Random crap with Uno.

[Unorthodox]

Thou shalt not double park?

[Buster's Uncle]

It's still a school and still needs to keep the parking clear for the people who paid for it.  He's like me -doesn't want to be teh Man- and struggled with that, but decided it was fair.

[Bertilak]

Preacher college - theology, Hebrew, Greek, ect.  Preachers who want to be all edumacated in preacher stuff got there.

Reverend Dr. Buster's Daddy has been working as a supervisor in campus security, but the place is moving, and Buster is 12, time to not be going to school in California.

A major reason the public schools from K-12 in California lack the quality from previous eras involves the presence of Proposition 13 (1978). This proposition sets the tax rate on a property at the last time it was assessed. The assessment occurs after the property changes ownership or an extension of the original structure occurs. These rules also apply towards corporations that own property in the state because the corporations are considered "people." This means that the assessed value of a property bought in 1978 could equal $58,000 at 1% of its value while a property bought in 2016 might have an assessed value of $500,000. The property tax might vary depending upon the county or city, but the effects of this include the severance of a major revenue source for the state after that year because the proposition severely limits the rate at which the government can increase the taxes on the assessed value of a property (I think it is somewhere around 2% per year). Proposition 13 also makes it difficult to pass new taxes in the state because it requires 2/3 approval from the Legislatures. This ultimately makes it difficult to fund many programs, which includes public education, in this state.

[Unorthodox]

So, Talia got a Gameboy for Christmas, and has been playing animal crossing pretty much since then. 

However, she discovered Pokémon this last weekend. 

Now, having 2 older brothers, that was bound to happen, but they gave her "Black", and she's been hooked. 

I started up a "White" playthrough on a Nuzlocke challenge to go along with her.  (Though I modified the challenge rules, technically, capturing anything unique to white just to trade to her, I'm in the spirit of the rules.  My boys have ragequit a couple times attempting the challenge)

Here's the thing.  While I've attempted this at points with the boys over the years, whoever lent me the game to try would want it back in a few days to battle their brother, and so aside from an occasional start, I haven't played a Pokémon game since the original "Blue" on my fat brick Gameboy. 

Random crap:

Some things have changed.  Type weaknesses and how dual typing works most prominently (and EVERYTHING seems to be dual type now).  Throws me off occasionally. 
Graphics, other than color, don't seem to have changed much over the years. 
Pokémon design seems to be scraping the bottom of the barrel.  Some of these are just plain fugly. 
Talia gets a lot more attached to her Pokémon based on 'bond' (but I've had it forever, I don't want to put it in the box) and looks than necessarily effectiveness. 
Come to think of it, Alec may be looks biased too, just in a different way. 

Nuzlocke rules for the uninitiated:

1. Only catch the first pokemon you encounter in each area.
2. If it faints, it dies, release it. 

Makes you a lot more careful and use a lot more potions than normal.  Had a real crappy grind session before I was comfortable tackling the 2nd gym, but otherwise just randomized my team so far.

[Unorthodox]

I don't say this often enough, but the boss is the most wonderful woman in the world, and I'm the luckiest man.  I fall deeper in love with her every day.

[Unorthodox]

I think we're getting really close on the house plans, finally. 

My sleepless night earlier looks like it was rather inspired.  There's a few details that need to be added, but the basics look like they're down.  I'll try to get them converted to images later.  (my printer can scan them as images, copy of a copy quality, but workable) 

[Buster's Uncle]

Good job on the counting your blessings - and the awesome wife.

5,00th post FTW!

[Unorthodox]

Actively avoiding information on 10 Cloverfield Lane now.  (which isn't easy with my default google feed)

Everything sounds like it's the genre done right, which is a welcome change from the normal crap that gets put out.  (though The Witch recently got good reviews, too).  Invoking Twilight Zone and Hitchcock comparisons from reviewers is EXACTLY what I want from something of this sort.  But it's one of those know too much and you'll ruin it situations. 

Got to find a way to take the boys soon. 

[Buster's Uncle]

I tend to think the more subtle Twilight Zone approach you like was a happy accident of what they could do on TV of the time...

[Unorthodox]

You talking morality wise or budget/effects wise?

[Buster's Uncle]

Both, though I was thinking of morality when I said that.

Censors and budget alike made it necessary to take care of most of the horror in the writing end and not lay it on too thick.

[Unorthodox]

Ok. 

I'll start with the basement as it's the easiest to show where we're adding. 

Everything on the right here is new construction.  The "storage" at the top, we plan to take down that wall and add the space to the 'rec room', though that might be at a later time, not in this particular production, depending on budget when we get there.  The upstairs is the primary focus.   

Hallowworkshop on bottom right. 



Upstairs is a little more funky what's new vs what's old.  If you look real close (didn't scan well) there's a dotted line through it where the current wall sits. 

Basically, our entire current "master bath" fits into our future shower... 

We've planned the kitchen extension since we moved in.  The master bedroom expansion has been over many iterations through the years, at one time being a deck with hot tub addition. 

Other tidbits, the current laundry is over at the garage entrance (roughly center), and is really inconvenient.  Moving down the hall, but keeping on main level was one of our goals. 

[Unorthodox]

Work's been doing a series of all hands 'training' meetings, discussing differing systems of the overall whole.

Todays meeting, lead engineer presenting, engineer has an entire team of 5 more engineers under him. 

Comes question time, engineer from other working group asks question. 

Lead doesn't know, looks at his crew of 5, none of them know.  Looks up. 

"Where's Uno?  Uno, what's (question)" 

"How the heck should I know, I've never worked (system)?"

"It's the same thing we did on (other system from other whole (task completely unrelated to present job))"

"Oh, (answer)" 

"You remember what (technical part) is?"

"(Answer)" 

Audible murmurs. 

Other engineer:  "Why would you ask him, he's only (present job)?"  (my biggest complaint here is this attitude, not only directed at me, but at anyone in general)

Lead:  "I've worked with Uno over 15 years, and "only" is one thing you'll learn can never describe him."

[Buster's Uncle]

[Unorthodox]

10 Cloverfield Lane no spoiler review:

Uno:  Paint by numbers thriller, but well done paint by numbers. 

Alec (13): Really good with lots of scary moments and twists.

Kyle (17): I liked it!  (his vocabulary seems to grow more limited by the year)

If it's not your thing it's a wait for video gem.