Obviously, this will be full of spoilers, so read at own risk. Also, I'm pretty sure I'm not the first one asking, but I notice this being a constant topic when discussing specific games, so I decided to make this post.
Browsing this sub and JRPG discussions in general, it seems like the majority of games, even though they are liked, are bashed for their endings. We often joke about the fact that we start killing rats and end the game fighting gods. So I want to ask 3 questions:
1.) What does a game need to do for you to consider it having a good ending? What do you look for in antagonists? What should the final scenes include?
2.) Which games' endings do you remember fondly?
3.) Which games' ending do you dislike.
Gonna go first:
1.) I want an antagonist who had an impact on the game and made you hate him. A big finale culminating into the boss battle to settle all scores developed in the last tens of hours. I don't want some obscure entity pulling the strings behind this antagonist, ending up making said entagonist feel like a joke.
Also, for the conclusion, I'm a sucker for happy ends. The party doesn't have to stay together but if everybody can happily live their lifes I'm in. Throw in a bit of romance, and everything is perfect. I don't dislike a bittersweet note, but I don't need it.
Also: Music, I want to feel hyped fighting the final boss, and the music is an integral part of that.
2.) FFVI: Man, do I hate Kefka. He is not a particularly well written villain. He is bland and one-dimensional. But dude has been toying with me from experimenting on Terra, attacking Figaro, poisoning Cyan's family, and actually succeeding at destroying the world up to that insane boss battle with that banger theme. Also, who never felt the urge to kick a clown's ass?
FFVII: Same, FFVII was my first RPG, and daaaaamn did it feel good kicking Jenova's and Sephiroth's ass after chasing him for almost 80 hours. Especially because he actually killed one of my favorite video game characters. The music during the whole boss gauntlet is out of this world. The ending is kinda bittersweet showing how Nanaki outlives everyone, but he seems happy with his little family, which is alright.
Persona 5 Royal:
I wasn't a huge fan of the Holy Grail in P5. It's one of those gods we need to beat, which randomly appears at the end. I like the idea about the Grails reasoning about the public conscience and people's need for comfort and control, but after Shido, I felt like I was done with the game. But holy hell, did Royal improve on that. The whole ark with Maruki trying to make everyone happy, Sumire's denial and the sweet temptation to sacrifice freedom for comfort is executed so damn well. Royal managed not only to increase the time you need to play the game but to improve vanilla in every single way.
3.) FFIX: Lackluster endboss, amazing ending. I still consider this the GOAT of not only RPGs but video games in general, but the game manages to do everything right up until you beat Kuja, and there's Necron all of a sudden. Guess I'll need to kick his ass to roll the credits. This felt like a chore after the end of the game. But the ending is great. Everybody is happy, and Zidane and Garnet end up together. What else could you want?
Tales of Arise: Looks like this whole sub agrees that the last fourth felt tacked on and barebones. I loved the ending, though. The last picture from the wedding brought tears to my eyes.
Chained Echoes: Contrary to popular belief, I'm not opposed to Kylian redeeming himself, but the boss gauntlet wasn't the greatest. I actually had to google who I had to fight in the end, although it's only been like 4 months since I played the game. Also, Glenn is turning into a bird? I like the freedom bit, but it still feels weird. I wanted him to end up with Lenne through all the hardships they endured through multiple lives.
I'm curious what's your opinion on this topic, so let me know!

Problem: My rig keeps getting clogged the perc openings look like the surface of a truck bed tool box ( reverted half box diamonds ) if you’re looking at it from a birds eye view. i’ve adjusted my process to hit it at a hotter temp and pulling lower but for me it’s still getting clogged.
Question: Is there anything i may not be thinking ab ? the only other thing i’ve read is water lvl and temp. but honestly i’m starting to worry it’s just a bad rig. The banger stem leading down is the most classic “ L “ shape and is leads straight to the perc.
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Book 6: The City of Blue Fire

So the final buildup to the climax begins! We seem to be more solidly in the payoff section of the novel, with only a few revelations and theories this time around. Additionally, most of the cast we follow seem to be hitting their point of no return, we're on this roller-coaster and cant get off until it stops. That the dread didn't set in until it began clicking its way to the top is more your fault. The title is plenty evocative too, and if I had to guess, we'll be seeing more of the Darujhistan cast this time around.

Epigraph

Another issue of Rumor Born that seems to be recapping the events of the last few books in Darujhistan. What's interesting is it's final mention of the fête to end off.
For fun:
First came the Eel "or not one but a thousand" Is that literal, or merely a reference to their reach? I'll speak more to the Eel during the chapter breakdown below. What's also interesting is that the poem mentions they came "under a jagged moon that might be dead" We see from this that Rumor Born or Fisher in general is not authoritative. The work is literally recounting what rumors there are on the street, and whether or not there's anyone left living in Moon's Spawn is one of those. What this seems to indicate is that the Eel's influence couldn't be popularly felt until after Rake arrived.
"a claw scraped slow//on the city's cobbles" Kalam mistaken for a Claw (easy mistake) Rake is the "dragon... seen sailing high silver and black in the night sky" descending onto Pearl, who gave out the "demon's death cry"
The Tiste Andii were responsible for when "a master's hundred hands lost//a hundred daggers to the dark"
Which are all things that have happened in the past, the fête, ominously, has yet to occur, yet its mere invitation is counted among these City shaking events.

Chapter 17

Book 6's introduction. Overall, there isn't yet much to differentiate this from Book 5 other than setting, but we'll see how that develops. So without further ado...

Epigraph

[Edit: Uhh, this whole section I definitely never forgot]
Another excerpt from Silverfox, one describing a vision of the innards of Dragnipur and its relationship to Anomander Rake. Fairly straightforward, with two primary questions.
1) Why is this an excerpt of Silverfox? I assume our Adept-lett is running some reconnaissance on Rake? Feeling the effects of the slaying of the Hounds? I suppose I'll have to wait on that one.
2) Who is Outrider Hurlochel? Is he Malazan, or Tiste Andii? Or just Genebakin? That he's in the 6th implies Malazan, but the 6th never fought Caladan Brood to my recollection, he primarily fought the 5th. Additionally, when would a Malazan outrider get the opportunity to hear a conversation between Kallor and Brood? If he's Tiste Andii, then that means eventually Moon's Spawn will become aware of Silverfox, which has some fairly large implications. Beyond that, it makes sense that someone in Brood's, uhh... brood, would get access to the Rhivi. I guess it'd be Brood's 6th then? Something doesn't mesh, but I'll RAFO that for now.

The Chapter Itself -

- begins following Rallick Nom into the Phoenix Inn. Before entering, he is stopped by Meese who, after flirting with RN, for a moment, warns the assassin of someone asking after him. Someone who knew to sit at Kruppe's table, no less. He enters and notes, amused, for the first time how crowds part before him. He sits down, and the man (whom we are later told is Circle Breaker) warns him, on behalf of the Eel, of a contract sealed by Councilman Turban Orr with the Assassins' Guild against Lord Coll. The Assassin, Ocelot, merely waits for the Lord to return to the city. The Eel also applauds RN and Murillio's attempts to avenge Coll, and offers any assistance they would require. Rallick turns him down, and thanks him for the warning, after a quick drink with Iralta and Meese, he leaves the Inn to act on the information.
So, I had considered bringing this up before, but was on shakier ground then specualtion-wise. But now, its Speculation Time. Kruppe is the Eel, in my mind. We find out latter that Meese and Iralta are also in on the whole thing, so that's already ties to the Phoenix Inn. Kruppe obviously has no fear that the Eel would contradict him when lying to Baruk, and is able to mimic the Eel's method of cryptic hints perfectly. It fits his style of appearing far less than he is, in this case, he's a masquerading as a political lackey. Both the Eel and Kruppe were able to find out about the scheme against Coll without any slip-ups on the part of our conspirators. I believe this to be because of the poisoned bolt. Turban Orr was investigating it, and only someone who knew Rallick's MO could trace that back to him, and only someone who knew Rallick personally could understand that the bolt was initially meant for Lady Simtal rather than Councilman Lim. After all, the death of Orr's majority is too convenient to assume anything besides a political motive. The Eel heard wind of investigations regarding a poisoned bolt, and understood that his friend was behind it and why.* There were other things that had tipped me off, but those were the big ones that I can remember at present.
*Additionally, given that both Baruk and Crone felt Oppon's interference, and the uncharachteristic nature of the plan, it is highly probable that Kruppe felt the interference as well and later recognized what that interference was, hence his coy hint last chapter.
Baruk, meanwhile, is sulking alongside Anomander Rake, wondering why the Tiste Andii would ever allow the Imass and the Adjunct into the barrow. The tension between the two grows, as their diametrically opposed views on the world continue to breakdown communication and raise conflict between the two. In conflict, the Lord of Moon's Spawn excels. He explains to the High Alchemist that Laseen will have her fight, and capture Darujhistan whole if at all possible. Eliminating the Jaghut Tyrant and Rake are merely two additional tasks to maintain the long-term sustainability of the Empire. Rake hasn't nuked the city and left, because he wants to beat Laseen directly, a total victory where she losses what she desires without the world losing it as well. Baruk notes that Anomander Rake could always betray Darujhistan, but Rake notes that becoming himself a traitor would legitimize any treason against him. He even notes several individual who could defeat him under certain circumstances.
Baruk uses Rake's "Son of Darkness" moniker, and Rake rejects it as a title used by those who would worship him. Interesting. Being the child of a god would net you that, I suppose. He maintains the honest (if brutal) route in life not out of fear but duty. Duty to the ever-dwindling population of Tiste Andii, who merely run down the clocks of their lives dispassionately, obeying orders yes, but merely as a function of enduring their existence. He could run and hide, saving his people's lives, but they would be living in body only, so he follows cause after cause, attempting to revive their spirits. (Also of note, he mentioned that the Tiste Andi live roughly 20 thousand years, so I'm not sure where I'd gotten my deep time understanding of them, unless Rake's lifespan is extended the same relative amount as a human mage's would be)
Baruk is unsure how to respond, the plight of the Tiste is so incomprehensible that he can only muster the most abstract pity. So he returns the conversation to the Jaghut Tyrant. Will Rake be able to defeat it? Who knows, but killing him would render the Tyrant greatly reduced, possibly even to a level where the Cabal can eliminate him. Alternatively, killing the Tyrant would reduce AR, so that the Malazans may someday eliminate him. Two birds, one and a half stones. It is the Cabal that scares the Empress, an unknown, which is why our malazans seek out Vorcan. Beyond this, Oppon's meddling continually draws attention from the gods of the world, interested to see if immoral blood would be spilled. This began with Rake's killing of the two Hounds.
They finish the conversation by assessing the condition of Mammot, trapped in a slumber, his mind/soul stuck in his D'riss warren, rulled by the Worm of Autumn, D'rek, of whom Mammot is a High Preist. D'riss is evidently the Warren of earth magic, so I wonder if Caladan Brood will have or has had any interactions with the scholar. Mammot went off to investigate the barrow at Baruk's request, and wound up in this state. All of the Elder magic and Otataral present have messed with him somehow, and he cannot be freed until the Jaghut is. In which case, there will be a narrow window to save him before the High Preist, and his goddess, are subsumed by the Tyrant.
Crokus and Apsalar return to Darujhistan, despite wanting to be rid of the woman as soon as possible, Crokus is disappointed when the City does not impress her. They enter Mammot's study, finding a mess rather than the man himself. When wondering whether Rallick would know anything of this, Apsalar reacts strongly, likely prompted by her time under the Rope. For the first time since Book 2, we enter the PoV of Circle Breaker. After receiving a sign from an old woman, he delivers an additional sign to Meese. Internally, however, he cannot help but assume his days are numbered. He's acting in public, and how long until Turban Orr adds together that the same guard present at all of his leaked meetings is himself a mole? He expects to die soon, but is resolved to maintain his course until the last, heading for one final contact he considers redundant. Meese acts on the signal, approaching the building Mammot stays in, and knocking on the door. Crokus answers, disappointed that she is not his Uncle, and confused as to why she would be there. Crokus catches her up with Aps' amnesia, and notes they have not spoken to anyone but one stabler. Meese informs them of the death of the guard at the D'Arle estate, and Crokus takes this to be a betrayal on Chalice's part. That's... not a betrayal buddy. Aps' mention of Chalice clues Meese in on the situation surrounding the death, and despite the boy's protestations, she takes the situation at face value.
As they prepare to leave, Serrat stalks them, resolving to kill another watcher in the shadows, (I assume Irilta, given that she's backup) and replace her. She's been hunting the Coin Bearer on Rake's orders and we learn that she was one of the individuals hunting Crokus along the rooftops in Ch. 5. There's not much more to this scene, other than a couple odd details I'll note.
Kruppe and Murillio reach the Phoenix Inn, not finding their friends. Kruppe strangely waves aside the news of Rallick Nom meeting someone here earlier, and instead of reporting to Baruk right away, instead opts to enjoy a tankard of beer. This, coincidently opens a window for Circle Breaker to approach him with a message.
Rallick Nom, meanwhile, prepares to take on Ocelot. The clan leader will have all the advantages, and RN will have one shot at best, assuming he can even find him and get close enough. He does, however, posses an anti-magic powder (supplied by Baruk) which could potentially even the battle field. Moments after recalling the warning from the High Alchemist against applying it to bare skin, Rallick, knowing his chances are slim, fearing that Coll's death would remove the last claim on humanity he has left, he rubs the dust into his bare skin, all over. What sort of changes will this effect onto our assassin? Who knows! The chapter ends with RN swearing he will find and kill Ocelot undetected.
And there we go! Book 6 is starting off with a banger, once again tying ever more threads together tighter and tighter, promising one heck of a payoff. I, for one, cannot wait to see how it all unfolds!

