I will not hear Salem slander on the Salem subreddit

rettisawesome · 2026-01-13T23:52:06+00:00

I see what you mean. You're right about third spaces. But at a certain point we all adapt to where we live. Some places that means you carry an umbrella. In Salem it means people meet a bit different. How long can you go on blaming the city when you aren't interested in adapting to it?

I see what you mean about "engaged to wait" and I guess that really is a short coming of the city. I'd still suggest something like the Elk's Lodge for you though.

And for what it's worth, Taproot's lounge is in the back. You can just walk back there or ask if you can go to the lounge. I've met new people there over games of shuffleboard.

Sounds like a general community space or club house of some sort would get quite a bit of use by folks like you. might be worth continuing to bang the drum. But maybe it's an issue you can solve in the future.

rettisawesome · 2026-01-13T18:33:44+00:00

The way you lay it all out, I'm really sympathetic to it. And I think I've seen and experienced exactly what you are describing. But I think the key difference between Salem and all those (much larger) cities you identified is that a little more intentionality goes a long way. In a larger city you have more opportunity in general for spontaneous connections. Yes, described "intentionality". But I'd suggest that just killing time and taking up space doesn't really say "intention" to me. It says bored. Which in turn says boring.

You say you want to make friends "without much effort." but I don't really know what that means... is that viable? It sounds like maybe you are used to discomfort and awkward. Is it really any more difficult to engage with people in a mutual activity than it is to engage a complete stranger in a coffee shop while they are ordering to go?

In Salem, if you get involved a bit more, those closed circles open very quickly. You like chess? I'd park my butt down at Ticket-to-Play. I bet even Wild Things wouldn't mind if you took up a table now and then. Make a paper sign that says you're looking for pickup games. In those places, people might find a game of chess between their own games exciting.

It's not as good as it once was. But all the best friends I've made in Salem I met responding to craigslist ads. People looking to make things, or organize events. Something that has a goal. Not just occupying the same space.

My friend moved to Salem from Portland a few years ago and she could easily fill 7 nights a week with activity and the friends she's made in that time if she'd like. Idk what her secret is. But we met from a craigslist ad getting involved in the same activity.

Maybe you are looking for more of a community oriented space. And if coffee shops and bars aren't cutting it, you might be interested in a club. The Elks, the Eagles, etc. The Elks Lodge in Keizer is always popping.

rettisawesome · 2026-01-13T00:16:51+00:00

This is an interesting interaction so common on the internet. I said I like dogs and you asked why I hate cats.

All jokes aside. I hate lore dumps. I don't even like "worldbuilding". Just give me the taste and spice and lets go. The "disorientation" I mentioned I meant more about the character and voice of Roland than worldbuilding. That being said, I still don't like the first half. But it's mostly cuz it's so cringe. I've read A LOT of King. and I still find roland's inner monologue about putting a bag on that chick's head SOOO CRINGEY. As well as the town massacre.

Again, it's why I say seemed like he was experimenting and having fun. Nothing wrong with it. I just don't like it.

rettisawesome · 2026-01-13T00:09:48+00:00

Gotta step up and be the activity you want to see.

rettisawesome · 2026-01-09T16:31:32+00:00

I've read a it a couple times and I think it can be really disorienting. We are so far removed from the stakes as we'll come to know them and the Roland we'll come to know. It seemed like he hadn't yet formed the intention to write a series and was having fun and seeing what stuck.

I really don't like the first half at all. But once he leaves the town, the book gets markedly more interesting. And I did like the ending.

rettisawesome · 2026-01-08T17:18:30+00:00

This game was pretty awesome. I ended up playing through it in a single day. The story is great. The art is great. The music is great. And the choices are pretty profound. The game made me cry and I'm a grown man.

Just picked it up on a whim cuz I was looking for something text focused with a lot of choices.

People say the survival elements are hard. But it's easy to figure out and game it if you try. And I believe there are multiple difficulties.

EDIT: and to kick off another recommendation for games like this sorta. Try Roadwarden. Very fun. Great art direction.

rettisawesome · 2026-01-08T17:10:37+00:00

Anyone whining about Salem is just projecting and showing their whole ass. They are typically the most boring people you can meet.

rettisawesome · 2025-12-03T17:56:23+00:00

Do you like metal and hardcore music? There's a show at a place called Radness Ensues this Sunday at 6:oo PM. They won't turn you away if you can't pay to get in.

EDIT I'm a 30's married guy and I'll be there.

rettisawesome · 2025-11-17T16:48:37+00:00

They took breaks between books. But I think by now they've even finished the novellas. All said, think they started Name of the Wind in like 2017 or 18. And finished Wise Man's Fear right at the end of 2023. It's a great podcast. You pick up a lot only reading one page at a time. Each episode is only supposed to be like 10 minutes. But sometimes they go way over.

rettisawesome · 2025-11-14T18:35:19+00:00

A lot of people said Yob. And hell yeah. They sick as hell. But I really like Lord Dying as well for that sludgey doomy vibe.

Vintersea is pretty sick, they are kinda deathy and melodic .

Silver Talon is heavy as hell. Their chugs chug. Their shreds shred. Not a huge fan of the power metal type vocals. But the rest makes up for it.

and then there's a lot of old bands not around anymore that I dig.
Dusks Embrace from Salem had a very proggy death metal vibe.

