Brian Poel
@realinspectorhound.bsky.social
Professional geek in Seattle (he/him), specialized in financial management, game design, data analysis, RPGs and improv.
Seeing Arcadia in London was a highlight of my college theatre experience (the Haymarket production in Jan of ‘95, I think?) While I can’t claim to be an expert on his entire body of work, I still hold a soft spot for his witty and clever style. Rest in peace.
November 30, 2025 at 2:26 AM
Seeing Arcadia in London was a highlight of my college theatre experience (the Haymarket production in Jan of ‘95, I think?) While I can’t claim to be an expert on his entire body of work, I still hold a soft spot for his witty and clever style. Rest in peace.
Reposted by Brian Poel
Oh, also, while I'm breaking my self-imposed social media hiatus, here's a little chat about game writing that I filmed with Jordan Weisman a while back! youtu.be/TlRPWTLwH-o
Writing Games That Matter | Jordan Weisman & Andrew McIntosh | The Game Mechanics
YouTube video by Adventure Forge
youtu.be
October 28, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Oh, also, while I'm breaking my self-imposed social media hiatus, here's a little chat about game writing that I filmed with Jordan Weisman a while back! youtu.be/TlRPWTLwH-o
Reposted by Brian Poel
Always great to see Shadowrun: Dragonfall in such great company on here, cheers @pcgamer.com!
The 2025 edition of our annual Top 100 list is here, running down the best PC games to play now from the perspective of PC Gamer's 30+ writers and editors.
The top 100 PC games
Welcome to the 2025 edition of the PC Gamer Top 100—our annual list of the best PC games you can play.
www.pcgamer.com
October 20, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Always great to see Shadowrun: Dragonfall in such great company on here, cheers @pcgamer.com!
A talented former colleague... put this beauty in the back of your heart and let it percolate. Never know when you'll want more and need to ask if he's available.
Hi #PortfolioDay, I'm Lee! A technical artist with a focus on lighting and rendering with many years of experience. I am becoming old and grizzled.
I'm not currently looking for work, but here are some sheets I put together last time I was and I think they are neat
I'm not currently looking for work, but here are some sheets I put together last time I was and I think they are neat
October 14, 2025 at 10:29 PM
A talented former colleague... put this beauty in the back of your heart and let it percolate. Never know when you'll want more and need to ask if he's available.
Reposted by Brian Poel
This powerful JB Pritzker response to Trump's lawless threats is another reminder of what I tried to argue this morning: Pritzker understands Stephen Miller's theory of this moment, and he's responding accordingly:
newrepublic.com/article/2014...
newrepublic.com/article/2014...
October 8, 2025 at 6:51 PM
This powerful JB Pritzker response to Trump's lawless threats is another reminder of what I tried to argue this morning: Pritzker understands Stephen Miller's theory of this moment, and he's responding accordingly:
newrepublic.com/article/2014...
newrepublic.com/article/2014...
Reposted by Brian Poel
Statement from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker
October 6, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Statement from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker
Reposted by Brian Poel
I watched "The Hobby" last night with a group of tabletop game designers, and what a treat! The film looks affectionately at board games from the perspective of pro and amateur designers, players, and influencers. It captures how much game design has itself become a hobby in the story of...
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October 5, 2025 at 7:52 PM
I watched "The Hobby" last night with a group of tabletop game designers, and what a treat! The film looks affectionately at board games from the perspective of pro and amateur designers, players, and influencers. It captures how much game design has itself become a hobby in the story of...
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Reposted by Brian Poel
Expanded my close read of today's Trump Terror Memo, with help from @audiosand.bsky.social & and unnamed federal-adjacent employee. slowcivilwar.substack.com/p/rubber-glu...
Rubber Glue Fascism
A close reading of "NATIONAL SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL MEMORANDUM/NSPM-7: Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence"
slowcivilwar.substack.com
September 26, 2025 at 5:17 AM
Expanded my close read of today's Trump Terror Memo, with help from @audiosand.bsky.social & and unnamed federal-adjacent employee. slowcivilwar.substack.com/p/rubber-glu...
