Sami
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happysami.bsky.social
Sami
@happysami.bsky.social
130 followers 330 following 450 posts
Opinionated nerd, cat lover, plant enthusiast, engineering/physics post-doc, sometimes artist, too chaotic for my own good. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ They/Them
Review blog: chattysami.wordpress.com
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Sami
docshartman.bsky.social
cleaning up my desktop and found this little gem
1st panel: a man pours red paint into a paint tray 2nd panel: the paint touches the tray. a corner of the lines of the tray is not connected 3rd panel: the entire background of the panel is now red, as though the paint tool in MSPaint had been improperly used credit: Geoffrey Siu
January 13, 2026 at 5:36 AM
Reposted by Sami
crits4cats.org
Here is a video of a frozen creek that had begun to thaw, and the water was flowing beneath the thin ice on top. I took this because it was soothing and wonderfully bloopy and I wanted to listen to it for hours. You are all welcome to enjoy it, too. Let your brain settle here and rest for a moment.
January 10, 2026 at 4:57 AM
happysami.bsky.social
I'm reading a research paper and the authors have used Comic Sans for one of their diagrams, but only one of them! The rest are in a sensible serif font. Truly bizarre behaviour, made me feel like i was going mad.
January 9, 2026 at 12:46 PM
happysami.bsky.social
I was once on the same plane as John Barrowman, Dan Howell, and Phil Lester.
twlldun.bsky.social Twlldun @twlldun.bsky.social · 17d
Please quote this with the time you didn’t interact with someone famous - eg one time I was in Cardiff the same weekend as Willem Dafoe (but I didn’t see him or even know he was there until he appeared on the telly later)
levparikian.bsky.social Lev Parikian @levparikian.bsky.social · 17d
Please quote this with your major interactions with massive celebrities. eg “I was married to the pope for fifteen years”
December 30, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Reposted by Sami
cait.bsky.social
you can be the most reasonable, intelligent, measured person on the planet and 3 minutes of a migraine will have you looking longingly at a drill and considering whether trepanning was honestly that bad of an idea
December 4, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Reposted by Sami
patricknessbooks.bsky.social
Furious at this. TERFs and Gender Critical people are a loud, radicalized, wealthy minority, forcing groups who've done the right thing for years into horrible positions that none of them want. Stop buying Harry Potter. Fight for your trans brothers and sisters. They'll come for you next.
ulycia.bsky.social pseudonymity enjoyer @ulycia.bsky.social · Dec 2
i hope every single person who still buys harry potter merch or engages with that franchise is happy that they're literally making girl guides cry

girl guides uk have been forced very much against their will to exclude trans girls. full statement is here: www.girlguiding.org.uk/information-...
This update includes information you may find upsetting. Please take care when reading. From today, it is with a heavy heart that we announce trans girls will no longer be able to join Girlguiding. This is a decision we would have preferred not to make, and we know that this may be upsetting for members of our community. There will be no immediate changes for current young members, but more information will be shared soon. Most adult roles - including unit helpers, district helpers and administrative support - are already open to all, so we are confident that no volunteers will have to leave the organisation. Girlguiding believes strongly in inclusion, and we will continue to support young people and adults in marginalised groups. Over the next few months, we will explore opportunities to champion this value and actively support young people who need us. We stand in solidarity with trans girls and women.
December 2, 2025 at 3:14 PM
happysami.bsky.social
30 day books-by-women challenge! Choose 30 books, one per day, no particular order, that you’ve read that were written by women. #booksky #bookchallenge #readingwomen 💙📚

1/30

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, Becky Chambers
Cover of The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, shows a night sky with hundreds of stars, with a small silhouette at the bottom of a woman in a hill. A sticker says "Winner of the Hugo Award for best series".
December 3, 2025 at 12:09 PM
happysami.bsky.social
Quarantine Circular is this week's pick for Bithell Games' Legacy Celebration and follow up to last week's Subsurface Circular. For me, it doesn't quite live up to the high bar set by it's predecessor, but it's still pretty damn good.
Quarantine Circular
Quarantine Circular is this week's pick for Bithell Games' Legacy Celebration and follow up to last week's Subsurface Circular. Quarantine isn't a sequel as such, though it's implied to take place in the same world. They're linked by the same dialogue framework rather than the same world or story - a bit like two different TTRPGs that use the same base system.
chattysami.wordpress.com
November 30, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Reposted by Sami
bithellgames.bsky.social
Quarantine Circular's week orbiting our socials is closing out, but Gabriel the giant crab alien (and the rest of the game) still has a few more hours of being discounted on Steam.

