Französische Karte von Magdeburg um 1880

Der 1. April ist in der Geschichte Magdeburgs kein Tag für Scherze, sondern ein doppelter Meilenstein städtischer Entwicklung: 1886 wurde die Neustadt eingemeindet, ein Jahr später folgte Buckau. Zwei Orte mit eigener Geschichte, die heute zu den spannendsten Stadtteilen der Landeshauptstadt zählen.

Die Magdeburger Neustadt taucht schon 1209 als nova civitas – „neue Stadt“ – in historischen Quellen auf. Damals ging es um Macht, genauer gesagt um den Streit zwischen Kaiser Otto IV. und Erzbischof Albrecht I. Letzterer verlieh der Neustadt 1230 das Stadtrecht. Buckau ist sogar noch älter: Erste urkundliche Erwähnung im Jahr 937, ausgestellt von König Otto I. – allerdings blieb Buckau bis weit ins 19. Jahrhundert ein eher dörflich geprägter Ort. Erst 1859 wurde es offiziell zur Stadt.

Heute sind Neustadt und Buckau aus Magdeburg nicht mehr wegzudenken: Die Neustadt hat die jüngste Bevölkerung der Stadt, Buckau ist mit seiner Mischung aus Altbaucharme, Kunstszene und Elbnähe ein Paradebeispiel für urbane Transformation. Zwei Orte, zwei Geschichten – und ein gemeinsames Datum: 1. April. Kein Witz. Nur Stadtgeschichte.

I saw an Iron 4 player offering coaching on Discord, and so I asked to be coached a few days ago. We messaged a bit, and they seemed pretty cool, so we planned to play. Today we did, and they were actually really knowledgeable and fun to play with, but just had a ton of performance anxiety. We played a few games and then spent like two hours just talking and bantering. We plan to play again tomorrow, and I saw a lot of myself in them, but from a parallel of a fully different person having different life experiences. I’m glad I reached out to a fully foreign interaction. 20 seconds. All it takes.

This review originally appeared on Goodreads on February 6, 2019.

The Burrowers Beneath

By Brian Lumley – Grafton Books – January 1, 1974

Review by Robin Marx

This was a fun but not earthshaking (oh-ho-ho) addition to the Cthulhu Mythos.

The book has a lot of fun ideas. The subterranean squid-like Chthonian creatures themselves are great. The Wilmarth Foundation, a secret organization of like-minded individuals working against the Mythos, is also an interesting addition to the canon. The execution of the book is a bit less than ideal, however.

The book is structured as an epistolary novel, composed of both letters and diary entries from a variety of characters. Some of the letters are very atmospheric and engrossing. The stories about about a mine inspector who encounters extraterrene eggs and a coastal rig that strikes more than oil stand out in particular. The result is a bit uneven, with mostly self-contained vignettes that are actually more entertaining than the primary narrative. And although he's positioned as the protagonist, Titus Crow is a passive figure for much of the book, either being directed by or receiving exposition from helpful supporting characters that seek him out.

While apparently set in the modern day (the early 1970s, when the book was published), Lumley's obvious affection for Lovecraft and old-fashioned gentleman's club occult detective yarns leads to a story that seems strangely untethered in time. Lumley's master occultist character Titus Crow seems like he'd be more at home in one of William Hope Hodgson's Edwardian Carnacki, The Ghost-Finder stories and Crow's Watson-style sidekick Henri-Laurent de Marigny also seems like a similar throwback to an earlier era. It felt a bit off reading about these smoking jacket / brandy snifter types discussing atomic testing.

There are some creepy moments as the Chthonians' capabilities are gradually revealed, but they don't get as much time in the spotlight as I would have liked. For ageless, godlike beings they turn out to be pushovers once the humans in the story figure out what's going on and get their act together. Apart from one fascinating scene detailing an attack on a massive captive Chthonian, the expulsion of the Chthonians from the British Isles is mostly glossed over. The book's conclusion feels like “Yeah, we lost some guys along the way but things mostly went according to plan.”

It's also interesting to note that the Chthonians only start acting directly against humans when their eggs are stolen or tampered with. They don't seem like much of a menace to humanity otherwise, apart from worshipping unappealing alien gods. In this aspect they brought to mind the misunderstood Horta from the original Star Trek episode “The Devil in the Dark.”

Some readers describe Lumley's Cthulhu Mythos output as Lovecraft fanfic. While that feels a bit uncharitable, it's not wrong, either. Lumley also borrows heavily from August Derleth's reinterpretation of the Mythos, where human beings have a certain level of Elder God support in the war against the “evil” Great Old Ones. Star-Signs of Mnar are wielded like crucifixes in the face of “CCDs” (Cthulhu Cycle Deities). While this sort of thing can be fun—I personally believe the Cthulhu Mythos is a sort of “big tent” that can accommodate everything from The Dunwich Horror to Bride of Re-Animator—readers hoping for actual cosmic horror are likely to be disappointed.

