I really liked One Battle after Another but The Smashing Machine, not so much.

I just re-watched Boogie Nights for the first time in many many many years and cannot believe what an absolute freaking masterpiece this film is. To me, this is Goodfellas level of excellence.

100% the most life affirming book I’ve ever read.

I loved Kinds of Kindness. Could have watched a dozen more shorts with the same actors.

I’m not enjoying the 2nd part of Dune.

Why hasn’t anyone ever made a truly excellent movie about Studio 54?

Rewatched The Favourite. Loved it again as much as the first time. All three actresses are excellent in it but Olivia Coleman is 🔥 Also watched Kinds of Kindness this week and really enjoyed it. (More than Bugonia- which might need a 2nd viewing) Love Yorgos.

Sadly, House of the Devil did not hold up to a 2nd viewing.

Played this in the 70s, bought it off EBay a few years ago f/ my birthday. It makes me laugh when the ball rolls back down. What are your thoughts on dexterity games? Do you have any that you enjoy playing solo? Are vintage dexterity more or less fun than modern ones?

Quote with five jobs you’ve had: Studio Artist Blogger Yoga instructor Percussionist Technical Writer

This is wonderful. A recommended watch. PS: I definitely remember a version of those pop up spring toys that Rene invented.

Introduce yourself with (just) 5 concerts you’ve seen, no jam bands Metallica 5x (once w / Cliff) Megadeth Anthrax Slayer Testament I saw a LOT of concerts in the mid-late 80s. So much thrash. It was a great time for music.

Ham, beans, and potatoes. Been eating this since I was a kid.

LET’S GO BUFFALO!!!

I watched “What’s Up Doc?” for the first time in decades. Loved it. Held up really well. #filmsky

I watched & rewatched more movies in 2025 than I have in decades. Film o’ the year: Dead Man. Other favs: Stranger than Paradise, Beau is Afraid, Licorice Pizza, Garden State, Vast of Night, Frankenstein, Margot at the Wedding, Klute, Wanda, Slacker, Mallrats, Mulholland Dr, The Bikeriders #filmsky

Yay for the holidays being over.

My birthday is today. It’s always been weird to try & celebrate a BD while the majority of the world is celebrating the coming of the New Year. A BD on the last day of the year always seems to make me reflect in ways where I place too much emphasis on what I did or did not accomplish this year.

My Dec. 2021 after becoming a #sologamer during the Pandemic. I’ve since purged at least half of these. Love: Palm Island, Star Realms Frontiers, Friday, DSD6 & The Game. Like: Architects, Maquis, Desolate, Aerion, Gate, & Death Angel. Lots of PNP games here as well.

2004 was the last time I was in California so this bookmark is somewhere between 21-24 years old. Am using it to hold my place in “Room to Dream” #booksky

City of Six Moons isn't for everyone; many folks are frustrated by the ambiguities present in the "puzzle" to center it as a cultural & anthropological fiction-object, and I get that, hate away But man, I wish my haters wouldn't say it's a scam. Everything I do in life & art is earnest & sincere

Holiday gift of this worker placement game to myself f/ solo play. Just finished 1st game- made a few mistakes but I like it! Love me some small box games. Solo is very simple to run. #soloboardgamer

I am typically a voracious reader of fiction but this book took me over a year to finish. It was one of the most difficult books I’ve ever read because the difference between it and the movie kept tangling my brain. (The book is told from Chief’s perspective.) Both movie & book are A+.

iOS 26 is just so awful. It feels like a joke. Its whole tone is disharmonious. Its as if they showed it to absolutely no one before releasing it. I guess that’s one way to get me to reduce screen time.

I thought there weren’t supposed to be algorithms on Bluesky? The lack of engagement is sad. Or is it that no one is using this site?

This is such a lonely time of year. Everyone is so busy.

Been working on the Polish branch of my family tree the last few months (found 3rd, 4th & 5th GGPs!) and discovered the holiday tradition of paper cut snowflakes- which I used to make w/ my mom when I was little. Look up Wycinanki paper cutting to see more traditional colorful & symmetrical designs.

