Ken Newquist It’s been around on the net for years — AOL and Intel are merging, and they want to give you lots of money for forwarding their e-mail. Actually, they want Microsoft to give you lots of money. No, actually, it’s Microsoft that’s urging the forwarding, and Bill Gates is funding the exercise in personal, exponential … Read more
The Sims is a strangely compelling simulation game that lets players micromanage someone else’s life. It’s made by Maxis, the same folks that created the legendary SimCity games, as well as the less legendary SimEarth, SimAnt and pretty much anything else that begins with “Sim”. Those games were largely macroscopic in scope, giving players control … Read more
Yahoo! Groups gives you the tools to keep your campaign connected online, but its up to the game master to make it work and get people posting to it. Here are a few suggestions on how to do that: Post campaign news to the group: If you have news about your campaign world that can … Read more
It’s a conversation I’ve heard repeated around the net and in gaming stores: gamers are getting old. Oh we’re not quite ready to be put on oxygen with 24-hour nurses, but our demographics are shifting ever-upward. Instead of being 12-year-old geeks who worried about getting their books dumped or what that cute girl down the … Read more
I’m disgusted. Pissed off. Angry. Why? Because of an e-mail I received this week alleging that while American car companies have donated millions of dollars in money and equipment to disaster relief to the victims of the 9/11 attacks, foreign companies have failed to back up their sympathetic words with donations. It’s simply not true … Read more
An e-mail hoax spawned by the aftermath of the horrible events of September 11th alleges that while American companies have given millions of dollars in response to the atrocity, foreign automobile companies have given nothing. It’s an outright lie. Contrary to the e-mail’s claims that only Volkswagen and Hyundai have given money, many (if not … Read more
The Evil Empire that is the U.S. Postal Service is preparing to unleash a nefarious plan called “Bill 602P” that will charge Americans for every e-mail sent, raising billions and delivering a crippling blow against its archenemy, the snail-mail slaying Internet. Or so says an hoax from at least 1999 that absolutely refuses to die. … Read more
During the week of 9/11/2001 I wrote an editorial about the gas spikes taking place in a few towns in the Mid-West. Panicked individuals, shaken by the attacks, were swarming the gas stations for fuel. Gas station owners responded by raising the prices. My point was that this action — usually called profiteering — was not immoral, and indeed, was an example of what was, is and hopefully will always be right with America.
A controversial idea, at least in this day and age. I expected some sort of response and I got one, from Mr. Daniel Bishop. (Read the letter). As for my thoughts on his letter…
The following review provides an overview of my recent vacation in the western American states of Idaho, Wyoming and Utah with my trusty Apple iBook. December 19, 2001 While running around the house in a frenzy of last minute packing, I trip over the iBook’s power cord, sending it crashing to the floor from the … Read more
Every once in a while, our regular Friday night RPG session falls apart. It might be because of sick kids, weddings, extended business trips or just bad luck, but only a handful of our players can make it. If it’s a night when the party really needed the resources of the missing players, we ditch … Read more