Philosophum non facit barba

Job going well. Glenda doing well. Son doing well. Daughter doing well. There are, in fact, no major problems for me at all. VERY supicious.

http://e3.gamespot.com/video/6211443/

Trailer for, possibly, the best video game ever created.

...the characters talking over the DM's exposition is the best...

http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?cat=14

The Calormen’s supreme leader, the Tisroc (May he live forever), has described the Narnian government as "evil".

The comments were part of a broader condemnation of the conduct of the Northern nation during the reelection of Prince Rabadash.

The Tisroc (May he live forever) made the accusation during an address to tens of thousands of worshippers in Tashbaan after the weekly sacrifices, which was broadcast live by Calormen state TV and radio. The Tiscorc’s (May he live forever) statements are endorsed by the Grand Vizier and attending Tarkaans and Tarkheenas.

Haven’t posted in a good long time and hope to change that.

I have a new job - much better than the old job. I have more pay, better benefits and nicer people to work with. So that’s good.

Glenda has been diagnosed with MS - and will starting long-term treatment shortly. Its controllable and it may be a long time before she has another outbreak. So that’s good.

Ethan still has Lyme disease and is still on all sorts of medication but is doing well at school and in Karate. So that good

Madeline is riding and (now) jumping horses and is also doing well in school. So that’s good.

I made a replica Aztec Jaguar Warrior suit to wear one morning before the public showed up at the multi-timeline history event I attended a couple of weeks ago. Shown above. The re-enactors get together in the morning and have a battle thru time – it’s usually the Confederates and the Germans vs. the Union and the British forces. I try to represent mezzo-Americans (an under-represented group IMO) Being an Aztec warrior entails a lot of running around. I am to old to be an Aztec Warrior. Next year - I need to recruit 2 other people willing to be medieval clergy for a few hours - and we will create the Cart and Support Staff for the Holy HandGrenade of Antioch.

After working for 14 years with my company, Its time to go. My last assessment rating was - after 13 great ones - horrible and I'm leaving at the end of March or perhaps earlier. I don't think it was fair, but it seems that all involved (except me) have decided what sort of person I am. I have never worked so hard in my life only to be told that my best just isn't good enough (by people i helped hire and train). I'm being forced out and I'm devastated, but after working at 2 jobs in the last 9 months that sucked and I sucked at (apparently),I'm out. I don't have another job - but hope to have something before I'm due to leave my current one. The jobs and the company were not spectacular, but I made many good friends there, and (apparently - and not to be overly dramatic - a couple of enemies it now appears). The crows have come home to roost and Im in an untenable position that leaves me in shock and terribly terribly angry. I have 7 awards for outstanding performance and innumerable hours of overtime - but now I'm in a position that endangers the well being of my family during one of the worst economic periods in recent history. I don't know whats wrong with me - I would put a bullet in my head if i could work up the energy.

Now I know why people go down there during the WINTER (as opposed to the Summer). Very nice. Even in Orlando - which is, as far as I can see, where God put the extra flat terrain, moss, snakes and damp he had left over from his other projects.

The kids got their DisneyWorld(tm) experience - and we also took in Sea World(tm). Both places are fun to visit but just a tad depressing in retrospect. My favorite rides where the Mission to Mars (they put you in a centrifuge - find out what it feels like to weigh 3x your body weight and have the corners of your mouth stretched around to the nape of your neck! - I was sick for the rest of the day but it was still worth it) and the Dinosaur ride - which was pretty cool. I looked in vain for the 20K Leagues Under the Sea Ride I rode as a child (deep 6'd some time ago, apparently) but we did the Haunted Mansion - which still holds up well. At AnimalKingdom(tm) we got to see not one but two kinds of Rinos defecate. Also were assaulted by goats.

The kids had a great time and we spent lots of time together with all the ups and downs that entails. Overall -well worth the money.

So, I shall now.

Had a nice weekend. Had a friend in from out of town and then got to play host to a bunch of fellow geeks. We played a board game called DECENT (http://new.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_minisite.asp?eidm=5&enmi=Descent:%20Journeys%20in%20the%20Dark) - which is basically a board game for old and/or recovering RPG addicts. A dungeon crawl par excellence - though the games to tend to run long - especially with lots of people involved.

In other less fun news - Last week I came down with a case of Gout (as in the 14th-19th c. disease of dissipated gentlemen). Apparently, it runs in the family and is brought on by poor diet (i.e. heavy protein/fried foods) and alcoholic beverages. Anyway - had it for about 3 days and now know how to avoid it with meds and taking better care of myself. Though it didn’t start yesterday as I drank waaay to much hot buttered rum (it’s been very very cold). Come to think of it – that’s probably the single worst beverage I could drink considering the gout. Stupid.

I saw Charlie Wilson’s War – about the U.S.’s last intervention in Afghanistan. The Soviets really do make us look like Sunday school teachers (even with our present bad rep). As Russia spreads in carrion wings over Eurasia again in the coming decades– I expect the U.S. will start to looking good again by comparison (or if not good - at least as a lesser evil). Also watched the latest Hellboy – I'm very excited to see what the director will do with _The Hobbit_ as I think some of his vision is a closer match to Tolkien’s than Jackson’s is.

Maybe the reason that Ass was in the Whitehouse for the last 8 years was so this would be possible. Looks like the Neo-Cons are on the run for the time being. Now if we could just destroy the ring...

...an hour of waiting. Ethan came with me - and entertained my fellow citizens with all kinds of uniquely 10 year old insightes into the election process, his favorite books and the British parlimentary system (as opposed to ours). As he always says "lots of good British people [in the Revolutionary War] died so we can vote - so we should". I love that kid.

