Food For Thought/Thought For Food No. 33c: They Won (The Bad Guys)

“On the edge I wait
See what fate may come
Just one step away
From what's left undone

On the edge I wait
Pain must stand right here
Right before my eyes
In the dreams that disappear

Silently it just dies
As We Watch The West Decline

On The edge I wait
See what fate will bring
For I have become
One with everything

One the edge I wait
Center of the light
Visions focus now
What a mind blowing sight

Silently it just dies
As We Watch The West Decline

One the edge I wait
Finally I've arrived
What I'm looking for
Seemed so hard to find

On the edge I wait
Everlasting fear
Of what fate may come
It was never so clear

Silently it just dies
As We Watch The West Decline”

Kreator - As We Watch The West

Song Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T730gM2RMV0

On a more serious note.......democracy was a good run. Lord only knows what the next 4 years will be like. Got 2 more posts for this month, and then it’s December. See you soon.

Food For Thought/Thought For Food No. 33b: They Suck (The Democrats)

I find this brain spasm to be.....a little more difficult to write up.

For anyone that’s known me for even just a year or two, you’ll know that I’m pretty on the left side of the fence. For nearly 25 years , I have been a dire hard leftist, liberal, and Democrat. Hell, when I first felt this way back in 2001 (My bones just creaked), I didn’t know why I connected with that ideology so much, but connected I did. Now, in the beginning of November 2024, with election day just on the horizon, at this point the Democrats are the ONLY right choice for the country going forward into 2025 & beyond.

But make no mistake: The Democratic Party are not saints by any means. Not since the day of Reagan & Bush Sr. did we have a truly leftist party, but the moment that the Clintons entered the picture everything changed. Bill & Hillary, on the surface at least, seemed like actual Democrats, and were a perfect counter balance to the over decade of Republican rule. However, underneath the surface things were far different. Bill & Hillary weren’t actual Democrats, but instead were Centrists, and for those who may not know, a Centrist is basically someone who right’s smack in the middle. On the outside that might not sound, since they don’t lean one way or another, but if you’re going to be the face of a political party, you should belong to that party. That obviously was not the case for slick willy, and you can see the aftermath of both of his terms to this day.

Here in 2024, the Democrats are not the party of the left. As Bill Maher said back in 2015 during a tour in Europe (Click Here), we have a center-right party in the case of the Democrats. They’re certainly not as right as what the Republicans are nowadays, but they definitely lean in the right direction more often than the left, while at the same time trying their damn hardest to somehow try & remain in the middle. If you don’t believe me, look at how many more illegal immigrants Obama deported & Biden deported during their runs. Obama deported so many, that he eventually earned the nickname “Deporter In Chief”. Thankfully, since Kamala Harris took the nomination a few months back, the party seemed to scoot back towards the left, but perhaps just a little. Regardless, they are not the Democrats of over 4 decades ago. More often than not, their actions & decisions do not benefit the average joe that they so often claim to champion. On the state level, however, Democratic governors have been fairing far better than on the national scale. Tim Walz is a giant example of this, and to just list a tiny few of the things he’s done (***):

- Signed a $2.3 billion education budget into law
- Established ironclad reproductive freedom, protections for Trans individuals, and gender-affirming care as fundamental rights in Minnesota
- Banned the use of hand-held cell phones while driving and raised the age to purchase tobacco to 21

So at the very least, Democrats on the stateside of politics in this country are doing wonderful, but on the national level things could be definitely improved. That just leaves us with the average joe member of the Democratic Party. People like you & me.....and this is where I fell I will be losing some of my left leaning friends.

Half the time, I find my self identifying with the left on many occasions. I believe in representation of races/gender/sexual orientations, workers actually being paid properly for their effort, decent health care that’s not run for profit, big businesses & other massively wealthy people actually paying their due & not constantly getting tax cuts from their republican pets they own, housing that won’t need an arm & a leg to pay for, etc. Those are all things I hold close to my heart, and when properly implemented can do some real good. Where I find myself butting heads with my own side.....is everything else. I’ll just talk about 3 of them, since I don’t want to pop a blood vessel.

For starters, the treating of social issues as if they were trends hurts the very issues to promote. Now, if an issue is popular, of course you’re gonna jump onto it & see if something can be done! It’s how we became an independent country, and it’s how we solved many issues in America over the centuries since then. The problem nowadays is that if a genuinely important issue does come up, and people try to push it to see if it can do something, and if no-one takes any real interest, it’s just tossed to the side for the next popular thing. Wall Street United is a huge example of this: a group that wanted those on Wall Street to pay their fair share, only to immediately give up when nobody took their goals serious. Another example is the whole Blitzchung incident involving Blizzard Entertainment & the Hong Kong riots of 2019. When news broke out about what happened, not to mentioned the despicable acts that Blizzard did in service to the Chinese government, we were all rightfully mad.....for about 2 solid weeks until Blizzcon of that year....and everything just dropped off after. Now, things did get reversed in Blitzchung’s favor, but any pressure that Blizzard fans were giving the company just died off. All because the issue wasn’t trending enough, and it was tossed to the side for something shiny down the road.

Secondly, the that many leftist feel more than think is absurd. Look, it life there’s moments where you just gotta feel things out. Friendships, relationships, you name it. There are times where you just have to feel, and see where it goes. However, if all you do is just feel things instead of adding some kind of logic, you will fail in whatever you’re trying to do. Going back to the Wall Street United thing I mentioned above: giving everybody a voice but making your organization leaderless, and wanting everything instead of just a few things, will ruin any chance you have of making a difference. Now, everyone in your group having a voice can be a wonderful thing. A beautiful thing even! If you don’t have even a single person at the helm steering the ship, you crash onto the rocks with little to no chance of rescue. As for wanting everything? It all goes back to a lack of focus, and not having even a hint of control over it all. Feeling isn’t bad, but unless you don’t sharpen it to a finer edge, it will not work the way you want it.

Finally, the whole “Okay Boomer” crap from a few years back that somehow still persists now is dumb. Hell, even when this started getting popular a few years back, I never understood why the Baby Boomer generation was getting a torrent of shit pumped their way. I’m not saying that the entire generation are saints, as there are a few bad apples that have certainly tainted their generation’s image, not to mention those same bad apples have definitely pooped the bed for everybody in the United States. However, you mean to tell me that the entire Boomer generation is the anti-christ? You mean to tell me that all of them have ruined people? You mean to tell me that not a single one of them have wisdom you can learn from, and you can dismiss them because you’re so “Woke”. Dismissing the entire Baby Boomer generation is no better than when the “Conservatives” dismiss the entire LGBTQ & Trans communities, or when the entire Furry community is picked on because of the assholes that unfortunately get in front of a camera & ruin things for everybody. It’s short-sighted, and incredibly ignorant.

And yet.....the Democrats are the lesser evil this election cycle, and leftists (Especially young leftists) are the more favorable side to follow right now. Yes, the party is corrupt, but they aren’t as corrupt as the GOP, and at least they maintain the illusion of giving a damn. Yes, most Democratic politicians on the national levels are fools, but at least a small few still care, and on the state level many of them have done good & possibly will continue to do so. Finally, at times the average jane/joe leftist can be difficult to work with on occasion, but you can work with them. Lesser Evil voting may be how we got to this point in 2024, but it’s all we got to save what few shreds of Democracy we have left.

My final words are as follows: there’s almost no left party in the United States anymore. Not since before the 90s have we had a left party, and in the decades since the 90s, it’s only gotten worse & worse, and more & more to the right. As for the average joe lefty. Well, I’ve said my piece on that already....but we gotta stick with them. The Democratic Party, and by extension the left, are the only ones that might be able to fix things.

And that was my giant rant on the Democrats & the left. Kinda like yesterday, I’m gonna lose friends & family over this.....and a part of me oddly doesn’t care. See you all after the election, and depending on who wins, I have something to say regardless, and then my honorable mention & final no. 1 album of 2023 reviews. See you soon.



