Sorry.  Crazy-busy day today.  Entertained my visiting cousins.  Took Bubba in to get his bandage removed.  And I’m also hosting Altaïr from Asassin’s Creed who is in town shooting a movie.  No. Seriously.  This guy –

ALTAIR SPLIT IMAGE NO TEXTI went to high school with him.  Back then, he went by Cas.  I, on the other hand, was known as The Spider.

Right now he’s up in the guest room, sharpening his blade and whatnot, but once he’s settled in, I thought it might be fun to throw a little Q&A his way.  “Are any of your blog readers gamers?”he asked hopefully tonight.  Hell, I’d be surprised if they weren’t!

Well, summer is finally here to stay.  How do I know?  Well –

Akemi has dusted off her parasol.
Akemi has dusted off her parasol.
Discernible increase in my vVsits to Cadeaux Bakery.
Discernible increase in my vVsits to Cadeaux Bakery.
Lulu seems lazier than usual.
Lulu seems lazier than usual.

Today, it gives me great pleasure to kick off a new blog segment: Scotch-tasting with Akemi.  In this installment, our resident scotch expert samples a 14 year old Oban and a 10 year old Laphroaig…

Both receive a #1 rating!

35 thoughts on “May 7, 2013: Altaïr checks in! Summer arrives! Scotch-tasting with Akemi!

  1. Awww, poor Akemi.
    Have heard of the Laphroaig, but not Oban. Gimme a diet coke or a nice cold Long Board beer (brewed by the Kona brewing co in Hawaii…yummm)

  2. Joe be sure to specify a disclaimer about: “No Akemis is harmed in the making of this blog segment” or you can have problems with the Akemis welfare monitoring society ,,,, is very active near here: 😆

    Lulu lazier is this posssible

  3. I haven’t played the Assasin’s Creed games. I’m more of a sci-fi first person shooter gamer, myself. Doom, Halo, Half Life.

    We just had summer here in the UK. A long weekend of sunshine. That was it. Now we’re back to gloom and rain. *sigh* I really need to move back to Australia.

    I suspect my reaction to the scotch would be much the same as Akemi’s. Disgusting stuff.

  4. G’day

    WHEW…Finally caught up.

    Been crazy busy, working ten hour days and trying to entertain the kids on school holidays. Back at school now, the kids that is, thank goodness.

    Anyhoo, a bit late I know, but i made Sparrow-hawk’s chicken with brown butter.
    Now never trying sage leaves before, I tried one raw, yuck comes to mind. But after have fried one, I was apprehensive, but they were yummy. No.1 daughter loved the fried sage leaves as well as the pine nuts, which I burnt a number of them. The crumbed chicken was delish, whole family loved that part. hubby put BBQ sauce on it, but he puts BBQ sauce on EVERYTHING. The brown butter I did not care for. We had rice with the dish.
    Overall, great, will do again without the brown butter.

    http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z90/Justafan1107/IMG210_zps7431d0c8.jpg

    Will not do Das’ dish as hubby cannot eat pork and I detest hot food. Sorry das.

    Hope Bubba is on the mend. Sending well wishes his way.
    Have fun on the Scotch tasting, just give me a Cascade beer any day.

  5. So here in Adelaide (South Australia) it has been about 29C. Not bsd for late autumn! I love looking at the weather in the UK and seeing that it is almost always warmer here no matter the season.
    I am sure you will have gamers. My adult kids read this blog and both plsy Assasins Creed.

  6. 1. I think I need to start playing Assasin’s Creed because that dude is HAWT!!!

    2. So, am I to understand that one of those useless spare rooms of yours houses, at this moment, Michael Fassbender? And if so, how cheap is he to be bummin’ off’a you? 😉

    3. Laphroaig, a favorite of mine (along with another Islay single-malt, Lagavulin), is pronounced ‘Laugh-royg’…with the ‘roy’ part sort of drawn out. Laughroyyyyg. You totally butchered it. And Akemi is correct, it is very medicinal. She didn’t mention the peaty aroma, however, which is my favorite part of the Islay single malts, their peat smoke nose. It’s a wonderful whisky to sip on a cold winter’s night, curled up in your favorite chair with a book and a kitty…or puppy. 🙂

    4. Mr. Das just saw Akemi ‘animated’ for the first time (I don’t think it’s his first time, but more like the first time he’s really taken note). He thinks she’s lovely, and wanted to know how old she was, and then – before I could answer – he said you’re a pervert. 😀 I think he’s jealous. 🙂

    das

  7. My goodness, Joe. You’ve been a busy boy. And poor Akemi – Scotch is definitely an acquired taste. Which I acquired some time ago.

