One of my most used “blogging-tools” is a nice little app called Linky. Its original intend is to share links to either or Twitter and Mastodon, and I rarely used it like so. I mainly use it to create markdown posts for movies, music, articles, etc. Although it doesn’t format everything to markdown, it gives me everything I need.

The first thing I did was to make sure the app it’s configured in a way that will allow me to do everything I need form it.

So I go into settings > Extension settings and I make sure that insert image automatically it’s on, I also turn on universal music links for whenever I’ll share music of course and most importantly, show share button.

One category I have in my blog is Music Likes. Whenever i share a song or album to my blog, it goes into that category.

Let’s take this song Si Se Tiran by Jowell & Randy & Don Omar as an example.

From here I share the song via the share sheet and select Linky.

Then Linky will open the share extension menu thingy.

Here is all I need, yes it is not markdown formatted but from here its easy. The important thing now is the share button. From it, in my case, I will be “sharing”, again, but to the Micro.blog app.

Then from here is just about formatting it and add comments or/and emojis (that’s how I filter my posts and they go to the right category 😉) and post. Also notice that the art carries over to the Micro.blog app as well.

I am sure there is a fancier more automated way to do this but this is how I go about it for now. It works well and it is actually not time consuming. Well, now it at least on the iPhone, with the keyboard disappearing every time on iOS 14 beta 4 😜. The same way work on the iPhone and again, I also use it to share movies, tv shows and et al.

Every time I listen to a podcast were they talk about passwords, I cringe a little bit. If there is something I dislike is dealing with passwords. Yes, for the most part, I am your typical user whom most likely uses the same password multiple times over. As we all know – or should know – that is a big no no! Then I go down this rabbit whole thinking that I need to change my passwords, that I need to get a more robust system and two-factor authenticator like app or service and set it all up. The more I think about it, the more I say fuck it, it’s too much work, too much of a hassle until – god forbids – something happens. Maybe I am overthinking this whole password thing, just like I overthink backup stuff. Don’t even get me started on backups, it’s, yeah, bye!

Yes, I can’t have enough of Neon Abyss which I wrote I wee bit about it not long ago. But god can it get ducking frustrating! So far, I have defeated 3 of the Managers, the last one being Zeus. The next manager is Ares. Unlike the previous Managers, this boss needs to be unlocked. How is it unlocked? Well, it’s a pain, literally and figuratively 😅. You need to get hurt, a lot in order to unlock Ares’s secret chamber were you do get to pick an item but not after sacrificing one of your hearts ♥️. Once you in that room, make the sacrifice and pick your item, randomly, you may or may not get Ares’s token, which is what you need to unlock him as a boss fight. Meaning you could go through the entire run, beating all the dungeons and beating all the previous managers and not get to fight Ares.

There are two things that have made this impossible for me so far, well, three actually. One, like I’ve said before, even if you get to access the secret room in every dungeon, you may be out of luck and don’t get the token, beat every boss and return to the bar and start over. Second, you may get it, upgrade your way up and get beaten by one of the Managers. The third and most frustrating and very aggravating — bugs and performance issues. Today, actually not very long before typing this, I was having the best run I’ve had all day. I managed to get the token on the second try, which meant I didn’t have to sacrifice many hearts ♥️. I had about 15-20 mascots doing all sorts of amazing stuff for me. My weapon was ridiculously overpowered and awesome! And had maxed out the amount of shields 🛡 I can have. I was about to go to the last dungeon before fighting Zeus again and subsequently, Ares. When all of the sudden, the game quits because an “unexpected error” 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 And is not like I’ll be back where I left off, I am back at the bar and will have to start all over again. This performance issues are all over the game, at least on the Nintendo Switch version. I know the also have some bugs on the PC version as well.

All these three reasons mentioned above, are what’s making the game not as enjoyable anymore and very frustrating. I love the game and everything about it except, it’s bugs and performance issues.

Almost as bad as iOS 14 beta 4 🤭😅

I don’t know what you all do for fun these days, apparently, I enjoy cutting my finger with the kitchen knife .😅 It is not like it’s a big cut, it still hurts and it bled for a while. What bothers me so, is the fact that now I am aware I am cut and it is bigger in my head than it rally is. Now I am trying to do things without using that finger much because it’s wounded.

I have been looking for my phone case all morning with no look of finding it. I rarely use a case but when working out outdoors I tend to use one.

