Patrick W. Reed

a propos earlier convs about how some readers insist books must be first person, I was just checking something on Goodreads and someone's left a comment on one of my reviews saying "may I ask before I purchase - is the book in 1st person?"

It's a scholarly biography of Edward I.

...list of facts that anyone can put online, and so there's still fun to be had from playing and replaying the game itself, but use it as a means to teach people research skills and have fun doing it.

I sound like Peter Molyneux discovering edutainment, and this has probably been done, hasn't it?

...memorising of facts, if it actually required the player going off and doing independent research outside of the game - that feels more genuinely educationally useful. Still make the clues about the culprit's identity tied to the game, and somewhat randomised, so it doesn't default to being a...

I have, for some reason, been playing the new Carmen Sandiego game. I think there's a market for this kind of game, solving mysteries using historical or geographical knowledge based on the location you're visiting, but rather than hiding the clues in the game and making it a matter of rote...

i will strangle a horse by BRAINMAGE A comedy twine-based choose-your-own-adventure game where it's your first day on The Farm, and you have One Job

I wrote a game! About attempting to strangle a horse! And dying of eg Spider Bumhead or Bonegone Horsefright! It's free! And VERY SILLY

brainmage.itch.io/i-will-stran...

George Hackenschmidt and French wife Rachel, lived in this house in South Norwood, London during the 1960's.

I have been trying to keep tabs on who the oldest active wrestlers are for a while now, so it's always good to see Chic. I would also dearly love to either ref or call a match for almost anybody on the list!

bsky.app/profile/patr...

Chic had heart surgery last year, so I'm not sure if he's still going now - he was booked against Sidney Bakabella for Create-A-Pro last month, but it doesn't look like the match happened. I hope we haven't seen the last of him in the ring, though!

Bit of a call out to fellow historians!

Anyone with suitable interest/expertise available on Monday and up for recording a podcast with me on "Rat Lines" - the post-war efforts to help Nazi's escape to South America and elsewhere?

Unfortunately my planned guest had to drop out #skystorians

yeah, I try and be pretty open-minded when it comes to "red flag" books, as it can all depend on context, but Sun Tsu screams "leather trenchcoat, sunglasses indoors, sword collection".

it's also probably worth nothing that neither book says what this bloke is saying. It's not a surprise that these people haven't even read the two books they pretend to have read, but what's funny is that they definitely imagine them to be impressive, hefty tomes, when they're both about 150 pages.

A reminder that neither The Art Of War or The Prince were intended as the genius tactical manuals that these chuds think they are, but basically as "Baby's First Book Of Tactics/Politics" for dumb royals with no real-life experience.

it's not even that it's politically naïve and lazy (though dressed up as being arch and well-informed), it's that it's essentially selfish. It's saying other issues - up to and including actual war and loss of life - don't matter as much as your pet grievance, the one thing that *really* matters.

MIKE TIDDIES

A grey hoodie with text which reads: “Buy a man eat fish, He day, teach fish man To a lifetime.”

Wise words

I think the language of "distractions" is one of the worst things to happen to political discourse in years. Not everything is an intentional distraction - in fact, very few things are - governments are just capable of being awful on multiple fronts, and more often than not are.

wow, it can almost get away with calling itself a London airport now!

Trade Unionists - add your name now Add your name to the trade union statement against the illegal war on Iran.

I've signed the trade union statement against the illegal war on Iran

Backed by 18 national organisations

Add your name > actionnetwork.org/forms/trade-...

#NoWarOnIran

If I had a nickel for every time Franz Ferdinand was involved in the precursor events of a world war, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird it happened twice

nothing has done more to remind me that it's Mother's Day coming up than the amount of emails I've received from shops I bought from three years ago asking if I want to not be reminded that it's Mother's Day coming up.

God, I miss her.

The three stages of anger.

J.G. BALLARD APOLOGY FORM To: From: Date: Reason for behavior: The media convinced me that the ultra-rich were normal human beings I didn't know that life and death are actual games for our drug-addled elites I miss consensus reality I don't know anything about UK sf I was jealous Mercury was in of him for retrograde hanging out with Michael Moorcock I will hereby respect the dystopian G.O.A.T. and I will NOT talk down on the future first-ballot Hall of Famer. imgflip.com

Reading the news today

Genuinely, a love letter to what the internet once was, and what a small cadre of dedicated lunatics are ensuring their tiny corner of the internet still is. A paean to just doing your own shit, not what best serves The Algorithm. A lesson to us all.

Two lines from the screenplay for Alan Bennett's "The Choral". They read; REVEREND CRABTREE "He's an atheist. That's why Leeds got rid of him". FYTTON "Well, there are atheists now. There's one in Bradford".

I think this might be the most Alan Bennett thing ever written.

It's a measured decision - there's a bigger show on Sunday, by trying to push through it tonight I might wear myself out more and not be up for that one. But it would be nice to go back to having a body that doesn't find "do two things in one weekend" an unattainable goal.

Long Covid is a bastard. I'm mostly fine these days, but it hit around 2pm and I was so exhausted I could have fallen asleep standing up. Had a nap, woke up at 4, had every intent of going to the EVE show tonight, so started getting ready to head out, but felt so tired and brain foggy I gave up.

I liked Brian Kendrick for it in the Cruiserweight Classic; constantly trapping people's arms under turnbuckle pads, or finding ways to tie them up in the ropes. Fit Finlay was good at it, too.