@RPBook@historians.social cover
@RPBook@historians.social avatar

RPBook

@RPBook@historians.social

#UK based #MilitaryHistory #author. #TTRPG and #BoardGame player. Lapsed #wargamer.

My real name is Robin, but my pen name is Russell. I answer to both names.

#fedi22 #histodons

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. For a complete list of posts, browse on the original instance.

RPBook , to random
@RPBook@historians.social avatar

If you're eligible to vote in the , please ensure you're registered to , and use it. Today is your last chance.

I know it can feel like voting doesn't make a difference, but governments of all stripes don't care about people who don't vote.

For example:

Young people don't tend to vote. So student grants were dropped in favour of loans, and now students pay tuition fees.

Old people do tend to vote, so they got triple-locked pensions.
https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

RPBook , to ttrpg group
@RPBook@historians.social avatar

The for the fourth Gamers film is now 60% funded, with two weeks to go.

I'd really like to see this reach its goal. It looks like it should be a great addition to the series.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1464770493/gamers-4-dorkness-falls/description

@ttrpg @kickstarterttrpg

RPBook , to histodons group
@RPBook@historians.social avatar

This is an interesting article about homelessness in the 19th century, and how some of the legislation passed then in still in use now.

https://jocelynrobson.com/elizabeth-heyrick-and-19th-century-homelessness/

@histodons

RPBook , to histodons group
@RPBook@historians.social avatar

Berthe Mayer was born in 1913. During the she was a radio operator for , and provided Allied forces with intelligence about Vichy forces on .

In November 1943 she received the MBE in recognition of her work.
https://russellphillips.uk/berthe-mayer-mbe/


@worldwarshistory @militaryhistory @histodons

RPBook , to histodons group
@RPBook@historians.social avatar

Reinhard #Heydrich, one of the architects of the #holocaust, died #OnThisDay in 1942, from wounds inflicted by Czech SOE agents during an ambush some days earlier.

Nazi retailiation was brutal, notably including the complete destruction of #Lidice - Hitler wanted the memory of the village to die. But miners in #StokeOnTrent and #NorthStaffordshire had other ideas.
https://russellphillips.uk/books/heydrich-lidice/

#SecondWorldWar #histodons
@histodons @worldwarshistory

RPBook , to histodons group
@RPBook@historians.social avatar

Reinhard #Heydrich, one of the architects of the #holocaust, died #OnThisDay in 1942, from wounds inflicted by Czech SOE agents during an ambush some days earlier.

Nazi retailiation was brutal, notably including the complete destruction of #Lidice - Hitler wanted the memory of the village to die. But miners in #StokeOnTrent and #NorthStaffordshire had other ideas.
https://russellphillips.uk/books/heydrich-lidice/

#SecondWorldWar #histodons
@histodons @worldwarshistory

RPBook , to ttrpg group
@RPBook@historians.social avatar

Last weekend the family watched The Gamers. We also have Dorkness Rising and Hands of Fate.

I discovered yesterday that there's a #Kickstarter to fund a fourth film, Dorkness Falls. I've backed it, and I'd encourage all of you to do so.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1464770493/gamers-4-dorkness-falls

#TTRPG @ttrpg

RPBook , to ttrpg group
@RPBook@historians.social avatar

Starscape looks like a really interesting #TTRPG about found family.

It will include pre-gens for the #Firefly crew. If they get enough followers before it launches in June they'll add pre-gens for the #StarTrek TNG and #Farscape crews.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/goldenlassogames/starscape

#IndieTTRPG #NotDnD

@ttrpg @indiettrpg @notdnd @kickstarterttrpg

RPBook , to ttrpg group
@RPBook@historians.social avatar

I've signed up for notifications about this #TTRPG #Kickstarter about found families on starships.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/goldenlassogames/starscape

@ttrpg
@indiettrpg
@notdnd
@kickstarterttrpg

RPBook , to histodons group
@RPBook@historians.social avatar

Despite a late train, I had a good day researching at the #NationalArchives

#histodons
@histodons

Photo of a historical document with a brown cardboard cover. Title is "Operation Colossus Part 1". There is a handwritten list underneath: 1. Interrogation of J R Gilgallan (survivor) operation instruction No. 1 2. Report covering period at Malta 3. Papers referred to in War Diary Colossus, vol 107 4. Miscellaneous papers 5. Press cuttings 6. Accounts of escape by P.O.W. There are several labels: "Defence 2", "Closed until 1972", "E 432", and "153". "Return to R.O." has been stamped on it.
ALT
  • Reply
  • Expand (2)
  • Collapse (2)
    • RPBook OP ,
    @RPBook@historians.social avatar

