Dragon World, or

Dragon World, or
Markets and Mages, or
How Adventurers pay the rent, or
Learning your ABC's, or
...

I don't know what to call this game. This is a pbta game. The main characters are wanderers, with ties to communities and individuals. Like D&D-style adventurers.

The game is about paying the rent. Or, rather, it is about personal finances. But that's not even true: Its a game about the fallout from hitting stuff with swords, and rolling the bodies of sentient people for their shit. Its about how you live with yourself after you do terrible things. And the economic reality that forces you to commit actions that are less than savory.

There are three families of stats: Assets, Bonds, Credits. Together, these are your balance sheet. There's no stat for how hot or strong you are, because you are understood to be capable. What matters is your stuff, your relationships, and how you fit in.

Assets are things you have: weapons, spell components, bags of holding.
Bonds are relationships you can call on: friends, mentors, loved ones.
Credit are your standing in communities: the Enclave, the Wizard's Academy, the Paladin's Church.

Adventuring is a single move. It is how you gain Assets, Bonds, and Credits. This move is huge, and is fully a quarter of the move sheet.

You spend from your balance sheet when you Pay The Rent. You must Pay The Rent at the start of session, after an adventure, or during a lull. You need to spend an Asset, Bond, and Credit, or else bad things happen.

The result of violence is chosen rather than rolled, and you spend to affect the outcome. Other PCs can help or hinder, by marking down their balance sheet. If you refuse to pay when you commit to violence, you can instead mark jaded and lose a part of what makes you a hero.

It literally costs you wealth or your soul to commit acts of violence.

What should I call this game? Do you want to play this game? Do you want to read this game and give feedback? Would you back this game if it made it to ks?

Conversely: Do you hate the sound of this game? Does this sound terrible? Do I have a poor understanding of the world that bleeds through in this description?

This game.

This game.

I'm at the buy four level. This is a first for me. Everyone wants a copy.

I adore this game.

If Fiasco saved roleplaying for me, Monsterhearts turned it to 11.

I have never been able to fully express the quality of this game. It isn't simply that it is a wonderful experience, but that the rules force a change of perspective. Retrospectively, this causes increased empathy for those you unknowingly think of as Other.

I am a better person for having played Monsterhearts. Kinder, gentler, and more patient. I am a better feminist, a better ally, and have seen others go through the same change as a result of engaging with this game. Avery's other games -- I'm thinking of The Quiet Year and Dream Askew -- have been as beneficial.

Do yourself a favor and back this game.

Originally shared by Avery Alder

I'm really excited to announce that Monsterhearts 2 is now live on Kickstarter. A tabletop game about the messy lives of teenage monsters. Check it out!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/averyalder/monsterhearts-2
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/averyalder/monsterhearts-2

The news is talking about HRC again. How long until Trump says something terrifyingly awful?

Here's a hopeful scenario:

Here's a hopeful scenario:

HRC administration:
Day 1: Order the NSA to provide secure phones for all senate-confirmed appointees. This is a long list, but the key is the head of the 24 executive agencies, such as State and Treasury. They get real phones by Executive Order.

Day 2: The NSA balks, so HRC sets up a white-hat agency, whose entire purpose is to create IT for the appointed and elected parts of the Executive branch. Comey is summoned to the Oval Office, and given a new project: Figure out why the NSA and FBI do not want our officials to be able to do their job.

Day 3: Nancy Pelosi gets her gavel back. The 54 Democrats in the Senate approve rules which include the Real Filibuster, but not the procedural filibuster.

As an aside, the difference is key. Standing up, talking for forever? That's a filibuster. Saying that you might do that, and not letting a bill come to the floor? That's a procedural filibuster, and it is bad for democracy.

Day 4: HRC sends a budget to Congress. It is like no budget ever sent: It cuts federal spending, reduces the military infrastructure, and increases spending for women, infants, and children.

Day 5: HRC ends the undeclared and illegal wars fought for oil across the world. You know, the five secret wars we're not talking about.

What else do you see happening in a hopeful scenario? What did I miss?

Today's measurement was over the target line, and I didn't have the gumption to go run to fix it.

