lundi 24 février 2020
dimanche 23 février 2020
The Talk
If I had to give a presentation to a class about my job, my profession, my possibly foolish choice of becoming a small business owner, my main concern is this: I really don't want to sound like an asshole. I say this because I didn't use to be a small business owner, so I know how I sound when I talk about state mandated wage inflation, reckless politicians in Sacramento, and our incoming tariffs from our learning disabled president. I've got enough opinions about politics and policy to really sound like an asshole, to everyone! It crosses political boundaries. I'm that good.
Maybe I am an asshole. It's always a consideration. Maybe I should consider the advice of Raylan Givens: If you meet an asshole in the morning, you've met an asshole. But if you meet assholes all day, you're the asshole.
Or maybe Master Zhuangzi. To paraphrase:
Once upon a time, I, Chuang Chou, dreamt I was an asshole, pontificating hither and thither, to all intents and purposes an asshole. I was conscious only of my irritation as an asshole, unaware that I was Chou. Soon I awaked, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was an asshole, or whether I am now an asshole, dreaming I am a man.
The distant memory of the man I once was, before I became an asshole, sometimes haunts me. Spending Other Peoples Money (amusingly referred to as OPM), flitting from job to job, voting based on lofty principles with no consideration of financial responsibility. Oh to be a man again.
To really be an asshole is to be seen as being somewhat greedy of spirit. This is a problem for small business owners. I regularly spend half a million dollars a year on games, and another half a million on labor, utilities, rent and other garbage. I am a rich man by individual standards, while a poor man by business standards. Surely I can be squeezed for a few more dollars, why so much complaining? When I think of putting The Man up against The Wall, I envision a legion of like minded people behind me. What I don't realize, is I am The Man. I will be put against The Wall. Chuang Chou never dreamt of that!
So class, to understand my plight, to understand whether I'm a man or an asshole, I think perhaps you need to grasp the duality of the situation, that both states are potentially true. That my survival depends on stability, that society is increasingly in a state of flux, and that my ability to flit around like a butterfly, hither and thither, is increasingly dependent on the whims of an indifferent populace and their feckless leaders. Also, STEM fields. Business is a good safety.
Maybe I am an asshole. It's always a consideration. Maybe I should consider the advice of Raylan Givens: If you meet an asshole in the morning, you've met an asshole. But if you meet assholes all day, you're the asshole.
Or maybe Master Zhuangzi. To paraphrase:
Once upon a time, I, Chuang Chou, dreamt I was an asshole, pontificating hither and thither, to all intents and purposes an asshole. I was conscious only of my irritation as an asshole, unaware that I was Chou. Soon I awaked, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was an asshole, or whether I am now an asshole, dreaming I am a man.
The distant memory of the man I once was, before I became an asshole, sometimes haunts me. Spending Other Peoples Money (amusingly referred to as OPM), flitting from job to job, voting based on lofty principles with no consideration of financial responsibility. Oh to be a man again.
To really be an asshole is to be seen as being somewhat greedy of spirit. This is a problem for small business owners. I regularly spend half a million dollars a year on games, and another half a million on labor, utilities, rent and other garbage. I am a rich man by individual standards, while a poor man by business standards. Surely I can be squeezed for a few more dollars, why so much complaining? When I think of putting The Man up against The Wall, I envision a legion of like minded people behind me. What I don't realize, is I am The Man. I will be put against The Wall. Chuang Chou never dreamt of that!
So class, to understand my plight, to understand whether I'm a man or an asshole, I think perhaps you need to grasp the duality of the situation, that both states are potentially true. That my survival depends on stability, that society is increasingly in a state of flux, and that my ability to flit around like a butterfly, hither and thither, is increasingly dependent on the whims of an indifferent populace and their feckless leaders. Also, STEM fields. Business is a good safety.
vendredi 21 février 2020
jeudi 20 février 2020
Ep 34: Top Faves With Dave Goes Digital Is Live!
Ep 34: Top Faves with Dave goes digital
https://soundcloud.com/user-989538417/ep-34-top-faves-with-dave-goes-digital
Dave Tubbs, Nick Nerthery and I talk about military-themed video games.
