I'm very fond of Eureka, and I'll be sure to catch your episode.

"I've always believed that when you work hard and are kind to people, wonderful things will happen, and some of those wonderful things will happen to you." That's going on my Facebook quotes section.

I was introduced to Magic in Tokyo by my roommate, who had been a tournament judge in Australia. We started to be the two foreigners frequenting Japanese game shops (which also have the exact same smell as US game shops -- eau d' teenage sweat). We would pick through their shop discard boxes, where all the cards were in Japanese, and we could get fantastic cards very cheap because we were probably the only people in Tokyo who wanted the English versions. I do remember my roommate buying a card from behind the counter that cost about 700 dollars. I can't recall what it was, but apparently it was super-powerful, super-rare, and banned from all competitions as using it was a guaranteed win. I started to get really into the art on the white cards, and I built up a pretty impressive collection of green and whites. I got pretty into the game, and built up some nice decks with those. When I left Japan, I ran out of room in my suitcases. I asked my roommate to mail me my card collection and a few other items. They never came. If they had, I would probably still be playing today.

Seconding the call for a meet & greet -- if you feel like meeting us locals, we'd be happy to buy you a beer or two!

I'm about 150 pages into Royal Escape by Georgette Heyer. It's quite good.

I'm about 150 pages into Royal Escape by Georgette Heyer. It's quite good.

Dear Wil, I won't say that you're being sexist -- but I will say I've heard a lot of comments in this primary season that made me realize that sexism is alive and well and living in my neighborhood. It's sensitized me a bit, and now I'm getting that bitter aftertaste off of things that perhaps wouldn't have seemed bad a year ago. This type of "psycho ex-girlfriend" stuff can seem sexist because it's still pretty unusual to have a politician that could exist in that context. We're not used to being able to put "presidential candidate" and "ex-girlfriend" together, so for some of us, the choice to do so seems inappropriate. (That's what those "you wouldn't say ex-boyfriend about McCain" commenters are trying to convey. I know I'm not explaining this well, but I really did want to comment -- because I don't think sexism is just a straw man, and I wish people could understand where people like me are coming from). The primary for where I live is coming up in 2 weeks, and I still don't know whom I'm voting for. I do kind of like to think that whomever I vote for, my vote matters; I support the previous commenter's point that we can let the system play out to the end. It's kind of like when a TV station calls a local election after the big precincts vote, and all the people out in the rural areas ticked off -- calling things early makes some voters feel like their participation in the process didn't matter (even if it couldn't have made a statistical difference). Part of me wishes I loved Obama -- many of my friends do -- but I'm not excited by him, and the refusal on the part of some of his supporters to see how loaded the critique and jokes they make about Clinton are disappoints me. Clinton, on the other hand, has disappointed me in other ways. I guess my vote has to be on which candidate I feel will disappoint me less if elected.

Dear Wil, I won't say that you're being sexist -- but I will say I've heard a lot of comments in this primary season that made me realize that sexism is alive and well and living in my neighborhood. It's sensitized me a bit, and now I'm getting that bitter aftertaste off of things that perhaps wouldn't have seemed bad a year ago. This type of "psycho ex-girlfriend" stuff can seem sexist because it's still pretty unusual to have a politician that could exist in that context. We're not used to being able to put "presidential candidate" and "ex-girlfriend" together, so for some of us, the choice to do so seems inappropriate. (That's what those "you wouldn't say ex-boyfriend about McCain" commenters are trying to convey. I know I'm not explaining this well, but I really did want to comment -- because I don't think sexism is just a straw man, and I wish people could understand where people like me are coming from). The primary for where I live is coming up in 2 weeks, and I still don't know whom I'm voting for. I do kind of like to think that whomever I vote for, my vote matters; I support the previous commenter's point that we can let the system play out to the end. It's kind of like when a TV station calls a local election after the big precincts vote, and all the people out in the rural areas ticked off -- calling things early makes some voters feel like their participation in the process didn't matter (even if it couldn't have made a statistical difference). Part of me wishes I loved Obama -- many of my friends do -- but I'm not excited by him, and the refusal on the part of some of his supporters to see how loaded the critique and jokes they make about Clinton are disappoints me. Clinton, on the other hand, has disappointed me in other ways. I guess my vote has to be on which candidate I feel will disappoint me less if elected.

I haven't done too much thinking about it, but Highlander: The Series seemed to do the best job of handling knotty storylines without having to resort to any nasty retcons. With characters that "never" age, they didn't have to seriously mess with continuity to give someone a new girlfriend, new job, new nationality, etc . . . and I think they did a good job of doing "now it can be told" or "the story as you thought it was" tales that fit pretty well into the continuity. Now, the movies were another story!

I haven't done too much thinking about it, but Highlander: The Series seemed to do the best job of handling knotty storylines without having to resort to any nasty retcons. With characters that "never" age, they didn't have to seriously mess with continuity to give someone a new girlfriend, new job, new nationality, etc . . . and I think they did a good job of doing "now it can be told" or "the story as you thought it was" tales that fit pretty well into the continuity. Now, the movies were another story!

It made me smile and feel all warm-fuzzley -- I think you conveyed what you were trying to convey. Megan

It made me smile and feel all warm-fuzzley -- I think you conveyed what you were trying to convey. Megan

I recently changed my roadside assistance membership to the Better World Club (http://www.betterworldclub.com/) They supply maps, give car rental, hotel, and restaurant discounts, and don't do any of the anti-environmental lobbying that AAA has been doing.

I recently changed my roadside assistance membership to the Better World Club (http://www.betterworldclub.com/) They supply maps, give car rental, hotel, and restaurant discounts, and don't do any of the anti-environmental lobbying that AAA has been doing.

I think you look great -- and your teeth are just fine! What I think is "fucked up" are the expectations of what teeth should look like.

I think you look great -- and your teeth are just fine! What I think is "fucked up" are the expectations of what teeth should look like.

Can we make a permapost of books we recommend for Nolan? After all, we're all so cool he'd be bound to read them. Robin McKinley's "The Blue Sword" absolutely kicks any body part you'd like to offer up to it -- it's fantasy, though.

Can we make a permapost of books we recommend for Nolan? After all, we're all so cool he'd be bound to read them. Robin McKinley's "The Blue Sword" absolutely kicks any body part you'd like to offer up to it -- it's fantasy, though.

Jim at the Legion of Decency is also doing some great writing about the WGA strike. He's in the television industry, and really has a lot to say. You can find him here.

Jim at the Legion of Decency is also doing some great writing about the WGA strike. He's in the television industry, and really has a lot to say. You can find him here.

Carol Lay was at the San Diego Comic Con, and did a spread I think you would like. It's up at Salon.com

Carol Lay was at the San Diego Comic Con, and did a spread I think you would like. It's up at Salon.com

Enjoyed these essays enough to delurk. Great work.

Enjoyed these essays enough to delurk. Great work.