#like they used to have access to back through 2017 but then some shit reset or rolled over and that's gone now

[himbeaux-on-ice]

debating putting together a "games i am looking for" (ie past nhl games i am seeking a full broadcast recording of but have not yet found) list, and linking it somewhere on the blog like people do with their amazon wishlists or w/e, just on the off chance someone stumbles across it who happens to go "oh yeah i have that one on my hard drive actually, here ya go" which feels like a fantasy but i mean. weirder things have happened on the internet lol

[bobbystompy]

My Top 127 Songs Of 2018

Previously: 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

Not the most ever... just the second most ever. The record of 132 stands. I hope it is never broken.

As always, criteria and info:

This is a list of what I personally like, not ones I’m saying are the “best” from the year; more subjective than objective

No artist is featured more than once

If it comes down to choosing between two songs, I try to give more weight to a single or featured track

Each song on the list is linked in the title if you wanna check any or every out for yourself; there is also a Spotify playlist at the bottom that includes 122 of the 127 songs

Well?

/grins

127) B.o.B - “Food Fight”

Some triplet rap, pretty boring, and I have no idea what this song is supposed to be. But the “Food of the WiFi” part makes me laugh, and I always picture my buddy Matto singing it to his eye rolling wife (even though I’m pretty sure he’s never heard the song before).

126) French Montana f/ Drake - “No Stylist”

This song sucks -- even Drake can’t save it. French Montana is cancer except you don’t get to die.

125) 21 Savage - “Monster”

Not a huge Savage guy, but the Gambino verse helps.

124) The Kooks - “All The Time”

Kind of a lazy chorus, but it’s aight.

123) Sean Paul f/ Jhené Aiko - “Naked Truth”

Love Aiko, have never cared for Paul... but the collab weirdly works.

122) REASON - “Summer Up”

My buddy Josh sent this one, and it’s got the warm vibes. Money stretch:

P asked me is REASON still workin', shit N***a, is Amber Rose still twerkin', gold diggers still flirtin' horny teens still jerkin', all my exes still lurkin' black lives still hurtin', black lives still hurtin'?

121) Nipsey Hussle f/ YG - “Last Time That I Checc’d”

B’s vs. C’s. And a beat that sounds like DJ Mustard combined with ‘90s G-funk. Also, YG’s bandanna scarf is just very cute.

120) Thrice - “Only Us”

Weirdly, another reds and blues music video. But this time, it’s kids at a summer camp. This could absolutely be used by networks as a pump up song for sporting events.

119) Anderson .Paak f/ Kendrick Lamar - “TINTS”

Anderson .Paak -- ohhhh, that dot will always annoy me -- really does not make bad songs. Kung Fu Kenny fits right in, and it’s a very easy hit-the-spot driving song.

118) Mr Hudson f/ Vic Mensa - “Coldplay”

A serious song that uses an emotional reliance on Coldplay to take objective shots at Coldplay, which is pretty hilarious. Vic’s verse is good (”I lost my Queen poppin’ Ace of Spades at King of Diamonds ... I hate Coldplay”).

117) Logic f/ Wu-Tang Clan - “Wu Tang Forever”

Long cypher song. If you care about hip-hop, you probably know Drake also released a song called “Wu-Tang Forever” five years ago (which featured no members of Wu-Tang). There was talk of a remix -- RZA even recently said he wished they did -- but Inspectah Deck articulated why it didn’t happen back then:

“When I finally got to hear the song, I was more or less like, ‘Wow, I thought it was a tribute song like, it would be in respect of all eight members,'” Deck said. “And when I heard it, it was about a girl.”

You can just sense the colossal and spiritual disappointment.

Well, this one is more about fire than females; you’ll shout “Wu-Tang” proudly at least once. My MVP verse is Ghostface.

116) Jhené Aiko f/ Rae Sremmurd - “Sativa”

Rae Sremmurd* still sound like little kids to me. Conversely, Jhené Aiko is all that is woman.

(* - never knew they were brothers until just now)

115) Sam Coffey & The Iron Lungs - “First Time”

Sam Coffey first got on my radar with The Clash-sounding song “Talk 2 Her”. This is less of that and more, like, ‘80s hair metal. It’s almost hard to tell if this is sincere or parody. The video absolutely does not take itself seriously.

114) Saves The Day - “Kerouac & Cassady”

Always been impressed with the very unthreatening Chris Conley’s ability to create such sinister, dark, and menacing imagery. This maybe has the most bleak closing line of any of these songs.

113) 5 Seconds Of Summer - “Youngblood”

This is what Fall Out Boy tries to sound like with their new stuff... but they just suck so bad now.

112) She Killed In Ecstasy - “Dissension (Gold)”

I remembered this being a dope instrumental before totally forgetting about the just-as-awesome vocals; great band name, too. Recommended by my friends Jim and Bill over brunch after taking in their show at Subterranean in Chicago the previous night. This could be the closing theme for a critically acclaimed TV show.

111) Night Birds - “My Dad Is The BTK”

Straightforward, bratty punk rock that promotes snitching (if you’re sure it’s for the right reasons).

110) The Decemberists - “Once In My Life”

Why does such an outwardly melancholy song still feel so damn uplifting? Probably the video. They have a long statement attached on YouTube, so for sure peep if this catches your interest.

109) Mad Caddies - “She’s Gone”

Here we have a straight up reggae cover of NOFX. Sometimes I don’t think I like this song at all, but it might just be hard to separate it from the original; almost wish it was possible to go in with a clean slate. Maybe you can on my behalf?

108) Rivers Cuomo - “Two Broken Hearts”

Would you rather not know the video uses Bitmojis or the pre-chorus promotes two different ice cream brands before the song ends?

107) XXXTENTACION - “Train food”

This song is intense; gave me memories of listening to Kendrick’s “The Art of Peer Pressure”. X not surviving 2018 makes it that much more haunting.

106) Kanye West & Lil Pump f/ Adele Givens - “I Love It”

Not sure why, in his most embattled year yet, Kanye decided to be a part of such a derogatory song towards women. Listening to it makes me feel bad. And sure, the MAGA imagery will be what we think of when we think of 2018 Yeezy, but this picture shouldn’t be too far off either.

Shark: jumped.

105) New Lenox - “Do You Think We Made The Most Of Those New Years Eves”

That is a very long song title. But not as long as the time since passed on this reflection of the final night of the year, over a decade now gone. But even though he’s looking back, you know Chris Trott gets to hit reset at the end of the night, whether it’s December 31st or January 1st. And when NYE hits again, whether you return to the same party in the same place or a different experience in a totally different hemisphere, celebrating something is what makes this all matter.

(Full disclosure: yours truly has a minor backup vocal part in the outro)

104) Jeff Tweedy - “Having Been Is No Way To Be”

This for sure made it on the list because of the “And if I was dead, what difference would it ever make to them?” line, but upon closer scrutiny, the “And I’m sorry when you wake up to me” line is even more crushing.

103) Panic! At The Disco - “Dying In LA”

Brendon Urie’s voice is so polished and full. This song is him in complete control, and he knows it too (the “Dyin’ in LA” falsetto part at the end of the chorus is... probably not necessary).

102) Sugarland f/ Taylor Swift - “Babe”

Though Taylor’s impact in the music video is significantly stronger than her impact in the actual song, it’s still rock solid country. Or... country solid country?

/curtsies

101) ZHU & Tame Impala - “My Life”

This song has such a dancy cool on the power of its instrumentation; really doesn’t need vocals at all.

100) Kidd Russell & Southside Jake - “Slow Motion”

The poppiest SSJ has ever sounded. This is his best song to date. I’m not so sure if “Shots kill the butterflies” is an actual expression, but it should be.

99) Hop Along - “What The Writer Meant”

Hot damn, what a voice. This song is beauty in our not-often-beautiful world.

98) Retirement Party - “That’s How People Die”

This reminds me of a female fronted version of the departed Modern Baseball. Eager to see how they develop and definitely plan on checking their Audiotree session soon.

97) Lil Peep - “Sex With My Ex”

It’s... really good, you guys. The grimy nihilism of the “Fuck me like we’re lying on our deathbed” is palpable. It’s impossible not to think of the heights Peep would have almost definitely hit had he not passed. Also, super interesting tidbit on how the album got posthumously made:

Lil Peep died of an accidental drug overdose last November [2017] at 21. Afterward, attention turned to his computer. First, it went to London, where the files were backed up by First Access Entertainment, the company that helped guide his career.

Then it went to his mother, Liza Womack. In an interview in her cozy Long Island home, sitting on a nondescript couch that belonged to Peep and was shipped cross-country after his death, she calmly recalled walking into an Apple store, handing the laptop to a clerk, and saying: “My son died. This is him. Take this and put it on a new one.”

96) Kurt Vile - “Bassackwards”

I was on the beach, but I was thinkin’ about the bay

This has Kurt Vile’s signature laid back-ness (good) but also has a 9:46 track length (VERY VERY BAD). I’m not saying it has to be even four minutes long... but, like, could you have given us seven, KV? All of that aside, it really doesn’t slog at all despite mostly staying the same the whole time. Though I still can’t stop thinking about how much shorter it should be.

