• Today in #sankmarray: Really enjoying writing a "wise old master" who is a complete idiot in certain ways. #nanowrimo #ninjas #

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• Hey, article about furries on the BBC! What do you think? http://ping.fm/FWnNt via @isntit, @BBC_magazine #
• A furl of umbrellas #collectivenouns #
• A corporation of umbrellas #collectivenouns #
• Watching @binhbui @custardcat @degsy @metaltax etc carting off stunning quantities of booze. I think a secret iPhone frat party is planned. #
• I have #nanowrimo fail to make up for this weekend. Part 2 done soon. Alpha readers, hurry up with feedback if you want more. :P #sankmarray #

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I've always said shapeshifting, because sometimes there's no solution but to fucking fuck up some fuckers in the form of a large gunmetallic dragon, but recently I've come to consider telekinesis as the daddy/mother/egg/whatever of all superpowers, most others being expressible as super-applied or restricted teke (pyrokinesis, for example, or flight (teke applied against oneself), illusion (moving/bending light), and arguably even time-related effects).

And teleportation would be fun. As would generic 'magic'. Or specific magic, like being able to shout "Karatanka!" and a volcano appears just like in Populous: The Beginning.

A healing factor has obvious appeal too. Healing powers that can be applied both to oneself and to others (read: dogs) are more useful, albeit a bit hippyish. I've always imagined if I had a heal effect, it'd manifest as a slash of blue-white light and a bell-like sound like Arcanum's minor heal spell. Just because it's more manly than the Dungeon Keeper heal spell (little love hearts? HELLO? Evil here!) or the stupid whitelighters on Charmed.

Now the Source's fireballs in Charmed, THOSE are epic.

Superpowers: Bet You Can't Take Just One.

</Sylar>

(What do you mean, I sound like I've given this a lot of thought in the past?)

Sometimes, survival was a struggle against nature. Finding shelter from the elements as well as food was essential.
Sometimes, the elements were all on your side, and food was there for the taking.
Nico wondered if it counted as person-against-nature or person-against self when she just could not stomach fruit that called out “Eat me! I’m ripe and juicy!” from its trees.
It was one reason why she disliked places that seemed taken right out of fairy tales.

Originally published at ankewehner.de. You can comment here or there.

The Cat Piano, an animated noir beat poem.

This was really designed. Like KJ Parker with her special longbow, I don't want to know if it was ever built.

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Rare Barbastelle bat found on the Isle of Wight

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White hind caught on camera in Scotland; Queens Susan, Lucy, Kings Peter, Edmund, seen rushing to site

This article can't make up its mind whether the hind (which is a female deer) should be referred to as "it" or "she". Come on, folks, language guidelines should state that if an animal's sex is known, he or she should be referred to appropriately. Possibly non-sexually-dimorphic arthropods and small fish could be exempt, but it's stupid to refer to a queen bee or ant drone as "it".

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Dog lost in Afghan battle returns. Again with the "its"! What is this rudeness? To a war veteran, no less! (Oh, sorry, Sabi, I meant to say war experienced person.)

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28,000 people in the UK have black and white television sets.

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You mean BCC, sigh...

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Nu Labour in a nutshell:

"It is with considerable disappointment, therefore, that the government has agreed not to remove the 'freedom of expression' section."

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The superstitions around opening an umbrella indoors apparently date back to the Ancient Egyptians.

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Nurse shark? This one's a midwife.

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Smart wife launches her own entrapment operation to catch her paedophile husband in the act. Also, they live in Pantygog.

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Chile says "thanks but no thanks" to statue of authoritarian paedophile-abetting misogynist with creepy Virgin Mary fixation. Sadly not on those grounds, just because of an underground car park.

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This one's fascinating: Traditional African rulers should apologise for the role they played in the slave trade, a Nigerian rights group has said.

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'I agreed to become a suicide bomber' – after days of beatings and being shouted at, poor kid. I admire him.

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Greek Church throws a hissy fit about a ban on "the compulsory display of crucifixes" in classrooms.

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Darwin foiled by ambulance service

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Lion is taken on midnight safari. Disapproves of stop signs but enjoyed drive-thru.

