tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202886182024-03-18T23:17:11.192-05:00Mentor397 - Path Of A Smaller BlogMentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comBlogger237125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-21203225824185659722017-12-09T06:46:00.003-06:002017-12-09T06:46:28.819-06:00The Orville<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I have a
love/hate relationship with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Orville</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe I’ve watched too much <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Trek</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe I haven’t watched enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I understand and I completely agree with the
fact that the world needs another Star Trek-like show on television proper. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star
Trek: Discovery</i> is a great show, but I’m not going to add CBSAllAcess to my
Netflix and Hulu and Cable bill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pay
for CBS with cable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t need to pay
for it again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I miss out on
something, I miss out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not made of
money.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That
being said, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Orville</i> is obviously
a fan of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Trek</i>, especially, it
seems, of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Trek: The Next Generation</i>.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the one hand, I wish it toned down some of
the Trek-concepts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other, I grew up
on TNG.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is my kind of Sci-Fi.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I don’t
have a problem with the tone of the show either, though I do have trouble
reacting to the shifts of the show’s tone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It alternates between Trek and parody, between comedy and farce, between
serious questions about humanity and odd-references.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>No, I
like the Kermit doll.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any show that
references the Muppets in any shape or form gets a bonus in my eyes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I do
wish the first season was longer, so the show would grow into itself more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think, however, that may be a blessing in
disguise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part of me wonders if the
tonal shifts in the show are a result of Fox messing with the show, like they
did with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Firefly</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It does offend me that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Orville</i> gets another season than <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Firefly</i> didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seth
McFarland’s star is in Fox’s orbit, I guess.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Every
time I watch the episode, I’m reminded of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Princess Bride</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Goodnight Westley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good work. Sleep well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll most likely kill you in the morning.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really, after twelve episodes, I’m watching
out of habit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not excited about the
show, but I’m still waiting to figure out what the show is going to be.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Orville</i>’s defense, that’s as much
the fault of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Trek</i> as anything
else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was constantly disappointed by
Trek, which is the final nail the in the coffin of reasons I’m not paying for
CBSAllAccess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Star Trek was full of
disappointments and lost potential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
hope <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Orville</i> does better.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’ll be
waiting for the second season to make my mind up.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>- Jim</div>
Mentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-83245952793611199212017-11-09T19:38:00.000-06:002017-11-09T19:38:06.381-06:00Terminator Salvation So, I'm watching <i>Terminator: Salvation</i>. I think I've finally figured out the hate for it, and for the series in general. I'm not sure it's all deserved. The Terminator story could have ended after two movies. They cut the final scene and put a voiceover at the end of <i>Judgment Day</i> in order to keep the option for more movies open, but essentially they told an entire story arc.<br />
<br />
This would have been fine. Making more movies probably would have been fine. Unfortunately, they made the third movie and it convinced people with great conviction that the movie should have ended with two.<br />
<br />
<i>Salvation</i> wasn't nearly as bad as people say it is. It is a bit formulaic. They do have to tell some of the same story. The robots do act... uh... robotically. I think the hate was simply because people had been comfortable with two for so long that they couldn't move forward.<br />
<br />
I'm not saying it was a great movie. The silent, broken, kid character has been overdone. Some of the story seemed to have been thrown together - added for the sake of being added. Action scenes seemed reminiscent of <i>The Matrix</i> trilogy. I still don't think CGI is where it needs to be for the scenes with Arnold's face, but there you go. You probably couldn't have a T-800 without Arnold Schwartzenegger. Still, there does seem an awful lot of the same face for a series that was meant to be sneaky and infiltrative. <br />
<br />
Is that a word? I think I made it up.<br />
<br />
<i>Genisys</i> suffered from the fact that it was something like I would write - a lot of backstory for a future franchise. It had to justify the reboot and explain it away.<br />
<br />
Honestly, I didn't mind either <i>Salvation</i> or<i> Genisys</i>. <br />
<br />
- JimMentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-5580829519119216022017-08-26T07:09:00.002-05:002017-08-26T07:09:45.557-05:00StarCraft: Remastered<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
It was 2000. I was heading back to college,
as a returning student, and I was twenty-five years old. My friend took
me to the local store (remember those, kids?) and decided he was going to buy
me a video game. </div>
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
Now, I’m not proud of this, but I’ve always been
poor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My first computer, I overpaid for
an underperforming, floor model machine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had that thing for four years before a “friend” shorted the
