my con sars. let me show you it.

It looks like I picked up a touch of the convention sars at Wizard World: sore throat, coughing my guts out, massive headache, and other upper respiratory stuff that is too disgusting even for me to describe.

So I'm back onto the goddamn couch for at least 24 hours. At least this time I have LEGO Star Wars 2 to keep me entertained. It's fun to play, really cute, and hilarious. I'm only into story mode on Episode IV, but if the whole game is as entertaining as it's been so far, I'm going to give it a massive thumbs up.

Four things, however, that I wanted to mention while I can fucos long enough to mention them:

Thing the first: Arthur C. Clarke died yesterday. I don't have anything profound to say, but 2001 was one of the most important movies I ever saw, way back when I was a young geekling in 1987. It was in the Cinerama dome, a special screening one afternoon, and I wouldn't have known it was playing if I hadn't been doing some ARD recording for Star Trek at Modern Sound across the street. There were only a dozen or so people in the theater, but seeing it on that screen, in that setting, increased its already power over me by several orders of magnitude. I bought Clarke's book on the way home, and read it in the next two days. There's an amusing image, I'm sure, of me in the horrible rainbow uniform, sitting in Engineering or something, reading 2001.

Bonus that I didn't know until yesterday: he pretty much invented the geosynchronous satellite. In 1941. Holy. Shit.

Thing the second: Barack Obama's speech "A More Perfect Union" yesterday is one of the most inspiring and wonderful political speeches I've ever heard. He wrote it himself, too. Not a consultant, not a speech writer. He did it. That's phenomenal. He talked to us like we were grown-ups, and addressed something Americans have needed to deal with for decades. It brought tears to my eyes, inspired me, and reaffirmed why I'm so proud to support him.

Thing the third: Today is the 5th anniversary of the beginning of George W. Bush's disaster in Iraq. Does it surprise anyone that this man, who has run every single business he's had into the ground, has done the same to our country?

Thing the fourth: I'm smart enough to separate the soldier from the war. Having said that, It's important to me to sincerely thank and honor the men and women who have served, and are continuing to serve, in our armed forces.

Oh, last thing: Ryan came home for spring break (rather than run off to some idiot fest with idiots. I'm really proud of him for making safe and mature choices.)

Last night, I made a veggie stirfry with ginger rice and tofu. I served it with some tamari and Sriracha sauce on the table. I love Sriracha sauce, but I know how insanely hot it is, so I always put just a few drops on, mix it up, and apply more if I feel like it as I eat.

Nolan, however, put it on his dish like frosting.

"What in the world are you doing?" I said.

"I'm putting my chili sauce on like a man," he said, "not like a pansy."

Nolan took a bite of his food, and his face turned as red as the sauce.

"Yeah," he said, in a pinched voice, "that's the stuff right there!"

I took a bite of my food.

"How's your dinner treating you?" Nolan said to me.

"It's good," I said. "I don't need as much hot sauce as I used to, because after my surgery, I can taste food a lot better than before."

"And you're a pansy," he said.

Ryan put his chopsticks down, wiped his mouth with his napkin, and said, "The difference between you and him, Nolan, is that he's enjoying his food, and you're enduring it."

"Owned," Anne said.

It's good to have Ryan home. He's grown up a lot since he was here two months ago, and it's nice to have my whole family back under the same roof, even if it's only for a week.

Okay, that's all for now. Back to Sars Wars. (Ha! Ha! Ha!)

Comments

[Sean]

The Star has always been my favorite Arthur C Clarke story.

I think pretty much everyone got the same cold you did. I did. Most of the people at work did. Most of my friends did.

Last night I decided I was done with it and picked up some NyQuil. I took it at about 9:15 or so and at 11:30 I woke up absolutely tripping balls; dizzy, sweating like mad, had no clue who I was or where I was at, and I swear I saw monsters. And then I was better.

I don't remember it being that...strong.

[Luke M]

While you're vegging out, go check out the T-Shirt Contest winners over at Coulton's site. JoCo fandom f*ckin' OWNS.

I think I just got over that cold. My brain kept bringing up your "chicken liver" comment from your post-surgery Surgery Post whenever I blew my nose. Damn you, Wheaton!

Feel better, dude. You're due.

[Craig Steffen]

It's good to have Ryan home. He's grown up a lot since he was here two months ago, and it's nice to have my whole family back under the same roof, even if it's only for a week.

Hey, awesome! Yeah, it's amazing how much growing up people tend to do during their first year away.

Oh, last thing: Ryan came home for spring break (rather than run off to some idiot fest with idiots. I'm really proud of him for making safe and mature choices.)

Just for the record, it's not either or. My sophomore year, some friends and I road-tripped from Minnesota to Washington DC to visit his parents. It was pretty fun. One of the friends read _The Princess Bride_ out loud on the way down (I'd seen the movie but not read the book). It was cherry blossom season in DC, well before the serious tourist season, and it was really beautiful.

I just wanted to plug that there are cool, wholesome, fun stuff that can be done that don't involve going home.

Hope you kick the infection soon. Have a good break!

