2005-03-16 - 4:37 p.m.

1. While looking for Betrayal at House on the Hill at a local games store (it's backordered), I overheard the store's proprietor:

"I went on a radio show back in the '80s because some woman accused me of killing her son. He had bought some Dungeons and Dragons stuff here and then committed suicide. I thought I should go on an defend the game, because it's really great. It's difficult to tell someone who's just lost a loved one that maybe that person had some serious problems."

2. Overheard on Harvard campus. The speaker is a fiftyish fellow (it helps to imagine him saying this in a voice like Ben Stein's):

"He was one of those quote-unquote professor looking types. Took a lot of acid. I took acid once. Fascinating experience."

3. Overheard while passing the playground near my house. Speaker is an 11 year old girl:

"So I was all like 'A man! Duh!' And I was like, 'you're gay, aren't you?' And he was like, 'no,' and I was like, who did you date last year? 'A man! Duh!' and he was like, 'That's pretty funny.' Amanda. A man, duh!"