tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321263528293366642024-03-15T18:12:21.742-07:00Bruce R. Cordellauthor, science groupie, fitness dilettante, stumbler through life's thorny briarsBruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.comBlogger452125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-75880605774053723682024-03-04T18:01:00.000-08:002024-03-04T18:01:43.313-08:00March Roars, Snow-Hail Falls<p><br />Heya Earthlings!</p><p>As spring roars in like a lion (it snow-hailed on me today while I walked our dog Tesla), all sorts of activities are jumping onto my calendar. The big ones are a short trip to Austin with Batgirl for vacation, a company summit where <a href="https://www.montecookgames.com/team/#:~:text=We%20love%20the%20power%20of,%2Dquality%2C%20innovative%20tabletop%20RPGs." target="_blank">MCGers</a> gather from around the world to hang out in person, and the sci-fi and gaming convention <a href="https://www.norwescon.org/con/" target="_blank">Norwescon</a> 2024.</p><p>At Norwescon, I'll sit on several game-related panels and run a tabletop RPG adventure called Bitter Seeds—PCs in this post-apocalyptic scenario must find and retrieve viable grain from a before-times seed bank. Doing so requires that they overcome raiders, radiation, and other threats of the wasteland, including a mysterious warlord that has no face. If you're in the area and would to play, there's still room (as of the time of this writing)—<a href="https://warhorn.net/events/games-at-norwescon-46/schedule/sessions/2b242b63-abc5-46e4-a8dd-a1fcd2684d80" target="_blank">sign up here</a>! Don't worry, I've got a pre-generated character for you :). </p><p>As all this is happening, I've agreed to play in another RPG game. Scheduling has proved a bit challenging, given the game I'm already in. Thankfully, there's a lot of overlap between the two groups, so despite the challenging schedule, we're all mostly in the same situation. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKoMXf8eJSMonW12NgFNBiU1WPJ1EN71wEswuxieWPpP3IPN1TvytUtqqSkbSKozWDhbAZpPII4O0Z2U_mhB2yyhwKOxh3dCgIqIEAMHxjNAixS9ocDlS6Utyzqf9w7adkpINzsW6GrdsCG2_5v0c1XJumRvkyD_lYFqrMBVcQ7z8c0gv8oHR93xULN7Y/s4500/pawel-czerwinski-2CDRjyQw8aQ-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4500" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKoMXf8eJSMonW12NgFNBiU1WPJ1EN71wEswuxieWPpP3IPN1TvytUtqqSkbSKozWDhbAZpPII4O0Z2U_mhB2yyhwKOxh3dCgIqIEAMHxjNAixS9ocDlS6Utyzqf9w7adkpINzsW6GrdsCG2_5v0c1XJumRvkyD_lYFqrMBVcQ7z8c0gv8oHR93xULN7Y/w536-h357/pawel-czerwinski-2CDRjyQw8aQ-unsplash.jpg" width="536" /></a></div><p></p><p>Did I say challenging? My challenges are nothing compared to Baz's situation (the main character in my current Patreon novel), who was tracking the delivery of refined dream being smuggled out of the Nightland. His investigation was off to a promising start until someone collared him behind the pot shop. <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/99756009" target="_blank">My latest Patreon post picks up right after that</a> if you're curious.</p><p>[Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@pawel_czerwinski?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" target="_blank">Pawel Czerwinski</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/purple-and-white-abstract-painting-2CDRjyQw8aQ?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" target="_blank">Unsplash</a>]</p>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-52831880590455987542024-02-02T09:33:00.000-08:002024-02-02T10:18:36.103-08:00Dice Make a Hard Man Humble<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiryITwNEpSnZ2YL5o3eJXcZXzsGB4RFBQ0MD-zjKY-yRvwvE0IPjlhlNhcPx0jvGSwpkpSo2JNt_UrROC5scGwrgsEJ8nta2whWLoMPfJ7E_tQDIuUqXUjmsm1Ql50y1aXDj77LumVH44TX5GSA186A6Z_obcArWeq1OxDEtDUgxCYv11d8hbLvN4Ug2I/s3754/nasa-hubble-space-telescope-17hchodU6sA-unsplash%20(1).jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3754" data-original-width="2104" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiryITwNEpSnZ2YL5o3eJXcZXzsGB4RFBQ0MD-zjKY-yRvwvE0IPjlhlNhcPx0jvGSwpkpSo2JNt_UrROC5scGwrgsEJ8nta2whWLoMPfJ7E_tQDIuUqXUjmsm1Ql50y1aXDj77LumVH44TX5GSA186A6Z_obcArWeq1OxDEtDUgxCYv11d8hbLvN4Ug2I/w290-h518/nasa-hubble-space-telescope-17hchodU6sA-unsplash%20(1).jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@hubblespacetelescope?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" style="text-align: left;">NASA Hubble Space Telescope</a><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">]</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Hello Earthlings. Last night on the way home from a tabletop RPG game, I heard a chorus of frogs singing in a marshy, wooded area. The same chorus I always hear when Spring is near. Which is usually March, so that was weird.<p>But I took solace in the frog-song anyway, because in that game, I experienced an especially horrible run of bad dice luck that saw my "champion" humbled. It was a tough fight to be sure, but my friends, ouch. Tough fights are fine, but when you're consistently rolling at the wrong end of the bell curve, even WITH five second chances (you can use XP in the Cpher System for re-rolls, and I used up three of my XP and two of my friends' XP), I still couldn't land a telling hit or avoid a devastating blow. Afterward, Sean (a co-player) said, "Are you really a warrior?"</p><p>I was still smarting this morning, but with the day to give me some perspective, I'm ok with it. My character survived, and it makes for an interesting story. And maybe will knock my cocky "spellsword" character down a notch or two. In fact... I need a new character arc. I'm thinking of some version of "Fall From Grace" (of his sense of self-importance).</p><p>Speaking of someone facing mishaps, my latest Patreon post (<a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/97681268" target="_blank">Chapter 7, scene 3 of Dreamrider in the Nightland</a>) picks up from <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/chapter-7-scene-95738595" target="_blank">scene 2 where Minerva met a three-headed entity</a> that stepped out of the boundary between regular dream and what she regards as the realm of nightmare. One of the three visages is a manifestation of her greatest mistake...</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-45920931403088529062024-01-02T11:50:00.000-08:002024-01-02T11:50:37.286-08:00Zeigarnik Effect<p>I heard an interesting discussion on the No Stupid Questions podcast yesterday talking about closure. Specifically, something called the "Zeigarnik" effect (in an episode called <a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/do-you-need-closure/" target="_blank">Do You Need Closure?