Peter
@spezbaby.bsky.social
Tabletop gamer into trad, OSR, a little storygame. Also love bourbon, whisky & craft beer, former bookseller, lapsed baseball fan, bicycle commuter, pinko lefty, Union made, girldad, he/they, 🇨🇦.
Everyone matters or nobody does.
- Michael Connelly.
Everyone matters or nobody does.
- Michael Connelly.
Reposted by Peter
Oh wow @reuters.com got the photo here:
November 14, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Oh wow @reuters.com got the photo here:
Reposted by Peter
Little d20 spiral just for fun. #nohashtag
November 14, 2025 at 10:59 PM
Little d20 spiral just for fun. #nohashtag
Reposted by Peter
Insulting to the players, insulting to the IP, insulting to the medium, the developers. And the craft itself. Fuck you executives who pushed this garbage.
frvr.com/blog/call-of...
frvr.com/blog/call-of...
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is littered with AI art slop, because your $70 means nothing anymore
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is littered with AI generated artwork which makes the $70 feel like a complete rip-off.
frvr.com
November 14, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Insulting to the players, insulting to the IP, insulting to the medium, the developers. And the craft itself. Fuck you executives who pushed this garbage.
frvr.com/blog/call-of...
frvr.com/blog/call-of...
Reposted by Peter
#Opinion: On measles and vaccines, Canada can’t keep ignoring the elephant in the room
On measles and vaccines, Canada can’t keep ignoring the elephant in the room
Study after study has shown that political affiliation is one of the single strongest predictors of vaccination status.
www.thestar.com
November 14, 2025 at 5:41 PM
#Opinion: On measles and vaccines, Canada can’t keep ignoring the elephant in the room
Reposted by Peter
Help a rat out! Breakout Toronto and Toronto Comicon are happening over the same weekend in 2026. Which one do I attend? Both?
If you've been to either one, please tell me about it. Are either of them good for networking? Were there seminars or workshops on TTRPGs or TTRPG design?
If you've been to either one, please tell me about it. Are either of them good for networking? Were there seminars or workshops on TTRPGs or TTRPG design?
November 14, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Help a rat out! Breakout Toronto and Toronto Comicon are happening over the same weekend in 2026. Which one do I attend? Both?
If you've been to either one, please tell me about it. Are either of them good for networking? Were there seminars or workshops on TTRPGs or TTRPG design?
If you've been to either one, please tell me about it. Are either of them good for networking? Were there seminars or workshops on TTRPGs or TTRPG design?
I usually find an RPG I want to play and then create or find an adventure that fits within that. And often IGM
I'll modify that adventure quite a bit.
But story doesn't really come into much of that.
I'll modify that adventure quite a bit.
But story doesn't really come into much of that.
Ttrpg fans! Interesting question for y’all
Do you tend to come up with a story idea, and then pick a ttrpg fitting for that story idea Or do you pick what ttrpg you are playing with your group, and then come up with a story that fits into that ttrpg.
Do you tend to come up with a story idea, and then pick a ttrpg fitting for that story idea Or do you pick what ttrpg you are playing with your group, and then come up with a story that fits into that ttrpg.
November 14, 2025 at 8:33 PM
I usually find an RPG I want to play and then create or find an adventure that fits within that. And often IGM
I'll modify that adventure quite a bit.
But story doesn't really come into much of that.
I'll modify that adventure quite a bit.
But story doesn't really come into much of that.
Reposted by Peter
How to RAISE a trillion dollars
NEW: The first two years of Massachusetts' millionaire tax has raised $3 billion more than expected.
And rather than driving the rich away, IPS researchers found that the number of millionaires has *increased.*
Tax the rich. Greg Ryan in @bloomberg.com:
And rather than driving the rich away, IPS researchers found that the number of millionaires has *increased.*
Tax the rich. Greg Ryan in @bloomberg.com:
Millionaire Tax That Inspired Mamdani Fuels $5.7 Billion Haul in Massachusetts
A millionaire levy in Massachusetts that New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani holds up as a model for taxing the rich has generated $3 billion more in revenue than expected without forcing...
www.bloomberg.com
November 14, 2025 at 8:03 AM
How to RAISE a trillion dollars
Reposted by Peter
Hurrah! My article on the Twilight 2000 RPG in the Journal of American Studies is now open access (OA), so anyone who wants to can have a read. OA is important to me, as I want my work on RPG history to go beyond the academy and reach the gaming public.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
When You Say, “Thermonuclear War,” I Think You Mean “the Call to Adventure”! The Twilight: 2000 Tabletop Role-Playing Game and the Postapocalyptic World’s Imaginary Spaces | Journal of American Studie...
