Quest for Muscle: The Return of the Pump

[GentleOx]

Greetings Bees! It is I, Ox, once more with another workout. Pummelled my pecs today with a Push workout.

Bench Press: 135 x 3, 137.5 x 2, 140 x 1. Going to transition to 2rm workouts, as I feel like I've hit the wall for this rep range. Of course, I came in to the gym tired, which didn't help.
Weighted Dips: 35 x 5. Not bad, will keep up with these.
Shoulder Press: 75 x 3.

I was angry during this workout. Just... charged with anger. Not to the point of breaking things or self harming (which has been an issue in the past), but angry and energized, nonetheless. Angry at what? Not the people I love, but lots of easy targets and primarily, myself. I was able to use my anger to fuel my workout, which is not something I regularly do, and not something I recommend. It's possible to go into a workout angry, and leave angrier; in my case, I tuckered myself out with plenty of cardio and steps, so it worked out, and now I'm back home, a bit calmer.

Started a fat loss journey that I hope will bear fruit in the months to come. I weighed myself today and tipped the scales at 84 kg. While it's not the heaviest I've ever been, it's way too heavy for me, so I'm going to more closely watch my diet and continue what I'm doing exercise-wise (I'm getting plenty of it, methinks). Watch this space...

Walked around for a bit in the heat. It wasn't that bad when we left the house early this morning, but in the afternoon, the heat really was something. Now, in the evening, it's merely muggy.



I guess I'm not the only one jonesing for sweet treats! This is the busiest the store's ever been. Not that I would ever buy anything, as the store's goods are too pricey, and they don't have what I'm looking for (MILK DUDS).

Hope you're having a great Sunday, Bees!

Playing: A bit of HROT and Hades 2. Really should branch out into other stuff, but nothing else really catches my eye.

Watching: Currently watching The House, a 2022 animated effort that spans genres (namely horror and black comedy). Seal Team as well.

Listening to: POD - Southtown. While Rap-Metal is something of a fool's errand for most bands, I've always been a fan of POD - they manage to balance out crunchy aggression with melodic aplomb. I used to listen to this one a lot when I got angry, and it makes sense to listen to it again.

"Welcome to hard times, back again like it's never been
For the first time, it seems to mess with my head
So when I realize what it takes, can I relate?
With whatever, but never will it drive me to hate"

 

[GentleOx]

Hey again Bees. Feeling better than before, and back to the gym again.

Today was a Back day, but I took a break from the deadlifts, and will return to them next week.

Deadlift and Row: 110 x 3. Not bad, I like the feel of these.
Barbell Rows: 95 x 5.
Meadows Rows: 36.25 x 5.
Behind the Neck Pulldowns: 62.5 x 5.

So sleepy, once more, but I'm glad to have had a good workout today.

Yesterday I had my first real "On" day (ie on point). I had some sweets after working out, but after dinner, that was it. It's tough, feeling hungry again. In the past, I just ate my way through my hunger pangs and cravings, which obviously didn't work. And I'm going to do it again tonight.

Tomorrow I'm going to take a break from the gym. It will be the real test, as on my off days, I have a habit of eating everything in sight. We'll see if my newfound resolve holds.

See you on the other side, Bees.

Playing: More Hrot. Making my way through the second episode. A little bit of Hades 2. And Fallout: London looks intriguing, but only time will tell; the last mod of the size for the Fallout games was Fallout: The Frontier, and we all saw how that turned out.

Watching: Still watching The House.

Also watched House of the Dragon, which had its second battle scene (the Battle of Rook's Rest). Was underwhelmed. Controversial opinion: I don't care about the scenes where the dragons are flying or fighting. Hell, I may not even care for the dragons whatsoever. I'm not sure if it's due to unconvincing execution of the flight scenes or whatever, but I just couldn't care less. Show me a conventional battle scene with massed hosts, and I'm much more satisfied. This was a very choppy affair in which we cut back and forth from the soldiers on the ground, to the dragons in the air, which seems quite disjointed. I get that that's a necessary evil in this battle (which is the first real Dance with Dragons), but I still don't care.

And there's a notable deviation from the book in which one of the characters does something that seems to court stupidity and belie common sense, which is extremely out of character. What were they thinking? Were they thinking? Beats me. I remember wanting to watch the battle scenes in GoT again and again, but that hasn't been the case here. It's very telling that I had more fun watching the behind the scenes of the battle than the battle itself.

Listening to: Harry Gregson-Williams - The Battle. Now this one was a battle scene I could get behind (admittedly, they had a budget a gazillion times larger)! And it's ironic that it still captures intensity and kinetic violence better than the HotD battle did. Here's the music for it.

 

[GentleOx]

Hey again Bees. Today was a Paused bench day. I may reset the cycle and start again, as I haven't been getting the results I'd hoped for.

Paused Bench Press: 137.5 x 2. I was hoping for 140 x 2, but alas, it was not to be.
Spoto Press: 105 x 5.
Incline Bench: 85 x 6. I couldn't even do 8 reps! Shocking.
EZ Bar Preacher Curls: 35 x 6.
Dual Dumbbell Curls: 14 x 8.
+21000 steps.

Pretty underwhelming, so it may be time for a reset. I'm kind of tired of hammering at bloody, grindy reps.

The Fat Loss Initiative is going well, but it's only the third day. Yesterday I ate less than I ever have on a day off. My only treat was an ice cream bar, which totally hit the spot. I've read somewhere that it only takes a few repetitions for a habit to form; that may be true, but this is the most difficult habit I've ever formed.

Hope your week is going well, Bees!

Playing: Still making my way through Hrot, piece by bloody piece. Some Hades 2, and slowly returning to Mortal Sin. Out of left field, I may reinstall and play open worlder Rage, and treat it as a podcast game.

Watching: Still haven't started Time Bandits. And of course, Seal Team at the gym.

May watch Se7en again, but I recall that it's not a gratifying watch; if you've seen it, you'll know that it's sordid, punishing viewing. Still... I have seen weirder, though arguably not better (it is rightfully considered a modern horror classic).

Listening to: Adam Franklin - 99th Dream. This is a gorgeous acoustic song that was originally performed in a more electric rendition by Franklin's band Swervedriver. Who's Swervedriver? Contemporary to bands such as Ride and Slowdive, their amazing talent and sound belied their shit luck. Quite possibly the most underrated alt rock band of the 90s, and I don't make that claim lightly.

I haven't listened to 99th Dream in awhile, and it surprised me that this acoustic version existed. Absolutely perfect for me as I watch the sunlight fade.

 

[GentleOx]

Hail, Bees! I'm back with another workout.

I decided to "take it easy" today, and did a fluffy Arms workout. Of course, me being me, it ended up being 24+ sets in total. Let's see if I remember the exercises...

Smith Machine Close Grip Press: 90 x 6. More difficult than I thought it would be.
Lying Dumbbell Extensions: 16 x 6.
Cable Extensions: 12 x 6. Maybe trying doing these with one hand? They're all the rage.
Bodyweight Extensions: Four sets.
Barbell Curls: 32.5 x 6.
Dual Dumbbell Curls: 16 x 6.
One arm Preacher Curls: 16 x 6.

