Slight spoilers: it's teamwork. Also the religious substrate of the zodiac; the transcendence of calculations; the harmonious imbalance of bravery and faith; the rigors of preparation for pivotal battles...

Many thanks to Ryan and Pat for joining me for this late-night conversation, an echo of many a hangout from days of yore around lower Deer Park Dr, and one hopefully to be continued in another 20 or so hours of gameplay.

Music clips courtesy of Zophar's Domain.

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The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman--sampled at hazard we find de gustibus, ab ovo, and Alas, poor YORICK! which translated seem to mean "of tastes, from the egg, and [church bell tolling a black page]" as near as I can tell. The opening volume of Sterne's comic modern masterpiece delights and eggs us on.

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Professor Kozlowski, fresh off a whirlwind tour through 99 Hours of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, joins us to break down some of the highlights of the early game and frame story of FF Tactics: Ivalice Chronicles.

https://videogameacademia.org/2026/03/22/99-hours-of-clair-obscur-expedition-33-part-one/

https://professorkozlowski.wordpress.com/

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Discussing La Belle Sauvage Ch 10 Lord Asriel & 11 Environmental Protection/Three LegsRecommended Reading: Milton's hymnal setting of Psalm 136 ("Let us with a gladsom mind"/ "And the Horned moon at night, 'Mid her spangled sisters bright") - https://milton.host.dartmouth.edu/reading_room/psalm_136/text.shtml Pullman's Blake Society Annual Lecture - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wbcVXLLChY Valerie Hansen, The Silk Road: A New History Withers, A Collection of Emblemes, Ancient and Moderne - in Poco a Poco, Daemon Voices (cited in Kristen Poole, Pullman and the Historical Imagination)EH Gombrich, Symbolic Pictures (via Christopher Johnson's discussion of Cesare Ripa and Aby Warburg at https://www.engramma.it/eOS/index.php?id_articolo=1612) TH White, The Sword in the Stone Course page at https://newschoolnotes.blogspot.com/2026/01/out-of-ground-reading-book-of-dust-by.html Thanks for listening.

Reading and discussing the opening of Part I of Kierkegaard's Either/Or, in which he invites us to listen again to Mozart's Don Giovanni. Also mentioned: Phish, The Line; One Battle After Another; Mario Galaxy...

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The first excursion in a new series of Side Quests with Alexander Schmid and the folks at Video Game Academy, where we've been gifted a couple of copies of Final Fantasy Tactics Ivalice Chronicles on Switch by amigo of the show and my longtime friend, Ryan.

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The repeated "no" and the boundless energy of the great opera of the rake punished.

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Discussing his book Reverse Design: Chrono Trigger with the author, analyst and game developer Patrick Holleman. Sundry allusions and fascinating connections ensue. For the video and detailed description, please see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VQDA7d4kpo

Many thanks again to Pat for his time, and to Alex for hosting and recording. We should be back soon with the long-awaited Side Quests series on Final Fantasy Tactics.

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Do you have the nerve, the skill, and the derring-do to challenge the wind and play PERIL OF THE POLE?

Ain’t no if...

Discussing Pullman's second companion novella to His Dark Materials, Once Upon a Time in the North (2008; aka the little blue book) with reference to:

Once Upon a Time in the West dir. Sergio Leone - https://bridgetothestars.net/news/once-upon-a-time-in-the-north-our-review/

Pullman's book signing in Tysons Corner, VA - https://bridgetothestars.net/news/pullman-in-virginia/

Donna Freitas interview in Publishers Weekly - https://web.archive.org/web/20080331141641/http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6545130.html

The Shipping World Year Book (1910) - https://www.abebooks.com/Shipping-world-year-book-1910-desk/32244845727/bd

BBC Q&A - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/7774176.stm

Board Game Geek's review of the Peril of the Pole - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/35602/peril-of-the-pole

And another resource on games based on the North, courtesy of Liz Walsh - https://alaskahistoricalsociety.org/gaming-for-arctic-adventure/ Thanks for listening!

If the audio is still being weird for you wherever you're hearing this, as it is for me on anchor where I'm hosting it, try the video at https://youtu.be/qEjWaJEOGX4

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Discussing Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and its contexts, filling in some of the material between the opening of the game and our last conversation with Otto on the Train Graveyard.

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