Finally happened

Despite all my paranoia, the fates caught up with me.

Some fucker stole my credit card number and went apeshit. Bought two grand worth of computer equipment and a plane ticket to Malaysia.

The CC company claims I'm not liable, at least. Still... the paranoia is fuelled all the more.

Huh

Who knew?

wabbits

Santa has put a contract on the Easter bunny.

Poor bunny.

Report: Sigma-Delta 95

Full status as of 0824: 031308

Intel rec'd re: new operative at Base Ono.
Operative 3.0, code-named "Rimuru", has successfully accomplished initial assignments. Recon intel division credited with report data.

Natural warfare instigated against Base staff. Recent precipitation may alleviate worst effects of pollen assault. Base staff hopeful.

Operation: Alternative Transportation stalled in part due to precipitation and in part due to pain issues. Maintenance required on transport.

Pending spring passage will be anticipated with Base withdrawal from public for recovery from DST and allergen assault.

End report.

Books

Okay, so I can't wait for "A Small Favor", the next Dresden Files book and "A Dance of Dragons", the next George R.R. Martin book. And the next Steven Erikson book isn't out 'till September/October!!!! Aaaaah!!!!

While I froth at the mouth for those, a friend got me hooked on the Dante Valentine series of cyperpunked-fantasy. I read book one and loved it. I put book two on order at Amazon, but to get the free shipping, included something that doesn't come out 'till March 10. Damnit!

So now I'm waiting for THREE books!

As filler, I got the latest Kim Harrison book, "A Few Demons More". I'm mixed on Harrison. She has a great mythology and awesome concepts, but her style is awfully "chicky". Bugs the crap out of me to the point where I can't read the books straight through.

Garth Nix's "Sabriel" is an awesome re-read for those moments.

DVDs

Some recently-watched DVD fun:

"Supernatural" (season one): I'm usually of mixed feelings about monster-of-the-week shows. The "X-Files" did a good job with that, but spinoffs... not so much. Like the "X-Files", this show has a mythology that's intriguing but they're really good with their monster-of-the-week stuff. Their take on ghosts and beasties is pretty damn awesome. Their take on the Wendigo was a little campy, but I still enjoyed it to no end. I haven't seen seasons two and three yet, but now I'm tempted.

"The Bourne Ultimatum": I'm now convinced Jason Bourne could kick James Bond's ass and Jack Bauer's ass, even if they teamed up on him. Bourne is hard core. I love these movies.

Sci Fi Channel

So io9, my current form of web-crack, had an interesting link to commentary on the Scifi channel.

They sure make an excellent point. What the hell DID happen to that channel? I mean, given the wealth of good, or even adequate, science fiction that's out there, why are they airing friggin' WRESTLING on that station?

Virtually all their "original programming" is craptacular "monster of the week" stuff and it's not even GOOD.

Mind you, I love horror, even b-grade horror, as much as the next nerd, but good lord, guys. Airing "Freddy vs. Jason" isn't giving people sci-fi.

Hell, the "Dresden Files" TV show (which sucked, in my opinion) isn't science fiction. It's fantasy, but that's a whole other genre complaint.

I kind of wonder about how popular fantasy is vs. science fiction these days. Folks seem more into "magic" and fantastic elements in their fiction. "Charmed", "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", and so on seem more popular than, say, actual science fiction shows like "Firefly".

And what the hell is with the contant "reimagining" of fiction? Sci-fi's recent re-imagining of the "Wizard of Oz" was just sad. "Charmed"? A (bad) re-imagining of "The Craft". The horrific re-imaginings of "Star Trek" ("Enterprise" and "Voyager"... ) were just sad. Don't get me started on "The Bionic Woman" or "The Sarah Connor Chronicles".

Clearly the thought of trying something new is a problem, but why is it a problem?

Shows

Some current televised crack I'd recommend:

"Lost" - yeah, season three bit, especially in the beginning. They got some of their mojo back at the end, but they had a lot to make up for. In season four, I have to say that "Lost" has become great again. Last week's ep with Desmond's time-travel was probably the best one I've seen since the Hatch was first unearthed so long ago.

"Jericho" - when I first saw this, they were in their freshman season. It seemed like another reactionary, 9/11 inspired piece of drivel to me right out of "24" and their right-wing bullshit. They had an interesting and disturbing premise, but it really didn't grab me. And then they brought it back for a second season. Thanks to the writer's strike, I taped the first episode of the new season and... wow. It's like they took Sinclair Lewis's "It Can't Happen Here" and modernized it into a cautionary tale of neocon facism. Good stuff. The acting is a bit sketchy, but the overall concepts are neat. I'm bummed that, in that world, my apartment would be radioactive.

I don't know if I'm relieved or saddened that, aside from Adult Swim and the news, I don't really watch any other shows.

Probably a little of both.

Stuff

Gary Gygax is dead.

Kind of a weird feeling. I never really liked D&D as a kid. I could never get behind alignment systems or figure out the esoteric weirdness of armor class and I really couldn't get behind the arbitrary rules (like wizards couldn't use certain weapons).

I first really got into RPGs playing "Star Frontiers". Some of my old-timer friends and I still remember Yazirian Battle Rage with fond memories. Every time I walk through UC Berkeley's campus and see Sather Gate, I think "Sathar" and look for hostile snake-worm-creatures. Heee...

Gamma World was also fun, but it never topped Star Frontiers. I guess it's 'cause GW had holdovers from the weirder parts of D&D's combat system. Though I have to admit, I always liked D&D's Sphere of Annihilation and GW's black-ray gun (or whatever it was called).

The current fantasy GURPS game that my nerd-crew and I play certainly has its D&D roots, if only because the other GM and I consciously try to avoid the more egregious cliches (like Drow, Driders, and the like).

Still, where would we be without Gygax's creations?

Rest in peace, Mr. Gygax. You rock.

Fnord

KTXDCFVXZETYIOPBPKJLPQASJIOFOIMNVESGJOKO!

That's the truth!