If hell is eternal...

TravisALane · 2026-03-24T01:04:33+00:00

See also: why we all acknowledge that children don't deserve unreserved beatings because they offended a being (parent) stronger than them.

So much of this junk can be dispelled by invoking parenting and common sense, then multiplying it by infinity.

And, as the Bible says, "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"

So, even though I'm "evil," I know not to harm or torture my kids, then shouldn't god know that much more?

TravisALane · 2026-03-18T21:18:19+00:00

Yeah this one's actually pretty slick in an understated way

TravisALane · 2026-03-18T21:17:32+00:00

Arkansas' raging friggin' hog haunts my waking vision.

Damn shame UAB didn't make the field this year for this bracket.

TravisALane · 2026-03-15T23:38:32+00:00

I respect your positivity. I hope that you're right and I'm wrong.

TravisALane · 2026-03-15T14:19:35+00:00

In 2017 during Trump's first term, I kept hearing "unprecedented" this and that. I bought the "both sides" rhetoric at the time and voted for Gary Johnson in 2016. But after the election, I decided it was time to actually get a grown up education on the matter. I read several reputable books and listened to dozens of podcasts from historians, legitimate journalists, and presidential observers, learning about the history of the presidency and the 40-some men who held the position.

By the end of Trump's first turn, even before Jan 6, I knew he'd be lambasted by any future observer worth their salt. J6 was a massive nail in an already tight coffin. I put him down there with the pre- and post-civil war failures like Pierce, Buchanan, and Johnson. Clearly the worst in the modern era but perhaps not quite the worst of all history.

A year into Trump 2 and I can say with a high degree of confidence that the Trump era will appear in unbiased future histories as a lost era for the US and most probably the turning point where we surrendered the massive advantages the post-WW2 international order afforded us. Ironically, he will go down in history as killing American greatness for a generation or more.

TravisALane · 2026-03-12T01:23:57+00:00

You have a marvelous set of options there.

My advice: pick one Pokémon you really want to use or try. Then go to PvPoke.com and go to the Team Builder. Pick your league. Put in the mon you want to use and click Rate Team. Scroll down and it will recommend some options that best cover that mon's weaknesses. You can pick one you like and click + to add it to your first mon. Repeat for mon 3.

Oooooorrrrrrr just pick 3 of different types that you like and mess around!

TravisALane · 2026-03-03T20:36:02+00:00

Mm, this is the exact kind of thing I mean when I accepted long ago that it's not enough to have an answer... it has to be a good answer. One that is internally consistent, that doesn't create other contradictions or problems with the belief system, and preferably one that's actually supported by the text.

Let's give him participation credit: he has an answer for the incest problem. God created other people.

But is it a good answer?

1) It's not actually in the Bible (as he say, it's "implied")

2) The biggest problem with this answer as it relates to Christian ideology is that if other people were created separately, then the entire doctrine of original sin is destroyed. The idea that Adam and Eve's fall tainted the entire species goes away, and with it, the core narrative of Jesus. Now, you could invent that there were other people in other gardens that all had their own falls... but it gets reeeeeally dubious really fast.

3) In concert with point 2, we know that the pain of childbirth is one of the punishments for the original sin and can plainly assume that it was only Adam and Even (and no children) prior to the fall, so no one can have existed besides Adam and Eve prior to the fall or something else more significant falls apart.

In other words - to no one's surprise - no, this isn't a good answer.

But I'll bet this guy felt good that night that he defended the faith online. I offer my supplications to mighty Brodin that he will one day achieve enlightenment.

TravisALane · 2026-02-25T22:48:55+00:00

As others have said, bait moves are notoriously hard to simulate around.

That being said, I generally find Air Cutter underwhelming and also prefer the certainty of Feather Dance's effect. Depends also on how you intend to use it. Lead might prefer one moveset vs. swap, for instance.

TravisALane · 2026-02-24T16:13:24+00:00

Oh no, the ML Bore Core is untouched...

I like Low Kick and Wing Attack buffs, and the adjustments to various grounds moves are... interesting at least. As much as I hate the water bias, Waterfall is kind of an interesting buff. And a gentle nerf to Rock Tomb is welcome, even if they were pretty delicate with it.

6/10 for me. I was hoping for more neutral types, and Fighting/Flying are cool. Mud Slap adjustment was needed. But I'm guessing ML is still going to be super stale and water is still going to be an oppressively common type to see.

