Strange but True: 10 of the world's greatest mysteries ...

I know I shouldn’t play with a ouija board; but I’m INFATUATED
I don’t even know how to begin speaking of this. fr I’ve got a lot of questions that I need more minds on. And askouiji is extremely unhelpful with legitimate questions. Shit keeps me up at night.
I’ll explain.
There’s a lot to unpack, so let’s start with a story my mother told me about her basement. Some context and history might be needed tho.
Once upon a time, my grandmother was bat-shit insane. From my understanding, she’s always had problems with pills and such- it ended up being the death of her. Just before I was born Her apartment caught fire, the doorknob fell off, and she was too high to get out. My mom swears it’s a murder case. My grandfather was a war vet, and would whip the 5 children in the house relentlessly.
Your probably wondering what that has to do with anything, and quite frankly it’s just so you can understand the setting that my mom grew up in. They didn’t give a shit and when they did it was in the wrong way.
My grandmother was super into wicken, black magic, witchcraft and all that. My mom said she was very catholic religious as well- which after some of the things that have happened to me; I don’t fucking blame her. Apparently this rubbed off on her kids though, because two of the five also dabbled in such things. My Aunt Linda, and my Uncle Carry.
My mom always tried to keep us as far away from the people she grew up with as humanly possible. Everyone who grew up in that house ended up terrible addicts or crazies. They first moved into the house in the 1970s, and it was the early 80s when the children lived in the basement. They would put the girls downstairs, and the boys upstairs; since they tended to need more discipline.
My mom says that they used to have this chair just sort of chilling in the bedroom. It didn’t really have a purpose, and was typically just a catch-all for clothes that were still clean; or the occasional parent visiting their room. One night- when she was probably no older than 10- my mother and my aunt are waiting for sleep to come, when Linda’s voice cracks out in the silence-
‘Mickey..do you see that?’ Or something along those lines I’m sure. Half awake, my mom takes the covers off of her head to see an angelic looking woman, sitting daintily on the now empty chair. She only ever described her beautifully, but her tone of voice telling the story always gave me a sense that as beautiful as she may have been, every beauty came off wrong. As if there were air quotes around the scene itself. My Aunt began talking to the “angel”. My Aunt is older than my mother- maybe that’s why she felt no need to be afraid. My mother listened to this one sided conversation; head under the covers. The first look was real enough that she wanted no part in it.
She began to hear the ‘angel’ start to address her. The angel asked her why she’s hiding, asked her to look, asked her to talk, etc. My mother says it felt like her gut was full of rocks. As she refused and ignored- the voice began to change. The angel was begging her. Then it began telling her. Then demanding. Then screaming. My mother stayed under the covers and prayed; whilst Linda continued a conversation with the same woman technically but a different voice. My mom never spoke to it that night and didn’t see it as much as Linda did after that day.
Linda on the other hand, would chat with her many times after that night. When the girls room moved upstairs, so did the “angel.” My mom to this day will not allow the room to be arranged a certain way. Meeting Linda as an adult was a trip. She had this small book, and would go out onto our porch and read or pray out loud. She was a terrible addict and passed away from an overdose last year. Her daughter- who’s very similar- left some of her ashes in a zippy bag on our porch. She’s chilling on top of our China cabinet in the kitchen now. Rest her soul.
My mom says my uncle Carry got into devil worship at the house; sacrificing small animals and such. She said at some point it had gotten bad enough she would find hung kittens or catch him suffocating something or another. Absolutely insane shit. She says been his worship and my grandmothers black magic, they had opened some sort of portal?? (I don’t know how much of this I really believe, but I’ll share my own stories at some point). He died in 2011~ from full body cancer at 32.
When my grandpa died from cancer in like 2012 my mother was the only one of his children to take care of him in his last days. So he left the house to her. we had been renting and hopping around most of my elementary years, so my mom took it as an opportunity to save some money. She wanted to settle somewhere that wasnt her childhood home and didn’t give her terrible ptsd. He officially died in the hospital but his last days were spent in our living-room in a hospital bed.
I’m writing this in what used to be her room- the 9x9 office space that I painted when I was 10.
I don’t remember when exactly I started sleeping with the door shut- but I remember why. At first I would wake up and see my mom going to the bathroom. I always found it strange that she could just get up and go back to sleep like that- she spooked me several times by peaking her head in to check up on me. But there was a time where I woke up for no reason- expecting to see my mother scuffling to the bathroom in a tshirt- and instead staring into pitch black. It was as if my nightlight stopped at my door.
I remember being so puzzled at first- simply thinking it was a weird way the door caught the light or something- but a sense of dread was starting to make the hairs on my neck raise. It was so unnaturally black. Didn’t I used to be able to see my mothers face at the doorway? Didn’t I used to see her go to the bathroom? Why can’t I see the table in the hall like I usually can? The more questions I realized I didn’t have answers for- the more intense the feeling of doom became. Taking a page out of my mothers book, I hid under the covers until morning.
I just realized I failed to write this before 3am. It’s 3:02 and I swear if I have to interrupt my story to deal w some demon shit- I’m going to lose my fucking marbles. ANYWAYS-
I wake up and I’m talking about it with my mom right? And she tells me a story about myself I hardly remembered. When I was really little I refused to sleep alone in our old trailer. My mom would often come and sleep with me until she woke up to pee and would go back to her own bed. I’ve always been such a deep sleeper so she knew she wouldn’t wake me.
This night I wake up at 3am to see a person at the foot of my bed. They could’ve touched my moms foot if they reached out. I remember it just being this silhouette- impossibly dark. I’ve ALWAYS had night lights because I’m a little bitch, so I have no idea how it was such a shadow. I remember I felt like I wasn’t allowed to look at it- so I stared at my feet- barely taking in the figure in the edges of my vision. I touched my mother to wake her up (such a light sleeper) and she prayed with me to make it go away.
I’m currently not religious in the traditional sense so I have no idea why this worked. when I opened my eyes from the prayer- the entity that had been there giving me chills for the past like 10 minutes- was suddenly gone. No more shadow. I always thought I was just tripping as a kid. My mom totally would’ve freaked out if that was something right?
So when I talk to her about the shadow I had seen in our hall- the hairs on her arms stand up- and she tells me that she had seen it too. That night, when I was a child, she told me to tell it to go away in the name of god. What I didn’t know is that she had seen it- and stopped seeing it- at the same time I had.
Once I started sleeping with the door shut- shit got weird. When I’d get home from school my closet would be wide open. I used to be super messy- so I assume that it couldn’t have just been a broken latch- how would it have pushed the clothes and shoes back like that? Then it started happening at night. I’d unusually wake up and see the closet wide open- pitch fucking black.
I was a little older at this point- but still I know better than to try and look at its face. I feel like that’s just common sense at that point if you’re realistically experiencing some sort of paranormal activity. I didn’t always feel the sense of dread. Sometimes it was just creepy as hell. It wasn’t until I woke up one night as it was opening that I felt sick. I watched that door open to about an inch crack. Nearly pissed myself. I started putting laundry baskets and piles of clothes infront of it. I shit you not- it would still manage to open. I’d often just push the door to see if it had come unlatched and the answer was almost always yes. My mom thought we’d trade it out for a different door knob, with a lock. Then the new thing was the button being unlocked. It’s one of those push button locks that unlocks when you twist it and makes a sort of clunk noise. You can unlock it from the other side by jamming a Bobby pin or something.
I would wake up hearing this super specific noise and find the closet unlocked. Even stranger is when I’d hear this noise- yet the door is still locked. Sometimes I’d hear it twice. Makes 0 sense. Sometimes I’d wake up in my moms bed and neither of us would know how I got there. We’re talking middle school era when most tweens would rather be caught dead than still sleeping in their parents bed. And she’s a light sleeper so she would’ve noticed? She’s had a priest literally bless our home and burns sage regularly even though she’s the most Karen person you would ever meet.
So here’s the deal. The point of you knowing all of that is so you know why I wanted a ouija board in the first place. If not for the hella dead relatives I never got the chance to talk to, than to figure out what the hell was going on when I was a kid.
So of course I went to spirit Halloween. Aaaaaand blew 40 bucks so my friend Alex and I can have a shot at it. And don’t even judge me- if all of that backstory was true for you too you’d be just as curious! I had done a bunch of research at this point trying to find out what the rules typically are, stories, guides, history, anything. But there’s something weird about the search results for ouija boards. Why are there so many cheesey magazines writing about it? Why can I find anywhere of Reddit with current discussions on ouija? Some people have asked, but responses are usually pretty weak. Why isn’t it common knowledge that there have been ouija boards long before America even? Why aren’t more people still talking about this? Even just as a party game?
We’ve used the board three times now. Twice yesterday. All during the day at around 2 or 3 pm. Here are some notable things that have happened. (That I can remember right now- we need to start writing everything down)
1.) • originally said they are 8
•kept moving to the black next to the word goodbye, or would move to the moon on the board.
•when asked if it moving to the black spaces was because it’s shy it said yes.
•asked if the moon meant we should do this at night? “Yes”
• at some point we had gotten the giggles from smoking beforehand- (her bf J is a skeptic and was making fun) and when we tried to apologize the board said no. Kept talking to us after a minute though.
•when asked for a name, moved to zero.
•when asked if they would tell us how old they are again; said “yes” then “x” then “0” (zero)
•when asked for gender; “0”
•I can’t remember the context and wish I had better notes but every once in a while it would go to “M”
2.) •originally very weak
•moved very slow to the sun- I assumed it was telling us we forgot the candle lol
•actually started working better once we lit a candle??
• told us name was “D”
•was using the in between of yes and no as a maybe??
•said “yes” it does miss the cats
•said “maybe” it likes when people are down here
•said “yes” the cats are still here
•moved to the black space
•when her boyfriend J, the skeptic, came home the board said goodbye
3.) •LED lights started glitching. We said goodbye to fix them quick.
•when asked for age began slowly and steadily moving through the numbers and I got a bad feeling it was going to go through all the numbers so We moved it back up to the top.
•tried going through the alphabet next. This time Alex got the bad feeling and wouldn’t let it finish.
•”K” “A” “T” “the sun” “S”
•When asked for name; “D”. At first we thought J was messing with us because he hadn’t done it with us until this reading. But we didn’t tell him about the second time we had used it yet. Definitely had not told him someone by “D” had talked to us in the basement.
I came home and started noticing these black rock everywhere. Little pocket sized black stones in the corners of rooms. Usually I would’ve recognized right away they were warding stones- I like to research stuff like that even if I don’t believe it 100% just because I like that era and enjoy the aesthetic of it all. But for some reason I started picking up theses rocks and I had four of them before I remembered what they were. Which is odd. Not like me. I’m not trying to imply anything but it was noticeably something I wouldn’t do.
Overall; I could just be crazy. Maybe it’s hereditary lol... But now I’m obsessed with researching the ouija board and the things it tells us. I feel like I’ve got a mystery that needs solved and what better place to figure it out than the public internet? If there’s a scientific explanation for this...
We’re doing another session tomorrow in MY basement this time. So far we’ve been doing it at Alex’s house- but she legit just texted me that her metal Guinness sign- that’s been hanging just fine for yearS-fell with nothing touching it.
Im continuing this a few days later; we’ve had an even stronger experience with the board. I don’t know how the hell to explain this but I swear neither of us could’ve been messing with each other. I have a voice memo we started as soon as the board was put away- we were essentially frantic.
4.) •spoke with my grandmother
•she didn’t recall where she died in her house- I asked a bunch of loaded questions such as “did you die in your bed? On the couch? By the door? On the floor?”- My friend would have no way of knowing that my grandmother was too high to get out of her apartment during a fire let alone know where she died.
• Alexs hand began dripping with sweat as if she had condensation- I mean there was in the most literal terms a puddle of sweat on the board by the end of it
•asked the first letter of which child we have a picture- in the livingroom drawer- of her with; correctly answered “P” for my eldest brother.
•apparently spoke with my aunt and uncle who passed away as well. When asked the first letter of what type of smokes he bought; “D” for decades. When asked what gas station we would always take him to “7” answer; 7-11.
•I’ll skip over the rest of us verifying we were speaking with family members with questions the other person couldn’t have possibly known.
•when asked how many sodas were in the fridge; 12. Once we were finished we went upstairs and We counted 11 the first time- but then I found a twelfth can behind the milk that my brother had hid and we both shit our pants
I wish I could remember more full detail- but we were absolutely rattled. I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced something you can’t explain- but it is the most unsettling phenomenon.
She had work so left; but later As I left for her house to talk about all this crazy shit- my lights rapidly flickered for a whole second. I could hear the ting on the glass of filament breaking like when a light bulb goes out. But it didn’t go out. I thought nothing of it as I was leaving, but I had left my keys and when I re entered the room the same thing happened.
I had a wild thought that this could be paranormal- “if that’s you.. do it again”
The light went out for a second. Then on. Then flickered. I nearly pissed myself. My mom came out of her room and as I heard her door opening it flickered subtly and stopped flickering all together. This lamp is now permanently unplugged lol.
Alex didn’t want the board in her house, and I had no where else to hide it from my mother than under the couch in the basement.
So last night was the first night I spent with it in my house. I didn’t sleep until the sun came up. I couldn’t- I was wide awake for some reason. I’ll bullet what happened.
1am-
got home; dog wouldn’t go out.
2am-
grabbed a soda- our fridge is next to the basement stairs; could’ve sworn I saw something in the door crack- movement on the landing of the stairs; spent the next couple minutes opening and closing the door convincing myself I was just tripping.
3am-
My digital alarm clock had to of turned off and on at some point because the time had reset to 12am; I didn’t even realize it until three was almost over. Around 2:30 I had started to ignore the clock so I could live in ignorance lmao. When I realized three was over, the clocks time meant it shut off and on around 3:30.
4am-
I never have to pee in the night but I guess I drank a lot of water. I have a rescue dog that’s been registered as an emotional support animal. NEVER leaves my side. Even when I’m manic and up at 5am he’ll sit outside the bathroom door and wait to walk back with me. Tonight he was awake but wouldn’t budge. Extremely unsettling; but I believe that fear feeds the activity so I chose to go to the bathroom anyways.
You know that feeling you get when you know someone’s about to rush past you in the hallway- or about to step on the heel of your shoe? Imagine that feeling but dipped in dread- that’s the only way I can describe my walk back from the bathroom. I knew if I just looked I could put myself at ease- but I could not bring myself to do it. Looking back I remember feeling like it wasn’t worth it to risk a look; but that doesn’t make much sense to me now. I came back in the room and my dog was sitting straight up on my bed- no wagging to see me- no wiggles- just sat there until I was like “buddy? dude??” And he laid back down.
The rest of the night was uneventful and I couldn’t get a wink of sleep until I saw the sun through my blinds.
I don’t know what to do with this board- I don’t know if I should get rid of it, give it away, donate it- but part of me wants to take this as an opportunity to understand something greater than myself. I know that almost every religion recognizes ouija but does NOT think it’s a good thing- which has to mean on some level this has to be real. I’ve read a lot about people becoming obsessed with it and truly going crazy- And I lowkey want to delve into this- I want to understand it and how it works and why. Maybe it’s hereditary lol.
I want to know how the fuck all of this has happened.
Update:
I just removed it from my home, I put it in my car.
My perspective I was arguing has changed- some things don’t need answers. Better left unsaid. Ignore my comments. The board box had moved. Noticeably further under the couch in the basement- I thought it wasn’t there for a moment and pissed myself a little, I’ll admit.
Any information on proper disposal of an extremely active ouija board would be highly appreciated.
NOTHER UPDATE:
bRUH MY DOG IS FREAKING ME OUT OVER MY CLOSET.
Toby losing his SHIT
He’s literally trying to get at the closet?? And hes fucking nose to the wall???
I hope this will be the FINAL UPDATE before the board is finally properly disposed of:
I showed my mom the video of my dog- partially to give her a heads up if anything freaky is going to happen- partially because I desperately wanted her advice even if it’s not on the whole truth. I told her about my lights flickering, my spooky night, and my dogs behavior.
She says I’m being attacked and need to find my faith in god. We spoke for hours on religion, and theories for why and how our plane of existence has these unexplainable things.
At some point my brother shared a story (which is in the comment section I don’t want to be redundant) and said that when he feels the presence I felt in the hallway last night- THE CRAZY SOAB CHARGES IT??? He says it always draws away to where you can’t see or confront it, but claimed he had it to the point where it wouldn’t go past the kitchen. This shook me to my core to hear my brother talk so casually about it because he never acknowledges that anything happens- EVER. But it also reaffirmed my belief that things can only do what you allow- and believe- that they can. Which is comforting.
My dog began barking at the stairwell to the basement. For no fucking reason. Link;
Hair up- Tail straight but trembling- Growling- Barking-
We burned hella sage and my mom said the first and only prayer I’ve ever known by heart; the same one that made the shadows go away when I was a little girl. I’ll share it with y’all in case it helps anyone.
“In the name of god, Most gracious and most merciful; Master of the day of judgement, and ruler of that day; It is thee that we worship, And thine aide we seek, For thee is the one true god. Show us the straight way, lord, bestow us your grace. Whos portion is not wrath, And who go not astray.”
Helps to add; “in the name of god- evil is not welcomed here. GO AWAY.”
(P.s I know this sounds like religious garb to anyone who isn’t religious, but hey if it works it works. And if there’s bad shit out there that only proves you should believe in some of the good shit. I’m not saying I believe in any one religion particularly, but they’re onto something with this singular “higher power” concept for sure. My mom says it’s like trying to show a blind man an elephant. We will always marvel at the pieces of an image; but can’t comprehend its actuality.)
I feel a lot better now, I’m still keeping my grandmothers silver cuff on- but I really think we’ll be just fine. I can’t see the activity escalating any further, and feel as though it’s mostly resided. I bet we’ll have to burn sage and pray it away every once in a while, but for now things are ok.

