I've been trying to explain the magnificence of The Watch for a year. Tony explains it after a weeks thought.
As is becoming usual, I am stupendously glad I get to game with Tony Lower-Basch on a regular basis.
Originally shared by Tony Lower-Basch
The Watch, Dreamation Long Con, Pt. 1 (long)
I usually do my write-ups closer to the event, while the little details are fizzing and popping in my head. The Long-con (three slots, each slot four hours, telling one long arc) of Anna Kreider's new RPG The Watch (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/medeiros/the-watch-rpg/) is an exception for the best reason: I've had to think and digest on all of the cool stuff that happened, and each day I've found better things to say than the previous. I'll probably be better able to tell this story a month from now, but I've thought enough for a write-up, so I'll get it out there before Dreamation is just ancient history.
The first thing you will always, always, hear about The Watch is that it is a story of women and non-binary characters. And this is true! And it's a great thing to talk about, because representation is soo important. I'm going to let someone else talk about what that means. I want to talk about something that is (to my mind) equally radical that Anna is doing, and not even calling attention to.
We did the usual: Got our eight players together and learned the system a bit, absorbed the setting (tribes put their past history behind them to unite against The Shadow that threatens to consume them from without and within), and worked up past connections. I wanted to avoid, as much as possible, playing "A woman," as if that were the end of a conversation about personality, rather than the beginning. You know how it goes "This is Dirk, he is brooding and sad, but with a core of insecurity, this is Paldrin, he is bright-hearted and open, sometimes to a fault, and this is Lindelle, she's a girl." To give myself a creative constraint to force me to dig deeper than that, I sat out selecting play-books, and got the one that everyone else passed on: The Eagle is a vain, bragging, up front character specialized in two things ... kicking ass at the front of a charge, and being brave about opening up to people between battles. So, naturally, I mini-maxed the heck out of her ability to do those things. From the table discussion I gathered that other people were likewise finding where their character strengths were, and honing them.
This gets to the bit that I think is particularly brilliant about The Watch: There is not, as best I was able to discern, any dichotomy in the game between Fighting Stats and Interpersonal Stats. Everybody is going to have a particular way that they're good at fighting when swords are out and blood is flowing. And everybody is going to have a related way that they're good at the emotional work that binds a unit and a community together. Some people build their friends up. Some people get sloppy drunk and drag your shy self on to the dance floor. Some people call folks in. Some people keep other people's hard secrets. Some people are steady rocks that everyone knows they can count on... and just as in combat, the team works when people play to each other's strengths and tailor their moves toward setting the volleyball for other team-members to spike.
I'm getting ahead of myself though ... this is what I learned during play. What actually happened next is that they took the two people who had chosen to have their characters be Corporals, and lined the rest of us up against a wall, and had the non-coms take turns picking us out, like pickup soccer. Then each group of four went off to their own table (and not knowing what happened at the other table was maddening, let me tell you!) Our team was:
Our corporal, Laustec, who was amazing at taking on other people's secrets and hurt. Played by Albert D.
Spooky priestess-reconnaissance girl Peyma, who kept everything under wraps (literally!) until it was time to cut loose. Played by George Austin
Natural-born XO Tabak, who was sooo strong and reliable at lending support and backup when people needed. Played by Christo Meid
We got the inimitable Aaron Friesen as MC, and they threw us straight into a mission: Take back a fort! The dice did what dice do, and we had an overall success but with pretty severe complications. During the battle Tabak got cut off and did terrible things under the Shadow's influence (and we ended up with three more bodies to bury, rather than three rescued hostages), and we also had a "Shadow-problem to be named later."
Laustec, being the non-com, ended up absorbing the brunt of both of these brilliantly. Tabak came to her to confess, and Laustec took on the responsibility and covered up the crime. Then one of the NPCs came up and straight out tried to knife Laustec, her eyes blank with the Shadow's influence. Laustec's priority was "conceal what's happening with my cloak, so nobody knows." So she gets stabbed and is hugging this girl until the shadow passes and the girl breaks down. As far as any of the rest of us know, the NPC (whose name eludes me, and it's killing me!) just went up and got swept into an embrace, then broke down crying. Laustec discreetly pockets the knife, pats her on the shoulder, and goes off to bind her wounds.
We loved our corporal.
There was hugging and crying freakin' everywhere... because that's a game move. You can gain camaraderie (and other bennies) by opening up and being vulnerable, or arguing, or carousing, and we certainly had plenty of opportunity for all three: My character (Presti) came to Peyma and choked out "These were our people before the Shadow ... I knew that guy (points to corpse), I played with him by the river, and now I've >choked sob< I've killed him! I don't know how everyone else can seem okay with this! Peyma, I know we have to be strong, but I'm n-not okay-ay with thi-i-i-isss!", and we both hugged and cried it out, and collected Camaraderie (the "help your team-mates" currency). I quickly realized that if my vain, bragging Eagle was not going to be a complete twit, she would need to be bragging about how awesome her team-mates were, so I went around assuring people that they were the best thing ever. We had a funeral for those we slew, and during my flubbed attempt at a eulogy we got attacked and kicked some more ass ... then more emotional work, with Peyma reaching out to Tabak, and everyone closing circles to make sure nobody had failed to connect with anyone.
The emotional-work scenes ripped away the unreality of the battle we'd just fought, and turned it from something we could imagine as a tactical exercise into, retroactively, a heart-and-guts trial of trauma and bravery. It made perfectly clear that the only way we were going to get through the battles to come would be by counting on our sister warriors. And then it backed that up with very concrete game currency. So good.
At the same time, the emotional work was advancing our tactical options: Tabak was emotionally in ruins about what she had done, and was confiding left and right. As she looked for redemption, she concluded that she needed to make some way that the Shadow could never get to her again. And, of course, Laustec and Peyma were ready and willing to help, though they argued over the best way to do so (Tabak confessed to Presti and got a forgiveness so complete and unconditional that she then couldn't talk to Presti about her need for redemption ... it was bizarre and cool). So when a group of Shadow-held tried to take the fort back, our unit jaunted through the spirit world to pop up right in their back ranks, and disrupt the heck out of their formation, to seize a shadow artifact for Tabak's plans.
Now I heard a lot about the difference in dice between the two tables ... I don't know, I wasn't at the other table. But I'll tell you what I saw in this second battle: We had some good and some crummy rolls, again, but now we had a huge bank of camaraderie points from the emotional work we'd done between battles. So when something went wrong, we had the in-game resources to mitigate the damage, and could narrate our team-mates swooping in to save the day. We did that a lot and it made a huge difference in how the second battle turned out (pretty much flawless victory, post-camaraderie-spend, which would be our trope going forward).
