Just accepted my invitation to be part of the Gen Con Writer's Symposium. Thanks, GCWS, it'll be great to be back in 2026!

In case you thought D&D fans didn't have the Christmas spirit. www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMW_...

Dragon Con 2026 now has me listed as a Guest on the website. It was already official. I guess this makes it uber-official. www.dragoncon.org/people-to-se...

My new pet peeve is ads that make a definitive statement and then undermine or outright contradict it in the next sentence. A radio spot for Pollo Tropical provides an example: "Open until midnight. Hours vary."

I understand the desire to link the final Mission Impossible movie to all that came before, but, man, there's a lot of exposition and callbacks in this flick. To my disappointment, though, Ving Rhames never says, "We have the meats."

My current favorite bit of advertising comes courtesy of YouTube: "Christians, did you know there's a Biblical remedy for toe fungus?"

Thank you, Dragon Con 2026, for accepting my Guest application. I'll do my best to entertain, enlighten, and elevate.

I'd never heard of MATCH until it was on a list on a YouTube video I watched, but it turns out to be a good horror flick. It's worth seeing even if you have to do it on Tubi and put up with those damn commercials.

I like what we've had so far of LAST SAMURAI STANDING on Netflix. (The six episodes currently available are only Part One of the story.)

Submitted my Guest Application for Dragon Con 2026. Now, I wait.

I watched a pretty good cosmic horror movie called PROJECT MKHEXE. I thought it worth mentioning because I'd never heard of the film until Prime recommended it as one of those "Movies We Think You'll Like." I figured other cosmic horror fans might not have heard of it either.

Today in science: theonion.com/existential-...

I saw Del Toro's FRANKENSTEIN. It's very good. My one caveat would be that, while there are some tweaks, it's pretty much the story you know. So don't go expecting any big surprises.

One more music video to put us in the mood for Halloween. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc5_...

Halloween being nearly upon us, here's a little something to get you in the mood. www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDrS...

Whatever you think of the Prez, he's good at symbolism. The destruction of the White House is the perfect image to represent his time in office. www.pbs.org/newshour/pol...

In spite of the shutdown and all that bail-out money going to Argentina, it's good to know the Federal government still pays for programs that truly matter. theonion.com/secretary-of...

I reserved a hotel room for Dragon Con 2026. I don't know if the con will accept my Guest application, but if they do, then by God, I've got a convenient place to stay at the convention rate.

So the Prez just got the new Covid vaccine? Where does this leave RFK Jr.? Why did the Prez appoint him in the first place if they disagree on fundamental matters of health? It's confusing. I take comfort in the fact that I'm not as confused as the Prez and RFK Jr. seem to be.

It's sad how quickly you lose muscle tone when you're old. I skipped the gym for a week and a half and returned today. My workout was challenging, and I didn't enjoy the session.

Good to know! theonion.com/trump-anothe...

Thanks to all the volunteers, attendees, hotel staff, and my fellow guests for another great Necronomicon in Tampa.

I watched BALLERINA on Starz. I think a number of the characters should have shopped where John Wick does and bought one of those impenetrable armor suits.

I'll be a Guest at the Necronomicon SF convention in Tampa 9/26-9/28. I hope some of you will check out the event. necrofl.org

The US needs to move on from the Kirk murder. We need a woke event so outrageous, so profound and heinous, that MAGA will forget all about Kirk. I wonder if Cracker Barrel would consider changing their logo again.

There a movie on STARZ called (I think) BATTLE OF THE UNDEAD, and the description includes a phrase I've never run across before: "A ragtag band of robots." I may have to watch just to see the ragtag band in action.

I see reports that Tyler Robinson is "refusing to cooperate" with the authorities. Come on, authorities! The guy turned himself in, right? You should expect to do a LITTLE work.

Periodically I get Junk email for a lovely young woman (probably really a bot, but let's pretend) offering wild, passionate sex that goes on and on all night. Ladies, I'm still functional, but I'm old. You should keep that in mind when setting your expectations.

From the way Season 2 of WEDNESDAY ended, it looks like they might be planning a Season 3. I thought it was going to be 2 and done, but I'd be glad to be mistaken.

