Quest for Muscle: The Return of the Pump

[GentleOx]

"Well, the camp hasn't blown up yet..." Ox mused. In fact, quite the opposite. A training class was being held in the main square, individual stalkers traded tales and experiences in the tents next to the Observatory, and a fresh shipment of goods was being haggled over by several experienced personnel. "Maybe I should give up my day job," Simmi quipped. Ox met her eye, but wasn't sure how serious she was being. Their arrival was met not with fanfare, but a mix of awe and warmth. Apparently, word had already reached the Observatory, and the dwellers of the camp were abuzz. She lives. They tried to kill her. He fought them off single-handedly. Ox was a little wary of the way everyone stopped and goggled at them, but Simmi took it all with good cheer: they were being welcomed back, in a way. A few of the stalkers stopped to greet them and wish them well, but all Ox wanted to do was see how Howie was holding it together.

As they entered the Observatory, voices were apparent from within. A buzz of activity, orders being sent out, notes taken, and in the center of it all was Howie. It almost seemed like he had grown in height and dignity, such was his bearing. Standing next to him was Weasel, clipboard in hand, issuing corrections and clarification as the situation called for it. So busy were the two that they didn't notice Ox and Simmi standing before them, until Simmi let out a conspicuous cough. Howie looked up, took one look at the two, and his demeanor instantly changed. "Thank God you two are back." Simmi shrugged. "It seems like you were doing just fine without us," she said. "I had help," Howie said, trading a fond look with Weasel. Ox rolled his eyes.

"You're pretty good at this, kid. Maybe we should just leave you all be and..."
"No! I uh... just give me a break." He paused, as if comprehending how that sounded. "After doing your job, I can see how hard it is holding it all together..."
Simmi smiled at him. "Well, if you truly insist, I could resume my ops and planning..."
"Sure!" He squeaked. He motioned to Weasel, and the two left the Observatory, hand in hand.

Ox could've sworn he heard Howie mutter that he "needed a vacation."

Hey again Bees!

My weekend was filled with too much eating and too little exercise, so here's another workout to rectify that!

Today was the third week of the Candito Strength program, and it was a Push day.

Bench Press: 122.5 x 6. Eh, it was alright. I'm afraid that when I up the weight next time, it'll be too tough. We'll see.
Incline Press: 90 x 5. Doable.
Overhead Press: 65 x 5.
Overhead Dumbbell Extensions: 16 x 6. Trying to really get the form tight this time, so I dialed down the weight.
Hammer Curls: 24 x 20. Yes!
Dumbbell Wrist Curls: 18 x 10. Also a case of lessening the weight.
+27000 steps!
+ Some sets of sandbag swings at home: IIII
My calluses are sore. Great feeling.

Thank you so much for the encouragement @TopNotch @CODawn @Fremen and @JCU !

Got some busy days this week, but I can relax for now.

Hope your week starts strong, Bees!

Playing: A bit of this and that. Got to the final level of early access Pigface, and it kicked my butt and depleted my supplies. Going to have to build up my supply of medkits again. Haven't gotten anywhere in Project Silverfish yet - though again, I've made my way through all the available content. I reinstalled Blood, and have been having a bloody great blast so far. I'll see if I can finish the campaign this time.

Cute/Funny: Penny, the talking kitty!

Watching: Finished the first episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which adapts GRRM's short story The Hedge Knight. It's more earthy and puerile than I thought it would be (there's a fakeout, seemingly reverent homage to Game of Thrones, until it cuts to a bodily humour joke, eg), but it's safe to say I like it so far.

Listening to: House of Protection - Being One. What a great song! It mixes club-ready beats with surging rock melody and great vocals.

"Being one
Turn in the night
Chasing the light
Earthless and bright"

 

[GentleOx]

Ox let out a wolf whistle as Simmi took off her long sleeved shirt, folded it, and placed it on a chair in front of the war table. "That's as much as you're getting, mister," she remarked, unperturbed. Ox let out a mock sound of hurt, which Simmi ignored as she gathered together the materials she would need: bandages, antiseptic spray, and tape. Simmi stood before him in a sports bra and trousers; normally a welcome sight, but the stark sight of the blood-stained dressings wrapped around her torso and right arm were sobering. The dark, almost black blood reminded him of how lucky she had been, and still was. The first bullet had missed her plate carrier by mere inches and struck the side of her torso, without exit trauma. Apart from profuse bleeding, nothing had been internally damaged. The bullet to her bicep had had similar results. The doc had remarked that she was shot with submachine gun rounds - had they been 5.56 calibre or worse, he wouldn't have been able to guarantee her survival.

Simmi got to work removing the old dressings, sterilizing the wounds, and applying new bandages, as Ox watched her. It was early in the morning, and the camp was quiet, but for the hushed chatter from stalkers in conversation, or the occasional passing of bootsteps of those willing to try their luck at night. Ox placed his elbows on his legs, and propped up his chin with his fists, his ardor dampened. "So... what do we do now?" Simmi looked up at him, distracted by her task. "Hmm...? Well, I suppose that unless there's an extenuating need, I'm going to be staying with admin duties for the time being." A quiet pause between them. "You're too valuable to risk," Ox finally said. He cracked his knuckles, as an unconscious kind of emphasis. "Are you saying that I made the wrong choice?" Ox mustered up his courage. "Yes. I understand your need to go out there and adventure, but--" He could sense her simmering.

"Look. All I'm saying is people want you dead. That ambush in the tunnel - probably Insurgents - wasn't random. But more importantly, we need you here. We were saved by Howie's hidden talents, but let's not fool anyone. If you were out of the picture, a grievous blow would've been dealt to us Freelancers." Simmi had finished cleaning herself now, and was slipping into the BDU shirt again. "I suppose I don't have a choice, or a say in the matter." "Babe, if you wanted to leave Carcosa and return home tomorrow, I wouldn't stop you. If you want to go out into the field again, you can - just bring a hell of a lot of guns. That's your decision. All I'm saying is that you're important, and not just to us Freelancers here, and me of course." She smiled a little at this, and he continued. "There's a war being waged, and Carcosa, hell, the world, needs more people like you." Simmi wasn't making eye contact with him. Was that anger? Internal turmoil? Resignation. Ox got up, slowly walked over to her, and wrapped his arms around her. Taking in a breath of her, he whispered, "Whatever you decide, I'll be there for you." A tear in her eye.

"Thank you."

Hello again Bees! It's a bit chilly today, but that didn't stop my from heading over to the gym.

Today was the second Push day of Week 3.

Bench Press: 125 x 6. Improvement! All right! Not a PR, but better than a few weeks ago.
Incline Press: 90 x 5.
Overhead Press: 65 x 5.
Overhead Dumbbell Extensions: 16 x 6. Tough, but may move up to 18s next time.
Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 26 x 14. Damn, but that's a hell of a lot of weight!
Straight Bar Wrist Curls:

Yesterday's sandbag swings: (each tick represents five reps) IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIII

I've had horrible attacks of the Stay-At-Home-And-Do-Nothings, but thankfully, it's in my nature to head out there and get in a workout. I ate way too much food on Tuesday, but that's just a day past, and there will be many more, I hope.

We're almost at the weekend, Bees! Keep chugging.

Playing: So I resumed Blood where I'd left off (I'd previously completed two of the episodes), and though I got stuck on one of the levels in the third episode (it was a bug, I'm convinced), I used a noclip cheat to pass through the stuck door and managed to finish the third episode; I've never made it this far. I'm on the fourth and final episode now.

Edit: I completed Blood for the first time in my life! Here's a synopsis, trailer, and review.

(Warning: Trailer has graphic, but totally ridiculous and unbelievable violence).

Caleb, a gunslinger from out of the nightmares of the Wild West, is blasting his way through the ranks of the Cabal. Originally a devoted servant of the dark lord Tchernobog, Caleb and his coterie of companions (including his love, Ophelia) were betrayed by the god and thrown to its most loyal and monstrous followers to be killed. Caleb himself wakes from a simple grave unexpectedly, with one mission: revenge on Tchernobog for this betrayal. Which means blood - lots of blood.

Synopsis: It's no longer a state of the art shooter, but its robust, gory gameplay and suitably creative level design holds up after all these years.

When I was a twelve year old and I first played this (don't ask how I got my hands on a copy), I took the premise of Blood deadly serious. It was a seriously spooky game with a few disturbing overtones to it, and lots of gore and viscera. And I was dead wrong! While there are horror elements to Blood, it's a graphic, over the top, and absolutely ridiculous send up of classic horror movie tropes. While playing, I caught references to Evil Dead, The Simpsons, The Shining, Friday the 13th, and Nightmare on Elm Street. There's even a Chris Farley reference. Even though the protagonist is villainous, the game lacks the meanspirited bite of shooters that would come during and after the 00s.

But how does it play? I played the Nightdive remastered version (Fresh Supply), and the gameplay is as smooth, hard-hitting and fun as it ever was. Blood is probably most infamous for the variety of violent ways in which you can dispatch your foes. Your armaments include voodoo dolls, tommy guns, and even a pitchfork! It's also quite a difficult game, and was notorious for this characteristic back in the day. I've played harder games (like the notoriously cheap FPS Chaser), and its difficulty and style of play doesn't compare to, say, a Souls-like. The level design is inventive and excellent, and a lot of the fun is in exploring the different environments thoroughly.

In a bit of disclosure, I remember beating the first two episodes a few years ago, and therefore started the third one to continue my progress.

(In a fun bit of GentleOx trivia, the music video of Type O Negative's Love You to Death was included on the CD and was my introduction to the band.)

I give Blood five mimes(!) out of five.

Also, I finally got the sequel, Blood 2 working! I'd given up on it numerous times in past years because you have to futz around with all sorts of dlls and stuff, but a package I downloaded worked! In playing this game, I'm revisiting a shooter that I haven't played since I was fifteen. I remember it not being very good, and it still lives up to that memory, but hey! It's kind of fun.

Watching: Still loving Fallout; we got our first look at a SPOILER. And Lucy's dad SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER. I've loved the tv series so far!

May watch The Rip, which is a Netflix police drama with two famous actors (to say the very least).

Apparently Return to Silent Hill is total rubbish. Not that that's going to stop me from watching it.

Listening to: Trevor Something - So Far Away. Another Ox classic from the collection of music that I've forgotten about (who knows how). Trevor Something takes Lazerhawk's spacey synths and constructs around them a swirling atmosphere of broken hearts, betrayal, and resentment.

(I have a bevy of new synth treats ready to be posted, so I'm rationing them for coming posts).

"We thought it would last forever
Together every day
We used to be so close
But now you're so far away"

 

[GentleOx]

"Ni go Nauh haih yat go--Wait, how does it go again?"
"Ni go Nauh haih yat go ying huhng."

Simmi mimed wiping sweat from her brow. This was all show, given that it was a chilly evening, and they were seated outside in the central area of the camp, which few frequented so late at night. The fire pit which had been constructed in the middle of the camp now held a comforting fire. "And what does it mean?" Ox smiled, a little shyly. "This Ox is a hero." Simmi laughed, the sound rich with amusement. "That's a funny way to speak a language - where each word has its own musical note. I can speak three, and they still aren't as complicated as that short sentence." "It's something you get used to when you grow up with it," Ox mused. "Next, can we do, Simmi is an absolute boss queen," she said, taking a sip from her bottle. Ox chuckled.