    I don’t play video games but I enjoy watching my son play Assassin’s Creed! I guess I find swords, daggers, etc. more appealing than guns in a first person “shooter” game. Also, the historical settings are nicely done and hooded, mysterious characters like Altair are very cool! I’ll see if my son has any questions but for now:

    Questions:

    Are you a fan of the Assassin’s Creed games? Have you played them? Do you have a favorite? Is there anything that makes you crazy (in an annoyed sort of way) when you play them? Does the movie begin at the beginning of the story or do they play a little fast and loose with the timeline?

  8. Ah, I need a new parasol. I had several, but wore them all out. And I get funny looks using them in the US. I have mom’s lace parasol, but am afraid to use it, given how hard I was on mine.

  9. I have the same aversion for that mediciney-smell and harsh taste of liquor, but if you want Akemi to enjoy Scotch try blending it into a delicious Whiskey Sour.

    Assassin’s Creed, love the costume and the title, but I’m more into puzzlers now like Gray Matter, I’m anxiously awaiting Jane Jensen’s Moebius.

  10. I try to limit the number of games I pick up because I get too addicted and I have children to feed. I do love an action-adventure rpg, though, just too much. I’d be playing Assassin’s Creed, I’m sure, if I let myself get past Zelda’s and Halo’s and Elder Scrolls’s.

    I was involved in development for a browser-based MMO war game (creative side and play-testing) so, as background and making contacts within the communities, I played a bunch in that genre and touched on some outside the genre as well. And, yep, sucked my life away. Persistent multi-player worlds are the worst for requiring all your time because more competitive means more active.

    I got to see the inside of an elite gaming family and a lot of meta-gaming (spy networks, mentor-ship, politics, etc.) so it was a real trip. Although I only played a year, I got to see glimpses of one of the games at all stages of the wars because, having made a network of contacts, I was watching accounts on older servers than the one I originally joined.

    For the development team I was on, we only needed one actor for a trailer voice-over, the rest was text-based and graphic art.

  11. Wow. Early approvals. Somebody must be feeling guilty about yesterday. 😉

    das

  12. Why are you torturing Akemi? My hubby had me try some of his fancy bourbon once. It was terrible! I had the same reaction as Akemi in her second take. Give me a margarita or some other type of fruity girl drink any day.

    I’m so glad that Cookie liked the movie. Despicable Me was good too. My son made me watch Wreck it Ralph recently and I actually enjoyed it. It kind of reminded me of Reboot.

    Re Bubba: No more cone of shame?

    Have all kinds of fun with your visiting friend!

  13. You started Akemi out with Laphroaig?! Poor Akemi! Scotch definitely takes time to develop a taste for and starting with Laphroaig doesn’t seem to be that effective. The expression on her face was priceless!! haha I mean, sorry Akemi 😉 Maybe next time start with Dalwhinnie? It’s a little sweeter, more brandy-ish.

    For the rest of the blog: I’m with Das – I need to switch from WoW to Assassin’s Creed.

  14. I am not a gamer…it is a passion for a couple of my children. My daughter was the character in Ready 2 Rumble Round 2: she played Selene Strike. She even has an action figure modeled after her. They had planned the character…but when they met Rebecca…she blew them away. They filmed her voice work and used her movements…facial expressions…and basically made the character her. She is on IMDB…but you would need to be a spy to figure out her last name. She won’t let me talk about her in Social Media by name. Hahaha…😜

    I found a really great interview with Cas on YouTube. 😊

  15. So, yeah. I’m a gamer. And a fan of the AC series. So, assuming that “Cas” is Anvar from AC Revelations, my question is: Were you involved in the decision to use a mid-eastern accent? Philip Shahbaz, who voiced Altair in the first game, sounded (inexplicably, given the backstory) like he was from North America. By AC Revelations, which Cas voiced, Altair had apparently acquired an accent more representative of his Syrian roots. Who makes a decision like that, and was Cas involved? What did he think of not sounding like Phillip Shahbaz? And did he meet Kristen Bell (voice of Lucy)?

  16. All your desserts of late look ridiculously good! I am both jealous of the wide selection you have in your town, and the ability you both have to eat them and never seemingly gain a pound.

  17. I do have the sneaking suspicion that Akemi is not totally on board with this new blog series regarding the whiskey. Be nice! 🙂

    I wish I could say I was a bigger gamer than I am, which is.. not at all. I can’t really play the first person shooter style ones because they give me motion sickness, and most of the others I don’t really have the patience for. The last series that I really played seriously was “Space Quest”, so that gives you an idea of how long ago I was into that. Ugh, I’m old.