Join the conversation at https://theveteranwargamer.blogspot.com, email theveteranwargamer@gmail.com, Twitter @veteranwargamer
Follow Dave on Twitter! @FrmrSldrFgtPlyr
Try Audible for your free audiobook credit by going to http://audibletrial.com/tvwg
New Segment - Stump Jay! Dave's attempt to stump Jay took 308 milliseconds to solve.
Maori Wars Empress Miniatures - http://www.empressminiatures.com/page11.htm
Emu Wars Eureka Miniatures - http://www.eurekamin.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=131&products_id=13353
SCW Empress - http://www.empressminiatures.com/page9.htm
Top Faves
Myth: The Fallen Lords - http://projectmagma.net/what/
Gog - https://www.gog.com/
Wolfenstein 3D - http://3d.wolfenstein.com/game_NA.php
Starcraft: Brood War - https://starcraft.com/en-us/
War Thunder - https://warthunder.com/en
Wolfpack - https://www.emuparadise.me/Abandonware_Games/WolfPack_(1990)(NovaLogic)/95670
UBoot Kickstarter - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/phalanxgames/uboot-the-board-game
Captain Sonar - https://www.asmodee.us/en/games/captain-sonar/
Red November - https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/red-november/
Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far - https://www.gog.com/promo/20180206_launch_promo_close_combat
Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter - https://www.gamestop.com/xbox-360/games/ghost-recon-advanced-warfighter/39276
Axis & Allies CD - http://www.harrisgamedesign.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=2268
Company of Heroes - http://www.companyofheroes.com/
Dawn of War - https://www.dawnofwar.com/
Halo - https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us
Halo Fleet Battles - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/176936/halo-fleet-battles-fall-reach
Diplomacy Play By Email - http://www.playdiplomacy.com/
Junta - https://www.alderacsite.com/junta/
Call of Duty: World at War - http://store.steampowered.com/app/10090/Call_of_Duty_World_at_War/
Total War - https://www.totalwar.com/
Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway - http://store.steampowered.com/app/15390/Brothers_in_Arms_Hells_Highway/
Nick's Article - http://www.offdutygamers.com/2010/01/brothers-in-arms-hell%E2%80%99s-highway-good-enough-to-be-a-training-aid/
Music courtesy bensound.com. Recorded with zencastr.com. Edited with Audacity. Make your town beautiful; get a haircut.
https://soundcloud.com/user-989538417/ep-34-top-faves-with-dave-goes-digital
Dave Tubbs, Nick Nerthery and I talk about military-themed video games.
Join the conversation at https://theveteranwargamer.blogspot.com, email theveteranwargamer@gmail.com, Twitter @veteranwargamer
Follow Dave on Twitter! @FrmrSldrFgtPlyr
Try Audible for your free audiobook credit by going to http://audibletrial.com/tvwg
New Segment - Stump Jay! Dave's attempt to stump Jay took 308 milliseconds to solve.
Maori Wars Empress Miniatures - http://www.empressminiatures.com/page11.htm
Emu Wars Eureka Miniatures - http://www.eurekamin.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=131&products_id=13353
SCW Empress - http://www.empressminiatures.com/page9.htm
Top Faves
Myth: The Fallen Lords - http://projectmagma.net/what/
Gog - https://www.gog.com/
Wolfenstein 3D - http://3d.wolfenstein.com/game_NA.php
Starcraft: Brood War - https://starcraft.com/en-us/
War Thunder - https://warthunder.com/en
Wolfpack - https://www.emuparadise.me/Abandonware_Games/WolfPack_(1990)(NovaLogic)/95670
UBoot Kickstarter - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/phalanxgames/uboot-the-board-game
Captain Sonar - https://www.asmodee.us/en/games/captain-sonar/
Red November - https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/red-november/
Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far - https://www.gog.com/promo/20180206_launch_promo_close_combat
Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter - https://www.gamestop.com/xbox-360/games/ghost-recon-advanced-warfighter/39276
Axis & Allies CD - http://www.harrisgamedesign.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=2268
Company of Heroes - http://www.companyofheroes.com/
Dawn of War - https://www.dawnofwar.com/
Halo - https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us
Halo Fleet Battles - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/176936/halo-fleet-battles-fall-reach
Diplomacy Play By Email - http://www.playdiplomacy.com/
Junta - https://www.alderacsite.com/junta/
Call of Duty: World at War - http://store.steampowered.com/app/10090/Call_of_Duty_World_at_War/
Total War - https://www.totalwar.com/
Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway - http://store.steampowered.com/app/15390/Brothers_in_Arms_Hells_Highway/
Nick's Article - http://www.offdutygamers.com/2010/01/brothers-in-arms-hell%E2%80%99s-highway-good-enough-to-be-a-training-aid/
Music courtesy bensound.com. Recorded with zencastr.com. Edited with Audacity. Make your town beautiful; get a haircut.
