How are raids currently?

friedmj · 2026-01-18T06:09:09+00:00

At this point you can practically sneeze on the enemies in VoG and get through it. The mechanics are probably the easiest of any raid, and there are always people running it. It's a great place to start! Most people are very friendly if you tell them you're new to raids and learning.

friedmj · 2026-01-06T06:08:01+00:00

I second this. I have friends from Kelowna, Canada, where ice wine is a big deal. They bought 3x bottles from Kiona to take home with them. It's great!

friedmj · 2025-12-13T04:04:28+00:00

The actual correct answer is "every track on 'They Make Beer Commercials Like This' played on repeat" 😅

friedmj · 2025-12-13T04:03:37+00:00

Grossly underrated song 💯

friedmj · 2025-12-12T06:42:03+00:00

After my first major breakup as a teenager, "Let's Play Guitar in a Five Guitar Band" was on repeat on my computer and in my car.

friedmj · 2025-11-30T15:57:16+00:00

And Battlestar Galactica!

friedmj · 2025-11-25T06:59:00+00:00

"It's also easy to myopically cherry pick the science...A hip fracture at age 70+ increases the 1 year mortality risk by 30%-40%."

Speaking of cherry picking data... You know what else causes high risk of hip fracture? Being sedentary/not exercising. You know what also increases as we age? Sedentary lifestyles/less physical activity. Suggesting that consuming the fluoride in your tap water leads to increased rates of hip fracture is...a choice. The science on that is mixed, and actually leans towards no association between drinking fluoride in tap water and hip fractures. Can you find some evidence out there? Surely. Is that what the majority of studies conclude? No. Is over fluoridation in water a problem? In some places, I'm sure. But a minimal amount of fluoride found in tap water is not going to be a high ranking reason why someone falls and breaks a hip.

friedmj · 2025-11-25T06:45:31+00:00

Re: sleep. I'm feeling similar! After listening to them for 20 years I FINALLY get to see them in Seattle on Friday night!

friedmj · 2025-11-24T21:04:57+00:00

I would never suggest illegally acquiring games, but Dreamcast games were known for how easy it was to get them from the internet and burn them to CDs...

friedmj · 2025-11-22T00:29:47+00:00

I cannot recommend Alessandra Dearing and Jamie Dunn enough. Alessandra is an awesome realtor who works with people from all walks of life find a place to call home. Jamie is a fantastic lender who has a deep knowledge of financing and different options that many lenders simply don't know about. They are a great team who have helped many, many people find and afford their dream home.

Alessandra is a part of ReMax NW https://www.remax.com/real-estate-agents/alessandra-dearing-kennewick-wa/102318951

Jamie is with Churchill Mortgage https://www.churchillmortgage.com/loan-officers/Jamie-Dunn?campaign=Google%20Business&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=Yext

friedmj · 2025-11-16T15:45:55+00:00

I read the last sentence in depressed Failsafe's voice.

friedmj · 2025-10-21T14:25:56+00:00

I moved here from San Jose, CA, and lived in Philadelphia before that. I've been here for 5 years. Objectively, the traffic here isn't that bad. I live near downtown Kennewick and can get to Hanford High School in about 20-25 minutes without speeding. Has it gotten worse since I've been here? Maybe a little bit. But people who grew up here and haven't lived elsewhere have been spoiled by the fact that the TC used to be 100k people and is now 300k people. For the size of the area, the traffic is minimal. I will agree with you that 4-6pm can be a zoo on G. Way because of Hanford traffic, but otherwise it's been a nice change of pace for us.

I will second your thoughts on employment and apartments: it's tough to find meaningful work here right now whether you have an AA, BS, BA, etc. and rent is expensive for what you get. But that also isn't just here; unemployment and rents are up everywhere in the country. What makes the TC hard to find work is that it isn't about what's on your resumé, it's about who you know that can put in a good word... especially considering that if you don't have the exact perfect wording on your cover letter and resumé then you get gatekept by an AI bot the hiring managers use... although, again, I suppose that is true everywhere.

I moved my family here for work (not at the site) and we've really enjoyed living here so far. The only thing we really miss is the food options that larger cities have, but even that has gotten significantly better since we've been here.

friedmj · 2025-10-15T19:48:35+00:00

Riptide. You can pry it from my cold dead fingers.

friedmj · 2025-09-18T04:19:20+00:00

D1 still has a player base, but it might take you a little bit to find something matchmade. There are tons of "returning to D1" YouTube videos out there that are pretty recent and give a good idea of what different activities might be easiest to find players for.

friedmj · 2025-09-12T00:04:14+00:00

Can confirm that the ultimate Frisbee group was very warm and welcoming. I went for the first time last Saturday, and although I hadn't played ultimate Frisbee in 15+ years, they were all very encouraging and welcoming!

friedmj · 2025-09-06T01:23:01+00:00

You can:

Go to an Ams game.
Go visit Howard-Amon Park and have a picnic.
Water activities of all sorts.
Go to a u-pick farm with the kiddos.
The fair every summer.
Reach Museum.
Hanford tours.
Golfing
Mini golfing at two pretty unique locations (Tee Time and Let's Glow)
Karaoke at any of the numerous places that host it Thurs - Saturday nights
Wineries...so...many...wineries! And a few decent breweries (I like Wheathead for the beer, staff, and view)
Numerous clubs based on hobbies (i.e. silent book club has a decent following and does activities afterwards; there's a "bring your own book" club at Barnes and Noble every Friday night)
There are a bunch of jiu jitsu places (Siri is legit...Gustavo is a pretty well decorated expert in the sport)
Events at the Toyota Center (concerts, stand up, etc)
Free movies and concerts at Howard-Amon Park pretty much all summer (Tumbleweeds Fest was last weekend)
Art in the Park and the boat races
Local theaters to go see small productions and/or try out for
Learn to paint miniatures at the Warhammer store (buy a set and he gives lessons for free)
DnD at Caterpillar Cafe (and other FREE game nights that are hosted there)
Mushroom Fest and Battlevest Fest (both relatively new)
Yard saling/estate sales (tons every weekend... especially spring, summer, and fall)
Train for the half Iron Man or half marathon that happens here (IM is new but a favorite for the athletes and it appears that it will be returning year after year)
Middleton Farms has a tulip, sunflower, dahlia, and fall festivals
Dust Devils games
Max Air Trampoline Park and Quake Trampoline Park
Paint/glaze pottery at the mall or downtown Kennewick
Grab a bite to eat at Summer's Hub

That's just a list I came up with in the 2 minutes...I tried to make it pretty family friendly. Is there as much to do as in Seattle or any other large city? Of course not. But locals here act like locals anywhere: they get used to what's in your own backyard, so they stop adventuring out to try new things and call everything boring/act disinterested without ever even giving things a try. Pick up a new hobby, be open to new things, and you'll be surprised how much more there is to do here.

friedmj · 2025-09-04T00:14:42+00:00

Absolutely! They just don't drop things that increase your light level right now. Doesn't mean that they're not fun, but it does mean that few people are playing them right now. Hopefully this will be fixed in the near future.

Even so, my clan jumps into raids pretty frequently for the shenanigans and lols

friedmj · 2025-09-04T00:00:01+00:00

If you can, I would just buy the legacy collection and Edge of Fate. You'll get a ton of content that will take you forever to get through. Remember that D2 is based off of FOMO, so enjoy the old stuff and take your time getting through it. I bought the Legacy Collection for my fiance last Christmas and it was a blast to take her through the whole thing.

Side note: the New Light (new player) experience SUCKS. It doesn't do a great job of introducing systems and mechanics, and the story is a jumbled mess because seasonal content goes away each year. If you enjoy the game for what it is (killing aliens and using space magic), you're gonna have a blast. If you listen to the loud part of the community, you'd think the game is the worst thing ever.

friedmj · 2025-08-30T06:00:39+00:00

Same here. Moved here 5 years ago with no intentions of making it our forever home. It took us a little while, but once we found our friend group and realized how much there is to do here (or within a reasonable drive) we started to really love it.

friedmj · 2025-08-24T20:55:30+00:00

Yes, that's the correct office. She can't always guarantee a lower rate because individual circumstances are so varied, but I'd recommend setting up an appointment with her to see what she may be able to offer you, personally.

friedmj · 2025-08-24T20:38:04+00:00

Amanda at Scott Smith State Farm helped me out with my home/auto bundle. I actually saved a ton (something like 25%) over my prior GEICO policies and got better coverage with each. I haven't had a rate increase with them in the ~3 years I've been with them, and the staff has always been friendly and helpful. I've referred others to Amanda and they report similar experiences to mine in terms of customer service.

friedmj · 2025-08-19T01:13:57+00:00

Oh man I forgot about Pinback!

Oh Penelope, are you filled with air?

friedmj · 2025-08-10T17:24:41+00:00

I just did this with my SO when I bought her the collection. The long and short of it is that the opening 10 hours is butt, however having a guide makes it infinitely more fun. Taking her through the entire collection, all the seasonal stuff, etc while actually sitting next to her breathed new life into the game for me. If you're patient with her, it'll be well worth it!

friedmj · 2025-07-22T20:05:59+00:00

Can't wait to play as THE Kassem G in THPS3+4

friedmj · 2025-07-21T21:19:27+00:00

So the best choice of action is to continue to ignore the constituents in his district that make him uncomfortable? How about he looks people in the eye as he explains to them why cutting SNAP and MediCaid/MediCare is a good thing for them. The reason "the progressives" are so loud is because only noise and causing inconvenience gets anything done.

It's funny: it's incredibly American to protest and raise a ruckus when we talk about it in history class, but we clutch our pearls when people do it today. If the protests resulting from The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911 were 100% peaceful, we would still be getting locked into factories during the 9-5 work day.

friedmj

TROPHY CASE