"I'm not sure how that would translate to Cantonese, but--" "Did you say 'Cantonese'?" Orban was looking at him rather curiously. Ox felt a little unsettled by Orban's intense gaze. "Yes, it's called Cantonese. It's one of the Chinese languages, and the one I learned growing up on the farm." He left out the part about how he had been an actual ox. Orban settled into a more comfortable position - after all, the stone tiles made for poor chairs.

"I've been around. I've heard of many languages: Imperial, Orlainne, Neders, Hispan, to name a few. I've never heard of this 'Cantonese'. The closest you'd come is Sinese - that one has the same musical tone your Cantonese has, but it sounds pretty different." He paused, for a beat. "Where is this farm you mentioned?" Ox, still a touch unsettled, answered. "In China. The southern region." "I've never heard of such a country," Orban declared, taking a swig from his whiskey flask. "Well, we all learn something new every day." Orban nodded; Ox knew he meant no ill-will. "You are a real man of mystery, Ox. I leave the night to you and your amor." He took his leave. Simmi and Ox watched him go, until she turned back to Ox.

"You tell a good story. I don't know how you spoke that language, but all that stuff you say: growing up on a farm, in a country that doesn't exist... do you have an angle?" "There's no angle here, love. These are my memories, and there are a whole lot of them." Maybe it was time for a cigarette. Shuffling over to sit right next to him, Simmi spoke again. "Wherever you're from, you're here with me, and that matters the most." Ox thought of saying something, but decided to leave it at that.

Shoulder to shoulder, they watched as the fire blazed.

Hey gang! Good to be back again. I haven't been working out as much as usual, so I'm going to try to rectify that this week.

Today was Week 4 of my Push workout.

Bench Press: 125 x 3, 130 x 3, 132.5 x 3. I was kind of dreading this, but it went off without a hitch!
Incline Press: 92.5 x 5. Move along, nothing to see here.
Shoulder Press: 67.5 x 5.
Overhead Dumbbell Extensions: 18 x 5. So I got to 18, should stick with that weight. But man do my elbow joints hurt when I do these.
Hammer Curls: 26 x 18. Guh.
Wrist Curls: 18 x 12.

28 sets in total! Complete wrecker of a workout.

Sandbag swings on Saturday (sets of ten): IIIII IIIII

And my hands are sore, once again.

Hope you're having a great Sunday, Bees!

Playing: Uh, I reinstalled F76... try to meet it on its own terms. Also trying out Ain't... err, No Rest For the Wicked (money don't grow on trees) which looks like its evolved. If I like it a lot, I'll drop some coin, but that's no guarantee.

So a free game was made available on Epic games - it's called Rustler (Grand Horse... something or other). It's a bit of a medieval throwback to the original GTA games, but I couldn't get into it. Boom! Ye hath been retracted from mine drive of solid state.

Am very tempted to yank Blood 2 off of my hard drive because... let's face it, it's simply not a great game, and not worth playing to the end for the sake of writing a review (it's a fairly big FPS). Decisions, decisions...

Also reinstalled Destiny 2 (why, oh why do you keep doing this to yourself, Ox?), and got stuck on the menu and ui's overloading me with more crap. I didn't even know how to get into a mission, so perhaps in the future, when I'm more patient, I can actually play the game, and not get stuck in death by menu screens. But for now - Boom! Uninstalled.

Reading: The Dresden Files' latest novel: 12 months. Having a good time with this one.

Watching: Not much at the moment. Tons of movies to watch, so little time.

Listening to: Futurecop! - The Beast on Saturn. No, it's not truly dubstep, contrary to what the title is. Instead, it's a snapshot of Futurecop! early in their career, when their sound was a little more hardhitting, but still fully-formed.

 

[GentleOx]

"Hff. Ngg." Lying supine on the scant padding that covered the splintery wooden bench, Simmi grunted as she lowered the bar to her chest. Ox stood behind her, flanked by the bench press racks, dutifully spotting her set. "Eight... You got this... nine..." And then, on the final repetition, Simmi seemed to stall. The bar drifted down to her chest and rested there, stationary. Ox reached down to help her, and Simmi staunchly shook her head. Interesting, Ox thought. Her expression pained and straining, she took a breath, and then, with a final effort, propelled the bar back up, inch by inch. "You've got this! C'mon!" Ox cried. The other freelancers working out had paused their sets and were watching with some amazement.

"Almost there..." The bar was at the midway point, and then Simmi pushed it upwards in a slow grind, locking out her elbows. Ox gripped the bar and safely guided it back onto the racks. Simmi sat up, let out a huff, and bent over to grab a water flask that was below the bench seat. Taking several sips, she looked back at Ox, her features ebullient. "How did I do?" Ox folded his arms, pretending to be impassive, but cracked a slow smile, finally. "45 kg ten times is exceptional," he admitted. Simmi raised an eyebrow. "For a girl." Ox made a seesaw gesture with his hand. "Some people have trouble just using the bar, so I'd say this is good progress. And the grind of that final rep... I'll count it." He gestured at her scars, which thanks to her tank top, lay bare and revealed. "But what do you think?"

"It sure beats being unable to twist around and flex my right arm," she said. While the wounds had received expert medical care courtesy of the doctor, it had taken weeks before she'd had the freedom and mobility to fully use them again. "Oh, someone's going to be doing a lot of flexing from now on," Ox said, to which Simmi flexed her bicep with a grin. The scar tissue was still stark and angry, but healing. He chuckled, unable to keep a serious face.

"C'mon, Ox. You know you're impressed."
"A little. But let's move on to something else."
Her face brightened. "Burpees!"
And Ox groaned. Simmi ate Burpees for breakfast, demonstrating a suppleness and fluidity that he couldn't match.
"How about something for your shoulders?" She nodded, a little absently.

"Anything. I'm ready for more..."

Yo yo Bees! Ox coming at you live, with another fresh workout.

This was the final push workout before I test my strength next week (Week 5).

Bench Press: 127.5 x 3, 132.5 x 2, and 137.5 x 2. Tough, but doable. The initial warm up sets were not great, so maybe I'll be on the ball next time.
Incline Press: 92.5 x 5.
Shoulder Press: 67.5 x 5.
Triceps Pushdown: 13 x 6.
Hammer Curls: 26 x 20. Oomph. I will take a break from hammer curls for some time and build up my flat curl strength.
Wrist Curls: 22 x 12.

The weather was warm and comfortable during the day. I left my hoodie at home! But with darkness comes the cool again. Relatively speaking of course.

Sore fingers once more. I experienced some elbow pain during my workout, so I'm going to give the pushing movements a rest until next Monday.

Hope your week is going well, Bees!

Playing: A bit of Project Silverfish. Again - once more, I've reached the current finish line. Hoping that Siris gets back to developing more content, but I can wait...

So, I got my wish, and got to play No Rest for the Wicked, a game I've been anticipating these two years, as it was having a free weekend (more games need to do this). Loved the presentation and graphical flair (apart from the fact that your male avatar clearly skips leg day - well, glass houses, I guess), but the gameplay was squarely in the Souls-like mold, so it struck a bum note with me. Boom! Uninstalled.

I am sorely tempted to buy RPG/Survival epic Enshrouded, as it's on discount, but I'll give it some thought. Shame it doesn't have a demo.

Downloaded the demo for procedurally generated RPG Devil Spire Falls, and may give it a fair shake. I'd previously uninstalled it a week ago, but I'm willing to give it another go.

Comedy: The worst line reading of all time. Watch it and prepare to cringe!

Watching: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms just dropped episode 2! And Fallout episode 7 is tomorrow! Squee!

Listening to: 'Til Tuesday - What About Love. I'm breaking from my usual synth posts for this track from the 80s, a decade of music that I've been quite fond of. This one is from 'Til Tuesday. Aimee Mann's appearance and presence in this performance - just meow! I love it.

Song's great, too.

"So put out all the fires
And blow away the smoke
I guess I'm getting tired
Of living on hope"

 

[agc]

Comedy: The worst line reading of all time. Watch it and prepare to cringe!

Did not expect to see this on Darebee! I say "oh man. Oh god. Oh man oh god oh man oh god" all the time to my wife when we have the slightest inconvenience with any plans we have lol.

Probably my tied favourite line reading along with the Hercules one where the actor yells out "disappointed!" at the end of a line instead of saying the line is a disappointed voice.

 

[GentleOx]

Did not expect to see this on Darebee! I say "oh man. Oh god. Oh man oh god oh man oh god" all the time to my wife when we have the slightest inconvenience with any plans we have lol.

Probably my tied favourite line reading along with the Hercules one where the actor yells out "disappointed!" at the end of a line instead of saying the line is a disappointed voice.

"Wait a minute... This isn't my world... DISAPPOINTED!!"

Haha, that's absolute gold! Thank you for introducing me to that!

I am a connoisseur of terrible movies and movie moments, so that's definitely staying in my brain!

 

[GentleOx]

The savoury smell of meat stew filled the air, and the assorted stalkers had formed a queue to receive their share. "And, here's yours. Enjoy," Ox said, ladling the thick, tasty soup into the stalker's offered bowl. Said stalker (Ox had not formally met him yet) gave him a cursory nod, then went off to find a place to eat in peace. No pleasing some people. The next one up was Vladmir. "Ah, my favourite Ox, with my favourite meal!" Ox ladled him a healthy portion, and then wagged his finger. "No going for seconds - or thirds, until everyone's got some." Vladmir grinned, and went off to enjoy his dinner. Ox looked back at Howie, who was holding a clipboard, ticking off names. "Hey, I'm going to get a smoke. Take over for a few minutes, could you?" Howie put down the clipboard and nodded, taking up position at the big pot of stew.

Ox headed over to the side of the observatory, taking out a green packet of cigarettes and his favourite silver lighter. Lighting up the cigarette, he placed it in his mouth and sucked in a minty, cancerous breath of smoke. Mmm... menthol. "Nice apron, dude." Ox turned to see Simmi heading over to where he stood. "Regular Martha Stewart, I am." Simmi raised her hand as if to dismiss the remark. "Not even going to ask who that is." He dutifully offered her the cigarette, which she took a puff of, before handing it back to him. "So, would you say soup night is a success?"

He gazed at where Howie, now helped by Weasel, continued to ladle stew. The central square of the camp was packed full of stalkers from near and far. Their gear and fatigues were quite the assortment; some were merely outfitted with pistols and jackets, while the wealthiest and most seasoned stalkers were decked out with automatic weaponry and body armour. Some had clearly just entered the zone, and were making their starts, while others had clearly been around. But no matter their lot in life, none turned down the offer of a free meal.

"It was a great idea. And it seems to have achieved more than I would've expected."
"What would you have expected? At least at first?"
"It seemed like simple charity. Feed the masses, make them happy..."
"But...?"
"We've garnered some goodwill, sure. But it's also become something of a social event."
"We're building a community."
"There you have it. I'm not interested in tangling with the other powers that be, but there's no harm in having people on our side."

There was an unspoken implication there in that sentence that he would have to unpack later. Giving Simmi a peck on the cheek, he walked over to relieve Howie and portion out the leftovers. Even after the first round, people were in line for more.

Ox felt a certain sense of satisfaction from this.

Hey Bees! It's your neighborhood Ox, back for another round of workouts and... stuff.

Today was a Pull day, since I haven't worked my back in what feels like ages.

