Legacy and character transfers

Shooporium · 2 months

That's Gold, Jerry! GOLD!

NiniMihaila · 3 months

Yeah, no worries at all. Keep in mind that while I've been stargazing since I was 9 (I'm 34), I've only been doing the photography side a couple of years now, and have only taken shots on about a dozen occasions - What I'm trying to suggest is that I'm terrible at it ;)

Anything in particular you want to see when I'm out next week?

Shooporium · 3 months

I'm glad it was entertaining!

There's a gentleman & scholar that goes by the stage name "Mr Methane". A man I'd always look up to (from a few feet away if in person). I'd always wonder "what if I'd gone down the path as a professional flatulist?".

Shooporium · 3 months

With practice and discipline, I've managed to out-do myself on a dozen or so occasions. These days they're exceptionally noisy. The bonus is, because it's not a turd honking for right of way, they don't stink!

Sati1984 · 3 months

Yeah, you're 100% right. I stupidly did underestimate him a few times after the event I described. As did my older brothers.

I remember we were staying at a motel one time when we drove from country victoria all the way to far north Queensland. My parents, my Nain (grandmother) and myself. In the early hours of the morning 4 dudes about their mid twenties came back to their room drunk. They were carrying on like pork chops in there before they started going room to room of the motel busting in doors scaring folk. We were all awake by this stage, mum and nain weren't so much scared as much as they were annoyed. Well, these dudes kicked in the motel room door and started hassling us. Dad arced up and told them to go away - in much more refined words. They started in on him, threatening him, threatening mum etc. My Nain was 85 at the time. She went for them! She'd grabbed a broom and was smacking the hell out of the nearest to her. The other three guys made to push her down but before they took a step, Dad went at them. Arms out like an aircraft he clotheslined 2 of them and body-checked the 3rd in one fell swoop. He flipped a double bed over on top of them then jumped on it pinning them down. All the while, Nain was repeatedly beating the hell out of the 4th with the broom handle while he sat against the wall trying to protect himself from her wrath.

Mum was uncontrollably laughing her ass off and I stood in the corner, mouth agape, wondering how the hell they'd managed all this.

Being a small town, the cops arrived about 3 minutes later. They saw the one Nain was still beating, but thought the other 3 got away until they realized the flipped bed Dad was sitting on was making muffled cries for help.

NiniMihaila · 3 months

I have a batch, but not in my apartment in the city here. They're in storage at our house in country Victoria, Australia (being rented out to tenants while I contract in the City - unfortunately I'd have to make an appointment with them just to do a pop-by to get them).

That said, atmospheric conditions are going to be great for astrophotography early next week and I'd intended to go out for a 3 hour drive to dark skies and get some shots of Jupiter and Venus while they're so close together in the dusk sky. Its been ages since I've had a chance to take some snaps, so I'll post the results early next week and send you a PM if you'd like.

Also, anything in particular from the southern skies you'd like to see? Binary Centauri system? Large/small magellanic clouds? Moon, venus jupiter trio shot? Let me know if there's anything in particular you'd like to see that you cant from the north (I'm assuming you're in the states?) and I'll see what I can manage.

Shooporium · 3 months

That's a very familiar story. I became the goto guy for gaseous gymnastics. Initially I relished the attention, and would gladly do it for anyone, anywhere, at any time. Parents included.

Over the years though, it got tiresome. I mean, the early days were great, I didn't need to worry what people thought of the stringy kid tumbling around the ground, working up and out farts to the tune of the 1812 Overture. But, by the time I'd hit the ripe old age of 16, my cool factor had kicked in.

Sure, I'd tear it up for mates in more intimate environs; but out at a party? Where there's chicks I'm digging on? When people would adamantly suggest I'm gay (not that there's anything wrong with that) because I've got a gaping asshole that sucks in more air than an Industrial vacuum pump? Nah, I couldn't keep up with the public, pubescent pressures.

I'm a 34 year old man now. I've got a reputation at stake. Gotta keep up appearances. Married 12 years now and my Wife is unaware of this clandestine power I've honed for 24 years. A casual bit of yoga on the floor of the lounge while we watch Bones & Castle. I don't do yoga, I pretend to. One particular back exercise "that really helps shake out lower extremity fatigue. You should try it. See what happens Darlin'". Yoga is to me, what Bruce Wayne is to the famous Gotham City Crusader.

I've not retired this "particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people...". I've simply kept them in tune, ready for old age when it becomes socially acceptable and socially encouraged to showcase them for all to experience.

