First of all, I need to mention that I have a VERY short attention span. So even if I love a game, I still might not beat it. Even so, as long as I put a decent amount of time into a game, I'll put it on here anyways. Also, I really didn't play many games this year until the final quarter, so there might not be too many. Finally, I'll also put on games that I put down before this year, but got decently further in before it was over. Now, let's begin the list!
Pokemon Stadium (N64)
5/10
Pokemon Stadium does many things right. Given that this was the first time these Pokemon went into 3D, the transition was beautiful compared to many other franchises during this era. The animations are amazing even today, and the Pokemon have more personality than most modern Pokemon games. Taking all this into account, Pokemon Stadium should be an absolute joy, no? Well, there's one problem, that makes this game really stink, and that is that... there's really nothing to do. You can battle, play minigames, and that's it. The minigames are nice distractions but are still just bonuses, and although the battles look great, it's always in the same environment, with the same music, without any plot or progression whatsoever. Also, you can basically fill your team with legendaries without needing to do any catching or battling, so there's very little challenge. This might be fun if you LOVE Gen 1 Pokemon.
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
7/10
Kirby 64 is a fun game, yes, but it felt like something that was desperately trying to innovate, but still wanted to be basic, which led to it ultimately feeling like a downgrade compared to all the others. It had a few ideas, but almost all of them had some sort of drawback to them. The big one is that you can combine any two copy abilities into one single one. This is a great idea, with an obvious downfall: all the copy abilities are super shallow. Most abilities only have one attack you can use, which makes the game feel like a downgrade compared to Super Star. The game also uses a 2.5D perspective, which can lead to some cool parts, but they're more trippy than anything. The game is good and worth your time, but if you need a Kirby experience, there are better games. But if you're a HUGE Kirby fan and have some money to spare, give this one a try,
Resident Evil 4
9/10
This game is generally considered to be one of the best games ever made. I can totally see why, but it's not perfect. Starting with the good stuff, RE4 has VERY unique yet fun controls, at least on the Wii, which is considered the definitive edition of the game. The animations, while they do show their age, are still very well done. The game gives you an amazing sense of anxiety, there's a slight delay for your attacks, which would be a problem in most games, but RE4 is so focused on horror that it makes you feel so anxious, yet it makes you feel like a boss when you overcome it. The level design is just open enough where you can explore, find hidden goodies, and go for an alternate route, but it's also just linear enough where you never get lost. Unfortunately for RE4, the ammo is just not spread out too well. I'll either have an overflow of it, or not have enough to keep going. There are no in-betweens. The game also lacks any consistent ammo refills. That wouldn't be a problem, but many parts of the game require, or at least make it very difficult to not use your gun, so there are many parts where you can get softlocked, or almost softlocked anyways. If it weren't for that, yeah, this would probably be one of the best games of all time. A must play for horror or shooter fans.
Yo-Kai Watch
9/10
This game. Man, this game, it blows most Pokemon games out of the WATER. I played some of it when I was younger, however I kept getting stuck. Now? Holy shit, it feels so ALIVE! It has no random encounters, in fact you don't have to fight many Yo-Kai at all, but this encourages so much exploration! The overworld is brimming with things to do, unique places to go to, side quests to complete. The only other game I can think of where I'd go out of my way to do something completely irrelevant on the overworld when there's an important thing to do would be Super Mario Sunshine - More on that later. The combat mixes turn based and real time battle systems to make something that's truly unique, that always keeps you on your toes. The music is also amazing. For flaws? Well, there's not much variety in the Yo-Kai on the overworld. My Watch would sense a Yo-Kai, and I'd start looking for it, only to realize that it's one I've already seen a million times. Things are a bit better in the dungeons, but still not perfect. Still though, if you have a 3DS and like JRPGs, this is a must play. And if the recent Pokemon games have disappointed you, this one will satisfy your hunger. Speaking of Pokemon...
Pokemon Black Version
9/10
Gen 5 is peak Pokemon. This is a belief that I've held for years, and yet, I've only ever played Pokemon White Version 2. I still consider that game to be one of, if not the best game of all time, but I still really needed to get around to playing the first one. Well, I did, and all I can say is, that was brilliant. The story is one of the best I've seen from a game that isn't a narrative-focused game, and the characters are amazing. N especially. The soundtrack is also incredible. The Pokemon are so lively, and the way the camera moves around makes the battles feel so much more dynamic compared to the static sprites of Gens 1-4. The overworld is linear, yes, but there's so many other places to explore that it doesn't even feel that way. Unfortunately, there's many difficulty spikes throughout the game, which sort of brings it down a bit. That being said, this is a game that will be enjoyed till the end of time. If you're a Pokemon fan, Hell, if you like JRPGs at all, you'll have a blast.
Pokemon SoulSilver
7/10
This is what comes to mind when "Pre Gen 6 Post Gen 2 Pokemon game" is mentioned. This game has lots of explorable areas, a banging yet compressed OST, great spritework, and QoL changes that are nice, but don't make things too easy. This game is a fun time, however, it's generally considered almost as good, if not better than the Gen 5 games. That's just insane in my opinion. Yes, the game's fun, but it has many flaws. I often found myself overleveled, which is a big problem in Pokemon games, as it discouraged me from catching new Pokemon because they're too weak. The game's also slow. It can take a while for things to happen in this game. It also really lacks much plot for a JRPG. Sure, nobody plays Pokemon for the plot, but in Gen 5, whenever you were done with something important, there was always some kind of event. Whether Team Plasma attacks the city, or a mysterious trainer is blocking the way, the world never feels too static. Here, meanwhile, things always feel like they stay the same. This game's good if you like Pokemon, however it's not the best one by far.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX
8/10
One thing that may surprise you about how I feel about this game, is that I find it atmospheric. The music is chill, the turn-based combat lets you take your time, all that combined with the beautiful hand-drawn landscapes make this game feel more like a relaxing adventure than many other games I've played. The plot, while nothing special, is quite interesting. The hand-drawn art style is amazing. However, the game is very easy. Nothing wrong with an easy game, however this leads to tedious parts sometimes given how it's set up. On a more positive note, the randomized dungeons compliment this game's style perfectly, where you'll constantly be replaying older dungeons. There's not much else to say - if you like Pokemon, Dungeon Crawlers, or games with randomized levels, then this one's for you.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
9/10
This game... might be one of my favorites of all time. At least, when it comes to retro games. The controls are sleek, and the stages... the stages are incredibly designed. There's always something new around every corner, and the levels go in so many different ways, with so many branching paths. People hate on the second half, but honestly, the only part that I can really say I don't LOVE would be Sky Chase Zone (which I still think is okay, it doesn't overstay it's welcome). Yes, I enjoyed the stages that nobody liked, like Aquatic Ruin Zone, Mystic Cave Zone, and Wing Fortress Zone. I still love those stages. There are a few cheap deaths in there, yeah, but once you know, you know. This game is so replayable. If there's ever a game that I'd speedrun, this would be it. If you like 2D platformers at ALL, try this one out.
SteamWorld Dig 2
8/10
Never played the first one, in fact I've never played a Steamworld game besides this one. This is enough to get me interested in the series, however. It's a Metroidvania, and a damn good one at that. It has a wild west setting, with steampunk robots, which is pretty uncommon in games. The puzzles are creative, the world is fun to explore, upgrades are fun, this game is generally pretty fun. I only have a couple problems, however, The art style, while very funny and filled with character, can feel cheap at times. The bigger problem is the mining. Mining in this game is tedious, especially early on. There are ways to make it faster, but they always require you to use up water, which is your precious fuel in this game. Combine that with annoying enemies, and I never want to mine while playing it. Now, given how the game's structured, it has to be that way. The game wouldn't work without the mining. I just wish it would be a bit easier. If you like Metroidvanias, or just in general indie games with a sense of humor, this is for you.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
8/10
I feel mixed about the score I'm giving this game. It could get anything from a 6/10 to a 10/10 and I'd probably agree. The world is beautiful. The combat is fun and interesting. The plot is good, and besides a few parts of the game and the character designs, there's surprisingly little fanservice (despite what people may tell you). What I don't like, however, are the overreliance on shonen anime tropes, and the animations. The tropes are annoying, but what I hate the most about them is that the game acts like they aren't there. In DQXI, the tropes are accepted in the game. The plot is very simple, like the shonen anime that inspired it, but it never acts like it's fantastic or anything, and you know what? I love that. It's a simple, nice, somewhat comedic plot purely there for entertainment. But in XC2, it tries to shower you with important plot elements, acting like it's super deep, while at the same time giving the protagonist a harem to rival even the chaddest of isekai protagonists. The plot's still good, it's just in the wrong spot. The animations are also just too janky and robotic. Again, comparing this to Dragon Quest, it's easy to see that yes, JRPGs can have good animations. Also the dialogue is pretty bad too I guess. Still, this game does so much right, that if you like JRPGs, you'll like this too.
Dragon Quest XI
9/10
Dragon Quest is a series loved for it's non gimmicky turn based combat, which has been refined for decades. In a world of PtW, gacha mechanics, and an overreliance on quantity over quality, DQXI manages to feel like a game from the 90s, brought over to modern hardware, and given everything that a 90s game could never do. The animations are lively and charming, and the game looks amazing and runs amazingly too. The combat, while it can get repetitive, is still very fun. The plot isn't great, however it doesn't try to be. It tries to be simple, and it works. The OST is absolutely beautiful. My only real complaint is that it plays it REALLY safe. Of course, that's what I want out of a DQ game. I want something that plays it safe. However, this can lead to it looking kinda bland compared to other games. But honestly, if you like any JRPGs, especially older ones, this is a must play.
Ball
2/10
You'll find mild amusement out of moving somebody's arm to catch balls for about 10 minutes until you get bored. The visuals are nice for a game with basically no depth at all. Nice as a bonus for the Mario G&W, not for much else. Especially when I've got SMB 1 and 2 eyeing me as I play.
Minecraft
9/10
Minecraft used to be a huge part of my gaming life. However, in middle school, I got bullied a ton for liking it. As a result, I stopped playing it. Come this year, I finally got an excuse to play it on my Xbox One. Minecraft will always be remembered as a classic. The game's honestly just really relaxing, but it can get tense at times. The progression is great, exploring is loads of fun, the crafting is one of the few good examples of crafting in games. Building is fun, mining is fun, everything you do in this game is fun. My one and only problem? That's only fun when you actually do stuff. You will do a lot in this game, but there are parts where you do just hide, without doing anything. Now, normally when playing Minecraft, I don't put making a bed on my list of priorities. So maybe if I did that more, I'd be able to enjoy those parts more. But still, there are parts where I'm in a cave, going back and forth, looking for a place to get out. Still, the ambiance of MC is part of what makes it good. I wish I had XBL, so I could play online, in which case I'd have way more to say, but right now, I've got nothing to say.
Final Fantasy IX
6/10
Why the hell to people act like this game is so perfect? It's not bad, not by any means, as far as JRPGs go. The plot's strong, the game looks more like an early PS2 game than a late PS1 game visually, and the OSTs nice. But the colors are so washed out, the overworld is bland, the depth perception is horrible, and the difficulty is too high. Similar to Pokemon SoulSilver, the game has too many places where nothing happens. Now, as a JRPG, the game's very active plot wise. But gameplay wise? There's so many parts where you just go around without fighting anything. That wouldn't be a problem in some other games, but the 2.75D perspective (I made up that term) and random encounters makes it so I never want to explore anywhere. That, combined with mechanics that aged poorly, leads to an experience that, while definitely not bad, leads to a game I can only really recommend to hardcore JRPG fans.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
9/10
This game is fun. Remember how I have a short attention span? This game basically destroys any problem with that. You'll constantly explore new places, learn new techniques, meet new enemies, and then you'll find a new power you get from an enemy, which, while they can be boring sometimes, they can also be exciting! This game is just pure exploration, and pure excitement. Seeing new places, whether they be a fountain covered in blood, a zombie wagon driver, a giant realistic cat, there's always something awesome to find. The game's fun combat wise too. One of the only flaws is the lack of polish. There's quite a few glitches throughout the game. Not as many as a certain recent futuristic RPG that I won't name, but still, the game needs a bit of work in some sections. In addition, the game doesn't give you enough. I always feel like I've got basically no health potions, and there aren't any health pickups either. There are places to rest, but I still wish it was a bit kinder to you. Still, this is not a game I regret picking up.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
7/10
I'm not a huge Animal Crossing fan. Truth be told, it's not really my type of game. But I can respect it for what it does. The visuals are amazing, watching your island evolve is fun, the only part I dislike is all the time-based events. Still, not bad, I like it, it's just not for me. If you need to relax, however, I will recommend this to you.

