Okay, one more in consecutive days/First half favorites

 I promised them yesterday and here they are after looking over the releases last night.  There wasn't anything that changed the list from yesterday, so here it is, my favorite music of the first half of 2024.  

1.)    Dangdang-Mamamoo+

2.)    Night In-Brittney Spencer

3.)    Simple Man-Artimus Pyle Band, Sammy Hagar

4.)    The Needle and the Spoon-Artimus Pyle Band, Lindsay Ell

5.)    Call Me The Breeze-Artimus Pyle Band, Billy Ray Cyrus

6.)    Saturday Night Special-Artimus Pyle Band, Warren Haynes

7.)    Save All That Remains-Revolution Saints

8.)    Think About-Moon Byul

9.)    TOUCHIN&MOVIN-Moon Byul

10.) Colors-Solar

11.) But I-Solar

12.) Honey, Honey-Solar

13.) Blues-Solar

14.) Doctor (Work It Out)-Pharrell Williams and Miley Cyrus

15.) BLACKBIIRD-Beyonce, Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy & Reyna Roberts

16.) II MOST WANTED-Beyonce and Miley Cyrus

17.) Psycho Killer-Miley Cyrus

18.) JOLENE-Beyonce

19.) War Pigs-Zakk Sabbath

20.) Paranoid-Zakk Sabbath

21.) Iron Man-Zakk Sabbath

22.) Electric Funeral-Zakk Sabbath

23.) Hand of Doom-Zakk Sabbath

24.) Rat Salad-Zakk Sabbath

25.) After Forever-Zakk Sabbath

26.) Children of the Grave-Zakk Sabbath

27.) Into the Void-Zakk Sabbath

28.) Panic Attack-Judas Priest

29.) Devil in Disguise-Judas Priest

30.) Crown of Horns-Judas Priest

31.) As God Is My Witness-Judas Priest

32.) Giants in the Sky-Judas Priest

33.) Bye-Ariana Grande

34.) True story-Ariana Grande

35.) The boy is mine-Ariana Grande

36.) Yes, and?-Ariana Grande

37.) Imperfect for you-Ariana Grande

38.) Supernatural-Ariana Grande and Troye Sivan

39.) The boy is mine (Remix)-Ariana Grande, Brandy, Monica

40.) Leave it All Behind-BabyMetal, F.Hero and Bodyslam

41.) RATATATA-BabyMetal and Electric Callboy

42.) Since You Been Gone-Graham Bonnet, Marty Friedman

43.) French Army-Tom Holkenborg, Antonio Di Iorio

44.) Memories Resurface-Tom Holkenborg, Antonio Di Iorio

45.) Myth and Ritual-Tom Holkenborg, Antonio Di Iorio

46.) Egypt Fight-Tom Holkenborg, Antonio Di Iorio

47.) Frozen Rio-Tom Holkenborg, Antonio Di Iorio

48.) Crack Cocaine-Billy Morrison, Ozzy Osbourne, Steve Stevens

49.) React Respond-Pearl Jam

50.) Dark Matter-Pearl Jam

51.) Running-Pearl Jam

52.) Fortnight-Taylor Swift, Post Malone

53.) Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?-Taylor Swift

54.) I Hate It Here-Taylor Swift

55.) The Prophecy-Taylor Swift

56.) Cassandra-Taylor Swift

57.) Whole Again-Jennifer Knapp

58.) Undo Me-Jennifer Knapp

59.) In The Name-Jennifer Knapp

60.) His Grace Is Sufficient-Jennifer Knapp

61.) Romans-Jennifer Knapp

62.) Hold Me Now-Jennifer Knapp

63.) Are You Going to Be My Girl-Lee Aaron

64.) Even it Up-Lee Aaron

65.) What Is And What Should Never Be-Lee Aaron

66.) Is It My Body-Lee Aaron

67.) Go Your Own Way-Lee Aaron

68.) Someone Saved My Life Tonight-Lee Aaron

69.) Incinerator-Bear McCreary, Serj Tankian

70.) Event at the Horizon-Bear McCreary, Esjay Jones

71.) Redshift-Bear McCreary, Brendan McCreary

72.) Type III-Bear McCreary, Rufus Wainwright

73.) Antikythera Mechanism-Bear McCreary, Raya Yarbrough

74.) The Automaton’s Heart-Bear McCreary, Brendan McCreary

75.) Tatarigami-Bear McCreary, Brendan McCreary

76.) Red Eyes-Bear McCreary, Ryan Hurst

77.) Last Stop-Bear McCreary, Brendan McCreary

78.) Escape from the Machines-Bear McCreary, Slash, Joe Satriani

79.) The Last of the Old Gods-Bear McCreary, Sigurjon Kjartansson

80.) Leviathan-Bear McCreary, Corey Taylor

81.) The End of Tomorrow-Bear McCreary, Slash, Brendan McCreary

82.) Crossroads-Slash, Gary Clark Jr.

