Eric Wagoner

garth marenghi's chart place

17h

I got this copy of Dragon #100 in 1985, the month before I started high school, and have held onto it since. It has rules for a fantasy-themed three level chess game, made by Gary Gygax. I always thought someday I'd make a board and get to play, but never did. Until now. wyrm.kestrelsnest.social

Eric Wagoner reposted

@tef.bsky.social

youtu.beBrìghde Chaimbeul: Tiny Desk ConcertLars Gotrich | October 23, 2026 A folk revival only goes so far as an artist's understanding — and adaptation — of tradition. What themes and melodies spoke to the past can easily echo into the present, but come alive through the personality of its interpreter. Brìghde Chaimbeul expands the language of the Scottish smallpipes behind the Desk with a quiet, yet demonstrative presence. Chaimbeul grew up on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, speaking Gaelic and learning the Highland pipes before falling in love with the bellows-blown bagpipe she plays today. Drones are forever with this instrument, but Chaimbeul amplifies, manipulates and darkens the harmonics and frequencies of these pipe drones with effects pedals and contact mics that capture her percussive tapping on the chanter. The effect is mystic and ancient … completely transfixing. The rhythm of language permeates the songs chosen here — deeply knitting untranslatable wordplay into the drones and melodies. Chaimbeul explains that the opening title, when said in Gaelic — which roughly means "sound of drones beginning to be tuned and sound of drones almost tuned" — sounds like "the rhythm of the words sound like the pulse of drones tuning." "She Went Astray," a song found by Scottish folklorist Peigi MacRae in 1934, is awash with a tonal cluster of tidal chords by Shahzad Ismaily, who, on synths, is naturally attuned to Chaimbeul's pipes throughout this performance. When she sings on "Pìobaireachd Nan Eun," it's to mimic the sounds of birds and swans — and in concert with drones that buzz and trill, it's a musical reminder of just how sublime and unknown the animal kingdom can be. For Chaimbeul, tradition is transformative. And that's none more apparent than in this version of "Bog an Lochan." The Scottish reel has several names and a long history, yet in her ecstatic repetition and ethereal ambience, Chaimbeul opens a gateway to another dimension. SET LIST "a bhò a bhò, a dhuine dhuine dhuine" "She Went Astray" "Pìobaireachd Nan Eun" "Bog an Lochan" MUSICIANS Brìghde Chaimbeul: Scottish smallpipes, vocals Shahzad Ismaily: synths TINY DESK TEAM Producer: Lars Gotrich Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant Audio Director/Mix: Josh Newell Creative Director: Bobby Carter Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Kara Frame Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer Photographer: Vanessa Castillo Copy Editor: Hazel Cills Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed Executive Director: Sonali Mehta Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton #nprmusic #tinydesk #brìghdechaimbeul

Bellowed bagpipes and moog synth might be an unlikely pairing, but this set is spectacular.

Finished my current book last night and was super excited to start the latest Murderbot tonight. Opened the series in my reading app and it told me I've completed seven of nine books So anyway I plunked down some money and now I'm super excited to start the latest *two* Murderbots!

blog.kestrelsnest.socialI built Diplomacy for the browser. Come play.Dip is free browser Diplomacy with no accounts: play with friends at any pace, or against house players who negotiate in plain English, remember every promise, and sometimes break them.

Diplomacy has been my favorite game since high school. Hundreds of games in college, an email judge I ran, a Chromatic variant map I laminated. I couldn’t get enough. Then thirty years without a table. So I built one. Come sit at mine. blog.kestrelsnest.social/posts/2026-0...

@hotdogsladies.bsky.social Don’t want to give you trauma flashbacks or anything, but I’ve heard you talk about Diplomacy enough times to think you might enjoy this.

youtu.beAk'chamel - Full Performance (Live on KEXP)http://KEXP.ORG presents Ak'chamel, The Giver of Illness performing live in the KEXP studio. Recorded July 30, 2026. Songs: HASH 01:15 The Forbidden Melody 06:51 Scalped Sands 08:56 Neon Jellyfish Inherits The Plastic Throne 13:46 The Boar 23:44 Host: Jewel Loree Audio Engineer: Kevin Suggs & Jon Roberts Mastering Engineer: Matt Ogaz Cameras: Jim Beckmann, Leah Franks, Luke Knecht & Kendall Rock Editor: Jim Beckmann https://akchamel.bandcamp.com http://kexp.org Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3I2GFN_F8WudD_2jUZbojA/join

I don't know what this is, but I love it. More weird bands in costume, please! youtu.be/SOLp13uAEIY?is=P4Lmw...

