not yet 50 years old, has been married three times. Barr had the audacity to author and push the "Defense of Marriage Act." The current joke making the rounds on Capitol Hill is "Bob Barr ... WHICH marriage are you defending?!?
*Dick Armey - House Majority Leader - divorced
*Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas - divorced
*Gov. Pete Wilson of California - divorced
*Rush Limbaugh - Rush and his current wife Marta have six marriages and four divorces between them.
*George Will - divorced
*Sen. Lauch Faircloth - divorced
*Sen. Alfonse D'Amato of New York - divorced
*Gov. George Allen of Virginia - divorced
*Henry Kissinger - divorced
*Rep. Helen Chenoweth of Idaho - divorced
*Sen. John McCain of Arizonia - divorced
*Rep. John Kasich of Ohio - divorced
*Rep. Susan Molinari of New York - Republican National Convention Keynote Speaker - divorced
*Gov. John Engler of Michigan - divorced
*Sen. John Warner of Virginia - divorced (once married to Liz Taylor.)
And just think, Marriage is a sacred institution that has been "unchanged" for thousands of years. Yea, Right. Those biblical references above USED to be the Law Code. I bet if any priest or justice of the peace asked any of my female friends about whether or not they were mentruating as they applied for their liscence, they'd probably deck the person.
[post.command] ::>auth-code~ Aular-0802ZXC -; ::>Time.stamp ~ 8:35 AM ::> [
Tuesday, March 02, 2004
Hm.
The week dried up.
Rough draft of a paper (thurs)
Ambercon planning (Thurs) (moved to Monday)
Help Madam Schlieck with an Indian food feast for Saturday (moved/canceled)
Helping Matthew in the new place Saturday/Sunday
Friday Night -- Celebrate mom and dad's 25th wedding anniversary
AFDS Saturday (Canceled)
Read the Aenid, by Virgil.
That leaves the Aenid, the paper, the anniversary and helping Matthew. The paper was going to be a how-to guide to preparing an Indian dish, but will now be morphing into a how-to guide on crepes. Though, Jarrod had a good idea -- I could do a how-to guide to growing a Nidra mag on PSO ;) I think that'd score me some uber-geek points, too.
Decisions, decisions.
[post.command] ::>auth-code~ Aular-0802ZXC -; ::>Time.stamp ~ 9:35 AM ::> [
Monday, March 01, 2004
Eep.
Shaping up to be a very busy week, indeed. Things on the list already:
- Rough draft of a paper (thurs)
- Ambercon planning (Thurs)
- Help Madam Schlieck with an Indian food feast for Saturday
- Helping Matthew in the new place Saturday/Sunday
- Friday Night -- Celebrate mom and dad's 25th wedding anniversary
- AFDS Saturday
- Read the Aenid, by Virgil.
[post.command] ::>auth-code~ Aular-0802ZXC -; ::>Time.stamp ~ 1:15 PM ::> [
Back to REALITY...
Spring break is over: back to class.
Weekend's over: back to work.
Gah. Wishing it were spring break AND still the weekend, but there you go. 60 days from now I will graduate, and I can close that proverbial (and literal) book.
[post.command] ::>auth-code~ Aular-0802ZXC -; ::>Time.stamp ~ 8:39 AM ::> [
The Lord of the Oscars...
We won them all, precious. We won them all!
CNN: A perfect, golden 'Rings'
[post.command] ::>auth-code~ Aular-0802ZXC -; ::>Time.stamp ~ 8:36 AM ::> [
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