Just discovered the Powerless Trio (obviously, a play on "power trio"). It's three Finnish metal stars doing some marvelous acoustic performances. The only one I knew before discovering this group was Marco Hietala of Nightwish (the blond bass player with the magnificent beard). "I See Fire" is from one of the Hobbit movies and whatever one might think of Jackson's films, this song is wonderful.
The intro is, unfortunately, in Finnish but based on another of their videos where Marko does the intro in English, I think he is just introducing the band members and the video.
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Crazy old ape
Quote by rolandlytle
I just got back from watching G vs. KK with my oldest grandson, Joel. It was what I expected, and we both enjoyed the ape vs. lizard fights. Liz is mad at me for buying popcorn because it is so expensive.
I will probably end up watching it on my TV. Theatres closed here and I am not sure I am going to wait until they reopen, esp. once I watch G:King of the Monsters.
IIRC, last time I saw a movie in a theatre, I was taking my son and some friends to a Disney or Pixar movie of some form and only bought goodies for them. Theatre food is insanely expensive.
Popping by for tea and ... hey, where are the cookies? * gives verbal and Molly the stinkeye *.
Crazy old ape
Quote by DenimAngel
Today is the 14th anniversary of the mass shooting on the Virginia Tech campus 32 people died and 23 were injured.
Seems like April has a lot of tragedy anniversaries in it .
It's been that long, has it? I remember following that on the news Vibes.
Do Americans know about the Ecole Polytechnique Massacre in Montreal in 1989? 14 dead. All were women. The killer was specifically targeting women. We are still commemorating that one (Dec. 16, I think) over 30 years later. Kind of puts the lie to Canada being the place where these things don't happen. They do, just not as often.
On a cheerier note ... nah, I can't think of anything cheery today. My province is going to hell in a handbasket due to COVID (case numbers rising faster than vaccination programs can keep up with) and we're waiting to see if the government will actually do something effectual about it. At least my wife got the shot (Pfizer) and didn't have a reaction like she does with flu vaccines.
Green tea and some of the apple cinnamon whippersnappers would go good.
Crazy old ape
Masterclass has a new course for s-f and fantasy writing led by N. K. Jemisin, a multiple award winning author in the field (she's up for both a Hugo and a Nebula for Best Novel again this year). Not free, but if you're interested in writing s-f/f and have some time and money, might be worth it.
https://twitter.com/MasterClass/status/1382710304136699904?s=20
https://twitter.com/MasterClass/status/1382710304136699904?s=20
Crazy old ape
Morning tea is on (or other beverages requiring a kettle). April is finally behaving like April here. Cloudy, chance of showers, single digit highs (Celsius).
Made it past the "hump" and rolling towards the weekend. Hope all are keeping well. Wife got her first Pfizer shot yesterday. Still waiting for my number to come up (I'm too young and my diabetes isn't enough to move me up the list very much).
Made it past the "hump" and rolling towards the weekend. Hope all are keeping well. Wife got her first Pfizer shot yesterday. Still waiting for my number to come up (I'm too young and my diabetes isn't enough to move me up the list very much).
Crazy old ape
Quote by verbal
In more other news: I am FINALLY off to see Godzilla vs. Kong today with my daughter. Talia would rather watch paint dry.
Tell ya what, if I ever get out there and we meet up, you and I can watch kaiju movies and our partners can go off and do something together. Mine would rather watch paint dry, too. Unfortunately, my son took after her in the end. Started off well, watching the Star Wars series and reading a lot of YA s-f and fantasy (Hunger Games, Harry Potter) but then kind of switched to being more like his mother.
Crazy old ape
Quote by JPemment1
Hi, Everyone! I'm new to 'Stories Space' and still getting used to the platform. I have a background in science writing: I'm a medical writer for a pharma company and a blogger for Psychology Today. I also write on my own site, Blame the Amygdala, typically about the darker side of life - love, psychopaths, crime, and human relationships. I have joined this site to share some fictional pieces and see if the intended impact is hitting the mark. I am drawn to characters that are somewhat lost in their own minds as it falls apart around them.