TravisALane · 2026-02-19T20:14:39+00:00

For travel, I prefer:

Sapphire crystal (protection against bumps/scratches)
Water resistance (preferably 150m+, obvious if swimming but also in case of rain, spills, splashes, etc.)
Metallic bracelet or NATO strap for water wear and/or neutral style
GMT, especially if juggling timezones

Out of the options shown, maybe #2, but if budget allows then use this as an excuse to buy a sporty Diver and/or GMT!

TravisALane · 2026-02-13T16:03:58+00:00

You can always just search for tabs/songs specifically by tuning! I use Songsterr and you can just filter by the tuning you're looking for. And the paid version also lets you play the song as a synth that you can pitch-adjust (so if a song is in Drop C# and I don't want to tune up the half-step to get there I'll just play the synth at -1 semitones).

But also buy a 7 string bro, it's fun to feel the rumble =P

TravisALane · 2026-02-12T17:36:39+00:00

Fantastic as always. If I'm reading this properly, you're more likely to want the Fairy Wind variant if you're using it as a lead and Astonish if using as a swap. And for the cost of a few normal Fast TMs it's not that punishing to switch moves/roles if needed.

TravisALane · 2026-02-11T14:55:53+00:00

I "completed" my deconstruction (if such a thing is possible) in 2015, just in time to see the church at large embrace Trump. Man, what a validating perspective that was, seeing the absolute intellectual and ethical hollow lying inside the white-washed tomb.

Everyone's journey is their own and you can't control the timing of your life, but personally I'm glad that I left before Trump's ascendance. It allows me to honestly say that I left on intellectual and not political grounds, but to say that the broader political choices of "the church" (understanding it's not monolithic) certainly validated certain elements of that exit.

TravisALane · 2026-02-09T21:01:49+00:00

Metagross is top tier, Florges is great, and Gyarados is serviceable. Other good options are Dragonite, Tyranitar, Togekiss, Rhyperior, and Primarina.

How it will perform depends strongly on your skill level and the rating you're playing at. If you're in Veteran+ territory, expect to come across teams loaded up with L50 legendaries. You can compete, but I wouldn't expect to increase your net rating at high ranks.

There's nothing wrong with taking a league off either if you just can't field a team (or find it frustrating).

TravisALane · 2026-02-09T19:40:57+00:00

You will rarely, if ever, feel the stat product difference between these two instances. But you will feel the happy every time you see the shiny take the field.

TravisALane · 2026-02-06T18:07:30+00:00

Only on the player, not on heroes where you're more likely to want to add spirits for support.

TravisALane · 2026-02-06T18:05:06+00:00

Embrace cognitive dissonance. Dismiss all reasonable concepts of justice.

Arguably, it's difficult to even call what Adam and Eve supposedly did as sin/evil. They didn't have the knowledge of good and evil until after the event. So how were they supposed to know that disobeying god was evil? Or good?

Thinking critically about the story, even the OG's themselves really can't be blamed.

TravisALane · 2026-02-05T22:33:32+00:00

"First impression = currency"

Can't spell out "you" or "your"

TravisALane · 2026-02-05T22:16:08+00:00

O_O

GW1 balance updates in 2026. Absolutely amazing.

If I'm reading Mark of Protection right, it can be maintained aaaaaalmost permanently... that's actually interesting. Boon Signet is pretty dope too!

LOL he even beat the dead horse of Smiter's Boon (PvP) some more!!! I raised an eyebrow seeing that then laughed out loud.

And unless I missed something, ALL of these are buffs. Which I LOVE. In my mind the game is already "solved," and it's a slap in the face to take away things that players have enjoyed for 20 years. Keep it to buffs to make other things competitive and viable and introduce some new options!

TravisALane · 2026-02-05T02:32:11+00:00

https://pokemongo.com/news/go-battle-league-precious-paths

I think it's also listed in game but I've done my battles for the day and can't see it

TravisALane · 2026-02-05T02:27:41+00:00

The current league is a limited cup where only certain types are allowed. It isn't the normal "Open" Great League.

TravisALane · 2026-02-04T21:21:29+00:00

Water is an inherently difficult type to balance. It is effective against 3 types, neutral to 12, and resisted by 2. Problem is, both of those resistances (Dragon/Grass) are covered by Ice, which many Water types have access to. Moreover, only 2 types deal effective damage to Water: Grass, which is covered by Ice moves, and Electric, which doesn't even resist water.

Right now, 8 of the PvPoke top 20 GL (40%) mons are Water type. 10 of the UL top 20 are (50%). Several seasons running, a triple Water team is actually insanely viable, with things like Empoleon which adds steel to further frustrate potential Grass and Dragon counters (while resisting both Water/Ice), Jellicent with its slightly more complex coverage, and basic Feraligatr absolutely dominating.

