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The Gas Lawnmower is Obsolete!
August 7, 2023 at 11:06 PM
Category: Other
Over the last few months, I've been filling in for lawn work for my uncle. The last time I had to use a lawnmower was in 2012, back when I still had an actual backyard. It was the usual gas powered kind, very loud, tedious to start up and use. This kind of clunkiness is part of the reason why I didn't think very highly of the chore back then.
This new lawnmower I've been using has really changed my perspective; it's really amazing stuff! The EGO Power+ LM2100SP is a cordless electric lawnmower powered by a 56V battery, and packs all the cutting power you'd expect from a gas mower. Compared to conventional lawnmowers, this thing is really quiet, so you don't need ear protection when working with it. It's also very light, making it easier to move around when you're dealing with complicated spots in your lawn.
This lawnmower is easy to start up. No need to pull a string or press something in a few times for a cold start. You just hold down a button in front of you and pull the start lever! That already saves a little burden, but by far the best feature of this lawnmower is its self-propulsion.
Why We Play STGs
July 12, 2023 at 12:53 PM
Category: Games
Of all the video game genres that have fallen out of favor with time, perhaps none have suffered so painfully as the one which pioneered the modern video game to begin with - none other than the shooting game, shoot-em-up, STG, shmup, or what have you.
These days, it seems most people will write any STG off as "yeugh, generic space shooter where you blow up and avoid stuff, what's new". This is a direct consequence of the genre missing multiple critical opportunities to shine, often due to paranoid witholding from broader markets or powerful console companies sabotaging these games due to arbitrary restrictions.
Despite the overwhelming odds stacked against the genre, random specks of us still remain loyal to it, striving to see the day it gains the widespread respect it deserves. The best STGs are far from generic; they lay the groundwork for what games should be, and people still play them because of how well designed and innovative they are.
Jaws vs. Orca
July 11, 2023 at 2:14 PM
Category: Aquatic
Shark attacks on the rise in New York!! Get out of the water, the sea monsters are in full force!!! Everyone in the water is going to DIE!!!
One of the most enduring tales in history is the great conflict between the man and the gargantuan fish, or something to that degree. The mysterious superiority of aquatic life continues to entrance humanity, even with the modern innovations of submarine transportation. It seems so much more is known about what sits out there in space than all that moves beneath the waters, because the Mongo Dongo Serpents (good guys) vigilantly block access to secret whale hideouts (okay, it's partly because of basically no illumination and intense pressure at lower water depths).
Cinema loves packaging the mystery and fear of the ocean into two-hour monster flicks. In this article, I'm going to be going over the going over of two of the noteworthy movies of under the sea creatures to go over. It's fun!
Poll: Proposed Bigeye Continuation
July 6, 2023 at 7:48 PM (Updated on August 15, 2023 at 8:29 AM)
Category: Games
Three years ago, I began work on a gargantuan video project called Bigeye, which essentially aimed to document as much old computer hardware as possible in a neat, linear package, using Quake as a medium to illustrate the workings of said hardware. It managed to work out; I had enough hardware on hand to be able to do something like this, but it was all done on my own, with the exception of others who joined my QuakeWorld server for a match to be recorded.
Since then, I had thrown around the idea of a follow-up to the series with some other game, including the suggestion that it would be a collaborative effort where others could reserve some levels and submit clips of themselves running through them to continue a single playthrough. This idea ended up being forgotten about, as by the time I got started on some other projects, I envisioned a plan that would be devoid of any new videos - that is, until I decided to go full force into self-hosting my videos.
At least these days, I figure I should have enough of a justification to return to the idea of a multi-machine playthrough of a classic game, but I'm having a hard time deciding on which of two to go with.
Discord Sucks Part II
June 23, 2023 at 8:40 AM
Category: Internet
A few months ago, I deleted my Discord account permanently, following the removal of my server on there last year. I've had plenty of time to think about my whole experience there since then. I can safely say that I made the right call, no question about it.
Many chat protocols have come about over the years, plenty of open and locked down ones. But you know we're not in a good position when the first one many people think of these days is Discord. This platform is pure evil, more so than most might think.
From the very beginning, Discord was founded with malicious intentions. How do I know that? Well, do you remember the old days of mobile gaming, back when telephone UI graphics were still as glossy as the screens themselves? Those were not good times, either. If you've ever played a popular telephone game before, chances are it was integrated with a platform called OpenFeint.
