Farewell to Comments

 “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”

— Epictetus

Frequent readers know I’ve often wondered whether it’s worth my time and effort to continue posting at Hobby Games Recce. I have far too many stressors in my life, along with personal demons, constantly urging me to give it up. I’m a stubborn old curmudgeon, so I’ve held on this long...and probably will for a little while longer, at least. Positive interactions with readers always give me a sense of fulfillment, that this is all worth it, even in little ways. Most of those engagements occur in my online social media presences — Bluesky and the Mastodon instance Dicecamp — and only occasionally in the blog’s actual comments section. I still cherish the infrequent comment here, but lately most finding their way into my comment moderation interface are spam. Initially they were blatant spam, but now they’re more cleverly disguised as vague if incorrect references to old posts with some link to a site they’re promoting. We get enough spam in our e-mails and web surfing...I don’t want to allow it here...even if it means diverting authentic comments elsewhere.

Watch, Read, Play: French & Indian War

 “Fathers, both you and the English are white, we live in a Country between; therefore the Land belongs to neither one nor t’other.”

— Chief Tanaghrisson

French and Indian War provincial militia
re-enactors march forth at Fort Frederick.

I don’t expect many Americans to have much familiarity with the French and Indian War (1754–1763); Europeans might know it as one theater in the larger Seven Years War (1756–1763) which some historians consider the first true “world war.” It’s an interesting period in American colonial history. Major European powers continue to stake claims to lands in the New World, with the British and French clashing primarily on the frontiers in New England and the mid-Atlantic. British colonists remain subject to the crown, yet, being separated from their governing body by several months’ treacherous voyage over the ocean, have cultivated a sense of self-sufficiency bordering on entitled independence. Over my years of reading and playing games about it, I’ve come to realize it sets up many of the issues over which Americans fought for their independence from Great Britain and highlights many issues we still face. One can more easily investigate the French and Indian War through movies, books, and games to gain a greater understanding of the conflict’s many aspects and outcomes that influenced the American War of Independence...and beyond.

Back-to-School Estimation

 “I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.”

— Winston Churchill

My son returned to public school today, a constant gripe given the swampy weather and the lack of adequate environmental air handling in his school. So I offer apologies to regular readers; this piece is a bit more self-centered, having been pulled together late, after several false starts on other topics, and having dealt with several days of frantic back-to-school activities. Part of my deep mental programming still views the start of the academic year in the “autumn” as a time of new beginnings, new routines, and new goals, unlike my ever-growing disdain for personal re-evaluation and re-dedication to often unattainable ideals during the New Year’s holiday in mid-winter. In trying to organize my adventure gaming efforts, I look to projects foremost in my mind develop toward more refined forms worthy of sharing.