Blog Archives

I Guess I’m Doing This

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So, I have this platform. I was considering using Substack instead, but held off out of a nagging suspicion it was going to run into problems. Recent squabbles with the bird site has confirmed those suspicions.

I may archive the current content and wipe the site to start fresh. (For those familiar with WordPress, this means I’d upload the archive to a secret site from where I could cut-and-paste as needed.)

This reboot may include hosted video; I’m a bit disillusioned with YT and not on the hype train for any of the alternatives. The Thoughts of Leith podcast needs some curation anyway, as the decent episodes are in the minority.

In any case, if you’re seeing this place for the first time, it will soon be somewhat different. New topics, new focus, new ideas. As you can see by looking at where I left off, it’s been a while since I last posted regularly and a lot has changed. Stayed tuned, or don’t; I would never resent someone reserving their limited time to things that really matter to them. If something I’ve done here does pique your interest, feel free to comment and I’ll take it into serious consideration.

Much love, J.

Category: Uncategorized

This Year’s Christmas Memes

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I need to remember to share these here, as well. Only two this season.

Category: Uncategorized

The Most Conscientious Monster

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He is green. He is greener than green. His entire existence is green.

Category: Uncategorized

Part II: More Things People are Sneaking into Candy

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Category: Uncategorized

Public Service Announcement on Halloween Candy!

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Category: Uncategorized

Music Mashup: A Little Hello

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I haven’t been doing a lot of music lately, but I had this idea in my head and (despite what the Death Punch lyrics told me) couldn’t let it go.

This is Five Finger Death Punch’s “A Little Bit Off” and Adele’s “Hello.” It almost makes a coherent duet, I think.

And, as always: This is NOT intended as a substitute for the originals! Go buy them! They are both great songs.

Category: Uncategorized

Odd Thought on Late Summer Insanity

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For more insanity : Odd Thought on Blood Type

Category: Odd Thoughts

Let’s Rename That Ancestor

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As an editor, I’m a stickler for words. Juggling and switching out words for a living, I have my favorites but also my peeves, words that are so innately clumsy, misleading, or cringe-worthy that I just want to get rid of them.

Reconstruction of our ancestor. I don’t know why he has a haircut, either.

This is why I think we should rename our solar system’s most unfortunately named planet Minerva (even starting an ill-fated petition), and think we should be careful about naming that yet-undiscovered planet that might be responsible for shenanigans out in the boondocks. I’ve also ranted about renaming the Stone Age and (more often that I care to link) recasting how we discuss literary genre.

Well, I’ve found another cause. In the wake of recent archaeological finds, the term “Denisovan” has joined “Neanderthal” as a common term of reference for an extinct form of human being. We could, perhaps, use “Heidelberger” for Homo heidelbergensis. Other human species suggest ready common terms: Rudolfian, Habilis, Floresian, Ergaster, Antecessor.

But Homo erectus? At least in English, this scientific name suffers the same cringe-worthiness as “Uranus.” Urine-us? Your anus? And, the species name is misleading. Our ancestors had been standing upright long before these folks came along. Continue reading

Category: Science and Reason

Anouncing Chromatic – A Tabletop Roleplaying Game System

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I have a new project at Octagon Games, a roleplaying game (RPG) system conceived as a “Roleplaying Simulation Game” to integrate all of the influence of RPGs in a single ruleset, so that everyone’s interests are represented and the game system engages everyone.

The name of the new system is Chromatic, in reference to the color-coded system under which all game mechanics are organized. Take a read!

Category: Gaming

Death, War, and Song – A Free, Fantasy Novelette

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Again for my own amusement, I’ve written a fantasy story. This time, it is a novelette in a setting I entertained for decades as a tabletop RPG game master. Given my heavily storytelling refereeing style, the setting might work better in fiction.

The narrator is a middling basset player, Erik of Koyle, who gets himself caught up in the adventure of Yankro, a rough swordsman, fleeing from a horrifying demigod who is hunting him from kingdom to kingdom.

Feel free to share!

DEATH, WAR, & SONG – A Fantasy Novelette

Category: Fiction