Selfsurprise

I did mention "dodgy neo-nazi BM" in my opening post. Also, the nazi losers are so HRDKRE that they'll usually try to argue that national socialism is totally rad and bravely defend their opinions by refusing to give interviews and wearing balaclavas. I was hoping not to dwell too much on metal politics.

Sat down and read Judith Mok's marvellous poetry book Gods of Babel. Her thoughts seem to exist breathlessly in the present and past, with a fantastic disregard for tense or context. I can't help but enjoy her motifs, her peculiar emotional responses to a given time or place, her highly personal interpretation on the symbolism of plants and animals. A short but exceptionally sweet book. "How sad his eyes were, the old boar, sanglier, in his stinky little hut. The man had caught him as a baby and wanted to fatten him up. He did and then he loved his fat boar and kept it as a pet. Speaking of matrimony: Do we like to fatten each other up and keep each other as sad pets?" - Judith Mok, Blood or "Le Sang des Autres" "I am the one with books bound On my bedside table, a golden throat And the ringing of diamond chimes as a gift From my good fairies in my eager ears I am the poisoned one [...] The hours fill the night And my small screen keeps flashing Star after fallen star, Sores for my sad eyes" - Judith Mok, Solitude Snow White

Alexej von Jawlensky, Sitzende Frau (1909)

^ It didn't strike me as a particularly legit way of checking my typing speed, but I've never even thought about it until now.

"I feel like the United States has more and more to worry about besides me." (you are a humble man Mr. Scott) Thanks again for answering my admittedly rather obtuse questions, I really do appreciate it. I've seen that Channels video by Grickle. Some parts of it are genuinely quite unsettling, particularly that one scene where a young boy stands a pebbly beach staring at one of the stones that is mewling like a baby. Graham Annable really knows how to tease out a kind of uncanny and uneasy variety of humour in his videos. One of my favourites is the one titled Closet - if only because it features the opening track from the 1992 film adaptation of Dracula. I'd love to keep asking you questions for these videochats, but I'm painfully aware that posting here, as a forum regular gives me a somewhat privileged position. I hope you don't feel indebted to answering my questions and that you or someone would let me know if I've outstayed my welcome as a contributor to the updates. If you want me to stop I'll do it, no problem. Otherwise, I have some new points I'd like to raise for the next videochat. If you'll indulge me... 1. Given that the last few years have seen a resurgence in the appreciation of point n' click/graphic adventure games, what do you think of the possibility of giving old and somewhat defunct game genres a new lease of life? How do you think something like an updated full motion video game or even text adventure with higher definition visuals and gameplay would work? Would this even be worthwhile or desirable? 2. In the Game Dungeon episode reviewing Revenant, you talked about your frustration with one minor character named Sabu that the writers milked for corny villain rhetoric. Have there been any other characters in games you found equally or even more annoying? They needn't be the bad guys or even minor characters. 3. Assuming you have at least some passing familiarity with the fantasy genre, if you could be a member of any non-human race (elves, orcs, owlbears, etc) what would you most like to be? 4. Could you share some thoughts on the following quote?: "I secretly think reality exists so we can speculate about it." - Slavoj Žižek

