Some stuff I've been kicking around in my head.

As is common when I write on personal thoughts, I will likely jump around a bit here. But that discontinuity is why you all keep reading, yes? No? Oh. Well, too bad. ;)

I've been thinking about romance and my abilities in that area, remembering things that I've been criticized for in the past as well as things I've been praised for. And it's lead to an odd conclusion: I both excel and suck at romance.

In the material things, the surface elements of love -- flowers, breakfast in bed, trinkets and tokens of affection -- I stink. I don't often think of doing them, and when on the rare occasion they've been given to me, I'm embarassed as hell about it -- both because I haven't done the same, and because I have a hard time accepting attention like that, despite knowing full well I want it.

No, it's in the less measurable aspects of relationship that I am worth having for a partner. I'll be there when needed, and sometimes even when not, with a helping hand or a shoulder to cry on. No matter how nasty my partner is in the throes of whatever malady is making them snarky, I'll hang on.

Hrm. That's something I have to watch, though -- because I do it a lot, even in non-romantic friendships. As the Chinese astrologers would say of those born in the Year of the Boar, I will give and give and give of myself to those I find important, even to the point where I'll hurt myself. Sometimes, I forget that my own needs have to met, too, and I'll neglect myself, doing things I don't want to do, going places I'd rather not, just to make others happy. Fortunately for me, Elli usually knows when I'm doing it and deals with it.

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I've been getting a lot of emails from my grandfather about religion lately. It's like he's suddently realized he's old, and NOW he's spreading the God-ness around. The latest one is some nitwit scheme to write "IN GOD WE TRUST" on the back of all mail because, oh my gods, a bunch of people objected to posters with that motto in the Post Office.

Now, ok, I'm not going to be writing IN GOD WE TRUST on anything. I DON'T think it ought to be the US Motto, and I have often wished I could go back in time and smack the senators in the mid-50s who did that around a little. But really, who cares?

I mean, hey -- I'm pretty close to an atheist: While I admit the possibility of a god or gods out there who either created or administer the universe, I really don't believe in them, and I think the idea is a little silly. My thought is "Hey, it's POSSIBLE, but it's also possible I'm really Shan T'zor, Heir to the Throne of the J'daran Empire, and my people will come to retrieve me soon. However, it isn't bloody likely."

That said, I couldn't care less that the motto exists, or is on the money. Sure, it goes against my principals, but it doesn't affect my life in any measurable way. I'm not annoyed every time I see IN GOD WE TRUST, no one forces me to say the Pledge (and a good thing, too, because I find it very very silly, when done by rote as it is), and hey -- I don't look at my money very often, anyway.

So some moron during the Civil War got a letter from a preacher asking for some recognition of God on our money, and he liked the idea, and got Congress to authorise it. SO WHAT?

Bottom line is, we have the freedom of religion in this country. And that means that, like it or not, the dominant faith of the nation IS going to show up in public life. As long as the government doesn't start passing laws requiring us to go to a church or subscribe to a particular religion, then franky I can't be bothered to care.

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THERE IS NO RIGHT TO NOT BE OFFENDED. If something offends you, build a bridge, get over it, and move the fuck on. Stop suing because you're offended. Stop telling museums they can't show a piece of art because you personally find it repulsive. You know what? I find a LOT of modern art very very silly, and don't much like it. I don't go around telling galleries not to show it. Because I know that my belief is MINE, not yours, and that's that.

Yeesh.

On the other hand, I wouldn't mind having the right to beat senseless the fuckers who think it's ok to shout out foul language and misogynistic, violent rap lyrics in the middle of a Light Rail train crowded with people, many of them kids. It isn't the language or what they're listening to that I object to as much as the sheer rudeness of it.

I can see me now, in the future:

"Daddy, why did that man say that?"
"Because he's an ignorant asshole, honey."

... maybe not.

Who will I be stuck with at the End of Time?

( This is actually kind of funny. )

Additional ...

I'm feeling pretty icky today. Head is all stuffy and hurty, can't breathe well. No fever, though. I suspect allergies; the wind is pretty brisk today.

Game Development Post #3: The League

The League members: What I have, and what I want to see.

Kudos to ox_number_10, thunderlord, elisandra and devafall, all of whom have given me an idea of the characters they want to play, complete with plot hooks. This isn't even something I NEED now, but I'm glad to have it. It helps the creation of the game.

One thing the characters all have in common is GM Hooks. Each of them had something I could sink my devious fangs into, stuff I could put in the background, that will either come back to help the hero someday, or kick them in their ass.

So far, we've got (And I'm working hard to make these NOT obvious as to who the player is):

A half-vampire

A Mage with a mysterious background

A hero with the power to control electronics

A badass with guns and knowledge, but no (typical) powers.

A hero with the ability to channel energy through her body.

What I'd like to see: Characters with a past. Even if the character doesn't know it, you should -- unless you want ME to make one, and I'm not willing to do that for more than two players; one slot is taken already. Your powers can be pretty much anything -- or you can be an inventor who makes weird gadgets and weapons -- but we'll work on making it fit in the Game World.

The Look
I want larger-than-life characters. The character ought to stand out in some way -- remember the scene in the movie version of The Shadow, where the Shadow is silhoutted by lightning, his cloak flying in the wind? That's the kind of visual that ought to inform your character's look.

I have a feeling that "Hellboy" will have some of the visuals I'm looking for and thinking of.

In this game, there will be running battles at 70+MPH on I5, fights on rooftops, characters leaping and flying all over the city -- all while trying to remain hidden, nothing more than an urban legend.