When You Say, “Thermonuclear War,” I Think You Mean “the Call to Adventure”! The Twilight: 2000 Tabletop Role-Playing Game and the Postapocalyptic World’s Imaginary Spaces
www.cambridge.org
November 14, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Hurrah! My article on the Twilight 2000 RPG in the Journal of American Studies is now open access (OA), so anyone who wants to can have a read. OA is important to me, as I want my work on RPG history to go beyond the academy and reach the gaming public.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Share a gif or vid that reminds you of your teenage years
November 13, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Share a gif or vid that reminds you of your teenage years
I really don't get the online rage bait over payment terminals asking for tips.
November 13, 2025 at 7:50 PM
I really don't get the online rage bait over payment terminals asking for tips.
Reposted by Peter
November 13, 2025 at 4:55 AM
Finished my rewatch of Homicide: Life on the Street. Kinda went out with a whimper, if I'm honest.
Although it was nice to see where David Simon got some of those Wire actors.
Kinda wish Robbery Homicide was streaming somewhere.
Although it was nice to see where David Simon got some of those Wire actors.
Kinda wish Robbery Homicide was streaming somewhere.
November 12, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Finished my rewatch of Homicide: Life on the Street. Kinda went out with a whimper, if I'm honest.
Although it was nice to see where David Simon got some of those Wire actors.
Kinda wish Robbery Homicide was streaming somewhere.
Although it was nice to see where David Simon got some of those Wire actors.
Kinda wish Robbery Homicide was streaming somewhere.
Reposted by Peter
I really need to get to bed, but I just poked my head out the back door again. This is the view from my deck. All of this is looking south. When the geomagnetic storms are like this, the oval overshoots me and stretches into the US, which is why so many are seeing it tonight. #aurora
November 12, 2025 at 5:16 AM
I really need to get to bed, but I just poked my head out the back door again. This is the view from my deck. All of this is looking south. When the geomagnetic storms are like this, the oval overshoots me and stretches into the US, which is why so many are seeing it tonight. #aurora
Two of my weekly group used AI to generate character images for our new Western campaign.
They are the most generic bullshit pictures ever.
Makes me sad and angry at the same time.
They are the most generic bullshit pictures ever.
Makes me sad and angry at the same time.
November 12, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Two of my weekly group used AI to generate character images for our new Western campaign.
They are the most generic bullshit pictures ever.
Makes me sad and angry at the same time.
They are the most generic bullshit pictures ever.
Makes me sad and angry at the same time.
Reposted by Peter
just noticed BBC News using an AI generated image to illustrate a story and, lads, I cannot tell you what an absolutely fucking terrible idea that is, especially right now.
November 12, 2025 at 8:59 AM
just noticed BBC News using an AI generated image to illustrate a story and, lads, I cannot tell you what an absolutely fucking terrible idea that is, especially right now.
Reposted by Peter
Still can’t believe this happened but I got to talk to Geof Darrow. We talked about Bourbon Thret, Asian films that inspired him and his thought process on storytelling. It was a fantastic conversation.
www.comicsbeat.com/interview-ge...
www.comicsbeat.com/interview-ge...
Interview: GEOF DARROW breaks down the origins of SHAOLIN COWBOY
Interview: GEOF DARROW breaks down the origins of SHAOLIN COWBOY
www.comicsbeat.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Still can’t believe this happened but I got to talk to Geof Darrow. We talked about Bourbon Thret, Asian films that inspired him and his thought process on storytelling. It was a fantastic conversation.
www.comicsbeat.com/interview-ge...
www.comicsbeat.com/interview-ge...
Reposted by Peter
Yes to the whole thread.
1/ In terms of comparative examples, when anybody brings up the "man of his time" defense of Gygax, I always think of Palladium and the infamous early insanity table.
For those unaware, Palladium took an outdated version of the DSM as inspiration and included "homosexuality" as an insanity.
For those unaware, Palladium took an outdated version of the DSM as inspiration and included "homosexuality" as an insanity.
November 11, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Yes to the whole thread.
Reposted by Peter
At risk of flogging a dead horse: this whole letter is a reminder that the creative process is an end in and of itself, and vital to self-actualisation. You can’t experience BECOMING, as he puts it, by outsourcing it to ChatGPT.
In 2006 a high school English teacher asked students to write to a famous author & ask for advice.
KURT VONNEGUT - born 103yrs ago today - was the only one to respond.
His reply was a doozy.
KURT VONNEGUT - born 103yrs ago today - was the only one to respond.
His reply was a doozy.
November 11, 2025 at 10:44 AM
At risk of flogging a dead horse: this whole letter is a reminder that the creative process is an end in and of itself, and vital to self-actualisation. You can’t experience BECOMING, as he puts it, by outsourcing it to ChatGPT.
