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This column is “Re-release this,” which will focus on games that aren’t easily available, or even available at all, but should be once again. Previous entries in this series can be found through this link. The Wii sometimes gets a reputation as a console that lacked anything but first-party offerings, but that’s simply not true. People deciding against buying non-Nintendo games was a real problem, sure, but the system had everything: incredible first-party content, some real banger third-party games in a variety of genres, its fair share of stuff to avoid, and plenty in between.

This column is “Re-release this,” which will focus on games that aren’t easily available, or even available at all, but should be once again. Previous entries in this series can be found through this link. The weight of expectations can be crushing. Wario World is a pretty good game that’s quite fun to play, but it has a few things working against it that kept it from being considered that way by a large enough section of both critics and audience.

Heliot Ramos is pushing to break a 40-year-old curse, we’ve got guys journeying from baseball in France to the major leagues, and generally the farm system is having a positive overall impact on the Giants’ 2024 season. Which makes it a great time to bag! This week you have questions regarding the upcoming draft, potential trade deadline moves, and much more regarding the mercurial Marco Luciano. Let’s pop open the mailbag for the week of June 10, and see what’s inside….

Today is the day! For the rest of my life, I’ll think of November 1, 2023, as the day that my book, Eyes On The Road, was released. Thank you to my friend , the New York Times bestselling author of How We Heal, for these kind words about my book:"This collection of work is a lesson on self-compassion—a must-read." You can order your copy directly from the publisher, Thought Catalog, or via Amazon.

There’s a revealing passage on page 80 of Chris Dixon’s new book, Read Write Own. Dixon is a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), in charge of their crypto fund. He has been the single biggest funder of blockchain projects, and also Web3’s most significant evangelist. On page 80, Dixon writes: “The concept of ownership is so deeply embedded in our lives that it’s difficult to imagine how the world would look if that were taken away.

A quick note before today’s issue: I got to go on the Infamous podcast to talk about Anna Wintour! Check out the full episode here. In today’s issue (and tap the headline to read it in the Substack app or your browser so it doesn’t get cut off): Analysis of Edward Enninful’s final cover and letter to readers as British Vogue editor-in-chief. What sources have said led to Enninful’s departure.

If you enjoy a traditional, spanking-good short(ish) story, then you have come to the right place! I’m often asked: “Jacqui, why are your stories so long?” I always answer the same way: “These are REAL episodes from my life; what happens in my stories actually happened in the real world, so I’m not really in control of the length of the accounts because I am writing - quite literally - what took place!

Link to Simulator: Project Overview: The NCAA March Madness tournament is right around the corner and the excitement for college basketball is soon to reach its annual high. As a result, there has been a growing demand for accurate and reliable NCAA game simulators that can provide fans with a realistic preview of what to expect during the tournament, and guidance when making their brackets. Building on the success of a previously released NBA simulator, I decided to take on the challenge of creating an NCAA game simulator that can predict the outcomes and win probabilities of any D1 matchups from teams this year.

Rebecca Peterson was a promising young sprinter and jumper in her school days but gave it away for study and work. After a seven-year gap, she decided to take up athletics again. In doing so earned the chance to wear the silver fern representing New Zealand overseas. That was not the only “come back” element to her story. Most teenage athletes leave Southland for study and work, as did Rebecca. However, she returned South, representing Southland at national level and adding to the very few senior (non masters) athletes competing in the province.