Today's measurement was over the target line, and I didn't have the gumption to go run to fix it. The forces of destruction that will eventually consume us all took a small victory.

This is in line with expectations. In the end, entropy always wins.

That being said, I won a victory this week. I ran a 5k faster than I ever had before.

This is outside my expectation, and pretty awesome!

The stats so far:
Successes: 1
Tentative Successes: 1
Failures: 1

What'll be interesting to see is if this failure is the new normal, or a blip. We'll see.

You've sent Avie your game description, right?

You've sent Avie your game description, right?

Originally shared by Avonelle Wing (Avie)

I've got over 75 designers who haven't sent in their Metatopia game descriptions.
Help! Spread the word. I need those today.

A player just compared my gming to the Milgram prison experiment.

A player just compared my gming to the Milgram prison experiment.

I'm thrilled. I was not consciously going for it, but I will take this as praise of the highest possible order.

Endless Sky

Endless Sky

Q&A with me.

Q: Do you have a favorite ship?
A: Honestly? I'm partial to the blackbird. It is fast, maneuverable, and lets you do early pirate raids. I think all of my characters have gone through it, and it is a really fun time. You need to run from anything large, but can take down a fighter or two. With 20 bunks and laser guns, its not too hard.

Q: Huh! I assumed you'd say the Bactrian. What's been your favorite plot so far?
A: I liked doing a few charity missions. I wish I could do more of those, and make human space a kind of nicer place. As the net worth of my main character is over a billion, it'd be nice to start up a foundation in-game. That being said, I'm glad that the default is that using violence is useless -- more pirate ships will always show up.

You cannot change the status quo with mere violence. I like that.

Q: .... ok... I meant, like, space combat missions, but ok. What do you want to happen next in the game?
A: Other than having a built-out Syndicate and Republic mission quest? I want to learn what's up with the Kor, and talk to one or two of them. To help the Wanderers deal with them, for sure.

Q: How much time have you sunk into this game"
A: too much. And you should to! The game is free, and available on Steam, linux, and a variety of other things. It is open source and in development. You can help!

Q: Why don't you help, then?
A: Trying!

In light of yesterdays thread, it is time to admit where I've come to over the years, morally speaking.

In light of yesterdays thread, it is time to admit where I've come to over the years, morally speaking. I know, I know, I still owe Tony and Ron responses.

But, here's where I'm at: a weird version of contractualism, where what you are morally obligated (and sometimes praised) for doing is what you have said you will do.

Here's what that looks like, more or less in order of importance:
(1) Practice self-care
(2) Practice love for those who depend on you.
(3) Honor Your Commitments

If you look real closely, each of these is really a special case of the last one.

To break those out a bit:
1. The first thing I need to do is to take care of myself. If I'm having a panic attack or a knee surgery, the other concerns fall away. As a corollary, keeping myself healthy is then morally praiseworthy. This absolutely includes self-improvement, and Maslow. That is, the first priority is to be the sort of person you wish to be.

This is number one for a lot of reasons, but largely as without it you cannot develop your own virtues.

2. My next concern is those who depend on me. Why? Because they have come to expect action from me, and I have let them build up that expectation. There are all sorts of implicit expectations in this category, which do not need to be made explicit to demand action.

3. I should do what I say I'll do. If I say I'll be at a job or a game or that I'll finish a project by a certain time? Then it is a moral duty to do so, as the expectations of other people is that I will do so. As an aside, by hanging out in the USA, I implicitly say I will not violate the law.

To be clear: I hold that I do not have an objective moral requirement to help those who do not depend on me, and who I have not said I'll help.

I do, though, think that it goes to (1): Self-Care. Because I want to be the sort of person who helps others.

Spoilers for SFP --

Spoilers for SFP --

In this lead up to this, we learn there is a boy with the power to enhance other people's super powers. He doesn't use it, because he thinks his power is dumb. He is a straight white rich privileged guy.

Allison literally strongarms him into using his powers to enhance her friends regeneration. As we learn in today's comic, she now provides sufficient organs for the needs of the world is 40 hours a month. Considerably less than a full time job.

There are not easy answers to the below! If you think there, reconsider and then try to answer.

