Matt M McElroy

Did you know there's a 'good' emoticon, but not a 'bad' one? And on this image set, the good one has a little halo - as if it indicated moral or spiritual goodness. The closest they probably have, then, is 'naughty' which really has kind of a different connotation. They also have flirty, horny, and hot, but hot really just seems to indicate that one's temperature is too high. 

I think my favorite is probably horny, because it gets tiny little horns. Like, in addition to being sexually aroused, the icon has also genetically mutated. Let this be a warning to you all.

Right now, I'm feeling tired and hungry, but I'm chiefly feeling pretty mellow on account of nothing happening. I don't hear any of the prelude to terror that is represented by howling winds tonight, so with any luck I'll just end up thinking about political blogs and gaming all night. 

Ian wrote the coolest entry on how boring a writer's blog is most of the time, and I agree with him a lot. I mean, how often do I actually talk about writing stuff on my blog anymore?

Not much, really.

It also made me realize how boring the writing process is after the writing itself. I mean, sure; you can write a story, but after that, you edit and send off to markets. Writing's fun, but editing can be hell, and trying to find markets for your shorts is like trying to find needles in haystacks most of the time (which is what I'm going through right now.)

That's really it. If I didn't have as much of a concentrated headache that seems to be in the middle of my forehead, I might be able to concentrate. I'm struggling to make complet sentences and a good story in a story I'm writing right no as of this blog entry (although I can do it, it's just that it's hard to concentrate.)

Anyway, yeah; that's it.

~ Kody

I started two days ago playing as the Red Wizard of the Thay. But! I’m the Circle Leader of the Thayen and the Master of my own tower. And I’m thinking here… Dungeon Master said to me by his NPC (my students) that my grey elf wizard is lazy. She is not doing anything like a Leader but always studying or researching like some wizard-adventurer but not like a Circle Leader of the Thayan tower.
So I’m asking for a help. What is the Great Wizards of the Thay (and not only the Thayen) doing the whole day? How do you imagine it?

The second thing… Where can I look at the name-list with Zullkirs?

Okay, in the realm of games I've been fantasizing about running, I recently inherited some old "Pendragon" stuff. It looks like a cool game and I kinda want to run it, though I'm not really that interested in the whole James-Michener-follow-the-family-through-Arthurian-history angle.

I'd also kind of want to play with the setting within the limits of it being genero-early-Medieval-Britain, anywhere from 500 to 1000 CE. This makes Arthur's Britain an urbane country of the Carolingian Renaissance, a place where people travel from as far afield as the Ummayad/Abbasid empire and pagan Scandinavia. I figure the game could also tolerate a few more anachronisms, like books on veterinary medicine, or a Danelaw in northeastern England, that sort of thing.

Would anyone have any thoughts about Pendragon, and running the system? Up to and including the most important one, "do you find that gamers are actually interested in, and willing to play in, the fairly limited scope of Pendragon?

I can't finish up b/c of missing boning supplies, so I took a couple pictures instead.

( Read more... )

WAAAAAAAAAIIIIIT! Come BAAAAA-AAAAAAACK!

( It's Picture Post time! )

Oi, now I've lost all my boning supplies. I specifically bought a big roll of spiral steel and tips, and a bunch of bone casing. And now it's gone!

OK, there's no way this Victorian (sorta nonsteampunk at this point. It's just a bronze-colored Victorian.) will be done by Acen. Even if I don't line it before the con, I just don't think the bodice will be ready.

So ... i should probably stop cramming on it and just do my actual work. ~_~

Well, first things first, I got out of Jury Duty. I called back like they asked and the auto-message said that all trials had been canceled, and they didn't need me THIS week, either, and that I didn't need to call back again. Whew! Thanks to everyone for pulling for me. That would have just sucked, otherwise.

Beltaine was great, great, great : ) It was good to see people that I don't see as often as I'd like, and lots of fun was had. The Maypole dance was an exercise in fun, organized chaos, and for once we actually got to have the Pan Run because it wasn't so darn cold. I called it an early night (relatively speaking) and actually got a little sleep, though not as much as I'd like.

This morning was cold and wet, so we'll have to pitch the tent later this week and air it out to avoid mildew and other such things. We had breakfast over at Walnut, rather than trying to get into Cracker Barrel on Mother's Day, which turned out to be a great idea. All in all a great time.