motherboard out because he was trying to be smart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The replacement computer I got had the mouse port burned out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ultimately, I got a better computer, but it
was still a couple years out of date.</div>
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
So, when I got to the store, there were a few games
that interested me, and none I could play on my computer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After searching high and low, we settled on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">StarCraft</i>, the boxed set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to admit, I didn’t think much of
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was more into older games that
could be played on run down computers – turn based games and so on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This wasn’t quite state of the art, but it
was more state of the art than I’d ever played.</div>
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
So, it was months before I got around to playing
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got excited reading the manual,
and frustrated when I wasn’t allowed to use those units in early missions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As usual.</div>
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
I was often between college and home, with internet
access not often available.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heck, for
the most part, I was on dial up at home still.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, I played alone.</div>
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
I eventually discovered the scenarios and
single-player non-campaign games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again,
even when I had the internet, it was often mostly unavailable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a side note, the university I went to
actually throttled internet access to games and such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My crappy computer never helped either.</div>
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
It was a long time before I realized there were
game updates – missile turrets always cost 100 minerals, for example.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t even remember the rest, but I always
built lots of missile turrets.</div>
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
Then, I was stuck on campus for the summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d made plans for that summer, but they were
cancelled when I realized I wasn’t going to stay on campus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, amazingly, I got to stay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, it was complicated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I was on campus, doing a “job” that didn’t
involve a lot of work, or money, and all I had was free time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d stay up all night, every night, playing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">StarCraft</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d beat missions with Goliath walkers, or
just Siege Tanks – just because.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d
always play the long game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, the
best experience I could have in a game would be to have my fleet of
Battlecruisers hit by a Defiler with plague.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’d have to rush home and sit and repair them, all the while imagining
different sections to be engines, life support, bridge, or engineering.</div>
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
Alas, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">StarCraft
2</i> changed that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">StarCraft 2</i> was designed to force you to play online.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Playing offline was possible, but was
unnatural.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Achievements weren’t recorded
and enemy unit stats weren’t available, even in-game, when the internet wasn’t
available.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The game measured things that
I’d never worked on before – speed, counters, and so on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
I’ve played too long by myself, on my own rules, to
ever be a good player, but the new way of playing has ruined me for the older
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still have some remnants of the
old way – “Ratchet”, my repair/build SCV is always hotkeyed at four, for
example.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even so, the game has become
less for me, than it has become a force to change me for it.</div>
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
That’s disappointing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not a bad game, but other people are too
often pains in posteriors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chat is all
about political arguments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Games are an
exercise in fast-clicking rather than any sort of strategy or fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blizzard itself has become another money machine,
well on its way to a more advanced <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mafia
Wars</i>, nickle and diming users for the smallest tokens and digital hooha.</div>
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
I bought the new game - <i>StarCraft: Remastered</i>. I played the final mission of the first StarCraft game and rather than running around, killing all of the bad guys over the course of ninety minutes, I rushed in and beat the game in just under thirty, without even trying hard. Sigh. </div>
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>- Jim<br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->Mentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-43276847261947398042017-07-14T05:44:00.000-05:002017-07-14T08:19:49.043-05:00Game of Thrones<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This is
an odd post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, first of all, it’s a
post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s weird enough from me these
days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Second, I’m pre-writing this, to
copy and paste in my blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will still
be largely unedited, but not perfectly so.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As you
probably know, I’m a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Game of Thrones</i>
fan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like the show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Full Disclosure:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve only read the first book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hate waiting for new seasons of shows, but
I despise waiting for new books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has
his reasons, but George R.R. Martin takes a long time to write, and I don’t
want to get invested in books that I’ll have to wait years to read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, the books and the episodes are
different enough in plot, storyline, names, dates, ages, ranges, timelines,