Snatch Grip Deadlift: 100 x 6. Harder than I remember them being. I'll build these up.
Barbell Rows: 100 x 6. Ditto.
Meadows Rows: 60 x 6.
Close Grip Rows: 60 x 6.
Neutral Grip Chins: 27 reps in total.

It was like my body reset itself back to basic strength. Looks like I'm going to have to slowly build it up again in the next few weeks.

Well, it was comfy and cozy and pleasant outside for a bit, but it's back to being cold - as cold as it gets in Hong Kong, anyway.

Have to go out tomorrow to get my blood drawn and visit the psychiatrist afterwards.

Korean BBQ on Saturday! Om nom nom.

Almost at the weekend, Bees! You've got this.

Playing: A mishmash of stuff. Tried Project Zomboid for the first time in ages, and will try to get in some playtime tonight. Also, reinstalled 7 Days to Die, and I'll try to give it a fair shake this time. Uninstalled Diablo IV because... Eh. It's Diablo IV. What else is there to say.

Oh oh! I also resumed my Abiotic Factor playthrough, as it didn't feel fair to leave it as it was. I made good progress, so I should continue. I think.

Watching: Watched the most recent Fallout episode (7), which excellently sets the table for the finale. Very much looking forward to it! That new suit of NCR power armour seems to be a hit with the fans, too.

Listening to: Puscifer - Potions. Slow, creeping, insidious. Kind of like addiction itself.

"The devil bent my ear today
About his magical elixir
That would make the sorrow go away
Help me forget I'd ever met you"

 

[GentleOx]

"C'mon, I have to show you!" She never wheedled or whined at him. Huh. Ox let himself be lead by Simmi's insistent tugging into the Observatory, only instead of the annex, Simmi brought him over to the giant projector screen, rows of seats, and tape receptacle that took up the other half of the facility. "Sit down. This is going to blow your mind." Ox dutifully sat in one of the steel folding chairs and watched and Simmi slipped a cassette (it seemed cleaner and less used than the others he'd spotted around the zone) into the player, and with a dramatic pause, pressed a button on the console that started the tape's spinning.

It was electronic in nature, he was sure of that. Dreamy waves of synthesizer notes were the backbone of the song, along with processed drums that seemed dated. Scratch that, the whole thing sounded dated - only deliberately so. Even so, the sound was quite catchy, and had a melody that was sure to remain in his mind for awhile. The tune evoked sun-drenched beaches, colourful attire, the feel of summertime, and-- "So what do you think?" Ox had his eyes closed while listening to the tune, and slowly opened them, as he was brought back to the cold Observatory, on the metal folding chair. "Mmm-hmm," he said, stretching out his limbs, slowly. There was a languid feeling running its way through his body. "Where did you get it? Do you have any more?"

Simi was enthused by his approval. "I don't know who exactly composed it. Someone by the name of Fire Sun Sands, whatever that means. But it's got a certain kick to it, doesn't it?" Ox nodded. "It's like someone was trying to evoke a past that never existed..." he mused. A clatter. Simmi had placed a cardboard box on the floor before him. Ox peered inside; cassette upon cassette lay inside, haphazardly stacked upon each other. Fortunately, each featured a label to ostensibly display the artist's name. He looked up to see Simmi's ear to ear grin.

"We've hit the jackpot!"

Hi Bees!

It's Sunday, so after church, I went to the gym to see how my gains added up. Was not disappointed.

Bench Press: 140 x 2, 142.5 x 2. I was aiming for three reps of 140, but that was out of the question today. Still, 142.5 x 2 is nothing to sneeze at. I could likely pull off a little more than 325 if I tried. This cycle was successful, and so the cycle will begin anew!
Incline Press: 95 x 5.
Overhead Press: 70 x 6.
Rope Pushdowns: 9 x 6.
Flat Dumbbell Curls: 18 x 20 (!), plus tried out 20 for 10 reps total. Will work with 20 in the future.
Dumbbell Wrist Curls: 20 x 20.

I discovered a new synthwave channel that features tons of songs I've never listened to! I love stumbling upon these on Youtube and finding all sorts of new synth discoveries to unearth. To borrow a metaphor I learned elsewhere, it's like rummaging through a bargain bin at a store and coming up with new finds! I like!

Here's the channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@TimeSlaveRecordings/videos

Chinese New Year happens this month. Lai see, lai see for me! I mean, errm, err, lai see for all, good fortune, prosperity, etc...

Enjoy your Sunday, Bees!

Playing: A mishmash of stuff which I don't really remember. A dash of Project Silverfish, of course.

Tried out the playtest for Ammossum, which was a silly top-down shooter featuring a sheriff of a possum, as you might've guessed. Didn't like it. Boom! Uninstalled.

Also installed the demo for Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, which supposedly takes inspiration from Bethesda games. Huh. I'll give it a shake tonight. The full retail version is prohibitively costly, though. I'll play it for a bit and see if it catches my fancy.

7 Days to Die had to go, to make room for other goodies on my hard drive. Boom! Uninstalled.

Comedy: This is movie silliness on par with the worst line reading of all time. The editing in this one never fails to crack me up!

"Gentle Ox, aged 40, gave himself up to the authorities after the incident. He is now serving a life sentence.

Cast of Characters..."

Listening to: New Arcades - Yours. Sometimes you just need to go back to the classics, one if which is this beautiful, heartfelt number.

"Now everything falls into place,
Like where we were before
I tell you everything's ok
But I don't know anymore

Now everything falls into place
Like where we were before
I tell myself that we won't break
The voice I'm hearing is yours"

 

[GentleOx]

"Hey babe. Got a job for you, but I don't know if you'll be interested in taking this one." That got Ox's attention, busy as he was maintaining his weapons. He carefully placed the components on the bed he no longer slept in, and descended the short steps to the landing where Simmi held court. There was concern in her voice and body language. "I'm listening," Ox patiently said. "Broker lost a shipment... sounds like the courier did a runner to keep the artifacts for themselves." Okay, nothing unusual so far. Many of the Broker's employees often decided that the pittance they were paid wasn't worth the trouble, and tried to make off with the cargo they'd been hired to carry. "So the courier hides out with the Scavs in the Slums, who seemed to have harboured him for awhile. Then he disappears. Broker believes he stashed the shipment somewhere, and wants it all back." Well, shit.

He hadn't played around that part of town since he'd been hoodwinked, ambushed, and tortured. In fact, he'd never forgotten the scars they'd left him. "Babe? You okay?" He shook himself mentally, and folded his arms. "Would be dangerous rooting around that part of town." Both he and she knew it; the Scavs were an insular bunch, and the Slums were the heart of their territory. Stories told that the second you entered their little chunk of Metropole, it was already too late; Ox could attest to that. So the frontal approach was out of the question, and going it alone again suicidal. "Could bring backup. Howie doesn't have much to do these days apart from follow Weasel around like a puppy," he mused. Simmi gave him a look. "Not to cast aspersion on Howie's talents, but anything less than an army wouldn't do." She had a point. Ox drummed his fingers along his bicep. What to do... and then it came to him.

There was, indeed, somebody they could consult.

Hey Bees.

Going through this week has been like going through mud. The more effort I make, the more I slowed down, so I'm glad it's nearly at an end.

Today I took my time off to head to the gym for a Pull day.

Snatch Grip Deadlifts: 105 x 6. Came to me pretty easily, I'd say.
Barbell Rows: 102.5 x 5. Will up the weight.
Meadows Rows: 62.5 x 5. Augh, but these were a challenge.
Narrow Grip Cable Row: 65 x 6.
Neutral Grip Chinups: 28 in total.
Lat Rows: 20 x 8. I did this with a different, lighter weight stack. A good exercise finisher.

So it seems that my back is steadily getting stronger again. No PRs yet, though, but that's okay.

I taught a really poor class on Tuesday. I would say I don't know what happened, but that's not exactly true. I fudged the class materials and found myself off-script too many times, which is a kiss of death for teachers. I'll just have to try harder next time.

At least Wednesday's classes were better, and I'm grateful that I have such good students.

Been in kind of a depressed mood these days, which will hopefully subside when I make it through these few days.

"There’s nothing more I can do
Than dream of what might be
Praise be to the gods of the east
That bow down in front of me"

At least I had a good day today, it seems like. Went to the gym, cyberpunk-ed around for a bit, and bought dinner (roast duck, yum yum) and made rice. Just going to take it easy tonight.

We're almost at the weekend, Bees. We've got this.

Playing: A lot of gaming lately - or at least, a lot of different games. I don't play more than an hour a day, if that. Anyway, across these few days...

I resumed my oft-put off playthrough of Dusk, a boomer shooter, and beat the first episode... and kinda ran out of steam after that. It just doesn't do it for me, and even though it's a great game, I'm likely not going back to it. Boom! Uninstalled.

I resurrected an old Ox special, a Soulslike FPS (how many of those are around?) called Revulsion, which is pretty damn hard. This is the kind of game that squeezes you with its difficulty. Right now, I'm making do with my pistol, and kind of hoping for an automatic weapon. Flaggle Claggle, it stays on my hard drive.

Tried another FPS demo for the colourful and enticing "Grimps", which features a talking pigeon sidekick, colourful enemies, and gun that involves feeding a squirrel acorns (!). However, it plays like tosh on my PC, and I was unwilling to endure the inconsistent framerate for what ironically was a conventional shooter. Boom! Uninstalled.

I tried a demo for the unusually named Goldilock One - The Mists of Jakaira, which fancies itself an open world survival-er, but didn't get far. It runs like rubbish on my PC, and a marginally increased framerate did not make up for lowered settings. Boom! Uninstalled.

Purchased, and then promptly refunded top-down space sim Starcom: blah blah yadda something or the other. I admit my impatience played a part, but it took too long to hook me. Boom! Uninstalled!

May buy Palworld, even though it's not on discount. I've heard that it's *that* good.

May also download IVAN (Iter Vehemens ad Necem) and play through again. It's a game where you can attack someone with an arm made of a banana. That kind of sums it up.

Lots of demos going around lately. I'm not complaining - except when they run like a marathoner on the very last mile of the race!

Watching: Finished Fallout Season 2; I liked it a great deal. May write a review, but not tonight. Liking A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms a lot! The actors are great, there's tangible chemistry, and those jousting scenes are simply amazing. While it's humbler in scope than Game of Thrones (like its lunk-headed, pure of heart protagonist), it does what it does very well. Looking forward to watching the next few episodes.

Listening to: Tangerine Dream - Mysterious Strand at the Semblance of Nightmares. Hands down, one of the best pieces of electronic and ambient music ever composed. An amazing song on an absolutely landmark album. It's like getting wrapped up in cocoon of warmth from beyond the reaches of space: an ethereal and ever-gentle feeling.

Bonus: Been listening to this one a lot lately. Every time the unfairness of the world gets to me, I play this, and feel a bit more at peace. Those funky guitar licks are what seal the deal for me, but I love the rhetoric in the song.

Every textbook read says bring you the bread,
But guess what we got you instead!

(Tip of the hat to @colin, who turned me on to this one).

 

[GentleOx]

Richter took a swallow of his whiskey. Ox watched that massive hand grip the glass gently, then deftly place it back upon the saloon table with what was almost grace. They were seated in the same booth in which he had spoken to Maris weeks ago, and even with the saloon's neutrality policy, he still felt on edge. It could be that Richter was one of (maybe even the) leaders of the Scavenger faction, and had considerable pull and a formidable reputation among most of Carcosa. Or it could be that the man didn't need reputation to be an intimidating presence; his hulking physique did its fair share. Richter was watching him intently, and Ox felt fixed to the seat by that gaze.

