I like Halloween. I like costumes. I like fun size candy bars. I like scary stories—you better believe I will be busting out the Poe come Saturday. I also like the pop music. These are my top three: (more…)

They are coming.

We all know it. Eventually, zombies will invade and we must prepare now for the coming apocalypse. This is just another reason why boardgames like The Last Night On Earth are of such value. What better way to simulate the dire circumstances to come than by roleplaying the situation in Anytown, USA?

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I mentioned in the Amelia thread that biopics are pretty hard to pull off. In my opinion even a great biopic usually is a mediocre story. It’s just that our expectations are low enough that we put up with a lot.

So what are your best biopics?

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Supergenius note: Aaron Brown took this particular bullet for me. I owe him.

Amelia is the story of early American pilot Amelia Earhart, her rising celebrity, and her eventual ill-fated attempt to fly around the world. Well, it’s part of that story anyway. I saw the film at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, at an advance screening that happened to coincide with a new exhibit at the museum showcasing various Earhart memorabilia, letters, and historical information about her life. The exhibit was useful in that it put Earhart’s famous exploits into the context of her whole life, something the movie unfortunately doesn’t really do. It’s easy to imagine how the filmmakers could have broadened the scope of the film to include details of Earheart’s earlier years, but they didn’t. Too bad. (more…)

OK, I’ve been pretty vocal that MTV went to hell by the time of the boy bands and the Disney girls in the late 90′s. If anything it’s just gotten worse being little different from the pseudo-reality and game shows that one finds all over syndication. The Real World became unoriginal over a decade ago and its few interesting shows, like Tom Green or Jackass also are from long ago. I have to admit though I found by accident an MTV show that is original and hilarious: Bully Beatdown.

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I work for a very large and well-respected consumer products company. I can guarantee that every one of you have at least one of our products in your home. I can also guarantee that every one of you have at least one generic version of a product of which we are the leading brand. It is well known in the consumer products industry that generics (aka private label or store brand) are taking more and more market share from the established brands, and in many cases MUCH more share.

This is, of course, great news for the consumer: cheaper products! And it is often the case that the products are the exact same, so why should I pay more because it has a brand name on it? Capitalist justice prevails once again!

Very lucid observations, Mr. Ty Twad.

While I have no interest in trying to convince you to change your buying habits, you might be interested to understand a little better the dynamic between name brands and generics. Okay, so let me lay out the challenges we face: (more…)

It’s Halloween Time and you want to get scared. What do you do? Well, I have an answer. This is the movie for you. (more…)

By the power of RA!

There are few celebrities in the board game industry and even less that can actually earn a living as a designer. Reiner Knizia tops both these categories with hundreds of published games (8 just this year!) spanning the gauntlet of mechanics and themes. Though highly regarded in general, he often also has the reputation (mostly undeserved, IMO) of making abstract number games with pasted on thematic elements. In any case, RA is one of my absolutely favorite board games!

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My wife works as a manager for Anthropologie, which is a women’s clothing and home store with many locations in the US and UK.  So, we were very interested when the Sundance Channel recently started a series called “Man Shops Globe.” This reality series follows Keith Johnson as he travels the world in search of “found objects” which are featured in all Anthropologie stores as one-of-a-kind art pieces and furniture that help to create the proper aesthetic environment for the stores, and that you can also buy. (more…)

He recently had the Mountain Goats on his show. You can stream their new album on his website.

Other musical guests he’s had on:
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OK, most shows have had two or three episodes. Out of curiosity what are you still watching? And what have you given up on?

Here’s mine.
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Two perspectives on ZOMBIELAND this week, one from Alex Garcia and one from J. Stapley. It was absolutely killing me not to see this one. I am planning on going as soon as possible.

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Alex:

Our advice to you as you head into this weekend is this: go see Zombieland. You will be sure to thank us. (more…)

It Might Get Loud is a rockumentary about the electric guitar, as seen through the eyes of three iconic artists from three different generations: Jimmy Page, The Edge, and Jack White. During the course of the movie we find out how each of these amazing performers approaches the craft of creating music, their philosophies concerning the guitar as an instrument (some of which turn out to be in direct conflict with each other), and their personal histories and attitudes concerning their various bands and landmark careers. In a word, it’s fascinating. (more…)

You know, it’s really nice to see a band that is just genuinely having a good time playing music and is just flat great at what they do. That’s Better than Ezra.

Just One Day


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