S. Darko never should have happened, honestly. Donnie Darko was largely a cult classic. I don't remember it being well received in theaters/critically, for reasons that are understandable. The fact that they made a sequel had to just be a giant cash grab.
Seriously Gran Torino might be one of the funniest/most awesome movies I've ever seen. FTR don't watch it if you get offended by racial slurs (especially at people of the asian race).
Also AIM is totally dead right now. TFO must be drinking or something (surprise........)
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I haven't played anyone yet, but I'll get to it this week. I got the deck on MWS over the weekend and playtested a little. It sits around a lot and I'm pretty disugsted with the fact that I HAVE to play Child and Stalking from the GY. I can't hard cast anything but the Scion. And the fact that there's only one way to get them from the yard is silly. I am definitly going to SB those pacts nearly every game.
...meh...
And I'll post the game logs for every match...I saw that ria.:D
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"Talkin outta turn....That's a paddlin'. Starin' at my sandals....That's a paddlin'. Paddlin' the school canoe....You better believe that's a paddlin'!" --Jasper
Yes, I am definately going to pick up Gran Torino when it is released tomorrow in the states. Damn you (day-ahead) Aussies! The only thing i didn't like was the song played during the credits. Otherwise, great movie!!
JJ isn't posting on subject. ..waz wong jaw-jaw?..
How was The Godfather? Your son fall asleep?
Tonight is Season 5 premier of Weeds!
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Makin' sure the ladies are squeaky clean ..everywhere!!
Netdecking is piloting Magic.
Homebrew is creating Magic.
Are you a pilot or a creator??
Nothing to ***** about - movies are quite often delayed upwards of 6 months, both theatre and DVD releases come out 'whenever we bloody get around to it'
In other news, the Pirate Party scored a few seats in the Swedish Parliament, heh heh heh. Good on ya, kids.
Nothing to ***** about - movies are quite often delayed upwards of 6 months, both theatre and DVD releases come out 'whenever we bloody get around to it'
In other news, the Pirate Party scored a few seats in the Swedish Parliament, heh heh heh. Good on ya, kids.
Squirrell Bling= Gangstalicious.
Pirate Party= Let down from what I had hoped they would be.
The Deck you guys are playing= lolersauce.
Also FTR Jonny/DUX, if someone falls a sleep during the first time they watch Godfather, they should be beat.........publically. The movie is hella long and slow at parts, but it's still one of the top five movies of all time for a reason.
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~~I've been drinking since I was 13...that means for that past 25 years I've been wasted at least once a week. I haven't bought alcohol for anyone under 21 since I was 23.
~~I did play fae on Friday like I said I was going to. It did very well and I liked putting the Prowler back in. It really worked out when I hit for 3 on turn 3. No one liked it and several discared to stop the madness. I hope to T8 at a PTQ before i turn 40!
~~I haven't s.Darko because I've never heard of it. I didn't know they made a sequel. Don't really care to see it either.
~~I've wanted to see Gran Torino since it came out, but with kids you just can't find the time to spend that much money on a movie you have plan out 7 days in advance to attend.
~~I don't care Sapph posts here. As long as he stays relevent to the topic and doesn't piss off Nick to much. I like seeing Nick around...I realize he's as busy outside of this place as I am, so i appreciate seeing him.
~~I still love the game, and have more passion for it than when I was playing casual with friend 8-12 years ago. I liked beating my friends, but I really get a rush out of doing well at tournaments. The current environment is really diverse, and I'm glad I've kept up with it. It is expensive....and the multi-color crap is getting old, but I think the new set will help that out. The next rotation will really shake things up. I don't think the new Core is a bad idea. I like the fact that they are going to combine the idea of a starter set with the existing core cards...I mean...that's basically what they are doing without the separation. They aren't making a Portal 4 or Starter 2010...instead they are cutting the Core set down to the BEST CORE CARDS...and introducing some new aspects that don't really fit into the flavor of a large expansion....but could still be cool to play with. it explains a card like Pithing Needle. That card had no business in Saviors...but it was in there to strictly seel packs of the product. That set SUCKED...but the Needle helped its booster sales.
~~Yeah art!!!
~~No, my son didn't fall asleep. Almost though, as it was getting late in the evening when it ended.
how's that dux?
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"Talkin outta turn....That's a paddlin'. Starin' at my sandals....That's a paddlin'. Paddlin' the school canoe....You better believe that's a paddlin'!" --Jasper
DUX...here ya go... "Gar-garlb-gar" ..how's that dux?
Damn JJ, I didn't mean to be an jerk. I was half-playin ...I wub' jaw-jaw..
I didn’t really find the squirrel bling that funny. It may be that I just have no humor this morning, but I didn’t see the big deal. I was like, “Oh, okay, It’s a squirrel wearing a necklace?”
