Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 2hI’m sure when the genre actually started is debatable but from my own reading I’d say some of Thomas Hardy is at least proto-magical realism. 000
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 2hMy most obnoxious coworker just referred to Practical Magic (1995) as “one of the first magical realism books.” Just want to reiterate that I work for a bookstore. 110
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 02/10/2026It is a little bit weird that his first thought for who kids won’t go on to read is noted racist Rudyard Kipling. Like, not the most dissimilar writer you could’ve picked. 030
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 02/10/2026Accidentally did real therapy and now the rest of my day is completely ruined. 010
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 01/10/2026Monster Train 2 discovery: apparently it is possible, with Rooted, for Floor 1 to be so full that the boss rush starts on Floor 2 (but without destroying Floor 1.) 010
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 01/10/2026Oh but actually in terms being similar to Kahane's music it should really be: www.youtube.com/watch?v=AER_... Also I saw Ben Folds live in Portland and he gave a shout out to Kahane so that's cool. I'm sleepy now. done with words.youtube.comEffington (A Cappella Version)YouTube video by Ben Folds Five - Topic 000
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 01/10/2026But also I really wanted to feature a song from Ben Folds Presents: University A Capella!, which annoyingly is not on Bandcamp: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZFH...youtube.comMagic (University A Cappella Version)YouTube video by Ben Folds Five - Topic 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 01/10/2026Bonus Track: I've already covered Andy Shauf extensively on here, but I listened to Horrible Occurrences I think just a few months before starting these so here's a song from that: advancebase.bandcamp.com/track/the-to...advancebase.bandcamp.comThe Tooth Fairy, by Advance Basefrom the album Horrible Occurrences 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 01/10/2026And Roomful of Teeth is great, lovely harmonies and some great lead performances as well (I think Jodie Landau on "Valise" and Mingjia Chen on "Not Even The Dead" were my favorites in that regard.) 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 01/10/2026Conclusion: Similar in theme to Kahane's Book of Travelers from 2018, but the 1st-person perspective is more reminiscent of Andy Shauf's work, or Advance Base's Horrible Occurrences. Leave it to Kahane to put that extra little twist on it by writing as the elevator at the end (at the end.) 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 01/10/2026Track 11: Walter Benjamin reference, though a very sad one. Sad song. Good song. gabrielkahane.bandcamp.com/track/all-th...gabrielkahane.bandcamp.comAll That Is Solid (The Elevator), by Gabriel Kahane, Roomful of Teethfrom the album Elevator Songs 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 01/10/2026Track 10: "Does anyone ever learn / the temperature where memory burns?" And damn, that ending. gabrielkahane.bandcamp.com/track/memory...gabrielkahane.bandcamp.comMemory Burns (Lobby), by Gabriel Kahane, Roomful of Teethfrom the album Elevator Songs 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 01/10/2026Track 9: Mmm. gabrielkahane.bandcamp.com/track/not-ev...gabrielkahane.bandcamp.comNot Even the Dead (Room 1212), by Gabriel Kahane, Roomful of Teethfrom the album Elevator Songs 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 01/10/2026Track 8: Oh hey more lieder. gabrielkahane.bandcamp.com/track/the-ho...gabrielkahane.bandcamp.comThe Hot Tub (Fitness Center), by Gabriel Kahane, Roomful of Teethfrom the album Elevator Songs 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 01/10/2026Track 7: The cadence on Law and Order really got me. gabrielkahane.bandcamp.com/track/sophom...gabrielkahane.bandcamp.comSophomore Record (Room 1211), by Gabriel Kahane, Roomful of Teethfrom the album Elevator Songs 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 01/10/2026Track 6: Nice. gabrielkahane.bandcamp.com/track/the-ma...gabrielkahane.bandcamp.comThe Machine Room (Entr'acte), by Gabriel Kahane, Roomful of Teethfrom the album Elevator Songs 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 01/10/2026Track 5: Hmm. gabrielkahane.bandcamp.com/track/rack-o...gabrielkahane.bandcamp.comRack of Time (Room 1801), by Gabriel Kahane, Roomful of Teethfrom the album Elevator Songs 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 