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Oct 6, 2012
Since quitting Standard and putting my competitive ambitions on hiatus, I've been looking for an outlet for my Magic jones, so I decided to build a cube. Being a cube noob (having played a powered cube once and loving it since then), I felt slightly intimidated by the concept of selecting 12k cards down to 360/720/whatever, so I chose a "limited"
environment to select cards from. What better environment than the recent "first revisit" to a new Magical realm? Two sets with some thematic congruence and a truckload of potential for brokenness? SIGN ME UP.
I already love and care for my 1600+ (and growing) Type 4 infinite rainbow community stack, so I figured this might be fun to do and fun to play with.
Special thanks go to a few users and personal friends who assisted with its construction: mikey k159, DraconicPhantom, and cheersforsneers. Also thanks in perpetuity to all my friends who will be testing the fun with me.
Right now, it's "officially" at 483 cards. It started at 486, but after the first test last night, we pulled three cards:
Prototype Portal,
Soul Foundry, and
Aether Vial; the first two are just broken, and the third is underpowered. I think I want to get it to either 420 or 450 in its final, I'm done screwing with you state.
Any suggestions of a constructive nature will be welcomed.
Anyway, without further ado, here's the pile.
In the works for future themecubes: Lorwyn/Shadowmoor (and maybe Onslaught), Ravnica/Return to Ravnica, and Invasion/Shards of Alara.
Posted in: The MirroCube is now finished and in testing!!!
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Sep 19, 2012
So...
I was kind of a Spike, I think, but recent events have proven to me that I am absolutely NOT a Spike, at least not anymore.
I have little desire to construct decks around combos anymore, so Johnny is out. And I'm not a Timmy, at all.
I'm not a Vorthos, but I'm not a Melvin either.
I like the game. I like to play with my friends and have a good time. When something detracts from the good time I have, I change it, or change myself. (Example: I had a ton of fun with EDH, until people started building decks that win on turn 5. After getting the impression from people that turn 5 was perfectly legit, "deal or bail," I chose bail... EDH wasn't about the fastest victory to me.)
Am I just a ****ing oddball? Or is there some other Magic profile I fall under, of which I am unaware?
Posted in: Magic psychological profiles, and me.
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Sep 2, 2012
So, my mom called me today to let me know both that my grandfather's wife passed away last night and that she is staying in Florida "indefinitely" and that the next time she comes back north, she's coming to get her stuff and she's out. She credits my philosophy of acting in the best interests of my happiness as helping her decide to do this. Well, then...
Anyway, my rant (sort of repeated from a post in my clan thread):
So, I picked up FTV: Realms Friday. I'm not going to rant about the card selection; did that already. Please keep in mind that I do actually understand the significance-in-the-grand-scheme of what I'm about to say...
But who the **** chooses the color schemes for the dice for these FTV boxes? I mean, really... Of all the color combos they could have chosen, the dark gold on dark red they chose for the Realms die is absolutely unreadable. It's as unreadable as the Exiled die, which was white on bright yellow. Of the remaining three, I've lost my Dragons die, so I can't say; while the Legends die was quite clear, the Relics one is not as easy to read.
Considering every other die they release is quite easy to read, putting crappy dice in a marquee product is just silly. Is everyone in that decision-making process colorblind? Or did they just drop the ball there? Seriously, WTF.
Posted in: Wrapping up last post, and a mini rant...
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Aug 22, 2012
I guess I'm posting this to get it off my chest, especially since this is "privileged"
information...
My 39th birthday is tomorrow. This morning, I received my annual birthday card from Mom, which she sent before leaving for Florida to see my grandfather and his new wife (whose health took a seriously bad turn last week). It contained an additional message, which I was supposed to keep secret... But there ain't a soul here who's gonna see it who it matters to, so... This was the message:
"I just may stay down there! I've had it with [her husband]."
Thanks, Mom, for putting the "happy" in "Happy 39th Birthday, son."