Hour or two later…

Me: ha! Here it is, what a pendejo I am. (kinda like dumbass in this context)

Annie: (all the way from the bathroom) aquí no desmentimos a nadie (here we do not deny anyone)

It’s our snarky way of “if you say son I won’t deny you” kind of thing when the calls him/herself dumbasses or anything of the sorts 😅

I am tired, in fact I am exhausted today. These days out in the field plus trying to adjust back to the morning work schedule again, it is taking a toll. I am having a hard time reminding myself that “hey, we go to bed no later than 9-9:30PM”. What I do is I stay up until 10-10:30PM or more, playing video games or watching a tv show, then I have to wake up at 4:00AM so I have time to get ready and be at work by 5:00AM.

The field work is what’s killing me at the moment. It is not like other fields I have been were I am just straight up walking back and forth gathering data. That’s how this one should have been but because of unforeseen circumstances, I couldn’t do my thing when I was supposed to. My task this week has been doing stand counts on a corn field and all the plants are at a height that just straight up walking and looking down won’t work. I have to squat down and walk. I have muscles in my thighs that I had forgotten I had 😅 At least my back isn’t hurting, I think I have done a pretty good job with keeping my posture the right way, my feet though, they’re another story.

I do have a pretty nice pair of hiking 🥾 boots, I did learned pretty early that high-end production-like boots aren’t good for this particular task. They are heavy and bulky, so I got hiking boots instead. They are light and far much more comfortable and still, my feet are hurting, I refuse to walk for the rest of the day today 🖕🏽

What’s sad about the whole thing is that I didn’t get to finish. Out of 510 rows, only managed to count 441 of them in three days with only 3 hours to work on that each day. Which means I need to finish on Monday. On the bright side, it is Friday so I’ll have time to rest properly over the weekend. And just to, in a couple of week down the road, comeback to the same field and get a different set of data. At least by then the plants will be full grown and it’ll be a lot easier.

Dang it, now that I think about it, I should have counted those hours as workouts with the Apple Watch. I mean, I was squatting after all. No? Okay…

We are getting buried under freeze-dried news reports and hot takes that make supermarket baloney feel like a prime cut.

Loved this piece by Om Malik, Write like a human which I cannot remember how I came across with it. Very spot on in regards to the type of blogs that I enjoy reading the most and how I approach my writing.

CrossCode on the Nintendo Switch

A fast-paced combat system. 16-bit SNES-style graphics with butter-smooth physics. Engaging puzzle mechanics, served with a gripping sci-fi story. That’s CrossCode.

— Nintendo

This game caught my attention solely because of the, as the description says, its 16-bit SNES-style graphics. Like I have said many times before I am a sucker for pixel art¹ so I gravitate towards these type of games very easily. The game is also available on GamePass, as a Free-to-play type of deal. Then again, this game called to be played on the Nintendo Switch, to me.

This game makes me think of many other games. The world of this game is setup as an MMO game, the main character is an Avatar within this game although it doesn’t seems like there is a “typical real-user” behind the avatar. I am sure there’s more to this story and I have only scratched the surface with barely a little over 3-hours of gameplay at the time of me typing this.

The game reminds me a lot of .hack//G.U.. Kind of the same setting, MMO-RPG game. That and also, Zelda, you get a lot of similar dungeon settings and various puzzles with little or no enemies at all. Or, your “outdoorsy-like” dungeons where you get to fight monsters, collect items, talk to NPCs and level up. You also have your towns where you can get side quests (there are lots and lots of side quests and I say yes to everything), trade and buy items, etc.

So far I am very intrigued by the story and where it’s going. The main character and how she came about is very interesting to me. There’s definitely something going on in this “virtual-world” and I want to find out more about it. In other words, I am hooked.

The game play is not very complicated and so far its been a lot of fun. The old school pixelated art it’s fantastic and the control mechanics are pretty smooth. Although this game is, again, also free-to-play on GamePass, it is definitely one of those you’d rather have it on the go. Especially since you’d be doing a lot of “grinding” for items and level points to acquire more skills.

I think of this games as if an MMO-like RPG Game (.hack//G.U.was my example), Zelda and maybe even Diablo 3, had a baby.

