Those of us who follow the Jays know that the club doesn't have a lot in the farm system at present. A question that arises: does Atkins and/or his scouting director deserve blame for this, or is this random chance?
For some time, I've believed that scouting is random chance. But I had some time this long weekend, so I set out to try to gather data. Here's what I did:

• From the Baseball Reference website, I copied and pasted draft data for the first 5 rounds of the 2010 through 2019 drafts into a giant comma-separated file. I didn't bother with later rounds; if a team gets a good player from a lower-round pick, I assumed that it was good luck, as everybody had multiple chances to choose the player but didn't.
  
• I wrote a Perl program to crunch these numbers - I had it go through the data and identify all players with career WAR totals of 10 or higher.
  

This is an imperfect solution. For one thing, there will be more 10+ WAR players in the earlier drafts than in the later drafts. But it's a start; here's what I found.
First off, the number of players with 10+ WAR per draft year, drafted in the first five rounds:

• 2010: 15
  
• 2011: 20
  
• 2012: 20
  
• 2013: 10
  
• 2014: 13
  
• 2015: 12
  
• 2016: 8
  
• 2017: 1
  
• 2018: 3
  
• 2019: 1
  

When you consider that over 150 players are drafted every year in the first five rounds of the draft, the totals here aren't very large. (They also show that international scouting and development are very important.) In the.earlier draft years, fewer than one in seven drafted players have had a decent career. In the 2017 draft year, only one player drafted in the early rounds has had a noticeable career: step right up, Daulton Varsho!
Inspection of the data also indicates that the first five picks in each draft have a slightly better than 50% chance of having a good career.
When I sorted the above numbers by team, nobody really stood out as being better than the rest (listed in groups of three to keep this article from being longer than it already is):

• Angels: 2 Astros: 6 Athletics: 6
  
• Blue Jays: 4 Braves: 4 Brewers: 3
  
• Cardinals: 6 Cubs: 5 Diamondbacks: 3
  
• Dodgers: 5 Giants: 2 Indians: 4
  
• Mariners: 5 Marlins: 4 Mets: 4
  
• Nationals: 3 Orioles: 4 Padres: 3
  
• Phillies: 3 Pirates: 3 Rangers: 2
  
• Rays: 2 Red Sox: 3 Reds: 1
  
• Rockies: 5 Royals: 1 Tigers: 2
  
• Twins: 3 White Sox: 3 Yankees: 2
  

From this, it might be possible to conclude that the Astros, Cards, and A's (hello there, Billy Beane) might be a bit better at scouting than other teams, and that the Reds and Royals might be worse. But these numbers might well be within the realm of chance (I'm not a statistician, so I can't crunch them to find out). That's certainly what I believe.
Comments and feedback welcome - feel free to point me at more detailed studies of this issue if you know of them.

Hi everyone!! I only have a few things I'm destashing today!! My set shipping day is Saturday. However, if I'm able to ship it out sooner, I'll let you know! 😊😊😊
My ISO (Discontinued)
(Any) CocoaPink - Something Wicked (Tart Cranberries, Sweet Ripe Blackberries, Crushed Raspberries, and one lone Strawberry that tried to get away).
(FS) Nocturne Alchemy - Aphrodite's Cherry Cheesecake (Cherry essence, Cherry Skin, French Vanilla Bean, Sugar accord, Graham Cracker accord, Sugared Cherry accord, Mallow Root sugar, toasted Vanilla Bean, and (soy) cream cheese accord.)
Luna's Aroma Delights
FULL SIZES!
HEXENNACHT
AMOAMORTENTIA : White Chocolate, Raspberry Cordial, Rose Petals.
SAMPLES!
ANDROMEDA'S CURSE
BLOOD MOON : Dripping Candle Wax, Woodsmoke, Tobacco, Scattered Rose Petals, an Old Oak Coffin, and a sprinkle of Ancestral Dirt.
POETRY RIBBON : Saffron, Plum Blossom, White Tea, Amberwood, Vegan Ambergris.
HEXENNACHT/MR. HEX
DTF : Deep Plum, Clary Sage, Anise, Firewood.
NOCTURNE ALCHEMY (NA OR NAVA)
RASPBERRY MUSK : Bastet’s Musk absolute (Tuberose, Mallow, Angelica, Musk Flower, and White Lily), Wild Transylvanian Raspberry accord, Raspberry skin accord, Crystalline (Studio Limited Vanilla) absolute, Bastet’s Amber absolute, eNVie saphir, Bastet’s Ice Cream Essence.
Luna's Aroma Delights

...that's all you need!
There's a hash tomorrow, Saturday May 18, starting at 4pm from Playground #1 in Morgan-Monroe State Forest (basically at the intersection of Forest Road and Bean Blossom Road). If you enjoy trails in the (deep) woods, and drinking beer or alternative beverages in odd places, and you don't take yourself too seriously, join us for a noncompetitive, untimed, pointless 3-5 mile jaunt in the wilds of Morgan-Monroe. See more about hashing here.

This sub has been a huge help in my itinerary preparation and general whatever questions so I thought why not return the favor.. 3 months later. Welp, better late than never!
This trip report will be done chronologically, detailing our mistakes as we went (especially on day 1). And I'll probably be sprinkling in some tips and learnings here and there.
Travel dates
February 18 to 22 – Kyoto February 22 to 27 – Tokyo
Day 1
After landing at Narita airport, we were able to breeze through the immigration and customs lines, mainly because of the Japan web QR codes and maybe also partly because we had a morning flight. First things that I wanted to get in order ASAP were:

1. Cash - Took us a while to find an ATM in the airport, but did find one in the lower floor and withdrew just a tad over 20k JPY (a mistake).
   
2. Yamato Transport - After getting cash, I wanted to buy and load my Suica card first but it turns out there aren't any nearby the arrival area. Since Yamato is inside the airport, I just decided to do that first. Paid 5260 JPY in total for 2 luggages sent to our Kyoto hotel. Not sure if it's a measurement error or a done deliberately, but the Tokyo (NRT) to Kyoto fee was much more expensive than our Kyoto to Tokyo luggage fee.
   
3. Suica - Finally found a JR East office that sells the 10 year Suica cards. Bought two, one for me and my partner. Initial load was 1500 JPY, so I deposited 500 each so each card ended up costing 2000 JPY. After sorting all that out, I topped up our Suica cards at a 7-Eleven store. But since I did a rookie mistake of only withdrawing 20k JPY, I was only able to load 5k for each card. I call this a mistake because the foreign exchange and withdraw transaction fees where I'm from are WILD so I should, as much as possible, minimize the amount of withdrawals that I do.
   

