Quest for Muscle: The Return of the Pump

[GentleOx]

"You'd think I'd know better, right?" She nuzzled into Ox's neck. He sighed, into her hair. "I wasn't there. Not my place to judge." She smelled good, lying with him in bed. Was that scent lavender. He sniffed her hair. And was that... shampoo? He heard a chuckle.

"I only use the best, smuggled in along with soap and body wash. Tell me, doesn't it smell nice?" He laughed a little.
"I've smelled better out there." She huffed, and pinched his tummy.
"Ow! What, are you trying to cripple your best stalker?"
"If you're my best stalker, then the Freelancers are doomed."
"I have feelings, you know," he replied.
"Whatever. Say, I told you why I'm here, what about you?"

She had indeed told him. It was a story involving rashness, criminality, an affair with a drug baron's son, an inebriated mistake, and a desperate flight across borders. Ox sighed. He owed it to her to tell her the truth, but he'd almost been laughed out of camp several times when he'd mentioned it.

"Okay, here it is. I'm not really an Inheritor - I mean, a lizard person like all of you. I'm really an ox." Simmi made an odd noise. It was like a strangled giggle. Then she looked into his eyes, somberly. "Moo..." She lowed. Ox rolled his eyes. "Not you too." He adopted an expression of offense, but it broke down when Simmi mooed again. "Okay, it sounds pretty stupid. But in my previous life, or lives, I've been to different places, done amazing things, and every time I spoke, I sounded like a cow." "Mooooo..." She lowed for the third time, drawing out the sound.

"Hey! Do that again, and you'll be sleeping alone tonight," He said, in mock outrage.
"Oh no! Guess I'll need to find some other hunky not-ox man to keep me company."
"I'm man enough for you, and you know it!"
"Prove it."

He kissed her.

(Ugh, icky romantic stuff! Definitely not where I envisioned this piece going.)



Hey again, Bees. It feels like it's the end of the week, but it's simply that tomorrow's a holiday.

Today was BM W3D1, and boy was it a pain.

Bench Press: 127.5 x 6, so we can extrapolate that 130 would be 5. Yuck. Hopefully my strength is restored in the following waves.
Overhead Tempo Press: 35 x 12.
Straight Bar Pushdown: 11 x 10.
Barbell Curls: 35 x 6.

It's Chung Yeung tomorrow, so we're headed to the cemetery again, to maintain Grandfather's grave.

Lots of goodies available on Steam, so I've loaded up on a few new finds (Onirism and Surroundead).

Happy Chung Yeung Festival, Bees!

Spooky: Today's spooky spotlight is on Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines. This is a first-person RPG based on the world building from the World of Darkness.

(This was the least shitty trailer I could find. After all, it's been more than twenty years.)

A one night stand in Santa Monica leads to terror and confusion as a young human is "embraced", and becomes a vampire. Almost immediately, they and the one who turned them are apprehended and strung up before the vampire court to await their fate for breaking the Masquerade, which dictates that humanity must not be made aware of vampires. While their embracer is immediately executed, the young vampire is given a second chance by the Prince of Los Angeles, La Croix, and given a chance to prove themselves useful to the ruling body of vampires. The young fledgling must then survive in a world in which everyone has their own agenda, and nothing is truly as it seems...

Another game linked with my personal history (man, all of my horror picks seem to be). I bought this when I was at college in Indiana and played it through and through. There were lots of bugs and crashes (and indeed, the game had quite the checkered development history), but once you looked past those, you had a quality RPG experience shot through with the grime and sleaze of Los Angeles. You get to pick your own vampire clan, choose from an assorted array of skills, and then make your way out into Santa Monica (which I lived near at the time) to make your fortune.

This is *the* vampire rpg (I can't name any off the top of my head, but surely there's a market for them). You are not a human, so you are not restricted to the action's or missions of a human; but some of them do involve good old-fashioned human sins like blackmail and murder. There's a remarkable amount of latitude in the game that brings to mind the original Deus Ex. If you can't find your way past a guard, you could sneak past them, convince them to let you pass, or feed off their blood and drain them. There's so much reactivity and consequences in the game, and it's married to pithy, impeccable writing that never fails to impress me. And there were surprisingly strong horror elements to the game; even being a vampire won't protect you from being scared out of your pants, from time to time.

It was all a vibe, man. You had to be there...

Playing: EfD remains my most played game of the moment. I do hate dying though (doesn't everyone), because you lose all your gear and have to find it again, unless you die a second time. Sucks.

May play a dash of Abiotic Factor, but being stuck sucks (say that three times, fast).

Definitely plan to get in some Surroundead and Onirism time tonight, as well.

Grateful that: I have steady work coming in.

Listening to: Lorn - Shelter. After a stressful few days, this is *exactly* what I needed. It's like feeling the weight of the world sinking into your being, until it lets go again, and you have space to breathe. (I think I'd heard this song years ago, but just forgot about it)

 

[GentleOx]

Hi Bees. Non exercise update today.

So we were originally to visit grandfather's grave and meet up with some other relatives, but I opted out. I've had a flu over the last few days, and it was deemed more practical for me to stay at home, so as not to spread any sicknesses.

I stayed at home, got some work done, and I'm going to relax by gaming a little. I'm still coughing and have a runny nose, but am overall okay. I may limp my way over to the gym on Friday, depending on how I feel.

Feels cold, or maybe that's just me.

Hope your Wednesday is going well, Bees!

Spooky: Today's spooky spotlight is a mini-feature, and what better for that than a mini/short horror called "Seagrass". This one is one of my favourites, it's directed by Dylan Clark, an up and coming young director with immense talent and DIY know-how.

A girl is on the beach, picking up trash. In the distance, she can see a figure waving to her. Collecting interesting bric-a-brac here and there, she sees something ominous buried in the sand...

I went through a phase where I devoured short horrors on youtube. This is one of the best. No obnoxiousness, no jump scares, just a feeling of dread and a scare that pays off right at the end. I've always been a fan of horrors where the violence and terror is implied, rather than outright shown. Practically a zero budget production, this short evinces the horror chops that Clark would continue to develop.

Listening to: Tholos - When the Radio Dies (feat. The Platforms). Lots of gems to pick through for today, so I settled on a synth number. Great, smooth melody from this one.

 

[TopNotch]

Get well soon, big man

 

[JCU]

 

[Mamatigerj]

Healing thoughts and prayers

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Healing thoughts, and seagrass was excellent, thank you for sharing!