95) Christine And The Queens - “Doesn’t matter”

Kinda ‘80s pop sounding. Also, there’s a foreign accent there. British maybe?

/googles

French! Even better.

94) Brendan Kelly And The Wandering Birds - “Shitty Margarita”

Wish the drums were louder, BK.

93) Courtney Barnett - “Nameless, Faceless”

Barnett does not fuck around with her chorus/old adage:

I wanna walk through the park in the dark Men are scared that women will laugh at them I wanna walk through the park in the dark Women are scared that men will kill them

This type of perspective, down to the description of how she has to hold her keys in a way your average dude might not think about, remains so crucial as we all hope to continue to better understand each other.

92) Jeff Rosenstock - “Powerlessness”

Meet me at the Polish bar I'll be the one looking at my phone Shaking like a nervous kid Absolutely terrified of being alone

...it doesn’t sound how it reads. All of his skittish energy fuels this fist pumping jam. And don’t miss the guitar solo.

91) Charli XCX - “5 In The Morning”

Pretty standard fare pop song, but Charli makes it cooler and better than if the average person jumped on.

90) Pinegrove - “Darkness”

Gonna be honest: it was nearly impossible to listen to Pinegrove in 2018 without thinking of the sexual coercion accusations from the previous year. Jenn Pelly’s long ass piece really did nothing to help matters. So because of all this, I listened to their new album “Skylight” wayyyyy less than originally anticipated. The few times -- really maybe ‘time’ in all actuality -- I was able to separate the story from the songs, it definitely became enjoyable. This has head clearing guitar leads and a lyric straight outta Sublime’s “Garden Grove”.

89) Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson - “Bad Dreams”

Brooding, nighttime, driving; good ingredients for a successful duet.

88) Meek Mill f/ Rick Ross & JAY Z - “What’s Free”

Now, if I’m Rick Ross, I spend my entire career avoiding any situation where people can compare me to Biggie. But since Rick Ross is Rick Ross, he went with the opposite plan. This is his (to my knowledge) second reimagined Biggie song*, and... it’s... it’s rough. I mean, how far can you take it with the line “Mona Lisa, to me, ain't nothin' but a b***h” and end with a gay slur. Pass.

But we also have the GOAT. In classic Jay fashion, he spits a lot of good words, you know it’s complex, and there’s no way to process it without more listens. And yes, the immediate brand checks are super annoying, but he pushes through and delivers some bars:

They gave us pork and pig intestines Shit you discarded that we ingested, we made the project a wave You came back, reinvested and gentrified it Took n****s' sense of pride, now how that's free?

When he finishes, the song itself ends, and we have one of the more long and uneven Jay cameos ever put on wax. It’s, like, a 5-star B-.

(* -  the first being 2014′s “Nobody”, a take off “You’re Nobody [Til Somebody Kills You]”, featuring French Montana, which spawned an all-time Rap Radar comment, “If someone killed French, he’d still be a nobody”; I will bring it up with the most minor of segues for the rest of my life)

87) Red City Radio - “In The Shadows”

I tend to prefer Red City Radio playing more uptempo, but they drag us down to a slower speed for this one. This centers around the cryptic “I show no fear when I know that the devil’s here” line, and the guitar solo is definitely overqualified for the genre.

86) Kanye West - “Yikes”

/cracks knuckles

The song: banging chorus, solid beat, lyrics meh. Of course it was the song he got Drake for, because it’s the only one on his solo release that vaguely resembled a hit.

The album: Calling “ye” bad is a little unfair, but the best and realest description is sadder: it’s Kanye’s most inessential record. It was forgettable at best and cringeworthy/offensive at worst. The one about his daughter was particularly appalling:

Don't do no yoga, don't do pilates Just play piano and stick to karate I pray your body's draped more like mine And not like your mommy's

This doesn’t even get into the entirely warped mental health takes that I’m not nearly qualified enough to address.

Kanye himself: Every Kanye fan has defended Kanye, some Kanye fans have abandoned Kanye, but 2018 was legitimately the tipping point where it felt like we all finally had enough, in unification. Shock, betrayal, and disappointment are probably the best adjectives. When you are willing to forgive someone for 90% of their behavior, and they up their bullshit to 110%, an understandable separation must occur. At this point, the man we once called Yeezus is now the hip-hop Louis C.K.: no type of constructive or negative feedback can penetrate his brain, and any new attempts at creative output only make everything worse.

85) Royce da 5′9′’ f/ Eminem & King Green - “Caterpillar”

As lyrical as it gets on this list, but what else do you expect from Em and Royce? Not a huge fan of the chorus (at least that loud part in the first half). Eminem legit goes off for, like, ten lines with a pooping metaphor to close the song.

84) Nicki Minaj - “Barbie Dreams”

Staying in the redone Biggie songs lane, we have Nicki with a passive evisceration of your favorite male rapper. You can call it crass, but I’d argue her playfulness makes the whole thing work, combined with the fact that it’s flipping the male gaze on its head. And though she’s having fun, some of these movie punches catch real faces. My favorites:

3) “Drake worth a hundred mill, he always buyin' me shit / But I don't know if the pussy wet or if he cryin' and shit”

2) “I remember when I used to have a crush on Special Ed / Shoutout Desiigner 'cause he made it out of special ed”

1) “Had to cancel DJ Khaled, boy, we ain't speakin' / Ain't no fat n**** tellin' me what he ain't eatin'”

Goodbye forever, DJ Khaled.

83) Bad Bunny f/ Drake - “MIA”

I do social media for my high school alma mater’s football team, and this song first got on my radar when of the players tweeted something like “I can’t understand a word, but this is really good”. I was piqued, and it delivered. Nobody cultural appropriates quite like Drizzy Drake. Also, am I the only one who would have maybe been happier if the song was called “Bad Bunny” and the featured artist was M.I.A.?

82) Phoebe Bridgers - “Christmas Song”

Christmas songs are hard to write because they’re either taken or terrible, but Bridgers definitely carved out her own lane. This could work as a single person under a spotlight or sung by a group of lonely strangers finding camaraderie at a bar; within the song, you actually get both scenarios.

81) Remo Drive - “Blue Ribbon”

Got into this band for the first time in 2018, and though some of their older songs got more spins, this was my favorite from the new album.

80) The Sidekicks - “Twin’s Twist”

Mostly just impressed they were able to seamlessly integrate the “Chronic 2001″ into lyrics of a lighter rock song.

79) Real Friends - “From The Outside”

My favorite chorus they’ve ever written. While remaining thoroughly pop punk, the catchiness puts it more on the pop side of that spectrum.

78) Mike Posner - “Song About You”

Posner sounds like he’s barely trying, and it’s still so, so good. Favorite moment is this non-rhyme: “Since you’ve been gone, I got nothing to do / I sleep until noon, I wake up and feel bad”. It’s like a pop freestyle or something.

Also, extra shout out for how well he took his social media roasting after the Thanksgiving performance in Detroit. Love this dude.

77) Bad Religion - “The Kids Are Alt-Right”

What if I told you Bad Religion made a song with an intro that sounded like Andrew W.K.’s “Party Till You Puke” but were somehow still able to stay afloat? Hell, I’m confused too. The satirical lyrics mark 2018 for what it was. The pre-chorus, I remain torn on.

76) Blood Orange - “Saint”

You said it before

Looped keyboard beat over some smooth lyrics and melodies.

75) Juice WRLD - “Lucid Dreams”

I cannot change you so I must replace you

Still unclear how this *isn’t* a Post Malone song.

74) Tancred - “Queen Of New York”

Own the city.

73) We Were Sharks - “Drop The Act”

Ohhhhh, I love this production.

72) Cloud Nothings - “Leave Him Now”

This band continues to possess all of the melodic fury (and the Russell Westbrook of drummers).

71) Childish Gambino - “Summertime Magic”

Wasn’t big on “This Is America”*, so Glover releasing an ode to the best season as an alternative selection helped.

(* - at least not the song; vid was interesting)

70) The 1975 - “Love It If We Made It”

The 1975 are one of those bands where liking them makes you feel like an alien because everyone else either loves or dogs them. I’m keepin’ this casual, aight?

Also, since all writers are contractually obligated, we must mention the “Fucking in a car, shooting heroin” line which opens the song.

69) Kississippi - “Cut Yr Teeth”

Saw this band play in a classroom at a high school (google “BLED FEST”) in Michigan in May of 2018. They were fun, diverse, and covered Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle”. This tune is a little more serious and locked in.

68) Muncie Girls - “Picture Of Health”

Every part of this song is well-written, but it all builds to a massive chorus.

67) Justin Timberlake f/ Chris Stapleton - “Say Something”

There was a time, in January 2018, when not a ton of music had dropped yet, and this song was everywhere. It was like the dead-of-winter equivalent to the Song of the Summer. This one definitely gets docked some points for what I’d call weak lyricism. You can tell both dudes were way into it though, which does help make up for it some.

66) Interpol - “The Rover”

As speedy as I’ve ever heard Interpol; pretty unskippable.

