Thursday, June 30, 2016

Throwback Thursday - Toys

Over on startribune.com, they tell us that the "Toy exhibit at Minnesota History Center isn't just child's play."  Learn more here.


Also, on burlingamepezmuseum.com, check out the "Banned Toy Museum" here.


Finally, on the British Pathé YouTube channel, they have a wonderful old video on "Toy Soldiers (1949)."  Enjoy!



A look back at early tabletop hobby gaming
 or gaming-adjacent topics of the past.
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Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Events & Play Wednesday - Upcoming Events for July 2016

Locally, make plans to go to First Sunday which falls on July 3rd at the Lake Geneva Games store.  They are located at 918 S Wells St, Lake Geneva, WI 53147 and the phone number is (262) 885-1515.  The event runs from Noon until Nine and is mostly about pickup boardgames though planning particular games is certainly encouraged.  Sign up for this event and discuss it further on Facebook here.


There will also be a Burlington Gameday scheduled for the Third Saturday, July 16th, with details at the Burlington UCC Game Day group on Facebook here.  It will be held in Burlington, WI at the Plymouth UCC space, taking place from approximately 11 am to 5 pm.  All are welcome!


The Third Sunday , July 17th, features A Gathering of Gamers set up by the South Lakes Area Gamers here.  The event takes place at the Pizza Ranch in Elkhorn, WI, and requires a $12 fee for the all you can eat pizza and fried chicken buffet (salad bar, soft-serve ice cream machine, etc.) plus unlimited soft drinks and coffee from 11 am to 8 pm.  Great deals and great gaming for all!


For more information on events coming up and happening near you, please check out the following websites (and let me know if there are other links I can include in this section!)




News of Conventions and Gamedays as well as pictures
from those I have attended and games I have played.
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Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Tech Tuesday - Breakthroughs

Three from Science Alert this week with the first being "Scientists just found a compound that kills 98% of a drug-resistant bacteria" here.


Also, have a look at how "Physicists just confirmed a pear-shaped nucleus, and it could ruin time travel forever" here.


Finally, "Scientists accidentally created nanorods that harvest water from the air."  Learn more here.


News focused on Technology
as it might interest gamers.
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Monday, June 27, 2016

RPG Media Monday - The Herculoids

If you wanted to run a bizarre RPG campaign you could do a lot worse than to model it on The Herculoids!  This was a show that debuted in the late Sixties for a brief run of 18 episodes (split into 36 eleven-minute segments) then even more briefly resurfaced in the early Eighties.  The Herculoids "battled to defend their planet from menaces on Amzot/Quasar and from outer space. All of the Herculoids displayed Human-level intelligence—employing precision teamwork and complex tactics—as well as emotions, and Zandor and Tara both displayed a working knowledge of complex alien technologies as well as the ability to pilot interstellar spacecraft. But essentially, Zandor, Tara, Dorno, and the Herculoids were all apparently fighting to keep Amzot/Quasar a technology-free, primitive planet."  Read more about it here.


You can pick up the episodes from Amazon.com here.


But first check out this intro on YouTube!



News for Movies, Television, and more
of gamer-relevant Media.
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Sunday, June 26, 2016

Sunday Funnies - LotR Funnies

Over on the matincomedy YouTube channel, check out the "Lord of the Rings - Tide Commercial." Enjoy!



Also, on the Ijameswalters YouTube channel, learn from "Gollum: Relationship Specialist (A Precious That We Used To Know)."  Insightful?



Finally, on the Cracked YouTube channel, join "After Hours" as they examine "Why Sauron Is Secretly The Good Guy In 'Lord Of The Rings.'"  Arguably?



Humor, often gaming-related,
to start the week with a chuckle.
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Saturday, June 25, 2016

Saturday Crowdfunding Roundup - Hero Realms, King & Parliament, & Dungeonesque

Three from Kickstarter this week with the first being "Hero Realms, a Deckbuilding Adventure Card Game" by Robert Dougherty here.


Also, have a look at "King & Parliament: The English Civil War 1642-1646" by Gendarme Games here.


Finally, checks out "Dungeonesque Red & White Box Sets (5e RPG)" by Rogue Comet here.


Keeping an eye on those Kickstarter & IndieGoGo
projects plus other crowdfunding efforts.
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Friday, June 24, 2016

The Friday Grab Bag - Book Binding

Over on imgur.com, check out how one person rebound some old game books to customize and combine them here.


Also, on wikihow.com, they show us "How to Repair a Book's Binding" here.


Finally, on the Go-To Guy! Enterprises YouTube channel, check out a "Basic DIY Book Binding Demonstration."  Enjoy!



Essentially, a clearinghouse for topics not covered
elsewhere or needing a particular focus.
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Thursday, June 23, 2016

Throwback Thursday - Snausages, Cereal, & The Wilhelm Scream

I collected three unrelated videos this week from YouTube with the first being from the The Museum of Classic Chicago Television YouTube channel and titled "Snausages (Commercial, 1984)."  It's weird.


Also, Sam Strouth shares an "Extremely Creepy 1960s Cereal Commercial."  Weirder still!



Finally, from the CINExcellence YouTube channel, they gathered many of the examples of the use of The Wilhelm Scream, "a stock sound effect of a man screaming that has been used in more than 225 movies and television episodes, beginning in 1951 for the film Distant Drums."  Now that's really weird and you'll always hear it now!