*sigh*
Posted in: Happy Birthday, and, by the way...
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Aug 12, 2010
needed to post this somewhere before i crash...
i keep seeing these BP ads all over the internet (every video on youtube seems like it has one) that say "we will clean this up. we will make this right."
two things entered my mind:
1. how about not spending money to tell us you're doing something and spend the money doing it. and while you're at it, figure out how to clean up the damned corexit 9500, and do that, too, before that becomes a more insidious problem than the oil.
2. this seems eerily of living in one of those sci-fi/futuristic corporate dominated environments when we're being told, through our computers (it used to be through mind control), corporate propaganda.
no matter how you slice it, it is disgusting. just shut the hell up and do it. we can see it with our own eyes, and the eyes and cameras of others. we'll tell you, BP, when we're satisfied with the job you've done.
Posted in: BP and their black heart
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Dec 10, 2009
people are such ****ing morons. seriously.
i've been having a dispute with a guy i've been friends with for 21 years because i recommended to him that he NOT date a mutual friend of ours. (while the girl is nice as a friend, she's, well, not the kind of girl i'd ever date.)
after some FB mail exchanges, i changed my status last night to something discussing "bros before hoes" - just because that's what i was thinking as i was messaging the guy in this situation.
apparently, two other friends of mine (both of whom i've known for 16 years) have recently hooked up. they were going to come by my house to hang out last night, but bailed on the plan because the girl "wasn't feeling well."
so, naturally, they both thought i was ****ing talking about them, like i was THAT pissed that they didn't come by. to pour salt in the wound, the girl told me that, if i had a "hoe," i'd be "all up in that." (she should know better, first of all... plus, i had ended a very long-term relationship earlier this year, and am still affected by that - never mind that i had to attend a family dinner last weekend where my sister and her new baby, my cousin and her new baby, and my other cousin with his baby twins were around.)
so, yeah, **** facebook now. i've just about ****ing had it.
Posted in: FML, or, quitting facebook
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Nov 13, 2009
clearinghouse for some ideas i needed to write down after last night.
the political left needed obama to become president to make clear the corruption in the party they attached themselves to. clinton was equally bad, but this went largely unnoticed during his admin as the economy was never an issue until the very end. in hindsight, most people on the left lump every president from reagan forward as "bad corporatists."
some on the left are suggesting an "alliance" of sorts with the teabagger crowd, as they are also presumably against the corrupt democrats. the problems with this are 1) they aren't against the corrupt republicans, 2) they largely insist on far-right ideology to rule the day, and 3) their leadership in politics right now are a bunch of wide-eyed right-wing moonbats (palin, bachmann, armey) who are, ideologically, the antithesis of the progressive/liberal/"far-left" movement. i do believe there are some who loosely attach themselves to that movement that would be supportive of an alliance to kick the corporatists to the curb, but the leadership wouldn't allow it. it IS a group that condemns GOP members for even working in a bipartisan manner (cf. sen. lindsey graham's (R-SC) censure by the charleston GOP for being bipartisan).
if anything, that movement should take the playbook from the teabaggers - having a handful of political and media figures run the agenda out there, motivating the people who support that ideology to come out for protests and such. i'd love to see guys like sen. sanders (I-VT), rep. kucinich (D-OH), and rep. grayson (D-FL) get together with maddow, schultz, hartmann, etc., to organize their own rallies to get the word out.
Posted in: sort of a point in progress...
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Oct 31, 2009
exactly what the title says. i've had to deal with too many people - adults, many 30+ - who seem to have no concept of what true accountability is, and who seem to think there are no consequences when they act poorly.
even worse, it seems there are plenty of people in this world who will neither hold a man accountable, nor mete out appropriate consequences for his actions.
my strong sense of ethics prevents me from allowing injustices to go unanswered. when i have the ability to hold people accountable, i take full advantage of that ability. in this world, i guess that just makes me an *******.
i have never been prouder to be an ******* in my entire life!
Posted in: no accountability, no consequences...