</a>). The idea is that people more easily remember unfinished tasks than tasks that they have completed. </p><p>Apparently, this brain mechanism extends to emotions, too. The idea is that our feelings linger — whether they’re positive feelings, like joy, or negative feelings, like frustration, when we don't get a complete understanding of what caused them. Obviously, this sucks on the negative side, and is why you should always talk things out when you are frustrated with someone.</p><p>But what about positive emotions? I'm making a bit of a jump here, but I can imagine it's related to why people are drawn in by wonder and mystery. Especially in a story or RPG session (though maybe in research, too). In the beginning, we don't know what's going to happen, why it happens, or what the consequences will be. </p><p>But maybe thanks to the Zeigarnik effect, we are drawn in by the mystery, exploring it until we discover all there is to see.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-Ti_BbSNw_cVZWYD1-S8YNXLTupVm8eNGfOTTecaD2V7tLiCIpaMSjeYIMadf97augvsNzvFNaBdwo89GTVfYCeZii-jt5Z0wGDOh5rI1kfPr3S7Wp35-BST4g2F0krsDa96Bq0ifePnvAXOkL75wTO7eBJOcCX-x3x_dz9KWKWl0lf1Q4ZtjYf0eHI/s6000/susan-wilkinson-BM28ueDNhMA-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="597" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-Ti_BbSNw_cVZWYD1-S8YNXLTupVm8eNGfOTTecaD2V7tLiCIpaMSjeYIMadf97augvsNzvFNaBdwo89GTVfYCeZii-jt5Z0wGDOh5rI1kfPr3S7Wp35-BST4g2F0krsDa96Bq0ifePnvAXOkL75wTO7eBJOcCX-x3x_dz9KWKWl0lf1Q4ZtjYf0eHI/w398-h597/susan-wilkinson-BM28ueDNhMA-unsplash.jpg" width="398" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Photo by Susan Wilkinson on Unsplash</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Just like Minerva, here in <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/95738595">scene 2 of Chapter 7 of my latest Patreon novel</a>. In the last scene, she decides to make an early dive into the Nightland (like, at 9 am) to learn more about someone who's done her dirty.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-35275005004839404642024-01-01T11:18:00.000-08:002024-01-01T11:18:33.293-08:00Sustainability Goals<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu_HbIfYp1gNFcgX8ydHYc8XLKI-3ZByw9LOUDKclDpC-sukpU_EjKskcIt7FhozeQnvf49ZYjAmfnnFuz1Sa1Gk75GCIRUDHaZpuACiVhJ4fcFPiF3Frdl3yJgtM0WTYvkObY7K9oMWgr9j9OU1rmwo1tms4ucTNjUU8Eohot-ZkqN_ZRy4qiClxL3VQ/s2782/bar.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2782" data-original-width="2740" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu_HbIfYp1gNFcgX8ydHYc8XLKI-3ZByw9LOUDKclDpC-sukpU_EjKskcIt7FhozeQnvf49ZYjAmfnnFuz1Sa1Gk75GCIRUDHaZpuACiVhJ4fcFPiF3Frdl3yJgtM0WTYvkObY7K9oMWgr9j9OU1rmwo1tms4ucTNjUU8Eohot-ZkqN_ZRy4qiClxL3VQ/s320/bar.png" width="315" /></a></div><br />Greetings from 2024!<p></p><p>I'm not one for explicit New Year resolutions, though I sometimes decide to make a change in my life and attempt to create new habits around that desired change. One such change was to think about sustainability, when possible, when it comes to buying goods.</p><p>I haven't turned my life around by any means. But I've made a few small strides.</p><p>It was actually two or three years ago that we got a subscription to <a href="https://www.ridwell.com/" target="_blank">Ridwell</a>, which promises to actually recycle various stuff that normally ends up in a landfill, including plastic films and multi-layer plastic, among others. </p><p>About the middle of last year I decided to try <a href="https://bitetoothpastebits.com/" target="_blank">Bite</a>, which cuts out the plastic toothpaste tube that goes into the landfill after a few months, as well as the weight of the liquid being shipped, in favor of tiny tablets you chew to make instant toothpaste. That's been working well.</p><p>And just as I decided to make my next shampoo purchase one that didn't include a huge plastic bottle that goes into the landfill every few months, Batgirl read my mind and got me a <a href="https://ethique.com/products/st-clements-shampoo-for-oily-hair" target="_blank">solid shampoo bar</a>. I'm looking forward to trying it, right after I use up the fluid in what is hopefully the last shampoo bottle I ever buy.</p><p>I wonder what's next? Suggestions are welcome, if you've discovered sustainable products or hacks that achieve similar ends.</p><p>In novel-related news, I've got more chapters to drop at <a href="https://www.patreon.com/brucecordell" target="_blank">my Patreon</a>. If all goes as planned, scene 2 of chapter 7 will drop tomorrow. Stay tuned, patrons! I'm grateful to each and every one of you!</p>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-87776913673440450282023-11-30T17:51:00.000-08:002023-11-30T17:51:27.599-08:00Extinction on Earth<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjTUPnLyFqWNZAEMGKq-uPHIXD1iwqcAIM_eLB0m_gVz16KagQXi7A5xO4GAbM8rEwPnEo2uLqhWASolFVxcIViz5O7hYf_-WB8DvUCtXulNFEu6gqURJE89k624obebWGiRno2xzmBh1MIu8SGYDrWUji7qovxaxcQO-Z59amoch_fwD2MXjUeKLyKw/s1600/Snapseed%20%2833%29.jpg" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="752" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjTUPnLyFqWNZAEMGKq-uPHIXD1iwqcAIM_eLB0m_gVz16KagQXi7A5xO4GAbM8rEwPnEo2uLqhWASolFVxcIViz5O7hYf_-WB8DvUCtXulNFEu6gqURJE89k624obebWGiRno2xzmBh1MIu8SGYDrWUji7qovxaxcQO-Z59amoch_fwD2MXjUeKLyKw/w564-h752/Snapseed%20(33).jpg" width="564" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Ahoy Earthlings!</p><p></p><p>We stand on the doorstep of December. It's been weirdly cold and dry here south of Seattle. And weirdly high in AQI (which means bad air quality) according to the purple sensor Batgirl gave me as a gift the holiday before this one. I'm sure it's all fine (/sarcasm). And reminds me that last night we finished watching a show on Netflix called Life on Earth.</p><p>Life on Earth is an interesting name for the show because a title that would more accurately reflect the content would be "Extinction on Earth." The show steps us through Earth's various epochs and how most life in each subsequent period was almost entirely wiped out. This has happened five times! I knew that, but the documentary "David Attenborough" style (voiced by Morgan Freeman) really brought it, you know... to life.</p><p>But you know what? Batgirl and I agreed that watching this repeated cycle of mass extinctions followed by life returning was weirdly calming. It made us less worried about humans "destroying the planet." I mean, yeah, humans could kill themselves off, but not all life. And there's some peace to be had in that. Right?