Christmas

xoxoxoBruce • Dec 7, 2016 12:58 am
Creeping costs aren't bad this year, thanks Obama...

Partridge, $20; last year: $25
Pear tree, $190; last year: same
Two turtle doves, $375; last year: $290
Three French hens, $182; last year: same
Four calling birds (canaries), $600; last year: same
Five gold rings, $750; last year: same
Six geese-a-laying, $360; last year: same
Seven swans a-swimming, $13,125; last year: same
Eight maids a-milking, $58; last year: same
Nine ladies dancing (per performance), $7,553; last year: same
10 lords a-leaping (per performance), $5,509; last year: same
11 pipers piping (per performance), $2,708; last year: $2,635
12 drummers drumming (per performance), $2,934; last year: $2,855
Griff • Dec 7, 2016 7:29 am
I'm glad to see the pipers get a bump there. Tough times in Piperville.
classicman • Dec 7, 2016 12:25 pm
Looks like everyone is making the same or less. ;)
Gravdigr • Dec 7, 2016 12:32 pm
Where the hell did those numbers come from?

I have a hard time believing four canaries cost $600.

Also, $13,125 for seven swans????






Just checked prices for mute swans...JFC:3_eyes:

At Mallard Lane Farms, bottom of the page.
footfootfoot • Dec 7, 2016 2:06 pm
You pay more for the quiet. Noisy swans can be had fairly cheap, so I've heard.
Gravdigr • Dec 7, 2016 2:56 pm
How much are ugly ducks, I wonder?:rolleyes:
BigV • Dec 7, 2016 3:29 pm
Dunno about ducklings, but ugly chicks?





Cheep.
footfootfoot • Dec 7, 2016 6:37 pm
BigV;975750 wrote:
Dunno about ducklings, but ugly chicks?





Cheep.


ha. Discounting the beer goggle expense, naturally.
xoxoxoBruce • Dec 8, 2016 12:25 pm
Christmas Choir...
Gravdigr • Dec 8, 2016 1:42 pm
BigV;975750 wrote:
Dunno about ducklings, but ugly chicks?

Cheep.


I saw what you did there.

:D
monster • Dec 8, 2016 1:47 pm
xoxoxoBruce;975825 wrote:
Christmas Choir...


another fabulous use of googly eyes. May have to drink a lot of beers just for the purpose of replicating that tableaux in my home
xoxoxoBruce • Dec 9, 2016 9:48 am
Barbie's world Christmas...
footfootfoot • Dec 9, 2016 1:24 pm
monster;975834 wrote:
another fabulous use of googly eyes. May have to drink a lot of beers just for the purpose of replicating that tableaux in my home


Googly eye beer can creche?
lumberjim • Dec 9, 2016 11:43 pm
I just found a bag of googly eyes in with the wrapping paper. Gonna have a fun day at work tomorrow.

Also found this crew :

Image

Michelle and Dave left them in the basement in a sealed tub. Bonus.
xoxoxoBruce • Dec 9, 2016 11:56 pm
Since the election the fake news sites have been bored. One of them came up with a fake toy. :smack:
footfootfoot • Dec 11, 2016 11:14 pm
Like the Lego Auschwitz.
xoxoxoBruce • Dec 14, 2016 6:47 pm
From gifts dot com...
elSicomoro • Dec 15, 2016 1:37 am
xoxoxoBruce;975980 wrote:
Since the election the fake news sites have been bored. One of them came up with a fake toy. :smack:


I can't believe some of the "outrage" that came over this.

Shit, I'm outraged because it's not real.
footfootfoot • Dec 15, 2016 1:08 pm
Image

This is odd:
xoxoxoBruce • Dec 19, 2016 12:10 pm
Rockefeller Center's first Christmas tree in 1931.
xoxoxoBruce • Dec 24, 2016 12:55 pm
From Cellerite Kirk's website...

