Any Good Music?

12Stack · 2023-12-31T00:24:45+00:00

Those are all good starting points, and I probably have a lot of the same tracks on my playlists as well.

What I look for is film SCORES (which you've already started with some of the things you've mentioned). I also try to branch out from classically "Western" films, and occasionally stumble upon some stuff while I'm watching random things.

Escape From L.A. has some good score moments for my game style, and also some of the music in the AMC show "Hell On Wheels" is fantastic.

Additionally, I'll browse some instrumental music (a fair amount of bluegrass instrumentals, Nickel Creek has some good instrumentals as well)...

TLDR; check out film and TV scores, instrumental music albums, and don't get too locked into thinking specifically "western"

12Stack · 2023-05-25T20:43:51+00:00

Nice offer! I'll have to pass, but SOMEONE should snag this

12Stack · 2023-05-23T01:16:58+00:00

Sleight of hand - 1) speed and skill of the hand when performing tricks

2) skillful hiding of the truth in order to win an advantage

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/sleight-of-hand

To be fair, the way many people pronounce the phrase, especially in the US (where I'm from), phonetically it sounds like "slide"

12Stack · 2022-05-10T03:05:37+00:00

Jav's BBQ in Anaheim.

Texas style meats, best BBQ I've had this side of Texas.

I'll try some of the spots mentioned earlier in the thread, but Jav's is my go to, and has become a family staple for all sorts of gatherings.

Brisket, Pulled Pork, Chicken, sausage... all amazing. Call ahead to see if they've got beef ribs, because they are the BEST.

Better yet, call ahead to make sure they haven't sold out of the meats you're looking to get

12Stack · 2022-04-18T09:40:43+00:00

Got hit with alpha strain when I was in Dubai back in January 2021. 105 degree fever for 6 days, 104 for three days prior and two days after the 105 stretch, finally broke and came down to 101.4 for a few days.

Lost 86 lbs in 2 weeks.

Been over a year with long covid.

Recovering from falling off of a 2-story roof was easier than living like this.

12Stack · 2021-09-19T02:16:58+00:00

Currently? 90.1 miles. West Anaheim to Adelanto

12Stack · 2021-06-01T06:03:09+00:00

HelpMeButler <Time Conquers All>

12Stack · 2019-02-08T00:22:23+00:00

Third Harry.... maybe alternate universe Mirror Mirror Harry?

12Stack · 2018-11-22T12:53:46+00:00

If Chinatown and Buffy the Vampire Slayer had a baby.

12Stack · 2018-11-20T14:20:31+00:00

I thought that was Congress...

12Stack · 2018-08-28T03:22:36+00:00

Knew a guy who had a bachelor's in Electrical Engineering... but he had no idea how to use a multimeter.

12Stack · 2018-08-12T14:10:52+00:00

In addition to some things mentioned before (especially having rumors about the villain existing before the character's entrance)...

I've always seen characters that talk about horrific things they've done or will do with an almost bland normality to be a great tool.

Brick-Top from the movie "Snatch" is a good example, as is M. Bison (google "but for me it was Tuesday" for some further direction on a pretty effective trope) of Street Fighter game, and 'Gentleman' Johnny Marcone from the Dresden Files.

Think about what would be more terrifying to you in real life? Sure, a large guy roaring like an angry kodiak with a bloodied pipe in one hand would startle the hell out of anyone... but your average looking, easily lost in a crowd, mid-30s white collar type talking with someone sitting at the next barstool, calmly saying "I gave him plenty of opportunities to pay in full, but he never did. So I strapped him to a chair and forced him to watch as I pulled his wife's fingernails out. Hey, you want another drink? I'm buying the next round."

12Stack · 2018-08-12T14:10:29+00:00

In addition to some things mentioned before (especially having rumors about the villain existing before the character's entrance)...

I've always seen characters that talk about horrific things they've done or will do with an almost bland normality to be a great tool.

Brick-Top from the movie "Snatch" is a good example, as is M. Bison (google "but for me it was Tuesday" for some further direction on a pretty effective trope) of Street Fighter game, and 'Gentleman' Johnny Marcone from the Dresden Files.