***
A complete list of Tim Walz’s accomplishments:

https://mn.gov/governor/accomplishments/accomplishments.jsp

Also, something from Foamy The Squirrel that really hammers home the whole “Okay Boomer/Woke” thing:

OK Boomennials : Foamy The Squirrel

Food For Thought/Thought For Food No. 33a: They Suck (The Republicans)

In all the times I’ve been doing the Food For Thought/Though For Food series, I admit that it was a way for me to vent about things in politics to all of you. Barring a highly select few, this series was a way for me to just spurge about whatever political thing angered me. 2024 has had a horde of things to complain about, but given that the election is just a few short days away, there’s no surprise as to what I’m having a brain aneurysm about today. Strap in.

For anyone who has known me on this blog for even a year or two, you know I’m not found of the Republican Party & the Right. Hell, if any of my real-life friends know me as well as they do, they know I don’t like the Republican Party and the Right. This has been a core fact about me for nearly 25 years, and it’s not going to change anytime soon. Since 2016? It has evolved into full-blown seething hatred. It’s obvious to even the dumbest “Conservative” or Average Joe as to why, but the answer is obvious......and that answer is Trump.

To be honest, what is there to even say about the mostly failure of a business man playing poiltican, or the cult in both MAGA & the now seemingly fully tainted Republican Party. Well, for starters, there’s this list I found about a month or two ago. These aren’t some lies that the so called “Radical Left” cooked up in an effort to stain the Emperor God King Trump’s “Good” name. These are facts. Also, it’s kinda long.

