Poll of the Day > Valley of The Geeks

(+) Yeah! (+)

Interesting breakdown

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I found a good mattress set for 150 and tax. My work approved of me having Nov 11 off. Yes, things are happenening fast, but that is to be expected when things line up properly. Compare to the high desert where I had grown up, and of course things are moving at all now rather than lying stagnant or diminishing. That desert was a vacuum.

I'm excited by this, but now I also need to get back to my writing so I can publish more novels.
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What's the difference between a high desert and a normal one?
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Revelation34 posted...

What's the difference between a high desert and a normal one?

Altitude.
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WhiskeyDisk posted...

Revelation34 posted...

What's the difference between a high desert and a normal one?

Altitude.

Literally this.

But also, "The High Desert" is a specific region in California.
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ParanoidObsessive posted...

WhiskeyDisk posted...

Revelation34 posted...

What's the difference between a high desert and a normal one?

Altitude.

Literally this.

But also, "The High Desert" is a specific region in California.

Such, in this case, is a valley where LA County meets Mojave at around the 2200 foot level.
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In a city of fallen angels / where the ocean meets the sand / you will form a strong alliance / and the world's most awesome band.
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Just found out they're making a Bloodshot movie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOUVVDWdXbo" data-time="

I'm not sure how to feel about it. Part of me thinks it could be a really cool movie, because I like the premise, and I liked the original comic. But I feel like this might be based on the newer version of the character (which I neither really know or care about), and, well... Vin Diesel.

Also, it kind of sucks that it seems like the trailer gives away the biggest twist of the movie, but sadly that seems to be the world we live in now. Pretty much every trailer these days more or less spell out the entire plot of a movie from the opening credits right up to the last 15 minutes or so.
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ParanoidObsessive posted...

I'm not sure how to feel about it. Part of me thinks it could be a really cool movie, because I like the premise, and I liked the original comic. But I feel like this might be based on the newer version of the character (which I neither really know or care about), and, well... Vin Diesel.

Anything with Vin Diesel is really cool... except maybe the Pacifier.

ParanoidObsessive posted...

Also, it kind of sucks that it seems like the trailer gives away the biggest twist of the movie, but sadly that seems to be the world we live in now. Pretty much every trailer these days more or less spell out the entire plot of a movie from the opening credits right up to the last 15 minutes or so.

Which is one reason I try to avoid watching trailers for most things I already intend to see. Honestly, even the written synopsis occasionally gives too much away.
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Zeus posted...

Anything with Vin Diesel is really cool... except maybe the Pacifier.

Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....
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I finally watched Over the Garden Wall. And then had to immediately re-watch it.

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Metalsonic66 posted...

I finally watched Over the Garden Wall. And then had to immediately re-watch it.

I'm hoping they do more. It was delightfully weird and felt like it came from nowhere.

Also, the big crazy show I worked on earlier this year, Daybreak, is out on Netflix this Thursday. Tune in if you like the idea of Mad Max meets The Warriors meets The Walking Dead, with Scott Pilgrim vs the World and Ferris Bueller's day Off vibes thrown in. And characters like "Turbo Bro Jock" and "Baron Triumph."

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CyborgSage00x0 posted...

I'm hoping they do more.

I think it would be neat to see some stories based around some of the characters who live in the Unknown. But doing more stories with Wirt and Greg at this point would be pointless IMO.

Supposedly one of the comics is canon though

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So, the final Star Wars trailer is out, and basically confirms the script leaks are true. Which means this movies might even be worse than TLJ somehow.

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CyborgSage00x0 posted...

So, the final Star Wars trailer is out, and basically confirms the script leaks are true.

Which ones did you have in mind? There've been a lot of them, and at least some are kind of mutually exclusive.
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Maybe they have no idea and the leaks were market research. Though I'm excited for the movie for the wrong reasons.

Still occasionally playing Ultimate NES Challenge, which is probably the most I've played a non-Pokemon Go game in recent years (mostly because I barely game these days). So far the game has reminded me:

-How much I hate Doctor Mario (I have a feeling he's not a real doctor!)

-How annoying the old Mario Bros arcade game is (seriously, those fucking game physics)

-How weird Zelda II is. I guess I never got that far through it originally, probably because it was a rental.

-That I should replay Mario 2 one of these days (and finish replaying SMB3 on the 3DS)

-That I might never have played a Kirby game (or, at least, for any length of time

-That I'm not sure how much I played of the original Metroid (although I loved the remake)

-That I should probably get around to finishing Kid Icarus 3D (a port of the original with 3D effects) one of these days

Otherwise, I'm not sure if ExciteBike sucks or I just really haven't figured out the mechanics. Balloon Fight has been an interesting surprise, though.

