The "What Are You Thinking About Right Now?" PIP

14 hours ago, Cult Icon said:

She looks good! Blue-eyed brunette like Elizabeth too.

.... The Mental Illness is strong with these people.

The last of US HBO show has a pretty good budget/production values

This proves to me that HBO should have bought the Witcher rights

Now that I'm done, my personal ratings of the novels:

Lord of the Rings  3.7 out of 5   

Hobbit  3 out of 5

Game of Thrones  4 out of 5 

Witcher 4.7 out of 5

My rating for LOTR books are probably blasphemous for many.

What is wrong with these people?

@Enrico_sw @SympathysSilhouette

Today I finished the audiobook for Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" for the second time and was struck by a few crucial similarities between this novella and the Heart of Stone expansion of the Witcher 3.  Apocalypse now is also my favorite film of all time.

Same-same but different.

Geralt often inhabits the role of Marlowe, as an outside observer who pieces together the mystery of Olgierd von Everec piece by piece.

He and Olgierd also has numerous philosophical exchanges like Marlow and Kurtz.

Olgierd is quite similar to Kurtz when I come to think of it.  A great, eloquent but also savage man.  His gang of faceless, cutthroat bandits are stand-ins the African 'savages' of Kurtz.

And Iris is very similar to the Kurtz' fiancé, and grieves in a similar way- a never ending grief and a never ending love for a great and terrible man.

Also, the title of the expansion:

Heart of Stone

Heart of Darkness

The writers CDPR's team were all english majors it seems lol.

16 hours ago, Cult Icon said:

 

@Enrico_sw @SympathysSilhouette

 

Today I finished the audiobook for Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" for the second time and was struck by a few crucial similarities between this novella and the Heart of Stone expansion of the Witcher 3.  Apocalypse now is also my favorite film of all time.

 

Same-same but different.

 

Geralt often inhabits the role of Marlowe, as an outside observer who pieces together the mystery of Olgierd von Everec piece by piece.

 

He and Olgierd also has numerous philosophical exchanges like Marlow and Kurtz.

 

Olgierd is quite similar to Kurtz when I come to think of it.  A great, eloquent but also savage man.  His gang of faceless, cutthroat bandits are stand-ins the African 'savages' of Kurtz.

 

And Iris is very similar to the Kurtz' fiancé, and grieves in a similar way- a never ending grief and a never ending love for a great and terrible man.

 

Also, the title of the expansion:

 

Heart of Stone

Heart of Darkness

 

The writers CDPR's team were all english majors it seems lol.

I don't know enough of Apocalypse now and the novel.

CDPR's writers have lots of Easter eggs and references to the American culture (before its great downfall which happens to be circa 2015-20 to me, so right after the W3's release).

Hearts of stone is a great expansion like B&W. Both expansions are somehow even better than the game. In HoS, everything looks like it's Autumn, mean right before winter is coming. Olgierd (aka David Beckham) and Iris story is very touching.

It sucks that there are no decent Ciri statues that aren't rare and over $1000.  The biggest issue is that manufacturers seem to have is creating her face.  The best one is the $1250 Ciri in a kimono statue.  I see even the flawed Dark Horse Series 1 statue being sold for hundreds of dollars.

I think all Dark horse needs to do is to find a way to manufacture a good ciri face and just release a series 3 Ciri with the original outfit.  It will definitely be popular.

@Enrico_sw

What classic french and russian literature did you study in school ?

I am doing the 3 musketeers  now.  TBH don't really get the appeal but am still going.  I thought Dumas' other classic, Count of Monte Cristo was awesome.

I am also considering do Les Miserables and vol. 1 In search of Lost time (Proust) after this.

2 minutes ago, Cult Icon said:

@Enrico_sw

 

What classic french and russian literature did you study in school ?

 

I am doing the 3 musketeers  now.  TBH don't really get the appeal but am still going.  I thought Dumas' other classic, Count of Monte Cristo was awesome.

