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On 3/23/2019 at 8:20 AM, Requiem said:

It's a great time to be alive (in Melbourne). 

I have tickets to Emperor and Eluveitie, and I think I'll also see Korpiklaani and Hypocrisy. At The Gates are also playing soon and I'll probably see them again too. Fuck Metallica and Slipknot.

I wish I could see that Emperor show.  If only they would come to the US!

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2 minutes ago, MacabreEternal said:

2 days to go until New York, not packed and only just pre-booking tourist stuff now.  Found some drinking holes already though.

If you have a chance to get out to the Williamsburg/Bushwick area of Brooklyn, Grimm's new brewpub is worth a visit, although it's a hike from the nearest subway and there's not much else to recommend the immediate surroundings. I used to love Greenpoint Beer and Ales but not sure if they've maintained their quality. What spots do you have your eye on?

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On 3/24/2019 at 6:43 AM, FatherAlabaster said:

I'm in touch with BAN and he said he'd like to get back around here at some point -- just busy with the rest of life. For myself, like RO said, it's burnout. I've had a lot to do IRL, and I have very little energy for any form of social media right now. Also, without being negative about the forum as it stands, I miss too many old friends who don't come around here anymore; the place doesn't feel the same to me. The reason this was "behind the scenes" is that I felt obligated to tell the other mods I wouldn't be around for a while, but didn't want to make a big deal out of it. At the very least I needed a break. I may stick around for now, but if I turn up missing again, that's why.

Regarding deathstorm, we decided a while ago to require that his posts get approved by the staff before being published. It wasn't an easy decision, and it came after years of trying to get him to rein himself in. He's still free to come and go, and we've approved most of what he's posted since then, but I'm not surprised that he's been around less frequently.

That's all very comprehensive and makes total sense.

Especially the part about the forum not being the same when your old friends aren't there. Perhaps a touch of that in my own experience. Metal Forum is FatherAlabaster to me in many ways, and it was strange and disorienting without you here. Damn, I think I have something in my eye... *sniffs and coughs*. 

Poor old Deathy. He's a good lad. 

 

 

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13 hours ago, FatherAlabaster said:

If you have a chance to get out to the Williamsburg/Bushwick area of Brooklyn, Grimm's new brewpub is worth a visit, although it's a hike from the nearest subway and there's not much else to recommend the immediate surroundings. I used to love Greenpoint Beer and Ales but not sure if they've maintained their quality. What spots do you have your eye on?

McSorley’s comes recommended along with a multitude of other Irish bars.  Stout talks a good game but looks a little hipster.  Maybe a pint in P.J Carneys.

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11 hours ago, Requiem said:

That's all very comprehensive and makes total sense.

Especially the part about the forum not being the same when your old friends aren't there. Perhaps a touch of that in my own experience. Metal Forum is FatherAlabaster to me in many ways, and it was strange and disorienting without you here. Damn, I think I have something in my eye... *sniffs and coughs*. 

Poor old Deathy. He's a good lad. 

 

 

Thanks, Req. The place would definitely be a lot emptier without your wit and energy. I'm glad you've seen fit to stick around. 

4 hours ago, MacabreEternal said:

McSorley’s comes recommended along with a multitude of other Irish bars.  Stout talks a good game but looks a little hipster.  Maybe a pint in P.J Carneys.

Stop by the old office after midnight -- not many whole peasants available (and no virgins whatsoever), but I've asked the lads to at least leave out a bag or two from the blood bank downtown. They also know to make absolutely sure it's human this time. I had to explain about the fur in some detail, but I think the point has got through. 

For un-undead drinking pursuits, the hipster bars and brewpubs are where you'll find the best beer IMO. There's a lot to do in Williamsburg and Greenpoint. I recall Torst being pretty awesome (bring lots of money), and I always enjoyed Brooklyn Brewery. Also some good stuff to be had in Astoria, but that's a bit off the beaten path. I'm not a fan of McSorley's - unless they've changed their game, they offer two unremarkable beers and a vaguely gimmicky vibe. I'll be interested in your impression of how NYC Irish bars compare to the real thing.

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2 hours ago, FatherAlabaster said:

Thanks, Req. The place would definitely be a lot emptier without your wit and energy. I'm glad you've seen fit to stick around. 

Stop by the old office after midnight -- not many whole peasants available (and no virgins whatsoever), but I've asked the lads to at least leave out a bag or two from the blood bank downtown. They also know to make absolutely sure it's human this time. I had to explain about the fur in some detail, but I think the point has got through. 

For un-undead drinking pursuits, the hipster bars and brewpubs are where you'll find the best beer IMO. There's a lot to do in Williamsburg and Greenpoint. I recall Torst being pretty awesome (bring lots of money), and I always enjoyed Brooklyn Brewery. Also some good stuff to be had in Astoria, but that's a bit off the beaten path. I'm not a fan of McSorley's - unless they've changed their game, they offer two unremarkable beers and a vaguely gimmicky vibe. I'll be interested in your impression of how NYC Irish bars compare to the real thing.

