Random crap with Uno.

[Geo]

You're more or less a freelancer, yes?

[Unorthodox]

I'm more or less out of a job. 

[Geo]

Oh, that sucks. With nothing else coming over the horizon?

[Unorthodox]

Nothing definite, no.  There's tons of shifting on the main contracts right now, and the whole budget idiocy in Washington isn't helping.  Big prime contract is switching companies, hundreds of subcontracts needing to be renegotiated as a result, it's a minefield of companies coming and going and the money's not flowing out of washington with this budget idiocy.  So, yeah, there's going to be things out there, but there's not right at this moment. 

I'm hoping to get onto something that's not a 6 month contract for a change.  Haven't had more than 12 month job security for the last 8 years, and I'm tired of it. 

[Unorthodox]

HEAVY wet snow, and lots of it.  OH YEAH, come on! 

getting colder as the day goes, though, so could make for an interesting drive home. 

[Geo]

HEAVY wet snow, and lots of it.  OH YEAH, come on! 

getting colder as the day goes, though, so could make for an interesting drive home.

How far's the drive?
Over here, we're flirting with 10 degrees Celcius.

[Rusty Edge]

HEAVY wet snow, and lots of it.  OH YEAH, come on! 

getting colder as the day goes, though, so could make for an interesting drive home.

How far's the drive?
Over here, we're flirting with 10 degrees Celcius.

That always comes as a shock to me.
The reason is that where I grew up, the only people who had been to Belgium were there for "The Battle of the Bulge" , and they complain about the weather. I know it was unusual weather, but that's how I picture Belgium before Christmas.

[Geo]

Keep in mind, the battle of the Bulge was in the higher parts of the Ardennes, rough hill country back then, and the climate was just a tad cooler in the fourties last century.
On average it's 5 degrees cooler in Wallony then in Flanders.
But there ain't snow there either sofar.
OTOH, a couple winters back, we had snow already in November, with two-three times the usual time it stayed frozen on the ground.

[Unorthodox]

It's around 15 miles (24 kilometers), but the problem is the mouth of the canyon I have to pass through.  It's cold, windy, and steep hills on both sides of it.  Getting back up the other side is sometimes questionable, especially in traffic.  Early morning on the way to work, I rarely have problems, afternoon in traffic, thus unable to take full advantage of momentum to carry you over icy patches on the hill, can be interesting. 

If I go around, it's at least double the drive, and has other challenges, including a terrible in the snow overpass/corner that piles up accidents like nothing else around.  But, I've done that drive plenty of times too.   

[Unorthodox]

Only 90% of normal snowpack after the last round of storms.    We need more frequent storms...

[Buster's Uncle]

Droll Hunting
by Noah Berlatsky  January 4, 2014 7:59 am






Imagine if crossed the Blair Witch Project with This Is Spinal Tap. Now set it in Norway with trolls — and you’ve got Trollhunter.

You may be asking yourself, do we need another Blair Witch knock-off? Do we need another Spinal Tap knockoff? Even together? Even in Norway? And the answer to all of your questions would be no. No, not really. Like the trolls it purports to document, the film’s existence is both superfluous and kind of ridiculous.

That’s not to say that the film is bad, exactly. Just that there’s something oddly mysterious in its unmotivated lumbering.

It’s possible something crucial has been lost in the translation from the Norwegian. Or, alternately, Trollhunter may suffer from excess of appetite. The eponymous government troll hunter Hans (Otto Jesperson), in one of his many quirky troll anecdotes, discusses a troll he saw who was so dumb it tried to eat its own tail. The movie itself seems to miss the mark in a similar way. It tries to be comedy; tries to be horror; staggers back and forth a little and then, getting into the swing of it, settles for just roaring a lot and knocking things over.

(Spoilers follow, if you care about that sort of thing.)