My only thing with the game so far, and again, I have just played a merely 3-hours, is that the environments (the ones I’va played so far), sometimes, seem like there’s too much going on and you might miss a thing or two. But also, trying to figure out how to get to an item that’s is clearly out in the open can be a nice challenge. Me, personally, if I can’t figure it out right away I’ll probably just say meh and skip it. I am more about smacking the shiat out off some hedgehogs and leveling up 😜

Me: i need to restore my Mac back to factory settings

Mac:

Me: hm, I think I am missing something 🤷🏻‍♂️, back to Disk Utility

Mac: LOL

Me: 😱😱😱😱😱😢

Me: 🍺 🤦🏻‍♂️ 🍺

Me: not giving up 💪

Mac: LOL, JK

Me: 🎉 🎉 😎 🍻 phew

What if you could, somehow, get access to “videos” of yourself on each and every job interview you ever had. Can you imagine how fun or embarrassing could that be. I for example, when I get nervous I either laugh a lot or talk more than I should. And not sure if it happens to anyone else but after a job interview, I vaguely remember anything I may or may not have said. What if I’ve said something dumb or stupid or something completely made up? Be your own witness of whatever stupid dumb shit you might have came up with. I’m sure pretty sure I have had come up with made up stuff without even noticing.

I don’t know, just a random thought I just had.

IN OTHER NEWS:

We are having some kind of heatwave going on and it’s hot af.

Stay cool 😎

If you’re a parent or someone that deals with babies on a daily basis, you most likely will understand or relate to this. Babies, they have the best life, all they do is sleep, being cute, eat, poop, and repeat. Is their way of life, all day every day. Every parent or family have their own ways (or system) when it comes to managing dirty diapers. You may have a special device/place for them, a poopy bin as i call it, or they simply go to the trash. Or at least those are the two ways in which I’ve had to dealt with. No matter which way you go about disposing dirty diapers, in most cases, they’ll end up on the trash bin that eventually a truck will come a pick up. Our Big trash bin lives outside of the house, by the garage and most of the year, when temperatures are temperate, all is good and even better in the winter. But when it’s summer when temperatures are relatively high for a period of consecutive days, well, them diapers steam inside. Eventually you might have to open said bin for something and when you do 💩 😷… Steamed diapers.

I have been feeling, among many other feelings, nostalgic lately. Specifically about video games and anime series. For weeks now I have been thinking of playing old video games that I feel like I miss. For example on the switch started going through the Mega Man X series again, not like I finished them all but did play a while. Also got Assassin’s Creed The Ezio Collection for Xbox One, did start it but haven’t played much after that. Also, I want to revisit NieR Automata, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Metal Gear Solid 5, all very time-consuming games. This, while also wanting to finish Death Stranding.

As far as TV Shows, I want to watch Dragon Ball Z again, sort of, been thinking about getting Season 2 of Dragon Ball Z Kai which pretty much covers the Freeza Saga, and to be honest, that’s all I want to watch of it. One series that I really want to catch-up on is Naruto Shippuden which I believe I left at the start of the second great ninja war, I think. There was some war going on, can’t remember which season is that. And let us not forget My Hero Academia which I am also behind, I’m at season 3 if I recall.

Too many things to play, too many things to watch, and very little time or patience/attention span for all of it. I am aware that most of it’s just the desire to relive those emotions when I first played those games or watch those series. Some of it is not even nostalgia I just want to continue the story. Whichever the case may be, the fact remains that, I might not even get to play/watch any of it.

Switched themes, again, back to Marfa. Made a few tweaks to make it more to my liking thought . Although I love the magenta accent color that comes with, I have been liking this combination of blue and pink lately. In this version I am using blue for the light theme and pink for dark mode, this might change probably by not using blue at all and just the magenta color (it has already changed). Another change I made, I got rid of the in between posts dividers and the “Also on Micro.blog” from the navigation menu and the “Follow @Gabz on Micro.blog”. In a way to make things look a little less “busy” for lack of a better term.

Scratch it all! back on Kiko…

UNRELATED

I opened safari earlier and these are the search suggestions I got 😳

😅😂

I don’t know exactly what changed or what happened. For the past month or so I have been having this occurrence where, sometimes, by the en of the day I would end up with 200% or more of my exercise ring. The watch was counting/registering workout time when I wasn’t really working out. Most days I workout an average of 30 to 40 minutes. Whether that is running or kettlebell exercises, sometimes even both. I do have watchOS 7.0 beta but this was happening even before it. I was thinking that maybe I had gotten so out of shape since the pandemic that the watch was registering almost anything as a workout? I mean I certainly have no idea how this works, I always assumed it’s related to hart rate and such. Today, I have so far 47:08 minutes of workout, that’s exactly the time of my run/walk/sprinting sesh today. Not a single minute more, not a single minute less.