I enjoyed this book, but Lovecraft purists are better off reading something closer to the original source.

★★★☆☆

#CapsuleReviewArchive #BookReview #Horror #TheBurrowersBeneath #TitusCrow #BrianLumley #HPLovecraft #CthulhuMythos

Think and act fairly when your face the next challenge, regardless of its impact on your position or popularity.

My six-year-old and my four-year old were colouring drawings of Skylanders and Ninjago today as bedtime was fast approaching. They were both tired after along day, especially the youngest one. In five minutes, you have to stop, I told them, it's time for bed.

OK, dad, they muttered.

In one minute, I told them. OK, dad, they muttered.

In ten seconds, I told them. OK, dad, they muttered, and the youngest one whispered: ten is a lot.

Time's up. Put away your crayons and papers and get upstairs.

BUT DAD...!

The youngest one started to cry. Not because he was very unhappy, but he was slightly unhappy and very, very tired. I want to draw some more, he cried, tears rolling down his cheeks, I want to finish this drawing TODAY!

The oldest one didn't cry, he didn't even raise his voice. I'm almost done, dad, he said calmly, only some red around the edges, can I finish it, please?

I looked at their iPads (they use our iPads to see which colours they need to use; we never intended to buy two, but my wife got one at work). My oldest son really had just a little bit of red left. But if I cave now, I'm in for it, right? If I give in now, they will only complain and nag and cry even more next time, right? Sometimes, a dad has to be unyielding, right?  Especially when he has given them a precisely defined time limit, and that time limit is up? Especially when the youngest one forces his tears just to get things his way?

I told you, I said, time's up. You can continue tomorrow. There's no use in crying like that.

OK, the oldest said. The youngest stifled his tears and asked me again, the way adults both at home and at school tell him to ask about things: please, can I draw some more?

His iPad had 1% battery left.

Think and act fairly, yes — but what is fair? I chose five minutes more or less at random — but does that mean that it cannot be changed afterwards? Is it fair to say that they both have to finish when my oldest son finishes his drawing? Wouldn't a randomly imposed but inflexible time limit be fairer, i.e. just as unfair for both? And should it matter how they ask me? Should a please make my change my mind?

I'm with Calvin's dad: I'm not in this job as a father to win popularity competitions. I want to do the right thing and do my best to make their lives as good as possible. Their entire lives, not just a couple of minutes drawing extra. I should be firm and strict, right? They shouldn't get more time, right?

They did. I allowed my oldest son to finish his drawing, and allowed my youngest son to continue drawing until his iPad died.

I was irritated and annoyed. Why can't they just come when I tell them to? It felt like they had been pushing my buttons for the last hour, testing my limits and finding ways of asserting their independence at the sacrifice of our family unity (i.e. my role as the undisputed dictator). Most likely, though, it wasn't them as much as me: I was just tired.

My oldest son finished his drawing, my youngest son's iPad died, and we went upstairs — the oldest first and me after, with the youngest on my back.

I am a bad father. I say one thing and do another. I give in too easily, I invite them to complain to get what they want. My kids whine a lot? I ask for it.

My youngest son went to his room to get his security blanket. The oldest put on his pyjamas and came back to the bath room to let me brush his teeth.

He'll probably complain about the pyjamas, or the time it takes to brush his teeth, or that the toothbrush tickles.

But he didn't. He just stood there for three minutes, quite still. He's almost never done that before. And when we were done, he turned to me and gave me a hug.

Thank you for letting me finish my drawing, he said.

Thank you.

He went into his room and the youngest one came into the bathroom with his blanket, ready to brush his teeth.

Perhaps I'm not a bad father after all.

 

Plan a big project and finish it ahead of time.

The best projects are those you never can finish. The second best are those you can't hurry.

At first, I only wanted to find out about my grandmother's father and about my other grandparents: their parents, their siblings, their life. But when i found out about their parents, I wanted to know about their parents as well, i.e. my great-great-grandparents. And then I wanted to find every descendant of my great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents and great-great-great-grandparents. And then it just went downhill from there.

I sat at the national archives in Norway and went through old church records. Microfilm after microfilm and microfiche after microfiche with almost illegible gothic letters. When I found a distant relative, the son of my great-great-grandfather's daughter, it was like finding gold, I could feel the heart skip a beat, and I meticulously jotted down the date of birth, date of baptism, where born, where baptised, relatives present, spelling of names etc etc.