Here's what I'm interested in exploring over the next couple of days:
-- Were Allison's actions ethical? Can it ever be ethical to violate someone's consent to compel action?
-- If so, what are the conditions? That is, when is it OK to violate someone's will to produce good for others?
-- Who decides these things?
-- Conversely, is Allison acting immorally? That is, has she crossed a line by compelling action?
-- When determining if an action is moral, what considerations go into it?

Some rules: Think. Be kind to other posters. This is effectively an ethics class, so be aware I may respond with more questions. While among professionals I wouldn't expect kindness (philosophers are dicks to each other), I will insist upon it here.

http://strongfemaleprotagonist.com/issue-6/page-92-2/
http://strongfemaleprotagonist.com/issue-6/page-92-2/

!

!

Originally shared by Meguey Baker

Hey we did a thing!
http://geekandsundry.com/3-ways-this-rpg-will-make-you-a-better-gamer/

I have three games of Endless Sky:

I have three games of Endless Sky:
Malcolm Reynolds, my first game. Trial and tribulations as I learned the game. I started with a shuttle, as it let me have both cargo and passengers, which seemed perfect. Diversity!

With this character, I've done all the in game content. I've replaced my Dreadnoughts with Wanderer Derecho's, which have like 4x the hull! The game has even told me that if I want more content, I should write it myself.

My flagship is a bactrian.

Wedge Antillies, captain of an interceptor. I did a lot of escort work, and captured a couple of other fighters. With the millions from that, I upgraded to a blackbird.

Once you hit a blackbird, the game is easy. It paid for itself in a day, as I took on pirates and sold their ships. Then I got a Mule.

Now, I have a bactrian as my flagship.

Han Solo, captain of a cargo ship. This is the most sluggish, as transporting cargo doesn't make nearly as much money as taking over other ships. I've upgraded a couple of times, and am hoping to get a mule soon. At that point, I start doing anti-piracy and then buy a bactrian.

With this character, I'm trying to take jobs more and take out pirates less. It isn't working well.

Because no matter the start, the game has one overwhelmingly dominant economic move: Murder pirates, sell their ships. Then, buy a bactrian. Then, it gets easy.

I'm kind of sad that the game has a dominant playstyle. And a dominant spaceship.

Am I wrong? Am I missing something? How do I fix it?

Observational experiment, measurement 2: Success.

Observational experiment, measurement 2: Success.

That is, today's measurement was under 205. The weight is kept off for another week.

It is still warm and bright enough to run. I think I've learned what appropriate portions are these last few months.

In the Caliphate of Azithan, known to its neighbors as the Necromancer Kingdom ...

In the Caliphate of Azithan, known to its neighbors as the Necromancer Kingdom ...

It has been asked what the Necromancers do about the flying dragons in the kingdom one over. More or less, the question is: What's so special about the necromancers such that they can stand up to other fantastical empires?

This question has stuck with me, and I think I know the answer: infrastructure development.

That is, the Caliphate has an almost modern approach to infrastructure. They build roads and waterways and bridges and temples and cities and granaries. With the worst labor done by Lifeless, the people are free to either pray, or to work higher on the value chain.

Here's the big secret: If you pray three times a week and receive a minimum income, you are still contributing to GDP. That is: The act of prayer generates more magic energy than is needed to support a person.

That excess -- the Caliphate's surplus -- is reinvested almost entirely in improving the inside of the Caliphate. This allows for the building of cities to produce goods higher on the value chain, staffed by people freely working who know they can quit and still receive their minimum basic income.

And that's how the Caliphate manages to win: When it does meet its neighbors, it has a useful and productive population of free people, who will fight and lead armies of Lifeless to protect that life.

Chris Wallace is some sort of bullshit sack of stupid.

Anna has been a positive influence in my life.

Anna has been a positive influence in my life.

In light of this, I want to unpack that a little. Some memories:
-- We met at Dreamation 2016. I spent most of Dreamation with her and Andrew Medeiros. I trolled both of them hard with honesty, telling Drew that, say, Urban Shadows fundamentally changed how I look at pbta games. And telling Anna that her blog, Go Make Me A Sandwich, was a conversation topic in my household.

