One of the most bizarre bits of mental gymnastics I've ever witnessed is how some can be so upset at the ingenuity of a person exploiting a welfare system for a few hundred dollars and yet congratulate oligarchs for exploiting the government, their workers, and a broken financial system for billions

Topical.

#TTRPG people looking for a great video explaining encounter prep need to check out DM with a Day Job's newest. Not this one, but the hour long Unlisted video linked in the description. It was the first time I saw a resource on DM prep and thought "Oh, I get this!" youtu.be/HIfnHU7smCM?...

LLMs are forming Bubbles of One. Sycophantic AI decreases prosocial intentions and promotes dependence | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

@angierasmussen.bsky.social has anyone looked into whether younger adults diagnosed with colon cancer had COVID prior to receiving the vaccine or are not vaccinated? Thinking back, there had been reports of GI involvement with some infections, and I was wondering if anyone’s looked at correlation.

If you were affected by storm-related damage please report it at reportdamage.nyc.gov and file a service request with 311. As we prepare for more rainfall this weekend, we encourage New Yorkers to visit nyc.gov/beready and text NOTIFYNYC to 692-692 to receive emergency alerts.

@masteringdnd.bsky.social I know you don't generally do Critical Role, but there was a situation that came up in episode 25 of the current campaign that I think really deserves discussion. It starts at 1:00:00 youtu.be/5_KeVMfbE2k?... to 1:08:20, then picks up again at 1:24:35 and goes until 1:37:54

Of Mice and Men The Unbearable Lightness of Being The Lord of the Rings

A must watch if you want an idea of what "Justice" is in the US.

Vaccination compliance.

@slyflourish.com I think this WotC's eventual answer to the $140 Artificer, although, inexplicably, there is no Artificer Starter Pack. marketplace.dndbeyond.com/BB-2026-Star...

Measles is back in the United States. A study estimates that US measles outbreaks in 2025 incurred around $244.2 million in societal costs. A 1% annual decline in vaccinations of young children could cost an additional $7.77 billion over five years. In PNAS: https://ow.ly/S97b50YR835

The move follows an administration push for cuts to the NSF and raises concerns in the scientific community that it could jeopardize a tradition of independent decisions about federal science grants. n.pr/4t2YxJI

Commissioner Dr. James McDonald: “Under the leadership of Governor Kathy Hochul, New York State continues to lead in disease surveillance – work that is critical to responding effectively to public health threats.” More info: on.ny.gov/4cAAc9d

Jasmine's a great DM who's doing an interesting mid-fight intro episode here. Considering the high concept and rules hacking of a lot of Dimension 20, and the big actor energy of Crit Role, I think this will be a good one to watch to both enjoy and learn rules. youtu.be/mY9w7n84PmM?...

Still feel like "Musk and his crew of incels destroyed a bunch of stuff they didn't understand and thereby hastened the deaths of millions of children" did not get the public attention it warranted.

Born in fire, battered by the wreckage of colliding worlds, covered for eons in magma, wracked by volcanoes, frozen and thawed again and again, and after everything went just wrong and right enough, here it is: our home. The rarest gift in the known universe. Happy Earth Day.

@themonstersknow.com A very nice shout out for The Monsters Know from Tabletop University. youtu.be/0olm86sEcPI?...

The first epidemic of the 1918 flu in the United States occurred at the military’s Camp Funston, Kansas (later Fort Riley). Infected soldiers headed to WWI battlefields carried the flu to Europe. Millions died It’s not *vaccination* that weakens force readiness.

A study of 10,317 individuals who graduated from high school in Wisconsin in 1957 finds no link between exposure to fluoride in drinking water in childhood or adolescence and either childhood IQ or adult cognition. In PNAS: https://ow.ly/zs9h50YNseT

Measles Took My Daughter. This Is What I Want Everyone to Know. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/21/o... This is the future that RFK JR. and wellness influencers are committing us to.

Tales Unrolled meets Baldur's Gate meets Acquisitions Inc. Exciting!

50 Shades of Strider. #LOTR

We are delighted to announce that a revised 5.5e version of Dr Dhrolin’s Dictionary of Dinosaurs is now available on D&D Beyond with full VTT and Character Builder integration. marketplace.dndbeyond.com/category/DBK...

