Dungeon Crawl Classics # 2: "The Lost Vault of Tsathzar Rho" (Part 3)

See here for part 2.

The introductory adventure I've been running for three brand-new role-players and The Wife continued tonight, with another newbie (playing a Fighter named Anex) thrown into the mix. Having heard rumors of an underground river, one of the PCs decided to investigate whether the village well in Hadler's Gap was connected to it. The module doesn't describe Hadler's Gap at all, but it was a really clever idea and she made a really high Perception check, so I allowed it and gave the group a shortcut to area 1-8. They dispatched the giant centipedes with ease, though the sorceror, Greek-Gott, nearly drowned in the river. The kobolds in areas 1-12 and 1-14 were also killed quickly, with the kobold sorcerer Slazzik Balefire dying from a single strike of Anex's greatsword. A bit anticlimactic, but I'm sure there are tougher challenges ahead. We ended the session with the PCs in area 1-15, having rescued some prisoners of the kobolds and ready to take the mushroom rafts downriver to begin Level Two. The group has made slow progress, due in part to long breaks for dinner and the comically tortuous decision making process for Greek-Gott that gets worse as the night goes on and his player's blood-alcohol level rises :)

Fantasy Football 2011 Week 7

My best week of the season offensively, as Tim Tebow put some points up in the final five minutes of his game and Arian Foster game through with a monster 40. I won the game easily, though my opponent had given up weeks ago. Next week, I hope to get some better production out of my wide receivers . . .

Ultimate Sun Runners (110 Points)

QB T. Tebow: 21

RB A. Foster: 40

RB D. Sproles: 21

RB/WR: R. Torain: 0

WR N. Burleson: 1

WR D. Baldwin: 0

TE E. Dickson: 2

D/ST Jets: 7

K J. Scobee: 18

Team Wright (64 Points)

QB M. Schaub: 19

RB J. Charles: Injured

RB L. McCoy: Bye

RB/WR M. Williams: 7

WR C. Johson: 17

WR M. Wallace: 17

TE Z. Miller: 0

D/ST Raiders: 3

K R. Bironas: 1

NFL 2011 Week 8 Predictions

Week 8!

Cardinals at Ravens

-----------------------

The Wife: Ravens

Me: Cardinals (I'm not really sure why . . .)

Steve: Ravens ("amazing how many bad teams there are thus far this year, Arizona having been one of them")

Vikings at Panthers

---------------------

The Wife: Panthers

Me: Panthers (could be a good game)

Steve: Vikings

Jaguars at Texans

--------------------

The Wife: Texans

Me: Texans (Texans have the offensive firepower that the Jags lack)

Steve: Texans

Dolphins at Giants

-------------------

The Wife: Giants

Me: Giants (they get back on track this week against a fairly pathetic team)

Steve: Giants ("Miami is 'sucking for Luck!'")

Saints at Rams

-------------------

The Wife: Saints

Me: Saints (Drew Brees has another field day)

Steve: Saints ("StL could have a shot at Luck, but would they take him with Bradford already?")

Colts at Titans

-----------------

The Wife: Titans

Me: Titans (Steve, I may lose the picks competition but at least I didn't get stuck with CJNoK ;)

Steve: Colts ("finally a win")

Lions at Broncos

---------------------

The Wife: Broncos

Me: Lions

Steve: Lions ("won't go to 3 losses in a row for Detroit, Tebow again plays a few good minutes here and there but not a "complete" game")

Redskins at Bills

-------------------

The Wife: Bills

Me: Redskins

Steve: Bills

Bengals at Seahawks

-------------------

The Wife: Bengals

Me: Bengals

Steve: Bengals

Browns at 49ers

------------------

The Wife: 49ers

Me: Browns (I never left the bandwagon! Could be an exciting 9-7 or 7-6 shootout)

Steve: 49ers ("didn't see SF being this good but not a tough challenge this week")

Patriots at Steelers

------------------

The Wife: Steelers

Me: Patriots

Steve: Patriots

Cowboys at Eagles

---------------------

The Wife: Cowboys

Me: Eagles (should be a fun Sunday night game)

Steve: Cowboys

Chargers at Chiefs

--------------------

The Wife: Chiefs

Me: Chargers (just because)

Steve: Chiefs ("upset of the week")

NFL 2011 Week 7 Round-Up

Everyone picked pretty well this week, though I gained a game.

Chargers at Jets

------------------

The Wife: Jets

Me: Chargers

Steve: Jets

WINNER: Jets (good for them; though it's becoming increasingly clear that with the Patriots kicking butt, the Jets are chasing a wild card birth once again . . .)

Bears at Bucs

--------------

The Wife: Bears

Me: Bears

Steve: Bucs

WINNER: Bears (the Bucs are really up and down this year . . .)

Redskins at Panthers

--------------------

The Wife: Panthers

Me: Panthers

Steve: Panthers

WINNER: Panthers (I bet next year the Panthers get some prime time games)

Falcons at Lions

-------------------

The Wife: Lions

Me: Falcons

Steve: Lions

WINNER: Falcons (not to be blasphemous, but Suh, Fairley & Co. haven't been quite as destructive for the Lions as everyone predicted . . .)

Seahawks at Browns

--------------

The Wife: Seahawks

Me: Browns

Steve: Seahawks

WINNER: Browns ("the battle of the mediocre!" I said; have truer words ever been spoken?)

Broncos at Dolphins

--------------

The Wife: Broncos

Me: Dolphins

Steve: Broncos

WINNER: Broncos (a good reminder that you shouldn't leave the stadium until 0:00 shows on the clock).

Texans at Titans

--------------

The Wife: Titans

Me: Titans

Steve: Texans

WINNER: Texans

Chiefs at Raiders

---------------

The Wife: Raiders

Me: Chiefs

Steve: Raiders

WINNER: Chiefs (I understand why the Raiders were desperate, but I'm really not convinced Palmer has the arm strength/accuracy to play anymore . . . he's been on a downhill slide for a few years now, and ten months on the couch hasn't helped)

Steelers at Cardinals

-----------------

The Wife: Steelers

Me: Steelers

Steve: Steelers

WINNER: Steelers (my pre-season prediction that the Cards would win the NFC West may have been a tad mistaken)

Packers at Vikings

-------------------

The Wife: Packers

Me: Packers

Steve: Packers

WINNER: Packers (didn't watch this one, but sounds like it was a much closer game than most people expected)

Rams at Cowboys

-----------------

The Wife: Cowboys

Me: Cowboys

Steve: Cowboys

WINNER: Cowboys

Colts at Saints

---------------

The Wife: Saints

Me: Saints

Steve: Saints

WINNER: Saints (62-7! Never have I witnessed such an NFL beatdown. Seriously.)

