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![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) cavalorn |
| 2008-07-04 19:41 |
| it's that time of year again |
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Hurrah for the plucky British colonists!
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Today's Dork Tower is up...
Click here, there or anywhere to see it.
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Larry Hamilton, the man who played Bozo the Clown, has died at the age of 83. This is a damn shame.
Generations of kids grew up on Bozo here in the US, and this news can mean only one thing:
Many crappy Bozo obituary cartoons.
However, since it's a holiday weekend in the US ("The Fourth of July") and in England ("Thank God We Got Rid of Those Americans Day"), many cartoonists may not get the chance to phone in a Bozo at the Gates of Heaven cartoon until Monday.
So here's your very own "Do It Yourself Bozo Obituary Cartoon."
Grab it, open photoshop, and beat many a salaried editorial cartoonist to the punch! Post your results in the comments section below! Bonus points if you have St. Peter saying something that is later used by a salaried editorial cartoonist!
(Note: there will prolly be fewer Gates of Heaven cartoons for Bozo simply because a fair number will also take the "Two People Reading a Newspaper or Watching TV news about the election/Congress/Bush/Whatever and Commenting 'At least we have THESE Bozos left...'" tack.)
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A note from my Mom, in London:
"A huge thank you to your readers from glorious, sunny London. Your dad will be well chuffed when I take his laptop to the hospital for him to read. Tomorrow, I think. Get wells from places we've loved in our travels. Places we have yet to explore. They will be a great morale booster. Thanks to each!"
Thanks a million, gang! I deeply appreciate the good thoughts!
And if anyone wants to keep posting Get-Well-Soons to my dad (I want to say "Father Muskrat," but that sounds a bit like a Terry Pratchett character), feel free to!
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The Madison Mallards swept the Battle Creek Bombers in their own crib last night, 8-2 in the first game and 7-2 in the second. This means they're First Half Southern Division Champs, which also means an automatic playoff berth come August! They beat out the Wisconsin Woodchucks by a half a game, meaning the de-facto rivalry will now become even more hated. As the Woodchucks had a five-game lead just a couple of weeks ago, a crueler fan might refer to them as the Wood-chokes.
Not me. No-siree bob. Uh-uh...
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Last night at CONvergence, there was a striking young lady who filled out a Power Girl costume, uh...well...um...I suppose "spectacularly" is the only word that comes to mind.
I have a camera with me, but didn't have it on me at the time, which is a darn shame. On the other hand, that may be a good thing, as the lens might well have melted. Power Girl is NOT an easy costume to pull off well.
I'll try and upload other CONvergence images later. But the con is going brilliantly, and I'm relaxed and happy. Spent much time at the Dreaming cabana party, were everyone pulled off an Egyptian theme brilliantly, and were kind enough to give me a little Dreaming gift bag, complete with Dreaming beer and Dreaming shot glass! (I was too late for the House of Toast party, which had run out of toast by the time I'd gotten there - tonight, perhaps...)
You know how you alays hope one set of your friends likes another set of your friends? I think there should be a CONvergence/Warpcon exchange program. My two favorite cons in the world need to see just how fabulous each other is...
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| gbsteve |
| 2008-07-04 10:09 |
| (no subject) |
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Happy USA Day to Americans!
This year's 4th July is brought to you by superhero comics, Dungeons and Dragons, tea bags and Koko the gorilla.
Please feel welcome to contribute good things about America.
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Hey folks!
Endgame in Oakland, California is hosting Good Omens II, an in-store convention, on July 12. You can read more about this event here:
http://endgameoakland.com/cgi-bin/calendar/calendar.pl?month=7&view=Event&event_id=271
http://www.goodomensgames.com/index.php/con/
As a part of this event, and at Endgame's request (asking gets you stuff! imagine!), Evil Hat will be offering an "instant content preorder" for Don't Lose Your Mind similar to what we did with Spirit of the Season -- preorder DLYM in-store at Endgame, and you'll get a CD with the PDF file on it right then and there. Then, come back in August after GenCon, when DLYM ships, and pick up your book.
We're excited over here at the Hat to give our "instant content preorder" program another whirl. If you have any questions about this program or event, please say something in the comments!
