17 votes

Timasomo 2020 Thread #2: Update Thread 1

Weekly Task

Update us on your progress so far! What did/didn't you get done this week? Anything go according to plan? Anything go off the rails? Any successes or struggles to share?

Next Steps

Continue (or, if you're like me and didn't get anything done this week due to US election anxiety -- start) creating!


Timasomo FAQ

What is Timasomo?

Timasomo is "Tildes' Make Something Month": a creative community challenge that takes place in the month of November. It was inspired by NaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writing Month. The first ever Timasomo took place last year. You can see the threads for the previous Timasomo using the timasomo tag, and you can see the final showcase thread of creations here.

What are the rules?Timasomo is self-driven and its goals are self-selected. On November 1st, participants will commit to a creative project (or projects) that they plan to complete within the month of November. There is no restriction on the methods/products of creativity: writing, painting, code, food, photos, crafts, songs -- if it's creative expression for you, it works for Timasomo!

Though most will be participating individually, collaborations are welcome too!

What is the schedule?

Timasomo begins November 1st and ends November 30th. All creative output towards your goal(s) should be confined to this time. This week prior to the start of November is for planning, and there will be a few days at the beginning of December given to "finishing touches" before we have our final thread, which will be a showcase of all the completed works. Below are the dates that I will be posting weekly threads:

Sunday, October 18, 2020: Announcement Thread
Sunday, October 25, 2020: Planning Thread
Sunday, November 1, 2020: Roll Call Thread
Sunday, November 8, 2020: Update Thread #1
Sunday, November 15, 2020: Update Thread #2
Sunday, November 22, 2020: Update Thread #3
Sunday, November 29, 2020: Final Update Thread
Sunday, December 6, 2020: Timasomo Showcase Thread

This announcement will be posted in ~tildes. All Timasomo process threads will be hosted in ~creative. The final Timasomo Showcase thread will be posted in ~talk.

Can I participate?

Yes! Timasomo is open to anyone on Tildes! The greater Tildes community is also encouraged to participate in discussion threads even if you are not actively working towards a creative goal. This is meant to be an inclusive community event -- all are welcome! If you are interested in participating but do not have a Tildes login, please e-mail the invite request address here for an invite to the community.

Participants will formally announce their plans to enter into Timasomo on Sunday, November 1st, in the Roll Call thread. If you are planning to participate or just want to follow the event, please make sure you are subscribed to ~creative where all of the update threads will be posted.

What if I have ideas for how to run the event?

Please share them here! I am facilitating the event, but I am completely open to feedback and suggestions to make this the best event possible. I want this to be Tildes' event, not kfwyre's!

61 comments

  1. [13]
    Icarus
    Link
    This week has gone well, although I haven't written nearly as much as I would like. But doing an update here may help that out. I had a good reaction from my class last Monday on the material that...

    This week has gone well, although I haven't written nearly as much as I would like. But doing an update here may help that out. I had a good reaction from my class last Monday on the material that I have prepared so far. My set so far is:

    1. Opening with 4-5 quick set-up/punch line jokes to get the laughs going.
    2. My dad's vices growing up
    3. Public school's "Gifted and Talented" program
    4. Growing up poor

    I have worked on a new 2.5 minutes of the time my family hosted a Japanese exchange student. It's still roughly written out with not as many laughs-per-minute that I would like.

    I'm still working on coming in to character on stage. Someone gave me feedback that I come off as a "Fix-It-Felix" or "Bob-the-Builder" type, not sure what that meant. I am trying to figure out which words in my routine require the most emphasis. I also need to understand what emotion I am trying to convey to the audience, and show them (not tell) how they should feel. This is a bit hard since VR has some limitations right now on conveying emotions and actions.

    Performed in 4 open mics in VR testing out material.

    Open-Mic #1 - Bombed
    Open-Mic #2 - Got really great laughs. Lots of positive feedback
    Open-Mic #3 - Went okay, kept the time to less than 5 minutes
    Open-Mic #4 - Went okay, but I don't think it was the right venue for laughs

    So my next steps are to continue writing out material. I have a few more topics in mind that I think has some good joke potential. I need to rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, and then rehearse some more. I want to be able to know exactly when and how long to pause for laughs. I have one more open mic that I will be performing today so hopefully I can take some time to write my whole set out again and make it flow before then.

    9 votes
    1. [2]
      eve
      Link Parent
      That's radical! I'm like, weirdly blown away that there are VR open mics? Like it makes sense but it's so delightful that you get to practice like that. Good luck on your open mic today!

      That's radical! I'm like, weirdly blown away that there are VR open mics? Like it makes sense but it's so delightful that you get to practice like that. Good luck on your open mic today!