Ravens at Jags

-------------

The Wife: Ravens

Me: Ravens

Steve: Ravens

WINNER: Jags (a nice upset; the "Any Given Sunday" theory still holds. Inconsistent Ravens offense is the reason that some pundits who thought they were the best team in the AFC need to watch more Patriots games)

THIS WEEK

The Wife: 8-5

Me: 9-4

Steve: 8-5

CUMULATIVE

The Wife: 57-49

Me: 60-46

Steve: 70-36

Hell Frozen Over: Chapter Three (Part 1) [Buffy]

CHAPTER THREE: FOUR YEARS AGO

Disco Night at the Bronze was always something to see. Although the nightclub’s regular patrons—in their late teens or early twenties—had no firsthand memories of the disco era at all, a chance to scour the thrift stores and dress up in hilariously unfashionable clothing was always appreciated. Inside, the club’s manager had a disco ball temporarily installed, and since there would be no band, the stage was set aside as an extra dance floor. Music the crowd’s parents might have enjoyed—hits by Abba, Donna Summers, and the like—blared over loudspeakers.

Buffy and Willow, sitting at a table near the Bronze’s normal dance floor, were not dressed up in seventies clothing. They hadn’t come for the music, the clothes, or the faux-nostalgia—they had come for the boys. Two boys in particular . . .

“Is that him?” Willow said, rising up from the table to get a better look. “No it’s not. Yes it is. Is it?”

“Will, calm down,” Buffy replied. “And no, it—yes, yes it is.”

The girls couldn’t help but giggle as Oz dodged around a couple of their classmates and made his way to their table. He didn’t look like Oz at all—or rather, he looked like his own father in one of those period photographs everyone leaves in a box at the bottom of the closet. He wore a tight-fitting, orange leisure suit, neck open at the collar, while his hair and false sideburns had been dyed a dark black.

“I wasn’t going to,” Oz said, looking at his own outfit. “But after I saw this, I just couldn’t pass it up.”

“Well it’s very . . . authentic,” Buffy said, smiling. She looked around for Angel, but he hadn’t arrived yet. Angel actually lived through the disco era. I wonder if he’ll—nah.

“The bandages are gone—your arm’s completely healed?” Willow asked. She could still hardly believe he had jumped in front of a bullet for her.

“Yep,” Oz replied. “It left a scar in the shape of the Virgin Mary—or maybe Marilyn Manson. I can’t tell which.”

Buffy waited around a few more moments to make sure Willow was holding up her end of the conversation and then excused herself and made her way to the juice bar. Willow had been so excited about seeing Oz tonight, Buffy had feared she might tense up or spaz out—but to Buffy’s relief, her friend was being charming and funny, engaging Oz in talk about his band’s gig this weekend.

Buffy sipped her drink slowly at the bar, looking around for Angel. Her eyes were drawn to the disco ball as it reflected light and images from around the room. By concentrating just enough, she swore she could see herself reflected on one of the glass panels of the ball.

Her concentration was broken when she felt a hand on her arm. She looked over and saw that a man dressed in a white-John Travolta-Saturday Night Fever suit was leaning next to her.

“Hey baby,” he said. “You wanna dance?” Ostentatious gold-plated necklaces clanked as he spoke.

Buffy peeled his hand off of her arm, causing him to wince in pain slightly. “I don’t think so,” she said.

She returned her attention to the dance floor, hoping that Angel would show up and that losers like the guy standing next to her would take the hint and leave. Neither of her hopes had come true yet, however. She caught sight of her self in the mirrored disco ball again, standing at the bar, all by herself. All by myself? Wait a sec!, she thought.

She turned and faced the bar, setting her drink down. She smiled at the man she had just turned down, and then “accidentally” knocked her glass over. She watched the reflection in the glass carefully as it rolled over to him. He picked it up and set it back down in front of her.

“C’mon baby,” he said, slipping his arm around her waist. “You know you want me.”

Like cancer, she thought, while saying “Yeah. Let’s dance.”

She led him over to the edge of the dance floor and then, with a wink, led him back behind the stage where

it was dark and deserted.

“Now we’re talking,” he said.

“I know you’ve been waiting a long time for your clothes to come back into fashion,” Buffy said, “so I’m almost sorry about this.”

“About what?” he asked.

“This,” Buffy replied, sliding the stake out of her purse. She brought it up quickly and in a flash of light and dust, the vampire had disintegrated.

Buffy walked back to where Oz and Willow were sitting.

“Hey, who was that guy you were talking to?” Willow asked.

Buffy wiped a few flecks of ash off of her blouse. “Him?” She looked back at the stage. “He was a bit of

a flake. Anyway, I don’t think Angel’s going to show. I’m gonna head home.”

----------------------------------------------------------

“No!” Buffy said rather loudly. “Don’t run into the forest—you’ll trip! Grab the knife!” Immediately, several of her fellow theater-goers shushed her. “Sorry,” she offered in a whisper.

Xander sighed, handed his popcorn to Willow, and leaned over to whisper in Buffy’s ear. “Listen Buffy,” he said, “It’s just a horror movie, right? The dumb blonde is always going to run into the woods, she’s always going to trip on a branch, and the bad guy’s always going to get her. It’s just the way it is.” Xander knew that if Buffy kept interrupting the movie, she’d get them thrown out—and he would have risked Principal Snyder’s ire by skipping the play in vain.

“It’s just . . . she’s so stupid,” Buffy whispered back. She sipped at her diet soda. Watching horror movies just wasn’t the same since she became the Slayer. Now that she had encountered dangers far worse than ever reached the big screen, it was hard to watch such a movie and not identify with the characters—and offer advice— as if it were real.

On screen, another ill-fated camper had locked herself in a room and pushed a bed up against the door. She backed away slowly, carefully eyeing the door, and stopped in front of a window on the opposite wall from the door.

“Don’t do that!,” Buffy said. “That’s where he’ll come through!” Several more shushes told her she had accidentally said it out loud again. On the screen, the murderous manaic crashed through the window, just as Buffy had said, and wrapped his arms around his next victim.

