Robin D. Laws
@robindlaws.bsky.social
Writer, game designer, podcaster. Winner of the Diana Jones Award, 8 Gold and 5 Silver ENnies. Translated into 11 languages.
In Toronto when we get a bad storm we hunker down and remember an even worse one
From the vaults: that time Toronto called in military assistance to help clean up a massive amount of snow. People snickered about it (mostly to make fun of the city and Mel Lastman), but...honestly? It wasn't a ridiculous move. #TOHistory
jamiebradburnwriting.wordpress.com/2020/01/18/w...
jamiebradburnwriting.wordpress.com/2020/01/18/w...
When Mel Freezes Over
As I no longer have a copy of this story as it originally appeared on The Grid’s website in early February 2013, this post is based on the draft I submitted for publication. Toronto Sun, Janu…
jamiebradburnwriting.wordpress.com
January 16, 2026 at 12:10 AM
In Toronto when we get a bad storm we hunker down and remember an even worse one
Why etymology is hard
Heard a lad earlier talking about ‘Belgian whistles’
“A basic website costs 10k or 25k upwards if you want all the Belgian whistles”
BELGIAN WHISTLES
“A basic website costs 10k or 25k upwards if you want all the Belgian whistles”
BELGIAN WHISTLES
January 15, 2026 at 6:58 PM
Why etymology is hard
Iron Man will return…
…as the TTC's new Line 2 subway cars
…as the TTC's new Line 2 subway cars
January 15, 2026 at 4:27 PM
Iron Man will return…
…as the TTC's new Line 2 subway cars
…as the TTC's new Line 2 subway cars
And he’s tired of art historians pointing that out to him
‘Bigger and lower’: bull in Dutch painting once had much larger testicles
Experts at the Mauritshuis in The Hague believe Paulus Potter toned down The Bull to respect 17th-century sensibilities
www.theguardian.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:40 PM
And he’s tired of art historians pointing that out to him
You adored the Muppet Babies
You delighted in Young Sheldon
Now it’s time for
You delighted in Young Sheldon
Now it’s time for
The Universe’s Mysterious Little Red Dots Are Young Black Holes
Learn how fleeting red points seen in the early universe mark a brief growth phase of young black holes hidden inside dense gas.
www.discovermagazine.com
January 15, 2026 at 12:27 AM
You adored the Muppet Babies
You delighted in Young Sheldon
Now it’s time for
You delighted in Young Sheldon
Now it’s time for
Reposted by Robin D. Laws
Reposted by Robin D. Laws
Meanwhile in Animal Crossing, everything does remain fine on Summerisle.
January 14, 2026 at 10:33 PM
Meanwhile in Animal Crossing, everything does remain fine on Summerisle.
Me when the submission’s header structure is incorrect
January 14, 2026 at 7:19 PM
Me when the submission’s header structure is incorrect
Archaeologists find iron age battle trumpet, reluctantly agree that it has to go to the party's bard
Rare Iron Age battle horn discovered on excavation site for UK homes
An extraordinary collection of Iron Age objects has been unearthed in West Norfolk. The hoard of metal objects was found during a routine archaeological excavation by Pre-Construct Archaeology as part...
www.euronews.com
January 14, 2026 at 2:27 PM
Archaeologists find iron age battle trumpet, reluctantly agree that it has to go to the party's bard
Reposted by Robin D. Laws
Reposted by Robin D. Laws
January 13, 2026 at 6:04 PM
Ken and Robin Consume Media: No Other Choice, Hamnet, Jay Kelly
Ken and Robin Consume Media: No Other Choice, Hamnet, Jay Kelly « Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff
www.kenandrobintalkaboutstuff.com
January 13, 2026 at 3:21 PM
Ken and Robin Consume Media: No Other Choice, Hamnet, Jay Kelly
Reposted by Robin D. Laws
Wildlife tracking tips. A wintry comic from last year.
January 12, 2026 at 3:12 PM
Wildlife tracking tips. A wintry comic from last year.
Designing shorter adventures for Ballad Hunters, the upcoming GUMSHOE Labs game of folk songs come dangerously to life:
pelgranepress.com/2025/12/30/b...
pelgranepress.com/2025/12/30/b...
Ballad Hunters Design Diary: Designing for Shorter Adventures
by Tristan Zimmerman Pelgrane’s forthcoming RPG Ballad Hunters — described in this Page XX article — does something new for Pelgrane Press’ GUMSHOE
pelgranepress.com
January 12, 2026 at 3:16 PM
Designing shorter adventures for Ballad Hunters, the upcoming GUMSHOE Labs game of folk songs come dangerously to life:
pelgranepress.com/2025/12/30/b...
pelgranepress.com/2025/12/30/b...
I stubbed my toe very badly in September. Months later, the nail is becoming more detached every day, a trait the two of us share.
January 12, 2026 at 2:20 PM
I stubbed my toe very badly in September. Months later, the nail is becoming more detached every day, a trait the two of us share.
