Ten years ago, I came across this music video with an electronic beat to it that instantaneously became an earwig of mine. It was catchy in that generic pop-song way and the music video was entertaining. But that world is long gone, along with the location in the video. Any locals of the area will tell you that the entire block it was made on is now unrecognizable. I guess what I’m trying to get at is that good memories last forever regardless of the present circumstances. I know some folks tend to get introspective during the holidays when they (hopefully) have a little bit more time to themselves.

I espouse everyone to go outside throughout the year, but there’s also an argument to be made for bringing nature indoors. The easiest way to do that is obviously getting some sturdy succulent house plants and placing them around your living space. If you have the drive, skills and patience however to step up your game; then maybe try a terrarium. This particular video is on the higher skill ceiling side, but the awesomeness of what “could” be possible should hopefully motivate you to give it a shot. Or at least spend money for someone else to do it for you!

There are a lot of “survival” style content creators on YouTube. Frankly, a lot of them are also obnoxious. Xander is not one of them. There is no clout chasing, close up of his junk and butt, or reasons why he’s doing this because he needs to feel “alive” again from his every day billion-dollar lifestyle. He’s also not an aging boomer angry at the world letting them know everyone else is wrong. He’s just a chill Canadian who enjoys the wilderness, and he brings you along best he can. He’s also a bit quirky, which adds to the charm of it all.

I met a lot of folks earlier in the year during my physical rehab from 2023. People from various walks of life in various stages of fitness. I was shocked to see how many workouts there were for different stages of capabilities. This spurred me to motivate others I knew for a very long time who always found excuses not to move; especially hiding behind reasons such as time or financial worries. If you have a chair, you can work out. More importantly, anyone of any ability can get these movements done in a short amount of time. If my then crippled, semi-blind husk of a body got through 2023 / 2024 doing whatever I could - you super strong lads and lasses can certainly do better. Don’t make it a goal for 2025. Make it one for life.

It wouldn’t be winter here in North America without some type of ice related video. So, I thought a virtual train trip from a Japanese guy going through the American rail system would be awkward and fun enough to suggest viewing. Although this is a cozy “no commentary” video, the captions are full of snark and dry humor. Solo Travel (he has multiple channels) has been going throughout the world for a long time now, so he’s a veteran and edits his videos well. You can check out all his other stuff for cozy atmospheric travel stuff.

I know I typically don’t put super risqué stuff on the monthly updates anymore, but this entire update has been so wholesome I need to bring some balance back to the universe. Artist of the month is Love Cacao, because their quality is exactly the stuff you can make gacha video games out of. Enjoy the portfolio, and they of course pass the “Art Station” test of being a good artist. Seriously some S rank stuff on that platform compared to the others. Have a great holiday season and New Year’s Eve! January will be the yearly retrospective.