A few years ago, inspired in part by the Story of the Christmas Pants, I decided to make Christmas with the Kornfelds a little more interesting. That year, as it happened, I gave everyone either a giftcard or tickets. They received them in an Altoids tin, locked with a miniature padlock, and a clue to where I had hidden the key. One was under the cat’s bowl, another in a block of ice in the freezer, etc.
The next year I carved out the insides of books and hid the real presents in there. It was fun to hear “Thank you so much!” from a sibling who thught I had actually given her Our Friend the Nematode.
This year I’ve got way more presents than family members. But none of the presents have names on them, just a number. Everyone gets a copy of a short story I’ve written and a question, the correct answer to which is a number that corresponds to the correct present. If you get the wrong answer though - and they’re trick questions so there’s a good chance you will - you’ll be unwrapping coal (and of course I went to special lengths to make sure you can’t tell before you open it).
Next year? Hmmm. I dunno yet, but I’ve got 12 months to figure it out.
Majel Barrett-Roddenberry died of leukemia last thursday, December 18th. She portrayed the characters Nurse Christine Chapel in Star Trek TOS, and Lwaxana Troi in Star Trek TNG. She also provided the computer’s voice in all Trek movies and series, except Enterprise. She was the widow of Gene Roddenberry, creator of the Star Trek franchise.
More here.
The 2009 Boston con season is about to begin!
First up is Arisia, January 16-19 at the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge.
Boskone is up next at the Westin Waterfront, Frebruary 13-15.
AnimeBoston will be late this year - not til May 22-24 - at the Hynes. BTW, my inside source at AB assures me that the registration issues that resulted in intolerably long lines at AB2008 have been given the highest priority and will not be a problem for AB2009. (so if you have a long wait to get in, let me know and I’ll tell you who to beat up)
NESFA has a big list of northeast area conventions here.
Brewery: Pabst Brewing Company/G. Heileman Brewing Company, Texas, USA
Brewery Description: “This classic premium lager brew is crafted with a healthy infusion of 6-row barley, plus a unique combination of Pacific domestic and Yugoslavian hops. Aged at high gravity, PBR is then cellared and then finished to the smooth, robust likeness of a fine Pilsner. There’s no finer way to drink.”
Brew Style: American Lager/Macrobrew, 4.74% ABV
Recommended Glassware: Pint, Pilsner, or Brown paper bag wrapped around the can to hide your freakin’ shame you poor bastid.
The Ugly Truth: You know, I think its poetic that I chose PBR as the first beer I’ve reviewed in a little over 4 months. Its considered a classic by some, loved and revered by the Hipster crowd and generally considered to be one of the giants of the cheap beer kingdom.
I now find myself here, typing at my computer in the late hours of the evening to bring you the truth, the Law even. Laws and Truths more profound than those delivered by Moses as he descended Mount Sinai to confront the worshipers of false idols. I am here to reveal what that brewery description seeks to obscure, to burn away the fog created by pop culture and advertising men. My people, read that description. Read it close and then bend your ears and hearken to the words that now flow from my tongue like luxurious streams of Guinness:
THEY ARE F*CKING LYING TO YOU!
Whoever wrote that description is in league with the Devil. That has got to be one of the most inaccurate, misleading and blatantly false brewery descriptions ever posted here. If PBR actually tasted like that, there would be a plethora of virgins singing its praises and bringing its healing powers to the unwashed, thirsty masses. As it stands in its stark reality, drinking PBR is akin to having someone pour some corn syrup cut with water and a shot of alcohol into your mouth and telling you should be glad, THANKFUL even, that you are lucky to have that.
The appearance is the only thing its got going, since it accurately reflects that of the American Lager. A pale yellow straw color, that if it went any lighter would be indistinguishable from the color of Larry Bird’s skin. A frothy white head that disappeared faster than a Ho-ho at a Overeater’s Anonymous meeting, and light carbonation rising to the top. The aroma was that of an Indiana cornfield in late fall, not something that should be present in a beer. No where, and I mean no where my friends, was there a hint of Pacific domestic and Yugoslavian hops.
The taste…I wanted to scrape my tongue afterward. I might as well have been drinking water for all the flavor that was there. Just nothing appealing to it. I know what some are thinking: “But…but that’s the American Lager style.”. Well, my response to that is this: there is a reason why PBR and the like are heavily marketed to college kids and the bar crowd, because those are the people who care the least about flavor. There is a bit of dryness, not much, and the flavor is dominated my malt and a corn sweetness to it. No aftertaste to speak of, just a lingering feeling of despair and disappointment with the experience that will cling to you more than the stink of the bar you were drinking in.
So I beg you my people, turn a deaf ear to the Hipsters and ad executives who wish to lead you down the false path. Have faith and be strong. Order something else, something with flavor, and say to the PBR: “I know you for what you are, and I cast you out demon-swill!”.
Verdict: 2 out of 10 bottlecaps, to represent the twin horns of Deciet and Malice that PBR wears.
Maybe you already know some of these, maybe you don’t.
Cafe Press is a great source for unique gifts for just about anyone. You can choose from thousands of items that other people have already designed or upload your own designs for a more personal touch. Be sure to consult the product templates page so your gifts don’t wind up looking stupid by accident.
Archie McPhee is a longtime favorite of mine for silly and kitchy stuff. Bacon flavored dental floss, Jesus air freshener, pickle band-aids, the boxing nun puppet, pirate lunch box….
Along similar lines are Baron Bob, Stupid.com and Wicked Cool Stuff.
American Science and Surplus has a lot of random items including robot parts, lab equipment, magnets and toys.
The Onion Store has a lot of… well pretty much the kind of stuff you’d expect from The Onion.
