PPPoddd rrreccc

Four parts, three available as I write. His life and career. Wonderful yesteryear anecdotes and nuggets of wisdom.

A garden of trees

LEGO KIT OF THE FORTNIGHT-PLUS

Great! Technic builds are more satisfying. The downside is they aren't as much of a stress reliever because you can't put as many brain ops into sleep mode. 

ANIME FILM OF THE...IT'S BEEN A WHILE

"Gintama: Yoshiwara In Flames" (2026) [Netflix]. Criminals, courtesans, close-quarters combat, crass and corny humour, and consistent chaos that carries you along to the curiously compassionate conclusion.

CURRENT AUDIOBOOK ON MY WALKS

(However, I'm taking it fairly easy at the mo'. Trudged too many kays in Sydders, often with a bag, and am still recovering from the negative effects :-( )

Two nights in Sydney

Read half of this. Like the later Adrian Mole diaries, when he's an only semi-successful adult and the joys of his youth aren't quite the same, it is bittersweet.

Met CM at his CBD workplace, so I could stash my bag. This was the first photo I took. I guess when JA became free, they blacked over that part. Long may he stay so!

I was craving potato wedges, so we went to the 3 Wise Monkeys pub. Served with the traditional sweet-chilli sauce and sour cream, they satisfied the hankering.

Next was the Nat. Maritime Museum, for the "Treasures Of The Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard" exhibition. I wanna steal the idea below for an RPG module!

Afterwards, cutting through the Entertainment Centre due to rain, we spotted this vending machine containing only high-vis vests. Wish I'd checked the price.

Bought a Pokemon card I "needed" from Pidoof, then we headed to gaming bar Fortress Sydney for a pint of the house lager in faux-Medieval surroundings.

Upstairs from FS is the JF. "S/T/O" is a video diary of a Japanese artist's journey to Cowra, site of an infamous WW2 POW uprising. We found it poetic and moving.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowra_breakout

I crashed at CM and AM's place for the two nights. Our first dinner was at a Chinese restaurant which recently opened in their street. I opted for a simple beef dish.

C. always has new figures. This fig of Motoko Kusanagi from "Ghost In The Shell" he 3D printed (using resin) and painted himself. Commercial quality, I reckon.

Because none of us had seen it, we sat through the following. Barely scifi and one of the worst movies ever made. Even so, LN's antics raised the odd chuckle.

On the second day, I arrived in Randwick an hour early for a medical appointment. Spent it on the campus of my former uni. This is their resident bilby sculpture.

Having gotten the thumbs up from my specialist, I ate a Subway sub. Then: WW1 postcards exhibition at the War Memorial. The librarian shared a few cool stories.

"Avatar: Forms Of Vishnu" at the Art Gallery Of NSW was impressively large and full of wonders, although it left me with more questions than it answered! 

I'd planned to spectate on park Chess at this point, but was too tired. Returned to the lads' joint. Dinner was Turkish fare at Sahara, Burwood, a past fave of mine.

With fancy ice-creams for dessert, we watched actual scifi (shorts) on the Dust channel on YouTube 'til it was time to call stumps. I trained it home the next morning.

Herkermer Homolka

COMIC COVER (& JOURNAL COVER) OF THE WEEK

Multiple names listed for "U/R/G", so I'll just say, "Well played, team." The "Totoro" cov is plush!

SONG OF THE WEEK

"Hugget I Sten" By Hugorm feat. Ghita Norby (Denmark).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qy0MSvuACY

Commended >>> "Voice" by The Oral Cigarettes (Japan), "I Can Feel Your Solar System" by R. Missing (US), "Candy Blue Magic Hole Flip Phone" cover/remix by Azikazin Magic World (South Korea).

RANDOM TRPG-RELATED REMINISCENCE OF THE WEEK

As a "D&D" nut in the '80s, you met a lot of adversarial DMs. Even good DMs didn't take much pushing to begin issuing dire warnings. There was a term for when a DM took a dislike to and repeatedly - unfairly - injured one PC: wandering damage. Like...they were the character the burly tavern bully targetted without cause or who triggered the swinging-blade trap despite being third in line or whose horse decided to buck them off when a group of kobolds approached. I remember once JH was DM-ing. He was annoyed with DP for some reason and had started to make things hard for his chara. Our party was in a city, so there didn't appear to be any imminent danger...then a literal giant began walking towards us. He seemed friendly, though - the cityfolk showed no signs of alarm. The giant walked over to D.'s PC, dropped trou and crapped on his head from above. "D&D" was a wild frontier in the '80s.

