6/23/2003 01:55:26 PM EST

It has been pretty quiet around here this month, due mostly to a hectic schedule of family gatherings and moving preparations, among other things. It will be pretty quiet for a day or two more, as work is crazy busy and home is a mess of boxes. Here is the abridged version of the news in the meantime: I have been listening to lots of music; the pictures and video from the 2nd Annual Summer Camp Slasher Birthday Bash will be online so soon; and my roommates and I have moved into our new apartment, which is located in a neighborhood whose socio-economic climate makes me nervous. Now, go congratulate Jason for surviving a quarter of a century.

6/6/2003 12:39:02 PM EST

Consider this: Simpsons Kwizzo. To a bunch of hardcore Simpsons trivia dorks, the prospect of just such a specialized Quizzo event was thrilling, and so last night my friends and I trekked across town to the Low Bar in South Philly, where Simpsons Kwizzo is held on Thursdays. The rules required our excessive numbers to split into two teams; after conjuring probably upwards of 50 potential Simpsons-related team names, we decided on Malk and Hamburger Milkshake. The game began promisingly enough, with questions of varied difficulty and obscurity, but each successive round focused more and more on newer (read: crappy) episodes, until the final bonus round dealt exclusively with the two episodes that had run in syndication earlier that evening. If that wasn’t enough, our host (“Flaming Jeff”) confused characters, worded questions vaguely, and even had an answer or two that was just plain incorrect (ahem, Chief Wiggum’s tie tack was never red). I know this is all supposed to be in good fun and everything, but if there is any concept so grand that mediocrity is simply unacceptable, it is certainly Simpsons Kwizzo. Nevertheless, with the hope that last night was just an off night, I plan to check it out again in the near future.