IT'S MARIO TIME BABY!

Since it's Mario's 35th anniversary, I found it necessary to give a chance to as many Mario games as possible. As a result, get ready to see a bunch of Mario games that I either finished or played some of here.
Super Mario Bros. 2 (JP)
8/10
I should probably mention that I used the infinite lives cheat found on the Super Mario Bros. Game and Watch to play this one. Without it, believe me, this would be much lower. Yes, there are cheap tricks throughout the game. But I still really found this game to be fun! Maybe I'm just a masochist (Sunshine is my favorite 3D Mario after Odyssey, so I probably am) but I still enjoyed the hell out of this game. Yes, there are tough levels - World 8 comes to mind - but I still loved playing this. Super Mario Bros. feels like a game only made for testing what could be done, and SMB2 feels like taking that and every little tiny quirk about them, and making something truly special. I get why people hate this game, but I wouldn't say I don't like it in a million years. When it comes to 2D Marios, my favorite is Super Mario Bros. 3, followed by Super Mario World, with the 3rd place spot going to this game right here.
Super Mario Bros. 2 (USA)
3/10
Dunkey, why do you always give this Game of the Year... No, I didn't mess up the countries, these are my genuine views on each SMB2. I found SMB2USA to be... disappointing. Remember my problem with the digging in Steamworld Dig 2? Well, you can see a precursor to it in this game. Do you like stiff jumping? This game has you covered. Do you like annoying-ass slot machine minigames that actively discourage finding the game's main collectable? Do I have a game for you! Do you like a game with a first stage that has level design better than the entire game? Do you like fighting the same boss over and over again? Yeah, sure, this type of game wasn't uncommon in NES games, but this was Mario! His games are almost always good! I say almost because this game exists! I can recommend this to people who want to see what is was like so they can say they played SMB2, and so they know what it's like, but it's far from a good 2D platformer.
Super Mario Bros. 3
9/10
Now THIS is what I call a Mario game. The levels are tightly packed together, unlike Super Mario World, which had very spread out level design. There's never a dull moment. Like SMB2JP, the game uses every mechanic in more interesting ways than a modern Mario game could ever DREAM of doing. But unlike SMB2, I can't really remember an unfair or poorly designed stage. They're all just nonstop fun. The World map made it's first appearance in this game, and it was executed very well for the time. Nowadays, World maps are pretty common for platformers, but there's basically none that are executed well. SMB3 is not one of those games. My only issue is that the Raccoon Leaf really felt annoying to use, but that's not THAT big of a deal. Honestly, if you enjoy 2D platformers, this game is a must play!
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
7/10
Honestly? Yoshi's Island is a game that's considered way better than it really is. It's still a good time, don't get me wrong. The visuals are a huge step up compared to SMW. There's now loads more to do in each level, which is a problem that's very obvious when comparing SMW to the Genesis Sonic games. Unfortunately, parts of the game can just be tedious at times. I'll sometimes find myself trying over and over again to find out what the hell I'm supposed to do. The powerups could also use some work. They aren't bad, but they aren't as exciting to get compared to, say, the Cape Feather. On the plus side though? When the level design isn't bad, it's amazing! Way better than basically any 2D Mario. It's just that the parts that aren't good, bring it down too much. But this is a good idea to check out if you're into 2D platformers.
Super Mario 64
7/10
Ah yes, Super Mario 64. The game that people either deem the best thing ever, or the worst. Just kidding, nowadays SM64 generally gets the amount of attention it deserves. However, although the controls may have aged greatly, this is still one of the pioneers when it comes to 3D platformers. Jumping around stages makes you feel like a fat Italian plumber doing impressive athletics. Which isn't a bad thing. The controls are actually quite good, contrary to what many believe. Rather, it's the camera that screws you over. The camera is always in an awkward position, which makes precise platforming difficult. In addition, while things like the spin, F.L.U.D.D, and Cappy helped Mario control his movement greatly in Mario's later 3D outings, this game has no such ability. Also, the stages, while revolutionary at the time, are not as good as people say they are. Bob-Omb Battlefield, Hazy Maze Cave, Big Boo's Haunt, these are all great levels! But Shifting Sand Land, Tiny Huge Island, and Wet Dry World are all just annoying to traverse. What about other levels though, like Whomp's Fortress, and Lethal Lava Land? Those are cool too, but they're just too linear for the kind of game SM64 says it is. They feel like downgraded Mario Galaxy or Mario 3D World levels, as opposed to open sandbox stages the game wants to have. If you like 3D platformers, you should check this one out; it's still a classic. But don't expect it to be anything that'll blow you away, okay?
Super Mario Sunshine
8/10
Like XC2, I feel quite torn about the score I'm giving this, just because of the sheer contrast between the good and bad parts of the game. Starting with the good, this game looks amazing. It really did feel like something that could only be done on the Gamecube, and not on the N64. The level design is amazing in the open stages, and the main hub world... it's perfect. I love going there just to go chill out, just to jump around, find secrets, talk to islanders, it feels like an entire level, it feels bigger than some levels in the actual game for Christ's sake! F.L.U.D.D. is an amazing tool. It can be used to make tough parts easier for new players, and make insane moves for vetarans. But alas, there's many flaws in this game as well. For starters, while the level design is usually good, there are many platforming challenges in the game that disable the use of F.L.U.D.D. These platforming challenges are HARD. They're universally hated, and that's for a damn good reason. Mess up once and you die. I found myself seriously limiting what parts of Mario's moveset I used. This made them feel stiff as well. There's a couple of other frustrating or just annoying parts of the game as well. The amazing level design in the sandbox levels makes up for this, but still... I really wish that those platforming challenges were never there. Oh yeah, also the game's buggy as hell. Great time if you're into 3D platformers, but expect to have to deal with a lot if you wanna get to the good parts.
Super Mario Galaxy
7/10
Super Mario 3D World was better So, Super Mario Galaxy is often considered the best in terms of 3D Mario, at least, before Odyssey. To that, I must say: Really? Don't get me wrong, mathematically speaking, I got this game for 25$, which, in my opinion, is a fair price. The game looks the best compared to any 3D Mario game. The soundtrack, eh, I think it's a bit overrated, but it's still one of the best when it comes to 3D Marios. Galaxies like Freezeflame Galaxy, Honeyhive Galaxy, and a couple others are absolute joys to play through. My biggest problem lies in the controls. Mario himself feels fine on flat terrain. He's much more stiff and much less fun to move with compared to 64 and Sunshine, but still, he works fine. My 3 concerns lie in the spherical planets, the camera, and when they both come together. The spherical planets are fine for the most part, but make many things overcomplicated. Sometimes, I'll be going somewhere, and Mario will randomly decide to run in circles. Normally though, that can be solved. The camera is another problem. Traditionally, 3D Mario games have not had the greatest cameras, but Sunshine had one that, while it could use improvements, was really good most of the time. Unfortunately, Super Mario Galaxy has one that most resembles Super Mario 64, and that annoys me to no end. The levels, while they are linear, are not linear to the extent of say, Super Mario 3D World. Complete camera control was necessary for this game. But alone, these two things aren't that big of a deal, But together? Oh god. There are so many times where you'll be on a planet, and you'll be upside down, and it's so disorientating, and then you'll be "behind" the planet and nothing will make sense and BOOM now you're dead. Super Mario Galaxy is a fun time, but it can get pointlessly stupid at times. Try it if you like 3D platformers.
Super Mario Bros. 35
9/10
If there's enough players, even the simplest of games can become chaotic. We've seen this already with Tetris 99, and we're seeing it again with Super Mario Bros. 35. Super Mario Bros. 35 follows a basic structure: There are 35 players all playing Super Mario Bros. at the same time. If you defeat an enemy, that enemy will invade your opponent's screen, and vise-versa. A concept that's so simple, and yet it works so well. But although that idea is great, the game throws an additional concept at you, which makes the game that much more chaotic: randomized levels. Because of this, you could be playing 1-1, then 2-3, then 4-4, then 3-2, then 8-1, then 6-4, all in one game! Of course, things are more controlled than that. Players decide which stage they'll be putting into the pool of levels, and then levels are randomly selected. It's so simple, yet so fun! My only real issue with it isn't what it does, but what it doesn't do. Imagine Super Mario World, or one of the New Super Mario Bros. games in this style. That would be 100x more fun, just because of how much of a higher variety of enemies can appear. Imagine trying to hop between Piranha Plants which are blowing spike balls, while trying to look away from a horde of Boos. That would be far more exciting. Oh yeah. Also the limited release thing. That's bullshit af. Still though, if you're a fan of 2D platformers, and/or you liked Tetris 99, you NEED to play this.
So, overall, my top 3 games I played this year would have to be:

1. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
2. Pokemon Black Version
3. Yo-Kai Watch

And my bottom 3 would have to be:

1. Ball
2. Super Mario Bros. 2
3. Pokemon Stadium

And before I end this: Yes, I know, I have Covid. It's obvious that I have Covid because I lack taste.
EDIT: Yes, I know I wasn't patient on a couple of these. But I couldn't have been patient for SMB35, and SMG, SMS, SMB2JP, and Ball are all still ass-old games.

