Once Upon A Time

An old man lived on the edge of the forest.

(C) 2010

All rights reserved

Copyright by author

Copyrighted and copywrited.

No one may read this without the written permission of their parents, living or dead.

Golden Sun

http://goldensun.nintendo.com/

New RPG for DS.

Looks interesting.

Cash for Rock Band 3

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/114/1142245p1.html

Mark your calendar.

Jan. 4 brings Johnny Cash songs to Rock Band 3.

Also 9 free songs from previous games.

Rock Band 3 review

http://www.gameinformer.com/games/rock_band_3/b/xbox360/archive/2010/10/15/rock-band-3-review-a-whole-new-challenge.aspx

Gushy review.

Rock Band 3 hints

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6095466/rock_band_3_tips_and_hints.html?cat=15

The ratings connection to random set lists is a good hint that I did not know about.

Kongregate

http://www.kongregate.com/

Another reminder to play free games online.

Elkhorn Tavern

http://www.lvrj.com/blogs/booknook/Civil_War_battle_at_center_of_Elkhorn_Tavern.html

Sounds like an interesting novel.

Super Marios Wii

http://mario25.nintendo.com/allstar/

The soundtrack CD could be interesting.

True Grit

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/movies/12grit.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=a28

Positive review of the remake of the John Wayne classic.

I want to see it more than once.

Dawn Treader

http://movies.nytimes.com/2010/12/10/movies/10chronicles.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=a210

Not a very positive review.

"Largely dreary" and "maximum blandness" do not recommend it.

The Tourist

http://movies.nytimes.com/2010/12/10/movies/10tourist.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=a210&pagewanted=1

Comparing this movie to "To Catch a Thief" with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly means comparing it to one of the greatest movies of all time.

EVE Pirate Raid

http://kotaku.com/5609620/six-years-worth-of-game-time-destroyed-in-pirate-raid

Over $1,000 in real money? Ouch.

Jack Reacher

http://www.lvrj.com/blogs/booknook/Childs_Worth_Dying_For_well_worth_reading.html

Gushy review of the new Jack Reacher novel by Lee Childs.

Cowboys and Aliens in Arizona

http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/409098/Cowboys-Aliens/trailers?ref=movies

Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Ron Howard, Steven Spielberg.

How can this one miss?

Tangled

We saw the Disney movie 'Tangled' last night.

I really liked it.

This is the kind of story that Walt loved to tell.

The villain was one of the best Disney villains ever.

Worth seeing more than once.

Majora's Mask for Wii

http://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/rl33Ipv_7uHSJNVTxxe8YIHqtZHdgkxp

I am going to have to ask one of the young people to explain this to me.

Nutcrackers

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/27/arts/dance/27nutcracker.html?pagewanted=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=a28

I never get tired of the Nutcracker.

Ingrid Pitt, RIP

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/23/AR2010112305759.html?nav=hcmoduletmv

England's First Lady of Horror

Kinect

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/22/technology/22hack.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=a25

Hackers find a way.

Rapunzel

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/movies/21tangled.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=a28

New Disney animated film very loosely based on the classic tale.

Fireflies

http://www.amazon.com/Fireflies-Faith-Hill/dp/B0009X7768

Mostly forgettable weepy dreary ballads, classic crying in your beer music.

Luckily, I listened to the library copy rather than buying it.

Discworld

http://www.lvrj.com/blogs/booknook/Returning_to_Discworld_with_Terry_Pratchett.html

Maybe I should read some of these books.

Epic Mickey Wii

http://wii.ign.com/objects/786/786198.html

Warren Spector interprets Disney.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong

http://mariovsdk.nintendo.com/

Mario vs. Donkey Kong for the DS.

Over 200 mind-bending puzzles.

Pulp!

http://www.lvrj.com/blogs/booknook/Pulp_reviving_pulp_fiction_genre.html

I want to read the story about the Templar gunfighter.

Black Ops

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/13/arts/television/13duty.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=a28

Gushy review of the Cold War game.

Lost Film Found

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/13/movies/13driver.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=a28

Bizarre.