I had a goal of building three specific games during my Virgo Month of Leisure, but I had some time to spare and my stretch goal is in sight.

Eric Wagoner reposted

Gwen C. Katz

@gwenckatz.bsky.social

Fuck ChatGPT flyers. The future is broadsheets.

gamehall.kestrelsnest.socialKestrel's HallFree board games in the browser. Play with friends by link or alone against the house. No accounts, no adverts, nothing sold.

Wiz-War, Waving Hands, and also another I played while in the SCA back in college: Hnefatafl. Three games make a collection and a collection needs a home. So here's my game hall. Come play! gamehall.kestrelsnest.social/

hands.kestrelsnest.socialWaving HandsA duel of gestures against a rival wizard, after Richard Bartle's 1977 pencil-and-paper game. Free to play in the browser.

Since I've been recreating favorite games from my college years, there was one we used to play on the sparc stations in the computer center, dueling wizards using hand gestures to cast spells. Turns out to be based on a 1977 pen and paper game. Anyway, here's hands.kestrelsnest.social

wizwar.kestrelsnest.socialWiz-WarA game of magical combat in a stone labyrinth. The classic 1993 sixth edition, faithfully reproduced — play free with friends, online or around one device.

It’s an MVP, definitely playable, one human vs the computer. I’ll add multi-player and continued refinements, and it’ll only get better from here.

Eric Wagoner reposted

dudes rock

It's yet to be seen if this was brilliant or the dumbest idea I've ever had, but if you start a Wiz-War game on my site there's a dedicated button to challenging me to a duel that will alert me 24/7. Man, I love this game. wizwar.kestrelsnest.social

Eric Wagoner reposted

the babahuck

@tylerhuckabee.bsky.social

god this is good

How do I follow up a day with legends like Peter Hook and Cabaret Voltaire? By heading over to a bbq joint to catch the black and white polka dot French band everyone's been talking about along with (what, two nights in a row?) my favorite live band ever, Man or Astro-man?, that's how.

13 Sept

I've heard many many versions of Ceremony, but after all these years my favorite is still played by Peter Hook.

There was a gal walking by with yarn pompom earrings that were tits. Another gal in front of me stopped her with complements. After the first kept walking the second turned to her boyfriend all excited: "I'm going to make those tomorrow! I know how to make pompoms and I know what tits look like!"

Crafty folks are awesome. The people watching yesterday was even better than the music.

Today begins with this amazing lineup. I'll have to leave early because the night shows I'm attending overlap and are at a venue across town, but they will be worth it.

New venue and lineup for part two of today's installment of the Virgo Month of Leisure. I'm so lucky and grateful to be here, to see my hands-down favorite band to play live.

The man can turn a phrase.

Adrian Tchaikovsky@aptshadow.bsky.social

Reading through the first draft of the current book waiting for the bit where it becomes utter bobbins.

11 Sept

This afternoon's lineup for this charmed life I lead.

@uncleduke1969.bsky.social

8 Sept

Look, I love fun as much as the next guy but I know my limits and cqlleezy fun is way past them. No thank you.

Eric Wagoner reposted

Uncle Duke

5 Sept

The cats graciously put on a magic show for us last night. I figured out how they did most of the tricks, but I didn’t say anything, because that would have been rude.

wizwar.kestrelsnest.socialThe LeapA pit yawns in the corridor — but the die says the intruder sails clean over it, onto the trapper's doorstep.

3 Sept

I built some scripted scenarios in my game for testing purposes, and decided to turn them into little highlight reels to also demonstrate the game engine and entice folks to come play. The boards are ready for you! wizwar.kestrelsnest.social/clips/the-leap

kentucky.com‘Another great light gone out.’ Kentucky author, activist Wendell Berry dies at 92.Wendell Berry championed small farms, agrarianism and conservation for decades.

1 Sept

We've lost some great folks this past week and today we can add Wendell Berry to the list. He really was one of the good ones. www.kentucky.com/news/local/a...

Eric Wagoner reposted

Lucy Bellwood

@lubellwoo.bsky.social

31 Aug

Shout out to "dried substance (possibly cheese)." Gotta be one of my favorite book materials.

wizwar.kestrelsnest.socialWiz-WarA game of magical combat in a stone labyrinth. The classic 1993 sixth edition, faithfully reproduced — play free with friends, online or around one device.

