#and a full time job and my phd so like meh

[kingdom-creatin]

this place looks so different now what has happened

[checkoutmybookshelf]

In Defense of Full-Cast Audiobooks

By the time I was teaching Dracula as a PhD student, I was getting *that close* to being done, I was burned out as all hell, and I just could not bring myself to sit down and read the OG vampire book. I tried. It wasn't grabbing me, and there were days I literally could not make my eyes focus on the words on the page. So I didn't bother reading my physical copy. I'm actually not sure I ever opened this book to read it (although I did use it to check stuff in classes, so like having the physical copy was useful).

Instead, I got the full-cast audiobook on the strength of the fact that I liked Tim Curry's voice work on any number of childhood cartoons and Simon Vance's work on the Temeraire audiobooks. I went from being meh to actively antagonistic with this book to absolutely, completely enamoured with it, and I credit the incredible full-cast audio performance with that. Let's talk Dracula and the merits of full-cast audiobooks.

Reading is reading, whether you do it with a physical book, ebook, or audiobook. That's not up for debate. However, amongst audiobook afficionados, there are generally two schools of thought.

Camp one is the "just read it to me" folks, and they tend to prefer a single narrator (although I've met a few who will accept two readers, one male and one female, to do characters of those respective genders. No word on how that works with nonbinary characters, so if you have a preference on that, let us know!). This camp also tends to be on a sliding scale in terms of how much performing they like their one narrator to do. I've known people on the "yes, do all the voices and put some feeling into it" end and the "the narrator should be more or less invisible" end.

Camp two is those who prefer full-cast audiobooks. These tend to read like full-on radio productions, with voice actors for all the main characters, and sometimes music and/or sound effects for emphasis and flavor. I've been in this camp since I was a teenager and discovered the full cast audio versions of Tamora Pierce's Circle of Magic books. I was sold. I have them basically memorized at this point. And when I found out that I could get Dracula read this way, I leaped on that with both feet.

The audiobook version of Dracula I listened to was the Audible exclusive full-cast version, and I have to say, I think it worked particularly well for an epistolary novel. You never ever get lost or consfused about who the speaker is when every character has their own unique voice actor (which honestly tends not to be an issue for me, but my students would periodically tell me they had this problem when reading). With some music and performance as well, the story really pops. All the interpersonal relationships between characters get just that much more real, that much more impactful.

The ability to "read" the book on my walks to and from school and on the bus to and from work was a massive plus too, because that was right in the middle of my "I'm working three jobs and getting a PhD and TA-ing simultaneously" phase, so using every scrap of time I could was important to my ability to EVEN. I was in a position to pay for the audiobook, but I also tracked down a single-narrator (probably bootlegged, I genuinely don't know) version on YouTube and made that link available to my students in case they weren't in a position to pay for an audio version. I don't know how many of them used the link, or even took my advice to try aduiobooking it if they were struggling to read the book, but I know that the full-cast audio version was how I got through it and how I really ended up loving the book.

In terms of Dracula itself, I don't have a lot to say other than it really IS that good; it's a classic for a reason. The vampire hunting shenangins are never not fun, and seeing vampires before Anne Rice and Stephanie Meyer got on the scene is fascinating. If anyone out there hasn't experienced Dracula, I strongly recommend reading it in your preferred medium, and Dracula Daily is an option as well that I'm planning to get in on one of these years, because I haven't done that yet and I think that would be a truly fascinating way to engage with the novel.

[theninjasanctuary]

It would be cool if the universe dropped me a random 5000 € or so, because with these flight prices, even my deluded ass will never make it to Tokyo this August. As in, I kind of saw a deal-ish (under the circumstances) situation tonight that would have been 1100 € via Istanbul for business class, or 800 in economy with a 16-hour connection, and back for 500 in economy via Seoul and Istanbul, with the caveat of needing to change airports in Seoul during a 5-hour connection. And even the boyf was like "so a minor delay would mean we're stranded in Seoul", and I am not feeling all that adventurous tbh. (A full day connection in Seoul, admittedly, might have been cool.) The reality is, I cannot afford this anyway, and where things are currently, it is the season to go out and mingle and enjoy life and drink Spritz whilst wearing sandals, and here I am, needing whole days to sleep and dissociate so I can complete just some minor chores, fml.

I did contact the physio and set up a session, but not feeling great about it. Since we're in a drought, I've helped mom water eeeeeeeeeverything in her garden (except the lawn, as burnt as it is, this would be unfeasible), filling countless buckets and the old cast-iron bathtub with the pre-war water pump, and before that, when it wasn't as dry yet, I did a few sessions of strimming, etc., and the physical toll is just... I wake up with my dominant hand feeling swollen and stiff to the point I can't make a fist and it's hard to grip things (tbh this has been going on for several summers), and for several days now, I've had annoying nerve pain along my ribs below the right shoulder blade. It hurts to take deep breaths, which is obviously not great from the exercise viewpoint. And overall, feeling flabby and worn out and meh. Even with a fresh flippy bob, and polished nails. (Zoya Avril is still a favourite, I wish the brush was better though.) I would like to press pause on the world for, idk, two weeks at least, just to gather myself.

Failing to get work done is not improving moods, either. Did go to a union meetup, which was okay, and an expo opening, and a social with students, too. The disconnect between how I feel and how these bright young people see me is making me uneasy. Also, it's sad that a colleague is moving on to other things, he was great at the job and we get along really well. I mean, the person taking over is pretty okay too, but still. (That being said, a one-time cool co-worker has been taken on as a PhD student in my department, so it will be nice having her around again.)

There is hope for thunder and rain this weekend. Fingers crossed. It might make me feel more sane and less out of it.

Received a Sellpy order with several pairs of trousers to try, and only one kind of fit (the cheapest, so am getting a decent refund if I manage to send the returns back). Also included a black silk tank top (good!), and a Lambretta Cielo watch, because it was 9 € and I thought that maybe having a backup watch is good. Sellpy also has the same model of minimalist, rectangular brushed steel Fossil f2 that I lost several years ago, and the price keeps dropping, but I kind of think I need to let the past go.

[stayathomesurveys]

138.

When was the last time you wore a full face of makeup? Last week.

Do you own an iPad? No.

Who was the last non-relative woman you spoke to in person? Coworkers.

What’s the most hours you’ve worked in a week? No idea.

Do you believe in karma? Yeah.