"I didn't expect to see you so soon. And to do business, too."
Ox nodded, with more calm than he felt. "We came to an understanding last time, and I was hoping that we could do so again."
Richter leaned forward. "I'm all ears." Ox carefully detailed the individual they were looking for, leaving out as much information as he could. But Richter didn't seem surprised when he got to the part about the courier's disappearance.
"It may be that I know what became of this unfortunately-intentioned fellow, and can point you in the right direction." That sounded too magnanimous, and Ox wasn't fooled.
"But there's a catch." Richter's mouth formed a toothy smile that would've made a shark nervous.

"There always is."

Hello, Bees! Man, am I one tired Ox.

After church, I did my customary workout at the gym (which is a convenient ten minute walk away), and upped the weights for a new cycle of my strength program.

Bench Press: 102.5 x 10, 115 x 8, 117.5 x 6. Handled the increase in weights surprisingly well.
Incline Press: 95 x 5.
Shoulder Press: 70 x 5.
Straight Bar Pushdowns: 13 x 6.
Flat Dumbbell Curls: 20 x 14.
Dumbbell Wrist Curls: 22 x 12.
+29000 steps!

Totally bushed, but another workout in the bag.

CNY is fast approaching, and the weather was pretty cool today.

Going to take tomorrow off to run some errands, rest and recover, and do some lesson planning.

Hope you're having a good Sunday, Bees!

Playing: So I bought Palworld as my treat for the month, and it's been monopolizing my free time.

I've been spending my time capturing Pals (basically Pokemon creatures) and putting them to work, but I'm not treating this one as the cruelty simulator that others have (they should have the option to pay or compensate the Pals, really). Without the comical misanthropy, what we have is a fun survival game/Pokemon mash up; I can understand the appeal of the Poke mechanics of chucking a ball and capturing beasts (and yes, the game is an obvious imitation of Pokemon; there's really no getting around it).

I haven't had that addicted feeling for awhile, and it's great - until it cuts into my productivity (and in fact, already has). Still, it's just too much fun.

So many goodies to unlock, and Pals to pun-er, nurture!

Bees, are any of you Pokemon game fans? Are they any good?

Watching: So, aKoTSK (that's A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms) dropped its fourth episode early, and was taken up by Dunk's quest to find champions to defend him in the trial. I held my breath for most of the final monologue, and the resolution: what a payoff! This is the TV show we need and deserve, not that tosh we got with HotD.

What a home run!

Listening to: Procol Harum - An Old English Dream. I was looking to post something socially impassioned, maybe even aggressive, but Procol Harum's opening track off of their 2003 album laments and mourns things in a way that still holds water today.

"Once we had a country
And thought it so fair
If you look through the mirror
You can still find it there

But now our great country
Is broken and torn
And all of its promise
And liberties worn"

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Oh, you make me want to catch A Knight of the 7 kingdoms... I don't have access to it (HBO), but I hope it'll come. I had enjoyed the short stories!

 

[GentleOx]

Richter leaned back in his seat, his smile seeming to dominate his entire, considerable frame. "We'll give you intel that'll help you find the Broker's shipment..." He trailed off, seemingly in thought, and raised his right hand, palm facing Ox. "But! Whatever you find - you split with us." Ox snorted. "After giving the Broker his due?" Richter's smile grew a touch more ruthless. "No Broker. You open the contents directly and bring half to us." Now it was Ox's turn to lean back, and consolidate his thoughts. "Lot of questions on this job." Richter unfurled both palms. "I'm an open book."

"Your lot had the intel, after presumably 'vanishing' the courier. Why didn't you take the shipment for ourselves? Why work with me?" Richter's smile seemed to fade for a second, and Ox could see the rigid fury beneath. "My subordinates were lacking in this regard. If we had found it, we wouldn't have come to you in the first place." He composed himself. "You're an experienced stalker - you'd likely be able to find the shipment with the right hints," he said, a touch of condescension in his voice. "Rather than let it lie hidden and of no use to anyone, we're offering to split it with you, once the job is done. Fair's fair, and I'm giving gentleman's honour its due. What do you have to lose?" Which led to another question.

"Why earn the ire of the Broker? I've worked with him a long time, and he wouldn't take something like this well." Richter shrugged, a strange movement on that large body. "Who says he needs to know? Deliver to us the real shipment and we'll send a dummy one for you to give him in its place. You think the Broker will know the difference?" Ox thought the matter over. If he wanted to complete the job, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. In the end, there was nothing to do but acquiesce. "Alright. I'm in. But remember that it's 50-50." Richter smiled with a generosity that was simply frightening.

"50-50."

Greetings once more, Bees! It's been a bit of a frantic week, but I made time for the gym today.

Today was W1D2 of my Push workout.

Bench Press: 102.5 x 10, 115 x 8, 117.5 x 6. Reps felt good and smooth. Maybe I can stick with this groove/feel going forward, though that's proven quite difficult in the past.
Spoto Press: 110 x 5. Ugh, pretty tough. I did these because the Incline Press was being used.
Overhead Press: 70 x 5. Zzzz...
Straight Bar Pushdown: 14 x 6.
Dumbbell Flat Curls: 20 x 16. Working up to 20 reps.
Dumbbell Forearm Curls: 24 x 12. Didn't feel right doing these standing. I'll try them again seated, next time.

I was going to take pictures of the assorted New Years decorations on stores and in the street, but I forgot. Maybe tomorrow?

It's going to be a good Lunar New Year. I'm a little upset that my gym is closed for several days, but that's to be expected for CNY.

A lot of young guns in the gym today, including some people I've never seen before. January resolutions?

Take care of yourselves in these cold days, Bees.

Playing: Umm... just Palworld. I constructed a base made of wood to house my Pals and procure sweet, sweet resources. It turns out I skipped an early-game archipelago, as going through it now meant that I steamrolled my way through with all my overpowered Pals.

My biggest worry is that I'm going to hit the level cap, and... then what? I'm already halfway there with 20 hours of gameplay. Afterwards... what's next? I guess I could dedicate myself to unlocking all the non-essential items to build. And capturing all the remaining Pals.

That said, so far, Palworld was ostensibly a gamble for me that has turned into an absolute winner. Don't regret shelling out the cash for it, and they're going for an official release this year, so there will be more content! Yippee!

Watching: No more Fallout Season 2. So in the meantime, here's my retrospective, featuring a synopsis, trailer, and review!

In their travels through the wasteland, three individuals continue to chase their goals. Lucy Maclean tags along with the Ghoul, formerly Cooper Howard, in a quest to find her father and bring him to justice, little realizing what her father has up his sleeve. Howard has his own agenda in mind, and it may not coincide with her best interests; in the meantime, his goal is to find Mr. House, the erstwhile businessman and ruler of New Vegas, who may be able to tell him where his family is. Far removed from the two is the newly-knighted Maximus, who loyally follows in the Brotherhood's mission, little realizing the ambitions that his superior, Elder Quintus, has in mind; this forces him to make a fateful decision.

Synopsis: While it doesn't advance the show's storyline considerably, it's still a piece of compelling and fun post-apocalyptic entertainment.

Was it only 2024 when we were watching the first season of Fallout...? Season 2 continues with the show's anarchic fun, and is generally excellent in all regards... though less so in terms of change and revelation.

The acting is top-notch, with Ella Purnell and Walton Goggins (who's given the lion's share of juicy storylines) standing out. Moten is great as well, though he has less to do, and has a notably abbreviated character arc. Lucy's quest to find her father will have her absolutely through the ringer, and Purnell is great at capturing her character's ethical dilemmas.

The show cleverly cuts back to Cooper's time before the bombs fell, and his fateful interactions with the posturing-at-omniscient Mr. House. I liked these flashbacks more than I thought I would; they add a window into the world pre-war, but the espionage and intrigue are deft and well-handled. More importantly, they form important contrasts with what Howard's character has begun since the bombs fell. Some of the twists and turns are superb, some easily guessed, but all integrated into the storyline with increasing stakes and consequences. Every production detail on this show is simply inimitable, and they're some of the best reasons to keep watching.

It is obvious that the showrunners pulled up on the throttle when it came to the fan references, but I still loved seeing New Vegas and all the related creatures (the Deathclaws make an unforgettable entrance) show up. I also got a huge kick out of seeing Caesar's Legion, who are as loathsome on TV as they are in gameplay (and Macauley Culkin does some surprising work as an ice-cold legate). Some fans will complain that the showrunners didn't resolutely select an ending from F:NV to depict, but that's really a damned if you do, damned if you don't kind of situation. I at least like that they featured most of the factions, and gave us just enough fanservice.

If there's one complaint, it's that apart from a few plot strands and the introduction of the unforgettable Mr. House (whose performance by Justin Theroux is simply sublime!)... not that much happens. Aside from several notable plots that are resolved by the end, there are still more questions (example: us Fallout stalwarts can guess who the real bad guys are, but they have precious little to do this season.) It's obvious looking back that this is a place-setting season, setting the table for a "war" that is getting ready to take place. However, I enjoyed the journey so much that I don't mind that the destination could've been more epic.

I give Fallout Season 2 four servings of jello out of five.

@PetiteSheWolf AKotSK's (with some silly asides) very faithful to the story, and I'm looking forward to watching The Sworn Sword and The Mystery Knight. I don't know if it's an essential watch, but it has been lots of fun so far. Have you read A Song of Ice and Fire as well?

Listening to: Hardy - Good Girl Phase. It's trashy and lowbrow, but Hardy has been trafficking in these tropes his entire career. It's got some absolutely catchy hooks that have it repeatedly on my playlist. In fact, the melody is what elevates this one completely.

"Don't ask me how I know, but I know what I know
And I think it's safe to say
She's a bad bad girl, she's just going through a good girl phase
Yeah, she's going through a good girl phase"

 

[GentleOx]

"Paydirt." Ox once more thrust the shovel deeper into the sand, and the same muffled, but metallic "clunk" sounded, from within the hole. Ox carefully shoveled out more sand, leading to the contours of the green duffel bag becoming more apparent. He reached in, and tugged at the bag. Sand crumbled, and the bag remained ensconced there. This time Ox pulled harder, dislodging the bag entirely, with sand spraying here and there. Spitting out the odd grains that had entered his mouth, he examined the bag clutched in his hands. It must've weighed several kilograms, and promised a decent haul of artifacts. A part of him was tempted to open the bag now, but instead he slung the bag over his shoulder and headed down the beach toward the tunnels leading to the Flood Plains.

The clue that Richter had provided him with was something about a "horse". While interrogated by the Scavs about the shipment's whereabouts, the unfortunate courier had screamed this over and over. This had flummoxed the Scavs, who usually didn't venture far, and hadn't a clue as to where the shipment had been left. Ox, experienced as he was, had a feeling that the courier had been referring to a stone formation on the Skeleton Coast which eerily resembled a horse from a certain angle. Hence his trip to the beach upon which the conspicuous rock formation was planted. There, after some trial and error digging, he had struck gold, so to speak.