Definitely looking forward to the trip, it in so many ways is our one visible trip of a lifetime and has been months in planning.  The rest of the year will be about tightening the belts and buying a house and being proper grown ups so we intend to make the most of New York.  Will feedback on my thoughts on both the dead and undead activities recommended.  Thanks for keeping the troops in order FatherA.

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1 hour ago, Athame said:

I have an interview tomorrow. At least its better than my last job but damn, I always get nervous at interviews 

I am not that keen on job interviews either, not because I do not know what to say, but because so many employers are just lousy interviewers.

But to calm my nerves I always imagine the worst case scenario, which in a job interview case is that they will tell you that you are not right for the job and should they act rude during the interview well then you can always get up and leave. 

Any scenario or situation: prepair for the worst, hope for the best. It might sound pessimistic, but it has saved me a lot of trouble. 

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17 hours ago, Athame said:

I have an interview tomorrow. At least its better than my last job but damn, I always get nervous at interviews 

Hope your interview went well.

 

While we're on the subject that month of unpaid work is over which means...I'M GOING TO GET PAID!!! Unfortunately it's not going to be enough for me to keep living on my own but it's a start and who knows where I'll be in a year's time.

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On 3/25/2019 at 10:46 AM, FatherAlabaster said:

If you have a chance to get out to the Williamsburg/Bushwick area of Brooklyn, 

True story: a friend and I were hanging out at Colonial Williamsburg in 1995 and two old ladies who were dressed in colonial costume propositioned us. We were 15 and were shocked and scared. We escaped the wrinkly predators, so it turned out alright. 

Tonight I'm going out with the Countess (not wrinkly but equally lascivious) and other parents to drown our sorrows. 

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10 hours ago, Requiem said:

True story: a friend and I were hanging out at Colonial Williamsburg in 1995 and two old ladies who were dressed in colonial costume propositioned us. We were 15 and were shocked and scared. We escaped the wrinkly predators, so it turned out alright. 

Tonight I'm going out with the Countess (not wrinkly but equally lascivious) and other parents to drown our sorrows. 

Really getting into the spirit of the era, huh? Can't blame them for trying, I suppose... With any luck, your near future holds a more desirable proposition. Unfortunately my wife can no longer join me in drowning sorrows, for health reasons, but she wasn't much of a sorrow-drowner to begin with. For that matter I'm better off cutting out some of the drowning myself.

On my mind - prepping for band practice, waiting to hear the masters of our EP, trying to remember how to sing, wanting to exercise, needing to get a sketch done and get back to a cover painting I'm half finished with, negotiating everything with our increasingly individualistic seven-year-old, and maybe something for a snack.

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12 hours ago, Requiem said:

True story: a friend and I were hanging out at Colonial Williamsburg in 1995 and two old ladies who were dressed in colonial costume propositioned us. We were 15 and were shocked and scared. We escaped the wrinkly predators, so it turned out alright. 

Tonight I'm going out with the Countess (not wrinkly but equally lascivious) and other parents to drown our sorrows. 

Slipping off a pair of Depends doesn't quite meet the gothic romance standard, never mind the patchouli-scented home she would have taken you to. You made the right choice by escaping those hags.

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1 minute ago, Vampyrique said:

Slipping off a pair of Depends doesn't quite meet the gothic romance standard, never mind the patchouli-scented home she would have taken you to. You made the right choice by escaping those hags.

If he was 15, anyone over about 28 would have looked ancient, and if they were really ghosts from centuries past (as I'm sure we all suspect), I'd be willing to bet they died in their thirties or forties. Hot ghost cougars FTW.

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5 hours ago, MacabreEternal said:

So the significant other, female half of the undead partnership I co-exist with said yes to my marriage proposal by the shores of Manhattan earlier tonight.  This marriage will cost human kind dearly but each sacrifice will be worth it.

Brave soul. Giving up sex and money altogether. 

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12 hours ago, FatherAlabaster said:

If he was 15, anyone over about 28 would have looked ancient, and if they were really ghosts from centuries past (as I'm sure we all suspect), I'd be willing to bet they died in their thirties or forties. Hot ghost cougars FTW.

They were so old I think they were actually in Williamsburg at the time of colonisation. 

7 hours ago, MacabreEternal said:

So the significant other, female half of the undead partnership I co-exist with said yes to my marriage proposal by the shores of Manhattan earlier tonight.  This marriage will cost human kind dearly but each sacrifice will be worth it.

Congratulations! Romantic sounding location too. 

 

1 hour ago, Vampyrique said:

Brave soul. Giving up sex and money altogether. 

This. 

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