Storium Theory: Inaction In Action
Sometimes, I see players make comments in a game, explaining why they haven't made a move in a challenge so far:
"I don't think this is something my character knows how to deal with."
"I'm not sure she cares about this."
"I think he's just kind of stunned right now.
"She doesn't know what to do."
Sometimes these are indications of a problem in the story - if all of a narrator's players are telling him their characters don't care about the current situation, it is probably time to revise the situation and figure out how to better relate it to the story at hand.
But...more often, they're a statement that is actually pointing directly at a very interesting opportunity for the character: A chance to make inaction your action.
When you're writing the story of a challenge, things are happening, whether your character is acting on them or not. Each move drives the timeline of the challenge forward. When a card is played, something happens, and the challenge moves positively or negatively, or just towards the end of its story.
So...if your character, for instance, doesn't know how to deal with something, and chooses not to act...that's a choice. And that's his "action" for that moment in the tale.
So let it be an action! Make your move! Show your character's uncertainty or confusion about what to do! Show how your character hasn't cared about the situation, if that's the case, and chooses to ignore it! Show how the situation has left your character stunned, or how he's tired and needs rest, or how his injuries prevent him from joining the battle!
Sometimes, those things are treated as reasons not to make a move, but...that's not what they should be. They are, in fact, excellent opportunities to make moves.
Especially...especially...if you have either Weakness cards to play, or a Subplot.
I'm stunned. I'm confused. I'm shell-shocked. I'm injured. I'm exhausted. I just plain don't care about this.
Those are all excellent weakness plays.
When a situation is ongoing and your character chooses not to do anything about it, that's a great opportunity to show what starts going wrong with the situation because your character is not preventing it. Philosophically, there's nothing really different here from if things start to go wrong and your character tries to prevent it and fails because of a Weakness, right? Something goes wrong either way. The difference is just that your character, in this case, didn't do something to stop it instead of doing something but getting it wrong.
What about Subplots? Well, Subplots are great for these situations too! When a character is shocked into inaction, when she finds something she doesn't care about, when he struggles to understand what he's supposed to do in a situation...those are great times to explore the other mysteries in a character's life or the things the character does care about. There are some excellent subplot moves available that show how the character withdraws into themselves, or starts thinking about how all this ties in with their personal problems, or tries to examine where they are right now...and because of all that, something starts to happen in the current situation, and they're not really sure what to do in the face of it...or even if they should do something.
A subplot isn't a weakness play, mind, so chances are nothing ends up going outright wrong right away, but you can certainly hint that something will! While your character is distracted by his own thoughts, or full of self-doubt, or struggling with what he's supposed to do, or disinterested in what is happening, how does the situation evolve?
If your character doesn't seem certain of what's going on, or doesn't know what to do, or just plain doesn't care...don't just drop out of the challenge. Use that to advance the challenge.
Now...one more point on this. Especially in the case of a character that "doesn't care" about a challenge, this can actually be a great way to figure out what would make them care, and therefore explain how a Strength comes into play, or at least how they get involved in the challenge despite their feelings. If you find yourself thinking that your character just wouldn't get involved for some reason or another, put a little time into thinking about what might happen because of that decision.
Then, write a move based on that...and maybe, maybe midway through the move, you'll realize the character now does know what to do, or does care about the situation, as she sees what is about to happen, or starts watching something she does care about slip away.