 

[Fremen]

 

[astro_lizard]

 

[NancyTree]

get well soon!

 

[CODawn]

Get well soon!

 

[agc]

Hope you feel better soon!

 

[GentleOx]

Thank you kindly @CODawn, @NancyTree, @astro_lizard, @Fremen, @PetiteSheWolf, @Mamatigerj, @JCU, and @TopNotch and @agc.

The fire blazed brightly, a beacon of light and warmth in a cold, dark evening. Around the fire, numerous stalkers gathered around with food and libations to celebrate: this was one of the rare occasions in which it was tradition for everyone to cut loose and be merry. Dressed in assorted costumes, the stalkers of the Freelance camp gave a comical, outlandish, and certainly outrageous impression. Around the bonfire, a pirate and a ninja were sharing drinks, and a man in a deerstalker hat and monocle regaled others dressed as animals with tales of... something or other. In another corner, someone (was that Dean?) in a porcupine costume was chatting with a pupil seemingly pulled out of a wizarding school: must've been Lucia.

Ox leaned against the observatory wall, taking it all in. It was amazing that even with the daily fear of life and death, people were still able to forget the terrors outside the camp and celebrate the singular fact of life. Or, maybe that was precisely the point. He had foregone a getup, and was dressed in his usual plate carrier and fatigues, pistol at his hip, and assault rifle slung over his shoulder. Even though the camp had sentries posted, he didn't trust the other factions to be deterred by their defenses, and this time of merriment made the Freelancers a juicy target. He idly wondered if any of the other factions celebrated All Hallow's Eve: he could see the Insurrectionists doing it, and perhaps the Revolutionaries as well. He'd heard once that the Revolutionaries, given their Hispanic bent, paid more attention to Dia de Los Muertos. For the NFTA, it was more unlikely, and with the Culties... presumably every day was Halloween for them.

Regarding the usual ritual that the kids partake in, there may not have been any children around, but this time, the grownups did their own trick or treating. There were no neighborhoods (at least, not totally devastated ones) around, so each stalker participating loaded up with candy they didn't want, and then, in an interesting exchange, would solicit each other for treats, sifting through their plastic pumpkins for desirable bits and bobs. The trick or treaters carried two separate containers; even Ox had a bag of butterscotch candies at his feet for this purpose. It wasn't long before Simmi came up to him, a little tipsy, and her own bag bulging with sweets. She put her arm around him.

"Happy All-hallowmas, Ox."

(Because it's Halloween out in the neighborhood where I am, I thought I'd write this little piece to give my characters a chance to hang out, be happy, and get some candy, of course).

Greetings, Bees!

I'm still somewhat sick, but I made it to the gym for a workout nonetheless, as the resting and being cooped up in the apartment got to me. In all honesty, I'm not back at 100%, but it was important for me to go out and workout anyway.

Today was a fluffy Push day. There's no way for me to make all my scheduled BM workouts this week, so I'm just going to turn on the fluff, and wait until next week to resume.

Bench Press: 127.5 x 6. Couldn't hit 7 reps, but that's okay. There's still time.
Incline Press: 82.5 x 6. Moving forward, I'm going to scrap BM's accessories, and just do my own. I get more out of it, anyway, and the writer of BM, Alex Bromley, endorses experimentation and trying your own methods. So that's what I'll do!
Overhead Press: 62.5 x 6. Same as above.
Straight Bar Pushdown: 12 x 10.
Barbell Curls: 35 x 7 for several sets.
+24000 steps! Ack ack.

I really enjoyed going back to my old, fluffy workout. I don't know if there's a direct correlation, but I've always been stronger when I've programmed more fluff, so I'm going to chase that pump for all it's worth!

Tomorrow, we're having Japanese buffet for lunch. Yum yum!

Happy Halloween, Bees! Eat lots of candy and be merry!

Spooky: For today's final episode of the spooky spotlight, I'm casting my beam on the film adaptation (the first one, anyway) of Stephen King's novel Pet Semetary.

Louis Creed and his family have moved out to the countryside, by the town of Ludlow. The home is great, and Creed and his family are happy with the house, but the fact that the highway is but meters away raises eyebrows. Speaking to an older neighbor, Jud, Creed also learns of an interesting local landmark: a peculiar pet cemetery (charmingly misspelled) whose properties are not immediately clear. When an unthinkable tragedy occurs, Creed flirts with the use of the supernatural, thus unleashing evil he couldn't have imagined...

I'm going to get to the point this one: it makes it on my list due to an amazingly scary scene that's stayed with me for more than twenty years. If you dare, watch it below (there's no violence or gore, just intense creepiness):

Most of the movies and games on my list are critical favourites, and excellent horror experiences. Pet Semetary, largely, is not. It may be the somnolent performance by the actor playing Louis Creed (heavens knows Denise Crosby and Fred Gwynne are excellent), and a dearth of quality scares. I'd say it's a memorable watch due to sheer eerieness, and it's arguably one of the better King opuses. The climax is notable, as well. But in the end, you have a movie that's occasionally competent, and that's often not good enough.

And with this ends October, and my look at the horror works that have moved me.

The casual horror fan might look at my list and open fire. "Where's Psycho, or Halloween, or American Werewolf in London? Where are the vampire flicks?" These are very valid choices that didn't make it onto my list of films. So I want to conclude the series of Spooky Spotlights by acknowledging that yes, my list is pretty idiosyncratic. But what personal horror list isn't? There are a lot of items I didn't get to, like Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, or Day of the Dead, but I'm very satisfied with the items that I picked, both from film and game. They represent the horror experiences that really left a mark on me; I'm not big into vampires, admittedly, which is why there's a dearth of them on this list. I also gave a lot of modern horror films like Hereditary short shrift, as in the end, it's the films I grew up with that really hit me the hardest.

Here's hoping you have your spooky experiences and films that stay with you in all their creepiness.

Playing: So, I've been playing some more of Surroundead lately. I dug its corpse up from the hole I buried it in and gave it a few shocks in the lab. And it's... alright, for now. I'm just waiting for it to spawn more guns for me. Erm.

Kind of stuck in Abiotic Factor, annoyingly. I'll give it another shake of the tail tonight.

Being in and out of my sick stupor, I mostly played Surroundead, and less EfD. EfD will definitely be getting played tonight!

Watching: Well, it is Halloween. Should get around to something, and it's not a school night for once.

