#so they put the money on a gamestop gift card so now i have a fucking $65 gamestop giftcard

[blazehedgehog]

So when stories about the Xbox 360 having red ring/heat problems started coming in, I began to worry that my 360 would be struck with it at the worst timing. When Microsoft began offering free repairs, there were stories about people intentionally smothering their Xbox with a blanket to force a red ring.

I seriously considered smothering my 360, but it turns out I didn't have to. For some reason my brain has latched on to the date of November 22nd, 2006 as when this happened, but my Xbox 360 red ringed itself. It was easy to blame Sonic 06 as the culprit, given I had just finished the game barely even a week earlier.

When you registered for a free red ring of death repair, what actually happened is you'd send your console in, and Microsoft would instantly ship you out somebody else's refurbished console. This kept queue times low, and it made sure they weren't hung up forever personally repairing everyone's individual console. (They asked you to remove your HDD before you sent your console in, so you could keep your saves and downloads)

So I put in the repair order and shipped my console off, expecting to get a replacement in a couple weeks. This was 2006, before everything sent you notifications about anything, so once you shipped your console, that was it. You couldn't track repair status or anything, I don't think.

A whole month passed. No Xbox. Well, okay, it's Christmas, right? Maybe they're backed up. Maybe they're on vacation. I can't really blame them for a small delay.

And I was patient. I'd bought this Xbox 360 because I'd won grand prize in a video contest on Gametrailers.com in August of 2006. The prize was $1000, spread across two different Gamestop gift cards, and I did not spend the whole thing on the Xbox. In total, I'd gotten:

An Xbox 360

Pre-ordered Sonic 2006 (the first pre-order I'd ever made, and my only 360 game)

Ninja Gaiden Black (Xbox)

Forza Motorsport (Xbox)

Spider-man 2 (Xbox)

A refurbished Playstation 2 (first time owner)

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 (PS2)

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2)

Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (PS2)

Kingdom Hearts (PS2)

Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil (PS2)

The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (PS2)

A Nintendo DS Lite

New Super Mario Bros. (DS)

Mario Kart DS (DS)

Sonic Rush (DS)

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (DS)

And then, closer to November, I spent the last of the money pre-ordering The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Gamecube.

So even though I didn't have the Xbox 360, I had plenty of other toys to play with.

But by the time it became the end of January, I started to wonder. It was coming up on THREE MONTHS. Surely they couldn't be that backed up, right? I'd long since finished NSMB, Sonic Rush, Castlevania, Dragon Ball, and Klonoa. Christmas was over. Heck, New Years was over. They'd be back to work by now. Where the hell was my Xbox?

So I had to call them. I gave them my repair work order ID, and I was informed that while they registered my console entering their repair facility in McAllen, Texas, it disappeared from their system after that. In other words: They lost it. The guy on the other end was very apologetic and quick to smooth things over.

Before I'd called, I was talking to friends. They'd told me to get angry. Even artificially angry. Squeaky wheel gets the grease and all that. I tried to summon up the courage to sound indignant: "Is there anything else you can do to set this right? Maybe a free game?"

It probably sounded more like nervous begging.

The voice on the other end of the line stammered. "Um. Sure, we've got a few games lying around. You could have Perfect Dark Zero or Project Gotham Racing 3."

I knew about Perfect Dark's reputation, and I'd played a little bit at an in-store demo kiosk. PGR3 it was.

Deep down in my heart, I was hoping for Gears of War, or maybe Oblivion. There was a time, 2003 or 2004, where Microsoft sent me a 20 minute Windows product survey and the payment was Halo: Combat Evolved for the PC. It felt opulent. Every product survey I've ever done since then, I think about the time Microsoft gave me a $40 PC game for 20 minutes of my time. I was hoping they were still that generous. Beyond Sonic 06, Oblivion was part of the reason I'd wanted a 360, and Gears of War was lighting up the charts.

I was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, though. I was more than fine with PGR3.

Within two days (by now the first days of February 2007), I'd had my replacement Xbox 360, and a factory fresh copy of PGR3 packaged along with it. They'd paid for free expedited shipping. About 30 minutes after getting it unboxed and hooked up, the phone rang.

It was Xbox. The same repair center guy I'd spoken to not even 48 hours earlier was calling me to make sure I received the package okay and was satisfied with the console.

In truth, I was not.

These were refurbished consoles, remember. And I assume they had to turn things around pretty quickly to keep pace with demand. Usually there isn't a problem with buying refurbs, but occasionally you run into things where a refurbished item will pass inspection but is otherwise still damaged. The 360 they had sent me was one such case.

The first thing I did after hooking the console up was begin downloading demos I'd missed. This included the stone cold classic Crackdown 1 demo. I was actually in the middle of trying it out when the phone rang, and I was already noticing problems. The intro movie for different middlewares and company logos would often stutter and skip, which seemed odd to me. Then, while driving around in the demo, I'd hit an area where the textures stopped loading.

A couple of other games displayed other stuttering problems, as well. These were problems that didn't happen with my original console. I was suspicious they had sent me a bogus replacement.

The guy at the repair center brushed me off. "Sometimes that just happens," he told me. "Don't worry about it."

I pressed him, repeating again that these weren't issues with my previous console. I told him I was concerned this replacement was already on its way out.

He suddenly got terse and cut me off mid-sentence. "The console is working right now, isn't it?"

I was kind of taken back.

"Uh, yeah, I guess?"

"Then everything is in order. I hope you have a great day."

Click. He instantly hung up on me before I could say anything else.

That 360 continued to show signs of its growing problem. The textures not loading in the Crackdown demo became my litmus test for how it was getting worse. Soon, other games started experiencing the occasional polygon explosion error.

If you don't know what a polygon explosion is, it's basically this:

Its severity depended on what game I was playing, and sometimes it would go away if I closed and rebooted the game.

I have a distinct memory of booting up the Tomb Raider Underworld demo in October of 2008 and it being a totally unplayable, because all the visuals were stretched, warped polygon explosions, all the time. There was no normal gameplay in view anywhere, and while trying to adjust the camera, the game straight up froze.

By now, the Crackdown demo consistently loaded into a completely untextured world, and sometimes would trigger its own polygon explosions. Other games were beginning to lock up as well. This system was three sheets to the wind.

Here's the deal though: since it wasn't a red ring of death? Microsoft was a lot less charitable. The repair center wanted $100 to fix the bogus 360 they sent me, and they refused to hear anything I had to say about how it was their fault to begin with. Cough up the hundred bucks or hit the road, kid.

I remembered the smothering trick. I wrapped the 360 in a blanket, popped in Sonic 06, and ran around Soleanna for a while. I ran through all of the levels at least once.

The Red Ring of Death was caused by a heat issue inside the console. The CPU would get so hot it would begin to make the motherboard flex and warp from the heat, and the solder they used to keep the chip in place would weaken. After long enough, the CPU would wiggle loose and lose contact with the board, resulting in a total system failure.

Refurbished 360's, as I came to learn, "fixed" this issue by absolutely DROWNING the CPU contacts in solder (or whatever adhesive they were using). They made absolutely certain that chip could not budge come hell or high water. If you had a refurbished 360, the only way to get it to red ring a second time was basically to take a sledgehammer to it.

In other words, I could smother this console all day, every day, and it would probably never red ring.

So I decided to go over their heads.

Six or eight months before I won the Gametrailers contest, around March of 2006, I shooted my shot: I emailed Xbox's Major Nelson.

I wanted to play Oblivion so badly that I was actually having dreams about it. I woke up from one of these dreams and was feeling particularly bold. Major Nelson was the Xbox brand/community manager at the time, so intrinsically ingrained as the voice of the people at Xbox that he publicly listed his email address and encouraged anyone to email him.

So, I metaphorically got down on my hands and knees, and I begged. I told him who I was: fledgling game developer, and wanna-be games media "journalist." And the one thing that would help kickstart one or both of those careers would be an Xbox 360. It'd be great PR, too. I ended the email humbly saying I realized what a ridiculous request I was making, but that "it never hurts to ask." Even if the answer is no.

Major Nelson responded a day or two later with some very kind words, and ultimately told me he'd love to give me an Xbox 360... when we met in person at E3. Did he mean it? Was he calling my bluff? E3 wasn't open to the public in these days, but it wasn't hard for people like me to get a press pass if they really, really wanted them. There were always stories of people from the public getting in.

Needless to say, I was too poor and too chicken. Didn't have the money and didn't have the guts. But he ended it saying if I ever had any other questions, he'd love to talk to me again.

So they lost my console, sent me a broken refurb, and were now asking me for $100 to fix their mistake? I decided to see if there was anything Major Nelson could do about it. Again, it never hurts to ask.

The best he could do: $50 off. I'd still have to pay $50 to get it fixed. I didn't like it, but it was better than nothing.

The next Xbox 360 they sent me worked all the way up until about 2019, when its disc tray mechanism finally gave out after 11 years of service. I replaced it with an Xbox 360 E.

I'd like to end this saying it might make me sound like a loser to say I flat out emailed Major Nelson and begged for freebies. That may be true, and it's also true that I really wanted to play Oblivion.

However: Upon winning the GameTrailers video competition and buying that 360, it really did actually change my life. That Xbox 360 is the entire reason my Youtube channel became what it is today, and that Xbox 360 did in fact get me my first paying games writing gig. It really did jumpstart whatever you might consider the tatters of a career. That wasn't a lie.

A Eulogy for my Playstation 4 Pro

So since I was a brain genius who decided to transfer all my fundraiser money to my bank account on a weekend, let's have a little eulogy for my poor Playstation 4 Pro.

I bought it in 2017 after a hellish move from Colorado to Nevada. We'd lived in Colorado for 26 years, and rented the same house for 24 of those years. I literally grew up in that house. Then our landlords got greedy (as all landlords eventually do), almost tripled our rent, and we had to move.

One of the last things I did before I packed up my computer was release The Definitive Way to Play Sonic Adventure on Youtube. That video was a modest success, but it had a secondary effect where a no-commentary gameplay video I'd uploaded for the fangame Sonic Utopia got picked up by the algorithm as a result, and that video suddenly took off like wildfire. I found myself sitting on a pair of videos that were about to pull in close to a combined 3 million views. It was the most I'd had a video blow up in a very long time.

I was now flush with a few thousand dollars of cash that I could do whatever I wanted with. That was great, as I got to help cover some moving expenses. I gave my Mom some money, I paid one of the deposits on our new apartment, paid to fix some stuff that got broken in the move, I bought myself a new desk, new computer chair, some storage shelves, a new bed frame, and still had about $700 left to spare. So I bought a PS4 Pro and a small handful of games (The Nathan Drake Collection, Yakuza Kiwami, The Last of Us Remastered, and Parappa the Rapper Remastered, I think). It was the first true next-generation console I'd bought in 11 years -- I'd had a Wii U, but that doesn't count.

Within that first year, I'd already run into my first problem with that Playstation 4. Back in the Xbox 360 era, I had a moment in my life where I was a psychopath that was running a media server off my PC. Every morning I'd wake up, download everything my Youtube subs had posted the day before, along with whatever GiantBomb had uploaded that day, and threw it up on the media server. The 360 could see the server, and those downloads would basically become my background noise for the day. I watched the entire GiantBomb Persona 4 Endurance Run that way: on the 360, through my media server. For context, these were the days before there was any way to watch Youtube on a television. There was no app. Youtube was just a website. So the Media Server was what I had to do to see Youtube on another screen.

In the move out to Nevada, I'd bought a cheap 32GB USB thumbdrive from the back-to-school section at Wal-mart and filled it full of movies and videos and stuff. With the PS4 set up, I plugged that thumbdrive in and tried out the PS4's media player capabilities, hoping it worked like the Xbox 360.

It did... for about 45 minutes. In the middle of watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie the media player suddenly crashed and refused to see the USB thumbdrive anymore. I reached down to pull it out only to find it was almost too hot to touch. I might have actually dropped the thumbdrive because it shocked me just how hot it was. I have never felt a piece of electronics be that hot before.

For the rest of that day, that USB port was dead. Nothing you plugged into it would be recognized. Eventually, it finally started working with controllers, but it never accepted any other thumbdrives, ever.

After about three years, I started to notice recordings were starting to get a little weird. Clips I'd record of my Fortnite matches would have huge 2-3 second chunks go missing, or the encoding would corrupt and smear. But then it went away, so I figured maybe it was just a problem with the game and not the console. It'd come back every now and then, maybe once a year, but it only ever happened with Fortnite, and only occasionally.

About a year and a half ago, I started to notice something else weird. Unless there was a specific game I needed to play for work stuff (like Sonic Frontiers or whatever), my PS4 was mostly just a Fortnite machine, and mainly because the PC version of Fortnite is a disaster.