</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></blockquote>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-983260179482205152023-09-06T10:51:00.001-07:002023-11-13T11:24:03.619-08:00Objects vs. Sentiment<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYr4PCi2EUPhvEUBkmzn8M1X12xpTIJ3-IdYaFmNRHsoAcyX_ZVl21wvQ-IONoaF7zDhw9C78iKAA5CI2PpoyoUUobhhbjoXCT8fc2LK_W_D9S8cQmh6jl0fFoSr6tGJzxJ3Dc2c90tQtElzW1IHhuk3oPP0ouyGihXCoOOp9T0b08IkTJU4QgNnNT-Eg/s4080/PXL_20230903_193758920-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="417" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYr4PCi2EUPhvEUBkmzn8M1X12xpTIJ3-IdYaFmNRHsoAcyX_ZVl21wvQ-IONoaF7zDhw9C78iKAA5CI2PpoyoUUobhhbjoXCT8fc2LK_W_D9S8cQmh6jl0fFoSr6tGJzxJ3Dc2c90tQtElzW1IHhuk3oPP0ouyGihXCoOOp9T0b08IkTJU4QgNnNT-Eg/w553-h417/PXL_20230903_193758920-01.jpeg" width="553" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storage unit treasure?</td></tr></tbody></table><br />How was your Labor Day, if you celebrated it? </p><p>Here, the extra day off gave Batgirl and me enough mental headspace to decide it was the weekend to finally deal with our storage unit. We've maintained it for the last decade. Along with the crawl space under the house, we call it "where sentiment goes to die." It's out of sight, out of mind, which allows the sentiment to drain out of otherwise inanimate objects. Plus, hey, we've been paying rent on all that slowly draining sentiment!</p><p>So we grabbed the few things that still tugged at the heartstrings despite where we stored them, and are making plans for how we can get rid of everything else. Lots of completely useful stuff in there, so we hope we can ask the storage facility to help us auction it off like they would for a tenant that simply abandoned their unit. </p><p>Hopefully, the specimens we collected from those alternate dimensions that one time won't escape and ruin the sale.</p>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-28639420140593312023-05-03T17:44:00.002-07:002023-05-03T17:44:49.174-07:00Unmei<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipaHUQo0W9LykzqKme6RXj7FwnHG56jjSwXXd9vkbF9dcViJ0Pd2jS0dZvT_4WLo5puVhQd4N2DTASOdcxkUG8-8F6TMsBfrNNkrx14pyLa1sS02w348WcpVgsjr1W7ST1w-NkRu2bf2Pg0-jrUar49wWHu6re6yDp1rL4nNqgbbQuGZSAJDM1En_m/s3603/IMG_20190323_000610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2792" data-original-width="3603" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipaHUQo0W9LykzqKme6RXj7FwnHG56jjSwXXd9vkbF9dcViJ0Pd2jS0dZvT_4WLo5puVhQd4N2DTASOdcxkUG8-8F6TMsBfrNNkrx14pyLa1sS02w348WcpVgsjr1W7ST1w-NkRu2bf2Pg0-jrUar49wWHu6re6yDp1rL4nNqgbbQuGZSAJDM1En_m/w486-h377/IMG_20190323_000610.jpg" width="486" /></a></div><br />Hey everyone,<p></p><p>I must admit that I've done precious little writing over the last week <a href="https://www.patreon.com/brucecordell" target="_blank">on my Patreon novel</a>. That's because our kitty Unmei's situation reached a critical point in the middle of last week, culminating in a stressful weekend and a tearful goodbye to Unmei on Monday.</p><p>I only knew Unmei for the last 11 of her 18 years, but in that time she became as dear to me as any pet can. </p><p>One of my favorite stories about her is the "Song of the Sock" (as Batgirl named it). A few times a week, we would hear Unmei meowing with some fervor upstairs, until we came up to see what it was. Unmei would be found innocently standing about three feet away from a lone sock (as pictured here). In all the years she did this, never once did we see Unmei actually carrying a sock. Or even near it. A few times I'd try to sneak up, and still failed to catch her in the act.</p><p>It doesn't take a genius to realize what was actually happening: Sock gremlins. And Unmei was keeping them at bay. </p><p>For this, and for all the other reasons, we're going to miss this little cat.</p>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-31156538343214710492023-02-22T16:42:00.001-08:002023-02-22T17:33:16.514-08:00Genghis Redemption<p>In just two days, I'll be heading to <a href="https://www.westword.com/arts/genghis-con-45-denver-gaming-16187520" target="_blank">Genghis Con in Denver, CO, USA</a>. I'm excited to attend the very first gaming convention I ever attended for a second time. The first time was about 30 years ago, before I was part of the gaming industry. (Well, I may have had a couple of Iron Crown freelancer publications to my credit, actually.) So if you're in the Denver area, I hope you'll come by and say Hi. </p><p>As it happens, I went to college in Colorado and then lived and worked there for several more years in the biopharmaceutical company (NeXagen, which became NeXstar, finally purchased by Gilead) before I left for a job at TSR. Many of my college friends still live in the area, and I'm looking forward to catching up with them once the convention is concluded. Should be interesting!</p><p>Until I leave (and when I get back), I'll continue working on the post-apocalyptic title Rust and Redemption, one of the <a href="https://www.backerkit.com/c/monte-cook-games/adventures-in-the-cypher-system" target="_blank">new genre books MCG is crowdfunding</a>. The campaign is active as I write this, but it'll wrap up in a couple of days as well. If you're looking for some post-apocalyptic inspiration, check it out!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3nduJ3enmszIAeqYbcqvDvTiLCpvaPoR5o2Eh27SWF3T76OgUflXM7EMe9xqqvTHZB4oLp6Sigxt-NMF9k2id4GUlkduPDnx8_m5KRLFxDmSl7kf0dJc-MU99aHDQgv2aBZr6yqymBZ0G32AujeXo953_8U1cQYDL8Ywqu8bZOmhrEocKXe2J0R9/s4435/ramez-e-nassif-Tz8sKLvSV08-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4435" height="403" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3nduJ3enmszIAeqYbcqvDvTiLCpvaPoR5o2Eh27SWF3T76OgUflXM7EMe9xqqvTHZB4oLp6Sigxt-NMF9k2id4GUlkduPDnx8_m5KRLFxDmSl7kf0dJc-MU99aHDQgv2aBZr6yqymBZ0G32AujeXo953_8U1cQYDL8Ywqu8bZOmhrEocKXe2J0R9/w518-h403/ramez-e-nassif-Tz8sKLvSV08-unsplash.jpg" width="518" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="system-ui, Roboto, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #241e12; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-line;">[ART: Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@ramaissance?