Next task was to buy tickets for the Narita Express bound for Tokyo station. It wasn't difficult to get one, but turns out that I selected the unreserved seats option when I got my ticket. All of the seats in the NEX are supposedly reserved os I'm not sure why that was even an option. Luckily, I asked a guard about my ticket, at that time just making 1000% sure we're in the right place. He found out that I had an unreserved ticket so he taught me how to change to a reserved one in the kiosk near the tracks. So big thanks to that guy.
Slept the entire way from NRT to Tokyo station. Tokyo station wasn’t as bad as I expected. After just following the signs leading to Tokaido Sanyo shinkansen, managed to find ourselves in the right floor and right gate. I tried to redeem our reserved tickets, but somehow couldn’t get it to work. Turns out that this is not an isolated issue and people on Reddit are also complaining about this. Apparently all you need to do is just let the gate machine scan your QR code and then it spits out a ticket for you. The conductor asked me to insert my 2 tickets from the NEX too, probably to ‘end’ the trip.
While waiting for our 1 PM train, we bought some ekibens and water. Got pork cutlet and unagi. Around 12:50 we decided to go up and wait for the train there. Turns out the train was the one waiting for us. Apparently you can already board a shinkansen 20 minutes before departure.. when the clock struck 1 PM, the train immediately left the station.
Ate and then slept for quite a bit at the train. We had premium or business class style seats, so it was pretty comfortable. I wasn’t really feeling well, so I had a hard time resting. Asked my partner to wake me up if she sees Mt. Fuji, but Fuji-san was shy that day.
Arrived at the specified time, as usual when it comes to Japanese standards. Looked for signs leading to the Subway and Karasuma line, as that will be our next train going to the hotel. Managed to find it quite easily. Metros and subways are really just about following instructions, turns out. Shocker. As we arrived at the exit gate leading to the subways, we didn’t know what to do again so asked for help from the gate conductors. They just took our ticket and scanned our qr codes and then let us pass.
Found the entrance gate to the Karasuma line and tapped our Suicas. We were able to go inside without any problems. Couple minutes later, we arrived at Shijo station and tried to exit when for some reason it wouldn’t accept our cards. Obviously I have no idea again what happened here. A concerned citizen pointed us to the fare change booth, but it only ended up recharging my card another 1k yen. After a couple more failures, just decided to call for help using the help desk/kiosk thing. The attendant asked me to scan my card and then he opened the gate. We stayed at THE GENERAL KYOTO Shijo Shinmachi for our Kyoto leg, which was pretty close from the station. After taking a little rest, we went to Nishiki market even though most of the stalls are already closed. We weren't very hungry due to sleep deprivation so we just bought strawberry daifukus. Wanted to check the good coffee place nearby (WEEKENDERS) even though I had an inkling it was already closed, but was pleasantly surprised to find out that they were still open and accepting orders at 1 minute before their closing time. The coffee was amazing, of course. We left shortly after finishing our cups and headed to a nearby Lawson to top up our cards again, withdraw additional cash, and buy some snacks.
Day 2 - Temple hopping, Pontocho
Started our day at 9:30 AM. First stop was Shijo station, just to have my partner's Suica card fixed. The station staff was really efficient and was able to fix the card in no time, probably because they get idiots like us everyday. Unfortunately, it rained the moment we got out of the station, which lasted the entire day. We had our minds set to our itinerary, so we had a quick Daiso run for some face towels and umbrella. After our first ever Japan bus ride, which turned out to be the wrong bus, we were finally able to ride the correct bus for Kiyomizudera. We hiked to the top with a shit ton of people and elementary school kids who were on a field trip. We didn’t really mind the crowd – explored, took some photos, and paid 400 JPY to enter the temple premises. After circling the entire perimeter of the temple, we went down to the next temple in our itinerary, Kodaiji. Bought a snoopy ice cream on the way down and this pickled cucumber on stick which we found absolutely disgusting, to say the least.
To reach Kodaiji, we passed through Gion street, which had lots of cute distractions everywhere. Entered a ring making store, but didn’t buy anything. Saw the second Ghibli merch store and got some souvenirs this time. Reached Kodaiji but decided not to go inside anyway lol. We went to Maruyama Park instead and enjoyed spending time petting and taking pictures of the most obese cats we've ever seen in our lives.
We had more temples that we were supposed to visit in our itinerary, but at this point with the rain and all we just decided to fuck it and skip them. Went to Ichizawa Shinzaburo Hanpu, an old canvas bag shop that only has this one store in Kyoto. A bit pricey, but it's even more expensive on their online store so I took my sweetest time to find one that I really liked before I pulled the trigger.
At this point, we haven't had a proper meal ever since we set foot in Japan. So we took a bus to the nearest Ichiran and got the ramen bowl with soft-boiled egg add-on. It was good, but nothing life changing. As we were in the area, we walked to WEEKENDERS (again), and ordered pourover and iced latte. Everything was amazing. On the way to Pontocho, we passed by our first Donki and ate our first famichiki. That thing is insanely good and one of my biggest regrets is not eating more of it. Strolled by Pontocho alley, didn't eat at any of the restaurants. We didn't have any winter clothes at all, so we went to UNIQLO and GU for some heattechs and outerwears. Before ending our day, we paid another visit to 7-Eleven for snacks/dinner. I think it was probably around this time that I fell in love with the salmon onigiri.
Our Yamato transport luggages arrived in the afternoon that day, so were only able to collect it when we returned to the hotel at night.
Day 3 - Fushimi Inari, Higashiyama
Arrived at the starting area of the Fushimi Inari hike 30 minutes past 12. Was wearing my newly bought long coat today and a pair of loafers. Definitely the exact opposite of clothes you’d want to wear for this kind of activity. Still, we managed to finish the entire Fushimi Inari loop, but not without sweating loads.
At the end of the hike, we went inside this cozy coffee shop by the river (Vermillion Cafe). Ordered hot coffee and bread. Place was nice but was more amazed with the Japanese cashier's fluent English. Didn’t stay for long, and then continued on our way and stumbled upon this chonky tuxedo cat. Or it could’ve been the other way around…
Anyway, after those events, we finally arrived at the end road. Plenty of food stalls everywhere, so we tried some takoyaki, chicken skewers, and karaage. Probably liked the takoyaki the most, but then again, none of them were life changing good.
After Inari, we were kind of at a loss on what to do next. We weren’t really hungry because of all the snacks, and the supposed next stop on our itinerary is already closed because of our late start. So I figured to go to Arabica instead, and found one in Higashiyama. Boarded the train to Kyoto and then a bus to the area. Turns out that this Arabica spot is the one that’s famous for the Yasaka pagoda background. Took some pics, bought coffee, which was terrible at first but got better as it mixed, then took more pics. Fair warning if you're lactose intolerant, you might want to stay away from Arabica's coffee..
Again, we didn’t know what to do after our coffee stop. We just mindlessly strolled for a while, until finally setting our sights on Gion. Noticed that there’s a gyukatsu place on the way, so we decided to eat there for dinner.
Day 4 - Arashiyama, Kinkakuji
Started the day with a fun 15km run along Kamo river. Really had a blast running there, as the riverbank never seemed to end.
Had a long bus ride to Arashiyama, where we visited the bamboo forest and monkey park. It rained again, but at this point we've had enough rains that it didn't really matter anymore. Mount Arashi looked amazing across the Oi river, especially with the fog caused by the rain.
For lunch, we had a reservation at Unagi Hirokawa, which is also located in the vicinity. A little pricey, but the meal was superb.
Shortly thereafter, we left for Kodaiji temple. We arrived just before closing time so we just kinda sped up going around the temple. It probably would've looked much better if we went there in the morning or early afternoon. Didn't do much afterwards, just random strolls along Gion and Shijo, visiting a couple boutique stores and had takeout Mos to eat at the hotel.
Day 5 - Kyoto → Tokyo
Our last day in Kyoto. Checked out of our hotel and grabbed our last cup of coffee at Weekenders before going to the station and ride the Shinkansen to Tokyo.
Tokyo felt much colder than Kyoto for some reason. Maybe it had to do with the wind. We were freezing when we arrived outside Tokyo station. Anyway, we took the city bus from the station to Hamacho hotel, where we'll be staying at for 5 days in Tokyo.
After settling ourselves in, we strolled around the neighborhood and stopped by Single O for coffee. Walked a bit more afterwards to explore the nearby stations. Realized it was getting too cold so we decided to take a quick trip to Ginza to buy gloves and leggings.
Pretty uneventful day overall, but we were pretty tired from all the travelling so it felt nice to have a slow, easy day.
Day 6 - Shinjuku, Shibuya
Our first taste of rain in Tokyo. And what better way to spend a rainy day than to visit the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.. But yeah, that's exactly what we did. It was freezing cold, but we had fun seeing the plum and early cherry blossoms at the garden.
We were supposed to visit Meiji Jingu and Yoyogi afterwards, but we were short of time so we went directly to the Harajuku area instead. Ate some crepes, strolled a couple blocks, and off we went to Shibuya crossing. After a couple pictures, we then went to Shibuya Sky for our scheduled visit.
Since it rained all day, we weren't allowed to go to the open/rooftop area of Shibuya Sky. We didn't get a nice view either because of all clouds and rain, so pretty unfortunate overall. But we still had fun looking at the streets below. Had a late lunch/early dinner at Tonkatsu Maisen Omotesando, which was also our first meal of the day. We didn't plan to go at this restaurant at all but I'm so glad we did because it was amazing. Their tonkatsu was something else, plus the unlimited rice, which was a welcome surprise.
If it isn't obvious by now, we're huge suckers for good coffee so we went to Koffee Mameya after our meal. There was a short line (around 5 PM) so we had to wait for a while before getting our turn at the table. This never came up on my research for some reason, but I was surprised to find out that they don't carry their own beans, and they actually only make the pourovers for you using beans from other roasteries. Both of us had a light roast (forgot which roastery) which was pretty good, but didn't really make me salivate enough to buy the beans.
Checked a couple more stores around the area. Didn't really like anything so we left and went to the ASICS RUN store in Marunouchi and bought my first pair of Superblasts. Then, we left for the hotel shortly afterwards.
Day 7 - Ueno, Asakusa
Had my morning run at the Sumida riverside, just a few blocks away from our hotel. Not as nice as Kamo river, but it was good enough for me, as someone who lives in a place with barely any running routes.
We tried this bakery beside our hotel called Boulangerie Django, somewhat European inspired but the food and bread were really good. We didn't really have much of a choice though since the aroma of the breads just draws you in when you pass by the place. Afterwards, we bought coffee to-go at Single O, which is at the other side of the street. The weather today was perfect. Sunny with some clouds. We visited Ueno zoo, even though it wasn't in our itinerary. Initial plan was stroll around Ueno park and visit the museums, but for some reason we wanted to look at some animals that day, so we did. Didn't know what else to do at Ueno afterwards so we headed to Asakusa for food.
At Asakusa, we had croquette for snacks, street izakaya for late lunch, and unagi onigiri, and cremia for more snacks. It was nice, but at the same time the place felt very congested.
Before going back to our hotel, we paid a quick visit to Akihabara just to have an idea of what the place is like. We ended up spending quite some time here, visiting a couple anime stores and claw machines. Left the place around 10 PM and arrived at the hotel at 10:30 PM.
Day 8 - Chuo area
Ran again, this time at the Imperial Palace. I think I did around 2 loops. Had a ton of fun running here, plenty of other runners as well so you could easily just latch on to their pace and cruise the entire time. It also rained again after I finished my run.
Went to Tsukiji Market first thing for snacks. Then we walked to Hamarikyu Gardens for more plum and cherry blossom spotting. Kinda wish we just skipped this since it felt pretty much just like our Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden trip with the rain. There weren't any stations nearby either, so we had to walk to our next destination, which was Ginza Steak.
Ginza Steak has set menus, but I'm pretty sure everyone's just after the unlimited wagyu beef. I think I had at least 6 servings. The person beside me, who was already there before we arrived, probably had like 20 servings. Funnily enough he struck a conversation with us just out of fun, so I told him that I think he's a very big eater. He laughed and thank me for the compliment. He was there with his daughter, who was celebrating her birthday. In the end, all of us at the table sang happy birthday for her. Such a fun moment.
We went to Glitch Coffee after our meal, then lined up for almost 2 hours just to get inside. Turns out their other branch was under construction so everyone flocked to the Ginza branch. It was 100% worth the wait though because this was the best cup of coffee we've ever had in our lives. I ended up buying 2 bags of beans from this roaster. Shopped at UNIQLO then had a small meal at TORIGIN. Bought souvenirs at Don Quixote before going back to the hotel.
Day 9 - teamLAB Borderless, Shibuya
Our last day today. First thing we did was go to teamLAB Borderless at Azabudai hills for our reservation. We didn't expect to have as much fun as we did here.
We wanted to eat ramen so we looked for one near Omotesando. Stumbled upon Oreryu Shio, supposedly a big ramen chain in Japan. Their serving was much larger than Ichiran's. Taste-wise though, I think we preferred Ichiran more.
We didn't have much planned for this last day, as we wanted to keep it open to allow us to visit places that we liked or wanted to visit again. We spent our last half day in Shibuya, doing vintage stores crawl and revisiting Takeshita street. Also did some last minute shopping at Loft Shibuya and spent all of our coins in a gachapon place near Shibuya crossing. Crossed the Shibuya crossing one last time and then we went back home to pack and rest.
Day 10 - Flight back home Our flight was at 8:00 in the morning, so there was no room to do anything else before leaving. Since we stayed in Hamacho, the T-CAT was just a few blocks away from us. We took a taxi to T-CAT, then boarded the bus to Narita. Arrived around 6 AM, which was plenty enough time for us to go through all of the stuff in the airport plus buy additional souvenir snacks.
And as promised, here's the expense breakdown of our trip: https://imgur.com/a/PCckaO1
Edit: Formatting

Bundle deals available! There are mostly samples, but there are some full-sizes as well. I priced to sell, but am open to reasonable offers. More details are on my spreadsheet. New items have been added recently.

• Most perfumes were received direct from the original store. If you want me to double-check, just let me know!
• All perfumes are kept in a cool, dark place. I live in a non-smoking and pet-free house.
• Payment via PayPal G&S. I will send an invoice. Prices are in USD.
• If buying multiple items that aren't already bundled, make me a reasonable offer for a discount :)
• I will ship within 7 days of payment, though I am often much quicker and will ship same/next day!
• Shipping is $13 tracked to Canada unless you're only getting a few samples, in which case it's $3 without tracking. Shipping to the US is typically around $13 tracked (I will provide a quote based on zip code).
• If purchasing >$50, I'll offer a 50% discount on shipping. If >$125, shipping will be free regardless of location!
• I'm mostly looking to sell, but will consider swaps for scents listed on my ISO tab. However, I'm looking to get multiple items (at least three) from one seller.