D&D Dino goodness, now available on D&D Beyond! www.dndbeyond.com/posts/2155-d... #DnD, #TTRPG, #Dinosaurs, @palaeogames.bsky.social, @dndbeyond.com

Looking to take The Heroes of the Borderlands Starter Set to the next levels, check this title out. #DnD

This is Sadie. She was finally reunited with her human, astronaut Christina Koch, after her mom’s voyage around the moon took her the furthest any human has ever been from their dog. She can't wait to hear all about the universe. 14/10 (IG: astro_christina)

"Planet Earth: You. Are. A. Crew." Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch reflects on what it means to be a "crew."

Jamie Schanbaum contracted meningitis as a young, healthy student. She survived, but the disease changed her life forever. She’s urging Louisiana families to protect kids by keeping school vaccine requirements strong. Tell lawmakers-oppose HB737 lafamiliesforvaccines.quorum.us/campaign/HB737-CTA-HEd

We just got sent our Silver Play Button from #youtube! Thanks for all the love and support everyone!

I talked about being Black as a woman who works in and plays D&D with the Indianapolis Recorder and some of my badass coworkers on Magic :) indianapolisrecorder.com/black-repres...

@colbypoulson.bsky.social he has your name AND your rhythm!

I keep seeing "all authors use AI, the real issue is they're being forced to be sneaky about it" headlines. Full stop No. This is a lie peddled for normalization. It's schoolyard-level pressure tactics "C'mon, all the cool kids are already doing it. We won't tell. It's fine. We're on your side."

I'm proud to announce that I've partnered with @heartofdaggers.bsky.social who has given my TTRPG AI Alternatives resource guide an EXTREME MAKEOVER! Introducing ttrpgresources.com! Find free art and GM tools and connect with real artists! #TTRPG #TTRPGcommunity #dnd #pathfinder #daggerheart

This may be an interesting study to look at on @masteringdnd.bsky.social , @alphastream.bsky.social , @shawnmerwin.bsky.social

In the lead up to tomorrow, you need to ask yourself this fundamental question. Do you think that our system is still functional and can still be fixed or is the system inherently broken, the problem that protects the bad leaders and bad policies and needs to be changed? youtu.be/inW479ct4Kc?...

Two high-profile progressive lawmakers are introducing a bill Wednesday that would pause new data centers in the United States until national safeguards are in place to protect workers and consumers and ensure the technologies don't harm the environment. https://to.pbs.org/4tavdl3

Local leaders report already-strapped police departments racked up overtime bills in the millions while others report a multi-million dollar hit to business during the worst ICE surges.

The one thing that was not mentioned in this article was the potential for the development of resistance to monotherapies. Molecular arms races through Evolutionary selection are a real concern when developing any therapeutic against a pathogen and cannot be underestimated.

Here’s a chance to dip a toe into a new RPG.

With regards to the recent conversations around third party publishers choosing to develop for 5E over other third party game systems, especially high fantasy forks, I think feels like the McDowell's scene in Coming to America. D&D is always going to feel like McDonalds. youtu.be/djI_ret3S9g?...

Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi have been charged with committing a heinous act of terrorism and proclaiming their allegiance to ISIS. They should be held fully accountable for their actions. We will continue to keep New Yorkers safe. We will not tolerate terrorism or violence in our city.

Not sure if this is a topic for Mastering Dungeons or Eldritch Lorecast, but it is an interesting reflection on why it may be very difficult to translate popular fantasy properties into games. @alphastream.bsky.social @thebenbyrne.bsky.social @shawnmerwin.bsky.social www.facebook.com/share/p/1CAj...

CUNY students and employees who need assistance with recent immigration policy changes can request a no-cost consultation with an attorney through the CUNY Immigration Assistance Project. Go to cuny.edu/CIAP.

On the cover of The Lancet: Editorial — “Robert F Kennedy Jr: 1 year of failure” Read the latest issue: spkl.io/63327Aa31W

Students that are using generative AI to outline and organize their ideas do not realize that that is the important work. That is what taxes your brain to produce conceptual frameworks of the subject. Just because you don’t use it to write the finished product doesn’t mean you have done the work.