Joel
@storywonker.bsky.social
A serious person who does big things
Reposted by Joel
He was subsequently executed by firing squad.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximil...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximil...
Maximilian I of Mexico - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
December 1, 2025 at 11:50 AM
He was subsequently executed by firing squad.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximil...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximil...
Reposted by Joel
My favourite detail from the life of Maximilian I of Mexico is that, having been tried and condemned to death, a plan was hatched to break him out of jail before his execution by bribing the guards. He refused "because he felt that shaving his beard to avoid recognition would undermine his dignity".
December 1, 2025 at 11:50 AM
My favourite detail from the life of Maximilian I of Mexico is that, having been tried and condemned to death, a plan was hatched to break him out of jail before his execution by bribing the guards. He refused "because he felt that shaving his beard to avoid recognition would undermine his dignity".
Reposted by Joel
It feels like the Britain I actually grew up in, in which it was no big deal that children’s TV presenters were black and where a classmate said something racist about another classmate and got shit for it from pretty much my entire school year, is being slowly rewritten
December 1, 2025 at 11:47 AM
It feels like the Britain I actually grew up in, in which it was no big deal that children’s TV presenters were black and where a classmate said something racist about another classmate and got shit for it from pretty much my entire school year, is being slowly rewritten
Reposted by Joel
interesting reverse of something I talked about the other day, where modern songs with a clear origin are mistaken for traditional folksongs: "House of the Rising Sun" actually *is* a folksong. I always assumed it had been written sometime in the 1950s.
November 30, 2025 at 9:58 PM
interesting reverse of something I talked about the other day, where modern songs with a clear origin are mistaken for traditional folksongs: "House of the Rising Sun" actually *is* a folksong. I always assumed it had been written sometime in the 1950s.
Reposted by Joel
Russia pounds Ukraine with missiles, hitting civilian infrastructure and killing dozens of civilians, and this is the BBC headline when Ukraine strikes a legitimate military target in response:
November 30, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Russia pounds Ukraine with missiles, hitting civilian infrastructure and killing dozens of civilians, and this is the BBC headline when Ukraine strikes a legitimate military target in response:
Reposted by Joel
This is misinformation, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead was written by Shakespeare.
It is, admittedly, heavily based on Stoppard's play Hamlet, which was actually written by Francis Bacon.
It is, admittedly, heavily based on Stoppard's play Hamlet, which was actually written by Francis Bacon.
Tom Stoppard's plays were actually written by the Earl of Oxford and Asquith
December 1, 2025 at 9:40 AM
This is misinformation, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead was written by Shakespeare.
It is, admittedly, heavily based on Stoppard's play Hamlet, which was actually written by Francis Bacon.
It is, admittedly, heavily based on Stoppard's play Hamlet, which was actually written by Francis Bacon.
Reposted by Joel
I'd like to see volume of requests rather than just a percentage here. I'd wonder if the drop in percentage might be ChatGPT-related given how much easier it will be for your green ink types to formulate a request.
Whilst I understand that there are people, particularly politicians who want to weasel out or actively ignore an FOI, it has to be noted that a huge chunk which will have not been answered are badly-worded, repeat questions, vexatious, or is looking for data that simply doesn't exist
December 1, 2025 at 8:27 AM
I'd like to see volume of requests rather than just a percentage here. I'd wonder if the drop in percentage might be ChatGPT-related given how much easier it will be for your green ink types to formulate a request.
Reposted by Joel
Whilst I understand that there are people, particularly politicians who want to weasel out or actively ignore an FOI, it has to be noted that a huge chunk which will have not been answered are badly-worded, repeat questions, vexatious, or is looking for data that simply doesn't exist
December 1, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Whilst I understand that there are people, particularly politicians who want to weasel out or actively ignore an FOI, it has to be noted that a huge chunk which will have not been answered are badly-worded, repeat questions, vexatious, or is looking for data that simply doesn't exist
Reposted by Joel
I've noticed this. A lot.