I know. This belongs on the serious topic discussion subforum, as befits the sober sincerity of Metal Archive.com's "MTLZ R SRZ BZN" stance, but I felt posting it here was the more democratic and inclusive thing to do... :3 Does anybody else other than me get an indescribably peculiar pleasure in conjuring-up imaginary subgenres for metal? As a genre it is undeniably both renowned and reviled for multitudinous mutant strains of itself, and the many sub-sub-genres within those strains. One can't swing a cacodaemon in the genres cramped quarters for all the veritable varieties. If one takes black metal as a notable example, for most fans of the field a pure and quite easily definable subgenre if there ever was one, then you'll find a whole fleet of attendant microgenres within - bestial BM, raw BM, depressive/suicidal BM, dodgy neo-nazi BM, christian BM (who would've guessed! sometimes it is rather hilariously labeled "unblack metal"), anticosmic BM, ambient BM, vedic BM, Tolkien inspired BM, and far too many more to go into here. The purpose and intended response to this thread, I hope, isn't to bemoan or defend metal's apparent sublime-diversity-bordering-on-novel-absurdity. I'm really just proposing that the thread is a place to exercise your imaginative muscles and come up with some potential subgenres within the spectrum of the titular genre. You can take the thread as seriously or sarcastically as you please, I'm open to both humourous and sober proposals. I only ask you don't derail the topic by pouring scorn upon or actively promoting the phenomena of microtrends and multiplicity in music, metal or otherwise. I intend to post an irregular series of proposals for subgenres, both sublime and silly (probably both simultaneously if I'm honest) in which I wonder how such a style would sound and develop, to which anyone can wade in on or ignore entirely and post their own proposals if it so pleases them. I'm something of a lapsed metalhead, and I get the impression that many of you here are full-fat metal fans or otherwise share metal sympathetic leanings. Ross Scott is also apparently a particularly impressive species of metalhead, which lead me to my first proposal for a subgenre - and hopefully one we can all contribute to... Ross Scott Metal ^ Ross is clearly very thrilled by the prospect of actually becoming a subgenre. If Tolkien can have a whole slew of symphonic black metal bands dressed in sparkly cloaks and unconvincing prosthetics in his honour, then I don't see why our beloved Ross can't damnit! I'm thinking that Ross Scott Metal (RSM) would draw heavily on the more unpretentious elements of death metal, some of the no-frills but actually memorable traditional songwriting of thrash metal and NWOBHM. Given Ross's avowed love of the game Quarantine and of epic classically-inflected soundtracks, there might even be subtle hints to punk and symphonic electronica in the styles sound too. Thematically RSM songs and records tell somewhat neurotic yet extremely insightful stories based on the perspectives of video game protagonists, often resulting in entire concept albums centred on the plot of specific games, typically told through the angry outbursts and poor life decisions made by the main characters. RSM singers are notorious for deliberately aping Mr. Scott's accent and vocal delivery, sometimes to degree of actually speaking rather than singing or screaming as is usually de rigueur. RSM drummers are often regarded as being overwhelmingly incompetent by their bandmates and are regularly beaten into contributing to the band's efforts.

I feel that Slavic culture and mythology is underused and underappreciated in gaming, which a shame because it's extremely diverse and multifaceted. Without wanting to dwell on negative subjects and derail the thread, part of me suspects that this apparent lack of appreciation stems from a very unfair bias towards contemporary European identity. There's a sentiment (or more of an assumption) that mythology and literary/aesthetic tropes from this part of the world are somehow deviated and "hijacked" by unfortunate political elements. I'd personally love to play an open world game with a fantastically Slavic quality, the monsters and races of the old narratives are particularly exciting to someone with my teratological inclinations. inhabited by elemental dwarves, fey snow maidens, diseased ghosts, giant swans, particularly animalistic dragons (some decidedly non-reptilian), almost feral and often bird-like vampires, sorcerers and communal protectors with avowed control of the weather, as well as much maligned and demonized pre-christian gods, and some of the strangest and powerful witches I've come across in European mythology.

This is a really interesting topic, and you provided a great literary example Im_CIA. I selected the third option. To me as an agnostic/ignostic as well as a generally Fortean informed weirdo, it seemed like the only reasonable option. My subjective measure of intelligence and ignorance is unique to me. It may be tempered by unavoidable cultural and political biases, that I may or may not be aware of, but I subscribe to the idea that a wiser person acknowledges the limits of his or her experience. I consistently find through reading, browsing, listening and watching the world via differing means I'm utterly dumbfounded by the diverse multiplicity and weirdness of collated human experience.

10/10 I great analogy for the feeling inspired by being a sounding board of otherwise decent peoples baseless worries. “This is hardly a state secret: thus far the right has dictated the culture wars and dominated the public imaging of art and academy, as the layman is led to associate the first with pornography, the second with indoctrination, and both with a waste of taxpayer money. Such are the deserts of the rightist campaign: whilst the left talked about the importance of culture, the right practiced it.” - Hal Foster, The Return of the Real

Has a very friendly and easy-going approach to forum-going, a rare thing on the internet.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badri_Bitsadze In early June, 2011 Deputy Prosecutor General David Sakvarelidze said he has requested the Tbilisi City Court issue an arrest warrant for Badri Bitsadze, who was accused of organizing attacks on policemen during anti-governmental protests in May 2011 and did not pay 100,000 Laris for bail.

