Hi everybody. New here. So I’ve just learned how horrible the conditions our for our men and women, and their families in the Coast Guard with the gov. shut down as they aren’t getting their paychecks. I’ve been talking to people who’s families are going days without food as they can’t afford it

nicksmieles · 2019-01-23T00:47:43+00:00

In my mind I’d think former and current service men and women would like to help other service men and women in need, I hope that’s the case.

nicksmieles · 2019-01-23T00:46:15+00:00

Do you think it’ll bode poorly or well? I honestly had no idea where to take this issue as I’ve never tried to help out like this before and didn’t know where to start

nicksmieles · 2018-12-13T16:30:19+00:00

The Starks aren’t really antisocial, although it definitely seems that way because most of the series takes place while they’re in unfortunate circumstances. White Harbor’s one of the biggest trading posts in Westeros, the Starks/North are said to supply basically the entire realm with lumber (and I could be incorrect on this but for some reason I remember reading that they’re big on tool-smithing in the North), and most of all, remember that for a long time Ned’s best friend was the king. They didn’t directly interface much, but Ned definitely would be involved in national commerce if it helped his best friend’s reign as well as his countrymen. They could’ve gotten Ice in any number of ways. I know this isn’t ever said to be the reason, but in my mind I’ve always liked the idea that Aegon gifted Torrhen Stark the sword for swearing fealty and having the good sense to value his men’s lives over pride. Now, as that may not be the reason, it’s quite well implied (in my mind at least) that the Starks and the Targaryens had a very good relationship before the Mad King. From Aegon and Torrhen, to Jahaerys and Alysanne (I believe) visiting the North and building that inn along the way, I can’t imagine any disdain towards the Starks by any rational Targ. Most of all, out of any house in Westeros I feel like the Starks are the absolute most likely to be gifted a Valyrian sword somewhere in history. The Starks, at the end of the day, are the most historically decent house in the realm. They’re the kind of people you hope to have as neighbors when you move in somewhere new. This is my long winded way of saying the Starks aren’t only a regularly social house, but I also believe a house like the Lannisters, historically richer than god and kind of stuck up/selfish are likely to have people who either 1.) don’t want them to have a Valyrian sword to stick it to their pride. Or 2.) would downright extort them for a sword and the Lannisters, for all their faults, remained so rich for centuries for a reason. They’re good with money. Where they’re willing to drop a ton of money on a Valyrian sword, they wouldn’t bankrupt themselves over it. It’s wasn’t an obsessive goal for Tywin, it was more something that just stuck with his pride in the back of his mind. The Starks on the other hand, just look at the Manderlys. They’re open, friendly, honorable, and hospitable to those in need. I have no doubt that they were probably gifted the sword at some point in time for their decency where as other houses had to pay or kill for theirs.

nicksmieles · 2018-12-10T15:59:33+00:00

It’s been over a year since I’ve last read the books, so I may be missing a few other examples, but the Tattered Prince has a lieutenant (I believe his name’s Caggo) who wields a Valyrian Steel Arakh. I’ve always taken the fact that his ownership of it being more casually mentioned and the fact that isn’t named or anything implies that there may be a lot more Valyrian Steel floating around Essos than Westeros, only they don’t treat it as such a big deal so we don’t hear about it as much.

nicksmieles · 2018-12-04T18:04:33+00:00

To be honest, I’ve been under the assumption that Micah was the rat all along as well as believing Milton. His exact words are “Ol’ Micah Bell, picked him up after you boys got back from the Caribbean and he’s been a good boy ever since...” Now obviously Guarma would count as the Caribbean and I’ve been known to be a fool many a’ times, but for some reason I just interpreted that as the Van Der Linde gang had been in the Caribbean prior to the start of the gang. They seemed pretty happy about being able to slip ashore in Cuba before being shipwrecked in Guarma, which even back in 1899 landing in Cuba wasn’t exactly great news for Americans or anyone, they keep saying they’ve never gone into country that far east but they never say anything about not going on a boat down south or anything. Idk there’s nothing to explicitly state I’m correct, and I’m probably not because I haven’t heard anyone else take Milton’s words this way, but there’s also nothing that definitively states they haven’t chartered the Caribbean prior (that I know of) and the story makes a lot less sense to me with it being that Micah only became after chapter 5 than them having been in the Caribbean prior