Usually, I was the youngest there by thirty years. The others had grey beards and grey suits and whenever someone almost my age walked in the door, we avoided looking at each other and tried to continue our microwork until one of us suddenly realised he had an important appointment.

The smell of old books and old trousers. The still air. The dim light. The silence.

I was a novice back then (and still am in many ways), I didn't know where to look and what to look for — and whenever i found something, my meticulously jotted notes were often too sparse, without a page number or with at least three names with the wrong spelling. Many times, I had to go back to my old finds to check something, and sometimes I didn't even find them: my meticulous notes were wrong.

Occasionally I probably found the wrong person. I have a database with thousands of names: some of them should probably not be there. (Some names I have received from others, though.)

I did find my grandmother's father, though. She was born out-of-wedlock about 100 years ago: her father was a Swedish ship captain who perhaps never even knew he had become a father. My grandmother's mother then remarried and got another child as soon as possible. My grandmother was dark by Norwegian standard, she looked more like a Greek than a Norwegian; her half-sister was white as snow. And just like in the fairy-tales, one sister got everything, while the other one, the step-daughter of the man in the house, got almost nothing.

My grandmother never talked about her father. She never tried to find him: they told her his ship went down and he drowned just after she was born, and she neither wanted nor saw a reason to investigate further. Or never dared.

After much searching, I did find him: Henrik Fredrik Frisk, his name was. Or rather, I found the truth about him. His ship did go down when she was a little girl. And some of the crew died. But not him. According to the report I found, they managed to save captain Frisk. I couldn't find any more information at the archives (like I said, a novice), but somehow, after much searching, I found a relative of his in Sweden; a nephew I think it was. He told me that Henrik moved from the southwestern tip of Sweden (Råå) to Denmark, where he married Eva Paulsen and got two more children: twins Lisa and Ole Frisk. He died in Odense in 1938. My grandmother was 22.

When I told my grandmother, she hardly moved a muscle. She said yes, oh, and then went to the kitchen to make some food, like she always did. She was in her eighties, and her mind had already started to have vacant spots; I found him too late.

A couple of times, I have gathered distant relatives: once, I made all descendants of one of my great-grandfathers come to our house. It was interesting. But I also learned that it was the process which drove me: the digging, the genealogical archaeology, the feeling of discovering and putting everything into a system. It's fascinating to see all my cousins on my mother's side in the same room, there are some striking similarities — but put all my second cousins in the same room, like I did, and the similarities are far from striking. When you find great-great-granduncles in censuses, you don't find relatives anymore, you collect information like others collect stamps.

There are probably some Frisks in Denmark which I can call relatives. But they will only be half second cousins. Still, it would be fascinating.

And it would make my family tree even bigger. It started out as a big enough project: find my grandmother's father. Then I wanted to find my other grandparents' parents. And then their parents and descendants. And then the next generation and, the next, all the way back to 1500, perhaps! It is a never-ending project. Like all the best projects are.

The second best is the kind where you can't do anything but prepare and wait. Like growing a beard. It teaches you patience and humility. But we'll come back to that.

 

*

PS: do I come from a royal family? Are the celebrities among my ancestors? Nope. My father's side: farmers and factory workers from southeastern Norway (and Sweden). My mother's side: farmers, fishermen, cobblers, teachers from Norway. On the other hand, I haven't found relatives further back than late 1700s; and if you go 1000 years back you are related to everyone. So yes, I am related to royalty. i just haven't found them in my tree yet.

This review originally appeared on Goodreads on October 11, 2021.

Peepland

By Christa Faust (Writer), Gary Phillips (Writer, Artist), Andrea Camerini (Artist) – Titan Comics – August 1, 2017

Review by Robin Marx

Set in the seedy pre-gentrification Times Square of 1986, Peepland tells the story of peep show booth girls, pornographers, punks, and other outcasts who become unwitting witnesses to a murder committed by a rich kid with a connected father.

I’ve read a half dozen entries in the Hard Case Crime line of graphic novels and this is the best one so far. The art is consistently high quality throughout, and Christa Faust’s neo-noir prose is always a treat. In an afterword, Faust mentions that the feel and some of the characters are based on her own experiences working peep show booths in 80s Time Square, and the story does benefit from authenticity and the humanity with which the misfit characters are treated.

★★★★☆

#CapsuleReviewArchive #ComicReview #CrimeFiction #TitanComics #HardCaseCrime #Peepland #ChristaFaust

This review originally appeared on Goodreads on January 9, 2017.