65) Dashboard Confessional - “Catch You”

Imagine if this were the only Dashboard song you’d ever heard. You’d think they were, like, happy. Our protagonist has a trustworthy assurance that should put you at ease.

64) Gulfer - “Secret Stuff”

No singing on this list will alienate you faster than the first eight seconds of this one.

63) Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - “Talking Straight”

Though this feels like two band names in one, RBCF know exactly what they’re doing as it pertains to the actual songwriting. This would fit right in during the mid-2000s garage/indie rock boom; could listen to the chorus on a loop.

62) Rita Ora f/ Cardi B, Bebe Rexha & Charli XCX - “Girls”

This song has the unique distinction of being think pieced and outraged cycled before I even got a chance to hear a second of it. The case:

Now, it goes without saying that the best people to explain why this song feels damaging and hurtful to queer women are queer women themselves – girls who kiss girls whether they’ve been gulping back Malbec or not. “A song like this just fuels the male gaze while marginalizing the idea of women loving women,” wrote Hayley Kiyoko on Twitter. Kehlani said it has “many awkward slurs, quotes, and moments”. MUNA’s Katie Gavin noted that in ‘Girls’ she hears “the familiar chorus that women’s sexuality is something to be looked at instead of authentically felt”.

To her credit, Ora apologized the very same day that piece came out (PUN INTENDED). What’s weird is the idea of this song being problematic made me like it more. It gives the sexual flippancy of the chorus authenticity. I don’t know, man -- this stuff is complicated.

Not complicated? Cardi B’s awful green screen cameo featuring cheap looking special effects.

/shakes head in disappointment 

61) Eminem f/ Ed Sheeran - “River”

Though not apples to apples -- since he’s not spitting -- we shall remember this as the time Ed Sheeran > Eminem in a song.

Marshall remains our unquestioned king of the ‘relationship dysfunction’ genre.

60) Culture Abuse - “Calm E”

Everyone’s getting back together

The writers of the perfect and generational “Dream On” continue to stay in the mellow lane with their subsequent releases. When you can pull off both, why not?

59) Brian Fallon - “Silence”

Fallon covers -- /checks notes --  Marshmello f/ Khalid, but it really could be an original. Dude really knows how to pick ‘em. I remember hearing this randomly at Shinto (a sushi/hibachi place) in Naperville; don’t remember if it was this or the original. Such a moving chorus.

58) Okkervil River - “Don’t Move Back To LA”

Gotta appreciate the persistent sentiment -- even though it’d be the opposite of my advice. Also took about 99.9% of the year for me to stop calling this band “Overkill” River in my head.

57) Natalie Prass - “Short Court Style”

Uber catchy and with a real groove.

56) The Interrupters - “She’s Kerosene”

2018 Rancid, down to the raspy-ish singing from Aimee Allen.

55) boygenius - “Me & My Dog”

When I heard Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and someone named Lucy Dacus were forming a super group, I was stoked. This tune was the one that jived the most with my vision of the project. Amazingly sick harmonies, dropping elbows on your heart like a professional wrestler, and introspection on introspection.

I wanna be emaciated I wanna hear one song without thinking of you I wish I was on a spaceship Just me and my dog and an impossible view

So, so, so, so good.

54) Shack Wes - “Mo Bamba”

How do you explain “Mo Bamba” to someone who doesn’t like rap? How do you explain “Mo Bamba” to someone who does like rap? I don’t know, but I am Teddy Bridgewater now.

53) Lil Dicky f/ Chris Brown, Ed Sheeran, DJ Khaled & Kendall Jenner - “Freaky Friday”

If you thought Rita Ora’s “Girls” was messy, allow me to introduce you to our last bad rap song on the list. Actually, maybe the Virginia Tech women’s lacrosse team would be a better candid--OHHHHH LADIES NO!!!!!!!!11111111

So yeah, whether it’s the most lightning rod word in American history, cultural appropriation, reverse cultural appropriation, or even just a good ol’ “I Blame Chris Brown” take, this attempt at comedy hip-hop got put under a microscope for all the right and wrong reasons. No one came out unscathed. But, like Ora’s song, if you can ignore some components (read: nearly everything), it’s so god damn fun, man. I mean, Dicky and Chris Brown swapped bodies -- pretty nuts. And it’s rare for an MVP line to be “How his dick staying perched up on his balls like that?”

52) Jay Rock f/ Kendrick Lamar, Future & James Blake - “King’s Dead”

I gotta go get it- I gotta go get it- I gotta go get it- I gotta go get it

The back half of the Future verse is the worst part about this song... yet the most fun to talk about. He raps auto-tuned, in falsetto... and these are the lyrics:

La di da di da, slob on me knob Pass me some syrup, fuck me in the car La di da di da, mothafuck the law Chitty chitty bang, murder everything

What a disgrace. Yet, almost like a whimsy 2 Chainz verse, it’s really fucking memorable.

51) Soccer Mommy - “Your Dog”

Noticeably good bassline? Check. Skin crawlingly bad band name? Check. Cool swearing? Yup.

50) Vince Staples - “FUN!”

Vince could rap his way out a bottomless pit; floating elevation flow.

49) Dan + Shay - “Tequila”

Tried so hard to get this one next to “Shitty Margarita”. Genuinely love this song. Maybe it’s the mountains in the music video, but that chorus just soars.

48) Meg Myers - “Numb”

Look up in the air and see this tidal wave chorus crashing through the world in slow motion.

47) The Penske File - “Fairgrounds”

My new working theory -- which really feels more like fact -- is how cool lyrics with the phrase “Meet me...” are. It creates this aura of unknown, mystery, and maybe even danger; like anything could happen if you just agree. Here are some from songs just off the top of my head:

Meet me by the lake

Meet me at the reservoir

Meet me in Montauk

Meet me in the middle (more on that one later)

Meet me in the back

Meet me at midnight

The list goes on. So please say “yes” to The Penske File at the fairgrounds, won’t you?

46) Lil Wayne f/ Swizz Beatz - “Uproar”

Weezy goes this entire song only using “oh” rhymes; not sure how he does it. Sometimes, I listen to this and pretend I’m a buffalo.

45) Cardi B - “Be Careful”

Cardi sampled Lauryn (wayyyyyyyy more on this later) and made it work. The chorus always sticks with me, and though the verses have a few bumps along the way, they might even be better.

44) Elway - “Crowded Conscience”

Elway pulls up their roots in this All Colorado Everything lyric video, and you’ll be ready to tap the Rockies when the singalong chorus finishes.

43) Pkew Pkew Pkew - “Passed Out”

A punk rock drinking song with a real bummer of a chorus for how happy the theme itself comes across.

42) Joyce Manor - “I Think I’m Still In Love With You”

I have no scientific proof, but Barry’s lyrics seem to be getting worse and worse. The drug references are still there, sure, but there’s an almost elementary simplicity to the proceedings. Still, like “Heart Tattoo”, this song doesn’t get in its own way and takes advantage of the basic words to create a big, big hook. You sing along even though it feels too easy at times.

41) Alkaline Trio - “Throw Me To The Lions”

So much desperation in the chorus; this could work as their last ever song.

40) The Bombpops - “Dear Beer”

My favorite opening line on this whole list -- the sweet and simple “I’m about to hit send / I’m waiting for the weekend”. Before you know it, a full blown self-loathing chorus. It’s got it all.

39) Foxing - “Lambert”

In quiet awe listening to this masterpiece of a song. Saw this band way up close in 2018 -- here is a picture:

Hello, Foxing

38) Lucero - “To My Dearest Wife”

Civil War soldier or rigorous rock and roll touring schedule? Either way, the Lucero singer misses his wife and family, and he’s gonna let you know they’re on his mind. I saw them open for Frank Turner in 2018, and he played their new album front to back -- before it had been released -- as their entire set because “I promised to do this when drunk on Instagram”. Gotta respect a man with principles.

37) BlocBoy JB f/ Drake - “Look Alive”

Favorite Drake hook of the year. BlocBoy JB... less necessary. Also kinda crazy to think we didn’t know who producer Tay Keith was at the beginning of 2018; definitely made his impression felt by the end.

36) The Front Bottoms - “Tie Die Dragon”

As psychedelic as I’ll ever get. Unless it’s, like, The Beatles. But that’s different.

35) The Lawrence Arms - “Laugh Out Loud”

Released on their Best Of record (legitimately titled “We Are The Champions Of The World) and an “Oh! Calcutta!” b-side from 2006, TLA prove even their leftovers can be a main course.

34) Tinashe f/ Future - “Faded Love”

I know he’s a rapper and she’s a singer, but nothing is more illustrative of how much harder women have to work compared to men than the 1:36 mark when Tinashe sensually sings “Let’s just feel this feeling”, doubled with Feature’s auto-tuned ass doing the exact same thing, only 10x worse. Not enough to taint the song, even a little. His verse, however...

33) Chance The Rapper - “65th & Ingleside”

Chance -- who almost always makes the correct choices -- did this super annoying thing where he released a bunch of songs in single batches in 2018.

“But Bobby, he gave you tons of free music! Why are you complaining?!”

Because we couldn’t easily sequence it, bruh. Look at this shit!:

Not even Drake would pull this stunt. EP next time, Chano.

Anyway.