The fate of a vulnerable human race is in your hands. Choose your words wisely.
Screenshot from Bithell Games' 'Quarantine Circular', showing dialogue between characters Marc and Lisa. They are discussing the plague that Earth is currently suffering from. Lisa says she is a microbiologist, and that she suspects Gabriel, the alien they have captured, is somehow the cause of it. Marc, the player character for this sequence, has three dialogue options: - Does it really spready as easily as folks say? - They should try antibiotics. - I've asked enough questions about this. A screenshot from Bithell Games' 'Quarantine Circular'. A conversation between several characters is taking place: humans Lisa Seddik, Professor Alla Zima, and Admiral Sanjeev Khan, and alien Gabriel. Alla is introducing herself as an epidemiologist, to which Lisa insists she is the world's *leading* epidemiologist. A screenshot from Bithell Games' 'Quarantine Circular'. Gabriel, a giant crab alien, faces human Admiraal Sanjeev Khan, who is wearing a full-body protective suit and helment. The sky is darkening behind them. Gabriel is asking Sanjeev for information, but is making their dislike for Teng, the security officer, known. The player needs to choose from dialogue options to try and convince the Admiral to dismiss Teng so that they can speak privately. Their dialogue options are: - Teng is dangerous. She wants me dead. - You are unable to keep your team in check, Admiral? - I am not authorised to talk to anyone at her level. She is barely an officer. - You are smart enough to see the problem. A screenshot of Bithell Games' 'Quarantine Circular'. Three humans in full-body protective suits and helmets are conversing with Gabriel, a large crab-like alien. They are stood on the deck of a large boat. One of the humans, Alla, asks if Gabriel has technologies and methedologies they would share with the human race. Lisa, however, accuses Gabriel of causing the global plague in the first place as part of a larger plan for subjugation. The player, controlling Alla for this sequence, has three dialogue options to choose from: - If you're here to save us, why the stealthy approach? Why not land at a broadcast studio, or on top of the Eiffel Tower? - Why didn't you go to world leaders? - Why only you?
November 30, 2025 at 4:01 PM
happysami.bsky.social
Subsurface Circular

Bithell Games, headed by Mike Bithell, is the studio behind Thomas Was Alone, Volume, and the recent TRON games. They're currently running a legacy games celebration, highlighting a different one of their older games each week. This week (starting Monday gone and ending today)…
Subsurface Circular
Bithell Games, headed by Mike Bithell, is the studio behind Thomas Was Alone, Volume, and the recent TRON games. They're currently running a legacy games celebration, highlighting a different one of their older games each week. This week (starting Monday gone and ending today) is Subsurface Circular, a short narrative game released back in 2017. Next week (starting tomorrow!) is its sequel…
chattysami.wordpress.com
November 23, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Reposted by Sami
draknek.bsky.social
The temperature is getting colder here in London, so this is an excellent time to remind you that every hour, the monster goes out to the weather station in London to check the temperature and sets the price for A Good Snowman is Hard to Build to match the weather.

draknek.itch.io/a-good-snowman
A Good Snowman Is Hard To Build by Draknek & Friends, Benjamin Davis
Pay what the temperature is: 16.3°C = $16.30!
draknek.itch.io
November 14, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Reposted by Sami
canopyrobin.com
Today, I can finally share the rest of my Game Changer, "we've been here the whole time" stickers and pins, in a whopping 27 flag designs!

Stickers: canopyrobin.etsy.com/listing/4333...

Pins: canopyrobin.etsy.com/listing/4346...

My endless thanks to @samreich.bsky.social for blessing these! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️
Vinyl stickers in the shape of a Dropout Game Changer loop-de-loop, with the words "we've been here the whole time", in abrosexual, agender, altersex, aroace, aromantic, asexual, autigender, bigender, bisexual, demiboy, demigirl, demisexual, disability, gay man, genderfae, genderfaun, genderflor, gender fluid, genderflux, gender queer, intersex, lesbian, LGBTQ+, non-binary, pansexual, polyamorous, and trans pride colours
November 11, 2025 at 6:58 AM
happysami.bsky.social
I've been playing a lot of Railroad Ink lately, and decided i had opinions to share.
Railroad Ink, Base Editions
In some ways, this is a rip off of this excellent (if slightly unhinged) video from Shut Up & Sit Down. In it, Tom Brewster reviews every single Railroad Ink expansion and version while progressively losing his grip on reality. What makes my review different is: 1) it's in written form, not video form; 2) i've split it in half; and 3) i have better different opinions.
chattysami.wordpress.com
November 9, 2025 at 9:00 PM
happysami.bsky.social
Not Celebrity Traitors giving me the 1-2 fandom punch of Hanging Tree followed by Carry On My Wayward Son.
November 6, 2025 at 10:31 PM
happysami.bsky.social
This bundle has got me rereading The Wicked + The Divine and it's so good! I'd forgotten how soon [super duper redacted].
humblebundle.com Humble @humblebundle.com · Nov 5
Last call on the Roll for Initiative with Kieron Gillen comics bundle and titles like:

- The Wicked + The Divine Vol. 1 - 9
- DIE Vol. 1 - 4
- Phonogram Vol. 1 - 3
- and more! Supports Binc Foundation.
Roll for Initiative with Kieron Gillen by Image Comics | Humble Bundle
www.humblebundle.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:07 PM
happysami.bsky.social
One of my favourite books of all time - you should buy this.
maxgladstone.bsky.social Max Gladstone @maxgladstone.bsky.social · Nov 3
UK folks, THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR is a monthly Kindle deal for November: just 99p! Often this sort of deal leads to price-matching at other online retailers, too. Happy reading!
November 4, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Reposted by Sami
rspb.bsky.social
Birds but they get spookier each time. 🎃👻

Enter if you dare...🚪
A black background decorated with gold illustrations of branches, stars, swords, ravens, and tiny ghost shapes. In the centre, bold text reads: “BIRDS BUT THEY GET SPOOKIER EACH TIME.” Two ravens perch on bare branches at the bottom, with candles glowing beside them.
October 31, 2025 at 9:24 AM
happysami.bsky.social
Important PSA - the little hats on the Innocent smoothies are the perfect size for Jellycats.
Group of vegetable soft toys, including a banana in a wooly hat, a peach, some corn with a wooly hat, a strawberry, and a carrot.
October 30, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Reposted by Sami
canopyrobin.com
If I can sell just four more of these then I'll break even on the costs of making them 😊 #SciArt 🌸
canopyrobin.com Robin Hayward 🌳 🏳️‍⚧️ @canopyrobin.com · Oct 20
Pride flowers anyone? These were inspired by the fact that 90% of flowering species have individual flowers that are both male and female 🌸 canopyrobin.etsy.com/listing/4338...
enamel pins of flowers in pride colours for nonbinary, pan, bi, lgbtq, and trans. They are on backing cards that say "A perfect flower" and other text which is too small to read in the photo
October 29, 2025 at 6:47 AM
Reposted by Sami
scottbatemanart.bsky.social
"RetroSpectrum - Reloaded"

Digital collage made in Photoshop based on the glorious games of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum 😍

#zxspectrum #retrogaming #pixelart #8bitart
October 28, 2025 at 6:04 PM
happysami.bsky.social
BTW the blog is on a bit of a pause because I'm currently applying for jobs, so most of my blog-writing time has turned into cover-letter-writing time. On a related note, if anyone's looking to hire a postdoc with optics and robotics experience, hit me up!
October 25, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Reposted by Sami
sylviaritter.bsky.social
Silent Sunday ✨ #art
Speedpainting 05112021 I was intrigued by videos of water vs. slime in space. This is an astronaut opening a can of soda, which creates all our planets. (If there are still unknown or known planets, they are still hiding in the can ;).) https://www.deviantart.com/sylviaritter/art/Speedpainting-05112021-897040234
October 19, 2025 at 3:01 PM
happysami.bsky.social
Me: How's the update going?
My PC: It's at 97%
Me: How long has it been at 97%?
My PC: ... a while
October 21, 2025 at 11:33 AM
happysami.bsky.social
Double Fine PsychOdyssey

While i was playing The Roottrees are Dead a couple of weekends ago, and because i can only concentrate if there are at least two different things going on at once, i decided to rewatch Double Fine's PsychOdyssey. It's a huge 32 (now 33) episode documentary covering the 6+…
Double Fine PsychOdyssey
While i was playing The Roottrees are Dead a couple of weekends ago, and because i can only concentrate if there are at least two different things going on at once, i decided to rewatch Double Fine's PsychOdyssey. It's a huge 32 (now 33) episode documentary covering the 6+ years of development of the studio's game Psychonauts 2. And it's completely free, in full, …
chattysami.wordpress.com
October 5, 2025 at 8:30 PM
happysami.bsky.social
The Roottrees are Dead

If you're as tuned in to the indie gaming scene as i am, you probably don't need me to introduce The Roottrees are Dead. It was pretty well-reviewed, and gained an enthusiastic following through word-of-mouth recommendations. It's a mystery game that has been compared to the…
The Roottrees are Dead
If you're as tuned in to the indie gaming scene as i am, you probably don't need me to introduce The Roottrees are Dead. It was pretty well-reviewed, and gained an enthusiastic following through word-of-mouth recommendations. It's a mystery game that has been compared to the masterpiece that is Return of the Obra Dinn, which is high praise that, in my humble opinion, it absolutely lives up to.
chattysami.wordpress.com
September 21, 2025 at 8:47 PM