Hello and welcome to the latest Nugu Roundup!
What is this?: This is a weekly feature designed to highlight the unknown/underappreciated groups and soloists working hard in the Kpop world that often fall under the radar. Please share your own information, favorite performance videos, fanmeet stories, or anything else relevant below!
Last week got to know the co-ed Taekwondo/Idol crossover group K-Tigers Zero. This week let's check out a boy group who's new to the scene in Korea but has been building up a Taiwanese fanbase for a while already, let's get to know UNVS!
Look at the first comment below for the winner of the 21st album giveaway plus details on this week's album up for grabs!
What is Nugu?: While in Korean it literally means 'Who' in the broader Kpop context it refers to groups that are generally unknown amongst the greater public. It doesn't have to mean they're extremely new, though it can, and there are of course varying degrees of 'unknown' which some groups having very strong niche fandoms and others being almost invisible. I take a fairly broad view and will include groups that may be known to some, but who don't have widespread name recognition.
Let's get on with the show...
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UNVS
Who are they?: UNVS is a five member boy group undet CHITWN Music. They originally debuted in Taiwan in 2016, the first Korean group to debut in the country, and later debuted in Korea in 2020 after some membership changes. Their name is a portmanteau of 'Unique' and 'Universe'. Their fandom name is U.N.U.S.
Company: UNVS appears to be the only group currently under CHITWN Music, which described itself as "CHITWN is a term of endearment used by those who truly recognize the lifestyle and authenticity of Chicago. With our roots from Korea but our existence in an era of globalization, today’s society has spawned a need for a mesh of cultures in all aspects of society. CHITWN Music has taken this approach to music, collaborating the sounds of urban, trending music with K-Pop’s growing popularity." The CEO of CHITWN Music is the head of production-group room102 which has produced music for UNVS as well as other groups.
The group has previously been represented by a number of different companies in Taiwan and Korea including Media Asia Taiwan and UNI Entertainment.
Full Group Interviews

• UNVS Rookie King Ep 1 [ENG SUB]
• UNVS Rookie King Ep 2 [ENG SUB]
• UNVS Rookie King Ep 3 [ENG SUB]
• UNVS MyMusicTaste Interview [ENG SUB]
• Nunca Paus O Interview [ENG SUB]
• Pitch Tune Interview [ENG SUB]

Members

• Jun.H
  • Position: Leader, Main Rapper, Lead Dancer, Vocalist
  • Real Name: Im Joon Hyeon
  • Age: 29 (IA)
  • Facts: He joined the group in 2019. He is the eldest member in the group by two days. He has already completed his military service. His favorite type of ice cream is Almond Pistachio and he hates mint chocolate. This is his third debut, having previously been a member of now-disbanded boy groups ALL-STAR and B.O.i. He has enjoyed competing in talent shows since he was young, and developed a love for rapping after listening to western hip-hop. He would write his own Korean rap lyrics to backing tracks for both Korean and Western songs. He has filmed a CF for Cass Beer with Jackson of GOT7. His favorite food is Kongguksu, a soy-milk based noodle soup, and he hates instant ramen. He has traveled to the United States, Japan, Europe, and China. He is a fan of country music.
• YY
  • Position: Lead Vocalist
  • Real Name: Chinese: Jin YongYong, Korean: Kim Mun Yong
  • Age: 29 (IA)
  • Facts: He was born in China and is a Chinese national, moving to Korea in 2014. He is an original member of the group. He can speak fluent Mandarin, Korean, and Japanese. Many people assume he is Korean because of his fluency in the language, which he learned from watching Kdramas. He has studied abroad. He dislikes vegetables other than lotus root and broccoli, as well as raw foods. He started working out on the recommendation of his company and gained 44 lbs (20kg) of muscle mass. He is afraid of ghosts, snakes, and rats. His favorite foods are octopus bibimbap and stewed tofu. He enjoys cleaning and finds it therapeutic. He says his mother is the most inspirational figure in his life and that her support made it possible for him to go abroad to follow his dream.
• Eunho (formerly Crown)
  • Position: Main Vocalist
  • Real Name: Shin Dong Keun
  • Age: 28 (IA)
  • Facts: He joined the group in 2019. He has studied abroad in the Philippines and the United States and is fluent in Tagalog and English as well as Korean. He is a former Jellyfish Entertainment trainee. He loves instant ramen and can eat five packages, but has had to put himself on a diet. He says that when he returned from studying abroad in the United States his parents didn't recognize him at first because of all of the weight he had gained. He has been studying music since he was 11. He enjoys traveling out of the city for fresh air when he has the opportunity.
• Changyu (formerly Changgong)
  • Position: Lead Vocalist
  • Real Name: Song Chang Gyu
  • Age: 27 (IA)
  • Facts: He is an original member of the group. He is currently serving his mandatory military service. He was the lead singer in a band in high school, auditioning against over 50 other people. He trained by going to Karaoke, and says that performing with the band is what made him decide his future was in music. His favorite color is red. He is not physically strong. He enjoys fashion with a lot of straps. He enjoys doing Aegyo. His favorite video game is KartRider.
• Jen (formerly Yehyeon)
  • Position: Rapper, Main Dancer, Vocalist, Maknae
  • Real Name: Kim Ye Hyeon
  • Age: 23 (IA)
  • Facts: He joined the group in 2019. He is currently serving his mandatory military service. He was a member of a dance group in high school called Unperformance. He is a chicken connoisseur. He is afraid of worms. He is allergic to pineapples. His favorite type of ice cream is strawberry. He says he never imagined he'd be in the music industry, and went to college to study dance, but being in the dance group covering Kpop songs made him start to enjoy it and put him on the path. His favorite group is SHINee.

Chinese Debut: December 22nd, 2016 with I'll Be There (MV)

• Song: A mid-tempo vocally driven hip-hop ballad, this was the group's debut release in Taiwan under the name UNIVERSE from their debut single album of the same name.
• Composers/Producers: J.Heart (possibly the singesongwriter and former idol from N.Sonic)

Korean Debut: February 23rd, 2020 with Timeless (MV) Live Stage (Link) Performance Video (Link)

• Song: The group's Korean debut with their updated lineup, this is the lead single from their single album of the same name. A vocally-driven pop ballad this blends a thick dreamy soundscape with EDM elements.
• Composers/Producers: room102 (Girlkind - Fanci, Rosy - Red Herring, AVYN - Sunnyside), MONSTER FACTORY (Dal Shabet - Fri Sat Sun, Jinsol - Perfect, Momoland - Only One You)

Followup Release: April 8th, 2020 with Solar Eclipse (MV) Live Stage (Link) Dance Practice (Link)

• Song: The group's second promoted track from their debut single album "Timeless", this Future Bass release continues the trend of a dreamy soundscape combined with earnest vocal delivery. The song is said to be autobiographical of the group's CEO and main producer room102.
• Composers/Producers: room102 (see above), MONSTER FACTORY (see above)

First Comeback: May 15th, 2020 with Give You Up (MV) Live Stage (Link) Dance Practice (Link)

• Song: The lead track from the group's first digital single album "Soundtracks for the Lost & Broken: Give You Up", this combines EDM, Tropical House, and Future Bass into an intense wave of emotional pop, with an intro inspired by acoustic Asian instruments.
• Composers/Producers: room102 (see above)

Second Comeback: September 16th, 2020 with Sand Castle (MV) Live Stage (Link)

• Song: The group's second digital single, this song combines the group's trademark Future Bass sound with Deep House and some trap beats to develop a nice groove that gives it more momentum than their previous releases. The song is meant to evoke the spirit of youth finding and losing love and lust in late summer parties along the beach and the forest.
• Composers/Producers: room102 (see above)

Third Comeback: November 19th, 2020 with The Prologue (MV)

• Song: The group's third digital single, this is a special release for the group's fandom U.N.U.S and features an MV made of clips from the group's journey throughout their first year of promotions in Korea. The song was co-composed by group member Jun.H.
• Composers/Producers: Jun.H (group member), room102 (see above)

YouTube Channel: UNVS Official
Random Stuff

• Sand Castle Jen Solo Version
• Hacker (Chinese Release) Performance
• Criminal (orig. Taeyeon) Jen Dance Cover
• Pops in Seoul Idol Diaries Sand Castle Edition
• Pops in Seoul Timeless Offstage Dance
• UNVS Music Access on Arirang Radio

Trivia: Member Changyu was originally going to debut with ACE (not to be confused with A.C.E) but something happened that resulted in him leaving the company. Minho of MY.st was associated with the group while they were promoting in Taiwan. The group says that they almost disbanded multiple times before the release of their Korean debut song Timeless due to various difficulties. The choreography for Timeless was changed three times before the song was released so it was especially difficult to learn as there had been so many different versions. The members knew each other previous to UNVS so they say they have a good relationship though there are of course always challenges that come from different opinions. The group's greatest desire is to perform in front of live crowds and go on a tour once the COVID pandemic has ended.
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SOLOIST OF THE WEEK
SEORI
Who is she?: Seori is a female soloist singesongwriter under ATISPAUS Entertainment. She initially gained attention through song covers via her YouTube Channel.
Company: ATISPAUS Entertainment is a new company with Seori as their debut artist. The company also represents DJ and Composer GRAPHIX.
Real Name: Baek Sohyun
Age: 24 (IA)
Debut: May 12th, 2020 with Running Through the Night (MV) Live Performance (Link) English Version (Link)

• Song: The lead single from her debut EP "?depacse ohw", this relaxing laid back R&B influenced song is inspired by the desire to escape the drudgery of the day and how the night is the time of day when you are most free to think and explore your own desires.
• Composers/Producers: Seori (original artist), GRAPHIX (only other Seori songs)

Also Promoted: May 12th, 2020 with Hairdryer (MV)

• Song: Released simultaneously with the official title track, this song features an R&B and jazz influence along with the use of a vocoder to evoke a drowsy and dreamy rose-tinted nostalgic feeling. Seori says she was inspired by how memories are often warmer and more comforting than reality, and came up with the melody while drying her hair and thinking back to how her parents would stroke and dry her hair as a child and how comforting she remembered it being.
• Composers/Producers: Seori (original artist), GRAPHIX (see above)

First Comeback: December 16th, 2020 with Trigger (MV)

• Song: Her first digital single, this R&B/EDM crossover is meant to show a different side to Seori. She says that while her debut EP showed her dreamy and wistful side, this release is meant to show her impulsive and provocative side.
• Composers/Producers: Seori (original artist), GRAPHIX (see above)

YouTube Channel: Seori
Random Stuff

• Tango (orig. Abir) Cover
• Best Part (orig. H.E.R) Cover
• Bebe Your Love (orig. Rachael Yamagata) Cover
• I Wanna Cry Live
• Fairy Tale Live
• Really High Live
• Who Escaped Live
• Trouble (orig. Coldplay) Live Cover
• Lose (orig. NIKI) Live Cover
• 0310 (orig. Baek Yerin) Live Cover
• It Just Is (feat. eaJ and Keshi's strat)
• Skin (w/Vinxen)

Trivia: ATISPAUS Entertainment discovered Seori through her YouTube cover channel and approached her about debuting with the company. She had been writing songs previously but had wanted to partner with someone and found that ATISPAUS aligned with her artistic sensibilities. ATISPAUS also works with visual artists, writers, and film makers and has an ambitious plan for a long-term cross-platform and cross-media promotional strategy with her. She says that her debut EP took over a year to create, and the concept changed and evolved due to the COVID pandemic, solidifying around a concept of being trapped in an unpleasant reality and wanting to find escape. The MVs for Running Through the Night and Hairdryer were conceived together and meant to be interconnected. The company also released a novella to expand upon Seori lore. She is a big fan of Avril Lavigne and Billie Eilish and wants to explore a variety of musical genres in the future.
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IN MEMORIAM
YEAR 7 CLASS 1
Who were they?: A seven member girl group under Dareun Byeol Entertainment, the only group the company is confirmed to have promoted. The group's concept was that they were a fictional 7th Grade class, with the members each having an official class role, however the age of the members ranged from 15-24 at debut.
Company: Dareun Byeol Entertainment is now defunct, but also represented a number of actors and actresses. The company was founded by an ex-SM Entertainment choreographer who had worked closely with Shinwa.
Debut: January 24th, 2014 with Oppa Virus (MV) Live Stage (Link) Dance Practice (Link)