Fun lines, really contagious beat, and a few types of flows; he spazzes at the end.

32) Complainer - “Drunk (Again)”

Gotta love when a song can’t start until multiple beer cans crack. These guys are a tiny band inspired-by-but-better-than Jeff Rosenstock, and I hope they get so much more traction.

31) ScHoolboy Q f/ Kendrick Lamar, Saudi & 2 Chainz - “X”

I LIVE ON TEN

Always read this title as the letter X even though the word “ten” is used 40 times in the song.

30) KIDS SEE GHOSTS (Kanye West & Kid Cudi) - “Reborn”

From Kanye’s only useful project in 2018 comes “Reborn”. Luckily, it’s mainly Cudi on this track (chorus/bridge/a verse). It feels like Ohio’s son is breaking through... or breaking out; verging on real triumph over his demons. Kanye, meanwhile, is surprisingly understated (read: good) and fits into all of his parts like a non-OJ glove. The sparing use of Yeezy reminds me of how the master himself used to feature people like Chief Keef just enough to harness the talent but not enough to ruin the song or do too much. Those alpha days appear to be way in the rearview now.

29) Travis Scott f/ Drake, Swae Lee & Big Hawk - “SICKO MODE”

Stacey Dash, most of these girls ain’t got a clue

This joins “Mo Bamba” in the Top 2 of Rap Songs That Need To Be Played At All Parties In The Year 2018. While “Bamba” is more consistent -- seriously, “SICKO MODE” is four songs in one -- almost nothing tops hearing the start of this and immediately anticipating the rest (like the opening of “Tuesday” when that was hot). The third part is probably my favorite. #likealight

28) SOB X RBE f/ Zacari & Kendrick Lamar - “Paramedic!”

Our third selection from the “Black Panther” soundtrack. Second favorite beat of 2018; I can’t not move the second it drops.

27) Drug Church - “Unlicensed Hall Monitor”

Favorite guitar leads of 2018. It’s as sleek as the vocals are gruff.

26) Matt And Kim - “FOREVER”

Was a dead tie between this and the equally emotional “Youngest I Will Be”. But this one has a vid -- and they make the best vids. This song also references the 1992 Dream Team. Our world will never be shit if they stay a part of it; first time I’ve came close to tearing up so far. These two inspire.

25) The Ramblin’ Boys Of Pleasure - “Joyce Jawbreaker”

Speaking of turrs, my band of 14 years released our maybe last song ever in 2018. Written in Maine, titled for Joyce Manor and Jawbreaker, and about lost love, Chicago, futures, playing music with your brothers, tiny hands, and found love. We also did a video:

24) Ariana Grande f/ Nicki Minaj - “the light is coming”

I really, truly am not excluding “thank u, next” to be contrarian. While I agree that is her defining song of 2018 -- and biggest hit to date? -- “the light is coming” is so much more unique. It goes in so many directions while the hook ties the rope around you a hundred times. Yep, I’m right.

23) Laura Jane Grace & The Devouring Mothers - “Apocalypse Now (& Later)”

Wish I could forever keep this song’s opening line as my mantra: You make me walk away from the hate I carry.

22) Restorations - “Nonbeliever”

Another band that should be bigger, so they can always be free to do anything they want. This song will always boil down to this part, which captures the push and pull of 2018 America:

I love your protest lines Oh, but who has the time? We all saw the same thing at the same time, okay? Got a partner for starters And a kid on the way Can’t be doing all this dumb shit no more

For how crass, clumsy, and non-rhyming that concludes, the song itself ends dire.

21) The Get Up Kids - “I’m Sorry”

One of my favorite videos of 2018. Similar to “Apocalypse Now (& Later)”, I’m not sure if it’s about a love interest or a kid. Does it matter? No. But it does to me.

20) Antarctigo Vespucci - “Freakin’ U Out”

A band name for the ages. With Chris Farren (of Fake Problems) on vox and Jeff Rosenstock on instruments, this song could power a car -- or at least one person who didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.

19) Bayside - “It Don’t Exist”

Anthony Raneri has a new grill, but this song feels 50 years old. A classic in real time.

18) The Carters - “APESHIT”

Is this artsy, all-time vid somewhat undermined by the Migos ad libs?

Yes.

/makes note to maybe dress up like this for Halloween next year

17) Post Malone f/ 21 Savage - “rockstar”

This song is so good -- albeit misogynist and also bad -- it makes me genuinely eager for a 21 Savage verse. And though I love any bars relating to his 12-car garage...

my favorite 21 savage quirk is his yearly 12 car garage updates:

2016: “why you got a 12 car garage?”

2017: “they like ‘savage why you got a 12 car garage / and you only got 6 cars?’”

2018: “why you got a 12 car garage? / cause i bought 6 new cars”

(via @ottergawd)

...his intro line is just so, so terrible: “I've been in the Hills fuckin' superstars / Feelin' like a popstar”. You know that’s... not really a rhyme, right?

16) Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness - “Ohio”

/will always, always death stare that dumb name to start any Andy section

Ah, but if we did start with a lyric?

Katie’s counting crows

This song is about leaving the worst state for one of the best. But if we’re doing that, why do we feel so melancholy?

15) Kendrick Lamar & SZA - “All The Stars”

You've gotta be mesmerizing to make Kung Fu Kenny look pedestrian, but SZA's galactic hook does just that.

14) Frank Turner - “1933″

Frank isn’t from here, but he’s setting out to remind us of where this all began.

13) The Wonder Years - “Sister Cities”

As far as pop punk legacies are concerned, The Wonder Years’ is secure. There is no longer necessity to churn out bangers; they’re already on the Mount Rushmore. Still, they go. Every part of this song is essential: the build up verses, blown out chorus, Panic! At The Disco 2005-era hi-hat off-time drum transitions, end-of-the-rope bridge. The true standout is the closing of V2:

I'm guarded like I'm wounded, my first instinct's always “run” I wanna turn to steam I wanna call it off I wanna lighten the dark I wanna swallow the sun

Good guitar leads add even extra.

12) YG f/ 2 Chainz, Big Sean & Nicki Minaj - “BIG BANK”

“Alexa, what does big bank do to little bank?”

The highlight line from each:

YG: “Ayy, I set the bar, I'm the fuckin' bar / Look in the sky, I'm a fuckin' star / I don't fall in love 'cause I be lovin' hard / Do everything like my shirt, extra large”

2 Chainz: “Big shit like a dinosaur did it”

Big Sean: “I'm rare as affordable health care”

Nicki: “Told em' I met Slim Shady, bagged a Em / Once he go black, he'll be back again”

Let this also be remembered as the song that created a Madden controversy.

11) Dean Summerwind - “Parked By The Lake”

What is there to say about the legend that is Dean Summerwind? With only one song on Spotify, he’s batting a clean 1.000. Calling this genius feels like an understatement. It’s real, it’s parody, it’s persistent, it’s ours.

10) The Dirty Nil - “Bathed In Light”

The Canadian Local H. Reaaaaaaaally wanna see them live in 2019.

9) oso oso - “gb/ol h/nf”

I stylized oso oso as “Oso Oso” last year to stick it to their frontman Jade, but a year later, I’ve lost the energy. Blame Ariana Grande. This song -- which stands for “goodbye old love, hello new friend”* -- has my favorite chorus of the year. It’s so simple, it’s obvious: “But I still come through, when you want / And if I serve no use, where do I get my purpose from?”

Also, this is indie/pop/punk/rock’s version of “SICKO MODE”: got more parts than “The Wire”.

(* - had to look that up multiple times in 2018 and never retained, despite it being the bridge of the song... I didn’t notice)

8) Kacey Musgraves - “Space Cowboy”

If any song *survives* the existence of this list, I hope it’s this one. Kacey has this predictable-yet-surprising way of taking existing tropes and co-opting them with her own twist. Homegirl is like the Jim Nantz of pop/country in that way.

7) Direct Hit! - “Welcome To Heaven”

This song makes me want to die to, you know, check. Blustering chorus, fascinating premise, and charged up while simultaneously patient/in control.

6) FIDLAR f/ The 90s - “Are You High?”

This not being on Spotify was one of the worst non-Michigan football things to happen to me in 2018. Man, I hate Michigan football.

5) Drake - “Nice For What”

- My favorite beat of 2018 (New Orleans bounce, ftw)

- My favorite release of 2018 - Drizzy said it would drop on a Friday - We were thinking morning or midday (not late evening, in the last remaining hours of the day, when were were faded and had waited so long it was almost forgotten -- it hit perfect) - On top of that, he also sampled Lauryn Hill’s “Ex-Factor” -- the same week Cardi B did the same -- with even more pulsating results - I will always interpret that as a real or sneak diss, yet no one I know has ever said anything

- My buddy Josh sent a selfie vid of him and his girl and some friends bopping to it; I’ll remember that forever; the moment felt like such an event, as if the world simultaneously celebrated at such an atypical time

- Drake deserves 30% less credit for this female empowerment anthem because of the “these hoes” sample

- Maybe a Top 5 Drake song, all-time

- There is no planet, solar system, or multiverse where 2018 Drake finishes ahead of 2018 Pusha T

4) Pusha T - “The Story Of Adidon”

You are hiding a child.

