BSP

The summer, it is full.

2009-07-08T10:49:00.003-06:00

So, umm... Where did June go? I swear it was here just a second ago.

Summer is pretty full this year. To borrow from my favorite 6 year old philosopher, The Days Are Just Packed.

I just got back from Go Play Northwest, which was a fantastic weekend of gaming.

I've been doing a bunch of writing for Reality Cops - mostly compiling from various scribbles, playtest notes, brainstorming notes, and the dark recesses of my brain, and producing the text which will be the ashcan edition for Gencon.

From July 18-26 (roughly), we're camping at Greenwater, the first weekend in August is Quad War, the weekend after that is batizado, and then we're back at the previously mentioned Gencon on the week/weekend after that. Then two weeks of breather, and school's in again.

Somewhere in there, I need to finish the brick patio under our balcony, and do a bunch of work on the Quadwar cabin, and hey, it would be kinda nice if we were able to take a few days with the new tent trailer (we're cabin-ing at Greenwater, because we didn't know/weren't sure we'd have the trailer when we had to book).

At least I don't need to fit time in to make more bowls for Blood and Bronze... I re-injured my frakking wrist, which means it will be probably a month or more before I can swing a hammer. So, no new sets of Without Peer for Gencon this year. :(

James

The Martin Thompson Story

2009-06-22T12:02:00.004-06:00

An excerpt from Reality Cops. This is a fiction snippet, and about 95% of the setting material that is not generated at the table. Most of the setting for the game is created in a brain-storming session at the beginning of the game, with the rest happening on-the-fly during play.

The Martin Thompson Story

Phase Theory

On March 6th, in the year 2217, Martin Thompson applied a revolutionary combination of mind theory and chemical science, to discover that ours is not the only world. He learned that certain minds, under certain conditions, could be made to shift their perception into other realities. Other worlds. Some of these worlds are much like ours, some are very different. He called these alternate realities phases of existence, and proposed that when a mind transitioned between them, the phases met and touched at that single point, much like soap bubbles floating in air. And like those bubbles, they proved fragile, some more so than others. In early experiments, three volunteers were driven insane when the communal phase they occupied broke under the pressure.

On December 9th 2219, Martin Thompson died, went insane, and disappeared, in approximately that order. This was the first recorded incidence of reality subversion.

Transition Threat

From the very early phases of Thompson’s investigations, it was clear that minds in transition could influence, to varying degrees, the phase they moved to. Investigation of his death and subsequent insanity showed that minds in transition and only minds in transition could also influence this reality. Assimilating known history with Thompson’s model showed clear mathematical indications that, at various points through recorded history, reality had been warped. Sometimes it gradually returned to its “normal” shape, sometimes the change became permanent.

Work in other phases had already shown that a strongly focused mind could cause shifts in the structure of that phase. It was theorized that a sufficiently focused individual could, through the connection between the alternate phase and reality, cause shifts in the structure of reality.

Panic spread. In some places, phase researchers were hunted by mobs, blamed for every little thing. In others, they were lifted up like gods, and viewed as the only ones who could save reality. It is from the seeds of this second set that the awareness of a moral imperative to maintain our reality arose. This awareness, combined with a fluke discovery is what led to the eventual formation of the Phase Research and Reality Maintenance Division, commonly known as Reality Cops.

The Burke Dynamic

In the chaos and panic following widespread awareness of reality subversions, many of the organizations researching phases of existence no longer had the luxury of carefully controlled experiments and volunteers were less carefully screened. In late 2223, this resulted in Carmen Burke entering transition while suffering from acute appendicitis. Carmen's account of how simple it was to affect the phase was initially discounted as simply a misconception, but transition recordings and later, further controlled experimentation bore out the testimony.

A mind that entered transition while experiencing pain was better able to affect the phase it entered.

This was the breakthrough that allowed the Reality Cops to effectively carry out their mandate.

Strictly voluntary, the Division gained in credibility and effectiveness until it was an accepted and necessary part of life for more than a generation.

It had been more than twenty years since the last reality subversion.

The Second Thompson Subversion

July 12, 2262. A deranged man breaks into Division Headquarters and transitions illegally. The man dies moments later, without leaving the phase of existence he had transitioned into. Phase researchers become aware that another reality subversion has occurred. As best can be determined, the subversion had two main effects. First, and most obvious, entering transition no longer required complex equipment. Second, and more complex in its effects, was that the Burke Dynamic no longer drew exclusively from an individual's own pain, but was affected by the pain of those around them.