    @RHW @histodons yes, but typewritten documents are much easier to read 🙂

    RPBook , to bookstodon group
    @RPBook@historians.social avatar

    I've started reading Devon's Island by @clacksee

    Only read two chapters, but it's off to a good start. I had a tear in my eye at the end of chapter one and was seriously pissed off at Devon's mum by the end of chapter two.

    #bookstodon @bookstodon

    RPBook , to histodons group
    @RPBook@historians.social avatar

    Today I learned that there was a "wheelbarrow pedestrian" craze in the late 1880s, when lots of people went on very long distance walks, pushing wheelbarrows.

    The Victorians were an odd bunch.
    https://www.historyextra.com/membership/tiger-tamer-5-podcast-bob-nicholson/
    #HistoryExtraPodcast #histodons @histodons

    RPBook , to ttrpg group
    @RPBook@historians.social avatar

    Where possible, I like to read #TTRPG material on my Kindle and Kobo ereaders.

    Not many publishers provide #ePub files, though, and reading PDFs on them is a torturous experience.

    Maybe this explainer will help more publishers to include ePubs.
    https://root-devil.com/posts/epubs/

    @ttrpg

    RPBook OP ,
    @RPBook@historians.social avatar

    @SJohnRoss @ttrpg 😍 I was really pleased when you created an ePub version of Risus.

    RPBook OP ,
    @RPBook@historians.social avatar

    @SJohnRoss @ttrpg yes, it's much easier if you plan to do it from the start.

    RPBook , to bookstodon group
    @RPBook@historians.social avatar

    I've just discovered that #TransRightsReadathon is a thing, and it's happening on 31st March.
    https://transrightsreadathon.carrd.co/

    So, a few recommendations of books/series that I've read recently with #LGBTQ characters and/or authors:

    The #VigilauntieJustice series and #StarshipTeapot series by @clacksee: https://whitehartfiction.co.uk/

    The Jinx Ballou Bounty Hunter Series by Dharma Kelleher: https://dharmakelleher.com/

    Welcome to St Hell by Lewis Hancox: https://search.worldcat.org/title/1308435812

    #bookstodon @bookstodon

    clacksee , to bookstodon group
    @clacksee@wandering.shop avatar

    Happy book birthday to meeeeeeeee!

    Are you ready to meet the queens?

    Bluebird Sofa and Shady Diana are making their debut today in All Tea, No Shade, and a Bit of Murder (Vigilauntie Justice #2) by Elliott Hay.

    Murder’s never been such a drag.

    https://whitehartfiction.co.uk/b/UxIna

    @bookstodon @lgbtqbookstodon #books #bookstodon #bookworm #mystery #crimefiction #VigilAuntieJustice #AllTeaNoShadeAndABitOfMurder #AllTeaNoShade #ElliottHay #DragStoryTime #DragIsNotACrime

    RPBook ,
    @RPBook@historians.social avatar

    @DelilahTech @clacksee @bookstodon @lgbtqbookstodon I can recommend it, for what that's worth.

    I really enjoyed the first book and the prequel. The characters are wonderful, and I've been looking forward to spending more time with them.

    RPBook , to ttrpg group
    @RPBook@historians.social avatar

    I've never played Paranoia, but I've heard great things about it. So I've just bought this Humble Bundle.
    https://www.humblebundle.com/books/paranoia-25th-anniversary-rpg-mega-bundle-mongoose-publishing-books

    @ttrpg

    RPBook OP ,
    @RPBook@historians.social avatar

    @SJohnRoss @ttrpg useful to know, thank you. Which books would you recommend?

    RPBook OP ,
    @RPBook@historians.social avatar

    @SJohnRoss @ttrpg gotcha. I'm guessing the first and second editions are out of print?

    RPBook OP ,
    @RPBook@historians.social avatar

    @SJohnRoss @ttrpg I'll have to look out for a digital version of the 2nd edition.

