John

Happy Birthday!

Thu, 09 Dec 2004 13:33:53 GMT

Happy Birthday deramani! I'm hoping to see your mug sometime soon!

John

A Long Overdue Update

Thu, 29 Jul 2004 12:47:31 GMT

Over the past few days…

…I ran Call of Cthulhu. It was one of those ephemeral games where everything clicked. It all started off with some decidedly appropriate atmosphere. I had some old candelabras that I filled. I had them arranged in strategic areas, along with some other props (scrolls of eldritch lore, a statuette of an otherworldly being). When we dimmed the lights, the feel of the gaming lair put us all in the right frame of mind.

The group arrived in a patchwork fashion. Some were early, some were late, but we got started fairly quickly once everyone made their entrances. Table-talk was relatively low; it seemed that everyone had a desire to get right down to business.

We started the game, and everyone immediately engaged their characters. The plot started with the mundane, as most horror stories do, but quickly veered off the course of everyday events. What I find humorous and somehow satisfying is an aspect of horror games, and Call of Cthulhu in particular, that often generates surprises on both sides of the Keeper’s screen. The first situation arose that was due to have a violent outcome. It was not the burly warrior that dealt a crushing death-blow to a slavering enemy. It was a botanist…with a trowel…who was in the process of pulling up his pants. We’re still laughing.

Following were many dangerous, creepy, and terrifying situations. Everyone survived, mainly because they made good choices. The game may or may not make its way to another session, but I think its got legs. We’ll see.

…Abby’s about ready to pop out her litter. A very pregnant miniature dachshund is a funny and a pitiful sight. She groans with nearly every step, and her belly almost drags the floor. I think this will probably be her last set of pups. Meri enjoys raising them, but Abby’s done her bit for King and Country.

…I’ve been thinking about the rapidly approaching ragweed season. I’ve got a prescription for Clarinex that I need to get filled.

…we’ve been given unseasonably cool weather. It suits me. I’m not a summer person. Well, not Missouri summers, anyway. I’m sure that Alaskan or Pacific Northwest summers would be great!

…we started watching Rescue Me. It may be my new favorite show. I’ve always liked Mr. Leary.

…I started re-reading R.E. Howard. I’ve always enjoyed the simplicity and directness of Conan’s Hyboria.

That’s enough for now…meanwhile, back to the drudgery.

John

Welcome...

Wed, 28 Jul 2004 11:40:53 GMT

...to grilnog! There goes the neighborhood! :grins:

-John

Book Lemming!

Fri, 09 Apr 2004 14:45:23 GMT

Actually, the closest book to me right now is an e-book.

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 23.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.

"That leaves you just ten minutes. You will have to run," said Gandalf.

This Evening

Tue, 23 Mar 2004 01:59:19 GMT

With a nod to deramani

Blaze of sky fire burns.
Orange leads blue in calling
an indigo dream.

This Morning

Mon, 22 Mar 2004 13:24:25 GMT

Golden light appears.
Darkened land in long shadows,
under brilliant blue.

Peter Pan Syndrome

Mon, 23 Feb 2004 15:27:34 GMT

I have a hard time being grown up.

Rokugan

Fri, 10 Oct 2003 15:10:26 GMT

Tonight's the first night of my new Legend of the Five Rings d20 campaign. I say campaign...hopefully it takes off. I played the game at Archon, and it hit me like an iron tetsubo! Everyone seems psyched. I think its due to the "newness" of the Rokugan setting.

I've created a minor fief in Crane lands called Miniama Kawa (South River). The players will be retainers of Lord Daidoji Togama, who rules a small port town with connections to the Crane-Mantis trade routes. Lord Daidoji's court is made up of some interesting characters, including a Dragon Clan Shugenja, who may have the interests of the Imperial Court as her top priority...

My Next Campaign

Tue, 07 Oct 2003 12:40:07 GMT

After many different temptations, I've finally settled on what RPG will be my next to run...

On Friday, The Thistledown Gamers Guild sails for Rokugan!

Remembering the day...

Thu, 11 Sep 2003 13:06:20 GMT

"Alas, poor world, what treasure hast thou lost!"
Venus & Adonis

39

Tue, 27 May 2003 19:06:05 GMT

Another year, and...