The storms that had been present during his last ill-fated sojourn to the coast with Simmi were nowhere to be seen. Instead, the day was quite balmy, the skies blue, and seagulls pestering him from overhead. Detracting from the pleasing day were the numerous wrecks of ships marooned ashore, their insides picked through thoroughly by stalkers before him. As he trudged towards the main road, his steps unsteady in the sand he could make out several humanoid shapes, clothed in black, in the distance. Ox made his way towards them: they were right on schedule.

Still, what was that sinking feeling in his stomach?

Hey Bees.

It's Valentine's Day. Great. I'm going to go back to bed now...

Oh wait! I had another workout today.

Today was a Pull day.

Snatch Grip Deadlifts: 110 x 6. Moved easily enough.
Barbell Rows: 105 x 5. Mmm hmm.
Meadows Rows: 70 x 5. A small PR!
Close Grip Rows: 60 x 6.
Neutral Grip Chins: Total of 30.
Back Extensions: One set of 12 reps.
Yesterday: Sandbag squats: (each V represents five sets of ten reps) V V V V V

+28000 steps! Yikes!

By this point, 26 sets in, I'd thoroughly had enough, and concluded my workout. My back is going to be on fire tomorrow!

The New Year is coming soon. On Monday, we're having our New Year's eve dinner (tyuhn-nihn faan) to celebrate the beginning of the New Year. This is traditionally cooked at home, but mom and I settled for having our usual Japanese buffet instead. Om nom nom!

Enjoy your Saturday, Bees!

Playing: Uhh, more Palworld. I've racked up about 30 hours so far, and I'm spending more time on my base, producing sundries like stones and lettuce instead of going out there and, y'know, capturing Pals.

My level progression has slowed down notably. Now I know how people felt like when they were discussing their WoW addictions.

Haven't played anything else, and that's unlikely to change until the next Steam sale.

Watching: Not much, but have some interesting prospective watches. I will try to watch Return to Silent Hill, low ratings be damned.

Very much looking forward to the next ep of aKotSK, which promises an action-heavy climax.

Listening to: Stridulum - Sorrow. Feeling a bit depressed and angst-ridden after a call with some relatives, so here's something harsh to scrub away all those feelings.

 

[graoumia]

Congrats, enjoy your saturday too and have a nice japanese buffet for New Year

 

[JCU]

Congratulations on the PR!

 

[CODawn]

Congratulations lon your PR!

 

[NightWolf714]

Congrats on the newest PR!

 

[Fremen]

Congrats

 

[TopNotch]

Congrats on yet another PR!

 

[GentleOx]

Thank you so much for your encouragement @TopNotch @Fremen @NightWolf714 @CODawn @JCU and @graoumia !

Hey Bees! A non-exercise update today.

Saturday's tyuhn-nihn faan (NY Eve dinner) was very tasty indeed.

Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, so we went out to visit with several relatives for bai nihn (ie where you visit and get in touch with your relatives and give out red packets and receive them).

Hong Kong is quite quiet... perhaps most people went out to the Mainland for several days off. Anyway, I quite welcome the chance to see my family members, relax a little, and enjoy the oddly cool weather.

The one downside of the Lunar New Year is that the gym is closed until Friday. Boo-urns! Boo-urns!

Gung Hei Fat Choi! Long Ma Jing Sun!

Bonus Lunar New Year kitties, which we spotted on the street! I think they belonged to this pet shop, though they weren't wearing leashes. What's to stop the cattos from enacting The Great Escape? Also, the owner was discouraging petting, which was a shame.

I love kitties, they are so kitty, who's a kitty kitty, you are!

Also got some lai see!

Listening to: New Arcades - Life Moves Pretty Fast. Indeed it does.

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Cute kitties! What indeed prevents them for deciding to run after a bird / dog / whatever takes their feline fancy?!
Best wishes for the year of the horse!

 

[NightWolf714]

I'm glad you're having a good holiday and enjoying seeing all the kitties.

 

[JCU]

Happy Lunar New Year!

It's diabolical to have kitties out and not allow pets!

 

[graoumia]

Happy Lunar New Year!

 

[CODawn]

 

[colin]

Gung Hei Fat Choi!

Love the cats.

 

[GentleOx]

"What is this? A hold-up? Haven't you guys already tried this nonsense before?" Not a laugh. The four, black-clad and heavily-armed men stood in a line, their body language unhurried, but Ox still felt an air of hostility from them. It was still a nice day, the sun gently shining and the sea air a bracing, but not unwelcome scent. "Toss the bag over here," said their leader, a lean fellow. He had previously threatened Ox in their last encounter. In Ox's mind, the fact that he was the only one wearing body armour registered, and then fled into hiding.

Ox coughed. "No," he announced, loudly. That troubled them. The men looked at each other, their weapons lowered for a moment. The leader spoke, again. "You made a deal." He was still talking. Good. Maybe talk would get Ox out of this one. "We did. It was that I take the bag to the slums and we divvy up the loot, equally. I don't recall the part about you fools trying to stick me up and cut out my share." That got a few snickers, and a laugh; it was as if they were astounded by his audacity. "Oh, we're doing more than that," said one of the men, slyly. "Deal's changed. Give us the bag, and we'll only kneecap you." Ox shook his head. There was a curious racing sensation in his head, and his stomach churned. He lowered his shoulder, letting the duffel bag drop to the ground. "I think not."

"Have it your way," the leader sighed. He turned to the man to his left. "Take out his knees and hands." Ox raised his hands above his head, as the scavenger raised his rifle. A CRRAACK could be heard in the distance, and less than a second later, the man dropped to the ground, blood spattering against the ground. "What the f-" Another distant rifle shot, and another of the troop fell dead. The remaining two men were in disarray, seemingly frozen to the spot. The remaining stooge narrowed his eyes, and like his compatriots, raised his gun. He didn't get far, as another report sounded out in the distance, and the man fell, lifeless. The leader of the scavengers, naked and exposed, turned to Ox.

"You son of a bitch, you double-crossed us." Ox snorted.
"That's rich, coming from you idiots. Your rifle. Slowly... my friend's got an itchy trigger finger." Disgusted, the scavver ejected the magazine from his rifle, and worked the bolt, ejecting the chambered round. He dropped the rifle to the ground, glaring at Ox.
"What now? You think you can get away with this?"
"Yeah," Ox snarled. "I should've asked you that question. I'm not going to kill you."
Relief on the scavenger's face, followed by panic.
"But... what about..."
"You can choose to tell him, or you can run." He paused, letting his words sink in.

"If you choose to return to him, tell him that he needs to try harder."

Hey again Bees!

The New Year's over and the gym has reopened, so I came in for a long-awaited workout and put my body through its paces.

Today was a Push day. W2D1.

Bench Press: 110 x 10, 117.5 x 8, 122.5 x 6. This was tough, but I got it done.
Incline Press: 100 x 5.
Overhead Press: 72.5 x 5. Ouch! I may have hit a wall on this one. If so, then I'll cut back the weight and steadily ramp it up again.
Dumbbell Raises: 14 x 8.
Flat Dumbbell Curls: 20 x 22. Urk.
Dumbbell Wrist Curls: 22 x 16.

I feel like my muscles have been out of practice over the new year (which is technically still going on).

Thank you kindly @colin @CODawn @graoumia @JCU @NightWolf714 and @PetiteSheWolf!

The kitties thank you for your support!

I had some family from San Diego coming in to visit yesterday. My cousin is a game developer, and it was good to catch up with him and his dad after several years (I think the last time we went over to see them in The States was back in 2023).

Church is tomorrow. I may or may not go to the gym, as I beat my body to a pulp today.

Have yourselves a great weekend, Bees!

Playing: Uh, I've sunk 47 hours into Palworld, and it's going to reach 50 soon.

Tried a demo for a game called Begraved(?). It was formulaic multiplayer-heavy stealth happy stuff. I've run out of words to describe it except to say that those are the opposite of my gaming preferences. What did you expect, Ox?

Watching: So for late night cinema, I have a lot of options, but on a whim, I started watching Myth of Man, which is the second feature of Jamin Winans, the director of Ink (itself worthy of a review).

It's a most extraordinary film. When I'm done watching it, I'll post more thoughts.

Listening to: Actors - In Real Life. I still have the sounds of The Coup in my head, but I had to choose something different. Here's a nugget of post-punk gold that instantly resonated with me.

 

[GentleOx]

"So... how did you know Richter was going to double-cross you?" Ox shut the locker door, stashing away the last of the money. Howie had gotten a generous share, and Ox had given Simmi a chunk of the funds for future expenses. The sun was setting outside, and its passing rays bathed the Observatory in gold. He turned around and leaned against the locker, folding his arms. "Actually, I didn't," he said, watching as Simmi scrawled several notes into a ring binding. Simmi didn't even look up. "So you assumed the worst? Or... that Richter would be at his worst?" He snorted. "Something like that." Simmi wasn't impressed, barely glancing at him from her notes. "C'mon, John Stock has to debrief with T whenever he successfully completes a mission. What about you?" Who in the who? Another pop-culture reference exclusive to this crazy world. He rolled his eyes, taking a moment before answering.

"I had a few inklings: the Scavengers were using me, and they would betray me the first chance they got. It all flowed from the assumption that they were untrustworthy, and you have to admit, that served me pretty well."
"You knew that Richter was going to renege on the deal?"
"If I had to guess, in his eyes, there never was a deal. I was simply a tool with which to find the missing loot. I served my purpose, and I don't know if they wanted to twist the knife or not, but you have to admit, by offing me, they believed they were severing a loose end."
"So you outfoxed them. Where was Howie during all this?"
"Perched in one of the shipwrecks with a perfect view of the road. Boy's a good shot, I've got to admit."
"Thankfully. But you need to be careful now. Richter won't forget this."
"Whenever we meet again - and I'll be ready when we do," He paused, dramatically,

"I'll tell him it was just business."

Hello, Bees! I am one pooped Ox, but I managed to achieve my workout goals for today

Today was a Pull day.

Neutral Chin Ups: Total of 31 reps. The barbells were being used when I got to the gym, so I did some accessories first.
Narrow Grip Cable Rows: 60 x 6.
Snatch Grip Deadlifts: 115 x 6. Manageable.
Barbell Rows: 110 x 5.
Meadows Row: 72.5 x 3. Trying a new weight on for size, and it took all the muscle I had. I'll work up to it with lighter weights next time.

And now my hands hurt. It's more of a satisfying feeling than not.

I'm very happy that the gym is open again. Today, it was especially packed, so I'm glad I got to do everything I needed to.

A punishing workout, a good walk (29000 steps today!), dinner with mum, and a new game purchase!

Normally this would make for a pleasing day (and you could argue it still is), but there's been some family drama going on, as has been displayed on our group Whatsapp chat. My irascible father is trying to issue his disapproval of my younger sister (she keeps asking for money), but has made a scene.

I can't invest too much energy in this. There are bigger things to worry about.

We're all ready for a strong Lunar New Year, Bees!

Playing: I didn't play anything last night. Too much anxiety. Today, I'll check in with my Pals in Palworld and put them to work making endless amounts of ammunition! Hehe.

Got my filthy mitts on Voidbreaker, a roguelite FPS which I've been eagerly anticipating for awhile. Will post more impressions later.

Watching: Finished the final episode of aKotSK. The perfect coda to a most consistently excellent, low-key season. There is a "change" to the source material in the finale that will tick off some fans (and apparently already has), but I thought it was an excellent season. I'll post a review another time.