Citywide misting system

As someone with no knowledge of the case, I found the docofilm "Inside The Trustor Scandal", about a super-dodgy Swedish company takeover and cash siphon from the '90s, pretty fascinating. As you'd expect with high finance, most of those involved are unlikeable, but compellingly so. Don't switch off when the end credits roll - there's a little more to come...

Sherlock Holmes And The Suspicious Brown Stain

COMIC COVERS OF THE WEEK

"Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy #1" by ACO (Alex Cal Oliveira) is classic Vertigo.

Fine lines, fine lady from Nathan Szerdy for the front of "Justice League Unlimited #22". 

TRACK OF THE WEEK

"Deadtome" by Mgna Crrrta (US). Deliberately rough-edged yet dreamy electropop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grvRzqb1s9M

And, if I was still doing runners-up, "Net" is a beaut return to form for Otyken (Russia).

RANDOM TRPG-RELATED REMINISCENCE

This goes back to when I was running "D&D" on Saturday arvos at a local store. We were packing up for the day when one lass's dad arrived to collect her. She asked me if we could please keep playing for a bit so he could try the game. He seemed eager, too. I said, "Sorry, I can't stay, I've got some people from the 'Doctor Who' club coming over tonight." While that was true and there was a bus to be caught, I must have sounded like such a self-important nerd! I should have taken the time to explain I was moving house and the people in question were a nice young couple who were doing me a favour by taking a heap of gear I no longer wanted. Think before you speak, Addster.

Crabby patties

Is your Fantasy Premier League team ready for tomorrow? As usual, I decided I couldn't afford Erling Haaland. As usual, I'll likely regret not including the Norwegian ace.

Four-part series. Comes across like a mix of tourism-board hype, potted history and - believe it or don't - "Hitchhiker's Guide" entry. Truthfully, I'm watching for the excellent drone footage of ancient ruins.

Not the worst new Commander from "The Hobbit". Maybe a mite slow. The trick with Thranduil is finding the right ratio of legendary elves to the standard Sultai power cards.

Load-bearing property

The seven types of individual/group you encounter at the bottle bank:

1. SPONSORED SOT

This person, usually a ruddy-faced older gentleman, exclusively guzzles a particular brew, e.g. Tooheys Extra Dry, and brings numerous matching cartons of those to recycle - and nothing else.

2. CAR CLEANER

No trolley, box or bag. No preparation at all, in fact. Just an armful of receptacles gathered (and the straws removed) during an impromptu cleaning out of their messy vehicle in the car park.

3. FAMILY FRENZY

Parents and kids. Possibly a waggy-tailed dog. Much patient instructing of the younger members. Every possible sort of glass, metal, plastic and cardboard recyclable container used at home. 

4. EVENT EXTRAS

Industrial-strength plastic bags chockers with beer and soft-drink empties. There's no mucking around for these men/women in matching shirts, earning a bonus after their latest sporting fixture.

5. LONE LODGIST

They just now drank it and aren't too proud to recycle a single item and accept a voucher for a mere 10c. Means the next Coke or whatever will be cheaper, anyway. More common than ya think.

6. NEWBIE NIGEL/NIGELLA

This person has never been to the bottle bank before. They are a bit daunted and unsure of what goes where. They may ask for help, providing a chance to do your good deed for the day.

7. MIX MASTER

The opposite of the SPONSORED SOT, this saddo tries to buy a different beer, cider or soju every time they visit the grog shop. Well, at least the contents of my...er, their trolley are colourful.

Krudler

 
In a mysterious region known for spaceship-wrecks, Nine and Rose - voiced by Eccleston and Piper, not soundalikes - encounter a strange band of cartographer knights on a quest for a lost mapping vessel. When they find the legendary ship, though, its various systems are still operating and, far more surprisingly, a member of the original crew has survived the intervening centuries - but is now *desperate* to leave. "Dark Tides" is atmospheric, fast-paced and doesn't let up. I've already listened to it twice since purchase. The characterisations of The Doctor and Ms Tyler are spot on, with both given some suitably amusing lines. As for negatives...I'll simply say there are connections and developments rather similar to those in previous Big Finish audios. Considering BF have produced THOUSANDS of tales, those familiar elements can probs be forgiven.