Section One: Assets and Debt
My boyfriend and I live in separate apartments in the same neighborhood and keep our finances separate.
Equity: I own a small ground floor one-bedroom apartment east of the city center. I have a tiny garden. The current estimated value is $ 386,750. I bought it 3 years ago for $ 360,570, with a mortgage of about $ 196,350 and paid down the rest, partly from an inheritance and partly sponsored by my parents. I kept most of my own savings at the time as an emergency fund.
Current mortgage: $ 178,500
Checking account: $ 2,274
Sinking funds: $ 6,783
Emergency fund: $ 3,647
Long-term savings: $ 30,940
Investment portfolio: $ 13,804
Credit card debt: none, the Netherlands has a good banking system and people use debit cards. A credit card is something you use to buy stuff on the internet, or when you visit the US.
Student loan debt: none, higher education isn’t free but it is affordable. I was extremely lucky that my parents could support me and that the government was still paying students a small stipend, so I graduated without debt.
Retirement Balance: Thank you PipPippeling for explaining this so well a few weeks back! Pensions in the Netherlands are different from the US. We get a government pension from a certain age (currently 67 but bound to go up). It’s around minimum wage. In addition, the large majority of Dutch employees also contributes to a specialized pension fund. Most jobs are part of some collective labour agreement and under these, the pension contribution is usually mandatory. For me that would currently be $ 419 gross per month but I have only been contributing for 7 years.
​
Section Two: Income
Income Progression: During my PhD (~10-6 years ago) I made about $ 33,320 per year. I’ve been university support staff since 2016, and my salary has increased from $ 34,510 to an estimated $ 59,500 this year. This includes vacation payment (in May – national law) and end-of-year payment (in December – from our collective labor agreement).
Main Job Monthly Take Home: $ 3,299
Deductions:
Taxes and social security: $ 1,238
Pension fund: $ 286
​
Section Three: Expenses
Paid monthly
Mortgage: $ 678
HOA: $ 143
Natural gas/electricity/water: $ 125
Insurance (liability, travel): $ 34
Mobile phone (bill + sinking fund): $ 35
Internet: $ 37
Cable: none
Netflix: parents’ account
Checking account cost: $ 2
Yoga (6 classes/month at local school): $ 77
Church tithes: $ 48
Charity: $ 20
Groceries, toiletries, clothes, eating out, misc.: $ 714
Into sinking funds monthly
Gifts and giving: $ 89
USA 2022 vacation fund: $ 119
Emergency fund: $ 330
Home & garden: $ 119
Medical: $ 262
Singing lessons: $ 119
Into long-term savings: $ 181
Investments: $ 149
Paid annually
Health insurance: $ 1343
Local taxes: $ 741
Home owners’ tax: $ 138
Small property-related expenses: $ 138
Culture (concert tickets 10/year, museum pass, ‘friends of…’): $ 427
Charity (church): $ 238
Newspapers (digital) and magazine: $ 254
Creditcard, paypal: $ 33
Train discount pass: $ 80
Choir memberships (low because…): $ 214
Union dues: $ 157
Bicycle annual check-up: $ 143
Vacation sinking fund for that year: $ 2380
​
DIARY
Day 1. Friday, September 11. Daily total: $ 136.85
7:00 I wake up before my alarm. I am staying at my boyfriend, G.’s apartment and get out of bed so he can continue sleeping. I make oatmeal topped with granola and grapes for breakfast. I have no morning routine except wash face & moisturize, and brush teeth. I hardly ever wear make-up.
8:00 Physical therapy. This summer we did a 7-day hiking tour in the Netherlands (because coronavirus). Or rather, a 5-day hiking because I got injured and we had to stop. It’s now two months later, and the injury is still not over. My leg is much better, but since a week or so, my back hurts too. I discuss my worries with the therapist, and he examines me again. Conclusion: I probably have a very minor herniated disc in my lower back, causing no issues with movement/touch etc. but radiating a dull pain. Most likely it will go away by itself. Back issues - I am now officially old. After the examination I do my exercises.
9:00 I go back to my boyfriend to make coffee and breakfast in bed. Second breakfast for me. 😊 After breakfast I go home to change. This is my Friday off (alternating Fridays off/working) and I usually have a lot to do.
10:45 I ride my bike for 10 minutes and am early for my appointment at the blood bank (Sanquin) to donate blood plasma. I had COVID mid-March (did not very sick) and apparently the antibodies can be used to treat people currently suffering from COVID. I get hooked up to the machine pretty quickly and the donation goes well. I eat two cheese rolls and drink half a liter of broth. Unfortunately, on the way out, I still get light-headed. I lay down for a while on the bed that is specifically for this purpose. The nurses check on me and bring me apple juice to get my liquids and blood sugar up. The people at the blood bank are the best. After a while, I feel good enough to get up. I make a new appointment and ride my bicycle home.
Btw blood donation in the Netherlands is unpaid, you can get your travel reimbursed and they have lots of snacks, but that’s it. I love that.
13:15 My awesome colleague D. picks me up in her car to drive to the animal shelter a few towns away, where I have an appointment to adopt a cat! I met 15-year-old lady cat H. this Wednesday and fell in love. Thursday, when I also had to work, I used all time in between appointments to make multiple (bicycle) trips to the store to pick up a cat toilet, litter, a travel carrier, food, etc.
14:15 H. is put in her carrier. I sign the cat adoption papers and pay the fee $ 136.85
15:30 D. drops us off and I give her a bar of Tony Chocolonely chocolate as a thank you for driving us. Inside, H. comes out of her carrier quickly and starts to discover her forever home. Within 30 minutes, she is on my lap and purring. I was so scared to be responsible for this tiny being, and what if she doesn’t like me? But I think this is going to work out fine.
I spend the rest of the afternoon/evening hanging out with the cat. I will just call her Cat from now on. She is extremely cuddly. I have a dinner of roasted sweet potatoes, cabbage and vegan ‘chicken’ nuggets. Cat eats something disgusting from a can. I watch ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ for the first time (cheesy but cute).
23:00 G., who is a professional classical singer, comes home from his first two concerts of this weekend. Theater and classical music life is starting back up but it is difficult because only so few people are allowed to attend performances at the same time. The choir he sings with solved it this time by shortening the program and performing multiple sessions. G. and Cat meet, and they get along well.
0:00 time for bed. My evening routine: quick face and body wash with washcloth, brush teeth.
Day 2. Saturday, 12 September. Daily total: $ 57.50
4:30 Cat wants to enter the bedroom. Nope. My heart breaks, though.
8:50 We wake up naturally. I feed Cat, and make us breakfast in bed. Cat is now allowed to hang out with us on the bed, and she’s very happy. During the day I text my sister, who is a vet, probably 50 times to check on all the ways I may or may not kill or traumatize Cat by (for example) feeding her kibbles and turning off the lights at night. I am an anxious cat mom. Sister assures me Cat will be fine.
We spend the morning in bed with coffee, Duolingo, and the (digital) newspaper. I vacuum, which I was hesitant to do because I don’t want to scare Cat, but she does not seem worries.
11:30 G. leaves to get ready for the two concerts of today. I ride my bike to the pet supplies shop (again) for more cat food, a lint roller, and a brush. $ 11.75. On the way back I pick up a package from the drug store and buy discounted granola bars. $ 2.13. Back home, I do my physical therapy exercises, eat pasta leftovers for lunch, and suddenly I am running late.
13:45 Leave home and bike as fast as I can to the train station, where I meet up with D. a mutual friend of G. and I. D. We are going to G.’s first concert of today. The train ride to the next big city is only 20 minutes ($ 5 discounted fare, but subtracted from the credit on my ‘public transport chip card’. I promise that sounds better in Dutch.) With such a small audience, the corridors of the concert venue are nearly empty, quite a change from before the pandemic.
15:00 The concert is wonderful. The three of us (D., G. and myself) have a coffee and chat for a while. D. pays because I paid for her concert ticket. These were about $ 24 each, but I bought these a few weeks back, so not included here.
17:00 I meet up with my friends A. and R. for dinner in our regular place. I have seen them a few times during the pandemic, usually in their garden. We normally go to classical music every 3-4 weeks, but between mid-March and June, everything was canceled. A. and R. just moved so we have a lot to catch up on. For dinner I have kangaroo steak and the chef’s surprise dessert (as always!), with two glasses of wine and a coffee. The bill comes to $ 124.36, which we round up to $130.90. (Wait staff makes the normal living wage, so even though they welcome tips, they don’t rely on them as much as in the US.) We split the bill three ways. $ 43.63.
19:30 Second concert of today, again with G. among the performers. Again, wonderful. We bought the tickets ahead for the whole season, but it was around $ 24 as well, with this ‘series discount’.
21:00 G. and I take the train back to Amsterdam and bike home from the train station.
22:00 We watch a Dutch comedian on Netflix and cuddle with Cat. Since G. is super tired, we go to bed shortly after 23:00 and doze off quickly.
Day 3. Sunday, 13 September. Daily total: $ 39.76
7:00 We wake up naturally for no reason. Cat scratches the door. We very deliberately don’t let her in until WE want to get up.
7:45 Breakfast of yogurt with muesli and fruit for G. and I., and cat food for Cat. G. has a busy day ahead and leaves around 8:15 to rehearse for his first concert of today. I lounge in bed with Cat for a while and putter around the house. I try to feed Cat some kibbles and she actually eats them! In the animal shelter they told me she would only eat ‘wet’ food (from cans) so I’m very pleased with this accomplishment. When the Lidl (supermarket chain) opens I go grocery shopping. It is a short bike ride away. From now on, assume I will ride my bike anywhere unless mentioned otherwise. 😊
10:15 I buy olives, cherry tomatoes, yogurt, whole-grain wraps, eggs, ice cream (for G.), dishwasher tabs, potato chips, some other things, and a selection of sweet buns and bread for lunch. $ 39.76
11:00 Back home I tune in for church service while I bake coconut flour lemon poppy seed cake. Unfortunately, the sound of the live recording is very spotty and there is no fun (or salvation) in listening, so I plug in my earphones and listen to Stuff You Should Know (best podcast ever) instead. The cake turns out great. I also prepare zucchini soup for lunch.
13:30 A good friend of mine comes over. We have lunch and discuss the pandemic, work (she is an essential worker), Cat, family, life etc. We sit both inside and outside. She is very unaware of keeping 1.5 m distance between us and I have to remind her frequently. She remarks this is probably because she works in a supermarket with mostly young people who aren’t afraid of COVID at all, and don’t really keep their distance to their colleagues.
18:15 We move back inside and watch a TV show on which G. performs with some of his colleagues. He does a good job. I am happy for him that this is the last concert of the weekend.