01/10/2026Track 4: Wut. WUT. There is so much more of the podcast bit then I would've expected. Also is it fair to call *this* a bop? gabrielkahane.bandcamp.com/track/valise...gabrielkahane.bandcamp.comValise (Room 1832), by Gabriel Kahane, Roomful of Teethfrom the album Elevator Songs 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 01/10/2026Track 3: Hmm. gabrielkahane.bandcamp.com/track/st-vin...gabrielkahane.bandcamp.comSt. Vincent's Hospital (Room 813), by Gabriel Kahane, Roomful of Teethfrom the album Elevator Songs 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 01/10/2026Track 2: Is that a reference to Leslie Jamison?? Also is it fair to call this a bop? gabrielkahane.bandcamp.com/track/newbor...gabrielkahane.bandcamp.comNewborn Plague (Room 304), by Gabriel Kahane, Roomful of Teethfrom the album Elevator Songs 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 01/10/2026Track 1: Ok so Roomful of Teeth is a choir. Got a good bass. That swell into the third verse gets surprisingly intense (in a good way). gabrielkahane.bandcamp.com/track/speaki...gabrielkahane.bandcamp.comSpeaking in Tongues (Prologue), by Gabriel Kahane, Roomful of Teethfrom the album Elevator Songs 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 01/10/2026I know nothing about Roomful of Teeth but the name does kind of give me the ick. 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 01/10/2026Gabriel Kahane is songwriter and composer mostly known for writing intimate portraits of his life and the people he meets, bathed in warm piano and intricate arrangements. And that one time he adapted Craigslist posts to music in the style 19th-century "lieder" compositions. 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 01/10/2026It's Taking the Day Off Work Thursday so what they hey, today's randomly selected album from my backlog is...Gabriel Kahane, Roomful of Teeth—Elevator Songs (2026) gabrielkahane.bandcamp.com/album/elevat...gabrielkahane.bandcamp.comElevator Songs, by Gabriel Kahane, Roomful of Teeth11 track album 110
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 01/10/2026Would you believe that 60% is in fact nearly 66%. 140
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 01/10/2026Like as long as we’re doing tediously precise fact checking. 120
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 01/10/2026Also at least one of these fact checks is itself misleading. They claim that Reed’s claim of NCMEC deadnaming children is not supported by her source, but her source links to the original reporting which does explicitly say that: bsky.app/profile/mari... So not a factual error but a citation error. 120
Reposted by Jordan MeillerAshley Schofield is looking for work! 🐉 @ashlikeadragon.bsky.social · 01/10/2026new feature! back on RPS! i don't like deadpool in his contemporary form. i do, however, like deadpool in tokon quite a lot, as someone plugged into the FGC. please give it a read! this was really fun to work on, and i'm grateful to RPS for taking on a kinda niche pitch 💜rockpapershotgun.comThe importance of being earnest: How Marvel Tōkon's Deadpool trades ridicule for fighting game reverenceBy embracing fighting game culture, the Deadpool of Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls is a much more likeable presence than his cross-media counterparts. 717758
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 29/09/2026American Intelligence was right there. He’s not even good at his own schtick. 001
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 29/09/2026It turns I’m actually more annoying when I’m actively trying not to info dump, because I talk the same amount but say nothing. 000
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 28/09/2026You know what? That was some Star Trek-ass Star Trek (complimentary.) 000
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 27/09/2026Reading Gnomon by Nick Harkaway and really enjoying, but it also hides what would be one of the best opening lines ever 209 pages in: “Addis Ababa in the days of my ascendancy was a city built of spies.” What a sentence. 000
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 27/09/2026But yeah, in general the superpowers are fun but to does make it a very different game. Still think the reboot managed to find a nice middle ground of being a little more smoothed out and elevated compared to the earlier games but the core mechanics are still fun in themselves. 000