Without looking it up I’m still confident that Hamnet is the first film to include in its credits both a herbalist and a dream coach
January 12, 2026 at 12:44 AM
Without looking it up I’m still confident that Hamnet is the first film to include in its credits both a herbalist and a dream coach
Erich von Däniken, who turned pseudoarchaeology into a mass culture phenomenon, dies at 90.
www.ctvnews.ca/entertainmen...
www.ctvnews.ca/entertainmen...
Erich von Däniken, Swiss writer who spawned alien archaeology, dies at 90
Erich von Däniken, the Swiss author whose bestselling books about the extraterrestrial origins of ancient civilizations brought him fame among paranormal enthusiasts and scorn from the scientific comm...
www.ctvnews.ca
January 11, 2026 at 4:03 PM
Erich von Däniken, who turned pseudoarchaeology into a mass culture phenomenon, dies at 90.
www.ctvnews.ca/entertainmen...
www.ctvnews.ca/entertainmen...
Reposted by Robin D. Laws
Coptic spell to Acquire a Beautiful Voice, 6th–7th century CE, Egypt, ink on papyrus, 37.3 x 25.4 cm (Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven)
archives.yale.edu/repositories...
archives.yale.edu/repositories...
January 10, 2026 at 10:20 PM
Coptic spell to Acquire a Beautiful Voice, 6th–7th century CE, Egypt, ink on papyrus, 37.3 x 25.4 cm (Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven)
archives.yale.edu/repositories...
archives.yale.edu/repositories...
Reposted by Robin D. Laws
January 10, 2026 at 6:02 PM
Reposted by Robin D. Laws
There are still plenty of interesting things to do and see in Tokyo's Akihabara. One “attraction” that contradicts Akiba’s bouncy anime image is a bank of vending machines with a lineup of products locals describe as “cursed.”
I Bought Something from Akihabara's "Cursed" Vending Machines - Unseen Japan
There's still a lot of fun stuff to see and do in Akihabara. Then there are the vending machines selling oden, bugs, and even an old phone.
buff.ly
January 10, 2026 at 6:21 PM
There are still plenty of interesting things to do and see in Tokyo's Akihabara. One “attraction” that contradicts Akiba’s bouncy anime image is a bank of vending machines with a lineup of products locals describe as “cursed.”
Reposted by Robin D. Laws
New Swords of the Serpentine article about building foes from scratch — in this case, giant killer sharks!
Lordy, I’m predictable.
pelgranepress.com/2025/12/22/b...
Lordy, I’m predictable.
pelgranepress.com/2025/12/22/b...
Building Foes from Scratch in Swords of the Serpentine
By Kevin Kulp Swords of the Serpentine adversaries are designed to be easily tweaked and modified. But what if you want a foe that’s quite different from
pelgranepress.com
January 9, 2026 at 1:42 PM
New Swords of the Serpentine article about building foes from scratch — in this case, giant killer sharks!
Lordy, I’m predictable.
pelgranepress.com/2025/12/22/b...
Lordy, I’m predictable.
pelgranepress.com/2025/12/22/b...
In an eerie recreation of a lost live episode, Ken and Robin talk Moses space opera, the ideal GM screen, nice things to put in bread, and whether ducks are iconic.
Episode 681: Space Oprah « Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff
www.kenandrobintalkaboutstuff.com
January 9, 2026 at 2:17 PM
In an eerie recreation of a lost live episode, Ken and Robin talk Moses space opera, the ideal GM screen, nice things to put in bread, and whether ducks are iconic.
Reposted by Robin D. Laws
A watch in the form of a beetle – made in Switzerland, c.1850 (The Met) 🗃️
January 9, 2026 at 12:04 AM
A watch in the form of a beetle – made in Switzerland, c.1850 (The Met) 🗃️
In a hole in the ground… they found a body.
As a halfling amateur sleuth — or perhaps as a dwarf, boggart or pooka — you investigate the village crimes the constable is too sleepy to solve.
The playtest for Merryshire Detective Club is now open.
pelgranepress.com/2026/01/07/c...
As a halfling amateur sleuth — or perhaps as a dwarf, boggart or pooka — you investigate the village crimes the constable is too sleepy to solve.
The playtest for Merryshire Detective Club is now open.
pelgranepress.com/2026/01/07/c...
January 8, 2026 at 5:02 PM
In a hole in the ground… they found a body.
As a halfling amateur sleuth — or perhaps as a dwarf, boggart or pooka — you investigate the village crimes the constable is too sleepy to solve.
The playtest for Merryshire Detective Club is now open.
pelgranepress.com/2026/01/07/c...
As a halfling amateur sleuth — or perhaps as a dwarf, boggart or pooka — you investigate the village crimes the constable is too sleepy to solve.
The playtest for Merryshire Detective Club is now open.
pelgranepress.com/2026/01/07/c...
Reposted by Robin D. Laws
