Category: Musing

July 2020 update: Oh my God, we made it

2020, what a start to a new decade. As I edge closer to the twilight of my twenties this year went from an exciting start to a bizarre limbo and an uncertain end. I run on the side of hope, that all will eventually balance out.

The Coming Month

Part of the goal with these start-of-the-month updates is a chance to better connect with the community and lay long term infrastructure for the blog. If I ever need to take a break from writing, I can update in this post rather than just randomly go off the grid, like I’ve done in the past. A lot of my posts I add the occasional life update but with a monthly update I can do life updates all in one place, without tacking it onto an article; this will help articles keep their focus. This month for our two articles we’re looking at a poem and the third chapter of New Horizon, which has not been seen since 2018. I want to do the third chapter right, so expect this post to be the last week of the month. As for the poem, that’ll be next week.

Other Updates

This year I’m focused on growth but more importantly, sustainable growth. What I like about WordPress is the sense of community. Before I was a writer, I was a reader and nowhere else have I felt more at home. In the past, I’ve shied away from active promotion and have preferred organic growth; however, I’ve come to realize these two concepts are not mutually exclusive. Simply put, I want more people to see my content and enjoy what I have to share with the world. Instead of simply waiting for more people to come, it helps to simply say “hey, by the way, it’d be great if you joined the community.” Simple, yet effective.

No more weekend posts

Sometimes I get excited and want to post right away. As I’ve found over my years of writing, while the time of a post typically doesn’t matter, the day does. Weekend posts have historically gotten no traffic, regardless of topic. Fridays and Mondays are also fairly slow. So as I organize the blog and look at reach, you can expect to see posts on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. All this really means for you is more consistency, which is good.

Updated Contact and About page

Long overdue, I finally got around to updating my About and Contact page. I gave both pages an updated look, making it easier to find information about me and to reach out. Links are above if you’re curious what the pages look like.

Looking Ahead

I am currently researching podcasts and already have a draft of a first season planned. If I do create podcasts, I’ll post the content on my Patreon for everyone’s viewing pleasure. My first book is nearing completion and you should hear more within the coming months.

That’s it! Like, share, and follow if you enjoy my content. I’m excited for the coming weeks as I delve back into poetry and short stories. As always, feel free to comment below!

The first 30 days: adventures in coding

As the blog continues to flourish, I’ve begun to find my niche. Writing has kept me sane during the pandemic and for good reason. It’s given me time to reassess my values and refocus my efforts. Part of that effort has been learning how to code, a task I never thought I could do. It’s been the better part of a decade since I’ve tackled the coding challenge, being a high school computer science II dropout.

It takes confidence

Part of my issue was I lacked the confidence to move forward with my coding. I was unwilling to commit because I was worried I would fail. I talked about coding for months before I made the full-fledged commitment. Time to learn was a factor but not the only one.

The first days are always the hardest

I’m a flip-flopper. With every choice made, there is a choice unmade, a road not taken. Nothing clicks until one day everything does. The first week of coding I quite enjoyed. I told myself a lesson a day and told myself 30 days with a plan to do the 100 days of coding challenge afterwards. I had a basic idea where I wanted to head and used the career paths on Codecademy to pursue what path I wanted to take. First was the fundamentals of coding, now it’s computer science and then web development, finishing up with data science. All said and done, we’re looking at a couple years of work. That is a commitment and as such, it can be easy to get demoralized. I only have so many hours in the day, so I must value coding if I want to move forward. You cannot do anything without a why.

Closing in on day 50

Hitting the 30 day mark was the hardest, if you can do that, then typically you can keep going. Thus far, it has held true. I wake up, I code, and then I stare at a wall for the rest of the day (kidding!). At this point, it’s routine. And while coding can make me feel stupid at times, I’ve begun seeing huge applications that make me excited to finish my coursework. I haven’t had this type of clarity with any other subject. It is my belief that one day coding will be an essential skill to have in the modern job market and as such, I’m getting a start now so I’m not behind later. When I hit 100 days of continuous coding, my hope is to have something tangible to show on the blog. For now, you get articles!

