A Pirate on the Prairie

If you’re trying to apologize or explain why you treated me badly, you can miss me with attempts to minimize your behavior by trying to highlight the fact that it took place in the past. Yes, by virtue of it having happened prior to your apology or explanation, it is in the past. But “It was in the past” is not a valid excuse or justification. When it was happening in the present, you were treating me badly with zero compassion, concern, or regard for my well-being. You were

Scottish-born naval officer John Paul Jones is credited as being the “Father of the American Navy.” Arguably, if the average American knows anyone from the days of the Continental Navy of the American Revolutionary War and the fledgling United States Navy that sprang up after the cessation of hostilities with Great Britain, it would almost certainly be John Paul Jones. Jones’ American Revolutionary War victories against the British gave the new nation its first bona fide nav

In its latest video, The Fat Electrician YouTube channel shares the story of a truly gigantic hero of the American Revolutionary War. Peter Francisco was a giant of a man, yet sadly him and his story are relatively unknown to most Americans except perhaps to United States history and United States military history buffs. This relative obscurity is particularly true when him and his story are compared to the greater historical prominence afforded to other American heroes of th

Okay, I’m just going to say it. Bridge Command looks like it would be an absolutely amazing experience. I currently don’t have any plans to travel to London, but if that changes I am DEFINITELY going to look into doing this. It’s a safe bet that I will never command a starship or serve in any another capacity on a starship. So Bridge Command is likely to be the closest that I will ever get to that experience. You can almost certainly say the exact same thing yourself. Guy of

Long before he died, I had heard and read that Robin Williams played tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs). Today I learned that he was a fan of the dark, dangerous cyberpunk settings found within Mike Pondsmith’s Cyberpunk and Cyberpunk 2020 TTRPGs. Knowing that, I feel a bit of connection with the late actor and comedian. I once owned a copy of Cyberpunk 2020 . I admittedly didn’t play it nearly as much as I would have liked to play it, but I did spend many enjoyable hours c

“Back to the Island” https://youtu.be/kZJIhe71Sp0

Time spent visiting the coast or living a coastal lifestyle can be a soothing balm for a heartbreak… as can be a change of scenery. This is the first song that I heard performed by Roger Creager and it turned me on to his music. Enjoy. “Roger Creager - Gulf Coast Time - Official Audio” https://youtu.be/tIiAbpKpPJM “Roger Creager "Gulf Coast Time" LIVE on The Texas Music Scene” https://youtu.be/YckcXbJyFCU

👰‍♀️😘 Yeah, it’s probably best to think it and keep your mouth shut… especially about the things you and his wife did before they met. “Elton John - Kiss The Bride” https://youtu.be/tkmwVDLMZNk https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/eltonjohn/kissthebride.html

I AM still standing… just in a less flamboyant, garish, over-the-top, European fashion. 😄 “Elton John - I'm Still Standing” https://youtu.be/ZHwVBirqD2s

I provided links to a handful of videos regarding the tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG), Ironsworn: Starforged , in my most recent post “Explore the Forge” ( https://www.apirateontheprairie.com/post/explore-the-forge ). However, I just came across a video from The Bad Spot YouTube channel that provides some great information on determining what you need to play Ironsworn: Starforged and its predecessor, Ironsworn . So I decided to “strike while the iron was hot” and post a li

Some time back I picked up a copy of Ironsworn: Starforged , a science fiction tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) by Shawn Tomkin and Joshua Meehan designed for traditional group play, cooperative or co-op play, and solo play. The recommended size for an Ironsworn: Starforged group is anywhere from one to three players plus one player acting as the guide or gamemaster (GM). Cooperative play involves more than one player playing the game without the need for a dedicated guide o

I recently learned that Bruce Campbell, the actor made famous in large part by his portrayal of Ash Williams in the Evil Dead horror films franchise, has been diagnosed with a treatable, but incurable cancer. It’s sad news, but he appears to be staying optimistic and perhaps even a little defiant in the face of such a scary diagnosis. I certainly wish him the best of luck in his cancer battle. I have seen The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II and I have intended to watch more films

I recently came across this great introductory video on solo roleplaying games from the How It’s Played YouTube channel and I thought that I should share it being that I have already shared a number of videos on tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) and solo roleplaying games on this blog. What I particularly liked about this video was the way that it broke down a variety of types of solo roleplaying game experiences available to the prospective solo gamer. From gamebooks (...

I was thinking about some of the offbeat, whacky movies that I watched back in the 1970s and 1980s and I decided to share a handful of trailers from that period in film. I have watched three of the four films for which I have included links to the trailers. I should probably make a point of watching the fourth film. Even bad movies can be fun. Have you watched any of these “classics”? “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes Trailer : Official ” https://youtu.be/txfdGlxEsG8 “Bachelor P

“Dolly Parton - Here You Come Again (Official Music Video)” https://youtu.be/5cyVdC8dXqE

It might be a relatively rare occurrence, but a person might choose to set you free because he or she loves you… even if he or she is not in love with you. And one might choose to set you free even though he or she is in love with you . Of course, sometimes people in love choose not to overthink and over-complicate things. Beautiful, emotional rendition of a touching, beautiful, sweet song. “Dolly Parton Sings "I Will Always Love You" | The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas”..

I almost always get a little misty listening to this gem. There is also a good reminder for the motoring public when it comes to the stopping distance required for an 18-wheeler contained within the lyrics of this song. “Randy Travis Performs "Three Wooden Crosses” | CMT“ https://youtu.be/33S5cvl-IyI

“Hoss, you ain't gonna believe this, but that crazy sumbitch just tried to drive right up under my truck!” — Jerry Reed as Cledus "Snowman" Snow in Smokey and the Bandit I have hit a deer while driving a tractor-trailer and I can now add a car to my resume. At the time, I was driving to make my last delivery of the morning on a rainy, slushy interstate south of Janesville, Wisconsin. A light rain/sleet mix was falling. I could see emergency vehicles farther up the road on the

The actress, Gwyneth Paltrow, does a pretty convincing job portraying the crazy desperation one might feel if one has been rejected or dumped by one’s love interest and that love interest is currently seeing someone else. The song is pretty good too. Love can be like a drug and withdrawal is hellish. “Melissa Etheridge - I Want To Come Over” https://youtu.be/Ckt0TuK0qv0

https://x.com/rowlands_laws/status/2030370894804402271?s=46 I couldn’t agree more. Yes, as an adult you have responsibilities and obligations. Yes, you have appointments and deadlines. Yes, you will be expected to act like an adult from time-to-time. But keep playing. Take time to flex your creative muscles. Take time to place yourself in fanciful times and places. Be the hero (and/or the rogue). Fight imaginary and/or historical monsters. Spend time hanging out with fictiona