I will be at Gen Con this year.

Probably hanging out near the IPR booth, running (15 min) demoes of T&J and ZoZ.

(I need to test said demoes with local folks, btw. ALSO, ZoZT&J one.)

After-hours, I might EASILY be convinced to run demoes of S7S. Especially if you ply me with beer.

ALSO: I am looking for a copy of the Ghostbusters RPG (first ed., not GBI) and a non-XP version of The Yellow Clearance Black Box Blues.

LASTLY: I am unfortunately susceptible to female wiles. Take that into account.

Tags: asmp, conventions, covet, evilhat, game design, gaming, pdq, s7s, truth-and-justice, work journal, zoz

(inderectly yoinked from mgrasso)

A House of Puzzles
http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/15817

The long and short of it is that a family paid to have their (fabulously expensive) apartment renovated. The family wanted something special, and boy is that what they got. During the renovation, architect/designer Eric Clough embarked on a multi-year secret project to hide puzzles in the apartment, unbeknownst to the apartment’s owners, and not even discovered until months after the project’s completion. The project included extensive historical research, puzzles, and even a soundtrack.

Too damned cool.

Tags: 240 dollars worth of puddin', covet, mad science, mental health, philosophy

Went over to crossbonesdj and oletheros's place last night, bearing Popeye's Chicken, to watch the first two episodes of John Adams.

Two Word Review: Looking good!

I think Giamatti is really stepping-up in his portrayal of John Adams. He's doing an excellent job showing his brilliance, tenacity, anger, and odd drive of vanity/ambition/duty. Linney is matching him with her portrayal of Abigail Adams -- a hard-nosed, brilliant, supportive, opinionated, strong woman.

multiplexer said (amongst other good stuff here):
I have the same general assessment of everyone else: the acting is exceptionally good, the writing is pretty good, the history is tolerably good, the editing is mediocre and the cinematography is abysmal.

Me, I mostly agree with that, only instead of "abysmal" I would say "spotty." There are some really nice shots, and some really crap ones.

aghrivaine also has some nice comments here, that I've responded to.

Let me pull out something from a comment I left there:
You're Thomas Jefferson, one of the best writers on the Continent. You have written one of the most important documents in your life. Your writing circle includes Doctor Benjamin Franklin (polymath, publisher, prose stylist) and John Adams (jurist, orator, scholar, author), two of the other top ten writers on the continent. Also included in this writing circle are Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston.

NO FREAKING PRESSURE, EH?

Hee.

So buying this when it comes out on DVD.

Tags: covet, movies, underkoffler's overviews

Interesting fact I saw noted on one of the other YouTube uploads for this: apparently, the Wachowski Bros filmed in high def, using a technique such that the foreground and background elements would all be in focus... for that anime feel.

And this definitely looks like there's some "The Mammoth Car" and "The Most Dangerous Race" (Car Acrobatic Team) action in there... and checking the IMdB page here: attention, we have Snake Oiler!

Plus: Trixie (Ricci), in a miniskirt (or maybe short-shorts) and go-go boots piloting her helicopter.

This all made me happy today, despite a mild stomach bug and other issues.

Tags: 240 dollars worth of puddin', covet, movies

http://rss.warnerbros.com/watchmen/2008/03/one_year_to_go_1.html

I really dig the costuming for Nite Owl 2 (Electric Boogaloo).



More at the link above. (Silk Spectre 2 -- Electric Boogaloo -- is pretty spiffy as well. Still no sign of Doc Manhattan...)

(Some cavilling here and here, but I likey. Take that, Intarwebz!. So there! Ha!)

EDITED TO ADD: Yes, it's a FACT (tm) that after mentioning the number 2 as regards a sequel story or character, you must say "Electric Boogaloo."

Consider: Have I mentioned my actual name is Chad A. Underkoffler, Jr.?

Put that in yer pipe and smoke it.

Tags: comics, covet, movies

(yoinked from judd_sonofbert)

Batman: Gotham Knight -- all anime'd up, a la The Animatrix.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4dp02_batmangothamknightanimesneakpeekh26_shortfilms

ROCK.

Tags: batman, comics, covet, movies

I am looking for details (transcript, youtube vid, anything) of an SNL skit -- a particular one, which I haven't been able to find any info on, but I recall seeing (when I still watched SNL).

It was a 40s skit, filmed in B&W, I believe, that played around with 40s slang. The two primary actors were Chris Kattan and Molly Shannon; indeed, I believe it was the season that Kattan was a featured player but not one of the NRFPTPs.

HALP!

Edited to Add: Found it!!!!

http://snltranscripts.jt.org/95/95q.phtml

Season 21: Episode 7
April 13, 1996
Steve Forbes/Rage Against the Machine

EDITED 2: Electric Boogaloo!: Part of the problem is the sketch doesn't have a name; the formatting on the "Recurring Characters" line from the skit above has overwritten it. Apparently the sketch title is "Fast Talk at the Cafe."

Still no transcript.

Tags: covet, silly

Is it me, or does the description of this book look pretty damned familiar?

A version/variant of The Count of Monte Cristo (with a tinge of V for Vendetta and possibly The Prisoner), written by Stephen Fry?

Fricking sign me up.

Tags: books, covet

Holy crap (and pretty!):

http://silversaff.deviantart.com/art/The-Dragaeran-Cycle-of-Houses-68438133

All of the fans of the "Jhereg" (Vlad Taltos Series) will get to know what their favorite House's animal representation looks like, as well as what the House stands for!

This is the "Sanctioned" Cycle of Rulership, as per Steven K.Z. Brust's interpretation. It will appear in the novel to come, Jhegaala, in solid black and white, in place of the current Cycle Poem. (He hates that poem, and has for 25 years...) This was requested by the author, and I jumped at the chance. And what an honor it was! My favorite author ask me to draw things for my favorite series?

Check it out!

Tags: books, covet, sf&f

...or at least a multinational corporation that wants my money.



Major props to crossbonesdj for pointing this out to me.

Tags: 240 dollars worth of puddin', covet, silly