Connor Coyne

We here at Blue Skies Falling understand that to most of the world, the issue of Norris the Gray’s influence over Kuto’s Well is an open-and-shut case; at the best he’s a squatter, and at the worst he’s a thief, guilty of robbery and aggrivated battery. But circumstances also compel us to observe that Norris has undeniably been operating under some amount of pressure, and this might plausibly have influenced his leadership.

We don’t know how his career originated, but with recent reappropriations committees setting up in the Slums from New Phlan, the population pressure in the Kuto’s Well region is considerable. It would be disengenuous to a rational policy to assume that Norris is not in pursuit of some legitimate political power; he very likely considers himself to be an alderman of sorts over Kuto’s Well. It is known that he has cultivated support among the Orcs living there, and perhaps he plans to use this to consolidate his base in both the Slums and Podol Plaza. It remains, however, that firing arrows at others from hiding and then running away is going to strain the most even-keeled of diplomats, nor do his proclamations of “surrender or die” endear him to many outside of his immediate following. But for us, the most telling of Norris’ controversial statements is his refusal to assist Sokal Keep against the gentrifying hordes of New Phlan, unless he gets to lead. Do the undead repel him? Somehow I doubt it. Rather, it would seem that Norris has written Sokal Keep off since it is likely to remain outside of his direct political influence. He sees collaboration as a waste of his time, money, as well as that of his Ogre retainer. Norris the Gray has appealed to a fickle and fanatical base in the hopes of creating an unlikely groundswell of support; in so marginalizing himself, he has hastened his own political obsolesence.

The Democratic Socialists of America are throwing a convention this November 9-11, in Atlanta of all places.

I wish I had more money, so that I could go.

I also wish they had better web design, so that I could read about the convention without feeling like I’m reading about a preschool Easter Egg hunt. That has to be the least flattering picture of Bernie Sanders ever.

by Depeche Mode:

There’s more besides joyrides,
Bumblebee from Transformers.

a little house in the countryside.
Daily Kos: Wishing for Good, Accepting the Truth.

Understand, learn to demand,
Daily Freeman: Hinchey calls for Bush, Cheney to be Censured.

compromise, sometimes lie.
Daily Kos: Signed, Sealed, & Delivered.

 

Get the balance right.
New York Times: Violence Rages in Iraq as Sunni Bloc Leaves Cabinet.

 

Be responsible, respectable,
The Detroit Free Press: Detroit named No. 1 sports city.

Stable but gullible
The Economist: Kazakhstan turns the screw.

Concerned and caring, help the helpless
The Flint Journal: Resource Center’s Sybyl Atwood dies at 72.

But always remain ultimately selfish
Andrew Heller: And so goeth the story all over again.

 

Get the balance right.
MSNBC: Mr. Mayor vs. Mr. Moore.

 

You think you’ve got a hold of it all.
The Detroit Free Press: GM sales down, but improves on retail side.

You haven’t got a hold at all.
Daily Kos: Just Like Kansas.

When you reach the top, get ready to drop.
Pollster.com: Bush Approval from 1/1/2005 through 07/18/2007.

Prepare yourself for the fall.
The Onion: There’s No Such Thing as Bad Publicity.

You’re gonna fall
New York Times: Stocks Are Flat After Sell-Offs in Asia and Europe.

It’s almost predictable.
Project Censored Media: The Media Can Legally Lie.

 

Don’t take this way. Don’t take that way.
Emperor Valens’ legacy.

Straight down the middle until next Thursday.
The Democratic Party.

Push to the left, back to the right.
Daily Kos: Media Narrative: The Mainstream Is Now “The Left”.

Twist and turn til you’ve got it right.
The Economist: China’s Chicago.

 

Get the balance right
Lollapalooza.

Every week is epic.