-- Our first game together was her magical girls game about misogyny. What, Anna wrote a game about misogyny? She did, and it was delightful. If I recall correctly, I wound up playing one of the misogynistic assholes with no actual power, and that was nicely insightful.

-- We blubbered all over each other when she played my mother in Keeping The Candles Lit. Her character was a powerfully protective force, which I know comes from the heart. Despite the nazis and young men seeking me, I knew I'd be safe so long as she was alive. Then she died and I cried some more.

-- The Watch! Anna and Drew's pbta game about women fighting the patriarchy darkness. While I have reservations about trying to make real money from pbta games, if anyone can do it it is these two.

-- After Dreamation, I was overly familiar online. It isn't much more complicated than that. We didn't talk for months. Learning of how I am a jerk is very helpful -- an example of Anna doing unpaid labor. Protip: professional writers are scathing.

-- Her blog has constantly reminded me that I can ignore misogyny and other bullshit due to it not being aimed directly at me. And that it directly impacts people I care about, many of whom don't mention it to me. That I should be vigilant in trying to notice. Selfishly, my games and game experiences are better with perspectives different from my own.

https://gomakemeasandwich.wordpress.com/2016/10/19/you-say-hello/
https://gomakemeasandwich.wordpress.com/2016/10/19/you-say-hello/

Electoral predictions:

Electoral predictions:
1. HRC will win the election with somewhere between 300 and 400 electoral votes. She will win the popular vote by over a million votes. The democratic party will win the senate, but not the House.

2. Donald Trump will concede. He will blame someone, probably the electorate. In no instance does he accept the blame. Because he is a shitty leader.

3. He will continue to be a thorn in the side of our government.

4. We will have a full supreme court by March.

I could be wrong about any of these things. Ask, and I shall explain why I believe these things.

New experiment, observational in nature.

New experiment, observational in nature.

Seeking to determine if I can keep the weight off through the dark fall & winter months. Through parties to stave off the sadness of night, our upcoming cruise ride, thanksgiving and friendsgiving, christmas and new years. Through friends visiting and spring festivals.

As an observational experiment, I won't put anything on the line. Not even ego. It would be best if the experiment could be conducted by someone other than me, but close enough. This isn't for publication.

While I'll do daily weigh ins, I'll publish them weekly. Because bodies are unpredictable, I'll have a five pound buffer. That is, I am considered to have kept the weight off for another week so long as the measurement on Sunday is below 205 pounds.

These weigh ins have three categories:
Under 205: Success
Under 205 after morning exercise: Conditional success.
Over 205: Failure

Yesterday, initial measurement was > 205. After running a 5k, measurement was < 205. This is a conditional success.

So far, so good!

Wish me luck!

"Running is easy to get into -- just a $30 pair of shoes and go!"

"Running is easy to get into -- just a $30 pair of shoes and go!"

Or -- Why I am not a libertarian and am pretty sure modern notions of it are just unaware privilege

Some things that have made running easier for me:
-- the weather is gorgeous
-- when it isn't, our apartment has treadmills
-- There is a community of running. When walking to dinner, we're liable to pass a half dozen runners.
-- a walkable neighborhood
-- The local high school has a track and multipurpose field. They do the football there, too. Except during games, this is open to the public.
-- That local high school is architecturally attractive. It doesn't look like a prison: windows, open sidewalks.
-- When I've hurt myself, I have a world class county hospital a mile away, an orthopedic who can see me within a week, and a physical therapist on the metro line.

In short, both luck and community investment. I'm on my second pair of running shoes, and I've bought a couple shirts and pants. I've spent maybe $100 a year.

And I've benefited from billions of dollars in infrastructure. Without my thinking about it or even knowing about it, billions of dollars have been spent creating a community that I can benefit from.

That's really why I can't be a libertarian, no matter how much I want to believe we're all individual islands. I can see it is bullshit.

Endless Sky update:

Endless Sky update:

My god. It's full of stars.

Register

Register

Originally shared by Rod Mesa (Motorod)

Today is the last day to register to vote in 11 states.
If you're registered, share with those who aren't.
https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote

As per usual, this is fabulous.