      6 votes
      1. Icarus
        Link Parent
        Thank you! I bombed my open mic, but that's okay! Every time I bomb, I learn what I need to work on. I try my best to take it in stride so I can go to the next one better prepared. Open mics are...

        Thank you! I bombed my open mic, but that's okay! Every time I bomb, I learn what I need to work on. I try my best to take it in stride so I can go to the next one better prepared. Open mics are tough as if they aren't specifically comedy related, you may not encounter an audience that is primed to listen to stand up. And because it's an international audience, you may have a crowd composition that may not understand the jokes fully.

        4 votes
    2. [7]
      gpl
      Link Parent
      Wow, never knew VR open mics were a thing. This sounds super cool. I consider myself a decent public speaker, but the thought of attempting standup is so anxiety inducing. Major props for getting...

      Wow, never knew VR open mics were a thing. This sounds super cool. I consider myself a decent public speaker, but the thought of attempting standup is so anxiety inducing. Major props for getting up there and doing it.

      4 votes
      1. [6]
        Icarus
        Link Parent
        Thank you! Yeah, there is a small community out there that is throwing these things together. AltSpaceVR has an absolutely incredible community filled with comedians, poets, musicians, etc., that...

        Thank you!

        Yeah, there is a small community out there that is throwing these things together. AltSpaceVR has an absolutely incredible community filled with comedians, poets, musicians, etc., that show up to these things. I really get a kick out of listening to the different types of performers out there trying to get practice in during a pandemic.

        4 votes
        1. [5]
          acdw
          Link Parent
          oh i'll have to look @ altspacevr, to ttry and read some poetry

          oh i'll have to look @ altspacevr, to ttry and read some poetry

          1 vote
          1. [4]
            Icarus
            Link Parent
            Definitely! You can take a look at some of the events going on throughout the day here: https://account.altvr.com/events/all No open-mics today but there are a bunch in the latter half of the week.

            Definitely!

            You can take a look at some of the events going on throughout the day here: https://account.altvr.com/events/all

            No open-mics today but there are a bunch in the latter half of the week.

            4 votes
            1. [3]
              acdw
              Link Parent
              nice! howevr -- does it require a VR headset? I seemed to see that it didn't maybe????

              nice! howevr -- does it require a VR headset? I seemed to see that it didn't maybe????

              3 votes
              1. [2]
                Icarus
                Link Parent
                It absolutely does not! :) There is a 2D Mode for desktop only. I noticed a lot of music performers yesterday use 2D mode since VR is too cumbersome for them. When I launch it from Steam, I...

                It absolutely does not! :)

                There is a 2D Mode for desktop only. I noticed a lot of music performers yesterday use 2D mode since VR is too cumbersome for them. When I launch it from Steam, I receive the option to choose Non-VR and VR mode.

                3 votes
                1. acdw
                  Link Parent
                  ogh very cool, thanks :))))

                  ogh very cool, thanks :))))

                  2 votes
    3. [3]
      acdw
      Link Parent
      uhh you're going to record your final set and let us see it right? :P (no pressure, really!)

      uhh you're going to record your final set and let us see it right? :P

      (no pressure, really!)

      1 vote
      1. [2]
        Icarus
        Link Parent
        It will really depend on if I bomb or not in the official "debut" performance :P My open mic yesterday did. not. go. well. But to be fair, I was pretty low energy and audiences can sniff that out...

        It will really depend on if I bomb or not in the official "debut" performance :P

        My open mic yesterday did. not. go. well.

        But to be fair, I was pretty low energy and audiences can sniff that out so fast. I still haven't found that true comedic voice that a lot of established comedians have. I really need to work on the acting side of stand up more than the writing side at this point. So more open mics for me and two more sessions in class to get it all together.

        I will post the details of where the performance can be watched live. You don't necessarily need VR to show up and watch, and it may be better live than recorded anyways!

        5 votes
        1. acdw
          Link Parent
          awesome thanks! that's tough about yesterday --- but it's really impressive to me you're dusting yourself off and going again. that takes a lot of courage.

          awesome thanks! that's tough about yesterday --- but it's really impressive to me you're dusting yourself off and going again. that takes a lot of courage.

          3 votes
  2. eve
    (edited )
    Link
    Ugh, okay I had originally written this up on my phone but I accidentally deleted it so I cry. In other news, the first week is over and I weep for this too. I got my knitting needles on Wednesday...

    Ugh, okay I had originally written this up on my phone but I accidentally deleted it so I cry. In other news, the first week is over and I weep for this too. I got my knitting needles on Wednesday so I was able to at least start my socks, but not before watching a bunch of tutorials on youtube. If you ever learn a craft like knitting or crocheting, I highly recommend watching videos. Written instructions suck lol.