The Polar Treasure / Pirate of the Pacific (Doc Savage #4 & #5)

By Kenneth Robeson (House Name)/Lester Dent – Street & Smith – 1934

Review by Robin Marx

The Polar Treasure was a lot of fun, but the accompanying Pirate of the Pacific was perhaps the weakest installment in the series this far, even worse than Quest of the Spider.

The Polar Treasure starts off with the kidnapping of a blind master violinist and ends up with a submarine voyage to the arctic. The action is great, Doc's exploits are clever, and the supporting characters memorable. One twist was that instead of one nefarious criminal gang, Doc and his crew find themselves dealing with two competing gangs of crooks. This adds an extra dimension to the narrative not seen in previous installments.

While The Polar Treasure was a great deal of fun, Pirate of the Pacific was a dull slog. Taking place immediately after The Polar Treasure (Doc and his friends are journeying back from the arctic circle in their submarine), the story involves a “modern day” pirate named Tom-Too attempting to conquer the “Luzon Union” (apparently the fictionalized Philippines). I found it difficult to remain involved in the action. There's a briefly interesting passage where Doc and his pals go incognito on the same ocean liner as Tom-Too and his cronies, but Doc Savage's pals are repeatedly and monotonously kidnapped and rescued over the course of the story. Doc's escapes from danger are even more unbelievable than usual, and even the shark attack scenes are less exciting than they could have been. When Tom-Too's true identity was revealed as a fairly unobtrusive supporting character I couldn't summon up much more than a shrug.

While it tinges pretty much all of the Doc Savage stories given the time period, the racism in Pirate of the Pacific is particularly egregious. Tom-Too's gang is a mix of Asian ethnicities, so there are lots of references to “slanted-eyes,” yellow skin, “half-castes,” and so forth. The Man of Bronze spends a great deal of time undercover in yellow-face, speaking in the same cringe-worthy “Me so solly!” pidgin and fawning “O most beneficent one!” pseudo-Chinese speech as the evil Asian criminals. As a pulp fiction fan I generally don't get too worked up about outdated depictions of ethnic minorities, but they were particularly prominent and ignorant in Pirate of the Pacific. The Polar Treasure had some references to foul-smelling, superstitious Eskimos, but they weren't portrayed as wicked sub-humans.

The Polar Treasure was one of the better Doc Savage yarns, but I think Pirate of the Pacific can be safely skipped.

★★★☆☆

#CapsuleReviewArchive #BookReview #PulpFiction #ThePolarTreasure #PirateOfThePacific #DocSavage #KennethRobeson #LesterDent

Pour la journée mondiale de la bipolarité, des Francs-Comtois atteints de la maladie témoignent à cœur ouvert. • © JEAN-FRAN?OIS FREY / MAXPPP

Publié le 30/03/2025 à 06h05, écrit par Hugo Courville

Arrivé dans leur vie au moment où ils s'y attendaient le moins, plus de 600 000 personnes ont reçu un diagnostic médical attestant d'une bipolarité en France. Vie de tous les jours, acceptation par leur famille et traitement à vie, ils témoignent de leur quotidien pour mettre fin au jugement de la population sur les troubles qu'ils endurent.

Société

De la vie quotidienne aux grands enjeux, découvrez les sujets qui font la société locale, comme la justice, l’éducation, la santé et la famille.

C'est une maladie psychiatrique chronique caractérisée par des troubles récurrents de l'humeur. La bipolarité touche près de 2,4 % de la population en Europe contre entre 1% et 2,5% en France. Ce sont donc entre 650 000 et 1 600 000 personnes qui sont touchées par cette pathologie dans l'Hexagone.

Pour la journée mondiale de la bipolarité, le 30 mars, des Francs-Comtois ont décidé de sortir du silence pour sensibiliser à cette maladie. Une façon de faire avancer le monde des personnes atteintes de bipolarité, qui se sentent encore jugées par la population.

“Au départ, on me disait que j'avais des troubles de la personnalité borderline”

Pour la majorité des patients définis comme bipolaires, c'est dans le jugement de l’autre que les choses doivent avancer. Diane est aide-soignante en Suisse et habite dans le Doubs. Travailleuse frontalière depuis des années, elle a été diagnostiquée bipolaire en 2021. “Adolescente, je me suis toujours sentie différente. J'étais souvent en dépression selon les diagnostics. Au départ, on me disait que j'avais des troubles de la personnalité borderline, que mes émotions étaient instables, jamais on ne m'avait évoqué la bipolarité au départ”.

Quand on a mis des mots sur mon mal, c'était un soulagement. Je m'étais tellement sentie différente toute ma vie.

