[002] Bi(ggus)-Weekly Digest
Reading Time: 5 minutes / Last modified: 1 week, 6 days ago.
15th - 28th January
Weird thing that keeps happening I keep accidentally slicing my thumb trying to pry open button phones. Specifically, the TCL 4042S. God fucking dammit, Alcatel.
Tried a Quality Street instant mocha and it was... Meh. I'm not even a big Quality Street head. I used to love the toffee stuff but now anything that gets stuck in my teeth makes me feel really weird, probably a response to the insane tooth ache I had late last year. Solid chocolate is also boring so the green Quality Street is out of the window. I've never jumped for joy for the fruity ones, either. Is the... Is the fudge one my favourite? Like, by order of elimination (caramel is also boring, put salt in it and it's crack, but there is no salt in the caramel Quality Street, so it's not crack), the fudge one might be the best one. American fudge is bliss. I want hot fudge so bad.
Commonplace Entries: "Before:2023" in search queries might be my last defence against getting lobotomised by the AI-powered SEO website search-slop, lollipop walks can temper a tantrum1, fuck fabric softener2, apparently Clear Code has good Godot tutorials, there is no universe where I am actually hungry enough for two slices of toast I need to stop making two slices of toast whenever I'm craving toast. Do a 5 minute clean daily to save yourself from the Evil. An interesting principle I might try (if I can) is to keep 70% of a surface empty, and 30% of storage empty.
Games I'm Playing
Vampire Survivors Every time I revisit this game, there's like a dozen more things going on. A part of me wants to erase my progress and start right from the beginning again, it's definitely easy enough to get back to where I am. But I don't wanna. Nuh-uh. Amidst the noise is me still winning, and I love winning!
Lego: Pirates of the Caribbean The PC port doesn't have Steam Achievements but you know the Lego formula, it's got its own 100% which I finally reached, and I never did that on the Wii version! I can't wait to see this game again in five years, when I have my first child and they're like, "this ain't shit," and I'm like, "you don't know ball," and Fletcher turns to the camera to explain the cultural significance of not knowing ball.3
Catherine Finally got around to playing this. I'm trying to think of a puzzle game that utilises similar mechanics but I'm drawing blanks, which I suppose speaks to how unique this game still is. I think I could probably talk more about the sociocultural themes and messages in this game but I don't have that in me, there's a good dozen essays that go over it.
Media Treats
The TRUTH about God calling you to start a YouTube channel Link I haven't watched much of this video, I was really enamoured by the title. Christian American white women, you know?4
Making a dark fantasy typing game Link A sick blend of genres and a unique typing mechanic. I'm really excited for where this game goes.
Modding This $1 Notebook Like a Corvette Link I love the worldwide journaling and stationery culture but there's a lot to be discussed about the consumerist side of it. I love seeing videos like this challenging that.
"Bobos Chicken" Yuno Miles x Fantano (Official Video) Link I've had this stupid song stuck in my head for a little bit. Fuck you, dude. Bobos chicken and foot massage... Bobos chicken and fucking foot massage.
Fable - Gameplay Overview | Xbox Developer Direct 2026 Link I've been nervous for this release for years and now that we're seeing actual, definitive gameplay, I'm legitimately relieved. I just hope it runs alright.5
A lot of music videos were also released that I wanted to rapid fire through: PinkPantheress' Stateside + Zara Larsson video was so lush; underscores' do it remix with Yves dropped, which was quintessentially Yves; Kiiikiii did something really fun with 404 (New Era); XG dropped HYPNOTIZE; and i-dle released Mono. I've been pretty keen about all of this. It's just a shame I couldn't engage with the entirety of Kiiikiii and XG's new albums.6
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Read my previous Bi-Weekly Digest here or view the full collection here
Footnotes
Not for tantrums, really, just something to help them release their frustration in a healthy way. I'm not sure what age bracket this advice was targeted for. But, if your kid needs to vent, go for a walk with a lollipop each. Let them talk about whatever's bothering them until your lollipop's dissolve, then walk back home. Seems like a good opportunity to bond. I'm not sure if it would be helpful to give advice during those walks or just let them vent, I suppose I'll cross that bridge once I get to it.↩
1 cup washing soda (baking soda baked in 400°F oven for an hour) + 1 cup borax + 1/2 cup grated soap = cheap fabric softener that isn't dooky (use 1/4 cup per load)↩
I love da blogs. I love playing with my dolls imagining my future where I'm beefing with my kid because they're stupid and probably likes Paw Patrol and is like "can I have a Paw Patrol birthday party?" and I'm like "no fuck you, idiot," in my mind but actually say, "yeah of course I love the dawgs!" and then they get really happy and my heart melts.↩
On the topic of white spirituality, as thanks for checking my footnotes, I'd like to bestow upon you a choice: white she | white he | white they↩
[Edit: 29/01/26] I completely forgot to also share this interesting essay about Pocket Camp and Learning to Let Go that I resonate with. Pocket Camp was originally released during GCSE season for me, and I now have the Complete edition. So if you're either getting to this blog late or revisiting this, then here you go. An introspective into game completionism in relation to a game that doesn't want to be completed.↩
There seems to be a trend of releasing two really conceptually interesting tracks followed by a string of basic RnB/pop B-Sides. I had a similar critique for i-dle's We Are, though I feel even worse for having that opinion because each B-Side was written by a member. I know there's more to these albums than being era-defining in every track, I love the presentation of K-Pop and the album unboxings and the music videos and I can really respect the skill of everyone involved. I genuinely do not say anything from a place of hate or ignorant dismissal. I just see a lot more potential in these albums; they're playing it quite safe and, unfortunately, boring.↩