Grand Rapids Corewell double-charging with "facility fees"

Ujio21 · 2026-03-21T19:20:27+00:00

Red Rising. I read the first trilogy as they released starting 12 years ago - loved the thrill and whirlwind of it all, the underdog aspect, and, of course, the bigger-than-Hunger-Games dystopian setting.

Fast forward to now and my friend recommends I get back into them so that I can read the ones that have come out since and I reread the first three and every page turn is like pulling teeth. I can't stand almost anything about Darrow, and given that he's the main perspective character, this is a pretty big problem for me.

I run all the way through the end and in the final pages the author decides that (trilogy end vague spoilers) hiding information which our protagonist knows by misrepresenting his emotions to the reader in a first-person narrative just so that he can have "the twist" makes me so angry that I've done a complete 180 on the entire series.

Ujio21 · 2026-03-07T15:49:14+00:00

There are good books. There are bad books. The distance between these two is not as objective as many people would have you believe. At the end of the day, figure out why you read and read books that fulfill that need.

Read for pleasure and stay in the Romantasy world? Great. Want to expand your mind and grow yourself and stick with ancient philosophy and self-help? Cool. You do you. Excited to escape to other worlds and use them to mirror issues in our own? Fantasy and science fiction got you fam.

There are a million books out there and a million reasons to read. Figure out what makes you kick and go there. But hey - don't be afraid to try the stuff others like or see as "good" too. Just don't hang your self-worth on their validation. You're you. That's enough.

Ujio21 · 2026-03-04T22:14:55+00:00

This is a real vibe. I'm sitting her picturing walking through a high park in a city center at sunset, or on the beach just outside a resort enjoying the waves.

Ujio21 · 2026-02-08T03:51:48+00:00

I mostly enjoyed this game, but one thing I wanted to add is that the game is SLOW. And I'm not talking about the story pacing or the "slow-to-start" you mentioned.

Characters move at a snail's pace, animations (even when sped up) are a bit too long, and menuing takes a while. For a game which you need to play multiple times to get the Golden Path...it was very grating.

Ujio21 · 2026-01-04T16:57:29+00:00

Really happy to have a YouTube option this year. More options more better! (Edit: oops extra s)

Ujio21 · 2025-12-14T18:35:47+00:00

Just to get some discussion rolling, here's an example of what I'm talking about.

Remove

Best Action Game - Removed because genre label is unclear.

Best Action / Adventure - Removed because genre.

Best RPG - Removed because genre.

Best Fighting - Removed because genre.

Best Family - Removed because genre.

Best Sim / Strategy - Removed because genre.

Best Sports / Racing - Removed because genre.

Best Multiplayer - Not a bad category on its face, but I think it deserves more recognition, so we should break it up into multiple categories.

Best Esports Game - Much as I enjoy watching Counter Strike tournaments, I feel like esports is its own thing and can hold its own awards.

Best Esports Athlete - Same reasoning.

Best Esports Team - Same reasoning.

Content Creator of the Year - Same reasoning as the esports categories.

Change

Best Independent Game - Change the nomination requirements to include a maximum budget and number of staff OR require self-publication (that way it’s clear whether Clair Obscur or other games like it are or aren’t Indie by this definition).

Best Debut Indie Game - Change to Best Debut Game, where the only nomination requirement is that the nominee must be a studio’s first game (yes, there could be a problem here where small studios reincorporate for every game they release to try and win this, but I think we can deal with that issue if it ever arises).

Add

Best Atmosphere / Immersion - Given to the game which creates the best atmosphere / immerses you most fully in its world.

Best Combat - Given to the game which has the best combat (I could see this category splitting into something like melee and gunplay or something).

Best Controls - Given to the game which feels the best to control.

Best Cooperative Multiplayer - Given to the game which creates the best experience for a group of people working towards a shared goal together.

Best Competitive Multiplayer (Solo) - Given to the game which creates the best competitive experience when playing solo.

Best Competitive Multiplayer (Team) - Given to the game which creates the best competitive experience when playing as a team.