I saw mommy shaking Santa Claus' hand / but in a meaningful way

Jingle bells / jingle bells / jingle at least most of the way

Frosty / the Snowman / was inert

Rudolph / the damp-nosed reindeer / had a rather damp nose

Bittersweet contentment to the world!

O the weather outside is frightful / I hope the g*****n furnace guy gets here soon

I'm dreaming / of a ... Christmas / without so many wolves in it

Silent night / shut up.

It came upon the midnight overcast

I'll be home for Christmas / that's what "house arrest" means
xoxoxoBruce • Dec 24, 2016 2:21 pm
More take 'em with a grain of salt charts...
Elspode • Dec 25, 2016 1:03 pm
Merry Xmas, Dwellars, from Elspode and Tree Fae
glatt • Dec 25, 2016 1:20 pm
Merry Christmas! Hope all you Dwellers are having a relaxing day.
Gravdigr • Dec 25, 2016 2:46 pm
Hope everyone has an enjoyable day today.

Murray Christmas!!!!!!!!!
fargon • Dec 25, 2016 2:56 pm
Happy Christmas and a God Bless!
Griff • Dec 25, 2016 3:51 pm
Chillax people!
lumberjim • Dec 25, 2016 5:49 pm
Image

My mom has had this book since 1975. I have a current printing, but the colors are much richer in this one.
xoxoxoBruce • Dec 26, 2016 4:52 am
Monster's been at it again... :rolleyes:
Snakeadelic • Dec 26, 2016 8:34 am
Dangit, and I still have no idea how to get the data size on my photos down to forum-acceptable, since the program I have available (not PS) only has 2 choices (Resize and Resample) and neither one seems to work.

Our adorable little Christmas village of cast-resin houses is now under attack by:
Hedorah (plush)
Ghidorah (plush)
Mothra (Rainbow version, plush)
King Caesar
Godzilla (plush, wrapped in radiation-warning-yellow mini Xmas light strand)
Godzilla (Megaguirus, Against Mecha-G, Tokyo SOS, and G2K version)
Godzilla (1960s toad-faced version)
Mechagodzilla (Tokyo SOS, has a drill in place of right hand, no rocket backpacks)
All in 7-inch scale. Now, if I can only find affordable versions, I just need Anguirus, Baragon from Giant Monsters All-Out Attack ($80 and up, ouch), Megaguirus, Destoroyah, Space Godzilla (also WAY pricey), Battra, larvae of both Mothra and Battra (both characters in any version are pricey), and that dang creepy blank-eyed "super evil" Godzilla from Giant Monsters All-Out Attack.
footfootfoot • Dec 26, 2016 10:40 am
What software do you have?
classicman • Dec 26, 2016 11:17 am
Merray belated Christmas everyone!
Happy Monkey • Dec 26, 2016 12:45 pm
Happy Life Day!

[youtube]wJDAmBQ1u2g[/youtube]
Gravdigr • Dec 26, 2016 3:19 pm
Snakeadelic;977408 wrote:
Dangit, and I still have no idea how to get the data size on my photos down to forum-acceptable, since the program I have available (not PS) only has 2 choices (Resize and Resample) and neither one seems to work.


Snake, I use an old program called Web Resizer, by Mino Studio. It does a pretty good job reducing file size on pics. Pretty simple, too. You can probably find it for free somewhere online.
BigV • Dec 26, 2016 7:26 pm
also ms paint, choose RESIZE, then save as
Snakeadelic • Dec 27, 2016 9:54 am
Some of the stuff I've clipped out using Paint has retained enormous data sizes, not sure why because I so totally SUCK at software & technology. When I don't need to crop something out of an image, IrfanView is my go-to for pretty much everything. I should clarify: Resize and Resample on IV both do their jobs, but they don't reduce the DATA size of the file, only the image size. Discovered this trying to size down a photo I took several winters back of a light pillar with two "snow dogs", bright refractive patches 180 degrees apart caused by airborne ice crystals refracting the rising sun while it was still just barely below the horizon. I even got the pillar centered on the steeple of the church down the street.
Snakeadelic • Dec 27, 2016 9:59 am
Giving it another quick try with a fresh image. I love living my life by natural light cycles, and being able to do familiar fine-motor tasks without having to look at my hands. Makes d*cking around with teeny memory cards before sunrise much easier!
Snakeadelic • Dec 27, 2016 10:02 am
Resized to 20% is still 1.82 meg. My camera takes MASSIVE photos. I'm gonna try clipping it with Paint.
Snakeadelic • Dec 27, 2016 10:08 am
All right, let's see if the cropped-with-Paint version is still too big...

