When I got into Dungeons & Dragons back in High School, there were a number of other role-playing games I was familiar with - Gamma World, James Bond, Marvel Superheroes, etc. - and they all took place within fantasy worlds of some sort, past or future. Even James Bond, which took place in something resembling our "real" world, was at its core, a pen and paper version of the movies which are as far removed from the "real" world as dragons, elves and wizards. Times changed and D&D [in a PC vs. Macintosh business model kind of way] evolved into…

Continue Reading

2003 In Review

This will have to last through Monday... 1. What did you do in 2003 that you'd never done before? Contributed $$$ to a political campaign. 2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Don't generally make specific resolutions other than to be true to myself. I am resolving to quit (or more likely, drastically cut down on) drinking. It's been 17 days... 3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Not that I recall, though Frandie announced they're expecting early next year! :-) 4. Did anyone close to you die? No. Knock…

Continue Reading2003 In Review

The Cat in the Hat; Kucinich Event

It's been a long time since I've walked out on a movie. It has to be really, really bad for me to call it a loss and give in. Dragnet (the Tom Hanks/Dan Akroyd version) was pretty damn terrible but I stuck it out to the disappointing end. Same for American Beauty. Not so The Cat in the Hat. We caught a matinee on Saturday and lasted 40 minutes before giving up. It didn't help that it was India's first movie and we found out she's not a movie baby. That didn't happen until we were 30 minutes into the…

Continue ReadingThe Cat in the Hat; Kucinich Event

It's an old joke that people have kids so they can have an excuse to play with toys again. While certainly not the only reason - they can have a nice affect on your taxes, too! - it's definitely in the Top 10, and Isaac's 3rd birthday proved to be a veritable bonanza. After getting a bunch of Crayola art supplies, including a cool desk/easel, from us on Friday, we threw him a party at Chuck E. Cheese on Sunday with a bunch of his cousins and friends, and we...I mean HE, made out like a bandit! He got more…

Continue Reading

Either Hollywood has been lying for years or Memorial High School's Class of 1993 has no sense of drama! Saturday night was Salomé's 10 Year High School Reunion and I was fully expecting to enjoy some of the stereotypical dramatics I've seen in the movies. A redeeming fight between the jock and the geek; indiscretions in the bathroom; shocking revelations on the dance floor; long-lost love found in the parking lot. Something! Instead, it was a night of old friends and acquaintances, many of whom hadn't seen each other in a while, enjoying a rare night out together. I'm sure…

Continue Reading

Balseros One of the most heartbreaking documentaries I've ever seen. The flip side of Buena Vista Social Club and a must-see for all you pseudo-revolutionaries out there that need a little dose of reality to flesh out your one-dimensional rants. Director Carles Bosch makes no judgments on the lives of the Cuban rafters he follows over seven years. You won't be able to help but come to some of your own judgements about your own life and what you take for granted. One of the things that stood out in my mind was the looming shadow of the fall of…

Continue Reading

I survived. Oral surgery is barbaric. Dentists that reference Marathon Man while you're in the chair aren't funny. The actual extractions only took about 20 minutes. Slept with a mouthful of gauze last night. Curious about the vicodin but haven't had any pain to justify taking it. Stayed home today, caught up on sleep and comic books. Humberto Ramos has an intriguing style. Gonna dive into The Invisibles next. NFL Films makes the best hero-worship vignettes of any sport. Just ate half a pint of Dreamery Banana Split ice cream. Yum. I'm still hungry. Time to gargle with warm salt…

Continue Reading