Quote from kpimp »
Also FTR Jonny/DUX, if someone falls a sleep during the first time they watch Godfather, they should be beat.........publically. The movie is hella long and slow at parts, but it's still one of the top five movies of all time for a reason.
[Confession]B..B..but.. I’ve never actually seen any of them.[/Confession] That’s right, I am coming out – Dux has never seen a Godfather movie. I just never thought they looked very good. I like Goodfella's and Casino. Scarface was okay I guess.
*Dux tenses-up in preparation for the beating that will ensue*
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Seriously, the Godfather is a classic movie. You should go out and see at least the first one. Marlon Brando was fantastic (won the Oscar for it), as was Al Pacino. It is both a great story and a greatly put together film. I've also read the book, which was just as awesome. If you enjoy any mafia movies teh Godfather is a must see.
Now go watch it, and let me know if you fall asleep so I can beat you some more.
And kpimp is a good way to put my name.
* kpaca walks to Dux menacinly with beating stick ready.
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I was my son's age when I saw it last (14). That's 23 years for those counting! The Godfather II showing is later this week...it's 30 minutes longer.
@DUX...you wanted answers? You wanted the truth? Apparently, you couldn't handle the truth!!
* jonnyjonski Grabs broken ax handle that resides next to him in the front seat of his truck....thinks....puts it back slowly...glares.....
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"Talkin outta turn....That's a paddlin'. Starin' at my sandals....That's a paddlin'. Paddlin' the school canoe....You better believe that's a paddlin'!" --Jasper
Wow, that last thread went to page 15...tsk tsk tsk. What happened to tradition?
Hi Kpaca. Nice work stories.
About Saph, I wouldn't want anyone to post here who a clan member has a personal beef with. I know it may not be fair to any individual, especially if I don't know them, but I feel we can do without the drama. I didn't have any issues with Alex+ and I liked Bel, but several clan members have issues with those folks so I wouldn't want them to post here either.
Did Z seriously spam our thread with a notice of lurkering, bring a mod issue public here, and say he wanted back in the clan? Naw, I probably mixed stuff up while skimming 7 pages. He would definitely know better than to even think of doing that.
About the Mountain Lions...they went all Grizzly man on me...Working on Speed Goats now...
I suppose I should ramble on about what I've been up to for the past two weeks.
I needed to get to Boise by the 31st and I needed to get a Japanese Intern (Tomomi) up to American Fork. Both along the way so no worries. Of course I wanted to show her what southern Utah has to offer so I took a bit of a detour. A 700 mile detour. yeah...I might have overdone that a wee bit.
Zion is a classic first stop. Camped there with Tomomi and my brothers. You'd think on a Wednesday it would be all quiet on the western front, but noooo...traffic everywhere with all the campgrounds full. We hiked a bit of the narrows before finding a campsite, lucky someone canceled. One of these days I'm going to actually dress for a narrows hike and go the several miles through.
(My two brothers in the Narrows)
Next day Tomomi and I hiked Angel's Landing first thing in the morning. It is one of the more popular hikes in Zion so it was rather crowded. It's listed as a strenuous climb but there is a paved sidewalk most the way and the last bit has steps carved into rocks with a chain for assistance. The only difficult part for me was dodging all the people while I tried to scramble up. Tomomi had a bit of difficulty, but made it to the top. Was a good way to assess what kind of hiker she would be. Obviously not up to some of the funner hikes I was wanting. Anyway, angel's landing pics:
(Shortest Switchbacks I've ever seen. This style of paved trail went nearly the entire way up. I bet it was wheel chair accessible.)
(The last scramble to the top. Would have been a hell of a lot funner if those steps, chains, and people wern't there.)
At the top of that it did have a great view. Lightning storm made us go down sooner than I wanted to though. While up there a Gust of wind took off Tomomi's hat and set it on the edge of a semi steep ledge with a death fall beneath. Several folks said that it was a lost cause but the slickrock wasn't too steep, so I ran down, grabbed it, and ran back. Apparently that action scared all the people up there cause as I sprinted down they all shouted "slow down," "Stop," or just spout out and expletive. Like I said it was semi-steep, so no worries unless I tripped for some reason. They didn't see it like that and even Tomomi said I was a crazy hiker. Meh, she never saw the funner hikes.
From there we ran the gamut of Brice, Capital Reef, The drive through Glen Canyon recreation center, Natural Bridges Monument, Canyonlands, and Arches. Beautiful areas all. Here's the thing, I was on a schedule and Tomomi proved to be a less than aggressive hiker, so the trip turned into a 700 mile look but don't touch sort of thing. Hardly an adventure. Imagine taking you're kid to the greatest playground in the world...the best of the best, something that makes disneyland look blah. Drive up to the gates, buy the ticket, then turn around and go home without getting on a ride. Yeah, that's how I felt. My favorite places in the world and I didn't even get my heart pumping.
(Must hike)
(No hiking here either)
Some interesting trees though.