Now I'm annoyed. The only Insert Image I can find is demanding an image URL, and the image in question is NOT online. It's on my hard drive.

Found it! Attachments, not Insert. Info below the pic gives 2 sizes: 79.89KB/1.09 MB. Not sure wtf that means. Height & width are WELL within limits. Here goes.
Snakeadelic • Dec 27, 2016 10:14 am
OMG it worked!!!

Left to right: King Caesar, Rainbow Mothra hitching a ride with Godzilla 2000, Mecha-Godzilla from Against MG and Tokyo SOS, plush Godzilla I wrapped in tiny Xmas lights, hiding in the back right is Hedorah (look for the orange eyeball--it's the Smog Monster), my newest addition is the "toad-face" 1960s Godzilla, and finally at far right a plush King Ghidorah. They're all to scale with each other, by the way, with the Godzillas standing at about 7 inches each. People forget how many original kaiju are bigger than Godzilla! That list includes: Ghidorah in all his forms, adult Mothra, Biollante (half Godzilla, half rose plant), Destoroyah, and Megaguirus. All of whom are hard to find and crazy expensive. The 2014 American Godzilla was the biggest Goji yet, though the new Japanese one (Shin Godzilla) might be bigger. They actually are prepping for Godzilla Vs. King Kong (anticipated release date 2020); the new Kong in Skull Island is bigger than the Empire State Building the original climbed! Skull Island is right up there with Thor 3: Ragnarok in the list of upcoming movies I WILL see in the theater!
Snakeadelic • Dec 27, 2016 10:19 am
xoxoxoBruce;976388 wrote:
From gifts dot com...


I'm so glad I finally got all the gift-givers in my life trained! :D Gift cards! Don't care if they're Mastercard, Visa, or Amazon! I love me some gift cards. And my neighbor's family does send me clothing--awesome longjohn-fabric long-sleeved tees that make layering in the Montana winter so much easier, and--often matching--soft fuzzy plush pajama pants.

I only put on jeans between September and May any more if I have to leave the house. Otherwise I live in my "skooshy" pants :D. The pair I have on right now are bright red with penguins in toque hats or sweaters all over. And fuzzy. SO WARM. One of the few advantages of life as a nearly-homebound bundle of anxiety twitches is not having to dress any part for anyone about 90% of the time.
footfootfoot • Dec 27, 2016 1:07 pm
Sounds like you are resizing without resampling. The pixel dimension:resolution ratio is staying the same. So you can resize something that is 720px x 720px @ 72dpi to 360x360 @144dpi and the image will have the same file size.

Resampling will keep the resolution the same while reducing the number of pixels, so your file will go from 720px x 720px @ 72dpi to 360px x 360px @72dpi.

When you reduce an image's dimensions by half, the file size is usually reduced by more than half, I think it has something to do with math... like an inverse square law or something.

Part of the problem is in the terminology, resizing can mean file size, image dimension, adding starch.
Gravdigr • Dec 29, 2016 4:04 pm
...Biollante (half Godzilla, half rose plant)...