Part 43 is here
Listen up. Do you have a gnawing feeling that something isn't right? A gut instinct? Is your intuition leaving you in a state of vigilance? Is your spidey sense tingling? Do you feel like the truth is hidden in plain sight, but you can't quite see it?
You're not alone.
So what is the truth and why won't they just tell us? They aren't going to tell us the truth because most of us can't handle the truth. They experiment on live subjects in the past, but suddenly they've seen the light? Suddenly they've found morality and embraced truth and ethical behavior?

The Stateville Penitentiary Malaria Study was a controlled study of the effects of malaria on the prisoners of Stateville Penitentiary near Joliet, Illinois, beginning in the 1940s. The study was conducted by the Department of Medicine at the University of Chicago in conjunction with the United States Army and the State Department. At the Nuremberg trials, Nazi doctors cited the precedent of the malaria experiments as part of their defense. Link Here

Any day that Nazi Doctors use your experiment as a defense for Nazi medical experiments is not a good day.
Let me show you one other part of the puzzle that you need to read. Let me show you that at some point the money, power, or even the scientific research can detach some individuals from reality.
"A number of years ago, we talked about, 'What if there wasn't clean water? What if there wasn't enough food?" she said on the radio show. "Where might we go? What might we do as a family?' So, I think we should leave those preparations to ourselves." The only thing they did not prepare, however, was the vaccine or a treatment for the virus that would cause a pandemic, though she acknowledged how "lucky" she and her family are to be in a position of privilege when it comes to dealing with COVID-19. "What we mostly talk about now in our home every night is how lucky we are," she continued. "We understand our privilege. When we say our grace at night, what we're thankful for around the table, is that we aren't struggling to put a meal on the table as so many families around the world are." Link Here
Yep. Sure thing Melinda. You guys just sit around the dinner table (like us normal plebs) and talk about how lucky you are to have food. Then you went out and stocked up your basement. Maybe they hoarded all the toilet paper because they're so full of crap they can use TP to wipe their mouths with after they speak. And what a minute, isn’t hoarding food bad? And aren't billionaires just hoarding cash? Different rules for different people, and it makes no difference what they say publicly when it's still just the same crap.
August 7, 2019 | Many of the world's elite, including hedge fund managers, sports stars and tech executives (Bill Gates is rumored to have bunkers at all his properties) have chosen to design their own secret shelters to house their families and staff. Gary Lynch, general manager of Texas-based Rising S Company, says 2016 sales for their custom high-end underground bunkers grew 700% compared to 2015, while overall sales have grown 300% since the November US presidential election alone. Link Here
So which basements were you stocking Bill? I'm betting you stocked all of them. But that article really made it sound like you personally went grocery shopping, didn't it?
And there's that year again, 2015. The same year as the Bird Man plauge doctor video, coronavirus and bats possible pandemic discovered, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing went mainstream, and the Billy Boy pandemic warnings started with a Ted Talk, then the Doomsday Bunkers elite MKultra wealthy segment jumped by 700%.
That's not a good sign.
It's all connected. All of it. We might not know how. Or who's doing what. Or how bad our current ELE events will become, but we need to at least get an outline of the big picture, before the big picture turns into the Main Event.
As far as I'm concerned, there is no possible way our present unexplained mysteries aren't prognosticators of upcoming calamities.
No. Way. At. All.
Let's throw the spotlight back onto our pandemic. It's all plain and simple when you accept the government's and the medical community's word at Face(book) value. Our leaders tell us to Keep Calm and Carry On. Just take two official narrative pills and wait for the vaccine. It's all good. Honestly. Listen. Trust. Obey.

1913 to 1951: Dr. Leo Stanley, chief surgeon at the San Quentin Prison, performed a wide variety of experiments on hundreds of prisoners at San Quentin. Many of the experiments involved testicular implants, where Stanley would take the testicles out of executed prisoners and surgically implant them into living prisoners. In other experiments, he attempted to implant the testicles of rams, goats, and boars into living prisoners. Stanley also performed various eugenics experiments, and forced sterilizations on San Quentin prisoners.[13] Stanley believed that his experiments would rejuvenate old men, control crime (which he believed had biological causes), and prevent the "unfit" from reproducing.

Whelp, at least you could say that Dr. Stanley had the balls to carry out his experiments.
Tuberculosis. Syphilis. Herpes. Influenza. Malaria. The medical society treated us to a rolodex of experiments.

In 1941, at the University of Michigan, virologists Thomas Francis, Jonas Salk and other researchers deliberately infected patients at several Michigan mental institutions with the influenza virus by spraying the virus into their nasal passages.[24] Francis Peyton Rous, based at the Rockefeller Institute and editor of the Journal of Experimental Medicine, wrote the following to Francis regarding the experiments:

It may save you much trouble if you publish your paper... elsewhere than in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. The Journal is under constant scrutiny by the anti-vivisectionists who would not hesitate to play up the fact that you used for your tests human beings of a state institution. That the tests were wholly justified goes without saying.

Wholy justified. Goes without saying. But we would never be so reckless with experiments today, no matter how justified, would we?
NY MAG. March 20

On January 13, less than a week after COVID-19 was identified as the virus behind the outbreak in Wuhan, researchers at Cambridge-based biotech company Moderna proposed a vaccine to fight it. A little over two months later, on Monday morning, a pharmacist in Seattle injected Rebecca Sirull with that vaccine, making her the third person to be injected in a 45-person clinical trial, the first human trial in the country. To rush the vaccine to clinical trial, Moderna skipped animal testing, a somewhat extraordinary measure. Sirull, a healthy 25-year-old editorial coordinator at a research institute, will receive a second injection in a month and have her blood drawn regularly for more than a year. Should the test be successful, the more optimistic estimates suggest that a vaccine could be available in 12 to 18 months. Intelligencer spoke with Sirull about her decision to take part.

Oh. Uhm. OK.

Jill Horowitz stood outside the Quaker Ridge Shopping Center in New Rochelle, N.Y.—an early COVID-19 hotspot—in March, stopping shoppers as they walked into the grocery store. She handed them blue pamphlets soliciting volunteers for a Rockefeller University antibody research study. “I would say, ‘Would you like to help us find a cure?’” says Horowitz, executive director of strategic operations at Rockefeller’s Laboratory of Molecular Immunology. “I didn’t even have to mention coronavirus. This neighborhood was completely subsumed.”

Yessiree ladies and gentlemen, step right up, roll up that sleeve, and get a poke to save all the good folks out there from the pandemic. The one that contaminates surfaces, but now doesn't spread through surfaces. The virus that you don’t need a mask for because a mask will make it worse. The virus you might need a mask for because it wouldn't hurt, but it's not airborne. Put on a darn mask because the virus is airborne. Maybe. But air-conditioning makes COVID-19 worse. So only wear a mask inside. The virus that worsens with pollution, but don't worry about putting on the mask outside. Because if you wear a mask you'll stop the second wave. But there might not be a second wave, it might just be one long continuous wave.
Is anyone else getting the impression that they don't have enough information about the virus to be issuing guidelines yet?
But I'm just being paranoid. I'm sure of it. That was then, and this is now.

Then: In a 1946 to 1948 study in Guatemala, U.S. researchers used prostitutes to infect prison inmates, insane asylum patients, and Guatemalan soldiers with syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases in order to test the effectiveness of penicillin in treating the STDs. They later tried infecting people with "direct inoculations made from syphilis bacteria poured into the men's penises and on forearms and faces that were slightly abraded . . . or in a few cases through spinal punctures". Approximately 700 people were infected as part of the study (including orphan children). The study was sponsored by the Public Health Service, the National Institutes of Health, the Pan American Health Sanitary Bureau (now the World Health Organization's Pan American Health Organization) and the Guatemalan government. The team was led by John Charles Cutler, who later participated in the Tuskegee syphilis experiments. Cutler chose to do the study in Guatemala because he would not have been permitted to do it in the United States. In 2010 when the research was revealed, the U.S. officially apologized to Guatemala for the studies. A lawsuit has been launched against Johns Hopkins University, Bristol-Myers Squibb and the Rockefeller Foundation for alleged involvement in the study.

That is so reassuring as we move forward, isn’t it? And don't give me any that was back then we've changed arguments. We haven't changed at all. Proof? Ok. Let's go.
This is a link to an LA Times article that talks about Bill Gates and his AIDS fight in Africa. You go Bill. Get them vaccines out to the people. You're such a good guy! That's what a New Normal article would say. This isn’t a New Normal article. It's scathing in it's judgment. They may not be dying of AIDS, or just living longer with AIDS, but they are dying due to other factors, which should be easily acquirable with the wealth at Bill's disposal to prevent.
But there was one item that caught my eye. It talked about a Paper Mill that was in a country in Africa, that Bill owned a substantial amount of stock in. This company owned paper mills in North America. Those paper mills were environmentally friendly with little emissions. But not the one in the African Country. Nope. Not at all. That one didn't bother with environmentally friendly processes.
The story goes on to discuss how one of Bill's AIDS treatment recipients lived downwind from this plant and how the fumes we're probably killing him. And what were the fumes?
Hydrogen Sulfide. (Read more at Flatten the Curve) - Part 13
Yes seriously. Treating them for AIDS while downwind from Hydrogen Sulfide. I'm not sure about you, but that sounds like a medical experiment to me. Seriously, the guy that wants to stop climate-change by geo-engineering the planet doesn't use his clout to stop the pollution from a paper plant that he owns stock in. OK. Makes perfect sense, doesn't it?
Yet actually it might. No, seriously, it really might. I've already stated that the virus seems to be activated with environmental toxins. And here we have an ultimate real life laboratory. And what does this real life laboratory research?
Why maybe it researchers Miasma theory? Huh? Yep. Here we go.

The miasma theory is an obsolete medical theory that held that diseases—such as cholera, chlamydia, or the Black Death—were caused by a miasma, a noxious form of "bad air", also known as night air. The theory held that epidemics were caused by miasma, emanating from rotting organic matter.

Rotting organic matter, like at meat plants?
May 7, 2020: www.wired.com | Why Meatpacking Plants Have Become Covid-19 Hot Spots.
June 23, 2020: https://www.bbc.com | Coronavirus: Why have there been so many outbreaks in meat processing plants?
And do you know what else was associated with Miasma Theory? The Bird Man plauge doctor, just like the 2015 "you're all dead" video.
The word miasma comes from ancient Greek and means "pollution". And then we have Covid-19 and pollution.
The idea also gave rise to the name malaria (literally "bad air") through medieval Italian.
Malaria? What? Crazy? Aren't there debunked studies about Malaria drugs working on COVID-19? Nah. Must be fake news. Right? Or fake facts. Or is it fake news reporting fake facts? I'm just so confused.
Does the strangeness end there? Sadly, it doesn't folks. Not at all. Not in this New Normal.
Because Mr. Bill Gates is trying to eradicate tuberculosis.
And, Hydrogen sulfide stimulates Mycobacterium tuberculosis respiration, growth
Back when I looked for information about the pandemic, I noticed something odd, the mortality rate for Covid-19 fluctuated depending on the region. Now I'm not a doctor, but you don’t have to be to read, do you? So I kept looking at the data for similarities. And they were there. Hypoxic or polluted water like lakes or coastlines. Cities with factory polluting emissions. They all led to outbrakes and higher mortality rates.
And then it changed. I saw ourbreak regions with low mortality rates. It didn't make sense, but there had to be a reason. There's always a reason. And as I kept looking at the similarities of low mortality rates something jumped out, a lot of them were still vaccinated for Mycobacterium Tuberculosis.
Yep.
But this is crazy talk Greek! You're just looking for dots and finding a way to connect them. It's just a coincidence that Bill Gates is funding AIDS prevention, an article exists that points out a therapy participant is close to a source of hydrogen sulfide emissions from a company that Billy has stock investments in, and that Billy also has a program to eradicate tuberculosis. Stop seeing patterns where they don't exist. You're freaking people out.
Crap. Perhaps you're right. Maybe I am freaking people out. But let me show you something else. It's something that I noticed about a month after this pandemic was shutting us down. And it didn't make any sense to me at the time. Ready?
www.pnas.org | BCG vaccine protection from severe coronavirus disease 2019 COVID-19.
BCG? What's that?
www.sciencedaily.com | Preliminary study suggests tuberculosis vaccine may be limiting COVID-19 deaths.
And then the studies started backing it up. Even betteworse, they linked it to Hydrogen Sulfide, endogenous not exogenous, but Hydrogen Sulfide is the same no matter if you breathe it in or produce it biologically.
So, yeah. Let's dig.

