Yesterday, I was down at the shop and a disscusion of religion started. Mostly it started off the comment that agnostics can't decide what side to be on. Various things were said. I can identify with most of them but the whole time I tried to keep quiet. I really didn't want to yell at people in my place of work. I don't know how to express how I feel without insulting people. However there is one thing I'm certain about.
It's about Faith. I am not a Christian because it makes sense, no religion really makes sense. Seriously its all dealing with the unseen and the unquantifable. You cannot talk about religion and not talk about faith. That is all that any of us have as proof. It's all we'll ever have. I am not a Christian because it brings me "happiness" or anysuch thing. Happiness is overrated. We are only happy because of what happens to us.
I am a Christian because of Faith, nothing else. I've been asked if I believe I am right and everyone else is wrong, and how can you know that. Faith. I know I am right. I won't claim that others are wrong. I know that God is bigger than people give him credit for, and where people search for truth they can find him. I don't know all the people in the world so I really don't know where their faith is. But what it all comes down to it all we have is faith. When dealing with God all we have is faith and that is how he wants it.
I have a bad feeling about this entry, but I had to say it somewhere.
Lately, I've found myself playing World of Warcraft alot. And of course, that got me to thinking. I really do enjoy World of Warcraft, but its just a timesink. Now I make my living on timesinks so take that as you will. However World of Warcraft is one that really gives you nothing back. I mean yea you have a sweet character and so and so, but thats only good the more you play the game. Now, I don't want people to get the idea that I hate mmo's or that I think everyone should stop, I certainly don't think that way. But, I do think that I should play less World of Warcraft. I mean my account has been sold for over three months. I've just been killing time till Warhammer: Age of Reckoning comes out. And now I hear that its pushed back till Q4.
So, what should I be doing to pass the time? I was thinking about that when a friend of mine stopped by the shop this week. I rarely see Hosler anymore but its always nice when he stops in. I asked him what he'd been doing lately. Evidentally he's been working alot, but what caught my ear was that he's been going up to atomic every week to play Warhammer Fantasy. Now it took me a long time to get into Warhammer Fantasy, but when I finally did it came down to, as all important things do in gaming, a die roll. I had narrowed my search down to one of three armies, Tomb Kings, High Elves, or Lizzardmen. The dice had chosen High Elves for me. Fast forward to now, the High Elves have a new army book out and I"m Eager to play in 7th edition. So, with 20 minutes of time Hosler rekindled my old passion for my elves. They still need painted.
Now I just need someone to play. I wish Jared was still around.
This year Christmas was quite different for me. It is the first I've had married. Jill and I journeyed into Michigan monday to have Christmas with her mom's side of the family. It was fun. I felt a bit out of place but her cousins were kind to me. I can't remember which one came up and gave me a big hug. It was nice. However, far and away the best thing about that day was that I got the new Futurama movie AND Dropkick Murphy's. Afterwards we went down to the greater South Bend/Mishawaka area to have Christmas with her fathers side. I learned how to play Catan and why the "black man takes your stuff" (don't roll sevens, and jeff gets the joke). It was good, but long. Almost a Jill's family overdose, but I got to come home and see my family for a lil bit so its all good.
Now on the subject of Futurama, it has been canceled for these last 2 years. Also, it is one of my alltime favorite shows (the list is M*A*S*H, Futurama, Twilight Zone, How I Met Your Mother). So, this movie was their way of saying that they had been "un-canceled." And quite frankly the movie rocked. To me it just shows that Matt Groening cares more for his fans than Joss Wedon. Both had fantastic shows cutoff too soon by a stupid network (COUGH COUGH *FOX*). Both had loyal fans who pushed so that they could continue. Both had fun movies. But Groening and co showed how much they cared about the characters and really made and amazing movie, of which there are supposed to be four. Where Joss decided to viciously kill enjoyable characters like a whinning child. Oh well, as i said to jill she has fanfic and now i'll never need to read futurama fanfic. As Bender said, "We're back on the air, Baby!"
PS. Watch the 30min episode of EVERYONE LOVES HYPNOTOAD. Its the best bonus feature on the dvd.
This week something amazing happened, I was excited about 4e. This seems a bit of a sin to me because when it was first announced at GenCon last August I was quite angry. I'll explain better for those of you who don't join me for nerdiness on mondays. I'm talking about Dungeons and Dragons. This summer (sometime around august) Dungeons and Dragons will go into its Fourth Edition. When I started playing in High school it was under the ADnD (or second edition) system. It was a world filled with THAC0 and odd saves (like rods, staves, wands). Then my sophomore year of college the 3e came out. It was fantastic. It made things much simpler and it was with that system that I started some of my most memorable games. I taught Randy, Jeff, Greg, Josh and many others the simple joys of building a colaborative story. When 3.5 came out I was excited (mostly because they were finally revising rules that I had thought were tacky since day one). So now after more than 6 years playing 3e they told me that I would have to buy new books for 4e. And i wasn't excited...
Till last monday. A book came into the shop, and it previewed 4e. Ever since then i've been "Very excited in a totally ill way." So with that in mind I want to throw out my new Idea. I want to make a totally fan created 4e magazine that would come out every other month, code name Mixed Nuts (untill my loyal fans give me a better one). I'm very excited to be playing again at a time when things will be fresh and new.
