OT: The Avalounge (mod warning - No Politics)

[famicommander]

Yeah I read all of Frank's when I was a teenager, but I need to get through them again

Messiah really picks up after Paul is blinded. Children is much more action-oriented, then God Emperor is abstract and weird. Heretics and Chapterhouse are weirdly horny but otherwise the most "space opera" novels in the series with much more clear heroes and villains than the earlier books.

 

[McMetal]

I also tend to lean towards fantasy novels these days. The Dark Tower is one of my favorite stories of all time (I actually do consider that to be kind of a gritty fantasy, in a structural sense). I'm also absolutely in love with The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Absolutely white-knuckle gripping urban fantasy with a likeable but flawed protagonist. Brandon Sanderson is also wonderful, but my god, it's so hard to keep up with everything he's doing. The guy makes Stephen King look lazy.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

I also tend to lean towards fantasy novels these days. The Dark Tower is one of my favorite stories of all time (I actually do consider that to be kind of a gritty fantasy, in a structural sense). I'm also absolutely in love with The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Absolutely white-knuckle gripping urban fantasy with a likeable but flawed protagonist. Brandon Sanderson is also wonderful, but my god, it's so hard to keep up with everything he's doing. The guy makes Stephen King look lazy.

I need to pick up some more Butcher novels. I found the season on TV before I was aware of the books. Loved that show (freaking wizard has a hockey stick for a staff... HELLO!!!). My wife picked up the first novel and I read and liked it but just didn't go further down the hole. Sounds like I should though. Thanks for that recommendation.

Trying to imagine a way to now compare Sanderson's or King's output to GRRM.

If you like fantasy and don't mind an EXTREMELY flawed protagonist. I would "recommend" the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever. Let's just say the guy did something nobody ever should do and which damn near destroyed the entire series for me. This is a high fantasy series whose central character is a cynical leper from our world. It's not for children.

Just looked it up while typing this and did not realize he had written a final four book series (The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant). Thinking I might tackle a reread and include those once I get done with the Asimov re-read.

 

[McMetal]

I need to pick up some more Butcher novels. I found the season on TV before I was aware of the books. Loved that show (freaking wizard has a hockey stick for a staff... HELLO!!!). My wife picked up the first novel and I read and liked it but just didn't go further down the hole. Sounds like I should though. Thanks for that recommendation.

Trying to imagine a way to now compare Sanderson's or King's output to GRRM.

If you like fantasy and don't mind an EXTREMELY flawed protagonist. I would "recommend" the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever. Let's just say the guy did something nobody ever should do and which damn near destroyed the entire series for me. This is a high fantasy series whose central character is a cynical leper from our world. It's not for children.

Just looked it up while typing this and did not realize he had written a final four book series (The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant). Thinking I might tackle a reread and include those once I get done with the Asimov re-read.

The books get more polished as the series goes on. Storm Front was his debut novel, he started to really dial it in about 4 books in. I can't recommend it enough.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Look, I know we're not supposed to go political and do truly understand the tensions between my country and my southern friends in Canada.

But seriously... McDonalds was already a dying corpse of a brand. They've already turned every kid in the 70s best day ever into this monolithic grey corporate suck entity that wants to sell you shit coffee for starbuck's prices (like starbucks isn't shit to begin with). But to even further debase the once great brand by renaming it after the most unsuccesful Canadian star in history...

Low blow Canada. Low blow.

When I first read the headline it made me Grimace.

 

[McMetal]

Look, I know we're not supposed to go political and do truly understand the tensions between my country and my southern friends in Canada.

But seriously... McDonalds was already a dying corpse of a brand. They've already turned every kid in the 70s best day ever into this monolithic grey corporate suck entity that wants to sell you shit coffee for starbuck's prices (like starbucks isn't shit to begin with). But to even further debase the once great brand by renaming it after the most unsuccesful Canadian star in history...

View attachment 984757

Low blow Canada. Low blow.

When I first read the headline it made me Grimace.

Every time I go into a McDonald's it feels like I've traveled 50 years into the future into one of those sci-fi dystopias where everything looks bright and clean but is actually hiding a terrible dark secret underneath the surface.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Every time I go into a McDonald's it feels like I've traveled 50 years into the future into one of those sci-fi dystopias where everything looks bright and clean but is actually hiding a terrible dark secret underneath the surface.

Like I said, it's gone from an acid dream inspired puppet driven disney land fantasy that every single town in america had one of or was close enough to one to make no difference really... and then they just looked at Starbucks and said... hey, what if we just paint everything to look like some unidentifiable brown/grey drab corporate suck. The kind of place that looks like it should be in the basement of skyscraper full of nothing but cubical farmers who don't have windows. It's gone from GenX's wet-dream to a nightmare of Lovecraftian proportions.

 

[BaconNater]

Anyone have a mattress brand recommendation?

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Anyone have a mattress brand recommendation?

I can tell you a few to avoid.

Basically ever rack on a boat when you are in duty stations is a good start unless you are a fan of lice that share a name with a tasty brachyura.

 

[S E P H]

Anyone have a mattress brand recommendation?

My brethren has back issues and he bought a Sleep Number. Really helped him, but his was around 4k I do believe. I think spending more for a mattress is essential, better sleep can prolong life, lead to healthier lives, and more productivity.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

My brethren has back issues and he bought a Sleep Number. Really helped him, but his was around 4k I do believe. I think spending more for a mattress is essential, better sleep can prolong life, lead to healthier lives, and more productivity.

I'm sorry... but I can't help but thinking of my uncle and his Ford Econline Van with the spray painted fantasy artwork and the big waterbed in the back. *LOL*

I absolutely love my uncle but he really was Matthew McConnaughy (sp?).