Endogenous Hydrogen Sulfide stimulates Mycobacterium Tuberculosis respiration, growth, and pathogenesis.

In mammals, H2S elicits a biphasic, concentration-dependent mitochondrial response14, which can be cytotoxic or cytoprotective. For example, at high concentrations H2S reversibly inhibits cytochrome c oxidase (Complex IV)15–17. In contrast, at low concentrations H2S can serve as bioenergetic fuel to stimulate mitochondrial respiration without uncoupling of respiration. Link here

At high concentrations Hydrogen Sulfide can be cytotoxic and reversibly inhibit cytochrome c oxidase. We've followed the White Rabbit and now we're digging. Can't stop now. Won't stop now.

Defects involving genetic mutations altering cytochrome c oxidase (COX) functionality or structure can result in severe, often fatal metabolic disorders.

Disorders involving dysfunctional COX assembly via gene mutations include Leigh syndrome, cardiomyopathy, leukodystrophy, anemia, and sensorineural deafness**.Link here.

Anemia? Like, the Momento movie? Do I have amnesia now and I have to live my life backwards?
Hold on, don't freak out. You don't have amnesia. Self inflicted amnesia induced systemically via behaviorally manipulated echo chambers introduced systemically through social media electronic pathways? Possibly. But this is anemia, and that's another story.

Current management of COVID-19 is based on the premise that respiratory failure is the leading cause of fatalities (Zhou et al., 2020). Nevertheless, mounting evidence points to drastic systemic events taking place that contribute to accelerated COVID-19 pathogenesis. The “cytokine storm” is a notion that is reportedly hailed as the hallmark of the COVID-19 hyper-inflammatory state (Mehta et al., 2020). Consecutive studies linked COVID-19 related hyper-inflammation to systemic events including hypercoagulability, oxidative stress and altered iron metabolism. Mehta et al., 2020, Phua et al., 2020

Hyperinflammatory and altered iron metabolism. Following? Good.

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) has been regarded as an infective-inflammatory disease, which affects mainly lungs. More recently, a multi-organ involvement has been highlighted, with different pathways of injury. A hemoglobinopathy, hypoxia and cell iron overload might have a possible additional role. Scientific literature has pointed out two potential pathophysiological mechanisms: i) severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV- 2) interaction with hemoglobin molecule, through CD147, CD26 and other receptors located on erythrocyte and/or blood cell precursors; ii) hepcidin-mimetic action of a viral spike protein, inducing ferroportin blockage. Link Here.

Hypoxia? Where have I heard that before?

A dangerous symptom of the coronavirus that can cause a patient to fall unconscious or even die is known as hypoxia — when the body’s tissues do not receive enough oxygen. Dr. Richard Levitan, an emergency doctor working in New York City, wrote for the New York Times at the end of April that he has seen COVID-19 patients with “alarmingly low” oxygen levels, but no shortness of breath. He describes this as “silent hypoxia”. These patients had oxygen saturation levels as low as 50 per cent when normal levels are usually at 94 to 100 per cent at sea level, Levitan explained. These patients had oxygen saturation levels as low as 50 per cent when normal levels are usually at 94 to 100 per cent at sea level, Levitan explained.

Low oxygen levels. Dysregulates immune system. Are your They Live sunglasses on? Are plugged into the Matrix or hacking the Matrix?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov | Hydrogen sulfide stimulates Mycobacterium tuberculosis respiration + growth.

Tuberculosis (TB) is responsible for millions of deaths each year and several billion people are latently infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Mtb modulates host factors, such as endogenous gaseous signalling molecules, to persist in humans for decades. H2S has diverse biological functions, including modulation of immunity and cellular respiration. However, the role of H2S in TB is unclear. We found that mice deficient in H2S production are more resistant to Mtb infection than WT mice. Upon infection, Mtb increases host H2S, which suppresses central carbon metabolism and increases inflammation. Distribution of H2S-producing enzymes in human TB lungs showed that H2S is produced at the site of infection. These findings identify glycolysis and H2S-producing enzymes as targets for TB host-directed therapies.

Don't Freak Out like LeChic, but I don't think we're in Kansas anymore Dorothy.
Speaking of Kansas, do you remember the dust storm as the tornado blew in and swept Dorthy to Oz?
The “Godzilla” Saharan dust cloud over the US, explained:

Dust clouds originate in the Sahara, the largest desert in the world outside the poles, and the Sahel, just south of the Sahara. Much of the dust originates in the Bodélé Depression in Chad, an ancient dry lake bed at the threshold of the Sahara and the Sahel. There, convective storms in the early summer whip the dry ground and loft particles of silica, iron, and phosphorous as high as 20,000 feet into the sky. Link Here

And then we have this:

Residents wear face masks to protect themselves from the Saharan dust clouds covering Dakar, Senegal. N95 masks and even surgical masks can help protect people from getting sick from the dust. Breathing dust can trigger problems like asthma attacks and worsen conditions like heart disease. But particles from natural sources can pose some unique threats. “Desert soil can also be contaminated with bacteria and fungal spores or with toxic heavy metal,” Achakulwisut said. “For example, in the US Southwest, dust episodes there have been linked to outbreaks of Valley Fever and arsenic poisoning.” Link Here

Contaminated with bacteria. Guaranteed Anaerobic bacteria. And it carries along metallic compounds. Like this:

**A 2001 study in Limnology and Oceanography suggested that the seasonal windfalls of iron-rich Saharan dust become a banquet for red tides, blooms of algae that spill into the ocean like dye, deplete it of oxygen, and release toxins. Dust clouds can also host unwelcome stowaways. Jun 24, 2020 Link Here.

Red tides. Blooms of algae. Or rather perhaps, Cyanobacteria blooms? All in a dust storm. Maybe we should start wearing masks, right? Don't want to breathe in toxic dust, do we?

But Snake Park is no paradise. For decades the residents have lived with the mine, which they say blows clouds of dust into their homes. Now Snake Park, formally known as Doornkop, is in the sub-district with the highest number of Covid-19 infections in Gauteng. Last week, Gauteng Premier David Makhura linked “cluster outbreaks” on mines, and people moving between them and where they live, to the Covid-19 infections in the western part of Soweto. In 2017, the Bench Marks Foundation, a nonprofit that monitors multinational corporations, released the results of a survey of household health in four mine-affected areas in Soweto. Mine tailings contain heavy metals and chemicals and cause various illnesses, including mental health issues and Down’s Syndrome. The report found that more than two thirds of the respondents in Snake Park complained about respiratory problems, including persistent coughs, sinus issues, asthma and tuberculosis. This year, the August dust storms in Snake Park will coincide with the expected peak of Covid-19 infections in Gauteng.

“We can’t breathe well. This mine is very dangerous. It’s toxic,” Phongoma says, adjusting his bright blue mask. Looking at the mine dump, now glistening in the afternoon sun, he adds: “It’s a bomb. It’s a nuclear weapon — and with this Covid-19 thing, it’s going to explode.” Link Here

Stranger and stranger, isn’t it? So strange that I would venture to say, Stranger Things haven't happened. You might want to read Flatten the Curve Part 39, and what I wrote about Turkmenistan and wearing masks for toxic dust. Link Here
So where are we now? Knowwhere or nowhere? Are you a nobody or a knowbody? Is this picture that I'm painting connecting enough dots for everyone? Does anticipating mass riots in protest of the upcoming environmental collapse, and the wars for natural resources along with it, make the centralization of the economy plus the mass surveillance system make more sense? The masks and facial detection AI improvements? Does ID2020, another Billy Boy project make more sense? The upcoming robotic automation of the workforce? The curtailing of civil rights? Heck, what about the Bill Gates endorsement of impossible meats and the sudden push to vegetarianism? Remember the meat plant shutdowns? Rotting organic matter and Hydrogen Sulfide?
Please remember, Hydrogen Sulfide outgassing is pretty consistent across past Extinction Level Events. Does this mean that all hope is lost? Puhlease. Hope flows abundant. We shut Pandora's Box before hope could escape, remember?
Let me leave you with one final thought. Words matter. Look them up. They know what's happening. They know all of this. The words they use hide it in plain sight.
I've written about Bill's fortuitous investment strategy. How he seemed to hit all the right stocks as the pandemic and environmental collapse strikes. It's mostly hidden in shell companies after shell companies, but it has to start somewhere. And it does. He owns Cascade Investment L.L.C. Link Here
Which: Oct. 22, 2014 · A subsidiary of Cascade Investments LLC, which oversees the Gates fortune, is buying thousands of acres of land in north Florida. Link Here
And what does Cascade mean? Let's look?
cascade (n.)

"a fall or flow of water over a cliff, a waterfall," 1640s, from French cascade (17c.), from Italian cascata "waterfall," from cascare "to fall," from Vulgar Latin casicare, frequentative of Latin casum, casus, past participle of cadere "to fall" (from PIE root kad- "to fall"). cascade (n.) a succession of stages or operations or processes or units;

To prepare. To fall. Interesting choice for a name.

Meteor showers occur when the earth bowls through a dense stream of debris left in the wake of a comet, asteroid, or other space-borne object. Depending on where you look, you may encounter fewer meteors, however. Viewers in the Northern Hemisphere will see shooting stars emanate from the shower’s “radiant” point in the southern sky, meaning the best meteors with the longest tails will be most readily visible in the east and west. A much more spectacular meteor shower — among the year’s most prolific — will pepper the skies with a spattering of bright shooting stars and “fireballs” come mid-August. The Perseid meteor shower peaks the night of Tuesday, Aug. 11. Dozens of shooting stars could be visible beneath a clear sky every hour. Perseid meteors zip across the sky at 37 miles per second. Their diaphanous tails can appear white, orange, yellow, pink, turquoise and even violet, lingering in the sky for a few seconds. The rainbow spectrum of colors come from the combustion of magnesium, sodium and iron. Link Here

Pepper the skies with fireballs. Fall from the skies.

Comet 67P's rotten-egg smell comes from hydrogen sulfide, and the horse-stable odor comes from ammonia. These scents are blended with the fainter almond smell of hydrogen cyanide, the vinegarlike odor of sulphur dioxide and the sweet-smelling scent of carbon disulphide, researchers said. Link Here

Hnmm. It definitely sounds like Bill was getting ahead of the curve before we started to Flatten the Curve, by being a good student and getting prepared before the hoarders bought up all the toilet paper for the upcoming SHTF event.
Wouldn't you agree? Are these all coincidence, or should we pay more attention?
They want us to Keep Calm and Carry On. When do people tell you to remain calm? When you start to panic. So do you really think they would tell us the truth and deal with panicking masses? Or do you think they would hide it?
Hide it in plain sight?
Keep your head up and eyes open. Talk soon.

Spring 2020 Edition’s Thread
(All perspectives are based on the first three episodes of each series unless otherwise noted!)

Deca-Dence

Banjo’s Perspective

Must Watch It
A trawling, mechanical goliath. Creatures filled with important green goo. The era of the post-apocalypse. Deca-Dence combines these three base elements with expert ease, crafting a very promising project from the get-go.
And that statement is true across the board. Natsume leads as a growing protagonist, developing the relationship with her mentor Kaburagi amidst her own flaws and his own troubles. The plot takes on a ton of intrigue that drives it forward with mettle and challenge aplenty. Its themes on escaping the cog-in-a-machine lifestyle find parallels in multiple areas: the contrasting nature of the situation, the free-flowing anti-gravity combat, the control the characters have over their destiny.
Similarly, the production values reach nice heights. From the details and styles of the art itself to the fun designs and reaction faces to the movement and the directing of the scenes, the visuals provide the show another boost. Same goes for the music, effects, and the voice acting on stage.
Truth be told, the anime sits atop a precarious spot, for it has (more so than usual) a high chance of crashing and burning at any given moment when considering the premise. Until then, though, it can rest well knowing that it holds onto some form of opulence.

Another Perspective, courtesy of QBB123XX:

Must Watch It
In a world invaded by hostile creatures, you live inside a huge moving fortress with the remnants of civilisation. Do you accept your predicament, or will you fight for lasting peace?
That is the premise of Deca-dence. The story revolves around Natsume, a young girl. She wishes that the war with the Gadolls would end as soon as possible. Yet, her injuries forced her to be relegated to cleaning the Deca-dence, under Kaburagi's supervision. Determined to fight for humans' survival, she begs Kaburagi to teach her how to fight, thus embarking on a journey for Natsume, Kaburagi and the Deca-dence. The main cast has been outstanding so far. Natsume is very positive and has high hopes for the future. Meanwhile, Kaburagi is down-to-earth, believing that there is no use trying to end the war. These contrasting ideologies make for very interesting interactions between the two and their surroundings. Couple that with funny scenes and facial expressions, and you have a highly engaging show.
The story itself is intriguing too. Despite the common dystopian theme, there are many new elements to make the story refreshing. In fact, Deca-Dence Major Spoilers!
So, if you are a fan of dystopian stories, or want to see how different personalities interact with each other, Deca-dence is the anime for you. Even if you don't, watch an episode or two! You'll be surprised at how much you can enjoy in this anime.

Dokyuu Hentai HxEros

(English Title: SUPER HXEROS)

Banjo’s Perspective

Drop It
You can’t spell “hero” without “ero”, and so Retto, Kirara, and the other forces for good in Dokyuu Hentai HxEros step up to fight for humanity using the only tool for justice they know: an overwhelming sex drive.
The anime takes on the form of a lewd Power Rangers setup. The five color-specific-design leads channel their inner libido to defeat evil monsters who seek to disrupt and ruin the erotic desires of civilization, forcing the world into an emotionless lifestyle. And this campiness works in its favor when Retto’s clothes explode off his body from his sheer might or when the enemies literally die in a single hit without much cause for fanfare.
But the anime doesn’t lean into this campy feeling enough. Not only does the comedy not have enough of that punch but also the ecchi content fails to be either interesting or different to warrant such a ridiculous situation. Not to mention that the uninspired art, the weak music selections, and the lame characters further suppress its chances.
To be fair, Retto and Kirara may go against the norm of this medium with a realized romantic relationship down the line, but that possibility is highly unlikely given the format of the show and their general aptitude for the status quo. That is to say, “ero” is needed to spell “zero”, too.

