For informational purposes only

Here's another site to waste a lot of time at: WonderHowTo.com

They've got videos on (by which I mean they link to videos on other sites, but organised by) such topics as Dating & Relationships, Pranks & Cons, Spirituality, Video Games, Weapons, Electronics, Family, etc., etc., etc..

The reasons I ended up there could be a long story, but the short version is that I was looking for padlocks, and found videos on how to break them open. By using a soda can shim. Or picking them. Or breaking the combination. Or... Yeah, this is the peace of mind security I want.

But wait, how about how to crack a vending machine? Or getting change out? Or hacking Google? Or...

But remember kids, this is for informational purposes only. For example if you forget your own lock key or combination, or need to help a friend. Or want to commit illegal acts on vending machines... I'm not quite sure how videos on that last topic are justified...

Either way, it's a great place to waste lots and lots of time browsing through videos on all sorts of topics, from any stranger with video equipment.

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Definitely divergent Dexters

Having now read the third Dexter book, it's hard to see anything in here that's in the third series. Yes, there is more about the buildup to the marriage, but... that's about it. No skin remover, no sudden extra cop, no Deb hooking up with a CI, none of that.

Instead Jeff Lindsay focuses on the origin of the Dark Passenger, as it is revealed that it is a distinct entity rather than just a twisted part of Dexter's mind (this is all revealed in the opening scene). Jeff gets almost philosophical about it, but it basically could be summarised (again, just off the opening scene) as "Evil From The Dawn Of Time!"

Not entirely sure about this sudden infusion of mythology, although Jeff definitely has done (at least basic) research and gets the references right to rituals although not entirely sure about other links (although it wouldn't surprise me that someone has already made up connetions and he just tapped into that as it suited his story). [Obviously, I'm trying not to give it all away here.]

There are ongoing developments with the kids, Cody and Astor, and the focus is definitely on Dexter rather than some other killer just happening to be in Miami. A decent book, but not sure if this is a direction Jeff intends to pursue further. (The next book is obviously ont he reading list, although I haven't picked up a copy yet.)

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Women who love women, and the men who kill them

Sounds like a bad Jerry Springer episode right? (aka a Jerry Springer episode) But no, I am talking about the latest movie starring Paul McGann! It was great to see him on the screen again, really bringing a serious performance to such a role in the middle of... what the hell was that about again?

Interesting piece of Trivia: Writers Williams and Hupfield were challenged to think of the dumbest and yet most commercial title possible for a film, Lesbian Vampire Killers was the answer. They then went away and wrote the script.

That explains a lot. On the face of it, not a lot here that is new. Vampires abound, and some doofuses (doofi?) arise to battle them. The vampires are sexed up (and yes, there are bare chest shots), but this could be many other vampire movies.

It's definitely a comedy, with the corny dialogue (usually from Fletch) and spurting white goo whenever a vampire gets penetrated, and yet... it's not that overly funny. They are certainly trying, and there are comedic moments, but once you get beneath the face of it, there isn't a lot there. As it is unoriginal, it does get to the point of "and now get to this moment, hurry up".

I mainly went to see this because of Paul McGann. To be honest, that's probably about the best reason you are going to get.

(In an attempt to trigger NSFW filters, let me discuss the title. I was confused. Was it about Vampires who were Killers and also Lesbians? How about Killers, who are Lesbians, that kill Vampires? Or are they Killers of Lesbian Vampires? When I heard the title, I went for the first option, although speaking of Vampires who are Killers is like talking about Assassins that are Deadly.)

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The Chronicles of a DM: Part VI

The last session was... interesting... While Alrick was around, none of the other ongoing characters were, but we had a step in from an old player who was in town, so we added in a human Monk named Yang. While I was planning to skip a bunch of encounters, I decided to back up and run a mini-boss fight.

Alrick and Yang entered further into the Teeth (a situation they didn't fully understand until I showed them a picture only the GM sees... this is a badly written adventure), and the air got colder. Very cold. One might say, magically cold. As if ice creatures were ahead. They arrived at a door frozen shut, which they shatter open to discover... ice archons! Chimeras! Fun!

[I'm lazy. And that is expressed in this case as when faced with two players, I don't bother changing the encounter (although I did that one time last time). As such, the party is half the size it needs to be to face this battle.

That said, Alrick's new power of Evard's Black Tentacles proved very useful in tying down most of the combatants at almost the first turn, giving the two of them time to deal damage to one or two opponents. Which, by and large, they did effectively. Unfortunately, due to low rolls, they weren't able to deal that huge an amount of damage, and so the fight wore on, and wore them down. This is one of the most expensive, in terms of healing resources, that they've faced, mainly because there were only two, and only one could give out healings. (It didn't help that I didn't run the monsters entirely correctly, but I also forgot about their powers, and the Chimera's sucked on attacking and had crap defenses, so all in all the badness evened out.)

We very nearly had a TPK (as far as two players could be called a P to TK). It was only due to final rolls of 1s and a 4 from me that Alrick survived long enough to kill the last opponents. However, the Monk fell, and due to the Relic's whispering in his ear that Alrick didn't step up to help (and Alrick is evil, and Yang won't be back anyway).]

It was a long fight, and at the end Alrick decided that getting some rest was the better part of not dying. [Should be back to full complement of players next week.]

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It's all so Religulous

Documentary time, and you can get the basic idea when the title is easily explained (not in the movie) as a portmanteau of religion and ridiculous. Bill Maher's main point is that we need to outgrow religion before we destroy ourselves in its name (although he doesn't fully explain that point until the end). He does this by talking to various religious people and making fun of them.

Mainly by making rather cheap shots. There is a lot of editing in this movie, and I wonder just how many times their answers don't line up with the questions they were asked, and how many "embarrassing silences" are the product of plenty of spare footage lying around of them not saying anything. Not to mention many shots of other moments which reminded me of the Lord Privy Seal accusation leveled at Expelled.

Which isn't to say there aren't some accurate barbs in the film, where the interviewees put their own foot in their own mouths. (Such as a senator saying "You don't need to pass an IQ test to get into the Senate", and a Muslim pointing out that women are treated equally by indicating a woman praying in their own special corner.)

Certainly a quick paced 90 minute movie I enjoyed, but one with flaws and not for everyone.

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HC Again

A shorter game, with Abel as GMing. He did have another adventure planned for us, but we took a long time with this one, without really going anywhere that exciting, that we kind of ended up just... ending without excitement really. Laid Out.

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'Genesis Revisited' by Michael Shermer

*snerk* This is the final section from 'Why Darwin Matters' put to video (and spoken with a dry 'voice synthesiser' narrator).

(Full text of the speech available.)
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