From my end, this playlist was continually in jeopardy of being drowned out by the sounds of a five year old who really didn’t want to get her hair brushed.

1. “Ninevah” – Big Back Forty
2. “Tamacun” – Rodrigo y Gabriela
3. “What A Way To Go” – The Clarks
4. “Magic” – The Cars
5. “Can I Play With Madness” – Iron Maiden
6. “Humans Being” – Van Halen
7. “The Human Hosepipe” – Harry and the Potters
8. “Potion Approaching” – Arctic Monkeys
9. “Silently” – that dog.
10. “Can’t Buy Me Love” – The Beatles

Hope your soundtrack for the day and the weekend is pleasant and enjoyable. Got anything interesting spinning?

Imogen, the human slave to the great drow noble House Melarn finally regained consciousness. She found herself once again surrounded by her familiar drow companions; Xune the mercenary warlock, Syndrina, the hexblade of House Xorlariin, and Aliandriia, the priestess who served as her Melarn overseer on this particular mission. She was confused about the memories of falling to the wrath of the deep gnomes in the company of strangers, and was unable to recall the victory her companions spoke of, over a group of hobgoblins led by the renegade priestess, who lay bound and gagged against the rough-hewn stone walls of the temple she found herself in.

there was no point in concerning herself at the moment; the arcane forces that lent her her power over others’ perceptions and emotions was mysterious, and not to be questioned. She was in the temple she sought, before the altar the party was charged to find; the altar her masters insisted she anoint with the vial of unholy water in order to ensure the ritual to be performed channeled the magickal energies properly. Syndrina was already unpacking the scroll containing the incantation. She had to act quickly…

Summoning her power, she pushed firmly yet subtly against the minds of her companions from rival houses, rousing their basest desires, focusing them on her own not unattractive form; using her inherent sensuality to distract them while at the same time summoning a spectral mage hand carry the vial of unholy water toward the altar. Xune was momentarily distracted by her lustful advances, though regained control soon enough; slapping Imogen in rebuke. Her strike broke the mage’s concentration on the cantrip, but not before the the spectral hand was above the altar; as it dissipated, the vial fell, breaking on the altar’s worn stone stone surface. It was enough; her task had been completed: the altar was anointed.

The ritual performed, the party returned to the great subterranean city of Menzoberranzan, where they were greeted once again by representatives of the leaders of the allied Houses. The party is given another mission; to investigate the kidnapping of a prominent drow noble, Hoshtar, by a rival house, known for heretical activities. The party was to investigate the abduction, and rescue the victim if possible, but under no circumstances were they to be captured, less they be disavowed.

The great priestess Ash’ala of House Melarn then pulled Imogen and Aliandriia aside after the briefing. She confides that she suspects that Hoshtar was a traitor himself and met with the heretics willingly. She charges her subordinates with the task of learning the truth, and reporting it back to her.

After a short rest and resupply, the party stealthily enters the heretic’s lair, a seemingly abandoned manor in an ancient quarter of the city. In the manor’s foyer, the party encounters a pair of nervous guards. Xune convinces them that the party is expected, though they insist on checking with their superior, a wizard garbed in the mask of House Xorlariin. the wizard is incredulous. Imogen attempts to entrance the mage’s mind, but he proves to powerful; he orders the guards, as well as a retinue of drow wizards, to attack the intruders.

Xune immediately envelops the chamber in a cloud of magickal darkness, obscuring the combatants’ vision. Imogen casts out against the will of her attackers, dazing several of them, giving her companions advantage.

While Xune stealthily maneuvers the battlefield, striking invisibly from darkness against several arcane adversaries, Syndrina and Aliandriia launch a frontal assault on the armed guards. The enemy wizards, however, continue to press their advantage with bolts of poison and arcane lightning, striking, and eventually felling Syndrina and critically wounding Aliandriia, and knocking Imogen prone with an errant bolt of electricity.

While Aliandriia calls on the power of Llolth to heal herself and Syndrina, Imogen remains prone, striking with her unerringly accurate magic missle at several attackers, while Xune continues to strike from shadow, defeating numerous adversaries.

Though weakened, the attacking party of wizards continues to launch arcane bolts of lightning against the party, knocking Syndrina out of the fight again, and felling Aliandriia with the power of magical poison. Xune, summoning the strength of the Deep Ones, launches a furious assault with her magically summoned flail, killing all but one seriously wounded magician.