Darkspore

http://darkspore.tumblr.com/

Sci-fi action RPG.

Might be fun.

T Bone Burnett

http://www.tboneburnett.com/

Artist, songwriter, and producer.

Worked on films like Walk the Line and Crazy Heart.

Sennheiser PC161 Headset Review

http://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm/loadFeature/4685/page/1

A good review.

$89.95 MSRP.

The Finger

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/11/09/1917166/nascar-fines-kyle-busch-25000.html

A lot of NASCAR fans would like to give the officials the finger.

Gamers Film

http://gamersfilm.com/homepage

Gaming documentary films.

Bootlegger's Blues

http://www.lyrics007.com/Mississippi%20Sheiks%20Lyrics/Bootlegger%27s%20Blues%20Lyrics.html

I prefer the Will Branch version.

Kongregate

http://www.kongregate.com/

Free online games.

Part of the GameStop network.

Rock Band 3

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/30/arts/television/30rockband.html?_r=1&nl=&emc=a28

Very interesting.

The Chocolate Wars

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/28/AR2010102806869.html?hpid=sec-artsliving

Nestle and Cadbury.

Sounds like a fun book.

Star Trek Infinite Space

http://startrek-is.com/

Free to play browser game in 2011.

Interesting cinematic trailer.

Cabela's Games

http://www.numberonehuntinggames.com/

Very cool gun controller for the Dangerous Hunts 2011 game.

The Fall

http://www.lvrj.com/blogs/booknook/The_Fall_by_Guillermo_Del_Toro_and_Chuck_Hogan.html

Another vampire thriller.

Pirates for Wii

http://www.mmorpg.com/blogs/staffblog/102010/6830_Pirates-have-invaded-my-Wii

I played the game on the Apple IIgs, which was a very long time ago.

Soul Order Online

http://www.playbbg.com/reviews/soul-order-online-review-download-worthless-and-unnecessary.html

We need more worthless and unnecessary games.

Iris Online

http://mmohut.com/preview/iris-online

Tarot-themed MMO.

Adventurers Wanted

http://www.lvrj.com/blogs/booknook/Slathbogs_Gold_an_imaginative_adventure.html

Sounds like my kind of book.

Nadirim

http://nadirim.com/

Browser-based F2P Arabian Nights MMO.

Looks like a winner.

Elmore Leonard

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/11/books/11book.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

85 and still going strong.

The Pirate Devlin

http://www.lvrj.com/blogs/booknook/Servant_chooses_freedom_in_Pirate_Devlin.html

Sounds like an interesting book.

Sean Dahlberg

http://www.seandahlberg.com/

Senior Designer for Faxion Online.

http://www.faxiononline.com/

Wii Party

http://wiiparty.nintendo.com/

The people in the trailer look like they are having fun.

Free Realms

http://www.freerealms.com/

Although described as a browser game, it actually requires a Windows download to play (unlike Runescape, for example).

It is possible to use Boot Camp to run Windows on a Mac, but I am not willing to do that.

So no Free Realms for me at this time.

Mac MMORPGs

http://mmohut.com/editorials/mac-mmorpgs

A small subset of the total MMORPG universe.

Dofus

http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/209/view/reviews/load/99/page/1

Overwhelmingly positive review of the game Dofus.

Major upgrade 2.0 due out in December.

Earth Eternal

http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/329/view/reviews/load/107/Earth-Eternal-Earth-Eternal-Review.html

Gushy review of Earth Eternal.

Long load times, repetitive quests, and the derivative nature of the game did not diminish the reviewer's enthusiasm.

Free Realms

http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/376/view/reviews/load/84/page/1

Entertaining review of Free Realms.

I am not a Bejeweled fan, so it does not sound like my kind of game, but it might be worth trying anyway.

Asgard Heroes

http://browsergames.evolutionvault.com/game-like-master-of-orion.html

Yet another game trying to channel Master of Orion.

Orion's Belt

http://blog.orionsbelt.eu/?page_id=1039

Another browser game in the spirit of Master of Orion?

Pardus

http://www.pardus.at/

MMO browser game.

Is it similar to the spirit of Master of Orion?

