#'didn't they have email in the 90s???' 'YES BUT IT WAS EASY THEN YOU JUST OPENED YOUR AOL AND IT WAS THERE'

[mctives]

my favorite thing is thinking about stu in his released verse getting out of prison and having to live in the world and trying to figure out how to use modern technology

[goldkirk]

My five happy things for today

Organizing Information All For Me. digital files and email inboxes and daily planners etc etc ALL FOR ME. Sorted EXACTLY the way that makes sense for MY brain.

The dog and the cat both had Mega Zoomies this morning and it was a riot

my little ritual of lighting one (1) tea light candle each evening when I sit at my desk to catch up on notebooks/journals/planners for the day

I was on time to every work meeting today and didn't miss my cues to speak. The sheer RELIEF

there are so many documentaries and video essays (of sometimes dubious quality/veracity, yes, but still) on YouTube it's unbelievable. can you BELIEVE we have SO MUCH INFORMATION so easy to access and in VIDEO AND AUDIO not just print?????? it's like. incomprehensible. I'm trying to think about it from the perspective of someone in even just the 90s and it's like. fucking insane what we're able to do in seconds 24/7 so long as we have data/wifi/etc.

[button-kin-games]

Development Diary: Jude's World, Part 7

At last my solo, tarot-based TTRPG about a plucky preteen protagonist struggling to reunite their warring parents is in the hands of play testers. I've been resisting doing any active development until I've received more feedback, but let's talk about what I've been hearing so far.

Feedback #1: Tone

Test readers said they liked the game but found the tone "sombre". This was cause for concern.

I'm not sure why I assumed that my little game about divorce would be a giggle? But I did. While the genre of the game is not comedy, it is inspired by 90s kids shows that I loved, which always sprinkled sassy one-liners and hijinks in even throughout more serious plots. They wanted their main characters to be likeable and aspirational, and they needed to balance the tone of the heavier drama for kids. Why didn't more of that source inspiration come through in my initial draft? Well.

Firstly I wanted to make the rule text clear. This means balancing detail with conciseness - I don't want to leave unnecessary ambiguity, but I also don't want to exhaust my reader with minutiae. It's easy to forget when writing game texts that it's okay to sacrifice a little of each of these for the sake of flavour. The field of optimisation is a triangle, not a line.

Secondly I have a lot to say about society's attitudes towards divorce. Maybe the introduction to a game text, which is intended to entice and invite the reader, isn't the place to explore those concepts fully. Was I wrong when I wrote that divorce is a women's rights issue and a hard won privilege, access to which should be expanded in a free and progressive society, or that an virulently anti-divorce tone of parent-trap-style stories is deeply problematic? No. Is that potentially a downer to read about when you're trying to get into a playful headspace? Maybe. (Yes.)

I may write up some of these more intense thoughts in a separate blog post or essay and refer to that in my text rather than including them there. That way those who are interested can read up while everyone else can have some peace. Credit for this idea goes to Laurie O'Connell who mentioned using a similar strategy in one of his games while being interviewed on the excellent What Am I Rolling? podcast.

Feedback #2: Organisation

I should have seen this one coming. It's telling that I've overhauled the structure of the text 5 times now. The feedback is that it's still not flowing quite right.

From experience this is something I'll continue to tinker with until near the end of the development process. Although I have hit upon an idea I want to try in the next version: I want to try writing my game like an academic paper.

I studied Psychology at uni. I didn't really like it because my tutors expected me to, like, go to the library and read a lot of academic papers, which clashed with my pre-existing plans to chain-smoke in the pub all day. In the intervening years I've both quit smoking and somehow retained some knowledge of the structure of an academic paper: abstract, content, then conclusion, with all the same information in those three sections using different emphasis and levels of detail.

When I first learned about this format I thought it was insane. Why all that repetition? Then I actually did a spot of teaching and realised: that's just how we learn. You cannot say something once and expect a listener (or reader) to retain it. No matter how simple the message seems to you.

So I'm going to try that for the next version of my game. Simplified rules, followed by a rules deep dive, followed by a glossary/diagrams/play examples to enrich what we've covered before using different presentation styles. I'm excited about this idea. Let's see how it goes!

