October 28, 2024: Tonight's Winning Intergalactic Lottery Number Is . . . [Long Inhale]

On October 21, the (current) biggest prime number was found, courtesy of the the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search (GIMPS) project. It's a Mersenne prime – named after French monk ~~Bob Prime~~ Marin Mersenne – meaning it's a power of two, minus one.

And so, we welcome to the prime family . . . 2^136279841-1. Please update your luggage code accordingly.

(As an aside, my love of Stan Lee-esque hyperbole almost made me end the statement two sentences ago with an exclamation point – but I didn't want to hear from a bunch of folks pointing out that 1! is just one . . .)

-- Steven Marsh

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October 27, 2024: Heard About Any Good Hauntings Lately?

Quick question: Which house in your hometown is haunted?

It doesn't have to be a house, necessarily. Maybe it's a warehouse or an old theater. Maybe it's a barn. It could also be an old hospital or an orphanage, or maybe just an empty field. No matter the location, it seems like every town has a place that's supposedly stalked by spirits. Why is that?

Now, I'm perfectly willing to admit that this may just be an Ohio thing. The Buckeye State is apparently the third most haunted in the nation, just behind Texas and California. Maybe I was just fortunate(?) to grow up in a place where more shadows lurk around the corner than normal. I'm not sure why ghosts would choose to linger here as opposed to, say, Iowa, but who am I to question the motives of the dearly departed? Maybe they stay because of their love for their surroundings, or because of the amount of quartz in our soil. . . .

[more]

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October 26, 2024: For The Love Of Collecting

Whether it's comic books, action figures, stamps, or boardgames, a staple of nerd culture is, and has always been, collecting. More and more, specialty stores, and even big-box stores, are catering to those of us who like to collect our favorite geeky objets from across our fandoms. Often when we fall in love with a TV show, a movie franchise, a comic book hero, or a book series, we find that there is a whole wide world of collectibles that match our beloved characters.

A personal confession: I have a small army of Funko Pops that began with Disney's Robin Hood in 2016. From where I'm writing at this very moment, I can see over 250 on shelves that cover every wall of my office, though I estimate my entire collection to be in the 450-500 range. And yes, most are out of the boxes. But that doesn't even compare to Paul Scardino, who boasts an incredibly impressive collection . . .

[more]

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October 25, 2024: Branch Out In New Ways With GURPS Power-Ups 10: Skill Trees

GURPS has always been about making your games your own, to play as the adventurers in the world that you envision. But if you really want to shake the tree – literally? – of what's possible, we're proud to introduce GURPS Power-Ups 10: Skill Trees.

In the same way that GURPS Power-Ups 9: Alternate Attributes provided options and alternatives for the foundational GURPS attributes, Skill Trees does something similar for GURPS skills. With its telescoping "skill tree" system, you focus on what's truly important for your game, which can speed up character creation and at-the-table game play. The supplement comes with a complete ready-to-use alternate system, as well as extensive insight for how to tweak the fundamental assumptions to make the game what you want it to be.

The perfect advanced toolkit for tinkerers, rule hackers, and those wanting the power of GURPS but with even more flexibility, . . . [more]

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October 24, 2024: Science Fiction Double Feature

The Rocky Horror Picture Show debuted 49 years ago in the United Kingdom – and shortly after in the United States. It is considered by many to be one of Tim Curry's finest roles, and the scene where he comes down the elevator tapping his heel is an iconic moment in cinematic history.

In the years following its release, theaters around the country hosted midnight showings where audience members could interact with the movie. They'd use mini squirt guns and hold newspapers over their heads when Brad and Janet are in the rain, throw rice during the wedding scene, and, of course, yell back at the screen with funny heckles.

But did you know that tradition continues to this very day? Shadowcasting, where actors dress up as the characters and act out the movie in front of the screen, is extremely popular amongst RHPS fans. I've attended dozens of late-night showings by Dallas-Fort . . .