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="nofollow noopener" style="background-color: white; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-line;" target="_blank">Ramez E. Nassif</a><span face="system-ui, Roboto, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #241e12; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-line;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/Tz8sKLvSV08?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="nofollow noopener" style="background-color: white; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-line;" target="_blank">Unsplash</a><span face="system-ui, Roboto, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #241e12; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-line;">]</span></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-20753325213226592582022-11-30T18:46:00.004-08:002022-11-30T18:46:33.179-08:00Snow, Holidays, and Pigs in the Nightland<p>It's the last day of November 2022 and it's snowing like crazy here in my part of the PNW. I won't lie, it puts me in a bit of the holiday spirit. This weekend, I just might put up the holiday glitz after all! (Every year, I consider giving the decorations a pass; every year, I usually end up blowing the holiday hose all over the house.)</p><p>A holiday tradition I used to have and don't do too often anymore is making oyster stew. I don't do it much anymore because everyone in my life these days detests it; if I make it, I end up eating all of it myself, like a pig in a candy shop.</p><p>Speaking of pigs eating candy... well, speaking of a pig plushie and a cupcake cafe visited in the land of dreams, <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/chapter-4-scene-75340777" target="_blank">my last novel scene posted Patreon just minutes ago</a> follows the Dreamrider, who's trying find out about those outlaw lucids who so rudely ejected him from the Nightland the previous evening!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIMs7WJUvWHQ86eI42yNNYKufB-NOif-6CskBE3DfJeCqdnmnNI6ZKNlg5-JujP0WRKBQ56tVDJE0EGOFYEedoq2g93q2yFbKMrMCnvyDjSW9cqr_Ju6e0pkYLX7jWZT18qOvlWa-5x88yXUJlh9FQigz8UG1D61c3NNkiotVtOH7PEV6jr0aKJ9zs/s1024/DALL%C2%B7E%202022-11-30%2018.35.48%20-%20toy%20pig%20plushie%20eating%20a%20strawberry%20cupcake.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIMs7WJUvWHQ86eI42yNNYKufB-NOif-6CskBE3DfJeCqdnmnNI6ZKNlg5-JujP0WRKBQ56tVDJE0EGOFYEedoq2g93q2yFbKMrMCnvyDjSW9cqr_Ju6e0pkYLX7jWZT18qOvlWa-5x88yXUJlh9FQigz8UG1D61c3NNkiotVtOH7PEV6jr0aKJ9zs/w426-h426/DALL%C2%B7E%202022-11-30%2018.35.48%20-%20toy%20pig%20plushie%20eating%20a%20strawberry%20cupcake.png" width="426" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">[Art by Dall-E "toy pig plushie eating a strawberry cupcake"]</p>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-41870427671452871842022-10-25T12:24:00.006-07:002022-10-27T13:27:45.613-07:00Monsters under the Rock <p>I've spent the last week in Madison, Wisconsin. I attended, along with many other MCGers, a convention known as Gamehole Con. If you follow any of my other social media, you'll see that I have posted many pictures from this fabulous time. Alex, the guy behind this whole convention is a gracious, wonderful host. The con is laid back, game focused, and so positive that I can't wait to come again next year.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyGT3jKp25plK9n8bRDQtT7oTBMhIINkYHHORCcwbQwzzz_ZiuuvsUJyvKV3kb4q4wFhhRWfnQ6ZOE1bZ9xmh2k2wVe0R64xrQMibQZUoAJWKj8zdFQvcdbd_BWLVHxh6NBiC1XhRK48TakFv_nhAMABmTm3roIykWb1v_2c0hjfydAKVkFzhFg7VO/s4080/PXL_20221024_181730981.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyGT3jKp25plK9n8bRDQtT7oTBMhIINkYHHORCcwbQwzzz_ZiuuvsUJyvKV3kb4q4wFhhRWfnQ6ZOE1bZ9xmh2k2wVe0R64xrQMibQZUoAJWKj8zdFQvcdbd_BWLVHxh6NBiC1XhRK48TakFv_nhAMABmTm3roIykWb1v_2c0hjfydAKVkFzhFg7VO/s320/PXL_20221024_181730981.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>After the con, we took an extra day to travel about an hour to someplace called House on the Rock. I knew nothing about this place before hand. I actually thought it would probably be something like when I visited Frank Lloyd Wright's house in Chicago. "Something like" is not quite correct. If you have never gone before, I don't want to ruin the surprise. Much. All I will reveal is this crazy tableau I found somewhere on the premises. If you think this looks big, you're probably underestimating its true size by about 10-fold.</p><p>Anyway, today is a travel day. Tomorrow I should be back in my home office, working on Weird MCG stuff. And of course, <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/73763641" target="_blank">Deamrider in the Nightland</a>.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-34691636250819495022022-09-05T10:58:00.002-07:002022-10-18T09:12:56.926-07:00Solarians, Unite! <p>Hello, Earthlings!</p><p>One day I'm hoping humans become multi-planetary. If that happens, "Earthling" won't work as an inclusive greeting any longer. We'll need a new one. How about "Solarian?" Sounds like the name of an alien from a 1950s-era radio play. But what else would you call people inhabiting worlds and space habitats around a star called Sol? </p><p>Exactly. Please consider yourself a Solarian from now on.</p><p>This weekend and last I've spent several hours doing yard improvement. I won't lie; things had gotten a little out of control. I always have these aspirations, "in the future, I will do some yard work." But it turns out that for me, nebulous plans like that rarely come to fruition. So starting a couple of weeks ago, I've dedicated myself to spending the first couple of hours each weekend morning on yard improvement. So far, so good. Next weekend, in addition to more weeding and trimming, maybe some ground cover seeding. Batgirl and I are fans of clover and periwinkle.</p><p>P.S. Patreon plug follows hereafter.</p><p>Speaking of doing physical work in the real world, Baz Preston (who you may know as the Dreamrider from my current Patreon novel) <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/chapter-2-scene-70510736" target="_blank">returned to the Wake in Chapter 2, scene 1</a>. And now he's ready to head out on his day job. He's still all about helping people, <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/chapter-2-scene-71394927" target="_blank">but his position is less elevated than in the</a> Nightland. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhcxk9GC_DKMH_2-S9KVc06DsV46XEIVeXL6T-xJ7eR70ulZhTXMPVzNyCjkhkpTMADxTViuQKsQMm0YPg6oo6ezw3mGAokV0Jvr1Uy5PtKm9N0jOUO-YiLl_vvT_SoLQs0HiX6LWvtOmtLFMk_R0OxvdZ71YOqG4MBNBWj6a--o6oQV0ANBCUuwG/s4568/sam-loyd-qy27JnsH9sU-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2826" data-original-width="4568" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhcxk9GC_DKMH_2-S9KVc06DsV46XEIVeXL6T-xJ7eR70ulZhTXMPVzNyCjkhkpTMADxTViuQKsQMm0YPg6oo6ezw3mGAokV0Jvr1Uy5PtKm9N0jOUO-YiLl_vvT_SoLQs0HiX6LWvtOmtLFMk_R0OxvdZ71YOqG4MBNBWj6a--o6oQV0ANBCUuwG/w457-h283/sam-loyd-qy27JnsH9sU-unsplash.jpg" width="457" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">[Photo by Sam Loyd on Unsplash]</p>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-67468066237578533082022-06-09T17:50:00.001-07:002022-08-16T11:40:17.470-07:00Graduation Gift<p>Greetings from the unending rain-drenched Pacific Northwest.</p><p>Batgirl's youngest is graduating high school. Last night, she was awarded a couple of awards for a high grade point average, and for another thing that I sadly can't recall and am unable to find in the moment. Let's say it was for saving puppies! Here she is going up to accept her award.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixrUOvCnHtD80QYXmQnbCVL5I0Xx4nbqWy2itR_uKzGWaxieiJJLhGiyuSWapwYoEgRS798j7UHm30CMpyCfmtRv6oXvFeZG3YQGC1WyB0rSNn0EZ7ibbZuoGXPwnUm0kYXq61wce9L1bkibhwgvc1qwd853uJ5t_mP339-WBxqL7BNzjpLyp_x_ce/s1024/20220609_084340-COLLAGE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="563" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixrUOvCnHtD80QYXmQnbCVL5I0Xx4nbqWy2itR_uKzGWaxieiJJLhGiyuSWapwYoEgRS798j7UHm30CMpyCfmtRv6oXvFeZG3YQGC1WyB0rSNn0EZ7ibbZuoGXPwnUm0kYXq61wce9L1bkibhwgvc1qwd853uJ5t_mP339-WBxqL7BNzjpLyp_x_ce/w563-h563/20220609_084340-COLLAGE.jpg" width="563" /></a></div><p>The actual graduation ceremony is Saturday. She's attending UW and even has a small scholarship for the business school. </p><p>When I graduated high school, one of my relatives got me a $50 dollar savings bond. I'd like to continue that tradition, but these days, it's difficult to get paper bonds except under specific circumstances. Much easier to get electronic bonds. But you can only do that if you set yourself up with an electronic account, and I can't do that for her. So I've decided to give her a check for sweet cash instead. Free and clear, BUT if she uses that to open and fund a Roth IRA (which I'll offer to walk her through), I'll match the size of the first check, doubling the amount, all to go into a no-load S&P 500 index fund, of course. I'm hoping that she's going to business school, she'll be open to experimenting herself with how the magic of compound interest grows wealth over the years. </p><p>But if not, she'll have some extra money :).</p>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-25468461143537430202022-05-06T12:03:00.000-07:002022-05-06T12:03:03.305-07:00Dreamrider in the Nightland, scene 1<p>Hello Earthlings! </p><p>Guess what? It's Bruce Day! On this day some number of decades ago, Sharon Mack gave birth to her firstborn. Thank you, Mom.</p><p>To celebrate, I'm posting the first scene from the first chapter of my first new novel (...since the last one I finished). I'm super excited to be making daily, if gradual, progress on the new hotness:</p><p>A<a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/66095815" target="_blank"> patron-only post featuring an excerpt from Dreamrider in the Nightland</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLgeyeDiVxgAadOUp0mZscGxVdorLo2bzCYykxfy4syfsfn2Axmr3GfvW-2MMFgj2eLZYWGJE6pvKTtP5RXAAN4HVVTnEwFQWGgaFBu84vzlDicFl4gTpYtGAS3nLt9pHcWj7KHq8W0yQCw-hyy39ZvNIpa8rt2ei4HkC7PToKu4XooE76XJsRwTE/s3000/joshua-earle-C6duwascOEA-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3000" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLgeyeDiVxgAadOUp0mZscGxVdorLo2bzCYykxfy4syfsfn2Axmr3GfvW-2MMFgj2eLZYWGJE6pvKTtP5RXAAN4HVVTnEwFQWGgaFBu84vzlDicFl4gTpYtGAS3nLt9pHcWj7KHq8W0yQCw-hyy39ZvNIpa8rt2ei4HkC7PToKu4XooE76XJsRwTE/w542-h361/joshua-earle-C6duwascOEA-unsplash.jpg" width="542" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #241e12; font-family: aktiv-grotesk, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-line;">[Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@joshuaearle?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="nofollow noopener" style="background-color: white; color: #503226; cursor: pointer; font-family: aktiv-grotesk, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-line;" target="_blank">Joshua Earle</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #241e12; font-family: aktiv-grotesk, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-line;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/wallpapers/cool/abstract?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="nofollow noopener" style="background-color: white; color: #503226; cursor: pointer; font-family: aktiv-grotesk, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-line;" target="_blank">Unsplash</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #241e12; font-family: aktiv-grotesk, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-line;">]</span></p>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-55717318005310121832022-04-21T10:07:00.003-07:002022-04-21T10:10:34.063-07:00The New Scheme<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq3KFTAMzBuhshHLmqZQNOYLvk2gZnHarfZLfoTi8DZIxkuwSz-Bu8CfMsjrWwZQTxfWUbmGauocBARcYrN3FzOan0FptXEhcJXA_Sr-tFX9JsAmsYYOTZC_w3TM4A9ElmfkeCttusGBfeFs5i9AxPOaBS3wTS1fKlMgn3dsM2T895YNGsEt2bf4ms/s5472/duncan-adler-Got-SV5YRPg-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq3KFTAMzBuhshHLmqZQNOYLvk2gZnHarfZLfoTi8DZIxkuwSz-Bu8CfMsjrWwZQTxfWUbmGauocBARcYrN3FzOan0FptXEhcJXA_Sr-tFX9JsAmsYYOTZC_w3TM4A9ElmfkeCttusGBfeFs5i9AxPOaBS3wTS1fKlMgn3dsM2T895YNGsEt2bf4ms/w572-h381/duncan-adler-Got-SV5YRPg-unsplash.jpg" width="572" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is this real or the Nightland?</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Hello friends, family, and all you aliens listening in from the dark energy network. </p><p>Guess what? I've just made a <a href="https://twitter.com/BruceCordell/status/1516886923968606208" target="_blank">design turnover of draft 1 of The Planar Bestiary</a> to the managing editor (Teri Litorco) at <a href="https://www.montecookgames.com/" target="_blank">MCG</a>. You know, my day job. The bestiary is a trove of monsters gathered from across the planes of existence. Hear that pleasant birdsong outside the window at the inn? Maybe it’s a warbler. But maybe it’s an abolisher of sorrow, a songbird out of the Feywild whose pleasant faerie melodies erase character memories so pleasantly they don’t realize they’re dying.