Imogen stands, her health renewed, and dispatches the vulnerable adversary with a disdainful look and a powerful bolt of force.

After treating the wounds of their fallen companions, the party advances, descending an ornate spiral staircase, to find themselves in a stately library, facing a particularly noble looking drow, who gives them an appraising look, and quips:

“My, my…haven’t you started a delightful little war!”

Why, you ask? Because he’s already hunted vampires, fought zombies, and we can’t prove he wasn’t a ninja robot t-rex. Also, today is, after all, International Talk Like A Pirate Day, and this is exactly the kind of thing one does to celebrate:

Ahoy! Four score an’ se’en voyages ago th’ old salts brought fore on these waters, a new crew, free an’ dedicated t’ th’ accord that all swabs be on the account.

Now we be engaged in war amongst we brothers o’ th’ coast, testin’ whether that crew, or any crew so conceived an’ so dedicated, can hold fast. We be met on th’ briney deep. We be gathered t’ th’ Spanish Main, Davey Jone`s locker fer them who here gave the’r lives that th’ crew might sail. ‘t be altogether fittin’ an’ proper that we be ortin’ ta do this.

We canna dedicate — we canna consecrate — we canna hallow — th’ deep. Scallywags, livin` or dead men be, layed by th’ lee, be havin’ consecrated ‘t, far above our poor power t’ add or detract. Ye`ll nay strike th’ colors, nor long reckon what we say here, but ‘t can nereforget what they did here. ‘Tis fer us th’ livin’, rather, t’ be dedicated here t’ th’ unfinished work which they who fought here be havin’ walked the plank. ‘Tis rather fer us t’ be comin’ about t’ th’ great task remainin’ before us — that from these honored dead we take increased custom fer that cause which they gave th’ last full piece of eight — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall nay be havin’ sank t’Davy Jones’ locker in vain — that this crew, damn th’r eyes, be havin’ a new birth o’ freedom — an’ that th’ Articles o’ th’ brethren, by th’ brethren, fer th’ brethren, shant dance wi’ Jack Ketch.

Yes, I know I’ve posted pirate translations of our sixteenth President before (many, many, voyages ago in annals of history), but this is a much better translation, so I’m doing it again, in the interest of accuracy.

In any case, enjoy your “Arrr!”s and “Avast”s today. Also, please enjoy Jonah’s The Pirate Song while you’re at it.

I was saddened this morning to hear that our family’s feline elder statesman, Shamokin (seen above with his representative curmudgeonly expression) passed quietly last night, asleep on his favorite chair.

He came into our family as a small kitten, whose eyes took up roughly 80 percent of his head, shortly after we adopted Calypso, and the two of them were pretty much inseparable for the next fourteen years (and he suffered a months-long depression after her passing last year, and was never quite the same after the loss of his long time companion). He was devoted to my lovely wife, who filled the “mom” role for him as a kitten (I suspect he was a bit younger than advertized, and wasn’t quite fully weaned when we got him), and on through his life.

He was a bit more aloof than other cats I’ve shared space with, but was always pleasant, if not always affectionate to me – he was the very definition of a “one person cat”, and that person was Colleen. Still, he was always good for a refined and noble greeting, and occasionally stooped to making use of the lap and petting services of someone as lowly as myself.

As a kitten, he trained himself to fetch. He also, for some reason unknown to the universe, was very fond of toaster waffles. If he heard the toaster ejecting an Eggo, he was immediately present and persistent in demanding his rightful tribute.

I’ll miss his dignified and occasionally haughtly presence. He was a fine pet.

Like music? Like books? Like geeky stuff? Got at least five bucks?

Then please consider downloading my friend John Anealio’s new album: Laser Zombie Robot Love. John’s a talented musician, songwriter, scholar of 80s metal ephemera and all-around good guy whose music you should be listening to: Finely crafted folk-rock music in the Coulton vein, with a decidedly literary sci-fi bent. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll swoon, you’ll (if you’re like me) covet his guitar and bouzouki playing ability. Most importantly, you’ll be supporting creative people who get excited and make things!