Got some yummy chicken curry (mmm... spicy curry) rice for dinner and promptly gobbled it up in ten minutes - normally there's plenty left over. Must have been all the exertion from the gym, and urban commando-ing around out there.

May or may not do leg day tomorrow. I'm thinking that I might even push it to Saturday. We'll see. Taiwanese hot pot on Saturday! It'll feel good to indulge and eat a bit more in our favourite hot pot restaurant.

Tomorrow is my big sobriety anniversary, and I'm certainly not going to stop now.

Keep at it Bees! It's almost Friday!

Playing: What's this? Diablo 4 again? I restarted as a Barbarian (a Whirlbarian, if you will), and I don't want to leave this half-assed like I did last time. No Hades 2 last night (whaaaa...?), nor Hrot. I'll give them a go tonight. Also reinstalled Rage 2, but I'm not really committed to it. Let's see how it goes.

Watching: Finished watching The House (2022), which is an anthology of three stop-motion animated films centering around the titular house, and different residents' (and even species!) experiences with it. Here's a review.

The first segment, set in the Victorian era, details a family in debt - only to be blessedly granted an enormous mansion (the house from the title) by an unseen benefactor. Little do they realize that this seemingly generous gift will cost and alter them.

The second is set in modern London, albeit with anthropomorphic mice. The lead in this segment is a contractor who seeks to renovate and flip the house. He fends off the bank, and stamps out the beetles plaguing the interior. This is to no avail, as his open house viewing is a disaster. A stroke of luck seems to arrive in the shape (!) of two very odd folk who take up residence in the house. But why are they shaped that way? And what do they want?

The final segment is set in a world in which a mysterious, cataclysmic flood has drowned most of the world, featuring anthropomorphic cats. Rosa is the proprietor of the very same house (now an inn), who bemoans her deadbeat tenants and struggles to renovate the house. Stubborn to a fault, she finds herself conflicted on how to move forward. However, the arrival of a strange new age expert will challenge her and her preconceived feelings.

This is a charming animated film that once again features meticulously animated puppets and sets. The animation is beyond fault - it almost looked suspiciously smooth to me, but the filmmakers insist that all animation was done in-camera. The voice acting is superb as well, and bears out the casting of such high-profile actors (eg Mia Goth and Jarvis Cocker). So that's not the issue.

What is? Well, with any anthology film, the quality of the shorts and their stories are almost always a crapshoot, and such is the case here. There isn't a consistent tone, as the shorts take wildly different directions. The first comes close to conventional, surreal horror, and is enjoyable in that sense. The second is almost slice-of-life, which pulls the rug under you in the final few minutes. I didn't like it so much, and I can't put my finger on why. The last was the most heartfelt to me, perhaps because it abandons horror entirely and has more than a few comedic scenes. I found the payoff immensely gratifying.

So is it worth watching? Of course! It's unusual and charming and entertaining, even though I got the feeling that it didn't totally fulfil its potential (I would've scrapped the second segment entirely). Two out of three successes isn't bad at all.

Ergo, I give The House three and a half canapes out of five.

So I started watching I Saw the Devil on a random whim. Though I'm not finished yet, I could not look away. It's a shockingly violent and compelling thriller, much like another Korean film I watched (I think it's called The Chaser). I'll write a review of it when I'm done.

No Seal Team today.

Also watching Gunship's Doom Dance video. An ambitious mix of homage-laden anime and live performances.

Listening to: Swervedriver - Autodidact. Gorgeous, shimmery guitar melodies. A well-matured sound that may be calmer, but is no less striking than what it used to be. I confess I don't know what the song's actually about, but the melody is the most important part.

"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"

 

[GentleOx]

I was a Rain Ox today!

Hey Bees! It started off sunny, and I hit the gym with a Push workout.

Bench Press: 115 x 5. Feels good to hit consistent reps again. I'll gradually increase this over time.
Larsen Press: 110 x 5. Also feels good to do these again.
Paused Shoulder Press: 65 x 5.
EZ Bar Preacher Curls: 35 x 6.
Dual Dumbbell Curls: 16 x 6. Will try to increase these.

After finishing my workout, I got caught in the rain not once, but twice. Serves me right for not brining an umbrella, I suppose. Totally drenched, managed to make my way home. Right now the rain is pounding away. Who'da thought...

Last night's hot pot left me with an upset tummy, so I may have to let up on the hot pots for awhile. Good thing there're so many delicious restaurants throughout, so there's more to eat!

Got some yummy brown sugar raisin cake, which I'll save as a treat.

Enjoy your Sunday, Bees!

Playing: I'm making good progress in Hrot - steadily going through level after level, and I'm nearly done. Also a touch of Void Bastards. Miss Hades 2 already!

Watching: Just finished watching I Saw The Devil, which I watched in chunks. Here's a review.

A government agent has lost his girlfriend to a vicious serial killer. Absolutely enraged, he sets his sights on taking revenge; he accomplishes this by finding the killer, beating the tar out of him, and then releasing him, again and again, with the intention of maximizing the killer's suffering. The violent depths he plumb take an increasing toll on his psyche, and little does he realize that the killer is as cunning as he is.

The plot of this movie is essentially that Nietzsche quote come to life. If you haven't read it before:

"Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster... for when you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."

The flick basically has the surface appearance of a serial killer horror movie, but with the violence and energy of an action flick. There are essentially two halves to the movie - one is of the depravity of the killer, Kyung-Chul, and the other is of the increasing violence Soo-Hyun employs to avenge his girlfriend. Both are pretty disturbing, to say the very least.

This was a dark, punishing watch, and still, I could not tear my eyes away from the movie. It starts off horrifying and more than matches the beginning with each subsequent cavalcade of horrific violence. That speaks to the production values and the dark performances by the two male leads. Choi Min-Sik attracts well-deserved attention; his boorishly-vile sociopath is easily hated, and yet still compelling. Lee Byung-Hun does an amazing job as the agent who resorts to increasingly deplorable methods to torment his prey. The question at the end of the film is not how much humanity he has retained, but more, whether he has any left. Even as he grows less sympathetic as a character, he still retains our empathy.

Should you watch it? Yes, presuming you have a *very* strong tolerance for horror movies.

For holding my attention despite its darkness, I give I Saw The Devil four and a half GPS capsules out of five.

Now onto something more light-hearted! I aim to start watching Time Bandits tonight. If I'm not too sleepy!

Listening to: Sugar - Copper Blue. This is from Bob Mould (formerly of Husker Du)'s new group. I would describe it as being like a jawbreaker - hard shell, sweet center.

 

[GentleOx]

Hey Bees. Super pooped again. Made it to the gym for a Back workout. I've dropped the deadlifts for now, and will return to them eventually.

Deadlift and Row: 110 x 5. These kicked my butt! Increasing the number of reps made things that much more intense. I'll increase these with time.
T-Bar Rows: 87.5 x 5.
Meadows Rows: 37.5 x 5.
One Armed Cable Row: 30 x 5.
Behind the Neck Pulldowns: 60 x 5.
+26,000 steps!