• Song: The group's debut digital single, this bright and upbeat dance-pop features a cheerleader theme and has an unrelenting happy energy.
• Composers/Producers: Ahn Hyungseok (Beatwin - Rising Sun, Jin - The Way To Meet You, Advance - Wa), Jang Youngsoo (Fallanc - Never Mind, Lime - Part of Me, FTISLAND - Orange Sky)

First Comeback: May 27th, 2014 with Always (MV) Live Stage (Link) Dance Practice (Link) 2015 Version MV (Link)

• Song: The group's second digital single, the song is inspired by the freshness of spring, and has the message of being grateful for those who show you support.
• Composers/Producers: Ahn Hyungseok (see above), 100 Days (Mr. Mr. - It's You, Beatwin - Your Girl, Vaccine Project - Calling You)

Second Comeback: November 7th, 2014 with Breaking Fighting (MV) Live Stage (Link)

• Song: The group's third digital single, this aggressively upbeat and song is about showing support for those who've broken up with their significant others. Come for the aggressive aegyo, stay for the ham-fisted chord change that never goes out of style.
• Composers/Producers: Ahn Hyungseok (see above), 100 Days (see above)

Third Comeback: June 3rd, 2015 with White Wind (MV) Live Stage (Link) Dance Practice (Link)

• Song: The group's fourth digital single, this is a remake of a song that was popular in Korea in the '80s. The theme is the girls maturing and falling in love.
• Composers/Producers: Kim Kip-Yo (Yang Sookyung - Love is a Cold Temptation, David & Jonathan - The Breath of Love, EXIT - Lost Memories)

Fourth Comeback: November 4th, 2015 with Believe (MV) Live Stage (Link) Dance Version (Link)

• Song: The lead single from the group's first EP "Believe" this mid-tempo pop song features some funky moments in the bassline along with a soft vocal presentation amidst some chanted aegyo vocals. The song is meant to comfort those who feel they've been marginalized by society.
• Composers/Producers: Ahn Hyungseok (see above), 100 Days (see above)

Fifth Comeback: January 12th, 2017 with Please Remember Me (MV)

• Song: After more than a year since their last release, the group released this digital single featuring an MV of past performance clips. This beautiful and heartfelt ballad features simple piano accompaniment and allows the vocals of the members to shine. This would be the last original song released by the group, and was not promoted. As goodbye songs go, it's one of the more lovely ones I've heard.
• Composers/Producers: Ahn Hyungseok (see above), 100 Days (see above)

Final Special Release: May 10th, 2017 with Oppa Virus (Acoustic Version) (MV) and Always (Acoustic Version) (MV)

• Songs: Acoustic reworks of the group's first two releases (and the third version of Always) these show a more mature side of the group, though not without some melancholy.

YouTube Channel: Year 7 Class 1 Official
Active Between: January 2014 - Sometime in 2018.
Reasons for Disbanding: It's assumed that the company supporting the group went out of business. The group began promoting almost exclusively in Japan from 2016 onward, leaving Korean fans feeling as if they'd been abandoned. During 2018 the group's fan cafes stopped updating and the company pulled out of a scheduled event at the last minute. The members were then later seen to be engaging in personal activities.
Trivia: The group faced several controversies during their run. The group was accused of promoting sexuality with a minor concept, and during a live festival performance in 2015 the leader of the group Baek Sehee went on stage without safety shorts exposing her underwear. The official explanation was that the group had arrived at the concert with their Maknae missing her safety shorts so the leader gave her hers since their Maknae was a minor. Some netizens believed however that it was a ploy to get fancams of the group to blow up as had recently happened with EXID's Hani. The group also faced backlash for the official role of one of the members being 'Bread Shuttle' which is someone who runs to grab lunch for others in the group and is connected with school bullying in Korea. The group however stated that they wanted to expose school bullying activity to create action against it, and were not trying to glorify it. The group attempted several concerts in Korea in 2017 after having had success promoting in Japan. However since it had been so long since promoting in Korea their fanbase had shrunk, and they were unable to fill even 50-seat auditoriums. Their final concert, for which they had rented a 200 seat auditorium based on positive comments being found on their fan cafe site, ended up with fewer than 50 people attending. Since disbanding members of the group have been involved in activities such as trot singing, modeling, and musical acting. ________________________________________________________
That's it for today, let's get the discussion on!
As always, if you have any suggestions for groups, content, or things you'd like to see, please let me know in the comments below.
Also as always, a big shout-out to u/not-named-in-credits for founding nugutown and u/sharnaranwan for continuing the work over there.

Hi all,
My partner and I love korean food, and since we don't live in a town where there is a korean restaurant we do a fair amount of korean dishes at home. At least once a week we do something korean, and have been doing it for a few years. But we've been doing the same dishes for a long time now and would like to dive into something new.
What we usually make are:

• Kimchi jigae
• Kimchi stir fry with udon
• Doenjang jigae
• Jjajangmyeon
• Bibimbap

We like these because it's easy to change them up by substituting for different meats, tofu or vegetables. And they're also fast enough to make during the weekdays. I'm especially fond of jigaes. I've made budae jjigae (army base stew) once or twice which I really love, but my partner thinks it's a bit too much (she doesn't really enjoy sausage unfortunately).
So, any ideas where to go next? Some more jigaes would be nice, especially in the cold weather.
Thanks!

1. Nellie's Diner in Newburgh. (They deliver locally and have amazing breakfasts)
   
2. Raffi's Oasis on E. Virginia in Evansville for Mediterranean
   
3. Pokè Pirate on Diamond for Ramen or Pokè. I got the Ramen last night and I loved it.
   
4. House of Como, its a steakhouse
   
5. Arazu in Newburgh or evansville. (Another Mediterranean choice i personally love)
   
6. Kite and Key on Franklin. (Suggestion: The Franklin Wrap)
   
7. Little Angelo's in Newburgh for Italian.
   
8. Cleo's downtown Newburgh (very good baking and love the reuben)
   
9. Flourish Plant Based (does look amazing and vegan!) (Recommended portobello French dip)
   
10. Yak and Yeti, Himalayan food on green river
    
11. Honey moon Cafe for coffee and breakfast food. (Yummy chai latte)
    
12. Big bang Mongolian on green river is great and one of my favorites. They also own Pirate Pokè
    
13. Thai Papaya Cuisine Inc on burkhardt for Thai food. Yummy
    
14. Iwataya near airport for authentic Japanese
    
15. Lombardi for NY style pizza
    
16. The slice (pizza)
    
17. Milanos (Italian and pizza)
    
18. Azzip is super fast pizza with interesting flavors. My personal favorites are potato head and Westsider
    
19. poke river by Sam's club
    
20. Siciliano's for sandwiches
    
21. Milk and Sugar (great ice cream)
    
22. Mele's Diner
    
23. Vietnamese Cuisine (on Vogel)
    
24. Ma T 888 China Bistro (recommended egg drop soup)
    
25. Steve's and Spanky's UNA pizza
    
26. Sauced at Haynes corner (heard its pricy Italian and I've always wanted to go)
    
27. Bokeh Lounge is a bar and restaurant on Haynes Corner that use to have a lot of social events before covid.
    
28. Schymiks Kitchen (variety of foods)
    
29. Peephole (I thought that was only a bar but has burgers and bar food)
    
30. La Camparina for fast Mexican
    
31. Acropolis (I remember having great coconut shrimp there once)
    
32. Docs (thought they were mostly a bar too but they have a variety of foods)
    
33. Gangnam for Korean
    
34. Manna is fast food Mediterranean. I prefer Arazu for gyros if you have funds and time for a more authentic experience.
    
35. Lincoln garden (chinese by ue)
    
36. Canton Inn (Lincoln park)
    
37. Fujiyama (sushi)
    
38. Sweet Schmitt for candy
    
39. Heady's on first ave. Can be pricey
    
40. Yangs Shabu Shabu (japanese)
    
41. Piece of Cake bakery downtown
    
42. Bits and bytes for Floppy disks? Not sure what that is.
    
43. Purple cup coffee
    
44. The Landing in Newburgh
    
45. Little Italy on the north side. Owned by Carlos. The brother of Angelo (who owns Angelo's) has superior marinara sauce apparently
    
46. Geist Haus for German and beer. Company also owns Smitty's across the street for Italian but has an amazing bourbon burger)
    
47. Fool moon for the great atmosphere, wraps and the cowboy burger
    
48. Pangea has great pizzas and I can't believe it wasn't on the first list because I love their pistachio pizza.
    
49. Rennies on 4st st. Amazing chicken salad and big doughy cookies...I may go today for cookies.
    
50. Jayas downtown on 4th st has amazing bibimbap? Kk
    
51. Friendship diner on Burkhardt
    
52. Cork and Cleaver off the Lloyd near Hobby Lobby
    
53. El patron Mexican in North Park.
    
54. Fat Boys Pizza
    
55. Kabob Express
    
56. Chopstick house for takeout
    
57. Hayne's Corner Brewing co. (doesn't serve food but you can bring your locally acquired food here to drink local brews!)
    

Please add more locally owned restaurants below for the Evansville/Newburgh area! Also, disclaimer: I didn't double check all of these but many I did to make sure they were legit local. Sometimes it is hard to tell though but none were obvious chain restaurants.

Tango's yt POV, Impulse's yt POV, Skizz's yt POV, Brody's yt POV, and Evil's yt POV.
All times are based on Tango's POV. I = crewmate victory and (I) = imposter victory.
10:15 Round 1: Skizz/Joker's POV (limited time only) (C)

Etho makes Joker sweat after seeing him vent after killing Tango. Etho: Joker, did you see anything?

18:38 Round 2: Brody's POV/Bdubs (C)

Etho catches Brody vent out. MrsTango: "Can I vouch for Etho? Etho is safe because I watched him dump trash. I saw the trash dump." Etho: "Oh, MrsTango, saving the day, thank you MrsTango. I also saw MrsTango vent trash." Brody: "Yeah, every time you watch Etho play, he's trash." MrsTango: "You shut your filthy mouth."
Brody: Etho, I was partially joking. You're not trash. Etho: Oh. Just partially though.

27:57 Round 3: Impulse's POV/Brody's POV (I)
37:46 Round 4: Endless/Joker's POV (limited time only) (C)

Etho gets Joker voted off for "venting" even tho he didn't vent. Still, Joker was the Imposter so Etho got lucky here.
Joker: I'm never using vents again. As long as Etho's playing, I'm never using vents. Bdubs: Sounds like a John Mayer song.

46:46 Round 5: Tango/Joker's POV (limited time only) (I)

Bdubs: I heard Etho say like five words and he was smiling. Etho: Oh, you got me so good, oh no! Brody: Etho, I want to watch you do that because I have that same task. Etho: Yeah, yeah. Come. Brody:
Etho: Brody killed him, Brody killed him! No, I mean he's safe. Brody's safe. Brody: You're killing me right now, Etho. Evil: Wait, what? Brody: He's messing with you because we both saw each other eject the trash.
One task left and Skizz doesn't realize it's his because he closed his task bar. "This is going to be embarrassing!"
Okay, boom! Tasks, right here. I'm an idiot. OMG I'm an idiot, I have so many! I am the WORST. Etho: So, I guess that last task isn't getting done. Tango: Is there a ghost camping on it? Is that possible? lmaoooooooooooooooo
Skizz comes clean. Bdubs: I'm gonna call my uncle, see if he can fill a spot in this group. Brody: By being dead you were still the 3rd imposter. Tango: That's a talent right there.