 

I am also considering do Les Miserables and vol. 1 In search of Lost time (Proust) after this.

For French literature, Dumas is great. Les misérables from Hugo is a classic as well. I'd say also:

- One of Molière's theatre play (like Tartuffe or les fourberies de Scapin)

- Candide from Voltaire (it's an hilarious satire of optimism)

- Le Père Goriot from Balzac

- Paroles from Prévert (poetry)

- L'étranger from Camus (best French author in the 20th century)

- Zola (most famous naturalist author), with Germinal or l’Assommoir, it's a bit dark though.

In Russian literature, I studied deeply two books: Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" and Tolstoy's "War and Peace".

Oh and there's also Cyrano de Bergerac (from Rostand). This one is a must!

A great tale of eloquence, cover-ups, unrequited love and chivalry.

On 1/22/2023 at 11:44 AM, Enrico_sw said:

 

I don't know enough of Apocalypse now and the novel.

 

CDPR's writers have lots of Easter eggs and references to the American culture (before its great downfall which happens to be circa 2015-20 to me, so right after the W3's release).

 

Hearts of stone is a great expansion like B&W. Both expansions are somehow even better than the game. In HoS, everything looks like it's Autumn, mean right before winter is coming. Olgierd (aka David Beckham) and Iris story is very touching.

 

Hearts of Stone, the expansion is timeless. To be honest it is so good that I think it could be novelized as well, and made into its own movie.  One often  neglected thing about the expansion is the Oferi merchant that Geralt meets in the beginning.  Quite odd and interesting. 

You got to see it!  Apocalypse Now is one of the greatest American films ever made and work of genius.  Its basic concept is inspired by Heart of Darkness but it has tremendous substance.

Martin Sheen was awesome, and Marlon Brando's performance is one of the best of all time.

For me it is no. 1.  I revisited for years and years, and every time I watch it I see more and more. 

beginning :

This statue is really nice but  they really screwed up the face.  The face is the only reason why I'm not getting it.

@Enrico_sw  @SympathysSilhouette  does this look like Ciri to you?

The figure I bought has two heads, one is normal geralt and the other has the 'hearts of stone' mark on his face.  The hair is funky

Going to jail was the best thing that ever happened to him and his GF.

On 1/23/2023 at 6:20 PM, Enrico_sw said:

 

 

For French literature, Dumas is great. Les misérables from Hugo is a classic as well. I'd say also:

- One of Molière's theatre play (like Tartuffe or les fourberies de Scapin)

- Candide from Voltaire (it's an hilarious satire of optimism)

- Le Père Goriot from Balzac

- Paroles from Prévert (poetry)

- L'étranger from Camus (best French author in the 20th century)

- Zola (most famous naturalist author), with Germinal or l’Assommoir, it's a bit dark though.

 

In Russian literature, I studied deeply two books: Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" and Tolstoy's "War and Peace".

 

I will check all these books to see more and get back to you.

I did 1/3rd of 3 Muskateers and I still am not feeling it. I think the book is way too romantic and unrealistic/idealistic in their portrayal of chivalry.  I find the musketeers a bit like clowns. I can see the appeal for those that idealize chivalry during those times though.

I started Brothers Karamazov (Dostoevsky).  Very impressed with its qualities.  I also want to read Crime and Punishment, Anna Karelina, Fathers and Sons, Master and Margerita etc etc.

AI art: Rome 2100

Now that I have Yennefer, Geralt, and Shani it seems like greed is starting to get the better of me because these statues look so good.

They seem to need some company:  Ciri, Triss, Dandelion, Regis, Vesemir, ..

@Matt! I did my leg day yesterday and there were mostly women one the machines... and me!

Leg days are the best, just for that   Booty sets are the best part.

On a more serious note, I don't understand why men don't do their glutes, they are so important for your balance. I feel more stable when I run or do martial arts, thanks to all these glutes exercices.