In the time since we last met.....

...here are some of the things that have been rocking my world and occupying my time.

1. The release of Talisman 4th edition! Yes, a new version of the infamous magical quest game Talisman! Long-time BlueZone fans will know that the complete 2nd edition Talisman has occupied a spot on my game shelf since 1990 and was a favorite during the time I lived in Mowrey Mansion at Shippensburg University. It's great to have the game back in print with a huge new board and great-looking artwork; however, I really wish they took more time to make the game more playable and tighten the rules. The way I see it, without house-rules, you are still kinda lost. A valuable opportunity has gone to waste, unless they release some sort of new rulebook through their website.


2. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. My brother-in-law Mike snagged a pair of tickets for my sister Erin and me and we were able to attend the first night in Philly two weekends ago. What a great show! The new CD "Magic" is a great one - I probably like it better than "The Rising" which was the album that got me into Bruce (only 20 years behind everyone else in the world) - and the band really seemed to be having a blast blasting through a great mix of old and new songs. Bruce was in great voice and the crowd was pretty good for a "classic rock" show. A great time was had by all!

3. One week until the release of "Guitar Hero 3." It's all very exciting because I never had a game console before, but now that I have a Wii, I can get in on the action. Looking forward to rocking out to the Kaiser Chiefs and the Killers!

4. Mad Men. Have you seen this? It's a wonderful bit of original programming on AMC from the pen of Matthew Weiner, formerly a writer on The Sopranos. The first season just ended last Thursday night and it went out on such a high note! I think AMC is going to run it again from the beginning starting next week, but that won't numb the pain of having to wait till summer 2008 for season 2. Check this out if you get a chance!

5. Running. Yup, in an attempt to not be so fat, I have started running. It isn't fun, and I'm not tremendously good at it, but at least I was able to buy an expensive pair of crazy looking shoes to do it. I don't even know if it's worth the effort, but I'll do it for a while. Exercise is quite painful when you are old, isn't it?

6. My buddies. We had a rare get-together of a bunch of old friends last weekend down at my pub and it was a blast. I was able to see my ol' Talisman buddy Jimmy C, my good friend Colby who lives very close but I never see, and Beil who has lived in Delaware for a long time now. It was really fun getting the group back together to play games, imbibe, and goof off. I hope we can do it again before too long.

7. The Mission is breaking up. I hate this actually. They have been one of my favorite bands for almost 20 years, but now they are calling it quits. The massive success that they enjoyed in Europe during the mid-to-late 1980s didn't repeat itself in the 90s and 2000s, so I guess they are just tired of trying. I can't blame them, but I hate to see them go. Thanks for the decades of music, Wayne!

8. Oh yeah, and this video, but don't watch it if you are easily offended. It's 53 seconds of hilarious profanity!!