…lost 32 pounds since January. I feel better, but I need to buy some new clothes.

…my faith is getting stronger.

…I am much less afraid of sticking to my convictions. Regardless of how they are perceived by others.

…I’m much more tolerant of others that have values that conflict with mine.

…I feel like creativity is on the upswing.

…I’ve got more aches and pains than I used to, but I’m generally in better shape than I’ve been in many years.

…I’m finding more time to do the things that keep me sane.

…I’m beginning to understand why people act like they do. As I accumulate years, the things that I never understood about the behavior of people older than me are rapidly becoming clear. It’s making me more patient with a multitude of daily happenings.

…I’m more aware of a list of loved ones that are separated from me by death. This list will grow, and I can’t stop it.

…I’m more aware of another list of those separated from me by choices that they’ve made. This list has stopped growing for now, but will it begin again?

…I’m more aware of a third list of those separated from me by geography. Technology provides some comfort, but it’s a poor substitute for their actual presence.

Mostly, things are good. Hopefully they will remain so next year, as I face the big 4-0…

My Roleplaying Purity Results

Mon, 19 May 2003 12:27:40 GMT

Interesting...

Your Ultimate Roleplaying Purity Score
Category	Your Score	Average
Hacklust	31.13% Has conversations in between massacres	52.3%
Sensitive Roleplaying	50.63% "But what's my motivation for this scene?"	48.8%
GM Experience	34.78% Closer to a novel than to a campaign	65.7%
Systems Knowledge	75.14% Local rules guru	88.4%
Livin' La Vida Dorka	31.03% Carries dice in pocket 'just in case'	58.3%
You are 46.77% pure Average Score: 65.5%
Take The Ultimate Roleplaying Purity Test and see how you match up!

Some Thoughts

Sat, 10 May 2003 15:48:29 GMT

Tony and I got together last night. I ran The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game, the new one from Decipher. It was okay, but I thing it's not really where I want to go. Running a game in Middle-Earth makes me feel like I'm treading on sacred ground.

deramani, thanks for the NASA link. I'm looking at the pictures, and I'm thinking I could be here all day. It's making me wonder...who's out there. Of course, it always does.

That brings me back to role playing. I've always felt that exploring the grandeur and mystery of space would be great in a game. I suppose it's remarkable that I've been a GM for 20+ years, and a space fanatic, and have never put the two together. I've had some great Star Wars games, but of course, that's space fantasy, not science fiction. I've made a couple of attempts at running Chaosium's old Ringworld game (got my box signed by Larry Niven a couple of years back) but they never went far. Maybe it's time that I gave some serious thought to a space exploration saga?

There are a few games out there already. Decipher's got Star Trek, GURPS has Transhuman Space, Hero Games has the new Star Hero.

Got "In the Mouth of Madness" on DVD yesterday. It's got to be one of the best Lovecraft movies out there. It's interesting that it's not a direct adaptation of one of his stories, and it's better than all those others that are. Although, "Dagon" was pretty decent. And of course I suppose you could say that the 1980 version of "The Thing" was "Lovecraftian" in flavor. Hmmm...two John Carpenter flicks just popped in there together...he must be quite the Lovecraft fan.

One of these days, I'd like to go to Providence and visit HPL's grave, and some of his haunts. I'd like to do the same in Texas with Robert E. Howard. I read some correspondance between HPL and REH the other day. I thought it odd that these two people, bookish Lovecraft, and brash Howard were avid pen pals. They discussed their craft of course, but mundane things as well. HPL's penchant for spaghetti with loads of Parmesan cheese made me realize how "real" a person he was. It amazes me that Howard created all he did, and never lived past the age of thirty.

Hmmm...Maybe I'm hearing the Call of Cthulhu...

Got a full weekend...Kid activities, Mother's Day get-together. All this while dodging the weather. We had some big boomers in here the other day...headed for the basement, power out, 60 mph straight-line winds, and a F3 missing us by twenty miles. Living in Tornado Alley keeps you on your toes.