Diane

Atteinte de bipolarité

De l'autre côté du Doubs, Mathieu, 45 ans et ancien chargé de ventes dans une entreprise Suisse, a connu la même problématique. “J'ai eu des crises ponctuelles et plusieurs hospitalisations. Tout a commencé en 2003. J'avais 22, 23 ans et j'ai fait des bouffées délirantes. Je ne me sentais plus moi-même. Je ne connaissais pas la maladie et je pensais que ça allait s'estomper. Quatre ans plus tard, j'étais diagnostiqué bipolaire, c'était un soulagement”, affirme-t-il.

“J'avais toujours des sujets de discussion, alors que je suis réservé”

Mathieu est père de deux enfants. Il apprend encore aujourd'hui à vivre avec la maladie, 18 ans après son diagnostic. “Ce sont des phases d'euphorie. On se sent en superforme. Je ne dors pas, je parle beaucoup. J'ai toujours des sujets de discussion, alors que je suis réservé”, détaille le quarantenaire, qui enchaîne : “Par contre, il m'arrive d'être en opposition avec les autres. On se sent invulnérable et il ne faut pas être contrarié”.

J'avais l'impression que j'étais destiné à de grandes choses, genre Président de la République.

Mathieu

Atteint de bipolarité

Un mental qui change du tout au tout, des situations de détresse, des périodes de crise et de dépression. Diane et Mathieu l'ont vécu tous les deux à leur façon. Leurs proches, dans l'incompréhension au départ, ont dû s'adapter, mais l'écoute et l'accompagnement ont prévalu. “J'avais honte de la dire à ma famille, mais désormais, c'est ma maman qui me pousse à aller à l'hôpital quand ça ne va pas”, explique Diane

Pour Mathieu, de son côté, “tout le monde a tout de suite accepté”. “On essaie d'être le plus normal possible, malheureusement mes enfants [de 9 et 11 ans] ont subi deux de mes crises maniaques, mais au jour le jour, on essaie de faire face pour eux, afin qu'ils aient la meilleure éducation possible. Je pense que sans eux, je ne serais peut-être plus de ce monde. Lors des crises, mes parents faisaient attention à ce que je ne fasse pas n'importe quoi et lors de mes dépressions, ma famille m'a beaucoup soutenue”.

“Lorsqu'on est en phase maniaque, on fait des choses irrationnelles”

Depuis plusieurs années, Mathieu suit un traitement lourd. Des médicaments qui le mettent dans un état second, et le font aller mieux, même si des effets négatifs se distinguent. “J'ai du mal à discuter et je m'isole un peu plus socialement, alors que j'avais beaucoup de contacts plus jeune. Je dois aussi faire face à la dépression. À côté de ça, j'ai perdu mon travail après ma dernière crise et j'ai du mal à en retrouver, parce que j'ai un gros manque de confiance en moi”, affirme le quadragénaire. Une situation de laquelle le Doubien aimerait sortir, mais avec ses crises, il n'arrive parfois pas à se contrôler.

J'ai un traitement assez fort qui m'empêche de refaire des crises, mais qui me met un peu le cerveau en pause.

Mathieu

Atteint de bipolarité

“Lorsqu'on est en phase maniaque, on fait des choses irrationnelles, qu'on regrette par la suite, mais on ne se contrôle pas sur le moment. S'ensuit la dépression que l'on subit et que les gens ne comprennent pas forcément. Mais c'est la même chose, on n'est pas maître de soi”, affirme Mathieu.

“Il faut évoluer, ce n'est pas pour autant que nous sommes fous”

Pour ces deux personnes atteintes de bipolarité, parler de leur maladie est devenu leur mission. Bien que ceux-ci aient des différences, ils veulent faire entendre qu'ils sont comme les autres. “Je suis divorcée, j'ai un enfant, mais j'ai aussi une vie”, affirme Diane, qui détaille également que “c'est très dur. On passe par plein d'étapes, du psychologique au physique, en passant par le moral. Il n'y a que quand on est stabilisés que ça va mieux. Avec un bon traitement, on peut vivre normalement”.

Il y a trop de jugement. On avance, mais il faut en parler pour sensibiliser les gens.

Diane

Atteinte de bipolarité

“Les bipolaires se sentiront moins isolés” si les langues se délient, affirme Mathieu. “Pour que les gens dans le même cas se sentent moins seuls, il faut en discuter. Quand je lis des témoignages de cas similaires, ça me rassure. Je me dis que je ne suis pas le seul et cela me permet de moins culpabiliser de ma situation”, complète le quadragénaire.