20:00 My friend leaves and I have a late dinner of cabbage, sweet potato and vegan shawarma meat. Afterwards I cuddle up on the couch with Cat. G. comes home not long after. We hang out with Cat and go to bed early.
Day 4. Monday, 14 September. Daily total: $ 10.83
7:45 We almost make it to our alarm without Cat waking us. I feed her and let her into the bedroom to cuddle while G. and I have our coffee and breakfast in bed (you gotta love WFH). We have some leftover cinnamon buns, lemon cake and bread from yesterday.
9:00 I pull out my laptop, keyboard, mouse, and screen, set up my space at the dinner table, and get to work. Since I work in higher education, my hours are flexible, but I try to stick to office hours, as do most of my colleagues. I didn’t feel very on top of everything last week, largely due to excitement about Cat, so I try to do better today.
11:45 A short walk to the newspaper store to pick up stamps and send a card to an ill choirmate. $ 10.83
13:00 Somewhere around lunch, I do my physical therapy exercises. I think I had a wrap for lunch.
The afternoon goes by frustratingly slow. I get some deliverable from a colleague that doesn’t make any sense to me, and I spent at least 2 hours figuring out (and correctly writing down) how it should be different, without saying they just didn’t do a good job. Oh well.
18:00 I log off from work. For dinner, I heat up soup and have some walnut bread w/butter with that. Cat gets more disgusting stuff from a can, because I want to save the last few kibbles for tonight. I will have to get more tomorrow. I leave home around 19:00 because I have choir rehearsal tonight.
19:30 This choir started rehearsing again last week (yay!). We are split into 4 groups per evening (2 time slots and 2 groups per time slot). This means the symphonic choir feel is suddenly more like a chamber choir feel. I enjoy the rehearsal much more than last week, since my little group is headed by the maestro tonight.
21:00 Half rehearsals also mean I’m home early! I hang out with Cat for a while and feed her the last kibbles. I try to go to bed early, around 22:00, and finally finish my book, The Eight by Catherine Neville. I love historical novels and though I am not very impressed by the believability of this story, it did capture my attention.
23:00 time to sleep.
Day 5. Tuesday, 15 September. Daily total: $ 69.42
7:30 Alarm. Quick iced coffee and muesli with yogurt in bed, with Cat, obviously.
8:00 I start work early because I will need to take many breaks today. I also notice that my back benefits from shorts stints of work and many short breaks, so I try to stretch my workday and break more often.
9:45 Quick trip to the pet supply store for cat food, a leash, and a litter mat, or I will be vacuuming for life. Ugh, I forgot to buy toys. $ 36.70
12:30 First half of my physical therapy exercises. I don’t really have time to eat lunch before my meeting at 13:00. I meet with one of the project controllers and we talk through some loose ends and to-do’s for the projects we support. I am glad I have so many wonderful colleagues that hold up over Zoom.
14:00 Hair appointment – I cut about 15cm off of my hair in May, and want to get it longer again for the winter. $ 32.73
16:30 Second half of exercises. My colleague calls me about a project when I’ve just tied my legs together to strengthen my hips, and I almost break my neck trying to get to the computer on time. It is a fun and useful call, though, and we will continue working on this project tomorrow.
18:00 Done with work. I go over to a neighbor’s house for a small BBQ in his garden. He has a lot of meat and asked me to bring ‘not meat’, so I make vegetable packages in aluminum foil with basil from my garden, and bring some mixed salad and the last few wraps. I have a hamburger patty, a few sausages, veggies, a wrap, a pear with blue cheese (also from the BBQ) and two beers. We chat about the recent renovation to our building, about our neighbors, the pandemic, and about gardening.
20:45 I go home once it’s dark so I can still have some quality time with Cat before I go to G.’s place. I lay on my back on the couch, and Cat lays on my stomach. She sleeps for a while and I almost fall asleep myself too. She is so nice and warm, like laying your own hand on your stomach to guide your breathing. This is my favorite cat perk so far.
21:45 I am going to leave Cat alone for the night for the first time! When I arrive at G.’s, he is still reading to his kids. I make a cup of tea, take a shower, brush teeth, and sneak to the cabin in the garden that is his office and our bedroom. I brought my laptop so I can work on this Money Diary for a while.
22:00 G. joins me. He is still exhausted from the busy weekend and I am quite tired myself. We cuddle and catch up for a bit, then watch/listen to a lecture from our favorite course on iTunes University. It is a Yale course by professor Paul Freedman about early modern history and it’s both entertaining and very interesting. Getting through each lecture takes at least a few days, because we tend to doze off after 10-20 minutes. This time is no different and we are asleep by 23:00 or so.
Day 6. Wednesday, 16 September. $ 20.19
7:00 awake because G. has to nudge his just-teenage daughter to school in time. I lay in bed a bit longer but get up to have breakfast with G. and his preteen son. Coffee, and I have muesli with yogurt and fruit.
8:30 I take a detour home to pick up my semi-weekly bag of organic vegetables/fruits from the organic co-op. Today’s bag contains celery, corn, carrots, red onions, apples, and peaches. It is supposed to be ~3 days’ worth for one person, but between other lunches/dinners, eating at G.’s, and eating out, it usually takes me about a week to get through a bag. This time I order and pay for 2 weeks from now instead of next week. I also buy 100% recycled toilet paper. $ 15.46
8:45 Home, feed Cat, pet Cat, pack my work bag, change clothes (you know, with real pants and shoes), and ride my bike to work.
9:15 At work. Wednesday is my ‘in the office day’. Since July 1st, everybody can come in one day a week, on a set schedule. The colleagues I share ‘office day’ with are very good company both to brainstorm and to chat with. I spend the day working on two different projects and mostly ignoring my e-mail save for a few urgent items.
12:30 Lunch break. I visit a colleague in a neighboring building, who also has his ‘office day’.
17:00 I leave and take a detour to drop off a new laptop with a colleague. She is high-risk so won’t come in to pick it up, and I’m happy to bring it to her. We chat for a few minutes in her garden, and I resume my way home. On the way, I stop at Albert Heijn (biggest supermarket chain here) to pick up mixed salad. I notice the fresh gnocchi and four-cheese sauce are on sale, so I get those too. $ 4.74
18:00 I prepare a simple chili with onions, celery, one carrot, pre-cooked black beans, some vegan shawarma meat. I add a slice of bread with hummus. I eat my dinner on the couch, carefully forking it with one hand while petting Cat with the other.
18:45 Weekly Facetime call with my parents and sister, who lives in the US with her husband. Most of the call is about cats this time. My sister has 2. My parents leave a bit earlier than usual, as they have a meeting.
19:35 Leave for my other choir rehearsal. This is a small church choir, and our ancient church building is huge, so no subdivisions necessary.
22:30 Home. First, some quality time with Cat. I feel bad for leaving her alone all day though I’m sure she spent most of it sleeping anyway. I lay on the couch and she comes lay on my stomach, same as yesterday.
23:30 I get in bed with my laptop, a cup of tea, yogurt with pear, and some cheese. My dinner was way too small so I’m very hungry. I do some work for my home owners’ association (for which I am a board member) and work on this Money Diary. I also add things to my online IKEA basket. They even have pet furniture these days! I decide to wait for one more day before placing the order. I go to sleep way too late, around 1:15.
Day 7. Thursday, 17 September. Daily total:
08:00 As expected, I don’t feel too great. I do get up, feet cat, make coffee and breakfast (yes, muesli etc.) and get back into bed for some quality time on my phone. With Cat.
09:00 I go straight to my laptop and get to work, pajamas and all. Remember how I was going to organize all the e-mails today? Well, I didn’t do that until the very end of the day, but everything is going smoothly anyway. I break mid-morning to do my exercises.
11:45 Just when I am considering walking over to G.’s place to ‘borrow’ some coffee filters, I hear the key in the front door. G. comes with bribes: fresh bread and pastries. Since I still need those coffee filters, we decide to stroll back together to his apartment to pick those up. We have an early lunch at my place (cheese sandwich and apple turnover for me), with more coffee, and I work for a bit.
12:45 We take a short nap in bed that turns into some (much-needed) sexytime. Between work and kids (for him) and work and extracurricular activities (for me) we are often just too tired.
13:15 Back to work. I have a meeting with my direct colleagues and manager, then with another colleague. Cat sits on my lap for a while and then goes back to sleep on her pillow.
16:00 Do some more exercises waiting for manager to call back. I am starting to feel very down, and realize I may need to eat something, so I make a large mug of tea and a small cheese sandwich. It helps a bit. After my manager calls me back and I solve the issue, I take a break to go to the pet supply store (again). I get two cat toys and another litter mat to put in front of the cat toilet. $ 17.81
18:15 Done working. I work on this Money Diary for a while before dinner.
19:00 I heat up the leftover chili from yesterday, put it on a whole-wheat wrap and vamp it up a little, with yogurt, sweet chili sauce and mixed salad. I eat my dinner on the couch, Cat on lap, while watching two episodes of Grace & Frankie. After dinner I vacuum the house and place the additional litter mat. Cat now has a red carpet of litter mats. Let’s hope it helps. I take a 2km walk around the neighborhood, and my back holds up well.
21:30 I meet with the two other board members of the home owners’ association via teleconferencing. Monday is the annual meeting (via teleconferencing, because… you know) so there are always last-minute issues to discuss.
22:15 finish up this money diary! I finally wanted to place my IKEA order, but the website malfunctions, so I guess this week will be cheaper after all.
\EDIT: I ordered the IKEA stuff the next morning, it was $ 85 for a cat bed for Cat, a set of drawers, and some storage items. Not included in weekly total.**
Weekly total: $ 352.37
Food + drink: $ 105.71
Fun + entertainment: $ 0
Home + health: $ 10.83
Clothes + beauty: $ 32.73
Transport: $ 0
Other (Cat): 203.11
This was a normal week for me, perhaps on the cheap side because I hardly spent anything from sinking funds. I love sinking funds; they make my monthly budget very stable. I always feel like I do not save enough, but I didn’t realize how much money I have stashed in those sinking funds. Some of that could perhaps go into long-term savings. The only thing that made this week exceptional and expensive, was Cat, of course! I will make a sinking fund for her in my budget starting next month, in case she needs a vet appointment.
I apologize for my language errors, English is not my native language. Thanks for reading!
[edit - removed reference to a 'bubble' 20.nov.2020]