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BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA — In founding Gen Con Oz, impresario Ian Houlihan undertakes a bold entrepreneurial stroke. The flagship show expanded incrementally over many years, paralleling the growth of hobby gaming as a whole. Although Ian has run other shows before, Gen Con Oz starts its life as a mammoth event — or is meant to. If they get the attendance numbers they’re hoping for, it starts its history as the third biggest adventure gaming show in the world. Advance registration bodes well. Now it all hangs on walk-in numbers.
The entire event takes place in one cavernous hall (or two halls with the dividers removed, to be precise): dealer’s hall, tables areas for RPGs, CCGs, wargames and minis, signing tables, theater for screenings, and seminar rooms. The latter two are carved from the floor with rod and curtain. Some seminars take place in rooms on an upper level, which look down on the rest of the hall.
An ingenious solution to the “everything in one hall” dilemma is provided in the form of confessional booths, each containing a single roleplaying table. Other roleplaying events, like the RPGA and Indie Explosion events, occur out on the floor, sacrificing privacy and sound-proofing in furtherance of their proselytizing missions.
The Thursday attendees seem dwarfed in number by the size of the play hall. On the other hand, word is that all of the RPG sessions were fully booked. Seminar attendance was gratifyingly full. Panel attendance can be swingy from one convention to the next, and as guest you don’t want to let down the side by attracting only a handful of diehards.
First up was Building A Better Fight Scene, with Stephen Dedman and Adam Windsor. We talked about sprucing up fights by providing tactical goals beyond overcoming the enemy and giving the PCs an emotional stake in the action. Also discussed were techniques for keeping the action moving, and how to make provisional adjudications to move rules arguments out of fight time to the post-game wrap-up. My favorite question required us to recall our top RPG and movie fight scenes. For the latter I picked two Chow Yun Fat classics: the hospital shootout in Hardboiled for sheer sustained tempo, and the confrontation with Zhang Ziyi on the bamboo trees in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, as an example of a fight scene that expresses character drama.
My second panel was a survey of the indie scene [dang, I thought I had everybody’s names on my info sheet — have to edit those in later] where we named titles of interest and looked at stuff that could be stolen and incorporated into more traditional games. I gave my wish list for the future of the scene, which I think is spinning its wheels a bit after a long period of incredible creative fertility. Basically I’d love to see a focus on content over form, with more emphasis on what the story is over the new gimmick that encourages you to tell it.
I’m making partial headway in figuring out the local terms for the various staple coffee drinks. Although the cafés almost always have espresso machines, asking for a double espresso results in puzzlement and requires further explanation. The first time I ordered without realizing that the lingo was different and was instead served a long black — what I would call an Americano. There’s a short black, too, and it took until today to order a double espresso and be told, “We call that a short black here.” Last night at dinner I asked for a decaf and was asked if a flat white would suffice. What the heck, I thought, let’s explore. When it arrived, the flat white very much seemed to be a latte. Thing is, the menu also offered lattes and cappuccinos along with the flat white. I asked the waiter to clue me in. Turns out a flat white is exactly like a latte, except that a flat white is served in a cup, whereas the latte comes in a glass. How could I have possibly been confused by that?
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I just realised I still know the entirety of Marillion's Misplaced Childhood by heart.
I believe those of us who grew up in the 80s will always, to some extent, still be there until we die.
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For those of you not in Washington State, you may not be aware of Darcy Burner, who is running for the United States Congress here. She ran in 2006 and was narrowly defeated. She announced last year that she intended to run again and has been mounting an impressive campaign already.
Yesterday her home and possessions were completely destroyed by fire. The local news captured the fire and the aftermath:
I've been very impressed with Darcy Burner. She's not running in my district but I feel we definitely need more people like her representing us in Washington DC. She calls herself a "practical progressive" and says that she follows five principles (principles that are squarely in line with my own):
- Government should treat everyone fairly.
- Hard work should be rewarded.
- Government should stay out of people's private lives.
- We should keep our promises.
- We should leave our children a better world than the one we found.
