Top Ten Reasons for Not Blogging

Without further ado, and in no particular order...

10. Laziness

  Sometimes, you just don't feel like doing anything even remotely productive. So instead you flop on the couch and binge watch Blacklist or something.

9. Work

    All of us have those times when we are so busy with our work that, when we have time away, we spend it on things other than our hobbies. This one's been getting me a lot, relating to #5, below.

8. Family

  If you're lucky enough to have one (like me - mine is awesome!), you have to spend time with them. Sitting in front of a computer while they do other things around the house doesn't count.

7. Broken Camera

  This one is actually pretty weak these days. I know my phone's camera isn't great, but it does function and I have it with me almost all the time. And honestly, with my photographic skills, it's not a big difference between the camera and the phone.

6. No Internet Access

  Another weak excuse. In any First or Second World country, you just aren't trying (see "Laziness", above) or it means you are in the Back of Beyond. "What if I can't afford it?" Pffft. That's what work and public libraries are for.

5. No Hobby Time

   This is often a spillover from work, family, etc. But it could be a case of temporary hobby burnout, too. You haven't really done much related to the hobby about which you blog (gaming, in this case). Thus, you have nothing to really blog about. This is part of my problem right now. I have played in one game since October, and haven't picked up a brush since then, either. Just too busy to devote the time.

4. Illness

   Okay, this one's legit. If you or a loved one have been ill, from a nasty cold like I just had to hospitalisation for really serious illnesses, that's a good excuse to not merrily plop every random hobby thought onto the internet. You just might be a bit occupied with more important matters.

3. Too Much Hobby Time

   This is the flipside of 'not enough time.' In this case, you are spending all your available free time on your hobby interests themselves, and are selfishly refusing to share with the rest of the world. You rotten selfish bastard. Thankfully rare.


2. Vacation

  Like many of the other reasons, this is a lack of time issue, combined with (often enough) a lack of access issue. We go on cruises a lot. Internet access is available but expensive and super slow. Plus, I'm busy enjoying myself and stuff. Three months of 'vacation' doesn't count, though...

1. Blogger Burnout

   This happens fairly often, too. You just don't feel like blogging about stuff. You got bored with sharing it to an uncaring world. No one's paying any attention to it anyway. No one comments, your page views are low, and it all seems so pointless... Black spiraling pit of depression...

Top Ten... Sandwiches!

TOP

10

Sandwiches

   Building on the last post, I am still thinking about food. Must be the diet.

   All that notwithstanding, I gave a few moments of thought to my favorite sandwiches. For the purpose of this post, I mean any meal consisting of two pieces of bread with some sort of filling between them. Hot, cold, grilled, whatever. Not open-face sandwiches, though - only things you can (at least in theory) pick up and eat. Also, I kept the ubiquitous hamburger and its many variants out. It's my list, and I can set the rules as I want to, thanks!

   I think it will come to very few people's surprise that many of the following are British in origin. Besides my general Anglophilia, the English did actually invent the things, at least 'officially.' Thank you, Lord Sandwich!

   As always, the order in which these are placed is highly subjective, and may, in fact, have changed slightly based on whatever it is I have had most recently, or which I long for most ardently. Let me know what your favorites are in the Comments.

10. Peanut Butter and Jelly

   The king of childhood sandwiches. Peter Pan or Jif Extra Crunchy on white bread with either grape jelly (preferably my grandfather's homemade from wild grapes) or red plum jam. Apple butter is an acceptable substitute for jelly. Crusts on mine, but you may have yours removed. Cut into triangles, never rectangles. That's just wrong.

9. Grilled Cheese

   If anything could beat out the PB&J for 'best kid sandwich' it's this. And none of your fancy pants stuff to 'improve' it. No fancy Gruyere cheese or Brioche bread. The KISS principle is fully in effect here. Bread, butter, American cheese (Kraft Singles, preferably). Grill till brown and melty. Cut diagonally and serve. Served with a mug of hot tomato soup it is a perfect chilly day lunch.

8. Roast Beef

   This is the pub version I mean. Nice red roast beef, some strong horseradish, maybe a slice of sharp cheddar, on a salted hard roll. Man, I'm drooling here. Side it up with a pickle and a bag of Walker's crisps (salt and vinegar or Worcestershire). And a draft.

7. BLT

   Bacon. Lettuce. Tomato. The first sandwich with vegetable matter on the list. Combine these three ingredients with a bit of mayo, and you've got a heck of a good sandwich. My favorites come from a Texas convenience store chain called Buccee's. Nice thick bacon (and lots of it!), leafy lettuce, decent tomato, with a homemade spicy mayo and on a big yummy bun. Had one for lunch today.