Post-subversion DNA testing indicates the man was, in fact, Martin Thompson. This is not, however, viewed as conclusive evidence.

The year is 2265. You are a Reality Cop.

Getting the urge

2009-06-16T12:27:00.003-06:00

I think I want to run some ronin up a mountain again.

Yeah... Friday Night Mountain Witch, coming soon to a basement near me.

James

On value.

2009-06-02T15:44:00.002-06:00

Our society places too much emphasis on the value of things.

Have you ever tried to give things to a stranger?

James

My not-so-secret shame

2009-05-20T12:59:00.002-06:00

So, one night last week, while my wife was out, I did it.

I'd been holding off for quite a while; since last year, pretty much, but eventually I couldn't help myself.

I crept furtively under the stairs, and snuck out that brown-wrapped package with the discrete logo in the corner, and took off the wrapping.

The model on the cover was displayed, teasingly, in full colour, brazenly showing here, artfully concealing there...

I spent all that night with it, and when my wife came home, she caught me. There ... was some fallout, and I ended up going to bed late, and alone, but that didn't stop me from going back to it the next night, and the night after.

Yeah baby, I'm lookin' at you. (link totally SFW)

James

Endeavours

2009-05-04T11:56:00.003-06:00

So, deciding to update around here a little more often; we'll have to see how long that lasts... Oh, Facebook, my languishing blog envies you so.

Reality Cops is my current project, and the two-fold goal is this:
1) To have an ashcan at Gencon
2) To have premie/promo ashcans done by Go Play NorthWest, to distribute among that group, and hopefully generate some play and buzz in the lead-up to con season.

I think I'm on track for this. Text is pretty much done, barring an editing pass or three, so I'm starting to shop around for someone to do the ashcan artwork. Layout will start soon, too. Reminder to self: Harrass Adobe for my new version of InDesign that I paid for.

James

My son looks normal.

2009-05-01T09:50:00.003-06:00

... but he's not.

Today is Blog against Disablism Day 2009.

Over the last few years, it's been a challenge.

Oh, sure - there's the thousands of hours of therapy, and the 6 year old that's not toilet trained, and has no concept of personal safety (why yes, we do have bars on our second story windows, why do you ask?), the special diet, and the communication issues and.... well, I could go on.

But today, I want to talk about your pity, and how you can keep it the hell to yourself.

My son is autistic. When we go to the playground, and he's climbing up the slide, yes, I will step in when you try and tell him not to - because you don't know how to talk to him. In case it's not clear, you chose to intervene with someone else's child, and you are the ignorant one here, not my son. He's having fun, and doing what kids do in playgrounds. It's not his fault you don't know PECS or sign. It's not his fault that you don't know to make eye contact before talking to him. So when I explain this to you, don't you dare pity me. I'm educating you.

When we are at the 7-11, and I'm holding my son's hand while he's grinning and bouncing, I'll forgive you whispering to each other and giggling: you're teenagers, and it is kinda funny. But when I squat down in front of him, and guide his hands through sign to ask for a slushie... that look you can bloody well keep to yourself.

When we go to the indoor play park, and my son spends the entire time sitting in the treehouse with his hands over his ears, don't you dare look at me like he's broken. Look at his face. Look at it. He's grinning like a maniac and staring at everything. He's having a blast.

James

Funky.

2009-01-29T09:11:00.001-07:00

Check this out:

superuse.org.

Very cool.

Change.

2009-01-20T11:50:00.002-07:00

I have been tearing up randomly today.

Ok, not randomly. It's happening whenever I think about what's happening south of the border today.

Please God, help him to be the leader they, and we, need.

James

I really should know better...

2009-01-08T14:54:00.001-07:00

I read Twilight.

yeah.... don't let me do that again.

I am blogging from my new laptop.

2008-12-20T14:54:00.002-07:00

That is all. More to follow when I stop squeeing.

James

Spot the missing info...

2008-12-08T14:19:00.002-07:00

So, another writing exercise from knife fight, this time.

Real Characters

Pick ten people you see throughout the day or week and write a one-sentence description for each of them. Spin off a fictional character based on what they suggest to you. Tell us something of who they are, not just what they look like.

(exercise from PoeWar, http://www.poewar.com/fifteen-craft-exercises-for-writers/)

------
The intern leaned forward, playfully flirtatious, still getting the job done.

Clothes, attitude, everything was casual, until you saw the eyes.

