A black and white partially finished ink version of an illustration of an elf joyously riding a sleigh which appears slightly out of control. They are closely followed by a competitor. Art by mrlich.

Working on this month's Kickstarter book cover. Gone Sleighin' will be a cozy side quest / one shot where your party can take part in a sleigh race with different kinds of animals pulling for fun and prizes.

ETA: Related question - what do you guys think - with snow (light blue) or without?

MORE
I like it! The bear in the upper right corner piques my curiosity.
Amusingly, I just posted this elsewhere:

Working on that cover art, and I'd like to send out a reminder to my art peeps (and mainly, my future self): Remember to flip your canvas! I thought this looked fine until I flipped it. Now that I've fixed it, I can't help but think it looked like the bear was laying on its side!
If you hadn’t said it, I might not have noticed, but yes.
It’s more noticeable when you see the whole image, but I’m saving that for a big reveal. 😜
 
An illustration of Kokushibo Demon Slayer in a non anime style.

I don't watch or draw anime. Like, ever.

So, of course, that's the only kind of drawings my nephews seem to want. 😂

This one is, as you might have guessed from the subject, a character called Kokushibo Demon Slayer. I've never seen the show or movie, and I willfully took some liberties when drawing my version, but... what the hell. 

If you're an 'anime person', feel free to tell me all the ways I'm wrong!

And for those who like process videos...


MORE
11/29
 

Hmm, looks like i missed a couple of years.

Andrew Bird, Outside Problems: the companion album to 2022's Inside Problems.  Instrumental improvisation, collected and curated.

Depeche Mode, Memento Mori: the twist here is band member Andrew Fletcher dying before its release.

Peter Gabriel, i/o: he couln't decide on the final mix so he released two versions, his first album since 2002.

Garbage, Witness to Your Love (EP): four tracks, including the title track which was first released in 2008 on a fundraising compilaton, and a Siouxsie and the Banshees cover.

Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer feat. Rakesh Chaurasia, As We Speak: Banjo, tabla, double bass, and bansuri. More genre-busting stuff from Fleck and Meyer.

Rodrigo y Gabriela, In Between Thoughts... A New World: the arrangements continue to become more elaborate as they grow in their craft. 

Ballaké Sissoko & Derek Gripper, Ballaké Sissoko & Derek Gripper: Gripper is known for playing kora tunes on guitar.  Here he pairs with a kora player and the result is magic. We somewhat randomly saw them live and it was so good.

Sphinx Virtuosi, Songs for Our Times: The Sphinx Organization is a group that supports underrepresented classical musicians and composers, and their Virtuosi is their top echelon.

Takénobu, Sushi Tapes Vol. 1, 2, 3: a collection of his YouTube cello improvisations.

3rd Secret, The 2nd 3rd Secret: Krist Novoselic's band added Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron halfway through the previous album. This one's better and more even, mellow rock with female vocalists.

Katie Wighton, The End: a quick pop album from one of the members of All Our Exes Live in Texas.

MORE
Last year’s discovery; Linkin Park spent 20 years making Very Much My Music and I wasn’t paying attention. Triggered by the reforming of the band and the highly listenable single. Have purchased 4 or 5 albums as a result, and a singles collection.



This year’s discovery: an IT guy named Ronan from Dublin who’s been making Very Much My Music for around _30_ years. So now I have a couple of VNV Nation albums.



Wondering what huge back catalogue 2026 will reveal to me.
 

Just watched a YouTube video that some my my linquistically oriented nerdy friends might really enjoy. I certainly did. The channel seems like something I'll be paying more attention to going forward in large part because of this video.

Edit: Hmmm. Looks like the link for videos isn't working (I tested the url). Well, ye olde copypasta should work (just add your own https://)...

youtu.be/UAT-eOzeY4M

MORE
His channel is great! I really enjoy his work.



For a long time this reference was by far the most popular page on my web site: https://www.osric.com/chris/phonetic.html



Several people did write to me to let me know that Alpha should be Alfa and Juliet should be Juliett. Maybe I'll update it someday.
You know, that's pretty funny. I was thinking that I would need to re-watch the video in order write them down so I could train myself on them properly.

Thanks for taking care of that for me! (And I'll note the adjustments.)
 

I've wanted to create a TTRPG for a while now. I'm using the fact that my nephews are coming for Thanksgiving as an excuse / motivation to Do the Damn Thing.

My intent is to make it:

  • Uncommonly simple - we are talking about kids (2 teens and 2 pre teens) so attention span is a thing. Also, this is without a screen and doesn't beep, so... challenging. I'm not trying to make it a one page (there are many out there) but... close.
  • Universal - I'd like to make it flexible enough to be used for any genre of game play.
  • Flexible - I want the players to have more input into their skills / abilities once they're comfortable with the system. As long as they keep balance in mind, they can make up things like spells, skills, and ancestral abilities.
  • Fun - I mean, it's a GAME. But more specifically, here, I guess I mean 'cinematic' (though I HATE the generic nature of that term). I want to try to create those moments at the table where the whole group roars when one of the players rolls a 20, and they feel the story that their teammates tell...

