#very top tier selection of stuff

[apprentice-s]

i should work on making art for fics i like

[novella-november]

Okay, gardening stuff is done (plus it is way too hot outside for late October, thanks climate change), so, here's a quick tutorial on how to use the Navigator function in Libreoffice to organize your writing :)

Don't have Libreoffice yet?

Download the free, open-source writing processor here! :)

Once you've got Libre opened up, you'll probably be greeted with a generic New Document, like this:

To get the most of out taking notes and references, as well as just generally organizing your story (especially if you have it all in one master document), you'll want to use the Outline / Navigator function!

To get started, go up to the "View" drop down menu from the very top of the document (third option from the left) and in the drop-down menu, go all the way down and select "Navigator" (fourth from the bottom).

.Click it, and ta-dah! You now have your Navigator menu open.

You can re-size it by dragging the right-hand side to show more or less of it at any time, and I think you can move it to elsewhere in the document, but I use it where the default view is, so that's what I'll show here.

At first, it'll be empty:

But that is easy enough to fix!

To learn the ropes, type in a few example sentences in your document on seperate lines labeled 1 through 5.

As you type the first line labeled 1, highlight the sentence, and go to the Styles menu (shown below) and select "Heading 1"

Go head and type the other 4 sentences labeled 2, 3,4, & 5, changing each one's Style to the equivalent Heading (Heading 2, Heading 3, Heading 4, and Heading 5, accordingly)

(To do it more quickly with keyboard shortcuts, you can do CTRL + [Heading Number] to quickly change to a Heading, by doing CTRL+1, CTRL+2, etc)

until your document looks like this:

Notice how your Navigator now has different tiered categories, which you can collapse to hide the lower headings, which will nest together on the Navigator underneath higher level headings.

So, how is this useful?

If you have a document dedicated to Outlining your novel, you can now easily organize and find your information by sorting them by categories and subcategories, like below:

Here's what it looks like when most of the categories are collapsed:

And, of course, when you're writing your story all in one Master Document, being able to easily navigate to different chapters is essential!

Here's an example:

If you need to make notes for editing later, such as:

[Add a description of location here]

[Come up with a fantasy animal here]

[rewrite this scene so its more clear]

[Skipped this scene from writers block, come back and redo]

etc

You can simply add these notes in as Heading 3 (or one-tier lower according to how you're organizing your document) to make it show up as a sub-heading inside the chapter to easily find it again :D

Obviously, 99% of works are going to have Tables of Contents much less chaotic than this example lol:

[lubrumalis]

I know you've already glossed over how simon would be with a partner and what kind of person he would need. but would you be able to go more in depth about what type of person you think he'd be interested in? what kind of person do you think would suit him best?

ghosts ideal type

who would this man be interested in?

first of all, i think ghost isn’t blinded by physical attraction. of course everyone has their preferences when it comes to height, weight, etcetc but i really dont think ghost cares. at least for 2009 ghost, hes a gentleman who doesn’t judge others. tall? short? fat? skinny? ugly? pretty? he doesn’t give a fuck. i think 2009 ghost is very attracted to kindness and compassion for others, leading him to have a soft spot. in the end i think he’d be very interested in someone who constantly is on the lookout for others and is very independent. in the comic hes always the one saving others and taking that responsibility, so he finds it nice when theres someone out there thats similar. hes the typa guy to fall for the girl next door whos constantly smiling, but knows how to playfully banter with him.

i highly doubt ghost would ever be attracted to someone in tf141 or working with him in the military… since to him work is work. there are also no females in the SAS (its true!) with only 2 passing pre selection in 2021, meaning ghost would have little exposure to working with female teammates. even if there is, it would be a huge slow burn romance imo.

also on the enemies to lovers thing—i dont see that happening. reboot ghost gives the vibes of a man who’d lowkey do that at first, but itd never happen. ghost is a simple man when it comes to relationships: i like you + you like me = mutual feelings. he wouldn’t get the whole ‘i kind of hate you because im pissed at you but also find you attractive’ trope. in fact he’d find it really annoying. he was already betrayed by his soldier teammates once, hes not gonna take it well if someone on his team suddenly gets aggressive towards him in the name of 'attraction'.

ghost isn’t shallow. but he would want his partner to be clean of drugs, have basic hygiene, and dress cutely from time to time. stuff like big ass and big boobs with an hourglass isn’t of his concern at all. in the comic he was in this bar full of prostitutes with his team, every soldier was enjoying their time with a girl—except ghost. he even told a prostitute to go fuck off when she got too touchy. so this can prove hes really not that hypersexual.

traits s/o needs

someone independent. they can cook, clean, live on their own for long periods of time. ghost is a soldier, meaning his schedule is different from most men. hes deployed for sometimes 6 months at a time, so his s/o needs to be content with living alone for long periods of time. the fact ghost is also deployed in active war zones and literal deserts while surviving on 5 hours of sleep, means he cant text or call daily either. this person can’t think that ghost is being distant or not loving them enough, its simply the life of a top tier SAS soldier. ghost doesn’t want this to happen either, but the person must be able to feel secure and independent without him… this also means knowing the possibility ghost could die at any point during his deployment.

someone who values acts of service. first of all, ghost has had a lot of people disappoint him in his life. general shepherd, his american teammates during the mission to destroy roba, and his dad. id argue his brother tommy too (used to be an addict), though its not disappointment its moreso “im not happy you’re on drugs”. ghost needs someone who does things for him that proves trustworthiness and loyalty. small things, like taking care of him when hes sick and preparing a warm meal when he comes back from the freezing outside. id imagine ghost does the same for his partner.

someone with good and strict morales. ghost is a good guy, and we know it. he prevented a girl from getting sexually assaulted, spent years guiding his drug addict brother into rehab, and will just punch about anyone who he thinks is pure evil. even after months of brainwashing and torture done by roba, when every american special forces soldier gave in, ghost didnt. he needs someone similar—morales they will never break … ever. even when tortured.

[xf-cases-solved]

S1E8: Ice

Case: Two FBI agents, a geologist, a medical doctor, a toxicologist, and a guy who happens to own a plane walk into an Alaskan research outpost turned crime scene. Stop me if you've heard this one before...

A team of geophysicists doing some fun breaking of the ice suddenly end up dead, and Mulder and Scully are selected, along with a handful of other lucky ducks, to go find out what killed them. What they discover is a bloodbath and a very angry dog. The dog did not murder them, but he might be the key to finding out what did. As unfortunate parasitic discoveries start to be made, things descend into chaos faster than you can say "black nodule." Scully wants everybody to shut up, Mulder asks everyone not to judge his dick size, and CGI is used liberally. Is this a whodunit? Or a whatcausedthemtodunit?

Does someone die in the cold open: Yes. A confused looking man and a shirtless man with blood directly on his tits hold each other at gunpoint, only to then decide to kill themselves instead.

Does Mulder present a slideshow: No, but he did bring a video for Scully to watch.