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Oct 26, 2009
just when you thought it was over...
well, this time, it IS.
last night, an email came across from my ex-best friend. it was entitled "fyi," and i know that i wasn't the only recipient, as she headed the letter with the name of a very close friend of both of ours who has been trying to mediate our dispute. i'd star his name out, but it's four letters long, so i will instead mark it with #'s. most of the four-letter starred words are a derogatory word for the female sexual organs. i want to clarify this because much of the content revolves around that same comment from my last blog post.
first... her email.
####-- I understand and appreciate you trying to be peacemaker-- but I have no intentions in associating with someone ([me]) that doesn't tell a virtual stranger (Douchebag ----) to **** off when he calls me an "evil **** that wants children to die" because I'm not a socialist.
Or when he says ""an intriguing paradox - she can't stand the heat, so she got out of the kitchen, but she's just a housewife now, so where does she go?"
Being a parent is a difficult full time job-- and one of the most important in the world. You should know. Besides that fact that I'm a certified bartender, licensed English and Phys. Ed teacher in two states, and about to be personal trainer.
So if I take a few years off to be a parent that makes me "just a housewife?"
I've been working since I'm 18 and put myself through college. I didn't have daddy bailouts. And after all of that torture-- I didn't have to run around because I made 60k+ a yr without overtime.
And [me] has to scheme because he isn't even fully qualified to teach-- someone that loves bureaucracy and wants more government that can't play by the rules in a timely manner. If it wasn't for capitalist private schools he wouldn't have a ****ing job.
[me] brings no heat-- just a lot of hot air and liberal nonsense. Which is funny since he's had everything handed to him in life.
When you earn through your own hard work you don't want it taken away and doled out to other people. When you're used to people giving you everything you become a taker and don't appreciate where it's coming from or how it has to be gotten to give.
sounds like the typical rant, blah blah, whatever. i sent her back a final email to address some of the points she raised, while largely ignoring her very personal attacks on me.
now, my response:
there was a lot i was going to say, but you no longer deserve that much of my time. a few points, though:
- i never saw ---- call you an "evil ****" - i don't read every single exchange he has on FB. in any case, after you had said to me a month ago, "When you grow a pair and a brain to match...... see ya then," i figured i was absolved of having to stand up for you in any meaningful fashion. also, my comment about housewives was in no way intended to degrade the position; it was intended to point out that you (apparently) have way too much free time on your hands.
- i'm glad you addressed your comments about me to ####, but felt the need to send it to me anyway. it just gives me cause now to just flat-out block your e-mail address (which will be done after this e-mail is sent) - any other addresses you send me mail from will also be blocked, and the unread e-mails will be deleted. i really don't give a **** what you think of me, although i must say that after 15+ years... yeah, it's a bit of a stunner. but thank you for letting me know how you really feel.
- you constantly talk about being "classy," but, through it all, you've shown me that you have NO CLASS. and this is your final demonstration, to me, of your lack of class. i could have taken a similar tack in my response as you took in this e-mail, but i decided not to, because i don't believe in stooping to such levels.
- i hope you forwarded your e-mail to everyone who you know who thinks highly of me. and, if you haven't, please, go ahead and do so. i just might, if you don't.
- one last piece of advice, a parting shot, if you will: if this is how you will behave when you discuss opinions, perhaps, in the future, you'll be wise enough to keep your mouth shut unless you can play nice with people who disagree with you. i'm just saying that, if you spoke to your best friend like he was an ignorant child (hey, like my biological sister does! nice touch! and i remember how you used to call HER a ****!), i can just imagine how you'd speak to people who disagree with you that you don't know as well.
no matter what may happen between us in the future, i will NEVER forget how you've treated me these last few months. you have crossed a line with me that you'll have a hard time crossing back over in the future. you should be ashamed of yourself for your actions, but you won't be, so, whatever.
i hope you and your family have a nice, long, healthy, and successful life.
