"The board is implied. If you show the board, you limit the imagination. If you don’t show the board, anyone could be playing Mastermind at any time. In a limo. In a bunker. On a yacht while plotting the downfall of a minor principality."

The Evening Bar puts the motor in Motor City with this craziness that shouldn’t work, but totally does. Vive le Detroit!

In broad strokes, I sympathize with this critique, but the cherry-picked evidence to illustrate a broad trend is outdated. The success of Blumhouse horror films, the Terrifier series, and most Stephen King novels shows horror that doesn’t “hug the monster” is alive and well.

OK, Advent … come along now and arrive.

And just like that, 2/3 of our progeny are married. Not only is it the first wedding I’ve attended via Facebook Live (their choice to elope to Vegas), it’s the first thing I’ve screen mirrored from my phone to the living room TV. Cheers!

Deprived of sleep and calories, I attempted a Scandinavian kaffeost by tossing some hunks of juusto cheese acquired from Horrocks into a Red Eye from Biggby. Verdict: black coffee with a fatty mouthfeel, as if it had creamer. But there’s no creamer!!

When I heard my grandson’s friend was going as Gizmo for Halloween, I’m not ashamed that my first thought wasn’t Gremlins. “Yes!!!” I proclaimed in my best Matt Berry. Take my Gen X membership card if you must.

A matryoshka doll of horror fiction. Thanks for the puzzle box, @mcsweeneys.bsky.social! Can’t wait to dig into the stories.

Another year passes in which my intricately crafted prolific email output is not recognized by the Academy. Sigh. But coming soon to my porch, Jólabókaflóðið Jon.

¡Feliz día de los tacos!