She looked over and saw Xander giving her a not-so-friendly look.

“I know, I know,” she whispered. “I think I’ll go get a candy bar or something.”

Buffy left the theater and stepped outside. Nearby, a long line of moviegoers was awaiting the next screening. Don’t bother, Buffy wanted to tell them. You can see a horror movie for free every night—just walk around Sunnydale after midnight. She began walking home, but stopped when a voice called her name from across the street. Angel.

She waited as he crossed over, trenchcoat flapping in the cool autumn breeze.

“I thought you were supposed to show up in unexpected places,” Buffy said when he reached her. “Full of cryptic advice.”

“Listen Buffy, I’m sorry about last night—I got held up.”

“Like a bank?” she replied.

“No—I just couldn’t make it. But I wanted to.”

“No biggie I guess.” Buffy smiled ruefully. It was hard to stay mad around someone like Angel. “Hey, were you around during the disco days?”

Angel was confused by the sudden digression. “Yes. I hated them.”

“Good,” Buffy replied. “So did I. Listen,” she continued, “I’m going to leaving town for a little while. Can you take over for me?”

Angel shrugged. “Sure.” They had continued walking, and now were in a quiet residential area. He leaned

in and they shared a long, passionate kiss. Angel pulled away just long enough to ask her how long she’d be gone.

“Just a few days,” she replied. “And then I’ll be back.”

Next

NFL 2011 Week 7 Predictions

Not a lot of good games this weekend (as evidenced by our unanimity on six of the thirteen), but two things I'm looking forward to on Sunday: the Browns/Seahawks game is going to be televised (only the second time this season I'll have been able to see the Browns play) and to hold up her end of a deal struck earlier in the week, The Wife has promised to do all the baby-sitting!

Chargers at Jets

------------------

The Wife: Jets

Me: Chargers (neither team has looked as good as they did last year)

Steve: Jets

Bears at Bucs

--------------

The Wife: Bears

Me: Bears (I watched the big London game last year, thinking it would be cool because it was in London; but on the field, it doesn't really matter . . .)

Steve: Bucs

Redskins at Panthers

--------------------

The Wife: Panthers

Me: Panthers (what does it say about the 3-2 Redskins that everyone is picking the 1-5 Panthers to win?)

Steve: Panthers

Falcons at Lions

-------------------

The Wife: Lions

Me: Falcons (be gentle with that handshake, Mike Smith, or Schwartz will go after you!)

Steve: Lions

Seahawks at Browns

--------------

The Wife: Seahawks

Me: Browns (the battle of the mediocre!)

Steve: Seahawks

Broncos at Dolphins

--------------

The Wife: Broncos

Me: Dolphins (happy if they lose, as long as Tebow gets some points for my fantasy team)

Steve: Broncos

Texans at Titans

--------------

The Wife: Titans

Me: Titans (probably the most important game of the week from a playoff perspective, but does anyone care?)

Steve: Texans

Chiefs at Raiders

---------------

The Wife: Raiders

Me: Chiefs (even if Palmer starts, he is going to be rusty after sitting on the couch for ten months)

Steve: Raiders

Steelers at Cardinals

-----------------

The Wife: Steelers

Me: Steelers (think the Cards are wondering if Kevin Kolb was worth all the hubbabaloo?)

Steve: Steelers

Packers at Vikings

-------------------

The Wife: Packers

Me: Packers (Christian Ponder for the win! Nah, I'm not that desperate to gain ground . . . yet)

Steve: Packers

Rams at Cowboys

-----------------

The Wife: Cowboys

Me: Cowboys (Josh McDaniels' career is going to keep sliding downwards if he can't get the Rams some points)

Steve: Cowboys

Colts at Saints

---------------

The Wife: Saints

Me: Saints (to be fair, Painter hasn't been terrible)

Steve: Saints

Ravens at Jags

-------------

The Wife: Ravens

Me: Ravens (Blaine Gabbert gets a chance in front of a Monday Night audience)

Steve: Ravens

Fantasy Football 2011 Week 6

And somehow, I am now 6-0, having won another game I had no right to win. My Sun Runners scored only 73 points (one of the lowest totals in the league), but once again my opponent scored rock bottom: just 63 points. It made for an exciting Monday Night Football, as I went into it trailing by 3 points, with my Jets D/ST and my opponent's RB, Shonn Greene, left to play. The Jets D/ST certainly came through scoring 20 points, the highest performance for my team, which on the whole was pretty pathetic: only one other player made double-digits (Ryan Fitzpatrick with 13).

The Wife won again, improving her record to 5-1.

Next week I play a team whose owner has apparently abandoned it, as he has never removed the injured Jamaal Charles or subbed in for byes. I'm going to try to kick-start things offensively by starting Denver's Great White Hope, Tim Tebow.

ULTIMATE SUN RUNNERS (73 Points)

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick: 13

RB Arian Foster: 9

RB Darren Sproles: 5

RB/WR Felix Jones: 2

WR DeSean Jackson: 4

WR Deion Branch: 6

TE Rob Gronkowski: 7

D/ST Jets: 20

K Sebastian Janikowski: 7

JERRY ANGELO'S TRANSACTIONS (63 Points)

QB Tony Romo: 15

RB Ray Rice: 16

RB Shonn Greene: 7

RB/WR Darrius Heyward-Bey: 8

WR Roddy White: 2

WR Victor Cruz: 1

TE Jermichael Finley: 2

D/ST Browns: 4

K John Kasay: 8

NFL 2011 Week Six Round-Up

Wherein Steve extends his lead, but I'm no longer in last place . . .

Rams vs. Packers

---------------------

The Wife: Packers

Me: Packers

Steve: Packers

WINNER: Packers (I think we can can conclude 100% that there is no Super Bowl hangover here . . .)

Bills vs. Giants

-------------------

The Wife: Bills

Me: Bills

Steve: Giants

WINNER: Giants

Colts vs. Bengals

-------------------

The Wife: Bengals

Me: Bengals

Steve: Colts

WINNER: Bengals (Yes, I am mildly annoyed the Bengals are doing well . . . this was supposed to be the Browns year to be the surprising team in the AFC North!)