Does the evidence survive the investigation: Nope! The evidence on the surface killed itself, and the whole place is torched before any more evidence can be found.

Whodunit: Okay, technically it was a bunch of murders plus a couple suicides, but they were just being Ratatouilled by some prehistoric, potentially extraterrestrial, ice worms.

Convictions: None necessary

Did they solve it: Yes. I'm giving this one to them. This is one of the few episodes where hard science, without any twists, saves the day. They could write this in a report and not make their bosses want to kill them. Good job you guys, you prevented a plague!

[how do i determine if a case is solved? check the scale here: x]

THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY: The 1982 playoff game between the San Diego Chargers and the Miami Dolphins.

Have you been struggling with stress? Have a lot on your mind? Maybe your job is running you ragged. Or maybe you're stuck in an outpost in Alaska researching the horrific deaths of some scientists. Or maybe the in-laws are in town this week! Whatever the reason, if you need help getting your mind off stuff, we've got the solution—the 1982 playoff game between the San Diego Chargers and the Miami Dolphins!

***

General Total Stats:

(green means stat has changed since last ep; red means new stat added to list)

Total Cases *Definitively* Solved So Far: 3! (begin new streak...)

Total Number of "Mulder/Scully, it's me" phone calls: 1

Total Number of Times Scully Has Conveniently Not Seen Something Crucial: 3 (even tho she was barricaded in a room and was trying very diligently and pointlessly to break down a locked, solid metal door, she didn't actually miss anything she didn't already know)

Total Number of Times Mulder Has Been in Mortal Danger: 2

Total Number of Times Scully Has Been in Mortal Danger: 3 (she was never explicitly targeted, but i say that being on that base at all counts as mortal danger)

Total Number of Sexually Charged and/or Flirty Moments Between Friendly Coworkers: 5 (whyyy were those neck checks so sensual??)

Total Number of Autopsies Scully Has Performed On Screen: 1 (okay, she performed autopsies in this episode, but not on screen, and that's what I think matters, so i'm changing up this category to reflect that specification)

Total Number of Times Mulder Talks to an Informant: 4

Total Number of Nosebleeds: 4

Total Number of Cigarettes Cigarette Smoking Man Has Smoked: 2

Total Number of Alex Krycek Sightings: 0 :(

Total Number of Times I Had to Look Up What State the Episode Takes Place in Even Though I Literally Just Watched It: 2

Total Number of Times I Had to Look at an Episode's Wikipedia Page to Fill This Out Because It Was Fucking Confusing and/or Too Boring for Me to Pay Attention: 1 (Ice is a top tier episode, my dudes, i have that shit memorized. the next episode is Space, tho, so...)

[ubercharge]

i don't remember if i've made a post about it before but this is a program for art references that a college prof showed us once called [ PureRef ] (it's free, plus you can grab the portable version to shove on a USB stick!) that allows you to slap down and move a bunch of images on one canvas

so for example here's part of my mia canvas, you can move, resize, and rotate images. it's very simple to use! slapping down different references, mood boards, inspiration pics, etc for your OCs, stories, worldbuilding, or whatever you want is super easy

you can use it for stuff besides art, i've used it for ffxiv raids and silly tierlists just as examples because sometimes you don't need to have different layers to edit, you just want to have images arranged on a canvas!

what you click goes to the top, but if for example on the above tierlist i clicked on the "background" (the tiers) and it got placed on top of all the icons of stuff, i could just send it to the back layer by right clicking on it or using the command.

shift+clicking allows you to select multiple objects, which you can then edit all at once. zoom in and out with scroll wheel. super simple, and on top of that i'm sure there are plenty of features i haven't even looked at yet. you can easily paste images you've copied with snipping tool or lightshot (which is a screenshot tool i use and love)

if you want to slap images on a canvas for reference whether you're an artist or for ANY reason want to arrange images, i cannot recommend pureref enough honestly.

[randomvarious]

Today's mix:

True Playa'z in the Mix Vol. 2 by DJ Hype 2000 Drum n Bass

A piping hot slab of late 90s/early 2000s dnb fire here from the UK's one and only DJ Hype. Back in the mid-90s, Hype co-founded his own dnb and jungle label, True Playaz, with the two other guys that he co-habitates most of this mix's tracklist with: DJ Zinc and Pascal, the three of whom are also collectively known as The Ganja Kru. And with Hype himself manning the decks on this one, he churns out a versatilely booming mix that showcases all the dope stuff that he and his labelmates were producing at the time.

And perhaps the single-dopest thing about this mix overall is that not only was Hype responsible for its selection and top-notch mixing, but he also expertly incorporated something else that you don't typically hear on a lot of dnb mixes: turntable scratching. His choice to bring this skillful touch to some of these songs adds an extra special wrinkle to them, enhancing and elevating them as one-of-a-kind must-listens. Pascal's "Serious Sounds (VIP)" is probably not one of the top-tier tracks on this thing if not for Hype adding his own scratches to this already bouncy track 🥹.

And there's not too much in the way of jungle on here, but being that my preferences tend to lean towards that genre in particular, I really love the cosmically eerie-synthed "Toothbrush" by DJ Zinc, which Hype also brings his scratching prowess to at certain points. It's a pretty simple thing, but I am just such a sucker for those moments in jungle tunes when the chaotic break gets suddenly dropped into a serene setting 😈. That shit's like musical crack to me, and it happens a couple times within this very song.

And lastly, the closer on this mix is fantastic too. There's a good dose of hip hop attributes to be found all throughout this session, including sampled lyrics and Hype's own scratching, but Pascal's "P-Funk 2000" has another thing: a whistly-whiny-squealy G-Funk synth that's pretty melodically reminiscent of Notorious B.I.G.'s own "Big Poppa." Really complements the drum breaks well here and the sampling of a not-so-known feature from rap legend KRS-One is a sweet added bonus too 🤌.

So really good stuff here from the True Playaz team all around. Excellent selection and sequencing, and the whole thing's pretty well-mixed too. Both dnb and jungle are known to overlap with hip hop from time to time—people sometimes rap over dnb beats and rap lyrics from other songs get sampled and looped-up a whole lot as well—but the incorporation of scratching into a project like this is not something that I think is very prevalent, and DJ Hype shows you with his own skillset why that's turned out to be a pretty glaring oversight.

Listen to the full mix here.

Highlights:

Freestyles - "Stronger" Pascal - "Favours" DJ Zinc - "Bring the Danger" Mampi Swift - "Reload" DJ Hype - "Closer to God" DJ Nut Nut - "Take Control" DJ Zinc - "Pink Panther (Remix)" DJ Hype - "Only One Life to Give" DJ Zinc - "Toothbrush" DJ Hype - "Peace Love & Unity (Remix)" The Ganja Kru - "Forbidden Fruit" Pascal - "Serious Sounds (VIP)" DJ Hype - "Jump" DJ Zinc - "Stretched" Pascal - "P-Funk 2000"

[tacoma-narrows]

Heya!