I struggle identifying with a particular genre, as I'm sure many of you do. I just like quirky and humorous, the darker the better.
I look forward to getting to know some of you and checking out your stories.
Welcome! And glad you found your way to Inspirations. I like reading quirky humour but have not really managed much of it in my own writing. And I am cool with dark. 3 of my stories on here are horror or ghost stories. Looking forward to see your contributions to the site.
Short version: I am a librarian by training but manage a corporate IT department these days. I am (or was) an avid reader who has been toying with writing since grade school, but my stories here represent my few published works. If you're going to read my stuff, probably start with the ones in my sig since they both took awards in writing contests on the site last year. If you like those, hit the story list on my profile and start reading. There's some poetry in there, too, since I love poetry and dabble in writing it, too.
So, grab a virtual mug of your favorite hot beverage some of Sara's famous cookies and enjoy yourself.
Crazy old ape
Quote by rolandlytle
It would be nice if we had enough readers to score the stories to reach the magical ten scores. It was not that long ago that a good story would receive at least 20-25 votes as a minimum, or is my memory lying to me again?
I checked, and we have had 98 members active this month. Maybe 20-30 of those joined and never returned. That still leaves about 70 members. Are they not reading any stories or reading but not scoring?
If you are a writer, you should be helping your fellow writers on Stories Space. Comments always helped me to improve, thanks to the helpful criticism I would get.
<steps off the soapbox> Some green tea, please, and some grapes I brought. I have enough for everyone, so help yourself.
Green tea is on. Japanese sencha okay? That's my favorite green.
And related to your rant, I quite enjoyed this story but so far only 3 comments (plus one from the author) and 4 scores. What's up?
https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/humor/-the-little-pianist-.aspx
Crazy old ape
Quote by rolandlytle
Scott, you should try golf.
Back when Mrs. Mendalla and I were dating, we playing 9 holes with two of my buddies who golfed. That was enough for us. Mrs. M is more into racket sports (she plays badminton and tennis in local clubs when there's no pandemic) and I am not much of an athlete unless you count cycling for exercise.
Kettle is on. Anyone else for tea?
Crazy old ape
Quote by HisAmelia
Hello Everyone👋🏼
It's been a long time since I've been here and it's nice to still see familiar faces
Hope everyone is doing well :)
Greetings! Nice to see you. Not sure we've actually met before, but I love having new faces around the cafe.
* grabs a tea and some cookies *
Crazy old ape
Quote by Survivor
The Masters is led by Hideki Matsuyama being played live now. It is going to be a nail-biter I think. Matsuyama leads by 2 strokes at present through the 15th hole. If he holds it will be the sixth first-time Master's winner in the past 7 tournaments. I'm certain Ping is watching but there is no telling about that now.
And Matsuyama hung on to win by only one stroke. First Japanese man to win a major, though their women have picked up a couple. Will Zalatoris in second came close to becoming the first rookie to win the Masters.
Not sure if the courses are open around here or not, but probably not. I don't play myself so didn't really pay attention to that when the stay-at-home order went out last week.
Crazy old ape
I shall join Roland in the green tea. I will, however, raid the cookie jar for some pecan divines. My weight was up a bit but is back down to its usual (which my doc says is too high but whatever).
Having a blah day today so not really doing much. Cooler than it was but I'm not complaining. Yesterday was getting dangerously close to my heat tolerance level, which simply should not happen in early April.
Having a blah day today so not really doing much. Cooler than it was but I'm not complaining. Yesterday was getting dangerously close to my heat tolerance level, which simply should not happen in early April.
Crazy old ape
Four days until Godzilla : King of the Monsters hits Netflix in Canada! Yeah, I'm behind on my monsters stomping each other movies. Still not sure when I'll get to see GvK. Cinemas are closed here now with the new lockdown.
Lovely day. Will get out later. Putting my taxes to bed first.
Got a pot of my wakoucha (Japanese red tea) going. Anyone for tea?
Lovely day. Will get out later. Putting my taxes to bed first.
Got a pot of my wakoucha (Japanese red tea) going. Anyone for tea?
