David H. Montgomery
@dhmontgomery.com
Words, data, code. Senior data journalist with @today.yougov.com. Host of the French history podcast The Siècle (@thesiecle.com).
Even the successful streaming services make less than half per hour watched than did old linear TV.
U.S. households complained about how much money the old cable bundles cost. They got what they wanted and are on average paying a lot less. Now we'll see if that's what people REALLY wanted.
U.S. households complained about how much money the old cable bundles cost. They got what they wanted and are on average paying a lot less. Now we'll see if that's what people REALLY wanted.
January 10, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Even the successful streaming services make less than half per hour watched than did old linear TV.
U.S. households complained about how much money the old cable bundles cost. They got what they wanted and are on average paying a lot less. Now we'll see if that's what people REALLY wanted.
U.S. households complained about how much money the old cable bundles cost. They got what they wanted and are on average paying a lot less. Now we'll see if that's what people REALLY wanted.
... before I realized this was yet another piece of spam wanting me to post lifestyle content on "my blog" — that is, the website that hosts my transcripts for @thesiecle.com, my 19th Century French history podcast.
January 9, 2026 at 3:36 AM
... before I realized this was yet another piece of spam wanting me to post lifestyle content on "my blog" — that is, the website that hosts my transcripts for @thesiecle.com, my 19th Century French history podcast.
The coincidence of using "Jack Norton" as the email address at first led me to think this was an unusual request from @jackhistorynorton.bsky.social...
January 9, 2026 at 3:36 AM
The coincidence of using "Jack Norton" as the email address at first led me to think this was an unusual request from @jackhistorynorton.bsky.social...
“Alas,” he said, “this will kill that…. The book will kill the building.” (Victor Hugo, Notre-Dame de Paris)
![The archdeacon silently contemplated the gigantic building for a while, then sighed as he stretched out his right hand towards the printed book lying open on his table and his left hand towards Notre-Dame, and looked sadly from the book to the church.
"Alas! he said, 'this will kill that.'
Coictier, who had eagerly come closer to the book, could not help exclaiming it: 'Well! but what is so awesome about this: GLOSSA IN EPISTOLAS D. PAULI. Norimbergae.
Antonius Koburger, 1474 [Gloss on St Paul's Epistles, Nur-emberg]. That's not new. It's a book of Peter Lombard, the Master of the Sentences. Is it because it's printed?' That's right, Claude answered, apparently absorbed in some profound reflection, standing with his index finger bent against the folio volume from the celebrated presses of Nuremberg. Then he added these mysterious words: 'Alas! alas! little things overcome great ones; a tooth triumphs over a whole body. The Nile rat kills the crocodile, the swordfish kills the whale, the book will kill the building.' Curfew rang in the cloister just as Doctor Jacques was repeating to his companion in a very low voice his eternal refrain: 'He's mad. To which his companion this time replied: "Yes, I think so.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:3pbwguskoq5efzi67w3npq2z/bafkreied3os2jbzzrklul772ef5zhucsex3ctzorzvlpqu2oijss4ojxra@jpeg)
January 6, 2026 at 3:26 AM
“Alas,” he said, “this will kill that…. The book will kill the building.” (Victor Hugo, Notre-Dame de Paris)
17/ This is what "Stonetop" asks of its players. If this doesn't sound like the kind of #ttrpg you want, it's probably not for you. If it does...: stonetop.backerkit.com/hosted_preor...
January 3, 2026 at 6:14 AM
17/ This is what "Stonetop" asks of its players. If this doesn't sound like the kind of #ttrpg you want, it's probably not for you. If it does...: stonetop.backerkit.com/hosted_preor...
9/ "Magic is not common, nor easy, nor safe" is a key bit here! In many RPGs, magic is mechanistic. If you "cast a spell" then you mark off a use of an ability and have a defined effect on the world, perhaps randomized by dice.
Magic in "Stonetop" is built around story. It has consequences.
Magic in "Stonetop" is built around story. It has consequences.
January 3, 2026 at 5:56 AM
9/ "Magic is not common, nor easy, nor safe" is a key bit here! In many RPGs, magic is mechanistic. If you "cast a spell" then you mark off a use of an ability and have a defined effect on the world, perhaps randomized by dice.
Magic in "Stonetop" is built around story. It has consequences.
Magic in "Stonetop" is built around story. It has consequences.
8/ If you want the concept of "Stonetop" in a nutshell, this is it. I love how concisely this captures the feel of the game, a so-called "hearth fantasy," with details that suggest deeper lore without bogging down:
January 3, 2026 at 5:52 AM
8/ If you want the concept of "Stonetop" in a nutshell, this is it. I love how concisely this captures the feel of the game, a so-called "hearth fantasy," with details that suggest deeper lore without bogging down:
6/ Moreover, Strandberg's writing for "Stonetop" is elegant & evocative. The game follows the principle of "anticanon" — it exists in a specific fictional world, but canonical details are often left up to each group.
Take this writeup for a key setting, which has far more questions than answers:
Take this writeup for a key setting, which has far more questions than answers:
January 3, 2026 at 5:37 AM
6/ Moreover, Strandberg's writing for "Stonetop" is elegant & evocative. The game follows the principle of "anticanon" — it exists in a specific fictional world, but canonical details are often left up to each group.
