The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets have a new album! The Shadow out of Tim is now available here at Amazon.com.

I’ve ordered mine. Why haven’t you ordered yours? Sucker!

Lounge Larp.
Hen(tai)Toon.
The Pirate Larp.
“It’s just a con game.”
Drunk Illuminatay.
“I know it isn’t on the schedule; but
 ~ can you run another Houses demo?”
The Lap Game.
“Next time, leave me a towel.”
Magician’s Vow tested.
“Could you run 7th Sea?”
“Too hot in the hot tub!”
Another Play Dirty/HotB Chapter: Foreshadowing.
Sadly, no Dune.
“Can you sign this for me?”
“I know it isn’t on the schedule; but
 ~ can you run another Houses demo?”
“Could you run L5R?”
“Whenever anyone mentions (Houses), point to Nola.”
Jared’s Three Rules.
“When can I buy Houses of the Blooded?”
Transhumanism: The RPG
“Where’s Play Dirty?”
Vampire LARP: Avoided
Evidence that I do not give off the stalker vibe.
A scene from the Houses of the Blooded novel.
“Where’s Wilderness of Mirrors?”
“Why yes, I am looking for more playtesters.”
RPGA Lifer #7: “This is the coolest game ever.”
One snort of Damn Good Whiskey.
Discordian Double Agents.

___

Wow. Whutta con.

Link: The Greek Mythology Personality Test written by Aleph_Nine on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

1. We believe Imagination is a vital and necessary ability of the human mind to communicate with Ideas.
2. We believe in the blissful and sublime moment of Communication with the Invisible World, the World of Ideas, the World of Imagination.
3. We believe Communication with Ideas gives us richer, fuller lives.
4. We believe Communication with Ideas is possible through the use of Concecrated Tools, Holy Days, Sacred Texts, and Cooperative Ritual.
5. And we believe all must find their own Path to Communication.

Whenever I write, I pick a soundtrack. I play it between writing. I try not to listen to music when I write. My love of music is too great. I get distracted and can’t focus. So, when I take my ten minute break between thousands of words, I hit “Play” on my iTunes and let ’em rip.

For Houses, I have a particular set of music going through my mind. Queen, Meat Loaf, Evenescence… and, of course, Mozart.

Ah, the unrepentant rogue.

I’m a Special Guest at CON GAMES in Mesa, AZ. June 14-17.

I’ll be running Houses of the Blooded games all weekend — and a “top secret” game as well.

(E-mail me for the password. Slots fill up fast.)

I’ll also be running a game design workshop similar to the one Jared runs every year at GenCon. Show up with an idea, leave with a game.

And, I’m one of the co-GMs for “The Pirate Larp.” You’ll want to check this puppy out.

You can find out more about ConGames (my favorite convention name evar) here.

First Houses Game.
Thursday, 2:00 PM

Second Houses Game.
Friday, 2:00 PM

Third Houses Game.
Sunday, 2:00 PM

GDW, Part 1: Development and Design.
Friday, 11:00 AM

GDW, Part 2: Publishing and Production.
Saturday, 9:00 AM

The Pirate Larp
Saturday, 2:00 PM

Now that evolution has become an issue in the presidential campaign (in the May 3 debate among Republican presidential hopefuls, when moderator Chris Matthews asked if any candidates did not “believe in” evolution, three hands—Tom Tancredo’s, Sam Brownback’s and Mike Huckabee’s—shot up), it is always amusing when biologists put another brick in the solid wall that is evolution. The latest comes from a study in which researchers discovered clues to the evolutionary origins of the nervous system.

Read more here.

Meanwhile…

http://www.wikihow.com/Win-at-Rock%2C-Paper%2C-Scissors

When I started working at Perot Systems, I discovered the Lead Trainer had a small teddy bear on her desk.

“Oh, that’s Bear,” she told me. “He goes through all sorts of torture.”

It seems our delightful Lead Trainer brought Bear into work one day after her boyfriend won him in a machine or she acquired him in some other mundane manner–fully unaware of Bear’s symbolic importance. As soon as she brought him in, strange things started happening.

She’d arrive in the morning to find Bear with a broken arm. Or hanging from a cord by his neck. Or squashed under a heavy weight.

“He goes through a lot,” she told me.

I said, “But he always survives. That’s because Bear can’t die. He goes into the cave in winter to wrestle the God of Death and emerges in the Spring.”

“Oh,” she said, smiling. “That’s neat. I never thought of it that way before.”

Having learned how to revere Bear, I’ve done my best to lead the “Pro-Bear Lobby” at work. She showed up one morning and he had a jar of honey along with a note. “I found the honey!” He also found the fish. A bag of Goldfish crackers, to be exact.

However, Bear disappeared a few days ago. Nobody seems to know where he went. He’s been gone since Wednesday, although I suspect he may show up on Monday morning. And he may show up with a disc of photos, chronicling his adventures.

(I should note that “Bear’s Adventures” are largely due to the ingenuity of Jessie Foster. Go Jessie.)

What happens when I cut caffeine out of my diet?

I get headaches during the day and insomnia at night, that’s what.

I quit after I read the specific chemical compounds in sodas have been directly linked to neurological problems. I saw it two weeks ago and I can’t find the link.

God, I want a Coke.