30 Aug

Just played several games of Wiz-War with college friends in three different states and it was just like we were sitting around a table again like thirty years ago. I might have cried a little. I can't believe I finally made this thing. wizwar.kestrelsnest.social

Eric Wagoner reposted

NY Times Pitchbot

@nytpitchbot.bsky.social

29 Aug

The Wreck of the Cantor Fitzgerald Howard Lutnick is more Gordon Gekko than Gordon Lightfoot, and he's shipwrecked US-Canada relations while his boss Sundowns. If you could read my mind, you'd know I'd like the Gales of November 2026 to sink them to the bottom of "Lake America." by Maureen Dowd

wizwar.kestrelsnest.socialKestrel's turn — a Wiz-War instant replayRound 8 of a game of Wiz-War, magical combat in a stone labyrinth. Watch the turn through Kestrel's own eyes, then deal yourself in.

24 Aug

For over thirty years, I have been wanting to build a first-person view version of my favorite board game, Wiz-War. It's been a running joke of mine, every year I make a to-do list or write a plan for myself "This will be the year I make FPV Wiz-War."

24 Aug

Well, 2026 is actually that year. I'm still testing it, so for now it's only playable top-down on the board, but I've made sharable links for instant replays done in FPV! Here's me winning a particularly fiendish game: wizwar.kestrelsnest.social/watch/3mfmds...

22 Aug

I drove two hours this morning to a state park in west Georgia to spend the day with some wonderfully inclusive Norse pagans.

wizwar.kestrelsnest.socialWiz-WarA game of magical combat in a stone labyrinth. The classic 1993 sixth edition, faithfully reproduced — play free with friends, online or around one device.

16 Aug

Any of my online friends here used to play the super fun game Wiz-War back in the 90s? My friends and I played no doubt thousands of hours and never got tired of it. Anyway, with much love to Tom Jolly, I made a thing. wizwar.kestrelsnest.social

10 Aug

Now that my game collection is digitally organized, I gave bggpipe the ability to model my physical space and help me organize that too. Here is the "vintage war games" cube both in reality and cataloged on my website (C3 in the Kallax unit): blog.kestrelsnest.social/myga...

Eric Wagoner reposted

Ross Sayers

@rosssayers.bsky.social

27 July

[James Stewart as Odysseus] now listen here, Agamemnon, I'm going home, y'see. You keep your fancy armour, I'm getting off this crummy ol' beach. [Spotting the Cyclops] now here's a curious fella, he's only got one peeper

git.kestrelsnest.socialbggpipeCLI and local browser pipeline for cataloging board game shelves into a BoardGameGeek collection: shelf photos → Claude vision title extraction → BGG XML API matching → human review → automated bulk u...

6 Aug

I made a thing this week! I photographed my board game shelves, and now my whole collection is on BoardGameGeek, editions and all, for under a dollar of API use. Everything else runs on your machine. It's free and open source, with a logo by my kid: git.kestrelsnest.social/eric/bggpipe

blog.kestrelsnest.social // Kestrel's NestMy board game library, cataloged from shelf photos — search it, browse it, dig into any title.

6 Aug

Getting all my games up into BGG is cool and all on its own, but it also lets me do something like this, embedding beautifully rich details about my entire collection on my own website: blog.kestrelsnest.social/mygames/ (This is a feature I built right into bggpipe.)

short-stories.coThere Will Come Soft Rains by Ray BradburyThe voice-clock sang, breakfast was ejected, but no doors slammed. The garage chimed and lifted its door to reveal the waiting car. The house sat alone in a city of rubble and…

6 Aug

I've been building an application that lets you take pictures of your game collection, whether they are on shelves, or stacks on the floor, or what-have-you, and matches them with the boardgamegeek.com database and creates a collection for you there. I'm so tickled with it!

Eric Wagoner reposted

T H E VV O R S T

@milfparade.bsky.social

3 Aug

A few weeks ago I realized that tomorrow is the date the Ray Bradbury story “There Will Come Soft Rains” takes place. It’s a shame science fiction from 75 years ago isn’t relevant anymore

Eric Wagoner reposted

Standplaats Kraków could really use some cash!

@standplaatskrk.pl

25 July

Replying to @standplaatskrk.pl