Fantome:

• Ivan the Fool: Golden figs, oakmoss, Siberian fir, well-worn Russian leather, cedar, warm wolf fur, juniper berries, sparkling bergamot
  
• Vasilia (FS): Clover honey, neroli, rich tonka, chamomile, dry hay, a flower crown of marigolds & sunflowers
  

Stereoplasm:

• Clemency (2 samples are available): Myrrh, clementine teak, thyme, photographic fixer, tobacco, suede
  
• Disco Stardust (both a FS and sample are available): Winter Mai Tais, roll-on lip gloss, expensive sunglasses, tanning bed oil and new car smell
  
• Excitation: Frothed Irish cream with rye whiskey, evaporated milk, wild honey and chocolate covered coffee beans
  
• Flowers in the Rain: Warm rain, carnation corsage, pink musk and passion fruit
  
• Gone Gnome: Top notes of cilantro and key lime rooted in fresh garden basil, english cucumber and melon blossom
  
• Kindling: Sweet jasmine incense, sunset musk, fresh sativa and strawberry wine
  
• Opaline: Iridescent and heavy stones of opalized amber, birds of paradise, frozen yucca and lacquered teak
  
• Perdotmint (both a FS and sample are available): Gems of concorde pear, crushed spearmint, iced green tea and classic jade accord
  
• Reverie: Frozen pollen, prickly gooseberry vine, raw cashmere wool and midnight blooming primrose
  
• Rickey: Old Tom Gin and muddled cilantro impress upon star wedges of Mary Ellen Sweet Lime in bubbly soda
  
• The Presents: A jar of homemade apricot jam, the worn pages of a favourite book, a golden yellow beeswax candle, a soft cashmere scarf to keep you cozy all year long.
  
• Toasted Matchimellow (FS): Bright green ice cream baked inside marshmallow meringue (usually found during summer months in cafe midi)
  
• Yellownog: Intoxicating bourbon-vanilla, cigar-smoked cinnamon, clementine stars, shredded coconut and Chantilly cream
  

CocoaPink:

• Black Voodoo: Rich amber resins, spiritueuse double vanilla, butterscotch, bourbon vanilla, hot butter rum & coconut crème
  
• Fear of Ghosts: Glowing marshmallow orbs and smoky vanilla spectral mists swirl aimlessly around an old bonfire in the Crisp October night air – Fresh vanilla puffed marshmallows, toasted marshmallows, hints of bonfire smoke among scattered sharp grains of white rice
  
• Full Moon: Blackberry, Coconut Milk, Marshmallows, White Chocolate
  
• Gooey Caramel: Real, old fashioned caramel, the gooey, salty kind made with real butter
  
• Handbook for the Recently Deceased: Wedding cake accord; sticky strawberries and raspberries; a shock of green melon and vibrant lime; an electric hint of mint and cilantro; grave soil; and a puff of smoke
  
• Pumpkin Kiss: Pumpkin flesh, soft bourbon vanilla, white and brown sugars kissed softly with pure cocoa absolute
  
• Warm Mittens: This fragrance evokes the memory of sitting around a campfire, holding a steamy mug of hot cocoa with marshmallows while wearing the woolliest, warmest pair of mittens.
  
• You'll Never Grow Old: The irresistible mingling of cotton candy, waffle cones, caramel popcorn, and candy apple is stalked by the tang of an oncoming storm, sea salt, freshly-dug dirt, and a primal, seductive musk
  

Possets:

• Mrs. Rabbit's Carrot Cake (FS): The most moist and vanilla drenched melting cake shot through with sugar encrusted rum kissed currents and golden raisins and crowned with the richest butter filled sour cream and ricotta frosting and trimmed with tiny spun sugar carrots, and grass
  
• Silver Narcissus: A stunning fragrance that combines the luxurious Possets' Silver Base with the iconic Narcissus flower, evoking the essence of a warm and vibrant spring morning
  
• Solis Anima: Blood Orange, Lychee Tea, Screwpine Flower, Tamarind, Cucumber, and Ginger, Tomato, Vetiver, Kadamba Flowers, and Sandalwood
  

Pulp Fragrances:

• An Accidental Interloper: Green tea, clary sage, rose geranium, evergreen boughs, white patchouli, vetiver and sweet amber musk
  
• Embrace: A kindly kitchen witch invites you in from the cold, feeds you pumpkin shortbread with butter, apricot preserves, and brown sugar & then sends you safely on your way.
  
• The Phantom Room: Cherry tobacco, honeyed almonds, red currants, cocoa butter, & vanilla balsam.
  
• Women In Dresses Running From Houses 2021: This year's version is smokier and sweeter: Caramellized sugar, a roaring bonfire, heliotrope, aged patchouli, and a hint of violet
  

Nui Cobalt:

• Hell Freezes Over: Decadent devil’s food cake, still warm from the oven, fluffy marshmallow frosting and the lightest dusting of crushed candy cane
  
• Little Brown Rabbit: Nutmeg and tonka bean nuzzle up against fluffy marshmallow, cottonflower, pink pepper, and a trace of carrot seed.
  
• Mendacity: Horchata: Classic horchata made from jasmine rice, demerara sugar, and true Ceylon cinnamon.
  
• Roll Initiative: Egyptian cotton, pale driftwood, white pepper, green cardamom, and a slender wisp of copal smoke.
  

Arcana Craves:

• Blueberries Crave Sunshine: Lemonade, watermelon, lime zest, golden gardenia, pearl musk, tiny blueberries, Black Dragon tea leaf, and blood red cedar

Sucreabeille:

• Alembic (FS): Sweet pumpkin souffle dotted with marshmallows and drizzled with buttery maple syrup. Tuberose wafts through the open front door

Arcana Wildcraft

• Witches Cavort with Cupcakes (FS): Pumpkin spice cupcakes are smothered in gobs of cream cheese frosting

Hexennacht

• I ♥ the 80’s: A Lisa Frank-esque powerhouse: tuberose, orange blossom, white amber, bubblegum, suntan oil, Aquanet hairspray, gummy worms, & fruit-scented erasers

Andromeda's Curse

• Strength: Coffee, Marshmallow, Milk Chocolate, Coumarin, Brown Sugar, Whipped Vanilla Frosting
  
• The Call of the Void: French Lavender, Nag Champa, Egyptian Amber, Sandalwood, Cedarwood, and Vanilla
  

Black Hearted Tart

• Autumn Sweater: Warm cedar, sweet vanilla musk, fallen leaves, crunchy acorns, pine cones, nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon
  
• Electric Feel: Sparkling lime, lychee fruit, rose, melon, grape, citrus glazed bundt cake, golden amber and sweet musk.
  
• Fade Into You: Bergamot, orange, lime, lemon, white and chocolate orchids, cocoa butter, sandalwood, and ambergris.
  
• Girlfriend In A Coma: Herbaceous blend of lavender leaves, flowers, vanilla musk, tonka bean, cedar, and sandalwood.
  
• Glory Box: Deep purple violets, brown sugar, juicy plum, fresh ozone, lily, heliotrope, dark musk, saffron, tonka bean and amber.
  
• Head Over Heels: Fresh apple, apricots, plum, citrus, pink magnolia, heliotrope, vanilla orchid, honeyed amber, marzipan, and sandalwood.
  
• Heart Shaped Box: Chocolate truffles made with cocoa powder, sweet cream, and a hint of vanilla bean.
  
• Honeybee: Buttery toffee, swirls of honey, and warm vanilla are brightened up with cheery bergamot and tart Brazilian orange.
  
• Melt With You: Scented in cocoa butter, raw honey, and chocolate notes.
  
• My Velouria: Red rose, peony, violet, amber, white musk, sandalwood, and woodsy cedar.
  
• Only In Dreams: White gardenia, calla lily petals, fluffy marshmallow clouds, and vanilla orchid musk.
  
• Piece Of My Heart: Lemony floral magnolia blossoms, waxy green tree leaves, sugar cane, cardamom pink pepper, vanilla bean, sandalwood and bitter almond.
  
• Pink Moon: Sun ripened raspberries, honeysuckles, pulps of juicy oranges, farm fresh peaches, and sugared pink grapefruit.
  

Poesie

• Nectar: These golden trumpet-shaped blossoms herald the arrival of summer. Nectar is the sweet scent of honeysuckle blossoms — honeyed, intoxicating, irresistible

Astrid

• Ensoleille: Orange blossom, bamboo, vanilla musk, lemon, sugar, palo santo, and litsea
  
• Whisper: Cherry blossom, a pair of patchoulis, sugar, and vanilla
  

Alkemia

• Vanille Armour (FS): Vanilla Infused with Warm Spices

Link again: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19URt2wyxl2xQd8XN2CPKzqBv0ZANl65yUTx9Gx_u0a4/edit?usp=drive_link
Thanks for checking out my destash!

A few weeks ago I got the yellow triangle of death with a “check hybrid system” message. Shop said 12v was ridiculously loose and they just had to reconnect it. While it was there, as a token of wanting to give them more, I got a transmission flush too (325k on a 2010 with a refurbished Gen 4 motor).
A week later the triangle reappeared. I learned on YouTube that disconnecting the 12v for 5 minutes resets it and buys about a week of “normal” engine operations. But once a week since then I’ve been dealing with this and clearly something is wrong as I can tell on the highway the transmission will stay revved up in a high gear (this problem never existed before the transmission flush).
I’m making this post to ask if anyone has utilized this hack and if I’m just doing long term damage. I’m a single dad who is always working so I don’t want to leave the car at the shop for another week but maybe this is just a case Green Bean can solve? Idk. Thoughts greatly appreciated

Heya! I posted this in /SanJose as well, but you happen to be in or around the South Bay, here are some fun things that are happening around here this week:

Thursday, 5/16

• Off The Grid Night Market Gordon Biersch (357 E. Taylor St., San Jose) 5-9 p.m. FREE Groove to music from San Jose Jazz while you sample over 50+ food trucks and brews at the inaugural event. (Runs through 7/11)
  
• Bay to Breakers Shakeout Sunnyvale Bay Trail (293-327 W. Caribbean Dr., Sunnyvale) 6 p.m. FREE Don your Bay to Breakers gear and run, jog, or walk to your own pace at this running series.
  
• Dwight Clark Legacy Series California Theater (345 S. First St., San Jose) 7 p.m. $30-$287 Along with lively conversations with current and former 9ers players, NBC Sports hosts a presentation of the Dwight Clark Awards.
  
• Drink and Draw Art Boutiki (44 Race St., San Jose) 7 p.m. FREE Bring out your inner artiste while you sip on a tasty beverage and enjoy the sound of Digging Sound Collect. Crayons, paper, pencils, and other utensils provided.
  
