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#it's a lot when the executive dysfunction has been as intense as it has been

ponett · 5 months

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Bobby's 2023 Media Wrap-Up

So! Like I said before, this past year I kept a running list of everything I watched, every game I finished, every new album I listened to, etc., and wrote one-paragraph blurbs with my thoughts on every single one. Please enjoy this journey through everything I liked, or didn't like, in 2023, with my favorites of the year listed at the bottom.

(Yes! This is long!!)

Some notes:

I mainly only included things I finished. Exceptions are marked with an asterisk.

I included some YouTube stuff as "TV shows" - mostly particularly long, high effort video essays and documentaries.

I was a bit less adventurous than I'd like to have been this year. Part of this was just that I felt like I was constantly playing catch-up with Big Releases I felt obligated to check out, and part of this was just executive dysfunction from burnout. Wait until you see how long it took me to beat Mario Wonder lmao

Yes, I need to read more books. I don't read a lot of books these days. I need to get back to Discworld.

COLOR KEY

Video Games • TV / Web Video • Movies • Comics • Music

January

1/15: Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (MSQ) - Very slow at times, the Primal shit is generally extremely lame to me outside of the boss fights themselves, but god if the quality of life improvements over WoW, the JRPG energy, and the fact that it Actually Has A Story carry it pretty hard.

1/18: Sonic the Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island miniseries - One of the most creative and compelling uses of the Sonic IP… ever? Fantastic little self-contained arc about the struggles of Eggman’s abandoned creations that gracefully weaves between heartfelt optimism and moody horror with some of the best art ever seen in a Sonic comic.

1/18: Mega Man X4 - Glad I finally actually beat this after never even beating any of the Mavericks as a kid! I can see why it’s a lot of peoples’ favorites. The gameplay has very little of that X series bloat and is just fun, especially after getting X’s armor upgrades. (But the story really is a long series of missed opportunities.)

February

2/2: Donks - Felix Colgrave continues to be an exceptional artist. The sound design on this is fantastic and really sells this short as something unique. Had to go back and watch his older stuff again after this.

2/4: Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward (3.0 - 3.3 MSQ) - I get it now. I get why people say this is just a proper mainline Final Fantasy game built into the framework of an MMO. That shit ruled. Not even walking back the drama in Ul’Dah from the end of ARR can sour me on it because the main storyline was so strong.

2/8: Disneyland's Forgotten Sci-Fi Rock Band - Live From the Space Stage - A nice and honest tribute to a group of artists who could have easily been forgotten. In hindsight this feels like a precursor to Kevin’s Disney Channel jingle video, a tribute to the unsung artists pouring their hearts into “lesser” art for a megacorporation, art that was designed to be transient but sticks with people nonetheless.

2/9: Metroid Prime Remastered* - Not gonna finish because I just played through the Wii version in 2021, but still. Very, very pretty remaster.

2/16: Theatrhythm Final Bar Line - It’s more Theatrhythm. What more could I want

2/17: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean (anime) - Probably the best part of the anime so far (assuming they continue on to SBR). A near perfect mix of the more structured plot of part 5 with the goofiness of parts 3 and 4 that crescendos into a fantastic, bombastic, emotional, bittersweet ending. The use of footage from the original opening and the new ending set to Roundabout in the finale were perfect, and made me intensely nostalgic for the early days of my JoJo fandom between seasons 1 and 2 of the anime.

2/22: Aggretsuko Season 5 - I don’t really know what to make of this one. Once you get past the agonizing initial arc all about Haida where Retsuko has to be his overbearing mommy GF who flips out and starts spying on him when she’s left on read and chides him when he misbehaves, it feels like an improvement over the previous seasons. But I don’t know how much of that is due to the extremely low bar set by season 4. And then the ending is extremely rushed and anticlimactic. They got legally married and the only acknowledgement was a shot of them signing the paperwork in a montage partway through the final episode?????????

2/24: Double Fine PsychOdyssey - God, what a journey the making of this game was. I already loved 2 Player’s past efforts at documenting Double Fine’s process, but this takes it to a whole new level. This feels culturally significant. The depth and honesty with which they depict not just the nitty gritty of making a game, but also the inherent struggles of working on a collaborative creative work for years at a time, is astounding. Not to mention that they were there to capture the shift from office life to remote work as COVID hit. So much of this would have been nightmarishly stressful to watch if I didn’t already know how successful the game was, but that’s just because they really didn’t sugarcoat it. And yet even after all that, it leaves me feeling optimistic about video games as an art form in a way that the constant headlines about cynical live service games don’t. There are still people out there pouring their hearts into making real art, and this is their story. Everyone who plays video games should watch this.

2/25: Cracker Island (Gorillaz) - New Gorillaz albums feel like less of an event these days, but after Humanz it feels like they’re just more chill with the project and their ambitions with it. Every couple years we get some more laid back jams from Damon along with some fun new collabs. Hard to complain. Favorite track: New Gold

2/25: Pool Kids (Pool Kids) - I discovered this band because Derek knows them and was excited when they got a song added to Fortnite through the Bandcamp collab. Always down to find more cool indie rock bands I can vibe with. The mix of dreamy vocals and energetic riffs on some of the tracks here almost fill the Crying-shaped hole in my heart. Almost… Favorite track: Conscious Uncoupling

2/25: Insane in the Rain (insaneintherainmusic) - I thought it was really funny timing when Carlos announced that his first original project would be a jazz fusion album inspired by acts like T-Square and Casiopea right as I was getting into those two specific bands. The final product does not disappoint. Favorite track: Insane in the Rain

2/26: Get Up Sequences Part Two (The Go! Team) - I’ve never been one to believe that a band’s sound has to remain exactly the same forever, but it really does hit you hard that the first two tracks here sound like classic The Go! Team. Their more recent cleaner sound is still here too, though, for a nice mix of old and new. Favorite track: Divebomb

2/28: Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury (Season 1) - Oh my god. Oh my god. I got distracted around the time I was finishing SLARPG, but finally catching up now, wow. My assumption that the seemingly lighter tone of the series compared to the prologue was there to lull us into a false sense of security before twisting the knife when war finally breaks out was spot on. This is peak Gundam.

March

3/4: Pizza Tower - One of the best platformers I’ve played in a long time. It transcends its blatant Wario Land inspirations with the sheer speed at which Peppino can move and the way things like the level design, his wall running, and even the hidden ability to do a second lap around the level reward getting into a flow state where you’re just constantly moving. This is the type of game that wants to turn you into a speedrunner. My only real complaint is a few iffy enemy designs that I wish would get patched.

3/6: Bloons TD 6 * - I bought this before bed one night on a nostalgic whim and then the next morning woke up and saw the Steam receipt email on my phone in one of the most “what did I do last night” moments of my life. I like when the monkeys pop the balloons.

3/7: The Book of Boba Fett - I put off finishing this show for a very long time but finally caved upon the release of The Mandalorian season 3. This show spends four episodes failing to make me give a shit about Boba Fett trying to be “the daimyo” and drive the drug trade off of Tatooine, then just gives up and becomes season 2.5 of Mando, which in turn feels like it undercuts the main series. It fails as both its own story and as a spinoff. I know that finishing this after Andor did it no favors, but WHOOF.

3/12: Obi-Wan Kenobi - Some interesting ideas in the first half hinting at a more introspective show, but it’s mostly swept aside in the back half so it can become a generic Star Wars adventure remixing things from A New Hope and Rebels (and apparently Jedi: Fallen Order). Action scenes have zero stakes because you know nothing can happen to any of the returning characters and none of the new ones are particularly interesting. Why there’s a second climax hinging on a Luke Skywalker death fakeout eludes me. Obi-Wan throwing the rocks at Vader is one of the funniest things in Star Wars history. But it was still better than Book of Boba Fett, I guess.

3/19: The King of Braves GaoGaiGar - Wow, cool robot indeed… GaoGaiGar isn’t going to blow anyone away with its writing, but sometimes you just need a really fun monster of the week mecha show with great action and lovably goofy characters. This is a show where like 20% of every episode consists of recycled transformation, combination, and signature attack sequences and I ate it up every time because they look fucking cool as hell. I don’t care. I’d watch Final Fusion another 49 times.

3/21: The Last of Us (HBO) * - Watched the first two episodes out of curiosity, but I’m not sure if I’ll continue because I don’t give a shit about The Last of Us. It’s definitely a well done adaptation, though, even if I know it’s inevitably going to devolve into miserable torture porn with questionable politics if they adapt Part II faithfully. The ending of episode 2 also lines up perfectly with where I stopped in the game in 2013 lmao

3/27: The Future is a Dead Mall - Decentraland and the Metaverse (Folding Ideas) - Another banger from Dan Olson. This time the premise inherently gives him more time to just show off a bunch of stupid ugly bullshit made by crypto guys, which is fun. My main complaint was that I wished he would’ve brought up Second Life more as a point of comparison (a thing I basically always want out of discussion of “the metaverse”), but he at least did touch on it in the last section.

3/31: The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog - I can’t believe after years of begging for the supporting cast to get more and better material in a Sonic game I got my wish in the form of a freeware murder mystery VN released for April Fools. This kicked ass.

April

4/7: Berserk - Completed Miura’s run and caught up on the chapters that have been released posthumously. It’s hard to say anything that hasn’t been said about Berserk, universally agreed upon as one of the greats of manga and fantasy fiction as a whole. What begins in its first few volumes as a nihilistic and edgy action comic built to facilitate as much sex and gore as possible quickly evolves into something deeply human and vulnerable and beautiful, both figuratively and in terms of its lavish art. The world sucks and is immeasurably cruel, and you will see that cruelty illustrated in graphic, sickening detail repeatedly throughout the series. (Perhaps a little too often throughout the Golden Age, where it feels like Miura never misses an opportunity to threaten Casca with sexual assault mid-battle.) But the point isn’t to wallow in that misery. It’s the story of a victim of horrific abuse learning to slowly open up to others, having those people he cares about torn away from him in the worst night of his life, hardening himself into a cold killing machine, and then slowly learning to open back up again, even if it means leaving himself vulnerable to more hurt. Anyone who says that the series peaked with the eclipse and went downhill in the “Guts’ JRPG Party” era is missing the point. Guts needed to find new people in his life to care about, to begin to find happiness again. Because no matter what unspeakable things Guts has gone through, it’s still possible for him to heal and to be loved. It takes time, but eventually you stop and realize that life has moved on.

4/8: Dedede’s Drum Dash Deluxe - Skipped it upon release because I didn’t particularly care for the minigame in Triple Deluxe, and I didn’t miss much. It’s fine as a little distraction, but not as a standalone rhythm game with only seven songs. If you don’t bother with the hard modes or chase after high scores this game is 15 minutes long. Oh how I yearn for Kirby to get the Theatrhythm treatment.

4/10: The King of Braves: GaoGaiGar FINAL - Eh… It was okay. Lots of cool robot fights, but said fights are stitched together with a mediocre plot that tries too hard to be more “mature” than its unabashedly schlocky kids’ show predecessor. Not crazy about the ending, either, which tries to be a bittersweet farewell closing off the series once and for all while also teasing that maybe there’ll be ANOTHER sequel after the OVA series they literally called “FINAL.” Ah well.

4/11: The Owl House - Sad to see this one go, but it’s hard to imagine them doing a better finale than this, even if they had gotten the six seasons they deserved. I’m not as obsessed with The Owl House as I probably would’ve been had it come out when I was, like, 20, but it’s a really fantastic show for all the reasons people always say. Great characters, great world, great story. I love that this starry-eyed fantasy story about a teenager finding love and a place where she belongs is also set on the rotting corpse of a titan with Hieronymous Bosch-inspired scenery and freaky monsters everywhere. What a great mix. If anything, I just wish I would’ve watched the first season as it aired so I could’ve had more time with it.

4/29: Mega Man Battle Network 3: Blue Version - FINALLY beat this via the new collection, 20 years after playing it as my first Mega Man game. (Technically my first was White, not Blue, but whatever.) There are more annoyances than I remember - lots of really really bad forced backtracking sections where you have to revisit every previous part of the internet, low chip drop rates, some really aggravating bosses like BubbleMan and KingMan, etc. But it’s still a great time overall. It’s Battle Network. In the back half the story gets surprisingly emotional, too. I was always under the assumption that the Hub stuff never came back up much in the story after 1, so I was pleasantly surprised with how relevant it was to the emotional arc of 3.

4/30: Mega Man Battle Network 4: Red Sun * - Yeah I’m not playing through the whole thing lmao. I just wanted to play the first couple hours for nostalgia’s sake, and as a baseline for how much better the rest are. Even before getting deep in the game and having to deal with all the shit gated between doing two new game+ playthroughs, it’s immediately obvious how much of a downgrade this one is. Tons of glaring errors and typos all over the script, blander music, a way more boring aesthetic for the internet, and a premise that mostly just recycles the tournament idea from 3.

May

5/14: The Venture Bros. - Glad I finally sat down and watched all of this with Anthony after having seen one (1) episode as a teenager and a bunch of random clips in the years since. Great show. Some jokes in the early seasons haven’t aged gracefully, but what the show grows into over time... man. Hank and Dean go from being the butt of the joke to being characters you actually sympathize with - while still also being funny little goofballs. And the journey Henchman 21 goes on throughout the show. Man. Amazing that a comedy like this could run for 20 years and maintain its level of quality. Can’t wait for the movie.

