The Inconsistent Writer

I have a confession to make. I have become addicted to board games. Correction. I have developed a board game-related addiction. And it's called TableTop . I'm not entirely sure when this happened, but at some point within the past two years I began researching a new Christmas gift purchase for my lovely wife. She had expressed a desire to spend more time together that wasn't around the television (which can be really difficult in this day and age). TableTop  is a web series hosted by  Wil Wheaton . Each episode features one board game (usually), where Wheaton briefly explains the play and mechanics of the game and then proceeds to play the game with his three guests for the duration of the episode. But back to my new found quest for a new board game... I hunted high and low for new and/or interesting titles at the local stores. I scoured the internet for board game reviews. The results were often overwhelming. Additionally, the fact that the sticker price

I was recently nominated to name the "10 Albums That Most Shaped My Life." And while I would love to figure out a way to narrow it down to ten, I came up with a list of fifteen a while back that if I recall was very much like -- if not exactly the same -- challenge. However, I still couldn't bring myself to taking five away from the list... It still rings (fairly) true today as it did several years go when I first wrote it. Any "Notes" you see will be additional commentary on my review or if my opinion has altered in any way. Original Title: "My Top 15 Albums Of All Time" Something like this is much harder for me to put into place than films. The reasoning behind it is that there are certain albums that are so personal that it's hard to even describe how they've affected your life emotionally. Also, it's pretty hard for me just to give a list without some kind of explanation or personal insight for each one. 1. Ten : Pearl Jam T

Not too long ago I was asked to contribute to our work's monthly/bi-monthly newsletter (they haven't made up their minds on how often to publish it). I was sincerely flattered and then had a cold sweat because I was now responsible to write something and to be held to a deadline (kind of). What you see below is my first entry. Enjoy! IN THEATERS Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) Directed by: James Gunn Starring: Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel Peter Quill – an outlaw for hire who goes by the self-proclaimed name Star-Lord – finds himself the target of a major manhunt after acquiring a mysterious orb that he intends to sell. Yes, I know. It’s September and you’re reading about a movie that was released on August 1 st . If this were 1995, my review would still seem… relevant. However, it is not and here’s hoping that it’s still playing at a theater near you. (If not, I’m sure it’ll be on Blu-ray and digital download soon enou

After learning of the recent passing of comedian, actor and iconic legend Robin Williams, it's hard to try and fit his entire career into just five roles. Just five movies. I'm sure that's why I'll most likely have an "honorable mentions" list at the bottom. However, before I start, I just wanted to share what Robin Williams meant to me. For over three decades Robin Williams was the shining beacon of humor and humanity. He was the literal embodiment of pure joy and silliness. He made it okay for you to just be yourself. He never shied away from the public eye, openly admitting his struggles with drugs and alcohol -- and his success to overcome them. He made me realize that great comedic actors could seamlessly transition into dramatic roles, as long as they were right for the part. He's made me laugh so hard that my stomach hurt. But he has also made me cry, whether it was due to laughter, or his uncanny ability to pull at my heart strings with some

Well, it's that time of year again. That time of year when people start to make resolutions or changes in their lives. Apparently I'm no different, except for the fact that this year my challenge isn't going to involve either a diet that's too difficult to consistently follow or a workout regiment that I will fail to comply precisely 9 days later (and that's being generous). My story began last summer, when my wife and I decided to increase our monthly expenditure for cable/internet -- upgrading from crappy Comcast to glorious AT&T U-verse. However, just a few months into our special price plan and I began to feel that we were spending too much money for extra channels we rarely watched, all while spending equal (if not more) time still watching shows and movies on Netflix. The advent of streaming subscriptions and being able to pick and choose what I want to watch , discover unknown gems, or being able to binge-watch entire series in a matter of days or wee