Anyway, I'm working on a very rough draft, but I know some of you are gamers, so if you're interested in seeing what I've got so far, let me know, and I'll share a (Google Docs) link.

MORE
If you’d like to add humor, consider a dice system that occasionally results in Slapstick Success in addition to the traditional Tragic Failure. “You trip and your shield skids to the feet of the ogre, who then trips on your shield. You lie prone face-to-face with the ogre, while your friends try to take their next actions without laughing.”
This is kinda genius. Definitely going to add this!
I'm curious to see it.



I still want to add a feature/bug in a character's abilities where they can cast a spell to summon an Army of Brians. The player can summon the Army of Brians only three times throughout the game.

The first time, an army of fabulous fairy princes (all named Brian) appears, beats up the adversary with a Severe Tongue Lashing and Shade Throwing, heals all wounds, repairs all damage in the area, and disappears. Automatic win for the player.

The second time you cast it, the army is slightly smaller, defeats the adversary with a severe tongue lashing, but doesn't heal all wounds or repair damage.

The third time, only one Brian appears, beats up (but doesn't defeat) the adversary with a Severe Tongue lashing, heals no wounds, repairs no damage, and hits the player who cast the spell a Mild Tongue Lashing for making other people do their job for them. The spell can't be cast again.
This WILL be a magic item. 3 charges. Each use takes a charge.

What KIND of magic item (medallion (hey @jill), ring, sword, ???)
The Hermés Cheval Whistle Necklace.
I look forward to this.
Well, now I HAVE to do it. 😜
you might want to change the name for copyright purposes. If you spell Hermes without the accent mark that could work.
Mércury.
Exactly. It’s the Sterling Whistle of Mercury.
Nice! I must confess that I initially thought you'd made it up whole cloth, Lindsay. Naming change official! (Thanks, nersholmferret - that's perfect!)
No, I went to the Hermés website and looked through the men’s fashion accessories until I found it. Cuff links were another option.
Oh, good, you found it! I was going to copy & paste a link but it was long and messy and I didn’t want to screw up the post layout.
I had a hard time finding the horse head in that whistle.
To be transparent, I did too. Now that I see it, I love it (I'm a huge fan of 'simple / symbolic' for imagery) but...

Also, the shape of the horse's bridge / muzzle makes me think it would feel very comfortable in use. (function to go with form)
Yeah, if it were a reasonably priced nice loud sterling silver whistle, I’d buy it, but it’s stainless steel and $2K.
Very cool! I will use that pic as the basis for the illustration!
Careful. You don’t want a copyright cease and desist.

I mean, maaaaaybe you’d get some good press out of it?
Using it as the basis doesn't mean it will be anything they will care about.

I mean... I'm not AI. ;)
Excellent point.
 

What poem by T. S. Eliot includes the line "Do I dare to eat a peach?"

What country, formerly known as French Sudan, once controlled an empire led by Mansa Musa?

What Shakespearean comedy includes the "All the world's a stage" monologue by Jaques?

What month lends its name to the 1825 revolt in St. Petersburg​​​​​​​?

MORE
TLSoJAP. I attended a lecture once on the difficulty of teaching that poem, including the many, many interpretations of that line.



There's a statue with the "All the world's a stage" quote in front of the Free Library in Philly, but I don't remember which play it is from.
 

The miniseries Daisy Jones & the Six is based on what rock group known for their off-stage drama in the 1970s?

Aleppo's ghar soap is handmade from what ingredient used in cooking?

Disney Parks guests can pay extra to spend less time in line using what alliteratively-named virtual queuing system?

The Allen wrench (or "hex key") was named for the Allen Manufacturing Company, based in what New England city known for its insurance industry?

MORE
Maybe maybe the last one is Hartford? I have no idea otherwise
I would like to live in a world where ghar soap is made of ghar.
 
A cheap but surprisingly good mechanical keyboard. Heavy as hell

My coworkers used to dabble in mechanical keyboards. Some of them claimed they could stop anytime they wanted. My friend C made no such claims. I don't think I ever saw the same keyboard twice. It's possible some of them were just alternate keycap combinations.

I, of course, grew up on mechanical keyboards, but I've put it behind me. I love my Macbook, the low travel keys are fast and the lack of CLACK is perfectly CLACK-ceptable, honestly.

So when I randomly spotted this cheap knockoff mechanical keyboard with one missing key for $5 at Goodwill, I thought: what the hell. A CLACK or two just for a laugh. First one's practically free...

CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK

Oh dear. I think I really like the CLACK.

This is going to be a problem, isn't it.

Gee, this thing weights a ton.

MORE
Heh. Nerd.



Can ummm... I try?



