Terpsichore Tuesday: St David's Day

My collection of Welsh music is neither wide nor deep, but such as it is will be shared during this evening's Terpsichore Tuesday. Our conversation and fellowship will be as sparkling as ever. Please join us in Second Life at the Harborside Horizon Ballroom, 5-6:30pm SLT, or listen in on gullar sahir's main stream.

Pinhole Press

My lovelies, have you heard of the new Pinhole Press? They have beautiful, simple photo products--like cards, books, framed prints and notepads. You personalize them with your favorite photos (wedding, baby, vacations), and it's really easy to do. The finished products are gorgeous with silky paper. Take a peek here.

(A fun side note: My friends launched Pinhole Press a few months ago. I'm excited to say that I'm partnering up with them this year and I'll be sharing new products and fun ideas on Cup of Jo. Hope you love them as much as I do!)

A Comment From Professor Maul

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"Okay, I went on a little vacation when Hobobob went back into depression, we all did. We don't stick around for that bullshit. We've got better things to do, like mow the lawn, and take the kids to fucking school. I know, my wife has a list of shit for me to do. She calls it a Honey-get this shit done-list. So I don't have time for a grown man who wallows in bed and gains weight. That fat schla. Well, I'm back to put this blog in order and point out the fucked up shit Hobobob does, so look out. What the fuck was I thinking? I've gotta go now. The kitchen drain is stopped up and the old ball and chain is riding my ass. Talk to you all later."

A Comment From A Satisfied Customer

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"Hello, It's me again, Maria DiMaria Maria from Coney Island, Brooklyn to say damn are we all glad here that Hobobob is back on his drugs and his personality is beginning to splinter again. This blog can get pretty boring when he is in the bed day in and out, curled up in the fetal position. My brother Joey and his friends were going to go up to his room to stick a broken pencil up his ass to get him motivated, but you know how it is. He needs his drugs to do his job, so I say bravo, and empty my Saturday Night Special into the air to commemorate his return. Keep up with the blog you hobo, or I'll bust a cap in your ass personally. Ciao."

TUXY TUESDAY WITH DOMINO: IT'S HER PURROGATIVE!

It's morning, and Domino is getting a breath of fresh air on the back deck.

She takes a moment to survey the snowy landscape.

And to pose prettily for her morning photoshoot.  She doesn't know how to pose any other way, of course.

Just to limber up, a few push-ups ...

... and stretches are in order!

And then she spies ...

... Dylan, just basking in the sun -- not taking notice of anything nor bothering anyone.

So, Domino jumps up on the deck bench, too -- now that she's all loosened up!

And she makes her way over to where Dylan is calmly PURRched.

Then Domino sniffs him -- not like Dante would (she's not into butts).  This is just the prelude to ...

THE BIG WHAP!

(Sorry, but I missed the actual shot -- it was so quick and unexpected)

Having chastened poor Dylan, Domino retreats.

And sits sweetly and primly, as if nothing had happened.  When I asked her why she did it she said:

"I jus' needid to keep him in line!"

Dylan, being the victim for the second day in a row, just doesn't understand.

"Wot did I doo?", he asks.

Nothing, Dylan -- nothing!  Sometimes life is a bitch!  And then, there's Domino.

P.S.  Before any of you start to feel too sorry for Dylan, he is known to ruthlessly attack Domino by jumping on her and biting her neck.  However on this PURRticular occasion, he had done nothing to warrant such action.  Domino was just exercising her royal PURRogative!



Do or don't: Khakis

When is the last time you wore khakis? For me, I think it was seventh grade and it wasn't pretty. :) But this Parisian cutie looks so adorable that it makes me want to run out and get a pair. Where do you stand on khaki pants? Thumbs up or down?

(Photo by The Locals)

The Fantasy Trip: Too Much Of A Good Thing?

While most of you were busy playing Dungeons and Dragons as youngsters, my go-to games were of the microgame variety.

Microgames like Melee, from Metagaming -- a rules-light, man-to-man (as well as beast and monster) fantasy combat system. Or Wizard, Metagaming's follow-on game, where you played a magic-user.

We played the heck out of those microgames during our lunch breaks, while attending middle-school back in the late 70's/early 80's. The entire Microgames line was touted and renowned for its' speed of play, and most of the early microgames had significant replay value.



Metagaming's line of microgames were reasonably popular during that company's heyday. Metagaming published at least five editions of Melee, before it was finally retired in favour of Advanced Melee. Pictured above (from my microgame collection) are the first, fifth and second editions of the game. The cover illustrations for those Melee editions are by Liz Danforth, Roger Stine and Clark Bradley respectively. I always preferred the Clark Bradley cover illustration, on the right. Not because it was in color, but because it captured the adventurer-party spirit of role-playing, while still retaining a look, unique to The Fantasy Trip, and apart from the Dungeons and Dragons art being promulgated at the time.

You may be asking why I could possibly need three copies of Melee. Hello, different artwork! :D

The Melee boxed set with the Stine cover is in the centre. I was never a big fan of his Melee and Wizard covers, nor of his covers for Advanced Melee, Advanced Wizard and In The Labyrinth. Yes, with those covers, you knew what game you were playing, but the hyper-realism and plasticity of the figures in his illustrations was simply not my cup of tea.



As for owning four copies of Wizard, three of which are exactly the same, I really have no excuse. In my defense, you can never have too much of a good thing, and those three feature Clark Bradley's cover art.