No Phun Intended Tier List

        So this is my first time ever sitting down and fully making a tier list for No Phun Intended. I've always known generally which songs are my favorite, but the lower end I've really had no idea how things would shake out.

        For those who don't know, No Phun Intended is an album made by a 17 year-old Tyler Joseph. The fact that he wrote this in high school is incredible. Every lyric is compact with meaning and every song is performed with so much emotion. This album makes me feel more things than any other music, each song is just so raw and powerful.

        The production quality is obviously low, and, as shown in my rankings, it's not like I love every song. But that doesn't mean I don't love every song, if that makes sense. That sentiment is true more for this album than any other, I think. 

        Especially with an album as emotional as this, people will connect to different songs. Anybody could tell me any song from this album is their favorite and a thought like, "Really?" wouldn't even cross my mind, which, ofc, isn't true for most music ex. how does anyone like Bounce Man, I don't get it (sorry, have to keep playing into my certified Bounce Man hater persona to annoy Ben)

        The S, A+, and A songs are all songs I genuinely enjoy and I should really add them to my playlist. Obviously this is more true the higher on the tier list you get (with an asterisk on TB Saga, we'll talk more about that in a sec). Although, granted, due to the fact that they're very emotional and they sound ¿old?/not like the rest of the songs on the playlist, it probably wouldn't be uncommon for me to skip them. 

        Okay, so the asterisk on Taco Bell Saga: Taco Bell Saga is the greatest song of all time... but like not really, haha. But, like, it's the greatest song of all time. 

        The fact that a song such as Taco Bell Saga (an incredibly goofy silly fun song about Taco Bell) exists on the same album as Save (a song where Tyler Joseph is literally screaming and pleading with all his heart to God and Christ to save him) is incredible. 

        On top of that, it's just the fact that the man who made Taco Bell Saga is also the one who has made so many other powerful deep songs (Neon Gravestones feels like a prime example) and has, through his music, saved a lot of people's lives. It's just awesome and makes me happy. 

        Taco Bell Saga's existence makes me so happy. Enough to put it in S tier when perhaps it really shouldn't be. I almost gave it the #1 spot, haha, but Drown and Blasphemy are too goated.

        Like, seriously, this fact is so hilarious and great to me. Feel free to check out this amazing thing yourself: Taco Bell Saga Link, Save Link.

        

        This was a really tough tier list to make because emotion just plays such a large part in my love for these songs. Save, for example, I like less in several ways to Hear Me Now and Tonight, but it just hits me so hard. Obviously in other tier lists emotion plays a part, but not this strong of a part. On top of that, I don't actively listen to these songs, so I had to a lot of refreshing and such. But I think in the end, the tier list ended up in a good spot.

Tier List made in TierMaker (which I clipped out the logo of to make the image not have tons of empty space)

My Thoughts on Lorcana Vs Smash (for me) (competitively speaking)

        So I love Super Smash Bros Ultimate. I generally regard it as my favorite video game of all time. I've spent hundreds of hours watching pro-level Smash, and I've spent thousands of hours playing it. I've had a blast with it, met tons of awesome people through it, and grown because of it.

        And yet. I think I might like competing in Lorcana more?

        Here are some of my thoughts on the topic.

        Fundamentally on paper it makes sense to me. 

        When I think about my skills and strengths as a human being, my thoughts definitely turn toward 'strategic thinking' before they ever turn toward something such as 'good reaction time'. Although overall I'm an accomplished Smash player (for a local scene), I feel that, theoretically, I would be a stronger Lorcana player. And so far, the results seem to back that thought, although the sample size is much much smaller compared to my Smash career (the results being in order at Set Champs 5th, 3rd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 2nd, and then a 2nd at a $2k). 

        My individual skills better aligning with the skills the game asks for is connected to my next thought:

        I have faith in myself.

        Even though I'm good, even great, at Smash and definitely feel I still have room to grow, there just feels like such a gap when I watch top Smash players. I watch them, and I feel like I could never get to that level. That they're just better. And always will be. Of course part of that is because they play more than me and practice smarter than me. But I still feel like they just have a talent for the game that I'll just never be able to have.