1:01:58 Round 6: Skizz's POV/Joker's POV (limited time only) (C)

Joker: Yeah, I want to talk to YOU, Etho. Etho: Let's hear it, Joker. Joker: I wanna know why you're going to that fire can so many times without emptying it. How much gas do you got? Etho: I'm trying to avoid you 'cause you're freaking me out, man! Joker: So, he was at the gas can... Etho: How about instead of watching me, go... go do your tasks, Joker. Or at least pretend to do ‘em.

1:19:18 Round 7: Evil's POV/Bdubs (I)
1:29:14 Round 8: Brody's POV/Bdubs (C)

Etho apologizes twice, first to Joker for voting him out, then to Skizzleman. Joker: I can't be mad at you, Etho, we're lab coat buddies. Etho: Skizzle, I'm kind of sorry but not really. Bdubs: Etho, you got all your sorries out? 30 seconds later Etho: Sorry! Tango: That was the most Canadian thing ever.

1:46:40 Round 9: Skizz's POV/Brody's POV (C)

Brody: Nooo Etho! Etho saw me. He saw me. He saw me and I'm so confused right now. I'm so confused. Did he not see me? Did he not see me? Etho: Aw, they killed Tango, nooo! Uh, I saw Brody vent.
Brody: I'm trying to vent more and like, somehow... Etho is there, every time. Tango: He does that.
Tango: No one is killing Etho. Etho is alive until the end every time. Etho: So I got a thing I do where I try to avoid the person I think is the killer so usually I last a long time because of that. Tango: 'I avoid the killer' wow, wish I had that ability! So Etho, did you really just like cut task mid-task and run away? Etho: Oh yeah, if I think the killer walks in with me, I'm out of there.

1:54:45 Round 10: Brody's POV/Joker's POV (limited time only) (C)

Brody: Etho, be imposter with me, please. Thank you. Etho: I don't want to be imposter I suck at it.
Brody kills Etho and vents in front of everyone I can't believe he got that thing. How did Etho get that so quickly? You did see me vent. I killed Etho. I'm going to say it out loud. I killed [Etho] because everytime I'm near him he sees me in a vent, everytime. He deserved to die. Every single time. I'm calling it right now. You should vote for me, Etho? Bdubs: This is dark. Brody: I don't know what I'm gonna do, Etho but... Etho: I'm faster than you. Brody: You, turning that off, you're just a jerk. Can I say that out loud, Etho? You're just a jerk. Etho: It was a good play though, Brody. Brody: Hey, I'm voting for me.
MrsTango: "I'm not finishing my tasks" Brody: "Hell hath no fury" Etho: "[like] the MrsTango scorn"
Brody: Etho saved that game for all of you. He was 1 second faster than me killing him stopping that timer. Etho, you're dumb. Etho: I saw blue for like 1 milisecond and I was dead.

2:13:49 Round 11: Evil's POV/Impulse's POV (I)

Tango is so happy not to be dead on the first round. Impulse: Is that because you killed Etho in Med Bay? Bdubs: Listen, he would not do that. Tango: I WISH. If I could kill Etho, I'd love it right now."

2:21:22 Round 12: Etho/Impulse's POV (I)

Etho: I think I killed Bdubs first, right? Bdubs: What do gotta to brag about that for, what's so great about that, smile on your face!? Etho: It made me happy. Bdubs: It made you happy!

2:32:39 Round 13: Tango/Brody's POV (I)

Etho: Hey everybody! Tango/Bdubs: Hi Etho! Brody: You're like Dr. Nick right now from The Simpsons. If I had time I'd make a compilation of every single time Etho started an Among Us emergency meeting with "Hey/Hello everybody" over the past couple months. It would be an hour long...
Bdubs has a little bit of breakdown when he's figured out the Imposters (Tango/Brody). Etho concurs.
Brody: Bdubs, stop using your fake tears! Bdubs: Ohhh, IDK, sometimes when I trust myself, I cry.

2:46:08 Round 14: Tango/MrsTango (C)

Etho figures out Tango is the Imposter with ease based on everyone's location. Tango: "Imagine for a second I'm innocent." 5 minutes goes by "No, I'm guilty as hell."

2:55:11 Round 15: Bdubs/MrsTango (C)

Brody: "Have you guys ever had to do the water wheel task? It's the worst, actually, ever." Etho: "Brody, just sing the Titanic theme song as you do it, it goes faster."

3:05:58 Round 16: Brody's POV/Bdubs (I)
3:16:15 Round 17: Bdubs/Joker's POV (limited time only) (C)
3:33:54 Round 18: Etho/Tango (I)

Tango and Etho commit a vicious murder on Joker.

3:41:31 Round 19: Etho/Brody's POV (I)
3:48:25 Round 20: Tango/Endless (C)
4:00:58 Round 21: Brody's POV/Evil (C) Etho and Bdubs held hands throughout the entire round and won it for the crewmates

Etho: Skizzleman getting chewed up here! Impulse: You guy getting eaten UP! Skizz: I love it when Bdubs says that! (This is a callback, Etho is mimicking Bdubs here xD)
Bdubs: Etho, can I just get a round clearing? Etho: Yeah, we're best buds for the rest of the round. Bdubs: We both did the medscan and it was cute.
Bdubs and Etho best buds 4 lyfe
Tango: So who do I trust? Do I trust Etho and Bdubs? I think I do. Those two are so buddy-buddy this round.
"Where's Etho and Bdubs?" Tango gets stabbed by Brody "I knew it! I needed to find Etho and Bdubs"
Tango: "The Etho/Bdubs combo is going to be lethal here." (With huge assist from MrsTango!)
Tango: "That Bdubs/Etho love pairing was quite powerful this round."

4:12:36 Round 22: Endless/Skizz's POV (C)
4:18:21 Round 23: Impulse's POV/Bdubs (C) This was fun to watch and pretty intense from Tango's POV. Etho knows who the Imposters are but has trouble getting them voted out because he looks a bit sus himself so he can't draw too much attention on himself by forcing the votes.

Brody: Anyone want me to follow them 'round? Etho: You can come with me, Brody! Brody: I'll go with you, Etho. Alone. Just the two of us. Brody: We can make it if we try! Etho's trying to get me alone in this room.

4:36:28 Round 24: Etho/Skizz's POV (I) This round is hilarious from Tango's betrayed POV.

The Dance of Betrayal, Part 1 "I got Etho friends now. [...] Etho doesn't want any part of my friendship.
The Dance of Betrayal, Part 2 Tango: Etho, you didn't want to be my friend. I see how it is. Etho: Whaaa - we were friends for awhile! Tango: "Ehhh, not long enough." Etho: I skipped a dance, Tango!
The Dance of Betrayal, Part 3 Etho: "These are really slow kills." Skizz: "They are." Brody: "I like how Etho's like "very slow kills" by the way everybody it basically wasn't me, it's very slow kills." Etho: "Get on it guys!"
The Dance of Betrayal, Part 4 "No, my friend! My companion, my weapons-faker! I trusted you!"
The Dance of Betrayal, Interlude: Tango, still trying to process the ultimate betrayal, witnesses Etho's kill and frame job on Evil. "Etho's very, very, very good at this game. SHOCKER."
The Dance of Betrayal, Part 5 "We danced for a little bit together, but it was just one tango, Tango."

4:48:15 Round 25: Skizz's POV/MrsTango (C)

Hello everyone,
We are back with our second installation of our community-voted top goals of the month. If you missed it the first time around, you can find our thread for October here for a quick explanation of the way that these threads are being operated. As you may notice from the title, we will also be revealing the results from the previous month in these threads, which will be the norm going forward.

October Results

5th Place: Turinturo flip reset, pre-flips into beautiful air dribble (Rogue vs XSET, NA Fall Regional #3)
4th Place: Virtuoso comes off the backboard to score a Deevo-esque goal on 0 seconds (Endpoint vs Top Blokes, EU Fall Major)
3rd Place: Virtuoso scores an absurd pre-jump goal from the ceiling (Endpoint vs Solary, EU Fall Major)
2nd Place: FairyPeak! with the most delicate of re-directs on 0 seconds (Renault Vitality vs Barca Esports, EU Fall Major)
1st Place: Ayyjayy double flip reset double tap (Ayyjayy vs LionBlaze, NA Gold Mine)
Our October winner is AyyJayy's brilliant mechanical display in the NA Gold Mine finals. While flip resets, double-taps or even flip reset double-taps are common-place, double flip resets are still exceedingly rare, and given the stakes of the match in which AyyJayy's double flip reset double-tap took place in, it's a worthy winner of our first goal of the month.

November Shortlist

Goal 1: Fahad77 with the Dirty Kickoff (Fahad77 vs Fairy Peak!, EU Gold Mine)
Goal 2: Joreuz forces OT in dramatic fashion (Joreuz vs Fairy Peak!, Salt Mine Underground)
Goal 3: Alpha54 hits Musty vs. Denied (Renault Vitality vs Denied, EU Winter Regional #1)
Goal 4: Breezi 0 boost double wavedash to set up Scrub (Team Singularity vs Team Liquid, EU Winter Regional #1)
Goal 5: Back-To-Back Highlight by Eekso! (Galaxy Racer vs Sauce Squad, EU Winter Regional #1)
Goal 6: Zamue recovers from the whiffed ceiling shot to catch Top Blokes off guard (Vodafone Giants vs Top Blokes, EU Winter Regional #1)
Goal 7: Fairy Peak with an 8 Boost Double Tap (Renault Vitality vs Vodafone Giants, EU Winter Regional #1)
Goal 8: Amphis with the cherry pick goal (Ground Zero Gaming vs Renegades, RLO Masters Week 3)
Goal 9: Rehzzy Incredible Flip Reset Corner Read Assist (SWAG vs Team Singularity, EU Grid - Qualifier)
Goal 10: Faisal with a mid-air bump to secure the goal in the Nicecactus Clash: Middle East (Sleeping vs Forest Hunters, Nicecactus Clash: Middle East)
Goal 11: Caard triple taps vs True Neutral (Ellevens Esports vs True Neutral, SAM Winter Split - Phase 1: Prime Series 1)
Goal 12: Monkey Moon bumps FlamE out of the way to score a pre-flip re-direct (Team BDS vs Top Blokes, EU Grid Week 1)
Goal 13: eekso with a crazy read to score from a crazy angle (Galaxy Racer vs Top Blokes, EU Grid Week 1)
Goal 14: Aztral with an Unbelievable Flip Reset Double-Tap Off the Ceiling (Oxygen Esports vs Rix.gg, EU Grid Week 1)
Goal 15: Envy executes a fake kickoff to perfection in the final seconds (Team Envy vs NRG Esports, NA Winter Regional #1)

Mod Spotlight

u/DS0308: Back-To-Back Highlight by Eekso! - While the first goal in this clip is impressive in of itself, the second goal is the one that particularly strikes me. He gets a perfect touch off the wall despite having to first drive back around it from the corner of the pitch, then adjusts his car with a full spin that delays his shot just enough so that Rise can't time his challenge on the backboard correctly. I'd definitely consider it one of the more visually appealing goals of this month.
u/John_aka_Alwayz: Monkey Moon bumps FlamE out of the way to score a pre-flip re-direct - Even by the standards of the best player in the world, this absurd goal left Hunted & Sleegi speechless. Even without a defender in the way, the angle would be pretty impressive considering he arrived from the opposition goal line, but to muscle FlamE out of the way simultaneously, no one could have seen it coming, Who dare says bump plays are boring?
u/MadWooookie: Rehzzy Incredible Flip Reset Corner Read Assist - I think I can say that for most of us, we have quite high expectations from the newly formed SWAG (Kuxir97, Flakes, and Rehzzy), probably most of us former Team Liquid fans. And although the results haven't been fantastic, there's a lot of promise for this team. This shot by Rehzzy, who would be considered the unknown player on the team, shows what is to come, and a sort of hopeful intrigue. Rehzzy is sure to be a future star no matter what team he's on, and this highly mechanical, as well as team focused assist, is a strong showing of his incredible ability.

