My Video Game Library: MegaMan

        The next Christmas after I got my NES, I started an entirely different game series. MegaMan 4.  I had heard about the first three games, from various sources, and I finally decided I wanted to try this one out. I have no idea where it was bought, though. I remember playing it instead of watching either a Christmas or New Year's Day parade. I started the game and got smoked on the first screen on the first level the guides suggested I should start on, RingMan. For some reason, I wanted to stomp on enemies, like Super Mario, only to take massive damage. Getting used to so many projectiles was another thing. It took a long while, and help, but I finally managed to defeat all eight bosses:  SkullMan, RingMan, DiveMan, DrillMan, DustMan, PharaohMan, BrightMan, and ToadMan. (I am pretty sure that MegaMan is one word, but I can't remember about the bosses. So, I am writing them as the same way, for now. Besides, spellcheck clears them.) The Dr. Wily boss levels were trickier, but I made my way through them and beat the game.

    The following years, I would get the next two games locally.  I think they came from the Pikeville Kmart and/or Magic Mart (last location). I remember looking at the games in my car, but not exactly buying them beyond the general locations. I enjoyed to improved features and gameplay. Then, the news came out that the game would finally be porting to the SNES. Sure, a spinoff was already there, but bring the original "Blue Bomber" to the system was terrific. I kept looking out for the game, after I was sure it was in stores, but I could never find it. I either skipped over it when I was on a trip and chose to wait to get it at home, or I just never saw it.  The only place locally that had it was the Coal Run Blockbusters, and it was only available for rent, not for sale. This was the first game that I truly hated missing out on. 

    MegaMan 8 would then be available on the PS, and another system that I never got into.  The two versions would be about the same, with only a few small differences. This time I made sure to buy it when I first say it. I'm thinking the Pikeville Walmart, but I may have gotten it at the Huntington Mall.  Perhaps Game Stop, but I honestly can't remember where I got it.  Anyway, I quickly started playing it as soon as I could. I then hit a wall.  One of the first levels involved an auto-scroll sledding area that I just couldn't get the hang of.  I had to stop playing the game, until I bought a special controller with slo-mo function.  Didn't help, but I managed to beat both auto-scroll sections of the level. I beat all eight bosses, but got stuck on the first Wily level by another sledding section, a much harder one.  I have yet to try and go back to beat the game.

    The last MegaMan game I got was actually the Legacy Collection for the PS2. It collected all of the first eight games in the series, plus a special ninth spinoff game that was never released separately in the US, as well as some other special features that were unlocked by beating the original games.  I finally got to play the seventh game that I had missed out on, as well as the first three games that were out before  I started gaming. While I played each of those four games, I only got close to beating one of them, before I grew frustrated and stopped playing.  I never even tried to replay the other four games as well.  I don't think I unlocked anything worth mentioning. 

    Since then, there have been other games in the series. A remixed version of the original game came out for the Playstation Portable (PSP) that featured a cutesy, chibi style, as well as two new levels with new bosses. MegaMan 9 and 10 came out for systems I never got.  Both were in an 8-bit style similar to the first six games.  Finally, the was even an eleventh game that came out that I never knew about. It featured an enhanced version of gameplay that brought out the best of whatever system it was made for.  I've only seen gaming videos of it in action, so I can't really comment on it beyond saying it looked incredible. [I've been seeing so many gaming videos, that I might be confusing the games I've actually played with those I've only watched.  It is crazy at times, but a lot of them are quite similar.]

    News broke recently that a new MegaMan game will be out next year. It won't be "12," and it will instead have a different subtitle. I think it is still a mainline game, though. Many s

My Video Game Library: Tetris

    As luck would have it, Tetris was ported over to the NES in an official version from the GB just before I got my NES for Christmas. (There had been an 'unofficial' version, but that one had some technical issues working with the game system.) So, of course, it became my first game, excluding the one that came with the console. As the game that led me into video gaming, it holds a special place in my life.

    I played with it a lot, since it was one of only two I had. I couldn't play competitively, as I had no one I could play with.  My mother would never get the hang of playing video games. And I couldn't really play against myself.  The solo version was okay. I even got to beat every level, including the hardest one, and got to see the winning graphics and to hear the special tunes for doing so. Okay, I had help to do that, but more on that in a 'side quest' post later on. As I got more games, I had less interest in playing Tetris, and it became one of the first games I pretty much put aside. 

    Years later, a version of 'Tetris" would come out on the PS1. It was one of the last games for the system I ever got. It was another Christmas gift. After so many years, I thought I would be still interested in playing the game on a better system. I played the game once that Christmas, but I don't think I ever played it again. Most of the game focused on competitive play, which I didn't have. Maybe if I had the internet connectivity, I would have played in more.  Instead, I just had solo mode, which felt strange. I don't think the game relied on the same grid system the original one did. The game was just too different and boring now. I let the game go. It was one of the many destroyed in the 2003 flood.

    I have since had the opportunity to play other line destroying games, but that sort of thing no longer seems interesting to me. 

My Video Game Side Quest: Systems

    This is the first of the occasional bonus posts in my latest series, My Video Game Library.  These side quest posts will cover tangental topics related to my gaming history. Today's post is about every game system I ever had. Strangely enough, each one was a Christmas present. 

    First, there was the NES which I received when I started college. Probably my first year. My mother probably got it from a catalog, either Sears or JCPenny's, but she may have gotten it from a local Walmart instead. Most likely Prestonsburg, but I can't be sure. It took a little while to get used to the square controllers, but I managed it. I really didn't play with the light gun the was included with the system. I beat the Duck Hunt game that came with the system with it, but by standing almost right in front of the television screen to do so. I would manage to get a few games for it, even keeping it around for a while after getting newer systems before putting it away. Somehow, both the NES and my games managed to survive the 2003. However, I through out the light gun and some other pieces when I cleaned up the old house. Very dumb move. I am not sure where any of them are at the moment, but I think they are safe.

