Well, I’ve finally gotten tired enough of having to post anonymous comments on the Live Journals of friends that I decided to mirror my regular blog on LJ. You can’t fight the machine, though you can fight the Man. My LJ name is freeport_pirate.
I’ve been looking for a good game to play with Kate for quite some time now. I wanted something that was good with two players, because Nik isn’t interested more often than not. I also wanted something that she could enjoy but that wouldn’t bore me to tears either. Earlier today she was keen to do something, but shot down my first three suggestions (Star Wars Battlefront on the X-box, the Pokemon TGC, and the Lord of the Rings TMG). I returned to my office once again and started scanning the shelves. “For fuck’s sake,” I thought, “I have hundreds and hundreds of games, you’d think I could find one Kate and I could both enjoy.” As I once again ran my eyes over the uppermost level of my big Ikea shelving unit, I noticed a flat folio up amongst the boxed games. I suddenly realized what it was: Mertwig’s Maze. I had picked up a copy years ago and promptly forgot about it.
I took the game downstairs and sold Kate on giving it a try. I think the fact that she could become queen if she won was a big selling point. And the basic concept of going out on adventures, besting foes, and getting treasure is one Kate is well-familiar with from watching us play all kinds of games as she grew up. I had thought several times of trying Talisman with her but I feared it would just take way too long and become an exercise in tedium. Mertwig’s Maze turned out to be perfect. It took us about an hour to play, I was able to explain the rules to her without any problems (it helps that she’s smart), and it was fun for both of us. Kate won fair and square and was delighted to become the queen. Appropriately enough, in a bit of end-of-game roleplaying her first decree seized all my belongings and kicked me out of the kingdom. Just like an absolute monarch!
I’m glad Kate was willing to give it a try and I’m doubly glad I turned up something in my collection we can both enjoy. I don’t think Kate is quite ready for Advanced Squad Leader yet…
I spent the morning catching up on Battlestar Galactica episodes thanks to the glory of Tivo. I’m watching the reruns so I’m something like halfway through the first season. Appropriately enough, I halfway like it. They get so much right, managing to take what was originally a fairly goofy show and give it serious treatment. The new cast is good, particularly Edward James Olmos. One thing keeps me from fully embracing the show though and that’s the endlessly annoying Baltar plot. Whenever he comes on screen, I groan and grit my teeth until he’s done blubbering to himself and acting like a mental patient. It’s doubly annoying because no one ever seems to notice that he’s a nutter. Here he is having conversations with the president and commander of the BG in which he mumbles to himself, talks to people who aren’t there, and general blathers on like an idiot, and yet somehow he fails to arouse suspicion. In fact, he’s put in charge of the most important task of the fleet—inventing a cylon detector. It just doesn’t work as written and I’m deeply sick of the “cylon in his head” bullshit. I would much prefer Baltar to be a ridiculous caricature of evil like John Colicos in the original show than listen to Mr. Whiny Pants for another six episodes. I’m also a bit sick of the lone human on Caprica storyline with the other Boomer, but at least that one seems like it might go somewhere. Though why the cylons give a rat’s ass about one guy who’s going to die of radiation poisoning anyway I don’t know.
I’m not going to pretend I know a lot about politics in the UK or James Galloway. In fact, I had never even heard of the guy until this week but boy did he make me smile. It’s sad really that it took a Scotsman to come to Washington and tell the Republicans what a bunch of liars they are to their faces. But I’m glad he did because the Democrats have yet to show much spine and the media has all but emasculated itself (see Newsweek’s ridiculous retraction of a story that has been news around the world for two years).
Here’s a choice bit from his statement to a Senate committee chaired by Norm Coleman. I enjoyed the hell out of it.
“I told the world that Iraq, contrary to your claims, did not have weapons of mass destruction. I told the world, contrary to your claims, that Iraq had no connection to al-Qaeda. I told the world, contrary to your claims, that Iraq had no connection to the atrocity on 9/11 2001. I told the world, contrary to your claims, that the Iraqi people would resist a British and American invasion of their country and that the fall of Baghdad would not be the beginning of the end, but merely the end of the beginning.
“Senator, in everything I said about Iraq, I turned out to be right and you turned out to be wrong and 100,000 people paid with their lives; 1600 of them American soldiers sent to their deaths on a pack of lies; 15,000 of them wounded, many of them disabled forever on a pack of lies.
If the world had listened to Kofi Annan, whose dismissal you demanded, if the world had listened to President Chirac who you want to paint as some kind of corrupt traitor, if the world had listened to me and the anti-war movement in Britain, we would not be in the disaster that we are in today. Senator, this is the mother of all smokescreens. You are trying to divert attention from the crimes that you supported, from the theft of billions of dollars of Iraq’s wealth.
“Have a look at the real Oil-for-Food scandal. Have a look at the 14 months you were in charge of Baghdad, the first 14 months when $8.8 billion of Iraq’s wealth went missing on your watch. Have a look at Halliburton and other American corporations that stole not only Iraq’s money, but the money of the American taxpayer.
