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I can't help it, but it's this on loop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG2EP0giuLo

Mine's felt like it's been going nowhere since late 2019 (aka the long 2020).

I'm just vibing now and enjoying my creative projects, like my DMing.

The real question is it would be more or less cringe than what Rev. Uncle BadTouch already does?

Found it https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Themberchaud

Not a problem. I will admit a slight preference for such sources overall, myself. Unless you really want to delve into the tactical level stuff, which I find a bit unnecessary (though sometimes interesting), the more operational level and strategic stuff is usually more rewarding.

I will say that though I haven't followed it for the current conflict much, I've found the Jamestown Foundation quite helpful. They are a small c-conservative defence based think tank, but they're very much establishment DC types more than anything else. And between them and the Institute for the Study of War, I've been able to use their data and projections to come up with some pretty significant and correct predictions before.

Front line news is...tricky. I'll admit, I don't follow the front line, open source stuff for the most part. I've found a lot of sources lately are very...lax on showing some pretty horrific scenes, the kind of stuff that will definitely put you off your dinner. Not to mention Twitter is now full of paid blue check mark "open source intel" dipshits who are being aggressively pushed by Musk, whose own position on the conflict is suspect.

Unless you're looking for specific weapon system or tactical disposition information, I would honestly suggest not focusing on that level. Taking a step or two back and looking at the bigger picture will allow for the trends to be more broadly visible, and is less susceptible to being gamed, simply because Ukraine can't hide it's been pushed out of so and so a city, or Russia can't hide it lost 50 tanks in it's last idiot push.

In general, I'd prefer something like various university and think tank analysis centres for stuff like this, as they will usually provide daily to weekly updates and fairly dispassionate analysis. Some of these will undoubtedly be biased, you've got your Atlantic Council and RUSI official blogs and such after all, but they're still pretty useful, and tend to bullshit a lot less than TV talking heads do. But that's where I'd look, Eurasia-focused security think tanks and research programs.

I liked it too. I am glad they went for Guardians of the Galaxy and not LotR.

I thought the dragon was interesting. It's like.. the movie is called Dungeons and Dragons, so if it doesn't have a dragon in it, it fails -- so they had to cram one in there. And then, how do they do it?? Do they try to outdo Smough? scary red dragon has been done in so many films...

they chose a new visual direction, made it chubby. I thought that was clever! Hadn't seen a fat dragon fight in a movie before.

So I actually looked this up.

It's a chubby dragon in the lore. Like, 2nd edition lore. I know, I was as shocked as anyone. It was that dragon that nested in one of the duregar cities and was fed tribute to keep it from running rampage, so it got fat. Said city was near Menzoberranzan, and so it even fits for the right area of the Underdark, given the film takes place along the Sword Coast and Menzo is basically north and east of Waterdeep.

Also, FWIW, very true to the lawyers I dealt with, during my time doing legal research. There are definitely lawyers with zero conscience, but they don't work in criminal law, they're in acquisitions and mergers. If you want to make bucketloads of money and have no scruples, then criminal defence is a chump's game: corporate law and adjacent fields is where it's at.

I'm not a Matthew McConaughey fan, so I started watching The Lincoln Lawyer, a 2011 film, more out of boredom than anything else. Mickey Haller, the criminal defense attorney played by McConaughey, initially appears to be every bit as sleazy as his clients. However, as the movie progresses, he's shown to actually follow a code of ethics.

This is a flick with a lot of interesting twists and turns, and I found it to be well worth the watch. I, also, now have more respect for McConaughey's acting ability.

I went into that film with zero expectations and I also really enjoyed it. As you say, it's twisty, unpredictable and definitely shows McConaughey's acting chops some.

Honestly my favourite genre of film "something I know absolutely nothing about but end up enjoying."

Honestly sounds like the UK except it is as bad as it seems, and possibly even worse than that.

Turns out making all the doctors and nurses flee to Canada and Australia and then making our immigration system so impossibly frustrating and difficult that no-one wants to come here was not a winning strategy. Who knew?

Try and keep well the best you can, though. I'm sure you've heard it before and know what to do, but fluids and rest, rest and fluids. 4 weeks is quite the ass-kicking, so hopefully it passes soon.

 

Look, they're called *biological weapons* right?

And every American has the right to bear arms.

Glad to hear things are looking up, a little bit.

And yeah, gluten sensitivity options are so much better these days. I went to school with someone with Celiac disease and she used to have to eat these horrible plain looking things. Much like the vegetarian options, the companies involved have stepped up their game some and some of it actually looks pretty appetising these days.

It was definitely a different take. And yeah, as you say, the Guardians of the Galaxy style approach really did work for them, and I felt it played to the cast's strengths. It had more of a feel of an actual D&D campaign that has gone slightly off the rails but is gradually getting back on course.