Alone, chain-smoking, facing but never watching the endless T.V.

Hurrying out of a meeting, cell phone attached, arguing with the ex.

Calm and collected, skilled and confident - every inch the role model.

A ready smile and a joke to hand, good humour turned bitter when the company downsized.

One look, and you knew all those people who had mastered self-deception were amateurs by comparison.

Violence roiling under the surface, kept in check with daily hard labour.

Regimented, sterile, some people just look like they were born in a lab coat.

Eyes, crinkled and laughing, make an ordinary face beautiful.
---------

So, exercise for the reader: what haven't I told you?

James

"ZOMG, Teh markets r asplode"

2008-12-02T16:00:00.002-07:00

Title citation.

So, there's a global financial meltdown and all kinds of jazz. The banks can't extend credit, and huge stuff-generating industries, like the Big Three are suddenly teetering on the brink, as people cut big purchases, and the house of cards collapses.

There are places, I'm quite certain, where this would get me lynched, but: I'm not entirely sure that's a bad thing. In the short term? Yes, horrible. I am deeply suspicious of the various government and corporate bailout plans and responses to the global financial crisis: My cynicism suspects they are not intended to mitigate the disaster at all, just to allow the priviledged few* to cut their losses before things really go south.

I think we're going to see another huge depression. And that's the "yes, horrible" from above - industries will collapse or violently restructure, and a lot of folks will get dumped ass-first below the poverty line. But I also think our lifestyle in north america is not sustainable without ongoing cultural and economic and literal violence committed against the rest of the world. And the rest of the world is getting fed up with our bullshit.

James

* For those keeping score at home, I'm in those ranks.

If I get rid of two, it's OK to buy one, right?

2008-11-26T15:09:00.005-07:00

So, it's been a long time since I've bought a new computer. Like, a long, long time. My last new computer was a laptop with a 300Ghz Pentium II processor, and that was damn sexy at the time. The computer I have right now is a third? fourth? gen hand-me-down that started it's life as someone else's hot-shit gaming box. I'm not honestly sure what the specs on it are, I'd have to look. And, well, I can't.

Because, you see, it's dying. It's been dying for a long time, but doing it slowly enough that I haven't quite been motivated to replace it. But certain things (like video, or java, or the properties dialogue, or the calendar, or starting Outlook) will lock up the box. And every time I need to reboot it, it takes longer, and more tries before it actually boots all the way. Every once in a while, I speculate that I'm the subject of a psychology experiment.

And we have a computer upstairs, that is a one-generation-younger gaming box than mine, which Raven originally got so she could play The Sims. (Yes, that means the newer of my computers is 8-ish years old. Why?) It's only real purpose these days is to run InDesign for publishing and printing BSP stuff.

But neither of those reasons are sufficient to themselves to overcome my laziness, or it would have happened at least a couple years ago.

However, I recently inherited (and, for a change, I mean that literally) a ancient record player and boxes of 78's from the 40's and 50's, and I've been wracking my head trying to figure out where the heck I can put it. And it occured to me, that if I got rid of the computer desk downstairs, it could easily go there.

But I can't just consolidate into the upstairs computer, because it sits on the same desk as Raven's computer, which means I'd be competing for screen time with both her and Kalen, and that's a fight I'm destined to lose.

So, laptop time. If I pick up a nice, high-end beastie with wireless, a big screen and lots of drive space, it can replace both of my aging, power-sucking desktops, and I'm not tied to any one place in the house any more. I can blog by the fire, or publish at the table, or write in the comfy chair. Or hey, I could even read my forums in the hobby room, listening to 78s on my vintage record player.

I like the sound of that. I think I'll buy me a shiny new laptop. After all, it's been 11 years since the last time I did that.

James

Snippets of fiction

2008-11-20T14:05:00.002-07:00

Emily Care Boss, over on knife fight*, is hosting/organizing a series of writing exercises, about one a week or so. This week's was called "chastity", and we were restricted to write a short (200-250 word) piece of descriptive prose without adverbs, adjectives, with no dialogue. Wow, hard. I'm not sure I succeeded (I can spot some adjectives, and I may have gone overboard on the prepositions), but here is the resulting snippet of fiction from me. Let me know what you think.

---------
He stared out the window, and knew it would be soon. The sun sank behind the buildings, and the street grew dim. The smoke from her cigarette irritated his eyes, so he glared until she stubbed it out and walked away. Nothing was said; it didn’t have to be. But that was her way ever since they killed her man.

