T-shirt

I rent to pwn.

That's one of the funniest things I've seen in a while.

At least until I watch the Bill Cosby DVD I just bought Bridget.

Happy Thursday!

Presents

Got my first Christmas present on Tuesday.

You can call me Master Bruce now.

It's Christmas Time Pretty Baby

Less than a week now. Bridget and I are hurriedly moving into our new place and trying to shop for everyone at the same time. Which can be difficult with only one car. Or truck, as we have her dad's at the moment, and he is fixing our car. As I understand it, the only thing left now is fixing the rear quarter panel and putting in a new tail light. The trunk opens and closes, the bumper is reattached, all good stuff.

Back to Christmas. This is the first year that I have really, absolutely NO idea what I want for Christmas. Perhaps it's the onset of real adulthood, but in previous years there was always some THING I could point to and say "Yeah, that." It might have been a book, or books, or a video game, or... I don't know, SOMETHING.

This year... I almost feel like saying, and truly meaning, "Nothing."

******

We went to two Christmas parties this weekend, one in Lafayette and one in Lake Charles. The Lafayette one was at my friend Amanda's house, and was a lot of fun. It had been a while since I'd seen or some of my other friends, and the people that I didn't know were really cool, as well. Lots of funny conversations, some great sillyness during the white elephant exchange... good times.

The Lake Charles party was, of course, at Daisy and Joe's. We hung around, talked, ate dinner, played Hot Death UNO, and did the white elephant thing.

Anyone remember a few years back for Chrostmas I got this little gun that shot foam discs and made noises? Or at least know the type of gun I'm talking about?

Daisy's gift in the exchange was two guns and 175 of the discs. And I got it. And then, 5 mintes later, somebody got ANOTHER one. Four guns, 350 rounds (literally).

We discussed random violence, but not that much really occurred. Mostly we tried shotting them into a gift bag from about 10 feet away. Each shot is unique, so it can be difficult to make any of them. I don't think anyone got more than 1 shot out of 12 into the bag.

And then we drove home so Bridget could go to work, leaving the other revelers to their... reveling.

A great weekend.

...and now a random Chuck Norris fact

http://www.4q.cc/chuck/index.php

I love Chuck Norris. He was an absolutely fantastic fighter back in the day. But this... this is too funny. I don't know when the random odd Chuck Norris jokes started, but they will make me laugh for quite a while.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the U.S.S Enterprise

Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the U.S.S. Enterprise

My Christmas Wish List

Just in case you were wondering.

Free shipping even.

At Last

Robert Jordan has redeemed himself.

Knife of Dreams is the best book in the second half of the Wheel of Time, thus far. Winter's Heart was decent, at best, and only the last chapter or two truly had content. Crossroads of Twilight was an exercise in how to expand what should have been a chapter or two into an entire book.

But Book 11...

We get to see Rand do Randish things. Perrin is Perrin. Mat is bloody Mat again. And things get ACCOMPLISHED. I'm proud of you Mr. Jordan.

I think the problem the last couple of books have had is that people complained Jordan's characters were too flat, so he tried to let us see some more of their personalities other than constant braid-tugging, ear-thumbing, and forehead-knuckling. But it was BORING. I have spoken to one person who thought it wasn't - and I ask every single person who's read the series: "What did you think of Book 10?"

In this one, he does a decent job of balancing action, plot forwarding, depth of personality, plot twists, and even plot resolution. I mean, when was the last time THAT happened?

Not to say there is not braid-tugging, ear-thumbing, or forehead-knuckling. He focuses on fewer characters this time, people more central to the main story, so is more able to develop them. Some characters are almost given short shrift, even. But it is an excellent read, the most engaging this once brilliant series has given me in some time.

There were a few spots, however, that were odd. At one part, I very pointedly felt he had a character speak to the reader. I hate that. Nothing spoils suspension of disbelief for me like a character saying something that the other characters obviously know, but the reader probably does not; spread it out amongst more than one character.

At times he also forces cultural differences, such as colloquial sayings and customs, into odd places in the narrative. "Oh, yeah, don't forget, these people are different." We know, already. Notes about their accent being unusual is one thing, constantly throwing in odd fishing sayings we don't understand is totally another.

But read it. Good Book. :-)

And Mr. Jordan...

(warning:spoiler)

If you are going to publicly state that Mazrim Taim is not Demandred, plese, STOP giving me evidence to support that he IS!