Canada photo dump Capilano Park

Alright more pics from my Vancouver vacation.

This is from our morning at Capilano Park. 

It is know for a giant suspension bridge and treetop walks.

We start off with totem poles. I'm a big fan and would love a couple in the back yard.

Then you get to the bridge. It is only a few hundred feet to the ground below. No big right?

I hate suspension bridges. They move and sway and I'm not having it.

Fantastic Beasts and there they are! A review.

The first not Harry Potter/ Harry Potter spin-off film based on a book has been seen by me and mine.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Set in 1926 New York, we are introduced to the American wizarding world through the character Newt Scamander. It seems he is travelling the world studying beasts (fantasy monsters) and writing a book about them. He is also on mission, that they want you to think has a shady vibe about it, to return a beasty to its home. This all seems pretty benign. Well now throw in an invisible monster destroying bits of New York and the investigation by the Magical Congress of the United States American (a.k.a. the Ministry of Magic), a group of anti-witch propaganda pushers, a newspaper magnate and his son running for office, a wizard version of Hatari, not Voldemort on the loose, a paltry romance story, American Muggle interaction (or Mo-Maj’s a word I hate the sound of) and you have the basic plot of Fantastic Beasts.

As I sit here typing this, I am still at odds with this movie. I didn’t hate it, but I hated parts of it. I didn’t love it, but I loved parts of it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Who thought this pic was 

1. ever a good idea

2. sexy

I guess it was made to show an appreciation for a blunderbuss, to make one hungry and to titillate at the same time?

Whatever the reason it is Thanksgiving. Be thankful for whatever and do the family feasting or whatever it is you and yours chooses to do.

D&D post game 11-19-16

It is hard to believe that a simple week long celebration culminated in a night of vicious attacks and terror.

The final night of the Harvest Festival in Stonekeep was anything but family friendly.

The night began with the Remembrance of the Fallen ceremonies at the local graveyard. It was here that some unknown party struck first. A simple ceremony and candlelight vigil turned into a battle against the risen dead. The city guard held the cemetery gates and our intrepid party ventured in to battle the various skeleton and zombies that were walking about attacking the civilian bystanders.

D&D pre-game 11-19

This week has been a time of celebration throughout the realm. All the cities are decked out in vibrant reds, oranges and yellows. There are parades and celebrations on various days during the week. Various acting and performing troupes have settled in to dance, sing, act and entertain the masses. Food is plentiful. Drink is plentiful. A giant travelling circus has arrived. You can’t walk ten feet without seeing corn, apples or some type of gourd.

 Why?

It is the yearly celebration of the coming Autumnal Equinox, the Harvest Festival, the Days of the Departed, the Celebration of Gratuitous Bounty or whatever the local communities decide to call this time of year.

The celebration of the bounty of the summer planting. A week of enjoying times with family and friends. A time to steel against the coming winter months. A time to reflect on the year. A time for some to honor the fallen and lost. A time to cut loose and party, because there is nothing better to do. Whatever the reason, it is a time of celebration.

Come out to see a show!

Enjoy the time with friends!

Take part in the local events!

Revel in the last days before the lean winter months!

Remember and honor the lost!

Head to Ferrous Spur to see the Ancestoral Parade of the dwarves and the pyrotechnic display afterwards!

Marvel at the raising of the swamp spirits and learn why they call the town Wychlight!

Travel to the garrison at Bastion and listen to the playful music of the elves. However, don’t get over zealous and travel into the woods for a closer look.

If you are in Stonekeep go and see the travelling circus!

 

Go enjoy the party. Everyone else is!





New Privateer pretties!

Leading off with the newest version of my favorite Warlock. A new Kaya on the horizon.
A cool look and a nod to Princess Mononoke.

Reign of Cthulhu!

Reign of Cthulhu ……

…..also known as our newest addiction!

Reign of Cthulhu is made by Z-Man Games, the people who make the pretty awesome Pandemic game. We played a game of this at Gen Con 2016. It was fun, but we needed more than one game.