WTF, Japan?!
monster • Dec 29, 2016 7:33 pm
I have gold three-headed dragon envy.
limey • Dec 30, 2016 5:00 am
I received a very excitable box yesterday ...
[ATTACH]58975[/ATTACH]
Which appeared to know the neighbours ...
[ATTACH]58976[/ATTACH]
And offered me a noob quiz!
[ATTACH]58977[/ATTACH]
The answers, of course, are:
1 - to make music
2 - ketchup all the way
3 - below you
4 - great thanks
5 - I don't know but they can buy another bowl, just as good, in the January sales, can't they?
The box was filled with scarily solid packing snot ....
[ATTACH]58978[/ATTACH]
limey • Dec 30, 2016 5:07 am
Inside the packing snot was a custom-made, deeply superior yarn bowl (a super bowl indeed!), so the answer to question 5 above must be .... I dunno but I won it!

[ATTACH]58979[/ATTACH]

The superiority of this bowl is inherent in the fact that not only can I knit with the spaghetti this guy is trying to eat ...

[ATTACH]58980[/ATTACH]

but also with his brains as they are drawn out of his earhole!

(for the uninitiated this means that if I'm working on a project which I'm like to take out of the house to work on I'd use the earhole slot so that I can leave the Superb-bowl safely at home. Or if the project is one I'm going to work on at home only, I can use the spaghetti. Or I can use the Superb-bowl to hold two balls of yarn ... genius!).

Oh, and the project is signed!

Thank you so much Jim and Spencer - what a lovely gift!
Clodfobble • Dec 30, 2016 10:00 am
Cool!
limey • Dec 30, 2016 1:44 pm
It's a Christmas that just keeps on giving!
Gifts arrived at Chateau Limey from another of the Cellar's formidable father/son duos today.
[ATTACH]58983[/ATTACH]
A fabulous generously proportioned mug (in an equally pretty and very useful box), and two beautiful expressions of friendship to decorate my home. Together with a card. Thanks Dan and Classic - you're too kind! xxx
classicman • Dec 31, 2016 1:29 pm
Thats a beautiful gift, Jim. Damn all of you are so talented.

We love you limey. You have been so amazing to us.
Dan picked out all of that himself. One day I hope for us to get to visit Chateau Limey.
Gotta get Danny a passport first and some cash.
limey • Dec 31, 2016 2:12 pm
Really thoughtful and beautiful gifts, Classic, please thank Dan for me. You're most welcome at our humble abode, any time! X


Sent by magic.
classicman • Dec 31, 2016 4:33 pm
Will do. :)
footfootfoot • Jan 2, 2017 2:05 pm
limey;977875 wrote:
Inside the packing snot was a custom-made, deeply superior yarn bowl (a super bowl indeed!), so the answer to question 5 above must be .... I dunno but I won it!

[ATTACH]58979[/ATTACH]

The superiority of this bowl is inherent in the fact that not only can I knit with the spaghetti this guy is trying to eat ...

[ATTACH]58980[/ATTACH]

but also with his brains as they are drawn out of his earhole!

(for the uninitiated this means that if I'm working on a project which I'm like to take out of the house to work on I'd use the earhole slot so that I can leave the Superb-bowl safely at home. Or if the project is one I'm going to work on at home only, I can use the spaghetti. Or I can use the Superb-bowl to hold two balls of yarn ... genius!).

Oh, and the project is signed!

Thank you so much Jim and Spencer - what a lovely gift!


That is brill. I thought that maybe Monster made it. In any event, really clever.
lumberjim • Jan 2, 2017 4:59 pm
I was starting to wonder if it would ever arrive.

I though maybe my drunken box decorating got it picked up by customs.... I was checking the secret santa thread. Forgot about this one. I asked spencer to make that for you about a year ago.... It sat in it's box waiting for this christmas for like 6 months... hence the extra solid foam packing.

I just wish it was a tad larger.... but then, you could use it for your miniatures, I guess.

Glad you like it! I'll let the artist know.

Love you Limey!
limey • Jan 2, 2017 5:52 pm
I assumed the exuberance on the box was from Spencer! Thanks again, guys, it's awesome! X


Sent by magic.