Tying different timeslots together

I wish I knew what to say when people ask me what I do.

Sometimes I'll say I write video games, other times I'll say that I write books, or that I help people learn Welsh. Of course I do all three. Even that's getting too complicated, as I'm starting to write books about different things and in different languages.

I thought it'd be nice to have some way of tying everything together. Linking stuff if you like.

colin.cymru is the result. It's not so much a website (it isn't a website btw) but a series of links, which I can redirect over time.

So colin.cymru itself will currently take you to my personal website, while colin.cymru/books will magically whisk you away to my Amazon UK Author page, whereas colin.cymru/us will take you to my US Amazon Author page. That way I can leave links in various places and update their destinations if needed.

Brilliant, eh? For those of you who have an interest in such modern alchemy it's all made possible by a free and open source url shortener at yourls.org

The PiMan Speaks!

He wouldn't do it for money, he wouldn't do it for fame, but the total recluse formally known as the PiMan has been coaxed out of retirement. Why? The video explains all.

Goodbye Slightly Magic?

A very strange feeling came over me last Friday afternoon; a mixture of melancholy and release.

I was uploading Slightly Magic to Steam for late summer release, when it struck me that this would be nearly the last time I'd be working on the game. I do have another format to program, about which I'm sworn to secrecy for the next month or so, but things are starting to feel pretty final.

Slightly Magic is 25 years old this year, and it seems very odd to be working on the game so long after its initial release. I remember at the time being a little uneasy about Slightly's future; I couldn't see that the game would be available for more than 5 years. After all, who was going to reprogram the thing after all the 8 and 16bit formats had died? I didn't expect it to be me, that's for sure.

So that's a Good Thing - that the game is still available, and soon to be given a shot in the arm by PC, Mac and Linux Steam release. I won't get my life back, because Slightly is already alive and well in a new game which is almost nearly ready to start demoing. In an odd way I feel I have a duty of care to look after him, if that makes any sense at all.

Good Things are numerous at the moment, as will soon become apparent, but I'm still feeling pretty down about the EU referendum result. Hard to fathom, for those of you who voted out I'm sure, but true nevertheless. I've also been writing some of the dialogue for Slightly's new game, which I noticed was a little lighter than I'd expected. I think I might be compensating for my general melancholy mood. 

Oh yes, and a funny thing about Slightly Magic. What I've realised, and didn't really expect, is that a lot of new players really appreciate the game. I thought at first they were just being polite, but people have seriously gone out of their way to ensure Slightly's debut on Steam and on Slightly Magic's next, final format. Thank you all, it really does make a difference.

Unfinished News and the Time Flux Paradox

You'll have to bear with me on this, but it's been a surprising few weeks at Potassium Frog.

A couple of quite wonderful things have decided to come together which have almost made me squeal with delight. However, due to the nature of games design, secrecy pacts and the Time Flux Paradox I can't say anything about these things for quite a while yet.

Writing games is a funny business. Anything I'm working on now won't generally see the light of day for a few months, years, or possibly decades. And even some things which I could talk about are probably best left for now, because it's just too early.

The trouble with that box of lice is that I tend to get bored with anything I can actually talk about since I probably finished with that months, years or decades ago. That's the Time Flux Paradox in a nutshell. Ho hum.

Your Stars - Feb 2016

I don't believe in Astrology, but apparently that's because I'm a Libra. Anyhow...

Squirrius, the Nutcollector

Your cusp is on the ascendant. Prepare to meet thy matchmaker.
Lucky Fish: Pollock

Scabies, the Elephant

You enter the room, but everyone ignores you.
Lucky Dog: Ralph, the Spaniel

Doorbell, the Debtcollector

Beware of falling marionettes.
Lucky Skin Condition: Dandruff

Your Stars

Topius, the Velveteen Fish

This will be an uncanny week for you and your friends.

Beware of large biscuits

Lucky number 31074321227653426781113

Lucky foodstuff – mink

Scandal – the Wiresnapper

A small egg in your jacket pocket will save your life this week.

