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Date: January 4th, 2020

Time of Writing: 10:35 PM

Weather: Light drizzle, pretty warm.

Mood: Having fun.

Day Overview: I woke up late again to the sound of my friend Edward calling me on the phone asking if I wanted to go get lunch with him. I stayed home, and he got lunch with my brother instead. They played pool at Tasty Burger downtown and I got lunch with my Dad. It's been a while since I shared a meal just him and I. Last time we were at Burger King like that we tried the Impossible Whopper, which had a fine taste but a really strange and bad smell. We didn't order that this time because it wasn't part of the coupon set that we were using. I had a whopper without Tomato and Mayo, because I don't like either of those, I know, send me hate mail. Afterwards he dropped me off at the train station and I took the train over to Edward's house.

Which, coincidentally, is where I'm writing this post! I know him from High School and he's sort of the core member of this friend group I'm a part of, made up of Edward, Theo, Lucas, Lily and myself. After I read some internet stuff with Ed we took a car-ride down to pick up the other three members of the group. Lily didn't stick around for too long, she had Bronchitis or something. The rest of us played this weird knockoff Madagascar Mario Kart knockoff that Edward borrowed from his girlfriend, which was incredibly janky and super dumb. Then I showed them them one of my specially curated meme playlists of dumb internet videos, which you can check out here if you want. I don't recommend it tho. We got some pizza and Sierra Mist and played Coup. Edward was the only one who hasn't played it and he had a good time. Afterwards I came up to Edwards room and we're all up here now, listening to music and using our various computers. I'm also on the phone facetiming Victoria (hi Victoria!)

On My Mind: Friends are cool and good and that's really all there is to say on that matter. It's been a while since I made a song and I feel like I'm getting in that mood again. Maybe I'll... link it here?

Consumed:

• Kamisama ga Uso wo Tsuku (The Gods Lie), by Kaori Ozaki: A short, one volume manga about children forced to grow up and assume adult responsibilities way too early. It's a bit weird at first pacing wise but once it gets in the groove it's pretty captivating. I really like the twist in the middle; it was messed up and I wasn't expecting something like that to happen. All of the main characters are likeable and easy to get invested in. There's an epilogue that I wish was expanded on; I want to see more of these characters after a timeskip and see what happens after this incident beyond happily ever after. Sort of like an Aku no Hana (The Flowers of Evil) thing, but I know this manga is going for more of the heartwarming feeling. Absolutely worth the read, a good heartstring tugger. Only real complaints are that it isn't really that short, the plot is a little bit simple, and I don't understand the point of the fanservicey bit in the first chapter - if you know what it I'm talking about you'll have noticed I've omitted a description from this mini-review. 9/10. If you like this and wish it was darker, like waaaay darker, read Aku no Hana (The Flowers of Evil).
• Guns by Quelle Chris: This album sounds haunted. Between the shattered production and the general spookiness of the vocal samples used as interludes, there's a pretty scary undercurrent to most of this album. Given the subject of this concept album - gun violence in the United States, and specifically violence against Black Americans - that feeling of dread is entirely justified. After all, that's what life is like for millions of Americans. When the subject matter strays from guns, it remains powerful and poignant, a concise statement on the violence inherent in America's political climate. Setting aside lyrical content, this album is easy to appreciate on a musical and technical level as well - every beat has a satisfying click to it, feeling obvious and perfect at the same time. Quelle Chris has an amazing flow and poignant lyrics, and knows how to craft a hook to boot. The features on this album are something else, too. Sadly the album runs on a little too long for me at points, and although the production is inherently satisfying, it is still fairly small-scale - that is to say, nothing here is explicitly mind-blowing. There's a couple tracks on here that feel somewhat misplaced, the closing track being one of them, and while the shift in tone in the second half is nice on paper the album's concept doesn't feel like it warrants this hopeful shift. By the end of the album, I'm satisfied but a little confused - where was this going? Maybe I'm overthinking it. I enjoyed this album a lot, and I'll be sure to check out more Quelle Chris in the future. 8/10

Produced: A few hundred words worth of a post. Production today is pretty low, seeing as I'm spending time (and the night) over at my friend's place with a bunch of people.

Other Thoughts: My brother has introduced the term Double Twenties at his high school and it's been catching on. Mwahahahahahaha.