(PS - i'm NOT BCC'ing #### on this. this was between YOU and ME. while i appreciate ####'s attempts to make peace between us, it has been clear to me for the last month and a half that you are not interested in it... and i knew that from back then that this - well, actually, [her husband]'s de-friending of me - would lead to the inevitable end of our friendship.)
and so, the saga ends.
Posted in: ... and NOW it's complete.
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Oct 24, 2009
well, now she went and did it.
earlier this week, my friend from the last "end of friends" blog post got into a heated political argument with a mutual friend of ours on facebook. after much ado over glenn beck's veracity, she dropped him as a friend. no one spilled a tear.
this morning, i awake to see this post from her on my wall, attached to a video clip of some congressman talking about health care reform (probably a republican, i didn't care to look after i read the message).
**** you and your new sister/ comrade ******** [his name]. (
using the censored word, for the top of "that special part of a man's body," here was a mean-spirited play on his nickname, which he uses on FB)
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.” --Winston Churchill
“If you can't answer a man's arguments, all is not lost; you can still call him vile names.”
You chose to agree with a lowlife, whom I never met (
bullpucky! - goc), that pathetically rants that because I don't want socialized medicine in America I'm crazy, I hate women and children (myself and my son?). Classy. And you've been my friend for over a decade.
Glenn Beck mmm mmm mmm. And you know he's so not the only person on the planet that thinks Obama is attempting to destroy our nation. So suck it. And do it for the children!!!
to which i replied...
you've gone and lost your mind, woman. you can be my friend again when you find it. i'm sorry, but i guess this is just how it's going to have to be. my FRIENDS on the right don't start talking to me by saying, "**** you." they are FAR more classy than that!
you can agree with beck all you want; it's your right. last time i checked, though, i have a right to disagree with him.
apparently, you can't see past my disagreements with your political "mentor" to continue to be my friend. that's just too bad. for you...
buh-BYE.
(added on after...)
and yes, this means that you will be removed shortly. i guess you WILL see it coming. (this statement was a reference to another comment i had made prior.) but YOU want it this way, apparently.
and feel free to be proactive and remove me once you've read this. i really don't give a **** anymore.
our mutual friends have, of course, come to try to get us to be friendly again. however, i've kinda had it at this point. "**** you"??? "suck it"???
REAL classy, lady.
boy, am i glad to be done with this piece of work.
also... i discovered today that another old friend of mine had taken me off her facebook page, and i suspect it had to do with the back-and-forth angry words between me and my former best friend - not that they knew each other or anything!
amazing!!!
**** false friends.
Posted in: the end of friends, completed.
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Oct 19, 2009
yes, i'm posting up EDH decklists in my blog now... it's a good thing.
i generally start with decklists from MTGS' EDH section, play through, change some cards, get some advice, and tweak. the list i started with has undergone many changes, itself, so linking to it may not be as meaningful now.
feel free to comment on the deck, of course.
Posted in: EDH goodness, part 1
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Oct 17, 2009
(title obv inspired by "thieves" by ministry.)
i am a very tolerant person (even though some of you who know me through the debate forums may disagree) when it comes to dealing with people. i am often forgiving and optimistic to a fault when it comes to interpersonal relationships. however, there are a few lines that one cannot cross without having one's return trip denied.
stealing from your friends is one of those lines.
one such person was discovered recently in our FNM group. he traded someone within our group (and clan) for that man's mox jet, then pilfered one of the cards he traded out, thinking none would be the wiser.
much was made of this betrayal, especially as a number of cards and decks had "disappeared" in the recent past. this individual's personality doesn't do much to endear him to his fellow players, either.
in a show of unity, the store owner decided to consult with the players as to whether or not to ban the guy. somewhere along the line, the banning was construed to be a decision made by the store owner, the victim, and myself, even though we were not the only ones who thought he should be banned.
this happened about a month or so ago. last night, when i arrived for FNM, there he is, sitting at a table hanging out like it's nobody's business, and loaning cards to people. i was informed that he was there because of one of the men in my car needed to exchange cards with him (the guy in my car says his intent was to meet him outside).
now, the owner was there, so i can assume everyone feels HE is OK with this douche being in the store. the victim now also has made it known that HE is OK with it as well. never mind that others are still happy he's not around - now it's only ME that looks like the bad guy.
my plan is basically to tell the store owner you can have him, or me, around, but not both. and i am fully prepared to be (essentially) told i'm not welcome.
