A New Era Dawns

Oh, Hell yes!

Ladies and gentlemen, you are witnessing the birth of a new kind of super-lifeform.  Your obvious and inevitable - though benevolent - superiors are about to be brought forth into a universe crying out for the touch of their wise (if slimy) tentacle.

Why, one day they shall master the currents of time, and send back a dashing, intelligent and surprisingly modest ambassador to pave the way for their glorious reign.  But already I have said too much...

Gaming The System

What with my anniversary break this weekend, and driving to and from same, I haven't really had time to digest my re-watch of "You Win Or You Die", which happened late last night.  Fortunately, someone else has done the heavy lifting.

Auld Favorites

Well, that was a lovely anniversary weekend.  Auld Reekie continues to be my favourite city, at least out of those I haven't actually lived in.

I finally got around to visiting Camera Obscura at the top of the Royal Mile, and it's really pretty good. The various displays mostly range from interesting to genuinely fascinating, and the various Escher and Escher-esque pictures filling the walls are brilliant.  I spent some time trying to decide which one I thought was best, and eventually settled on this one, by Sandro del Prete (a self-described "kindred spirit" of Escher):

They do good mugs, too:

though they obviously pale in comparison to the one The Other Half gave to me as an anniversary present:

Awesome, right?

Oh, and if you ever plan on visiting Edinburgh, under no circumstances stay at the Travelodge on Rose Street unless you plan to go to sleep after half midnight (the time the pub next door stopped playing heavy rock - you know I'm getting old when that interrupts my sleeping pattern rather than providing an excuse to go rock out), and the combined body weight of yourself and anyone else you're bringing to share a bed with adds up to something rather less than a heavily pregnant squirrel.  Those beds are not designed to hold anything heavier.

A Tale Of Cocktails #19

Jacuzzi

Ingredients

3 1/2 oz champagne

1 oz Peach Schnapps
1/2  oz gin

1 oz orange juice

Taste: 6
Look: 6
Cost: 7
Name: 7
Prep: 7
Alcohol: 4
Overall: 6.2

Preparation: Layer the gin, then the Peach Schnapps, then the orange juice in a champagne flute.  Pour in the champagne, and garnish with a peach slice.

General Comments: This is definitely one of those cocktails for which you can identify each ingredient as you drink it.  Unfortunately, those of us with an unhealthy interest in mathematics would call it a subadditive beverage, because it adds up to less than the sum of its parts. Essentially, the problem lies in the fact that you can simultaneously think of better things to combine the champagne with, superior mixers for the Peach Schnapps, and the fact that you could be getting off your face on gin and tonics far more efficiently.

It's not a bad drink, by any means.  It just carries with it memories of drinks that are far, far better.

Because Life Wasn't Short Enough

Given my recent comparative increase in spare time, I've decided to embark on a project I've been toying with for years but never found time for: a complete re-read of all my X-books in an attempt to conclusively demonstrate once and for all how long the team has been in existence for in Marvel time.

Obviously, this effort is doomed to failure.  Hideous, awful, mock-worth failure.  Still, hopefully it will be fun along the way.  Possibly even illuminating as well, on occasion.  Regardless, such an epic undertaking is worthy of its own blog, which can be found here.  Let the experiment commence!

Before The Fall

“If one is a prisoner of love, must one escape to solitude?” – Lorien, Babylon 5

The first three Lucifer books have done their jobs magnificently. The scene has been set, and destiny and freedom will be our themes.

As we’ve discussed before, Lucifer sees these two concepts as mutually exclusive. One cannot have freedom if one’s movements are known in advance. Free will is merely an illusion. For some, that illusion suffices – what does it matter that Destiny knows the final reel if neither you nor anyone you ever meet is privy to that knowledge – but for Lucifer, only the genuine article could ever be acceptable.

Now that he has moved beyond the scope of Destiny’s book, then, the question becomes: what now?

Escaping from the shadow of his father, our Father – both by escaping His reality and ensuring that he now casts his own shadow, equally large - was certainly sine qua non as far as the Lightbringer was concerned, but necessity is not sufficiency. What comes next in Lucifer’s all-consuming quest to be free?

A Sudden Interest In Sporting Events

Given my general disinterest in sports, I've not been following the recent FIFA media storm except in the vaguest terms.  Once it gets into the realm of international relations, though, my antennae start twitching a little.

Which is how I've been led to this.  Obviously, I have no idea who "Julio Grondona" is, but from his comments I'm assuming he's entirely fictional, or at least has been replaced with a Jose Mourinho-style Setanta puppet.  The money quote:

"But with the English bid I said: Let us be brief. If you give back the Falkland Islands, which belong to us, you will get my vote. They then became sad and left."

"Became sad and left" is my new favourite euphemism for someone departing in an apoplectic rage after you've said something incredibly insulting (I suspect it will get quite some play over Christmas with my family). 

Further research provides additional evidence that Grodonda can't be a real person, though some of his jokes are distinctly unpleasant:

"I do not believe a Jew can ever be a referee at this level. It’s hard work and, you know, Jews don’t like hard work."

Presumably the Jews then became sad and left. You know, like in 1948.

I say we strike back by promoting Jim Davidson to the highest echelons of the F.A.  And/or sinking the ARA Sarandi.

h/t to Rising Hegemon.