Listening to: Type O Negative - Cinnamon Girl: (It's become customary for me to post Type O every time Halloween rolls round, and even when it doesn't) While the percussion is markedly more powerful than in Neil Young's original, the melody is quite faithful, though it's sprinkled with a healthy, breathy dose of ToN branded goth. Just the spooky, chocolate cinnamon treat I needed!

 

[Mamatigerj]

Happy Halloween!

 

[GentleOx]

Thank you @Mamatigerj. I wish it were still Halloween.

Ox grinned and pulled Simmi in for a kiss. As their mouths were about to meet, he heard a soft PHWUT coming from outside of the camp. Pulling away from Simmi, he strained to hear more over the cacophonous celebration. It was faint, but there was another distinctive PHWUT that sounded out. The northern watchtower was empty. He swiftly put two and two together. An attack. He held a slightly confused Simmi by both shoulders. "They're hitting us. Get everyone into the Observatory, now." He passed his sidearm to a sobered up Simmi, who raised it up and fired two shots.

The short barks of the handgun cut through the noise and music of the celebration, and the revelers looked around, shocked out of their party spirit. Simmi held the pistol at high ready, using that authoritative voice of hers to direct the stalkers. Another of them hit the ground, blood spilling out bright and red. "If you have a weapon, find cover! If you don't, get into the observatory and hunker down!" Madness reigned, as some ran for their guns, some for the cover of the observatory, and some simply froze and stood where they were. The shots, which had started out suppressed, were joined by the crackle of automatic gunfire.

In his hurry to head towards the gunfire, Ox bumped into Howie, whose eyes were wild. He shook the kid, hard. "The observatory. Go. Stay alive!" Howie nodded, and ran off. The remainder of the gang - the ones with heads firmly attached - had taken cover, or prone position on the concrete ground, and were trading shots with the approaching marauders. Ox quickly rushed to the low wall in front of the observatory and unslung his rifle. Resting the rifle on the rim of the wall, he glanced through the scope. There must've been twenty of them, the majority dressed in the winter blue of the NFTA.

Ox steadied himself, lined up a target, and opened fire.

Hey again, Bees! Japanese buffet was yummy, but I was itching for another workout, so it was off to the gym.

Today was a fluffy Back workout. I'll resume the BM workouts next week.

Snatch Grip Deadlifts: 105 x 6. I remember when these were easier. Egads.
RDL: 100 x 6. Pretty good, but not great.
T-Bar Rows: 105 x 6.
Meadows Rows: 47.5 x 8.
Neutral Grip Chin Ups: Five sets of five.

Not a terribly challenging or useful workout, but fluffy! Fluff workouts are so much fun.

Afterward, I cyberpunked around CWB and Wan Chai, as I had to grab some cleaning equipment. My graphics card has been overheating a bunch, causing my computer to crash. I dusted it thoroughly, and hopefully I will be crash free moving forward.

My anxieties are going nuts, like usual. Thank God for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. I can only work on and change the things in my control.

I'm sad that Halloween is over, Bees. Spooky month is always so much fun. December is my least favourite, and it's coming up. Rats.

Hope you're having a relaxing weekend, Bees.

Playing: With my system more properly maintained, I'm hoping I don't have any pesky crashes interfering with my fun.

Will play s'more Surroundead (I already have it open), EfD, and will try to make some progress in Abiotic Factor.

In EfD, I finally made it to a new map. Would that I could say the same for Witchfire; perhaps it's about time that I started this more difficult map (the castle).

Grateful for: Being able to get in 21000 steps today. At least.

Listening to: Hell's Redemption - Silent Cradle: I don't know what I was expecting when I opened up this video, but a deft fusing of nu and traditional metal was not it. I love the rap stylings, and the heavy metal crunch is more than welcome too!

 

[Mamatigerj]

 

[TopNotch]

I went to a psychologist once for CBT. She discovered she couldn't help me because it turns out I was doing it naturally, so I have no actual idea what it is but it seems to work okay for me so hoping it goes well for you too.

 

[GentleOx]

The troopers had retreated. Ox kept his rifle raised, but risked a glance around. "Clear out here!" He shouted, in the direction of the observatory, his cry taken up by the other stalkers who had taken up arms and fought. "Clear in here!" Came Simmi's voice in response. Ox finally let his rifle, smoke trailing from its muzzle, hang on its sling and got to his feet.

When the dust had settled and the peace of the camp was assured, the bodies of the slain were dragged into the central square and lined up. The NFTA had lost twenty one troopers, the majority of which were from the elite Ranger battalion. But their losses had been grievous, as well: thirteen of their own had fallen, some in the initial chaos, and others during the frenzied firefight that had followed. Those safe in the observatory were steadily filtering out, some expressing relief at their survival, and others, grief for the lost. Rodger and Simmons and Kates were among those gone, all veteran stalkers. Garrick, who had been manning the north watchtower, had been the first to die, taken out by subterfuge.

One of the NFTA dead was a lean figure in a black jumpsuit, a submachine gun beside it, face covered up with a balaclava. Simmi made her way over to the body, knelt down, and pulled off the head covering. Ox already knew who it was even from that singular profile, and now the face of Morgan stared up at the sky for all to see, lifeless. Simmi looked back at Ox. "This was her mission. Their mission. To totally destroy us." There was regret in her eyes. Ox knelt down beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder. She continued. "If I had detained her, followed my gut... Maybe none of this would've happened." Ox blew out a breath and squeezed her shoulder.

"And if so? Maybe they would've raided us anyway. They were planning this all along." His tone was soft, but firm.

"It's not your fault."

* * *

Thank you kindly @TopNotch and @Mamatigerj and everyone else with warm thoughts. I did feel better today.

Hey again, Bees. I have a ton of work this week but I can still squeeze in the odd workout or two. I took a break yesterday, but hit up another Push workout today.

Bench Press: 130 x 5. Umph. It's like all my gains are gone. One of those ebb and flow things. Next week, the program resets back to lighter weight, which I definitely need!
Incline Press: 85 x 6. Fun!
Overhead Press: 65 x 6.
EZ Bar Preacher Curls: 12 x 10.
Barbell Curls: 35 x 8, over sets of four.

The weather has cooled down a little from the weekend heat, thankfully.

Tomorrow is a class with a new student. I revamped my materials from yesterday, as they were just rubbish, so here's hoping the revisions make for a better lesson flow.