The knight's tour guide

A shy, insecure NEET learns how to move forward in life after joining a baking club full of thoroughly nice chaps and chapettes. On a deeper level, this manga-ish GN is about mental hardship, the difficulty of sharing your feelings and the importance of emotional support. It's sweet and sad, but mostly sweet. Contains baking recipes with instructions. Packs a lot into its 132 pages. There's a long wordless sequence that works very well. Deserves to be mentioned alongside other worthy UK titles like "The Nao Of Brown".

Bottle frog

Picked up this dice-rolling game for cheap. 2-4 Hobbits race to reach Mordor and chuck the One Ring into the volcano-bin. Orcs may - probably will - slow 'em down. The Nazgul might - again, probably will - outright stop them. Good ol' Gandalf could provide help along the way. There are a couple of other variables and a few optional advanced rules (which I like), but that's the gist. There's only a small amount of skill involved, with things mainly hinging on the luck of the re/rolls. My friend SC would hate it. Indeed, I don't love it as, in 2P mode at least, it feels unfair. Perhaps I'm just unlucky! "Journey" clearly has its fans online, and I've seen photos where peeps have enhanced the play experience with fancy counters or appropriate miniatures.

Space corridors

"You needed them coming out of the waves, or out of the caves. You didn't need them walking slowly down a white, futuristic corridor."

"The [Nabataean] king holds many drinking bouts in magnificent style, but no-one drinks more than 11 cupfuls, each time using a different golden cup. The king is so democratic that, in addition to serving himself, he sometimes even serves the rest."

"Unless you have a viral short story in 'The New Yorker', you don't get to do a short-story collection."

"In 1888, in the period when the Ripper Murders took place, there was another series of killings in London known as the Thames Torso Murders or the Thames Torso Mystery and that's not been solved, either."

"You look at them now and they're really quite dull. You've got silly character classes that you'd never use, and quite staid dungeons and monsters."

Who opened their coat?

COMIC COVER OF THE WEEK

"Vampyrates! #2" by Rebeca Puebla (with one "c"). Can't resist a female pirate. Simple as that.

SONG OF THE WEEK

"4.3 Forty" by Knox. Earworm warning! Ultra-catchy pop-rock. He falls for a track star, she runs from commitment. (Or from over-commitment, depending on your perspective.) BTW, a 4.3-second 40-yard sprint would be close to record pace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQMX92qh7U0

RANDOM TRPG REMINISCENCE

Our DM wanted to try running "Call Of Cthulhu" for a subset of our large "D&D" group. I was among the chosen. Instead of meeting at his place, the venue was the family home of one of the gals. My abiding memory is of how rich the house felt. One or both of her parents were doctors. Lovely furniture and art. The coffee table sported hardcovers about Hieronymus Bosch and whatnot (a cliche, I know). Couldn't tell you what happened in the "C/O/C" adventure...although I do recall playing a Roman Catholic priest named Father Nick Scathe. Was unduly proud of that character.

Yesterday was a completely ordinary Wednesday

I ate a bakery vanilla slice that was beyond compare, admired an immaculate dark-red Triumph TR7 in the wild, narrowly avoided being caught in a hailstorm, seriously researched/discussed doing a Master's Degree, and finished that JNT biography, moving on to new prequel "Red Dwarf: Titan". Also started watching Season 34 of "The Ultimate Fighter".

Today was a completely ordinary Thursday.

Tear your breadroll

I'd like to report a murder. It's not often you witness a team score three hungee. Warwick's curious foursome didn't even seem to be trying that hard. Your hero answered 19 right while playing along at home, drinking red wine. I know a fair amount of trivia, but the only thing I know about Warwick Uni is that its female rowing squad used to produce "shy nude" (naughty bits hidden) calendars to raise money for charity. I even bought a couple.

When I began my BA in 1991, there were two ladies in their 60s in our first-year cohort. They were friends and went all the way through the degree together. How cool is that? A mate who's semi-retired told me he wouldn't mind going to TAFE and studying electrical engineering, just to be able to apply the knowledge and expertise to his own projects (he's always making rad stuff). I'd offer to join him, but it's not an area of interest to me.

