Meanwhile Limbaugh was having his maid buy black-market half-n-half for him. Limbaugh continues to deny rumors that he has a gray Persian named "The Gray Lady" and a Russian Blue named "Mister Piddles."

Anyone know of a decent turn-based RPG that I could get?

My immediate answer was:

Pity my old-school ways, my first thought was "What's wrong with Dungeons & Dragons? Get some buddies around the table and have at it."

because

When I was a teenager, my mother (probably talking about TV, but maybe something else, I disremember) once said to me, "If something is becoming more important than people, the something is likely a problem, and you have to re-prioritize."

and

For me D&D is first and foremost a social activity, otherwise known as an Opportunity to Snark; and I go for doing that in person.

But there really aren't too many turn-based fantasy RPGs anymore, as they are hard to write. The ones Gud mentioned are the best (Icewind Dale/Heart of Winter and Baldur's Gate II are my favorites) but they are old, so maybe the person's already played them.

Not much help; we play either Civ or various FPS games when we play computer games, but 90% of our game time is tabletop, either board games or RPGs.

I tended to modify the rules to make things less tactical.

They made the whole GAME more tactical with 3.5, but I've been working hard to get more role-playing and less dice-rolling in, because, well, the dice hate me.

I have no comment on the "Marriable" article, except it's just silly. To expect people to live without art is ridiculous, and that's what their thesis seemed to be. I know there was a wrap-up of "balance" and "don't let fantasy affect your expectations of reality" but the real ire seemed to be directed at any human creation, be it literature, movies, or furniture. @@

Plus Katrina caused a milk tanker to run aground in the Gulf.

Don't you hate it when the harbors curdle?

I HAVE MY LOAN CHECK! IN MY OWN TWO HANDS! IT'S AMAZING!

Whoo. I can breathe again. Breathing all good and nice.

I think I might try to go see the director of the center that I work for and see if he has a minute to discuss operational definitions with me. Such an action-packed day!

I HAVE MY LOAN CHECK!

Yay!

Is it pretty?

The highlight of the incident was when Sen. Landrieu was paying compliments to various politicians and talking about the billions FEMA had put into cat deployment when Anderson Cooper cut her off.

I haven’t heard that, because, for the last four days, I’ve been seeing people in the streets here in Mississippi with mouthfuls of Oreos and nothing to wash them down with. And to listen to politicians thanking each other and complimenting each other, you know, I got to tell you, there are a lot of people here who are very upset, and very angry, and very much want to toss their cookies.

Is it pretty?

It is very pretty. It will be even prettier in my checking and savings accounts.

And, of course, Kayne West's comment that incited all that media hand-wringing: "GEORGE BUSH DOES NOT LIKE CHOCOLATE MILK!"

It's a check...how ugly can a check be?

YAY vw!

Finally!