Patreon Newsletter #24: October 2023

Just a heads up that we started a new merch store at TeePublic. We’ll be adding new designs in the coming months!

Almost all of our merch at Topatoco is now on sale as we make the transition.

From Arnie

I’m actually writing this a few days before September ends, waiting at the airport to board a flight to Italy!

TV – In no particular order.

• Telemarketers (WATCH THIS HBO DOC SERIES! My highest recommendation.)
• Reservation Dogs s3
• Dimension 20: Mentopolis
• Game Changer
• The Changling
• Love Island

Movies – Best to… less best. A lot of movies I’d already seen before.

1. The Thing
2. Back to the Future
3. Raising Arizona
4. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
5. The Nice Guys
6. Thirst
7. Lady Vengeance
8. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
9. Oldboy
10. No One Will Save You
11. Gran Turismo
12. Oceans Eight
13. Stoker
14. Addams Family (2019)

Video Games

Movin Out - A lot of fun if you like Overcooked

Tabletop

• Blood on the Clocktower

Arnie

From Matt:

Ah, fall! Wonderful 90 degree weather here in Chicago.

Audio:

Started listening to The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman, a classic non-fiction book about the beginning of World War I. It’s an interesting historic take (so far) on the individuals who set the 20th century careening on a terrible course. Wanted to listen to something different and possibly think about doing some research for a project that has been kicking around in my head (that I suspect I’ll never do).

Books:

I’m going to count this. I read the first volume of the Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin manga. It’s a retelling of the original 1979 anime that was released 10(ish?) years ago. It’s very well done. I have the first seven volumes now and will continue burning through these.

TV/Movies/Web stuff:

Eh, not much. Reruns while I was working sometimes. Halloween Baking Championship is back. We came across an old movie with Dame Maggie Smith playing an old woman back in 1972 called Travels with My Aunt. I don’t recommend it unless you wish to be baffled at what got nominated for Academy Awards in the early 70s and/or you’re also fascinated that Maggie Smith has been expertly portraying older women for over 50 years.

Games:

Not much gaming. I did get to play some more Blood on the Clocktower which is always fun, but I was very tired and made some…let’s be honest here…really dumb moves. Oh well. Played a little bit of Dorf Romantik which I recommend to relax. Imagine just setting out hex tiles for Catan endlessly with lo-fi music playing.

Collecting:

More model kits. Got a Mega size 1/48 RX-78-2 Gundam that is big, but meant for beginners (like me). Put together quickly over my birthday weekend, but looking to use it to learn some advanced modeling techniques. (Who has the time and space? Not me).

Food:

My partner took me to Le Sud for my birthday and to brunch at Little Goat Diner the next day. If you’re in Chicago, I recommend them both. I had an amazing tomato-broth mussel dish at Le Sud and the wait staff was super nice and printed a menu with my name at the top. Really fun and nice dining experience.

Matt

From Adal:

Fall has fell but it’s still 85 degrees each day so what’s the fucking point. My flannels are weeping in the closet.

Jemma and I had a wonderful trip to London to see the final 10 performances of The Burnt City. At the finale they teased a possible continuation and my hope is that Punchdrunk will finally bring their magic to L.A. as they’ve been circling the city for years. We also took in another night of Operation Mincemeat (we launch into the songs every 20 minutes or so at home, it’s going to be a real problem) and were also able to snag tickets to a mind-blowing production of Next to Normal - which is one of Jemma’s favorite musicals.

The weirdest thing we got up to was going to the Crystal Maze live experience. I guess Crystal Maze was like the UK version of Double Dare or something? A 90’s game show (hosted by Rocky Horror creator/Riff Raff actor Richard O’Brien?!) where a team of strangers make their way through 14 rooms - with each room holding a challenge for one member; either physical, mental, skill or mystery. Jemma and I ‘won’ 6 of the challenges and the rest of our team proceeded to fail the rest. The penultimate room was all riddles and I’ve never in my fucking life felt so powerful. I rattled off the answers so fast that the host/guide for our team thanked me for being a return customer - assuming I had played the room before. It felt a bit less powerful to admit I host a riddle podcast. My team certainly allowed their awe in my performance to fade after that.

A trip to Canterbury was also in order as I haven’t returned in 20 years since spending a semester there playing basketball for Canterbury Christ Church College (since upgraded to University status). It’s still a gorgeous town and honestly Thomas Beckett is so lucky to have been martyred there. MUST BE NICE!

Coming up I’m heading to Italy (just missing Arnie!), Croatia and Montenegro on a trip with Jemma’s family to celebrate her step-dad’s retirement. My goal is to eat a pasta noodle so quickly that it slaps me on the forehead and we all laugh while Jemma just shakes her head in disbelief and quietly stops loving me. I try to keep my goals simple and attainable.

October is my favorite month and I’m absolutely pumped to watch some scary movies and run through some local haunted houses. Please let me know if you have suggestions in either category! If you haven’t seen it yet, I practically demand you watch Over The Garden Wall. In addition please watch this to fully set the tone for your October: Silly Symphonies - The Skeleton Dance

Here’s what I consumed in September:

TV:

• Welcome to Wrexham season 2
• Gen V
• Survivor season 45
• Jeopardy
• The Continental
• Wheel of Time season 2

Music:

• Mitski - The Land Is Inhospitable and So are We
• Operation Mincemeat cast recording
• Young Mountain - This Will Destroy You
• Andrew Bird - Outside Problems
• Fiona Apple - Tidal
• Explosions In The Sky - End
• Animal Collective - Isn’t It Now?
• Baroness - Stone
• Chromeo - Quarantine Casanova
• The Mountain Goats - Murder at the 18th St. Garage/Fresh Tattoo/Clean Slate (3 songs were released on Spotify in anticipation of the upcoming album)

Other Stuffs:

• Matt Young was kind enough to guest on a recent episode of The Word Association! Please check it out if you’re so inclined.
• Scott Hasn’t Seen Pod - I got CBB World just to hear Erin’s episode of this! She was wonderful.
• U Springin’ Springsteen On My Bean podcast - I haven’t listened to any of the other series but this title was too funny to not check out.
• College Town Podcast - co-hosted by recent HRR guest Seth Morris.

Please let me know what you’ve been enjoying!

Love & Large Please

Adal