  18. Akemi looks like she just had a swallow of Buckley’s cough and cold syrup. For those non-Canadians, Buckley’s is notorious for its insanely powerful, medicinal taste. Once at an mineral exploration camp in the Yukon, I had a sore throat and the beginnings of a cold. Buckley’s is what they had on hand, so I had no choice. I’d never had it before, and when I said as much, a driller standing nearby got this wild look of gleeful anticipation and hurried over to get a better look at the reaction of a newb suckered into taking in a spoonful of the stuff. I got very worried. Nonetheless, I dared to ingest it. Holy Jesus, that concoction is unbelievably vile! And it’s thick, so it doesn’t work to just swallow it fast, because it’s still coating your tongue, your palette, and anything else it touched on the way down. The driller was laughing his ass off at the horrified and repulsed look that must have been on my face. Must’ve looked just like Akemi with the Laphroaig.

  19. @ Katydid – I think Joey did that on purpose. I mean, you don’t go buying an expensive bottle of single malt (and 10-year Laphroaig is on the higher end, though still under $100 US) to test out on your gal pal unless you 1. love it, or 2. are evil. And we all know Joey is puuuuuuuuuuuure evil! 😀

    das

  20. 55555, Akemi is so Gang (a little Thai inflection) for putting up with you. I love her answer when you asked if she would like some water. She didn’t seem to like the more peaty sample may be you should have offered some Lagavulin? But in part this posting has a sad note for me as I was going to go to a whiskey tasting tonight but can’t because worked called.

  21. OK,,,a big yum on the desserts and the parasol, ,,,,and the scotch,,well yuck comes to mind, I want a drink that is smooth and easy to go down, this is definately not on my list.. Thanks for the video Akemi, a funny one, I would have spit it back in the glass,,haha.. and the gamer stuff, does pac man count, and I would rather play pin ball..,.

  22. Which way does this Q&A work? Does he ask us questions or do we ask them of him?

  23. Oh,wait. Now I’m confused. You’re hosting (A) the guy who does the voice of Altair in the game or (B) the one playing Altair in the movie. And now that I think about it, more likely choice A because Michael Fassbender is doing the movie and I don’ think he went to school in Canada and why would they be Vancouver? *headscratch* …. just forget that last question as it wouldn’t really apply. But I would still like to know if he plays the games.

  24. I’ve never played the Assassins Creed games before, ever. Just my luck lol. While a blog Q&A is always great, it’s a shame it wasn’t someone associated with a game I have actually played 😛

    Also I’m really sorry Joe, I’m not familiar with any of his roles outside of voice over stuff too.

    Any Nintendo, or JRPG person would be fine with me.

    None the less I’ll aim some questions, just as I don’t know about the games I’m going with the safe route lol

    1. Are you a fan of any of the Stargate shows?
    2. Are you a foodie? And if so what are your fav foods?
    3. Do you have any hobbies?
    4. What would you say have been the high, and low points of your career?
    5. What was the most enjoyable TV show or movie you’ve appeared in?
    6. As you’re shooting a movie at the moment, from what you’re allowed to say, what kind of movie is it, and what kind of role do you have?
    7. What’s your fav tv show at the moment?
    8. Where can you see yourself in 10 years time?

  25. Is he still there? Jeff loves that game. Me? I am a Mass Effect FANATIC. I occasionally play co-op Call of Duty or those types of games with the hubs. I like Dragon Age and liked the Knights of The Old Republic. I have played Mass Effect so many times that I have about 12-14 versions of Mass Effect 2 and was very upset when it would only let me import some of those games into the continuing storyline. Gave an earful to Bioware about it. I played under Jeff’s XBox Live gamer tag, PBDad.

    Hope the bandage for Bubba went well.

    And your nickname is The Spider??????? (Rolls eyes then looks at scar on arm from spider bite and subsequent surgery and nerve damage). We need to get you a different one–pronto

  26. i would love to have a cloak like that. Not the cheesy ones they have for sale but a really nice one with the point and embroidery on it. Oh well maybe some day i can run around dressed liked an assassin.

  27. Definitely a gamer!!! Although I lean towards the T for Teen games. The only M for Mature game I have is the new Lara Croft game. While I ultimately enjoyed the game, there were a few times I just had to walk away; either due to frustration at the whole shooting process, or annoyance at watching my characters throat being slit several times over. I prefer that when I kill someone they give me money rather than arterial spray. Although I did become quite the sniper by the end of the game.

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