[more]

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Previous Illuminators • Steve's Appearance Schedule

You must meet Harry Potter at Dime Box and get the book. October 28, 2024: Tonight's Winning Intergalactic Lottery Number Is . . . [Long Inhale] On October 21, the (current) biggest prime number was found, courtesy of the the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search (GIMPS) project. It's a Mersenne prime – named after French monk ~~Bob Prime~~ Marin Mersenne – meaning it's a power of two, minus one. And so, we welcome to the prime family . . . 2^136279841-1. Please update your luggage code accordingly. (As an aside, my love of Stan Lee-esque hyperbole almost made me end the statement two sentences ago with an exclamation point – but I didn't want to hear from a bunch of folks pointing out that 1! is just one . . .) -- Steven Marsh Share this post! October 27, 2024: Heard About Any Good Hauntings Lately? Quick question: Which house in your hometown is haunted? It doesn't have to be a house, necessarily. Maybe it's a warehouse or an old theater. Maybe it's a barn. It could also be an old hospital or an orphanage, or maybe just an empty field. No matter the location, it seems like every town has a place that's supposedly stalked by spirits. Why is that? Now, I'm perfectly willing to admit that this may just be an Ohio thing. The Buckeye State is apparently the third most haunted in the nation, just behind Texas and California. Maybe I was just fortunate(?) to grow up in a place where more shadows lurk around the corner than normal. I'm not sure why ghosts would choose to linger here as opposed to, say, Iowa, but who am I to question the motives of the dearly departed? Maybe they stay because of their love for their surroundings, or because of the amount of quartz in our soil. . . . [more] Share this post! October 26, 2024: For The Love Of Collecting Whether it's comic books, action figures, stamps, or boardgames, a staple of nerd culture is, and has always been, collecting. More and more, specialty stores, and even big-box stores, are catering to those of us who like to collect our favorite geeky objets from across our fandoms. Often when we fall in love with a TV show, a movie franchise, a comic book hero, or a book series, we find that there is a whole wide world of collectibles that match our beloved characters. A personal confession: I have a small army of Funko Pops that began with Disney's Robin Hood in 2016. From where I'm writing at this very moment, I can see over 250 on shelves that cover every wall of my office, though I estimate my entire collection to be in the 450-500 range. And yes, most are out of the boxes. But that doesn't even compare to Paul Scardino, who boasts an incredibly impressive collection . . . [more] Share this post! October 25, 2024: Branch Out In New Ways With GURPS Power-Ups 10: Skill Trees GURPS has always been about making your games your own, to play as the adventurers in the world that you envision. But if you really want to shake the tree – literally? – of what's possible, we're proud to introduce GURPS Power-Ups 10: Skill Trees. In the same way that GURPS Power-Ups 9: Alternate Attributes provided options and alternatives for the foundational GURPS attributes, Skill Trees does something similar for GURPS skills. With its telescoping "skill tree" system, you focus on what's truly important for your game, which can speed up character creation and at-the-table game play. The supplement comes with a complete ready-to-use alternate system, as well as extensive insight for how to tweak the fundamental assumptions to make the game what you want it to be. The perfect advanced toolkit for tinkerers, rule hackers, and those wanting the power of GURPS but with even more flexibility, . . . [more] Share this post! October 24, 2024: Science Fiction Double Feature The Rocky Horror Picture Show debuted 49 years ago in the United Kingdom – and shortly after in the United States. It is considered by many to be one of Tim Curry's finest roles, and the scene where he comes down the elevator tapping his heel is an iconic moment in cinematic history. In the years following its release, theaters around the country hosted midnight showings where audience members could interact with the movie. They'd use mini squirt guns and hold newspapers over their heads when Brad and Janet are in the rain, throw rice during the wedding scene, and, of course, yell back at the screen with funny heckles. But did you know that tradition continues to this very day? Shadowcasting, where actors dress up as the characters and act out the movie in front of the screen, is extremely popular amongst RHPS fans. I've attended dozens of late-night showings by Dallas-Fort . . . [more] Share this post! Previous Illuminators • Steve's Appearance Schedule		Latest Videos You are the 2076th cartoon character here today. (30127055 since August 1, 1995)