What do Felicia Day, Brandon Marshall, and Jordan Weisman Have in Common?

Jordan Weisman and his crew at Harebrained Schemes are at it again. Most recently heard from when they successfully funded and delivered Shadowrun Returns for PCs and iPads everywhere, Jordan is now working to fund a digitally assisted miniatures game titled Golem Arcana. Many miniatures games strive for accessibility with simplified rules, but Harebrained Schemes are using the power of processing. Here’s how. The game ships with a wand that when pressed against the base of a miniature, the terrain on the map, or most anything, will explain its function and the rules pertaining to it. For example, to conduct an attack, you need only tap the base of the attacker, tap the base of the defender and the odds will pop up on your iPad. Or tap the map, and your Pad will display the terrain’s properties. Cool stuff. Cool enough for me to back it. Cool enough for you to check it out.

Pink is the rage in October, and rightly so. Breast cancer awareness is important. Breast cancer, however, isn’t the only predator in town. This week is also Mental Illness Awareness Week. Brandon Marshall, the Bear’s wide receiver who was diagnosed in 2011 with a borderline personality disorder, announced Tuesday that he would wear green shoes in tonight’s game to call attention to the cause. The NFL announced Wednesday that he wouldn’t be allowed on the field if he did. I get it, breast cancer is important, schizophrenia isn’t. Really?

The Guild’s sixth and final season released on DVD this week. The brainchild of actress Felicia Day, The Guild is an understated, yet hugely funny, comedy about six friends who form a guild on an MMORG (if you don’t know the acronym, you might want to read another blog). She’s a gifted comedian, as are the other actors in the show. Yet what impresses me most is her drive to buck the establishment, and create something that is her own.

The Guild began in 2007, way before web series became the flavor of the week. From filming in her garage, to a show with a production crew of over 50, Ms. Day lead the series through the ups and downs of web broadcasting and helped to create something truly special. Good on you, Felicia.

In fact, good on Jordan, Brandon, and Felicia. Each has the guts to move counter-culture, swim against the current, and inspire people, and inspire me, and I need that.

See you tomorrow.