But for months I'd left a disc in my PS4's disc drive. I think it was probably Balan Wonderworld or something, and as I booted up Fortnite for my daily founder's mission rewards, I noticed a sound. I'd been hearing it on and off for a while, but now I was finally paying attention to it. I realized: the console was sitting there scanning the disc, over and over and over, like it couldn't read it. I'd hear the disc motor spin up, the soft click-click-click as the read head scanned for data. It'd spin down, spin up, click-click-click, whirrrrrr, click-click, spin down, spin up, etc. Over and over. It'd do this for a good 30-45 seconds, then finally settle down and identify the disc.

The first time I noticed this, I ejected the Balan disc and put in something else; I think it was Dreams. PS4 read the disc instantly. I shrugged, figured maybe the Balan disc was just cursed and didn't think anything of it.

About a week later, I caught it doing it with the disc for Dreams. And then Sonic Frontiers. Then Sonic Superstars. Pretty much any disc I'd put in there. As the months wore on, it started taking multiple minutes for it to identify the disc.

A few weeks before it died, I ended up taking the disc out and basically resigning myself to only putting a disc in if I was going to play it, and removing that disc the moment I was done, because that scanning process seemed like it was making the problem worse.

A few months before it died, I got a full hardware crash on the console. The error code it gave me pointed to a hardware failure, but a google revealed that it was a generic error code that could mean literally anything. Right around this time, the video corruption in my Fortnite recordings came back around. I had a feeling it was the HDD.

Thus began the saga of trying to replace my PS4's HDD. I knew it could take SSDs, so I did some research, saved up $100, and bought a 2TB SSD that was compatible with the console. Followed Sony's official instructions on replacing the HDD, and...

It didn't work.

I vowed to get my money back and order a different HDD, but prices went up and realizing the other mounting problems with this machine (including the fried USB port), and my general mood overall, I just kept the money and figured I'd ride or die until the machine breathed its last.

8 months later... it refused to boot up at all.

Rest in piece, king. The only other console I've ever had straight up die on me like this was my Xbox 360, and if I'm being honest, I kind of smothered that poor boy a little bit hoping to get a sturdier console back from the repair center.

(I did not, but that's a story for another day.)

[peachlit]

fuck gamestop and their stupid fucking policies

[therealvinelle]

Who is richer Cullen Family or Volturi Family ? How much money do you think Volturi has?

Carlisle Cullen, age 370, has accumulated a fortune of $34.1 billion — much of it from long-term investments made with the aid of his adopted daughter Alice, who picks stocks based on her ability to see into the future.

Isle Esme is a tropical island off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. It is owned by Esme Cullen, and was given to her by her husband, Carlisle Cullen, as a gift.

Though mystified as to whether or not Bella is changed, Aro in return sends Bella the necklace as a wedding gift. It is described as being ostentatious with a very large jewel, and is said to have been part of the English crown jewels.

The Volturi still own almost all of the property in the vicinity. They have small private landing strip and more…

I think the Volturi have a lot of money from real estate, that's as solid as an investment can get. They can afford Heidi flying around in a jet or her yacht, so they're docking in Monaco wealthy at least.

Still, I don't think they're Scrooge McDuck wealthy. Certainly nowhere near the Cullens.

The stock market is something you could make a lot of money on if you just know the future. If for instance I travelled back in time just a couple of years, I could potentially make millions from buying, selling, and shorting at the right times. Buy PPE manufacturers in 2019, Pfizer in 2020, sell in August 2021, buy Gamestop before it took off, short Facebook in 2021 and Netflix and Tesla in 2022, and borrow insane money to do it all because I'd know for a fact that I'm getting it back. If I'm feeling unethical I'll buy oil and electricity well ahead of 2021 as well. I'll bet too, I now know every election winner.

Point is, if you know the future then the stock market will make you so rich. Holy god you're gonna so rich.

The Volturi could bet around, sure! They could have invested a little in every vaccine manufacturer when the pandemic broke out, thrown themselves on the Gamestop craze when it began (but when to sell? Alice knew when it was gonna burst, they did not), they can figure out Facebook and Netflix are about to take a hit and predict Musk's idiocy to make investors pull out, and electricity and oil are probably resources they're already invested in. However, they can't know for sure the way Alice can, and so they'll have to be moderate with their every investment. And if they're trying to make short term investments like these, then they will end up making bad investments that blow up in their faces.

Aro is running a thousand-year-old organization he wants to be stable, and that means he can't suddenly call a meeting to tell everyone that he, ah, might have lost €200M because heh, tiny chance he decided to put it in Vine. Hm, yes, sorry about that.

Aro's going to have to do long term investment, and that means real estate, all the real estate. Maayybe if he wants to have a bit of fun he invests in other things as well, but that'll be Aro investing in a company that produces animal-shaped jewelry because those were the cutest tiny ceramic guinea pigs he ever saw, not looking to make the big bucks.

The Volturi can't match Alice.

With that in mind, I think the Cullen fortune has been overestimated. Money gets to a point where it's more of a hassle to have, and a sum like $34B or even $64B as Forbes estimated (I'll put it this way, I'd love to see how Forbes arrived at that number) is a full time job to manage. Yes, the Cullens have luxuries they don't need, and given Alice's... Aliceness, I’m sure they’re ugly rich, but they are also living fake lives. They get their legal documents from a shady guy in Seattle. I'll almost guarantee you that they only do the bare minimum in terms of managing their fortune. I honestly think their genius solution to stay under the IRS' radar is to just... keep it lying around the house in cash form. If the money was accounted for, Bella would have been grabbing a credit card, it's telling that she grabbed a wad of cash instead. For larger purchases (can't buy an island with cash) I imagine they have offshore accounts an alternate identities.

But, again- these guys have a guy in Seattle that they run to for fake papers.

They act like drug lords, not billionaires, is what I'm saying. To the point where I would wager Alice has sold a few very expensive art pieces, wink.

I think their fortune is vastly oversized but the indications we're given of how they manage it would point to it not being in the tens of billions. I also just... genuinely don't think they're capable enough to hide that kind of money.

Still, given Alice's gift- should she want to become the richest woman on Earth she could do it, but I don't think she has.

(Note on real estate: yes, I know 2008 made it look unstable. However, this was due to greedy banks overdrawing mortgages, the extant houses being uninhabited, and a whole lot of nonsense. There are many ways to invest in real estate, and doing so wisely is going to be a very safe long term bet.)

[tammy-lynns-blog]

After 2 years of being single and a widow, I have decided to begin dating.. which apparently is no small feat. So what do you do when you live in a small town where most of the population is 20 years older than you... you join a dating site. Since this is my first dating site and several years since I've been in the dating pool, I was cautious. I talked to a few and then after some careful consideration, I decided to begin chatting with someone who was a bit more affectionate then I thought he should be. Still... people are different so I figured why not just go with it. As I live out in the middle of 'no-where MT.. and the nearest McDonald's is 100 miles away, this gentleman being in the next state was not to far out for me. Things were going well over the last 2 months.. until yesterday. I got a phone call saying that his child was wanting a gaming card for and although he found one online his cc wouldn't take. I said, ohh.. call your bank they may think it's a fraud alert. - He'd already done that, but he said that he needed some help and since he was unable to leave the office would I please go by my stores and see if there were any cards since his store didn't have any. Now, I live in a town of less than 1500 people - he lives in a town of 225,000 +. I have less than 5 stores in my town.. he has many. To say I was surprised was an understatement. I said you want me to go by my stores and check and see if they have the cards? Are you going to call in and give the your cc and have the ship them to you or are you wanting me to buy them and send them? He said yes.. you buy and ship them. I just laughed and said No. He said - you won't help me? I said, No.. I'm not buying the cards and sending them out. Now I have never met this person in real life. No video chat, just words on a screen and calls on a phone. He was supposedly this computer/robotic genius with a doctorate degree.. yet he wanted me to go purchase something and send to his child. I didn't hear anything from him the rest of the day - yet this morning I got a 'It's good to see that asking your assistance can kill our love. I have spent all night asking myself why you would find it difficult to help my kid." The following was my response... "You know I have to agree with that first statement, but before you attempt to put a quilt trip on me lets just lay out a few things.

First you call flustered because you have found a game card online and your cc won’t work and your boy keeps calling you asking for them. Okay all give you all that. But lets express the obvious – you did wait almost a full month after Christmas, so a shortage I guess would be understandable with all the games given as Christmas gifts. But we will leave that one. Asking for assistance from me is not what you did. Asking for assistance would have been, can you call around to some of the other stores in my area and see if they have any cards, because I can’t leave the office, but so I can swing by on my way home and pick them up. Because lets face it, you live in a town with a population of 236,000 people. In that town you have 4 GameStop Stores, 1 Best Buy, a VIP GameStore, an ABU Games store and other countless Tech stores not to mention Lowes and Home Depot which carry a variety of cards and countless Grocery Stores. But did you do that – No. You asked me to go to my grocery stores, in a town with a population of less than 1500 and see if they had the cards – buy them and then send them to you. Or was I supposed to ship them directly to them… guess we didn’t make it that far. Seriously??? What is wrong with this picture?? I would have to be the dumbest woman in the world.. and let’s face it I’m not. More facts.. We have never met each other.. and yes I must admit, I have been smitten over you, but this is what we call waiting for the other shoe to drop. Asking for money from someone you are getting to know.. we haven’t even went on a date.. video chatted.. and yet you wanted me to open my wallet and go shopping for your boy? Well I hope the above answers the second question for you.

It’s a shame too M******.. because I think we could have really had something great. I really do wish you all the best in your future endeavors, because that IS the type of woman I am.

..So I guess my question is... would you have done anything different? Would you have opened your wallet and purchased something for someone you never met? Or would you have done the same?

[bltngames]

Review: Super Mario Sunshine

Super Mario Sunshine is a weird game for a lot of different reasons. It was among some of the first game reviews I ever wrote for the internet, for one, all the way back in 2005. I was proud enough of that review that when it came time to relaunch TSSZ News in 2008, it was one of five archived reviews I transplanted on to the site. It was also a strange case where I became convinced it was a game I’d never play, originally. I was 23 years old, with no job, no money, and no prospects. I was desperate to play the game that was being sold as the sequel to Super Mario 64, but I could not envision a future where that would ever be possible.

Eventually, I reached my breaking point. Earlier that same year, somebody had linked me to something called “Quake Done Quick.” It was attached to a relatively new site, called the “Speed Demos Archive”, a hub for videos of people finishing games as fast as possible. The site was small, updated manually, and featured a list of roughly 100 games -- maybe less. This was before Youtube, so these were downloadable video files, usually in AVI or MPG format. And it was here that they had a Super Mario Sunshine speedrun. Even on my fledgling broadband internet, it took a considerable amount of time to download. But, with nothing more than two hours of raw, unedited, uncommentated gameplay footage, I watched a user named “Dragorn” play through the entire game (his old run is still viewable on the Internet Archive). Watching a speedrunner flip, spin, and trick his way across levels, I became convinced that Sunshine was incredible.

A few months later, I was surprised by my brother with $200 for Christmas, stuffed inside a greeting card. He said it was for “all the Christmases he missed” since moving out, years ago. Combined with other money I’d received in gifts, I headed to a Gamestop and purchased a Gamecube with my own (used) copy of Super Mario Sunshine. In my mind, it did not matter that I had spoiled the entire game for myself only three months earlier with the speedrun video. Watching someone else play is no substitute for a controller in your own hands. I needed to play it for myself.

In the modern context, Super Mario Sunshine is one of the games attached to the recently released Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection. Full disclosure: I will not be buying this collection, and I have not played the version of Super Mario Sunshine it includes. It’s not that these games are bad, but even from the outside looking in, the collection looks underwhelming. It’s full of basic, bare-bones ports of games that deserve more. But it does mean that these games have been on my mind, particularly Super Mario Sunshine, which I finished replaying, separately, a little more than one year ago. It was the first time I’d finished the game since that fateful Christmas of 2004, and it provided a refresh in perspective.

The truth of the matter is, brushing aside everything else about it, Super Mario Sunshine is an easy game to hate. Nintendo was trying a lot of new things with the Gamecube, struggling to figure out what could be done with the leap in horsepower over the Nintendo 64. Their pitch was a Mario that was subtly more serious and realistic. Sunshine is a game with a surprisingly large number of cinematics, and a considerable amount of narrative setup. It sounds like a joke, but it’s true: the game opens with Mario taking a long-deserved vacation on a tropical island, only to be arrested and wrongfully accused of crimes he did not commit. He is sentenced to community service, forced to clean the island of a paint-like substance its residents claim he has used to vandalize their resort town. This is accomplished with the F.L.U.D.D., a backpack-mounted squirt gun perfect for washing down walls and floors. It was the first manual labor he’d been shown doing since the NES version of Wrecking Crew in 1985.