datelines, ley lines, and probably everything else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re similar enough to only be confusing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This isn’t
going to be an entirely popular post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then again, I doubt mine really are all that often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being a fan turns me off from everyone who
doesn’t like the show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything else
about the post will turn me off from the fans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Shrug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I write these things for
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So, I’m
watching the episodes again, in anticipation of another season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll finish late, which means I’ll watch the
episodes late.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m so far behind, I’m reading news from four
months ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why should television be any
different?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As I was
saying, I was watching the episodes again, and I’ve got a complaint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have the same complaint about the first
book as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first book seemed like
it was written in search of a story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>George R.R. Martin wrote television episodes for other shows in the past
– maybe that’s the reason for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
first book was written like a TV series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Generic (and less generic) plot hooks are left dangling left and right,
some never to be brought up again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Overdramatic scenes are overdramatic, simply for the sake of drama.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People grow, which is the nature of people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These characters flesh out more than they
grow.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’m
learning to appreciate character deaths more, but many of these character
deaths serve little purpose, except as plot contrivances to create season highs
and lows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Y’know,
I don’t mind all that to a point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
just that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Game of Thrones</i> takes it up
to level fourteen so much that it’s become a trope by itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m writing this post after seeing yet
another, “I Promise” on the screen that you know will end unfulfilled, as the
character saying it, or the characters they’re saying it to, die
tragically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wouldn’t be such a big
thing, but this character was instantly developed, over the course of twenty
minutes, to be a tragic death.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I admit,
the show has a lot to live up to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has
to constantly upgrade tensions, outrages, action scenes, and special
effects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its worst enemy is itself, but
the highs come too often, too fast, with too little story behind them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Speaking
of story, I also dislike the digression into backstory as often as it
does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes it works well, too often
it is inserted clumsily, leading to clunky exposition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes, when a character is angry and
chomping at the bit, answering yes or no is more appropriate than extolling
about the time your father taught you a lesson about taking a spear to court.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blah blah blah.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>None of
this makes the show unwatchable, in my opinion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s enough to make ones eyes roll pretty hard though.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
- Jim<br />
<br />
My prediction for the series now is that Petyr Baelish either is, or becomes a follower of The Great Other. </div>
Mentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-88693383600969552732017-04-02T08:50:00.003-05:002017-04-02T08:50:55.944-05:00Still Not Dead Yet. Sorry.Nope, I'm still not dead yet.<br />
<br />
I've been away from here for a while. I haven't been totally gone - you can see my Twitter feed to the right of this page. I just haven't posted here. To tell you the truth - I've been behind on everything. Last year, I was sick several times, bad enough to be put in the hospital. In that time, and the recovery time afterward, I've fallen behind on everything.<br />
<br />
I also didn't want to comment on the election. Yeah, like everyone else I have an opinion. While I think I may have had something to say, I couldn't have gotten a word in edgewise. The screamers from both sides weren't letting any reasonable opinion through the gates. Of course, balanced against everything else in my life, it just wasn't that important.<br />
<br />
I'm not back yet. I'm catching up, but there are literally piles of stuff around here - projects I started and never finished, news articles I haven't read, books I haven't seen, movies I haven't watched, papers I haven't filed. I just figured it'd been long enough without posting that I should probably say something.<br />
<br />
The Twitter feed does give some indication of stuff I do from time to time, but I mostly reserve it for movies and television shows I watch. Rarely, I mention books and magazines. I don't post about much else. If you're stalking me, it's a good place to start, but you'll have to work harder than that. Of course, if you're stalking me, you need more of a life than even I do.<br />
<br />
The book(s) are being worked on. Work essentially stopped when I started getting sick and either never started again, or had been just restarted when I got sick again. I'm a weird sort of OCD completist, and taking a break that long usually means starting from the beginning, one way or another.<br />
<br />
I hope to have something better to write about soon. High hopes.<br />
<br />
- Jim Mentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-49684569111080015422016-06-07T03:30:00.000-05:002016-06-07T03:30:00.457-05:00<div data-contents="true">
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="cv34p" data-offset-key="1cg17-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="1cg17-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="1cg17-0-0"><span data-text="true">I'm going to go off on a weird tangent, but it's late, I've taken pain meds and allergy pills and here goes.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="cv34p" data-offset-key="6s2nf-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6s2nf-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="6s2nf-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="cv34p" data-offset-key="74ppt-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="74ppt-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="74ppt-0-0"><span data-text="true">I'm
watching Game of Thrones and I just started watching Season five. I
know people age, but it does seem to me that everyone looks different.
