Haven't you always wanted to know what BoSox hurler Curt Schilling does in his spare time?

Why, of course you have! Who hasn't?

Especially when it's something really cool, like helping to keep a wargaming classic like Advanced Squad Leader alive and kicking. In all seriousness, the ASL Starter Kit is supposed to be a brilliant introduction to a game renowned for its detailed (but not unplayable) realism.

For all your boardgaming needs, both in and out of print, there's the invaluable and appropriately-titled BoardGameGeek. It was BGG that helped me to remember the name of an old Avalon Hill classic my friend and I used to play--Storm Over Arnhem. Make sure to register (it's free)--that way you can read the valuable user ratings and comments about the various games. Perhaps my favorite is the discussion of the (in)famous SPI monster game, Campaign for North Africa, complete with 2400 counters and a game map measuring 36 square feet. The debate question: Is this thing playable? At least without undue stress on marital and job obligations? The basic school of thought is that SPI forgot to include the several trained monkeys necessary to play it for you.

Speaking of which: Anybody up for a game of Objective: Moscow? I need two other players and someone's basement to set up the map board (about 20 square feet).

That, and about three months of your free time...