• Chris Porter San Jose Improv (62 S. Second St., San Jose) Thu 8 p.m., Fri 7:30 + 9:45 p.m., Sat 7 p.m. + 9:30 p.m. $22-$72 From NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” and his Netflix special “Ugly and Angry,” this comedian has distinguished himself as a no-frills, no-sound cues, no puppets performer. (Runs through 5/18)
  
• Austin Nasso Rooster T Feathers Comedy Club (Address) Thu-Fri 8 p.m., Sat-Sun 7 p.m. $25 Admission, $35 VIP You may know this former Microsoft software engineer from his recurring appearances on “The Howard Stern Show.” (Runs through 5/19)
  
• Pressure Drop DJ Night Caravan Lounge (98 S. Almaden Ave., San Jose) 9 p.m. FREE Join DJs Norbert + Fuchsia for a night of punk, ska, reggae, soul, and R&B.
  

Friday, 5/17

• Salsa y Cerveza Garden at the Flea (1590 Berryessa Rd., San Jose) 5-9 p.m. FREE Learn to Salsa dance and browse flea market deals while you groove to Union Timbera and gnosh on bites from local food trucks.
  
• Movie Night in the Park: “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” Meadowfair Park (Corda Dr. + Barberry Ln., San Jose) 6-10 p.m. FREE Bring your blanket + lawn chair, and enjoy lawn games, crafts, and food trucks as you watch one of the coolest, most stylish animated films from last year.
  
• SJBP - Bikers of the Caribbean Ride! Berryessa BART Station (958 Berryessa Station Way, San Jose) 7:30 p.m. FREE Dress like a pirate, or wear your street gear to join other bike enthusiasts for a 15-20 mile ride through North San Jose.
  
• Bay FC vs San Diego Wave FC PayPal Park (1123 Coleman Ave., San Jose) 7:30 p.m. $20-$196 After losses on the road to Chicago and Portland, our team returns home for a “Bay Area Unite” game.
  
• Sofia Niño de Rivera California Theater (345 S. First St., San Jose) 8 p.m. $49-$109 You may know this comedian as Mexico City’s “Woman of the Year” 2016, or from the Netflix dramedy “Club de Cuervos.”
  
• Dark Satellite + Orbit 17 + Dear Banshee Art Boutiki (44 Race St., San Jose) 8 p.m. $15 Advance, $20 Day of Show Bay Area indie rockers collide at a stellar showcase of prog, jazz, and otherworldly riffage.
  
• Alicia Villarreal San Jose Civic (135 W. San Carlos St., San Jose) 8 p.m. $39.50-$149 See the two-time Latin Grammy Award-winning singer for her “Donde Todo Comenzo” tour.
  
• Electric Feels: Indie Rock + Indie Dance Party The Ritz (400 S. First St., San Jose) 9 p.m. $15-$20 Advance, $25 Day of Show From MGMT to Vampire Weekend, alt-J to Hot Chip, dance along to your favorite indie tracks from yesteryear.
  
• Panacea + HRIF + Perarez Caravan Lounge (98 S. Almaden Ave., San Jose) 9 p.m. FREE Chunky riffs, ear-splitting growls, and dense-packed crowds fill one of the most intimate venues in the South Bay.
  

Saturday, 5/18

• Bored Teachers Comedy Tour California Theater (345 S. First St., San Jose) 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. $35-$55 Ring in the end of the school year with the No. 1 teacher comedians in the world performing skits and stand ups.
  
• Culture Night Market Discovery Meadow (180 Woz Way, San Jose) 4-10 p.m. FREE Featuring local vendors, food trucks, and businesses, to hoppin’ stage performances from Universal Grammar, Los Jefes, L James, Thatfool Al, Sutro, DJ Say, and Real Ignorant.
  
• All Out for Al-Nakba San Jose Peace and Justice Center (48 S. Seventh St., San Jose) 4 p.m. FREE Join community members and activists for a screening and discussion of Al Jazeera’s “Al-Nakba: The Palestinian Catastrophe 1948” documentary series as a part of Anti-War Action Network’s national week of action.
  
• Hey Girl! Sexy Slumber Party Splash Video Dance Bar (65 Post St., San Jose) 6 p.m. FREE before 7:30, $10 after Dress in your best pajamas or sexy sleepwear and dance along with fellow fems, femmes, and femme fatales to the tunes of local DJ Rogue Mermaid.
  
• Nate Jackson San Jose Civic (135 W. San Carlos St., San Jose) 7 p.m. $39.50-$200 You know he has to be funny, because his tour’s called the “Super Funny World Tour.” It’s just science.
  
• The ABBA Concert Experience Montgomery Theater (271 S. Market St., San Jose) 7:30 p.m. $39-$59 This family-friendly singalong show highlights the enduring success of one of the world’s most beloved pop supergroups.
  
• San Jose Earthquakes vs. Orlando City SC PayPal Park (1123 Coleman Ave., San Jose) 7:30 p.m. $22-$185 Join the Quakes for Vietnamese Heritage night, with special merch for sale, and limited items with purchase of a ticket.
  
• Take on Me: The Ultimate 80’s Party The Ritz (400 S. First St., San Jose) 8 p.m. $17-$20 Advance, $20 Day of Show Don your favorite hot pants and pastel colors for this celebration of synths and gated reverb drums.
  
• Nineteen Jazz Orchestra Art Boutiki (44 Race St., San Jose) 8 p.m. $25 Advance, $30 Day of Show Along with classic soul, jazz, and R&B, this local professional jazz group will be performing “Obama Suite,” composed by their their former trumpet player, the late Eric Bolvin.
  
• Nature of the Beast SJZ Break Room (310 S. First St., San Jose) 8 p.m. $25 Bay Area jazz legends return to the SJZ stage to perform select songs from Herbie Hancock’s discography.
  
• Dead River Rebels + American Standard + Akira XX Caravan Lounge (98 S. Almaden Ave., San Jose) 9 p.m. FREE DIY punk meets stoner rock at this showcase of local talent.
  

Sunday, 5/19

• Boogie Music Fest Downtown Campbell 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday FREE Admission Enjoy food, beer, and wine, plus artisan booths, a kids zone, and a funky “Best Dressed” contest, with live music on two stages both days.
  
• AAPI Pride Brunch Holiday Inn San Jose - Silicon Valley (1350 N. First St., San Jose) 11 a.m.-3 p.m. FREE Celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander History Month with local drag performers, poetry, Mahjong, and trivia games.
  
• Halfway to Halloween Rumble City Boxing (866 Park Ave., San Jose) 2-6 p.m. FREE From spooky wares to Halfoween artistry, check out local artist booths with live music and food.
  
• Homayoun Shajarian + Anoushiravan Rohani San Jose Civic (135 W. San Carlos St., San Jose) 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. Two legendary performers, one from Tehran and the other from Iran, blend Eastern and Western musical traditions.
  
• Jakob’s Castle + The Happys The Ritz (400 S. First St., San Jose) 7 p.m. $15 Advance, $20 Day of Show SoCal rock and ska royalty Jacob Nowell brings his sublime punk sensibilities to the stage.
  
• Sammy Obeid San Jose Improv (62 S. Second St., San Jose) 8:30 p.m. $30-$90 One of my favorite comedians of all time, Sammy’s been a part of the Bay Area comedy scene for the past two decades. Check out some of his bits on Instagram/TikTok!
  

Thanks so much for reading!

You can get this entire post emailed to you each week in my newsletter.
If you have other stuff you’d like people to know about, drop ‘em in the comments! 🙂

• Gregg

Does this lake have a shark or something? Yes it does in Jurassic Shark! When an oil company's secret research facility in a remote Ottowa lake delves too greedily and too deep, they release a megalodon, and then folks get et. Those folks include some art thieves and some college kids. There's your plot. Technically it's more involved, theres a whole plot about one of the college kids, Jill, trying to expose the oil company, and another involving the art thieves trying to get their dropped painting out of the lake, but we all know we're not here for plot. And we're not here for girls in bikinis either, or at least, not primarily. I know I'm here primarily for that FOLKS GET ET part, and like 15 people are indeed ingested, so success on that front. But that's obviously not all we have to talk about.
No, when a Z tier critter flick comes around, we need to talk about 2 things: its cheese level, and its kills. The cheese level is super high. Director Brett Kelly is at best technically a filmmaker, with a long list of various exploitation movies on a filmography that we're fairly sure to see more of on Rifftrax I"d wager. He gives us everything we'd expect: rough dialogue, "fan service" (which I would argue serves fairly little purpose in the internet era, but whatever) awkward plot, continuity issues: it's all here. My personal favorites are some terrible sound design in a stairway segment that you'd notice even if the guy's didn't call it out, and a "isn't this ironic" bit centered around the identity of the stolen art. So part one, the cheese, is secured.
The other half, the kills, are where I think we falter. We've seen plenty of killer critter movies on Rifftrax, and this one may have the weakest kill effects of the lot. Obviously budget is a factor in this thing, and though there are a couple severed limb props that aren't too bad, most of the killing that takes place is poorly implemented CGI. In essence, the shark is merged into the actor as if biting them, or just wiped across the screen to create that effect. It works, yes, but honestly, I want more preposterous gore in my critter flicks. So I'd argue that the movie fares poorly in that respect. It's not terrible...no, it is terrible, obviously...its just not the terrible I want.
But let's move on to the riffing, because at the very least, the guys are not terrible. Indeed, they tend to be having a fine old time. You get a lot of the stuff you'd expect, like riffs about the director's clear preference for long shots of bikini girls, giving voice to the shark, Canadian riffs, and all of that. You even get a dose of dumb blonde jokes, which is somewhat expected if not too desirable. But there is good stuff here, too. I referenced the stairwell scene before, a weird hybrid of a Sorkin walk and talk attempt and that Mr. Bean on holiday gag where he gets stuck between old folks on the stairs that sounds just horrible. Then there's plenty of riffs about a surprisingly buff thug (including a great Uncle Fester impersonation from Bill) who is inviting us to a perpetual gun show. There is also a great call out of a character who is surprisingly and inexplicably wearing a shirt for the Hogsback Brewing Company, which operated in the films homeland of Ottowa from 2010 to 2018. Most interestingly though, there's a nice couple of callbacks here. There's a Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald riff (just dropping in my belief that this song is one of the most long lived joke subjects in riffing) for starters, then references to a few lovely favorites, the Mike whispers from Mutant and the kinda I guess infamous Parade of Aquatic Champions short. The guys have a lot of fun here.
In the final shark counting, this riff probably ends up somewhere between SOLID and GOOD, depending on how much gore you'd want from it. If you'd prefer more, it might take that step down, but the riffing is right on regardless.
Get Jurassic Shark if you like: bikinis, digital sharks, or meandering through the woods.
Skip Jurassic Shark if you don't like: low gore shark movies, the work of John Singleton Copley, or how there's really just no hint of anything Jurassic Park like in here.

