The first day back my lovely wife and I went to Moxie's for lunch. I had the most rare steak they could make me and a tall glass of beer. Mmmmmmmmm. That evening I went to my work Christmas party in a Kurta. It went over very well.
Observations upon my return:
1. India has a smell. So does Canada, but here, that smell is Winter. It's much better.
2. After not eating beef for 4 weeks, your system is going to object.
3. Everybody drives really far apart here.
4. It's not hard to get beer in India. It's just hard to get really good beer.
5. The first time you see a white person drinking from a water fountain you have to repress an urge to yell at them not to do it.
Xmas
Parties! Drinking! Presents! Sweets!
Stargate
So, they cancelled Stargate Universe.
I think the important take-away points here are:
1. Syfy (they're not called "SciFi" anymore) is a waste of time. Don't bother getting interested in any show they have on the air unless it's wrestling, because they're going hard in the MTV-abandoning-music-videos direction.
2. Fans of sci fi shows are much more likely to stream, download, or PVR. Television networks, on the other hand, are stuck in the model of selling advertising access to people who sit and watch commercials. The business case for making SF shows on TV is in a death spiral and the future business model doesn't exist yet. Eventually they'll figure out how to monetize programming in the absence of a network model but until then, it's going to be slim pickings for SF fans.
3. All the Stargate fans who wanted SGU to fail so they could get more Atlantis have a reality shock coming when they discover that the movies are all going to be on ice (more so) and there isn't going to be anything stargate related for at least the next 3 years. Maybe more, given the state MGM is in. And I have a feeling that it's going to end up being like Buffy when it does come back -- the people behind the unwatchable movie are going to have another chance to make God-awful unwatchable crap. So, you know, enjoy the schaudenfreude, guys.
4. Yes, it was a good show. Yes, if you disagree, you are wrong.
Civilization
Since I got back I've been picking up some DLC for Civ 5. My reviews:
The Mongols - eh, they're okay.
Babylon - Some interesting toys but they're probably better as an AI than a player choice.
Spain - Oh my God, it's full of suck.
The Incas - They don't sound like much but they're really fun to play. Lots of interesting toys. Surprisingly strong.
The New Patch - Diplomacy is a lot better; some of the time you're really not sure why everybody suddenly hates you, but at least you know what's going on, which is better than the infuriating opacity it used to have. I also love upgrading my cavalry to tanks. I'm not crazy about some of the new wonders (El Dorado? The Fountain of Youth? When do I get Shangri La or Hy Brasil as player civs, assholes?). Overall, though, A+, Would Download Again.
Also, RJA has now drank the kool-aid. I'm quite enjoying having another fellow addict with whom to talk shop.
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