tag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401Listen to the Raindorchadasdorchadas2024-02-02T05:43:23Ztag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8333244Happy the Laughing Man Incident Day2024-02-02T05:43:23Z2024-02-02T05:43:23ZGhost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Inner Universenostalgicpublic0From Twitter:<br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ja" dir="ltr">【今日は何の日?】本日2月1日に「笑い男事件」発生<br><br>『攻殻機動隊 STAND ALONE COMPLEX』における出来事。2024年2月1日、何者かがアーネスト・瀬良野社長の電脳をハックし誘拐。莫大な身代金を要求した後、連絡を絶つ。警察が何の手がかりも掴めない中、2日後の2月3日に事件は大きく動き出す。 <a href="https://t.co/YIoQUcDfbQ">pic.twitter.com/YIoQUcDfbQ</a></p>— ライブドアニュース (@livedoornews) <a href="https://twitter.com/livedoornews/status/1752711081422696549?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2024</a></blockquote> <br />Which reads:<br /><blockquote>What is today? The "Laughing Man Incident" occurred on February 1, 2024. An event in <em>kōkaku kidōtai</em> ("Mobile Armored Riot Police") STAND ALONE COMPLEX. On 2024/2/1, someone hacked the cyberbrain of and then kidnapped Earnest Serano, head of Serano Corporation. After demanding an enormous ransom, they would vanish. While the police had no leads, two days later on February 3rd, the incident really changed gears.</blockquote>One of the best anime ever made.<br /><br /><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QxkMzn4et2U?si=NrZ8o_b0G2qeKvZq" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></center><br /><br />You still sometimes hear fans use the phrase "Stand Alone Complex" to refer to a real thing--copycat incidents based on internet rumors of things that never actually happened. Essentially, a mass movement with no actual inciting incident, just that belief that there had been one. <br /><br />Maybe I should show this to <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><b>sashagee</b></a></span>.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8333244" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8321882The Babyklok Tour2023-09-22T21:30:40Z2023-09-22T21:30:40ZBabymetal - Metali!!brutalpublic0Brütal.<br /><br />A few months ago <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><b>sashagee</b></a></span> got really into Babymetal. She was playing their songs all the time in the house, having little dance parties with Laila, and then she learned that they were coming to Chicago along with Dethklok. I bought her tickets as a Mothers' Day present and last night was the concert.<br /><br />The opening act was Jason Richardson, who I had never heard of before (I'm out of the loop) but is apparently a famous metal guitarist? And his guitar work was extremely good! He came out with no introduction, playing guitar over some recorded backing drums and bass, and it was fantastic--the kind of thing that once would have been a hard mode Guitar Hero track. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBPtMdu39HE">Sparrow</a> was <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><b>sashagee</b></a></span>'s favorite song--that's Richardson in the red coat there playing guitar--and is a good summary of how his music sounded. He was wearing the same red coat on stage last night.<br /><br />Unfortunately, his stage presence was terrible. At a metal concert, you expect the performers to have an attitude and get in your face (metaphorically), but Richardson was more like a new act at a comedy club. He made some self-deprecating jokes, trailed off a couple times, and then launched into more excellent guitar work. Well, there's a reason he's a guitarist and not a singer.<br /><br />Also, Dethklok was there.<br /><br />When Dethklok was done, the stagehands took almost thirty minutes to set up the stage, all while the temperature got warmer and warmer and the crowd got dense and denser. At the end, the logo flashed on screen, the announcer said the pitch, and Babymetal appeared:<br /><br /><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-hgKdV5F/0/84ae08b5/L/i-hgKdV5F-L.jpg" alt="2023-09-21 - Babyklok Tour"></div><br />I absolutely was not expecting a heavy metal cover of "Sōran Bushi," the traditional Japanese folk song. I even found a comment on a reddit people where people were like "Dokkoisho? What are they saying? Is that like Ganbare?" ( "Dokkoisho" means basically "heave-ho!"--"Sōran Bushi" is a sea shanty). <br /><br />I knew very little about Babymetal going in, other than the memes and that one picture of them with Rob Zombie. Being metal lyrics, even when <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><b>sashagee</b></a></span> played them repeatedly I couldn't understand anything they were saying. That wasn't any different this time, but a lot of the metal I listen to is symphonic metal so I was used to the lone female voice floating above a sea of electric guitars and drums. But I was not expecting all the movement--I only listened to the songs that <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><b>sashagee</b></a></span> played, I didn't look up any Youtube info, I didn't read about their performances, nothing, so I had no idea that they had routines to fit the songs. <br /><br />On the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkij4LvACZ0">Metali Youtube video</a>, there's a comment that reads:<blockquote>日本の祭りの息を揃える掛け声や踊り、独特な歌舞伎の発声、言い回しなどの日化を取り入れて、ここまでのメタルエンターテイメントに仕上げるのはBABYMETALだけであり、唯一無二のオリジナリティーだと言える。最高傑作と言っても良いのではと思う。<br />"Babymetal is the only one in the world of metal music who includes these expressions so characteristic of Japanese culture, the sounds of encouragement and common calls at festivals and the uniqueness of kabuki. You could definitely say that they're totally original and their work is a masterpiece."</blockquote>They're right. I never would have thought "You know what heavy metal needs? Jpop dance routines!" but Babymetal did and that's why people love them so much. <br /><br />They performed for about an hour and then left the stage, and there was no encore. <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><b>sashagee</b></a></span> wasn't feeling that well with the heat and the standing, so we went straight home and she went straight to bed. But she got her Babymetal t-shirt with the fox masks on it--the same masks that the guitarists and drummer were wearing--which is what she really wanted.<br /><br />According to wikipedia, "Before the formation of this club, none of the three members [of Babymetal] knew what heavy metal was." Well, they figured it out.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8321882" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8321254Two year and four months Baby Update2023-09-14T16:08:47Z2023-11-14T18:23:59ZCicadas chirpingcalmpublic8<blockquote><span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><b>sashagee</b></a></span>: "Laila, what happened to your friends?"<br />Laila: "Uh oh!"<br />-On coming in this morning and seeing all her stuffed animals on the ground outside her crib</blockquote>The actual day was yesterday but it was a pretty hectic day.<br /><br />Last update was about language, and this update is a bit about language too. Laila puts words into short sentences, usually around food: "bite this" or "food please" and will sometimes say "me" or "you" when referring to people (though she has a bit of the child's confusion around pronouns since they don't refer to a single consistent person), but she still most often uses single words, which worries me. All the milestone lists for two-year-olds indicate a lot more sentence use than she does. I'm comforted by her understanding concepts, though. She'll start dancing to music and say "dance? dance?" indicating she knows that dance doesn't refer to a single song, for example, and just yesterday she woke up from her nap and was laughing in her room and then we heard "Help! Help!" She eventually fell back asleep, but when we checked on her at the end of nap time she had thrown all her stuffed animals out of her crib. Just recently when she knows she's done something wrong like trying to grab food off the counter, sometimes when we tell her no she'll self-exile to the corner and say "No. No no no" to herself softly. 🥺 It's important to teach her how to behave but it's still sad seeing her telling herself no.<br /><br />All her thoughts are in her head, she just needs help getting them out. <br /><br />She's really been getting into physical activities lately. She eats perfectly with a spoon, though she'll often keep swapping spoons around with one of us to see if we have the perfect spoon. And she loves dancing, either to music or not. She'll sometimes just start dancing spontaneously and saying "dance!" and her latest obsession is the Wiggles version of the Hokey Pokey. She'll often raise her hands over head and spin around, saying "Ooooooooooh the Pokeeeeeey." She keeps trying to climb on things and wants to go out for a walk every day, and lately she's gotten very competent at running. She still kind of looks like she's off balance while she's running and like she'll fall any moment, but she doesn't--she'll run up and down our hallway over and over, laughing the whole time.<br /><br />She has opinions about clothes. Lately, she's really been into fall hats:<br /><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-HXH6qsW/0/159c3920/XL/i-HXH6qsW-XL.jpg" alt="2023-09-12 - Laila hat selfie"></div><br />She looks like she's taking an Outfit of the Day selfie here. <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-Smjzhj3/0/d0040ad7/O/i-Smjzhj3.gif" alt="Emoji ~ Cat smile"><br /><br />On the other hand, toddlerhood is now in full swing. She'll keep doing things she knows she's not supposed to do because as a toddler she has very little self-control. As I write this she's trying to pull some plates off the end table and <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><b>sashagee</b></a></span> is telling her no. She knows she's not supposed to do it, but she doesn't really know why yet and she has a hard time resisting her impulses. It's normal but that doesn't always make it easier to deal with.<br /><br />She knows her name at last, though. She'll even say it sometimes!<br /><br />What other ways will she grow and change?<br /><br /><strong>Edit</strong>: <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><b>sashagee</b></a></span> and Laila were just making homemade goldfish crackers and as Laila was looking through the oven at the baking fish, she said "Put the fish in my mouth." The words are in there!