It’s odd territory for Mario, but it leads to the game’s first real problem: Plot. Sunshine is not a game that’s packed with story -- there aren’t a lot of named characters, and there aren’t a lot of genuine story arcs to get hooked in to, but it’s way more than you got in most Mario games. Regardless, the influence of a narrative structure is definitely felt within its levels. One of the benefits of Super Mario 64 is that there was no set order to anything; you might drop in to a level with a specific goal in mind, only to accidentally stumble on to something else. You were encouraged to follow your curiosity, collecting stars more through natural exploration. Even though it’s not always obvious on the surface, the objectives in Super Mario Sunshine are following a specific plotline, which means flat, rigid linearity.

So you might reach an amusement park area, but you can’t go inside until you finish the mission where you open the front gates. Even once you re-enter the level for the next mission inside the amusement park, exploring its various rides will be a moot point, as the game will want you to focus on a specific goal instead. Want to ride the rollercoaster? Too bad, the story dictates it’s not available yet. Though you still have that go-anywhere, do-anything world design from Super Mario 64, the current mission is the only thing that’s ever active. Another example: at the beginning of the game, you open up the first stage -- Bianco Hills. Even though you have a whole village and a sizable lake area to explore, there’s little to do out there, because your mission is about reaching the bottom of the windmill. The second mission, again, doesn’t involve the village or the lake, but now asks you to reach the top of the same windmill in order to fight the game’s first boss, Petey Piranha. And so it goes: big zones to explore, but most of it useless as Sunshine slowly trickles out objectives one at a time, following a barely-visible narrative that drags everything down.

Nintendo had other intentions for the game, too. The company was known for taking its time with game releases -- Super Mario World released in 1990, and it took six years for Super Mario 64 to follow it up. Even once a game was announced, there were often months or even years of delays as the game got pushed back, and back, and back, as with Ocarina of Time. Similarly long waits happened for many of Nintendo’s other flagship franchises (Super Mario Kart, Super Metroid, etc.), and the peanut gallery was getting restless. With the release of the Gamecube, Nintendo made a vow to explore other avenues to release more games, more quickly.

The problem was, all of those delays are exactly what lead to Nintendo’s extremely high bar of quality. Rushing these games out the door meant cutting corners and finding easy ways to tack on extra play time, skipping necessary fine tuning. In The Wind Waker, this notoriously led to the last fourth of the game, wherein you must find and decode maps to dredge up half a dozen pieces of the magical Triforce. For most, this meant hours of sailing out to random, completely featureless areas in the middle of the open ocean hoping to find a single golden tortilla chip. “Tedious” is putting it kindly, but it saved Nintendo from having to delay the game too many times in order to add more in-depth content.

In Super Mario Sunshine, this manifested in a degree of repetition that is difficult to ignore. In both Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy, most mission objectives are unique. There are occasional repeated missions, like finding 8 red coins, but by and large it's things like rescuing a baby penguin, opening a pyramid, assaulting an airship, or finding your way through a gravity-bending maze. There's enough variety that you don't notice as much when you're asked to do yet another one of Galaxy's purple coin comets.

Sunshine still has unique goals like that, but they are much fewer and farther between. Instead, the bulk of the game is filled with doing the same four or five missions over, and over, and over again. Finding fruit to hatch Yoshi or hunting red coins can be fun occasionally, but Sunshine often makes you do this stuff multiple times per level. Most bosses also must be faced at least twice, sometimes up to three times, and very little changes from fight to fight. And then there are the races -- a man named Piantissimo is waiting for you in most stages, looking to race you to an arbitrary landmark, and every single level has one penultimate mission where you must chase down the hero's evil doppelganger, Shadow Mario. It’s padding, basically, and thanks to a tenuous grip on narrative, there’s few ways to skip the things you don’t want to do.

This isn't even touching on the game's blue coins. They're one of Sunshine's rarer collectibles, and ten blue coins can be traded at the shop for a single Shine Sprite (the main item central to the story). The majority of blue coins can be found by hosing down graffiti found around the island. Spray a circle-shaped pattern on one wall, and a blue coin pops out of another circle-shaped pattern on the opposite side of the level, which you must run to and collect before it disappears. Then, the opposite: spray down the second pattern, and another blue coin will appear back where the first graffiti used to be. In a game full of rerun objectives, this is the worst offender. Rarely are these blue coin graffiti spots interesting or challenging; they primarily exist to fill space and fluff up the Shine counter.

The level concepts themselves also suffer from this repetition. In any other Mario game, “tropical island” would be one theme among many other level types, like deserts, volcanoes and frozen lakes. Sunshine tries to stretch its one theme out to last an entire game, and in practical terms, this means that even after 18 years and two complete playthroughs (three, if you count the speedrun video), I still can’t remember most areas in any kind of specific detail. I remember a couple stage names, maybe a few environmental traits (like the hotel at sunset or the amusement park), but anything beyond that and it all starts blurring into homogeneous beaches, docks, and villages. Even the music -- beyond the iconic acoustic guitar of the Delfino Plaza hub world song, absolutely nothing about Super Mario Sunshine’s soundtrack stands out as memorable in the slightest. Every part of this game plays, looks and sounds like every other part in the worst way possible.

And yet, through some miracle, Super Mario Sunshine does not come out the other end being a bad game. It’s not necessarily good, either, mind you. But when I finally managed to get my hands on this game back in 2004, it made me angry. Super Mario 64 was a tough act to follow, and rather than build on those concepts, Sunshine felt like a massive regression. Nowadays, it’s easier to see the bigger picture. Super Mario Sunshine was a stop-gap as Nintendo slowly pushed Mario back to a more linear, level-based structure. Super Mario Galaxy was another step in this direction, doing away with the open worlds in favor of traditional, straight-forward level design, something that would later be perfected in Super Mario 3D Land and Super Mario 3D World.

That makes Sunshine more of a curious black sheep than anything else. It’s definitely not a game worth hating -- its biggest offense is simply being dull, and there are worse fates. For my replay, it became the sort of game I chipped away at, bit by bit, over the course of nearly three years. As it turns out, the best cure for repetition is to forget everything you were doing the last time you played. It’s even fitting on some level that a game about Mario taking a vacation is best served in lazy, slow, indifferent chunks. Make no mistake -- there are better, more polished, and more engaging platformers out there for you to play. It is in no way a stretch to call Super Mario Sunshine the worst 3D Mario game, but it speaks to the franchise’s high bar of quality that even the worst 3D Mario game really isn’t so bad.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #295

i’m not listening to music so am blanking on lyrics to put here lol

Who’s your favorite rapper? And your favorite song by this rapper? Eminem. "Cinderella Man" is probably my favorite, or "Space Bound." How about your favorite band? And your favorite song by this band? Ozzy Osbourne, if I had to pick solely one. God, picking a favorite song, though... idk, maybe "Trap Door," but it's almost impossible for me to decide. Have you ever had the cops called on you? For what? No. Would you rather be home alone, or have people with you? Why? I'd rather have people home, but alone in my room. I just feel less lonely. Have you ever dropped a class in school? Which class, and why did it suck? I dropped some class in college that I can't remember the name of... I completely misjudged what it would be like. I had absolutely zero interest. I feel like I've dropped another, too? Have you ever taken someone back, who ended up just hurting you again? No. Do you have a little sister? What’s her name? Nicole. What was the last thing you printed? Is there even ink in your printer? Something for school, I'm sure. Do you remember the first time you ever drove a car? Who were you with? Yeah, my driving instructor in HS. Have you ever been in handcuffs? Why, exactly? Yeah, to be transported from the ER to psych hospitals, as well as handcuffs among other restraints when going to court to explain why I was eligible for an earlier discharge from the hospital. That's one of the scariest experiences of my life, feeling like a bound lunatic. Have you ever had to be put to sleep at a hospital? Why? Yeah, for two surgeries. Do you actually have a calendar on your wall? What are the pictures of? I have two old meerkat ones that are just for decoration. Have you ever been on a cruise? How many? Where did they go? No. Do you have a favorite author? No. Does your significant other boss you around a lot? I don't have one, but I wouldn't tolerate that shit. Do you know anyone who has overdosed? Me, but I obviously lived. I think I've loosely or distantly known people who weren't so lucky. Are you a fan of PDA (public displays of affection)? As long as it's not too intense, I think it's sweet. It's beautiful to see love expressed. When was the last time you went bowling? A few years ago for Girt and my first date. Do you personally know anyone who is transgender? I do. Have you ever written anything longer than 10 pages? Yes, for school essays. I think my longest was about toxic masculinity. I'm actually really proud of it; I think my instructor used it as an example for her next semester's students, given that I was notified of an influx of views on it. Do you have any names picked out for your future children? What are they? Hypothetically speaking, if I had a daughter, Alessandra is her name, period, lol. I would like to name my never-happening son Damien, but I'd be more open to suggestions from my partner. Have you ever been given a lapdance by an actual stripper? Oh yikes, no thank you. Do you have/want any piercings? I have a good number and seriously want more. What side of the bed do you sleep on? More towards the left. Who is the last person you told a secret to? Nicole, about Misty coming down here for a visit. Have you ever been on an island? Yes, just off the NC coast during a 4th grade school vacation. It was amazing and even had wild horses. What's your favorite job you've ever had? I guess GameStop was the best, since I was actually interested in what I worked with. Do you have any vacations planned? No. Do you enjoy getting manicures/pedicures? How often do you get them? I mean it's nice I guess, but it's not something I'd spend money on. Have you yelled at anyone today, and why? No. Do you own anything with your state or providence's name on it? No. Do you like the Paranormal Activity movies? Yeah. Paranormal is my favorite subgenre of horror. What's your favorite way to eat peanut butter? On waffles, haha. Do you like bows? Yeah, they're cute. Have you ever made a 'haul' YouTube video? No. Has a boyfriend ever made you breakfast? Yeah, that was quite ordinary with Jason since his original intention was to be a chef. What do you gather your change in? My wallet. Do you like to play Angry Birds? I never have. The movie was cute, tho. Do you like Cheez-Its? Oh GOD. I looooove Cheez-Its and they need to be kept away from me to avoid bingeing on them. Have you ever been pulled aside for a random bag search at an airport? I don't think so, no. What’s your favorite flavor of Jell-O? Watermelon, I think? Or strawberry? Do you have any games on your computer? Which ones? On my personal laptop, I have World of Warcraft, Alien: Isolation, Resident Evil 6, and both Amnesia games. I think that's it. What's a musical instrument you think sounds really beautiful? Violins. Do you have a favorite type of pasta? (like a shape of noodles, not dish) I'm not particular about this, really. What's the coolest natural event you've ever witnessed? Maybe the blood moon. Are there any waterfalls near where you live? No, just dams. Do you personally know anyone who is an author? I know people who have had smaller works published, but calling them an "author" feels odd since it's not their actual career or anything. Is that rude? Do you own a polaroid camera? No, but that'd be cool. Do you think you’ll ever end up in rehab? No. Who’s your favorite Kardashian sister? I don't have an opinion. Is there someone you absolutely cannot stand but have to tolerate? My sister's husband. "Absolutely cannot stand" might be a bit strong, but... Do you want to go to pregnancy classes? If I was to ever be pregnant, no. My mom would be able to answer all things related to this, haha. Do you ever cringe at the thought of living in a disgusting house? Yes. What color are your bathroom towels? We have a variety. How often do you let cleavage show? I'm not very revealing, but I'm also not self-conscious of allowing some. Does vintage stuff appeal to you? Yes! Where do you want to go? I'd love to visit Sara again, but not so long as Covid hangs around. Have you ever had feelings for two people at the same time? Something like that with Jason and Juan before I chose Jason. I don't even really know if I like-liked Juan versus just being flattered by him. Would you ever throw out or give away something an ex gave you? I mean, what's the item in question? And are we on good terms (not that that would always matter)? What's the biggest annoyance in your life right now? Right now, Covid. I know, surprising I didn't say "not having a job," but so long Covid is an issue, I don't think I would be comfortable having one. I can't bring that shit home to my weak mother. Who do you feel most comfortable talking to about anything? Mom. What do you want right this second? To actually be skinny again. It's hard to believe in my teens I thought I wasn't. Are you one of those people who never drinks soda? I'm actually quite the opposite... It's sad, I know I'd have less trouble losing weight if I could just stop drinking it regularly. Have you ever been afraid to get up and go to the bathroom? ... No...? Have you ever paid for any kind of online membership? I don't believe so, no. Who’d you last see in a tux? Hm. Probably when I shot a wedding. Out of everyone you know, who has the most heart? Uhhhh I dunno. Who’s the bravest person you know? Probably my mom. Who would you want to have your back if things got tough? Again, my mother. Have you ever dated someone who was really sporty? Nah. Are you any good at writing? I think so. What’s your favorite form of writing? I don't know if it counts as a "form" as much as it is a subject, but RP. Writing with characters you yourself have created and actually engaging with other's inventions is very fun. Have you ever done something terrible, but took forever to feel bad? Yes, over things I'd said to Jason following the breakup. It literally took years because I was so convinced it was all justified. What did you dream about last night? I don't remember. Sure feels great though that my nightmares are chilling out. What profession do you admire the most? That's tough, but probably those that put their lives on the line for others, like firefighters. I also have massive respect for people like doctors, given all the time and work they put into their education to become one and help others. Have you ever made a fake profile, for any reason? No. Have you ever questioned your sexuality? Well, seeing as I was an initial homophobe that eventually realized I was bisexualllll... Do you have a garden at your house? No. Do you like making puppet figures with your shadow? When I was a kid, sure. Have you ever played strip poker or would you ever? No, but I won't say absolutely never if I was just with my s/o. It's not something I'm actually interested in doing, though. Would you date someone who didn’t want to have sex until they were married? Yep. Would you date someone who went to church on a regular basis? To be totally honest, I don't know if me and a person that actively religious would work out, but I'd try it, ig. What is your favorite curse word? I say "fuck" way too much lmao. It's an intense word and I'm a passionate person, lol. What movie do you know just about every line from? None. Do you prefer cupcakes or muffins? Cupcakes. What are the three “nevers” of your life? To name just a few that I'm absolutely certain about, I'd never do hard drugs, commit murder (unless in self-defense, but is that even "murder?"), or abuse somebody. Last board game you played? I think it was "Sorry!" when I was babysitting Ryder. Last card game you played? Christ, Uno. My niece went through a phase of like obsessively playing it with me because I would let her win. Last thing you got for free? Christmas gifts. How long have you been tattooed? If you’re not, do you want to get tattooed? I got my first tat the day I turned 18. Last baby shower? My sister's last year. Last wedding? A repeat photography client's. Her family is lovely. Last funeral? I don't think I've been to a funeral (not wake) since I was maybe a preteen and my childhood babysitter died... It's sad that I didn't go to my grandmother's, but I didn't really have that choice. What is your band’s name? Or fantasy band ;)? Haha, my Rock Band one was "Bullets and Butterflies." How many different strip clubs have you been to? None. Do you have any nieces/nephews? Technically a lot, but only three are regular parts of my life. How many cars have you ever owned? Me personally, none. Can you do math in your head well? ABSOLUTELY not. Who is your favorite Star Wars character? I only care about the Ewoks ok. I'm not a fan of the franchise. Have you ever been to a bachelor/bachelorette party? No. Have you ever bailed anyone out of jail? No. Have you ever given someone a fake phone number? No. Do you have any bumper stickers on your car? N/A Have you ever gone golfing? Only mini-golfing as a kid. Well, and on an anniversary date with Jason. Actual golfing doesn't interest me. If you became famous for something, what would it be? To be entirely realistic versus idealistic, probably something I wrote. How many friends do you have that are married? A whole lot. Do you still have your wisdom teeth? Yes. When you were a kid, were you ever afraid of cooties? No, it was just a playful joke. Do you ever go Christmas caroling in December? No. Do you like mango? Mango flavored stuff, oh yes. I don't like actual mangos; they're too mushy. What was the last thing you got falsely accused of? I don't know. Have you ever been kicked out of a store? No. What does caffeine do to you? Nothing, really. I think I'm too accustomed to it being in my system. Would other people describe you as creative? Very. Would you rather paint or carve a pumpkin? Hm, maybe paint. Names of best friends you've had: Brianna, Kimberly, Jenna, Megan, Mini, Sara... I don't remember them all. Were you one of the smartest in your class? Through most of my school experience, yes. Will you let your kids have a YouTube channel, do you think? If I wanted kids, it would depend on their age and what they were making. Have you ever owned a designer purse? No. Do you like the taste of Tums? Taste, yes. Chalky texture, fuck no. I like the chewy ones, though. Are you currently learning a new language? No. What culture are you most interested in learning about? Maybe Indian? Do you own anything skull print? Oh, loads of stuff. Who are the three people you consider yourself closest to? Mom, Sara, and uh... Dad. Do you like crackers with your soup? Soggy crackers are gross. I don't really like soup, anyway. Which ex of yours means the most to you? Sara. What is something that never fails to make you feel accomplished? Cleaning. Do wooded areas freak you out in the evening or night? No, I love 'em. Have you ever ridden on the back of a motorcycle? No, I'm not comfortable with the idea of riding one. Do you iron any of your clothes? No. Do you think long, straight hair is pretty? Yes, if it's healthy. Do you have a fireplace in your home? Yes. Did you have a class pet in grade school? No. Have you ever owned an aquarium? No. Do you prefer mints or gum? I'd say gum. Popsicles or fudgesicles? Ohhh, fudgesicles. What is your favorite flavor of hot pockets? I only even moderately enjoy the ham and cheese ones. Do you like apple juice? Yeah, but there's definitely better juices.