        But I don't feel that when I watch top-level Lorcana. Perhaps it's because it's a turn-based game, so it's easier to see a decision being made and feel like you could've done the same (vs the constant barrage of interactions that are taking place in a game of Smash). Perhaps it's because due to the nature of the game, seeing the skill gap between players is much more difficult (which I do think is the case). So perhaps I'm just being naive, but in my heart I feel like I could become a top-level Lorcana player. And I don't feel that way about Smash. 

        I think this faith in myself to reach those highest levels is a big reason why I feel more drawn to Lorcana right now.

         

        I think I might simply be getting tired of Smash.*

        To be fair, I do think part of that is being at the upper-echelon of my local scene for so long. If I were to relocate to a fresh scene where the competition is tougher, perhaps my energy for the game would come back. Regardless, I think Lorcana is a much newer and exciting endeavor for me currently. I haven't gotten to test my limits at big events yet like I have in Smash. I haven't gotten to compete in larger locals. There's a lot of things I haven't done in Lorcana that I have done in Smash.

        Luck, an interesting give and take:

        One big thing I like about Smash is that luck is seemingly a non-factor. If I'm better, I am very likely going to win. Obviously some days I'm playing better or worse, same with my opponent. Match-ups exist etc. But in regards to luck? You have complete control. There is no random card from the top of the deck to come save you or ruin you. 

        That is not the case in Lorcana. Of course, better players will win more frequently by a significant margin in Lorcana; it is a very skilled-based game. But there's definitely, definitely, luck in a game of Lorcana that you simply cannot find in a game of Smash Bros (unless one's playing Hero, I suppose).

        That luck is alluring in some ways, for sure. The simple fact that there's not perfect information is an intriguing puzzle to me. The new options and possibilities the top card of the deck presents to me every turn is a ton of fun. But I certainly find it frustrating when my opponent top decks their only out or I draw a brick hand. 

        Now, of course, the reverse can happen. I have been the benefactor of several top decks that have won me games. But, I gotta say, the bad feeling when my opponent top decks the win compared to the good feeling of doing the same, for me at least, is heavier on the bad feeling side**. Some games I even feel a little bad about being lucky; I remember one game in particular I felt like my opponent should win and I just so happened to draw the board wipes at the right times to win; wasn't my favorite victory in the world -- vaguely reminiscent of when your opponent SD's in Smash for you to win.

        But overall, the luck, hidden information, and asymmetry are really critical to the game for me. It's a massive source of the interesting decision making the game offers.

        Regardless, all that being said:

        The strange thing is, I'm currently at a crossroads in my life where I don't know when or even if I'll compete in either ever again. I'm located in a town that's just over an hour away from a competitive scene for either game. For me personally, the drive is simply too long to pursue either of these things regularly. I'm currently attempting to get a job at which point I could be anywhere. But for now, I'm done. And the future is uncertain.

        Sure, sure, Ben assures me that I'll move to a spot for my job and simply start competing in Smash again. And there's no reason that can't be true for Lorcana as well. And as I write this, I really want to go and compete wherever I end up, but that desire waxes and wanes, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

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*Going through this post again about a month later before publishing it, and, man, I miss the Smash scene up at college. I know in large part this is due to the community and simply being able to compete in something, however, so I think a good chunk of my point here still stands.

**As I say that though, a memory counteracting that comes to mind: It was one of the, if not the, most intense match I've ever played. The stakes were high, the games were close, the winner uncertain. And a Merlin Goat was finally drawn. The elation I felt was amongst the highest I've ever felt in a tournament. However, to be fair, I could have drawn that Goat a whole lot earlier to win me the set. So it didn't feel like pure luck, it felt like I was due, if that makes sense. But idk. Interesting to think about regardless.

Creation Thawing (A Poem About My Creative Process)

Creation Thawing (9/20/25)

It's easier to do nothing than something

So nothing often happens

It's easier to stop than finish

So stop often happens

It's easier to consume than create

So consume often happens

Such easy dopamine

The things I truly want lay on the wayside

So many choices 

The things I do make me feel like I am missing another

Ice creeps through my veins

So I sit in paralysis

So afraid of failing while creating

So afraid of creating something worth nothing

But perhaps the attempt itself has intrinsic value

So afraid of choosing one over another

So afraid of wasting that potential

But perhaps they can all be done, one by one

I'm afraid of wasting

I'm afraid of freezing

But perhaps I need only to try

When the ice starts to form

And my brain starts to short circuit

I'll heed those voices not

And channel this desire strong

I'll focus on a thing I want

And create it

September 2025 Journal Entry

Holy cow it's already October. 