What temperature is your thermostat currently set to? No idea.

What’s a topic you’ve drastically changed your opinion on? Hmm. Not sure.

Are you a kind, thoughtful person? I try to be.

Do you know anyone who has a PhD? No.

Who were you dating in July 2010? Or were you single? I was single.

How do you feel when you’re the center of attention? Uncomfy.

Would you rather be a nurse or a mechanical engineer? Nurse :)

Do you like Starbucks chai lattes, or do you think they’re too sweet? I’ve never had one.

Are you and your SO facebook official? Lol.

Do you know how to set a formal table setting for a 3+ course dinner? Yeah.

Are you in a good mood today? Meh. I was.

Do you know anyone who works as a lawyer? No.

Which would bother you more: being told you’re not likable or being told you’re not sensible? Not likable, I guess.

Do you have a difficult time relating to other’s emotions? No. I’m very empathetic.

How many bedrooms does your house have? I live in a one bedroom apartment.

What was the last electronic item you bought? No idea.

Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis? Yes.

When you were 15, what did you want to grow up to be? Doctor. Actress.

Did you ever achieve that? No. Not yet.

Have you ever had a dream in which you died? Yes.

Have you bought a bag of potato chips in the past week? Nope.

Does the thought of having wrinkles when you’re older upset you? Yes.

How often do you buy a new phone? Every couple years or so.

Would you rather live in an apartment in the city, or a cabin in the woods? Apartment in the city.

Do you use Snapchat? No.

Have you ever driven or ridden on a motorcycle? Yeah, my brother’s.

Do you know anyone who’s struggling with addiction? Yeah.

Are any other members of your household home right now? -

What was your first job? And how long did you work there? Culver’s. A year and a month.

What was your favorite school subject when you were in middle school? Choir. History. Science.

[lovemesomesurveys]

When was the last time you wore a full face of makeup? Not since like 2016. The last time I wore any makeup at all, which was just eyeliner and mascara, was for my brother’s graduation party back in 2021.

Do you own an iPad? No.

Who was the last non-relative woman you spoke to in person? My doctor. They’re the only person I see outside of my family. 

What’s the most hours you’ve worked in a week? I’ve never had a job.

Do you believe in karma? No.

What temperature is your thermostat currently set to? I don’t know.

What’s a topic you’ve drastically changed your opinion on? Hmm. 

Are you a kind, thoughtful person? I’ve admittedly been really absorbed and wrapped up in my own shit the past few years. That’s not to say that I’m unkind or don’t think about others, I just have my own stuff that has been my main focus. 

Do you know anyone who has a PhD? Well, my doctor. 

Who were you dating in July 2010? Or were you single? I was single.

How do you feel when you’re the center of attention? I do not want or like being the center of attention. It’s so awkward and cringe. In conversations I spend very little time talking about myself and I don’t get too into stuff, I quickly revert it back to the other person. 

Would you rather be a nurse or a mechanical engineer? Neither, honestly.

Do you like Starbucks chai lattes, or do you think they’re too sweet? I think they’re gross. 

Are you and your SO facebook official? I’m very single. 

Do you know how to set a formal table setting for a 3+ course dinner? No. 

Are you in a good mood today? Meh, I’m okay. 

Do you know anyone who works as a lawyer? No.

Which would bother you more: being told you’re not likable or being told you’re not sensible? Ehh, I don’t know. I don’t really care about being liked and I know I’m not the most sensible person in the world. I guess I’ll go with being told I’m not likable. It’s just kinda funny cause that’s not really something I’m concerned about.

Do you have a difficult time relating to other’s emotions? No, I consider myself to be empathetic, relatable, and understanding. 

How many bedrooms does your house have? Two.

What was the last electronic item you bought? I don’t recall the last one I bought myself as most of them have been given to me by my parents and brother. 

Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis? No.

When you were 15, what did you want to grow up to be? A counselor. 

Did you ever achieve that? No. I have my BA in psychology, though. 

Have you ever had a dream in which you died? Yes. 

Have you bought a bag of potato chips in the past week? No.

Does the thought of having wrinkles when you’re older upset you? Just the thought of getting old is kind of upsetting. 

How often do you buy a new phone? I usually have it for a few years before getting a new one. 

Would you rather live in an apartment in the city, or a cabin in the woods? Apartment in the city.

Do you use Snapchat? I sometimes get on their to check others’ stories, but I very rarely post anything. 

Have you ever driven or ridden on a motorcycle? I’ve ridden on the back of one with my dad when I was a kid.

Do you know anyone who’s struggling with addiction? Yes.

Are any other members of your household home right now? Yes.

What was your first job? And how long did you work there? I’ve never had one.

What was your favorite school subject when you were in middle school? English.

[pastelbatfandoms]

More Surveys because I can’t write

When was the last time you wore a full face of makeup? last week

Do you own an iPad? No

Who was the last non-relative you spoke to in person? My Bestie

What’s the most hours you’ve worked in a week? idr I haven’t had a job since I was 18

Do you believe in karma? most of the time

What temperature is your thermostat currently set to? 65

What’s a topic you’ve drastically changed your opinion on? Who was actually the abusive one in Amber and Johnny Depp’s Marriage. (answer would be Heard)

Are you a kind, thoughtful person? sometimes

What’s an achievement you hope to see humanity accomplish in your lifetime? Who knows

Do you know anyone who has a PhD? No

Who were you dating in July 2011? Or were you single? My husband and I were Newlyweds then.

How do you feel when you’re the center of attention? Depends on what for

Would you rather be a nurse or a mechanical engineer? Neither

Do you like Starbucks chai lattes, or do you think they’re too sweet? idk I don’t drink Starbucks

Are you and your SO facebook official? My status says “married to [him]” on FB, if that’s what you mean.

Do you know how to set a formal table setting for a 3+ course dinner? Probably not.

Are you in a good mood today? Meh

Do you know anyone who works as a lawyer? Yes, an Ex of mine is a lawyer.

Which would bother you more: being told you’re not likable or being told you’re not sensible? Sensible.

Do you have a difficult time relating to other’s emotions? sometimes

How many bedrooms does your house have? 2?

What was the last electronic item you bought? New TV

Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis? possibly

Are there any trees in your yard? too many

What are your most-used apps on your phone? Facebook Messanger, Instagram, youtube,tumblr

Have you ever bathed in a river or a lake? Not bathed, no.

