Just a friendly reminder that Newgrounds, along with most other websites, has options for two-factor authentication. Strong passwords are simply not enough anymore. I thought I was being safe, but sure enough, some lowlife clawed their way into my Discord account briefly and spammed a bunch of nonsense. The nerve. I'd been using 2FA for websites with sensitive information, but now I see it's a must for all websites, period. It's not just your money and information they're after. Having to take the extra precautions is irritating and a pain, but it's quite necessary these days.

Most websites have a "Security" or "Login" section in their settings where you can enable 2FA. If you're unsure about what two-factor authentication is, definitely look into it (before it's too late).

Stay safe (¬_¬ )

A deceased American cockroach preserved in resin for all time. Gone, but never forgotten.

I never had an Atari 2600 / VCS. The second generation of video games was a bit before my time I reckon. Lately, I've been playing a bunch of 2600 games via emulation (because I'm a dirty pirate), and it's been a wonderful new experience. You know, simple games that take some imagination. I've enjoyed them so much that I got my very own six-switch system in all its wood-grain excellence, and I heckin' love it. It's been a lot of fun, and I hope to pick up more games for it soon. Thankfully, the Atari 2600 is mega cheap to collect for. Yes yes, good fun.

I got my first-ever flu vaccine earlier this year. Never again do I want that horrid nightmare disease. I had it in December of 2023, and it was just the pits. I don't know if I ever had the flu before then, but this was definitely the worst of the worst. I sincerely thought I might die. I suffered and wailed and cried and just wanted it to end. Even the most severe colds only hang around a few days, maybe a week at most, but this flu was two weeks of agony. I have a perfectly fine immune system and no major health issues, but this flu was a plague from the darkest depths of hell. I've never been that sick. When I finally recovered, I vowed to get the influenza vaccine every year no matter the cost, and so this year I did. I don't have insurance, so I have to pay out of pocket, but any price I can afford is worth it if it means I don't have to suffer that pestilence again. I got the shot and there was nothing to it.

The flu can kick rocks.

This is a real banknote from Zimbabwe in southern Africa as it was suffering from some of the worst inflation ever seen. They have since switched to other currencies, such as the euro and U.S. dollar. I can't buy anything with it, but it's still pretty neat. There's also a 100 trillion dollar note, but come on, who needs that much money? I'm not greedy. I'll live in austerity with my measly ten trillion dollars, thank you very much.

Animals I didn't know existed—the zorilla. They're horrifying nightmare monsters that you DO NOT want to mess with. They're also known as striped polecats, but they are not skunks. They thrive in dry, arid regions and can be found throughout much of Africa. They're aggressive, mean little things and won't hesitate to blind their foes with noxious anal spray. Blegh. It's a foul-smelling liquid that can also cause painful skin irritation to unlucky souls who get too close. It's said that even the mighty lion fears the zorilla. Stay far, far away.

Once upon a time, Big Kmarts were everywhere, but now there's only one left in the entire world (and presumably the universe). I have good memories of wandering through those stores. As a kid, I'd roam the aisles while my grandmother waited for her prescription to be filled, checking out the games, the toys, and anything else that caught my eye. The last thing I ever bought from Kmart was a bag of candy to sneak into the movie theater, 'cause I ain't payin' for theater candy. At the end of the day, they were just a soulless business, but I did meet Santa there once, and he taught me that Alabama only has four different letters in its name. I don't know where I'm going with this. I also had a dream once that there was a tiny Kmart under a street that harassed people who went by. "And when you're down here, Georgie, you'll be lovin' these prices too."

It took a year or so, but the neighborhood stray here finally lets me pet him. He's a friendly boy and deserves all the good scritches. He's all but decided that he lives here now, so I feed him and gave him a name. He just looked like an Otis. Sometimes I call him Oats. That's a tough cat, and I can tell he's been in lots of fights. He's missing the top part of his left ear, and only he knows how that happened. I love him lots, and he's part of the family now.