While Peyma and Tabak used the shadow-artifact to make an awesome amulet of shadow-protection that saved the day a ton going forward, Laustec went to report to our higher-ups. And when she did so, she immediately totally confessed that under her direction the unit was meddling with shadow-stuff, that she wasn't going to tell our superiors who was doing it, because it was her responsibility as corporal. She insisted that any consequences that fell upon the group fall upon her. The higher-up (whose title eludes me) commended her for her honesty, sentenced her to ten lashes in front of the unit, and promoted her to sergeant.
And, of course, with the drama ratcheted up that way we flipped the heck out on hitting our distinctive ways of doing emotional work. Tabak argued with the higher-up, then went and comforted Laustec. Presti was all guilt-prone about having caused this (she had her contorted logic, it was not sound logic, but she clung to it). Peyma was kicking over stuff and shouting that this wasn't right, the sergeant stood up for us ... and yeah, maybe Presti got a little breathless at Peyma's unleashed passion. There may have been some lip-locking there. Camaraderie all around!
That's the thing, see? Throughout that session is became clear that there wasn't a distinction between fighting with a sword on the battlefield, and giving each other high-fives afterwards. They were both essential acts in the overall struggle. That is so freeing! It's way more than simply saying "Women can swing a sword too!" (although that's important). It's saying "There is more to fighting for your people, and for justice, than some toxic vision of unending combat. It's something you bring your whole personhood to, and we're going to tell a story of the whole thing." I think that is radical. I want to do a ton more.
A lot of discussion of The Watch is going to center around gender, but for me this distinction isn't a gendered one: I've played to these exact stories (in far less supportive systems) with character names like Spencer, and Forzy (4Z-LX). This is something that comes up (for me) whether I'm playing a guy, or a girl, or a genderless droid. The emotional work of drawing a group together? That is my RPG jam. It was so very, very cool to see a rules system that recognized that not merely as an alternative to combat and conflict, but as another piece of the jigsaw puzzle. It was great to see a system where you could approach each other with your fists clenched, or your arms opened, and neither was wrong, neither had priority over the other, they were all part of a big complicated emotional world.
And that, my friends, was session one.
In case you're wondering, yes the Kickstarter is still open. And it's in Canadian dollars, so, y'know ... all the jokes about currency exchange rates. It's a terrific game. I'm looking forward to eventually seeing how it plays in a Play-by-Post or Hangout format, because I think it really benefits from being more than a one-shot ... folks were visibly digesting their experiences, and they came to the second session with new insights and building excitement. But that's for Part 2.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/medeiros/the-watch-rpg/
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Back and Spent Again: or, How Adventurers Pay The Rent
Back and Spent Again: or, How Adventurers Pay The Rent
There's a start of session move called Pay The Rent. You lose some resources, based on conditions. In particular, you lose assets or else take harm. You lose Bonds or else take stress. You lose Credit or else take Jaded.
In a previous version, I had you pay rent when you came back from an adventure.
During a session, I realized I could do better.
When you come back from an adventure:
For each Harm taken, spend an asset. For each you don't, mark another harm.
For each Stress taken, spend a bond. For each you don't, mark another stress.
For each Jaded taken, spend a credit. For each you don't, mark another jaded.
You get no particular benefit from this, you merely stop your wounds from getting worse.
There's a start of session move called Pay The Rent. You lose some resources, based on conditions. In particular, you lose assets or else take harm. You lose Bonds or else take stress. You lose Credit or else take Jaded.
In a previous version, I had you pay rent when you came back from an adventure.
During a session, I realized I could do better.
When you come back from an adventure:
For each Harm taken, spend an asset. For each you don't, mark another harm.
For each Stress taken, spend a bond. For each you don't, mark another stress.
For each Jaded taken, spend a credit. For each you don't, mark another jaded.
You get no particular benefit from this, you merely stop your wounds from getting worse.
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Dear friends
Dear friends,
Have you made the world safer for your neighbors this week?
In the last week or so I've:
-- Gone to a huddle, been disappointed in the organization, and tried to push other people to organize
-- Called my house rep, asking when he'll be pushing for impeachment
-- Built in poverty and privilege rules for my game about fantasy adventurers. This game has morphed pretty hugely from where it began, and may do some good.
The work crap came to a head, and should be coming back to a normal state. I came out a winner, and should have extra money! I'll know when the paycheck shows up in a few days.
Some of that extra money is going to the ACLU, but I am questioning what to do with the rest. Comments welcome.
This week, I plan to:
-- Host a postcard party to help our friends contact their representatives
-- Complete that game, get it to the civic games contest and move that part of my brain onto something else.
-- Continue to bother my house rep about impeachment.
Love to you and yours! He will not divide us!
Have you made the world safer for your neighbors this week?
In the last week or so I've:
-- Gone to a huddle, been disappointed in the organization, and tried to push other people to organize
-- Called my house rep, asking when he'll be pushing for impeachment
-- Built in poverty and privilege rules for my game about fantasy adventurers. This game has morphed pretty hugely from where it began, and may do some good.
The work crap came to a head, and should be coming back to a normal state. I came out a winner, and should have extra money! I'll know when the paycheck shows up in a few days.
Some of that extra money is going to the ACLU, but I am questioning what to do with the rest. Comments welcome.
This week, I plan to:
-- Host a postcard party to help our friends contact their representatives
-- Complete that game, get it to the civic games contest and move that part of my brain onto something else.
-- Continue to bother my house rep about impeachment.
Love to you and yours! He will not divide us!
Friday, February 24, 2017
... and Back Again: or, How adventurers pay the rent.
... and Back Again: or, How adventurers pay the rent.
Last night, we playtested.
Adam Dray, spoilers here for a game you're gonna have to judge. Use your own judgement on whether you should read.
I warned my friends that this game is not safe, and that it may be emotionally harmful.
I decided up front that agender dwarves with visible prosthetic would be the most privileged group. For each axis you aligned, you got a bonus -- you needed to pay less in upkeep. For every point you were not like the privileged group, you had a minus -- life was more expensive. If you were not matched up on all of them, you got an even worse minus.
If you matched up on all three, you got a bonus.
That is, if you were an agender dwarf with prosthetic eyes then you got an effective -2 to each poverty stat. If you were a male dwarf with prosthetic eyes, then you get a -1 to two poverty stats stats.
(lower poverty is easier.)
I told them none of this, and let them decide. My players have grown pretty accustomed to choosing from six gender options and maybe a dozen prosthetic. Because I often think such things are cool, and make for more interesting conversations and characters.
One player chosen to be an agender dwarf with aforementioned eyes. Their rent due was zero.
Another player chose to be a male human with no prosthetic. He had to pay 2 resources of each type. That is, he had to pay six resources to get the same thing the other player did from nothing.
This went about as well as could be expected.
By which I mean the character who had to pay so much thought it was incredibly unfair. He's not wrong, but that was kind of the point.
He thought he should be able to chose, because its a game. I empathize, but the eye rolls from folks who aren't straight white men was kind of fantastic.