Hi Everyone! I posted this on Colognes but figured I’d share here, too.
I’ve always loved good smelling stuff and for the last 15 years I’ve usually had one bottle of cologne, and would replace once it’s out. Only in the last few months have I really delved into this world and began filling out a modest collection. I’m definitely not an expert (so take my reviews with a big grain of salt) but I love smelling and writing so here ya go. (Fucking wall of text incoming lmao, I didn’t realize how lengthy this got)
I just got back from a three-hour mall trip to try and get my nose on as many niche fragrances as my senses would tolerate. I had already done a good bit of research so I had some picked out to try and others already crossed-off. Im a 30M for reference.
I also had the goal in mind to find a contender for a fall/winter scent that exudes class, sophistication and decadence. For that, I’ve already tried a few that I really enjoy, and kind of used these as a springboard to continue exploring:
Xerjoff Alexandria II- This is what I envision royalty wearing. Lavender and rosewood mix soooo nice in the open, and dries into a lovey rose/vanilla/essence of oud. The oud is really toned down here for those that dislike it. It’s kind of hard to pick out. Nuclear performance.
Initio Oud for Greatness- Another good starter oud, you could say (this was my introduction to oud). It lasts forever and the dry down is seriously heavenly. The wet, soily oud is at the forefront for 2-4 hours, but I’m absolutely in love with what’s left when it disappears. Lavender, saffron, nutmeg and musk mixes into the best dryer-sheet-like scent I’ve come across (what it reminds ME of at least).
Perfums de Marly Haltane- Quite similar in the opening to Oud for Greatness. Haltane is darker, though, where I get more leathesmoke. I think the oud in this is more subdued, or at least less moist smelling. It blends well and lasts a good while.
Initio Atomic Rose- Holy shit. Apparently rose gets my motor GOING. I tried a lot of rose-centric fragrances today, but this probably still takes the cake for its balance and strength, in addition to the scent itself being just gorgeous.
So with those in mind I was off to Neiman Marcus. I sampled a large amount more than what I’ve written, but stuck to the ones that were memorable; good or bad.
Frederic Malle - Portrait of a Lady- My favorite of the Frederic Malle. Sensual rose/clove/currant at the front, but it is kind of hard to pick out specific notes on this one. After looking, I can get the cinnamon in the background of the dry down, it blends perfectly with the sandalwood, rose and benzoin after drying down. - Carnal Flower- Some similarity to POAL, lots of tuberose and jasmine, which I personally like. A bright yet sensual floral, and you get some coconut and melon there, too. I typically dislike coconut but this is blended masterfully. - Lipstick Rose- Yeah, that’s what it smells like. Try this if you’ve seen people describe scents as lipstick-y or violet taking on that accord. Not my cup of tea, also leans more feminine to my nose than the other two. - Musc Ravageur- I really wanted to like this one. And for a split second I did! A clove-y vanilla sasparilla is what I first got, and it unfortunately turned into barnyard urine. I immediately remembered seeing some reviews stating this, and I couldn’t get my nose to move past it. I can tell there’s good stuff there, but not for me.
Amouage - Reflection- The only one I’d tried before, and remains one of my favs. Rosemary and pink pepper greet you with a deep, fresh spice. The vetiver and patchouli sit nicely at the bottom, and the combination of white florals mixes wonderfully. Another scent I could imagine on royalty, and seems pretty versatile, too. You could wear this year-round without feeling out of place. Insane staying power. - Lyric- Probably my favorite, but I need to smell again on another day. Compared to the other Amouage, I had to continually stick my nose in the coffe beans to pick up the scent from the test strip. When I did get it, it was a lovely light, fresh scent. Quite a departure from the other Amouage I’ve tried, but great. No surprise, the list of notes are some of my favorites: lime, bergamot, rose, orange blossom, saffron, nutmeg, musk, pine, vanilla, incense, sandalwood. Seriously, love each and all those individually and they come together beautifully. - Interlude- Another good one. Dark, mysterious. Definitely get the oregano/peppepatchouli/incense bomb off the top. Leather lurking behind. I typically don’t gravitate toward the leathery scents but this one’s good. - Enclave- This pretty much seals the deal for me that on me, mint just ain’t it. I liked Sedley at first, but the mint somehow gets too cloying to my nose after too long. I can tell I would get the same from the peppermint in the opening of Enclave. I almost liked this one, too. If you can even tolerate peppermint, you’ll enjoy this one.
Mind Games - Blockade- Wowww. First sniff love, here. Explosion of citrus, juicy fruit-y sex. I usually find myself staying away from citrus-forward scents but this shit is next level. This will be a contender for my next upscale summer buy. - Double Attack- Another love at first sniff. It’s familiar, though. Chocolate/orange/cinnamon/vanilla. You’ll want to eat it right up. I already have this box checked in my collection, but may come back to it in the future. - Checkmate- Another lovely scent. Champagne, red currant, rose, magnolia, little patchouli. It all comes together really nicely, and it was difficult for me to pick out specific notes before looking. Not a love, but I was really impressed with the quality and scent profile of the Mind Games I tried.
Clive Christian - Town & Country- Wow. No seriously, like fucking wow. Smells like an Italian fruit cart strolling through an English manor’s sprawling garden road. I look at the notes and I don’t understand how you get this smell supposedly out of Clary Sage, Ambergris, and Sandalwood. Like, what? This is high quality shit. I get some pear or grapes there, too. Try this. - Crab Apple Blossom- Yum yum yum this is goooood. Smells like it sounds. Bergamot, apple blossom and rhubarb dance around playfully together. Can’t help but have a big stupid smile on your face when you smell this. The more it dried down, the more it might be my favorite over Town & Country. - Matsukita- Another great scent. In the same vein as the other two since they are part of the same “Crown Collection.” You get some smokiness, here. Bergamot with nutmeg and mate give depth and a little mystery. White florals, woody ambers and musk at the base. Just quality stuff here. All three of these in the Crown Collection were available in 10ml travel size gift pack for $300. Good idea to put on my wish list. That shit is kiiiinda expensive.
Xerjoff - Erba Pura- I did not expect to like this as much as I did! Favorite that I sampled. Perfect combination of citrus and fruitiness off the top, layered over a bed of sweet musk. Something here is very familiar to my nose but I couldn’t place it. This will be another top contender for a future upscale summer purchase. - Accento- Soothing scent. Fruity white floral (usually dumb reach for me), and the iris gives it some powder but not overpowering. Not as feminine-leaning as I would have expected. - Iommi- Delicious! Sweet smoky rum off the top, and it’s a little surprising how forward the patchouli and leather is in this. It’s bordering on being a little overpowering, but it tames a bit on the dry down. I’d need to see how this goes on my skin, for sure. - Torino 21- Another one that I liked way more than expected. I’m going back and seeing mint listed as a top note here…I didn’t get that! And thank God since mint usually is a non-starter. Kind of an aquatic green to my nose. Again, just a lovely scent. - Naxos- Yeah ok this is good shit. I was expecting a sweet bomb, but this is definitely more restrained than what a lot of reviewers will have you believe. I’m a sucker for lavender and bergamot. Throw in honey and jasmine atop a bed of tobacco, vanilla and tonka bean? Yes please. - Erba Gold- Pretty good. To my nose more feminine than Erba Pura, likely due to the extra fruits in the middle. That combination of citruses, pear and melon is reminiscent of particular ladies’ scents.
Louis Vuitton - L’Immensité- Ohhhh yeahh. Relaxation in a bottle. My favorite besides maybe Fleur du Desert. This, Imagination and Météore all kind of dance to the same song, so to speak. More than one of these would be redundant, in my opinion. The quality speaks through each of these fragrances, though- really nice stuff. - Imagination- The name fits, as a lot of the notes here are almost fleeting like a word on the tip of your tongue. It’s a great, calming scent but it didn’t blow me away. Like I said, L’Immensité was the best of these and I don’t see the need to diversify within this collection. - Météore- Compared to L’Immensité, there’s a little more sweetness here. This leans closer to a shower gel-like scent in my opinion. Still great. - Fleur du Désert- This one started out reallly good. Honey and cinnamon into rose and orange blossom is an intriguing, sensual combination. Unfortunately, smelling it on my arm after a couple hours, the jasmine and honey turn into something my mind recognizes as an old lady scent. The POAL on my hand, by comparison, keeps mixing with my skin in a great pheromonic way. - Ombre Nomad- Disappointed with this one. I’m realizing I don’t gravitate toward darker scents like heavy oud, leather, incense. I can tell it’s put together really well and uses quality materials, but this isn’t one that was made for me.
All in all, my main take-aways include: Xerjoff scents living up to the name. I was definitely impressed with their offerings, and would have expected it to lean closer to overrated. Same with Mind Games. Really enjoyed everything I sampled from them, even if it wasn’t my cup of tea, I was impressed with the quality. Also, I need to get back and sample the rest of the Clive Christian house. I was absolutely blown away with what I tried.
A little bonus: I tried TF Noir de Noir, Extreme Noir, and Cafe Rose. Extreme Noir is excellent. A regal mix of saffron, nutmeg and cardamom on top of rose and white florals. Ahhhh, again, similar to what I imagine a king or king to smell like.
Cafe Rose is probably the second best rose-centric scent to my nose besides Atomic Rose. I’ll need to put those side by side.
Anyway, feel free to ask away if you’d like. I was bored and inspired so killed some time writing this out :)

Hello good folks of Reddit.
I have an opportunity to attend a bluegrass festival in June and wanted to know if anyone had attended Sol Grass festival on Washington Island, or Bill Monroe Bluegrass festival in Bean Blossom.
I'm choosing between these two. I'm sure there are many others in June I should be attending. I'm traveling from eastern Iowa and only have this time slot available.
Appreciate the input!
Edit:
I'm bringing my dad (64) and little brother (21), who enjoy bluegrass, but perhaps not as much as I do. In addition to the shows, I'm really excited to jam with people. I live in Hawaii and we have a small community out here, but I've never attended a mainland bluegrass festival and picked with folks. So the jammage is a major factor.