When you were 15, what did you want to grow up to be? Alot of things lol Singer,Actress,Manager/Valet for a Pro Wrestler,Journalist,Music Video Director.

Did you ever achieve that? Nope.

Have you ever had a dream in which you died? No

Have you bought a bag of potato chips in the past week? No

Does the thought of having wrinkles when you’re older upset you?

Yes

How often do you buy a new phone? Every 2-3 years now. <<Same

Would you rather live in an apartment in the city, or a cabin in the woods? By The Beach

Do you use Snapchat? No

Have you ever driven or ridden on a motorcycle? Yes

If so, what’s the farthest you’ve traveled on one? Around the block lol

When was the last time you drank coffee? It’s been a while.

Are you in any physical pain right now? No

Have you ever used a dating app, like Tinder, Bumble, etc? Nope.

Do you know anyone who’s struggling with addiction? Yes.

Are any other members of your household home right now? Yeah. My kids.

What was your first job? And how long did you work there? Burger King for a week

What was your favorite school subject when you were in middle school? English/Creative Writing

[parti-pooper]

Headcanons for Stendy Family?

Alright, Anon! The time has come! OvO/ I don’t know if these are the kinds of headcanons you had hoped for - but I hope you can enjoy them anyway. uwu

Stan proposes to Wendy on the night of a wedding reception. Drunk. After puking. With no ring. Seeing his friends get married that day made him get mushy, and so he downed a bunch of liquid luck in the hopes of getting up enough courage to ask her to marry him. He thought it’d be romantic. Cue Wendy having to say nope after watching her beautiful, beloved boyfriend eject his guts and slur, “Wen-dyyy I larvuI lff fugignk larvaruu youuu,, marr meh ples marr meybeb…”

Wendy tells Stan what he did the next morning, and he gets embarrassed as he explains his thoughts last night. Wendy asks if he was genuine, and Stan says yeah, he really was. “Ask me again,” she says. “I don’t know,” he laughs nervously, “I’m kind of scared you’ll say no again.”  He pulls at his hair anxiously and averts his gaze, but she grabs his hand and makes him look into her eyes. “Ask me again,” she says, and he can’t deny her. “Okay, uhm… Wendy, I love you. Will you marry me?” He winces, pained, while he waits for her response. She smiles easily. “Yes.”

And that’s how Stan proposed to Wendy, drunk, and then proposed to her again, hungover. Still a better love story than Twilight.

They have a winter wedding. It snows on the day, and so Wendy and Stan both have white flakes in their black hair in all their wedding photographs outside the church. His horrible friends make dandruff jokes, but Stan and Wendy are so happy, they can’t even care. They’re shivering and smiling the whole day long.

Wendy keeps her last name, which Stan is disappointed about after all of those years writing Wendy Marsh in the margins of his notebooks, but he respects her decision.

They honeymoon in Hawaii. They’re a basic bitch couple, at the end of the day. (Butters sets them up, btw. Mahalo Rewards Card, biiitch!)

They were living together even before marriage, so they just continue to live like that for the first year of marriage. It isn’t long before Wendy gets pregnant though (Marsh men move fast, f.y.i., they end up being the first couple in their group of friends to have kids) and they quickly realise that their one-bedroom apartment probably isn’t the best place to raise a kid.

They end up moving to a cramped little house in a different area of their city. Stan wanted to move somewhere with a big backyard and a nearby park and quiet, safe roads for his kid to play in, like back where he grew up. But they had to stay in the city while Wendy finished her PhD.

It’s hard to make ends meet while Wendy’s working on her thesis and a part-time job while pregnant (with all of the discomfort that implies), and Stan’s trying to make enough money for the both of them doing whatever job he can. It’s a very poor time for them. There’s a lot of stress and a lot of arguments break out between them. They go to bed angry sometimes.

…But they always make up eventuality. It’s the hardest nights that make them cling the closest.

Stan and Wendy end up getting two babies for the price of one. They find out they’re having twins, and their stress just doubles.

They work themselves to exhaustion trying to save up enough money for their stork delivery, taking extra shifts at their work. They sleep whenever they’re not working. They forget to eat. Some days, they don’t even see each other. When they do, they can’t even muster the energy to just talk.

Sometimes they forget what it’s all for.

They remember again when Wendy finally gives birth, and they have their beautiful twin daughters. Stan holds one in each arm, and cries the whole time. Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny arrive pretty much instantaneously, being that over-dependent surrogate family they’ve always been to him, and all just hug the ever-loving shit out of Stan and coo over their new nieces.

Wendy gets a visit from all her girlfriends, too. Bebe, Nichole, Red, Heidi, Annie, and more, all come bearing gifts like the Wise Men at Jesus’ birth.

Having twins is no fucking party. Have you ever tried to soothe two babies crying at once? Stan and Wendy can’t take turns; they both have to get up in the night when the babies cry. The sleep deprivation is real, you guys.

Wendy has to take time off from her part-time job due to maternity leave, and she has to finish her thesis from home, so she stays and looks after the twins in the day. Stan goes to work all day, and then he takes over at night when he gets home.

Sometimes Gran’pa Randy and Gran’ma Sharon will take the kids off their hands for a weekend just so that Stan and Wendy can catch up on some fucking sleep. Stan has never loved them more than when they do that.

The twins grow up to be absolute terrors. Neither Stan nor Wendy know where they got their mischievous side from, but boy did they get it. Like, why are they so determined to stick pointy things in power outlets? Why do they constantly want to put small objects in their mouths? Why don’t they want to wear diapers? Why do they like to scream at the top of their lungs when their mom is working? Why do they think the wall is the best place to draw on with crayons? (Uncle Cartman is so proud, btw.)

Stan and Wendy swear up and down that they are never having another one. Never, ever. Nope. Not a single one. Two is more than enough. No.

Two years later, Wendy is pregnant again.

She’s finally finished her PhD though, so they think it’s finally time to move to that huge house with the big backyard in a nice neighbourhood like they always talked about.

“No, Stan, we’re not getting a dog too. We barely just got the girls potty-trained, and we still have to take them out on leashes. That’s all the dog we need right now.”

She gives birth to their son, Thomas, not long after. And thank goodness, he inherited his father’s quietness and is not as unnecessarily loud as his sisters. He also inherited his father’s sensitivity, however, and he cries at near-anything. A very fussy baby. He lives in his daddy’s arms, and he is literally, actually scared of his own shadow. His big sisters bully him a lot.

