Inspired by this toot1 from John Willshire I thought I’d also jump on this idea he references, that has its roots back in 2005. I like the questions, I think I’ve finally got back into reading so I have answers worth sharing, and also I support John’s push for people to start blogging rather than posting on more interactive platforms. The questions from the original post are: How many books do you own? What is the last book you bought? What is the last book you read? What are 5 books that mean a lot to you? My answers are below: ...

A few thoughts on the reality TV show The Traitors, that has just finished on the BBC in the UK. PLEASE NOTE I’ve made absolutely no allowances for possible spoilers below, so if you haven’t watched the series be aware of what you’ll learn by reading through this. That said, even knowing what’s coming, I imagine it would be interesting to watch to see how the game develops between different players. Although the cliff-hangers won’t carry so much weight for you as they did for me. ...

An intentionally browseable set of weeknotes for my previous “week”1. I beheld I’ve decided that “beheld” is the best word for “things I read such as a book, or watched such as a movie, but didn’t play like a game, or didn’t engage with for work”. Suggestions for better terms are expected, but I’ll probably ignore them, “beheld” feels worth writing about. Stewart Lee. I read March of the Lemmings by Stewart Lee ages ago, but only found my notes on it recently. This is definitely for you if you like Lee’s relentless demeanor, political stance, and whipsmart phrasing. I’m reminded of TV series such as Community, or Ted Lasso, when sometimes you have to hit Pause and let a phrase sink in. It could be a bit much all in one go, so a good bedtime read when you just want a fun chapter or two to put the day behind you. ...

These are the weeknotes1 on the games I’ve played purely for fun2 in the last few months. There’s very few listed below, which is very disappointing to look back on… I can’t help thinking I’ve missed a couple. But I do have a “new” Xbox360, and I’ve been tidying up some space, so maybe that will change. Board games With some more overdue tidying needed, and with a Dining Room that is essentially a wide corridor, I struggle to play board games, even solo ones, but here’s a couple I made time for: ...

My current keyboard is a Perixx PX-1200 Illuminated Gaming Keyboard but it’s wearing out, and they don’t make them any more, so I’m looking at different models. As is often the case with technology, I don’t think my requirements are that unusual, but then I start looking for something I think is common, and it doesn’t exist. So in the hope that someone who reads this ( probably because I pointed them at it ) has better knowledge than I do, I’ve listed my requirements here. ...

This is a sporadically updated list of online games that illustrate useful points about cyber security. For those I’ve tried, or intend to try, I’ve listed them below, with some brief thoughts so you can decide whether to spend time on them yourself. Please do contact me if there’s something out there I should play to consider adding it to the list. Despite my history in professional wargaming I’m especially interested in solo games that let players learn at their own pace, in their chosen context, and without even the most ephemeral consequences for errors. ...

How can we help each other? Introduction What’s your preferred working situation - completely alone and self-driven? As half of a pair, as a leader or advisor in a group, or as a “cog” in a much larger hierarchy? For me I believe I’m much better at working in a pair, or in a small team, rather than purely on my own, be it co-writing something, or brainstorming with a customer on a project or solution. ...

Introduction This question was asked in the Generalist World Slack a little while ago: Quick Question - I often find myself feeling like I’m not doing enough. There are just SO many things I want to do that I feel like time is running out and I should get at it. I often end up in confusion, panic and anxiety. Does anyone else struggle with this? How do you calm yourself or redirect yourself to focus on ’top priorities'? ...

Prologue: As I wrote up in my recent weeknotes, earlier this month I helped run a hybrid megagame called Bad Moon Rising, organised by South West Megagames. This was a megagame based in an alternate history of the world, set in the 1970s during the Cold War, but with all the nuclear powers having also established bases on the Moon. If you’re not familiar with megagames do watch this video, or think of a “megagame” as just being a board game or tabletop role playing game, except with anywhere from 20 to 300 players. ...

From about July 2021 until June 2022 I played “Battle of Tuyệt Quá HởTấn”, one of the “Section by Section” games by Hearts of Oak. This was played online over WhatsApp and Google Slides. The setting is a small village during the Vietnam War. Both the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army are defending the civilians in the village, with American soldiers coming to interrogate them using four platoons from two companies. That’s about 200 hundred soldiers on each side. Before any pieces are placed on the virtual board, the game looks like the image below. The village to the North of the map, the darkest green is jungle, the light green is brush, the blue is paddy fields. ...