Silksong

        Well, if last month was the month of Minecraft, then this month was the month of Silksong. I actually love this game tons. It was sooo much fun. Seriously so good despite my critiques of it. You can, ofc, read pretty much all my thoughts on it in My In-Depth Review of Hollow Knight: Silksong.

Scrabble

        Scrabble deserves it's own bullet point on this list. For some reason my family got really into Scrabble for a couple weeks. Playing it every night when Hannah got home from work. When Hannah got back over the weekend, I'd just be itching to play Scrabble. It's been great. We've still been playing it just not every day kind of frequent.

Wrote Tons of Other Blogposts That I Haven't Published Yet

        For some reason my blog-writing juices were flowing this month, so I wrote several different things. I'm not sure exactly why I haven't published them. I actually did a similar thing in August -- I have three blogposts from August that are almost done that I for some reason didn't finish/post. For now I think I'll chuck one up every week for a bit, idk exactly, we'll see what happens. But be on the outlook for those, I guess.

Family and Grandpa's Funeral

        My Grandpa passed away August 28th and his funeral was on September 13th. I had the chance to be a pallbearer. He is missed, but I know it was his time. I'm just happy he's with Grandma again and doesn't have to deal with a deteriorating body/mind any longer.

        Many cousins I haven't seen in many many years came into Fallon for his funeral. It was so wonderful to see so much family and catch up with various cousins. I feel very confident in the theory that that week, more descendants of my grandpa were in Fallon than at any other time.

        So much family meant lots of activities and games, ofc! Got to go back to our roots with a game of capture the flag and then some Murder in the Dark I mean Gardeners in the Dark (Sun! Sun! Sun! Sun!) Got to play some Mario Baseball --  it's seriously so good (and salt inducing). Played some Sarge's Army. Played various board games including Caverna, Bunny Kingdom, Crossfire, Spades and some other ones I'm sure. 

        I love my family, even those I barely know, and it was very good to have so many people here for Grandpa.

Breach by Twenty One Pilots Came Out

        Just remembered this also happened this month; wow, it's been quite the month. I love love this album and have been listening to it a ton. 

        As referenced last month, I'm really going to try to let this album sink in fully before updating my tier list. I will say this related note right now because I want to: This album is the hardest album for me to rank the individual songs against each other. There are 14 songs, and my 2-10 from the album is pretty much still all in the air. That #1 spot isn't super safe, but I think I have chosen a favorite. I also have my lowest 2, probably 4, figured out. But, like, seriously. It's so so tough.

Dropped off Ben in Rexburg, Swung by Boise

        Ben's now at BYU-Idaho without me 😭 But I had the chance to drive him up. Got to see a couple roommates and several people from the Smash scene; it was really nice.

        Took a 2-hour detour so I could see Andrew and Jamie and their new baby girl Addison. Got to hold 4 day-old Addison for about 2 hours and chat with Andrew and Jamie. Such a blessing. Love them all so much.

Job Stuff

        Took pretty much 2 weeks off from job stuff due to family being in town, Grandpa's funeral, getting to visit Rexburg/Boise, Silksong, and getting down on myself when attempting to do stuff. However, two potential leads came up. I have an interview with Joseph's company coming up in 6 days. And there's potentially going to be an opening at Thomas's company; we'll see.

Exercise Unlocked

        Spent a lot of time this past week building a work-out social media app of sorts for my family. Built entirely in google sheets, the base idea is you do exercise to get Sweat Coin and achievements (which also get you Sweat Coin). You can spend that Sweat Coin at shops to customize your page and make it look real cool. It's been a lot of fun to build, and hopefully it'll lead to more exercise! It certainly will for me.

        Just got the 1.0 version out today, but there are many other things cooking up that I plan on adding. I'm excited to continue to work on it and make it better:)

President Nelson

        President Nelson just passed away. I know he was a prophet of God. I bear witness of that.