CyborgSage00x0 posted...

So, the final Star Wars trailer is out, and basically confirms the script leaks are true. Which means this movies might even be worse than TLJ somehow.

Meaning more Rose & Finn side adventures that ultimately just fuck over the Rebellion... errr, the New Republic or whatever they're calling themselves?
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ParanoidObsessive posted...

Which ones did you have in mind? There've been a lot of them, and at least some are kind of mutually exclusive.

The JediPaxis ones, specifically.

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As much as I like the new Batwoman show, Ruby Rose is an adorable lesbian, I feel like I'm better served reading the comics run from a few years ago.

Also, most of the side characters aren't that important or interesting. It is weird to complain that the worst part of a Batwoman show is that Batwoman is too great that it makes the other characters so much worse. It's just season one, and things can improve. I remain cautiously optimistic.
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Did they use any Batman villains yet? Or are they still locked away in Arkham like the crossover episode?
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Revelation34 posted...

Did they use any Batman villains yet? Or are they still locked away in Arkham like the crossover episode?

Tommy Elliot appears in it so...

Korruptor posted...

Tommy Elliot appears in it so...

Just him?
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Hmm. If you ask me, Holy Grail is the funniest overall of the Python trilogy, but there are individual moments in Life of Brian that top anything in Holy Grail. I like Meaning of Life, too, but it is a different type of humor -- still absurd, but dark.

I am currently suffering from a bizarre problem, and that is a surfeit of wrestling shows. AEW Dynamite (and AEW Dark) have won me over, and NWA Power(rr) is too much fun not to watch, but there are so many other competing shows that I am having to pick and choose. NXT remains watchable, but 205 Live has lost so much of its talent to the WWE 'draft' (e.g. the Lucha House Party) that it is sitting on the bubble for me. Impact is back on a network (AXS) that can be watched by more than a handful of people, but it is still Impact. NJPW announced a new NJPW America promotion, and MLW Fusion is still chugging along on You Tube.

So much wrestling, so little time. And, as per usual, I have you lot to blame for getting me back into it. *shakes fist* :-P

And yes, Zelda II is weird, but it remains my favorite Zelda.
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My interest in pro wrestling tends to be pretty sporadic. There's a bunch of stuff I mean to get around to (like finishing that NWA episode I started weeks ago), but I just don't feel in the mood. Same for countless other shows, movies, games, etc. We live in a glorious age of having too much we can do and those choices can become paralyzing at times.
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I understand the overwhelming choices in entertainment. I still need to finish Daredevil season 3; I all of Normal Occurrences after season 1. That's not to mention The Boys and Good Onens too. Plus books and video games. There is not enough time to do it all.
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The Wave Master posted...

I still need to finish Daredevil season 3;

I made that a priority but, like everything else, Defenders fucked that show over. They barely even covered Karen's reaction to Matt revealing he was Daredevil, the climatic final moment in s2 which was glossed over in Defenders
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I watched that Paul Rudd show on Netflix. Living With Yourself? TBH I expected more of a straight comedy. The ending dragged a bit.

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Metalsonic66 posted...

a straight comedy.

I'm looking at that and running through the possible interpretations >_>
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Zeus posted...

Metalsonic66 posted...

a straight comedy.

I'm looking at that and running through the possible interpretations >_>

I can think of at least one that's just fantabulous! <_<
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The Joker was pretty good. Kinda slow at times.

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My wife didn't want to see Joker, and so I'm left waiting for it to hit HBO or streaming, so I can watch it by myself. Marriage is about compromise, and by compromise, I mean I do whatever she wants so the peace can be kept.

In fact, we actually had a fight Thursday night about that same topic. I told her that I pretty much have to do whatever she wants so I get some peace of mind. She said that wasn't true, and I went point by point all the things I have to do to make her happy. Then I said that I only ask her to not drop her clothes in the middle of the floor because I'm in my wheelchair, and her items block my rolling path. She started crying and it just ballooned into an argument.

Not sure who else is married in this topic, but I can't be alone with this problem right?
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The Wave Master posted...

Not sure who else is married in this topic, but I can't be alone with this problem right?

*raises hand*

Married, also to a redhead. Have to choose battles carefully.
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The Wave Master posted...

Not sure who else is married in this topic, but I can't be alone with this problem right?