I was so tired that it felt like I was practically sleepwalking my way through my workout. I was dead on my feet halfway through my steps - I thought I'd never make it through them.

Emotionally, this was a trying workout too. I felt engulfed with anger and wracked with anxiety at different points. Still not sure why these flashes happen. When I was out and about urban commando-ing, I calmed down again.

Had a lovely dinner with a friend at a greasy spoon restaurant. Forgot to take pictures... drat.

Have a good Monday, Bees!

Playing: Still steadily progressing in Hrot. I feel like the end's in sight, and when I reach it, my review will follow. A bit of Hades 2. Resurrected Deathrun TV, but it feels like rubbish, at this point.

Edit: Just beat the final boss(es) of Hrot's campaign, so here's a review.

Something is terribly wrong in USSR-era Czechoslovakia. Mysterious monsters have suddenly appeared, killing everyone in sight. On orders from the Soviet Supreme Leader, an agent is sent in to quell the situation - with a vast amount of firepower and explosives. Through area after area, the agent discovers insights as to the why the calamity happened, and sets out to right it.

For context, this is a dense FPS with three separate episodes - it fits neatly into the Boomer Shooter genre because of its tight, satisfying gameplay, secrets and trivial details, inventive level design, and equally inventive gameplay mechanics. I've heard it referred to as "Slav Quake", a comparison borne out by the visual similarity to that game. This is a dark and dreary experience soaked in the feel of its setting.

This is a very good FPS - I think it should even be considered a modern classic of the FPS genre. It's the originality of the world (how many FPS are set in the USSR?) and the lived-in details that really set the game apart. The game is lavished with details of life in that time period, and many of the historic points of interest are interesting. As a shooter, the game marries clever level and environmental design with a bevy of weapons. While they've been seen before, they're still well-implemented. There are also dashes of the surreal (as if the premise wasn't strange enough to begin with), which gives the game a sense of humour that's rarely seen.

I spent about five hours playing it, but it felt like more, as the levels are dense and offer novel experiences (belying the "find this key to open this door" template).

Because it's such a fun ride, I give Hrot four and a half bottles of health-restoring wine out of five.

Watching: Some Seal Team at the gym. Movie-wise, I may watch either Time Bandits or Big Trouble in Little China (my Cantonese heritage demands that I eventually watch this), as I need a break from my recent intense horror watches.

Listening to: POD - Afraid to Die. This one has been on repeat in my head these last few days. I like that POD has been one of those few alternative metal bands to champion positive messages in their lyrics; this may stem from their Christian beliefs. Christian or not, this is a catchy, life-affirming song that doesn't lack for intensity or compelling hooks.

"We ain't afraid to die!
We ain't afraid of life!"

 

[GentleOx]

Hey Bees! After taking a break yesterday, I hit the gym again for a controlled Push workout.

Paused Bench: Started as 110 x 5, got up to 120 x 5. Will steadily increase this.
Weighted Dips: 80 x 6. I love these! But doing them is taxing.
Incline Bench: 90 x 6, I think.
Preacher Bar Curls: 35 x 6.
Dual Dumbbell Curls: 16 x 6. Making a start on the 16s!
+22000 steps.

No Rain Ox action today - I thankfully missed the rain, and made it back home while the sun was still shining. It's been warm, but the frequent rainfall has taken away from the heat. Now I'm watching the rain as it's pouring down, clattering away on the windows.

I've read that the book fair has come to town. I may not buy anything, but I definitely want to attend and have a look at all the stalls and exhibits.

So sleepy.

Editing to add: I celebrated 5 years sober last Friday! Woo! The best is yet to come.

Have yourselves a great Wednesday, Bees!

Playing: Back to Hades 2 after finishing Hrot. Reinstalled boomer shooter Ion Fury, so that may be my podcast game of choice. Also tried out Intravenous, which is a top-down shooter/sneaker. There was a promotion for the sequel in which the original was offered completely free: I took the bait. Don't know how far I'll get before I rage uninstall the game!

Watching: More Seal Team at the gym. Mmm, still satisfyingly adequate, I suppose. Just started Time Bandits. It's a bit early to say, but I like where it's going.

Humor: Michigan J. Frog:

"Hello my baby, hello my honey
Hello my ragtime gal
Send me a kiss by wire
Baby, my heart's on fire!"

Listening to: Miss May I - Shadows Inside. I haven't posted a heavy metal song in some time, so melocore it is! Love the melody in this one, and the guitar solo is the cherry on top.

 

[JCU]

Congratulations on 5 years!!

 

[Fremen]

Congrats

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Grats for the 5 years, it is sommething to be proud of, and indeed the best is yet to come!

 

[MadamMeow]

Congrats for 5 years!

 

[CODawn]

Congratulations!

 

[GentleOx]

Thank you so much @Fremen, @CODawn, @MadamMeow, @PetiteSheWolf and @JCU. Your support is everything.

Yo Bees! It's the Ox, with another update. Today was Leg Day.

Squats: 100 x 5, 105 x 2. Eh, this is what I get for taking a break from Leg day. I'm not too disheartened, though.
Leg Press: 150 (I think) x 6.
Dumbbell Front Squats: 20 x 6.
Leg Extensions: 45 x 8.
+26000 steps. Nothing exceptional, but it still kicked my butt.

Then I got changed and rushed off to make my class. Super sleepy when I made it back home. I was practically dragging my feet through the last 1000 steps.

Tomorrow we're going to our favourite North Point Thai restaurant for dinner. Last time we went, we accidentally locked ourselves out of our home and had to call the locksmith, so here's hoping that tomorrow's venture is more serendipitous.

We made it to the weekend, Bees! Yay!

Playing: A little Ion Fury, some Fallen Aces (which I'm appreciating the more I play through its massive levels), Unsighted, and reinstalled Boltgun and Destiny 2: all the better to sate my FPS fix.

Watching: Haven't made any progress on Time Bandits. A dash of Seal Team at the gym. Rewatching David Lynch's Rabbits, which is a pretty weird (even for Lynch) watch. It's a short film, so I'll post some thoughts on it in my review.

Edit: Finished watching it, so here's a review.

A trio of anthropomorphic rabbits speak in disjointed conversations while in their living room; they are occasionally visited by a (malevolent?) divine entity, and an equally divine burning matchstick. From time to time, one of the rabbits will stand up and recite poetry; these poetic speeches and gestures are the most cohesive communications in the film.

If the synopsis didn't clue you in, this one is pretty weird. Good thing I have a tolerance (you might say an interest) for surreal films, and Rabbits fit the bill perfectly. To reiterate, this is a surreal short (40 mins) from David Lynch, who's practically mastered the art of directing equally surreal dramas. Surreal drama is a good way of putting it. You have three performers in rabbit costumes, and all the action takes place in their living room, while the constant rain and train whistles soak the film in inexplicable dread.

But the hallmark of this one is the dialogue. The rabbits speak almost exclusively in out-of-sequence non sequitors, punctuated with a seemingly random laugh/applause track. For example, see the below excerpt:

Female Rabbit: All day.
There is something here.
It happened like that earlier.

