Surviving the Felon: Week of 2/16/25
After a long fun week at Megacon to take my mind off the growing madness of the world, I’m back with another post in my Surviving the Felon Series. A lot happened in the past two weeks, both good and bad.
But while I will highlight some of the bad, just like my last post, I want to highlight the good. The Felon in Chief wants us to feel weak and powerless. His Nazi Boss wants to steal our smiles and rip to shreds anything we find joy in. Anything that isn’t slaving away for him and like minded people is in his mind not something we need or deserve.
Instead we need to stand up for what gives us joy. Focus on what you love and what makes you smile. I’m going to go over the bad of what has happened recently to get it over with. We can’t focus on all the negative or we are giving our energy to the Felon and his toadies.
The Bad
Well let’s talk about the bad and get it out of the way. First off, Happy Black History Month. Even if the powers that be seek to erase this months importance, our collective memory will win out. The fact that businesses align with The Felon simply proves that they were just as rotten too.
Speaking of names that have changed in some people’s minds, its the Gulf of Mexico. Why those people refuse a name change the same way they refuse a gender change is anyone’s guess. But the answer of course as always is the chance to hurt others.
Speaking of hurting others, our current leaders are doing a good job at hurting others and themselves. From VP Couchfucker essentially denouncing all of Europe, to the Nazi breaking into several secure systems and doing a bad job hiding it, we have several things to be worried about right now. Google has decided that they will embrace being evil, but it as obvious that would eventually happen. And of course The Felon has antagonized the Middle East once more. Can’t imagine that is a good thing.
Oh and don’t forget bird flu. The price of eggs will come do- just kidding. They are gonna go up a lot. Oh well. Wasn’t like The Felon promised that or anything.
The Good
I refuse to let The Felon take my smile away. And so I am focusing the rest of this post on what makes me happy. Smiling and laughing seems pointless at times given everything happening, but the world has so much in it that makes it worth being here.
For example, I went to Megacon last week. And I wrote four different blog posts for it. I had that much fun that I also wanted to write that much about it. The con also motivated me to be a better me. After the last few cons I have felt depressed and feeling like my life is a waste. Not this time. I am confident that my writing is good. And I am finding a system that helps me smile and have the energy to create.
Another way that I am being motivated to create is by reading. I am fortunate yo have a job that does not sap my energy away. Instead I get some down time where I can read. Yes reading at work. And right now I’m still working my way through Berserk. I am past what all the different Anime have adapted. Its all new territory for me now. And I couldn’t be more excited.
Video Games
I took a little break from Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Eldin Ring. But there is another game that I am replaying. And its one of my favorites of this last year. That game is Metaphor ReFantazio. A game featuring an election that spans an entire country seems pretty relevant given current times. Also the game holds nothing back showcasing all the complexities and nuances of institutionalized racism. As all well written Dark Fantasy should.
Naturally I’m still playing Genshin Impact. The story continues and I want answers. The newest patch which was just added about a week ago finally lets players find playable characters out in the overworld going about their day to day lives. This feature is incredible and something I have wanted in the game for a long time. Oh and the new character they added is a Baku. That happens to be one of my favorite Yokai.
Another game I have been playing and I regret that I didn’t mention last week is Helldivers 2. Usually I avoid multiplayer games. They stress me out a lot. For most of my life losing has a chance to trigger an Autism Meltdown. I do everything I can to avoid these, but it has left behind some scars that spook me away from multiplayer. But Helldivers is a team game against monsters. Not other players. And so it invites a different type of gamer. Its an environment where I can work on my toxic tendencies while still having a good time.
Pokémon Go
Of course Pokemon Go deserves its own section. And as for this week, I continued my other blog series that is all thanks to this game. One of my favorite aspects of Pokémon Go is that it gives me a reason to leave my house on days off.
Thanks to the game I have found countless parks and trails and wrote about as many of them as I could. I have wanted to explore the world since I was young. And realizing that I could start with my backyard is what started that blog. Discovering all the hidden places that my eyes ignored made me realize far more than that sentence is describing.
The PvP Mode has tested my patience the last few weeks with Love Cup griefing me. But that is part of my healing process. I can’t get over a toxic behavior triggered by losing in competitions without losing and all that. It doesn’t take the sting away, but it helps me realize that losing in things is a chance to grow.
Anime and Shows
I was at Megacon last week. Naturally that motivated me to dive deeper into One Piece. Currently I’m making my way through Enies Lobby which has just like Water 7 before it, been an incredible ride. I always knew why people loved the story so much, but now I’m experiencing the beginnings of what make One Piece a story that has stood the test of time so far.
Solo Leveling and Dr Stone had new episodes too. Both shows are incredible for different reasons. Naturally I recommend both. But one or the other might be more your thing. These are things I enjoy. It is my hope that these shows might be something you enjoy as well.
Something else is airing again and it has much of my attention. That show is Re:Zero. One of my absolute favorite Anime and up there as one of my favorite stories too. Genre Deconstruction shows tend to be among my favorite. And like Madoka preceding it, Re:Zero bashes your face in with surprises that initial marketing didn’t tease.
Dungeons & Dragons
Due to Megacon and a few other factors, I did not play D&D the last few weeks. That doesn’t mean I have not given it any thought. I have spent some extra time prepping a few sessions ahead and trying my best to figure out what my players might decide given the complex situations they keep finding themselves in.
Its taken a lot of practice to make it to this point. But it makes my campaigns more fun when I am prepared for unexpected situations and player choices.
Writing and Editing
I spent a lot of last week writing my Megacon write ups. There were four posts after all. I am striving towards writing three a week on average. But due to that extra event, I’m writing six. It would have been seven if D&D hadn’t been canceled. One a day. That’s some good work. And the fact that I could have written that last one is proof that I really can write everyday.
The rest of what I worked on is summed up perfectly and exactly in my last post. You should that one out if you have not.
Wrap Up
Smile and laugh a little. Even if the world seems to be going insane, don’t let it take away what you are happy about in your life. Even if those smiles are hard fought. Including if those laughs feel forced, still allow them to happen.
I spend a lot of my time writing about doom and gloom. My stories put human suffering at the forefront. But that does not mean that I lack the capacity to care. In fact, Dark Fantasy as a genre needs those moments of hope and light. Not just so they can be snatched away, but also so that the world is something to root for.
Root for your victories. Learn from your mistakes. Those two ideas are what I’m working on in tandem this year. But I’m also focusing on being a safe person. To that end, if you feel isolated and alone for whatever reason, don’t forgot to search for that little thing that can make you smile. A moment break from depression is still a victory over it. Light in the darkness means I can’t stay around forever.