A terribly pour joke.
Sep. 28th, 2022 02:48 pmWhy is it that no-one will ever serve lager to Paul McCartney's band?
Because Wings can only get bitter.
Because Wings can only get bitter.
Tigmas 2017: Infinity and Beyond!
Dec. 24th, 2017 08:01 pmThe end of the year is upon us once again, dear friends, and this time the tigers have a grander plan than mere cards or trees. No earthbound venture, this: it's time for
[sotto voce: I think I might be in trouble for that one]
The tigers have chosen to go to the moon this december, not because it is easy, or because it is hard, but because the moon is shiny, and shiny things are almost always treasure of some kind.
While a rocket was, very helpfully, supplied by external sources, it did arrive at the fort in a number of pieces, rather than ready for launch. Fortunately, complete instructions were provided, which the tigers were careful to study during construction.
Obviously, constructing a space vehicle requires precision and careful teamwork.
Remember, it's important to take breaks to avoid making mistakes.
But soon enough, the first stage of the majestic rocket was complete, and ready for the team to take turns playing "king of the castle":
Days of further effort permitted the completion of the second and third stages; unfortunately the supplier has made a mistake in the writing on the second stage, and the word "Stripes" in "United Stripey Assembly" is misspelt, but it is hoped that this will prove rectifiable without damage to the launch vehicle.
Finally, the tiger-team are almost ready, and the launch-day is nearly upon us. What treasures might the universe provide to such bold investigators? We shall have to wait and find out!
Wishing you all a merry tigmas, and a stripey, happy, and prosperous year to follow!
Tigs in Spaaaaaaace
[sotto voce: I think I might be in trouble for that one]
The tigers have chosen to go to the moon this december, not because it is easy, or because it is hard, but because the moon is shiny, and shiny things are almost always treasure of some kind.
While a rocket was, very helpfully, supplied by external sources, it did arrive at the fort in a number of pieces, rather than ready for launch. Fortunately, complete instructions were provided, which the tigers were careful to study during construction.
Obviously, constructing a space vehicle requires precision and careful teamwork.
Remember, it's important to take breaks to avoid making mistakes.
But soon enough, the first stage of the majestic rocket was complete, and ready for the team to take turns playing "king of the castle":
Days of further effort permitted the completion of the second and third stages; unfortunately the supplier has made a mistake in the writing on the second stage, and the word "Stripes" in "United Stripey Assembly" is misspelt, but it is hoped that this will prove rectifiable without damage to the launch vehicle.
Finally, the tiger-team are almost ready, and the launch-day is nearly upon us. What treasures might the universe provide to such bold investigators? We shall have to wait and find out!
Wishing you all a merry tigmas, and a stripey, happy, and prosperous year to follow!
A passing thought
Aug. 4th, 2016 08:44 pmWhy don't hazardous waste bins have "Caveat Emptier" on them?
Playing for the other team
Nov. 5th, 2015 01:00 amI said in my last post that the fort had moved (implicitly from the Shires) to Dol Amroth. It occurs to me, however, that given Taruithorn's traditional alignment, it's more likely we've moved from somewhere near Cirith Ungol down to the Bay of Belfalas or nearby parts. (But not Umbar, because logically that must be Penzance, because everyone knows that's where the Pirates come from.)
As reward for getting on with tidying the house, to make it saleable, I decided that I really wanted to rewatch Buffy, and so bought a complete box set. ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
minion_of_tevildo and I have thus been watching it in our breaks, and are currently about halfway through season three. We've discussed a few crossover ideas (notably involving what various canons would make of Spike) over the last few days, but this evening's idea came suddenly and with the force of a lightning bolt:
Bodyswap: Cordelia Chase / Cordelia, Countess Vorkosigan
The most likely suspect is, naturally, Ethan Rayne, looking to cause mischief but not particularly interested in getting anyone killed. Swapping a (from his perspective) minor member of Buffy's support team for a random other person with the same name should be fun, right? I'm not quite sure that even Cordelia V. is going to be able to actually turn him into a good person, but I do think he's fairly rapidly going to wind up more alarmed by her than he is by Giles. While tracking him down, of course, she's going to give the Scooby Gang the Betan sex-ed treatment for their idiotic love-lives, permanently readjusting a number of heads (and extracting a few from colons somewhat prematurely, from the series point of view). She's not going to have much sympathy for the Council's bullsh*t, either; post-"Helpless", Giles is going to find himself with an unexpectedly potent ally, and Wesley is in for a torrent of pain when he arrives. She might even be able to rescue Faith from herself, if she arrives early enough.
