Podcasts about Alas

Ramesses, Muwattalli, and the Trojans(?). In June of 1287 BCE, the Great Kings of Hatti and Egypt were on the verge of a major confrontation. Ramesses, marching across Sinai and into Canaan, made careful preparations for his assault on Kadesh. Alas, even the best-planned campaign could not be hidden from a watchful enemy. In Hatti, Muwattalli II sent calls to his vassals, summoning them to fight. The Hittite army, and its allies, is a remarkably well-documented force... For the Kikkuli Text of horse training, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kikkuli and https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/orbis:9782188. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SPORTS: Alas Pilipinas eyes another podium finish | Aug. 8, 2025Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net Follow us: Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital Check out our Podcasts: Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer Stitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcherTune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein #TheManilaTimes#KeepUpWithTheTimes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Goga y Marisol analizan la llegada de Remco Evenepoel al Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. También comentan la victoria de Pauline Ferrand-Prévot en el Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, la participación latinoamericana en la Vuelta a Burgos y el Tour de Polonia y más... #TDFF2025 #VueltaBurgos #TdP2025 #ArcticRace _____________________________________________

We return to our Thai history series with a fascinating look at the role that several Thai cannons played in some important historical events.  First, with the help of a cool blog on Thai history from our friend Ken Lohatepanont, Greg tells the story of some silver cannons gifted by King Narai of Siam to Louis XIV of France. It turns out that during the world-changing storming of the Bastille in 1789, those very same cannons were used by the revolutionaries to bring down the notorious prison. Who would have thought that Thai military equipment would play such a key role in world history? Next, Greg tells the story of two large cannons, known as Seri Negara and Seri Pattani, used by the southern Sultanate of Pattani. When Pattani eventually challenged Siam and lost, the Thai King seized the cannons as spoils of war. Alas, one ended up at the bottom of the sea, but the other is on display in front of the Thai Ministry of Defense to this day. Last, Greg relates the use of cannons by the famous Thai developer Nai Lert to mark the boundaries of his property that borders Sukhumvit and Wireless Road. The concrete remains can still be seen today outside of Central Embassy shopping mall.  As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we'll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.  

The Hyphenate talks with Jenn Alas in this episode of the Doubt Me Podcast.

The Daily Philip is a devotion of prayer to the Patron Saint of Joy, St. Philip Neri, led by Fr. Malone, parochial vicar of Christ the Redeemer Parish in Swift Current. This devotion has four parts: (1) a daily prayer for a particular virtue, based on the day of the week, to which Pope Pius IX has attached an indulgence (dated May 17, 1852,); (2) a reading from The Life of St. Philip Neri, Apostle of Rome; (3) a quote from The Maxims and Counsels of St. Philip Neri; and (4) the daily prayer for a good death.   For Monday Prayer to obtain the virtue of Patience. St. Philip, my Patron Saint, whose heart was ever so constant in time of trouble, and whose spirit was so loving under suffering, that, when persecuted by the jealous, or calumniated by the wicked who thought to discredit thy sanctity, or when tried by God with many long, painful infirmities, thou didst always bear thy trials with wonderful tranquillity of heart and mind; pray for me that I may have a spirit of true courage in every adversity.  Alas, how much I stand in need of patience!  I shrink from every little trouble; I sicken under every light affliction; I fire up at and resent every trifling contradiction; never willing to learn that the road to paradise lies amidst the thorns of tribulation. Yet this was the path our Diving Master deigned to tread, and this too, my Saintly Patron, was thy path also.  Obtain for me, then, this courage, that with good hearty will I may embrace the crosses which every day I receive from God, and bear them all with the same endurance and ready will as thou didst when thou wast on earth; that so I may be made worthy to enjoy the blessed fruit of sufferings with thee in heaven above. Our Father…, Hail Mary…, Glory Be…   Prayer to be said daily, for a good death. O glorious Saint Philip, faithful helper of thy dying children, be thou my father and protector in the hour of my death. Let not the devil overcome me; let not temptation oppress me, nor fear overwhelm me in that hour; but grant through thy intercession that, fortified by faith, hope, and charity, I may bear all things with patience and perseverance, and may happily die the death of the just. Amen.

In the whimsy of youth and on a long winter break from college, some guy friends and I were looking for a last-minute adventure that wouldn't cost us anything. I think we were mostly bored. We landed on spending the whole night around a campfire — in mid-January —  and then watching the sunrise over Big Hill Pond, about an hour east of Collierville. It was an epic time...until about 2 am, when the fire had died down and the s'mores sugar rush turned into the inevitable crash. Morale really went downhill as things started to lighten and we realized the entire sky was totally overcast. Surely the sunrise would scatter the clouds and still be glorious, right? We came all this way and we were so tired and so cold. Alas, we watched dark gray slowly turn to light gray and then drove home in silence, with me just trying not to nod off at the wheel.  This Sunday, we come to the end of Mark's gospel: the Resurrection. Without the Son's rise at sunrise, promising the dawn of a new, eternal Day, all of human history and effort is watching gray turn to gray. But instead, in the words of Isaiah, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”

SPORTS: Canino, Belen, Solomon banner Alas Pilipinas lineup | Aug. 1, 2025Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net Follow us: Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital Check out our Podcasts: Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer Stitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcherTune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein #TheManilaTimes#KeepUpWithTheTimes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Capítulos 70 al 75 de Una Corte de Alas y Ruina por Sarah J.Maas¡Feyre vuelve a enfrentarse al Caldero! La esperada batalla por fin esta aquí (aka Prythian vs Hybern), y el panorama del equipo unido por la amistad es sin duda desalentador. ¡Pero la esperanza es lo último que muere! ¿Podrá inclinarse la balanza con la llegada de un par de aliados inesperados?

“Alas, how strange it is that we are preparing to commit greatly sinful acts, driven by the desire to enjoy royal happiness.” (Arjuna, Bhagavad-gita, 1.44)

ALAS! The long-anticipated PART 2 of Murph and Nick's pod is upon you. Listen now and enjoy this saucy conversation! Only at trialandaaron.com, Spotify, Apple Podcast, and Youtube. . . . . #thetap #trialandaaronpodcast #tap #bayarea #sfgiants #warriors #sjsharks #beer #bros #pug

Echar raíz. Ser quebrada, sanada, y reconstruida desde adentro. En este episodio te comparto por qué las etapas ocultas, silenciosas y dolorosas de la vida son, en realidad, las más sagradas.

The Daily Philip is a devotion of prayer to the Patron Saint of Joy, St. Philip Neri, led by Fr. Malone, parochial vicar of Christ the Redeemer Parish in Swift Current. This devotion has four parts: (1) a daily prayer for a particular virtue, based on the day of the week, to which Pope Pius IX has attached an indulgence (dated May 17, 1852,); (2) a reading from The Life of St. Philip Neri, Apostle of Rome; (3) a quote from The Maxims and Counsels of St. Philip Neri; and (4) the daily prayer for a good death.   For Monday Prayer to obtain the virtue of Patience. St. Philip, my Patron Saint, whose heart was ever so constant in time of trouble, and whose spirit was so loving under suffering, that, when persecuted by the jealous, or calumniated by the wicked who thought to discredit thy sanctity, or when tried by God with many long, painful infirmities, thou didst always bear thy trials with wonderful tranquillity of heart and mind; pray for me that I may have a spirit of true courage in every adversity.  Alas, how much I stand in need of patience!  I shrink from every little trouble; I sicken under every light affliction; I fire up at and resent every trifling contradiction; never willing to learn that the road to paradise lies amidst the thorns of tribulation. Yet this was the path our Diving Master deigned to tread, and this too, my Saintly Patron, was thy path also.  Obtain for me, then, this courage, that with good hearty will I may embrace the crosses which every day I receive from God, and bear them all with the same endurance and ready will as thou didst when thou wast on earth; that so I may be made worthy to enjoy the blessed fruit of sufferings with thee in heaven above. Our Father…, Hail Mary…, Glory Be…   Prayer to be said daily, for a good death. O glorious Saint Philip, faithful helper of thy dying children, be thou my father and protector in the hour of my death. Let not the devil overcome me; let not temptation oppress me, nor fear overwhelm me in that hour; but grant through thy intercession that, fortified by faith, hope, and charity, I may bear all things with patience and perseverance, and may happily die the death of the just. Amen.

En el regreso a casa, Fiora, Vinko y Nubo cruzan por la temida Franja Helada del Cielo. Frente al peligro, Fiora descubre que su magia no está en unas alas perdidas sino en el calor que nace de su corazón.

If you don't know Nick and Murphy the pug, you're life must be a living hell. Alas, make your life not a living hell by indulging in this week's TAP. From the foggy bay to the blistering heat of the 530, Nick and Murphy give you a peak into their life journeys. All available meow on trialandaaron.com, YouTube, Spotify, and apple podcasts....#thetap #trialandaaronpodcast #bayarea #giants #sfgiants #personalpodcast #sportspodcast

Onto the 2nd ranch of our U.S Ranch and Farm Tour, where we are on a on a 6-month tour across America, we're visiting regenerative farms to podcast with ranchers, tour their land, document their work, and shake the hand that feeds us. Today's episode is with Maple Syrup rancher, Jacob Powsner. Jacob is great value. He absolutely loves maple syrup, which just makes the conversation that much better. He's living his dream. Alas, we do a total expose on everything Maple Syrup - super fascinating stuff. Enjoy!Jacob Baird is part of the fourth generation running Baird Farm, a 560-acre maple syrup operation in Vermont. In this episode, Jacob and Ryan dive into the full story behind maple syrup—how it's made, what separates the real from the fake, and why so many food labels today are built on confusion. From the misuse of terms like “natural” and “regenerative,” to the nutritional power of real syrup and the policies shaping food transparency, this is a candid conversation about what honest food really takes.Key topics:- How real maple syrup is made—from forest to sugarhouse- The difference between real and fake maple products- Why “natural,” “organic,” and “regenerative” labels often mislead- The nutritional and environmental case for real maple syrup- Small farms vs big food: marketing, policy, and system captureTimestamps:00:00 – “When you eat good food, you connect to the land” 03:30 – The 100-year family history of Baird Farm and the shift from dairy to maple 06:00 – How 15,000 trees are tapped and managed across the Vermont woods 09:00 – What makes real maple syrup: process, purity, and organic practices 12:30 – The truth about fake syrup, flavoring loopholes, and deceptive labels 16:00 – The “natural flavors” problem and how big food co-opts language 19:00 – Why regenerative is at risk of being greenwashed 22:00 – Health benefits of real maple syrup: minerals, glycemic load, and antioxidants 25:00 – Why maple syrup protects land from development and deforestation 28:00 – How big players are consolidating the maple industry and what's at stake 31:00 – Jacob's vision for small, intentional growth and honest food systemsConnect with Jason & Baird Farm:WebsiteInstagram

En esta era de la longevidad las personas mayores tenemos voz y responsabilidad.Responsabilidad de actuar, de reinventarnos. De exigir nuestros derechos. De participar y de seguir aprendiendo como quien abre ventanas para dar alas a los años.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Time to SPIN THAT WHEEEEL! Back in 2021, in the thick of the pandemic, when we were all going a little stir crazy and desperately clinging to any ways to have human connection, an idea was born. From the rubble of boredom and the craving to do something new came an ambitious Top 5 improv-style game show called The Ranky Roulette. The show was a great success, and the plan was to do it once every single year with new guests, custom SFX, and bigger productions. Alas, things didn't work out that way, but as we near the end of this show, we would be remiss not to give this format another spin! So join your game show host Tuong La and comeback contestants Angus MacDonald, Samantha Leggatt, and Leslie Cserepy as they get another crack at showing off their ranking skills to be crowned the next "Ranky Ruler of the Realm"! Also featuring guest audio clips from past ranking legends: Chelsea Fahey, Brie Watson (The Constant Struggle Podcast), and Simone Dorie. The post 198 – The Ranky Roulette: Second Spin appeared first on PodCavern.

In this week's episode, we take a look at how the meaning of words can shift and evolve over time, and the challenges and opportunities that can create for writers. This coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Malison series at my Payhip store: MALISONJULY25 The coupon code is valid through August 12, 2025. So if you need a new ebook this summer, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 260 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is July 19, 2025, and today we are reflecting on how the meaning of words changes over time. We will also have Coupon of the Week, an update on my current writing and audiobook projects, and Question of the Week. So let's start off with Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Malison series at my Payhip store, and that is MALISONJULY25. And as always, both the coupon code and the links to my Payhip store will be available in the show notes. This coupon code is valid through August the 12th, 2025. So if you need a new series of ebooks to read for this summer, we have got you covered. Now for an update on my current writing projects. I'm pleased to report that Stealth and Spells Online: The Final Quest, the final book in the Stealth and Spells trilogy, is now out and you get it at Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. People have read it, have liked it, so I'm pleased that people are enjoying the ending to the trilogy. Now that that is out, my next major project will be Ghost in the Siege, the sixth and final book of the Ghost Armor series. I am 32,000 words into the rough draft, and I think it's going to be about 100,000 words, give or take. I am also 2,000 words into Blade of Flames, which will be the first book in my new epic fantasy Blades of Ruin series, which will be set in the realm of Owyllain about a hundred years after the end of The Shield War. So listen for more updates on that coming later as I work on it. In audiobook news, both Ghost in the Corruption (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) and Shield of Battle (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills) actually came out on the same day, so as of right now, you can get them at Audible, Apple, Amazon, Google Play, Kobo, and my Payhip store. There's usually a few more stores in the mix, but I've been having trouble with Findaway Audio and I'm looking into different audiobook distributors. So hopefully we will have some progress on that soon. So that's where I'm at with my current writing and audiobook projects. 00:02:07 Question of the Week Now it's time for Question of the Week, which is intended to inspire interesting discussions of enjoyable topics. This week's question, do you get food delivery? Do you ever have pizzas delivered or perhaps a sandwich from a place that does delivery, or do you use some of the various delivery services that have sprung up in the last 10 years like DoorDash, Grubhub, or Uber Eats? No wrong answers obviously, since everyone's circumstances are different. The inspiration for this question was a massive online discussion I saw about the etiquette of tipping DoorDash drivers, and since I had never used DoorDash or a similar service, I realized it was yet another massive technological and cultural shift that I had that happened to miss me out. So I was curious about what people thought about it, and as you expect, we had a range of answers. Perry says: No, and we haven't for years. We live too far away to make it worthwhile, even if we wanted to. Sarah says: I do very rarely get cooked food delivery, and then almost always pizza for the kids when I feel really sick. However, as a Walmart Plus member, I routinely get grocery delivery. I'm pregnant and homeschool three of my four kids (the littlest is too young for formal schooling). It saves me so much time to only have to bring it in the house. The time savings is about 90 minutes on an average week. I sometimes do grocery pickup, which my husband grabs on the way home for an hour time savings, since it is on his way home, but since he works awful hours, it's simpler for me to get the groceries than for him to grab them after a twelve hour day. Of course, feeding six mouths (and usually my dad too for a seventh), we have multiple short runs to Walmart throughout the week for stuff we run out of or general merchandise needs for home maintenance, so we managed to hit lots of in-store time and sales that we would otherwise miss too. Mary says: No, even for Chinese takeout, we would call in the order and pick it up, and I haven't done that for years. Justin says: No food delivery for me, thanks. It's not available where I am, but even living in a college town, I always picked it up. Norma says: I do have Italian food delivered because they have delivery in-house. Have never used a delivery company, but I just heard from my grandson that he's working for one while at university. David says: Maybe once or twice a year I'll get delivery for pizza. Everything else is pickup or eaten at the restaurant. I'm not pressed for time, so having it delivered doesn't make sense. Tracy says: I get pizza delivered from Papa John's. John says: When I lived in Houston, I rarely got anything delivered since it was as fast to just go out and get it myself. Now I live way out in the woods. Nobody delivers that far out, so I usually have to go get it for myself. I usually prefer to cook for myself. Michael says: Alas, I am far too fond of such services (as reflected by my Winnie the Pooh body shape). I live in the middle of the most densely urbanized city in the country, with the result that there are at least 40 takeaways and restaurants within a mile or so radius of my home. While I usually go out if getting takeaway, sometimes an Uber Eats or a Deliveroo is too tempting! For myself, as you might've guessed when I said that I missed out on DoorDash and Uber Eats, the answer is no, I don't get food delivery. I think it might've been over 25 years since I last had a pizza delivery. I did occasionally when I was a teenager and in college. When I moved out into the adult world, I never did. The reasons were one, I was extremely broke, and two, at the time I lived near a university campus with all the attendant fast food places that surrounded it. So if I wanted fast food, I'd get a bunch of stuff within walking distance. If I wanted fast food on a workday, all I had to do is just go through the drive-through on my way home. Anyway, as I got older, the habit of never ordering delivery solidified, which is probably just as well because services like DoorDash and Uber Eats look massively expensive, even before the social etiquette question of tipping arises. These days, if I want fast food or a pizza, I would go get it myself (or more likely persuade myself that I'd really be better off to stay at home and eat vegetables and lean protein). Though it is interesting given the range of the responses, it's a good reminder that people's circumstances can vary wildly and something that would be a waste of time or money for one person might actually be very advantageous for another. 00:05:51 Word Meanings and Chivalry And now onto our main topic. It is interesting to reflect how the meaning of words shifts over time and how a word can sometimes long outlast its original purpose and meaning. “Mile” is a good example, since it's originally derived from the distance covered by a Roman soldier marching a thousand steps. Nowadays, the usage of miles has nothing to do with marching Romans, and most of the world uses kilometers anyway, but the name remains, having long outlived its original meaning. “Chivalry” is another good example. Nowadays, chivalry or chivalrous typically means a man acting in a deferential way to a woman- holding the door, pulling out a chair for her, taking her coat, standing when she approaches the table, et cetera that an individual woman will either find charming, annoying, patronizing, or perhaps some combination of the three depending on her particular disposition and her opinion of the man in question. But that definition of the word chivalry is only a ghostly relic of what it used to mean. Chivalry comes originally from the French word “chevalier”, which means “mounted warrior on horseback”, which was a French term for the medieval knight In the Middle Ages, the term chivalry both referred to the expected conduct of a knight and in a larger sense knighthood as an institution or perhaps the proper behavior expected of the knightly warrior class as a whole. Medieval knighthood originated from essentially three sources. First, the practice of barbarian kings and chieftains, gathering a “comtitatus” around them, a group of chosen warriors who lived with him and were expected to die with him if necessary. Two, the influence of the medieval Catholic church and three, how a combination of the stirrup, the lance, and heavy armor meant that cavalry dominated the battlefield for most of the Middle Ages. Number three meant that knighthood was usually available only to the wealthy. The knight fought on horseback and fighting on foot was for lesser men, peasants, serfs, and churls. Horse mounted combat was the knight's defining trait. Horses were (and still are) very expensive and suitable armor and weapons were likewise expensive. Additionally, learning to ride a horse in battle while effectively wielding melee weapons was a difficult endeavor, which meant that the boys and men who did needed to make a full-time profession of it, which again, limited knighthood to those able to afford it. A lot of what we think of as chivalric behavior evolved out of the medieval churches efforts to control and regulate knighthood. Early medieval knights were essentially armed thugs employed by local warlords. The early history of feudalism in post-Roman Western Europe tends to boil down to “local warlordism” based around holding land, with centralized states only slowly developing. In the late 800s-900s A.D., the church advocated movements like the Peace of God, which tried to instruct knights and nobles not to kill or rob women, children, the elderly monks, nuns, priests, and other non-combatants and the Truce of God, which tried to unsuccessfully ban fighting on holy days and any possible holidays. The fact that the church felt the need to be that specific shows just how widespread that kind of local warfare was. While many knights adopted the external forms of piety, movements like the Peace of God and the Truce of God did little to dissuade them from practical business of looting and seizing as much land as they could hold. Evidence of this is found in the First Crusade and the subsequent crusades. One of the motivations for the First Crusade was to drain off a lot of the belligerent young knights out of Western Europe and send them off to fight “infidels” in the Holy Land instead of making trouble at home. “Chivalry” as a code of conduct developed out of the combination of the fact that it was expensive to be a knight and the church's attempts to regulate it. That meant that knighthood saw itself as a distinct social class with standards of expected behavior. A knight was supposed to be pious. He should show no fear and charge to meet the enemy without hesitation. A knight fought on horseback (fighting on foot was for lesser men). A knight should be reverent towards the church and obey his lord unquestionably. He also should show courtesy to women of noble rank. This did not apply to peasants and townswomen. He also should develop romantic love for an unattainable married woman (since marriage between nobles was usually for reasons of power and not love) and should use that unrequited love to spur him on to feats of valor. A knight should also be generous and open-handed to the poor and to his fellows. Now, all of this sounds good, but in practice a lot of these virtues twisted around into vices. Fearlessness in battle turned into arrogance and delusions of invincibility. One of the reasons France did so badly for much of the Hundred Years' War was because the French knights insisted on charging into battle at once to demonstrate their knightly valor and prowess, which let them get slaughtered en masse by English longbowmen. Additionally, readiness to fight evolved into fighting for any excuse at all, which frequently led to wars both ruinous and utterly pointless. Knighthood's class awareness often cause nobles to treat warfare as a chivalric adventure, which was not conducive to sound strategy leading to victory. Generally, the most successful medieval monarchs were those like Henry II of England, Edward I of England, Charles V of France, and Philip II Augustus of France, who did not allow knightly virtues to get in the way of hardheaded practical policy. Generosity turned into extravagant displays of public magnificence, which in turn meant attempting to squeeze more tax money out of the peasants and merchants. A knight's respect towards the church often meant giving large donations to have Masses set in perpetuity for his soul after a lifetime of plunder. And of course, knight might have unrequited Lancelot-style love for an unattainable, married noblewoman. But in practice, many knights had many, many illegitimate children, sometimes with their “unattainable” married noblewomen. Moralistic writers in every century of the Middle Ages bemoan the laziness, greed, and luxurious living of their contemporary knights and frequently exhorted them to return to the heartier, more virtuous knights of the past years. Even the Middle Ages had the Nostalgia Filter. As is so often the case with institutions that have outlived their useful utility, knighthood was never really reformed, but eventually became obsolete. By the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French King maintained a professional standing army, which is far more useful than giving land to nobles and attempting to get knights out of them through feudal obligations. Other nations soon follow suit. Longbows and Crossbows heralded the weakness of armor, and then gave way to trained infantry soldiers equipped with firearms. Horsemen remained an important part of warfare for centuries, since they were vital for scouting and attacking unprepared infantry formations. The American Civil War was the first truly industrial war, and yet the Civil War still had numerous significant cavalry battles, but the armored knights' days as master of the battlefield were over, and while knights remained part of the upper class, knighthood gradually became a ceremonial honor that had nothing to do with its original purpose of mounted warfare. Recently, filmmaker Christopher Nolan became Sir Christopher Nolan, Knight Bachelor of the United Kingdom, for reasons entirely unrelated to wielding a lance on horseback while wearing heavy armor. So as we can see, the word “chivalry” has a long, long history. So it is amusing to see how the last remnant of its original meaning in the modern era is to hold the door open for women. It occurred to me as I wrote this out that the reason I'm a fantasy novelist and not a historian is that I thought “hmm, there's the ideas for like twelve different books in all of this.” Which, I suppose, is perhaps the point. Chivalric knighthood was something of a myth even in its own time, but the myth inspired some great stories over the centuries. So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. I a reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave your review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.

The Daily Philip is a devotion of prayer to the Patron Saint of Joy, St. Philip Neri, led by Fr. Malone, parochial vicar of Christ the Redeemer Parish in Swift Current. This devotion has four parts: (1) a daily prayer for a particular virtue, based on the day of the week, to which Pope Pius IX has attached an indulgence (dated May 17, 1852,); (2) a reading from The Life of St. Philip Neri, Apostle of Rome; (3) a quote from The Maxims and Counsels of St. Philip Neri; and (4) the daily prayer for a good death.   For Monday Prayer to obtain the virtue of Patience. St. Philip, my Patron Saint, whose heart was ever so constant in time of trouble, and whose spirit was so loving under suffering, that, when persecuted by the jealous, or calumniated by the wicked who thought to discredit thy sanctity, or when tried by God with many long, painful infirmities, thou didst always bear thy trials with wonderful tranquillity of heart and mind; pray for me that I may have a spirit of true courage in every adversity.  Alas, how much I stand in need of patience!  I shrink from every little trouble; I sicken under every light affliction; I fire up at and resent every trifling contradiction; never willing to learn that the road to paradise lies amidst the thorns of tribulation. Yet this was the path our Diving Master deigned to tread, and this too, my Saintly Patron, was thy path also.  Obtain for me, then, this courage, that with good hearty will I may embrace the crosses which every day I receive from God, and bear them all with the same endurance and ready will as thou didst when thou wast on earth; that so I may be made worthy to enjoy the blessed fruit of sufferings with thee in heaven above. Our Father…, Hail Mary…, Glory Be…   Prayer to be said daily, for a good death. O glorious Saint Philip, faithful helper of thy dying children, be thou my father and protector in the hour of my death. Let not the devil overcome me; let not temptation oppress me, nor fear overwhelm me in that hour; but grant through thy intercession that, fortified by faith, hope, and charity, I may bear all things with patience and perseverance, and may happily die the death of the just. Amen.

