Bartimaeus

What's the meaningful distinction here, o-so-friendly one? I'm not intimately familiar with the term, and from what I'm reading online, there doesn't seem to be so much of a difference that would make it any more difficult than the standard bard. The biggest thing seems to be that Skalds generally told of the deeds of someone current (their patron) instead of whatever a standard bard would tell of. Is that what you're getting at?

...I thought Diablo 2 was a worthy successor. Different - less dark, more crazy and demonic instead - but worthy.

What? A bard raised at Candlekeep works perfectly fine: so many stories you could tell from the great library... Sure, the monks and such probably wouldn't have much of an interest in them (or maybe they would, having them retold in a very different manner from the dry history-keeping that they do), but not everybody who lives at Candlekeep was a monk and was familiar with everything kept within the library.

I'm unsure if I want the Lions to win or not. If they win, then the Packers (presuming a win over the Giants...and that's a big presumption) would face the Falcons (instead of the Cowboys), whom we already nearly beat way earlier in the season, when Rodgers was just starting to finally play well...and when our defense was completely dead, so I think we have a 50/50 shot there as well. ...On the other hand, even if we beat both the Giants and the Falcons (and this is really already hoping for a heck of a lot), that would just be delaying the inevitable in facing the Cowboys again, because I just don't see any way the Lions beat the Cowboys. Yeah, it could happen, but...it seems very unlikely. Alternatively, if the Lions LOSE, we immediately face the Cowboys after they're back from a bye and after having rested some of their starters (mostly) the week before that - they may be rusty, and this is probably our best chance of beating you, as unlikely as it seems. ...And then we face one of the Falcons and Seahawks anyways assuming we got past you. What a gauntlet.

Yeah, I know. But I was excited to get into the playoffs. But then we also beat Detroit, so it didn't even matter. The Packers were crushed by the Giants in 2007 and 2011...not looking forward to a repeat of that.

THANK YOU GIANTS WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO VOLOURN I LOVE YOU

Pony Island. Some people are acting like it's on the same level as Undertale, but eh, it was just decent for a dollar and a half or so.

She didn't breathe for ten minutes, according to reports when it happened. It was pretty unlikely she was coming back, RIP

The Broncos would also have to acquire some offensive line talent for that trade to make any sense, though. The last three undefeated teams...the Vikings, the Eagles, and the Broncos...have all missed the playoffs. That's only happened one time in NFL history...I don't remember what year it was, but it was something quite sometime ago. If the Redskins lose next week, both the Packers and the Lions will clinch the playoffs assuming a Seahawks win over the 49ers (something something strength of victory making it so the Buccaneers cannot take it away from either the Lions or the Packers even assuming a Buccaneers win).

I was really hoping Raiders would be good in the playoffs, and that the Titans would win the AFC South. Earlier in the season, I said "at least I have the Raiders to look forward to"...alas, no more. ...But at least the Packers look like they might be going to the playoffs again, I guess! The bad news, though, is that the entire AFC looks about ready to collapse in on itself, and offer virtually no challenge for the Patriots getting to the Super Bowl.

You have to be really, really, really bad at it for that to happen tho, so I think congratulations are in order. At any rate, those games are fantastic, especially when played at one of the Ranger difficulties (removing UI more or less completely) Yeah...or really take your time, too, I guess. I suddenly ran out of filters in a playthrough of 2033 myself once...but it wasn't a huge deal, because as long as you put your gasmask on like every 10 seconds (even if you immediately take it back off), you should still be good: it's just annoying to keep putting it on and then taking it off.

On one hand, I'm happy the Browns didn't go 0-16...especially seeing as how that honor is still reserved for just the Lions. On the other hand...

It was not likely to be a DDOS attack, given that the entirety of Steam - every last server in every country - went down at exactly the same exact time. It was like somebody pulled a plug that just turned everything off.