Well we eventually played many many games of Pandemic on vactation and realized that it is stupid fun and that the Cthulhu version is worth a buy, just as fun and right in our wheelhouse.

Alright.

Reign of Cthulhu is based on the H.P. Lovecraft universe. Here the ancient and long thought dormant Elder Gods have their cultists trying to bring them for into the material realm. You play one of four characters and are trying to thwart the cultists and close dimensional portals that those pesky Elder Gods, most notably the big guy Cthulhu himself, are trying to move through. Simple right?

Nope.

Alright first this is a Co-Op for 1-4 players. You play an archetype character (Doctor, Hunter, Occultist, Driver etc.) with an ability to help you/ the team stop the cultists and their Shaggoth masters from summoning the big nasties. Your team has to travel a board that contains four towns Innsmouth, Arkham, Kingsport and Dunwich. Yes all towns based on/part of Lovecraft literature.  Now each town has a color and a portal. Players collect town  cards and once they have five of the same color, they can close that town/color portal. Do this four times and you win the game.

Now along the way cultists show up every turn and you have to “clear” them from the towns. Why? More than 3 cultists on a town location and they summon an Elder God. This will have some negative game effect and make it harder for the players to win. If you summon all the gods…( there are seven Old Ones to summon and the seventh is always Cthulhu)… then you can guess what happens.

There are also Shoggoths that move around the board. They are trying to get through portals as well. If they do, then an Elder God awakens, like having 3+ cultists. Yup you will move one step closer to Cthulhu and the game will get more difficult. So “clearing” (or killing cultist/Shoggoths) bad guys is as essential as closing gates during the game.

Close four gates and win. That is it. The only way to win the game

Now losing the game is a lot easier.

“By the Hoary hosts of Hoggoth” Its Dr Strange!

The next Marvel movie is out there for mass consumption.

Dr. Strange.

I was really curious to see what/how they would deal with the Sorcerer Supreme.

It did not disappoint.

Dr. Strange, for the masses is the wizarding world aspect for the Marvel universe, well he was when I was deep in comics.

Yes this is a very paint by numbers origin story and has a feel like the first Iron Man.

I was ok with that. Dr. Strange needed an origin story since he is not a Bat, Super or Spider man.

1.       Meet Dr. Steven Strange awesome cocky super surgeon
2.      Life changing incident/accident that ruins his awesome super surgeon hands
3.      Love interest issue- blerg!
4.      Learn abilities through crazy Kung-Fu-ish wizardry
5.   Small montage-
6.    Insert one –off villain
7.   Rekindle love interest- double blerg!
8.   Sprinkle in some action set pieces and amazing visuals
9.   Sprinkle in a dose of humor- that was needed to keep this from being too heavy handed
10.   Final conflict
11.   Set-up sequel

The plot is really simple and the pacing is great. It was super easy for the Marvel muggles to follow. I was really wondering how they would pull magic into this movie universe. I mean there is enough science and technology in the Marvel movies, but magic has been over looked to boot. Oh sure they dabbled a little with it in Thor, but not nearly as much as they would have to for Dr. Strange. I was really impressed with how they introduced the magical component and am super curious to see where they go with it next.

Election Day?

Ok its election day here in America. The day where everyone wants you to run out and vote. Well to run out and vote for whom they say you should choose and not the other person.

I can say I have never voted and will continue to do so for the time being. Why?

#1 My home state has been blue since Regan. If I was a Republican, then my one vote wouldn’t change that out come at all. If I was Democrat, then we win the state without my vote anyway. The color of this state isn’t changing anytime soon. So why bother.

#2 These two wanna be Presidential goons are both abysmal choices. Do people really think that either of these two megalomaniacs can/will help this country? These two candidates are just awful. The only reason to vote for one is so that the other awful choice isn’t elected. Is that where we are now? The lesser of two evils is the best choice for America? Guess what then. The lesser of two evils is still evil.