The character who didn't have to pay upkeep was all "why should i bother doing things? life is peachy"
I'm going to change things around a bit, make it a random draw table, and change prosthetic to origin -- essentially, immigration status.
Oh, and I'm going to get it to ten pages. Somehow.
Last night, we playtested.
Adam Dray, spoilers here for a game you're gonna have to judge. Use your own judgement on whether you should read.
I warned my friends that this game is not safe, and that it may be emotionally harmful.
I decided up front that agender dwarves with visible prosthetic would be the most privileged group. For each axis you aligned, you got a bonus -- you needed to pay less in upkeep. For every point you were not like the privileged group, you had a minus -- life was more expensive. If you were not matched up on all of them, you got an even worse minus.
If you matched up on all three, you got a bonus.
That is, if you were an agender dwarf with prosthetic eyes then you got an effective -2 to each poverty stat. If you were a male dwarf with prosthetic eyes, then you get a -1 to two poverty stats stats.
(lower poverty is easier.)
I told them none of this, and let them decide. My players have grown pretty accustomed to choosing from six gender options and maybe a dozen prosthetic. Because I often think such things are cool, and make for more interesting conversations and characters.
One player chosen to be an agender dwarf with aforementioned eyes. Their rent due was zero.
Another player chose to be a male human with no prosthetic. He had to pay 2 resources of each type. That is, he had to pay six resources to get the same thing the other player did from nothing.
This went about as well as could be expected.
By which I mean the character who had to pay so much thought it was incredibly unfair. He's not wrong, but that was kind of the point.
He thought he should be able to chose, because its a game. I empathize, but the eye rolls from folks who aren't straight white men was kind of fantastic.
The character who didn't have to pay upkeep was all "why should i bother doing things? life is peachy"
I'm going to change things around a bit, make it a random draw table, and change prosthetic to origin -- essentially, immigration status.
Oh, and I'm going to get it to ten pages. Somehow.
This game is very close.
This game is very close.
What game? I don't know the name, but its about fantasy adventurers returning from the adventure.
It really is; there's a move for going on an adventure and everything. And you've got classes like Paladin and Thief. And bard.
That being said, the MC is tracking a poverty rating for each character -- which is how much you need to pay when you pay the rent. This rating is based on privilege levels, which are invisible to the player characters. That is, I didn't tell them before they made unalterable decisions.
At the same time, the three poverty fronts are also spewing out new problems -- ones related to safety, friendships, and your place in society. These have countdown clocks. If the PCs ignore them, they get worse until they make everything terrible.
Next steps: remove the hard currency, simplify, cut to ten pages and submit to the civic games contest.
I need a name. Who can name games?
What game? I don't know the name, but its about fantasy adventurers returning from the adventure.
It really is; there's a move for going on an adventure and everything. And you've got classes like Paladin and Thief. And bard.
That being said, the MC is tracking a poverty rating for each character -- which is how much you need to pay when you pay the rent. This rating is based on privilege levels, which are invisible to the player characters. That is, I didn't tell them before they made unalterable decisions.
At the same time, the three poverty fronts are also spewing out new problems -- ones related to safety, friendships, and your place in society. These have countdown clocks. If the PCs ignore them, they get worse until they make everything terrible.
Next steps: remove the hard currency, simplify, cut to ten pages and submit to the civic games contest.
I need a name. Who can name games?
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Got any RPGs about poverty, oppression, loneliness?
Got any RPGs about poverty, oppression, loneliness?
asking for a friend. well, for me.
asking for a friend. well, for me.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Dear friends
Dear friends,
Have you made the world safer for your neighbors this week?
In the last week or so I've:
-- Emailed the DNC regarding how we choose electors.
-- Turned over a meetup to the woman who should be in charge of it, making it easier for her to organize the community for activism.
-- Spent several days at Dreamation
-- Called various representatives, with the question of "What is the representative/senator doing to remove Trump from office?"
I had to deal with a lot of work crap, and haven't gotten as much done as I would like. I'm still not up on what happened this weekend, but it sure looks bad.
This week, I plan to:
-- Attend a huddle, to discuss next steps, try to walk away with an action item
-- Build out as RPG about murder hoboes as a secret poverty simulator.
Love to you and yours! He will not divide us!
Have you made the world safer for your neighbors this week?
In the last week or so I've:
-- Emailed the DNC regarding how we choose electors.
-- Turned over a meetup to the woman who should be in charge of it, making it easier for her to organize the community for activism.
-- Spent several days at Dreamation
-- Called various representatives, with the question of "What is the representative/senator doing to remove Trump from office?"
I had to deal with a lot of work crap, and haven't gotten as much done as I would like. I'm still not up on what happened this weekend, but it sure looks bad.
This week, I plan to:
-- Attend a huddle, to discuss next steps, try to walk away with an action item
-- Build out as RPG about murder hoboes as a secret poverty simulator.
Love to you and yours! He will not divide us!
Monday, February 20, 2017
Fantasy Adventurers returning from the adventure.
Fantasy Adventurers returning from the adventure.
The week Off
After The Campaign
Between Adventurers
I'm not sure what I'm calling this game. It is about a group of fantasy adventurers, strutting back home and dealing with social problems. They mostly live together, maybe with other people.
I had a great playtest with Sean Leventhal and Sarah Shugars at Dreamation. And then I played Adam Dray's city of Brass campaign, which hits a lot of points I've wanted.
I'd love to hear what anyone thinks, and especially those three.
Here's what I'm thinking about changing:
-- Introduce Copper / Silver / Gold / Platinum, instead of just "coin". Copper is related to assets, Silver to Bonds, Gold to Community Credit, and Platinum is a wildcard that always causes problems. You can always use a higher one in place of any number of a lower one, and never get change.
-- MC facing start of game lever on starting wealth.
-- MC facing levers on poverty -- that is, on how expensive it is to survive. Additionally, new problems arise based on poverty. This goes from -3 (Apocalypse) to -1 (Wealthy).
-- hard currency can be spent for a 10+ on a roll, or towards the rent.
-- Reward for adventures becomes a single copper / silver / gold, spread among the player characters. They can decide how to disburse it. That is, hard currency is rare.
-- Modifying the Enclave moves to relate to enclave problems.
-- Adding a "Rely on your poverty" move.
-- Adding an adventure worth zero coins. Instead, this lets you explore a problem related to the enclave. Not solve it, for that you'll need to make special arrangement. But, spend some time looking into issues. And then pay rent.
-- I am considering getting rid of the bond and credit descriptions, and consolidating this to just the classifications. That'll save space, but that may not be sufficiently differentiated.
The adventure continues to be the primary way of gaining resources. I've really increased the number of problems facing the PCs, based on how impoverished they are.
I've also added ways of delaying those problems, but there are absolutely no system ways to resolve those problems. Nor to fix issues of poverty.
Play tests: they get the job done.