[d2kvirus]

Dickheads of the Month: November 2020

As it seems that there are people who say or do things that are remarkably dickheaded yet somehow people try to make excuses for them or pretend it never happened, here is a collection of some of the dickheaded actions we saw in the month of November 2020 to make sure that they are never forgotten.

Nobody was expecting Donald Trump to concede defeat gracefully, but bloody hell, between the completely batshit insane conspiracy theory bollocks from himself and the rancid Trump offspring to Rudy Giuliani making complete fools of themselves even before he had to give a press conference from the parking lot of a landscaping firm as nobody checked which Four Seasons it was, before threatening to outlaw Twitter because people made fun of his little table (yes, that sentence does make sense), nobody could have expected just how tempramental toddlers are now thinking it's a bit much

...although somehow the Tory government managed to have an even worse response, because not only did posting a boilerplate jpeg to congratulate Joe Biden for his victory the laziest response possible, but then it turned out that they only had a celebratory jpeg for a Trump victory and hastily edited it on Paint so that Biden’s name was on there, but did a cack-handed job of it even though a.) Common sense dictates you have one for each candidate ready in advance, and b.) Given they had several days to accept which way the wind was blowing, the fact they did the most cack-handed job says everything you need to know 

Smirking cretin Priti Patel has bullied Home Office staff and, having initially tried to bury the report, the best the Tory government could come up with to try and make this go away was claim that she was bullying her subordinates by accident while proven liar Boris Johnson claimed she had done nothing wrong, numerous members of the Tory government either said that as they hadn’t seen her bullying anyone she must be innocent or tried claiming she was “accused” of bullying instead of found guilty of bullying, and to top it all off we had Michael Gove’s wife Sarah Vine accused anyone calling Patel of being a bully racist while Alison Pearson said Patel can’t be a bully as she isn’t tall enough. Also, did I mention this came out during national Bullying Week?

...and just a thought for Jess Phillips after she decided to weigh in, considering it’s on record that you bullied Diane Abbott (and have gleefully said how you told her to “Fuck off” on various occasions) it's not a good idea for you to try and act as you’re above bullying as you will get called out for your hypocrisy

Murderer Amanda Knox thought it would be a really funny joke to suggest that, no matter what the election result, the next four years couldn’t be as bad as the four years she spent studying abroad.  You know, those four years where she murdered Meredith Kercher and got away with it

So it turns out that the moral compass of the Tory government says that it is fine for Dominic Cummings to be happy to sacrifice the elderly if it protects the economy during a pandemic while displaying that he doesn’t know how herd immunity works, purging 21 MPs from the party for not buying into his No Deal Britait Jonestown, siphoning hundreds of millions of pounds into the pockets of his mates in various dodgy contracts, or flagrantly violating the lockdown rules by driving several hundred miles to Durham (where he owns a house he doesn't pay council tax for) after testing positive for Covid - but as soon as he calls Carrie Symonds “Princess Nut Nuts” he’s out the door...for a staged photo op, even though he is remaining in his job until December, which is when he was going to leave anyway

...and we should mention Laura Kuenssberg bullishly stating that Cummings was going nowhere in the wake of Lee Cain being told he could leave when his contract is up in December but they want to make it look like he is being fired, but within twelve hours saying that Cummings would always be leaving in December as a blog post in January stated, which not only asks if anyone has checked the archived version of that blog in case any edits were made in mid-November, but also how she can justify her £290k a year salary if she can get a story that badly wrong that Cummings’ blog disagreed with her

There’s a reason why Lindsey Graham isn't popular in the Senate and it isn’t because he questions if Biden won the election, it's because he’s telling people to “misplace” the votes for Biden which they are counting so that Trump could claim that he won Georgia instead of losing Georgia, demanding a recount, then losing Georgia

Once again proven liar Boris Johnson demonstrated that lockdown rules apply to the little people but not to him or his inner circle, as he met with fellow Tory MP Lee Anderson in person rather than via Zoom as the lockdown rules state, didn't wear a mask as lockdown rules state, and clearly didn’t social distance as a picture of him with Anderson taken during the meetings shows they are not two metres apart as lockdown rules state, which means that he had to spend two weeks self-isolating as a direct result 

Has anyone told Keir Starmer that The Board of Deputies weren’t on the ballot for Labour leadership?  Because by his performative act of refusing to restore the party whip to Jeremy Corbyn after his performative suspension, which he did after the BoD stamped their feet and demanded the whip not be restored, he’s not doing a good job of demonstrating leadership

First of all it was news that Steve Bannon uses Twitter, as surely he should have flounced off for Parler years ago.  But secondly, the real news is how he used his Twitter account to call for Anthony Fauci to be beheaded - at which point he suddenly couldn’t use his Twitter account anymore

According to Iain Duncan Smith putting the UK into a second lockdown is “giving in to the scientific advisors” as if during a pandemic, which the last time I checked was a scientific matter, you should instead be listening to Julia Halfwit-Brewer, Dan Wootton, Alison Pearson or Isabel Oakeshott rather than people qualified to talk about what to do in the face of a global pandemic 

Nice Guy Rishi Sunak proposed a return of Eat Out To Help Out for Christmas.  You know, the thing which has been directly linked with causing a spike in Covid numbers in August?

Tory arrogance was neatly summed up by George Eustace casually saying that, if Lurpak didn’t want to incur the massive price hikes of Britain crashing out of the EU without a paddle, all they have to do is move their entire base of operations to the UK

The fact that Disney have been trying to justify their refusal to even issue royalty statements to Alan Dean Foster for his novelisations of the Star Wars and Alien franchises and have simply been pocketing the revenue made by the books continued sales by claiming they only purchased the license and not the liability, which is a particularly unique interpretation of copyright law

It was only a matter of time before The Daily Mail started trying to create dirt about Marcus Rashford because he has the sheer gall to say that feeding children is not a bad thing, which they did by reporting the horrors of him...buying a house for his mother

Twitter troll Ben Bradley had a stellar month, first by standing up in Commons and asking why there isn't a Minister for Women while also showing a terrifying inability to understand what equality is, and soon followed that up by quoting Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech by claiming that it was about equality - only for Bernice King to tell him that, no, her father’s speech was about eliminating racism from our society

I think that it's time for The Daily Express to admit that, when they're running articles saying that it’s Remainers who are to blame for Trump getting dumped onto the street, that maybe they have a problem

The Streisand Effect still hasn’t reached WWE judging by their continuing to double down on demanding their employees independent contractors stop earning money via third-party platforms manifested in their releasing Thea Trinidad from her contract in spite her Twitch account always being under her real name and not her WWE moniker of Zelina Vega

It was a coincidence that the Jewish Labour Movement decided to hold their annual conference on the Palestinian Day of Solidarity.  Of course it was...