En esta nueva aventura, Fiora, Vinko y Nubo conocen a un inventor barbudo que promete ayudar al hada sin alas. Pero cuando la magia vuelve a brillar donde menos lo esperan, Fiora descubre que quizás no ha dejado de ser hada después de todo

Today's Lake and Shed framed conversation is once again about the fifth Cormoran Strike novel, Troubled Blood. Nick discusses Rowling's history with the Clerkenwell neighborhood. John talks about Troubled Blood as a double re-telling of The Faerie Queene, Book One, with Strike and Margot as the Redcrosse Knight and Oonaugh and Robin as Una.New to the Lake and Shed Kanreki Birthday series? Here's what we're doing:On 31 July 2025, Joanne Murray, aka J. K. Rowling and Robert Galbraith, will be celebrating her 60th birthday. This celebration is considered a ‘second birth' in Japan or Kanreki because it is the completion of the oriental astrological cycle. To mark JKR's Kanreki, Dr John Granger and Nick Jeffery, both Nipponophiles, are reading through Rowling's twenty-one published works and reviewing them in light of the author's writing process, her ‘Lake and Shed' metaphor. The ‘Lake' is the biographical source of her inspiration; the ‘Shed' is the alocal place of her intentional artistry, in which garage she transforms the biographical stuff provided by her subconscious mind into the archetypal stories that have made her the most important author of her age. You can hear Nick and John discuss this process and their birthday project at the first entry in this series of posts: Happy Birthday, JKR! A Lake and Shed Celebration of her Life and Work.Tomorrow? Our first look at Christmas Pig with both Nick and John talking about the Blue Bunny. Stay tuned!Links to posts mentioned in today's Lake and Shed conversation for further reading:* The Clerkenwell/Islington Gate of St John (Twitter Header)Faerie Queene!John Granger:* How Spenser Uses Cupid in Faerie Queen and Its Relevance for Understanding Troubled Blood* Reading Troubled Blood as a Medieval Morality PlayElizabeth Baird-Hardy* Day One, Part One: The Spenserian Epigraphs of the Pre-Released Troubled Blood Chapters* Day Two, Part Two: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Eight to Fourteen* Day Three, Part Three: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Fifteen to Thirty* Day Four, Part Four: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Thirty One to Forty Eight* Day Five, Part Five: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Forty Nine to Fifty Nine* Part Six: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Sixty to Seventy One* Spenser and Strike Part Seven: Changes for the BetterBeatrice Groves* Trouble in Faerie Land (Part 1): Spenserian Clues in Troubled Blood Epigraphs* Trouble in Faerie Land (Part 2): Shipping Robin and Strike in the Epigraphs of Troubled Blood* Trouble in Faerie Land (Part 3): Searching for Duessa in Troubled BloodThis is a tentative listing by category of the posts at HogwartsProfessor about Troubled Blood. There's much more work to do on this wonderful work!1. Chiastic StructureRowling's fixation on planning in general and with structural patterns specifically in all of her work continues in Troubled Blood. From the first reading, it became apparent that in Strike5 Rowling-Galbraith had taken her game to a new level of sophistication. She continued, as she had in her four previous Strike mysteries, to write a story in parallel with the Harry Potter septology; there are many echoes of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth and equivalent number in the Hogwarts Saga, in Troubled Blood. Just as Phoenix was in important ways a re-telling of Philosopher's Stone, so Troubled Blood also echoes Cuckoo's Calling — with a few Stone notes thrown in as well. The new heights of Rowling's structural artistry, though, extend beyond her patented intratextuality; they are in each of Strike5's first six parts being ring compositions themselves, the astrological chart embedded in the story chapters, and the six part and two chapters correspondence in structure between Troubled Blood and Spenser's Faerie Queen.* Structure Part One* Structure Part Two, Notes Two to Six* Structure Part Three, Notes One to Three* Structure Part Four, Notes One to Three, Eight, and Ten* Structure Part Five, Notes One to Four, Nine* Structure Part Six, Notes One to Four* Structure Part Seven, Ring Latch, Story Axis* Astrological Clock Structure of Troubled Blood* Career of Evil Echoes* Order of the Phoenix Echoes* Cuckoo's Calling Echoes* Philosopher's Stone Echoes2. Literary AlchemyPer Nabokov, literary artistry and accomplishment are known and experienced through a work's “structure and style.” Rowling's signature structures are evident in Troubled Blood (see above) and her characteristic hermetic artistry, literary alchemy, is as well. Strike5 is the series nigredo and Strike and Robin experience great losses and their reduction to their respective and shared prima materia in the dissolving rain and flood waters of the story.* Strike's Transformation* Robin Ellacott and the Reverse Alchemy of the First Three Strike Novels* Lethal White as the Alchemical Pivot of the Strike Series* The Wet Nigredo: Troubled Blood's Black Names, Holiday Three Step, and Losses3. Psychology/MythologyRowling told Val McDermid that if she had not succeeded as a writer than she would have studied to become a psychologist:V: If it hadn't worked out the way it has. If you'd sat there and written the book in the café and nobody ever published it, what would you have done with your life, what would you have liked to have been?JK: There are two answers. If I could have done anything, I would have been really interested in doing, I would have been a psychologist. Because that's the only thing that's ever really pulled me in any way from all this. But at the time I was teaching, and I was very broke, and I had a daughter and I think I would have kept teaching until we were stable enough that we were stable enough that I could change.Because of her lifelong study and pre-occupation with mythology, it is fitting that in Strike5 readers are confronted with a host of references to psychologist Carl Jung and to a specific Greek myth which Jungian psychologists consider essential in understanding feminine psychology. All of which leads in the end to the Strike series' equivalent of the Hogwarts Saga's soul triptych exteriorization in Harry, Hermione and Ron as Body, Mind, and Spirit, with Robin and Strike as Handless Maiden and Fisher King, the mythological images of anima and animus neglected and working towards integration.* Carl Jung and Troubled Blood* A Mythological Key to Cormoran Strike? The Myth of Eros, Psyche, and Venus* The Anima and Animus: The Psychological Heart and Exteriorization of the Cormoran Strike Novels4. Valentine's DayThe story turn of Troubled Blood takes place on Valentine's Day and the actions, events, and repercussions of this holiday of Cupid and Heart-shaped candies, not to mention chocolates, shape the Robin and Strike relationship drama irrevocably. Chocolates play an outsized portion of that work symbolically, believe it or not; the word ‘chocolate' occurs 34 times in the first four Strike novels combined but 82 times in Troubled Blood. I explore the importance of this confection in two posts before beginning to explain the importance and appropriateness of Valentine's Day being the heart of the story, one that is in large part a re-telling of the Cupid and Psyche myth.* Troubled Blood: Interpreting the Poetry of Cormoran's Five Gifts To Robin* Troubled Blood: Poisoned Chocolates* Troubled Blood: The Secret of Rowntree* A Mythological Key to Cormoran Strike? The Myth of Eros, Psyche, and Venus5. Edmund Spenser's Faerie QueenTroubled Blood features several embedded texts, the most important of which is never mentioned in the book: Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queen. Serious Strikers enjoyed the luxury of not one but two scholars of Edmund Spenser who checked in on the relevance and meaning of Rowling's choice of the greatest English epic poem for her epigraphs, not to mention the host of correspondences between Strike 5 and Queen. Elizabeth Baird-Hardy did a part by part exegesis of the Troubled Blood-Faerie Queen conjunctions and Beatrice Groves shared her first thoughts on the connections as well. Just as Lethal White's meaning and artistry is relatively unappreciated without a close reading of Ibsen's Rosmersholm, so with Strike 5 and Faerie Queen.* Spenser's Faerie Queen (Above)6. The GhostsRowling's core belief is in the immortality of the soul and her favorite writer of the 20th Century is Vladimir Nabokov, whose work is subtly permeated by the otherworldly. No surprise, then, that Troubled Blood is haunted by a host of ghosts, most importantly the shade of Margot Bamborough but to include the women murdered by Dennis Creed and Nicolo Ricci. Their influence is so obvious and so important that it has spurred discussion of the spectres that haunt the first four Strike novels whose presence had not been discussed prior to the revelations of Strike 5.* Troubled Blood: The Dead Among Us* The Ghosts Haunting Troubled Blood* The Ghosts Haunting Cuckoo's Calling, Silkworm, Career of Evil, and Lethal White7. The NamesThe Cryptonyms or Cratylic Names of Troubled Blood are as rich and meaningful, even funny, as those found in Lethal White. From Paul Satchwell's “little package” to Roy Phipps as the Spanish King Phillip, from the nigredo black elements of Bill Talbot and Saul Morris to the Spenserian echoes of Oonaugh Kennedy and Janice Beattie, and the Rokeby-Oakden coincidences, Strike5 is full of name play. Did I mention that the detectives solve the mystery largely through their exploration of names? Douthwaite and Oakden only pop-up after Strike has revelations consequent to serious reflection on their names and pseudonyms. Rowling-Galbraith really wants her real-world readers to be reflecting on the Dickensian names of all her characters.* The Cratylic Names of Troubled Blood: A Top Twenty Round Up8. The Flints and GaffesRowling commented in one of her interview tableaus for Troubled Blood that she had worked extra hard to get the dates right in this most complicated of novels and that her proof reader and continuity editor found a big mistake. Serious Strikers, though, were left crying “Alas!” and laughing aloud at the number of bone-headed gaffes in The Presence's longest work to date. It remains her best as well as her longest book to date, but, really, get the woman the help she needs to comb the book for errors pre-publication. Can you say, “Isla”?* Troubled Blood: Flints, Errors, and Head Scratchers* Troubled Blood Gaffes: A Second Look at Ages and Dates9. The AstrologyThe principal embedded text in Troubled Blood, the one Robin and Cormoran read repeatedly, create keys for, and discuss throughout the book, is Bill Talbot's ‘True Book.' It features an astrological chart for the exact time and place of Margot Bamborough's disappearance in 1974, which map Talbot used to try and solve the case. Strike is profoundly disgusted by this approach but spends, as does Robin, much of his time trying to figure out the chart or at least what Talbot made of it. Troubled Blood, consequently, turns into something of an exploration of astrology and its relevance to understanding ourselves and the world. Unpacking what Rowling means by it, not to mention what the natal charts of Robin and Cormoran tell us about these charactes, their relationship, and Rowling-Galbraith's intentionally hermetic artistry, is a large part of the exegetical work to be done on Troubled Blood.* Nick Jeffery: Troubled Blood — The Acknowledgements* Part Three, Note Five* Troubled Blood: Strike's Natal Chart* Astrological Clock Structure of Troubled Blood* Astrological Allegorical: The Sun Signs of Characters in Troubled Blood* A Second Look at Talbot's Chart: What Does it Reveal to the Unbiased Eye?10. The Tarot Card SpreadsWe know that Rowling has significant skills when it comes to astrology. What is less well appreciated is that almost from childhood she has played with tarot card reading which knowledge has informed her work. This is comic in Trelawney, say, but comes to the fore in Troubled Blood‘s card spreads: the Celtic Cross in Talbot's ‘True Book,' his embedded three card spreads in the illustrations of that tome, and Robin's two readings, one in Laemington Spa and the other in her flat at story's end.* Part Three, Note Six* Part Four, Note Five* Part Five, Note Five* Part Six, Notes Five, Six, Eight* Bill Talbot's Tarot: The Embedded Occult Heart of Troubled Blood* Robin Ellacott's Tarot: The Missed Meanings of Her Twin Three Card Spreads in Troubled Blood11. Who Killed Leda Strike?To Rowling-Galbraith's credit, credible arguments in dedicated posts have been made that every person in the list below was the one who murdered Leda Strike. Who do you think did it?* Jonny Rokeby and the Harringay Crime Syndicate (Heroin Dark Lord 2.0),* Ted Nancarrow (Uncle Ted Did It),* Dave Polworth,* Leda Strike (!),* Lucy Fantoni (Lucy and Joan Did It and here),* Sir Randolph Whittaker,* Nick Herbert,* Peter Gillespie, and* Charlotte Campbell-Ross12. Embedded TextsAll of Rowling's novels feature books and texts, written work as well as metanarratives, with which her characters struggle to figure out in reflective parallel to what her readers are trying to do with the novel in hand. Troubled Blood is exceptionally laden with these embedded texts. Beyond Talbot's True Book and Spenser's Faerie Queen noted above, we are treated to selections from The Demon of Paradise Park, Whatever Happened to Margot Bamborough?, Astrology 14, and The Magus.13. The Murderers: Creed and BeattieA demon-possessed psychopath and the brain-damaged lonely woman… Each is described as “a genius of misdirection” and being without remorse or empathy. The actual murderers in Troubled Blood are distinct, certainly, but paired as well, as one of the many mirrored pairs in this story.14. FeminismTroubled Blood, Rowling has said, is a commentary of sorts on changes in the history of feminism. It is an unvarnished, even brutal exploration of the heroic age of the feminist movement, its front and back, largely through the personalities, circumstances, choices, and experiences of two pairs of women, Margot Bamborough and her plucky Irish side-kick Oonaugh Kennedy and the paired through time couple of Irene Bull-Hickson and Janice Beattie.15. Rokeby 3.0Jonny Rokeby makes his first appearance, albeit only by phone call, in Troubled Blood and yet it has reset thinking about Strike and his biological father considerably. Kurt Schreyer thinks the head Deadbeat is more Snape than Voldemort — and, if this is the case, we need to re-read the series to see how much Strike's emotional injuries from childhood neglect have misshaped his understanding of his dad so he lives in upside-down land.* Guest Post: Rokeby Redux – Is Strike's Father More Snape than Lord Voldemort? Get full access to Hogwarts Professor at hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/subscribe

Today's Lake and Shed framed conversation is about the fifth Cormoran Strike novel, Troubled Blood. Nick discusses Rowling's history with the divinatory art of astrology and the occult resources and reference works she brought into play in writing a novel whose primary embedded text is a murder scene's astrological chart. John talks about the astrological clock structure of twelve houses in which Galbraith tells this remarkable story.New to the Lake and Shed Kanreki Birthday series? Here's what we're doing:On 31 July 2025, Joanne Murray, aka J. K. Rowling and Robert Galbraith, will be celebrating her 60th birthday. This celebration is considered a ‘second birth' in Japan or Kanreki because it is the completion of the oriental astrological cycle. To mark JKR's Kanreki, Dr John Granger and Nick Jeffery, both Nipponophiles, are reading through Rowling's twenty-one published works and reviewing them in light of the author's writing process, her ‘Lake and Shed' metaphor. The ‘Lake' is the biographical source of her inspiration; the ‘Shed' is the alocal place of her intentional artistry, in which garage she transforms the biographical stuff provided by her subconscious mind into the archetypal stories that have made her the most important author of her age. You can hear Nick and John discuss this process and their birthday project at the first entry in this series of posts: Happy Birthday, JKR! A Lake and Shed Celebration of her Life and Work.Tomorrow? Another look at Troubled Blood, this time with an introduction to Rowling's ties to Clerkenwell from Nick and with John making a case for reading Troubled Blood as a re-telling of Spenser's Faerie Queene, Book One, with Strike and Margot as the Redcrosse Knight and Robin and Oonaugh as Una. Stay tuned!Links to posts mentioned in today's Lake and Shed conversation for further reading:* Nick Jeffery: Troubled Blood — The Astrologers in the Acknowledgements* J. K. Rowling, Author-Astrologer, Pt 1: How Did We Not Know About This?* Troubled Blood: Strike's Natal Chart* Astrological Clock Structure of Troubled BloodThis is a tentative listing by category of the posts at HogwartsProfessor about Troubled Blood. There's much more work to do on this wonderful work!1. Chiastic StructureRowling's fixation on planning in general and with structural patterns specifically in all of her work continues in Troubled Blood. From the first reading, it became apparent that in Strike5 Rowling-Galbraith had taken her game to a new level of sophistication. She continued, as she had in her four previous Strike mysteries, to write a story in parallel with the Harry Potter septology; there are many echoes of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth and equivalent number in the Hogwarts Saga, in Troubled Blood. Just as Phoenix was in important ways a re-telling of Philosopher's Stone, so Troubled Blood also echoes Cuckoo's Calling — with a few Stone notes thrown in as well. The new heights of Rowling's structural artistry, though, extend beyond her patented intratextuality; they are in each of Strike5's first six parts being ring compositions themselves, the astrological chart embedded in the story chapters, and the six part and two chapters correspondence in structure between Troubled Blood and Spenser's Faerie Queen.* Structure Part One* Structure Part Two, Notes Two to Six* Structure Part Three, Notes One to Three* Structure Part Four, Notes One to Three, Eight, and Ten* Structure Part Five, Notes One to Four, Nine* Structure Part Six, Notes One to Four* Structure Part Seven, Ring Latch, Story Axis* Astrological Clock Structure of Troubled Blood* Career of Evil Echoes* Order of the Phoenix Echoes* Cuckoo's Calling Echoes* Philosopher's Stone Echoes2. Literary AlchemyPer Nabokov, literary artistry and accomplishment are known and experienced through a work's “structure and style.” Rowling's signature structures are evident in Troubled Blood (see above) and her characteristic hermetic artistry, literary alchemy, is as well. Strike5 is the series nigredo and Strike and Robin experience great losses and their reduction to their respective and shared prima materia in the dissolving rain and flood waters of the story.* Strike's Transformation* Robin Ellacott and the Reverse Alchemy of the First Three Strike Novels* Lethal White as the Alchemical Pivot of the Strike Series* The Wet Nigredo: Troubled Blood's Black Names, Holiday Three Step, and Losses3. Psychology/MythologyRowling told Val McDermid that if she had not succeeded as a writer than she would have studied to become a psychologist:V: If it hadn't worked out the way it has. If you'd sat there and written the book in the café and nobody ever published it, what would you have done with your life, what would you have liked to have been?JK: There are two answers. If I could have done anything, I would have been really interested in doing, I would have been a psychologist. Because that's the only thing that's ever really pulled me in any way from all this. But at the time I was teaching, and I was very broke, and I had a daughter and I think I would have kept teaching until we were stable enough that we were stable enough that I could change.Because of her lifelong study and pre-occupation with mythology, it is fitting that in Strike5 readers are confronted with a host of references to psychologist Carl Jung and to a specific Greek myth which Jungian psychologists consider essential in understanding feminine psychology. All of which leads in the end to the Strike series' equivalent of the Hogwarts Saga's soul triptych exteriorization in Harry, Hermione and Ron as Body, Mind, and Spirit, with Robin and Strike as Handless Maiden and Fisher King, the mythological images of anima and animus neglected and working towards integration.* Carl Jung and Troubled Blood* A Mythological Key to Cormoran Strike? The Myth of Eros, Psyche, and Venus* The Anima and Animus: The Psychological Heart and Exteriorization of the Cormoran Strike Novels4. Valentine's DayThe story turn of Troubled Blood takes place on Valentine's Day and the actions, events, and repercussions of this holiday of Cupid and Heart-shaped candies, not to mention chocolates, shape the Robin and Strike relationship drama irrevocably. Chocolates play an outsized portion of that work symbolically, believe it or not; the word ‘chocolate' occurs 34 times in the first four Strike novels combined but 82 times in Troubled Blood. I explore the importance of this confection in two posts before beginning to explain the importance and appropriateness of Valentine's Day being the heart of the story, one that is in large part a re-telling of the Cupid and Psyche myth.* Troubled Blood: Interpreting the Poetry of Cormoran's Five Gifts To Robin* Troubled Blood: Poisoned Chocolates* Troubled Blood: The Secret of Rowntree* A Mythological Key to Cormoran Strike? The Myth of Eros, Psyche, and Venus5. Edmund Spenser's Faerie QueenTroubled Blood features several embedded texts, the most important of which is never mentioned in the book: Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queen. Serious Strikers enjoyed the luxury of not one but two scholars of Edmund Spenser who checked in on the relevance and meaning of Rowling's choice of the greatest English epic poem for her epigraphs, not to mention the host of correspondences between Strike 5 and Queen. Elizabeth Baird-Hardy did a part by part exegesis of the Troubled Blood-Faerie Queen conjunctions and Beatrice Groves shared her first thoughts on the connections as well. Just as Lethal White's meaning and artistry is relatively unappreciated without a close reading of Ibsen's Rosmersholm, so with Strike 5 and Faerie Queen.Elizabeth Baird-Hardy* Day One, Part One: The Spenserian Epigraphs of the Pre-Released Troubled Blood Chapters* Day Two, Part Two: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Eight to Fourteen* Day Three, Part Three: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Fifteen to Thirty* Day Four, Part Four: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Thirty One to Forty Eight* Day Five, Part Five: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Forty Nine to Fifty Nine* Part Six: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Sixty to Seventy One* Spenser and Strike Part Seven: Changes for the BetterBeatrice Groves* Trouble in Faerie Land (Part 1): Spenserian Clues in Troubled Blood Epigraphs* Trouble in Faerie Land (Part 2): Shipping Robin and Strike in the Epigraphs of Troubled Blood* Trouble in Faerie Land (Part 3): Searching for Duessa in Troubled BloodJohn Granger:* How Spenser Uses Cupid in Faerie Queen and Its Relevance for Understanding Troubled Blood* Reading Troubled Blood as a Medieval Morality Play6. The GhostsRowling's core belief is in the immortality of the soul and her favorite writer of the 20th Century is Vladimir Nabokov, whose work is subtly permeated by the otherworldly. No surprise, then, that Troubled Blood is haunted by a host of ghosts, most importantly the shade of Margot Bamborough but to include the women murdered by Dennis Creed and Nicolo Ricci. Their influence is so obvious and so important that it has spurred discussion of the spectres that haunt the first four Strike novels whose presence had not been discussed prior to the revelations of Strike 5.* Troubled Blood: The Dead Among Us* The Ghosts Haunting Troubled Blood* The Ghosts Haunting Cuckoo's Calling, Silkworm, Career of Evil, and Lethal White7. The NamesThe Cryptonyms or Cratylic Names of Troubled Blood are as rich and meaningful, even funny, as those found in Lethal White. From Paul Satchwell's “little package” to Roy Phipps as the Spanish King Phillip, from the nigredo black elements of Bill Talbot and Saul Morris to the Spenserian echoes of Oonaugh Kennedy and Janice Beattie, and the Rokeby-Oakden coincidences, Strike5 is full of name play. Did I mention that the detectives solve the mystery largely through their exploration of names? Douthwaite and Oakden only pop-up after Strike has revelations consequent to serious reflection on their names and pseudonyms. Rowling-Galbraith really wants her real-world readers to be reflecting on the Dickensian names of all her characters.* The Cratylic Names of Troubled Blood: A Top Twenty Round Up8. The Flints and GaffesRowling commented in one of her interview tableaus for Troubled Blood that she had worked extra hard to get the dates right in this most complicated of novels and that her proof reader and continuity editor found a big mistake. Serious Strikers, though, were left crying “Alas!” and laughing aloud at the number of bone-headed gaffes in The Presence's longest work to date. It remains her best as well as her longest book to date, but, really, get the woman the help she needs to comb the book for errors pre-publication. Can you say, “Isla”?* Troubled Blood: Flints, Errors, and Head Scratchers* Troubled Blood Gaffes: A Second Look at Ages and Dates9. The AstrologyThe principal embedded text in Troubled Blood, the one Robin and Cormoran read repeatedly, create keys for, and discuss throughout the book, is Bill Talbot's ‘True Book.' It features an astrological chart for the exact time and place of Margot Bamborough's disappearance in 1974, which map Talbot used to try and solve the case. Strike is profoundly disgusted by this approach but spends, as does Robin, much of his time trying to figure out the chart or at least what Talbot made of it. Troubled Blood, consequently, turns into something of an exploration of astrology and its relevance to understanding ourselves and the world. Unpacking what Rowling means by it, not to mention what the natal charts of Robin and Cormoran tell us about these charactes, their relationship, and Rowling-Galbraith's intentionally hermetic artistry, is a large part of the exegetical work to be done on Troubled Blood.* Nick Jeffery: Troubled Blood — The Acknowledgements* Part Three, Note Five* Troubled Blood: Strike's Natal Chart* Astrological Clock Structure of Troubled Blood* Astrological Allegorical: The Sun Signs of Characters in Troubled Blood* A Second Look at Talbot's Chart: What Does it Reveal to the Unbiased Eye?10. The Tarot Card SpreadsWe know that Rowling has significant skills when it comes to astrology. What is less well appreciated is that almost from childhood she has played with tarot card reading which knowledge has informed her work. This is comic in Trelawney, say, but comes to the fore in Troubled Blood‘s card spreads: the Celtic Cross in Talbot's ‘True Book,' his embedded three card spreads in the illustrations of that tome, and Robin's two readings, one in Laemington Spa and the other in her flat at story's end.* Part Three, Note Six* Part Four, Note Five* Part Five, Note Five* Part Six, Notes Five, Six, Eight* Bill Talbot's Tarot: The Embedded Occult Heart of Troubled Blood* Robin Ellacott's Tarot: The Missed Meanings of Her Twin Three Card Spreads in Troubled Blood11. Who Killed Leda Strike?To Rowling-Galbraith's credit, credible arguments in dedicated posts have been made that every person in the list below was the one who murdered Leda Strike. Who do you think did it?* Jonny Rokeby and the Harringay Crime Syndicate (Heroin Dark Lord 2.0),* Ted Nancarrow (Uncle Ted Did It),* Dave Polworth,* Leda Strike (!),* Lucy Fantoni (Lucy and Joan Did It and here),* Sir Randolph Whittaker,* Nick Herbert,* Peter Gillespie, and* Charlotte Campbell-Ross12. Embedded TextsAll of Rowling's novels feature books and texts, written work as well as metanarratives, with which her characters struggle to figure out in reflective parallel to what her readers are trying to do with the novel in hand. Troubled Blood is exceptionally laden with these embedded texts. Beyond Talbot's True Book and Spenser's Faerie Queen noted above, we are treated to selections from The Demon of Paradise Park, Whatever Happened to Margot Bamborough?, Astrology 14, and The Magus.13. The Murderers: Creed and BeattieA demon-possessed psychopath and the brain-damaged lonely woman… Each is described as “a genius of misdirection” and being without remorse or empathy. The actual murderers in Troubled Blood are distinct, certainly, but paired as well, as one of the many mirrored pairs in this story.14. FeminismTroubled Blood, Rowling has said, is a commentary of sorts on changes in the history of feminism. It is an unvarnished, even brutal exploration of the heroic age of the feminist movement, its front and back, largely through the personalities, circumstances, choices, and experiences of two pairs of women, Margot Bamborough and her plucky Irish side-kick Oonaugh Kennedy and the paired through time couple of Irene Bull-Hickson and Janice Beattie.15. Rokeby 3.0Jonny Rokeby makes his first appearance, albeit only by phone call, in Troubled Blood and yet it has reset thinking about Strike and his biological father considerably. Kurt Schreyer thinks the head Deadbeat is more Snape than Voldemort — and, if this is the case, we need to re-read the series to see how much Strike's emotional injuries from childhood neglect have misshaped his understanding of his dad so he lives in upside-down land.* Guest Post: Rokeby Redux – Is Strike's Father More Snape than Lord Voldemort? Get full access to Hogwarts Professor at hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/subscribe

