"Unsent"

"Unsent"
(a letter in the style of the song by Alanis Morissette)

Dear ______, I miss your voice.

You were the first girl I ever had feelings for, but I realized it way too late.  We never had a chance to be anything more than friends, because by the time I told you, you had already moved on.  However, we still had a special relationship that lasted for years.  I wish we'd kept in closer contact over time; maybe we would still be in touch today.

Dear ______, how have you been?

I'm not proud of this, but I believe yours was the first heart I broke.  I remember every moment like yesterday.  It stays with me.  I think I may have hurt you again earlier this year, though it wasn't my intention.  My track record with you hasn't always been the best, and we haven't always gotten along.  I have always kept a place in my heart for you, if not always a place in my life.

Dear ______, you've been my world.

We were soul mates back when we thought that term meant everything.  We thought that we could handle anything the world threw at us.  We were so young and didn't know any better.  You made me believe in happily ever after, until it ended.  Still, for a long time I was happy, and I wouldn't trade that time.  I wouldn't trade our friendship now.

Dear ______, what's left to say?

I'm afraid my words to you aren't as kind, but you'll never read this.  I was blinded to fall for you and not see through you for what you were, what everyone else saw.  It's hard to believe I defended you.  I learned from you though.  I learned that just because someone is convenient doesn't make them right.  You were just a user, and still are.  I hope you find the help you need.

Dear ______, you meant so much.

I was crazy about you, maybe more than I had a right to be.  You had always known we couldn't last.  When we ended you told me you were afraid you might cry.  I never told you this, but I wished you would, so I'd know you felt something, anything at all.  I fought for you like I did for no other.  To this day, when I meet someone, I find myself comparing them to you.

Dear ______, the pain's still there.

It's still fresh in my mind.  Maybe it scared you how fast we were moving in such a short time, but not me.  It felt right.  I thought I had found the one at a time when I didn't think I would ever feel that way again.  Now I feel lost, confused, angry.  I've lashed out at you and at others.  I'm glad you're happier now, but I wasn't ready for the toll it took.

Cube Update 07.20.10: Eventide/Eldrazi Update

Major Cube update as I add the completed Eventide set, and also work in some Rise of the Eldrazi cards congruent to Evan Erwin's latest Cube update.  47 cards added altogether, 12 cards removed.  Add/Remove list directly below; full Cube list after the jump.

ADDED

White: Essence Sliver, Militia's Pride, Mirror Entity, Preeminent Captain, Wall of Omens
Blue: Deprive, Enclave Cryptologist, Erayo, Soratami Ascendant, Glen Elendra Archmage, Mnemonic Wall, Sea Gate Oracle
Black: Choking Sands, Consuming Vapors, Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief, Inquisition of Kozilek, Zombify
Red: Incandescent Soulstoke, Lightning Crafter, Lord of Shatterskull Pass, Simian Spirit Guide, Staggershock, Stigma Lasher
Green: Beastbreaker of Bala Ged, Growth Spasm, Joraga Treespeaker, Ondu Giant, Vengevine
Colorless: All is Dust, Bottle Gnomes, Painter's Servant, Steel Overseer, Trip Noose
Multi: Call the Skybreaker, Cold-Eyed Selkie, Creakwood Liege, Figure of Destiny, Identity Crisis, Sarkhan the Mad, Spitting Image, Stillmoon Cavalier
Land: Bojuka Bog, Cascade Bluffs, Evolving Wilds, Fetid Heath, Khalni Garden, Rugged Prairie, Secluded Glen

REMOVED

Blue: Opportunity
Red: Goblin Chieftain
Multi: Balefire Liege, Canker Abomination, Ghost Council of Orzhova, Orzhov Guildmage, Shambling Remains, Shrewd Hatchling, Temporal Spring, Wistful Selkie
Land: Drowned Catacomb, Llanowar Reborn

My Life On Star Trek, Part 2: Exodus, Year One

(For an explanation, see the introduction on part 1 of this series.)

My Life On Star Trek, Part 1: Tribune

(Recent events have got me reminiscing about the many years I spent role playing in several Star Trek RPG communities in the late 90s and early 00s, including SFOL, TFL, and Project Delta. I thought some of you might be interested in reading a summary of my lead character's experiences during those years. This will be a few parts long, but as a bonus, the last part will be the unwritten final chapter of Project Delta that's been rolling around my head for years. No, not the whole thing as I don't have the drive to write it any more, but at least a summary of what was supposed to happen and how I was planning to end the story.)

Cube Update 06.03.10: Shadowmoor Added

I've finished the Shadowmoor set, and that adds 13 new cards to the cube.  Changes below.  Full cube list after the jump.