But they won’t allow anyone else to bully him. Like their mom, they stand up against any tyranny (that isn’t their own). Also like their mom, they are ferociously intelligent, and their parents fear them for it.

All three children have the same black hair and blue eyes as their mom and dad and grow up to be the absolute spit of their parents.

When Stan and Wendy look at their children, they quite literally forget all those years of hardship they went through; because what is that suffering, now, compared to this bliss?

Stan is such a sappy dad, in fact, that he writes songs about his children, for his children, and sings to them on his guitar.

Then the girls try to steal his guitar and almost break it with their careless strumming because they can’t appreciate nice things when they’re, what, six? Seriously, Stan, what did you think would happen?

But they quiet down and listen when Stan sings them a lullaby at bedtime.

Also, Stan is a pretty big push-over. His kids just need to bat their baby blues at them and he’s wrapped ‘round their tiny fingers. An ice-cream? You got it, honey. A pony? Anything for you, sweetie. What’s that, now? The assassination of the US president? Just hold on, cupcake, I’m on my way to D.C. right now.

I swear, Wendy “Don’t Fucking Test Me” Burger is the only force keeping that family from falling to the whims of their terrible twins and the wants of their infant son.

She makes sure they brush their teeth and eat their greens and look both ways before crossing the street. She has full folders of their medical and dental history organised in chronological order. She already has a college fund set up for all three kids that she keeps money flowing into monthly. She helps them with their homework (mostly Thomas, the girls do fine on their own). She’s a fucking scary force of nature, man.

…But maybe she lets Stan get that dog one day.

Uncle Kyle, Uncle Cartman, and Uncle Kenny visit often, and bring their own kids when they have them too. They reminisce while watching their children run around, playing and fighting, like they all used to do as kids. And they spoil Stan and Wendy’s children absolutely fucking rotten, and that doesn’t fucking help, guys, stop bringing the girls candy when we’re trying to teach them that locking their baby brother in the pantry is bad!!

Anyway, they’re a beautiful fucking family. I’m happy for them.

[talenlee]

Here’s a one-part diary, one-part itinerary, one-part aspirational documentation of what I did this past year as best I can explain it and we’ll see how well we go as we go with it. This wrapup is at least in part to look at what I did, but also to try and get a handle on my own feeling of yawning lack of accomplishment. If you didn’t do a lot this year and you get overwhelmed by lists, please don’t read this because it might make you upset. On the other hand if you want a wrapup of the kind of things I do and try to do… well, hey, checkit out.

Writing

I got back into writing daily in July, and did so consistantly throughout the year. Part of what let me get onto that schedule better was the use of a Bullet Journal, a tool I found very handy for tracking my progress as I blogged and recorded my mental health and wellbeing. A material object is very satisfying to handle, so I recommend it to anyone struggling with frantic feelings of impermanence.

Of the things I wrote, it seems the things people were most interested in were the articles on Jace, and my Amerimanga covers, with a late-year run-in for Perry’s Lock story.

Study!

I finished my honours thesis, and did well enough to get an almost-but-not-quite top rating mark. The research was considered interesting enough to serve as the basis of my PhD, which I then applied for, and my application was approved. This was a really harrowing experience – I thought writing and applying would take a few weeks at most, but it took almost two full months of work.

My Honours thesis is listed under my government name so I’m reluctant to share it as is, but the basic gist was to try and tackle the idea that when critically engaging with games, play is a paratext, rather than text. That is, there is no true textual analysis that can be done of play without recognising the input of the player, but, you can examine the play the player brings if you recognise what the player means to the reading. This wound up forming the basis of my Making Fun videos.

Reading!

I don’t read enough, I tell myself, so I did my best to read more. When I found myself reading, I made sure to share it and indulge in it, which helped me focus on reading more. Interestingly when you share reading you’re necessarily framing it, which means you’re sort of explaining it, a thing that made approaching some books a lot easier. I’d wind up at the end of a book realising I’d explained it and understood it, without noticing that’s what I was doing.

The Grasshopper: Life, Games and Utopia, by Bernard Suits

Alien Phenomenology: What It’s Like To Be A Thing, by Ian Bogost

Paratexts: Threshold of Interpretation, by Gerard Geanette

Game Play: Paratextuality in Contemporary Board Games, by Paul Booth

Understanding Media, by Marshall McLuahn (SUPER dense)

I also read some manga and comics, and some of those I’d recommend are:

Sense Art Online

Lumberjanes

Irredeemable

Top 10

I also reread Nation, by Terry Pratchett, which isn’t at all interesting because this is merely one of my favourite books and just one of the best things he ever wrote. Also, one final note to Blades in the Dark, a game book I really liked and makes me very excited.

Robots!

I made a bunch of twitter robots, which are basically an automated way of playing with text. They seem like they’d be harder than they are – and you’d be surprised once you get past a certain threshold how well they do things you forgot you told them they could do, or never realised. You can look at all of them here.

Media!

This year I made a protracted point, as well, to actually watch some TV! That may sound like a really minor thing, but TV these days is such a vast thing that there is some cool stuff there. What’s more, TV you can’t interact with and you can’t be expected to get wrong – which can make it good for relaxation and trying to diminish anxiety. I know I watched all of the first two seasons of American Horror Story back to back while in the grip of The Worries, and you would think that would be distressing but it was kind of the opposite.

This also broadened my palate and gave me more ideas for stories. As a nearly non-stop Youtube watcher as well, I’m already in the market for short, informative videomaking, which I also got into, so longer-form, higher-production stuff – even stuff like just Bob Ross was good to watch.

I also took this chance to catch up on some TV series and movies that are part of ‘the zeitgeist’ that for some reason or another I never really watched. I tried watching more anime, too, which is like TV but you can’t multitask during it, unless you watch it dubbed. And on that note, I watched Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, dubbed, and didn’t hate it. In fact, my thesis and FMA Brotherhood, as well as the work of Sideways, is what convinced me to try making Youtube videos on the subjects that interest me.

What I’m saying is I have a FMA Brotherhood video in me, but we’ll see how I go with this new editing software. Anyway.

Shirts!

I made at least 36 different t-shirt designs this year – holy nerts, that’s a lot more than I expected. My original goal was something like 1 shirt design per month – and thanks to the practice doing graphic design, I wound up making three a month.