First pair of allbirds and they are bangers! I had issues with the front of the shoe being too tight and pressing my toes against each other. With the pipers my toes are as free as a bird. Super comfortable and lightweight. I recommend them.
Only issue i could see, which i don't have, is if you have fatty/large calfs, the back of the shoe could touch your skin and be annoying

Section One: Assets and Debt
Retirement/Investments Balance: $2.6 million, which is still mind-boggling to me, even as I know that with better choices I might have even more. More about that later. $1500 in my HSA, $519,000 in traditional IRAs, about half of that in a Beneficiary IRA from my late mother, $10K in a Roth IRA, $40,000 in my employer’s stock from RSUs, $145,000 in my 401K, $990,000 in an unmanaged taxable account, and $920,000 in a managed one.
Equity: Probably about $500,000. I bought my co-op apartment for $500K in 2008, and put in $120K worth of renovations in 2019. I still owe $251,000 on a 3.75% refi, but it’s probably worth close to $800,000 with the updates and as the neighborhood has continued to gentrify; it was assessed at $720,000 when I took out a HELOC for the renovations. I was able to make the 20% downpayment of $100,000 the co-op required because of the money my mom left me; she was very clear that she wanted to enable me to buy a home, and we’d even discussed her helping with a future downpayment before she passed.
Savings account balance: $60,000 in a HYSA. Some of that is earmarked for quarterly taxes, further renovations, and self-care but I try to always have $30,000 which is about 4 months’ expenses available as an “emergency fund.” I also have a non-high-yield savings account, which has some funds earmarked for my nephew’s bar mitzvah but is mostly used as a transfer point between other accounts until I get my act together and close it: current non-earmarked balance of $2000.
Primary checking account balance: $4800. My first post-grad school checking account required a $2K balance for no fee on ATM transactions, and I still try to keep a $2K balance in checking. I tell myself it’s so nothing ever bounces, but actually it’s a mix of habit and superstition.
Secondary checking account: $9,000. This account is funded mostly from dividends from my REIT shares (see below) and used to pay the co-op maintenance fees. I keep saying I should combine the two accounts now that I could theoretically pay the maintenance out of my take-home instead, but I am lazy!
Credit card debt: None currently. I pay my cards every month, though because it’s not automated I fuck up maybe once a year or so.
Student loan debt: I graduated college with about $12,000 in debt, but my grandparents died while I was in college and my mom paid it off from her inheritance, saying “I got this money when I don’t need it, you should have it now when you do.” My siblings and I plan to pay off my nieces/nephews’ college debt in turn to pay it forward. I didn’t take on grad school debt -- never take out loans to get a humanities advanced degree! -- but I racked up $10,000 worth of credit card debt in grad school because I made so little money. I paid it off with work for an early dot-com while I was still in school.
Anything else that's applicable to you: my siblings and I inherited shares in a private company that later sold off assets and turned itself into a REIT. My mom said “never sell those shares!” and even though that company doesn’t exist anymore, we haven't, and selling private REIT shares is a PITA anyhow.
Section Two: Income
Income Progression: I've been working in my field for 23 years, my starting salary was $50,000
I was originally going to be a humanities academic, and went to graduate school in the Midwest in the 90s. For most of my 20s, I lived on around $20, $25K a year, eating a lot of beans and rice and sharing a house with lots of roommates. I did a bunch of early digital archive work, so when the web really took off and I realized that I didn’t want to be a professor after all, I had a few skills and some options. It was a big shift, though!
I grew up in the NYC area, but I got my first web job in NYC through the Internet. It was running the website for a magazine. I was 29 and I made $50,000: what one of my still in grad school friends called “grown-up money.” I was able to find a rent-stabilized apartment and live by myself. When my mom, who had raised us with help from her parents, was diagnosed with cancer, I was very glad to be close to home while she fought it into remission.
That job fell apart after a year and a half -- pay attention, it’s a theme! -- because the magazine didn’t really understand what going digital meant and had second thoughts (They have since gone out of business). I saw this coming and had already been networking hard, so I was able, through friends of friends, to land a job doing information architecture for a legacy technology company. That was my first job in UX and really where I count the start of my current career. The starting pay there was $77K, which went up to $85K: I learned they’d started me low because they weren’t sure I could do the job.
Between 9/11 and the dot-com crash I got laid off a year and a half in. Then followed another year and a half of scrounging for freelance work and relying on the occasional help from Mom to get by; according to my records, I was averaging about $40K a year in income.
I had a favorite client -- a small design firm that did very cool stuff -- and I worked hard to stay in touch with them even when they had no work for me. Eventually, that paid off in a longer-term freelance job. I was hoping to get hired there but also actively interviewing when my mom died: she hadn’t told us her cancer had returned until very late. When the design firm offered me a job, I took it, because I knew I would be a mess for a while and they already knew and trusted me and my work.
Starting pay at that job was $80K. I loved it until I hit the glass ceiling, which was unfortunately during the ‘08 recession, so I stayed a little longer than I would have liked. Final pay when I left after 6 years was $115K.
I joined Startup A as their first full-time UX person and design manager. We structured the pay so that while I started at $110K, when they got their B-round funding a few months later, it went up to $120. I got a raise to $130 before I and most of my team got laid off after, yes, a year and a half.
At this point, I knew more people in the NYC UX community so getting freelance work was a bit easier, and I thought about just going freelance for good. I had one great long-term client, let’s call them Client X, that I did most of my work for, and also did some stuff for big name companies. I was making about $120K as a freelancer and doing well.
I got an opportunity that I can’t be specific about, because it’s extremely dox-able, but it was a long-term project that took up 2013 and 2014, into the first months of 2015. It paid $150K/yr, plus I did a little extra work on the side for Client X, an additional $5K/yr. On the long-term project, I was a creative lead, but not a design manager, which was what I wanted to be doing, so when I had a chance to renew my contract, I didn’t re-up. I thought I had a design leadership role lined up, but it fell through, and I fell into a burn-out depression that led me back into therapy and onto meds for the first time.
I kept interviewing for leadership roles and not getting them, and went back to doing work for Client X as well as other freelancing. It didn’t go as well this time. My freelance income in 2015 was $80K and for 2016 it was only $50K. I had to break into my emergency savings.
Client X was falling apart, and I needed a new job, stat. I spoke to a former manager who had followed a similar in-house-freelance-in-house career path, and they told me to look for an individual contributor role rather than a leadership role, and transition once I was inside. So I changed the way I was looking, and eventually opportunity knocked.
In 2017, a professional friend who was at Startup B, in a job I’d applied for and not gotten, reached out and asked me if I would be interested in joining his team. B has a complex enterprise product and he knew I was good at products like that. I asked if there would be leadership opportunities in the future and he said it was a possibility, so I took the job. (I probably would have taken it even if he hadn’t, tbh, I was broke!). It paid $160K, so I felt like I was making progress again.
The professional friend left, I got the lateral move to manager, and I had a fantastic team I really liked. I also had a narcissistic boss, so that job ended in tears a year and a half later. (I really do have a pattern!) My salary was at $168K by then.
Since I started interviewing before I was actually fired, I was pretty far along in the interview process when it actually happened. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t have a long painful job search: in fact a job doing what I’d already been doing, for a large public company, had been posted in an online community I was part of, and I got referred in by someone I didn’t know (but who I am still friendly with now!). I was out of work for only about six weeks.
My starting salary at Company C in 2019 was $202K, with a 15% bonus and $100,000 in RSUs over 4 years. I was so wowed I didn’t even negotiate, though now I realize I still should have. With a promotion and other annual salary increases, my base salary is now $255K, with a 20% bonus. I have gotten RSU refreshes three of the four years I’ve been at this job. Between those and the ESPP discounts, my W2 shows about $400K the last two years.
I should also note that this job is fully remote, and my team is distributed across multiple cities and timezones. My apartment is a two-bedroom, and I use the second bedroom as a guest room/home office.
Main Job Monthly Take Home:
My take-home pay is $9100/month. That’s after $7200 in taxes, $2800 into my 401K, $125 into my HSA, $100 for dental/vision/high-deductible medical insurance, $18/month for the company's legal plan, $30 to my commuter plan, and $1600/month into my ESPP.
Any Other Monthly Income: Not monthly but quarterly: The REIT mentioned above pays dividends of about $10K a year, but this year and last there has been an extra payment of $5K. Starting back in the days when I first bought my apartment and could barely afford to make the mortgage payments, I have set this money aside for the co-op maintenance fees.
I also get a 401K match up to $5000, and a HSA match of $1000 from my employer annually.
Section Three: Expenses
Mortgage: My monthly mortgage payment is $1690, to which I add $140/month in additional principal payment so it’s $1830.
Co-op maintenance (which includes gas, heating, and property tax as well as property management) is $1100.
Co-op insurance: $185/month
Savings contribution: $800/month
Investment contribution: $800/month, plus any RSUs/ESPP shares as they vest: I still have some shares from when I was holding long-term, but now I sell at or close to vest.
HELOC: I took out a $50K HELOC to help pay for the renovation of my kitchen and bathroom in 2019. I’m listing it because I just paid the last of it off a few weeks ago with $10,000 from RSUs. Until then I was paying about $200 a month plus an additional $200 to the principal. It was an adjustable-rate loan so the amount I was paying had gone up to almost 9%, so paying it off ASAP made sense.
Donations. This past year my charitable donations were almost 1% of my W2 AGI, and my goal for 2023 is to reach at least that 1%. My donations include:

• Monthly donations: $10 to the Human Utility (paying water bills for low-income families in Detroit and Baltimore); $15 to WNYC public radio; $5 each to a couple of different not-for-profit publications; $10 to the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, $5 to NY Common Pantry every time I order from FreshDirect.
• Annual donations: $250 in museum memberships, $50 to Transportation Alternatives, a local activist organization, $1200 to my synagogue, $100 to the New York Public Library. This year I gave $500 to a center at my alma mater, and have also donated $100 so far to Donors Choose and $130 to City Harvest. The first $2K of donations above $50 are matched by my employer.
• I also volunteer for my synagogue helping events run smoothly, maybe 5-10 hours a year, and having volunteered last year for a Housing Works benefit, I want to do that again.
• I also make small recurring non-deductible donations to the Wisconsin Democratic Party, Run for Something, and some local electeds.

