Utterly Addicted

I started playing this game, back when I knew it as Moria in 1988 when some guys at the computer lab at the University of Hartford clued me into it. Way back when my first major was computer science, so I got a job that gave me access to the computer room. I would sit at the desk in the front of the room and make sure no one caught the computers on fire. It was rather boring, but I got paid. The only excitment I had all semester was when we got a virus. It caused a ball to bounce around the screen and knocked letters out of word documents. Then I got kicked out of the dorms, quit the job and decided that computer science sucked as a major.

But back to the game. Moria was utterly addicting, I never made it past 11th level at Hartford, although my playtime was limited. You couldnt play the game if there were more than 20 people on the network of computers across the 7 or 8 computing rooms on campus, and that was all the time, except early in the morning, or during the overnights.

About 8 years ago, I was able to download it for my mac. Moria, it was glorious in all its black & white & crappy graphics glory. I played until my hand cramped up. The same game I remembered from Hartford. But it was on OS 9 and I hate loading 9 over OSX, so I stopped playing it.

Three days ago, I found it again, this time for OSX and already I can't feel the fingers in my right hand. Now called Angband, its in color (sort of) and better than I remember. My first real character died at level 25, which pissed me off because he had an awesome weapon.

Heres the link to download it for whatever system you have, even if all you have is your old Amiga. If you think it looks stupid, just try it. Start with something simple like a half-troll warrior, keep rerolling your stats until your strength is like 18/50+ and your con is over 18 as well, then head on down and start wacking shit. Angband

If You Haven't Seen This

Please watch.

It's Stephen Colbert roasting the president.

Colbert

Freaks & Geeks

If you haven't seen this show, you should. Shows like 'Freaks & Geeks' are what tv should be, well written, entertaining and honest. Just 18 episodes long (fuck NBC), it joins elite company in the tv show pantheon of really good shows that were killed before their time, like Firefly (1 season) & Sports Night (2 seasons).

Most shows like this get ruined when the tv execs get involved and fuck things up, like showing episodes out of order, changing the night and times it was shown, etc. In a world before TiVo, not knowing where or when your show was on was a nightmare, and usually a sign that the show was on the way out only to be replaced by some crap show with former cast member of 90210.

I enjoyed the show for many reasons:
One, the music kicked ass and was the reason it took so long to be released on DVD. They had to secure rights to everything. From Black Flag and Joe Jackson to Buddy Rich and Rush.
Two, it depicted high school as I remember it, and how most of us remember high school. Stretches of akwardness laced with laughter and pain.
Three, it was well written and parts of it were unexpected. I've seen lots of tv and can usually guess what's going to happen in a show before the first commercial break. Much of tv is sterile and appears stamped out by a large cookie cutter machine. The ending of the series actually shocked me. Not shocked like hand from the grave at the end of Carrie shocked, but pleasently shocked. Plus this ending was better than what I was expecting.
Four, I have this 'thing' for high school cheerleaders and became infatuated with Cindy, the girl who would become Sam's girlfriend for like 3 episodes. I thought she was the hottest thing in the show until the final episode in which Linda Cardellini dances around her room to 'Box of Rain'. Hippie dancing is way hot.

God bless NetFlix for allowing me to see this, after watching all five seasons of Babylon 5, Freaks & Geeks was a nice change and a better show. (Only because of the 5th season of B5 was tacked on at the end and it felt that way.)

So rent Freaks & Geeks, better yet, buy it, you won't be disappointed and if you are then i will buy your used copy from you.

Collision Of Issues

Just yesterday my love of lists and my music collection ran into each other again. Every two years or so, I order my Top 50 cds. The first list was back in Dec 91 and had only 25 on the list. As my collection has expanded, so has the list. Now its 50 albums long. The top 10 for those who care, or dont care:

10 - Exile On Main Street - The Rolling Stones
9 - Revolver - The Beatles
8 - Joshua Judges Ruth - Lyle Lovett
7 - Slanted & Enchanted - Pavement
6 - Blonde On Blonde - Bob Dylan
5 - Come On Pilgrim/Surfer Rosa - The Pixies*
4 - London Calling - The Clash
3 - Whats Going On - Marvin Gaye
2 - Pauls Boutique - The Beastie Boys
1 - Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan


[* technically these are seperate albums, but I always listen to them together and the first CD i had of them had both on the same CD]

Post your top 10 if you feel so inclined.