• On Life and Love

    Me, a counterculturist?

    While in Charlotte this past weekend, I revealed to the Gang that I don’t really watch television. I mean, there are four shows I watch irregularly (Doctor Who, Lost, The 4400, and The Pretender), but I don’t watch them with commercials. I don’t know what movies are out unless I hear via blog or word-of-mouth, and I’m not really interested in knowing. I don’t see the latest commercials. I’ve never watched an episode of CSI. I don’t even really know what televisions shows are out and popular, aside from… well, CSI. It was impressive how many times someone said, “Have you seen the latest [some product] commercial?” or asked if…

  • On Life and Love

    To an amazing woman: Jenny Zartman

    I’ve been musing for several days what to write about the death of Jenny Zartman. There are the details: that she died in a car accident heading down to Wilmington to be with her cousin early August 5, 2006. There’s the emotional impact: her parents’ immense grief; Michael’s heartrending sadness and infinite helpfulness and patience; my mother’s sad calls to my father, half a country away; Becca’s broken voice over the phone; my own unending shock and sadness and my eleven-hour drive to Charlotte to be with those I love and who love Jenny in their time of grief. I have not stopped thinking of her and Michael during the…

  • On Life and Love

    Midnight linkage

    The Escapist – Kill Your Darlings » Whoop-ass. The Escapist – You Got Your Race in My Video Game » Wake up gamers: race is here. The Escapist News Room : E3 is Over » Oh, no! newnumber6: Planescape Thoughts » This is the most amazing set of thoughts on Planescape – Torment I’ve read yet. Drinks with Tony – Chuck Palahniuk interview – Cherry Bleeds » I’m in a Palahniuk mood.

  • Uncategorized

    Won over by Pratchett

    A few months ago, I was cajoled into reading [tag]Soul Music[/tag], by [tag]Terry Pratchett[/tag]. Couldn’t stand it. I got at least half way through, and found it to be boring and the humor contrived. A couple of weeks ago, though, I picked up [tag]Going Postal[/tag], and proceeded to laugh my way through 400 pages of wonderful stuff. I immediately read [tag]Monstrous Regiment[/tag] (WO’s only other Pratchett book here), and although I chuckled less, I appreciated the increased sense of suspense as much as I appreciated Going Postal‘s humor. If WO has more Pratchett books here, I’d be tearing through ’em. As it is, I’ve started Palahniuk’s Survivor, which proves, as…

  • Uncategorized

    Games Torment me

    This summer has been an enlightening one for me in terms of my career as a gamer. (1337 gamer that I am.) For this summer, I started playing Planescape – Torment. Now I have trouble playing just about any other game. I blame it on WO’s quasi-experiment to determine what kind of gamer I am. [tag]Wizardry 8[/tag], which I’d been playing since last fall (dear god, that’s a long game!), seemed boring and annoying after Torment. Turn-based combat doesn’t appeal to me, and never has, although I endured that annoyance for the sake of the character development (and decent plot) of Wizardry 8. [tag]Diablo II[/tag]… well, honestly. WO and I…