1) when he incited an insurrection against the government
2) mismanaged a pandemic that killed nearly half a million Americans
3) separated children from their families
4) lost those children in the bureaucracy
5) tear-gassed peaceful protesters on Lafayette Square so he could hold a photo op holding a Bible in front of a church
6) tried to block all Muslims from entering the country
7) got impeached, got impeached again,
8) had the worst jobs record of any president in modern history
9) pressured Ukraine to dig dirt on Joe Biden
10) fired the FBI director for investigating his ties to Russia
11) bragged about firing the FBI director on TV
12) took Vladimir Putin’s word over the US intelligence community
13) diverted military funding to build his wall
14) caused the longest government shutdown in US history
15) called Black Lives Matter a “symbol of hate”
16) lied nearly 30,000 times
17) banned transgender people from serving in the military (This was later reversed if I recall correctly)
18) ejected reporters from the White House briefing room who asked tough questions
19) vetoed the defense funding bill because it renamed military bases named for Confederate soldiers
20) refused to release his tax returns
21) increased the national debt by nearly $8 trillion
22) had three of the highest annual trade deficits in U.S. history
23) called veterans and soldiers who died in combat losers and suckers,
24) coddled the leader of Saudi Arabia after he ordered the execution and dismembering of a US-based journalist
25) refused to concede the 2020 election
26) hired his unqualified daughter and son-in-law to work in the White House
27) walked out of an interview with Lesley Stahl
28) called neo-Nazis “very fine people”
29) suggested that people should inject bleach into their bodies to fight COVID
30) abandoned our allies the Kurds to Turkey
31) pushed through massive tax cuts for the wealthiest but balked at helping working Americans 32) incited anti-lockdown protestors in several states at the height of the pandemic
33) withdrew the US from the Paris climate accords
34) withdrew the US from the Iranian nuclear deal
35) withdrew the US from the Trans Pacific Partnership which was designed to block China’s advances
36) insulted his own Cabinet members on Twitter
37) pushed the leader of Montenegro out of the way during a photo op
38) failed to reiterate US commitment to defending NATO allies
39) called Haiti and African nations “shithole” countries
40) called the city of Baltimore the “worst in the nation”
41) claimed that he single handedly brought back the phrase “Merry Christmas” even though it hadn’t gone anywhere
42) forced his Cabinet members to praise him publicly like some cult leader
43) believed he should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
44) berated and belittled his hand-picked Attorney General when he recused himself from the Russia probe,
45) suggested the US should buy Greenland,
46) colluded with Mitch McConnell to push through federal judges and two Supreme Court justices after supporting efforts to prevent his predecessor from appointing judges
47) repeatedly called the media “enemies of the people”
48) claimed that if we tested fewer people for COVID we’d have fewer cases
49) violated the emoluments clause
50) thought that Nambia was a country
51) told Bob Woodward in private that the coronavirus was a big deal but then downplayed it in public
52) called his exceedingly faithful vice president a “p---y” for following the Constitution
53) nearly got us into a war with Iran after threatening them by tweet
54) nominated a corrupt head of the EPA
55) nominated a corrupt head of HHS
56) nominated a corrupt head of the Interior Department
57) nominated a corrupt head of the USDA
58) praised dictators and authoritarians around the world while criticizing allies
59) refused to allow the presidential transition to begin
60) insulted war hero John McCain – even after his death
61) spent an obscene amount of time playing golf after criticizing Barack Obama for playing (far less) golf while president
62) falsely claimed that he won the 2016 popular vote
63) called the Muslim mayor of London a “stone cold loser”
64) falsely claimed that he turned down being Time’s Man of the Year
65) considered firing special counsel Robert Mueller on several occasions
66) mocked wearing face masks to guard against transmitting COVID
67) locked Congress out of its constitutional duty to confirm Cabinet officials by hiring acting ones
68) used a racist dog whistle by calling COVID the “China virus”
69) hired and associated with numerous shady figures that were eventually convicted of federal offenses including his campaign manager and national security adviser
70) pardoned several of his shady associates
71) gave the Presidential Medal of Freedom to two congressman who amplified his batshit crazy conspiracy theories
72) got into telephone fight with the leader of Australia(!)
73) had a Secretary of State who called him a moron
74) forced his press secretary to claim without merit that his was the largest inauguration crowd in history
75) botched the COVID vaccine rollout
76) tweeted so much dangerous propaganda that Twitter eventually banned him
77) charged the Secret Service jacked-up rates at his properties
78) constantly interrupted Joe Biden in their first presidential debate
79) claimed that COVID would “magically” disappear
80) called a U.S. Senator “Pocahontas”
81) used his Twitter account to blast Nordstrom when it stopped selling Ivanka’s merchandise
82) opened up millions of pristine federal lands to development and drilling
83) got into a losing tariff war with China that forced US taxpayers to bail out farmers
84) claimed that his losing tariff war was a win for the US
85) ignored or didn’t even take part in daily intelligence briefings
86) blew off honoring American war dead in France because it was raining
87) redesigned Air Force One to look like the Trump Shuttle
88) got played by Kim Jung Un and his “love letters”
89) threatened to go after social media companies in clear violation of the Constitution
90) botched the response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico
91) threw paper towels at Puerto Ricans when he finally visited them
92) pressured the governor and secretary of state of Georgia to “find” him votes
93) thought that the Virgin islands had a President
94 drew on a map with a Sharpie to justify his inaccurate tweet that Alabama was threatened by a hurricane
95) allowed White House staff to use personal email accounts for official businesses after blasting Hillary Clinton for doing the same thing
96) rolled back regulations that protected the public from mercury and asbestos
97) pushed regulators to waste time studying snake-oil remedies for COVID
98) rolled back regulations that stopped coal companies from dumping waste into rivers
99) held blatant campaign rallies at the White House
100) tried to take away millions of Americans’ health insurance because the law was named for a Black man
101) refused to attend his successors’ inauguration
102 nominated the worst Education Secretary in history
103) threatened judges who didn’t do what he wanted
104) attacked Dr. Anthony Fauci
105) promised that Mexico would pay for the wall (it didn’t)
106) allowed political hacks to overrule government scientists on major reports on climate change and other issues
107) struggled navigating a ramp after claiming his opponent was feeble
108) called an African-American Congresswoman “low IQ”
109) threatened to withhold federal aid from states and cities with Democratic leaders
110) went ahead with rallies filled with maskless supporters in the middle of a pandemic
111) claimed that legitimate investigations of his wrongdoing were “witch hunts”
112) seemed to demonstrate a belief that there were airports during the American Revolution
113) demanded “total loyalty” from the FBI director
114) praised a conspiracy theory that Democrats are Satanic pedophiles
115) completely gutted the Voice of America
116) placed a political hack in charge of the Postal Service
117) claimed without evidence that the Obama administration bugged Trump Tower
118) suggested that the US should allow more people from places like Norway into the country 119) suggested that COVID wasn’t that bad because he recovered with the help of top government doctors and treatments not available to the public
120) overturned energy conservation standards that even industry supported
121) reduced the number of refugees the US accepts
122) insulted various members of Congress and the media with infantile nicknames
123) gave Rush Limbaugh a Presidential medal of Freedom at the State of the Union address
124) named as head of federal personnel a 29-year old who’d previously been fired from the White House for allegations of financial improprieties
125) eliminated the White House office of pandemic response
126) used soldiers as campaign props
127) fired any advisor who made the mistake of disagreeing with him
128) demanded the Pentagon throw him a Soviet-style military parade
129) hired a shit ton of white nationalists
130) politicized the civil service
131) did absolutely nothing after Russia hacked the U.S. government
132) falsely said the Boy Scouts called him to say his bizarre Jamboree speech was the best speech ever given to the Scouts
133) claimed that Black people would overrun the suburbs if Biden won
134) insulted reporters of color
135) insulted women reporters
136) insulted women reporters of color, suggested he was fine with China’s oppression of the Uighurs
137) attacked the Supreme Court when it ruled against him
138) summoned Pennsylvania state legislative leaders to the White House to pressure them to overturn the election
139) spent countless hours every day watching Fox News
140) refused to allow his administration to comply with Congressional subpoenas
141) hired Rudy Giuliani as his lawyer
142) tried to punish Amazon because the Jeff Bezos-owned Washington Post wrote negative stories about him
143) acted as if the Attorney General of the United States was his personal attorney
144) attempted to get the federal government to defend him in a libel lawsuit from a women who accused him of sexual assault
145) held private meetings with Vladimir Putin without staff present
146) didn’t disclose his private meetings with Vladimir Putin so that the US had to find out via Russian media
147) stopped holding press briefings for months at a time
148) “ordered” US companies to leave China even though he has no such power
149) led a political party that couldn’t even be bothered to draft a policy platform
150) claimed preposterously that Article II of the Constitution gave him absolute powers
151) tried to pressure the U.K. to hold the British Open at his golf course
152) suggested that the government nuke hurricanes
153) suggested that wind turbines cause cancer
154) said that he had a special aptitude for science
155) fired the head of election cyber security after he said that the 2020 election was secure
156) blurted out classified information to Russian officials
157) tried to force the G7 to hold their meeting at his failing golf resort in Florida
158) fired the acting attorney general when she refused to go along with his unconstitutional Muslim travel ban
159) hired Stephen Miller
160) openly discussed national security issues in the dining room at Mar-a-Lago where everyone could hear them
161) interfered with plans to relocate the FBI because a new development there might compete with his hotel
162) abandoned Iraqi refugees who’d helped the U.S. during the war
163) tried to get Russia back into the G7
164) held a COVID super spreader event in the Rose Garden
165) seemed to believe that Frederick Douglass is still alive
166) lost 60 election fraud cases in court including before judges he had nominated
167) falsely claimed that factories were reopening when they weren’t
168) shamelessly exploited terror attacks in Europe to justify his anti-immigrant policies
169) still hasn’t come up with a healthcare plan
170) still hasn’t come up with an infrastructure plan despite repeated “Infrastructure Weeks”
171) forced Secret Service agents to drive him around Walter Reed while contagious with COVID
172) told the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by”
173) fucked up the Census
174) withdrew the U.S. from the World Health Organization in the middle of a pandemic
175) did so few of his duties that his press staff were forced to state on his daily schedule “President Trump will work from early in the morning until late in the evening. He will make many calls and have many meetings”
176) allowed his staff to repeatedly violate the Hatch Act
177) seemed not to know that Abraham Lincoln was a Republican
178) stood before sacred CIA wall of heroes and bragged about his election win
179) constantly claimed he was treated worse than any president which presumably includes four that were assassinated and his predecessor whose legitimacy and birthplace were challenged by a racist reality TV show star named Donald Trump
180) claimed Andrew Jackson could’ve stopped the Civil War even though he died 16 years before it happened
181) said that any opinion poll showing him behind was fake
182) claimed that other countries laughed at us before he became president when several world leaders were literally laughing at him
183) claimed that the military was out of ammunition before he became President
184) created a commission to whitewash American history
185) re-tweeted anti-Islam videos from one of the most racist people in Britain
186) claimed ludicrously that the Pulse nightclub shooting wouldn’t have happened if someone there had a gun even though there was an armed security guard there
187) hired a senior staffer who cited the non-existent Bowling Green Massacre as a reason to ban Muslims
188) had a press secretary who claimed that Nazi Germany never used chemical weapons even though every sane human being knows they used gas to kill millions of Jews and others
189) bilked the Secret Service for higher than market rates when they had to stay at Trump properties
190) apparently sold pardons on his way out of the White House
191) stripped protective status from 59,000 Haitians
192) falsely claimed Biden wanted to defund the police
193) said that the head of the CDC didn’t know what he was talking about
194) tried to rescind protection from DREAMers
195) gave himself an A+ for his handling of the pandemic
196) tried to start a boycott of Goodyear tires due to an Internet hoax
197) said U.S. rates of COVID would be lower if you didn’t count blue states
198) deported U.S. veterans who served their country but were undocumented
199) claimed he did more for African Americans than any president since Lincoln
200) touted a “super-duper” secret “hydrosonic” missile which may or may not be a new “hypersonic” missile or may not exist at all
201) re-tweeted a gif calling Biden a pedophile
202) forced through security clearances for his family
203) suggested that police officers should rough up suspects
204) suggested that Biden was on performance-enhancing drugs
205) tried to stop transgender students from being able to use school bathrooms in line with their gender
206) suggested the US not accept COVID patients from  a cruise ship because it would make US numbers look higher
207) nominated a climate change sceptic to chair the committee advising the White House on environmental policy
208) re-tweeted a video doctored to look like Biden had played a song called “Fuck tha Police” at a campaign event
209) hugged a disturbingly large number of U.S. flags
210) accused Democrats of “treason” for not applauding his State of the Union address
211) claimed that the FBI failed to capture the Parkland school shooter because they were “spending too much time” on Russia
212) mocked the testimony of Dr Christine Blasey Ford when she accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault
213) obsessed over low-flow toilets
214) ordered the re-release of more COVID vaccines when there weren’t any to release
215) called for the construction of a bizarre garden of heroes with statutes of famous dead Americans as well as at least one Canadian (Alex Trebek)
216) hijacked Washington’s July 4th celebrations to give a partisan speech
217) took advice from the MyPillow guy
218) claimed that migrants seeking a better life in the US were dangerous caravans of drug dealers and rapists
219) said nothing when Vladimir Putin poisoned a leading opposition figure
220) never seemed to heed the advice of his wife’s “Be Best” campaign
221) falsely claimed that mail-in voting is fraudulent
222) announced a precipitous withdrawal of troops from Syria which not only handed Russia and ISIS a win but also prompted his defense secretary to resign in protest
223) insulted the leader of Canada
224) insulted the leader of France
225) insulted the leader of Britain
226) insulted the leader of Germany
227) insulted the leader of Sweden (Sweden!!)
228) falsely claimed credit for getting NATO members to increase their share of dues
229) blew off two Asia summits even though they were held virtually
230) continued lying about spending lots of time at Ground Zero with 9/11 responders
231) said that the Japanese would sit back and watch their “Sony televisions” if the US were ever attacked
232) left a NATO summit early in a huff
233) stared directly into an eclipse even though everyone over the age of 5 knows not to do that 234) called himself a very stable genius despite significant evidence to the contrary
235) refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power and kept his promise
236) and a whole bunch of other things I can’t remember at the moment
237) Did I mention he attempted a coup?

Oh, and let me add three more. Just for good measure.

238) Promoted the idea that the LEGAL Hatian immigrants in Ohio are eating the cats & dogs. This story came about because of a Far Right neo-nazi group called Blood Tribe.
239) Trump sent COVID testing machines to Russia.....in 2020.
240) Trump has praised dictators/fascists during his presidential run & after. Said of the president of China: “He rules with an iron fist”.

