Punching Cardboard

A very lively discussion. The reading habits of Toddlers. Some music that may be genius or insanity. And we play a board game, twice.  13:51 -- Not For Todd: Black Midi, "Hellfire" 46:15 -- Charioteer (session report)

Welcome to the first episode of the Punching Cardboard offshoot, reboot, retread, much dreaded new series PC/DC: Beyond the Cardboard. More of an indroductory session to let you know what we plan to offer in the coming months. We hope your onboard for this next phase. I think the ride might get wild.

Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss?  A radio show. A new podcast (ish). A boardgame finally finished? More Whisky for the End of the World.  Contained within this missive is information addressing all of the above. Tune in, turn on, find out. Hopefully you like it.

This was supposed to be episode 209, with some game analysis, an idiot box recommendation and some isights into music and community. I didn't like the results. It didn't really feel of any value to do things as I would have when Punching Cardboard was in it's prime. After re-recording several times I realized there was no getting around the fact that the show as it existed was finished.  Hence, here we are, in the Whiskey for the end of  . . .  format that I adopted at the beginning of the dark times. This feels more genuine, and after 208 episodes, it seems like the best way to end the original show. Adieu.

Did you ever watch "We Bought a Zoo" with Matt Damon? Didn't think so. Well, would you like to builde you very own zoo? Could it be fun? Let's find out together as we discuss Ark Nova. Guest appearances from Terraforming Mars and Wingspan.

You were warned. We threatened it numerous times over the past eight-plus years. Well, it's finally happened. This episode is board game free. Not game free, mind you, but no cardboard was used in the making of this episode. Is Elden Ring the be all, end all? Listen in and find out. A little music to close things out as well.

Punching Carboard Lineup, MK IV. Better known as the solo acoustic tour. Just Jim here; the only one left after the smoke cleared. In this episode is an in-depth look at Atlantic Chase, games that earned "10s" and some music recs, including an overlooked list from 2021. A few asides along the way, but that's the meat of the program. As that's the case, no timestamps deemed necessary. You're an intelligent bunch.

Find enclosed our music and games lists for the year that was 2021. Check the episode tags for individual games and artists. This is Joe's last show, and to road ahead is quite uncertain.  Thanks for hanging in there with us. LISTS: 00:15:17 -- Intro to the lists 00:18:44 -- Music 01:40:20 -- Games

Merry Christmas from the End of the World! From the land of a thousand delays, we wish you a little cheer and romance and excitement.  Part 7: A virus on the rise and a podcast under perpetual scheduling maintenance. Just a short communique for the season and a list of also-rans. We shall resume regularly scheduled content shortly.

In this episode we get our 4x gaming on. Session reports on games set on land and in space. Also, if a game falls in the forest and there's no one there to play it, is it a game? Our first and last segment in the ongoing series we call Non-existent Games. INDULGENCES 00:04:41 -- Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy (session) 00:26:46 -- Rococo 00:29:07 -- Joe's Off the Fence on Feudum 00:34:51 -- Clash of Cultures: Monumental Edition (session, in-depth) 01:19:24 -- Non-Existent Games: Call to Post (session, in-depth) 02:09:53 -- The Final Word?

It's October. The rains have returned. The World is still in flux. And we played some games. Discussions contained herein. FRONTS: 00:13:35 -- State of the Podcast (and life) 00:48:15 -- Blitzkrieg! (session, short take) 01:02:43 -- Rift Force (session, short take) 01:18:34 -- Anno 1800 (session, in-depth) 02:17:34 -- Music (bang for your buck)

If you want some takes on what's new in the board gaming hobby, this is not the episode you're looking for. However, if you want to hear some tales of adventure in the gloaming of the pandemic, and a discussion about the state of the hobby as we see it (Told through Arkwright eyes), then come on in. YARNS: 00:11:50 -- A Brave New Musical Journey (Live at the Pat Metheny Show) 00:37:22 -- 40 Minutes of Joy: The Horses and the Hounds, by James McMurtry 00:45:25 -- The Last Great TV Show: Mr. In-Between 00:52:07 -- School's In? And Rocking? 01:12:37 -- Arkwright Revisited and a Hobby Gone Wrong 01:47:40 -- Peak Gaming with a Controller 02:19:36 -- A Door Cracked and Unlocked?

The rock came rolling back down and crushed us for a good part of the Summer. We got some levers and some rails and we've managed to push it back up the hill far enough to breathe a little. So, here we be, talking about life and games again.  LIBATIONS: 00:00:23 -- Last Call 00:34:14 -- Coffee Traders (quick take) 00:45:37 -- Great Conversations and Good Buzzes 01:03:34 -- Oath (in-depth session) 01:35:19 -- The King's Dilemma (in-depth session)

We call this one "The Epic." Press play and enjoy the ride. HEROIC TALES: 00:04:22 -- Cloudspire (in depth session) 01:03:27 -- BenRiach 21yo Single Malt 01:07:11 -- SpaceCorp: Ventures (sessions) 01:31:10 -- Tawantinsuyu: The Incan Empire (preview) 01:34:52 -- Revisiting, and purchasing, Le Havre 01:40:19 -- When Things Went Well: Lorenzo Il Magnifico 01:49:06 -- 2021 in Music so far.