On the other end, Cordelia C, dropped into the Vorkosigan family, is going to have a harder time of it. Even if she works out what's happened fast enough (which she should do; she's smart[1]), she's not going to fool any of the other Cordelia's family or friends for an instant. They're going to work out that she's an imposter equally fast, and while (post-Mark, at any rate), they'll be open to the idea that the imposter is relatively innocent, the idea that she has no idea where she is or what's going on is unlikely to be accepted. Once she gets over the initial panic, and they all get pointed in the right direction, things will be alright (for her; Ethan is in a world of trouble at this point[2]), but before that, Cordy will have a very bad time. [ETA: for bonus points, there needs to be some unavoidable social situation in which CC has to pretend to be CV, under the supervision of Lady Alys. Because seeing CC come up against that immovable object on the subjects of fashion and etiquette...] There could also be some serious political strain. Depending on the timing, Cetaganda or one of the Jacksonian houses could plausibly be blamed for the switch, with everyone on Barrayar simultaneously trying to point fingers and keep it quiet that anything's happened. Then, of course, they don't believe in magic (or, presumably, have any local expertise), so they're probably just going to have to wait for their Cordelia to get everything in line back in Buffyland and get the spell reversed.
[1] She's going to get some very interesting life-lessons about (a) being overly self-interested and (b) pretending to be stupid.
[2] Seriously, Aral's response to someone kidnapping his wife as a joke? Miles and Gregor will merely be homicidal; Aral will be much, much scarier.
minion_of_tevildo and I have thus been watching it in our breaks, and are currently about halfway through season three. We've discussed a few crossover ideas (notably involving what various canons would make of Spike) over the last few days, but this evening's idea came suddenly and with the force of a lightning bolt:Bodyswap: Cordelia Chase / Cordelia, Countess Vorkosigan
The most likely suspect is, naturally, Ethan Rayne, looking to cause mischief but not particularly interested in getting anyone killed. Swapping a (from his perspective) minor member of Buffy's support team for a random other person with the same name should be fun, right? I'm not quite sure that even Cordelia V. is going to be able to actually turn him into a good person, but I do think he's fairly rapidly going to wind up more alarmed by her than he is by Giles. While tracking him down, of course, she's going to give the Scooby Gang the Betan sex-ed treatment for their idiotic love-lives, permanently readjusting a number of heads (and extracting a few from colons somewhat prematurely, from the series point of view). She's not going to have much sympathy for the Council's bullsh*t, either; post-"Helpless", Giles is going to find himself with an unexpectedly potent ally, and Wesley is in for a torrent of pain when he arrives. She might even be able to rescue Faith from herself, if she arrives early enough.
On the other end, Cordelia C, dropped into the Vorkosigan family, is going to have a harder time of it. Even if she works out what's happened fast enough (which she should do; she's smart[1]), she's not going to fool any of the other Cordelia's family or friends for an instant. They're going to work out that she's an imposter equally fast, and while (post-Mark, at any rate), they'll be open to the idea that the imposter is relatively innocent, the idea that she has no idea where she is or what's going on is unlikely to be accepted. Once she gets over the initial panic, and they all get pointed in the right direction, things will be alright (for her; Ethan is in a world of trouble at this point[2]), but before that, Cordy will have a very bad time. [ETA: for bonus points, there needs to be some unavoidable social situation in which CC has to pretend to be CV, under the supervision of Lady Alys. Because seeing CC come up against that immovable object on the subjects of fashion and etiquette...] There could also be some serious political strain. Depending on the timing, Cetaganda or one of the Jacksonian houses could plausibly be blamed for the switch, with everyone on Barrayar simultaneously trying to point fingers and keep it quiet that anything's happened. Then, of course, they don't believe in magic (or, presumably, have any local expertise), so they're probably just going to have to wait for their Cordelia to get everything in line back in Buffyland and get the spell reversed.
[1] She's going to get some very interesting life-lessons about (a) being overly self-interested and (b) pretending to be stupid.
[2] Seriously, Aral's response to someone kidnapping his wife as a joke? Miles and Gregor will merely be homicidal; Aral will be much, much scarier.
Missed opportunities
Feb. 18th, 2015 11:02 amI haven't actually checked by rewatching it all, but I'm pretty sure that Red Dwarf never did the terribly obvious "Open the pod bay doors, Hol" "I can't do that Dave" joke.
I'm also surprised not to have seen any jokes about a book featuring dodgy dungeons and unusual fantasies called "Fifty Shades of Grue". Although I admit I can't think of a good one off-hand.
I'm also surprised not to have seen any jokes about a book featuring dodgy dungeons and unusual fantasies called "Fifty Shades of Grue". Although I admit I can't think of a good one off-hand.
But don't bother about the bread, please.
