I watched this video completely straight faced until it got to “We’re putting it down. Uhwe~h-ugh!“ completely desynchronized to the visual action taking place.

Then I completely lost my [omitted].

I do not remember that from when I watched one of the Shenmue 2 “movie” videos a few years ago.

Okay, so Take Two.

Video games, yes. But I also like thinking of ways I could make a game better. Rebalancing, new mechanics or systems, alternative ways of playing. Call them thought experiments. Includes this.

Music playing, duh. I also like listening to music. Also duh, but somehow I didn’t mentioned it. I also like watching musicians perform, especially off-stage where the spectacle is the artist themselves, not on a bunch of lights or a booming bass. Basically, this. I wish I hadn’t been so selective about reblogging things with this tag early off. There were some good ones I remember on my dash I let slip away.

Writing, yes. In fact I’ve been doing a bit more technical writing on Reddit lately (Warning: Explicit Language). Reviews, specialized retrospectives, and this one style-emulating/spoofing a professional news columnist. Some strict, but self-imposed, timetables to be relevant has forced me to work more consistently. I think it’s been good for me.

Family, of course. I love to hang out with Bon-Bon and I do what I can to help her. And while I might not have much to impart to Liza these days, it’s nice to hear her talk. Simple loves his scratchers and face lick’ems (but not in the nose).

I love to see people being happy. My favorite thing on tumblr is to see other people enjoying themselves (without any level of vindictiveness or spite).

I love seeing people’s drawings (that aren’t violent or sexualized), or talk about something happy, or share a photo. To me, this is what the Like button is for. If you put in your own effort to make some original content (rather than reblog someone else’s) then I want to let you know I appreciate it. Even if it’s just talking about a good day. And if I don’t like your original works, it doesn’t mean I don’t like you. Not all content is made to be consumed by everyone.

I love memes. Off-model Knuckles singing the theme song to M.A.S.H. (which was originally designed to be the stupidest song ever written)? So ridiculous it’s hilarious. Tuesday again? No problem! Wednesday my dudes? aaaaAAAAAAGGGHHHHH (Volume Warning)!

I like to drink sodas. I like food with cheese on it or in it (and Vanilla Strawberry pasties/ice cream). And I like candy corn! In fact I’ve eaten half a bag in less than 24 hours and I need to stop because I’m starting to feel sick.

There are a lot of things that make me feel happy. And things that make me happy are my favorite things!

Keeping things above the waist, of course:

I like video games. Shocking I’m sure. My favorite games typically fall into two categories. Cartoony-style action games, like EDF, the Dynasty Warriors series, and Portal Knights. And then just really by-the-numbers rpg/strategy rpgs where half the battle took place before the fight ever even started. That’s games like SMT: Nocturne, Final Fantasy Tactics, the Front Mission series. And yes, to a lesser extent Pokemon. But really more on the Etrian Odyssey side of things. Like, if Etrian Odyssey 3 didn’t pad its game so terribly with mandatory grinding, that would have been one of my favorite games (and, I mean, the grinding didn’t even make sense it was already a really long game). Pokemon’s largest issue with me is the one-on-one combat. Like, if the series focused on doubles matches I’d own all of them.

Then on very rare occasions you have your customized, environmental puzzle-via-navigation games (which is, like, a sub-genre I just made up). This is where your Deus Ex and Shadowrun series fall- and what makes them so great. Your skillset creates the path forward and not only is there no right answer, you can double back and take a different path too.

Music, of course. I can just jam out and, you know, even if recording it would prove that it sounds awful, I can fill in the gaps in my head and it’ll sound good to me at the time at least. And I might not like practicing a song over and over again. But if I get it done and people like it, then it feels worth it. And I get that’s kinda shallow, you should be doing it for yourself, but isn’t other people liking it the whole point?