Take this writeup for a key setting, which has far more questions than answers:
Take this writeup for a key setting, which has far more questions than answers:
5/ For example, contrast the mechanical rules of the D&D Rogue's Sneak Attack with Ambush from The Fox in "Stonetop." The concise Stonetop move lets you do such hazy, un-mechanical things as "Stop them from making noise/raising an alarm"; D&D lays out a detailed list of qualifications & exceptions.
January 3, 2026 at 5:37 AM
5/ For example, contrast the mechanical rules of the D&D Rogue's Sneak Attack with Ambush from The Fox in "Stonetop." The concise Stonetop move lets you do such hazy, un-mechanical things as "Stop them from making noise/raising an alarm"; D&D lays out a detailed list of qualifications & exceptions.
3/ D&D often features what I affectionately call "murderhoboes": PCs as wandering landless killers.
In "Stonetop," you all live in the village of Stonetop. You'll protect it from threats as fantastic as demons and monsters, or as mundane as a bad harvest. The village has its own character sheet.
In "Stonetop," you all live in the village of Stonetop. You'll protect it from threats as fantastic as demons and monsters, or as mundane as a bad harvest. The village has its own character sheet.
January 3, 2026 at 5:37 AM
3/ D&D often features what I affectionately call "murderhoboes": PCs as wandering landless killers.
In "Stonetop," you all live in the village of Stonetop. You'll protect it from threats as fantastic as demons and monsters, or as mundane as a bad harvest. The village has its own character sheet.
In "Stonetop," you all live in the village of Stonetop. You'll protect it from threats as fantastic as demons and monsters, or as mundane as a bad harvest. The village has its own character sheet.
The #ttrpg that's been at the top of my wish list for years is about to finally release, so I wanted to give a brief plug for "Stonetop" so other people who find it as exciting as I do can get in on what might be a limited print run. 1/
January 3, 2026 at 5:37 AM
The #ttrpg that's been at the top of my wish list for years is about to finally release, so I wanted to give a brief plug for "Stonetop" so other people who find it as exciting as I do can get in on what might be a limited print run. 1/
In some parts of the internet one can get the feeling that most people are doing audiobooks these days. (I’ve been in plenty of Reddit threads where half or more of the posters don’t know how to spell the characters’ names.) But those who PREFER audiobooks are niche (12% of the pop, 20% of readers)
January 1, 2026 at 3:05 PM
In some parts of the internet one can get the feeling that most people are doing audiobooks these days. (I’ve been in plenty of Reddit threads where half or more of the posters don’t know how to spell the characters’ names.) But those who PREFER audiobooks are niche (12% of the pop, 20% of readers)
I didn't ask about time in a granular fashion, like I did for number of books read, but I did ask a general frequency question:
December 31, 2025 at 8:41 PM
I didn't ask about time in a granular fashion, like I did for number of books read, but I did ask a general frequency question:
I didn’t include it in the write up, but we did ask a more general question about frequency of reading books:
December 31, 2025 at 6:19 PM
I didn’t include it in the write up, but we did ask a more general question about frequency of reading books:
I didn't cut it that finely, but just contrasting college vs. non-college, there's some pretty big differences in genres read:
December 31, 2025 at 5:47 PM
I didn't cut it that finely, but just contrasting college vs. non-college, there's some pretty big differences in genres read:
December 31, 2025 at 4:47 PM
December 31, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Though I’ll point out some podcasts do feature long and in-depth writing!
December 31, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Though I’ll point out some podcasts do feature long and in-depth writing!
6/ There's tons more interesting information in the full survey — more than I had space to write up! For example, here are the genres Americans say they read, and which ones men and women say they read!
December 31, 2025 at 3:00 PM
6/ There's tons more interesting information in the full survey — more than I had space to write up! For example, here are the genres Americans say they read, and which ones men and women say they read!
5/ So let's talk about that minority of heavy readers. We know how many books Americans said they read in 2025 — which lets us calculate a distribution. And it turns out we've got some substantial Reading Inequality. (Three cheers for the Power Law!)
December 31, 2025 at 3:00 PM
5/ So let's talk about that minority of heavy readers. We know how many books Americans said they read in 2025 — which lets us calculate a distribution. And it turns out we've got some substantial Reading Inequality. (Three cheers for the Power Law!)
4/ The median American read 2 books in 2025. The *average* was quite a bit higher — but that's driven by the minority of heavy readers pulling up the mean:
December 31, 2025 at 3:00 PM
4/ The median American read 2 books in 2025. The *average* was quite a bit higher — but that's driven by the minority of heavy readers pulling up the mean:
2/ Overall, 40% of Americans say they didn't read any books in 2025. Most of the rest read just a handful. Then there's a small minority of really heavy readers (more on them shortly!):
December 31, 2025 at 3:00 PM
2/ Overall, 40% of Americans say they didn't read any books in 2025. Most of the rest read just a handful. Then there's a small minority of really heavy readers (more on them shortly!):