Dec. 20th, 2014 07:33 amIf someone were to suck condensed milk through a straw, the effort involved would basically counteract the energy intake from consuming it, yes? At the very least, it's got to be a lot healthier than just eating it with a spoon, hasn't it?
Um, asking for a friend, obviously. A fed-up friend with a cold who's sleeping very erratic hours.
Um, asking for a friend, obviously. A fed-up friend with a cold who's sleeping very erratic hours.
A very 3am thought
Sep. 18th, 2014 02:02 amI've been dismally failing to make one post per week recently, and had been meaning to try and get in the habit of posting some shorter / (even) more trivial things to get back in the habit.
So, it occurred to me tonight that my socks are somewhat like leap years:
My socks go in the blue laundry pile, unless they're Muppet socks, in which case they go in the general pile, except for Gonzo, who *does* go in the blue pile.
You see what I mean?
So, it occurred to me tonight that my socks are somewhat like leap years:
My socks go in the blue laundry pile, unless they're Muppet socks, in which case they go in the general pile, except for Gonzo, who *does* go in the blue pile.
You see what I mean?
Important questions
Jul. 1st, 2014 05:43 pmIn the latest issue of Ansible, Dave Langford considers the naming of Anthracosuchus balrogus, and wonders whether it was a giant flaming reptile, and if it carried a whip. Somehow, though, he neglects to ask the all-important question: Did it have wings?
A Quick Question
Jun. 16th, 2014 10:51 pmAre spacemen numbered starting with at One, or is one of them always the Astro-naught?
Not what they meant!
Mar. 20th, 2014 12:26 amA local charity put up signs a little while ago, advertising a "Nearly New Baby and Toddler Sale"; more recently, these have been changed, and now emphasize that it's a "Nearly New Baby and Toddler Clothing Sale". But the old signs did give me a laugh every time I went past.
At the weekend(ish) we had a visit from minion_of_tevildo. In addition to the production of actual healthy home-made food, this led to the discovery that the minion had never seen the Rankin and Bass cartoon of The Hobbit. (Incidentally, if you've not seen this, I do recommend it, should you have the chance. It lacks a high-point to match the justly (in)famous disco orcs, but is otherwise basically just as so-bad-its-good as their version of "Return of the King".)
Naturally, this oversight was promptly rectified, with the film accompanied by booze, sniggering, and cheerful heckling. But in amongst this, the minion observed that Thranduil looks remarkably like Toad of Toad Hall, and so speculation about equivalent characters for a crossover began. Clearly, given their enmity, Thorin must be the Chief Weasel (with the other weasels representing the general crowd of dwarves and stoats); Bilbo lives in a hole and wants a quiet life, so he's Mole. As for Badger - well, there's a wise-but-grumpy character in The Hobbit, too, and they're even both canonically played by Michael Horden.
Elrond is clearly Pan (who turns up, provides sanctuary in passing, and then vanishes from the narrative), the insulted policeman is almost certainly a Mirkwoodian Spider ("Attacop, indeed!"), and there's the sneaking suspicion that "Smog", themagicmispronounced dragon, is an unsubtle metaphor for the threat to the woodlands from encroaching development and pollution.
Ratty seems worryingly absent, until you consider Gollum's life on the river, and apparent pleasure in "messsssing about in boatses, my precious", after which he just seems worrying.
There are even a couple of cameos from Fred Colon as "Bard the guard" and Nobby Nobbs as The Thrush, who instructsFredBard on shooting the dragon's voonerable spot.
minion_of_tevildo. In addition to the production of actual healthy home-made food, this led to the discovery that the minion had never seen the Rankin and Bass cartoon of The Hobbit. (Incidentally, if you've not seen this, I do recommend it, should you have the chance. It lacks a high-point to match the justly (in)famous disco orcs, but is otherwise basically just as so-bad-its-good as their version of "Return of the King".)Naturally, this oversight was promptly rectified, with the film accompanied by booze, sniggering, and cheerful heckling. But in amongst this, the minion observed that Thranduil looks remarkably like Toad of Toad Hall, and so speculation about equivalent characters for a crossover began. Clearly, given their enmity, Thorin must be the Chief Weasel (with the other weasels representing the general crowd of dwarves and stoats); Bilbo lives in a hole and wants a quiet life, so he's Mole. As for Badger - well, there's a wise-but-grumpy character in The Hobbit, too, and they're even both canonically played by Michael Horden.
Elrond is clearly Pan (who turns up, provides sanctuary in passing, and then vanishes from the narrative), the insulted policeman is almost certainly a Mirkwoodian Spider ("Attacop, indeed!"), and there's the sneaking suspicion that "Smog", the
Ratty seems worryingly absent, until you consider Gollum's life on the river, and apparent pleasure in "messsssing about in boatses, my precious", after which he just seems worrying.