<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8321254" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8321018Friday night date night!2023-09-12T21:37:54Z2023-09-12T21:37:54ZLegend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks - Overworld ~ Adventure!happypublic0Friday afternoon, my father showed up and picked up Laila and left to take her back for a grandparents' weekend (about which more later), and <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><b>sashagee</b></a></span> and I were left to our own devices. I had taken the afternoon off and we originally planned to go do something in the afternoon as well, but <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><b>sashagee</b></a></span> didn't want to feel rushed, so I made reservations at a "dark, romantic" restaurant per her request and at 5:15 we left to head to the L and arrived at our destination just in time: Nomonomo Japanese-Pub + Grill in Logan Square.<br /><br />I haven't been to an izakaya in years, ever since Izakaya Mita closed after the owner tragically died of cancer in his forties, so I'm glad that <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><b>sashagee</b></a></span> picked it! It was dark (though I'm not sure about romantic) and we arrived just in time for happy hour, so I immediately ordered the sake and <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><b>sashagee</b></a></span> ordered a beer, then we looked at the rest of the menu:<br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8321018.html#cutid1">Japanese food ahead</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br />Not pictured: the kara-age. The happy hour special had its own specific kara-age that we got and it was amazing, just fantastic, and then we wanted more kara-age so we ordered the normal menu kara-age and it...had bones? It was basically just American fried chicken except with kara-age skin. We ate it, but we had to be careful and <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><b>sashagee</b></a></span> had to use her hands because she doesn't have as much practice with chopsticks as I do--I ate it with chopsticks, which makes me want to try eating fried chicken with chopsticks to keep my hands clean. <br /><br />The only problem was the service, which was abysmal. We were there for almost two hours, and much of it was waiting around for someone to ask if we wanted more drinks. Getting the check and paying itself took almost half an hour! I would go back because the food was delicious but I'd definitely make sure to block off the appropriate amount of time.<br /><br />After a mile walk down Milwaukee we arrived at the Stan Mansion, just set among other houses on Kedzie, but with (fake) candles set up outside. The last Fever concert I attended had someone come out in person and give a brief speech advertisement for Fever itself, which was weird because we had obviously heard of the company since we were at their event, but at that time they were trying to establish themselves and I think had only been founded in the last year. Now they're years old and had survived the Plague Years, but we still got the pitch, though thankfully only as a pre-recorded advertisement. Once that was over, the musicians came out:<br /><br /><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-7d7CSfH/0/164dd3dd/L/i-7d7CSfH-L.jpg" alt="2023-09-08 - Fever Zelda chamber orchestra"><<br /><em>Picture taken by <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><b>sashagee</b></a></span></em>.</div><br />The concert was shorter than I expected, only an hour, and it only covered the console games with none of the handheld titles. They started with the overworld theme from <a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8009230.html">The Legend of Zelda</a>--perfect for a string quartet since the NES had four sound channels--continued with the palace theme from <a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8029310.html">Zelda 2</a>, and moved on through the other games. The song I was most looking forward to was the Gerudo Theme from <a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8061665.html">Ocarina of Time</a>, but I just didn't like the interpretation where the violinist plucked the strings--it was no Spanish guitar. The best song was the opening theme from <a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8090587.html">Wind Waker</a>, perfectly designed for a quartet.<br /><br />They ended with a short field medley from <a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8179967.html">Breath of the Wild</a>, a game whose music sounds like nonsense when played by a string quartet, and then after they set down after the bows, someone off to our right yells out "<a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8113900.html">Spirit Tracks</a>!" and much to my amusement, that turned out to be the encore song--the Super Smash Brothers arrangement of the overworld theme from Spirit Tracks, which they called "Full Steam Ahead." <br /><br />They skipped <a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8108845.html">Twilight Princess</a>, which was kind of sad because I was really hoping to hear the Western showdown song ("Hidden Village"), and they hadn't rehearsed together quite as much as they should have because I heard more than a few instances where someone played the wrong note and had to quickly correct to the right one. But like when I went to go see Vivaldi's <em>Four Seasons</em> by another candlelit string quarter, it was a lot of fun.<br /><br />I wish they had had more comfortable chairs, though. <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><b>sashagee</b></a></span> told me she kept getting distracted by the people who were shuffling in their seats.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8321018" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8317240Actual events are occurring2023-07-31T16:52:52Z2023-07-31T16:52:52ZRozen - Sins of Hyruleawakepublic2We went to baby Shabbat in the park Shabbat morning, at the same park I've gone to Torah study in the past. They also had a Torah study there but I skipped it this time to help wrangle Laila. She needed a bit of wrangling--when the rabbi started reading a storybook (<a href="https://pjlibrary.org/books/chicken-man/if51">Chicken Man</a>), she walked right up in front of Rabbi Lizzi and stared at the book and ignored the rabbi's polite requests to move away so other people and see. I felt better though when the rabbi's daughter, age 4, did exactly the same thing. <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-2s6nxGp/0/ed9b5ebd/O/i-2s6nxGp.gif" alt="Emoji embarrassed rub head"> Adira was old enough to complain about not being able to see anything, though, so after that the rabbi moved backward and everything was solved. Laila even listened to the story!<br /><br />Working more on that mod for <a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8305955.html">Cataclysm</a> and it's reminding me of all of those <a href="https://kotaku.com/dirty-tricks-secrets-hacks-devs-assassin-s-creed-horses-1849102054">Game Developers Reveal the Nonsense They Had to Use to Make Games Work</a> articles that come out. To pick one example, CDDA makes it difficult to determine who the other party is outside of dialogue, where the other party is the person you're talking to, because the internal scripting language developed out of the dialogue system and wasn't originally designed to handle all the uses it's being put to. However, it's always obvious who the PC is. So when I made a monster that drained the PC's stamina and health (in that order), I rather than actually doing it as a drain I set it up in code so that the monster checks the PC's stamina and health levels and then has the PC secretly use a "drain stamina/health" power <em>on themselves</em>. This is necessary because there's no way to set attack priority or otherwise influence monsters' AI.<br /><br />I just made a telekinetic power to let people lift cars to change the tires and the way it works in the game is by summoning a jack made of telekinetic force that you hold in your inventory and can use when you work on a car. It's not <a href="https://www.pcgamer.com/heres-whats-happening-inside-fallout-3s-metro-train/">the DC Metro is actually a hat</a> but I feel like it's on the same pathway.<br /><br />I'm most of the way through Hollow Knight. I last beat Hornet in Kingdom's Edge, one of the blocker fights for a lot of people. It took me as many tries as all previous bosses put together I think, and while I looked up strategies and found a cheese one--equip charms for fast attack, thorns, faster healing, and just spam attack until you win--I'm stubborn enough that I refused to do it. I used magic and dodged her attacks and learned her patterns and eventually I did win. It's just like all that advice about never giving up. <br /><br />This weekend we're going out to the suburbs for fireworks! The award-winning Batavia Fourth of July fireworks didn't happen this year because cellular network outages meant the coordinating computers couldn't actually coordinate, so everyone went to the field and spread out their blankets and then nothing happened. The town couldn't have that, so they rescheduled it for the first weekend in August. I'm not sure if it's going to be the same program and super <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-nM36XQN/0/083ee703/O/i-nM36XQN.gif" alt="Emoji Sad Eagle Flag"> AMERICA <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-nM36XQN/0/083ee703/O/i-nM36XQN.gif" alt="Emoji Sad Eagle Flag"> themed, which I don't have an ideological problem with but which would be a little weird in August, or if they're going to come up with a new program. They've had a month to do so. I guess we'll see. <br /><br />While randomly scrolling through Facebook I saw an ad for a candlelit Legend of Zelda music concert put on by Fever. While I've been to multiple Symphony of the Goddesses concerts, those are all full orchestra. This is a chamber orchestra so it will be a genuinely new experience for me. I asked <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><b>sashagee</b></a></span> about it, and though she has never in her life played a Legend of Zelda game she was excited about it, so we're going to turn it into a date night! It's in Logan Square, where I don't know what the good restaurants are but I know there <em>are</em> good restaurants. I'll write about that after it happens.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8317240" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8304971Return to the theatre at the Whiskey Radio Hour2023-03-13T02:37:22Z2023-03-13T14:41:35ZThe Whiskey Radio Hourhappypublic0Before the Plague Years, I used to go to theatre performances if not weekly, then at least biweekly. Between Locked Into Vacancy, Starlight Radio Dreams, invitations I got from <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://twitter.com/lisekatevans'><img src='https://p.dreamwidth.org/e0caa790ec10/-/twitter.com/favicon.ico' alt='[twitter.