This month it was Fin Taylor who demonstrated just how far from satire HIGNFY has strayed with his “Bomb Glastonbury and kill all Jeremy Corbyn supporters” joke in response to Joan Bakewell lying about Corbyn breaking the law - and, afterwards, Taylor was generally being a smug twat about it on his Twitter - which also serves to show how Tim Davie is fine with booking comedians whose acts have plenty of questionable content contained within it if it guarantees the Tories escape criticism

This month’s example of Steve Baker making himself a walking punchline with no self-awareness came from him howling that further lockdown measures would be a violation of terms set out by the European Convention on Human Rights - yes, the exact same convention that Baker has a.) Repeatedly accused of meddling with British affairs and is an example of the EU nanny state, and b.) Frowns upon things such as Steve Baker repeatedly voting against allowing child refugees to be reunited with their families

Nothing says “worker happiness” quite like GameStop running a competition for their stores to post Tik Tok dances where the store which is voted the winner receives prizes such as an Amazon Echo, a Visa gift card, and the privilege of working an additional ten hours during the week of Black Friday.  Wait, did I say “worker happiness”?  I meant to say “Dickensian shithousery” where employees are expected to compete so they can work more hours

Of course the “We’re not racist”s of Twitter had an issue with Sainsburys Christmas ad because it didn’t appeal to white men due to having a black family, in much the same way that Compare the Market’s ads don't appeal to white men as they’re not Russian meerkats

Professional victim Laurence Fox thought it would be a good idea to get into a slanging match with The Pogues while lying that Fairytale of New York would be banned from the airwaves.  It went about as well as could be expected

It wouldn’t be Remembrance Day without The Sun or The Daily Mail exploiting it for some obvious ragebait, and this year was no exception with both “papers” posting a photo of Extinction Rebellion posting with a banner in front of the Cenotaph protesting climate change - a photo taken two days earlier, but they held off on posting it until the day itself to get the rage flowing, because they needed something as neither Jeremy Corbyn nor Meghan Markle were within a mile of Whitehall

This month it was Ernest Cline who demonstrated a lack of understanding of the Streisand Effect by ordering DMCA takedowns on anyone who posted an excerpt of Ready Player Two online, which mainly served to help the internet realise which the actual excerpts were and which the parody versions were - because it was pretty hard to tell them apart otherwise...

“I’ve been silenced”, shrieked Suzanne Moore in an interview with the Telegraph, fatally undermining her argument in the process.  Funny how the people who have been “silenced” keep doing that, isn’t it?

Because we haven’t heard anything idiotic from Jake Paul in a while, Jake Paul decided to say Covid isn’t real and flu has killed just as many people.  So I give it a week before his older brother Logan feels he has to one-up this and say the Holocaust was fake...

And finally, not for much longer, is Donald Trump and his complicity in trying to organise a coup - but not a very good coup, as his minions at Fox News had to exaggerate how many people were actually protesting about him losing an election and crying about it - which was further undermined by his inability to tell Michigan and Minnesota apart

[destiny-islanders]

Okay, so. I’m going to try and collect my thoughts and talk about what happened and what I think we as consumers should do about it. If I come across as emotional and disorganized, it’s because I am. To say I’m upset about this is an understatement.

Here’s what happened:

GameStop announced on December 14th that they would be the sole seller of the Kingdom Hearts III PS4 Pro in the US and Canada

Pre-orders opened and were sold out within hours

Over the course of the next month, some people here and there who ordered online posted about their pre-orders being unexpectedly cancelled. I think these cancellations were more prevalent about 1-2 weeks after the system was up for pre-order. There was a lull in which I stopped seeing people post about it, so I’d assumed that everyone who hadn’t been contacted yet would receive the orders they placed.

Fast-forward to yesterday, four days before the (legitimate) release of the game in the US and everywhere else outside of Japan. E-mails were sent out to countless people who’ve had the PS4 Pro pre-ordered for over a month saying first that there was an issue with their payments on file, and then in an additional e-mail that there was a “system error” that disrupted their orders.

GameStop’s way of apologizing to customers was to offer a $25 online-only “gift coupon.” IT IS NOT A $25 gift card. YOU MUST SPEND AT LEAST $25 ONLINE in order for the coupon to be applied.

E-mailing customer support, calling customer support, and calling in-store yielded three different answers

E-mail: We oversold and Sony refuses to make more PS4 Pros.

Call: We are contacting the manufacturer to make more and will add you to a list to be contacted when/if anything more can be done. Try calling stores to see if they have any availability.

In-store: All orders were to be made online and stores had nothing to do with the process.

TL;DR GameStop allowed too many people to make pre-orders and then cancelled hundreds if not thousands of orders four days before launch.

So, what happens next? I have to be honest, guys. With GameStop and pre-order culture being what they are, I’m not sure anything will be done to fix this particular problem. GameStop is a company-- a cold, hard business. They don’t care about you as a person. They don’t care that you’ve been waiting for Kingdom Hearts 3 for years. They don’t care that you may have taken measures like saving up or even trading in an old system in order to make your order of the PS4 Pro happen. All they care about is your money, and that is why the $25 “gift coupon” they sent requires you to spend money in their online store.

Unless a miracle happens, GameStop, Sony, and Square are not going to make this right. All we can do is use our power as consumers. It’s time to put our money where are mouths are and show GameStop that they can’t keep doing this to their customers. 

FIRST AND FOREMOST: FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE DON’T BE MEAN TO THE ASSOCIATES, STORE MANAGERS, AND CUSTOMER SERVICE REPS WHO HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS MESS. 

That said, even if it feels pointless, make noise about this. Call Customer Support. E-mail them. Contact them about it on social media. Encourage your friends to do the same. RESPECTFULLY.  

DURING THESE INTERACTIONS, LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU HAVE NO INTENTION OF GIVING THEM YOUR BUSINESS IN THE FUTURE.

AND THEN FOLLOW THROUGH WITH IT. I don’t care how cool a GameStop exclusive looks. Stick to your guns. Do not let a company with a reputation for misleading and disappointing customers with pre-order screw-ups get away with what they did to you. Buying anything from GameStop after this would be like letting someone punch you in the face, leaving for a while, then coming back to their house to let them punch you in the face again. Like I said. GameStop doesn’t care about your inspirational KH story. They care about your money and whether or not you’ll give it to them. SO DON’T.

I know a lot of other people who were affected by this clusterfuck (including my best friend who is just devastated, and it breaks my heart). All we can do is try to wield the power of the consumer to try and get companies to adopt better business practices. It’s a long shot, but we, the gamers, DID manage to get EA of all companies to revamp their lootbox system in SWB2. We CAN make change if we are a determined and unified front.

To everyone out there who’s going through the same thing I am right now: try your best not to let GameStop ruin your KH3 experience. You will soon be playing KH3, and shitty business practices will not take that fact from you. Have fun, and let your love of the series push away the encroaching corporate darkness.

[xboxgoldcodes-blog]

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[glitterandmoondustofficial]

So I worked my shift for Black Friday today.

I work at GameStop (and have for a year now) and my shift was 5a-1:30p.

Somethings I’ve noticed on this joyous of all days.

Multiple people saw the “tap to pay” option and placed their card on the screen. Like just on it. Even after I said tap to pay is for apple/google pay you have to insert then card.

“Haha! Glad I’m not working!”

When the manager can’t talk, the assistant (me) is the one who talks

I was talking about how I wanted to get donuts for the team but the donut place in question was closed when I was going to get them and then a customer very intensely said I shouldn’t go to that donut place because it sucks and I should go to this other place and they didn’t seem to understand that my donut place is within walking distance of my house.

GameStop does not keep the actual disks of the games out of the floor, so it’s super gr8 when you walk out onto the floor to find a case (Kingdoms of Amalur (great fuckin game btw)) and open it to not only find a game in the case but the WRONG game (red dead redemption) in the case.

People don’t know how to line

“I’ve stapled the replacement plan sticker to the receipt.” “Is the replacement plan in the computer?” “No we just need the sticker.” “What sticker?”

“You look tired! Haha!” “I’ve been here since five.” “...oh.”

Classic child comes to the counter with GTA5 and gets their not much older friend to say that they’re 17.

In the same GTA5 vein “okay, are we alright with the M rated game? Blood, strong sexual content, profanity.” “It’s just like call of duty, mom.” “It’s not like call of duty, mom.”

“You can turn off the M rated stuff.” “You can’t turn off the M rated stuff.”

More than usual 16 year olds who don’t understand that they can lie on the internet and purchase an M rated game like how we did when we were that young? Like???? You think I was 17 when half life 2 came out? I LIED ON THE INTERNRT FAM.

Children who throw a fit because the demo system is “broken”

“dO yOu HaVe FoRtNiTe”

“it’s free in the system store.” “NOTHNG IN LIFE IS FREE” “well this is”

The same person who got pissed when I handed them a gutted game (a game where we take out the disk and put the case on the wall) because it shouldn’t be considered new anymore got pissed because they couldn’t return a game that they opened because it wasn’t considered new anymore.

“Hi, is there anything I can help you find today?” Literally shoves a hand in my face and walks away.

“I want to get a PS4.” “Okay, and did we want to pick up any games?” “Halo.”

“Can I get 2k for the P4?”

“Why don’t you have x in stock!” “We sold them.” “Why did you sell them?” “Uh”

“I want the best headset for $100” “okay the best you can go are astros or hyperx’s” “nah, I want turtle beaches.” “(•◡•)”

“Why aren’t ps3 games backwards compatible?” “You’ll have to ask Sony.”

UPS arriving with shipment that wasn’t even shit we could sell today making my boss lose his fucking mind.

Someone bought $900 worth of eBay cards. The max amount of money you can put on gift cards is $1000. Both me and my manager hovered around our employee looking scary because that ain’t normal. Money laundering~~~~

The midday deposit didn’t fit in the drop box so I had to go into the bank and watch them count it.

“I’ll have to take a defective fee on the 3DS.” “Why? It works fine!” “The screen is cracked.” “So?”

“Why isn’t Nintendo on sale?” “Because they saw no reason to go on sale since it’s the best selling console and not slowing down.” “But I have to get a Nintendo!” “It’s $300.”

I almost fell asleep in the system closet.

I coughed and my boss said I’m not allowed to do that and shoved cough drops in my hand because the store would start on fire if we were both down for the count.

“Headsets are universal as long as they have a 3.5 jack.” “But I wanted it for the PS4 not the Xbox.” “Headsets are universal as long as they have a 3.5 jack.”

*takes a sip of a milkshake my friend brought to me to make the day not be as bad* “should you really be drinking something when there are people in the store?”

“Thank you for calling x mall Gamestop, how can I help you?” “Are you located in the mall?”

“Thank you for calling x mall Gamestop, how can I help you?” “Is this Gamestop?”

Finally, after calling 11 separate times during one of the busiest hours on the busiest days. “Thanks for calling x mall Gamestop, how can I help you?” “Do you have call of duty?”

Anyway I went home and watched One Piece for the rest of my evening.

[calwhitebark]

CultureFly Fallout 76 Loot Crate: A Review

I’m finally getting into more of a habit of churning out original content! A shout out of thanks to @the-wast-lander for encouraging me 😄

During a recent trip to the mountains, I popped into a Walmart to restock supplies before continuing my adventure. I’m one for always stopping by the electronics section when we I’m at a Target or Walmart to inspect their Funko Pop selection. Some stores have great turnover and I’m able to pick up or two Pops each trip. In other stores, they have the same Pops for months until there is a literal layer of dust on the boxes.

At this particular Walmart, I scored big time. Not only did they have their store exclusive Fallout 76 Power Armor Pop for $8.98 but they had this CultureFly Loot Box for $20. I bought both and didn’t open the box until I got home out of concern something would get lost in the truck and I wouldn’t notice.

The box itself has the same marching trio of Vault Boys you see on a lot of F76 promotional stuff. Box is very sturdy and doesn’t crush easy so if you are considering this as a gift for someone who is not living nearby, shipping it should be safe.

I got a coupon for another box but I looked online and I wasn’t impressed with their other licenses. I LOVE Supernatural but what CultureFly is offering is the exact same stuff you can buy at Hot Topic, they just packed it in a box for you. As you can see, they did pack the F76 box full of goodies that are bit harder to find.

First out of the box: Nuka-Cola socks! One size does easily fit all. I’m a size 11 and these fit like a charm. I had to run them through the wash a couple of times because the starch, even after I washed them the first time, was burning my ankles. Just an FYI kids, wash before you wear.

While I’m kicking back in my Nuka-Cola socks, I’ll sip some tea in this crisp Fall weather from my Nuka-Cola mug! The designs on both sides have held up well to hand washing so far (I don’t have a dishwasher but I would play it safe and avoid using it on this).

I was convinced when I read there was a “sign” in the box that it would be cheap, flimsy plastic, no thicker than a junk mail card you get in the mail telling you to replace your windows for the third time this week. Turns out, they attached a lenticular card to an actual piece of wood. Color me impressed! I fell in love with this sign in the game and am still bummed they don’t sell it in the Atom Store for installing in your C.A.M.P. Now you can hang this on the wall by your bed and have your life as a F76 player turn very meta.

