We are well into the 4th quarter of the insane year we call 2020. Here’s what captivated Semiliner’s attention this September.

1. Umbrella Academy

Yeah, every instalment of this series begins with the show of the month lol. Season 2 of The Umbrella Academy is out! Finally! It truly is a work of art (notwithstanding the fact that it was borne of Gerard Way’s comics) and the music is always on point. Mother and I completed it in about 2-3 days, honestly.

All things considered I think I preferred Season 1 but that was probably because of the depth of exploration of Ellen Page’s character, Seven/Vanya. Vanya was my favourite character in S1 because she seemed the most human and also epically powerful. In S2, she was a little too off the rails for me but I liked how she was more in control of herself and her powers. Five was another favourite of mine, and he was my #1 in S2. Truly the most rational person in the entire family.

I would highly recommend Umbrella Academy. It’s engaging, artistic, and very well thought out (imo).

2. Cobra Kai

The Umbrella Academy was too short. We needed to binge more. Here, we have Cobra Kai. This is a series based off the original Karate Kid movie from the 80s. The series revolves around the rivalry between Johnny Lawrence (played by the original Karate Kid actor William Zabka all grown up) and Daniel LaRusso (played by the original Karate Kid actor Ralph Maccio all grown up). Better yet, it’s from the perspective of Johnny Lawrence instead.

Epic, in my opinion! We also had guest stars from the original John Kreese (Martin Kove). If you’re a fan of the original film series then this might be a really nice series to follow also because of the flashbacks featuring actual scenes from the original films (like, with Mr Miyagi and young LaRusso). Unfortunately, the famed Mr Miyagi couldn’t make a guest appearance since he’s left our realm but he shall live on in the flashback scenes.

3. Stickers

I’m a child. I collect stickers - for no reason other than to put them into sticker books. There’s only one kind of sticker book I would ever use because it’s the only one with the proper paper, by KCK. This month, I’d gone on at least 2 mass sticker shopping rounds. I have since filled up over 4 sticker books. I think last year or earlier this year Liner actually contacted the KCK warehouse itself to buy me a ton of sticker books because the only place we’ve seen that sold it was Kinokuniya and they had very few pieces per month. They also only sell the small books not the large ones. Liner got like 20 large ones. My love, he is.

The sticker brands I trust the most are Mind Wave, Nekoni, and Suatelier. The rest are always iffy. I did buy some random 50pcs/pack type stickers from Aliexpress recently and that turned out well (luckily).

There’s something therapeutic about stickering. I imagine it’s the same kind of calmness you get when you’re into wood carving or something - perhaps without the sense of fulfillment at the end.

4. Rob Has A Podcast (RHAP)

This branches from my earlier obsession with Survivor. I decided to check out RHAP after Season 38 of Survivor. I guess when I feel like it I’ll get back and watch Season 39, and re-watch Season 40.

Rob Cesternino was a 2-time Survivor player and hosts a podcast which focuses on reality shows like Survivor, Big Brother, Masked Singer, etc. I went back to listen to his podcasts from the late twenties seasons. He also has a YouTube channel where he posts the past live broadcasts for the podcasts where there’s video (e.g. Survivor Know-it-alls). He talks about the shows, he interviews the players, etc. It’s pretty great but even better if you listen to it while following the respective show.

5. BONUS: Liner’s Obsession - Outdoor gear

Hammocks, tents, backpacking! Buy it all! Do it all! Liner’s flavour of the month is outdoor stuff. Hammocking, tents, tarps, all the things. He’s amazing in how much he can find out about anything he’s interested in. He could probably tell you the best kinds of hammocks and tents and how certain things work better than others in certain conditions or for certain purposes. It’s really impressive. He recently advocated for this “Double Dutch Bugnet” [couple hammock with a bug net]. It is pretty neat, I have to admit.

That wraps up September 2020 obsessions. I’m sure the pattern of me not getting off my ass will continue through October, and Liner will continue to be cool and outdoorsy.

Happy September and stay safe!

None of this is sponsored.