I'm the one on the right, Clarice.
Four Quick Recommendations
Things are going well on the business and writing fronts. Some new projects are developing nicely and I’m excited to share more when I can.
In the meantime, I thought I would give shout outs to two things that are occupying far too much of my time – and another two that are likely to do so in the near future.
Waiter, There’s a Space Jesus in My Blog
It’s been bumming me out that I haven’t written a blog in so long. The good news is the reason: I’ve been absolutely smashing words down on paper… making good progress across several projects.
Writing that makes me think that perhaps I should talk more frequently about work in progress, especially since my final products take so damn long to get done. Read more »
Blog Within A Blog
Shit’s getting meta. My fiancee, Jenn, has started a blog about a little food experiment we’re running. Can the two of us eat for six days a week for less than the cost of a single omakase meal at our favorite sushi place? It was necessary to exempt a meal from the experiment each week, because we couldn’t possibly survive without our Thursday night dinner at Cafe Sushi.
It’s pretty fun – and a good way to steal her delicious recipes!
Check it out! Read more »
TSA to Me: “You’re a Retard.”
Well, I just had one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had while traveling, all thanks to a wonderful TSA agent in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Long story short, I’m not a fan of the backscatter machines, which may cause cancer and definitely allow government agents to see pornographic details of your naked body. Any time someone I’m traveling with is asked to submit to one of these machines or the extremely invasive, punitive pat down alternative, I file a complaint in the hopes that someone there is reading them. This time, when I tried to do that, a TSA manager named Noah Willoughby confronted me, attempting to dissuade me from filling out a complaint form. During the ensuing discussion, he became very angry and called me a retard more than once. I was also fairly certain that he was going to hit me. All for trying to fill out a complaint form that no one is likely to ever read. It was unreal.
Crab Chips: The Worst Christmas Present
I received the worst Christmas present this year, from stupid Quintin. It was a regular sized package of Utz crab chips, which really just are the worst chips I’ve ever tasted. Just seeing it set my mind reeling with horrible, horrible nostalgia for a different time in my life – a time before I had a car – and where the closest food store was too far away on a lazy Saturday. This story is a true story. Merry Christmas.
Birthday Surprises
My birthday is always awesome. Warner Brothers always seems to release a new Harry Potter movie – and this year Firaxis is getting Civilization V ported over to Mac just a few days late (I’m not mad, guys! Thanks for not making me wait until next year!). Today, Jenn’s taking a second test run at our wedding cake, so if you’re in town and want to try the delicious chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate buttercream frosting, stop on by.
Ascension vs. Dominion
A couple weeks ago, I had dinner with my old friend and former co-worker Justin Gary. It was great catching up with him after six months or so of absence and, of course, getting ahold of a copy of his new company’s debut game, Ascension, which was doing much better than expected. I’d say it’s a “runaway hit” as opposed to the “modest success” its sometimes-humble creator had predicted a year ago. A quick study of the game reveals why it was never going to be anything but a big success.
Zardoz
Last night, I watched the terrible movie Zardoz for the umpteenth time. In a surprising turn of events, it really hit home for me. As I make notes on my second book project, which is batshit insanely and tentatively titled Space Jesus vs. Earth Moses, I am worried about crossing over from legitimate writing endeavor into the hilly hell that Zardoz represents. Read more »
Megadeth
Well, it’s been a while since I’d fired up a Megadeth album. I clearly remember seeing the album cover of Rust in Peace in a record store recently and making the mental note to see if held up at all like the 12-year-old me enjoyed it.
And, holy crap it does.