Maybe that leads to the character using a Strength and turning things around after all. Or maybe the character ends up doubling down on fear or uncertainty, or just takes the wrong action, using a Weakness. Or maybe, the character's Subplot drives him forward, making him engage with the challenge now that he's seen what it could mean if he doesn't.
Now...this isn't something you need to pull in all the time. (And to be clear, if you find yourself constantly trying to figure out why your character would get involved in something, it may be time to talk to the narrator about how to make your character mesh better with the story.) But there are times when an inability to think about something that your character would do can itself be precisely what drives the story forward and makes an interesting situation.
Don't overuse this, but...keep it in the toolbox. It's a handy trick to pull out and it can lead to some astonishingly interesting moments for a character if used properly.
Remember Spider-Man and Uncle Ben...sometimes, when your character doesn't take action, that ends up driving his story more than anything else.
"I don't think this is something my character knows how to deal with."
"I'm not sure she cares about this."
"I think he's just kind of stunned right now.
"She doesn't know what to do."
Sometimes these are indications of a problem in the story - if all of a narrator's players are telling him their characters don't care about the current situation, it is probably time to revise the situation and figure out how to better relate it to the story at hand.
But...more often, they're a statement that is actually pointing directly at a very interesting opportunity for the character: A chance to make inaction your action.
When you're writing the story of a challenge, things are happening, whether your character is acting on them or not. Each move drives the timeline of the challenge forward. When a card is played, something happens, and the challenge moves positively or negatively, or just towards the end of its story.
So...if your character, for instance, doesn't know how to deal with something, and chooses not to act...that's a choice. And that's his "action" for that moment in the tale.
So let it be an action! Make your move! Show your character's uncertainty or confusion about what to do! Show how your character hasn't cared about the situation, if that's the case, and chooses to ignore it! Show how the situation has left your character stunned, or how he's tired and needs rest, or how his injuries prevent him from joining the battle!
Sometimes, those things are treated as reasons not to make a move, but...that's not what they should be. They are, in fact, excellent opportunities to make moves.
Especially...especially...if you have either Weakness cards to play, or a Subplot.
I'm stunned. I'm confused. I'm shell-shocked. I'm injured. I'm exhausted. I just plain don't care about this.
Those are all excellent weakness plays.
When a situation is ongoing and your character chooses not to do anything about it, that's a great opportunity to show what starts going wrong with the situation because your character is not preventing it. Philosophically, there's nothing really different here from if things start to go wrong and your character tries to prevent it and fails because of a Weakness, right? Something goes wrong either way. The difference is just that your character, in this case, didn't do something to stop it instead of doing something but getting it wrong.
What about Subplots? Well, Subplots are great for these situations too! When a character is shocked into inaction, when she finds something she doesn't care about, when he struggles to understand what he's supposed to do in a situation...those are great times to explore the other mysteries in a character's life or the things the character does care about. There are some excellent subplot moves available that show how the character withdraws into themselves, or starts thinking about how all this ties in with their personal problems, or tries to examine where they are right now...and because of all that, something starts to happen in the current situation, and they're not really sure what to do in the face of it...or even if they should do something.
A subplot isn't a weakness play, mind, so chances are nothing ends up going outright wrong right away, but you can certainly hint that something will! While your character is distracted by his own thoughts, or full of self-doubt, or struggling with what he's supposed to do, or disinterested in what is happening, how does the situation evolve?
If your character doesn't seem certain of what's going on, or doesn't know what to do, or just plain doesn't care...don't just drop out of the challenge. Use that to advance the challenge.
Now...one more point on this. Especially in the case of a character that "doesn't care" about a challenge, this can actually be a great way to figure out what would make them care, and therefore explain how a Strength comes into play, or at least how they get involved in the challenge despite their feelings. If you find yourself thinking that your character just wouldn't get involved for some reason or another, put a little time into thinking about what might happen because of that decision.
Then, write a move based on that...and maybe, maybe midway through the move, you'll realize the character now does know what to do, or does care about the situation, as she sees what is about to happen, or starts watching something she does care about slip away.
