Had a full day of fun at GenCon Saturday. I got a good look at the artists and authors booths, including one artist whose works included a beautifully-painted motorcycle and a writer who wrote a book relating "Star Wars" to Jesus' teachings.

You may have noticed I haven't mentioned any of the TV and movie celebrities who were appearing this year. That's because there weren't any. With the down economy, the convention saved money by not having any major actors (or even minor ones) yet still had plenty to see and do for roughly 30,000 attendees.

Today I finished looking over the booths in the exhibit hall at GenCon in the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis. I'll go back during Saturday and Sunday to play some more game demos, but I now have a good idea of what all is there. Also, tomorrow I should take a closer look at "Artists Alley," the area of the hall with numerous fantasy and sci-fi artists showing and selling their works and meeting the fans.

I just wrapped up a very good first day of GenCon in downtown Indy.

I already have seen numerous new and nearly-new games, some of which will be seen in reviews here or in the Daily Reporter's Christmas gift guides. Overall there's not as many new games out as in past years. There is more interest in the exhibit hall in computer and online gaming, which is not quite my bag as I go more for the family board and card games.

Couple of other notes:

GENCON! Is it all just weird costumes, kids swinging foam swords at each other, geeks unafraid to go to downtown Indianapolis and get their nerd on? Well, yeah. All that and more.

I'm not waiting for Thursday's Leisure page to bring this up, as it happens on Thursday. The Brett Family Singers from Branson, Mo., will perform live on stage at the H.J. Ricks Centre for the Arts, 122 W. Main in downtown Greenfield. Show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $22 each, $20 in advance. Call 317-477-7469.

Wednesday afternoon in the Jazz Kitchen in Indianapolis, the new organizers of the Indy Jazz Fest made the announcement of this year's artist lineup.

Did you see "Fiddler on the Roof" in its opening weekend at Greenfield's Ricks Centre? Enjoy it? We're looking at putting some audience blurbs in the paper for its second weekend (Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m. curtain). Comment here or send to jbelden@greenfieldreporter.com; include "Fiddler" in the subject line.

Well, I was to see a preview showing of the new movie "G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra" tonight, but practically all press screenings across the country were canceled.

Still, the word leaking out from those who have seen the film is that it is about what you expect -- full of fun action and big effects and big heroes and villains -- and quite good for that kind of movie (which we all like to go see from time to time, complete with a large popcorn).

In live theater, the best is believed to be on Broadway (actually the name of a street in New York, not some magical other heavenly dimension as one would think from its reputation). But there are other streets and other stages in the Big Apple. So if the venue and show are really good in those places, they are "off-Broadway" -- similar quality, different street. A little further away from the Great White Way you still get good plays and musicals, considered "off-off-Broadway."

So, what does that make Indianapolis?

Today is Harry Potter's birthday (and not coincidentally that of HP author J.K. Rowling as well) so it's a good time to note that the latest Potter film, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (PG), is now playing at the IMAX in the Indiana State Museum in downtown Indianapolis, complete with the opening scenes in IMAX 3-D.