Electric: average about $100/month
Groceries: average $500/month
Wifi/Cable/Landline: $200/month, of which my employer subsidizes $50. I’ve been planning to downgrade but keep putting it off because I don’t want to deal.
Cellphone: I have a corporate-subsidized AT&T plan for $80 with unlimited data. I have been considering switching to Mint: any NYC folks who have it, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Subscriptions: $30/month on Patreon; $28.53/month for an All Access subscription to the New York Times, $10/month for Spotify with bonus Hulu, $21.76/month for Netflix (shared with my siblings). I have annual subscriptions to the Washington Post, the Atlantic, Disney+, FreshDirect, One Medical, a couple of Substacks, Duolingo, and CityMapper. I also have the Lyft All-Access plan because it comes with Citibike membership.
Gym membership: I will be paying $180/month when the gym I joined opens near me, unless I cancel in the first week they’re open.
Pet expenses: My pup is expensive! $40/month for pet insurance; $800/quarter for doggy daycare 2x/week; $40/month for food and treats; $115 every other month for grooming. She also gets boarded once or twice a year while I travel, which is $75/day plus transportation.
Car payment: None! One of the upsides of NYC living. I do budget $75/month for Lyft and most months don’t spend even that much.
Regular therapy: Right now, I am seeing a therapist through a company-provided service. I’m almost out of sessions though and need to figure out next steps.
Cleaning: every other week at $150 per visit. (just raised from $140 when I got a raise)
BONUS QUESTIONS:
Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
My mom and my grandparents taught me to save, and to pay my bills on time, but they never taught me to invest: my mom’s idea of teaching me to invest was getting mad that I wasn’t, and telling me I needed to buy a specific index fund without explaining why or how, before there were things like e*Trade. When she died, I was still getting used to making a middle-class living for myself, and I was thrown into this situation where I had money and no idea how to manage it.
Did you worry about money growing up? Do you worry about it now?
Growing up, I was always aware that we needed to be on a budget, that my dad was cheap about giving money to things outside of the basics of child support, and my mom worked two jobs sometimes to make sure we could do extra things like go to camp. My grandparents helped a lot, both on money and on child care, and their Depression-era mentality about money definitely is part of my psyche now: I get stressed when I don’t have a full pantry, even though I live alone!
I get very anxious about money and spending, which is part of the reason I wanted to write this up to be honest. I have almost all of my bills on autopay because before autopay, I would joke that I paid my bills “every other month like clockwork.” Maybe it’s my family, maybe it’s how little money I had for most of my 20s, but I still get freaked out by an unexpected bill, even though there’s plenty of money to pay for it.
Tell us more about those bad financial decisions you referred to earlier?
Mom had bought some bonds with an investment manager she liked, but he had retired, and the person his office assigned us to in his stead really didn’t know what he was doing -- he knew how to sell annuities to senior citizens and that was about it. When we realized this was a problem, we got a referral through one of my siblings’ coworkers to someone else, who unwound our previous mistakes but made new ones. My siblings managed their own money (with or without partners) but I stayed with that financial advisor, who liked selling options and calls. Tl,dr: I missed basic growth for years because he was focused on short-term wins. At a certain point I knew enough to tell him to stop doing that and start focusing on long-term index funds, but I didn’t know enough to pick low-cost ones. The only good decision I made at that time was that I also told him to hold onto the Apple stock he was selling calls on: 12 years later, an investment of $57,000 is worth nearly $500,000.
When I worked at Startup B, I got options, and on the advice of a smart friend, I bought them, selling a little of the Apple stock to cover it. Startup B went public during the final days of the latest tech boom, and for a brief period my $60,000 investment in those options was worth over $3 million (!!). I wanted to be smart about the tax implications of selling my shares so I decided to wait until 2022 to start doing that, and of course the tech market collapsed: shares were down over 80% at one point. They’re better now but still below IPO price. Right now I’m holding on at $800,000 because the company’s basic business model still makes sense, but the regret is real, not to mention that it’s stressful to have nearly half of my holdings in just two companies!
I had stopped working with my previous financial advisor when Startup B went public because it was clear he really didn’t know how to help, and I found a tax-knowledgeable advisor who set me up with something closer to Boglehead strategy.
I have been thinking it’s time to stop working with that third advisor because basically I’m not going to need the help until I’m ready to retire (hopefully not more than 10-15 years from now!) and the fees stress me out, but my general tendency towards avoidance of all things financial is making this hard.
MONEY DIARY
Day 1, Friday:
I wake up before 6 because I’m out of town on a work trip and need to catch an early train home. I did most of my packing the night before so it’s just a little stumbling around the hotel room, leaving a tip for the maid ($20), checking out and getting in an Uber ($16.67, on company card). Not a lot is open at the train station but thank God the Dunkin’ Donuts is, so I get a medium coffee and a blueberry donut ($6.36, on company card). I’m listed as out of office on my calendar and Slack, but I do some time-sensitive work on the train and call it a week.
At Penn, I’m really tempted to take one last eye-wateringly expensive cab ride on the company dime, but I can’t bring myself to do it when it’s a straight shot on the subway instead ($2.75, prepaid on my commuter card). I get home and maybe because I know I’m reporting to you all, I unpack and get everything put away with record speed. I should do these diaries more often!
It’s a beautiful, unseasonably warm day in NYC, and everyone is out. The place I’d been planning to go for lunch is packed, the cafe I tried next was sold out of pastries and sandwiches, even the bagel joint is low on bagels! I finally get a BLT on a brioche roll and a Diet Coke at the bagel joint ($15) and I sit in their street seating and eat and read my library book on my phone.
Finally, the reason why I wanted to eat on this particular corner happens: the van from the dog boarding facility where my pup has been while I’m traveling shows up. My doodle (let’s call her Ada) and I have our little reunion on the street-corner, and then I walk her home. She runs around the apartment making sure everything is right where she left it, and then she eats some food. We have plans tonight so we both take a nap.
My friend K is having a birthday party in an outdoors venue, and I know she will want to see Ada. If I were going alone I would take a Citibike ebike (presuming one was available), because getting there by train from my place means switching trains or taking a bus to the right subway station. But I have great plans to take Ada on the bus/train route! Of course, those plans fall apart after the nap, when I recognize just how beat I am. I get a “wait & save” Lyft to the venue that shows up while I’m still looking for my keys, put Ada in her bag, and we go ($26 including tip). The venue has non-alcoholic frozen drinks, so I get one of those and a fancy grilled cheese ($29.50).
It’s great to see the birthday girl and our closest mutual friend H, who is also a UXer. H and I talk shop for a bit, catch up, and make plans for a day trip to Beacon over Memorial Day weekend. K is one of those people who is always out doing something, going to art shows or playing sports, and has a wide range of friends at her party. One of them is a guy I knew from abortion clinic defense work when I was 22, the year between college and grad school, and who got me some freelance work when I was starting out. We are surprised to see each other but eventually remember that we both knew we each knew K! It’s been a while. We catch up and he tells me about his current job. Someone else mentions his book and so he admits he has published a graphic design book since we last saw each other. He tells me to check out the website because I’ll get a kick out of it. When I get home ($26 again) I buy the book on Amazon ($23.50) to support him.
Total: $140, plus $2.75 pre-paid and $23 on the corporate card
Day 2, Saturday:
Both Ada and I are up unusually early today and it’s a nice day. I get her into a harness, and we head towards Grand Army Plaza. I’m carrying a big FreshDirect bag full of clothes to donate, which slows me down a bit, but we still get there before off-leash hours end and I get a donation receipt.
I drink a La Coulombe canned latte (which I keep for mornings like this) while Ada plays and rolls around in the grass. She’s not usually all that interested in playing fetch, but she will happily wander the paths of the park with me, occasionally chasing a bird or squirrel who can handily outrun her. She’s wearing a new Wild Ones harness that is too big for her -- I make a mental note to look up their return policy.
I take a couple of wrong turns and we spend longer than I’d planned in the park, but it’s hardly a problem to be outside on a nice day. On the walk back, we spot one of our neighbors, who’s set up a stand among the group just outside the Greenmarket. I didn’t know they had a side gig, so I stop to chat with them for a bit, and I buy (let’s call it a soap) for $6.
Back at the Greenmarket, I make a beeline for the Ronnybrook Dairy stand, where I get 6 drinkable yogurts for $2.50 each, which is $1.50 less than the regular price at stores, and even $.50 less than the on-sale price at FreshDirect. I also buy one of their new no-added-sugar drinkable yogurts in a smaller size for $1 ($17 total, including tip). Next it’s to Roaming Acres for their smoked bones for Ada -- the ostrich ones still aren’t in, which are the best, but we get 2 of the bison bones for $26.13. It’s pricey, but they last her for weeks. I also get 2 bunches of Swiss chard for $8, and stop at Bread Alone for a ciabatta roll and a piece of lemon-poppy pound cake. I throw in a loaf of sliced peasant bread because I’m just in the zone by this point ($10.50). The pound cake prevents me from stopping for something else to eat on the walk home, much to Ada’s dismay.
When we get back, I feed her, have the no-sugar-added yogurt and the pound cake, and put stuff away. I also take out her old harness and open the straps as wide as they will possibly go, hoping she can wear it again.
It’s only 11am and I’ve put nearly 9,000 steps on the ol’ pedometer, so it’s time for another nap.
Much of the rest of the day is spent lazing about, scrolling through Reddit and doing the Sunday crossword. I get a notification that my domain name has renewed ($17.17). I make a pasta dish with one bunch of the chard for dinner. We go for a decently long walk after dinner and the harness seems to be fitting her fine. I do my Duolingo practice in bed.
Total $84.80
Day 3, Sunday
Mother’s Day is fraught when your mom is gone and you don’t have kids. I’m happy to hang out in bed till 10:30, and thankfully so is Ada. She’s had a hectic week too! We do our walk and I make two slices of toast from the Greenmarket peasant bread for breakfast.
I call my aunt, my sister with kids, and my female cousin. My cousin and I discuss my BIL’s upcoming birthday party on Saturday, and the logistics of getting to the party in the suburbs. I don’t know what I’m going to do about Ada, either then or next weekend when I have told H I’ll go to Beacon for a day.
It’s a beautiful day, so I figure a shortish afternoon walk or just hanging out outside the local cafe would be nice. I buy the cafe’s iced tea special ($6 including tip) and am ready to stroll or sit, but Ada is not having it and literally pulls me back towards my building. I decide to take the hint, and go home. I measure Ada to pick out a new harness, order one on Amazon that the Wirecutter recommends for small dogs ($18.21), and spend an afternoon reading with a dog on my lap.
For dinner, I order Indian food. I have a Seamless promo, so I get enough for a few meals ($35.60). I clean up a little for the dishwasher repair tech who’ll be coming tomorrow, and watch Succession. I’d forgotten it was going to be the election episode, so I’m completely nerve-jangled at what’s supposed to be bedtime. Walk, crossword, Duolingo, and a little more reading in bed. I finish the book (don’t like it so I won’t mention the title).
Total: $41.60
Day 4, Monday
Before I left for my work trip, the upscale dishwasher I bought for my kitchen renovation stopped working and was throwing an error code in its display screen. I called the manufacturer and scheduled a service call for as soon as possible after I got back, and that was this morning. The technician arrives as I’m coming back from Ada’s morning walk.
I describe the problem to him and he’s unable to reproduce it. He runs the dishwasher for a while, shows me how to restart it when there’s an error, and listens to it run for a bit. He thinks that leaving it unplugged and open while I was away allowed the water that wasn’t draining right before to drain. It’s still a bit noisier than it was before, but I can’t deny that it’s actually working. An expensive lesson in how “have you tried turning it off and on again” almost always works -- $150 for the visit plus half an hour on site. He can’t get through to the office to process my credit card number so I have to write him a check ($260.21).
My first meeting of the day is canceled and my next one, our group leadership meeting, is just me and my boss. We compare notes on our respective travels over the last week -- she twisted her ankle -- and talk about some of the ideas that came out of our meetings. She tells me about the very nice cane she bought at CVS -- a collaboration with the Michael Graves studio, which has done some great stuff for people with disabilities -- and I look it up online. I have a cane I bought when I broke my ankle, and I’ve kept it because you never know, but now I’m tempted to replace it. Oh great, I think, I’m going to make people believe that your 50s are about impulse-purchasing canes!
My team has our weekly sync, and then I have a lot of email to catch up on, mostly bureaucratic stuff. There’s an invite to an event next week featuring an old professional friend: I RSVP yes, because networking is more fun when people you like are involved.
Lunch is some soup I defrosted and the ciabatta roll from the Greenmarket, reheated. In the late afternoon, I have a telehealth therapy session, and afterwards, I take a long walk with the dog. As we head out, we see several of the building’s other dogs, and the pre-schooler who Ada is special friends with. It’s extremely wholesome.
We pass a local restaurant where an old friend is eating outside with someone I don’t know. I catch her eye and we exchange a look, and I’m certain she’s on a date until she gets up and greets me and invites me and Ada to join them. I order the same drink the guy she’s with is having, talk to them both, and I’m relaxing a bit until I ask him how he knows her and yep, it’s a first date. Both of them seem totally fine with having me there, though I don’t stay for another round. I try to pay for my drink and they both refuse. He seems nice, and he liked my dog: if they end up dating I’ll have a funny story to tell.
I go home, heat up a meal I took out of the freezer back on Friday, and have dinner. I’m still a little tipsy so I drink water and eat Trader Joe’s lentil curls till the feeling subsides. I get a notification that a Substack I forgot to cancel just charged me the monthly subscription fee ($6). I cancel it moving forward immediately.
Walk the dog, crossword, Duolingo. In bed, I start a new library book: Scorched Grace, a mystery that got a rave review in the NYT, about a punk queer turned novice nun, investigating an arson at the school where she teaches.
Total: $266.21
Day 5, Tuesday
My super is at the door at 8:30 am, delighting Ada -- they are besties. He has a package that has his name on it but the number of an apartment in the building: a mystery! I point out that the apartment on the address label is not mine, but the same line, a floor down. I joke that he just wanted to come see Ada, who does in turn want to follow him to his next stop. I put on street clothes and take her for her walk.
Coffee and toast for breakfast again. I notice my AmEx payment has cleared, and schedule payments for the two credit cards (Chase and Apple Card) that I pay at the end of the month. I don’t like to set credit cards to auto-pay, because I like to keep an eye on my spending, but I do like to set up payments in advance. I do a little quick math with the help of the iPhone calculator and work out that even with my savings deductions, I should have about $500 extra left at the end of the month. When I have over $1K extra it will go into investments.
My first meeting of the day is with my favorite colleague J, and we catch up on some organizational challenges and talk about next steps on a project that she is leading. I’m really excited about how much positive attention her work has already gotten.
Lunch is some of the Indian leftovers. Then there’s a boring status meeting, and then I have a one-on-one with one of my direct reports. I’m very serious about making sure I do these every week, because I have had so many bad managers who didn’t. He suggests that he try working on something that I was hoping he could work on, so I am thrilled that he volunteered and tell him what a good idea he has.
My team member mentions that he needs some coffee, and I remember that I’m running low on beans. I click over to Fresh Direct and order coffee beans, a 12-pack of Sprite Zero cans, and a bunch of on-sale yogurts to be delivered same-day. ($45.22) I go through so much Sprite Zero. I got spoiled having free soda at office jobs, and now I probably drink 2-3 cans of soda a day at home. I also finalize my CookUnity order for next week, which I think will be a busy one: 8 meals for $91.17.
I have a meeting with the most senior designers across my boss’s organization, and we talk about holding an internal conference to align on a long-term UX vision. It’s an idea that I brought to my boss, though I give my team credit in the meeting, and I’m happy to see her want to invest in it.
Between meetings, I’m scrolling through Twitter and I see an old friend retweet her friend’s GoFundMe for his mom to help her keep her house. I’m moved by it, so I donate $18 (in Hebrew, letters=numbers and the number 18 has the same letters as the word for “life” so 18 or multiples of 18 are typical Jewish donation/gift amounts). Then I see a GoFundMe for a former colleague who has a lot of mental and health issues and is living out of their car. I donate $100 to that one rather than trying to work out the correct multiple of 18. ($120 total including GoFundMe “tips”)
My last meeting isn’t until dinnertime (the joy of working across time zones!) so I have to feed the dog as soon as I’m done. For myself, I heat up the leftover pasta and fry an egg to go on top. I put all the dishes in the dishwasher and set it to run overnight. By the time the FreshDirect delivery arrives, I’ve forgotten I ordered it!
When I check my email there is already a thank-you note from the friend of a friend whose GoFundMe I contributed to. I click over to his fundraiser, which has gone up a bit in the hours since I donated, and then also to my former co-worker’s, which has already met its goal! I scroll through the list of donors, seeing many familiar names. Most of our former colleagues who have donated have given more than I did: $200, $300 and the like. One, who was always prone to extravagant gestures, gave $1,000! I find myself second-guessing myself and wondering if I’m too cheap -- not just in this case but in general.
Crossword, Duolingo, bed. Whether it’s because of my worries or the lack of exercise I’ve been getting after a very active week last week, I don’t sleep well.
Total: $256.39
Day 6, Wednesday
Toast and coffee for breakfast again. I start my day with a few team one-on-ones. Then I have a meeting with other UX managers about our new talent management system: fun stuff. There’s some talk about how it might impact bonuses for next year, which is depressing. I use part of the meeting to buy new jeans, since the ones I’m wearing have the inevitable thigh rip, and while I’m on the Everlane site I see a gorgeous spring coat on sale and add that too ($244.05).
I check my personal email and there’s a pub announcement for a book on leadership from a design press. I meant to pre-order it, but I guess it’s too late! I buy directly from their website because they offer an ebook/print copy bundle, plus I always order directly from small presses when I can ($36.98).
Microwave mac and cheese for lunch. I take Ada out, planning to walk her to her doggy daycare, but about halfway there, she starts pulling emphatically towards home. Again, I take the hint, and we go home so she can sleep. I email them to let them know we will only be in once this week, and apologize for the short notice.
When I get home, I review my order from Saturday for a new harness. It’s not coming until Friday and I could still cancel it, since the old one is working for her again. I decide not to, since she may need a light-weight harness when it’s really hot out. I also check on an order which never showed up, and learn that it got returned to Amazon. I reorder the dog treats and Vitamin D ($26.14).
The afternoon is taken up by a complete clusterf**k at work, where different teams are working on related products and not working together. One of those teams now wants to launch their product in a couple of months, even though it’s a mess. We talk about it in my team crit, since one of my designers has been asked to do a heuristic review of the product. The designer who asks “Two questions. First of all, why?” makes me lolsob. My manager and I spend our entire one-on-one discussing it, agreeing we are hosed (and agreeing that we can only say “hosed” to each other since none of our younger colleagues use the term). My colleague J and I have a “wtf” moment about it in a meeting that’s supposed to be about something else. Lots of Slack messages going back and forth all afternoon as well. It sometimes feels like this job is just one firedrill after another.
I decide to order in dinner: a carne asada bowl and a side of chips and guacamole from Dos Toros ($33.91). The bowl comes without guacamole, and I get a $4.97 credit from DoorDash for my troubles. I give Ada a bunch of the chips.
I show up for my monthly Zoom call with a small group of professional friends and no one else is there. This used to be a monthly after-work drinks thing that my friend H organized. It went online with COVID and it was just easier to keep online, and it’s been a great way to keep in touch with people whose opinions I value. H doesn’t always come anymore but there’s usually at least three of us. I missed the last one myself so I’m hoping this is a one-off.
Instead, I continue reading Scorched Grace (a banger), play with Ada, and then take her for a walk. (Assume that this walk, like all Ada walks, includes chatting with her friends, talking with people who want to pet her, talking with people who she wants to have pet her. She’s a very sociable dog for an introvert to hang out with!)
When I get home, I check the mailroom and there is a package from my dad -- a god-awful sculpture/lamp thing that looks like a cricket. Apparently, it’s made by an old friend of his who’s an artist in a touristy part of the South. He calls it “a gift of the heart” and thoughtfully includes the receipt -- which says “exchanges only.” Sigh.
Evening routine as per usual.
Total: $341.08
Day 7, Thursday
I oversleep and feel groggy all morning. Luckily, Ada is not a morning dog, and she’s still pretty wiped out from her week at boarding: usually she’d be climbing the walls not having been to daycare all week.
Toast and coffee again. Today I mix it up with some of the last of last year’s homemade jam.
More meetings about the clusterf**k and it’s all going to get argued out well above my head. Lunch is the last of the Indian food, plus the last of the Dos Toros chips and guac. It’s international!
An old friend is speaking at a local conference, and had asked if I wanted to be her guest: the invite from the conference organizers finally arrives and I accept. I’m reminded that the two of us had agreed to see Just For Us during its Broadway run (I saw it off-Broadway and loved it!), so I text her to find out when she’s in town. We quickly agree on a night and I buy the tickets ($279 including fees). She’ll pay me back for half, or buy dinner on the night.
I call my dad to thank him for the gift, and we talk about British mysteries on PBS. Dinner is a peppers, onion, and mushroom omelette. I should use the second bunch of chard, especially since I know I’ll be dining out Friday and Saturday, but I’m too tired to be creative.
I spend the rest of the evening tidying up for the cleaner who will come in the morning and then doing the evening routine.
Total: $279
Categorized Expenses for the Week:
Food + Drink: $262.40
Fun / Entertainment: $314.50
Home + Health: $267.21
Clothes + Beauty: $244.05
Transport: $52
Books: $50.48
Dog: $62.34
Other $143.17
Lastly, reflect on your diary!
My week totals out to about $1400, which is more than I would ideally like, but with the dishwasher repair, the Broadway tickets, and buying food for next week via Cook Unity, it doesn’t feel wildly off. I did notice a lot of quasi-impulse buys -- “oh, I just remembered this, need to buy it now!” -- which is something I should be more mindful of. It makes me more confident in my budgeting to know that even when I’m not watching my money I’m spending reasonably (except perhaps too much on Ada? Never!).
I’m still pretty anxious when I have to think about larger financial decisions, but at least about the day to day, I think I’m doing mostly all right!

