Two years after Microsoft shuttered Ensemble Studios, the makers of the Age of Empires real-time strategy game series, Microsoft has announced a new chapter in the venerable series — Age of Empires Online The game is being developed by Robot Entertainment, an outfit comprised of former AoE vets, and it’s to be played in aContinue reading “On the Upcoming Age of Empires Online”
On a Raunchy Ray Bradbury Music Video
I saw this on Andrew Sullivan’s Daily Dish. Yes, it’s unremittingly raunchy, but it’s also stupendously hilarious in a way that only a geek could love. Rachel Bloom’s “Fuck Me, Ray Bradbury.” And it’s a super-catchy song, too! I’m now wondering if the deejay at, say, Farpoint come February could be persuaded to play thisContinue reading “On a Raunchy Ray Bradbury Music Video”
On The Cordoba House Project
I’m thinking of converting to Islam, just to annoy a Republican. I’ve watched the news coverage the past month of the “controversy” over the Cordoba House project in New York City where a 13-story Burlington Coat Factory building two blocks from where the World Trade Center stood will be renovated into an Islamic community center.Continue reading “On The Cordoba House Project”
On Things I’ve Been Reading
Let’s talk comic books! It’s a rainy day, so why not? 😉 Star Trek: The Official Motion Picture Adaptation #5 IDW Publishing Written by Mike Johnson & Tim Jones, based on the screenplay by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman Art by David Messina with Claudia Balboni, with inks by Gaetano Carlucci A year after J.J.Continue reading “On Things I’ve Been Reading”
On Granting Parole to Mark David Chapman
Next month, Mark David Chapman, the murderer of John Lennon, goes before New York State’s parole board. Sentenced to a 20 years-to-life sentence for second degree murder in 1981, he first came up for parole in 2000. Now, in 2010, he is up for parole for the sixth time, having served 29 years in AtticaContinue reading “On Granting Parole to Mark David Chapman”
On Booing Santa Claus
When I lived outside Philadelphia about a decade ago, one thing I learned was that Philly was not the “City of Brotherly Love,” no matter what the etymology of the name meant. No, Philadelphia was the city that booed Santa Claus! Santa Claus! And the city booed him! No, I had no idea what thisContinue reading “On Booing Santa Claus”
On Hillary Clinton’s 2012 Political Options
It’s August. Political reporters need something to write about. So why not write about the 2012 election? How else to explain the sudden flurry of articles — with this one from Politics Daily a typical example — speculating on Hillary Clinton’s plans for 2012? Or, this article which suggests that Clinton will stage a primaryContinue reading “On Hillary Clinton’s 2012 Political Options”
On Baseball’s National Anthem
I get e-mails from the History Channel. I must have signed up for their newletter at some point in the past, but I couldn’t say when that was. Normally, I just delete them, unless the subject line looks interesting. And yesterday, I got a very interesting one. To me, anyway. “Forgotten Baseball Poet Receives StarContinue reading “On Baseball’s National Anthem”
On Writing Silly Short Stories
I Tweeted this morning that “I woke up with the feeling that I dreamt a short story, but the feeling doesn’t tell me what it was or anything about it, just that it was.” What that story was came to me, somewhere around 11:30. Unsurprisingly, my immediate thought was, “Wait, I dreamt that?‽!” Clearly, Sunday’sContinue reading “On Writing Silly Short Stories”
On Marvel Comics’ New Thunderstrike
I mentioned recently, when looking at some Thor comics reading, that Marvel Comics was bringing back early-90s Thor spin-off character Thunderstrike in a new series by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz. Eric Masterson, an architect and single father, was, for a time, Thor. Then he became separated from Thor and Thor became Thor again (no,Continue reading “On Marvel Comics’ New Thunderstrike”