My name's Tacoma (you can call me Tac ^^), welcome to my page! I'm a 23 y/o ace/bi guy generally just kinda doin whatever!

Icon: Starburst by @baskipps !!

Here, you'll mostly see my art, roller coaster related content, stuff abt the characters and bands I like, and so on!

If you want to find me anywhere else, check out my LinkTree! Other than here, I'm most active on Instagram and Toyhouse :]

NOTE: If you need to dm me, and haven't said elsewhere that you're going to, include the reason you're messaging me in the first message or two! I do not respond to dms that are just "hi" "hey" etc.

More info about tags and stuff I use are below the cut :]

Thanks for popping in to have a look around! Welcome to the Tacoma Nation!

[Pinned last updated Jan 30 2025]

I have a few specific tags I use relatively regularly if you wanna check em out: #TacTalks -> Textposts #TacDraws -> Artwork #Tac's Photos -> Photography #Top Tier Tacoma -> A selection of what I feel is my best work #Toll Booth -> Ask Tag

As well as my special interest tags! #coasterposting -> roller coasters/general amusement parks #weatherbrain -> weather related posts #spacebrain -> space related posts #jerseyposting -> anything about/relating to New Jersey (I am from NJ and very proud of that lol)

Additionally, if you want to see art of a specific character of mine, they're all tagged as "# oc: [Name]" (#oc: Starburst as an example). You can also see all my characters with each ones' ref and a bit of info about each one here :]

Similarly, if you wanna see posts abt my comfort characters, those are #CC: [character name], either Jenny, Bolt, Tamama or Snoopy! ^^

Thanks for stopping by!

[blackbutlerfandomnerddomain]

So since I'm making Smiling Critters stuff recently I wanted to share my opinions to the shippings and share my personal headcanons based off them:

I used this Tier List and came up with this:

I didn't even try to make it even it just happened, I dunno!

Let me go down the list as best as I can! Starting with my S Tier/My All Time OTPs;

Bobby Bearhug x Hoppy Hopscotch:

I think I mostly liked them due to their cutout lines: "I love you to the moon and back" "Wanna try hopping to the moon with me?"

I really love the aesthetic of femme x tomboy when it comes to my lesbian ships in a lot of fandom.

I can for sure imagine Bobby being really into Lovecore outfits and maybe some Cottagecore while Hoppy wears Jnco and a sports jacket over a tank top

They love outdoor dates! A nice picnic in the park is perfect, it's romantic and sweet, it can give Hoppy the space to be energetic, and if they stay late enough they can watch the stars

Craftcorny x KickinChicken:

This one I honestly think I started shipping thanks to Youtube

It's basically the least expected type of troupe so yeah I like it!

Crafty is taller than Kickin by a few inches and he's not complaining

He's her main supporter in her art

Their dates are either movies in their homes or going out. Sometimes it's at a gallery or museum or a park

Catnap x Dogday:

Okay, this was was my biggest ship for a while now. Like others, it was easy to find the ship and fell in love with her LOL

Dogday makes breakfast in the morning and Catnap makes dinner in the evening. Dogday makes enough to make sure Catnap is at least awake enough the first two hours of the day while Catnap makes sure he cooks enough to make Dogday more sleepy once they finished their night routine

I imagine they both had spots like freckles since my dogs and my old cat have dots, and they both love it

They both help each other's mental and physical health. Dogday makes sure Catnap has some exercise and has a much better diet and self care routine than when he was alone, and Catnap makes sure Dogday takes breaks and sleep properly

Since Catnap is canonically mute (selective mute or fully depends on how you view it), Dogday knows well what Catnap wants and what he says based on his body langue or their own simple codes

Their dates are mostly indoors for Catnap's comfort but on some occasion they have dates outside as either group dates or silent picnics

Picky Piggy x Bobby Bearhug + Craftycorn x Picky Piggy + Hoppy Hopscotch x Picky Piggy:

Okay this one was the random ones I just kind of the same slot but were high in my ranks and can be written as a poly

So-

Picky x Bobby: They can cook together and cuddle and have movie nights

Crafty x Picky: Picky can bake Crafty some cupcakes and Crafty can decorate

Picky x Hoppy: This episode was the ran reason for this ship so blame them LOL

Now onto my A Tier/Also my OTPs but aren't as big as my S Tier:

Bubba Bubbaphant x KickinChicken:

Their ship name is StarStudent which is cute

Also it's just the opposite troupe which again I love!

Bubba helps Kickin with studying and other school stuff while Kickin helps him with loosening up and having a break and fun

Actually their dates is in museums. Bubba loves to learn new things/explaining something and it's actually fun for Kickin/he likes listening to Bubba

Picky Piggy x Bubba Bubbaphant:

I blame this video too!

He makes sure Picky is healthy and she makes sure Bubba knows how to bake

They love watching Great British Bake-Off together

If or when there's a blood drive, Bubba helps the drive and Picky gives people juice and snacks to help them recover

KickinChicken x Picky Piggy:

. . . THIS EPIS-

Same as Hoppy and Bubba, Kickin helps Picky's health and helps find a exercise method in her comfort zone.

They are very protective of each other

Pigs show affection via groomy so I imagine Picky brushing Kickin's hair/feathers

They have picnics at least three times a week

Bubba Bubbaphant x Bobby Bearhug:

It's brain and heart!

"Kisses will heal all!" "Actually Bobby, they should really have medicine-" "Kisses will heal all."

Like with Kickin, Bubba helps Bobby with school often.

They love watching documentaries and cuddles on the sofa as their dates

Craftycorn x Bubba Bubbaphant:

I just think this ship is neat. That is all.

Bubba always checks on her and lifts her spirits often while also making sure she's comfortable

They just geek out and be cute

They go to art galleries a lot

Coffee shops are a must go

Hoppy Hopscotch x KickinChicken:

They're basically the first ship I liked before

It's a cute rivalry type of flirting with them

With that they both do a lot of friendly competitions together

They also for some reason give me Judy Hopps and Nick Wild vibes-

Now onto B Tier/Ships I Still like but aren't as big as the previous tiers:

Bobby Bearhug x Dogday:

Just two wholesome beans who love to support and care for others together

I also just really dig the color palette XD

They both have some issues with abandonment trauma and other stuff but they help each other out

Dogday always knows instantly when Bobby needs a hug and cuddle and she's never gonna complain

Catnap x Craftycorn:

So you know how in certain animes and shows there's always that one heteroship you feel the creator was winking at us like MHA with the audience basically telling which girl would be for which male cast? That's how I lowkey imagine this ship being

They basically mostly enjoy their company the most out of the others with Crafty not too energetic and talkative and Catnap is willing to stay still (i.e. sleeping) for her to draw him and always have a nice answer for her finished work

They're that couple who stay indoors mostly as dates but they're perfect fine with that

KickinChicken x Catnap:

I...personally do not know boo. Is it the emo x jock vibes? Is it the color palette?? Is it the fact it'd be funny for a bird to date a cat???