Voting

Voting Link
Once again, we will use a Google Form for voting. You will be asked to vote for your personal top 5 from the above list, with each ranking giving a certain amount of points towards an overall score that leads to a final overall ranking (1st = 10 points, 2nd = 7 points, 3rd = 5 points, 4th = 3 points, 5th = 1 point).
Voting for November will end at the commencement of our December thread.
Once again, we encourage everyone to discuss any goals from this month that may not have made this list in the comments that you thought were particularly noteworthy, while also encouraging the submission of clips from lesser viewed competitions or regions so that they have potential to be spotlighted here.
We look forward to seeing your responses,
- RocketLeagueEsports mod team

We want a fun hobby of trying new and non traditional meals as a way of spending more time together. We love all kinds of food, although she’s a bit more sensitive to spice recently (i still love it). We’re both pretty decent cooks, not great, but better than average i would think. What’s a fun dish that might bring a unique style and flavor to our home?
To clarify, were from the US!
Edit: Here's the list up to this point if anyone wants to toss their hand in the basket as well! I'll add one, its called Bitterballen
Edit 2: Holy hell batman... theres so many! Im struggling to keep up/recognize doubles!
Edit 3: I’ve spun the wheel. My first endeavor is thankfully an easy one to start with... Shakshouka! Coming up for some Sunday breakfast!
Edit 4: Alright, I think I've gone through every PM and added them to the list! 234 dishes in total!! I didn't add a few (looking at you grilled cheese and 7 cheese toastie guys/gals) cause those don't fit the bill of adventurous foods. Some people have linked a specific recipe, so i advise you ctrl+F the dish if it gets selected and see if you can find their favorite one!
Happy eating anyone that attempts this! If someone wants to make a sub like randomrecipeoftheweek or something you're more than welcome to yank this post and get the ball rolling. I don't have time to manage that.
Biryani
Ghormeh Sabzi
Empanadas Argentinas
Shakshouka
Grilled Mussels over pine needles
chicken tikka masala
Moqueca
miso udon pasta
Kare kare
Flygande Jacob
Tarekatsu
Chicken nanban
Crawfish/Shrimp Etoufee
Beef Rendang
Azeri Lavangi
Congri
TostonesFried Yuca
Moroccan Chicken
Bosnian Cabbage Rolls
Iskender
Bibimbap
Beef/chicken Bulgogi
Kubba/Kibbi
Lomo Saltado
Aji de Gallina
Königsberger Klopse
Persian Chicken and Rice
Tom Kha Gai
Pierogi
That guy messing with my Tacos
Arepas
Sauerkraut soup
Feijão tropeiro
Escondidinho
Nyonya chicken curry
Kimchi Tofu Soup
Spring Rolls
Smashed Tofu/Tempe
Tteokbokki
Chicken Tangine
Malaysian Lakshadweep
Vietnamese lemongrass porkchops with broken rice
Arais
Ratatouille
Mediterranean Chicken Kebabs
Koftka Kabobs
Italian Braciole
Salad Olivieh
Jiggs
Souvlaki
Japanese curry
Coxinha
Sarma
Punjene Paprike
Protuguese Francesinha
Nem; Laos Crispy Rice Balls
Any ramen recipe
Tiga Diga Na
Chicken Adobo
Tacos al Pastor
Peposo
Beef Rendang
Crepes
Laksa
Khachapuri
Spanakopita
Mole poblano
Lau Mai Gai
Hand raised meat pie
Poutine
Chicken in milk
Sauerbraten
Gyudon
Banh Xeo
Peixinhos da Horta
Cozido a portuguesa
Chilean Cazuela
Mexican beef birria
Chicken with pomegranate
Chicekn Paprikas
Lumpia
Pancit Behon
Filipino Sinigang
Tzaziki Rice and meatballs
Key Wat
Soto
Jollof Rice
Chicken Paprikash
Fesenjan
Loco Moco
Banh Xeo/Banh Cuon
Salmon Croquettes
Kuksi
Char siu pork
Sopa Paraguaya
Beef Wellington
Zurek
Eech
Fiadonne
Lazy dumplings
Gazpacho
Stampot Sul'ance
Caldo Verde
Plov
Nasi
Flaming Saganaki
hainan chicken rice
lutefisk and lefsa
moussaka
feijoada
cornwall pasties
avgolemono
korma/butter chicken
kalue pig
romanian mici
goat and peanut stew
jjajangmyeon
japchae
guyanese pepper pot
tod mun pla
chongqing style hot pot
pervian ceviche
Bobotie Boereworse
Pap bunny chow
Cape Malay Curry
Potato bake vetkoek
sinigang
papaitan
thai green curry
spiedini alla romana
falafel
moussaka
Laksa
German Herring Salad
Takoyaki
Trinidadian doubles
Japanese pulled chicken curry
pho ap chao
puttanesca
Pad Krapow
Khao Soi
Mapo Tofu
Oyako Donburi
Guyanese Pholourie
Mujadara
Kushari
Murabyan
Kabsa
Tagine
Dal Tadka and Rice
Doro Wat
Pav Bhaji
Russian Eggplant Caviar
Georgian Lobio
Dampfknudle
Carne Guisada
Injera
Matapa
Aglio e olio
Cevapi
Borek
Zillertaler Krapfen
Toad in the Hole
Appam and stew
Rasta Pasta
Polvo a lagareiro
Bacalhau a ze do pipo
Caldeirada de peixe
Miso poached salmon with innokki mushrooms
Zoervleisj
Kanda Pohe
German Rouladden
Tote Oma
Larb
Paella
Timen Kelam
Wallenbergare
Courgette lasagne
Malai Kofta with white gravy
Dan dan noodles
Firecracker pork pasta
Shogayaki
Geoduck sashimi
Hungarian Paprikash
Bibimhuksu
Bulgogi dopbap
Haemul pajeon
German blutwurst
Thalipeeth
Mucalicka
Flan
Mofongo
Beef salpicao
Domoda
Lithuanian pink soup
Cider boiler stilton pork
tahchin
Caponata
steak and kidney pudding
Isaac toups gumbo
Katsu don
Preipannetje
Sukiyaki
Afelia
Dowjic
Pho
Gulab Jabmun
Kaiserschmarren
Millefeuille
North Ireland Champ
Moranga
Chicken Dum biriyani
Kedgeree
Arancini
Pastitsio
Ecuadorian mote pillo
Egusi with pounded yam/gari
Chicken yassa
Japanese beef and apple curry
Loubia (moroccan bean soup)
Scotch Eggs
Chicken Shawarma
Koshary
Chilaquiles
Koobideh Kabab
Janssons Frestelse
Chimole
Boil up (belize dish)
Hudut and Sere
Finnish Salmon Soup
Coconut thai veggie bowls
Imam Bayildi
Tallarin Saltado

I've found that one of the best ways I learn is by watching actual good producers work on their tracks or break them down. Since so many of them have been in lockdown for the past few months, we've seen a lot of streams and the like, and I realized it might be useful to compile a whole bunch of links for stuff like this into one place. and PLEASE post any other ones that you've also found helpful.
Alan Walker:

• Alone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwCdRqTVvBs

Alesso:

• Remedy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rH8NLoMnrY

Armin Van Buuren:

• Suddenly Summer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5C3tCufcnQ

Au5:

• Only In A Dream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ChRCtHQ0tU
• Potions (Remix): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGosyV43yDQ
• Remember: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyXIjvrAU88

Avicii:

• Dancing In My Head: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dIcuU58Oy8

Bassjackers:

• Bring That Beat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmkV22wNT_k

Brooks:

• Boomerang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTJwR125DGQ
• Dusk Till Dawn (Remix): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jpchz4fLc9U

Cazzette:

• A State of Bliss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwc17XFnA9A

The Chainsmokers:

• Roses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlUGRbPLn-4

Crankdat:

• Rockstar (Remix): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtGiY6fpF0Y

Crystal Skies:

• The Chasm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYjlGHJ7Lio

Curbi:

• Whip It: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B94O4KpNgSA

Cyril Hahn:

• Perfect Form: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhtVEY9Chjg

Deadmau5:

• Imaginary Friends: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN780dTTsZ4

Direct:

• Cold Ground: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pradhFoxHuk

Disclosure:

• Mali Mali: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X29yd7A0gco

Donny Carr:

• Kubrick (Remix): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLXW_1bfvZM
• Luna Brave: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV5cjoMu8G8
• Space Flex: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajeptjPBS9k

Eliminate:

• Crystallize: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-Y2QvTttXU
• Potions (Remix): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xlz-ljFv9b8

Ellis:

• I Don't Know Why (Remix): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxueF4R8KOQ

Enamour:

• Ruby: https://www.sonicacademy.com/courses/ruby-with-enamour

Flux Pavillion:

• Emotional: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLBPLyOzN_I
• I Will Stay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtTOM7p1bCU

Four Tet:

• Sing & Love Cry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEUGilncRJs

Fox Stevenson:

• Miss You: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMqj73Eb86A

GRiZ:

• Mercy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWqi7t6a4jc

Headhunterz:

• Colors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-GtOJtzsTc

Illenium:

• Lonely: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUWfIHZTuEg

Jay Hardway:

• Stardust: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRA4JTzPZ-o
• Wake Up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ-qPvZHRsc

Jon Hopkins:

• Luminous Beings: https://songexploder.net/jon-hopkins

Jonas Blue:

• Perfect Strangers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK_JoYDOgjk

KSHMR:

• House of Cards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kebY59QLdhw
• My Best Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYbhaenbc3Y
• No Regrets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBFxkOOS3sg

Kygo:

• Freedom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlvUHRavjoI
• Higher Love: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCe-6UprFGo
• I'll Wait: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LDsqRs3CQ4

Lane 8:

• Undercover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_eGfgCzQis

Martin Garrix:

• Animals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfCmoEixxro

Mat Zo:

• Petrushka: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztcjU0pRVEo

Mesto:

• Don't Worry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5DMYrk2pxQ
• Your Melody: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8-SuyOWf5w

Mike Williams:

• Make You Mine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4TI6vz4Duw

Mura Masa:

• What If I Go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-ReqVnwHLE

Muzzy:

• Spectrum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S1mu2gvZrU

Nicky Romero:

• So Far Away (Remix): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw1ynYAFpIo
• Toulouse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzgVHHG1ym0
• Young (Remix): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a38tzGbi2_o

Noisia:

• Reptilians: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyUJg2XrH-Q

ODESZA:

• Kusanagi: https://songexploder.net/odesza

Pusher:

• I Wanna Know (Remix): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n9wHG9mAhI

Said the Sky:

• Over Getting Over You: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-w-1Fbz3gw

San Holo:

• One Thing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdOUoxv26oQ
• Light: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMECkqH7GFw

Seven Lions:

• A Way To Say Goodbye: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxrsEN7o74M

Sigala:

• Came Here For Love: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLNQLxJzSas

Soltan:

• Walls Cave In: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQsiJ9wp4mo

StayLoose:

• Just A Feeling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyJ62GUZx2c

Taska Black:

• Dead Inside: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oGX2_YNxB8

Tokimonsta:

• Bibimbap: https://songexploder.net/tokimonsta

Tom Swoon:

• Here I Stand: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdEy8iSJ12o

Trivecta:

• Axis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWPKZSkUwrc
• Fractures (Remix): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj59392w07k
• Without You My Love (Remix): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ydvje94ri3c

Tycho:

• Awake: https://songexploder.net/tycho

Varien:

• Lilith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3WkzeNCoEs
• Morphine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F07BmfWq3AM
• Nights in Bangalore Pt 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-UgzsrUOfY

Vincent:

• Breathe 2.0: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNAYGgqyzzs

Virtual Riot:

• One (Remix): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYuClvAGCpU

7 Skies:

• My Frequency: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCfrzhZZm80

So, I love food, and I consider myself pretty adultish, except for the fact that every week I wound up wasting something that's in my fridge while "having nothing to cook". The parsley that I optimistically bought thinking I am Le Chef Sophistique, or the greens that never made it to any sandwich but I bought them because I should eat more veggies, or the bread slices that turned into trash instead of croutons. I hate throwing away food, but I also never planned out what I was going to eat for the entire week.
How?? Why???
After many years of skating by as a decent cook who YOLOed grocery shopping and breakfast, my pre-frontal cortex is finally fully developed and I have reached an age where skipping meals turns me into a houseplant. Meal planning takes work and forethought, and sounds like a thing that grandmas do. But, it legit saves you time that you would spend with your head in the fridge wondering what to make for dinner, and it saves you money at the grocery store since you aren't buying shit that you don't have a plan for.
"How did shoddybeta do it?" I hear you wonder.
Well, kids, the secret is a whiteboard and a list of tasty shit you want to make. To figure out the tasty shit, I started by thinking about stuff I love to make and eat, then I bought one (1) cookbook. (The cookbook is Thug Kitchen and you should go read it. Or read the blog.) Top it off with Cookie and Kate and you got a recipe (hehehe) for tummy-rumbling inspiration.
Once a week (or when your fridge is looking kinda empty and sad), sit down, and think to yourself "what kinda tasty shit do I want to eat soon?" For me, the choices shift seasonally; wintertime (now-ish) is all soups, stews, and casseroles. The bulk of the work is done with the whiteboard:

• On the whiteboard, list out what you currently have in the fridge that you need to eat - veggies, pre-cooked grains, half-full jars of pasta sauce, whatever.
• Next, I think about what would be real tasty with the leftover . Got some leftover rice, neat - would I rather do fried rice, or bibimbap, or, like, fish fillet with rice and roasted broccolini? Got some leftover stock because I was trying to make fucking fancy ass ramen - should I make minestrone, or basic ass tomato soup, or use it for risotto or some shit? Don't worry about getting 100% coverage on your random refrigerator stuff, but be willing to dress up your normal food in a new way. Bonus points if you can kill multiple leftovers with one meal idea. Whatever you come up with, write it down. Also, fun fact: the three foolproof catch-all dishes for random shit in your fridge are fried rice, stir fry, and minestrone. Consolation prize goes to taco salad.
• While you're at it, check your freezer! Did you forget about the lasagne you made 2 months ago? Defrost that fucker.
• Still need more shit to eat that week? I normally pick one decadent-ass meals (think, big pan of lasagna), and pick two easiesimpler proteins.
• Does your list looks like it's on the Atkins diet? Figure out what kind of veggies you want to go with your meat and taters.
• Pick one thing to make for breakfast besides cereal (for me, it's usually a baked good like muffins or a set-and-forget thing like overnight oats or chia pudding).

Then: MAKE YOUR GROCERY LIST BASED OFF THE MEAL LIST. Just like, google a recipe, and figure out what you need that you don't already have, and write those things down, and bookmark that recipe so you can actually make it when you're ready. A mind-blowing concept, I know. But, here's the thing: it took me 10 YEARS of adult life to figure out that you do plan your list around your meals, not vice versa. And I'm way happier now.

History
A little bit of history, and any Koreans present please do feel free to correct me. Starting in 1963 or so, during the reign of Park Chung-hee (박정희), there was apparently either a shortage of rice or it was determined that eating other crops like wheat and potatoes would be more economically efficient. There were two notable policy results of this determination:

1. The production of soju from rice was either banned or very strongly discouraged, and it switched to a mostly potato-based formula which is, as far as I know, still dominant today (perhaps with some rice added now that it's no longer restricted, and luxurious 100% rice sojus are available).
2. Nationwide, the government banned the sale of rice at restaurants between the hours of 11am and 5pm Wednesday to Saturday, from 1969-76. They began to promote "분식" (bunsik/flour-based foods) as an alternative. In its original meaning, this term largely referred to noodles (most prominently ramyeon), fried foods, dumplings, fish cakes, and various "kabobs" that could be made without significant amounts of rice.

By the mid-70s South Korea's economic situation had begun to stabilize (even Park's detractors, which include most sane people including me, acknowledge his economic brilliance) and it was no longer necessary to ration rice. But the bunsik restaurants remained, and steadily began adding rice-based dishes such as kimbap (김밥), bibimbap (비빔밥) and fried rice (bokkeumbap 볶음밥) to their menus.
​
Bunsik Restaurants
The most prominent 분식 chains nationwide are 김밥천국 (Gimbap Cheonguk, literally "Kimbap Heaven"), 김밥나라 (Gimbap Nara (meaning "Kimbap Nation"), and 김가네 (Gimgane, I think this literally means "Kim's Restaurant" like the family name Kim but I'm not sure). These are not by any means the only 분식점, but they are the easiest to find for someone who's new to Korea and may not know the language well yet. Generally Gimbap Cheonguk and Gimbap Nara have red signs. Some of these may be open 24 hours a day, although I feel like that's becoming less common as tastes diversify and convenience stores improve their offerings. Gimgane usually has yellow or white signs, is slightly more expensive than the others (due ostensibly to higher quality, though it's not really all that much better despite having a fancier menu), and will usually only be open between 11am and 9 or 10pm or so. All 3 often deliver via apps. Note: Though all three of these are chains, quality and offerings may vary.
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How to get Bunsik as a Vegan or Vegetarian
In the comment section of another post on this subreddit I, overcome with concern for a vegan friend who admitted to indulging in copious amounts of Lotteria burgers, wrote up the following suggestions for ordering from restaurants like these:
"Bibimbap's your ticket. Go to any 김밥나라/김밥천국/김가네 (Gimbap Nara/Gimbap Cheonguk/Gimgane), ubiquitous diner brands, and say:
"저 계란 안먹는 채식주의자이에요. 야채비빔밥 주세요, 고기 빼고, 계란 빼고"
(jeo gyeran anmeog-neun chaesikjuuija iyeyo. Yachae bibimbap juseyo, gogi-ppaego, gyeran ppaego).
My Korean here may not be grammatically perfect but it should be sufficient. Literally it means "I am a vegetarian who doesn't eat eggs. Please give me vegetable bibimbap, no meat, no eggs."
You should end up with a vegan bowl of rice and vegetables with spicy sauce (고추장/gochujang) that will be a palatable and healthy, if low-protein meal. It's impossible without a VERY fluent command of Korean to never end up accidentally consuming some kind of invisible amount of seafood, but most of the time the above order will be vegan as they don't usually put shrimp-fermented kimchi directly into the bibimbap as far as I know.
Another option, if it's present is 유부초밥 (yubu chobap). I personally don't really like the stuff, but it's bean curd stuffed with rice and is, as far as I can tell, natively vegan. If you were to order this with bibimbap you'd have a fairly complete meal and, if you like bean curd and rice a lot, a rather satisfying one. Yubu may not be available everywhere however. I have never seen this served in a non-vegan way, but don't blame me if your server somehow innovates by adding ham or mayo. You could always say "고기 빼고, 마요 빼고, 계란 빼고" (gogi ppaego, mayo ppaego, gyeran ppaego) but they're gonna look at you especially suspiciously for that one since it probably never contains those things.
Other potential options:
쫄면, 계란 빼고 (jjolmyeon, gyeran ppaego). You're asking for spicy noodles with no eggs. In my experience, this dish appears to always be vegan except for the half of a hardboiled egg placed on top, which is easy to toss. Warning: On occasions this may be very spicy.
일반김밥, 햄 빼고, 생선 빼고, 오뎅빼고, 계란 빼고 (ilban gimbap, haem ppaego, saengseon ppaego, odeng ppaego, gyeran ppaego). You're asking for standard kimbap but with no ham, fish, fish cake, or eggs. This would most likely result in, if they're willing to engage you, a roll of rice and seaweed with carrots, cucumber, radish, and maybe sesame leaf in it. I would enjoy this, personally, but as with the vegan bibimbap you're kind of short of a complete protein unless you can score some chewy black beans (검은콩 geom-eun kong) as a side dish. Asking for those, in general, might be a good way to add protein.
Additional suggestion: "고추장 따로 주세요" (gochujang ttaro juseyo, meaning "give me the gochujang separately"). This should result in a small adjoining plate of generally vegan hot pepper sauce. You can substitute 간장/gangjang for gochujang in this phrase, if you like salty food, and have soy sauce to dip your yubu or kimbap in. Note, if you say this when ordering bibimbap or maybe even jjolmyeon you might get the spicy sauce on the side instead of inside the main bowl (장/jang means sauce in general, when the sauce you're referencing is already known to the listener). This is useful if you aren't good with very spicy things, but is also adding to the litany of special requests and thus might engender a degree of resentment if the staff feel busy at the time."
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Additional options:
Soy Milk Noodles - 콩국수/콩물국수 (kongguksu or kongmulguksu) - This is a natively vegan dish, consisting simply of noodles served in unsweetened soy milk, with sugar and/or salt served on the side. The reason I didn't mention it above is that there are many restaurants which will refuse to (or be unable to) serve it during the colder half of the year. 설탕 (seoltang) is sugar, 소금 (sogeum) is salt.
Vegetable Fried Rice - 야채볶음밥, 고기 빼주세요 (yaechae bokkeumbap, gogi ppaejuseyo) - This is also an option for vegans maybe if you ask for the eggs removed (gyeran ppaejuseyo).
Tteokbokki - 떡볶이, 어묵 빼주세요 (tteokbokki, eomuk ppaejuseyo) - Rice cakes in spicy sauce, with the fish cake removed. Normally contains eggs, which vegan folk can have removed as mentioned above.
Omurice - 오므라이스, 고기 빼주세요 (Omeuraiseu, gogi ppaejuseyo). This is fried rice wrapped in an omelet, originally a Japanese dish. Due to the prominence of eggs, it is wholly unsuitable for vegans.
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On the subject of kimchi:
A final note on kimchi. Kimchi is generally fermented using seafood, most frequently shrimp. Vegan versions can be ordered online (see lovinghut.co.kr), but will rarely be encountered outside of specialty veg*n restaurants. That said, I estimate I've had kimchi over five thousand times, and perhaps ten to twenty of those times have I actually been able to see the seafood in it (usually oysters in very recently made specialty kimchi, as I recall, it's been a few years). So, for new visitors to Korea, you'll have to decide how strict you're going to be about avoiding it, as it will be on almost every single table at which traditional Korean food is served and is so ubiquitous that it is essentially a metaphor for the culture itself. Literally they spent supposedly millions of dollars to develop a space kimchi for Yi So-yeon, the first Korean astronaut, and Park Chung-hee warned Lyndon Johnson that if supply lines in Vietnam were unable to deliver kimchi to the front that the Korean soldiers would be unable to fight well due to a devastating drop in morale.
For any of you vegetarians who have decided you'll try kimchi, I recommend:
김치김밥, 햄과 어묵을 빼주세요 (gimchi gimbap, haem-gwa eomuk-eul ppaejuseyo) - Gimchi gimbap, no ham, no fish cake. As above, if you don't eat eggs, say "gyeran ppaejuseyo").
김치볶음밥, 고기과 햄 빼주세요 (gimchi bokkeumbap, gogi-gwa haem ppaejuseyo) - If you've read this far, you'll know what this is.
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TLDR:
Most important phrases:
x 주세요 (x juseyo, give me x)
y 빼주세요 (y ppaejuseyo, get rid of the y)
Restaurants: 김밥천국, 김밥나라, 김가네
Food: bibimbap, yubu chobap, jjolmyeon, gimbap, kongguksu, bokkeumbap, tteokbokki, omurice

New to smoking! So far I've only done:

• Old Bay Chicken Breasts
  
• Traditional style Whole Chicken
  
• Baby Back Ribs and Mac n Cheese.
  

