This edition of the blog is painfully overdue. There’s a draft where I started writing about my (still ongoing) computer issues, & the melancholy that came with March & it being my birthday. That has since past, in fact it’s been a month since I turned 21, so I think I will allow myself a little bit of freedom as a I write this post.

What is there to say about the state of the world itself right now? I could easily focus on a lot of the not so great, especially given the last two months I had, but I want to cut to the chase a bit & talk about things I enjoy.

We deserve that, don’t we?

I’ve been collecting the things that give me joy for a long time no matter if I can’t physically keep it. Between the tracking systems of my journals, the way I save every scrap piece of paper, the endless list of links & artwork & books & essays & creativity I have the slightest chance to touch means the world to me.

Right now, I am in personal stress, & I’m working on getting myself in a stabler place. I’m sure I’ll have some updates soon there.

Without further delay, here’s some things I enjoyed.

Blaseball Appreciation

First of, an announcement:

Check out the interest/feedback form for the Blaseball Zine Jam, we’re gonna be running it around the same time as last year (yours truly is modding again). If you’re new to blaseball or interested in the jam, feel free to drop a line!.

Krow’s animatic for the new era of blaseball was AMAZING, and I was totally blown away.

I really have to compliment the way you’ve developed your lighting skills for one thing, fire is such a challenge and you managed to capture the horrors of incineration all in several terrifying and unique flashes.

I found that the other iconography you chose to use just fit so well with the whole intro to the era too.

Putting the disk on, saying goodbye to those you love, the cycle goes on and on and on. I remember seeing your Anastasia when you had just started this project, and wow, the entire project did not disappoint, totally emotionally wrecking in an incredible way.

We started the Wild Wings Fic Archive over on the forum. I’m currently working on getting my own pieces up, but in the meantime go appreciate all of the stunning fics from all of our buddies on the team, it’s nearly impossible to suggest just one.

That is to say, theres some fantastic old fics from early on in Beta that absolutely deserve more love.

This fic suggestion is one of absolute bias.

Teasing each other good-naturedly, [Burke + The Watsons.] is the prompt, and this is easily be one of my favorite depictions of the trio.

Nel & I talked frequently about Burke Gonzales & the Watsons as they got closer & closer, & this short prompt fill he wrote captures the essence of what makes their dynamic so engaging to me.

Really! Just read it! Read it & think about these old men. Joshua Watson is a menace, to his husband, his boyfriend, & his poor poor step son.

the valor I have won is one of Blink’s masterpiece fics.

I was reminded of it because of the ongoing blaseball ship bracket, because of just how distinct Don’s narrative is.

I watched what happened to Don Mitchell live, I remember the ache I felt of course, but that didn’t begin to cut into the narrative potential that Blink expertly dissected.

Where the ache and longing tangle up with love & just constant tragedy.

This is a quintessential fic for fans of the Lovers, Fridays, & people who love to feel heartache about the Expansion Era.

Cedar shared Crits/Cell with us the other day & this is where I shout GO READ ABOUT THEM.

This is truly just a joy to see niche prehistory guys get lore as a guy with niche prehistory lore. Go read what if i asked you to stay

Lastly, I’ll have a separate blog post about the Blaseball Fanmix Jam soon!

Sharing Joy

CW for Character Death

Six Cats Under is a quick supernatural rescue mission.

I had fun with this! You are a ghostly grandma trying to save her cats with limited spiritual abilities. Exploring her apartment makes for a fun little romp before you figure everything out, & getting to learn about your beloved cats before you let them out into the world was really sweet.

Give this game a quick play, it will take maybe 15 minutes if you really explore & read through everything, but I love this a lot!

I ordered some stickers from CURSEDLUVER again recently, a perfect excuse to came up because of setting letters to my partner.

We Are Dead Stars is a 2016 TEDx Talk from Dr. Michelle Thaller. She’s most known for her work in astronomy & working with NASA, but to me, her work is poetry.

I totally get the corniness of the whole stardust connection, though there is the root peace & connection I feel when I recognize that the matter that made me has always existed since the universe began.

There’s a beauty in what I extract out of Thaller’s words in the wake of exclusion & isolation. There’s warmth in the inherent connection Thaller acknowledges we have, no matter how distant.

That means something

While not a joy itself, I also deeply appreciated her talk with Big Think this year, about the healing power of physics, & survival after your soulmate has died.

It is both an aching and hopeful approach, and as someone who is both fascinated and terrified of death, this was the first piece on grief I found that was really impactful to me.

Music

Listen to the new Softwire album!!!

I’m taking the time to stop here, There’s never enough time or space to share everything I want to do.

Please take care.