Maybe that leads to the character using a Strength and turning things around after all. Or maybe the character ends up doubling down on fear or uncertainty, or just takes the wrong action, using a Weakness. Or maybe, the character's Subplot drives him forward, making him engage with the challenge now that he's seen what it could mean if he doesn't.
Now...this isn't something you need to pull in all the time. (And to be clear, if you find yourself constantly trying to figure out why your character would get involved in something, it may be time to talk to the narrator about how to make your character mesh better with the story.) But there are times when an inability to think about something that your character would do can itself be precisely what drives the story forward and makes an interesting situation.
Don't overuse this, but...keep it in the toolbox. It's a handy trick to pull out and it can lead to some astonishingly interesting moments for a character if used properly.
Remember Spider-Man and Uncle Ben...sometimes, when your character doesn't take action, that ends up driving his story more than anything else.
Alaraph, Short Film, Review And Interview
Alaraph is a mockumentary done in short form about one man and what he goes through. We are presented a style we are used to seeing with many animal documentaries with a twist of a man that is in many ways human, but he has to cope with the differences.
Alaraph was screened at the 2019 FilmQuest film festival (website). It was nominated for Best Fantastic Short and Best Editing. Ton Vorselaars won for Best Cinematography.
Synopsis: When the first and only mating-season of a mythical being begins, his romantic character clashes with the current always-online society.
I would recommend Alaraph to those who find interest in the study of human behavior and how we cope as individuals and as a species.
Guust Mulder was kind enough to share some of their insights to the creation of Alaraph and themselves.
What was the inspiration for Alaraph?
· Extreme characters in Japanese anime series like one piece
· BBC life
· Barton Fink
· Conversations with a good friend about tinder
What project(s) do you have coming up you're excited about?
Right now, a new script is finished, it has a lot of dialogue so completely different from Alaraph.
It's titled: The Restitution.
No more crowdfunding this time though. But we'll get there.
What was your early inspiration for pursuing a career in film?
Seeing The Matrixand the fellowship of the ring for the first time. Both blew my mind.
It led me to binge watching the IMDb top 100 and saving money for my own camera.
What would be your dream project?
I love films that create a universe. Living their own life beyond the movie. Like Star Wars.
Characters that people want action figures of. Imagine people having an Alaraph like action figure.
Not quite there yet though.
What are some of your favorite pastimes when not working on a movie?
Carelessly playing football in the summer with my friends.
What is one of your favorite movies and why?
Memento.
For me a brilliant story and mind-blowing way of telling it.
The editing and narration force you to get inside the mind of the main character.
Alaraph is currently playing on the film festival circuit.
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mercredi 19 février 2020
Bimonthly Progress Report For My Twitch Channel, FuzzyJCats, July 2 To Sept 1
FuzzyJCats Twitch Channel
Now that I accomplished the most important improvement to my stream, not caring about numbers, I was able to focus on my goals listed in my last progress report during this period.
I was getting better at talking and gaming at the same time, as it didn't quite take as much effort as before. I was able to stream without exercising just as well as before when I really had to exercise to perform.
Interestingly, as streaming seemed to be more and more natural (though not quite effortless which is where I want to end up at), I felt that near the end of the period, I actually fell into complacency, so I didn't really work on self-care issues, improving fluency, removing vocal tics and filler words, and the like.
I could tell that I was starting to become complacent around last week, because I didn't have that passion I have when I want to improve upon things. The good news is that this week, after realizing that I was almost going through the motions (albeit while streaming, I was having fun being with my community), I rediscovered that excitement and drive to work on improving my content.
I found one obvious area to improve is to have more purposeful gaming while chatting. My default strat of just moving the character around as I'm chatting just to provide some change in scenery is certainly better than nothing, i.e. having my character stand in one place. But clearly, we can do better than that!
Admittedly, the strat was a good crutch as I was getting acclimated to the multitasking, but since it's taking less effort to stream thanks to experience, I'd like to actually chat and purposefully move toward the boss, as boss fights are amongst the most exciting content.
