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Essays, Not Rants!

Thoughts and such by Joshua Tong

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Good Distractions

November 18, 2023August 9, 2025 Joshua TongLeave a comment

With Armored Core VI in the rearview, I’ve dived headfirst into Spider-Man 2. I’ve played a good amount, but I’m still early in the story — I keep getting distracted. Like the first one, this takes place in Manhattan, New York (with the addition of an abbreviated Brooklyn and Queens). Just like in real life,… Continue reading Good Distractions →

Tagged New York, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Video Games

Marvelous

November 11, 2023 Joshua TongLeave a comment

So The Marvels is out now, another MCU movie in a deluge of MCU media so prolific that the initialism MCU no longer needs an explanation. We’re a long way away from 2012 when the whole idea of a Marvel Cinematic Universe seemed like a long shot that paid off with The Avengers.  But that… Continue reading Marvelous →

Tagged Captain Marvel, Marvel, Movies, Ms. Marvel, The Marvels

A Complete Season

November 4, 2023December 30, 2023 Joshua TongLeave a comment

I wasn’t expecting to enjoy the second season of Loki nearly as much as I am. I feel like after coming out of the gate really strong with Wandavision, most of Marvel’s shows have been somewhere between decent and fine with perhaps their most consistent flaw being their tendency to get oddly muddled. Ms. Marvel… Continue reading A Complete Season →

Tagged Loki, Ms. Marvel, tv

Eleven Thirty

October 29, 2023 Joshua TongLeave a comment

I’ve just realized it’s nearly 11:30pm on a Saturday and I haven’t started a blog post. It’s been another long week, one capped with a friend visiting this weekend so my time in front of my computer has been limited, even less my time spent thinking of some witty and/or insightful rant/essay to write. It… Continue reading Eleven Thirty →

Tagged bloggish, Yes this is a copout.

Good For Now

October 21, 2023August 10, 2024 Joshua TongLeave a comment

I finished my first playthrough of Armored Core VI and I’m starting the New Game +, with the intention of going for the special ending of the New Game ++ (unless the game becomes unsurmountable hard). Meanwhile, Spider-Man 2 came out this week, the sequel to a game that I absolutely adored when it came… Continue reading Good For Now →

Tagged Armored Core VI, Video Games

Break

October 15, 2023March 23, 2024 Joshua TongLeave a comment

I’ve had a busy week at work, having pulled enough hours at the day job that I’ve found myself dreaming in Adobe Premiere multiple nights in a row. Which is a weird way to dream, since a non-linear editing software does not make for riveting visuals. Perhaps even more surreal is that my respites from… Continue reading Break →

Tagged bloggish

Robot Garage

October 7, 2023 Joshua TongLeave a comment

As I’ve gotten better at reading Armored Core VI, I’ve been fiddling more with the loadouts of my ACs. Adding new parts and upgrading them as I unlock new things and also trying out new designs (I’ve been working on a tetrapod AC with the philosophy of too-many-bullets [and also missiles]). I haven’t really been… Continue reading Robot Garage →

Tagged Armored Core VI, Video Games

Fluency

September 30, 2023September 30, 2023 Joshua TongLeave a comment

I picked up Armored Core VI recently because it’s a game about giant robots and I am a noted sucker for giant robots. It’s a game where you take your mech (or  Armored Core, AC, in the game’s parlance) and fight stuff. Sometimes other mechs, sometimes massive drilling platforms, sometimes a mobile artillery platform. It’s… Continue reading Fluency →

Tagged Armored Core VI, Video Games

Slightly Less Lower Decks

September 23, 2023December 30, 2023 Joshua TongLeave a comment

I really enjoy the animated Star Trek show Lower Decks. It’s pitched as a comedic take on the Star Trek world, mining humor from the life of the people on the lower decks of a Federation starship. What if the epic exploration of Star Trek was a workplace comedy? The humor is broad enough that… Continue reading Slightly Less Lower Decks →

Tagged Star Trek, Star Trek: Lower Decks, tv

A Brief Screed Against Ticketmaster

September 16, 2023 Joshua TongLeave a comment

I found out yesterday that Jon Stewart and John Mulaney were doing a few shows together near me. Seeing either of them live would be a delight, but both of them in one show? Let’s go! So I found the website, clicked through, and discovered in order to buy tickets I had to go through…… Continue reading A Brief Screed Against Ticketmaster →

Tagged Concert, ticketmaster

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