virtual filk

Virus has led to a golden age of online filk circles! I attended Massfilc for the first time in over a year, then a bigger circle hosted by someone in Toronto, and then there's some concert streaming on Youtube now...

I wonder if Asimov's Solarians presage the future. I'm missing a plantation of robots to provide food, though.

random bits

In shape, Westeros is basically Britain + upside down Ireland. https://i.imgur.com/1PBDC69.jpg

Somene had an amusing tale of playing a Jesus-inspired cleric in a D&D game. Sadly it cuts off at a cliffhanger.
https://www.reddit.com/r/gametales/comments/4ce2ux/jesus_plays_pathfinder_nongreentext_edition/
https://www.reddit.com/r/gametales/comments/4edhad/jesus_plays_pathfinder_part_15/
https://www.reddit.com/r/gametales/comments/4glsy6/jesus_plays_pathfinder_part_2/
https://www.reddit.com/r/gametales/comments/5k7dz2/jesus_plays_pathfinder_part_3/
https://www.reddit.com/r/gametales/comments/6652do/jesus_plays_pathfinder_part_4/

The Spanish word 'hueco' means "hollow". I first learned of the word from the anime Bleach, where Hueco Mundo is the Hollow World (world of Hollows, not a hollow world). Makes it easy to remember! Ironically I stopped watching Bleach before the end of the Soul Society Arc, so everything I know about Hollows is secondhand.

I take one overarching lesson from the History of Middle-earth: authors, if you scribble lots of notes about your work, *date them*.

Interesting essay on the wife of Feanor and fandom's fascination with her scant clues. http://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/reference/references/pf/nerdanel.php

Things I learn from yuri manga:
* Japanese eat noodles with chopsticks but pasta with forks. A character asked why.
* A bright green mineral from an asteroid exists. It is not called kryptonite. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moldavite
* What those little kid backpacks are called. Also they cost a lot. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randoseru