Reposted by Brian Poel
had a frank conversation with the 6 year old where it was decided the Disney+ subscription was better off used for buying video games anyway
September 20, 2025 at 9:18 PM
had a frank conversation with the 6 year old where it was decided the Disney+ subscription was better off used for buying video games anyway
Reposted by Brian Poel
Here is my best guidance, rendered beautifully by the great John Lithgow. I first published these lessons nearly nine years ago, in late 2016. They open the twenty chapters of "On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century."
snyder.substack.com/p/twenty-les...
snyder.substack.com/p/twenty-les...
Twenty Lessons, read by John Lithgow
Key selections from On Tyranny, for viewing and sharing
snyder.substack.com
September 18, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Here is my best guidance, rendered beautifully by the great John Lithgow. I first published these lessons nearly nine years ago, in late 2016. They open the twenty chapters of "On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century."
snyder.substack.com/p/twenty-les...
snyder.substack.com/p/twenty-les...
Reposted by Brian Poel
Mayor Brandon of Chicago responds to a question from a reporter if pushing back will make things harder?
“Can you imagine if my ancestors would have had the same rationale? Let’s not fight against the Confederacy. Let’s just try to get along, and maybe one day they’ll give us our freedom?”
“Can you imagine if my ancestors would have had the same rationale? Let’s not fight against the Confederacy. Let’s just try to get along, and maybe one day they’ll give us our freedom?”
August 28, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Mayor Brandon of Chicago responds to a question from a reporter if pushing back will make things harder?
“Can you imagine if my ancestors would have had the same rationale? Let’s not fight against the Confederacy. Let’s just try to get along, and maybe one day they’ll give us our freedom?”
“Can you imagine if my ancestors would have had the same rationale? Let’s not fight against the Confederacy. Let’s just try to get along, and maybe one day they’ll give us our freedom?”
Reposted by Brian Poel
“The chief justice has no higher obligation than to protect the federal judiciary from attacks by this president, and in my view he has utterly failed.”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
The umpire who picked a side: John Roberts and the death of rule of law in America
The chief justice of the US has painted himself as a modern institutionalist over the past 20 years. Experts say he’s emboldening Trump’s drive toward authoritarianism
www.theguardian.com
August 21, 2025 at 8:45 PM
“The chief justice has no higher obligation than to protect the federal judiciary from attacks by this president, and in my view he has utterly failed.”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
Reposted by Brian Poel
An idea:
August 20, 2025 at 12:29 AM
An idea:
Reposted by Brian Poel
Anas Al Sharif had these words to publish if he was martyred which he was tonight as Israel starts the invasion of Gaza City
August 10, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Anas Al Sharif had these words to publish if he was martyred which he was tonight as Israel starts the invasion of Gaza City
Reposted by Brian Poel
One of the wonderful things about this business is the opportunity to stumble upon really impressive people. Professor/historian @hcrichardson.bsky.social is one of those people. This week’s No Mercy / No Malice reflects some of her takes on our current moment.
www.profgalloway.com/resist/
www.profgalloway.com/resist/
Resist | No Mercy / No Malice
My go-to historical frame of reference is World War II. At a staggering global cost of 85 million lives, the Second World War was the crucible of the 20th century — an explosion of unfathomable destru...
www.profgalloway.com
July 19, 2025 at 6:08 PM
One of the wonderful things about this business is the opportunity to stumble upon really impressive people. Professor/historian @hcrichardson.bsky.social is one of those people. This week’s No Mercy / No Malice reflects some of her takes on our current moment.
www.profgalloway.com/resist/
www.profgalloway.com/resist/
Reposted by Brian Poel
did a video on jim crow as part of my american history series on youtube youtu.be/FdCf0rQmY-s
Nerd Stuff: What was Jim Crow?
YouTube video by Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie
youtu.be
June 18, 2025 at 7:01 PM
did a video on jim crow as part of my american history series on youtube youtu.be/FdCf0rQmY-s
Reposted by Brian Poel
Spitting FIRE holy shit 🔥
June 16, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Spitting FIRE holy shit 🔥
Reposted by Brian Poel
Well done, Miss Feldman.