He describes his work thusly:

John Anealio performs geeky anthems for writers, librarians, lovers of Sci-Fi, Best Buy customers & robots. His music sounds like John Mayer, Weezer & James Taylor playing Dungeons & Dragons together on their iPhones

See? Doesn’t that sound like fun? You’ll like it. “Steampunk Girl” alone is worth five bucks…might as well get it with 19 other fun tunes about iPhones, George R.R. Martin, Zombies, and Pr0nbots.

Have I sold you on this yet? Of course I have. Go ahead and click here (or on that big picture of the cover art above, come to think of it) and start downloading!

…from Beth Patterson and her Irish Bouzouki.

It’s possible I may be a little bit in love. Just a little bit. Temporarily.

________

* – for those of you who might be confused by the quotes, please click here for an explanation.

Oh look! A new Bret Alexander/Badlees tune. Many of you know exactly how big a deal this is for me. The rest of you? Rest assured that it’s a very big deal.

Because hey, why not – tunes!

1. “Psycho (live)”- Elvis Costello & the Attractions
2. “Disc Wars” – Daft Punk
3. “Bring Me Li’l Water Silvy (live)” – The Wailin’ Jennys
4. “July, July!” – The Decembrists
5. “Which Describes How You’re Feeling” – They Might Be Giants
6. “52 Girls” – The B-52’s
7. “Elanor Rigby” – The Beatles
8. “Why Do You Breathe” – Lisa Loeb
9. “Ghost (live)” – Indigo Girls
10. “Been So Gone” – Big Back Forty
11. “Keep On Lovin’ You” – The Donnas

This selection doesn’t really represent what I’ve *really* been listening to this week; that soundtrack has included, among other things Willie Nelson’s Heroes record from a few months back, Bon Jovi’s 7800° Fahrenheit (I had a temporary attack of 7th grade near the Wal-Mart five dollar bin), Damn Yankees (more 80s hair), and Jonah Knight’s version of “Santa Baby” which he was kind enough to send my way (via his fan email list – see what you’re missing?) from the upcoming Another Creepy Christmas record.

Anybody out there listening to anything interesting?

Imogen remains unconscious, occasionally catching flashes of activity around her, but can’t really make sense of it. She can’t help but feel, however, that her continued torpor will be ultimately rejuvinating.

—

This week’s recap is rather uneventful because I am feeling a bit under the weather and wasn’t up to gaming after putting in 10 hours at the office. Imogen gets to rest another week and recover her strength, just as I spent the evening recovering mine, crashed on the couch watching one of those storage unit auction reality shows.

If you’re curious about what actually happened at this week’s Encounters sessions, there’ll likely be a one or two sentence summary posted here before long.

I hope we’ll both be feeling better next week.

With school back in session, it was only a matter of time before stories like this one started cropping up; with parents complaining to school boards about the inappropriateness of titles on the school reading list.

Not surprisingly, I’m against this sort of thing. Part of the process of education is expanding one’s base of experience and boundaries; we ought to be exposing people to new things – books are a great way to do that. Sure, some of the material might be (and ought to be) challenging; the idea is to get kids to think about things that are new to them, or to think about things they know from a different perspective. Some of these things might fall outside the bounds of comfort for moral guardians (and most of those bounds are, in practice at least, a means of exercising control of information in order to control people), but life doesn’t always fall within the bubble these folks want to create, either – and books are one way of describing life and the human experience – a pretty safe way, at that. I’d rather my kids come in contact with things like (in the case of the books called out in the link) sexuality and drug use through the venue of a book, where they can think and ask questions in a safe environmment, rather than, as they say, “on the street” where naiveity in those sorts of areas can lead to all sorts of bad places.

a pretty good rule of thumb regarding books in this context – if somebody wants to keep you from reading something, there’s probably a very good reason why you should be reading it. Gatekeepers have their place, but that place isn’t necessarily standing between growing minds and information that will foster that growth. Our responsibility as a society here isn’t to keep our young people sheltered from information; but rather to be available to provide guidance and additional context about the information so that these young people have the proper tools to make good, informed choices.

So in closing, I’m going to quote the late comic Mitch Hedberg, who through his stoner persona, hit on some great peals of wisdom:

Every book is a children’s book if the kid can read!

Maybe I should have saved this one until later in the month, when Banned Books Week hits, but it’s just as relevant today as it will be on September 24, so I’m going to let it stand.