5/18: Future Me Hates Me (The Beths) - Okay yeah I’m now just discovering bands through Fortnite lmao. I can’t complain really, they pick some really great indie artists for the in-game radio stations. Anyway: It’s very easy to win me over with a combination of energetic power pop, catchy guitar riffs, and earnest lyrics like this. One of those albums where three or four tracks in I know I have to buy it. Favorite track: Not Running

5/18: Jump Rope Gazers (The Beths) - Ditto. Favorite track: Dying to Believe

5/18: Expert In A Dying Field (The Beths) - Another good album. (I’m listening to these in release order.) I’ve been a bit slower to warm up to this one, initially thinking it was a little too mellow overall, but it might be my favorite after a few listens. Some real high highs. Interestingly, the lead singer’s New Zealand accent is also coming out more in her singing? Favorite track: Your Side (or maybe Head in the Clouds)

5/19: The Super Mario Bros. Movie - As a Mario fan, I think I enjoyed it? As a movie, less so? It was decent, in spite of feeling like they came up with a list of fun action setpieces first and then wrote the absolute bare minimum possible for the story scenes tying it all together. Full thoughts here. (This is the first movie I’ve seen this year, huh? I really don’t watch a lot of movies.)

5/23: Don't Know What You're In Until You're Out (Gladie) - I feel like I don’t like Gladie as much as I should. Their style of noisy indie rock is very much in my wheelhouse, and I do enjoy listening to them, but I dunno. Maybe it’s that the particular style of vocals makes it more monotonous to me. A good album nonetheless, if not 100% my thing. Favorite track: Nothing

5/24: City Slicker (Ginger Root) - Yes I am still making my way through Bandcamp artists I heard on Fortnite don’t @ me. Any excuse to get me to listen to some cool city pop-inspired funk like this is a good excuse. Favorite track: Loretta

5/24: Rikki (Ginger Root) - Favorite track: Why Try

5/25: Spotlight People (Ginger Root) - Favorite track: The Classic

5/29: Succession - A good dramedy series that increasingly focuses more on the drama than the comedy as it progresses, but it’s hard to complain about that since the drama is so compellingly produced. I enjoyed it. That being said, I kind of rankle at the claims that it’s The Greatest TV Show Of All Time. It’s great, don’t get me wrong. Amazing performances all around. But the show LOVES to spin its wheels, to repeat itself, and to let most of its interesting dramatic developments fizzle out before anything really comes of them, almost as if the show is constantly getting bored with its own ideas. To some extent this is intentional - Logan Roy is the untouchable billionaire, his kids fail at everything (but will nonetheless remain billionaires), and in the long run none of them really give a shit about anything other than their own status. But it’s not like things tend to visibly impact anyone else, either, be they supporting characters or the world at large. Even the Big Scary Election, where the Roy siblings are directly responsible for plunging the nation into chaos, ultimately has zero impact on the finale a mere two episodes later. Certain Other Things do have an impact in the last season, though, allowing things to meaningfully change for the cast and for the show to sit with the ensuing drama, which has stopped me from souring on Succession more. There was finally a payoff for something. But it does still kind of feel like a show that goes in circles until it’s ready to call it quits, even if those circles did contain a lot of great acting and music along the way.

5/29: Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts - I’d watched the first 12 episodes when they originally released, but I guess the Netflix binge release and the fact that all three “seasons” came out in one year led to me waiting until it finished… and then I just never got around to finishing it. Glad I fixed that! Really fun and stylish cartoon with an art style reminiscent of Teen Titans, a hip hop-filled soundtrack, dynamic fight scenes, and a colorful post-apocalyptic world filled with mutant (mostly anthropomorphic) animals. I’ll admit that at times I do kinda roll my eyes at Kipo’s unshakeable belief that everyone can be friends in a way that I don’t necessarily with similar shows like Steven Universe, and not every joke lands, but I dunno. It’s a kids’ show. That’s to be expected. It doesn’t detract from the overall package for me.

June

6/1: Craig of the Creek (Season 4) - It’s been years and I’m still processing the fact that kids can turn on Cartoon Network and hear Jeff Rosenstock. Anyway! Craig continues to be one of the best cartoons on TV, consistently funny and creative and way more engaging than a show about a bunch of kids LARPing in the woods has any right to be. This season turned into One Piece with the gang effectively hunting down the Poneglyphs in search of a legendary treasure. The kids think it’ll be magic. It isn't. An increasing number of cartoon logic gags aside, this show is firmly set in the real world. Does that make it any less interesting? Hell no. Season 3 turned a game of capture the flag into an all-out five episode war between the heroes and villains, filled with dramatic turnabouts and a climactic guest appearance from Del the Funky Homosapien. I’m sure however they wrap things up in the (sadly shortened) final season, it’ll be great. (Also? I would watch a whole show based on that “what if” episode that jumped forward to everyone’s 20s.)

6/6: Barry - Holy shit, what a show. I ended up binging it in less than a week in a cycle of “okay, just one more episode.” The way this show is able to swing between tones and genres while still feeling like a cohesive whole is truly masterful. It’s a layered character drama, a tragic crime thriller, a farcical comedy, an understated action series, a surrealist morality play, and a scathing satire of Hollywood, all in one. Even within the criminal underworld subplots the show ranges in tone from Breaking Bad to Paddington 2. And it works! While the show naturally gets bleaker over time as it confronts the repercussions of Barry’s murders, it never completely loses sight of its comedic roots. My favorite episode was easily season 2’s “ronny/lily,” a mostly self-contained episode that somehow manages to keep throwing the perfect curveballs to escalate its dark comedy.

6/12: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Extended Edition) - Y’all heard of this movie? Pretty good, it turns out. (I’d seen the theatrical cut before, but this was my first time watching the extended edition. I’ve also only seen parts of the other two movies, so it’s time I finally watch all the extended cuts. The Gollum game pushed me to this.)

6/13: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Extended Edition) - give it to us RAW and WRIGGLING

6/17: The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Extended Edition) - I’m not crying YOU’RE crying

6/22: Clone High (Season 2) - While the first episode being about “cancel culture” (or, more accurately, a teenager from 2003 being transported to 2023 and putting his foot in his mouth a lot) put a lot of people off, I ended up enjoying the new season of Clone High. The new clones grew on me as the season went on and their roles in the web of teen romance melodrama crystalized, and it made me laugh a lot, and Cleo/Frida is galaxy brained. Also they played one of my favorite Antarctigo Vespucci songs like a minute into the first episode. I don’t think I could really ask for much more.

6/28: The Mandalorian (Season 3) - I'd been watching this weekly but put off the last episode for no real reason. Responses to this season have been all over the place, but my blistering hot take is… it was fine. Is it as good as the first season? Probably not. But Mando no longer needs to carry the whole franchise on its shoulders and set the bar for how good the live action Disney Star Wars shows can be, because Andor exists, and it’s never gonna top Andor. The Mandalorian is free to just be a pulpy space adventure show where Giancarlo Esposito plays a scenery-chewing cartoon villain and a little puppet does wire stunts. These are things Andor cannot and should not do, but that’s Star Wars, baby. It’s delightful. I could watch Grogu get underhand tossed like a sack of flour all day.

July

7/2: Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury (Season 2) - LOVE WINS. (More nuanced take from way later: It definitely feels like a lot of the more messy political conflicts in this show got swept aside by the big final battle where some more easily resolved family conflicts take center stage. I’m not sure the ending is the most satisfying. But also this show only got half the episode count that damn near every other Gundam show ever made got, so that might be a factor here. Idk. Still one of my favorite Gundams.)

7/4: Final Fantasy XVI (watched Anthony play) - I had to write my longest Medium article ever about this one because I was so frustrated

7/10: Home Movies - “Things I like that I’ve never seen in full” has certainly been a recurring theme this year. Home Movies remains an all-time classic of animated comedy that went out on a high note before things got stale or the characters became parodies of themselves. While it’s mostly known for its funny improvised banter, throughout the last season you can really see the arc where Brendon no longer enjoys making movies, yet he feels obligated to keep using them to escape from the real world. In that light, the ending where the nature of their dysfunctional makeshift family is cemented, Brendon’s camera suddenly breaks, and life moves on really does feel like the perfect note to end on. Truly one of the best to ever do it.

7/15: The Legend of Zelda - Tears of the Kingdom - Wow. Just… wow. I had serious doubts about TotK in the months leading up to release due to how close Nintendo was playing their cards to their chest. I didn’t want this to be a Saints Row IV, where the game is fun enough but the recycled map makes it feel like a rehash. Instead, I found a game that made me look at BotW’s map in a whole new light, brimming with so many more things to do and people to meet. Add on a better, more versatile set of tools, more varied dungeons and bosses, and a story that I felt was told somewhat better and we’ve got a real contender for my new favorite Zelda game. It was hard to tear myself away, but as this list shows, it’s been basically the only game I’ve played since it came out.

7/16: Sonic Prime (Season 2) - I liked the parts with Shadow and Chaos Sonic, but I’ve come to the sad conclusion that most of this show is just mediocre. More thoughts here.

7/18: We ♥ Katamari Reroll + Royal Reverie - “I’m a dog, but I love Katamari Damacy.” Truer words have never been spoken.

7/19: Transformers: Rise of the Beasts - Pretty good! It didn’t blow me away, but after how bad the Bay movies got I’m just thankful to have a decently cohesive Transformers movie where the human story is okay and I like the bots (although half of them needed more screen time), even if it is just another Hollywood blockbuster about two sides fighting over a macguffin that devolves into a big CGI battle against an army of nameless monsters in the third act. This is basically a mid-tier MCU movie but with Transformers, which won’t do much for most people, but again: the bar was underground.

7/22: The Venture Bros.: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart - God DAMN. A phenomenal ending for the series. While I would have loved to see a full final season to get some more one-off episodes in there, this doesn’t feel creatively compromised in any way–either due to the time constraints, or due to a desire to make it more marketable as a movie. It really does feel like they just took their outlines for the canceled final season and gently massaged them into the shape of an 84-minute movie, and I mean that in the best possible way. It’s completely on par with the previous seasons. A hilarious and fitting sendoff for one of the greats of adult animation.

7/23: Beautiful Katamari - This was one of my first Xbox 360 games, but a frustrating temperature-based level made me put it down for 16 years. “Maybe it won’t be as bad now that I’ve beaten the first two games and am better at Katamari,” I thought. Nope! Still an absolutely dogshit level. But also, turns out the whole game is only like two hours long lmao. It’s still Katamari, so it’s still fun - the final level in particular, which seamlessly takes you from ground level all the way to space, feels like a logical endpoint for the series - but beyond that it just doesn't have the same soul without Keita Takahashi's input.

August

8/4: Doom Singer (Chris Farren) - I’ve been waiting so long for Chris and Jeff to do another Antarctigo Vespucci album, but god damn. This is the best of Chris’s solo work, and a contender for his best record, period. Every track’s a banger, with more energy than some of his previous solo work but also a good deal of variety. Favorite tracks: First Place, Cosmic Leash

8/4: Transformers Earthspark (Season 1) - This show had a bit of an uneven start, unsure if it wanted to have the emotional maturity of a more serious action cartoon or a preschool cartoon where the characters have little kid mood swings and outbursts and learn basic lessons. It also felt like it was speedrunning its Wholesome Found Family Dynamic with characters who just met, which didn’t feel earned. While these problems never completely go away (see: the cheap and corny way the otherwise very dark season finale suddenly resolves), the show improves quickly, and the positives outweigh the negatives. It’s so great to have a Transformers cartoon that feels fresh, giving us a post-war setting with a bunch of new characters and new dynamics between the Cybertronians and the humans. The returning characters are also uniformly great as the old veterans overseeing the new generation. (Reformed Megatron! Danny Pudi as Bumblebee! Steve Blum returning as Starscream! Keith David as Grimlock!!!) And those super dynamic action scenes! I can nitpick, but Earthspark’s a ton of fun, and easily the best new Transformers cartoon since Prime and Animated.

8/5: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (remaster) - Everyone who told me this game was a masterpiece was right. I had played the first chapter when it dropped as the demo for the iOS version years ago, but never went further than that until now. What a game. Absolutely incredible through and through. Great story, great twists, great characters, great puzzles, great art direction. Everything comes together so perfectly to form a totally unique, unforgettable package, a top tier video game murder mystery. Everyone should play this, preferably going in as blind as possible.

8/15: It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Season 16) - Wow! Recent seasons of Sunny have been kind of up and down, with some interesting experiments (Mac Finds His Pride, the Ireland arc, etc.) paired with some comedic duds. Most of this latest season is standard fare for the series with fewer big creative swings, but it’s just hit after hit in terms of comedy. Not a single dud, whether we’re seeing Mac and Dennis try to start a rental business for inflatable furniture or watching the gang meet Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, believing the entire time that the latter is Malcolm from Malcolm in the Middle. Even the attempts at topical comedy landed better. Easily the funniest season in years.

8/16: One Piece Film Gold - It’s easy to see why this one has kind of been forgotten in the wake of Stampede and Film Red, which revolve around established fan favorite characters, but this was still pretty fun. Perhaps a little too long, but it’s fun to see the Straw Hats fool around in a giant casino and do a heist. They definitely cranked the fanservice up even more than usual in this one, though, as I probably should have expected for a movie made alongside the anime’s adaptation of Dressrosa.