Another Perspective, courtesy of metalmonstar:

Consider It
Honestly you should wait until the uncensored version before giving it a try. The show is basically ecchi power rangers but the censorship is rampant. Basically an evil race of bug aliens have come to Earth to steal our erotic energy. Luckily for Earth a team of Super Power (horny) teenagers assemble to defeat the invaders. Of course they all live together and with only 1 guy to a group of girls you can bet hijinks will ensue. Wouldn't be ecchi without a harem thrown in. Nothing too complex going on in the show, best to just kind of turn your brain off. As the villains motivation is fairly inconsistent and nonsensical. The power system also makes very little sense when scrutinized. If you are considering it I must reiterate to wait for the uncensored version. Large portions of the show are covered in beams of light, steam, or just outright starbursts. It is pretty disruptive at times. A good example is in one episode the protagonist is looking up a girls skirt (typical ecchi stuff) but all we get to see is a bright light. It takes like 15 seconds of the shot panning before you realize what you are looking at. So if you don't mind ecchi and need something light to watch give it a try.

Gibiate

Banjo’s Perspective

Drop It
In Gibiate, the Gibia monsters have forced humans into hiding as they attack and turn them into more of their grotesque kind. With a potential vaccine on the way, the present time still requires help. So, a samurai, a shinobi, and a monk are whisked from the past and flung to this future to fight the new war.
But this show pretty much has no future. Indeed, this project is going down the route of history (or more specifically infamy) in the making, for its current trajectory pins it as one of the worst anime from recent seasons.
It has a nonsensical plot filled with odd decisions and ridiculous scenarios. The cast are beyond hopeless in their characterizations, personalities, and motivations. Action sequences are a mixture of terrible setups and lackluster events. Comedy and drama fall flatter than chalk on the sidewalk.
Not to mention the horrendous artistry on display. Still frames. Wonky CG. Stiff movements. Off-model representations. Awful camera usage. This hodgepodge of abysmal mishaps and horrible decisions are downright inexcusable. Suffice it to say that the audio pieces fare about the same, what with their ineffective music, bland voice acting, and coarse sounds.
In short, this one deserves only to exist among the other discarded giblets of the medium.

Another Perspective, courtesy of Groenboys:

(Based on the first two episodes)
Drop It
Imagine this: You have an anime about a samurai and a ninja being send into the future in an apocalyptic version of tokio where a virus that turns humans into monsters has infected the whole world and now the samurai and ninja have to fight against the monsters and virus to safe humanity. Well at first the premise sounds like a random word generator having a stroke, it also sounds like the most dumb fun premise ever, but it somehow manages to be ungodly boring.
This is mainly due to the lackluster characters and the awful animation. The characters dont really have a personality and they make really odd decisions that only frustrate the viewer. The voice acting doesnt help either since some dont even sound right for their character designs. And then the animation. It is a slide show with loads of CGI that look like they belong on the PS2. I guess I am supose to be threatened by these CGI monsters but I end feeling nothing for them.
I would be lying if this anime didnt make me laugh at times, but that is because I laughed at the anime, not with it. “So bad that it is good” anime are fun to watch, but this is less “So bad that it is good” and more just bad. Don’t waste your time on this.

Great Pretender

Banjo’s Perspective

Must Watch It
Cunning thieves can make a pretty penny by swindling unsuspecting folks. Makoto Edamura believes himself to be a star in such a field based on his successful exploits. But after a chance encounter here and a forced hand there, Great Pretender finds him in a rather unpredictable place with thrills galore.
This anime has achieved fantastic status already. One can hear it in the audio where the chaotic energy of the jazzy music complements the pace and the fervor of the narrative extremely well. One can see it in the artistry when the colorful setting and the awesome cinematography create splendor on the screen. One can feel it in the clever storybeats that test the acuity of the audience currently watching.
The show doesn’t stop. The main cast have distinct strengths and charisma that fit the tone and the purpose of the plot. It blends dramatic backstory and comedic timing without worries. And its thematic basis on truth and truths reinforces both the characters and the story at large.
It’s mature. It’s fun. It’s interesting. With top-tier execution every which way, there’s no need to pretend about the greatness of this project.

Another Perspective, courtesy of SmurfRockRune:

Must Watch It
“Great Pretender is one of the most underwatched anime I’ve ever seen in my time watching airing anime. Everything about it is just fantastic, from the characters, the plot, and even the production values.
The story follows a group of conmen as they try to pull off a heist against a mob boss, stealing a lot of his money in the process, but constant hurdles get in their way making it way harder than it would appear to be. This show will keep you on the edge of your seat constantly as you’re trying to figure out how the characters could possibly get themselves out of each bind, as they just keep getting pulled further and further into this lie they’ve weaved for themselves.
In addition to the tension, the show Great Pretender Spoilers and am continuously blown away by the schemes that the mastermind Laurent pulls off, even if they don’t all work immediately. You will never know just how much planning and preparation he’s done in advance until it all hits you like a truck.
So definitely watch Great Pretender. It’s a shame it’s stuck in Netflix jail where it will never be as appreciated as it should be, but it’s worth it 100%. It’ll be on Netflix outside of Japan on August 20th if you would rather wait for a legal way to stream it.”
And also, it has a Freddie Mercury song as the ED.

Kanojo, Okarishimasu

(English Title: Rent-A-Girlfriend)

Banjo’s Perspective

Watch It
Being in love often brings happiness and joy. However, when that love is lost or not reciprocated, darker thoughts usually win over. Kazuya Kinoshita is experiencing the latter circumstance, and so, refusing to wallow in complete despair, he rents himself a new girlfriend. Thus begins Kanojo, Okarishimasu.
The anime is doing things right. A college environment brings in a more mature, more realistic environment for the scenes and the relationships to play out. Moreover, the designs for the ladies are no doubt attractive. And, perhaps best of all, Kazuya is a peculiar person due to his major thematic roots in loneliness and failure while he upholds his “loser” status as a dejected, disheartened, and damaged individual.
But it’s also doing things wrong. The number of conveniences and just-so-happens are off the charts, causing many plot woes and eyebrow-raising moments. It also doesn’t help that the comedy doesn’t quite counterbalance the drama and tension going on.
Yet it goes back to doing things right with the unabashed portrayal of “frustrations”, a clear motif on facades, and the palpable second-hand embarrassment that fills the air. Some good voice-acting performances and music offerings further improve the show’s chances.
This combination of right and wrong is rather volatile and can explode in either direction indefinitely depending on its next few choices and inclusions. For now, though, it’s at least worth renting.

Another Perspective, courtesy of DoctorWhoops:

Consider It
At first glance, you might be inclined to write off ‘Kanojo, Okarishimasu’ as a romcom harem that, like most others, is filled with girls slowly falling in love with a loser protagonist, a narrative carried by misunderstandings, and loads of semi-sexual implications.
Saying ‘Kanojo, Okarishimasu’ is nothing like that would be a lie, but there is appeal in the series even if you’re not into that (like me). Being about rental girlfriends, ‘Kanojo, Okarishimasu’ does a pretty decent job of portraying the protagonist’s desperation for romantic contact, and the social pressure at that age to be romantically- and sexually active. The protagonist's self-loathing and self-awareness for using the service clashes with the feelings that led him to use it in the first place, which is decently well-portrayed.
This aspect is what makes ‘Kanojo, Okarishimasu’ somewhat notable, in addition to its decent presentation. Its bearing on the narrative is minor but prominent enough that I can appreciate it, even if it means sitting through the show’s more mediocre romcom/harem aspects. These other aspects are pretty decent considering the low standard for this type of show, but are unlikely to carry it for you. Three episodes in I’m not confident it’s worth finishing (as it could go downhill), but if my description above sounds reasonably appealing then I’d say at least try it. You might surprise yourself.

Another Perspective, courtesy of Hurttrain:

Watch It
Rom-com that is based around falling in love with an escort. This one isn't set in high school which gives it a breathe of fresh air, but still has lots of typical Rom-com scenes. Another bonus is one of the love interests dislikes the protagonist, but not in the tsundere way. This is the main item that item that could bump this anime from a watch it to a must watch for Rom-com fans. The two main characters don't bring anything new to Rom-com, but seeing how they react to this wrench being dropped into the system will be interesting. The animation, sound, and music are all lovely, but they are not rememberable. It is all crisp and clean but doesn't push or test any boundaries. There are some scenes where the texturized background, the sort that the American show Chowder was known for, is used and it feels off, but not terribly so. The story and pacing are set at a regular speed for a Rom-com, and would feel very natural for those who enjoy the genre.
If you like Rom-coms you will enjoy this piece, if you dislike them this will not be the show for you

Koi to Producer: EVOLxLOVE

(English Title: Mr. Love: Queen’s Choice)

Banjo’s Perspective

Drop It
Watashi, an independent woman leading a myth-centric television program in lieu of her passed father, requires a new concept to keep their struggling ratings afloat. Simultaneously, she learns of so-called EVOL users who have impossible abilities during everyday life. Coincidentally, Koi to Producer EVOLxLOVE has her crossing paths with this unknown side in her determined pursuit.
Sadly, while the show earns points for the attractive designs of the men and a clean setup for its art, much of the rest of the show does not impress.
Watashi is a weak lead who contributes very little with her actions or on a writing front. Those four main men likewise seem less like strong characters and more akin to partitioned cutouts that fit a quota. The slight supernatural angle isn’t misplaced, but the events and the situations surrounding them are not all that entertaining.
Other problems include other major items. Mediocre thematic ideas. Forgettable music. A boring mystery plot. While the anime may have a pretty outer layer, digging deeper here simply reveals that there’s not enough strength to carry its choices, queen or no.

Another Perspective, courtesy of punching_spaghetti:

Watch It
The phrase "adapted from a Chinese mobile VN" might not inspire confidence, but the fine people over at MAPPA have taken the source and turned it into a weekly bit of soapy fun. Our protagonist Watashi is a smart girl with a wardrobe of cute outfits, and the four male leads (a brusque CEO, a cop who doesn't play by the rules, a pop star, and a genius scientist), all easy on the eyes in the typical reverse harem way, provide fun interactions with Watashi and even have a few secrets for us to discover.
Add to this an intriguing, slow burn mystery plot about people who have access to a special power called EVOL, Watashi's struggles to keep her late father's internet show about the supernatural and unexplained afloat while forging her own path as a business woman, and an easy to look at visual style, and you have the recipe for a solid, entertaining show. This won't be the best show of the season, but I'll easily consider it overlooked if it stays the course.
At the very least, you can tune in for your weekly dose of demeaning Tomokazu Sugita.

Lapis Re:LiGHTs

Banjo’s Perspective

Consider It
In a rustic land of fantasy and magic, Lapis Re:LiGHTs follows a girl named Tiara who has traveled from abroad to study at a prestigious academy. There, she teams with her childhood friend and a set of eccentric ladies, building friendships and discovering her path in life.
Maybe surprisingly, the anime has been rather deliberate in its first three episodes. It has taken the time to build its world by showing off various magic uses, provided a look into the setting itself, and brought in more side characters and bonds between the cast. Doing so has established a neat trampoline from which the narrative will surely bounce off of for the remainder of the season.
Yet the major drawback right now stems from that trampoline possibly not providing enough height. That is, there’s been an awkward handling of what is meant (or at least what appears) to be the focused premise of the show: idols. Hints and displays of this focus have occurred, but, since it has not been incorporated into the crux of the story, the entire show comes off as a barely average slice-of-life anime instead.
Thankfully, the visuals, the comedic script, and what music has been heard bolster the trampoline, lighting the way for a positive experience should it find its footing.

Another Perspective, courtesy of jackachu100:

Watch It
Lapis Re:LiGHTs bills itself as a show that “blends fantasy, magical girl, and idol elements”. So far, it’s leaning more towards a CGDCT show with magic than an idol one. The show follows Tiara who has travelled to Mamkestell in hopes of joining Flora Girls’ Academy. There she reunites with an old friend, Rosetta, joins her group of friends, and CGDCT antics occur.
A CGDCT show heavily relies on its cast and while Lapis’s characters are fairly archetypal, they all feel unique and fun. The show has a large cast that gets introduced at a very fast pace, which is a bit overwhelming. The supporting characters have each had some funny moments and the main casts’ antics have been great fun. The world itself is just unique enough to be interesting.
The overall production values of Lapis have been mostly great so far. The character designs are all unique and really stand out with the beautiful art style. The backgrounds are stunning, showcasing a range of architecture at both the academy and the Mediterranean-inspired buildings of Mamkestell. The OST is great both on the BGM and idol side of things. The show walks a fine line between being generic and uninteresting, and an enjoyable show that’s great fun to watch. Personally, it lies on the latter side, but I could easily see it going the other way for people.

Maou Gakuin no Futekigousha: Shijou Saikyou no Maou no Shiso Tensei shite Shison-tachi no Gakkou e

(English Title: The Misfit of Demon King Academy)

Banjo’s Perspective

Consider It
Anos Voldigoad was the once and future ruler of the demon forces 2000 years ago. He still is, too, for his reincarnation has finally occurred. In this era, people do not know his name, but that matters not to him as he will make them remember in Maou Gakuin no Futekiousha.
Indeed, it’s almost impossible to ignore when his methods exceed the capabilities of everyone nearby. That’s not an understatement; Anos is one of the most overpowered dudes ever. It results in ludicrous moments that are fun to watch and in some comedic asides that work as a contrast to the dark tone of the show.
But it also damages the plot because, despite his actions, nobody seems to understand or to care that the person they’ve been searching for has blatantly appeared. Even disregarding this odd sidestep, Misha and Sasha, the main female leads, are nowhere near as intriguing as the show would have the audience believe.
Nevertheless, the anime boasts good lighting for its scenes, and his parents make for nice supporting cast members that keep the anime grounded, even if only a teeny tiny bit. Altogether, this anime remains at the minimum entertaining for now, avoiding a misfit label.

Another Perspective, courtesy of Tavera27:

Watch It
As a new season comes out, we find ourselves once again submerged into a fantasy world. After 2000 years, the Demon King Anos Voldigold has finally reincarnated and went to the academy for Demon King candidates, but to his surprise, he was found “inadequate”. Now Anos will have to use all of his power and knowledge to once again, make himself the demon king.
Anos is OP and he knows it, he has that face of “no one can even make me tear a sweat” and it becomes really fun to watch how he is better than everyone at everything, he’d beat the strongest student easily and would correct a teacher for making mistakes. He just knows everything and does it better than everyone, even though he is inadequate. This is one of the few times where it doesn´t matter that the main character has an absurd power, it is pretty hilarious to see him just how he is, a cynic, honest, loving, over powered (emphasis on over powered) demon.
Without a doubt it is really fun to watch and you get to emphasize with Anos and his ideals, lets say he is not what one could expect from a Demon King these days. If you take on this journey you will be laughing out loud and will enjoy it to its final minutes.

