Gary Gygax 1938–2008 RIP

AP story on wbay.com “Gary Gygax died this morning at his home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin”

Yes, he’s failed that final saving throw and the Official D’n'D site has a black front page today.

Freaky Trigger and the Lollards of Pop - Series 2, Week 14

Time Team: Eli, Mark, Kat and Katie.

Something has happened to Tanya. Making haste to chase lollards reach… 2007. And run amok. But what of free-will, butterflies (and Ashton Kutchner)? Arthur and You’s “Black Bear” retro stylings. Mark lives for the moment, and internet flash games. But what if you could go back in time and kill Hitler and CarSmile Steve? Crystal Waters “I Believe I Love Ya” and the fate of “one hun dred percent, puuure love”. Kat’s memory plays tricks on her. Our midweek number 1 is Sunshine Anderson “Heard It All Before”

All this has happened before.

And will happen again.

Freaky Trigger and the Lollards of Pop - Series 2, Week 13

In a field of their own: Magnus, Katie and Ewings Tom and Al.

A song of two halves. The RAH Band’s terrific ‘Clouds Across The Moon’. Marvel’s stock aliens. Ellen Allien’s ‘Wish’. Tolkien’s footling theories on the essence of Fairy Story. Fleet Foxes sing. “Aslan” magazine and improv RPGs.

With a twist - GASP. The midweek number 1 is Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds. OR IS IT?

Freaky Trigger and the Lollards of Pop - Series 2, Week 12

Mostly Moomins and Kid Lit with Sarah, Dr Vick/Quack, Tom, Pete and Steve on the knobs.

Moomins animation (v Roland Rat v He Man). What is the comet? Unease and a-moralising kids books. Ed Gorey. Position Normal - “Nostrils and Eyes”. Tom calls “Uncle” and the “New Mother”. Toy Story II and The Saddest Song in the World. It is. Closing remarks. Midweek number 1 is Man 2 Man?

Freaky Trigger and the Lollards of Pop - Series 2, Week 11

Sorry excuses and polite engineering. With Alix, Sarah, Magnus and Rob.

A husband list update. Moloko ‘Sorry’, eventually. Polite vampires and ghosts. Insults from Hergé and Rabelais. Politeness is bad for Magnus. Some song, possibly Abba. Shrigley ‘My Beer’. Expensive booze. Star Turn On 45 Pints ‘Pump Up The Bitter’. All consuming petty irritations make you… bitter. Another song. Recipe gripes. The midweek number 1 is Marnie Stern ‘Patterns on a Diamond Ceiling’

Freaky Trigger and the Lollards of Pop - Series 2, Week 10

Scary Monsters and Super Freaks-ytriggers: Pete Baran, Alix Campbell, Ewings Tom and Al, with Steve Hewitt in the crypt.

A monster Monster FITE! (Oh yes.) Some corrections. Bob McFadden and Dor “I’m A Mummy” (and “Kookie Lend Me Your Comb”). Monster comics from space and zombie superheroes. Spock sings “A Visit to a Sad Planet” (ahhhh, do you see, for that Sad Planet is…) Frightened by music, disease and nuclear war. “The First Five Minutes After Death”. John Carpenter’s “Halloween Theme” and some Vampire Weekend track or another.

Freaky Trigger and the Lollards of Pop - Series 2, Week 8

Politics, Pop and the Pub with Elisha Sessions, Pete Baran, Tim Hopkins and Alix Campbell

Campaign Themes. Mark Wills “Nineteen Something”. Glastonbury Twitter from the future. Fiery Furnaces “Benton Harbour Blues (reprise)”. Some Pub History (much of it true). A bit of Charles Title “The Eight Seasons of Chromalox” and a splash of Charlton Lido. The midweek #1 is… Obama Girl “Got a Crush on Obama”

Freaky Trigger and the Lollards of Pop - Series 2, Week 7

International Pop, with Sarah Clarke, Kat Stevens, Tom Ewing, Magnus Anderson and Elisha Sessions on knobs.

“Ha Ha” (?) mucky foreign pop. The “Game of Seduction” requires you to make a seduction roll. The Spanish for ‘busted’. Threads vs the cosy apocalypse Inc. Stump v Scooter. The rules of dirty chicken. Fall go “Free Range”.

WARNING: contains swears!

Mario Bandwagon — Keep On Loving You

The Physics of Super Mario Galaxy.

I’m loving this game (about half way through I reckon), but if I have a complaint, it is that the visual resolution of where you are in all the magnificent 3D-ness is a little underdetermined by the graphics you see. Hence the shadow under your feet “as if light in Mario’s universe always falls directly toward the nearest source of gravity” is not only essential, but I find i spend more time fixing on the shadow than on Mario!

To be fair, the game designer recognises this as mentioned in this Gamasutra interview.

If you place a bag of holding in another bag of holding…

10 Awesome Things About D&D from someone who’s started playing the original game has attracted a lengthy nostalgia-list comment thread. Although I am boggling some at ‘Calzone Golems’