Al talks about Tamagotchi Plaza to Kevin Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:02:34: What Have We Been Up To 00:21:32: I Know What You Released Last Month 00:23:38: Game News 00:42:07: See How Many Of The Top 10 Steam Games Kevin Can Guess 00:52:10: Tamagotchi Plaza 01:12:25: Outro Links Gaucho and the Grassland Release Wandering Village 1.0 Release Cottonville Release Tiny Garden “Summer Breeze Content Update + Cosmetic Pack” Disney Dreamlight Valley “The Storybook Vale - Part 2: The Unwritten Realm Update” Len's Island Post 1.0 Roadmap Stardew Valley Top rated game on Steam Contact Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/ Transcript (0:00:30) Al: Hello, farmers, and welcome to another episode of The Harvest Season. (0:00:34) Al: My name is Al. (0:00:36) Kev: My name is Kevin. Supposedly. (0:00:37) Al: And we’re here, we’re here, supposedly. (0:00:40) Al: Why? What’s what has happened? (0:00:40) Kev: I don’t know. I’ve just… I mean, I’ve never seen the documentation to back it up. (0:00:46) Kev: I’m just saying. (0:00:46) Al: You’ve never seen your birth certificate. (0:00:47) Kev: Birth certificate? No, I don’t… I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen it now. (0:00:51) Kev: If… Yeah, I mean, I probably had to dust it out for something. (0:00:52) Al: Wow, have you seen your driving license or your passport? (0:00:56) Kev: Oh, yeah, you know what? Sure. I guess driver license. Yeah, all right. (0:01:01) Al: Is this Kevin, Kevin, is this where we find out that you’re undocumented, Kevin? (0:01:06) Kev: You know, I’d be a surprise to me too. But here’s the fun part is it doesn’t matter anymore. (0:01:13) Al: Well, that’s device very true. (0:01:22) Al: All right, and we’re here today to talk about cartridge code games, because I didn’t get (0:01:23) Kev: Oh, you know, I can keep that gym in. (0:01:33) Kev: and not nothing (0:01:34) Al: through that sentence. (0:01:36) Al: Is that how this episode is going to be? (0:01:38) Kev: That’s supposedly where you’re talkin’ to me (0:01:41) Al: I need a holiday. (0:01:42) Kev: Well, well, you’re close to one, aren’t you? (0:01:44) Al: Good news! (0:01:46) Al: All right, this episode, we’re going to talk for a very short period of time, (0:01:51) Al: and you’ll understand why later. We’re going to talk about Time of Got You Plaza. (0:01:57) Al: Spoiler alert, don’t play this game. Before that, we’ve got some news. We have what we’ve been up to. (0:02:07) Al: But first of all, wait, do I normally do that in that order? I know what you released the (0:02:11) Al: the last months before what we’ve been up to. (0:02:11) Kev: Isn’t it normally what we’ve been up to first usually? Yeah (0:02:14) Al: I think it is, yeah, OK, right. (0:02:16) Al: Yeah, let’s do that. (0:02:17) Al: Ah, why, why? (0:02:18) Al: It was a section and it just it just moved the title, not the whole section. (0:02:19) Kev: I was destroying (0:02:22) Kev: He’s destroying the show live on on air (0:02:23) Al: Stupid thing. (0:02:25) Al: I’d love to destroy some show notes. (0:02:28) Al: So we’ve got before that, we’ve got some news. (0:02:30) Al: We’ve got I know what you released last month. (0:02:33) Al: But first of all, Kevin, what have you been up to? (0:02:36) Kev: Um, let me think here, um, not yeah, I (0:02:42) Kev: Okay, so a lot of the usuals. Um, a little busy this week. Um, uh (0:02:48) Al: running away from ice agents. Sorry. I really should not joke about that because the ice will (0:02:50) Kev: Yeah, oh no, yeah, yeah that is a genuine concern every day (0:02:57) Al: hear it and they’ll come for you. We can clip it for the slack. (0:02:58) Kev: Yeah, yeah, yeah (0:03:03) Kev: The joys of being (0:03:05) Kev: Yeah, the joys of… (0:03:06) Kev: being a brown skinned boy in America right now. (0:03:13) Kev: There’s an ex… (0:03:15) Kev: So… (0:03:17) Kev: It feels like a lot of these ice raids are in the workplace, right? (0:03:21) Kev: And so, mine just feels extra, like, odd because I work for a Chinese company, Technica… (0:03:28) Al: Oh no. Oh no. (0:03:28) Kev: Well… (0:03:29) Kev: I mean, they are… (0:03:31) Kev: They have a… (0:03:33) Kev: Incorporation… (0:03:34) Kev: They are incorporated here in America, right? (0:03:36) Al: Yeah, yeah, yeah. (0:03:37) Kev: They are in separate American companies. (0:03:39) Kev: But, you know, the HQ is in China, so… (0:03:41) Al: And let’s not let’s not pretend like technically an American company would stop any rabid anti-Chinese (0:03:41) Kev: You know, there’s a… (0:03:48) Al: people in America doing anything, you know? (0:03:48) Kev: Oh, yeah! (0:03:49) Kev: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. (0:03:51) Kev: For sure, I’m just saying, like, there’s… (0:03:53) Kev: There’s a few layers, extra fun layers to this equation. (0:03:54) Al: Yeah. (0:03:57) Al: As always, they’re not going to come for you in that case, because they’re only coming (0:04:00) Kev: Yeah. (0:04:03) Al: for the manual laborers, right, because they’re the only ones that– (0:04:06) Al: be illegal, obviously. That’s true. That’s true. Oh, goodness. (0:04:08) Kev: They’ll run out eventually. We’re still in year one. (0:04:14) Kev: I live in Georgia. I mean, I’m in the blue area of Georgia, but it’s still Georgia. (0:04:19) Kev: Southern. (0:04:21) Kev: Oh, good. (0:04:21) Al: Oh, a happy, happy podcast. (0:04:25) Al: What have you been up to, Kevin? (0:04:28) Kev: Well, while I’m not sweating my legal status, even though I was born here, (0:04:34) Kev: Um, I’ve been, I’ve been playing. (0:04:36) Al: I mean, who knows whether that counts or not anymore? (0:04:38) Kev: Uh, according to some people in certain positions, I’ve been, uh, I’ve been playing card games, uh, a lot of card games in the past week. (0:04:50) Kev: Like, yeah, a lot of the usual stuff, but, um, Marvel snap. (0:04:54) Kev: We got the, the fantastic Ford season, um, the, the like, uh, based off the new movie, um, that’s coming up. (0:04:58) Al: Ah, yes. Is that July then? Cool. Any good cards? (0:05:02) Kev: Yeah. (0:05:03) Kev: Yeah. (0:05:03) Kev: That’s the July season. (0:05:05) Kev: And okay, there’s two (0:05:08) Kev: Okay, so (0:05:10) Kev: Yes. Okay. First of all, the season pass card is is mr. Fantastic, but the Pedro Pascal version (0:05:17) Kev: so one you get the bonus of Pedro Pascal at first I was I was (0:05:22) Kev: Hesitant about Pedro as mr. Fantastic. I don’t get me wrong. I love Pedro (0:05:26) Al: Yeah, you were being racist about him, yeah. (0:05:28) Kev: Yeah, but but just mr. Fantastic so like the whitest white boy you’ve ever seen right and now I’ve been I’ve been I’ve warmed up (0:05:36) Kev: to it. In fact, I’m down. (0:05:38) Kev: For the revision, let’s let’s just retroactively put Pedro Pascale in all the Mr. Fantastic (0:05:43) Kev: appearances. That’s what I’m down for. The cards pretty dang good. Marvel Snap is reaching (0:05:53) Kev: to play. It feels like it’s reaching to play. So there’s just it’s just going bananas, like (0:05:58) Kev: the power levels going up, which, you know, in most card games, that’s what you have to (0:06:02) Kev: do because you have to keep releasing new cards that people want to buy. But the other (0:06:08) Kev: Interesting tidbit, okay, I can’t remember when they introduced it or (0:06:12) Kev: if it’s always been there. (0:06:15) Kev: So you know that there’s a season pass in Marvel Snap, it’s the big thing. (0:06:18) Al: Yep. I am aware. (0:06:20) Kev: There’s the premium season pass, that’s where you actually pay the money and (0:06:25) Kev: you get the card, right? (0:06:26) Al: Yeah. Yeah, that just unlocks 10 extra levels, right? (0:06:26) Kev: Because the season pass, every player gets it, but (0:06:29) Kev: you don’t get half of it until you pay the $10 or whatever. (0:06:32) Kev: All right, do you remember there is a super premium? (0:06:38) Kev: That’s what it was originally. (0:06:38) Al: Yes, you’re going to tell me it’s now different. (0:06:40) Kev: So X number of months ago, they said, okay, now if you get the super premium, (0:06:46) Kev: you will get this variant, right? (0:06:49) Kev: And for people familiar in Snap, variants are a big thing because they’re your (0:06:52) Kev: flare, I guess technically it can unlock a card for you if you don’t have it. (0:06:58) Kev: But it’s nice, it’s not mandatory. (0:07:02) Kev: It’s an existing card or whatever, but it’s just a little extra icing on top, right? (0:07:08) Kev: And so I was like, okay, sure, that makes sense. (0:07:09) Kev: A nice little extra bonus if you get the super premium. (0:07:12) Kev: I never got the super premium because I didn’t want to pay $20 for that. (0:07:18) Kev: But now they have finally, they’ve pushed the button, (0:07:24) Kev: they’ve crossed the line, they broke the glass. (0:07:27) Kev: There is a brand new card in the super premium version. (0:07:30) Al: Oh no. No disaster. (0:07:32) Kev: Yep, and the optics aren’t great because I don’t. (0:07:38) Kev: No, if you remember a couple of weeks ago, I talked about there was a mode where they (0:07:41) Kev: introduced a new card, but it was basically impossible to get the card just playing for free. (0:07:46) Al: Yeah, you had to have like 500 matches or something. (0:07:49) Kev: Yeah, something like that. (0:07:51) Kev: Yeah, so people were already up in arms about that. (0:07:54) Kev: And that was about a month ago or so. (0:07:57) Kev: So now they’ve got this, so it’s just very clear that the devs or the higher ups, whoever, (0:08:04) Kev: There’s pressure being put on the game to make it (0:08:07) Al: » Yep. I don’t know any other games like that, but yep. (0:08:08) Kev: more pay to win, right? (0:08:10) Kev: I mean… (0:08:12) Kev: Yeah… (0:08:14) Kev: Yeah, I know. (0:08:16) Kev: Completely novel idea. (0:08:18) Kev: But yeah, they’ve done that finally. (0:08:22) Kev: And the worst part is it’s a pretty decent card. (0:08:24) Kev: So… (0:08:26) Kev: The Fantastic Four, all the new versions that will come out. (0:08:30) Kev: A lot of them revolve around this… (0:08:32) Kev: It’s a mechanic that’s existed since the start of the game, (0:08:36) Kev: They, they kind of labeled it. (0:08:38) Kev: End of turn. (0:08:39) Kev: Um, it’s just an ability that activates at the end of turn. (0:08:43) Kev: Um, for like, right. (0:08:44) Kev: So like Mr. (0:08:45) Kev: Fantastic, he gives like a card in your hand, like a plus one power or something. (0:08:49) Kev: End of turn. (0:08:49) Kev: Right. (0:08:50) Kev: And then some of the other fantastic four members, um, they all have. (0:08:50) Al: That’s different, because that’s not what Mr. Fantastic was before. (0:08:55) Kev: No, right. (0:08:56) Kev: He was an ongoing, he boosted other ones, but yeah, this new version (0:08:58) Al: Yeah. (0:08:59) Kev: just boost cards in your hand. (0:09:01) Kev: Um, I’m trying to remember, but there were cards that had this kind (0:09:04) Kev: of ability at the beginning. (0:09:06) Kev: Um, like sunspot, sunspot. (0:09:08) Kev: One right end of turn he would gain a power right um so (0:09:08) Al: Yes, yep. (0:09:12) Kev: So it’s basically that idea, but they just like okay. We make an official label now (0:09:17) Al: Yeah, because I think they were just like random things it was just like it would say (0:09:21) Kev: Yeah (0:09:22) Al: in the description what it happened because I think the other there was I guess you know (0:09:23) Kev: Right (0:09:26) Al: Red Hulk was another one that would do that it would it would give you it would gain power (0:09:27) Kev: Yeah exactly exactly (0:09:32) Al: based on what you didn’t use I think I can’t remember or the opponent used yeah yeah otherwise (0:09:33) Kev: Or what the opponent like if they didn’t use the other energy yeah (0:09:38) Kev: Yeah, but exactly right there were a handful of cards that did that but they they and this was I don’t know a couple months (0:09:43) Kev: ago they they codified that well this season they’re pushing that like all the think three of the four (0:09:49) Kev: Have or at least three of the four have end of turn abilities and the super premium card (0:09:57) Kev: Is the fantastic car? (0:09:59) Kev: And the fantastic car gives a boost to end of turn cards, so it works in this whole (0:10:06) Kev: Fantastic. (0:10:08) Kev: That’s a decent card and it looks fun and cool, but it’s behind this extra paywall. (0:10:16) Kev: So, that’s got people riled up, unhappy, myself included. (0:10:16) Al: Mm-hmm. Not great (0:10:22) Kev: So, and again, the worst… (0:10:24) Al: Side note… (0:10:26) Kev: I’m sorry. (0:10:27) Al: Side note, there’s… you say it’s the fantastic art. (0:10:30) Al: Have they done non-living beings before? (0:10:34) Kev: Uh, well, I mean not counting robots. Um, no, I don’t think so. Like that’s the first like vehicle sort of thing (0:10:40) Al: Yeah, because they’ve done like, obviously, like, they’ve done like ego and they’ve like, (0:10:41) Kev: No, I think yeah (0:10:45) Al: they’ve done like other celestial beings and stuff like that, but like, (0:10:47) Kev: Yeah, yeah (0:10:49) Al: yeah, and you write robots and stuff, but I don’t like, (0:10:51) Kev: Don’t sentient beings (0:10:52) Al: the fantastic car doesn’t even like, pretend to be sentient. (0:10:56) Kev: No, no, it is just a car right it’s just a vehicle (0:10:58) Al: Yeah, it’s literally a car. (0:10:59) Kev: Yeah, that one that flies but still (0:11:02) Al: They’re running out of people already, is that the problem? (0:11:03) Kev: Yeah, no (0:11:05) Kev: I (0:11:07) Kev: Don’t think they’re running out because Marvel has a lot of dumb characters, but you know the the ones people get excited about maybe they’re (0:11:17) Kev: They’ve been going a little fast (0:11:20) Kev: They did actually a while back they introduced a new card called skills (0:11:26) Kev: Which are not not characters. They’re just like so (0:11:30) Kev: The a lot of the dr. Strange spells were called (0:11:34) Kev: skills they introduce some magician type characters who generated skills in your in and (0:11:41) Kev: Skills they when you play them, they just disappear they they have a cost they they play them they have an ability and they disappear (0:11:47) Al: Yeah. (0:11:49) Kev: So they don’t stay and generate power on your board or whatever (0:11:53) Kev: And so they introduced that so that that was kind of like their first really like okay, we’re introducing some new cards that aren’t just characters (0:12:01) Kev: But yes the fantastic cars for it as I can tell (0:12:04) Kev: It’s like the first one that’s like a piece of equipment or or vehicle or whatever (0:12:05) Al: I, I just remembered, I just remembered Thanos gives you the Infinity Stones. (0:12:09) Kev: Yeah, oh (0:12:11) Kev: Yeah, there you go. Yeah, I forgot about that. Yeah, that’s just true those aren’t characters. Yeah (0:12:14) Al: It was not the first, and I don’t need people telling me, “Oh, technically the (0:12:18) Al: Infinity Stones have a consciousness.” (0:12:25) Kev: But yeah (0:12:27) Kev: So it’s it’s a wild time and the worst part is Marvel snap is still in my opinion good like the game is good though (0:12:34) Kev: Cakes are still solid (0:12:36) Kev: It’s grown so much that you can kind of play whatever you deck want you want now (0:12:42) Kev: I’ve said that a handful times and still true, right? (0:12:44) Kev: But I said that because there there were errors of snap where we’re they were dominated by certain archetype or a certain card or whatever (0:12:44) Al: Mm-hmm Oh (0:12:49) Al: Yeah, yeah, yeah (0:12:52) Kev: Right, we don’t see that as much now. There are no real problem (0:12:57) Kev: children (0:12:59) Kev: But but maybe because of that I don’t know but they’re (0:13:04) Kev: They’re pushing harder for the pay to win like give us money (0:13:08) Kev: So that kind of sucks especially because again, I like the game. It’s still enjoyable in my opinion (0:13:13) Kev: The games are still six turns. They’re fast. They’re there because he can play lots of different types and and and archetypes and it’s fun (0:13:23) Kev: But so yeah, I will keep playing until like I don’t know what we’ll see i’m the frog in the boiling pot and all that (0:13:29) Kev: we’ll see (0:13:32) Kev: But other than that, the other… (0:13:34) Kev: A big card game I’ve been playing. (0:13:42) Kev: Marvel Rivals Season 3. I need to do that in grey. (0:13:45) Kev: I don’t know if you saw it, but… (0:13:47) Kev: Sorry, it’s just so I thought. (0:13:49) Kev: I’ll report on that when I do play it. (0:13:53) Kev: Magic the Gathering. (0:13:56) Kev: I’m still playing the Arena, the online version. (0:13:59) Kev: And Final Fantasy sets still going strong and all that. (0:14:02) Kev: I tried drafting for the first time. (0:14:04) Kev: Online, but it’s still drafting. (0:14:07) Al: Is that is that a built in feature of Arena? (0:14:34) Kev: If you pick a card you want out of your pack and then you pass the cards to the next person and you know (0:14:40) Kev: Everyone kind of swaps packs and everyone keeps selecting out of these different packs until you have a pile of your own cards from all (0:14:47) Kev: These different packs (0:14:49) Kev: and (0:14:50) Kev: So it was always a novel idea. I never tried it before but I know something very weird about like, okay (0:14:55) Kev: I have this pack. I don’t want to share the cards. Why am I giving you my cards, but (0:15:01) Kev: But it works out because after you know the (0:15:04) Kev: packs are going around and rotated and all that like you have a deck that you (0:15:10) Kev: know there’s X number of packs and from that you’ve actually built the deck that (0:15:14) Kev: kind of sort of works if you know what you’re doing right and everyone’s kind of (0:15:18) Kev: on the same playing field because everyone’s opening all these new packs (0:15:21) Kev: nobody has any you know bringing in any existing cards or whatever so it’s kind (0:15:27) Kev: of a levelish playing field um bit of luck in there of course depending on (0:15:31) Kev: what you open or whatnot. (0:15:34) Kev: it’s a fun novel idea. And so on Arena, the version I play, the actual drafting part (0:15:43) Kev: is done with bots. You don’t actually do it with the other players. So that’s nice because (0:15:48) Kev: you don’t have to, you know, there’s not a timer or anything, you know, you’re just like, (0:15:52) Kev: okay, here, I think about it, pick what I want. Or if you know, if you need to go step away, (0:15:57) Kev: go to the bathroom, whatever you can, right, there’s no pressure to actually finish the draft (0:16:01) Kev: in X number of minutes or whatever. (0:16:05) Kev: But then when you build your deck, then you go, uh, you play against actual other players who’ve done the similar, um, drafting process. (0:16:12) Kev: Um, so, um, it, yeah, it’s an awful experience. (0:16:16) Kev: I think it’s fun actually. (0:16:18) Kev: Like I get it now with the appeal of the drafting. (0:16:20) Kev: Um, and, uh, but yeah, it’s, it’s good. (0:16:24) Kev: Final, the Final Fantasy cards was so good. (0:16:25) Kev: I, I, I’m angry at how good they are. (0:16:29) Kev: Um, the two, um, but I, at the very least I stayed clean. (0:16:34) Kev: I haven’t any money into magic for in a hot minute. (0:16:38) Kev: Um, and at least not any for anything for Final Fantasy. (0:16:42) Kev: So I feel good pounding myself on the back for that. (0:16:44) Kev: I’ve stayed strong. (0:16:45) Kev: Um, but yeah, other than that, um, nothing, nothing else. (0:16:50) Kev: I can’t, man. (0:16:51) Kev: Oh man. (0:16:51) Kev: Have you seen the master’s costume, Pokemon masters, the costumes lately? (0:16:56) Al: I’ve seen some of it. (0:16:58) Al: I’ve not really kind of been paying too much attention. (0:16:58) Kev: Did you see the, did you see the, the Larry, the vacation layer? (0:17:04) Kev: Oh, okay. (0:17:04) Kev: Hold on. (0:17:05) Kev: All right. (0:17:05) Kev: I’m going to make the usual slack exclusive thread. (0:17:08) Kev: Um, um, but yeah, it’s a, uh, uh, they gave Larry a, a, uh, Hawaiian, like a (0:17:18) Kev: lowland themed, um, uh, vacation suit and masters. (0:17:23) Kev: It’s very funny. (0:17:24) Kev: Um, uh, they also got summer Cynthia. (0:17:28) Kev: So she’s, I believe five or six variants of Cynthia now, because guess what? (0:17:34) Kev: Popular. (0:17:34) Kev: Did you know that Al? (0:17:35) Kev: Did you know she’s popular? (0:17:36) Al: Hm hm hm, whaaat? (0:17:37) Kev: Um, um, Skyla got a fun suit with jump off. (0:17:43) Kev: Um, yeah, masters is good. (0:17:45) Kev: The big, I haven’t dropped money on it in a while, but I, I want those costumes. (0:17:51) Kev: So yeah, I can say. (0:17:52) Kev: So that’s me all gotcha, all, all gambling, all card games. (0:17:56) Kev: What about you? (0:17:56) Kev: Al, what gotcha and gambling have you been up to lately? (0:18:00) Al: Oh, just my usual Pokemon, right? (0:18:02) Al: Although I’ve not put any money in since Go Fest. (0:18:03) Kev: Yeah. (0:18:05) Kev: I heard about that, that last episode, you got your training. (0:18:06) Al: So, yeah. (0:18:08) Kev: Gimme, gimme, gimme gold in the, in the, in the Dakota, get her weren’t yet. (0:18:13) Kev: I’m, I need to know, is she free? (0:18:16) Kev: I need to know. (0:18:19) Al: think so. I don’t think so. No, what have I actually been playing? Let’s see. I’ve been (0:18:20) Kev: Yeah. (0:18:26) Al: playing Tamagotchi Plaza and when I say playing, I played about half an hour and then searched (0:18:31) Al: online to make sure I wasn’t missing anything before I sold the game. More about that later (0:18:36) Kev: Wow, that’s fast. (0:18:37) Al: on in the episode, but that’s your, yeah it is. I have never, I’ve never stopped playing a game (0:18:46) Al: that fast and not been like, “Ugh!” (0:18:49) Al: This just isn’t for me, and instead being like, “This is just a bad game.” (0:18:52) Kev: Oh I’m excited, I’m excited to hear about this later. (0:19:00) Al: And I’ve also been playing some Land’s Island, slowly, obviously, because if you’ve listened (0:19:06) Al: to the previous episode, listener, you will know that I am not playing on my Steam Deck, (0:19:11) Al: which is how I normally play games, Steam Deck or Switch 2, while watching TV with my wife. (0:19:19) Al: So I’ve got to play it at my desk, and I don’t like doing that, right? Who wants to be sitting at (0:19:24) Al: your office desk playing games? So I’ve just been doing it for a couple of hours a week, (0:19:26) Kev: Alright. I get it. It’s undecided, but maybe. But hey, I mean, good for them, right? Yeah, (0:19:31) Al: but I have been enjoying that, I think. I think I’m enjoying Land’s Island, I think it’s a fun game. (0:19:42) Al: Yeah, I mean, I’m still annoyed about the controller support, but other than that, (0:19:47) Al: I think I’m enjoying it. (0:19:48) Kev: yeah. Yeah, that, that, I mean, that’s, that’s very fair. I’m with you on that boat. I want (0:19:53) Kev: controllers for my games, by and large. (0:19:56) Kev: I did not grow up a PC gamer so, um, you know, obviously I can do, you know, point (0:20:02) Kev: and click or management type games. (0:20:04) Kev: There’s no problem on the mouse, but like the people who do shooters and stuff like (0:20:07) Kev: that on the, the, on the mouse and keyboard, I don’t get it. (0:20:11) Kev: I can’t, I can’t, it’s, it’s beyond my poor comprehension. (0:20:17) Kev: But hey, good for lens Island. (0:20:18) Kev: Like that was a journey, but they got there. (0:20:21) Kev: Um, they, they, yeah. (0:20:23) Al: something like that. They got somewhere anyway. All right, I think that’s it. I’m just kind (0:20:27) Kev: They did stuff, they improved, they improved to some measure, I’m told. (0:20:37) Al: of waiting for Donkey Kong, to be honest. (0:20:38) Kev: Yeah, yeah, I don’t blame you. It’s like that game looks very good and shocker and yeah, yeah, I (0:20:44) Al: Yeah. Soon. (0:20:48) Kev: Wish he had more transformations. That’s it’s like the big thing. We’ve only seen three. Maybe there’s more (0:20:52) Al: Well, there might be more like surely they would have shown (0:20:55) Kev: Yeah, well the question is (0:20:58) Kev: Like what’s a good number right like because you know, obviously (0:21:02) Al: Yeah, like ten would be too many probably like that feels over (0:21:06) Kev: Yeah, right (0:21:09) Kev: And there’s probably gonna be some super transformation for the final fight because that feels like a thing this they would do (0:21:13) Al: Of course, of course. (0:21:16) Kev: But like normally I’d say I know five is a good number not counting anything finale spectacle transformation (0:21:23) Al: Well, let’s see what happens, but I’d be surprised if they’ve shown us everything. (0:21:28) Al: Let’s put it that way. We’ll see, but we will see. (0:21:32) Al: All right, well, let’s get into I Know What You Released last month. (0:21:37) Al: A quiet month, apparently, June was. I don’t know how I missed this out of the episode from (0:21:42) Al: two weeks ago, which is when I was meant to do it, but apparently I did. (0:21:46) Al: Just three games released. We got Rune Factory Guardians of Azuma. (0:21:52) Al: I haven’t played that. (0:21:53) Al: We’ve got Lenz Island 1.0. (0:21:55) Al: Obviously I’ve played that. (0:21:56) Al: And we’ve got Tamagotchi Plaza. (0:21:58) Al: Please do not play that. (0:22:00) Kev: I’ve played none of these games one day. I’ll play a room factory game. I would like to I (0:22:08) Al: Yeah, I feel like I could- (0:22:08) Kev: Mean (0:22:10) Kev: Yeah, I mean it’s it’s story of seasons, but more anime juice up the anime they said (0:22:16) Al: It’s much, I would say it’s much more like, it’s a combat game that just happens to have (0:22:21) Al: farming in it, rather than, especially now, I think you could probably argue in the four (0:22:22) Kev: sure okay sure yeah yeah sure and you know what that makes sense like you’re (0:22:27) Al: and before days, that it was Harvest Moon with, with combat, but now I think it’s definitely (0:22:34) Al: focused the other way around. (0:22:39) Kev: gonna do two series differentiate sure why not long as they have the cow all as (0:22:42) Al: Yeah, yeah, different cow, but yeah, all right. (0:22:45) Kev: well (0:22:49) Kev: Wait, it’s a different they don’t use the story of Caesar’s cow (0:22:50) Al: Well, I don’t think so. (0:22:53) Kev: Oh, no, never mind. It’s all it’s almost don’t care (0:22:58) Al: Yeah, because they don’t have standard animals in Unfactory. (0:23:00) Al: They have like other animals. (0:23:01) Al: So it’s kind of like a lion cow, but you will love the name. (0:23:04) Kev: Oh, huh, I’ll check it out. Okay, I’ll see a (0:23:08) Al: It’s called a buff-a-moo. (0:23:11) Kev: buffer (0:23:13) Kev: Let’s see. So like a buffalo but a buffer. Okay. Oh (0:23:19) Kev: Okay, that’s oh wait no that is a while (0:23:23) Kev: Mmm the design is kind of cute, but it also makes me think of the the girl dog from from (0:23:30) Kev: Full metal alchemist. I don’t like that (0:23:32) Al: Well, there you go. (0:23:38) Al: All right, we’re going to get into some news and we are going to start off with Kevin’s (0:23:38) Kev: Okay, that’s that’s an interesting camera (0:23:44) Al: favorite news. (0:23:45) Al: Gaucho and the Grassland have announced that they’re releasing on the 16th of July. (0:23:51) Al: You may notice, Kevin, that is basically now. (0:23:54) Al: When this episode comes out, it will be out. (0:23:55) Kev: that is when this episode comes out I will be playing this game probably i’m assuming it has (0:23:59) Al: Yeah. (0:24:01) Kev: controller support that’s that’s the the uh kind of the line in the sand for me great well yeah (0:24:04) Al: It says it has feel controller support, but I don’t know whether I can trust that or not. (0:24:12) Kev: you know that’s a good point too but um yeah I don’t know what can I say it’s still the same like (0:24:19) Kev: every trailer just continues to deliver the same promise you are being a cowboy that’s it (0:24:25) Kev: it and I like it’s a fun yeah yeah the the the the art style is cute kind of that overcooked (0:24:26) Al: Kevin was sold the moment he saw the first thing about being a cowboy, he was like “I’m sold, (0:24:30) Al: I don’t need to know anymore!” (0:24:37) Kev: the looking art style um but yeah I get you get to yeah and I can see that you you get to lasso (0:24:40) Al: It’s doing a little bit of the Animal Crossing curved world as well. (0:24:47) Kev: cows like that you know they knew that’s the activity you want to do you throw you have your (0:24:51) Kev: Europe, you’re the last of the count, so they… (0:24:55) Kev: I’m sold. (0:24:56) Al: Yeah. I need to know how it feels. Right. Because the controls for that, it could either be interesting or just horrific and terrible to play. So it’ll be interesting to see how that goes. (0:25:08) Kev: uh you’re right and it’s gonna be a very delicate like thing to get right so we’ll we’ll see um (0:25:17) Kev: tune in because I promise you you will find out on this show thoughts on about this game (0:25:20) Al: It does have a demo. (0:25:23) Kev: one form or another it does I won’t play it i’m just going in blind i’m going all in (0:25:30) Al: Next, we have Wandering Village. They have announced that they’re exiting Early Access. (0:25:38) Al: They’re releasing their 1.0 this week on the 17th of July, one day after Gaut you on the (0:25:44) Kev: That’s right after. I only have one day if I want to play Cowboy if I want to do this. I will not do that. (0:25:45) Al: grassland. (0:25:53) Al: And that is going to Steam Switch, Xbox and PlayStation all on the same page. (0:25:57) Kev: What a wild trailer because you have your huge dinosaur with the village or whatever on top (0:26:02) Kev: in the trailer. Oh okay, I didn’t know that. The art style is interesting because it’s 3D but like (0:26:03) Al: on onboo, I believe his name is. (0:26:11) Kev: 2d characters and and like (0:26:14) Kev: It’s not octopath like (0:26:16) Kev: It’s a full like CG 3d looking world, but the characters look like flat paper. It’s it’s it’s very interesting (0:26:25) Kev: Dynamic the thing is bad. Just interesting. But yeah is you have that and then you have people with like (0:26:32) Kev: Bane masks and then people (0:26:36) Kev: Burning the whole village (0:26:38) Kev: Forest for some reason. I don’t know. There’s a lot going on here. It is fascinating (0:26:44) Kev: And coming out on all consoles and everything that’s good good for them. That’s that’s impressive (0:26:49) Al: Yep, continuing this week’s releases, (0:26:54) Al: we have Cottonville is releasing on the 17th of July. (0:26:58) Kev: They’re just making up for last month by everything out one week as they stay. (0:27:03) Al: Everything on the same day. (0:27:06) Al: This was originally a Kickstarter, but apparently the Kickstarter was banned. (0:27:12) Al: And so now it’s just, yeah, so goodness sake. (0:27:12) Kev: B-band? (0:27:16) Al: Let me let me read what it was. (0:27:19) Al: There’s a statement on it. Here we go. (0:27:21) Al: This was back in the 15th. (0:27:21) Kev: Oh goodness. (0:27:23) Al: Dear Community, it says titled Kickstarter Update. (0:27:29) Al: Dear Community, firstly, we would like to sincerely thank you for your incredible (0:27:33) Al: support and participation in our first Kickstarter campaign. (0:27:36) Al: It genuinely means the world to us. (0:27:38) Al: Unfortunately, due to an oversight on our part, our Kickstarter campaign was (0:27:43) Al: suspended for unintentionally breaching Kickstarter’s guidelines. (0:27:47) Al: As a result, all contributions have been fully remembered. (0:27:49) Al: We are very grateful for the support gathered and to out show appreciation to all our backers (0:28:14) Al: and we are working on the very best solution to how to reward your contributions. (0:28:20) Al: Thank you again for your amazing support and interest in Cottonville. It truly means so (0:28:22) Al: much to us. While this was our first experience with Kickstarter and it did not go as planned, (0:28:27) Al: we’ve learned a lot. We’re looking forward to future campaigns now armed with valuable. (0:28:34) Kev: that didn’t answer my question. Why? Were crimes committed at any point? Maybe. Unintentional (0:28:40) Al: So I wonder, so it looks like what they did was they cancelled the Kickstarter and created (0:28:43) Kev: crimes? (0:28:52) Al: a new Kickstarter, and I’m wondering whether that’s the rule they broke, like you can’t (0:28:58) Al: recreate a Kickstarter or something like that. (0:29:00) Kev: Mm-hmm. I can see that that makes sense (0:29:03) Kev: Yeah, I’m big. Why well, why would they do that in the first place? I don’t know (0:29:08) Al: Don’t know, is this game a scam? I don’t know. (0:29:10) Kev: big (0:29:14) Kev: That I mean there’s the other fact that they are making the game without Kickstarter anymore (0:29:20) Kev: That’s the I did these are very weird flags. I don’t know. They’re red flags. They’re just weird flags (0:29:29) Al: » They are definitely flags. (0:29:31) Kev: Yeah, and the wildest part is it’s for this game that (0:29:38) Kev: Like isn’t for me. It feels very Facebook (0:29:42) Al: Oh, yeah, I hate the look of the game into it. (0:29:42) Kev: like gamey (0:29:45) Al: So it’s from it’s from the publisher Red Deer Games who have done such games (0:29:51) Al: such as Sprout Valley, Garden Buddies. (0:29:54) Kev: Monocats, I don’t know any of you wait no in a Sprout Valley (0:29:56) Al: And a bunch of other things that all definitely look like scam games. (0:30:01) Kev: And is this money laundering very possibly you (0:30:05) Al: I mean, Sprout Valley was a game and it was a fine game. (0:30:10) Al: Garden Buddies, I’m pretty sure we didn’t. (0:30:12) Al: It’s a publisher, not a developer, right? (0:30:16) Kev: yeah look i’m the game dev people oh it’s a public oh the publisher sure well okay exactly (0:30:23) Kev: well exactly the more reason to believe it may be money laundering the devs are maybe legit and (0:30:28) Al: Although, well, so this is where it gets interesting, is Cottonville is developed by the publisher. (0:30:39) Al: I think it’s their first game that they’re developing, rather than publishing. (0:30:40) Kev: you’re right it is you’re right um well that’s um (0:30:49) Kev: this is very strange and again if it were like a game that you know looked better you know that (0:30:58) Kev: being that might be one thing but it looks so I don’t know it just it just feels very weird (0:31:08) Al: it does. It is very weird. It does have a demo. Will I play the demo? Who knows? We’ll see. (0:31:08) Kev: the way the characters are always looking at you. (0:31:10) Kev: Straight up the camera, I don’t like it. (0:31:22) Al: Will I buy the game? Probably not, but I guess it depends how the demo goes, I guess. It’s (0:31:24) Kev: I also probably own that. (0:31:29) Al: just, yeah, those animations are so weird. [sighs] (0:31:32) Kev: Yeah (0:31:33) Kev: it (0:31:35) Kev: Comes out same day as wandering village, which noticeably feels much less possibly a scam (0:31:42) Al: Well, that game’s already out, it’s just not out in 1.0. (0:31:46) Al: All right, rounding out this week’s releases, (0:31:52) Al: Tiny Garden have announced their Summer Breeze content update (0:31:57) Al: and cosmetic pack are releasing on the 17th of July. (0:32:02) Kev: It’s our I don’t know. I gotta think of a barbenheimer equivalent cotton (0:32:07) Kev: wandering garden, I don’t know (0:32:10) Al: Best bet is, I think it’s the same week as Barbara Naimer happened. (0:32:13) Kev: Really that’s incredible (0:32:13) Al: Yeah, because it was definitely July and I think it was this week. (0:32:18) Kev: Yeah, my favorite thing about barbenheimer like I mean both movies are fine or whatever but people kind of under their breath were like (0:32:23) Al: Two years ago. (0:32:25) Kev: But barbie was a little bit better though (0:32:27) Al: Oh, it absolutely was, yeah, I enjoyed Oppenheimer, but it was it was not as good a film. (0:32:29) Kev: Yeah (0:32:36) Al: But I look, I’m not saying it’s a bad film, but I mean, Barbara. (0:32:43) Al: It was my film of the year that year. (0:32:44) Kev: I mean, the two lead roles kind of killed it in every aspect. (0:32:52) Al: Yeah, yeah, 21st of July, it was I was right, it’s the same week. (0:33:00) Al: So this would be Gaucho Wandering Cotton Garden. (0:33:07) Kev: yep there you go glad we found our episode title (0:33:07) Al: Oh, OK, fine. (0:33:11) Al: Yeah, new content pack DLC for Tiny Garden. (0:33:18) Al: If you’re enjoying that game, it was such a cheap game. (0:33:21) Al: I suspect this will be paid. (0:33:22) Al: It’s DLC. It does look like it’s paid DLC, so I mean, go support it. It’s good. (0:33:29) Kev: - Yeah, there you go. (0:33:31) Kev: That’s a cute idea of like, it’s all cosmetics. (0:33:36) Kev: Whole game is cosmetics, right? (0:33:38) Kev: So like introducing these packs, that’s a good idea. (0:33:42) Kev: And it’s like there’s some, (0:33:44) Kev: like you can grow palm trees and wait, (0:33:47) Kev: no, there’s new mechanics. (0:33:48) Kev: Hold on, they’re saying new mechanics. (0:33:48) Al: So I think so if I if I understand it correctly, the new plants and new mechanics are a free (0:33:49) Kev: Oh, oh music. (0:33:55) Al: update and the cosmetics are the DLC. (0:33:58) Kev: Uh, okay, that makes sense as it should be good for them (0:34:02) Al: That is the correct way to do things, yes, I agree. (0:34:04) Kev: Pokemon (0:34:10) Kev: But good for them good for you tiny garden you little garden that (0:34:15) Al: We also have an update for Disney Dreamlight Valley. (0:34:19) Al: I feel like these are coming out all the time and also I care about them less and less. (0:34:22) Kev: I mean it’s yeah yeah that’s that’s good that’s called diminishing returns and (0:34:30) Kev: and that’s what happens when you have Disney with a bajillion IPs and (0:34:36) Kev: whatever and and the worst part is like I don’t know I most of these don’t feel (0:34:43) Kev: like big story expansion I mean a lot of them are but I don’t know just I look at (0:34:50) Kev: other games like look at the mojo (0:34:52) Kev: games right when the new contents there’s big story chapters and stuff to (0:34:57) Kev: do these I don’t know maybe it’s all because it’s existing IPs like I don’t (0:35:05) Kev: know it just doesn’t have the same hype around it maybe it’s because it’s too (0:35:11) Kev: saccharine they can’t they can’t go crazy they can’t have the chapter where (0:35:16) Kev: or Scar eats Remy from Ratatouille. (0:35:20) Al: I, yeah, I wonder if, because obviously they’ve done this thing where the DLCs have been split up, (0:35:25) Al: so this update is called the storybook veil part two, the unwritten realm update. (0:35:32) Kev: Okay. Okay, one name. (0:35:38) Al: And I kind of feel like maybe it would be better if they just did all the DLC (0:35:42) Al: for the storybook veil at once, right? Because we talked about this before, where I don’t think I’d be (0:35:50) Al: booting up Stardew every two months if there was a new update, but the way that he bundles it all (0:35:54) Kev: Mm-hmm (0:35:56) Al: together in an update every two years or three years or whatever, means that I’m super excited, (0:36:01) Al: because it’s like, oh, it has been years since I’ve probably played the game, let’s go in, (0:36:05) Al: we’ve got loads of new content, I’m really excited for that. Whereas this is just constant, here’s (0:36:10) Al: new update. And I suspect they’ve probably got numbers to show that this keeps people invested, (0:36:18) Al: Right. Like if we talk about. (0:36:20) Al: I wouldn’t want one big update every two years for that, but I don’t know. (0:36:25) Al: It’s a difficult one, but I don’t even play the game anymore. (0:36:25) Kev: Uh-huh, well I mean, yeah I’ve never played the game so I’m just completely talking without (0:36:30) Al: So who might it complete? (0:36:36) Kev: any frame reference. (0:36:38) Al: What that’s not what we do (0:36:44) Kev: So we say right after declaring cotton fields a scam without having touched it or planning (0:36:48) Al: No, I did not, excuse me, I did not, I would like to clarify, as per my lawyers have just (0:36:49) Kev: to. (0:36:55) Al: told me to do, I, lol, I did not claim that the game was a scam. I asked whether it was (0:37:03) Al: and felt, it said it felt a little scammy. That is all I’m saying. I, yep, that is very (0:37:08) Kev: - Feel of a scam. (0:37:12) Al: different to claiming it is a scam. It feels scammy, it’s not the same thing. (0:37:14) Kev: - True, true. (0:37:16) Kev: Yeah, true. (0:37:18) Al: This one has, so this update, what does this have? The final part of the story for (0:37:26) Al: the storybook veil, which is Maleficent and Hades doing some stuff. (0:37:32) Al: Who’s the new characters? Is that Peter Pan? (0:37:33) Kev: It’s embedded, looks like it. (0:37:37) Al: And who else is with Peter? Is that Aurora? No, not Aurora. What am I talking about? Who is that? (0:37:44) Kev: Trying to see that is (0:37:44) Al: I just saw the colour of dress. (0:37:47) Kev: Wait, who is that? Is that a player character? That might be the player character. I don’t think I recognize (0:37:49) Al: Oh, that’s the player character, that would make sense, right? And a monkey? Who’s the monkey? (0:37:53) Kev: Yeah, I know (0:37:57) Al: I can’t see, this image is so small. (0:37:59) Kev: It is I’m trying to yeah, that’s just a pet monkey (0:38:03) Al: And for some reason, the patch notes don’t mention characters other than Maleficent and Hades. (0:38:09) Al: Like normally they list, I don’t think so. (0:38:09) Kev: Wasn’t Peter Pan already added? Oh (0:38:14) Kev: Okay, I don’t know I don’t know it says yeah there become pals with Peter Pan you’re right yeah, I don’t know that’s just a pet monkey (0:38:18) Al: Oh, here we go. No, I there is Aurora, right? So venture into the pages of a storybook to uncover Aurora in an enchanting dream style, in addition to her regular (0:38:26) Kev: There’s a guy who looks evil with wings. He looks cool. I don’t know what else (0:38:34) Kev: And that dog on Peter Pan (0:38:36) Al: Anyway, whatever. There’s an update. I don’t think you need us to explain. (0:38:42) Kev: There’s Eric’s dog - what’s the best dog in Disney movies we should we should make it ranking (0:38:50) Al: That sounds like a greenhouse episode. All right. (0:38:53) Kev: Best pets for Disney (0:38:56) Al: We have two more news updates. The first is Lens Island have released their post 1.0 roadmap. (0:39:04) Kev: Mm-hmm is the bro map just say take the money and run I’d applaud somebody if they said that (0:39:05) Al: So, first of all. (0:39:06) Al: I mean, they had a Kickstarter that if they were going to take the money and run it would (0:39:15) Al: have been back then. (0:39:16) Al: So they say the rest of July will be post release bug fixing. (0:39:21) Al: In August, there will be a community feedback update. (0:39:22) Kev: Sure (0:39:25) Al: I have community feedback. (0:39:26) Al: Give us proper controller support. (0:39:29) Kev: There’s the the developer livestream you see you can yell at them in real time. Thank you (0:39:34) Al: Also, silly question, is that not the whole point of early access, (0:39:37) Al: is to get community feedback and update it based on that? (0:39:39) Al: Like, why are you waiting until after 1.0 to do that? (0:39:42) Al: Whatever. (0:39:42) Kev: It’s fine, it’s fine (0:39:44) Al: And then in December, they will be releasing a major content update. (0:39:48) Al: No information on that. (0:39:49) Al: Just there will be stuff and more coming in 2026. (0:39:51) Kev: So I was about to say, so the roadmap is we’re going to work on it, maybe. (0:39:53) Al: So it’s a pretty loose. (0:39:58) Al: You know. (0:40:01) Al: Yeah, yeah, yeah. (0:40:03) Al: the update is. (0:40:04) Al: We’re going to bug fix, and then we’re going to add some changes, and then we’re going to (0:40:08) Al: have a new new content. And it says December. I wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t this year. (0:40:10) Kev: listen to people yeah yep we’ll see I mean but they’re gonna continue to (0:40:23) Kev: support it which I mean every game does now because games or service did you (0:40:28) Kev: know that out (0:40:29) Al: Yes. And let me double check. (0:40:32) Al: But I think this is, let me double check something. (0:40:38) Al: And they do just seem to have. (0:40:40) Al: So I am not aware of another game that they’re working on just now or anything else. (0:40:46) Al: I thought I was aware of one, but no, I think that’s a different company. (0:40:50) Al: So maybe they are just planning on continuing work on Lenz Island. (0:40:55) Al: I I doubt that that is going to be continue to be. (0:40:59) Al: And final piece of news, Kevin Stardew Valley is now the this Stardew Valley is now the (0:41:05) Kev: » Yeah, that’s correct. (0:41:18) Kev: Hmm, yeah, yeah this this one scares me (0:41:27) Al: top-rated game on Steam. (0:41:29) Al: Iso. (0:41:29) Kev: That scares me (0:41:35) Kev: Steam has a lot of games on it. I’ll I (0:41:39) Kev: Know there has to be I know there has to be a number one (0:41:44) Kev: Like but it just feels so surreal that the game that (0:41:49) Kev: Not that we care about per se but that is so close to us because of this podcast like (0:41:55) Kev: That’s the number one. That’s wild to me (0:41:58) Al: So have you don’t click on the don’t click on the link to the top 250. (0:42:03) Al: Have you looked at it at all? (0:42:04) Al: I want to check. (0:42:04) Kev: No, I’m not. (0:42:05) Al: OK, so let’s do a little let’s do a little game. (0:42:08) Al: See how many of the top 10 Kevin can guess. (0:42:11) Kev: Oh, there’s a bajillion games on Steam. (0:42:15) Kev: I don’t know. (0:42:17) Al: Think of games that people like. (0:42:17) Kev: All right. (0:42:18) Kev: OK, OK, Portal 2 is number two because that’s the one that (0:42:21) Al: So, yeah, so we know that we’ve got two already. (0:42:21) Kev: got me dethroned. (0:42:23) Al: We’ve got Stardium and got Portal 2, number one and number two. (0:42:25) Kev: Oh, well, let’s see. (0:42:28) Kev: And here’s part of the question, right? (0:42:30) Kev: How is this calculated, right? (0:42:32) Kev: Because if a game has 5.0 review (0:42:34) Al: Yeah, so I suspect you have to get above a certain amount of, let’s put it this way, (0:42:35) Kev: But only has 100 reviews (0:42:37) Kev: It’s probably not hitting the top (0:42:39) Kev: Even though if it is really good you know (0:42:45) Al: I will give you a clue, every single one of the top 10 has over 100,000 volts. So it’s (0:42:51) Kev: Okay. Sure. (0:42:52) Al: at least some kind of popular game. Nope, that is number 14. (0:42:56) Kev: Sure. Okay. Like, uh, I know Baldur’s gate three is up there. (0:43:01) Kev: No, it’s Baldur’s gate three is really wow. (0:43:04) Al: Yep, number 14 with 8.73. I will say it’s very crowded at the top, right? So 8.73, (0:43:08) Kev: Wow. I, wow. I’m, I’m. (0:43:14) Al: compare that to Stardew at 1, 8.87, right? Like there’s not a lot in it, they’re all very close. (0:43:21) Kev: I’m not gonna get a single guess here (0:43:23) Al: I think you will keep going. I think you will get some wrong, but I think you’ll get some right. (0:43:27) Kev: Okay, see yeah cuz I mean like okay, I’m trying to think oh, this is hard right because a lot of games (0:43:35) Kev: Are really good, but they’re ports right like (0:43:38) Kev: Spider-man is now on Steam if I recall right the spider-man 1/2 are they (0:43:42) Al: Definitely not up there. It was not it was not a very well-received port because it was very bad. (0:43:48) Kev: Yeah, that’s true I forgot about that right (0:43:48) Al: I don’t I can’t even see them in the list. Let’s see where we’ve got Spider-Man. (0:43:51) Kev: Like uh see this is the thing (0:43:53) Al: The first Spider-Man is 140 and Spider-Man 2 is not. (0:43:58) Kev: Great that’s fantastic see this is the thing like I have to think about I don’t think about steam as much as (0:44:07) Al: Would you like some clues? (0:44:09) Al: I can give you some. (0:44:10) Kev: Is one of them Stanley parable (0:44:10) Al: They all. (0:44:12) Al: It is not there. (0:44:14) Kev: God yeah, okay. Yeah, I don’t know this is oh (0:44:17) Al: Let me let me give you a clue. (0:44:19) Al: Let me give you a clue by giving you genres. (0:44:19) Kev: Okay, okay. (0:44:22) Al: So we have what number three, the genre is open world survival craft. (0:44:28) Kev: Oh my goodness. Oh god. Is it power? No! (0:44:32) Al: No, it is not power world. (0:44:33) Kev: I’m kidding. I know it’s not power. (0:44:35) Kev: What is it? (0:44:38) Kev: Did, oh, what is the name? (0:44:40) Al: Our world is 241. (0:44:41) Kev: Is Umamusume pretty derby? Did it skyrocket to the top? (0:44:47) Kev: Do you know what I’m talking about, Al? (0:44:48) Al: I have no idea what you’re talking about. (0:44:52) Kev: Okay, oh man, I’m happy. (0:44:54) Kev: Dale is going to be thrilled. I brought it up on the podcast. Okay. (0:44:57) Al: Right, let’s stick to this. Open world survival craft, think of a game, a very popular game, (0:44:58) Kev: I’m okay. I’ll bring it up. Fine. Fine. That is no, cause that’s not on steam. Um, hug. (0:45:05) Al: that people like. What was that? Just say it. It was not Minecraft, no. I was tempted (0:45:11) Kev: See, no, cause Minecraft’s not on steam. Yeah. Yeah. No. Cause Minecraft’s not on steam. (0:45:18) Al: to say it’s open world survival craft, but not that one, thinking you were going to think (0:45:22) Kev: Yeah. Yeah. No. (0:45:23) Al: Minecraft initially. It is not correct, but it’s not Minecraft, but it is. (0:45:26) Kev: Is it? (0:45:28) Kev: AHHH! Is it um, oh gosh, I just I’m not a steam person. I don’t know these as well. Um, I what is? Oh my gosh. What is? (0:45:37) Kev: What is this? (0:45:38) Kev: What is that one horror-y game? (0:45:42) Kev: The four or something like that? I don’t remember. Just tell me. I don’t know. You’re gonna fail all these out. (0:45:44) Al: No, no, what? I don’t understand. It’s not Minecraft. It is 2D. (0:45:50) Kev: Oh wait. Oh (0:45:52) Al: Come on! Terraria number three! There we go! (0:45:52) Kev: Terraria! Oh my gosh. Terraria. Oh duh. Wow, I’m stupid. Yeah. (0:45:58) Kev: Terraria, duh. How did I not think that? Yeah. Wow. (0:45:59) Al: You will not get number four. I have never heard of this game. People Playground? (0:46:04) Kev: Well, I don’t know what that is. Um, okay, okay. (0:46:07) Al: Neither do I. It’s a sandbox game, apparently. Number five. Zombies. (0:46:13) Kev: It’s not it’s not art. It’s not gonna be an RE game. It’s (0:46:15) Al: No, but not far off. You’re kind of in the right game’s circle. (0:46:18) Kev: No, it’s I mean (0:46:26) Kev: I mean is it dead by I mean I don&am