    My next system was the SNES a few years later. Again, there was a chance my mom got this through the JCPenny's catalog, as Sears was phasing theirs out. Still a chance it came from a local Walmart, again Prestonsburg. As I mentioned, I managed to find the SNES and play Super Mario World on it before the present got wrapped. The was just the kind of mischievous kind of guy I was with many of my gifts, either finding them early or discovering what they were after they were under the tree. I was alone at home during winter break from college, so I just did what I wanted, and nobody was the wiser.  I got about the same number of games for the SNES as I did for the NES. I stored the system when I upgraded systems. I think the system survived the flood, but it may have been stolen from where it was stored before I could move it to my new place. I know the games survived, but I don't remember where they are at just now. 

    Next came the GameBoy. Technically, GameBoy Color as that version had just came out. I'm pretty sure this came from a local Walmart, no telling which one though. I had finally got it, years after first seeing it in high school, and I only wanted one due to Pokémon. In fact, those were the only games I ever got for the GB. I was so frustrated with it my first time that I didn't try to play the game again for a long time before I went back. I was my first RPG, and even though it was made for kids, my mid-20s brain wasn't dealing with it well. Still, I didn't get any other GB games but that series. I lost my GameBoy in the flood, but the games were saved. Haven't touched them in decades, but I believe I know where they are at.

    When I decided to go all in for gaming, I switched over to the PS1. Catalogs had basically phased out by then, so I'm positive my mom got this at the Prestonsburg Walmart, only because she had to go back there for the adaptor for our older model television. They were sold out. Fortunately, I managed a workaround through my VCR to allow the signal to get through, and we saved some money. The old TV would die soon anyway, and the newer model easily worked with system. I was so surprised after I was finally able to check out the preview disc included with the system. Everything looked so much better than with my other systems. I would wind up getting more games for the PS1 than with any of my other systems, I think. I never put the thing away, even when I got a new system. Unfortunately, while my PS1 survived the flood, someone stole it from where it was stored before I could retrieve. Worse, all of my games were destroyed. I still had some of the discs, but I never tried to see if I could get them restore so they could work. 

    The next upgrade was the GameBoy Advance. This system was incredible. Full color, perfect fit for two hands. Another Walmart buy; no idea which one. I was a very early adaptor. In fact, I actually got games other than Pokémon for it. The best part was that I could play at work. Or was it that I could finally connect my older Pokémon games and trade between them? Anyway, things were going great, until the flood. I lost my original GBA, but I would get a new one that Christmas. It didn't look as good, but it still played well.  The games were safe though. Haven't touched it in over twenty years though.

    I got my PS2 for Christmas in 2002. This was definitely from a Walmart, but I'm not sure which one, as my mom was in Pikeville a lot more frequently by this time, and it had a better electronics department compared with the one at P-burg. I mostly played PS1 game on it at the start, as there were few new games I wanted at the time. Also, I was only able to play twice a week, but I did manage to play some CDs and even some DVD footage on it. Miraculously, it survived the flood and wasn't stolen. Why it wasn't, I have no idea. I suspect something was up with the person who was storing it for me, but nothing can be proven. I only had demo discs to play until I got some new games for it. However, as I had less time to play, I have ultimately put it away. Haven't touched it in decades.

    Finally, I got a special edition GBA that looked like the original GB, but you could fold it in half for storage.  Another Walmart purchase from Pikeville. I was able to trade again, now that I had two systems. I managed to keep both GBAs around a little past when I stopped with the PS2, but not much before they were put away too. I haven't gotten a new system since.

    [Sidenote:  Although not purchased for gaming, my MacBook Pro and iPhone could be included. I got my first MacBook at the Apple Store at its original Lexington location at the Fayette Mall. I got my second one, after the first one died, from Best Buy online. It also ment I couldn't retrieve/move anything stored on the old one. I got my iPhone from Appalachian Express.  It's almost time for an upgrade on it. All were purchased for school, which I still haven't completed yet.]

My Video Game Library: Super Mario

    I debated about which game should come first in this series.  I decided to go with "Super Mario" since it was included with the NES, although I technically played another game first. 

    I already knew something about Super Mario Bros. before I actually played it. The game had pervaded enough into media that I wasn't completely in the dark. I still had a sharp learning curve. The controller was so square, and the buttons in a shape I wasn't used to. Getting used to jumping was a tough sell. Sure, I remember seeing a pre-Mario in Donkey Kong, and maybe even in Jr. , but this was something else. Mushrooms and other power ups were things I had to wrap my head around, and remember, I was nineteen or twenty when I started. I had gotten guidebooks and magazines to help me to figure out what to do and what secrets to look out for. Still, I wound up getting even more help to finally beat the game. 

    I can't remember if I got Super Mario 3 my following birthday or the next year after, but I got it in January. I do know that I skipped the second game, as I already had found out the it was not really "Super Mario," but a reskin of a totally different game with totally different gameplay. Still, 3 proved to be way beyond the original game. I was playing deep into the game on Sunday, just trying to get as far ahead as possible, playing a little later into the evening then I should have getting frustrated. I had a panic attack that kept me up much of the night, and it continued through the next day a college. I was shaky for most of the next week. I almost didn't play the following weekend, but I did work my way through. I was playing one of the last levels, when I just couldn't go any more forward. Turns out, I was missing a door in that level because my olden style television had the color contrast wrong. I just couldn't see it. Once I reset the coloration, I made it through and beat the game, by letting Bowser just jump through the floor. I always felt that ending was a little meh.

    Super Mario World came with the SNES. Again, this was a Christmas gift, one I found early and played with during winter break before it got wrapped. I missed a minor opportunity by doing so, but it wasn't too big of a deal. Anyway, this game I managed to get through on just guides alone, even though some of the new techniques were tricky for me.  I even managed to complete the secret areas to change to game to "Autumn World." That was when I stopped going back to the game. I hated the new backgrounds, and the cheesy updates to the bad guys were stupid. I could've tried to beat the game a second time, but it wasn't worth it anymore.