Either way I enjoy the ship enough

Also star and moon-

Kickin, much like with everyone else, tries to act cool around Catnap who doesn't buy that shit one second

Dogday x KickinChicken:

Two energy balls of different kinds in the same square

Sun and Stars-

They just bounce each others' ADHD together and it's funny

Bubba Bubbaphant x Dogday:

Kickin x Bubba but more chill

Bubba gives Dogday lots of pets and affection every time he gets a right answer in studying

And Dogday convinces Bubba to play a game in a form of a break

Dogday x Craftycorn:

Need I explain why I like the idea of the shy art kid x Mr. Sunshine Popular?

Dogday buys he so much art supplies

Crafty gives me flower crown headbands so imagine she puts one on his head a few times

Catnap x Bobby Bearhug:

Literally sweetheart x that one angsty kid who needs someone to love

I've seen some people implying out of all the Critters Bobby didn't like Catnap at all which feel out of character cause I imagine her being the only one besides Dogday to invite him out or check on him most

If she gets too anxious or tuckered out from love, he just helps her sleep

And now onto my final tier, the C Tier/The ships which are cute but not my thing/I more see them as siblingcore or just friends but that's up for debates if I find good fics:

Catnap x Picky Piggy:

She makes sure he's fed and he makes sure she sleeps

Remember how I said pigs show love via grooming? Well the imagine of them going back and forth grooming/affectionately caring for one enough is cute

Bobby Bearhug x Kickin Chicken:

I guess it's Miss Perfect Popular Girl x Skater Boi???

He'd be her hype man most

Bubba Bubbaphant x Catnap:

Emo x Nerd anyone???

Yeah that's all I got

Picky Piggy x Dogday:

Kind of like the Catnap x Picky one, he makes sure she's well even out in all other departments besides food while she makes sure he at least remembers to eat

Spot/freckles crew~!

Dogday x Hoppy Hopscotch:

Energy meets energy + ADHD

That's all I got too!

Hoppy Hopscotch x Bubba Bubbaphant:

Okay this one is a bit cute. It's sporty tomboy x booksmart guy

They both give me "I have a lot of family" vibes so they bond over that

Catnap x Hoppy Hopscotch:

"You need to get out and take a run lazy cat!" "You need to at least sleep for a full night and not chase the wind."

The literally most shocking/least expected couple

And that is it

[danglovely]

Kim Possible Episode Tiers: The A-Tier

Since most of the episodes in the show are quality, the A-Tier is best defined as episodes that have a thing that makes them stand out. In addition to being quality, there's a reason to remember them.

This is also the largest tier, so strap in.

Coach Possible: The Kim coaching B-Story runs a little flat, but Jr. putting together a nonsensical plan that results in hypnotized Kim and Ron dancing in cages in a nightclub is what I live for. There's an underrated ending fight as well that culminates Kim fighting a Chuck E. Cheese robot, to catchy dance music, while Ron launches an evil disco ball to its destruction.

Bueno Nacho: Another iffy B-Story about petty work squabbles, but it's one of the precious early-series moments where we get to see Drakken and Shego at the top of their game. This was actually back when Drakken was still menacing, despite kicking off the tiny oversight that ruins his plan trend. Also, the lean.

Tick Tick Tick: The first episode in the production order. It does feel weird because they hadn't settled on the animation or the characters yet. That said, there is some amazing hero-villain banter in this one that they nailed right out of the gate.

Steal Wheels: The reveal that Motor Ed and Drakken are related pays off big time and it's sort of a shame that more team-ups between the two didn't happen. There are a couple of good things about the B-Plot here as well: (1) We sort of get a glimpse into how close Kim and Ron are, because she doesn't know what to do with herself when he's not there. (2) Always good to see Felix and have a character voiced by Jason Marsden.

Bad Boy: I honestly considered moving this lower, but I decided against it because the Attitudinator is too good of a concept to ignore. This episode drags a little bit because it gets bogged down in the exposition -- They felt the need to go through the whole process of Drakken not feeling evil enough, them going to the convention, explaining why Kim and Ron went to the convention, Ron being a bully for a bit . . . like get to the Evil Ron stuff already!

It's only a minor complaint though, this is still the A-Tier.

Mad Dogs and Aliens: Terrible B-Plot in this one because I never understood why Ron wasn't touched by Jim and Tim taking on the mantle and him immediately jumping in to show them how it's done (it's also kind of forgettable, it took some brain racking to remember it). The A-Plot is gold though. Bitter Drakken and apathetic turned jealous Shego reconciling the consequences of multiple episodes of Season Three wasn't really something I thought the show was capable of.

The New Ron: I've written it before, but the Seniors are brilliant villains. Combine a criticism of obscene wealth + Ron giving them the idea + the motivation for world domination being boredom . . . it's just a glorious recipe for a unique, comedic delight. I also relate to Ron's cowlick problems.

Monkey Fist Strikes: It's another villain introduction for a very good villain. I think what really puts this one up there for me is another top fight scene. Another good music selection (that I'm not sure really how to describe other than giving off a Sherlock Holmes vibe). It results in Ron coming through, by himself, and leaving Fist cinematically strewn across the Tai Sheng Pek Kwa insignia and surrounded by four broken idols.

Odds Man In: What a surprise, another sort of weak high school B-plot. The interesting aspects here are Drakken getting caught up in the sort of corporate villainy he had previously expressed distaste for (see Rappin' Drakken). Also, Wade goes on a mission with Kim!

Mind Games: I love the body swap concept, but fiction always sort of does it the same way. Freaky Friday, Gravity Falls, this episode . . . it's all sort of the "I didn't understand how hard you had it" thing. What makes this episode A-tier is Drakken and Shego's interactions over the body swaps and the Neutronalizer are some of the funniest bits in the series.

Low Budget: I love Frugal Lucre. I love that he is voiced by Richard Kind and I love the idea of trying to hold the world hostage without spending any money.

Crush: I made a whole post about how this is a really good Ron episode. It also might be the exception to this tier where it's just really high quality all the way through, but without anything particularly high concept about it. That's probably why it aired first.

Car Trouble: All of Shego and Drakken's interaction with Dr. Freeman are fantastic. It's too bad he wasn't a recurring scientist like Bortle. It's also a better B-plot than most because Sadie was a perfectly likeable vehicle.

Go Team Go: One of the brief glimpses we actually get of Shego's past. I'm not sure if I'm 100% sold on her brothers or not, but undoubtedly this is one of the more interesting episodes. Plus, evil family.

A Very Possible Christmas: I've taken to watching this on Christmas. A lot of gushy holiday feelings between the two lead pairs. The ending is a little weird though.

Dimension Twist: There is an element of cringe here -- It's weird to put Shego in a very milquetoast Friends parody. There's a lot of good as well (trap trap, Drakken's book) and honestly, I just want to see what else the Pandimensional Vortex Inducer can do.