I got Tomomi to her destination in one piece. I probably drove her crazy with my broken Japanese anyway. I only know a handful of words and I don't know the grammar so I tend to over use those few words while butchering the language. For example, all animals were "cute", anything that wasn't 100% healthy was a "poor thing," any ledge was "scary," and anything hurt or broken was either "dead" or "a little dead." (Folding a hand of poker is also "Dead") Yeah, I'm creative.
I got to Boise and soon headed to the research station. Our job, to hunt for the Slickspot Peppergrass.
Awww....Kawaii Des Ne.
Here's the gist of this little plant. It's small, this one was one of the bigger ones. It grows in things called Slickspots, which are area's of poor soil where nothing else really grows, it is endemic to southern Idaho, and it is in the middle of a political firestorm. Conservation groups are currently using this plant as a way to try to remove cattle from public lands and ranchers are fighting back. Slickspot Peppergrass is a candidate for the endangered species list and is projected by the fish and wildlife agency to go extinct in 15 years or so if nothing is done. If the Conservation groups win it threatens the livelihood of the ranches and their several thousand heads of cattle. So this is surprisingly important.
Of course there's not much data on it so lots of thoughts and conclusions as to it's extinction date and susceptibility to cattle trample is conjecture imo. Our work was to do vegetation transects in slickspots and count the peppergrass to assess if trampling has any affect on their survivorship. Fun huh. Not really my personal project but I don't mind to help out.
The country was Sagebrush Steppe...those of you who know sagebrush and experience landscapes where sagebrush is the only dominant plant for as far as the eye can see might be surprised to know that Sagebrush steppe is one of the most endangered ecosystems in America. More Arid landscapes are getting taken out by Cheatgrass changing the fire frequency, creating monoculture of cheatgrass as far as the eye can see and completely destroying any use of the land for cattle or natural purposes. Northern regions are getting taken out by Juniper encroachment. So the sagebrush steppe is getting squeezed on both sides and in a few decades the idea of a landscape of only sagebrush may be a distant memory. Like a cheatgrass free west.
(As far as you can see Sagebrush. They still exist in some places)
Did I mention that it wasn't nearly as sunny as it should have been? Rained every single day, and the day the picture was taken it hailed forever. Yes, all that white is hail. Totally pummeled the vegetation out there, leaves everywhere on the ground. Trying to count the plants in the transects got hard cause half the green in there was just fallen leaves. The peppergrass got beat up too, made it real hard to find any after that. So cold and wet but that just makes being in the outdoors funner. Always feels more accomplishing when the elements try to stop you.
Areas where a fire went there were quite obvious. Fire goes through this system every 50-100 years, Wyoming Sagebrush becomes reproductive by 15 years so they tend to recover. Cheat grass changes that range to about every 10 years...which is why this sagebrush has a problem. Still, not all fires are not natural and the end result can be a pleasant grassland:
This was in Mountain Big Sagebrush country so most the vegetation is actually native. Down in Wyoming sagebrush every other plant was invasive and a fire could create a mono-culture of invasives with cheatgrass at the top...Ironically for the longest time reseadings were done with non-natives...but non-natives that the cattle could eat. Bottom right is a baby sagebrush coming out...aww, kawaii des ne.
Bug's wern't nearly as bad as I thought. Late spring I expected Gnats, mosquitoes, and a slew of large biting flies. Ticks wern't fun. I found one or two crawling on me every day. I figured I was in the clear till the last day, found seven crawling on me and three imbedded in me. Got a bit frustrating when I took a shower and upon coming out found a tick crawling on my fresh never been in the field clothes. No escaping those guys. At least if I die from Rocky mountain spotted fever or some other tick fever I can die with the satisfaction that the tick that gave it to me died before me. Bwah ha ha ha.
The research areas were in a variety of areas. Sagebrush stepp, reseaded, and an airforce bombing range. I found myself surrounded by all sorts of interesting things, but I was warned not to wander off the road and to never pick up any of the interestingly shaped shiney things. Oooh, shiney...
Suspicious buildings in the middle of nowhere.
Tanks
Anti-air
Rocket Launchers
And even Hostage Situations.
gotta give these Airforce folks props. There was a great amount of detail from windows, doors, and even train wheels painted on to air conditioning on buildings. Very interesting fake city.
The land was rather flat. Rolling hills of brush where you could see miles and miles away. Where that distant dot was either the car or a cow. Ranchers probably loved it cause you could see your cattle for miles around. Still, I was quite surprised at how fast that changed. Oh the land stayed relatively flat...but when you hit a canyon...well see for yourself:
Nearly completely flat on our end and once on the other side flat for as far as the eye can see. A bit of a doosey that next step though.
Well that was my last two weeks. Hopefully it was what was expected of me and didn't bore the hell out of anyone.