Eat more fish.

Lucky timeslot - 1943

Fester, the war criminal

Be kind to small mammals this week. Next month may see an exiting change in your eating habits.

Lucky color – red

Lucky animal – tomato

officially retro

"one of the most fondly remembered and controversial business simulators of all time" is how the fabulous 'retro gamer' magazine describes 'A Rock Star Ate my Hamster' in a generous four-page spread this month. Which does make me officially retro.

Your Stars

Pesticide, the Warmonger:

A lightly boiled egg in your jacket pocket may well save your life this week.

Monday's child

Monday's child is short and fat

Tuesday's child wears a brown paper hat

Wednesday's child is full of fleas

Thursday's child is allergic to peas

Friday's child has an anger issue

Saturday's child has hair like tissue

But the child who is born on the Sabbath day

Will gorge on chips and videogames play.

jumping for joy

Thanks to everyone who sponsored my parachute jump on Sunday. The weather was great, the people were fabulous and the jump was an experience I'll never forget.

After a short flight in what I can only describe as a dodgy shoebox I had one of the most surreal experiences of my life. The hardened parachutists jumped out of the door without so much as a geronimo.



As I perched out of the aircraft looking down I realised that this was without a doubt the stupidest thing I'd ever done, but also one of the most fun too. I'd recommend it.

If you'd like to give some money to cancer charity Tenovus you can still do so by following this link.

Feng Shui tips

Always place doors in a convenient place to enter and leave a room.
Make sure that all windows face outwards.
Never place a toilet in the lounge.
If you often fall out of bed, try positioning your bed next to the wall.
Try to sleep in a horizontal position, with your head facing the opposite direction to your feet.

twittering on

You'll see from the box to the right that I'm now putting the twit into twitter. I've never been a big fan of facespace or mybook, but twitter is, currently, urm fun.

Ignore the marketing twits, the pr twits and there do seem to be a number of interesting twits written by real people (famous or otherwise). Of course the term is tweets, but you know what I mean.

And of course twitter doesn't tell me that I have no friends. I know that already. www.twitter.com/coljones

favorite things

favorite nut - macadamia
favorite group of the week - the killers
favorite food of the week - enchiladas
favorite word of the week - yes

porky pies and politics

not john lennon - part 2

skinny latte and fries

The phone rings. "Hello, Mr Jones? This is just a quick courtesy call from -"

The switch in my mind flips from open interest to here-comes-a-sales-pitch. 

Imagine my surprise then, to receive a real courtesy call from my garage this week. Was the work carried out, did the wheels fall off later, were you harassed /insulted/attacked by the staff, was the coffee poisoned? etc etc. Not exactly the questions asked, but should I have been poisoned by a skinny latte and fries I would have been able to raise the issue.

Desperate times indeed.

permanent spin cycle

Don't forget to worry.

Remember the millennium bug? Airplanes were going to fall from the sky, lifts were to fail between floors, and washing machines everywhere stick in a permanent spin cycle.

Then there was mad cow disease. Only the veggies would survive. Not to forget Salmonella in our eggs and chickens. 

This product will be hot after heating. These nuts may contain nuts. This coffee machine will produce hot coffee. I could go on.

Now we are assured by Welsh PM Rhodri Morgan that the country has enough anti-virals for the SWINE FLU PANDEMIC to cover 50% of the population.  "I think everyone can be confident that we are ready for this to get worse, if it does get worse." he said.

That's all right then.

your stars

Taurus - the bulldog
A startled meeting with a loved one might spell danger. Lucky number - 32a.

Monosodium Glutamate - the flavour enhancer
A previous nightmare returns to an empty place. Lucky fish - herring. Lucky item of clothing - left sock.

Anthrax - the party killer
Do not read your horoscope. Today is like tomorrow. More tea please vicar. Lucky household item - fridge.

your Stars

Emporium - the scone collector
Lucky foodstuff - wholemeal bread
Lucky building material - cement
Fortuitous transcendental irrational real number - 3.142
Lucky pet - hamster