In case you were curious, yes, these don’t really sell.

Playing Games!

I did a lot of work on my backlog of games. At the last accounting, I have 559 games in my Steam Library, and of them I have marked 229 as Completed. Note that to me, a game is completed when I’m done with it – I don’t need to slog through a game that bored me in the first hour.

Making Games!

And here we have an absolute bumper. Partly because my thesis required a lot of game design and partly because I cannot resist the joy of merely making, I spent a lot of time this year creating card and board games, including our first proper release of a board game.

I planned to make a game a month for 2017, based on 2016, and that arc follows here, but.

January – D-73C7, a hidden movement game on cards

February – Chin Music, a memory game of punching

March – Pie Crimes, the prisoner’s dilemma, with cake

April – Dragon’s Favour, a voting game of hidden roles

May – Queer Coding, a cooperative communication game

June – Fabricators, an economy game of 3d printing futuristic factories

July – You Can’t Win, an impossible trick taking game

August – Cafe Romantica, a handsome boys builder game

September – Good Cop, Bear Cop, a hidden identity accuse-em-up

October – Sector 86, a space station builder

November – Escape Code, a bluffing conversation game

December – C-QNS, a pattern matching number game

In addition to this, there were some extra games we released, Push Pins, Nobeard’s Treasure, Skulk, Camp Osum (Alpha) and Yes Chef. In my thesis I had to complete preliminary design for two more games, Mystery Machine and The Coins Of Tarim, and I did prospective work for Kinksame and pushed through stage one of The Comissioner’s Game. I also put out a prototype concept for a VHS-style wrestling game. So far none of these games have proven to be world-beaters, but I’m happy with all of them, in no small part because I love the process of making them. There are stories about each one, stories about how they improved or changed and that may wind up going up over on the main Invincible Ink website.

I also collaborated more and made more games solo. I made D-73C7 entirely on my own (and incidentally, that number is 881,607, in decimal), and continued this with some of our games – Fabricators and You Can’t Win, for example, were entirely solo projects. Yet at the same time, this year featured Skulk, which has art by Alex Zandra, Sector 86 uses some of our first paid stock art, and Cafe Romantica is a game whose entire visual aesthetic is made by Fox.

In addition to this, games that were complete in 2017, but not released include LFG (releasing Cancon 2018), Black Jack’s Dungeon, Bag O Pipes, Domains of Meh, and Winston’s Archive. There were also revisions and second editions for Crowdfund This, Murder Most Fowl and Chin Music. As I write this, in another window, I have a document open for what I’m hoping might be yet another complete game, which I’m super excited to get my hands on.

Anything Else?

I attended six conventions this year – Cancon, Comic-Gong, SMASH, MOAB, GaymerX and LFG, with varying degrees of success. Cancon was an absolute corker, as was Comic-Gong, with GaymerX surprising us with their interest in our ares, and MOAB and LFG a bit more low-key. Still, contact was made with vendors and FLGS, so here’s hoping going forwards there will be more.

I tweeted a lot, and had a handful of tweets go viral, including a new Most Viral tweet of mine, about Vincent Price. This year that was less annoying – the new twitter feature ‘mute this conversation’ does its job.

Emotionality!

This year featured a few big changes for me. One of them is that I spent some time this year making the conscious decision to minimise my interaction with people who actively make me feel bad, and to instead focus my emotional energy on improving the lives of people I really care about. Something in my family life has come up that I simply cannot deprioritise – it’s too important – and that means that I’ve had to ask myself if the emotional distress of a stranger is really my business, even if I do want to live in a world where people will randomly be kind to you. I acknowledged that there are some people, even queer people, who are just jerks, and I don’t need to spend my time listening to and ceding to them, because they are not immune to basic social consequences. I still take the hit when I can, as my privilege armours me pretty well.

I’ve taken to offering random instances of kindness to people, as best I can, to simply tell people hey, here’s a reminder the world doesn’t suck so bad, and being okay when they drop it.

I admitted to some of my trauma. I opened up and shared with some people about my stress. I watched as my parents recognised that their best intentions have had problems in both my life and my sister’s life and started to learn how to forgive them. And I started to face things about myself that make me miserable and sad and feel inadequate, and start to try and develop a framework for them.

Here’s the big thing: A member of my family is getting divorced. It is not a nice divorce. There are kids involved. Abuse is involved. This sucks. This straight up sucks on toast. There is no cutesy way around it.

What’s next?

Tune in tomorrow.

The 2017 Self-Examination Roundup Here's a one-part diary, one-part itinerary, one-part aspirational documentation of what I did this past year as best I can explain it and we'll see how well we go as we go with it.

[lesbreannes]

I have goals. I want to improve my art to the point where I can apprentice at a local tattoo shop. I want to eventually get my masters at Carleton so I can eventually do policy work. Ya those are both ambitious and I’m earning 55k now but I want to earn more and pursue my talents and abilities more. I don’t want to be stuck in this dead end paper pushing job. Child welfare sucks. But it’s building my portfolio meh

Told my partner this. She looks at me and said “you wanna pursue both goals with a full time job?” I said “ya I want options to fall back on and if tattooing is a thing that I CAN do then I’d be doing something I’m passionate about for a living. Also I’m smart/talented enough to get my graduate degree and PHD so WHY NOT”

She laughed and said she supports me and anything do as long as it’s not heavy drug use

So like, ideally in the next fifteen or ten years I want to be doing policy work with the gov or tattoo artist? Idk. When I put my mind to something like become relentless in getting it

[janiedean]

Actually the classic argument still stands. But it's not "Everybody has the same chances, so shut up and work harder." It's "I know there is a biais against you, that's bad, but no matter what there'll always be a biais against some group of people (which onea can vary with time), so maybe you have to work harder than others, but if you sit up and whine on your fate, you'll still have nothing, so yeah work harder and prove that you can do it."

fair but guys come on when it comes to idk native americans I don’t think a bias exactly covers it. one thing is there’s a bias against you, one thing is ‘the government has pretty much thrown our people into reservations where we have the worst living conditions of any minority in the US and once in a while they even show up and decide to build massive pipelines where we get our water supplies and we have to demonstrate over there for a month to get it revoked’. and in the sixties someone black just post-civil rights could have told you ‘yeah okay but until last year I had to go to segregated schools and I needed laws so that I could exercise my right to vote’, you don’t get over that in fifty years. like you can say ‘whine on your fate’ also about poor white people who don’t manage to get out of poverty - I generally don’t like this approach because sorry guys but it’s... really... calvinist.