When I first saw the cover of Marta Acosta's Midnight Brunch at Casa Dracula, I thought it seemed familiar. Sure enough, when I whipped out Keri Arthur's Embraced by Darkness and compared the two...I'm sure that's the same photo, though mirrored. Or at least a different photo from the same shoot, with the same models. Never mind that Riley Jenson is a redheaded Australian and Milagros de los Santos is a raven-haired Latina hottie...

Your say: Am I onto something, or am I still as dim as I've always been? You can answer "yes" to both ;-)

Your Linguistic Profile:

40% General American English 30% Yankee 20% Dixie 5% Upper Midwestern 0% Midwestern

What is the four wheeled contraption you push around your groceries in? My answer was "trolley", but that's not an option in this quiz. And...wait, does my score only equal up to 95%? Where's the other 5%?

( You are about to view content that may not be appropriate for minors. )

I saw Speed Racer.

I agree with one thing. They need to give the Brothers a freakin' editor on two points. A minor nitpick, but still, it would've helped for two scenes.

Actually, get rid of the whole backstory of the childhood. Save us at least thirty minutes, would you? Otherwise, the characters were delightful, the fight scenes were fun, and John Goodman IS Pops! Plus that kid brother of Speed's? Awesome.

Sorry, Lucien. I liked Speed Racer, but I do agree that it's no Iron Man, which I see is still number one at the box office. Better luck next time, Brothers!

My main character is now twelfth level. Huzzah! We had a great fun weekend, with an official RPGA mod, a tailor-made DM's Mark, and outdoor cooking on the grill. We even started one of our games out in the back yard. How can that not be fun? (We didn't even lose any dice outside, which is the real challenge to backyard D&D.)

In other news, I got the trip itinerary for Greece and Turkey today, so the countdown can officially start. Here's what I have outstanding before I leave:

1) I have the rough of "Don't Let Go" out with Dylan (eyezofwolf). I don't know if edits will actually happen on that before I go or not.
2) I have an edited version of "The Best Things Get Better with Age," my contribution to Serenity Adventures, out with Jamie Chambers. I don't know if I'll be getting any more edits back on *that* or not, either.
3) I have three essays and eight obituaries to write.
4) I have a scanning project that I had fully intended to get done before I left.
5) I was hoping to actually do some comic writing before I left, in case C&AII possibly comes off hiatus while I'm gone.
6) I've been asked to finish two more reviews for flamesrising and two for School Library Journal.

There are some other incidentals (like following up on contracts, etc.). But really? That's a lot to get done by the 20th. Along with plans to get together with friends (including lunch/coffee with jenlyn_b and amanda_marrone tomorrow--so excited!) and attending graduation at Simon's Rock on Saturday to see some friends get their shiny new pieces of paper that kick them out of being undergrads, I'll be cutting it close. Eight days left. Wish me luck!

It was a strange Mother's Day. My mom passed away 6 years ago, Michael's grandmother just passed, and his mom is in the hospital for minor surgery (we visited yesterday, and her pressies will arrive post-WisCon, hopefully all signed).

So, we went out for brunch, and to the mall. and then had chinese food for dinner.

H&M is my favorite place ever. I seem to have lots of luck there. 5 shirts and a skirt for $100.

That works.

I've got nothing to complain about. :)

Happy Mother's day to those of you who celebrate it with kids, pets, and friends.

Have you got your May shopping list sorted? (If not, check May 2008 Releases.) Good. Now to sort out June. Authors, titles, series, publishers, release dates, editions, formats, cover art and summaries: June 2008 Releases.

Have you got your May shopping list sorted? (If not, check May 2008 Releases.) Good. Now to sort out June. Authors, titles, series, publishers, release dates, editions, formats, cover art and summaries: June 2008 Releases.

Have a lovely day! :-)

Tez Miller

Still working for Acen.

I. ... er, started later than I should have. But I'm not staying at the hotel, so it's probably best to wear something I can drive in. @_@

I now have an overwhelming urge to play Car Wars or in a GURPS Autoduel campaign.

Awesome man and I went to Pike's Place this afternoon and hung out with wondersheep all afternoon. It was full and awesome and win and fresh donuts. I even managed to find Rose's Chocolates, which jhtatroe had mentioned before.

I tried to call my mom, but I think she was out to dinner with my brother and his wife. So, I wished her Happy Mom's Day on her answering machine. I hope that tomorrow I can call her and tell her the good news that I have been hired somewhere.

Shortly, when Pete gets off the phone with his mom, we're going to watch some Doctor Who and hang out with the kitties. Later, we'll eat something for dinner, and I'll look over the patterns I got from JoAnn's Fabrics to check what kinds of fabrics I want to get to sew some stuffs.

It's been a good day.