Un anzuelo es un arpón pequeño, y una trampa, un reclamo e incluso un incentivo. Así se presenta 'Anzuelo', el cómic de Emma Ríos publicado por Astiberri. En él, la autora gallega se dirige a su mar, al mar coruñés, con una obra que mezcla lo poético con lo simbólico y la reflexión con lo sensorial. La perspectiva del que lanza el anzuelo es muy distinta a la del gusano, y en esa inversión de puntos de vista radica gran parte de la fuerza del relato gráfico. 'Anzuelo' engancha tanto por su dibujo como por su fondo, y deja espacio a la emoción y la imaginación.Analizamos con Anna Hidalgo las nominaciones a los Premios Emmy, donde destaca la primera candidatura de Javier Bardem, tercer español en conseguirlo. También regresan dos favoritas: 'The bear' y 'The white lotus'.Desde Barcelona, Marta Orquín ofrece un avance de lo que será la edición 2025 del Festival de cine fantástico de Sitges. En su 58.ª edición, el certamen confirma sus primeros títulos y premios, y comienza a perfilar una programación marcada por la diversidad de géneros y lenguajes cinematográficos.En clave arqueológica, el programa se traslada a la Edad del Hierro. La exposición 'Alas para la guerra. A-RA-TIS y la Celtiberia', en el Museo Arqueológico Nacional, pone el foco en los pueblos celtíberos y su cultura en torno a la guerra. El protagonismo lo tienen los cascos hallados en el yacimiento de Aranda de Moncayo (Aragón), recuperados en 2018 tras un expolio. La información la aporta Ángela Núñez.Y como cada semana, cerramos con la sección de música clásica a cargo de Martín Llade.Escuchar audio

Alas! Our finale episode on Nestle is upon us! In this one, we tackle Nestle's philosophy around water, their process for acquiring water and the end goal in the growth of their bottled water business. Here are our sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cfzpr6iO3n8ptH6burVssUDd7Mpzv8Gm6sM5OGj9hj0/edit?usp=sharingWanna chat? We stay pretty active on our subreddit, give us a shout!https://www.reddit.com/r/profiteersvsthepeople/Have comments or a profiteer you would like us to cover? Shoot us an email! profitvspeeps@gmail.com

Hoy conversamos en vivo desde nuestro estudio en el Tema del Día con el Dr. Roberto Cruz, médico obstetra, Dr. Francisco Arturo Álvarez Polanco, del área de Ginecología y Obstetricia, Dra. Emma Alas, médico radiólogo.

The Daily Philip is a devotion of prayer to the Patron Saint of Joy, St. Philip Neri, led by Fr. Malone, parochial vicar of Christ the Redeemer Parish in Swift Current. This devotion has four parts: (1) a daily prayer for a particular virtue, based on the day of the week, to which Pope Pius IX has attached an indulgence (dated May 17, 1852,); (2) a reading from The Life of St. Philip Neri, Apostle of Rome; (3) a quote from The Maxims and Counsels of St. Philip Neri; and (4) the daily prayer for a good death.   For Monday Prayer to obtain the virtue of Patience. St. Philip, my Patron Saint, whose heart was ever so constant in time of trouble, and whose spirit was so loving under suffering, that, when persecuted by the jealous, or calumniated by the wicked who thought to discredit thy sanctity, or when tried by God with many long, painful infirmities, thou didst always bear thy trials with wonderful tranquillity of heart and mind; pray for me that I may have a spirit of true courage in every adversity.  Alas, how much I stand in need of patience!  I shrink from every little trouble; I sicken under every light affliction; I fire up at and resent every trifling contradiction; never willing to learn that the road to paradise lies amidst the thorns of tribulation. Yet this was the path our Diving Master deigned to tread, and this too, my Saintly Patron, was thy path also.  Obtain for me, then, this courage, that with good hearty will I may embrace the crosses which every day I receive from God, and bear them all with the same endurance and ready will as thou didst when thou wast on earth; that so I may be made worthy to enjoy the blessed fruit of sufferings with thee in heaven above. Our Father…, Hail Mary…, Glory Be…   Prayer to be said daily, for a good death. O glorious Saint Philip, faithful helper of thy dying children, be thou my father and protector in the hour of my death. Let not the devil overcome me; let not temptation oppress me, nor fear overwhelm me in that hour; but grant through thy intercession that, fortified by faith, hope, and charity, I may bear all things with patience and perseverance, and may happily die the death of the just. Amen.

Fiora, Vinko y Nubo llegan a la misteriosa Montaña del Silencio, donde una tortuga sabia les deja una pista en sueños. Siguiendo ese mensaje, los amigos viajan al Jardín de los Libros Vivientes, donde Fiora conoce a un nuevo personaje dispuesto a ayudarle a recuperas sus alas. 

Matthew Week 100   Matthew 17:5 ESV   5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”       Matthew 17:6-8 ESV   6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.       Genesis 17:1-3 ESV   When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face…       Exodus 3:5-6 ESV   5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.       Joshua 5:14a ESV   14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped…       Ezekiel 1:28b ESV   Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.       Daniel 10:9-12 ESV   9 Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground. 10 And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.       Acts 9:3-4 ESV   3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”       Judges 6:22 ESV   22 Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” 23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.”       Isaiah 6:5 ESV   5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”       Matthew 17:6-7 ESV   6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.”       Matthew 17:9 ESV   9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”       Luke 9:36b ESV   And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.       2 Peter 1:16 ESV   16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.  

Andrew Phillips-7/13/25-Alas did my Savior bleed

Heart of Darkness at Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham. Far from the Nile Valley, on Egypt's northern coastline, Ramessid soldiers and civilians constructed a significant fortress to control the maritime roads. This remote garrison faced off against Libyan tribes coming from the far west (e.g. the Meshwesh of Cyrenaica), traded with Mediterranean merchants, possibly dealt with marauding pirates and Sea Peoples, and built a life for themselves on the western frontier. Alas, it wasn't all beaches and bonhomie, as soldiers like Nebra, the commander, would learn… Prof. Steven Snape is the author of many books and articles including The Complete Cities of Ancient Egypt (2014); Ancient Egyptian Tombs: The Culture of Life and Death (2011); Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham I: The Temple and the Chapels (with Penny Wilson, 2007); Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham II: The Monuments of Neb-Re (with Glenn Godenho, forthcoming). Learn more about excavations and discoveries at this site in a free lecture, “ Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham and the Ramesside Defence System on the Maryut Coast,” on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ1QelBxYiU& Steven Snape papers and publications at Academia.edu https://liverpool.academia.edu/StevenSnape Steven Snape at The University of Liverpool: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/people/steven-snape; Research Profile https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/people/steven-snape/research Prof. Snape is currently reading The Arabian Nightmare by Robert Irwin (1983). Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A version of this essay was published by first post on Jul 14 at https://www.firstpost.com/opinion/shadow-warrior-whats-driving-trumps-u-turns-13906527.htmlThere were two good reasons to support Donald Trump for President of the US: one, that he did not go to war in his first term, and two, that he was the very antithesis of the Deep State-controlled former President Biden.Alas, just less than six months into his re-incarnation as the 47th President, there is reason to wonder if the first claim is no longer accurate: the Ukraine war is dragging on, and so is the Gaza war; Trump's role in the India-Pak skirmish was murky; and he got the US into the Iran-Israel war as a belligerent; so it's hard to portray him as anti-war any more.On the other hand, almost all the initiatives Trump came up with (although in characteristic bull-in-the-china-shop fashion) that could have potentially damaged the Deep State are now being rolled back. It appears the Deep State is back in charge. Consider the much-ballyhooed trade war with China. Personally, I thought the goal of bringing manufacturing back to the US was laudable, although difficult. We saw a whole lot of saber-rattling. But after all the smoke settled, it appears that China, the purported target of the tariff wars, is now sitting pretty with a trade deal that sets 55% tariffs (including a universal 10%, 20% because of fentanyl, and 25% left over from Trump's first term, according to grok).In other words, Trump folded because the Chinese were holding his feet to the fire over rare-earths etc, where they have a quasi-monopoly. The rude meme TACO (I will not spell it out here, but you can look it up) was current for a while.There has been a series of little things that together show that Trump, despite all the bluster, is not that much in control. It is likely that the Deep State has co-opted him, on what grounds we will have to wait and see. The Deep State is nothing if not resourceful. It may be blackmailing him, or it may be dangling crypto profits, or a Nobel Peace Prize in front of Trump. Who knows what other carrots and sticks it wields.The abrupt departure of Elon Musk, and the equally abrupt demise of DOGE was a clue that something was going on. What started with a lot of public support has been quietly trashed. It is obvious to anyone that the Deep State has entrenched itself through sweetheart deals and indirection (eg. USAID as a mechanism for distributing goodies to pals) to the extent that official US foreign policy is merely an inconvenience for the Deep State's actual policies.So now the Deep State is rampaging again, and it has defeated Musk. We saw disturbing signs over the last few weeks, pretty much ever since Musk was defenestrated. There was the tilt towards Pakistan during the 4-day skirmish, followed by the embrace of Field Marshall Munir. Yes, it is true that this can be explained away with the idea that American nuclear material is being held by US troops on Pakistani soil.Those who are worried about India's long-term interests were naturally shocked by this volte-face, but it just goes to show that everybody pursues their national interest, friendships be damned. India is beginning to learn that truism, and not getting involved in everybody's problems, as it were clutching its pearls, clucking and lecturing as in the old Nehruvian days. This is definite progress. India no longer looks like a laughing stock (despite the “pajeet” “smelly” type propaganda unleashed against it, presumably by the CCP and Deep State.)Then came the humiliation of Tulsi Gabbard, the handpicked Director of National Intelligence, whom Trump contradicted directly in regards to intelligence about the Iranian nukes. After that, there was the Iran-Israel 12-day war; India consoled itself that the Trump embrace of Munir was because the US needed to have Pakistan available for US sorties into Iran.After the Iran Israel war, there has been the curious spectacle of the Epstein Files that disappeared. Attorney General Pam Bondi who had earlier said she had the files on her desk is now forced to eat her words. FBI Director Kash Patel is made to look silly. Exactly why would that be? There are dark rumors about who's on the Epstein list, but, ok, they're just rumors.This reminds me of the incredible circus over Hunter Biden's laptop. Everybody knew it was highly compromised, but the FBI stonewalled all investigations. Instead, it peddled the prurient fiction of the Steele dossier. Diversionary tactics, I suppose.And oh, by the way, how come the FBI has not breathed a word about Thomas Matthew Crooks who shot Trump on the campaign trail exactly a year ago on July 13th, and whose assassin bullet missed Trump's cranium by millimeters? It's hard to believe that he was an innocent lone wolf. Who was funding him? I contend it was the Deep State. John Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald, Jack Ruby all come to mind. So do Robert Kennedy and Sirhan Sirhan. The sad fact of the matter is that, despite a promising start, Trump now appears to be bogged down in distractions like the Nobel Peace Prize (dear Norwegians, just give it to him and let's just move on. After all, you gave it to warmongers Henry Kissinger, Yasser Arafat, Theodore Roosevelt, Barack Obama. Trump is almost in the same illustrious club.)The U-turns on tariffs and trade show that Trump is beginning to see the reality that he cannot wish away de-industrialization, as King Canute memorably learned when he ordered the waves to cease and desist. His goal of bringing back manufacturing to the US is laudable, but it is not clear if that will happen in more than a token manner. The reality of being held hostage by China's supply chain is also dawning on him. 30 years of fecklessness in allowing China to run riot are now coming home to roost.Dedollarization is happening as well. While I don't believe certain doomsday scenarios about precipitate American decline, recession and collapse, it is possible the US will become less of a solitary colossus throwing its weight around. It is this prospect of multi polarity, and the determined pursuit of national interests that India should focus on. The Deep State is inscrutable, and it apparently now has Donald Trump in thrall to itself.1050 words, 8 Jul 2025 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rajeevsrinivasan.substack.com/subscribe

Mo & Mel are back, and as the summer is heating up in Vegas, it is also heating up on Love Island! Yes can you believe that Mel is watching reality TV? Thanks to Mo, Mel is officially locked in.  So the ladies ask, “Can I pull you for a Chat?” As they discuss the show this far, who they believe/want to win, and some of the impressions on them thus far before the Finale on Sunday.  But Love Island US is also sports related as numerous teams, players and others have been sharing their thoughts on the Villa drama.  The ladies especially love the comparisons from Scooter Maguder with which NFL player they are.  Alas the ladies do have #SportsNews to discuss, the #WNBA is in full swing, but the ladies and their #LVAces are not so much.  A struggle of a season thus far, a new acquisition but also a possible new injury to our “ACE” A'ja Wilson.  The #WNBAAllStar is next weekend, the teams are set & so are the snubs.  The ladies go over the teams and other news around the league.  Speaking of All-Star, #MLBAllStar weekend is a couple days away.  Mel is extremely excited that her #SeattleMariners Cal Raleigh is set to DUMP in the #HomeRunDerby #NBA has announced their NBA Cup groups for October, and the #SummerLeague starts tomorrow, a way to catch new talent on the court while teams continue to work the Free Agency trades.  #VegasSports news with a new hire for the UNLV Running Rebels, Giveaways for the upcoming Aviators games and a look at the news Kit for the #LightsFC to name a few.  The girls have a lengthy WTH moment discussing the investigation on Malik Beasley, like who owes their barber $26k? HOW, and the dentist? Don't even get the ladies started.  Tap in for some #GirlPower and more fun!GirlChatSports is #LIVE on Facebook LIVE each Wednesday through the GirlChatSports ⁠YouTube⁠ & ⁠Facebook⁠ & ⁠Twitter⁠⁠ ⁠pages.  Miss the LIVE show? Don't worry, ⁠#Subscribe to our YouTube⁠ or we can also be found on your favorite podcast app through our ⁠LinkTree link⁠ ⁠https://linktr.ee/girlchatsports⁠. GirlChatSports is always looking for businesses or products to partner up with, send us an email, let's connect! We can't wait to hear from you!  #Subscribe #Listen #Follow #Like & #Share Reach out to us on Social Media (⁠Instagram⁠ & ⁠Twitter⁠) or ⁠email GirlChatSports@gmail.com⁠ to give us your feedback and any topics you would like to have addressed.