Burner is also the force behind A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq which has been endorsed by 58 congressional candidates and four high-ranking military experts, including a former Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Reagan Administration and a Brigadier General who is a specialist in counterinsurgency and nation-building. It would be a shame if this devastating experience in her personal life sets back her campaign. Yesterday I made a donation to her campaign to help keep her on track while she takes time off to see to her family's needs. If you're of a progressive bent and like what Darcy Burner stands for now is an excellent time to consider a contribution to her campaign.
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Settling in nicely at CONvergence, thank you very much.
I've had many Big Worries weighing on me, recently. The main worry for today has thankfully now passed: I just got a call from England telling me my dad came through knee replacement surgery very well indeed.
My dad is an ex-Marine, and has possibly the highest pain tolerance of anyone I've ever known, so when he says it was painful, I'm assuming it was the kind of thing that would leave me a gibbering wreck, had I gone through it.
So, hey, if you're reading this, why not leave my Dad a "get well soon" message in the Comments section. After all, he is halfway responsible for my being here (life-wise and cartoon-wise, not CONvergence-wise, that is). I know it'd really cheer him up, getting get-wells from around the world. And it'd make my day, too!
Thanks a million! (And, it goes without saying, those of you fortunate enough to still have your dads around, go tell 'em how much they mean to you, even a fortnight after Fathers' Day).
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Went out to dinner last night with cajones, chebutykin, princeofcairo, and mollpeartree. We hit a place downtown called "Ike's Food and Cocktails."
Much cool, fun food was consumed. Case in point: Lobster Corndogs.
I'd say more about the rest of the food, but after "Lobster Corndogs," what's left to say, really?
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Speaking of cajones, here's the Guest of Honor badge he created for me.
Did I mention cajones rocks? Hard?
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My pal alexbot3000 visited over the weekend. We dragged him and his wife, Kristen, to a Madison Mallards game, where Alex threw out the first pitch in front of a crowd of about 6,000, and the Mallards then proceeded to get spanked, 14-2.
Video of Alex's throw DOES exist. It WILL be posted! Bwa-ha-ha!
Nevertheless, a terrific time was had, and the Mallards are in the thick of the pennant race, still. If they win both games of their double-header tonight, or if they win one, and the Wisconsin (Wausau) Woodchucks lose, they'll be first-half champions, and gain entry to the Northwoods League playoffs later this summer. So I'm wearing my Mallards gear around CONvergence. I even briefly contemplated popping 60 miles south, down to Rochester tonight, to see the Honkers play the St. Cloud River Bats (the theory being, it's better to see some Northwoods baseball than none when your team's in the thick of the hunt).
But that would mean leaving CONvergence immediately after the opening ceremonies, and for goodness sakes, there are cabana parties to check out!
Cabana Parties: the Lobster Corndog of the convention scene.
Now...GO MALLARDS! And...GET WELL SOON, DAD!
Update - Dad's doing great, is now sleeping, and the Mallards are up 6-2 in the 5th inning of the first of a doubleheader...they've got the bases loaded, one out, and just scored two runs! Thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster for international calling plans and internet radio...
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![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/syndicated.gif) iprproducts |
| 2008-07-03 09:14 |
| Profane Miracles [PDF] |
| Public |
http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/product.php?productid=16645 
Profane Miracles [PDF]
Authors: Leonard Balsera
Format: 32-page 8.5 "x 11" PDF Not all miracles are holy
Profane Miracles is designed for a group of 3-6 players looking for a fast-paced, action-packed Esoterrorist adventure to set the blood pumping.
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| davidt3001 |
| 2008-07-03 07:01 |
| It's all about the chile |
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Last year we went to Silver City under the misapprehension that it might be fun. Instead, we watched a State-funded independent film called Pie Town. Despite sucking by and large, the film featured the intriguing apple, green chile and piñon pie. I find pastry a bit of chore, but the filling intrigued me, so yesterday I made one and topped it with crumble. Here's how:
It's not a breakfast food, incidentally ...
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| philreed |
| 2008-07-02 19:35 |
| Another convention update . . . |
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In addition to Essen, I'll also be going to PAX in August. While I'll be very busy with Munchkin Quest, it would be very wrong if I didn't get to enjoy a meal with some of the Seattle crowd.
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| cavalorn |
| 2008-07-02 22:38 |
| MMOs, immersion, quest structure and the sense of context |
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I'd like to take a break from my usual round of attention-occupying whimsy to talk about something dear to my heart: game design.