In having a partner who drops items in the way of a wheelchair path? That seems like an oddly specific problem =p

Your situation is generally unique, though.
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CyborgSage00x0 posted...

Metalsonic66 posted...

I finally watched Over the Garden Wall. And then had to immediately re-watch it.

I'm hoping they do more. It was delightfully weird and felt like it came from nowhere

tbh, oddly enough, I finally picked up a copy of it not that long ago for free following a library book sale. (Well, oddly in that it's coming up for discussion now, not odd that I picked it up because I had been meaning to track it down for a few years now. Can't remember how I first heard about, but after reading the wikipedia page, it immediately seized my interest.)
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Oh never heard of that. I'll check it out later if I have time.
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The ever-spamming CedarP or whatever blocked me for whatever reason (maybe it was because I called bullshit on his claim regarding Terminator Genysis) and now I'm tracking a ton of topics where I go to respond only to be told that I can't post in that topic >_>

I first noticed it when going to defend Sophie Turner's movie performances, specifically Jean Grey in the X-Men films. (Granted, I haven't seen Dark Phoenix... or First Class, but I liked her in Apoc and DoFP.)
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Sophie wasn't in DofP.

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Oh, then I guess I only saw her in Apoc. I think I saw the two almost back-to-back so the details bled together.
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Metalsonic66 posted...

Sophie wasn't in DofP.

No wonder she was so good (I kid).
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My main gripe with the...stupidity of the last X-Men movie is...

...It takes like 20 minutes for the X-Men to cross Central Park West...a feat thousands of mere mortals accomplish daily without difficulty. Ffs that's just abominable writing.
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Yeah I haven't seen it but I refuse to believe that there wasn't more going on than that

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Ruh-roh...

https://uproxx.com/prowrestling/wwe-saudi-arabia-departure-problem/

Looks like most of the performers that went to Crown Jewel are having...difficulties in leaving the KSA.
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Kinda want to participate in NaNo.. whatever, but really don't have anything I feel like writing.
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I have limited time to myself this month, and my writing energy is not in motion at the moment, so I'm not doing NaNoWriMo either. I don't think I have in some time, though I've been writing sporadically over the years. It sort of makes "Elysium Shining" a miracle.

Hopefully I can get more books out soon, and I can attract a broad audience. It'd be nice, alone, if enough people bought--or rented via Unlimited and then read so many pages--copies of ES to cover the hours put into it. That would pull me out of debt and into some financial padding.
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I always wondered why they stuck Na No in November. This is one of the busiest months of the year for food service and retail drones like me.
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Entity13 posted...

I have limited time to myself this month, and my writing energy is not in motion at the moment, so I'm not doing NaNoWriMo either. I don't think I have in some time, though I've been writing sporadically over the years. It sort of makes "Elysium Shining" a miracle.

Hopefully I can get more books out soon, and I can attract a broad audience. It'd be nice, alone, if enough people bought--or rented via Unlimited and then read so many pages--copies of ES to cover the hours put into it. That would pull me out of debt and into some financial padding.

Well, yeah, technically I'm also busy since I'm working full-time and I have a side thing going right now where I'm editing somebody's memoir (and the thing is a fucking mess), but if I had something I felt passionate about, I probably would make the time somehow. I've always tried to make sure that "I'm busy" wasn't an excuse for me not doing things, particularly because I find that having a lot of other irons in the fire forces me to push through procrastination.

I_Abibde posted...

I always wondered why they stuck Na No in November. This is one of the busiest months of the year for food service and retail drones like me.

It is a really weird choice, since it also tends to be a busier month for people on a personal basis. Something like March or April would make more sense, I would assume.
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Speaking of writing/writers, some random author posted this on the horror board earlier tonight:

http://jamesgboswell.com/2019/10/why-cant-you-see-them/

While the story isn't particularly well-written and barely interesting, I kinda admire his pluck. It looks like he's self-published 4 books so far (3 anthologies and 1 novel) and he has a pretty bare-bones website. Kinda interestingly, the page counts all seem pretty low -- which, for the anthologies, isn't *that* glaring but a 137-page novel is weird.

At any rate, the prospect of writing short stories seems more appealing than novels. I know I had written quite a few short stories between high school and college (often for creative writing classes). Kinda tempted to see what I still have. If there's enough usable content, maybe I can edit it a bit and try releasing some of those as e-books.