So I've got absolutely zero idea what I'm doing. But here's my plan. Would love feedback.
1.) Brine the chickens the morning of
2.) Smoker at 275F
3.) Wet rub with a homemade Korean marinade similar to bibimbap sauce
4.) 3 - 4 hours in the smoker
5.) 15 minutes before it being done, take it out, lather a Korean style BBQ sauce on it, finish
6.) Hope it turns out really good
Is this a bad idea and I should just give up? Am I on the right track here?

So what seems to be better? UR’s with 0* or SR with 1-2? And is a 5 R better than a 0* UR? I have Crab Long Bao as my tank, but didn’t know if he should stay or if I need a 5* Tom Yum until I ascend CLB once or twice. Same with Milk. I have Bibimbap too.
Also, I’ve got the fallen angels under control on what goes with what 😁 this is just some questions I’ve had that I can’t find answers to anywhere

Title says it all! We are SignKitchen and we are making bibimbap tonight! Everything is captioned and in ASL/PSE, simcom, and English. We are accessible to everyone, as best as we can!
Our Twitch is https://www.twitch.tv/SignKitchen
If y'all can't make it tonight, have our recipe(s) for bibimbap so you can make it another time! :)
Ingredients:
Marinated Beef:

• 8 oz beef cut of some kind, typically sirloin
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic

Pickled Carrots and Daikon:

• 1/2 cup carrots (julienne cut or peeler sliced)
• 1/2 cup daikon (julienne cut or peeler sliced)
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Smashed Asian Cucumber Salad:

• 1 English cucumber
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 1/4 tsp rice vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp chili oil
• 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• a small handful chopped cilantro

Seasoned Bean Sprouts:

• box of bean sprouts
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp finely chopped scallion
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

Bibimbap Sauce:

• 2 tbsp gochujang
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp white sugar
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp minced garlic

Sunny Side Up Eggs:

• 2 eggs
• oil or butter of your choice

Rice:

• 3 c short grain rice
• water, but less than what the recipe calls for--you want it on the drier side

Miscellaneous:

• kimchi

Instructions:

• Rinse out rice and start the rice cooker, ensuring that there's slightly less water so the rice is a bit dry.
  
• Mix together soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, and minced garlic for the marinade. Thinly slice the beef and put the marinade and beef in a bag, allowing that to soak for about 30 minutes.
  
• On stove top, mix together white vinegar, rice vinegar, water, sugar, and salt, ensuring that it's mixed, and bring everything to a slight boil.
  
• In the meantime, clean and peel carrots and daikon, then either julienne cut or peeler slice them. Put in a large mason jar.
  
• When pickling liquid is just on the verge of boiling, take off stovetop, allow to cool to room temperature, then put it in the mason jar. Fill, close the lid, and chill. Allow about 30 minutes to marinate.
  
• Wash cucumber and pat dry. Make salad dressing by adding salt, sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Stir until sugar and salt is dissolved. Set aside.
  
• On a cutting board, lay large knife flat against cucumber and smash it lightly with your other hand. Repeat along its full length. Once cucumber is open, cut it to bite-sized pieces.
  
• In large bowl, mix cucumber, dressing, garlic, and chili oil, sesame seeds, and cilantro and toss well. Chill until ready to serve.
  
• Rinse out the box of bean sprouts. Prepare the scallions and garlic, and heat up a nonstick pan with sesame oil. Saute bean sprouts, scallions, and garlic to preference. Move off heat when done.
  
• To make the bibimbap sauce, mix together gochujang, sesame oil, sugar, water, sesame seeds, ACV, and minced garlic.
  
• Make sunny side up eggs.
  
• Fill up bowls with rice, place sauce over rice, top with egg and toppings, garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.
  

BACKGROUND
I’m a first generation immigrant who moved to the US in my early 20s where I met my husband of 2 years, C. We currently have separate accounts with the intention of opening a joint one when it’s necessitated.
My money diary is going to be based on my net worth and expenses alone but you can safely assume C has 5-6x, if not more, the asset amount I list. He is more frugal than I and last time we checked, he had 8x my total net worth. We both don’t have any debt.
INCOME PROGRESSION
When I moved to the US, my first (and probably the worst) job I had paid $7.50/hr as a 1099 contractor (even though I was, for all intents and purposes, an employee with no benefits). I quit and found a job in wholesale at $9/hr with no benefits that increased to $11.50/hr before I left it for a $10/hr job that offered benefits.
I got promoted within a year and got paid $16/hr. After getting an $18/hr raise, I resigned and got a job at a healthcare start up for $19/hr. I stayed in that company for only less than 6 months before I got hired at a large hospital for $26+/hr in 2017. They had automatic 3% contribution to a 401k, which started my retirement account. I got raises on every annual review for the last 3 years, which got me to my current pay of $31+/hr.
Check I receive: $1,564/2 weeks after insurance, 401k contribution and taxes.
ASSETS AND DEBT - Net worth: $42.6k

• 401K - $11.6k
• Roth IRA - $11.5k
• Savings - $18.5k
• Checking: This fluctuates but there’s usually at least $1k
• Debt: $0
• Home equity: $0 (We are currently renting)

TYPICAL MONTHLY EXPENSES

• Rent: $900 (Usually $1950 for a 2 bedroom apartment)
• Filial piety: $300
• Eating out: $300+ (Usually $700+, we like to spend good money on nigiri)
• Groceries, pet expenses (litter) and miscellanies: $400+ (Usually $900-$1.5k, depending on the outcome of vet visit, which my husband bears the brunt of it since our pet is originally his)
• Phone: $0 (I’m on my parents’ plan. I would combine with C but this is cheaper and it also helps them not feel bad about accepting money from me)
• Utilities: $0 (C pays all of it so I actually don’t know)
• Savings: $1000
• Transportation: $0 (I don’t drive and don’t have a car. I used to take the bus pre-pandemic but I’ve been WFH since March)
• Skincare: $50 (cost is predominantly because of sheet masks)
• Gym: $0 (Used to pay $35/month pre-pandemic)
• Subscriptions: Netflix - $13 (C pays for), Snack box - $25
• Roth IRA - $400 (Dollar cost averaging, I bought $1.5k worth of index funds when the market crashed so I only need to do $100/week to max out this year)

