Thursday, August 19, 2004

GURPS Update

This links to the pdf file with the conversion guidelines from GURPS 3e to the soon to be released (and currently for sale...I guess...at GenCon) GURPS 4e. Just remember that no conversion is ever perfect or exact, and from what I have seen of the changes for 4e in preview, its going to be a much better game.

GURPS Update pdf file

NPR: Dungeons & Dragons

NPR's All Things Considered did a recent story on the upcoming 30th Anniversary of D&D. This linked page features a downloadable RM file of the piece. I have heard it, but I have read that it was not a negative piece, focusing on how D&D has influenced the computer game industry, and recording of a game session with a gaming group in Brooklyn, made up of professional 30-somethings.

Don't forget that October 16th is Worldwide D&D Game Day, as a part of the anniversary celebrations.

NPR: Dungeons & Dragons

"In the 1980s, Dungeons and Dragons inspired millions of kids to spend their spare time pretending to be wizards and dwarves. A new version of the D&D rule book comes out tonight, and the designers are betting it will lure today's kids away from video and computer games."

Wednesday, August 18, 2004

Steve Jackson Game's Web Forums

In addition to their subscription discussion boards of Pyramid Magazine, SJ Games has introduced a new free forum on their website. Hopefully this will bring together the online communities of GURPS and SJ Games together in one place. Regardless, it is a nice augmentation for Pyramid.

Steve Jackson Game's Web Forums

Tuesday, August 17, 2004

Big Bang Universe RPG

This is my next big piece of gaming work. I am really looking forward to tackling it, since I have been a big fan of the comics, and Gary and Chris' work, for quite a long time. Watch this space for more information about the game and playtesting as time goes by.

Big Bang Press Release

Grimjack Is Back!

Wow. This was announced in June and I managed to miss it. Let's here it for Grimjack collections!

GrimJack Is Back

"After long legal wrangling, the creative team of writer John Ostrander and artist Tim Truman recently announced that they had recovered the rights to GrimJack, who they created originally as a back-up feature in the pages of First Comics' Starslayer."

Thursday, August 12, 2004

Florida braces for double storm hit

I know from my family that where my parents lives (St. Pete Beach) has a mandatory evacuation by 4pm today. So, I guess that things are supposed to get ugly with Charley. No Chocolate Facotry for him.

Florida braces for double storm hit

"Florida authorities implemented emergency preparations as the southern US state braced for a rare one-two punch by a hurricane and a tropical storm."

Wednesday, August 11, 2004

Can You Name The 53 States?

Can You Name The 53 States?

"California officials are seeking to shutter a chain of private schools that peddles bogus high school diplomas to unwitting students--many of them Latino immigrants--who are taught that there are 53 U.S. states and an 'administrative' branch of government. The California Alternative High School, which operated 30 schools statewide, charged students $1450 for a 10-week course based on a bizarre 54-page workbook that apparently was authored by Ali G. State investigators last week seized the school's assets and asked a Superior Court judge to close down the sleazy outfit. Below you will find excerpts from the school's workbook, which included questions about Arthur Miller's 'Death of a Traveling Salesman,' the study of 'Matemathics,' and the philosopher 'Aristotale.' "

Friday, August 06, 2004

Shinyokohama Raumen Museum

Just look at it, I guess is the best way to introduce this site. I wouldn't be sure how to bescribe it otherwise. It is an English-language site, although there is a link to a Japanese site.

SHINYOKOHAMA RAUMEN MUSEUM [via Jon]

Thursday, August 05, 2004

Bad Checks Spell Trouble For Forger

Bad Checks Spell Trouble For Forger

"AUGUST 5--Meet Fitzhugh Fenderson, an alleged felon in dire need of a spell checker. The 33-year-old Long Island man is facing grand larceny and forgery charges for a scheme to swindle car dealerships out of pricey SUVs. According to cops, Fenderson last month passed bogus certified checks at two Cadillac dealerships, walking away with a pair of $65,000 Escalades. When the checks bounced, the dealers ran to Nassau County cops, who yesterday nabbed Fenderson, who was at the wheel of one of the Cadillacs when placed in cuffs. However, had the car salesmen looked more closely at Fenderson's checks they would have realized there was a problem with the paper. Along with misspelling 'Roosevelt,' his own hometown, Fenderson had trouble correctly rendering 'Chase Manhattan Bank.' Below you'll find one of those bogus 65k checks, passed at a Freeport dealership last month. Perhaps the next time Fenderson goes auto shopping he'll leave the checks at home and pay with cash."


The Sultan Brought Cheesecake

The Sultan Brought Cheesecake

"AUGUST 4--Three hundred pounds of lamb. A $12,000 Franck Muller watch. Christian Dior after-shave lotion. A Lady McDuffies gourmet lemon cheesecake. Those are just a few of the fabulous gifts received last year by the Bush family from foreign leaders, according to a list released this week by the Department of State's Office of Protocol (below you'll find excerpts from the 52-page report). It will probably come as no surprise that the most valuable gift came from Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdallah, who gave First Lady Laura Bush a matching set of diamond and sapphire jewelry valued by U.S. officials at $95,500. The Saudi royal also gave the president an $8500 mantel clock and the 'first family' (that would be first daughters Jenna and Barbara) received Bulgari necklaces valued at $8500 and $8000 apiece. Other recipients of Saudi largesse were Chief of Staff Andrew Card and national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, both of whom got small daggers priced at $1500. The foreign gifts are taken, the State Department report notes, since 'non-acceptance would cause embarrassment to donor and U.S. Government.' However, in most cases, the items are turned over the National Archives for safekeeping. As for the lamb cache, we're guessing it was served to First Mutt Barney."

