Burn-out vs The YouTube Content Creator

When I started this blog, I had a lot of problems in my life and writing about my hobbies gave me something of an outlet. It may not have addressed my core issues, but it gave me a needed distraction and some relief from the depression and anxiety those issues brought. It was also an exercise, as I enjoyed writing and I saw it as a way to hone my skill, albeit in a vacuum largely devoid of feedback. But I am my own worst critic, and so in obsessing over the things I had written, I was generating my own feedback loop. If nothing else, I could grow my skill at expressing the feelings I was trying to convey.

When one of my hobbies turned into a YouTube channel, that became all I could do. I didn't have the time or the energy to devote to blog posts, and any other hobbies that didn't involve just simple collecting tended to go by the wayside. Without even the remotest idea of what I was doing, I naïvely set out to develop and conquer a new skill: Video production.

Air Motion Transformer (AMT) Headphones

I love headphones. I love technology. So it stands to reason I like headphone technology. In fact I've written about it here on a couple occasions. So when a "new" innovation in the field springs up, I tend to take notice. It was just such an innovation that motivated me to peck out those original writings some thirteen years ago.

Back then I was quite bullish on the concept of planar magnetic technology. Here was something that promised to deliver much of the speed and resolution of electrostatic drivers, but with the ability to be plugged into any conventional headphone amp. And they were being made by a couple guys futzing around in a garage, producing headphones that rivaled the best multi-million dollar technology from the market's biggest players. It was almost like getting to witness Jobs and Wozniak stamping the first fruit logo on a home computer. And yeah, to me and many others, the writing was on the wall.

I'm less bullish on AMT technology, though. AMT, or Air Motion Transformer transducers, are closer in DNA to planars than dynamics or anything else. Essentially it's like an accordion. You have a folded diaphragm that squeezes and expands to move air. OK it's not really an accordion — an accordion is basically a bellows that squeezes air through reeds. AMT produces sounds through the folds themselves via extremely fast movement. One manufacturer reckons four times faster movement than planars or dynamics. (We'll get to them in a bit.) And like those technologies, you can plug it into an ordinary headphone amp.

Sounds promising so far, right?

Building a Windows XP PC, And Reliving A Golden Era

For me, Windows XP is where I really got my start in PC gaming. Growing up with computers, I had always dabbled in PC gaming — trying to get games to run on the school computers, or using one at friends' and relatives' houses, putting a game or two on the family computer — but I didn't actually get my own gaming PC until XP was well on the scene. And it's then that I really began learning about them, building and tinkering my machine until I could get a good framerate out of the game I wanted to play. It was a magical time.

Top 10 Most Infamous Graphics Cards of All Time

The world of GPUs has always been a cutthroat one, and while no GPU designer ever intends to release a flop, there are instances under the high pressure environment of this market where mistakes are inevitable. A GPU maker has to survive by timely launches of competitive graphics solutions, straining to anticipate their rival’s intentions and often stretched for time against ever-present problems. It’s a complex undertaking, where design takes place four or five years before it will be powering whatever crop of demanding games currently hold our attention, having to understand what the capabilities of manufacturing will be at the time, and the state of software standards like Microsoft’s DirectX. Then when launch time comes, you have to be ready with enough chips hitting close enough to performance goals, and feature-complete drivers that are polished and ready to spit out images error-free.

Perceptions Changed After Rewatching MCU

In the lead up to Civil War, I took up the task of rewatching everything that's happened so far in this crazy awesome universe. Supercut trailers made by fans that show scenes throughout the series as they pertain to Captain America 3 are really cool, and really illuminate the meticulous planning behind the camera to put this whole symphony together. But that wasn't enough -- I had to watch every movie over again.

Many of the MCU films I've already seen multiple times. As someone that doesn't get out to the theaters as often as I'd like, and certainly not to bear the expense on movies I've seen before, for me at least it's a big deal to say The Avengers and Captain America: The Winter Soldier were watched more than once on the big screen. The pair are the best comic book films ever made (so far), and each one cannot be seen too many times. They are truly the pinnacle of what we can do in the genre right now.

Reassessing the Prequels

It's funny, because in the world of films, just saying "the Prequels" will probably tell you all you need to know about what a person's talking about. And it immediately conjures up feelings about them, ones that are most often deeply seeded over a very long gestation period, more than ten years now since the release of the third film in the trilogy. Every opinion has been rendered, and I'm not about to open new ground by rendering my own, but I thought now was a good time to voice them in a cavernous void where few if any eyes will ever see them.

The Return of Ghost Roaster, Eons in the Making

In the world of Skylanders, many characters exhibit a wackiness and creativity that isn't matched by a lot of other game franchises. Their uniqueness is part of what makes them memorable, but few characters have made such an indelible mark as Ghost Roaster. To look at, he's certainly cool enough, with his spiky skull head and long pointy teeth, his cartoony over-the-top lapels, and chain mace tail. That's all well and ghould, but it's how he plays that makes him the total package, and why so many have fallen in love with the character.

Skylanders SuperChargers Pt. 2

SuperChargers marks what may be the biggest change to gameplay in the Skylanders series. Vehicles are what's hot, and with that opens up a whole expanse of new gameplay that's obviously very different from what fans are accustomed to. And it's this difference that has some of those fans up in arms. A turn off for veterans, and a possible avenue to a bright new future that revitalizes the Skylanders franchise. There's a lot to talk about, so let's get started.

Skylanders SuperChargers Pt. 1

The last game, Trap Team, sold undeniably well. The game featured 57 characters, 55 trap crystals, and 8 magic and adventure items, not including special editions and variants. The game commanded a massive portion of retail shelves, and an even bigger portion of the toys-to-life market despite heavy competition from Disney. Looking back, it's obvious Trap Team simply offered more than not only its competition, but every past Skylanders game to date as well. But was it perhaps too much?

What I want from Skylanders 5, and more

In my last rambling, I let loose some steam on the state of things in the toys-to-life market. The subject is one of increasing passion for me, as not long ago I was unexpectedly sucked into a Portal of Power and wound up with about 50 Skylander figurines, not including those of my girlfriend's. I've yet to recover, but that doesn't seem to cause me any distress. The series is a fantastic co-op experience, though local only and limited to just a pair of players. As her and I were already enthusiastic about toy collecting, the match was easily made. Others like us have come to know something about this genre of plastic baubles that outsiders just don't understand: There's something intangibly captivating about putting a toy on a pedestal and watching it animate on the screen before you.

image credit: Thelostlighthouse.com