8/17: One Piece: Stampede - This one goes for a different kind of fanservice. While most One Piece movies are isolated from the ongoing plot and its expanded cast of characters, Stampede instead asks “What if we just put damn near every active character on the same island and had them fight?” The answer: a fun time! It would get old if all of the movies were like this, but after a bunch of movies that are just like “the Straw Hats are gonna land on another new island and fight some more weird guys” it’s fun to see characters like Law and Buggy and Smoker get in on the fun. It’s also nice to get a movie with the Wano era art style, and Usopp surprisingly gets some really good character moments in here.

8/18: One Piece Film Red - This really is the best of the One Piece movies, huh? (Baron Omatsuri is a close second.) It really feels like a change of pace after the last four with the most interesting and emotionally engaging story out of any of them. And even if the events of these movies are never canon, it still feels significant in my understanding of Shanks as a character as we move into the final phase of the manga.

8/21: Pikmin 4 - The opening hour of the game made me really question if they’d changed too much, with all the focus on your new dog unit over your Pikmin and the extremely dull, drawn out dialogue scenes with your new companions back at the base. But once I got into the swing of things I had a blast. This is probably my new favorite Pikmin game. There’s a great mix of activities here to keep things fresh. I also really ended up liking Oatchi’s role as basically your second captain who can also serve as your tank or a rideable mount. The Dandori stuff and nighttime missions in particular show off how useful Oatchi is for your multitasking without necessarily overshadowing the Pikmin.

8/22: Never Get Tired: The Bomb the Music Industry! Story - I literally backed this on Kickstarter eight years ago (my name is in the credits!) and then never got around to watching it for no reason. It’s on YouTube now, and Jeff’s got a new album out next week, so now feels like the perfect time to watch it. And man… what a great documentary. Obviously I’m just a fan of the band, but this also really spoke to me as an artist. Jeff wanting to stick to his principles and give out his music for free and play cheap all ages shows, his discomfort over the idea of selling merch, and the struggles that come with not playing the game like that… It's hard. They readily admit that Jeff is an idealist, that people fight him on this stuff, that he’s missed out on some big opportunities because of these stances, and that he’s had to compromise a bit on some of these things over time. But that incredible climax with their final show, including a full opening performance of the slowly building “Campaign for a Better Next Weekend” and the closing performance of “Future 86” where the whole audience is singing along as the members of the band are hugging and crying… it’s beautiful. This may have been a band where the members had to go back to their shitty day jobs after every tour because they weren’t selling out arenas, but their art meant something to people, and that makes it all worth it.

8/25: Nimona - I haven’t read the original comic (yet), so I can’t compare them too much, but it’s nonetheless pretty apparent that some things were softened and easy kids’ movie jokes were added by the studio to squeeze this graphic novel for teens into a PG animated movie. Regardless, the emotional throughline hits REALLY hard, particularly the very blatant trans allegory and the climax. (It’s no wonder Disney was afraid of this movie seeing the light of day lmao.) The animation is also very squishy and fun to watch throughout. Great movie.

8/26: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish - Spider-Verse really has done so much for animation, huh? This one was as good as everyone said. Beautiful use of stylized color and lighting throughout, and every time this movie very conspicuously shifted to different framerates for a flashy fight scene it owned. Very cute and heartwarming story, too, which thankfully gave its second act plenty of time to explore the cast and let them go on their journey, unlike a certain plumber movie that came out a few months later. Also I would let Death [redacted]

8/28: Holocure: Save the Fans! - This isn't really something I can beat, but I've been addicted to Holocure lately. I don't even watch VTubers aside from maybe seeing a funny Korone animation every now and then, this is just a really, really good freeware Vampire Survivors clone with a huge roster of varied characters to pick from.

8/31: HELLMODE (Jeff Rosenstock) - A new album from Jeff is always a major event for me. If there were any worries that he was starting to go soft at 40 (because one of the three singles off this album was a gentle acoustic piece), the frantic opening of this album put those worries to rest. The first two tracks are Jeff screaming out for help as he’s pulled in a million directions by the chaotic state of the world, a theme that becomes the thesis of the album. I’d say it lags slightly in the middle, but overall this is another extremely well-rounded record full of bangers that’s unapologetically Jeff, with possibly my favorite closing track he’s ever done. Favorite tracks: I WANNA BE WRONG, 3 SUMMERS

September

9/3: One Piece (live action, Season 1) - They did it. I can’t believe it, but they did it. While I have my nitpicks (Usopp and Sanji don’t get enough big moments to shine), this is an extremely solid and faithful adaptation of the first few arcs of One Piece with a great cast. For the most part the changes feel smart and logical, and the big emotional beats of the story are all there and executed very well. I doubted it a little in episodes 2-4, where the Orange Town and Syrup Village arcs saw some major changes to shift the action indoors, and the increased focus on the drama in favor of repeating every gag and battle from the manga 1:1 took a bit of getting used to, but by the end I was having a blast. It’s a different take on One Piece, but it still feels like One Piece. Genuinely very excited for season 2.

9/4: Pseudoregalia - A great little N64-style 3D Metroidvania focused on platforming and very satisfying movement. I always love entries in the genre that are less prescriptive in what order you have to tackle areas in, a la Symphony of the Night or Hollow Knight, and this one’s great in that regard. While there are a number of new moves to find, most of the map is open to you very early in the game, and smart use of your moveset can allow you to “sequence break” without even realizing it. (You would not believe how long I went without getting the wall run.) I do wish it had a map, but that’s already being patched in.

9/6: Bomb Rush Cyberfunk * - Not a bad game at all, but I quickly remembered how bad I am at skating games, so like… eh? Not sure I have much desire to play past chapter 2. Also the soundtrack is sadly kinda hit or miss for me outside of the obvious Naganuma tunes.

9/9: The History of the Minnesota Vikings (Dorktown) - Jon Bois never misses. Even as someone who doesn’t actively follow sports, Jon Bois is a master storyteller, using graphs and statistics and funny anecdotes to explore these deeply human stories. He can convey why people care so much about these teams, these people, and sports in general, and how our popular sports reflect on American culture. He could tell the story of just about any team or player in any sport and I just know I’ll come out the other side a misty-eyed fan. And what a fascinating cast of characters we have this time, with origin stories for everything from the Hail Mary pass to a Minnesota state supreme court judge to the Griddy. Nine hours well spent.

9/10: Timespinner - A fun and highly polished Metroidvania that maybe doesn’t quite have enough of its own identity in its quest to replicate Symphony of the Night…but also, like, this was pitched as a Symphony throwback on KickStarter in a pre-Bloodstained, pre-Hollow Knight world, so I can’t really blame ‘em! Stopping time to avoid boss attacks is fun, the pixel art is gorgeous, and I liked the dark science fantasy story about warring empires and meddling with time a lot more than I thought I would - lore journal text dumps and all.

9/14: The Decay of Sam & Cat (Quinton Reviews) - All the stuff at the end with Matt Bennett (the actor who played Robbie on Victorious and Sam & Cat) in this was really good and sweet. It’s that kind of thing that makes these videos feel like they’re still worthwhile on some level. But the padding and the things Quinton chooses to spend the colossal runtime on does drive me more and more insane with each passing Nick sitcom video. I don’t know how much longer he can keep this schtick up. I hope he’s able to move on to other things before too terribly long instead of continuing to extend this “miniseries.”

9/19: Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales - AKA Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man 1.5. It’s fun for the same reasons Peter’s first game was fun. I had a good time swinging around New York again in preparation for the sequel, and there’s a lot of cute stuff with Miles becoming Harlem’s neighborhood hero, but WOW did the Underground v. Roxxon conflict fall flat for me.

9/20: I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson - I understand so many posts now.

9/25: Spider-Man (2002) (rewatch) - It’s you who’s out, Gobby! OUT OF YOUR MIND!

9/25: Futurama (Season 8) - I was ready to be a hater, recalling the fact that Futurama has already had three “perfect endings” with the show getting a little weaker with every revival. Then I watched the first new episode on a whim and thought it wasn’t bad, so I was like, eh, sure, I’ll watch the rest. Overall Hulurama is hit or miss. There are chuckles to be had, and it sure as hell beats modern Simpsons, but almost every episode is either a belated take on an overplayed Topical Issue (the pandemic, Amazon, cancel culture, etc.) or a direct sequel to an old episode people liked. Or both! It’s also really noticeable that certain voice actors sound way older - Billy West is struggling with the Fry voice in particular, and it hurts his comedic timing. But just when all hope seemed lost after the nigh-incomprehensible toy-themed anthology episode, possibly the worst episode of the entire series… the last episode, where the Planet Express crew explores whether or not the universe could be a simulation, was really, really solid. Great note to end on to make me not regret my time with this season as a whole.

9/26: Spider-Man 2 (2004) (rewatch) - Once the GOAT, always the GOAT.

9/27: Spider-Man 3 (rewatch) - Revisiting this movie for the first time since I saw it in theaters… it’s not bad. It’s fine! It continues to have the heart and sincerity that make the first two movies work. It’s just not as concise with three villains vying for the spotlight, but I also wouldn’t cut any of them, necessarily. I guess Eddie/Venom would be the easiest, but Peter getting the black suit and giving in to his resentment feels too central to cut. (Yes, even with Emo Peter becoming a meme.)

9/28: Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake - I wasn’t really sure what to expect with this one, especially since I was never really a fan of the genderbend episodes in the original show. (At the time they mostly just felt like an excuse to crank up the teen romance stuff to 11.) But MAN. This was a fantastic coda to the original series. It made me care about Fionna and Cake and their friends as their own characters separate from their original counterparts, it gave the Simon/Betty arc a much more satisfying (if no less bittersweet) resolution than the original finale had time to do, and it even managed to be a multiverse story that didn’t make me roll my eyes in 2023. A+ all around. Makes me wanna rewatch the original show again. [spoiler: I did]

9/29: Meanwhile (aivi & surasshu) - It’s been a whole decade–they were busy with, you know, all the music in Steven Universe, among other things–but we finally have a new aivi & surasshu album! Their chiptune/piano fusion style is familiar, but they’ve definitely grown as composers in subtle ways. Favorite track: Time Travel

October

10/1: This is Financial Advice (Folding Ideas) - A lot of the nitty gritty finance law stuff turned into white noise for me, but still, great video. I had no idea that the GameStop stock craze devolved into this bizarre cult that thinks they’re going to crash the global economy and rise from the ashes as the new kings with the value of their GME stocks. Glad this video exists to try and balance out the narrative.

10/5: Sonic Frontiers: The Final Horizon DLC - Good ideas, absurdly frustrating and tedious execution. Full thoughts here.

10/10: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (rewatch) - I didn’t plan this, but very fitting that I would end up rewatching this on 10/10.

10/12: Half-Life Alyx but the Gnome is Self-Aware (wayneradiotv) - ha he! (Seriously though, that finale was a fucking masterpiece. The RTVS crew has an incredible knack for using the framing device of video game livestreams to blur the lines between comedy and horror, or ironic anti-humor and complete sincerity. I’ve never seen anything else like this.)

10/15: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Not sure how much I can say that hasn’t already been said. The most visually creative movie I’ve ever seen, grounded by some really excellent storytelling about Miles (and now Gwen) that’s probably better than his actual comics. But it also does feel like it’s about to end and then the movie just keeps going like ten times over lmao. Can’t wait to watch this a second time on a better TV.

10/20: Sonic Superstars - A mostly really solid and fun 2D Sonic game that’s unfortunately dragged down by an extremely hodgepodge soundtrack and some overly drawn out boss fights. I spent HOURS trying to beat the final boss of the bonus scenario (which is required for the true ending in this one) before giving up. Really a shame that that’s the note I’m leaving the game on, because I otherwise enjoyed it, but ah well. More thoughts here.

10/27: Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 - Another good Spider-Man game from Insomniac. Liked the story more than the one in Miles Morales, but maybe not as much as the first game. Extensive thoughts here.

10/28: Venom - Was in the mood for more Venom after the game. As expected this was not a very good movie, but the dynamic between Eddie and Venom made it a fun watch. Tom Hardy is constantly about to shit his pants in this movie. It’s great.

10/28: Venom: Let There Be Carnage - I had a way better time with this one. Is this a good movie? No. But it cranks the insanity of the first movie up to 11. Goofy as fuck in an extremely watchable way.

November

11/5: Pluto - An absolutely masterful series that anyone interested in sci-fi needs to watch. The anime adaptation was great, and I immediately understand why people who’ve read the manga speak so highly of it. Really makes me want to get into Astro Boy more, and also read some of Urasawa’s other works.

11/18: Scott Pilgrim Takes Off - Wow, just wow. When news of a Scott Pilgrim anime broke I was cautiously curious to see if we’d get a more direct adaptation of the comics, and instead it veered off in the exact opposite direction in the best way possible. This is almost entirely a different story, one that’s in conversation with the previous versions (sometimes in very meta ways), and I think it’s really valuable to see O’Malley revisiting these characters with new things to say about them. The major story divergence gives us a chance to examine the characters from a new angle - particularly Ramona, who’s the real protagonist of this version, and the evil exes, who completely steal the show. This was a great reminder of why I fell in love with this series as a teenager. I now genuinely hope we get more Scott Pilgrim.