Let’s not mince words: this is the No. 2 greatest diss track of all time. Pac is No. 1 -- this will not be debated. From there, Nas is DQ’d for “Ether” homophobia, annnnnnd no one else is in the realm. King Push...

- Unearthed a photo of Drake in blackface and uses it as the art for the song - Goes at Drake’s mom (”Marriage is something that Sandi never had...”) - Goes at Drake’s dad (”Dennis Graham stay off the 'gram, bitch, I'm on one”) - Outs Drake for having a child (and hiding said child!*) - Goes at Drake’s baby momma - And -- /gulp -- goes at Drake’s longtime producer 40 for having multiple sclerosis, suggesting he will not be alive soon**

He does this over “The Story Of O.J.” beat... a rather chill backdrop, all things considered.

(* - Drake responded later with the line “I wasn’t hiding my kid from the world, I was hiding the world from my kid” which just isn’t cool at all but is competent enough to win some people back over; /barf)

(** - HOLY FUCK***)

(*** - much debate occurred in the aftermath regarding if Push “went too far”; I was 50-50 at the time but now am 100-0 that it was the right choice; this song is cyanide venom, so why pull back even an ounce?)

Though Drake survived -- turns out the mainstream pop boost is bigger than hip-hop beef -- he took the fattest of L’s on this one.

Really can’t decide on a lyrical ending, so I’m gonna go with two:

Surgical summer.

If we all go to hell, it’ll be worth it.

3) Spanish Love Songs - “Buffalo Buffalo”

In my head, this was gonna end up ahead of The Menzingers, but that would be like putting Greta Van Fleet ahead of Zeppelin. Spanish Love Songs were my breakout band of 2018. They released my favorite album, I saw them as an opener at Sub-T in Chicago, and I promised their bassist I’d see them in Florida at the Fest (this did not materialize). While their vocals and guitar leads sound identical to Scranton’s finest, if you listen to them as much as I did, you’ll realize they offer a sound and perspective* of their own as well.

(* - no one hates themselves more than this singer)

2) The Menzingers - “Toy Soldier”

There’s so much to be sad about these days

/that guitar intro

Followed by the best musical moment of this year: from 0:06 to 0:07 -- the ever-so-slight delay before the band blows it out. Spent a lot of time in 2018 debating if I should change my Twitter bio to “I lost my accent in the plague”. Listened to this song on the floor of the living room on my 32nd birthday; then I read “The Great Gatsby”. From there (at this point, it was past midnight), I realized this sounded like The Lawrence Arms’ “Requiem Revisited”, which was inspired by Naked Raygun’s “Soldiers Requiem”. It’s all a triangle of that perfectly fitting punk chord progression. That’s right: I am Pepe Silvia.

1) Horror Squad - “I Smoke The Blood”

Best song title of 2018. Best song of 2018.

This has 729 views on YouTube -- be the 730th.

Spotify playlist.

Thank you for reading.

[steroidusr]

golden sun (chaos mode hack) part 10: “an impossible challenge”

i'm actually having a lot of fun with this hack, it's hard enough that finally becoming strong enough to beat enemies you'd been having trouble with feels really rewarding

tbh it always weirds me out when "monsters" in games look this humanoid (also her color palette is awful)

anyway time to try to beat this thing again

still not strong enough! what the fuck!

you know what, fine, im gonna level grind RIGHT HERE

this move is cool because you get to stab the enemy with a giant magical sword that appears out of nowhere

BOOM

also it explodes

Nice

okay, awesome, everyone's at level 13! can we beat that djinni now

............apparently not

JUST KIDDING I DID IT through copious save state abuse

FINALLY!!!!

now that we have two mercury djinn, we can summon...

...another anime girl! she reminds me of the time i had to participate in my high school's fall festival's "dunk a senior" game, where i had to get a huge bucket of freezing water poured on me, outdoors, in the middle of autumn, for the entertainment of tiny children. i had no say in the matter.

high school was pretty bad.

anyway now this is happening

using ply on the statue lifts you up the waterfall (yes), and then...

...teleports you to the summit? not sure how that works

there's a psynergy stone here too, but i recharge by pacing back and forth instead.

is that what that giant floating jittery ball is

h-haha, yeaaahh, about that...

(if you say yes, absolutely nobody corrects you)

.......havent we already had this exact conversation? like, at the beginning of the lighthouse?

!!

whooo's ready for another impossible boss fight

OKAY THANK YOU KRADEN

wait, what are we actually hoping to accomplish by fighting him? the mercury lighthouse's already lit, shouldn’t we be going to the next one?

how much do you wanna bet this wont really give us any advantage at all

[8:17 PM - 19 Feb 2017]

yyyyeah, that couldve gone better

Q: What is the RNG? A: Are you BLIND? Read what ive just typed above!

Q: Are you saying the RNG system doesn't do what its supposed to? A: Oh, GOD! YES that's what ive been trying to say! You are dumb.

Q: So technically its not an RNG, because it doesn't generate a RANDOM number! A: Well, if you want to put it that way... YES I suppose your right.

Q: Why are RNGs important? A: Because without the RNG many games wouldn't have any challenge to them eg. Gambling games and the such.

Q: Is the RNG really this important? Why make an FAQ about such a small aspect in a game? A: As mentioned in the above qustion, many games rely on the RNG to work. On the Golden Sun box, It states the game has "Gambling References" The RNG plays a big part in this. I guess what I am trying to say that the RNG is as important as any other aspect of Golden Sun.

Here are some of the questions regarding the Random Number Generator Flaw:

Q: So couldn't you cheat the RNG by using the same attacks to get the same rare item drops? A: hmmmmmmm......YES duh duh duh

Q: Wouldn't that be cheating? A: Yes, it would.

Q: How do you stumble upon these methods, are they easy to find? A: To find an RNG method, you either need a lot of luck or you need to hack the system. Don't ask me how to.

Q: These methods don't work!!! A: Trust me, they do. Remember you need to do hard, not soft resets, and you need to make sure you are doing everything EXACTLY the way it says on the method instructions.

this rng guide is sassy as fuck

quake... sphere? so like, a giant rock

one of the sirens just high jump kicked garet in the face. now i REALLY dont want to kill her

okay now that's just going too far

[9:45 PM - 19 Feb 2017]

and now everyone's at level 14! time to head back up and give that boss battle another shot

[we died again.]

[10:08 AM - 22 Feb 2017]

oh hey, you can keep track of your stat boosts here, that's pretty helpful

(it's totally standard yet I'm surprised GS has it)

okay, im up ridiculously early but I just finished getting everyone to lv15, let's try this again

..."this" = "this long, unskippable cutscene"

[10:32 AM - 22 Feb 2017]

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BEAT THIS

[3:18 PM - 22 Feb 2017]

we're close, but we still cant beat saturos. back to level grinding!

.....(sob)

[4:51 PM - 22 Feb 2017]

(wake me up) wake me up inside

[5:27 PM - 22 Feb 2017]

ONE DOWN, FINALLY

TWO DOWN ok healing 200hp is nice but when do we get a party-wide healing spell

[7:50 PM - 22 Feb 2017]

SOON

i swear to god if this STILL isnt enough im going to............... play something else

ok let's try this AGAIN

[9:03 PM - 22 Feb 2017]

what the FUCK

also i found this and managed to win 15 battles in a row before dying horribly. yay?

anyway, i found out while fucking around with djinn setups that if you give mia a mars djinni she can learn douse early

which you can then use to put out the fire here, letting the water freeze...

...into a pillar...? (how does that work)

........i thought this'd allow you to access a new area but i cant find anything. fuck.

[9:54 PM - 22 Feb 2017]

Fight later enemies earlier

Southwest of Vault, there is a broken bridge leading to Kalay. If you stand on the southernmost point on the tip of land a bit east of the bridge, you will fight monsters you would normally fight later. Once Ivan gets 85 HP, it becomes much easier. (Most monsters you find in this spot like 4 or 5 types, will have Normal attacks that hit on average between 45-55 damage with mostly all heavy attacks between 70-89 damage). It is highly recommended to save after each successful battle. This earns a great amount of EXP and coins this early in the game.

saturos is an asshole so I'm looking for this now

hey, it works!

death head looks very #aesthetic

[11:05 PM - 22 Feb 2017]

(cant wake up) wake me up inside

Nice

[1:55 AM - 23 Feb 2017]

it's almost two in the fucking morning but i got everyone to level 17

NEXT TIME: this shit again

[flauntpage]

Well, That Was Aggravating: Ten Takeaways from Seahawks 24, Eagles 10

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  Of course it ended on a Byron Maxwell interception.

That was the cherry on top for the most annoying game I’ve watched in at least five years. Annoying because of stops, starts, and penalties. Annoying because of Russell Wilson running backward 15 yards, then heaving the ball into the air for a defensive holding call. Annoying because Cris Collinsworth wouldn’t let the game breathe. Annoying because the Eagles left points on the board and shot themselves in the foot.

And it was an illegal forward pass. It absolutely was. The guy or guys in the booth need to tell Doug Pederson to throw the flag and the officials have to get the call right in the first place.

