Gary Gygax: The Dungeon Master passes

I didn’t get to this yesterday, but I didn’t want to let this story go by unmentioned.

Gary Gygax, the co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, passed away Tuesday at his home in Lake Geneva. He was 69.

There are precious few individuals on the Earth who are able to engage the imaginations of young people in ways that are not just fun but inspirational.

Gary Gygax was such a person, and his contribution was truly unique.

Dungeons & Dragons, and the horde of imitators it inspired, was the coolest uncool hobby a kid could have. Designed by the creative and occasionally cantankerous son of a violinist, D&D is still the ultimate geek pastime, yet it has inspired entire industries and been prominent in the lives of people from across all walks of life.

There are still a few cranks who think D&D inspires devil worship or is just a plain waste of time, but anyone who’s played the game knows that’s not true. For stimulating the brain, there’s nothing else quite like it. Among members of my former gaming group are a doctor, a lawyer and a couple of writers.

For my part, I would never trade those weekend nights when a bunch of teenagers would gather at someone’s house and, dawning strange names like Caan the Avenger, Taurus of Nemedia, Shanon the Blue or Chelek Morninglight, spend hours fighting evil, battling monsters and exploring strange lands.

Occasionally, a hapless parent would wander into the room and — staring at the oddly shaped dice, lead miniatures and hand-drawn maps — ask something foolish like “Where’s the board?” or the ever-popular “Who’s winning?” only to retreat as if under the influence of a confusion spell upon receiving answers like “We traded the board to the dwarf for a magic bag” or “No one wins, but Caan just found 30 gold pieces on those two giants he killed.”

So farewell, Gary Gygax, our beloved archmage, and thank you for this wonderful gift of fantasy. May the pages of your grimoire never curl, may your potions be potent, and may all your rolls be natural 20s.

President Bush: If you’re happy and you know it …

Perhaps he was happy to see his old buddy Sen. John McCain. …

Perhaps he is as happy at the prospect of leaving the White House as liberals and sufferers of Bush Derangement Syndrome are to see him go. …

Or perhaps he was just practicing for St. Paddy’s Day. …

But the president treated the press to a little jig Wednesday. At least he hasn’t lost his sense of humor.

Here’s the AP video link.

Counting chickens: Dems plan biggest tax hike

After a long, drawn out fight to approve the budget for the 2008 fiscal year, the Democrats are getting a head start on next year’s budget.

According to reports, the plan is built on the assumption that President Bush’s tax cuts will expire and flood Congress with a multibillion-dollar surplus that could add up to the biggest tax hike in American history — to be spent on education, energy and transportation.

Democrats led by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad have indicated that they may avoid clashing with Bush altogether by simply waiting to pass preliminary legislation until next year, when they hope one of their own will be in the White House.

Adding to plans to jack up spending (and the taxpayers) during this current sluggish economy, the Congressional Progressive Caucus is proposing an additional $40 billion to $60 billion in spending on food stamps, public works, unemployment insurance, and Medicaid.

Glad to know Democrats are, once again, looking out for the little people. …