Panthers vs. Falcons

---------------------

The Wife: Panthers

Me: Falcons

Steve: Panthers

WINNER: Falcons

49ers vs. Lions

-----------------

The Wife: Lions

Me: Lions

Steve: Lions

WINNER: 49ers (a good game; both teams showed they belong at 5-1)

Eagles vs. Redskins

--------------------

The Wife: Redskins

Me: Eagles

Steve: Eagles

WINNER: Eagles (Re: Redskins--confused why a head coach would make a permanent QB change for a 4-2 team . . .)

Jags vs. Steelers

-------------------

The Wife: Steelers

Me: Steelers

Steve: Steelers

WINNER: Steelers

Browns vs. Raiders

-------------------

The Wife: Raiders

Me: Raiders

Steve: Raiders

WINNER: Raiders (I can't believe the Browns actually had a chance to tie that one up at the end . . .)

Texans vs. Ravens

---------------

The Wife: Texans

Me: Ravens

Steve: Ravens

WINNER: Ravens

Saints vs. Bucs

---------------

The Wife: Saints

Me: Saints

Steve: Bucs

WINNER: Bucs (Steve, I was positive when I saw your pick that I was going to steal one from you here . . .)

Cowboys vs. Patriots

------------------

The Wife: Patriots

Me: Patriots

Steve: Patriots

WINNER: Patriots

Vikings vs. Bears

-----------------

The Wife: Bears

Me: Vikings

Steve: Bears

WINNER: Bears (the Bears actually look better this year than they did last year . . .)

Dolphins vs. Jets

------------------

The Wife: Jets

Me: Jets

Steve: Jets

WINNER: Jets (Matt Moore actually played a really good game; his receivers just couldn't catch the freakin' ball)

THIS WEEK

The Wife: 7-9

Me: 9-7

Steve: 10-6

CUMULATIVE

The Wife: 49-44

Me: 51-42

Steve: 62-31

Puzzle Agent 2 [Games]

After having loved Nelson Tethers, Puzzle Agent, The Wife and I had high hopes for Puzzle Agent 2. Unfortunately, it proved to be a disappointment. The charm of the original was diluted by setting the sequel in the same quirky location as the original without extending the story in an interesting way. The Wife felt there were too few puzzles compared to story cut-scenes, and we were both disappointed by a sudden ending that came about by failing one of the puzzles that could not be fixed without starting the game all the way over from the beginning.

The Edge of Chaos [Books]

I've very much enjoyed playing in a Forgotten Realms campaign for several months now, and it recently gave me the craving to read some of the fiction set in that fantasy world (something I hadn't done in several years). The only option at my local library was The Edge of Chaos, but it proved to be a pretty good read. The novel is set in the Faerun of D&D 4th Edition, a hundred years after a massive cataclysm has reshaped the world. The story concerns an adventurer named Duvan who operates in around Ormpetarr, a city on the border of the foreboding Plaguewrought Land--a vast area of the continent inundated by Wild Magic and geologic upheaval which promises almost instant death for all who enter. A nefarious organization in Ormpetarr named the Order of Blue Fire is secretly planning a massive magical ritual to extend the borders of the Plaguewrought Land, and Duvan, along with a monk of Kelemvor named Slanya, are forced to try to stop them.

I'm not familiar with Ormpetarr from my time spent playing and directing games in the Realms, but the description of the Plaguewrought Land was quite evocative and seemed like a great setting for some high-octane campaigns. The description of the faith of Kelemvor was also quite well done, so much so that I could imagine playing a priest or monk of that god sometime. The story itself was entertaining and fast-moving, and held some surprises: more adult content than I had expected (Duvan, for example, visits prostitutes) and a willingness to kill of some major characters. All in all, pretty good stuff.

The Buffy Comic Project: "Cemetery of Lost Love"

Buffy the Vampire Slayer # 28

Dark Horse (Vol. 1, 1998-2003)

Creators: Tom Fassbender & Jim Pascoe (writers), Cliff Richards (penciller), Joe Pimentel (inker)

Setting: Season Four

T.V. Character Appearances: Buffy, Willow, Riley, Professor Walsh, Xander, Giles, Spike

Major Original Characters: Baron Samedi (demon); Verona (immortality-seeker)

Summary: Buffy breaks up a vampire attack and saves a young woman named Verona from being bitten. The next morning, while in Professor Walsh's classroom, Buffy and Willow talk about Willow missing Oz when suddenly hundreds of maggots erupt from Buffy's backpack. Riley solves the problem with a fire extinguisher, but after a horde of rats invade the lunchroom where Buffy is eating, the Scoobies turn to Giles to research what's going on. That night, Buffy decides to go on patrol and heads for the nearest cemetery; but lying in wait is Verona, who had hoped to be given immortality by the vampire that Buffy killed, and a horde of zombies summoned by the demon that Verona turned to instead: Baron Samedi, the Voodoo Lord! Just as Buffy is about to be sacrificed by Verona as an offering to Baron Samedi, Spike arrives, and Buffy uses the distraction to escape her bonds. Baron Samedi takes Verona's soul as payment for her failure to kill Buffy and then disappears.

Review: Better. Though still not particularly scary as promised, the use of Voodoo and Baron Samedi was a natural fit for Buffy, so much so that I was surprised it hadn't been used in the show. There's a good twist with Verona wanting to have been bitten, and solid dialogue. The Spike appearance was pretty useless, as he contributed little to the plot and was quickly dispatched by the villain.

Notes

* Next issue begins a four-part crossover with Angel.

* The letters page has an interesting, balanced discussion about whether the comic should have more done-in-one stories to appeal to casual newsstand fans or more multi-issue arcs to appeal to dedicated comics fans.

* In one fun scene, Buffy punches her fist through a zombie's head, and when she pulls her fist away, the head comes with . . .

Next Issue

Jhaeman's Library # 6

Issue #6 of Jhaeman's Library in the Legends zine included review of several Buffy novels, along with "Comics That Time Forgot" features on The Gargoyle and The Adventures of Ford Fairlane. Some diligent searching will turn up these reviews elsewhere on this blog. One of the things I found interesting looking back was part of a discussion about the effect of trade paperbacks on the comic market, and what life would be like if prose books were marketed like comics . . .

