Dusty Chalk

Especially Señor Mouse! Cheers, both.

R-Shitei, 3-time consecutive champion of Japan’s UMB (Ultimate MC Battle) with less unshaven facial hair? (Not really -- I just wanted to post that video.)

C'mon, you're all thinking it.

Thank you, "microclimates" -- that's the concept I was trying to remember my sister explained to me. And yes, acknowledged -- reference only Californians would get. No worries.

Well...California actually does have a variety of climates, I mean, just look at this shit: Admitted, it's changed a lot since I was last there, but it still seems to be pretty drastic changes over the course of small distances -- isn't it more arid on the other side of the mountains, or perhaps even before that? Maybe that's why it's called silicon valley, sand is about the only thing you all can grow out there ... ah, I almost said that with a straight face.

Obviously a death metal band Hey, this is fun

$380 new are sold out everywhere, it seems. There's one open box 120 miles away, but I ain't got the time or the budget. At least they didn't pull a NewEgg on you.

A-them to that!

Steven the Stymen Stem-man

Noice!

This memorial day weekend, I am going to skip on my teetotal lifestyle and raise a glass to the fallen, and wax philosophical about my retired-from-army-with-honors cousin Greg who passed away many years ago. I've been thinking about him a lot lately, for two reasons. A lot of guns come in FDE (flat dark earth), and he was in both Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield, so I associate him with that colour. I initially hated that colour because it reminded me of his death, but it's been long enough, that now, I only have the fond memories. I've also been addressing a lot of issues that revolve around emotional maturity (I'm not), and -- in a lot of cases -- the more emotionally mature way to handle things could be thought of as, "WWGD" (What Would Greg Do?). I'm not saying he did everything right, but his heart was always in the right place. He prided himself on retiring as (sorry, don't remember the exact rank) the highest ranking, non-enlisted rank, because he never wanted his Care for his immediate people surgically removed. He remained in touch -- not only with those he still worked with, but everyone who had ever worked for him. And they all loved him, and he loved them all back. His retirement party was insane. He was always there for people. When I needed to recover some stuff from storage, I found out the people who I hired were basically going to hold my stuff hostage/blackmail/whateveryouwanttocallit. He took care of it. I don't know what he said or did, but all of a sudden they just gave me my stuff which we had to transfer from their pods to a rental truck and they told me to take as much time as we needed. And other things, when I was looking for a new place to stay many years ago, he offered to let me live with him. Just ALWAYS. THERE. FOR. ME. So as I continue to learn how to be a normal adult with my own motivations, I continue to think about him, and what would he do in situations. I don't really have any close family or friends that I can protect, and I'm in no position to provide for anyone other than myself and my cats, so I need to find my own motivations in life, but it helps to have a high bar that I can look to. I will always support service members and veterans, especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, as I'm sure that's what Greg Would Have Done. Please toast with me, and remember them fondly.

Happy Belated! (party favour noise)

New Azure! Mathy, dweedly, melodic, epic quest-y, uplifting, feel good, all genders positive, proggy prog RIYL: FF6, 80's fantasy films, Yes

A-them to that! I'd settle for a year ago, myself.

Or just seeing how stupid our current leadership is (Murican, Russian, and British, mostly), and wondering how on earth it would even be possible to achieve orbit without blowing up the astronauts, the ground crew, and the entire Florida panhandle.

I like the coffin-on-wheels looking one.

Hi, Jose, welcome back. Condolences and sorry to hear about the circumstances of your absence, but feel free to vent -- or not -- and enjoin in your comfort music. This should always be a safe place. (Eventual) Cheers! Me: New Peela (jazz rock fusion): And most recent Lamp ("city pop"):

Yeah, me neither. It's right up there with 9/11 didn't happen, moon landing didn't happen, and the earth is flat. And to be clear, I am not saying that something terrible isn't happening in Gaza, I'm just explaining my issues with -- let's call him Marley -- Marley's ham-fisted closed-mindedness.

Happy birthday! (party favour noise)

Thank you, agree on all counts. No, I did not seriously even think about calling him an anti-Semite. But I have to argue with either side's use of the word, "genocide". The populations of both sides are in the millions, the death toll on both sides are in the thousands. Neither come close to genocide. Now, THAT I wish I had thought quickly enough to say. But yeah, there's no (easy?) way out of this mess.

...and Vol. 2 -- pretty great background music.

Aaaahhhh! Archer is back on Netflix! Aaaaahhhhhhh When did that happen? Oh, who cares, I found out today, now to figure out where I left off...a decade ago.

Not today, but yesterday...got into an argument with the bassist of one of my favourite bands about who the bad guy is in the Israel / Hamas war in Gaza. I made my usual statement of, "I stand with Israel", and he got all ham-fisted and said he wouldn't want to know someone who supports genocide. I told him I remained a fan of his music, but to block me. I should have called him an anti-Semite, but that's what everyone else does, so I didn't.

...because someone on Discord was ragging on the repetitiveness, and I remember scrypt telling us it was worse than that, that it didn't quite repeat, but it was the same enough that you still had to remember your place... Goddamn, but this is beautiful. This and Glassworks were perfection.