November 29, 2025 at 2:54 PM
I've noticed this. A lot.
Reposted by Joel
“Bluesky’s got the juice!”
“Have you considered that juice prevented scurvy in english sailors which allowed them to create and enforce the brutal colonialism of the british empire and kept a quarter of the world’s population under the heel of the hated queen victoria?”
“Have you considered that juice prevented scurvy in english sailors which allowed them to create and enforce the brutal colonialism of the british empire and kept a quarter of the world’s population under the heel of the hated queen victoria?”
November 25, 2025 at 3:43 PM
“Bluesky’s got the juice!”
“Have you considered that juice prevented scurvy in english sailors which allowed them to create and enforce the brutal colonialism of the british empire and kept a quarter of the world’s population under the heel of the hated queen victoria?”
“Have you considered that juice prevented scurvy in english sailors which allowed them to create and enforce the brutal colonialism of the british empire and kept a quarter of the world’s population under the heel of the hated queen victoria?”
Reposted by Joel
This is a huge part of why so many people think we're in the middle of a widespread "anti-woke backlash": Small movements opposed to social progress are collected into trend stories by conservative media. Far larger movements that want more diversity are ignored or cast as threats.
"Woke is ruining D&D". Meanwhile Dimension 20, one of the wokest real play shows around, just sold out Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl for live shows and brings armies of new players to RPGs.
November 30, 2025 at 3:38 PM
This is a huge part of why so many people think we're in the middle of a widespread "anti-woke backlash": Small movements opposed to social progress are collected into trend stories by conservative media. Far larger movements that want more diversity are ignored or cast as threats.
Reposted by Joel
Even by the standards of anti-woke journalism this is lazy dreck. The first piece of "evidence" that older gamers are mad about wokeness is a random Reddit comment — that isn't a complaint about wokeness.
www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2025/11/2...
www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2025/11/2...
November 30, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Even by the standards of anti-woke journalism this is lazy dreck. The first piece of "evidence" that older gamers are mad about wokeness is a random Reddit comment — that isn't a complaint about wokeness.
www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2025/11/2...
www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2025/11/2...
It's roasting absolute dinner, darlings
November 30, 2025 at 7:35 PM
It's roasting absolute dinner, darlings
Reposted by Joel
I hate that more and more in fandom spaces I find myself asking people "so did you watch/read this" and get "no I read the wiki/watched a video" back
November 30, 2025 at 1:48 PM
I hate that more and more in fandom spaces I find myself asking people "so did you watch/read this" and get "no I read the wiki/watched a video" back
Having now read this very silly article: there are, as you'd expect, no actually sourced quotes except for one from Rober J Kuntz and one from Christian Twiste, it argues that Tolkien's orcs are inherently mindless, and it refers to the DnD horned-hald-devil player option as "thieflings"
The TTRPG space is the strongest it's ever been, bith creatively and financially. But the Telegraph prefers failure that flatters its' owners' views to success that challenges them
A game where you can do anything and they’re mad that people are doing anything.
November 30, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Having now read this very silly article: there are, as you'd expect, no actually sourced quotes except for one from Rober J Kuntz and one from Christian Twiste, it argues that Tolkien's orcs are inherently mindless, and it refers to the DnD horned-hald-devil player option as "thieflings"
Reposted by Joel
Shared Fantasy, the first sociological monograph about roleplaying games, is about a period when established players are dealing with a new wave of younger players with different priorities. The period is 1978.
A game where you can do anything and they’re mad that people are doing anything.
November 30, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Shared Fantasy, the first sociological monograph about roleplaying games, is about a period when established players are dealing with a new wave of younger players with different priorities. The period is 1978.
The TTRPG space is the strongest it's ever been, bith creatively and financially. But the Telegraph prefers failure that flatters its' owners' views to success that challenges them
A game where you can do anything and they’re mad that people are doing anything.
November 30, 2025 at 1:43 PM
The TTRPG space is the strongest it's ever been, bith creatively and financially. But the Telegraph prefers failure that flatters its' owners' views to success that challenges them
Reposted by Joel
They're small. Muddy knees. Higher voices than adults. Easy.
