It's been non-stop partying at Snow Monkey central since my Snow Monkeys wrapped up their first ever post-season victory in R.I.P. Stargate fantasy football league action. This sets up a big semi-final showdown against the much-reviled, #2 ranked Popular Vote Petunia next weekend and, while all the experts (and their data-based computer-generated projections - ie.…
December 12, 2011: Your typical football feast! Snow Monkeys poised! John Denver’s Japanese roots?
Ah, yes. Nothing says Sunday afternoon football with the guys like macarons, pastries, pecan pie and ice cream: Am I right? Mike Dopud ended up bringing a case of beer last weekend. What was he thinking? For that kind of money, he could have picked up a linzer torte or a tompouce or even a…
December 11, 2011: Dinner at Refuel!
Last night, a bunch of us gathered at Refuel for a dinner in honor of Golden Boy Martin Gero who happened to be in town. There were eight of us in all. Rather than choose individual dishes from the menu, we elected to leave our culinary fates in the hands of the infinitely capable Chef…
December 10, 2011: Later dinners and even later nights! A modest mailbag!
Heading out to dinner tonight with some old Stargate friends. A late dinner. I know that many don't consider 8:00 p.m. late (hell, in France and Spain, they often don't start eating until 10:00 p.m.) but so far as I'm concerned, late dinners are a young man's game, secretly designed to segue seamlessly into an…
December 9, 2011: Oven mitts! Edutainment! Comics round-up!
I've got a suggestion for sis who is wondering what to get me for Christmas: oven mitts. I need a new pair. The realization dawned on me this evening sometime between when I was pulling the cast iron pan out of the oven and when I was leaving the top layer of my fingers on…
December 8, 2011: Snow Monkeys! Holiday mode! Two Dogs in a Tub!
The fantasy football postseason kick off tonight. As you know, my Snow Monkeys snagged the last playoff spot by destroying their week 13 opponent. Now, they face a much more formidable foe. The last time these two teams met was back in week 8 when my Snow Monkeys defeated the then undefeated I Have No…
December 7, 2011: The Return of the Book of the Month Club! Worst Dish of 2011!
Following a tumultuous 2011 in which I barely had time for the good things in life, I'm finally settled and looking forward to a productive but infinitely more enjoyable 2012. To that end, I'm restarting our modest little Book of the Month Club. January's selection... BATGIRL: BATGIRL RISING written by Bryan Q. Miller, art by Lee…
December 6, 2011: The Big Comic Round-up!
Catching up on my bid to check out the many, many comic book titles out there... GRIFTER #1-3 This series hits the ground running and maintains its quick pace through the opening three issues, following con man Cole Cash as he attempts to evade pursuing aliens and, oh yeah, the military. It's never explained why…
December 5, 2011: Trufflepalooza!
White truffles, a.k.a. white diamonds, are one of the most highly prized and expensive of foods. Rare, only available a few months of the year, and limited to parts of Italy and Croatia, the Alba Madonna are notoriously difficult to locate. Experienced truffle hunters use dogs to sniff out these rare gems hidden underground, near…
December 4, 2011: Sweet, sweet, ice-cream flavored victory!
Snow Monkeys win! Snow Monkeys win! And in impressive fashion no less, snagging the sixth and final playoff spot in the R.I.P. Stargate fantasy football league. Ivon, Rob, and Mike Dopud were on hand to celebrate the victory with schnitzel sandwiches (pork and veal), three types of ice cream (chocolate, vanilla, and festive eggnog), and…
December 3, 2011: Snow Monkeys’ last shot! Mailbag!
Well, this is it. My fantasy football season comes down to one game - tomorrow - Snow Monkeys vs. Reagan's Raiders. A win allows me to snag the sixth and final playoff spot in our R.I.P. Stargate League. A loss and I my efforts were all for naught and everyone I've invited over tomorrow to…
December 2, 2011: Getting into the Christmas spirit! My new favorite show! Joe’s language school! News of note!
Hey! It's snowing!!! Not outside but right here on this blog! I am officially in the Christmas spirit. Post your questions and I'll answer them in tomorrow's holiday mailbag. From the "How did I miss this?" file comes my favorite new show I just happened to discover on DVD last week: Actually, friends have been…
December 1, 2011: Help me out with this upcoming Mind Meld! The comic book report!
Help me out here. Every once in a while, the fine people at SFSignal (SF Signal - A Speculative Fiction Blog) ask me to participate in their MindMeld feature, an ongoing series in which a ragtag group (writers, rum-runners, bureaucrats in alien ministries, etc.) is asked a genre-related question. Past topics have included: MIND MELD: What…
November 30, 2011: Another Dark Matter interview! Adopting a healthier lifestyle! Culinary Triumphs!
Check out the latest interview I did for my upcoming comic book series, Dark Matter, this one with my buddy Shaun Manning over at Comic Book Resources: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=35481. It offers a little more insight into the series and characters as well as a two-page sneak peek of what's to come. Yes, it's true. I've adopted a…
November 29, 2011: Not dead yet! Let the Christmas rush begin! More comic perusals!
I assumed my Snow Monkeys were dead in the water following their fourth straight loss but, as it turns out, they have one more shot at making the playoffs in the last week of our R.I.P. Stargate fantasy football league regular season. Three teams are deadlocked at 6-6, fighting for those last two playoff spots…