Listening to: Jamin Winans - The Myth (Trailer version). An amazing song for an amazing movie. It's not just that the tones are sanguine; when it kicks into high gear and the percussion pounds, there's a suitably epic, kinetic feel. Sums up the film very well. I almost wish it were twice as long because the payoff near the end of the song is so fleeting. Inception vibes!

 

[GentleOx]

"Heya, hon. Got a new quest for you." Ox had his hands on his hips, panting. 10 circuits of exercises including press ups, pull ups, dumbbell curls, and, of course, burpees had left him wiped out. Howie had excused himself from the makeshift gym to grab a drink, so when Simmi approached, he was all ears. The camp's gym had been readily adopted by a fair number of stalkers, among them experienced powerlifters, olympic lifters, and some who were just interested in keeping their bodies sharp. Simmi tossed Ox a towel, and he gratefully wiped his brow and arms dry. Some of the gymgoers paused their workouts to eye the two of them, before going back to their exercise. Simmi seemed concerned about something. "What's up, babe? Seems pretty serious." Simmi nodded with her head to the observatory, before turning to head over there, Ox following. Uh oh.

When they were inside, and away from prying ears, she laid it on him. "Several of my listening towers in the Northern Sector have somehow failed to transmit data. I don't know if its by design or accident, but either way, I need someone to head up there and repair them." Up north? "Would love to help you Babe, as always, but I've never actually been up there; I hear tell that the Innies took out main road leading there, and have the tunnel to the Stone Maze on lockdown 24-7. Somehow, I don't know, the other factions are still trickling in. I'd pay good coin to find out how." Simmi didn't even blink.

"I'm the one who set those towers up in the first place. The NFTA wants to make it look like the only way up there is through them, but I've been up there before. There are other routes." Whoa. "Okay, so *we* know how to get up there. I hear tell that it's a war zone, all the factions engaging in a free for all for control of the Stone Maze." Simmi took a breath. "I understand. I wouldn't entrust this to anyone else. But I can't leave this as-is. We're blind without those listening posts, and they're too valuable to write off." Damn. Ox stood for a moment, his thumbs hooked into the waistband of his workout pants. Fixing his gaze on her, he had decided.

"I'll do it, but I'm going to need to do some homework first..."

Hey Bees. I am one sleepy Ox. But I got my workout done!

Today was the second Push day of the week.

Bench Press: 110 x 10, 117.5 x 8, 122.5 x 6. Move on, nothing to see here. Next week may be harder!
Incline Press: 100 x 5. Eh, more or less okay.
Shoulder Press: 72.5 x 3, 75 x 3. I was inspired by the GZLP strength routine, so I dropped the reps, made some progress, and will drop them again when I stall.
Lateral Dumbbell Raises: 14 x 10. Not interested in going heavy on these.
Flat Dumbbell Curls: 22 x 12. Moved up in weight, but not progress. Unff.
Wrist Dumbbell Curls: 24 x 10.

Yummy roast duck for dinner.

I probably will not workout tomorrow, just to give my body some time off.

Saturday we're visiting my great aunt and having a tea buffet! Yum.

Critter time!

Calico cats and calico dreams...

It seems like the charity doggos have a new recruit. It never stayed still for a moment.

Meanwhile, this fluffy stalwart was busy charming passers-by and just generally being adorable!

Heh!

Adios, and until next time, Bees!

Playing: My quest to unlock and make every item in the game continues in Palworld. Progression is so slooowww, though.

I refunded Voidbreakers for now. It's a hell of a promising contender, for sure, but the gameplay just didn't stick with me. Maybe in the future? Boom! Uninstalled.

In Voidbreaker's place is a roguelite FPS called Deadzone: Rogue. It's a very utilitarian, meat-and-potatoes kind of game with builds, bullet-hell enemies, and randomized levels. I wasn't expecting much from it, but I like it quite a bit. Boom! It stays.

Resident Evil: Requiem is out tonight, but I'm low on funds, so I can't play it. Yet. My cunning plan is to wait until it's on sale and buy it for a discount. Yeah, that's about it.

Watching: Uh, I'm supposed to be watching Myth of Man. Maybe tonight? Also working on my review of aKotSK, but not in this post.

Listening to: AC/DC - What's Next to the Moon. How did this song find its way off of my playlists over the years? How many of these forgotten musical gems are there, waiting for me to rediscover them?

Anyway, this one is a mean spirited one that fits snugly in AC/DC's early repertoire. Those nasty riffs are worth the price of admission alone, though I can't help but feel the song would be well served with a guitar solo.

"Heavenly body flying across the sky
Superman was out of town
Come on honey, gotta change your tune
'Cause it's a long way down

Clark Kent looking for a free ride
Thinking about Lois Lane
It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a suicide
And that'd be a shame"

 

[GentleOx]

"The direct route won't get you far in this case." They had before them a map of the zone, spread out on the table. The corners had been weighed down with assorted items like lighters, magazines, and cartridge boxes, and the document had been steadily worn away with time and use. Sax drummed her fingers on the table. "We *could* just go through the Innies." Everyone looked at her with bemusement. Ox shook his head in disbelief. This was supposed to be the most seasoned soldier in their camp? "What? Take out those turrets they use with antimateriel rifles, snipe the soldiers who come running, and the tunnel is ours." Simmi gave her a level look. "That spot is possibly the most heavily fortified killing field in Carcosa, and it affords the NFTA complete vision of whoever approaches. You wouldn't get far." Howie tapped a finger on the spot marked DEAD BRIDGE. "Also, it's where the Innies have their hideout, so if they call for reinforcements, it's all over." He looked up at Ox. "What say you, Boss?" Ox made a thumbs down gesture, and gestured at Simmi to continue. He thought he saw Sax giving Simmi the stink-eye, but let it pass.

"The second way is... not fully determined." She drew an imaginary circle on DEAD END, which was to the north of the M35 Highway. "I'm not fully sure where you'd go. I simply hear tell that nearby the Insurgent outpost is a way to the Stone Maze. One account talks about a sewer pipe near the base. Another is of an off-track trail near the river." Jackal snorted, earning an amused glance from everyone. "It's no coincidence that those morons, and the way to the North, are both within spitting distance of each other. We find the way in, presumably around that area. What's the bad news?" Simmi sighed. "Like I said, there're rumours... and they sound deeply unpleasant. Obstacles, anomalies, unkillable creatures, and a long swim. And it's possibly that there are even worse things dwelling in there."

The group were silent. Ox finally spoke. "It's just as dangerous as storming the NFTA trenches guns blazing. Are there any other ways?" Simmi gave a slight nod, and her hand wandered over to the western part of Carcosa, where Metropole was located. Surprise. She turned to Ox and nodded. Everyone looked at Ox, a little confused. Ox nodded, a little to himself.

"I'll make a few calls."

Hey Bees! Ox here, once more.

Today was a Push day, for Week 3 of the Candito program.

Bench Press: 127.5 x 5. About right, though I wish I had more reps in me.
Incline Press: 102.5 x 5. Augh. Tough as nails.
Shoulder Press: 75 x 3. About right, as well.
Rope Pushdowns: 12 x 8.
Dumbbell Flat Curls: 22 x 16.
+ 30,000 steps! My poor feet.

It was pretty cold and drizzly when we set out to visit my great aunt, above North Point. I definitely regretted not bringing a hoodie or an umbrella.

My great aunt seems to be well, even though she is bedridden. When we saw her she was in good spirits and greeted us warmly. We'll continue making weekly visits for as long as we can.

The tea buffet was amazingly yummy. Some of the highlights included deep fried oysters, siu mai, chicken curry, and crayfish (mom likes them more than I do).

Trying to manage my anxieties for the week and workload ahead.

Good luck Bees, I wish you all well.

Playing: A dash of Palworld. Still building, capturing, and exploring the map.

And Deadzone: Rogue has become my comfort food podcast game, as it's really easy to put on and just veg out to. I completed the first section of levels and am now on the second. Loving the responsive gunplay.

Other than that, have just been biding my time, waiting for the next best release.

Watching: I finished Myth of Man. Here's a trailer, synopsis, and review!

In a peculiar retro-futuristic world powered by steam and other seemingly magical sciences, Ella scrambles to make a living. A deaf-mute and a gifted artist, she constantly sketches the people of this strange city, beset by horrific storms of red fog which impart a terminal illness onto those caught within them. Ella helps a troupe of entertainers put on a show about the story of the creator of this world, who will come to save it when a song is sung to a shooting star. Enraptured by this myth, Ella gathers a series of companions around her and sets out to bring song to the star, and perhaps rescue this blighted city.

Summary: A visually astounding indie that's a prime example of when a labour of love bears fruit.

I'm not going to bury the lede. This is an absolutely amazing film experience that got far less attention than it deserved. It's visually striking, the acting is emotive, and the plot engaging despite refusing to feed the audience exposition and easy answers. Whether this is by design, or constraint is rather murky: there is no dialogue in the film. The story unfolds at a natural, unhurried pace, and the tone ably shifts with different revelations and twists. What plot I could understand I definitely loved, and it's clear that Winans has learned from his previous works how to tug at the heartstrings well.

Hence, all the storytelling is visual, as well as through the facial expressions of the talented cast. The acting is simply sublime, and the actors never anything less than compelling in their frowns, smiles, and assorted body language. I found Lara Rauch, who leads the cast, to be at turns moving, silly, and heart-breaking in her acting. And the visuals. We're a long way from Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, and they simply dazzle the eye. I found it amazing that the director and his producing wife were amateurs at visual effects when they began the project, because the sights to be seen here are something to behold. In general, the visual style seems to resemble Jeunet and Caro's City of Lost Children (really need to rewatch that one).

If I had nits to pick, I would say that there's a plot hole or two, and that the storytelling isn't always successful, but the overall impact of the film amazes. I could feel chills at the ending, and it's going to stick with me as a film experience.

I give Myth of Man an unusual FIVE sketches out of five. Highly recommended!

What to watch now. For my next post, I'll finally review aKotSK.

Listening to: I already posted a song from Myth of Man, so here's something different.

Shirobon - Out of Love. Here's a great new find I stumbled across. Love that the sound harkens back to the 8-bit (? or 16 bit?) era of games.

 

[NightWolf714]

I'm so jealous by that buffet!

Good to hear that your great aunt is doing well overall, considering the circumstances.

The movie sounds really cool. I'll have to try and remember to check it out.

 

[GentleOx]

@NightWolf714. Om nom nom. We Hong Kongers do like our buffets! Speaking of cuisine, while I love me my rice and noodles, I do miss American food, from time to time.

Thank you for your well wishes regarding my aunt. She's over 90, and quite frail, so it's good to see her in good spirits.

I'm a huge fan of that movie. It's been taking up space in my head rent-free for several days.

 

[GentleOx]

"Come back to me, handsome."
"I will, my little weasel..."

Howie reached up and booped Weasel on the nose, before leaning in for a kiss. This was greeted by assorted whistles from the camp, and some wise-ass remarked "Get a room, you two!" Ox turned to Simmi, feeling a bit mischievous. "And you? Are you *my* little Weasel?" She was not impressed, and gave him a light punch in his chest. "Not if you value all your limbs." Ox rubbed at the spot she'd struck in mock hurt. "The things I endure for the one I love," he said. Simmi rolled her eyes. "And you'll keep enduring them if you know what's good for you." Ox got a laugh out of that.

