.01 Seconds of Fame

Recently I had a teeny tiny taste of faux-fame in one of the most low-key ways possible. Still, I'm oddly proud.

I like to play the online version of Magic, the collectible card game. Since my brother Tim and I discovered the cardboard version of the game years ago, it has grown into a big business for the publisher -- pro tournaments, global sales, and a website with thousands of readers.

One of the columnists on the Magic website plays Magic Online to gather material for his columns. One night a few weeks ago, he happened to drop into a pick-up game with me. The next week, I found that I made it into his column.
You'll find me just above the half-way point, in Game 3. My online handle is MadDocPants (it's a long story, but not a very interesting one). I won the game we played -- quite convincingly as I recall. It was mostly due to luck of the draw, but at least my luck came through at the right moment.

It just goes to show that if you work half-heartedly at a somewhat pointless fringe hobby, you might just end up mentioned in an obscure online column that doesn't even use your real name. Kids - stay in school!