    As a part of a promotion with my SNES, I sent it a form to get the free updated cartridge for the first "Super Mario" games. This is when I finally played Super Mario 2.  Although it was very different from the other games, I think it enjoyed quite a bit, because it wasn't a 'real' Mario game. Some of the bad guys even got ported over, for some reason.The cartridge even included the real sequel to Mario that was never released in the US. It was called The Lost Levels to differentiate it from the already released 2. I tried some of the first few levels.  They were impossible. My playing style just wasn't up to the greater challenges of the game. I never finished the game.

    I didn't like the Game Cube, so I never got another "Super Mario" game. I didn't get any of the side games released for the SNES or GameBoy. They didn't appeal that much to me. Sure, I managed to play a bit of Super Mario 64 in store, but that was it. I mostly stayed away from Nintendo after that. I've seen many of the further sequels over the years, and while I admit some of them looked good, they just never hit the same way as the first games did. In particular, I say gaming video of the Switch Mario game, and I'm not sure I could play it correctly.  It just looked way too complicated for me.

    But part of me still thinks I might have wanted to try and play. 

My Video Game Library: Introduction

    I was born at the right time to be the start of the video game generation. Machines were entering the arcades, ready to dominate the market. Home consoles were just starting to be developed.  I was going to be a large part of that movement. Kind of. I only went to two arcades ever, and I barely played any video games at either one. At one, at the Southside Mall, I barely went in and left after barely trying to play one game that was malfunctioning. At the other, Showbiz Pizza in Lexington, I wound up playing more Skee-Ball than video games.  When I was a kid, I never had a game console, although relatives and a neighbor did. A cousin had a Coleco. Unfortunately, they had a basketball game that I didn't really get into, but they also had a pocket game that really intrigued me. There were others, but I can't remember them at the moment. My neighbor had an Atari. We weren't too close by then, so I barely got a chance with it. It had the "unofficial" version of Pac-Man, Pitfall, and the game with the tanks. Combat, maybe?  All I had was a handheld electronic game called "Merlin" that looked like an early red model of early cell phones.  There was also the sequel "Master Merlin" that was flatter and blue. I came back to those years after I had outgrown the target age range. Simple games, but entertaining. I also had a digital watch in seventh grade that had a basic shooter where a rocket had to fire at incoming aliens. The game reset after 200 or 300 points, so it wasn't that long-term playable. Once the battery died a few times, I gave the watch up.

    It wasn't until my senior year of high school that I would really start in video games, beyond a few demos in stores that I would mess around with.  A freshman had brought in their new GameBoy that I got a chance with. Tetris. It captured me in a way I couldn't describe. That summer, I tried to get my mother to allow me to help buy a GB at a department store at the Huntington Mall, but she turned me down flat. I wouldn't get an actual console until that Christmas, after I had started college. Maybe my second year; my timelines are a little mixed up. Anyway, I finally got a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). I would play that a lot over the holidays. For my birthday, a month later, I got my third game, Super Mario Brothers 3. I played that most of the day a week later, somehow leading to one of my first major panic attacks that night when I realized how alone I was. (I had no one else other than play with, as my mom could never get the hang of most games I liked.)

    While I a got a Super Nintendo (SNES) around a year later, it wouldn't be until another panic attack in the mid-90s that a would try and reinvent myself as a gamer. That's when I switched over to the PlayStation (PS1), mostly. I still had a GameBoy from Pokemon phase, but I was willing to accept the future of gaming. While I usually wouldn't play into the night, I was playing most days for hours. It helped that I was unemployed at the time. My gaming slowed down to the weekends when I opened my store in 2000. Still, I was enjoying myself quite nicely, especially after I upgraded to a PS2.

    Then came the 2003 flood. 

    I lost a lot of games, but I managed to save most of my consoles. Still, I wasn't able to play anything for a while as I got through the disaster. Things took another bad turn when I had to start going in to work on Saturdays as well in 2005. This would limit my gaming to just one day a week for an hour or two, and portable gaming at work on my GameBoy Advance (GBA). I ultimately had to stop gaming. I just lost interest, and I didn't have the money to keep upgrading systems. I also had a hard time finding games I still liked. 

    I didn't really play much in the 2010s, until I got my first computer. While my gaming options were limited on a MacBook, unless I wanted to pay a lot of money and devote a lot of memory. Still, I started to slowly get back into limited gaming. Very limited. Finally getting an iPhone helped on the end as well. While I don't even come close to gaming as much as I did back in the 90s, I feel that I still have an active time doing so.

    For the next few weeks, I will be posting twice a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays, about some of the games/series that I have played over the years. I will occasionally write a third post about some related gaming topics (Mondays). Come back Saturday, as I start going through my library.

Why So Series?

    Next week, I will be starting my new series.  I started doing these in 2024 each spring. The first one I did was "My Comic Book Journey." It grew out of an exercise I did whenever I didn't need to concentrate too much doing other things, such as driving or trying to fall asleep. In it, I went over every place where I had gotten a comic book, or at least had the chance to get one. I could have gone over some of my favorite titles or characters, but that would have been problematic, as every title I have collected over the decades has been cancelled and restarted at least once. With each new volume, the numbering changes.  This would have made describing them difficult. One series I like has gone through at least seven iterations, not counting spin-off series. However, I still am collecting the current iterations of the first two superhero comics I ever got, as well as the most recent volumes of various Disney titles. I am planning on including a update post for this series in early May.

    My series for 2025 was "My Culinary Odyssey." That time, I documented every place I ever ate out at, as well as a few spots where I stopped, but I didn't eat there myself. I actually mentioned my favorite and usual orders from many of these places, as well as including special hacks for better enjoyment. I ever included a few recipe clones as well. I am thinking of having the update for this series in June, but don't expect too much new material. 