No, not everyone, but a lot of them. Shrug. I'm oblivious at times to
how people change. Sometimes I look up from whatever I've been working
on and wonder how I got to be forty years old. </span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="cv34p" data-offset-key="4dv08-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="4dv08-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="4dv08-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="cv34p" data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0"><span data-text="true">The
first time I watched this season, I thought Melisandre was played by
someone else. She looked just different enough to be different. I've thought that about a few people this season. Maybe it's that Game of Thrones got more money. Maybe it's that everyone is dressing differently. Maybe it's the tone of the show. </span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0"><span data-text="true"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0"><span data-text="true">Except.</span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0"><span data-text="true"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0"><span data-text="true">I do this in real life too. I rarely recognize people I haven't seen in a while. Suddenly they've gotten older, or old, and they look totally different. Family reunions are crazy for me - everyone remembers me, and I have no clue who they are. Did I go to the wrong reunion? Maybe I'm on the Truman Show and they changed actors (or actresses) in-between seasons. </span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0"><span data-text="true"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0"><span data-text="true">Yeah, yeah, I know this is my first post in a while. I haven't written here because there hasn't been much to say and then, when there was, there was no excuse for not writing earlier. No, I'm not dead. I've been sick, got better, got sick, got better, got sick, got better, and the whole time I've been in pain. That about sums up my life since I wrote last. Add in allergies and you cover all of my health issues that I know of.</span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0"><span data-text="true"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0"><span data-text="true">Family drama, personal drama, life trauma, and so on. Never a dull moment for me, but there is plenty of down time. I used to think I was a strong person, capable of handling what life gave me. The month of Hell, followed a year later by my Mother's death changed all that. It doesn't take much for me to melt down for months at a time. </span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0"><span data-text="true"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0"><span data-text="true">And so, nothing has happened. No writing, or significant amounts anyway, no drawing, singing, poetry, acting, dancing, jumping, or skipping. And I can't whistle and never really learned how to swim.</span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0"><span data-text="true"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0"><span data-text="true">I don't promise to write a lot now, but since the seal is broken, maybe I'll write more. I promise nothing. Sorry. Life is what it is. And what it is not.</span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0"><span data-text="true"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="ed3q2-0-0"><span data-text="true">- Jim</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Mentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-1942004970601874532015-05-08T00:15:00.003-05:002015-05-08T00:16:55.862-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5xSLNk_aMxgheyhXjlmX12wApzRMn-o7mjbM5orEJ0j8FXEhBVAVmZLngHnsKiVTGRP6PkKpIekM2S5VJ_TqB32pJPLjyxC4uaE96VBhMuvWYWlL-lKl8WFLuHNRWqZl82qZt4Q/s1600/Setiathomeuseroftheday.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5xSLNk_aMxgheyhXjlmX12wApzRMn-o7mjbM5orEJ0j8FXEhBVAVmZLngHnsKiVTGRP6PkKpIekM2S5VJ_TqB32pJPLjyxC4uaE96VBhMuvWYWlL-lKl8WFLuHNRWqZl82qZt4Q/s320/Setiathomeuseroftheday.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
May I just add... WOOOOO!<br />
<br />
It's almost my Sixteenth anniversary too! <br />
<br />
<br />
- JimMentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-24831444343950125122015-04-20T22:47:00.003-05:002015-04-20T22:47:53.203-05:00So, I'm leaving more and more of the social media behind. I'm not really gone, I'm just far away. It's like a postcard sent to a remote island. Yeah, it'll get there eventually, probably. It'll just take a long time. Unfortunately, I have too many things I'm into and not enough time to do them all. Something had to give and I put too much into these social media things and not enough came out of it.<br />