Watch it again for the ten millionth time:

Forward? You decide. http://pic.twitter.com/7rhLdBvKIk

— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) December 4, 2017

When you’re down by a touchdown in the fourth quarter and they convert on third and long, it’s the type of play that kills a game.

But listen, credit to Seattle for a great performance. Carson Wentz was pressured constantly and put off his game. Wilson did his thing and converted plays like the one above to move the sticks and keep the Birds’ offense off the field. It was frustrating to watch because every defensive win seemed to be followed by a backbreaker of a chunk play.

The Eagles fall to 10-2, which is where nobody had them at this point in the season, so let’s keep things in perspective. I’m fine with the “facing adversity” narrative. I think this kind of loss brings the team back down to Earth where they hit the reset button and hopefully finish strong down the stretch. Next week’s game in Los Angeles will tell us everything we need to know about this team.

  1) Key plays

There were at least seven of them that just killed the Birds.

Off the top of my head:

Carson Wentz missing Nelson Agholor wide open in the first quarter

Wentz underthrowing Agholor in the third quarter

Kenjon Barner stumbling on a failed 4th and 3

Alshon Jeffery’s blatant holding penalty in the red zone

Wentz’s fumble through the back of the end zone

Failed blitz on third and 10 Seattle touchdown pass

the forward lateral no-call

Bullet point #2 in visual form:

A good throw by Wentz and this is a TD. Two missed to Agholor tonight. http://pic.twitter.com/9fgO7EfduM

— Dan Levy (@DanLevyThinks) December 4, 2017

All of those plays were just brutal to watch unfold. Carson just didn’t seem to have it last night outside of two clutch third down conversions on the Birds’ only touchdown drive.

  2) Empty sets

If you don’t run the ball well and you’re facing the league’s best rushing defense, don’t use a running back, yeah?

We saw a lot of empty set from Seattle last night, with five receivers for Wilson to work with:

The Eagles are in nickel there, with Malcolm Jenkins in the slot and Rodney McLeod playing as a single high safety. Mychal Kendricks is lined up on a running back, J.D. McKissic, who motions inside.

Here’s how the above freeze actually played out on the field:

It’s a little five yard cross there for a big YAC gain.

Empty set is tough to defend because you usually end up with at least one matchup that you don’t like. Plus, with five receivers going out, there’s less space to operate, you know? More bodies to screen and pick and rub and drag and confuse corners and safeties. It’s also hard to blitz against because you’ve got 1v1 matchups all over the field that a veteran like Wilson will identify and pick apart.

The Birds are generally very good at getting to the quarterback in these situations, but Wilson’s ability to escape the pocket and extend plays just made it a nightmare for the secondary in coverage.

  3) Jalen Mills and Big V

No, these guys don’t have anything to do with one another, but they stood out a bit more than others in being problems for the first time this year.

Vaitai had trouble with Frank Clark on the left, who had a pair of sacks and three tackles for loss.

Mills had some issues navigating crossing/drag routes and getting caught up in traffic. He wound up on skates on a Doug Baldwin third down catch, then got left behind trying to trail Tyler Lockett on this touchdown grab:

Let's try that again.. Touchdown #Seahawks! http://pic.twitter.com/OBL7REkaXm

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) December 4, 2017

That’s not easy to defend– just a lot of junk in a small amount of space, similar to the empty set above.

These types of plays were bread and butter Eagles back in 2013. Nick Foles had a great understanding with Riley Cooper on that little matriculation and misdirection across the middle.

  4) “Shut up and tote the ball”

For the first time since coming to Philly, Jay Ajayi had more carries than LeGarrette Blount and Corey Clement. He finished with 9 for 35 yards and a long of 11.

It looked like they might have something in the running game after a somewhat slow start, but Ajayi didn’t touch the ball again after getting two carries on the touchdown drive that started in the third quarter and carried over to the fourth.

Overall, they finished with 98 yards on 26 carries, 30 of which came on six Wentz rushes.

They mostly abandoned the run while playing from behind, ending with a split around 65/35 in pass/run ratio. Seattle’s defense was stout at the line of scrimmage, but I don’t feel like the Eagles really tested their beat up secondary. Nelson Agholor had a big game, but Zach Ertz only had two grabs before leaving with concussion symptoms. Again they failed to get him involved early and he was a total non-factor before heading to the medical tent.

  5) Russell running backwards

It’s frustrating to watch Seattle operate, because you’re sitting there thinking, “what the hell is this gimmicky flag football offense?” Then you grudgingly start to accept the fact that their one-dimensional look works because Russell Wilson is just so good at what he does. It’s hard to hate on him. He makes you miss, linemen get tired and demoralized chasing after him, and corners and safeties get irritated having to cover for 6, 7 and 8 seconds on a play. That’s part of the reason why there were so many penalties on the secondary last night.

This is not C.J. Beathard, Mitch Trubisky, or Brock Osweiler at home. The Eagles played a Super Bowl winner on the road, a guy who strung out plays and just showed a ton of smarts on the night.

For what it’s worth, the Eagles did get to him a couple of times. They sandwiched him in the third quarter and forced an intentional grounding a little bit later. Schematically, there’s not a ton you can do to adjust, because while rushing three gives you another guy to drop in coverage, you’re still not forcing him to get rid of the ball any faster. And on the one time the Eagles brought a ton of pressure, he identified a mismatch on a deep flag pattern and burned the Birds for a touchdown.

On a play like this, they force him from the pocket and Mychal Kendricks picks up his assignment, the running back, coming out of the backfield. But Wilson just rolls right, points his RB inside, and dinks it to him for a huge gain:

He’s just a pain in the ass to play against.

  6) The “12th man”

Hard to say if the crowd played a factor in the loss since I’m sitting here watching the game in Fishtown.

There were a few instances where the Eagles didn’t get their snaps off until right before the play clock went, and one of those times Seattle tee’d off on Wentz for a sack. Maybe the noise had something to do with the confusion before halftime as well, but I really don’t know.

I just find it hard to believe that a bunch of coffee-drinking hipsters would be more raucous than a true “blue collar” and “lunch pail” type of city like Philadelphia.

  7) Officiating

It was Carolina-esque, but not as lopsided.

I’m not sure about that pass interference on Ronald Darby, but the dumb holding call on Alshon Jeffery was correct. I also felt like the late hit on Kenjon Barner’s punt return could/should have been flagged.

Another shitty call was this, which the Eagles’ challenged and lost, inexplicably:

Not a first down. Got it. http://pic.twitter.com/3yP1Z3I8eI

— Eagles Fan Problems (@EagleFanProbs) December 4, 2017

They also missed a blatant holding call on Beau Allen when Corey Graham was whistled for defensive holding on the same play:

Refs had no problem calling a hold on the Eagles on this play. But apparently didn’t see that Beau Allen was put in a choke hold on the same play. http://pic.twitter.com/KgkihJ9Rbl

— Patrick (@PatrickMCausey) December 4, 2017

Allen is mugged, Wilson spins backward 15 yards, and we’re playing backyard bullshit football again.

In fairness, there were some bad calls against Seattle, too. Darby clearly got a hand inside a receiver’s facemask on a play where he failed to get his head turned around and locate the ball. So that made up for at least one crap call against the Eagles.

  8) Doug’s worst call?

Not challenging the illegal forward pass is on the guy(s) upstairs. I think Kyle and I disagreed on that, but it’s not entirely a black and white issue. The guy(s) with replay access have to give Doug a concrete yes or no. It can’t be, “well, maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t.” So Kyle is right, ultimately it’s Doug’s call, but if the booth dudes are watching the same shit we’re watching, then you need to be in his ear screaming for him to throw the flag.

Now, let’s recap the moment right before halftime:

3rd and 2, Corey Clement pitch right for 0 yards. No real issues with the play call, might have preferred a downhill run there

let the clock run, become confused, then waste a timeout

punt

Seattle kneels down and we go into halftime

On one hand, they were getting the ball back to start the second half. Failing the fourth down conversion allows Seattle about 2 plays to try to get into field goal position. So I get that side of it.

But it just felt very conservative by Doug’s standards. And when you’re used to going for it all the time, and that being part of your rhythm and mindset, it just felt wrong overall.

  9) Doug’s best call?

Despite what I literally just wrote above, I thought Doug made the right decision not to go for it on 4th and 1 on the very first drive, just for the fact that it was still too early in the game and the field position wasn’t totally ideal. If they’re 10 yards further up the field, I say go for it every time, and he probably would have. But the defense held, Seattle punted, and they reclaimed position right around the Seahawks’ 40-something yard line, so it ended up working out.

No problem on the first challenge, which I linked above. The refs got it wrong.

That’s about it. Whatever. Doug didn’t have his best game.

  10) Flannel and jeans

Did you catch the Alice in Chains song on a first quarter bump shot? I appreciate the shout out to Seattle grunge. NBC did it again in the second quarter, too. The first song was “Man in the Box” and the second was “Rooster.” Pearl Jam made it on there later with “Even Flow.” Somebody in the production booth had good taste in music.

