Tag Archives: history

A Few Short Reviews – Pharaohs, Expanse, Unlocked and Murderbot!

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Fraser

Unlocked This espionage/thriller was spoiled by really weak writing. Director Michael Apted is a seasoned professional, and the performances here are all solid, but the bedrock just isn’t solid. This has a conspiracy plot that does not bear any level … Continue reading →

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Bushido or Bushidon’t

Posted on May 12, 2018 by Fraser

In the last post I made a comment about how the bushido code wasn’t actually used by the samurai when they were warriors. This is the post where I actually back that up to the best of my ability. While … Continue reading →

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Status Quo? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Status Quo!

Posted on April 15, 2018 by Fraser

Please be warned, this is kind of a political rant – not about current politics – that is long and tedious. Basically, in my games, I ignore the political status quo in fantasy and historical games because doing so would … Continue reading →

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One For Thebes

Posted on December 4, 2017 by Fraser

A recent In Our Time episode, Melvyn Bragg and his guests discussed the Greek city-state of Thebes. There were a couple of points that really piqued my interest – Thebes position in the centre of Greece and its alliance with … Continue reading →

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Marco Polo (Season One)

Posted on July 11, 2017 by Fraser

I’ve just finished season one of Marco Polo on Netflix and I have to admit to quite enjoying it. That “I have to admit” is mostly for myself, as I watched the first two episodes about a year ago when … Continue reading →

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Artist as Protagonist

Posted on April 11, 2017 by Fraser

A recent episode of In Our Time focused on the Japanese artist Hokusai, and the discussion turned to Japan at the time and Hokusai’s place in both the artistic community and the politics of the time – he apparently had … Continue reading →

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The Tiger

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Fraser

I am always thankful for the relatively good number of Korean films and TV series Netflix Canada has to offer. When I saw The Tiger had arrived, a 2015 movie with one of Korea’s best actors – Choi Min-Sik – … Continue reading →

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Emperors of Rome

Posted on April 13, 2016 by Fraser

I’m not only an intermittent podcast host, I’m also a regular listener to podcasts. I actually don’t listen to many gaming podcasts – I find that when I’m not getting my fill of gaming, I listen to them a lot … Continue reading →

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How I Messed Up Nefertiti Overdrive

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Fraser

Just after I put out the Quickstart rules for Nefertiti Overdrive, I had a discussion with a respected game designer regarding the characters. He was very unhappy with what he saw as an exclusion of Africa in a game set … Continue reading →

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A Kim Jong-Il Production

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Fraser

In case you didn’t know, I lived for three and a half years in South Korea. It’s where I met my wife. It’s my second home, and I feel more comfortable there than I do in most other places. I have … Continue reading →

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