The second time I was proven wrong was with this pin. I was expecting to be disappointed by a thin and poorly painted thing that they mass produced and didn’t give much consideration. Turns out, it’s heavy quality metal and well-painted with enamel colors. I’m tucking this away until I get some other Fallout pins and then I’ll put them all in a shadow box.

A Vinyl Vault Boy Figure! He’s not very heavy and only about 7 inches tall but he looks great on the shelf with my Vault Boy Funko Pops. Speaking of Funko Pops...

Hey! Turns out Tumblr has a limit on how many pics to put in a post and I just hit the wall. But that’s alright because this my last one. Let me be clear, this guy was not part of the loot box, I bought him separately but at the same Walmart I bought the crate, pure freaking luck on my part. I have several Power Armor Pops from different stores as Best Buy and GameStop got in on the exclusive action along with Walmart. Each one is different and well detailed but they are making them smaller now than they did with the original Fallout set. I can see the difference in height easily.

In conclusion, money well spent if you are a fan of novelty merch. I know there is a debate in the fandom regarding the necessity of novelty merch for a game series that basically points out the non-essential aspects of consumerism (Toys and other things being broken down into crafting components for true essentials of life) and rightly so. But I got a kick out of digging into this box and maybe some of you or someone you know will feel the same this Christmas. See you in The Wasteland.

- Cal Whitebark

[kennethherrerablog]

Best Places Locally and Online to Sell Your Old Phones

What should you do with that old cell phone you have when you upgrade to a newer one? Don’t discount its value before you check out what you might be able to get by selling it.

Depending on the type and model of phone you have to sell, and the condition it’s in, you might be able to get more than you thought you would.

There are several sites that will allow you to sell used cell phones, either directly to the company, or to a private party or company as a third party buyer.

Here are the details on some of the most popular places you can sell your used cell phones.

Table of Contents

Best Places to Sell Phones Online

1. BuybackBoss

2. Deculttr

3. Amazon & Amazon Trade-In Program

4. Gazelle

5. eBay

6. Gadget Gobbler

7. Nextworth

8. Wirefly

9. SellBroke

10. Gadget Salvation

11. MaxBack

Best Places to Sell Phones Near You

12. EcoATM

13. Craigslist

14. Walmart Trade-In Program

15. BestBuy

16. Target Trade-In Program

17. Gamestop

18. Facebook Buy and Sell Groups

Other Options to Sell Used Phone

19. GizMogul

20. YouRenew

21. uSell

22. Buy Back World

23. Green Buyback

24. ItsWorthMore

Other Places Worth Mentioning

25. Itemcycle.com

26. iPhone Antidote

27. Your Wireless Carrier

The Takeaway

Best Places to Sell Phones Online

To start, the best places to sell phones is going to be online. There are a ton of great places to choose from, but if you want to make this quick and simple; we recommend BuybackBoss to start.

1. BuybackBoss

BuybackBoss is our first choice when it comes to selling your old phone online. For starters, they guarantee to give you the highest price for your device. They also have a Trustpilot rating of 9.6 out 10.

If you find somewhere online that offers you a better price, you can simply send them an email (explanation on their website) with a link to the higher offer. Once they see the better offer, they will update your offer to beat their competitors and notify you once it’s ready to go.

They have three simple steps when it comes to selling your old phone.

First you will head over to their site and get a quote in 30 seconds or less. Next, you will ship your used phone for free and even track your shipment as well. Once your item is shipped, you get the choice of getting paid via check or through PayPal.

With a high Trustpilot rating and the guarantee that they will be the best price, it’s obvious why we started with BuybackBoss.

2. Deculttr

Decluttr is a close second choice when it comes to selling your old phone. They have paid out over $300 million to over 6 million people and have Trustpilot rating of 8.9 out of 10.

  Sell on Decluttr Now

  How it works:

Very similar to BuybackBoss, but they do have an updated app and offer two more payment options beyond PayPal and check. They can pay via direct deposit or even a donation to a charity.

Decluttr has definitely been one of the pioneers when it comes to selling your old phone, however they don’t guarantee the highest price which is why we put them at #2.

3. Amazon & Amazon Trade-In Program

With Amazon you can sell your phone two different ways. You can use Amazon’s Trade-In program and get an Amazon gift card for your phone, or you can sell your phone directly on the site and get cash from a third party buyer.

If you’re okay with having an Amazon Gift Card for your phone instead of cash, the trade-in program could be the way to go, although you may not get as much money for your phone since Amazon will still need to make a profit by reselling it.

When I checked my old Moto G phone on Amazon’s trade-in site, they were paying “up to” $6.80 for similar trade in models.

However, when I searched “used Moto G phones” on the traditional Amazon shopping site, I found I would pay between $30 and $60 for a used one. Even after listing and selling fees you’ll likely get more money selling your phone to a third party when you use Amazon.

The Good: Large audience and everyone uses an Amazon Gift Card.

The Bad: You may not get as much for your old phone.

4. Gazelle

Gazelle buys old cell phones directly from private party sellers for the purpose of reselling them. It’s easy to sell through Gazelle – no waiting for someone to take your offer or meeting up with them.

You just hit the “sell” button on the site, enter your phone make and model and they’ll give you an offer price. After you accept their offer price, Gazelle will send you a free shipping label and then pay you via an Amazon gift card, via PayPal or they’ll send you a check.

Also, keep in mind Gazelle does not buy all phone models nor do they buy phones tied to all carriers. You’ll have to check their site for specific info on which types of phones they buy.

The Good: Extremely quick, completely free to sell and multiple options for payout.

The Bad: Not all phone models will be bought back from you.

5. eBay

You probably already know at least a little bit about how eBay works. A few notes about selling your used cell phone on eBay:

Be sure to include a buffer for listing and selling fees in as you price your phone

Use other similar sold phones and listings when determining a phone price point

Decide ahead of time whether or not you’ll offer free shipping (it often makes an attractive lure for potential buyers) and then consider that cost as you choose your listing price as well

The Good: Large audience and opportunity to sell back to the retailer for higher profit.

The Bad: Communicating with potential buyers, creating your listing and then shipping your item.

6. Gadget Gobbler

Gadget Gobbler works similarly to sites like Gazelle: you get a quote for your phone, get a free shipping label once you’ve accepted their offer, and get paid from them after you send in your phone and they examine it.

One difference between Gadget Gobbler and Gazelle is that Gadget Gobbler pays via PayPal or a check only – no Amazon gift card option available. But personally, I’d prefer cash anyway. 🙂

Again, remember when you’re selling to companies that plan on reselling your phone for a profit that you’ll probably get less for the phone, although the process is super easy and streamlined compared to trying to sell it to a private party.

The Good: Payout is via a check or PayPal and a very simple selling process.

The Bad: You may not get as much for your phone.

7. Nextworth

Nextworth will also make an offer for your phone and send you a prepaid shipping label. After you accept their offer and ship your phone, they’ll pay you in the form of a PayPal deposit or they’ll mail you a check.

One thing to note about many of the companies that buy back your phone directly is they will analyze your phone once they receive it to be sure it matches the condition you said it was in when you got your offer.

If your phone is in worse condition than you stated, you may get less than originally agreed upon. Nextworth has a cool feature in that they’ll forgive any price differences (i.e. if the phone is worth less than what you were initially offered due to it being in worse condition) up to $10 and pay you as promised anyway.

That’s a feature you won’t find very often with other companies.

The Good: They send prepaid shipping label and payment via PayPal or check.

The Bad: You may get less than what you had originally agreed upon.

8. Wirefly

Wirefly is a cell phone and cell phone service retailer that pays you cash when you send in your used cell phone.

As with most companies, you need to state the condition of your phone and then send it in to be evaluated. Once they determine it’s in the condition you stated it is, they’ll pay you cash via Paypal, or you have a few other options as well.

The Good: Multiple forms of payment including cash.

The Bad: Not as fast as other selling sites.

9. SellBroke

SellBroke will buy your used cell phones (and other electronic items) even if they no longer work. As with most companies, you need to enter the description of your item with them, and they’ll give you a quote.

Once you’ve accepted their offer they’ll send you a prepaid shipping label and you can send in your item for evaluation.

Payment is made via PayPal or by check – whichever you prefer.

The Good: They may also buyback other used electronics from you as well.

The Bad: You may not get as much for your used electronics as you could elsewhere.

10. Gadget Salvation

Gadget Salvation works the same as many other companies: get a quote for your phone, a free shipping label if you agree to the quote, and they’ll pay you after they receive and assess your device.

These guys will pay you via PayPal, Venmo or Chase QuickPay.

The Good: If you find a better price for your phone from a qualifying competitor, Gadget Salvation will pay you that price plus 5% more.

The Bad: You may not get as much as you could private party.

11. MaxBack

MaxBack will quote you for your cell phone and send you a prepaid shipping label like the others. However, they offer one important difference: they’ll guarantee your quote for up to 30 days.

Prices in the world of used electronics change rapidly, so this could be a great incentive to use MaxBack as opposed to a company that won’t give a 30-day guarantee.

Remember though that all quotes are subject to verification of the phone’s condition as stated when the quote was given. MaxBack will pay you via PayPal or they’ll send you a check.

The Good: They will guarantee your quote for up to 30 days and multiple ways to get paid out.

The Bad: The cost of the convenience with MaxBack may eat into your profit.

Best Places to Sell Phones Near You

I’m sharing a variety of different avenues here for selling your old cell phone. Each works a bit differently so be sure to read the fine print so you know what you’re required to give – and how much money you’ll get – when you sell your phone.

Although we believe the best place to sell phones is always going to be online, some of you are still a little old school. If you don’t mind taking a drive to a storefront or kiosk, here are some of the best places you sell your phones near you.

12. EcoATM

EcoATM has kiosks across the country where you can deposit your old cell phone, have evaluated and get cash on the spot.

There are over 2,700 EcoATM kiosks across the country, according to the company’s website. EcoATM also takes steps to help ensure a phone can’t be stolen and deposited into a kiosk.

You need to submit a valid state ID if you’re going to deposit a phone into an EcoATM kiosk, and they will also take steps to prevent misuse of the information on your old phone as well.

This could be a good option if you want cash fast.  Also, if you decide you don’t want to accept their price, they’ll give you your phone back.

The Good: The fastest way to get cash for used phone if kiosk near you.

The Bad: You probably won’t be getting top dollar for your used phone.

13. Craigslist

Craigslist (or similar sites) are also popular venues for selling your used cell phone. You can probably get more for your phone if you sell it on Craigslist than you would by selling to a vendor – provided you are selling directly to a private party that wants to keep the phone for themselves.

Some private parties on Craigslist do buy used cell phones for the purpose of reselling them, which could potentially reduce your profit. However if you sell to someone wishing to keep and use the phone, you will likely get more money.

Search other similar listings on Craigslist to give you an idea of how much you should ask for your phone, and have a bottom-line dollar amount you’ll accept before you post your listing so that you’ll be prepared to haggle.

The Good: You will likely get the most money using Craigslist.

The Bad: The hassle factor of meeting up to sell your item is higher.

14. Walmart Trade-In Program

Like Amazon and others, Walmart will also buy your used cell phone, most often for the purpose of refurbishing and re-selling it.

After they make you an offer – and you accept their offer – they’ll send you a free shipping label with which to send the phone in. In return you’ll get a Walmart eGift card.

Could be a good choice if you like to shop at Walmart, but don’t expect to get a large offer for your phone, especially if it’s an older one.

The Good: Walmart does it all for you.

The Bad: Payment is limited to Walmart gift card.

15. BestBuy

With the Best Buy Trade-in Program you can get a Best Buy gift card for your used cell phone if you trade it in.

The main difference I could find between the Best Buy trade-in program and some of the others is that there are a few items Best Buy will only let you trade if you purchased the item at Best Buy and still have the receipt.

This rule seems to apply to local restrictions in some states/cities and not to Best Buy as a whole, according to their website.

The Good: Very fast and easy and great for BestBuy shoppers.

The Bad: Some phones will only be accepted if they were purchased at BestBuy and you have the receipt.

16. Target Trade-In Program

Target’s trade-in program works similarly to Walmart’s. You search your device on their website to get an offer. After you accept the offer you send it to them via a prepaid shipping label.

After they receive and assess your device, you’re sent a Target gift card for the agreed-upon amount – provided the phone is in the shape you said it was. Then you’re off to shop!

Again, this could be a good choice if you shop at Target frequently, but if you want actual cash for your phone you’ll want to choose another option.

The Good: Very fast and easy and great for Target shoppers.

The Bad: You’re limited to a Target gift card instead of a cash.