11/22: Void Rivals (Issues #1 - #6) - The first arc of the new Robert Kirkman series that kicked off Skybound’s new “Energon Universe” is now complete, and I’m left thinking Void Rivals is… okay? I thought the first issue was a decent (if not particularly original) sci-fi comic with an appealing art style, which just so happens to also briefly have a Transformer in it so there can be a Big Surprise. And the series still hasn’t quite shaken that feeling to me. It’s an okay sci-fi series that arbitrarily dedicates a couple of pages of every issue to something from Transformers, but I’m not really sure what the shared universe stuff adds to Void Rivals, or what Void Rivals adds to Transformers and GI Joe. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

11/22: Journey to EPCOT Center: A Symphonic History (Defunctland) - Yeah, gotta be honest, I only got halfway through this one. It seems like Kevin just 1) really wanted to push himself creatively and 2) make a love letter to Epcot, and while I respect that, I think it suffers as a historical documentary. It’s Fantasia but for the creation of Epcot. That might be very impressive on a technical level, but it feels more like a piece of Disney propaganda than prior Defunctland videos due to a lack of context and nuance.

11/24: Aperture Desk Job - A short, sweet, and funny little tech demo for my new Steam Deck set in the Portal universe. More effort was definitely put into this than was strictly necessary.

11/26: ESCHATOS - I am not good at bullet hell games, but I enjoy them from time to time and I really love this one’s FM synth soundtrack, so I picked it up on a whim in the Steam sale. I only beat it on Easy, but still, I had a lot of fun with it! It’s straightforward but very flashy, with the camera dynamically zooming around from set piece to set piece at ridiculous speeds and each level segueing directly into the next. The lack of a powerup system on the main mode in favor of just needing to know when to use your different shot types makes it feel very approachable.

11/27: Lunistice - A great little 3D platformer with a good soundtrack that I had fun hunting down all the secrets in. This is an easy recommendation for fans of games like Kirby or Klonoa - whimsical games set in colorful dream worlds where the underlying story can get a bit more somber. (Although the story in this one is mostly told through mildly cryptic lore dumps, so your mileage there may vary.)

11/28: Spark the Electric Jester 2 - The leap from 2D to 3D here is impressive, but this is very clearly a rough draft for Spark 3. Very, very fun Sonic-style 3D platforming, but the combat is lacking and the storytelling is just kinda bad. More extensive thoughts on this and the above two games here.

December

12/2: Fortnite (Chapter 4) - This was my first full chapter of Fortnite, after having been roped into the game by the siren songs of Zero Build mode and Goku during Chapter 3. This means it’s harder for me to compare this chapter to previous ones, but still, Fortnite remains a genuinely very well made Battle Royale shooter that’s a blast with friends. If I have any complaint about this Chapter, it’s that they would regularly introduce zany ideas and then slowly reel them back in, whether it was the Augment system or the increasingly mundane movement items. It also felt like it was a little too easy to get the perfect loadout in every match, meaning the final showdown would almost always be against players with Slurp Juice and gold shotguns. And I missed the smaller mid-season map updates of Chapter 3. But overall I still had a really good time, and look forward to playing more for the foreseeable future.

12/4: Plagiarism and You(Tube) (HBomberguy) - This will get written off by many as “YouTuber drama,” but this really is an excellent video essay that feels like the kick in the pants that YouTube needs. If video essayists are gonna be a major source of information for so many, then they gotta have standards. I also think it does a good job of highlighting the people that have been plagiarized and trying to drive more attention their way in an attempt to right those wrongs.

12/6: Transformers (Skybound comic) - We only got the first three issues of this in 2023, but I just HAVE to say something about how incredible this series is here. Daniel Warren Johnson is knocking it out of the park. This is the new bar for Transformers. The hand-inked art is extremely dynamic and full of character, and the story is using the familiar beats of G1 Transformers but doing very new things with them. You can tell this from the very first page, but the emotional scene of Optimus accidentally crushing a deer in the forest and realizing how fragile life is on Earth sealed the deal for me. And yet in the very same comics Optimus can do suplexes and clotheslines and lord knows how many other wrestling moves on Decepticons, and it doesn’t feel like tonal whiplash? These comics just fucking rule, and anyone with even the slightest interest in Transformers should be reading them.

12/8: What We Do in the Shadows (Season 5) - [spoilers] WWDITS has very much settled into being a status quo show. Every season has its own little arc where one or two things change to keep things interesting, but then everything returns to normal by the end. Guillermo finally becoming a vampire, only to become a human again in the end, might just be the most egregious example of this yet. But also… the show’s still really funny? And I continue to be happy that Kristen Schaal has stuck around as a series regular as the Guide. So it’s hard to complain. I could see the show running out of steam over the next few seasons, but it’s still hitting for me right now.

12/12: Pony Island - Finally got around to this since the trailer for the sequel dropped. I feel like playing this years later in a post-Inscryption world where Pony Island is a known quantity kind of lessens its impact, but still, it’s a fun and funny puzzle game where you try to hack your way out of a possessed arcade machine. I’m not sure I found it particularly scary, but I’m not sure it’s supposed to be? The way the game messes with you during the Asmodeus “boss fight” was probably the highlight for me. I also like being able to say things like “The part where you have to not kill Jesus was so hard. I kept getting terrible butterfly patterns.”

12/16: Breaking Bad VR but the AI is Self-Aware (wayneradiotv) - As always, Wayne and co.’s commitment to the bit is unrivaled. This kind of got interpreted as just a way to troll HLVRAI fans, but so many moments in this genuinely made me laugh out loud.

12/18: Soul of Sovereignty Prelude - As someone who would list Cucumber Quest as a big creative influence, I was naturally very excited for this first chapter of GGDG’s new visual novel. Their mentality of both scaling things back in terms of labor while also going more shamelessly self-indulgent in terms of storytelling after burning out on making webcomics has really spoken to me, and WOW, the end result of that new process of theirs is shaping up to be something really special. The art and music are sparse but extremely evocative, giving you the rough sketch of the world and letting your mind fill in the rest. The story blends literary high fantasy vibes with the style of fantasy seen in ‘90s JRPGs (you can definitely tell this came from an idea for an RPG), but rather than constantly winking at the audience and making self-aware video game references it plays these storytelling ideas extremely sincerely, giving them real dramatic weight while still indulging in fun tropes to their fullest extent. While it’s a far cry from their most famous work with much more mature content, GGDG always excels at creating characters and worlds that immediately grab me. I can’t wait for the rest.

12/18: Barbie - I’m only… what, five months late for the whole Barbenheimer thing? Perfect timing. Anyway! On the one hand, I get the critiques saying that this movie is just a major corporation funding a self-aware feminist critique of their own product as a marketing ploy. And I kinda agree with that. And the movie is a little too long, and I don’t really know what to think of the way the Barbie/Ken conflict plays out. Anthony asked me to summarize what the story ended up being about, and I had no idea what to even say. But also… I did still like the movie? We don’t get a lot of cartoonish, absurdist, fourth wall breaking comedies like this anymore, and this is a good one of those. Also the whole cast is great, the set design is kind of stunning, and the cinematography is consistently appealing. I wouldn’t say it’s a revolutionary work of feminist filmmaking by any stretch, but it’s a good comedy movie.

12/21: Dr. Stone: New World - Man, Dr. Stone is great. I’ve said this many times, but I just love that this series uses all the trappings of shounen that would normally be used to hype up the protagonist learning a new move to instead hype up things like the protagonist building a loom or a hot air balloon. It’s shounen Bill Nye. I didn’t completely love everything about the Treasure Island arc this season, but it all built towards a really fun climax with a lot of satisfying turnabouts where the heroes use their ingenuity to just barely win.

12/23: The History of Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out World Records (Summoning Salt) - Truly one of my favorite Summoning Salt videos ever, even with how repetitive Punch-Out can get to watch. It’s just so hard to beat “and that runner… was me.”

12/24: Super Mario Bros. Wonder - What more can be said that hasn’t already been said? It’s the best and most creative 2D Mario game since the ‘90s. The only real flaws are that it’s a little easy, the Search Party stages are annoying in singleplayer, and I wish that every boss prior to the final boss wasn’t just some form of Bowser Jr. fight. But those aren’t nearly enough to drag the whole experience down. It was a blast.

12/24: Do a Powerbomb! - Got this from Anthony as a birthday present. This is the previous series by the creative team currently doing the new Transformers comics I was gushing about a few entries ago. Even with the high bar set by those comics, Do a Powerbomb! exceeded my expectations. Holy shit. An absolutely entrancing fantasy wrestling miniseries full of dynamic, energetic action and tons of heart. These comics where a guy wrestles a giant talking orangutan almost made me cry. Twice. An instant favorite.

12/25: Adventure Time (rewatch) - We ended up finishing our rewatch of Adventure Time (the main series, anyway) on my 30th birthday, which feels appropriate. I already kinda knew this, but this rewatch has truly confirmed that Adventure Time is my favorite TV series of all time. The entire show is even better on a full series rewatch. In hindsight, even parts that annoyed me when they aired end up being important parts of the beautiful tapestry that is this series. The many low points of Finn’s adolescent love life are important stepping stones in his growth as a person, which leaves him in an extremely satisfying place by the end. Jake having kids didn’t get to be a huge status quo change because they grew up instantly, but then they did a bunch of fun episodes about Jake’s relationships with his adult children that deepened him as a character. And most of the big lore questions they kept teasing over the years (“Where’d the humans go?” “Who are Finn’s parents?” “When’s Finn gonna get a robot arm?” etc.) ended up getting satisfying and creative answers, because the show left itself the room to figure those things out later. This is a truly special, one-of-a-kind series, one that lasted nearly 300 episodes and yet still seems like it was over too soon. And yes, I did in fact cry during the final montage, like I knew I would. I will always cherish this show with all of my heart.

12/25: Olive the Other Reindeer (rewatch) - Haven’t seen this one since I was a kid! It was a favorite of mine back then, and while it might not be quite as funny as I remember it’s still very cute, with a 2D/3D hybrid art style that remains very unique and appealing. As an adult I can also appreciate the cast they got for this, with like half the cast of Futurama bolstered by guests like Michael Stipe from REM and The Sopranos’ Joe Pantoliano.

12/26: Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio - Anthony and I capped off our Christmas with the most jolly and festive stop motion movie of all! Jokes aside, man, what a beautiful movie. The animation is immaculate, and we really just don’t get children’s animated films like this anymore. Ones that overtly feature real world politics and religion and so many other dark themes in a way that doesn’t talk down to kids or sugarcoat things. This one hits hard. We need more movies like this.

12/31: Oppenheimer - This was an interesting one. Despite being three hours, the way that first hour jumps around in time makes it feel like Oppenheimer is constantly being propelled forward through life at a breakneck pace, swept up by the rising tide of nationalism in spite of his personal left wing politics, never really reflecting on what he’s doing until it’s too late. Then when he’s no longer useful to the empire, he’s chewed up and spat out, only to eventually be honored as a national hero as a symbolic gesture. It’s a compelling story. However, I’m a little torn on how certain aspects of history were framed. Does the abstraction of the bombings detract from the true weight of those events, in favor of sympathizing with the man who built the bomb? Or is it clever a way to show how the realities of the war were compartmentalized away by people who were complicit in its most heinous acts of violence? One minute a bunch of physicists are talking theory, thousands of miles away from the theaters of war, and the next they’ve killed 200,000 people. So which is it? Eh, probably somewhere in the middle, I guess. But I liked it overall.

12/31: Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe - I’ve been really surprised by how good this rerelease is. It kind of flew under the radar for me. I liked the original game, but at the time it also almost felt like the New Super Mario Bros. of Kirby. It was a straightforward throwback game where you went through a grass world, then a desert world, then a water world, etc., and also they added four player co-op. But returning to this one after the kinda mid Star Allies has made me appreciate just how solid RtDL is as a Kirby game. I really like the updated graphics, too - yes, even the new cel shaded outlines around the characters - even though I didn’t think it looked that great in screenshots. Also the two new copy abilities (Sand and Mecha) are fun, the minigame collection is shockingly fleshed out to the point that they could’ve sold it as a standalone eShop game, the collectible character masks are fun, and the new epilogue mode where you play as Magolor is one of the coolest bonus modes they’ve ever done. This is a top tier Kirby remake any fan of the series should check out.

Ongoing things I followed in 2023 that don't have a blurb:

Halo Infinite multiplayer

IDW Sonic the Hedgehog (main series + specials)

One Piece

Chainsaw Man

My Hero Academia (not caught up)

The JOJOlands (not caught up)

Things I started in 2023 that I still need to finish:

Freedom Planet 2

Hi-Fi Rush

Live A Live

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Picross 3D Round 2

Rhythm Heaven MegaMix

Mega Man Battle Network 5: Team ProtoMan

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Spark the Electric Jester 3

Sonic Dream Team

One Piece (Wano arc, anime)

Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 (I’ve already read the Shibuya arc already in the manga, though)

Astro Boy (2003 anime)

Futurama (original run rewatch)

One Piece (manga reread)

The Amazing Spider-Man (Lee/Ditko era)

Scott Pilgrim series (reread)

And finally... my favorites of 2023!!!

Overall favorite game: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Favorite indie game: Pseudoregalia

Games remastered in 2023 that are now among my all-time faves: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, We Love Katamari

Most pleasant surprise in gaming: The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog

Favorite film: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Favorite live action show: Barry

Favorite anime: Pluto

Favorite anime written by a Canadian guy and an American guy based on the Canadian guy's old graphic novel series: Scott PIlgrim Takes Off

Favorite live action adaptation of an anime that I still can't believe they didn't fuck up: One Piece

Favorite Western cartoon: Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake

Favorite older cartoon I only got around to watching in its entirety this year: The Venture Bros.

