Fully Weaponized
I thought it was another cheap waffle bike until they got to the shotguns.
Massapoag
THE WINTER CAMP OF THE PENACOOK, NORTHWESTERN MASSACHUSSETTS, 1680
The women were exhausted and wet-footed, dressed in ill-fitting cotton dresses and carrying squalling babies in their arms. One had a leather-bound bible, ink running across soaked pages. They were Penacook women and Wonalancet, Sachem of all the Penacook, knew their families.
The Englishman who had led them there started barking contemptuously. Wonalancet’s father Papisseconewa had known the language but he did not. One of the women reluctantly translated.
“Sachem, he says we are yours again,” she said. Wonalancet said nothing. “We left to become Christians”, she said, as if explanation were needed. “We come from Chaubunagungamaug” she said quietly, looking back at the Englishman hatefully, “where we weren’t Christian enough.”
Again the Englishman barked.
“His name is Morton. He says you are to pay him for feeding and clothing us. We beg for your mercy, Sachem.”
Wonalancet nodded, and waved to his men. They scattered up the trail to make the village ready to receive visitors. Not two years earlier and the lone Englishman would have died where he stood, and the women with him, Penacook or no. But the war was over and the English had won. Wonalancet had no stomach for punishing these traitors.
“Welcome home, sisters,” he said softly, “those English rags do not suit you.”
The women smiled and it was an awful thing to see, and the Sachem knew in that moment that they had been cruelly used by the English. “No, Sachem,” the translator said, “they do not.”
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Gen Con Roundup
So Grey Ranks won Indie Game of the Year and also the Innovation sub-award, and shares the Diana Jones Award. It is not false modesty to say that I am really, really stunned and did not expect this. Because I am and I didn’t. But I’m very proud of the game and really happy to be recognized.
On a personal level I had a wonderful con, connecting with old friends and making new ones. None of the things I was afraid would happen did.
Ken Leeeeeeeeeee
When you get a free minute, go to Youtube and look up these keywords: Valentina Hasan Ken Lee. And you will find videos of Valentina Hasan singing Ken Lee.
Saw The Batman
On Raleigh’s IMAX screen, 45 stories tall!
Two words: Francis Bacon.
And that’s not a bad thing, not at all. I had the feeling there was a lot of cryptic fan service going on, and I got confused by the relentless kidnapping/betrayal/kidnapping/crash through plate glass cycle, but there was a lot to like. I love the way Christian Bale sounds like he’s drowning in his own blood when possessed by The Batman. I thought Health Ledger was great. I wish the whole movie had taken place in that interrogation room - every time Heath Ledger spoke I was riveted, and the awesome gayness of The Joker’s relationship with The Batman is really wonderful to see unapologetically writ large.
Bandh Darwaza
We started watching Bandh Darwaza this weekend and all I can say is so far, so excellent. There’s no vampire like a Bollywood vampire. That’s basically what I’m saying here.
Jar-Head Perishes
It’s a pretty sad situation. Truly a failure of imagination on the part of wildlife officials.
A Dream Joke
Last night I had a long, elaborate dream that revolved around this joke, that my dream self made up:
If God were incontinent … where would we live?
In my dream i was doing a standup routine and it got a big laugh. I followed it up with:
I guess we’d really be up shit creek.
More laughter. Dreams, shrug.
Stuff I Want To Read
The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood
Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels, and the Birth of NASCAR
Gulag: A History of the Soviet Camps
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
The Ravenous Muse: A Table of Dark and Comic Contents, a Bacchanal of Books