Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Of pith and pixels: Unshelved
Another webcomic, this time about librarians: Unshelved. Plus, it features a nom de plume--natch. This would be perfect for Wrybrarian.
It's not the flashiest comic you've ever read, but it has a real niche entertainment value. I found the link over at Penny Arcade; those guys have tentacles that extend into the strangest places.
erik 12:41 PM | permalink | yap

Monday, September 26, 2005

gaming bits: Pastimes (Chicago, IL) moving from current location 25%-35% sale on all games
Thanks to this thread over at BoardGameGeek, I heard that a store in Niles was having a sale over the weekend. Liz and I drove out on Friday, and I managed to find a few good boardgames for a great deal.
I've been wanting to get Ticket to Ride Europe ever since I picked up the original Ticket to Ride. I knew I would like the new version, because the publisher, Days of Wonder, has an excellent online version of both games. T2R is the best discovery I've made in modern boardgames, because it appeals to non-gamers. My sister-in-law loves this game, so I always bring it along; it's easily my most-played game.
Since it came out last fall, I've been itching for this seemingly perfect Halloween lead-in: Betrayal at House on the Hill. Despite the nagging problems with the rulebook, the reviews all indicate this game should be a lot of fun with an atmosphere straight out of a horror film. I'm going to insist we play this game sometime in the next few weeks, if not on Halloween night itself.
Finally, Liz liked the looks of Mall World, so we added it to the other two games to get the full 35% discount. I've read through the rules, and they make no sense at all--it's fairly obvious they were translated from German. I don't understand it yet, but I have a feeling it's going to end up being too fiddly for Liz's taste. Maybe I'll be proven wrong after we actually try it.

erik 3:31 PM | permalink | yap

Thursday, September 22, 2005

stale news: "Franks, buns ink 'piece treaty'"
I missed this story when it happened this past July, but came across it while browsing through a back issue of Grocery Headquarters. Thanks to the tireless efforts of stand-up comedians over the years, the discrepancy between the number of hot dogs in a package and the number of hot dog buns in a (different) package has been reconciled. Finally, our proud Improv Olympians can move on to the disturbing issues of airline peanut packaging and the location of hecklers' employment. There is still no progress in the crusade to rename the driveway.
See also: The Straight Dope on the subject.
erik 11:47 AM | permalink | yap

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

smart news: RFID Digital Door Lock
This lock has been available over at ThinkGeek for a few weeks now. The thought of swiping myself into my home just like at work is appealing, but I have some reservations about this particular lock. In this picture from the installation guide, you can see the small housing that attaches to your doorframe, into which the device extends its bolt. That's no deadbolt, fella. It looks like a plastic housing, held by three screws. Compare that statement to this statement: I live in the city.
To be fair, if I were to install this on my condo door, I have the added protection of the security door at the front of the building. But then, where's the fun of keyless entry to my unit if I already have my keys out from opening the security door?
So that's $300 I can spend on comic books instead.

erik 9:37 AM | permalink | yap