</p><p>Anyhow, I'm going to take a few days away from the MCG campus to relax. Although you know what I'm also going to do? Spend the not inconsiderable time necessary to find, prep, and send out <i>The Ark of Broken Dreams</i> to three new prospective agents.</p><p>But as importantly, and a lot more fun, I'm going to keep working on my next novel, <i>Dreamrider in the Nightland</i>.</p><p>All of which is to say, I'm going to start up <a href="https://www.patreon.com/brucecordell" target="_blank">my Patreon</a> again in May, posting first draft scenes from the novel as I finish them there. If you're game, I'd very much appreciate your support <a href="https://www.patreon.com/brucecordell" target="_blank">there</a>. If you've already supported me, or are still supporting me, thank you so much!</p><p>[Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@duncan2118?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Duncan Adler</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/motorcycle?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>]</p>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-52335114168242569972021-11-12T09:17:00.001-08:002021-11-16T14:04:28.745-08:00This Week Is Almost Over<p><span style="font-size: medium;">It's been a week for me. Starting with interrupted travel when Sun Country decided it didn't want to fly a half-empty jet back to Seattle on Sunday (following our attendance of my brother's wedding reception). So we spent a night in Minneapolis we hadn't planned for. Thankfully, all's well that ends well, and we made it home Monday evening, as did our dog Tesla, who stayed an extra night in the nearby doggie lodge in our absence.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">On Wednesday evening, I ran a <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/montecookgames/planebreakerexplore-the-planes-for-5e" target="_blank">Planebreaker</a> demo for the wonderful folks at Cypher Unlimited and MCG community manager LaTia Bryant. It was great fun, as you can see here: <a href="https://youtu.be/XNF3ena4o74">https://youtu.be/XNF3ena4o74</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Then on Thursday evening (last night), I participated in an online seminar focussed on WORLDBUILDING, hosted by the folks who've long run Gen Con's Writer's Symposium track. Elizabeth Vaughan moderated, and participants included me, Marc Tassin, Melanie Meadors, and Marty and Matt Forbeck. It was also great fun, as you can see here: <a href="https://fb.watch/9dtWT6fFe4/">https://fb.watch/9dtWT6fFe4/</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">However, the week definitely took it out of me. So I'm looking forward to a peaceful Friday where all I have to do is sit at my desk and write.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Anyway, enjoy this amazing art for the Plenbreaker by Dan Watson called the Tomb of Tomorrow.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--KdoGBEGL38/YY6g-lJuAfI/AAAAAAABqkw/b-vGOzSPf1UMhSDIuMh8IBi5PgkIiFxNACLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/Planebreaker%2BArt-Tomb%2Bof%2BTomorrow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="381" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--KdoGBEGL38/YY6g-lJuAfI/AAAAAAABqkw/b-vGOzSPf1UMhSDIuMh8IBi5PgkIiFxNACLcBGAsYHQ/w574-h381/Planebreaker%2BArt-Tomb%2Bof%2BTomorrow.jpg" width="574" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-26745911948478318732021-10-27T12:53:00.009-07:002021-10-27T23:50:38.429-07:00Planebreaker Arrives on the WebDM Show<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NEDttXcUzpM/YXmuHrvaExI/AAAAAAABqHM/1NYYRcCt7LUjrnuHYJQWtJP10Q3f-gxdQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/webDM%2BJim%2Bn%2Bbruce.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="247" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NEDttXcUzpM/YXmuHrvaExI/AAAAAAABqHM/1NYYRcCt7LUjrnuHYJQWtJP10Q3f-gxdQCLcBGAsYHQ/w439-h247/webDM%2BJim%2Bn%2Bbruce.jpeg" width="439" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yo, people of the multiverse!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The kind folks at WebDM were gracious enough to have me on their show to talk about the <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/montecookgames/planebreakerexplore-the-planes-for-5e" target="_blank">Planebreaker</a>!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://youtu.be/u1TzclJrzpc">https://youtu.be/u1TzclJrzpc</a></span></p>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-77445378295427178972021-10-16T10:49:00.002-07:002021-10-17T22:06:30.777-07:00Following the Path of the Planebreaker<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ADTZhllfjeA/YWsQfJvrHFI/AAAAAAABp8M/izgPi8kHbC0kf0Je0l4R_25z9JInJaVowCLcBGAsYHQ/s1160/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-16%2Bat%2B10.48.14%2BAM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1160" data-original-width="1058" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ADTZhllfjeA/YWsQfJvrHFI/AAAAAAABp8M/izgPi8kHbC0kf0Je0l4R_25z9JInJaVowCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-16%2Bat%2B10.48.14%2BAM.png" width="292" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Greetings people of Earth!<br /><br />It's been a busy few weeks for me as MCG prepares for our upcoming<a href="https://www.montecookgames.com/explore-new-5e-planes-and-more-announcing-planebreaker/" target="_blank"> Planebreaker crowdfunding campaign</a>. (It's "go time" at the end of next week!)</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Since I have the honor of being the lead on the design, I've been putting daily thought into all things extradimensional from a 5E perspective. In addition to brainstorming all sorts of interesting player character options—like the Chaos Blade subclass that draws weapons from the Elemental Chaos—I've also of course been generating seeds for interesting planar locations. Places like Ethergaurd, a city that prowls the Border Ethereal. And the Planebreaker itself, a "moon" fleeing a disaster that predates the multiverse...<br /></span></p>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-22420492475649499342021-10-05T09:22:00.002-07:002021-10-05T09:22:29.007-07:00Rainy but Vaccinated<p>What's up, my friends?