He turned his attention elsewhere, past Howie and Weasel. Was it possible to canoodle standing up? Jackal stood ready, leaning against the wood shed where the vendor plied his wares. Tellingly, nobody in the camp had come to see him leave. Sax, on the other hand, had a small crowd of friends gathered who seemed to be entreating her for war stories upon her return. "You're all ready to go?" He turned his attention back to Simmi. "Got my plates, freshly pressed fatigues, MREs, light sticks, torches, and more than enough ammo. Any words of wisdom?" Simmi nodded, and tenderly slid her arms around his neck.

"I was lucky with you. Take care of your team, but yourself, too. Come home to me." She lightly kissed him, pressing her mouth to his gently. After their embrace, Ox brought the team together and they strode out to the Crossroads, on the first leg of their journey.

Simmi watched them until they disappeared from view.

Hey Bees! Totally knackered, but got in another good workout.

Bench Press: 130 x 4, then 5! This was an absolute grind, but I got it nonetheless.
Incline Bench: 102.5 x 5. Urgh.
Overhead Press: 77.5(!) x 3. Try for 80 next week? I dunno. I used to be so strong with these.
Lateral Dumbbell Raises: 16 x 6. Trying this new weight out.
Flat Dumbbell Curls: 22 x 22, which is a new PR. Absolutely drained me!
Dumbbell Wrist Curls: 24 x 12.

Two kilos overweight. I can do better than this, and will, at the gym and (most importantly) outside.

Will try to hit the gym again tomorrow.

It has been an awful mess at Casa Ox, Bees. Two days ago, Mom was away in Macau for the day to visit my dad, and I had the run of the house to myself. There was this wet dripping sound near my computer, and I was confused. Looked up, a crack had appeared in the paint of my ceiling and water started dripping out. I duly notified the super and the guys making a ruckus upstairs (they're doing some heavy-duty renovations of the flat directly above us), and they assured me they would look into it.

Cut to today: cracks started appearing in several other spots around the apartment, water dripping through. The bathroom had no such nuance; the ceiling panels caved in and water was flooding through. Mom went upstairs to confront them, and it turned out the whole flat above had been flooded by a burst pipe. Yikes.

Mom was furious, and even consulted a lawyer in her firm as to what steps we could take. Thankfully, the site manager and staff from the company doing the renovations came through to meet with us. I know enough Cantonese to know that mom was a little curt and direct in her questions - and why not? Fortunately, they assured us that they would doing everything in their power to make recompense. For now, as I write this, the dripping has stopped, which is definitely a step in the right direction.

I bounced the idea of suing them off of mom. Not seriously, mind you. When you've studied law, you tend to think of these situations legally. Mom rightly pointed out that they were making reparations, thus nullifying (or at least, minimizing) any potential damages. Also, from what I recall of my studies, suing people is a lot of work, and almost all the time, just isn't worth it. So I'm putting the already very faint possibility to rest.

New Cantonese Word: tin1 faa1 (baan2) - Ceiling.

What a tiring day. Oh well. My classes this week went well at least, and I have another student to see next Saturday. I'm going to be commuting across the harbour, so we'll see how my epic journey pans out.

I'm going to take a nice hot shower in the repaired bathroom, game a little, then head for bed.

Hope your homes are safe and cozy, Bees!

Playing: Still blasting my way through Deadspace: Rogue. Should get back into Palworld, and maybe some Project Silverfish, time permitting.

I tried a demo for Burden Street Station, which is an intriguingly surreal, literature-lite and very meta adventure game. I may give it another poke when I'm not so tired, and willing to read copious lines of text. Boom! It stays on my hard drive.

Also played a demo for *checks notes* Altered Alma, which is a metroidvania with souls-like, and apparently, dating sim features... I didn't really get far enough through the demo to substantiate all this. It ticks all the boxes, but didn't move me, otherwise. Boom! Uninstalled.

Finally, tried out the playtest demo for No Such Place, with is similar to Zero Sievert. It was a novel experience (for me, anyway) to have the game boot up, and bark instructions to me in Mandarin. Did not have a chance in hell of comprehending the dialogue (I would have trouble understanding it in Cantonese!), so thank heavens for subtitles. It's safe to say that it's got me intrigued, so far; it feels like it's trying to do different things with the genre. Boom! It stays on my hard drive.

Watching: So now I've started Obex, which is a strange and surreal journey into an 80s videogame. It's in black and white, and looks quite interesting so far.

Reading: Going to start reading the Redwall series, which I've slept on for far too long.

Listening to: Gunship - Tell Me When the World Stops Ending. This synth charger comes from the legendary GUNSHIP, and was commissioned by the even more legendary John Carpenter. It has a great melodic hook to it, and has been stuck in my playlist for awhile.

 

[JCU]

Congratulations on another PR!

I'm sorry that happened with your apartment, but glad work is being done to fix it.

 

[CODawn]

Congratulations!

 

[NightWolf714]

Congrats on the newest PR. That really sucks about the apartment though!

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Congratulations on the newest PR!

for the apartment situation.

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Eeek, water damages, specialy from another appartment, is a mess. Thinking of you and your mom.

 

[TopNotch]

Congrats on the PR!
At least you don't have to sleep under an umbrella.

 

[Fremen]

Congrats

 

[GentleOx]

Howie watched as the large-caliber bullet slipped above, then under, then above again through Ox's fingers. As the bullet fluidly rolled through his fingers it made its way to his pinky, at which point he passed it back to his thumb, and the trick repeated. "How did you learn that?" Howie asked, rapt. Ox smiled. Usually people took notice of the sleight of hand and watched for a moment before losing interest. Never before had someone asked about it. "It's just practice. You start off with a long object like a pen and practice passing it through each finger, one--or two at a time. Over - admittedly, a lot of - time, it starts becoming fluid." Howie raised his eyebrows, impressed. Not that there was much else to do at the moment.

They had gotten to Metropole unscathed. Faction patrols and wildlife aside, it had been smooth sailing. Ox had carefully led their small squad to the Revolutionaries' base hidden away in the city's center. After being greeted at gunpoint and divested of their weapons (Sax being particularly reluctant), they had been brought to a small supply room and simply told to wait.

Ox was the most patient with this process, having done it before, but he could tell that the others were nonplussed, to various degrees. Jackal simply sat in the corner, seemingly unperturbed, while Sax paced the length of the room. Howie, being the most callow, was the most restless as well. He'd been doing different activities like calisthenics, and then shadow puppetry, to pass the time. Ox continued to roll the bullet around, and Howie had lost interest.

The door opened. Finally. A soldier stepped inside.

"Follow me. Mama Roach wants to see you."

Thank you for your thoughts @PetiteSheWolf, @Laura Rainbow Dragon, @NightWolf714, @CODawn and @JCU, @TopNotch and @Fremen. Perturbed as I am, I know that eventually we'll be saying goodbye to the apartment, so soon this will all be water under the bridge, so to speak.

Hey once more, Bees.

Went to the gym for a very different Pull day. Did not feel like beating my muscles to mush with the weights, so I did a Pull-up based workout.

Neutral Grip Chin Ups: 30 sets of 5, final set was 10 reps.

A most interesting exercise: I'll report back on how it made my back feel. It was mostly just a lot of sitting around and resting. Maybe I'll try for six reps a set next time, though that's a big ask.

The guys upstairs have stopped their construction. One presumes that they're draining the water that flooded the floor/ceiling.

Tomorrow is yummy Taiwanese hot pot! Om nom nom.

Take care of yourselves, Bees.

Playing: Uh... mostly just Deadspace: Rogue. Finished the second third of the game. Haven't touched Palworld, but I'm sure I'll get back into it again.

I am *very* tempted to buy Tainted Grail: Avalon, which is an open-world Skyrim-like. It's a touch pricey, but I'm sure it'd be money well spent. Until I realize that my computer hardware can barely run it!

Watching: Haven't resumed Obex yet. Otherwise, just stale Kenny vs. Spenny episodes.

Listening to: Profokiev - Dance of the Knights. I mostly hear this in Kenny vs Spenny, so it's hard to take seriously, but it is a great and epic composition!

 

[GentleOx]

Mama Roach seemed as weary, tough, and weathered as the last time Ox had encountered her. He and his team stood before her in the command center of the base (really just a room with several boards, assorted paperwork, and weapons resting within easy reach), her seasoned lieutenants busily attending to their work as if not in the presence of outsiders. Ox took in her prosthetic leg, which she stood upon with seemingly no discomfort. Captain Diego stood behind Mama Roach, as silently disapproving as ever; Ox had early on pegged him as the one of the most dangerous (and obnoxious) soldiers and commanders the Revolutionaries had to offer. It was to this seemingly unwelcome gathering that Ox and the others had been summoned.

Mama Roach watched them. "So, la 'Hero de la Revolucion' comes back to our doorstep. This time with company." Ox cleared his throat. "We're in need of something I hear only your faction can offer." "I recall what your missive said. You wanted a way to the North, without bothering with the Dead Bridge or the Dead End." Was that reproach in her tone? Ox spread his hands. He was grateful that the others were silent, at least. "I would never exploit the Revolution's generosity, and we've always had a good working relationship. I can offer the goodwill that Simmi represents." Mama Roach seemed unimpressed. "Be that as it may, what happens if we share our method with you? Perhaps every two-bit stalker will try to ingratiate themselves into our goodwill and take advantage of us. Even worse, perhaps the other factions will seek to attack us and seize... it."

Ox could feel staid, insipid reassurances jostle for attention in his head. He calmed himself and collected his thoughts. "I understand the risk. But by strengthening our position in the north, we'll be able to work together more carefully with your team. The Freelancers have always supported the cause in all our endeavours." Captain Diego snorted. "If by endeavours, you mean looting the land and lining your pockets." Ox could feel his face get heated, but remained calm. "At the end of the day, our enemies are your enemies. We can work together." Silence greeted him. Perhaps half a minute passed before Mama Roach spoke once more.

"The answer is yes. We will provide you with passage North."

Good day, Bees. I'm back with another workout I squeezed in between lessons today.

W4D1 of my strength program.

Bench Press: 130 x 3, 132.5 x 3, 135 x 3. All going according to plan.
Spoto Press: 115 x 5.
No Incline Press today.
Overhead Press: 80 x 3, then 80 x 2. Moving onto two reps now.
Straight Bar Pushdown: 14 x 6.
Dumbbell Flat Curls: 24 x 10. Ugh, moving up in weight sucks.
Dumbbell Forearm Curls: 24 x 12.

Bees, do any of you have experience learning a second language? For fun or necessity, be it English or something else? Let me know how you did it.

I have another packed week ahead of me. Back to back lessons, and a journey across the harbour (I'll tackle that one as it comes).

Wish me luck, Bees!

Playing: So, unusually for me (and perhaps wisely), I'm holding off on purchasing Tainted Grail: Avalon. Too many technical issues, and I don't want a repeat of my stuttery adventures through Starfield. So this one stays off of my hard drive, at least for now.

For the time being, have reinstalled Escape from Duckov and Sulfur, in addition to having Palworld and Deadzone: Rogue at the ready. I love having a cozy collection of games.

A veritable bonanza of demos caught my eye! Bear with me...

Tried a demo for Withering Realms, which is a combination of Souls-lite and Survival Horror (which make for surprisingly comfortable bedmates). Alas, despite its intriguing, Tim Burton-esque art style and familiar gameplay, it's ultimately not really in my wheelhouse, though I may check it out again in the future. Souls-likes are a harder sell for me than extraction-based games. Boom! Uninstalled.