I'm quite nervous and anxious (anxiety is always a pain), but I've prepared my materials, and what else can I do?

I may or may not workout tomorrow, as I'll be kind of pressed for time.

Have a great Tuesday, Bees!

Playing: Got in some good podcast/gaming last night. Started off with some Surroundead, which I'm still not making much progress in, then moved onto EfD, and a little bit of progress in Abiotic Factor. I have to remind myself that I recently got Clive Barker's Undying, so I need to give that some time.

Watching: I finally watched a movie! I finished my previously abandoned watch of Nobody 2, featuring Bob Oedenkirk. Here's a trailer and a review.

Hutch Mansell, still working off the debt he previously incurred tearing down a Russian crime family, is burnt out. His family is unfortunately accustomed to his absence and lateness with anything not concerning his job. By way of an olive braNch, Hutch suggests that they take a road trip to a water park and holiday resort, as a way to spend some quality time together. Unfortunately, it turns out the town they chose is the prime spot for a crime syndicate's nefarious dealingS. When Hutch runs afoul of the town's smarmy sheriff, he must fight to protect his family against the syndicate's venomous boss...

In Summary: It doesn't do anything new with its formula, or break any new ground otherwise, but it's a polished, perfectly watchable slice of comedy action.

What can I say. It's perfectly serviceable, and the fights are inventive and fun to watch, but it's too formulaic to amount to anything more than a weekend watch. Oedenkirk is awesome, once more, and the fight choreography is excellent. I do like that the film uses its humour to its advantage; this film is more colourful and fun than it has any right to be. But funny John Wick, this is not quite.

I give it three severed fingertips out of five.

For my next watch, I'm going to watch short and free horror flick Harvest Brood, which is on Youtube. Going into this one cold, and if you're interested as well, here's a link (be warned, I don't know how violent or crass it is).

Cute: Aww! Lookit the adorable Chinese Shepherd dog! Who's a good Soup Baby??

Listening to: The Midnight - Deep Blue. Wow! Another lost Ox song that disappeared off of my hard drive due to the ravages of time. Welp, now it's back! Love it.

 

[JCU]

Soup Baby is just the cutest!

 

[GentleOx]

Time passed. The days rolled over, one after another, and the Freelancers replenished the losses they took from that bloody Halloween night. Still, the Observatory now had a hard, prickly atmosphere to it: with every newcomer that came in, the old blood were wary of them being infiltrators or saboteurs. Morgan's subversive actions had yet to fade from their memories, and now every new visitor to the Observatory camp was watched, and given a basic interview or interrogation to suss out their backgrounds. Simmi told Ox that this was the price of their collective safety, and indeed, these protective measures were of her devising. Ox didn't think that such measures would deter someone of Morgan's wiliness, but he had kept that to himself.

Ox had comfortably settled into a life bereft of the frantic pursuit of contracts that had marked his initial journey into the zone. Instead, he spent most of his time instructing newcomers, and while Morgan's corrosive influence was not easily forgotten, the classes had a benign influence on the camp, and were seen as a way of helping those in need. Whereas originally it had just been him and Simmi, several others had offered not only their teaching services, but resources and equipment. Now, each recruit was given a standard bolt action rifle and 9mm pistol, as well as rations enough to last them for a few days.

Nervous about the prospect of spending time outside of camp, the new recruits had suggested a service in which veteran stalkers could volunteer and pair up with newbies and offer them a hand navigating the wastes. Naturally, this service was not unlimited; veteran stalkers were restricted from taking neophytes up north, though Metropol was open season. Ox was inside the Observatory, oiling his gun, and at the same time looking over his notes for the next class when Weasel entered. The young woman's febrile, frantic attitude grated on him, but he waited for her to speak, nonetheless.

"Finish your busywork and get ready, Mr. Ox! It's time for us to go out," she half whined, half demanded. Ox gave her his best side-eye and continued cleaning his rifle.
"First of all, maintenance of your weapon is one of the most important things you can do in your spare time. Secondly, you didn't even..."
Weasel was grinning, and Ox mentally smacked himself on the head.
"You requested me."

"Specifically, boss. Even asked Simmi and everything. C'mon, let's get going!"
"Where in the hells are we headed to, anyway?"
"Metropol, there's a place I need to see, and I could use your help." To hell with that.
"What you need is an army, kid."
"Mr. Ox, you're the closest thing we've got." She stood there, tapping her foot insistently. He could swear he heard Simmi below him stifle a snicker.
"Kid, what are the chances of you getting off my back and leaving me to real work?"
She wasn't even offended. "Slim to none. See you at the gate in five!" She bounced off; hopefully she'd fall down an enormous hole and be lost forever. But his better nature would not be assauged if he blew her off. Ox sighed, finished assembling his weapon, and chambered a round.

This was going to be a rough one.

Hey Bees! After several agonizing days of absence from the gym, I went back again.

Today was a Pull day. I went after heading to my psychiatry appointment in the morning, and I was tentative about what it would be like going to the gym later in the day.

Snatch Grip Deadlifts: 100 - 120 x 5. I was not expecting this. I had a lot of energy for these DLs, and my grip held out pretty well.
RDLs: 115 x 5.
T-Bar Rows: 107.5 x 6. A PR. I swear I was seeing stars when I finished this one!
Meadows Rows: 47.5 x 9! Another new PR!
Pull Ups: 25 total.
Behind the Neck Machine Pulldowns: 55 x 6.

I was not expecting to feel as strong as I did today.

I'm going to reset Bullmastiff and take it from the top. I've missed too many weeks, and this time, I'm going to come at it a little differently (like plugging in my favourite fluffy exercises, rather than all that assistance stuff I've never been fond of). So Sunday, it begins again!

I got a lot of good feedback from the class I taught Wednesday, which is rare for me. So this weekend, I'm going to get back to preparing more.

I checked the back streets for the charity doggos, but no sign yet. Presumably because it was rather rainy today. I'll check again later.

Enjoy your weekend, Bees!

Playing: I've once more gotten stuck in EfD. There's this stupid boss that keeps beating me. I've died five or six times already. I've looked online for some tips and tricks, and I'll try again tonight (you have to bait him into a vulnerable position). But it's been awful slow going. I also found out how to save scum, and I figure, an advantage is an advantage, so I'm not overlooking it.

In Abiotic Factor, found out how to craft a crucial item: the diving suit. Looking forward to doing more exploring with it.

Otherwise, on the gaming front, all is quiet.