    For this year's series, I decided to write something less geographically based. Instead of the experience, I will going for the actual products. My series for 2026 is called "My Video Game Library." I will be going over many of my video and computer games memories. Note, I won't be including every single game this time. I just can't.  First, I don't remember every subtitle for every sequel. For most of my gaming life, I would try to get the sequel for a game I really liked, as long as I had the right console. While remembering number is fairly simple, not every game went that route. All of these subtitles were hard to recollect.  Sure, I could search online, but that still might not get every single title right. Second, I lost many of my games in the same 2003 flood that took out the majority of my comic book and RPG collections.  With so many games with similar play, it is going to be hard to find the each one, especially for titles I didn't play that much, and that was almost thirty years ago. Or more. Finally, I am actually embarrassed about some of the games I got. I am talking along the lines of "That was stupid and bad," instead of the "That was niche, but cool in a way." There will be intentional omissions. 

    I am planning on doubling up my regular posts to Wednesdays and Saturdays to get everything done faster. As another means to speed things up, I will be grouping sequels with the original game, or the first one in the series I played. I will occasionally be adding a third post per week on Mondays as "Sidequests" to the main series. These will be on related topics to the actual games and will make the series feel more like the previous two. These occasional posts will feature some of the geographical information that were a hallmark of my first two series. 

    Next week will be the introduction. I'm still planning where and when the following posts will fall. After I cover the games, I will have an overview and maybe an addenda and/or an errata post. The series should be ending in mid-to-late May, including the break to update "My Comic Book Journey." Time to move onto the next stage.

Pop Quiz, and You've Already Failed

    I don't know how, but I started getting new food news on my social media feeds. Now, while I don't hate that, I do get tired waiting months for products that sometimes never show up at any local stores. Sure, I would occasionally spot them on trips, but what good is it when I only get to try something for that just one time. This becomes doubly troublesome if I choose not to get something, only to wonder if I made the wrong decision. What a new product does show up, and it something I am very interested in, I do tend to grab whenever I can, so I can have the experience as quickly as possible before it is all grabbed up. Or discontinued. 

    For some reason, the bulk of these news items seem to focus on beverages. In the next few months, a "dirty" version of Mountain Dew will arrive. Citrus mixed with cream soda doesn't sound like it will mesh well. Strangely enough, both Mug and A & W will come out with root beer float flavors, again with an added cream soda/vanilla taste. Even 7Up will have a new limited flavor version for summer involving mandarin orange.  That one I will skip. In part because it will be an exclusive flavor for a store that isn't local. However, two new sodas are already out, and both have flavors that I absolutely adore.

    First, there is Cherry Float Coke. Years ago, Coke had a cherry-vanilla version, but it was discontinued. There still are cherry and vanilla flavors available, but just not together. Now, while I don't like Coke, I love the combination of cherry and vanilla, so I went I tried it. I had the original version I few times, but I can't remember how I felt about it. This new version? Nothing. Maybe a little hint of cherry on the first sip, and some vanilla in the aftertaste, but it was basically a milder Coke. Nothing disgusting, if you don't hate Coke like me, but not enough of a flavor to call it "Cherry Float" either. Some reviews suggest drinking it at different temperatures to increase the flavor, but I don't know. I am planning on having a second bottle just in case though.

    Later on that same day, I found a display featuring Pepsi's new prebiotic sodas. These apparently only come in cans. While there are two flavors, Original and Cherry Vanilla, I only tried the second. Pepsi originally had a cherry vanilla flavor years ago, which I would get sometimes, but it was discontinued, along with the vanilla flavor soon after. There still is a Wild Cherry Pepsi, but it is a little too sweet for me. Pepsi also debuted a Wild Cherry and Cream last year. I described it as tasting like how an air freshener or potpourri would smell. Somehow, this was popular enough to become a permanent flavor. I tired two bottles, but that was more than enough for me, although I might be forced to try it again. However, this is about the new flavor, which I just tired, even though I don't need the minuscule amount of extra fiber in my diet. The first sip made me gag. There was an overwhelming medicinal cherry flavor. It was so strong that it even overwhelmed the regular Pepsi taste. I couldn't even get a trace of vanilla anywhere. I drank the rest of it, hoping it would get better. It really didn't . Definitely don't think I'll be trying this one again.

    This is a shame, because I love a good mix of cherry and vanilla. Dr Pepper's version of this was one of my favorite sodas of all time. The Dr Pepper website suggests that the drink is still available out there, somewhere, but I haven't seen it in a store in over a decade. This is my go-to drink at the few Freestyle machines around locally, but I rarely get to go them. Even stranger, I was having a hard time even finding my regular Cherry Dr Pepper in stores for a while, although it was back in time for my birthday last month. However, it tastes different now. Other fans think it is due to the removal of the artificial red dye, even though it never gave a flavor to the drink. Maybe it is the lack of redness that is making fans think that, but I don't know. And in case you are wondering. Yes, I sometimes mix a can of Cherry and a can of Cream Soda Dr Pepper together to try and recreate the taste of the original drink, but I never seem to get the ratios right.

Enigmatic Song Title Puzzles 2026: One Letter Off

    It's time for the final song title puzzle for the start of the year.  This time around the puzzle is "One Letter Off." For the first set of puzzles, I will change one letter in a song titles into another. I then will describe what the song title would be about, as well as giving the original artist. You then have to guess both the new title as well as the original.  For example, if the clue was 'A ride share driver is upset that their latest customer had a very bad case of flatulence, and now they can't get the smell out of their vehicle (Luke Combs).'  The answer would be "Fart Car"/"Fast Car." See if you can get the rest of these. Answers at the bottom.