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• Felicini Oxford Rd, nice Italian food. As we left a waiter asked me who "the other short dark guy" was & made me give them his extension no. #
• SMALL PERSON IN OFFICE AGAIN. SOS SOS ...—... IT'S MAKING NOISES! #
• Best email of the day. "There will be an armed robbery reconstruction in the yard behind you. No need to be alarmed." #
• Not that there's anything wrong with gay. I for one am a complete woofter. (Well, a limp-wristed metro-asexual woofter...) #

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• Felicini Oxford Rd, nice Italian food. As we left a waiter asked me who "the other short dark guy" was & made me give them his extension no. #
• SMALL PERSON IN OFFICE AGAIN. SOS SOS ...—... IT'S MAKING NOISES! #
• Best email of the day. "There will be an armed robbery reconstruction in the yard behind you. No need to be alarmed." #
• Not that there's anything wrong with gay. I for one am a complete woofter. (Well, a limp-wristed metro-asexual woofter...) #

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Beautiful.

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Tesla, the Celibate Scientist

So apparently the ladies love celibacy. Hey, ladies! Over here, ladies! White Knight complex at 12 o'clock! I will be oblivious to your advances. I will actually blush and run away if you attempt to tongue-kiss me. SEXY, EH?

Yeeeaaaahhh, they so want me.

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• My gaming buddies said I looked exhausted last night. Sleeping 23:00-08:50 hasn't changed that. Looks like I'm working Binh hours today. :P #
• Wrote some on the tram yestrday/today, not typed up yet, so no more wordcount. Today: philosophical pirate arguments. #nanowrimo #sankmarray #
• Baby in the office!! Making noises!! SEND HELP #
• I followed him before he hit the big time! RT @bbctech: http://bit.ly/1×7glt // it's great how they can't name the account!: @shitmydadsays #
• #vss The MP called upon his constituents to "defend your rights with vim and vigour". Next day he was assassinated by Emacs fans. #

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The Projektpraktikum which I entered after the signup date is dominated by women, at a rate of two in three, which is very unusual for computer science.

That is, of the five people (me included) who wanted to take part originally, one said they'd drop out, one just didn't show up, and the rest is two women and one man. (Not counting the instructor)...

"See, here's the thing; if I die, you'll all wink out of existence. If it helps, it won't be intentional."

Globally broadcast.

And no, I've never imagined that. Now I am, and it's frightening. Thanks a lot for all your apparent grief, 'brother'(!)

• I've just told my mother off for driving on the motorway while having a chest pain attack. She laughed and changed the subject. >:-( >:-( #
• Tram writing this am: Internal monologue livened up by binge drinking. #nanowrimo #sankmarray Never say my heroes are author mouthpieces! #
• Nobody, my darling, could call me a fussy man (HAH!) but if you don't even capitalise my forename, I'm dashed if I'm reading your mailshot. #
• Guys guys guys, I've solved that Hotmail deletion problem. Check your Adblock filters and add @@|http://*.mail.live.com/mail/mail.fpp?* #
• Wondering whether to tell @custardcat he's got the same shirt as my bro. #
• RT @weirdimals a delightful fellow to have come and stay! http://bit.ly/tonguelouse #
• Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance had an excellent soundtrack, all told, didn't it? Goodness, I might even write to this! Minus the spoken bits... #

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Picture found via almostwitty, not sure where he got the impression that I like dogs...

• Is it me, or do even Crowning Moments of Funny http://bit.ly/39hSQc you REMEMBER as being funny, sound really lame out of context in a list? #
• I love that anyone can use the phrase "philosophical cases" even semi-seriously about a conversation being held in lolcat. #
• All roight, I'm going in! To work, that is. Did y'all miss me lawlz lawlz?!? #
• "Stand back! I don't know regular expressions! ...And this could get messy." #regexp #fail #
• Solved the #regex problem, I think. RewriteRule ^(.*)_([2-9]|[0-9]{2})\.shtml$ $1_1\.shtml (does not match page_1, page_0 or page_100) #
• Neat #regex (regular expressions) tester! RT @craigwebster: I like this for testing regular expressions: http://rubular.com/ #
• Amused to notice that I'm listed on a furry list. I know one or two #furries, and even read Jack on and off, so this doesn't upset me. #
• I wouldn't have complained if it had been Clarkson committing suicide: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8350222.stm #topgear #
• It'll take 10 more years of hell, but you'll wake up one day happy. #adviceto16yroldself #
• I forgot my notebook, so no writing on the tram for me today. :( #nanowrimo #
• "Alluring began, as Alluring always did, by working backwards from what Alluring wanted." #sankmarray #nanowrimo #
• Have been muttering "21,606" to myself for about 10 minutes while waiting for the #nanowrimo page to load. MUST UPDATE TOTAL ASDFDSFDSF #
• Really trying very hard not to make a vore joke. #