I'VE GOT A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH YOU PEOPLE, AND NOW YOU'RE GONNA HEAR ABOUT IT! Merry Christmas.

Yeah, the Cowboys beating the Lions means the Vikings-Packers game is meaningless, which is good, because Rodgers has really struggled against them the last couple of times, so I'm not one hundred percent confident that we'll win. If the Lions win against the Cowboys...I would guess that the Lions will make a wild card over the Buccaneers, and it will make this Saturday game crucial for the Packers.

Yeah, I wouldn't rest the team entirely (except for people nursing injuries, of course) because I remember what happened when the Packers did that in 2011 after they clinched the #1 seed...a knockout punch in the divisional because the team was too rusty from not playing and couldn't recover from it in time to save the season.

Well, because Eli Manning can't bloody stop overthrowing Beckham in the end zone, the Cowboys have clinched the #1 seed in the NFC!

"The Forgotten Kennedy" https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/aug/13/eunice-kennedy-shriver-rosemary-kennedy Additional excerpt from Wikipedia: During November 1941, when Rosemary Kennedy was 23, doctors told Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. that a new neurosurgical procedure, lobotomy, would help calm her mood swings and stop her occasional violent outbursts. (About 80 lobotomies, 80% on women, had been performed in the United States by the time.) He decided that his daughter should have the lobotomy performed; however, he did not inform his wife Rose of this until after the procedure was completed. Rosemary was strapped to the operating table. James W. Watts, who carried out the procedure with Walter Freeman of Wingdale Psychological and Correctional Facility, described what happened next (as narrated by Ronald Kessler): "We went through the top of the head, I think she was awake. She had a mild tranquilizer. I made a surgical incision in the brain through the skull. It was near the front. It was on both sides. We just made a small incision, no more than an inch." The instrument Dr. Watts used looked like a butter knife. He swung it up and down to cut brain tissue. "We put an instrument inside", he said. As Dr. Watts cut, Dr. Freeman put questions to Rosemary. For example, he asked her to recite the Lord's Prayer or sing "God Bless America" or count backwards... "We made an estimate on how far to cut based on how she responded." ... When she began to become incoherent, they stopped. After the lobotomy, it quickly became apparent that the procedure was not successful. Kennedy's mental capacity diminished to that of a two-year-old child. She could not walk or speak intelligibly and was incontinent. It sure would suck to be forcibly lobotomized for just being a kid in a powerful family.

why'd you call the man "the prettiest princess", again?

I find it justice that the Redskins will miss the playoffs as a result of such a sorry showing...the same reason that I lost my fantasy playoffs. It's only fair.

Congratulations! Now pray you don't meet the Giants, seemingly your Achille's heel, in the playoffs. If the Packers win the North, I suppose it's likely that we'll host the Giants in the first round, isn't it? The Giants seem to always crush the Packers on their way to the Super Bowl...

Me too, actually: a friend recommended it to me, and I looked at the Steam store page, and I was like, "...But it looks so completely and utterly unappealing." I didn't try it until months after that...and had to come back and say, "O.K., you were right." But ultimately, it's probably not for everyone, so no biggie.

I very nearly had to commit ritual suicide live on youtube, so I understand and sympathize with your pain hey, at least we both won, right?

It starts off super slow and somewhat pedestrian, no doubt about it. The game starts ramping up some in the second major area, by which time I started enjoying myself more...then ramps up even more in the third area, and at this point I was really into it...and then even more as it continues...and then has probably has the best ending in a game I've ever played. It's just that beginning hump that I think really puts players off - I know friends I've recommended it to have had difficulty getting through the first act, but once they do, they've all finished it at blazing speeds and have loved it.

I actually *do* prefer music with vocals...it's just extremely difficult for me to find voices that I like, but when I do, I usually love them...sometimes totally independent of what they're singing or their music itself. Emiliana Torrini is, I think, the latest one I found whose voice I just love. "shoegazy fuzz" I don't even know what this means. Sounds made up.