Image

Mithology.org

Random Musings of a Wandering Web Wizard

Author Archives: Mithrandir

The Grizzled

/ / Leave a comment

The Grizzled is a cooperative card game, designed by Fabien Riffaud and Juan Rodriguez, and published by Cool Mini or Not. 2-5 players become a band of soldiers trying to survive the horrors the trenches of World War I. You win or lose together.

 

—The Basics—The-Grizzled-Header

Each player selects one of six soldiers, each with their own unique “good luck charm” to help protect them from one of the horrors of war. Cards are divided into two face-down decks. One deck is placed on top of the dove card, and represents the trials that must be faced before the war is over. The other deck is placed on top of the monument card, and represents your team’s morale. If morale is exhausted (all cards in that deck depleated, revealing the monument card, your team didn’t survive to see the end of the war. The players are also given a number of support tokens, which give them the opportunity to help each other remove adverse conditions, or recharge their good luck charms.

During each mission, players take turns playing cards from their hand, either to advance the mission, or to apply negative “hard knock” cards on themselves. Having three trials of the same type in play causes the mission to fail. At the end of the mission, if the war is not yet over, the team’s morale drops. A number of cards will be removed from the morale deck and placed on the trial deck. The goal is to empty the trial deck, revealing the dove card, and have no cards remaining in players’ hands before the morale deck is depleted.

 

—Impressions—

The Grizzled is a game that feels more like it’s playing you – but in this case, in a very good way.  The game feels very thematic, despite the simplicity of design. It’s easy to become immersed in the aesthetics and really FEEL like you’re facing insurmountable odds and terrible conditions. The artwork certainly contributes to this.

The-Grizzled-02-Poilus-en-piedYou’ll agonize over which card to play, as you’re often in a position of chosing the lesser of multiple evils. Just as you think you have a strategy figured out, someone else will play a card that completely wrecks your plans. Do you risk a mission failure by playing a particular card? Or do you instead withdraw, knowing that NOT playing that card means that the morale drop at the end of the round will be worse because of it? And you make that decision on your own, as communication between players is limited.

The Grizzled is an emotive game, particularly when you understand that some of the soldiers represented in it are not only real people who fought in the Great War, but are the ancestors of the people who made the game. And the artist, Tignous, was one of the victims killed in the Charlie Hebdo shooting early in 2015. This, coupled with the theme, gives this game WEIGHT. It may be a light coop game, but it feels much heavier than that.

You’re not trying to take out machine gun nests or slaughter enemy squads. You’re just a band of brothers trying to survive until the end. And it isn’t easy. This is a very challenging game.

 

—Verdict—

This is a fantastic little game that will be getting a lot of playtime at my house.  Even the young teen players in our regular group enjoy this, despite the fact that it’s more mood than action.  I’d recommend this to most of my gaming friends.

 

—External Resources—

 

Standing with Phil – a Lesson in Hypocrisy

/ / Leave a comment
phil

Somebody needs a lesson in what “freedom of speech” really means.

Social media has been exploding today over news that Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson has been fired from that show by A&E over comments that he made in GQ Magazine.  I couldn’t really care less about the show, as I’ve never watched a single episode of it.  Frankly, anything that delivers a blow to reality television is a step in the right direction in my book.  The problem that I have with this issue is the hypocrisy by many of those who are crying out in support of Phil.  Just a year ago, the same people were quick to come to the defense of Chick-Fil-A, on the grounds that a company has the right to take a values-based stance, and act according to those values.  This was apparently OK, so long as that stance was anti-gay.  Now when A&E makes a stand based on its values, it’s suddenly persecution and an attack on free speech.

Let’s examine the two situations.

Situation 1:
In the summer of 2012, a highly visible employee (Dan T. Cathey, COO) of a publicly incorporated business entity (Chick-Fil-A) made several comments in the public media (The Ken Coleman Show, and others) regarding his personal opinions on homosexuality and same-sex marriage.

Corporate action and public response:
Chick-Fil-A chose not to take employment action against Mr. Cathey, because his statements were consistent with that corporation’s values. A public backlash against the company followed, which included organized boycots.

My observations on Situation 1:
I heard a LOT of people publicy decrying these boycots. The prevailing sentimet was, “This company has a right to its values, and shouldn’t be publicly humiliated for taking a values-based stand.”
————-

Situation 2:
In December of 2013, a highly visible employee (Phil Robertson, reality TV star) of a publicly incorporated business entity (A&E Network) made comments in the public media (GQ magazine) regarding his personal opinions on homosexuality and same-sex marriage.  Now go back and read “Situation 1” above.  The only difference is the names.

Corporate action and public response:
A&E Network chose to place Mr. Robertson on hiatus, stating that the comments that he made were not consistent with their corporation’s values. The public backlast has been swift and strong, condemning A&E for taking action against Mr. Robertson, and accusing them of violating his right to free speech (a patently ridiculous claim, but the subject of a wholely different rant).

My observations on Situation 1:
So far, it has been my observation that the exact same people who supported Chick-Fil-A, on the grounds that the company was entitled to take a values-based stance have been the ones who have condemned A&E for doing the exact same thing.