As per usual, this is fabulous.

http://www.critical-hits.com/blog/2016/10/11/the-quest-for-a-magic-sword/

Last few weeks, I've been reading on supply lines. Supply chains themselves are magical, allowing for increased specialization of labor and decrease profitability from warfare. Modern states are less concerned with territory and more concerned with economic influence.

Heck, the shipping container is magic.

My next campaign may have to be about supply chain economics.
http://www.critical-hits.com/blog/2016/10/11/the-quest-for-a-magic-sword/

Games I've played lately:

Games I've played lately:

-- Apocalypse World, as The News and The Waterbearer. I like both of these new playbooks. The News brings concerns of truth to the apocalypse, and The Waterbearer has legitimate authority. Mine enforces the rules in a commune where no one goes without.

-- Monster hearts, wherein I played the worst Chosen I have ever played. He was awful, and rightly wound up in jail.

-- Endless skies. So much I made myself sick.

-- Markets & Mages, or whatever it is I'm calling my love letter to Dungeons and Dragons. Play an adventurer! Pay the rent, try to have friends!

All she needs to say:

All she needs to say:

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

The thoughtful post. Maybe.

The thoughtful post. Maybe.

To simplify, we are fires.

To simplify a little less, we are moving fires that need fiber.

I like to think that I have free will. That my actions are unbound to the economic and political forces around me. That I can do what I want. That I am free.

In a meaningful metaphysical sense, I've known that was bogus since phil 101. Still, I like to think it, so I wind up in a modern Humeian sort of compatibilism. Thousands of hours of philosophy, hundreds of pages written, a thesis defended and that's what I've got.

Anyway.

Nothing has quite struck home the degree to which free will is metaphysically unsound as this particular incentive structure.

For years, I've wanted to lose weight. And it has seemed impossible. I've weighed myself nearly every morning, yet my weight continued to climb. And I sure knew why -- I eat too much, don't exercise much, and drink.

I've wanted to lose weight for all the reasons: to not die, to not get diabetes, to be prettier. To not be a burden to those I love. To consume less.

But, wanting was never enough. I had insufficient control over my own actions. I'd eat a slice of pizza, and then the whole pie. I'd sit down at a computer and spend the whole day there. I'd drink a beer and then the six pack.

Enter The Incentive Structure. Also known as The Bet. I'd heard about this before. I'd even tried it before and failed. This time was different. It worked, and it worked surprisingly well.

The first person experience of this bet was like nothing else. Excess food and sloth become tinged with motivational guilt. I couldn't eat a whole pizza because then they would win. I couldn't drink a six pack because they would win. I couldn't avoid running because they would win.

This externalized the harm; I wasn't just potentially harming myself from sloth, overindulgence, and gluttony. I would be making it easier for people with wrong beliefs to do harm in the world. Can't let that happen! Or, rather, if I did, I would be morally blameworthy.

Here's what I wonder: What other activities and habits of ours are malleable with different incentives? What habits do we have that are formed from invisible societal incentives? How much hacking can we do through incentives?

I think the answers will very greatly from person to person, and from time to time. I may have to start reading behavioral economics, or seeing if my old empirical philosophy lab has published anything in the arena.

My hypothesis, from which I'll over time generate a bunch of hypotheses and test them, is that a tremendous number of objectives become possible with an appropriately aligned incentive.

Figuring out what all that means is going to take work.

Hey, Aaron Griffin?

Hey, Aaron Griffin?

Can you tell me what exercises and strategies to employ to run faster?

Muscle building and crap, I imagine. I don't know anything about this!

What do I -- and by extension, most people -- need to do to safely run faster and for longer?

Other than running, of course.

Assume I don't have any major medical issues. if I run into something that's too hard, I'll see if I can adjust.

Monsterhearts and the prison pipeline: a play report.

Monsterhearts and the prison pipeline: a play report.

Last night, I had the pleasure to play Monsterhearts with Tony Lower-Basch. We had three players: myself as the Chosen, Em as the Wyrm, and Zed as the Calaca. The Chosen is your standard buffy type, the Wyrm is covetous and wealthy, and the Calaca is a skeleton wearing a human suit.

From the beginning, I wanted a Chosen different from normal. Instead of having an armory and a watcher and a history, I played a dumb jock who stands up for himself and does what needs to be done ... by killing vampires.