Hi Everyone! I’ve always loved good smelling stuff and for the last 15 years I’ve usually had one bottle of cologne, and would replace once it’s out. Only in the last few months have I really delved into this world and began filling out a modest collection. I’m definitely not an expert (so take my reviews with a big grain of salt) but I love smelling and writing so here ya go. (Fucking wall of text incoming lmao, I didn’t realize how lengthy this got)
I just got back from a three-hour mall trip to try and get my nose on as many niche fragrances as my senses would tolerate. I had already done a good bit of research so I had some picked out to try and others already crossed-off. Im a 30M for reference.
I also had the goal in mind to find a contender for a fall/winter scent that exudes class, sophistication and decadence. For that, I’ve already tried a few that I really enjoy, and kind of used these as a springboard to continue exploring:
Xerjoff Alexandria II- This is what I envision royalty wearing. Lavender and rosewood mix soooo nice in the open, and dries into a lovey rose/vanilla/essence of oud. The oud is really toned down here for those that dislike it. It’s kind of hard to pick out. Nuclear performance.
Initio Oud for Greatness- Another good starter oud, you could say (this was my introduction to oud). It lasts forever and the dry down is seriously heavenly. The wet, soily oud is at the forefront for 2-4 hours, but I’m absolutely in love with what’s left when it disappears. Lavender, saffron, nutmeg and musk mixes into the best dryer-sheet-like scent I’ve come across (what it reminds ME of at least).
Perfums de Marly Haltane- Quite similar in the opening to Oud for Greatness. Haltane is darker, though, where I get more leathesmoke. I think the oud in this is more subdued, or at least less moist smelling. It blends well and lasts a good while.
Initio Atomic Rose- Holy shit. Apparently rose gets my motor GOING. I tried a lot of rose-centric fragrances today, but this probably still takes the cake for its balance and strength, in addition to the scent itself being just gorgeous.
So with those in mind I was off to Neiman Marcus. I sampled a large amount more than what I’ve written, but stuck to the ones that were memorable; good or bad.
Frederic Malle - Portrait of a Lady- My favorite of the Frederic Malle. Sensual rose/clove/currant at the front, but it is kind of hard to pick out specific notes on this one. After looking, I can get the cinnamon in the background of the dry down, it blends perfectly with the sandalwood, rose and benzoin after drying down. - Carnal Flower- Some similarity to POAL, lots of tuberose and jasmine, which I personally like. A bright yet sensual floral, and you get some coconut and melon there, too. I typically dislike coconut but this is blended masterfully. - Lipstick Rose- Yeah, that’s what it smells like. Try this if you’ve seen people describe scents as lipstick-y or violet taking on that accord. Not my cup of tea, also leans more feminine to my nose than the other two. - Musc Ravageur- I really wanted to like this one. And for a split second I did! A clove-y vanilla sasparilla is what I first got, and it unfortunately turned into barnyard urine. I immediately remembered seeing some reviews stating this, and I couldn’t get my nose to move past it. I can tell there’s good stuff there, but not for me.
Amouage - Reflection- The only one I’d tried before, and remains one of my favs. Rosemary and pink pepper greet you with a deep, fresh spice. The vetiver and patchouli sit nicely at the bottom, and the combination of white florals mixes wonderfully. Another scent I could imagine on royalty, and seems pretty versatile, too. You could wear this year-round without feeling out of place. Insane staying power. - Lyric- Probably my favorite, but I need to smell again on another day. Compared to the other Amouage, I had to continually stick my nose in the coffe beans to pick up the scent from the test strip. When I did get it, it was a lovely light, fresh scent. Quite a departure from the other Amouage I’ve tried, but great. No surprise, the list of notes are some of my favorites: lime, bergamot, rose, orange blossom, saffron, nutmeg, musk, pine, vanilla, incense, sandalwood. Seriously, love each and all those individually and they come together beautifully. - Interlude- Another good one. Dark, mysterious. Definitely get the oregano/peppepatchouli/incense bomb off the top. Leather lurking behind. I typically don’t gravitate toward the leathery scents but this one’s good. - Enclave- This pretty much seals the deal for me that on me, mint just ain’t it. I liked Sedley at first, but the mint somehow gets too cloying to my nose after too long. I can tell I would get the same from the peppermint in the opening of Enclave. I almost liked this one, too. If you can even tolerate peppermint, you’ll enjoy this one.
Mind Games - Blockade- Wowww. First sniff love, here. Explosion of citrus, juicy fruit-y sex. I usually find myself staying away from citrus-forward scents but this shit is next level. This will be a contender for my next upscale summer buy. - Double Attack- Another love at first sniff. It’s familiar, though. Chocolate/orange/cinnamon/vanilla. You’ll want to eat it right up. I already have this box checked in my collection, but may come back to it in the future. - Checkmate- Another lovely scent. Champagne, red currant, rose, magnolia, little patchouli. It all comes together really nicely, and it was difficult for me to pick out specific notes before looking. Not a love, but I was really impressed with the quality and scent profile of the Mind Games I tried.
Clive Christian - Town & Country- Wow. No seriously, like fucking wow. Smells like an Italian fruit cart strolling through an English manor’s sprawling garden road. I look at the notes and I don’t understand how you get this smell supposedly out of Clary Sage, Ambergris, and Sandalwood. Like, what? This is high quality shit. I get some pear or grapes there, too. Try this. - Crab Apple Blossom- Yum yum yum this is goooood. Smells like it sounds. Bergamot, apple blossom and rhubarb dance around playfully together. Can’t help but have a big stupid smile on your face when you smell this. The more it dried down, the more it might be my favorite over Town & Country. - Matsukita- Another great scent. In the same vein as the other two since they are part of the same “Crown Collection.” You get some smokiness, here. Bergamot with nutmeg and mate give depth and a little mystery. White florals, woody ambers and musk at the base. Just quality stuff here. All three of these in the Crown Collection were available in 10ml travel size gift pack for $300. Good idea to put on my wish list. That shit is kiiiinda expensive.
Xerjoff - Erba Pura- I did not expect to like this as much as I did! Favorite that I sampled. Perfect combination of citrus and fruitiness off the top, layered over a bed of sweet musk. Something here is very familiar to my nose but I couldn’t place it. This will be another top contender for a future upscale summer purchase. - Accento- Soothing scent. Fruity white floral (usually dumb reach for me), and the iris gives it some powder but not overpowering. Not as feminine-leaning as I would have expected. - Iommi- Delicious! Sweet smoky rum off the top, and it’s a little surprising how forward the patchouli and leather is in this. It’s bordering on being a little overpowering, but it tames a bit on the dry down. I’d need to see how this goes on my skin, for sure. - Torino 21- Another one that I liked way more than expected. I’m going back and seeing mint listed as a top note here…I didn’t get that! And thank God since mint usually is a non-starter. Kind of an aquatic green to my nose. Again, just a lovely scent. - Naxos- Yeah ok this is good shit. I was expecting a sweet bomb, but this is definitely more restrained than what a lot of reviewers will have you believe. I’m a sucker for lavender and bergamot. Throw in honey and jasmine atop a bed of tobacco, vanilla and tonka bean? Yes please. - Erba Gold- Pretty good. To my nose more feminine than Erba Pura, likely due to the extra fruits in the middle. That combination of citruses, pear and melon is reminiscent of particular ladies’ scents.
Louis Vuitton - L’Immensité- Ohhhh yeahh. Relaxation in a bottle. My favorite besides maybe Fleur du Desert. This, Imagination and Météore all kind of dance to the same song, so to speak. More than one of these would be redundant, in my opinion. The quality speaks through each of these fragrances, though- really nice stuff. - Imagination- The name fits, as a lot of the notes here are almost fleeting like a word on the tip of your tongue. It’s a great, calming scent but it didn’t blow me away. Like I said, L’Immensité was the best of these and I don’t see the need to diversify within this collection. - Météore- Compared to L’Immensité, there’s a little more sweetness here. This leans closer to a shower gel-like scent in my opinion. Still great. - Fleur du Désert- This one started out reallly good. Honey and cinnamon into rose and orange blossom is an intriguing, sensual combination. Unfortunately, smelling it on my arm after a couple hours, the jasmine and honey turn into something my mind recognizes as an old lady scent. The POAL on my hand, by comparison, keeps mixing with my skin in a great pheromonic way. - Ombre Nomad- Disappointed with this one. I’m realizing I don’t gravitate toward darker scents like heavy oud, leather, incense. I can tell it’s put together really well and uses quality materials, but this isn’t one that was made for me.
All in all, my main take-aways include: Xerjoff scents living up to the name. I was definitely impressed with their offerings, and would have expected it to lean closer to overrated. Same with Mind Games. Really enjoyed everything I sampled from them, even if it wasn’t my cup of tea, I was impressed with the quality. Also, I need to get back and sample the rest of the Clive Christian house. I was absolutely blown away with what I tried.
A little bonus: I tried TF Noir de Noir, Extreme Noir, and Cafe Rose. Extreme Noir is excellent. A regal mix of saffron, nutmeg and cardamom on top of rose and white florals. Ahhhh, again, similar to what I imagine a king or king to smell like.
Cafe Rose is probably the second best rose-centric scent to my nose besides Atomic Rose. I’ll need to put those side by side.
Anyway, feel free to ask away if you’d like. I was bored and inspired so killed some time writing this out :)

I originally took this photo to show the metal tray, but I figured it would be fun to ask you what my vibe is according to my (recently downsized) collection. In this photo, there are full bottles, decants and samples I am willing to full-size. Here is a list of them with their respective notes:

• Molinard - Habanita : Lentisque, Geranium, Petitgrain, Nutmeg, Heliotrope, Vetiver, Ylang-ylang, Cedar, Rose, Mimosa, Jasmine, Vanilla, Amber, Sandalwood, Oakmoss, Musk, Patchouli
• La Manufacture - Admirabilis : Amber, Elemi, Frankincense, Benzoin, Ciste Labdanum, Myrrh, Tolu Balsam, Cedarwood, Clove, Cypriol oil, Bergamot, Green Notes, Lemon, Mandarin, Musk, Patchouli, Vetiver, Violet Leaves
• Lubin - Kismet : Bergamot, Lemon, Petitgrain, Patchouli, Rose de Mai, Bulgarian Rose, Opoponax, Vanilla, Cistus Labdanum
• Matière Première - Radical Rose : Rosa Centifola absolute, Indonesian Patchouli, Saffron, Spanish labdanum, Jamaican pepper
• Bienaimé 1935 - Vermeil : Carrot Seeds, Aldehydes, Iris, Violet, Rose, Raspberry, White Musk, Tolu Balsam, Sandalwood, Heliotrope
• Guerlain - Shalimar : Citrus, Bergamot, Lemon, Cedar, Mandarin, Iris, Patchouli, Vetiver, Jasmine, Rose, Vanilla, Incense, Leather, Opoponax, Civet, Sandalwood, Tonka bean, Musk
• Olibanum - Iris : Iris, Jasmine, Violet, Frankincense
• Histoires de Parfums - 1889 Moulin Rouge : Tangerine, Plum, Cinnamon, Absinthe, Rose, Iris, Patchouli, Musk, Fur

For decants, I have:

• Céline - La Peau Nue : Orris butter, Rice powder, Rose absolute, Bergamot, Vetiver
• Céline - Black Tie : Vanilla, Orris butter, Cedar, Musk, Tree moss
• Guerlain - Spiritueuse Double Vanille : Frankincense, Pink pepper, Bergamot, Bulgarian rose, Jasmine, Ylang-ylang, Vanilla, Rum, Benzoin
• Guerlain - Cuir Béluga : Aldehydes, Mandarin orange, Everlasting flower, Patchouli, Vanilla, Suede, Amber, Heliotrope
• Frédéric Malle - Musc Ravageur : Cinnamon, Lavender, Bergamot, Mandarin orange, Musk, Vanilla, Amber, Patchouli, Sandalwood

And for samples I am going to full-size in the future:

• Filippo Sorcinelli - Lavs : Black pepper, Cardamom, Jasmine, Elemi resin, Labdanum, Clove, Coriander, Opoponax, Amber, Oakmoss, Tonka bean
• Filippo Sorcinelli - Opus 1144 : Elemi resin, Mandarin orange, Lemon, Jasmine, Benzoin, Iris, Cashmere wood, Orchid, Vanilla, Ambergris, Leather, Sandalwood, White Musk
• Maison Incens - Musc Kalirii : Bitter orange, Bergamot, Orange blossom, Jasmine, Rose, Musk, Sandalwood, Leather, Vanilla
• Ava Luxe - Opoponax Intense : Opoponax, Benzoin, Citrus, Frankincense, Indian amber, Myrrh, Tolu balsam
• Pierre Guillaume - Myrrhiad : Myrrh, Black Tea, Vanilla, Licorice
• Caron - Tabac Blanc : Brazilian maté, Cinnamon, Cocoa absolute, Jasmine, Iris, Bergamot, Vanilla, White musk, White tea
• Goutal - L'Île au Thé : Mandarin orange, Bergamot, Osmanthus absolute, Tea, Maté, Virginia cedar, White musk

If you want any review about these, just ask!