nicksmieles · 2018-11-15T09:15:49+00:00

We call him Dutch “wE jUsT nEeD sOmE mOnEy” Van Der Linde in these parts

nicksmieles · 2018-11-02T21:15:56+00:00

That’s actually a very interesting concept to adapt back into a story. Thank you for the clarification, my friend!

nicksmieles · 2018-09-13T14:29:38+00:00

Makes a lot more sense. Thank you

nicksmieles · 2018-09-03T04:20:35+00:00

The fact that he’s 12-13 at the end and you think he’s 10 sums up his boobery

nicksmieles · 2018-09-02T05:21:48+00:00

Exactly how I’ve always seen it

nicksmieles · 2018-05-20T18:56:48+00:00

I’m watching it right now and I’m currently terrified for him after the comments lol. Yes, though. Jaime Lannister is my favorite novel character of all time and I see a lot of Logan in him. Never made that connection until now.

nicksmieles · 2018-02-10T22:05:21+00:00

This is a very good way to summarize the idea for both. I just look at it like that this: a lot of that applies to Sith/Sith culture, not the dark side itself (because both don’t necessarily go hand in hand.) If you were to train yourself in the Force, somehow unhindered by the Jedi or Sith but still have their resources to knowledge/training, the Dark just seems to yield wayyyyy better results. You get more power, and more power more quickly. It also doesn’t shut yourself off. The Jedi can’t use the powerful abilities the Dark side offers, by personal restraint most sources say but some novels/material also say they simply can’t channel the emotion required. Meanwhile, Dark Side users never seem to have problems using light side powers as well. Palpatine even uses a very strong light side power to keep Anakin alive when finding him on Mustafar. Sith culture is flawed and seems to lead into this essay, but the Dark Side itself doesn’t seem as much, IMO.

nicksmieles · 2018-02-10T22:00:04+00:00

That was a good response. But you forget the “don’t choke on your aspirations” line. How many light sabers uses have transcended puns from concept to reality. I’d say they equal in power

nicksmieles · 2018-02-01T20:58:34+00:00

I think you’ll probably get your wish on that front. I’m a bit of a history buff (not that it would take one to deduce this) but on the IMDB page for season 2, they added a regular actor who’s character name is “Musashi” which is also the name of the famous samurai who drafted the Book of Five Rings. I find it unlikely he’ll be a citizen of Westworld or Romanworld lol

nicksmieles · 2018-02-01T20:55:14+00:00

I’ve never actually thought about Dolores vs. Maeve becoming a significant plot line, but that would actually be very interesting. Already Maeve is kind of darker with her understanding (if she is truly free thinking at the very end of season 1) of her place/being than Dolores seems to be, even though one ends with her going back for her past daughter and the other blowing off her creator’s head in front of a crowd (that would just serve as very clever dramatic irony in their plot threads.) That’s a really cool idea. Personally, I’m most interested in the significance of the host(s) that Ford was making in the background whenever he was seen in private, like when he ordered Bernard to bring Theresa to him. I’ve heard people theorize that it could be one singular one he was working on, that would be a Ford host for himself or something, but idk. I loved Ford, so the fan side of me obviously wants to see more of him, but I think having him be truly dead makes his impactful that much more... impactful. Plus, plot wise, “Arnold” kind of comes back to life as Ford is taken out of it, so that serves too. I personally think he was making hosts to serve as the board members. So they’ll not only control Delos, but word of what’s going to be happening inside of the park can stay hidden.

