Why Was It That I Don't Have A Girlfriend Yet? Ah, Yes...

I am now among the Magic initiated. I even have a DCI number!

My first prerelease was absolutely delightful. I pulled a pretty nice field from black and red (though a good deal of people did that). I even managed to get my hands on this fine little number:


My matches went less than smoothly, ending with a record of 2-5-0. Still it was a fun, if exhausting, day (I slept it off for much of Sunday).

Highlights included:
-winning a match on the last turn before time by a creature steal spell
-encountering a deck that refused to die due to a combination of bounce-back abilities and a life resetting artifact
-Nick milling out Joe (and almost quite a few more people) with one of the most adorable cards ever:


In the end only Maks received a place of note, earning a couple boosters for his troubles. Zendikar is a ridiculously fun set to play and the Landfall mechanic proved very interesting. My first Magic event proved very fruitful and Nick and I are planning to hit a few Zendikar draft events for some rewards, a fancy new (and more durable) DCI card, and because Zendikar is just so much fun to play.

So that's my delightful prerelease report. Stay tuned for the next time I feel the need to share my awesomeness.

Why do I bother with these sign-offs?
Travis T

By Popular Demand

After the continual harassment I have received today (NICK!), I have decided to update my blog. What shall I speak of? I suppose I could start with the media I have been consuming recently.

First we have 9, the new Tim Burton CG movie. As much as I loved it conceptually, it came up short of my expectations. I love portrayals of post apocalyptic worlds and the use of automatons, both conventionally sci-fi and sackboyish. It was certainly visually stunning, in line with Mr. Burton’s other works. Where it fell short was the lack of a clearly driven plot. It was full of vagaries and loose ends which are never resolved yet don’t provide a clear lead into a sequel. Frankly, I expected more.

Keeping on the Tim Burton track, I saw Sweeney Todd at our house warming party. The one did live up to my expectations. It was every bit of the gothic, macabre and fascinatingly grotesque masterpiece I expected it to be. The visuals were stunning, the songs entertaining and it ended in a fashion rather reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet. It proved a delightful watch.

In gaming, I’ve been playing Worms Armageddon and Fallout 3. Worms is a game that has always delighted me and I’m glad to be playing it again. Fallout 3 is post-apocalytia done right. It offers an expansive world that is beautifully rendered and intriguing in every sense. Exploration is seldom tempered with the same repetitiveness that some free exploration games offer. I’m certain I’ve hardly broken the surface of this decimated Washington DC but I’m already thrilled with it. I foresee many hours being sunk into this game.

Those are my reviews. I am also obligated to give a “shout out” to my good friend Oleksi Derkatch from upstairs. Also I’d like to commend Michael Overmeyer on his attempt at the Godfather Burger at Mel’s diner. Though you didn’t manage it this time, it was a valiant effort and quite the spectacle to see.

That’s it for now. At the end of the week I’ll be attending the prerelease for the launch of Magic the Gathering’s Zendikar set. I’ll get one of these shiny little guys:

That’s all for now. Hopefully this will appease the masses.
Travis T