Todd Stewart's page

Lateral gene transmission is a pretty potent argument to Mother Evolution for keeping homosexuality in the gene pool. The presence of a few permanently non reproducing but economically contributing adults in the group improves survivability significantly for that group's offspring.

And no, not a choice. Ideologically I'd prefer to be bisexual. I really don't have any social hangups or inhibitions on the subject as I was raised in a very open and LGBT-friendly household. But I wasn't given any choices about my neural architecture, so how I'm wired is how I'm wired.

The capacity to love someone and be attracted to them regardless of their downstairs configuration is something I find personally admirable and would like to emulate. Except that I can't. I'm just not attracted, and there's nothing I can do to change that. I am boringly, politically incorrectly heterosexual. Which I'm fine with. But if I HAD a choice, I'd pick otherwise for political and ideological reasons.

Dear Paizo Fans,

First off let me apologize for my long absence from the Internet. I don’t use it for anything beyond work email these days and I am about as far out of the electronic loop as is humanly possible – my own fault, and my undoing on many levels.

I deeply apologize for the debacle that was Sinister Adventures – I can honestly say there has been nothing in my life I regret more than attempting to run my own publishing company. I have done severe damage to my own finances over the past several years, ruined my reputation as a game designer, and transformed a hobby that used to be the most enjoyable part of my life into my own personal mire of misery and shame. But most importantly I have alienated a host of lovely people who love RPGS. I used to take great joy in communicating with my former fans, and felt a growing camaraderie with several of the people who enjoyed my work, or even hated my work, but just downright enjoyed this great hobby. I let those people down, betrayed them, and damaged their enthusiasm for the game, not to mention lost the hard-earned money they entrusted to me through pre-orders.

I dealt with the avalanche of problems Sinister experienced ineptly to say the least. The failure of this company combined with crushing stress from my 90 hour-a-week day job of the last three years shook the foundation of my sense of self. This led to a downward spiral of alcoholism and depression.

My recent move back to Hawaii has restored a great deal of the vitality and psychological well-being I lost over the last few years and I am finally in a place to take serious action against the start-up gaming company that has become my personal nemesis.

I have lost over $15,000 personally on this endeavor through my gross ineptitude as a publisher. I paid for a great deal of top quality art, web design and other start up costs and then as problems arose that siphoned off more funds, I found the company wallowing in destitution. As the problems piled up, I eventually lost any ability to deal with them and kept attempting to tell myself I would “get around to it soon” once I was able to save up more funds and free up more time. I grappled with the idea of bankruptcy, but didn’t want to end up not giving those who trusted me their money back.

Fortunately I have been able to shift some funds around recently and replenish Sinister’s coffers enough to get everyone their money back. To ensure this happens in a timely fashion I will not trust my own dire worthlessness with the task. Instead the heroic Lou is once again stepping up to bat.

Through the invaluable assistance of Louis Agresta – one of the truest friends a man could ask for – I am now in a position to refund all and sundry for their pre-orders to Sinister. Lou has very kindly offered to assist me yet again, this time pooling through my mangled attempts at record keeping to ensure all of you who have not yet been refunded get your money returned.

Lou has posted instructions and details above.

Now allow me to move off my own dire failures as a businessman and human being and move on to a more salient point.

Paizo Publishing is a true gem - A company full of caring individuals who are entirely the opposite of Sinister Adventures. They care deeply about their fans, their authors, and the hobby. From my close contact with them for years, first as a rabid fan and aspiring writer, then as a go-to freelancer, then as a brief employee I have a unique view of the fine people of Paizo inside and out. They are compassionate, professional, creative, enthusiastic, and possessed of a deep well of forgiveness and generosity. They don’t just uphold high standards of how companies should operate – they set the standards as far as I’m concerned.

It hurts me deeply that their remarkable feat of kindness and an attempt to rehabilitate the degenerate hobbyist and writer I have become over the last few years could result in any sort of backlash. These fine upstanding people pour their love, blood and sweat into their company daily.

To those of you hurt by the Sinister fiasco: I implore you to keep the sights of your (righteous) anger focused entirely on me. I will happily give ample opportunity for those of you slighted (or worse) by my mistakes and failures a chance to redress the wrongs you suffered at Sinister (and my) hands. I will gladly listen to your anger, apologize, and try to make amends as best I can at Paizocon. I will attempt to run games for those of you who suffered from Sinister’s flop, languishing in limbo while awaiting news or refunds from me.

I humbly apologize for the long and resounding silence and for thinking I could get things back on the rails.

Thank you for your time and patience. Please follow the instructions and details Lou posted above on how to FINALLY get your money back.

Yours,

Nicolas Logue

Just as long as no one is coming up with an adventure proposal while watching March Madness...

"Pharast Madness is an adventure for thirty-two teams of 9th-level characters organized into a single-elimination bracket structure..."

Shadowrun

Eclipse Phase

Congrats to those of you who made it - I look forward to your merry monster mashing. As one of those no longer under the gun I can finally relax and join the chorus cheering you on. Best of luck!

It's disappointing not to make the top 16, but there'll be a next time. Good luck and congrats to the top 16!

I do believe in faeries! *clap clap*
I do believe in faeries! *clap clap*
I do believe in faeries! *clap clap*
I do believe in faeries! *clap clap*
.....

Inner Sea magic was very good...

Land of Linnorm Kings was better...

Horsemen of the Apocalypse was incredible.

Last night, when the mail from paizo appeared in my computer I told myself "Only two minutes and to the bed...".

Two hours later I can only say that Paizo produces better books every time.

Yeah, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to cancel those magazines after all? Who knew?

I dunno if it's more hilarious or telling (and depressing) how many people here are absolutely terrified of a woman who enjoys sex.

Tell us more about how seduction is evil and girls will always hurt someone if you try to love them (without alluding to the cheerleader that turned you down).

Hugs Derek.

I'm both transgendered (female/male body) and homosexual, but I also have a mixture of traditionally feminine and traditionally masculine interests, so nobody notices, and I'm too nervous about it to discuss it with my family.

I want kids someday, but if I get the surgery I can't have any because I'd be infertile, I can't have any if I don't get the surgery because I'd be in a male body, which lesbians do not find attractive, and I can't adopt because gay couples can't do that.

Oh, and if I get the surgery I won't have a clitoris, so I can't enjoy sex.

you need to present a bit more than saying, "There are quotes that support me, buried somewhere on some other forum on the internet."

From the Candlekeep forum:

(The whole thread is HERE)

Yet it’s happening regardless of my personal wants, and I choose to be onboard trying to paddle and steer, rather than left behind swimming in the water, calling out that perhaps we should have set a different course.

Further:

I KNOW it hurts when you’ve come to love and cherish a fictional place and characters, that you can enjoy in your imagination, and someone goes and stomps on what you hold precious.

Oh, and in these two quotes, he is specifically speaking of the changes made to 4e FR...

Now, he does go on to say that you don't have to use the new stuff, and that you can run the Realms however you want, but it does indeed illustrate that he cares about and sometimes does not like the changes made...

Do Doooo do do do

Ravagog

Do do do do.

Ravagog...

Everytime I read the blog title, I expect to read about a daemon that kills through accounting - I think a 5th horseman of accounting, taxes, and red tape would be appropriate.

>.>

I'll just be over here...you know, not murdering.

<.<