The week Off
After The Campaign
Between Adventurers
I'm not sure what I'm calling this game. It is about a group of fantasy adventurers, strutting back home and dealing with social problems. They mostly live together, maybe with other people.
I had a great playtest with Sean Leventhal and Sarah Shugars at Dreamation. And then I played Adam Dray's city of Brass campaign, which hits a lot of points I've wanted.
I'd love to hear what anyone thinks, and especially those three.
Here's what I'm thinking about changing:
-- Introduce Copper / Silver / Gold / Platinum, instead of just "coin". Copper is related to assets, Silver to Bonds, Gold to Community Credit, and Platinum is a wildcard that always causes problems. You can always use a higher one in place of any number of a lower one, and never get change.
-- MC facing start of game lever on starting wealth.
-- MC facing levers on poverty -- that is, on how expensive it is to survive. Additionally, new problems arise based on poverty. This goes from -3 (Apocalypse) to -1 (Wealthy).
-- hard currency can be spent for a 10+ on a roll, or towards the rent.
-- Reward for adventures becomes a single copper / silver / gold, spread among the player characters. They can decide how to disburse it. That is, hard currency is rare.
-- Modifying the Enclave moves to relate to enclave problems.
-- Adding a "Rely on your poverty" move.
-- Adding an adventure worth zero coins. Instead, this lets you explore a problem related to the enclave. Not solve it, for that you'll need to make special arrangement. But, spend some time looking into issues. And then pay rent.
-- I am considering getting rid of the bond and credit descriptions, and consolidating this to just the classifications. That'll save space, but that may not be sufficiently differentiated.
The adventure continues to be the primary way of gaining resources. I've really increased the number of problems facing the PCs, based on how impoverished they are.
I've also added ways of delaying those problems, but there are absolutely no system ways to resolve those problems. Nor to fix issues of poverty.
Play tests: they get the job done.
This is my attempt to talk about Dreamation 2017. I'll assuredly fail to mention some amazing people.
This is my attempt to talk about Dreamation 2017. I'll assuredly fail to mention some amazing people.
tl;dr - everything was amazing. I met cool new people, reconnected with cool people that I adore, and played some fantastic games.
Roomating and driving up with Tony Lower-Basch, George Austin, and Ariana Tobias worked tremendously well. Meeting friends new and old is really the best part, for me. Knowing I have games to bring back home, and people to connect with, is fantastic.
Whenever showing up to these, I try to keep in mind that, as Garfunkle and Oats might put it, I wear camouflage on camouflage. I'm a white guy with no particular distinguishing marks, haircut, or mannerisms. Being aware of this, I don't really expect people to remember me, and am always thrilled when they do.
Some games:
Thursday:
Nightingales as run by Misha B! This was bleedy and great, and I got to play with Patty Kirsch, and two people new to me whose names I do not have. A couple of truly great moments: playing as Omar the wounded soldier in the opening when we still had hope for him -- and even then being moved nearly to tears. And, communally arranging a scene so that it went from ladies talking about patient care to Patty acting as an asshole doctor and mansplaining my place. I sat down so she could looooom.
Friday:
Morning: I ran my first Dreamation game! An in playtest game about space pirates called Solar Wind and Sales. I got some good feedback, and have some good changes to make. Fundamentally, I think there's some really good mechanics here that drive the story in the direction I want.
Afternoon: Dream Askew with Chelsey E.. We had four players, which worked out amazingly well. This was probably the best game of Dream Askew I've ever played and bleedy as fuck.
Evening: I wound up a little sick after dinner and ditched out of a larp. I took some time to call home, then went to the bar and wound up meeting and playing games with Vincent Baker, Meguey Baker, and the always amazing Rachel E.S. Walton.
We played Bedlam Beautiful and omg. Rachel and Meguey teamed up as The System and The Disease, and I fought to find the one person who wasn't trying to do me ill. This wound up being surreal, a game of a woman walking around at night while struggling with her mental illness and, eventually, coming home to a worried husband.
Midnight: Sleep, the larp. A game for 1-N players. In our room, 4. I always sleep better the second night, and had given my sleeping pad a bit more time to inflate. I slept wonderfully.
Saturday:
Morning: I ran my other game, a game currently in search of a name, with Sean Leventhal and Sarah Shugars! This was one of the better plays I've had. Which makes sense, as I was running up against a wall and sought professional help.
This is a game where you play as fantasy adventurers returning from the adventure, and have to face the repercussions. Its the down time between adventurers, and is all about the social repercussions.
I've got some good playtest information, and some absolutely fantastic ideas that I want to pull in. We came up with more ideas in the car. More on that when I do them.
Afternoon: A larp didn't get enough people, and I wound up at the bar with Jason Morningstar, Chelsey E., Shane Liebling, and a half dozen others. We played Choose Your Own Adventure, a game told in the second person.
When that broke up, I wandered around and wound up playing The King Is Dead with Vincent Baker and Shane Liebling. Hey Vincent, when can I throw money at you to get a few copies?
Evening: City of Brass with Adam Dray.
I've learned something! I do not like Dungeon and Dragons fifth edition any more than I thought I would! The fictional levers are not obvious to me, and I have to think outside the system to get what I want.
That being said, omg, playing as a braggart warlock who is known to everyone as a dangerously bad dude? Pretty rad.
Sunday:
A second session of City of Brass with Adam Dray. I was in two in part as I've wanted my murderhobo game to work for City of Brass, and I think I can do it.
I experimented with asymmetric information warfare in City of Brass, and have some lessons I'm going to try to bring home. For those following along who know The Big Fucking Deal that I was trying to work through, I think I taught myself the solution in these games.
tl;dr - everything was amazing. I met cool new people, reconnected with cool people that I adore, and played some fantastic games.
Roomating and driving up with Tony Lower-Basch, George Austin, and Ariana Tobias worked tremendously well. Meeting friends new and old is really the best part, for me. Knowing I have games to bring back home, and people to connect with, is fantastic.
Whenever showing up to these, I try to keep in mind that, as Garfunkle and Oats might put it, I wear camouflage on camouflage. I'm a white guy with no particular distinguishing marks, haircut, or mannerisms. Being aware of this, I don't really expect people to remember me, and am always thrilled when they do.
Some games:
Thursday:
Nightingales as run by Misha B! This was bleedy and great, and I got to play with Patty Kirsch, and two people new to me whose names I do not have. A couple of truly great moments: playing as Omar the wounded soldier in the opening when we still had hope for him -- and even then being moved nearly to tears. And, communally arranging a scene so that it went from ladies talking about patient care to Patty acting as an asshole doctor and mansplaining my place. I sat down so she could looooom.
Friday:
Morning: I ran my first Dreamation game! An in playtest game about space pirates called Solar Wind and Sales. I got some good feedback, and have some good changes to make. Fundamentally, I think there's some really good mechanics here that drive the story in the direction I want.
