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

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.

Porg chart

If you share my fondness for the golden age of text adventures and haven't yet made the acquaintance of "The Classic Adventurer" magazine, then ya totally should. It's available as a free .PDF, so even if you're as broke as a joke (happens to us all), there's no excuse not to do so. I've loved every ish.

https://classicadventurer.co.uk/

French Perth

Finished "Hello, World!", now reading this.

Publisher's blurb:

"For more than a decade, John Nathan-Turner, or 'JN-T' as he was often known, was in charge of every major artistic and practical decision affecting Doctor Who, the world’s longest-running science fiction programme.

"Richard Marson brings his dramatic, farcical, sometimes scandalous, often moving story to life with the benefit of his own inside knowledge and the fruits of more than 100 revealing interviews with key friends and colleagues, from those John loved to those from whom he became estranged.

"The author has also had access to all of Nathan-Turner’s surviving archive of paperwork and photos, many of which appear here for the very first time."

Washing soap with other soap

This was ace. Watched a pro play through it.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2957720/Neon_Inferno/

This is ace-er. Eloquent high-concept history.

Am digging NRLW Magic Round. Nothing else to report, sir/madam.