Posted in: thieves!!! thieves and liars!!! (or, when a ban isn't really one.)
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Oct 5, 2009
in the neverending inanity that occurs when cable service providers also own cable networks...
apparently, directv no longer carries the versus channel, due to a dispute over fees with comcast, versus' operator. stunned me when i wanted to watch the devils-rangers game after a job got cancelled on me, and i found myself home instead of out.
Posted in: comcast can lick a sausage...
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Sep 20, 2009
i posted some of this exchange on my last (non-rules) post's comments, but i want it all consolidated in one place for preservation.
friday around noon, i see my best friend posted on my wall... but before i see the wall post, i read this:
Quote from her FB status message »
Nothing is passive about my aggression- I don't allude to and whine about strife that I incite- and then act arrogantly indifferent, and yet somehow victimized. I wouldn't rather have cheerleaders than friends, or
be liberal at all cost than intelligent. "The mediocre teacher tells. The great teacher inspires." "For the record"
(my name) the ONLY thing you can surely teach is math. Lion den indeed, and I'm the Leo.
the "lion den" reference is from part of my quote on my profile about being careful when you step into the lion's den. bolding for emphasis is mine. i was rather upset that she used my name in her status.
FTR: i'm on the leo/virgo cusp (usually on the virgo side), she's barely a leo on the other side. also, she's a former english teacher. that part to keep in mind with her writing. at least i can perform my subject 100%.
Quote from her wall post »
You ain't heavy you're my brother, I still believe that you are. I will never forget how you stood up for me to my rotten mother. But the way you have handled this is unforgettable too.
when her mother decided to not attend her wedding reception (over an argument about input into the wedding and reception - they were married in vegas as an actual plan, then had the reception here three weeks later), i wrote an email to her mother, chastising her for not attending the reception and causing some family friends to also decide, last-minute, to not attend. one of those friends (!) emailed me a barely intelligible but angry retort, which i replied to (quite harshly) and BCC'ed to all relevant parties to inform them that i was not getting involved any further.
i only replied to the wall post with one of my own on her wall. one of my friends (ironically, the guy who wigged out about muslims weeks ago) attempted to defend me on her status, but she deleted all of his posts. someone else must have defended me, because she comments:
Quote from nice chick, eh? »
Deleted.
Again...deflect when you have nothing of substance to say. And somehow the deterioration of a personal friendship due to the aforementioned bull[crap] of said friend is still about Glenn Beck. [Moron]s. Get off his dick.
i hope that's not considered censor evasion. do find it funny that the french word for
delay is censored, but dick isn't...
anyway, my wall post:
Quote from my wall post »
all i can say is it took two to tango here. didn't much appreciate being called an ignorant fool for daring to disagreeing with glenn beck. i liked, too, how i was the inciter, and how suddenly i'm not qualified to discuss politics, even though i've been following since before i know you. and i am ALWAYS unforgettable...
this was around 2:45pm friday. after an hour and a half, i changed my status thusly:
Quote from god of cyanide... »
... says it's the weekend; it's time to forget about the craptasticness of this week's events and get this party started!!! straight up, get in his way and get peaced out...
of course, she has to make her point, so, half an hour later...
Quote from her comment to my wall post »
Again... deflect. This isn't about Glenn Beck. This is about you being an *******. Unless he made you do like a serial killer hearing messages from his dog or something.
I went on your page yesterday to write you about what happened with you and [my husband] and saw all of your latest postings. Your spite and immaturity and yes-- continued attempts to incite--[my husband] can't see it anymore, but I can.