Afternoon: Dream Askew with Chelsey E.. We had four players, which worked out amazingly well. This was probably the best game of Dream Askew I've ever played and bleedy as fuck.
Evening: I wound up a little sick after dinner and ditched out of a larp. I took some time to call home, then went to the bar and wound up meeting and playing games with Vincent Baker, Meguey Baker, and the always amazing Rachel E.S. Walton.
We played Bedlam Beautiful and omg. Rachel and Meguey teamed up as The System and The Disease, and I fought to find the one person who wasn't trying to do me ill. This wound up being surreal, a game of a woman walking around at night while struggling with her mental illness and, eventually, coming home to a worried husband.
Midnight: Sleep, the larp. A game for 1-N players. In our room, 4. I always sleep better the second night, and had given my sleeping pad a bit more time to inflate. I slept wonderfully.
Saturday:
Morning: I ran my other game, a game currently in search of a name, with Sean Leventhal and Sarah Shugars! This was one of the better plays I've had. Which makes sense, as I was running up against a wall and sought professional help.
This is a game where you play as fantasy adventurers returning from the adventure, and have to face the repercussions. Its the down time between adventurers, and is all about the social repercussions.
I've got some good playtest information, and some absolutely fantastic ideas that I want to pull in. We came up with more ideas in the car. More on that when I do them.
Afternoon: A larp didn't get enough people, and I wound up at the bar with Jason Morningstar, Chelsey E., Shane Liebling, and a half dozen others. We played Choose Your Own Adventure, a game told in the second person.
When that broke up, I wandered around and wound up playing The King Is Dead with Vincent Baker and Shane Liebling. Hey Vincent, when can I throw money at you to get a few copies?
Evening: City of Brass with Adam Dray.
I've learned something! I do not like Dungeon and Dragons fifth edition any more than I thought I would! The fictional levers are not obvious to me, and I have to think outside the system to get what I want.
That being said, omg, playing as a braggart warlock who is known to everyone as a dangerously bad dude? Pretty rad.
Sunday:
A second session of City of Brass with Adam Dray. I was in two in part as I've wanted my murderhobo game to work for City of Brass, and I think I can do it.
I experimented with asymmetric information warfare in City of Brass, and have some lessons I'm going to try to bring home. For those following along who know The Big Fucking Deal that I was trying to work through, I think I taught myself the solution in these games.
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Dreamation t-minus 1 day.
Dreamation t-minus 1 day.
Excitement!
I am really surprised that there are more seats left in Markets and Mages than Solar Wind and Sale.
While this is probably just noise, maybe it means something more:
-- Pirates are cooler than adventurers.
-- Personnel Management is cooler than personal finances.
-- My own passion is evident. Solar Wind is a more recent project, and I've got more forks dedicated to it. As an aside, are forks a thing? I think I heard Mo use it, and I'm pretty sure it is an extension of the spoon metaphor for those with enough spoons.
I'm signed up for so many ridiculously cool games. About half are because of a cool game, and the rest are to hang with friends I see once a year.
I've tentatively scheduled a sick day for Monday. I think last year I needed two, and was a wreck for a week.
I don't have that luxury this year. Things are happening in the office, and I need to be around for them.
Excitement!
I am really surprised that there are more seats left in Markets and Mages than Solar Wind and Sale.
While this is probably just noise, maybe it means something more:
-- Pirates are cooler than adventurers.
-- Personnel Management is cooler than personal finances.
-- My own passion is evident. Solar Wind is a more recent project, and I've got more forks dedicated to it. As an aside, are forks a thing? I think I heard Mo use it, and I'm pretty sure it is an extension of the spoon metaphor for those with enough spoons.
I'm signed up for so many ridiculously cool games. About half are because of a cool game, and the rest are to hang with friends I see once a year.
I've tentatively scheduled a sick day for Monday. I think last year I needed two, and was a wreck for a week.
I don't have that luxury this year. Things are happening in the office, and I need to be around for them.
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Caliphate of Azithan, or Convocation of Malqort ...
Caliphate of Azithan, or Convocation of Malqort ...
Sends out camps to establish a beach head and spread civilization.
These are 500 souls. What professions need to be included?
Of the 500, ~100 are Lifeless, 30 are ghosts, and 10 are horses. You're left with 360 living, breathing people.
The lifeless do most unskilled labor, meaning these 360 can be well trained and specialized.
What I've got so far: priests, wizards, lifeless caretakers
, mechanics, carpenters, blacksmiths, engineers, farmers, hunter, fishers, soldiers, military officers, horse riders, horse caretakers, sailors, crafters, scribe, doctor / nurse, cooks, personal assistants
What else would you want in a small group, able to live off the land for an indefinite people and act as a seed of civilization?
What skills and abilities are missing from this fantasy setup?
Sends out camps to establish a beach head and spread civilization.
These are 500 souls. What professions need to be included?
Of the 500, ~100 are Lifeless, 30 are ghosts, and 10 are horses. You're left with 360 living, breathing people.
The lifeless do most unskilled labor, meaning these 360 can be well trained and specialized.
What I've got so far: priests, wizards, lifeless caretakers
, mechanics, carpenters, blacksmiths, engineers, farmers, hunter, fishers, soldiers, military officers, horse riders, horse caretakers, sailors, crafters, scribe, doctor / nurse, cooks, personal assistants
What else would you want in a small group, able to live off the land for an indefinite people and act as a seed of civilization?
What skills and abilities are missing from this fantasy setup?
Monday, February 13, 2017
In the Convocation of Malqort -- known to legend as the Caliphate of Azithan ...
In the Convocation of Malqort -- known to legend as the Caliphate of Azithan ...
Camp on the Borderlands
These camps are a means of flinging outward the power of the Convocation. They are also the seeds of future civilization. Here, we examine a small one for easy analysis.
Measuring an outer edge of 200 feet by 400 feet, the camp holds 500 souls. By default design, this is 360 living persons, 100 lifeless, 30 ghosts, and ten horses. This is relatively tight, and allows for a secure emergency perimeter.
These camps start life as walking camps, and all equipment they start with can be moved by the crew. Lifeless don't need a lot of supplies other than ichor alcohol to repair them, but 360 living persons and ten horses need to eat a lot. They travel with tents and boats and tools and supplies.
As an aside, those boats are powered by lifeless turning a crankshaft. The horses are not gelded, and the living souls make up every gender, ethnicity, and fantasy race (elves? dwarves?) possible. Without additional intervention, there is sufficient means here to build a civilization.
Once they set up a permanent location, this nucleus accepts newcomers. They take the poor, the hungry, the tired, the local population. Those yearning to breath free.
Persons of other religions are welcome, though if you don't attend prayer you don't get the Faithful's Surplus. After all, this is a theocracy -- they are allowed a religious test. For those who attend services this income provides sufficient wealth to have a meager existence without additional work. During every prayer service, the priests distribute the Faithful's Surplus to those in attendance.