</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kYCGZ0XTLPw/YVx7dsu2w0I/AAAAAAABpzI/SVWzdlsNXG0LrdJDMn-kAHkd3SKDhLJ3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1284/Lightsail%2BBruce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1284" data-original-width="1114" height="382" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kYCGZ0XTLPw/YVx7dsu2w0I/AAAAAAABpzI/SVWzdlsNXG0LrdJDMn-kAHkd3SKDhLJ3wCLcBGAsYHQ/w332-h382/Lightsail%2BBruce.jpg" width="332" /></a></div>Here, it's all about what's coming down: the rain! <p></p><p>Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to see the rainy season return after a particularly dry and fiery summer in Washington state. And guess what? I'm wearing a sweater. I also wore a hoodie—<a href="https://twitter.com/BruceCordell/status/1443610684235796481" target="_blank">my new Planetary Society Lightsail Hoodie!</a>—for several days already. Sometime within the next few weeks, I suppose the furnace might even come on. Then we'll know for sure. </p><p>The cooler weather also means more functions happening inside rather than outside. Here in WA state, you'll soon have to show your proof of vaccination. I checked my state records to make sure they were up to date. Lo and behold, according to the state, I've received FOUR doses of Pfizer's jab. What the what? Well, I guess that's probably good enough to get in anywhere, though it's doubled my actual number of jabs. At this point, I'm not even sure it's worth trying to fix.<br /></p>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-6827756790733044472021-09-27T09:02:00.000-07:002021-09-27T09:02:00.369-07:00The Fall is Nigh!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Efqa9t9joBc/YVHqwf0i_hI/AAAAAAABppk/zw9UHok_mC8r6FIoGRdKNQ6DMERvwsjngCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/kerstin-wrba-zeInZepl_Hw-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="468" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Efqa9t9joBc/YVHqwf0i_hI/AAAAAAABppk/zw9UHok_mC8r6FIoGRdKNQ6DMERvwsjngCLcBGAsYHQ/w351-h468/kerstin-wrba-zeInZepl_Hw-unsplash.jpg" width="351" /></a></div>Hey everyone,<p></p><p>Welcome to the Fall! The season, not the end of civilization; we still have time to go buy some pumpkin spice whatever. Personally, I'm happy to finally welcome some rain back to a dryer-than-normal year here south of Seattle. Speaking of changes from what used to be normal, I'm not sure Batgirl and I are up for a big Halloween masquerade party this year, even though by default, everyone is of course masked. But I'm pretty sure a gorilla mask doesn't offer as powerful protection as an N95 ;).</p><p>[Photo by Kerstin Wrba on Unsplash]</p><p><br /></p>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-11880997339058345512021-09-09T07:41:00.002-07:002021-09-10T11:00:52.234-07:00Gen Con In the Time of Covid<p>Guess what's just around the corner? Why, it's Gen Con 2021! A slimmed-down, mask-wearing, and I hope mostly vaccinated best four days in gaming, to be sure. But next week I head east to Indianapolis, helping MCG put on its game face for all and sundry. (btw, If you're heading up that way, <a href="https://www.montecookgames.com/calling-all-gms-gen-con-2021-2/" target="_blank">we could use a few more GMs</a>.)</p><p>Given the pandemic situation, I bet it's going to be weird. </p><p>On the other hand, recent analysis indicates that the actual chance of a breakthrough infection for a fully vaccinated person is about <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/07/briefing/risk-breakthrough-infections-delta.html" target="_blank">one in 5,000</a>. Or maybe one in 10,000. The human mind is ill-equipped to truly comprehend such low odds. Let's just say it's equivalent to the same risk of injury we face every time we drive a vehicle (i.e., very low).</p><p>This picture was from a few years and a couple booth builds ago. I've attended almost every Gen Con since 1996. I'm guessing that will make 2021 my 24th Gen Con. I'll be sure to snap a few pics this time, too.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R3mFG21nqyk/YTocLupQjnI/AAAAAAABpNo/nZyknAjT6rkPdnPwRiwNL-xEGf6Cx6e_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_20150730_092005302_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="424" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R3mFG21nqyk/YTocLupQjnI/AAAAAAABpNo/nZyknAjT6rkPdnPwRiwNL-xEGf6Cx6e_gCLcBGAsYHQ/w566-h424/IMG_20150730_092005302_HDR.jpg" width="566" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-82481035839790008092021-08-23T09:36:00.000-07:002021-08-23T09:36:08.406-07:00Ear Shows for Everyone<p>Hey Earthlings,</p><p>If you know anything about me, you know that I've been on a podcast kick since about the time 'podcast' was coined as a term. In that time, various podcasts have come onto and fallen off my regular rotation. I used to be pretty thick with science and tech podcasts. Some of those have fallen off my regular rotation, and new ones have come on. This weekend I was enjoying the new-to-me tech-n-talk SMR Podcast, an interview-style show called People I Mostly Admire, and an EV-enthusiast show called Kilowatt. So far I'm liking what I'm hearing.</p><p>Any podcasts you come back to time and again?</p>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-14394763134879384262021-08-02T09:27:00.004-07:002021-08-02T10:47:50.850-07:00Ambiguous Knight<p>Howdy Earthlings!</p><p>So we saw the Green Knight this weekend at the theater. The thing about seeing this movie is that you should probably go in with the advice "embrace ambiguity" echoing in your ears (as Batgirl had just told me). That way, over the subsequent few days as you try to make sense of the movie with your partner, while arguing the fine points of what's Arthurian "canon" and what's folderal, you're able to deepen your appreciation of the film. I suspect we'll watch it again, if not soon, at least when it comes to streaming.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X0Dc5YdMUf4/YQgctwz6anI/AAAAAAABoaQ/0-FNItoCFtAMuz5sshShjw14tuL3cD6-ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/veeterzy-sMQiL_2v4vs-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="379" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X0Dc5YdMUf4/YQgctwz6anI/AAAAAAABoaQ/0-FNItoCFtAMuz5sshShjw14tuL3cD6-ACLcBGAsYHQ/w570-h379/veeterzy-sMQiL_2v4vs-unsplash.jpg" width="570" /></a></div><p></p><p>Did you do anything that challenged you lately that you then came to appreciate later?</p><p>[Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@veeterzy?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">veeterzy</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/fantasy?