And that’s it! Eventually, I’ll write a program that tells you to like, share, and follow (half-kidding!), for now I’ll be writing each individually with love and care. So remember, if you like my content, share it and leave a like! If your new, consider following! The blog has been doing extremely well this year thanks to everyone’s support. We have already surpassed last year and are looking to overtake 2018 soon. The end goal is eventually to have the blog pay for itself and eventually, a transition to writing full-time. If you can, donations help quite a bit. To make it easy, I have a link to my Patreon and Ko-Fi below:

Support this blog!

As always, feel free to leave a comment; I love responding! Also, if you have any questions about coding, feel free to reach out!

Deleted Posts and private posts: A 2020 musing

So today I felt like writing. Some days are like that. Roll out of bed, drink some coffee, and write. In honor of the 5 year anniversary of the blog, we’re going to be taking a look back and simply enjoy the stories that have been told throughout the years. Half a decade is a long time to be doing anything and I’ve been writing for the better part of 8 years. I’ve been a reader and a blogger throughout that time. I’ve watched blogs grow and die yet what you don’t see are the posts unseen. The articles made private and the ones deleted in the blink of an eye. I used to have a thousand drafts of articles never written, ideas never allowed to blossom. I tried a revival series once upon a time, taking my drafts and using the titles as prompts. Some were a few weeks old, others years old.

Writing is tough. If topics aren’t covered gracefully, people lose interest and at worst, you are offending people. One of my now deleted posts was one of my first posts on religion. Nothing crazy but a post I deleted nonetheless. Finding your footing is hard and all too often we’re afraid to stumble. Another discarded draft was on gun violence, back when people weren’t all too numb to the record setting shootings we have in the US. Another, a late night ramble made private concerning my relationship status, which is still very much single. We live in the information age and for the most part I’ve enjoyed what technology has brought to offer. I have a voice and that’s beautiful.

I always try to stray away from these ramble topics. I like content focused articles but honestly, ramble writing is therapeutic. In that sense, the blog hasn’t changed so much in the last 5 years. My writing has become more focused over time but a ramble is still a ramble. This post would be easy to delete, to stop half way through but I always find it an interesting perspective looking back. By keeping my posts, I’ve essentially created my very own time machine, where I can remember exact moments where I was in a given moment. My young adult life, well documented, for the world to see. So now, when I write, it’s with the intent to publish. And to be honest, I regret deleting my earlier posts. God and I have a complicated relationship but reading my thought process at a time when I was full blown atheist was fascinating. Over time, the article will fade into the abyss, but I have to wonder if I’ll ever tackle religion again in its full beauty. And gun violence? I wouldn’t even know where to start; it used to be a top concern for the US but years of inaction have left the point mute.

And that’s it! Just felt like writing today in a more relaxed tone. Over the coming months I’m getting an itch for poetry and short stories so we’ll see what happens later on this year. I’ll be trying out some writing workshops here and there as well, so we’ll see if there’s any noticeable change. And my book? still very much a work in progress, just a lot of research and fear of publishing but I’m committed. And if you like what I write, please like, follow, and share with others who might enjoy my writing! This year I’m making the push to grow the blog so I can eventually write full time. In a perfect world, I’d be traveling, writing, and learning. We’ve already surpassed 2019 in terms of everything, so we’re on the right track. The year is shaping up to look a lot like 2018 but I’m confident that we’ll surpass 2018. I have a lot planned for the year and I’m excited. Below is a link to my Patreon and Ko-Fi, I do everything on this blog by myself, so the donations help! Whether it’s a one time donation or a subscription, I cannot express how grateful I am for any support.

Support this blog!

And that’s it! Let me know what your thoughts are! I am always open to feedback!

