Thursday, May 08, 2008

I'm pretending it's summer!

Even if it isn't, quite. But it'll be warm this weekend, so the Weather Oracles promise us.

So, for the 3 people in the world who aren't on facebook (not that you read my blog, but hey, if there's one thing Douglas Adams taught me, it's that it's not my fault you didn't know - I announced it.), we're casting the net a little wider for Friday Gaming this week.

There's no regular game on right now, and we're going to be gone for the next three weeks, so it seemed like a good time to have a BBQ. Come on over and eat burgers and hot dogs and hang out. Maybe there will be gaming. Maybe there will be videos.

James

Labels: Friday gaming, geekery

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Advance warning

Just so the people in my life are warned well in advance:

I will be useless come September.

Remember: you were warned.

James

Labels: geekery, I need a tag for this sort of thing

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Update-o-rama

So, in case the silence hasn't been eloquent enough, things have been busy at work and home the last little while. The last two posts were produced from my hotel room in Vancouver, WA, where I was for 2 weeks on a company training course.

A company training course that happened to land me in town for Gamestorm, which was the best co-incidence ever. I got in some good gaming while I was down, and did some road trips to catch dinner with Frank and Sarana, as well as hanging out with Jake and Matt and meeting many of the other faces under that communal roof. I spent some time and some excellent gaming with Ben, which was good because we're otherwise missing each other this year.

Then I got back and spent a week scrambling to catch up and be a useful human again, before disappearing on the weekend for Forge Midwest.

Forge Midwest was awesome. The Madison location was great, I had some excellent gaming, including a couple runs of Reality Cops, and just excellent company and fun overall.

Then I got back and have spent the last couple days scrambling to catch up and be a useful human again. I'm almost there. Soon, I will be able to meander vaguely towards a regular blogging schedule again.

Footnote of the day: If your soul is touched by music, August Rush is a powerful, very moving story. If music is a thing you can take or leave, I suspect it's predictable schlock. I loved it to death, and was moved to tears more than once. But, it's been established in the past that I'm a sucker for schlock.

Also, Nine Worlds again this Friday, or at least, that's what I'm planning towards. Steak and asperagus and nothing fancy or time-consuming is the meal plan.

James

Labels: Friday gaming, geekery

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

The passing of a giant

Troll Lord Games forum announcement (slow: they're getting hit with a lot of traffic)

It was announced today that Gary Gygax died in his home, presumably yesterday or on the weekend.

I never met him, but he changed my life. I'm sitting here at work, crying, and I can't even explain why.

God speed, Gary.

Edited to note: It was, in fact, this morning.

"I would like the world to remember me as the guy who really enjoyed playing games and sharing his knowledge and his fun pastimes with everybody else."

Okay.

James

Labels: Friday gaming, geekery

Thursday, November 22, 2007

I <3 my Prius

On my way to work this morning, I ran out of gas.

... so I kept driving, went to the next gas station, and filled up.

James

Labels: geekery

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

In which I make excuses

Yesterday was Tuesday, which means it should have been a Cooking Isn't Complicated spot, but I had something specific in mind. I was going to do a special episode on baking, and talk about how baking can sometimes not be complicated. And I was going to present a favourite and super-easy recipe from childhood to demonstrate: wacky cake.

So I didn't write it during the day, because I needed the recipe from my recipe book.

And I didn't write it when I went home because [cue super-fast, guilty voice while looking away] I-kinda-bought-Mass-Effect-and-brought-it-home-and-unwrapped-it-and-played-it-and-then-it-was-2AM-and-blogging-about-cake-was-not-going-to-happen.

So, uh, to summarize: The cake is a lie.

James
(I'm playing Xbox and I'm still alive)

Labels: geekery

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

The ones they don't make comics about

A gymnasium full of highschool kids that don't want to be there. A principle who knows this, but has to pretend otherwise. A hastily assembled wheelchair ramp up to the stage. Just like every other night this week. And last week. Combination freakshow and motivational speaker, that's me.

I roll up onto the stage. Lots of eyes pointed at me. Morbid curiosity; they all want to see. I turn on the mike.

"Hey. So. Question for the floor. Have you had one of the drunk driving victims come out to your school before?"

A few nods.