"I've only been in fandom for a little over a decade, but I too can remember when publishers issued TPBs only for comics that were really in demand and popular; now, it seems like every moderately successful series has a TPB coming out every few months. I agree with you that it's hard to forecast what sort of effect this will have on the industry . . . I wouldn't be heartbroken if publishers decided to issue a TPB every 4-6 months for a series instead of monthly issues--in a way, the current system is like the old 'serial novel' that book publishers abandoned a century ago, notwithstanding the recent attempts to revive the system by Stephen King and others. On the flip side, I can remember the excitement as a kid of showing up at the comic store every week to see what would happen in my favorite comics, and if I had had to wait several months between adventures I would have become rather frustrated--a reason I think bimonthly books have difficulty being successful."

"It is really weird to think what it would be like if books were marketed just like comics used to be; can you imagine digging through the back issue bins and seeing several copies of Chapter 22 of the new Robert Jordan novel, but the one you're looking for is Chapter 14--and if you find it, you'll finally have the complete story? Or becoming a fan of Elizabeth George by picking up a new chapter set halfway through one of her mystery novels because the other chapters are long out-of-print and difficult to find, at least at a reasonable price?"

Hell Frozen Over: Chapter Two (Part Three) [Buffy]

That night, after Xander had come and gone, Willow turned off the lights and laid down on the bed, fully clothed and on top of the blankets. She couldn’t sleep, and when she did she woke up more tired than when she went to bed. It was getting harder and harder to get out of bed each morning. It just wasn’t worth the effort--there was nothing to look forward to, because nothing ever happened except remembering.

When her shift was over, Willow left the magic shop and stepped outside. Tara was there, waiting for her. They looked at each other for a moment. They had each been miserable.

“Hi,” Tara said hesitantly.

“Hi.”

They started walking. It was cloudy and after just a few moments it was sprinkling. Soon it was raining hard, raining for real. They stopped and huddled under a doorway.

“Willow, I’m sorry. I’ve been a fool.” Rain streamed down her face.

“No—it was my fault. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“I know—but you were right—it—you know I didn’t mean to.”

“I know.”

“I missed you.” Tara smiled. “I mean, it’s only been like four hours since we fought but God I missed

you.”

Willow’s face was moist, not from the rain. “Work sucked,” she said with a sob. “I couldn’t even concentrate.”

They embraced and laughed with relief. Things were going to work out, things were going to be okay.

And then Tara stepped back a few feet, and then there was a big red spot on her chest and then she started to fall forward and Willow caught her but Tara wasn’t moving and then . . .

Willow had trouble sleeping. All of her dreams ended this way.

Next

NFL 2011 Week Six Predictions

Here we go for week six:

Rams vs. Packers

---------------------

The Wife: Packers

Me: Packers (Rams just seem kinda flat so far this season, but they've had a tough schedule too)

Steve: Packers ("again, they will lose but not this week")

Bills vs. Giants

-------------------

The Wife: Bills

Me: Bills

Steve: Giants ("a toss up for me")

Colts vs. Bengals

-------------------

The Wife: Bengals

Me: Bengals (does a team still get a home field "advantage" if no fans show up?)

Steve: Colts ("Indy finally gets one")

Panthers vs. Falcons

---------------------

The Wife: Panthers

Me: Falcons

Steve: Panthers

49ers vs. Lions

-----------------

The Wife: Lions

Me: Lions

Steve: Lions

Eagles vs. Redskins

--------------------

The Wife: Redskins

Me: Eagles (okay, okay, this week the Eagles put it all together . . .)

Steve: Eagles

Jags vs. Steelers

-------------------

The Wife: Steelers

Me: Steelers

Steve: Steelers

Browns vs. Raiders

-------------------

The Wife: Raiders

Me: Raiders (I'm just not sure what my Browns are good at yet, and I know scoring points is not it . . .)

Steve: Raiders

Texans vs. Ravens

---------------

The Wife: Texans

Me: Ravens

Steve: Ravens ("flipped coin says Baltimore")

Saints vs. Bucs

---------------

The Wife: Saints

Me: Saints (pure offensive firepower wins this one for the Saints . . .)

Steve: Bucs ("NO just hasn't looked dominant in what I've seen")

Cowboys vs. Patriots

------------------

The Wife: Patriots

Me: Patriots (who would have ever thought Wes Welker would be a credible deep threat?)

Steve: Patriots

Vikings vs. Bears

-----------------

The Wife: Bears

Me: Vikings (purely on the theory that Jared Allen has the best game of his life . . .)

Steve: Bears

Dolphins vs. Jets

------------------

The Wife: Jets

Me: Jets (can't even remember who the Fins are starting at QB now . . . Matt Moore?)

Steve: Jets

Fantasy Football 2011 Week 5

I managed to pull out a win I wasn't really expecting in week 5, defeating a team that had Aaron Rogers, Wes Welker, and Greg Jennings. The score was officially 82-81, but it wasn't really that close as I still had my kicker (Jason Hanson) available for the Monday night game and chose not to play him so I didn't risk him getting negative points (not necessary in hindsight, as he scored 6 points). Having Arian Foster back in the line-up was great as he came through with 17 points, and my two WRs contributed for 27. Next week, Felix Jones gets back in the starting line-up as does my star kicker Janikowski.

The win moves me to 5-0, but still with only a 1 game lead in my division as The Wife won again.

ULTIMATE SUN RUNNERS (82 Points)

QB P. Rivers: 17

RB A. Foster: 17

RB D. Sproles: 9

RB/WR I. Redman: 5

WR D. Jackson: 14

WR D. Branch: 13

TE R. Gronkowski: 3

D/ST Chargers: 4

K [Empty]: 0

WHIPPED CREAM (81 Points)

QB A. Rogers: 23

RB J. Stewart: 3

RB J. Starks: 5

RB/WR L. Blount: 6

WR G. Jennings: 14

WR W. Welker: 12

TE M. Lewis: 0

D/ST Packers: 8

K N. Rackers: 10

NFL 2011 Week 5 Round-Up

My worst week picking to date, hitting on just four of the thirteen games. The Wife and I are now tied, but Steve continues his dominance with another strong week and now has a ten (!) game lead after just five weeks.

Titans at Steelers

------------------

The Wife: Titans

Me: Titans

Steve: Titans

WINNER: Steelers

Seahawks at Giants

------------------

The Wife: Giants

Me: Giants

Steve: Giants

WINNER: Seahawks (does anything make sense in the NFL?)

Bengals at Jaguars

--------------------

The Wife: Jaguars

Me: Jaguars

Steve: Bengals

WINNER: Bengals (good on Dalton, Bengals off to surprisingly good start this year . . .)