Yes this is a very apologist post and title, but hear me out on it, okay? I get the general consensus is that X/Y are the black sheep of the Pokemon Video Game franchisefor its in all honesty, horrible story.
That said, let me get into why this is one of the best Pokemon games out there.
To understand why Pokemon X/Y are such great games, let me bring up the original Pokemon Red, Blue, Green and Yellow. These four games, alongside the Anime, put Pokemon on the course for riches. This was a time when games having stories was still a relatively new idea, with the first game having a story, popularly being the 1981 Donkey Kong. We have seen how stories and their storytelling methods have evolved since then, from 8 Bit, to almost photorealistic cut scenes, or the 3 Dimensional anime-esque elements we see on devices like the Switch or the 3DS.
Now, B/G/Y were by no means stellar in graphics, compared to games of that era, with the best example in context to this debate, being Super Mario 64, which came out in the same year, and is lotted for its innovation of being the first 3D Nintendo game, along with using a joystick for play when some other game systems still relied on the usage of a D-Pad. Now I understand that the GameBoy G/B/Y was not yet capable of color, but my point still stands that this was still a Nintendo Product, and SM64 released in the same year as G/B/Y. SM64, while not a graphically impressive game now, it was inarguably ahead of its time, utilizing the aforementioned 3D gameplay when nothing else did.
This was at a time when the GameBoy, made in 1989, was on its last legs as a portable gaming device, with domestic and international sales of it being lackluster. Fortunately, the GameBoy rose to fame thanks to what would become the number one reason to get a GameBoy, domestic or internationally: the original Pokemon Games. But it was a 'rescue' that almost never happened, since G/B/Y's development was hellish, though was ultimately saved by Satoru Iwata. Without him, the Pokemon game franchise wouldn't be what it is today, and the Pokemon anime wouldn't exist either, with it beginning airing on television just a year after. Without Satoru Iwata, the first Pokemon Game would not have made $74.6 billion USD, while it made ¥10.30 trillion.
So going back to the GameBoy, while some may say it's unfair to compare the GameBoy to the N64, with the aforementioned GameBoy coming out in 1981, and the N64 coming out in 1996, I disagree. I did some research, and theoretically, the GameBoy could play color games, it was just a design choice to not give it that capability, as Gunpei Yokoi, designer of the Game & Watch, and GameBoy, found that not giving it such capability improved its battery lifespan.
(Hey, Avis here! I initially had a segment for the Game & Watch having color, but it is hard to tell since each game was sold separately with the box and console, year(s) apart, and the first color game to be introduced on the console was in 1982, being Donkey Kong. So it's hard to tell if the Game & Watch had the capability for color all along, or if that capability developed throughout its sale.)
Before I jump to the modern day, let me get something out of the way real quick. Pokemon G/B/Y were revolutionary to the handheld gaming scene since it has a vast world to explore on such a tiny (for the time) cartridge, alongside 151 Pokemon, an in game lottery, capability to trade Pokemon, moves that can interact with the world (HMs): Fly, Surf, Strength, Cut, and a freaking post game for crying out loud WHAT?!
All on something that could fit in your pocket.
In 1996.
This was unheard of.
Fast forwarding to 2013, Pokemon X and Y released on the highly anticipated 3DS for its new innovation of playing games in 3D. This hype was largely owed to a commercial revealing the aforementioned games, in a non 16-Bit version, as well as the revolutionary mechanic we know now as 'Mega Evolution'. While the combat formula has been changed up before (Exe: Double/Triple/Rotation Battles, Held Items I guess, Natures, Abilities) you can't say that the rose tinted glasses weren't understandable. Mega Evolution, Pokemon-Amie, landscapes now in 3D, a central city that is absolutely huge and can get lost in (Because I know I have), the return of Mewtwo, the return of the elemental birds, the return of the Kanto staters WITH their Mega Evolutions to boot, with the fan favorite Charizard and Mewtwo having TWO! The obligatory new region, return of the Friend Safari from Fire Red/Leaf Green, the Pokemon Movie Maker, and more; new and old alike.
All in 3D.
On the first 3D Pokemon game Game Freak has made.
It's no wonder that Pokemon X/Y doesn't have a great story, Game Freak bit off far more than they could chew, while making a game that, as far as technological capabilities goes, was far too demanding. As game evolution happens, of course they made the switch to 32 Bit after making 16 Bit games on the DS, but... The control scheme is through a joystick? Make the game 3D capable? Have the 721 (as well as Gender Forms and Mega Evolutions) in game 'Mons move CONSTANTLY in battle or in the party viewer, with Faint animations, Move animations, Pokeball animations, Pokemon-Amie petting negative/positive/neutral animations, feeding animations, Pokemon-Amie mini-games, an incorporated affection system that has in-game effects, rendering of settings and animations, creating new models, like the frowning Pikachu when you pet it incorrectly?
I say, yeah, no wonder why Pokemon X/Y has a bad story. All the resources went to everything else, in a project that was extremely demanding and had high expectations right off the jump. It's not they they couldn't have done it, because if Nintendo would have given them the time to do it, it would have, but they were overstacked.
This is basically just the opposite of the Halo 2 situation. While Halo 2 has a banger story, it's Legendary difficulty is absolutely awful and unpolished, and those in the loop know hoe ambitious that project was. But Pokemon X/Y, it was perhaps just as ambitious, but couldn't afford a story because the publisher didn't allow it.
I think that like Halo 2, we can be allowed to be critical of its shortcomings, but be knowledgeable as to what it does right, and celebrate it for that. I know Pokemon is renowned for its story, but this project just happened to be a deviation from that norm. I know this is all cope, but Game Freak and Nintendo achieved something great with Pokemon X/Y that wasn't done since the Xbox 360 and PS3: entering the new generation by flaunting all the new bells and whistles, even though all Pokemon X/Y had to offer, was just experimental. There was no way of knowing if Pokemon-Amie would have caught on the way it did, if Mega Evolution would be a welcome mechanic, if people even liked Pokemon in 3D, and the reception to a new Type.
And that is why Pokemon X and Y are some of the greatest Pokemon games out there. Not because of its story, oh hell no, but because it emerged into the 3D handheld gaming era with one hell of a statement, that "This is what your favorite game can do now, and with a cherry on top, you can play with your favorite Pokemon now, and Mega Evolve them! Think that's all? Guess again, here's the OG Kanto Starters with their Mega Stones, go catch Mewtwo, and go get the legendary bird! And much else!"
Is is still one of my favorite Pokemon games to this day for those reasons, and on a personal note, let me share a story.
I remember when I first got Pokemon X on I think the 2014 or 2015 Christmas. The first thing I did was choose Froakie, named it Kermit, and caught my favorite Kanto Pokemon: Pidgey, who I named Bird Jesus. Then I got Talonflame, forgot what I named him. Then I got Royal the Gallade. Star Fox the Lucario from Korrina. I think an Absol that I forgot what I named.
I remember having an amazing time playing it through and through. While it wasn't my first Pokemon game, so I know how good a Pokemon story can be, it is my favorite for its sheer ambition and fearless approach to all of it. I adored Mega Evolution, playing with my Gallade, One-Shotting everything in Mid Game with Pidgeotto's Tackle, and finally storming into Diantha's chamber, leading with Kermit, and enduring each of her powerful Pokemon, losing a friend or two or three, until it was just my Pal Star Fox, against her Mega Gardevoir. Goodness the chills I got when I was on low health after one hell of a Thunderbolt when Flash Cannon didn't take it down immediately, and then I healed up, and spammed Aura Sphere.
I enjoyed every moment. Yes, Team Flare had a stupid goal, but I still remember getting chills when I had to choose between pressing the red or blue button which would either destroy or save the world. At least now I know I can't destroy the world no matter what I pick, but still.
Yes, I hate Tierno, that absolute pushover. I loved Shauna for some reason, maybe I just liked how doting and carefree she was. I don't remember how I felt about Serena, but I do remember calling Trevor the Nerd Boy, and dunking on him whenever I could.
Anyway, I've been Avis, explaining why Pokemon X and Y are actually good games, and I bid you in the Kalosian language, au revoir!

So lately my LO has been watching Sesame Street. He loves Elmo! But I noticed that the new episodes are sooo different from the old ones! I honestly think that sesame Street has been ruined for a few reasons: 1) they completely scripted every single moment. One of the best things about sesame Street is that they have real kids in it. They used to be unscripted and Elmo would even talk to a baby, even though thwy just usually petted him and stared. Now every time there's kids on screen they look terrified to forget their lines. 2) I wonder what of let's try is the dumbest thing ever. And their situations thst they set up for the kids to use it is also dumb. The whole thing is just dumb. They insult the viewers intelligence by not showing us processes and actual problem solving. The solution is always so evident and it makes me angry. 3) they've inserted Abby and Elmo into everything. There's a number of the day song with them but no count in sight! They're singing about Martians. That's the counts job! 4) they also just don't show other characters very often. We see cookie, Elmo, and Abby every episode but hardly ever see the count, grover, big bird, or Bert and ernie! 5) everything has to have a song. An intro and an exotic one. It's so annoying! 6) I hate the DIY lady. My boyfriend has a crush on her and I resent her. It's nothing other than that and I'm sure she's lovely. 7) Abby voice was made specifically to torture me.
Honestly the only thing I appreciate is the cookie monster parts. He's the best! His cookie counting song is a banger and his movie parodies make me laugh every time. But overall the whole experience is different and I feel not authentic to what Sesame Street really is! Just wanted tonget that off my chest! I wonder what you guys think! Do you agree with me?