1. Here's the big love song from the new Superman musical. Mercy Graves sings about the love she has being the henchwoman for Superman's main nemesis, who she prefers when he's being bad. (Kendrick Lamar and SZA)
2. Help! High school juniors are freaking out because of college entrance exams, especially after one made a major change just before the latest round began. (ROSE & Bruno Mars)
3. Applejack has opened Equestria's newest hotspot, based on the mohawk, safety pin, and torn clothes aesthetic. See where Pegasi, unicorns, and even the occasional alicorn come to rock out. (Chappell Roan)
4. The great philosopher convention has started. The main debate will be about the foundations of reality, and if there even is a reality to be shared. (Gracie Abrams)
5. The greatest mage in the land has been robbed. Every grimoire from their library has been stolen. These magical books must be found before used for evil purposes, even if the mage no longer has his resources. (The Weeknd & Playboy Carti)
6. A golf primer about how to hit the ball when it is on the green. This is particularly troublesome when the hole is a long way from the ball and one must use the right club. (Leon Thomas)
7. Scientists have discovered a new plant that uses air currents instead of animals to transfer pollen from the stamen to the pistil. (Billie Eilish)
8. A tribute to the great Argentinian soccer player known mostly by his last name and not his first, Lionel. The focus is on his time with Inter Miami. (Lola Young)
9. This woman has become so needy for romance, that she can't stop begging her boyfriend to please her. While the spirit is strong, the flesh can't keep up. So, she looks elsewhere to meet her needs. (Ravyn Lenae)
10. Her home is targeted by a rodent infestation. While the exterminator is willing to help, the woman wants to use humane traps involving adhesives over other forms. (Jessie Murph)
11. A city has instituted a new system to ensure that fountain drink dispensers are serving the correct carbonated beverages. These inspectors have to taste from each machine to make sure that there are no mistakes. (Saja Boys)
12. The people of Copenhagen really try to make each tourist know the pleasures of their country. There's a lot beyond Hamlet and "The Little Mermaid." (HUNTR/X)
13. A newlywed couple are having a hard time dividing chores. No one wants to clean up the dishes after they are washed, or who should take the wet clothes out of the washing machine to finish up. (The Weeknd)
14. The villains of Gotham City have been recently plagued with nightmares. While they sleep, images of small flying mammals terrify them. (Teddy Swims)
15. Come to this special waterway, where everyone along the banks are cheerful and kind. Even the animals and plants seem to want to help you. (Doechii)

    For this part of the puzzle, instead of changing a letter, I will be adding a letter for the first part (+) and deleting a letter (-) for the second part. The rest of the clue remains the same. Answers at the bottom.

1. A man is facing a horrible first date. The woman is cooking for him, but the meal is terrible. But he is grinning with every bite. (Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars) +
2. Move over Ninja Turtles, as there are new cold-blooded superheroes in town. And they are salamanders. (Shaboozy) +
3. You know that parents say they love all of their offspring equally. However, there is always as favorite that they care for a little more than the others. (Sabrina Carpenter) +
4. While most people take their Corona beers with a slice of citrus, he does not. In fact, he prefers none of his drinks with a fruit garnish. (Zach Top) +
5. Another guy at the bar keeps getting the same drink, even though he doesn't order it. The same one each time, a sweet Hungarian wine. (Jelly Roll) +
6. An actor is hired to portray a woman for a special exhibit. However, he refuses to be that woman for any other role, but he always reacts kindly when asked to do so. (Benson Boone) -
7. Former allies return to being enemies, after being at peace for a long time. (Sombr) -
8. Oh no! The Geiger counters are going off, and the Klaxons are sounding. If we don't leave this nuclear reactor soon, we will be exposed to a fatal dosage! (Joe Wetzel and Jessie Murph) -
9. People are starting to dream about building a large boat. There hasn't been any rain along the stream for a while, but clouds are building. (Lil Tecca) -
10. A man can't stop talking about his bathroom habits. When his briefs hit the floor and he squats down, he couldn't be happier. (SZA) -

ANSWERS

1. "Luthor"/"Luther"
2. "ACT."/"APT."
3. "Punk Pony Club"/"Pink Pony Club"
4. "What's So True"/"That's So True"
5. "Tomeless"/"Timeless"
6. "Putt"/"Mutt"
7. "Windflower"/"Wildflower"
8. "Messi"/"Messy"
9. "Love Me Now"/"Love Me Not"
10. "Glue Strips"/"Blue Strips"
11. "Soda Cop"/"Soda Pop"
12. "How It's Dane"/"How It's Done"
13. "Dry for Me"/"Cry for Me"
14. "Bat Dreams"/"Bad Dreams"
15. "Genial Is a River"/Denial Is a River"

PART TWO

1. "Dine with a Smile"/"Die with a Smile"
2. "Good Newts"/"Good News"
3. "Mainchild"/"Manchild"
4. "I Never Lime"/"I Never Lie"
5. "I Am Not Tokay"/"I Am Not Okay"
6. "Sorry I'm Her for Someone Else"/"Sorry I'm Here for Someone Else"
7. "Back to Fiends"/"Back to Friends"
8. "High Rad"/"High Road"
9. "Ark Thoughts"/"Dark Thoughts"
10. "BM"/"BMF"

Intriguing Song Title Puzzles 2026: Emojis

    It's the second week of puzzles!  This time around, the puzzles are based on emojis. I've replaced the words in the following titles with emojis, skipping some of the smaller words that can't really be represented.  For example, if I had a United States flag followed by a baked good, your answer would be "American Pie," a number one song from 1972 by Don McLean. (I would show you the example, but emojis don't really mix well with words.) Note that some of the emojis are representing multiple things and that some might need to be combined to get the full meaning. As an added challenge, I didn't include the artists in the clues, but I did include them in the answers which can be found at the bottom of the screen.

