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Illuminated Site of the Week
Another fun day with the Machine. No abandoned kids to stress about today! The system just gets bigger and gaudier. Outside the exhibit area, I got to my one program item for the day, in which I basically made approving noises while some nice folks from across the Atlantic entertained kids with a simple, clever Lego game of pirates vs. mecha. And I got to watch one other panel, entitled "The Future We Didn't Expect," with several excellent speakers.
It's funny how much of a convention experience boils down to "I talked to this one person, and watched this other one's panel." But so it goes:
- I crossed paths with a fellow wearing a shirt with the logo of Xcor, the private launch vehicle company. Told him to keep up the good work. It turned out that I was talking to Jeff Greason, who is president of the company . . . and who was one of the credited advisors for GURPS 3e, way back when. SMALL world!
- Yesterday I attended a filk concert by Jeff and Maya Bohnhoff. Years ago, I heard Maya sing her "Knight's in White Satin" (a tale of chivalry and cross-dressing). I have always wanted to get that on CD, and now I have heard it again live AND have the CD. Win, win.
- I read the first chapter of His Majesty's Dragon. I liked the idea when I first heard about it . . . the Napoleonic wars, with the addition of dragons. And it turns out that the writing is really excellent, not a mockery of classics like the Hornblower books, but a sincere evocation of the period. But with dragons. I'm buying the next copy I see.
- And I had a long talk with David Friedman about MMOs, economics, and his new book Harald, and that's another book I plan to buy. We had dinner with the designer of a game which I think has potential but will not name in order not to pressure him . . .
- Not to mention catching up with Raph Koster, Eric S. Raymond, and Howard Tayler. Poor Howard. Stood wistfully outside the boundary tape and compared the Chaos Machine to crack . . .
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: Take A Walk On The Dark Side
Fighting for truth, justice, and the Arythian way is all well and good, but what does it get you? The pay is lousy, the hours suck, and the dental plan . . . let's just not even go there. So get off your high horse and grin sinisterly as you buy Midnight: Hand of Shadow.
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