I'll be at my original home-town university tomorrow. Our car gets its annual service at a garage within walking distance of the campus, so as in past years, I'll wander over there, eat lunch from a cafe or food truck, then read a book in the library until a mechanic messages me to say the Ford is ready. I've missed the place ever since I left. Happiest time of my life. Shoulda done a PhD and gone into academia, except I was sick of being poor.

Portal to transcendent meaning

BEER OF THE WEEK

Nice. Need more info? It's NOT not nice. "Nomikai" means drinking party, which I'm sure is just as much of a thing in Hawthorn (from where it originates) as Tokyo.

DOCUMENTARY DU JOUR

Despite having lived through nearly the whole history of "MTG" from late '93 - we even played for ante for a while - it was good to have some stories clarified and see archival material I never had before. The doco grew less interesting as it travelled towards the present day, though. Could probs have been cut down to 90 minutes.

Elemental plane of paper

What about that Wallabies vs Japan match?! I'm curious to see how the "Brave Blossoms" do in the return fixture here next weekend.

PG gifted me this 376-page (15-issue) HC GN about the relationship between a male human and a female android. It's an atypical "sexbot" yarn in that he doesn't seek her out, and there are no moments of cringe comedy or gross titillation. Barely any action sequences, either. In fact, it's almost entirely mature, believable conversations. It isn't about what Ada is like in bed; it's about what she's like in her head. Quite the best comics I have read in years.

The Rotten Tomatoes score for this flick of 31% is way too low. Even the IMDb average of 5.6 is probably unfair. If you can accept the "Twilight Zone"-style setup of occupants being magically sealed into their homes (while still having fresh air, water and power), then committed performances from a likeable cast make it an engrossing survival tale that goes further than you might anticipate. There is the odd cliche, e.g. Why is it always the young daughter of the family who spots the beasties when no-one else can? I'd have ditched the intrusive narration. And I couldn't fully buy the ending or the epilogue. But all of those criticisms aside, I don't regret taking the journey. It's definitely one of those crazy crisis scenarios that makes you stop and ponder, "What would *I* do?"

Minibar madness

The amusing/tender scenes are fine. And Malta is cool. The criminal mystery is lame.

Made a Brawl deck using this guy that works OK. Lots of annoying tapping and bouncing.

Podcast rec! Perfect 10ish-minute explications of 197 (so far) vintage skiffy novels.

Bench-pressing cotton buds

COMIC COVER OF THE WEEK

"Clayface: Celebrity Dirt #2" by Mike Del Mundo. No affection for the character. Zero interest in the movie. Nevertheless, this cov is clever and impactful.

SONG OF THE WEEK

"Part Of Time" by Nerd Connection (Korea)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-R9yzWN_Js

B/G I'M PLAYING TONIGHT WITH BUDS

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/342942/ark-nova

ALSO EYEBALLING

"The Traitors - Oz" S3. Ever looked at the main Wikipedia entry and seen how many countries have done or are doing a version of this show? So many!

Bingo mansu

Quote: A director’s cut of the film, titled “The X-Files: I Want to Believe - Vrach Frankenshteyn”, which will restore horror elements that were previously removed, is set for release on Hulu on August 14, 2026.

Metre eaters

I'm constantly searching for the next "Solo Leveling". "Tomb Raider King" isn't it. However, there are enough thematic similarities to make it comfortably familiar, and sufficient structural differences and unanswered questions to have me mildly intrigued. On the downside, there's an undercurrent of anti-foreign sentiment and - four episodes in - main man Seo Joo-Heon's behaviour is often far from heroic. The centrality of legendary artifacts to the story brought to mind Aussie TRPG "Relics" (RIP, SD). Will stick with it for now. Also: 21 correct while armchairing "U/C".

Inquisitive acquisitiveness

Binged in full! Honestly, I'd tune in to see Professor Alice catch a courtesy bus to a bowlo. 

BEER OF THE WEEK

Sixer for $12. More flavour than some blondes. More even than some brunettes and redheads.

TESTED THIS COMMANDER

The deck ended up being a fairly typical U/W value pile with a sprinkling of equipment. Ho-hum.