Because I realized I hadn't written at all about Able Edwards, I decided not to write about Able Edwards.

I realized that I never wrote that I watched Able Edwards about a month ago. It's an interesting film that's worth watching. I was reminded of it as I was researching Nintendo DSi games and came across the game Nintendogs. Read any review of Nintendogs and then think about how different that experience is from loving a live dog. Now you know what Able Edwards is about.

So, why was I looking at DSi games? No, I don't have a DSi though I've had my eye on the DS since '05. I've always been a Gameboy fan, since the first model way back when. I bought an Advance the day it came out. I eventually bought an SP. I lost enthusiasm because I didn't seem to enjoy any of the games that came out besides the almost always great Zelda titles. The DS (and specifically the DSi) look great and the games that I've seen really seem innovative, pushing the boundaries of puzzle gaming in particular.

So, why was I looking at DSi games? Because I felt good about myself after getting rid of even more DVDs at SoundGoRound today and making $60. While at SGR, I was looking at all of their videogames.

I'm thinking about videogames today. I'm one of too many young punks that think that gaming, both board and video, can be an aesthetic experience. The game of Go is not only a mind-blowing work of interactive art, it is a masterpiece. That's the most obvious example. Chess is another. But there are plenty of contemporary examples at a lesser level as we see a flowering of game design right now in the present. I've spent the past 5 years getting to know contemporary boardgames and I definitely have a preference for boardgames. Still, even if I don't play them as much, I respect videogames and have kept up-to-date with at least basic news and advancements in videogaming. I'm really eager to see a Nintendo 3DS in action next year.

Several months ago, I read a review of Red Dead Redemption over at A House Next Door. Maybe it is pointing the way toward the future of video gaming. And I really, really want to play this game so much that I have been tempted to buy an Xbox just for this one game. But again, maybe we're in Able Edwards territory.


Finally, some loose conversation ends...

Ben, of course I went home and watched all three seasons of True Blood immediately. There's only so much that I can admit to at a time here. Give me a few months and I'll be posting about my live action roleplaying sessions of my fan-fic script for season 4.

Brandon, it's not quite what you intended, but I'm preparing a Top Ten list of my favorite animated television shows of all time. Partially this is in response to my friend Matt allowing his wife to write complete drivel like the following on her blog: "We don't watch cartoon movies, but rather borrow/rent movies with real people. That has always been our preference. I can actually *feel* myself losing brain cells when I watch cartoons, so I don't. So our children can sing word for word songs from Hello Dolly and Fiddler on the Roof but don't have a clue what Ice Age or Toy Story is about."

I could respond to something like this by citing a dozen intelligent animated feature films and why they are worthy of attention. Instead, I want to revel in that basest of all entertainment options, the Saturday Morning Cartoon. And don't get me started on Hello Dolly or Fiddler on the Roof.

Matt, you heard me. And Troeg's Elf Ale is a disappointment.