Launch of a Reconstruction of a Bronze Age Ship

This weekend, weather permitting, scientists and engineers will launch a reconstruction of a 4,000 year old Bronze Age ship.  Read more here!

Game Of Thrones Season 3: Trailer

Last week they released a Game Of Thrones Season 3: Trailer (Extended Trailer added 03-02-2013). Enjoy!

Live Action-Style Dungeons & Dragons Cartoon Characters

The artist known as axlsalles over on deviantart.com has posted a new image of the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon characters shown as if they were actual people. Check it and his other work out here!

Time Machine

Over on the newscenter.berkley.edu website is a recent article titled "Scientists create automated ‘time machine’ to reconstruct ancient languages."  It's a puzzle piece worth simulating.  Read more here!

Vulcan Could Become a Moon

Looks like William Shatner has jumped into the fray regarding the naming of one of the two as yet unnamed moons of Pluto.  Read more here!

Castlespotting! A Kobold Contest

Woldgang Baur has a challenge for everyone, particularly those of you with a love of castles!  Read more here!

Project Guttenberg,org A lot of old texts that have fallen into

 A lot of old texts that have fallen into public domain can be found at ProjectGuttenberg,org so go check them out and bookmark that treasure trove of writing!

Game Of Thrones Season 3: Chaos Preview

Last week round places YouTubian, one could find the Game Of Thrones Season 3: Chaos Preview.  Enjoy!

Expanding Wooden Table

A Facebook Friend pointed me toward a wonderful expanding wooden table that would be great for gaming.  Be sure to watch the video here!

The Tale of the Three Brothers

I stumbled across a YouTube video on The Illustration Art channel telling "The Tale of the Three Brothers," a J. K. Rowling piece from her "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" which was published just over five years ago. Enjoy!

Fire in Lake Geneva

Many have already heard the awful news that there was a fire in Lake Geneva early Sunday morning that claimed the apartment and possessions, but NOT the lives, of Ernie Gygax and Scott Felton. This is a terrible tragedy but could have been far worse.  We're all thankful that our friends were spared.

I was just there the day before with Ernie and Scott, along with Tom Wham and Andrew Carlson. I arrived in the evening around 7:30 pm and the usual discussion ensued about what game(s) should be played. Tom was just hanging out at that point after playing something all afternoon and some food was ordered in from The Next Door Pub. Andrew, Ernie, Scott, and I played Kingsburg which we all love and then Poo, the card game where monkeys fling their poo that Scott loves so much. I got an early lead in Kingsburg with the Damsel persona and a quickly built market making adviser-influencing very flexible, and the lead held up through the end. Ernie won our last game of the night, being the last one standing in the monkey cage and covered with the least amount of recycled bananas. I left there some time around 11:30 pm, helping Andrew load up the games he had brought, but joked that it was the first time I ever left before Tom, who had dozed off on the couch.

On my way home I silently chided myself for forgetting to take some pictures, something I often do (as everyone knows), but I was so caught up in the fun I never got around to pulling out the camera. It was such a great place to game and hangout with Ernie and so many others. It's the end of an era but hopefully Ernie, Scott, and KC (Ernie's dog who is also fine) will find new digs very soon. Let's everyone keep a good thought for all of them and, as efforts are organized, do what we can to help. Luke Gygax and Tim Kask have set up a Facebook Page titled "Ernie Gygax Fire Relief" which you can visit here to find ways to help.  Later this week, I will be coming up with a CMG-oriented way to help as well.

Here's a picture with Scott and Ernie

from a previous time we played Kingsburg.

Tim Kask Hangouts Interview from Grognard Games

There is an interview with Tim Kask of TSR fame and the new Gygax Magazine up that was done using Google+ Hangouts up on the Grognard Games YouTube channel.  Enjoy!

TSR - Masters of Fantasy

There was a 1997 TSR documentary that Jeff Easley had on tape that bhsieh82 formatted to put up on his YouTube channel.  Enjoy!

Half Price Books Valentines Day Coupons

For those of you who use Half Price Books to pick up used gaming materials and genre reading, these Valentines Day coupons extend the love of gaming, fantasy, and science fiction through the weekend.  Check out their website here!

Games Plus 2013 Spring Auction

If you happen to be in the Chicago area, or will be for the first weekend in March, don't forget about the Games Plus 2013 Spring Auction.  Paperwork is available now if you have some items you'd like to offload. Read more here!

Art Institute of Chicago's New Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Galleries

Over on Lucas Livingston's YouTube channel is a recent video heralding the Art Institute of Chicago's New Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Galleries.  Enjoy!

Chicago Gameday 34 is 3/23/2103

If you have never been to the EN World Chicago Gamedays at Games Plus in Mount Prospect, IL, you've missed some great gaming.  The event planning thread is currently underway in the EN World Tabletop forum, so check out what is being offered and set the date aside.  See more here!

Here's the logo from the last gameday.

Stefan Pokorny Draws Them In

A recent article on DNAInfo.com discusses how Stefan Pokorny, the Dwarven Forge guru, draws new players to his games.  Read more here!

GnomeCon April 19 - 21, 2013 in Savannah, GA

If you are in the Savannah, Georgia area, or planning to be in April, check out GnomeCon and see if they have some games on the schedule for you to join.  See more here!

Filmmakers Aerial Footage Opportunity

A Facebook Friend recently pointed out a product to me that is likely to make it quite possible for small filmmakers to create their own aerial footage in a relatively affordable way.  For a mere $1350, small production companies can own the Lehmann LA100 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Read more here!

Doppelganger: The Universal Game Piece Kickstarter

There is a rather innovative idea being touted through a Kickstarter for a universal game piece being dubbed Doppelganger.  See more here!

Richard III Bones Confirmed

It seems the bones of Richard III have been found and confirmed as those of the late monarch.  The guardian.co.uk website has been keeping a very detailed record of this developing story so see more here!

God Made a Gamer

Hilarious spoof of the Paul Harvey Farmer Ad.  Enjoy!

New Iron Man 3 Extended Trailer

A new Iron Man 3 extended trailer has been released.  Enjoy!

Form Follows Function

My buddy Jason directed my attention toward a fun, interactive website highlighting interesting uses of HTML5 that, while it might be a bit of a time waster, is fascinating all the same.  Check it out here and the blog that goes with it here!

The More You Knerd

A funny, fake PSA showed up on Portlandia a short time ago that I wanted to share.  Enjoy!

IdentiFont

Looking to make a document and need the perfect font?  Check out Identifont.com and you'll find many ways to approach choosing the right one for you.  See more here!

Star Wars Episode VII Might Go to Abrams

The latest scuttlebutt on who might direct the Disney initiated Star Wars Episode VII seems to point to J. J. Abrams.  Read more here!