Crazy old ape
Quote by verbal
Speaking of, any new members with oddly Ping-adjacent names that may or may not be coded messages from beyond?
Now I'm tempted to start registering random Ping-like names. But I am also too lazy to bother using VPNs or something to do it so Maggie would probably catch me based on IP address.
Crazy old ape
No GvK here. We are in a stay-at-home order now and HBO Max isn't available up here (Bell Canada owns the rights to most HBO stuff and runs their own streaming service for it which doesn't have the connection to Warner). However, Godzilla : King of the Monsters finally hits NF Canada next week so there's that.
Nice weather but I haven't been out yet today. Had work stuff going on. My wife is booked for shot 1 next week so I hope my turn is coming soon.
Time for some green tea and cookies to unwind.
Nice weather but I haven't been out yet today. Had work stuff going on. My wife is booked for shot 1 next week so I hope my turn is coming soon.
Time for some green tea and cookies to unwind.
Crazy old ape
Good news from Gill. I was chatting with my son and daughter-in-law last night and am starting to hope I can actually meet her in-person. They are coming down in May so he can get his all-season tires and she can visit her family for Eid (Ramadan ends May 15). There's a chance my wife and I will have had our first shot by then. Not so sure about the kids but we'll see.
Got some work done yesterday, including setting up the patio furniture. Might go work on the deck some days when weather is good. Alas, today did not qualify as showers moved late in the morning.
Tea and cookie time.
Got some work done yesterday, including setting up the patio furniture. Might go work on the deck some days when weather is good. Alas, today did not qualify as showers moved late in the morning.
Tea and cookie time.
Crazy old ape
So I hope that Maggie doesn't mind me plugging something from my own board here, but thought this might be of interest to some. Another admin on that board went through cancer treatment a few years ago and is now creating a kind of blog on the site that collects up social media posts she did reflecting on that journey. It is quite good. She was posting on the board back then and I remember those posts, but this puts out a lot that I didn't hear back then.
https://www.wondercafe2.ca/forums/unexpected/
In other news, the weather is decent but tomorrow is looking excellent. Doing indoor housework today and putting off the outdoor stuff (including cleaning up after my guest) until tomorrow.
Writing but not for here at the moment, though I have two old drafts sitting waiting for me to get them finished in my head so I can get back to them.
Kettle is on. Anyone else for tea?
https://www.wondercafe2.ca/forums/unexpected/
In other news, the weather is decent but tomorrow is looking excellent. Doing indoor housework today and putting off the outdoor stuff (including cleaning up after my guest) until tomorrow.
Writing but not for here at the moment, though I have two old drafts sitting waiting for me to get them finished in my head so I can get back to them.
Kettle is on. Anyone else for tea?
Crazy old ape
Quote by verbal
Grrrr.
No Opening Day, and now no Mets baseball til Monday. For the Nats fans out there the news may be even worse, though I think they are scheduled to play Monday as well.
So, the entire baseball is playing this weekend EXCEPT the Mets and Nats.
I'm grumpy. I guess out outing this weekend will be the movies instead of a game.
Congrats on your Padres, Larry. Sorry about your D-Backs, Bill.
Coffee and a cookie please.
The Blue Jays started in the 70s and their original theme sure shows it. At the time they played in Exhibition Stadium, aka "The Mistake by the Lake". The Skydome aka Rogers Centre came much later. The only Jays games I attended were in Exhibition Stadium. Haven't been since they moved to the dome.
Crazy old ape
Quote by Survivor
On the first page of the forum, there is an information area on the lower left side of the page. I check there for new members and for birthdays.
Kind of out of the way. Xenforo puts forum statistics, including newest member, in a "widget" so admins can move it around, but it is right side near the top by default. More likely to catch the eye there and you don't have to scroll to the bottom.
But I've grumped about the forum software on here before so I'll shut up now.
Crazy old ape
Where do you even see latest members on this board? I know exactly where to look on a forum running the Xenforo software that I use on Wondercafe2 (though some admins remove or move it) but I've never really paid attention to it here.
And I'd be happy to have Ping back, but I am not sure that TPTB are.