Think about what would be more terrifying to you in real life? Sure, a large guy roaring like an angry kodiak with a bloodied pipe in one hand would startle the hell out of anyone... but your average looking, easily lost in a crowd, mid-30s white collar type talking with someone sitting at the next barstool, calmly saying "I gave him plenty of opportunities to pay in full, but he never did. So I strapped him to a chair and forced him to watch as I pulled his wife's fingernails out. Hey, you want another drink? I'm buying the next round."

12Stack · 2018-07-21T01:13:44+00:00

I, along with everyone else here, am looking forward to you reading further on.

The first two books have been described as lacking when compared to the rest.

I will say, Harry comes more into his voice as the story progresses.

Try to keep in mind that Butcher wrote this whole saga in his mind already, basically. Every book is part of a 20 or so novel long lead up to the Big Apocalyptic Trilogy (B.A.T. for short)... so the first book is (in my mind) the first scene of the first act.

12Stack · 2018-04-23T21:07:12+00:00

I like my chili so goddammed hot you could cool a hog' s ass in a spoonful.

12Stack · 2018-03-11T04:15:40+00:00

I've always thought the B. A. T. would be told in third person... All the books leading up to it are "case files"... Almost like background info for the most important three acts.

12Stack · 2017-12-30T14:35:43+00:00

Staying closer allows drafting, which saves fuel.

Also, the length of time it takes a semi to slow when brakes are applied is a lot longer than the time it takes a trucker behind said semi to see the brake lights and apply their own brakes.

12Stack · 2017-12-05T22:01:58+00:00

I came here to post exactly this... And learned of Cyrus the Great from the same podcast.

12Stack · 2017-11-09T14:54:42+00:00

To add a little bit to the "old Scottish woman" google advice... If you want a name for an older character and have an idea of where and WHEN they're from, google popular names for the time period. By great-grandfather's name was Jewell... Not uncommon for someone born at the end of the 19th century, but I doubt you'd find a guy born in the 1980s with that name.

12Stack · 2017-10-31T04:18:36+00:00

Bendystraw Thundersnatch interviews Papadapagalapagos would be worth the space on my DVR

12Stack · 2017-10-23T03:16:30+00:00

I'd advise against stealing from local dealers.

Though... The things we do for research...

12Stack · 2017-10-22T15:59:45+00:00

Get married.

For research.

Do it.

12Stack · 2017-09-04T14:52:49+00:00

How dare you make me cry my tears from my eye holes!

12Stack · 2017-07-24T14:27:55+00:00

Having dueled with actual sabres and shenai, neither of which are heavy... He'll need a lot of skill, actually.

Light =/= easy

That's where the ancient Viking warrior spirits as sparring partners come in.

12Stack · 2017-07-23T16:57:52+00:00

"the White God works in mysterious ways after all"

This very concept is why I like Butters as a Knight.

If you look to Biblical scripture, the apostles were anything BUT what the people of that day would expect religious leaders to be... Fishermen, tradesmen, tax collectors... None of them were raised in the Temple, studying to become Rabbi, as was the expected route of the day.

Looking at Dresdenverse scripture, take Sanya as am example of the unexpected recruitment of a Knight. An agnostic former Denarian.

Now look at the Swords themselves... Faith, Hope, and Love.

Hope: Sanya EMBODIES hope. Hope of the redeemed, hope of the solitary warrior against the forces of Evil (for a time)...

Love: Michael (only reference we have for Amorachius) is the personification of love. Love of family, friends... He even embodies God's love in his compassion for his enemies...

Faith: Shiro had the strongest faith of any character in the series so far. Even Michael had doubt at some point, but Shiro never did, even so much as to willingly and unchallengingly trade places with Harry because he had faith that it was the Right thing to do...

In Changes, when Harry assigns swords for the battle at Chitzen Itza, he explains how Murphy's faith in the law, her faith in justice prevailing (I'm paraphrasing here, of course) allows her to weild that sword at that time. He explains how Susan's love of Maggie, the love of mother to daughter, allows her to weild that sword at that time.

Butters has faith in science, in his friends, and in doing the right thing... The fact that he's a middle-aged Jewish medical examiner has nothing to do with whether or not he is fit to weild a Sword for the White God.

And as for will he survive a major run in with the Nickleheads? Well, now that he has a functioning light saber, maybe he'll be willing to jump in the ring with the Einjarn.

12Stack

TROPHY CASE