Good morning from the UK.
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Virus statistics (as of 09:30 UK time)
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Region	Today	Yesterday	% change
Global	198,179	182,424	+8.6%
China	81,087	81,053	+0.4% (once again)
Italy	31,506	27,980	+12.6%
Iran	16,169	14,991	+7.9%
Spain	11,826	9,942	+18.9%
Germany	9,360	7,272	+28.7%
South Korea	8,413	8,320	+1.1%
France	7,695	6,655	+15.6%
USA	6,496	4,661	+39.4%
Switzerland	2,700	2,330	+15.9% (they have been suspiciously round numbers every day this week)
UK	1,960	1,553	+26.2%
Netherlands	1,710	1,414	+20.9%
Norway	1,471	1,347	+9.2%
Austria	1,332	1,018	+30.8%
Belgium	1,243	1,058	+17.5%
Sweden	1,196	1,121	+6.7%
Denmark	1,024	932	+9.8%

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All other countries with under 1000 identified infections not listed. Total countries infected worldwide = 155, same as yesterday. Source for all countries (as discussed above): the John Hopkins University dashboard (Link). (Personal note: Western countries infection counts are increasing each day much faster than Asian countries but that may be due to cultural differences or it may be that they're doing my testing, if anyone can shed light on this please do).
Reminder, these are identified case counts and medical experts are reporting this virus has a long incubation period with people being infections despite displaying no symptoms; the true infection figures are likely to be much higher. Note that some countries are reporting shortages of test kits which further skews the data available; assume true cases are much higher.
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Other virus news in brief (Guardian live blog source, no time to check anything else)
- The world famous Glastonbury music festival just got cancelled
- The Edinburgh film festival has been cancelled
- The BBC has suspended production of multiple tv shows including its popular soap show Eastenders
- Prof Neil Ferguson, one of the top UK Covid-19 govt advisors has caught it and is self isolating
- Scottish regional airline Logan air (a crucial airbridge link provider to isolated communities) is cutting its flights in half
- Chelsea FC has turned over its hotel for NHS staff for two months (the owner Roman Abramovitch is waiving all charges) and may extend further if necessary
- The catholic church in Scotland has suspended all masses until further notice
- Several fast food chains are offering free drinks to health workers including McDonalds and Pret
- More supermarket chains around the world are offering extra opening hours for accessibility only by the elderly and vulnerable including Sainsbury's in the UK
- Central Brussels is reported as being deserted (Belgium is in lock down)
- Iran study: 3.5m Iranians could die if government guidelines are not followed (some Iranian worshippers are attempting to break into holy shrines and mosques, defying Iranian leaders who are trying to bar access to religious sites because of coronavirus).
- Global stock markets remain volatile - futures suggest further drops in Dow Jones when it opens in approx 2:15 time
- Amazon workers say the hectic pace of work amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak is devastating for their physical and mental health as they try and keep up with massive new demand. There are complaints the company is doing nothing to look after the welfare of its workers.
- Dozens of new cases of the virus have been found in South Korea
- NZ continues to have problems with tourists failing to self-isolate. The police are getting involved to enforce it, two visitors have been deported so far.
- Tom Hanks feels "blah" but says he's no longer feverish, he remains in precautionary self isolation with his wife
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Supply chain specific virus news in brief
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- Matt Colvin and his brother (who hoarded 17,700 bottles of hand sanitiser before being banned by Amazon for price gouging) has donated the product but is being investigated by his state's attorney general. He says he's received death threats over the matter.
- Nissan suspends production at Sunderland plant (UK) as coronavirus crisis hits supply chain and sales (Local newspaper source). Ford and Vauxhall are following suit (source)
- UK chemicals supply chains prepare for ‘major impact’ from coronavirus restrictions (source)
- China’s southern manufacturing hub facing supply shortage as global fears grow (source) with 15% having already run out of some supplies
- Pending “Buy America” Executive Order Threatens Coronavirus Response - Forbes agues that a pending executive order to force federal agencies to buy American made products will slow down the country's ability to respond to the virus. "Now is not the time to shutter our borders and prevent global cooperation. Americans already face massive shortages of diagnostic tests and vital supplies, like face masks and ventilators.... By forsaking an all-hands-on-deck approach, the president would exacerbate the public health crisis at hand and put more American lives at risk" the article says.
- Brazilian meatpackers JBS and Minerva Foods are considering suspending operations at some slaughterhouses in Brazil due to supply chain issues from China (source)
- UK grocery pro tip - if the online grocers have no slots available and you don't want to be customer 6023 in the Ocado queue, check out Gousto (if you're already a customer) or Hello Fresh.
- A Houston distillery is starting to making hand sanitiser Link - I've seen other reports of distilleries doing similar including Scottish whisky ones
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Economics
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Boeing seeks $60 billion in government aid for aerospace industry hit by coronavirus - Link : CNBC says that Boeing said Tuesday that it is supporting $60 billion in government support for the aerospace industry hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. President Donald Trump earlier said his administration would support Boeing, a top U.S. defense contractor and one of the two biggest airplane makers in the world. The company has been grappling with the fallout of two fatal crashes of its 737 Max.
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Supply chain deep dive
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Industry experts say, yes, more medical ventilator devices are desperately needed, but warn against unrealistically heightening public expectations (Link) - One doctor described the machines as being like "gold." Ventilators have quickly become the most sought-after medical device in the world because of their ability to help save the lives of some of the sickest coronavirus patients. The U.S. currently has an estimated 160,000 ventilators, far short of the 740,000 it would need in a "severe" pandemic like the Spanish flu of 1918, according to a study by the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins. It's because of this that governments around the world have been scrambling to buy and make as many ventilators as possible. President Donald Trump even suggested that states might be better off not waiting for federal help, "if they can get them faster by getting them on their own." British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has asked large companies that don’t make ventilators, like Rolls Royce and the domestic appliance firm Dyson, to pivot toward the production of medical equipment in a way not seen outside war.
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The great toilet paper shortage of 2020 - CNN reports on supply chain issues relating to the toilet paper panic purchasing (Supply chain students - this is a great example of the bullwhip effect in real time). Many were already operating their manufacturing facilities 24/7 prior to the pandemic. Now, some are limiting their facilities to essential workers and contractors. It's unclear, however, what they will do in the event that those workers get sick. "If you ask me why everyone is grabbing toilet paper, I can't really explain it," said Tom Sellars, CEO of Sellars Absorbent Materials in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His company is a processor and converter of paper and related products. "It's not like we are suddenly using more of it. But the surge in demand could strain the supply chain," he said. Georgia Pacific, the maker of Angel Soft and Quilted Northern toilet paper, said that last week, some orders from retailers nearly doubled. The company managed to ship out 20% more than its normal capacity. And the American Forest & Paper Association, an industry group representing paper product makers, noted the industry is working hard to respond to the sudden spike in demand.
Another big worry: stockpiling toilet paper now could eventually hurt manufacturers' sales down the road. "We've all seen photos of people carrying shopping carts filled with toilet paper out of stores. They probably won't buy more for three to four months," Baron said. "There will be a demand shock, and it will again strain the system."
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Coronavirus exposes the weak links in the pharma supply chain - The Pharmaletter has an opinion piece from Madhav Durbha, group vice president, industry strategy, LLamasoft (link). Key takeaways:

1. China is a rapidly growing consumer market as average disposable income grows - A recent study of large pharma companies’ earnings shows that revenues in China grew by 29% as compared to a growth of 8.2% in the USA for a comparable period.
2. China and India are big players in pharma manufacturing. Example: last year China accounted for 95% of US imports of ibuprofen, 91% of US imports of hydrocortisone, 70% of US imports of acetaminophen, 40% to 45% of US imports of penicillin and 40% of US imports of heparin, according to Commerce Department data. Even as India rises as an alternate source to China for generic and over-the-counter medications, it depends heavily on Chinese sources for active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and key starting materials (KSMs).
3. Due to sizeable inventory buffers in the industry, the effects of manufacturing downturns will take time to impact; the median inventory is about 180 days for the industry as a whole. However, given the long lead times associated with drug manufacturing, the effects will take time to cycle through the supply chain. If and when this gets on the critical path, missed deliveries can be punitive for pharma companies due to penalties by purchasing entities. Switching sources is not a trivial task in the pharma industry given the highly regulated nature and rigorous compliance requirements by regulatory bodies.
4. Individuals and governments alike are competing for availability of medical PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) exacerbating the global supply shortage). Personal note: I've flagged up shortages over the past few weeks in multiple country health systems. If your politicians say they're about to fix it or more supplies are imminent be very sceptical; my country's government is competing against yours (and we're all competing against individual demand too) and there won't be enough for everyone because manufacturing capacity cannot keep up with current demand (I've posted links before on this topic).

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Warehousing sector well-positioned to weather coronavirus disruption, report finds - Supplychaindive reports that the logistics real estate sector could be among the best positioned to handle inventory supply and demand disruptions from the COVID-19 outbreak due to standard long-term occupancy contracts and a potential shift to more regional supply chains in the future, according to a report from Prologis released in March. Key takeaways from the article:

1. Lessons learnt from widespread stockouts could cause supply chain managers to bump up their safety stock levels which means more warehouse space will be needed (safety stock means the inventory level limit at which you ideally should never go below so you should order replenishments to arrive just before you hit that limit).
2. Consumer demand for fresh and online grocery is set to increase in the coming years; in 2019 CBRE (major global player in warehouse real estate) projected this trend would translate into industry demand for 100 million square feet of additional cold storage warehousing space over the next five years
3. Some supply chains may de-risk from centralised warehousing (e.g. running a NDC - national distribution centre) into running several smaller RDCs (regional distribution centres) to spread out the risk.

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How long will essentials like toilet paper be hard to get? It depends. - Vox reports (credit to them for the follow on links) that while the biggest grocery chains, food suppliers, and consumer goods brands are generally well-equipped to handle this kind of surge in demand, experts say the global reach of their supply chains is contributing to the problem. Additionally this is a global surge in demand. Retailers are capable of handling emergency deliveries for impacted areas (e.g. post hurricane or earthquake), but it's difficult to keep up with a country-wide surge in demand. Reallocating inventory requires some cost-benefit analysis, however. “If you divert that normal shipment that goes from your regional distribution center to your network of stores close to that regional center, and all of a sudden you haul it twice the distance to New York City, that’s twice the cost,” a partner from Cap Gemini said.
3M, the Minnesota-based manufacturer of N95 respirator masks and other protective medical products, has so far avoided supply chain disruptions by sourcing materials like straps and metal nose clips from regional suppliers and producing the filters in house. The company has also ramped up production from five days per week to seven in response to the surge in demand. According to Panjiva, the supply chain research unit of S&P Global Market Intelligence, P&G significantly ramped up its shipments of soap and hand sanitizer in late 2019 and early 2020, with imports increasing 221.9 percent year over year in the three months to January 31. Competitor Johnson & Johnson increased imports of the same categories by 72.7 percent during the same period. Even with the short supply, US hand sanitizer sales were up 470 percent in the first week of March, according to Nielsen. Small-batch distilleries are supplementing their product assortments with hand sanitizers that meet the CDC’s 60 percent alcohol guidelines. New York state has turned to prison labor to boost its supply by 100,000 gallons per week.
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Donations
Several asked if they can send me $/£/€ via Patreon (in some cases because I've saved them time or money, others for no reason at all). I don't need the cash (that's lovely though) but food bank charities are getting really hit hard with all this panic buying. Please consider giving whatever you'd have given me to a foodbank charity instead:
UK: https://www.trusselltrust.org/
France: https://www.banquealimentaire.org/
Germany: https://www.tafel.de/
Netherlands: https://www.voedselbankennederland.nl/steun-ons/steun-voedselbank-donatie/
Spain: https://www.fesbal.org/
Australia: https://www.foodbank.org.au/
Canada: https://www.foodbankscanada.ca/
USA: https://www.feedingamerica.org/
Thanks in advance for any donations you give. If there's foodbank charities in your country and it's not listed above, please suggest it and I will include it going forward.

EDIT: Minor correction to definition of safety stock and replenishments

Warning: Possible Triggers in the story below
I have decided part of my recovery will include writing out every little detail I can remember about the long road astray that gambling has caused my life. Today is day one and I am ready to reclaim my life from this evil that exists in the world, again. A short recap of the most recent events before I hit the details: Gambling addict for 12 years and went 1 year 4 months without gambling a dime before letting a $100 dollar deposit become a $10,000 mistake again. I am writing this for myself as a reminder and for others, as reading others stories on this subreddit was one of the tools I used to make it a year and four months without gambling.
BEFORE KNOWING I HAD A PROBLEM
I turned 18 and vividly remember my dad taking me and my mom to an indian casino for my birthday. I was so excited seeing the ads on TV and wanting to go try my luck on my parents dime but the worst thing that could happen, happened. I hit $400 on a $4 dollar bet playing slots. I had not made $400 all summer working my ass off, but was able to make it in 20 seconds at this casino. From this moment on, I was hooked. As everyone knows, the worst thing that can happen as a gambler is to win big and at 18 this was a massive amount of money to win. From 18-22 I kept my stakes low and would only bring $50-$100 to the casinos because of the lack of funds and I can recall feeling physically ill if I had lost it. I was a college student so at the time I did not have much money to spend and it truly was a leisurely activity until I went one afternoon and hit $2400 on quickhits on a $2 bet. I had found the secret to being rich, it was playing slots at the casino. I still recall being frugal and keeping my bet sizes from 25 cents to a $2 max due to no income and solely relying on my parents providing me with a little side cash going back and forth from visiting my parents to going back to college. At this point of my life gambling seemed like a fun easy way to make cash, I was all about that.
I graduated from college and found a very promising career in sales. I was making very good money and living the dream free of all worries. I really didn’t gamble all too often as the nearest casino was 3 hours away, that was until I discovered the world of online gambling. Then the addiction kicked in.
STARTING TO RECOGNIZE A GAMBLING PROBLEM
I started watching gambling streams on youtube and couldn’t believe how much money people would make on the online slots. I live in the USA so I only had a handful of options of casinos I could play at. I started making multiple $25 deposits a day to try my luck and had some ups but mostly downs. One day I hit big online and tried withdrawing my winnings. Sure enough, a check from what appeared to be China hit my mail and was in my bank account. The online US casinos were limited game wise and the more I played the more I felt like I was getting scammed but that didn’t stop me. I joined a gambling online forum and learned of ways to bypass the US restrictions and was free to play the “good” games that were available in other countries. I never knew if I did win whether or not I would receive the winnings but this had now turned into double gamble which made the excitement intensify. Sure enough, I won another 2k online betting $1. I remember thinking to myself, why would anyone work when you can make this kind of money sitting in your own living room having fun. Well, as fate would have it, that 2k online diminished as I purchased a total of 5k worth of gift cards to make deposits at the casino and lost it all plus my savings over a 3-6 month period of time. That left a nasty taste in my mouth and now I had debt for the first time. I had to escape this debt somehow and kept playing slots and running my bank account to 0 every paycheck. Depression started to kick in and eventually playing slots lead me to self-harm and suicidal tendencies.
RECOGNIZING GAMBLING ADDICTION
I still was hooked on online slots even though I was in debt but ran out of all of my money. Thats when I discovered I could sign up for a credit card and get cash advances. Over a period of 5 years I racked up a surmounting 15k worth of credit card cash advances which put myself in a position where I could barley make minimum payments on all the cards I had opened and have any spare cash at the end of the month. This fed my addiction as it was the only way I knew I could get out and sure enough, I would max out my cards and hit big again on the very last deposit available to me. I would go from 15k of debt to 2k of debt overnight and would swear that I would never play again. We all know how that went and would teeter totter back and forth from having money in the bank to maxing out my credit cards and having only rice to eat for the month. This is when I knew I had a problem but had no clue how to fix it. I brought my family into the situation, told them what I had done when I finally didn’t win and had maxed out all and they were disappointed but helped and gave me money. The money of course went to gambling and so the cycle continued.
FULL BLOWN ADDICT
I worked hard and was good at my job and was able to stop gambling for a period of time and save enough money to purchase a house. I had a new life ahead of me, a new house and a new best friend in my dog. I had real responsibilities now and cut back on gambling. I stopped playing online as much and started driving the 3 hour drive to the casino to try my luck there. This is where the worst thing that could possibly happen, happened. I won and I won big. I remember bringing $500 to the casino and turning that into $1600. What a rush, but then lost it all. Then as you all know the ATM trips started up and I 0’d out my bank account and decided to try higher denomination slots as a last resort. I put $1200 into a $25 machine and won $25,000. I could not believe my luck, it had to be fate. I went home that night knowing this was my new job, PRO SLOT PLAYER. I called in sick at work the next day because there was more money to be made and off I went to my new job 3 hours away at 3 am in the morning because I couldn’t wait to get there and start playing. I started small and made 3 trips to the ATM at $500 withdrawals. On the last trip, I hit $20,000 on a $2 machine. I made $45,000 in a matter of 48 hours, which was a years pay at my current job. I had everything figured out and I was going to be rich.
FUCK GAMBLING
That new savings nest egg that was sitting in my bank disappeared within 6 weeks of my new job playing high stakes slots. Cash advances and depression were my new reality. I ran my credit cards up until they were all completely maxed out and now was back to the same reality of living paycheck to paycheck only making minimum payments on my cards. I reached out to family again and they came through again for me if I promised to stop once and for all. They wrote me a check for $18,000 to pay off all credit cards with the stipulation that I never gamble again. We all know how that turned out, I withstood from gambling for a good two months then after I had a nice savings built up started playing online and at the casinos again. Within 3 months I had maxed everything out again and here I was back in the same situation I was in earlier but this time had betrayed my own family. I went back to the old ways of self-harm and had another suicidal attempt that failed. I was my own worst enemy at the time and had no idea how to stop and no money to gamble. Around this time, I was hit with layoffs which was what I took as a sign that I had one more chance to hit big and make it right with my family and myself. I was getting 3 months worth of pay in 2 weeks. Time to hit the casino and win 50k. I never hit big that night, I lost my 3 months severance pay and had no answers, only an insurmountable weight on my shoulders. I had to sell my house and move in with family until I could find another job. The same family who I also owed $18,000 to and whom knew about the addiction and betrayal. Years went by and I would have good months and then I would run up my cards other months playing online. I didn’t have any bills so I would make my minimum payments and use my checks and continue this disgusting cycle for 4 years. I felt like a complete loser and the only way out was to hit big again. I would hit big countless times online and would withdraw it to my bank account only to re-deposit it the next week and lose. It is literally the most miserable cycle and so draining mentally and physically.
ROAD TO RECOVERY
I stumbled across a podcast of Joe Rogan’s with a guest named David Goggins. This man is the baddest dude on this planet and the stories he shared on that podcast made me wake up and stop being the victim and realize no one gives a shit and only you can fix you. It was a mindset I needed as I had been the victim for the past 10+years in my own mind. I started researching gambling addiction and what I could do to stop it and became obsessed. I removed myself from all online casinos, stopped watching gambling videos, added gamblock to my PC and phone, and started working out. I bought his audio book and listened to it countless times while exercising. I had a new mindset and I was going to beat this mother fucker. The hours spent staring into a pc screen were now on the road running or learning a good habit like mediation or how to play guitar ect…. I had finally found something that worked, a routine and threw the victim card away. No one was going to save me but myself and I was damned determined to do so. Along the way, I also met someone whom I fell in love with. My life was all starting to come together and I was less than a few months away from paying off nearly 48k worth of debt from gambling. I also listened to Allen Carr’s Easy Way To Stop Gambling audiobook which I highly suggest. Well, as luck would have it COVID-19 strikes and I am working from home now which means I have a lot of spare time on my hands and no one glancing at my personal PC during the quiet times. I started watching more gambling streams on twitch and saw how easy these guys are making bank online gambling. I knew in my mind that these guys are probably not playing with their own money but the little monster snuck up and told me to go ahead and try my luck one time. I made a $100 dollar deposit online that turned into a $10,000 mistake chasing that first $100 lost and now here I am set back another 6 months. I turned back into the lying, deceiving piece of shit that I once was, only now I do see an end to all of this and know the path I have to take to get my life back. I’ve closed my online accounts, removed access to credit cards, will be installing gamblock today, and going back to healthy habits to keep my mind at ease. I already have found relief in writing this and hoping that it will help one person to stay on the road of recovery or decide to take that path. You will never win and if you do win you will give it all back plus more. Do not kid yourself. If you are on this subreddit you are addicted and you cannot casually gamble. I know this sounds harsh but being harsh is what helped me get to where I was before, its what I had to have to get my life straightened out. It is the David Goggins - no bullshit - tell it like it is approach. Get after it guys, tell gambling to FUCK OFF and beat this beast with me.
David Goggins Podcast I highly recommend:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tSTk1083VY
https://youtu.be/BvWB7B8tXK8
Books that helped me:
Can't hurt me- David Goggins
The Easy Way to Stop Gambling- Allen Carr

What is Stardom?

World Wonder Ring Stardom, or just Stardom for short, is a Joshi Puroresu(Japanese Women's Wrestling) company based in Tokyo. It was founded in 2011, and it's currently one of most successful Women's promotion in the world. As of October 2019, it's subsidiary of Bushiroad. That's the same parent company as New Japan Pro Wrestling. Stardom is a separate entity from NJPW managed by a different wing of Bushiroad.
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What is Stardom Wrestling like?

Most Stardom Wrestlers wrestle a mix of traditional Japanese Strong Style, Lucha Libre, and American Wrestling. Most matches are 5-15 minutes long. Singles, tag team, and trios matches are common. Three way, and Fatal Fourway matches are also common on the under cards. Most shows feature 5 or 6 matches. There is also a little bit of comedy mixed into the product without taking away from the sportsmanship. Overall, it's a very fun brand of wrestling.
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What are the rules for Stardom matches?

• For most matches, victories come via 3 count pinfalls or submissions. In the case of rope breaks for submissions, a wrestler must be in full possession of the rope before the rope break is activated. Only touching the ropes is not enough.
• There is a 20 count outside the ring. Although that the count starts at the referee's discretion. Usually wrestlers are allowed to brawl for minutes on the outside until one has incapacitate the other and then the count starts.
• There is a 5 count for rope breaks or general misbehavior inside the ring.
• Some matches have over the top rope eliminations. These are common as a part of the Cinderella Tournament.
• Some tag team matches have lucha rules, so there is no tag necessary. In general, the ref will allow some freedom for double teams in the ring.
• Weapon use is prohibited, although it's not an automatic DQ. The ref will usually do his best to stop it and let the match continue.
• Disqualifications are possible, but very rare. The ref will allow the action to go as long as he can. A wrestler has to be extremely out of control to earn a DQ.

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How often do Stardom Shows run?

Sometimes they run multiple shows a week, and sometimes there is a small hiatus due to scheduling. Overall, it averages out to about six to nine shows a month. They regularly run shows in multiple locations in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Yokohama, and a few other cities in Japan. Shows outside of Japan happen on rare occasions as well. Shinkiba 1st Ring in Tokyo is the venue that they run most often, and Korakuen Hall is where most of the big shows are held.
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Who wrestles for Stardom?

Stardom has a mix of Japanese and international talent. The international talent comes from the US, Mexico, Europe, and Australia. Big names such as Kairi Sane(Kairi Hojo in Stardom), Io Shirai, Nicky Storm(WWE's Nicky Cross), Piper Niven(AKA Viper), The Alpha Female, Taya Valkyrie, Chelsea Green and more have wrestled in Stardom. A few male names such as Minoru Suzuki, Dr. Wagner Jr, Ultimo Dragon and Kenny Omega have also wrestled in the past on rare occasions.
A breakdown of Stardom's roster:
Queens Quest: The tweener faction in Stardom. They want to push Stardom to be the best.

• Momo Watanabe - "Stardom's true heart". A fierce fighter with a bright future. She is the Ace of Queens Quest.
• AZM - Pronounced "Azumi". “The JK Fighter”(High School Fighter) and “Queens Quest's Bomb Girl”. A young & agile rebel that will stomp you to the ground. The most experienced member of Queens Quest. She's everyone's senpai.
• Utami Hayashishita – The hammer of Queens Quest. She’s a power wrestler with a judo background. She’s pushing Stardom’s best to the limit from day one.
• Hina - Sister of Stars' Hanan and Tokyo Cyber Squad's Rina. She's a no nonsense straight forward fighter with judo skills. She favors the color blue.
• Leo Onozaki - "The Lion Heart". A firey babyface with a lot of energy. She loves hitting cutters and back elbows.

Oedo Tai: The rule breaking heels of Stardom.

• Natsu Sumire - "The Minister in charge of reversing Japan's declining birthrate". She is beautiful, cowardly, and vain.
• Saki Kashima - A creative and energetic fighter. She's an old school delinquent who betrayed the Stars unit. She's not to be trusted.
• Natsuko Tora - "The Female Warrior of Joshi." She is a tough enforcer who hates to lose. She walks down her own path, and she wants to bathe Stardom in darkness.
• Bea Priestley - The Top Gaijin. An accomplished wrestler from the UK. She's a fighter with a mean streak, and an unapologetic badass.
• "Session Moth" Martina- The party don't start until Martina shows up.
• Jamie Hayter - UK based phenomenon with hard hitting offense and aspirations to be the best in the world.

Stars - The babyface stable that sticks together(sort of)

• Mayu Iwatani - "Sky-Blue Hyper Technician", "The Icon of Stardom", "The Gift". A fierce high flyer that will do anything(within the rules) to win. Master of the two stage Dragon Suplex. The first and so far only World of Stardom and Wonder of Stardom duel champion.
• Arisa Hoshiki- "The Shinning Star Of Stardom". Possibly the greatest kicker in the history of wrestling. A member of Stardom's debut class. She has a bit of a complicated relationship with Tam Nakano.
• Tam Nakano - "The Violet Kung Fu Girl". Pop singer, Kung Fu master, licensed fireworks expert, Deathmatch wrestler, die hard fan of Pandas. There are many sides to Tam Nakano.
• The Starlight Kid - "The Genius Girl". A high flying technician. The only masked wrestler currently in Stardom. The first Future Of Stardom champion.
• Hanan - H-A-N-A-N. She uses Judo to get an advantage her opponents.
• Saya Iida - "The Little Giant"/"Giant Saya" - A little wrestler with a big heart. She's currently the smallest member of the roster. She'll dropkick you across the ring.

Tokyo Cyber Squad - Everyone is different. Everyone is good. The revolutionary non-conformists of Stardom.

• Hana Kimura - The charismatic and chaotic cybergoth leader of TCS. Hana Kimura does as Hana Kimura wants to do.
• Jungle Kyona - "Jan-Kyo". A high energy dynamo. She has Jungle Power and she will use it to clothesline people's heads off. The former leader of the now dead Jungle Assault Nation group.
• Konami - A student of WWE's Asuka(Kana). A fierce shooter with amazing kicks and submissions. If she locks in her Triangle Lancer submission she wins 100% of the time.
• Kaori Yoneyama - AKA Death-Yama-San. A joshi legend. Former OZ Academy Tag Team Champion. Former Stardom Tag Team champion. Runs her own shows under the YMZ brand. Often teams with and against rookies. Loves Dragonball and cosplay.
• Rina - Sister of Stars' Hanan and Queens Quest's Hina. She's mini-Hana Kimura.
• Ruaka - "The Future Warrior". She's not a Kappa, she's a monster. But don't let that fool you. She's also powerful.
• Bobbi Tyler - A promising up and coming UK talent. Gets along very well with Hana.
• Rebel Kel - A tall American power house with a lot of potential.
• Zoe Lucas - Charismatic and sometimes duplicitous. She wants to outsmart her opponents.

Donna Del Mondo - Stardom's newest unit. Their goal is disruption.

• Giulia - The serpent that seeks chaos. She's a powerful foe with hard hitting offense. She's formerly from the Ice Ribbon promotion.
• Maika Deadly serious. She's a hard hitting rookie from the JTO promotion.
• Syuri Konno - Giulia's hired gun. A former UFC fighter and a member of the Makai specialty promotion and a one of the most feared freelancers in Japan.

Miscellaneous - Free talent that aren't associated with one unit and can team with everyone

• Riho - Formerly of Ice Ribbon and Gatoh Move, and currently of AEW. She's a young veteran technical wizard.
• Saya Kamitani - "Future Star Candidate". She's an athletic idol in her rookie year. She has a lot of fire and cool dance moves.
• Itsuki Hoshino - "The Shiny Rookie". The newest Stardom rookie. She's all heart.
• Andras Miyagi - A former member of the Sendai Girls promotion and former member of Oedo Tai. she is a head banging psycho hybrid wrestler who can beat you in many different ways. Her current whereabouts are unknown.

World Selection - Miscellaneous foreign wrestlers from the US, UK, Europe, Mexico, and other parts of the world that happen to be touring Stardom. Sometimes they are loosely associated with the other units.

• Zoey Sky
• Leyla Hirsch

Sendai Girls: At least once a year for the past few years Stardom and Sendai Girls have cooperated to share talent. You may see some Sendai Girl talent appear on Stardom shows and vice-versa.

• Meiko Satomura - A joshi legend. The leader of the Sendai Girls company. Usually comes to Stardom to destroy Io, and Mayu.
• Chihiro Hashimoto - A highly accomplished amateur wrestler turned pro. In her young career she has managed to become two time Sendai Girls champion.
• Mika Iwata - A protege of Meiko. She is deadly with her kicks.

Marvelous: Another promotion that Stardom has worked with recently.

• Takumi Iroha - Former member of Stardom. Currently one of the bright stars of Marvelous.
• Rin Kadokura - Tag team partner of Takumi. Together they are New-Tra.

GPS-Pro: The former home promotion of Konami. Tam has also worked there. Act Yasukawa currently works there as a ring announcer and office member.
Miscellaneous: Other people that you are likely to see around Stardom:

• Rossy Ogawa - The President of Stardom.
• Takaaki Kidani - Bushiroad executive. Sometimes shows up to get smacked around by Hana Kimura.
• Fuka - One of the founders of Stardom and the former General Manager. She also trained rookie wrestlers, and was the ring announcer for many years. She's retired.
• P(with his niece, Panko) - Tam's manager and right hand panda.
• Kagetsu - The Prime Minister of Stardom. A high flying, powerful rule breaking badass. Her last match in Stardom was in January 2020 and she retired February 2020.
• Hazuki - "The Assault Commander." Formerly known as HZK and Reo Hazuki. A young & badass rebel that will kick you in the face. She's all about high speed all out offense. She retired December 2019.
• Prince - Konami's mask and friend. Here to make sure that the world gets #KonamiAllBelts and #KonamiAllPoints
• Yurie Kozakai - Stardom's newest ring announcer and a voice actress.
• Io Shirai - "The Genius of the Sky". An all-time great legend level wrestler. The founder of Queens Quest.
• Kairi Hojo- "The Pirate Princess." Known as Kairi Sane in WWE. One of the most decorated champions in Stardom history.
• Yuzuki Aikawa - The first Wonder of Stardom champion. She retired years ago, but she pops up on occasion as a guest in various Stardom related events. She's retired.
• Madusa - Stardom's commissioner. WWE Hall of Famer. She comes to Stardom about once a year to make sure things are operating properly and give some wisdom.
• Bull Nakano - A joshi legend. She does commentary for the Samurai TV broadcasts and serves as a mentor for the roster.
• Act Yasukawa - Creator of Oedo Tai. One of the most popular wrestlers in Stardom history. She's retired. Currently works for GPS-Pro as a ring announcer.
• Michiko Ohmukai - A legend from Arsion(a late 90's-early 2000's company. A spiritual predecessor to Stardom). Last time we saw her, she was aligned with Oedo Tai. She's retired.
• Hiromi Mimura - "The Indomitable Princess". Charisma personified. A short but fierce technician. Shout! She's retired.
• Kris Wolf - An American Wolf in Japan. Founding member of Oedo Tai. She loves meat, and you are her prey. She's retired.
• Hiroyo Matsumoto - Lady Godzilla. A joshi legend. She works with almost every Women's promotion in Japan and is highly successful.
• Kyoko Kimura - Hana Kimura's mom, co-founder of Oedo Tai, and Joshi legend. She's retired. She runs a very popular pink food truck and can often be seen outside of wrestling shows.
• Nao Yamaguchi - She is an Axe-Bomber throwing Gravure idol. Former member of Oedo Tai. She's retired.
• Shiki Shibusawa - The new heroine. She was a former member of stars and regular tag team partner with Starlight Kid and Tam Nakano. Known for her dropkicks. She's retired.
• Chardonnay - A well traveled UK wrestler with multiple Stardom tours under her belt.
• Mary Apache - She's a lucha libre legend out of Mexico. She comes from a legendary family, and she is a former High Speed Champion.
• Natsumi - She is the latest in the Apache Dynasty from Mexico. A fresh face with a lot of moves up her sleeve. She is the daughter of Mary Apache.
• Xia Brookside - A young wrestler out of the UK. She's the daughter of Robbie Brookside, and she has a bright future.
• Viper - The Scottish giantess. She is a mighty powerhouse.

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What's the deal with the kids?

This is something that western fans might find odd, but it's not that big a deal when you put it into it's proper context. There are no age limits to Wrestling in Japan. They train anyone that seeks training and is capable of doing the work. Which has lead to children as young as 9 or 10 years old to wrestle. It's no different than kids going to martial arts classes in America. Stardom has very experienced trainers. The kids are trained to wrestle in a very safe and basic style. The super young kids only wrestle short exhibition matches until they reach a certain age(11 if I'm not mistaken). And wrestling doesn't interfere with their school.
There is a very large sample size of Joshi wrestlers starting their careers before the age of 16. Way more than I could possibly list in various companies across many years. Wrestlers under 12 years old are far more rare, but there are a few success stories. For example, Riho debuted full time for the Ice Ribbon promotion when she was 9 years old. She has well over a decade of experience today and is one of the best wrestlers in the scene. Stardom's AZM started training when she was 9 years old and made her debut when she was 11 years old. Based on years in the ring, she's currently the second most experienced Stardom original. You can read AZM's own words on the subject here.
Overall, this is the equal of an after school martial arts career or contact sport like Football or Hockey for them.
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Who are the current Stardom Champions?

• World of Stardom Championship(“The Red Belt”, the main title) - Mayu Iwatani
• Wonder of Stardom Championship(“The White Belt”, second most important title) - Arisa Hoshiki
• SWA World Championship(Inter-promotional Belt defended around the world) - Jamie Hayter
• High Speed Championship(Formerly the NEO High Speed Championship) - Riho
• Goddess of Stardom Championship(Tag Team Titles) – Oedo Tai(Bea Priestley & Jamie Hayter)
• Artist of Stardom Championship(Trios Titles) – Queens Quest(Momo Watanabe, AZM, & Utami Hayashishita)
• Future of Stardom Championship - Utami Hayashishita

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Are there any annual tournaments or special events?

Yes, a few:

• Cinderella Tournament - A one night, single elimination tournament held in the spring. The winner gets any match that they want. Last year's winner is Arisa Hoshiki.
• 5 Star Grand Prix - A two bracket, round robin tournament held at the end of Summer. The winner gets a shot the World of Stardom title. Last year's winner is Hana Kimura.
• Tag Team League - A single bracket, round robin tournament held in the Fall. The winners get a shot at the Tag Team titles. The last winners were Arisa Hoshiki & Tam Nakano.
• Rookie of Stardom Tournament - A one night tournament for the rookie class. The Winner is declared the Stardom Rookie of the Year. The last winner was Saya Kamitani.
• Janken Tournament - Rock, Paper, Scissors and cosplay. For Ogawa's money, or at least some of Ogawa's money. The last winner was Jungle Kyona.
• Masked Fiesta - Every Halloween the Stardom roster are replaced by a strange band of masked wrestlers.
• Dream Come True Tournament - A two show, one day tournament held for the first time July 2018. It's unknown if there will another edition this year. The first winner was Tam Nakano.
• High Speed League - Currently ongoing High Speed style tournament.

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Are there Stardom power rankings?

Not officially. If I had to do a power ranking based on my own personal opinion:

• S Level - Mayu Iwatani, Arisa Hoshiki
• A Level - Bea Priestley, Momo Watanabe
• B Level - Jamie Hayter, Jungle Kyona, Konami, Hana Kimura, Utami Hayashishita, Riho, Tam Nakano, Giulia
• C Level - AZM, Starlight Kid, Saki Kashima, Natsu Sumire, Natsuko Tora, Andras Miyagi
• D Level - Saya Iida, Saya Kamitani
• E Level - Hanan, Leo Onozaki, Ruaka, Itsuki Hoshino
• F Level - Hina, Rina

This is highly debatable, but it gives you a general idea.
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How can I watch Stardom?

There are one legal option outside of Japan:
Stardom has it's own online streaming service, Stardom World. It costs 920 yen per month(roughly $8.00 ~ $9.00 USD). It's available world wide. For that you get:
Note: Some people have problems with their payment information due to the machine translation on the website. Either turn off the machine translation before hitting submit or switch the expiration month and year. That fixes the problem for most people

• 1-2 matches per day. The exact release schedule varies based on the actual show schedule. It takes time to edit and translate all the footage, and Stardom is a small company that can't afford a full media department to run the service. Normally everything is up with 5 to 6 days of a show happening.
• Special features. Hang out with Mayu Iwatani as she takes her dog to a pet shop, or watch Io Shirai, Kairi Hojo(WWE's Kairi Sane) and Mayu Iwatani answer questions. That sort of deal. These are not translated into English.
• Back cataloged shows from the early days of Stardom. These are posted when there is a long break in the show schedule.

All in all it averages out to 1 or 2 videos a day. The site is in Japanese with machine translation into English for text navigation. Some extra videos don't have translation, some extra videos have machine translation, but the main matches have very good natural English translation for pre-match promos. On occasion, in ring banter and post match promos if it's important to the story as well.
Warning:
If you pay for Stardom World on the 28th of the month you will be charged again on the 1st of the next month. It's not a lot of money, but you should know that ahead of time. This is just a quirk of the way Japanese streaming services work in general. The new version of the website is still working out some quirks with the payment processing. If you run into any issues see the section about contacting Stardom below.
Warning:
If you cancel your service will shut down and you won't be able to watch anymore. Make sure that you don't cancel before there is a show that you want to watch. Again, this is just a quirk of Japanese streaming services.
If you live in Japan you also have the option to watch Stardom's major shows on Samurai TV. They usually air a short time after the shows have taken place. Often in an edited, shorten fashion. They also show a lot of replays of older Stardom shows. Check your local listings.
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Can I watch Stardom World on (Insert Device name)?

Stardom world works on Windows Mac and Linux PC's, IOs devices, and Android devices. It's been reported to work with FireTV devices via the Amazon Silk browser, X-Box via the Edge browser, and Chromecast. Stardom World uses an HTML5 player. Other devices may or may not work. If it's a deal breaker for you it's best to ask before signing up just in case.
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I'm new to Stardom, where should I start?

Depends on how you want to watch. It's perfectly fine to jump in on the latest show. Stardom is pretty easy to follow, and it shouldn't take more than a show or two to be fully up to speed with the current roster. If you want to watch as much as you can in order, the earliest jumping on point right now is November 2018. That's well over 30 shows with over an hour of wrestling each.
Also, this:

The first six things to watch on Stardom world

These are not the best or more important matches in Stardom per say. These will just serve as a nice introduction to the roster. So you can get a feel for what people are about. In no particular order:

1. Konami & Jungle Kyona Vs Starlight Kid & Riho - The tag team champions face off against two of the representatives of the High Speed style of wrestling.
2. Bea Priestley Vs Hana Kimura - World Of Stardom title match. The charismatic challenger against the badass champion.
3. Giulia Vs Saki Kashima - Giulia is the new kid in Stardom and she wants to make a statement against one of the definative Stardom wrestlers.
4. Konami & Jungle Kyona Vs Bea Priestley & Jamie Hayter - Can the top foreigners currently in Stardom detrone the tag team champions?
5. STARS Vs Queens Quest - Six Man Tag matches are amoung Stardom's specialty.
6. Mayu Iwatani & Kagetsu Vs Momo Watanabe & Jungle Kyona - Kagetsu's last match in Stardom before her retirement tour. Four of the most important wrestlers in Stardom history in a once in a life time tag team match.

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We Are Stardom TV series

In Japan, Stardom recently got a TV time slot. It's a half hour, and they put up episodes for free on Youtube after they air. Unlike Stardom World, the shows don't have English subtitles. But they're an easy free way to sample the product.

• Episode 1
• Episode 2
• Episode 3
• Episode 4

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How can I find out what's coming up?

For the most part you don't need to know that much. Stardom keeps a schedule of up coming show dates. The cards for most small Stardom shows are thrown together like a real sports league. The promoter booked it, so they must fight. If you absolutely need to know every match that is coming up then keep an eye out for Stardom's English Twitter and Stardom's Japanese Twitter accounts. They announce upcoming matches a few days before the show happens. **Spoiler Warning.** Those accounts live tweet results so you may get spoiled before you get a chance to see the match on Stardom World.
For bigger shows and long term storylines, wrestlers challenge each other on camera. So, if you watch the show you know what are the big matches that are coming up regardless.
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I'm a fan either in Japan or traveling to Japan. How do I find out the schedule and/or get tickets?

Stardom keeps a schedule here. You can reserve tickets directly with Stardom at [[email protected]](/) or [[email protected]](/). You can email them in English. You can also contact any wrestler via email to reserve tickets.
If you happen to already be in Japan, you can get Stardom tickets via most if not all wrestling ticket outlets.
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I'm a wrestler and I'm interested in traveling to Japan and working with Stardom. What do I do?

Different avenues to land a spot with Stardom:

• Stardom USA
• Contact Stardom directly

Stardom's schedule is already packed. So allow them time to consider you.
Going from experience of watching Stardom for a while I can tell you that you probably need to commit for at least a couple of months if you want a spot.
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How can I contact Stardom if I have any questions or problems?

Stardom's official email address is [[email protected]](/) and [[email protected]](/). Allow up to a day for a response due to time zones. If you don't hear back within a few days try again. Sometimes the staff is swamped with other work. For tickets you can email [[email protected]](/) or [[email protected]](/). For general information [[email protected]](/). And for the Japanese fanclub [[email protected]](/).
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I'm just a fan, but I'm willing to answer questions whenever possible.
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Visit stardomjoshi/ for more Stardom discussions, and discussions of other Joshi promotions as well.