Watching: I finished watching Harvest Brood, so here's a short review of this no-budget horror.

In 2006, the town of Briar, Alabama was rocked by a murder spree. Even today, the town has been haunted by disappearances and a shady past involving an unscrupulous company. A burnt out cop and a runaway are forced to reckon with the town's disturbed past, and the secretive, contaminating influence that Harkin Industries has had over the town.

Summation: If you can get past the (very) low budget approach, and copious violence, then this is a grimy and gory horror gem.

It starts with a documentary approach that's blended with dramatic segments (with plenty of slasher violence). It's not strictly found-footage, and no concessions are made to filming approaches; so this was a refreshing departure from what I usually watch. At first, I gave this relatively short horror short shrift; it was obvious that it was of low budget, and the special effects not particularly convincing, so I was tempted to search for the umpteenth kitty video.

But then, I think it was the atmosphere that won me over: that dreaded drone, and lo-fi perspective, and I was reminded of what I read on the website on which I found Harvest Brood. It's like you're watching something forbidden, like a secret that's been covered up and buried. The acting is what you'd expect, and the writing merely serviceable, but I thought that this one punches way high above its weight class. The score is the first indication; it's almost Silent Hill-like and perfectly conveys the isolated, and horrific nature of the film. The creature effects are more potent than risible (and let's face it, they make no concession to realism), and the gore is gross and disgusting, as you might expect. But still, it was that ever-present feeling of dread, combined with a slasher plot, that kept me watching. And hey, it's free! What could be better?

I give Harvest Brood four Mad Ax killer masks out of five.

Also, here's a trailer for Five Nights at Freddy's 2. I never watched the first one, but even by my relatively low standards, this looks like tosh. I think part of the problem is that even with this high budget and special effects, none of it seems particularly scary, or surprising (and if you're a fan, why would you want to be surprised, anyway?). Contrast with the zero-budget Harvest Brood, which relies strongly on mood and transgressive horror effects, and this one simply cannot compare.

I may move on to Ballerina, or something else, now.

Cute: More Soup Baby! As @JCU says, he's just too cute! As someone who grew up with Cantonese blood, and in its culture, that food looks just delish!

Listening to: Perturbator - Vantablack (Feat. OddZoo). I haven't listened to this song in years. Another disappearance off of my synth playlist, which already bulges with new acquisitions. This one is like the darkest love song ever put to music, or the sweetest sound of murder you could imagine. I wish the first half of the song was longer, but Perturbator has his own preferences, I guess.

 

[graoumia]

congrats

 

[JCU]

Congratulations x2!

 

[Fremen]

Congrats

 

[Mamatigerj]

PR Cheers!!

 

[TopNotch]

Congrats on the PRs!

 

[CODawn]

Congratulations!

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Grats, and Soup Doggie was cute!
FNAF's movie was ... mildling. You know what to expect, and it is delivered without originality, but also not too bad, had a few good chuckles.

 

[aku-chan]

Congrats on some new PR's!

I tried the first FNAF film but found it a bit too silly to stick with.

 

[GentleOx]

Apart from dodging the odd entity, and sneaking past a patrol or two, the trip to Maripol was uneventful. Unless, of course, you count the one-sided conversations he'd had with Weasel. The girl never shut up. Unless he explicitly told her they needed to be quiet, the girl's natural instincts to gab never ceased. About what exactly? Pretty much anything and everything around them. Once, they passed by a nearby electrical anomaly: the girl would then comment ceaselessly on the benefits harnessing such an entity would bring, like an energy source for things like popcorn making. When they had passed by the NFTA patrol near Maripol, she was so "gosh darn" glad they hadn't come to blows with those "scary-looking soldier men". Ox was simply glad that she'd kept her big gob closed that time.

Curiously, he never had the impression that she was stupid, or naive. Her head was usually in the clouds, but from the assortment of wild thoughts she had came the occasional incisive insight. She had opined once that the NFTA attack was due to the blues being threatened by the Freelancers, or afraid that someone in the Freelancer camp was close to discovering something the NFTA wanted to protect. She had then added that the NFTA was likely to attack again, eventually, unless something changed. On these more sobering thoughts, Ox found himself agreeing with her.

Finally, they had reached their destination. They were at the Maripol docks, normally rife with anomalies and gunfire, but oddly placid at this early hour of the morning. "Remember, don't draw your weapon, or panic," Ox said, standing beside the door embedded in the wall. Weasel looked unusually nervous. "What if they're... y'know, mean or unkind?" Ox laughed, gently. "They're all good sports in there. I'll be there with you. And if you ever need to leave, just find me." Weasel smiled at this.

"Okaaay Mr. Ox, let's get in there!"

Thank you so much @CODawn @TopNotch @Mamatigerj @Fremen @JCU and @graoumia! You're going to hate me, because I had another PR today. Arf arf.

@PetiteSheWolf @aku-chan You could make the concept super scary, and the violence more explicit. But I don't know if you can do any of that without the film veering into camp. I mean... they're cartoonish-looking animatronic creatures. The concept is almost too silly to take seriously (I understand the games have less of this problem); you would have to make the concept quite dark for any of it to actually be scary.

Hello once more, Bees! Super tuckered out, but I had a productive fitness day. Yesterday, I ate all sorts of junk food and other stuff, so today I'm back on track, and restarting the Bull Mastiff program.

Today was a Push day.

Bench Press: 100 x 22! Another new PR! I was not expecting this at all. Was afraid that all that indecisiveness going in and out of the program would have a negative effect, but I saw gains today!
Incline Press: 85 x 6.
Overhead Press: 67.5 x 5.
Rope Pushdowns: 11 x 10.
Barbell Curls: 7, 8, 8, 9 reps to each set (respectively).
+25000 steps! Yikes!

It's been kinda warm these days. Summer hasn't loosened its grasp quite yet, but the days ahead may be cold.

We had dinner with relatives last night, before they fly back to San Diego. I wish I could vacation in San Diego...

Tomorrow, I'll *try* to workout, if I'm not too knackered by today.

Hope your weekend has been great, Bees!

Playing: Uh, mostly Escape from Duckov. What a marvelous little game! I was glad to hear that they'd passed 3,000,000 players, which is truly amazing. Let it not be said that a Chinese developer can't put out a good game (though BMW was already evidence of that).

Thinking about getting Void Breaker, but not sure yet.