Al and Codey take another look at Len's Island, now that it has released 1.0 Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:01:26: What Have We Been Up To 00:11:16: Game News 00:35:00: New Games 00:39:17: Len’s Island 01:30:57: Outro Links Harvest Moon Cozy Bundle Delay Desktop Cat Cafe 2.0.0 Fields of Mistria 3rd Update Paleo Pines “Players Choice” Kickstarter Dave the Diver 2nd Anniversary Info Usagi Shima “Tanabata Star Festival” Update Bee Simulator: The Hive Contact Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/ Transcript (0:00:30) Al: Hello, farmers, and welcome to another episode of the harvest season. (0:00:33) Al: My name is Al. (0:00:34) Codey: And my name is Cody. (0:00:37) Al: And we are here today to talk about Cottagecore Games. (0:00:40) Codey: Oh, woo, ow, ow, ow. (0:00:44) Codey: I love it. I love it so much. (0:00:47) Al: I tolerate it. (0:00:49) Al: We are here today. (0:00:51) Al: We’re going to talk about Len’s Island, the second harvest of Len’s Island, (0:00:53) Codey: mm-hmm mm-hmm mm-hmm like three years ago yeah yeah much has changed (0:00:55) Al: because you did do an episode. (0:00:57) Al: You and Bev did an episode. (0:01:00) Al: When was that? (0:01:01) Al: I did have that up here, and then I lost it. (0:01:04) Al: Yeah, we think it was 2022. (0:01:06) Al: Yeah, yeah, there we go. (0:01:07) Al: Oh, April 2022, so more than three years ago. (0:01:12) Al: Wild. (0:01:15) Al: Well, I’ll be looking forward to hearing about what has changed. (0:01:20) Al: So, yeah, we’re going to talk about Len’s Island. (0:01:22) Al: Before that, obviously, we have news. (0:01:25) Al: But first of all, Cody, what have you been up to? (0:01:28) Codey: I have been obviously playing Lens Island the last couple days. (0:01:33) Codey: I have been, Pokemon Go has been having its like anniversary thing right now and you, (0:01:40) Codey: there is a chance to get shiny party hat worm bowl, which is my white whale. (0:01:46) Codey: I have a master ball ready to go for that little guy. (0:01:51) Codey: And so I’m trying to find one after we record this podcast, I will be going on a walk for (0:01:57) Codey: as long as I need to. (0:01:58) Codey: Um, no, I don’t care about that. (0:02:00) Al: Have you been trying to get a shiny gimme go? (0:02:04) Codey: I really just want the shiny, shiny party hat worm bowl. (0:02:07) Codey: And then I will probably just uninstall the game. (0:02:09) Al: Shiny purple. (0:02:11) Codey: Shiny party, purple party, purple. (0:02:13) Al: Party purple. (0:02:16) Al: Apparently, I’m really struggling with the word party in front of it. (0:02:17) Codey: Um, (0:02:19) Al: That’s really hard to say. (0:02:21) Al: Party purple. (0:02:22) Codey: Permable. (0:02:23) Al: Permple. (0:02:23) Codey: Uh, so I’ve been doing that. (0:02:25) Codey: I’m still playing honeygrove. (0:02:27) Codey: I just got the (0:02:28) Al: Has that, is that changing at all? (0:02:29) Codey: It’s just continuing. It’s just being the same game. There’s quests. There’s like parts of it that are unlocked. The one thing that I really friggin hate is there’s this ladybug lady who comes and goes. Her name is Abigail and she comes during the weekends and she leaves. It is. (0:02:30) Al: Or is it just continuing? (0:02:32) Al: Okay. (0:02:49) Codey: It is exponentially difficult to get her top tier reward and the things that she wants are things. (0:02:58) Codey: Nine times out of ten, it’s like plants that she brings that you can only plant when she’s there and if you have planted say you have 20 in your inventory and then she leaves, but the next time she comes you’re back to zero, which I think if they rolled the inventories over, I’d be so I’d participate more because I would feel like I have like a head start to the next time. (0:03:27) Codey: but they (0:03:28) Codey: don’t do that and so I’ve just kind of given up and whenever she arrives they (0:03:34) Codey: like make a big deal about how she showed up and then they cut they send (0:03:39) Codey: you to her screen and I’m like just let me click X like just let me be like okay (0:03:44) Codey: cool she’s here goodbye like I don’t want but every single time it cuts you (0:03:49) Codey: over to her screen and she says stuff and I’m just like leave me alone but I’m (0:03:54) Codey: still like unlocking parts of the map it’s just I don’t do a ton on it I just (0:03:58) Codey: every day for word mm-hmm (0:04:00) Al: Fair enough. I was going, I was going to say, it’s like, oh, I can’t believe you’re just (0:04:04) Al: playing the same game over and over for years. And then, and then, and then I realized we (0:04:07) Codey: hit me (0:04:10) Al: just talked about the ninth anniversary of Pokemon Go. Yeah. Yeah. See, I see I wouldn’t, (0:04:12) Codey: that and I will literally play minecraft forever for yeah (0:04:18) Al: but like Pokemon Go is like the thing that I continue forever. And it’s like, yeah, sure. (0:04:23) Al: I’ll play like party games regularly and I’ll do like, I will obviously play. (0:04:30) Al: Uh, other Pokemon games, but like, I’ll play them for until the new one comes out and then (0:04:35) Al: I’ll probably never touch them again, et cetera, et cetera. So it’s like, yeah, but no, I can’t (0:04:36) Codey: Um, so the other, yeah, the other things I’ve been still doing work, uh, probably (0:04:41) Al: really judge. (0:04:47) Codey: won’t be defending in September, but I’ll be defending in December instead. (0:04:51) Codey: Um, which is not a huge deal. (0:04:53) Codey: Uh, no, I’ll get it. (0:04:55) Codey: I would, my degree will get conferred in the spring, which I (0:04:58) Codey: kind of don’t really care anyways. (0:05:00) Al: » Just a formality. (0:05:01) Codey: Um, yeah, it’s a formality and like for jobs. (0:05:06) Codey: Um, people get accepted to jobs that require PhDs before they’ve even (0:05:12) Codey: defended, um, cause it’s a pretty, like, once you get to this point, you really (0:05:17) Codey: have to mess something up big time. (0:05:20) Codey: Like I would literally have to like stop putting any effort in and just give my (0:05:24) Codey: dissertation in this format it’s in now for them to be like, you’re not done. (0:05:29) Al: Yeah, yeah, yeah. You’ve gotten to that point, it’s like you have to really muck things up too. (0:05:30) Codey: Um, (0:05:34) Codey: Yeah. So, so I’m not really that worried about. (0:05:36) Codey: It. I have technicians right now, which is nuts because I, for this whole time I’ve been (0:05:42) Codey: solo or working with volunteers and the volunteers just helped me in the field. (0:05:47) Codey: I’ve been doing all the specimens by myself, but I have three henchmen right now. It is crazy. I (0:05:54) Codey: went from none to three in like a month. Um, a couple of them will be leaving at the end of July. (0:06:01) Codey: So this month is like a lot of me being working with them and making sure that they’re on the (0:06:07) Codey: and that we’re getting all the stuff that needs to be done done, which is really nice. Um, and (0:06:13) Codey: they’re all super great. We have a good little cohort. I’m also going to beetle school in a week (0:06:18) Codey: and a half. So like fly school, it’s same, same, but it’s Beatles and it’s Arizona, (0:06:25) Codey: which I’m not excited for that part, but I think it’ll be fine. I, I literally think I just won’t (0:06:32) Codey: go outside, except for at night, which it’s supposed (0:06:36) Codey: to be a lot colder at night in the desert area areas. (0:06:40) Codey: The big thing that’s in my life right now (0:06:42) Codey: is that I am fostering a stray cat. (0:06:46) Codey: So I will post a picture of him. (0:06:47) Codey: He’s gone through a couple name changes. (0:06:50) Codey: Initially, he was Calvin, and now he is Zuko. (0:06:57) Codey: And I got him because one of my friends (0:07:02) Codey: called me one night, like a week and a half ago, (0:07:04) Codey: and was like, we’ve caught a cat. (0:07:07) Codey: And I’m like, do you have head injuries? (0:07:11) Codey: Do you have a cat carrier slash– (0:07:13) Codey: do you know someone who could take care of this cat (0:07:15) Codey: until we can get it looked at? (0:07:17) Codey: And I came, we tried to get that cat. (0:07:19) Codey: They had caught it in a tote. (0:07:21) Codey: But then when we tried to move it from a tote to the cat (0:07:23) Codey: carrier, it escaped. (0:07:25) Codey: I went back later that day, I ended up finding this boy. (0:07:28) Codey: And he is just so chill, and just trots right up in purrs (0:07:32) Codey: and meows, and he just wanted food. (0:07:34) Codey: So I snagged him. (0:07:37) Codey: It says, “Zuko-Ime.” (0:07:39) Al: Ah, I see. (0:07:42) Al: I get that reference now, I wouldn’t have six months ago, but I get it now. (0:07:44) Codey: Yeah. (0:07:45) Codey: Oh, yeah, yeah. (0:07:47) Codey: So he’s Zuko after, at the end. (0:07:51) Codey: He’s calm. (0:07:52) Codey: He’s found his inner peace. (0:07:54) Codey: He’s just so chill. (0:07:54) Codey: He doesn’t– in the month and– not month and a half– week (0:07:58) Codey: and a half that I’ve had him, he hasn’t hissed. (0:08:00) Codey: He hasn’t raised a claw at all. (0:08:04) Codey: He and Stella get along really well. (0:08:07) Codey: Sometimes Stella will come at him pretty fast, (0:08:09) Codey: and he’s just raised a paw, but that’s it. (0:08:12) Codey: He doesn’t claw her. (0:08:14) Codey: He doesn’t hiss at her. (0:08:15) Codey: He’s just like, give me space. (0:08:16) Codey: And then she walks away. (0:08:19) Codey: And we were going to try and go find the other one. (0:08:22) Codey: We ended up finding it, and it’s a hoarding situation. (0:08:28) Codey: All of these cats are part of a hoarding situation. (0:08:30) Codey: There’s 20 cats that are part of it. (0:08:34) Codey: And so I’ve called the Humane Society and the Humane. (0:08:36) Codey: and they said that any time they’ve brought a cat that is injured or has something wrong with it to her and been like, “Hey, is this your cat?” (0:08:44) Codey: Even if they know it’s her cat, she’ll still say, “That’s not my cat.” (0:08:46) Codey: So they were like, “Don’t worry about it. Just keep trying to find him a good home.” (0:08:52) Codey: So she also doesn’t believe in spaying and neutering. (0:08:56) Codey: So it’s just a never-ending cycle. (0:08:58) Codey: She’s also living with her cat. (0:09:02) Codey: So it’s just a never-ending cycle. (0:09:08) Codey: So it’s kind of a big ol’ big thing. (0:09:10) Codey: But saving this baby. (0:09:14) Codey: And he’s a good boy. He’s very chill. (0:09:18) Codey: And that’s really the biggest stuff that I’ve been up to. (0:09:20) Codey: What about you, Al? What have you been up to? (0:09:24) Al: Well, I have been playing Lens Island, obviously, we’ll talk more about that later. (0:09:32) Al: What else have I been up to as I pause the game and scroll back to my list of things? (0:09:34) Codey: Pause the game. (0:09:40) Codey: Al, you’re not pausing the game. (0:09:42) Al: Of course I’m pausing the game. (0:09:43) Al: Oh, you mean I’m not playing the game, I got you. (0:09:44) Codey: Yeah, you’re not playing. (0:09:46) Codey: You’re not playing the game while you’re… (0:09:46) Al: No, of course not, Mario Kart World, yes. (0:09:48) Codey: No. (0:09:52) Al: I unlocked mirror mode, I don’t think I’ve done that in the last episode. (0:09:55) Al: Who knows, it’s been so long since I recorded that a whole week. (0:09:56) Codey: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. (0:10:00) Al: And I started doing the mirror mode Grumpries and I don’t think I’m going to finish doing them. (0:10:09) Al: I think getting three stars in all of them in 150 is probably enough for me. I’m happy with that. (0:10:15) Al: So we’ll see. Maybe I’ll do more later. I don’t know, but I’ve got what we got left a week and a (0:10:22) Al: and a half until Donkey Kong. (0:10:25) Al: Which is the next game to look forward to. (0:10:30) Al: And I mean, you know, the usual Pokemon here and there. (0:10:33) Al: I got Shiny Patchourichu yesterday. (0:10:36) Al: And Pokemon Go, as usual. (0:10:39) Al: I got my Shiny Game of Go, even though you’re not looking for it. (0:10:41) Al: I was looking for it. (0:10:42) Codey: Nope. Yep. (0:10:42) Al: I got two Shiny Game of Go, one normal and one costume. (0:10:47) Al: It’s not a costume, though. (0:10:48) Al: It’s a pretend costume. (0:10:48) Codey: Yep. (0:10:52) Al: Yeah, I think that’s about it. (0:10:54) Al: Kids are on holiday from school now, so it’s all madness. (0:10:58) Codey: - Mm-hmm. (0:10:59) Al: And we’ll be going to the Isle of Man in a few weeks. (0:11:04) Al: So just trying to see how life is something like near sanity for a while. (0:11:04) Codey: Oh, woo. (0:11:10) Codey: - Mm-hmm, yeah, cool, mm-hmm. (0:11:12) Al: We’ll see. (0:11:14) Al: But yeah, I think that’s it. (0:11:16) Al: Let’s talk about some news. (0:11:19) Al: First up, we have the Harvest Moon Cozy Bundle, which is such a (0:11:24) Al: stupid name for this, but this is the Lost Valley in Skytree Village ports to Nintendo Switch. (0:11:33) Al: They have delayed it. (0:11:35) Al: It was meant to be coming out on the 3rd of July. (0:11:38) Al: It is now coming out on the 31st of July. (0:11:41) Al: There you go. (0:11:42) Codey: That’s the tweet. That’s it. (0:11:43) Al: That’s it. (0:11:44) Al: That’s it. (0:11:45) Al: Who knows what? (0:11:46) Al: It’s probably some weird thing to do with the physical version or something. (0:11:49) Al: That’s not a “we found a bug and we need to fix it.” (0:11:52) Al: That’s not long enough. (0:11:54) Al: So yeah, who knows what the problem is? (0:11:57) Al: But I guess we’ll find out. (0:12:00) Al: Next, we have Desktop Cat Cafe. (0:12:04) Al: No, goodness sake. (0:12:06) Al: Desktop Cat Cafe. (0:12:08) Al: I’ve released their 2.0 version. (0:12:12) Al: That is out now. (0:12:15) Al: They have apparently a patience meter for customers. (0:12:17) Al: I find this funny because who’s going to Cat Cafe for fast food, right? (0:12:23) Al: you’re going to a cat cafe for. (0:12:24) Codey: Yeah. Yeah. So I think well, so it’s it is a it’s a cafe that is cats, like your customers are cats. (0:12:33) Al: Oh, I misunderstood that. (0:12:34) Codey: Yeah, yeah, so this is this game is the rusty island rust. Yeah, a rusty is like, (0:12:37) Al: So it is. (0:12:40) Al: Yes, it’s a rust is like, yeah, yeah, yeah, I knew that much. (0:12:43) Al: I knew that much. (0:12:44) Al: I just forgotten that it was a cafe the cats go to. (0:12:46) Codey: yeah, so they’re, they’re all cats. And it’s very cute. I just thought it was funny, (0:12:51) Codey: because I’m sure that, like, the patient- (0:12:54) Codey: -meter or something you can toggle on and off. (0:12:56) Codey: I’m sure that you could have it be like, um, (0:12:58) Codey: you could have it be, like, slow-mode or something like that in the- (0:13:02) Codey: in the bottom, but you basically can, like, (0:13:04) Codey: make these little cafes across the bottom of your screen, (0:13:06) Codey: and now they’ve added this patient- (0:13:10) Codey: -meter, so it’s kind of like- (0:13:12) Codey: Did you ever play dining- Diner Dash? (0:13:14) Codey: Or anything like that? (0:13:14) Al: No, I did not. (0:13:16) Codey: Okay, so it’s like the- (0:13:18) Codey: It’s like those types of games where you have (0:13:20) Codey: orders that are up. I think Overcooked does this, (0:13:24) Codey: like, orders are there, and then they start getting, like, (0:13:26) Codey: more and more red, and they start shaking (0:13:28) Codey: when, like, the person is grumpy, (0:13:30) Codey: and they might just leave. (0:13:32) Codey: Um, and so it’s- (0:13:34) Codey: It’s an incentive to try and make sure (0:13:36) Codey: that you are prioritizing orders (0:13:38) Codey: in the order that they were received, (0:13:42) Codey: and then also, um, (0:13:44) Codey: that you make sure that each place (0:13:48) Codey: probably has all of the same- (0:13:50) Codey: all of the things that they want, (0:13:52) Codey: and might have (0:13:54) Codey: your worker cat, like, upgraded to be max speed or max efficiency or whatever. (0:13:59) Codey: And they also have different traits for your customers now. So it’s like there’s the patient (0:14:09) Codey: modifier. So it’s a decor item that impacts the nearby customers. So there’s something that you (0:14:15) Codey: can put down that makes your customers more patient. I think it’d be funny if that was like a TV. (0:14:21) Codey: If you put down like a TV and then they’re- (0:14:24) Codey: like oh I’m fine waiting because I have a TV to watch. (0:14:28) Codey: So they sit down and then they’re willing to wait longer. (0:14:32) Codey: There’s one that increases their- speeds up their decision time. (0:14:36) Codey: So because they’ll sit there and they’ll be like hmm what do I want? (0:14:38) Codey: And so there’s one that makes them decide faster. (0:14:42) Codey: And then there’s something that boosts how much they’ll spend. (0:14:46) Codey: So you will end up getting a higher revenue from per customer. (0:14:54) Codey: Things like that to also improve it. (0:14:56) Codey: I also think that it’s nice that they changed the order distribution. (0:15:02) Codey: So it sounds- I haven’t played this but from what it says to me what this sounds like is they had different cafes or different workstations or cafe stations. (0:15:14) Codey: And some cats might just- like all the cats might just go to one cafe. (0:15:20) Codey: So you have one cat that’s working one of the cafe stations. (0:15:24) Codey: Who’s just like absolutely overloaded and then another one is really not that busy. (0:15:32) Codey: Because it was randomized but it sounds like they’re now assigning those orders based on workload. (0:15:38) Codey: So if like one station is really really busy cats will be like I don’t want to go there and they’ll go to a different one and that kind of like spreads out the demand. (0:15:50) Al: Mm-hmm (0:15:54) Codey: You can also name your cats, name your cafe, different things like that. (0:15:58) Codey: You can upgrade your stations. The cats will walk faster on paths. (0:16:04) Codey: So if you draw paths they will speed up on those and you can shift click and copy something from one place to another. (0:16:18) Codey: This is a really cute game. I do know that Jordan. (0:16:24) Codey: Jordan is from Morris Games, the dev of Rusty’s retirement. (0:16:30) Codey: They have been like repping this game and saying that this game is really cute and that they recommend this game. (0:16:38) Codey: So I’m tempted, especially because I’m about to have to be writing a lot for my dissertation, but I also feel like this is just going to be a distraction. (0:16:48) Codey: Also, now that I’m looking at it, it’s Windows only, so it doesn’t matter, but… (0:16:52) Al: Mm hmm. (0:16:54) Codey: Very cute. It’s fine. (0:16:55) Al: Sad. (0:16:59) Al: Yeah, interesting. (0:17:02) Al: Good, they got a nice new update out. (0:17:06) Codey: Mm-hmm. (0:17:06) Al: Speaking of updates, next we have fields of mystery. (0:17:10) Codey: Fields of mystery. (0:17:14) Al: Their third major update is coming out on the 21st of July. (0:17:19) Al: They apparently have new large and extra-large chests. (0:17:22) Al: I’m very happy about it, because chests are never big enough for me. (0:17:26) Al: I hate chests being so small. (0:17:29) Al: Cough, lens, island, cough. (0:17:30) Codey: Yeah. (0:17:31) Al: Give me bigger chests. (0:17:33) Al: Presumably, there’s lots of other stuff. (0:17:35) Al: I can’t remember whether we talked about the third update or not, because, (0:17:40) Al: oh yes, it’s bringing (0:17:43) Al: eight heart events as well, dating a bunch of stuff. (0:17:48) Al: new mains, new mains monsters. (0:17:52) Al: The town cap has been raised by five levels, a bunch of stuff. (0:17:58) Al: I’m still not going to play the game again until 1.0, but good to see they’re just continuing. (0:18:03) Al: I think that’s the third update this year. (0:18:05) Codey: Yeah, it’s the third major update this year (0:18:08) Codey: It’s coming on July 21st (0:18:11) Codey: so they’re gonna have that like we said bigger storage another thing that some fans in the comment section that we’re really happy about is (0:18:17) Codey: The auto deposit feature. So being able if you have (0:18:18) Al: Ah yes. (0:18:22) Codey: like your (0:18:24) Codey: Chest open and your inventory open you can automatically like move things between them (0:18:30) Codey: just like by clicking a button so that if you already have stacks of stuff and you’re (0:18:35) Codey: inventory it’ll just automatically shuffle everything out of your out of from yeah i (0:18:40) Al: Yeah, I enjoy that feature. (0:18:42) Codey: really like that feature as well i’m very happy that they added that um so and I know the fans (0:18:48) Codey: are as well so good on them (0:18:51) Al: Next, we have Paleopines. (0:18:54) Al: They have launched a Kickstarter for their player’s choice expansion to Paleopines. (0:19:01) Codey: - Mm-hmm. (0:19:03) Al: It’s already hit his goal, so that’s good. (0:19:06) Al: There’s 24 days left. (0:19:08) Al: This, I don’t actually look at it, but it looks like Cody did, so talk about it. (0:19:11) Codey: Okay, yeah, I did. (0:19:13) Codey: I will talk about it. (0:19:15) Codey: So basically, they have gotten a lot of feedback (0:19:17) Codey: from the players. (0:19:19) Codey: And so they decided to accommodate a lot of those, (0:19:24) Codey: that feedback in a DLC and an expansion (0:19:27) Codey: that is part of this Kickstarter. (0:19:31) Codey: Kickstarter gives them money to work on the updates. (0:19:35) Codey: They did mention though, (0:19:36) Codey: that once the expansions are out, (0:19:40) Codey: if you’ve already bought the game, (0:19:41) Codey: it’s just gonna automatically be updated. (0:19:44) Codey: So even if you didn’t kickstart, it sounds like, (0:19:47) Codey: as long as you have the game, (0:19:49) Codey: you will reap the benefits of all of this stuff. (0:19:55) Codey: So, beautiful game, adorable game. (0:19:59) Codey: there’s been a lot of feedback. (0:20:01) Codey: And so they have a couple of different funding goals. (0:20:03) Codey: So they’ve hit the 75k pounds. (0:20:07) Codey: Let me figure it out. (0:20:09) Codey: Yeah. (0:20:10) Codey: So they hit that, but we’re still on our way (0:20:15) Codey: to the second stretch goal, which is for automated poop (0:20:21) Codey: clearing. (0:20:22) Codey: So the big questions that community members wanted (0:20:26) Codey: were that they wanted a spinosaurus in the game, (0:20:29) Codey: and they wanted more dreaming. (0:20:32) Codey: So that has been hit period, end of story, with their Kickstarter. (0:20:36) Codey: And so that will, they have slated that to be done in the autumn of this year, (0:20:41) Codey: which is almost now, honestly. (0:20:46) Codey: So that they’re expecting that to be done in the next few months. (0:20:51) Codey: The next thing, the next goal is for the better way to scoop poop. (0:20:55) Codey: I guess people said that it was something that couldn’t be automated. (0:20:59) Codey: It was something that was really frustrating. (0:21:01) Codey: They have made it so there are certain dinosaurs that you can (0:21:06) Codey: assign to be composting dinosaurs. (0:21:09) Codey: And they will go and pick the poop up for you and go and put it in the compost bin. (0:21:14) Codey: Super cool. (0:21:16) Codey: Another thing about the second stretch goal, which is a quality of life update, (0:21:21) Codey: is to be able to track the different colors of the dinosaurs in your journal. (0:21:27) Codey: I know that this game has a lot of different colors, (0:21:30) Codey: color variance of specific. (0:21:31) Codey: Dinosaurs, um, and you kind of had to just like know whether or not you (0:21:36) Codey: already had a color variant. (0:21:38) Codey: And so they’ve added that to the journal. (0:21:41) Codey: So you can now see like, Oh, I already have this color. (0:21:44) Codey: I need this other color. (0:21:46) Codey: Um, you can see that very clearly in your journal now, or will be able to see that (0:21:50) Codey: in winter 2025, if they reach that stretch goal. (0:21:53) Codey: Um, so that would require another 80,000 pounds past, um, the goal. (0:22:00) Codey: And then… (0:22:02) Codey: The last one that they have gotten a request for is a swamp exploration. (0:22:06) Codey: So there’s a swamp area. People really want to go into the swamp, I guess. (0:22:10) Codey: We all want to be ogres. (0:22:12) Codey: And so they have slotted that. It’s another Kickstarter stretch goal. (0:22:17) Codey: And if it is achieved, they expect to have that done in spring 2026. (0:22:22) Al: One thing I don’t like about this stretch goals thing. (0:22:26) Al: They’ve written it out as plus 40,000 pounds and plus 40,000 pounds. (0:22:30) Codey: » Yeah. (0:22:32) Al: You’re like, but what does that mean? (0:22:34) Al: What is the total amount there? (0:22:35) Al: Right? Because you’re not you’re not looking and it’s like it’s fine when you (0:22:38) Al: get to the first one because you’re like, oh, it’s just 75 plus 40. (0:22:41) Al: But then you go to the next one, it’s like, OK, well, it’s just 75 plus 40 plus 40. (0:22:45) Al: And then you go to the last one, you’re like plus 190,000 pounds, (0:22:48) Al: which, by the way, is more than the rest of them put together. (0:22:50) Codey: or yeah. No. Yep. Yeah, I agree. But that’s the goal posts and the timelines and everything. (0:22:51) Al: But you’re just like, OK, so what number is the half? (0:22:53) Al: 75 plus 40 plus 40 plus 190. (0:22:58) Al: I’m not doing all that maths. (0:23:00) Al: Just show us what number it is. Come on. (0:23:10) Codey: The Kickstarter itself, you can get rewards that will be in-game and in real life. So (0:23:17) Codey: things like you’ll get your name in the credits. (0:23:20) Codey: They might send you pins, they might send you a plush, just depending on which (0:23:24) Codey: Kickstarter level you choose. Another thing they said is to add a new color variant, (0:23:30) Codey: which I think is super cool. But then also like what if I chose a color variant and everyone hated (0:23:38) Codey: it and people just like pooped all over it and I was like oh I actually spent a lot of money (0:23:43) Codey: to choose. But yeah and again all of the updates that will go to the game for free so (0:23:51) Codey: if you’re right now I guess if you really want that poop thing help them achieve that part of the goal. (0:23:58) Al: I love to scoop poop. (0:23:59) Codey: But yeah that’s interesting. It’s also interesting to me how they’re like (0:24:06) Codey: it’ll be it’ll be free for you and I’m like okay but like it’s really not free. (0:24:12) Codey: People do have to pay quite a lot of money to get this. (0:24:18) Al: Well, so, but is it free? (0:24:20) Al: Like, is this just to raise money to do it and the actual update will be free for anyone? (0:24:24) Codey: - Yeah, so that’s what it is. (0:24:30) Codey: I don’t know, some of this stuff, (0:24:30) Codey: like some of the other stuff that they want, (0:24:32) Codey: like for the quality of life update (0:24:35) Codey: is to be able to reject quests or delete quests (0:24:40) Codey: because your quest log will just get overrun, I guess, (0:24:43) Codey: and people just wanted the ability to delete quests. (0:24:45) Codey: And so that will be a part of the quality of life update (0:24:48) Codey: that they want to release winter 2025. (0:24:51) Codey: So that is 80,000. (0:24:55) Codey: So that’d be 150,000, 155,000 pounds to needs to be what they hit. (0:25:00) Codey: I think they’re at a 90 something right now. (0:25:02) Codey: So, but that’s still is like a lot to even just have like this very simple thing. (0:25:08) Codey: It seems, I mean, it seems simple. (0:25:10) Codey: I think that part really is fairly simple. (0:25:14) Codey: They did and they did a good job in their video that they have of explaining why some of these things are not as simple as they seem like adding a Spinosaurus isn’t as simple as it seems. (0:25:24) Codey: Because of the optimization that has to happen as behind the scenes of adding in Spinosaurus. (0:25:32) Codey: So I get that, but for certain things like give them the option to delete. (0:25:38) Codey: I feel like I feel like you could do that. (0:25:40) Codey: I don’t know, especially if that’s something that like, I don’t know. (0:25:46) Codey: I don’t know. (0:25:48) Codey: I don’t know. (0:25:48) Codey: What if they don’t? (0:25:50) Codey: What if they don’t hit that? (0:25:50) Codey: Like, what if they don’t hit that goal? (0:25:52) Codey: Are they just not going to do these things then? (0:25:54) Codey: But I also get that they’re independent, like they need to get paid to be able to do these things. (0:26:02) Al: So I guess that the problem is, because they’ve struggled with money for quite a while. We’ve (0:26:09) Al: talked about that previously. We’re having issues with publishers and stuff like that anyway, (0:26:15) Al: whatever. So obviously, they need to make enough money to be able to keep going and be able to do (0:26:20) Al: what they want to do. And I guess the thing is that saying, “Oh, if we hit our main funding goal, (0:26:25) Al: we’ll give you these quality of life updates. It’s not going to excite people.” So you go, “Well, (0:26:29) Al: if we hit this funding goal we’ll give (0:26:32) Al: you Spinosaurus that sounds much more exciting. Which means that if you don’t put the main (0:26:40) Al: funding goal as enough to cover everything you want then you won’t be able to include (0:26:46) Al: the quality of life updates without more money. But then yeah it does feel a little bit like (0:26:52) Al: not great. It’s like yeah we’re waiting until we’ve got even more (0:26:58) Al: till we give you some quality of life updates, which yeah, doesn’t feel- (0:27:02) Al: great, but it’s a difficult one. (0:27:05) Codey: Mm-hmm, yep (0:27:07) Al: Anyway, they’ve had their funding goal, so that’s good. They’re going to get the Spinosaurus out, (0:27:12) Al: and probably we’ll hit the next one. Whether they’ll hit the one after that or not is a (0:27:18) Al: different question. I suspect they probably won’t hit the Swamp goal. That’s quite a lot more, (0:27:20) Codey: Yeah. (0:27:23) Al: but if you really want that, go help them out. You can get a lot of rewards for that as well. (0:27:32) Al: Go get your plushies, and design your bright pink Spinosaurus or whatever. (0:27:38) Codey: Sorry, I’m looking at the next thing already and getting confused. (0:27:41) Al: All right, Dive the Diver! (0:27:46) Al: A couple of bits of news here. It’s the second anniversary of the Diver, which wow, that’s (0:27:52) Al: crazy. A couple of things around the DLCs. First of all, the Godzilla DLC is back, (0:27:59) Codey: Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh. (0:28:00) Al: so you can go get it if you didn’t get it (0:28:02) Al: before that one is a free one go get it now you just have to own the game if (0:28:06) Al: you own the game you can you can add the DLC you don’t have to play it or (0:28:09) Al: anything like that yet the itchy bands holiday has also been extended when you (0:28:17) Al: can get it until the end of 2026 (0:28:20) Codey: Mm-hmm. So this is one that so Ichiban Kasuga is the character. This is what I was just looking at (0:28:28) Codey: He’s a kid he’s the character in a game a yakuza game (0:28:32) Codey: and (0:28:34) Codey: That that game franchise is owned by Sega (0:28:39) Codey: Toshi hero Nagoshi and Sega and so because people have been commenting (0:28:44) Codey: They and they mentioned this in their video that people have been commenting about how like this limited availability thing (0:28:50) Codey: and how it seems kind of like it’s meant to stir up FOMO because (0:28:55) Codey: they only release some of the DLCs for a limited amount of time and (0:28:59) Codey: So it like makes you have to buy it during that time and the developer of David Iver said that is not the intention (0:29:07) Codey: the intention (0:29:09) Codey: For Sega is to they said the limited availability quote (0:29:14) Codey: That kind of approach is sometimes requested by large the large IP holders to help protect the value (0:29:20) Codey: Of their IP (0:29:22) Codey: so it’s the Sega people basically trying to (0:29:28) Codey: Protect the value of the IP of this character (0:29:32) Al: Is capitalism speak? (0:29:32) Codey: Which to me like is just not (0:29:35) Codey: It’s capitalism speak, but it’s also like I didn’t even know this game existed until it became a David Iver thing (0:29:42) Al: I feel like that’s a “you” thing. (0:29:45) Codey: Okay, but like I just feel like it is (0:29:47) Al: Yakuza is a pretty big game franchise. (0:29:50) Codey: Mmm, but like if you had it available all the time (0:29:57) Codey: There could be some people who play it and then they’re like, I actually like this this Ichiban character (0:30:03) Codey: what’s he from and then they go play yakuza and (0:30:07) Codey: if you (0:30:09) Codey: limit the available the availability of (0:30:13) Codey: That IP just kind of weird. I don’t know. I don’t like it. Anyway (0:30:18) Al: I mean, I just, I think the term “intellectual property” is a stupid term anyway, and we (0:30:19) Codey: There (0:30:20) Codey: Yeah. (0:30:25) Al: don’t need to get into copyright discussions, because we don’t need an anti-capitalism rant (0:30:30) Codey: We’ve already had one per month, but everything ever created ever is original. (0:30:30) Al: this podcast, even though people are probably looking for one. (0:30:35) Al: You can’t have intellectual property, it doesn’t make it, it’s just thoughts and ideas. (0:30:39) Al: Shut up! (0:30:41) Al: Yeah, well, there is that too. (0:30:48) Al: Just hate the term so much, “intellectual property”, it’s just because something doesn’t (0:30:49) Codey: Yeah, no. (0:30:52) Al: exist and therefore, so we got to create another term to mean something. (0:30:58) Al: First of all, just call it copyright, right? (0:31:00) Al: Just be upfront about it. (0:31:02) Al: What you’re saying is, we get to choose, therefore we’re choosing, it’s our copyright, the law (0:31:06) Al: gives us the right to choose, therefore we’re going to, that’s it. (0:31:10) Al: You don’t have to be like “oh, to help protect the value of IP”, IP has a value, right? (0:31:12) Codey: Yeah. Yep. Yep. Yay. Uh, yeah. So they are re-releasing it because there were people (0:31:16) Al: nonsense like. (0:31:18) Al: I think, oops, I did rant. (0:31:27) Codey: who were worried. They missed it the first time. Uh, this, both of them. I’m talking (0:31:29) Al: That’s the Godzilla one. No, the In the Jungle hasn’t been unavailable. (0:31:35) Codey: about Ichiban’s holiday. Oh, okay. (0:31:37) Al: Sorry, yeah, Ichiban’s Holiday, sorry. It has not been unavailable. It was new, (0:31:42) Codey: And they’re just making it go. Okay, cool. But they’re going to make sure that it has (0:31:44) Al: and they’ve given it a longer timeline. It only came out in April. (0:31:50) Codey: regular discounts going forward, um, to make sure that, yeah. The steam, steam summer sale ends. (0:31:54) Al: 50% off just now, until the 10th of July, which is the day after this episode. (0:31:59) Al: So, if you want to go buy it, go do it now. (0:32:02) Codey: Yeah. And the game itself is currently, is 40% off for the steam summer sale as well. (0:32:06) Al: Nice. A good game. Go buy it. (0:32:07) Codey: So hit that up. The last thing that they mentioned in this is the, in the jungle update. (0:32:12) Codey: So this is a update DLC, whatever, um, that allows like you go to land and there’s a lake (0:32:22) Codey: and it’ll, it, it adds the ability to catch freshwater fish. Um, and the, the update here (0:32:29) Codey: is that it’s probably delayed until spring 2026 because they want to make sure that they, uh, (0:32:35) Codey: make it the best it can be. Yeah. Nope. That’s pretty much it. (0:32:36) Al: I think I’m done with Dave the Diver. (0:32:40) Al: I don’t feel the pool to go back and play it. (0:32:43) Codey: What would be the pull? What would get you? (0:32:45) Al: I don’t know if there is something like I enjoyed when I was playing it, (0:32:49) Al: but I just it takes a lot to go back to a game. (0:32:54) Al: And I don’t think I feel that pool. (0:32:57) Codey: - Mm-hmm. (0:32:57) Al: It’s like Isheban’s Holiday. (0:33:00) Al: Yeah. (0:33:02) Al: OK, the in the jungle, it’s just more of the same. (0:33:06) Al: I enjoyed that, but. (0:33:08) Al: You know, I didn’t even I didn’t even play a huge amount of the Dredge DLC. (0:33:12) Al: I played the whole the Godzilla one, and that was good fun. (0:33:15) Al: That was very different. (0:33:17) Al: The Dredge one was different, but not in a way that felt I wanted to do it. (0:33:23) Al: And then, yeah, Isheban’s Holiday. (0:33:25) Al: I don’t really care. (0:33:28) Al: And the in the jungle is like, OK, fine. (0:33:31) Al: It’s just a different place that you’re fishing. (0:33:34) Codey: Yeah and new fish a new fish but it’s fine (0:33:34) Al: I’m not massively (0:33:36) Al: interested. (0:33:37) Al: Yeah. (0:33:38) Al: Yeah, but that’s the thing, okay, yay, morph- I didn’t even finish catching all the fish (0:33:44) Al: that were in the game, right? (0:33:45) Codey: Yeah (0:33:47) Al: You can’t make me have FOMO for when I hadn’t already completed something in the first place. (0:33:51) Codey: I agree. That’s where I’m at with any Zelda. I not love Zelda and also Pokemon IP right now (0:33:58) Codey: They’re like all the new game and I’m like man. I didn’t I don’t even remember playing (0:34:04) Codey: Scarlet and Violet, so it’s whatever (0:34:04) Al: All right, finally, Usagi Shima new update, the Tanabata Star Festival update. It’s more (0:34:08) Codey: Last update, yep (0:34:18) Codey: So yeah (0:34:19) Al: of the same. You got it. You like it. Go get your Tanabata bamboo. (0:34:24) Codey: Yep, so there’s a some new decorations with Tana Bada back bamboo (0:34:29) Codey: Your bunnies have are carrying little heartfelt wishes that they’re (0:34:34) Codey: putting on on the Bamboo as their their wishes for the year or their wishes for (0:34:40) Codey: the the coming time and they’re so cute it’s free update you just do it in the (0:34:47) Codey: App Store Google Play Store if you already have the game so I am NOT (0:34:52) Codey: intrigued enough to do this so that’s that’s the updates (0:34:54) Al: Mm hmm. That’s the updates. We also have a new game, and that is B simulator. Oh, is (0:35:01) Codey: Mm-hmm (0:35:04) Codey: The hive I think be simulator has been out for a while this is like (0:35:08) Al: this an update or a new game? (0:35:10) Codey: Yeah, so I think the hive is (0:35:14) Codey: Something a little different. It’s like a twist on the game, but it’s whatever man (0:35:21) Al: You know, you’re not interested. (0:35:24) Codey: No, I’m sick and tired of honey bee stuff man like (0:35:30) Al: » That’s the issue, fair. (0:35:34) Codey: This is not (0:35:35) Codey: Indicative of anywhere else in the world, but the United States (0:35:39) Codey: Has held up honey bees as like the poster child of pollinator conservation and the honey bee itself is not native to (0:35:49) Codey: North America it was brought over because people wanted honey (0:35:54) Codey: And now it is used because it is act it is an incredibly effective pollinator for certain plants (0:35:59) Codey: And the only reason it’s really effective is because we’ve decimated all of the houses. (0:36:04) Codey: We don’t have a habitat for local pollinators and native pollinators, so they don’t live near our farms anymore because we just do this monoculture and we spray all these pesticides. (0:36:14) Codey: So the natives aren’t there anymore, they can’t do the pollinating anymore, so we have to bring in these honeybees. (0:36:20) Codey: But honeybees are the equivalent of a chicken. (0:36:24) Codey: It’s like if we held up a chicken and said, “Let’s save the endangered birds.” (0:36:34) Codey: That is not… Yes, I agree with what you’re saying, but that is not an endangered… That’s not even a native bird. (0:36:44) Codey: No. So in the United States, it’s really frustrating. I want to see more stuff about native bees, which is one of the reasons I super loved, Apico and Elle, adding in native bees. (0:37:00) Codey: He also I mean like that game is more (0:37:04) Codey: It could have been in the like well first of all it’s a fantasy game (0:37:06) Codey: But it could have been in nor in not in North America (0:37:09) Codey: So the bees are there are social bees that live in hives that are native to (0:37:17) Codey: Where like Europe and Asia and stuff like that, so that’s fine. It’s it’s fine. It’s fine (0:37:23) Codey: I’ll get off my soapbox, but be simulator the hive is (0:37:27) Codey: Quote the epic adventure of a tiny bee in a vast world collect pollen race through jet streams (0:37:34) Codey: And protect your hive from wasps now even bigger with the hive expansion (0:37:40) Codey: Gather resources build and customize your very own beehive (0:37:45) Codey: so this looks like (0:37:47) Codey: You can build your hive in a bunch of different places (0:37:51) Codey: Also gotta say the hive that the pictures were obscene not accurate. They wouldn’t do they wouldn’t leave this much space, but okay (0:38:01) Codey: It’s just (0:38:04) Codey: It’s fine people will enjoy playing it. I I don’t want to poop poo on people’s people’s fun too much (0:38:10) Codey: I’m down for bug games (0:38:12) Al: Could be worse (0:38:13) Codey: Could be worse (0:38:15) Al: As with many things could be worse (0:38:17) Codey: But it’s coming out on the 4th of August and there is not a price currently oh, yep (0:38:22) Al: Ah, well there you go go look at it if you’re interested in it (0:38:30) Al: Cody will not be playing it presumably (0:38:33) Codey: No, I will not though if people are interested in I can’t even say this I can never mind redacted (0:38:40) Codey: I was gonna say if people are interested in learning how honeybee biology happens, but I don’t even know if it’s gonna be accurate (0:38:46) Codey: I’m gonna have to play it. I (0:38:48) Al: Oh, okay. (0:38:50) Codey: Mean I’m not I would have to play it to be able to tell whether or not it’s accurate but (0:38:54) Al: I thought you were saying I have to play it. (0:38:56) Codey: No, I (0:38:58) Codey: cannot (0:38:59) Codey: Put my thumbs up on this so okay (0:39:02) Al: Fair enough. (0:39:03) Codey: So that’s all the news (0:39:06) Al: Woo! (0:39:07) Codey: What is the deluxe? Wait a minute (0:39:10) Al: Oh, the deluxe edition of “Be Simulated the Hive”. (0:39:12) Codey: Lens island. No lens island. We’re jumping right into it (0:39:14) Al: Oh, interesting. (0:39:17) Al: All right, okay. Well, let’s start this then. So, (0:39:21) Al: this is the second harvest of Lens Island. We had an episode three years ago, three years ago. Goodness me. (0:39:28) Codey: It’s been a hot minute. (0:39:30) Al: But three years ago and that was like (0:39:32) Al: two years after the start of the pandemic, that is where we are just now. (0:39:36) Al: That’s how much time is changing. (0:39:38) Al: And like the podcast was three years old at that point. (0:39:38) Codey: Mm hmm. As each day passes, we get closer to 2050 than we are to 2000. (0:39:45) Al: And closer to death. (0:39:49) Al: Sorry. (0:39:51) Codey: so (0:39:52) Al: So anyway, (0:39:55) Al: dumpty dum, we are going to talk about this because I so right. (0:40:01) Al: Okay, grr! (0:40:02) Al: Probably should have listened to the other, the old episode, to check what (0:40:05) Al: was actually covered in that three years ago, but we’ll see how this goes. (0:40:10) Codey: Yeah I can tell you. I did not but I just remember. So all that really existed in the first episode (0:40:11) Al: I hadn’t played the game at that point. Oh yeah, did you really listen to it? (0:40:17) Al: Oh, fair enough. (0:40:23) Codey: that we played and recorded, all that was really there was a base bare bones island. There was (0:40:30) Codey: nothing on the first island that you come to. There was no people. So you just showed up, (0:40:40) Codey: a house. I don’t even think there was a tutorial in the way that there is now. And so you built a (0:40:47) Codey: house. You could go into the mines. The mines and the dungeon were one in the same. So there or at (0:40:56) Codey: least I had not encountered anything that was explicitly different. So now they are very (0:41:02) Codey: different. There are multiple dungeons. And the mines themselves. (0:41:11) Codey: The mines were about as difficult as they are now. If not, I think they might have been a little bit (0:41:18) Codey: more difficult because it was really hard. Both. I mean, because before it was the mines and the (0:41:18) Al: Do you mean the dungeon? (0:41:24) Codey: dungeon. So it was like all in one. But yeah, you just kind of get, you know, there’s a spawning (0:41:31) Codey: point for the baddies. They come out, they overwhelm you super fast. I think maybe there (0:41:38) Codey: there was, I guess there still is a cool down for consuming. (0:41:40) Codey: Things, um, though now consuming things doesn’t just fill your health. (0:41:47) Codey: It’s just kind of like Minecraft where it fills your fullness. (0:41:51) Codey: And when you’re full, full, then your health auto-regenerates. (0:41:53) Al: Depends which one it is. So the cooked meat from the deer, it heals you. (0:41:56) Codey: Yeah. (0:41:59) Codey: Yeah. (0:41:59) Codey: There weren’t deer last time. (0:42:02) Codey: Um, it was pretty basic. (0:42:04) Codey: And then there was one, uh, addition to the Island that you. (0:42:10) Codey: Could I think unlock. (0:42:13) Codey: And then you went to another area and it was like a pirates Bay area. (0:42:16) Al: Mm, OK. (0:42:17) Codey: And there were people there. (0:42:19) Codey: And so you could sell and trade things and play pirate games and stuff like there. (0:42:27) Codey: Um, but nothing was on the main Island that you were on. (0:42:32) Codey: Um, I also don’t think there was really like the story. (0:42:35) Codey: So when you play the game now, it has more of the story. (0:42:38) Codey: It was really just the bare bones. (0:42:41) Codey: There was farming, um, and there was crafting and stuff, but they have, they (0:42:45) Codey: fleshed it out so much more and I’m, it’s really gratifying to see where the game (0:42:50) Codey: has gone, um, and yeah, I think that’s where I’ll pause the, my, my two (0:42:57) Codey: cents about the second harvest. (0:42:58) Al: to start with. OK, cool. Yeah, OK, so I guess to give people a quick overview, just in case (0:43:06) Al: you haven’t listened to the original episode or you’ve forgotten or whatever, it’s a survival (0:43:12) Al: game. You are a character, you come to an island and you have to survive, you have to (0:43:20) Al: build a house, you have to do all these things. And then there’s obviously, as Cody mentioned, (0:43:25) Al: There’s a story to that. (0:43:28) Al: Yeah, is that enough of a quick overview of what the game is in and of itself? (0:43:34) Codey: Yes, yeah, so it’s like a survival game, but there are these creatures that you learn in the beginning intro part are used to be people, but they were corrupted by this. (0:43:50) Codey: What do they call it a light stone or something? It’s like a, but it’s a resource and they got corrupted by it and now they’re these monster things, which changes my morality a little bit. (0:44:04) Codey: I’m like, Oh, no, like, what if later on down the line there’s you find like a cure and then you’ve killed thousands of these things. (0:44:14) Al: If you don’t kill them, they’ll kill you. (0:44:16) Codey: You’re right. They will. They kind of look I really love the art for them as well. There’s they get kind of Demi Gorgon esque like from. (0:44:26) Al: I did notice that one was very much like the demagogue and from Stranger Things. (0:44:28) Codey: Mm-hmm, stranger things, yeah. (0:44:34) Codey: Um, and it is multiplayer. (0:44:35) Codey: So you can play with one to eight players, which is super nice. (0:44:39) Codey: Um, able to play with your friends. (0:44:41) Codey: Um, and there’s a skill tree and there’s a map. (0:44:46) Codey: I don’t know. (0:44:46) Codey: It’s, it, it’s, it has a lot of potential. (0:44:50) Codey: Like it’s a super open world. (0:44:52) Codey: You can really build it how you want it. (0:44:56) Al: Yeah, okay, so let’s before we get into the game proper. I want to do my complaining section because (0:45:02) Codey: - Yeah, I will second some of your complaints. (0:45:04) Al: So let me get my list and let me pause the game and get back to my list (0:45:08) Codey: - Yeah, stop playing the game while you’re… (0:45:09) Al: so controller support in this game is (0:45:12) Al: Absolutely dreadful. It is just so bad (0:45:15) Al: So when I first opened it when the when the when it first entered early access over three years ago (0:45:20) Al: It had no controller support and so basically just didn’t work on the steam deck at all. Okay, fine. Sure (0:45:26) Al: Whatever. It’s early access. I think that you should have controller support from the start, but whatever fine. I’ll come back later (0:45:31) Al: I came back later and control support does exist, but it is very bare bones and very terrible (0:45:39) Al: When I loaded up the game on my steam deck (0:45:42) Al: You can’t start a game with the controller (0:45:45) Al: There’s like certain buttons that you can’t even highlight using the controller and select (0:45:48) Codey: » Yeah. (0:45:51) Al: Um, and then even when you’re in the game, there’s other things like that. (0:45:54) Al: Like you can’t. (0:45:56) Al: Sleep in that you can’t click the sleep button on a bed without (0:46:00) Al: using the touchscreen stuff like that. (0:46:03) Al: Like really basic stuff that you need to do. (0:46:05) Al: Like, I don’t think a single person, uh, who was on the team, uh, tested this (0:46:11) Al: from like, actually tested controller support. (0:46:14) Al: I think they, they built in some controller support and they went, yeah, (0:46:19) Al: that’s good enough. (0:46:19) Al: That’ll stop people complaining. (0:46:21) Al: Spoiler alert, it won’t. (0:46:23) Al: Um, I honestly think it’s (0:46:26) Al: absolutely dreadful. Like, I think that if you only play games on the Steam Deck, (0:46:31) Al: or if you only play games with the controller, do not buy this game. That’s it. I cannot (0:46:38) Al: legitimately say that anybody who does that can play the game. Like, just don’t do it. (0:46:45) Al: I tried so hard, and I maybe got through like two hours on the Steam Deck before I just broke down (0:46:52) Al: and load it up on my computer and it’s (0:46:56) Al: so much better. It’s playable now. I cannot overstate, that’s the word I’m looking for, (0:46:58) Codey: Yeah. (0:47:02) Codey: Overstate. (0:47:05) Al: I cannot overstate just how bad the controller support is. It’s embarrassing how bad it is. (0:47:12) Codey: I am right there with you so I played a little bit last night. I was playing last night and I (0:47:18) Codey: was just playing on my Mac with my trackpad and I was like this is not fun because there’s sometimes (0:47:22) Al: Mm. Yeah, oh, scrolling on the trackpad. (0:47:27) Codey: you have to double click sometimes you have to scroll like so I was just really struggling with (0:47:31) Codey: that yeah yeah it was really not f

