Halloween Is Coming!
For fans of Halloween, noting that this holiday's arrival is (from a temporal standpoint) just around the corner is probably the most obvious statement in the cosmos. But if you're like me, it's too easy to get distracted, only to look at the calendar and realize, "Oh, right . ....
Game Stores In All Sizes
I recently realized one aspect that's pretty special about the tabletop gaming industry: neat, cool, game stores can be found in pretty much every size. I've been in palatial stores that offered myriad options and gaming areas. I've also found amazing treasures sitting on the shelves of tiny shops tucked...
Steve Jackson Interview With Cigar Nerds
Dragon Con is over, but the folks at Cigar Nerds Podcast have posted their wrap-up shows, and the most recent episode caught our own Steve Jackson as a guest. The "Nerds" in the name of the podcast is accurate beyond cigars, as the topics of this episode range from science,...
Today's Illuminated Musing
The other day I sang the praises of USBs, noting the first version of this long-lived format hit the market in general popularity in August 1998 – over 25 years ago. As I was posting this to the Daily Illuminator, I realized something really cool that was even older than...
Music To Game To: Hole Dweller
Say what you will about Spotify, but its algorithm has an amazing way of taking you on unexpected musical journeys. I started on one of those journeys a couple of years ago when a song popped up on my Discover Weekly playlist called "The Dwarven Caravan of Rushock Bog," by...
In Praise Of USBs
I was cleaning out a box of adapters and computer parts the other day, and I came across myriad USB cables from bygone eras. Curious, I plugged one unusual device in . . . and it worked. If I wanted an IDE-to-USB adapter to muck with any ancient hard drives,...
What Makes A Good Headline?
Writing a headline should be easy, right? It's just a few words that summarize a story so people can decide whether they want to read more. How hard can it be? Actually, a good headline can be just as challenging as writing a full article, if not more so....
One Weird Trick To Play More Games
I'm an introvert who fights with my own brain a fair bit of the time. Here's a "life hack" that's worked well for me which might prove beneficial to some of you. My little family likes to play games. However, whenever we have some free time, we're often vapor-locked by...