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der lyiv gurnel

( VICTOREE )

yesterrdai:
 

KLAVAR KATT!!!

• Was anyone smart enough to record the clip with @steverg in it? Only I don't think my soul could bear watching the whole thing. :( #
• http://twitpic.com/oqwsz – #haiku #cats #
• Creating a truly despicable ninja. #sankmarray #nanowrimo #
• http://twitpic.com/orqw9 – LAP CAT LOVES YOU. But sexy, sexy Model M only loves ME. #modelm #clicky #keyboardporn #
• Mudskippers on #Life. I luuurve mudskippers. They have huge turbo jet engine gills; they're like Harrier Jump Jet fish. #
• Here they are – the Harrier Jump Jet Fish: http://bit.ly/1tosCj #Mudskipper #goby #fish #
• Passed the 20,000 mark. :) #nanowrimo I can't believe how well this is coming so far. I've known what's going on throughout. Outlines ftw. #
• The #film I watched today is EXACTLY on my level. http://bit.ly/2xKQZW #muppets #dogs #atrociouspuns (And sound prod by a Mike Baskerville!) #
• Fiiiiire on the mowwwntin run boyz ruuun! Devvulz in the howz of da risin suuuuun! http://bit.ly/1olBRP *rawks out* #
• #vss "Look, I turned the second tray upside down so I could stack it on top of the first. What's the problem?" "...Tray of FAIRY CAKES." #

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So, recently I finished re-reading Making Money, the 36th Discworld novel, by Terry Pratchett. I have read all of them, some of them more often than I can remember.

I’m a bit sad that in my mind the best part of Making Money is that the list of Discworld books on the first pages includes those for younger readers as part of the main series, rather than on a separate list. People going “they are children’s books, so they’re not Discworld book” were a kind of pet peeve of mine, while this novel just fell flat, to the point that I took a break to re-read a 50 volume manga series between chapters.

There were a few bits of impressive or funny descriptions, sure, and I did finish it, and maybe it’ll grow on me if I re-read it more often. For now at least, it just doesn’t click.

Mr Bent’s sermon-rants about gold at the start put me off, and the idea (suggested on the backcover an by Moist von Lipwig in the text) that he might be a vampire does not gel from the start, considering that that would be the first vampire not admitting to being one in how long? The entire series?
Gladys, the golem with a crush on her boss, the abrasive Adora Belle Dearhart, Moist’s old associate with the denture troubles, the Leonardo-with-a-narrower-specialisation, the generic slightly mad scientist and interchangable Igor, the utterly pathetic bad guy Cosmo… No-one in this book caught my sympathy or interest, which is sad.

As to Moist, in Going Postal his crazy stunts to revolutionise the mail system were fun to read. In Making Money, the things like breaking into his own office at the start make sense as something to show he doesn’t deal well with routine, but, well, compared to his last book, his later actions seem rather boring, at least if you already have a basic idea of how money works despite not being backed by gold.

What comes to my mind when comparing those two books is how mundane Making Money is. Paper money is something we all are used to. There were some bits of description that tried to create a sense of wonder about how a penny would “turn into different things” depending on what it was exchanged for, but for me it just didn’t work. Money is something practical and lacks the “magic” and personal touch of the written word that, in form of letters, drove Going Postal.
Superficially, the cabinet and the golems added some magic to Making Money, but it seemed rather tacked on rather than integrated into the story.

In summary, Making Money seemed to me mostly like a mix of “let’s write about how money works” and “let’s modernise Ankh-Morpork” with story sprinkled on top, rather than the (admittedly very high) quality of storytelling that I love so about other books in the series.

Originally published at ankewehner.de. You can comment here or there.