Same thing with writing in a more professional format. I don’t like sitting there and checking the first word of each sentence and making sure I’m using varying sentence lengths. But if I post it and people like it then it feels worth it. And then I can go back and reread sections or relisten to sections and go “Yeah! You know what? I did do a good job! I’m proud of that work!“ Instead of wondering, “Was it just posted at a bad time? Did I offend someone? Does it really sound that bad?“

So, as shallow as that might be, I guess that’s my favorite thing. To be appreciated for my work. For the time I spent on something to result in a feeling of accomplishment. And that’s probably why I play video games. To get that feeling when I can’t get it anywhere else, even if it’s just from a group of pixels saying “You Won“ or watching a meter go up.

I like spending time with my family.

1) It’s a complicated subject. How is power distributed? And not just ideologically, but logistically. Why should you trust… anything or anyone? What is equal versus what is fair?

Legal tender itself isn’t really the best means of rewarding an individual for contributing to society. It’s nice for trading a hair cut for a bushel of cucumbers. But a particularly greedy individual can a) horde money until they financially overwhelm society, or b) take their wealth/industry elsewhere if the government attempts to redistributed it. And that’s if all things were equal. When greed corrupts even the system that distributes the money, any attempt to redistribute it can be terminated “legally”.

But the liquidity of money and the modernized ability to so easily reinvest it is also what allows a society to rapidly advance technologically and culturally. Unfortunately, even that comes at the cost of financial viability. It’s not going to matter how advantageous something might be, say medically, if there’s no long term financial return for it.

2) I obviously can’t vouch for the validity of it, but I did remember seeing this post (with lots of swears) that says price gouging is illegal and should be reported. That doesn’t stop anyone from doing it at this moment. But more reports would lead to more arrests with a higher probability of news spreading, which should lead to fewer cases in the future.

Yes. Mostly. And maybe, but only at a distance.

Starlight Glimmer was Twilight’s friendship student or something. Then she saved Equestria and graduated? Which doesn’t make sense to me considering she was studying friendship… Also we saved Equestria better than she did.

Following Chrysalis latest defeat some new Changeling took over and most of them turned gradient pastel. And when I say pastel I mean super pastel. Like bottle of Tums pastel. Anyway, they’re friendly now and there’s some water cooler debate on whether their new leader is a king or a prince.

Princess Dragon Lord Ember won some kind of competition and was crowned ruler of all dragons. Which, in dragon culture, doesn’t mean she has governmental authority over all dragons so much as she has physical authority over them. Which is pretty terrifying. Also she’s pretty terrifying. Muffin’s cried the last time somepony brought her up.

Yes, you appear to be living in a molten Hell-scape that’s also being pounded by hurricanes. Which may be an apt metaphor for the political atmosphere.

Speaking of, how’s the left been?

1) “What could be more posh than having a cat give you your toilet paper for each wipe?”

Thanks! These were great!

2) I’m a terrible friend and I swear I meant to message you, but I already knew! My Canterlot friend told me about a week ago.

But yes it sounds exciting!

Lyra: Funny you should ask. Because!

[Dink Dink Dink-Dink]

Lyra: We just got a letter! We just got a letter! We just got a letter! But-it’s-clearly-marked-so-we-already-know-who-it’s-from.

[Paper ripping]

Lyra: Look! It’s a letter from our friends! Mostly.

Bon-Bon: Mostly?! That’s a letter from Princess Twilight!

Lyra: I’m just kidding! Mostly. We’re invited to a Hearth’s Warming party at Twilight’s Palace! There will be food and decorations-

Bon-Bon: Actually, that says decorating.

Lyra: I’m sure it’s just a typo. So yeah! That was pretty cool. Not a bad day!

1) That’s alright. Seems like a trend. Or the opposite of a trend.

There is nothing about this that doesn’t sound fantastic. This is like a page out of some ancient history text book!

I want to read this novel. I want Bon-Bon and I to read this novel.

2) Hey me again chris! It’s I, Once-More Lyra!

You know, I couldn’t help but notice most of our conversations are you saying hello to me through the messaging system or telling me its your birthday or that you had a good/bad day at work.