Peacock opines that since I watched TWiSTED METAL, I should watch BRING IT ON. I'm not sure of the logic here. Is there a lot of high-speed vehicular carnage in BRING IT ON?

As previously noted, I deplore the recent trend of turning children's characters into horror-movie slashers. But I nonetheless came up with the perfect tag line for when they get around to the Flintstones. Just imagine the poster: NIGHT OF THE FLINTSTONES You're Yabba-Dabba-DOOMED!

The descriptions of many of the horror movies on Amazon Prime tell us the characters have gone to a house with a "terrible secret." Just once, I'd like to see a movie where the characters go to a house with a mildly annoying secret. Like the roof over the porch leaks or something.

In light of all the recent furor over AI, I thought it appropriate to share this link. theonion.com/pros-and-con...

Until I see a radical change in the Administration's policies, it's going to be hard for me to believe the Prez is all that worried about going to Hell.

You know I think things are getting serious in the US when I donate money in response to a political email. Granted, it was a very small amount of money, but still.

If you like sword-and-sorcery, check out the crowdfunding campaign for BATTLEBORN, a new magazine edited by my friend Sean CW Korsgaard. www.indiegogo.com/projects/bat...

What's up with all the public-domain classic children's characters becoming horror-movie killers? Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Mickey Mouse, Popeye...one or two were okay, but beyond that, this strikes me as a particularly lame fad.

There's some clunky exposition early on, but I thought that once the first two episodes of ALIEN: EARTH got rolling, they were pretty interesting.

Media Tie-Ins conversation was held with @erikscottdebie.bsky.social @katherinewashere.bsky.social @richardleebyers.bsky.social @booksofm.com KEY PTS: Must be flexible with other people's IP Multiple avenues for employment but its best to already be pro-published Take critique & feedback

Time was, I heard about Caligula making his horse a Senator, and I thought that at least the modern US doesn't have to deal with craziness like that anymore. Then I learned about high-level appointees like Hegseth and RFK, Jr., and I lost the feeling that we've made any progress.

If you'd like to watch the Grayshade game I played in at Gen Con, here it is. I'm the guy with the white beard sitting between Greg and Karen. The one who forgot his tabletop name sign. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8sX...

I continue to get unsolicited Junk email from women seeking dates. And I have to say, nothing says, "I'm a classy lady" like the email handles Selfie Tits, Pussy Town, and Sexmachine.

Had a great time at Gen Con. If you were there, I hope we had a chance to say hello. If you came to one of the Gen Con Writer's Symposium seminars I was on, I hope I was entertaining and insightful, or, failing that, at least coherent.

Thanks to all who came out to the Grayshade event tonight, and to amazing fellow players @jenniferbrozek.bsky.social, @richardleebyers.bsky.social, @toiya.bsky.social, and Karen Menzel--and of course to the incredible designer and GM @therisingtithes.bsky.social! The full game will be out soon. :)

I previously posted my list of Gen Con Writers Symposium seminars. I'm also going to be playing in this TTRPG before a live audience. There are tickets left, so if you're going to the con, come check it out. www.gencon.com/events/293479

The only thing missing from this is our Grayshade TTRPG live session, featuring @therisingtithes.bsky.social GMing the game for @toiya.bsky.social, @jenniferbrozek.bsky.social, @richardleebyers.bsky.social, Karen Menzel, and yours truly. Please get tickets for all of these sessions, and come say hi!

I saw FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. I liked it and recommend it to the world in general, but I think those of us who have fond memories of the original Lee/Kirby issues of the FF comic are likely to appreciate it most of all.

Apparently it's National Chicken Tenders Day. I don't know when National Chicken Toughs Day is, but it strikes me that the Chicken Toughs would be an interesting street gang. They try to rule their turf but back off fast at the first sign of resistance.

Seems plausible. theonion.com/ghislaine-ma...

Today's email list of job opportunities supposedly curated just for me includes a couple openings for anesthetists. I have no training or experience but may apply anyway. Strikes me that the worst case scenario is the patient never wakes up, in which case, they can't sue. Clearly, a good gig.