We had a great time over the break – I had three weeks off, whoop! – we made the trek down to Florida shortly after Christmas. This year, (most of) the Miller clan decided to try the single-gift-exchange approach. We all put our names in a hat and we each picked one person for whom we’d buy one gift. It worked out nicely. Some highlights: we managed to get Dan a nice 4-channel RC helicopter, which we flew-and-crashed all day long until we were just about out of spare parts; and I got a buttload of beers from around the world (thanks Val!!). So I’ll try to document each one here, as I partake… Continue reading “Around the world in 30 beers”
Category: Consumption
9.5 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
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From the “Chapter 19 and holding” department… Inspired by the Gillespie family experiment, the Behrns-Millers have all decided to belatedly crank through all that is Harry Potter. We’re knee-deep in the books, audio books, and movies. Maybe they’re to blame for my recent lack of posts… :> |
9.5 What Is Your Dangerous Idea?
I wasn’t far from throwing this book in the trash at times. Essay after essay from scientists condemning “God” as the dangerous idea that stands as the blockade to mankind and her progress. Blah blah blah. Be devoted to science, and the scientific method of discovery, but don’t be one-dimensional, dogmatic and closed-minded. There will always be more to life than what we can reverse-engineer. Continue reading “9.5 What Is Your Dangerous Idea?”
Post-PAX Mike is back!
My friend Gary has been waiting for PAX to end, so I will get back to reality and get my head out of the PAX cloudcover. It was worth it… here’s my PAX post… if you’re not a gamer, “move on”… Continue reading “Post-PAX Mike is back!”
PAX and DS madness
Wow. Dan and I are going to PAX! That alone makes me (and KEEPS me) giddy as a schoolgirl. But right now I’m doubled up on happy sauce – to prepare for the big adult-kidfest, I just picked up a DS lite. Continue reading “PAX and DS madness”
9.0 Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
My good friend Mr. Stephen Wolfe has brought me daily oranges to nurture me, stayed by my side after finding me (embarrassingly) curled up in a ball of pain on the carpet at work – following me home an hour later to make sure I arrived home safely, and, during a recent trip to the bookstore, decided to buy me a favorite book of his. It was quite a good fantasy book, creating an alternate reality that was visually vivid while avoiding cliches. Pretty good character development, too. Thanks again Stephen, gentleman and scholar.
8.5 Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
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Despite the fact that their first exposure was to the unholy and tortuous “Star Wars Holiday Special”, which circus ringleader Lucas himself says he would like to personally destroy down to the last copy “with a sledgehammer”, the girls have managed to get hooked on the Star Wars saga. |
9.5 San Juan
This game always seems to be billed as second-in-line, because it’s a two-player spin-off of Puerto Rico, a bigger game. But dig around for it, it’s worth it – a great game of skill building up your base city before time runs out. There are lots of ways to achieve that goal – Andrea used a new one on me today (monument-building) to sneak up and clobber me. I guess it’s not too new, Reiley has won before that way. Wait a minute, I think I better reassess… :> Anyway, we play a lot of two player games, and this is one we keep coming back to for its well-balanced strategy options and manageable scope. Here’s Andrea whooping it up on me today… I’m so glad for the little ways I can make her happy. UNTIL NEXT TIME! :>
8.5 VH1’s Nocturnal State, etc.
OK, I guess I’m officially getting old, to be interested in a show on the “more mature” music video channel. Or am I just incurably immature for watching music videos at all? Age is so confusing these days. Is 40 the new 30? And 30 the new 20? Or do we all just remain children in today’s consumer-oriented society?
Anyway, I recorded the show on the MythTV box and it is actually watchable if you turn on “auto-skip commercials” (otherwise, definitely NOT). The following have me humming all day:
- Audioslave: Doesn’t Remind Me
- Nickelback: If Everyone Cared
- John Mayer: Waiting on the World to Change
- Gorillaz: Feel Good Inc.
- Sophie Ellis-Bextor: You Get Yours
- Paulo Nutini: New Shoes
- Juliet: Ride The Pain
I guess some of that comes from MTV, so I guess I’m still young (immature? delusional?)… and some comes from elsewhere… whatever… :P
Ryan stars in “A Numb3r”
Andrea and I went to see another great performance by my coworker buddy Ryan Brock, again with The Raleigh Ensemble Players, who tend to put on the more interesting material in really intimate settings – you can’t find better entertainment. This one dealt with cloning, challenging Ryan to play three different characters differentiated only by their accents (which were great and enough reason alone to see the show). Ryan’s intensity made the hour fly by, leaving you wishing for more. Enough said. One week left, don’t miss it!