[rmd]

for loving the soldier while hating the war, i'm a big fan of books for soldiers.

dudes and chicks serving overseas say "IF ONLY I HAD THIS BOOK/GAME/WHATEVER" and hoopy froods over here mail it on over.

it's the only reason amazon prime has been worth it to me, because mailing a whole bunch of single book packages kind of adds up.

someone asked for games, and i sent over apples to apples. and someone was looking for comics, and i got to hook him up with some sin city.

[Luke M]

Sounds like Nolan needs to go to Prince's Hot Chicken and order the Extra Hot. THAT's a man's dish.

Heh.

[SenseLess]

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do...

[TanjaB]

Sorry to hear you're sick. Get well!

When I was seven years old my dad took me to see "2001 - A Space Odyssey" at the dome. It was the most amazing movie I had ever seen, even to this day. But a lot of what I grokked from the experience were things my dad whispered to me throughout the screening to keep me engaged in the story.

Afterwards we went to Pickwick Booksellers on Hollywood Boulevard and bought the paperback book. We read it together at bed time trying to make sense of the story. I read it over and over and over again until the pages started to come out.

The following is a video that Arthur C. Clark took a few months ago. He knew his time was fast approaching:

http://tinyurl.com/2oef2m

[szark]

LEGO Star Wars 2 is thoroughly fun and entertaining all the way through. Let me know how long it takes you to destroy the Death Star in Episode VI. ;)

I'm impatiently awaiting the release of LEGO Indiana Jones this summer.

[Coyote Seven]

Could have been worse. You could have picked up Homsars. Then you'd be a million ladies tall.

[justme]

Agree with you on all points.

And I was possessed with playing the entire saga of Lego Star Wars on my DS while recovering from bronchitis. It was cute, fun and I think probably saved my sanity while I was sick. Feel better.

[davery11]

Ah, the Sriracha sauce - we've been using that as our defacto hot sauce in the house for about 5 years now. We call it rooster sauce though cause of the rooster on the bottle (at least the brand we buy).

[Luke M]

We call it rooster sauce

We call it Hot Cock Sauce (when our son isn't around) ;)

[Miss Ali]

It's always so neat to hear your family stories. Your family rocks. I hope you enjoy Lego Star Wars!
-Ali

[dragonfey]

Just think of how Arthur C. Clarke changed our world. Because of him, we have 100 channels of tv, cell phones, gps devices. I grew up reading him before we were on the moon. I recall the world that was and it was small.

He had his own communications satellite you know.

[Simply Caitlin]

Okay, I literally laughed out loud at Sars Wars.

Feel better. Anne is awesome.

[Mad Monk]

You know, Wil, I love your blog and think a lot of you (even to shell out some ducats on your books) but I wish younger people (despite my 34 rides around the sun) would just stop using the words pansy and gay as put downs.

"That's so gay" is so yesterday.

Slips out at family dinners, I know. But change starts somewhere.

[Matthew Cox]

apropos of nothing, "Stand By Me" somehow became the hot topic of discussion with my 7th graders today - a lot of the girls thought that River Phoenix was "so fine", but fret not, Good Wil Wheaton, you had some fans too, and a goodly amount of the class agreed that it was one of their favorite movies - tonight I worry a little less about the adults of the future...

[Thomas]

Obama gives a good speech that much is obvious. But that said doesn't matter that he wrote it himself, I am sorry but we are electing a President not a speechwriter. So that won't get my vote, what will I haven't heard from anyone, but I am actively listening.

[Egaeus]

I'm already sick of the presidential race myself. Being from Florida, I've already decided not to vote for Obama (or Clinton) since they agreed with the DNC to punish the Democratic voters for the actions of the Republican FL legislature.

I also won't vote for McCain because he's a conservative (isn't that enough?) running on a foreign policy platform and doesn't even know a Sunni from a Shiite (among other reasons). I won't vote for Cynthia McKinney (presumptive Green nominee) because she's an old-fashioned idiot. I won't vote for Ralph Nader because he's a self-important feminine "hygiene" product. And I won't vote Libertarian because they're completely insane. So I'm going to leave the presidental ballot blank unless there's a write-in spot. Colbert-Stewart is always a good choice in that case.

[Amy.Girl]

The Star Wars Lego games are my 5 year old son's favorite games. He's loved them for about a year now. He loves 'em.

[Backpacking Dad]

What the hell, Wil?

Anne couldn't pronounce "pwned"?

;}

[camias designs]

I'm pretty sure your coughed up dwarf is of the female variety with the UGGS in tow...or toe.

Ferget it. So not funny. Really. Who am I kidding.

[kristinalead]

I'm totally shocked you've made no mention of this xkcd comic...

[Kane]

Mad Monk

I couldn't agree more about using "gay" as an insult but "pansy" i don't get. I honestly think you're being a bit oversensitive. Just my .02

[Seth]

If you like Lego Star Wars (which rocks hardcore), then you should know that both Lego Indiana Jones and Lego *Batman* are coming out soon too!!!

I am so psyched!

http://www.lucasarts.com/games/legoindianajones/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lego_Batman:_The_Video_Game