Favorite documentary: Double Fine PsychOdyssey

Favorite semi-improvised semi-scripted absurdist comedy/horror/tragedy Twitch livestream performance art thing: Half-Life Alyx but the Gnome is Self-Aware finale (wayneradiotv)

Favorite manga: Chainsaw Man

Favorite older manga that I only read this year: Berserk

Favorite Western comic book: Daniel Warren Johnson's Transformers

Favorite album: HELLMODE (Jeff Rosenstock)

And that's a wrap!!!!! Happy new year, everyone! Here's to me maybe actually reading a goddamn book this year

#bobby writes #i don't have a writing tag so i'm making one now to save this and other things

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disabledunitypunk · 1 month

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So, I know this blog has been a lot less active as of late, at least from my part (mod Stars).

I'm gonna be honest; I've been incredibly sick. A combination of some kind of issue with gluten/wheat (may be celiac, or nonceliac gluten intolerance, or wheat allergy) with IBD, MCAS, lactose intolerance and sensory issues, had caught me in such a cycle of degranulation, anaphylaxis, intestinal issues, brain fog, chronic fatigue, and POTS and chronic pain flareups, that I was nonfunctional.

On top of that, anxiety over my partners SSI application (recently medically approved by the administrative law judge, that's a win! still waiting on nonmedical approval but it should hopefully just be a rubber stamp process at this point - knock on wood) has really screwed with my levels of executive dysfunction.

And trauma around medical neglect and abuse, plus being so sick, plus executive dysfunction, had led me to temporarily avoid seeking treatment at all. When I say that the very idea of trying to trick yet another doctor's ego into believing they came up with the idea to test me for the conditions I'm already reasonably certain I have, all while making sure I don't seem too smart, too unintelligent, too articulate, too reliant on google, too self-aware, use too many medical terms, and so on... I've not had the ability to advocate for myself anymore.

Luckily, a friend of mine that's all hellfire agreed to help advocate for me at some of my appointments going forward, so I'm going to be finding a new primary care doc and going forward (possibly seeing my old one a few more times if necessary, just to get re-referrals and maybe get a referral to a non-Medicaid allergist that actually knows what MCAS is) with pursuing diagnoses and treatment again.

Until then, however, I'm pretty much limited to about three foods - plain white or wild rice, "zoup" (a zucchini broth with chunks of carrots, daikon, celery, and wild rice), and raisins. I can drink water and cranberry juice. Between my sensory issues and that tiny list, I've been consistently significantly hungry for a week. I'm struggling to sleep and can't get more than four hours of restless sleep in a night the past few nights. I'm menstruating for the first time in five years for G-d knows why. I feel better and less reactive, especially after an ER visit for some IM decadron, but I am constantly exhausted.

Why do I bring all this up?

This is my daily life. I have near zero quality of life because of the ableism of doctors and failures of the medical system. I'm barely keeping myself alive every day, really only with the help of a lot of caretaking from my partner. I haven't been able to get to my doctor to get approved for that friend willing to advocate for me to be paid for basic caretaking duties by Medicaid. I went out on Saturday for the first time in over a month, and I'll be recovering from that for the next week and a half.

There is not a single minute of my life that isn't profoundly affected by my disabilities. Stress causes a cascading reaction through my MCAS, POTS, ME/CFS. Understimulation causes intense stress and even pain. Listening to music while doing nothing, watching videos, and similar "low energy" activities drain so much energy that they trigger my chronic fatigue, and sometimes cause a lesser reverse cascading reaction.

I can't take an ADHD med to help with the symptoms more disabling than the ones threatening literal anaphylaxis and organ failure because I can't get them compounded without an official MCAS diagnosis, and I'd also need a beta blocker compounded as well (which are are often mast cell triggers) for my POTS because the only ADHD meds that work on me are amphetamines.

I can't take vitamin D or B12 despite being incredibly critically low for the same reasons. I've barely found some OTC benadryl and aleve that I halfway tolerate. I might have a UTI and if I do I'm gonna have to convince doctors 20 years behind the medical literature that IM antibiotics are considered safe and effective and are a safer alternative to oral meds for me, if still risking a minor reaction.

On good days, I can make it between the bed and couch a couple times a day, and between the couch and the toilet. On bad days, I have a chamber pot setup in the bedroom because I can't afford diapers. I'm sure my vitamin D deficiency is not helped by never leaving an apartment that barely gets some sunlight two hours a day because it's in the shadow of the other side of the building.

I used to, on bad days, spend most of the day doing mindless tasks or on slightly less bad days, puzzle games, on my phone. Now, I'm lucky if I can do even that much most days. I AM too sick to play video games. 🥲 I can nap, I can sit with my eyes open, I can listen to music until it's too exhausting anymore.

I'm tired, and every day surviving is just a monumental effort. Again, the ableism of doctors and... actually, they're not failures if they're intentional; the abusive medical system, have not left a single minute of my life untouched.

Multiple times, when talking about online discourse, I've been accused of "wanting to be more disabled than I am", "being physically abled", being "crazy", "delusional", "on something", etc, etc, etc. All for daring to say that ideas like body-mind duality, exclusionism within disabled communities, and similar, are deeply harmful and affect far more than insular online discourse.

Doctors love to shove off chronically ill people into "psych cases". Have anxiety, autism, PTSD, schizophrenia, DID, depression, etc, etc on your chart? Yeah, you're never getting that physical diagnosis. This is what perpetuating and encouraging ideas like "all disabilities are physical OR mental", "people with abc type of disability have privilege over people with xyz type of disability", and so on, DOES.

Sanism is used to perpetuate ableism. Ableism is used to perpetuate sanism. Quite frankly, I'm not sure that neurotypical physically disabled people, non-mad neurodivergent physically disabled people, and physically abled neurodivergent/mad (all as self-identified categories) get just how deeply compounded ableism is when you exist at the intersection of physically disabled and neurodivergent (especially if mentally ill or mad). Or perhaps, the disconnect exists along a line of "profoundly disabled" vs "can access abled hegemony to a significant extent". Perhaps it's both. There is likely elements of how visible a disability is, how much its able to be masked, the type/level/spread of support needs, and so on. There's definitely elements of other marginalization; race, ethnicity, fatness, queerness, and so on.

And then there's the subcategories. Cognitively disabled. Traumatized. Chronically ill. Visually impaired/blind. Deaf/hard of hearing. Intellectual disability. Mobility disabilities. Fluctuating vs static disabilities, support needs, masking, and so on.

Sometimes I wonder, would the people who think I'm just an abled faker who doesn't belong for not being able to seperate my neurodivergence from my physical disabilities, my neurological organs from my body, my inabilities from my inabilities, would they find I'm the same as them when they spend a day in my life? Would they find it worse? Would they find it unbearable in a completely different way from their own struggles? Would they maybe even find that while it's not quite as hard as their own struggles in some cases, that it's still wildly hard and the two are far closer to each other on the scale than they think? Would they understand that we are both in the midst of an active, eugenicist genocide, and that we're 50-49 bullet holes staring down the barrel of a loaded gun that is held by our oppressors?

Even now, I'm thinking about how this post might be inaccessible. Is it readable for screen readers? Will the length be too much for way too many people? Is it understandable for people with intelligence and cognitive disabilities? How do I fix those things if it's not. What am I missing? What am I missing? What am I missing?

I'm exhausted, I'm scared, and I'm barely holding on. I'm safe, mental health wise, to be clear, I'm just convinced that the only reason that I'm not in significant danger from my physical chronic illnesses right now is because I've always had a body that was stubborn as all hell and twice as resilient. I'm not dying, not because the illnesses aren't trying, but because my body will endure far beyond normal limits.

I've experienced slow acting anaphylactic reactions without anaphylactic shock about once a month for 1-2 years now, usually only going in after several days and nights of severe symptoms. Like I've mentioned, several of my vitamin levels are so low as to make organ failure a constant threat. None of my illnesses are "terminal" per se, but that doesn't mean they can't be deadly. And more to the point, it doesn't mean they can't destroy me, that they haven't utterly destroyed my quality of life, without killing me.

I mean, I started this blog as an attempt at fostering solidarity. We CANNOT be quibbling over who really "belongs" in various disability spaces, who gets to reclaim what words or whatever, when so many of us are dealing with this shit.

For the area with the lowest cost of living in the country, SSI should be 5 times what it is now. For the highest, up to 20 times. People on disability benefits lose some or all of their payments, insurance, and so on, if they get married, even to another person on benefits. I've never met a disabled person without more doctor horror stories than diagnoses, and we all know diagnoses like to come in clusters. We are being abused, neglected, and killed.

I cannot stress how much, not that this intracommunity discourse "doesn't matter", but that it does at a deeply harmful level. It's just perpetuation of the abuse we face at a lateral level. We're mimicking the government and doctors and general abled society and getting into petty but deeply dangerous inane arguments that are just us carrying out the only way we've been taught to treat disabled people.

Being a disabled activist and advocate means questioning everything you know about ableism. It means prioritizing first and foremost disabled people. And honestly, speaking as someone whose platform here is dedicated to that, that's really fucking hard. It means believing people about their experiences with disability and oppression in a world that teaches us that the vast majority of disabled people are lying privileged fakers.

It means not believing that people know more about what people with a disability they DON'T have face because of their own disabilities. A little confusing, but essentially someone with disability A without disability B who faces oppression X, can't say that someone with disability B DOESN'T face oppression X, just because they face it. It means not calling the very real harm someone has experienced "misdirected", or making their suffering about you or your subcommunity, just because you've experienced the same or similar harm.

It means unlearning reactivity as a group of extremely traumatized people. It means learning to meet people where they're at, and assume "can't" rather than "won't". It means accepting that sometimes not only will someone's disabilities cause conflicting access needs with your own, but that sometimes people's disabilities can actively cause them to do harm, and that they still deserve rights, community, and support if they do. It also means recognizing that the harm that a disability may cause someone to do is going to look VASTLY different than abled expectations of "harmful" disabilities. It means, even and especially when this happens, recentering the perspective not around how the disability affects other people, but around how it affects the person with the disability.

It's all of this and so much more. It's a lot of effort from people with not a lot to give. It's fighting an upstairs battle with no ramp, so to speak.

And I guess I just... I'm at a loss on how to keep that up. Is just focusing on getting myself well enough to participate again, putting my own mask on first, enough? When there is not a single moment of my life untouched by the extremely deep and extremely systemic harm of ableism, is it enough to try and access the care continually gatekept from me at an individual level? Can I even do so, against such intensive pressure?

How do I live this life, and also go on untangles the narratives of "disabling neurodivergence isn't really a real disability and neurodivergent people face almost no real ableism" and "physical conditions are obvious and so get all the care and face no real ableism". How do I fight the concurrent violences of hypervisibility and erasure within the community that only serve to strengthen abled people bludgeoning us with them?

How do I focus on things like organizing, community building, activism, advocacy, dismantling the system, dismantling our reliance on it, and so much more, when I can't even get out of bed?

All I can do is write about it, right now. Sometimes I feel like that's all I've ever been able to do. Everyone I've ever known has acted like some day my "pen" will be a tool of liberation, but I'm at a loss for how. I'm just some horribly sick mad cripple on a dying microblogging platform on the internet. I don't know - not if I'm enough, but if anything ever can be.

And I don't mean to sound hopeless. I know that change can happen. I know that it is, in tiny and sometimes larger ways, every day.

This is kind of a self-centered post, in the most neutral way. This is just my perspective. This is about me, and how I'm so very disabled, and how people assume I'm not (and how wild that is, considering), and how ableism affects me so deeply, and how I don't know how to face it or fight it...

I can only hope that maybe my word resonating with people means something. That maybe, as much as we never want each other to experience what we have to, that it's also a comfort to know we don't experience it alone. That maybe this will serve as a reminder that it's okay to be scared, to feel lost, even hopeless, to struggle; to not know how to fight or where to turn. That maybe this will reach someone who CAN do something, and maybe it'll reach the people who need to NOT do anything other than take care of themselves, and that maybe it will help both of them.

Maybe that's too grandiose, I don't know. I hardly know what my point is here, other than: this is me, crippled and crazy as all hell. This is the violence I face. This is why I started this blog, because we need to stop hearing "you're a lying abled privileged faker trying to take advantage of and take resources from real disabled people who really need it" from abled people, and saying it word for word to each other. Because what abled people mean by "real disabled people" is just a theoretical disabled person. A perfect victim. They don't mean any real disabled person, especially not those who can advocate for themselves. They mean they think every single one of us doesn't need or deserve accommodations, treatment, respect, humanity, or even life.

That's the point, really. We're all we've got. We've gotta fight for each other, not fight each other. And G-d, I know how hypocritical that sounds coming from my ragey, rabid ass. I just... that's all I know to focus on right now. Not necessarily all coming together and holding hands and singing a song about unity, but just... not being ableist to each other. Tolerating each other even if we can't stand each other. Presenting a united, unbroken front to ableist society, and pushing until they don't have any power over us anymore. Doing the work of activism, which is often neither easy nor feel-good.

That's what I'm trying to do here, at least. I try to get a little better at it every day. I try to listen a little more. I try to keep up hope when my body and mind are crashing down around me.

I don't have a mic-drop conclusion to add to this, so just: I'm opening the floor. Anyone who has anything to add, feel free to do so. What you have to say is valuable.