The roadblock is that for some reason, I feel compelled to narrate what I'm doing in gaming, so if I'm moving toward a goal, I'd talk about that, as opposed to talking about more interesting subjects that my viewers present.
Therefore, I have to make a concerted effort to only talk about why I'm doing something if there's nothing else to address in chat, and I can't think of any other topics to talk about.
I feel by consciously gaming purposefully the entire stream, my streaming content will improve immensely. But by doing this, I do in fact have to exercise as that's going to take so much more mental energy than just going through the motions (that might explain why I was recently able to stream despite not exercising).
Fortunately, I exercised for the first time yesterday when my asthma was stable, and I have to make sure that I exercise regularly like I used to during the beginning of my streaming.
I also want to improve being more fluent. Due to being so excitable, my mind goes all over the place, leading to my speaking in fits and starts, and often not completing sentences.
A great example of a streamer who is warm, friendly, constantly talks to chat, addresses and knows all of his viewers, and offers amazing gameplay the entirety of his stream is RichieTwoTeas. Although Richie's a professional streamer, and I'm a hobbyist, it helps to have a lofty goal to strive toward.
I believe that purposeful gaming and fluency are the two major improvements to focus on for my second year of streaming as achievable goals. The third improvement of community building does not appear to have concrete steps to take, but I can work on finding solutions this period. My first stream was on July 25, 2018.
Improving equipment to stream through PC using OBS greatly improves audio-visuals to a noticeable effect, so getting a decent PC and learning how to set up OBS is definitely something I'll be working on down the road.
Although I tend to do better with improving on one aspect rather than multiple, it appears that having good game content and fluency are intertwined, so it won't be "confusing" to work on both at the same time, as they are what you do when streaming.
An easy improvement I made is buying 4 season-specific sub badges through Own3D, which was rather cost-effective, and they often (always?) have 50% discounts. One set of sub badges costs $15 with the steep discounts - you get 3- 6- 9- and 12- month badges. So far, I featured the ice cream and pumpkin sub badges, and the other two will follow upon season change.
Responding to viewers have improved. I obtain logs through Chatty.
Goals Achieved:
Now that I accomplished the most important improvement to my stream, not caring about numbers, I was able to focus on my goals listed in my last progress report during this period.
I was getting better at talking and gaming at the same time, as it didn't quite take as much effort as before. I was able to stream without exercising just as well as before when I really had to exercise to perform.
Interestingly, as streaming seemed to be more and more natural (though not quite effortless which is where I want to end up at), I felt that near the end of the period, I actually fell into complacency, so I didn't really work on self-care issues, improving fluency, removing vocal tics and filler words, and the like.
I could tell that I was starting to become complacent around last week, because I didn't have that passion I have when I want to improve upon things. The good news is that this week, after realizing that I was almost going through the motions (albeit while streaming, I was having fun being with my community), I rediscovered that excitement and drive to work on improving my content.
I found one obvious area to improve is to have more purposeful gaming while chatting. My default strat of just moving the character around as I'm chatting just to provide some change in scenery is certainly better than nothing, i.e. having my character stand in one place. But clearly, we can do better than that!
Admittedly, the strat was a good crutch as I was getting acclimated to the multitasking, but since it's taking less effort to stream thanks to experience, I'd like to actually chat and purposefully move toward the boss, as boss fights are amongst the most exciting content.
The roadblock is that for some reason, I feel compelled to narrate what I'm doing in gaming, so if I'm moving toward a goal, I'd talk about that, as opposed to talking about more interesting subjects that my viewers present.
Therefore, I have to make a concerted effort to only talk about why I'm doing something if there's nothing else to address in chat, and I can't think of any other topics to talk about.
I feel by consciously gaming purposefully the entire stream, my streaming content will improve immensely. But by doing this, I do in fact have to exercise as that's going to take so much more mental energy than just going through the motions (that might explain why I was recently able to stream despite not exercising).
Fortunately, I exercised for the first time yesterday when my asthma was stable, and I have to make sure that I exercise regularly like I used to during the beginning of my streaming.
I also want to improve being more fluent. Due to being so excitable, my mind goes all over the place, leading to my speaking in fits and starts, and often not completing sentences.
