The Happiness Thread

Doing your own interpretation of the House of Wax?
Also I did not know they sold it bricks. (I really need to get out more.)

 

On the subject of drunk D&D, it really depends on the campaign I guess. I pretty much told my group to not bother coming if they're going to be drunk. I try to run a fairly serious campaign, so drunk players are just annoying. In a sillier campaign I suppose it might be okay.

 

I managed to cook Japanese style curry and NOT burn down my apartment.

Progress is great.

 

I've always wanted to give DnD a try but I've never been able to get into it. Part of me doesn't like how a large portion of the game is controlled by variables and by players coming up with their own shit (even though that's like, you know, the ENTIRE POINT of DnD) but the other part of me thinks it would be really fun if I could find a group of people to actually play it with.

I played an online DnD with my internet friendgroup once, but it was just a half-assed thing full of our stupid injokes/vulgar humor, so it wasn't really much of a real DnD experience.

 

I bought new (cheap synthetic) lace curtains for the balcony doors as part of Mrs A's Valentines day present. She's quite happy.

 

Very poetic metaphor. Was there chocolate involved?

 

Okay, I got my poem done for the reading, see how she flies.

[Spotlit]

Grey and tasteful curtains
swept over a smooth cubicle
and the waters swirling clockwise
down a black plughole

[Cheek suck, applause]

 

plugholes aren't black

draft 2

Was Grey and tasteful curtains
swept over a smooth cubicle
and was the waters swirling clockwise
down a black plughole was?

 

Yes, but not the drapes...

 

Fudge brownies

 

That's right folks!

It only took me two & a half months, but that utensils drawer that was hermetically sealed shut do to cheap painting of the cabinetry from the past tenant/landlord is FINALLY OPEN AND USEFUL!!!

 

I like your drawer pulls. Very sleek. It'd be hard to catch your clothes on them and accidentally throw a pot of boiling pasta all over the kitchen.

 

It is hard, but by golly, it hasn't stopped me yet~

Although to be fair, it was boiling cheese ravioli and instead of catching my clothes, I stupidly tried to open a cabinet with the pot in one hand when I had realised I'd forgotten to pull out the strainer only to remember that my cabinets resist opening till they suddenly give with a vengeance and it was just a good time all around.

(๑>◡<๑)

 

Behold in it's simplistic magic, a visual joke that may brighten your day.

 

This isn't the one I got, but my mom brought back a choshen ring for me from her trip to Israel.

And when I went to school the next day wearing it, my friend asked me what it was and I said "With this ring, I can summon Captain Planet all by myself〜"

 

I have been playing Dungeons and Dragons (and other pen and paper role playing games) on and off for about 28 years now. I can tell you the frustration of playing with others who do not have the same objective as you is minuscule compared to the amount of times you'll just have fun. The key thing is to find a DM who has a good grip on storytelling, and a group of players who have the same basic idea for what kind of game they want to play (a goofy in-joke-a-thon, or a serious adventure-- neither is a bad choice, it's a matter of group preference).

Playing online is a mixed bag, too. You can play more often than real life sessions where real life often rears its head and forces you to go to work or attend sporting events for your niece, but real life games are more fluid and immersive experiences. You can't go in assuming you're in control, though or it will be difficult. Even as a DM, you have to expect that players will exhibit worrisome signs of free will. As a player, you're just along for the ride, steering as best you can in the current.

Do you have a local group of friends who are interested in playing? It can be as simple as just grabbing a couple friends and a book and firing off a couple quick, one-shot adventures to see if its something that you may end up sticking with.

 

I had great fun yesturday

Photo technique and writing.

(You need to be a familiar with photography to get something out of this)

I talked to an old friend yesterday evening. He is a professional photographer and as i cheat a little with portrait and studio photography we have a common vocabulary in that area.

In order to become a better writer I read books about writing. Just before meeting him I had read about techniques to raise tension in dialogue. Only to make it more interesting to read, not to raise the tension in the story. Just a very local thing. As soon as the conversation is over it has not affected the story.

I said it's like tone mapping (this is what you see in HDR pictures) you apply higher contrast to local areas of the picture to bring out more details.

We then tried to find other things that could have similarities between writing and photography. Ofcourse this soon became very nerdy.

Flowery language = highly saturated pictures
On the other hand what would black and white photos correspond to in writing?

But you have to be a real nerd (we did) to seriously discuss what parallels could be drawn between photography and writing when the photography part would be

Focal length (wide angle, telephoto)
Tilt Shift lenses
Solarisation (sabatier effect)
Framing
Repeating forms

As my friend is an Englishman he sometimes helps me by proofreading stuff for me.
The thing I remember best of this conversation was when he said that all my stories are high key.

 

My stomach hole is getting progressively smaller and smaller — I can barely see it now.

I’m also a bit sad that it’s only now I’m starting to crack hole-related jokes:

• I feel hole-y. <angelic choir>

• The Battle Hymn of the Hole:
-> Hole-y, Hole-y, I gotta hoo-ole
-> Holey, Hole-y, I gotta hoo-ole
-> Holey, hole-y, I got a hoo-ole
-> It’s a frickin’ hole!

• For those who watch Team Four Star’s Dragonball Abridged: “Dang it, Goku! You had one job, deflect that beam and now I have a f***ing hole in my chest!!”

• ???

 

I spent eight hours or so playing Assassin's Creed II (I have Enzio's collection I'm working through) this weekend and no one complained. Well, except my dad because it's about the story and all he wants is for me to kill people. My mom was somewhat interested in it, too, but I think that was primarily to do with the fact we lived in Italy when I was a kid.

...I love this game and I'm dying to get Origins. I might get it when my tax refund comes in.

 

Your friend the Dragon thinks you have great potential.

 

Let us not be obtuse about happiness, even though the concept remains elusive in the nature of its essence. SOB !!

I am pretty happy tonight knowing that I am not reachable by any of the rabble I have involuntarily accumulated in my arena in and through working towards who I wanted to become.

It is comforting to know that nobody, absolutely nobody will tell me what they are thinking about even when they are convinced that I should know about their perception of a pivotal instant in their lives as soon as it occurs.

Off work (the "square" type) until next Monday, the cell phone is off, battery removed hence stopping all the non-sense and self-importance from those who lack discretion, thoughtfulness and the minimum manners required to be a contributing member of society in the information age. SO, the lone pager is on, (radio waves, love them) hence providing a back door access for my loved ones if need be.

Peace out as some say, and good night Nellie as others say who know what time it is.

 

Finally finished the first draft of my very own novel MS. (all the other wips have been collabs).

Looking forward to editing the eff out of it, wheeee!

 

My novel 'And Then There Was Silence' is finally done. Only 41k, but trust me, every word counts.

 

Since I mostly seem to complain around here I thought I'd switch it up a bit.

There are some pretty good things in my life right now and that makes me happy. While I'm stressed out at work I'm still more content with my life than I've been in ages.

I also got to know new sides of my friends and that's nice. We're doing better now

Anyway - Lemie being content and happy? Well I guess we should be celebrating while it lasts