( Extremely long discourse follows. )
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| chilledchimp |
| 2008-07-03 00:37 |
| Things I have learned from Meerkat Manor |
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I really like Meerkat Manor. Steve says it is anthropomorphic and downright cheesy and he's probably right, but I would argue that it is also extremely educational. This is what it has taught me:
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BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA — News crawls generate cognitive dissonance at the best of times. When you’re traveling and don’t get the references, they’re even more cryptic. A morning show crawl referring to a local “iguana scandal” evokes a range of intriguing possibilities. Imagine my disappointment when I Google the phrase and discover that the scandal does not revolve around an actual iguana but is instead a dust-up over a politician’s misbehavior at a nightclub called Iguanas.
One of my goals for the trip was to finally crack the secret of a mimicked Aussie accent. This is a challenge for anyone whose repertoire of funny voices is built on a bedrock of Python. Python Australian is basically Eric Idle’s regular voice, much louder. Now that I am immersed in the true source, the mission progresses acceptably. Not to the point where I will demonstrate it to genuine Australians, mind you. The secret, along with the swerving vowels, lies in the uptalking. So far, though, the holy grail of the Aussie accent eludes me still: I can’t quite nail all three vowels in the word “no.”
Wednesday is given over to unscheduled poking around. The third day of an overseas con trip is usually when the Big Crash occurs, so the day is designed assuming an epic nap in the middle.
I swing by the convention centre to grab my badge. The place is ginormous, and could easily swallow the Indy facility. Gen Con Oz will take up one of three or four massive halls. An international poultry conference is in full swing in the adjacent hall. A conference regarding poultry, not for poultry, in case you were worried.
This son of the snowbank is still trying to wrap his head around sub-tropical winter. In the early afternoon, a tour of the city’s post-Expo riverfront area takes me past a manufactured beach, where bikini-clad maidens roast in the sun. But when five o’clock comes, night falls hard. Minutes later, and it’s time to switch the hotel air conditioning unit to its heat setting. Yet I think during my walk I may have gotten a sunburn on the tops of my feet -- through the weave in the fabric of my socks. Whether this is due to proximity to the equator, or because the rays of the winter sun come at you all sneaky and sideways, is a question I leave to the meteorologists in the house.
That was yesterday. After posting this, I’m off to the very first Gen Con Australia. Full report tomorrow!
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1. Here's the most unexpected thing that happened on the ALA trip. It turned out that a WWII bomber group was having a reunion at the hotel we were staying at. On the shuttle bus over to the convention center, I had a chance to talk to one of the veterans. He was a B-17 pilot who flew 17 missions over Germany. After VE Day he was supposed to go to the Pacific theater and fly a B-29. The war ended before he had the chance. At this reunion his co-pilot and navigator saw each other for the first time since 1945. I thought I might have a chance to talk to other vets at the hotel, but our schedule did not permit. Glad I had the chance to talk to this pilot though.
2. Four more friends are moving down to SoCal, which is a drag. If I wanted a computer industry job down there, I could have one too but I'm just not interested in living in that area. I had enough strip malls growing up, thanks.
3. We had the booth next to Archaia Studio Press at ALA. Mark Smylie gave me the later Artesia volumes I was missing and a graphic novel called Revere: Revolution in Silver. The latter is a lot of fun. It turns the patriot Paul Revere into a werewolf hunting member of a secret society. It's good to be a silver smith when you hunt werewolves!
4. French punk band Les Thugs are playing here next week as part of the 20th Anniversary of Sub Pop Records. I haven't seen them in at least 12 years so I think I'm going to try to go. It's actually a free show and I have no idea how crowded it might be.
5. Cory Doctorow stopped by our booth at ALA. He said if we defied WotC on the sunsetting of the d20 logo, it'd make a really interesting case for PHD candidates. I said that'd be great, as long as they were rich PHD candidates who could pay our legal bills.
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and 
. I took Gina to her horseback riding lesson (and then swung by Dragon's Lair, which was dead but the service still sucked). Now I'm either going to write (I actually finished a short project this morning, which felt good) or continue picking up.
cheerful
resolute
nerdy
