James Howard
@manuscribe.bsky.social
I teach writing, play games, and read medieval.
In-game purchases.
November 29, 2025 at 6:28 PM
In-game purchases.
Reposted by James Howard
There is a post circulating on Bluesky encouraging the moving of a frozen turkey straight into a pot of hot oil. We are combating this misinformation the best way we know how - through the power of dance music.
November 23, 2025 at 1:31 PM
There is a post circulating on Bluesky encouraging the moving of a frozen turkey straight into a pot of hot oil. We are combating this misinformation the best way we know how - through the power of dance music.
If a professional chef does it, it's solid, strategic flavor combination.
If you ever hear me say this, I don't know what I'm doing and I've undoubtedly spilled mint leaves into whatever I'm sauteeing.
If you ever hear me say this, I don't know what I'm doing and I've undoubtedly spilled mint leaves into whatever I'm sauteeing.
November 4, 2025 at 5:43 PM
If a professional chef does it, it's solid, strategic flavor combination.
If you ever hear me say this, I don't know what I'm doing and I've undoubtedly spilled mint leaves into whatever I'm sauteeing.
If you ever hear me say this, I don't know what I'm doing and I've undoubtedly spilled mint leaves into whatever I'm sauteeing.
Reposted by James Howard
I love anime girls with magical orbs in video games. They used to be really prevalent in the late 80s to mid 90s. You know, those solid, spherical objects, often floating in the air. Here's just a small collection of such girls (I'll leave out obvious fortune tellers):
November 2, 2025 at 7:12 AM
I love anime girls with magical orbs in video games. They used to be really prevalent in the late 80s to mid 90s. You know, those solid, spherical objects, often floating in the air. Here's just a small collection of such girls (I'll leave out obvious fortune tellers):
In some versions of Arthuriana, it goes like this:
Lancelot: And me, who is Guinevere's favorite!
King Arthur: Yes, that's right! You are the queen's knight!
Lancelot:
Guinevere:
Mordred:
Kay: And me, who is Arthur's favorite!
King Arthur:
Lancelot: And me, who is Guinevere's favorite!
King Arthur: Yes, that's right! You are the queen's knight!
Lancelot:
Guinevere:
Mordred:
Kay: And me, who is Arthur's favorite!
King Arthur:
King Arthur: It is a round table, because we are all equals.
Lancelot: Except you, who are king!
King Arthur: Well, yes.
Lancelot: And me, who is Guinevere's favorite!
King Arthur: What?
Lancelot:
King Arthur:
Lancelot: Indeed, we are all equals here, each like the other!
Lancelot: Except you, who are king!
King Arthur: Well, yes.
Lancelot: And me, who is Guinevere's favorite!
King Arthur: What?
Lancelot:
King Arthur:
Lancelot: Indeed, we are all equals here, each like the other!
October 27, 2025 at 1:43 PM
In some versions of Arthuriana, it goes like this:
Lancelot: And me, who is Guinevere's favorite!
King Arthur: Yes, that's right! You are the queen's knight!
Lancelot:
Guinevere:
Mordred:
Kay: And me, who is Arthur's favorite!
King Arthur:
Lancelot: And me, who is Guinevere's favorite!
King Arthur: Yes, that's right! You are the queen's knight!
Lancelot:
Guinevere:
Mordred:
Kay: And me, who is Arthur's favorite!
King Arthur:
Reposted by James Howard
Tina Fey, perhaps best known for her voice work on the 1997 Williams pinball machine Medieval Madness,
May 25, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Tina Fey, perhaps best known for her voice work on the 1997 Williams pinball machine Medieval Madness,
"The sea is calm tonight."
To shut down rude behavior instantly, try a simple yet powerful five-word response.
Use this 5-word phrase when someone is rude to you—it's like 'holding up a mirror,' says public speaking expert
When we encounter a rude person, our first instinct might be to fire back with a snarky comment. But that's not the right move, says public speaking expert John Bowe. Here's the perfect response to instantly shut down rude behavior.
cnb.cx
October 5, 2025 at 10:37 PM
"The sea is calm tonight."
Reposted by James Howard
Counterattacks > party + riposte
i just think if you’re hot, you shouldn’t have to learn how to parry
September 20, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Counterattacks > party + riposte
Reposted by James Howard
Reposted by James Howard
The movies don't really get into it, but it's worth remembering that Denethor went crazy because he spent too much time doomscrolling on the Palantír and it cooked his brain
September 4, 2025 at 8:31 PM
The movies don't really get into it, but it's worth remembering that Denethor went crazy because he spent too much time doomscrolling on the Palantír and it cooked his brain
Beyond the Forbidden Forest. The game is basically walking amid scraggly trees with foreboding music. Then a monster comes and kills you. Yes, you're supposed to shoot it with an arrow, but it usually ate me first. I was six.
What was the first video game that scared you?
It doesn't have to be a horror game. Maybe you didn't even play it -- plenty of ads freaked me out as a kid.