Again, this massive list isn’t made up by some “Commie Fag Liberal” that’s not man enough in the eyes of MAGA, nor was this list cooked up by a “Socialist SJW College Student”. This is a list of things that took place during the presidency of Donald J. Trump. These are the things that have not just taken place during his presidency, but the after effects as well. These are stone...cold...facts. We will be dealing with the consequences of what he, his family, and his cronies have done to the United States of America for decades. Say what you will about the likes of Reagan, Bush Sr, and Bush Jr, but we’ve all managed to recover from at least one thing that they did fairly quickly. Not only that, but they all left willingly & conceited defeat after their runs in office were done. With Trump? Even with the things that Biden managed to pull us out of the brink from, the scars are so hideous that they won’t go away for a long time. And as for conceiting defeat after he lost in 2020? Nothing really needs to be said.

At this point, the GOP is almost not recognizable as a political party anymore. As I am typing this (And most certainly beyond), the Republican Party is a corporation backed cult. A corpo backed cult that’s seemingly devoted to a cult leader that likes nobody but himself. Make no mistake: the party has been falling down & down since the days of Reagan, and perhaps some time before, but ever since Trump stuck his orange claws into the Far-Right & Politics, to say that the Republicans are a political party would be a great joke. They are a bloated corpse, piloted Weekend At Bernie’s style by the corporations, Far-Right groups, actual fake news organizations, and the Religious Right. They have long since abandoned their base, and swim in pools of money so extravagant, it puts Scrooge McDuck’s greed to shame.

And as for the rank & file base? Is there even anything to say at this point that’s new!? I have never seen such blind loyalty towards a president in my current lifetime. Even the last Republican president, George W. Bush, didn’t have such sycophant followers by the end of his 2nd run. I have never seen anybody believe a single word so unquestioningly as the followers of the cult of MAGA. I have never seen such zealous lunatics follow the whims of a man who would leave them at the drop of a hat if they even remotely stopped coddling his balls for just a second. The fact that you can even tell by the look of their dear emperor god king’s face that he despises them so much, just goes to show that we’ve really hit rock bottom in this country. Lord only knows how they’ll act if dear leader potentially loses in a few days.

And if I can be personally honest here, let me just say that there is absolutely no hope for the hollowed out husk of the GOP. In the subsequent decades since the 80s (Including the 80s for the most part), every action they’ve taken has been in service not to the American people, but to the corporations. To the griftervangelists & their suckered fanatics. To their own brainwashed followers, and since the era of Trump (Hopefully there’s only 1 era), further catering to various governments around the world that are, to put it simply.....not so keen on democracy (Translation: we support 73% of the world’s dictatorships. Once again, not some made-up hippie fact). The 10% of Conservative politicians that are actually about people over party, and are actually about country over politics, are practically pariahs at this point. It does shame me to say this, but if any of them see this, then I say you should leave. At this point the party you first joined is no longer what it used to be, so save your souls and get out as soon as possible. You’re not welcome in the GOP anymore.

Oh, and here’s another soul-crushing statistic. In 2022, the support for Gay Rights among Republicans was 56%, which was the highest I’ve ever seen! In 2024.....it’s 40%. You’re not hallucinating: the current amount of support for Gay Rights among Republicans/Conservatives is 40 bloody percent. Why? Because of fearmongering fucks like Tim Pool, Ben Shapiro, Matt Walsh, and a horde of other goofy grifters who spew blatant bullshit, and it’s all gobbled up by the nimrods that follows their every world, and clap their hands like seals whenever they feel tingly. Don’t even get me started on the equally blatant bullshit when they speak about things related to Transgenderism & Transgender Rights, as I don’t even know the percentages in 2022 & 2024 respectively.

However, I’m going to say something here that will be quite surprising to anyone who’s still reading this at this point. Something that, more than anything else I’ve said before this point, I will lose friends (And maybe family): to all MAGA supporters within the United States & beyond......I forgive you. Yes, I forgive you. Make no mistake: I won’t forget all of the racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, ignorance, arrogance, and I will still make jokes from time to time.....but I forgive you. Why? Because you got caught up in the cult of personality. Just like with Bill Clinton. Just like with Hillary Clinton. Just like with Barack Obama. Just like with Joe Biden. Just like with John Fetterman, and maybe even with Kamala Harris & Tim Walz (Voting for them, btw). You got hypnotized, and many other ways of mind control. I forgive you for getting suckered......but I don’t forgive you for continuing to drink the Kool-Aid.

My final words are as such: to every woman in this country, I’m sorry that the system failed you. To every trans person in this country, I’m sorry that the system failed you. To every person of color in this country, whether you were born here of immigrated here, I’m sorry that the system failed you. To every actual Republican, actual Conservative, actual Right Winger, and actual truly religious person in this country that uses their faith for real holy work, I’m sorry that nobody listened to you.

And that was my giant rant on the Republicans & the right. Like I said in this, I’m prepared to lose friends & family over this. See you all tomorrow, when I’ll have another one of these on the Democrats & the left. Until then, take care.



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If you would like to know what actual Conservatives are like, click on the link below:

A Pennsylvania farming family redefines 'conservative' (NPR)

The Top 10 Games To Play To Before You Die

Happy Halloween fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

The day where our world & the world of the beyond mingle, it’s a time for those in costume to prowl the streets for candy, to keep our eyes open for any signs of the supernatural, and to put our favorite horror movie on so we can have the crap scared out of us! However, I wanted to give you all a rather strange treat to enjoy. As you all know, I’ve been doing a look at pieces of media that are needed to be experienced before you get put six feet under. At the beginning of the month I looked at essential movies, and just a few weeks ago I examined essential albums to listen to. Today, it’s time to look at the 10 videos games that are important to play before the medical machine doesn’t read your heartbeat anymore. As with the last 2 lists, I’ve picked out titles from across all genres. Some of this will be familiar to you, while other are gonna be quite the surprise. With that said, here are the top 10 games to play before you die. Boo!

10) Botany Manor (Video)

We begin this list with the Puzzle genre, and a game that has come out fairly recently back in April, and I previously talked about just last month. Out of everything that came out this year, with perhaps the exception of the MTG set Bloomburrow towards the end of the Summer, Botany Manor is perhaps the coziest game of 2024. Visually it looks amazing, what with all of the bright colors, and the realistic layout of the manor & some surrounding areas. The sound quality is amazing as well, with some cozy qualities just as good as the visuals. As for the puzzles themselves, they’re great. Granted, some of the later ones do require the player to pay a little more attention than the ones at the beginning, but in no way are they unfair, and you never feel pressured to complete any of them. Botany Manor got some nice praise upon it’s release, and I hope it continues to do so.

9) Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Video)

I had to have one console release on here, and it’s one that I have a strange connection to.

Back when I was little, I had an uncle you lived a few hours away from where we were at the time, and he had a Sega Genesis. There were a couple games for it (Some of which I remember), but the one I recall the most was Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Say what you will about the franchise’s reputation nowadays, but back in the 90s the Blue Blur & his adorable sidekick Tails were the apple in Sega’s eye and could do no wrong. Anyways, my little mind was absolutely hooked on all of the colors, the interesting worlds, the speed & action, and the absurdity of everything that was going on. I would think of my times with Sonic 2 when I left his house, but I always enjoyed turning the Genesis back on, and putting Sonic back in. Definitely one of the greats of the console world!

8) Re-Volt (Video)

Re-Volt is something of a nostalgic game for me. In addition to it being a fun & quirky Racing game, it was also something that my entire family played together back in the late 90s to early 2000s. Computer connectivity back in that time was incredibly different when you compare it to now, and sometimes you had to force it in certain circumstances, but I digress. I remember when me, my Mom, and my Dad, all sat down at our machines, and loaded right into the game. It was a blast every time: seeing a bunch of RC Cars coming to life, and driving through a variety of locals was just fun, and with the various combative items everybody used, it also made for a frantic time as well. With a re-release a little over 2 years ago on Steam, it was a tidal wave of nostalgia for me, as it felt like a more innocent time came back. Where my eyes still twinkled with wonder, and my mind didn’t carry such heavy thoughts. In any case, Re-Volt is a Racing title that easy to get into and easy to learn, and you’ll be smiling every minute.

