[syndicated profile] daily_illuminator_feed
Turkey With Stuffing It's Thanksgiving here in the United States, which is a time when most of us are enjoying food, family, friendship, football, and – um – fun games.

Before we at Steve Jackson Games went our separate ways for the weekend, I invited the Secret Masters to share anything they were grateful for . . . in a maneuver that was definitely not a clever-but-touching way to fill a Daily Illuminator slot while I'm also scrambling to prepare for the holiday. Here are the transmissions I received:

• • •

I'm grateful for every day, and for the gamers that let me keep doing what I love.
     -- Steve Jackson

Besides the usual "family/loved ones/health" – which I am eternally grateful for – I also have so much gratitude for just getting to geek out about games all the time. If I could tell my 12-year-old self what I do on a daily basis – and get paid for it – some rough childhood years would have been a lot easier.
     -- Steven Marsh

N na kkfaywxq sci wmr qlunbij, wmr qcharf, rqi gvv nnar.
     -- Nicole

I am thankful for my big, beautiful, peaceful, and free country – Canada – where all of my problems are truly "First World problems" at worst.
     -- Sean Punch

I'm thankful to work for the company who makes my favorite game and to have colleagues who make every day fun. I feel lucky to have a career in the industry of one of my greatest passions – gaming! I'm also thankful for my loving and supportive husband, and my parents, who I'm fortunate to live just a few miles from.
     -- Michelle Richardson

I'm thankful for a lot of [redacted], but I'm most thankful for [redacted] and [redacted]. Both of these [redacted] are very close to my [redacted] and keep me [redacted].
     -- Darryll S.

I'm thankful for the golden age of tabletop gaming that we are still experiencing. From big name products produced by the largest companies in the industry to indie products that only release as PDFs, it is easy to find something that you can have endless fun with.
     -- Will Schoonover

I am thankful for the opportunity to work on amazing products, and for my wonderful work colleagues and my supportive family.
     -- Nikki Vrtis

I'm thankful to have a job that I like, and to work with people I like. I'm also thankful for my friends, my family, and for all the weird and wonderful people who dance in and out of my life. They make things interesting and help me see things from different points of view.
     -- Bridget Westerman

• • •

We're thankful to everyone reading for making all this possible; we couldn't keep doing this without amazing fans like you. If anyone wants to express their own Thanksgiving thoughts on the forums or by dropping me a line privately, we'd love to hear it. For all celebrating, we wish you and yours all the best. Also, if anyone's seen my can opener, please let me know; I need to prepare my famous homemade cranberry sauce.

Steven Marsh

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

(no subject)

Nov. 27th, 2025 05:59 am

Today's Cooking

Nov. 26th, 2025 11:43 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Today I'm baking cinnamon cookies using a crushed cinnamon candy cane and the Candy Cane Cookies recipe (which works with any flavor).

EDIT 11/26/25 -- These turned out well, with a definite cinnamon flavor.  \o/ 
dialecticdreamer: My work (Default)
[personal profile] dialecticdreamer
Declan’s Views
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 1 of 1, complete
Word count (story only):
[Sunday, May 10, 2020, night]


:: Hours later, Declan opens up a little more. Part of the Edison’s Mirror universe. ::




Declan accepted the mug of cold water, and smiled at Aidan. They stood in the lower level of the garage. The younger man whispered, “Vic wasn’t tired, but he cuddled up to sleep with Ed. Are the nightmares as bad as the kid says?”

Aidan nearly flinched. “Yes.” He sighed. “I need to ask a few questions about… a very difficult topic.”
Read more... )

Food

Nov. 26th, 2025 04:11 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Archaeologists uncover a 2,000-year-old crop in the Canary Islands

Millennia-old Canary Island lentils reveal a resilient genetic legacy with major potential for future climate-smart crops.

Scientists decoded DNA from millennia-old lentils preserved in volcanic rock silos on Gran Canaria. The findings show that today’s Canary Island lentils largely descend from varieties brought from North Africa around the 200s. These crops survived cultural upheavals because they were so well-suited to the islands’ harsh climate. Their long-standing resilience could make them valuable for future agriculture
.


Lentils in general comprise a climate-resilient crop. 

Allow me to recommend our family recipe for Lentil Dal from the Vegetarian Epicure Vol. 2.  It is warm, aromatic, delicious comfort food.  :D  If you like seasoned but not picante food, either skip the tadka (simmering spices in ghee) that goes on the top -- which is what I do, taking my portion before that goes on -- or just omit the peppers from it.  If you like food that commands respect, use your favorite hot peppers.  This dal is lovely by itself, with rice, or over other things like hot dogs or baked potatoes (anywhere you'd use a chili topping).

Birdfeeding

Nov. 26th, 2025 02:11 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Today is mostly cloudy, windy, and cold.