Monster Musume no Oishasan

(English Title: Monster Girl Doctor)

Banjo’s Perspective

Drop It
In another land and another time, humans and monsters coexist in peaceful harmony. Glenn (a human) and Saphentite (a lamia) prove this statement at their clinic where he works as a doctor and she works as his assistant. Together, they look after various monsters and their well-being, giving Monster Musume no Oishasan its apt title.
Admittedly, the show holds onto some interest with its descriptions and procedures related to the many animal terms and biology that the two handle. While not exactly educational or thorough, there’s knowledge to learn. If nothing else, their explanations curate some world-building opportunities.
But that’s about it; the rest of the anime flatlines. Glenn is far too straightforward of a protagonist with his low emotions. Saphentite and the other monsters are similarly tiresome and below-average. Its artistic direction is a bit rough in spots. The sparse ecchi content is neither erotic nor relevant. Narrative aspects like comedy and drama are an afterthought.
There are simply too many negatives piled onto this project, keeping health professionals away with or without apples.

Another Perspective, courtesy of Stalwartheart:

Consider It
“When talking to my Dungeons and Dragons group after a session, we stumbled upon the topic of a daily life of a werewolf. Would their hands burn if they touched silver coins? Would they ask restaurant staff if they used silver cutlery like an allergy? These “what if” scenarios are what drew me into this show. This is the main premise of Monster Girl Doctor, “What would a doctor’s visit be like for a non-human creature?” This harem, slice of life, borderline ecchi show is more than simply fan-service to the monster girl community; despite offering that in spades. You will find world building that answers the niche questions of what living as a non-human creature is like. The formula for this show is pretty clear from the get-go: Dr. Glenn Leitbeit and his lamia assistant Saphentite Neikes (who is clearly in love with him), help monster girls every episode; exploring medical issues that plague them. The monster girl falls for him too, rinse, repeat. The good doctor is either fantastically good at deflecting every girl’s advances or blind as a bat. While this pattern is predictable, the interesting world building surrounding the girl’s lives are enough to keep me satisfied. If you can overlook the fanservice for what it is, ask yourself “what would life be like as a ____?” and give this show a try.”

Peter Grill to Kenja no Jikan

(English Title: Peter Grill and the Philosopher’s Time)

Banjo’s Perspective

Drop It
Peter Grill to Kenja no Jikan stars the titular Peter Grill, the newly crowned strongest man in the world. By winning the tournament, he believes he has certainly secured his future with Luvelia, the love of his life. However, other women from other races have learned of his victory, and so they seek him out for their own genealogical desires.
At about twelve minutes per episode, the anime has a quick runtime that does help in keeping events on topic and to the point. It can even get some comedy going with its willingness to be more upfront with sex or with particular characters such as Luvelia’s insanely protective father.
Otherwise, the show has a tough time justifying its numerous other decisions. The premise itself is rather bizarre and off-putting with just how aggressive and mean-spirited the advances reach, especially when his romantic relationship is not only established but also understood by the other women. Moreover, the legitimate ecchi content is tacked on and devoid of staying power despite the length of the episodes. And both the visual and the audio quality aren’t anything noteworthy whatsoever.
So, in this case, there’s no need to spend time musing over the philosophy of this show.

Another Perspective, courtesy of Almondweeb:

Drop It
“To preface this review, I am going to critique this as I would with Interspecies Reviewers – not as a hentai but an anime. Lets start off with what I liked. The guildmaster / dad is funny.
Now onto what I disliked about the show. All of the other characters and the (nonexistent) plot. Unless you really like the sex scenes that make up 7-8 minutes of the 12 minute episodes, I can’t recommend it. This is coming from someone who loved Interspecies reviewers, because the sex scenes were important to the story and world, and not just fanservice.
Now to address the biggest issue I have with this show, rape. Because Peter is the strongest man in the world, every lady lusts for his seed. He has no interest however, because he has a fiance. So they blackmail or straight up rape him in his sleep. Now rape scenes in general don’t inherently condemn a show, take Goblin’s Slayer rape scene; Goblin Slayer Spoilers Same with Plunderers panty peaking scenes, as it not only sets up initial dislike for the main character, but also Plunderer Spoilers. Those anime show off scenes in a way that actually add substance, as apposed to this show which is glorifying it.”
Thank you all for reading my first ever hentai review.

The God of High School

Banjo’s Perspective

Drop It
Only the best fighters in the world have a shot at claiming total victory within the The God of High School as techniques and stances clash in tournament-duel fashion. The winner will have their wish granted, and the trio of Jin, Han, and Yu will do what they can to see their dream become a reality.
To its credit, the project contains a lot of nice art for the designs and neat animation for the sparring and choreographies at play. Nevertheless, this all-style-no-substance anime cannot deliver in its other areas.
That’s by its own design, for the show foregoes a substantial story in favor of a bunch of fights stringed together one after another. The pacing is way too fast for its own good, skipping over narrative tidbits or ruining buildup for the battles (or both). In turn, powers are all over the place and lacking proper comparisons. Which then causes the main and side characters to miss out on stronger foundations. And so on and so forth.
Arguably, it can teeter into outright disaster territory if the quality of the fighting ever dips later in the season. It’s not quite at such a bottom-of-the-barrel level yet. But, with tacky, overt in-universe ads for “Webtoon” and “Crunchyroll” acting as ominous flags already, it is on the floor, praying to a higher being for much-needed guidance.

Another Perspective, courtesy of rip_intonation:

Must Watch It
This anime follows Mori Jin, a Korean high schooler, and his two friends Daewi Han and Mira Yoo, as they battle it out in a fierce martial arts competition—The God of High School—for the chance to have their greatest wish realized. However, this competition seems to be hiding something far more sinister...
From the start, we are introduced to Mori Jin, our main character, and we are instantly hit with the two other important characters in the series (quite literally). GOHS doesn't waste its time to establish that, yes, this is a fighting anime, and there's going to be a lot of it. Yes, not that much has really come together story-wise, but we're shown small moments that foreshadow some potentially big events in the near future.
The animation is fluid and the fight scenes are beautifully constructed (no less from MAPPA). With each punch, throw, and kick executed, you can really feel the weight behind each movement, which brings it all to life.
Of course, as another webtoon adaptation, GOHS gets compared to TOG from the spring season. I can tell you for a fact that GOHS is much more promising, and seems to be doing a better job at fully adapting the webtoon into an anime.
Whether you're an anime only or a reader of the webtoon, you'll definitely enjoy watching this fun and action-packed adaptation.

Uzaki-chan wa Asobitai!

(English Title: Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out!)

Banjo’s Perspective

Consider It
Shinichi Sakurai has no qualms with his lonesome college experience – but Hana Uzaki cares a lot. So, as the title Uzaki-chan wa Asobitai! describes, she goes really out of her way to meetup with, talk to, or otherwise befriend him (much to his chagrin) with her never-ending teasing nature.
A slice-of-life format follows these two disparate personalities, their feuds fueling the comedy as they go about their daily activities. It’s quite simple, but this simplicity works, if only because the supporting characters don’t get in the way, the grounded, university setting aims for realism and maturity, and they have good chemistry together (even if a romantic pairing is so beyond unlikely to happen given the focus and intent).
Uzaki herself can be seen as intrusive, but her heart is in the right place. Shinichi can sometimes be harsh, but he still appreciates what she does for him (when she isn’t being completely obtuse). In combination, they create a bunch of cute scenes that again aid the anime.
Average art, missing themes, and a stretched runtime work against this project. However, solid voice acting, visual meta jokes, and modest ecchi content ensure that hanging out with it may, in fact, be an okay want.

Another Perspective, courtesy of saxman2112:

Watch It
“Hana Uzaki is excited to start her freshman year when she bumps into Shinichi Sakurai, her senior by one year who she knew in high school. While Uzaki is excited for the college experience she notices that Sakurai spends his time being a loner and not participating in college life. After a montage year goes by Uzaki is determined to hang out with Sakurai to help him become less introverted.
I started this show because of memes, expecting it to rely entirely on ‘hurr durr oppai.’ While that is still present to some degree, Uzaki-chan is actually a strong character driven show. To some, Uzaki-chan is a bully, but she clearly cares for Sakurai and values their friendship. Uzaki is still a bit childish, which some interpret as bullying, but I find her teasing adorable. Sakurai, on the other hand, intimidates people with his stony gaze, but also has goals and emotions he merely keeps to himself. This juxtaposition of extroversion and introversion drives the plot and their adventures. Uzaki and Sakurai bicker constantly, but they are also positive influences on each other, pushing each other toward being well-rounded adults.
These characters feel real, more real than a lot of SOL shows, which makes me want to follow their innocuous fighting as they grow and develop as people.”
Banjo's Top Three Picks:
1 Great Pretender
2 Deca-Dence
3 Kanojo, Okarishimasu
Volunteer Consensus:
(General estimation based off every potential volunteer and their feelings across all anime)
Tier 1 (Mostly “Must Watch It” Range):
Great Pretender
Tier 2 (Mostly “Watch It” Range):
Deca-Dence
Tier 3 (Mostly “Consider It” Range):
Maou Gakuin no Futekigousha: Shijou Saikyou no Maou no Shiso Tensei shite Shison-tachi no Gakkou e
Uzaki-chan wa Asobitai!
The God of High School
Kanojo, Okarishimasu
Lapis Re:LiGHTs
Monster Musume no Oishasan
Dokyuu Hentai HxEros
Tier 4 (Mostly “Drop It” Range):
Peter Grill to Kenja no Jikan
Gibiate
Thank you so much for reading!
Also, give the volunteers a round of applause for their efforts!!
I hope that the community continues to enjoy this Summer 2020 anime season to its fullest!!! :3

Audio-Drama.com is an online directory of audio drama and spoken word websites, with at least one new link added to it each day. As of this post, there are 5,000 published articles. Here are the newest articles from the previous week:

1. Pirateers (Full Cast Children's Thriller Series) Enjoy humor, adventure, and drama in this fun mini-series starring two swashbuckling pirates as they venture to find hidden treasure. What they'll find will be worth more than either of them imagined...
2. Seen and Not Heard (Full Cast Drama Series) What happens when you lose something you thought you'd always have? What happens when the thing you lose is one of your senses? Bet Kline is deaf. That wasn't the case a year ago. Now that her life has been upended, she has to figure out how to carve out a new path for herself and navigate her way down it. Easier said than done.
3. Short Stories of Augie Peterson (Narrated Multigenre Anthology) Because I am an indecisive sack of potatoes that changes my mind on the regular, this show is more than just one kind of content. Rather, it's a dumping ground for whatever creative endeavor strikes my fancy at the moment. High quality sound design, audio drama, sarcasm, and more await you within this library. Enjoy!
4. Hope and Red (Narrated Fantasy Series) Hope and Red is an action-packed audio epic fantasy about an empire on the brink of war, a warrior on the path of revenge, a necromancer on the hunt for power, and a thief who's really just trying to stay alive. Read by the author Jon Skovron. Produced by Orbit and Hachette Audio.
5. Nowhere, On Air (Narrated Horror Comedy Series) Semi-late night community radio broadcasts from a strange little town in the Crowsnest Pass, Alberta (aka, not just the middle of nowhere, but nowhere itself). Nothing ever happens here. Certainly nothing weird. Why would you even suggest that? If you like mysteries, conspiracies, the absurd, Canadians, and what is probably the podcast equivalent of a "b" movie, Braedon, Alberta might be the place for you!
6. Retro Static Radio (Full Cast Multigenre Anthology) Retro Static Radio is proud to bring a revival of old time radio to modern audiences. Re-recording and bringing new life to old standards such as Suspense, Duffy's Tavern and even The Lone Ranger!
7. North West Footwear Database (Narrated Science Fiction Series) Stories from a strange institution hidden in the Peak District.
8. HYPNOPOLIS (Full Cast Science Fiction Series) During six exciting episodes with a playing time of 120 minutes, the international production takes you on a thrilling adventure into the year 2063. Journalist Hope Reiser is woken from a thirty-year sleep penalty she has served for the murder of her husband. But she is convinced of her innocence. During her stasis, she has barely aged and now has to find her way in this completely alien future, fighting for her past!
9. The Singularity (Full Cast Science Fiction Series) The Singularity Audio Drama takes us into unknown time, but a time not so different from our own, where an oppressive physical and psychological wall separates humanity from itself and a totalitarian entity known as The Singularity controls all means of expression and interaction. With the resurfacing of a long lost prophecy, a new era of consciousness will ignite a movement that may allow the world to see and understand itself for the first time in a brand new light.
10. Echoes Of The Knight (Full Cast Superhero Series) Echoes of The Knight Is a Non-Profit Fan Made Batman Audio Drama inspired by the Golden Age roots of the character, and seeks to give new talent the chance to tell unique Batman stories in a format relatively unexplored by the Dark Knight.
11. Wizard Seeking Wizard (Full Cast Fantasy Comedy Series) A wizard dating podcast featuring community-submitted wizards and their personal ads where YOU get to vote on who dates who! Hosted by Chemistro the Match Mage and Cupid the Hawk from the depths of their crystal prison.
12. That Night On Venom (Full Cast Science Fiction Series) Andross have once again waged war on the Lylat System! General Pepper, commander of the allied Cornerian Forces, has turned to the Star Fox team as his last resort for turning the tides of war. Fox and the team have accepted the mission and begin planning their attack on Andross.
13. The Hidden Frequencies (Full Cast Science Fiction Horror Anthology) The Hidden Frequencies podcast is an original science fiction, horror anthology of half-hour audio dramas performed by some of the top names in animation and video game voiceovers. Each episode is crafted by professional writers and is designed to both evoke the familiar feel of watching classic shows like The Twilight Zone and Tales From the Dark Side.
14. The Case Files of Donovan Thane (Full Cast Horror Thriller Series) Vampire Detective Donovan Thane takes on any case. Even those of the macabre and other worldly.
15. The Storyteller Series (Narrated Multigenre Anthology) The Storyteller Series is a podcast bringing back classic radio theatre featuring engaging storytelling delivered to you monthly. From narrated tales to character driven stories performed by multiple voice actors. All will bring you on an audible journey.
16. Twenty Percent True (Narrated Multigenre Anthology) A short story every episode. A monster every episode.
17. Richard Powers: American Hero (Narrated Comedy Thriller Series) Richard Powers: American Hero is an original audio drama based on the novel Richard Powers: American Hero by Ryan M. Ziehnert. Richard Powers is a retired Black Ops Sargent, or Green Beret officer, or whatever, with a dead wife and son who refuses to speak with him. He spends most nights at his local watering hole drinking himself to death, and trying to forget what he has done in the past. Well at least he did, until Jenny arrived. Follow along as Dick Powers lays waste to some bad dudes and tries to save Jenny's son, Henry, from some totally bad hombres.
18. Mind's Eye (Full Cast Thriller Series) The scariest monsters are those hiding inside our own minds... Plagued by nightmares, homicide detective Kate McClay enlists her radio-journalist husband get to the bottom of her horrifying dreams. In the process, Kate fights against psychology, unsolved crimes, her own family, and even a serial killer. Will Kate's dreams ever end? Or is her nightmare just beginning?
19. The Shadow of the Hook (Narrated Children's Fantasy Series) Wolfgang Wimmers reads The Shadow of the Hook - a fantasy novel for children 8+ and for those few adults that haven't forgotten that magic (and mayhem) truly exist... in the hidden. A most daring adventure; join Oskar and his sister, Rosa as they help two new friends - Ash (a broken-winged fairy) and Quilby (a young gnomeling wizard) escape from their pursuer, the Grobble - a crazed and vicious troll with only one thing on his mind... to make fairy and gnomeling stew!! May contain scary elements, heroic bravery and traces of nuts.
20. Psupers (Full Cast Science Fiction Series) Psupers is an audio drama detailing the life of Shawn Douglas, who, after discovering he is part of a group of people known as "Homo Contra Naturam" who are gifted with special abilities, must try and survive in a world that despises him.
21. Fantastique (Narrated Multigenre Anthology) Fantastique is a podcast of original stories written and recorded by me, Jason Beckom. As the tagline says, these are stories of wonder, dread, and hope. The fantastique genre is a french genre that focuses mostly on injecting unexplainable fantasy, sci-fi, or horror elements into a realist setting. The protagonists often face profound feelings of wonder, fear, or existential confusion. The endings are sometimes good, sometimes bad, and sometimes entirely unresolved. Not every story will follow this perfectly, but I am glad to be able to share them with you.
22. The Disappearance of Cedar Hills (Full Cast Science Fiction Mystery Series) Broadcasting from The Orion Theatre, Orion Radio presents The Disappearance of Cedar Hills. Join us as we dive into the long lost tapes of famous Private Investigator, Thomas Larson as he explores the mysterious town of Cedar Hills.
23. Blackwater Falls (Full Cast Horror Mystery Series) Step into the shoes of Nate Prescott as he journeys to the mysterious town of Blackwater Falls, Vermont in search of his missing sister, Raye. Questions and chaos ensue upon arrival as the quest to find Raye might not be as easy and straightforward as Nate first thought...
24. Wander (Full Cast Mystery Thriller Series) An unregistered mobile app, mysterious deaths across the country and a young woman's search for answers.
25. Voyage of the Oeverwal (Full Cast Comedy Series) The year: 1530. The Earth: Flat. The Captain: An idiot. In an effort to prove the new round earth theory wrong and maintain the status quo, Philip the Handsome, Lord of the Netherlands, sends his illegitimate son Polder Van Dijk on a journey to discover the edge of the Earth. With his loyal crew, and a hopeless misunderstanding of how carrier pigeons work, Polder navigates cannibals, a kraken, the Turkish armada, the french fleet, the halls of science, Dutch baked treats, and a giant angry quokka before finding himself face to face with a grim truth about himself and his world.