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='http://twitter.com/lisekatevans'><b>lisekatevans</b></a></span> or <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://twitter.com/worlbshiny'><img src='https://p.dreamwidth.org/e0caa790ec10/-/twitter.com/favicon.ico' alt='[twitter.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='http://twitter.com/worlbshiny'><b>worlbshiny</b></a></span>, public invitations from actor friends on Facebook, or whatever else I decided to see, there was a significant portion of my free time dedicated to attending performances of one sort or another. The Plague brought an end to all of that and indeed to a lot of the theatre companies I used to go see, but one of them survived--Whiskey Radio Hour, a mostly-quarterly variety show. Their tenth anniversary performance was Wednesday, their twenty-fifth show--presumably they skipped a few here and there along the way--and since <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://twitter.com/lisekatevans'><img src='https://p.dreamwidth.org/e0caa790ec10/-/twitter.com/favicon.ico' alt='[twitter.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='http://twitter.com/lisekatevans'><b>lisekatevans</b></a></span> offered me a ride and <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://twitter.com/worlbshiny'><img src='https://p.dreamwidth.org/e0caa790ec10/-/twitter.com/favicon.ico' alt='[twitter.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='http://twitter.com/worlbshiny'><b>worlbshiny</b></a></span> was performing the Foley there for I think the first time since the Plague Years began, I arranged my absence with <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/sashagee'><b>sashagee</b></a></span> (who had done <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://twitter.com/lisekatevans'><img src='https://p.dreamwidth.org/e0caa790ec10/-/twitter.com/favicon.ico' alt='[twitter.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='http://twitter.com/lisekatevans'><b>lisekatevans</b></a></span>'s hair that afternoon) and went to the performance over at Chief O'Neill's Pub in Logan Square. <br /><br />I'd been there once before, to a Shanty Shipwreck show that it looks like I didn't write about, but I had forgotten that it was almost St. Patrick's Day and Chief O'Neill's went all out. It was probably the most consciously and overtly Irish place I've ever been and I've had a drink in Teach Ósta, the pub on Inis Meáin. Fortunately(?) that was just the anteroom, however, the actual performance was in the other room in the back, to which <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://twitter.com/lisekatevans'><img src='https://p.dreamwidth.org/e0caa790ec10/-/twitter.com/favicon.ico' alt='[twitter.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='http://twitter.com/lisekatevans'><b>lisekatevans</b></a></span>, <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.facebook.com/afschifler'><img src='https://www.facebook.com/favicon.ico' alt='[facebook.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/afschifler'><b>afschifler</b></a></span> and I all went and sat down at the last open table and ordered drinks while we were waiting for the show to start.<br /><br />Whiskey Radio Hour performances are short one-acts or skits that are submitted to the show, who finds a director and then leaves everything up to them. This time the performances were:<ol><li><strong>Numbers Game by Kat Evans, directed by Hannah Blau</strong>: I'd actually heard this one before, back at Gateways before the Plague Years. It's about a future AI dating service that is designed to help form real connections, but it's mostly about the stories humans tell about themselves to each other and what counts as promoting your own #brand vs. lying. The interesting part for me, though, was that because I had heard this before I could compare it to the old performance, which was much more robotic. The actor playing the AI had a lot less emotion the first time I saw it, but this time the interaction between the human and AI was much more playful and I thought it worked better. When the AI kept asking whether the human wanted to cancel, in the original it just seemed like an offhand question. The AI seemed <em>invested</em> in this performance.</li><br /><li><strong>Peace on Earth by Joanne Freeman, directed by David Krajecki</strong>: This one was odd. It was nominally about the relationship between a father and his daughter, and the way that he seemed to keep secrets. It was also about aliens--about a close encounter kind of incident where the father's secret was that he worked at a nuclear silo, not actually as an engineer, but the <em>second</em> secret was that one night there was a ring of light over the silo and all the missiles deactivated, then went into launch mode, then deactivated again. There was no conflict so it was more of a mood piece, but I didn't really get a lot of mood from it either. It was more of a "here's a weird thing that happened to me," which is always hit or miss.</li><br /><li><strong>Biscuits and Bones by Janet J. Lawler, directed by Alexander Trice</strong>: This was a comedy short about a first date in the park where it turned out the woman was a little too into acting like a dog--sleeping in a dog bed, etc.--and she had decided to go on a date with the man because she caught him eating dog biscuits out of the bag. A match made in (dog) Heaven! It was funny, and fit well with "Numbers Game"--represent yourself honestly and maybe you'll find your true match.</li><br /><li><strong>Alabama Mermaid by Jessica Wright Buha, directed by Rory Jobst</strong>: I really liked this one, though the people I came with did not. It was tonally very different than the other pieces, since it was horror and it was mostly musical. A woman walking with her son near the river has her son snatched by a mermaid, and after asking the townspeople, none of whom help, she grabs a mermaid out of the river and asks how to get her child back. The mermaid says the child's soul is free and she'll need to build a new body for it, and so the woman dives into the water and, as her skin turns clammy and her hair grows long and weedy and her unblinking eyes grow wide, the woman builds a new body from parts of stolen children, but her son's soul has traveled on and cannot come back. At the end, all the mermaids sing for their children, implying that all of them were once humans who had children stole and became mermaids in the course of trying to get them back. I always like stories that are about how the supernatural is a terrible thing for humans deal with, and I really liked the music, so while my friends were surprised they decided to end on a musical horror piece I was happy with the placement.</li></ol>The whole section was surrounded with a framing story by the usual characters about one of their "hexadecaversary" with their wife, and so he needs to get the traditional wicker gift from a "wicksmith." This involved a lot of puns ("Local wicksmith is a basket case") and a call to a Wiccan, thinking they were a wicksmith. <br /><br />Live Foley was provided by <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://twitter.com/worlbshiny'><img src='https://p.dreamwidth.org/e0caa790ec10/-/twitter.com/favicon.ico' alt='[twitter.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='http://twitter.com/worlbshiny'><b>worlbshiny</b></a></span>, notable especially for the tearing sound of the mermaid getting body parts created by ripping up a head of lettuce. <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.facebook.com/afschifler'><img src='https://www.facebook.com/favicon.ico' alt='[facebook.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/afschifler'><b>afschifler</b></a></span> originally thought it was cabbage, but, we were told, ripping up cabbage is more for severe pulping wounds and less for tearing ones. She would know.<br /><br />Both Locked Into Vacancy and Starlight Radio Dreams did not survive the Plague Years, but Whiskey Radio Hour did. I'd been seeing invites to its events for literally years, posted on Facebook by one theatre friend or another, but before now I'd never managed to make it out there. It was so lovely to attend show again!<br /><br />(I started this before Shabbat, but now I've finally finished it!)<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8304971" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8292342Labor Day weekend2022-09-06T21:35:26Z2022-09-06T21:35:26ZSunmi - 사이렌 (Siren)contentpublic0<blockquote><strong>Security guard</strong>: "Good morning, [<span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png' alt='[personal profile] ' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/'><b>dorchadas</b></a></span>]!"<br /><strong>Me</strong>: "Good morning!"<br /><strong>Security guard</strong>: "I was starting to think they didn't have you work here no more."<br /><strong>Me</strong>: "They sent us home for like three months."<br /><strong>Security guard</strong>: "Oh my G-d. <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-chLJmtD/0/O/i-chLJmtD.gif" alt="emoji V smile">"</blockquote>I'm back in the office! Tuesdays and Wednesday from now until the next change happens. We'll see when that is. <br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8292342.html#cutid1">We did things over the weekend!</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8292342" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8239428Thirty-day Video Game Music Meme2020-06-08T17:16:08Z2020-11-30T17:02:13ZMyth: the Fallen Lords - The Siege of Madrigalpleasedpublic3For the last month, I've been doing a game music meme over on a Facebook group I'm on, and I figured I'd repost the answers and some comments here so they'd be saved for posterity!