Ah, change. Don't we all love it? Don't we all hate it? Remember moving out of your parents house and into some dingy college dorm for the first time? Getting married and having children? How about being forced by a global pandemic to live inside for literal months?
Yep. Change can be good, like the kind you find in your couch cushions. But change can also be very, very bad, like the kind of change that Weezer went through, going from indie rock darlings to a meme-driven cover band. Side note: get your fucking shit together, Rivers Cuomo. Either way, change is often divisive - and this concept is core to understanding today’s band of the week.
There is constant pressure for an artist to evolve and change their sound, to develop and create something new. Any real songwriter knows that they can’t just slap a different label on the same can and sell it back to their audience without losing the respect of their peers...unless you happen to be AC/DC, who somehow made the same album 15 times with two different singers. The pop industry’s oversaturated mess of recycled garbage is never going to be admired by critics, even though pre-programmed FM radio and tweens seem to love it.
Our very own Queens of prehistory are the perfect example of how an artist can experiment and advance their sound from record to record. Every album builds on the last one and takes their sound in a new direction. This can be both amazing AND divisive, depending on your point of view.
Today, we will look at a band that did even more. These guys went through one of the most daring style changes in music history, and came out the other side completely unscathed. They’re a shining example of how to evolve, and how to not only change your sound, but to change the very concept of rock music.
You guessed it, today’s artist is none other than RADIOHEAD
About Them
You know how music makes you happy?
This is not that kind of music.
If you are looking for a pick-me-up, for that Walkin’ On Sunshine vibe to make you bop down the sidewalk, then you need to run far, far away from this band. It is not that their music is Soundgarden-dark or Alice In Chains-dark. It is not NIN-angry or RATM-angry. Radiohead sounds like someone compressed a rainy day, mixed in two gallons of melancholy, got a distillation of being dumped by your girlfriend, and then made you watch your puppy get run over...twice. It is sorrow and regret and woe and dejection all brewed in a cauldron of gloom.
And it punches you right in the fucking feels, every time.
The band is made up of brothers Jonny Greenwood (who rivals Keaunu Reeves with his ability to somehow not age) on guitar and keys, Colin Greenwood on bass, Philip Selway on drums, Ed O’Brien on guitar and backing vocals, and the king of falsetto himself, Thom Yorke, on vocals, keys, and guitar. The five guys from the County of Oxfordshire in England all met in school. In the classic story of teenage rebellion, they got together and formed a band that no one had ever heard of called On A Friday. The band played together all through their teenage years and into university. As they cut their teeth on the local club and tavern circuit, the band got tighter and tighter. This was noted by Chris Hufford and Bryce Edge, who saw them play and were so impressed with their raw talent that they helped them record a demo tape and became the band’s managers - a position they still hold today. The demo was shopped to a number of record labels. The net result was that On A Friday was signed to a six-album deal with EMI.
Clearly, we all know and own On A Friday albums today, don’t we? Nope. At the request of their label, they changed their name to the moniker we all know now. The name was inspired by a Talking Heads tune. Clearly, David Byrne must have had a stash of band names hidden somewhere in his comically oversized suit.
The newly-minted Radiohead caught their ticket to fame with the song Creep. You have to remember that when the world were listening to Soundgarden and Kyuss and Stone Temple Pilots and Nirvana crank out amazing grungy, sludgy riffs and tunes, Radiohead rode a wave of self-loathing and awkwardness to international fame. The brilliance of Creep lies in the fact that its lyrics and its music are in direct contrast to each other. When you listen to Thom Yorke lament the fact that he is not worthy of wooing the girl he is chasing, you become sad. But the soaring major chords of the guitar pivot from one to another and create a cognitive dissonance. The music makes you feel the emotional joy of the man who fixates on his crush while the lyrics simultaneously show the soul destroying experience of his unrequited longing.
As it turns out, lots and lots of people have felt this kind of doubt and anguish. Creep was a bonafide hit and is still the band’s most successful single. It made their debut album, Pablo Honey, a world wide best seller. The band’s first international tour as an opening act for Belly and PJ Harvey saw them play the song every night to crowds who knew and sang every word.
The net result? They grew to absolutely hate the song, to the point where they abjectly refused to play it live for years at a time. The irony is, of course, that the incredible success of that one tune gave them immense freedom to experiment with their sound.
Their second album, The Bends, was no happier than the first. The tune My Iron Lung has the lyrics This is our new song, just like the last one, a total waste of time, which was a commentary on the fan’s reaction to Creep. But in a twist of fate, reviews of My Iron Lung said that it was just like Creep. It was enough to, I don’t know, maybe make your eyelid droop or something.
The Bends was released in 1995 and went platinum. Critics initially did not know what to do with it, as it was a genuine album rather than a few singles surrounded by filler. But classic Radiohead tunes High and Dry, Black Star, Just, and Fake Plastic Trees can all be found here. The Chicago Tribune gave it one star out of four, and said that the lyrics were self-absorbed and the music was pretentious. Undeterred, Radiohead toured as an opener for Alanis Morrisette and R.E.M. The influence of this dark and moody album cannot be overstated. Acts like Muse, Coldplay, James Blunt and Garbage all cite it as a direct influence on them. Many Radiohead fans place it second only to OK Computer in the band’s canon.
So did Radiohead’s third album build on that kind of success?
Fuck no.
They had an amazing, world-topping single in Creep and then released an album devoid of singles.
They had a fantastic guitar-driven moody thematic album, and then completely abandoned that sound.
OK Computer is the ultimate anti-consumerist album, and it cemented Radiohead as the kings of progressive rock. One needs only listen to Stephen Hawking spittin’ fire on the tune Fitter Happier to know that this was unlike anything ever released, not just by the band, but by any band. Side note: This Hawking guy gets around, doesn’t he? Collaborating with Mastodon and Radiohead? I’d say with those unique vocal stylings, he has a bright future as a musician.
Everyone loved OK Computer...even The Chicago Tribune. It was immediately hailed by critics as the most important album since Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and The Dark Side of the Moon. It routinely makes lists of the greatest albums in rock and roll. Listening to it is an emotional roller coaster even now, more than two decades later. It foreshadows the information age and subsequent alienation that we all live in today.
Exit Music (For a Film) was originally written for Leonardo DiCaprio’s Romeo+Juliet, but the movie producers selected Talk Show Host from The Bends instead. Let Down is an absolutely haunting fan favorite that is still part of live sets from the band today. Karma Police, No Surprises, and Lucky were all released as singles from the album, and probably have helped to sell as much kleenex as they did vinyl. But the standout track on their third release was the multi-movement composition Paranoid Android. Named after Marvin the Paranoid Android from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, this song in four sections regularly appears on lists of the greatest rock songs of all time. The weird animated video cemented the song as an anti-capitalist anthem. It is a truly epic tune that drew immediate comparisons to Bohemian Rhapsody and A Day in the Life. Paranoid Android was over six minutes long and has soaring guitars and choral chanting mixed in with what sounds like an entire effects rack slowly dying by strangulation. It was the most ambitious track on an incredibly ambitious album, and critics loved every single note.
So of course, that meant that Radiohead had to abandon this sound for something entirely different.
The success of OK Computer and the tour that followed led to burnout for the band and writer’s block for Thom Yorke. When it came time to record Kid A, the band did not just take a left turn, they spun completely through a multi-dimensional roundabout. Thom Yorke set about writing the lyrics by cutting up and rearranging common sayings and phrases mixed with violent imagery and turning them into a kind of lyrical collage. In a band with four members who play some kind of guitar, they wrote songs with zero guitar lines. Thom Yorke has said that he approached his vocals on this album not as a singer with lyrics, but to use the voice more as an instrument on its own.
Since OK Computer was such a massive hit, anticipation for Kid A was high. Radiohead refused to do any promotion of the album. Nevertheless, the record company released the artwork and some ‘blips’ from the songs. The band played some tracks on tour and an underground internet market for bootlegs emerged. Three weeks before the release date the entire album was leaked on Napster.
When it was officially released in 2000, critics did not know what to make of it. Radiohead released no singles from the album. Some called Kid A commercial suicide. Others said it was confusing and aimless and self-indulgent, and the only challenging thing about the album was the very real challenge to your attention span. But history has vindicated this soaring, orchestral jazz-inspired album. Tracks like Everything in its Right Place and How to Disappear Completely and Idioteque are fan favorites. And I don’t care who you are, The National Anthem is a complete banger.
So the pattern was established: Each album was a complete pivot, and challenged their listeners to adapt to the new sound. Right?
Wrong again, motherfucker.
Amnesiac, released in 2001, picked up right where Kid A left off. This was completely intentional, since the writing sessions for Kid A had yielded too much material for one album. Side note - both records have since been remastered and re-reased as a massive double album aptly called Kid A mnesiac. Back at the turn of the century, though, the band decided to split the two. Sometimes derided as the B-Sides from Kid A, Amnesiac saw the band dive straight into ProTools and AutoTune and backmasking every single effect ever. This is blended with influences from Jazz and, presumably, whatever was on BBC World Service that day. They did release a couple of singles, notably Pyramid Song and Knives Out. QotSA fans will love a B-Side off of this album called The Amazing Sounds of Orgy which bears a striking resemblance to music from our paleolithic monarchs.
I’m not sure if you remember or not, but 2001 was a bonkers year. Kid A and Amnesiac were albums that were embracing the shift to the information age and incorporated electronica into music. But in the wake of the terrorist attacks in the US and the subsequent invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, the entire global mood lurched from one of hope for the future to fear for our safety. Radiohead’s angriest album, Hail to the Thief, released in 2003, and captures that sense of urgency and distress. The core of the album was recorded in two short weeks in Los Angeles, with the band workshopping and completing almost one song per day. Given the complex reengineering that they had previously done on the last three albums, this was a significant shift in process. 2 + 2 = 5 was finished in just two hours.
The lyrics on the album were a grab-bag of quotes from Dante and nursery rhymes and science fiction and reflections on the election of George Bush Jr and the subsequent war on terror. Every song has an alternate title - because, well, Radiohead - and thus an alternate meaning. Ultimately, it is an album that cuts through the fog of war and is a massive critique of what the band perceived as the naked opportunism of turning real tragedy into profit (hence the album title). A little over two months before it was due to release, the album was AGAIN leaked online. This completely pissed off the band, as it was an unpolished version. The actual release was in June of 2003. And of course, Hail to the Thief soared to number one, on the strength of songs like There There and Backdrifts and Scatterbrain and the incredibly angry I Will. Critics fell in love with Radiohead all over again.
Hail to the Thief completed Radiohead’s six-album contract with EMI. This made them the world’s most popular unsigned band. But at this point, they had become too big for any one label, though many came knocking. They went on a hiatus to catch their breath and reflect on where they had come from.
Recording sessions for In Rainbows began in 2005 but stalled. The band tried again in 2006 and stalled again. The band took to the road and played the new songs live to work out the kinks. This seemed to work, because the third time the band went into the studio things started to click. In Rainbows has a post-anger clarity to it. Tunes like Jigsaw Falling into Place and Nude and House of Cards show the band had moved past their past, and were once again pioneers in the new frontier.
But what truly set the album apart from literally anything else in 2007 was the way it was released. Remember how Hail to the Thief and Amnesiac were leaked online? Well, Radiohead did what only a wildly popular unsigned band could do: they released In Rainbows online for free. They just asked people to pay whatever they wanted. This was a tectonic shift in the music industry which had seen profits spiraling downwards with the rise of single song purchases through digital platforms. Free music? For anyone? Once again, Radiohead completely challenged the existing model - just in a brand new way.
Oh, and I cannot stress this enough: Get yourself a set of good headphones and spend 43 minutes just listening to In Rainbows without distraction. It is a god damn amazing album with absolutely fantastic production. It is easily their most accessible album since The Bends.
Fans of Radiohead would have to wait another four years before their eighth album, The King of Limbs, was dropped. Named after a tree in Wiltshire, England, the album again is a shift in sound for the band (I know, I know, this is a complete shock for you). Released as a digital download, management stated that this was the most profitable album for the band out of all of them since there was no record label to feed. The songs are laced with looping and sampling and electronica. Heavy rhythms dominate and are interspersed with wind sounds and bird song. Basically, if you released this album on bandcamp, no one would pay any attention...but Radiohead released it, and it was an instant hit. The video for Lotus Flower spawned Thom Yorke dancing memes, which makes complete sense if you have seen it. It must be experienced to be understood.
Radiohead’s ninth and most recent release is 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool. Eschewing birdsong this time, this album leans heavily into choir and orchestral and strings and chamber music to craft its sound. It is a broad commentary on climate change and groupthink. Burn the Witch, with its claymation video, is a visual treatise on the dangers of the mob and getting caught up in the moment. True Love Waits was a song that the band had been working on since 1995 and shows them at their disconsolate best.
And yes, A Moon Shaped Pool again hit number one on the charts.
At this point I am certain that Radiohead could piece together the sounds of dumping cutlery on the floor, whalesong and goose honks together with the back-masked theme from The Legend of Zelda to write a song about losing your umbrella on a rainy day...and have a number one hit. And if they do just that, I expect royalties.
What is certain is that fans are eagerly anticipating where Radiohead will go next. They are ready to embrace whatever change Thom Yorke and the boys throw their way, and don’t spend their time bitching about how the latest album from the band just isn’t as good as the rest of their discography.
There is a lesson to be learned there somewhere.
Links to QOTSA
Our prehistoric monarchs and Radiohead both have some things in common. The theme of change is absolutely one of them. Each album is an evolution - or revolution - from what has gone before, and some of the fanbase can find this challenging.
Interestingly, both bands recorded songs called Burn the Witch, and both are indictments of groupthink. Josh’s version states, There they are, the mob it cries for blood, to twist the tale, into firewood. Thom Yorke sings, Red crosses on wooden doors, and if you float you burn, loose talk around tables, abandon all reason. Written at different times by different artists, both explore the same theme with different sounds.
Radiohead in Creep: "I want you to notice when I'm not around…”
QotSA in You Can’t Quit Me Baby: "Cus I want you to notice, when I'm not around…"
COINCIDENCE? I THINK NOT.
Josh has not been shy about how much he loves Radiohead. He has stated, “Not everyone is Radiohead. You’re talking about one of the finest working bands in the world…In Rainbows? I think it’s fucking awesome...it just comes out of a jam and keeps moving, and little things get stacked on top of what we hear before something else gets taken away, you know? It’s very cool. We were in New York when we heard the first single, and we were like shit, they’re haulin’ ass, that’s awesome.”
Both Homme and Thom Yorke have worked (albeit at different times) on the trip hop / alt rock band UNKLE. Yorke appeared on their second album, Psyence Fiction, lending his vocals to the song Rabbit in Your Headlights. Meanwhile, Homme played on their third album, War Stories. In particular, Josh sang on the song Restless, which is a certified banger.
Their Music
Creep -- over 421 MILLION views, incredibly popular, and hated by the band and hard core fans.
High and Dry -- Of course it ends in the rain.
Just -- Just an amazing video that tells an amazing story. Does anyone else still wonder what he said? In my opinion, I think he must have disclosed the reason why kids love the taste of cinnamon toast crunch. This knowledge is too much for mortal men.
Karma Police -- Let’s take a drive, there’s no way that could end poorly.
Paranoid Android -- I hope this makes you want to buy a purple toque, and not a g-string pouch for your family jewels.
Let Down -- Live in 2016
Everything in Its Right Place/Idioteque -- Live in 2016
The National Anthem -- A fanmade video with a cool visualizer.
Pyramid Song -- If you told me Boneface had a hand in this video I would believe you.
Knives Out -- This acid trip will give you nightmares about the game of Operation.
The Amazing Sounds of Orgy -- This sounds like it is right off of Lullabies to Paralyze.
2 + 2 = 5 -- Disclaimer: there is no actual math involved.
I Will -- Live in Paris
Jigsaw Falling Into Place -- All helmet cams, all the time (all the time)
House of Cards -- Apparently this video was shot with one of those pin things that you press against your face.
Lotus Flower -- So. Many. Memes.
Burn the Witch -- A low flying panic attack.
Show Them Some Love
/radiohead
Previous Posts
Tool
Alice in Chains
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Rage Against The Machine
Soundgarden
Run the Jewels
Royal Blood
Arctic Monkeys
Ty Segall
Eagles of Death Metal
Them Crooked Vultures
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The Strokes