    I had to learn a new cast on method, called the German twisted cast on, as that was recommended in a couple of the videos I watched on how to knit something two at a time (2aat). I went through a few videos on different methods on knitting 2aat, and there are several different methods people use, which I found interesting but not surprising. I've gotten 2 rounds into my socks. They are being knit cuff down and in the round. I also looked at how to shape the heel (make the heel flap) and that was far less painful than I thought it might be so I feel better about that. I've never knit socks before, so there is a lot of trepidation for me.

    As for writing, I decided to go through a writing book called "Writing Magic" by Gail Carson Levine. She is my absolutely all time favorite author. I have loved her books since I was a kid and still enjoy her work now. The book has about 30 chapters and each chapter has a prompt/writing exercise associated with it. I've only done four, so I'm behind, but I just decided on Friday to go through this lol. So not super duper "making something", but mostly just practicing aha. I've been in a writing rut and I'm hoping this'll help some.

    Hopefully next week I will be able to provide some pictures of my sock progress! Maybe I'll have a couple of stripes by then. So nothing went according to plan because I had none but now I kind of have one.

    8 votes
  3. [3]
    ohyran
    Link
    Right so I finished the first out of four chapters in a short story thing called "Refinery" with a handdrawn chapter illustration thingy The idea is that I will finish each of the four parts and...

    Right so I finished the first out of four chapters in a short story thing called "Refinery" with a handdrawn chapter illustration thingy

    The idea is that I will finish each of the four parts and do some main illustration thing.

    You can find it here called "A man about a dog": http://ohyran.se/refinery/hund.pdf

    Second chapter is "The Good Life or not" which is this weeks work.

    7 votes
    1. [2]
      eve
      Link Parent
      That's an awesome idea! How are you making the illustrations? Digitally or traditionally?

      That's an awesome idea! How are you making the illustrations? Digitally or traditionally?

      3 votes
      1. ohyran
        Link Parent
        Oh pen and paper. If its not for work I prefer doing it with just a pen since it feels less "worky" and more calming, you know. Also thank you :)

        Oh pen and paper. If its not for work I prefer doing it with just a pen since it feels less "worky" and more calming, you know.

        Also thank you :)

        4 votes
  4. [12]
    Grendel
    Link
    I shot and developed a roll for my "Lost" series. I ran out of paper developer so I used instant coffee to make the prints. It gave it kind of a muddy look but I kind of like it so I may keep...

    I shot and developed a roll for my "Lost" series. I ran out of paper developer so I used instant coffee to make the prints. It gave it kind of a muddy look but I kind of like it so I may keep them. I got four of them printed in the darkroom, not sure which ones I'm going to keep yet.

    Feedback is appreciated!

    See them here

    7 votes
    1. [2]
      ohyran
      Link Parent
      I am not good with photography so take with pinch of salt - but I loved #1 and #2, awesome brilliant work and compositions. The fact that you used coffee is pretty damn cool tbh :D

      I am not good with photography so take with pinch of salt - but I loved #1 and #2, awesome brilliant work and compositions. The fact that you used coffee is pretty damn cool tbh :D

      4 votes
      1. Grendel
        Link Parent
        Thank you so much for your kind words! I really like #2 as well, I think I'll keep it in the series. You'd be amazed what you can use to develop film. I've heard of people using things like beer...

        Thank you so much for your kind words! I really like #2 as well, I think I'll keep it in the series. You'd be amazed what you can use to develop film. I've heard of people using things like beer and wine, and I even used the herb sage once!

        4 votes
    2. [4]
      cfabbro
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      I don't know if I have ever commented on any of your photos before (mostly because the most I ever felt like I could contribute was saying "neat!" to them), but I really have enjoyed all of the...

      I don't know if I have ever commented on any of your photos before (mostly because the most I ever felt like I could contribute was saying "neat!" to them), but I really have enjoyed all of the ones you have posted so far despite not saying anything, and these are also really "neat!" too. :P

      I especially like #2 and #4. For some reason it makes me feel incredibly uncomfortable seeing such modern looking trash photographed in such an oldschool style.

      3 votes
      1. [3]
        Grendel
        Link Parent
        Thanks very much. I feel like all artists goal is to get a reaction, so hearing you talk about your reactions encourages me to keep trying! I'm in some Facebook groups dedicated to photography and...

        Thanks very much. I feel like all artists goal is to get a reaction, so hearing you talk about your reactions encourages me to keep trying! I'm in some Facebook groups dedicated to photography and my photos typically don't get much of a reaction, so getting this feedback means a lot to me.