<br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8239428.html#cutid1">Music time</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8239428" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8237244The music is great. I'll...leave it at that2020-05-26T00:39:00Z2020-06-01T02:28:09Z梶浦由記 - Key of the Twilightcheerfulpublic0Some <em>.Hack//SIGN</em> came up on Spotify for me, and having never engaged with that series before beyond hearing <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b9JzKhhVZo">Obsession</a>, the OP, in an AMV somewhere and getting my hands on it. Hearing the other songs, I was caught by surprise by how much I liked it. Once I took a closer look, I realized that it's because the composer is Kajiura Yuki, the same person who composed the music of <em>Sword Art Online</em>, aka the only good part of <em>Sword Art Online</em>. Come at me. <br /><br />I finished <em>Dororo</em> today, over a year after I started watching it and after dropping it for eleven months. I was <a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8157760.html">really excited when I saw the first episode</a>, but the series started meandering a bit as it went on, and it <em>really</em> failed to stick the landing. I can't blame them too much--it's an adaptation of a Tezuka Osamu original that was also never really finished, so they had to make an ending up, but I can blame them enough to not like it. <br /><br />The soundtrack is amazing, though, so I went and bought it. I'm sensing a theme here. <br /><br />Sunday was an Anime Chicago discussion circle about <em>Princess Mononoke</em>, so I rewatched it for the first time in years, and in Japanese this time. It used to be one of my favorite movies and my favorite Ghibli movie, though that position has now been taken by <em>Spirited Away</em>, and it's really hard for me to shed the perspective now that since Ashitaka is Emishi, one of the indigenous groups of Japan that were conquered and assimilated by the Yamato in Japanese pre-history, <em>Princess Mononoke</em> is the equivalent of a Native American coming into white civilization to tell them that the spirits are angry. I said that right at the beginning and it threw a couple people for a loop, but that doesn't detract from how good the movie is. It's still fantastic for its nuanced perspective of conflict, of how both Lady Eboshi and San have understandable reasons for their goals, their ends are just mutually incompatible. I described it as two ends of reform ideology: Lady Eboshi--who I previously never noticed is dressed directly as a samurai, including the traditional <span lang="ja">丁髷</span> <em>chonmage</em> hairstyle--thinks that the real problem is the people running the system, and if she were charge, everything would work, which is why she's trying to set herself up as an impromptu daimyō. On the other hand, San thinks the entire human world is corrupt and innately dangerous to the forest, and only by destroying it completely will the <span lang="ja">主</span> (<em>nushi</em>, "spirits") be safe. Which I guess makes Ashitaka the centrist, so no wonder nothing works out--he tries to offer a middle path that just results in Tarara and the forest both being destroyed. <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-chLJmtD/0/0624de74/O/i-chLJmtD.gif" alt="emoji V smile"><br /><br /><span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://twitter.com/neilworms'><img src='https://p.dreamwidth.org/e0caa790ec10/-/twitter.com/favicon.ico' alt='[twitter.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='http://twitter.com/neilworms'><b>neilworms</b></a></span> mentioned that the concept for the film changed drastically over its development as Ashitaka took on more and more prominence, to the point where they were considering changing the name to <em>The Legend of Ashitaka</em>. I wonder what the earlier version would have been like, and how San would have been featured if she were really the character who got the most screentime? I kind of want to see that movie now.<br /><br />In non-anime news, the weather in Chicago has gotten better over Memorial Day Weekend (barring the massive thunder-and-lightning stormburst on Saturday), and while I haven't been to any barbecues, I did spend time outside. Sunday, <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/britshlez'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/britshlez'><b>britshlez</b></a></span> and I sat out on blankets in Ravenswood, in a green park-like strip of grass near the train tracks, and drank cocktails we had each made at home and brought with us. Today, <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.facebook.com/koppel'><img src='https://www.facebook.com/favicon.ico' alt='[facebook.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/koppel'><b>koppel</b></a></span> invited me (and a couple other people) to the grassy expanse west of Lake Shore Drive, since the actual lakefront is still closed, so I went there any sat down in the shade and talked with people until the need to use the bathroom and eat dinner drove us all to get up and go our separate ways. I should probably buy a beach blanket if I'm going to be sitting outdoors with people as often as I expect I will this summer--a bath towel is fine, but it's hard to lie down on and annoying to transport. I'm just glad that I already have a bunch of mason jars I can use to transport cocktails and water, since my poor water bottle was abandoned at the office when it closed a day earlier than I expected. <br /><br />Now that I've beaten the <a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8237014.html">Link's Awakening Remake</a>, <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.facebook.com/aaron.hosek'><img src='https://www.facebook.com/favicon.ico' alt='[facebook.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/aaron.hosek'><b>aaron.hosek</b></a></span> has been hounding me to play Trails in the Sky the 3rd--I'm the one who got him hooked on the Trails games, so I have no one to blame but myself--and I've finally run out of excuses, so I'm off to do that!<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8237244" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8234063You're gonna carry that weight2020-05-02T00:12:41Z2020-05-02T00:12:41ZCowboy Bebop - The Real Folk Bluesindescribablepublic2Earlier today, <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/thosesocks'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/thosesocks'><b>thosesocks</b></a></span> sent me this video, and now I'm sharing it with all of you because it's <em>incredible</em>. <br /><br /><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8GwE0wwMmKE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></center><br />This comes not too long after The Seatbelts got back together (virtually) to play <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VsgkIE-RHg">Tank!</a> again, and I never thought I'd be blessed by both of those performances in a single week. <br /><br /><em>Are you living in the real world?</em><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8234063" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8227432Updates from Quarantimes2020-03-27T02:26:52Z2022-03-13T19:20:54ZSatellite Empire - The Kids Aren't Alright (feat. Payne)relaxedpublic0<img src="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d4/ff/4f/d4ff4f70e06bddd6475eb317580f901d.jpg" height="0" width="0">It's been five days and I feel fine, and I haven't heard about my parents or sister coming down sick either, which means that helping my sister move was retroactively a good idea. And that's the last I'll say about that topic.<br /><br />Well, and <a href="https://screenshotsofdespair.tumblr.com/post/613679655226130432">I found this very relevant Tumblr post</a> that is, as the kids say, a Mood. <br /><br /><span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/britshlez'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/britshlez'><b>britshlez</b></a></span> stopped by on Tuesday to drop off some cookies she made and I had a FaceTime conversation with <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://twitter.com/lisekatevans'><img src='https://p.dreamwidth.org/e0caa790ec10/-/twitter.com/favicon.ico' alt='[twitter.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='http://twitter.com/lisekatevans'><b>lisekatevans</b></a></span> and <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.facebook.com/luke.beasley.262'><img src='https://www.facebook.com/favicon.ico' alt='[facebook.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/luke.beasley.262'><b>luke.beasley.262</b></a></span> that evening, and I got on a video call with <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://smtemp.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif' alt='[livejournal.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='17' height='17'/></a><a href='http://smtemp.livejournal.com/'><b>smtemp</b></a></span>, <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.facebook.com/seloy'><img src='https://www.facebook.com/favicon.ico' alt='[facebook.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/seloy'><b>seloy</b></a></span>, and <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.facebook.com/bret.thomas.391'><img src='https://www.facebook.com/favicon.ico' alt='[facebook.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/bret.thomas.391'><b>bret.thomas.391</b></a></span> tonight, I but otherwise I've been hanging out in my home, cleaning and reading and playing video games. My home is probably the cleanest it's ever been now, and other than the path I'm wearing in the floor from pacing back and forth so I can get enough exercise while cooped up indoors, there's no real wear-and-tear. Except on my iPad and my books, which are both getting a workout.<br /><br />I've been digging into my stock of <em>amazake</em>, a kind of sweetened partially-fermented rice drink, after seeing <a href="http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20200317-uncovering-amazake-japans-ancient-fermented-superdrink">an article in the BBC about it</a> that reminded me I have a bunch of freeze-dried <em>amazake</em> mix. So I've been mixing it up, adding ginger to it, and drinking it by the window. I had stopped making it because I thought the mix was just bad, but it turned out the problem was with me. Much like my first attempts at making matcha, I ignored the directions on how much water to use and used far to much, with the result that, much like the matcha, it tasted like watered-down nothing. <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-2s6nxGp/0/ed9b5ebd/O/i-2s6nxGp.gif" alt="Emoji embarrassed rub head"> Once I stopped trying to cram 200ml of water into enough freeze-dried <em>amazake</em> for 100ml worth of flavor, all of my problems were solved. It's sweet and ricey and delicious and it's exactly what I need when I'm stuck inside and the weather is cold, on a day like today when I sat by the window all day and I don't know that it was ever sunny. <br /><br />Here's a true fact about me--the reason <em>nigorizake</em> is my favorite kind of sake is because it's so similar to <em>amazake</em>.<br /><br />Now that I beat <a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8227247.html">Quest for Glory IV</a>, I've moved on to playing <a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8228484.html">Project Warlock</a>, a retro FPS in the style of <a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/7965471.html">Doom</a>. I'm still in the middle of both the <a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8237014.html">Link's Awakening Remake</a> and Suikoden, and have been since...September... <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-XTpWsmk/0/635fd12d/O/i-XTpWsmk.gif" alt="Emoji Uncertain ~ face"> but I don't want to pick them back up quite yet. They're both in Japanese and especially since I'm not meeting with my Japanese tutor right now I do need more practice, but I wanted something light and fluffy to play in the meantime. So I'm running around and firing a shotgun and throwing dynamite at succubi, spiders, and robot demons. And casting spells on them. Now that I think about it, it reminds me a bit of <a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8193247.html">Simon's Destiny</a>, that Castlevania-themed Doom mod I played last year. It's not an amazing game, but I got it for 50% off and it's definitely worth the $6 I paid for it. Further thoughts when I beat it, which I can't imagine will be that long.