Knights of Mayhem

Here's a show that might be of some interest to gamers.  It's called Knights of Mayhem and airs on the National Geographic Channel.  It's a reality show that highlights the efforts of equestrian combatants to bring heavy-armor, full-contact jousting up to the level of a mainstream sport.  Aside from the previous links, here's another taing you to a NYTimes.com article on the subject.  Enjoy!

Legend RPG from Rule of Cool

Just a quick shout out to the good folks at Rule of Cool for the release of their Legend RPG.  All of the proceeds from sales of Legend go to Child's Play, which "seeks to improve the lives of children in hospitals around the world."

Curiosity Spacecraft Away!

Discover Magazine's blog, in the "Bad Astronomy" section (don't let the name fool you) posted an article on the launch of the Mars bound Curiosity spacecraft.  They included links to a number of pertinent videos, including the following one from NASATelevision on the launch.  Enjoy!

World's Lightest Material

A recent article on CNN.com highlights the world's lightest material as produced by HRL Laboratories.  Check it out!

Wargaming Against Hunger

There's an effort going on just north of the US/Canadian border in Langley, B.C., that I thought should draw some more attention.  Here's an article on the Langley Advance news website that gamers should check out!

"Isle of the Dead" Videos from tetsubo57

YouTuber tetsubo57 recently posted a couple of videos discussing the setting and adventure(s) taking place on his legendary Isle of the Dead.  Enjoy!

"Time Lapse From Space" Video

There's anew space video posted on YouTube by FragileOasis called Time Lapse From Space - Literally. The Journey Home.  Enjoy!

Author Anne McCaffrey has Passed

It is with a heavy heart that I share the news that author Anne McCaffrey has passed away at 85.

Mars Rover Delay

MSNBC.com reports that the Mars Rover was delayed by a day.  There's some cool information in the article on its capabilities and more.  Check it out!

Jet-Pack

Reported over on Mashable, there's a 100K solution for those who want to finally have a sort of jet pack, from Jetlev, it includes a back harness, a ten meter tube, and an engine that sits at water level and pumps the water up to propell the pack and pilot through the air.

Gygax Memorial Fund

The Gygax Memorial Fund recently reached a milestone and "purchased a dedication brick in honor to the memory of Gary Gygax, the Father of RolePlaying Games in Lake Geneva, Wi at the Riviera. Lake Geneva's Riviera is an historical building on Geneva Lake."  They continue to raise money for a statue dedicated to Gary Gygax, so please jump on board if you can to help this cause.

Geek Seekers

Monte Cook and Jen Page have teamed up to form the Geek Seekers, an up and coming project that investigates the paranormal.  Enjoy!

Cthulhu Wrap(ping Paper)

With less than 24 hours to go, the Cthulhu Wrap(ping Paper) kickstarter project has exceeded its goal but there's still time to get involved if you would like.  Check it out here!

Muppet Zombies

The estimable Michael "Talien" Tresca clued me into a series of Muppet zombie portraits that I thought I would share with everyone.  The series includes Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, The Swedish Chef, and Dr. Teeth.  (Seems like a good time ot mention the five-star-reviewed Lurch! The Zombie Chess Game, too.)  Enjoy!

The Serfs!

If you're a fan of Irish Rock, you should check out The Serfs.  They're based in Minnesota and are comprised of musicians who also happen to be gamers.  They've got some tracks on that Reverb Nation site and also have a Facebook page that I hope you will "Like" as a show of support to our gamer friends.  Band member Thomas B. Nelson also paints miniatures and you should check out his Facebook page for that work at Midwest Miniature Guy.  Here's a pic of the band and one of his painting work (there's tons more pics tied to the Facebook page, so be sure to go there for inspiration and maybe commission him to do a little painting for you).  Enjoy!

Appendix N

The estimible Joe G. Kushner has a blog I'd like to plug that he calls Appendix N.  It's a homage to the section of the 1E AD&D where Gary Gygax gave a list of inspirational reading material.  Joe does the same, highlighting the many books he reads whence he has drawn, and from which others can draw, some measure of inspiration too.  Enjoy!