November 30, 2025 at 1:24 PM
They're small. Muddy knees. Higher voices than adults. Easy.
Genuinely feels very sinister how often you get gambling ads on YouTubr if you're watching anything even gaming-adjacent
Every time I open YouTube. Everywhere on Instagram etc too. The sheer volume of stuff is astonishing
November 30, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Genuinely feels very sinister how often you get gambling ads on YouTubr if you're watching anything even gaming-adjacent
Reposted by Joel
genuinely one of the biggest reasons the government should get off twitter is that it's also cooking its brain,when the Daily Mail says TRUE BRITONS OUTRAGED AS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT REFUSES TO REMOVE 'TRANS' FROM ITS NAME they say 'oh shit we've noticed that too' rather than 'what is this shite.'
It does feel like half the stories in the UK press only make sense if you follow Enoch1488, a peadophile on twitter who they have decided is the voice of True Working Class Brits
At some point the media’s view of their jobs changed from holding politicians accountable to active scalp hunting over relatively nothing. They’re trying to use a relentless drum-beat of less than honest narrative creation to try and force resignations in a way they never did before.
November 30, 2025 at 10:20 AM
genuinely one of the biggest reasons the government should get off twitter is that it's also cooking its brain,when the Daily Mail says TRUE BRITONS OUTRAGED AS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT REFUSES TO REMOVE 'TRANS' FROM ITS NAME they say 'oh shit we've noticed that too' rather than 'what is this shite.'
Reposted by Joel
One of the best worldbuilding guides you can read is Tolkien's notes on translation, where he talks about the fact that *everything* you write is in practice being translated into English; is is no more anachronistic to use the word "September" than it is use the word "sword" or "house" or "hello".
Not sure how I feel when a book tells me that instead of "12 months" they have "10 arcs," which are each 40 days long, and they all have names like Blossomarc, Flamearc Snowarc,.... I appreciate the world building, but couldnt we have just kept the calendar the same?
November 30, 2025 at 4:20 AM
One of the best worldbuilding guides you can read is Tolkien's notes on translation, where he talks about the fact that *everything* you write is in practice being translated into English; is is no more anachronistic to use the word "September" than it is use the word "sword" or "house" or "hello".
Wiketenauer is an incredible resource.
We should not assume a priori that Greek or Roman fighting resembled what we see in later medieval fighting treatises (wiktenauer.com !!) but we also can't discard the notion that the basic biomechanics are the same and it is good to know something about how people fight with contact weapons!
Wiktenauer, the world's largest library of HEMA books and manuscripts ~☞ Insquequo omnes gratuiti fiant
Dedicated to the memory of Dr. Patri Pugliese
wiktenauer.com
November 30, 2025 at 3:51 AM
Wiketenauer is an incredible resource.
In general I think the growth of HEMA and allied disciplines is a boon for this sort of military history; while reasoning from later arts and human body mechanics don't equal sure knowledge, they can be used, imo, to *disprove* certain arguments
Indeed, this is a point where I find van Wees unconvincing (he argues that hoplites, fighting side-on, are centered behind the aspis). The problem is no one fights entirely side-on outside of foil fencing.
If you want to strike with power, sometimes you are gonna bring that right foot forward.
If you want to strike with power, sometimes you are gonna bring that right foot forward.
The clearest evidence that the aspis was invented (or adapted) for shield walls is right here - the maybe 40% of its width that don't protect the shield bearer.
If the aspis was intended for open-order fighting, the wearer's forehand would likely be in a more central position on the shield's back.
If the aspis was intended for open-order fighting, the wearer's forehand would likely be in a more central position on the shield's back.
November 30, 2025 at 2:12 AM
In general I think the growth of HEMA and allied disciplines is a boon for this sort of military history; while reasoning from later arts and human body mechanics don't equal sure knowledge, they can be used, imo, to *disprove* certain arguments
Reposted by Joel