<br /><br />I've also been going to a lot of Mishkan events, all of which have moved online. Every weekday morning there's a morning minyan (prayer group), and sometimes it's more religious and sometimes it's more like a meditation session, but I've gone a few times since they started a couple weeks ago and I find it really helpful. They're going to be live-streaming Shabbat services tomorrow, and I'm probably going to go. One other thing I'm considering is a bit unorthodox. Someone posted in the Mishkan Community Facebook group with what is basically a <span lang="he">שדוך</span> <em>shidduch</em> system they're calling "Quarantine Bae." You put in your information, the matchmakers look it over, and then they match you with someone. You have a phone call, if you both agree the matchmakers send each other your pictures, and then you can do what you like. I figure at worst it'll be an awkward conversation, but it's also designed for people 25-36, and while they said they had people outside that range, I'm not sure how the matchmakers will take it. Still, I'm strongly considering it. What can go wrong? <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-b2fVxhW/0/b998b767/O/i-b2fVxhW.gif" alt="Emoji kawaii flower"><br /><br />And finally, that song in the Listening section is my new listen-to-dozens-of-times-in-a-row song. I was listening to a Spotify <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6Qu7co7czjjXwSEuCyCOAD">melodic dubstep playlist</a> when a far more wub-filled version of it came up, and I thought that it sounded good but would sound better without the wubs, so I went out and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1DtxefrEalTcyoon0vsNab">found the non-remix version</a>. I sent it to <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://twitter.com/lisekatevans'><img src='https://p.dreamwidth.org/e0caa790ec10/-/twitter.com/favicon.ico' alt='[twitter.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='http://twitter.com/lisekatevans'><b>lisekatevans</b></a></span> and she said it was great and then asked me where it was from before it hit her. It's that kind of song.<br /><br />Alright, back to reading.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8227432" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8215970Happy Year of the Mouse!2020-02-03T17:52:34Z2021-03-27T02:50:17ZWailin' Jennys - Wildflowershappypublic0Happy Setsubun! <span lang="ja">鬼は~~外!福は~~内!</span><br /><br />My weekend was taken up with other cultural celebrations, though.<br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8215970.html#cutid1">新年快乐 🐭🧧</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br />Date tonight with a tabletop RPG / theatre nerd, so we'll see how that goes. At least we'll theoretically have a lot to talk about?<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8215970" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8215056Three minor things2020-01-30T20:51:01Z2022-03-13T18:14:40ZPatty Gurdy - ONE BY ONE feat. Hellscoremellowpublic4▶️One, I got my first property tax bill, so now of course I have to become an anarchist. Who are these people to want all this money? ZOMG teh gubmint, etc, etc. It's actually less than I expected it to be so it's not a problem, but it still stings a bit to pay thousands of dollars after the already thousands of dollars I paid when I bought the place.<br /><br />It helps me remember that mostly, the rich are evil due to environmental factors, not due to innate immorality.<br /><br />▶️Two, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wZk2_pJUCo">Northern Ballad</a> has shown up a couple times in my Listening To section, and I mixed in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opWjNyr1FBk">Sailing Icy Seas</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKfjvSgMbqA">Parting Icy Skies</a> from the Wrath of the Lich King soundtrack, so I put out a call for similar music, and then <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/thosesocks'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/thosesocks'><b>thosesocks</b></a></span> sent me the song that's currently in there. So I guess I'm on a hurdy-gurdy kick? "One by One" isn't anything like the other songs that's linked above--I can't imagine it playing over a shot of the protagonist coming back to the burned ruins of their childhood home, or a group of soldiers drinking together the night before a battle knowing most of them won't be back the next night--but it's good in its own right! I should look up more of her music.<br /><br />Also, listening to "Sailing Icy Seas" is reminding me of Wrath of the Lich King, which was the most fun I ever had playing WoW. Partially because balance druids were finally good, but also because I finally got to see the part of WoW Lore <em>I</em> cared about through. One major reason I trailed off hard and then stopped playing in Cataclysm is that I didn't care about why I was doing anything. I played Warcraft III, and then I played WoW, and when I killed the Lich King in June of 2010, that was the last boss I cared about fighting. I stuck around through Firelands, but when I realized I was only logging on to raid and otherwise never playing, I figured my time was done, and nowadays I don't have time for an MMO. <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-4N8CHgh/0/44b47e74/O/i-4N8CHgh.gif" alt="Emoji Cute shrug"><br /><br />But raiding Ulduar was up there with very-late-night drunk Karazhan raids with some of most fun I've ever had in a video game. <a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8101976.html">I don't actually want to play WoW again</a>, but I miss those experiences and the person I was then who had them. <br /><br />Well, maybe if they had classic Burning Crusade or Wrath servers I'd dip back in... <br /><br />▶️Three, I've been eating vegetarian meals for dinner every night this week, after I bought some ice cream on Sunday and then due to <span lang="he">בשר בחלב</span> <em>basar bechalav</em> decided to make egg curry instead of chicken curry so that I could have naan (made with butter) with it and it's been delicious. Tonight I'm having pita, vegetables, hummus, and feta cheese--I was going to have falafel, but the Middle Eastern Grocery store was out--and when I had it on Tuesday it was delicious. I mean, spicy hummus is amazing on anything, but I was surprised at how much I liked it.<br /><br />Long meeting this morning and nothing tonight. Back to work.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8215056" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8214249Two very different musical events2020-01-22T22:03:39Z2020-01-23T19:21:37ZFinal Fantasy I - Matoya's Cavehappypublic1Last Saturday, <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.facebook.com/aaron.hosek'><img src='https://www.facebook.com/favicon.ico' alt='[facebook.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/aaron.hosek'><b>aaron.hosek</b></a></span> and I went to A New World, the Final Fantasy chamber orchestra concert. As I mentioned in the <a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8196175.html">post about the last time I went to Distant Worlds</a>, the main Final Fantasy concerts are starting to get a bit stale for me, in that I've heard all of the arrangements of the best songs and they're starting to get into deeper and deeper cuts with songs that are, frankly, not as good and not as interesting to listen to. But with the chamber music format, that frees them up to do songs that would be very difficult to score for an 80-piece orchestra and 30-person choir, like the <a href="https://ffnewworld.bandcamp.com/track/town-final-fantasy-i">Town Theme</a> or the <a href="https://ffnewworld.bandcamp.com/track/chaos-shrine-final-fantasy-i">Chaos Shrine Theme</a> from Final Fantasy I. Or a piano solo version of <a href="https://ffnewworld.bandcamp.com/track/zanarkand-final-fantasy-x">Zanarkand</a>, the best song by far from Final Fantasy X. <br /><br />They had a music better representation overall of songs from the breadth of the Final Fantasy series, playing songs from every single non-sequel game except III, and it's entirely possible that they did play a song from III and I just missed it. <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.facebook.com/aaron.hosek'><img src='https://www.facebook.com/favicon.ico' alt='[facebook.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/aaron.hosek'><b>aaron.hosek</b></a></span> texted me yesterday and told me that <a href="https://ffnewworld.bandcamp.com/track/crimson-sunrise-from-stormblood-final-fantasy-xiv">Crimson Sunrise</a> from XIV had been stuck in his head for days, but I was immune to that because I haven't played Final Fantasy XIV yet. Not until they revamp A Realm Reborn, and with how few video games I play nowadays, maybe not ever. <br /><br />Also, having a smaller group meant that they could travel from city to city, which meant that they had practiced repeatedly, which meant that there were no mistakes I could hear, unlike the Distant Worlds orchestra. I may have hit my limit with Distant Worlds, but I'll definitely go back to A New World for their next concert.<br /><br />Though <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.facebook.com/aaron.hosek'><img src='https://www.facebook.com/favicon.ico' alt='[facebook.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/aaron.hosek'><b>aaron.hosek</b></a></span> was right--it would have been better if they had played <a href="https://ffnewworld.bandcamp.com/track/the-red-wings-final-fantasy-iv">Red Wings</a> too. <br /><br /><hr><br />On Sunday, this month I did not join <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/thosesocks'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/thosesocks'><b>thosesocks</b></a></span> at sea shanties because I had a conflicting event to go to. Instead, I went to "Singing as a Spiritual Practice," a Jewish sing-along held at Mishkan's office space and let by Steven Chaitman (<span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.facebook.com/stevenchaitmanmusic'><img src='https://www.facebook.com/favicon.ico' alt='[facebook.