My Island Getaway: Animal Crossing during a Pandemic

If you’ve been with my blog a while, you may have noticed the occasional gaming article here or there. Months ago, I wrote my first Stardew Valley fan fiction and it was a blast to write. So I thought I’d share what I’ve been doing the last couple months; Animal Crossing! I’ve been playing Animal Crossing for the last couple decades now. Yes, while everyone in the world is now playing the game, I want it on record that I’ve been playing since the Gamecube. Wild World, City Folk, New Leaf; I’ve done them all. Hundreds of hours in each, accumulating to over a thousand hours of paying off debt, buying turnips, and decorating my mansion.

The Premise

You hop on a plane to a deserted island, your first couple of weeks is spent in a tent. Over time, your island grows as more villagers move in and eventually you start infrastructure projects such as building bridges over water and paving in pathways. Your island will eventually have a clothing shop and a museum, and if you’re like me, you might’ve built a cafe and a public park with a wrestling ring.

When I Left

The Pandemic had just begun and I aptly named my Island “Last Hope” which has turned into my darkest chapter in Animal Crossing history. In my sick fantasies I’ve gotten on one of the last planes and am tasked with rebuilding society. Tom Nook is trying to save the world. Every bug, fish, and fossil I collect is an attempt to preserve the future and show that it is possible. Oftentimes I have wondered if Animal Crossing is set in the apocalypse with mutated animals that can speak. There are very few humans. And then I wake up, tend to my garden and celebrate birthdays with my neighbors.

Why it’s kept me sane

The game itself is relaxing. I have loans that I can actually pay off and when I pay off those loans, they go towards meaningful contributions until I one day own a mansion. If I invest in the stalk market, I can expect a huge return on investment and due to globalization, I can also find a high turnip price. When I pull weeds, I can transform the weeds themselves to terrariums and hay-bales. Early on, it kept me from waking up before noon as turnip prices change twice a day. Now I slump out of bed and when I start up Animal Crossing, I am already in my bathrobe. If I want to change? I literally wave a magic wand. If I want more cash, I plant money in fertile money soil and grow a money tree. If capitalism worked like that in real life, I’d have much fewer complaints. When I was but a humble beach bum, I sold seashells by the seashore. That’s literally how you get ahead in animal crossing. No 5 years of intensive studies in College, no two years at a call center, simply picking seashells; that is the world I want to live in.

How has it changed over the last couple decades?

Not to date myself, but I probably started playing Animal Crossing back in 2003, 2004. Each iteration has changed how Animal Crossing society functions. Mostly, neighbors were a dick on the Gamecube and would probably make you cry. In the Gamecube, I remember setting pitfalls (gaping holes in the ground), whacking neighbors with nets, and writing heated messages. Now, not so much. Most of my neighbors I like and I use Cyd as a reminder that there are much worse neighbors out there. Two of my neighbors are superheroes, so I’d say that’s pretty good for my relaxing island getaway. And Mr. Resetti must have died, which is sad. If you restarted the game with saving, he’d show up and yell at you. Do it enough times and he’d play God. Trees would die, the world would change color and I don’t know what other horrors many had to bear witness to as I always saved. Also, coffee. There is no coffee in the newest version! I used to wake up every morning and have my virtual cup of joe, so hopefully that gets updated soon.

And that’s it! Another article for the books! This year, the blog is growing. We have officially surpassed 2019 in unique visits to the website and views are about 30 away from surpassing last year. At this rate, we’re set to surpass 2018 by the end of the year. So remember, if you like my content, leave a like, share with a friend, and follow the website. This year growth has exploded and I couldn’t be prouder. The more exposure I have, the healthier the blog becomes with organic traffic. Eventually, the hope is to have the blog pay for itself through ad revenue. So remember to pause ad-blocker for this website. In addittion, I have a couple ways to support me. Below is the link to my Patreon and Ko-Fi:

Support this Blog!

Any little bit is much appreciated. A one time donation of a dollar or a monthly subscription helps support me as a creator. As always, thanks for reading and stay safe!