The street was empty now, even the horses had been brought in. They’d been left before, but that stopped after… He shook his head. No good thinking like that.

Cleaning the barrel, he checked the sky and sighed. No moon tonight, and the gas was gone. Last night they rolled barrels into the street, filled them with trash and gasoline, and it helped. Things would be harder tonight; you can’t shoot what you can’t see.

Noise from below told him that the others were back. He hoped they’d brought everything. Last week Jory forgot gauze, and it could have cost lives. They got lucky, but still. He sighed again. No sense getting mad at Jory – he was in the graveyard now. She came back, set down her load and snapped a cigarette from the pack living in her rolled up sleeve. Glancing at him, she swore, and put it back.

People settled at windows and behind sandbags. Hammering came from downstairs as they barricaded the door. Tension filled the air, and he wondered if he’d see the sunrise.
He eased his gun between the boards of the window and waited. They came.

---------

James

*It's a closed-member forum, so you probably won't be able to see what I'm talking about. It's just a signpost.

Redolent is a lovely word

2008-11-16T18:45:00.003-07:00

Pungent smells, sharp smells, the air heavy with spices... Smells once foreign to the western nose, strange and exotic like cinnamon and tumeric, mixed with smells so familiar and ancient that they're tied to deep traditions in our culture: clove, mustard.

These are the kinds of smells that the word redolent was created to describe, and our house is redolent with layered spices.

I really, really wish that it was because of baking or cooking, and not because Connor got into the spices while I was elsewhere.

Because then there would be the implication of tasty food, instead of the reality of a (possibly indelible) bright yellow stain on the linoleum and counter.

James

November 11

2008-11-11T11:59:00.003-07:00

All our kids were silent for the moment of silence this year; that's a first. Kalen actually seemed to understand some of what was going on, and participated in the conversation about what it all means, which was also good. Usually, she fidgets and flees as soon as she can manage it.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

— Lt.-Col. John McCrae

Sometimes, my gov't is not stupid.

2008-10-27T17:05:00.001-06:00

...this is not one of those times.

Immigration Canada, kindly remove your cranium from your anus.

James

Me and my Prius

2008-10-22T13:28:00.003-06:00

[tap tap] Is this thing on? Yeah, I know, it's been forever in Internet Time.

Cross-posted from Facebook:

So, it's been a year-ish. I'm still deleriously happy with my Prius.

I've put ~42,000 km on it, in about 12 months, which is roughly 22,000 above "average" mileage.

I'm getting, on average around 5l/100km, better in summer, worse in winter, average gas prices for Alberta across the last 12 months have been ~$1.10/litre*

At 42,000 km, I've consumed roughly 2100 litres of gas this year, for about $2210 in cost.

When I was looking at vehicles, the EPA rating for the Prius was 4.1, and the best equivalent car (mid-sized, good storage) was about 7.3. Lets assume both EPA ratings were biased by the about the same, even throwing a bit of kindness to the other vehicle, and call it 8l/100km for my theoretical other car.

at 42,000km, I would have consumed roughly 3360 litres of gas, for about $3696 in cost. - a straight up savings of almost $1500 in fuel costs, to say nothing of the 1200 litres I didn't consume.

In addition to this, I've consumed less oil, as well, because the hybrid engine wants oil changes every 8K, instead of 5K as a regular vehicle would. Honestly, I'm not laser-accurate on this, and have done 4, or about every 10K. Assuming the same amount of lazy, a regular vehicle would get an oil change every 7K, or 7 by now. (probably 6, with a mental note to "gotta get that done ASAP!") So, 2 or 3 less oil changes. I suppose that's a couple hundred bucks a year save, as well. No, I don't change my own oil.

So, straight up dollar-wise, am I coming out ahead? Assuming I continue to drive this thing into the ground over 5 years, that's $7500 even if gas prices don't go up. Price checking against a mid-line Camry (Which is not quite as fancy as my top-model Prius, but the high-end Camry is much too fancy (heated leather seats and all that jazz bring up the price a lot.), the Camry costs about $2000 less - so before the end of winter, I'll be coming out ahead. Oh, and I totally forgot the $2000 gubmint rebate. So in fact, I broke even before putting a single K on the tires.