How should I react?...
I can talk to anyone about anything-- it wasn't a competition for me but a conversation-- you took it to a level of being personal and started acting like a dick because you have no facts and refuse to see facts as they become apparent in the world.
I don't care how long you have followed politics. When you used to rant about Bush I listened and found it interesting. Where is the fervor now? Blatant **** is going on in the world and you refuse to see it, even [a friend of ours who is a libertarian] pointed that out yesterday.
"Facts are stubborn things."
and, the exchange begins:
Quote from my turn »
*yawn* i recall how this all started, i'm leaving it at this because i have places to go, and because i'm done with this fighting with my friends
**** that i've been going through, not just with you, but with others of similar mind.
i posted a link that gave information that contradicted beck on [your husband]'s page. you reply with what amounted to "wake up and watch more glenn beck."
how should i have reacted to you? to [your husband]?...
i'm deflecting nothing, (her name). i'm tired of endless fighting over this with people who are supposed to be my friends, and i am certainly not going to stop posting my stories and videos and such because of it. you think i'm not paying attention, i think you're not paying attention.
who's right?
if it matters that much to you... well, i'd say you do the math, but...
peace, i'm out.
Quote from she"s gotta go on »
*yawn* No.... immaturity isn't fun.... I tried it.
Yeah "wake up." Are you that fragile that those words broke you?
WAKE UP! And read "Liberty and Tyranny" not written by Glenn Beck. I'm sure Levin doesn't know anything either. But you do. Caution: it's not for people interested in being followers. ...
When you grow a pair and a brain to match...... see ya then.
so, if you really know me, you'd expect this to be my reaction (FTR: i posted this nearly 24 hours later):
Quote from see ya later »
meh. don't wait up.
honestly, i think i'd have dealt with her more squarely had she not used my name in her status message.
one thing this has taught me is the power of facebook: people i know who have facebook are all like, "damn, what the hell was that just all about? it's sad that the two of you will stop being friends over politics."
yes, it is sad. it's ironic, her comment about the cheerleaders, as some people i consider good people and good friends are fairly staunch conservatives, who know when to agree to disagree, and never get personal or attack me.
yet, my best friend. wait... former best friend. it hurts... yet, it's oddly liberating at the same time.
Posted in: the end of friends...
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Sep 18, 2009
i think i'm going to make this a regular theme. so many things bother me, and why not expose them to the light here?
these will be in no order whatsoever besides the order in which they spew forth from my mind.
1. the fact that i have a cell phone does not obligate me to pick it up. the fact that i can be text/instant messaged at all times does not obligate me to reply.
2. showing up at my house, without speaking to me first, in no way obligates me to invite you inside. a man's home is his castle, and his privacy should be respected.
3. if being right is more important to you than being my friend, then you're not my friend.
4. i refuse to always be the one to say, "we'll have to agree to disagree."
5. the two least developed debating skills are listening to your opposition and knowing when to stop arguing.
6. self-righteousness will ultimately destroy society if we do not keep it in check.
7. if you build it, someone will exist whose main goal is to destroy it.
8. fear and hatred trumping rationality and understanding is a danger to a free society. unfortunately, fear and hatred are effortless, while rationality and understanding require work and compassion.
9. we all have more in common with each other than we differ, but we allow our differences (instead of our more plentiful similarities) to define others and how we relate to them. this is a cowardly, divisive practice that needs to change.
10. i will trust no one who tells me that he is the only person i can trust, and that anyone who disagrees with him is fraudulent on his face.
11. if you visit suffering on my house, don't expect to be let back in for a second helping.
12. do unto others as you'd have them do unto you. not my law, but a good one. the converse is also true: what others do to you, give back to them in kind. turning the other cheek is nice in principle but poor in practice.
13. if you want to compromise, you have to move from your position. otherwise, it's an ultimatum.
OK for now.
Posted in: laws of cyanide... part one.