DanJW

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Posts posted by DanJW

  2. Posted

    Hello! I have been pretty much just lurking and moderating for the last 18 months - more on why soon in Life thread. I do however have something to Plug first:

     

    Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Brighton Fringe Festival!

     

    Some of you may know the show or that it is going to Broadway this year with Neil Patrick Harris in the lead. It's a really fantastic story and I urge everyone to either see the show or seek out the movie.

     

    We started planning this at our own theatre almost a year ago, before we knew it would be on Broadway, and it's coming up fast. We're only a little charity community theatre though so we don't have a huge budget. To help boost it a little we launched an Indiegogo project  - link above.

     

    I know most Thumbs won't be able to come and see it (although if you can please do - you won't be disappointed); still, if you can spare any loose change it would be much appreciated and will make lots of people very happy (including my girlfriend who will be playing Yikzhak and has been hinting that I will have to kiss her while she is wearing the beard)..

     

    Here's a little video I threw together:

     

    http://youtu.be/UDMLYYUW3ZU

  5. Posted

    So I went to the audience with Terry Pratchett & Friends yesterday and it was great.

     

    We were read extracts from the next Discworld novel (steam power!) and there was news about upcoming screen projects (A City Watch based full length TV series - Terry apparently re-wrote the opening scene on stage to the slight consternation of the producer - and then maybe Reaper Man.. and maybe a feature length movie - they were very coy about all of this). Oh and a screen version of Good Omens! They spoke about the conditions while making Terry's orang-utan doc and there were some fun Q&A's. Plus Terry just got an honorary doctorate from Open University.

     

    It was a little bit sad seeing how difficult it is for Terry to articulate long recollections now; he clearly still remembers it all, he just has trouble communicating it and the other guys helped him out a lot. Talking about the present seemed easier and he is still sharp and funny. What came across most though was how much he is completely still in love with writing and the creative process.  He said that he has absolutely no fear of death and "once you have no fear of death, the world is your mollusc".

     

    Like the organiser said at the end, it was mazing how much love there was in the room, not least displayed by the standing ovation.

  6. Posted

    In his own words; Terry Pratchett has not developed Alzheimers, Alzheimers has developed Terry Pratchett and it's going to regret it...

  8. Posted

    I just finished the final episode of Lee's story and now I am all sad. I feel like I could have managed things so much better, even besides the ending. 

     

    It's an amazing game guys, well done. I have never had a game make me feel quite like this.

     

     

    Now someone suggest a game to cheer me up!

  9. Posted

    I have the original trilogy (Wizard of Earthsea, Tombs of A'Tuin and The Farthest Shore). I read them as a teenager and they are still my favourite fantasy novels of all time. Each one is different but they all fit together (from a literary point of view, Tombs of A'Tuin is perhaps the best).

     

     

    I keep meaning to pick up the later novels, although I have to admit being a tiny bit apprehensive.

  12. Posted

    After 9 attempts at Impossible I downgraded to Classic Iron Man and enjoyed it much more. Still tough though; I went with famous comedians (Sacha Baron Chen did pretty well in his gold Ali G armour, Joan Rivers spent a lot of time in the sickbay) and only John Goodman managed to survive more than three missions before he and Tim Minchin wiped on the first terror mission and I couldn't face carrying on. I think I need to recuperate with a less intense game before trying again.

     

    edit; yes I can definitely see Shaft in the Volunteer Role. That man has what it takes.

  15. Posted

    Thanks Nappi, just the kind of stuff I need! I've recently been inspired by astronauts, even before Chris Hadfield's Space Oddity video (which is awesome BTW) so I think I will start with that. I Might need more female names though. I'm going to comb these lists!


    Also, Terry 'Bag' Spragg.

     

    I always named my Worms line-up after famous scientist.

    There are a lot of great and bizarre Wikipedia lists out there that may help or inspire you. Start here. Can you also change the nickname? If so, then these two lists might be of interest to you:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_foods_named_after_people
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_inventions_named_after_people

    "No! Those bastards shot Prince "Fillet of Beef" Albert!" yelled Richard "Bananas" Foster as he cowered behind the control panel of the downed UFO.



    edit:

    here are the lists I'll be using

    List_of_astronauts_by_selection

    List_of_science_fiction_authors

    and the strangely apt List_of_people_who_disappeared_mysteriously

  16. Posted

    I never rename my recruits, it feels too dehumanising, What I do do is give special armour to squads before sending them on particularly dangerous missions. It lends a sense of history to the soldiers and makes it easier to remember who has fought side by side. 

     

    That sounds interesting. Do you mean like colouring parts of their armour like a shoulder or knee pad? I haven't played with the elite squad pack yet so looking forward to the extra options. It's almost like giving them tour ribbons.

  17. Posted

    Well hello again!

     

    I am just about to start my own Impossible Iron Man playthrough of Xcom (having completed it on classic mode with saves). After catching up on the podcast I decided I needed more so bought both DLC. I will probably use some second wave options too.

     

    My reason for posting is this: I need your suggestions for naming schemes for my soldiers. In the original UFO Enemy Unknown I used characters from Battlestar Galactica; something tells me that I am going to need a much larger roster this time.

     

    Ideas please!  :gaming: 

  18. Posted

    I've just rewatched Melancholia for the third time, and now I need another movie that has a similar tone. Primarily, I am looking for films that deal with the alienation of depression, and the idea of being "there but not there". The idea of trying to put on your best face as you feel yourself crumbling internally is fascinating, and I don't know of many other films that deal with it. I'm more of a book guy, so my knowledge on cinema is lacking. I've watched other Lars Von Trier films, so I need to step out of the box for a little.

    I haven't seen Melancholia, so I don't know how it compares, but I highly recommend Wristcutters: A Love Story as a very creative dark comedy in which nobody smiles.

  20. Posted

    So much of the right wing bullshit is completely over-the-top insane and disingenuous, and this lady seems a lot more earnest and rational than a lot of the partisans on the right.

    Paired with the beginning of the video, that sentence is terrifying.