Male Rabbit: Who could've known?

One of the theories is that the rabbits are speaking in conversations that actually made sense; only, Lynch cut up the dialogue and put it out of order. Another theory is that the rabbits are speaking of some unspecified trauma, and their attempts to recover from it. Apart from the costumes, and background noise, the strange speech patterns contribute most to the film's eerie feel.

This is a hard watch not in the sense that it's violent or profane; it's more that it requires a bit of patience to get through the film's strange approach, and appreciate the craft on display.

I give the unapologetically weird Rabbits four matchsticks out of five.

Interested in seeing it? The whole thing's viewable on Youtube.

Listening to: Dead Astronauts - Erase Me. This is a gloomy song by synth giants Dead Astronauts - it boasts a catchy hook that wouldn't be out of place in an 80s new wave song, and reminds me a little of Bauhaus, and a little of Joy Division.

 

[aku-chan]

Congrats on 5 years sober!

 

[GentleOx]

Thanks a bunch @aku-chan!

Hi again Bees! It's Sunday, so after church, I walked to the gym for my workout (it's only ten minutes away). Today was my bog-standard chest workout.

Bench Press: 117.5 x 5, 120 x 5. Eh, these were merely okay. I have to remember to make incremental increases and not jump the gun.
Weighted Dips: 45 x 6. These felt great! If by great, you mean leaving my triceps very sore.
Incline Press: 95 x 5. Once again these totally kicked my butt.
EZ Bar Preacher Curls: 35 x 6.
Dual Hammer Dumbbell Curls: 14 x 10.

My legs are still in pain from Friday's workout, so I have no idea how I managed to walk my usual steps today. Hrng.



A succulent Chinese meal? I saw someone burning offering money and leaving this meal as an offering on their doorstep. It's a bit early for the Hungry Ghost Festival, but mom informs me that they may have lost someone close to them.



Hong Kong looking moody and cyberpunk. This is possibly my favourite (or at least most-frequented) area in the city, Causeway Bay.

Have yourselves a great Sunday, Bees!

Playing: Mostly Zero Sievert before bed last night. There was another game - I can't remember which - that I didn't enjoy and promptly uninstalled. It's weird that as I grow older, I've gravitated more towards "Podcast Games" that I can play without thinking about too hard (curiously, I played chunks of Elden Ring like this). I used to be a more avid gamer when I was young.

Watching: More of Seal Team. Watched a bit more of Time Bandits - I'm liking it so far, and it's clear that a lot of work went into the production. I've noticed that there is a new series coming out which continues its story, but I'll watch the film first before watching the trailer.

Listening to: Jeff Wayne - The Eagle and the Hawk. This is a little heard album from Jeff Wayne, who put the life of legendary Thracian gladiator Spartacus to music. The whole album features some stellar voice acting (featuring no less than Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta Jones), great vocals, and of course, excellent melodies. It's a bit bloated, but it's surprisingly inspiring, and many of the lyrics are quite quotable:

"Now look how high the eagle flies
He once was king of all the skies
Oh, but see how easy he dies!

Caught on the sword of liberty
They trained us, they made us strong
but gave us nowhere to belong

We know what we're fighting for
And if we can win a battle
then we can win a war!"

 

[NancyTree]

Major congrats on 5 years!

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Interesting, so people leave food also to mark a recent mourning? I like learning new things. Apart from the fruits, can you identify what the food is ?

 

[GentleOx]

Thank you kindly @NancyTree.

@PetiteSheWolf Off the top of my head, if someone has stronger beliefs in Chinese tradition, then I suppose they do (to ensure their loved ones are well-fed in the afterlife). Not everyone does this (my family, for example). Usually, people wait until the Hungry Ghost Festival to leave out food, and burn fake/offering money, so I was interested to see someone doing it several weeks early.

That's a (I had to look up the English names in wiki ) marinated steamed chicken. Next to it are pork ribs with crisp/crackling skin. Very common here for lunch and dinner!

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

The pork ribs look delicious!!!

 

[GentleOx]

@PetiteSheWolf It's very yummy!

Hello again everyone! I'm back with another workout update. Today was a Pull day; I'm still taking a break from the deadlifts.

Deadlift and Row: 120 x 5. Wasn't expecting this much! The weights just felt lighter.
T-Bar Rows: 90 x 5. Yesss!
Meadows Row: 40 x 5. Feels good to use this weight again.
Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns: 62 x 6.
Reverse Lat Pulldowns: 62.5 x 6.
+23000 steps.

Felt very charged today... stronger than usual. Not many anxieties this time, funny enough. But some anger. I think that contrary to my general good-natured demeanor, I have some unaddressed old bitter angers lingering below the surface.

The biggest thing I physically feel is tiredness. It makes me feel sleepy even before I take my anti-anxiety meds (which are 95% of the time guaranteed to knock me out).

We're having a yummy buffet lunch on Saturday! Yay!

Take care of yourselves, Bees!

Playing: A bit of Hades 2, and some more of Zero Sievert, though I seem to be stuck lol. I have plenty of other goodies I've reinstalled, so maybe my gaming habits will change. I'm constantly really tired at night, so I have less of a desire to game.

Watching: Took a break from Seal Team at the gym to watch a bit of Boy Kills World, an action film starring Bill Skarsgard. I've only watched ten minutes, but I can already tell it ain't great. Also watching this most recent episode of HotD. It's interesting to see how the lore from Fire and Blood intersects with the show, or is outright changed, even. Mostly, I'm just happy that we get to spend more time in Westeros.

Listening to: Kidneythieves - Comets + Violins. I miss the days when Kidneythieves were making music. This number mixes trip-hop and alternative rock deftly, on the excellent Tryptofanatic album.

 

[GentleOx]

Dear Diary -

Today I had a massive Push workout!

Paused Bench: 122.5 x 5. Steady increments seem to be working!
Weighted Dips: 50 x 6(!). Not bad.
Incline Press: 97.5 x 4. Will aim for more next time.
EZ Bar Preacher Curls: 35 x 6.
Cable Curls: 9 x 8.
+23000 steps.

The weather was unbearable today, in spite of it being overcast. Apparently, it's going to be even hotter tomorrow!
In other adorable news, there's going to be a Cat expo! I'm tempted to go just to see all the cute kitties people will bring

Totally tuckered out from all my urban commando-ing, so I'm going to take a break from the job hunting and watch the sky slowly darken.

Have a good Wednesday, Bees!

Watching: Back to Seal Team, though I may resume Boy Kills World eventually. Late night cinema has been on hiatus, so I really need to choose something (I'm in the mood for another horror, so Time Bandits will be watched another time).

Contemplating whether or not to fork over the cash and watch Deadpool v Wolverine (lol), but not sure it's worth it. The last superhero film that I thought was truly vindicated was Logan: a dramatic tour de force. Here, I get Ryan Reynolds' (barely) acting, with humor that often grates. As Rorschach would say, Hrmm.

