The Goalkeeper Doesn’t Decide Who Scores

Previously, I set out my theory for why people might have started to see the DMs of roleplaying games as separate from the players. Someone who wishes to remain a nameless spectre of looming contention asked me if it actually matters whether the DM is called a player or not. And, in fairness, a lot …

Rocks in My Head

Sometimes to relax, I look at photographs of karesansui (‘Zen’ gardens) or watch videos of them being maintained. A few days ago I recalled that, when younger, I found them quite boring and started to ponder whether I have actively learnt to like them or would always have developed into it. As frequent readers will …

Prop Forward for the Cricket Team

Over the last few days, disagreement over a Dungeon Master's position has sprawled across several of my social media feeds, sparked by the assertion that the DM is another player rather than an different type of participant. One key point of contention was whether or not new rules systems had changed the role from player …

As the Prophecy Didn’t Foretell

Whether it's people being shot in Plymouth, the situation in Afghanistan, the latest IPCC statement, or another global, national, or personal matter, there are plenty of reasons to feel humans aren't a great species. As that bleakness can grind one down, I thought I'd share a little Taoist-inspired pondering that reminds us the people we …

Is Sorcery Unnatural?

I've played a lot of Conan Exiles recently. As I'm playing single player, I have the ability to allow admin commands to be used in game; which raised the question of whether or not I should maintain strict separation between "I am playing the game" and "I am running the program". After some thought, I …

I Discovered They Were a Gilman

It is easy to say that the debate on whether one can separate Lovecraft's work from his beliefs will never be resolved. However, I think the underlying question is still worth asking: because deciding whether or not to read a dead author's work isn't the only judgement we make in life. Synchronicity summoned up the …

Yog-Sothoth Doesn’t Play Ball Games

Commentary on Lovecraftian horror often takes a fixed stance on Lovecraft's racism (was he a racist; is his work racist; does liking Lovecraft make you a racist) so this video by Athena Productions on whether art can be separated from artist was a pleasant surprise to my nuance-seeking mind. However, I noticed one critical factor …

Chromium Plating Marshmallows

A good mashup, whether food, music, or gases, creates a thing greater than the parts; the sublime added to the technical. And perhaps shows an answer authors struggle to tell. The right mix of the right songs for a particular person speaks to them in several ways: the experience of each of the songs alone; …

Awaken Your Tongues

There is an article in the Telegraph today (another article) rejecting the idea that we shouldn't require correct English from students. As someone who has used English professionally for most of my working life, the argument that language matters resonates strongly with me. And thus the article spoke to me: specifically, it said Χρησιμοποίησα έναν …

Squeed

On of the (few) advantages to the Covid-19 restrictions—apart from the obvious one of reducing spread—is an acceleration in various venues embracing online exhibitions and performances. Rather than being limited to seeing things that come to Bristol and a few things I made an significant effort to travel to another place to see, I can …