It doesn't have to be a horror game. Maybe you didn't even play it -- plenty of ads freaked me out as a kid.
August 23, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Beyond the Forbidden Forest. The game is basically walking amid scraggly trees with foreboding music. Then a monster comes and kills you. Yes, you're supposed to shoot it with an arrow, but it usually ate me first. I was six.
Reposted by James Howard
Video games peaked with the Sega CD
July 26, 2025 at 2:43 AM
Video games peaked with the Sega CD
Chakan The Forever Man always felt like a fever dream. I only played it on my parents' friends' oldest son's Sega, and only for long enough that it didn't matter I was no good at it. Lanky gothic sword man in dark environment would saturate my imagination.
*whispering to date* that’s Chakan: The Forever Man
July 24, 2025 at 2:03 AM
Chakan The Forever Man always felt like a fever dream. I only played it on my parents' friends' oldest son's Sega, and only for long enough that it didn't matter I was no good at it. Lanky gothic sword man in dark environment would saturate my imagination.
Reposted by James Howard
(From Serpent's Reach, C. J. Cherryh, cover art by Ken Barr)
June 18, 2025 at 12:09 AM
(From Serpent's Reach, C. J. Cherryh, cover art by Ken Barr)
One wonder of the original Iron Chef was how I experienced foods in multiply defamiliarized ways. This is from the jumbo mushroom episode. (They're huge!) Here, the smoked mushrooms rest on red snapper-wrapped stuffing, which is in turn wrapped in fat netting and then fried (picture) and roasted.
June 15, 2025 at 12:41 PM
One wonder of the original Iron Chef was how I experienced foods in multiply defamiliarized ways. This is from the jumbo mushroom episode. (They're huge!) Here, the smoked mushrooms rest on red snapper-wrapped stuffing, which is in turn wrapped in fat netting and then fried (picture) and roasted.
Reposted by James Howard
It's hard to understate how important Representative & former Speaker Hortman was to Minnesota politics - she was probably the most prominent woman politician & integral to the recent budget deal. She was also incredibly kind and a real person - Kiernan sold her girl scout cookies. It's horrifying.
June 14, 2025 at 3:10 PM
It's hard to understate how important Representative & former Speaker Hortman was to Minnesota politics - she was probably the most prominent woman politician & integral to the recent budget deal. She was also incredibly kind and a real person - Kiernan sold her girl scout cookies. It's horrifying.
"What is defamiliarization, Iron Chef?"
June 1, 2025 at 8:53 PM
"What is defamiliarization, Iron Chef?"
Reposted by James Howard
Making my way through LORD OF THE RINGS for the first time and I will admit to being charmed by how Tolkien goes out of his way to explain why the hobbits have tobacco but says nothing about why there's fireworks but no cannons.
April 29, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Making my way through LORD OF THE RINGS for the first time and I will admit to being charmed by how Tolkien goes out of his way to explain why the hobbits have tobacco but says nothing about why there's fireworks but no cannons.
Reposted by James Howard
an offering of wisdom from Prop Cycle (Namco, 1996)
May 22, 2025 at 8:41 PM
an offering of wisdom from Prop Cycle (Namco, 1996)
If I commented on baseball, a lot more of each game would be moments like this: talking about the perception of time, trying to find the upswing.
Dodgers broadcast was discussing the science behind the perception of time between children and adults. After hearing the explanation, the color commentator pauses and asks, "Am I gonna feel any better?"
Andy Pages then smashes a dinger into space, thus ending the existential crisis on commentary.
Andy Pages then smashes a dinger into space, thus ending the existential crisis on commentary.
May 18, 2025 at 1:15 PM
If I commented on baseball, a lot more of each game would be moments like this: talking about the perception of time, trying to find the upswing.
Reposted by James Howard
Our nursery songs listed by where we heard them:
1. Spouse's family song.
2. Sharon, Lois, and Bram.
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey.
4. Henry VIII deep dive.
5. What Captain Picard sings to calm the kids during a shipwide accident.
6. Spouse's family song.
7. Alma mater.
8. Canterbury Tales.
1. Spouse's family song.
2. Sharon, Lois, and Bram.
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey.
4. Henry VIII deep dive.
5. What Captain Picard sings to calm the kids during a shipwide accident.
6. Spouse's family song.
7. Alma mater.
8. Canterbury Tales.
May 7, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Our nursery songs listed by where we heard them:
1. Spouse's family song.
2. Sharon, Lois, and Bram.
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey.
4. Henry VIII deep dive.
5. What Captain Picard sings to calm the kids during a shipwide accident.
6. Spouse's family song.
7. Alma mater.
8. Canterbury Tales.
1. Spouse's family song.
2. Sharon, Lois, and Bram.
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey.
4. Henry VIII deep dive.
5. What Captain Picard sings to calm the kids during a shipwide accident.
6. Spouse's family song.
7. Alma mater.
8. Canterbury Tales.