<br />
That sounds terrible, but it's true enough. <br />
<br />
Anyway, I'm not wholly gone. There are ways to reach me for the determined. If you need to do so, you'll figure it out.<br />
<br />
- JimMentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-42097738514303486072015-02-05T23:07:00.001-06:002015-02-05T23:07:52.938-06:00So, here's a guy on ebay, his handle is <a href="http://www.ebay.com/usr/happyjackarnold?_trksid=p2047675.l2559" target="_blank">happyjackarnold</a>. I bought a video card from him that he said was new. Here's what his listing showed: <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIopWV8lujre2F7w_aVu3IEGLsXfvoqoOXYdUa2Z1flvoSB34TY-QlSDgSiwbTXJ0btjad24BsCMx8VUOuP0_HLELNbFtzwo6vXldYngj9bDXtpaJx_bt6D-tKrR1ghyphenhyphenFuf-3khw/s1600/A1+-+Copy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIopWV8lujre2F7w_aVu3IEGLsXfvoqoOXYdUa2Z1flvoSB34TY-QlSDgSiwbTXJ0btjad24BsCMx8VUOuP0_HLELNbFtzwo6vXldYngj9bDXtpaJx_bt6D-tKrR1ghyphenhyphenFuf-3khw/s1600/A1+-+Copy.png" height="153" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
And here's the rest:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTW-3w4Gqp5D6NXDlw4xpySkDadIjOJy_Tg3loKSsryE_iFBE1BfwY4r92hsEZr-FpK9LnZ2eE04oKI1QmqOtesXTqIssyZtqRHnLwL4ScxfBzSmbnZxb8I03sW0A-1kZK16qPA/s1600/Ebay+item+description+Twin+Frozr+-+Copy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTW-3w4Gqp5D6NXDlw4xpySkDadIjOJy_Tg3loKSsryE_iFBE1BfwY4r92hsEZr-FpK9LnZ2eE04oKI1QmqOtesXTqIssyZtqRHnLwL4ScxfBzSmbnZxb8I03sW0A-1kZK16qPA/s1600/Ebay+item+description+Twin+Frozr+-+Copy.png" height="112" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
When
I got the card in the mail, there was no packaging, original or
otherwise and the card was bent and hardly new. The only thing
protecting it was a packing envelope that you can get for free from the
post office. Needless to say, I complained and while he responded at
first, he stopped communicating. I had ebay step in and I got a
refund. I returned the card.<br />
<br />
He's selling it again,
though not new, and he names me by name. So, I'm naming him by name:
Arnold Toney. This is what the guy looks like:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJvjojYHhhemZUADhC_E80G8E0XmQDyzvpzC3zLppyYK67DPw7eLF-nwTll72BKjNejst1LWP74ZEZSR8_91iaqwqyiuQprgOmQQw0R7HguUcjt0N6whvnEm50h_t9sLnNlO_uA/s1600/pppp16975_101080583257816_951100_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJvjojYHhhemZUADhC_E80G8E0XmQDyzvpzC3zLppyYK67DPw7eLF-nwTll72BKjNejst1LWP74ZEZSR8_91iaqwqyiuQprgOmQQw0R7HguUcjt0N6whvnEm50h_t9sLnNlO_uA/s1600/pppp16975_101080583257816_951100_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Take my advice and stay away from him.<br />
<br />
- JimMentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-77372890681639548032014-12-25T00:07:00.001-06:002014-12-25T00:07:17.285-06:00MERRY CHRISTMAS! Hope everyone has a great holiday!<br />
<br />
<br />
- JimMentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-39419334487851976512014-12-18T16:49:00.001-06:002014-12-18T16:49:03.126-06:00<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/UEaKX9YYHiQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Mentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-56602587259463896922014-08-09T04:12:00.003-05:002014-08-09T04:12:33.675-05:00I seem to fall further and further behind every day. I have several new ideas for projects, but no time to work on them. So, I'm going to attempt a crash course to try and get all the current stuff under control. To some extent, my nature doesn't allow me to catch up - the more I do, the more I attempt to do because I want to know everything, learn everything, and do many things. If days were a thousand hours long, they wouldn't be long enough.<br />
<br />
There is light at the end of this tunnel. I may be working on things the hardest way and the longest way possible, but there is a bit of method to my madness. I hope. <br />
<br />
- JimMentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-74251987100906390072014-07-20T05:47:00.003-05:002014-07-20T05:47:49.447-05:00Ah Beloit....<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div id="fb-root">
</div>
<script>(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script>
<div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=684657274921340" data-width="466">
<div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=684657274921340">Post</a> by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jamal.lawson.927">Jamal Lawson</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
- Jim </div>
</div>
Mentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-18949471382838744692014-06-13T06:46:00.000-05:002014-06-13T06:46:39.071-05:00My Game of Thrones Review (Some Spoilers)If you've ever read my blog before, you know I'm a fan of <i>Game of Thrones</i>. I bought the season DVDs, I watched all the episodes, I bought the books. Now, I'm going to complain about them.<br />
<br />
Most of this post will be about the HBO show rather than the books. But, I'll get to the books, don't worry.<br />
<br />
I started the <i>Game of Thrones</i> series a bit late. I did see the first season before the second season came out, but I wanted to wait until the entire series was out before I watched it. Also, like everything else, I was always behind the curve. I have too many interests and I spent far too much time on them to get anything done in a timely manner.<br />
<br />
The first season was better than I expected. The story was big, there were lots of characters, there was plenty of backstory, and the world was big and fresh. It's what convinced me to buy the books and it convinced me to buy the season DVD set with my limited funds. Main characters died, and it showed that not all characters were safe. From a table-top RPG perspective, it showed that sometimes nearly random events can have catastrophic results. I'm sure these deaths had different causes, but the effects were the same.<br />
<br />
I read the first book, but realized that I was going to have to slow down if I didn't want to wait for the end of the series. George R.R. Martin writes at his own pace, but I hate waiting. I know he used to write episodes for television shows, and still does on occasion, and that's what the first book felt like - it felt like it was deliberately leaving plot holes open in order to fill them in during later episodes... er, I mean books. I know it does take a while for a writer to get comfortable with a particular voice, but this was clunkier than I'd come to expect.<br />
<br />
I'm not perfect either, so I was willing to give Mr. Martin a chance.<br />
<br />
The show, after the first season, got bigger, but the world didn't seem to add much depth. This is a difficult concept, but I've noticed that the world doesn't seem much bigger than the story. I'll give an example because I didn't really phrase it right - you ever notice that after the show introduced the Rains of Castamere, it was the only song the characters in the show ever knew? Then they introduced another song - The Bear and the Maiden fair, and still, those were the only two damn songs that anyone ever talked about.<br />
<br />
Y'ever notice that after a character was mentioned as having been born in a part of King's Landing called 'Fleabottom' that everyone mentioned it as a place in King's Landing? They never mentioned Guilder's Row or Iron Hill or Stone Chimneys (I made those up), but Fleabottom was mentioned several times. Yes, it makes the world seem a bit more detailed when you bring up disparate stories like that, but it never seems to make it bigger than the story itself.<br />
<br />
Maybe that's the problem here - there are a lot of characters and a lot of stories here and there just isn't time to show those extra background touches. In the meantime, it seems like an episode of <i>Star Trek</i>, where everything happens on the bridge of the ship because they never had time to make a real set for the science labs or anywhere else.<br />
<br />
While we're on the subject, what are the chances that every single combat encounter Arya has involves someone she hates from a previous experience? Every. Single. One.<br />
<br />
Again, I realize that it's hard to make a series like this with so many main characters with so little screen time. I don't know how to fix it. I would imagine that the episodic feel to the show would become even more episodic if they somehow doubled the amount of episodes in a season or the length of episodes themselves. As the seasons get more complex, I can only imagine that it would get worse, regardless.<br />
<br />
Finally, there's the sense of being robbed. I know that exciting dramatic scenes cost money. That's the point. Waiting nearly a year to watch the dramatic fight at the Fist of the First Men was so worth it when they skipped over the fight and just played the sounds of some swords clanging and a couple guys shouting. Wasn't that supposed to be the cliffhanger at the end of Season 2?<br />
<br />
Maybe it's just me, but at this point, it seems like the characters are wandering around, marking time, until they can get to the last season when they can resolve the plotlines. In the meantime, things happen, but they're less plot-driven than they are emotion-tugging.<br />
<br />
Ah well, had to complain.<br />
<br />
- JimMentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-40526627449691508092014-05-22T05:26:00.001-05:002014-05-22T05:26:07.964-05:00I'm sorry about not writing sooner, but May is that sort of month. As I mentioned in my previous post, May 5th was the 8th anniversary of my brother's death. May 15th marked the seventh anniversary of my Mom's death. I'm not broken in the same way, but I'm still not the person I was before those events and every year requires me to go back and consider myself and what I've done with my life.<br />
<br />
As usual, what I see is not good.<br />
<br />
But, it is what it is, and repeating the same post over and over isn't going to change it. I am fixing myself, but slowly, probably too slowly.<br />
<br />
- JimMentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-69003159124670762402014-05-05T23:51:00.000-05:002014-05-05T23:51:11.257-05:00Hello there.<br />
<br />
So, it's May 5th, 2014. May is that month. Eight years ago, it was the month of hell that tore all semblance of organization and future from my life. It's probably silly, but it was the month I broke. Waitaminute - before I go on, I know how corny that sounds. Other people live through much worse than I did and they move on. Other people have broken much worse in their lives than I did as well. I agree. In the grand scheme of things, the events of that month weren't all that much and taken individually they should have led to no more than me being sad for a few weeks or months.<br />
<br />
But, I'm not other people. Those events didn't happen individually. I broke and I never moved on. I'm not blaming anyone or begging for anything. It was never about a single person or event but rather that everything happened all at the same time until I cracked.<br />
<br />
I've moved on a bit, sort of. Instead of moving along on the road of life, I took a detour and ended up on a dead-end street. I'm here, but little more than that.<br />
<br />
This post was never meant to be about me, only about background, yet here I am. Sorry about that. Today isn't the anniversary of the Month of Hell, today marks eight years after my brother passed away. I miss you Mike. RIP.<br />
<br />
- Jim Mentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-56834465703026084372014-04-20T01:08:00.000-05:002014-04-20T01:08:37.371-05:00Just wanted to say Happy Easter!<br />
<br />
Things are going well. I've had to take some time to resolve issues stemming from the past week, but things are progressing and are nearly back to normal, or at least normal enough.<br />
<br />
God is Good.<br />
<br />
- JimMentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-80415006164553307992014-04-17T09:29:00.001-05:002014-04-17T09:29:11.870-05:00I was wrong. I'm not going anywhere, at least for the moment. <br /><br />I love my friends. I'm serious. Life is good.<br />
<br />
- JimMentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-62745359720643226252014-04-13T23:40:00.001-05:002014-04-13T23:40:54.040-05:00I suffered an enormous setback earlier in the week. I'm still not entirely sure whether it was a hardware or software failure, but my computer died for a while. I've brought her back from the dead, but I'm still in the process of picking up the pieces. The cure was far better than the disease, but they were both nearly as dramatic. Not much of importance was lost, but restoring the system to its former flow will take some time.<br />
<br />
Time that I don't have. No, I don't mean it like that. I'm not dying - that I know of anyway. But, there are other events coming that will stop everything cold. It doesn't look like there was any way to avoid it and if there was, I missed the opportunity.<br />
<br />
I'll probably miss it, so Happy early Easter to everyone.<br />
<br />
- JimMentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-22875596161212785862014-04-07T07:42:00.003-05:002014-04-07T07:42:52.715-05:00I'd have written a week ago, but I ended up catching some cold or flu bug that was going around and never got around to it. I'm not seriously sick or anything, but it was seriously getting in the way of doing anything remotely productive. Hell, at some points, I couldn't even watch television without spacing out and forgetting half of it.<br />
<br />
Ah well. I'm getting better. Whatever it was, I'm beating it slowly.<br />
<br />
The new season of Game of Thrones started. Amazingly, I watched the episode almost as it was broadcast. I paused it a few times while playing it to deal with being sick, and I had to rewind it a couple times to check stuff, but that's usually how I watch shows regardless. Except for watching them right away, I mean. I love my DVR almost too much.<br />
<br />
