Surviving the Felon: Week of 03/15/2025
Things sure are looking dire aren’t they? We are fighting to survive The Felon at a time where things are growing darker every day. As we are overloaded by all the negativity in the news, its important that we breath, refresh, and focus on what we do have control over.
That isn’t to say we should tune out everything happening in the world. Ignoring injustice is how it takes over after all. But for us to continue the fight against The Felon and his cronies, it is best to be ready for the attack with our positive energy, smiles, and laughter as weapons to protect ourselves. If that means taking a break from social media or the news, no one will fault you or anyone. Protect that inner peace and be ready to focus on why the world is a special place to you.
The Bad
Let’s talk about the bad for just a little bit. Like any wound, it hurts most when you apply the medicine or remove the bandage. As usual The Felon is “flooding the zone” to leave us overwhelmed so its hard to know where to focus our efforts. From arresting protesters, to openly siding with Russia and the Window Shover, to letting the Nazi steal all the money from social security to Medicaid, there is a lot to be upset over.
But I want to draw your attention to the Heritage Foundation, Peter Thiel, and Curtis Yarvin. These are names that are not in the news enough. In fact, I can’t use appropriate nicknames for them just yet. Not until their names are more mainstream. But if you are reading this blog and want to understand the full evil happening around us all, make sure you know these people and that organization. They are major drivers of all the horrible things.
I want to talk about the school protest arrests for a moment because this is one of the more complex and dangerous issues. Remember that even if people have different beliefs from yours, even if those beliefs are dangerous, allowing a Government entity to ignore their rights only makes it easier to ignore another person’s rights down the line.
The Good
Well that was a lot to take in. And I missed plenty of stuff. Its impossible to document all the evil happening around us. There is sure to be more. But let’s recharge and refresh by focus on the good for the rest of this post. Namely that people are fighting back against Fascism. Not just in the United States, but around the world. If the media you are consuming is not showcasing the protests and other unity building activities, look for different media.
I also want to focus on some personal good I’m working on. Too often I say negative thing about myself. Things such as calling myself stupid whenever I make a mistake or other related derogatory things. And its becoming more and more clear that even when I am joking, parts of me believe those words. So I’m now catching myself in the act. Be kind to yourself. You have to be your number one fan after all.
I’m finding additional ways to get that dopamine rush that helps me accomplish more each day. Hiking is a great way to start a day and I documented my adventure in a blog post that I’ll be linking further down. Using video games with repetitive tasks and taking breaks between them is another method I continue to employ to motivate.
Its important that we focus on the good things, even if they seem small in the face of horrible. Protect your energy. Every little thing no matter how insignificant it seems, isn’t.
Video Games
I’m still running around the final dungeon of Metaphor ReFantazio getting those last archetypes unlocked before I fight the New Game Plus Superboss and the final one. I’ll be getting the platinum medal soon. And I’m using that grind to help me write this blog post. I wonder what I’ll be doing next week? Doubtful it will be this game.
I played a lot more Helldivers 2 this week. And I’m getting better at the game while feeling more confident about playing with random people. Each day I move past this unconscious fear. And I must remain ever thankful that the Helldivers community is one of the less toxic ones in the video games sphere.
The back half of many Genshin patches are slow. And this one is no exception. But I see no problem with a chance to catch my breath. In a few weeks a new patch will be out and this next one has a whole new place to explore and tons of new content. Exploration next to the story is what keeps me playing this game. I have logged in almost every single day since I started playing during Covid. If its an addiction, its one that I used to leave World of Warcraft which had my entire life under its control. Genshin is far less all encompassing.
I played less Civilization 7 this week and more Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. A shame that the latter game has two sections of gameplay that I dislike in a row before letting me play several parts that I do like back to back. Its the segment after the main story in Gongaga all the way to the main segment in Cosmo Canyon and this same part of the game plus the section in the Corel Desert preceding it were my least favorite sections of the original game too. So I’m not surprised.
Pokémon Go
The first couple weeks of a Pokémon Go PvP season are my favorite as the games are more chaotic and the penalty for losing much lower. But once more I’m past that part and back in Ace Rank. Will I reach Veteran this time? Who knows but I need to stop beating myself up over not ranking up. Most people playing this game don’t even make it to Ace much less play a single match. Maintaining similar ranks each season is still an accomplishment.
