Ziggurat Con

Gamer troops stationed in Iraq are throwing their own con:

When President Bush ordered troops to Iraq, he probably never imagined that he would be ultimately be responsible for what very well could be the very first D&D convention/game day ever held in a war zone. Ziggurat Con, being held June 9 from 1200 to 2100 hours at Camp Adder/Tallil Airbase, is open to all allied military personnel and civilian contractors in Iraq.

Check out Gamegrene for the full story. There's even info on how to donate to the event.

Primetime Fall Schedule

Whew. The upfront dust is still settling, but The Futon Critic has the day-by-day on the fall TV lineup, as announced by the nets this week in New York. Ladies and gentlemen, start your TiVOs!

NBC Pickup News

Yes, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS will be back next season! Also, some pilot pickup nooz: CHUCK, JOURNEYMAN, THE BIONIC WOMAN, and LIFE.

Panic Now, Avoid the Rush

The upfronts are next week, sealing the fate of new and returning shows alike. A few new links to check out:

Roundup of the pilot buzz so far from the Hollywood Reporter

Nifty upfront guide from the Futon Critic posse

Also from the Futon Critic, a speculative and in their own words "probably full of crap" buzz index on pilots in development

Place yer bets, ladies and gents!

Clam Chowder

Jane Espenson has published a number of helpful posts on "clams," played-out jokes and phrases long past funny.

Penny Arcade offers one take on a common clam (click to see a larger version):

And the Race Is On

Nikki Finke sums up the rumors, buzz, and speculation so far on the current crop of primetime pilots for fall.

R.I.P. GILMORE GIRLS

Drape Stars Hollow in crepe, GILMORE GIRLS has been canceled.

Brave New World

Amusing sort-of-to-scale-map of online communities. Click to see more readable version: