Learn to Play Munchkin Steampunk Today!

A friend of mine sent me a link the other day from Steve Jackson Games where they were looking for folks to run demos of Munchkin Steampunk at Books-A-Million and 2nd & Charles locations across the country. Since I've been playing various versions Munchkin for years now I decided to get in touch with them and see if they needed anyone for the BAM in Harrisburg, PA. Turns out they hadn't had anyone volunteer for there yet!

So, today from 2 pm to 5pm I'll be at BAM on Jonestown Road in Harrisburg, PA teaching Munchkin Steampunk. Even though I've been teaching friends to play Munchkin for years now I'm a little nervous about this demo event. What if no one shows up? I'll feel pretty silly standing there in my neon pink tie-dye Munchkin Apocalypse shirt waiting to teach people this fantastic game if no one shows up!

If you're not in Pennsylvania there is a whole list of locations across the United States where demos will be going on at the same time today. If you are into games that spoof your favorite genre and have you competing with your friends to see who can reach the winning level first come on out to your local BAM or 2nd & Charles today and have a great time!

Daily Illuminator: Munchkin Steampunk Events At BAM And 2nd & Charles This Saturday!
As a thank you for running the demo for them I'll be receiving some neat Munchkin swag from the folks at Steve Jackson Games.

Five Facts About Reading

What's in a (Whovian) Name

One of the biggest mysteries in Doctor Who is what was the Doctor's name before he became "The Doctor". His name has been used as a plot point on more than one occasion, most notably during the 11th Doctor's run when the question "Doctor, who?" was being transmitted through a crack in reality from his lost home planet, Gallyfrey. His companion, Clara, tells the Time Lords on the other side of the crack "You've been asking a question, and it's time someone told you you've been getting it wrong. His name is the Doctor! All the name he needs, everything you need to know about him..."

So, what's in a name? Are we defined by the name we are given at birth, or do we chose who we are and the name that goes along with that identity?

As we grow up we go by many different names, until as an adult we settle on the nickname most people know us by. We define ourselves on a daily basis through our actions and the way we present ourselves to others.

Sometimes it's fun to think about what our name would be if we were in the world of our favorite piece of fiction. I stumbled across a Time Lord name generator today and the result it gave me surprised me by how much it made sense for the person I like to think that I am.

Your time lord name is: The Oracle

Your original Gallifreyan name is Bydrinwinagorsor, or Bydrin for short. Back on Gallifrey, you led a dull and uninteresting life, working as the Head of the Chancellery Guard – but now, you travel Time and Space in search of adventure!
Your Type 77 TARDIS is currently stuck in disguise as a 14th century gothic cathedral, and your latest travelling companion is a rough-and-ready cop from the 1970s, whose hard-drinking ways don't always fit in with his battles against evil.
Get your own time lord name from the time lord name generator!

Happy Read Across America Day

The love I bare for books was instilled in me at a young age, my parents actually taught me how to read before I was in Kindergarten, much to the surprise (and occasional dismay) of my teachers, and I was actively encouraged to read anything that piqued my curiosity. If I didn't know what a word meant I was encouraged to look it up in this huge dictionary my Dad kept on the bookcase in the living room, or maybe it only seemed huge because I was so small back then, either way I will never forget the way the weight of that book felt in my hands. I remember thinking to myself that it wasn't the book itself that was heavy but the accumulated knowledge within its pages. It is that love of books that has shaped who I am my whole life. I buy books like some other girls buy shoes, after all one can never own too many books.