Send us a textThe devotion for today, Wednesday, July 09, 2025 was written by Hardy Haberman and is narrated by Jay Williams. Today's Words of Inspiration come from 2 Kings 61-7Now the company of prophets said to Elisha, “As you see, the place where we live under your charge is too small for us.  Let us go to the Jordan, and let us collect logs there, one for each of us, and build a place there for us to live.” He answered, “Do so.”  Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.” And he answered, “I will.”   So, he went with them. When they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees.  But as one was felling a log, his ax head fell into the water; he cried out, “Alas, master! It was borrowed.”  Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float.  He said, “Pick it up.” So, he reached out his hand and took it. Support the show

Alas! It is time for the 51st Edition of DEAD MAN STILL WALKING, starring Dr. Walking Dead Kyle Bishop, professor of all things infected or dead-then-re-animated. Here in this episode, Dr. Bishop reviews a Zombie Horror Drama from Spain called Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End (2024)! At the time of this release, it is currently streaming on Amazon Prime. Kyle recommends watching the original Spanish-language version (with English subtitles). Join Dr. Bishop by giving it a listen! Note: To view ALL of Dr. Bishop's Dead Man Still Walking solocast episodes can USE THIS LINK. And to view ALL of Dr. Bishop's episode-by-episode commentaries on The Last of Us – Seasons 1 and 2, with Jay of the Dead, then USE THIS LINK. Dead Man Still Walking is a biweekly, short-form solocast hosted by Dr. Walking Dead Kyle Bishop, author of American Zombie Gothic and How Zombies Conquered Popular Culture. Dr. Walking Dead also presents a popular segment called The Dead Zone on regular episodes of this podcast. For his Dead Man Still Walking solocast episodes, Dr. Bishop will focus exclusively on zombie films, with the occasional exploration of zombie-related themes, zombie television, and other zombie media (e.g., comics, literature, etc.). Dr. Bishop is an academic and professional scholar of zombie films and other zombie narratives. He has been teaching for 23 years. Dr. Bishop serves as an English professor, Film Studies professor, and he's currently the English Department Chair at Southern Utah University. You are welcome to reach out to Dr. Bishop with comments or questions via email: bishopk@suu.edu, X: @DrWalkingDead, BlueSky and Instagram (@DrWalkingDead) or by leaving him a voicemail: (801) 980-1375. You can also watch the documentary, Doc of the Dead (2014), which features Dr. Walking Dead. Find more links below for Dr. Bishop. Be sure to subscribe to Jay of the Dead's new Horror movie podcast on: Apple PodcastsSpotifyDeezer   You are welcome to email our show at HauntingYourHeadphones@gmail.com, or call and leave us a voicemail at (801) 980-1375. You can also follow Jay of the Dead'sNew Horror Movies on X: @HorrorAvengers Dead Man Still Walking with Dr. Kyle Bishop is brought to you by Jay of the Dead's New Horror Movies, an audio Horror movie podcast. It features nine experienced Horror hosts review new Horror movies and deliver specialty Horror segments. Your hosts are Jay of the Dead, Dr. Shock, Gillman Joel, Mister Watson, Dr. Walking Dead, GregaMortis, Mackula, Ron Martin, Dave Zee and Spawn of the Dead! Due to the large number and busy schedule of its nine Horror hosts, Jay of the Dead's New Horror Movies will be recorded in segments, piecemeal, at various times and recording sessions. Therefore, as you listen to our episodes, you will notice a variety of revolving door hosts and segments, all sewn together and reanimated like the powerful Monster of Dr. Frankenstein!

Rankeamos a TODOS las alas cerradas más relevantes en la temporada NFL 2025. ¡Te leemos en comentarios!=============

Merry Mix-ups when T Bone and Billy visit a mortuary. Alas poor episode; it was recorded two years ago and never released.