Aeon Flux -- The Movie

Aeon Flux -- The Movie

"Charlize Theron, who will play the title SF superhero in Aeon Flux, told SCI FI Wire that she is currently rehearsing with director Karyn Kusama and her co-stars in the live-action movie, which is based on the animated MTV series. Shooting begins in mid-August, but Theron is still getting to know the character, she said in an interview. 'I've just spent five days with the director and the cast, so we're still sort of working that out,' Theron said. 'It's not just a special-[effects movie]. It's a love story, of course, so those are the things that kind of get me going.'"

Wednesday, August 04, 2004

U.S. May Limit Flights at O'Hare

Just wait until after I get to Wizard World, oh and back home too.

U.S. May Limit Flights at O'Hare

"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. aviation regulators threatened on Wednesday to cap commercial flights into and out of Chicago's O'Hare airport to reduce unprecedented delays that are causing congestion throughout the country's aviation system."

Monday, August 02, 2004

The art of not writing books

The art of not writing books

"Imaginary novels and incredible stories are being collected for posterity in an unconventional UK arts project, the Library of Unwritten Books."

heroes

Heroes

A flash animation combining super-heroes and the movie Clerks. Well, since one was already done with Stormtroopers...I guess this makes sense as the next. Its a Flash animation, check it out.

Friday, July 30, 2004

London Underground Map translated into German

London Underground Map translated into German

Opens to an image of the map. I thought it was amusing. I wonder if this is what it would have been like, if WWII had gone differently?

Francis Crick Dies

Francis Crick Dies

"Francis Crick, who along with James Watson discovered the double-helical structure of the DNA molecule, died Wednesday of colon cancer. He was 88."

Cineplex Odious

Cineplex Odious

"Meet Warronnica Harris and Terrell Tolson. The Florida couple got popped this week at a St. Petersburg theater after Harris, 23, allegedly refused to end a cell phone call as the opening credits for 'Catwoman' rolled. When an off-duty police officer working at the theater tried to curtail her chat, Harris announced that 'she could talk as much as she wanted on her phone,' according to this police report. In short order, Tolson, 25, joined in, allegedly telling Officer John Douglas that he would kick the cop's ass. The report quotes Harris as saying she would 'hit the cracker in his head.' In a bid to subdue the duo, Douglas blasted them with pepper spray. Harris and Tolson were eventually charged with disorderly conduct--and spared having to sit through another Halle Berry bomb."

Thursday, July 29, 2004

Woman Arrested, Cuffed for Eating Candy

Yahoo! News

"A government scientist finishing a candy bar on her way into a subway station where eating is prohibited was arrested, handcuffed and detained for three hours by transit police. "

Monday, July 26, 2004

The Howell Crop Circles and the Illuminati

The Howell Crop Circles and the Illuminati

"Here's something that has been circulating in the form of photocopies in the Grand Rapids area since last fall; I have now translated the newest version of it into an interactive online essay. Looks like this crop formation's been largely decoded! Read closely..."

Thursday, July 22, 2004

Timelord: Adventures Through Time and Space

A site of derivative material for the Time Lord RPG, orginally published by Virgin Books. I think that its a pretty good game for capturing the feel of Dr. Who.

Timelord: Adventures Through Time and Space

Bulwer-Lytton Awards

2004 Results

The winner:
"She resolved to end the love affair with Ramon tonight . . . summarily, like Martha Stewart ripping the sand vein out of a shrimp's tail . . . though the term "love affair" now struck her as a ridiculous euphemism . . . not unlike "sand vein," which is after all an intestine, not a vein . . . and that tarry substance inside certainly isn't sand . . . and that brought her back to Ramon.

Monday, July 19, 2004

Wednesday, July 14, 2004

Free Stuff from TOGC: SRD 3.5 (d20) handouts

Some nice, cleaned up and layed-out pdfs, suitable for handing out to players in most cost conscious groups. Not a bad job with the look, a suitable alternative.

TheOtherGameCompany.com

Just remember though that the SRDs do not reprint the experience progression material. So, you will need a PHB for that and perhaps another thing or two.

Wednesday, July 07, 2004

Mary Sue Litmus Test for Fantasy Fiction

This came up on a discussion on a gaming email list. I wasn't sure what it was, but I thought that it would be worth saving for a later point. It looks like it might have some use for character creation.

NaNoWriMo.org : View topic - Mary Sue Litmus Test for Fantasy Fiction

from http://www.subreality.com/marysue/explain.htm (the second result googling "Mary Sue")

"So you're scratching your head and wondering who the heck Mary Sue IS, hm? Well, "Mary Sue" is an unkind term used to describe a certain kind of character, a style of writing. She (or he) is created to serve one purpose: wish fulfilment. When a writer invents someone through whom he/she can have fantastic adventures and meet famous people (fictional or real), this character is a Mary Sue. (We don't have a name for the male version -- suggestions?)

Although storytellers have been rehashing Mary Sue since the dawn of time, she did not receive her current name until the early 1970s. The original was Lieutenant Mary Sue ('the youngest Lieutenant in the fleet -- only fifteen and a half years old') as immortalized in Paula Smith's 'A Trekkie's Tale,' which she wrote and published in her 1974 fanzine Menagerie #2. (According to Katherine Langley: 'Paula is still active in fandom and, to be sure, suitably bemused that Mary Sue lives on.')"