Down by the Riverside
Today on Double Americana we're performing the great Negro spiritual, "Down By The Riverside." Also known as "Aint Gonna Study War No War," this was Mallory's high school fight song, which is ironic on account of it's pacifist nature. Nevertheless, ever time she hears it, she experiences an overwhelming spike in school pride. Go Panthers!
Originally sung by slaves before the Civil War, it was an expression of religious hope but also, as was common in spirituals, an allusion to escaping slavery; the River Jordan representing the Ohio River, the border between slave states and free states. Sung in many times and places since then, including by Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Mahalia Jackson and many of the usual faces of folk music, "Down By The Riverside" became an anti-war song during the Vietnam conflict and remains firmly a protest song.
With as much arms bolstering and nuclear intimidation as we've seen in recent weeks, it would serve us well to remember that to study war means to study destruction, and that peace between people is not a hope reserved for the afterlife but can be found here and now.
Pixel Flow was not something I planned to keep around, but it's perfect for my coffee breaks. You have a set of pigs with ammo counts, a field of colored blocks, and limited space at the side for pigs that didn't finish. The hook is that you always need to keep that side space open, so every shot matters.
I started marble sort over a quiet holiday weekend and kept it because it works for short sessions. If I have five minutes, I can clear one small level. If I have an hour, I can worry about hidden boxes and buried colors until I win.
It's not about speed. Meowdoku rewards patience. I used to tap randomly when stuck, but now I force myself to find the one spot that satisfies every row and region. Feels way better.
I like how Colony Flow doesn't need fast reflexes. You can take your time and study the board, which is probably why I don't look up until my stop is five minutes past.
Profile Perfect feels like a tiny investigation every time you open a level. The subjects might be people, dogs, rooms, or objects, and the traits can be names, places, patterns, breeds, or other clues. I kept playing because each level gives a complete little logic story.