Hunh. I hadn't expected that. I was figuring that my win here was going to be in the lower gas consumption and corresponding emissions reduction and all that. I was expecting to end up with a net $$ loss for that, but it turns out to be a net gain. Crazy. Of course, if I had anything like a normal driving pattern, it would be taking a lot longer to make up that difference, but it would still happen. Sweet.

And even assuming that at the end of those 200,000 km I'll need to replace the battery for ~$4000, I'm still ahead of the game. And that assumption isn't a given, BTW; there's lots of folks on various forums and the like reporting that they're past 200,000 -->miles<-- with no noticable degredation in battery performance.

And, of course, this is all "what if I'd bought a non-hybrid new car?" and not "what if I'd kept driving the van?"...

Let's be charitable, and assume the (1997 Astro) van was getting 15l/100km. So, 6300 litres, or $6930 out of pocket. Yeouch.

I <3 my Prius.

James

*roughly calculated. Might be higher, might be lower, but probably not by more than a few cents.

An update

2008-07-07T13:31:00.002-06:00

In which there are many unconnected thoughts.

Greek food is good, and easy. Ok, the spanikopita weren't easy, per se, but they were super yummy. I think I'm going to have to do more greek cooking.

I keep wanting to order in the Fair Trade dark chocolate from Callebaut, but keep getting hung up on storage. Where does one put a 10 kilo bag of chocolate pieces? Anyone interested in splitting it with me?

The Stuff and Things segment is officially dead: Europe killed it. Not in and of itself, but those few weeks before and the week or two after were so busy that I just could not keep track of receipts. But hey, it lasted a good 5+ months.

I have gushed in person about Amsterdam; someday soon I will gush here about it.

James

Pork souvlaki

2008-06-30T13:10:00.004-06:00

Haha, see? It's still June!

... yeah, I suck.

Sorry for leaving you all hanging on the edge of your seats, imaginary audience, feverishly clicking refresh for a whole month to no avail.

Today, I present pork souvlaki, by way of apology.

You will need:
A big lump of pork, no bone. Boneless rib roast or shoulder works very well. About 3/4 kilo per person if this is the main course
oregano, if you've not got it already
red wine (or red wine vinegar)
extra virgin olive oil (get the good stuff, it's SO worth it)
BBQ skewers
a BBQ or grill
sea salt or kosher salt

You already have:
pepper

So yeah, this one is sort of using almost nothing from the basic list, but it's yummy and super easy, so you'll forive me, right?

Cut up your lump of pork into 1/2 or 3/4 inch cubes. Ish. Dump them in a bowl and pour 2 tablespoons of red wine and 2 tablespoons of olive oil over top. Mix it around until all the meat is pretty well coated.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 1 teaspoon of oregano and 1 tablespoon of sea salt. Again, mix it around until everything is pretty evenly coated.

Cover it, and put in the fridge for a couple hours to refridgerate. (If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for about a half hour before you're ready to cook.)

Turn on your grill, as high as it goes. Get it nice and hot in there. Skewer the pork, leaving an inch or so at each end of the skewer so you have something to grab to turn them (and swear about when you burn your fingers)

Turn the grill down to a medium-low heat and put the skewers on. Turn them regularly to make sure all the sides get cooked. They should be cooked through after about 15 minutes.

James

I'm off (like that mayo in the back of the fridge)

2008-05-17T00:53:00.001-06:00

Dear Internet:

Gone to Europe, see you in June.

xoxoxo

James

We aren't quite there yet, dear.

2008-05-10T14:00:00.002-06:00

In the last century or so, western society has take some huge strides in social awareness and acceptance. Some member cultures moreso than others, but still. Even the most "backward" and parochial of societies in the western world will agree that slavery was probably bad and - as long as they don't do it here - gays don't need to be shot on sight.

We're in an age of information, where hard numbers about inequality and injustice can be generated, and each generation is, roughly, growing up more aware.

But we're not there yet. I hope someday to see a world where the inequalities we see and are aware of are dealt with, and we can begin to tackle the next set of monsters from our psyche.

This is a fantastic article. You should go read it.

James

I'm pretending it's summer!

2008-05-08T09:25:00.002-06:00

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

Stuff and Things, 17 and 18

2008-05-08T09:06:00.003-06:00

El boring post, a few days late.

Stuff and Things for May 5:
-36.63l regular gas (Apr 24)
-32.0l regular gas (Apr 28)
-33.16; regular gas (May 1)

It really doesn't look like I drive a Prius, does it? But then I look through my call log and realize I put on nearly 2000 kilometers in a bit over a week. Oh. Oy.

James