iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ben McKenzie @benmckenzie.com.au · 26/07/2026

Post a perfect album from the 90s that isn’t Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam or Alice in Chains… I mean, how could I stop at just one? (There are many more.)

The cover art for They Might Be Giants’ 1992 album “Apollo 18”, showing a sperm whale and giant squid fighting on a black background, while a lunar landing module floats next to them.

The cover of Max Sharam’s 1996 album “A Million Year Girl”, showing a naked Sharam holding clutching a small multi-storey house to her chest while standing in front of a waterfall in a valley.

The cover of Kylie Minogue’s 1997 album “Impossible Princess”, featuring Minogue with short dark hair in a light blue dress with a single shoulder strap. We see her kneeling in the middle of a cylindrical shape created by multicoloured bands of light, with a gap at the front.

The cover of Peter Gabriel’s 1992 album “Us”. Peter stands in a blue suit with his arms outstretched, walking though a red space with red string or straw on the ground. In front of him is what looks like a column of smoke in the shape of a woman with her arms clasped above her head.

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Ben McKenzie @benmckenzie.com.au · 04/11/2025

Today is the day for @deadstaticdrive.com! I have to go to work, but I’ll probably still sneak in a little bit of refreshing Steam until the launch time comes around. (This game was made in Melbourne by some of the best people, including one of my all-time faves. I can’t wait!)

A screenshot of part of the Steam store page for Dead Static Drive, taken via the mobile Steam
App. Cropped to highlight the Planned Release Date of 5 November 2025, under which is the note: “This game plans to unlock in approximately 2 hours”

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Ben McKenzie @benmckenzie.com.au · 13/07/2025

Update: movie did not disappoint. Loved it!

A man wearing glasses, an N95 mask and a dark blue hoodie with a Superman T-shirt visible underneath stands in front of two large banners for the Superman film flanking the shot tower inside Melbourne Central. He’s giving the camera a thumbs up. The shot is angled so you can see all he way to the top of the tower.

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Ben McKenzie @benmckenzie.com.au · 13/07/2025

Mostly for COVID reasons, I haven’t been to a cinema since early 2020, when I saw The Meg. I’m going tonight, though. (Been waiting fifteen years for a good reason to wear this T-shirt out.)

A photo of a man standing outside wearing an N95 mask, glasses, a bright blue woollen beanie and a navy hoodie. He is winking while pulling the hoodie open to reveal a T-shirt with the Superman symbol.

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Ben McKenzie @benmckenzie.com.au · 08/07/2025

I’m at Altona North Community Library tonight running my “Dungeon Time” intro to roleplaying workshop! The games discovery lab here is next level. Come check it out if you’re local.

A photo of a man wearing an N95 mask mostly out of frame, pointing at a digital poster of himself with the text “DUNGEON TIME WITH BEN MCKENZIE”
The text continues in all caps: “Join Ben McKenzie for a fun workshop mixing drawing, storytelling and game design to create your own easy roleplaying game.” And today’s date and time.

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Ben McKenzie @benmckenzie.com.au · 16/03/2025

New update on the Brunswick Musk mural: he now says he’s getting removed, though when (or perhaps how) has been obscured.

Photo of a large mural in a mostly empty car park. It depicts a smug looking Elon Musk pointing at the dog from the doge meme on a green background. There are several dark spots on Musk’s face, and a speech balloon has been added in white paint which has Musk saying “IM GETTING REMOVED” with a further word painted over with white love hearts. More white love hearts cover a further painted message below the speech balloon.

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Ben McKenzie @benmckenzie.com.au · 10/03/2025

A few weeks ago someone was asking about that Elon Musk and doge mural in Brunswick, which had been improved with a tiny moustache, then swear words, then painted over in grey with “happy now?” scrawled on top. Well, I went past this weekend - the dickhead is back. Though he has some shaving scars.

A photo of a mostly empty car park in Brunswick with a large mural of a smug looking Elon Musk pointing a finger at the dog from the doge meme. Elon’s face has flecks of dark paint around the mouth and under the right eye.

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Ben McKenzie @benmckenzie.com.au · 16/02/2025

Here’s a photo; I did report it as spam (to Apple?), so hopefully that helps other iPhone users avoid it at least. Will report the phone numbers to ScamWatch too.

