Category Archives: Reviews
Would I Smooch You? A Handy Guide
Filed under Microblogging, Reviews
Substitute Writer: Autumn Christian
This week’s been rough. I’d like to share one of my all-time favorite essays with you. It’s called “The Routine Boredom of Misery,” and it’s about joy. Normally I would put an excerpt here to entice you, but I can’t pick just one part. Believe me, I’ve tried. Every sentence of this thing carries weight; every paragraph leans on the ones before and after it for support; every point builds on what’s already been said while simultaneously setting up what comes next. Just read the whole thing, it’s not that long.
Then, if you like it, read some more!
Joy and health to all of you.
Filed under Essays, Microblogging, Reviews
Why Am I Like This, pt. XV
Me: The Palworld type system needs fixing.1
Nobody:
- I’m sorry, but it’s just so dumb! The “basic five” circle of đ§-đĨ-đŋ-đĒ¨-⥠is fine–don’t fix what ain’t broken and all that–but then they have this weird little…dongle off to the side. Fire gets two advantages for no apparent reason, neutral is objectively the worst, the relationship between dragon and dark makes no sense, and all the other coolest types from Pokemon (like ghost and psychic) just get lumped in with dark. Ugh. âŠī¸
Filed under Microblogging, Reviews
My Favorite Candy
I love gummies, I am a huge sucker for tiny versions of regular things, and I am delighted by novelty. Other candies never stood a chance.
They used to be sold in the US under the Wonka brand, but for some reason they were discontinued here. Now I have to have them shipped from the UK to get my fix…
Filed under Microblogging, Reviews
Horror Roguelike TTRPG Deckbuilding Escape Room Mystery Is a Genre Now
Filed under Microblogging, Reviews
In Case You Were Wondering
I don’t know how many of you have looked at my Music page, but if you have you may be wondering why I haven’t updated my “currently listening” playlist in a while.
Did I forget about it? Have I been too busy?
Nope! The reason I haven’t updated it is because I’ve just been listening to the same thing over and over again for the last three weeks.
(The Deltarune soundtrack, if you’re curious. The OST for chapters 3 + 4 is particularly good!)
Filed under Microblogging, Reviews
Calling It Now
Content note: minor spoilers and plot speculation for Deltarune
Continue readingFiled under Reviews
I’ve Lost Hope. Has Anybody Seen It?
Last night I was rereading an old essay of mine about capitalism (or rather, what I considered to be capitalism at the time). I may or may not write a post later about my thoughts.
(I’d like to do a “review” of one of my older posts at some point–just to see what I’ve learned, which of my beliefs and opinions have changed, how I’ve grown, and so on–but I don’t know if it will be that post.)
I concluded the post with this:
Unfortunately, there’s nothing to prevent someone from […] trading freely to encourage innovation and growth when it suits them, and stealing the best of the profits when it doesn’t. Honest capitalism is the fairest and most effective kind, but that doesn’t mean that only honest people can be capitalists.
If this were the whole story, the future might look pretty bleak: without an advantage that only the honest could use, the thieves would continue to take what they pleased without regard for others’ welfare, and with the science and resources of capitalist practice lifting the restrictions of old, the world would eventually either be destroyed or subjugated utterly. However, there is some hope on at least two different fronts. I’ll elaborate on these next time in part two.
Well, here we are in the future, and gosh, it seems pretty darned bleak! And it does seem like the people (and systems) controlling the economy are going to either destroy the world or enslave its population. I never did write part two, but I’d really like to now–the current timeline makes me want to share those hopes more than ever.
…If only I could remember what those hopes were??
Poor, Poor Thing
When I first saw this scene from Harvey (in my case it was a high-school play, not the film), I thought this was the most boring, self-centered, asinine, unimaginative wish anyone could possibly wish for. (It fits the character perfectly.)
ELWOOD. Harvey says that he can look at your clock and stop it and you can go away as long as you like with whomever you like and go as far as you like. And when you come back not one minute will have ticked by.
CHUMLEY. You mean that he actually–? (Looks toward office.)
ELWOOD. Einstein has overcome time and space. Harvey has overcome not only time and space–but any objections.
CHUMLEY. And does he do this for you?
ELWOOD. He is willing to at any time, but so far I’ve never been able to think of any place I’d rather be. I always have a wonderful time just where I am, whomever I’m with. I’m having a fine time right now with you, Doctor.
CHUMLEY. I know where I’d go.
ELWOOD. Where?
CHUMLEY. I’d go to Akron.
ELWOOD. Akron?
CHUMLEY. There’s a cottage camp outside Akron in a grove of maple trees, cool, green, beautiful.
ELWOOD. My favorite tree.
CHUMLEY. I would go there with a pretty young woman, a strange woman, a quiet woman.
ELWOOD. Under a tree?
CHUMLEY. I wouldn’t even want to know her name. I would be–just Mr. Brown.
ELWOOD. Why wouldn’t you want to know her name? You might be acquainted with the same people.
CHUMLEY. I would send out for cold beer. I would talk to her. I would tell her things I have never told anyone–things that are locked in here. (Beats his breast. ELWOOD looks over at his chest with interest.) And then I would send out for more cold beer.
ELWOOD. No whiskey?
CHUMLEY. Beer is better.
ELWOOD. Maybe under a tree. But she might like a highball.
CHUMLEY. I wouldn’t let her talk to me, but as I talked I would want her to reach out a soft white hand and stroke my head and say, “Poor thing! Oh, you poor, poor thing!”
ELWOOD. How long would you like that to go on?
CHUMLEY. Two weeks.
ELWOOD. Wouldn’t that get monotonous? Just Akron, beer, and “poor, poor thing” for two weeks?
CHUMLEY. No. No, it would not. It would be wonderful.
ELWOOD. I can’t help but feel you’re making a mistake in not allowing that woman to talk. If she gets around at all, she may have picked up some very interesting little news items. And I’m sure you’re making a mistake with all that beer and no whiskey. But it’s your two weeks.
Now that I’m older and tireder…well, I still think it’s the most boring, self-centered, asinine, unimaginative wish anyone could possibly wish for. But I’ve gained just a little bit of sympathy for the pompous old jerk. Elwood’s right, of course: two weeks would be way too long, and it would definitely be a mistake not to let the woman talk. But the rest of it? Honestly, that does sound rather nice.
Anybody else think so? We could find a nice grove of maple trees together and take turns!
In Search of Secrets 