If you're interested in play testing the game I'm more than happy to provide subscribers with a copy of my current draft. You can email me at yvris@buttonkin.com.

[shop-korea]

Google - Play Store - Free Aps

Super Zoom - Best - Magnifier

Couldn't read - Toll Free - Last

Nos - Increase by button - and

Made light - Darker - Unique &

So - 4 days - exact - Capital

One - Credit Card - received

Instruction - Put Card's back

2 - Steel Back of Samsung so

Miaculous - Fast Round and

Card - Activated - Asked to

Add 2 Google Pay - Same

Thing - Card Cack again

But - leave it 2 Google it

didn't complete somehow

Exited and went 2 app with

AOL - email - G pay - Just

replaced - old one so cool

Google tries with High Tech

Main Library - Making Copy

2 give 2 - Golden - Passport

2 look at plus FL Identification

Card - 2024 - Social - Security

Benefits Letter - $943 ea First

Disability 4 Blindness - Miami

and my Easy Card with photo

CVS Health - Non-Drowsy

Daytime - Multi - Cold/Flu

Relief - Fever - Softgels - 2

Alcohol Free - Works

Korean Girls

Clorox - $5.27 - Publix sale

Buy 2 - 1 Free - was attacked

Yesterday - Weight Loss has

brought back my Youth's

experience - 90 lbs as yes

Asians - 85 lbs - 95 lbs fr

Asian Food - only means

Extreme Attacks fr USA

Spanish - European yes

Hispanic - Non-virgin

Women - USA - World

Loosing weight - steadily

Blond - Hispanic 4 - Self

Service - There is a sign

Many sneak fr behind &

goes - they attack Asians

Yesterday - She created a

line far away - went auto 2

no line - Pointed major and

said - Go back 2 the line and

only women - Hispanics yes

echoed - Yeah - Back 2 line

Went 2 Empty - Express

10 items or less - saw -a

Whitish Hispanic Male

said - 7th Amendment

Explained - over 6 yrs

Have all receipts over

$3,500 - Partially Blind

Wednesday - Sushi - $5

Day - Time element

Harvard Law - Trial by Jury

Removing - 'Where shopping

is a Pleasure' - addressed the

No Hanukkah Cards - Publix

closed - Easter Sunday - you

are - Establishing Respect for

Christian Religion - No Hanukkah

Publix agrees - Nazi Regime right

about - 6 million Jews - murdered

New Sign - expect - Mini Pony ea

aisle - Florida - not - Open Carry

Sign doesn't - say - $5,000 fine

per incident - and - Publix true

'Reserves right 2 deprive persons

of their property - Paid in Full

Championship Bloodlines Dogs

Since not 1 word obedience

Florida - service dogs - Judges

Honorables - with due process

of law - gave security right to

shoot 2 death - return collar &

put dead dog in complementary

trash bag - Ma'm please throw

dead dog in Free trashcan after

you exit - I said - 'Publix where

Shopping is not a Pleasure'

Looking forward 2 cards like

Islam 4 wives - Joker said 2

male - Where are your other

2 wives - always same - two

So pointed 2 blond Hispanic

Publix Employee - Speaking

Spanish everywhere - said my

Harvard Lawyers - Calling the

right authority 2 apprehend

Publix Employees and - the

Customers - Speaking Spanish

Born in US - they teach their

Kids - born in US - Spanish

Only - Apprehend 4 Treason

Florida - Former Spanish yes

Colony - Then - US Territory

King of Spain not giving them

any protection - Former - Old

Empire - Trial will show their

Hispanic Personal Background

Burnt 500 Families in their

Homes - after - 333 years

fr - Invasion - Cruel people

No Hanukkah - Publix has

Established - Disrespecting

Jewish Religion after WW 2

Bible - 'Love never Fails' -

'Peacemakers will inherit

the Earth' - Me interested

'Obey Godly Laws of Land'

Harvard Law vs 911 Publix

SW 9 St - Needed - 2 Talk

Going 2 SW 13 St - Publix

Larger - Nicer - Front - of

New - Soma - at - Brickell

[pbandjesse]

Today was a good day off, but it did not exactly go according to plan. I slept okay last night. It was not easy getting to sleep. My body really ached. But once I was asleep it was okay. I woke up with James this morning. I didn't want to be awake. But I couldn't go back to sleep because he was cooking bacon and the smell was too strong. We're just kind of laying around till he left. I hope you had a good day at work. He's coming home soon. I like to get my post done earlier in the day now. When he's not here. So that we can actually spend time together and I don't after focus on this and then when I'm done he's asleep. That's very frustrating. We're figuring out a system.