Feel free to discuss any of these shows or comment about Audio-Drama.com. Note that the website is currently in the process of being redesigned, so some functionality is limited and pages may look different from one another. I always welcome any questions or feedback.
Previous weekly Audio-Drama.com links

Honestly, if you don’t ship them together, I respect that. If JackxJerry isn’t your bag, feel absolutely free to ignore this. But I just want to share this for the ones that do/is definitely their bag. Thanks to those in PG, you know who you are. :)
Reasons Jack and Jerry Should (And Will) End Up Together
Jack x Jerry Volume 1 Jack is Jerry’s favorite target for his cult ideology pitch. “After she shot him down, the cultist turned his attention to his favorite target. Me.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume One, Page 46) When upset at being abandoned, Jerry specifically asks for Jack, despite barely knowing him. “‘Not really sure. He came in a few hours ago, already like that. I can’t get him to stop crying long enough to figure out what happened. It’s really been bumming me out. Glad you’re finally here. Maybe you can do something about it?’ ‘Me?’ I asked. ‘What am I supposed to do?’ ‘I don’t know, but he was asking for you when he first came in. Before he got too blubbery to understand.’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume One, Page 135) Jerry wears one of Jack’s shirts. “I turned back to the cultist and noticed he was now wearing one of my old T-shirts, a plain burgundy long sleeve crewneck that was one size too small for him.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume One, Page 178) Jerry is able to convince Jack to open the package from his “Biggest Fan”. Jack takes his advice despite, again, barely knowing him. “‘Oh. I’m not really sure. Somebody sent it to me. I’ve pretty much decided I’m not going to open it though.’ ‘Then why are you keeping it?‘ I consider this question for a second. He had a good point. I probably could’ve thrown it out or let the mailman return it to its sender or set it on fire, but I hadn’t done any of those things. ‘I don’t know.’ ‘You should open it.’ ‘Yeah, okay.’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume One, Page 179) Jack almost falls when being shoved by Tony, but Jerry helps him. “Tony shoved me forward so hard I nearly fell on my face, but Marboro caught me and helped me along.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume One, Page 298) Jerry brings Jack a “Get Well” balloon and sneaks in his journal. “... and Marboro hitched a ride to do the same. The former cultures brought me an inflated balloon, red with ‘get better soon’ drawn on the side and sharpie… before they left, Marlborough covertly handed me a brown paper bag and whispered, “B.T. Dubs, I snuck this in here for ya. Snatched it up before the feds arrived to bag and tag everything.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume One, Page 207) Jerry saves Jack from the hole. “Marlboro dragged in our ladder from out back and used to get down into my hole where (according to his account of events) I was literally dead and he had to use CPR to revive me… How much of his story was “true” is anybody’s guess, but I’m willing to take a lot on faith. I vaguely remember being annoyed when I heard him telling me to ‘wake up, dude’ at the bottom of the hole, but any other memories concerning the rest of that night would be forever lost to me.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume One, Pages 232-233) Jerry distracts/beats up Tony to help Jack escape. “I hit the dirt hard, landing right in my back, and as soon as I was down I noticed something Tony obviously did not… [he] was standing in the center of an ant bed, and an army of the red warriors were climbing over one another to get up his leg. Suddenly it became clear why Marlboro was steering us all a few steps closer to the hole. He had orchestrated this.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume One, Page 301) “He swatted at the ants on his leg, and Marlboro reached past me, grabbed one of my crutches by the base, and swung it like a baseball bat. CRACK! Blood sprayed from Tony’s face, and he collapsed backwards.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume One, Page 301) Jack tells Jerry to go, to save himself, but Jerry takes a bullet for Jack, helping him escape from Tony. “‘Just get out of here,’ I screamed at him. ‘Save yourself. No point in both of us dying.’ He yelled back, ‘You keep going. I’m gonna lead him back the other way. He can’t chase both of us.’ Bang! His eyes suddenly got a little wider. I didn’t really want to ask, but I did. ‘Um, did he just…’ Marlboro reached his left hand over to his right shoulder to a place on his back and winched, then he pulled it back around and we both looked at the dark red liquid coating it.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume One, Page 302) “I could see the ghosts of my breath, and they reminded me how Marlboro had foolishly gone out of his way to save what little was left of my life before taking a bullet for his effort… I owed it to the man who sacrificed himself to at least try and get out of this.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume One, Pages 305-306) Jack feels guilty when Jerry does this for him. “There was no more room left in my mental vault of try-and-forget memories. I had to own it. That idiot died for nothing, and it was all my fault.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume One, Page 306) Jack smuggles alcohol in for Jerry and apologizes to him, and Jerry apologizing for missing his shift. “I smuggled a six pack of Schmitz tall boys into the hospital room, per his request… After a day in intensive care, he called me at the gas station to apologize for missing his shift. I told him how sorry I was for leaving him out there and explained how I totally thought he was dead, but he just shrugged it off and told me that he thought I was dead too. He was back at work the next day.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume One, Page 314)
Volume 2 It’s important to Jack for Jerry to know that he doesn’t believe he killed Vanessa. “‘ Hey, I want you to know that I don’t think you’re a killer.‘... ‘No, I meant in real life. I don’t think you killed Vanessa.’ … I could feel his eyes on me now. ‘Thanks?’ … ‘Because seriously, I don’t see you killing anybody. Even though you were a member of that murder cult. I don’t think you would. Not that you couldn’t. I mean I think you were more than capable of doing it. I bet you probably have all the requisite tools and technical know-how to be an awesome serial killer if that’s what you wanted to do. But I don’t think it’s your style to befriend someone and play video games with them and then murder them and steal their game. Or at least, if you did, you probably wouldn’t keep it a secret. You’d be much more likely to brag about it.’ … ‘Wow, this is turning into a mess, huh? Look, I’m bad at these kinds of things. I know it’s not much of a surprise, but I don’t actually have that many friends. I mean, I was kind of friends with Tom before he died. And Tony, before he died. And Vanessa, too, for a little while there. My point is, I don’t have a whole lot of practice talking to people other than customers and members of law enforcement. Honestly, I’m pretty sure my shrink hates me, too. If I said something tonight across the lawn, please know I didn’t mean it.’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Pages 20-21) Jack doesn’t feel awkward talking to Jerry. “‘Dude,’ he interrupted. ‘Yeah?’ ‘Hey, I’m totally listening to you, and I know it’s important, but I just farted and it was really bad and I wanted to warn you because I’ve been eating broccoli all day and I think we should go wait outside for a few minutes.’ That was the last time I ever felt awkward talking to Jerry.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 21) Jack indulges Jerry with the voice behind the cold drink case. “‘Listen,’ he instructed. ‘You hear it, right?’ ‘Hear what?’ ‘That voice?’ I shook my head. He gave me a desperate look. ‘Come closer.’ ‘Jerry, I think we should talk about—‘ ‘Please.’ He was being unusually serious, and I couldn’t forget that I still owed him for taking a bullet for me, so I complied. ‘Okay, fine.’ I took a deep breath, then I inched a little closer. ‘All the way over here,’ he instructed. He stepped away from the cold drink case, and I took his spot. As I rested one hand against the frame, I felt something. There was a rhythm. A soft vibration. Almost, but not quite, like a whisper. Jerry smiled and gestured for me to get closer.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Pages 63-64) Jack lowkey defends the fuck out of Jerry against Calvin. It’s possible he still feels like he owes Jerry, but maybe he just wouldn’t be able to stand not having him around. Also he hates Calvin. “‘Of course! I’m glad to hear you’re finally coming around. Actually, there’s a very important lesson I want to teach you. See, the real reason I called Jeremy in today was so I could have a talk with him. And it’s great that you’re here, because I think you should be the one to do it.’ ‘To do what, exactly?’ ‘It’s time for us to show him the door.’ ‘I don’t follow—‘ ‘Jeremy is a cancer on this place. He’s lazy and irresponsible, and worst of all, he’s attracting the worst kinds of people. That attack this morning made it clear. He’s going to be the death of us.’ I looked back at where Jerry was standing with his head inside the drink case, then turned to Calvin and said, ‘I don’t think that was necessarily his fault.’ ‘Maybe it was and maybe it wasn’t, but I’ve got a business to run, and I can’t take any chances when it comes to safety. He’s got to go, and it has to be now.’ ‘Okay,’ I said. ‘Counterpoint: He’s still fixing the drink case. And we just lost Devon. And you and I are both pretty far into overtime for the week. What’s the rush?’ … ‘Jack,’ he said in a loud whisper. ‘Let me explain something to you. Guys like Devon and Jerry—‘ (he couldn’t help but squeeze my shoulder as he said their names) ‘—they’re not like us. You know what I mean?’ ‘Not exactly.’ ‘We’re big picture guys. We actually care about the job. We understand what has to be done, and we do it. The drink case, the overtime, those are all small, secondary problems. They need to be addressed, yes, and they will be. In time. The terrorists, though—‘ (he squeezed again) ‘—That’s a big problem. And a good manager always handles the biggest problems first. Think of the gas station as a patient in the emergency room, and you and I are the doctors. You’re not going to splint a broken pinky when the patient is in cardiac arrest. A good doctor tends to the worst wounds first.’ I fake sneezed so I’d have an excuse to back up and get Calvin’s gross hand off of me. It was convincing enough that Jerry looked up from what he was doing and yelled out, ‘Godzilla!’ before going back to work. ‘You’ve got a point,’ I said. ‘But a good firefighter always puts out the smallest fires first. Think about it.’ He made a face—one I’d never seen on a human before—then snarled, ‘A good mechanic fixes the engine before worrying about the paint scratches.’ Oh, are we doing this? Then let’s do this! I retorted, ‘A smart cheetah always hunts the slowest gazelle.’ ‘A good bomber aims for the biggest targets!’ ‘And a good survivor shoots the closest zombie.’ He wasn’t about to out-metaphor me. I read way too much to let that happen. This was my game, and I already had a dozen others loaded up and ready when Jerry interrupted us.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Pages 65-67) Jack is relieved upon finding out Jerry didn’t quit. “Jerry wasn’t behind the counter when I walked inside. For a split second, I thought he might have quit without notice, but then I heard him tinkering with something by the cold drink case and breathed a sigh of relief.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 74) This homoerotic thing Jerry says to Jack: “I closed my eyes and focused on taking deep breaths, trying to wait it out until the itch became tolerable again, but it didn’t feel like this wave was subsiding any time soon. ‘Hey, you okay bro?’ I opened my eyes to see Jerry giving me a look of confurnsion as he puffed at his cigarette. ‘You look like you’re about to climax.’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 78) Jack feels dirty for comparing Jerry’s handwriting to his Secret Admirer’s. “I made a fresh pot of coffee, cleaned up the mess around the drink case, took the photo from Karl’s place out of my wallet, and compared the writing on the back to the “Case Closed” sign that Jerry had made. Despite some similarities, his handwriting was clearly not a match for my mystery stalker. I almost felt guilty for checking.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 80) Jerry obviously enjoys Jack’s company. “Jerry came back to work around two o’clock in the morning. He told me he was bored, couldn’t sleep, and didn’t feel like being alone, but I suspected he just wanted to be close to the Russian radio. I didn’t mind the extra company. Or the extra distraction for that matter.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 94) Jack doesn’t wanna consider something bad happening to Jerry. “I scanned the area for Jerry, stopping long enough to look at the forest and wonder. Maybe Pops was on to something. Maybe Jerry forgot what he came out here for and went for a little walk. It was a valid possibility. There were other possibilities, too, but none I wanted to consider. Possibilities involving unnatural predators in the woods…” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Pages 130-131) Jack sees Jerry half naked, and not the half you’re thinking about. “I looked over at Jerry, and sure enough, he was unzipping. ‘Dude!’ I said, averting my eyes. ‘What are you doing?!’ He turned his back to the door and dropped trou, explaining, ‘I learned this technique in survival class. It’s called ‘Bravehearting.’ You gotta show the wild animal who’s boss.’ He pressed his bare ass against the glass and yelled over his shoulder, ‘What the fuck are you gonna do about it? Huh?’ The man looked genuinely bewildered (that made two of us). He put the bucket on the ground and took a few steps away. Jerry spun around and started rubbing his scrotum on the glass next, laughing and teasing, ‘Yeah, take a look, punk. This is happening, and there’s nothing you can do about it!’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Pages 136-137) Jerry comes out to check on Jack. “‘Because I knew you lived here, and I wanted to check in and see how you were doing after the whole… ya know…’ ‘Yeah. I know.’ For some reason he whispered this next part, like it was our little secret. ‘...barbeque-man incident.’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 144) Jack is obviously concerned with how much Jerry walks and hitchhikes everywhere. “‘Wait. How the hell did you… did you walk all the way here?’ He laughed and said, ‘No, of course not. I’m not crazy. I hitchhiked.’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 144) “Once Jerry had wiped the sleep from his eyes, I made a deal with him. I offered to let him borrow my Nissan under two conditions: First, he had to drive me around whenever O’Brien was unavailable, and second, he couldn’t break any laws in, on, or with my car. He swore on his life that he’d treat the vehicle like his own baby, then drove me to the gas station.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 161) Jerry believes himself to be Jack’s biggest fan (not his “Biggest Fan”). “I read the whole thing out loud while Jerry played with the gun. ‘I thought I was your biggest fan,’ he said, a little down on himself.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 146) Jerry walking with him and matching his pace is awhhh. “We tried to look as nonchalant as possible, making our way down the road in masks, me limping along with one crutch and Jerry kindly doing a slow-motion walk to match my pace.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 149) Jack sees the best in Jerry. “Did Jerry just set me up as a distraction so he could sneak out a window? No. Surely, he wouldn’t have…” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 154) Jerry carries Jack out. “Before I could express any of this to Jerry, he had already grabbed me and thrown me over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. He carried me over to the door, kicked it open, and carried me down the steps and all the way down the street to where our car was parked. We were speeding away before I could get my seatbelt on.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 158) Jack is concerned about Jerry’s framing. “‘There are people in this town who still think Jerry’s a killer. Was that part of your cover-up too? Were you the ones who started that rumor?’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 182) After some prodding from Travis, Jack goes out to check on Jerry at the compound. “‘Like I was saying: What the hell is wrong with you? Your boy Jerry is clearly depressed as fuck. And you dismiss him like his feelings don’t even matter. That’s cold.’ ‘What are you talking about?’... 'He needs his friend to talk to. Unless you just don’t give a flying fuck about nobody. Man up, call your buddy, and go hug it out like bros, cause that’s what he needs. Trust me.’ As hard as it was to believe, I was beginning to suspect that Travis might not be completely wrong about something. Jerry wasn’t the kind of guy to ask for help, and I couldn’t pretend that everything was okay and wait for him to come around on his own. I made up my mind. I was going to go out and visit Jerry at his place once my shift ended.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Pages 202-203) Jerry is the only one [as far as we know] that Jack has opened up to about Sabine. “I brought her up. I did this to myself. And maybe, on some level, I wanted him to ask me about her.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 213) “This was not going the way I'd hoped or expected. But at least I had him talking, and that felt like a step in the right direction. So I bit the bullet, opened the vault, and told him the entire story.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Pages 213-214) Jerry keeps Jack’s head on his shoulders at the old school. “Block and chain careened through the air in our direction like a cannonball. If Jerry hadn’t shoved me out of the way, it might have taken off my head.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Pages 229-230) “A few steps in, Jerry stopped abruptly, held out an arm, and caught me. Half a second later, the cinder block and chain crashed into the wall in front of us.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 231) Jerry saves both their lives when they’re trying to get away from the Collector’s men. “I closed my eyes and braced for impact, but the shitty little Nissan glided over the creek’s surface. I opened my eyes in disbelief. The creek had frozen solid, and we were now atop a layer of ice thick enough to keep us on the right side of the water. The truck didn’t hesitate to follow our lead, plowing right into and through the ice, sending an eruption of freezing mist into the sky. As soon as our wheels hit dirt again, Jerry skidded to a stop.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 236)