sorry but this whole ‘work harder than the others and prove you’re great because work = rewards and if you’re really good you’ll certainly make it’ (which is also the american dream TM foundation) is... just.... calvinism TM to a T. and given that the base of the calvinist predestination system is ‘if you work hard and succeed it’s a sign that you’re going to paradise :DDDD’ + ‘if you don’t and your life sucks then it means you’re going to hell so it’s not worth it to keep you around bye’ (I mean, look at how the healthcare system works in the US seems to me it’s 100% calvinist too. you have money? good, you live. you don’t? too bad, die. ??) like I can’t wrap my head behind it as a whole. should you work hard anyway to get what you want? sure. do you have a right to be able to do it at the full of your capacities never mind your skin color or how much money you have? YES you do according to me, and this whole idea that ‘you’re disadvantaged but someone else will always be in any place in the world so you got unlucky this time just deal with it’ is just... meh? rich coming from whoever tbh? if I told that to someone when I come from a relatively privileged background and I don’t risk starving at the end of the month I’d feel like complete fucking shit. no one should whine on their fate but they also have all the rights in the world to protest if they’re not put in the same conditions as everyone else when it comes to study, get healthcare, get a decent job and make more money. and that works for poor people, black people, NAs, any minority in existence especially if they’re poor and a minority, but to me it 100% applies also to people who are white as snow and can’t afford an education bc they don’t make money to pay for college nor qualify for scolarships. like I had a classmate who wouldn’t have ever qualified for a scolarship in the US given that system because his grades were shit in everything except math, he went to our very public uni where you don’t need to pay excessively and where everyone can attend regardless of grades, took physics and now he’s at his second PHD in germany speaking two languages when in school his average english grade was an equivalent of F-. maybe his parents could have paid for it but like he’d have probably ended up in debt anyway. in the US idk if he’s have gone around sticking around academia. maybe, maybe not.

but like I find this attitude very... dunno. selfish? egocentric? lacking in empathy? ... calvinist? why the fuck should someone just work harder than the others because at some point in history some category always had it bad and now it’s their turn? progress exists so that we get better and we get to a point where no categories are privileged over others be it for money or classism or ethnicity or gender or what the fuck have you. sorry but I just can’t like it or understand the reasoning behind it. might be that in between my politics and the fact that I come from a catholic country and one of the things catholicism has over calvinism is that in theory you’re encouraged to empathize with your fellow human being and help them out if they’re in need rather than say WORK HARDER AND DON’T WHINE it’s just too culturally far from my mindset but meh. no. that argument doesn’t stand. obviously whining over your sad life won’t bring you anywhere, but you have all the rights to protest and try to make sure the bias goes away in your lifetime while you work hard and try to achieve your goals. this idea that some bias will always exist so might as well accept it is just... not a thing I can conceive, sorry. :/

[kidsviral-blog]

'We just want to live': Millennials might survive GOP tax plan but are still finding grown-up life impossible

New Post has been published on https://kidsviral.info/we-just-want-to-live-millennials-might-survive-gop-tax-plan-but-are-still-finding-grown-up-life-impossible/

'We just want to live': Millennials might survive GOP tax plan but are still finding grown-up life impossible

After the Senate passed the GOP tax reform bill early Saturday morning, the mood on the Left was apocalyptic: Newsweek’s Kurt Eichenwald declared America dead, and comic Patton Oswalt tweeted, “There’s no America now.” Once the initial shock passed, in came the statistics. So far we’ve heard from economist Larry Summers that the GOP’s tax bill will kill 10,000 people a year, although ThinkProgress has boosted that number to over 15,000.

But what about the survivors? Won’t anyone think of the Millennials? Chris Plante, executive editor of gaming site Polygon, went viral over the weekend with his tweet about how the GOP is making it impossible for his generation to live life:

The GOP is making it impossible for my gen to: -Payoff student loans -Buy a home -Earn a living wage -Go to the hosipital without risking financial collapse -Imagine a future unburdened by debt accumulated by older generations Millenials don’t want a trophy; we just want to live

— Chris Thomas Plante, or Christmas Plant for short (@plante) December 2, 2017

EXACTLY. We want to LIVE. https://t.co/jF0XXagFRY

— Jasmine Batchelor (@JLashelle2) December 2, 2017

The GOP is making it impossible to earn a living wage and buy a home? Really. Plante revisited his tweet on Monday after it made the rounds over the weekend.

This tweet went viral and turned my replies into a tour of the most lazy hostility. The insults don't hurt (they're toothless!) but it's depressing to see so many people showing so much fury at the mere suggestion that life should be better for others https://t.co/A1KqcRnnYZ

— Chris Thomas Plante, or Christmas Plant for short (@plante) December 4, 2017

“The mere suggestion that life should be better for others?” That’s not what the initial tweet said; it was more along the lines of, “Life should be easier for us.” But let’s check in on some of the “fury” anyway.

“I don’t understand basic economics- the tweet” https://t.co/KelvMLzgX8

— The White Christmas Ranger (@yourboyroscoe) December 2, 2017

Meh, it's no "PEOPLE WILL DIE" but it's just about as stupid. God forbid the government steal just a little bit less of our money. https://t.co/cf0bFe2WPS

— Girl_Grimly (@ed_grimly) December 4, 2017

Calm down https://t.co/1b3mmzCQHM

— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) December 4, 2017

Older generations would laugh their ass off at your generation's pathetic work ethic and desire to accumulate things you don't have the cash to pay for. https://t.co/oBbJ0xpFkc

— Jason Heard (@jheard15) December 4, 2017

Whatever did those of us who had lower tax rates and none of the nanny-state entitlements that Millennials beg for do…? Oh yeah, all those things, with 90% less bitching. https://t.co/LDD14A0S6w

— Ordy's handcrafted Yule log (@TheOpulentAmish) December 4, 2017

I don't find any of these things remotely impossible. https://t.co/N1feXRjZxT

— Nick Pappas (@NickAPappas) December 4, 2017

Currently doing all of these on a teacher’s wage. https://t.co/rHAPdhyNGb

— Daniel Smith (@dws1982) December 2, 2017

Nope, my wife and I are doing it just fine. Both millennials, both responsible people who don't need the government to spend our money for us. https://t.co/p1ix77ACgm

