Jerry Stratton's Blog, page 3

It’s not about the levels

One powerful tool to fight the video-game-ification of roleplaying games is the use of levels to avoid a code-level interaction between character sheet and advancement.

Mom’s High School Cooking Notebook, 1960

My mother kept her high school recipe notebook for as long as I can remember. It was often on the kitchen counter when the counter was dusted with flour.

Gods & Monsters Rules

All rules on creating characters and playing the game. This is what you’ll be using most as both player and adventure guide.

Four New Ices and an Ice Cream Cookery

Philadelphia Ice Cream, Walnut Nougat, Lemon Cream Sherbet, and Cranberry Ice. Four more new no-churn ice creams and desserts for Summer 2025. And, a book collecting all my favorite no-churn ice creams if you’re interested!

Tariff panic: Competing visions of America

One of the amazing things missed in all the Trump tariff talks is that Trump seems to genuinely believe that Americans can compete on a level playing field. That’s very rare among the political class. As we head into the Sestercentennial it would be nice to believe in American workers again.

Peppermint Popcorn for Easter

If you still have candy canes left from Christmas, consider them for an Easter-pink caramel corn. Hard candies make a great flavoring for popcorn—but watch out for the color mixes!

Save That Thou Art

High King of heaven, when vict’ry is won/May I reach heaven’s joys, bright heaven’s Sun!/Heart of my heart, whatever befall,/Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

City Lights and Sensors Always Get Me Down

If pilots have too much input to make safe decisions, should we be turning our automobile dashboards into cockpits?

Five Weekly Accomplishments

Is listing five weekly accomplishments really a hardship?

Foreign policy is not a deal?

Peace isn’t a deal, foreign policy isn’t a deal. That doesn’t leave room for much except war. Whose children will you send to keep that war going?