————-
So a factual analysis shows that the situations were virtually identical. The main difference is in what action the employing corporation took. Both took action consistent with their corporate values, which were at variance with each other. The only substantive difference is this: Chick-Fil-A’s values were “anti-gay,” while A&E’s values are supportive of homosexuals.

Personally, I don’t care if someone is pro-gay, anti-gay, or doesn’t really give a damn either way. I’m just completely fed up with the hypocrisy of using an argument when it justifies one’s own cause, then taking the opposite argument when it is in conflict with that cause. While I will concede that everyone is entitled to their own conflicting justifications – I am also entitled to call them on their bullshit when they do so…and I’ll gladly accept the consequences of that opinion.

Vinyl Re-Wind: New York – R.I.P. Lou Reed (1942-2013)

/ / Leave a comment

Artist: Lou ReedLou-reed
Album: New York (1989)
Favorite song: Last Great American Whale

Rating: 4.0 Stars (4.0 / 5)

Thoughts:  Necessary disclosure – I’m not a really huge Lou Reed fan.  He falls into that category of artists who I recognize as having immense talent, and who I respect for their immense influence on music, but who don’t often make it into my playlist.  I’d have certainly gotten around to doing a write-up on this album eventually, but felt the need to bump it up.  Lou Reed died today.

I own two of his solo albums:  New York and The Blue Mask.  Of the two, I’m much more fond of New York.  The Blue Mask marks the end of an era for Lou Reed, as he closed the door on the indulgent style of his Velvet Underground period, and the decade that followed their breakup.  You can feel the similarity between the tracks on The Blue Mask and earlier VU material, but they all failed to reach that bar for me.  Even the cover is basically copied from his earlier album Transformer.

New York, on the other hand, is much more polished…more composed.  It retains the lyrical poetry that had become Reed’s signature, but feels more produced than simply recorded.  Thematically, New York still packs the kind of socio-political commentary that you’d expect from a Lou Reed album, but it’s a more mature Lou, one mellowed by almost a decade of marriage.  And he’s still thumbing his nose at established norms, including a false start on the very first track, “Romeo Had Juliette.”  “Halloween Parade” recalls Lou’s previous solo hit – “Take a Walk on the Wild Side.”  “Endless Cycle” has a strong country feel, while the following “There is No Time” sounds like pure 80’s pop-rock.  My personal favorite though is “Last Great American Whale,” which I can’t help but compare to Syd Barret’s “Effervescing Elephant.”

It’s simply the best of Lou’s solo albums.

Bottom line:  if you aren’t familiar with Lou Reed’s solo work, this is probably the place to start.

But while I’ve admitted that I’m not a huge fan of his solo work, I will always cherish Lou Reed for The Velvet Underground & Nico.  It’s impossible to overstate the impact of that record on rock music.  That album gets more playtime than the two solo records combined, times 10.  It’s haunting.  I can’t count the hours that were spent in my late teens listening to that with my friends (unfortunately on CD rather than vinyl).   For that, if for nothing else, thank you Lou – and God speed.

Album Art:  The cover of this album is a simple black & whit photo of Lou Reed standing in front of a brick wall.  Lou is shown in several poses, composited together to give the appearance that he is in a small crowd, made up entirely of copies of himself.  It’s nothing like the stark pop-art album covers from his VU and earlier solo works, again reinforcing that this is not the Lou Reed you’ve been listening to for the past 20 years.  The reverse side shows the track listing over the same brick wall, the graffiti now clearly visible.

 

————–Side 1————–

  1. “Romeo Had Juliette”
  2. “Halloween Parade”
  3. “Dirty Blvd.”
  4. “Endless Cycle”
  5. “There Is No Time”
  6. “Last Great American Whale”
  7. “Beginning of a Great Adventure” (Reed, Mike Rathke)

 

————–Side 2————–

  1. “Busload of Faith”
  2. “Sick of You”
  3. “Hold On”
  4. “Good Evening Mr. Waldheim”
  5. “Xmas in February”
  6. “Strawman”
  7. “Dime Store Mystery”

 

**All songs written by Lou Reed, unless otherwise noted**

Vinyl Re-Wind: Guitar Town

/ / Leave a comment

Artist: Steve Earleguitar-town
Album: Guitar Town (1986)
Favorite song: Guitar Town

Rating: 4 Stars (4 / 5)

Thoughts:  I bought a LOT of music in the early 1990’s.  I was in college, and living in the dorm across the street from Cut Corner Records in Lexington, KY.  They sold a lot of used stuff there, and had a large selection of used vinyl in their “Record Cellar,” – much of it for $1 or less.  I had grown up on a steady diet of classic country music (around my house, it was mostly Johnny Cash and Loretta Lynn), only discovering other genres as a young teen.  I was guided in this discovery mostly by the emerging college radio scene, and Rolling Stone magazine.  Armed with copies of their Top 100 albums list (two lists:  the 1980’s and all time), my friends and I would pick through these used records, trying to gather as many as we could afford.  This is how I came to own a copy of Guitar Town by Steve Earle, which was #79 on the 1980’s list.