The Ron Factor: I wrote a whole post about this one too. It's a very interesting subversion of the metanarrative within the show and the only reason it isn't S-tier is that Global Justice annoys me a bit. Could definitely have used more Gemini in later episodes though.

Sick Day: This is the best of the sub-15 minute episodes and the whole point of them is to go for quick laughs and nothing else. I would say it achieved it here with both sides having to quickly adjust to illness and the introduction of Hank Perkins.

Hidden Talent: "Say the Word" is a certified banger. I also like to see Drakken taking initiative to try and be a step ahead of the heroes. Don't forget, the only reason he loses here is because he tries the most complicated way of finishing off Kim ever.

Overdue: The second best of the 15-minute episodes. Once again, we're only here for jokes so we're going to see what happens when Ron tries to rush through defeating a bunch of different villains. It's enjoyable.

Oh No, Yono!: It's the end of Monkey Fist. It's a satisfying coming-of-age conclusion for Ron and a heartwrenching moment when Kim gets turned to stone. It's only not S-tier because Yono's presence detracts from Ron's real archenemy.

Exchange: For as good as this episode is, it's also very much a setup for what the series planned to do with Ron in the future. We've seen him succeed on his own at this point, but Exchange is interesting in that it creates a part of his life that Kim just can't be associated with.

The Twin Factor: The first of like a hundred mind control plots. It's fun to see brainwashed Shego and Kim and it was important for the series to actually develop Jim and Tim a bit, lest they be pigeonholed into one-joke obstacles for Kim to overcome.

[riddlegecko]

HELLO lately I've been looking into getting into Pokemon Mystery Dungeon and I wanted to know what games you'd recommend. Specifically games for the Nintendo Switch and 3DS. I know you like PMD and you're a generally cool person, so I figured you'd be the perfect person to ask!

indi!!!! yes, you've come to the right place, and i will do my best!!

okay, so first of all i'd like to say that all but a very select few pre-3ds pmd games are on ds, so you should be able to play those if you so desire. but i'll only go into those if you ask.

but anyway, there's two 3ds pmd games, and one switch pmd. gates to infinity and super mystery dungeon on 3ds, and rescue team dx on switch. the 3d era of pmd tends to be a bit controversial among fans, but i personally do not hate any of them. i have problems with some of them, but i generally enjoy all 3 of the post-ds era games. putting these under a cut bc man this post got long.

gates to infinity is famously known as one of, if not the easiest game in the series. it overhauls or removes a few staple pmd features, like removing the hunger mechanic barring a few post-game dungeons i think, replacing iq skills with team skills, removing the traditional personality quiz at the beginning of the game that decides which pokémon you play as (on top of having a very limited starter mon pool, only 5), and only letting you take one mission at a time. there are some other gameplay changes that makes gates divisive, but those are the big ones that come to mind. i'm a weirdo who for the most part doesn't mind these changes, but i can see why they'd be off-putting to some. i personally find gates to be very relaxing to play!

but, imo, it might be tied with explorers of sky for my favorite story and cast of characters in the series. even if you don't end up vibing with the gameplay that much, it is absolutely worth playing for the story. also, the 3ds games have the best music imo, and in gates it'll hit you as soon as the first dungeon. ragged mountain my beloved. overall, i can give gates a cautious recommendation as your first pmd. it's a pretty easy game (tho it's not without challenge, there's a handful of dungeons that give me some shit later in the game) with a great story, but whether or not you enjoy the gameplay is fully up to you.

super mystery dungeon is, without a doubt, the hardest game in the series. i'll say right now that it's hard enough for me to not recommend it as your first pmd. one thing i didn't mention is that gates introduced the move leveling system, which means that your moves will gain experience the more you use them and they'll gain more power, pp, and accuracy as they level. in super, i swear the move accuracy was lowered compared to gates, so a word of advice? make smart use of items. this is the game that introduced the wand items, and they are basically mandatory for Not Dying. also, you get less experience from defeating enemies and because of the way this game's mission system works (which is prolly better explained by the game itself than i could do), you're not allowed to stop and level-grind before taking on the next story mission like in other pmds. in most pmd games, your level will be around the late 30's-early-to-mid 40's by the end of the main story. both times i've beaten super, i was around level 25. you'll need items.

super has a lot of stuff i like! move accuracy aside, i think the gameplay has been polished up a bit from gates, i like most of the characters (except vice principal watchog, who can go suck a lemon), and the music is once again god tier. also, it brings back the personality quiz at the beginning of the game, with the added bonus of letting you decline what the quiz assigns you and pick your player mon yourself without having to soft-reset the game. but it also does a lot of stuff that drives me absolutely bananas. i have quite a few gripes with this game's story, chief among them being the pacing. without spoiling anything, this game's plot takes forever to get going, and early on there are several occasions where you'll get out of a cutscene, walk like three steps, and then get thrown right into another cutscene. it can be a little irritating. i wouldn't say i hate the story overall, but i don't love it as much as gates' story. like i said, i don't recommend super as your first pmd. it's a good game, but it is tough. maybe play through a few other pmds before tackling this one.

rescue team dx is a switch remake of the original pmd games (red rescue team and blue rescue team), and if gates isn't the easiest in the series, it'd be this one. og rescue team, i think, is probably the second most difficult in the series behind super. rtdx is a bit more beginner friendly, and gameplay-wise, it is probably my favorite of the 3ds games. it polishes up what worked in gates and super, brings back/streamlines the more traditional mission style from og rescue team and explorers, and pairs it up with a spiffy new art style inspired by the promotional illustrations from og rescue team (some folks don't dig rtdx's graphics, but i think they're incredibly charming). also, just like og rescue team, rtdx only goes up to gen 3 in terms of mon availability, but mons who've gained evolutions since then can still evolve into their post gen 3 evos. so like, tangela can evolve into tangrowth, magneton can evolve into magnezone, and eevee can evolve into leafeon, glaceon, and sylveon. also the riolu line is there. (this game was released in 2020 tho, so no dudunsparce or farigiraf)

rtdx only really has two major weak points imo. one, the story is maintained from og rescue team with almost no changes, and rescue team's story is very much a "and then this happened" kinda plot, y'know? it's not egregiously bad, it's just an underwhelming plot with very few stand-out characters. second, the game has some minor frame-rate issues and a few notable bugs (main one that springs to mind is that if you change leaders a lot in the game's longer dungeons like buried relic or silver trench, the game will crash, but the game has a super generous autosave feature that kinda makes this a non-issue). overall, i think out of the 3d era of pmd, rtdx is the one i'd most recommend for a beginner! there's a free demo on the switch eshop that you can test out the game with, and i believe you can transfer your progress from the demo to the full game if you wanna keep the team you used in the demo! also, a few tips from someone whose beaten rtdx a few times!

first time the game lets you go to pokémon square, go south to the makuhita dojo and play through the "tricks of the trade" tutorials. it'll help you get more accustomed to the controls and mechanics, and you get some handy items!

you 100% don't have to follow this one, but be forewarned that all but the main story dungeons and bosses tend to be a bit tough for the grass type starter options. they come packing egg moves that help circumvent this a bit (chikorita in particular starts off with ancient power and can learn light screen later on, which is a godsend for the final boss), so it's not as bad as it was in og rescue team. buuuut unless you wanna give yourself an extra challenge, i wouldn't recommend starting off with a grass type on your first playthrough.

