TBT: Civilization VII is Coming

5 February 20262 February 2026 The Portly Politico4 Comments

It’s hard to believe that Civilization VII has already been out (almost) a year. Tomorrow will mark the fateful day that big spenders (like yours portly) began their early access to the game, which was clearly incomplete at the time of release.

That said, the game—for all of its flaws—was still fun. Indeed, I still find it super fun. If anything, the game has gotten better—much, much better!—over the last year.

Perhaps the best improvement to the game has been the big naval update a couple of months back. That added lots of new water resources and improved naval combat. It also added Edward Teach (Blackbeard the Pirate) and, in the Exploration Age, The Republic of Pirates. I currently have a game going as Blackbeard and it is really fun.

Will the game ever reach the heights of Civ VI, it’s much-beloved predecessor? It seems doubtful at the time of writing. Have I played Civ VI since VII‘s release? Nope! That’s a testament to how much I enjoy this game.

With that, here is 5 February 2025’s “Civilization is Coming“:

Guest Post: Sudo Nonym’s “The Man from Historical Accuracy” – Chapter 1

4 February 20263 February 2026 The Portly Politico12 Comments

This Wednesday kicks off something a bit different. The English writer Sudo Nonym, a regular over at Free Speech Backlash, sent yours portly a treasure-trove of fiction stories for readers here to enjoy. Many of these stories have already run at FSB, but Tom, the proprietor over there, is cool about cross-posting and republishing, and I’m never one to say no to intriguing content—especially when someone else has done 90% of the work for me!

Also, he has two eBooks on Amazon (that’s an Amazon Affiliate link; I receive a portion of any purchases made through that link at no additional cost to you—TPP)!

But I digress. Today’s story is the first chapter or part of a longer piece, The Man from Historical Accuracy. The premise is simple: a bureaucratic agency, Historical Accuracy, tweaks history to keep things trucking along as they should.

Put another way: there are drunken druids watching DVDs on Stonehenge.

With that, here is Sudo Nonym with Chapter 1 of The Man from Historical Accuracy:

New Music Tuesday IV: “Moonlight Shimmer”

3 February 20261 February 2026 The Portly Politico2 Comments

I’m continuing to work on my pond-based pieces, and have a fourth piece completed. This duet incorporates whole tone scales, which possess a mystical, mysterious quality. The piece is broadly in Bb major, but the second and third sections feature some secondary dominants that, at times, push the key closer to D major. The whole tone scales also give a sense of atonality to sections of the piece, representing the mystery of moonlight.

Monday Morning Movie Review: Carrie (1976)

2 February 20262 February 2026 The Portly Politico6 Comments

Last week I found time to watch a few flicks, among them 1976’s Carrie, the coming-of-telekinesis story of Carrie, who is bullied relentlessly both at school and home. Her mother’s Pharisaical view of redemption (essentially, there is none) makes Carrie’s life sheltered; meanwhile, Carrie’s classmates bully her in part because of her mother’s insanity.

Family lore has made this film legendary. According to legend, my parents went to see this film on their honeymoon in 1977. I don’t know exactly when it occurred, but my dad—who was raised Pentecostal (Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee) was so beside himself, he walked out. My mom (raised Southern Baptist, and, therefore, a bit less bee-hived in her hairdos) was a fan of Stephen King—then an emerging author in many respects—and it apparently was a shock to her that my dad reacted as he did.

Having just seen the film, I can see why my dad got so uncomfortable. It literally opens with a quasi-pornographic shot of Carrie showering herself after gym class—and then receiving a visit from Aunt Flo. There’s also the iconic “prayer closet” with a Jesus sporting menacing, glowing eyes. The anti-Christian messaging is pretty strong.

That said, the film is not, I would argue, primarily a screed against religion, although that is a part of it. Carrie’s mom is a nut, but anyone with even a passing familiarity with Christ’s Teachings would realize that her religion is not Christianity. It’s some kind of perversion of something resembling Christianity into a legalistic tangle of extreme ascetism coupled with brutality.

Instead, Carrie is very much a coming-of-age story, in which the sheltered Carrie attempts to spread her wings and become her own woman, but instead is met only with resistance at every time. Having developed no healthy relationships—and faced only mockery and scorn from her mother, her schoolmates, and even the principal—she lashes out in the film’s fiery conclusion.