The lifeless and the camp build housing, invite newcomers to prayers, and find work for those who want it. There's only so much Lifeless can do, and after that you need human help.
While the initial buildings will be catch as catch can, over the course of a year, this begins to follow a standardized design. This includes manufacturing and industrial areas, tenements and bathhouses. Of course, parks and temples.
Anything that existed before is ground away or incorporated into the growing city. A city of 10,000 takes less than a square mile of land, but the farm land is immense. You need about an acre per person, so this is 15-16 square miles.
The Convocation is happy to buy crops, and happier still to produce it with Lifeless. Any peoples who already live here are welcome to join, and don't even have to pray.
Still reading? Is this still a good aligned civilization?
Camp on the Borderlands
These camps are a means of flinging outward the power of the Convocation. They are also the seeds of future civilization. Here, we examine a small one for easy analysis.
Measuring an outer edge of 200 feet by 400 feet, the camp holds 500 souls. By default design, this is 360 living persons, 100 lifeless, 30 ghosts, and ten horses. This is relatively tight, and allows for a secure emergency perimeter.
These camps start life as walking camps, and all equipment they start with can be moved by the crew. Lifeless don't need a lot of supplies other than ichor alcohol to repair them, but 360 living persons and ten horses need to eat a lot. They travel with tents and boats and tools and supplies.
As an aside, those boats are powered by lifeless turning a crankshaft. The horses are not gelded, and the living souls make up every gender, ethnicity, and fantasy race (elves? dwarves?) possible. Without additional intervention, there is sufficient means here to build a civilization.
Once they set up a permanent location, this nucleus accepts newcomers. They take the poor, the hungry, the tired, the local population. Those yearning to breath free.
Persons of other religions are welcome, though if you don't attend prayer you don't get the Faithful's Surplus. After all, this is a theocracy -- they are allowed a religious test. For those who attend services this income provides sufficient wealth to have a meager existence without additional work. During every prayer service, the priests distribute the Faithful's Surplus to those in attendance.
The lifeless and the camp build housing, invite newcomers to prayers, and find work for those who want it. There's only so much Lifeless can do, and after that you need human help.
While the initial buildings will be catch as catch can, over the course of a year, this begins to follow a standardized design. This includes manufacturing and industrial areas, tenements and bathhouses. Of course, parks and temples.
Anything that existed before is ground away or incorporated into the growing city. A city of 10,000 takes less than a square mile of land, but the farm land is immense. You need about an acre per person, so this is 15-16 square miles.
The Convocation is happy to buy crops, and happier still to produce it with Lifeless. Any peoples who already live here are welcome to join, and don't even have to pray.
Still reading? Is this still a good aligned civilization?
Sunday, February 12, 2017
Dear friends
Dear friends,
Have you made the world safer for your neighbors this week?
In the last week or so I've:
-- Attended a huddle that was 90% women, and left with the (now complete) action item of setting up a meetup page for the future.
-- Helped my wife meet with the young democrats.
-- I did not email the DNC about the process of choosing electors. I need to research what I meant by this and how I can help. It seems far away, but matters.
This third week saw the courts standing up, and ever more incomprehensible tweets from the resident of the Oval Office. My work bullshit hit a crescendo, and will hopefully decrease next week.
Next week, I'm planning to:
-- Email the DNC
-- Turn over the huddle's meetup account to the rightful leader. I'm happy to run IT and do behind the scenes stuff, but the face and brains of the movement's got to be women.
-- Spend several days at Dreamation. Its kind of like therapy and self-care all rolled into one glorious package.
Love to you and yours! He will not divide us!
Have you made the world safer for your neighbors this week?
In the last week or so I've:
-- Attended a huddle that was 90% women, and left with the (now complete) action item of setting up a meetup page for the future.
-- Helped my wife meet with the young democrats.
-- I did not email the DNC about the process of choosing electors. I need to research what I meant by this and how I can help. It seems far away, but matters.
This third week saw the courts standing up, and ever more incomprehensible tweets from the resident of the Oval Office. My work bullshit hit a crescendo, and will hopefully decrease next week.
Next week, I'm planning to:
-- Email the DNC
-- Turn over the huddle's meetup account to the rightful leader. I'm happy to run IT and do behind the scenes stuff, but the face and brains of the movement's got to be women.
-- Spend several days at Dreamation. Its kind of like therapy and self-care all rolled into one glorious package.
Love to you and yours! He will not divide us!
Current Dreamation Schedule:
Current Dreamation Schedule:
Thursday 8PM: L0004, War Birds; "Nightingales - Casablanca" with Misha B
Friday 9AM: *R0221, Solar Wind & Sales. My game about space pirates.
[ Note: I am only not freaking out about that because I see at least one friend'll be in it. Still. ]
Friday 2PM: R0246, Dream Askew with Chelsey E.!
Friday 8PM: L0023, Strange Gravity with Jason Morningstar.
Saturday 9AM: *R0311, Markets and Mages. My game about adventuers paying the rent.
[ Note: I am not freaking out about this game because clearly no one will sign up. ]
Saturday 2PM: L0039, Pirates Life with Jay Treat
Hopefully more later!
Thursday 8PM: L0004, War Birds; "Nightingales - Casablanca" with Misha B
Friday 9AM: *R0221, Solar Wind & Sales. My game about space pirates.
[ Note: I am only not freaking out about that because I see at least one friend'll be in it. Still. ]
Friday 2PM: R0246, Dream Askew with Chelsey E.!
Friday 8PM: L0023, Strange Gravity with Jason Morningstar.
Saturday 9AM: *R0311, Markets and Mages. My game about adventuers paying the rent.
[ Note: I am not freaking out about this game because clearly no one will sign up. ]
Saturday 2PM: L0039, Pirates Life with Jay Treat
Hopefully more later!
Saturday, February 11, 2017
Going to dreamation?
Going to dreamation?
Want to play a game I facilitate?
Wanna play a game about space pirates?
R0221: "Solar Wind & Sales" -- Friday, 9:00AM - 1:00PM
Wanna play a game about adventurers between the adventure?
R0311: "Markets & Mages" -- Saturday, 9:00AM - 1:00PM
What games should I play?
Want to play a game I facilitate?
Wanna play a game about space pirates?
R0221: "Solar Wind & Sales" -- Friday, 9:00AM - 1:00PM
Wanna play a game about adventurers between the adventure?
R0311: "Markets & Mages" -- Saturday, 9:00AM - 1:00PM
What games should I play?
I ate a quesarito yesterday.
I ate a quesarito yesterday.
OMG. It was for sure the best thing I've ever had at Chipotle.
I may never eat again.
OMG. It was for sure the best thing I've ever had at Chipotle.
I may never eat again.
Friday, February 10, 2017
In the Convocation of Malqort , known to its neighbors as the necromancer kingdom and to legend as the Caliphate of...