#ableism #sanism #unitypunk #cripplepunk #madpunk #neuropunk

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simperator · 1 year

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Neurodivergent Papa Headcanons

Upon learning Tobias is on the spectrum, so are all his Satanic ocs. This is also me projecting.

Primo

- Autistic

- The routine of traditions, rituals, and ceremonies bring him comfort and having them be messed with will always leave him feeling frazzled and upset.

- Has had a lifelong special interest about occultism and the Church itself, but lately has been hyperfixated on gardening.

- Sermons and rituals take a lot out of him, so an activity where he does not feel the pressure to be verbal or around overstimulating sights and sounds means a lot to him.

- Greatly enjoys his thurible and enjoys being the one who swings it as a stim. The olfactory experience of incense is also good for him!

- Has an extremely strong sense of justice, making his reign as Papa go relatively the smoothest

Secondo

- Quiet Borderline (my projection is heaviest here lol)

- Being neglected by Nihil his entire life has given him a intense fear of abandonment, which makes it very difficult for him to connect with people

- Struggled with self-image most when he had the pressure of being Papa on him, which causes him to indulge on wild partying and mindless sex.

- Uses art to get out strong emotions and is xtremely creative, even though he is not the one touring anymore he still writes songs in his spare time, and greatly enjoys playing music.

- BPD makes Secondo extremely passionate and loving- even if he struggles to show it in conventional ways. But both his brothers and the Clergy know that Secondo loves them very deeply and would do anything for them.

Terzo

- ADHD, 100% inherited from Nihil.

- Adored being Papa because of all the new experiences touring brought him, all the places he’s seen and people he’s met

- Although his occasional episodes of executive dysfunction makes completing papal duties difficult. Omega is always there to give him a helping hand

- Chronic oversharer. Not of anything traumatic or obscene, but offstage is quite hyperverbal

- Has a lot of sympathy for his brother’s struggles, and is more often than not the one who helps them calm down during overstimulated

- Moreso struggles with UNDERstimulation, which is why he loves doing concerts so much. During particularly gruelling interviews he can be seen quietly stimming and growing irritable, if not only in his head

Copia

- Autistic

- I could probably just leave it there, Copia’s face is next to the definition of ASD in the DSM-5

- Loves his rats, and all animals, because interacting with them is so much more relaxing than with people.

- Will get so focused on his routine of completing clerical duties, he will often forget to take care of himself

- Has some linguistic oddities, leaving him with a bit of a stutter and the universally beloved “Copia noises”

- Has sensory issues, he strongly dislikes certain tactile feelings so uses his leather gloves as a safeguard from any bad textures. (Velvet. The enemy of all autistics.)

These are all interchangeable because of the intense overlap between these neurodivergencies and also because I said so.

- simperator, bpd baddie and autism warrior on the side of autism

#ghost #ghost bc #ghost headcanons #primo #secondo #terzo #copia #neurodivergent #neurodivergent headcanon #autism headcanon #adhd headcanon #bpd headcanon

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vvelegrin · 4 months

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i don't know, i feel like lately i've been getting better at... doing things that are difficult? not to sound like a toddler, but it's so fucking hard to get myself to do things, even if i desperately want to do them, and like yeah i know that's Executive Dysfunction, it's just very hard for me to wrap my head around. putting under a readmore because i'm just shooting my mouth in multi-paragraph format.

i have lately been able to brute force Activities with much more success. stimulant is a help, not so much in terms of direct cognitive functioning as much as indirectly by making me less devastatingly tired at all times. i still have little control over the direction of my focus and get stuck doing things a lot, both enjoyable things and unenjoyable things. and things that were enjoyable and then they eventually become unenjoyable and i still can't stop. and et cetera. i jokingly say free will is a sham, because it has always felt on various levels that i have somehow, physically and metaphysically and whatever, not had access to the same level of free will as my peers. shoutout to that person who posted their 'tourette's and free will' thesis online and altered my vocabulary on that front forever lmao.

but like... i've been doing pretty consistent work on some translation, and when i finish this piece i'll submit it and hopefully i'll be able to build my portfolio with a volunteering opportunity with this organization that will post my occasional translations of articles with my name attached. i've been playing chess (not well, I'll say, but i've been studying and practicing). i've finished a couple art pieces (small drawings mostly, except for the camel i whittled over many days and weeks!). been practicing arabic almost every day, and reading on grammar on days that i'm not directly practicing vocab and such. i took a six week intensive stats class during the summer and i worked my ass off and got a B+ (note that i hadn't taken any math class since literally a decade ago). i've stuck this master gardener program class through to the end, and i just need to finish my volunteering hours within the next year (that will absolutely Not be a problem) and i'll be a proper master gardener in my county. i've spent most saturday mornings (early because i am the earliest timezone lmao) this past year since about april, with a couple months' break, playing a logh strategy board game. i moved out and have been handling it.

i think, and i don't want to exaggerate, but like. i have been deeply affected in the past by failure and having to drop out of things or simply not do things because of overwhelm and inability to keep up. i missed out on being definitely cast in a college theater production because of dumb shit on my end. i made it onto an international model united nations team that was going to go to the czech republic and poland to compete, but had to drop. i was going to double major, but couldn't swing it. i took six years to do a bachelor's degree that normally takes people three (four, if they double major), and did a summer language immersion program that i was burnt out so spectacularly by that i was paying for it for YEARS after. i spent all that time literally surviving that i learned approximately no arabic. definitely didn't go to jordan the year after that to study like literally everyone else in my program. all of the volunteer and internship opportunities i could not follow through upon because i simply COULD not, physically or mentally, do them.

i don't know, people are always like 'you've accomplished so much!' which like, yeah, i've definitely accomplished things, i never mean to discount the things i've done! but people have always said so as if it cancels out the devastation of being so close with these other things that i desperately wanted to do and almost did but then didn't because of various internal reasons. and then the feeling, simply out of habit, that, oh, why bother with this thing, you're not going to make it through. there's also a certain patronizing tone that people couch their words with when talking to me about, oh, sweaty, remember that you have your problems. you have SUCH a beautiful brain and i can tell how soooo smart you are as you struggle to communicate with your words. I'll Fucking Kill You With My Hands.

but. anyway. this is the first time i've ever felt like i've come close to actually thriving, despite some troubles with health that are going to come occasionally in inevitable waves, but i got through it. i supported myself financially, and i am living my life on this wretched and beautiful earth.

i changed the goalpost of this from 'doing immediately effortful things' and 'accomplishing goals' but honestly they're in the same enough vein that they occupy the same part of my heart, which is hopefully beginning to fuckin heal after the constant and pervasive disappointment in myself lmao. and some of that is learning to not be disappointed in myself, i guess. things happen, and there are people who have it worse than i've described above, certainly. i've been putting together some grad school apps, so here's to trying again at some shit because i am allowed to and because i probably have the ability to do it.

#prattling about the self #truly prattling here #i don't know just thinkin about things #also didn't help that i lived with someone for most of my life who prided himself in being 'realistic'#and therefore tore me down at almost every instance he could #combine that with a kid who was not confident and also spent most of their life hating themself to some degree #that i just believed him #hard habit to break #but i'm breaking it

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geetism · 1 year

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i hope this is the kind of question youre looking for

how do i get myself to do stuff like brush my teeth or shower and wash my hair. i struggle with it a lot bc i just... cant get myself to get up and do it (executive dysfunction i think) and because in the evening im genuinely too exausted from everything; getting up and convincing myself to do it seems unimaginable when im so tired. ive been running on like minus 3 spoons for years probably. theyre also both things that are sensorically pretty intense and invasive and overwhelming. i feel really guilty and gross for not being able to take care of myself at least somewhat regularly. my teeth arent perfectly white and i often end up with really greasy hair so its also influencing my self esteem... im someone that functions pretty well by neurotypical standards in most other areas of life, but this has always been a big problem for me. i bought a simple electrical toothbrush and it was at least a little bit better for a while. the sensation is more constant and the whole thing is slightly more passive.

i hope you can offer some advice and that this ask isnt too long or in depth haha

thank you!

Hi! This is a wonderful ask, and something I think about often.

I had a lot of trouble showering when I was in school, mostly due to autistic burnout leaving me with little to no energy to get out of bed. I would say the most important thing is that something is better than nothing. I know a lot of people who will use dry shampoos or wet washcloths to get themselves a little cleaner since showers can be overwhelming. As for teeth, mouthwash can be helpful. These are also things that can be kept near couches, beds, etc. so they are within reach if going to the bathroom takes too many spoons.

After that, some suggestions I have would be sitting in showers. That made things a lot easier for me, and if you have the space to do it, it can lessen the energy needed to shower. I have a shower with a tub, so I will sometimes sit outside of the water stream if I'm getting overwhelmed.

When it comes to teeth, this is another thing I have struggled with. It can be very overwhelming, but one easy thing that I found to make the sensations less overwhelming is to brush with my mouth open. I have found that it makes the toothpaste tastes less intense, as less of it is touching my tongue. I also switched to a toothpaste by Crest that is for sensitive teeth and gums. It doesn't say so on the box, but it's actually a bubblegum-flavored adult toothpaste! It comes in a pink and white box, but it would have been nice for them to say the flavor outright because it is much nicer than the intense mint toothpaste out there. And as for white teeth, I brush twice a day every day and my teeth are not visibly white, so I wouldn't worry about how your teeth look ♥

I hope this helps, and if you have any more questions or want more in-depth, personalized help, don't hesitate to reach out!

#actually autistic #actually adhd #actually audhd #autism #adhd #audhd #sensory solutions #hygiene

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stealthnoodle · 10 months

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I'd love to hear more about your fic Cross Contamination. I read it after I wrote my contagion series and thought it was neat how we kind of explored a lot of the same things about the Bakurae but still came with different perspectives. What was some of the inspiration? The writing style was absolutely A+++.

Thank you! My brain has so many bits of Bakurae headcanon stuffed into it (actual canon has so much room for interpretation that I can't help myself), and Cross-Contamination was sort of me making a collage out of it all! The way that the various Bakurae pieces interact in the Memory World arc is fucking wild, with the bit of YB that was sealed into the Puzzle bowing to Zorked!Akhenaden being my personal "sir how do you WORK" moment. Tfw when you have internal hierarchies of yourself, by yourself, for yourself. It's also always been very interesting to me that TKB's quest to avenge Kul Elna ends up entangling him with the entity that needed the Millennium Items to be created in order for it to exist in the world. Classic "uh-oh babygirl you played yourself."

So I like that idea that Yami Bakura being a muddle of Zork and Thief King Bakura creates a fundamentally conflicted entity that wakes up functional and cohesive after a few millennia of stewing in the Ring, then starts to fracture as those component pieces regain their memories and senses of self. There's sure something going on with reincarnation in this series, and in the cases of Yuugi and Ryou Bakura, I like to think it's the result of most of the pieces of their souls getting sealed into Millennial Items, but not all of them, and then some pretty intense resonance when the bits that got reincarnated come into contact with the bits that got sealed. This is mostly because I really like the idea of the TKB portion of YB eventually puzzling some of the situation out, and it adds a little extra flavor to the way that YB uses himself as a tool--not just because Zork thinks of YB as just another piece of itself that is disposable once it serves its purpose, but also because TKB would be more than happy to destroy the entity he constitutes half of in pursuit of his revenge.

Anyway, we get to see the influence that Yuugi has on YY over the course of series (ilu, gleefully violent vengeance gremlin era), and I think there's a lot of fun to be had with Ryou Bakura being enmeshed in his own weirder way with the TKB part of YB. The parallels are pretty intense!

Style-wise, I've written several short fics that play around with a narrator struggling to stay fixed in time, so upgrading that to a narrator struggling to stay fixed in identity was a blast, especially when the various identities actively fight each other. Executive dysfunction, but make it a contact sport.

I still need to read your Contagion series (my Marked for Later list is... out of control, and this summer is kicking the ass of my free time), but I am VERY excited to see how you tackle the Bakurae situation! They're a fucking disaster and I love them.

#writing #yugioh #uh-oh babygirl you played yourself: the thief king bakura story

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sometimesdesperate · 1 year

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One Year of Denial

Ftr, this is written mostly in past tense and it makes it sound like my denial period is over. It's not. I still haven't gotten an orgasm.

I've been putting off writing a reflection on this partially because of executive dysfunction and work using up all my mental energy, but also because I want this to have been a raging success, most fun I've ever had, big hoorays all around, nothing but good to say. And that's not the reality.

Don't get me wrong, it has been a success, and it's been fun, and I'm glad I did it, and that I did so for someone who I appreciate so much, and I did learn things about myself and my relationship with kink and how it fits into my life, all of that. But would I do it again? No, I don't think so. I think, ultimately, that the things I like about denial just aren't significantly improved or increased by such a long period.

I like denial because it keeps my normally inconsistent libido steadier, it keeps me in a subby headspace, it keeps me focused on kink in a fun way, and the drawn out nature of the physical arousal is fun and exciting and keeps building. I even like that it makes me feel a little embarassed, giving up control of something so intimate, and that feeling of desperation. But all of these things are accomplished by much shorter denial periods, and didn't really get any more true or intense after a certain point.

My libido eventually still settled out, returned to its normal temperamental nature once my body adjusted to denial. And my body did adjust. Eventually it became ignorable. I don't feel much different now than I think I would if I had had an orgasm last week. The subby headspace was very present, but that was because B and I were putting in the work. Not just when it came to denial. I had other rules, we had playtime, we talked about kink often. When our energy and time to do so became rare, so did the subby headspace, even though the denial continued. My arousal came and went, but it never climbed higher than it was in the first couple of months. And denial has become such a new normal for me that I don't even get that little thrill of embarrassment anymore. I'm not desperate for an orgasm.