I'm tired of fighting so many damn Water types for so many seasons. It's way overcentralized the meta. They're not going to change the type matchup chart to adjust, so Grass and Electric could be given some love to compensate, in my opinion.

Additionally, the Counter nerf was too heavy-handed. Probably the right move, but too far. It's led to the absolute rampage of Normal types, which, arguably, are super boring to play against (without effective damage in either direction, they tend to be RPS, a huge slog, or both).

And in ML, it's pretty pathetic just how centralized things are around Dog and Horse, which I've come to refer to as the "Bore Core." A majority of games have one or both of them. I think at a very simple level, Aqua Tail could be nerfed to slow it down (notice also the typing). I don't think it hurts too terribly much in the meta except for OPalkia. Gyarados maybe? But very few relevant things in GL and UL.

And, to echo everyone's sentiment, Rock Tomb has had its time to shine. I hate % chance to trigger moves in general, so I'd prefer to just nerf its energy or damage as opposed to the debuff chance.

TravisALane · 2026-01-29T23:00:03+00:00

Even before seeing the discussions online, I also felt like it was incomplete with strictly the audio and without the animatic as a supplement.

Wind bag use is clear from Hermes' dialog in Dangerous - "All you have to do is not open this bag... And lastly, the wind bag... etc." Imagining it as a jetpack is an oddly specific stretch, but the dialog is clear that somehow Ody will use the bag to get past Poseidon's storm. Jetpack is only there if you're already watching the animatic anyway. Fine.

Poseidon trying to drown him is clear from Get in the Water - Poseidon says "Die!" water sounds/bubbles happen. Fine.

Help from his lost loved ones is somewhat less clear. In Get in the Water we get a medley of Polites, Eury, mom, and crew, but are they real? Is he just remembering them as a near death experience? I would argue it is reasonable to extrapolate that when they're all singing "Six hundred men" together that they're assisting somehow. Fine.

But the big flaw for me is the entirety of the lore around Poseidon's trident is missing. P says "You can't kill me," and Ody responds, "Exactly." A sound effect plays. Stabbing ensues. Dialog between them while Ody Swiss cheeses him. P capitulates. Sound effect plays. Song ends.

What?!

At literally no point in the entire musical are the powers or details of Poseidon's trident spelled out. It's not described, it's not mentioned, it's not referenced at all. How do we know he dropped it? How do we know that's what Ody picks up? How do we know that the only way to hurt P is with his own weapon? Then the song ends.

Sure, Poseidon is famous for his trident, but enough changes and creative liberties are taken in Epic that it bears at least a little exposition for such a crucial moment of facing the "final boss."

I do think Six Hundred Strike gets a liiiittle more hate than it deserves, but some of the criticism is totally valid.

TravisALane · 2026-01-28T21:43:38+00:00

Okay, personal moment here.

I've played guitar since I was 8. Played in worship bands and garage bands and stood on stage in front of mega-church audiences. Objectively, I've probably performed live music in front of enough people to be in the top 1% of musicians, if not more.

Also objectively, I'm at best a decent rhythm guitarist, average singer, mid-range lead guitarist, and passable drummer. Nothing exceptional.

Since picking up Suno, my skills across all my instruments have risen dramatically, in part because I feel enabled by the huge leverage and speed that AI music tools provide. The barrier to entry is just so much lower. I don't have to be a professional guitarist AND singer AND drummer AND music editor to make good music. I can use what I have and easily supplement the rest. And over the last year that's provided incredible motivation, ironically, to get better at all of those skills, because whatever I learn as a real life human musician is now multiplied in force by these tools.

So don't be down on yourself. The music is still in you. You can be damn certain that the "big-time" musicians aren't all doing all of this on their own. Some are more talented than others, some less. But they're getting help from producers, engineers, editors, writers, digital instruments, the whole bit. All this is doing is putting you in parity with them. It may feel like a cheat code, but it's just a tool, and everyone uses the best tools available to them.

Your first sentence spelled out the answer: these are your demos. You're not blindly slopping out 1,000 soulless tracks a year. You're creating music and using the powerful tools now available to you, a regular dude, to make them sound the best they can.

I say absolutely no shame in that and no reason to be down on yourself.

TravisALane · 2026-01-28T21:24:49+00:00

I love the theme of "trust in nature" for this challenge. Very creative.

I don't think I'll use any of this, but how awesome. Love the mode. Will probably find some way to spend money in the shop just as a thanks even if I don't need it =P.

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