***Official Rune Master and Rational Extremest of The Called***
************************From Sound to Sea**********************
And I guess that I'm a lucky one for the truth of what I know. For my heart had not denied me and I have somewhere to go. I shall never be a prisoner of steel and glass and stone. If I leave, I will return again to my Rocky Mountain home.
That was truely beautiful! I love the canyon!!! That's what I saw in Arizona as well...well sort of! It seemed that when you got to the top of a hill/mountain you would go down the other side...but you didn't. Everything was flat on top as far as the eye could see. Then you'd see another mountain in front of you and you'd get to the top and it was flat as far as the eye could see. really cool stuff! America really is a beautiful country when people aren't ****ing it up!
Thanks for updates Daggs!! Next time...don't take 2 weeks to post. That was way too long!!!:(
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"Talkin outta turn....That's a paddlin'. Starin' at my sandals....That's a paddlin'. Paddlin' the school canoe....You better believe that's a paddlin'!" --Jasper
And is it just me, or is that hostage being held hostage by a guy pointing a bazooka at his face
Very serious situation
Quote from jj »
I don't think the new Core is a bad idea. I like the fact that they are going to combine the idea of a starter set with the existing core cards...I mean...that's basically what they are doing without the separation. They aren't making a Portal 4 or Starter 2010...instead they are cutting the Core set down to the BEST CORE CARDS...and introducing some new aspects that don't really fit into the flavor of a large expansion....but could still be cool to play with. it explains a card like Pithing Needle. That card had no business in Saviors...but it was in there to strictly seel packs of the product. That set SUCKED...but the Needle helped its booster sales.
I dunno. New core every year, Needles in, Needles out. . . I want to see what the card quality is like, to justify potentially raising the cost of Standard again. Nevermind the battlefield junk
I've never seen the G-fatha, going to have to just sit down with it by my lonesome sometime; don't think Reya or O have much appreciation for that kind of cinema
Great to hear from you bro! WHOA!! ..Look at those pics!
The make-shift hostage was great! ..and yeah, please don't touch the shiney's.
Glad to hear from you man..
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Bla, Teefo ...lame excuses.
Quote from Ria »
I've never seen the G-fatha, going to have to just sit down with it by my lonesome sometime
Yay! I am not alone.
I rode to work in the company limo today, which is cool and all, but 6am isn't the right time for 'stylin and profilin'. My groupies are still sleepin in at that time a' mornin.
Weeds premiere was okay last night. Nothing to freak about. Everyone remember Gran Torino comes out today in the states. Go, buy, watch, love ...until the credits roll = then plug your ears.
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Official Bath-Time Toy of the |Called|
Makin' sure the ladies are squeaky clean ..everywhere!!
Netdecking is piloting Magic.
Homebrew is creating Magic.
Are you a pilot or a creator??
Wow dude, you seriously appear to have an awesome job......(at least it looks interesting to me, much more so than fry cook :-/).
Meh, Just wait six months. Well guess I can't say that anymore since I'm committed to Idaho for two years. Before this I changed jobs every six months or so...which included a fry cook. Yay for seasonal living. Lets see, Since spring 2005 I've worked... (this was all after I finished a B.S. in Biology):
Busser @ a Cassino Buffet
Substitute Teacher
Fry Cook @ Arby's
Tropical Myrmecologist
English Teacher
Ski rental delivery boy
Roving Outdoor Conservation School instructor @ Philmont Scout Ranch
Contracted out to the BLM in the Sonoran Desert.
GoDaddy phone guy
Biological Science Technician for Shorebirds and Sea turtles.
And now a student, talk about full circle.
GoDaddy was suspicious that I might not be committed for the long run. I said I was, Isn't the "long run" in the eye of the beholder anyway?
I might look like a wishy washy drifter who can't hold down a job, but I think them's braggin rights!
Oh, and a Speed Goat is just what silly folks, like my academic advisor, call a Pronghorn.
@TFO, good luck with your exams.
If I had a bazooka pointed at my face I'd be worried too.
Oh, I didn't mention anything about the femal graduate student that collected data with us. She was cool and fun and a person I would be happy to be a friend with. Not sure if I am attracted to her, but I do know that she is my "type" of girl. I was worried they didn't exist. She's worked seasonal jobs for the past 13 or so years, rotating fires then skiing, which means she's very athletic and traveled nation wide and back again. We were at the research station for a week and she only brought one change of clothes...doesn't mind a little dirt...yeah, I like that. And when she needed to go number one, well if the sagebrush wasn't high enough then the front or back of the car was enough cover. Guess I need to look for gals in them fire fighting camps.
In Winnemucca now...gonna head to Utah in a few days. Still trying to work out kinks in my Oregon trip, got vehicles double booked and I need to make sure I have my personal one.