Travian

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/12/12407.phtml

Interesting review of the game Travian.

Free Browser Based Games

http://www.freebrowsergamer.com/

You get what you pay for.

Guns of Redemption

http://guns-of-redemption.browsergamez.com/

Adventure in the Old Wild West.

Game Ogre

http://www.gameogre.com/

Tons of information on online games.

Funeral Quest

http://www.rtsoft.com/fq/

You would have faced some mighty stiff competition if the game had not died.

Online Games

http://play-free-online-games.com/

I am amazed bordering upon stupification by how many games there are.

Wolf Quest

http://www.wolfquest.org/

The Minnesota Zoo is a partner in this game about playing a wolf in Yellowstone.

Floppers

http://mmohut.com/editorials/the-biggest-mmorpg-flops

Developers will always find new and creative ways to waste money.

Games like Runescape

http://gameslikerunescape.info/

So why not just play Runescape?

Mozilla Labs Gaming

http://mozillalabs.com/gaming

Are we reaching some critical point where the balance tips towards excellent web-based games?

Google Games

http://mashable.com/2010/07/10/google-games-zynga/

Could be good for gaming.

The West

http://the-west.browsergamez.com/

Might be worth a try.

Multiplayer browser games

http://www.ask.com/wiki/List_of_multiplayer_browser_games

Some very odd titles on this list.

Infinite Space

http://www.verticalwire.com/releases/2003-gameforge-forms-fleet-with-developer-keen-games-for-a-casual-free-to-play-i-star-trek-i-browser-game-set-in-the-i-deep-space-nine-i-timeline

Will be worth a try.

Athosia

http://www.athosia.com/

The official website needs some editing.

Best browser-based MMO games

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090204165204AAmBCsX

Some interesting choices.

Doug Elfman, The Game Dork

http://blog.nola.com/dougelfman/index.html

This is a sequel to a couple of other discontinued game blogs.

APB bites the big one

http://news.filefront.com/all-points-bulletin-cancelled-game-shutting-down/

Very short life for an MMO.

The Return of the Son of Frankenweenie, Part 2

http://www.themovieinsider.com/m4471/frankenweenie/

It is going to be hard for the remake to live up to the 1984 classic.

Probabilistic inference

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/63353/title/Video_mayhem_enlivens_decision__making

Playing computer games has a positive effect.

All Points Bulletin

http://na.apb.com/

Cops and robbers online.

http://www.mmocrunch.com/2010/07/12/all-points-bulletin-review/

Big Brand Social Games

http://www.forbes.com/2010/09/13/social-games-sanrio-technology-brands.html?partner=daily_newsletter

All marketing, all the time.

The Bible Online

http://www.bibleonlinegame.com/

Awesome subject for a MMO game.

Pirate Galaxy

http://us.pirategalaxy.com/

The Facebook connection will introduce many new people to MMOs.

Game on Mac

http://www.gameonmac.com/

Lots of game-related news for the various Apple platforms.

Tron

Thanks to Nancy for calling my attention to this story.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/26/business/media/26tron.html?emc=eta1

Unprecedented hype surrounding the upcoming Tron sequel.

The Passage

http://www.lvrj.com/blogs/booknook/The_Passage_by_Justin_Cronin_should_not_be_missed.html

Gushy review of yet another post-apocalyptic thriller.

Runescape Blog

http://www.runescape-blog.com/

Tons of good information.

Runescape Strategies

http://www.runescape-strategy.com/

Very deep game for browser-based and free-to-play.

Runescape

http://www.runescape.com/

Browser-based and free-to-play.

Features some interesting non-combat activities such as mining, fishing, cooking, smithing, leatherworking, and many others.

Tends to be more than a little grindy.

Sin & Punishment

Upcoming shooter for the Wii.

http://sinandpunishment.com/

The Mummy Online

http://www.themummy.bigpoint.com./

As good as the first movie?

Knuckle Princess

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/31/sports/baseball/31pitcher.html?pagewanted=1&th&emc=th

She throws a sidearm knuckleball.

