May 30
Memorial Day 2016
everyday glory No Comments »Monday – 30 May 2016
Today is Memorial Day.
Please take the time to remember those who served and sacrificed so that we are able to enjoy the freedoms we have today.
Namaste.
May 25
“Don’t Panic.”
comics and animation, computers, event, everyday glory, family and friends, geekery, movies and TV No Comments »Wednesday – 25 May 2016
Today is Towel Day.
“…it has great practical value – you can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapours; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a mini raft down the slow heavy river Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or to avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (a mindboggingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can’t see it, it can’t see you – daft as a bush, but very, very ravenous); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.”
Stray Toasters
- I visited my brother and his kids a couple of weeks ago. Despite the fact that we’re (only) 6 hrs apart, by car, and that neither of us really considers that a long drive, it’s only the second time we’ve visited in two years. Still, I had a great time. He and the kids are doing well.
- DC Rebirth. I have many thoughts about this… soft-boot?
- I have my second Raspberry Pi. I’m contemplating setting it up as a media machine for TeamDiva2011…
- The season finales of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Flash have left me with many questions.
- I’m still pushing for The CW to call their 4-part crossover “Crisis,” in some manner or other.
Namaste.
May 10
Disney Infinity: So Long, Farewell, Goodbye *
business and economy, everyday glory, games, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot...?! No Comments »Tuesday – 10 March 2016
Disney has decided to shut down Disney Infinity in June, following its releases for Alice Through the Looking Glass and Finding Dory.
Nick Fury and the Avengers vs. Loki and a Frost Giant
I’ve enjoyed this game immensely, but I was also thrilled to be able to share it with my daughters, who love running around in Toy Boxes that I’ve either made or found on the Disney Infinity Community site. I don’t know if the standalone games and downloaded Toy Boxes will be playable without the Disney servers running in the background, but I will be testing that out over the next few days…
Beyond the potential lack of recreation for me and my kids, the shutdown also has larger ramifications: Disney also shut down Avalanche Software, the studio that’s behind franchise. This means that nearly 300 people – including three friends of mine – were just informed that they were being laid off.
The official press release follows:
By now you may have heard the news that we have made the difficult decision to discontinue production of Disney Infinity. From the beginning, Disney Infinity was built for you—our fans—and I wanted to take a moment to thank you not just for your support over the years, but for creating a community that made Disney Infinity more than just a game.
Our goal for Disney Infinity was to bring the best of Disney storytelling to life in homes around the world, and with your support we accomplished that. We hope you had as much fun playing the game as we had making it.
So what’s next for Disney Infinity? We have two final retail releases coming, including three new characters from Alice Through the Looking Glass later this month, and the Finding Dory Play Set launching in June.
And as we turn to the next chapter in our story, I want to thank everyone who helped bring Disney Infinity to life, particularly Disney’s Glendale-based production and publishing teams, our external development partners, and of course the incredible Avalanche team for their tireless dedication to this project.
But most of all, I want to again thank you for making Disney Infinity a part of your lives—and for adding to the Disney legacy by being a part of this community.
I wish for the best for the people affected by this turn of events.
*- Apologies/”Thank you” to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
May 02
Serious Question about NC House Bill 2…
everyday glory, food for thought, politics and law No Comments »Monday – 02 May 2016
Something came to mind a few minutes ago and I am trying to wrap my head around the legal shadings surrounding it.
Let me back up and say that I think that NC HB 2 is one of the more idiotic, bigoted and offensive laws that I’ve heard of being proposed, let alone one that has actually been enacted. So, if you’re a fan of this law, you might want to ignore the rest of this post.
In broad terms – and according to the letter of the law – users of public single-sex, multiple occupancy restrooms must use the bathroom that matches their birth gender identity, correct?
I have two 4yo daughters, who I am not about to make – or allow, really – go into a public restroom by themselves. Multiple reasons. But, if I take them into the men’s room, am I in violation of the law?
I was talking this out with my friend, Chris, who pointed out the following:
Chris
Tricky. THEY would be the ones in violation of the law.
I think it has an exception for kids under a certain age, but I don’t know what age that is.Rob
Right, but there’s the whole issue of them being not of age, so wouldn’t responsibility/culpability fall back on me?Chris
You know, I’m not sure how that works. If they’re 12 and burn down the school, you’re not criminally responsible, but you might be on the hook for civil financial penalties.
That being said, there is an exception for: To accompany a person needing assistance
For me, that’s part of the problem: The girls are fully capable of going without assistance, for the most part; they are, however, too young to go unaccompanied. And, for example, on nights when Sara works and I take them out to dinner, they have to go to the men’s room to use the bathroom.
Chris responded to that with:
And yeah, I see nothing in the law specifying an age. Now if you tried to take them into the ladies room, I think they’d be more likely to try to enforce it than vice versa. But it seems to me that, technically, they don’t NEED assistance and so they would be in violation if you took them into a men’s room. Probably no judge would uphold it, but it would be a hassle for sure.
So, if I were to bring the girls to visit their grandparents in NC and we were to go out and I wound up having to take them to the restroom, would I have to worry about someone getting their dander up and trying to drag me to court – or even jail – because I had to take them to the “wrong” bathroom?
Food for thought.
And, I welcome any serious discourse on the matter, especially from anyone who lives in NC.