Seattle grunge rankings:

Soundgarden

AIC

(big gap)

Pearl Jam

Nirvana

Honorable mentions to Mudhoney and Screaming Trees and Candlebox, etc.

Yeah, Nirvana probably had the biggest influence on music, but their discography doesn’t stack up to AIC or Soundgarden. And I like Pearl Jam, always have, but I don’t worship them like the rest of Philly does. We’ve always had this thing for Pearl Jam, Springsteen, and Bon Jovi that I never understood.

  Well, That Was Aggravating: Ten Takeaways from Seahawks 24, Eagles 10 published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

[thedragonsteaparty]

I wrote a post about Overwatch the other day (when I say the other day I mean 2 weeks ago, oops, time flies when you’re addicted to Overwatch, bear with me it comes up a lot in this post too) and how I’ve been playing as Mei, Tracer, and (as a relatively new addition) Mercy most frequently. Thinking back to when I wrote that post I felt kind of guilty because I realised that I hadn’t mentioned any male characters, or even actually tried any myself yet and I’m supposed to be a gaming blogger! When I first started the game, and went to pick my hero I immediately looked at all the female heroes first, I did look at the male heroes but very briefly. I’ll do this in other games too, I will very rarely play as a male character when I have the choice and if I do it will be because I have completed the game as a female character and want to see if there are any subtle differences in playing a male character (this is usually in RPGs like Dragon Age and Neverwinter Nights where relationships with other characters can be affected subtlety by this).

I don’t know why I do this, I’ve thought of a few potential reasons and if you tend to always choose the same gender in video games (men too!) as well then I’d love to hear if any of my thoughts below resonate with you or if you have any thoughts of your own about it. Let me know in the comments!

Let me just say first of all that I have no problem at all playing as a male character, I play a male protagonist by default in most of the games I play: Legend of Zelda, Far Cry, Bioshock, God of War, Doom, The Witcher, Dying Light, Shadow of Mordor, the vast majority of Final Fantasy games… to name just a few, and I love those games! (OK so I’m struggling a little with Final Fantasy, playing as Tidus Daddy Issues McLeatherLeherhosen really drained me of JRPG enjoyment and I need to reset a little before I attempt another.) So maybe the reason I always choose a woman when I have the choice is because I’m sick of playing as a guy and when I can be a woman I leap at the chance? As annoying as it is to have to say this in the year 2017 it does feel refreshing to have a female protagonist sometimes.

On the other hand, maybe the answer is simple and it’s just that I am a woman, therefore I identify more with female protagonists so I enjoy playing as them more. Even if they don’t talk and I’m just identifying with them aesthetically. When I was playing Portal I didn’t really think about what gender my character was, they don’t make reference to it and I just assumed I was a floating gun, it was only when I saw Chell’s reflection (well not a reflection, herself through a portal… Can’t be bothered to try and explain but you know what I mean hopefully) that not only did I have a body but the body belonged to a woman! Just knowing that kind of shifted my attitude towards the game from what had already been incredibly positive to ‘Hell yeah, this game is incredible’.

Moving onto my more feministy part of this post, I can remember numerous times throughout my life where I’ve been at someone’s house and they’ve had a multiplayer game on, usually one that I haven’t played before (Injustice, FIFA and WWF spring to mind here) and they’ve asked if I want to play against them. I would always go with a female character because like I said before, I like playing as a woman, but more often than not I would lose. This was partly because I hadn’t played the games before so was not used to them and partly because I find that female characters in fighting/sporty games are usually underpowered, or they used to be anyway, this is a while ago that I’m talking about so I’m not sure about nowadays. My choice of character before the game even began though would usually be remarked on with a comment along the lines of “oh you don’t want to be them, they’re terrible”, I can remember someone laughing because I chose the female football team in FIFA (it may not have been FIFA it might have been a different football game, I don’t remember but I don’t know any other football games off the top of my head) once to play against them, they told me they were a terrible team and I asked why, were the stats different? What was it that made them bad? Had they tried to play them before? Did they actually do very badly IRL and that was reflected in the way they were played in the game? The answer I got was simply “they’re just shit”, that made me more determined to beat them and prove that the female team were not worthless. Unfortunately, having never played FIFA before and understanding nothing about the rules of football I lost anyway. Whether the female team genuinely was terrible in the game due to their given stats or if the person I asked just didn’t know because they’d never tried to play as them I don’t know. This sort of thing has happened a lot though over the years with those sorts of games and it always fuels my feminist side, makes me want to shout GIRL POWER and obliterate my opponent with the girliest character I can find. So, thinking about it like that maybe the reason I always pick a woman is a subconscious, feminist fuelled, girl power stance?

Came across this delightful piece of bullshit as I was trying to find pictures of female FIFA players https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C05irL2Q2pY. Apparently they just look like men in the game anyway because of the graphics so they may as well just not have women in the game at all. Idiot. It’s a huge step forward for women’s football which has far less viewers than men’s football despite them working so hard and having some brilliant players, it will make the game more accessible to women and you know what? If you don’t want to play as the female team then don’t play as the female team!!! I don’t even like football but I have a huge respect for female players… I won’t get into that now though. See this is why I have female character pride!!!

Following on from the ‘girliest character I can find’ comment above, I am very girly IRL and if there is a video game character that is wearing a pair of kick ass, neon pink heels, or a dress, or if they just look super girly  then I will go for that character (the only reason I haven’t played D.VA in Overwatch yet is because I don’t like playing as a tank but I really like her and would say she’s one of the girliest Overwatch characters). Women in video games are usually very pretty but this often means that they are also sexualised. When I was trying to find an image of Tracer from Overwatch to use on my blog some of the first pictures were just fan art of her arse, for example. Often this means that people tend to trivialise female characters (not to say Overwatch has trivialised Tracer, far from it, everyone in that game is well balanced, as it should be! Last time I mention Overwatch today, I promise!) they’re the eye candy not the character you play if you’re playing to win and, like in my previous point, that is another aspect that would make me determined to say “No, this girl is awesome and I will prove it to you. Just because she’s wearing mini shorts and a bikini top doesn’t mean she can’t kick ass”. I don’t have a problem with sexy looking characters though unless they fall into one of the following categories:

1. The ‘every woman in this game is hot’ games

Dead or Alive, fighting game turned volleyball tournament… Somehow

2. The character who is wearing something super skimpy/revealing and they are obviously meant to be the eye candy but their personality or culture just doesn’t go with it

Kimono/maxi skirt to hot pants and crop top… Bit of a jump

3. Skimpily dressed characters that are in a war/space/apocalypse/zombie/etc setting and they are in a chainmail bikini or something that would just make it impossible for them to survive in that environment dressed in that way

It’s truly incredible that she is able to fight monsters on a daily basis and survive wearing this. Not going to lie, really like those boots though

If a character looks sexy but there is a personality behind it then I think that’s fine, I don’t like to make judgements on anyone’s personality or skills based on what their gender is or what they’re wearing – be they real people or people in a video game – and if they are a bit slutty then that’s OK! Each to their own! When you’re playing as them in a game though that shouldn’t be the core aspect of their personality. I have been told that I have been brainwashed to think that it’s OK to have slutty looking characters (that was an interesting conversation) but I like to think that I am just open to everyone being able to look the way they want and that your abilities should not be judged on if you chose to wear a mini skirt or a pair of jeans today, maybe that’s just what I’ve been told to think though… Will I wake up soon from the fake feminist Matrix controlled by the Anti-woman corporation and escape into the real world? Tune in next time to find out.

  I got a little side tracked there with my rant at the end but there you go. My reasoning for not playing male characters. Let me know in the comments which gender you usually go with, is it your own? Do you mix it up? Do you play as the opposite gender? Do you think that it even affects your choice at all? I’m very interested to know if this is just me or if it’s something that everyone does to an extent.

Gaming Like a Girl I wrote a post about Overwatch the other day (when I say the other day I mean 2 weeks ago, oops, time flies when you're addicted to Overwatch, bear with me it comes up a lot in this post too) and how I’ve been playing as Mei, Tracer, and (as a relatively new addition) Mercy most frequently.

[thebewisepodcast]

Russia Preparing For a Major Split by Claire Bernish

As relations with the West continue to deteriorate - and the potential for crushing sanctions remains tangible - President Vladimir Putin has begun preparing to release Russia from the crushing grip of the international banking system completely, by moving to a nationalist model based and conducting transactions with allies in gold. In short, Russia has plans to abandon central banks and the dollar - if, indeed, shit hits the fan.  

Russia isn't alone - the move away from the much-maligned, Western-centric international banking cartels toward a system less dependent on massive banks comprises a new plan for BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) and their allies to vacate the almighty dollar and assert independence.

 For Putin, the bulk issue pertains to the Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, or SWIFT, system - which allows for speedy and secure financial transfers worldwide - and threats from the United States and its allies to cut Russian banks from access.

"In layman's terms," Matthew Allen reports, "SWIFT allows for fast and (allegedly) secure international financial transfers.

 In fifty years when you are able to use your Bank of America debit card on the Moon (for a low fee of 2,000 moon rubles), it will be because of SWIFT or a system similar to it."