😜
Hee! It's an Easterntimes Tech I-500... newer nicer versions are like $40 on Amazon. This one would be $15 on eBay, with the missing key included! It's a cheap habit at first...
STOP making me look up mechanical keyboards that are so kawaii it hurts.
I actually really like the Mac M2 keyboard. Don’t ask me about its construction, dynamics, whatever; it just Works For Me.



My office keyboard is a generic Kensington USB thing so old that macOS identified it as “generic HID”. First time visitors to my desk feel compelled to comment on it. I don’t actually know how old it is but I’d guess somewhere north of 15 years. It clacks sufficiently.
 

With the help of my daughter, My Favorite Team was victorious.

What girl's name is the title of a 2016 song by The Lumineers and part of the title of a 2025 song by Taylor Swift?

What board game genre, characterized by the in-game purchase of components to be cyclically accessed later, was popularized by Dominion ?

What Shakespeare play begins with"Now is the winter of our discontent" spoken by the Duke of Gloucester, who is "determined to prove a villain" ?

What famous lawyer gave an eight-hour speech at the sentencing hearing of the murderers Leopold and Loeb, and later defended John Scopes in the "Monkey Trial" ?

MORE
Yikes. I know the third question but not the others.
Ophelia; deck builder; Richard III; William Jennings Bryan
WJB was on the Anti-Monkey side of the Scopes trial...
ah i was afraid of that
aha, i remembered! Lawrence Darrow
Clarence Darrow?
Clawrence? stupid brain
 
A black and white line art drawing of a group of creatures and characters related to the winter holidays.

For those who haven't seen it elsewhere:

I want to make a winter holiday themed coloring book, and I could really use your help!

Specifically, what are some of your favorite (fantasy) winter holiday creatures and/or characters? Let me know below, and they might just be in the coloring book (which will be free / PWYW)!

  • I'm not looking for any religious themes / characters.
  • Fantasy / High Fantasy for bonus points.

ETA (unrelated):

Still working on #Gobtober because I'm determined to finish, despite having not done so 'in time'. Today I did Day24 - dragon - and had a lot of fun with it, so I thought I would share the YouTube Short for it:

MORE
From the “Festive Traditions” collection:

Gävle Goat, Badalisc, Mari Lwyd, Kallikantzaros, Nalujuit, Lutzelfrau, Olentzero, Wangkarnal Crow
Thank you for this! *rushes off to do some 'Google Homework'*
Mari Lwyd or Llwyd is my favorite. I want to make a cardboard version.
I've had it recommended elsewhere, too. I'm definitely going to need to learn more.
Early Welsh Mummer.
This is a stretch but could be fun for a coloring book: Panquetzaliztli is the Aztec festival of Huitzilopochtl. It’s the lead-up to the Winter Solstice and Huitzilopichtl is the Aztec sun god.

And yes, there’s a lot of sacrifice involved so maybe not?



Lemme check it out. I LOVE that it's not 'the usual suspects' and from a different culture.
Belsnickel! (Though I have him much creepier and enchanting and wizardy in my head than he is normally depicted)
Nice! I'll have to talk to you about a description... :)
Squeeeeee!
I had no fantasy creatures to suggest, and I was sad. Then I met a man who had no fantasy life at all.
Awww. Don't be sad. You do so much creative work with your storytelling!

I do kinda feel bad for that man, though.
He's not still alive, is he?

Uh, it's just a mis-quote of a mis-quote, "I was sad because I had no cheese grater. Then I met a man who had no cheese." I have no idea what the original quote is or who said it.
I mean, _I_ would be very sad if I didn't have any cheese.
AUTHOR:

Sadi (1184–1291)

QUOTATION:

I never complained of the vicissitudes of fortune, nor suffered my face to be overcast at the revolution of the heavens, except once, when my feet were bare, and I had not the means of obtaining shoes. I came to the chief of Kfah in a state of much dejection, and saw there a man who had no feet. I returned thanks to God and acknowledged his mercies, and endured my want of shoes with patience, and exclaimed,

“Roast fowl to him that’s sated will seem less

Upon the board than leaves of garden cress.

While, in the sight of helpless poverty,

Boiled turnip will a roasted pullet be.”



ATTRIBUTION:

SADI, The Gulistn, or Rose Garden, trans. Edward B. Eastwick, chapter 3, story 19, p. 129 (1880).



A modern version, often cited as an old Arabian proverb, is: “I thought I was abused because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.”—J. M. Braude, Speaker’s Encyclopedia of Stories, Quotations and Anecdotes, p. 338, no. 2320 (1955).
At least that's one attribution. When I subtracted 1184 from 1291 to get 107, I double-checked https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saadi_Shirazi and found 1209/10 - 1291/92. Variations of the quote are attributed to several other people.
No no no. That was Jerri Blank. “I was sad because I had no shoes, but then I met a man who had no feet; and I laughed, and laughed, and laughed.”