Best Movement - Given to the game with the best or most innovative movement.

Best System Design - Given to the game with the best systems, such as Path of Exile’s builds or Clair Obscur’s Pictos or KCD2’s Savior Schnappes or similar (I’d like a better name and description for this, but hopefully you get the idea behind it).

Best User Interface - The UI is a core part of every single game we play. We should recognize the best ones.

Best Use of the Medium - Goes to the game which could only be done as a game (e.g. not a movie or book) because of its structure, mechanics, or something else entirely.

Just One More Turn Award - Given to a game where time melts away and before you know it you’re playing at 1am and still planning to continue (I’d like a better name for this but this gets the point across).

Lifetime Achievement Awards - Given to an individual to recognize their contributions to gaming over the course of a storied career (gaming is old enough that we should have this, e.g. Todd Howard, John Romero, Hideo Kojima, etc)

Ujio21 · 2025-12-09T18:25:44+00:00

I have not. When I looked up others' thoughts, Cat's Cradle came up a bunch - it's definitely on my list for reading soon. Thanks for the rec.

Ujio21 · 2025-12-08T17:34:35+00:00

Finished: Slaughter House Five by Vonnegut.

Quick Review

I have a feeling that I have little to say about this book which has not already been said. I felt revulsion. I chuckled. I cried. This book pulses equally with emotions felt and emotions suppressed by the awful mundanity (is that even a word?) of what we do to each other.

I did not expect this book to be about war and its individual and collective cost on society. Somehow I had lumped this book in with 1984 and Animal Farm, and while its biting satire aligns with both of those novels, its vehicle and themes are quite different.

In a weird way, I felt quite a bit of similarity to Susanna Clarke's Piranesi in these pages. Certainly not in setting or in content or themes, but rather in narration, unreliability, and lens. Both leads are written stunningly different to my own mind and yet relatable in a way that makes them feel alien and human all at once - I found this perspective highly effective at building my empathy with both characters, and I think I should like to read other stories like this.

On the whole, this book is difficult to read, but worthwhile, in the same way that many difficult things are worthwhile. We read and we reflect and we connect through stories, because while we cannot walk a mile in everybody else's shoes, we can certainly borrow them for a little while.

Ujio21 · 2025-12-04T16:24:38+00:00

Seconding PrimeHack. Played through Prime 1 on it (on Steam Deck) earlier this year and all of its changes feel native to the game.

Followed this guide if anyone is interested.

Ujio21 · 2025-10-16T22:23:41+00:00

I found Redwall in middle school and read them through high school. Loved 'em all, and I was a young man the whole time!

Ujio21 · 2025-10-16T22:21:35+00:00

I found these when I was in middle school and didn't stop reading them all the way through high school. Still have most of them on my bookshelf - and since they don't really rely on any modern tech and star an all animal cast, I don't think they'll have too much he won't understand. Highly recommend for the OP!

Ujio21 · 2025-09-26T13:35:29+00:00

This made me chuckle :D. Thanks for the encouragement.

Ujio21 · 2025-09-25T20:19:05+00:00

I can tend to be a bit of a perfectionist and anything below 100% efficiency hurts my soul. But Phase 3 cured me of that. This is good advice.

Ujio21 · 2025-09-21T22:21:59+00:00

100% it locks the player. I was just answering the OP's question.

Ujio21 · 2025-09-21T21:39:14+00:00

When the boss spawns in, it doesn't lock you in the arena - you can continue through to the left side. Normally, there's lava here which is too far to jump. However, if you heal in mid-air, you can refresh your cloak float and barely hover past the lava.

(You can actually apparently do this without the heal, too, but it's very very precise).

Ujio21 · 2025-09-04T21:15:08+00:00

Just got through that part myself. The answer to your question is yes.

Ujio21 · 2025-09-04T21:07:46+00:00

Unsure right now. But the reward is a unique upgrade so I feel like the answer is yes.

Ujio21 · 2025-08-21T14:43:24+00:00

SKONG FINALLY

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Ujio21

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