April 2004

Want to emultate everyone’s favorite New York Times columnist and globalization cheerleader? Well then here’s your guide.

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The question from BBCNews:

“What happened to Dungeons and Dragons? In the 1980s millions of teenagers world-wide would battle dragons armed with just dice, paper and pens. D&D became part of youth sub-culture but as the game celebrates its 30th birthday, is anyone still playing?”

The answer: Nope. They’re all writing Weblogs. (Just kidding.)

Best quote from the article: ” There is something in D&D that strikes a chord in many people; the call of adventure.” –D&D co-creator Gary Gygax.

Adventure? Adventure.

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In reference to the Banana Guard, which I mentioned recently, Andi G. sends this amusing missive from Washington, DC:

The Banana Guard proves yet again that necessity is indeed the mother of invention. As much as I think I need one of these puppies–my bananas are always getting bruised and mangled–I have to say I wouldn’t be caught dead with one of those in public. I can see it now…

I think I’ll stick to the Octodog.

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…worth checking out are:

1) These gory photos from Iraq presumably taken by a recenty-returned American soldier.

If our media were doing a better job of informing us–with hard-hitting photos like these–of the senseless violence that’s happening there, these images wouldn’t be nearly as shocking as they are. But hey, you can’t make a “war on terror” omelette without breaking some eggs, right? Gimme a break. I can’t believe my tax dollars are funding this lunacy.

2) On a lighter note, here’re some exceptional photos of crazy Japanese vending machines!

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Submit your designs and find more info here. (Let’s just hope, for decency’s sake, that this guy doesn’t enter his slogan.)

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…appears to be the place to go for ordering McDonald’s in-store promotional materials. How can I get signed up? I’d kill for a McGriddles poster.

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This and other crucial snippets for American tourists, such as “You’re very pretty for a foreigner” and “It’s better in the States,” can be found in The Zompist Phrasebook.

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…my very own Banana Guard. (No, really, it’s a guard for your banana. Seriously.)

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Joseph Epstein says:

I was recently asked what it takes to become a writer. Three things, I answered: first, one must cultivate incompetence at almost every other form of profitable work. This must be accompanied, second, by a haughty contempt for all the forms of work that one has established one cannot do. To these two must be joined, third, the nuttiness to believe that other people can be made to care about your opinions and views and be charmed by the way you state them. Incompetence, contempt, lunacy�once you have these in place, you are set to go.

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