Podcasts: I got into this new podcast called "Otherworld", which is basically about people's paranormal encounters. The second episode just riveted me, (and was surprisingly scary) so I know I'm going to stick with this one.

Watching: Will try to watch more of Hostile Dimensions tonight.

Listening to: Martin Li Michael - Hong Kong Girl. A little slice of my home city in audio form. Brings to mind all the excellent Hong Kong movies I grew up on, though there are still some I have yet to see (like In the Mood for Love. Really need to get around to that one).

 

[TopNotch]

Yeah, congrats again!

 

[Fremen]

Congrats

 

[graoumia]

ok i hate you but congrats anyway

 

[JCU]

No hate at all! Another PR is great!

 

[CODawn]

Congratulations!

 

[agc]

Congratulations on the bench press PR!

 

[Mamatigerj]

Big cheers for a surprise PR!

 

[GentleOx]

Weasel positively jumped as they made their way down the stairs of the tunnel and into a large bar and saloon area. Ox thought it was shock at the sight of an Insurrectionist leaned against the wall, calmly speaking with a Revolutionary who was equally calm, and indeed, indulging in a cigarette. Both bemusedly regarded the goggle-eyed girl with less than curiosity. Scattered throughout the large hall were other similar sights of coexistence. Some fellow Freelancers were engaged in debate with a Cultist, while a female trooper with the uniform of the NFTA military stalkers was in a booth in the corner nursing a glass of whiskey. Ox turned to Weasel. "We have one rule here: be cool. That translates to not slagging anybody off, arguing, or getting into any fights. I assume you're here to --" "I'm interviewing someone!" Weasel chirped. Huh. "Well then, Lois Lane, go report." Weasel raised an eyebrow. "Who's Lois Lane?"

* * *

"I wasn't a part of that, and I'm glad." Marin poured both him and her another shot of whiskey.
"That was a real foul business, attacking people on a night like that."
"Not that it stops your lot from attacking us on open territory." Marin didn't take offense, but there was a predatory gleam in her eye. "You know, that zone is really dangerous... Better be careful out there." They sat in silence for a few moments before Ox spoke up.
"I know it may be above your pay grade, but was there anything coming down on why they did it?" Marin smirked, and downed the shot in one swallow.
"I'm glad you said "they". Could be High Command thought you were getting too big for your britches. That op was strictly black - they wanted as few of the rank and file to know."
Ox downed his own shot, and the liquid both warmed and burned his throat going down.
"Did you know Morgan?" "That b*tch? She had big plans, that's for sure. Your little gang at the Observatory weren't the only ones she played games with. Did you slot her?" Ox shrugged. "I'm not sure, but in the end it didn't matter." She poured them another round of shots. "Trust me, she had it coming."

Ox saluted with his glass. "I'll drink to that."

Thank you so much @Mamatigerj @agc @CODawn @JCU @graoumia and @TopNotch.

Welcome back, Bees! I'm transmitting today's update from the OSS high above in spac- err, my desk in Hong Kong.

Today was another Pull day. Spoilers, there were some PRs made.

(Feel free to abstain from encouragements, I know I've had quite a few PRs this past week, inexplicably.)

Deadlifts: 112.5 x 22. Augh, my glutes felt the pain after this one. I was aiming for 21, but got in another solid rep. Oddly enough, sets like these make you feel like your flesh is welded to the bar, until you let go and nearly collapse (or at least that was me). So this is a PR!
Romanian Deadlifts: 112.5 x 6.
Barbell Rows: 100 x 6. Just going through the motions.
Machine One Armed Rows: 82.5 x 6. This was real heavy, and it's more than I've ever done, making it another PR!
Neutral Grip Chinups: 27 in total.
+26000 steps!

Some of you may be wondering why so many PRs. I'm not sure myself, but I think that has something to do with going back to the beginning of the program and specifically trying to beat old records. Have any of you done this: gone back to a program you've done in the past, and gotten stronger/done more reps?

Baffling!

A few classes tomorrow, and yummy buffet dinner on Saturday!

Hope your week is going great, Bees!

Playing: Of course, I'm going through that gaming phase of mine where one game holds my interest: that would happen to be Escape from Duckov, of course. I'm still stuck on the third map, but I've taken down most of the minibosses, so I'm continuing to build up my base and level up.

Should try to get back into Abiotic Factor, as there's a new gadget that should make exploration much easier. This latest sector is one of my least favourites (though the previous sucked much more, admittedly).

Tried a demo for (another!) open-world roguelite extraction shooter (what a mouthful) called Skopje 83. It champions a colourful vibe, and the genre is right up my alley; but for some reason, this winning combination didn't quite click with most people, let alone with me. So, at least for now, until it's been patched to oblivion, BOOM! Uninstalled.

Also played a demo for a roguelite pixel action game. Even though it's well-made, and I could see how it would be addictive, I'm mostly done with roguelites. BOOM! Uninstalled.

Watching: Uhh, nothing yet. I want to watch The Running Man on Thursday morn, as it looks quite fun, and it's a mere 60 HKD for that show. Maybe.

Listening to: Skinny Puppy - Magnifishit. Some savage, danceable industrial today. I used to listen to this track all the time. If you can look past the crass lyrics preening of dominance and repulsiveness, there are some amazing boasts and beats, of course.

"I am the answer's question, oh yeah
I am the undisputed lie, oh yeah
I am the greatest lesson's righteous persons raving servants
Makes it worse and altogether bad, oh yeah, bad, oh yeah"

 

[Fremen]

Congrats

 

[graoumia]

CONGRATS

 

[JCU]

Congratulations!

 

[Mamatigerj]

 

[CODawn]

Congratulations!

 

[aku-chan]

Congrats on even more PR's!

 

[TopNotch]

And the congrats just keep flowing!

 

[GentleOx]

"You dumb motherf*cker. You thought you could take our property and get out alive?" Ox stared up at the kid from his glass of soda water. The young Terra Reddita recruits stared down at him, aggrieved and brazen, and likely soused. He could see Weasel a few booths down, staring over in obvious concern. Jack, the saloon's owner, was watching with seemingly casual indifference. Ox's hands were on the table, and he waved one at them upward with feigned inebriation.

"Buzz off, shitbird. If you were dumb enough to fall for that trick, then you had it coming."
"You think you can mess with us, the Sons of Kempt, and get away with it?" Ox noted that he hadn't mentioned the young lieutenant who had spared him, which he took as a good sign.
He stretched, raising his arms upward, before placing them at his side, closer to his sidearm. "Yeah."
"You're not going to get away with insulting us this time," the thug said, his hands reaching down to clasp his rifle.