7) Dusk (Video)

Boomer Shooters. Say what you will about the first part of the genre’s name, one can’t deny at just how refreshing it is to see FPS titles pay heavy homage to the releases of yore. There were plenty of games in the style I could have easily picked, and they all would have worked fine, but the one that gamers still talk about to this very day.....is Dusk.

It’s hard to believe that this title is almost 6 years old (Exactly 6 years this coming December on the 10th) in 2024. Hell, I found it hard to believe that it was half a decade old last year, but that doesn’t exactly matter. As simplistic as the gameplay is, it also acts as a portal into FPS past: no DLC, no loot boxes or other microtransactions, and no political pandering of any kind regardless of which side. Just pure running & gunning, complete with a graphics engine that evokes the visuals of games like Quake, and a atmospheric soundtrack that stays stuck in your brain. With it’s releases on the Switch & PS4, not to mention a free graphic updates that breaths in a ton of new life, console players can enjoy a modern classic as much as the PC Master Race have been. Definitely one of the greats!

6) Lego Island (Video)

By today’s standards, the very first Lego video game is incredibly primitive. All of the interactivity when it comes to the various activities are regulated to building & driving vehicles (That excludes the non-building activities, and you’re still driving in those), and everything else comes to just changing the various Lego people’s headwear & sounds they make when you click on them (You could also change the sound of the clickable buildings & foliage). The graphics are heavily dated nearly 30 years later, and the sound quality in some aspects feel rough. However, what still keeps this Kids title afloat is the sheer charm of it all. Lego Island has some of the quirkiest characters ever in a game, and they all have something to do & say as you wander the titular island. The music is bright & charming, and despite how simplistic the activities are, they are a bit of fun. There’s personality around every single corner of this release, and even though it’s difficult to get running on modern hardware, it’s genuinely worth it to get up & running. If you need to reunite with your inner kid, then playing Lego Island for even just a few short minutes will help in that regard.

5) One Must Fall: 2097 (Video)

Ages ago, I put out a top 10 list on my favorite games of all time (Might do a 2nd version eventually), and at the no. 1 spot I had this Fighting game from my childhood, and I will still defend that choice. When it comes to the 10 games to play before you die however, I felt I needed to put it up a little higher here. Make no mistake: OMF is a surprisingly deep Fighting title. Sure, there have been hordes of games in the genre that are far deeper & more complex, but it’s amazing that one that just turned 30 years old this year (The 10th of this month was it’s 30th birthday) has a lot going for it. There’s 10 pilots, 10 robots (Technically 11 in Tournament Mode), and there’s a surprising amount of mixing & matching with all of them. Coupled with 5 to 6 arenas that provide their own different qualities, and some special secrets that can be unlocked to expand the base game, and you have a piece of Abadonware that has aged shockingly well. Among PC users of a certain age, it remains a bedrock among the classic 90s landscape, and it’s definitely a game to play for those who are curious.

4) Starcraft (Video) 

I admit that I’ve never had the strongest connection to the RTS genre. I never hated it, as there were a few titles I played (Dungeon Keeper 1 & 2, Warcraft 3, Starcraft 2 & it’s expansions), but it was never a genre I actively invested my time in. Then the OG Starcraft came into my life in 1998, and things changed.

The 2nd youngest franchise that the once beloved Blizzard Entertainment made, Starcraft was & still is a ton of fun to play! Sure, the RTS elements are on the simplistic side these days, but it’s easy to pick up by just about anybody. You have 3 different races to pick (Humans, Zerg, Protoss), each with their own strengths & weaknesses that complement all the others. The levels & missions are all designed very well, and though some do skew towards the A.I.’s favor at times towards the end of the Protoss campaign, nothing is ever completely impossible to beat. Blizzard showed some love for Starcraft back in 2018 for it’s 20th anniversary, so maybe they’ll do something for when it turns 30 in 2028 as long as the world isn’t in flames. In any case, Starcraft shows that at one point Blizzard Entertainment was the gaming empire that could do no wrong. That they once has some of the most amazing developers on the planet, who put passion into everything they made. The original Starcraft, despite it’s age & simplicity, still stands tall as an RTS titan, and it’s one that everybody should try.

3) Alone In The Dark (Video)

Every Survival Horror game that has been released since 1992 all own their existence to Alone In The Dark. From the good ones, to the bad ones, and even the mediocre ones, all have a piece of AITD within them. I was pretty young when it came out in the United States, but that didn’t stop me from going through one of the scariest games that was ever made. Sure, by today’s standards the scares are quaint, but in 1992 the various monsters & atmosphere of the game were something that nobody had ever saw at the time. An abandoned mansion in the wetlands of 1920s Louisiana was an original place to be stuck at for some scares, and boy did it deliver. Playing as either a detective (Edward Carnby, who'd go on to define the rest of the series), or the niece of the owner of the mansion, you’re trapped inside it’s now haunted ruins, with little in the way of keeping you alive. Limited ammo & melee weapons, limited health pickups, and combat encounters that could set you back quite a bit, it was obvious that Alone In The Dark encouraged the player to use more of their brain rather than their brawn. While the graphics & sound effects are incredibly dated, they still manage to provide some great atmosphere 30+ years later, and the visuals are still chilling in certain places. AITD most definitely is left in the dust by games that would ultimately come to define the Survivor Horror genre (Even AITD 2 & 3), only the most narrow-minded gamers out there would try to deny the lasting legacy of this title.

2) Skyrim (Video)

I was torn with what to put here. At one point, I wanted to put Diablo at this spot, since it was a childhood classic for me (Like OMF). At another point, I was tempted to place Dark Souls 3 here as well, as that was an example of a piece of media I took a chance on & fell right in love with. However, I think that honor has to go to one of the most legendary RPGs in the new millennium, and said legend is the iconic Skyrim.

I may have mentioned this ages ago, but it was in 2014 when I finally decided to put some money down, as it was on sale alongside all of it’s DLC on Steam ($14.37 for everything if I recall correctly). Upon my first few minutes, I regretted ever waiting to get into one of the most incredible world ever created for a roleplaying game. It’s most definitely massive, and at time there may be too many things to do, but even some of it’s most ardent haters can’t deny to obvious love & care that was put into everything. From the world design, to the game mechanics, and to the amazing music score (Which still holds up to this day without fault), it was obvious that Bethesda knew what they were doing. Even with the issues that were there at launch, Skyrim established itself as a title that raised the bar to massive heights, and I don’t think that the company will ever do that again.

1) Duke Nukem 3d (Video)

Okay, I had to end at least one of these lists on an upbeat note, and if you all know me personally....you won’t be surprised by this pick.

The Boomer Shooter genre definitely brings that old-school vibe to the modern age, but it’s hard not to beat the titles that came before it. Now, much like Dusk above, I could have picked just about any of the classic FPS titles from the 90s, and it would have worked well here. However, it’s hard not to deny the decade’s biggest wisecracker & womanizer, and so Duke Nukem 3d was the pick! For almost 30 years, the Duke has traversed Los Angeles, Outer Space, Washington D.C., the Caribbean, Santa’s Workshop, and a tour of the world, leaving a horde of alien bodies in his wake (And an equal horde of babes that want him). Duke Nukem 3d has aged exceedingly well in the near 3 decades of being on this planet, with only a small few aspects showing some dirt on the armor. The action & gameplay is fantastic, the one-liners are classics, and even the pop culture references have aged like surprisingly fine wine. There’s a little bit of tastelessness for sure, but by today’s standards they’re tame, with only the most obnoxious of Bullshit Justice Warriors using it for a grift. Regardless of that, Duke Nukem 3d gave the 90s FPS movement fuel to continue through the rest of the decade, and was able to stand apart from that movement as well due to sheer personality & character. I will only say one last thing.....and that’s to play this!