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/stevenchaitmanmusic'><b>stevenchaitmanmusic</b></a></span> ), who lends his guitar to services most Shabbats. We sang a few songs that showed up sometimes at services--"Kol Haneshamah" (<span lang="he">כל הנשמה</span>, "All with breath", the text of Psalm 150:6), "Yah Ribon" (<span lang="he">יה רבון</span>, "Sovereign G-d"), "Ana Bekoach" (<span lang="he">אנא בכח</span>, "Source of Mercy," an old Kabbalistic poem with the melody written by Chaitman), and the classic "Shalom Aleichem" (<span lang="he">שלום עליכם</span>, "Peace Upon You") by Debbie Friedman. Chaitman kept asking if anyone wanted to teach any songs and I thought about offering up <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WnEAxa1tFc">Ofra Haza's version of Kol Haolam Kulo</a> (<span lang="he">כל העולם כולו</span>, "The Whole Entire World"), based on the famous saying by Rabbi Nachman:<blockquote><span lang="he">כל העולם כולו גשר צר מאוד והעיקר לא לפחד כלל</span><br /><em>Kol haolam kulo gesher tsar me'od veha'ikar lo lefached klal</em><br />"The whole entire world is a very narrow bridge, and the most important thing is to have no fear at all."</blockquote>...but I didn't think I knew the melody well enough to sing it for everyone. Maybe next time! <br /><br />It was great! <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-ChTRnHK/0/4b7f729b/O/i-ChTRnHK.gif" alt="Emoji La"> It had the same energy that singing at Shabbat services does, so it was nice to get that atmosphere on a Mishkan off week. I just hope that next time, it doesn't conflict with sea shanties. I really value singing in groups and I'd like the chance to do a lot more of it.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8214249" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8213651Heilung: the ritual shall begin at the appointed time2020-01-21T19:12:50Z2020-06-19T14:37:21ZHeilung - Krigsgaldrjubilantpublic8A few months ago, <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.facebook.com/resurii'><img src='https://www.facebook.com/favicon.ico' alt='[facebook.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/resurii'><b>resurii</b></a></span> reached out to me on a hunch and asked me if I had ever heard of a band called Heilung. I had not, but I went out to listen to a couple of their songs, then bought both of their albums, and then when the tickets went on sale I...missed out because I didn't expect them to sell out within two hours. But due to the massive response, the organizers moved the concert from the Vic (<a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8200246.html">where Mishkan had its Yom Kippur services</a>) to the Riviera, which was both closer to me <em>and</em> opened up more tickets, so I got one. And last night was the concert ritual.<br /><br /><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-bRFgktg/0/df553f26/L/i-bRFgktg-L.jpg" alt="2020-01-20 - Heilung opening"><br /><em>Wish I had a better phone camera for this, but</em>.</div><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8213651.html#cutid1">We are all brothers</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br />Afterwards we all went out to Fat Cat on Broadway and got food and drinks, and I stayed and chatted until midnight. I was planning to go home and sleep and go then go into work a bit tired, but what actually happened was that I couldn't fall asleep until 2 a.m., I woke up repeatedly during the night with my throat clogged completely full, and when I woke up again at 5:45 a.m. almost an hour before my alarm, I called in sick. That ruined my plans to meet up with <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.facebook.com/resurii'><img src='https://www.facebook.com/favicon.ico' alt='[facebook.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/resurii'><b>resurii</b></a></span>, <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.facebook.com/servermonk'><img src='https://www.facebook.com/favicon.ico' alt='[facebook.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/servermonk'><b>servermonk</b></a></span>, <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.facebook.com/sam.florida'><img src='https://www.facebook.com/favicon.ico' alt='[facebook.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/sam.florida'><b>sam.florida</b></a></span>, and <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.facebook.com/jenna.morgan.750'><img src='https://www.facebook.com/favicon.ico' alt='[facebook.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/jenna.morgan.750'><b>jenna.morgan.750</b></a></span> for lunch at Hanabusa cafe <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-KthWGB7/0/09fd7a55/O/i-KthWGB7.gif" alt="Emoji Extreme crying">, but I need to rest and I don't want to get anyone else sick. So I'm staying home today, reading and drinking tea, and hopefully I'll be better tomorrow. 🧿<br /><br />Hmm. Maybe it was the evil eye. 🧿🧿🧿<br /><br />If Heilung tour near you, go see them! It's unforgettable.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8213651" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8212868Review: Cats2020-01-15T17:59:44Z2020-07-13T19:41:29ZThe Crüxshadows - Memorareindescribablepublic2<blockquote>"At 9:20pm? That movie? Then?"<br />-<span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/wanderluster_kp'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/wanderluster_kp'><b>wanderluster_kp</b></a></span><br /><br />"You guys are insane. I would rather die."<br />-My Japanese tutor<br /><br />"The second time through was genuinely everything I hoped it would be 😻"<br />-<span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://twitter.com/arsduo'><img src='https://p.dreamwidth.org/e0caa790ec10/-/twitter.com/favicon.ico' alt='[twitter.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='http://twitter.com/arsduo'><b>arsduo</b></a></span><br /><br />"<img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-KPtSvg2/0/2d8440af/O/i-KPtSvg2.gif" alt="Dancing kitty emoji"> <em>Cats</em> <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-KPtSvg2/0/2d8440af/O/i-KPtSvg2.gif" alt="Dancing kitty emoji">, or 'What if <em>American Idol</em> Winners got Reincarnated?' "<br />-<span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.facebook.com/tom.hen.12'><img src='https://www.facebook.com/favicon.ico' alt='[facebook.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/tom.hen.12'><b>tom.hen.12</b></a></span><br /><br />"<img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-KPtSvg2/0/2d8440af/O/i-KPtSvg2.gif" alt="Dancing kitty emoji"> <em>Cats</em> <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-KPtSvg2/0/2d8440af/O/i-KPtSvg2.gif" alt="Dancing kitty emoji"> was okay."<br />-<span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.facebook.com/hillel.wayne'><img src='https://www.facebook.com/favicon.ico' alt='[facebook.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/hillel.wayne'><b>hillel.wayne</b></a></span><br /><br />"That was the worst movie I’ve ever seen."<br />-<span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/britshlez'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/britshlez'><b>britshlez</b></a></span></blockquote>So I saw <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-KPtSvg2/0/2d8440af/O/i-KPtSvg2.gif" alt="Dancing kitty emoji"> <em>Cats</em> <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-KPtSvg2/0/2d8440af/O/i-KPtSvg2.gif" alt="Dancing kitty emoji">.<br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8212868.html#cutid1">Ineffable!</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8212868" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8212715Highlights from the last week2020-01-13T19:07:46Z2020-01-13T19:08:26ZStardew Valley - Spring (It's a Big World Outside)contentpublic0I'm just going to cover a few things here:<br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8212715.html#cutid1">Contains moments of life</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br />I'm incredibly tired today due to screwing up the laundry timing last night and not being able to put all the blankets back on the bed until 11:30 p.m., and even having done that I woke up during the night due to being too cold and needing to pull more blankets on. And then I woke up before my alarm, so while I wasn't completely exhausted, I still feel like there's a wall of cotton between the world and me. The last night I had to myself was the Sunday before last, so I'm looking forward to just doing nothing and going to bed earlier tonight.<br /><br />Well, nothing other than chores, anyway. Let me tell you, it's garbage that you dust and things are clean and then <em>more dust</em> is there next time you look. Who made that legal? <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-3x27BZD/0/d624e2f8/O/i-3x27BZD.gif" alt="Emoji shaking fist"><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8212715" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8212370Daf Yomi Wisdom2020-01-12T17:55:21Z2020-01-12T18:01:35ZStereo Sinai - Punk Song of Solomonpleasedpublic0I'm not doing it, but I'm following a lot of people who are.<br /><br />If you're not familiar, "Daf Yomi" is the practice of studying one page (<span lang="he">דף</span> <em>daf</em>) of the Talmud every day (<span lang="he">יום</span> <em>yom</em>), and if you keep at it, you'll finish the entire Talmud in seven and a half years. The end of this process is called <span lang="he">סיום הש"ס</span> <em>Siyum haShas</em> ("Completion of the Six Orders") and the most recent <em>Siyum haShas</em> took place on January 4th, so a bunch of people have hopped on the train.<br /><br />A couple days ago was <a href="https://www.sefaria.org/Berakhot.6b">Berakhot 6b</a>, and there among the discussion of how one should run into the synagogue but walk slowly out of it so as to show eagerness to worship and unwillingness to depart--there's a <em>lot</em> of stuff in the Talmud--there was this passage:<blockquote>"Rabbi Abbahu said: The reward for causing a groom to rejoice is the same as if one had offered a thanks-offering in the Temple, for as it is stated later in the previously cited verse from Jeremiah: 'Those who bring a thanks-offering to the house of the Lord.'<br />And Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: The reward for causing a groom to rejoice is the same as if one rebuilt one of Jerusalem’s ruins, as it is stated later in the same verse: 'For I will restore the captivity of the land as it was in the beginning.' "<br />-<a href="https://www.sefaria.org/Berakhot.6b.33?lang=bi&p2=Jeremiah.33.11&lang2=bi">Source</a></blockquote>I love this. <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-ChTRnHK/0/4b7f729b/O/i-ChTRnHK.gif" alt="Emoji La"> Bringing happiness to each other is as meritorious as rebuilding Jerusalem. Especially nowadays, that's a message I think could do with more repetition.<br /><br />Next year, in the Jerusalem we build with our kindness to each other.