Em was delightful as the Wyrm. For introduction backstory, the Wyrm choses if the other player characters are treasure or mere currency. I was treasure, the Calaca merely currency. The Wyrm wanted to possess my chosen, and it was delightfully creepy.

The Calaca is a tough playbook, but Zed pulled it through.

Anyway, I really want to talk about something that went exactly as it should. While vaping his cherry bubble gum, my Chosen was attacked by one of the other jocks. Kids asserting dominance, whatever. And if characters were reasonable human beings, that's where it would have ended.

Instead, the chosen fought back. 10+ on Volatile, choosing to deal great harm. The kid lost teeth and broke an orbital socket. The Chosen was arrested for assault.

The next scenes for our Chosen involved time with adult criminals in the holding cell (kid, you are fucked. Have a cigarette. ::smokes, cough cough cough:::), and being interrogated by cops who have security camera footage of the Chosen murdering vampires. And the little idiot doesn't realize he should shut up and not talk to cops until they start showing him cold case files, and asking if he made sure vampires don't come back.

Meanwhile, the Wyrm manipulates the family of the kid in the hospital by promising to pay for their medical expenses, but only if they say he started it and it was all his fault. The cops drop the assault charges, but not so much the murder charges. The Chosen's public defender suggests he pleas guilty to murder in the second degree, and take just 20 years.

Our Chosen gets out on parole, and returns to the playground. With an ankle bracelet. And cigarettes. And a whole new attitude problem.

The Wyrm informs the Chosen that she got him out. And that she'll continue to help get rid of the charges, but only if he is her boyfriend. She invites the Chosen to her place, but ankle bracelet. Instead, the Wyrm comes over to "study".

That's pretty much that. The Chosen disgusts himself, and makes the Wyrm promise to get him out of this.

Don't talk to cops.

When buying grapes, how many do you sample?

October 6: 198.8

October 6: 198.8

We won! We won! We won! We won!

How in the world did I drop almost 4 pounds in a day?
-- I ran more than I ever have in a day. 3 sets of 5ks.
-- I ate reasonably. Quiche, leftover veggie fajitas, and twice baked potato.
-- I took a hot bath last night. Thanks, Aaron Griffin!
-- I slept not so well.

And, sure, is this water? Sure! Does that matter? Not to the bet.

In the last few months, I have:
-- Run. OMG, the running. I've set a couple of new personal records, both speed and distance in a day.
-- Skipped meals, primarily Thursday night dinner so I could afford to treats at Thursday night games.
-- Eaten smaller meals.
-- Learned how to sleep while hungry.

There are many people to thank, who have spurred me on, debated with me, or -- in the most important case -- provided continual and never ending love and support.

Let's start with: Dianne Harris.

Other people who I know have helped: Aaron Griffin, Tony Lower-Basch, Misha B, George Austin, Todd Sprang, Robert Bohl, Adam D, Gretchen S., Adam Dray.

Assuredly others!

I'm planning to have a more introspective post later on the effects this has had on me. But, yes: We Won.

If HRC and her people can do this to Pence in less than a day, what will they do to Putin? To China? To Britain?

If HRC and her people can do this to Pence in less than a day, what will they do to Putin? To China? To Britain?

How good is this campaign at manipulating rivals?

Since Friday, I've been really enjoying Endless Skies.

Since Friday, I've been really enjoying Endless Skies.

And I just realized: hand weapons are insurance against having to pay death benefits.

That's delightfully absurd. I adore this game.

October 5: 204.1. On track for Oct 23, up 0.4 from yesterday.

October 5: 204.1. On track for Oct 23, up 0.4 from yesterday.

I woke up sneezing this morning. Allergies are terrible.

I'm within accident range of the goal. I'm going to do as many 5k's as possible today. I expect two, and hope for three.

How much do you care or notice your own characters internal motivations in roleplaying games?

How much do you care or notice your own characters internal motivations in roleplaying games?

Not characters that belong to other players. Your own.

And how much of that is conveyed outwardly?

October 4: 203.7. On track for October 20. Down 2 pounds from yesterday.

October 4: 203.7. On track for October 20. Down 2 pounds from yesterday.