I was very tired this morning though. Once he went to work I got up. I took a bath. The water was too hot. I tried to drain half of it and just put cold water in it but because the bathroom is hot the water wouldn't cool down. I did my best. Helped me feel a little bit better though.

I got dressed and came out here and made a quesadilla for brunch. Finished eating and cleaned up. And then I worked on my quilt for a while. Brooke for needles. Some places the paint was just too thick in the squares and other times I hit a beat or something. But I got a lot done. I worked until my back hurt too much to be sitting. And then I work for another 45 minutes pinning more of the squares into place. And then it was a little after noon.

I watch the new Shane Dawson doc. I worked on my Furby odd body project. Enjoyed being in the air conditioning. And then sometime around 1 I fell asleep. I slept on the couch which is not my favorite thing. But I felt okay. I woke up pretty groggy. I have snack. Woke myself up. And then around 3 I grabbed my tote bag and I went Artscape.

I went to the Art Market and bought a couple things for James. Bought myself a pin. Looked at stuff but didn't find any prints or anything I loved. There was stuff I like but nothing I really wanted to hang at my house. Maybe James will have better luck tomorrow. I had a good time people watching. I ran into a couple people I knew. It was good. But man is it hot. I do not envy anyone working outside today. I feel horrible for my ships friends and for my friends working the market. Horrible. The heat index is almost a hundred and fifteen.

Tomorrow is supposed to be even worse. I have to work at the BMI tomorrow which thankfully is inside. But I have to bike to and from work. I haven't decided yet if I'm actually going to go because of that. I'm nervous about my health. I emailed my manager on Friday and told him that I felt nervous about it and he told me I should take a lift. Which yeah I could take a left but it's $20. And he said that sometimes there are expenses that weaker commuting to work. And I just felt like it was the most condescending thing he could have said to me. Yes I know sometimes it cost money to get to work I'm an adult to. But the reason I bike to work is because you pay me $12 an hour and it's not cost effective to spend two of the seven hours I'm working there just to get through and from work. That's stupid. So I haven't decided what I'm doing yet. If I wake up in the morning and it's already in the 90s I'm not going. They don't need an educator that bad.

I finished shopping at Artscape though. Went to the historic ships booth and talk to Stephanie for a little while. And then I went to Rite Aid to cool off. Didn't have anything I wanted. So I went across the street to Blick to bother James at his new job. He was busy fixing something. And I antagonized him by telling him I was going to molest all of the brushes. Met one of his co-workers that seems nice. He looked very cute in his apron.

I went to Eddie's next and got a couple things. And then to CVS. And then I made the walk home. That was probably the worst part of the day. It just felt so far. And I was so hot. I tried to walk exclusively in the shade and that helped but still.

I got back here a little bit after 5. I water the plants I James asked and then got a quick shower. Just cooled off. I had watermelon and cheese puffs for lunch? Not sure what meal that would be. Not really a dinner. But it was very good. And now I'm just resting and waiting for James to get back here. I don't think we'll go back to Artscape tonight but I'll see how he feels. He's going to go with Brandon tomorrow so I think we already had our time walking it together last night. That's fine with me.

I'm sure what's going to happen tomorrow. If I don't feel comfortable going I won't go. They'll have to deal. It'll be fine. I hope you guys all have a great night. Sleep well. Take care of each other. Try to stay cool. Scary out there.

[funny-relatable]

Why doesnt SOMEONE do something aobut ALL THESE FUCKING BOTS ON social MEDIA ???????????????

Co-Worker: *internally* The new guy is so cool. Well, I guess he's not the new guy anymore because he has been working here for months now, but he's still great. I look up to him so much. He's funny, and outgoing. He even gave me a cute nickname. He never recognizes my affection for him, but I think today is the day. Today is the day he'll realize how cool and cute I am.

Co-Worker: H-Hi!