1. ☠️ + 😃
2. [🐓🦢🪿] 🪶
3. 🩷 🐎 ♣️
4. 📺 ⏼
5. ⏰❌
6. 👅
7. ㉚ ⁄ ㉚
8. 🇫🇮 📱
9. 🥇
10. ❤️ 👤 ❌
11. 🧔🏻‍♂️👶🏻
12. 👚👕 👖 👗 🚫
13. 🛏️ 🧑🏼‍🔬
14. ⚽️ 🏀 🏈 ⚾️ 🚗
15. 🌈 🔴 🟠 🟡 🟢 🔵 ? 🟣
16. 🧙🏽💬
17. 🔥 🟦
18. 🥤 🍾
19. 👿 💭 💭
20. 🔄 🚪
21. 🚬 🚬 🚬 🚬 🚬 🚬 🚬 🚬 🚬 🚬 🚬 🚬 🚬 🚬 🚬 🚬 🚬 🚬 🚬🚬
22. 🫀👩🏼
23. 🏠 🔁
24. 👿 💭 💭
25. 🚫 💈

    ANSWERS

1. "Die with a Smile" Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars
2. "Birds of a Feather" Billie Eilish
3. "Pink Pony Club" Chappell Roan
4. "TV Off" Kendrick Lamar
5. "Timeless"  The Weeknd & Playboy Carti
6. "Taste" Sabrina Carpenter
7. "30 for 30" SZA w Kendrick Lamar
8. "Nokia" Drake
9. "Golden" HUNTR/X
10. "Love Me Not" Ravyn Lenae
11. "Manchild" Sabrina Carpenter
12. "Undressed" Sombr
13. "Bed Chem" Sabrina Carpenter
14. "Sports Car" Tate McRae
15. "Indigo" Sam Barber f Avery Anna
16. "Abracadabra" Lady Gaga
17. "Burning Blue" Mariah the Scientist
18. "Soda Pop" Saja Boys
19. "Bad Dreams" Teddy Swims
20. "Revolving Door" Tate McRae
21. "20 Cigarettes" Morgan Wallen
22. "Heart of a Woman" Summer Walker
23. "House Again" Hudson Westbrook
24. "Dark Thoughts" Lil Tecca
25. "No Pole" Don Tolliver

Perplexing Song Title Puzzles 2026: In Other Words

    Welcome to the first of three puzzles based on various song titles of 2025. Yeah, it says 2026 in the title, but that is the year I'm making these puzzles, so there. This first puzzle is "In Other Words." I will take a song title and replace each word with different ones that mean about the same. You try to guess the original song title. As an added clue, I will give the name of the artist at the end of each title. For example, if I give you "Your Physique Is Reminiscent of Rural Unpaved Driving Surfaces" (Sam Hunt), your answer would be "Body Like a Back Road." Not much of a compliment when it is said like that. I should point out that there were a lot of repeat songs in 2025. For instance, seven of the top ten songs of made the top 100 of 2026. Four of those in the top ten. Two in the top five. I've tried not to duplicate any songs from last year in these puzzles, but I may have repeated a few. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the answers.

1. "Expire While Expressing Happiness Via the Mouth" (Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars)
2. "R&B Singer Vandross" (Kendrick Lamar and SZA)
3. "Avians Possessing Similar Singular Plumage" (Billie Eilish)
4. "Very Plain" (Alex Warren)
5. "Pastel Red Miniature Equine Performance Venue" (Chappell Roan)
6. "Desire No Particular Individual" (Morgan Wallen)
7. "Certain Fact Can Be Seen as Actual" (Gracie Abrams)
8. "Without Temporal Dimension" (The Weeknd and Playboy Carti)
9. "Sensual Experience from the Tongue" (Sabrina Carpenter)
10. "Canine of Uncertain Breeding" (Leon Thomas)
11. "Smartphone of Finnish Extraction" (Drake)
12. "Possessing Qualities Similar to Element 79" (HUNTR/X: Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rae Ami)
13. "Nondescript Condition This One Desires" (Morgan Wallen and Tate McRae)
14. "Fairly Untidy" (Lola Young)
15. "Desiring This One in the Negative" (Ravyn Lenae)
16. "Nautical Traveller Musical Piece" (Gigi Perez)
17. "Excuse Me, But You Are Not the Being at This Location Being Sought For"  (Benson Boone)
18. "Feeling of Nervousness" (Doechii)
19. "State of Being without Wearing Clothing" (Sombr)
20. "Those People's Object of Esteem" (Soja Boys)
21. "Elevated Means of Access" (Koe Wetzel and Jessie Murph)
22. "State of Flammability of Cerulean Quality" (Mariah the Scientist)
23. "White Flowers with Yellow Centers" (Justin Bieber)
24. "Will Occur upon This Entity" (Russell Dickerson)
25. "Undesirable Reveries" (Teddy Swims)

ANSWERS

1. "Die with a Smile"
2. "Luther"
3. "Birds of a Feather"
4. "Ordinary"
5. "Pink Pony Club"
6. "Love Somebody"
7. "That's So True"
8. "Timeless"
9. "Taste"
10. "Mutt"
11. "Nokia"
12. "Golden"
13. "What I Want"
14. "Messy"
15. "Love Me Not"
16. "Sailor Song"
17. "Sorry I'm Here for Someone Else"
18. "Anxiety"
19. "Undressed"
20. "Your Idol"
21. "High Road"
22. "Burning Blue"
23. "Daisies"
24. "Happen to Me"
25. "Bad Dreams"

Crazy Shade of Winter, Birthday Edition

    So, it was my birthday Monday, and it wasn't that good of a day.  As I have mentioned before, most of my birthdays have been somewhat bad. When I was a kid, I rarely could have a party, as school was usually called off due to snow and/or flu outbreaks. As a sort of a compromise, my mom would frequently take me on s shopping trip on a Saturday near my birthday where I could get a lot of gifts, within reason. As I got older, the trips would be longer and farther away, and sometimes in the middle of the week when I was unemployed in the 90s. I still have a birthday trip, although the time has been moved to a Saturday in mid to late February.  This way, the odds for snow are lower, the temperatures are a little higher, winter clearance sales are in force, and the first of the Easter candy is out. The main downside is that most of the clothing would already be picked over in my size, but since I rarely got clothes during these trips, it isn't too big of a deal. I hate having to take off heavy coats just to try stuff on in an under heated dressing room.