17. Gamestop

Gamestop also accepts cell phones for trade-in through their trade-in program. One different thing about Gamestop is that they’ll give you an option of either taking store credit or a cash payout.

Keep in mind you will receive more for your phone if you choose store credit than you would if you chose a cash payout.

The Good: Great for Gamestop shoppers and they also offer cash payout.

The Bad: You may not get as much for your phone as if you sold it private party.

18. Facebook Buy and Sell Groups

You could try Facebook to sell your used cell phone. There are buy and sell groups that specifically promote cell phone sales, or you could just try and sell yours on a buy and sell group in your area, which would probably be the easiest route.

The nice thing about Facebook is you won’t pay any listing or sale fees, and you have the potential to reach a larger audience right in your local area.

The Good: Free to list your phone which results in higher profit.

The Bad: There is the hassle factor of selling your phone private party.

Other Options to Sell Used Phone

19. GizMogul

GizMogul promises “free shipping, fast payments, highest payout guaranteed” on their website. It sure wouldn’t hurt to at least get a quote from them for your device with those kinds of promises.

Like most companies they’ll send you a free shipping label, and they pay via PayPal (or they’ll send you a check) once they’ve verified the condition of your phone.

The Good: They promise highest payouts if you sell to them.

The Bad: Nothing that stands out to us.

20. YouRenew

YouRenew will buy your old cell phone and other electronic items as well. Simply search your device, get the offer, accept the offer, ship your item (they’ll give you a free shipping label from UPS), and they’ll pay you once they evaluate your phone.

From what I could tell, YouRenew pays only via check, however. This could leave you having to wait for your money via snail mail time.

The Good: They will also buy back old electronics in addition to your phone.

The Bad: They only payout via check.

21. uSell

uSell has paid out over $46 million to people who’ve sent in their used cell phones to their company. Apparently they’re doing something right.

One cool thing about uSell is that they’ll send you an entire free shipping kit – box included – if you sell your phone to them.

And they’ll pay via check or via PayPal, which means you can get your money faster.

The Good: They have an incredible track record and have been around a while.

The Bad: Nothing that stands out to us.

22. Buy Back World

Buy Back World will also send you a free shipping kit if you choose to sell your used cell phone to them.

They pay in a number of different ways:

Paypal

Direct deposit to your bank account

Prepaid debit card

Gift card for Buy Back World

If you choose to take the gift card for Buy Back World, they’ll add an extra 5% onto your offer price.

The Good: You can get an additional 5% if you take the gift card and they have direct deposit to your checking account.

The Bad: Not as quick as some of the other sites from what we can see.

23. Green Buyback

Green Buyback promises to process your used cell phone payment faster than anyone else in the industry. If you’re looking for money super fast, this could be the way to go.

Their process is the same as most other companies: choose your phone, get your quote, ship it, have it assessed and get your cash.

The Good: Promises to be the fastest process against their competitors.

The Bad: Nothing that stands out to us.

24. ItsWorthMore

ItsWorthMore buys many models of cell phones, and other electronic items as well. After you accept your quote they’ll send you a free shipping label, and they’ll pay you via PayPal or check.

They promise to pay within 72 hours of receiving your phone or other electronic item.

The Good: Promises to be the fastest process against their competitors.

The Bad: You will have to wait up to 72 hours for payment.

Other Places Worth Mentioning

25. Itemcycle.com

Itemcycle only buys used Apple and Mac products, so if you have a used iPhone you want to sell you could potentially check out these guys.

They’ll send you a free prepaid shipping label (sounds like you’ll have to find your own box) and will pay via PayPal or via a check.

The Good: They will payout via PayPal or check.

The Bad: They only buy Apple and Mac products.

26. iPhone Antidote

iPhone Antidote, you can probably guess, only buys used iPhones. Why? Probably because they generally sell for more on the used market.

They’ll send you a prepaid shipping kit like uSell does, with a box included. They pay via a check or via PayPal, and they promise not to lower the offer price for your phone provided you’ve chosen the correct model and condition.

The Good: You can get paid out via PayPal or a check in the mail.

The Bad: They only buy back used iPhones.

27. Your Wireless Carrier

One place to check to sell your used phone is directly with your Wireless carrier. Although not all wireless carriers will buy back your phone, many will. Here is a list of some wireless carriers that may consider buying back your used phone:

AT&T

Verizon

T-Mobile

Check directly with your carrier for more information on selling your used cell phone to them.

The Good: You already know and trust your own carrier.

The Bad: Not all carriers with buyback your old phones.

The Takeaway

Many of us have old cell phones collecting dust in drawers or merely acting as paper weights. However, as you can see there are plenty of options for generating a little extra spending money with very little effort on your part.

The general rule of thumb is this: If you’re looking to get the most money for your old phone, you’re going to want to sell your phone for free on sites like Craigslist or Facebook. There of course is a little more hassle this route, but the more hassle usually results in the bigger payoff.

But, if you’re looking to simply get rid of the phone fast, I would recommend choosing one of the sites listed above that does all the groundwork for you. Not sure which site is going to be the best option? Then I would choose based on how they compensate you or what they compensate you with (cash, Paypal, gift card, store credit, etc.)

Lastly, don’t forget to clear your personal information out of your old phone.

Have you sold your old cell phones to any of these companies? If so, we’d love to hear about your experience.

Simply drop a comment below and tell us about your experience (good or bad) with selling your old phone.

  Related Posts You May Like

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40 Legit Ways to Get Free Amazon Gift Cards in 2019

Best Places Locally and Online to Sell Your Old Phones published first on https://justinbetreviews.tumblr.com/

[darcyfarber]

Best Places Locally and Online to Sell Your Old Phones

What should you do with that old cell phone you have when you upgrade to a newer one? Don’t discount its value before you check out what you might be able to get by selling it.

Depending on the type and model of phone you have to sell, and the condition it’s in, you might be able to get more than you thought you would.

There are several sites that will allow you to sell used cell phones, either directly to the company, or to a private party or company as a third party buyer.

Here are the details on some of the most popular places you can sell your used cell phones.

Table of Contents

Best Places to Sell Phones Online

1. BuybackBoss

2. Deculttr

3. Amazon & Amazon Trade-In Program

4. Gazelle

5. eBay

6. Gadget Gobbler

7. Nextworth

8. Wirefly

9. SellBroke

10. Gadget Salvation

11. MaxBack

Best Places to Sell Phones Near You

12. EcoATM

13. Craigslist

14. Walmart Trade-In Program

15. BestBuy

16. Target Trade-In Program

17. Gamestop

18. Facebook Buy and Sell Groups

Other Options to Sell Used Phone

19. GizMogul

20. YouRenew

21. uSell

22. Buy Back World

23. Green Buyback

24. ItsWorthMore

Other Places Worth Mentioning

25. Itemcycle.com

26. iPhone Antidote

27. Your Wireless Carrier

The Takeaway

Best Places to Sell Phones Online

To start, the best places to sell phones is going to be online. There are a ton of great places to choose from, but if you want to make this quick and simple; we recommend BuybackBoss to start.

1. BuybackBoss

BuybackBoss is our first choice when it comes to selling your old phone online. For starters, they guarantee to give you the highest price for your device. They also have a Trustpilot rating of 9.6 out 10.

If you find somewhere online that offers you a better price, you can simply send them an email (explanation on their website) with a link to the higher offer. Once they see the better offer, they will update your offer to beat their competitors and notify you once it’s ready to go.

They have three simple steps when it comes to selling your old phone.

First you will head over to their site and get a quote in 30 seconds or less. Next, you will ship your used phone for free and even track your shipment as well. Once your item is shipped, you get the choice of getting paid via check or through PayPal.

With a high Trustpilot rating and the guarantee that they will be the best price, it’s obvious why we started with BuybackBoss.

2. Deculttr

Decluttr is a close second choice when it comes to selling your old phone. They have paid out over $300 million to over 6 million people and have Trustpilot rating of 8.9 out of 10.

  Sell on Decluttr Now

  How it works:

Very similar to BuybackBoss, but they do have an updated app and offer two more payment options beyond PayPal and check. They can pay via direct deposit or even a donation to a charity.

Decluttr has definitely been one of the pioneers when it comes to selling your old phone, however they don’t guarantee the highest price which is why we put them at #2.

3. Amazon & Amazon Trade-In Program

With Amazon you can sell your phone two different ways. You can use Amazon’s Trade-In program and get an Amazon gift card for your phone, or you can sell your phone directly on the site and get cash from a third party buyer.

If you’re okay with having an Amazon Gift Card for your phone instead of cash, the trade-in program could be the way to go, although you may not get as much money for your phone since Amazon will still need to make a profit by reselling it.

When I checked my old Moto G phone on Amazon’s trade-in site, they were paying “up to” $6.80 for similar trade in models.

However, when I searched “used Moto G phones” on the traditional Amazon shopping site, I found I would pay between $30 and $60 for a used one. Even after listing and selling fees you’ll likely get more money selling your phone to a third party when you use Amazon.

The Good: Large audience and everyone uses an Amazon Gift Card.

The Bad: You may not get as much for your old phone.

4. Gazelle

Gazelle buys old cell phones directly from private party sellers for the purpose of reselling them. It’s easy to sell through Gazelle – no waiting for someone to take your offer or meeting up with them.

You just hit the “sell” button on the site, enter your phone make and model and they’ll give you an offer price. After you accept their offer price, Gazelle will send you a free shipping label and then pay you via an Amazon gift card, via PayPal or they’ll send you a check.

Also, keep in mind Gazelle does not buy all phone models nor do they buy phones tied to all carriers. You’ll have to check their site for specific info on which types of phones they buy.

The Good: Extremely quick, completely free to sell and multiple options for payout.

The Bad: Not all phone models will be bought back from you.

5. eBay

You probably already know at least a little bit about how eBay works. A few notes about selling your used cell phone on eBay:

Be sure to include a buffer for listing and selling fees in as you price your phone

Use other similar sold phones and listings when determining a phone price point

Decide ahead of time whether or not you’ll offer free shipping (it often makes an attractive lure for potential buyers) and then consider that cost as you choose your listing price as well

The Good: Large audience and opportunity to sell back to the retailer for higher profit.

The Bad: Communicating with potential buyers, creating your listing and then shipping your item.

6. Gadget Gobbler

Gadget Gobbler works similarly to sites like Gazelle: you get a quote for your phone, get a free shipping label once you’ve accepted their offer, and get paid from them after you send in your phone and they examine it.

One difference between Gadget Gobbler and Gazelle is that Gadget Gobbler pays via PayPal or a check only – no Amazon gift card option available. But personally, I’d prefer cash anyway. 🙂

Again, remember when you’re selling to companies that plan on reselling your phone for a profit that you’ll probably get less for the phone, although the process is super easy and streamlined compared to trying to sell it to a private party.

The Good: Payout is via a check or PayPal and a very simple selling process.

The Bad: You may not get as much for your phone.

7. Nextworth

Nextworth will also make an offer for your phone and send you a prepaid shipping label. After you accept their offer and ship your phone, they’ll pay you in the form of a PayPal deposit or they’ll mail you a check.

One thing to note about many of the companies that buy back your phone directly is they will analyze your phone once they receive it to be sure it matches the condition you said it was in when you got your offer.

If your phone is in worse condition than you stated, you may get less than originally agreed upon. Nextworth has a cool feature in that they’ll forgive any price differences (i.e. if the phone is worth less than what you were initially offered due to it being in worse condition) up to $10 and pay you as promised anyway.

That’s a feature you won’t find very often with other companies.

The Good: They send prepaid shipping label and payment via PayPal or check.

The Bad: You may get less than what you had originally agreed upon.

8. Wirefly

Wirefly is a cell phone and cell phone service retailer that pays you cash when you send in your used cell phone.

As with most companies, you need to state the condition of your phone and then send it in to be evaluated. Once they determine it’s in the condition you stated it is, they’ll pay you cash via Paypal, or you have a few other options as well.

The Good: Multiple forms of payment including cash.

The Bad: Not as fast as other selling sites.

9. SellBroke

SellBroke will buy your used cell phones (and other electronic items) even if they no longer work. As with most companies, you need to enter the description of your item with them, and they’ll give you a quote.

Once you’ve accepted their offer they’ll send you a prepaid shipping label and you can send in your item for evaluation.

Payment is made via PayPal or by check – whichever you prefer.

The Good: They may also buyback other used electronics from you as well.

The Bad: You may not get as much for your used electronics as you could elsewhere.

10. Gadget Salvation

Gadget Salvation works the same as many other companies: get a quote for your phone, a free shipping label if you agree to the quote, and they’ll pay you after they receive and assess your device.