My Current State of Mind

Tue, 04 Mar 2003 13:51:24 GMT

I had an interchange with someone this morning that’s put me in the mood to express a bit of my philosophy. It went something like this…

I heard two co-workers talking about the weather. One we’ll call Bob, and the other we’ll call Harry. Bob cheerfully comments on the impending “warm-up” at the end of the week. Harry responds with a comment about how we have to go through a snow-filled Wednesday to get there. Bob deflates, and Harry continues out of the room.

I don’t let him leave unchallenged.

I say to Harry, (in a loud voice so that everyone in the office can hear) “ Harry, you have a pronounced talent for seeing every dark cloud inside the silver lining.”

He shoots me a look and continues out the door. I, of course, follow.

Harry says to me, “Well it’s going to be a mud-hole when every thing thaws through, and if you had a fence to put up, you wouldn’t be happy about it either.”

I reply, “I think it’s good to see bright side whenever you can.”

He grips his coffee cup tighter and accelerates.

I say, “You hate people like me, don’t you, Harry.”

He replies, “You’re just not a realist.”

I return to my desk glad in the fact that I don’t possess this “reality” addiction that Harry has.

I set the mental state of being cheerful and optimistic as a high priority. This mental state is usually observed to be something that happens to you, and not something that you can choose. I suppose it’s easier for some to assume that they’re not in control of these aspects of their personality. It’s an exercise in extreme self-indulgence to sit at your desk, glowering over the rim of your coffee cup, lamenting on the things in your life that are contrary to your desires. You have no control over some of these things that are negative, but you do control your reaction to them. I see it as an individual’s responsibility to contain the spread of their unhappiness by deciding to be otherwise.

There are folks that have real problems. God forbid it ever happens to me and mine. I like the definition given by a guy named Alton Brown …”All of life’s big problems include the words “indictment” or “inoperable.” Everything else is small stuff.” On the day that I have to deal with one of these, I know I will have a difficult time retaining my perspective.

But… I refuse to be a grump because I’ve got too much work to do, or because my boss keeps changing the parameters of the project I’m working on!

In spite of these “dark cloud” seers around me, I’m going to keep my eye on the silver-lining.

A Piece of Our Past, Gone

Thu, 27 Feb 2003 12:31:12 GMT

Fred Rogers died yesterday. It sucks to see your childhood getting farther and farther away.

The Beast Within

Fri, 24 Jan 2003 14:27:19 GMT

What Is Your Animal Personality?
brought to you by Quizilla

OWOOOoooooo!

Discovering Stevenson

Tue, 07 Jan 2003 21:26:36 GMT

I was looking around for some information on the origin of the poem, "Nobody Knows It But Me." It's the one read by James Garner in the Chevy Tahoe commercial. It struck a chord with me, and apparently is causing quite a stir on several online poetry boards. Anyway, several people said it sounded like Robert Louis Stevenson. A person had posted one of his works that shared a similar theme with the poem on the commercial. When I read it, I was dumbfounded.

This poem sums up the the feelings that I have when I create worlds to roleplay in. The things said in these verses are things that are with me every day, and at the core of my psyche. I can't stop reading it, over and over.

IX. The Little Land

When at home alone I sit
And am very tired of it,
I have just to shut my eyes
To go sailing through the skies--
To go sailing far away
To the pleasant Land of Play;
To the fairy land afar
Where the Little People are;
Where the clover-tops are trees,
And the rain-pools are the seas,
And the leaves, like little ships,
Sail about on tiny trips;
And above the Daisy tree
Through the grasses,
High o'erhead the Bumble Bee
Hums and passes.

In that forest to and fro
I can wander, I can go;
See the spider and the fly,
And the ants go marching by,
Carrying parcels with their feet
Down the green and grassy street.
I can in the sorrel sit
Where the ladybird alit.
I can climb the jointed grass
And on high
See the greater swallows pass
In the sky,
And the round sun rolling by
Heeding no such things as I.

Through that forest I can pass
Till, as in a looking-glass,
Humming fly and daisy tree
And my tiny self I see,
Painted very clear and neat
On the rain-pool at my feet.
Should a leaflet come to land
Drifting near to where I stand,
Straight I'll board that tiny boat
Round the rain-pool sea to float.