6. Chick Fil A Sandwich

   The original and still the best fried chicken breast sandwich. I don't care about the politics of the owners. This is one damn fine sandwich. I worked at a Chick Fil A back in the late 80s in high school for two years. I've had their food so many ways I can't even begin to count them, and some of the items are no longer available on the menu. Here's a secret that most people don't know: you should put the coleslaw on the sandwich. But be sure to drain off most of the coleslaw dressing when you do.

5. Schlotzsky's Original

   This is a Texas take on a New Orleans original, the muffaletta. It has smoked ham, Genoa and cotta salami, cheddar, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, mustard, red onions, black olives, tomato, and lettuce on a made-in-store sourdough bun that is awesome. And then they grill the meat and cheese before putting the cold ingredients on it. So yummy.

4. Philly Cheesesteak

   I've had the Real Thing on the street from a food trailer in Philly. And imitations elsewhere. So long as the beef is thin and hot, the onions grilled, and the cheese melty, it's pretty good stuff. My favorite is with mushrooms and Provolone, but I can go purist and have it with the Whiz. Texadelphia makes a pretty good one.

3. Chip Butty

   Chips (french fries) on a sandwich. Absolutely British, and absolutely good. It gets a bad rap from a lot of foodies, but they're brilliant. I prefer mine with brown sauce to ketchup.

2. Bacon Bap

   Bacon. Brown sauce. Bap bread (a roll). Breakfast for the gods. I would eat one every day I am in the UK if I didn't sit down for a Full English.

1. Oyster Po'Boy

   Legend has it that this sandwich was created in New Orleans during a strike. The owner of a restaurant that had catered to the men on strike couldn't bear to see them go hungry, and he had more seafood than he was going to sell. Rather than let it go to waste, he fried up some oysters (or maybe it was shrimp), put it on a baguette with some mayo, lettuce, and tomato, and sent it out to the "po' boys out there." I dunno if this is a true story or not. But I do know that these are good sandwiches. 

   Strangely, the best I ever had was from a cafe in a gas station in downtown Houston, right behind the central bus station. Sizzling hot fresh oysters (or shrimp, or crawfish tails), piled so high you had to eat a few before you could pick up the sandwich. I prefer oyster, with some tartar sauce instead of mayo.

Top Ten Gaming Foods

TOP

TEN

GAMING FOODS

   It has been quite a while since I wrote up a Top Ten list, and right now I have two of them banging around in my head. At least one of them is totally gaming related - food! The question I thought about was what are the best foods to have handy to eat while wargaming? There is only a little bit of rhyme or reason to these rankings, so if you disagree, well... I'd like to hear about it in the Comments. So, without further ado...

10. Cheeseburger

   Cheeseburgers are yummy. But require two hands and a lot of napkin action before handling minis. For this reason, they are fairly low on the list. They make the list for ubiquity and general goodness. No chili burgers, though. Too messy - likely to drip on terrain, get grease on figures, etc.

9. Trail/Snack Mix

   I dunno, I just like the stuff. Even though I agree that a handful of trail mix that lacks an M&M in it is a disappointment. Snack mixes like Chex Mix or Gardetto's would fall in this category as well.

8. Chicken Fingers

   Another commonly available food, these yummy crunchy meaty snacks are much less messy than cheeseburgers. Good stuff, properly done. I like Raising Cane's. Popeye's spicy ones are tasty too.

7. French Fries (Chips)

   Another finger food. Less messy than chicken fingers, even with ketchup dipping. Chili-cheese fries, while delicious, are not included because of the massive mess. Ditto poutine.

6. Corndogs

   I know a lot of people don't like corndogs, but those people are wrong. A properly made corndog is delicious. With mustard. If you put ketchup on your corndog, I place you in the same company as Philistines who speak in the theater or find sheep attractive. Plus, it comes on a stick, which helps keep the hands clean for gaming.

5. Toasted Coconut Donuts

   I like all donuts (or doughnuts, if you prefer). Well, not all, but many of them. My absolute favorites are the Toasted Coconut from Dunkin Donuts. So, if I'm gaming in the AM, I am probably hoping to have a bag with a couple of these in them close by. With some coffee.

4. Hall Pig

   A venerable delicacy obtained from a carving station at the Lancaster Host in Lancaster, PA. Harvested 'back in the day' at Historicon. I have not attended any of the other conventions held in the Host, so I have no idea if it has been available at them.

3. Pizza

   Even though it can be messy, it's available on delivery pretty much anywhere in the civilized world. Or at least in the US. I've honestly never had a pizza delivered in any other country, though I know you can get them in London - adverts in the hotel room. We usually settle on pepperoni, though it's not my favorite, because almost everyone will eat it. My favorite? Probably either a meatball formaggio or margherita with prosciutto. Preferably thin crust.