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>]</p>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-74954285302157199992021-06-28T09:57:00.009-07:002021-07-12T14:15:53.086-07:00Testing the EV Charging Infrastructure<p>Last week I tested the EV (electric vehicle) charging infrastructure along a route stretching between Washington state, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and all the way across South Dakota. Then back. </p><p>The good news: I made it both ways! Thanks to the car's self-planning feature (it decides which charging stations to stop at, and how long I need to charge there), planning the trip was a cinch. Overall, I enjoyed a lot of alone time, during which I listened to audiobooks galore. It was sweet. And wonderful to see my family, many of whom drove in from their own distant points to be there at the same time.</p><p>But that's not to say there weren't a few odd glitches. At one point, about 30 minutes out of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, my car suddenly told me the charging station I was making for was "closed" and my only option was to return to Coeur d'Alene, get a bigger charge, then come back once more with enough charge to make it to the next farther charging station. Well, that whole process added about 3 hours to my trip. All to find that the "closed" charging station was open all along. Some sort of lapse of cell communication in the middle of Idaho was probably to blame.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-evK01YsKaMg/YNn-01QpqvI/AAAAAAABnpw/XqCDqn0eRuccmmVNqAb7GDvZhcLRV53WgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/PXL_20210620_222237331.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="416" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-evK01YsKaMg/YNn-01QpqvI/AAAAAAABnpw/XqCDqn0eRuccmmVNqAb7GDvZhcLRV53WgCLcBGAsYHQ/w554-h416/PXL_20210620_222237331.jpg" width="554" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">On the way back toward Washington, I stopped in Mitchell SD, only to discover that every one of the chargers would only let me charge for about 1 minute before stopping, then starting up again 20 or so seconds later, then stop, rinse, and repeat. Luckily I had a really big charge left, and so despite this herky-jerky situation, I was able to gather just enough energy to move on after about 20 minutes of worry.</span></div><p></p><p>A few other weirdnesses plagued me. About an hour and a half before I reached my initial destination in SD, the car freaked out, telling me there was no charge to be found at my destination, and that I should GO BACK. It helpfully tried to re-route me. (What it didn't know was that my parents had installed a charging plug in their garage, and that I was going to be fine.) Then, with too little information to go on, it decided that Highway 25 was actually the speed limit, and kept trying to limit my speed to 25 miles per hour. Easy enough to fix: stop relying on the autopilot function and just drive the car like normal.</p><p>So, long story short: I had a great time on the drive (and an even better time seeing family in the middle). And I learned a lot, thanks to the events I've just described. So much that I might try to do it again next year.<br /></p>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-33453392335712446222021-06-11T09:09:00.002-07:002021-06-11T09:09:31.328-07:00Batgirl Vs. The Insidious Ache<p>Hi folks!</p><p>A few days ago, Batgirl became part cyborg. She got a new hip to replace the one injured in a battle with her arch-nemesis, the Insidious Ache. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R4Hk7tDncek/YMOKftc4nuI/AAAAAAABm9E/ibaOECLGO7ABf5LrKi8xAt5qKpNwhYmqACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/aaron-barnaby-PmrwuizKUq0-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="339" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R4Hk7tDncek/YMOKftc4nuI/AAAAAAABm9E/ibaOECLGO7ABf5LrKi8xAt5qKpNwhYmqACLcBGAsYHQ/w509-h339/aaron-barnaby-PmrwuizKUq0-unsplash.jpg" width="509" /></a></div><p>The surgery went well. But we had a tougher first night than either of us expected. The next day's breakthrough pain was so severe I was placing calls to her surgeon (as the instruction sheet they sent us home with said I should).</p><p></p><p>Thankfully, she turned a corner for the better on day 3 (yesterday). In fact, last night we were able to finally make it upstairs to the bedroom to sleep instead of us sleeping downstairs on the couch. Sleep, I missed you...</p><p>It seems like we're heading in the right direction, finally. Soon (well, in a little less than six weeks, if the prognosis holds), she'll be back, better than ever with an arthritis-free artificial hip. (Cue Bionic Woman theme music.)</p><p>[Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@aaronbarnaby?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Aaron Barnaby</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/machine?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>]</p>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632126352829336664.post-42807050345227212782021-05-10T09:13:00.001-07:002021-05-10T09:49:38.765-07:00Watch Me Sleep<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I have a new health-tracking watch!(1) In addition to telling the time, it also tracks movement and heart rate.(2) Using all those functions, it also has a way of recording the wearer's type and quality of sleep. Last night, I had pretty good sleep, including a reasonable stint of deep sleep(3), so I'm hoping that translates into a productive day today. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vIPqHF1oWFk/YJlbQHV_GaI/AAAAAAABmYQ/kSJ0yjJyf-UOKAND-WEOZG8Tx0eFKiHWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/PXL_20210510_160435786.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="706" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vIPqHF1oWFk/YJlbQHV_GaI/AAAAAAABmYQ/kSJ0yjJyf-UOKAND-WEOZG8Tx0eFKiHWwCLcBGAsYHQ/w530-h706/PXL_20210510_160435786.jpg" width="530" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">1 (The watch was a birthday gift last week from Batgirl. It's a Samsung Active2.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">2 (At 56 BPM, the watch is telling me my heart rate is lower than the average heart rate for someone my age and gender.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">3 (It sounds like 1 or 2 hours is a reasonable amount to strive for. Not that you can strive for deep sleep. You just have to prepare for deep sleep as best you can and hope that it arrives, like Santa at Christmas, bearing gifts of brain detoxification and memory consolidation.)</span></p><p><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>Bruce Cordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909721180218892687noreply@blogger.com0