I fed the birds.  I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 11/26/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 11/26/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 11/26/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
[syndicated profile] the_daily_wtf_feed

Posted by Remy Porter

As we enter into the latter portion of the year, folks are traveling to visit family, logging off of work in hopes that everything can look after itself for a month, and somewhere, someone, is going to make the choice "yes, I can push to prod on Christmas Eve, and it'll totally work out for me!"

Over the next few weeks, I'm hoping to get a chance to get some holiday support horrors up on the site, in keeping with the season. Whether it's the absurd challenges of providing family tech support, the last minute pushes to production, the five alarm fires caused by a pointy-haired-bosses's incompetence, we want your tales of holiday IT woe.

So hit that submit button on the side bar, and tell us who's on Santa's naughty list this year.

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[syndicated profile] dumbingofage_feed

Posted by David M Willis

Every month at the Dumbing of Age Patreon there’s two new exclusive bonus strips — one that patrons get to vote on, and another that’s my choice!  This month, LESLIE won!  or did she, really  Read this bonus strip and hundreds of previous at the Dumbing of Age Patreon!

Also, if you pledge up to $5 or more per month, you can read TOMORROW’s strip RIGHT NOW, every day!

[syndicated profile] the_daily_wtf_feed

Posted by Ellis Morning

In today's Tales from the Interview, our Anonymous submitter relates their experience with an anonymous company:

I had made it through the onsite, but along the way I had picked up some toxic work environment red flags. Since I had been laid off a couple months prior, I figured I wasn't in a position to be picky, so I decided I would still give it my best shot and take the job if I got it, but I'd continue looking for something better.

Then they brought me back onsite a second time for one final interview with 2 senior managers. I went in and they were each holding a printout of my resume. They proceeded to go through everything on it. First they asked why I chose the university I went to, then the same for grad school, which was fine.

WWF SmackDown Logo (1999-2001)

Then they got to my first internship. I believe the conversation went something like this:

Manager: "How did you like it?"

Me: "Oh, I loved it!"

Manager: "Were there any negatives?"

Me: "No, not that I can think of."

Manager: "So it was 100% positive?"

Me: "Yep!"

And then they got to my first full-time job, where the same manager repeated the same line of questioning but pushed even harder for me to say something negative, at one point saying "Well, you left for (2nd company on my resume), so there must have been something negative."

I knew better than to bad-mouth a previous employer in an interview, it's like going into a first date and talking smack about your ex. But what do you do when your date relentlessly asks you to talk smack about all your exes and refuses to let the subject turn to anything else? This not only confirmed my suspicions of a toxic work environment, I also figured *they* probably knew it was toxic and were relentlessly testing every candidate to make sure they wouldn't blow the whistle on them.

That was the most excruciatingly awkward interview I've ever had. I didn't get the job, but at that point I didn't care anymore, because I was very, very sure I didn't want to work there in the long term.

I'm glad Subby dodged that bullet, and I hope they're in a better place now.

It seems like this might be some stupid new trend. I recently bombed an interview where I could tell I wasn't giving the person the answer on their checklist, no matter how many times I tried. It was a question about how I handled it when someone opposed what I was doing at work or gave me negative feedback. It felt like they wanted me to admit to more fur-flying drama and fireworks than had ever actually occurred.

I actively ask for and welcome critique on my writing, it makes my work so much better. And if my work is incorrect and needs to be redone, or someone has objections to a project I'm part of, I seek clarification and (A) implement the requested changes, (B) explain why things are as they are and offer alternate suggestions/solutions, (C) seek compromise, depending on the situation. I don't get personal about it.

So, why this trend? Subby believed it was a way to test whether the candidate would someday badmouth the employer. That's certainly feasible, though if that were the goal, you'd think Subby would've passed their ordeal with flying colors. I'm not sure myself, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the nefarious combination of AI and techbro startup culture have something to do with it.

So perhaps I also dodged a bullet: one of the many things I'm grateful for this Thanksgiving.

Feel free to share your ideas, and any and all bullets you have dodged, in the comments.

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Poem: "No Worthless Herbs"

Nov. 26th, 2025 02:58 am
ysabetwordsmith: Shaeth is drunk (one god)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Based on an audience poll, this is the free epic for the November 4, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl reaching its $300 goal. It came out of the October 7, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from [personal profile] fuzzyred. It also fills the "Herbs" square in my 10-1-25 card for the Fall Festival Bingo. This poem belongs to the series One God's Story of Mid-Life Crisis.