83.) Oh Well-Slash and Chris Stapleton

84.) Born Under a Bad Sign-Slash, Paul Rodgers

85.) Papa was a Rolling Stone-Slash, Demi Lovato

86.) Burning Down the House-Paramore

87.) I am the Fire (Live)-Halestorm

88.) How Far Will We Take It-Orville Peck and Noah Cyrus

89.) Love Alive (Live)-Ann Wilson and Tripsitter

90.) Isolation (Live)-Ann Wilson and Tripsitter

91.) Magic Man (Live)-Ann Wilson and Tripsitter

92.) Rain of Hell (Live)-Ann Wilson and Tripsitter

93.) Immigrant Song (Live)-Ann Wilson and Tripsitter

94.) Barracuda (Live)-Ann Wilson and Tripsitter

1.)    Killing Machine-Corey Taylor

2.)    Shot in the Dark-Corey Taylor

3.)    Ten Years Gone-Corey Taylor

4.)    Legendary-Bon Jovi

5.)    Living Proof-Bon Jovi

6.)    Waves-Bon Jovi

7.)    Kiss the Bride-Bon Jovi

8.)    The People’s House-Bon Jovi

9.)    Living in Paradise-Bon Jovi

10.) My First Guitar-Bon Jovi

11.) Blueneck-Chris Housman

12.) Just Like ’73-Def Leppard, Tom Morello

13.) Enlighten-Black Country Communion

14.) Stay Free-Black Country Communion

15.) Red Sun-Black Country Communion

16.) Letting Go-Black Country Communion

17.) Skyway-Black Country Communion

18.) You’re Not Alone-Black Country Communion

19.) Too Far Gone-Black Country Communion

20.) I Won’t Back Down-Brothers Osborne

21.) Housewarming-Lucius, Brandi Carlile

22.) Mother Mary-Michael Schenker, Slash, Erik Gronwall

 

In This edition of Microsoft Word, once you get to 100, it shifts right and makes it illegible with the first letter on the same level as the number and the rest of the text below it.  The total number is 116 according to iTunes.  The next half promises albums from Michael Schenker, David Gilmour, Devon Allman and a deluxe edition of Van Halen's For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge so far.  The next update of this list will likely be at the end of August, but there will be posts between now and then about other assorted things.  See you later.

Don't worry, this won't be an everyday thing

     As June is getting closer and closer to a close, I'm looking back on it and how much I shared LGBTQ+ musicians songs from YouTube on Social Media.  I don't have any regrets.  I've seen them be victims of hate crimes for so much of my life I had to scream, scream "THIS is the population you're targeting, rock and roll, pop and Singer/Songwriter musicians who just want to create good times for other people and be themselves!"  It gets really hard when you see an old Facebook friend from a past life criticize the Mariners for celebrating Pride Month with a rainbow trucker hat giveaway, saying they should turn to Jesus.  They are a public team for the community of Seattle, not a missionary and certainly not a right-wing missionary.  It is really hard when this "turn from being a confused straight person to a normal straight person or we'll imprison you and assault you" mindset is in government.

 

    On a more positive note, I said the following on Twitter; 

I wanted to see Abby Trott at Washington State Summer Con last weekend because so many people loved Annette and I loved Edelgard and Three Houses and I wondered how Annette fit in the Black Eagles, then she and Tara Platt got in a cartoon called "New Wave."  That didn't succeed ultimately on Kickstarter, but it gave me the courage to play a Three Houses playthrough solely to recruit Annette into the Black Eagles. Annette became my second-favorite character in Three Houses, I made a Mii Gunner of her, I bought the Demon Slayer game just to hear Abby's voice in case Three Hopes wouldn't let me recruit Annette (which it didn't) and I play as Nezuko and Academy Shinobu whenever I play that, just as I play Mitsuru in Persona 4 Arena Ultimax.  I love her sense of humor and funny selfies and when something hurts SAG or women, Tara, Yuri (Lowenthal, Tara's husband) and Abby are the first people I worry about. I live across the street from a Planned Parenthood, so it's pretty tough. I have such bad anxiety and depression, too.  I hope those ladies are doing fine and I hope to see them at future conventions. Until then, this is just to make the knots in my guts looser.  