May 16, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Well done, Miss Feldman.
Reposted by Brian Poel
A reminder of the simple but often forgotten truth that all three of Harebrained Shemes' Shadowrun games were brilliant. If you haven't played them, well, do so.
May 14, 2025 at 4:14 PM
A reminder of the simple but often forgotten truth that all three of Harebrained Shemes' Shadowrun games were brilliant. If you haven't played them, well, do so.
Reposted by Brian Poel
I had been doubtful that we were going to have a "this is the crisis moment" with Trump, as opposed to "everything about this is a destructive catastrophe."
But the Abrego Garcia case is the crisis moment.
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But the Abrego Garcia case is the crisis moment.
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April 14, 2025 at 4:41 PM
I had been doubtful that we were going to have a "this is the crisis moment" with Trump, as opposed to "everything about this is a destructive catastrophe."
But the Abrego Garcia case is the crisis moment.
1/
But the Abrego Garcia case is the crisis moment.
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Reposted by Brian Poel
1/ The US government has ordered the Swedish city of Stockholm to end its diversity, inclusivity and equality (DEI) programmes within 10 days. The city authorities say the demand is "bizarre" and they won't be complying. ⬇️
May 7, 2025 at 11:56 AM
1/ The US government has ordered the Swedish city of Stockholm to end its diversity, inclusivity and equality (DEI) programmes within 10 days. The city authorities say the demand is "bizarre" and they won't be complying. ⬇️
Reposted by Brian Poel
A tricky thing about modern society is that no one has any idea when they don’t die.
Like, the number of lives saved by controlling air pollution in America is probably over 200,000 per year, but the number of people who think their life was saved by controlling air pollution is zero.
Like, the number of lives saved by controlling air pollution in America is probably over 200,000 per year, but the number of people who think their life was saved by controlling air pollution is zero.
April 7, 2025 at 4:13 AM
A tricky thing about modern society is that no one has any idea when they don’t die.
Like, the number of lives saved by controlling air pollution in America is probably over 200,000 per year, but the number of people who think their life was saved by controlling air pollution is zero.
Like, the number of lives saved by controlling air pollution in America is probably over 200,000 per year, but the number of people who think their life was saved by controlling air pollution is zero.
Reposted by Brian Poel
Trump just opened up a procedural avenue for Dems to force votes on the tariffs he announced yesterday. A quick explainer-
April 3, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Trump just opened up a procedural avenue for Dems to force votes on the tariffs he announced yesterday. A quick explainer-
Reposted by Brian Poel
Yesterday, I posted a video showing a Russian drone strike near a football stadium in Kharkiv, while players were on the field in the middle of a game. One of the comments(on X), from someone generally supportive of Ukraine, said something like, "focus on the fight, not on the game."
🧵👇 1/7
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March 27, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Yesterday, I posted a video showing a Russian drone strike near a football stadium in Kharkiv, while players were on the field in the middle of a game. One of the comments(on X), from someone generally supportive of Ukraine, said something like, "focus on the fight, not on the game."
🧵👇 1/7
🧵👇 1/7
Reposted by Brian Poel
Pete Buttigieg breaks down DEI for everyday folks…
“The opposite of diversity is uniformity. The opposite of equity is inequity. The opposite of inclusion is exclusion.” @petebuttigieg.bsky.social
Our problem: too many value uniformity over inclusion and they’re the ones running the government.
🧵
“The opposite of diversity is uniformity. The opposite of equity is inequity. The opposite of inclusion is exclusion.” @petebuttigieg.bsky.social
Our problem: too many value uniformity over inclusion and they’re the ones running the government.
🧵
March 22, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Pete Buttigieg breaks down DEI for everyday folks…
“The opposite of diversity is uniformity. The opposite of equity is inequity. The opposite of inclusion is exclusion.” @petebuttigieg.bsky.social
Our problem: too many value uniformity over inclusion and they’re the ones running the government.
🧵
“The opposite of diversity is uniformity. The opposite of equity is inequity. The opposite of inclusion is exclusion.” @petebuttigieg.bsky.social
Our problem: too many value uniformity over inclusion and they’re the ones running the government.
🧵