UNBRIDLED TRUTH

Anyone who’s paid attention to my rantings about traps in TTRPGs should know that I think having some understanding of how a trap’s trigger(s) and effect(s) actually work is critical. Without that information, the players’ potential to interact with the trap is undercut to the point of farce. While many of the details may be Hand Waved for traps that work by magic, some more care is necessary for mechanical traps to make sense. Admittedly, as someone who works as a mechan

I jumped into this new approach, and it seems I jumped a bit too hard, because I hurt something in my right leg. It doesn't feel serious, and talking over with my trainer friend didn't raise any major concerns on his part either, so I hopeful that some rest and personal rehab can overcome it. Alas, but it shall pass. Monday Type: To Form Failure Horizontal sets with 30 second rest intervals: Pistol Squats - 6, 4, 4 (each leg) Short Bridges - 20, 20, 20 Narrow Reverse Lunges

As mentioned in my last workout recap, I saw a personal trainer to evaluate where I'm at with my fitness level and talk about how to get where I want to be. On the plus side, I have developed a good amount of raw strength. On the down side, despite efforts and intentions to the contrary, I've got issues with my posture that are inhibiting my ability to actually exert that strength externally, because apparently my body wants to tap into it to stabilize kinks and curves that

After six straight weeks of five workouts, I dialed back to just four for this week. Considering how the results went, I'm comfortable with admitting that I needed that extra day to recharge myself. In related news, I might be shaking up my general regimen soon. By happenstance, I got to talking with a personal trainer that I know about my fitness goals and progress, and he suggested that shifting my focus/approach for a bit could help with overcoming plateauing (he also cl

In my series of posts on DM+1 play, I spent a fair number of electrons on talking about empowering the player by supporting their choices and intents. As I'd said then, this is something that I think is a good practice in general, but it's especially important in DM+1 play since (a) you need to keep an audience of one engaged in the game and (b) the margin for errors in communication/understanding between the GM and the player is far slimmer when there's only one player. I'

I'd guess that most people who've swore off eating grains (or at least wheat) have wondered if there's a product that can substitute better for spaghetti than the usual spaghetti squash. As it turns out, Asian glass noodles (as used in Korean japchae) do a good job of this. Check the ingredients before making any purchases, of course, but most of the ones I've seen are 100% condensed vegetable starch (typically potato, sweet potato, or tapioca/cassava). A word of warning th

As ever, the best laid plans of mice and men.... I had an atypically hectic schedule this week, which prompted me to shuffle around a few workout plans in such a way that I didn't do double weekend challenges after all. Alas, but I'll just have to try getting back on track with that next week. Monday Type: As Fast As Possible 7 sets of: 7 Burpees 7 Bridges Time = 7:30 Bonus: 1 burpee, 1 bridge A strong opening to the week, tying a personal record on this challenge! That sa

(Picture source: https://twitter.com/DungeonInABox/status/1256972629505912833/) Before I say anything, let me make it clear that I’m no expert on mental health, psychology, or brain function. I’m mostly reflecting on my experiences as a GM through the lens of some ideas I’ve learned in a beginner’s study of parts of those fields. Many studies indicate that people have poor instincts when it comes to what will bring them happiness. People tend towards material desires or q

To follow-up on last week's intro, it's been a pleasant surprise that the activists have largely kept their cool despite the establishment's clear interest in escalating matters. I applaud you for showing your character runs true. Admittedly, keeping up with world events has taken up time that I might've otherwise spent here, but I do have a couple of blog posts in mind for the immediate future. As for this week's workouts, after learning a bit about the mental and physical