Playing: Been mostly spending my time on Zero Sievert, bizarrely. Took a brief break from Hades 2. Tried to play The Ascent again, but having controller issues. Keep forgetting to play Diablo 4 (or maybe I'm usually too tired).

Surreal fix: Is... this how you promote an album? To who?

Listening to: Zamilska - Call. This one had the perfect beat and menacing feel for zipping through the crowds, pounding the pavement, and dodging surveillance cams. When your surroundings are all cyberpunk, all you can do is cyberpunk.

 

[TopNotch]

A cat expo? How could anyone resist?

 

[GentleOx]

@TopNotch From footage of past years, it seems that the con is mostly there to sell cat-related goodies, and less to have people meet up with their cats. Although you're guaranteed to see cats there, I'm not sure it's worth it.

Hey Bees! I'm totally bushed after a colossal workout and extended walk. So here is my Leg Day:

Barbell Squats: 105 x 5. These totally gelled this time. I'm done with stopping my squats at just parallel level. This time, I focused on hitting as low a depth as I could, and I think that helped me groove.
Front Squats: 60 x 5. Getting back up there!
Leg Extensions: 65 x 8.
Lying Leg Curls: 40 x 6.
Back Extensions: Four sets of ten reps.
+30,000 steps. Holy cow. This is an all-time steps PR for me. And now my feet are sore...

There's some sort of anime con going on (lots of cons and expos in the summer), and I spotted some cosplayers on the MTR.

We're going to TST for a buffet lunch (at 15:30, weirdly enough) tomorrow! Yummy!

We made it to the weekend, Bees! Have yourselves a great time!

Playing: Fallout London was just released. If you're not in the know, it's a long-awaited mod for Fallout 4 that portrays a post-nuclear London. It's the most ambitious mod for a game since Fallout - The Frontier (which crashed like a paper airplane tied to a brick). While I'm excited, I'm not that excited, and will wait to see what first impressions are. Also playing lots of Zero Sievert, and have made good progress. Also reinstalled and started playing Wolfenstein: The New Order (I last finished it in 2015ish), which I'm enjoying more than I thought I would. After I'm done with that, I'll naturally move on to the DLC, or the sequel.

Watching: So, I watched Plan 9 from Outer Space - the original worst movie of all time - out of morbid curiosity, and to carry on from where I left off after watching Manos, a similarly maligned film. Here's a review.

First, an excerpt from the beginning:

"We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future." Whaaaaa...?

Amidst strange occurrences in a graveyard, flying saucers have appeared over Los Angeles! The military scrambles and citizens of the earth react. The alien mastermind unveils his sinister plan - to resurrect the dead and have them menace the Earth, for a mysterious greater purpose. How will we foil their unearthly, irredeemably convoluted intentions?!

This is essentially a very amateurish alien invasion movie that's totally lacking in excitement or dramatic tension. The acting is either unimpressive or overwrought, with dialogue that's hammy and stuffed full of cheese. The writing is just atrocious - I laughed out loud several times at the narration that's totally unneeded, as well as characters' tendency to state, and respond to, the obvious. The aliens' plan is curiously specific and ineffectual. The aliens have the ability to raise the dead, and... that's all they do; to the tune of three walking cadavers, and not one more. Why bother with something so pointless when you surely have advanced technology at your beck and call?! Even when their plan (not exactly the Plan 9 of the title) is revealed, it raises further questions.

The special effects are awesomely cheap. For instance, toy saucers are hung on strings and imposed over stock footage to show the UFOs descending over Los Angeles. The aliens' costumes are risible, and no attempt made to disguise or explain their use of English. Horror legend Bela Lugosi pops up in several scenes as one of the walking dead, but in other scenes, a curiously tall and spry figure wrapped in a cape stands in for him instead (apparently this is because Lugosi passed away before all his necessary scenes were shot). Speaking of which, the iconic Vampira debuts here in a similar role, though apart from walking around menacingly, she has little dramatic purpose.

It's always interesting to have heard about these all-time bad movies as a kid, and then actually watch them. I had it in my head that Plan 9 was this grandiose, bursting-at-the-seams spectacle of the bizarre, but what we get is... oddly bland. There's a bigger budget and more polish here than with Manos, and it's more cohesive, but in the end, it's still feckless and terrible and entertaining.

Is it so-bad-it's-good? Yep! I certainly had a good time laughing at the film's missteps. It is thus only right that I therefore give Plan 9 from Outer Space zero toy saucers out of five. May we find humour in it for generations to come.

Still haven't found a movie for late night cinema, but I have some ideas.

Listening to: AC/DC - Rock or Bust. I had no idea AC/DC had been putting out new albums since Black Ice. Much like in their glory days, this song boasts a killer riff and hits like a brick.

 

[JCU]

Congrats on your step PR!

 

[Fremen]

Congrats

 

[CODawn]

Congratulations!

 

[MadamMeow]

Congrats on beating your PR!

 

[GentleOx]

Thank you kindly @JCU, @Fremen, @MadamMeow, and @CODawn!

Hey Bees! I hit the gym for a Push workout after going to church.

Bench Press: 127.5 x 5. 130 x 3. Challenging, but felt good. Not sure if I'd be able to make 130 x 5, but I want to aim for it next week.
Weighted Dips: 55 x 5. I'm working on locking out my triceps, which is naturally difficult to do (your body is screaming for you to finish it ASAP). It looks like this:

Incline Press: 100 x 6. The return of the gains! Not bad.
EZ Bar Preacher Curls: 40 x 3. Yuck.
Dual Hammer Curls: 16 x 6.

All in all, quite productive.

I was a Rain Ox today, but even though I had an umbrella with me, the rain wasn't that heavy, and I made it home okay.

Enjoy your Sunday, Bees!

Playing: A cornucopia of gaming! Steadily inching through Zero Sievert, playing a bit of Wolfenstein: The New Order (which has best-in-class shooting mechanics), rekindling my love of Destiny 2 (which also has best-in-class pew pews), and kinda missed Medal of Honor: Airborne, so if I can squeeze it in, I'll play for a few minutes.

Watching: More Seal Team at the gym. I'm on an exciting double episode which sees the rear echelon of the team forced into action.

Still not sure what to watch at night, as I keep conking out before I can watch anything.

Anime: So this is the song that's taki--Shikanako Nokonoko Koshitantan... Shikanako Nokonoko Koshitantan...

Listening to: Saint Innocent - Only You. I love discovering new tunes on Youtube! Few things are more satisfying than a new discovery lighting up the pleasure centres of my brain. This is from a very catchy selection of synthpop. It sounds like a tune I've heard before, but from where, I haven't figured out yet. Edit: It sounds like it could be related to Touch Sensitive's Pizza Guy, which is synthwave-adjacent, but excellent all the same.

 

[NancyTree]

Wow, >30.000 steps is a lot!

 

[GentleOx]

Thank you @NancyTree. My feet were so sore...

Hey Bees! Yesterday was an unscheduled break... wasn't feeling it. So Pull day was moved to today instead.