Got anything interesting going on? Any projects? Play any games? Marathon any shows?

“Wow! That’s amazing! That opens up so many possibilities!”

I thought when I first glanced at a file. Then I tried to learn a song from the notation and… It’s just wrong.

Everything from single instruments with un-notated, elongated measures (meaning the other instruments would go out of sync unless every single measure following was rewrote), to ridiculous tempos with doubled up notes to create an effect that only works in midi format, to notes that are just plan wrong.

You see this?

That’s not the right note! It’s not an E! It’s an F sharp! It sounds like an F sharp when you play the file, but it’s wrote as an E in the program!

I tried a couple of different midis to see if it was a fluke but they’re all like that. Basically, it’s a nice thought, but in practice it’s just a hot mess.

1) Does it trap me in Ponyville too? I’ve never read the fanfic (because that’d be weird) so I only knew about the part where everypony forgets about me.

I do own a black hoodie though! Very comfortable! Great for travel!

2) Bon-Bon: Is the first book much different than the movie? I didn’t even know it was based on a book series until Lyra looked it up.

1) Oh okay.

… What? Do you seriously believe that makes any sense? “I’m being ironic so it’s okay.“ “I said I was going to murder our nation’s leader but I was being ironic so it’s okay.“ “I yelled bomb in an airport but I was being ironic so it’s okay!“

What you’re describing is shock humor, which gets a few laughs by singling out the struggles of a group and invalidating them to others, who don’t have to care because they never lived it. At best, you’re reinforcing a culture that would rather numb itself than recognize real world atrocities that happen to this day. Which has the unfortunate side effect of making those things not look as bad as they are.

Case in point, you actually thought it was okay to make a joke about rape. Don’t worry, we’ll laugh about that later because comedy is tragedy plus time. And thinking rape is funny is pretty tragic.

2) Thanks. I’m not doing so well right now, so this helps.

3) I kinda sat on this for a while. I have no idea what day this was sent or who it refers to.

4) [Bubble-bubble-bubble]

1) Sure! I do in a lot of games! I have an overactive imagination.

Hong Kong and Dragonfall were kinda cool in that you’d get asked a few questions about your character, which made it feel like it mattered more. Couldn’t always give a satisfactory answer, though.

2) We grew apart. We broke up. He moved away.

… As far as I know he’s fine.

3) I like optimistic because it sounds better than gullible.

1) That’s a good one!

But I’d say you need to wake up from sleep mode and get a forced update.

2) Aw shucks. Get lost in a maize.

3) Go take a movement to another section. Don’t reprise or I’ll give you a hook. Catch my motif?

4) Looks worn out, like your welcome.

1) Uh, no? Yeah no.

I mean I could maybe use some more exercise. But you can take your diet and drizzle some hot chocolate on it.

2) W-… Mount Olympus? Evidently I missed a conversation. I’ve never even heard of that.

I’m gonna say no, but I don’t really know. I don’t see Rainbow Dash everyday.

3) STOP IT! Okay, new club rule: From now on I am the only one who can say the word AGENDA. [DUN DUN DUUUUN]

1) My online buddy insists that pikachu in that new detective game needs to be voiced by Danny DeVito. I can’t argue.

2) I haven’t, but without any prior knowledge I’m positive they’ve done Magic Pengel. Tell me I’m wrong.

3) Lyra: I feel I’d be closer to Bunnie.

Tootsie: Can I be Sally?

Lyra: Pfft. You can be Antoine.
Tootsie: E~w!
Lyra: Oh hush; you’ve never even seen the show.

4) Without further knowledge, I couldn’t say. From what I found on it though, it looks like a point-and-click adventure game. Not my cup of tea. So feel free to spoil it for me to elaborate on “dark”. I’ll censor it if I gotta when I reply.

5) Lyra: Crotch boobs are ridiculous enough. I draw the line at snake boobs.

Tootsie: Boo~bs!

Lyra: Stop making me out to be a bad influence! You know better!