And those were the top 10 games to play before you die. Given what’s coming in just a couple days it might seem a little grim to talk about something like this, but as we go further into this decade, sometimes it’s necessary. In any case, I hope you all have a haunt & candy filled rest of the day, and come back tomorrow for a rant.....I feel is incredibly necessary. Until then, have a nice 31st!

5 Greatest Anime Chests (For Breast Cancer Awareness) No. 8

Another Halloween treat fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

The subject of today’s post is no stranger in these parts. In fact, today’s list is number 8 so far! As it always is around this time of the year, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and as such it’s time to show off some of anime & the Vtuber world’s greatest chests. It’s a testament to those that have survived the disease, whether man or woman, that they continue their life to the fullest, and aren’t afraid to tell their tale. As usual, I did the best I could to find 5 of the biggest & bounciest breasts I could find, and I think you’ll enjoy who I picked for 2024. With that said, here are the top 5 greatest anime chests for breast cancer awareness.......number 8!

5) Cimrai (Video)

Sometimes, a demoness deserves some time in the spotlight!

Compared to pretty much everybody else on this list (With maybe one exception right below), the Mistress of the Dark Maze’s figure is quite humble. That’s not to say she isn’t curvy, as from her head to her toes she is quite shapely. Her chest, while restrained in terms of size, none the less is still quite full & well-sized. As dominating as her character is, all it takes me make her afraid is the JAWS theme (Long story), and whenever she goes over to the Weary 101, she becomes a lot more like us. Curvy, sexy, and with just a bit of dry humor from time to time, Mistress Cimrai is definitely one of the best in the vtuber business.

4) Sinder (Video)

From a demoness to a hellhound, Sinder is quite the looker. Not only is her vtuber model curvy & bouncy, but her real life body doesn’t look that much different. When she’s in her cosplay of her character’s model, it’s actually kinda hard to tell the difference between the two outside of the obvious. She’s even talked about “The Girls” on numerous occasions, and how they’ve caused trouble in a lot of funny ways, and how sometimes cosplaying can be a little tricky because her boobies have gotten in the way. That’s not me being crude: according to some of her humor, she’s got plenty of “Tiddy Booby Haha Jokes” as The Hellhound Council (An in universe character) calls them. Sinder can be dirty, but she can also be really sweet most of the time.....and the bounciness is there all the same.

3) Radia (Video)

Radiation can do a lot of things. Mutate animals. Make people sick. Ruin the environment, and in the case of Radia.....make a sexy scorpion woman with an impressive chest. The funny thing about the gorgeous scorpion is that the picture above is her second model that she premiered fairly recently. Her first model is more tame than this one is. Make no mistake: her first figure is gorgeous, but this new one is more.....realistic. Outside of the giant scorpion claws & tail, Radia has a figure you’d definitely see in real life. From the bottom to the top, every bit of curve she has is fine.....and the jiggle will make you feel tingly.

2) Chonky Lotus (Video)

And here is an oddball of a choice. This lovely trans latina vtuber has an absolutely gorgeous figure. From the color of her eyes, skin, and hair, to the exceptionally curvy body and absolutely bouncy & bountiful breasts, it’s not hard to see why people love this gorgeous Dragon Cat. However, what sets Chonky apart from also everybody else on this list is the sheer niceness of her character. From her oddly wholesome Giantess content (Which I’m not fond of but respect those that like it), to the sheer coziness of her typical streams on Twitch and Youtube, it’s her mission to create a comfortable environment for her viewers. A slice of heaven in a sea of hell, as I like to say. The wholesomeness of her material easily balances out just how bouncy she can be, which makes every video of hers all the better.

1) Vexoria The Sun Eater (Video)

Yes, this marks the second time that our lovely snake goddess is at the no. 1 spot! No, I don’t care!

Even after she whooped Breast Cancer’s ass late last year, Vexoria was still going through some medical issues from the after effects of the cancer & the radiation treatments, and just a few weeks back got the port in her arm taken. She’s actually been on break for a bit, spending time with her husband & her two kids, and branching out into other things like voice acting & singing in order to further her career. Vexxy is the living embodiment of being down at the bottom of the barrel due to a horrid disease, and through the power of will & stubbornness, came out said barrel stronger than she was before. Whether she’s being sexy & dommy mommy, or sweet/silly & insightful, Vexoria The Sun Eater is one of the brightest beacons of hope that is out there right now.

And those were the top 5 greatest anime chests for Breast Cancer Awareness, number 8. Sure, these lists might not actually do anything big for Breast Cancer research & whatnot, but I like to think they bring some slight attention to the disease. If you know anyone (Including yourself) that may have it, please get them help as soon as possible! Now, the day of Halloween is near, so join me on the 31st for the top 10 games to play before you die. Until then, save the ta-tas!


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If you’d like to see who I talked about last year, then click on the link below:

5 Greatest Anime Chests (For Breast Cancer Awareness) No. 7

Also, the letter below is from Vexoria herself a few days back.

The Top 10 Albums To Listen To Before You Die

The Grim Reaper watches over us this October fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

On the 1st of this month, I took a look at the top 10 movies you need to watch before you die, and as I alluded, I’m not just making lists about film. Today’s list is about the 10 albums you gotta listen to before you croak & leave this planet. Much like the first one of these, I’ve decided to focus on a variety of music styles, rather than just concentrate on one. As much of a die hard Heavy Metal disciple as I am, for perhaps a decade now other styles have been creeping in I once enjoyed, and thus there’s quite a selection here. With that out of the way, here are the top 10 albums to listen to before you die. Let’s begin.

10) Laibach - Opus Dei (Song)

Industrial has always been a music style that’s more European than American. Apart from a few home-grown exceptions here in the states, it never caught on as strongly as other musical genres. One group that definitely had some presence in America (Despite not having concerts in the U.S. if I recall correctly) was the legendary Laibach. For nearly 4 decades, they have crafted some of the most interesting albums not just in the Industrial genre, but in music period. Perhaps one of their most iconic was 1987's Opus Dei, or Work Of God translated from Latin. Opus Dei contains perhaps some of their most iconic tracks, which includes a German cover of the Queen song “One Vision” & a reworking of Austrian band Opus' sole international hit single “Life Is Life”. While it wasn’t a colossal smash in my home country, it definitely acquired a sizable cult of fans (One that’s gotten stronger overtime, btw), and remains a staple if many places throughout Europe. If you’re in the mood for some artistic Industrial music with political undertones (That doesn’t come across as too pretentious), then I suggest that you give Opus Dei a try.

9) John Denver And The Muppets - A Christmas Together (Song)

Okay, it seems a little goofy to say that one record to listen to before you die is a Christmas album, but I’m being genuine with this. Taken from the sadly obscure special of the same name (Click Here), the music that came from it has remained far more popular, and for good reasons. The songs, are warm, cozy, full of laughter & heart, and there’s a hint of history as well. I reviewed this release years ago (Click Here), and in that review I spoke very highly of the music, as it was something that was incredibly sacred in my house, and still is to this day. The fact that it still has it’s oldest fans says something to it’s quality, as is the fact that it’s got fans among younger generations also. If you’re looking for Christmas/Holiday music that’s as warm as a fireplace, make it this one.

8) Devin Townsend - Devlab (Song)

Only an album as weird as this could only have come from the mad Canadian knows as Devin Townsend!

In recent years, I’ve gotten pulled into the realm of Ambient music. Cyberpunk & Fantasy Ambient, to be more specific. Anyways, leave it up to HevyDevy to create an Ambient record that’s seemingly nonsensical, yet forms an oddly cohesive whole. Each track on their own feel like a bite-sized tornado of insanity, full of audio nonsense that makes it come across like a pretentious art project. However, if you listen to the whole thing from beginning to end, you’ll find that it’s actually one genius story. Sure, it doesn’t make a lick of sense 90% of the time, but the fact that each songs bleeds into one another without any trouble does give you some kind of clue as to what’s going on. It’s really hard to describe, so I suggest you go out & listen to it right away. You may come back confused, but you’ll be entertained at the same time!