Deadlift and Row: 125 x 5. I managed to increase the weight again! This was a tough one. I don't think I'll be able to hit 130 x 5, as this took it out of me.
Barbell Rows: 97.5 x 5. Cheating the movement too much.
Meadows Rows: 40 x 6.
One Armed Cable Rows: 30 x 5.
Behind the Neck Pulldowns: 62.5 x 6.
+22000 steps.

I did something to my forearm muscles, due to the D & Rs, which doesn't feel painful, but sore. The antidote? Rest and relaxation with movies and games... I like!

The weather has been cooler, thanks to the patches of rain.

Hope your week is going well, Bees!

Playing: Eh, more Zero Sievert, but not much else, which I shall rectify tonight. I'll try to get in some Destiny 2, and maybe a little W:TNO.

Watching: Still watching Seal Team. And as for late night cinema... Our Hausu - in the middle of the street! I don't know why I combined that movie with Crowded House's song, but the human mind is a strange and quirky thing (or at least mine is), and it's been stuck in my head for awhile.

So I just started Hausu (like... five minutes in), and already, it's pretty wacky and saccharine (this is obviously intentional, though). When will the horror and the hauntings start? I'm eager to see the film live up to its hilarious reputation.

Listening to: The Beat Farmers - Garden. The Beat Farmers rock! I remember first hearing them in Redneck Rampage with greasy, deep-fried tunes like "Baby's Liquored Up", so who thought they could pull off an earnest love ballad so convincingly? I love the unabashedly simple, wistful imagery in this one.

"If I could cut down space and time
I would be yours, you would be mine
A queen with jewels upon a throne
Me pulling magic swords from stone"

 

[GentleOx]

Good day, Bees! I made my way through the rain for another gym workout. Today was a controlled Push day.

Paused Bench Press: 127.5 x 5. A PR for this cycle! I don't think I've been able to hit this much in awhile.
Spoto Press: 110 x 5.
Paused Incline Press: 100 x 4. Urgh, I found this one pretty tough.
EZ Bar Preacher Curls: 40 x 5.

Feeling stronger every day (as Chicago said)! Next time I'll try to hit 130 x 5.

Hong Kong has its share of Olympics fans - in fact, I think it's a point of pride among us that we won two gold medals this time. This is Times Square, where they occasionally post live coverage of the games.



Happy Wednesday Bees! Hope you're well.

Playing: Mmm, my library has become a buffet of games, and I've gotten little bites and tastes here and there as I look for a new podcast game. Tried SPAZ (Space Pirates and Zombies, a very un-PC acronym), Death's Door, Destiny 2 (wrestling with playing it with a controller, and may revert to kb+m), Lunacid, and Jets 'n Guns. Nothing very notable, except with Zero Sievert: I seem to have bumped up against a brick wall of difficulty.

Watching: Finally finished the gigantic two-part episode 11 of season 3 of Seal Team. A technical marvel of a two-hander that showcases the show operating smoothly and excitingly. I've noted it before but again, the show slips in plenty of jargon and exposition that the crew already knows.

Still haven't resumed Hausu; I'll try again tonight.

Listening to: The Phantom of the Opera - The Music of the Night. I haven't actually listened to this one in full, so it's good that this rendition is so rich and expertly performed. I think we may have watched PotO, either in Canada or here, but I don't recall.

 

[Fremen]

Congrats

 

[JCU]

Congrats on your new PR!

 

[TopNotch]

Congrats on another PR!

 

[Mamatigerj]

Cheers!

 

[GentleOx]

Thank you so much @Fremen, @JCU, and @TopNotch! Cheers @Mamatigerj!

Hello again, everyone! I am one tired Bee, that's for sure. Anyway, I wasn't feeling Legs today, so I did an Arms workout instead.

Decline Close Grip Press: 125 x 5. Haven't done these in forever, so I started off the workout with them. Tough movement...
Skullcrushers: 45 x 5. I remembered these being easier in the past. Oh well.
One Arm Extensions: 16 x 6.
Bodyweight Extensions: Sets of 6.
EZ Bar Preacher Curls: 40 x 5! Not bad.
Dual Hammer Curls: 16 x 6.
and something else I don't remember, but I do recall fizzling out at this point.
+ 30716 steps. Yikes!

My student is away for a month, so I am without classes atm. Not much else to do but continue the job search, I s'pose.

Having a yummy Japanese buffet dinner with mom tomorrow, so I'll try to get a picture.

Spotted an absolutely adorable advertisement for cat merchandise.



And spotted Doraemon in the MTR.



Have a fantastic weekend, Bees!

Playing: Sampling from the buffet of games once more. Played some Destiny 2, Jets 'n Guns (this is one of the easier bullet-hell games out there, but abominably difficult for me), some Lunacid, and reinstalled Bloodstained, as there's a boss I want to get through. Also a demo for the anticipated Kunitsu-Gami, though I'm lacking the cash for a full purchase, sadly.

Watching: More Seal Team. After the epic two part episode (Siege Protocol Parts 1 and 2) comes an episode in which the operation that finished with a cliffhanger is doled out in flashbacks, after the fact? Weird. Usually the show shows an assault/op in full, rather than this after-the-fact nonsense. Whatever. Still haven't watched anymore of Hausu, which I need to rectify.

Listening to: (Edit - changed the song) Therapy? - Die Laughing. Taken off of Therapy?'s unrelenting album Troublegum, this is one of the more listenable songs. The lyrics are a product of their time, and smack of the self-defacement popular in grunge music (the hostile lyrics are deflated by the fact that the song was inspired by a bad acid trip). Still, it has a special place in my heart.

"Now the dream has gone
And your friends just tell you lies
Then you realize
You gonna try anyway"

 

[GentleOx]

Hey Bees! Hope you're all having a great Sunday. As usual, I moseyed on over to the gym for another Push workout!

Bench Press: 130 x 5. Not bad, but I was hoping for 132.5. I'll try that next time.
Weighted Dips: 60 x 6. Holy crap! This is an all-time PR for me (and 5 kg more than when I last lifted it), and I performed it with better form than I've used in the past. Now for 65...
Incline Press: 100 x 10. AMRAP for the win!
EZ Bar Preacher Curls: 35 x 6. Not really feeling these today.
Barbell Curls: 30 x 8.

Here's a video of the weighted dips in action:

I didn't get any pictures of the buffet, which is just as well. I found that pigging out there upsets my tummy less than at hot pot places (maybe undercooked food?).

The weather's been extra hot and humid, and I have a fan on full blast pointed at me as I type this. Mom and I have been watching Midlife: Sing and Shine (English translations are an afterthought here lol) auditions.

It's basically Hong Kong idol, only all the contestants are over 35. Everyone's got a dream, and most harbor illusions about the quality of their voices. I do like that the feedback in these auditions is more encouraging and informative, and less blunt than what I remember with American Idol (who admittedly have to deal with far more applicants). It's also a good way for me to improve my Cantonese.

Get ready for the week, Bees!

Playing: Ugh. I only played Jets n' Guns last night, and stopped after replaying the same level 10+ times. Stupid difficulty. I have no idea what the hell I was doing otherwise. I'll select a few games from my library buffet of games and see where that gets me tonight.

