“In the bad country, they put you in jail just for using other country’s probability algorithm.”

This is like tech bros constantly re-inventing the city bus, but here it’s cable TV.

I also buy direct from Levis online because like, you my size isn’t carried much in stores. I am a gym rat, so I have a somewhat slim waist, but thighs that are out of control. Luckily Levis makes a style called 541 that seems to be basically built for guys like me.

Don’t worry, there’s pretty good evidence that “muscle memory” is real and getting back lost gains is much easier than getting there the first time: https://www.strongerbyscience.com/new-study-muscle-memory/

I’m an old, so I make a real conscious attempt at never second screening. I put my whole attention on whatever I am doing. This is for me mostly, but I do think it’s a good habit to pass on to my child, who is not quite old enough to have a second screen, but he is getting there and definitely is old enough to see what habits I have.

I’ve been using Pixelmator for about a decade and would recommend it.

Star Wars Old Republic is also still there and free until you hit endgame, so it’s definitely worth checking.

Agree with this. I used to play SWTOR a lot and the first 55 levels especially are really good. That is the initial release and the first expansion (rise of the hut cartel). The rest I could give or take to be honest, but it’s by far the best story telling I’ve seen in an MMO. It’s really fun to go around to 2-3 other people all playing different classes and you can all watch each other’s stories and their choices and then help them with the combat in their quests while they help you with yours. It’s really well designed in that you all basically take turns doing your personal stories and then there’s usually a planet specific quest chain that slots in along side those. Great for small group multiplayer.

Sadly, I don’t have anymore Windows machines, so cannot play it anymore, but I have to admit the story kind of went off the rails with the expansion where they basically established a second hidden empire that suddenly attacks the galaxy.

This one and the new Ocean Grove (more nu-metal revival than metalcore) were both surprisingly short. But both are bangers front to back and I think I’d rather have that than some filler just to make it longer.

The era of 24 minute hardcore punk albums are back. It’s good again. Awoouu (wolf Howl)

Gah!

Really looking forward to two and a half terms of President JD Vance.

I loved a lot of early Blizzard stuff and I have no desire to play any of them ever again. Warcraft 2, Starcraft, Diablo were all huge parts of my life and I have done nothing with any of those series since those games, let alone go back to those.

I was also a so into Smash Brothers that I was in the competitive scene and won some locals, but I haven’t really felt the call of that series since Melee. Loved my time with the game and the scene though.

My favorite game of the year was Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader. Owlcat finally got it right with the ship battles as the “mini-game” and their TTRPG bona-fides really shined with this. Great writing, cool characters, nice voice acting. The choices, while not necessarily true “choices matter” ™, allow for some great RP moments. The battle system is a little chunky at times since so many characters need to recast buffs most turns and so that gets a little repetitive, especially when you get stuck doing some of the “random” encounters while bouncing around in your space ship.

But, small details aside, it’s a long, text heavy, rewarding CRPG. With BioWare’s corpse jacked by EA, Owlcat has really become my go to for CRPGs. I honestly like it more than BG3.

I mostly listen to hardcore, metalcore and a bit of electronic stuff

My favorite album this year was probably SeeYouSpaceCowboy - Coup de Grace. Just a masterpiece of that 00s hardcore sound.

Honorable mentions: Poppy - Negative Spaces (pop), Boundaries - Death is Little More (metalcore), Make Them Suffer - Make Them Suffer (deathcore), Nothing More - Carnal Nature (hard rock), Bring Me the Horizon - Post Human: Nex Gen (alt metal)

Beat my personal record of minute listened this year and logged 144,561 minutes.

I remember when we were all considered ableist for pointing this obvious fact out.

I like watching it because my kid likes watching it. If I didn’t have a grade schooler in the house, I probably wouldn’t have bothered. I think it largely succeeds at what it aims to do, which is be a kid’s my first live action Star Wars media, but I don’t have much praise for it beyond that.

Has Adams escorted any other murder suspects as mayor? Seems wild he’s there.

David Graeber going to rise from the dead over this.

Almost their whole discography is so good, but especially the last three album run they’ve gone on is just a real chef’s kiss moment. They’re getting to be like Every Time I Die was, where they just can’t stop putting out bangers over multiple decades.

If you like Rage, I’d recommend Stray From the Path, which in a lot of ways is Rage Against the Machine fan fiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rlIav2RSD0&themeRefresh=1

I’m more into hardcore punk than the sort of straight punk you’re into, but I’d also recommend Fucked Up if you don’t mind a bit of a journey in hardcore. Not always revolutionary, but they do have some anti-capitalist songs. Here’s their most popular song anyway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJwgcSjIjMQ