Alex Cox

Ill

Today's soundtrack is Makthaversakan, the dreamy Swedish shoegaze soundtrack to a youth I didn't actually have but somehow remember fully and fondly? This is all @ycjygames.bsky.social fault.
open.spotify.com/album/3g0FM9...

Were you also there for that second one? Fond memories of that weird show, but it can't possibly be 12 years ago

Man, typewriters trigger a really distinct smell memory for me. Dunno if it's the oil or the ink or what, but I see a typewriter and I can smell a typewriter.

I hope your typewriter smells good, I guess?

A lovely man. I was very lucky, as a junior hammering tech magazines into shape, to have Chris' excellent words to put in print - and his even more excellent personality on the other end of them.

A big ol' aerial picture of Bristol Zoo Gardens, taken some time in the 1980s we think. It's on a wall next to a smaller picture of a frog, an even smaller picture of a shrimp, and a canvas covered in colourful splats

It has taken me until now to get it on the wall.

Oh boy there's some recent Milkshake Duck to report on this one Maff www.sportskeeda.com/us/streamers...

I'm more a 13,000 unread and absolutely no capacity for personal memory thus a complete reliance on the inbox kinda guy

At the Bristol Downs fireworks one year, he quite spitefully did a cover of American Pie before he'd play One and Only. He did all the verses, including the deleted seventh one.

Frequently. Particularly when on holiday. Oh, did we bring Smokey? No, that is a fat jumper.

I am unreasonably upset that i used a clue on today's minute cryptic

I would be remiss not to mention @sumosoul.bsky.social, an account on which you can watch the stuff that matters; Aonishiki's recent clashe with Hoshoryu, for instance, is a banger

Anyway, that's it. Try watching sumo, you'll like it, and highlights mean you can be up to speed in like 20 minutes a day.

Don Don Sumo Hakkeyoi!

Other channels pop up now and then with better highlights, more information, and livestreams which are reasonably convenient to watch in the UK, but these tend to get shut down pretty fast. I'm currently keeping up via Don Don Sumo, which has good technique breakdowns: www.youtube.com/@dondonsumo2

NHK WORLD-JAPAN NHK WORLD -JAPAN is the international broadcast service of NHK, Japan's sole and one of the biggest public broadcasters in the world. NHK WORLD-JAPAN provides latest information and a wide variety of ...

If you don't yet watch sumo, you can! NHK uploads highlights to YouTube when it can be bothered www.youtube.com/@NHKWORLDJAPAN

Kotozakura, multiple boobs partially covered by his big apron

Also can't ignore Kotozakura, currently the only second rank (Ozeki) rikishi. One, because of his magnificent double boob configuration, and two because I don't like Kotozakura and it's fun to watch him struggling at the moment.

Takayasu is very disappointed in you

I have to mention Takayasu, mainly because he's an old hairy fella that really looks like he's had enough of your shit

Abi, pictured in a rare moment of not sidestepping

...Abi. Cheeky in a different way, Abi absolutely loves a henka. That's when you sidestep your opponent at the initial charge leaving them flailing to the clay. Quite why nobody has worked out that he's absolutely going to do this is beyond me; it's disrespectful, sure, but it wins bouts (sometimes)

Ura, in yellow, but he's better in pink

Ura. Who doesn't love cheeky chappy Ura, with his hot pink mawashi and plucky spirit? He's basically the Rey Mysterio of Sumo, coming up with creative ways to use his opponents' size against them and generally doing his best for the kids. A babyface through and through. Unlike:

Aonishiki, in dress apron, looking as if he really doesn't want his picture taken thank you

Aonishiki is Ukranian, with a freestyle wrestling background that's been completely bamboozling his opponents. He's 21, which is just unfair, and smaller than many opponents, but he's beginning to tear up the top Makuuchi division. The sky's the limit - Mystic Meg predicts Ozeki rank soon.

Kayo, in dress apron, looking very pleased with himself

The polar opposite of Asakoryu is Kayo. If you've ever wondered what it would look like if an egg decided to take up Sumo, this guy - short, round, immovable - has you covered.

Asakoryu, in dress apron

Of course, Asakoryu is the real highlight in terms of spark plug dudes: this guy, almost gut-free, is an absolute powerhouse despite being small and relatively light in the sumo world. Great to watch.

Sekiwake Wakatakakage, in dress apron

Wakatakakage has the best name and appears to be one large muscle with some equally large muscles glued on top. Shoulders like boulders. Certainly has potential for a run up the ranks, at least he'd better, because he's one of my favourites. Look at the lad. What a whopper.

Yokozuna Hoshoryu, wearing his rope and carrying a sword

Hoshoryu, the other Yokozuna, has been in post for a few months. Full of fun outside the Dohyo and able to kill a man with his glare inside it, he's more technical than Onosato - and, judging by the gold stars he keeps handing out to lesser opponents that beat him, still finding his feet at top rank

The sumo rikishi Onosato, wearing his Yokozuna rope

First, Onosato. The massive newly-crowned Yokozuna is basically a mix between a shaved bear and a lovely baby. Can't move backwards. When he's moving forwards he will smash you out of the ring with pure power. Once the skill of backwards movement has been mastered, all will be dust.

Sumo is Flipping Awesome, And Here's Why, a thread in which I highlight some of the exciting dudes ripping up the Nagoya July Basho, which is ongoing at the moment. I'll use their official Street Fighter character portraits from sumo.or.jp to illustrate this.

🧵

Episode 123 - Jacobinius Arse Syndrome | Maximum Fun Mike Wozniak, Mike Shephard, Tom Crowley and Linnea Sage join in this month as we get to grips with the new outbreak of Jacobinius Arse Syndrome.

New episode out now!

It's been a dark month for the beef industry, but we're here for you. We will not let Jacobinius Arse Syndrome beat us.

Featuring
@mikewozniak.bsky.social
@mikeshephard.bsky.social
@tomcrowley.bsky.social
@linneasage.bsky.social

maximumfun.org/episodes/bee...

You say 'used to be'...

I like to think she had us all on mute

@chinnyvision.bsky.social Not sure if you've seen this but I feel it is relevant to your interests archive.is/202506181218...

Removed my phone from my pocket to find I'd been calling a phone number I don't know for like 7 minutes. They heard:

- A child throw another child's scooter
- That child getting (rightly) shoved in return
- Said child hitting his sister with a stick
- Subsequent bollockings