Du côté de Diane, la mère de famille veut porter haut les valeurs des personnes atteintes de troubles de la bipolarité. “Comme tout le monde, je fais plein de choses. Je suis intelligente et je travaille à côté. Je pense que je fais plein de choses que certaines personnes ne font pas. Désormais, il faut évoluer, la maladie ne fait pas pour autant de nous des fous”.

This review originally appeared on Goodreads on August 16, 2015.

The Graveyard Book

By Neil Gaiman – HarperCollins – September 30, 2008

Review by Robin Marx

This Jungle Book-inspired young adult fantasy by Neil Gaiman was pleasant, but nothing particularly profound.

The central premise, in which an orphaned toddler is adopted by the residents of a cemetery, is an interesting one, but the details of such a living arrangement felt insufficiently explored. The quirky antagonists of the story likewise felt underdeveloped and sort of a rehash of the much more interesting Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar from Neverwhere.

While I won't label it a flaw, per se, I did find it a bit jarring every time the Internet or other trappings of modern society were mentioned, as the book's voice has a very Edwardian feel (much like the artwork of Edward Gorey).

I didn't dislike this book, but it definitely felt like one of Gaiman's lesser works. It could be a worthwhile recommendation to boys and girls in late elementary school, but for the adult reader or fan of Gaiman there's not much to sink your teeth into.

★★★☆☆

#CapsuleReviewArchive #BookReview #UrbanFantasy #YoungAdult #TheGraveyardBook #NeilGaiman

Este mes tampoco ha habido mucho movimiento a la hora de jugar en físico, aunque he estrenado Smart10, el trivial bien, y Hitster en español, con un 100% más de Verano Mix. A ver si en algún momento tengo energía para preparar reglas y jugar a algo que requiera tener funcionando al menos un 70% del cerebro.

He probado en BGA varios juegos un poco más sesudos, con mayor o menor éxito. Beer&Bread, poco apto para celíacos, lleva la mecánica del draft de cartas con distintas habilidades a un juego estratégico de recursos para dos jugadores. No le he terminado de pillar el punto a exprimir la cosecha de recursos para cuadrar los ingredientes para las recetas, pero tampoco me ha dado ganas de perseverar. Con un enfoque y poco interés semejante (aunque más sencillo), The Bloody Inn plantea administrar una posada con el objetivo de ir sobornando, asesinando y enterrando a huéspedes.

Stalk Exchange consiste en manipular el mercado de flores y tu ¿portfolio? para buscar ser el mejor cris(an)t(em)obro, supongo. Creo que hay otros juegos de manipulación de mercado con más gracia, y el tema y el área donde se plantan las flores están pegados con cola.

Nanga Parbat ha sido el juego que más me ha gustado. Es bastante abstracto, y se trata de colocar montañeros en la cima de una montaña, que está representada con 6 triángulos (3 en la base, 2 en el nivel intermedio y 1 en la cima, todos los triángulos están en la misma orientación y el espacio sobrante no se usa). Cada triángulo está dividido en 6 casillas también en formación 3-2-1, de manera que colocar un escalador en una posición obliga al siguiente jugador a irse al triángulo grande asociado. Cuando ponemos un escalador, recogemos un animal (los hay de varios tipos) que nos permitirá puntuar por diferentes sets y hacer acciones adicionales (cambiar de posición escaladores y animales). Además, tenemos varios criterios para puntuar y tendremos que escoger nosotros qué puntuamos y en qué momento, impidiendo que el rival puntúe por lo mismo. Me parece bastante táctico y profundo con pocas reglas.

¿Estás cansado de que los juegos traten de culturas remotas? En Citrus plantarás cítricos en unas fincas con poca agua y pagarás poco a los trabajadores y te sentirás como en Andalucía, además de tener en la portada a una señora recogiendo fruta con un traje de flamenca y sombrero cordobés a juego. Un juego clásico alemán del estilo de Alhambra o Carcassone. Del mismo autor, he probado Orlèans, pero al ser más complejo tengo que darle más, a ver si teniendo una estrategia a más largo plazo me convence.

Nuevos juegos probados

• Beer & Bread
• Citrus
• Hitster 100% en Español
• Kamon
• King of Tokyo: Duel
• Love Letter
• Nanga Parbat
• Orléans
• Puerto Rico
• Pyramido: Forgotten Treasures
• Smart10
• Stalk Exchange
• The Bloody Inn

Tags: #boardgames #juegosdemesa

This review originally appeared on Goodreads on July 25, 2017.

Old Man's War

By John Scalzi – Tor Books – January 15, 2007

Review by Robin Marx

This was an exciting military SF adventure in the tradition of +Starship Troopers*. A retiree joins the Colonial Defense Force, rumored to be able to make the elderly young again, and soon finds himself drawn into a much larger universe—one full of conflict—than he expected.