The Return of the Son of Pinball, Part II

http://www.denverpost.com/frontpage/ci_15186413?source=rss

I would love to have a pinball machine but it is the maintenance that is the killer.

Twang

http://www.acountry.com/music/george_strait_twang/

Mostly forgettable modern country music.

The best three songs are:

Twang
Same Kind of Crazy
Hot Grease and Zydeco

I listened to the library copy, and I consider it not worth buying.

Game on Mac

http://www.gameonmac.com/

Red Dead Redemption

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/109/1090125p1.html

Looks like an interesting game.

Frank Frazetta, RIP

http://www.comicsbeat.com/2010/05/10/frank-frazetta-rip/

I have always loved his art.

Steam for Mac

http://www.neowin.net/news/steam-for-mac-coming-on-may-12th

This might be a very good thing for Mac gaming.

Zappa statue

Thanks to Elizabeth for calling my attention to this one.

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/midnight_sun/blog/2010/04/frank_zappa_statue_to_be_dedic.html

Excellent.

The Dresden Files

http://www.lvrj.com/blogs/booknook/Everything_Changes_for_Harry_Dresden.html

I love the Harry Dresden series by Jim Butcher.

DungeonQuest

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_minisite.asp?eidm=115&enmi=DungeonQuest

A new edition of the classic game.

Chaos Rings

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/24/arts/television/24chaos.html?th&emc=th

Chaos Rings for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch.

Sounds excellent.

Monster Hunter

http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/1tV3cyA7Ct9YGVhooezQgBYoCsyDUTl9

Monster Hunter Tri for Wii.

Sounds like a fun game.

iMMO

http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/423/feature/4158/page/1

Pocket Legends = iMMO for iPhone and iPad.

Sounds like fun.

Quake II in browser

http://googlewebtoolkit.blogspot.com/2010/04/look-ma-no-plugin.html

Impressive demo movie.

Seven Keys to Slaughter Peak

http://www.milwaukeerep.com/tickets/calendar/view.asp?id=9339

Today we attended the Milwaukee Rep's production of "Seven Keys to Slaughter Peak" at the Quadracci Powerhouse theater.

A romantic murder comedy with numerous twists & turns.

Extremely talented cast featuring many of my favorites.

Well worth seeing.

Crafting

http://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm/feature/4130/page/1

Interesting essay on crafting in MMOs.

Top Five Free-to-Play MMOs

http://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm/feature/4129/page/1

Interesting list.

I played Anarchy Online at launch, widely regarded as one of the worst launches in MMO history, maybe the only worse one was WWII Online.

Vampire Hunter

http://www.lvrj.com/blogs/booknook/Abraham_Lincoln_Vampire_Hunter_by_Seth_Grahame-Smith.html

The mystery of Abe Lincoln is finally explained.

Dragon Keeper

http://www.lvrj.com/blogs/booknook/Dragon_Keeper_a_fantasy_adventure.html

Sounds preachy and shamelessly manipulative but maybe I should try it anyway.

On the Philosophy of Alice

http://www.lvrj.com/blogs/booknook/Book_takes_philosophical_approach_to_Wonderland.html

Sounds like an interesting book.

Alice

Today, we saw the movie "Alice in Wonderland" (2D) at the Ridge.

Tim Burton has outdone himself, which is no mean feat.

Anne Hathaway was very good as a somewhat Goth White Queen.

Johnny Depp was outstanding as the Mad Hatter.

Christopher Lee (I thought he was dead) was the voice of the Jabberwocky.

Mia Wasikowska was a truly excellent Alice.

I did not think that any remake would ever exceed the 1951 animated Disney classic, but this is my new favorite Alice.

Crazy Heart

Today, we saw the movie "Crazy Heart" at the Ridge.

Awesome soundtrack.

Jeff Bridges (one of my favorites) did a great job.

But the movie was formulaic and shamelessly manipulative.

Battlestar Galactica MMO game

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-battlestar9-2010mar09,0,4547475.story

This is going to be an interesting experiment.

Free-to-play and web-browser based.

Guide to Exposed Reliquaries

http://gaarawarrgabs.wordpress.com/2010/01/27/guide-to-the-exposed-reliquaries/

A guide to the exposed reliquaries found in Warhammer Online.

