Mr. X

So there's a brand of gin called Aviation (from Portland, OR) and then there's the classic cocktail called the Aviation. I don't know that a liking (or disliking) for one necessarily indicates a liking (or disliking) for the other. I like them both -- Aviation is my go-to Martini order when in Portland, OR, since it's from there, and I have ordered an Aviation made with Aviation before because it seemed like the thing to do Aviation gin uses anise seed as one of its botanicals, which is probably where McBigski gets the liqorice (I have no idea how to spell that word) flavor from. Gin2024 may get a similar thing from the star anise, though I usually find star anise to be way less licorice (?) like. It seems like it will be a floral gin, which could work in a Martini, though it will definitely depend on the preferences of the drinker. Sounds like it would be great in a Gimlet.

I mean, I did just finish another replay of Hollow Knight (this time on the Steam Deck instead of the Switch), so I'm am all ready to pick up a new Metroidvania. Thanks!

Holy cow. I haven't thought of NHAW in years. Fun times! I can imagine those were confusing times for new visitors to the forums, but not nearly as confusing as the World Cup random country assignments or the "Become Another Boarder Week."

That new Bad Moves song is so very good and so very catchy. I mean, Bad Moves tend to write memorable tunes, but I had that in my head after one listen. And now I've got it in my head again!

Out of curiosity, I checked out the New York Red Bull site just now and their season tickets range from $500 to $4000 as listed on the site, with there being at least one more tier listed as "call for price" (which often translates to "a whole lot more than those printed prices"). Those upper end prices do include things like a free parking pass for all the home games and exclusive bar/restroom access. A quick scan of other teams suggests a similar range, with the non-premium seats running $500 to $1500 for the season and some much pricier options with extra perks and access.

There are definitely more people wearing masks on the subway again in recent weeks. Nowhere near as many as two years ago, but noticeably more than at the start of this school year, when I was frequently the one masked person.

It happened in the 2019 World Series. Nationals won 4 games in Houston and Astros won the 3 games in DC.

This just reminded me of a list that was going around back when Episode I (or maybe even the Episode I trailer) came out where well-known Star Wars lines had the word "pants" subbed in somwhere. "At last we will reveal our pants to the Jedi" is the one that stuck with me and I still laugh way more than I should at it.

Holy crap. I mean, Chicago is an incredibly flat course and seems like the spot where a record could be set, but it still blows my mind a bit to think about sustaining that pace. I mean, it averages out to about 4:36 a mile! For two hours!

Ty and Daniel did an AMA on Reddit yesterday: I am James SA Corey, author of the Expanse and pen name of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. AMA. Some questions about the adaptation of the first six books, a lot about the process of writing The Expanse books and their upcoming books (a completely new thing, inspired by Herbert and LeGuin), some unanswerable questions about future TV productions because of the strike, and a few plugs for their Patreon.

Have you played Islets at all? It's a pretty easygoing Metroidvania that I started after finishing TOTK and have been enjoying it. Definitely works well as a game I don't need to think too much about while still being fun. That's what I did as well.

UF = University of Florida, and it is a state school.

Fantastic clarification in that article:

While Xray and I were driving up to New England this past Saturday to visit my parents, we found a four-pack of Three Floyds' Dreadnaught IPA, one of EHK's favorite beers. Our first comment was, "They put this in cans now?!?" Our second was, "We are buying this in honor of EHK."