While it's touched upon briefly, I expected a bit more meditation on the psychological toll constant warfare would have on the human mind, but the general mood is kept brisk and light throughout the book. Readers looking for more emotional heft are advised to check out The Forever War or Armor. Despite its different emphasis, Old Man's War is not necessarily a shallow book, however, and fans of those other military SF classics are likely to enjoy this book as well.

Old Man's War works just fine as a stand-alone work of science fiction, but the world presented is interesting enough that the sequel volumes look appealing as well. Recommended for fans of military SF, or old fashioned space opera in general.

★★★★☆

#CapsuleReviewArchive #BookReview #ScienceFiction #MilitarySF #OldMansWar #JohnScalzi

In the wonderful, artful and powerful Grimorium Verum, almost as an appendix casually tacked onto the end, there is a curious operation called the “Cabala of the Green Butterfly”.

This charming, oblique little text contains a range of challenges to the human security system – physical, social and philosophical.

It takes the operator outside, in many ways.

My own recollections and thoughts, from this very strange time

When actually trying to do this stuff, it has a way of really reminding you how these texts can make you seem really mad, bad and dangerous to know.

This is the work of warriors, and requires a level of physicality, fearlessness, skill, cunning, and perhaps a bit of wilful stupidity and stubbornness.

Climb a tree, they said

The nearest trees to me what the time were, actually, really tall; pines, probably 80 or 100 years old. To climb these things needs some practice, skill and also the stones, man. Astaroth doesn't want any dropnuts in her crew.

To climb them to the top – where the branches are flimsy enough to actually be cut with a single blow – means getting quite high. If the operator falls, they will probably not experience a good outcome.

In the southern hemisphere, following this as written means trekking around in the woods in the winter, which was bracing.

The South winds blast straight up from Antarctica, and the trees move, too. Trees move a lot, in the wind. You really notice this when you're in them. They also grow in spirals, which is a completely different insight. I developed a whole new appreciation for trees.

I tested this in mid-Summer too, as perhaps the author intended. This work led to spending a lot of time in the woods – and at the peak of Summer provided completely different experience.

Wandering around, chanting the extremely powerful Orison of the Salamanders, I experienced the sense of every living thing rejoicing in it's elemental empire, and burning with aspiration towards the Sun itself.

Backdoor low-Platonism, church skulking, priestcraft

This engagement with this process allowed me to get what JSK called the “low Platonism” of the grimoires, and set up the ground plan of an experimental and experiential world system – that, most importantly – is grounded in my insight.

Also, modern churches in my town don't have places to stash an ash-stained, poorly varnished wooden box. I did get to visit a lot of churches, though – so there is an element of comparative theological instruction here too.

This inability necessitated becoming a priest myself, learning Pyramidos and doing my own damn mass, but this is another story, with its own ludicrous tangents.

Grimoires have a range of challenges, and when approached directly, as a set of direct instructions, trigger insights in completely unexpected ways.

They're much more than a way to call spirits – they can make the operator into someone who spirits will respond to when called.

Passion is my engine of go.

Non sequitur:

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#art

In the silence

It’s strange how there can be an overall atmosphere – even when people aren’t talking. It can extend beyond our place and pervade between places more broadly.

Things happen and it all contributes to the entire feel of the server. Weaving itself in and out of each room and message box.

Sometimes a lot happens or a key event, and there is a knock on effect.

A Poem by Unity

You think I can’t hear you? In the silence, over there? You think I don’t hear you, when you cry in despair?

You think I can’t hear you if you judge, scoff or sneer? Trust me I hear you, you are loud & clear.

I can hear you when you’re sad, restless, busy or calm. I can hear when you don’t care, or when life does you harm.

& even in silence when no words are said. Believe me, I hear you in the space in my head

I hear the frustration, the boredom, the rage, I hear all your sorrow, the struggles for real

So remember my dear one, in this big old wide space, that your anguish & fears all belong in this place.

I hear you in the silence, and the noise, and the words. That somewhere my darling your voice is still heard.

Somewhere in this world, as we fly round the sun, I hear you, I hear you, & I see you’re someone.

Remember, remember, your voice will be heard, & even in silence I can still hear your words.

