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Not a real doctor

@simonb.bsky.social

Lapsed-writer, ex-DJ, erstwhile larper, wants to be an academic again (is, in fact a real doctor) , old goth, larp designer, neurodiverse like light through a prism, poet before sunrise. Poster-child for burnout (Complex, Brooding, Challenging)

415 Followers  |  657 Following  |  578 Posts  |  Joined: 26.08.2023  |  2.2418

Latest posts by simonb.bsky.social on Bluesky

Researchgate keeps checking if I am human. The imposter syndrome is real.

06.02.2026 12:22 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
From preforming arts to larp - Jamie McDonald
YouTube video by Nordic Larp Talks From preforming arts to larp - Jamie McDonald

MacDonald, J. (2012): From performing arts to larp. youtu.be/TeCJX-OeJz8?...

01.02.2026 06:59 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

At best there will be an edge to it, like a Jazz Club for the damned whose name is just a diacritical mark: good ideas get eaten, bad ideas the theorist gets devoured? (I dunno, still trying to work out that part of it - but "Fuck Passive arts!" (Macdonald, 2012)

01.02.2026 06:59 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

No powerpoint, ideally more like a boiler-room DJ set than your traditional KP programme item. I have asked for the smallest space that is available. I have no idea if it will work, At worst it will just be me talking about Ludonarrative Hegemony to some inebriated Danes making out in the corner.

01.02.2026 06:59 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

What is new and dangerous in Nordic Larp Theory? I have a programme item at Knutpunkt where I need a couple of extra people to come and share their ideas with an audience playing the role of potentially malevolent supernatural entities; The session is planned to take place at night, by candlelight.

01.02.2026 06:59 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
A computer keyboard - black, Alienware, UK layout - with the back legs of a domestic cat - semi-feral, tabby, short hair - covering the keys in the bottom left hand corner.

A computer keyboard - black, Alienware, UK layout - with the back legs of a domestic cat - semi-feral, tabby, short hair - covering the keys in the bottom left hand corner.

My typing speed this morning has reduced. I can’t work out why. Perhaps I am just tired?

31.01.2026 07:00 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Secret covens in the main … it depends on where you are based

30.01.2026 18:45 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
A crudely drawn sad face on a piece of A4 paper that has been atached to a piece of wood in the corner of a desk in a corporate office space.  The image is low resolution as though taken on an early Blackberry

A crudely drawn sad face on a piece of A4 paper that has been atached to a piece of wood in the corner of a desk in a corporate office space. The image is low resolution as though taken on an early Blackberry

In January 2009, in the days before Emjois had entered the mainstream (outside of Japan, obvs) , I invented the Real World Mood Icon. Here is a rare photo from that time.

28.01.2026 07:51 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

he and his mates had probably been responsible for the injuries that had plagued me through the years and led me - via the long way around - to the door of his surgery.

27.01.2026 06:29 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

We bonded over memories of Klub Foot at the Clarendon Hotel Ballroom, the place where I learned to slamdance on account of suddenly finding myself at a Meteors gig, however he still charged me Β£30 even though, and he acknowledged the veracity of my argument,

27.01.2026 06:29 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

I remember discovering that he was an ex-psychobilly and so, whilst having my bones moved around by some bloke with tattoos, we discussed incidents in the past where I had my bones moved around by blokes with tattoos on dancefloors in Hammersmith.

27.01.2026 06:29 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

[27th January 2004] I went to an osteopath, I can't remember the cause of the injury but it was probably something to do with falling off a horse.

27.01.2026 06:29 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

A day talking about larp and TRPG design with my friends and comrades, an evening of good conversation, and a full night of sleep. This morning I got up early to do some writing. Outside there is snow in the spruces; inside there are words and coffee. And post-it notes. We are very analogue.

25.01.2026 08:03 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I am in a remote cabin with members of Avalon larp studio. The security camera feed picked up a wolf outside! There is a wall covered in post-it notes og things to talk about. Halfdan made pancakes for breakfast. Coffee. Today needs more coffee

24.01.2026 10:08 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

that one worked! Thank you

22.01.2026 16:41 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

They haven't explained why. I looked at Proton. When you click on 'Create a Free Accoun' it goes straight to a page that wants a monthly fee that is greater than my web hosting.

22.01.2026 16:32 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

I can understand them switching something off if it is not being used by enough people, or because it is expensive to run, but I'd really prefer more than a week's notice.

22.01.2026 15:56 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I have been using Gmail as my aggregator for 13 years; all of my emails coming in from across several different accounts in one place. Today they have announced that they are deprecating the ability to do this. So I need a new, cloud based, email client.

This change will happen 'in January'

22.01.2026 15:56 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 0

The museum (and the exhibition) are great - super interesting. AND you can play the original button-only coin-op Defender

20.01.2026 18:49 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Someone's really not done their research, have they? I'm really sorry that has happened. (We ran one a few years back and (based in real people) it turned out that all of the characters were queer.

20.01.2026 05:43 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Pauliina.

19.01.2026 11:51 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

MinÀkin nÀyttelin Patrickia. Se oli sydÀntÀsÀrkevÀÀ.

19.01.2026 11:46 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

MitΓ€ hahmoa nΓ€yttelit?

19.01.2026 11:42 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

I was very flattered to be invited to do some writing for this one and spent a delightful few months working my way through a fraction of Dumas' output. (He was extraordinarily prolific - not just in terms of writing)

18.01.2026 18:24 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
An advert for the larrp :'inconscience showing a nobleman with a fine hat sitting infront of a neon ring.  There are 48 hours left to sign up. It closes on 20th January.

The larp itself is 9-12 Jan 2027

An advert for the larrp :'inconscience showing a nobleman with a fine hat sitting infront of a neon ring. There are 48 hours left to sign up. It closes on 20th January. The larp itself is 9-12 Jan 2027

The wonderful people at NotOnlyLarp in Spain are re-running L'Inconscience. Thematically Westworld meets Musketeers, but mainly a piece that interrogates humanity and free will.

18.01.2026 18:24 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

There have been one hour long fantasy linears as a part of UK larp since the 80s. The challenge is that sometimes players do unexpected things and/or dawdle. Having a diegetic countdown helps.

"The Time Machine returns to the present day in exactly 60 minutes..."

15.01.2026 05:53 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
The collective’s little red book A step-by-step guide to arranging larps the collective way by Martine Svanevik Abstract The collective’s little red book is a summary of experiences with collective larp organizing. Collective orga…

I want to point out Martine Svanevik's work along similar lines from '09

collectivelarp.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/t...

12.01.2026 07:53 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Convention of Thorns | Vampire the Masquerade larp in Poland Convention of Thorns is a licensed Vampire the Masquerade larp (live action role play) in Poland set in the World of Darkness. It is an official Paradox Interactive event created by Wonderlarp. Partic...

I know this one: www.conventionofthorns.com

12.01.2026 05:48 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
A fragment of googlescript that is entirely useless on its own, but as a part of the whole function can be used to create a google document containing data based on the cells of a google sheet.  

The code is well commentedwhilst also being a bit of a hack.

A fragment of googlescript that is entirely useless on its own, but as a part of the whole function can be used to create a google document containing data based on the cells of a google sheet. The code is well commentedwhilst also being a bit of a hack.

We sometimes hack about with them to automate some of the more repetitative parts

10.01.2026 13:40 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Yes! I adored that one

29.12.2025 17:49 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

@simonb is following 20 prominent accounts