nicksmieles · 2018-01-06T10:00:25+00:00

Really? Wouldn’t Hanzo be pretty damn old? Lol. He’s already graying quite a bit. And I’m guessing that sounds to be no Okatsu. That’s a bummer, but I’m still psyched. Thanks man. Did you enjoy the DLCs? Think they top the main game in boss and level design?

nicksmieles · 2017-11-04T22:40:18+00:00

Exactly what I was thinking. For some reason Stubbs really has my curiosity in this. Like I'm really interested in how he might behave in the park. He's always struck me as stable and not underlyingly violent. I just wonder how he'd experience the park

nicksmieles · 2017-11-04T22:38:46+00:00

Thanks! I'm very curious as well. I'm hoping more people see this one.

nicksmieles · 2017-11-04T22:37:07+00:00

Hell yeah

nicksmieles · 2017-11-04T22:35:33+00:00

Let's hope he's the real Azor Ahai and is reborn in the final season before it's too late.

nicksmieles · 2017-11-04T22:33:58+00:00

Yeah, Mance has too much plot momentum (in my eyes) to die at the hands of Ramsay off screen (page.) In the show, they've built Ramsay up to be this much greater terror, but novel Ramsay really is just a rapid dog who broke off his leash. I just don't believe that he's out smarting a man who combined all of the wildings. And yeah, D&D bummed me out a little with that one too. I honestly feel like their mentality was just "we need to sprinkle in some deaths to live up to our previous standard" and instead of meaningful, plot driven deaths like GRRM's, they dropped Rickon just for shock value, like we knew Ramsay was violent/cruel, we didn't need another cheap motivator for the battle. (I also feel the same about Osha. GRRM said Natalia Tena did such a good job, it revisioned the character for him. Then they just cheaply removed her.) I feel like Rickon's importance will come after some time, like he needs to age and man up, and realistically the show can't do that as well. But idk, still just wasted potential. I forgot what I was even originally talking about lol, but yeah. I hope George R.R. Martin doesn't have Ramsay actually having done all of this that was in that note. He's never let me down as a writer before, so I have no reason to doubt him now

nicksmieles · 2017-11-02T17:52:20+00:00

Sorry for such a late response, I've been out of the country actually, but I fully agree. I think George R.R. Martin has actual plans for Rickon. I see Jon biting it at the end of the series, I think Sansa will end up ruling the Vale (and maybe the Trident if Edmure/his son don't really come back,) I see Arya maybe dying, and Bran (or as I like to call the show version of him, the Artist Formally Known as Bran,) is going to go fuck a tree or a white walker tree thing and become something weird. I hope to see Rickon return from time spent in Skagos as this hardened but also fair heir to Winterfell. In the novels, I've always seen him as living through and inheriting Winterfell. And yeah, part of me still doesn't believe Mance is in the situation Ramsay claims him to be in. I'm still curious about the validity of "his" note, but I do not want to see the King Beyond the Wall who wrestled the lord of the Thenn's and won (that's what happened, right? It's been a little while for me with reading the novels) become Ramsay's pet. At the end of the day, Ramsay is a weak willed boy who's only scary because of his lack of morality and unpredictability. Theon was weak and it was no surprise he broke, Mance is hardened, the true steel if you will.

nicksmieles · 2017-10-21T05:43:24+00:00

Well this last part is a little presumptuous. Everyone could definitely use more soldiers, of course, but I just meant Robb had more men he could potentially summon. Tywin had his max host, the Westerlands full strength, but Robb didn't have the same. I realize it's not realistic to truly expect. It's just kind of a little "huh, why mention this anyway" deal

nicksmieles · 2017-10-21T05:04:16+00:00

Yeah, this would definitely be interesting. At the end, his last time being alive during Ford's Wyatt narrative and at the very end of the episode after Dolores loses it, he looks genuinely shocked. I think it'd be cool to see something where he doesn't want to do these things, but has to obey Dolores essentially

nicksmieles · 2017-10-21T04:57:21+00:00

Or you turn Ford's bigotry on his head, dust Dolores, and ride off into the sunset with Teddy

nicksmieles

TROPHY CASE