Watching: A bit of Seal Team, of course. I'm trying to get through Hausu, but the early chunk of the film is the slowest part, thanks to its laughable, sickly-sweet presentation (they haven't even gotten to the titular house yet). I'll have to persist, and get to the "scary" parts.

Listening to: Uriah Heep - The Wizard. This is a dignified and towering ballad which has chunks of crunchy proto-metal riffs. More bands should write songs about wizards (I know that one of Sabbath's works is similarly themed), and that espouse peace and harmony.

"He was the wizard of a thousand kings
And I chanced to meet him one night wandering
He told me tales and he drank my wine
Me and my magic man kind of feeling fine"

 

[JCU]

Congratulations on your new PR!

 

[Fremen]

Congrats

 

[MadamMeow]

Congrats for your PR!

 

[Mamatigerj]

Finally caught up on your thread today. I just love your consistency!
Big cheers for 5+ years sober!

 

[aku-chan]

Congrats on another PR!

 

[TopNotch]

Congrats on the PR!
I love that album.

 

[GentleOx]

@Mamatigerj Thank you so much! So kind of you.

Thank you @JCU, @Fremen, @aku-chan, @TopNotch and @MadamMeow! I can only do it with all your support.

I took a break from the gym yesterday to let my muscles recharge a bit. Today was a Pull day.

Deadlift and Row: 130 x 5. This was pretty damn strenuous. I had trouble gripping the bar after each rep, and getting to the top each time was a trial. Managed to pull it off nonetheless, though I may go back to deadlifts after these.
Barbell Row: 100 x 5. Zzz...
Meadows Row: 40 x 5. Zzz...
Narrow Grip Rows: What what, I'm awake. 55 x 5.
Behind the Neck Pulldowns: 62.5 x 6.

Pull workouts are usually murder for my forearms, and this was no different. Tomorrow is a Push workout, so I don't have to worry too much about aggravating them.

Weather is still oppressive and very muggy. That said, it rained for an hour while I did my workout.

Keep up the good work, Bees!

Playing: I only played Jets N Guns last night! Finally finished the campaign, so here's a review.

As a bounty hunter and mercenary with their own ship, the down-on-their-luck hero of Jets n Guns takes any job they can find in the galaxy (including one given by a talking monkey at one point), but gets what they've wished for and finds themselves roped into saving the galaxy. Dangerous? Without question. Thankless? Definitely. Lucrative? Maybe. What's for sure is that hordes of ships will be thrown at the hero in an attempt to blow up, fry, and annihilate them.

So this is a horizontal side-scrolling shooter that's known more for its tremendous shooting action and weapons than for its tongue-in-cheek story. It's a damn good game; mowing down baddies and trying out ludicrous weapons is the main draw. You'll fly through asteroid fields, lava planets, underwater settings and more, all the while blasting all sorts of nasty baddies. There is a pleasant variety in missions; some have you guarding something, some have you on planets in which dropping bombs are useful, and some are throwaway jokes (one involves opening up a box of imprisoned spammers and giving them their just desserts). As mentioned, the story is totally forgettable, but there are plenty of sight gags, and the puerile humor is surprisingly charming. Sometimes.

Where it falters is in difficulty, and maybe pacing. I learned after the fact that the JnG Gold Edition (which I was playing) has a heap of new levels added to the campaign - these are inconsistent in quality, which means some of the levels feel like slogs. It may not be as hard as most bullet-hell shooters, but this is not a casual game by any means. I played on the normal difficulty, and got my ass served to me so many times I wanted to rage uninstall the game (I rage quit at least 20 times through my playthrough) and forget about it. The first half of the game is absolute murder, as you scrounge up the credits to save for badly needed and expensive upgrades. Levels are chaotic, and filled with so much crap that it's hard to tell where your ship is. Speaking of which, the opening ship you're stuck with is absolute garbage and can take less than only so many hits before blowing up. I was two thirds into the game before I got the koala ship that is the game's mascot, and an obvious improvement. Past a certain point, you can afford some powerful weapon upgrades, but until then, you're badly in need of luck.

I give it four secret rubber duckies out of five.

Not so sure what to play now - perhaps Bloodstained, and some Destiny 2.

Watching: Finished the Game of... err, House of the Dragon Season 2 finale. Here's a review of Season 2.

Westeros has been plunged into war. Both sides consolidate their resources: Aegon II, impetuous and youthful, agitates for meeting the enemy in open battle; in contrast, Rhaenyra seethes at feeling passive and inactive from her seat in Dragonstone. The Greens and Blacks make their moves and the Seven Kingdoms suffer.

I was disappointed with this season, to say the least. It boils down to the season spinning its wheels with many of its plotlines, and not much of import actually taking place. We are meant to believe that the war has begun, but only one tiny, underwhelming battle takes place. Otherwise, there are too few exciting moments of substance; some standouts include the introductions of fandom favourites Cregan Stark and Jeyne Arryn, the sowing of the Dragonseeds, and Cargyll-bowl.

The rest of the season feels stretched out, in a story that was originally packed with events. I have no problem with the dialogue and the acting, which are on-point, and even with what little happens, it's still a joy to see scenes from Fire & Blood played out on screen. I just wish there were more of them. Season 2 ends with a whimper, with the armies of Westeros gathered and on the move, but... nothing happens. This is the epitomy of an anticlimax. At least Season 3 promises to have more action... only, too bad we'll have to wait another two years for it to take place.

Considering its unfulfilled potential, House of the Dragon earns two breaths of dragonfire out of five.

Will try to resume Hausu tonight.

Listening to: Machinae Supremacy - Shop Music. Considering I've been playing lots of Jets N Guns, a selection from the soundtrack is warranted. Machinae Supremacy composed and performed the rock/metal-adjacent soundtrack for Jets N Guns, and many of the songs are wildly creative and catchy (the chiptunes usage stands out). This is the music you hear in between missions at the shop. Ludicrously catchy!

 

[GentleOx]

Hey Bees. Super sleepy, but what else is new? Today was a controlled Push workout.

Paused Bench Press: 130 x 5. Yessss! Feels good to be making gains again.
Paused Incline Press: 100 x 7. These feel great.
Paused Shoulder Press: 67.5 x 5. These did not. Oh well.
EZ Bar Preacher Curls: 35 x 6.
Goblet Curls: 16 x 10.

Longlegs is finally coming to Hong Kong at the end of this month! Looking forward to seeing it and getting creeped out!

There is a bench press competition taking place in October, and I aim to sign up. This means I'll have to shave off a bit of weight, and go back to following a program, which I haven't done in awhile. I'll peak with my current program this month and start training in earnest in September.

Playing: Again, been oddly playing only one or two games. Played some Bloodstained: RotN (I'm stuck lol), and that was about it. Should get back into Destiny 2, and Fallen Aces. Reinstalled Eye: Divine Cybermancy (a very strange, comic-inspired FPS), but I didn't have patience for its jankiness and it's now off my hard drive.

Watching: Shock! No Seal Team at the gym. I took a break to watch a bit more of Boy Kills World. My early impression is that it's fun, but forgettable.

