This is my first post on my first very own little blog. Sad to say, though I've been the one in my marriage to be a year ahead of her in my computer science classes, my wife's the one that drew first Blog. That's just the way things go, I guess.
I'm figuring the best way to start this all of is to introduce myself, let you know what I've got planned for this little 'venture, and give you a beginning look into whether or not this is a place you'll like to visit in the future.
My real name is Mathew Daley. More oft than not, I won't refer to myself in the third person, and I kinda hope the Shepard Gunn nickname sticks. Maybe, one day, years down the line, someone, somewhere, will wonder "Hey, who is this nut case anyway?" and scan all the way back here to take a peek. That or the NSA (or what ever counter-free thought orginization that ends up being spawned in the future) will use this information to track me down, and ship me off to a nice little re-education place somewhere on the outskirts of Butte, Montana. (I've driven through Butte on more than one occasion... you really don't get more Beyond the Black Stump than Butte... heck, even Helena's on a kind of plain... but I digress.)
I'm a bit odd, I think. I've got a kind of off base sort of sense of humor, but I also have a serious side that I try not to flaunt, since everyone else out there is busy flaunting theirs. There's really not enough laughter out there. I'm not saying this is going to be joke central or anything, but I will try to keep the thoughts light hearted, though mingled with poinancy. (I like big words, not because they make me sound smart, I just happen to like the way they sound. We don't use enough big words, either.)
I am happily married to a wonderful wife, who I love dearly. We've been through the ringer more times that I care to recount, and have both managed to walk away each time, stronger and more in love. We had a roommate that just hated it when she would see us yell and scream at each other, and then less than an hour later, be cuddling on the couch, having made up. She swore our marriage would never last. Thing is... the yellin' and the screamin'... that got it out of our systems, then we could talk about what the REAL issue was, and move on.
I'm also a gamer. Oh, am I a gamer. Not computer games, mind you (though I do love my HALO and Star Wars: Battlefront 2), but mostly good, old fashion, table top, spend five dollars at Staples making character sheets for NPCs and characters that will never be played, role playing games. I know that there are some of you that are just screaming "Wahoo!!!! Another geek, just like me!!" and some of you are screaming "Oh, my stars and garters!!! He's a satanist!!!" I am definately not a satanist. Geek, oh, my brothers and sisters, most assuridly.
That being said, I may, should I find the time, offer my opinions on things pertaining to gaming, the community, and the culture. I am what my gaming group calls the local d20 whore. I am Wizards of the Coasts little fan boy at times. Is every D&D product a god-send? No. Are there far too many prestige classes out there? Umm... what day of the week is it, and what game is coming up on Satuday? But can something good be said about most? More than likely. Just don't ask me about that time when WotC got a hold of the Legends of the Five Rings game. There are some wounds that will take time to heal. Of course, L5R, and Serenity... those places hold a wee bit of a special place in my heart (note the Shepard).
I also, though, despite my geekiness, foolishness, and the need for an occasional reality check from my better half, that I can be quite serious, and I do have a valid opinion on more than a few things. Case in point... though I'm a conservative at heart, I can see the good in Clinton's lashing out at the Fox News journalist. I realize, most likely, it was laying the ground work for something in the future for the Democrats, and it was partially political jocking in both of those two seats, but hey, sometimes the media needs to be called what it is. I'm sorry, but there is no... and I mean no... news network, be it Fox, CNN, NBC, or Al-Jazeera that is truely fair and balanced. This is a fact, as far as I am concerned.
I think that's enough for my beginnings. What do you think? I've got tons more to say. We'll just have to see when I have the time to say more.