I did go on a hike this week and found several parks and trails for the future. Its exciting to me that there is so much more to explore so close. And I also didn’t realize how close the Lake County line was to my house. There is a whole new region of Florida just asking for me to go take a look.
As more events happen in Pokémon Go, it can seem overwhelming to pay attention to each one. But that isn’t a big deal with a roster as large as Pokémon. If you are feeling overwhelmed with this game, there is no downside to only playing to catch your favorites. Winning with the best Pokémon isn’t as fun as winning with the ones you like after all.
Anime and Shows
The winter Anime season is coming to a close, and the three Anime I have been focusing on are racing towards their season finales. Re: Zero, Solo Leveling, and Dr. Stone. Solo Leveling shows that it truly is referencing a Hunter x Hunter style Chimera Ant Arc by killing off tons of characters and showing the threat of powerful sentient and ever evolving bugs. Meanwhile Dr. Stone explores the differences between science for a better world as opposed to making a more violent and armed one. Re: Zero of course explores suffering.
I’m all finished with the newest season of Invincible. And given the stinger at the end, I can’t wait for Season 4. Not sure how long we will be waiting for more, but I’ll be patient. Rushing a show is a one way ticket to disasterville and I would like to avoid that. Quality stories take time to craft. Patience is a virtue.
I watched a lot more One Piece this week and am finally approaching the 300 episode mark. In the realm of One Piece, that number means little. But compared to just about any other story, getting through 300 episodes would be a major accomplishment.
Speaking of time, the third Wheel of Time season starting airing and while I still have some objections to a few choices made to the narrative, I’m feeling a lot more confident in this season than the last two. Its almost night and day compared to the first season of the show. Oh and the Daughter of the Night has always been my favorite character in the series so I’m glad the show is doing her justice.
Dungeons & Dragons
Well I added one more complex session to the blog collection this week. I still owe one of my players a solo session to progress their part of the story. Expect that to show up on the next blog post. These things take time, especially when I’m working with the Feywild.
I’m feeling more confident in running Fae and letting my players make bad decisions while doing so. A series of poor choices has made this campaign mini arc much better than I had originally envisioned. Thus for any of you Dungeon Masters reading this blog post, trust your players. They will challenge you and the story will be better for it.
Writing and Editing
I’m approaching the point where I’m building good habits with writing. My goal for the year has been to write every day, even if its a single sentence. So far I’m getting back into the editing groove. Its a lot tougher than simply writing a story, but the end result will be that much more rewarding when I publish a novel that shows how much I have improved as a writer and storyteller.
I’m also getting used to three blog posts a week. There might be a fourth one for next week depending on whether I can finish the session with my solo player or not. Either way, my work is progressing and now that this blog series is catching some attention, I think I need to look into trying to monetize my blog again.
Reading
I decided to put the books I’m reading in a separate category from talking about the good. I want to focus a little on the good happening in the world before talking about my personal stuff so it made sense to do that. Anyway, I’m still reading the Hell Train Arc of Tower of God. Once done with that part of the story, I’ll switch back to Berserk and get fully caught up on the Manga.
There will still be plenty of Tower of God to read after that and of course there is a near infinite number of books and Manga to read afterwards. I’ll find plenty to check out. And I’ll be sure to tell you all about it.
Wrap Up
Well there you have it. That’s what I’m finding to keep me going as it feels like the darkness and despair in the world is growing. I know I’m lucky enough to not be fearing getting arrested just yet. But that luck born of the right genetics and physical appearance is letting me have a voice to try and help others.
I know I’m not exactly the most positive person and so these posts might come off as preachy and come look at me. But I’m trying to bring light. I’m doing my best to try and showcase what is making me happy in case there are those reading who desperately need something to distract their minds. And I welcome others to share what they are doing to find their inner peace. The internet is being used by oligarchs to make us upset in the hopes that we will spend money. Let’s use those same channels to share love, light, and hope.
Fascism and Corporatism are the same thing as Mussolini once said. And while that is terrifying given what is happening in the United States, it also means that the same tools will work against both. Whether you choose to create something new, meditate, or share simple smiles, it doesn’t matter how you spread happiness and light so long as you make an honest attempt. Every little thing adds up to something greater. And all together through are differences we are strong and united. And that strength will let us continue surviving The Felon.