Hausu is... well, I'll have much more to say when I review it. But I do think it has a bit of a slow start, as I'm half an hour in, and the hijinks have yet to start.

Listening to: The Ventures - Apache. I haven't posted a Ventures (surf rock and instrumental gods) song on this forum yet? Must rectify this immediately. Here's a quintessential offering from their incendiary Live in Japan '65 album (I had a really hard time picking one). I have a distant goal of being able to do a drum cover of... well, any of the songs from this album, but Mel Taylor's deft percussion eludes my fumbling beats.

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Longlegs apparently got fairly good reviews, I am looking forward to rent it as VOD. I will be listening to your review with interest!

 

[GentleOx]

@PetiteSheWolf I'm definitely looking forward to it! I think I've set my expectations right (I like going into films kind of knowing what I'm in for), so it'll be an enjoyable watch.

Greetings, Bees! I come in peace, with a fresh workout to boot. Today was Leg day.

Squats: 110 x 6. I was not expecting this at all, having only pulled off 105 x 5 the last time I trained legs (two weeks ago)
Box Squats: 105 x 6. These were harder than I remember them being; in my prime, I could pull of 135 x 5.
Leg Curls: 50 x 6.
Back Extensions: Sets of 10.

So Leg day went pretty smoothly. Maybe I should take more breaks lol.

This is the third day in a row that I've gone to the gym; I haven't done this in months. I plan to go again tomorrow, but we'll see.

Bed time, Bees!

Playing: Made a bit of progress in Zero Sievert, but thanks to hubris, got my ass handed to me. Going to uninstall Destiny to give Dying Light 2 some love. Got fed up with being stuck in Bloodstained, so I consulted a walkthrough, and will try to get farther tonight.

Watching: Some Seal Team, and still have yet to resume Hausu. Sleepy all the time!

Also have been listening (I know, this is the "watching" section) to a new podcast on films with horrendously troubled productions. Here's a link to their Cats episode, which I'm listening to now.

On the topic of Cats, as a kid, I was forced to accompany my family to see my big sister's secondary school rendition of the musical, as well as the musical itself! Mercifully, I've never been forced to watch the rightfully-derided film adaptation.

My 12 year-old self had some pretty offensive and un-PC things to say about the musical; now that I'm older and wiser (yeah, right), I'll simply say that Cats is an artistic abomination. It's an insult and jest to the cats of the world, who would do something about it, only in true cat fashion, they really couldn't care less. If Cats suddenly ceased to exist, the world would be better off for it. Someone cracked wise saying that setting free cats in a theatre would be a better way to experience the joy of felines than to watch a two and a half hour musical dedicated to nonsense and sating fetishes.

I therefore rate Cats, the musical, negative one perverted cat costumes out of five. I'll stick to Hedwig and the Angry Inch or Jesus Christ Superstar, thank you.

Listening to: El-P - Tougher Colder Killer. This is a bracing song from virtuoso producer and rapper El-P's solo album Cancer4Cure. There's the bravado and swagger that's typical of hip-hop, but the sound samples and production (which lend a sci-fi feel) are far, far beyond most rap artists and producers; this speaks to El-P's formidable talent. And the cameos from Killer Mike and Despot only elevate an already amazing listen.

 

[GentleOx]

Salutations and good day! I'm back, this time with a speed/regular Push workout.

Bench Press: 132.5 x 5. I've been doing well lately, so I'm wondering when the gains will stop. We'll see...
Weighted Dips: 65 x 3. No PRs today. This was pretty damn tough.
Larsen Press: 110 x 5.
EZ Bar Preacher Curls: 40 x 3.
Goblet Curls: 20 x 8.

The sun wasn't glaring down like it usually is, but it still felt pretty muggy and humid. Such is Hong Kong weather.



The hot pot from Saturday night was totally yummy! Om nom nom...

One more into the breach, Bees!

Playing: Made a bit more progress in Bloodstained. Got stopped by a boss that demolished me; I in turn demolished an even more imposing boss (a dragon). Not sure how I did that.

Beyond that, it's a mess of games. Some Dead Cells, a dash of Fallen Aces (bumping against the edge of Early Access at this point), and some Mortal Sin.

Going to give the wonderful Nier: Automata another try, as I never played it beyond the tutorial level.

Animal Fix: Girl with the Dogs. I love her grooming videos, which are either relaxing critter spa days, or frenetic and mad as Vanessa tries to groom an unwilling participant (usually, but not always, a cat). Side note: I absolutely love doggie expressions, particularly with their eyebrows.

Watching: I threatened to do it for over a week, and today I finally finished Hausu (1977). Here's a review.

In Japan, a group of teenage schoolgirls (with peculiar names like Kung Fu and Panda) are pondering what to do for their summer vacation. One of them, Gorgeous, has a family home steeped in history and belonging to her aunt that they choose to visit. They are warmly welcomed by her disabled aunt, and a white cat named Blanche (perhaps the real star of the film). However, as time goes by, the true, sinister and otherworldly nature of the house reveals itself and menaces the girls.

Hmm. What to say. This is possibly the weirdest movie I've written a review for, and considering I've watched stuff like Rabbits, that's saying something.

So this one is basically a haunted house film with a lot of surreal and campy flourishes. The editing and presentation is bonkers: there are liberal uses of dream/flashback segments; stop-motion; rewinding and slow-motion; ...you could teach a college course on creative film editing based on what's on display here. The latter half of the film is when the haunting explicitly reveals itself, and the film's tone truly goes bonkers. But is it a good movie?

My comments in my previous posts reveals the film's biggest drawback - it takes too long to set up. A third of the film has passed before the girls make it to the house, unpack everything, and spend a quiet evening before the fun really starts. But when it does, it's pretty hilarious (I didn't find this scary in the least, and that may not have been the point)! I feel especially bad for Blanche the cat, who at one point is chucked into a character's lap from out of frame. There's also some interesting evidence that

Spoiler

the cat is the mastermind

The film doesn't take itself seriously, and presages a tone of horror that would be present in The Evil Dead. The acting is almost completely amateurish (I learned that his was due to the liberal hiring of non-actors), the writing is suitably nonsensical, and the story is as simple as simple gets. There's some gore, but it's so ridiculously campy that it's easier to laugh than to be offended. So if you're going to watch this one, sit back with your favourite beverage, turn off your brain, and enjoy.

Because of its creative style of filmmaking, I give Hausu three fluffy, white, Persian cats out of five.

Listening to: Digitalfoxglove feat. Freak You - Beasts and Flowers. (I stumbled upon a treasure trove of retro synth songs last night, so I'm going to spread them out through my posts) I love retro music videos! This one features an upbeat, bouncy number from Digitalfoxglove that put a smile on my face.

 

[JCU]

Girl with the Dogs is great! Scheduling didn't work out, unfortunately, when she had an event an hour away and I could have met her

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Your pics of food make me salivate, yum.... if ever one day I gather enough courage and physical energy to take again a trip to Asia, I will have to drop by Hong Kong and visit some places you'd recommend, LOL!
will have to look for "girls" with the dogs".
and as for that movie, well... Cats are always the masterminds. Always. Never forget that