In the Convocation of Malqort , known to its neighbors as the necromancer kingdom and to legend as the Caliphate of Azithan ...
The priests have three main forms of undead: Lifeless, ghosts, and Artifacts. Lifeless have mobility and physicality, but lack Mind. Ghosts posses mind and mobility, but lack physicality. Object spirits posses Mind and physicality, but have no mobility.
A creature with all three -- such as a lich or a vampire -- is anathema. Such a thing is a thread to the living.
Lifeless as end of life is common. Each of the conversion schemes has error and loss. About 60% of the dying wind up as lifeless, 18% as ghosts, and 2% as Object Spirits. The rest are lost, never volunteer, or are free.
With ghosts acting as force multipliers, the entire essential food production system can be done by undead.
For 10,000 people, you normally need 2,500 or more farmers.
10,000 people produces 120 lifeless per year, each with a useful lifespan of 10 years -- so there are 1,200 active. Those can work more hours per day, and more days per year than a farmer, and we get nearly four times as many hours from them in a year. ~10k hours per lifeless and 2.5k hours per farmer.
But, the lifeless is not as good at farming. Let's say this cuts this down by 25%. Instead of being worth 4 farmers, a lifeless is worth three.
1,200 lifeless, each working 4 times as much as a farmer but with a reduction in efficiency of 25%. That comes out to ~3,600 farmer equivalents.
We needed 2,500, so we can produce crops from merely Lifeless. But, we'd be using two thirds of the labor force growing crops -- constantly!
We can do better.
Ghosts. Management.
At 10 lifeless
per ghost, the ghosts can increase productive capabilities by 50% -- making lifeless more useful than farmers.
This increases the farmer equivalents from 3,600 to 5,400. You have an additional 120 ghosts managing the 1,200 Lifeless. If ghosts have the same useful timespan as Lifeless, you'd have 360 active at any one time -- meaning it takes a third of the Ghost time to manage the Lifeless.
At this point, we need less than half the lifeless time spent growing crops. The rest of the time, they can clean, fight, fetch. This is the nearly limitless labor force the Caliphate is known for, and the reason the streets are clean and the buildings well built.
Maybe a collection of a few ghosts reports to a priest. Maybe some ghosts operate independently, with legions of Lifeless under their supervision without any oversight.
The priests have three main forms of undead: Lifeless, ghosts, and Artifacts. Lifeless have mobility and physicality, but lack Mind. Ghosts posses mind and mobility, but lack physicality. Object spirits posses Mind and physicality, but have no mobility.
A creature with all three -- such as a lich or a vampire -- is anathema. Such a thing is a thread to the living.
Lifeless as end of life is common. Each of the conversion schemes has error and loss. About 60% of the dying wind up as lifeless, 18% as ghosts, and 2% as Object Spirits. The rest are lost, never volunteer, or are free.
With ghosts acting as force multipliers, the entire essential food production system can be done by undead.
For 10,000 people, you normally need 2,500 or more farmers.
10,000 people produces 120 lifeless per year, each with a useful lifespan of 10 years -- so there are 1,200 active. Those can work more hours per day, and more days per year than a farmer, and we get nearly four times as many hours from them in a year. ~10k hours per lifeless and 2.5k hours per farmer.
But, the lifeless is not as good at farming. Let's say this cuts this down by 25%. Instead of being worth 4 farmers, a lifeless is worth three.
1,200 lifeless, each working 4 times as much as a farmer but with a reduction in efficiency of 25%. That comes out to ~3,600 farmer equivalents.
We needed 2,500, so we can produce crops from merely Lifeless. But, we'd be using two thirds of the labor force growing crops -- constantly!
We can do better.
Ghosts. Management.
At 10 lifeless
per ghost, the ghosts can increase productive capabilities by 50% -- making lifeless more useful than farmers.
This increases the farmer equivalents from 3,600 to 5,400. You have an additional 120 ghosts managing the 1,200 Lifeless. If ghosts have the same useful timespan as Lifeless, you'd have 360 active at any one time -- meaning it takes a third of the Ghost time to manage the Lifeless.
At this point, we need less than half the lifeless time spent growing crops. The rest of the time, they can clean, fight, fetch. This is the nearly limitless labor force the Caliphate is known for, and the reason the streets are clean and the buildings well built.
Maybe a collection of a few ghosts reports to a priest. Maybe some ghosts operate independently, with legions of Lifeless under their supervision without any oversight.
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Are you going to dreamation?
Are you going to dreamation?
Are you bringing something awesome?
Tell me what you're bringing, so I can play it!
Are you bringing something awesome?
Tell me what you're bringing, so I can play it!
We're having a postcard party, and can add this to the list.
We're having a postcard party, and can add this to the list.
Originally shared by Eleri Hamilton
Not mine originally, copied and pasted. I have Ideas, and will design some stuff to print on card stock:
I am 500% in on this. Let's have a party.
On March 15th, each of us will mail Donald Trump a postcard that publicly expresses our opposition to him. And we, in vast numbers, from all corners of the world, will overwhelm the man with his unpopularity and failure. We will show the media and the politicians what standing with him — and against us — means. And most importantly, we will bury the White House post office in pink slips, all informing Donnie that he’s fired.
Each of us — every protester from every march, each congress calling citizen, every boycotter, volunteer, donor, and petition signer — if each of us writes even a single postcard and we put them all in the mail on the same day, March 15th, well: you do the math.
No alternative fact or Russian translation will explain away our record-breaking, officially-verifiable, warehouse-filling flood of fury. Hank Aaron currently holds the record for fan mail, having received 900,000 pieces in a year. We’re setting a new record: over a million pieces in a day, with not a single nice thing to say.
So sharpen your wit, unsheathe your writing implements, and see if your sincerest ill-wishes can pierce Donald’s famously thin skin.
Prepare for March 15th, 2017, a day hereafter to be known as #TheIdesOfTrump
Write one postcard. Write a dozen! Take a picture and post it on social media tagged with #TheIdesOfTrump ! Spread the word! Everyone on Earth should let Donnie know how he’s doing. They can’t build a wall high enough to stop the mail.
Then, on March 15th, mail your messages to:
Donald J. Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
It might just be enough to make him crack.
Originally shared by Eleri Hamilton
Not mine originally, copied and pasted. I have Ideas, and will design some stuff to print on card stock:
I am 500% in on this. Let's have a party.
On March 15th, each of us will mail Donald Trump a postcard that publicly expresses our opposition to him. And we, in vast numbers, from all corners of the world, will overwhelm the man with his unpopularity and failure. We will show the media and the politicians what standing with him — and against us — means. And most importantly, we will bury the White House post office in pink slips, all informing Donnie that he’s fired.
Each of us — every protester from every march, each congress calling citizen, every boycotter, volunteer, donor, and petition signer — if each of us writes even a single postcard and we put them all in the mail on the same day, March 15th, well: you do the math.
