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Gary Gygax passed away today. I never met the man, but he was very influential in my life, and I am sad that he’s gone.

When I was six years old, my mom used to take me to hockey games. One night we ran into my best friend from school, John, there with his family. Our parents chatted and watched the game while John and I ignored the game. John excitedly told me about an amazing new game that he played with his brother’s friends earlier that day. The game was called “Dungeons and Dragons”. I asked a lot of questions because it sounded fascinating. John knew I would love it because I went on and on about The Hobbit at school. I could not picture how it was played. I was trying to envision a board and pieces like monopoly. I was convinced that I would enjoy it even though I could not picture it, so I remembered the name and asked my Nana to get it for me.

Nana delivered for my 7th birthday. It was the original Dungeons and Dragons boxed set, and it blew Nana’s mind when I ripped open the box and inside was just a monochrome blue paperback booklet marked “Dungeons and Dragons”, and a more colorful booklet called “The Keep on the Borderlands”.

There was no board, there were no pieces, no dice. Just two books. I was a little taken aback myself, but I had the momentum of excitement. I started reading those books, and from that day on I was a gamer.

Thanks for everything, Gary.

Any toy built strong enough that a child cannot break it will be used by the child to break other objects.

Wow, 2008. Time flies when you’re having fun, friends. I don’t have anything profound to share, not that it has ever stopped me from posting before, but that’s my excuse for not blogging more often and I’m sticking to it. When I find interesting news items I usually flag them for people to see in google reader rather than making a separate post about it! That’s what populates the box on the side with articles. ———->

There have been a lot of changes. The kids are inevitably growing up. I can see them change before my eyes. The old folks who have been my role models, who have inspired me, are just as inevitably fading. The contrast brings my place in that cycle into a clear relief, and I am mindful that the kids I’m raising are not just kids. I hope they will have kids of their own, and grand kids, and great grand kids. I have to prepare them for that, and time feels shorter now. Teaching them to help each other and share isn’t enough, we have to teach them everything. It’s a daunting task. I honestly don’t see how single parents get by, and I honor and respect them for making things work. I am humbly grateful that I don’t have to go it alone. I have the good fortune to be married to a woman whose wit, wisdom, charm, and beauty make a joyful journey of what might otherwise be the very trials of life.

Happy New Year!

A professor at UPenn gives us human history, broken down into 10 bullet points.

I’m going to spoil the end, because it doesn’t give anything away and it’s my favorite part:

• No one who teaches you knows what will happen.

Link found on BoingBoing

Also, for some really fascinating commentary on history, listen to Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History podcasts.

Kick ass! Me too! I have nothing to add, so here is a haiku:

windy autumn sky
clouds shaped like old memories
childrens’ frosty breaths