Read more... )

Bonus Page 96: Keepsake

Nov. 26th, 2025 12:00 am
[syndicated profile] gunnerkrigg_feed
https://www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=3049
-----------------------
Hey! The third Gunnerkrigg Court Omnibus from Dark Horse is here! As usual, there is a hardcover and a softcover available, and they are available pretty much wherever you can find them! Here's a link to a Dark Horse Page with links to retailers, and here is a link to my Topatoco store for pre-order there (it takes me a little longer to get copies sent over to them, that's all)! Anywhere you choose to buy them helps me and the comic greatly, and you know, Christmas is soon, so my recommendation is all three of the omnibus editions! I'm biased because I made them.
[syndicated profile] daily_illuminator_feed
[Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<img [...] fighting">') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.]

<p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="http://www.sjgames.com/ill/a/2025-11-26">http://www.sjgames.com/ill/a/2025-11-26</a></p><a href="http://https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sjgames/fighting-fantasy-solo-adventure-gamebooks-set-2"><img align="right" alt=""Fighting" books="" border="1" fantasy="" hspace="8" src="http://www.sjgames.com/img/newsq/illq/2025/FFcolorlogoThumb.png" vspace="6" /></a> <div> Pledging is now open on <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sjgames/fighting-fantasy-solo-adventure-gamebooks-set-2"><b>Kickstarter</b></a> for the next five books in the solo adventure series <i><b>Fighting Fantasy</b></i>. In books 6-10, which feature most of the original art from the first editions, you'll journey through thrilling stories.</div><div>  </div><div> <i><b>Island of the Lizard King</b></i> &ndash; "To free the prisoners held on this remote isle, you must face the Lizard King himself. And the Lizard King cannot be defeated." Written by Ian Livingstone, 224 pages.</div><div>  </div><div> <i><b>Scorpion Swamp</b></i> &ndash; "The mysterious morass has never been mapped. What might it hold? Power? Wealth? Knowledge?" Written by Steve Jackson (US), 224 pages.</div><div>  </div><div> <i><b>Caverns of the Snow Witch</b></i> &ndash; "It began with six Northmen murdered near the chill Icefinger Mountains. It may end with the whole world as cold and lifeless as the mountain peaks." Written by Ian Livingstone, 224 pages.</div><div>  </div><div> <i><b>House of Hell</b></i> &ndash; "It was a fateful night. The deceptive directions. The relentless rain. The car accident. That was only the beginning." Written by Steve Jackson (UK), 240 pages.</div><div>  </div><div> <i><b>Creature of Havoc</b></i> &ndash; "Who are you? What are you? A victim? An experiment? A savior? A monster? You may be all of these &ndash; or something entirely different." Written by Steve Jackson (UK), 384 pages.</div><div>  </div><div> Four pledge levels are available, so you can pick the book of your choice . . .  or collect them all!</div><div>  </div><div> •<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$1 - Access to the pledge manager at the close of the campaign</div><div> •<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$15 - Select one book</div><div> •<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$60 - All five books</div><div> •<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$80 - All five books, plus a unique, custom slipcase to protect them</div><div>  </div><div> Visit <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sjgames/fighting-fantasy-solo-adventure-gamebooks-set-2"><b>Kickstarter</b></a> today to learn more about each of these exciting books and make your pledge for <i><b>Fighting Fantasy</b></i>!</div><br /><br /> – <a href="mailto:michelle@sjgames.com"> Michelle Richardson</a><br /><br /> <a href="http://www.warehouse23.com/"><b>Warehouse 23</b></a><b> News: Why Is The Darkness Blinking?</b><br /><br /> They're trapped between the realm of the living and the dead . . . and they're not too pleased about it. <a href="http://www.warehouse23.com/products/SJG30-3477"><i><b>The Book of Unlife</b></i></a> adds 44 unliving monsters to your <a href="http://www.warehouse23.com/products/SJG3450"><b><i>The Fantasy Trip</i></b></a> campaigns, along with a complete adventure setting. Live like there's too many tomorrows thanks to <a href="http://www.warehouse23.com/">Warehouse 23</a>!<p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="http://www.sjgames.com/ill/a/2025-11-26">http://www.sjgames.com/ill/a/2025-11-26</a></p>

Wildlife

Nov. 26th, 2025 12:44 am
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Tiny Yellowstone quakes ignite a surge of hidden life underground

Researchers studying Yellowstone’s depths discovered that small earthquakes can recharge underground microbial life. The quakes exposed new rock and fluids, creating bursts of chemical energy that microbes can use. Both the water chemistry and the microbial communities shifted dramatically in response. This dynamic may help explain how life survives in deep, dark environments.


Fascinating!

Also, things like this are why I laugh when space exploration only targets "life as we know it." There are whole ecosystems right here on Earth that don't rely on the Sun for their power source. Just most people tend to ignore them.  Since Earthlike worlds seem uncommon in this galaxy, most life is going to be hidden in hot rocks, under ice, etc. and is only likely to become visible without tools if it forms a mat of slime somewhere a bit more hospitable.  Really.  Most xenobiology is done with a microscope.  But it's also why I want to scrape the recently exposed parts of Antarctica to see if anything survived under its ice.

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