Maladies, Mortgages and other assorted obstacles successfully conquered, we finally present to you episode 199 of the 'cast. Chock-full of stories about games and games about travel and travelling stories. It's all in there. And the book club returns. Enjoy. TALES OF WOE: 00:21:02 -- Apex Legends 00:34:06 -- Another Trip, Another Story, or Three 00:59:56 -- Da Games 01:01:25 -- Are You Dexterous? (Cubiko, Carreau, Bamboleo, Hamsterrolle) 01:20:55 -- Knife Tank: Why??? 01:28:15 -- Praga Capvt Regni (revisited) 01:41:16 -- Two-Player Showdown (BH: 2045, Wir Sind Das Volk, Space Corp) 01:53:30 -- Die Handler, a Year Later 01:56:34 -- Kaivai 02:03:36 -- Wizard 02:08:00 --The Dwellings of Everdale 02:23:08 -- The Power and the Glory, by Graham Greene

Chirping birds. Barking Dogs. Screaming Children. Yes, we're back outside to record this episode. The pops and clicks of the previous effort replaced by the flora and fauna of mid-Spring. We weave in and out of various topics, creating some loose connections and trying to show that nothing occurs in a vacuum.  MELODIES: 00:10:20 -- Libation Time 00:13:40 -- Technical Issues and Memory Loss, and Some Stuff In-between 00:33:25 -- Kicking and Screaming: Getting People to Play Games, Food Chain Magnate Edition 00:46:58 -- A Few Words on Board Game Aesthetics 00:49:53 -- The Journey of 1822 00:57:10 -- Stickering Games 00:59:12 -- Detour: Music on Our Minds 01:27:30 -- Commands & Colors: Samurai Battles 01:35:30 -- Brotherhood & Untiy 01:47:09 -- Better than Board Games: Trials of Fire, Monster Train, Nowhere Prophet 02:19:13 -- 18XX Online and Other Infractions.

Sometimes you just can't get things right. You find a ghost in the signal chain and try to fix it only to find you've made things worse. Apologies in advance for all the pops and clicks. Among the noisy abberations you will find a fair amount of game discussion and enough salt and vinegar to properly dress your chips. POPS & CLICKS: 00:09:49 -- Drinkin' and Vaxxin' 00:20:06 -- The Long and Winding Railroad 00:35:05 -- Kickstarting, Streaming, and Video Gaming 00:52:13 -- Freedom: The Underground Railroad 01:00:07 -- Last Will 01:04:03 -- The Sands of Time (Joe's visit) 01:22:15 -- Apocalypse Road 01:42:55 -- The Red Cathedral 01:57:36 -- Nidavellir 02:27:53 -- Of Golden Eagles and T-Shirts

This is us, as you might find us should you wander into a watering hole where we might be holding court at the bar. This could very well be a prime example of the conversation you might stumble upon. The nature of this conversation spirals around, over and through the games and topics, so timestamps have been kept to a minimum. ROUNDS: 00:00:25 -- Baseball, Disease Maintenance and a Word About Home Improvement 00:31:29 -- Rampant Game Talk and Misdemeanors  01:35:29 -- Random Game Talk (Q&A) 02:25:09 -- That Old Country Music, by Kevin Barry

Winter is gone. The Sky is clearing. Birds are singing. Bees are buzzing. Temperatures are warming. Discussions are getting heated. Welcome to the latest installment of As the Cardboard Turns. JABS: 00:29:36 -- Lots: A Game of Weights and Measures (friendly game announcement) 00:33:45 -- Little Bits: Dominant Species Marine (initial take) 00:42:58 -- Merv (Joe's take) 00:50:40 -- Blackout: Hong Kong (Joe again) 00:58:15 -- The Magnificent (forgotten short take) 01:11:30 -- Maharaja: The Game of Palace Building in India (no take) 01:16:38 -- It's a Wonderful World : Corruption and Ascension (in-depth) 01:20:38 -- Stellar Horizons (in-depth session) 01:59:15 -- Rusty Brown, by Chris Ware 02:08:22 -- Pagan Virtues, by Stephen Dunn

Another show emerges from the stasis. We cover several games, new and old. We discuss some vital music and a page-turner of a book. We carry on as that's really all there is to do. CARNAGE: 00:14:28 -- Newton (finally) 00:34:33 -- Lorenzo Il Magnifico (revisited) 00:52:59 -- Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road (in-depth) 01:42:28 -- Tunes (Nick Cave, The The) 02:03:35 -- Blacktop Wasteland, by S.A. Cosby