Of course, I will need to watch it again, later, to keep up with the series. I dislike waiting a whole week for an episode to come out because details get lost over time and Game of Thrones is a really big series. <br />
<br />
Hmm... I didn't mean to make this whole post about Game of Thrones, but I just did. Maybe the next post will be about me. <br />
<br />
We'll see,<br />
<br />
- JimMentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-85915298461302605362014-03-16T02:55:00.000-05:002014-03-16T02:55:01.218-05:00A letter to Baranto LlamaThe internet is a crazy source of information, much of it illegitimate and almost all of it involves porn of some kind. Still, there are crazy nuggets of truth out there for those who are willing to look for it.<br />
<br />
No, I'm not suggesting that the missing Malaysian Airlines was abducted by UFOs. The people who believe that are weirder than most. Yeah, it's a big universe and yeah, I suppose it's theoretically possible that an advanced civilization travelled hundreds (or thousands, or millions) of light-years to steal our airline peanuts and watch our inflight movies, but until there is a shred of proof besides zero, I'm going to have to choose not to believe it. Seriously, do these people suspect alien involvement every time they lose their keys and can't find them after fifteen minutes?<br />
<br />
Oh yeah, Baranto Llama. I know it's not his name. <br />
<br />
Recently in the news, there's been another person who complained about the state of foreign affairs while mangling the name of a world leader - namely the President of the United States. While it's okay if you don't know the President of Uganda (assuming you don't live there), you're probably going to want to know his name if you're complaining about the state of affairs there.<br />
<br />
By the way, the President of Uganda is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoweri_Museveni" title="Yoweri Museveni">Yoweri Museveni.</a> <br />
<br />
Besides, in the era of internet, you should be able to find an accurate spelling of what you're looking for. Don't give me that autocorrect crap - yeah, autocorrect is moronic at times, but proofreading before you hit send is always a good idea anyway. <br /><br />- JimMentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-2025467045546887932014-03-05T04:42:00.004-06:002014-03-05T04:42:53.617-06:00Yeah, I know. I haven't written in a long while. I've been busy and there's been less results from it. I have less and less time to spend on new and exciting projects as all the older ones require upkeep. It's crazy how things work.<br />
<br />
At the moment, I'm working my way through the <i>Game of Thrones</i> series again after I got Season 3 on blu-ray. I've got just over a month before the new series starts, which means I'll have to try to stay away from the internet to avoid all the spoilers that I managed to miss so far.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, I'm writing less and working less on other things. It's the way things are. Oh yeah - I got the <i>Firefly</i> series on blu-ray last week. It was a good change of pace from things I was working on at the time. <br />
<br />
As I've said before, I try and keep my Twitter account generally up to date. You'll find recent highlights over on the right side of the screen. =======================><br />
<br />
- JimMentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-75970627729427383142014-01-26T01:39:00.001-06:002014-01-26T01:39:15.213-06:00Nope, I'm not dead. Sorry to disappoint you. I've been busy with reading, writing, reading, family stuff, and reading. Nothing major to report - just some library books, really, to cross off the never-ending list of stuff I want to do. I have high hopes about the writing thing, but I'm still in the process of polishing and I'm not going to rush it until I make sure it's the best I could do.<br />
<br />
Yeah, I know the real world doesn't operate like that. I can't either, but since I have some extra time, I want to make sure that I take the time I can. I can't say that none of it is procrastination or that I couldn't rush it just a bit more, but I will say that much of it is necessary.<br />
<br />
There comes a point where good enough is good enough, but I'm not there yet.<br />
<br />
High hopes,<br />
<br />
JimMentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-57549413209804563922014-01-01T05:53:00.000-06:002014-01-01T05:53:06.730-06:00Happy New Year!<br />
<br />
<br />
- JimMentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20288618.post-19758864004963119562013-12-25T01:52:00.001-06:002013-12-25T01:52:09.712-06:00I just wanted to say, MERRY CHRISTMAS!<br />
<br />
<br />
- JimMentor397http://www.blogger.com/profile/16389574138842658631noreply@blogger.com