So listen, now, listen, as I say this to you. You’re someone worth hearing & I’m thankful for you

1. Deep End by Ali Hazelwood, 457p: I love Ali Hazelwood books, it's the only author I truly enjoy in contemporary romance. This one is about college athletes, a competitive diver (Scarlett Vandermeer) and an Olympic medal swimmer (Lukas Blomqvist). I loved the smart banter between them and how there was a lot of talk and support around mental health issues. Also, it starts with mostly a sexual relationship, and the romance builds after that.  It explores power exchange sexual dynamics, and I thought it was interesting to see the connection between the drive for these power dynamics and subjective experiences. I love how this author takes romance a step further with lots of emotional depth.

2. Once Upon a Winter's Eve (Spindle Cove #1.5) by Tessa Dare, 120p: This a novella in the Spindle Cove series and I thought it was okay. It a second chance type romance between with an identity mystery that is quickly revealed (and obvious!) in the book. I didn't like that the male character (Christian) felt so entitled to her (Violet) and initially ignored her feelings.

3. The Vor Game (Vorkosigan Saga (Publication Order) #6) by Lois McMaster Bujold, 346p: Another one in the Vorkosigan series that is super fun to read. It's a mix of great fast paced writing, absurdly fun plots, and excellent character development. Miles Vorkosigan is such an awesome character, I read this book because of him. He just can't help getting into trouble, even though he tries to stay away from it sometimes. In this one Miles is sent to a cold remote military base where he acts as the weather man, but of course shenanigans happen that gets him back at the center of political/military intrigues and the mercenary fleet he once was part of.  It's great fun full of twists and turns.

4. What Fresh Hell is This? Perimenopause, Menopause, Other Indignities, and You—a Guide by Heather Corinna, 332p: I enjoyed how the book maintained a light, humorous tone while still being honest and informative.  The chapters covering symptoms, issues, and expected changes were dense, requiring me to take breaks between reading sessions. It did feel a bit repetitive in the middle. But the author does an excellent job of explaining all the terms and concepts and being compassionate and thoughtful.  For anyone navigating perimenopause or menopause, the book can feel overwhelming at times. In summary, I loved the final message of the book which is to practice “extreme self-care”. All good advice in general: have a healthy diet, exercise, meditate, do yoga, journal, or engage in whatever makes you feel good. Simplify your life, reduce responsibilities, and communicate your experiences with those around you. It's not fun, but we will get to the other side. I felt seen and the book helped me let go of preconceptions about this phase of life.

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Post 78/100 of 100DaysToOffload challenge (Round 2)!

#100DaysToOffload #100Days #readinglist #books #reading

Prayers, etc.: * 04:30 – Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel * 06:00 – praying The Angelus * 07:10 – praying the Joyful Mysteries of the Traditional Holy Rosary in English, followed by the Memorare. * 07:30 – making an Act of Contrition then making an Act of Spiritual Communion, followed by praying Archbishop Vigano’s prayer for USA & President Trump. * 07:45 – Readings from today's Mass include – Lesson: 3 Kings 3:16-28 and Gospel: John 2:13-25. * 08:00 – Today's Morning Devotion (Psalm 50) as found in Benedictus Magazine, followed by the Canticle of Zacharius (Lk 1:68-79). * 09:10 – Thought for today from Archbishop Lefebvre: We have to examine ourselves to know in what sector of our activity we are not masters of ourselves. And we can notice it when we do things that are against the will of God. Sometimes, unfortunately, those things are by our own consent. * 12:00 – praying The Angelus * 13:30 – prayerfully reading The Athanasian Creed, * 18:00 – praying The Angelus, followed by today's Evening Devotion, (Psalm 120), as found in Benedictus Magazine, followed by the Magnificat: Luke 1:46-55. * 19:00 – praying the hour of Compline for tonight according to the Traditional Pre-Vatican II Divine Office, followed by Fr. Chad Ripperger's Prayer of Command to protect my family, my sons, my daughter and her family, my granddaughters and their families, my great grandchildren, and everyone for whom I have responsibility from any demonic activity. – And that followed by the Monday Prayers of the Association of the Auxilium Christianorum.

Health Metrics: * bw= 223.0 lbs. * bp= 148/89 (63)

Diet: * 06:10 – bowl of oatmeal and raisins * 07:00 – 1 fresh banana, several HEB Bakery cookies * 09:45 – garden salad * 11:10 – snacking on crackers and peanut butter * 15:30 – bowl of cooked meat and vegetables, white bread

Chores, etc.: * 05:00 – listen to local news talk radio * 05:40 – bank accounts activity monitored * 08:30 -follow news from various sources * 09:30 – start my weekly laundry * 13:45 – listening to relaxing music while folding laundry * 17:00 – tuned into the Texas Rangers Pregame Show ahead of their game tonight with the Cincinnati Reds

Chess: * 09:40 – moved in all pending CC games

posted Monday, 2025-03-31 ~20:00 #DLMAR2025