Just finished watching Once Upon a Time in America f/ the 1st time since I rented it on VHS a hundred years ago- though I’m not sure I ever saw the 2nd half. Loved the 1st half. Strongly disliked the 2nd half. Breathtaking cinematography throughout. Hated Noodles. 2 🍇 scenes??? #filmsky

This was a rough read. Took me way longer than it should have to finish it. I’m glad he finally got sober.

Stellarion is a sad no f/ me. Love the art & the idea of gameplay but the symbols make my head swim + some actions are unintuitive. Rulebook text is hard to see against the background art. I’m 1 for 3 w/ Oniverse games. Still have Aerion but passed on Nautilion. Which Oniverse games do you like?

Anyone else enjoy making game components with no real intention to design a finished game? I imagined these were the remains of a lost civilization & had a blast trying to figure out how to play it. This painting is mine, as are all the hand carved stamps used to create the game pieces. ✂️🎲

I’m curious what my wargamer/historical gamer friends think of The Anarchy by Garphill Games.

I am thrilled about this! I loved watching Vine videos. I was really sad when the whole thing just got nuked.

I loved it. Jacob Elordi played the best Monster. 😭 like a baby. It will surely win awards. 🍁

💙

I’ve always been a voracious reader, so why has it taken me a year to read half of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest? It’s an excellent book- so why can’t I get through more than a few pages at a time? My best guess is b/c it’s so different to experience the story through Chief’s eyes. More to absorb?

Watched Casino tonight f/ the 1st time in many years (on Prime) & things were changed/edited from the original version which was a total turn off. Having ditched almost all of my physical media ages ago, maybe I finally get why some people have held onto theirs.

Why is Amazon using UPS to deliver books in plastic bubble mailer bags? There was no question that my copy of American Passage: The History of Ellis Island would be damaged once I opened it. (It was) 😔

Played Finspan f/ the 1st time today- played solo w/out the Nautoma b/c I wasn’t interested in it. Instead, I just played BYOS, scoring -2 per card w/ the group icon per one of the designers. I’m a big fan of explicit rulesets & while I thought this one was pretty good, I still found a 🧵🪡

Question f/ Solo Board Gamers: Do you prefer playing games strictly designed f/ solo play, or multiplayer games w/ an option to play solo? If the latter, do you prefer automa/bots, or BYOS games like Glass Road/Nusfjord/Odin when soloed? Lastly, do you ever solo MP games multi-handed?

All of this. #MeToo It’s been 3.5 years since my diagnosis and I’m nowhere close to finding my place in the world b/c there really isn’t support here for people on my part of the spectrum. Best I can do is try hard to find like minded people to converse with to help me feel less alone.

So I understand whether or not they’re right for me? Mechanically, thematically, visually, etc., b/c I don’t like wasting money. I wish more reviewers would talk about simplicity or complexity re: a game’s visual design and how it might enhance or hinder play.

Question for all gamers but especially historic game players and designers. What are some of your go-to simple yet strong, quick solo or two player games that you can play on repeat b/c it’s just so good. I’m thinking playtime in the 5-15 minute range, tops. Quick set up, preferably small Box.

I went to Target to buy myself a present after doing a difficult thing & this was staring me in the face so I bought it. 25% off & a $15 gift card = 😁. I intent to play solo without the bot- just beat your own high score. I’m pretty sure there’s a way to do that just by removing some of the cards.

😭 Paid $596 today for a pair of plumbers to resolve a badly clogged drain between our kitchen and bathroom sink.

Made this some 20 years ago during my metalsmithing phase. Sawn/stamped/domed sterling sheet with a wire wrapped natural ruby. I’d primarily worked with cold connections as opposed to using a torch.

I didn’t think BlueSky did algorithms but my last post (Re: TEDx) got ZERO engagement from any of my followers. While I don’t care if people lack interest in my posts, I do NOT appreciate having my content restricted from view. If anyone has any insight, please fill me in- this wasn’t the 1st time.

I’m up to 55k views on the TedX Talk I gave a while ago. Whee! Truth be told, this wasn’t exactly the talk I wanted to give. It didn’t really need to lean into spirituality but that’s more who I was at the time, and how the talk was subsequently developed under the guidance of the mentoring team.