Running 10k went well: First half, 37:58. Back half, 40:26. Then I walked home, and played Endless Sky all night.

I weighed in before running, and after. I dropped a pound during the run, and another pound over night.

I may do this again tomorrow.

On taxes and politics:

On taxes and politics:

Remember, Obama doesn't have his money in a blind trust. Instead, his money is (almost) all in US Treasury bonds.

When last I read the Obama taxes, they had an income of more than a million dollars. This is more than double what the Presidency pays. The bulk of the rest was from the books.

On a 1040, the IRS asks what to do with any money they owe you. For most of us, this is simple: give it to me. Due to paying too much on estimate quarterly taxes, the IRS owed them tens of thousands of dollars.

When asked what to do with it, the Obamas did something few of us do: told the IRS to go ahead and hold onto it for another year. This is a zero-interest loan to the government.

Obama pays taxes, invests in America, and gives the Treasury no-interest loans.

Deducing a business expense doesn't make you smart. It means you hired decent tax lawyers. Paying extra doesn't make you smart, either -- but it sure makes you sound like a patriot.

October 3: 205.7. On track for October 31.

October 3: 205.7. On track for October 31.

I'm going to try something tonight. My 5k's have been getting easier, so I'm going to try a 10k.

Outside, mostly on the track. I'll bring water.

I've done this before, but not outside. Only on the treadmill.

We'll see what effect this has tomorrow morning.

Any suggestions?

October 2: 206.3, up 0.2 for the day. Up 0.7 for the week. Off track.

October 2: 206.3, up 0.2 for the day. Up 0.7 for the week. Off track.

Curse.

ok, ok.

I'm going to drink a lot of soylent this week.

Jane The Virgin is a show I really enjoy.

Jane The Virgin is a show I really enjoy.

This is kind of incompetence porn -- the opposite of things like Leverage. Its people making really stupid decisions.

And I love it.

But, about half their problems are easily solveable with tools they have in front of them, if their pride would stop getting in the way. Or religion.

At least once an episode, I shout at what they are doing.

And that's what I adore -- seeing them make terrible decisions.

Also, I'm pretty sure I am learning more Spanish from this show than I did from five years of classes.

This is gonna go here due to the subject material.

This is gonna go here due to the subject material.

I'm not sure how much I've talked about this (come on google, search within a collection should be easy), but I have a family history of major problems as a result of complications from the fatness.

I've been trying -- and failing! -- to lose weight for years.

I'm scared of diabetes. Of strokes. Of heart disease. But, that's all far away and hasn't worked as sufficient motivator to lose weight.

I also think that if I continued to be fat and to gain weight each year when I could have done otherwise, that that'd be a morally blameworthy action.

Let me explain that a little, as I lose people there.
Guiding Principle: If I know the outcome of a situation, and do not act to prevent it, I bear (some measure of) responsibility for the outcome.

Belief 1: I and pretty much I alone am responsible for what I put in my mouth. I control my limbs, and control how much I exercise.

Belief 2: I know that being fat will (or, rather, is likely to, but it works the same) result in major medical problems in twenty years, for me. Note: This has little if anything to do with your weight, and has to do with my family medical history.

Lemma 1: I am responsible for the medical outcomes that happen if I am fat.

Belief 3: Medical resources are not infinite; if I go to the ER for a heart attack, then someone else has to wait for treatment or go without.

Lemma 2: If I suffer from preventable medical treatments, other people will be harmed.

Along with the guiding principle, we get something like:
Conclusion: My being fat is a contributory & morally blameworthy factor that causes harm to others.

So ... yeah. I want to lose weight. More than that, I think it is morally blameworthy for me not to. I think my being fat would cause harm to others, and that I can prevent that harm by not being anymore.

I've intentionally put this into the language of logic, more or less. I've tried to make it less emotional, because damn my feelings on this remain raw. It gets into all sorts of issues, but I think this is fairly clear.

I've tried to stress this throughout, and will do so again here: This is about me. Its not about you. I'm not calling you immoral. I'm not saying what you should or should not do.

October 1: 206.1, same as yesterday. On track, just barely, due to rounding, for October 31.

October 1: 206.1, same as yesterday. On track, just barely, due to rounding, for October 31.

This is getting harder.