These guys will pay you via PayPal, Venmo or Chase QuickPay.

The Good: If you find a better price for your phone from a qualifying competitor, Gadget Salvation will pay you that price plus 5% more.

The Bad: You may not get as much as you could private party.

11. MaxBack

MaxBack will quote you for your cell phone and send you a prepaid shipping label like the others. However, they offer one important difference: they’ll guarantee your quote for up to 30 days.

Prices in the world of used electronics change rapidly, so this could be a great incentive to use MaxBack as opposed to a company that won’t give a 30-day guarantee.

Remember though that all quotes are subject to verification of the phone’s condition as stated when the quote was given. MaxBack will pay you via PayPal or they’ll send you a check.

The Good: They will guarantee your quote for up to 30 days and multiple ways to get paid out.

The Bad: The cost of the convenience with MaxBack may eat into your profit.

Best Places to Sell Phones Near You

I’m sharing a variety of different avenues here for selling your old cell phone. Each works a bit differently so be sure to read the fine print so you know what you’re required to give – and how much money you’ll get – when you sell your phone.

Although we believe the best place to sell phones is always going to be online, some of you are still a little old school. If you don’t mind taking a drive to a storefront or kiosk, here are some of the best places you sell your phones near you.

12. EcoATM

EcoATM has kiosks across the country where you can deposit your old cell phone, have evaluated and get cash on the spot.

There are over 2,700 EcoATM kiosks across the country, according to the company’s website. EcoATM also takes steps to help ensure a phone can’t be stolen and deposited into a kiosk.

You need to submit a valid state ID if you’re going to deposit a phone into an EcoATM kiosk, and they will also take steps to prevent misuse of the information on your old phone as well.

This could be a good option if you want cash fast.  Also, if you decide you don’t want to accept their price, they’ll give you your phone back.

The Good: The fastest way to get cash for used phone if kiosk near you.

The Bad: You probably won’t be getting top dollar for your used phone.

13. Craigslist

Craigslist (or similar sites) are also popular venues for selling your used cell phone. You can probably get more for your phone if you sell it on Craigslist than you would by selling to a vendor – provided you are selling directly to a private party that wants to keep the phone for themselves.

Some private parties on Craigslist do buy used cell phones for the purpose of reselling them, which could potentially reduce your profit. However if you sell to someone wishing to keep and use the phone, you will likely get more money.

Search other similar listings on Craigslist to give you an idea of how much you should ask for your phone, and have a bottom-line dollar amount you’ll accept before you post your listing so that you’ll be prepared to haggle.

The Good: You will likely get the most money using Craigslist.

The Bad: The hassle factor of meeting up to sell your item is higher.

14. Walmart Trade-In Program

Like Amazon and others, Walmart will also buy your used cell phone, most often for the purpose of refurbishing and re-selling it.

After they make you an offer – and you accept their offer – they’ll send you a free shipping label with which to send the phone in. In return you’ll get a Walmart eGift card.

Could be a good choice if you like to shop at Walmart, but don’t expect to get a large offer for your phone, especially if it’s an older one.

The Good: Walmart does it all for you.

The Bad: Payment is limited to Walmart gift card.

15. BestBuy

With the Best Buy Trade-in Program you can get a Best Buy gift card for your used cell phone if you trade it in.

The main difference I could find between the Best Buy trade-in program and some of the others is that there are a few items Best Buy will only let you trade if you purchased the item at Best Buy and still have the receipt.

This rule seems to apply to local restrictions in some states/cities and not to Best Buy as a whole, according to their website.

The Good: Very fast and easy and great for BestBuy shoppers.

The Bad: Some phones will only be accepted if they were purchased at BestBuy and you have the receipt.

16. Target Trade-In Program

Target’s trade-in program works similarly to Walmart’s. You search your device on their website to get an offer. After you accept the offer you send it to them via a prepaid shipping label.

After they receive and assess your device, you’re sent a Target gift card for the agreed-upon amount – provided the phone is in the shape you said it was. Then you’re off to shop!

Again, this could be a good choice if you shop at Target frequently, but if you want actual cash for your phone you’ll want to choose another option.

The Good: Very fast and easy and great for Target shoppers.

The Bad: You’re limited to a Target gift card instead of a cash.

17. Gamestop

Gamestop also accepts cell phones for trade-in through their trade-in program. One different thing about Gamestop is that they’ll give you an option of either taking store credit or a cash payout.

Keep in mind you will receive more for your phone if you choose store credit than you would if you chose a cash payout.

The Good: Great for Gamestop shoppers and they also offer cash payout.

The Bad: You may not get as much for your phone as if you sold it private party.

18. Facebook Buy and Sell Groups

You could try Facebook to sell your used cell phone. There are buy and sell groups that specifically promote cell phone sales, or you could just try and sell yours on a buy and sell group in your area, which would probably be the easiest route.

The nice thing about Facebook is you won’t pay any listing or sale fees, and you have the potential to reach a larger audience right in your local area.

The Good: Free to list your phone which results in higher profit.

The Bad: There is the hassle factor of selling your phone private party.

Other Options to Sell Used Phone

19. GizMogul

GizMogul promises “free shipping, fast payments, highest payout guaranteed” on their website. It sure wouldn’t hurt to at least get a quote from them for your device with those kinds of promises.

Like most companies they’ll send you a free shipping label, and they pay via PayPal (or they’ll send you a check) once they’ve verified the condition of your phone.

The Good: They promise highest payouts if you sell to them.

The Bad: Nothing that stands out to us.

20. YouRenew

YouRenew will buy your old cell phone and other electronic items as well. Simply search your device, get the offer, accept the offer, ship your item (they’ll give you a free shipping label from UPS), and they’ll pay you once they evaluate your phone.

From what I could tell, YouRenew pays only via check, however. This could leave you having to wait for your money via snail mail time.

The Good: They will also buy back old electronics in addition to your phone.

The Bad: They only payout via check.

21. uSell

uSell has paid out over $46 million to people who’ve sent in their used cell phones to their company. Apparently they’re doing something right.

One cool thing about uSell is that they’ll send you an entire free shipping kit – box included – if you sell your phone to them.

And they’ll pay via check or via PayPal, which means you can get your money faster.

The Good: They have an incredible track record and have been around a while.

The Bad: Nothing that stands out to us.

22. Buy Back World

Buy Back World will also send you a free shipping kit if you choose to sell your used cell phone to them.

They pay in a number of different ways:

Paypal

Direct deposit to your bank account

Prepaid debit card

Gift card for Buy Back World

If you choose to take the gift card for Buy Back World, they’ll add an extra 5% onto your offer price.

The Good: You can get an additional 5% if you take the gift card and they have direct deposit to your checking account.

The Bad: Not as quick as some of the other sites from what we can see.

23. Green Buyback

Green Buyback promises to process your used cell phone payment faster than anyone else in the industry. If you’re looking for money super fast, this could be the way to go.

Their process is the same as most other companies: choose your phone, get your quote, ship it, have it assessed and get your cash.

The Good: Promises to be the fastest process against their competitors.

The Bad: Nothing that stands out to us.

24. ItsWorthMore

ItsWorthMore buys many models of cell phones, and other electronic items as well. After you accept your quote they’ll send you a free shipping label, and they’ll pay you via PayPal or check.

They promise to pay within 72 hours of receiving your phone or other electronic item.

The Good: Promises to be the fastest process against their competitors.

The Bad: You will have to wait up to 72 hours for payment.

Other Places Worth Mentioning

25. Itemcycle.com

Itemcycle only buys used Apple and Mac products, so if you have a used iPhone you want to sell you could potentially check out these guys.

They’ll send you a free prepaid shipping label (sounds like you’ll have to find your own box) and will pay via PayPal or via a check.

The Good: They will payout via PayPal or check.

The Bad: They only buy Apple and Mac products.

26. iPhone Antidote

iPhone Antidote, you can probably guess, only buys used iPhones. Why? Probably because they generally sell for more on the used market.

They’ll send you a prepaid shipping kit like uSell does, with a box included. They pay via a check or via PayPal, and they promise not to lower the offer price for your phone provided you’ve chosen the correct model and condition.

The Good: You can get paid out via PayPal or a check in the mail.

The Bad: They only buy back used iPhones.

27. Your Wireless Carrier

One place to check to sell your used phone is directly with your Wireless carrier. Although not all wireless carriers will buy back your phone, many will. Here is a list of some wireless carriers that may consider buying back your used phone:

AT&T

Verizon

T-Mobile

Check directly with your carrier for more information on selling your used cell phone to them.

The Good: You already know and trust your own carrier.

The Bad: Not all carriers with buyback your old phones.

The Takeaway

Many of us have old cell phones collecting dust in drawers or merely acting as paper weights. However, as you can see there are plenty of options for generating a little extra spending money with very little effort on your part.

The general rule of thumb is this: If you’re looking to get the most money for your old phone, you’re going to want to sell your phone for free on sites like Craigslist or Facebook. There of course is a little more hassle this route, but the more hassle usually results in the bigger payoff.

But, if you’re looking to simply get rid of the phone fast, I would recommend choosing one of the sites listed above that does all the groundwork for you. Not sure which site is going to be the best option? Then I would choose based on how they compensate you or what they compensate you with (cash, Paypal, gift card, store credit, etc.)

Lastly, don’t forget to clear your personal information out of your old phone.

Have you sold your old cell phones to any of these companies? If so, we’d love to hear about your experience.

Simply drop a comment below and tell us about your experience (good or bad) with selling your old phone.

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Best Places Locally and Online to Sell Your Old Phones published first on https://mysingaporepools.weebly.com/

[bladeque-blog]

Query Concerning Steam Wallet Codes, Page 1

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[toxixpumpkin]

List of shit that has happened at work so far since I haven’t updated in a while

I greet two customers asking if they need my help dude on the right replies “Besides giving my homie here your number? We have an XBox question!”

Talking with a customer who was with a friend mentioned he’d been trying to get a job at this gamestop for a while looks me in the eye and asks “So how’d a cute girl like you work for a gamestop like this?” When I told him I actually wanted to work at Build-a-Bear he says “Yeah I could see that”

Woman got pissed at me when I told her WiiU was discontinued and no new games would be made for it. Her daughter asked a question and the woman loudly replies “Sorry but you’re not getting any new games because SHE *points at me* has ruined everything!”

Baby got sick and threw up on the carpet. Dad didn’t say a fuckin word and just left. Some other customers had to tell us about the mess.

“Do you have any Nintendo Switches in stock?” “No sorry we do not.” Repeats like 10 times a day.

I subbed at SouthBay and had an in depth and lovely conversation about Cats with two customers. I enlightened them to the fact Savannah Cats exist and what F1-F5 means. Dude is now super determined to save up money for an F1 Savannah cat. He’s the happiest panda ever

Got to actually put my Japanese conversational skills to use with a customer and her kids. She was beyond happy to hear Japanese and was just honestly so cute. We both made each other’s day no joke. I’m still happy about that.

I bought a Funko mystery box for Armored King. Gave Akuma and Chun Li to my coworkers who were unable to process the kindness and were like “???? Gift????”

Our phones broke and we finally got new ones. Thing is we now have a voice mail box again so sometimes people leave us voice messages. “Hello?? Heellooo?”  and “I’m just trying to call gamestop.............” ALSO scam calls come in! I put the phone on speaker for Sunshine Lollipop and he was like “OH WOW When do I give you my credit card information?? Do you want the security code on the back to?” *Hangs up the phone*

Customer came in speaking like French or some shit then we had a small debate on the usage of certain Japanese greetings because he knew Japanese to. Then he said good bye to us in like Chinese?? I think. He’s too powerful.....

[berryfairy2]

6 random facts Challenge

i was tagged by my man my guy my pal @gardenwarrior

6 random facts

1. l’m 5'8" but i want to be short (5'0") so i can be held by people easier

2. i really love bomber jackets like really really love them

3. the concentration part of my portfolio this year for my AP 2D design class is gonna be optical illusion art (wish me luck)

4. i HATE my computer science class, computer science just doesn’t click with me

5. i quit playing league of legends i’m 4 months clean

6. my 3ds’s bottom screen broke so i returned it to gamestop and they didn’t notice it was broken and i’ve been trying to buy a 3ds for like a month and a half now and i got a used one but it was messed up and i got a refund on it but the refund was put on a gift card and now i have to buy a 3ds from gamestop but what if there is one at walmart in the next couple of days and i can’t buy it cause the money i put aside for the 3ds is now on a gift card for a different store and… long story short it gives me anxiety

uhh i tag @ixuku uh @nagaai @hanmki and whoever else wants to do it