Shouts of alarm, and the sounds of weapons coming to bear and safeties flicked off. Ox clasped the butt of his pistol, pulled his sidearm out, and pointed it at the ringleader. His pistol muzzle joined the many others pointed at the men. The Lone Wolf Saloon did not brook hostility. "Aim for the legs, Rick," Jack said to one of his staff, who toted a combat shotgun. The three young guns, perhaps aware of the grievous mistake they were making, slowly, reluctantly, put their weapons down. "This isn't over yet, Ox. We don't forget."

Ox sneered at him. "What are you, an elephant? Go bother someone else!"

Hey again Bees! It's time for another update.

Today was my second Push day for the BM program.

Overhead Press: 52.5 x 23. Pretty darn good!
Behind the Neck Press: 60 x 6.
Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 10 for 10 reps.
Straight Bar Pushdowns: 11 x 10.
Barbell Curls: 35 x 8, 8, 8, and 8.

You're all being too kind @TopNotch @CODawn @aku-chan @Mamatigerj @JCU @graoumia and @Fremen! I'm comforted by the thought that though most people don't care about these things, they merit congratulations from out of your hearts!

Tomorrow I'm going to get up early to watch the new Predator movie! Or at least I'll try. Usually my meds conk me out for a good ten hours, so I'm off to bed early tonight.

Had a few surprise lessons today, so I finished my workout and ran home to get them done.

We're almost at the weekend, Bees! I can feel it.

Playing: Still making progress in EfD, one webbed step at a time. Still on the same map. Still.

Played a short horror called Elevated Dread, in which the player is tasked with setting up flyers on every door of a 9-storey tenement. What could go wrong? I found this one pretty creepy, and one of the more effective short horrors. There's a whole lot of dread doled out over the ascent of the cursed building, culminating in a final surprise that seems par for the course (got to admit, that final scare got me, though). I give it four and a half flyers out of five.

Played a demo for Astlibra, which is a 2D passion project action-rpg with little to boast of in the graphics department. Surprise: I liked it quite a bit. Even though the crude sprite-work and backgrounds great, there's something about numbers flying out of enemies that just makes for a really satisfying experience. Even though I wasn't totally paying attention (my controller ran out of batteries, too), I still liked it quite a bit. Boom! It stays on my hard drive.

Watching: Uh, didn't watch anything last night, though I really want to get started on Psychic Visions (a J-horror found-footage flick).

Listening to: Pink Floyd - Fearless. I'm only really familiar with DSotM and The Wall, but a lot of PF's other, lesser known songs are simply wonders. Here's another favourite of mine.

"Fearlessly, the idiot faced the crowd, smiling
Merciless, the magistrate turns 'round, frowning"

 

[GentleOx]

"Those men from the Insurrectionists... you affronted them somehow, and now they want you dead?"

Ox was half listening, half watching their surroundings for said men or any other threats. "That's the sum of it." They had left Metropol in a mercifully uneventful exit and were now heading through the Depot on the way back to the Observatory. The howls of creatures now absent of their humanity, left to wander the wastes of Carcosa, cut through the evening's ambiance.

Usually the Depot was rife with such creatures, but cries aside, they were eerily absent. Weasel made to walk between two trains left side by side to rot, but Ox firmly pulled her away, directing her to the main pathway cutting through the depot. "We get caught between two trains, then we'd be like fish in a barrel." Weasel nodded, eyes wide.

They walked on for some time. Weasel had been silent for minutes, which must've been some kind of record. Ox decided to indulge her. "You're awfully quiet. Something to do with your interview?" He glanced at Weasel, who met his gaze and shook her head. "Just reflecting, Mr. Ox." Ox was a little bored, so he indulged her. Cronch cronch cronch went their boots on the gravel.

"On?" "Motivations. I mean, we Freelancers want to survive -- I mean, I want to write my book," Ah-ha! thought Ox, "but we just want to make it through, the Scavs want to steal, the Insurrections, to wipe out everyone else... Where does it end?" Ox thought about that for a second. "It's too early to say, kid. Maybe until someone gets total control of the Eather in the zone and stops, or continues, screwing things up. Maybe it'll end with a hole drilled in the sky. Until then, we'll have more of the fighting and the intrigue and the violence." Weasel glanced at him, then lowered her gaze. "I mean, it will end sometime, right?"

He didn't have an answer to that.

* * *
Hello again, Bees! Ox here once more.

Today is the end of the first week of the Bullmastiff routine, and was a Leg day.

Squats: 70 x 18. Not bad, not bad! An improvement over the last time I tried this.
Front Squats: 60 x 6. I will double-progression this as time passes.
Hack Squats: 110 x 5.
Lying Leg Curls: 50 x 6.
Back Extensions: Top set of 12 reps.
+25000 steps!!

Now a bad (second) start for the program, though I may be progressing too fast. We'll see.

It occurs to me now (I've probably known it the whole time, but just kept my head down) that I've still been sick this week. I've had a continuous sore throat and lots of sniffles. In the future, I will take more time off from the gym for consideration of myself and others.

A lot of anxiety during my workout and post-workout walk that dissipated when I got home.

It's set to get quite cold next week, but right now, it's simply cool.

Have a glorious weekend, Bees!

Playing: Just a little EfD, nothing else. Tonight, I want to try the Verho demo (it's a King's Field-like), as well as some Project Silverfish, if I don't conk out first.

Watching: Made a short start on Psychic Visions: will update with my impressions when I'm done (it's about forty-something minutes).

Listening to: Barenaked Ladies - It's All Been Done. Bringing it waaaaay back (as in, my adolescent days) with this upbeat banger. A shout out to this band from my homeland, even if they were unfortunately labeled a one-hit wonder (for another, different banger of a song) back in the 90s.

"Alone and bored
On a thirtieth-century night.
Will I see you
On The Price Is Right?

Will I cry?
Will I smile?
As you run
Down the aisle?"