        3 votes
        1. [2]
          cfabbro
          (edited )
          Link Parent
          That's actually rather surprising to hear, since your photos are amongst some of the more unique I have seen, and the dedication and effort it takes for you to process them is admirable. I...

          I'm in some Facebook groups dedicated to photography and my photos typically don't get much of a reaction

          That's actually rather surprising to hear, since your photos are amongst some of the more unique I have seen, and the dedication and effort it takes for you to process them is admirable. I especially love the anachronistic nature of the subject matter in these latest ones too.

          2 votes
          1. Grendel
            Link Parent
            Again thanks for the praise. I've started paying attention to what does do well, and let's just say the common factor is female models. I've seen some pretty boring model shots get huge reactions,...

            Again thanks for the praise. I've started paying attention to what does do well, and let's just say the common factor is female models. I've seen some pretty boring model shots get huge reactions, and I've seen some beautiful shots (like landscapes) get pretty much ignored

            3 votes
    3. [2]
      Tygrak
      Link Parent
      Pretty cool! I have no idea how the process of developing a photo works, but it's very interesting to me that you can use coffee. When I looked at #3, I was reminded of the song "Killed by an...

      Pretty cool! I have no idea how the process of developing a photo works, but it's very interesting to me that you can use coffee. When I looked at #3, I was reminded of the song "Killed by an Angel" by the band Sunny Day Real Estate and the album cover of the album the song is on "The Rising Tide". So now I am listening to that great song. When I actually looked at the album cover, I realized it actually looks quite different from the photo - it doesn't look as cool!

      3 votes
      1. Grendel
        Link Parent
        Thanks! That's cool that it reminded you of album art, I'd never even thought about it in that context.

        Thanks! That's cool that it reminded you of album art, I'd never even thought about it in that context.

        3 votes
    4. [3]
      aphoenix
      Link Parent
      Wow, I love these. When I was more into photography I only did digital and almost exclusively colour, so I don't know anything about how you developed these, but wow, what a great effect. I could...

      Wow, I love these. When I was more into photography I only did digital and almost exclusively colour, so I don't know anything about how you developed these, but wow, what a great effect. I could see these in a gallery under this title; it makes me wish that I had fixed my old film camera instead of selling it. The use of light and framing are great, and they're just so forlorn.

      2 votes
      1. [2]
        Grendel
        Link Parent
        Thanks so much! Forlorn and lonely is definitely what I'm going for. If your interested, I have a nice little rangefinder that I don't use anymore. I'd be happy to send it to you.

        Thanks so much! Forlorn and lonely is definitely what I'm going for. If your interested, I have a nice little rangefinder that I don't use anymore. I'd be happy to send it to you.

        3 votes
        1. aphoenix
          (edited )
          Link Parent
          I thank you kindly for the generous offer, but suggest that you give it to someone more in need of it; I can probably buy one if I want, and could match it to the lenses that I already have. But...

          I thank you kindly for the generous offer, but suggest that you give it to someone more in need of it; I can probably buy one if I want, and could match it to the lenses that I already have. But that's a really kind offer, which I truly appreciate.

          1 vote
  5. [4]
    Liru
    Link
    Slowly working on the text-based game. Managed to get a decent chunk done before realizing that I should probably separate the game logic from the input interface, which caused a bit of...

    Slowly working on the text-based game. Managed to get a decent chunk done before realizing that I should probably separate the game logic from the input interface, which caused a bit of refactoring, which caused a bunch of pain with Rust's module system.

    Would've done more, but due to work, my eyes were exhausted for the latter half of the week and I didn't want to keep staring at the screen afterwards. I didn't get as much done as I'd hoped.

    7 votes
    1. [3]
      ohyran
      Link Parent
      If you need graphics holler! I am making good pace with my project for November so I wouldn't mind a secondary thing to do (if you want to obviously)

      If you need graphics holler! I am making good pace with my project for November so I wouldn't mind a secondary thing to do (if you want to obviously)

      3 votes
      1. [2]
        Liru
        Link Parent
        I mean, since this is text based... As much as I appreciate the offer, short of some ASCII art for transition scenes, the only thing I could think of right now that could require art would be...

        I mean, since this is text based... As much as I appreciate the offer, short of some ASCII art for transition scenes, the only thing I could think of right now that could require art would be something for the README.

        2 votes
        1. ohyran
          Link Parent
          Sry, I am just looking for cooperative efforts and may have misunderstood your project. :/ That said I can do ASCII art! I mean I've never tried it, but I think I can! :) Seriously my point is "If...