Hey hey! Here are some fun things that are happening around town this week:

Wednesday

• Santana Row Farmer’s Market Santana Row (Between Olin Ave. and Olsen Dr.) 4-8 p.m. FREE Sample fresh fruits, veggies, and other treats from South County farmers. (Runs through 9/25)
  
• Tully Night Market Tully Community Ballfields (880 Tully Rd., San Jose) 5:30 p.m. FREE Check out local makers, artists, and shakers to live music with the Trujillo Selena Tribute band.
  
• San Jose Shakeout Series Creekside Socials (20 Barack Obama Blvd., San Jose) 6-8 p.m. FREE The third week of this weekly running event features live music from Blue House and DJ Sumabat, with food and drink from Churros el Guero and Hot Papa. (Runs through 5/29)
  
• Electric Six + Supersuckers + Volk The Ritz (400 S. First St., San Jose) 7 p.m. $20 Advance, $25 Day of Show Don’t you want to know how we keep startin’ fires? It’s my desire! Danger! Danger! High voltage!
  
• The Caravan Lounge Comedy Show Caravan Lounge (98 S. Almaden Ave., San Jose) 9:30 p.m. FREE Ato Walker hosts this week’s rotating list of local comedians.
  

Thursday

• Off The Grid Night Market Gordon Biersch (357 E. Taylor St., San Jose) 5-9 p.m. FREE Groove to music from San Jose Jazz while you sample over 50+ food trucks and brews at the inaugural event. (Runs through 7/11)
  
• Bay to Breakers Shakeout Sunnyvale Bay Trail (293-327 W. Caribbean Dr., Sunnyvale) 6 p.m. FREE Don your Bay to Breakers gear and run, jog, or walk to your own pace at this running series.
  
• Dwight Clark Legacy Series California Theater (345 S. First St., San Jose) 7 p.m. $30-$287 Along with lively conversations with current and former 9ers players, NBC Sports hosts a presentation of the Dwight Clark Awards.
  
• Drink and Draw Art Boutiki (44 Race St., San Jose) 7 p.m. FREE Bring out your inner artiste while you sip on a tasty beverage and enjoy the sound of Digging Sound Collect. Crayons, paper, pencils, and other utensils provided.
  
• Chris Porter San Jose Improv (62 S. Second St., San Jose) Thu 8 p.m., Fri 7:30 + 9:45 p.m., Sat 7 p.m. + 9:30 p.m. $22-$72 From NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” and his Netflix special “Ugly and Angry,” this comedian has distinguished himself as a no-frills, no-sound cues, no puppets performer. (Runs through 5/18)
  
• Austin Nasso Rooster T Feathers Comedy Club (Address) Thu-Fri 8 p.m., Sat-Sun 7 p.m. $25 Admission, $35 VIP You may know this former Microsoft software engineer from his recurring appearances on “The Howard Stern Show.” (Runs through 5/19)
  
• Pressure Drop DJ Night Caravan Lounge (98 S. Almaden Ave., San Jose) 9 p.m. FREE Join DJs Norbert + Fuchsia for a night of punk, ska, reggae, soul, and R&B.
  

Friday

• Salsa y Cerveza Garden at the Flea (1590 Berryessa Rd., San Jose) 5-9 p.m. FREE Learn to Salsa dance and browse flea market deals while you groove to Union Timbera and gnosh on bites from local food trucks.
  
• Movie Night in the Park: “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” Meadowfair Park (Corda Dr. + Barberry Ln., San Jose) 6-10 p.m. FREE Bring your blanket + lawn chair, and enjoy lawn games, crafts, and food trucks as you watch one of the coolest, most stylish animated films from last year.
  
• SJBP - Bikers of the Caribbean Ride! Berryessa BART Station (958 Berryessa Station Way, San Jose) 7:30 p.m. FREE Dress like a pirate, or wear your street gear to join other bike enthusiasts for a 15-20 mile ride through North San
  
• Bay FC vs San Diego Wave FC PayPal Park (1123 Coleman Ave., San Jose) 7:30 p.m. $20-$196 After losses on the road to Chicago and Portland, our team returns home for a “Bay Area Unite” game.
  
• Sofia Niño de Rivera California Theater (345 S. First St., San Jose) 8 p.m. $49-$109 You may know this comedian as Mexico City’s “Woman of the Year” 2016, or from the Netflix dramedy “Club de Cuervos.”
  
• Dark Satellite + Orbit 17 + Dear Banshee Art Boutiki (44 Race St., San Jose) 8 p.m. $15 Advance, $20 Day of Show Bay Area indie rockers collide at a stellar showcase of prog, jazz, and otherworldly riffage.
  
• Alicia Villarreal San Jose Civic (135 W. San Carlos St., San Jose) 8 p.m. $39.50-$149 See the two-time Latin Grammy Award-winning singer for her “Donde Todo Comenzo” tour.
  
• Electric Feels: Indie Rock + Indie Dance Party The Ritz (400 S. First St., San Jose) 9 p.m. $15-$20 Advance, $25 Day of Show From MGMT to Vampire Weekend, alt-J to Hot Chip, dance along to your favorite indie tracks from yesteryear.
  
• Panacea + HRIF + Perarez Caravan Lounge (98 S. Almaden Ave., San Jose) 9 p.m. FREE Chunky riffs, ear-splitting growls, and dense-packed crowds fill one of the most intimate venues in the South Bay.
  

Saturday

• Bored Teachers Comedy Tour California Theater (345 S. First St., San Jose) 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. $35-$55 Ring in the end of the school year with the No. 1 teacher comedians in the world performing skits and stand ups.
  
• Culture Night Market Discovery Meadow (180 Woz Way, San Jose) 4-10 p.m. FREE Featuring local vendors, food trucks, and businesses, to hoppin’ stage performances from Universal Grammar, Los Jefes, L James, Thatfool Al, Sutro, DJ Say, and Real Ignorant.
  
• All Out for Al-Nakba San Jose Peace and Justice Center (48 S. Seventh St., San Jose) 4 p.m. FREE Join community members and activists for a screening and discussion of Al Jazeera’s “Al-Nakba: The Palestinian Catastrophe 1948” documentary series as a part of Anti-War Action Network’s national week of action.
  
• Hey Girl! Sexy Slumber Party Splash Video Dance Bar (65 Post St., San Jose) 6 p.m. FREE before 7:30, $10 after Dress in your best pajamas or sexy sleepwear and dance along with fellow fems, femmes, and femme fatales to the tunes of local DJ Rogue Mermaid.
  
• Nate Jackson San Jose Civic (135 W. San Carlos St., San Jose) 7 p.m. $39.50-$200 You know he has to be funny, because his tour’s called the “Super Funny World Tour.” It’s just science.
  
• The ABBA Concert Experience Montgomery Theater (271 S. Market St., San Jose) 7:30 p.m. $39-$59 This family-friendly singalong show highlights the enduring success of one of the world’s most beloved pop supergroups.
  
• San Jose Earthquakes vs. Orlando City SC PayPal Park (1123 Coleman Ave., San Jose) 7:30 p.m. $22-$185 Join the Quakes for Vietnamese Heritage night, with special merch for sale, and limited items with purchase of a ticket.
  
• Take on Me: The Ultimate 80’s Party The Ritz (400 S. First St., San Jose) 8 p.m. $17-$20 Advance, $20 Day of Show Don your favorite hot pants and pastel colors for this celebration of synths and gated reverb drums.
  
• Nineteen Jazz Orchestra Art Boutiki (44 Race St., San Jose) 8 p.m. $25 Advance, $30 Day of Show Along with classic soul, jazz, and R&B, this local professional jazz group will be performing “Obama Suite,” composed by their their former trumpet player, the late Eric Bolvin.
  
• Nature of the Beast SJZ Break Room (310 S. First St., San Jose) 8 p.m. $25 Bay Area jazz legends return to the SJZ stage to perform select songs from Herbie Hancock’s discography.
  
• Dead River Rebels + American Standard + Akira XX Caravan Lounge (98 S. Almaden Ave., San Jose) 9 p.m. FREE DIY punk meets stoner rock at this showcase of local talent.
  

Sunday

• Boogie Music Fest Downtown Campbell 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday FREE Admission Enjoy food, beer, and wine, plus artisan booths, a kids zone, and a funky “Best Dressed” contest, with live music on two stages both days.
  
• AAPI Pride Brunch Holiday Inn San Jose - Silicon Valley (1350 N. First St., San Jose) 11 a.m.-3 p.m. FREE Celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander History Month with local drag performers, poetry, Mahjong, and trivia games.
  
• Halfway to Halloween Rumble City Boxing (866 Park Ave., San Jose) 2-6 p.m. FREE From spooky wares to Halfoween artistry, check out local artist booths with live music and food.
  
• Homayoun Shajarian + Anoushiravan Rohani San Jose Civic (135 W. San Carlos St., San Jose) 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. Two legendary performers, one from Tehran and the other from Iran, blend Eastern and Western musical traditions.
  
• Jakob’s Castle + The Happys The Ritz (400 S. First St., San Jose) 7 p.m. $15 Advance, $20 Day of Show SoCal rock and ska royalty Jacob Nowell brings his sublime punk sensibilities to the stage.
  
• Sammy Obeid San Jose Improv (62 S. Second St., San Jose) 8:30 p.m. $30-$90 One of my favorite comedians of all time, Sammy’s been a part of the Bay Area comedy scene for the past two decades. Check out some of his bits on Instagram/TikTok!
  

Thanks so much for reading!

You can get this entire post emailed to you each week in my newsletter.

But hold on, aren’t there other newsletters in San Jose???