Al and Kev talk about whether or not farming game remakes are worth it. Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:02:08: What Have We Been Up To 00:38:42: Game Updates 00:58:01: New Games 01:11:11: Farming Game Remakes 01:51:29: Outro Links Research Story 1.0 Tiny Garden Switch Info Go-go Town “Tourist Trap” Update APICO Physical Edition Farming Simulator 16-bit Limited Edition Romestead Contact Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/ Transcript (0:00:30) Al: Hello, farmers, and welcome to another episode of the harvest season. My name is Al. (0:00:34) Kev: My name is Kevin (0:00:36) Al: And we’re here today to talk about Cottagecore games. (0:00:39) Kev: You woo supposedly the word on the street is it says on the box (0:00:46) Al: Does it? (0:00:47) Kev: That’s odd, yeah, it does it what does the websites I’m assuming it does (0:00:51) Al: I don’t know. This is a good question. What does it say on the website? (0:00:54) Kev: You know, we’ve never done (0:00:55) Al: It says farming. It says a podcast about farming simulators. (0:00:58) Kev: Well, there you go, I guess we were lying somewhere, you know one of these days (0:01:00) Al: Yeah, classic. (0:01:04) Kev: Not days we should do in April fools and switch it up (0:01:07) Kev: Or we talk about I don’t know something else. I guess we kind of do that sometimes but you know something really different (0:01:12) Al: Something, something else. (0:01:14) Kev: Yeah (0:01:16) Kev: We talk about gotcha games, I mean I already do but you know all in oh (0:01:23) Kev: Yeah (0:01:24) Al: Hello. We are going to talk this episode about, I want to have a discussion about remakes. (0:01:25) Kev: Hello listener (0:01:34) Kev: We don’t oh (0:01:34) Al: Specifically remakes of farming games. (0:01:38) Kev: Oh, that’s well hmm. I mean it’s still in the neighborhood like there’s stuff to be discussed for sure (0:01:47) Al: Well, that’s why we’re doing it. (0:01:51) Al: I don’t tend to have topics that I don’t think I’ll have much discussion. (0:01:55) Kev: That is died and I believe that’s factually not true (0:02:00) Al: Wow, how dare, how dare you, how very dare you. (0:02:04) Kev: Oh (0:02:06) Al: Before that, we have a bunch of news, but first of all, Kevin, what have you been up to? (0:02:13) Kev: Okay, let’s see here when I wrote things down (0:02:16) Kev: Okay, Marvel snap. Okay, I should have talked about this earlier because it ended this week, but I mean all snap goes (0:02:22) Kev: It’s good the the new Fantastic Four (0:02:27) Kev: Season with cards based off the movies coming up (0:02:30) Kev: They’re just doing a whole new season like first step family (0:02:34) Kev: First steps whatever but but that’s coming so you know and that looks good (0:02:38) Kev: But I didn’t talk about maximum voltage overdrive or whatever that thing was called (0:02:45) Kev: You played snap outs been a minute. Did you play maximum voltage? (0:02:49) Kev: Do you remember that mode at all? (0:02:50) Al: I think it was around when I was playing, but I don’t think I played it. (0:02:54) Kev: Uh-huh (0:02:56) Al: I did the Deadpool Diner and I did. (0:02:59) Kev: Yeah (0:03:00) Al: There was one other one that I did, but I don’t think I did maximum. (0:03:02) Kev: Okay, so (0:03:04) Kev: So yeah, every once in a while snap introduces these like alternate modes with different rules or different words or whatever (0:03:12) Kev: And so one that they’ve done is called maximum voltage (0:03:16) Kev: and previously maximum voltage was a three-turn game instead of six turns and (0:03:20) Kev: They would give you a random amount like two to four energy every turn like extra so it was you know (0:03:27) Kev: Not just the one two three four (0:03:29) Kev: So you had you could play cards quickly and you had to do on three turns (0:03:34) Kev: It’s a it’s a different pace a game. It’s fun even shorter. I liked it (0:03:41) Kev: Well this past week or two they did maximum voltage overdrive or overcharge whatever’s over something (0:03:50) Kev: Where it was a four-turn game (0:03:53) Kev: The same rules of okay, you get random two to four energy every turn (0:03:59) Kev: on top of what you already have (0:04:02) Kev: But they (0:04:04) Kev: Also filled your deck out with like was it eight or twelve extra random cards in your deck (0:04:10) Kev: Those extra cards had lower costs and higher power (0:04:15) Kev: So it was it was a wild ride because it was a lot of like kind of RNG really right what you get (0:04:22) Kev: It’s hard to build around like, you know real strategy around it (0:04:26) Kev: and you know, I (0:04:28) Kev: I enjoyed it enough. It was fine enough. You know a lot of people don’t like RNG sort of (0:04:34) Kev: modes or strategy so you know I don’t think as popular as other ones but at (0:04:40) Kev: least they tried something right like I always did they say hey try it and then (0:04:43) Kev: we’ll see how it goes but the bigger fiasco was the rewards because when they (0:04:52) Kev: have these side missions they’ll give you usually like a sort of bonus currency (0:04:56) Kev: or side currency or whatever specific for that mode with a shop or reward tier (0:05:01) Kev: or something like that. (0:05:04) Kev: In this case they gave you a shop, you could earn let’s just call them vault points or whatever they were called. (0:05:08) Kev: And so there was a new card in the shop. (0:05:12) Kev: Kid Omega, I don’t know who that character is but they had a decent enough ability. (0:05:16) Kev: But regardless, so yeah, it was a new card and very cool and all. (0:05:24) Kev: But here’s the thing, for the first time ever in one of these side modes, you could not earn the card for free. (0:05:32) Kev: Um… (0:05:34) Kev: Well, I guess you technically could, but… (0:05:36) Kev: So how it works is every eight hours you get a set of three missions, and you get X number of points for it, right? (0:05:44) Kev: Well, people did the math. (0:05:46) Kev: If you did all the missions, every single set of three for every eight hours for the entire duration of the thing, (0:05:52) Kev: you would still have to win 500 games, I think it was, to earn enough points to earn the new card. (0:05:57) Al: That is so many games. (0:06:04) Kev: But… (0:06:04) Al: I don’t think I’ve ever won 500 games combined in the, like, what, combined what, six months (0:06:06) Kev: Yeah, totally. (0:06:14) Kev: I mean, I might be there with you. (0:06:18) Kev: But yeah, so that was wild. (0:06:24) Kev: And a lot of people were up in arms about it, as you can imagine, and I think understandably so. (0:06:30) Kev: Also, because Marvel Snap, traditionally, has been… (0:06:34) Kev: Play-ish where or at least you if you played enough you could get a decent pool of cards or you could get work (0:06:40) Kev: You know the new cards they were releasing if you kept up you could (0:06:45) Kev: You could you could play for free (0:06:48) Kev: the boat the money was either spent on generally speaking on (0:06:55) Kev: Cosmetics, you know variants and bundles (0:06:57) Kev: I guess the season passed you could unlock a new card and that’s ten bucks a month and like that (0:07:02) Kev: But they would drop for free later (0:07:04) Kev: So you didn’t have to do it. But anyways (0:07:08) Kev: Point is that a lot of players feel like the the snap devs are kind of leaning a little more into (0:07:15) Kev: You know pay to win or pay to get the new cards (0:07:19) Kev: So that was a big (0:07:20) Kev: Yeah, big big bit a little bit of fiasco (0:07:25) Kev: and (0:07:26) Kev: Yeah, it’s over now. We went to another mode called sanctum showdown, which is but it’s much slower paced modes fun (0:07:35) Kev: They’re playing it safe. No crazy (0:07:38) Kev: Expensive card or whatever but (0:07:40) Kev: It’s interesting to see (0:07:43) Kev: kind of a shame that they you know, they’re a little money hungry, but (0:07:48) Kev: Cuz though otherwise the game I think is in still in a decent shape (0:07:52) Kev: They’ve released so many cards like I think it’s almost in a state of we can play whatever you want more or less (0:07:59) Kev: But yeah, I mean I’m still playing it. I’m still enjoying it. I did not get the kiddo-megan card (0:08:05) Kev: You know, it’s wild. I saw somebody with that card on day one (0:08:08) Kev: Which means they must have put a lot of money or gold or whatever. Yeah, there’s always an I found the whale. Oh (0:08:08) Al: Hmm there’s always one. There’s always one. Yeah (0:08:16) Kev: Speaking of not having money or wanting money (0:08:20) Kev: Yes, let’s talk about unicorn overlord. So I reached the end of what’s called best stories. That’s the beast land (0:08:30) Kev: Campaign area there’s basically like five countries in the game or whatever and each one is kind of (0:08:34) Kev: Its own little chapter if you will write its own little story and arc and so I reached the end of the best stories chapter (0:08:41) Kev: Which is fine and all the villain was a rat man a rat where rat I guess. I don’t I don’t know how to describe it (0:08:50) Kev: You know, I’ll show you a picture (0:08:52) Kev: but (0:08:53) Kev: And so I enjoyed it. It was a fun chapter. I think the Beast people were cool, but what is funny and (0:09:00) Kev: I can feel it. I learned about this (0:09:04) Kev: When I went online because it felt something felt like it was changing the writing in unicorn overlord who was pretty alright (0:09:12) Kev: Up until around now because they really just kind of did not give the the rat man’s name (0:09:19) Kev: His name was Elgore and he kind of had an interesting story (0:09:23) Kev: The rats were generally oppressed people and he wanted to rise up and then you know, he became a general (0:09:29) Kev: So it’s kind of an interesting story and there was some evil the evil bad guy team (0:09:34) Kev: We’re doing experiments on him yada yada (0:09:38) Kev: But it was really really rushed. And so I kind of looked into it and it turns out (0:09:45) Kev: That oh (0:09:47) Kev: Hold on one second now (0:09:49) Kev: my mic (0:09:51) Kev: Sorry, there we go. Sorry. My mic had a hiccup and I think we’re good now while checking (0:09:57) Kev: double-checking (0:09:58) Al: Sounds fine to me. (0:09:59) Kev: Yes, okay. I lost a few seconds of the recording, but okay. I’m okay (0:10:03) Kev: I don’t know, at least the– (0:10:03) Al: It’s fine now. (0:10:05) Al: Zoom is pretty good at like starting out. (0:10:05) Kev: Yeah, all right (0:10:09) Kev: Well, anyways, so I looked up that why it started feel rushed and turns out that the unicorn (0:10:15) Kev: Overlord development ran out of money and basically the director producer they started funding it out of their own pocket (0:10:22) Kev: so apparently this last (0:10:25) Kev: quarter or so of the the game is gonna feel very rushed and (0:10:30) Kev: There’s no time for story anymore. Which is sad but (0:10:34) Kev: That said the game is still (0:10:38) Kev: Entertaining. I like it. It’s fun. Yeah, like unicorn overlord to two thumbs up from me (0:10:45) Kev: Let’s see (0:10:47) Kev: So yeah, so that’s good. Um, oh, okay follow up from last week (0:10:50) Kev: So we spent a little time having a fun little chat about magic the gathering and capitalism and the $1,000 (0:10:58) Al: Like 20 minutes. (0:10:59) Kev: pack of set of four packs (0:11:02) Kev: and it was all started as you may recall because (0:11:04) Kev: I was looking at the, or you know, the Final Fantasy set of Magic the Gathering cards came out, (0:11:12) Kev: and I did not want to buy them because I didn’t want to spend them, or spend the money for them. (0:11:17) Kev: Well, this week I bought the Final Fantasy card set from Magic the Gathering, virtually, virtually, there’s my caveat, haha. (0:11:26) Kev: Uh, no, I did not spend money, but… yeah, haha, virtual versions of my cardboard. (0:11:27) Al: Oh, wait, that’s that’s even that’s even all right. (0:11:30) Al: I was going to say that’s even worse if you bought digital cards. (0:11:35) Kev: No, no money spent. So I’ve been, I’ve played Magic the Gathering Arena, though that’s the online client. I fired it up to get in there and try. (0:11:43) Al: Good game. I’ve not played in a long time, but when I was playing, I was doing a lot of arenas. (0:11:49) Kev: Alright, it’s good. It feels comparable, I think, to, you know, Pokemon TCG live. (0:11:54) Al: Oh, I think it’s way better. (0:11:56) Al: I think it’s way, way better. (0:11:57) Al: I think the I mean, it’s been a while since I played it. (0:12:00) Al: But in my experience, the app was much less slow in menus and the effects were much better. (0:12:05) Kev: Yeah. (0:12:08) Kev: I agree with that. It is much, much more polished, right, overall. A little fancier. And you’re right, a little less laggy. (0:12:17) Kev: But, yeah, but I mean, the point is, it serves as a decent online, you know, substitute for the paper game. (0:12:26) Kev: So I got some, yeah, Final Fantasy cards there and played a little, doing a choco bow deck. (0:12:33) Kev: I’m really upset (0:12:35) Kev: Those cards are really good, art-wise and gameplay-wise (0:12:42) Kev: They have, because I mentioned I was playing Final Fantasy, the proper FFTCG (0:12:49) Kev: That game doesn’t have equipment cards (0:12:51) Kev: Magic the Gathering does, so Magic the Gathering can include iconic items and weapons (0:12:57) Kev: Like the Buster Sword, or a cup of instant noodles from Final Fantasy XV (0:13:04) Kev: So I’m more…a little… (0:13:05) Kev: I’m jealous that Magic did it so well. (0:13:07) Kev: Whoever…the people working on the Final Fantasy set, they really love Final Fantasy. (0:13:13) Kev: They have Souplex the Train as a card. (0:13:17) Kev: People who know FF5 understand that reference. (0:13:25) Kev: But yeah, I mean, I try to… (0:13:27) Kev: I’m still thinking about it. I’m looking at it. (0:13:31) Kev: The card’s proper. I’m not gonna buy it yet. (0:13:35) Kev: Oh, it’s been…I’ve been craving it. It’s a siren song. (0:13:38) Kev: So I had to…you know…I had to at least do it virtually to enjoy it a little. (0:13:46) Kev: But I digress. That’s what I’ve been up to this week. (0:13:50) Kev: What about you, Al? What’s going on? (0:13:52) Al: Well, let’s see, what have I been up to? (0:13:56) Al: Shock surprise. (0:13:58) Al: I have been playing some Mario Kart World up. (0:14:00) Kev: Yeah, you’re going for it, man. Getting all those knockouts here. I’ve seen your progress. (0:14:04) Al: Yes, so update on that. (0:14:07) Al: I have done all of the Grand Prix’s 150, three stars and all of the knockout (0:14:13) Al: all of the knockout tours, 150, three stars. (0:14:19) Al: and I have done enough in free. (0:14:22) Al: Rome to unlock mirror mode. (0:14:25) Kev: Okay. (0:14:27) Al: And I have unlocked all of the costumes. (0:14:30) Kev: Oh, you’re- you’ve done it all almost pretty much at this point. (0:14:33) Al: I am still missing three characters. (0:14:36) Kev: Wait, wha- oh. How d- uh- uh-huh. (0:14:38) Al: But that’s because they are the Kamek characters, (0:14:43) Al: so you have to be on a specific course (0:14:47) Al: and someone use the Kamek behind you on that specific course. (0:14:50) Kev: Uh, okay, I did notice that I got some kamiks and I think I got kamiks characters out of that. (0:14:53) Al: There’s a chance that you get one that character, so. (0:15:00) Al: Yeah, yeah, yeah. (0:15:01) Al: So I’ve got most of them, but I’m still missing three of them. (0:15:04) Al: And it’s like they are dreadful to try and force like the bet. (0:15:08) Kev: Yeah, who are they? (0:15:10) Al: How who am I missing? (0:15:12) Al: Let me check my spreadsheet. (0:15:14) Al: I am missing Rocky, wrench. (0:15:18) Al: Peepa and Swoop. (0:15:20) Kev: Oof, oof, oh man, I like swoop. (0:15:21) Al: I have the rest of them. (0:15:22) Al: So that’s I have that’s 15 out of 18 characters unlocked (0:15:26) Al: and 103 out of 103 costumes unlocked. (0:15:31) Al: So, yeah, and I’ve got all the vehicles as well. (0:15:36) Al: All 40 of them. (0:15:37) Al: So I am going to I’m definitely going to do. (0:15:40) Al: I’m definitely going to start doing mirror modes. (0:15:42) Al: I really want to restart all the mirror modes (0:15:45) Al: before I get too much muscle memory for specific courses. (0:15:46) Kev: Yeah. (0:15:49) Kev: Mmm. (0:15:50) Al: Right, because that that’s when it becomes really hard. (0:15:52) Kev: Yeah, you’re right. (0:15:53) Kev: That’s an excellent point. (0:15:53) Al: But I’d love I’d love to three star mirror mode (0:15:56) Al: because I’ve never restarted every mirror mode in a Mario cart. (0:16:00) Kev: I mean you’re like there, you’re wide as well, right? You’ve gone the 90%? (0:16:06) Al: Yeah, it’s I guess the thing is it’s just about like time now, right? (0:16:10) Kev: Uh-huh. (0:16:10) Al: Like we’ve got two and a bit weeks until Donkey Kong comes out. (0:16:15) Al: That’s basically my deadline, right? (0:16:15) Kev: I was about to say, that’s the deadline, right? (0:16:17) Al: Like if it’s if I’ve not done it by (0:16:20) Al: Donkey Kong coming out, it’s probably never happening. (0:16:23) Kev: Yeah, well, maybe they’ll release some DLC, but I understand what you generally say. (0:16:28) Al: Yeah, but at that point, I don’t I think at that point I’ll play the DLC, (0:16:31) Al: but I don’t think I’ll go back and try and do the other mirror modes. (0:16:31) Kev: Yeah, it’ll be out of your system, I get it. (0:16:34) Al: Right. (0:16:36) Al: So we’ll see. We’ll see how I feel. (0:16:38) Al: But I’m going to I’m going to at least try and see how far I get. (0:16:42) Al: But obviously it’s quite few and, you know, I can see I should be able to do them. (0:16:47) Al: Right. Because I’ve done one hundred and fifty. (0:16:49) Al: I should be able to do mirror mode. (0:16:50) Al: I don’t think I’m in use to them enough that I will cause problems. (0:16:53) Al: Although maybe there’s a couple of courses that are recreations of previous ones, (0:16:58) Al: like the Mario Bros circuit, which is just like the continuation from the one (0:17:00) Kev: Yeah (0:17:03) Al: and since the sna is- (0:17:06) Al: right? That one might be trouble because I suspect I’ll have muscle memory for that course (0:17:06) Kev: Yeah (0:17:12) Kev: Sure sure (0:17:12) Al: but we’ll see, we’ll see. I’m gonna try and we’ll see how I go (0:17:17) Al: and I think that’s all I was considering. So have you done much free roam? (0:17:22) Kev: Not too much myself now (0:17:25) Al: So you’ve got the P switches, you’ve got peach medallions and you’ve got the question mark blocks. (0:17:27) Kev: Yeah (0:17:29) Kev: Yeah (0:17:32) Al: the only one that’s actually like shown on the map. (0:17:36) Al: The P switches where each course has a certain number of P switches and it shows you how (0:17:38) Kev: Mm-hmm (0:17:40) Al: many you’ve got. So I’m considering doing the P switches, but there’s no way I’m going (0:17:47) Al: to look for all of the peach medallions and all not not P switches sorry the question mark blocks. (0:17:52) Al: It’s not the P switches the question mark blocks. There’s no way I’m going for the piece all the (0:17:56) Al: P switches and all the peach medallions. I’ll probably do some more just playing around in (0:18:00) Al: free roam and if I see some I will do some, but I’m not going to go out my way to get (0:18:04) Al: every day because it’s like (0:18:06) Al: 300 P switches or something it’s mad how many there are I’m not going to do (0:18:08) Kev: Yeah, you don’t want to collect all the Koroks? (0:18:12) Al: all of them definitely not but I can see myself doing all the question mark (0:18:17) Al: blocks just because they’re like clearly like there’s six on this course six on (0:18:22) Al: this course six on this course I could see myself doing that but I’m not I’m (0:18:28) Al: not going all in on that at this point right like we will see (0:18:31) Kev: man. I gotta say the free roam is a little disappointing from what I’ve experienced and (0:18:39) Kev: seen. I was really hoping for, for lack of a better word, secrets, right? Little nooks (0:18:47) Kev: and crannies you could explore that, you know, you wouldn’t experience on a race or whatever, (0:18:52) Al: - Yeah, yeah, yeah. (0:18:53) Kev: right? Like in, you know, shooting for the stars, like even a handful of courses not in any of the (0:19:01) Kev: pre-write, you know, unofficially labeled, like you enter a cave and all of a sudden (0:19:06) Kev: there’s this little racetrack down there. Stuff like that, but anyways, yeah, there’s not much (0:19:12) Kev: going on other than unlocking mirror mode, I guess, on free roam. Although I do like the (0:19:20) Kev: Princess Peach Castle, the window easter egg, that’s fun. (0:19:23) Al: Yeah, yeah, it’s I will agree that I think free roam is a little bit of a disappointment, but yeah, I am still very much having fun. (0:19:35) Al: And I will definitely be playing this with people in person a lot. (0:19:40) Kev: I’m sure. I mean, it’s Mario Kart. It’s built for that. (0:19:41) Al: No, it’s 100% worth. (0:19:44) Al: Yeah, it’s 100% worth it, especially as, you know, it was what, like 30 quid in the bundle, right? (0:19:49) Kev: Yep. (0:19:50) Kev: Exactly. (0:19:50) Al: Like it was very much worth that. (0:19:53) Al: And just, it is, I still stand by it’s the most fun to control the, with the new physics reactions. Like I feel like all the other ones will feel quite stiff going back to them. (0:20:04) Kev: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don’t think (0:20:10) Kev: Yeah, I yeah, I don’t think a lot of people are gonna push back on that it does feel very good to control (0:20:16) Kev: I agree (0:20:19) Kev: Yeah, it’s it’s I mean it’s Mario Kart right like it’s still gonna be good (0:20:22) Kev: It’s a but it is funny though that you know insert the the Simpsons sheep gif when Donkey Kong bonanza comes out (0:20:28) Al: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Definitely. That is going to be like a couple of weeks of just (0:20:34) Kev: Yeah (0:20:37) Al: like that’s the only thing I’m playing. Yeah. And we, has the direct been since we recorded (0:20:39) Kev: It looks so good, I only more (0:20:44) Al: our last episode? I can’t remember. Super fun. I’m so excited for this. I think it’s (0:20:44) Kev: I I can’t remember. We haven’t talked about it either way, but that’s uh (0:20:51) Kev: that’s a (0:20:52) Kev: good looking direct (0:20:53) Al: really, yeah, I think they, that was a great direct because it shows (0:20:58) Al: it kind of confirmed a bunch of the stuff we already knew while also giving us enough (0:21:03) Al: to be like, oh, there’s more. Right. And, and I think it’s really, I think it’s really (0:21:09) Al: good looking. Like I love the different effects that you get in transforming into other animals (0:21:16) Al: and also having Pauline basically be like a parrot on your shoulder. Right. It’s really (0:21:22) Kev: yep it’s it’s so good I i love the online reaction that we the internet gave of like you (0:21:23) Al: fun. (0:21:30) Kev: know the trifecta of uh was it ralph and vanellope uh sully and boo and now we’ve got dk and pauline (0:21:38) Kev: you know big guy and then little girl um it’s it’s fun (0:21:38) Al: Look, it works, right? Like why, why break it? Why try and fix it if it’s not broken, (0:21:47) Kev: Exactly. It’s great. Um, yeah, I’m I’m very pumped. Uh, (0:21:52) Kev: for uh uh the the game or general, I guess. Um, it’s I’m a (0:21:59) Kev: little disappointed that we don’t get the animal buddies (0:22:02) Kev: per se. I mean, I know Rambi’s in there and and it’s kind of (0:22:06) Kev: in there, but you know, it’s it’s the functions been replaced (0:22:09) Kev: by your transformations and the transformations are cool. I (0:22:12) Kev: won’t lie. Um but uh I don’t know. I’m a guy who likes Rambi. (0:22:17) Al: Well, look, I don’t have any real history with the previous DK games other than trying them and not enjoying them. (0:22:23) Al: So I don’t particularly mind. (0:22:27) Al: I’m not a lower muncher. (0:22:30) Kev: Sure, I mean, it’s not even like lore stuff because that’s uh, that’s just uh, you know, I guess mechanics or (0:22:38) Kev: Gameplay traditions, whatever. But if you want to talk about lore, I mean we can get trying to you know (0:22:43) Kev: We can try figure out why on earth (0:22:48) Kev: Does how is Pauline hanging out a DK? How does that timeline work? (0:22:52) Al: Well, I think everything lines up if you just ignore the original DK game. I don’t think (0:22:59) Al: anything else is a problem. I think it’s only that. And I think that this ties in so much (0:23:00) Kev: Yeah. Which… (0:23:05) Al: better to Odyssey, because why would Pauline be the mayor of a city that’s named after (0:23:11) Al: her kidnapper? But she would be the mayor of a city that’s named after her hero. (0:23:12) Kev: Yeah, I like the way you think there that’s a good point, yeah, but and also like this (0:23:28) Kev: is even more so than Odyssey cuz I mean Paulina was in there was you know, she’s first time (0:23:32) Kev: back in forever or whatever but she’s you know, she has a starring role finally, that’s (0:23:40) Al: Yeah, my I also I have another theory that it might be time (0:23:47) Kev: All right, oh well there you are now we’re talking let’s get into that Zelda split timeline (0:23:55) Al: Well, I don’t even think it needs to be a split timeline, right? (0:23:58) Al: Like, if something happens and she gets shot forward and then she goes back in time after this, (0:24:04) Kev: Oh, I like it. I like. (0:24:05) Al: you know, she could still go through the whole thing, because the thing is, right, (0:24:09) Al: Pauline in Donkey Kong, that’s not this Donkey Kong, that’s Cranky Kong. (0:24:14) Kev: that is cranky kong who does exist yeah oh I like that that’s clever yeah there you go all right I like it (0:24:15) Al: So, you know, she’s obviously from the past. (0:24:22) Al: Or, or, here’s another suggestion. (0:24:25) Al: If Donkey Kong, if Donkey Kong and Cranky Kong are both Donkey Kong, then maybe Pauline. (0:24:32) Al: This could be a different Pauline. Maybe this is Pauline’s daughter. (0:24:35) Kev: You know, I mean, that’s well established, right? Bowser Jr. looks just like Bowser when he’s a baby, I guess, so you know. (0:24:45) Al: Pauline Jr. (0:24:46) Kev: Pauline Jr. could be! (0:24:49) Kev: Although, okay, you know what? You know what? I’ll even point the bat at the stands here. (0:24:54) Kev: I bet we get little Pauline here as a character in Mario Kart World War 2. (0:24:58) Al: I hope so. I do hope there is some stuff coming, so I saw someone note that some of the characters (0:25:06) Al: have lots of costumes, and some of them have almost none. In fact, some of them have none. (0:25:11) Al: And the interesting thing is, one of the characters that has almost none is Donkey Kong. He only (0:25:12) Kev: Yeah. (0:25:16) Al: has one costume. Just before a Donkey Kong game comes out, suspicious. So are we interested (0:25:17) Kev: It is very strange considering, you know, he’s… (0:25:21) Kev: Uh-oh, uh-oh! (0:25:28) Al: in a Mario Kart World update coming with some Donkey Kong costumes to encourage you (0:25:34) Kev: I mean (0:25:36) Al: to be interested in the new game? Maybe. Yeah. And we obviously have all the baby characters, (0:25:37) Kev: If if it feels like the most obvious dough in the world, right, um, so yeah (0:25:46) Al: so would we get a young Pauline, as well as the babies that we’ve got of the other characters? (0:25:48) Kev: I like it (0:25:51) Kev: How cute (0:25:51) Al: We don’t have Pauline at all. Oh no, we do have Pauline. But also Pauline only has one (0:25:53) Kev: We do it, Paul (0:25:58) Kev: Like a generic racer costume, so there you go (0:25:58) Al: costume. So, you know, the two of them, both in an upcoming game. You know, I will be very (0:26:05) Kev: Yeah, yeah, yeah (0:26:09) Al: disappointed if there’s not. But this makes you wonder what else could be related to things, (0:26:11) Kev: I you know that’s I don’t think you’re being unreasonable (0:26:16) Al: right? Birdo only has two costumes, so that’s an interesting one. Could there be a Birdo (0:26:22) Al: thing coming up? Who knows? Lakitu only has two costumes, and there is an update to… (0:26:28) Al: Why can’t I remember the name? Goodness me. Mario Party. Which Lakitu obviously has a (0:26:34) Kev: Which Mario what okay? (0:26:40) Al: big part in Mario Party. Maybe I’m stretching at this point. Who knows? But we’ll see. I’m (0:26:41) Kev: Yeah (0:26:48) Kev: We we will see I think that’s the end that’s all we can kind of say really um (0:26:54) Al: I’m sure we can say much more, but let’s not. (0:26:56) Kev: Well, well, okay, yeah, you know, I will say this like each his legs still make me very uncomfortable. I (0:26:59) Al: Fair, very fair. (0:27:03) Kev: Don’t like it (0:27:05) Kev: Get in the car. Don’t look at those freak. Yeah, no, no, I don’t like it. That’s (0:27:08) Al: Don’t put him on a bike. (0:27:15) Al: He should be in the cloud cart. (0:27:19) Al: That’s the only one he’s allowed to be in. (0:27:20) Kev: Yeah, you really or you know, I don’t care I (0:27:23) Al: No, I’m just saying. (0:27:26) Kev: Look, I don’t care if it’s like (0:27:29) Kev: Horrendous I don’t care if it’s horrendous like animation clipping just (0:27:35) Kev: Just stick the the dang (0:27:36) Al: The cloud around every cart you put them in. (0:27:40) Kev: Yeah, yeah, when he’s the bike it’s just clipping right to the cloud (0:27:45) Kev: Okay, you make it it’s worth it (0:27:50) Al: All right, so that’s my car. (0:27:52) Al: I’ve also I don’t want to talk too much about this, but I do want to mention it. (0:27:58) Al: I’ve opened Lens Island again and started playing that. (0:28:02) Al: So for context, I originally backed on. (0:28:06) Al: Kickstarter and I started playing it when it first came out, but it had no controller (0:28:11) Al: support and basically was horrible to use on the steam deck. (0:28:16) Al: So I have started playing it again, and it is less horrible to play on the steam deck. (0:28:24) Kev: But that’s always the bar we want less horrible (0:28:25) Al: And I think that’s as far as I’m going to go on this comp on it just now. (0:28:33) Al: I will probably go into it a lot more in the next. (0:28:36) Al: episode, probably, but no promises. (0:28:38) Kev: Okay, fine. Okay. (0:28:43) Al: So that is a thing that is currently happening that I am not going to give any opinions on right now. (0:28:52) Al: But finally, we are recording this on Saturday, the 28th of June. (0:28:57) Al: I have just finished the first day of Pokémon Go Fest 2025 Global. (0:29:01) Kev: Oh, is that what’s going on? Okay. (0:29:03) Al: That’s what’s today. (0:29:04) Al: Yeah. So, uh, I had. (0:29:06) Al: Fun. I got a few hours where I was allowed to remove my (0:29:14) Al: responsibilities from children and just go play Pokemon in Edinburgh. (0:29:17) Al: And yeah, I got a good amount of stuff done and I enjoyed that. (0:29:20) Kev: Cool. What is going on? What are they releasing? (0:29:24) Al: This is the Crowned in Shield form Zacian and Zamazenta. (0:29:30) Kev: Wait they weren’t in there already that’s weird, but okay (0:29:32) Al: No, they had the base forms, but not this Crowned in Shield form. (0:29:37) Al: Uh, because they’ve got to release them separately to make the most money, right? (0:29:42) Kev: - Oh, yeah, yeah. (0:29:46) Al: But yeah, so, uh, yeah, I think they did this one a lot better than the previous (0:29:52) Al: other forms, because with Curum and with, uh, oh, what’s the other one? (0:29:59) Kev: Uh, uh, uh, Nick Asma. (0:30:03) Al: Nick Rosma, thank you. (0:30:05) Al: with both of them. (0:30:06) Al: You have a certain amount of energy you need to get to fuse them, but if you separate (0:30:15) Al: them, you have to use the same amount of energy again to fuse them again. (0:30:21) Al: It’s like a thousand-fuse energy, or whatever they call it. (0:30:25) Al: I can’t remember and I don’t care. (0:30:26) Kev: Yeah, that’s correct (0:30:29) Al: Once you fuse them, you use up that thousand, but you get like a hundred per raid that you (0:30:33) Al: do. (0:30:34) Al: raids to get enough defuse once (0:30:35) Kev: Okay (0:30:36) Al: set of them. And then if you’re like, “Oh, I fused the wrong one”, and you unfuse it, (0:30:37) Kev: Yeah, oh (0:30:42) Al: you then have to do another 10 raids to do it. But of course, those raids were only available (0:30:45) Kev: It sounds like a lot (0:30:48) Al: for one weekend. They’ve never been available again, so you can’t get the energy anymore. (0:30:55) Al: It’s dreadful! (0:30:56) Kev: That sounds like a lot. (0:30:58) Al: Well, the good thing is that Zamasenta and Zacian, once you turn it into crown form, (0:31:04) Al: If you revere its form, you can… (0:31:06) Al: you can then do it again without using any energy. (0:31:09) Kev: Sure, okay. Okay, I mean, that’s that’s definitely nice. I just, man, I just got to say I didn’t go that long at all. But hearing how like, because I think Megas were kind of the first one where you had, you know, special mega energy or whatever. Like, it’s, oh, it doesn’t sound great. Just the oddest. (0:31:33) Al: The the Megas actually I think is a lot better than it was when it first launched. (0:31:38) Al: So like you you can get one free mega for each of your mega Pokemon once a week. (0:31:45) Al: So once you’ve done the initial one, every week, you can do it once for free. (0:31:49) Al: You only have to pay more energy after the first one (0:31:53) Al: if you want to do it faster than that. (0:31:55) Al: And as you get up the power, like once you can level up the mega and once you get (0:32:00) Al: Mega level 3. It matters. (0:32:04) Al: How much it costs so like every if you were to do it every single day, you wouldn’t be using a huge amount of energy so it’s it’s not it’s it’s much better than it was initially launched and I get why you know it is a bit frustrating that you still have to use it energy at all but it’s a lot less annoying you also get energy if you walk with them as a buddy and stuff like that so you know it’s it’s fine it’s fine it’s these fusing ones that are the most annoying because it’s like. (0:32:33) Al: I know have my necrosimas and my cutums fused and I can never unfuse them because I would never be able to fuse them again right like it’s just that’s it if you chose the wrong one tough and it’s really annoying because one of them I did choose the wrong one and but there’s nothing I can do about that I’m stuffed and that’s just what I have to live with. (0:32:40) Kev: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. (0:32:46) Kev: Oh, no! (0:32:50) Kev: Ugh. (0:32:52) Kev: Oh, that’s rough. That’s rough, buddy. (0:32:53) Al: Still. Yeah, that is life but yeah so there’s actions Amazon to was done much better and I got shiny. (0:33:03) Al: And I got my energy and I’ve I’ve powered them up so nice powerful Pokemon looking looking great my shiny shield was it shield form kind of what it’s called and they have new adventure effects so. (0:33:04) Kev: Yeah! (0:33:10) Kev: Yeah, that’s the game! (0:33:18) Kev: That’s cool, that’s good. (0:33:19) Al: There we go. (0:33:22) Al: And they can also be used because they’re when they’re in that form they can be used at power spots, which normally only dynamics Pokemon can be used a pair of spots, but of course you can’t you can’t. (0:33:33) Al: And they can also be used in Dynamax session and Amazon to but when they’re in that form you can use them a pair of spots so that’s fun. (0:33:44) Al: So yeah, I probably do a little bit tomorrow as well because it was Amazon to things action tomorrow, but which is a bit annoying, but if you got the ticket for go fest you do get enough energy to do one of one of the dogs, so I do have enough to do as action, but I probably want to get enough to do another one. (0:34:02) Kev: Sure. Well, I am glad that you’re enjoying it. (0:34:03) Al: Continuing to enjoy Pokemon go despite everything. (0:34:07) Kev: I don’t… (0:34:11) Kev: This, well, that’s kind of, uh, I mean, that’s just a blanket save these days. (0:34:20) Al: They keep trying to ruin the game, but I still somehow enjoy it. (0:34:24) Al: All right, let’s talk about some game use a woo. (0:34:31) Kev: Oh, wait, wait, back up. (0:34:32) Kev: I’m sorry, I just– (0:34:33) Kev: I don’t know why you just clicked something in my mind. (0:34:34) Kev: I forgot. (0:34:35) Kev: I want to follow up my Magic the Gathering thing. (0:34:39) Kev: So as I look, you know, I was dipping my toe in the MTG pool. (0:34:44) Kev: Guess what’s the next secret layer? (0:34:45) Al: I don’t know. (0:34:46) Kev: You know me. (0:34:48) Al: Ah, ah, ah, pressure, um, unicorn over the light! (0:34:53) Kev: Haha, oh, oh, that’d be so (0:34:54) Al: No, ah, no, um, let’s see, so Kevin, something Kevin would like. (0:34:59) Al: Well, it’s not going to be like anything Nintendo. (0:35:02) Kev: No, no it’s just very funny hearing that. (0:35:04) Al: Wait, is it? (0:35:06) Al: No. (0:35:08) Kev: I didn’t intend, I didn’t intend, life log Nintendo Pass. (0:35:09) Al: Well. (0:35:12) Kev: You don’t like Nintendo things, um, but it won’t, uh, MTG, I gotta say, it wouldn’t be (0:35:15) Al: I mean, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, that’s the opposite of what I thought, Kevin. (0:35:19) Kev: in there. (0:35:20) Kev: Yeah, okay. (0:35:21) Kev: Yeah, okay, yes, yeah, I know what you’re saying, but the way it came in my ears, it’s (0:35:21) Al: What I thought was, oh yeah, it could be, you know, you like Nintendo stuff. (0:35:25) Al: And I was like, oh no, but they’re not going to do something with Nintendo. (0:35:27) Al: That was my point. (0:35:30) Kev: It’s not too funny. (0:35:31) Al: Trying to accuse me. (0:35:32) Al: Accuse me of not thinking you like Nintendo stuff. (0:35:34) Al: Ah, no, I’ve not got anything. (0:35:39) Al: Nothing’s coming. (0:35:40) Kev: Ow! The lowest hanging fruit! Gotta go fast! (0:35:44) Al: Oh, Sonic. (0:35:45) Al: What? They’re doing Sonic, Magic the Gathering? (0:35:47) Kev: They’re doing- okay. (0:35:49) Kev: Yeah! Dude, they already did SpongeBob! Who cares? (0:35:53) Al: What? This is what one out all these cards look so good. (0:35:54) Kev: Oh, you missed that! SpongeBob’s in magic! Oh, yeah! (0:36:02) Kev: Don’t they? (0:36:03) Al: Oh, no. Oh, no. (0:36:04) Kev: They look- that’s- that’s the exact reaction. (0:36:10) Al: I don’t want this. Well, no, I do want this. (0:36:14) Kev: And you- and- oh, my- like, Shadow- (0:36:15) Al: I managed to not even look at the Doctor Who and Lord of the Rings ones somehow. (0:36:18) Kev: Oh- oh, yeah. (0:36:20) Kev: Shadow looks busted. It’s insane. (0:36:24) Kev: They’re no big the cats, so point against them for that. No cream, either. (0:36:28) Kev: But overall, it’s- it’s in their- (0:36:31) Kev: Ugh, Sonic’s ability, ‘cause you know, when they have an ability, they have a little, like, name for it. (0:36:36) Kev: It- it’s literally “Gotta go fast.” (0:36:38) Kev: You know “Gotta go fast” isn’t even from the games. (0:36:40) Kev: It’s just from the, uh, the- the dub intro of an anime. [Laughter] (0:36:45) Al: Yeah, I’m not particularly surprised. (0:36:48) Kev: Oh, yeah, Sonic’s going to magic. (0:36:50) Kev: It’s- ugh. I don’t like it. I’m- I’m- I’m- oh, dear. I’m cooked, as the children would say. (0:36:58) Kev: You know, Unicorn Overlord, it- wild as it- it’s not in Magic the Gathering, but in- they have one of those- (0:37:04) Kev: What is it? I think it’s, like, the Overlord edition. You know, one of the big fancy collector’s editions. (0:37:08) Kev: There’s actually a whole (0:37:10) Kev: building card game inside that it’s wild (0:37:16) Kev: Yeah, card games are my vice. They’re my legal addiction. Sonic’s coming to magic (0:37:16) Al: And will this be coming and will this be coming to arenas? (0:37:28) Kev: uh good question I don’t know arena is very weird because arena has (0:37:39) Kev: arena is kind of its own environment it has exclusive arena cards it has its own formats (0:37:45) Kev: and i’ll tell you the the bad ones we’re getting a spider-man set in a few months (0:37:51) Kev: that the spider-man set cards are coming to arena but not with spider-man full (0:37:58) Kev: they’re going to replace them with whatever generic magic card characters or whatever (0:38:02) Al: What? What does that even mean then? (0:38:05) Kev: it means they didn’t get the license to use it digitally (0:38:07) Al: What would be the point in adding the cards then, if they’re not the cards? (0:38:11) Al: So they’re gonna have like the same effects, but not use any names for Spider-Man. (0:38:14) Kev: yeah yeah you you get yeah you get pied or arachnid avatar I don’t know (0:38:18) Al: That’s so stupid. (0:38:20) Al: Just don’t do it. (0:38:28) Kev: uh good old magic together I i joined just this year what a good time to get into this game (0:38:36) Al: Update, I have downloaded Magi the Gathering Eraser. (0:38:39) Kev: yeah oh we gotta play some games um all right let’s go to non sonic base oh or is there (0:38:44) Al: Yes, yeah, news, game news. No, no, no, no, there’s obviously not. Research story have (0:38:47) Kev: is there sonic base news maybe not yet one day it’s inevitable (0:38:56) Al: announced that their 1.0 is coming the 21st of July, so it has been a long time coming. (0:39:00) Kev: Okay (0:39:02) Al: Let’s see, when did this first come into Early Access? February 2023 was when this launched (0:39:04) Kev: Yes, oh wait research, so I don’t know I heard something else okay that that is exciting (0:39:11) Al: in early access. (0:39:12) Kev: Research work takes forever to ask Cody. That’s why the 1.0. It’s it’s forever (0:39:14) Al: So, maybe we need to get our second harvest on this after the 1.0 is out. (0:39:18) Kev: It’s the equivalent of getting their PhD congratulations research story (0:39:23) Kev: I’m sure Cody isn’t triggered by this at all (0:39:31) Kev: Okay, so wait we got let’s see what is the date on the oh July 21st there (0:39:38) Kev: It is but it’s available on the on a beta branch. That’s weird. What do you mean? (0:39:43) Kev: 1.0 will be available in beta before one point (0:39:45) Al: No, no, that’s so. So that’s before launch, you’ll be able to play the beta. (0:39:48) Kev: Yeah, I know that that’s very weird to me like (0:39:52) Al: Well, OK, I see what you mean. I see what you mean. I see what you mean. So (0:39:57) Al: it’s not actually that uncommon in software development where you go, this is our beta for (0:40:05) Al: 1.0 or 1.1 or whatever. That is not that uncommon, actually. I think it’s less common in games, (0:40:07) Kev: Sure. Yeah. Sure. And I mean, like, you know, public betas and test servers, (0:40:12) Al: But it’s definitely something that you see quite a lot. (0:40:18) Kev: like they’re common and I’m not saying it’s unheard of, but I don’t know. (0:40:21) Kev: It just feels weird, especially in game dev, like the 1.0 is the big fitting, right? (0:40:25) Kev: So, uh, I don’t know, but whatever, um, but hey. (0:40:28) Al: You still have to pop the game you can’t just play it’s not just anybody can play it like it’s public (0:40:33) Kev: Yeah. (0:40:34) Al: But public for people who have paid for the game, right? (0:40:37) Kev: That’s true. Good point. (0:40:40) Kev: All right. But hey, it’s here. (0:40:42) Al: Tiny garden the content the (0:40:45) Al: Featured game of last week’s episode have released a statement regarding the Nintendo switch version (0:40:52) Kev: I didn’t think I’d ever hear a statement from Tiny Garden. (0:40:56) Al: This is this is great. I’m just (0:40:58) Al: going to read some of the statement because I don’t think I can really (0:41:01) Al: summarize it better than they have done. “We wanted to clarify some questions (0:41:06) Al: that have arisen regarding the Nintendo Switch version of Tiny Garden. We have (0:41:09) Al: been vague and perhaps not communicated with you as well as we could have, for (0:41:14) Al: which we apologize. We did not want to cause you unnecessary concern or bore (0:41:18) Al: you with technical details. The truth is that the Switch version of Tiny Garden (0:41:23) Al: will be ported by an external company. As we are such a small team it was very (0:41:28) Al: hard for us to do everything in-house. The problem here is we’ve not yet found a (0:41:32) Al: company that can port the game with the polish and quality that we feel (0:41:35) Al: comfortable with. Both our publishers Super Rare Games and us want to deliver (0:41:40) Al: the best possible version of Tiny Garden on Switch. However, we did not (0:41:43) Al: anticipate that this porting would be so complicated.” Hey, I could have told you. (0:41:48) Al: We’ve seen this before. (0:41:50) Kev: What are you talking about? (0:41:52) Kev: It’s katrossi katronfi, it’s fuckies! (0:41:56) Al: And then they go into details about complaining. (0:41:58) Al: About their game engine and that’s the reason. (0:42:02) Al: Sure, fine. (0:42:05) Al: It’s funny because it’s like, oh no, we didn’t know it would be complicated to bring it to a (0:42:10) Al: console. Like what did you expect? Like these things are always complicated. (0:42:14) Kev: Well, yeah, I mean anything game dev is complicated pretty much anything dev software dev is always complicated (0:42:19) Al: Yeah, exactly. (0:42:21) Kev: Well, look here. Here’s your free advice tiny garden people call biting studio (0:42:27) Kev: Those are the guys who make cassette beasts that except beasts is on Godot. They brought it to switch (0:42:32) Kev: It’s awesome on switch. There you go (0:42:33) Al: Yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s the thing. I suspect if you do it in Unity or Unreal, I suspect (0:42:42) Al: it is slightly easier because they are obviously like larger companies use them and so therefore (0:42:51) Kev: They’re established. (0:42:53) Al: need the console support to be as good as it can be, right? Because otherwise there (0:43:00) Al: There would be big problems because Godot is. (0:43:04) Al: open source and therefore more likely to be used by smaller teams, and they are less likely to be focusing on consoles at all more likely to be focusing on just PC because that is the easiest for. (0:43:18) Kev: Uh-huh (0:43:18) Al: I mean, it’s just the easiest to develop for full stop right because there’s no gatekeeper right like that has has been the case for a long, long time. (0:43:20) Kev: Yeah, I mean yes, yes, that’s correct (0:43:26) Kev: And probably will always be the case because just the nature of the beast so yeah (0:43:28) Al: Exactly. (0:43:29) Al: Exactly. (0:43:30) Al: Exactly. (0:43:31) Al: So there’s, they’re probably simplifying. (0:43:33) Al: Things in what they’re saying, you know, these things happen. (0:43:40) Al: I would like to clarify again, please, if you’re backing a game on Kickstarter, if you (0:43:47) Al: want it for console, don’t back it on Kickstarter, right? (0:43:50) Al: Like just, just like it’s the console is always like, it is when the Kickstarter happens normally, (0:43:59) Al: the way that it is happened is there is a working version of the game. (0:44:03) Al: It may not be final. (0:44:04) Al: It may not have all the content, but they have a game and it can run on PC. (0:44:08) Al: There will be nothing running on console at that point. (0:44:11) Al: And it’s very likely, unless they are a team that have ported to console before, it’s very (0:44:16) Al: likely that they have no idea what they’re doing with consoles at all, right? (0:44:20) Kev: Yep. (0:44:21) Al: And this, this isn’t meant to be harsh on them. (0:44:24) Al: This is just a fact that if you have, if you’re not a console developer, you do not know how (0:44:29) Al: complicated it is. (0:44:30) Al: I am not a games developer, right? (0:44:33) Al: I’m a web developer. (0:44:34) Al: And even in web development, there are things that if you don’t know how it works, it is (0:44:38) Al: so much more complicated than you realize. (0:44:42) Al: And there are just certain things that are more awkward. (0:44:45) Al: And if you haven’t started development on it, you don’t know how complicated it is. (0:44:49) Al: And it is likely not going to be done until the game is finished. (0:44:52) Al: That’s the other thing, right? (0:44:55) Al: Even Stardew Valley still doesn’t get updates out day and date on console, right? (0:45:00) Kev: Yeah. (0:45:01) Al: and stardew valley (0:45:03) Al: is one of the biggest indie games, full stop. (0:45:06) Kev: Yeah. (0:45:07) Al: It’s not like he’s only on his own anyway. He has a team that he works with, he worked with (0:45:12) Kev: Nice. (0:45:12) Al: porting companies before, he has done many different things, and even he can’t do it. (0:45:20) Al: It takes so much work, even big companies struggle with that. (0:45:26) Al: It is rare for a game to come out at the same time on PC and console unless you are one of (0:45:31) Al: of the biggest games and they will. (0:45:34) Al: Completely different teams working on the PC version, working on the switch version, working on the PlayStation version Xbox is different because they’re like the Microsoft of well, pretty much Microsoft have done so much work and I, you know, I’m the first to jump on Microsoft a bad bandwagon, but Microsoft have done so much work to make putting games to Xbox so incredibly easy it’s not. It’s still not just as simple as click a button. It does. (0:45:36) Kev: Mm-hmm (0:45:41) Kev: Yeah (0:45:44) Kev: They are a PC (0:46:03) Al: It does it, but it is so much easier than any other console. If you have an existing PC game, especially if you’re using the tools that Microsoft give to make the game on PC. (0:46:07) Kev: Sure. Yeah. Well, I mean, guess. Hi. Hey, I’m still holding out for mighty number nine (0:46:15) Al: All that being said, all that being said, never back a Kickstarter for a switch game. Just don’t do it, right? (0:46:25) Kev: on the 3DS. Uh, but. (0:46:31) Al: I have, I have, when I, when I bought my steam. (0:46:33) Al: Dick, it was so good because it meant that I could go through and like change (0:46:37) Al: all of my kickstarters to use to steam codes instead of switch get codes. (0:46:41) Kev: Mmm, yeah, at least (0:46:41) Al: And you get the game a year before, right? (0:46:44) Al: It’s just every, every, every single one is there’s none of them. (0:46:49) Al: Not a single game that I have backed on Kickstarter has released (0:46:53) Al: on switch at the same time as steam. (0:46:54) Kev: year you’re not wrong not at all ah well you know what though in this (0:47:03) Kev: particular case there’s an easy way to fix this you know what you don’t even (0:47:07) Kev: have to release on the switch tiny garden just so you know what we’re (0:47:11) Kev: canceling it we’re investing everything into the playdate port and we’re all in (0:47:12) Al: Honestly, a Playdate port would probably be quicker, because it would have to lose features, (0:47:17) Kev: we’re good all is forgiven (0:47:24) Al: right? It’s not going to be the same, the graphics are simpler, like honestly, if they started now (0:47:31) Al: from scratch, they could probably get a Playdate version out before they could port their version (0:47:34) Kev: Well, well there you go, Tiny Guard. The path is there. (0:47:34) Al: to Switch. I’m not joking. They would of course get a fraction of the sales, right? There are (0:47:42) Al: Playdates. Yes, it does. I love the Playdate, it’s so good. I just wish I played it more. (0:47:44) Kev: the dozens look I mean I might join the dozens I’ll say that (0:48:00) Kev: Yeah (0:48:05) Al: As far as I can see, the only number I’ve seen on Playdate sales was in May of last year, (0:48:10) Al: They said 70,000 have been sold (0:48:12) Al: But that was one year into it, and we’re now a year later, so who knows