Reposted by Peter
Last year I did a Middle Aged Man Gift Guide and Advice Thread on Mastodon.
Middle Aged Men are difficult to think of gifts for- it is why there are so many jokes about just getting them socks.
But even Middle Aged Men have gift dreams- even if they don’t know what they are themselves.
I'll help
Middle Aged Men are difficult to think of gifts for- it is why there are so many jokes about just getting them socks.
But even Middle Aged Men have gift dreams- even if they don’t know what they are themselves.
I'll help
November 9, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Last year I did a Middle Aged Man Gift Guide and Advice Thread on Mastodon.
Middle Aged Men are difficult to think of gifts for- it is why there are so many jokes about just getting them socks.
But even Middle Aged Men have gift dreams- even if they don’t know what they are themselves.
I'll help
Middle Aged Men are difficult to think of gifts for- it is why there are so many jokes about just getting them socks.
But even Middle Aged Men have gift dreams- even if they don’t know what they are themselves.
I'll help
Reposted by Peter
Brb starting a political party with one platform offering: banning digital menus that don’t persistently show the items for sale.
November 10, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Brb starting a political party with one platform offering: banning digital menus that don’t persistently show the items for sale.
Reposted by Peter
Canada’s premier speculative fiction magazine calls it a day after 35 years
www.cbc.ca/arts/on-spec...
www.cbc.ca/arts/on-spec...
Canada’s premier speculative fiction magazine calls it a day after 35 years | CBC Arts
Edmonton-based On Spec, which showcased authors like Julie E. Czerneda, Tony Pi and a young Cory Doctorow, will publish its final issue in December
www.cbc.ca
November 10, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Canada’s premier speculative fiction magazine calls it a day after 35 years
www.cbc.ca/arts/on-spec...
www.cbc.ca/arts/on-spec...
Reposted by Peter
I know of at least 8 US Democrats who should pay attention to the first one and a half minutes of this interview.
#situationalethics
#situationalethics
November 10, 2025 at 6:29 PM
I know of at least 8 US Democrats who should pay attention to the first one and a half minutes of this interview.
#situationalethics
#situationalethics
Reposted by Peter
Last week I talked with Ben Riggs in what I think will be my next-to-last interview for Designers & Dragons: Origins. We talked a bit about the books themselves, but mainly we talked about our individual views of early Dungeons & Dragons history, which we've now both written about.
This is an RPG historian you have to hear from- A conversation with Shannon Appelcline Episode 78
YouTube video by Reading D&D Aloud
www.youtube.com
November 10, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Last week I talked with Ben Riggs in what I think will be my next-to-last interview for Designers & Dragons: Origins. We talked a bit about the books themselves, but mainly we talked about our individual views of early Dungeons & Dragons history, which we've now both written about.
Reposted by Peter
Find Dyson Maps Easily with Our Enhanced Catalogue
We're working on a little side project and realized that adding relevant Dyson Logos maps to the product would be really useful. We tried to find some way to easily search the map archive, but there isn't one on the site! After further searching,…
We're working on a little side project and realized that adding relevant Dyson Logos maps to the product would be really useful. We tried to find some way to easily search the map archive, but there isn't one on the site! After further searching,…
Find Dyson Maps Easily with Our Enhanced Catalogue
We're working on a little side project and realized that adding relevant Dyson Logos maps to the product would be really useful. We tried to find some way to easily search the map archive, but there isn't one on the site! After further searching, we found google sheet index file that hadn't been updated since 2022. This excellent resource was something we could quickly fix.
busywyvern.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Find Dyson Maps Easily with Our Enhanced Catalogue
We're working on a little side project and realized that adding relevant Dyson Logos maps to the product would be really useful. We tried to find some way to easily search the map archive, but there isn't one on the site! After further searching,…
We're working on a little side project and realized that adding relevant Dyson Logos maps to the product would be really useful. We tried to find some way to easily search the map archive, but there isn't one on the site! After further searching,…
Reposted by Peter
Excited to see AI's results in the Canadian government!
UK government project using AI to find benefit fraud resulted in:
- A 46% false fraud rate
- Anguish for families who were wrongly accused of fraud and had benefits stopped
- Months of additional work for government, setting up a hotline, correcting false fraud
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
- A 46% false fraud rate
- Anguish for families who were wrongly accused of fraud and had benefits stopped
- Months of additional work for government, setting up a hotline, correcting false fraud
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
HMRC trial of child benefit crackdown wrongly suspected fraud in 46% of cases
Exclusive: Almost half of families flagged as emigrants based on Home Office travel data were still living in UK
www.theguardian.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Excited to see AI's results in the Canadian government!