2. Walker's Crisps (Potato Chips)

   Only had these once while gaming, but I like to have potato chips handy. These just happen to be some of my favorites. Especially the Roast Chicken. And the Smokey Bacon. Prawn Cocktail isn't bad. And Cheese and Onion - those are good.

1. BEER

   Yes, yes, I know. Beer isn't technically 'food.' Unless you're a college student or a medieval monk. Don't care. When in Pennsylvania, I am especially partial to Yuengling Lager, which is not available back home in Texas. At the house, I vary the program. Bocks, hefeweissens, lagers, ales...

Top 10 Christmas Movies

ANOTHER WORLD FAMOUS

TOP TEN LIST

CHRISTMAS MOVIES

   These are my Top Ten Favorite Christmas Movies. To qualify, they have to meet the following very stringent criteria:

• They must have a Christmas theme in some way.
• I have to think of them, right now.
• I have to like them a lot.

   There is no real sense of order here. Happy Christmas!


10. Die Hard

Because nothing says "Our Savior is Born!" like a rogue cop whacking terrorists/bank robbers in a half-completed building in LA. 39 F-bombs, 19 dudes with mustaches, and 22 bad guys taken down with extreme prejudice. Yippee-ki-yay...


9. Lethal Weapon

Yep. Set at Christmas time. What is it with criminals in LA? Have they not learned the rogue cops all bust loose at Christmas?

8. Bad Santa

Billy Bob Thornton as the most grotesque mall Santa ever.

7. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Edmund Gwenn as the best department store Santa ever. Oh, and it has Maureen O'Hara in it, too.

6. Gremlins

Because it teaches you to follow the rules. Always follow the rules.


5. Trading Places

One of Eddie Murphy's funniest movies. Dan Aykroyd is is brilliant in it as well. "Is there a problem officers?" "Who's been putting their Kools out on my floors?" "Looking good, Lewis. / Feeling good, Billy Ray!"


4. Scrooged

A modern re-telling of Dickens's classic Christmas tale, starring Bill Murray. I remember taking a date to it, one of the first movie dates I ever did without chaperonage. We made out a lot in the back of the theater. Saw it again later, and enjoyed it.

3. A Charlie Brown Christmas

Charlie Brown, you're hopeless. Depressed by the rampant commercialism of Christmas, Charlie Brown is just trying to find his Christmas spirit. This is a movie I make my sons (now 16 and just shy of 19) watch with me every year. Highlight for me is Linus telling the Christmas story.

2. It's A Wonderful Life

The sappiest movie of all time? Perhaps. But I know I never really feel like its been Christmas until I see it and hear Jimmy Stewart saying "Zuzu's petals!"

1. A Christmas Story

Ralphie. Red Ryder BB Gun. Bunny suit. Leg lamp - "Fragile." I could say more, but I need to go watch it. Again.

Top Ten Movies of the 1980s

   Ah, the 1980s... the "Me" Decade. Yuppies. PCs. Big hair and shoulder pads. Parachute pants. And a lot of awesome movies that defined my junior high and high school years. Born in 1972, I lived the Eighties. Naturally, this is the era of nostalgia for me. As always, these are listed not in any particular order, and are just my personal preferences. Here is a list of someone else's Top 100.

10. The Breakfast Club (1985)

   If only detention had really been this cool. Not that I spent much time in detention. Just, you know... this was way better than the reality. Not uncommon, I suppose. And the way it looked at the various cliques in schools was real. A brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal... every school had them, and every school has them now (or some version of them). Plus, Claire (Molly Ringwald) was a hottie.

9. Red Dawn (1984)

   At the height of the rhetoric of the Cold War, this movie about a Communist invasion of the United States and the resistance of a bunch of small-town kids was dynamite. "WOLVERINES!" I swear, I left this movie foaming at the mouth to kill me some Commies. Hey, I was 12, gimme a break.

8. Risky Business (1983)

  Um, Rebecca De Mornay. And that kid, Tom Whatever-His-Name-Is. For me, it's all about two things: smoking hot Rebecca De Mornay and the "Old Time Rock and Roll" scene. Favorite quote: 

"I've got a trig midterm tomorrow, and I'm being chased by Guido the Killer Pimp."

7. Caddyshack (1980)

   Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Ted Knight, Rodney Dangerfield, and written by Harold Ramis. Loads of classic lines in this one. I can't play a round of golf without quoting it. I have a gopher club cover. It sings Kenny Loggins. My favorite quote?