A great example of a streamer who is warm, friendly, constantly talks to chat, addresses and knows all of his viewers, and offers amazing gameplay the entirety of his stream is RichieTwoTeas. Although Richie's a professional streamer, and I'm a hobbyist, it helps to have a lofty goal to strive toward.
I believe that purposeful gaming and fluency are the two major improvements to focus on for my second year of streaming as achievable goals. The third improvement of community building does not appear to have concrete steps to take, but I can work on finding solutions this period. My first stream was on July 25, 2018.
Improving equipment to stream through PC using OBS greatly improves audio-visuals to a noticeable effect, so getting a decent PC and learning how to set up OBS is definitely something I'll be working on down the road.
Although I tend to do better with improving on one aspect rather than multiple, it appears that having good game content and fluency are intertwined, so it won't be "confusing" to work on both at the same time, as they are what you do when streaming.
Responding to viewers have improved. I obtain logs through Chatty.
Goals Achieved:
- No longer caring about viewer numbers
- Incorporated 4 Sub Badges
- Using Chatty
Improvement to focus on for next period:
- Purposeful gaming while chatting and fluency = must do self-care
The How of Happiness Review
Happy Holidays From The ChicagoWiz Christmas Manor!
This has been a rough year around our house, with Death visiting us far too often and too close.
Still, I am blessed with the family and friends I have, with the good health and a steady job. There is is a full fridge with food to be made tomorrow for a family feast. Presents under the tree. These are small things that will mean so much to everyone coming over.
I hope that you have the same blessings! May the Holidays bring you joy, peace and comfort. May you have plenty of time for games and good cheer with those you want to be with!
I hope to see you all in 2020 with even more games and fun.
Michael "Chgowiz" Shorten
jeudi 13 février 2020
Brave Browser voted the best privacy-focused product of 2020
Out of all the privacy-focused products and apps available on the market, Brave has been voted the best. Other winners of Product Hunt's Golden Kitty awards showed that there was a huge interest in privacy-enhancing products and apps such as chats, maps, and other collaboration tools.
An extremely productive year for Brave
Last year has been a pivotal one for the crypto industry, but few companies managed to see the kind of success Brave did. Almost every day of the year has been packed witch action, as the company managed to officially launch its browser, get its Basic Attention Token out, and onboard hundreds of thousands of verified publishers on its rewards platform.
Luckily, the effort Brave has been putting into its product hasn't gone unnoticed.
The company's revolutionary browser has been voted the best privacy-focused product of 2019, for which it received a Golden Kitty award. The awards, hosted by Product Hunt, were given to the most popular products across 23 different product categories.
Ryan Hoover, the founder of Product Hunt said:
"Our annual Golden Kitty awards celebrate all the great products that makers have launched throughout the year"
Brave's win is important for the company—with this year seeing the most user votes ever, it's a clear indicator of the browser's rapidly rising popularity.
Privacy and blockchain are the strongest forces in tech right now
If reaching 10 million monthly active users in December was Brave's crown achievement, then the Product Hunt award was the cherry on top.
The recognition Brave got from Product Hunt users shows that a market for privacy-focused apps is thriving. All of the apps and products that got a Golden Kitty award from Product Hunt users focused heavily on data protection. Everything from automatic investment apps and remote collaboration tools to smart home products emphasized their privacy.
AI and machine learning rose as another note-worthy trend, but blockchain seemed to be the most dominating force in app development. Blockchain-based messaging apps and maps were hugely popular with Product Hunt users, who seem to value innovation and security.
For those users, Brave is a perfect platform. The company's research and development team has recently debuted its privacy-preserving distributed VPN, which could potentially bring even more security to the user than its already existing Tor extension.
Brave's effort to revolutionize the advertising industry has also been recognized by some of the biggest names in publishing—major publications such as The Washington Post, The Guardian, NDTV, NPR, and Qz have all joined the platform. Some of the highest-ranking websites in the world, including Wikipedia, WikiHow, Vimeo, Internet Archive, and DuckDuckGo, are also among Brave's 390,000 verified publishers.
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