          Sry, I am just looking for cooperative efforts and may have misunderstood your project. :/

          That said I can do ASCII art! I mean I've never tried it, but I think I can! :) Seriously my point is "If you want graphic stuff, ask Ohyran and if he can he will do it because he likes shared work" (also obviously if you DON'T want to that is not only ok, but awesome too)

          2 votes
  6. [4]
    Comment deleted by author
    Link
    1. ohyran
      Link Parent
      Ok that set up looks awesome cool... Are you good with music and sound btw? I want to propose some unique sound themes for Opensuse's KDE Plasma version (the visuals and also the sound) but I am...

      Ok that set up looks awesome cool...

      Are you good with music and sound btw? I want to propose some unique sound themes for Opensuse's KDE Plasma version (the visuals and also the sound) but I am shit with sound design, I have some rough ideas but I feel like Im gonna get bogged down hard and the end result wont be as good as I think it would be. If you want to look for an alternative project and want to help out, I would love to do it with someone else. (if not, just say "nah don't feel it" - don't feel any pressure at all to back out obviously)

      3 votes
    2. acdw
      Link Parent
      I love that Repair Manifesto poster!

      I love that Repair Manifesto poster!

      3 votes
    3. kfwyre
      Link Parent
      I am a big fan of "stage setting" before beginning a project, where you take time to make sure things are in order. That totally counts as work towards something! I do the exact same thing. Also,...

      I am a big fan of "stage setting" before beginning a project, where you take time to make sure things are in order. That totally counts as work towards something! I do the exact same thing.

      Also, thanks for sharing the picture! Your setup looks great.

      3 votes
  7. meerific
    Link
    Wrote a couple short pieces last week: On Lurking and Minimal Commonality. These will form a basis for a longer article on community, which I plan to write next week. That aricle, in turn, will...

    Wrote a couple short pieces last week: On Lurking and Minimal Commonality. These will form a basis for a longer article on community, which I plan to write next week. That aricle, in turn, will guide my designs.

    As a side note, I'm planning to re-crop a few of my old nature photos and upload them here over the course of this month.

    5 votes
  8. [7]
    mat
    (edited )
    Link
    Been a bit of a week so haven't had a whole lot of time but... this is how much knife I made Hoping to get a lot more done in the coming week, when I'll have some actual free time rather than just...

    Been a bit of a week so haven't had a whole lot of time but... this is how much knife I made

    Hoping to get a lot more done in the coming week, when I'll have some actual free time rather than just 15 minutes here and there.

    Happy to answer any questions anyone has, also suggestions for less annoying image hosts much appreciate.

    (edit: just noticed imgur has reordered all my images so they make no sense. I'm trying to fix it but their editor is not playing nice)

    5 votes
    1. [2]
      Grendel
      Link Parent
      That looks really cool. I feel like I would enjoy knife making but it seems to require a shop with a non-trivial amount of equipment. How did you get into knife making in the first place?

      That looks really cool. I feel like I would enjoy knife making but it seems to require a shop with a non-trivial amount of equipment.

      How did you get into knife making in the first place?

      2 votes
      1. mat
        Link Parent
        So.. a bare minimum setup would be: some means of holding the work, saw for cutting, couple of files for shaping, sandpaper for polishing, blowtorch for heat treating. But it's going to need a lot...

        So.. a bare minimum setup would be: some means of holding the work, saw for cutting, couple of files for shaping, sandpaper for polishing, blowtorch for heat treating. But it's going to need a lot of elbow grease with it.

        A realistic minimum is probably a belt sander and some sort of rotary tool, sandpaper and blowtorch. I reckon you could get set up for about £200, less if you buy used (used tools often great value). If you want to forge things, which I'm hoping to do later in the month, that requires rather more gear but again you might be surprised by how much you don't need. One small shed or corner of a garage and a few hundred quid and you'd be on your way.

        Of course you can spend as much as you have - a good, high power adjustable belt grinder is an easy four figures, a heat treat oven the same again. If I had the money to spare, I could drop tens of thousands on tools quite easily. Surface grinder would be nice. CNC plasma cutter. Milling machine. Power hammer.

        I always fancied making knives so I am trying it. This is my third knife ever. First one was a failure. Second one was better but still had a lot of room for improvement. We'll see how this one goes. I have some experience in metalworking because one of my incomes is via jewellery design and manufacture, and the skills aren't particularly different - although steel is a LOT harder to work with than copper, silver or gold. That said, while this is currently just for fun, if I can somehow find a way into making some money from it, that would be nice too (my wedding-related jewellery sales in 2020 have been... well, they haven't been what they were last year)

        2 votes
    2. [4]
      AugustusFerdinand
      Link Parent
      As someone in need of a new one as my inherited example has bit the dust and is irreparable, I am envious of your belt sander. Looking good so far!

      As someone in need of a new one as my inherited example has bit the dust and is irreparable, I am envious of your belt sander. Looking good so far!