"So I got that goin' for me, which is nice."

6. The Blues Brothers (1980)

   Honestly, this is probably my favorite movie of all time. Love it. Now appearing at the Palace Hotel Ballroom on beautiful Lake Wassipomottie...

"It's a hundred and six miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, a half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses."

5. Highlander (1986)

   As you can tell, this is a list of movies that appealed to a teenage boy. Highlander rocked. Literally, thanks to Queen's score. It starred my favorite Scottish actor as a Spaniard/Egyptian and the worst French actor of the last 50 years as a Scottish Highlander. And it's still awesome. Like many other movies of the 1980s, it spawned terrible sequels. "There can be only one!"

4. Top Gun (1986)

  "She's lost that loving feeling." "No, she hasn't." "Yes, she has." "I hate it when she does that." A movie that improved Navy recruiting for years. Because everyone wanted to go to Miramar and hook up with Kelly McGillis, just like Maverick. Plus, the term 'wingman' was created to describe Goose for his role in helping Mav get some. Favorite scene: When Maverick flips off the Russian while inverted above him. Favorite quote: "Yeehaw! Jester's dead!"

3. The Princess Bride (1987)

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

   Another eminently quotable movie. Fun for all ages, and clean, too. I have put Inigo Montoya on so many name badges that start off "Hello, my name is..." that I can't keep track. Every once in awhile, someone gets it and chuckles. Just like you are doing now.

2. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

   "I am your father."

   'Nuff said? Okay, let's throw in Yoda. And the Battle of Hoth. And Han Solo's ultimate player line: "I know." Well, I saw it 27 times in the theater the summer it came out. You could say I like it.

1. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

   Where to start? I love this movie. Always have. Still have my FBDO button somewhere. My sons and I watch it every year on the night before school begins. Favorite scene: The Parade.

Honorable Mentions:
Sixteen Candles (1984)
Big (1988)
Terminator (1982)
A Christmas Story (1983)
Robocop (1987)
They Live (1988)

Top Ten Irish Things

   Now, it just so happens that I'm virtually un-Irish in my heritage. I know for a fact that there is more Indian (American, not Asian) blood in my ancestry, and there isn't much of that. So what? In the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, I decided to offer up my ten favorite Irish things, generally speaking in no particular order. I say generally, because at least one of those things is definitely in a particular spot for a reason. Hint: It's at Number One.

10. Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington

   He whupped every marshal the French could send at him, then he beat the Corsican Ogre at Waterloo. Sure, the Prussians showed up late to help, but Wellington's the MAN! Plus, he has some snazzy footwear named for him.

9. Ireland Rugby

   Like I wasn't going to put a rugby mention here somewhere? Irish rugby may not be the best in the world, but they are still a lot of fun to watch.

8. Jack Taylor

   Discovered this as a TV program on Netflix. Hooked. Love it.

7. Van Morrison

   "It's a marvelous night for a moondance..." Cool. Just cool.

6. Soda Bread

   I know it seems a bit trivial, but I really like soda bread. Especially with currants or sultanas. Because, well, it's yummy.

5. The Quiet Man

   Okay, so maybe it is only set in Ireland. But it is still a great movie, and one of my favorite John Wayne films, as well. At least I didn't go with Darby O'Gill and the Little People (one of my least favorite movies). Casting a Scot as an Irishman... it's criminal. And I like Sean Connery. Worst movie he ever made, excepting Zardoz (the Gun is Good) and The Avengers.

4. Harp Lager

3. Irish Monasteries

   The Irish monasteries had a great deal to do with the preservation and redistribution of classical knowledge in and after the early medieval period. As the 8th century Anglo-Saxon historian the Venerable Bede wrote:  "At that time there were many of the English nation, both of noble and of lesser rank, who, whether for divine study or to lead a more continent life, had left their native land and had withdrawn to Ireland.  Certain among them gave themselves up willingly to the monastic way of life, while others rather went about from cell to cell of the teachers and took pleasure in cultivating study.  And all these the Irish most freely received, and made it their study to provide them with food from day to day without any charge, with books to read and with free teaching."  

2. Irish Whiskey

   I like whiskey. I also like whisky. If you don't know the difference, you should go find out. Soon.

1. Irish Women

   First girl I ever had a real thing for was fresh from Ireland, worked on my daddy's horse farm. Beautiful redhead, sexy as hell accent, flawless skin with a dust of freckles, and in good farm-working fit with the curves a woman is supposed to have, by God!. Let's just say I never minded the hay if we were in the loft.

   I bet you are all shocked that Guinness Extra Stout didn't make the list. There's a good reason for that. I don't really like it. I don't want to chew my beer, thanks.