I’ve had some requests to show details of how I arrange the buttons in order to shorten my long skirts for bicycling. Well like this: Clear as mud? Let’s take a closer look. Disclaimer: I’ve been wearing both of these skirts for years and it shows in these detail shots. First that plaid walking skirt … Continue reading Bustled for Bicycling

Ugh, well, I still didn't finish the video I mentioned last post (it is just a video version of some of my chess papers from this last SIGBOVIK; don't get too excited), but I made a lot of progress on it this weekend. This one has a lot of custom software, some of which is hours of work for like 10 seconds on-screen. This approach is "fun" but not efficient. At least I have a good approach to the video so it's just a matter of turning the crank now.

I finished The Messenger. My verdict is that it is good. Some aspects of it are fantastic (8-bit graphics and writing) and most are very good, but the game was not very hard and the "metroidvania" aspects of it were mostly about retreading ground between distant teleports. I managed to get all the achievements, which I don't usually do, but there was just like one hard one left.

Speaking of hard ones, next up is/was Dead Cells, whose verdict is great. This is a grindy (lots of unlockables/upgrades) roguelike platformer with really excellent controls and "flow", almost feeling like a twitchy fighting game at times. It's no "Spelunky" or even "Crypt of the Necrodancer"; what set those apart for me is how the design of the random level generation really tended to create these interesting situations and puzzles. But this game has an impressive amount of content (the graphics and the sheer variety of weapons/powerups both stand out to me) and is just really fun to play, except when you die (which is always). Just now I finally beat the game on "Hard" (second boss cell) so it may be time to retire. I bought like 9 more games on the Steam summer sale, after all!

Hello, and welcome to one of two Fantastic Strangelings Book Club discussions for this month! “What is the Fantastic Strangelings Book Club and how can I join?”  Just click here, sweet baby angel face. This discussion though is about a … Continue reading →

Hey.  This isn’t a real post but I thought you might enjoy. Recently the Yorkshire Museum had a curator battle where they challenged museums to post the #creepiestobject in their collection on twitter.  And it was fantastic and a million … Continue reading →

I’ve been working a regular, 40-hour week since December now. Before that, I had Fridays “off”–I worked on client work, yes, but I also ran all the errands and did all the chores, leaving me both weekend days pretty much to myself.   What I’ve discovered, in the past three months, is that I resent […]

Все знают, коллектив MusicAeterna и его художественный руководитель Теодор Курентзис с декабря 2019 года активно работают над проектом культурно-образовательного центра Р. А. Д. И. О. в Санкт-Петербургском Доме Радио. Но карантин вносит в эту работу свои коррективы, и в конце апреля было объявлено об открытии digital platform — виртуальной творческой резиденции MusicAeterna. В скором времени на ней будет доступна онлайн-версия перформанса Алексея Ретинского «Слышать», посвященный Людвигу ван Бетховену. Анонсируем это событие статьей Анны Самсоненко, побывавшей на единственном представлении в феврале.

A convocation of the Lover Triad of United States Grand Lodge will be held in Cleveland, Ohio, August 14-16 2020. Registration for the convocation is now open. See this site for more information.

To all local bodies within U.S. Grand Lodge: For all official gatherings, please observe all guidance issued by the CDC, and by state or local health authorities, pertaining to sanitation, hygiene, and event attendance related to the new Coronavirus.

The in-person annual U.S. Grand Lodge Joint Meeting scheduled for July 2020 in Oakland CA has been canceled. Individual governing bodies will meet online; members of those bodies will receive further information. A decision on whether the Convocation of Lovers scheduled for August 2020 in Cleveland OH will be canceled will be announced by April …

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