      2 votes
      1. [3]
        mat
        Link Parent
        Hah, I wouldn't be too envious - it's a lot shonkier than it looks, and very underpowered, only 400W or something. This is my third in maybe five years (one died randomly, the next one caught fire...

        Hah, I wouldn't be too envious - it's a lot shonkier than it looks, and very underpowered, only 400W or something. This is my third in maybe five years (one died randomly, the next one caught fire and then broke, this one is still OK so far)

        One day I'm going to build a nice hefty 2x72 system. Ideally just before this one dies.

        1 vote
        1. [2]
          AugustusFerdinand
          Link Parent
          If your tools work the way mine do, it'll be after it dies. It's always after it dies.

          Ideally just before this one dies.

          If your tools work the way mine do, it'll be after it dies. It's always after it dies.

          2 votes
          1. mat
            Link Parent
            Yup. Just before a big, time sensitive job which that one tool is an absolute necessity for. Or, if no such job is forthcoming, the day after it's warranty runs out.

            Yup. Just before a big, time sensitive job which that one tool is an absolute necessity for. Or, if no such job is forthcoming, the day after it's warranty runs out.

            2 votes
  9. [6]
    Tygrak
    Link
    So I have done absolutely nothing for the project I committed to. But I have actually made something else. I wrote/made this comedy interactive fiction game, named "A Deep Dark Forest and the...

    So I have done absolutely nothing for the project I committed to. But I have actually made something else. I wrote/made this comedy interactive fiction game, named "A Deep Dark Forest and the Cosmic Story, this is a long name, isn't it?" (what a great name, right?). I made it during one day and spent only like 5 hours on it. It's probably not very good, but a few of my friends kind of enjoyed it, so maybe you guys will too? It's only about 10-15 minutes long. It was mostly just kind of vomited out so there might be a lot of English grammar mistakes and so on. I have like no experience writing, so yeah it's just bad. Making low effort, low stakes stuff like this can be pretty awesome though. And making stuff outside of my comfort zone is interesting too!

    Let me know what you thought if you played it!

    5 votes
    1. [2]
      cfabbro
      Link Parent
      That was pretty funny, especially the part with Naoki. The beginning where you're unconscious, and some of the other self-deprecating internal dialogues throughout, even reminded me of Disco...

      That was pretty funny, especially the part with Naoki. The beginning where you're unconscious, and some of the other self-deprecating internal dialogues throughout, even reminded me of Disco Elysium at times. You should really give that game a try if you haven't played it yet, it's an absolutely incredible game, and given your own writing here I think you would probably enjoy it a lot.

      4 votes
      1. Tygrak
        Link Parent
        Thank you so much! I didn't play Disco Elysium, I checked out the steam page and the concept looks pretty interesting, maybe I need to pick it up next steam sale :).

        Thank you so much! I didn't play Disco Elysium, I checked out the steam page and the concept looks pretty interesting, maybe I need to pick it up next steam sale :).

        3 votes
    2. [2]
      Grendel
      Link Parent
      I really enjoyed that. You have a great sense of humor and you should definitely keep writing!

      I really enjoyed that. You have a great sense of humor and you should definitely keep writing!

      4 votes
      1. Tygrak
        Link Parent
        Thank you so much! You guys are too kind :), maybe I should write more.

        Thank you so much! You guys are too kind :), maybe I should write more.

        4 votes
    3. acdw
      Link Parent
      Fun game! It was pretty funny too :)

      Fun game! It was pretty funny too :)

      3 votes
  10. [3]
    Fiachra
    Link
    7,104 words out of 50,000. Behind schedule a bit, but it's early days yet. Expected to get a lot done over the weekend but ended up doing very little.

    7,104 words out of 50,000. Behind schedule a bit, but it's early days yet. Expected to get a lot done over the weekend but ended up doing very little.

    5 votes
    1. [2]
      AugustusFerdinand
      Link Parent
      Do you know why this is the case? As in something external preventing such or just not as productive as you wanted to be? Keep it up and I'm sure you'll hit the goal!

      Expected to get a lot done over the weekend but ended up doing very little.

      Do you know why this is the case? As in something external preventing such or just not as productive as you wanted to be?

      Keep it up and I'm sure you'll hit the goal!

      2 votes
      1. Fiachra
        Link Parent
        I think my mistake was trying to write in the morning when I normally only write at night. I thought I'd get twice as much done but I just tired myself out without really doing much.

        I think my mistake was trying to write in the morning when I normally only write at night. I thought I'd get twice as much done but I just tired myself out without really doing much.