DAY ONE - $0
7:52 AM - I am awakened by the sound of explosive diarrhea near the bed. Our cat has defecated by the corner right by where I organize my sheet masks. In the haze of my morning delusion, my brain (for some inane reason) tries to remember the animal whose feces purportedly had potent anti-aging properties, in an attempt to make a joke about it. C and I spend 10 minutes cleaning up before discovering another puddle of diarrhea by the stairs. He tells me to go back to sleep and he’ll clean up the rest.
1:52 PM - C wakes me up. It’s time to give our cat his pre-meal liver support pill. He gives him a treat after. I make green tea for myself while C heats up leftover pizza from yesterday. We eat it while watching High Scores on Netflix. It’s fascinating! C is an active gamer and I used to play a lot when I was younger albeit that has dwindled over time. Afterwards, we sit around discussing what else can be done to decrease our cat’s diarrhea spells. The vet’s recommendations have not been helping and we are worried that the constant diarrhea is exacerbating his liver issues.
5:37 PM - We go grocery shopping, which used to be a fun chore that we do together but now feels cumbersome. It’s one of the only times we go out though so we still do it. A random guy was wearing a face shield but no mask. I’m not sure if he was being facetious or if he really just doesn’t have an inkling as to how masks work. We bought CDC-tested KN95 masks exactly for these circumstances. C cooks mostly vegetarian and vegan meals so we purchase tofu, an assortment of fresh produce, eggs, cheese, junk food and kombucha. C pays for the $98.11 worth of groceries. It was my turn to pay but I had paid for some Target purchases last week that cost around $80.
8:16 PM - We have dinner while watching High Scores on Netflix. C made spicy tempeh salad topped with cooked beets and boiled egg. I despise salads but this was one I actually love. We plan our meals together but C does tend to deign to whatever I want to eat. We separate to do our own things: C with his video game while I am embroiled in my 7th rewatch of The Office. We are both introverts but we surprisingly enjoy doing our own things in the same room, in view and in proximity of each other for some “I love yous” yelled across the room, hugs, cuddles and kisses regularly interspersed in between our alone time.
10:37 PM - I finish the final episode of The Office surrounded by piles of snotty tissue paper (Can you imagine if I wasted this paper gold in March?! Que fucking horror!). I make honey lavender tea, put on Satie’s Gymnopedies and situate myself between pillows and blankets before sinking into the pages of a book. This one dissects the concept of freedom within the context of social psychology. It’s fascinating and the author, who is a prominent social psychologist, is one of my favorites.
DAY TWO - $0
7:00 AM - My alarm wakes me up and I tiptoe downstairs, fully expecting smudges of our pet’s poop all over the floor but I am pleasantly surprised to find none. His poop also looks healthy for once! He is on three different medications and we have yet to find the reason for his diarrhea despite trying multiple things. This evidentiary solid poop emboldens me to hope. I tell our cat that he did a great job. His response was to remain unmoving with the exception of his wagging tail, which lets me know that he heard me but that he doesn’t give a fuck. C’s work day starts at 9:30 AM and he doesn’t wake up until 10 minutes prior to feed our pet. I usually start my work day by dancing around in the living room while listening to music as I make green tea.
7:30 AM - I clock in for work. Mondays are always a lot more work than the rest of the week.
10:30 AM - I take my morning break by doing 10 sun salutations and 3-5 minutes of meditation. I sometimes light a candle before starting but I was a little rushed today.
12:00 NN - I clock out for “lunch” but I spend the 30 minutes napping, which is what my lunch breaks have been tantamount to since I started working remotely. I read somewhere that power naps, consisting of at least 20 minutes, helped commit information to long-term memory.
4:00 PM - I clock out for the day and attempt to work out but I got lazy after 5 minutes. I take a shower and mull over either taking a nap or finally working through the linear algebra course I signed up for 3 weeks ago. I do neither and waste my time watching a new trash TV on Netflix called Baewatch instead. It’s atrocious and I stop after 2 episodes. The parents were way too reminiscent of my conservative, strict and overbearing parents.
8:35 PM - We eat dinner while watching High Scores. C made vegan garlic alfredo. It’s delicious, as per usual. I wash the dishes after. He is back with his video game while I learn linear algebra foundations.
10:02 PM - I cut up a pineapple from yesterday’s grocery trip and top it with tajin. After I finish setting up MATLAB for the linear algebra course, I continue reading a book.
DAY THREE - $0
12:40 PM - C wakes me up during my lunch nap. I had overslept and clocked in later than what I would have wanted. He is profusely thanked before I run back to my computer to clock in.
4:10 PM - C and I clock out for work simultaneously. Well, just me. C is a salaried employee. Usually, he only works about 6-hours in M to F. C and I spend the next hour talking about some mathematical formula that he tried to find an alternative solution for out of sheer curiosity. I’m terrible at math but listen intently anyway because listening to C talk about something he’s passionate about is too adorable to pass. Afterwards, I take a nap.
7:00 PM - C wakes me up. It’s time for our cat’s dinner. After I feed our cat, C also starts working on our dinner. He makes vegetarian bibimbap, which is one of my favorites in our weekly rotations. I compliment the fact that he makes the perfect sunny side up egg to top it with every time and he pointed out that it was after he bought an oil spray. “In the context of cooking eggs, it is an absolute life-changer”, he says.
8:10 PM - We have dinner while watching High Scores. We retire to our individual activities of video games and reading with Debussy’s Etudes and Nocturnes in the background. I’m basic AF but classical music is my go-to winding down music.
DAY FOUR - $69.59
2:12 PM - I pay $29.59 to send chocolates to a friend for his birthday. He confided about some marital issues he is having with his husband. I hear him out and carefully recommend couple’s therapy by the end of it. I researched a few therapists near him and sent the list over. I also recommended reaching out to his insurance to inquire if they have a list of covered therapists.
3:00 PM - I take my afternoon break, start doing laundry and promptly go back to work after 15 minutes. We have a washing machine inside our home but I need to use the apartment’s communal dryer, which I do with great trepidation. I usually go out with a mask and an antibacterial wipe that I use to clean all the surfaces I touch. I know the possibility of being infected by way of fomites is closer to nil, but I figure disinfecting is only a slight inconvenience compared to the minute possibility of getting it. C and I spend the next few hours talking about politics and the economy while I fold and hang clothes.
7:05 PM - I crave for fries and convince C to pick up some take out from a local fastfood place instead of cooking for dinner. I pay $40 for it. He doesn’t care who pays but I like taking responsibility for my spontaneous cravings.
DAY FIVE - $25.67
12:00 NN - I pay $25.67 to send gourmet candies to my brother. Just a little pick me up for him as he is living alone. Times are tough for most people and everything feels like it’s going to shit. The least I can do is make people in my life smile. Most people I know have been fortunate to still have jobs but, like me, are increasingly growing restless by not going anywhere. Pre-pandemic, C and I frequented art museums, LA Philharmonic performances, band concerts and trying new restaurants. While we have both enjoyed spending essentially 24/7 in the last 5 months, we are both starting to get bored with staying in aside from our weekly grocery shopping and getting take out. We’ll probably plan a quick day trip somewhere if the cabin fever becomes excruciating but we’re far from there yet.
8:01 PM - My husband made Beijing Tempeh, which wasn’t a hit for both of us. We wouldn’t be making it again. We eat dinner while watching the last episode of High Scores.
11:47 PM - An internet friend brings up Camus’ The Myth of Sisyphus and how it was a difficult read. I agree, intimating that, in my opinion, Camus’ eloquent verbosity did not lend well to essays. The content is great albeit tortuous. I recommend The Plague, The Fall and The Stranger. This sparks a conversation with C about which novel we thought was most absurdist.
DAY SIX - $1,063
7:00 AM - It’s payday. I venmo $900 to C for rent. I donate $50 to a coworker’s medical expense fund after she recently passed from COVID-19. She was a sweet and vivacious woman. We were not close but everyone adored her, including me. It’s infuriating that people are still saying this is a hoax and are not taking social distancing or masking guidelines seriously. It’s infuriating that it’s normal in a first world country to have your finances, and consequently your life, upended for being sick.
12:00 PM - I clock out of work early and take a shower. I head to the bank where I withdraw $100 to have cash on hand, $10 of which I asked for in quarters. They only allow for $10 in quarters due to the coin shortage.
1:00 PM - I spend $113 at Trader Joe’s, a predominant amount of which was spent on a Laphroaig 10. I’m a bigger fan of whiskeys with no peat moss like Balvenie but Laphroaig is $10 cheaper. Due to the terrible parking situation, I usually walk to a Trader Joe’s once every six weeks and my husband picks me up via car after.
3:16 PM - Our cat’s feces are slowly getting into diarrheal territory again albeit not as bad as it was in the beginning of the week so we are hopeful. We’re still not sure why it’s happening in a seemingly cyclical way and our vet is as clueless as we are.
8:03 PM - We eat dinner while watching The Speed Cubers. C made grilled cheese with gouda and vegan deli, paired with tomato soup. We always watch gaming documentaries since it’s usually nostalgic, entertaining or interesting but this one was also surprisingly heart melting.
DAY SEVEN - $0
2:00 PM - C wakes me up as it was time to give our cat a pill. It’s a two-man job because our little boy is an obtuse, highly energetic bastard. We love him anyway. Afterwards, C makes sugar-encrusted waffles with sunny side up egg, baked french fries and vegan bacon on the side. We watch the newest season of Nailed It. It’s our favorite version and there is not a single episode that we don’t laugh our hearts out because of how ludicrous the creations end up being.
3:26 PM - We separate to do our own thing. C is with his video games while I continue reading a book. I listen to Chopin’s Nocturnes while reading. He is one of my favorite classical musicians. Some of my favorites from him are Nocturne no. 2 in E-flat, Op 9 and Love Letter.
10:18 PM - We eat grilled cheese and leftover tomato soup that I heat up in the microwave. We continue watching Nailed It. C mentions that The Boys’ Season 2 is coming back in early September so we’re excited! Afterwards, I watch The Ugly Truth on Netflix while C plays video games.
12:45 AM - I discover an old avocado that’s close to being rotten so I decide to make guacamole out of it. We had leftover chips. I thought it was okay but C, sweet, amazing soul that he is, gave it high praise. We discuss getting a cheap stationary bike but we’re not sure if it’s going to be worth it. I’ve been working out using Youtube videos since the gyms closed but I miss the treadmill and running without having to think about it too much.
REFLECTION:
Due to the gifts, the Trader Joe’s trip, the spontaneous fries purchase and donation, I consider this to be an unusual week as I don’t typically spend this much, even on a week where I pay C rent.
C and I have been incredibly lucky to have kept our jobs, and are both lucky to actually be enjoying staying in even as the circumstances outside our little bubble are anxiety-evoking and depressing.
Total spent this week: $1,158.26

Thank you u/aepeyc for the cute thank you card! I love tha tyou took the time to put all the letter stickers on the inside. I know how long that takes haha
Thank you u/hummingblurp for the card you spent quality time with! I loved reading about your day together :) I have sent your card, so hopefully it gets to you soon! Thank you for doing this fun exchange with me! Whatever was scratch n sniff on the envelope (a sticker?) is gone haha
Thank you u/babyraspberry for the Halloween card! Eye balls! Spooky! I really love your wax seal with the extra drips :)
Thank you u/CanaMeow for the Halloween card with the recipe! I'll keep this short since I messaged you earlier ;) Paisley and I are being sharks this year!
Thank you u/welshfancy for the fall card! I really like the gellyish fox sticker :) We do have leaves that change colors and fall haha Many of them have done so already!
Thank you u/HoneyGirlLZ for the purple card! I don't know which kind of fountain pen I have. It was a gift haha I'm getting a little better at it. I've stopped trying to write in cursive haha
Thank you u/suzilla10 for the cheese grater postcard! What an interesting insight into Berlin life! I really like the sticker that looks like washi tape!
Thank you u/MeowPrincessSandwich x2 for the back and forth card and the solstice tea traders card!
Thank you u/diphi22 for the card with the recipe! I'll let you know when I make it :) I've never had bibimbap
Thank you u/mrlifetraveler for the shark card with shark jokes! I love the aesthetic of this card and the jokes are right up my alley!
Thank you u/pullingback for the Russian theatre postcard! I don't know anything about Russian theatre. I studied mostly Japanese theatre and a little Scandinavian theatre.
Thank you u/kimmylubs for the duck postcard! Have you had a PSL yet? I've had one haha
Thank you u/feellikebeingajerk for the bootiful halloween card!! I really like the thicc ghost sticker on the inside haha
Thank you u/beagleinthesnow for the card with your favorite poem! This is such a sweet poem <3 My card went in a different direction haha You'll see when you get it