“Have a look at the oil that you didn’t even meter, that you were shipping out of the country and selling, the proceeds of which went who knows where? Have a look at the $800 million you gave to American military commanders to hand out around the country without even counting it or weighing it.
“Have a look at the real scandal breaking in the newspapers today, revealed in the earlier testimony in this committee. That the biggest sanctions busters were not me or Russian politicians or French politicians. The real sanctions busters were your own companies with the connivance of your own Government.”
I swear, my immune system has gone on vacation or something. It’s been 15 days since I got sick and I do not appear to be getting better. It’s not debilitating or anything. I’ve been working every day and it hasn’t really interfered. It hasn’t stopped me from going out either, as you can tell from the previous entry. It’s just really annoying to have this constant head cold. Stupid thing better go away this week. As the Damned would say, I’m sick of being sick.
Today I’m staying in, though I have a bunch of work to do on the next Warhammer book (surprise). We’re trying to get that off to print by Wednesday, so I need to use my Sunday wisely. Probably good I’m staying home today though, as I’ve had a fairly active weekend already. Friday night I saw Kung Fu Hustle and it was terrific. Very creative and very funny—hats off to Steven Chow for that one. We then stayed up until 4 am drinking and talking, which was perhaps not the smartest thing I could have done. Yesterday I played in Tim’s game in the afternoon, then spent two and a half hours getting from damned Renton to Seattle due to bus breakdowns, sporting events, slow people, and missed connections. Finally made it up to Ray’s place at nearly 9 and we went up to the U District for dinner. Met up with Nik and Christine afterwards for more gabbing, but everyone was tired so we knocked off early.
While I may have to do a bunch of stat blocks today, I can at least smile with the knowledge that those of WFRP are a hundred times easier to do than their d20 cousins. And that’s no coincidence.
Friday night I took a break from working on Sigmar’s Heirs: A Guide to the Empire for WFRP and went to see Gang of Four. The gig was at the Showbox, an overpriced rock club across the street from Pike’s Place Market. I seem to recall going to a WotC Xmas party there once, but maybe I’m confusing it with someplace else.
The first band up was Portland’s Menomena. They were…well, I’m not exactly sure what they were. Between the three members they played about ten instruments. One guy had a keyboard on top of another keyboard and then a xylophone on top of that. Plus he played guitar. The bass player also played several different saxophones. After watching a few songs in which they’d switch instruments and tempos multiple times within the same song—and sometimes just clap—I suddenly began to hear Christopher Walken’s voice in my head: “I’ve got a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell!” Amazingly, a cowbell was the one thing Menomena didn’t have on stage. Can’t say I cared for this band too much. Too arty and too unfocused for my taste.
Next up was Radio 4 from NYC. I first heard about them several years ago and all the reviews compared them to Gang of Four. I picked up their first record and didn’t care for it. I’m not sure if it’s just that they’ve got better in the intervening years or if they are just one of the bands that doesn’t record well, but their live show was much more engaging than the record. They were energetic, the songs were tight, and their set was good. I began to laugh half way through their second song when I noticed that their percussion player had just started playing a cowbell…
I’ve got to say though, there’s something weird about Radio 4 opening for Gang of Four. It’d be like if Rancid opened for the Clash. Sure, they have some good songs, but they’ll be rendered irrelevant as soon as the band they imitate comes onstage. And that’s exactly what happened. Radio 4 may be the learners but Gang of Four are still the masters.
Before the show, I had wondered if I wasting my money. I feared I’d go the show and get my hopes up and then Gang of Four would be fat lazy bastards going through the motions. Well drummer Hugo Burnham is a bit round in the middle, but the band was spot on. Although they are in the 40s, they used the stage better than most bands I’ve seen. Vocalist Jon King, bassist Dave Allen, and guitarist Andy Gill were all over the stage and King used all three of mics as he roamed about. They played the songs with great enthusiasm and abundant energy and all the elements came together for an amazing performance.
Song selection was just about perfect for me. Nearly the whole set was drawn their two masterpiece LPs: That’s Entertainment! and Solid Gold. Interestingly, the few song they played from later albums were greatly improved live. I Parade Myself, for example was 10 times better than its overproduced studio version. The only favorite of mine they didn’t play was Guns Before Butter. I’ve had that song in my head a lot lately because it’s so appropriate. “All this talk of blood and iron; it’s the cause of all my shaking.“
When the set was over, the crowd went berserk and they came back for an encore that ended with Damaged Goods. Other Showbox gigs I’ve been to have always ended after one encore. They are very quick to turn the lights up, turn the canned music on, and herd you out. The crowd, however, was entirely too worked up for that. They yelled, hollered, and whistled until Gang of Four came back one more time. They kicked into I Found That Essence Rare to thunderous applause and left the audience sweaty but sated. I walked out of the show with that “great gig” feeling that’s almost like being high. Not too many bands do that for me anymore.
If Gang of Four comes to your town, do yourself a favor and check them out.
Good News: I got hang out with my friend Pat again on Saturday night. John Doe from X showed up at the party suite and I was suitably goobed.