"Any of you drink and drive? No? Or at least, not that you'll admit? Good. Shows that you know what stupid is, at least when you're sitting around bored in a gym."

A couple desultory chuckles.

"Any of you folks not want to be here? Show of hands. Who wants to be just about anywhere else than sitting in this fucking gym?"

A couple brave souls risk the wrath of their teachers by raising hands. Time for the freak show.

"Me neither." I raise my right hand, good and high so everyone can get a look at the skin as it drips and runs down my arm like warm wax. Some kid in the back retches up. Bastards always schedule me for after lunch. I drop my arm and bring it back inside my envirochair before I lose any bits. That's never fun.

"Where I want to be is working a desk job somewhere, or going for beers with the gang, or maybe raising a family, or just about fucking anything other than living in a damn envirochair. And you know what? I'm one of the lucky ones."

"Every year in this country, about 3000 folks hit some kind of transformation. They get bit by a radioactive spider, or get exposed to gamma rays, or fall in a vat of weird chemicals in an industrial accident or something like that. I'm here to remind you that not everyone gets to be your friendly neighborhood Spiderman."

I cue the projector, which starts to show statistics, interspersed with some pretty gross pictures. I mean, I live with the fact that I melt at room temperature, and I still can't stomach some of those shots.

"Of those three thousand or so, fully 95% die either immediately, or within months. 75% of those are no longer identifiable as human by the time they are dead."

"The remaining 5% can live. Usually with some pretty damn expensive equipment. Of those, some, like me, are the lucky ones. We can still think, talk, get around after a fashion. Of course, no sex when your dick melts from friction, but still, better me than him." I jerk my head in the direction of the screen, where some poor screaming bastard is on fire, but not getting burned up. "He committed suidide. Hung himself with an asbestos rope that his wife smuggled in. Can't say as I blame him. Or her."

I turn around and roll off the stage. Can't say I envy their teachers this afternoon. Of course it'll all wear off - teenagers always think they're fuckin' immortal. Six months from now, one of these dumb kids is gonna throw himself into a reactor, dead certain that he's gonna be the next Molecule Man.

Some days I don't know why I bother.
------------
This was sparked by seeing the Sandman's genesis in the most recent Spiderman movie and thinking "What are the odds, even accepting super-hero physics, of that actually ending well?" And just a general fascination with the underbelly of shiny-happy comic worlds. Spiderman and Molecule Man are trademarks of Marvel Comics, used without permission or apology, yadda yadda yadda.

James

Labels: geekery, I think too much

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Gencon!

So, now that I've lollyblogged my way into no readers, here's an update.

I'm getting on a plane for Gencon on Tuesday (technically 00:30 Wednesday) for Gencon Indy 07. I'm really looking forward to this year. I'm not running any Brick Battles events, which frees up my luggage and my time, and I'm table custodian at least once at the Games On Demand area. It's unfortunatly way far away from the dealer's hall, but conveniently downstairs from our hotel room, so I may end up spending more of my time there than I might otherwise. Which is good, becuase - hey, games - on demand.

Evenings will again be spent gaming in the lounge/open area at the Embassy Suites, and I hope to get in lots of good gaming this year. The night that is the exception is Wednesday, which I'm spending getting interviewed again for Theory from the Closet, which should be interesting. This time out, it's less about me and my stuff, and more about game design/theory in general. I'm not sure when I became an authority in this stuff; someone must have pinned a note to my back while I wasn't looking.

My days are going to be taken up in the Dealer's Hall, as I'm again with the forge booth - this time as a primary sponser. As best I can tell so far, that means I shell out more money, earlier, and get a bit more weight when I bitch about things. :)

Blood and Bronze IS ready, and there will be a good stock of regular editions, as well as five of the handcrafted Without Peer! editions. From the rumblings I've heard, I kinda wish I had more, but it was not in the cards - handcrafting is time consuming, and as you may have guessed from my last couple posts, I've been a touch busy.

Labels: Blood and Bronze, geekery, pimping my stuff, publishing

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Go Play!

