My heart yearns for crooked lines and rough textures. Let me see these again, for they are the true shapes of the world.
Musings
On Gift Returns and Entitlement – Where’s the Line?
The high volume of gift returns after the holidays is an indicator of gross entitlement in our society. Or is it?
The Term “Magic System” Bothers Me.
If your magic is governed by rules that look suspiciously like they came from a physics textbook, you don’t have magic. You have fantasy science.
Exist Like You Mean It.
But be relentlessly real wherever you are and whatever you are doing. Feel honestly. Think honestly. Act honestly.
Tides and Miracles
How do you turn a tide? You don’t, probably. You just wait for the turning of the tide. The best thing to do is just let it do what it wants.
The Destruction of Ancient Worlds
Consider the dread of its inhabitants as a massive cataclysmic force bears down upon them from the sky and strikes the ground.
You Cannot Soar Upon Wings of Dirt
Where your head turns, there will the rest of you follow. Stare not so long at dirt and dust, else that shall be your fate.
Do it. Now.
Do it. Now. You know what that is. Get going right now, and do it as poorly as possible.
On Reading and Being Read
Each mind is an island where only the scarcest forms of communication can be sent or received. As such, reading is weird.
On Fantasy and Escapism – What’s the Point?
Why fantasy? What’s the point? The point is there is no point at all, and that’s what makes it so very valuable.
Lay Aside Your Fear
Lay aside your fear, and trust it not. It does not serve you, for it tells you that you have no power. Instead, trust hope.
You Don’t Know, So Just Chill
I got something wrong about a Jurassic Park movie, so I’m likely wrong about many other things too. You’re probably wrong too. So chill.
How to Actually Write Every Day – Reflections on Daily Writing
One of the keys to writing every day is to set out to create useless garbage. Takes the pressure off. Other things help too, of course.
Fun with Freewrites! Again!
More freewritten nonsense! And this time with a dash of horror thrown in! What fun! Proceed with caution.
Don’t feed Rolos to dead people
After all, they really don’t have the strength to be chewing through nonsense like that.
Fun With Freewrites!
Reading the results of stream-of-consciousness writing is not for the faint of heart or the serious of mind. You have been warned.
Armor Class Is Realistic | TTRPG Tactics
Some people modify armor class to make it more realistic. Truth is, AC actually does a fairly good job of simulating medieval combat as is.
Hit Points Are Meat Points | TTRPG Tactics
WotC would have you believe that hit points aren’t “meat points.” However, everything else about their system communicates otherwise.
The Eternal Echoes of Words
Every word you speak, every thought you think, every deed you perform will create an echo that will outlast you. Might as well make the best of it, no?
Time Has No (Inherent) Meaning
Time has no meaning without context, and the same is true with existence. It is better to push on reality and create ripples than not.
Talentless Clods Don’t Exist
Talentless clods don’t exist because they are a statistical impossibility. Therefore, you are not a talentless clod. Really.
Being Good For Something – Taking a New Direction
Thoughts on the future of The Astral Wanderer and the kind of tone I’d like to set from here on out. Also a bit about what I’ve been up to lately.
A Problem with Rage
Rage is all the rage these days.
The Anatomy of Confusion – A Quick Study
A close look at how confusion occurs. Also some quick life lessons based on this close look at how confusion occurs. Also I haven’t slept well in weeks.
Quick Thought: The Strength of a Shield Wall
A quick thought on shield walls and protection. In a shield wall, strength in numbers is not additive; it’s multiplicative.
The Ways Nature Marks Time
How does nature mark time? By the revolutions of worlds and the changing of seasons, and by that nagging sensation in your gut that says it’s dinner time.
Obvious Filler Post: Obvious Filler Is Obvious
Insert random description here. It could be about birds. It could be about squirrels. It could be about your deceased great great aunt. Get jiggy with it.
30 Ways to Ruin a Conversation in Ten Words or Less
Here are thirty entirely subjective ways to ruin a conversation in only ten words or less (ten words or fewer if you feel like being that way).
Stop Wondering if You’re Enough: Part 2 – Soldiers
A continuation of an entirely unwarranted rant about being enough, this time with a discussion of warriors versus soldiers. Also a playful jab at Oprah.
Stop Wondering if You’re Enough: Part 1 – You’re Not
This is an entirely unjustified rant about a trite bit of positivity that people have been spreading around social media lately.
Thoughts About Language, Context, and Listening
Some quick musings about how people manage to understand one another, even when it happens that they’re not speaking the same language.
The Sanctity of Night
The night is a profoundly sacred time in which we dream dreams, see the heavens, and share in communion with all of creation.
Mini Painting and How to Get One’s Self Writing
Odds are, there’s something you do purely for the fun of it. Why not let your writing be fun too?
“Sewer” Is a Word Because French Is a Dumpster Fire
The only reason “sewer” exists as a word is because the French “language” got hold of it. Disclaimer: Includes angry words about French.
Impossible Is Not the Opposite of Possible
Impossibility is just the lack of possibility, not its opposite, but if “impossible” isn’t the opposite of “possible,” then what is?
ADR, Elections, and Winning at All Costs
Elections can be stressful, especially when you feel like your candidate has to win at all costs. Here, we look at ADR to illustrate why that’s a problem.
Responding to Hilariously Out-of-Place Spam
Some off-the-cuff responses to spam comments in a blog post. None of the spammers will see it, but they probably wouldn’t have anyway.
The Problem with Celebrating Action Words
A totally unnecessary rant about why celebrating verbs as “action words” is kind of silly. Also, a brief college-level grammar lesson.
What Do You Eat for Breakfast on Quiet Mornings?
What do you eat for breakfast on those quiet mornings? You know, the ones where everything is falling irrevocably, impossibly apart?
The Fundamental Flaws of Our Tax Policy
Taxes are more than just annoying. The way current policy handles taxation is fundamentally flawed since it essentially undermines its own assets.