Torchlight II

Here we see Yuki_Senpai some weeks ago as a level eighty-something Embermage, dual-wielding wands and taking in the vista at a scenic overlook in the Temple Steppes outside of the Estherian Enclave in the universe of Torchlight II.

One of the endearing things about T2 is that it still runs on my not-so-new laptop. Another endearing thing is I get to kill monsters. The monsters are all very unambiguously Bad Guys. My character is the hero saving this world from the tyrannical ambitions of the Evil Overlord. 

I try not to think too much about the number of hours I have spent playing various characters over the last -- oh about eight years? -- on three computers? Judge not.

Some people play Bunco. Some people go to the Spa. I blow up monsters. It refreshes the soul. You may call it habit forming, but at least it's completely free of sugar or alcohol!

The Dark of the Moon

 New Moon is Saturday, 12 Aug 2026 10:37 AM, PDT.

Why does it matter? The brain is mostly water, you know. So whether you live near saltwater coasts or not, the pull of sun and moon at New Moon time affects us all more than we would like to admit. At least that's what I tell myself. Brain Tides. You have been warned. 

Also, it's going to be extra dark in the dungeons the next couple of nights, so take extra torches or brush up on your Lumos spell. Stay safe, adventurers!

Nine Eleven after 25 years

Yes I remember exactly where I was when I heard a plane had hit one of the World Trade Center towers. News about the attack flowed out. Much of the horror only came before my eyes in the following days.

More than two hundred of the people in the no-exit top floors of the World Trade Center decided to jump to their deaths rather than suffocate or be burned alive.

The death cult that continues to perpetrate terror attacks (you know the one I mean) delenda est. Hopefully the elimination of that evil will not take the 1200 years or so that it took to get to this point. But I feel like our response in these past twenty-five years has been much too soft. 

No Nutmeggy Anything Please

The-Whiteboard.com is a web comic I have followed since way back when it was in black and white! 

In this frame Pirta (the snow leopard) is at the coffee shop run by Cara (the polar bear). Pirta's order for plain black coffee is what prompts Cara's question. 

Oh how I can relate to that rejection of "Pumpkin Spice" season! Pumpkin spice should be reserved to pumpkin pie. Even the pie should remain forever free of nutmeg!

How does my garden grow?

One of the healthiest plants I see around Casa Crowndot is spurge.

The Euphorbia genus is one of the most prolific and successful kinds of plants on Earth. They grow just about everywhere -- at in my yard.

It's frustrating: when I try to grow the more glamorous (to me -- can I help it that I like thorns?) varieties of Euphorbia, they end up dead. But the ones that plant themselves? Thriving. Simply thriving. Even in the heat!

My body is trying to kill me.

In diverse ways. For years. Sometimes the world really is trying to kill me -- like in a near-miss traffic situation. What happens is, once I am well and truly out of that situation, the stress-response hormone (adrenalin?) kicks in, and the brain and gland chemical firehose starts going full blast, with all the secondary symptoms of pulse and blood pressure and probably a headache. Not fun. I would much rather the world just left me alone. 

I'm Retired, Don't Bug Me

When I don't feel up to anything else, I play. On my phone. 

Spider Solitaire (one suit).

Or Freecell (I'm getting better at that one).

Or crossword puzzles.

I guess we'll see, won't we, whether this activity helps keep my brain from aging. Or whether this activity is a sign that it's already too late!  😅