Saints at Panthers

------------------

The Wife: Saints

Me: Panthers

Steve: Saints

WINNER: Saints (a fun game to watch)

Raiders at Texans

------------------

The Wife: Raiders

Me: Texans

Steve: Raiders

WINNER: Raiders (thought the link between them winning and Al Davis dying was a bit crass)

Eagles at Bills

-----------------

The Wife: Bills

Me: Eagles

Steve: Bills

WINNER: Bills (they've received a lot of points the last couple of weeks off somewhat lucky interceptions, but a win is certainly a win)

Chiefs at Colts

-----------------

The Wife: Colts

Me: Colts

Steve: Chiefs

WINNER: Chiefs

Cardinals at Vikings

------------------------

The Wife: Cardinals

Me: Cardinals

Steve: Vikings

WINNER: Vikings (no Christian Ponder yet . . .)

Bucs at 49ers

-----------------

The Wife: Bucs

Me: Bucs

Steve: Bucs

WINNER: 49ers (never saw such a pasting coming . . .)

Jets at Patriots

------------------

The Wife: Patriots

Me: Patriots

Steve: Patriots

WINNER: Patriots (Jets will be lucky to get another wild card this year)

Chargers at Broncos

------------------------

The Wife: Broncos

Me: Chargers

Steve: Chargers

WINNER: Chargers (they don't seem to play well, but they keep racking up wins . . .)

Packers at Falcons

----------------------

The Wife: Packers

Me: Packers

Steve: Packers

WINNER: Packers

Bears at Lions

--------------------

The Wife: Lions

Me: Lions

Steve: Bears

WINNER: Lions (a couple of big plays won this one; Cutler played great considering he was on his back much of the night)

WEEK TOTAL

The Wife: 6-7

Me: 4-9

Steve: 9-4

CUMULATIVE

The Wife: 42-35

Me: 42-35

Steve: 52-25

Ender's Game & Speaker for the Dead

Two extraordinary audio books I've listened to in the past year: Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead, both by Orson Scott Card.

Ender's Game is fairly well-known but well-worth its reputation, and even though it's often marketed as a YA book, adults can definitely find it enjoyable and thought-provoking. The novel concerns a young boy trained from the age of six years old in a special Battle School to someday become a great military leader to help the humans defeat the malevolent alien Buggers. But from a premise that might seem to fit in a hundred different genre novels about space combat comes a story that is deeply reflective about duty, responsibility, and leadership. Two of the main characters, Ender and his sister Valentine, have a bond that is memorable, and the book never takes the expected path.

Its sequel, Speaker for the Dead, brings out the best of what science-fiction has to offer: a chance to examine what it means to be human by telling a story where we can see humanity from the outside looking in. Two anthropologists on a distant planet are suddenly, savagely murdered by a species of intelligent beings who for decades have been peaceful and welcoming. 3,000 years after the events of Ender's Game, Ender is still a young man due to the effects of faster-than-light travel. He's become a Speaker for the Dead, an occupation which requires him to tell the truth of a man's life after his death. There's an intriguing mystery, an inquiry about what we should do to honor the lives of those who have died, and the set-up for what I'm sure are other great books in the series.

One thing I'll add is that the audio book versions of each of these is definitely worth a little extra money. Several readers are used for each book, allowing for certain voices to be used for certain characters, and the overall quality of the productions is quite high.

Castle Ravenloft Adventure # 9: "Gauntlet of Terror"

It's been a while, but The Wife and I finally managed to find some time to play the next adventure in the Castle Ravenloft board game. Adventure # 9 pits the heroes up against a dungeon teeming with monsters trying to escape and ravage the village of Barovia. The heroes are charged with the task of entering the dungeon and preventing this attack by killing twenty monsters before 5 or more of the monsters escape.

This adventure is very different than the others because instead of turning over tiles and placing monsters, fifteen tiles are already placed and the monsters are already on the board in the form of hidden tokens (which could reveal anywhere from 0 to 3 monsters). Due to how the tiles are set up, it's fairly easy to set up a defensive perimeter to try to keep any monsters from making it to the Start tile. We played this one with four heroes and had the Fighter watch one approach, the Rogue watch another, the Ranger watch the third, and had the Cleric float back and forth to help out where needed. Victory came easily with this approach, as we killed 20 monsters without needing to use a Healing Surge or having any of the monsters escape.

Boomer @ 4 1/2 months

It's amazing how quickly infants grow and develop. My little guy is now 4 1/2 months old, and has more than doubled his birth weight. When last I wrote, he was still sleeping on my lap all night; at two months old, he went from that to sleeping in a battery-powered swing all night! That was a big improvement, as it gave me freedom to move around and do whatever I wanted at night, but did have the downside of not being particularly portable. Then, two weeks ago, we finally managed to make the transition to getting him to sleep in a crib. He now usually wakes up once or twice a night, but he's easy to get back to sleep. In the grand scheme of things, getting him to sleep on his own may not seem like much--but for The Wife and me, it feels like a major accomplishment!

Two things make Boomer happier than a clam and fill him with smiles the whole time. One is his Jolly Jumper, a contraption that dangles him from a metal frame on his tip-toes so he can jump and bounce around at his own leisure. The other is solid food. We read all about how many babies how be picky or reject solid food, but not this kid: he's devoured every bowl of rice cereal we've put in front of him, grinning like Christmas morning each time.

Speaking of which, The Wife has already bought him a Christmas present! Boomer will surely be a spoiled kid, but I can't really complain as I buy him books all the time. He's just so adorable, and as proof positive I offer this picture of him in what will be his Halloween costume (assuming it still fits in a few weeks).

Torchwood: "From Out of the Rain" (S2, E10)

"So what are we saying . . . two people from a piece of film have decided to go AWOL?"

From Out of the Rain

Season Two, Episode Ten ("An old cinema re-opens and killers from the past emerge to stalk the streets of Cardiff.")

WHAT I LIKED

* The idea of the Night Travellers--creepy and iconic.

* Jack's integration into the history of the circus--shooting oneself in the head (and coming back to life) is quite the trick!

* The musical cues--they fit a "spooky circus" perfectly.

WHAT I DIDN'T

* The plot. The subjects of old film reels walk into reality--seriously? I saw the same plot done a few years back on Big Wolf on Campus, and that show was intentionally cheesy. Not to mention that the solution chosen here--exposing the film to light--was also pretty stupid and anti-climactic.

* The script. Flat, with no wit or character.