WHITE (1)
Added: Spectral Procession
Removed: Ghostway

BLACK (1)
Added: Puppeteer Clique
Removed: Faerie Macabre

MULTICOLOR (6)
Added: Augury Adept (W/U), Plumeveil (W/U), Oona, Queen of the Fae (U/B), Firespout (R/G), Tattermunge Maniac (R/G), Kitchen Finks (G/W)
Removed: Kiss of the Amesha (W/U), Pride of the Clouds (W/U), Inkfathom Infiltrator (U/B), Boartusk Liege (R/G), Rumbling Slum (R/G), Glare of Subdual (G/W)

LANDS (5)
Added: Fire-Lit Thicket, Mystic Gate, Reflecting Pool, Sunken Ruins, Wooded Bastion
Removed: Auntie's Hovel, Grove of the Burnwillows, Karplusan Forest, Rootbound Crag, Shivan Reef

Minor Cube Update 05.22.10

Just a quick post because I've picked up a few new cards, and made two changes to the cube.  More changes coming next week when I get the Shadowmoor set.

Green (1)
Added: Acidic Slime
Removed: Wood Elves

Colorless (1)
Added: Basilisk Collar
Removed: Crucible of Worlds

Cube Update 04.30.10 - Morningtide Added

Received the Morningtide set yesterday, and from that set added 7 new cards from the cube.  Changes below; full Cube list after the jump.

WHITE (1)

Added: Reveillark
Removed: Temporal Isolation

BLUE (1)
Added: Vendilion Clique
Removed: Dismal Failure

BLACK (1)
Added: Bitterblossom
Removed: Blind Creeper

RED (1)
Added: Countryside Crusher
Removed: Flames of the Blood Hand

GREEN (1)
Added: Chameleon Colossus
Removed: Timbermare

LAND (2)
Added: Murmuring Bosk, Mutavault
Removed: Sejiri Refuge, Vivid Grove

Cube Update 04.25.10: Major Overhaul

I didn't expect to have to do another update so soon, but Evan Erwin has released an update to his own Cube, adding Worldwake cards, and also overhauling the size and format of the Cube.  Since I try to mirror Evan's Cube as closely as possible, I have made similar changes, adding 33 cards and removing 20, for a total increase of 13 cards in the size of the Cube.  These changes are designed to promote more monocolor and two-color strategies and less 3 to 5 color builds.  Also, conscious effort was made to make black a more aggressive color in the Cube.  Changes are below.  Full Cube list after the jump.

White
Added (5): Journey to Nowhere, Kor Firewalker, Kor Sanctifiers, Loam Lion, Temporal Isolation

Blue
Added (5): Calcite Snapper, Dismal Failure, Opportunity, Repulse, Spellstutter Sprite

Black
Added (5): Blind Creeper, Corrupted Zendikon, Malakir Bloodwitch, Nezumi Cutthroat, Vampire Lacerator

Red
Added (5): Dragonmaster Outcast, Quest for Pure Flame, Searing Blaze, Skirk Marauder, Smash to Smithereens

Green
Added (5): Bestial Menace, Forgotten Ancient, Mold Shambler, Terastodon, Wolfbriar Elemental

Colorless
Added (3): Everflowing Chalice, Lightning Greaves, Lodestone Golem
Removed (8): AEther Spellbomb, Akroma's Memorial, Coat of Arms, Darksteel Forge, Long-Forgotten Gohei, Mirari, Relic of Progenitus, Trinisphere

Multicolor
5-Color: Removed (2) Sliver Legion, Sliver Overlord
Esper: Removed (2) Esper Stormblade, Punish Ignorance
Jund: Removed (2) Hit/Run, Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper
Grixis: Removed (2) Grixis Grimblade, Rise/Fall
Naya: Removed (2) Meglonoth, Uril, the Miststalker
Bant: Removed (2) Bant Charm, Crystallization

Land
Added (5): Dread Statuary, Halimar Depths, Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers, Tectonic Edge, Wanderwine Hub

Cube Update 04.24.10: Lorwyn added

After acquiring the Lorwyn set this week, big Cube update as 12 cards from the set are added.  Expect another update next week when I receive Morningtide.

Cards added and removed are below.  Full Cube list after the jump.