"Mew mew mew, mew mew, mew mew mew mew mew, mew, mew weewoo mew, mew mew mew..."

Abe's Oddysee + Layers of Fear = Abraham's Terror It might be Berlin. The industrial labyrinthe Abraham suddenly and inexplicably finds himself in reminds our protagonist of the city, haunted by the spectre of the 20th century and palpably seething with counter-cultural menace. Without having any memory of the past other than his name and a developing acquaintance with art, literature and history - Abraham finds himself in a horrifying spectacle of increasingly tortuous machinery, malevolently intelligent architecture and predatory graffiti that skitters across the concrete like vermin. The interior seems to be at war with itself, a battle between sterile production and unfettered creativity that doesn't take too kindly to Abraham's presence. (p.s. it's basically a scary walking simulator but with more jumping and trap dodging)

Five Worries That Aren't Related To Jackie Chan 1. Did I spend too much on books today? 2. Is a typing score of 183 CPM and 37 WPM normal for someone of my generation? 3. Do I have any Fentiman's Curiosity Cola left? 4. Is it weird that I was slightly disappointed that I had nothing to contribute to my obituaries thread today? 5. What the hell was that?!?!! (I have all the windows open because it's hot-as-bollocks in my flat, and I'm pretty sure a fly the size of an albatross just flew in)

Thank you answering my age range question guys, I apologize for taking an age to reply. I'm surprised that most of you seem to be closer to my age range (early to mid twenties) and pleased to see that BTG is way older than I am... ;p I've never actually checked, until now that is. Using some online test I've apparently "184 CPM (that is 37 WPM) Your score beats or equals 48.67% of all." I do actually have to look at the keyboard whilst typing, admittedly. I'm probably not as shit hot at it as most folks.

You never have to pay for anything. You are entitled to just take anything you want, at any time. :3 You seem almost disappointed.

That's Oxford Press overdoing it for you The prices of the books can often be staggering though, which admittedly won't prevent me from buying stuff in the end - despite any "uhmming" and "ahhhing" on my part. I have a few from that particular publisher in my mental wish list.

HWeoruYLmYc

I'm all for "traditional" Tolkienesque fantasy settings, but I'd like to think that they at least try to add some new paradigm or novel interpretation of the usual lineup of orcs, elves, dragons, etc. I think one of the more problematic aspects of fantasy is it's rather narrow definitions of history and culture, often resulting in some indefensible depictions of race and nationality that they invariably imitate. I think Dungeons & Dragons always appealed to me was that, despite the seemingly generic cast of usual suspects (in terms of races, places, tropes, etc) there was a rather broad potential for the material offered. For me, one of the most successful fantasy settings that clearly owes much of its elements to Eurocentric fantasy is the late Terry Pratchett's Discworld. The world he presents is one that is both a loving homage to and a gentle critique of fantasy literature, it's a strikingly English take on what in passing might seem like a inheritor of Tolkien's lineage (which was certainly as anglocentric as storytelling can get, but in a more romantic and patriotic context) with it's intelligent and sympathetic humour. The heros and villains of Discworld aren't the obvious candidates of older saga-stylized narratives, there aren't any obvious good and evil races. They manage to come across as eccentric but perfectly believable individuals, even if they are dwarves or trolls or vampires or whatnot. They seem to be driven by very personal and human appetites and aversions (to borrow Hobbesian terminology) and not by nebulous and abstract notions prevalent in most fantasy settings. Also, Pratchett's interest in science meant that the Discworld itself ran on an impossible but wholly scepticism defying logic. I think his description of light being slow moving on the planet, gently flowing into day and receding at night across the surface of the world is a gorgeous détournement of our understanding of light, in context of physics I mean.The Discworld feels as though it ought to exist, despite its inherent unlikeliness and even despite anyone's idealism and taste for other worlds. I can't think of higher praise for a fictional place.

I was just honouring the gentleman's subtle legacy in both Fortean research and science fiction. I wasn't advocating his beliefs or interpretations. EDIT: I think those two little "eyes" at the "front (???)" are adorable... :3

ACHIEVING UNION WITH THE HORSE

y_wWHLTaSQw

Ziggurat

My two year cousin brings me to some strange places on Youtube. fSIRFMXM4k0

"I call it a Flaming Guinan".