[2af-afterdark]

Oof, it's been a hot minute since I've sent you an ask... Sorry 'bout that and also for not sending you any New Year's wishes, irl stuff kept me pretty busy lately. I hope you had fun celebrating! <3

...Admittedly, part of the reason for my absence was that I've also been feeling unpleasantly drained by the Nightmare Pass missions, on top of everything else. I feel a little bad about pretty much coming here and complaining, but I'd like to hear your opinion since you have the Pass activated and I'm f2p, so I wonder how our experiences differ.

I feel like the rewards are.. lackluster, in all honesty. The yellow keys are nice, the frame is pretty... And that's about it. Aside from a small bonus of getting some gems after completing the daily missions, there's really not much to look forward to. It feels like there's far too much effort required and not enough rewards.

Not to mention the missions themselves. God, the missions. I hate the way they work with a passion. The fact that you need to log in daily is fine, the fact that you need to grind a bit is also fine... But then there's shit like "claim a likeability reward" which I'd love to do, except I only have one left over from Andrealphus and still half a Pass to get through. I remember you writing that it feels like being punished for unlocking content, and I completely agree. That's exactly how it feels. I am not going to waste all of my red keys in an attempt to get a new L-grade card since I have all S-grade devils maxed out already.

And speaking of wasting red keys! The "special draw" missions also leave a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. I remember making those single-pulls while sighing deeply because, well, it just doesn't feel like all of the resources I'm consuming are going to be compensated. I spend Solomon's tears, both types of keys, a lot of energy (in-game and irl) and most of the time I get... A few boxes of randomised jellies? That I can get extremely easily through other means? At least make them select-type like the ones in event shops, damn it!

Basically, I'm salty and kind of sad. I love the game dearly, but I think I'm going to give up on the Nightmare Pass. Once I hit a likeability reward mission that I cannot complete, I'm out. The frame is pretty, but getting one from an event shop is going to be way easier and less stress-inducing. I don't want to burn myself out (any more than I already did) by trying to complete it.

So sorry for such a long rant, I ended up getting a bit carried away... I'm really interested in how the effort/reward ratio feels like with a purchased Pass. I'm not really active in the fandom (I pretty much only follow you and the official acc, lol) so I haven't seen people speak about it yet. Hopefully, at least some people have a better time with that hell of an event.

— 💛

So, I used my premium pass from the pre-order rewards on the Nightmare Pass so I could study the way it works from a p2p perspective. I must say, the reward you get in p2p are much better. I received many yellow and red keys, Solomon's Tears, Puddings, Books, Coins, etc. I had unlimited auto-fights in the nightmare dungeon so I can grind coins for the shop easily. Over all, the amount of rewards you get may justify the $60 price tag IF you can afford it and you want the card at the end. Also, this assumes they do this within limited quantities. Like, I would say once every few months at most. Maybe very 2-3 months at most. Still sucks you can only get the card if you're willing to pay out the nose for the rewards. I did look at the f2p rewards and... yeah, not worth it. That is a lot of grinding for very little payoff. I was getting 2-4 reward every day because I was getting the rewards for every tier so it felt more worthwhile.

Also, yeah. I have been playing the game less since the Nightmare Pass started because I was afraid of locking myself out of future requirements for the missions. I had trouble with likability (something I usually max out within 2-3 days of getting a new unit), I was afraid to level up characters and their skills, I wasn't promoting anyone, I wasn't doing anything because I was so afraid I would screw myself by playing the game.

That's why I think Nightmare Pass kind of sucks the most. I felt like I was being punished for having played the game up until this point. Some missions were, as you said, fine. Any missions involving pleasing someone in the Secret Club were fine (not the unholy board because some of those I had maxed out already and it was pain to advance them more). Any missions where I had to fight were good. That I can always do. But missions that have finite end points are terrible (there is a max number of levels characters can have, a max amount of promotions I can do, only so far I can go on an unholy board, likability stops at 100%, characters can only evolve 5 times before they are maxed). Those missions suck because I can screw myself by actually having invested the time into the game before the Nightmare Pass is even out. It actually sucked to basically stop playing this game because I was afraid to play and screw myself out of getting Gabriel.

And the missions are kind of sucky too. Because each stage only unlocks after the previous one is completed, it's hard to know what is coming up and easy to screw yourself. Not everyone has 20ST available multiple times. Not everyone hoards their keys to do the multiple draws over and over again. And having 25 stages that can only be unlocked once daily rather than continuously (since the one mission on each day is to login) it means that if you miss a few days, you are screwed. You can pay to unlock the path with Nightmare Coins, but that assumes you have enough (and each reward gets more expensive as you go).

Overall, Nightmare Pass feels like the kind of event that is aimed toward people who dedicate time to the game to complete the rewards, but those same people can easily get screwed if they put in all that effort too early. The nightmare Pass isn't terrible, but it definitely needs some tweaking. It's the kind of event I would only continue in the future if I really want the card/haven't invested so much I screw myself. Honestly, it feels like the kind of event you finish and only debate purchasing the other rewards after you see how far you've managed to get to see if you can justify the expense.

Also, never feel like you can't rant to me. I rant all the time. Goodness knows I rant all the time... I don't do it because I hate the game. It's me trying to point out issues for others and because I want to see things changed for the better.

[mywifeleftme]

233: Freddie Gibbs & Madlib // Piñata

Piñata Freddie Gibbs & Madlib 2014, Madlib Invazion

As of 2023, Freddie Gibbs & Madlib’s Piñata sits at #18 on RateYourMusic.com’s user-generated all-time hip-hop chart, and #113 for all albums. RYM, for the unfamiliar, is sort of an IMDb for music, and if its rankings aren’t as aggressively gauche as IMDb’s (I just looked at their top 250 films for the first time in years and guffawed), they’re still pretty slanted towards the tastes of the mostly white collegiate dudes and divorce dads who feel compelled to, well, rate their music. Though I wouldn’t accuse either Gibbs or ‘lib of trying to curry the white vote or anything, Piñata is perfectly calibrated to pleasure the sort of guy whose hip-hop canon is rooted in AllMusic Picks—and speaking as one of them, allow me to say it’s pretty good for that! But at the same time, there is a consistency to both beat and rhyme that makes it kind of like elite-tier background music, stuff that sounds great when it’s on that I nonetheless have difficulty paying deep attention to.