hello, guys, gals, and enpals. in this essay, i will be recapping MBMBaM 660: Non-Fungible Tote Bags. all cards on the table, i haven’t listened to MBMBaM in probably about 6 months maybe?? i have no idea what the current meta is like in this show (forgive me fourth sibings, for i havent read a recap in a while..) but i will do my best to give my best, unbiased, objective recap of this very good and fun show. i havent had the best week due to gestures broadly at everything so in lieu of self care, i am doing the opposite and subjecting myself to something i will not enjoy. this isnt relevant but i watched Inside by Bo Burnham last week and got to the part in Comedy where he says “I'm a special kind of white guy. I self-reflected, and I want to be an agent of change. So I am gonna use my privilege for the good (Very cool, way to go!)” and shows he wrote “what if dogs could vape?” on a piece of paper, and i remembered when screenshots of that were posted on the MBMBaM subreddit when the special came out saying “McElroy energy xD” without a shred of self awareness. anyways
1:01: intro song ends. as soulless as this song is, i think I’ve warmed up to it since the first time i heard it
intro
1:09: when it was Travis’ turn to introduce himself, he sounded distracted and asked his sweet brothers to come back to him. i have a horrible feeling that this intro is going to be a Travis bit
1:15: my feeling was correct. Travis is playing a game on his phone titled Alpha Legends 16: Fingers of the Resistance
1:58: Griffin asks Travis if he’s played Legend of the Backpack: Mr Pockets Revenge 16. Travis says no, he only plays Alpha Legends 16: Fingers of the Resistance. awesome “yes, and,” there, bud! Travis has a code that gives you 20% of your first backpack! remember to use the code TravIspoWeRninety-nine, folks! Travis assures us the game looks like the ads, and that the game is mostly about backpack management and customization
4:03: Griffin asks if Travis has played Mr. Dinosaur; another “no” from our middelest brother. stop trying to distract from the bit, griffin! play in the space! this is Travis time!
5:10: Griffin is looking at WienerSofts other game titles and doesn’t believe they’re above board. ur able to get this game bundled with the game Cuck Hunt
6:40: there’s another game you can do actual surgery on Mario and Luigi
7:30: “it’s gonna be so shitty when the FCC starts regulating podcasts” – Griffin
8:00: Travis assures Griffin that the bags you earn in Alpha Legends 16: Fingers of the Resistance are non-fungible, “each bag is unique and designed by Banksy” i gotta say folks, it isn’t a good sign when the episode title is in the first 10 minutes of the episode
8:25: Justin tells Travis that Sonic bought Angry Birds last week and asks him to guess how much it was bought for. Travis guesses $2,000,000,000, completely stomping on the reveal, since it was actually bought for $775,000,000. this is a small aside but i fuckin hate when people do this. i'll show my friend a piece of clothing i got or something and excitedly ask them to guess how much i got it for. they’ll figure i got a deal on it and guess like $10 and ill be like “uh yeah close it was actually $15.” like ok i know i told them to guess but i wanted them to guess by how good the clothes look like guess it’s expensive yk. whatever
intro ends
folks, this was not a good intro. they’re talking about mobile games and NFT’s. 3/10
10:43: Justin talking about stocks. He only buys weed stocks
11:46: “welcome to sad money, im gonna talk to yall about the stonks. i'm your host Justin McElroy. come on! stonks!” said the excited Justin. “you don't have anything else for this character,” replied Griffin. “speaking of not having anything else for this character, Justin, it’s time to play that intro,” interjects Travis. a Pitbull song starts playing
12:27: it’s Mr. Nickname! supposedly this was a bit last week or prior? according to all involved, it was not a good bit
13:26: “u can say what you want about my brother, he’s got the courage to fail” – Justin. holy fuck tbh, honestly
13:36: Travis sent both brothers a list. Griffin has a list of people who we know by their names/stage names, and Justin has a list of those peoples’ nicknames. they’re going to match them up? ok. Trav? buddy? pal? what is this
14:20: Travis asks them to read the names out. Justin says that them reading them out negates the need to them being privately emailed to the brothers. Griffin says this is fucking psychotic
15:25: Travis says that stage name is different from nickname, and Griffin points out how confusing that makes this game. Griffin reads out the names, and Justin guessed the nicknames. Griffin points out that this is workplace humour that is only fun for the people involved
17:05: Justin tells us that this isn’t a segment, and that the fun of the bits is Travis trying to make a bit and find out if it works? I gotta be real w u juice. no. like. Travis. make a funny bit please for the love of god
18:09: the audio is still playing but im kinda phasing out. i wasnt sure if the recap readers would be interested to hear every name that was guessed but i am too lazy to type them out. and it’s not funny. except i learned Snoop Dogg had a white persona named Todd? and one of the BTS boys apparently has some wild shoulders
Travis segment ended
you like Travis McElroy segments? his early work was a little too new wave for my taste. but when Riddle Me Piss came out in '18, i think he really came into his own, commercially and artistically. The whole segment has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the segments a big boost. he's been compared to Griffin, but I think Travis has a far more bitter, cynical sense of humour. in '21, Travis released this; Work of Fart, his most accomplished segment. i think his undisputed masterpiece is "A Streetcar Named Deez Nuts". a joke so funny, most people probably don't listen to the setup. but they should, because it's not just about a girl named Stella who needs to depend on the kindness of strangers if she’s allergic to deez. it's also a personal statement about the MBMBaM brand itself. 2/10
20:20: first question. “my office has an open floor plan with cubicles. whenever someone sneezes, it’s met with a chorus of enthusiastic ‘bless you’s. today someone sneezed in the bathroom, should i have blessed them? or do we ignore any bathroom sound making as an unspoken rule?”
21:10: Travis says to say “uh, hey. bless u” when someone near you sneezes instead of just saying “bless you.” what?
23:15: Griffin says it’d be weird if someone doesn’t say bless you, and after they say it, the ball is now in your court in regards to if you thank them
23:41: “it’s just a nice way of someone saying ‘hey, i’m here’” fuckin thank u, juice. if i sneeze and no one says anything i feel awkward. i just made a loud noise in public and im shy and i need someone to acknowledge it and let me know it was ok. “i’ve worked in my house for 15 years and i would give anything to sneeze and hear a voice” – Justin. oof ouch owie
24:14: Travis says bless u when someone farts in the bathroom. aaha no u don't that would be so silly
23:33: Justin asks his brother that if they can’t say “bless you,” and have to communicate what they mean when they say bless you, what would they say? Griffin asks Justin to sneeze, then responds with “heard, chef.” honestly got a chuckle out of me. Travis gets Justin to sneeze, then says “nice one!” my laughter has stopped. Justin asks Travis to sneeze, then says “if i don't say this its weird.” like. kinda true. it is kinda a comfort thing
26:50: griffin asks Justin to sneeze, then says “you made a loud sound, and it didn’t scare me, but i forgive you” this is so fuckin real
first question over
honestly, this bit wasn’t funny, but i did enjoy it. No idea why. 6/10
27:53: second question: “i’m a research assistant in a psychology lab. we bring in human subjects and put them through different situations so we can make conclusions about how the mind works. since ive begun working here, about a year ago, there’s been a frog hat sitting on a coat rack in the lobby. its a very cute hat, looks crocheted, and has little eyes on it. I look at it everyday and have reached out and considered taking it. problem is, there’s a camera watching the lobby at all times. im not worried about getting yelled at for stealing, im worried that the hat is a trap. what if this is a psychology experiment and ive become the subject? what if the entire point of the frog hat is to lure someone in? what if by taking this hate i reassure them that all humans are inherently selfish stealers?” this is actually such a banger question
29:10: Travis brings up that if you wear a hat like that, it’s very unlikely you would forget it. Justin says that it would definitely be part of your identity, like "Doug Funnie hanging brain". no fuckin idea what juice is talkin about but im into it
29:40: Justin says to yell “this is an experiment and i know about it! ur data’s fucked!” Griffin asks "how many times a day, when you’re enrolled at this How To Get Away With Murder style competitive ‘speriment school, are you allowed to just kinda blank fire 'this is a ‘speriment!'" the bros start riffing about how everything in this environment can be interpreted as an experiment
31:25: Griffin says what would happen if you took the hat, and there’s a hollowed out poster behind the wall and John Quiñones jumps out like “this was the longest one yet, but i fucking got you.”
32:30: Travis: “what if the experiment is to see who’s brave enough to take the cool hat?” Griffin: “when you put it that way, all acts of theft are pretty courageous.” be careful, griff. Travis might call the cops on u and get u arrested and he will snap his ankle while celebrating
second question over
this bit kinda did it for me. maybe because of all the ridiculous psych papers ive had to read, but the image of someone in a psych program just yelling “this is an experiment” when finding a chocolate bar on the ground is so funny to me. 8/10
money zone time
34:12: not recapping ads for free
money zone over
40:19: griffin: “i have a wizard” at least it isn’t munch squad. Justin says “let’s go visit the wizard. weeeerrrrrr(teleporting noise)” and after a pause, Travis says “there.” that fuckin got me. it’s a wikihow article on how to show off your muscles without seeming intentional. i am so tired. phased out again and i think they’re talking about Biden fucking Fauci? “i bet he knows how to keep an old man alive” i may be wrong here but i am not rewinding
43:25: “show off with some subtle movements” it recommends using your shirt to wipe sweat off your face to show off your abs. Travis worried about doing this in case he isn’t sweaty and someone watches him do it and see’s the shirt isn’t wet. okay
45:45: they’re kinda riffing about genies now. nothing much to comment on here
45:55: “pretend to stretch” isn’t pretending to stretch kinda just stretching anyways? just stretch. Griffin gets a doctors appointment notification on his watch, and Justin says “griffin its me your muscle doctor. They’re looking so wild, man.” kinda funny
48:05: “interlock your fingers with both arms” man it might just be me but the thought of doing any of this in public makes me want to throw up
49:05: Griffin talkin about how a photo he posted had lighting that made his muscles look good. Now he’s scared to be represented with his bare arms out
wizard segment ended
not good. bad, actually. 4/10
50:40: Justin says they have some competition. “The Brotherly Love Podcast,” hosted by The Laurence’s
52:20: “unless” “unless” “unless” “we listen to their podcast and steal their stories”
52:50: Justin talking about how much it sucks he has a photo with Dave Chapelle
53:06: holy fucking jumpscare. Justin starts the munch squad song, Griffin says he has a doctors appointment in 4 minutes, and justin says “you’re right, i’ll save it for next week” huge fan of that honestly i laughed
shows over. Live show promotion.
56:02: Travis: “im reminded now of that famous Jack Johnson quote: ‘careful living and correct training methods aided me a great deal, but i would say straight punching was the foundation of all my success:”’ way to end it on a high note
final thoughts: there’s a reason i stopped listening to this show
overall ranking: 4.6/10

-Gordon Freeman vs Isaac Clarke: Acknowledge that it's VERY popular among the community, they absolutely get it. Sam says they'll do it whenever Half-Life 3 comes out. [Deconfirmed ig lol]
-Osmosis Jones vs The White Blood Cell U-1146: They've talked about this one, they're down for it and they like it
-Jin Sakai vs Arthur Morgan: Erin likes it, the other guy who's name escapes me likes the ninja vs cowboy theme, Red Dead would be fun, Sam thinks it's really fun
-Issei vs Tatsumi: Sam talks about how nudity does not disqualify a show from being on Death Battle, he gets it, he doesn't seem to care much for Highschool DXD though
-God Emperor of Mankind vs The God Pharaoh Nicol Bolas: Sam seems super into Magic the Gathering on Death Battle
-Peashooter vs Red: Sam says it's fun, acknowledges how majorly popular the series are, calls them 'mobile bangers', the guy who's name I don't know suggests doing Angry Birds vs Plants and having the fight be the plants defending a tower that the birds are trying to destroy, Sam thinks Red vs Peashooter specifically is strange, one of them acknowledges Peashooter has a lot to work with
-Chris McLean vs Monokuma: Sounds cool, two of them like Chris at least
-Younger Toguro vs Raoh: One of the guys likes it, if they can't do Akuma vs Raoh, Toguro vs Raoh is the backup plan
-Rex Salazar vs Maxwell McGrath: Used to see a lot back in the day, one of them gets it, sounds fun
-Violet vs Hibiki Tachibana: One's seen it every now and then, guesses it's neat and fun, don't know Symphogear, connections are strong, a lot that makes sense
-Kitana vs Kasumi: One of them acknowledges the only missing protagonists from Mortal Kombat are Kitana, Liu Kang and Kung Lao [They're also not sure who to make fight Kung Lao]
-Erza Scarlet vs Saber: Gets the connections, Fate characters are broken, they acknowledge Saber and Gilgamesh are highly popular to be on the show
-Larryboy vs Bibleman: Sam basically deconfirms it, says verbatum 'I don't think you'll be seeing this anytime soon'. Says it's fun though. Reason is that they shy away from religious figures in Death Battle. [Sooo... Larryboy vs Super-Grover...?]
-Shiki Tohno vs Tohma Kamijo: They don't know
-Ghostface vs Fisherman: Basically just Sam talking about how he doesn't care for Scream ig
-King Andrias vs King Asgore: Heard it plenty, really took off in certain communities, good match overall, Undertale scaling is weird, Sam has no idea how to say Sans' name [Sawns, really man?], interesting, sounds fun
-Smaug vs Fin Fang Foom: Sounds fun, Fin Fang Foom stomps though
-Gamma 1 &2 vs Megaman X and Zero: Don't seem to care for connections, 1 and 2 likely stomp if not for the Mother Elf
-Wamuu vs Jetstream Sam: Funny Valentine vs Senator Armstrong is the more likely first Metal Gear vs Jojo MU
-Agent Jones vs Booster Gold: Sam acknowledges they'll probably have to do Fortnite one day, but he doesn't seem too happy about it. DJ seems into the idea of using it though. It would do really well.