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 27/09/2026Which is especially egregious when there’s a category of side missions requiring you to deliver a car with minimal damage. 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 27/09/2026Also IIRC the button to use one of your super powers is the same as the one to get in the car and SR4 makes the same mind boggling choice as SR3 of having opening the door of the car be a separate action from getting in the car, so then half the time you open the door and then blast the car. 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 26/09/2026(Since Simms talks about preserving "our unique experiences of games" it seems appropriate to drop my reviews of those GameCube games here. The Hobbit: www.grouvee.com/user/18939-n... Third Age: www.grouvee.com/user/18939-n... )grouvee.comnoplotr's Review of The Hobbit![a photo of a TV in a dark room, showing The Hobbit (2003). Bilbo is standing in the Great Hall of The Lonely Mountain, facing toward the rubble piled up at the entrance, above which can be seen a... 000
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 26/09/2026I don't know, this is maybe getting into some adjacent but not quite relevant weeds, it just got me thinking about stuff. 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 26/09/2026Well, I say easily playable, but the thing about physical media is that then you're stuck with the physical paraphernalia associated with that media and GameCube controllers are bad. So. If I could've played these with a PS5 controller I would have. 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 26/09/2026And having easily playable physical copies (as opposed to fiddly pirated emulations) makes them potentially more accessible to people interested in that history. 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 26/09/2026But given the aura of un-adaptability surrounding Tolkien's work (the Jackson trilogy being the exception that proves the rule) I do think both these games are interesting and important installments in the history of Tolkien adaptations. 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 26/09/2026And on the one hand, I ended up appreciating my experience of replaying Sierra's The Hobbit, even as I was more aware of its flaws. On the other hand, I ended up kind of hating replaying Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, and it maybe would've been better if I hadn't been able to. 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 26/09/2026As someone who has been replaying GameCube games that have no official digital versions, I've been thinking a lot about physical media in that context. 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 26/09/2026I appreciate the nuance, that Simms (and the several others being quoted in the piece) isn't dismissing concerns about the loss of physical media and how that aids in corporate control over games access but is encouraging us to think deeply about what else this means for our experiences with games. 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 26/09/2026Catching up on Unwinnable, and I really liked this piece on games preservation, forgetting, and ephemera by Phoenix Simms: unwinnable.com/2026/08/07/p...unwinnable.comPaying No Mind - Unwinnable"[D]eciding what to remember is also the politics of deciding what we don't spend time on remembering." 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 26/09/2026Bonus Track: wearetyphoon.bandcamp.com/track/room-w...wearetyphoon.bandcamp.comRoom Within the Room, by TYPHOONfrom the album Sympathetic Magic 000
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 26/09/2026Conclusion: A couple good songs but between this and their contributions to Send a Prayer My Way I think I've completely turned on their songwriting (or they've gotten way worse.) A lot of forced lyrics and questionable ideas. 101
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 26/09/2026Track 10: Whatever. torrestorrestorres.bandcamp.com/track/songbi...torrestorrestorres.bandcamp.comSongbird forever, by TORRESfrom the album What an enormous room 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 26/09/2026Track 9: What is the point of that second verse other than to kill time. torrestorrestorres.bandcamp.com/track/foreve...torrestorrestorres.bandcamp.comForever home, by TORRESfrom the album What an enormous room 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 26/09/2026Track 8: I mean...how do you not hear that. Jesus. torrestorrestorres.bandcamp.com/track/jerk-i...torrestorrestorres.bandcamp.comJerk into joy, by TORRESfrom the album What an enormous room 100
Jordan Meiller @noplotr.certainofeventualfailure.com · 26/09/2026Track 7: Meh. torrestorrestorres.bandcamp.com/track/artifi...torrestorrestorres.bandcamp.comArtificial limits, by TORRESfrom the album What an enormous room 100