Dungeons & Dragons Just Turned 40

My first thoughts — after getting past “damn, I feel old” — are fond memories.

I first saw D&D during rookie band camp my freshman year of high school, when a trio of my friends tried to put together a game over their lunch break in the music storage room.

I don’t remember much about that particular game itself — I was just an observer — but I remember my immediate fascination with the very concept, marveling at the character sheets, the books, the dice.

Oh, the dice.

Later that year, with those friends and a couple of others, we formed a regular gaming group, though we wound up playing a different fantasy role-playing game; it was a couple of years before I played in a proper D&D game, which only lasted a summer.

Most of my role-playing game experience is with other games, actually, but through many years, games, and players, it all goes back to that day, those friends, and “the” game.

I Ain’t Afraid of No Zeitgeist

Along with most of the nation, I spent some time last night watching our annual grand football spectacle.

I’m not exactly a hard-core football fan — I understand the game and can enjoy it — but watching the Super Bowl is practically a requirement of American citizenship.

Terry Border made a great point about that obligation last night:

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js I tend to agree. Skipping either event feels like opting out of our culture.

Mind you, there are times when I’d feel just fine opting out of our culture. It’s not like I need to burn a few hours basking in the glow of millionaires pummeling one another in between commercials for terrible beer and the new shows on Fox …

But then what would I have to talk about with coworkers the next day in the office?

I suppose it’s good and necessary to have common cultural touchstones like the Super Bowl, other sporting events, rodent weather reports, and so on. Otherwise there would be even more awkward conversational pauses around the old water cooler.

Me, I prefer the new water cooler — Twitter.

Why wait for the office when you can enjoy wit,

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js whimsy,

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and ruminations

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js in real time.

Sunday Sports Thoughts, Feb. 2, 2014

I visited Seattle for the first time two years ago. 

I found it to be a lovely city for many reasons, including the climate — how could I not love a place that is cloudy three days out of four? — the natural beauty, the food, the shops, the people, the culture, the coffee … 
I’ve never been to Denver. 
Go, Seahawks.