Previously on Hell’s Kitchen…
The chefs were tasked at hand to cook a dish that featured a bird, and while Rosemary sank again, perfect dishes from Claire, Matt and Jamila, propelled the red team to victory. At a special Aussie Steak Night Dinner Service, Kristian sunk the scallop station in the blue kitchen, but it was Ashley’s New York steak, that got the blue team ejected from their kitchen. With the red team on a solid start on the appetizers, thanks to Jamila, they all tumbled when it came to entrees, as Claire struggled with garnish. But ultimately, Rosemary’s steaks, knocked the red team out. Neither team had a successful service, and both teams lost. The red team nominated Rosemary and Claire, while the blue team nominated Kristian and Ashley, but ultimately chef Ramsay sent Rosemary packing. But he wasn’t done yet. Chef Ramsay also sent Kristian out the door, ending their chances of becoming Head Chef at Hell’s Kitchen Restaraunt in Glasgow. And now, the continuation of Hell’s Kitchen…
Intro
While returning to the dorms, Claire felt she dodged the bullet, but Michelle told Claire that anything can happen, and she said it was her first nomination. Meanwhile, Natalie and Larissa about the men on their team and how Dante had a big ego, and that the other woman Ashley was tumbling. Larissa said that it would be good if either of them went home, especially Ashley. Larissa said she and Natalie bonded through the losses and wanted to help the men out.
Challenge
The following morning, both teams came downstairs to see a wedding set up as they entered the dining room. Ramsay explained that musical compositions and cooking are comparable as one single instrument could create beautiful melodies, but more instruments created a symphony. Chef Ramsay announced that the next challenge, they will be making a wedding theme menu, courtesy of guest judges Alecia and Mike, who are the newlyweds. The theme of their menu was British, so the chefs have to make British food. Before that, the chefs asked questions of what the newlyweds would eat. Alecia said that for their menu, they were going to include bangers and mash, fish and chips, and a trifle for desert. The chefs had 45 minutes to cook everything.
Scoring
After their 45 minutes, the chefs were tasked to serve their dishes to Alecia and Mike. The first round is the bangers and mash cooked by Matt and Claire on the red team, facing off against Larissa and Jeff from the blue team. Matt and Claire are up first with their honey garlic sausages with a tomato gravy, with mashed sweet potatoes. Mike said that there was no UK culture to the dish, and found it to be a more southern theme. However, Larissa and Jeff did better with their Turkey sausage, and beef gravy. Mike said the flavours worked really well together scoring them the first point. Next up is the fish and chips round, cooked by Hope and Jamila on the red team, along with Ashley and Dante from the blue team. Ashley and Dante present their dish first. Their take on lemon pepper fish and chips was good although, Alecia tasted the tartar sauce to be sour. Ashley said she put a pinch of lemon juice to make the flavours pop, which ALeica didn’t agree with. Hope and Jamila present their Cajun fish and chips, which had excellent flavour. The red team got the point. It all came down to the dessert. The first to present their trifle was the red team. Ty and Michelle present their chocolate caramel trifle, which Mike and Alecia found to be too rich. However, Caleb and Natalie did better with their strawberry shortcake trifle, which Mike called a welcoming to the Queen’s castle. Mike and Alecia knew who to give victory to, and the blue team won the challenge.
Reward
Chef Ramsay congratulates team blue team on winning another challenge yet again. For their reward, they will have a thrilling Royal day, in London. First, they will take a ride on the high roller, to see the perfect view of London, which excites Larissa as she has never been to London before. After that, the blue team will be taken to Buckingham Palace where they be meeting Prince Charles, and after will be enjoying high tea. This excited Caleb as it was probably the biggest reward yet, and wanted to see Queen Elizabeth, but she unexpectedly passed away, but was still happy to see Prince Charles. Before the blue team left, Chef Ramsay asked Michelle or Ty if they wanted to use their punishment passes. For the first time ever, both Ty and Michelle use their punishment passes to both get on the reward. Ty selects Dante to take his place in the punishment, while Michelle chose Ashley.
When the blue team arrive in London, they got on the london eye, and Michelle called the view amazing. Ty felt like he was the president as he clinked his champagne glass. As the blue team head into Buckingham Palace, they all got a chance to meet Prince Charles. Larissa said that the Prince looked sexy, while Michelle flirted with him. During high tea, Ty wondered if Ashley and Dante were pissed as fuck. Meanwhile, Caleb said that they might be having a hard time.
Punishment
As the blue team left for their biggest surprises in London, Chef Ramsay has arranged the red team to bake a 6 layer Victoria sponge wedding cake for Mike and Alecia’s wedding. As Dante and Ashley joined the losing team, Ashley felt that she deserved to do the punishment as she didn’t earn a point, while Dante was disappointed, as he wanted to go to London. As the red team got into baking, Matt said that he hated baking, and felt like he was going to be passed out after making a 6 layer wedding cake. Meanwhile, the first batch didn’t go right, as Claire didn’t pay attention to her mixing, and Jamila said that Claire can be a train wreck sometimes. Later, when the second batch came out, it was puffy, and Ashley felt they were going to do a lot with getting the cake ready.
Before Service
Later that evening, both teams were ready for the service to begin. Ramsay told the both teams to get out of their comfort zones, and cook with love. Then, Ramsay asked Marino to open Hell's Kitchen for Mike and Alecia’s special wedding.
Dinner Service
In addition to the standard menu, the challenge-winning dishes Mike and Alecia picked were added. The red team received their first order as Claire said she learned from her mistakes last time on appetizers. Claire knew that she had to be flawless for the couple as she got her flatbreads accepted. Caleb took the lead on appetizers in the blue kitchen as he knew there was one chance for a wedding. Caleb said he would never forgive himself if he messed things up, only to send up an undercooked risotto. Ramsay pulled Caleb and Ashley to the pass to see it, warning them that it was not the night to make a mistake. Jeff reminded Caleb that their dishes must be perfect that night, but the latter got the refire accepted.
Eventually, both teams got Mike and Alecia’s table split in half. As the blue team worked on their half of the table, Natalie noted the pressure as they must be on their game, which is slim. While the red kitchen got all their appetizers up to the pass, Ramsay noticed that the blue team was missing an appetizer. Ramsay pushed Caleb to get the order ready in thirty seconds and asked Ashley to help him. Ashley knew that it was not acceptable to be late that night as she knew Ramsay would tear them apart for any mistake they made. Fortunately, Caleb got the appetizer out, and Mike and Alecia’s table received their dishes. With appetizers out, Ramsay called out the red team's first entrée order. However, Claire called out a flustered order, leading Hope to get nervous about her on the meat station, with Jamila. Claire walked up the bangers and mash, but one of them was raw after Ramsay sliced into it. That left Hope frustrated as she accused them of testing it too much. In the blue kitchen, Ramsay called out the first entrée order. Jeff wanted to bounce back after their rough start on appetizers and wanted to lead the pack. As the blue team sent their entrées to the pass, Ramsay accepted them and praised Larissa for the bangers and mash, and Ramsay said he loved this version of the blue team. Claire and Jamila served their refire in the red kitchen, but it had raw white fat on the meat. Ty told the women to ask for insistence on the cook and felt they would not send up a proper sausage. So, Ty stepped in and saw the colour of the bangers, leading the third attempt to be accepted.
The next order was Mike and Alecia’s twelve top. While Claire asked for eight minutes, Ramsay accused them, and told them it was seven minutes. Jamila was confident about the fish and chips as she fried fish before and knew how important it was to be perfect for Mike and Alecia. Both teams got their entrées up to the pass, and the couple’s table received their order. However, Mike and Alecia found their fish to be ice cold. Seeing this, Marino took the couple’s dish back to the red kitchen. Infuriated by that, Ramsay called the red team down and had them touch the fish. All of them said it was raw and Ramsay demanded to know who cooked them. Unfortunately, nobody spoke up until Jamila said she cooked the dish. Matt accused Jamila’s brain of being clunky, and Marino rubbed more salt in the wound by revealing that the blue team's Fish and chips were flavorable. Ty told Jamila to get her thumb out of her brain, and the latter got her refire accepted. Moving onto their next order, Ty walked the lamb from the oven, and Claire hoped it was cooked properly. After slicing into it, Ramsay called the red team down and asked questions about it. Ty said he cooked it. The lamb was unfortunately raw, and that scolded Ramsay for a wedding turned into a funeral. Having had enough, Ramsay kicked the red team out of service and asked them to nominate three people as he was cutting the fat early. Meanwhile, the blue team worked on their final order as Caleb was glad they dug themselves out of the hole and finished strong. Once desserts were served, Ramsay thanked the blue team for waking up.
Post-mortem
Back in the dorms, Michelle was mortified about the lamb as a pissed Hope reminded Ty about accounting for rest time. Not only that, but Jamila felt that she deserved to go on the black, as she sent up a raw sausage for the bangers and mash, as well as an ice cold fish for the fish and chips. Michelle knew that Jamila might have been a string chef in the last service, she felt that she was losing confidence, so she agreed of putting her up. Meanwhile, Ty said that he was an obvious choice for the raw lamb, and Claire for failing to help Jamila on the meat station. Even though Jamila got annoyed by her poor performance with everything, Michelle shouted that she was pissed with the red team's poor performance that night, and felt that they were getting worse and worse.
Elimination
After both teams went to their respective spots, Ramsay scolded the red team for failing to deliver on what he hoped was a perfect service. Hope announced Claire as the red team's first nominee, with Jamila as the second and Ty as the third. During their pleas, Ty said that it was his first mistake that he promised to never make again, Jamila said that she was a grown ass women and knew how to take direction, and Claire said that she was a born fighter, and she knew how to cook. After listening to their pleas, Ramsay sent Ty back in line but warned him not to be more productive. Jamila was eliminated for failing to cook perfect food during a special wedding occasion During her exit interview, Jamila was disappointed in her performance that night but called it an amazing journey.
After Jamila’s elimination, Ramsay dismissed the chefs for the evening. Claire called it a trainwreck and thought it was a wake-up call to bounce back. Then, Ty said he was close to going home, but he was happy to be safe. Lastly, Dante saw the red team struggle but was happy that the blue team was winning.
Ramsay’s comment: ”If I ever had the chance to attend a wedding, courtesy of Jamila, the answer is “I don’t”. A promise is a broken promise”
18th: Camilo (Individual Challenge)
17th: Derek
16th: Josh
15th: Trish
14th: Rosemary
13th: Kristian
12th: Jamila

MM Romance

Kindle Unlimited

• Becoming Bennet (Behind the Camera #2) by Cora Rose & Nicole Dykes - https://a.co/d/6z4E86P - (contemporary, forced proximity, only one bed, camboy mc)
  
• Visiting the Variks (Lords of Discord) by Jocelynn Drake - https://a.co/d/6VFsij0 - (short stories related to series, MM & MMM, vampires, wolf shifters)
  
• High Interest Dette (Empty Nests #5)) by Lilo Quie - https://a.co/d/fBKrGGa - (MMM, paranormal, half dragon half coyote, dragon shifters, mpreg)
  
• Anonymous Alpha (Bangers & Mash #7) by MM Farmer - https://a.co/d/e4otbdC - (omegaverse, mpreg, accidental pregnancy, escort alpha mc, leaked sex tape)
  
• Solace (Veterans of Callenburg #3) by Taylor McNiff - https://a.co/d/83VfbQx - (contemporary, trafficking victim, hurt/comfort)
  
• His Rejected Mate: MM Wolf Shifter Romance - Anthology Edition (Shifter Falls #2) by Alex McAnders - Shifter Falls - (paranormal, wolf shifter x human)
  
• Mr. Playful: An MM Age Play Romance (Playhouse Daddies #1) by Joe Satoria - https://a.co/d/anE8Xl9 - (contemporary, Daddy kink, age play, low angst)
  
• Playing For Keeps by K.L. Hiers - https://a.co/d/cMxdAsP - (contemporary, custom leather artist x custom dildo artist, slight D/s, previously available as newsletter freebie)
  
• Seeking Clarity: My Ex's Dad? (m/m, age gap, worst enemy's dad) (Boys of Simson U. #3) by J. Allen Grady - https://a.co/d/6ZAKWTZ - (contemporary, single dad, age gap, forbidden relationship, daughter's ex-boyfriend, family issues, demisexual mc)
  
• Ruger (Savage Kings MC - Virginia #4) by Lane Hart & D.B. West - https://a.co/d/8rYFmE6 - (contemporary, enemies-to-lovers, sexuality awakening, closeted mc)
  

Kobo Plus

• The Mourning Dove and His Snow Sparrow by Eve Healy - Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-mourning-dove-and-his-snow-sparrow & Amazon: https://a.co/d/8lLfzX2 - (paranormal, bird shifter, isolated from outside world)

Other

• Thedric (Green Hill Pride #8) by Catherine Lievens - https://a.co/d/435FhT3 - (paranormal, fated mates, tiger shifter, maybe cheating?)

Other Queer Romance

Kindle Unlimited

• Swipe Right for Stab Wounds: A Detective Sam Mystery (Detective Sam Mysteries #2) by Elle Kleos - https://a.co/d/2SN2Jep - (MX, series must be read in order, established relationship, detective mc, non-binary mc, murder mystery)
  
• Primal Instincts: Volume 8 (Primal Instincts #8) by Nicole Edwards - https://a.co/d/0QUL9nx - (MMMMF (spoke-and-wheel), series must be read in order, contemporary, kink club)
  
• Chasing The Boss: Lesbian/Sapphic Romance (The Boss #4) by Grace Parkes - https://a.co/d/32jVrMR - (FF, contemporary, boss/employee, grumpy/sunshine, age gap, sexuality awakening)
  
• Chastity for Harmony 5: A Male Chastity Erotic Novel (Harmony #5) by Elliot Silvestri - https://a.co/d/cKZJwzG - (MF+F, series must be read in order, erotic romance, D/s, cuckolding, pegging, chastity)
  
• Lesbian Shorts: A Compilation Volumes 1-3 by Sam Kestrel - https://a.co/d/gvq5jZs - (FF, erotica, boxset, short stories)
  

Kobo Plus
No new releases.
Other

• A Tale of Hijinks & Honeydew by Alex Nonymous - https://a.co/d/2ED9thP - (FX, cozy fantasy, disabled mc (chronic pain, wheelchaicrutches), autistic mc, non-binary mc, mermaid mc)

Audiobooks

No new releases.