New Guy: Hey, braids.

Co-Worker: Do you like music?

New Guy: Yeah, I mean everyone likes music. Kinda weird if you don't. You're friends with that rep, right?

Co-Worker: Huh?

New Guy: You know, the mopey one. Dark hair. Does she like me?

Co-Worker: Everyone likes you. I like you.

New Guy: Yeah, but that rep. That rep doesn't talk to me.

Co-Worker: I'm sure she likes you. You're so cool and kind and... uh, Britney Spears followed me on twitter!

New Guy: Whoa, what!? Britney Spears!? You're fucking joking!

Co-Worker: I'm serious. I guess, I'm really cool now. Hahahahahahahaha.

New Guy: Lemme see.

Co-Worker: Huh?

New Guy: Lemme see your phone. I wanna see Britney following you. Can you like DM her?

Co-Worker: You're not allowed to take your phone out at work.

New Guy: Come on, no one cares.

Co-Worker: Uh, here you go, I guess. *hands new guy her phone*

New Guy: *checks twitter* ...This is a bot.

Co-Worker: Huh?

New Guy: It's not the real Britney Spears, this is very obviously a bot.

Co-Worker: No, it's totally her. How can you even tell?

New Guy: First off, she only has two followers. One of which is you and the other is another Britney Spears bot. Secondly, her twitter name is Brittany Spear. Third, all of her posts are about discount fishing rods.

Co-Worker: Oh... I guess I didn't notice.

New Guy: You're fucking with me aren't you?

Co-Worker: *sweats* Sure, yeah.

New Guy: *laughs* I love you, braids. You're funny as shit.

Co-Worker: You love me!?

New Guy: Yeah, as a minor work acquaintance. Hey, if you talk to that rep later on, tell her to hit me up some time.

Co-Worker: Sure... yeah.

*later*

Co-Worker: *checking phone* It can't be a bot. It's definitely not a bot. Why would a Britney Spears bot follow me. I'm not even interested in fishing. It has to be the real Britney. *DMs the bot* Hey, hello Britney.

Brittany Spear: hi what're up :)

Co-Worker: Britney, I knew you were real!

Brittany Spear: lol hey ! :) :P

Co-Worker: Britney, you have to prove to this guy at my job that you're real. He's so cute and I love him so much and I want him to notice me.

Brittany Spear: wow hey did you kno that u can decrease you're morrtgrage rate by up to 20% check it out at www.extra.savings.ca/riwuWqoaQ/ref/100200

Co-Worker: Britney, this is serious.

Brittany Spear: Hi :)

Co-Worker: Britney PLS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brittany Spear: do U want boys to like U 🤔

Co-Worker: Yes, Britney! Show me the way!

Brittany Spear: is verry easy just follow this link and find your way https://find.your.way.jp/4wfwf42435753g$single/trinity/

Co-Worker: *clicks link*

Co-Worker: *pupils dilate*

*later*

New Guy: *working halfheartedly*

Co-Worker: *stumbles into new guy's cubicle* Greeting.

New Guy: Hey, braids.

Co-Worker: Does your like fishing?

New Guy: Nah. Never been much of an outdoorsman unless it involves extreme sports.

Co-Worker: Cooooooool. Go to www DOT amazone DOT co DOT de FORWARDSLASH promo FORWARDSLASH yourdiscountnow FORWARDSLASH for 90% discount code on premium fishing rods.

New Guy: You alright, braids? You sound kinda complete weird, and your eyes are a little completely black.

Co-Worker: Actavis, sizzurup, lean, drank. I've low prices completely legal real prescription email me at colombiaeastdrugstore AT gmail.com w FORWARDSLASH offers 100% secure line. Encrypted currencies accepted: BTC, Dogecoin.

New Guy: Uh... yeah. *leads co-worker out of his cubicle* I'm kinda completely busy at the moment. So I'll talk to you later braids. You should probably get back to work too.

Co-Worker: Been rejected? I can help you. Popular girls are on hand to chat 24/7 with advice at www DOT ez DASH chat DOT co DOT nz FORWARDSLASH promo FORWARDSLASH res575929682

*later*

Brittany Spear: *tweets* Why is it so dark? Why am I so numb?