* The core premise. Torchwood deals with aliens, science, and strange Rift phenomena. The plot of this episode is presented as supernatural, which undercuts the Whoniverse bedrock that there's a rational explanation for everything (even if it's techno-gobbledygook).

WHAT I'M NOT SURE ABOUT

Clear.

DELETED SCENES

* A very brief scene--15 or 30 seconds?--of the ringmaster villain silently flirting with a clown.

TORCHWOOD DECLASSIFIED

* Setting up the circus on a budget (the producers are very proud of themselves).

* Coming up with the plot.

* Costuming the villains.

* Filming in the rain (spoiler: it's cold!).

* Composing the music.

* Shooting the bath scene.

NFL 2011 Week 5 Predictions

Here we go for week 5!

Titans at Steelers

------------------

The Wife: Titans

Me: Titans (one team is trending upward, one team is trending downward . . .)

Steve: Titans

Seahawks at Giants

------------------

The Wife: Giants

Me: Giants (have been decent and lucky so far this season)

Steve: Giants

Bengals at Jaguars

--------------------

The Wife: Jaguars

Me: Jaguars (battle of the rookie QBs: Jags get it going at home . . .)

Steve: Bengals

Saints at Panthers

------------------

The Wife: Saints

Me: Panthers (my dreaded "upset special"; I'll probably watch this one live just to see Cam Newton)

Steve: Saints

Raiders at Texans

------------------

The Wife: Raiders

Me: Texans

Steve: Raiders

Eagles at Bills

-----------------

The Wife: Bills

Me: Eagles (Vick is mad!)

Steve: Bills

Chiefs at Colts

-----------------

The Wife: Colts

Me: Colts (this is a toss-up of two of the worst teams in the league)

Steve: Chiefs

Cardinals at Vikings

------------------------

The Wife: Cardinals

Me: Cardinals

Steve: Vikings

Bucs at 49ers

-----------------

The Wife: Bucs

Me: Bucs

Steve: Bucs

Jets at Patriots

------------------

The Wife: Patriots

Me: Patriots (Jets are going to be in trouble if the Patriots and the Bills do well in the AFC East . . .)

Steve: Patriots

Chargers at Broncos

------------------------

The Wife: Broncos

Me: Chargers

Steve: Chargers

Packers at Falcons

----------------------

The Wife: Packers

Me: Packers (they're going to lose one of these weeks, but . . .)

Steve: Packers

Bears at Lions

--------------------

The Wife:Lions

Me: Lions

Steve: Bears ("though I want DET to win")

Fantasy Football 2011 Week 4

I have been extraordinarily lucky so far this season. A 68-64 win puts me at 4-0, with a one game lead in my division over The Wife. Subbing Ryan Fitzpatrick for Philip Rivers didn't pan out, and I was lucky DeSean Jackson and Darren Sproles had solid outings to get me the win. I kept my # 1 draft pick Arian Foster on the bench because I wasn't sure that he was back from his injury; with 22 points, he clearly was.

With just 333 points through four games, my team has scored the second fewest points in the league--but I've given up by far the fewest points in the league (just 270, an average of 65). Thus, I haven't in any way earned an undefeated record, and I know that such luck can't hold for long. Next week I'm up against a 2-2 team that averages 103 points a game, so I've got to get some things fixed.

ULTIMATE SUN RUNNERS (68 Points)

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick: 7
RB Tim Hightower: 2
RB Darren Sproles: 12
RB/WR Nate Burleson: 1
WR DeSean Jackson: 17
WR Deion Branch: 6
TE Rob Gronkowski: 1
D/ST Chargers: 10
K Jason Hanson: 12

TEAM MCFADDEN (64 Points)

QB Tom Brady: 17
RB Rashard Mendenhall: 8
RB Mark Ingram: 5
RB/WR Mike Tolbert: 12
WR Hines Ward: 1
WR Denarius Moore: 7
TE Heath Miller: 1
D/ST Steelers: 1
K Mike Nugent: 12

The Browns at 2-2

A 2-2 start isn't exactly cause for celebration, especially given that both of the Browns' victories were against teams that are still winless. Nor has the team looked convincing in those wins, or able to establish a real identity on offense. The running game is okay but inconsistent, and Colt looks somewhat jumpy in the pocket. Tight end play continues to be the team's strongest asset, but as me and everyone else in the world except the Browns' coaching staff predicted, their wide receivers just plain suck. The defense is decent--they don't get methodically picked apart or run up and down the field all day--but they do give up some big plays (the Titans) or some dumb plays (the Bengals). A 2-2 record is the best the team has started in all but a couple of seasons in the past decade, so there's reason to be optimistic. Hopefully, next weekend's bye will give them some time to better figure out how to move the ball down the field effectively in the West Coast system and better integrate the rushing attack.

NFL 2011 Week 4 Round-Up

Week 4 saw a major shake-up in the race, as The Wife's 7-9 picks dropped her to third place.

Lions at Cowboys

-------------------

The Wife: Cowboys

Me: Lions

Steve: Lions

WINNER: Lions (looking forward to seeing them play next Monday night)

Panthers at Bears

-----------------

The Wife: Panthers

Me: Panthers

Steve: Bears

WINNER: Bears (Cam Newton makes games fun, even when his team loses)

Bills at Bengals

-----------------

The Wife: Bills

Me: Bills

Steve: Bills

WINNER: Bengals ("though this could be one of those games where there's a huge let-down from the big win a week before" I said . . . but didn't listen to myself)

Titans at Browns

---------------

The Wife: Browns

Me: Titans

Steve: Titans

WINNER: Titans (I know the Browns are/should be better than last year, but they just seem so moribund on offense; a good play or drive here or there, but few actual points on the board)

Vikings at Chiefs

---------------

The Wife: Chiefs

Me: Chiefs

Steve: Vikings

WINNER: Chiefs

Redskins at Rams

---------------

The Wife: Rams

Me: Rams

Steve: Redskins

WINNER: Redskins (disappointing season for Rams fans excited with how they looked last year; I think a much tougher schedule has done them in)

Saints at Jaguars

----------------

The Wife: Saints

Me: Saints

Steve: Saints

WINNER: Saints (quietly positioning themselves for another playoff run)

Steelers at Texans

--------------

The Wife: Steelers

Me: Texans

Steve: Texans

WINNER: Texans (makes me think the Ravens are the team to beat in the AFC North)

