Damn You, High Fantasy Virus

Nothing like watching all the appendix bullshit on the Lord of the Rings DVDs to get one motivated to do some worldbuilding. When Richard Taylor's declaiming* about the backgrounds of different varieties of Orc helmets, or how they tried to advance armor to make it look like things changed over centuries, you can't help but want to put more detail into your own world's culture and customs. Quite useful to have on as background noise, really.

Why yes I AM on a Tolkien kick lately; thanks for noticing!


*As far as I can tell, Sir Richard Taylor, KNZM, has "declaim" as his ONLY setting. Everything he says sounds like he's practicing a dramatic reading of some epic medieval saga.

Answering Age-Old Questions

By the way, anybody want a tour of the International Space Station? Because here's one now! I missed this when it first came out, but it's worth a watch.

I love watching the astronauts just casually floating around in freefall like it's the only way they've ever moved. Must be weird to have to get used to gravity again when they get home. And it must be REALLY strange to get used to not lying down when you sleep upon first arrival there. I wonder how long it takes to convince your body that it's okay to fall asleep.

Also, I would love to visit the ISS except for that constant background noise. I have enough trouble with airplanes, for crying out loud. I would go crazy in under 3 minutes having to listen to that.