Daggertooth
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***Official Rune Master and Rational Extremest of The Called***
************************From Sound to Sea**********************
And I guess that I'm a lucky one for the truth of what I know. For my heart had not denied me and I have somewhere to go. I shall never be a prisoner of steel and glass and stone. If I leave, I will return again to my Rocky Mountain home.
Daggs, how serious are you about that Mt. Rainier hike? + if my pals don't want to drive that far, how likely would you be available for a Mt. Hood excursion?
Daggs, how serious are you about that Mt. Rainier hike? + if my pals don't want to drive that far, how likely would you be available for a Mt. Hood excursion?
Unknown. I haven't bothered looking at a map to determine how long of a road trip it would be. Longer road trips may be prohibitive, Portland itself is a bit of a drive...I don't know Mt hood but I'm always up for a good hike. If we could meet up inbetween that might be better and could even increase our possibilities....course meeting in Portland has its advantages. I'm hoping to say hi to Blod while I'm there. Travis is in that general area too isn't he?
Cheers,
Daggertooth
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***Official Rune Master and Rational Extremest of The Called***
************************From Sound to Sea**********************
And I guess that I'm a lucky one for the truth of what I know. For my heart had not denied me and I have somewhere to go. I shall never be a prisoner of steel and glass and stone. If I leave, I will return again to my Rocky Mountain home.
I thought HKKlD was in California. . ? Not sure. Do you have him on facebook?
Where will you be coming from when you do your Portland leg? Mt. Hood is between Idaho/P-town, so likely we could meet up at a campsite somewhere, but I have no idea when my posse will be saddling up, you see. . .
Wait, Ace stepped in? QUICK, HIT 'IM WITH THE SOCK FULL OF QUARTERS
*giant ambush bug*
Dibs on the Dave McKean sig!
eds - 2010 rules changed are up . Some good, some bad, some just. . . wow. Welcome to the next era of Mt:G
Quote from guy at GG »
Now it's like, the creatures go into battle, and they all fight to the death without anyone else being able to interfere and the wizard masturbates a lot and the healers have to sign up before actual fighting begins with authorities for which fight they're going to supervise.
I do want to see Gran Turino, though.
Also AIM is totally dead right now. TFO must be drinking or something (surprise........)
...meh...
And I'll post the game logs for every match...I saw that ria.:D
eds - Reya found some boss artz, posse keepin' it real, yo
JJ isn't posting on subject. ..waz wong jaw-jaw?..
How was The Godfather? Your son fall asleep?
Tonight is Season 5 premier of Weeds!
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Homebrew is creating Magic.
Are you a pilot or a creator??
In other news, the Pirate Party scored a few seats in the Swedish Parliament, heh heh heh. Good on ya, kids.
Squirrell Bling= Gangstalicious.
Pirate Party= Let down from what I had hoped they would be.
The Deck you guys are playing= lolersauce.
Also FTR Jonny/DUX, if someone falls a sleep during the first time they watch Godfather, they should be beat.........publically. The movie is hella long and slow at parts, but it's still one of the top five movies of all time for a reason.
~~I've been drinking since I was 13...that means for that past 25 years I've been wasted at least once a week. I haven't bought alcohol for anyone under 21 since I was 23.
~~I did play fae on Friday like I said I was going to. It did very well and I liked putting the Prowler back in. It really worked out when I hit for 3 on turn 3. No one liked it and several discared to stop the madness. I hope to T8 at a PTQ before i turn 40!
~~I haven't s.Darko because I've never heard of it. I didn't know they made a sequel. Don't really care to see it either.
~~I've wanted to see Gran Torino since it came out, but with kids you just can't find the time to spend that much money on a movie you have plan out 7 days in advance to attend.
~~I don't care Sapph posts here. As long as he stays relevent to the topic and doesn't piss off Nick to much. I like seeing Nick around...I realize he's as busy outside of this place as I am, so i appreciate seeing him.
~~I still love the game, and have more passion for it than when I was playing casual with friend 8-12 years ago. I liked beating my friends, but I really get a rush out of doing well at tournaments. The current environment is really diverse, and I'm glad I've kept up with it. It is expensive....and the multi-color crap is getting old, but I think the new set will help that out. The next rotation will really shake things up. I don't think the new Core is a bad idea. I like the fact that they are going to combine the idea of a starter set with the existing core cards...I mean...that's basically what they are doing without the separation. They aren't making a Portal 4 or Starter 2010...instead they are cutting the Core set down to the BEST CORE CARDS...and introducing some new aspects that don't really fit into the flavor of a large expansion....but could still be cool to play with. it explains a card like Pithing Needle. That card had no business in Saviors...but it was in there to strictly seel packs of the product. That set SUCKED...but the Needle helped its booster sales.
~~Yeah art!!!
~~No, my son didn't fall asleep. Almost though, as it was getting late in the evening when it ended.
how's that dux?
Damn JJ, I didn't mean to be an jerk. I was half-playin ...I wub' jaw-jaw..