White (2)
Added: Austere Command, Knight of Meadowgrain
Removed: Knight-Captain of Eos, Prison Term

Blue (2)
Added: Cryptic Command, Sower of Temptation
Removed: Distant Melody, Djinn of Wishes

Black (1)
Added: Thoughtseize
Removed: Stronghold Overseer

Red (1)
Added: Incendiary Command
Removed: Rakdos Pit Dragon

Green (1)
Added: Primal Command
Removed: Heartwood Storyteller

Multi (3)
Added: Brion Stoutarm (W/R), Nath of the Gilt-Leaf (B/G), Doran, the Siege Tower (Non-Shards)
Removed: Hearthfire Hobgoblin (W/R), Rendclaw Trow (B/G), Teneb, the Harvester (Non-Shards)

Land (2)
Added: Shelldock Isle, Windbrisk Heights
Removed: Vivid Crag, Vivid Creek

Rise of the Eldrazi Prerelease Deck

For posterity, this is the sealed deck I played last Saturday at the Rise of the Eldrazi prerelease event.  It placed 15th out of 42 players with a 2-2 record.

CREATURES
2x Caravan Escort
1x Daggerback Basilisk
1x Emrakul's Hatcher
1x Grotag Siege-Runner
1x Kazandu Tuskcaller
1x Kor Line-Slinger
1x Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
1x Lone Missionary
1x Lord of Shatterskull Pass
1x Overgrown Battlement
1x Rapacious One
2x Ulamog's Crusher

SPELLS
1x Demystify
1x Dreamstone Hedron
1x Forked Bolt
1x Growth Spasm
1x Guard Duty
1x Heat Ray
1x Oust
1x Prey's Vengeance
1x Puncturing Light
1x Repel the Darkness

LANDS
2x Evolving Wilds
4x Forest
4x Mountain
6x Plains

Minor Cube Update 04.11.10

After playing a few pack wars I picked up a few cards that weren't in the cube.  I put three of them in.

Black (1)
Added: Smother
Removed: Grim Harvest

Multicolor (Naya) (1)
Added: Uril, the Miststalker
Removed: Naya Charm

Land (1)
Added: Raging Ravine
Removed: Rupture Spire

Cube Update 04.06.10: Phyrexia/Coalition added

I've added a surprising 11 cards from Duel Decks: Phyrexia vs. the Coalition into the Cube.  Changes listed below; full Cube list after the jump.

Black (3)
Added: Bone Shredder, Living Death, Phyrexian Plaguelord
Removed: Beacon of Unrest, Okiba-Gang Shinobi, Skinthinner

Red (2)
Added: Thunderscape Battlemage, Urza's Rage
Removed: Fireslinger, Pyroclasm

Green (1)
Added: Yavimaya Elder
Removed: Fertile Ground

Multicolor, Green/White (1)
Added: Armadillo Cloak
Removed: Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers

Artifact (4)
Added: Phyrexian Processor, Puppet Strings, Voltaic Key, Worn Powerstone
Removed: Arcbound Crusher, Epochrasite, Grim Poppet, Springleaf Drum

Cube Draft Decklists 04.03.10

We had another four-player Cube draft this past Saturday.  This one went two rounds, each round playing best two of three.  As promised, decklists are posted after the jump.

Cube Update 03.27.10

Since I've received a complete Tenth Edition set, I've updated the Cube, adding eight cards I didn't previously own and removing eight cards to balance it out.

Blue (1)

Added: Arcanis the Omnipotent
Removed: Rishadan Airship

Black (1)
Added: Graveborn Muse
Removed: Betrayal of Flesh

Red (4)
Added: Manabarbs; Mogg Fanatic; Siege-Gang Commander; Squee, Goblin Nabob
Removed: Changeling Berserker; Flameblast Dragon; Keldon Vandals; Pandemonium

Green (1)
Added: Troll Ascetic
Removed: Reclaim

Artifact (1)
Added: Platinum Angel
Removed: Guardian Idol

Complete card list with changes after the jump.

Cube Update: First draft decklists

Finally took the Cube through its first draft session Saturday night, a four-player draft that went three rounds plus a tiebreaker fourth round. We had a lot of fun trying this out and I can't wait to do it again. You can see all four deck lists after the jump.

Insomniac free write

Warning: this post was written at 7 am during a severe bout of insomnia. It's very personal and not for the faint of heart. Read at your own risk.

Video Projects

This is an update on various video projects I'm working on.

For starters, "Life Under Rock," the title of this blog, is a video series of movie reviews I hope to get started on soon. I have ideas for at least two videos so far and am currently writing the script for the first.

Secondly, I may be taking up a little acting soon... I can't say too much about this project until it gets underway, so stay tuned :)

Magic Cube: 03.05.10

This is my Magic: the Gathering Cube for cube draft format. (For details on the Cube, see cubedrafting.com.) This will be updated periodically as I make changes. Only played with this Cube once; hoping to generate some more interest from local players.

Hi folks...

I'll be keeping this blog primarily for writings and articles about Magic, life in general, or news about various projects I'm working on. It seems a better place to go than Facebook Notes, which nobody ever reads anyway.