Is the stalemate rule stupid?

Further health concerns :-( Been playing "Yahtzee" to take my mind off my troubles. Sisters and I never owned it as kids. Genius design.

This 2014 documentary about the legal (and moral) fight for the largest, most intact T. rex skeleton ever unearthed is worth your time.

After that piss-poor tribute to Captain Britain, "Spider-Man #1000" was a 9/10. Didn't want it to end. Also didn't expect a yarn by Triple H.

What's your highest score on "Lady Bug"?

Had some health concerns today.

WBBL Season 12 commences Thurs, so I'm looking forward to that.

Apart from a gorgeous David Mack cover, the "Captain Britain" 50th-anniversary special was a disappointment, especially when the three tales inside were by stalwarts Claremont, Davis and Abnett. The interior art didn't wow me, either. The highlight was the essay in the back - and I normally hate text pages (that aren't letter columns) in comics.

MAGAZINES WOT I AM CURRENTLY READING

Eyelashes

Astounding win by Volk in Abu Dhabi in the wee hours. Maybe the best base for MMA is rugby league, haha. Seriously, though, "legend" almost doesn't do the bloke justice anymore.

Can't complain about Willis (France) winning the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final 2026, even if I was rooting for the two Korean gals in the Top 8. Enjoyed Zurich more than LA in '25. Breakout star of the event was Slayer (UK).

Rewatched Aussie scifi megaflop "The Time Guardian" (1987), starring Tom Burlinson and Carrie Fisher. It allegedly destroyed his career and, years later in an interview, she couldn't remember making it. Think: "Battlestar Galactica" meets "Wake In Fright", except sillier than that already sounds.

Read the GN below. Superb art, good story that had real heart. Only weakness was the vagueness around the new villainess Forger. I even liked the romantic interaction between Cats and Bats. Felt more cutely coupleish than cringe.

Unpaid spokesperson

The latest episode of the "Book Review" podcast from the "N/Y/T" is a beaut listen. Guest genre authors Leigh Bardugo and Paul Tremblay discuss their personal horror histories and suggest Halloween reads for various age groups/dispositions.

Saw this flick. Lee Miller was an American-born fashion model and socialite who took up artistic photography, then perhaps surprisingly became a frontline reporter in Europe during WW2, documenting important events and horrors of the war.

How's this for a premise?

Office guy on train finishes final chapter of serialised scifi novel he's been reading online for years. Each post from the author shows the number of views and, by this point, guy knows for a fact he's long been the only person still reading. Train suddenly stops, mighty demon appears, forces all humans present into horrible death game...just like in the novel. Only office guy is aware of what is "supposed" to happen next - and how it might be possible to survive it! 

Note: He's experiencing things from a slightly different angle to the book, because he's not the main character, which I think is very clever.

I shall be collecting the subsequent volumes.

Go climb a tree

COMIC COVER OF THE WEEK

By Brazilian champ Fabio Moon. It's like nostalgia viewed with ironic detachment. Or something. "Long tails and ears for hats!"

SONGS OF THE WEEK

* "Waiting Here" by Peach Fuzz (Australia) - rad dudes/dudette pictured below.

* "Khatun" by Bilguun (Mongolia)

* "Go Hard" by Meovv (Korea) - shoulda been on last Friday's list.

RANDOM TRPG REMINISCENCE

MG was in town, with a partner we'd not yet met. He asked if we could organise some tabletop role-playing as she was keen to try it. I ran a "D&D" 2E tournament module I'd written about a band of over-the-hill adventurers reuniting to tackle an eccentric vampire in his equally peculiar abode. It had been thoroughly play-tested and well received by all three previous groups. DB ran "Werewolf: The Apocalypse" 1E (with the claw marks in the cover). A ramshackle romp involving a polluted patch of land and shadowy figures out to kick our furry butts. Pretty sure he made it up on the spot. Guess which game MG's partner much preferred? <Sigh> To add further insult, the lady in question accused yours truly of stealing my castellan NPC from "Doctor Who". Me: "Nah, it's just an old-fashioned job title." Not that I'm bitter 30+ years later :-)

How many tatami mats?

RS2 and I rewatched "Trek 4" with sushi and a sixpack. I'd forgotten just how wacky it is...Kirk and co. travelling back and forward through time in a stolen Klingon Bird Of Prey to relocate a pair of humpback whales so as to pacify a never-explained, planet-threatening BDO.

Borrowed this coffee-table tome from the public library. An easy, interesting read. Precious natural/man-made sites on all continents endangered by everything from creeping sand to lost fortunes.

Viddied this. Not as good as the book, obvs, but what you lose in the learning and language departments is to an extent made up for by the wonderful performances - including that of the hawk. Warning: It's a bit of an emotional slog.

Only latterly discovered the existence of this manhwa sequel series. Not as good as the original, but it does scratch that "Solo Leveling" itch. Protagonist is powering up too quickly, IMCO.

After CM told me about a production of "Spamalot" he saw recently, I was prompted to dig out my official CD for a relisten. I'd forgotten that Tim Curry was part of the Broadway cast. I'm glad this musical exists.

Halfway through S3 of this heart-warming Japanese reality romance for oldies (a few of whom are younger than me, haha). Talk about chaos. I've never seen so many trips to hospital on a reality program. Studio host Becky remains the secret star - impossible to take your eyes off her.

On the off chance you care, pod "The Rest Is History" has done a four-part miniseries about the literary origin, themes, influence and murky historical connections of the legend of King Arthur.

Crouching yowie, hidden bunyip

BEER OF THE WEEK

Decent session brew from a dependable brewery. I tried a new alcoholic ginger beer as well (not made by Stone & Wood). Won't plug that as the taste's harsh and a single can induces a headache.

LATEST LEGO KIT

Scored this for $50 off the RRP. Surprisingly fun. Hefty! Besides the usual pink blocks, hidden inside is a teensy-weensy scene of an Imperial Star Destroyer chasing an Alderaanian cruiser. Seriously.

FINISHED THESE'UNS

Had been picking away at them for a while. A history of videogame near misses and a sci-fi comic saga from the mid-'80s. Both are flawed, but with sufficient highs that I don't regret reading either.