Yep! And those are all super groovy! My newsletter is primarily a place for me to compile a curated list of things happening all over town, not just in the downtown spaces. There are small, DIY shows almost every day, and they generally don’t have a budget or the know how to promote themselves on platforms where you’re going to see. I’m pretty closely connected with a lot of the folks who organize these events (and have even helped organize many myself!) I occasionally include interviews with locals, newsy bits, and other things as they pop into my brain. Either way, I hope you enjoyed this post, and I hope it helped you find something to do this week. 🙂

• Gregg

I haven't seen any posts announcing its release, Arcana understandably being a touchy subject here on this sub now, but I have seen a lot of interest in seeing reviews of Arcana's new Planet Earth: Post Humankind collection. With the third part's drop delayed until next Monday, I thought I'd take this opportunity to share my thoughts on the three perfumes I have tried, in case folks here might find it helpful (whether you want to order direct or search out things in destashes). I can say that the quality of Arcana's perfumes remains as high as it's ever been. Do your research to determine for yourself if you are comfortable ordering. Some of these - like Daydreams of Trees - I think are a bit unlikely to land in destashes in any great amount.
​
Daydreams of Trees [Our hand-distilled fir needle oil with French lavender absolute, jammy fir absolute, organic spruce tips, white iris, dappled sunlight, a bit of orris, and a hint of sugary sap] - Evergreen trees, but soft and almost dusty, with gentle lavender and an almost silken base. Not their actual silk note (which I love), but now I think I'm starting to recognize their fantasy "dappled sunlight" note, which they do often pair with their silk or cashmere. Daydreams of Trees is absolutely stunning, I love it so much, and this from a person who doesn't typically enjoy tree perfumes or most houses' lavender notes. Meanwhile, Husband (who does love tree scents) doesn't like this one - he thinks it's the "dappled sunlight" that's putting him off. (And at his request, I won't wear this one as a bedtime scent, though I think it would be amazing for that.) From this I conclude that this is perhaps a tree scent for folks who don't normally love tree scents. It's so soft and lovely! I'm kind of amazed how madly I fell in love with this one, actually. It's one of the ones currently out of stock (the reason for their delay in releasing the Part 3 scents) and I plan on FSing it next Monday if I can (which also means my sample will go in my destash, for anyone hoping to try it without placing a direct order).
Infinite Sky [French vanilla with our cumulus cloud accord, ivory musk, sheer silk, blue amber, and milky sandalwood] - It smells a little unbalanced in the vial, the gourmand-style vanilla not quite meshing with the airy and decidedly non-gourmand accents, but on my skin, woah. In fact, both Husband and I separately went "ohhhhh" upon sniffing my wrist. On my skin, it's a decidedly French vanilla with powdered sugar undertones, but thankfully not too sweet (and I have a low tolerance for sugary), and it melds gorgeously with the milky sandalwood. There is such an airy, clouds-in-the-blue-sky effect, with the blue amber just the faintest bit ambergris-like. It's one of those scents that's beautiful and interesting enough to be satisfying, yet also innocuous enough to be a totally work-safe perfume, and in fact I've already worn it a second time for exactly that reason, when I needed something the other day that absolutely positively wouldn't bother anybody around me.
Fae Haven [Peach ice cream cones, orange flowers, white chocolate, and magnolia blossoms lead to a drydown of sheer, pretty musk, apple slices, fairy mounds, peach nectar, dewy rose petals, lily of the valley, and green grass] - This is a super cheerful tropical-fruity scent - the peach and orange blossom combine to become almost like guava/passionfruit (it reminds me of Pink Moonbeams [A sugared gourmand blend of juicy passion fruit, velvety purple iris, Tahitian vanilla beans, pink candyfloss, reflected sunshine, sheer layers of soft orris, glowing musk, and a hint of wild lavender stems] but way less pink). There's a pineapple-like tartness but also a smooth white chocolate, and underneath it all, a green note which reminds me of Strawberries Crave Waterfalls [Rain, woodland strawberries, fresh water, petitgrain, osmanthus, clover, and smooth amber] (which unfortunately means that Fae Haven, like Strawberries Crave Waterfalls, goes slightly bell-peppery on my skin).

PayPal goods/services. I may be out but I'll respond as soon as I'm able. $5.00 shipping. Scents are kept in a dark closet. I reuse packaging and I ship on the weekends. I normally enclose extras as well. RIS = received in swap. Direct = obtained directly from brand. Minimum $8
Bath/body (shipping will be $6)
Cocoa Pink Argan Therapy Replenishing Serum 1oz - Buttercream Praline, direct Notes of creamy French vanilla buttercream frosting meets smashed sugared pralines and cream. Argan Oil has shown to help with strengthening, and to achieve overall healthy hair. Argan Oil is non-greasy and non-oily and has become popular as a hair treatment to repair and heal damaged hair. It has the ability to naturally hydrate and to help stop frizziness, fly-away and hard to control, unmanageable hair. It is excellent for locking in moisture and improving shine and luster. Tried once, $5.50. Dropper bottle, so there was no direct contact with product.
Fae Fragrance - Ocean Water linen spray 1oz, direct Coconut husk, pitaya nectar, Sicilian lemon, geranium, oakmoss, sandalwood, and sugarcane. Tried twice, $3.50
Pretties For your Face - Cashmere Petals 2oz body mist, direct A complex blend of white grapefruit, soft bergamot, frosted pearl, French periwinkle, winter amaryllis, tea rose, cashmere shea, warm cedar, and amber musk. Tried once, $4
Miscellaneous bath/body
Goose Creek - Warm Sugar Donut lotion 8.4 oz, direct Enjoy the sweet and savory aroma of a warm, Sugared donut. Notes - Cinnamon Sugar, Fries Dough, Vanilla Bean, Sugar. Used once, reducer cap on bottle so no direct contact with product, $3
Full sizes
BPAL Supposed to be a Pretzel 5ml Oil "… but also kinda smells like popcorn?" RIS, tried once, $16
Black Baccara (now Amorphous) - Pumpkin Cake 15ml edp Pumpkin cake, vanilla frosting, and caramel brûlée drizzle. RIS, slight dip, $30. (Shipping will be $6)
Epically Epic - Strawberry Grapefruit 7ml oil roller Notes as titled. RIS, a little over 3/4 full. $9
Hexennacht - Fluffernutter 5ml oil roller Marshmallow fluff, peanut butter cookies, peanut butter, and a sticky drizzle of honey. RIS, tried once, $12
Hexennacht - Funhouse dram from Ajevie Weathered ipe boardwalk planks, rice krispy squares, honey-drizzled ice cream in waffle cones, kettle corn, funnel cakes, donut holes, cardamom, coconut, incense. RIS, tried once, $7
Laurel and June - Christmas Cheer 5ml edp spray, direct Honey almond, vanilla, pine needles, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, cranberries. Tried once, $8.50
Nui Cobalt - The Bees' Carnival 5ml oil roller Like Ferris wheel lights against a twilight sky, it’s a playful arrangement of vivid notes to tickle your fancy. Cotton candy spun from crystallized honey, fresh leaves of lemon verbena, blue raspberry drizzle, and a grounding smolder of sweet myrrh. Wear to encourage frivolity, relieve tension, and restore your sense of humor. Fill slightly below top of label, has Nui Cobalt rollerball top, $15
Pulp Fragrance - Bedsheet Ghost 4.5ml oil roller, direct via Ajevie Crisp freshly-ironed white sheets & a pumpkin pail full of Halloween candy, over a haunted honey musk base. Tried twice, $18
Sixteen92 - Party at the Moon Tower 6ml oil White cupcakes with popping candy frosting, spiked punch, faded sunscreen, lake breeze, a distant Summer bonfire. RIS, slight dip, fill still above label, $14
Smelly Yeti - Orange You Glad it's Christmas 7.4 ml oil, direct Orange and mint - the best flavors of Christmas combined! Candy cane peppermint meets sweet tangerine with soft and creamy white chocolate. A light and fresh fragrance which is sure to make spirits bright. Tried once, $14
Stereoplasm - Ballroom Cat 3.4 ml oil roller, direct Hot pink organza, French 75, fuchsia, grapefruit, designer leather. Tried once, $10 (I put a home made small label on the front of the bottle with the name, due to the new bottles missing the names)
Stereoplasm - Crinoline 5.5ml oil roller, direct Linen extrait de parfum, ash lye, blue lace macaron,.white tea, hazelnut truffle, peppermint, almond petit fours. Tried once, $15 (I put a home made small label on the front of the bottle with the name, due to the new bottles missing the names)
Samples - will be tried once, unless otherwise noted
Fae-Tal Attraction Perfumery - Marshmallow Snow 2ml oil sample, direct Strawberries and snowflakes made of marshmallow fluff, treading softly through the woods, this is a sweet treat for the senses that, like Goldilocks' favorite, is juuuuust right. It's deep, velvety and lush, and perfect for any weather. Fir Balsam Absolute, Marshmallow, Amyris Wood, and Ylang Ylang. Tried once, $5.
Haus of Gloi - Superfreak oil slink sample, direct Rich vanilla, heady incense and a trace of red wine. Tried once, $2
Hexennacht - I ♥ the 80’s oil slink sample, Ajevie A Lisa Frank-esque powerhouse: tuberose, orange blossom, white amber, bubblegum, suntan oil, Aquanet hairspray, gummy worms, & fruit-scented erasers. Tried once, $3
Laurel and June - Winter Woods 2ml edp spray sample, direct Soft spruce, myrrh, frankincense, winter berries. Never tried, $3
Pineward - Hayride 1.8ml sample spray Hay, hot cocoa, vanilla, sweet vernalgrass, bison grass, acorn nut bread, nutmeg, cardamom, spikenard, raisin, tonka, oakmoss. RIS, tried once, a little over half full. $3
Pulp - First Date slink sample, Ajevie.Glassy cherry-orange lip gloss, a sprinkle of cocoa powder over a vanilla milkshake, & a hint of softly-sweet, clean skin musk. Tried once, $3
Stereoplasm - Clean Weather Girl 1.3 ml oil roller, direct Vanilla, coconut, bergamot, Sicilian lemon, orange blossom. Tried once, $5 (I put a home made small label on the front of the bottle with the name, due to the new bottles missing the names)
Stereoplasm new (never tried) 0.5ml doll samples - ($3 each, or can do all 4 for $10)
In Pace in Fiora.- Bougainvillea, wisteria covered stone walls, green leaves, blossoming black locust tree, sun-baked sampietrini, orange blossom honey, a cotton dress.
World's Fair - Plum brandy, genisteae, melted steel, powdered porcelain, glass
Hyacinthian - Dry blackberry, dirty black leather, incense, old stone, stone salt, ylang ylang
Wilde - Sugared black plums, scorching brandy, clove, a dollop of spiced vanilla cream, spilled ink, sharp wit, lingering cologne.