    This year, I wasn't planning anything special on my actual birthday, which was very fortunate. A little over a week before this Monday, the forecasts changed from a light morning snow to a major weekend snowstorm. Over the course of the week, I remained on edge worrying about the possibility of two to three feet of snow and up to an inch or more of ice. By Friday, the models settled on four to six inches of snow and a quarter to a half inch of ice. Just enough to keep me nervous. I made plans to get enough supplies to last the weekend, and maybe Monday as well.  I was going to be spending the weekend catching up on my reading (particularly Twelve Months, the latest "Dresden Files" novel by Jim Butcher), work some puzzles, and play online games as long as the power held out.

    On Saturday, the forecast was for the snow to start in the afternoon. It held off until two, long enough to get some mail and a few more supplies. I could have even opened up the store for part of the day so a customer could pick up a book he had ordered, but staying near home was safer. By evening, the snow barely picked up, with barely more than an inch accumulating. Maybe two in a stretch. By ten that night, I heard the first of the sleet, or maybe graupel. It was never that steady. When I went to bed later that night, it may have started to freezing rain, but I can't be sure. I woke up at about 3:30 to the sound of dripping from the roof in a steady flow. The rain had started, but I didn't look out to see. 

    When I woke up that morning, it was still freezing rain. While there were some quarter inch icicles on the smaller, thinner wires, there was nothing on the larger ones.  I couldn't tell if any were on the trees on the hill across the street. By mid-morning, it was all rain. The forecast had wavered from between an inch and two, to a little less than an inch. I'm not sure how much actually fell, but it was running down the street most of the day, and the sunken sidewalk to the porch stoop was flooded. I should have gone out to clear of my car that afternoon, but it was still raining too much. By evening, the rain was patchy and had started to switch back over to all snow rather quickly. Early forecasts had it ending by midnight, although others had it continuing through early morning.

    Turns out, there were snow showers for much of Monday. Just enough to convince me to stay at home. At two, during a break in the snow, I went out to clear off the porch, sidewalk, and car. My car had about a quarter to half inch of snow on top of about an inch of ice made from the compacted, melted snow from Saturday and the rain from Sunday, frozen together. Definitely should've gone out Sunday. Even with help from heating the car, it still took most of an hour to clear the worst of it off, while taking an occasional break to warm up. I even shoveled the very thing level of snow and ice from around my car to I could drive out easier. To add insult to this injury, there were a few more snow showers and squalls, covering my car with more snow, after I had cleared it. At least it was warmer Monday than it was going to be Tuesday morning. I still had to clear the remaining snow and ice, but it took much less time.  I still couldn't get the thing layer of ice to completely scrape off the passenger side windows. That was mostly going to melt.

    Fortunately, I was planning most of my birthday treats for Tuesday anyway, partnering it with taking my mom to a doctor's appointment. That had to be rescheduled, as even with pushing it to later in the day, there might not be a full staff. Didn't matter much, as some of the places I would be going weren't open anyway. I still opened the store an hour late, although having to replace the battery in my key fob caused some problems. I was able to have one of my favorite dinners Tuesday, that I had to scarf down because I was running late and had to finish in time to catch the window for one of my online game bonuses. I even had cake, although a bit or two was almost stale and the icing was beginning to break. It wouldn't be a proper birthday without some disappointment.

    Now, the forecast has a chance for another snowstorm to cause problems this upcoming weekend. Or maybe just a few light snow showers this Saturday morning. The models aren't aligning yet, about the same as the last time.  I don't know why the forecasts have been so erratic this winter, but I have a few ideas. I just hope that the correct model is the one where I don't face another storm so soon.

The Five Types of Friends I Have on Facebook, Part Two

    Last week, I wrote about some of the problems I have been having with Facebook after some of their recent updates. As a corollary to this, I mentioned how I could divide the types of friends I have there. In a funny way, of course. I detailed the first two types, Mega-posters or Octopuses and Super-sharers.  This week, I will detail the remaining three types. 

    First, there are the Averages. They post a few times a week, for the most part. Some weeks are lighter than others, but they are almost guaranteed to post every week. These posts are a mix of original and shared material. Nothing that out of the ordinary, for the most part. I would put myself into this category. Yes, my main contribution each week is the link to this blogcast, but many weeks I have other posts. For instance, for the past few weeks, I have posted some of my favorite songs that hit number one during my birthday week.  I created this list for when I turned, gulp, fifty. I did one a day for the fifty days up to my birthday. Today, I posted number five, "American Pie" by Don McLean. 

    Next up are the Tagged.  These friends only post every few months or so. Some used to post more frequently, but they have gotten out of the habit. Others go on short bursts of posting, only to settle back to a lower pace. Some just rarely posted at all. The main thing they all have in common is that others mention them in their posts, and I get the posts on my page because the mutual friend got tagged.  Naturally, most of these Tagged posts are my people who aren't on my Friend list.

    Here's an example. Just a few months ago, I noticed people tagging one of my friends with their condolences. Apparently, someone who I'm not friends with, and didn't really know that they even existed until a few years ago, tagged my friend in their post. A mutual relative of theirs had died. I had to go to my friend's page to get confirmation. (Note:  I rarely go to a Friend's page. If they didn't think it was important enough to post something to get it to notify on my page, it might not be important enough for me. However, keep reading.) I saw the obit tagging them on their page. Although I shouldn't have, I kept looking at their page for more information. I kind of felt like a voyeur doing so, but I kept scrolling. When I got to early summer, there was a picture of someone a baby, where my friend was tagged but not in the photo. The post suggested that it may have been my friend's grandchild. That's a lot of information that had been kept offline, probably a marriage as well as a birth. I left without offering any condolences. Not really my thing anyway, but still.

    Finally, we have the final category.  Ghosts. These friends barely, if ever post. Maybe a few times a year. I can't remember some ever posting anything recently. In fact, some dead friends post more frequently than these Ghosts. That's right. Sometimes someone who has the control of an inactive account posts on them somehow. Possibly by accident, but I don't want to ask. It is only because of the green dots I see by their Messenger accounts on the Facebook site that I know that they are still active. Technically. 