        2 votes
  11. Gyrfalcon
    Link
    Well week one went a little differently than I imagined it. I sat down last Sunday to work on getting my site switched to a different generator, started testing a few different ones out, and I...

    Well week one went a little differently than I imagined it. I sat down last Sunday to work on getting my site switched to a different generator, started testing a few different ones out, and I learned just how closely connected the way I have built the site is to the static generator. Both Pelican and Franklin have fairly opinionated concepts of what your main page should look like, and Hyde turned out be unmaintained. Had it been maintained, Hyde would have been my best shot, as it started as a clone for Jekyll (what a pun!), but no updates since 20016 and using a version of Python that went out of support this year is a bit of a dealbreaker.

    This was a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it sucks that my site still won't be made using a generator I understand. On the other, it means that my week of watching election results and letting life get in the way wasn't detracting from my plan. This coming week my plan is to get some additional research done so that I can do my writing in the last two weeks.

    5 votes
  12. aphoenix
    (edited )
    Link
    My Project: update my personal website. I was planning to sketch out some broad architectural and design ideas, and have mostly achieved that. Since this site doesn't have to necessarily cater to...

    My Project: update my personal website.

    I was planning to sketch out some broad architectural and design ideas, and have mostly achieved that.

    Since this site doesn't have to necessarily cater to any particular audience, and since I'm not really using it as an advertisement for myself, I thought I'd use it to hold a bunch of information about the variety of interests that I hold, and information that people ask me about. To that end, I've mostly figured out the structure of the site.

    Design wise, I've made some decisions. I've come up with some general colour schemes, and made some decisions about "the feel". I've decided to do some hand drawn icons, and have drawn a dozen and iterated on about half of them.

    I've gotten my old WordPress blog running in a docker container, and have started porting it over to Wagtail, but I'm not 100% on actually using wagtail, so I'm also going to see about porting them into Markdown and maybe using a static site generator.

    I guess that's okay for week 1.

    5 votes
  13. 0d_billie
    Link
    A week down, and a week's worth of blog posts ticked off! I'll link each of them below, but I'm particularly proud of my entries from the 6th and 7th (Spotify, and the Personal Statement). Day 1 -...

    A week down, and a week's worth of blog posts ticked off! I'll link each of them below, but I'm particularly proud of my entries from the 6th and 7th (Spotify, and the Personal Statement).

    Day 1 - Thoughts on monthly challenges
    Day 2 - Returning to Facebook
    Day 3 - Thoughts on Noise
    Day 4 - My Desert Island Discs
    Day 5 - Aimless ramblings about language
    Day 6 - Spotify is pretty bad for small artists
    Day 7 - My Master's personal statement
    Day 8 - Things aren't as bad as they seemed

    So far I'm enjoying the challenge of writing every day. I do feel like I'm improving by degrees, but some days are far easier than others. My mood and my level of energy seem directly linked to how good my writing ends up being, hence (I assume) why I'm particularly proud of my entries from Friday and Saturday. Onwards and upwards though! I have more topics squirrelled away that I'm ready to write about, so I'm not afraid of running out of ideas any time soon.

    5 votes
  14. acdw
    Link
    So far I've done a thousand words a day for my #1kaday challenge. The weekend ended up being more diaristic and noodly, which isn't great --- but hopefully I can get back to like, well written...

    So far I've done a thousand words a day for my #1kaday challenge. The weekend ended up being more diaristic and noodly, which isn't great --- but hopefully I can get back to like, well written stuff this week.

    so far everything's been on my gemlog: gemini://gem.acdw.net (HTTP mirror)

    5 votes
  15. [2]
    AugustusFerdinand
    Link
    This weekend was the start of the Toyota Big Block Build. As needed I'll add explanations for those not mechanically inclined. Saturday started with sleeping in a bit and waking up to good news...

    This weekend was the start of the Toyota Big Block Build. As needed I'll add explanations for those not mechanically inclined.

    Saturday started with sleeping in a bit and waking up to good news about the election, then getting to work cleaning up the shortblock1 to prepare it for paint and assembly. As outlined in my previous comment (linked within the linked comment above) the shortblock came from a 1995 Toyota Corolla, one that obviously had a power steering leak and was owned by someone that missed the oil fill neck a few times during it's life. The original black paint on the block had long since started to flake off and there was burnt oil/dirt combinations stuck in various crevices that is typical of pretty much any engine that's seen six figure mileage.