Economists have repeatedly warned of possible perils in eliminating Russia from the SWIFT system, but in 2014 - when the U.S. imposed sanctions against Moscow - Putin decided not to take any chances and began working on a system more insular and secure for the country and its allies.

 Ewald Nowotny, policymaker for the European Central Bank, warned in 2015 cutting Russia out of SWIFT would be,

"very problematic because it could perhaps undermine confidence in this system," and, were that to occur, it "could of course affect all companies that do business in Russia."

Indeed, a recent report boasts any effort to oust Russia from SWIFT would have little effect on the nation's financial situation, stating,

"If the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) is shut down in Russia, the country's banking system will not crash, according to Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina.

 Russia has a substitute.

'There were threats that we can be disconnected from SWIFT. 

 We have finished working on our own payment system, and if something happens, all operations in SWIFT format will work inside the country. We have created an alternative,' Nabiullina said at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.

"She also added that 90 percent of ATMs in Russia are ready to accept the Mir payment system, a domestic version of Visa and MasterCard."

Reports in January 2016 revealed some 330 Russian banks had moved to the nation's alternative to SWIFT - SPFS, the 'system for transfer of financial messages.'

 Additionally,

"Moscow and Beijing took another step towards de-dollarization with the opening of a yuan clearing bank in Russia. 

 And earlier this month Russia's Central Bank opened its first-ever foreign branch in Beijing to allow for better communication between Russian and Chinese financial authorities," Russia Insider reports.

 "The financial regulatory authorities of China and Russia have signed a series of major agreements, which marks a new level of financial cooperation,"asserted Dmitry Skobelkin, deputy head of the Russian Central Bank.

As the U.S. Federal Reserve, Bank of England, and other major financial players continue trade in non-physical currency - and, particularly, in metals futures speculation and other riskier practices - buying large quantities of physical gold has become a major priority for BRICS and other nations.

 Central banks have been accused of manipulating the system in various ways to ensure the dollar stays atop the world's financial dealings.

 But resentment mushroomed, and for many nations not privy to the West's auspices, abandoning the dollar has become an utmost, if odious, priority.

 BRICS initiatives,

"to set up a new financial architecture at its eighth summit held in October 2016 in India have recently been under the spotlight.

 In order to avoid the International Monetary Fund (IMF) type of loan conditionalities and tackle the dominance of the United States (US) dollar in global finance, the new institutions set up by the BRICs are expected to provide a much needed change in the global financial architecture. 

 These institutions include,

the New Development Bank (NDB)

the BRICS-led Contingency Reserve Fund (CRF)

the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)," 

...a recent report on the alliance states.

If the U.S. moves to expel Russia from SWIFT - or if Russia acts first to do the same - the planet would be thrust into economic catastrophe and chaos.

 As Mac Slavo writes for SHTFplan.com,

"The Rothschild presence in Russia has been challenged.

 Soros-front NGOs have been kicked out, and it seems that only all out war will ever settle these power plays for the dominance or death of the U.S. petrodollar, which is ultimately controlled by the same few hands that steer and control the central banks of nearly all the world's nations. 

 Only by stealth and monotony have these activities remained in the shadows."

Now, it seems the list of nations remaining obstinately if understandably disconnected from the current, insidious Western central banking system - and its darling petrodollar - appears curiously to mirror of the list of countries currently embroiled in military conflict or searing tensions with the United States.

 While Russia and the other BRICS nations prep for theoretical expulsion from SWIFT, a major transformation of the seats of power appears to be taking form - but, as to be expected, any shift away from the status quo does not go unobserved.

 Slavo cautions, 

"even with this massive and explosive changes in the works, those who control the finances are well aware of the shifts that are taking place, and are in position to reassert their leverage over humanity through new systems, and new centers of power."

 "Curiously, it cannot be denied that Russia has been a player in the international framework that has been erected. They have been equal partners in covert research and experimentation, and for all the animosity with the U.S., it has also played a willing dance partner for much of what has been going on during the past century."

When it comes to the world of international finance, however, prior diplomatic coordination is of little import.

 Putin knows as well as any world leader such a massive shifting of power will not happen overnight - even if the U.S. and the West boot Russia from SWIFT.

 But Russia will be ready when it does...

            Russia Readies Back-up System for Potentially Explosive...

"Split with International Banking System" by Mac Slavo March 24, 2017 from SHTFplan Website

        The grand order of things could be undergoing some major overhauls.

 To put it more bluntly, a war to reset the global financial order is about to be unleashed.

 Preparations inside Russia are being made in case the ultimate banking sanctions are placed on them, cutting off commerce inside the all-encompassing Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecomm SWIFT system - which runs credit, debt, and banking card transactions across a real time global network.

 As it would be doled out by the banking elites, the price for misbehavior at the Kremlin could be ostracization from this global commerce vehicle.

 But that isn't the end of the story… Vladimir Putin is readying his people to divorce from the international banking system altogether, and start over with a nationalistic platform, backed by thousands of tons of gold, and growing alliances with,

Europe

China

the BRICS nations

the Middle East

several emerging powers

A major attempt to bring Russia under heel could result in the greatest schism the global system of finance has ever seen. 

 Then what...?

 Via Russia Insider:

Russia has successfully developed and implemented an alternative should it be excluded from international banking systems, according to a recent report.

 As far as western sanctions go, by far Russia's largest vulnerability is in its banking sector, which for better or for worse is tied to the hip with international banking.

 If Russia wishes to maintain the status quo, there's not much that can be done about this dependency. 

 But shortly after sanctions were announced in 2014, Moscow set out to prepare for the worst-case scenario: 

being cut off from the Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) system. 

In layman's terms, SWIFT allows for fast and (allegedly) secure international financial transfers. 

 In fifty years when you are able to use your Bank of America debit card on the Moon (for a low fee of 2,000 moon rubles), it will be because of SWIFT or a system similar to it.

 There are two issues surrounding SWIFT "cut-off" for Russia: 

Is it likely to happen? 

Is Russia prepared for it?

…Cutting Russia from SWIFT would be a disaster.

 According to Nowotny:

Such a move "we would see as very problematic because it could perhaps undermine confidence in this system," the governor of Austria's central bank told reporters… 

 Of course, this hasn't stopped Europe and Washington from threatening to pull the SWIFT plug.

While it isn't clear if this is going to happen, threats have been made since the beginning of the issues with Crimea and Ukraine.

 And as a result, Putin has overseen the creation of a survival plan from which it could grow stronger. 

 As RT reports:

"There were threats that we can be disconnected from SWIFT. 

 We have finished working on our own payment system, and if something happens, all operations in SWIFT format will work inside the country. 

 We have created an alternative," Nabiullina said at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.

She also added that 90 percent of ATMs in Russia are ready to accept the Mir payment system, a domestic version of Visa and MasterCard.

 Izvestia daily reported that as of January 2016, 330 Russian banks had been connected to the SWIFT alternative, the system for transfer of financial messages (SPFS).

 […]

 The central bank's website says the system was established,

"as an alternative channel for interbank cooperation with the aim of ensuring the guaranteed and uninterrupted provision of services for the transmission of electronic messages on financial transactions."

Will there be economic wars, or outright World War III...? 

 Nobody knows for sure, but things could get very tense very quickly. Already, loose allegations are flying at an unprecedented rate. Somebody wants to egg this thing on.

 Russia under Putin has seen a significant challenge to a world order that has, for some time, been ultimately controlled by the central banking elite.

 The Rothschild presence in Russia has been challenged.

 Soros-front NGOs have been kicked out, and it seems that only all out war will ever settle these power plays for the dominance or death of the U.S. petrodollar, which is ultimately controlled by the same few hands that steer and control the central banks of nearly all the world's nations. 

 Only by stealth and monotony have these activities remained in the shadows.

 Indeed, the only countries left on the map which have not yielded to yoke of the central bank are the countries that are most at threat of being drawn into war:

Syria

Iran

North Korea

Cuba

With that list so close to complete, a reversal could be a real blow to global order, and to maintaining orderly deposits.

video

 If Russia moves to drop their central bank, or if they are locked out of the global SWIFT system, it will mean a thudding silence, an unprecedented reversal in the concentration of power.

 Russia has prepared to create its own SWIFT-style system as a back up system, that while it is not yet up and running, could one day rival the primary system, and which could provide a meaningful alternative for dissenters and tax evaders alike.

 But be aware that behind the scenes, even with this massive and explosive changes in the works, those who control the finances are well aware of the shifts that are taking place, and are in position to reassert their leverage over humanity through new systems, and new centers of power.

 Curiously, it cannot be denied that Russia has been a player in the international framework that has been erected. 

 They have been equal partners in covert research and experimentation, and for all the animosity with the U.S., it has also played a willing dance partner for much of what has been going on during the past century.

 Vladimir Putin has delicately and masterfully navigated these boundaries, yet he too is woven into the larger fabric. Like George H.W. Bush and the CIA, Putin is a product of the KGB, and remains permanently tied to it.

 A monetary power this total does not lose power overnight - and they are not above jumping ship.

 Only a truly decentralized, private currencies based on mutually beneficial terms for individuals and communities could dissipate that power, and that will not come as easily.

 Is the tide turning?