Tomorrow, around 11-ish, I'm hopping on a plane and flying down to Seattle for a weekend of crazy gaming, then hopping on a plane and flying back. The folks organizing Go Play NorthWest have scored off-season space at the University, so we're staying in dorm rooms, have meal cards (and, obviously, the option of real meals elsewhere, if we choose), and are gaming on campus. This has two cool effects. One: CHEAP. Including flights, sleep-space, anticipated extra spending on food and beer, the entire weekend slides in at under $500. Two: Holy nostalgia, Batman! I think the last time I was in a dorm room was Eric's Dreary Little Cell, back in the 69 Hyndman days. Those were good gaming days, too.

James

Labels: Friday gaming, geekery

Monday, May 07, 2007

Interview with a Game Designer

I'm a game designer. Who knew? Any, the excellent Clyde Rhoer ofTheory From the Closet cornered me at Forge Midwest a few weeks ago, and sat me in front of a microphone. I had my revenge, though - nobody warned Clyde that I don't know how to shut up.

Anyway, it's a really excellent interview, although, due to the aformentioned "don't know how to shut up" also quite long. Clyde asked some very insightful questions, and really drew me out about some of the thinking and reasoning behind my games.

Check it out. Also check out his other interviews from Forge Midwest. Aside from little ol' me, he managed to corral Ron Edwards, Luke Crane, and Paul Czege.

James

Labels: Blood and Bronze, geekery, pimping my stuff, publishing

Sunday, March 25, 2007

The Joy of crafting

I just spent a bunch of my afternoon pounding out flat circles of bronze and brass, turning them in to bowls to get packaged with Blood and Bronze.

Metal-working is something I haven't had much chance to do since I was an active heavy fighter in the SCA, and I'd forgotten how much joy I took in the rythmic hammering, turning the metal, seeing it change and warp before my eyes and under my hands. In knowing when to turn something, and how to make a dishing post. In learning how brass and bronze shape differently, and how both are different from steel. In sitting in my garage watching people walking dogs and kids on bikes and all the other activity of a community on a warm spring day, and imagining in my mind's eye that this was one of the reasons a blacksmith's forge was often open to the street, so that they could be a part of the street and still work. In the stiffness and pain of my hands, knowing that it is my hands saying 'enough for now, we're still remembering how to do this'. In thinking ahead, and contemplating bringing these tools out to our SCA cabin, so that I can work metal and watch the community go by, and be like that blacksmith in my mind.

I hope I sell a bunch of these, 'cause, well, I hope I sell a bunch of these. But there's a little corner of my brain that's saying "So that I can make more bowls!"

Do you craft?

James

Labels: Blood and Bronze, geekery

Monday, March 12, 2007

The Bad twins: Change and Same.

Originally posted as a comment over on *'s blog.

Warning, this may or may not be coherent.

I think we all have two little monsters inside. One is called Changebad, the other is called Samebad. Each time you try a change and it doesn't work, it's like you poke Changebad and he gets a little bigger. Vice versa with Samebad. As long as they stay more or less the same size, they keep each other busy and you get to change or stay the same, whatever you like. But if one of them gets too big, it gets to ignore the other one and boss you around.

The catch is that if you aren't paying attention, other people can poke your Changebad and Samebad.

When other people get upset because you tried a change and it worked out, they're listening to their Changebad. Nothing you can do about that; that's between them and their monsters. But when they grump at you, or withdraw, then they're trying to poke your monsters. Just say "Hey! Stop poking my Changebad!" They' look at you like you're on glue, and you can tell them this story, and maybe it'll help. Or maybe they'll smile kinda funny and edge away like you're a crazy person. Either way you get your space. :)

Now I want to make T-shirts that say "Stop poking my Changebad!" on the front and "Stop poking my Samebad!" on the back.

James

Labels: geekery, I think too much

Now Taking Pre-orders

Hi folks,

Now taking pre-orders for TANSTAAFL T-shirts at $20 per. If you want one, post a comment with size preference. Plain black T's, with TANSTAAFL in white block lettering on the front, and small-text "www.blankshieldpress.com" on the left sleeve. T-shirt only, no babydolls this time around, unless I get lots of requests.

I need enough pre-orders to convince me I won't lose money, otherwise the shirts don't get ordered. TANSTAAFL.

James

Labels: geekery, pimping my stuff, publishing

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Best Store Name Ever.

In the catagory of names no one will ever dare to really use:

A vaccuum repair shop called Bob's House of Suck.

James

Labels: geekery