Whole process took a little over an hour (the last two primaries I voted in had lines of as little as 5 minutes.) Wow. And still less than half the voting population choosing to turn out. Pretty cool over all.

Warhammer 40,000 Online (working title) is an upcoming science fiction massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 setting. It is currently under development by Vigil Games. Originally announced in March 2007, with a planned release date in a few years.

For thems of you what's interested. This is what I and some of my friends do on those weekends that are to nice to stay indoors for. Of course, we also do it in downpours that would drown a frog - but were do a break every once in a while. There was an oak tree on site that was so tall and beautiful, old and healthy - that i considered switching roles to that of Druid. Of course, then I would have to hang things from the limbs - including people - (or was that just Norse traditions?) and since its in front of the police station - that might pose a problem. ah well

http://testadura.net/livinghistory/Charlottesville2008/

http://testadura.net/livinghistory/Charlottesville2008/goodfatherperer_cville08.jpg

http://testadura.net/livinghistory/Charlottesville2008/evilfatherpeter_cville08.jpg

"He is strong! If I die, I have to go before him, and he will ask me, 'What is the riddle of steel?' If I don't know it, he will cast me out of Valhalla and laugh at me." ... "That's Crom, strong on his mountain."

As you may know, I do lots of living history – 2 periods with at least 4 personas amongst them. Our 14th century group has been woefully underrepresented in the 1st estate (clergy) department for some time, so I thought I would undertake the relatively straightforward task of representing what any up and coming Knight’s household would have, a pet priest who would say mass in the manor’s chapel, do the accounting and instruct the kids in the educational basics. Learning musket drill or sword work aside – this has to be the most challenging role I’ve ever attempted. I have two events in October I hope to attend and I thought I would write about what I’m doing to prepare by way of demonstrating how the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

I spent some time putting together the physical impression – so I have shoes, hose, underclothes, robe, hood and scapular (the apron-like garment that hangs down the front and back of a priest’s habit. My hair, alas, is no problem – though I wish I had enough to tonsure for the role (as I regularly shave my head anyway) I’ve looked into theatrical wigs – but they all come with a plastic skin crown – which I really don’t need, just a doughnut of hair is all :>. I acquired some beads for the proto-rosary that we use in the 14th century (from a real abbey at that) made of olive wood. Since that wood is not commonly available in England – I’ve been asked to make up a pilgrimage story to explain how I got them. I’m thinking a jaunt down to Spain and St James of Compostela.

For the knowledge portion of the impression – I have several must-dos, more of less in order of importance for the impression: the chief of which is to finish memorizing the Our Father in Latin (I got it down in Middle-English). I also know the Ave Maria and a benediction for meals in Latin and Middle-English. Another major thing is to practice my writing – I need to be able to write in Book Hand (the fancier, formal form) and in Cursive – the less formal but, to my mind, more intricate everyday writing used to keep books, write correspondence, etc. This is a pain in the ass – but my fine arts degree will serve me well here – and I am confident that once I learn how to make the letters – I will do a reasonable job of it. I have become familiar with the basics of Church liturgy and ritual during the period (if you want to get an idea of what the English church mass looked like in the middle ages – go to Youtube and look up Sarum Use or Sarum Rite – very cool.

I have to really complete my knowledge of hours, church seasons, current church leaders, current theological thought (with a focus on Wycliffe – the closest thing to heresy England has going on in the late 1300s). I am memorizing several sermons from the period – ranging from topics like the Virgin Mary to the effectiveness of relics (they are VERY effective). I have made a cursory survey of the knowledge I should have of educational forms– grammar, rhetoric, logic, music, geometry, and all that + familiarity with a bestiary, current geography, the humors/elements and Astrology (though the last bits are really venturing into medicine). I have also been listening (books on tape!) to James Earl Jones reading the new testament – so I can site at least a few parables or quotes. (Of course, my first encounter with the actor was in the role of Tulsa Doom in Conan – so I keep thinking of narrator of the Book of Mark is going to come riding in to raze a village at any moment). “Come to me my Child” . It’s amazing what I both remember from Sunday school and what I have forgotten. Jesus can be kind of a hard ass. Lastly, I need to do some long term study of Latin – which I figure will enrich my life outside of living history.

For my friends at LaBelle - the loss of the former unlamented contracting job means that I will probably be able to go to Colonial plantation this October (for 2, count them 2 events of LaBelly goodness - in one month no less).

And Rain, of course.

Happy Birthday to my beamish boy - who turns 10! today. I know I love him because my wife asked him - over the weekend - where we should take our family vacation. Disneyworld or England. He gave here a look and said

"England. Of course".

Hoozha!

So, last Wednesday evening - after several lukewarm months at a new position -my client - through my manager - abruptly 'fired' me from the contract leaving me 2 days to stew and try and get things transitioned for the next poor bastard that followed me. As much is it sucks for me - it REALLY sucks for the team I left, as they will have to pick up all the things I left behind.

Soo... This morning, I came into work and sat down in the 'fish bowl' workstation area that new employees (and old ones on their way out sit). I felt pretty bad - this is the first time in 13 years that this has happened to me - without a billable contract and on the dreaded admin number. Par for the course with DHS-specific work, really - (there is a 35-45% yearly turnover in staff there). I got here at 8:15. And walked around to let people know I was avaliable - hoping to drum up 50% billability by, say next week.

By 8:23 I had to offers for new full time contracting work with some good natured fighting over who would have first crack at me. Total time unemployed - 8 minutes. I can live with that. (of course, there will be a couple of days waiting for badges and whatnot to come through - but its the thought that counts, right :>