<br /><br /><hr><br />Also, I really love the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TCXx1jFsj0">currently listening to song</a>. It's, well, punk music with lyrics taken from Ecclesiastes. The main chorus is <span lang="he">הבל הבלים הכל הבל</span> <em>Havel havalim hakol havel</em>, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity."<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8212370" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8208806Welcome to flags, the AMV2019-12-19T19:34:16Z2019-12-21T17:27:03ZSabaton - Gott Mit Unsworkingpublic2This is the song I found while I was cleaning yesterday and have listened to at least thirty times today: <br /><br /><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0O8jM91S1PY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></center><br />The thing is, there's a set of lyrics that go:<blockquote>From the old world's demise<br />See our empire rise</blockquote>But which I cannot help but hear as<blockquote>From the old world's demise<br />See our vampire eyes</blockquote>And it's reminding me of the <a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/tag/%27flight+of+the+phoenix%27+chronicle">Flight of the Phoenix game</a> that <span style='white-space: nowrap; text-decoration: line-through;'><a href='https://schoolpsychnerd.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png' alt='[personal profile] ' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://schoolpsychnerd.dreamwidth.org/'><b>schoolpsychnerd</b></a></span> ran based on a setting I came up with where the main premise was that after a thousand years of rule by the vampiric Nobility, the humans rose up in a rebellion called the Dawn War and threw down the vampires. And because of a millennium of <em>literally</em> bloodsucking, inhuman aristocratic rule, the very concept of birthright and bloodline granting privileges was irrevocably corrupted such that all the nations built after the rebellion were democracies. Accusing someone of aristocratic leanings was tantamount to accusing them of being a vampire-Dominated sleeper agent. <br /><br />We were very careful in-game to always remember that the word "Noble" itself <em>meant</em> "vampire." <br /><br />The whole thing was a great counterpoint to the usual chosen one/born-to-power hero narratives in a lot of fantasy. I've always wanted to go back to that setting but haven't had the chance, and now I'm really busy. But maybe someday.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8208806" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8208120L'chaim, and death to our enemies!2019-12-16T18:08:17Z2019-12-19T15:41:12ZDeus Ex - Neonature (nervous_testpilot OC ReMix)refreshedpublic2Lots of religion in this accounting of my life, and for once, it's not just Judaism!<br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8208120.html#cutid1">Omurice and Chanukah Stories and Singing</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br />One more week of work and then I have two weeks off for the New Year! I'm really looking forward to having a long vacation. Maybe I'll even play a video game--it is time for me to finally get to Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8208120" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8207268A joke with a very small audience2019-12-10T22:49:50Z2019-12-11T18:53:59ZSabaton - Shiroyamaamusedpublic1I posted this on Facebook after I got an advertisement for Crusades-themed sweaters (I assume due to posting links to Sabaton videos) and it's worth reposting here:<blockquote>Broke: "Deus vult!"<br />Woke: "!<span lang="he">שנית מצדה לא תיפול</span>"<br />Bespoke: "<span lang="ja">尊皇攘夷</span>!"</blockquote>This isn't a joke <em>only</em> for me, but it's not far off.<br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8207268.html#cutid1">Explanation</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br />Sabaton does have some <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3jwEbLav24">really good music</a>. Apparently they were in Chicago a couple months ago and I missed them. <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-XTpWsmk/0/635fd12d/O/i-XTpWsmk.gif" alt="Emoji Uncertain ~ face"><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8207268" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8202655"I was sleeping, diving, eyes closed, blinded / Now for the first time, I can see"2019-11-11T19:01:54Z2019-11-12T22:17:39ZIllenium feat. Annika Wells - Crawl Out of Lovefulfilledpublic5Every weekend should be a three-day weekend. <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-Vd8VMP4/0/0058ad8e/O/i-Vd8VMP4.gif" alt="Emoji happy flower"><br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8202655.html#cutid1">Do all of the things</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br />So, uh, am I an extrovert now? <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-CLnXHk2/0/05cafe14/O/i-CLnXHk2.gif" alt="Emoji ~Cat Planet"> Even beyond everything I've done, I was all set up to do something tonight, tomorrow, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I wrote about this and some of my friends said they got tired just reading it. I've living that city boy life, as I told <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://fiendishfanfares.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png' alt='[personal profile] ' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://fiendishfanfares.dreamwidth.org/'><b>fiendishfanfares</b></a></span>. <br /><br />What a lovely weekend.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8202655" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8200859A completely full weekend2019-10-21T19:51:14Z2020-05-29T14:41:04ZIllenium feat. MAX - Beautiful Creaturesbusypublic3I didn't do much the weekend before last, so I didn't write about it at all. But I did a <em>lot</em> last weekend, so here's a recounting of my deeds:<br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8200859.html#cutid1">It is written</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br />I was worried that I would end up exhausted from all this stuff, but I had a wonderful weekend. I wouldn't want to do this <em>every</em> weekend, and I'm not doing it next weekend, but it was a delightful change. And tonight I'm going to a party and then to Simchat Torah, so I'm looking forward to raucous dancing. <br /><br />I hope you all had a fulfilling weekend! <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-CLnXHk2/0/05cafe14/O/i-CLnXHk2.gif" alt="Emoji ~Cat Planet"><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8200859" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8198358Vampire, you idiot! Nosferatu! 🧛🏻♂️2019-09-27T17:05:04Z2019-09-29T21:38:03ZNox Arcana - Night of the Wolfimpressedpublic2Definitely Appearance 0. 🎲<br /><br />Yesterday, I went to go see <em>Nosferatu</em> with <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://twitter.com/liszante'><img src='https://p.dreamwidth.org/e0caa790ec10/-/twitter.com/favicon.ico' alt='[twitter.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='http://twitter.com/liszante'><b>liszante</b></a></span> at the Davis Theatre with live organ accompaniment by Jay Warren. The theater even had remnant organ pipes still up on the walls from when there was an organ installed in it, though the actual performance was done using samples.<br /><br />It's been a very long time since I'd seen a silent movie--not since <em>Metropolis</em> back when I was a university student--and I had forgotten how exaggerated the style of acting was. I couldn't help but think of miming, especially with Hutter and Knock's performances. The film is much less horror for modern audiences than it would have been a century ago due to that. Often, when Count Orlok was looming and Hutter would reel back with an expression of horror, frantically looking around the room, the audience laughed. Admittedly, I did too. To modern sensibilities it was ridiculous, but it certainly did an effective job of conveying their emotions, especially accompanied with Warren's music. <br /><br />People also laughed at the scene of Count Orlok just...casually strolling through the streets with a coffin full of grave earth under one arm. I really want to know how that played to 1920s audiences.<br /><br />The movie was pretty effective at selling the mood of creeping doom, especially later, with the scenes of the town officials marking the doors of the "plague"-stricken houses and the procession of coffins being carried through the streets. <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://twitter.com/liszante'><img src='https://p.dreamwidth.org/e0caa790ec10/-/twitter.com/favicon.ico' alt='[twitter.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='http://twitter.com/liszante'><b>liszante</b></a></span> also told me there was a long scene of the ship sailing into Wisborg cut with scenes of Hutter riding back to town but, uh, I was asleep for that. <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-2s6nxGp/0/ed9b5ebd/O/i-2s6nxGp.gif" alt="Emoji embarrassed rub head"> Live music, no matter the context, no matter the genre, makes me sleepy. Even when <a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8165744.html">I went to a Within Temptation concert back in March</a>, I ended up getting sleepy by the end. But I rallied for the final act.<br /><br />I hadn't realized that <em>Nosferatu</em> was literally <em>Dracula</em> with the serial numbers filed off either. But once Knock the property agent showed up, I figured it out.<br /><br />And...antisemitism. I don't think it's Nazi propaganda or anything, but I couldn't help but notice that it's the property agent specifically who falls under Count Orlok's sway and, indeed, the way that an Eastern European man who looks ugly and distinctive is literally <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_libel">sucking the blood of good German women</a>. That rendered some of the scenes later on the movie more uncomfortable for me than they might have been for most of the audience, because regardless of Murnau's intentions, the imagery was definitely there. <br /><br />He was a brilliant director, though. I've seen plenty of stills of Count Orlok's shadow climbing the staircase and the count vanishing when hit by the rays of the sun, but in the theater, accompanied by the organ, they were still effective. <br /><br />In summary, I'm saddened that Der Totenvogel isn't the name of a metal band. And I can see why <em>Nosferatu</em> survived down through the ages and is regarded as a cinematic classic.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8198358" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-04-18:864401:8197830Singing is better in groups 🎶2019-09-23T16:49:56Z2020-05-29T14:41:36ZWorld of Warcraft: Cataclym - Nightsongtiredpublic2I didn't have a lot of time to rest this weekend, but I wouldn't change it.