Happy Birthday Joshua Epps. Here’s to a great wrestling career.
​
B Block: Nate Matthews [2] vs Capital STEEZ [4]
In the 7th match of their head-to-head saga, the stakes were as always sky-high, Capital STEEZ needing nothing less than a win in order to stay alive in these final precious moments of block competition. A 2-2-2 record against Nate Matthews, this match doubled for the role of tiebreaker as well, perhaps the last of these we’ll see should either of their careers plan to wind down in the near future. As such, they left nothing to chance, spamming callbacks to their wars burned into the annals of history whilst blending in new, innovative sequences in hopes of catching each other off guard, knowing simple tricks would only take them to a third draw. The Living Legend gave his all to budge past the 2-point mark, but King Capital simply wanted it more, putting his rival out to pasture to tie up the block leader’s running total!
Capital STEEZ [6] def. Nate Matthews [2] (NS)
​
D Block: Joshua Epps [4] vs Erick Koeman [2]
With fate having Joshua Epps dangling from a thread, needing everything to go his way much like STEEZ before him in order to stand a chance of making the Semi Finals, God’s Greatest Athlete was fully honed in on this bout against rivalling faction PROVINCE’s representative Erick Koeman. The Flying Dutchman producing no shortage of impressive outings regardless of victory or defeat since returning to Blitz, it was bound to be a banger when he set foot in the ring with one of the brand’s figureheads, Erick more than holding his own to silence any doubters that may have existed. DTJ coming off the back of a 4-0 sweep last week, their intentions remained the same here, wanting as many of them moving on as possible, but unfortunately for Epps, that wasn’t to be the case for him, Koeman blasting him out the running to finish 3rd!
Erick Koeman [4] (7) def. Joshua Epps [4] (6)
​
C Block: John LaGuardia [4] vs Mark Steel [4]
One DTJ member knocked out of Semi Final contention, Mark Steel sensed the walls closing in on his faction, the night off to a tense start for the group already. But like a true captain, he vowed to go down with his ship be it necessary, though refusing to let it get to that point, standing his ground in the face of adversity. John LaGuardia piloting a 747 headlong into Peak Performance, it wasn’t to be an easy fight whatsoever between two men with more hatred for each other than vegans for cannibals, their familiarity making it no easier as counter-wrestling at its finest took centre stage on the runway. First Class determined to take the block after the incredible start to 2023 he’d had, he pushed his gears as far as they’d go, yet Steel remained immovable as ever, his legendary past month only growing more eye-catching for his resume as he gunned John out the skies to eliminate him!
Mark Steel [6] (9) def. John LaGuardia [4] (4)
​
A Block: FBE Junior Heavyweight Champion Paddy Murphy [4] vs Jay Castle [5]
Either Paddy Murphy or Jay Castle set to walk home after this match empty-handed, the other potentially still standing a chance depending on the remaining A Block match-up, these 15 minutes were everything to them, standing between heartbreak and glory. Settling for nothing not labelled ‘2 points’, it was a true homage to Junior Heavyweight wrestling as the division’s reigning champion and one of its stalwarts from last year went balls to the wall with their action, the Hometown Hero looking to kill two birds with one stone by also redeeming his days of having the Junior Title kept from his grasps whilst the World’s Most Wanted pushed for the opportunity of becoming Paddy Two Belts. Back and forth they went, momentum shifting more than spheres in Newton’s Cradle, but alas, only one man’s hands could be raised, Sensei and Michael Menzies holding Murphy’s aloft in celebration of him staying alive like the Bee Gees!
Paddy Murphy [6] (9) def. Jay Castle [5] (5)
​
Non-Title: FBE World Heavyweight Champion Inferno vs Jason Beggs
Off the back of killing a couple careers, Inferno’s bloodthirstiness had grown to uncontainable levels, so when presented with a blast from the past, only one thing was on his mind – kill beyond what even the ashes of a phoenix could revive. As for Jason Beggs, this match three years in the making for him, the Irresistible was not only here to survive, but outright take down his mentor to officially lay his PHOENIX affiliations to rest. Thus, with murder on their minds, Baba Blitz and Beggs went straight for the jugular, colliding with sheer intensity like two particles in the Large Hadron Collider. As the FBE World Heavyweight Champion kept piling it on, Jason played defensive like Thiago Silva before bending it like Beckham in defiance, looking to take him to the ends of Screwface Capital. The Aether Ace wouldn’t let that happen though, derailing the Underground lines and dismantling Jason for the win!
Inferno (10) def. Jason Beggs (2)
​
C Block: Ripley [4] vs EED [1]
Boiling down to the final determining matches of each block, the winner of C Block rode on this one, Ripley just needing a win to beat out Steel on tiebreaker, though anything less would oust him from the competition. Former Television and Commonwealth Champion EED his last hurdle, the objective deck was stacked against the Ripple in Time, needing to drown out the lights of the FBE OG if he wanted salvation. With his buddy in The RISE meeting his fate earlier in the night though, Ripley wasn’t going to let his sacrifice be in vain, fighting with all his soul to keep his faction’s chances alive into the Semis. The Notorious did his best to drill a hole into Rip’s skull and get back at the youth for spoiling his run, but his plan ended up backfiring, the Black Hole tearing him shreds to hand the keys to C Block to Ripley, who advances!
Ripley [6] def. EED [1] (NS) to win C Block
​
A Block: FBE Pure/World Tag Team Champion Dr. Logan Wright [5] vs Mr. Calcote Miller [2]
The threat of a tie finish to A Block no longer standing, the FBE Pure Champion had a straight shot to the Semis hanging from his neck like a stethoscope, needing anything but a loss to cash in his ticket to inching one more step closer to picking his next title challenger. So, as the Doctor and Mister met, it was a calculated game of chess, Logan Wright only moving his necessary pieces in order to limit fatigue for next week, confident he has this in the bag, whilst Calcote Miller returned fire with no such restrictions, knowing he has nothing to lose but everything to gain by pinning the Medicinal Magician. Unfortunately for him, Wright had no intentions to have his shoulders on the mat, staving off the World-Class Working-Class Gentleman’s bombastic offensives to shut him down with a tranquilising injection, putting him out for the count to claim A Block as his!
Dr. Logan Wright [7] def. Mr. Calcote Miller [2] by forfeit to win A Block
​
D Block: Misery [6] vs James Scott [4]
With half of DTJ eliminated from the running, it was up to Misery and Hunter Maguire to steer the ship for the group by winning the remaining two blocks. Standing in the way of that though was James Scott, the Purest Protagonist having been in impeccable form since his Blitz return, potentially on the verge of pulling out another underdog victory. Nothing but a win sufficing for him, he was adamant to finish his foe off as quickly as possible, going for broke off the bat, whilst Misery had no issue with stalling, the arrows on the road to victory painted in fluorescent markings for her. Two accomplished tournament stars at their best, they put on a clinic of block action, ensuring to end on a high whatever the result may be. Fortunately for Misery, it was the result she desired, salvaging Death to Juniors’ night by nabbing them a spot in the Semis with one hell of an undefeated run!
Misery [8] def. James Scott [4] by forfeit to win D Block
​
B Block: FBE Television Champion Cactus Mike [4] vs Hunter Maguire [6]
The long-awaited epic culmination to the blocks was finally here as Cactus Mike and Hunter Maguire took to the squared circle to settle B Block’s tense debate, all three men that started the night safe still boasting a chance to move on. Misery advancing in the match before, the tailwind was blowing from Maguire’s direction, a confirmed spot for DTJ in the Finals ever so close to becoming a reality, the Irish Psycho merely needing a point like his partner to wrap it up. As for the FBE Television Champion, he could not risk it going the full 15, anything not a win officially spelling the end for his run, ruining The Ark’s chances of having the Finals all to themselves.
With that in mind, the two prideful faction members fought tooth and nail over the last Semi Final spot, producing one of the closest showdowns of the entire tournament, keeping everyone at the edge of their seats over who may advance. His family in mind, Cardiac Cactus refused to back down despite Maguire’s bruising offence, mama not raising a quitter, taking Hunter right down to the wire instead. When all was said and done though, a photo finish of a final 10 seconds saw Maguire narrowly pull out the win to replicate Misery’s run, also going undefeated to move onto the Semis!
Hunter Maguire [8] (8) def. Cactus Mike [4] (7) to win B Block
​

Final Block Standings

A Block:

Place	Competitor	Points	Record
1	Dr. Logan Wright (c)	7	3-1-0
2	Paddy Murphy	6	3-0-1
3	Jay Castle	5	2-1-1
4	Mr. Calcote Miller	2	1-0-3
5	Arslan Malik	0	0-0-4

​
B Block:

Place	Competitor	Points	Record
1	Hunter Maguire	8	4-0-0
2	Capital STEEZ	6	3-0-1
3	Cactus Mike	4	2-0-1
4	Nate Matthews	2	1-0-3
5	Joey Joey Siwa	0	0-0-4

​
C Block:

Place	Competitor	Points	Record
1	Ripley	6 [TB]	3-0-1
1	Mark Steel	6	3-0-1
3	John LaGuardia	4	2-0-2
4	Travis Broski	3	1-1-2
5	EED	1	0-1-3

​
D Block:

Place	Competitor	Points	Record
1	Misery	8	4-0-0
2	Joshua Epps	4	2-0-2
2	Erick Koeman	4	2-0-2
2	James Scott	4	2-0-2
5	Kentaro Sakamoto	0	0-0-4

​
Well that settles it! Two thrilling Semi Finals matches are set for the milestone 25th episode of Blitz, as Dr. Logan Wright will take on Ripley, and Hunter Maguire will battle Misery, the winners of those two advancing to our Grand Finals. A massive round of applause to everyone else who took part in the tournament - there were some great bookings all around with a number of engaging twists and turns throughout. Don't be disheartened if you're not next up for a shot, because your wins and losses here will be taken into account when considering the next challenger following P.U.R.E. But for now, keep working hard and get those totals higher. Pure rules.

Bought a lot of stuff and I can only carry 1 at a time so these are gone, everything includes tracked USPS shipping to all 50 states baby, only paypal F+F accepted, will ship tomorrow, know your local knife laws especially in regards to autos. Mostly looking to sell but trades are entertained. Hit me with an offer if you don't like my prices, worst I can say is no. Comment on post before messaging, those unable to comment will not be sold to or traded with.
timestamp/the pictures/ the videos
Microtech Socom Elite (A): Purchased off the swap, manufactured in 2023 so it has the new proprietary m390mk. Excellent condition with the only noticeable mark being a tiny spot on the DLC of the thumbstud which probably came that way from factory. The biggest baddest knife.
SV: $300 TV: $350
Spyderco Citadel 92mm (A): This is definitely a rare bird, purchased as new old stock and it surely is. A very cool automatic spyderco that doesnt show up very often, great snappy action with rock solid lockup and great ergos. There is a tiny bit of wear on the coating of the safety. The safety is also somewhat light and toggles on and off on its own, this could most likely be remedied by taking apart the knife but I have not done so. Comes with box and paperwork.
SV: $250 TV: $300
TRM Atom Green G-10 (A+): Brand new, never carried or used, simply opened and closed a number of times. Comes with everything from TRM except for the yorkie sticker. Solid washer action and lockup as expected and just a razor thin edge on this bad boy.
SV: $195 TV: $220
WE Esprit Orange Peel Ti (B): Purchased off the swap, was disassembled by previous owner to add KPL and it was worth it as it has great action through both the thumb studs and the front flipper. Has a tiny amount of wear on top of one scale however with the orange peel titanium it is somewhat hard to see. Has one or two very faint snail trails on the blade, but overall in great condition. My favorite front flipper and a banger from Ray Laconico, comes with box and case.
SV: $150 TV: $175
Benchmade Turret 980 (B): Purchased off the swap, taken apart by me to clean and lube with KPL. Ill say it, this is my favorite Benchmade I've held and I've held quite a lot of them. Has a larger overbuilt axis lock that creates for perfect free swinging action while also having rock solid lockup which is unfortunately not super common on Benchmades. A big ol blade of S30v with G-10 and stainless steel liners and a deep carry clip. This knife has been used and will show some wear, mostly on the pocket clip, and does not come with box but will be shipped securely.
SV: $140 TV: $165
Benchmade Mini Barrage (B+): Second owner, comes with box. Awesome assisted action on this guy with solid lockup, no real blemishes but I can't guarantee it hasn't cut paper or seen some light use.
SV: $105 TV: $130
SOG Pentagon XR (B-): I am the original owner purchased directly from SOG, has been used a moderate amount, has some wear on the blade coating however it is still sharp, has never been sharpened or disassembled. Great bar lock action with no blade play, very fidgety with the flipper and the thumbstuds. CTS XHP, G10, and a smooth crossbar lock you cant go wrong. There is a little bit of rattle in the blade when closed however it does not effect action. Does not come with box as it was obnoxiously big and I tossed it.
SV: $80 TV: $100
Spyderco Centofante (B): Second owner on this discontinued back lock Spyderco. Does have small amounts of wear, mostly on the coating of the pocket clip. The smoothest back lock I've used, this thing flicks open and drops shut. There is a tiny bit of side to side and up and down blade play which isn't uncommon especially for back locks as they break in. Also the shiny Spyderco logo on the show side scale is snazzy as hell. Comes with box.
SV: $75 TV: $90
Boker Strike S30v BladeOPS Exclusive (A+): Brand new, never cut or carried, purchased from bladeops a month or two ago when these dropped. The good: great ergos, snappy and reliable action, S30v blade steel, and a solid feeling grip. The bad: this blade has pretty significant blade play in all directions, and the factory grind is sub-par. This could potentially be remedied by taking apart and cleaning and re-lubing everything but its not a guarantee. Its not so bad that its unusable, and autos are pretty notorious for having blade play, but its a snappy S30v auto with a great design and would make a great user. Comes with box.
SV: $52 TV: $62
Leatherman Free T4 (B-): No box, not original owner, could maybe use a little lube and some cleaning but its overall in pretty solid shape. Has some wear marks on the scales however the tools are all in good condition. A cool pocketable multi-tool that I just never found myself using.
SV: $45 TV: $55
Kizer Begleiter 2 (A): Like new in box, never carried, however I think I did slice a sheet of paper. Amazing action and a guillotine on the close. N690 and micarta handle.
SV: $45 TV: $55

few days ago pops and I were riding through some very nice roads I'm familiar with in North Carolina, just having a banger day on the bikes. suddenly, I spot full grown turkey just chillin off the right shoulder. little shit started walking towards my lane, then stopped before he got to the asphalt. I was already slowing down (was going ~65mph, now down to ~50mph and still slowing). all of the sudden, the motherfucker takes off skyward right at my eye level across my lane. I panic and duck my face down into my gas tank and keep braking, scratching my visor on my gas cap. the bird hit the back of my helmet as I went under it. my dad said from his pov he thought it hit me square and knocked me out.
shit was so scary. just thought I'd share. watch for wildlife, they're so unpredictable.