Of course, being from a country home, I was familiar with the title track on Earle’s debut album.  “Guitar Town” had been a top 10 hit for the breakout performer in 1986.  Earle manages to craft an album that can legitimately be considered “country-rock,” as opposed to the many, many acts who are country in name only, churning out thinly-veiled pop.  The rest of the album is just as gritty.  Earle’s songs are grounded, honest narratives, full of the blues and twangy country.  This is roots music.  And it’s pretty damn good.

I mean, just listen to this.

Lyrically, this song is simply amazing.  He invokes the spirit of Hank Williams with his reference to the “lost highway.”  The bridge is so catchy, I still find it popping into my head after all these years:

Hey pretty baby don’t you know it ain’t my fault
I love to hear the steel belts hummin’ on the asphalt

And again in the final verse, the strong visual takes you right up on that honkeytonk stage with Steve:

But when my boots hit the boards I’m a brand new man
With my back to the riser I make my stand

But Guitar Town is much more than its title track.  “Hillbilly Highway” pairs great with that hit tune, continuing the theme of traveling on a long journey to the big city, trying to hit it big.  Earle was really writing about what he knew.  Another favorite of mine is the last song on side 1 – “My Old Friend the Blues.”  This is classic cryin’ in your beer country, and I absolutely love it.  This is simply one amazing country debut album.  In fact, it would probably have been the best first country record that year – if not for Lyle Lovett’s eponymous album.

In more recent years, Earle has garnered a lot of negative attention for his songs and political statements regarding everything from the war on terror to the death penalty.  Yes, he’s a flaming liberal, and an outspoken one at that.  I don’t really give a damn – he makes good music…or at least he did back in 1986.

Album Art: The artwork is fairly straight-forward – a grainy photo of Earle standing outside the window of a guitar shop, his six-string slung over his shoulder.  It’s clearly meant to show the struggling young singer just off the bus, trying to get started in a town that chews up new talent.  The message is clear:  Steve Earle has arrived in Nashville.  My copy has a clear plastic inner sleeve.  I’m not sure if this is original, or if it was a replacement for a lost sleeve.

————–Side 1————–

  1. “Guitar Town”
  2. “Goodbye’s All We’ve Got Left”
  3. “Hillbilly Highway” (Earle, Jimbeau Hinson)
  4. “Good Ol’ Boy (Gettin’ Tough)” (Earle, Richard Bennett)
  5. “My Old Friend the Blues”

 

————–Side 2————–

  1. “Someday”
  2. “Think It Over” (Bennett, Earle)
  3. “Fearless Heart”
  4. “Little Rock ‘n’ Roller”
  5. “Down the Road” (Tony Brown, Earle, Hinson)

**All songs written by Steve Earle, unless otherwise noted**

 

Vinyl Re-Wind: Synchronicity

/ / Leave a comment

Artist: The Policesynchronicity
Album: Synchronicity (1983)
Favorite song: King of Pain

Rating: 3.5 Stars (3.5 / 5)

Thoughts:  When most people reflect on The Police, this is the album that immediately comes to mind.  Synchronicity was the fifth, and final, studio album recorded by The Police, and contained what  is arguably their biggest hit single – “Every Breath You Take.”

As definitive as that single was, and still is, I simply can’t get over the creep-factor.  It’s the ultimate stalker anthem, and almost as creepy as “Don’t Stand So Close To Me” off of their earlier album – Zenyatta Mondatta.  That song, which is obviously about an inappropriate relationship between a young male teacher and one of his under-age female students, seems to hit too close to home.  After all, before writing that song, Sting was a school teacher.

So despite my fond middle-school memories of singing along to “Every Breath You Take” with my classmates, I have to go with “King of Pain” as my favorite track on this album.  Its soulful imagery just grabs hold of me in a palpable way.  I’m also very fond of “Synchronicity II,” which is probably a close second.  But to be honest, with the sole exception of “Mother,” every track on this album is strong.  That frenetic song, the only one on the album written by Andy Summers, stands out – and not necessarily in a good way.

By this time in their career, the band was starting to unravel.  Sting had clearly become a major star, and the two tracks written  by Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland seem almost like bones being tossed to the less popular members of the band.  Still, it’s an exceptional album, and holds up to repeated play 30 years after its initial release.

Album Art:  The cover of this album is colorful and memorable, with swaths of blue, red, and yellow being streaked across the front image.  The same three bands are reproduced on the center label of the record itself (as seen in the picture).  One would expect the opening to be on the left of the album cover, as per normal usage.  However, the record slot is on the top, along the top, which makes it a bit odd with respect to orientation.  The inner sleeve has song tracks and lyrics on one side, and a large black & white image of the band on the reverse.

 

————–Side 1————–

  1. “Synchronicity I”
  2. “Walking in Your Footsteps”
  3. “O My God”
  4. “Mother” (Andy Summers)
  5. “Miss Gradenko” (Stewart Copeland)
  6. “Synchronicity II”

————–Side 2————–

  1. “Every Breath You Take”
  2. “King of Pain”
  3. “Wrapped Around Your Finger”
  4. “Tea in the Sahara”

**All songs written by Sting, unless otherwise noted**