The Original AD&D Appendix N (page 224 of the 1E DMG) read:

Anderson, Poul. THREE HEARTS AND THREE LIONS; THE HIGH CRUSADE; THE BROKEN SWORD
Bellairs, John. THE FACE IN THE FROST
Brackett, Leigh.
Brown, Frederic.
Burroughs, Edgar Rice. "Pellucidar" Series; Mars Series; Venus Series
Carter, Lin. "World's End" Series
de Camp, L. Sprague. LEST DARKNESS FALL; THE FALLIBLE FIEND; et al.
de Camp & Pratt. "Harold Shea" Series; CARNELIAN CUBE
Derleth, August.
Dunsany, Lord.
Farmer, P. J. "The World of the Tiers" Series; et al.
Fox, Gardner. "Kothar" Series; "Kyrik" Series; et al.
Howard, R. E. "Conan" Series
Lanier, Sterling. HIERO'S JOURNEY
Leiber, Fritz. "Fafhrd & Gray Mouser" Series; et al.
Lovecraft, H. P.
Merritt, A. CREEP, SHADOW, CREEP; MOON POOL; DWELLERS IN THE MIRAGE; et al.
Moorcock, Michael. STORMBRINGER; STEALER OF SOULS; "Hawkmoon" Series (esp. the first three books)
Norton, Andre.
Offutt, Andrew J. editor SWORDS AGAINST DARKNESS III.
Pratt, Fletcher. BLUE STAR; et al.
Saberhagen, Fred. CHANGELING EARTH; et al.
St. Clair, Margaret. THE SHADOW PEOPLE; SIGN OF THE LABRYS
Tolkien, J. R. R. THE HOBBIT; "Ring Trilogy"
Vance, Jack. THE EYES OF THE OVERWORLD; THE DYING EARTH; et al.
Weinbaum, Stanley.
Wellman, Manley Wade.
Williamson, Jack.
Zelazny, Roger. JACK OF SHADOWS; "Amber" Series; et al.

Skyrim

The reviews for The Eldar Scrolls: Skyrim are beginning to roll in and it has me intrigued to check the game out.  I played Arena, back in the day, and took a turn with Daggerfall, but have skipped the intervening versions of the game.  However, some of the graphics are so very compelling that I might have to take a new look at what they have done with this latest incarnation.  Here's a few videos from  YouTube showing some of the trailer, highlights and demos -

Steampunk Monitor-Wireless Keyboard-Mouse

Someone that goes by the screenname "woodguy32" has made a very cool monitor-keyboard-mouse in steampunk fashion.  Check it out here!

Gasp-Con 12 Coverage

You can follow what is happening at GaspCon 12 through Samwise7RPG including this nifty prep video he made before going.  Enjoy!

Gaming Environment Ecosystem from EdGE

The Educational Gaming Environments Group has some interesting theories on design and how players build their own environment and play habits collectively.  Check out more it here.

Asteroid 2055 YU55 Update!

So, just how close did the aricraft carrier-sized asteroid come to Earth?  How fast was it traveling?  What sort of damage might it have caused if there had been an impact?  These questions are answered, as are even more, in the article from The Washington Post here!

Captain Kirk had the Moves!

There's an article from the other day on io9.com entitled The 10 Most Explosively Masculine Captain Kirk Battle Techniques.  It's got names for each of the moves and has linked to videos of each of them.  Study them carefully and maybe one day you, too, will command a starship!

Huge Asteroid Between Earth and Moon

According to the Associated Press, an aircraft carrier-sized asteroid will hurtle between the Earth and the Moon around 6:30 p.m. EST.  So, if you don't have any dinner plans, make sure you eat where you might have a view of this spectacular event!

National Gaming Day @ your Library! November 12th

This coming Saturday, November 12, 2011, many libraries acros the nation will be celebrating National Gaming Day.  The website has a map interface so you can find the closest participating library in your area.  Check it out!

40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Lunar Landing

As we approach the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Lunar Landing, please treat yourself to checking out the We Choose the Moon website.

iPawn Games

There's a new app for the iPad created by iPawn Games that strikes a balance between touchscreen games and traditional board games.  Check it out here!

Peter Jackson's Hobbit Production Video #4

It's just up on Facebook at the time I am writing this but Peter Jackson's Hobbit Production Video #4 will probably be on YouTube pretty soon too.  He talks a lot about the 3D camera work and equipment and shows a lot of the behind ths scenes work going on in the studio before they head to New Zealand for location shooting.  In the meantime, you can watch on Facebook here.

Update: Here's the YouTube version . . .

Starship Trooper Overview from tetsubo57

YouTuber tetsubo57 gives a nice overview of Mongoose Publishing's Starship Troopers RPG.  As a Heinlein fan, I was . . .  Wait, no spoilers!  Enjoy!

HP vs Critical Hits Video from tetsubo57

YouTube's tetsubo57 had a recent video on HP vs Critical Hits that I thought I might share.  Enjoy!

Gaming Atmosphere through Lighting

Samwise7RPG of YouTube fame has created a new video on lighting effects that is well worth watching. He also discusses the use of it for creating videos. Enjoy!