Madlib, like his friend Dilla, has always been sort of the avant-garde within the traditional. No matter how out there he gets, the beats he makes are still very clearly rooted in ‘90s boom-bap, and the tracks that Gibbs selected for Piñata are among the most conventional ‘lib’s ever done. When you throw the record on, you’re hit with pure soul-sampling nostalgia from the moment the needle drops, and there isn’t really a beat where the energy slacks or loses the groove. The mostly hook-free tracks do that classically Madlib thing (a la his Beat Konducta tapes and Madvillainy) of blending one into the next like you’re listening to a DJ set. As a result, you might have trouble remembering which songs stood out unless they’ve got a particularly memorable guest appearance or sample (a la “Higher” and “Harold’s”).

I have it on good authority that Freddie Gibbs says a lot of very cool shit on this record, but if you searched me for quotes, you’d just find three lighters, a dry pen, two metro cards and some illegible receipts. At no point does he sound like anything less than a stud on the mic, and his flow is faultless. But he has a way of munching his way through his bars with such metronomic efficiency my attention is lulled. Even on the more off-kilter beats like “Bomb,” he just calmly assesses the challenge ahead, nods to himself, and then attacks it with his usual casual, high PER athleticism. I was surprised to find myself perking up when a jabroni like Domo Genesis showed up, but honestly the occasional cameos from rappers both great (Raekwon and Danny Brown) and corny (Mac Miller and Ab-Soul, who uncharacteristically kills it on “Lakers”) inject life where Freddie’s shark-eyed flow just stacks bodies.

This review sounds a lot more negative than I really feel about this record (I bought it! I don’t plan on selling it!), but in the face of the intensity of praise this one has garnered in some quarters, I can’t help but compare it to the records that really seeded my love for rap. Despite its masterly technique, this lacks the flair and personality I’d need to put it on that classic level. (Freddie and Madlib are absolutely crushed, I’m sure.)

233/365

[smokeringsofmemory]

Hey ladies just popping in bc I have been seeing waaaaay too much content on “high value men” on my already narrowed + selective media platforms, so I just wanna drop a few things here:

Looking fantastic won’t put you in the same class. -This is a lesson that I learned inadvertently, and then explicitly when I realized that those around me who came from well-to-do backgrounds or Ivy-League universities were looking for someone to match their lifestyle— not just aesthetically, but intellectually as well. I’m not just saying “read a lot of books”; there is a cultural fluency that is expected (even if it’s entitled) that they expect you to know (and definitely respect!!!!!) in their spaces. Please don’t be too enamored with the high-quality man who might notice your pretty face, take you out, and then not speak to you again— or only expect sex. These men will step out of their statuses for flings but not for futures.

Yes: family matters. And I think it’s really sad and unfortunate and *extraordinarily unfair* but the reality is that they want to know where and from who you come from. I’ve seen this to be the case because those in good social standing rely on the continuation and support of that to happen with whoever they decide to bring home/marry. I know that insane/awful/devious stuff happens to rich people too, but if they feel as though your family isn’t a “fit” then it might be a bust.

They expect you to know what you’re getting yourself into. I’m in a very loving relationship right now and although I’m not dating anymore, this lesson still stays with me— and I oftentimes share it to warn my girlfriends. *The top 10% of men know that you’re competing to have them, and they’re moving accordingly.* So I ask you: if this is the tier that’s in your vicinity and that you’re looking to date, mark your priorities. A faithful man can be hard to find, *but a faithful man making 6 figures and up*? Don’t be surprised if he doesn’t stick around and/or expects the world from you. These men do believe that they have the world to give, and many women treat them as such. A faithful man was my biggest non-negotiable, and I started realizing just how insane the numbers are. Call it misogyny or whatever you want, but if you want high-value men, you’ve got to be top of your game. You should take excellent care of yourself (non-negotiable), have great characteristics, and know that men who want you will do anything for you. There’s no need to worry about that.

Many men won’t keep their word. One of my girlfriends said to me: “I’d pay you $100 to date an American.” I’m black + my man is Kurdish, but my pattern of dating Eastern European men has long since been established… but anyways, something that would make me insane would be men who wouldn’t keep their word with me. I found it traumatic. I found it condescending. But more often than not, I KNEW THAT IF HE DIDN’T KEEP HIS WORD FOR HIMSELF THAT HE MOST CERTAINLY WOULDN’T KEEP IT WITH ME. Ladies: pay attention. If a man commits to something, he’ll follow through. Even if it’s hard, even if it takes time… he’ll make it happen. These are the men who will make you feel safest and re-assured. Why? *Most women associate money with stability and security and most men find it burdensome.* The men who find it burdensome are typically the ones who have (or have had) a lot of it and know the hardship it can bring: such as everyone expecting so much more out of you (including women). It’s a weird thing that men have explained to me, and I can tell that having money makes them even wearier of women, but *know that men who can exhibit his abilities to commit to his word is a man who can yield you the safety and protection you are looking for and also propel you and him both into the life of your dreams.* -That’s all for now, ta-ta ladies!!! xoxoxo

[crystalelemental]

This water mode is confusing me so much I just don't get it. Tried Marlon first, barely did anything while he mowed me down so I went "okay, these are going to be tough, I'll fight the others first so I can save the good stuff for him." And then I beat Misty with one sync? so fast I don't get any points from the hit bonus??? and the same goes for Lana??????? I have no idea how to approach this, I'm certainly doing something wrong but god help me if I can figure it out

I'll do my best. At a guess, the Strength modifier is likely set high for Marlon, but low for Misty and Lana. I'll try to break down a few thing.

First: ignore time. It's irrelevant. Any good score relies on high Strength bonus, and it becomes impossible to get a good time. It's completely useless.

Second: Total hits and Total buffs can matter, but don't make it a priority to cap them out. They're more of a little bonus.

The main things you focus on are Water types, Strength modification, and secondary effects.

We'll start with Strength, since that's likely where your confusion is. Strength is set after you've selected the stage, set your team, and hit Battle. It will ask about what Strength level to set, and goes from 0 to 1000. Every 100 Strength is approximately a 100% boost to typical Champion Stadium stats. In general, to meet the score requirements for all rewards, you'll want to set it around 200. If you have a really good team, you can push up to 250 or 300, but anything past that gets really dicey. A big distinction in this mode compared to Champion Stadium is that bulk is incredibly high. This is why time is useless; your hits will bounce off of opponents starting at around the 150 Strength amount. This mode is an endurance contest, and as a result, a lot of top tier Supports like Hilbert, who don't have good defensive backbone but are fast-acting offense buffers, are pretty bad. Marlon had more use for me as a support than Hilbert, for comparison.

Without knowing exactly what happened in your Marlon fight, it's likely Strength was set too high. If attacks are dealing next to nothing, but he's not really hurting your team too badly either, you might be in a good spot with some careful play. If he's absolutely chunking your support, it's definitely time to set it back a bit. Anything over 200 should be considered well in excess of your needs. I think around 175 is the safe spot; minimum strength to get 36,000 points per stage with all Water types.