Little thoughtful creatures sit
On the grassy coasts of it;
Little things with lovely eyes
See me sailing with surprise.
Some are clad in armour green--
(These have sure to battle been!)--
Some are pied with ev'ry hue,
Black and crimson, gold and blue;
Some have wings and swift are gone;--
But they all look kindly on.

When my eyes I once again
Open, and see all things plain:
High bare walls, great bare floor;
Great big knobs on drawer and door;
Great big people perched on chairs,
Stitching tucks and mending tears,
Each a hill that I could climb,
And talking nonsense all the time--
O dear me,
That I could be
A sailor on a the rain-pool sea,
A climber in the clover tree,
And just come back a sleepy-head,
Late at night to go to bed.

White Christmas!

Mon, 23 Dec 2002 17:14:03 GMT

It's Dec. 23rd...The prevailing meterological opinion is that 12 inches of snow is getting ready to dump on St. Francois county...Could it be any better?

Driving Towards a Game System

Wed, 13 Nov 2002 17:33:50 GMT

Just got whapped in the head with a story idea. I've got two weeks until the next session on the 30th. Now I just need the system...

Randomness...

Wed, 13 Nov 2002 03:51:22 GMT

It's been awhile since I posted anything, and I find myself in the mood...

I'm recovering from my "procedure" quite well. The worst part was the ribbing I got from just about everyone. I don't mind... three kids is enough, so say I and my bank account. Of course, my luck is kicking in ... I had the tubes cut Friday, and now Meri informs me she's a week late.

I can't wait to see how deramani works the Gateway Guardians into his Marvel campaign. Knowing him, it'll be something very cool.

I'm going to start a new campaign (hopefully) on the 30th. Only problem is that I'm squirming around trying to decide what type of story to tell. Currently in my head are Superheroes (Marvel, Champions), Fantasy (Runequest, Fantasy Hero, D&D), Horror (Chill - maybe a Victorian England setting). Maybe Pendragon. Maybe Ars Magica. Something will take shape soon.

We need players! I think we're a bit stale, a little complacent. We need an injection of some new ideas. Maybe I should run something that nobody in our group has seen. That might light a fire under us. Changeling or Skyrealms of Jorune, perhaps.

The Blues are up 2-1 over than the Canucks. It's shaping up to be a great year for St. Louis hockey. We're undefeated on the road. We've been to the post-season for 23 years straight, but never won the cup. That streak's gotta break soon.

Need to sleep...

The New Icon

Sat, 24 Aug 2002 18:55:29 GMT

Thanks, deramani for the new icon. I'd totally forgotten that you would have Sir Myrddwyn's shield! It's great!

Whinings of a Wageslave

Mon, 19 Aug 2002 15:46:50 GMT

Sometimes, I sit here at my desk, and see the fact that I’ll be sitting at the same desk, doing the same work, for a good thirty years more…it’s a horrible vision…I feel like bolting for the door…

Pointed Ears Do Not A Hobbit Make...

Thu, 15 Aug 2002 12:22:06 GMT

I haven't stopped laughing yet...

Vulcans shouldn't sing.

The Weekend

Mon, 29 Jul 2002 14:28:13 GMT

Friday evening was extremely busy. Meri was off to the Relay for Life. They raised over 100 grand for cancer research, and spent the night at the MAC campus. All the teams brought tents, canopies, lawn chairs, etc. They walked around a track lit with luminaries for those passed, and shared lots of stories with survivors. It’s a great event, and I'm proud of her involvement.

As for me, I got the job of zookeeper for the kids. Of course, it was non-stop activity. A dedicated, stay-at-home mom has got one of the most physically and mentally taxing occupations that exist. Meri pulls it off with grace…I’m barely adequate. Here are a few of the highlights…

Connor, (six going on forty) picks the most inopportune moments to repeat things he’s overheard. My nephew Andrew dropped by to hang out. He just bought his first car, and Connor being the auto-maniac, decides to engage him in conversation about it. It goes something like this…

Connor: Hi Andrew! Hoes that new Ford Escort doing?
Andrew: It’s great, but my Dad took it on a trip this weekend.
Connor: Well, I bet you’re pissed off about that!