 

[Mamatigerj]

 

[JCU]

 

[GentleOx]

The Observatory camp was coming into view, and the sniper and spotter at the watchtower raised their hands in greeting. Ox acknowledged the welcome with a raise of his arm. He turned to Weasel, who was trudging along beside him. "So, how was your first time out?" Weasel, hands holding onto the front straps of her backpack, gave a shrug. "I mean, it went well. I got my interview done, and I can write the next chapter of the book. But I'm kind of also a little disappointed too, if that's okay to say?" Ox laughed lightly. "You and I know that if nothing happens, then it's all for the best. Or would you rather be head-to-toe in the middle of a firefight?" Weasel responded by blowing a raspberry. Kids these days.

A young lad in freelancer gear who had apparently been keeping watch came up to them, belligerence in his manner. "Who are you? State your business here--" Ox held up both hands, less in deference than placation. "Whoa there, bud. Been a long trek. Freelancers Ox and Weasel, coming home." How did he not recognize them? He must've been new. The lad was going to say more until a familiar voice called out. "Easy, Derek, they're ours." Simmi had rocked up. She dropped Ox a wink and a smile before turning to Weasel. "You get what we were after, hon?" Weasel grinned. "It wasn't exciting, but I got it all." "I'll see you later, then. C'mon, Ox." She put an arm around his waist and gave him a peck on the cheek. "No bullets? Anomalies? Storms?" "None of the above. By the way, 'we'?"

"I'll have to tell you about it sometime."

Thank you so much @JCU and @Mamatigerj. You're too kind!

Hello Bees! Sleepy Ox here once again trotting out a workout.

Today was the first Push workout of the second week. It sucked, but I've still got to put in the time.

Bench Press: 125 x 6. Nothing fancy, just consistently four sets. As I didn't get above six reps, I'm holding onto this weight for the next week. Next time, I may start with an AMRAP set rather than waiting until the end.
Incline Press: 87.5 x 6.
Overhead Press: 70 x 6. Oomph. This one was tough. Still, I got my six reps!
EZ Bar Pushdown: 12 x 10.
Barbell Curls: 35 x 9 was the top set.

No anxiety while I was doing my steps today. Instead, I was just super tired. Odd.

Tomorrow I'm very likely to take a break from the workouts and try to get some work done. I may or may not update.

Hope your weekend has been great, Bees!

Playing:

Trailer: So... the Fallout 2 trailer just dropped. Looks especially promising, and I say this as a long-time F:NV fan. Glad that they took it in that direction.

Watching: Lots of goodies to watch. Still need to get through that Japanese short horror on Youtube.

Listening to: Cobra Man - Bad Feeling. A salute to my current podcast of the moment, Otherworld, which has great taste in theme music. Once again, it pays homage to the past while bearing the songcraft (particularly vocal-wise) of today.

"Things that go creeping all up in the night
I got a bad, bad feeling
After all the bad you've been treatin' me right
I got a bad, bad feeling"

 

[agc]

Listening to: Cobra Man - Bad Feeling.

Good song!

The song Chain Reaction from that album is so good for working out! Very camp but that's why I love it.

 

[GentleOx]

"Funding?" Simmi nodded, leaning against the table that comprised much of her "war room". There were copious scribbled notes somewhat messily placed about the dinner-sized table. Ox made a note to be on the lookout for a cork board. Simmi usually had several ventures going - it was a part of her productive nature, even if he struggled to see how they would come into being. "So, how does it work? We solicit different figures for funding? And why would they pay us and not any of the other factions?"

"So now you know that Weasel is a journalist--"
"An aspiring journalist! Fake news!" Ox said, holding up a facetious finger. Simmi rolled her eyes.
"Think about it. We have it so much harder here than the NFTA or the Insurrectionists do because nobody knows what we're doing. They've got their own piggy banks: the NFTA's is obvious and Terra Reddita is getting major backing from Kempt."
"So what about the commies?"
"Various breakaway states and rogue nations are funding them. Look. This is all besides the point. The question is... what if could find an audience? And what if they provided us with more than we have now?"

Ox thought on that. It was hard to picture the average existence of a Freelancer beyond scrabbling in the mud, scavenging for scraps, and likely getting gunned down or eaten. He looked up at Simmi. "Armament. Safety. Victuals. And above all, hope." "And above all, hope," Simmi agreed.

"Alright, I'll bite. But we haven't even discussed the hard part."

@agc Yeah, they're quite campy, but that's definitely not a mark against them.

Hey Bees. I'm beat up and quite sleepy, but still fighting the good fight, as always.

Today was a Pull day for the second week of Bullmastiff. I had a new toy which I employed for today's workout: lifting straps, the kind you fasten around your wrist. I found them absolutely invaluable, inexpensive, and a fixture for all my future Pull workouts.

Brace yourselves, 'cause this was a big PR day!

Deadlifts: 140 x 12. PR #1. Wraps were quite useful, though they took some getting used to, as I haven't used them in years.
Barbell Rows: 102.5 x 6. Nothing to see here.
T-Bar Rows: 110 x 5. PR #2.
Meadows Rows: 52.5 x 5. PR #3. Having the wraps meant I didn't have to worry about grip strength. And I likely could've done more.
Pull Ups: No PRs, totaled 25 reps over four sets.
Machine Lat Pulldowns: 70 x 5.

So you see how having the right tools can make all the difference.

Some family drama that may or may not be of interest.

I mentioned a few days ago going to meet some family (an aunt and uncle) who were set to leave, and go back to America. Well, their departure has been postponed, as my illness-prone uncle (ie, when he visited last year, he was hospitalized for a foot injury) has had another injury befall him. I understand it's akin to a serious cyst. Apparently, an operation to fix... whatever it is that ails him has cost $100,000 HKD (that's a little less than 13,000 USD). Yikes!

Yummy hot pot dinner on Saturday.

There was a cold snap today, and it's fun to see people all bundled up against the cool. I find it easier to sleep at night in cold weather, actually.

Have a great week, Bees!

Playing: To quote Skyrim, a bit of this and a bit of that.

My misadventures in EfD continue! I've accomplished more quests, though the endgame is nowhere near in sight.

I got back into Witchfire for the first time in months, and promptly got smoked on the hardest map. I may give it another hack tomorrow.

Also tried out that demo I mentioned: Verho - Curse of Faces. It's something of a lo-fi King's Field homage. I must say it's certainly cohesive and thought-out enough for me to try it out in the future as a full game. Boom! It stays on the hard drive for now.

Watching: Watch this space...

Listening to: Aretha Franklin' - Jumpin' Jack Flash. One of those covers that far outstrips its original. Franklin's voice hits like a freight train, and that bassline is just murder! Another one of those lost Ox songs that I just suddenly remembered.