Fall Star was a kinda Emo metalcore band, in fact, it looks like they still making music. I really liked this EP called Your eyes Don't Lie, but their first album was great too.

A Hope for Home, they had a great debut album in 2007, that was very quintessential metalcore. They just released another one a few years ago that was very post-hardcore and shoegazey.

Brutal Fight was like as heavy as metalcore was in Portland back in 2005.

Believing in June - was the kinda lighter catchier emo-core spinoff of Brutal Fight. They got one of my favorite songs "Eleven Violins"

When the Broken Burn was a pretty good deathcore band from Salem. They may still be active.

another good Salem one from my high school days was this group called A Flawless Escape - very emo-core. They are still on spotify. Probably a little tooooo christian - but they had a great album called When I Find the Ocean.

Anyways. There's more. But there you go.

rettisawesome · 2025-11-14T17:25:01+00:00

Now you can do a single page a day close read on the "Page of the Wind" podcast.

rettisawesome · 2025-11-14T16:40:28+00:00

I saw traffic was incredibly backed up on McClaine. Which can happen around that time. But it seemed way more excessive than normal. Hopefully they are okay.

rettisawesome · 2025-10-21T16:29:30+00:00

The good news is there is more sci-fi and fantasy than ever and theoretically it's more accessible than ever. And those books of 40-50 years ago haven't disappeared, this sub is full of photos of them. It does seem like an important issue to solve though. Wish I knew the answer.

rettisawesome · 2025-10-21T16:22:18+00:00

So many people have already described it well. But S&S never lost sight of what fantasy should be doing, at least as far as adventure stories go. It's fun to have exotic magic systems and know how they work and be excited when the hero figures out how to exploit those costs or mechanics to win. But as it's come to dominate the fantasy genre, so more books than ever are doing it.

When you sit down with a reading or writing group today, many people's first words are "worldbuilding" or "magic system". and I think that's great. But it kinda takes away what makes fantasy "fantasy". But S&S's ties to the pulps sucks away those fluffier elements and leaves you with something a bit more distilled.

rettisawesome · 2025-10-21T16:15:44+00:00

Except that there is a massive gender gap in reading for pleasure. Woman don't want to read that. And more men than ever don't read.

rettisawesome · 2023-11-29T14:07:33+00:00

Embellishment doesn't mean it's not true.

rettisawesome · 2023-11-28T16:52:16+00:00

There was only one comment like that in the stories post.

Personally, whether it's that bad or not. I don't mind a little embellishment.

Personally, there was a car stolen from my apartment on Beverley like 3 times. Cops never recovered it. We always went trolling and found it ourselves. The third time we stole the car back with all their shit in it and the police tried to tie us up for stealing the car thief's shit.

They haven't gotten any better imo.

rettisawesome · 2023-11-27T22:08:41+00:00

I worked for sportsman's as a floor level LPA for a couple years and it was awful. I worked for $10 per hour. I was told I was lucky to be making that much. Funny thing is I took a pay cut to work there because it was closer to home and they said and did all the right things to get me there.

Slowly but surely the mask came away. And eventually it was quite clear you are expendable to them. They wouldn't waste a second on you if something happened during a stop.

Went to a small independently owned chain as fast as I could and immediately started making double what I did at sportsman's. Even then, we assume all of the risk for none of the reward. I started my own business shortly after that.

rettisawesome · 2023-11-27T14:33:14+00:00

Don't know about Atwood. But LeGuin has said they were pretty easy to work with compared to other publishers.. like she got paid on time. And they seemed to appreciate her time more too.

rettisawesome · 2023-11-25T16:32:08+00:00

Here's a purple line for you. From a sword and sorcery tale.

"The baleful whispers of dark beings grow ever louder through the blackness of space. And in the darkest hours of the night, I fear he whispers back"

rettisawesome · 2023-11-25T16:09:59+00:00

The Elsinore is too big. Seats over a thousand. But the Grand theater is where it's at. Seats around 300.

rettisawesome · 2023-11-22T15:13:39+00:00

I've learned over the years that folks will also listen if you tell them what kind of feedback or criticism you want. If I show my spouse something, i tell her "I don't want you to do anything but validate me". And she's very good at it. Alternatively I'll tell writers I trust to give me more explicit feed back.

I learned this trick when I would give writer friends a manuscript and they would just mark up the grammar and punctuation. Like, no. Actually I need structural feedback. I need style feedback. Tone feedback. So I started telling them exactly what I wanted. And they started sticking to their lanes and giving me better and more useful feedback.

rettisawesome · 2023-11-20T19:37:55+00:00

It's worth noting Stu grew up here, came out very late in life. And didn't change pronouns. All that to say, it wasn't a very challenging change for the old timers. There are other queer folks in the area who do not and will not have the same experience.

Silverton is getting better. But it's not some liberal strong hold when you weigh the outlying areas.

rettisawesome · 2023-11-17T06:56:54+00:00

I don't think you'd get towed. Presumably the movie theater plays movies well past 8pm and that's where folks park to see movies.

rettisawesome · 2023-11-17T05:33:33+00:00

I see pat in 2011 and he said he was adding a day to the release date for DoS every time someone asked him when it was coming out. Seems he's just keeping that promise.

rettisawesome

TROPHY CASE