Streets of Rage 4 100 Yen achievement (Clear Arcade on Hard) tips

First off, if you'r tempted to do this in co-op play you actually may want to do it solo. I actually found it much harder to do co-op. It seems harder to focus on positioning and enemy movements with two people on screen and I tend to play worse (more spammy and focusing on trying to rack up combos). I tried a few times with someone else but in the end I did it solo (took many attempts!). Also with co-op you have to worry about lag and disconnects (one time it happened on stage 6....total bummer).

Few tips for solo arcade play: Dont worry so much about combos. You want to survive and while you need points for extra lives you can't earn points if you're dead. Focus on staying alive and then hit those combos when the opportunities present themselves. Dont combo hunt. Also I found throws were super helpful as a crowd control mechanism and to get some iframes. If you have an enemy clinched from the front and an enemy is behind them and you know they are going to close in and attack wait until they are about to make contact and then vault over your enemy. As you jump to their back you are invulnerable.

I found my best success came with SOR1 Axel/Blaze btw. Pared down mechanics means positioning and fundamentals were the focus and their jab is rangey, powerful and can stun multiple people at once. Also Axel can knock back multiple enemies in a line with his clinch headbutt .

I'm nothing special at this game so if I was able to do this you can too. Just brace yourself for the possibility of having to try again.....and again......and again.....

Good luck!

The "strong woman" fetish on Netflix is reaching a point of insanity.

I have a daughter who loves teen dramas and guess who gets sucked into watching them at least once a weekend? That's right= this guy (points to self). And what do all of these shows have in common? Well the same thing that has infected 'adult' programming as well- the "strong woman" archetype. 

"But what's wrong with strong women? Why are you incels so obsessed with this? Is your masculinity threatened by a strong woman?" 

Yes, sure if that makes you happy. Now for the rest of us non simple minded, non hive minded individuals, the problem is three pronged I'd say:

1) It's misleading as all hell. My daughter parrots this "women are as strong as men and can do anything" stuff but if there's a bee, spider or even a cobweb in the vicinity she runs screaming for Daddy. So is she going to grow up feeling inadequate because she is not living up to this ideal of the "strong badass woman?" Are they actually dis-empowering females in an attempt to empower them? 

2) It could be dangerous. On one show she watches a teen girl is telling her teen friend (a male) about how she is being stalked by an older ex boyfriend. She tells him she is scared and not sure what to do or where this guy may show up. She finishes talking and the male friend (a much larger, stronger person) says "okay well I am going to walk you home, alright? In case he shows up." 

She looks at him with this absolutely incredulous look and then he apologizes and she says "I'll walk you home." After fighting to keep from rolling my eyes out of my head I started wondering about this idea that perhaps some girls might buy so much into this idea that they may make reckless decisions as they get older that may potentially lead them into danger. I hope not but media does shape people's perceptions (especially females who are more hive minded). 

3) It's just so fucking forced. I'm not watching organic characters and organic story lines- I'm seeing a political agenda being pushed through fictional media. Propaganda basically. 

There is also of course the question "if strength, aggressiveness and power (aka base masculine characteristics) is so bad and something they are trying to "teach boys out of" why are they turning around and pushing these ideals on women?" but I suppose that's a topic for another day......

The mental health crisis and "boys will be boys."

People say there's a current mental health crisis underway and if they think that but continue on doing what they are doing (or trying to implement seemingly helpful but actually destructive measures) it's only going to get worse. WAY worse. We've designed a square hole society and boys are the rounded pegs. "Boys will be boys" was reflective of a healthy understanding of the biological nature of males. But it's so heavily tied to "rape culture" and other such stuff now that the basic societal idea when it comes to boys is to "teach" them out of their biology. Which of course only serves to alienate and add to the mental health crisis that these same people are (ostensibly) so worried about.

I have a ten year old daughter and an eleven year old nephew and as far as the way they (and their friends/classmates) are treated/the messaging they receive/the expectations placed upon them/the opportunities they have they might as well be living in different worlds. The girls are flourishing and being supported at every turn while the boys seem lost and misunderstood.

It's fucking sad and the long term implications of this are frightening.

A Random Night: Married vs Divorced

A random night when married: "Do you really have to play your drums again? You just played them last week!" "Ugh, fine, whatever. I'll be upstairs."


Fifteen minutes later: Basement door opens. Footsteps of doom coming down the stairs. "Are you going to be done soon? I'm trying to watch tv!"