NiniMihaila · 3 months

Ah, very cool. Thanks for the link.

I was curious because for my own telescopes (16" dobsonian and a 10" schmidt cassegrain ) the only accessories I've bought for them has been Hydrogen and Sun filters. Expensive as hell, but the only added extra Ive ever wanted for my scopes. I like natural light globular star clusters and nebulae (I'm in the southern hemisphere, there's so many GSC's around a. and b. Cent that it feels like my own little private piece of heaven), but viewing and photographing them through a filter is amazing. It really gets my nephews and nieces excitement up as well because they're more familiar with composite or false color imagery and you can get that contrast with filters.

I love what they bring to the table and was very curious on how these guys approached filters. Wether it was just a top-notch bit of kit that did what I was familiar with. I really can't wait to see some of the imagery it's capable of. My humble equipment allows me to blow my and my families minds, so this infrastructure is going to... I don't know, blow my mind, reanimate me, then blow me away again.

slaterhearst · 3 months

Yeah, I'm aware of that. The two I mentioned were missing from the parent comment which is why I commented. Though the parent comment suggested the ACT was a state.

Shooporium · 3 months

I remember learning how to do this as a young guy. When it first happened I was on the ground watching TV and decided to do a backwards roll. Halfway through the move I decided to abort, and instead tried to hold my legs up vertically. I achieved that and relaxed my legs. At the same time, it was like my ass decided to take a gulp of air.

Imagine if you will, your sphincter imitating a fish out of water gulping it's last breath. That should be vivid enough.

It startled the hell out of me when it happened. As I quickly rolled back to a sitting position, it forced all the "gulped" air out in the longest, loudest fart I'd accomplished up until that time.

Once I got over the immediate shock, I pondered on this new found trick, and quickly tried again. Success! I'd tapped into raw power. But with great power comes great responsibility.

NiniMihaila · 3 months

Does infrastructure like this include things like Hydrogen filters and such?

slaterhearst · 3 months

Appropriate that you left out the state of Victoria and that of the Northern Territory. I don't blame you. I try to forget they exist too.

joeheavyslow · 3 months

I thought Joel McHale.

Huwami · 3 months

Yeah, we ended up both going Operative. There's little content we couldn't do.

All heroic 4's were done on level. The hardest being one Jedi fight on a level 20 planet.

My Wife went ranged spec, while I went melee. At around 35 I swapped to heals melee rather than melee heals, mainly due to the fact that while duoing we'd done every quest there was. Our class quests were 5-10 levels behind us and we didn't have a healing companion available to us even at level 40.

Fantastic duo team though. There's a lot of heroics just requiring retrieval so we'd stealth through. Then if there were champ or boss mobs we didn't want to bother with we'd take turns doing a distraction/vanish run.

Easily some of the most fun we've had playing. And its made leveling our jugg/sorc duo a challenge since we cant stealth content.

lucas_3d · 3 months

It's a Seinfeld reference. Apologies if you knew that already though.

Ixuvia · 3 months

I can understand that. But I'll give a token reply: it gets better!

Really though, if you're not enjoying it, you're not enjoying it. Can't force people to dig this kind of writing. I'd encourage you to keep at it, but if after the 5th book or so you're still not liking it, it may be you just need to put it down.

It's a series that requires a lot of dedication. I'm not suggesting you're impatient. It just requires dedication to itself, not a personal dedication.

I don't think I said dedicated enough in that last paragraph!

Ixuvia · 3 months

No worries at all. Mine wasn't a well articulated reply but hopefully it encourages you to give it a crack.

As has been said, the first book is difficult. It sometimes seems to drag on, but once you get to book 3, you'll actually want to read book 1 again because you'll forever be saying "Holy shite! That's what went down!".

It sounds odd, but it's worth the research before starting. The wikipedia article for each book gives you chronology. It's handy because you'd think book 2 follows book 1, but it's a parallel arc happening at the same time as book 1. Book 3 is following the events after book 1, book 4 follows book 2's events. If you follow ny drift. Then there's maybe 2 books which don't follow or parallel any others but do reference plot-point (and what sometimes feels like irrelevant and unimportant) characters.

Sounds confusing, but checking the chronology of a book before starting it is worth while. Just don't read the plot synopsis'.

Book 1 is a punishing, almost sadistic intro. But the way he's forged all the other books makes for countless moments that just all of a sudden make sense, explain motivation etc. you'll want to rave to friends - all who will, if they've not had the patience to give it a 3 book chance, vehemently oppose it's worth.

