dual personalities

Today is the birthday of Milton Bradley (November 8, 1836 – May 30, 1911) who was an American business magnate, game pioneer and publisher, credited by many with launching the board game industry, with the Milton Bradley Company.

The Checkered Game of Life, Bradley’s first big success, was originally created in 1860 and like many 19th-century games, such as The Mansion of Happiness by  S.B. Ives in 1843, it had a strong moral message. In 1960 the modern version, The Game of Life, was introduced. The Game of Life was updated several times through the years. In 1991 the ‘moral message’ contained in the game was players being rewarded for good behavior, such as recycling trash and helping the homeless. They were virtue-signaling even then!

I remember playing board games and card games with my siblings–

Mille Bornes, French for a thousand milestones, referring to the distance markers on French roads, in particular–but I was never very good at games. There are too many rules to remember.

I remember playing riotous games of Hearts, and Categories was always a favorite of ours.

What games do you remember from your childhood?

So regarding a Friday movie pick…it might be time to watch Jumanji (1995) or Jumanji: Return to the Jungle (2017) in honor of old Milton Bradley.

This is how my mind works after all…

Of course, since yesterday was the anniversary of the day Steve McQueen died in 1980, we might want to go in that direction.

(@john.wayne.fans Instagram)

Well, decisions, decisions…

Have a good weekend!