So far, I have found 3, and none contained the fabulous loot, only 2 silver scarabs and a useless trophy.

The Seafarer

http://www.milwaukeerep.com/season/performancedetails.php?ID=151

This afternoon, we attended the Milwaukee Rep's performance of "The Seafarer" at the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater.

Powerful story with an awesome cast. Lee Ernst is one of my favorites and he delivered as usual.

I have seen Jonathan Smoots many times, and I think this was his best so far.

Well worth seeing more than once.

Alice

http://movies.nytimes.com/2010/03/05/movies/05alice.html?th&emc=th

A lukewarm preview of the new Alice movie.

The 1951 Disney version is still one of my all-time favorites, so I was surprised to read that Walt did not like it.

Walter Mosley

http://www.lvrj.com/blogs/booknook/Reading_Mosley_mysteries_always_a_pleasure.html

Review of the first in a new series of novels by Walter Mosley.

Like the reviewer, I miss the Easy Rawlins series.

If this new series is going to be as good as the Easy Rawlins series, then it is going to be very good.

This guild is not for you

http://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm/loadFeature/4059/page/1

Good article on guilds in MMOs.

Macrotransactions

http://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm/loadFeature/4043/page/1

Very interesting article on item shops in online games.

$7,000 for high-end gear?

Makes $15/month seem cheap by comparison.

ERB Mars movie

http://www.denverpost.com/frontpage/ci_14361900?source=rss

A movie based on the John Carter character of Edgar Rice Burroughs.

I hope it is faithful to the novels.

Yankee Tavern

http://www.milwaukeerep.com/season/performancedetails.php?ID=150

Today, we attended The Milwaukee Rep's performance of "Yankee Tavern" at the Quadracci Powerhouse theater.

An X-Files story if ever there was one.

Talented cast.

MMO Failures

http://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm/feature/3961/page/1

Humorous summary of MMO failures.

It is only fitting that SWG is designated the greatest MMO failure of all time.

Warhammer 40k MMO

http://www.mmorpg.com/blogs/staffblog/012010/5636

Speculation on the upcoming Warhammer 40k MMO.

No D&D in prison

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weird-news/story/1445581.html

Documents how inmates are not allowed to play Dungeons & Dragons at the prison in Waupun, Wisconsin.

The Adventures of Jeannie

http://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm/feature/3957/page/1

Excellent article about a person trying an MMO for the first time.

Well worth reading, and should be required reading for MMO developers.

The Princess and The Frog

Yesterday, we saw the Disney movie "The Princess and the Frog."

Interesting twist on the old fable "The Frog Prince" but preachy and shamelessly manipulative.

Featured some very good music.

Keith David was outstanding as the villain.

Fantasy Earth Zero

http://www.mmorpg.com/showVideo.cfm/videoId/1601

Interesting trailer, but maybe a little too anime for my taste.

Pearl Bailey

Saturday, we attended the Milwaukee Rep's performance of "Pearl Bailey...By Request" at the Stackner Cabaret.

http://www.milwaukeerep.com/season/performancedetails.php?ID=159

Interesting story, talented cast, some humorous moments.

Featured some good music but not enough Fats Waller.

Excellent Sprecher Black Bavarian on tap.

Up in the Air

We saw the movie "Up in the Air" yesterday.

I thought the very talented cast did a marvelous job with the script they were given.

The story itself I considered marginal.

Mark Corkins

Apparently, one of my favorite actors has returned to his roots in Delaware.

http://www.udel.edu/theatre/players.html

It is interesting that in his list of favorite roles, the first one listed in True West, one of my favorites also.

I wish I had seen him more when he was in Milwaukee.

And maybe he will return.

Virtual currency = Real Money

http://www.massively.com/2010/01/13/korea-rules-that-virtual-currencies-can-be-exchanged-for-real-mo/

South Korean court makes an interesting decision.

Fantasy Flight Games Event Center

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_npm.asp?eidm=13

It almost makes me wish I lived in the Minneapolis area.

Almost.