Me: "I'm using the silencers I got there's no way it's that loud. We've already tested this."


"Ya but I can hear the tapping. It's annoying I'm trying to concentrate."


Me: "Use the headphones I bought you."


"Ugh, whatever."


Teenage girl esque storming back up the stairs.


I resume drumming. Having trouble concentrating now. Oh for fuck's sake. Head upstairs, drumming ruined now. What's she watching that's so important anyway? Oh wow some bullshit reality tv show. Surprise surprise.....


"What are you doing up here I thought you were playing drums?"


Me: "Can't concentrate anymore."


"You could have kept playing."


Me "......."


I'm gonna kill this bitch. Seriously, does she do this shit on purpose? (future me to past self: YES YOU DUMMY)


-------------------------------------------------------------------


Random night now: Silencers? What silencers? Que up song I am learning (Slayer- Angel of Death). Load YouTube tutorial video for that one part that I cannot figure out on my own. Roll joint. Smoke joint in basement like a man (going outside and hiding like a criminal is for the birds and the married blokes). Sit down on drum throne (aptly named since I am the King of this bitch). Hit play. Rock the FUCK out.


Three hours later: That was fun as fuck. Now what should I do?


Goes skating in the backyard ice rink I made for daughter and I. Practices stickhandling and does sprints under the moonlight. Is at utter peace.


And guys want to get married? WHY?

I'm not MGTOW because I "hate women" and I'm not an incel. It's ALL about MINDSET/CLARITY

I had an easy lay up present itself to me after several years of voluntary celibacy following a period of "going monk mode." This was a pretty, younger woman recently divorced and looking for a good time with no strings (allegedly.....we know how that always turns out). We "connected" and it was a natural, easy dynamic. She left me her number and email address on her way out (she was a patient of mine and yes we can date patients and no I am not a doctor but am in medical).

That entire day at work my mind was on her. It was a constant struggle to focus on my work and that has *not* been the case at all since I *went mgtow* several years prior. Thinking about her, me, projecting into the future, thinking about sex, maybe we'll both get remarried, maybe we'll date for a while, maybe we'll be fwb's, body looks good but how is it actually under the clothes since she's a bit over 30, what about me I have old man balls now, do I want to start spending money on dates and do I want to start having to go through the whole "game playing" process again, oh fuck do I have to start maintaining a "wardrobe" again, do I- blah blah blah blah blah blah blah......

A few hours of this and it hit me: THIS IS EXACTLY WHY I STOPPED TO BEGIN WITH! It's fucking *all consuming*. Just a *whiff* and I was already mentally checked out of my mission and now focused on her her her.......I threw away the card she left me, did not go to the dad/daughter yoga thing she invited me to (she teaches yoga.....god that flexibility would have been fu- see, there it goes again!) and got back to doing 'me.'

Never again. I'm staying celibate for the rest of my life- it's the best thing I have ever done. I've never been better mentally or physically and I don't want to throw away all of this progress/potential. It might be mental failing on my part and if so, so be it but either way relationships/sex just don;t figure into my mission any more.

I never get too wrapped up but this one is fucking with me. From reddit parenting:

Check out this post on reddit parenting:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Parenting/comments/a2w0c8/disturbing_messages_to_daughter/

TLDR A parent went through their 11 year old daughter's phone and are now talking about involving 'counselors' and school administrators because of messages from a boy (one year older than daughter) that consisted of silly/dumb/crude pickup lines involving body parts.

The comments all, and I mean ALL, support this idea and others actually go so far as to talk about involving the police and that this may constitute sexual harassment. I read this already knowing how most of modern society thinks but find myself lost, confused and raging at the lack of awareness of reality. So I (stupidly) decide to chime in.

I throw out the idea that at TWELVE he is just coming into puberty (which means raging hormones and new, confusing feelings) and that factored along with an undeveloped brain leads to clumsy shit like those crude pickup lines. I introduce the idea that he is just trying shit out and of COURSE it's going to be clumsy and ham fisted- he's TWELVE. I also ask if perhaps it was banter back and forth between the two and/or maybe a quote/in joke. I suggest that nothing really need be done and that the idea of involving 'counsellors' and ESPECIALLY the police is INSANE.

I foolishly thought maybe I'd talk some sense into these people. Nope. Downvote city.

