The Whitman Times wrote an excellent “local boy done good” article about my pal Jim Lowder. Horror writer that he is, it appeared on Halloween. The article also features a few short quotes from both Elaine Cunningham and me about how great Jim is. Check it out.

My friends Jared Sorenson and Luke Crane have finally announced FreeMarket, the new game they’ve been working on for the past year or more. Everything I’ve heard about it sounds fantastic, and I cannot wait to see–and play–the final game.

Those words are music to my ears. Thanks to everyone out there who got out and voted, no matter which way your vote was cast. Democracy works best when we all pay attention and pitch in.

On a lighter note, my friend Allen Varney points me to a new site that he and some of his former compatriots in the development of the latest edition of Paranoia concocted: Ninjalistics.com. If you’re looking for an amoral way to get ahead in your Dilbertesque office environment, Ninjalistics has the solution for you. It’s dark, funny, and–given the recent …

As part of the Halloween celebration over at FlamesRising.com, they’re posting a statless series of monsters suitable for use in any roleplaying game. Contributors include such luminaries as Bill Bodden, Malcolm Craig, Chuck Wendig, Matt McElroy, Monica Valentinelli, Brad McDevitt, Jeff Preston, John Wick, Monte Cook, Jared Sorensen, Eddy Webb, Alana Abbot, Jeff LaSala, Rich Dansky, Jason Blair, Gregor Hutton, …

Stephen Twining sometimes comments around these parts, and he often shows up at conventions with wonderful things to hand out to friends, like a gravestone rubbing from H.P. Lovecraft marker. He also teaches Freshman English (among other things) at Cumberland High School in Rhode Island. Every autumn, he focuses on Lovecraft’s works, and claims that the students learn the material …

My friend Professor Lew Pulsipher has a great essay up at GameCareerGuide.com called “The Idea Is Not the Game.” In it, he discusses the worth of ideas and then offers ideas about how to come up with them and capture them. Definitely worth the read.

My friends over at Talisman Studios have decided to give away the PDF of their Suzerain RPG core book for free. Stop on by and pick up a copy for nothing at all.

According to the Citizens of Virtue website, the Seven Virtual Virtues anti-ARG campaign associated with it launches tomorrow. I recently received a CoV press release (PDF) that details what the fuss is all about. It’s a riot, and I can’t wait to see how it all plays out.

My step-cousin Theresa just sent me a link to “Don’t Vote,” the best public service announcement ever. It’s hilarious. Not safe for work or kids, but funny and true. Some states close voter registration as early as this Saturday. (In Wisconsin, we can walk in and register on the day of the election, but it’s easier if you set it …