— Stephen Clark (@oye_clark) December 2, 2017

I’m a millennial and I’ve done the first 4 of these things so I would watch what you say about being “impossible” there sport. https://t.co/6SXqIGY6KL

— #BeatSpringGame (@GatorGangUF) December 2, 2017

I've actually done all of these things as a millennial, sooo…. #notimpossible #workharder https://t.co/O97EMYV4ra

— Marian M Walters (@maidmarian321) December 3, 2017

I just recently bought my second home, an extremely nice one at that. No student loans despite graduating in May 2018 with an MBA. Just took my third promotion in same number of years with a 20% pay increase. Maybe it’s not the GOP, maybe it’s your decision making. https://t.co/IexFsz4Zav

— Fiscal Therapist (@BigLifeMark) December 4, 2017

Actually you’re making it impossible. I’m a millennial. 1. I pay my student loan down 2. I’ve bought 1 house, sold it, & bought a 2nd house 3. I make a living wage becsuse I work 4. I can go to the hospital without worry,I have great insurance 5. You’re the problem, not the GOP https://t.co/Km9PwSAdmo

— Mandi Grace (@MandiDonaldson) December 3, 2017

My daughter @KaitlinJoyHS: 28yo, Christian, Conservative, single mom of a 6yo with autism, full-time RN She earns a living wage & is insured by her employer. She pays student loans, rent, car pmt, ins, bills, etc Why is she able to do these things but you aren’t?#millenials🙄 https://t.co/dIgg8c9a3Y

— ✞DrSueDVM☤ (@DrSueDVM) December 4, 2017

I went to a private school that cost $40K per semester and I paid off my loans in 6 years. I currently have a job making a great salary at 28 years old. I survived cancer and still have enough money to buy a home. Quit the lying and fear mongering. https://t.co/4QAaCzPsJ1

— Ben Wertz (@bigbenwertz) December 2, 2017

I made it through college without taking out loans, it's called working and working hard. I'm also earning more than a living wage. How bout you major in something that will get you a job. The GOP isn't preventing you from doing anything. You are. https://t.co/7p6hpAzJk4

— JP (@peakeingsince93) December 4, 2017

If it’s impossible, then how are so many of us doing it? https://t.co/G8So9Zlswf

— Caleb Cortimilia (@QuartOfMillion) December 4, 2017

Maybe you shouldn't have taken on all that debt hoping someone else would pay for it? https://t.co/Ec9HQwDMYg

— 🇺🇸 NSA Father, PhD🌹 (@RoteCaption) December 2, 2017

Student loans are optional as fuck lol https://t.co/DVzuZ37Oh4

— ㅤ: (@PullOutPrince) December 4, 2017

The most obnoxious thing about my generation are people who feel entitled to borrow tons of money to study things nobody cares about, and then expect the rest of society to pay them what they think it's worth/forgive their debt afterwards. https://t.co/LTNPP21WDJ

— James Hasson (@JamesHasson20) December 4, 2017

What is your degree in? English, History? What was your plan to sell the skills gained from that education upon entering the work force? And if you did not plan for such event, why should other people be required to off the debt you’ve undertaken for your own foolish reasons? https://t.co/QTAP5FRKOX

— Roman (@Chichen_Pizza) December 4, 2017

If you want to live, make better decisions like going to a state school, renting instead of buying, getting a job with health insurance, living within your means, and supporting cuts to the federal budget to pay down debt. https://t.co/KYdp4ZLJOF

— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) December 4, 2017

I mean, do I go point by point here or do I just lol https://t.co/GChW7xRkR4

— Jared Jesensky (@JaredJesensky) December 4, 2017

lmaooo 27K retweets on this whiny loser's tweet. 1. Don't take loans you can't afford to repay 2. Major in something that will get you a job 3. If you want someone else to pay for college, join the army. 4. Stop crying 5. Be an adult https://t.co/lQ39zNagNN

— 🅱️IG 🅱️ALLER 🅱️RAND (@Natale732) December 4, 2017

– Don't go into debt for college – Rent and save before buying a home – Live within your means – Save for emergencies – Save for your retirement Is that really so damn hard? https://t.co/RlbBiRVRzS

— Ross Pollack (@Ross_Pollack) December 4, 2017

1. Don’t take out student loans you can’t afford. 2. Don’t major in something stupid that won’t make you any money. 3. If you want someone else to pay for your college education, join the military. 4. Be an adult, stop expecting other people to take responsibility for your life. https://t.co/vfmhyysajD

— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) December 4, 2017

Exactly right, we need to stop spending, man up and pay for your own shit Step 1: Stop whining like a little bitch Step 2: Dont expect shit from others Step 3: Dont go into anything stupid like social studies or arts The more you want gov to pay for your shit, the more debt https://t.co/jVlHUaRNDc

— Mujahed Kobbe (@Moj_kobe) December 4, 2017

Free advice from Gen X: -Don't major in underwater basket weaving -Don't buy a home until you've paid off your worthless degree -Stop looking for a job in underwater basket weaving -Insurance isn't a right -Your imagination could use improvement Put down your crayons & get a job https://t.co/pxB0jnxPvF

— Jarami Feith (@JarBomb) December 2, 2017

Explain to me how the GOP is doing this to you. My taxes went up 4 times under the previous admin and my healthcare costs quadrupled. I net the same money I did 8 years ago https://t.co/WG9Fbq452u

— Dan Wright (@MadFiest) December 4, 2017

"All my problems are because of these policies that are 1 year old" https://t.co/eOcveL8fay

— Michel Wulff (@TravelHolyRon) December 4, 2017

How is the GOP doing all that unless Obama was with them on it? https://t.co/gMTALqkv92

— 🇺🇸 Jeff Bauer 🇺🇸 (@JsVeteran) December 4, 2017

Apparently they are also making it impossible for you to retain memories longer than 11 months, or having rational reactions. https://t.co/OFL37sggMh

— Patrick (@ArgentineTea) December 4, 2017

If you truly think this, you’re an idiot. https://t.co/gGeeBzHOWe

— The Brickhouse (@Brick______) December 4, 2017

Mr. Plante, Every generation before has had the same issues and most succeeded in life. At least we have the opportunity to reach heights under our current capitalist system, under socialism you will not have this opportunity. https://t.co/v622WZh67U

— Ed (@gatorair) December 4, 2017

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Read more: https://twitchy.com/brettt-3136/2017/12/04/we-just-want-to-live-millennials-might-survive-gop-tax-plan-but-are-still-finding-grown-up-life-impossible/

[filosofablogger]

I’m not quite sure how it came to be Monday again already, but according to all my calendars, the one on my phone, on my laptop and the wolf calendar on the kitchen wall, it is once again Monday.  I can account for only 5 days since the last Monday, so perhaps Congress passed legislation making the weeks shorter, and nobody thought to tell me.  But alas, it is my duty … and pleasure … to start your week out with a chuckle, a smile, a hug and some love, so that is what I will do today.  Grab a cup of coffee and pull up a chair, and let me show you what I’ve found for us to smile, chuckle, and ‘awwwwwww’ about this morning!