Volume 3 Jack considers Jerry his best friend. “About how my best friend died because I was too sloppy, stupid, and lazy to prepare for war when I was supposed to.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Page 257) “‘It’s the decaying severed head of my best friend.’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Page 286) The entire exchange in the dungeon with Jerry. Jack doesn’t consider a question about having an erection too personal, and the quip he gives Jerry after is… interesting. “‘Hey, is it okay if I ask you a personal question?’ Oh God… I tried to imagine what Jerry might consider ‘personal’ and scared myself. I reluctantly answered, ‘Okay…’ ​He cleared his throat, then asked, ‘Do you have a boner right now?’ I let the question linger, just in case I’d misheard or misunderstood. I wanted to give my brain ample time to compensate for the confusion. After all, it wasn’t like we were going anywhere anytime soon. But after a proper moment, I concluded that there was nothing wrong with my hearing. Just to be safe, I worded my response carefully. ‘Are you asking me if I have an erection?’ ‘Yeah. Sorry, is that too personal?’ ‘No. And also, no.’ ‘Well I do! It’s totes platonic, though. I’ve been sporting wood for at least an hour, and I have no idea why. Super rock hard. For real, I could chisel diamond with this thing.’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Pages 21-22) “‘Could be,’ I said. ‘Or, you know, maybe you found a new kink.’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Page 22) “ohh another thing would be that jack feels comfortable talking about his dick with jerry, when they're hanging upside down, jerry asks if asking him if he had a boner was a personal question and jack said no” (Pain Gravy Discord) “jack legit was flirting with him change my mind” (Pain Gravy Discord) Jack sees Jerry’s ..... again, even though it’s kind of dark. “Jerry put the cigarette between his teeth, unzipped his fly, and pissed right into the pool of blood.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Page 31) Jerry stays to help Jack with the carnival rush despite not having to. “Jerry (God bless him) wasn’t scheduled to work, but he stuck around anyway to help steer the drunker customers back out the door.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Page 100) Jack doesn’t care about Jerry’s mysterious past that Doctor Howard alludes to, or his wealth. He just cares that there are people after him. “‘Oh,’ he continued. ‘So here’s something you don’t know about me…’ He took a deep breath, stared at the ceiling, and confessed, ‘I’m kinda rich.’ ‘Good. Start paying rent for the storage room.’ ‘Make me!’ ‘Jerry, I don’t care if you’re secretly wealthy. I pieced as much together from Dr. Douchebag’s story. I know you had a past before you ended up in the Mathmetist program. I don’t really care about that. What I do want to know is why someone is looking for you, and how they know you’re here.’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Pages 107) There’s [obviously] been times they’ve interacted that we don’t know about. It’s evident in the way Jack says he’s seen him cry for hours. When was that detailed in the book? Nowhere. “I’d seen Jerry go through some dark times. I’d seen him cry for hours on end. I watched him detox and relapse more than once. I even got politely evicted for Vanessa‘s funeral alongside him. I thought I’d seen the full spectrum of Jerry, but tonight was the first time I ever saw him scared.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Page 107) Jack is deeply affected when he finds out Jerry is unsure if he likes him, despite his denial This coupled with the fact that this poignant moment replaced the Jerry/Rosa kiss scene is quite... interesting. “Jerry answered, ‘Yeah, I know what you mean. There’s a wall there. Most of the people he lets get close to him either die or try to kill him. Sometimes both.’ Okay, that settles it. They are definitely talking about me. Jerry took a long, deep breath and continued, ‘If it helps any, I don’t think he likes me very much either.’ Wow. Suddenly, I felt pretty damn small. In the days and weeks and months since that night, I’ve wished countless times for one chance to go back to that moment so I could kick my own ass for not saying something. For not telling them, ‘Hey, I really do like you guys.’ Instead, I ignored it. I assumed I’d get a chance to bring it up again later, when I was ready. I took Jerry’s sentence and buried it deep in my mind, where I thought it would be safe and do no harm. Eventually, it would start to leak, poisoning my other thoughts, long after Jerry was gone.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Page 142) “yoooo there’s a reason he took out that kiss! and then he replaced it with that moment with Jerry? 🤔” (Pain Gravy Discord) Jack tells Jerry he loves him when they’re discussing the Russian Radio being rebuilt. Despite the context these words are in, it’s the only time he says those words to anyone in the entirety of the series so far. The only other person it’s reasonable to assume that he’s said this to before is Sabine. “‘No, Jerry. I love you, but you’re an addict and this is poison.’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Page 167) “Jack really doesn’t strike me as someone to use those words lightly” (Pain Gravy Discord) Jerry’s caring reaction and defense of Jack is quite nice. “‘WAIT A SECOND!’ Jerry screamed. He swung his head around to look at me, his eyes widening in exaggerated horror. ‘Oh my god! JACK!’ He reached a hand across the counter and put it gently on my face, tilting my chin up slightly as if to get a better view. ‘Look what they did to you! Who did this to your face? Who hurt you? Tell me…’ He turned dramatically and pointed straight at Hector. ‘Was it him?! You’re going to pay for what you did to my friend!’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Page 171) Jack buys Jerry nicotine gum, and sort of plays off being concerned about Jerry’s health. “His gift was a three-month supply of nicotine gum. I promise, I’m not just the worst gift-giver in the world; that was actually what he asked for… It ended up being the last thing I purchased before the bank shut down my overdrawn debit card, but I didn’t care. It was a worthwhile investment if it meant Jerry would be stealing less of our tobacco products. (Also, Jerry’s health or something.)” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Page 240) It takes Jack about one whole night before he decides to go back for Jerry’s head. “As soon as he was far enough away to not see me, I ran straight back to my spot behind the counter, bent down, and pulled the ice chest out from where I had hidden it all those days ago. After the loneliness finally broke me. After I freaked out and went back to that spot in the woods. After I dug up the head I had buried.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Page 259) “The bloated, severed head of Jerry smiled (if you can call that smiling). The state of decomposition made it difficult to say. One night underground does a lot more damage than I expected.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Page 260) Jerry is obviously worried about Jack when he finds him and sees the state he’s in. “...I stood up, faced the man in front of me (if he was a man), and asked, ‘Jerry?’ The smile on his face faded, and suddenly he looked different. Like I’d never seen him before. He actually looked worried. ‘Yeah, man. Are you okay? What the hell happened while I was gone? This place looks like y’all played indoor hockey without me. And you look like shit. Like, really bad. Like, just so so bad. No offense.’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Page 341) Jerry physically comforts Jack. “I would have probably kept talking for much longer, but at this point I started hyperventilating. Jerry walked over, put a hand on my shoulder, and said, ‘Dude. Take a breath. Calm your tits. It’s going to be okay.’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Page 341) Jack has been through so much at this point, and has been so vigilant at spotting and quickly dealing with mimics. He took little-to-no chances. But when Jerry comes back to the gas station, and he’s pretty sure he’s a mimic and it’s a trap, he just doesn't care. “I took a deep breath. Deep down, I knew this was all working out a little too perfectly. I knew that ‘Jerry’ was just luring me away from the gas station. I knew that something else was going on, but I didn’t know what it was. Only that things were looking too positive. It felt just like a trap. And I didn’t care. ‘Hey, Jerry?’ ‘Yeah, man?’ ‘It’s good to have you back.’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Page 344) Jerry doesn’t ask questions or waste time, he just lets Jack know the Calvary is on the way. “The message was short, but it conveyed all the urgency of Casper Van Dien in only three letters: ‘SOS.’... I grabbed my phone off the sink, turned off the flashlight, and read the text message that had just appeared on the screen. A response to my distress call. Just as communicative in just as many letters: ‘OMW.’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Pages 358-359) Jack and Jerry are roommates at the end. It’s clear that this definitely is a set-up for, well, something. “Or the fact that I suddenly had a new roommate. Luckily, it wasn’t some crazy person I didn’t know. Just a crazy person I know all too well. I came home one day to learn that Jerry’s been staying in my spare bedroom for some time now—ever since, as he put it, ‘The Mathmetists came back.’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Page 411) As far as we know, Jerry and Jack are the only two people who remember the events of Volume Three. “I was sitting behind the counter one otherwise quiet night, restarting my blog for the third (and hopefully final) time, when out of the blue, Jerry started laughing to himself. I asked him what was so funny, but he just kept shaking his head. Finally, after I’d given up, he looked at me and asked, ‘Do you really want to know?’ ​‘Yeah.’ ‘Do you really, really wanna know?’ ‘Yes?’ ​He lowered his voice to a barely audible whisper, then said three simple words before running outside, flailing his arms like Kermit the Frog. Those words lingered after he’d gone, haunting the gas station. Those three words that could only mean one thing—our patch-job on reality might not hold as well as we’d hoped. Those three words: ‘I remember everything.’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Page 413)
General/Miscellaneous Jack worries about Jerry. “‘Jerry? Why? What’s wrong?’ ‘I’m worried about him. He’s been really sick ever since the funeral.’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 206-207) “‘I’m here because I’m worried about you. I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to wallow alone all the time, and I wanted to come and give you some company. Trust me, it helps to have somebody to talk to.’ ‘What?’ ‘We can talk about anything you want. It doesn’t have to be deep. It can just be two guys having a conversation.’ He raised an eyebrow and said with a confused frown, ‘That’s so sweet?’ ‘Look, I don’t like how sappy this Hallmark moment feels either, okay? And I’m not going to pretend to know what you’re going through. I can’t describe the beetle in your box. But I do know what it’s like to lose someone you care deeply about. To build your entire world around another person so that when they’re gone, you don’t know how to make sense of what’s left. I know what it’s like to lose somebody you love.’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Pages 212-213) “...but I was happy to know Jerry had found a way to stay busy that didn’t involve swords or drugs.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Page 55) Jerry is very ride-or-die when it comes to Jack. “‘Jerry, listen. I want to go check something out, but it might not be legal. There’s a good chance it won’t be all that safe either. If you think it’s a bad idea, I’ll understand and we can stay here and play video games, but something tells me there are answers out there and I’m so tired of not knowing what’s going on.’ He took the Wiimote out of my hand, tossed it onto the couch, then said in a serious voice, ‘I’m in. You had me at ‘Jerry, listen.’’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Pages 147-148) “‘Jerry, listen closely.’ I kept my voice low. ‘We have to kill Donald Glover.’ ‘Okay!” he said, hopping back to his feet. ‘Let’s do this. How?’ Jesus, he doesn’t even need an explanation or anything. ‘We need to cut off his head.’ ‘Nice.’ Just like that, I had one ally on board…” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 286) Jack and Jerry have a sense of trust in each other, though it takes time to build. “There was an intense smile on Jerry’s masked face. With his finger on the trigger, he whispered, ‘Do you trust me?’ ‘No, not really.’ ‘Well, you’d better start.’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 154) “‘If he’s anywhere near the gas station, you boys need to hunker down and pray, because that son of a bitch can look like anyone, and he’ll take whatever form you’re most likely to trust. He’s an agony-parasite and empath. You understand?’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 285) “I felt somebody grabbing me and pulling my body into the gas station. I could hear Jerry’s voice right above me. ‘Dude, are you okay?’ He dropped me onto my back in the hallway. ‘I’m fine.’ ‘Why are your eyes closed?’ ‘There’s a demon trying to trick me into opening them.’ ‘I think he’s gone now. You can open your eyes. If you want.’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Pages 318) “‘I know! This sucks donkey balls. That’s why I came to you, because you’re the only person in the world who I trust with this.’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Page 167) “1. Always listen to the head in the box.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Page 279) The amount of times Jerry has saved Jack’s life, or saved him from grievous bodily harm— if you include when he’s just a head —is, in a word, staggering. 1. Jerry rescues Jack from the hole in the surveillance room. (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume One, Pages 232-233) 2. Jerry distracts Tony. (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume One, Page 301) 3. Jerry takes a bullet for him. (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume One, Page 302) 4. Jerry shoves him out of the way of a cinder block. (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Pages 229-230) 5. Jerry saves him from being smashed by a cinder block again. (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 231) 6. Jerry drives them over the frozen river and saves them from The Collector’s men. (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 236) 7. Jerry informs Jack of the Benjamimics and to be wary. (This honestly counts for way more than one, but for conciseness, I’ve only given it one.) “The bloated, severed head of Jerry smiled (if you can call that smiling). The state of decomposition made it difficult to say. One night underground does a lot more damage than I expected. ‘Look, bro, thanks for keeping me around. I promise I’m not trying to be an asshole or anything.’ As he spoke, his jaw went up and down, and what was left of his tongue wiggled around in his mouth, sloshing in the melted ice water that had almost completely submerged him. ‘What is it, then?’ ‘I just wanted to warn you. That isn’t Benjamin.’ ‘What do you mean?’ ‘I mean what I said. That’s not really Benjamin. I don’t know how I know, but trust me. I can tell. One hundred percent. That’s not the real guy. Hell, that’s not even a human. It’s a mimic, and it’s here for you. You’re going to have to kill him.’ ‘Prove it.’ ‘Dude, I can’t prove it. But you gotta trust me. I swear! He’s going to pretend to care, to get you talking and see how much you already know. Then he’s going to find out who you’ve talked to and how much they know. Then, he’s going to kill you and everyone that suspects anything.’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Page 260) 8. Jerry saves Jack and Rosa from Leland. “The blade of the chainsaw ate through the front door, cutting an angular line from above the handle to the frame. Then it pulled away and came back in at another angle, slicing a nice, clean wedge into the door right around the locks. The engine grumbled and went silent, and then Jerry kicked the remainder of the door inwards. It slammed against the wall as he marched inside with the chainsaw dangling from one hand, a katana sheathed on his back, and an insane smile on his face. He surveyed the scene in front of him, nodded, then said, ‘Alright, now which one of you three is the monster?’” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Page 362)
Sabine and Jerry Parallels Volume 1 Jack feels guilt/responsibility for Sabine and the accident and for Jerry when he thinks the Man In The Raincoat killed him, when he barely knew him. “A small, unexplainable twinge of guilt tried to creep its way into the back of my mind, but I pushed it into the same place as the Kieffer incident.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume One, Page 68) “The car that ran us off the road was never found. I asked Tom directly if it was possible that there wasn’t any other car, if I might have fallen asleep behind the wheel, if I was solely responsible for what happened to her. Tom swore that there was someone else to blame, but deep down, I had my doubts.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 216)
Volume 2 Jack mentions Sabine sits in the same chair Jerry sat in. This is an easy-to-miss, unnecessary, yet extremely poignant detail. “I didn’t even notice I had another visitor until she sat down in the same seat Jerry had pulled up a few hours earlier.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 111) Sabine was Jack’s best friend, and their transition from best friends to lovers was subtle. It would appear that this is also the route that Jerry and Jack are traversing. “For most of my life, Sabine was my best friend. And though the transition was too subtle to denote a clear beginning, somewhere along the way she became my girlfriend.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Two, Page 214)
Volume 3 When Jack talks about the One Lane Bridge, he moves on from talking about Sabine to talking about Jerry. “talking about Sabine hurts, so he’ll talk about Jerry” (Pain Gravy Discord) “...until I came upon the rickety wooden deathtrap that once served as Sabine’s and my favorite hangout spot. This was our place, where we would go to about people and skip rocks and talk. Sometimes we would… You know what? I don’t really feel like talking about this part and honestly it’s not really that important and frankly it’s none of your business. Hey, let’s talk about something else, okay? How about an abrupt flashback? ‘Hey, I just remembered I still have that thing,’ Jerry said out of the blue.” (Jack Townsend, Tales From The Gas Station: Volume Three, Page 302)
In conclusion, Jack and Jerry have the foundations for a beautiful and healthy relationship together, one that blends into the already established narrative well, and gives good LGBTQ+ representation. Trust, care and concern for each other, love, and closeness. I, among others I know, would be delighted if it became canon.

