In a recent post on lowering phone usage, I recommended playing chess. But I haven’t actually played chess for ages. So I thought I’d put my money where my mouth is and play. And it was lovely.

I get an energy crash between 15:00-18:00 and am often tempted to scroll on my phone. Chess was a pleasant replacement. Mentally challenging, but also relaxing. Sitting there, waiting for my opponent to go, was quiet and peaceful. I briefly put some music on in the background, but quickly turned it off – I was enjoying the quiet too much.

I can see myself get into chess more regularly. I was pretty terrible today. I was matched against fellow newbies and still mostly lost. Though winning in my final match was a great feeling.

If you wanna play with me, my username on lichess.org is clowes – add me.

A digital chessboard shows a game on lichess.org with White in a winning position, as the white queen threatens the black king on g7.

ADHD is building increasingly elaborate productivity systems until you hit a complexity tipping point and want to abandon everything for a cabin in the woods.


Weeknotes (1743/4175) blot.blog/2025/03/0…


These cleaning gloves at IKEA look like they want to check my prostate.


I’ve written about how we all think we’d take a bullet for our loved ones, but can’t handle putting away clean socks. The mundane is where real battles are won. blot.blog/2025/02/2…


I’ve written about that peculiar melancholy that settles in during your 30s - when time accelerates, nostalgia becomes both comfort and pain, and adulthood looks different than imagined. blot.blog/2025/02/2…


Tom Hardy hasn’t been in a good film for years.

When I saw him pop up in a trailer I used to be like “can’t wait to check this out”.

Now when I see him I think “this is going to be terrible”.


I’ve written about how consuming excellent content isn’t a search problem. It’s a focus problem. blot.blog/2025/02/2…


I wish I had the strength to get up and walk away when presented with a QR menu in a restaurant.


Amazon MGM now has creative control over Bond 😬 blot.blog/2025/02/2…