<br /><br />Friday I invited a bunch of people to Shabbat dinner on no notice, so none of them could come and I had a quiet evening in, which in retrospect was probably a good thing. <br /><br />Saturday I woke up early and relaxed for a few hours and then the day really began when I left to go the second Chicago Japanese Matsuri. <a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8142856.html">Last year was the first Chicago Japanese Matsuri</a>, and I was a bit leery about going then since the things I like about Japan aren't as popular as ramen and anime (though I do like this too), but I had a pretty good time so going again this year was an easy choice. I just went alone, in the early afternoon so I could watch Tsukasa Taiko and the tea ceremony demonstration. Both of them were neat, and I got the chance to ask the person explaining the tea ceremony a question--what <em>is</em> is the different between urasenke and omotesenke? I asked <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/3388santa'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/3388santa'><b>3388santa</b></a></span>--who sometimes practices urasenke--a while ago, and he had a hard time explaining, though he described turning the tea bowl in different directions depending on school. I got a similar answer this time, that the differences were pretty small. He did explain why almost everyone I've met seems to be an urasenke practitioner, though--apparently the 14th grand master Sekisō Sōshitsu heavily promoted urasenke and opened it up, so it spread widely and is what most people think of when they think "tea ceremony."<br /><br /><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-fQgwkdc/0/7e413a2e/L/i-fQgwkdc-L.jpg" alt="2019-09-21 - Japanese Matsuri Tea Ceremony"><br /><em>Making tea</em>.</div><br />I only stayed for about an hour and a half, because I had too much else to do, though I did take advantage of the ACEN booth to get an ACEN badge for even cheaper than the earliest early-bird rates available on the website.<br /><br />After going home and eating dinner, I walked over to <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.facebook.com/courtney.mcnally.9'><img src='https://www.facebook.com/favicon.ico' alt='[facebook.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/courtney.mcnally.9'><b>courtney.mcnally.9</b></a></span>'s apartment for her Equinox Party. I only had about thirty minutes I could spend there before my next appointment, so I was glad that <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.facebook.com/courtney.mcnally.9'><img src='https://www.facebook.com/favicon.ico' alt='[facebook.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/courtney.mcnally.9'><b>courtney.mcnally.9</b></a></span>, who had been held up at work, showed up right before I had to leave. I very briefly got to talk to <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://twitter.com/pinandstutter'><img src='https://p.dreamwidth.org/e0caa790ec10/-/twitter.com/favicon.ico' alt='[twitter.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='http://twitter.com/pinandstutter'><b>pinandstutter</b></a></span> and <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://twitter.com/saintofsnark'><img src='https://p.dreamwidth.org/e0caa790ec10/-/twitter.com/favicon.ico' alt='[twitter.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='http://twitter.com/saintofsnark'><b>saintofsnark</b></a></span> too! Then I had to leave, so I walked out with someone else who had also come early and had two more things to do that night, she took an Uber, and I took the Red Line down to the Self-Help House where Mishkan was holding Selichot.<br /><br />Selichot are pre-High Holy Days prayer services, but this was specifically advertised as a way to come and learn the songs and prayers before the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur service, or to come and sing. Music is one of the major draws of Mishkan for me, and I don't know some of the specific melodies they use (because the musicians write some of their own), so I went to sing in community and not have to hum along while I figured out the melody during Kol Nidre.<br /><br />I took a <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/m2dxfk4ezvz13nx/70369334_156388588784289_5123839599317680605_n.mp3">short recording of us singing "Kedushah," which Mishkan had arranged to be sung in a round</a>. That was probably my favorite part of the event. The whole thing was amazing, though, which was the consistent theme in the conversations I had after we were over and I was following the rabbinic command to eat more of the food. <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-ChTRnHK/0/4b7f729b/O/i-ChTRnHK.gif" alt="Emoji La"> There's something about singing in community that's wonderful, and it's not available to most people in secular contexts anymore. <br /><br />I met the Director of Development and we talked briefly, and I said I thought about inviting non-Jewish friends to services just because the music is so amazing. She laughed, but it's more than half true.<br /><br />When Selichot was done I walked out into the rain and went downtown for the final event. The City Pop DJ Van Paugam has monthly events here and there in Chicago, and a lot of them are on weeknights or otherwise harder for me to get to. This one was at Murasaki, a sake lounge in Streeterville, and on a Saturday night! I invited a bunch of people and got a few maybes and <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://smtemp.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif' alt='[livejournal.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='17' height='17'/></a><a href='http://smtemp.livejournal.com/'><b>smtemp</b></a></span>'s definite yes, so in the end it was the two of us in the corner drinking whiskey (<a href="https://www.whiskysaga.com/blog/togouchi-japanese-whisky-scotland-canada">from Hiroshima</a>!) and shochu and sake, eating bar snacks, and listening to City Pop. <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://smtemp.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif' alt='[livejournal.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='17' height='17'/></a><a href='http://smtemp.livejournal.com/'><b>smtemp</b></a></span> even recognized some of the songs! We chatted while we watched the couple across from us dance to the music while seated at their table; the pair of men, one of whom was face-down asleep on the table and the other one was dancing to himself; and the table full of Japan enthusiasts (we could tell because of the cat ears) next to us. We called it a night at 1 a.m. and both went home, where I went almost straight to sleep.<br /><br />Sunday I woke up and basically did chores for a few hours before leaving to go another group singing event. <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/thosesocks'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/thosesocks'><b>thosesocks</b></a></span> put out a call on Facebook for people to come to a <a href="http://www.seachantey.net/">Sea Shanty Sing-Along</a>. I got there a little late and sat in the only empty seat next to <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/thosesocks'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/thosesocks'><b>thosesocks</b></a></span>, listened to people chat for a bit, and then the music began. There were a lot of songs there I knew--"Barrett's Privateers," "Drunken Sailor," "Bully in the Alley," "The Coasts of High Barbary," etc--so I was fine joining in the singing, but while I was encouraged to pick a song if I liked (in a non-judgemental or pressuring way), none of the songs I thought of would really have fit. "Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight" is sung as call-and-response but isn't about the sea unless it's one of the versions where she drowns him, "Lecha Dodi" is liturgical music and in Hebrew and not at all about the sea, and while "Sōran Bushi" is a sea shanty and the refrain is literally "Put your backs into it! Heave, ho! Heave, ho!", it's also in Japanese and I really doubt that anyone else would had been able to join in. <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-KGQXpB4/0/47fe02eb/O/i-KGQXpB4.gif" alt="Emoji Smiling sweatdrop"> Since the whole point was about singing in groups, I didn't want to hog the spotlight.<br /><br />Though <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/thosesocks'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png' alt='[instagram.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/thosesocks'><b>thosesocks</b></a></span> did tell me that sometimes people sing in Irish or Welsh, so maybe I'll practice up on "Sōran Bushi." They might be interested to hear a shanty from a completely different musical tradition!<br /><br />I left a little early after signing up for the mailing list and then went home and made dinner--currywurst, using Indian curry sauce instead of the spiced ketchup that's more traditional--and then left at the last minute to go to my final event of the weekend. When the <a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8195496.html">Mishkan Director of Development called me</a>, she suggested I sign up for the small groups that Mishkan was doing to help encourage Teshuvah ("repentence," literally "returning") and there was one a few minutes away. Unfortunately one of Chicago's stormbursts rolled through right as I was far enough away that if I went back for my umbrella I would still have been soaked, so I arrived dripping wet, and hostess offered me a towel, and soon we moved into the dining room for the main event. One of the instructions at the beginning was not to gossip about it, so I won't, but I'll just say that I'm very glad the hostess picked "Attention" as the prompt. <br /><br />Then I went home, watched the last episode of <em>Fruits Basket</em> (Season Two next year! <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-8vzhhH3/0/9842699f/O/i-8vzhhH3.gif" alt="Emoji Weeee smiling happy face">), and then went to bed. Tonight, <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://twitter.com/worldbshiny'><img src='https://p.dreamwidth.org/e0caa790ec10/-/twitter.com/favicon.ico' alt='[twitter.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='http://twitter.com/worldbshiny'><b>worldbshiny</b></a></span> and I are going to try once again to go to <a href="https://dorchadas.dreamwidth.org/8197344.html">soufflé pancakes</a> and then she's bringing me to a performance of <a href="https://www.goodmantheatre.org/bernhardt">Bernhardt/Hamlet</a> at the Goodman. Considering the material, I'll be very disappointed if it doesn't end in a riot.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=dorchadas&ditemid=8197830" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> comments