365 Things I Like @365-things-i-like - Tumblr Blog

Monster Madness is a card game based on some of the classic monsters from Dungeons & Dragons, but you don’t have to be a Level 16 Paladin to enjoy it. To start with you choose a character such as Hoots Magoots (Owlbear), Blorp (Gelatinous Cube) or Lord Cinderpuff (Dragon and CEO). This gives you a deck of card that gives you thematically appropriate ways to attack, defend and heal - last player standing wins. The gameplay is very quick to learn and balanced enough that even a total novice can win a round. This game is great for playing a few quick rounds to get everyone in the gaming mood.

#board game rec #monster madness #dnd

Wendy Cope - “The Orange”

At lunchtime I bought a huge orange — The size of it made us all laugh. I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave — They got quarters and I had a half.

And that orange, it made me so happy, As ordinary things often do Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park. This is peace and contentment. It’s new.

The rest of the day was quite easy. I did all the jobs on my list And enjoyed them and had some time over. I love you. I’m glad I exist.

I almost don’t want to comment on this poem, because to me it’s appeal is in its simplicity and straightforwardness. I’ll just say that it’s a good place to re-start my blogging project in 2021, because it’s the sort of happiness that I’m searching for this year.

#poem rec #wendy copeland #the orange

My favourite thing about ordering a bento box is that even if I choose the main ingredient (i.e. sashimi, teriaki beef) there’s almost always some mystery ingredient. What is this yellow stuff? What about the pink flakes? I have no idea and I love it.

The second favourite thing about ordering a bento box is when it’s obviously for two people but there’s only one of you, so you get lots and lots of leftovers.

#food rec #bento box

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are two minor characters in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. They appear only a few times, then are killed off screen, their demise marked by a single line in the last scene. Tom Stoppard chooses to write from the perspective of these two characters, who are called into existence to play a role in a story that they do not understand. The two spend their time in between scenes with Hamlet musing on the nature of their reality, on fiction, and on the very point of existence.

Tom Stoppard is known as a master of language, and the dialogue of this play is actually joyful to listen to. In fact, the two excellent actors in this film adaptation (Gary Oldman and Tim Roth) said that after they had finished filming scenes they would go back to their hotel and run through them again, just because it was so fun to perform.

Whether you watch the movie, see a live performance or read the script, you’ll find something to appreciate in this play.

#movie rec #rosencrantz and guildenstern are dead #tim roth #gary oldman

Collecting great names. So you don't have to.

This website collects the best names, and every year, they put their curated shortlist up for voting. Right now they’re down to the final two for 2018 - Jimbob Ghostkeeper and Dr Narwhals Mating. Who would you pick?

#name of the year #blog rec

Charlie Brooker is a cynical bastard. He’s also obsessed with the intersection of media and technology, as can be seen in his fictional series, Black Mirror. But before he was a big time screenwriter, he was a comic tearing apart the news, British tv, politics, reality shows and more. Check out his show on 2016 that I linked, and if you like it, there are plenty of other Charlie Brooker “Wipes” on youtube.

#video rec #charlie brooker

The Young Wizards series by Diane Duane knows its tropes. It starts with a young girl finding a magic book, becoming a wizard, making a friend, and joining the fight against the forces of evil. The reason I’m recommending it is that it has enough fresh ideas to prevent tropes from becoming clichés, plus some interesting philosophical questions along the way.

For example, the ‘Lone Power’ (the series version of the Devil) is the original cause of entropy, death, destruction, etc in the universe, and the wizards are sworn to fight against it. However, during the series the protagonists also learn that a total rejection of entropy also means rejecting the chance to grow and change - a philosophical quandary that becomes much more personal when Nita’s mother is diagnosed with cancer.

My favourite part of this series is when a wizard accidently creates a race of sentient robots. In most fiction, this is when Skynet starts to launch the missiles. In this book, the robots are aghast at the very idea. “Why would we want to kill humans? You’re our mother and we love you.”

If you have a preteen/teenager in your life, why not get them into the Young Wizards series and read along with them. And if you don’t... read them anyway!

#book rec #young wizards #diane duane

This recommendation is going to be even more niche than normal. It’s a comedy Dungeons & Dragons podcast!

For those of you who don’t know, Dungeons & Dragons (or DnD) is a game where people roleplay as certain characters in a fantasy world, while a dungeon master sets up scenarios for them to solve. However, it’s not anything goes - they have to roll dice to find out if their proposed actions succeed or fail.

This particular adventure is played by three brothers (Griffin, Justin and Travis) and their Dad (Clint). At one point in the first couple of episodes, Griffin introduces a character from the official materials called Sildar Hallwinter, which his family promptly mocks. So Griffin says “Fine, his name is Barry J Bluejeans” and at that point they throw out the rules and go with whatever is the most fun.

During their first campaign, the boys encounter murder mysteries, time loops, battle-wagon death matches, secret moon bases, The Grim Reaper, an evil game show, recovered memories and a world-devouring evil. At some point it stops being just about the goofs and starts being about the characters, and the friends and family they make along the way. If you can stick out the first rough few episodes you’ll find a good story with a lot of laughs and a few tears.

#podcast rec #the adventure zone #taz

Baz Luhrmann has directed some huge Hollywood blockbusters, like Moulin Rouge, Australia and The Great Gatsby. But in my opinion his greatest film is Strictly Ballroom, the story of two kids trying to win the Pan-Pacific Grand Prix Dancing Championship.

Ballroom dancing is about as far from stereotypically Australian as you can get, and yet this film is so, so Australian. Our protagonist, Scott, practises ballroom dancing in hot, dingy rooms in a suburban wasteland. The steps he’s supposed to dance are heavily proscribed and extremely lame, and he longs to do things his own way. He finds a partner in Fran, a wallflower who’s ignored in regular classes, but is willing to experiment and create. Scott also finds an oasis of culture and passion when he meets Fran’s family, who are immigrants from Spain.

This film has some of Luhrmann’s trademark surreality, but it also has a deep emotional heart, touching on family legacy, multiculturalism, and the bravery it takes to be yourself when society doesn’t have a place for you. In the history of Australian cinema, this is a must watch.

#movie rec #strictly ballroom #baz luhrmann

It's clinging to life drip-by-drip.

Humankind has created the problems that this tree is experiencing, but we’ve also come up with the solution.

#trees #blog rec

The Awkward Yeti is a webcomic about an awkward yeti, but also the internal struggles of all mankind - like the way our brain doesn’t do what we want it to do.

#webcomic rec #awkward yeti

Two civilisations are at war. Geralt wouldn’t care, except all those dead bodies are attracting the monsters that he is sworn to fight. Plus, his adopted daughter Ciri is missing and the soldiers keep getting in his way.

I haven’t finished the Witcher 3. However, I have played it for about 30 hours and I’m still very into it, so I feel safe recommending it. Some highlights:

The graphics and sound design work together really well to create atmosphere in the game, especially when you’re running through the forest on a windy night

Geralt has a dry sense of humour and turns into a total sap when he’s talking to children. This is a character I enjoy playing

The combat has a LOT of layers, but it’s not too complicated. As a filthy casual, I’ve gotten pretty far with cast shield>hit with sword>combat roll away

Sooooo many collectibles

I would recommend this game to fans of Skyrim and Mass Effect.

#video game rec #the witcher #witcher 3 #the wild hunt