Background
Brand new attending, so PGY-4 for IM, and now a hospitalist
Training Years
Pro #1, only 3 more years of training! The shortest residency.
Interns - learn what it's like to be an independent doctor. I haven't done other residencies outside of internal medicine, but I feel like IM has one of the softest learning curves and is the easiest to adjust to. You will make mistakes early on, you will fuck up, but ultimately with the amount of supervision over you it's my opinion that you have the least amount of potential to outright harm a patient. In summary, you see a cohort of patients in the morning to help your senioattending out, and learn how to manage bread and butter medicine while going to lectures every morning and noon-time to cement the basics and see some cool zebras
PGY-2 and 3 - basically just extensions of learning how to hold a larger list, manage underlings (interns), and see the big picture of patient care. Cement in the basics completely, gain knowledge and skills for specialties that interest you (procedures for critical care, GI), and gain a little more free time for things like research and boards.
Typical Day
The only thing that changed about my day between intern year and as an attending has been the volume of how many patients I carry so I'll make it as concise as possible.
6am - wake up, get to work to pre-round. My claim to fame was efficiency, so YMMV about how long it takes you to pre-round and when you have to wake up to get to the hospital. I've always lived walking distance from wherever I worked.
630a to 8a - Pre-round! The heart of internal medicine is checking everyone's lab values in the morning, checking their imaging, seeing the patient's and how they're doing, and coming up with a skeleton plan for the day. Do you want to start new antibiotics? Tailor them down? Get a new Xray/CT/MRI? Are they getting better and ready to go home? Are they getting worse and you're in need of specialty help? The morning is for plan formulating. As an intern you do more of the "seeing the patients", as a PGY-2 and 3 you do more of the "come up with the plan", and as a solo attending this pre-rounding is much shorter and I just get to the rounding part for my morning.
8am til 10 or 11am - Rounding! If you're a resident you round with your attending during this time. So now you get to go see everyone you just saw but under the watchful and experienced eye of the attending. If your an intern you present your plan and the PGY 2 or 3 and the attending critique it and adjust it. During this time you're putting in most of the orders for the day (images, meds, and consults!). If you put in consults, you're also calling them now to put patients on your consultants' plates so they have the day to plan. This and pre-rounding are typically the busiest part of the day, and can extend well past 11am depending on the attending and the acuity of the list.
12pm - Noon is usually when residents go to "noon report" to learn about interesting cases or do board reviews or whatever, and is a staple across basically every IM program ever.
1pm onwards - the day is much more fluid from here and is highly program and service dependent. If it's a quiet day, you'll be writing notes as an intern, PGY-2/3, attending, whatever. Note writing is a staple of IM and what turns a lot of people off about the specialty. I personally don't mind it because if you're efficient with your EMR notes take <10min each, and is the time that I get to do the most thinking as I'm writing down my thoughts and rationale for the care I'm doing. I probably make more changes than most during this time to the plan as I get to really sit down and think, but even then the plan for each patient is largely the same as whatever it was in the morning.
If it's a rougher service, you're putting out fires during this time. Dealing with crashing patients, angry families, unruly patients and needy nurses. The intern handles most of these calls and that volume, but it's good to learn early.
All of the above is to say nothing about admissions. Also program and service dependent. Some programs have special blocks of hours where your specific team admits people. Others have an open admitting schedule all day. And my current job takes no admissions during the day and has a whole separate attending team that handles all the admissions to my unit that I just take over in the morning. Admissions will largely be done by the PGY-2/3 and the intern as a team, and the attending may be made aware of the general plan for the new patient but likely won't see them until the next day. I always loved new admits (not for the workload) but because it was the time I felt most autonomous and like a doctor, when I really could state my case, what I wanted to do, and what I thought the underlying problem and pathophys was without as many cooks in the kitchen.
Call
Very program dependent. Almost not even worth talking about here because everywhere will be different and is a large part of evaluating your residency. My programs said a team takes every 4th day call, which means you were the team that took admissions throughout the day all the way til 8-10pm (ish). Being on call also means covering the other teams, so the intern and PGY-2/3 would be juggling upwards of 50 patients after 5pm while also admitting. Call days are busy and can break some people. My programs never had overnight call for day teams, but had entire separate shifts for 2wk blocks of pure night call, admitting and handling the whole IM service from 7pm til 7am. These were also either wonderful, or terrible, and were some of the strongest "bonding" moments of residency.
Why I love the field
I could go on and on in this section. Instead I'll sum it up:

• The Variety - no other service can boast taking care of the variety that IM sees. All those UWorld questions and class topics about such a wide variety of issues, nearly all of them stay relevant to those in our field. On a typical day in my service I take care of 1. a cancer patient, 2. a heart failure patient, 3. a COPD patient, 4. a wound infection, 5. a mysterious unclear why they're still having fevers patient, oh wait they have strongyloides what??, 6. an overdose patient, 7. a pt with a horrible side effect from her medication, 8. inevitably I always have a sickle cell or lupus patient. That variety of cardiology, rheum, pulmonology, infectious disease is unrivaled by any other specialty. The only two things I have 0 experience with are peds, trauma and pregnancy management (which I'm fine with). Every other field I touch in some way.
  
• The Lifestyle. I listen to my surgery residency friends and wonder how they do it. My lifestyle as a resident was much better than my surgery friends. My lifestyle as a med student aiming for IM was much better than my derm and ortho applying friends. My lifestyle now as an attending is much better than many other jobs. I work one week on and one week off, and I make nearly 200k a year. My weeks off I travel, I see friends, I go to way too many bars, I play basketball and lift, I read, I date.
  
• The Options. I'm just a hospitalist. But from IM you can choose pulm-crit, cards, ID, rheum, and on and on. No matter what you're interested in, you can find it in IM. This also means if robots or midlevels take my job one day, I can always go back to fellowship and make myself more valuable, but currently I feel pretty safe. Humans have always boasted better pattern recognition than robots, and pattern recognition is a huge factor in IM.
  
• The Collaboration. Even though I didn't specialize, because of the variety I mention above, I think IM brings you in contact with the most other specialties to flavor your work life. This means you get to see specialty care without ever doing a fellowship! My favorite is ID; it tickles my brain muscle to see all the different infectious causes they consider in patients with a travel history and unexplained fever. With specialty knowledge, as even a general IM doc you really can embrace the "lifelong student" philosophy.
  

Downsides

• I don't touch pregnancy, trauma, or pediatrics. Not a downside for me, but maybe for you.
  
• The pay is not as high as other docs, but I've never needed to be raking in cash hand over fist to be happy. 200k is more than enough for me, and I live in downtown Chicago, am still paying off loans and putting money into savings without a problem, so that should tell you something.
  
• Your prestige. Ego must be set aside as an IM doc. You probably get shit on the most as far as specialties go. Surgical specialties always get to trump you on where a patient goes, and the emergency department (your unspoken rival and greatest ally) always gets the final word on someone being admitted to your service. Have I taken care of a hip fracture patient on my service because ortho didn't like that their blood sugar was 205? Yes I have. Have I taken care of the subdural bleed with mass effect patient who had a Cr of 1.7? You bet. If you suck it up, understand it's going to happen, appreciate that those other services are likely carrying 5x the number of patients you are and this is your chance to help them out, and look at it as an easy admission, life is much better.
  
• Your impact. I often joke as a hospitalist I'm the most useless of the docs. If someone goes down in the field I can diagnose a heart attack, a seizure, an overdose, but there's not much I can do. If someone breaks their leg, I can tell you the bone, the ligament, the artery they've compromised, but I can't do much to fix it. I don't mind this, as inside the hospital I feel in command of my service. That being said, other than staving off infections, overdoses, and DKA, most things you deal with are chronic and not going to be fixed by you in one hospital stay. You often steer patients from the cliff, set them on the right road, but never actually change their heading. Other specialties boast delivering the baby, fixing the broken tibia, correcting the spinal compression, evacuating the bleed. If you want to feel like a complete doctor in IM, then Pulm-Crit is for you and in my opinion the most useful all-around doc (just edging out the ED docs)
  

How do you know IM is right for you?
If you love variety and want options as far as acuity (from IM you can go low acuity like primary care, or the highest in pulm-crit) then you'll love the patients. If you don't mind rounding or note writing and can set your ego aside then IM stands to be a very rewarding field.
Things to look for in an IM training program
The most important things are call schedule, procedures, and night shifts. Call schedules is so variable, you'll have to just compare between programs and ask the current residents how they like it.
As for procedures, this is really an individual choice to consider how procedurally competent you want to be or care about. Does IR take all the procedures, or do you get to knock em all out in intern year alone. For me, my training program was procedurally weak, and as a consequence I don't feel comfortable doing much outside of paracenteses on my own. This ends up being a nonfactor, as IR takes all the procedures anyways at the program where I now work.
Night shifts are also variable, and you'll have to weigh how you perform best with what's available and how the residents deal.
Lastly, I'd say knowing how their outpatient and inpatient weight was done means a lot. I loved loved loved how my training program (University of Cincinnati) handled this. Your first year is all inpatient just about, with some outpatient sprinkled almost nonexistent. Then nearly all of your PGY2 year is outpatient to meet the total ACGME requirement. I thought this was genius because it really really lets you experience what a true outpatient PCP schedule is like, rather than trying to balance an inpatient service with clinic duty like so many programs do. Getting to see a true outpatient schedule almost made me go the PCP route, but I decided I wanted a little extra acuity and the schedule of a hospitalist so I took the pay cut and stayed inpatient.
Resources for interested applicants
Maybe someone else can add something here. I don't really have much outside of my own experience, but my experience has taken me across three top 40 institutions (per Doximity rankings) so take it as you will.