Cave Story: Jumping into story
Oh, Kevin, you make me nervous when you talk about Daniel as being “100 years old.” I’m the old man of the bunch, after all, and if anyone ever goes back to those first Final Fantasy VII posts and figures out how old that actually is, I might get my game columnist license revoked. Anyway, … Read more
Farscape: Soap in space
Farscape was why my spouse and I bought a TiVo. It was a show we discovered not long after we got married and that we were soon watching faithfully. But we discovered after our babe was born in 2001 that live television watching wasn’t compatible with baby minding, and we rediscovered the unreliabilty of taping … Read more
Cave Story: Platform mechanics
For me, platformers have always been nostalgic. Sure, my first videogame console was an NES with Super Mario Bros. 3, but I was too young in those days to have a valuable opinion about it (I know this because my favorite NES game, at the time, was Batman Returns). The first game that made a … Read more
TECT Knows Best
Once you’ve failed at everything, what next? **COURANE, Sandor: You are to be sent as a colonist to the agricultural world of Epsilon Eridani, Planet D. You will be part of an integrated farming community. Your future successes and failures will thus be of no consequence to the community at large here on Earth, yet … Read more
Cave Story: Let’s get retro
I do not even want to know how many hours of my life I have spent playing platformer/side-scrolling video games. Heck, months would be a better unit of measurement. I grew up in the Golden Age of side-scrolling games and built up my thumb muscles thanks to the likes of the Mario Brothers, Mega Man, … Read more
May 8-11, 2012
“It has been a week now since the passing of Adam Yauch. The tributes have grown silent and the news has moved onwards, ever forward to the next story, the next loss, the next thing. The impact, if any, of the loss is already gone, already an afterthought, already yesterday’s papers. This is grief in this age of ours: the age of social media, of 24-hour news, of the Internet. Musicians pass away all the time. There will always be tributes. But those tributes used to feel as though they lasted longer. Maybe that is ok, the speed with which we move on from news like this. Maybe it is not ok. Why do we feel the need to eulogize the famous, to celebrate their own achievements that impacted our own lives? It is easier to do this, to cast warm thoughts and reflections on people we don’t know. It is safer.” Read “MCA, growing up, and looking back” by Mike Vincent.
“As I am not a parent myself, I naturally take any grand pronouncement by a child more than 30 years my junior as a challenge to be met head-on. I get to go home or to my hotel if it ends in tears — for either party — so there’s no reason not to meet this crazy talk with a bit of moxie. It turns out though, “Nuh-Uh!” proclaimed over and over does not make for a compelling argument, especially when shouted by a gentleman pushing forty. I had to get organized, develop a strategy. This was war and I needed to marshal my troops. But just what was going to convince a little girl that superheroes can be for everyone? And more importantly, is it going to be something I can stand to read as well?” Read “How do you solve a problem like Siobhan?” by Matt Santori-Griffith.
“Our gal Velma was doing color blocking before it was a thing. Show off that curvy bod in shades of red and orange while you solve cases and fend off fiends. These two looks are sweet, hip, and of course incredibly nerdy. Odds are Daphne will be jealous when you hop into the Mystery Machine in these threads. Jinkies!” Read “Style tips from the tube” by Ana Holguin.
“At home I wasn’t reading books I already owned. I was watching TV. Was television to blame? I know I watch a lot of shows, my husband and I are on a Raising Hope kick right now, and obviously I could be reading instead. I will admit watching TV or a movie is easier than reading. Plus you can do it while you eat or wash dishes — not so with a book. But I was having trouble with the TV, too. I never finished Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy or Rear Window. I barely made it through Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and I didn’t understand some parts because I wasn’t paying attention. How was I supposed to keep my eyes open during Jeffrey Eugenides’ Marriage Plot?” Read “Getting closer, almost done” by Kelly Hannon.
MCA, growing up, and looking back
Last week, as many will no doubt know, MCA from the Beastie Boys passed away from a battle with cancer. The loss was one that took many by surprise; cancer may be a killer of many yet when it strikes someone down the fear associated with the illness comes on strong. Now by the time … Read more
How do you solve a problem like Siobhan?
Superheroes are for boys! With these four words, my five year-old niece Siobhan cut right through my chest and pulled out my heart. She was so adamant when she said it, you’d think it had been on the news or something. Admittedly, five year-olds tend to be adamant about everything, from why the purple crayon … Read more
Style tips from the tube
Stuck in a style rut? Look to the small screen for inspiration. Add some drama to your life and prime your wardrobe for any situation a comedic storyline could throw at you. 1. Scooby-Doo Our gal Velma was doing color blocking before it was a thing. Show off that curvy bod in shades of red … Read more
Getting closer, almost done
Today I finished a book. It really shouldn’t be that big of a deal. I work in a bookstore, I own books, and I’m trying to write one. Reading books goes hand in hand with all of those things. But lately it hasn’t been happening. I’ll start a book and then put it down and … Read more