    Having already disassembled the original 7AFE longblock and inspected the oil, bearing surfaces, rods, and cylinders to find them all in good condition (Toyota's legendary reliability remains intact), I began by cleaning up the residue left over from the old head gasket and the form-in-place-gasket from the oil pan. Then moved on to cleaning up the sides of the block after removing the crank pulley and old motor mount, along with attempting to remove the crank sprocket and oil pump. The latter two will be removed this week when the special tool I ordered to remove the sprocket arrives as it was seized onto the crankshaft nose and the typical method, a couple of sturdy flatheads followed by crowbar and cusswords if the screwdrivers don't work, bore no fruit. So the front side of the block still needs cleanup (won't get paint) as the old oil pump is still there and the back side (also left unpainted) is blocked by the engine stand. Sides of the block were cleaned up with wire cups and wheels, my pants will give you an example of why you wear eye protection while doing this2. The clean shots were a little premature as I got into some of the nooks and crannies with my dremel after these were taken to get the last little bits the larger wheels/cups couldn't get to. Tape is there to protect surfaces that aren't getting "Oldsmobile Gold" paint.

    Afterward I tried out my recently built sand/sodablasting3 cabinet setup on the valve covers. Being completely unused/untested until this time there was some adjustments and the like that took time to get right before real progress could be made so I only cleaned one of the two valve covers so far. Ultimately I ended up abandoning my soda specific blasting setup and just ran the soda through the normal sandblasting gun as it just works better than the pressurized soda blasting setup. This runs the risk of me using more soda over time than I would with the dedicated setup, but the increased cost is far outweighed by the ease of use compared to the frustrations with the dedicated tank. Overall I'm pleased with the results, there are a few specks of paint remaining but nothing that a little elbow grease won't take care of and the surface is now ready for the wrinkle finish to follow.

    1 An engine's two main parts consist of the shortblock, which is the bottom half of the engine that houses the cylinders, crankshaft, pistons, and rods which are subsequently connected to the transmission that sends power to the wheels, and the head, which is the top half that houses the ports, valves, springs, and camshafts (in an overhead cam engine such as this) which moves air and fuel into the cylinders and exhaust out of them. When the two parts are combined they are referred to as a longblock.
    2 Those are metal wires that flew out of the cups/wheels and embedded themselves into my jeans enough to poke skin and leave a few light scratches on my legs. I'm unwilling to test to see if that's fast/sharp enough to penetrate an eyeball, but even if it's not I'm sure it's more than enough to really fuck up your day. Wear eye and ear protection folks!
    3 Sandblasting is the process of using high pressure air to accelerate an abrasive media, typically silica sand, at a surface to remove paint, rust, metal, etc. and smooth the overall finish of an item.

    Sodablasting is the same process only it uses sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) instead of sand or other more abrasive media. Soda generally disintegrates upon impact taking only softer finishes with it. For example it will remove paint, oil, and light rust, but will not remove metal or change the dimensions of the item; so it's perfect for things like aluminum valve covers and heads. It also dissolves in water so cleanup is extremely easy with none of the concern about sand being stuck in threaded holes.

    My customized cabinet uses a metering valve for media delivery and dust separator setup using a 5 gallon bucket, wet/dry vacuum, and a 3D printed thien separator.

    Hope everyone's projects and plans are going well, here's Irwin to pay the cat tax.

    5 votes
    1. kfwyre
      Link Parent
      Fantastic writeup! And your photos really help visualize what's going on and ground my understanding of this. Without them I'd just kind of be nodding along without an actual idea of what you were...

      Fantastic writeup! And your photos really help visualize what's going on and ground my understanding of this. Without them I'd just kind of be nodding along without an actual idea of what you were doing.

      Also, Irwin looks awesome. :)

      2 votes
  16. autumn
    Link
    I’m a little behind where I’d like to be in my word count, but I have all work days off for a week! That means I should be able to catch up. This weekend (and yesterday) ended up being really busy.

    I’m a little behind where I’d like to be in my word count, but I have all work days off for a week! That means I should be able to catch up. This weekend (and yesterday) ended up being really busy.

    3 votes
  17. skeetcha
    Link
    Roll Call Post Again, a couple of days late. I've been busy with school and other personal stuff, but I've been working on another song. I need to recognize the scope of this project as this one...

    Roll Call Post

    Again, a couple of days late. I've been busy with school and other personal stuff, but I've been working on another song. I need to recognize the scope of this project as this one song is taking me over my day limit (I'm limiting myself as to how long I work on these projects to three days and it's like day four or five at this point on this song). It's a large sub-project and I need to just get it done quickly.

    In any case, if you want to see what I've already done for Timasomo, you can check out my YouTube channels CityboundForest where you can find the next song I'm working on (along with a lot of other videos) and Wires&Branches where you can find my modular synthesizer projects. Like I said in the role call post, Wires&Branches has a track that I made for ALoSiN called Seilbahn which you can listen to on YouTube as well as on Bandcamp for $2 after three streams.

    3 votes