7) N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton (Song)

Funny story. I actually didn’t listen to this album, along with Devlab, until a few months ago for the very first time when I was beginning to pick the records for this list. Anyone who’s known me for a very long time knows I am not a fan of Rap & Hip-Hop, and outside of some very specific exceptions, I’m still not a fan.....and then comes Straight Outta Compton. Released on the 8th of August in 1988, the debut album of the N.W.A (Niggaz With Attitude) would go on to be one of the most important & infamous Rap albums ever released. Important because it helped add further to the Gangsta element that was moving more & more into the genre, and infamous because they got a warning letter from an FBI agent for their song Fuck Tha Police. That last aspect would eventually call themselves “The World's Most Dangerous Group”, which actually just helped their career. While Straight Outta Compton doesn’t pull me into the fold like how certain Death Metal & Black Metal albums did, I none the less respect it’s legacy, and acknowledge it’s place in music history. If you are ever in the mood for Gangsta Rap that doesn’t insult your intelligence, then the first outing of the N.W.A. is for you.

6) Queen - Innuendo (Song)

I will forever punch myself in the face for waiting so long to get into Queen. From the early 1970s to 1991, Queen and their iconic frontman Freedy Mercury took the world by storm, and assaulted all of their fans with some of the best Rock And Roll in the history of the style.....and I waited until the mid/late 2010s to get my foot in the door. One of the ways I got into said door was the second to last album of their career, Innuendo. For the first time ever in their career, everybody in Queen was united like never before. Even Freddy himself, who was supposed to die about 3 years prior, has never sounded so amazing as he does on Innuendo. From Gospel, to Rock And Roll, to AOR, and even a little bit of Heavy Metal, there’s something for everyone on this record. It’s a shame that Freddy’s health was so bad by that point, as even a small world tour to promote this album would have been very appreciated by the fans. Even so, Innuendo is a testament to Queen’s legacy as one of the most iconic bands of the world, and those that still continue to praise their work are nothing short of important to the preservation of the band’s history. Take my advice: listen to Innuendo just one at least.

5) New Radicals - Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too (Song)

Sometimes we listen to an album because of the genre. Other times it’s because of how it makes us feel, and not to dissimilar to that, we listen to a record because of nostalgia. The lone release from the New Radicals, Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too, is an example of that for me. I spoke about it a few times back in 2022, so I’ll keep things a little brief here. Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed is, in my opinion, the single best record that perfectly embodies the 1990s. Yes, it came out in 1998, but the album manages to encompass the entire decade with ease. All of the positives, negatives, hopes, dreams, and fears of the 1990s are found within each song. I don’t think any other release from that decade was even remotely capable of doing that feat, nor manage to be quite varied in track styles as well. It’s sadly a little difficult to find these days, as there’s never been a remaster or simple re-release as far as I know, and it’s over 25 years old, but Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too is just such an essential record from the last great decade, that it wouldn’t be right to leave off this list.

4) Queen Of The Damned Soundtrack (Song)

If Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too encapsulated the 1990s, then this soundtrack to one of the most iconic vampire movies is to the 2000s. To be more specific, it had a hold on the early 2000s. Originally the music was written & sung by Johnathan Davis of Korn fame and Richard Gibbs, but Davis was taken off of the project due to contract issues if I recall correctly, and any trace of his vocal work on the songs he did was taken off & replaced with a different singer. Even with that factored out, the Queen Of The Damned Soundtrack was on the button of the music buzzer of some highly popular genres at the time. Nu Metal, Gothic Metal, and Industrial Metal are all found aplenty on this release, & they’re all absolute bangers in one way or another. I remember loving this back when I first listened to it in the mid 2000s, and there’s just something incredibly nostalgic about it almost 20 years later. If you’re looking for music that makes your fangs grow out, then the Queen Of The Damned Soundtrack is for you!

3) Led Zeppelin - In Through The Out Door (Song)

It took my Dad decades to get me into Led Zeppelin. It took him forever to get me into one of the bands that are practically responsible for laying down the foundation for Heavy Metal to eventually be born, despite being a Blues & Folk Rock band. Then, on Christmas of 2017, I finally got my first album from these legends in the form of what would be their last release together as a band, and that was In Through The Out Door. I reviewed this almost 5 years ago for it’s belated 40th birthday, and you can read the review here (Link), but I spoke pretty highly of it, and even said it was the only Led Zeppelin I truly like. Hell, even before getting it close to 7 years ago, I was always a fan of one song off of it, but upon listening to it, I realized that the whole thing is great. Even though it was torn apart by many people when it first released, it none the less managed to become a favorite among Led Zeppelin fans in the years afterwards, and in one circumstance.....they got me hooked.

2) Nirvana - Nevermind (Song)

Grunge. Often reviled by hardcore metalheads from the 1980s as being the main culprit of classic metal getting “Killed” in the 90s (Even though there were more business & social factors at work), it was unfairly maligned by many, and some still to this day have a brain aneurysm over it. What they all fail to realize is that Grunge was far more Metal than they knew, and even a lot of the Grunge bands kinda had that mentality as well (Whether they admit it or not). None perhaps were more iconic to the Grunge movement that Nirvana, as well as it’s troubled frontman, Kurt Cobain. Though they had an album released beforehand, it was 1991's Nevermind that established themselves as legends until the end of time. Singing about things that were more real than something like most of the Hair Metal bands from the prior decade would have in their music, Nevermind would help a burgeoning new generation find someway to make sense of the new decade, which made it all the more tragic when on the 5th of April, 1994....he took his own life by a self-inflicted shotgun blast.

1) Type-O Negative - World Coming Down (Song)

Another soul-crusher to end one of these lists.

Yet another album I reviewed 5 years ago, it might be surprising to some of you that I enjoy this record. In fact, it’ll definitely surprise you to know that it’s one of my absolute favorites coming from the Brooklyn powerhouse Type-O Negative, especially considering how bleak the music on this release is. Everything from graphic drug addition, to suicidal analogies, and to sexual fascination with fire can be found on World Coming Down. The whole experience is absolutely dark, tragic, and for almost all of the time, strangely hopeless. Yet, as I said in the review, it was also cleansing for Pete Steele. Whether he knew it or not, he was releasing just about all of his personal demons with every track, and maybe some of the other band members were doing the same thing as well. World Coming Down is most definitely a miserable experience, but it’s a well-made miserable experience, and I can’t fault it for that.

And those were the top 10 albums to listen to before you die. Records taken from across musical time & space, they’re a testament to their legacy that they’re all remembered fondly even in these dark times. So, I will see you all on Halloween Day, when I’ll talk about the top 10 games to play before you die. Before that, I believe a certain October tradition is in order. Until then, take care.

Game Review: MegaMan's Battle Network

October moves on fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

The days are getting shorter. The nights are getting colder. The leaves are falling more, and the spirits of Halloween are creeping closer & closer. On the first of this month, I showed off the top 10 movies to watch before you die, but I didn’t want everything I published this month to crush the soul. I gotta treat you all once in a while this October, and I got something fun for today! The subject of today’s review is from a game series I got into earlier this year, and it’s one I’m glad I did. An alternate take on one of the most iconic console characters of all time, it spawned it’s own little series of games, but for today’s purposes I’m looking at the first title of this franchise. So, get yourself onto the Net, make sure you have the most up to date virus protection, and take a look at my review for MegaMan: Battle Network. Let’s begin!

Story
Taken from Wikipedia:

“Mega Man Battle Network is set in an ambiguous year in the 21st century ("20XX AD") in an alternate reality to the original Mega Man series. Within the world of Battle Network, the Net has become humanity's primary means of communication, commerce, and even crime. Users are able to "jack in" to the Net and other computerized devices and explore their various aspects using (or "operating") program avatars called "NetNavis (Network Navigators)" as if they were physical locations. The Net and the inner workings of computers are displayed as a virtual world within which users (through their NetNavis) and computer programs can interact. Users often do so by communicating through a "PET (PErsonal information Terminal)" device. The plot of Mega Man Battle Network follows one such pair, Lan Hikari and his NetNavi MegaMan.EXE. Lan is a fifth grader in the town of ACDC. His father, Dr. Yuichiro Hikari, is one of the world's top scientists and NetNavi researchers. Throughout the story, Lan and MegaMan solve various criminal cases around ACDC involving other Navis and their operators. Some of the confrontations with the various criminals involve desperate, life-threatening situations including school students being re-educated as mindless slaves, the city's waterworks freezing over, oxygen being cut off at a large party, and a bus rigged to explode. The duo continuously crosses paths with Eugene Chaud, an official "NetBattler" commissioned by the government to investigate crimes on the Net. Chaud and his NetNavi ProtoMan.EXE act as rivals to Lan and MegaMan.EXE.”