One last thing, playing that route with her was a gateway drug to Aggretsuko because Retsuko is a lot like Bernie (cute & skittish (voiced by Erica Mendez)), Haida is a lot like Caspar (best guy (voiced by Ben Diskin)), Ms. Washimi is a lot like Edelgard (in charge (voiced by Tara Platt)) and Inui is a lot like Annette (cute and kind (voiced by Abby Trott)).

 

Shortly after, Tara liked a days-old tweet where I mentioned I liked her "Edelgard feeds a cat" support conversation in Three Hopes.  This may or may not be coincidental.  I then had the thought this morning that when I was in Sunday School, I thanked God for video games, mostly these ones.

Now, I thank Him for Tara, Abby and Jeannie Tirado.

That's all for now, but I'll check in before the end of the month to reveal my favorite songs of the first half of the year.  Bon Jovi and Black Country Communion impressed with their albums, Orville Peck had a good duet with Noah Cyrus, Michael Schenker's revving up for what looks like a really impressive album for September and Brothers Osborne turned in a great Tom Petty cover, for starters.  See you later.

A mindset I've carried

     When I was a kid, I wanted all the toys on the back of the box or in the catalogue, which caused a lot of journeys to various toy stores all over my county and further to collect them all.  I once wanted to watch every Toho kaiju film, and I still want to see every MLB team.  It should be harmless, but at the same time, I get severely anxious about the thought of being cut off from the Mariners and also, being cut off from people I value.

    It started as a simple desire for connection, but the pandemic, the insurrection and the years before and after exacerbated it.  Now, I get obsessed with getting likes on social media, keeping figurines and plush toys of characters I love close by and praying like crazy to bring the non-religious people I enjoy into Heaven.  Those events were the closest I felt to the apocalypse and that feeling hasn't sufficiently died down, no one has significantly stopped that devil of a man from pursuing power once more and spreading fear among the normal citizens.  Wikipedia made their featured article of the day "Torture" and I would describe those 4 years as psychological torture on a grand scale, every day worrying about an executive order for a Holocaust.  And I know he will push that button if he gets back in the Oval Office within the first week.

    To keep from being completely dark, here's a video game idea I made up recently that combines Fire Emblem; Three Houses' Black Eagles route and Persona 3 and 4 because the latest Nintendo Direct was on Tara Platt's Birthday.

Fire Emblem; Three Houses/Persona crossover game:

Party leaders; Edelgard, Mitsuru

Available party members; Petra, Dorothea, Hubert, Byleth, Annette, Marianne, Lysithea, Yosuke, Akihiko, Yukari, Aigis, Naoto, Rise Kujikawa

Support Conversations: Edelgard-Byleth (Byleth has the personality of a nurse looking after a patient (Edelgard) in the ER), Edelgard-Annette, Edelgard-Marianne, Yosuke-Mitsuru, Edelgard-Mitsuru, Edelgard-Akihiko, Edelgard-Yosuke, Mitsuru-Petra, Mitsuru-Dorothea, Mitsuru-Hubert, Mitsuru-Byleth, Mitsuru-Annette, Mitsuru-Marianne, Mitsuru-Lysithea, Akihiko-Hubert, Yosuke-Petra, Yosuke-Dorothea, Yosuke-Byleth, Yosuke-Annette, Yosuke-Marianne, Yosuke-Lysithea, Yukari-Petra, Yukari-Dorothea, Aigis-Edelgard, Aigis-Byleth, Aigis-Marianne, Aigis-Dorothea, Aigis-Annette, Naoto-Mitsuru, Naoto-Byleth, Naoto-Edelgard, Naoto-Aigis, Rise-Petra, Rise-Mitsuru, Rise-Edelgard, Rise-Byleth, Rise-Annette, Rise-Dorothea, Rise-Lysithea

Enemies/Bosses: Persona Shadows, Those Who Slither In The Dark Wizards, Cornelia, Solon, Thales (Edelgard must be party leader), Leviathan, Beelzebub, Baphomet, Quetzalcoatl, Hephaestus (Mitsuru must be party leader), Lucifer (turns into Satan), Ahriman, Orochi (Final Boss)