Entertainment Earth has a huge selection of action figures.
Despair.com puts a downer twist on the inspirational posters around your office.
ThinkGeek has lots of unique, cool, techy stuff.
X-treme Geek has more of the stuff that ThinkGeek’s got, but on a web page that’s somewhere between annoying and miserable to navigate.
Two new posts on the alt site for game reivews concerning my ongoing Descent: Road to Legends campaign:
Session3: Why is there a boulder flying at my head?
Session 4: RUN AWAY!! RUN AWAY!!!
On a different note, there is a very strong chance that you will see a return of Big Remy’s Beer Review either Friday or Monday. So take heart True Believers, I will return!
Yeah, yeah, it’s been a long while since the last podcast. Not sure how soon we’ll be able to get together for a new one, what with the (like it or not) holiday season upon us and all. He’re’s a few things for you to do in the meantime.
Video Games Live concert at the Citi Center on Friday 11/21. Features orchestral and choral arrangements of music from video games.
Benefit for Greyhound Friends in Waltham on Saturday, 11/22. Buy some crafts and help out the doggies we put out of work with question 3.
Bazaar Bizarre at the Castle at Park Plaza on Sunday 12/7. Unique crafts from local artists.
My group and I played the second session of our Descent: Road to Legend campaign the other night. Here’s the write up on the BostonGeek alt site for boardgame reviews.
Hey all two items:
1) I’ve started a Descent: Road to Legends campaign with some friends and will be posting a running journal of the game at the BostonGeek alt site for boardgame reviews, Big Remy’s Board Game Blog. Here’s the report from the first session.
2) I apologize for the fact that there hasn’t been a beer review in over a month. Between the price of gas and the state of the economy right now, money has been tight on a combined teacher (the wife) and student’s (mine) salary and beer money is the first thing to go. Things are looking to be on an upswing moneywise so hopefully soon I’ll be able to get back on track. Thanks for the patience and emails with suggestions of beer.
That’s all for now.
It’s my life…
It’s now or never,
I ain’t gonna live forever,
I just want to live while I’m alive.
Any comments or suggestions?
Email: Colin, Carl, Captain Damage
Skype: bostongeek
Voice: 1.617.418.4113
Production Engineer: Carl “Crazylegs” Reyes
Post-production/Editing: Colin “Rock N’ Roll” Rego
All music composed and recorded by Karl “Captain Damage” Kornfeld.
So I’ve read a bunch of stuff about 4E, I’ve got copies of the books to look at and I’ve talked to a bunch of people from my local game store who have similiar tastes as mine in RPGs.
From everything I’ve seen and read, I was pretty on the fence about ever wanting to play 4E. I really, really like 3E/3.5E. Everything I’ve seen about 4E screams “This is for first time RPGers who only experience is WoW”. Which, in and of itself, is fine, I really don’t have a problem with it. My problem has come with people trying to convince me that 4E is in some way better than 3E/3.5E for people who like “realistic” mechanics in their RPGs. I’ve listened to the arguements, but haven’t heard anything convincing.
But now something has come along that has pushed me over the edge into the territory of having no desire to play it. DnD 4E is available as an application on Facebook.
I’ll say it again….FACEBOOK!
Any RPG system that can be distilled down to a minor application for a social networking program like Facebook is not something I would call worth playing. Will I never try it…probably not I’m sure at some point my Will save will fail and I’ll try it out to be fair, but I’m not encouraged by this discovery.
Arrogant Bastard and Stone Brewery have come to North Carolina and Chapel Hill finally. This place immediately became less of a hell for me to live in.
THANK YOU JESUS!
Sure, we may not like the look of the production version of the Chevy Volt, but its all about the cool tech underneath the hood, right?
Catch a glimpse of what GM has in-store, as they celebrate their 100th by hitting the embedded video at about 8:30 am EDT (pre-recorded, introductory video begins at about 7:50 am EDT).
Dragon*Con post-mortem.
Drove down. Drove back. Atlanta.
Now let us never speak of the shortcut again.
Any comments or suggestions?
Email: Colin, Carl, Captain Damage
Skype: bostongeek
Voice: 1.617.418.4113
Production Engineer: Carl “Crazylegs” Reyes
Post-production/Editing: Colin “Rock N’ Roll” Rego
All music composed and recorded by Karl “Captain Damage” Kornfeld.
A new boardgame review, this time of the card game Saga, is up on the alt BG Boardgame review site.
The-other-Carl, Colin and I were were there to witness the incredible spectacle that is Dragon*con. I’m trying to figure out how to describe how amazing it is and find myself coming up short. It isn’t just a science fiction convention, it isn’t just a big sf/fantasy/gaming convention, it’s freaking huge. It spans four large hotels turning Atlanta, Georgia into a writhing sea of geekness for four days. You must attend this convention before you die!
Read more of ‘Dragon*con was teh awesome!’
You’ll recall podcast 117 we talked about the Sweet On Geeks dating service. They have another singles night scheduled for Saturday, September 6th, at 7pm at Pandemonium Books in Cambridge. There will be free pizza and lots of gaming as well as a beverage going by the name G33K B33R. Check it out!
So, as some of you may have heard, BostonGeek is heading down to DragonCon. And, being incredibly adventurous (and, possibly stupid), we have decided to drive on down to Atlanta. If you are curious where BostonGeek might be, you can follow our travels on our Twitter page:
My Dash GPS will be sending regular updates as we start our journey tomorrow evening. You can live the experience without all the bickering, bathroom breaks, and body odor.
Hey all, a new blog post on the BG alt site for boardgames. A review of the Descent expansion The Well of Darkness.
Don’t forget to go visit the BostonGeek store at Cafe Press!
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