A look back at early tabletop hobby gaming
 or gaming-adjacent topics of the past.
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Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Events & Play Wednesday - Lake Geneva Gaming, May & June

Lots of gaming in and around Lake Geneva and Southern Wisconsin.  Here are some pictures taken at the various events, many of them at Lake Geneva Games (Facebook page here)!  Check out more pictures in my Facebook album here and a Google Photos album here.  Also, check out the Nexus Game Fair photos in my Facebook album here and a Google Photos album here.




News of Conventions and Gamedays as well as pictures
from those I have attended and games I have played.
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Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Tech Tuesday - Computing News

Three from Science Alert this week with the first being "New 'spintronics' technology is set to offer a huge leap forward in data storage" here.


Also, "IBM's new memory is over 50 times faster than flash and could soon be just as cheap."  Find out more here.


Finally, "China is predicted to announce the world's first 100 petaFLOPS computer."  Learn more here.


News focused on Technology
as it might interest gamers.
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Monday, June 20, 2016

RPG Media Monday - Conan, Warcraft, & Stranger Things

Over on darkhorse.com, they've announced a new line of Conan comics here.


Also, on wired.com, they've suggested an interesting paradigm shift for fantasy blockbuster movies here.


Finally, from the Netflix US & Canada YouTube channel, check out the trailer for the upcoming series Stranger Things and enjoy the D&D connection.  Fun!



News for Movies, Television, and more
of gamer-relevant Media.
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Sunday, June 19, 2016

Sunday Funnies - Traps, Opposites, & Idols

Over on dazzy-p.deviantart.com, Darren Pepper gives us "Strip 90 of By The Gods!" here.


Also, on uptofourplayers.com, they explore "Opposites" here.


Finally, it's been shared around Facebook and elsewhere for a while but I don't think I've shared it here, so here is a meme of Bob Ross painting a picture of the idol from the First Edition Dungeons & Dragons Players Handbook.  Enjoy!


Humor, often gaming-related,
to start the week with a chuckle.
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Saturday, June 18, 2016

Saturday Crowdfunding Roundup - Saurian, Planetarium, & Wicked Kingdom

Three from Kickstarter this week with the first being "Saurian - An open world dinosaur survival experience" by Urvogel Games here.


Also, have a look at "Planetarium" by Game Salute here.


Finally, checks out "Wicked Kingdom - Illustrated Playing Cards by Wylie Beckert" by Wylie Beckert here.


Keeping an eye on those Kickstarter & IndieGoGo
projects plus other crowdfunding efforts.
Please Like, Share, Plus, Tweet, Follow, and Comment!

Friday, June 17, 2016

The Friday Grab Bag - Bookishness

Over on dose.com, comes the tense-challenged headline, "Book Owners Have Went Out Of Their Way To Create These 18 Creative Bookshelves."  Check them out here.


Also, on shelfmediagroup.com, they have a contest for the "Shelf Unbound Best Indie/Self-Published Book Competition" here.


Finally, on flavorwire.com, and although Banned Book Week is not until October, here are some "Famous Authors’ Funniest Responses to Their Books Being Banned."


Essentially, a clearinghouse for topics not covered
elsewhere or needing a particular focus.
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Thursday, June 16, 2016

Throwback Thursday - Ethan's Flick

Over on boingboing.net, they recently made hay of the YouTube video posted by Ethan Gilsdorf on his YouTube channel four years ago.  And why not?  It's a fun little Super 8 film turned into a video from the 1980s showing Ethan and friends playing Dungeon & Dragons.  While grainy, one can definitely enjoy seeing all of the old dice (and so many!) as well as the classic goldenrod character sheets.


Also, the map attached to the inside of the DM's screen is clearly from the adventure G3 Hall of the Fire Giant King.


Finally, note the excellent 1E AD&D DM's screen, itself a classic.  Good times!



A look back at early tabletop hobby gaming
 or gaming-adjacent topics of the past.
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Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Events & Play Wednesday - LGG Events

There are some upcoming events at Lake Geneva Games I thought I might mention for those in the area or who might be visiting Wisconsin.  Every Thursday from 3 pm to 9 pm is Open Boardgaming.  Open Boardgaming also takes place on the First Sunday of each month from Noon to Nine.  There is a Facebook event set up for this Thursday, June 16th, here and one for the next First Sunday event, July 3rd, here.


Also, this Saturday, June 18th, is an open casual event for all Dice Masters collectors and players called Dice Masters Lives!  A Facebook event has been set up for that one here.


Finally, if you love Magic the Gathering, please stop in the store for Friday Night Magic on Friday, of course, at 6 pm and the store also runs a Free MtG Standard event on Monday evening at 6 pm.  No sign up is required but get there in plenty of time to make sure you can be included!


News of Conventions and Gamedays as well as pictures
from those I have attended and games I have played.
Please Like, Share, Plus, Tweet, Follow, and Comment!

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Tech Tuesday - Living, Learning, & Longing

Three from Science Alert this week, mostly about the mind, with the first being "People who value time over money are happier, study finds" here.


Also, "Scientists have found a way to help you learn new skills twice as fast."  Learn more here.


Finally, "A third of us can’t see the Milky Way anymore, and it’s messing with our health."  Find out why here!


News focused on Technology
as it might interest gamers.
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