You all remember Necco candies from your childhood, right?  It was never my favourite, rather a ‘meh’ sort of candy, but they seemed to always be popular.  It seems that New England Confectionery Company, the makers of Necco candy, are seeking a buyer.  The company, which has been around since 1847, has said that if a buyer is not found by early May, it will begin the process of shutting down as early as May 6th.  Now here’s what’s interesting … the candy is not popular, is often referred to as America’s least favourite candy, and yet people are going wild over the news that the candy may soon be no more.  I don’t get it!  The candies have described as “tropical drywall” and “plaster surprise,” according to The Wall Street Journal.

CandyStore.com, a Los Angeles-based bulk-candy retailer, reported that people began “panic-buying” the wafers on March 12, the day the Boston Globe reported Necco chief executive Michael McGee’s announcement that the candy company could shut down if it did not find a buyer.

Floridian Katie Samuels made an offer to CandyStore.com …

“I offered to trade my 2003 Honda Accord for all of their stock. I knew it was kind of a silly thing to say, but I’m serious. I don’t have much right now, so I was like, ‘I’ve got this car, and I want all that candy, so maybe they would consider it.'”  They didn’t.

Another online retailer, Candyfavorites.com sold more Necco Wafers on Wednesday than it would normally sell in six months, depleting 90 percent of its Necco Wafer inventory, said owner Jon Prince.

“We’ve had people offer to purchase our entire inventory. I had an older lady who offered to send me chocolate chip cookies for the entire year if I were willing to sell her beyond our limit. I was tempted because I love baked goods. But I didn’t do it.”

While a box of 24 rolls of Necco typically sells for between $21 – $35, they are now going on ebay for as much as $300!  People are apparently thinking to get rich off these undesirable little sweets!

And for your daily dose of cuteness …

It was windy in upstate New York last week.  So windy that it blew a little baby girl squirrel right out of a tree.  The squirrel broke the bone in her tiny left-front leg.  But take heart!  She was rescued by the Orphaned Wildlife Center, who took her straight to the Catskill Veterinary Services in Rock Hill.  They are taking good care of the little girl squirrel, and put a bright green cast on her little arm.  Awwwwwww ….

I bet you cannot watch this short clip without saying “awwwwwwww” at least once!  You can check her out on Facebook.

I have long bemoaned the state of higher (and lower) education in the U.S., the fact that we seem to be ‘dummying down’, the standards are not as high, and the focus seems more on job and techno skills than on the humanities, social sciences, literature, and teaching young people how to actually think.  A professor at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) has driven my point home.

The class project was to compare a social norm between the U.S. and another country.  Student Ashley Arnold chose ‘social media use’ for her norm, and for her country she chose Australia. But when Arnold got her grade back on Feb. 1, she was shocked to see her professor had failed her. Why? Because, according to the teacher, “Australia is a continent; not a country.” The professor, who has a PhD in philosophy, had given Arnold zero points in multiple sections of the assignment because she believed that Australia wasn’t a real country.This led to a bit of back-and-forth via email:

Ashley: I believe I got zero or partial credit because the instructor said, ‘Australia is a continent; not a country. However, I believe that Australia is a country. The research starter on the SNHU’s Shapiro library written by John Pearson (2013) states, that Australia is the ‘sixth-largest country in the world’ (n.p.). The full name of the country is the Commonwealth of Australia, meaning Australia is both a continent and a country. Therefore, these sections of the rubric should be amended.

Prof: I will gladly re-examine your week 2 milestone project report. But before I do I want you to understand that any error in a project can invalidate the entire research project. Research is like dominoes, if you accidentally knock over one piece the entire set will also fall. Australia is a continent; it is not a country. That error made it nearly impossible for you to accurately complete your week 2 research outline correctly. As I mentioned above I will look over your week two paper once again and see if you earned more credits than I gave you.

Ashley: Australia is both a country and a continent. It’s the only country that is both. I provided a resource in the first email that clarifies that for you. If you need further clarification google or the SNHU Shapiro Library has that information you. Again I mean no disrespect but my grade is affected by your assumption that Australia is not a country when it in fact is. Thank you and let me know if I need to provide further resources proving Australia is a country.

Prof:  Thank you for this web-address. After I do some independent research on the continent/country issue I will review your paper.

No, folks, sadly this is not a joke … it really happened.  Ashley was ultimately given a grade of B+, refunded her money for the course and received an apology from the university.  The professor is no longer employed at SNHU.

And finally, in Austria (which is also a country, by the way), a man posted a snarky warning about speed checks on his Facebook page, whereby he referred to police as ‘Smurfs’. 

Authorities in Tyrol province imposed the fine of €160, or nearly $200 USD, for violating “public decency” by “defaming two police officers.”  As I’ve said before … you want to be careful what you post on Facebook!

And that, my friends, depletes my supply of ‘jolly’ for the week.  Time for me to tackle the never-ending pile of laundry and start a bit of spring cleaning, on this snowy Monday in April!!!  Today I will tackle the baseboards, walls & trim in the downstairs bathroom.  Wish me luck!  Have an awesome week … and friends … please make sure to share those smiles I am seeing … they are far too gorgeous to keep to yourselves!  Keep safe, my friends.  Love ‘n hugs from Filosofa!

Jolly Monday … WHAT??? Already??? I’m not quite sure how it came to be Monday again already, but according to all my calendars, the one on my phone, on my laptop and the wolf calendar on the kitchen wall, it is once again Monday.