    Thanks again 🙂

    popey , to random
    @popey@ubuntu.social avatar

    Poor planning on my part means my car battery wasn’t completely full this morning, and I need a decent charge in it. So popped to the local Instavolt, conveniently located for a quick McCafe breakfast ☕️🥔

    The display of a charger showing 71% state of charge.

    RPBook ,
    @RPBook@historians.social avatar

    @popey does the battery graphic not change to show the level of charge?

    I'd expected the blue fill to be a representation of charge level, but it appears to be the same height on both. That seems really odd to me.

    kitoconnell , to palestine group
    @kitoconnell@kolektiva.social avatar

    I've seen some people suggest that it's out of touch or naive for Americans to call for a and shows we aren't listening to people in the Middle East. But these calls for ceasefire resolutions are coming directly from the real, thriving Palestinian community of , even in the face of violence.

    https://www.texasobserver.org/palestinian-austin-stabbing-hate-crime-ceasefire/ via @TexasObserver

    I wonder if people said the same thing about the calls to boycott apartheid South Africa? I definitely see it with modern , even though that movement stems directly from a Palestinian call-to-action.

    @palestine

    RPBook ,
    @RPBook@historians.social avatar

    @BruceMirken @kitoconnell @TexasObserver @palestine yep, I remember people in the UK saying that we shouldn't boycott South Africa because it would harm Black South Africans.

    clacksee , to bookstodon group
    @clacksee@wandering.shop avatar

    Hello. Did you know there's a fourth Starship Teapot book in the works? Because there is…

    Henry, the unswearing robot, has a lot to say.

    #StarshipTeapot #SiClarke #books #scifi @lgbtqbookstodon @bookstodon

    RPBook ,
    @RPBook@historians.social avatar

    @clacksee @lgbtqbookstodon @bookstodon yay, more Lem and Spock 🙂 I do like Henry, but I relate so much to Lem, and I suspect if my dog could talk she'd sound just like Spock.

    SymbolicCity , (edited ) to random
    @SymbolicCity@dice.camp avatar

    players and GMs: How often have you used an epub version of a game or module? (Boost for sample size, please.)

    RPBook ,
    @RPBook@historians.social avatar

    @SymbolicCity I'm invested enough in that I've tried to convert every TTRPG PDF I've played or read to ePub.

    The results have varied from unreadable mess to good enough. I would love to see more RPG material released with an ePub alongside the PDF. If it makes it easier, a text-only ePub without graphics would be enough, and massively better than no ePub.

    RPBook ,
    @RPBook@historians.social avatar

    @SJohnRoss @SymbolicCity that's great to hear. I was so happy when Risus got an official ePub.

    RPBook ,
    @RPBook@historians.social avatar

    @SJohnRoss @SymbolicCity these things are always simpler when planned for from the start.

    RPBook ,
    @RPBook@historians.social avatar

    @SymbolicCity @DuskwoodZero I use k2pdfopt or Krop to turn 2-column PDFs into a single column.

    Then I use pdftops to turn the single column PDF into a PS file, then ps2pdf to turn it back into a PDF.

    All the above is to resolve the jumbled structure issue that @SymbolicCity identified.

    Finally, I use calibre's ebook-convert to turn the PDF into an epub. I might have to try pandoc and see if that's better. If it can use PS files as an input it will at least remove one step from the process.

    RPBook ,
    @RPBook@historians.social avatar

    @SymbolicCity @DuskwoodZero a very quick look at the calibre sources suggests that it's using custom code rather than an external app.
    https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibre/tree/master/src/calibre/ebooks/conversion

    RPBook , to histodons group
    @RPBook@historians.social avatar

    I've been thinking about the legacy we will leave for future historians.

    --

    I recently heard a snippet of a news story on Radio 4, and I realised that our current politicians are handicapping future historians.

    The story was about Nicola Sturgeon's WhatsApp Covid-19 messages being unavailable to an inquiry because they'd been deleted. Her deputy had his WhatsApp set to auto-delete messages, so his messages weren't available either.

    1/5

    @histodons

    RPBook , to random
    @RPBook@historians.social avatar

    Any or wizards here?

    I have a WordPress site that is mostly working, but the database appears to have lost all autoincrement definitions and indexes.

    Is there an script somewhere that I can use to add the autoincrement definitions and indexes? And possibly fix other structural issues?

  • All
  • Subscribed
  • Moderated
  • Favorites
  • •
  • random
  • test
  • worldmews
  • mews
  • All magazines
    •