A screenshot of a spam text message sent from the number +63 962 235 1908. It was sent to another number, as well as mine. The text reads:

Hello, sorry to bother you! I'm Freya from CareerOne. your CV has been recommended by several online recruitment agencies, so we'd like to offer you a remote job where you can earn A$150-300 per day, working 60
- 90 minutes per day at a time and place of your choosing (paid on the same day). Paid annual leave 5 to 15 days. But please note: (you must be at least 20+). If you are eligible and want more information, please reply with a 'YES' or 'NO'.

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Ben McKenzie @benmckenzie.com.au · 31/12/2024

My #boardgame stats from 2024, courtesy of the app #BGStats. (The big bump in December is our traditional Exit advent calendar.) I always aim for 100 plays, and never quite get there. Some games I only played once didn’t make this summary, but were also great.

A graphic of my board game for 2024 from the app BG Stats:

Plays: 85
H-index: 4
Games: 30
New: 15
Players: 19
Locations: 6
Hours: 78
Days: 40

Paperback Adventures: 3
Arcs: 3
Sleeping Gods: 4
Magic: The Gathering: 10
Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West: 5
Daybreak: 3
Exit: The Game – Advent Calendar: The Missing Hollywood Star: 24
Guards! Guards! A Discworld Boardgame: 1
Pandemic Legacy: Season 1: 2

39 designers:
Matt Leacock: 13%
Darrell Louder: 6%
David Brashaw: 6%
Leonard Boyd: 6%
Matthew O'Malley: 6%

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Ben McKenzie @benmckenzie.com.au · 16/12/2024

If you’re not playing #realbirdfakebird from @folly.studio (of #Gubbins fame), get on it! Delightful little daily quizzes submitted by enthusiasts.

A scorecard image for the game Real Bird Fake Bird. In black on orange it features an illustration of an anthropomorphic cartoon bird in a beret drawing on an easel. Above the bird at the top is the text “#007 / MON 16 DEC / arts” to denote which game was played, and under that the score: in white, “bellissimo!”, then “you got 6/7” and the theme: “DOGS IN LITERATURE”.

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Ben McKenzie @benmckenzie.com.au · 25/11/2024

Quote this with who you’d be in Star Trek…thanks to @carlaelledee.bsky.social for this bang on suggestion, though really I think I knew it deep down.

Jack Quaid as Brad Boimler in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

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Ben McKenzie @benmckenzie.com.au · 26/09/2024

Would not have guessed I was in as early as this, but there you go. #265,854

A virtual certificate with text "Celebrating 10M users on Bluesky, #265,854, Ben McKenzie ‪@benmckenzie.com.au‬, joined on Jul 7, 2023"

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Ben McKenzie @benmckenzie.com.au · 19/03/2024

I’ve never been one for pocket squares but in this fifth year of bloody global pandemic I have at last found a use for my breast pocket. (Only when it’s safe not to have it on my face, of course.)

A photo of the left breast of a navy jacket. On the lapel are two enamel pins: a purple scroll with “he/him” pronouns and a twenty-sided dice, and a blue and purple mechanical bird. Tucked into the breast pocket of the jacket is a 3M Aura N95 facemask.

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Ben McKenzie @benmckenzie.com.au · 01/01/2024

The end of my first epic game of Paperback Adventures by Skye Larsen and Tim Fowers! It really is as all the reviews say: Slay the Spire meets Scrabble, and really good. The conceit is you’re author Paige Turner, trying to write a hit trilogy of pulp adventure novels. Loved it. More in 2024.

A photo from above of the card game Paperback Adventures, featuring two plastic trays with metal trackers for health and other values, and cards representing items, abilities and letters for spelling out words. The assassin princess Damsel has been defeated by a Viking-like Bandit King; the last word spelled is “IN?H”, with unused H, V and I cards nearby.

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Ben McKenzie @benmckenzie.com.au · 25/12/2023

It’s a Christmas miracle - I solved climate change in my fourth solo game of Daybreak!

A photo of the board game Daybreak at the end of a winning game, laid out on a dining room table with Christmas tablecloths and ornaments.

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