No alternative fact or Russian translation will explain away our record-breaking, officially-verifiable, warehouse-filling flood of fury. Hank Aaron currently holds the record for fan mail, having received 900,000 pieces in a year. We’re setting a new record: over a million pieces in a day, with not a single nice thing to say.
So sharpen your wit, unsheathe your writing implements, and see if your sincerest ill-wishes can pierce Donald’s famously thin skin.
Prepare for March 15th, 2017, a day hereafter to be known as #TheIdesOfTrump
Write one postcard. Write a dozen! Take a picture and post it on social media tagged with #TheIdesOfTrump ! Spread the word! Everyone on Earth should let Donnie know how he’s doing. They can’t build a wall high enough to stop the mail.
Then, on March 15th, mail your messages to:
Donald J. Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
It might just be enough to make him crack.
Monday, February 6, 2017
My senators basically don't take phone calls. My house rep does.
My senators basically don't take phone calls. My house rep does.
My new question for his staffers is: what is the representative doing this week to remove Trump?
Follow up: has he spoken to our senators about impeachment proceedings?
Then a thank you, as that cannot be fun.
My new question for his staffers is: what is the representative doing this week to remove Trump?
Follow up: has he spoken to our senators about impeachment proceedings?
Then a thank you, as that cannot be fun.
Sunday, February 5, 2017
Dear friends
Dear friends,
Have you made the world safer for your neighbors this week?
In the last week or so I've:
-- Protested again the wall at the supreme court, maybe even with senators
-- Written my county board, slightly disturbed that they asked residence to talk to cops. I also advocated for the continued good use of our parks and libraries.
-- Left voicemail with both my senators about this bullshit president trying to appoint a judge.
-- Offered encouragement and advise as possible.
-- I did not email the DNC about the process of choosing electors. I need to research what I meant by this and how I can help. It seems far away, but matters.
This second week saw the firing of Sally Yates, american hero. I'm still distracted by some work bullshit, which is going to intensify this upcoming week.
Next week, I'm planning to:
-- Email the DNC
-- Support my wife as she meets with the young democrats, and slowly takes them over
-- Attend a huddle up to discuss next steps
Love to you and yours! He will not divide us!
Have you made the world safer for your neighbors this week?
In the last week or so I've:
-- Protested again the wall at the supreme court, maybe even with senators
-- Written my county board, slightly disturbed that they asked residence to talk to cops. I also advocated for the continued good use of our parks and libraries.
-- Left voicemail with both my senators about this bullshit president trying to appoint a judge.
-- Offered encouragement and advise as possible.
-- I did not email the DNC about the process of choosing electors. I need to research what I meant by this and how I can help. It seems far away, but matters.
This second week saw the firing of Sally Yates, american hero. I'm still distracted by some work bullshit, which is going to intensify this upcoming week.
Next week, I'm planning to:
-- Email the DNC
-- Support my wife as she meets with the young democrats, and slowly takes them over
-- Attend a huddle up to discuss next steps
Love to you and yours! He will not divide us!
Saturday, February 4, 2017
The Big Lie: Believe Conway, not your own memory.
The Big Lie: Believe Conway, not your own memory. When the two disagree, you must revise your memory to belief what you are told.
The truth: This is classic doublethink. Do not believe the things this woman says, for they are lies and she is a liar.
The underlying lie: We are unsafe, and terrorists have the capability to murder us in our homes. The only way to be safe is to close the borders.
The Truth: These are lies. More people are killed by toddlers with guns in a year than by terrorists. Our refuges already go through years of vetting, including by the State department. Closing borders is expensive, inhuman, ineffective, and probably illegal.
The lesser lie: A massacre called bowling green occurred.
The truth: This never happened. There was no massacre.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/02/03/kellyanne-conway-cites-bowling-green-massacre-that-never-happened-to-defend-travel-ban/?utm_term=.c2639823e92b
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/02/03/kellyanne-conway-cites-bowling-green-massacre-that-never-happened-to-defend-travel-ban/?utm_term=.c2639823e92b
The truth: This is classic doublethink. Do not believe the things this woman says, for they are lies and she is a liar.
The underlying lie: We are unsafe, and terrorists have the capability to murder us in our homes. The only way to be safe is to close the borders.
The Truth: These are lies. More people are killed by toddlers with guns in a year than by terrorists. Our refuges already go through years of vetting, including by the State department. Closing borders is expensive, inhuman, ineffective, and probably illegal.
The lesser lie: A massacre called bowling green occurred.
The truth: This never happened. There was no massacre.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/02/03/kellyanne-conway-cites-bowling-green-massacre-that-never-happened-to-defend-travel-ban/?utm_term=.c2639823e92b
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/02/03/kellyanne-conway-cites-bowling-green-massacre-that-never-happened-to-defend-travel-ban/?utm_term=.c2639823e92b
Friday, February 3, 2017
What would you ask me at an interview?
What would you ask me at an interview?
I'm an analyst, armed with sql, vba, and ssis. I've worked with federal and private employers. I've got a masters degree, and have been in the workforce for eight years. There's a ring on my left ring finger. I wear glasses.
You work for a cool local company heavily into IT. You need a lot of sql and unix. You're interested in the cloud, and probably understand it.
What do you ask? What are you looking for?
I'm an analyst, armed with sql, vba, and ssis. I've worked with federal and private employers. I've got a masters degree, and have been in the workforce for eight years. There's a ring on my left ring finger. I wear glasses.
You work for a cool local company heavily into IT. You need a lot of sql and unix. You're interested in the cloud, and probably understand it.
What do you ask? What are you looking for?
Thursday, February 2, 2017
The Pirate ship Daedelus.
The Pirate ship Daedelus.
Crew: 18, plus 4 officers.
What do you see here?
The grid has been demphasized, while rooms have been made visible. I had some help making that work, as I dunno how to photoshop.
The PCs decide what goes where, and have in front of them a list of ship's features.
What sort of ship does this look like to you?
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
My dearest internet
My dearest internet,
I am perhaps more tired than I thought.
Recently, I thought 2 was 12 x 1. That is, something isometric to: 1 x 12 = 2.
This is probably also affecting my empathy circuits. If I've been insufferable this afternoon, do please take this as an apology.
I have yet to figure out how a new and engaging activity can work into life without ruining the rest of it.
I am perhaps more tired than I thought.
Recently, I thought 2 was 12 x 1. That is, something isometric to: 1 x 12 = 2.
This is probably also affecting my empathy circuits. If I've been insufferable this afternoon, do please take this as an apology.
I have yet to figure out how a new and engaging activity can work into life without ruining the rest of it.
The Supreme Court nomination is a distraction.
The Supreme Court nomination is a distraction. It does not matter if he is qualified: he is nominated by a man unfit to be President, who has proven he has no concern for the rule of law. This President ought to be impeached and his rulings overturned.
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