49ers at Eagles

--------------

The Wife: Eagles

Me: Eagles

Steve: Eagles

WINNER: 49ers

Giants at Cardinals

--------------

The Wife: Cardinals

Me: Giants

Steve: Giants

WINNER: Giants

Falcons at Seahawks

----------------------

The Wife: Falcons

Me: Falcons

Steve: Falcons

WINNER: Falcons

Dolphins at Chargers

----------------------

The Wife: Chargers

Me: Chargers

Steve: Chargers

WINNER: Chargers ("Dolphins better win this one or Sparano is gone" . . . let's start the countdown)

Patriots at Raiders

------------------

The Wife: Patriots

Me: Raiders

Steve: Patriots

WINNER: Patriots (I've gotta stop picking my "upset special")

Broncos at Packers

------------------

The Wife: Packers

Me: Packers

Steve: Packers

WINNER: Packers

Jets at Ravens

------------------

The Wife: Jets

Me: Ravens

Steve: Ravens

WINNER: Ravens (one of the weirdest games I've ever seen)

Colts at Bucs

----------------

The Wife: Bucs

Me: Bucs

Steve: Colts

WINNER:

Bucs

THIS WEEK

The Wife: 7-9
Me: 11-5
Steve: 12-4

CUMULATIVE

The Wife: 36-28
Me: 38-26
Steve: 43-21

Wally "Silver Tongue" Panzotti [RPG, Cthulhu]

I'm currently lurking in and might play in a new Masks of Nyarlahotep PbEM campaign using Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu rule set. I've never been part of a Play by E-Mail RPG before, so I'm very curious to see how it works--I figure it's worth a try, as I had also never played online using a virtual tabletop before and it turned out to be a blast as our Forgotten Realms campaign is still going strong.

----------------------------

Wally "Silver Tongue" Panzotti

Occupation: Former Mob Lawyer

Birthplace: Brooklyn

Degrees: Bachelor's Degree, Law Degree (night school)

Age: 44

CHARACTERISTICS

Strength: 9
Dexterity: 11
Intelligence: 13
Constitution: 10
Appearance: 12
POW: 11
Size: 9
EDU: 15

ROLLS

Idea: 65%
Luck: 55%
Know: 75%
Sanity: 55%

Hit Points: 10

Magic Points: 11

Damage Bonus: None

SKILLS (Occupation Skills using "Shifty Accountant/Lawyer" from 1920s
Investigator's Handbook: Accounting, Bargain, Credit Rating, Fast Talk, Law,
Own Language, Persuade, Psychology)

Accounting: 10+20=30%
Anthropology: 01%
Archaeology: 01%
Art: 05%
Astronomy: 01%
Bargain: 5+10=15%
Biology: 01%
Chemistry: 01%
Climb: 40%
Conceal: 15+10=25%
Craft: 05%
Credit Rating: 15+40=55%
Cthuhlu Mythos: 00%
Disguise: 01%
Dodge: 22+10=32%
Drive Auto: 20+20=40%
Electr. Repair: 10%
Fast Talk: 5+70=75%
First Aid: 30+10=40%
Geology: 01%
Hide: 10%
History: 20%
Jump: 25%
Law: 05+70=75%
Library Use: 25+40=65%
Listen: 25+10=35%
Locksmith: 01%
Martial Arts: 01%
Mech. Repair: 20%
Medicine: 05%
Natural History: 10%
Navigate: 10%
Occult: 05%
Opr. Heavy Mech.: 01%
Other Language: 01%
Own Language (English): 75%
Persuade: 15+70=85%
Pharmacy: 01%
Photography: 10%
Physics: 01%
Pilot: 01%
Psychoanalysis: 01%
Psychology: 05+20=25%
Ride: 05%
Sneak: 10%
Spot Hidden: 25+10=35%
Swim: 25%
Throw: 25%
Track: 10%

WEAPON SKILLS

Handgun: 20+20=40%
Machine Gun: 15%
Rifle: 25%
Shotgun: 30%
SMG: 15%
Fist: 50%
Grapple: 25%
Headbutt: 10%
Kick: 25%

INCOME: $ 3500/year
Cash on Hand: $ 100
Savings: $ 1,650
Stocks & Bonds (convertible to cash in 30 days): $ 1750
Personal Property: $ 14000 (Brownstone in Brooklyn, Lancia Lambda car, .22
pistol, miscellaneous)

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

A slightly paunchy man in his mid-40s, Wally "Silver Tongue" Panzotti dresses
well in expensive, tailor-made suits (though those with keen observational
skills might notice he only has two of them and alternates every day). Wally
usually talks to people while looking slightly off to the side to better hide
the large scar on the left side of his face.

BRIEF BACKGROUND

The son of Italian immigrants, Wally grew up on the rough-and-tumble streets of
Brooklyn. While his childhood best friend Antonio LaBalogna ("Tony Balogna")
quickly scaled the ranks of the Mafia, Wally worked hard to put himself through
school, eventually finishing with a law degree by taking night classes. One
thing led to another, and soon Wally found himself representing minor mob goons
in various trials. As the years passed, Wally was trusted with more and more
secrets of mob boss Tony Balogna's operation. The partnership was lucrative for
Wally, and by 1923 he lived in a house in Brooklyn, drove an imported Italian
car, and wore flashy suits.

One day in 1924, a source inside the D.A.'s office leaked a devastating secret:
prosecutors were about to indict Tony Balogna and several of his lieutenants,
including Wally himself. Panicked, Wally turned himself in and agreed to
testify against his illicit employer in exchange for immunity. Although Balogna
was convicted and sent away, Wally didn't get away scot-free: from inside
prison, Balogna ordered a message sent to Wally. One night, two goons pinned
Wally down and poured a vial of acid on his face.

Ever since, Wally has tried to keep a low profile. His income has dropped off,
he has few clients, and he's always looking over his shoulder for the next
message from Balogna.

PERSONALITY & MOTIVATIONS

Wally is a charismatic fellow, a smooth-talker who is charming and personable.
He isn't evil at heart, but was willing to overlook the terrible things his
former associates did as long as he didn't have to get his hands dirty himself.
He's also pretty smart, but growing up on the streets of Brooklyn he learned to
hide it out of fear of being labelled an "egghead." In his present situation,
Wally is looking to perhaps leave New York or at least find influential friends
who can help protect him from Tony Balogna's wrath.