I did a double take that Linda Blair couldn’t have mimicked. Andrew began to guffaw, and Connor was totally mystified as to why. I immediately upshifted into parent mode, and began my series of corrections to the young lad. I wasn’t very hard on him, because the poor, little guy had no idea that he had done something wrong. He was just using his normal, adult manner of speaking. We've got to begin a new effort to watch our tongues around the kids. By the way…”piss” is Connor’s mother’s favorite dirty word.

We watched Farscape (strange episode, but cool) then I took Carly to bed. The bad thing about 6 month old babies is that they love to be non-cooperative, especially when you’re counting on them to be in a good humor. Meri’s breastfeeding her, and she was a bit apprehensive about leaving her. I assured her that it would not be a problem. I’ve got milk in the freezer, I’ll just thaw some out at bedtime, no worries! Of course I was wrong. Carly refused to go to sleep. She cried despite my feeble attempts to comfort her, and I had to call Meri. She came home (it’s only a 15 minute drive) and put her right to sleep. I got an update on things at the Relay, then she headed back. I said a few prayers for the miners in Pennsylvania, and went to sleep.

The next morning, I got up and arranged things so that Meri could sleep. She’d gotten in at about 5:30, and I hoped that she would be able to sleep for awhile. I headed into the kitchen and got breakfast going. The boys and I ate while observing our Saturday morning Spongebob Squarepants ritual. (Spongebob rocks!). Meri got up about 10:00, and we talked about the Relay.

My aunt and uncle dropped by to take a look at our Bowflex. They’re debating on buying one, and wanted to try ours out. We talked for a bit, and caught up on a few things.

That afternoon was wicked hot! Around 100 degrees with about the same level of humidity. Missouri summers are brutal. I think that they could compete with any tropical spot on the planet. I braved the heat to walk up to Mom and Dad’s. Thankfully, there was a good, stiff breeze. My sister was there. Her family had just came back from a trip to Disney in Orlando. I looked at the pictures, and listened to the stories. Their favorite thing was the live Indiana Jones show at MGM Studios. I’d seen it a few years back, and had to agree with them. After grabbing a few tomatoes from Dad’s garden, we headed home.

Saturday was a gaming night, but unfortunately, everyone was busy except for me and Tony. I couldn’t run the next installment of my D&D, so we let the gods of whimsy rule. I pulled Champions off the shelf. Don’t know why, but that’s what happened. Tony and I put together a character for him, and I ran a short scenario. I was his first experience with the Hero System, and he loved it. I’ve been playing it for 20+ years, and it’s in my top two on the favorites list.

Later, Meri came down to the gaming lair and told us that the miners in Pennsylvania had been rescued! It’s was great to hear a disaster story with a happy ending. We wrapped up about midnight, and I caught some TV before bed. Iron Chef was on. I love this show! Of course, I have a fascination with all thing Japanese. I guess it springs from too much Ultraman, Johnny Sokko, and Godzilla as a child.

Sunday morning, I made omelets. Fresh tomatoes, onion, and sausage make a savory combination. Cooked in olive oil, served up with a cup of coffee…heaven! I talked with Meri about submitting a few project ideas to some game publishers. She was very encouraging, and I got some submission information from a few places.

We headed to Meri’s folk’s for a birthday gathering. Her Dad is 74. Mike (her brother) grilled some pork and venison tenderloins. He rubbed them with herbs and smothered then in garlic. It was some of the best I’ve eaten. Of course I ate way too much, but was able to fight off the “full tummy coma” We headed home at about 7:00.

I spent some time watering our trees, and enjoying the sunset. The oncoming night and all its trappings, inspired me to scribble down a couple of haiku. I knew that the Japanese developed this form with nature in mind, but that night was the first time I felt really connected to it through the writing.

I put a few comics on eBay, read a little of “A Clash of Kings” then headed for bed. All in all a great weekend.

It's time to play the music...It's time to light the lights...

Mon, 22 Jul 2002 18:25:30 GMT

I've never told a lame joke in my life!

	You are Fozzie! Wokka Wokka! You love to make lame jokes. Your sense of humor might be a bit off, but you're a great friend and can always be counted on..
*Take the What Muppet Are You?* Quiz!**