The dilemma is perhaps best summed up during what’s probably supposed to be an emotional highpoint; the death of one of the teenaged main characters three-quarters of the way through the film. The protagonists and Hans are trapped in a cave with marauding trolls. The doomed kid (the cameraman), in a panic, frantically rubs disgusting troll stink all over himself, hoping to hide his scent. Unfortunately, though, he is, as it turns out, a Christian, which means that the trolls can smell him. Shortly thereafter, he’s eaten, leaving his companions to wail at the uncaring heavens, “Why didn’t he just say he was a Christian!”

So that’s the joke, and it’s moderately funny in a ha-ha-we’re-all-atheists-here kind of way. It could almost be a really low-key Monty Python sketch — except that up to this moment, the dead character has been treated as an actual person, rather than a goofy gag line. Not that there’s a ton of character development or anything, but for purposes of the previous horror-movie-running-away-and-screaming, there’s been at least some effort to pretend that what happens to this guy matters. And then, all of a sudden, he’s just thrown away. And then you see everyone else grieve for a minute or so…and then they stop, and get a replacement cameraperson (who’s a Muslim, so trolls probably can’t smell her — only Christians, not Muslims. Get it?) The whole thing just ends up being not just crass, but unbelievable. This kid just died; there’s no investigation? No explanation to the police? The other teenagers don’t stop and say, you know, our friend just died; screw the trolls, I’m headed home?

Instead, on they go, trundling from set piece to dry-humored set piece. Hans dresses in armor to fight a troll; Hans explains that the trolls’ extra heads are just growths designed to impress other males and attract females; Hans talks about the trauma of killing troll infants; a veterinarian explains the improbable biology of trolls turning to stone when sunrise hits them. It’s amusing enough, and the trolls themselves, as special effects, are goofily effective. Over the entire film, though, the archness becomes tedious. The Last Exorcism, with its hand-held camera horror, was not a great movie, but it cared about its main character, about its genre, and about the story it had to tell. This Is Spinal Tap was a goof, but it clearly had great affection for the hapless band it parodied. Trollhunter, in comparison, has no real characters, no real story, no real point —just extended snickering and occasional enjoyable special effects.

In a way, it almost makes you hope for the inevitable English-language remake. If somebody cares about the thing enough to purchase the rights, maybe they’ll care enough to give the film some kind of direction. Laughing at the trolls is all right in limited doses, but if this is going to work, someone out there needs to love them a little as well.
- See more at: http://www.hoodedutilitarian.com/2014/01/droll-hunting/#sthash.frDviEWK.dpuf

[Geo]

Only 90% of normal snowpack after the last round of storms.    We need more frequent storms...

In 30 years today's 90% might be the norm?

[Unorthodox]

It’s possible something crucial has been lost in the translation from the Norwegian.

Yep, it's clear that guy had not the foggiest about the mythos the movie is based on.  It's not bagging on Christians, ya freakin moron.  That's not a joke, it's part of the what makes a TROLL.  They crave good christian blood (and fear churchbells).  At least know what the hell you're talking about before you go talking about it. 

The christian in question was questioned at least 3 times and chose to lie, even after learning that trolls were real.  This wasn't some joke, this was just his actions placing the entire party in danger, and him getting what he deserved in the finest of horror tradition. 

It's hardly just walking away from it as well, but rather going on trying to get final evidence that the government is hiding the truth about trolls existing so they don't sound like crazy people trying to talk to the police.  Hell, did this guy pay any attention? 

As far as the found footage films go, Trollhunter is one of the better ones.  Goofy at times, sure, and it is very steeped in myths that may not be the best known, but just roll with it and enjoy.

[Unorthodox]

Only 90% of normal snowpack after the last round of storms.    We need more frequent storms...

In 30 years today's 90% might be the norm?

Yeah, not looking good now, haven't had a storm since then...

[Unorthodox]

Day 1. 

Homemade Chicken Tikka Masala.   Darn near perfect.  Made with my own home grown and canned tomato sauce.   

Craft room about 60%.