On the initial surface, Battle Network’s story comes across as rather anime cliched (Good & Bad), and as things progress a lot of said cliches stick around. However, the genius of this game’s story is that for every cliche, there’s a twist or surprise that catches you off guard! Much like when I talked about Everfrost’s 2019 release Winterider almost 5 years ago, there’s a giant degree of deception going on, but the kind of deception that works really well. Without spoiling anything, let’s just say there’s a few moments in the story that will come right out of left field......and I only knew one of them before I came into the game.

Setting
Battle Network is of two worlds: ours, and the Internet. In the real world, you got Lan’s hometown of AC/DC, and it a simple place where the player’s friends are, the school he goes to, and one of the local businesses. There’s also DenTown, a nearby city filled with commerce & frantic activity. Finally, there is the Government Complex, where some of the most important political & internet related decisions are made. There are a few other places, but they’re more for quests, and as such they don’t stick with you as much as the bigger locales. Regardless, there’s a surprising amount of detail for a game from the Game Boy Advance days. There’s a lot of color in every locale, and the more realistic places feel believable to an extent. The Internet, however.....is where the real imagination kicks in.

The Internet (and by extent, the dark & mirrored Undernet) is one of the most varied world’s I’ve ever seen in a game. Due to the fact that practically everything appliance, computer, everyday object, and more curious things have connections to the Net, there are so many micro worlds with their own personality. Since it’s a virtual world, you can have funky patters, bright colors, and paths that are designed in ways that makes sense in a computer. The parts of the Internet that are involved in main quests definitely have more room, and more detail because of their importance. That being said, sometimes things are too maze like and/or gimmicky in some locales, and you can get lost rather easily. The PowerPlant is infamous in this regard: in addition to being on a timer to get to the end, many of the pathways are invisible, and you have to know EXACTLY where they go once you’re somehow on them.

Characters
Battle Network’s cast of characters is bright & colorful, and they all have their own personalities that help them stand out. Lan, the character you play as, is bright & plucky, but perhaps a little dense at times. MegaMan is just as bright and plucky, but is incredibly more observant than his partner. Lan’s also got a bunch of friend by his side: the adorable Mayl (Who has a crush on Lan, btw) and her cute Navi, Roll. The spoiled but oddly caring Yai, and her butler Glide. You also have Dex, who starts out as kind of a bully, but ends up becoming the lovable oaf of a friend along with the equally tough Gutsman. Finally, there is Chaud. Though he’s not friends with the gang per se given his cold & distant personality, he none the less knows that sometimes going at it as a group is better than going in alone. His Navi, Protoman, pretty much thinks the same way.

However, it’s not just Lan & his friends that take center stage. There’s plenty of other characters as well! There’s Yuichiro Hikari & Haruka Hikari, who are Lan loving parents. Yuichiro isn’t home all the time, but he still cares for his son, and absolutely loves his wife. Meanwhile, Haruka is a kind housewife & mother, who has a passion for baking bread & is on a quest to make the perfect cheesecake. There is also Mr. Famous, who’s known for challenging young Netbattlers that are going down his path. Using a variety of Navis, he teaches these Netbattlers various techniques & information so that they might do well in the future. You also got the pair of Baryl & his Navi, Colonel. The two are practically inseparable, and have been together throughout numerous battles. Finally, there is the highly mysterious Bass. A Navi that is within the Internet’s depths, he’s constantly seeking out strong opponents to fight in his pursuit of more power, and has stood in the way of MegaMan on numerous occasions. There are also numerous other NPCs all over the game, each with their own quirky personalities, and they all add further personality to the world

And then we have the WWW, or World 3 as they’re known. These guys are.....conflicting for me. On the one hand, they genuinely do some awful stuff, and most of them are equally awful people. On the other hand, they seem unintentionally comical. Some of their actions kind of come across like the classic dastardly villain that ties the girl to the train tracks, and just taunts the hero to come to them. When it was revealed that Dr. Wily was the one leading the group, I was kinda surprised. Compared to his appearances in the original MegaMan games, he’s not quite as threatening. He’s still a chicken shit, but there’s a lack of menace from him this time around, despite still having a sliver of a threatening aura. Still, WWW could have been so much worse, and are more than appropriate for this first outing in the Battle Network series.

Gameplay
And here’s where we get to a conflicting area of this game for me. For an RPG, it goes through a lot of typical motions of the genre. You go around the world, doing quests, finding items, fighting enemies, and leveling up your character. It’s actually done very well, but what makes it special in Battle Network are the twists it does. For example, since you’re fighting in the cyberworld, you have to find various CHIPS that’ll give you attacks & abilities. Some you can find on the internet, while others you get from completing quests, merchants, finding in the net, and fighting the various viruses & Navi. That last part is a bit annoying sometimes, as you have to have certain circumstances met in order to get their special CHIPS. The Boss Navi in particular can be incredibly frustrating if you want their special CHIPS, as you really need to have certain conditions happening in order to get them. As for leveling up your stats (Attack, Rapid, Charge, Health), you find PowerUp.exe & HealthUp.exe items in pretty much the same manner as the CHIPS. These are perhaps more important than CHIPS at times, and are practically vital when it comes to boss encounters. Maybe not so much when it comes to the ones in the beginning, but after them you better level up your stats!

Apart from that, there’s a couple other issues I have with the gameplay at times. For starters, some of the quests involve a lot of backtracking, and that gets old real quick. Secondly, some of the fights you get into feel incredibly rigged. Maybe not so much with the average viruses, but when it comes to the boss Navi......ooooooh boy did a couple of them feel rigged. Even with my stats at a fairly high level, it still felt like they had an advantage somehow (Looking at you MagicMan). Finally, it can be really confusing when it comes to where you have to go to complete a quest. There’s a few times where you’re told where you gotta go next, but more often than not it can actually be hair-pulling, and since there isn’t a map, it’ll feel like you’re just running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off.

Graphics & Sounds
Despite being over 20 years old, the graphics for Battle Network are nostalgically delightful. Something about the pixilated looks & feel of everything is just charming. From the various NPCs & Navi, to all of the locales you wander through, there’s just something about the various settings that brings a smile to my face. Even the various attacks coming from you & your enemies look grace, as there’s a surprising amount of fluidity to them. The remaster from last year, however, looks so much better. Things are expanded from the original Game Boy Advance edition, and looks really well on bigger screens. I played it on the PC, and it looked fantastic! It wasn’t too expanded, as there is a border around the gameplay to help take up space. Still, it managed to keep the nostalgic vibes of the GBA version, while at the same time looking really fresh.

The one thing that I don’t think was changed was the sound effects, and I’m strangely thankful that they didn’t. Much like it’s graphics, the sounds & music are 20+ years old, but in this remaster it sounds nice! They sound just like they did on the GBA release, and I must say that the soundtrack tickles the nostalgia bone for me, even though this year marked the first time I played this.

Overall & Rating
Battle Network No. 1 is just a charming little game. Small dents not withstanding, it is a fun time in this tactical RPG that slathered in virtual MegaMan goodness. Thanks to the release of all 6 games last year (Especially on the PC), those who missed out on them the first time will have a chance to experience them in their full glory today. I salute you Battle Network!......no. 1 that is.

Battle Network No. 1 gets a 8.5 to 9 out of 10.

And that was my review for the first MegaMan Battle Network game. A fun little title from a colorful series of games, it wonderful that they’ve come back onto the gaming market for anyone to enjoy, regardless of the system it’s being played on. With that out of the way, it’s time to come back to my haunting retrospective on media, so join me next week when I’ll show off the top 10 albums you should listen to before you die. Until then, don’t download any weird viruses off the net!