Granted, first I should get back to finish editing this memoir because my client (who occasionally sub-contracts me for stuff like this) has said that his client is starting to ask for updates >_>
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Odd observation of the day:

In The Phantom Menace, a major plot-point is Qui-Gon cheating to win a dice roll against Watto, because Jedi morals are apparently extremely flexible. But earlier today, it struck me - why would ANYONE ever gamble using dice in a universe where Jedi exist?

These are people who can literally make things move with their minds, with almost no effort. And it's not as if Jedi have a monopoly on the Force - almost every version of an extended universe to the franchise implies pretty much anyone can wake up one day and find themselves being Force sensitive, using it to do things like being highly intuitive about things, or being "lucky" as a matter of course.

We can't even really say "Well, to most people the Jedi and the Force are just myths" (like A New Hope kind of implies), because the Prequels show us there are apparently hundreds (if not thousands) of Jedi roaming all over the known galaxy, presumably showing up in news reports about the war against the Trade Federation, and generally being incredibly blatant about who and what they are. To the point where an uneducated slave kid on a backward planet at the ass-end of the galaxy immediately recognizes a Jedi because of their lightsaber.

So why would anyone ever TRUST a game of "chance" they know can be easily manipulated? Even if the guy you're betting against isn't a Jedi/Force user themselves, how do you know there isn't one just around the corner fucking with you for some reason?

If someone proved to me that telekinesis was both real and possible in our world, even if only one out of every million people could potentially do it, I'd still be hesitant as hell to gamble for money in any way that could be easily and subtly manipulated by it. I'd assume in a universe where TKs are literally around for thousands of years, gambling as a concept would evolve to the point where physical chance would be viewed as a poor method of deciding anything (for exactly the reason we explicitly SEE in the movies the first, last, and only time anyone ever rolls a die). If anything, it feels like that's why things like Han Solo's space chess board would have been invented in the first place - to create alternate means of gambling that can't be altered by outside forces.

What makes it worse is that Watto STRAIGHT UP KNOWS that Qui-Gon tried to mind trick him the first time they met, meaning he basically HAS to be a Jedi (or someone with similar abilities), and that he apparently isn't all that overburdened with morals - yet STILL doesn't hesitate to accept a bet with him and suggest rolling the chance cube for it.

So Watto's pretty much a complete idiot no matter what. But most people in the galaxy can't possibly be that stupid.
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ParanoidObsessive posted...

If anything, it feels like that's why things like Han Solo's space chess board would have been invented in the first place - to create alternate means of gambling that can't be altered by outside forces.

Pretty sure the Jedi can read minds.
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Oh, Ultimate NES Remix update: I guess I've unlocked all of the challenges (well, up until I get the alternate Famicom mode), which means I'm stuck playing through a lot of the games (and challenges) I dislike or otherwise aren't good at. I *eventually* got the hang of ExciteBike, but I'm stumped by Punch Out! so I'll be consulting guides.

Meanwhile I absolutely hate Dr. Mario so a few of the challenges (I've done most of them now) I'll likely just watch videos for the solutions.

In general, the game has so much wasted potential since they could have gone heavier on remix and bonus stages. So far my favorite format is an overall timed approach (instead of lives) where losses simply cost you time. And my favorite mechanic is the auto-runner levels where you just pick when to jump. Kinda tempted to try out Mario Runner as a result.

Speed Mario, by contrast, just plays kinda funny although I imagine I'll mess around with it more after I finish the challenges and alt challenges. Currently at 719 stars out of... I think a possible 759. I need one Balloon Fighter level, at least one Dr. Mario, a ton of Punch Out! stages, and some of the Remix/Bonus stages (usually ones where Punch Out! parts are blocking me)

In general, some of these games kinda hold up, but others (like ExciteBike) just feel outdated. The mechanics from the old Mario Bros Arcade game drive me nuts, though, since the slide is so bad and you have to move *before* you jump instead of jumping then moving.

ParanoidObsessive posted...

But earlier today, it struck me - why would ANYONE ever gamble using dice in a universe where Jedi exist?

These are people who can literally make things move with their minds, with almost no effort. And it's not as if Jedi have a monopoly on the Force - almost every version of an extended universe to the franchise implies pretty much anyone can wake up one day and find themselves being Force sensitive, using it to do things like being highly intuitive about things, or being "lucky" as a matter of course.

Force attunement is relatively rare (especially regarding that kind of usage) and a lot of games of chance can similarly be ruined by force users. It only seems common because the EU focuses on people with those abilities, in the same way that characters in fantasy novels are overwhelmingly adventurers despite the fact that the practice would be on the rarer side.
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