#3 Vote third party then right? Well that seems like as waste of time too. No third party person has a snowball’s chance in Hell of winning the Presidency. If anything voting third party will just help one of the two main awful choices get elected.

#4 No matter who I vote for it would be the wrong choice for ½ the country. The hate, vitriol and ridicule for these two parties and followers of these parties is terrible. If you vote for someone that isn’t a media darling, the popular choice in your area, or what have you: then you are branded with some horrible label and open to vicious mockery by the opposing side. This is beyond childish and I still have yet to understand why people can’t be open and civil about this, but every four years it is the same. I want no part of that crap. Mostly because it feels like childish grade school shenanigans and I’m above that.

#5 It is my right to vote and I choose to waive that right. I don’t judge you on whom you cast vote for. Don’t persecute me for not voting.

Brewster's Millions is spot on this year!

Ian!!!,  if you don’t vote then you can’t complain, you don’t contribute, you don’t count, you don’t even exist at this school (sorry Breakfast Club breaking through there) or everything else. Nope not true at all. Just because I don’t vote doesn’t mean I lose my ability to speak freely. Plus I didn’t vote to put any of these a-holes in place. Everyone else did.

I refer to the great George Carlin on this issue….

“I don't vote. Two reasons. First of all it's meaningless; this country was bought and sold a long time ago. The shit they shovel around every 4 years *pfff* doesn't mean a fucking thing. Secondly, I believe if you vote, you have no right to complain. People like to twist that around – they say, 'If you don't vote, you have no right to complain', but where's the logic in that? If you vote and you elect dishonest, incompetent people into office who screw everything up, you are responsible for what they have done. You caused the problem; you voted them in; you have no right to complain. I, on the other hand, who did not vote, who in fact did not even leave the house on election day, am in no way responsible for what these people have done and have every right to complain about the mess you created that I had nothing to do with.”

Truer words. Man I miss that guy.

Now if you live in “battleground” state, then yeah make sure you get out there and try to sway this election your way. There the votes might actually make a difference, well at least there is a chance to make a difference in those states.

If you want to vote at the local and state level then that might actually make a difference. Where I am it sadly will not, so I abstain in that arena as well.

I’m not saying don’t vote. Go do your civic duty. Just don’t rub it in my face and feel superior because I choose to abstain.

Election Day 2016…the beginning or the beginning of the end, depending on which camp you support/hate.

Canada photo dump: Elfin Lake hike

We decide to make our way up to Elfin Lake. 

A 12 plus KM round trip hike.

The trail looks standard. 

Nothing special of scary there.

Ok look for bears, but we knew this going up here.

Up we keep going.....

6KM up and we break for a snack.

KM of non stop upwards.

Only 6KM more to go.....

Inside the shelter I have to agree with this bit of graffiti.

Toy Story 2 was ok!

History made last night

I used to be a baseball fan. Even more I grew up a Cubs fan due to location and family/friends.

Well until the strike season of 1994.

That pushed me away.

Then all the steroid/HGH stuff after that closed the door for good.

Then this post season started.

We sat and watched the Cubs through the playoffs.

Then the World Series finale last night.

This off season reminded me of everything I once loved about baseball.

Even the most black hearted bitter Cubs hater can at least tip there hat today and realize,

this team, this off season and last night's game was amazing!

If you can't do that then I question why you supposedly love this game.

A franchise this full of history.

A team with a constant rabid and loyal fan base.

A team that has always been known as the lovable losers, finally got what they have been wanting and needing forever.

A championship.

Congratulations to the Chicago Cubs.

Its about damn time!

Halloween after action report

It was a  beautiful night here for tricks and treats

Another year has passed, and the Halloween clock resets.

We ended up with 150 kids for the night. A descent number considering it was a Monday. 

The worst night for Halloween ever!

Bad news is that we have a lot of full size Snickers, Milky Way and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups left.

Wait....that is not such a bad thing at all.

Pre-light show.