I didn’t really find the squirrel bling that funny. It may be that I just have no humor this morning, but I didn’t see the big deal. I was like, “Oh, okay, It’s a squirrel wearing a necklace?”
[Confession] B..B..but.. I’ve never actually seen any of them. [/Confession]
That’s right, I am coming out – Dux has never seen a Godfather movie. I just never thought they looked very good. I like Goodfella's and Casino. Scarface was okay I guess.
*Dux tenses-up in preparation for the beating that will ensue*
.
.
..
Homebrew is creating Magic.
Are you a pilot or a creator??
Seriously, the Godfather is a classic movie. You should go out and see at least the first one. Marlon Brando was fantastic (won the Oscar for it), as was Al Pacino. It is both a great story and a greatly put together film. I've also read the book, which was just as awesome. If you enjoy any mafia movies teh Godfather is a must see.
Now go watch it, and let me know if you fall asleep so I can beat you some more.
And kpimp is a good way to put my name.
* kpaca walks to Dux menacinly with beating stick ready.
@DUX...you wanted answers? You wanted the truth? Apparently, you couldn't handle the truth!!
* jonnyjonski Grabs broken ax handle that resides next to him in the front seat of his truck....thinks....puts it back slowly...glares.....
Hi Kpaca. Nice work stories.
About Saph, I wouldn't want anyone to post here who a clan member has a personal beef with. I know it may not be fair to any individual, especially if I don't know them, but I feel we can do without the drama. I didn't have any issues with Alex+ and I liked Bel, but several clan members have issues with those folks so I wouldn't want them to post here either.
Did Z seriously spam our thread with a notice of lurkering, bring a mod issue public here, and say he wanted back in the clan? Naw, I probably mixed stuff up while skimming 7 pages. He would definitely know better than to even think of doing that.
About the Mountain Lions...they went all Grizzly man on me...Working on Speed Goats now...
I suppose I should ramble on about what I've been up to for the past two weeks.
I needed to get to Boise by the 31st and I needed to get a Japanese Intern (Tomomi) up to American Fork. Both along the way so no worries. Of course I wanted to show her what southern Utah has to offer so I took a bit of a detour. A 700 mile detour. yeah...I might have overdone that a wee bit.
Zion is a classic first stop. Camped there with Tomomi and my brothers. You'd think on a Wednesday it would be all quiet on the western front, but noooo...traffic everywhere with all the campgrounds full. We hiked a bit of the narrows before finding a campsite, lucky someone canceled. One of these days I'm going to actually dress for a narrows hike and go the several miles through.
(My two brothers in the Narrows)
Next day Tomomi and I hiked Angel's Landing first thing in the morning. It is one of the more popular hikes in Zion so it was rather crowded. It's listed as a strenuous climb but there is a paved sidewalk most the way and the last bit has steps carved into rocks with a chain for assistance. The only difficult part for me was dodging all the people while I tried to scramble up. Tomomi had a bit of difficulty, but made it to the top. Was a good way to assess what kind of hiker she would be. Obviously not up to some of the funner hikes I was wanting. Anyway, angel's landing pics:
(Shortest Switchbacks I've ever seen. This style of paved trail went nearly the entire way up. I bet it was wheel chair accessible.)
(The last scramble to the top. Would have been a hell of a lot funner if those steps, chains, and people wern't there.)
At the top of that it did have a great view. Lightning storm made us go down sooner than I wanted to though. While up there a Gust of wind took off Tomomi's hat and set it on the edge of a semi steep ledge with a death fall beneath. Several folks said that it was a lost cause but the slickrock wasn't too steep, so I ran down, grabbed it, and ran back. Apparently that action scared all the people up there cause as I sprinted down they all shouted "slow down," "Stop," or just spout out and expletive. Like I said it was semi-steep, so no worries unless I tripped for some reason. They didn't see it like that and even Tomomi said I was a crazy hiker. Meh, she never saw the funner hikes.
From there we ran the gamut of Brice, Capital Reef, The drive through Glen Canyon recreation center, Natural Bridges Monument, Canyonlands, and Arches. Beautiful areas all. Here's the thing, I was on a schedule and Tomomi proved to be a less than aggressive hiker, so the trip turned into a 700 mile look but don't touch sort of thing. Hardly an adventure. Imagine taking you're kid to the greatest playground in the world...the best of the best, something that makes disneyland look blah. Drive up to the gates, buy the ticket, then turn around and go home without getting on a ride. Yeah, that's how I felt. My favorite places in the world and I didn't even get my heart pumping.
(Must hike)
(No hiking here either)
Some interesting trees though.
I got Tomomi to her destination in one piece. I probably drove her crazy with my broken Japanese anyway. I only know a handful of words and I don't know the grammar so I tend to over use those few words while butchering the language. For example, all animals were "cute", anything that wasn't 100% healthy was a "poor thing," any ledge was "scary," and anything hurt or broken was either "dead" or "a little dead." (Folding a hand of poker is also "Dead") Yeah, I'm creative.