Lazy Sunday CCCXLXV: Lame Excuses

1 February 20261 February 2026 The Portly PoliticoLeave a comment

It’s a super Lazy Sunday here in the Southeast, as Winter Storm Gianna has covered everything in a blanket of snow. I’ve been really struggling lately to get posts done due to a combination of factors, mostly related to the stress of moving and getting my house listed.

“SubscribeStar Saturday Post Coming Soon” – I never wrote a post!
“More Delays” – And I didn’t write one this Saturday, either!

Apologies to paid subs. I’ll be attempting to catch up soon. The past few weeks have been weird and challenging.

Happy Sunday!

—TPP

More Delays

31 January 202631 January 2026 The Portly PoliticoLeave a comment

Yours portly is delayed again with SubscribeStar Saturday. A busy week at work, coupled with wrangling with a moving company (it is resolved—a complaint with Better Business Bureau has resulted in a full refund of our deposits) has me worn out. There’s also a major snowstorm all over the Southeast.

Stay safe. More to come.

—TPP

Phone it in Friday CXX: YouTube Roundup CLXXX: Koi Pond Triptych

30 January 202629 January 2026 The Portly PoliticoLeave a comment

Yours portly has been uploading some more of his original compositions to YouTube. This week, I’m featuring three pieces that are part of (so far) a koi pond triptych of compositions. I’ll be adding to this trio of pieces, so it won’t remain a triptych for long, but that’s a good way of conceptualizing it for now.

I’ve really enjoyed these three pieces, which are all for small, unorthodox chamber groups.

TBT^65,536: Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony

29 January 202628 January 2026 The Portly PoliticoLeave a comment

I’ve been on a programmatic composing kick, which seems to happen every January. I’m currently working on a collection of instrumental music inspired by my koi pond, which I’m tentatively calling Koi Dance.

Writing music inspired by God’s Creation is nothing new, but descriptive program music reached its height during the Romantic Era. The great composer bridging the gap between the classical and Romantic periods was Beethoven.

Beethoven is known for many works, but I am partial to one of his less-appreciated symphonies, the Sixth. It depicts a day in the countryside, and fits with the emerging Romanticism’s fascinating with the natural world and the countryside.

With that, here is 30 January 2025’s “TBT^256: Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony“:

Midweek Update: Home Selling

28 January 202628 January 2026 The Portly Politico21 Comments

A quick update from yours portly today, as I’ve been hustling to get my house ready to list. Last week, my pastor (who just started a carpet cleaning business) did a deep clean of the house, which, of course, meant I had to deep clean before he arrived so he could get to the really bad stuff. My mind boggles at how much junk I have accumulated in just seven years.

This morning my realtor came by with a photographer to get pictures of the house, so that required more organization, especially involving the artful concealment of things no one wants to see in pictures of a home—trashcans, the stuff you keep on the back of the toilet, etc. I was really pleased when my realtor told me that I’d done a great job getting things together.

Now I’m just waiting for the disclosure paperwork, and soon my little home will be on the market officially. Selling that will be a huge boon for Dr. Wife and me. We currently own three homes between us, which sounds like some kind of decadent dream, but it’s really a huge time- and money-sink. My house, fortunately, is paid off, thanks in part to the best bank of all, The First Bank of Mom and Dad. The value has more than doubled (of course, the value of the dollar has probably halved) since I bought it, so I should walk away with a good profit, which will help to pay for the hefty mortgage on the new house.

Shew! But I digress. Please be praying that my house sells quickly—and Dr. Wife’s! She’s had hers on the market since right before the wedding back in November, and while she’s had some showings, she hasn’t had any offers yet. We need that albatross dropped onto some ~~hapless chump~~ happy new homeowner ASAP!

More to come. Happy Wednesday!

—TPP

New Music Tuesday III: “Snail Drop”

27 January 202625 January 2026 The Portly Politico2 Comments

The koi pond at our new house has served as a source of immense inspiration for yours portly. I’ve spent many late nights researching various species of aquatic life that can thrive in our little pond ecosystem. I’m most excited about getting some Japanese Trapdoor Snails for our pond.

In the meantime, however, I’ve added some ramshorn snails to the pond already. They arrived in a bag from an eBay seller in Oklahoma, clinging to the walls of their watery shipping compartment. I drove them up one frosty night and gently plopped them into the pond, which inspired today’s new piece.