(The bit about the subby headspace being present because we were putting in the work, that's been an important lesson in this. I used to have this sort of vague belief that a subby headspace should be easy to maintain, even when submission was hard. This denial period has taught me that feeling submissive is something you practice at, just as much as submitting is something you practice at. That has been very eye opening and, along with other bits of the past year, has made me do a lot of reflecting on how kink fits into my life. But more on that in a different post sometime.)

Dragging this out for such a long period of time also meant there were a lot more chances for life to get in the way, and for the excitement to wear off. The last four months haven't really been super fun when it comes to the denial. I havent had the time or energy, and neither has B. On the one hand I'm tempted to say this means I should be willing to try for a year again, that I'm only disillusioned with the denial because the last few months have been bad, but there's always gonna be bad days, weeks, and months. The benefits from going so long don't outweigh the risk of going so long.

I'm definitely still glad it happened. A year without orgasm is an accomplishment and I'm proud of myself. I'm grateful for B's role in it. I'm grateful for what the experience taught me. I have had a lot of fun, and regret nothing.

#i should probably wait to post this and edit it and all that #but im sleepy so i cant edit it right this second and if i dont post this tonigjt i might never #sd original content

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mitzvahmelting · 1 year

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hi folks, this is your annual reminder that RSD or Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (as a symptom of ADD/ADHD) is not really a "thing" in terms of rigorous peer reviewed studies and publications.

Are your experiences of rejection sensitivity real? Yes! Do you deserve therapeutic treatment related to it? Of course!

But are there any studies proving that it is specifically connected to ADD/ADHD? No, not really. At least not that I can find.

(PLEASE let me know if you find any. This has been bugging me for years.)

In my experience, pretty much all publications about it trace themselves back to Dr. William Dodson. He seems like a cool guy doing good work or whatever, but his writings about this in ADDitude Magazine and elsewhere are based on his experiences with patients and case studies, not on any like... rigorous broad population studies.

Based on this, I strongly encourage people to say something like "I experience intense rejection sensitivity" (a true, meaningful statement) rather than "l experience RSD as a result of my ADHD" (fuzzy, jargony, takes for granted a link that hasn't been fully vetted yet).

Lots of people have read articles about RSD and felt like, god, that put into words something I've been struggling with all my life! And that's extremely valid and I'm glad y'all feel seen, it makes me feel seen too. I don't want to take that away from you: this term is describing something that is real. That's not in dispute.

It's just that when you're describing symptoms of ADHD and you're like:

Hyperactivity

Inattentiveness

Zoning out

Executive Dysfunction

Impulsivity

Hyperfixation

RSD

I want you to know that one of these things is not quite like the others. At least not yet. Maybe in ten years the medical literature will catch up and we'll have some affirmative studies on it.

#add #adhd #rsd #rejection sensitive dysphoria #rejection sensitivity dysphoria #neurodivergent #nd stuff #me

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ericaloses · 2 years

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Hey, Hi, Hello.

Well, here I am again. Who am I? I’m Erica, 46, and it seems in a perpetual struggle with gaining weight.

My current weight is my highest ever, and is the result of grief and depression after I lost both my parents and my stepmother in the space of five months last year. We’ve just passed the first anniversary of my mother’s death. None of the deaths were expected, Mum was given up to six months and passed at three weeks.

Anyway...

Weight Loss Goal: Get from my current weight (around 132kg) to under 100kg. 95kg would be ideal.

Measurements Goal: I’m not sure what to aim for with my measurements, but I would like to get my stomach (measured at the navel) much closer to my waist measurement (measured just below the ribs, I have a ridiculously high waist). My stomach was never a place I held weight before I was put on Lyrica for my fibromyalgia - that was the thing which initially started me re-gaining weight I previously lost.

Fitness Goals: I hate being sedentary and unfit, so this is where a lot of my focus is going to go, trying to find a new balance that allows for chronic pain as well as fatigue.I need to work my way up to these goals, and keep in mind for myself that rushing in will not do me any favours.

exercise 7 days per fortnight

increase work out intensity/duration monthly

work on incorporating resistance training

increase walking distances

basically just get to the point where I can move much more

I would love to be able to do weight training again, but my wrists and shoulders are fucked. Also, about seven years ago my podiatrist told me I’m never allowed to run again because of my hip dysplasia. Which sucks, because I love running. There is an old bike here, maybe I can see if I remember how to ride one!

Food Goals:

stick to mostly water for drinks

cut down on ice cream

take away no more than twice in a fortnight - this allows a meal out when we go to the city for shopping day, plus one “lazy” meal option at home

cook good things in bulk and freeze

be aware of portion sizes, don’t “upsize” to counter flagging energy

Timeline:

I think with my current energy levels and executive dysfunction, aiming for two years is a good goal.

Exercise I need to get onto immediately. Which I’ve been saying since July.

I need to keep myself on track with food starting immediately. I have been making improvements with food, but slipping sometimes.

I’ve had fitblr/weight loss tumblrs before. I deleted one several years ago when I was in a bad headspace and just needed to wipe all my slates clean, then I had a bunch of false starts with Yes I should, ugh I can’t fitness and weight stuff. I’ve made an entirely new blog this time so I can have a focused dashboard with just weight loss and fitness stuff. I’m somebody who likes to compartmentalise things and file my information in the correct place.

I won’t be counting calories, part of the reason I’ve had so much trouble with weight fluctuations throughout my adult life is because I suffered disordered eating as a teenager, and tracking calories puts me back into the headspace of wanting to “beat the number”, which I know is not healthy. Instead I’m focusing on focusing my mind via this blog, and using Map My Walk to keep track of the walks I’m doing. Also doing my best to eat mindfully, not restrictively.

I no longer hate my body, but at this point I am physically uncomfortable and extremely frustrated by my lack of ability to engage the part of my brain that has always been up and out for a walk or off to climb a great big hill, or buzzing to get a work out done.

If you’ve made it all the way to the end of this post, you are a champion, and deserve a medal! 🏅

#weight loss #fitness #diet #food #healthy eating #health #weight #losing weight #TW disordered eating #TW eating disorder #exercise #weight loss planning #weight loss chatter #my weight loss journey #about me: weight loss edition #long post

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jojo-cha · 1 year

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i feel like many people forget, neglect or are unaware on how debilitating ADHD can actually be.

the lack of control over one's focus. the memory issues, long- and short-term. the executive dysfunction. the more intense emotional states. the hightened degree to which others' opinions on you affect you.

all of these qualities — and more — come together to create the perfect blend of a lost person with 'untapped/wasted potential'.

can't focus on work? all you can do is either feel bad about it, or force yourself to get things done anyway and run the risk of your whole body aching. things that seem to come easily to your peers appear to take you an enormous amount of effort.

couldn't complete work? now you feel even worse. it could be that you simply forgot. or you knew exactly what to do and how to go about it! but somehow, against your will, despite your best efforts, you failed to make anything to show for your grasp on the material. whatever the case, you let yourself down. and even worse, you let down the people around you — family, friends, peers, superiors. you might figure that simply telling yourself to do something is not enough, and that stressful situations, such as tight deadlines, not seldomly brought about by procrastinating, spur you on a whole lot more. a poor coping mechanism for sure, but it seems to work better, so you don't mind too much and lean into it.

repeat ad nauseum, and what do you get?

low self-esteem. depression. a boatload of anxiety. anxiety attacks. burnout. loss in previous interests. hopelessness. avoidance. increased forgetfulness

my ADHD diagnosis has been over 20 years in the making. note the 'has been', as in 'still ongoing'. i'm in my mid-20s and can't finish secondary school to save my life. i've been stuck in the final grade for several years, and it seems impossible, even though i'm doing all i can, which is not even enough to be on eye level with my classmates. and until i have an official diagnosis, accomodations and meds are out of the question. and i have tried really hard to Cognitive Behavior Therapy my way out of it. still, all i can do is barely cross the starting line and still not complete the whole lap.

somehow, i'm still able to do enough to convince teachers that i do have the potential to graduate with ease, but the inability to follow through all the way is pulling me below the water surface, and i'm forgetting how to swim. 'if only i applied myself' and so on. like i'm not already trying my damn hardest to not make any trouble for myself and others.

ADHD and its more outwardly noticeable symptoms are often labeled as a quirky thing, when in reality there's nothing really fun about it. my brain doesn't work properly, and it has only brought me hard times.

i just want to function without having to go through headaches to do the bare minimum.

#adhd #lengthy post — sorry about that #i know

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bookwyrminspiration · 2 years

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Wings AU Nonsie once again, and I’d just like to say, of course I have art of the fic! /gen /pos I remember checking out the first chapter before I even had Tumblr and I thought to myself “An odd premise but okay.” And I’ve stuck with the story ever since. I haven’t actually gotten to writing a comment yet, but it will come… at some point. (If I ever win against my executive dysfunction.)

Overall though I’m in love with the characterization and sort of dystopian but not really kind of premise. I don’t know how to explain it, but you achieved a vibe with your story that’s so unique that it still sticks out as one of my favorite fics to joy read.

It also happens that I tend to make art for fics I like, so I do have some art of Shattered Upside Down! I’m truly disappointed because I don’t have the specific sketchbook with me, but I’ve done my own renditions of some of the wings, the dragons, the places, and a lot of Echo. (And by that, I mean a page dedicated to the creature because I feel an intense affection towards it <3)

Anyway, I don’t know where I was going with this but yeah! You have a talent for worldbuilding, and storytelling and I absolutely fell in love with the premise from the beginning. I’m not very vocal about it because I don’t want to come off as annoying, but please know that I’m a huge fan of the story!

:0000 hold on I am. I am losing my marbles right now they are gone /pos. I was at the library this afternoon and the whole time I was like "this ask is in my askbox right now" I could not stop thinking about it this is so sweet I'm--

(I started talking a lot so I'm putting it under a cut!!)

"An odd premise but okay" you are so so right. The world the wings au is set is in a result of me trying to create a situation that would justify them having wings because it felt illegal to just give them wings, like no there's gotta be something to it. And thus, all this fuckery has been haunting me for the past 2 years, and now it's been like a year and a half of writing and I am still going. And you've stuck around!! That absolutely blows my mind I can't believe that.

Also hot tip writing comments/sending asks is like the best way to get more info about the wings au because I will start talking about things at any cue. No pressure to send/write any of course, they just always make my day!! It's a little sign to me that people are reading! All I can see anytime I post a new chapter is that the number of hits go up, but I've got no clue if people are reading it through or liking it or anything. Comments are so <33, they are never annoying and they're so fun to respond to

One of my favorite things is when people point out lines or interactions that they like. It wasn't from the wings au but Izzy commented on my melves fic, Going Home, that the line "You could cut yourself on the wind and bleed dry in the deserts and the Earth would simply grin" made her starstruck and every since then it's also been one of my favorite lines I've ever written. Specifically because she commented about it, it's just !! ahh!!

You are so overwhelmingly sweet (/pos) !! I'm so glad you like the characterization and the world, so much of it has developed as I was going so it's wonderful to hear I'm doing something right!! There's so much romantic tension in canon that I wanted to explore what would happen if I simply removed it. No romance, no secret crushes, just a bunch of people who fiercely love and trust each other who are struggling, trying to figure out who they are now. That was like all the conflict in the beginnings!! Lot of self-reflection and questioning before it started getting into Neverseen and Phoenix things where we now are.

Sort of dystopian is an excellent descriptor--someone once called it a soft apocalypse and that's one of my favorite ways to think about it. Like yes everything has been overrun by monsters and the surface isn't safe just like an apocalypse, but it's not like a gritty survival? if that distinction makes sense.

And it's one of your favorite joy read fics?? that is. such high praise I gotta take a minute to stim about that (in a good way). Unique vibes and joy reads, your compliments are going to fuel me for weeks!! My brain is struggling to make words rn and just going :DDDDD !!!!

Also?? that is so much art I am so honored. Whenever you have the chance I'd love to see it and compliment it, whatever you're comfortable sharing!! Being a writer and having someone make art of your art is always such a rush, like oh my god you liked the thing I made enough to make things about it??? Now you're making me want to do more art of the au!! I haven't drawn for it in so long but like it's so dear to my heart and you've drawn things for it so I wanna match you!!

You're so right though Echo is just incredible. Huge kudos to my partner for helping me get through my writing block that one time by suggesting I add a cat, because it resulted in the best character I've ever made. Echo may not be a cat but iergoia!! i don't normally like to spoil anything for the au, but because you've dedicated an entire page to echo in your sketchbook, I will inform you that Echo is going to be making some appearances in the next chapter or two !! And it has been an absolute delight to write it's just !! ah!! I love Echo so much. If I ever publish I book I'm going to find a way to put Echo in it.