Sometimes Dolores, being a bitch is all a drag queen has to hang on to. And this week, it's what it takes to both win the heart and bone of that guy from “Fire Island” and win a spot in the semifinals. While Ginger aptly fetches her third win, Daya finally stops begging Alyssa for a point and retrieves the second spot in the top. Acid and Alyssa are destined for the pound, but it's ultimately up to them to decide who gets rescued. Alas, being a queen's best friend pays off for Cynthia while Denali is kept on the leash, despite good behavior, with hopes of getting adopted at the finale. Become a Matreon at the Sister Mary level to get full access to bonus episodes including brackets, movie reviews and past seasons of US Drag Race, UK, Canada, Down Under, Espana, Global All Stars, Philippines and more.Join us at our OnlyMary's level for our recap of Season 5 of Drag Race plus even more movie reviews, brackets, and deep dives into our personal lives!Patreon: www.patreon.com/alrightmaryEmail: alrightmarypodcast@gmail.comInstagram: @alrightmarypodJohnny: @johnnyalso (Instagram)Colin: @colindrucker_ (Instagram)Web: www.alrightmary.com  

Over the last decade, centrist Democrats have diligent courted Never Trump Republicans, hoping that this cohort could help create a new consensus politics to oppose the MAGA coalition. From the start, this strategy seemed flawed: after all, this faction is very small and also carries a lot of baggage. In particular, neo-conservatives such as William Kristol and David Frum, now Never Trump stalwarts, were responsible for two of the biggest foreign policy disasters in American history, George W. Bush's War on Terror and the invasion of Iraq.Have this Never Trump conservatives learned from history? Alas, as my colleague David Klion points out in a recent column, many of them haven't. Kristol and Frum are now cheerleading the attack on Iran (although to be fair their former ally Robert Kagan is more skeptical). I talked to David about the neocons and why they remain a pernicious force in American politics even if they vote against Trump. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Alas, no royal tournaments to talk of this week on The Kickabout but Johnny did come up with a new national anthem at least.And, with the FIFA Club World Cup getting to the business end of the competition... Johnny and Gav caught up with Radio X's man on the ground, Rich 'The Wolfman' Wolfenden, after he took Mexican Handbags worldwide.You can hear The Kickabout live on Radio X from 11am every Saturday. Get in touch on kickabout@radiox.co.uk

“Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.” — 1 Corinthians 7:20 Some persons have the foolish notion that the only way in which they can live for God is by becoming ministers, missionaries, or Bible women. Alas! how many would be shut out from any opportunity of magnifying the Most […]

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 26, 2025 is: sumptuous • SUMP-shuh-wus • adjective Sumptuous is used to describe things that are very expensive, rich, luxurious, or magnificent. // The celebratory meal was a sumptuous feast of dishes from our host's homeland. See the entry > Examples: “With comfy living areas with bistro tables, sumptuous marble bathrooms, and large private lanais with sweeping views of the ocean, mountain, or gardens, guests have ample room to spread out, relax, and really make themselves at home.” — Elizabeth Brownfield, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025 Did you know? Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens may be a few of your favorite things, but are they sumptuous? Alas, though the best things in life are often free, sumptuous is a child of the Latin word sumptus, meaning “expense,” and it typically describes things that can only be had at some significant expense. A sumptuous lifestyle, for example, is more likely to involve silver-white bling than a silver-white winter that melts into spring. Sumptus has another English relation, this one tied even more closely to conspicuous consumption: sumptuary laws are largely historical regulations limiting extravagant expenditures and habits, especially on moral or religious grounds. (The sump is consumption is coincidental; that word comes from consume, which has its roots in Latin sumere meaning “to take up, take.”)

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 26, 2025 is: sumptuous • SUMP-shuh-wus • adjective Sumptuous is used to describe things that are very expensive, rich, luxurious, or magnificent. // The celebratory meal was a sumptuous feast of dishes from our host's homeland. See the entry > Examples: “With comfy living areas with bistro tables, sumptuous marble bathrooms, and large private lanais with sweeping views of the ocean, mountain, or gardens, guests have ample room to spread out, relax, and really make themselves at home.” — Elizabeth Brownfield, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025 Did you know? Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens may be a few of your favorite things, but are they sumptuous? Alas, though the best things in life are often free, sumptuous is a child of the Latin word sumptus, meaning “expense,” and it typically describes things that can only be had at some significant expense. A sumptuous lifestyle, for example, is more likely to involve silver-white bling than a silver-white winter that melts into spring. Sumptus has another English relation, this one tied even more closely to conspicuous consumption: sumptuary laws are largely historical regulations limiting extravagant expenditures and habits, especially on moral or religious grounds. (The sump in consumption is coincidental; that word comes from consume, which has its roots in Latin sumere meaning “to take up, take.”)

Brethren, this Short Talk Bulletin Podcast episode was written by MW Bro Ray Burgess, PGM – LA. Brethren, the other day one of my dearest brothers dropped dead of a heart attack, in large part because he ignored the signs. Please, please, please listen to your bodies and don't try to tough it out. The […]

We can't talk about money without talking about how it also impacts gender, ethnicity, race, and immigration status. Especially in the context of what is happening to immigrants in the US, where people are getting picked up and put into police cars in broad daylight and then deported, the topic of putting more money in the hands of immigrants is both crucial and timely. I sat down with Adriana Solórzano, who is a financial mentor, intuitive healer, and founder of Raíces y Alas, a podcast dedicated to helping immigrant women heal their relationship with money.  Born in Venezuela and now based in British Columbia, Canada, Adriana blends financial education with emotional and spiritual wisdom to guide women toward conscious wealth and personal sovereignty.  Through personal storytelling Adriana shares about her experience navigating the working world as an immigrant and the power differentials in her marriage to a white Canadian man. In this podcast, we also address how Latinas are still in the early stages of reclaiming financial sovereignty and how we can become more active participants and co-creators in the emerging money system. For ourselves, our families and our communities. Win prizes by being Adriana's podcast launch bestie!  http://subscribepage.io/Be-my-launch-bestie Follow Adriana's amazing content on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adrianapili_ Download my 3-session money magnetism activation, PROSPER, to increase your financial confidence and cash flow:  https://ishavela.com    Apply to book your free financial strategy session: https://vortex-financial.ck.page/71853aa421   Apply to join my team of financial revolutionaries on a mission to empower women with financial education and resources: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScjU5QXtEnJiBA6kNK46JB4C9M5zJGOHhY2RsZJXwK66gYqjQ/viewform   Access free content on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@isha_vela   Follow me on IG:  https://www.instagram.com/isha_vela

“O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face… because we have sinned against Thee.” — Daniel 9:8 A deep sense and clear sight of sin, its heinousness, and the punishment which it deserves, should make us lie low before the throne. We have sinned as Christians. Alas! that it should be so. Favoured as we […]