High Five Friday 8/2/2019 (Patreon)

Hope your week is going well,

I am scheduling this ahead of time and hopefully I survived this tour so far, if not, I was doing what I loved and I regret nothing. You are probably not busy spreading a mess across the US, so you have some time check out these cool things I like.

• Tierra Whack - Whack World - An incredible journey through site and sound. 15 minute tour of the entire album and a good primer on what she does. No song is over one minute long and they all have their own personality. No features or hooks or choruses just soundscapes and emotions and vibes. I get to see her at ACL this year and I am really stoked about. 

• Shin Megami Tensei mobile - I have been wasting  about a half hour to an hour before bed playing some flippy physics games and decided I should waste my time more effectively. I knew that most of the classic franchises had mobile versions these days so I typed in "Shin Megami Tensei" and found this game. For those unfamiliar the SMT combat system it is one that is used in the SMT games and in the Persona series. Essentially you are a demon wrangler, there are tons of different types, and in typical JRPG fashion, these demons look like every nightmare you can dream up.
  
  What I like about the system is that to aquire new demons you need to talk to them, you need to know when to threaten, and when to give a litte. This fits in so well with the social media theme of the game. Every demon you get will take something from you and the costs can be really steep when they ask you to kill one of you other favorite demons. After you aquire the demons you can power them, mix and match and get lost in hours worth of managerial shit.
  
  These were some of my favorite games growing up and I started Persona 5 last year but it's so hard to sit down in front of the system for an extended period of time anymore. At my age I know what I like and collecting and breeding demons has become easier now that I can do it while I wait for Fancy Nacy camp to let out.
  
  This is very light version of a full SMT game but it gets down to the core of what makes you spend days talking to demons and trying to get them on your side. If you want something more than the fighting I highly suggest any of the persona series on a console because the story elements and shiny cut scenes add even more to the fun.
  
  recommended for: Dungeon Crawlers, Weebs, Pokemon Go Burnouts

• Simple Bank - I’m not getting any referral money for this and I am only doing this because it can help some of you. As someone with a lot of bounced checks around town I was unable to get bank account for years. Simple is a mobile bank that gave me an account and routing number so I could get direct deposit, have a card to swipe, and maneuver through the modern fiat monetary system. Something to consider for those of you getting killed on fees for not having a bank account.

• Sewage Runs Uphill
  
  Brett,
  
  Holy fucking shit, I spoke to Ryan half an hour ago and he’s going to take the sewage case on contingency and go after the contractors for damages. He was amazed at the strength of the case with supporting documents in the Drive.  My wife, community and I finally have a real shot at some justice now with Ryan in our corner.  The hope is to issue a list of demands and settle with the contractors before any legal proceedings would be forced to take place.
  
  This is all only possible because of Street Fight Radio and the platform y’all give to regular working class folks.  I appreciate being able to talk to y’all on the last call in show before vacation and am extremely grateful for you reaching out with Ryan’s contact info.  Y’all do so much good in the world just by being yourselves and I’m somehow more excited than I was before to see y’all later this month in DC.  
  
  Love and rage,
  
  Tom S.

• Chungking Express directed by Wong Kar-Wai - The movie looks incredible and Hong Kong is a dynamic and active backdrop. The manipulation of blur and speed make parts of the experience feel like a night so incredible you can’t remember all the details. A lot of it seems very dreamlike. It's closer to a fantastical remembering of how you met the love of your life vs how you actually did.
  
  All the acting is excellent. There are two stories here that are presented in order but without much correlation. The first is a neat little story about a lovesick guy and the dirty drug dealings of a woman in a blonde wig. In the second, Faye is new at a popular food spot and even though she is very manic-pixie-dream-girl-esque, she’s not going to spend her time saving some losers life. The officer she meets is a heartbroken mess, but their budding romance doesn't really fix all that. The characters were so natural and messy like regular people. Chungking Express doesn't have any sweeping crescendos of sound to let you know the exact moment when they fell in love. Once again, just like real life. This movie is like reading a really juicy diary. You’ll be drawn in immediately and surprised along the way.
  
  I would say your average braindead comic book and star wars movie fan would call this movie boring but if you like film this is a great one to soak up.
  
  recommended for readers, cinephiles, and people who like the before trilogy.

If you like what you read here and you haven’t seen all of my High Five Friday posts they can be found here.

Peace,

Brett