Moe Lane's Blog, page 490
September 26, 2022
The ‘Three-to-one, it sucks’ THE LAST OF US Teaser Trailer.
It’s not even that it’s a bad teaser trailer.
But it’s a trailer for the TV series that’s based on the THE LAST OF US video game. We all know the safe bet, when it comes to movie/TV adaptations of video games: they’re gonna suck. That’s why I offered three-to-one odds; even-steven would get no sensible backers.
But, hey, maybe I’m wrong.
#commissionearned
09/26/2022 Snippet, UNNAMED STORY.
Awkwardness!
Patreon!No, it was not that easy.
To begin with, we had to actually convince [Lecturer] that we were both interested in assisting her project, and interesting enough to be worth inviting along. Fortunately both of us were in degree tracks (English for me; Mythological Studies for Beverly) which she could take seriously. [Lecturer] also took us seriously, which was gratifying at the time. Now I wonder why I hadn’t noticed the subtle ways that [Lecturer] made sure that we were truly ready to go wander the wilds of Massachusetts for two weeks. At the time, I simply assumed she had perhaps been looking forward to striking out on her own.
After we finally convinced [Lecturer] to let us come along, Beverly and I had to make arrangements with our departments, on everything from course credit to insurance. Our oft-stated lack of need for a stipend ironically ended up getting us an almost-reasonable per diem for food; I made sure to remember that lesson, although at this remove it now seems to be rather pointless trivia. I am no longer planning to pursue a career in academia, and particularly folklore.
To put it mildly.
By the time June rolled around, Beverly and I had already decided to save our money on hotel rooms by simply sharing one. I was surprised to discover that this bothered [Lecturer] slightly. Or at least I think it did: “It’s none of my business,” she told us, when the subject came up.
“…But?” I offered hesitantly, after the silence went on a little too long.
That got me a grin, at least. “But it’s none of my business,” [Lecturer] replied. “I’m neither your kinfolk nor hers, and you’re not kids who need a lecture. You wouldn’t thank me for one, either. Am I right?”
“Yes,” replied Beverly.
“So there we go. We all know each other’s opinions, so no need to keep chewing on them. We all have to live in this world. Well, for a time at least. So let’s look over the reading list again.”
Later that evening, Beverly said to me, “I’ll bet she’s religious.” She said it quietly, too, like she was worried about eavesdroppers. Which might have been an issue on campus, but I was pretty sure that our departments didn’t have my bedroom bugged.
“Probably. That’s the same kind of thing as believing in ghosts, don’t you think?” I fluffed my pillow. “It’s all supernatural stuff, really. I think we’re okay, as long as she doesn’t make us do Bible studies.”
Beverly started gathering up the blankets around her. “Yeah, that’s fair. She doesn’t bug us, we don’t bug her. It works out for everybody.”
And, on that note of shared, slightly smug tolerance, we went to sleep. Meanwhile, the world outside – a world that does not care about humanity’s opinions or mindsets, and is at best indifferent about humanity at all – continued on its inexorable way. Would it have been better, if we had just stayed in bed? Probably, but doom is notoriously inevitable.
September 25, 2022
The ‘Trying Very Hard’ STRANGE WORLD trailer.
The Mouse is definitely trying very hard to make me like STRANGE WORLD, here. Possibly a little too hard. This one I figure I’ll wait for the reviews first.
Tweet of the Day, Dammit, @baseballcrank edition.
I once thought I knew something on how to put together a zippy one-liner. Then I met Dan McLaughlin.
Darth Vader's voice will now be more machine than man https://t.co/RJNzsDniyU
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) September 25, 2022
Patreon Microfiction: …Why, It *Cuts*.
I’m not sure why Those That Must felt they needed to kill an entire galaxy that way in “…Why, It Cuts,” but they did. I get the [impression] that Those That Must aren’t very nice. Maybe not precisely evil, but they’re not very nice at all.
Patreon!09/25/2022 Snippet, UNNAMED STORY.
I think I know where this is going, now.
Patreon!“Do you think she believed all of that?” Beverly asked me later at the Student Union. There had been no formal agreement to turn this meetup into something approaching a date, but it had become clear that we were both amenable to the idea. If only because at least we would have something to talk about over our food court bowls. “The Skullheart story, I mean?”
I shrugged. “Why wouldn’t she? Why wouldn’t we? The core of it’s not really remarkable. There was a fiddler. He was bad. He died, probably under strange circumstances. Somebody thought it’d make a good story.”
Beverly shook her head. “No, not that part. It was just… well, she herself wouldn’t say the guy’s name. It was like she thought that it really wasn’t safe, because he really might hear. Could she honestly believe that?”
“Probably,” I replied, after swallowing a mouth full of noodles. “She’s old. You know how it is: old folklorists always end up deciding that some legends are true. I’ve decided, when it’s my turn, that I’m going to believe in Mothman.”
“Yeah, but who still believes in wizards and witches, in this day and age?” Beverly thought about it. “Okay, a lot of people do. But not, you know, scholars.”
“How many scholars does [Lecturer] see every day, though?” I pointed out. “She does more fieldwork than teaching. You spend all your time surrounded by people who believe something, you’re going to start believing in it, too. At least a little.”
“Come on, [my name]. You’re just guessing that. Neither of us has that kind of experience.” Beverly smiled when she said it, so the comment didn’t sting too much.
Which is not the same thing as saying that it didn’t sting. I scowled at my bowl, as if it would give me an idea. And damned if one didn’t come to me. “What if we did?”
“What do you mean?” Then the light dawned. “Right. [Lecturer] said she would be doing a summer survey of the Berskhires, didn’t she? Looking for ghost stories, and spectral songs.”
“Yes! A month in the countryside. She’ll probably visit every haunted house in western Massachusetts. I bet that, after a week of that kind of diet, we’d start seeing spooks, too.” A thought struck me. “And even if we didn’t, that’d make for a good entry on our C.V.s.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Beverly said. “First off, do I even want to go?”
My eyebrows raised. “Don’t you?”
“Well, yes,” Beverly admitted. “Still, she hasn’t said we could go with her. She hasn’t even been asked. And how do we know she’d say yes?”
“That part’s easy: we’d just pay our own way.” I went through the numbers in my head. “It’d just be for a week. If we stayed in cheap hotels and eat out of cans, we could do it for a few hundred dollars apiece. It won’t cost [Lecturer] anything to let us tag along; why wouldn’t she, especially if we made sure to be helpful?”
September 24, 2022
‘Dead.’
On a They Might Be Giants kick.
Book of the Week: DUTIES.
I absolutely have no shame, it’s true. And proud of it! So… heeeeere’s DUTIES!
#commissionearned
A fun day.
My wife and I did a SCA event together for the first time in years, and it was… very relaxing. Neither of us had a job to do, or stuff to get into. We just sat around, talked to folks, and did nothing in particular. Oh, she got some tips on how to use a fiddle bow properly and I hung out with an Irish wolfhound. Well worth it.
Glad I got in one last outdoor event before the weather gets cooler.