There are even a couple of cameos from Fred Colon as "Bard the guard" and Nobby Nobbs as The Thrush, who instructs
London's most notable maze full of tigers
Sep. 22nd, 2013 06:46 pmI seem to have found myself playing Fallen London, as a devious and observant person of mysterious and indistinct gender. Browser-based, free[1], heavily text-oriented (the illustrations are entertainingly thematic, but there wouldn't be any difficulty playing the game without them) and very silly. And I haven't even managed to gain entrance to the Labyrinth of Tigers yet; not enough rats on a string (they have a lot of stripey mouths to feed, after all). Originally, my character set out to be a poet, but they seem to be making most of their actual income from hunting sinister moths and robbing drunks. Oh well....
If anyone else is playing, feel free to get in touch. If anyone who isn't thinks all this sounds interesting and would like an invite (which opens up otherwise inaccessible substories for both inviter and invitee), do let me know. Mushroom wine, anyone?
[1] A small subset of the later story-arcs are inaccessible unless you pay to play them, but that seems fair enough, and there's no pay-to-win aspect.
If anyone else is playing, feel free to get in touch. If anyone who isn't thinks all this sounds interesting and would like an invite (which opens up otherwise inaccessible substories for both inviter and invitee), do let me know. Mushroom wine, anyone?
[1] A small subset of the later story-arcs are inaccessible unless you pay to play them, but that seems fair enough, and there's no pay-to-win aspect.
Star Wars Ecosystems
Apr. 11th, 2013 04:34 pmI'd always assumed that the Imperial Star Destroyer was essentially top predator in the Star Wars universe, but it turns out that there's a special kind of giant space kraken that feeds on them. Who knew?
Star Wars Ecosystems
Apr. 11th, 2013 04:34 pmI'd always assumed that the Imperial Star Destroyer was essentially top predator in the Star Wars universe, but it turns out that there's a special kind of giant space kraken that feeds on them. Who knew?
(I also like the fact that the guy's employer bought a display case for their offices to put this in. He clearly works for good people.)
(I also like the fact that the guy's employer bought a display case for their offices to put this in. He clearly works for good people.)
(no subject)
Feb. 14th, 2013 03:09 pmStripey Mad Scientist, GSOH, Own Laboratory, WLTM potential research subjects new friends for full biosample analysis drinks and chat, with a view to creating an army of clones sharing mutual hobbies and possible reconstruction as cyborg minions deeper relationship.
Please send photo and blood sample with reply.
No Zombies or Cucumbers need apply.
Please send photo and blood sample with reply.
No Zombies or Cucumbers need apply.
Ytpmud-ytpmuh
Jan. 30th, 2013 09:25 pmAs I wandered through our local supermarket, not buying anything (it was cold and dark and I wanted a walk somewhere that was air-conditioned and not raining), the label on a pack of bottles for minimising the hassle you get from airport security caught my eye. It asserted that the 100ml bottles in the bag were suitable for "All gels, foams, pastes, and other liquids". Is it unreasonable for me to feel that even the marketing nerk who wrote the text should have been able to identify that "gels, foams, [and] pastes" are by definition emphatically not liquids? Is that specialist knowledge that I shouldn't expect people to possess? (And if I asked for comments explaining the relevance of this posting's title, who would be first?)
Now you mention it...
Jul. 2nd, 2012 07:59 pmminion_of_tevildo has just asked me:How would Benjamin Franklin react to Rule 34?
This strikes me as a good essay question. Two thousand words by Friday, please. (Sadly it isn't the essay xe's writing, which is on serious stuff. And longer. And not due this week.)
A couple of days ago, I was talking to minion_of_tevildo about a book I was reading, and observed that one of the female characters was a classic mustache-twirling vaudeville villain. "Or whatever the female equivalent of mustache twirling is", I added. Despite some further discussion, and even a visit to TV Tropes[1], we were unable to discover (or decide) what the female equivalent of mustache-twirling actually is, and are now turning to all the tiny people who live in my computerthe internet in hopes of an answer. Please, dear friends, what is the female equivalent of villainous mustache-twirling?
[1] which only mentions mustache-twirling in passing on the Dastardly Whiplash page, and shockingly fails to even consider the possibility of a female equivalent.
minion_of_tevildo about a book I was reading, and observed that one of the female characters was a classic mustache-twirling vaudeville villain. "Or whatever the female equivalent of mustache twirling is", I added. Despite some further discussion, and even a visit to TV Tropes[1], we were unable to discover (or decide) what the female equivalent of mustache-twirling actually is, and are now turning to [1] which only mentions mustache-twirling in passing on the Dastardly Whiplash page, and shockingly fails to even consider the possibility of a female equivalent.