Also tried a demo for Omen, which is a top-down space shooter with mission-based gameplay. It's obviously polished and well-presented, but it felt more than a little repetitive to me. Maybe when it's been released and reviewed completely? Boom! Uninstalled.

Next, tried a demo for Deadline: Escape, which is another extraction shooter which makes use of freeware polygonal assets. Did not like it. It has all the mechanics of extraction shooters, but without any sense of polish. Lost me. Boom! Uninstalled.

Booted up the more survival-minded FPS Nuclear Epoch. And was almost immediately put off by its shoddy presentation, without even getting far. It seemed like a mod of 7DtD, honestly, and I don't need another survival shooter. Boom! Uninstalled.

Played a bit of Untold Winter, which is essentially a poor man's Witchfire. A very poor man. This one was taken out of the oven a bit too early. Boom! Uninstalled.

Lastly, and in contrast to Deadline: Escape, tried a demo for another (wow, they pop up like pop-ups!) extraction shooter named Cargo Hunters, with one twist: everyone's a robot. I love the polish and the tight gunplay. If you want to demonstrate your game's polish and qualities in a demo, *this* is how it's done. So many demos have potential and miss the mark, but not this one. I'll definitely invest more time in it later. Boom! It stays.

Watching: Made it through a few more minutes of Obex - caught a Gary Numan reference, which I do so enjoy!

Listening to: Alien Ant Farm - Reasons. Whoa! AAF just dropped another melodic gem, hitting the musical world as if it were 2001 again! I love the smooth wordplay of this one, and of course, it's capped off with a great melody (which has a tinge of Fleetwood Mac's Gypsy in it).

"'Cause when my demon's out, you take them down
You slay the beast, you're in my head
And baby, you're the reason
Why I apologize, I apologize
You left a mark, you're still the spark
I swear to god, I won't break your heart"

 

[JCU]

My dad speaks two languages and has been attempting a third for a few years now. His biggest complaint is not having someone else to work with. Not having another person to speak to and with to get structure and cadence down.

 

[Ariem]

Children's songs can be good for starting off learning a second langauge bc they're in simple language and clearly spoken.

 

[NightWolf714]

I started learning Japanese. I learned the hiragana and then kinda ... stopped after starting the katakana. Been meaning to pick it back up again. I have an app that's specifically for learning Japanese made by a small team (I think just a husband and wife) that has quizzes, games, community questions, etc.

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Bees, do any of you have experience learning a second language? For fun or necessity, be it English or something else? Let me know how you did it.

There's no "did" for me. It's not a past tense thing. But I'm on a constant quest to improve my French language skills. I live in Canada, so I've had some French instruction in grade school and high school. Beyond that, I try reading things in French sometimes. I watch French-language programming (or programming with a French dub) but with English subtitles. Back when I had access to Netflix I sometimes watched French language programs with French subtitles. (I can read French much better than I understand spoken French, and often the combination of the visual action on the screen, plus the subtitles is enough for me to understand most of what is going on. Plus I find seeing the printed words alongside hearing them helps me to learn/remember what the words sound like.) These days, however, I only have access to CBC Gem, which does have some French language programming, but only English subtitles. I have the French version of the Wingspan base game (North American cards) so I'm getting pretty good at French bird names. Sometimes I try to write to the Francophones here on DAREBEE and French friends on facebook en français. (I have to use Google translate to help me.) And I have a friend in my neighbourhood who is fluent in French. She is natively an English speaker, like me. And we mostly talk to one another in English. But there is a French-first family on her street, who she speaks with in French, and I try to join in the conversation with my limited French skills when they are around. I also have the French Fluenz program, which I am still working through.

I'll never be done with learning French though. Ditto re: learning English--and that's my native tongue! One's language skills can always be improved.

 

[TopNotch]

I learnt French in high school, then during my postgrad work, I found that I needed a decent knowledge of French to read a bunch of academic texts. At least I didn't have to worry about tenses, though! Don't know why that Canadian author had to be French-Canadian, though... I also did Latin and a spot of Ancient Greek. Middle Egyptian/hieroglyphics doesn't really count, I suppose. For my thesis, I also had to read Italian and Spanish articles, but my Latin (and a couple of dictionaries) really helped with that. The German wasn't so good... Since then, I've also learnt Danish (because... cousins) but I can't speak it; without native speakers around, it's difficult to practice the proper accent. Reading and writing is enough for me. Listening to series or movies in chosen or even the original language is good practice. I also grew up around a non-English language so that gave me a bit of a help at least at understanding it when I went to that country.

 

[GentleOx]

Ox took a breath, feeling the cool tunnel air whip around his face as the train made its way down the track. The dark of the tunnel was only intermittently lighted, mostly leaving them swallowed up by the darkness.

Finding a way North - convincing the Revolutionaries to work with them? That was the easy part, he reminded himself. Once they got into Greywater Marsh, the first truly hostile location, their troubles began. He did not know what he would do if one of them were killed, let alone wounded. You pulled out all the stops to save Simmi, his thoughts remarked. Wouldn't you do the same for them? Ox did not know the answer to that question, and tried to assauge his uncertainty by telling himself that a. their band of four knew this was a dangerous mission, and b. outside of the Revolutionary outpost they were headed to, they were going into a completely hostile environment.

"Boss?" Howie had to raise his voice to be heard over the rattle of the train wheels. Ox blinked, then turned his head over to Howie. The kid was simply resting, back against the wall (or what little there was) of the car, weapon cradled in his arms. The car rattled and groaned, even though they were seemingly going in a straight line. Perhaps a sign that the Revolutionaries frequently used this back-door route. "You got that far away look that you get when you're thinking deep thoughts."

Ox faintly smiled. "I'm just thinking about how we're going to get out of this one alive." Sax was seated next to Howie, and raised a flippant hand. "I know I'm going to get out of this one alive. It ain't my time yet." Ox could see Jackal roll his eyes. The mercenary was calmly running a whetstone down his knife. Sax took the opportunity to pick on him. "Hey tough guy. You think you're going to have the chance to get close enough to use that." Jackal calmly shrugged. "Where we're going, we're going to have plenty of opportunities to use it." He flashed a smile at Sax, who was unnerved by the sight.

"If they don't kill us first, of course."

Hey everyone, I'm back for another Ox update.

Today is the last Push day before I test my strength next week.
Bench Press: 132.5 x 2, 135 x 2, 142.5 x 2. I was tempted to go for three reps on the final set, but discretion was the better part of valor, and I decided that two would suffice.
Incline Press: 105 x 5. Not as difficult as I thought it would be.
Overhead Press: 82.5 x 3. This was apparently a PR? Surprise PR? Yay!
Straight Bar Pushdown: 15 x 6.
Dumbbell Flat Curls: 24 x 12. Ugh.
Dumbbell Wrist Curls: 24 x 16.
+ 30,000 steps. Ugh. My feet hurt again.

So overall quite a strong day. My arms even look a touch chunkier! Not bad.

Tomorrow I'm off to see the shrink, and on Saturday I'm making my journey across the harbour for my writing student. Ruh roh.

After Saturday I can lay my burden down.

I don't care about the Oscars, but news about it still pops up in my feed. I think it's fitting that the movies which have best entertained me haven't even crossed the minds of anyone attending the ceremony.

Thank you for your input @TopNotch @Laura Rainbow Dragon @NightWolf714 @Ariem @JCU . It's fascinating to read about your experiences learning another tongue.

Basically, I've always felt guilty that I didn't speak Cantonese fluently. It's the language of Hong Kong, and the mother tongue of my parents. I've been trying to learn it with different degrees of effort and success throughout my life. As a kid, I could understand some of what I heard, but as I got older, I wanted to be able to actually communicate back with other people.

Right now, I can converse in basic conversation (it's how I'll communicate with my psychiatrist tomorrow), and my tones (as Cantonese is a tonal language) are much better, but I'm nowhere close to native level. I can read about ~100 characters or so, maybe a touch more (with 2000 to go). I've made it a more complicated issue over time because I happen to be of Chinese blood, and I felt guilty for not knowing it like (virtually) everyone else here. There was always that expectation there. It's been entwined with my self esteem for decades, and I'm learning even today that it's okay to be where I am.

And how better to cap off a post than with a charity doggo sighting! Unfortunately, this was the only good picture I could get today. I do miss the golden, but don't tell the samoyeds that!

Fluffy fluffy fluffy, they are like furry clouds in the sky, doggos can do anything

I'll likely take a break from the gym until Sunday.

It's almost Friday, Bees! Go get 'em!

Playing: Flaggle Claggle! I'm saving up money for Crimson Desert, which I'm probably not going to be able to run anyway, but it's fun to imagine. A shame my computer is so aged, 'cuz CD looks absolutely stonking.

Otherwise, been playing bits and pieces of Palworld, Deadzone: Rogue, and other stuff. Meh, not much progress on this front lately.

Watching: I made it through 40 minutes of Obex, and the protagonist still hasn't entered the videogame world. My patience is finite.

For the time being, I'm watching multidimensional horror "Hostile Dimensions", which, while much lower in quality than Obex, is still quite watchable.

Listening to: Kiss - Alive! - Black Diamond. A classic Ox favourite. I absolutely adore almost everything about this one. The riffs are awesome, the solo inspired, and the sense of darkness and sleaze in the lyrics oozes straight out of the song. I should cover it some time on the drums and vox.

"Darkness will fall on the city
It seems to follow you too
And though you don't ask for pity
There's nothing that you can do"

 

[JCU]

Congratulations on another PR!

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Congratulations on your newest PR, Ox!

Basically, I've always felt guilty that I didn't speak Cantonese fluently. It's the language of Hong Kong, and the mother tongue of my parents. I've been trying to learn it with different degrees of effort and success throughout my life. As a kid, I could understand some of what I heard, but as I got older, I wanted to be able to actually communicate back with other people.

Right now, I can converse in basic conversation (it's how I'll communicate with my psychiatrist tomorrow), and my tones (as Cantonese is a tonal language) are much better, but I'm nowhere close to native level. I can read about ~100 characters or so, maybe a touch more (with 2000 to go). I've made it a more complicated issue over time because I happen to be of Chinese blood, and I felt guilty for not knowing it like (virtually) everyone else here. There was always that expectation there. It's been entwined with my self esteem for decades, and I'm learning even today that it's okay to be where I am.

I feel you here. I have (some) guilt over not having better French language skills. I grew up in a bilingual country. I had opportunities for greater French language learning in my youth, which I chose not to take. On the other hand: I wasn't exactly a slacker in my youth. I embraced other opportunities wholeheartedly. And there aren't enough hours in a day to do everything.

I try to keep this same balance in mind, even now. There was a time, not too long ago, when I was working on my French learning more consistently, and setting weekly training targets for myself. But I'm also trying to: work more on my (English) writing, be more physically active, walk my dog a minimum of 12km/day, eat more homemade food, actively nurture and build my social connections, spend regular time in nature, improve my graphic arts skills, keep reasonably well-informed re: local and world news, sleep 8 hours/night, brush and floss and at least occasionally bathe, do laundry and dishes, and maintain a reasonably clean home. And there still aren't enough hours in a day to do everything.

It is okay to be where I am. And it is okay for you to be where you are. We do what we can.