That leads to issue 2: Water types are the only thing that matter. You want three of them on every team, otherwise the Strength requirement skyrockets to something like 400-500. Because all your opponents are Water-type, this means all your battling is off-type, which means those damage numbers go even lower. Using Rain also means powering up your opponent, so while it's helpful, it's risky and requires more defense. Flinching and sleep works, but they gain Resilience afterward, and are immune for a time, so it can't be locked down like CS either. Still, the delay can make a lot of difference.

The main thing I found is that, if your team can survive the opponent's first sync? You're probably okay. EX Strikers and Supports are Very Good for this mode, although Marlon's fight actively ruins Strikers thanks to the condition that cuts stats. That could be another aspect of him tearing through; if you're using any Striker, consider another option. Their stats are cut by 80% on Marlon's stage, so they basically accomplish nothing and die in one hit. Bring Tech damage dealers like Lodge Rosa/Silver, May, Nessa, Dojo Gloria, or NC Serena.

The last thing is just some added modification that can save a bit on strength. You get 1000 points for using a Main Character in your team, and thankfully, Water is loaded with options. I'd advisable to always make sure someone has Main Character on your team. Hilbert, Elio, Kris, May, Lodge May, Lodge Rosa, Dojo Gloria, SS Kris, and NC Serena are all Main Characters. Kris is generally pretty good against Archie (blocks 80% special damage by default), SS Kris is absurdly good against Misty (removes Hail), the tech options are good against Marlon.

The other condition worth 1000 bonus points is inflicting Confuse. This one's a bit tougher, because it requires specific characters to be useful. Crasher Wake, Siebold, SS Blue, and Tech Blastoise eggmon all have Water Pulse with access to Aggravation, and are fairly safe bets. NC Serena can also do it through Flabbergast on Brutal Swing, if you're feeling gutsy about it (or want to use her physical Dark sync to break Archie; it works).

Some other general hints are that secondary coverage options work if you need them to. May has Ground damage which is strong against Nessa, Dojo Gloria has Fighting and is strong against Lana, Lana herself has Leech Life which is really good against Archie's stage.

Hopefully that helps? Let me know if anything's still confusing, or if you're trying out stages and it's not working. I can try to troubleshoot.

[yayroos]

Hey, I wanted to know your VPN recommendations/what to look for? I'm about to be using library wifi a lot, and the impression I got from safety sites was to use a VPN with it always (feel free to answer publically if you want)

Hi!! Thanks for asking. You have activated my trap card. This got longer than I wanted it to but I'm posting it anyway and I hope it answers your question.

So here's the thing. If you're practicing good web hygiene anyway (only using HTTPS sites, making sure things are what you expect them to be) then a VPN does very little for this kind of privacy (which is not to say that it's not a good idea but I'll get to that later.)

In this situation, all a VPN provides is encryption so the rest of the network can't see what you're sending and receiving, but under HTTPS the things you're sending and receiving are already encrypted. The VPN also hides the IP address you're connecting to, but in the public wifi case that's not particularly useful

The things that say to use a VPN on public wifi are discussing a real concern (that someone on the network you're on could intercept your traffic and steal data), but, if the sites you're connecting to are using HTTPS then all they can steal is encrypted stuff anyway, so it's not a major issue. Still not ideal, but not actually a problem.

There are problems that VPNs do solve:

Getting around location blocking. If you want to use a site that only available in a country that you're not in. a VPN can make it look like your connection is coming from somewhere else.

Hiding your traffic from your network admin or ISP. If you're in a network that you know is being watched and you're accessing sites that you don't want the people watching to know you're visiting, a VPN is your friend. Beware that they can see that you're connecting to a VPN, and that might raise red flags.

Complicated network-y shit. There are a few cases where using the right VPN can make your connection to specific things better. This is a rare edge case.

Those things in mind, you can hopefully make a more informed choice about if you Need a VPN. But there are other reasons too. I use a VPN all the time on my phone on principle. I don't think my phone provider has any business tracking what sites I visit, and I know that the more people who aren't breaking any rules are obscuring their data, the harder it gets to track down say, a whistleblower, or an activist. It also gives me peace of mind that I am a little harder to track from the perspective of the sites I visit, because my device is no longer the only one coming from the IP that those sites see.

My VPN also blocks ads from all my mobile games. So that's nice.

So, as a conclusion to the technical bit of this: do you strictly need a VPN to use public wifi? No, practice good web hygiene and you're probably fine. Should you get one anyway: personally I think yes, but that's a choice for you.

As for VPN recommendations and things to look for, I'll start by saying I personally use Proton for my VPN and I legitimately trust them. They have a free tier that will work well enough but has a fairly limited selection of exit points, I pay a subscription and get an expanded set of options. (I also have secure email with them.)

The biggest things to look for in any VPN, if you want it to protect your privacy, are where the company is registered (who's laws does it have to follow? Who does that country have information sharing agreements with?) and what if any logs are kept (what can they give up if a government comes knocking? if they don't store logs there's nothing for anyone to get their hands on.)

Avoid anything based in the US, UK, etc. Look for places with really strong privacy laws. NordVPN seems ok, there are others I would say are safe as well, but I couldn't name them off the top of my head.

I hope I've answered with some degree of coherence, please feel free to hit me with follow up qs if there's anything else you'd like to know.

[svartalfhild]

Tag some people you want to get to know better. Tagged by @celamity

Three ships: Laudna/Ashton Greymoore from Critical Role, Data/Tasha Yar from Star Trek, Fenris/Hawke from Dragon Age

First ship ever: Oh shit, hmm...maybe Raven/Robin from Teen Titans or Raynor/Kerrigan from StarCraft?

Last song: The Horror and the Wild by The Amazing Devil

Last movie: Uuuuhhhh...it's been a minute since I've watched a movie...maybe The Pale Blue Eye? Great movie. Very dark and gothic (like young Edgar Allan Poe is straight up a main character). Made me cry real tears.

Currently watching: Last thing I watched was Season 2 of The Legend of Vox Machina. Top tier shit right there.

Currently reading: Haven't read anything in a good long while. It's hard to find audiobooks for free. My library has a limited selection and there's nothing striking my interest right now. Can't just go to the store and peruse like I used to. I think the last published thing I read was a few stories from one of the Witcher books. As for fanfic? Idk the last thing I read was probably an Ashna fic. I don't read much fanfic these days, since it's hard for me to find stuff that appeals to my particular tastes. I wish I could be the voracious reader I was when I was a teenager.

Currently consuming: Last thing I ate was hummus on whole wheat toast, which I eat more than anything else. It is my staple meal.

Currently craving: Gingersnaps. It's been a loooong time since I've had any kind of ginger cookie.

Tagging, if they feel like doing it: @boxingcleverrr, @xarev, @inertial-reel, @late-nite-scholar