I got to Boise and soon headed to the research station. Our job, to hunt for the Slickspot Peppergrass.
Awww....Kawaii Des Ne.
Here's the gist of this little plant. It's small, this one was one of the bigger ones. It grows in things called Slickspots, which are area's of poor soil where nothing else really grows, it is endemic to southern Idaho, and it is in the middle of a political firestorm. Conservation groups are currently using this plant as a way to try to remove cattle from public lands and ranchers are fighting back. Slickspot Peppergrass is a candidate for the endangered species list and is projected by the fish and wildlife agency to go extinct in 15 years or so if nothing is done. If the Conservation groups win it threatens the livelihood of the ranches and their several thousand heads of cattle. So this is surprisingly important.
Of course there's not much data on it so lots of thoughts and conclusions as to it's extinction date and susceptibility to cattle trample is conjecture imo. Our work was to do vegetation transects in slickspots and count the peppergrass to assess if trampling has any affect on their survivorship. Fun huh. Not really my personal project but I don't mind to help out.
The country was Sagebrush Steppe...those of you who know sagebrush and experience landscapes where sagebrush is the only dominant plant for as far as the eye can see might be surprised to know that Sagebrush steppe is one of the most endangered ecosystems in America. More Arid landscapes are getting taken out by Cheatgrass changing the fire frequency, creating monoculture of cheatgrass as far as the eye can see and completely destroying any use of the land for cattle or natural purposes. Northern regions are getting taken out by Juniper encroachment. So the sagebrush steppe is getting squeezed on both sides and in a few decades the idea of a landscape of only sagebrush may be a distant memory. Like a cheatgrass free west.
(As far as you can see Sagebrush. They still exist in some places)
Did I mention that it wasn't nearly as sunny as it should have been? Rained every single day, and the day the picture was taken it hailed forever. Yes, all that white is hail. Totally pummeled the vegetation out there, leaves everywhere on the ground. Trying to count the plants in the transects got hard cause half the green in there was just fallen leaves. The peppergrass got beat up too, made it real hard to find any after that. So cold and wet but that just makes being in the outdoors funner. Always feels more accomplishing when the elements try to stop you.
Areas where a fire went there were quite obvious. Fire goes through this system every 50-100 years, Wyoming Sagebrush becomes reproductive by 15 years so they tend to recover. Cheat grass changes that range to about every 10 years...which is why this sagebrush has a problem. Still, not all fires are not natural and the end result can be a pleasant grassland:
This was in Mountain Big Sagebrush country so most the vegetation is actually native. Down in Wyoming sagebrush every other plant was invasive and a fire could create a mono-culture of invasives with cheatgrass at the top...Ironically for the longest time reseadings were done with non-natives...but non-natives that the cattle could eat. Bottom right is a baby sagebrush coming out...aww, kawaii des ne.
Bug's wern't nearly as bad as I thought. Late spring I expected Gnats, mosquitoes, and a slew of large biting flies. Ticks wern't fun. I found one or two crawling on me every day. I figured I was in the clear till the last day, found seven crawling on me and three imbedded in me. Got a bit frustrating when I took a shower and upon coming out found a tick crawling on my fresh never been in the field clothes. No escaping those guys. At least if I die from Rocky mountain spotted fever or some other tick fever I can die with the satisfaction that the tick that gave it to me died before me. Bwah ha ha ha.
The research areas were in a variety of areas. Sagebrush stepp, reseaded, and an airforce bombing range. I found myself surrounded by all sorts of interesting things, but I was warned not to wander off the road and to never pick up any of the interestingly shaped shiney things. Oooh, shiney...
Suspicious buildings in the middle of nowhere.
Tanks
Anti-air
Rocket Launchers
And even Hostage Situations.
gotta give these Airforce folks props. There was a great amount of detail from windows, doors, and even train wheels painted on to air conditioning on buildings. Very interesting fake city.
The land was rather flat. Rolling hills of brush where you could see miles and miles away. Where that distant dot was either the car or a cow. Ranchers probably loved it cause you could see your cattle for miles around. Still, I was quite surprised at how fast that changed. Oh the land stayed relatively flat...but when you hit a canyon...well see for yourself:
Nearly completely flat on our end and once on the other side flat for as far as the eye can see. A bit of a doosey that next step though.
Next stop Winnemucca then Utah.
Cheers,
Daggertooth
For my heart had not denied me and I have somewhere to go.
I shall never be a prisoner of steel and glass and stone.
If I leave, I will return again to my Rocky Mountain home.
Moderator Helpdesk
And is it just me, or is that hostage being held hostage by a guy pointing a bazooka at his face
Pre Edit: What the hell is a speed goat?
