Dave Arneson: 1947 – 2009 RIP
DAVE ARNESON 1947- 2009 R.I.P.
David Lance Arneson (Oct 1, 1947 - Apr 7, 2009) was a game player, game designer, and game entrepreneur. He was also a true gentleman and a dear friend. As one of the co-designers of the Dungeons and Dragons game, he started something that is much bigger than all of us. It was not only a new game, but a new KIND of game and it spawned an entire industry. Without Dave, it never would have happened. He taught, lectured, designed games, and started at least three companies. He won several awards, including the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design's Hall of Fame (Origins) in 1984. In 1984 he married Frankie Ann Morneau and they had one daughter, Malia. In addition to Dungeons & Dragons, games or scenarios he wrote or co-authored include Don't Give Up The Ship, Blackmoor, Dungeon Master's Index, First Fantasy Campaign, Adventures in Fantasy, Robert Aspirin's Thieves World, Citybook II, DNA/DOA, Case of the Pacific Clipper, and more. We are all much better off for his time on earth, but the world is less than it was, with him gone. I never knew him to be rude to a fan, or turn down a friend in need. In fact, I believe his last words to me were "Let me know if there's anything I can do for you." I wish there was something I could do for you, my friend. Good bye, and may God bless you. -- Rick Loomis [From Dave Arneson]
D&D was my first RPG, as it was for most other gamers (though not all). Thank you, Mr. Arneson.
Old memories of living in England
When I was in high school, my mother sent me to England to live with my aunt and grandmother. She wanted me to have a better education, she said. I'm not entirely sure if that was the true reason, but there it is.
I was on a website for D&D which had a map of people looking for players. It was set in England, so I tried zooming in to Cumbria, the place I used to live, and found it was thoroughly mapped by Google. So, I went on a little trip down memory lane of my year and a half in Cumbria.
View Cumbria in a larger map
Outrage of the Day: Presidents Shouldn’t Bow
It's hard to imagine what President Obama was thinking when he decided to bow to a foreign monarch, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.
Aside from being offensive generally -- no American should bow to a foreign monarch, least of all, our Head of State -- it really makes one wonder: If our President thought doing this was a good idea, what other things might he be contemplating?
I think he was thinking we might get a break on the interest rate for the loans the Saudis are holding.