Bad News: I didn’t make it across the crowded room to meet John Doe before he left.
Good News: The current crisis project is now under control.
Bad News: A new project has gone condition red.
Good News: I’m having a productive week.
Bad News: I’ve also been sick since Saturday, and Nik has come down with something as well.
Good News: Nicole and I finished watching Season Two of the Wire and it kicked all kinds of ass. This is a seriously good show, right up there with Deadwood and the Sopranos.
Bad News: Season Three of the Wire is not on DVD yet and is not currently being rerun on HBO. Curse you, fate!
Good News: I was able to get a ticket to see Gang of Four for this Friday.
Bad News: Unless they end up sucking, there’s nothing bad about seeing Gang of Four!
An old college friend, Pat, is in town this week for a convention of the Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS). The group, which was created when a group of like-minded record store owners banded together in the face of increasing corporatization, is enjoying its 10 year anniversary and as such this years convention is more celebratory. Pat invited me along to a Subpop showcase last night held at the Three Doors in downtown Seattle. The building is a former old tyme strip joint that’s been redone as a hip dinner club and usually features light jazz acts.
Last night Subpop footed the bill and we were served a three course Asian-themed dinner that was quite good, particularly the “seven-flavor beef”. Three Subpop bands then performed for the crowd. It was not unlike the meal events at GAMA Trade Show, except there were bands instead of lame power point presentations and there was free booze (you hear that, GAMA?).
The first band was the Fruit Bats, who have been described as psychedelic folk. In other words, not my thing at all. Next up was Kinski, an art damaged noise band that made the Fruit Bats seem even weaker. Somehow, Kinski is the only local band I’ve seen four times over the past couple of years, probably because they’ve managed to get some great opening slots for the likes of Mission of Burma and the Ex. I wasn’t so thrilled with them the first time I saw them but they’ve been growing on me and I think I may get their new record when it drops in July. Last up was the Helio Sequence, a two-piece with just a drummer and singer/guitarist. Though the drummer played aggressively, they were basically a power pop band. Again, not exactly my thing, though the crowd seemed to like them.
After the show, we went back to the Andra, a hip hotel in the Belltown part of Seattle where the conventioneers were staying. CIMS had rented out a suite for post-con event partying and stocked it with yet more free booze. We hung out there for a while and I got to meet a bunch of people from different record stores across the country. It was interesting to talk to these small business owners and hear what sorts of problems they faced. One nice thing about CIMS is that none of the stores are in direct competition with each other. They are too spread out geographically for that to be a factor. That’s a real boon for a trade organization.
One intriguing trend emerged in my conversations. Whereas normally when I tell people that my company publishes roleplaying games I get vacant stares in response, nearly everyone I met last night knew exactly what I was talking about. While most of them weren’t active gamers anymore, they at least knew what roleplaying was and in many cases had played in their younger years. I’m not sure what that signifies but it was interesting in any case.
I caught one of the last busses leaving downtown and got home around 1 am. It was a nice break from my usual routine. Now I need to see if I can still get a ticket to the Gang of Four show coming up. I fear I may have waited too long and screwed myself. May really snuck up on me.
I was doing well with the more frequent updates and then suddenly a whole week went by. How did that happen? Naturally, there’s a work project that’s in crisis mode, because there always has to be one apparently. Nik and I also spent some time trying to get the house better organized. We literally have books in every room of the house. Yes, that does include the kitchen. Nik picked up some new shelves this week and we’ve been trying to find a home for every wayward book, game, and magazine. A historic task I assure you. It seems we are almost there though. If we get one more shelf unit to fit under the bedroom window, I think we can get the last of the books shelved up. That ought to last until convention season. Then we’ll no doubt come home with a pile of new game books. This happens at every con, whether we want them or not.
As per usual I have a lot of shit to get done over the next ten days. I do need to make with the efficiency though, because next weekend I have two friends coming to town at the same time from opposite sides of the country and I’d like to get a chance to see them both. And those friends who have not yet come to visit Emerald City, what’s your excuse? Seattle is both a nice place to visit and a pleasant place to live. Visit once and you may find yourself living here within a couple of years. That happened not only to me, but also to an increasingly ridiculous number of friends.
This weekend I think we’re schedule to have dim sum with yet a different visitor. Our favored joint is Sun Ya in the International District. They do the traditional carts, serving up some tasty food for a very reasonable price. My only complaint is that they don’t serve the sweet egg yolk buns that some of our favorite Vancouver places make. Those things are delicious and even Kate (who eats little and likes less) enjoys them.
Enough rambling. It being 3 am and all, I guess I should head to bed.
Is it just me or are the recent Burger King commercials weird and creepy? They feature guy in a king suit (presumable their “iconic character”), but his head is a big fake rubber mask with the frozen expression of a stalker or maybe a child molester. He shows up at people’s windows to handle them burgers and breakfast sandwiches. He doesn’t say anything, just stands there with his rictus grin. If this is supposed to sell me on Burger King, it’s really going about it the wrong way. “Burger King, the fast food restaurant of creeps and kiddy-fiddlers. Don’t ask about the special sauce!”