The Podcast Is Returning

After almost a year of working through different angles and options, it's become apparent that The 8BitCubist podcast needs to come back for 2020 and beyond.

I've spent the past several weeks testing and figuring out a plan that would work for the audience. There were a few versions I tried, but didn't work out. Those will never see the light of day. I've finally got what I was looking for though: something that matches the art, entertains, and educates. I think the listeners of the previous podcast would appreciate that. Watch the website and 8Bit Cubist on social media for release information.

http://facebook.com/8bitcubist
http://instagram.com/8bitcubist

- Mr Benja -

Life Is A Game. Play It Well.

I have a general thesis for The 8BitCubist, and that is that Life Is A Game.

When looking back, I often wonder where I went wrong and how I can adjust and move forward. How can I play a little better every day? Unfortunately, the outcome isn't pre-determined, but emergent dependent on the behavior of the world and outcome of others actions. So there is really no way to know for sure.

The only way to really figure this game out is to get in there and play. Engage. Interact. Learn. Most importantly, be prepared to lose. That's the only way you will win.

- Mr Benja -

I Stopped Using Google Docs Because It Takes Microseconds Longer To Type

I have a problem with lag eating away at my work. I just realized this and I stopped using Google Docs. Those microseconds between keystrokes really make a difference in my writing productivity. It took me a while to figure that out. While typing, I'd expect the letters to keep up with me, but that often wasn't the case.

Now, I'll plow out my fast-typed prose in some other outlet before copying it over to Google Docs if I need it there for editing.

It's crazy. Some of these small, detail fixes that I've been doing have really been making a big difference.

Productivity Tip: Grocery Store Monogamy. Wanna Know My Favorite?

In trying to get a routine together in an anything-but-routine artist lifestyle, I've landed on one big productivity that keeps me in the zone better than a lot of things that I had disregarded in the past: selecting one grocery store.

I had a problem where I'd get some products from Ralphs, Vons, Sprouts, Trader Joes, and Seiwa. This left me bouncing from location to location at different times screwing up my day. That was foolish.

My current goto spot is Sprouts. Everything else is basically eliminated. And since I drop by Target every so often for non-grocery things, I can sometimes skip a Sprouts trip if I only need something simple like greek yogurt.

So what productivity gains have I gotten from cutting down on grocery trips?

1. I think less about what I'm going to eat. 
2. I'm so familiar with the layout that I get in and out without getting lost in food heaven.
3. I eat better because it's encouraged.
4. I'm not as tempted to spend as much trying out new things.
5. I'm in and out with a quickness.

This probably doesn't seem like much, but it's taken a decent mental load off of my routine. The little things add up, and this one was annoying the hell out of me.

(I still cheat w/ Trader Joe's every so often. Damn that place.)

Understanding Tech Marketing By Understanding Velcro

When I was a kid, I saw my first pair of velcro shoes in the local shop. I was pretty fascinated, because I thought to myself, "They've done it! They've finally gotten rid of laces! No longer will the world be held back by an inferior technology! Millions of minutes will be saved by not having to tie up your shoes!"

Or so I thought.

Turns out no one wanted velcro laces. Companies stopped making them as much because they weren't selling. Since then, I've realized that the so-called "best" technology is often the loser.

Lesson? Nobody wants your logically superior shit.

Any Games Change Your Life Philosophy?

I created a zine called, "The Raps That Made Me". I enjoyed putting together all those songs, and I'll probably create a second one, but at the moment I have a video game based zine to line up more with the 8BitCubist and my gaming side. It's called "The Games That Made Me".

Here are the current games I'm thinking about including (maybe 40 total?):

1. Mario Bros (arcade)
2. Super Mario Bros
3. Mike Tyson’s Punch Out
4. Street Fighter 2
5. Zanac
6. River City Ransom
7. The Legend of Zelda
8. Metal Gear
9. Sonic the Hedgehog
10. Super Bomberman 2
11. Super Mario Kart
12. Final Fantasy VII
13. Final Fantasy III
14. Eternal Darkness
15. Fez
16. Metal Gear Solid
17. Resident Evil: Code Veronica
18. Tetris
19. Snake Rattle 'N' Roll

These publications are a little view into the games that have stuck with me to the point where they changed my life in some appreciable way. They were more than just classics. 

So many memories...

Any particular life-changing game titles for you?

What To Do Next In The Game? Anything.

There comes a point in RPGs and some adventure games where you don't know what do to next. Ever since I broke out of the regular routine I find myself asking that question pretty regularly. With the multitude of options, it can be hard to decide or determine the next logical path.

I have a new answer: Just pick something. I'm usually not making any huge plans like traveling to Egypt with a group of friends, developing a new series of video games, or moving your family to the mountains of Georgia, so I have the luxury of just doing something...anything...to get a spark going. There's always plenty to be done, so the choice isn't hard.

The hard part is not falling into some bullshit. I avoid checking email, zoning out on social media, doing chess puzzles (amazingly distracting for me), or hunting down

So to keep my flow going, I pick something locally productive to get me started: cleaning something, contacting a friend, downloading a new audiobook, transcribing some notes, drawing a character, sketching a story idea, or ...

...writing a blog post.

The Fine Line Between Seeing Problems and Solutions

There's a fine line that I often find myself running up against, and that is the one between looking for problems and looking for solutions.

Because of the nature of computer development, I have spent a lot of time with software. Whenever possible or convenient, it tells you the that things are wrong and that should be fixed. This is inevitable. (When the system is broken, it WILL tell you.)

But there is an issue when you start looking at life as a developer would. Many things start to appear like problems waiting to be fixed. You get into a habit of viewing everything in the 'negative', even though that's not your intent.

With code, you know that you are building a much better system, and that when you are done, the system will have benefitted from your positive change.

With life, things get emotional. People start enacting power plays. They assume you are trying to be better than them. The world fights back. Humility is outshined by hubris. It's a phenomenon I don't completely understand.

Most times, I just want to create a better environment and debug the issues.

After 142 Days, Fuck Wordpress

On April 19, 2019, I decided to move my blog to Wordpress. I don't know what the hell I was thinking. I don't care enough about creating a it for me to put in the work necessary to create and maintain it. This is all about writing, creating and getting thoughts out. It's taken me 142 days to figure that out.

While I do think the platform is great, it's just not what I need. Whew. I'm glad I got that off of my chest.

Moving My Blog To MrBenja.com

In order to consolidate things a little bit, I'll be moving my blog presence over to my personal website. I don't mind the Blogger platform, and it's quite easy and fun, but since I like to make things hard for myself, I'm migrating.

Seriously though, I want a better experience overall, and I think it will make more sense to have my blog alongside everything else that I'll be putting on the new site.

Thanks.

http://mrbenja.com