Thanks for updates Daggs!! Next time...don't take 2 weeks to post. That was way too long!!!:(
Very serious situation
I dunno. New core every year, Needles in, Needles out. . . I want to see what the card quality is like, to justify potentially raising the cost of Standard again. Nevermind the battlefield junk
I've never seen the G-fatha, going to have to just sit down with it by my lonesome sometime; don't think Reya or O have much appreciation for that kind of cinema
Great to hear from you bro! WHOA!! ..Look at those pics!
The make-shift hostage was great! ..and yeah, please don't touch the shiney's.
Glad to hear from you man..
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Bla, Teefo ...lame excuses.
Yay! I am not alone.
I rode to work in the company limo today, which is cool and all, but 6am isn't the right time for 'stylin and profilin'. My groupies are still sleepin in at that time a' mornin.
Weeds premiere was okay last night. Nothing to freak about. Everyone remember Gran Torino comes out today in the states. Go, buy, watch, love ...until the credits roll = then plug your ears.
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Homebrew is creating Magic.
Are you a pilot or a creator??
So I hear from basically everyone I know on AIM that "Weeds" season premiere was last night. Unfortunately I can't watch it -_-.
Still running on basic cable.................oh yeah.
Edit: Nath'd.................but yeah.............weeds. Do you seriously have a company limo?
Meh, Just wait six months. Well guess I can't say that anymore since I'm committed to Idaho for two years. Before this I changed jobs every six months or so...which included a fry cook. Yay for seasonal living. Lets see, Since spring 2005 I've worked... (this was all after I finished a B.S. in Biology):
Busser @ a Cassino Buffet
Substitute Teacher
Fry Cook @ Arby's
Tropical Myrmecologist
English Teacher
Ski rental delivery boy
Roving Outdoor Conservation School instructor @ Philmont Scout Ranch
Contracted out to the BLM in the Sonoran Desert.
GoDaddy phone guy
Biological Science Technician for Shorebirds and Sea turtles.
And now a student, talk about full circle.
GoDaddy was suspicious that I might not be committed for the long run. I said I was, Isn't the "long run" in the eye of the beholder anyway?
I might look like a wishy washy drifter who can't hold down a job, but I think them's braggin rights!
Oh, and a Speed Goat is just what silly folks, like my academic advisor, call a Pronghorn.
@TFO, good luck with your exams.
If I had a bazooka pointed at my face I'd be worried too.
Oh, I didn't mention anything about the femal graduate student that collected data with us. She was cool and fun and a person I would be happy to be a friend with. Not sure if I am attracted to her, but I do know that she is my "type" of girl. I was worried they didn't exist. She's worked seasonal jobs for the past 13 or so years, rotating fires then skiing, which means she's very athletic and traveled nation wide and back again. We were at the research station for a week and she only brought one change of clothes...doesn't mind a little dirt...yeah, I like that. And when she needed to go number one, well if the sagebrush wasn't high enough then the front or back of the car was enough cover. Guess I need to look for gals in them fire fighting camps.
In Winnemucca now...gonna head to Utah in a few days. Still trying to work out kinks in my Oregon trip, got vehicles double booked and I need to make sure I have my personal one.
Daggertooth
For my heart had not denied me and I have somewhere to go.
I shall never be a prisoner of steel and glass and stone.
If I leave, I will return again to my Rocky Mountain home.
Moderator Helpdesk
*waves to Ace*
*waves*
Gee, I forgot that becoming 'uninvisible' means I can be seen
Unknown. I haven't bothered looking at a map to determine how long of a road trip it would be. Longer road trips may be prohibitive, Portland itself is a bit of a drive...I don't know Mt hood but I'm always up for a good hike. If we could meet up inbetween that might be better and could even increase our possibilities....course meeting in Portland has its advantages. I'm hoping to say hi to Blod while I'm there. Travis is in that general area too isn't he?
Cheers,
Daggertooth
For my heart had not denied me and I have somewhere to go.
I shall never be a prisoner of steel and glass and stone.
If I leave, I will return again to my Rocky Mountain home.
Moderator Helpdesk
Where will you be coming from when you do your Portland leg? Mt. Hood is between Idaho/P-town, so likely we could meet up at a campsite somewhere, but I have no idea when my posse will be saddling up, you see. . .
Wait, Ace stepped in? QUICK, HIT 'IM WITH THE SOCK FULL OF QUARTERS
*giant ambush bug*
Dibs on the Dave McKean sig!
eds - 2010 rules changed are up . Some good, some bad, some just. . . wow. Welcome to the next era of Mt:G
L O L
I said I wont be as active, doesn't mean no activity at all
Lol, how do you forget something like that?
@ Rule changes: Utterly stupid IMO, way to ruin Mogg Fanatic + a bunch of other cards, seriously, wizards is just being stupid now.
I will miss sending my Ravenous Baloth into suicidal combat + then eating the remains ;_;