Don't Ask

Well. I could do a long ranting explanation as to why, at this very moment, all I really want is steel in one hand, and my (Mostly still full) Bottle of Jaeger (It wouldn't remain that way) in the other...

However, instead I shall simply launch straight into a description of some of the things I've been up to of late.

Part 1. Writing. Look to http://www.jaredskald.blogspot.com/ to see the end results of this (You may wish to wait a week or two till I get my rapidly increasing backlog posted) I shall little more here, except that the blood and guts and gore are getting gradually more prevalent... And I have come startlingly close to creating new characters and settings simply because Rauda and the Bear and Javier and Kat and the Pup are not liable to do the sort of things I intend to write (They favour having a reason for violence for one thing)

Part 2. Reading.
Lord Darcy, a mystery novel (I know, not normally my style) Or rather, Anthology, based around an alternate universe where Richard Lionheart did not die of camp fever contracted after a crossbow quarrel took him in the chest. Instead, he survived, John died in exile, and the Plantagenets still rule England. and France. and indeed, at the time the anthology is set, the British Empire. They speak Anglo-french, have many Norman influences, et. cetera. Oh, and Magic is real. And runs off set rules that make it basically a form of science (Insert pithy reference to The Golden Bough here...). Meanwhile, what we consider science is referred to as Materialism, and is as scorned as magic is in our universe. Anyway, the tales center round the Royal Investigator for the Duke of Normandy, one Lord Darcy, and his companion, his Watson if you will, Sean O'Lochlainn, Irish Master Sorceror.

War Games, another Anthology published by Baen and edited by Eric Flint. This is almost enough to garauntee a good read. Howsabout the story where the Russian Premier (And his cabinet) Whilst attending the UN pay a visit to a local Electronics convention and get roped into trying a shiny new RTS... which they end up missing conferences for, and in the end, use to prevent a war...Or the tales in which the broken remnants of the Wesdem O'Cracy's, reduced to technologies of the Industrial Revolution whip the Russ and their WW I Era tech... And those are just my two favourites... Very good read. When I remember it, I'll post the author in a comment.

Lets see, what else. There was a book on the forces used in various crusades. Speaking of which, I discovered the Balian of Ibelin actually existed. He followed Guy de Lusignan to the Horns of Hattin, and whilst the rest of the Crusader army got slaughtered, he led his men in a furious charge, seeking glorious death in battle. And managed to break through the Saracen lines... cue a vigorous HELL WITH THIS! and a hasty withdrawal. Most of his men got away with him. So did those of Reynard de Sidon, who completely independently pulled the same trick. This made me happy. Briefly. Am actually tempted to make the Lord De Bruis a vassal of Balian if the timing is right...

Hmm.... thats all the memorable stuff I've looked at lately, barring the short stories my mates keep sending me... (Keep 'em coming, they damn near make things bearable. but thats another tale that shall not be told here...)

3. The Nintendo Wii... My mom has one of these, and I have been playing ridiculous amounts of Sports Resort lately. Got bored of the Sword-fighting when the Wii-motes started refusing to stay calibrated, and thus I fought as though I were worse than drunk. Likewise, not been doing much archery of late. On the other hand, they have a bit where you can fly a plane. All over the pseudo-Hawaian island of Wuhu. 'Tis brilliant fun, especially such things as flying through the cables on the red suspension bridge, going through the road tunnels and lava tubes upside down, and of course, strafing the helpless Mii's. all of them carry balloons, and if you shoot the balloons (and fly close enough) they jump up and down and shake fists at you (almost as much fun as if they would run away in terror when you approached (My MOM's comment, not mine) Or at least, originally my Mom's comment). Although I did manage to botch a Kamikaze. hit the boat I was aiming at, but hit it at such a low velocity, and such a low altitude that I basically landed, and skidded along its side, leaving it unscathed. Rather than blowing myself up, sending me and my passenger shooting into the air with our parachutes, and leaving it unscathed... Yeah, the physics isn't great, but hey, where else can you make a vertical take-off in a bi-plane...

Anyway, thats enough for now...