It's a one in a million series. Exhausting, exhilarating but also incredibly fulfilling. It'll be a long time until another author is brave enough to attempt anything like it.

If you're inclined to take notes, do so. Especially with regards to tiste andii, tiste edur, tilan imass, the soulchosen and what they actually are. It'll be revealed, but sometimes a little note reminder to differentiate them is helpful. I read on an ipod touch using stanza, and my annotations are lengthy!

I think this series is very much something you'll enjoy once you understand his unique writing style. It's very welsh triad-like. But given what you've expressed through this thread, I'm very sure this is your kind of saga!

Welcome to the bridge-burners! ;)

Ixuvia · 3 months

I'm a quick reader, but love a story that allows me to chew on the narrative and take my time. There's few series that accomplish that for me.

Over the last 6 months I've read as far as Midnight Tides (one of my favorites simply for the character Tehol and Bugg - fantastic).

You really, really have to take your time with this series. Book one will make or break you which the author warns you about right from the introduction (in later releases). You will often need to re-read chapters if you go too quick. There's a lot to register.

The pay off is thus: he gives you the architecture, the framework, the characters. He describes things well enough, but leaves a lot for you to imagine yourself. He's a tabletop nerd and while he gives you a cast and some structure, he wants you to paint the picture in your mind. It may be in the middle of the desert with the apocolyptic sandstorm and he describes it well enough, but with room to where you can see your own interpretation. He will describe a foul smelling character but leaves room for you to smell them.

You'll end up giving unique voices to the characters. The alignment of them is portrayed from a neutral perspective. One mans hero is another readers villain. That's up to you. He lets you become the director, lets you provide some motivation.

Sati1984 · 3 months

I was in a roll-over car accident with my Father and his friend as we came home from fishing. An oncoming car swerved into our lane when the elderly driver fell asleep at the wheel. We impacted head-on and while we rolled approx 4 times, the other car bounced off us, over a guard railing and into a tree. Speed was about 110km per hour at the time of impact.

My Dad was 62 years old at the time and a very unhealthy 19 stone in the old weight. What was rugby front rower muscle was all fat. He had two artificial hips and had stints in his arteries from surgery.

Immediately after our car came to rest, he crawled out, dragged me out and away from the vehicle, returned and got his mate out and got him to safety. The other car was a wreck. Like a time capsule sealed shut.

He ran the 50 or so meters to the other car and tore the fucking drivers side door from the hinge, grabbed the old man from the seat, hefted him over his shoulder and jogged him back over to us where he set him down. I should mention that a fire had broken out in the vehicle before he pulled the guy out too.

When the rescue service arrived (we were in country victoria australia) they couldn't believe that he'd ripped the door off. The car was so crushed they would have had to use the 'jaws of life' to open it like a can to retrieve anyone inside. Standard for the sort of accident when a car jumps a railing and wraps itself around a tree.

Due to the 2 artificial hips, the stints in his valves, and the fact he ripped a fucking car open, he earned the nickname "Plastic Fantastic" and "Bionic George".

People can amp up to super-human strength. We're incredible animals.

gammatide · 3 months

True. I had to curb my use of it when I moved to Texas for a couple of years. Took a while to get it under control. When I moved back to Vic a couple years later, it took all of a couple of days to get back in the habit.

Now I have to swap to 'Fuu-ar Canal!' when around me nephew.

gammatide · 3 months

Over here in RAdelaide and back in country vic, we call them 'barbs'. Like the barb of a fishin' hook, it's the barb of a 'rays tail.

gammatide · 3 months

Cunt is also acceptable as a suggestion we're aussie mate.

iceqn · 3 months

Must be regional? In country Vic it was 'Long, loose & full of juice'.

Kanadian3 · 3 months

A few years back I was working in local government. I worked the IT department. A different department was under investigation for inside trading or somesuch.

The Australian Federal Police came along and worked beside us going through all data we tracked for the department. While they took all our dat backups and made copies of them (and took the originals while under investigation - lost 12 months of backup because of it) they actually took photographs of the screens as they brought up documents. As in, open a word document, photograph it. Open an email, photograph it.

Is there method to that madness or was that simply them having a form of redundancy on the evidence they were putting together.

Its an ongoing investigation. Even after 6 years. I no longer work there, but it always struck me as odd that they'd photograph computer screens. I asked them at the time and the officer just said "its how we work".

Huwami

TROPHY CASE

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