Hello everybody! Wow, last week was a lot, but here I am for the fourth episode MasterChef U.S. Ranking Series. This week, I'll be talking about one of the most underrated seasons of all: SEASON 7!! Original format inspired by anythingworx23/.
Introduction: Season 7 started in June 1, 2016 and ended in September 14, 2016. Shaun O'Neale was the official winner of that season and is the last winner to receive the cookbook deal.
Format: This season introduces an exclusive new feature in the format: the guest judges' rotation, with the main ones being Wolfgang Puck (in the first day and in the finale), Aarón Sánchez, Edward Lee, Kevin Sbraga and Richard Blais, along with Daniel Boulud as an exclusive judge for the finale. It is the first season where some episodes ended in a cliffhanger, which means the winner never got an advantage in the next episode type, and a new special challenge happens the next episode. It is also the first season in the show’s history to include three people in the finale.
Cast/Personality: Let’s get straight to the point! Barbara had no multi-dimensional personality, Cassie, Diamond and Brittany were ok, but I found them kind of boring to be honest. Bill was a nice guy, but was the epitome of the expression "You can’t teach an old dog new tricks!", despite his experience, but the reason was that he started cooking very late in his life. Lisa-Ann was clearly passionate and she proved during her heated conversation with Gordon. Manny was one of my favorites personality-wise, because of his light-hearted attitude, along with his positiveness and I wish he could have gone further.
I found Diana to be kind of cocky and delusional, especially when walking up to the judges thinking that everything she does is a showstopper, but ultimately ends to be an epic fail. Especially when she "honestly proclaimed to be one of the Top 14 home cooks in America of 2016, and there 20 000 other people who can’t say that." I’m pretty sure there are thousands of other people that clearly had more potential than her. D'Andre is like the cool guy, with a stylish and vibrant vibe, but messes up everything he does. Alejandro was one of the nicest people in this season.
Andrea was the opposite of how Ahran started, really nice and likable in the beginning, but then became as the competition progressed, she became really immature, rude and petulant. And honestly, I felt bad for Nathan, because along she treated him with Shaun and Katie (to a certain extent) was downright terrible to the point that she wished ill on Nathan, telling him that she couldn’t wait for him to go home. It made me lose all respect that I had for her initially and her elimination was honestly satisfying and well-deserved. Eric and Terry were two of the most recognizable contestants of the season. Honorable, lovable, strong, proud and full of fight. They never backed down from obstacles and down without a fight. They always respected the people around them and their courage, kindness, leadership and bravery was admired by all and ultimately won everyone's hearts. Although I feel that Eric deserves more recognition, since Terry is universally known on the global MasterChef U.S. scale of popularity.
I'm gonna be honest about Nathan, he wasn’t as bad as everybody thinks he is. Yes he was immature and childish on certain occasions, yes he was annoying some times, but let’s think about it, he clearly got treated unfairly and was ostracized by everybody, especially Andrea who was just trash-talking him behind his back and Shaun blaming him for everything and throwing him under the bus. I mean, just because someone annoys you doesn’t that you have to act like a bully, so that was just unacceptable. And ironically enough from what I’ve heard, Nathan and Andrea are friends outside the show. I didn’t care much for Katie.
Now, on to Dan, Dan, Dan!! The rumored actor and "fake contestant" who played the annoying, overused and stereotypical "frat guy" role, when he’s a frat guy himself. I clearly disliked him in the beginning, because I failed to see his true character and personality, since he’s the funniest home cook of the season. Some of the jokes he made were really comedic and funny. He’s the type of person you wouldn’t miss until you realize he’s gone. Tanorria was really nice as well and her personality really light up the room, despite being jerky sometimes, especially in the scene when she hands out the wooden spoons.
David was... not that bad as well I guess, especially when he was shown to be one of the most chill people early on, but then took a 180 on his personality after the veterans team challenge, when he wanted to be saved since he was the team captain of the red team and from that point, became very passive aggressive and progressively developed an aggressive, hostile, explosive, hot-headed and short-tempered behavior. He also became a huge trash-talker and was always pouting and raging like a child or a baby every time things didn’t go his way and that’s how one of the most infamously historical moments to in the history of MasterChef U.S. happened, where he had a massive temper tantrum and tried to quit the competition. He sure did a lot of things to establish himself as one of the most hated contestants ever and is one of the very few notorious antagonists who doesn’t seem to have a single redeeming quality. I’m pretty obvious that he received a "villainous" edit, like most of the antagonists, such as Christian, Ryan, Tali and Cutter for example. He had to play the role to keep people interested.
Brandi, along with Terry, Eric and Alejandro, is one of the most lovable people of the season, because of her kindness, her pure-heartedness and her southern accent that brings that rustic charm and safe aura around her, with her being very charismatic and sympathetic as well. Shaun is one of the most polarizing and likely unpopular winners, due to his personality. He could sometimes come off as arrogant, rude, petulant and condescending towards some of the contestants, especially Nathan and especially towards the judges in the finale over an argument about his appetizer. He also had the tendency to try to take over everything and a coincidence that Terry kept David on his team, since he was deemed to be the better and more trustworthy team player out of the two, which has confirmed by Brandi, as Terry sends Shaun over to the opposite team, because of his opinionated and alpha male nature. When he came back as a guest judge in Season 8, he became pretty boastful like if the winning got to him. Despite being the strongest winner, people were really divisive about him.
Eliminations: This season has several nonsensical eliminations that I consider to be some of the worst, but also some that I agree. First, we have Bill staying over Cassie for making potato pancakes, hash browns and bacon that was utterly lazy and badly executed, just to send him home in the next challenge. Secondly, we have Manny going home over Diana, especially when she made those horrible double-breaded cornmeal fried chicken and has already been in the bottom twice before. I’ll honestly rather have burnt fried chicken than eat something that is inedible, especially when Gordon spat it out in the bin.
After that, we had D'Andre, Nathan and Katie outlasting their welcome by a huge milestone. Eric should have made it a bit further than 8th place, because he had a lot potential. Andrea leaving was at the same time unfair, because she had the best sausage of the bunch despite arriving three seconds after time was up, especially when Diamond should’ve been the one to go, since she served a raw sausage. But at the same time, it was well-deserved, due to all the crap that she gave to Nathan, and it made me turn against her. Alejandro's elimination made sense, because his birthday cake had too many technical issues.
Dan left at the right time, because I couldn’t see him go further than 5th place and Tanorria's elimination also made sense, because the overall cookery of all three cuts of pork was subpar at best, although her replication on the three dishes was more complete. Meanwhile, David nearly excelled on the overall cookery of all three cuts of pork, despite forgetting multiple components on all three dishes. Terry clearly had the worst elimination of all, because he's been at the top all season long and was one of the top three contenders for the finale, along with Shaun and Brandi and had he not been eliminated, he would have easily replaced David.
Challenges: This season introduced the "Skills Test", where the contestants have to properly break down surfs and turfs, that will test them with their knife skills, precision, timing and their learning ability. The challenges themselves were above average, but we had some standout ones, such as the "Five Star High-End" Mystery Box Challenge that brought some of the most inventive and beautiful looking dishes the show has ever had and the final Team Challenge when the final four had to cook for renowned food critics, because of the dishes on both teams having great concept and creativity, and where the endgame has been announced to have three chefs in the finale.
Talent: An another mixed bag, because the bottom seven-ranking people (aside from Manny and Cassie) were the weakest of the bunch. Bill was the third weakest overall for making an uncreative potato dish. As for Brianna, Brittany and Lisa-Ann were fine I guess. BUT OH MY GOD!! Diana and D'Andre were ABSOLUTELY painful to watch and I don’t want to talk to them, because you all know the way they both performed. The Top 12 was more interesting. We had Alejandro being an above average cook, but he never screamed "powerhouse" to me, because he’s clearly shown to fail to do something outside of his comfort zone twice, such as his chicken oyster dish and the vanilla sponge cake he made.
I considered Andrea to be a weaker version of Ahran, due to the fact of showing stumbles very early in the competition, because of how poorly she performed in the lobster "Skills Test", despite establishing herself as a frontrunner and she would’ve gone on a downward spiral, had she would’ve made it to the top 10. Diamond was above average as well as she performed really well in the lobster "Skills Test", despite being a vegetarian.
Terry, Terry, Terry!! I have no question in my mind that he should have made it to the finale, because everything he made was phenomenal and then the baked salmon incident arrived and that had to be the undoing to his performance record and sent him home. Had he not made that, he would’ve been the 3rd finalist for sure. Eric had a rough time, due to being in the bottom, in the middle and at the top. However, I believed that he had great potential and deserved to go a bit further.
As for Nathan, I had high hopes for him in the beginning, because of how well he bounced back from his lackluster potato dish, but then later on, he became more immature and childish, along with being clueless about everything (especially in team challenges) and that attitude of his reflected on his later dishes as an individual and I clearly agree along with everyone that he should have gone sooner. Katie clearly outlasted her welcome, because she clearly had more lows than highs. Dan was way more consistent than I remembered him to be, he constantly put above average to high-level dishes, he was a surprisingly great team captain, despite his rough start and his two "pressure test" bottom entries didn’t affect his overall performance record as I originally thought it would.
Believe it or not, Tanorria was inconsistent throughout the season and why, because she was in the bottom three times and two of them definitely affected her progression. Nonetheless, she has been a Mystery Box top entry four times overall and she won the second one of the season, so she still remained a strong cook. David originally planned to stay under the radar in the beginning, but couldn’t keep that momentum after the bibimbap elimination test, which formed him to come out of his shell, especially when he came out from the bottom three. He impressed the judges with his high-end style of cooking and his highs were some of the highest in the season, but his two lows nearly destroying his performance record.
Brandi is quite possibly the strongest dark horse ever, because after a disastrous apple pie, she slowly improved on her cooking skills and make people look out for her, until Episode 12 where she has officially established herself as an absolute frontrunner when her dish has been selected in the top three of the "High-End" Mystery Box and since then, has become just stronger and better. And finally Shaun. Despite what people think of him, he was the most dominant winner out of all 10, in the history of the show. All the three times he’s been a top entry in a Mystery Box Challenge, he won, along with one Elimination Test and one Pressure Test. His "fine-dining restaurant-quality" dishes were some of the most amazing, beautiful and creative to ever be created. Aside from his arrogance and his condescending attitude, he blew the judges and everyone else out of the water by his incredible performance and definitely deserved the win, although that I wanted Brandi to win it all.
Finale: The first-ever finale to have three contestants to compete in, and the finale menus were some of the best to have, with Shaun's, David's and Brandi's own culinary visions that spoke to them the best. It was also heavily criticized by several fans, because of David making it to this stage for "robbing" Tanorria on a certain level, but mostly because of his aggressive, hostile, explosive, hot-headed and short-tempered behavior. Let’s not forget one of the most infamously historical moments to have existed in this show, where he had a massive temper tantrum and tried to quit the competition, because things didn’t go his way. Anyway, Shaun won it all in the end and became the winner of the seventh season.
Verdict: Despite his flaws, such as the overly high level of production and scripting, I really enjoyed this season and it had its own moments of brilliance. This is the first season that I would actually recommend to watch, and while it’s not the best, as a whole, it’s still better than the other three that I reviewed. But of course once again, there are other seasons with much better storylines that exist.
Grade: Between D to C
Hint for next episode: ARTISAN PIZZA!!

diphi22 thank you for the bibimbap recipe! It’s literally perfect for my taste (I looove spicy + veggies). Have only had it in restaurants but gonna try it out as the weather gets colder! Dropped something off for you yesterday
babyraspberry everything about your card 🥺 LOVEE the wax stamp, and sticker, and cute washi you used. Your letter back is on the way! Thank you so much
dreameater_baku Okay first of all, the Wonder Woman stamp is great. Read your card as the final prez debate was set to begin. What a gong show. Also having my finger crossed for a vaccine that’s available soon and accessible for all! Thanks so much for the women in science postcard
seaweedbits SO SORRY I JUST MAILED YOUR CARD YESTERDAY AS YOURS ARRIVED so fret not, it’s on the way. I just didn’t get a chance to get international stamps until now. Hope it arrives before Halloween...loved loved loved your handmade coraline card
talkingroses AAAAAAH the wind rises postcard has made it safely! Writing a card back today, absolutely love your contributions to this sub. Have a wonderful day!

The description of this deal was not provided by this subreddit and it's contributors.
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I'm 20M in college studying computer science. I'm in a relationship with a really smart therapist to-be <3 and I have a kitten named Salem (she's all black and very smol). My parents also live near me and they have a dog named Tank (anatolian shepherd mix) and a cat name Shady (black/white tuxedo).
I spend a lot of time thinking (that probably sounds weird but it's ok I am weird) and I also spend a lot of time watching random documentaries and youtube essays on a wide array of topics. I just like listening to people who are passionate about whatever it is they are in to.
Some of my hobbies are turning (woodworking), my cat, programming, photography, cooking, driving, hiking and horseback riding (just to name a few)
I text a lot, so much so that I basically type gibberish and my keyboard's AI still knows what I mean. I enjoy contemplating the mysteries of the universe and the limits of human understanding and experience. I also enjoy smoking weed (probably not a surprise) and I've been known to enjoy (allegedly) some lucy and molly as well ;)
I'm pretty scatterbrained if you couldn't tell so I apologize in advance if I give you verbal whiplash, my brains just going 1000mph at all times.
I'm also a huge foodie, some of my favorite dishes: any curry, tom yum, pho, tom kha, bibimbap, sushi, chicken adobo, tortang talong, lumpia, pancit, biryani, gyros, the list goes on...
Hope to hear from someone :)
P.S. I'd prefer women/LGBT friens, I've never really gotten along with straight men (sorry) (٥↼_↼)

He recently posted a picture on instagram with the hashtag #AsiaSuperYoung and asked for fans support.
PEAK joins other Produce X 101 trainee Tony as being rumored to join the show. Not sure what happened with Ziyue, but I don't see him on the rumor lists anymore. Samuel Kim from Produce 101 Season 2 is also rumored to join the show. I'll make sure to update if there is any news. Youku recently announced the show will be airing in Q1 2021, and released a trailer.

I'm not sure if I should post here, the sub eatcheapandhealthy, cooking sub or what.
I started sprouting about 2 weeks ago and am so in love, I am eating so many sprouts every single day. I love the texture, the fact that they add bulk to food, that they add fiber, and that they are healthy. My husband brought home a somewhat heavy chicken and rice dish and I was able to eat much less of it and make it more healthy by adding a ton of sprouts to it.
Sprouting is definitely something I wish I had known about earlier, and naturally now I wonder what else I'm missing. And I also want to eat more veggies *in addition to* sprouts. So I started thinkign - what else could I cut every meal with? I pictured bibimbap, which has cut up mushrooms, seaweed, alfafa sprouts, carrots, eggs etc.
Just fishing for ideas. I've heard of microgreens, I dont know what they are and i live in a NYC apart with not much space.

So I’ve always loved spicy stuff, mostly salsas. I got secret aardvark and yellowbird, and I just don’t love either. SA is good, but it’s just so rich? Really aggressive flavor that kinda takes over and doesn’t always compliment what I’m using it on. Yellowbird habanero is just not my thing at all. Seems overly sweet/fruity.
I quite like tapatio and the green Tabasco (both could be much hotter - although I’m def not a huge heat fiend like some of you). Just for reference, I’m a big buffalo guy and really dig Asian zing at bww. My favorite sauce ever is red pepper paste bibimbap sauce.
Do I have a hope for a future in the hot sauce world? Anyone have any specific recommendations? Thanks!!!!!