    While a little macabre, I can include the actual dead friends as "Ghosts" as well.  There are two or three of them. At least one still gets yearly birthday wishes, and I can't tell if the senders know that the Friend is dead or not. It doesn't seem right to correct them, even by suggesting that they amend the post with "heavenly" or something. (That's not the type of thing I do either.) I feel like I should do something, but I don't know what.

    I have been thinking about other ways to group my Friends, but this basic typing is a good start. 

The Five Types of Friends I Have on Facebook, Part One

    Late last year, Facebook made of number of changes that I didn't like, mostly to make the website version more similar to the app. Since I prefer and generally the site, I hate the majority of these changes. Sure, I ultimately downloaded the app once I got my iPhone, but I almost never use it. I just prefer the ease of the site, especially since that was the version I started out with and have used for so long. My major peeve is the ending of the easily searched Watch, and its replacement by Reels. While Watch had a search function, as well as category selection, Reels has neither. If I want to search for a particular video, I have to use the main search, which takes much longer.  Furthermore, the viewing ration has switched from the standard rectangle of a full screen laptop/computer to that of a phone, longer and narrower. This aspect carries over even to videos not created by mobiles when viewed in Reels, but not on the Home page. 

    I also hate how I keep getting pestered to change the setting on the page for my store, Booknotes. For some reason, Facebook thinks it would be better if it weren't a business. What's worse? Facebook keeps wanting me to monetize my own posts on my personal page. Why would I want to show people ads on my own posts? Isn't that a little crass? It's not like I get more suggestions from other sources than from anywhere else. I barely get updates from groups that I am a part of. Something is incredibly off with the algorithm.

    Another problem that has popped up is with my posts from Friends. I prefer to keep my numbers a little low, focusing more on quality than quantity. I see others with dozens or even hundreds of Friends. I don't see how they could keep up with everyone. That isn't a problem with me, because Facebook has been repeating posts from weeks, even months ago. I saw them the first time, why keep on showing me them? 

    This got me to thinking. I decided to categorize other my Friends based how much and how often they post. Now, this doesn't mean anything.  I just thought that it would be a fun thing to do. I came up with five categories, but I only have the time and space to go over the first two, saving the other three for next week. I call the five types as Mega-posters, Super-sharers, Averages, the Tagged, and Ghosts.

    The Mega-posters, or Octopuses if you prefer, are those Friends who post daily.  Usually multiple posts.  How they ever find the time to do so much is beyond me. Frequently, these posts are accompanied by photos.  Lots of photos. I'm talking sometimes over fifty.  Now, while I don't react of comment on every post, I do try to read them, but dozens of photos are too much for me. I don't care how cute your pets are or how proud you are about your kids, I usually don't have the time to look at that many pictures. I draw the line about ten.  Anything more, and I usually skip everything past the first ones highlighted. I'm sorry, but that is just the way I am.

    Next, we have the Super-sharers. They also post frequently, usually daily. Unlike the first group, much of what they post are things they have found elsewhere and want to share with their Friends.  Sometimes it is a direct share, but at other times they share their version of what they found instead. I'm talking about a very wide range of topics: jokes, recipes, affirmations, and politics. That last one has become a very frequent type of shared post. So much so, that I actually had to unfriend someone last year because of it. While are views weren't that far apart, they would belittle me on the fine differences I made on comments. Some got hateful, all but attacking me directly. I worried a bit for a few days after I unfriended them, but it had to be done. I'm still a little sorry for it though.

    Come back next week as I go into the remaining three types of Friends I have on Facebook.

Keep on Ringing in the New Year

    As I mentioned in last week's post, I was only planning to stay up just late enough on New Year's Eve for any nearby festivities to quiet down. While waiting, I watched the usual stuff from New York City. There were the "live" performances, actually pre-taped segments recorded up to weeks in advance or lip-synched songs from Times Square. I will say the sining outdoors in average winter temperatures would difficult for many singers, so I can forgive them for not being entirely live. Then, leading up to midnight, came the usual. First, a performance of "Imagine" that I entirely skipped.  The cameras would almost late cutting to the outgoing Mayor of NYC pressing the button to signal the workers to start lowering the ball. That's right, the task is done manually and not by machine. You can tell whenever the ball jerks the tiniest bit. The fact that the visual and audio weren't completely in synch was somewhat off-putting, but some that cannot be helped with some cameras. Finally, the ball dropped and a badly rendered version of 2026 lit up. The final digit was so stylized that I could barely read it.

    Then, the "party" began. Tons of confetti rained down as the same songs from every other celebration began playing. "New York, New York," "America the Beautiful," and "What a Wonderful World." At least the channel I was watching cut away to the hosts before the ukulele version of "Somewhere over the Rainbow" could be heard.  I think. The only respite was the interlude when a video message about the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United Staes popped up. I have a strong feeling that it wasn't produced by the currant administration. I then went to bed.

    I'm sorry, but while this is a traditional celebration that has been ever so modified since it began, it has also become antiquated and dull. Over the course of the day, I was treated to much more spectacular displays from all over the worlds. Sydney and the Opera House. Paris and the Eiffel Tower. Even London and the Millennium Eye Ferris Wheel. The pyrotechnics displays were incredible, and they mostly all started in 2000. New York City and Times Square just has electronic billboards advertising whatever while old-timey songs play in the background, as sponsored confetti falls. Maybe it is a different feeling if one is actually there, but after seeing it on television for so many decades, I doubt I would want to go.

    Sure, some may say that you can't have a fireworks display in the middle of a city, so densely packed. Correct. However, NYC manages to have such displays on the river for Independence Day. Why can't they just move things a couple of blocks over? Or how about lasers or drones? Both would be safer in the center of downtown, and they would provide a better experience. Maybe another city should be the focus of east coast celebrations. NYC had a good run, but it needs to either freshen up or relinquish the crown. Times Square may have been one of the first large public New Year's Eve celebrations, but the tradition needs to change, well more than it has so recently.