Sipping wakoucha and enjoying the lovely weather outside through my windows. Too cool to actually sit outside.
I had a visitor for breakfast yesterday. Someone on another board thinks it's a Cooper's Hawk and some Googling seems to bear that out. Left quite a mess of feathers in the yard but the wind has taken care of it.
And I'd be happy to have Ping back, but I am not sure that TPTB are.
Sipping wakoucha and enjoying the lovely weather outside through my windows. Too cool to actually sit outside.
I had a visitor for breakfast yesterday. Someone on another board thinks it's a Cooper's Hawk and some Googling seems to bear that out. Left quite a mess of feathers in the yard but the wind has taken care of it.
Crazy old ape
Quote by AnnaMayZing
Keeping with the classical style, The London College of Music presents Imaginaerum. Conducted by Tuomas Holopainen and following the original music closely. I can easily imagine it played in The Royal Albert Hall.
Oo, I'll have to give that a listen. Some of these rock-classical things are iffy but with Tuomas himself involved, should be good.
Crazy old ape
* takes a mouse and a book *
Good evening. Still grey out but I think the rain stopped. Got my bike ready. Now I just need some suitable weather to start riding. Today, though, it was stationary bike while watching a couple episodes of Archer. I love it but seem to watch it in fits and starts. Latest watch is, of course, triggered by the passing of Jessica Walter, one of the stars.
Good evening. Still grey out but I think the rain stopped. Got my bike ready. Now I just need some suitable weather to start riding. Today, though, it was stationary bike while watching a couple episodes of Archer. I love it but seem to watch it in fits and starts. Latest watch is, of course, triggered by the passing of Jessica Walter, one of the stars.
Crazy old ape
Quote by AnnaMayZing
Sit back, close your eyes and enjoy the music of Tuomas Holopainen and Nightwish.
I listened to Endless Forms Most Beautiful and Human
|: Nature (their latest albums) recently and I honestly think Tuomas is sounding more like prog than metal now. There's stuff in there that I could easily hear coming from Rick Wakeman or Keith Emerson. If it wasn't for Empu's guitar-playing being definitely in metal style, say if they had a guitar player more in the vein of Steve Howe or Robert Fripp, Nightwish could probably be considered to be at the rockier end of prog now. Not that I'm complaining. I'm a fan of Yes and prog in general going way back.You even hear a bit of it in older stuff like Ghost Love Score. Empu, Marco, and Jukka are rocking out, but Tuomas' parts often wouldn't sound out of place on a Yes album.
And, damn, I miss Jukka in their newer material. What a drummer. Plays the kit well but also has a lot of character. Kai's good but doesn't really have the stage presence.
Crazy old ape
Quote by rolandlytle
Hi all.
A note for those of you from my generation, Beverly Cleary, a contemporary of Dr. Seuss, passed away Thursday. She wrote many children and teen books, including the 'Henry Huggins' series, several books based on the 'Leave it to Beaver TV show, and my favorite 'Fifteen.' I grew up learning to read with her. She will be missed.
Till later, my friends.
The Mouse and the Motorcycle was the one Little Mendalla liked (I think he ended up reading the whole Ralph S. Mouse trilogy). We even found the TV adaptation for him to watch.
Good afternoon. We are paying for last weekend's nice weather. Yesterday was okay but Friday and today have been wet. Hope the long weekend next week is better.
Kettle is on. Anyone else for an afternoon tea?
Crazy old ape
Glad to hear things are going well for Larry.
Get well soon to Sharon's little one and Jeff. My back sucks but isn't that bad yet.
Our good weather was originally supposed to end today but it hung on so I've now had outdoor walks 5 days in a row. Pretty good for March in Ontario. Usually there would either be a resurgence of winter or some rain in there.
White chocolate supremes sounds ... well ... supreme. *takes two*
Get well soon to Sharon's little one and Jeff. My back sucks but isn't that bad yet.
Our good weather was originally supposed to end today but it hung on so I've now had outdoor walks 5 days in a row. Pretty good for March in Ontario. Usually there would either be a resurgence of winter or some rain in there.
White chocolate supremes sounds ... well ... supreme. *takes two*