I'm trying to forget it and move on (things are where they are; it's bigger than me and getting worked up only serves to make my mental state worse) but this one is really fucking with me. Lately I have been really thinking about how misunderstood boys are and how modern society is doing them a MAJOR disservice. Mental health crisis? It's only going to get worse. WAY worse. We've designed a square hole society and boys are the rounded pegs. "Boys will be boys" was reflective of a healthy understanding of the biological nature of males. But it's so heavily tied to "rape culture" and other such stuff now that the basic societal idea when it comes to boys is to "teach" them out of their biology. Which of course only serves to alienate and add to the mental health crisis that these same people are (ostensibly) so worried about.

I'm living in fucking crazyland and I can't stop thinking about it now. Fuck fuck fuck fuck. What a goddamn shame.

Just needed to vent (and hear from more sane people I guess).

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....But of course.

Minimalism Tips

Some of these are embarrassing/will seem ridiculous but all is fair in love and minimalism!

-Keep house at 18 degrees (64.4F) year round

-Keep lights off as much as possible. Tv lights the living room (lol)

-If there are lighting fixtures that hold multiple bulbs, only use 1

-Anything and everything is done on the lowest setting if possible

-Device need charging? Gonna be at work later? Charge it there.

-(Get ready to laugh) Pee outside (backyard). Why waste water?

-Hiking shoes breaking? Duct tape bitch! No one is there anyway.

-Summer? AC? Nah! Cool house at night (open windows and have fans running) then shut blinds/close windows when sun starts rising. If house gets a fair bit of shade you can stay comfortable most of the day. Run fans, even one from basement pointing up the stairs to bring cooler basement air up.

-Like video games? Me too, a lot. Online rental sites and sales. Hardly ever buy new (last new game purchase was March 2017).

-Cable tv? Been like 6 years. Internet and Netflix does the job.

-Dish soap or liquid hand soap getting low? Add water, shake and presto! Full bottle again. Also works with cologne, shampoo, conditioner, eye glass cleaner, etc. Sure it's a bit degraded (not the right word but I am blanking at the moment) but it definitely extends your usage.

-Some jurisdictions have varying hydro prices. Find out if your area is one of them and if so try to do laundry, dishes, etc in those hours. Timers help with this if you're at work.

-Do you get a drink, finish drink, throw cup in sink then get a new cup for next drink? Silly goose, quick rinse then re-use! Also works for bowls and dishes and silverware.

-Treating yourself with some takeout? Cool, do that once every month or so myself. Get the big size (full dinner vs. half, for example) then set some aside for another meal. Two meals for a bit higher of a cost works out better than the slightly less expensive one that lasts one meal.

-Unless it's one of those scorching "fuck my life" days, if you're driving out in the summer windows down uses less energy than air conditioning. And if I do run the AC (or heat in winter- bundle up right though and u can avoid this) it's as low a setting as possible.

-Bring my lunch to work (well breakfast lunch and dinner all in one as I do intermittent fasting/one meal a day and work 12 hour shifts during which my eating window falls) and when I am done there is Tupperware to wash? Wash it at work, why waste water at home?

-Take vitamins or other supplements? I take the proper dose most of the time but every so often (once or twice a week) I'll either skip them or take a reduced dosage. Stretches them out more over the course of a year.

-Holes in clothes? Mend 'em. Wash clothes less often so they last longer.

-Run washing machine on cold water setting.

-If you use disposable razors/razor blades, once you are done shaving get the hair out, dry the blades perfectly then run them several times across your forearm(s) in the opposite direction that you would run them to actually shave (hope that makes sense). Do like 10-20 "backwards strokes" and this resets the alignment of the blades which gives you a few extra shaves with the same blade.

-If you use teeth whitening strips and you don't have giant ass horse teeth you can cut the strips in half and get double the use out of a box (you can also use them a lot longer than the recommended thirty minutes but TEST THIS CAREFULLY at first please. You may get tooth sensitivity (I do not and have worn them for upwards of four hours at a time). Please don't tell Crest et al this as I don't want them making them smaller to stop me from doing this ;)

-If you cook bacon you can save the grease and use it for cooking (saves you from using olive oil or whatever and it tastes awesome!).

-Sometimes you'll think you need a new pair of shoes when really all they need is a cleaning and maybe a polishing. If they aren't ripped to shit but just dull, try that first.

-Drive my car conservatively and keep up with maintenance. Use same car forever (I drive a 2003 that still runs great).

I'm sure there's more but that's all that comes to mind at the moment.