Also please don't worry about being annoying! You could not possibly annoy me when it comes to the wings au, I love it when people are vocal about it and we get to talk about it. In case you can't tell from my response I am very enthusiastic about it, and it's so reaffirming and comforting to hear that you've fallen in love with the story because it's been so much fun to share it!!

everytime I get an ask or comment about it my day is absolutely made and I literally go "wings au ask/comment!!!" because I don't get the chance to talk about it with others very often--because I'm worried about annoying you all with my incessant ramblings and stories

I'm going to be rereading this ask for weeks Nonsie, this seriously means so much to me

wait hang on I'm gonna give you a quote because this is so nice:

“Oh so he’s an idiot idiot,” Tam noted beside her. “Like we needed that confirmed again.”

you can probably guess who he's talking about :)

#kotlc wings au #keeper of the lost cities #shattered upside down #quil's queries #quil's queridos #nonsie #I tend not to talk about it if not prompted because I feel like I'm annoying people #like 'yea yea quil the wings au we know it's been a year'#no ones ever said that but i have social anxiety and it messes with me sometimes. this is one of the things it messes with me about #so knowing you like it is so <333 #so so good. it's so comforting #I hope you enjoy this weekends chapter #it's got the crew being idiots and serious conversation and echo #i cannot stop happy stimming this ask is so nice #was stressed about my essay this morning but not anymore!! today is now an excellent day!!!

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leadendeath · 3 months

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thinkin about being medicated and my work..

i still have intense trouble getting started.

(that post i recently rbed about "the world feeling like it's wrapped in a thin layer of cling wrap that i gotta break through every time i want to do an action" is so so accurate bless op of that post)

AND staying focused i have trouble.... but it is clearer in my mind what i need to do.

like example: i have a simple animation/animatic in mind, and i have the first three frames done already, and know i next need to gather some ref images to progress to the next part. another example: i have an art req to complete, i thought about how i wanted it to look for the first day, then the next day used heroforge like you would use a mannequin to make the pose i wanted, to help me draw it, and then i started drawing!!! i'm already on the colour stage, go me!!! and i'm actually having fun with it?!? not clickbait

so there's that. but i thiiink... i might overall- in the big picture of things- work a little better. or a lot better. idk. it's certainly improved, because two of the most monumentally difficult problems to deal with which i have (which are chemical) have been corrected. my chemical levels are at a normal person level now, so that reduces some of the terrible brain fog that depression gives, which hinders accomplishing anything. (i have brain fog also due to a chronic neurological illness but yeah it's reduced all of it by like 25% :])

it feels like i have uninstalled a lot of the bloatware that depression/ocd gives your brain! i've already described it as the brain feels cluttered with all the unwanted shit in there and how much time is taken up when you have to check and repeat things. and now there is more space for nice stuff and thinking clearly :)))

but i'm sad to say meds hasn't fixed everything :/ i knew it wouldn't, i mean it's not specifically intended to help executive dysfunction/dopamine levels, it's for better amounts of serotonin and noradrenaline. but yeah i know i still have dopamine levels to fix. but this has just cemented it in my mind that "hmm yeah buddy, u got more than just the two other chemicals out of whack ://"

when i have my 6-month check in to update the docs on how i'm doing, i'll definitely ask to be put on the adhd waiting list. 3 years wait last time i heard!!! yayyy!!! ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ /sarcasm

and that's for the free service. yes i get free healthcare in my country. no it isn't very good. yes i realise how lucky i am regardless. i don't think i've ever owned 4 digits in the bank in my life but the place i want to go to for private healthcare was if i remember correctly around 2,500 for the full assessment and follow ups. eh, we'll see what happens first, i move up the waiting list or somehow earn a few thousand. at least we don't have that barbaric "you can only have $2,999.99 in the bank at any time or you get no disability anymore" system like you guys have in the states, i think about that all the time and it's so upsetting :'( *sympathetic hug to u*

#synthazapine #long but positive mostly :)

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virginiaprelawland · 2 years

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Ethan Couch And The Law Of Affluenza

By Autumn Andin, George Mason University Class Of 2023

October 19, 2022

In State of Texas v. Ethan Couch, Ethan Couch, a sixteen year old from Burleson, Texas, first made his headline as a teenager in 2013, when he had pleaded guilty to four counts of intoxication manslaughter for killing four people and two counts of intoxication assault for the two teenagers who were injured in Couch’s car.

This caused a lot of controversy and outrage, because at the age of 16, he was given 10 years of probation and became known as the “Affluenza teen” which is the irresponsibility caused by his family’s wealth.

A couple months prior to the incident in February 2013, Ethan Couch was 15 when he had been caught drinking and driving. When the police arrived and confronted him, he had no driver’s license and there was an open vodka bottle that played in the back-seat of a pickup truck. It was also said that he was reeking of booze.

One officer had reported that Couch was being uncooperative and feeling a sense of entitlement by saying that “he had taken pre-law class” and knew “what police could and could not do to him”.[1] The officer cautioned him and he was left off with two citations.

It was not until four months later, Ethan Couch killed a driver of a disabled vehicle as well as four Samaritans who tried to help her.

His friends stole beer from a store and decided to get behind the wheel of a red Ford F350 with seven passengers. Sergio Molina and Soliman Mohmand were two teens riding in the bed of the pickup. Molina after the impact became paralyzed and required intensive care and Mohmand had many internal injuries.

Klass, Caila, and Alexa Valiente. “'Affluenza' DUI Case: What Happened Night of the Accident That Left 4 People Dead.” ABC News, 15 Dec. 2015, https://abcnews.go.com/US/affluenza-dui-case-happened-night-accident-left-people/story?id=34481444.

After the fatal incident, the state of Texas charged Ethan Couch with four counts of manslaughter as a result of drunk driving and killing of pedestrians. It was later realized that Couch had a blood alcohol content of .24 percent, which is three times the legal limit of .08 percent, according to the district attorney’s office.[2]

Under Texas law, committing intoxication manslaughter in the Texas Penal Code (TPC) carries a minimum second-degree felony charge [3]. Upon conviction for a second-degree felony, you can face a prison sentence of 2 to 20 years. This can also be longer due to other factors, such as prior DWI (driving while intoxicated), having a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) tested at .15 or above, or an open alcohol container in the vehicle. Therefore, Couch should have at least been charged with these convictions at a bare minimum. Rather, an even harsher sentence for he had a blood concentration way over the legal amount and had killed four individuals and injured two during the DWI.

However, the defense claimed that Couch suffered from “Affluenza”, which is known as a social condition that is defined as the inability of an individual to understand the consequence of their action due to their economic privilege.[4] “Affluenza” is not an officially recognized condition, but it was still used in this case to reduce Couch’s sentence.

The psychologist testified during the trial about the dysfunctional relationship between Couch and his parents, which left him without a sense of responsibility. Couch pleaded guilty to intoxication manslaughter and was sentenced to rehab with a 10 year probation. The moniker “Affluenza” has struck with Couch and his family.

This caused a lot of backlash from the public and many were enraged by the Affluenza defense. In the Guardian, there were critics that noted that he was only left with a lighter sentence because his parents had the money and power to provide for his freedom[5]. Marc Schindler, an executive director of the Justice Policy Institute,[6] remarked that it is families like the Couches, who would have the resources to secure the best possible legal representation, that are able to be better off in this country, than to be innocent and poor.

Two years after the incident in 2015, Ethan Couch at 18 at the time, failed to check with his probation officer and attend his probation hearing[7]. He and his mother had fled to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in order to avoid punishment where he was eventually caught on camera at a party where alcohol was being served.[8] After being extradited to the U.S, Couch was transferred in the adult court and sentenced to 720 days in jail for violating the terms of his probation.

His probation is set to end in 2024.

Only time will tell if Couch is really capable of learning his mistakes and changing his ways. This case has made national headlines twice. The first time was when the psychologist testified for the defense that Couch has “affluenza” and the second was when judge Wayne Salvant had sentenced him to 10 years of probation rather than prison.

This case is very controversial and many people questioned a lot about the judicial system and the influence on issues of race, justice and wealth in the U.S, recalling the anger the accident case has stirred.

______________________________________________________________

[1] https://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-affluenza-ethan-couch-family-20160129-story.html

[2] https://ktla.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/nationworld/ethan-couch-who-killed-4-in-affluenza-dui-case-arrested-again-in-texas/

[3] https://www.rbisenberg.com/faqs/what-is-the-penalty-for-vehicular-manslaughter-while-drunk-in-texas/

[4] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affluenza

[5] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jan/04/affluenza-history-disease-wealth-privilege-ethan-couch

[6] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jan/04/affluenza-history-disease-wealth-privilege-ethan-couch

[7] https://people.com/crime/ethan-couch-arrested-allegedly-violating-probation-again-affluenza-teen/

[8] https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2018/08/22/a-history-of-texas-affluenza-teen-ethan-couch-and-his-family-s-troubles-with-the-law/

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yakimachiropractoregri508 · 2 years

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Five Tricks For Decreasing Back Again Pain

It is believed that 80% of american citizens should have some type of back again soreness at some time inside their life. A lot of the treatments we utilize with regard to this problem basically function from the normal healing capabilities with the human body. This list may help reduce the severity of most conditions of back discomfort and aid pace the healing approach. Additionally, It can be constantly helpful to refer to an expert to rule out far more intense

wellbeing situations.

1. You should not use heat. Many folks have been advised to implement heat when obtaining again problems. That is the absolute worst factor you can do. Back again pain normally has tiny to complete with muscles and every little thing to perform with nerves. Nerve irritation from misaligned spinal bones will cause muscles

to brace in opposition to the misalignment to guard you from further more injuring by yourself. That is a excellent detail. So muscle spasms really should not be massaged away or compelled to unwind. Muscles only do what nerves explain to them to accomplish and they're going to take it easy only once the nerve discomfort is taken off.

Back again ache is most frequently due to nerve irritation resulting from injury to spinal joints and ligaments.

The actual injury that triggered the strain may have transpired a long time prior. Due to the joint dysfunction, the slightest incorrect transfer or pressure can result in the disc and surrounding tissues to swell, the same as whenever you sprain an ankle. The swelling results in tension on spinal nerves, which will cause that taking pictures ache you really feel after you go in selected Instructions.

The answer In cases like this is ice. Ice will lessen the swelling which is able to, in turn, lessen the nerve force. Warmth, Alternatively, will lead to surrounding tissues to swell, which is able to in the long run boost the nerve stress. Warmth will definitely make lots of people really feel much better, but will trigger a lot more issues Over time.

Suggestion: in no way, under no circumstances, never ever use warmth around the spine.

two. Stroll. Going for walks would be the best possible exercise to your spine. It really is a lot better for those who insert a couple of inches towards your stride, causing you to reach a tad with Just about every phase. Walking results in your ab and hip muscles to work collectively and help one another. Additionally, it may cause caught spinal bones to maneuver a little more freely which may lower swelling and discomfort. The movement may even support keep the hip joints transferring by way of

an entire array of movement, that may lessen the chances of them finding fixed to each other.

Suggestion: 1 word of warning, although. If walking tends to make your discomfort even worse, cease.

3. Be cautious with suffering relievers. While ache tablets may well the first thing you achieve for Whenever your back again hurts, you could be triggering you much more challenges. Moreover the risk of Unwanted effects chiropractors in yakima that all discomfort relievers pose, blocking the suffering signal your nerves are sending could make the personal injury linger.

The suffering sign functions as an alarm clock. It alerts you that one thing is wrong. Additionally, it lets you recognize your limitations. In case you bend forward and feel a sudden rush of Terrible suffering, that motion clearly isn't really good for you. Your system is telling you not to do this. Now when you protect that ache sign with medications, you prevent The body from being able to communicate that vital concept to you personally. This might make you capable of do matters The body does not want you to do, building your issue worse.

Tip: if you are going to get remedies for pain, consider them before you head to mattress or when you are not gonna do the rest that day.

four. No Crunches. Those with again discomfort are instructed for years to reinforce their abdominal muscles by executing crunches. Whilst potent abs are essential for spinal steadiness, crunches will ultimately destroy your back.

The all-natural curves of the spine are its most critical function. They work as shock absorbers, much like those on your car, and hold Your system from falling in addition to the Actual physical activity you have interaction in everyday. Whenever you do a crunch, you drive your lower back again into the floor which

removes the lower back curve. Then the strain from your physical exercise is absorbed with the encompassing spinal joints, muscles, and ligaments, which they were not meant to do. Over time this can result in troubles.

Also, once the curves on the spine are balanced, a Obviously transpiring locking mechanism exists that holds all spinal bones in their good areas. Any time you straighten the spine whilst undertaking a crunch, this locking system is taken out and the backbone gets to be prone to higher injury.

Tip: discover Several other workout routines to improve your abs. Bodyweight calisthenics do that incredibly. Any training where you make use of your overall entire body inside the movement will deliver much more highly effective abs. Swimming, force-ups, and sprints are excellent, as well as abdominal isometrics. They won't provide you with a 6-pack, However they will certainly stabilize and fortify your spine with no causing hurt.

5. Get altered. Misaligned spinal bones Do not just transfer again into position by them selves. It does take place, but hardly ever. Considering that some sort of force likely brought on the misalignment to begin with, a managed force in the appropriate route at the appropriate time is required to appropriate it.

What It's also advisable to know is the fact that spinal nerve discomfort is just not absent Whenever your agony disappears. It lingers similar to a cavity until it's preset. The suffering reappears whenever you bodily do an excessive amount of and irritate the condition, but it is usually present when It really is designed. This is exactly why individuals are inclined to hurt them selves in precisely the same place time soon after time. It's not a fresh personal injury when it occurs, but alternatively an previous damage resurfacing.

Contact:

Dr. Robert Grimmer

Acute Chiropractic Yakima

2405 West Washington Avenue #140

Yakima WA 98903

509-902-1222

[email protected]

https://acuteyakima.com/

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