¯_(ツ)_/¯

Yesterday I had posted this picture on my Instagram as a tbt, as kids call it. Then I started thinking a lot about this picture, about those times. This had to be back in 2002-03 , somewhere around there, in Aibonito Puerto Rico. This was my second year of college I think. A simple kind of men (or kids rather) back then, different and much simpler times those were. I even remember I had just broken up with my girlfriend of three years at the time, or was it two years? Eh, it doesn’t matter. Ugh we were drinking Budweiser and smoking cigarettes 🚬

I cannot remember the reason for the “party” though there was a lot of beer and strong alcohol and even a “punk-rock” band. I remember we all, well most of us had a good time. I remember I met a nice girl too, don’t remember her name though.

I miss my friends, haven’t seen any of them in years. Certainly, don’t miss the Budweiser neither the cigarettes 😅

Bonus Points if you can tell which one is me. 😜

I ❤️ pixels and video games and these two always go hand in hand. And as I have expressed before I love playing on my Nintendo Switch and even though it has its Mario games, The Zeldas, the Witcher’s, all the good big games, the ones I get drawn to the most are the games with beautiful pixel art. Octopath traveler, Aegis Defenders, Katana Zero, Celeste, Blasphemous just to mention a few. Most of them are considered indie-games which to me is the best part of it. It’s been one of those things that as I get older, I appreciate mora and more. And the Nintendo Switch, to me, is the perfect platform for these games or at least is where I enjoy them the most.

This is what’s very frustrating about this pandemic. Most of us are being responsible. We wash our hands, we avoid unnecessary crowded places, and if we go out we wear our masks. And then you have the idiots, yes idiots and I think I am being nice. My wife works in the medical field. She works at a local hospital, in a place I’m gonna call a shoebox. She keeps social distance when she can, she washes her hands constantly and wears her mak. Unfortunately for her, and consequently for me as well, some idiots think wearing a mask is too much of an inconvenience. They don’t see it as being courteous to others by keeping others safe as well as themselves. In other words, they are just not idiots, they are assholes.

Last week, someone that I’ll call idiot B, shows up at the shoebox sick, moreover, Idiot B doesn’t wear a mask. Why he doesn’t? Well, he’s an idiot. What’s even more baffling is the shoebox’s owners that don’t call people out when this happens. Idiot B worked, sick the entire week and it wasn’t until Monday that he was sent home and get tested for COVID-19.

My wife had been having a little bit of a cold, but because she had been working closely with idiot B, she got sent home and to get tested.

I had been cleared to come back to the office a week or so ago, after receiving a call from my wife about her been tested and sent home, I had to report this to my manager. My company’s guidelines and protocols about this are very strict. After talking to the appropriate people and lots of questioning I was deemed high risk. Therefore I am not able to return to the office until August 14th. The worst part of all of this for me was the wait for the results. I wake up every morning with a stuffy nose, allergies are normal for me. However knowing that the possibility of something is something, it terrifying. I doubt myself. “Is this just allergies or do I actually have COVID?” “I am feeling hot, I should check my temperature.” In my mind, I was sick and imagining the worse.

My wife’s test results came back yesterday and she is negative for COVID-19. She is cleared to come back to work by Friday. Me on the other hand, I was told, “According to the guidelines, she tested too early. She will have to test again so we can clear you to come back to the site”

This is just one example of why this whole thing is so frustrating, you do all you can to protect yourself ad others but you can’t count on others to do the same. At this point, I feel like it is inevitable and we will get sick at one point unless we all take this seriously. Especially in my state were cases are rising up every day.

Anyway, if you read this, all I ask of you is, please, don’t be an asshole and wear your ducking mask!

Neon Abyss

Neon Abyss is a frantic, roguelike action-platformer where you run ‘n’ gun your way into the Abyss as part of the Hades formed ‘Grim Squad’.

I don't know how many hours I got on this game but there must be quite a lot. I haven't put down this game since I bought it. At first I played it on the Xbox One, as it is free-to-play with GamePass and I immediately, I fell for it. The music is great, the pixel art it's beautiful, although, I am a sucker for pixel art so Im might be a little biased here. The story its very simple, you start having a drink with Hades and he request that you help destroy some Titan group while you seek revenge for the destruction of your family.There are other characters and there's not so much story about their background but no one cares, or at least I don't. The Switch version comes with 2 extra characters, unless there was something I was supposed to download on the Xbox version that I didn't. The reason I paid for it on the Switch is because these games, or almost every game rather, I prefer to play it on the Switch.

The game it's pretty straight forward, you go down a dungeon and you shoot at things. As you progress in the dungeon you collect items that will enhance your abilities, all these items do stack on top of each other pretty much unlimintles. Also you collect eggs, these eggs eventually hatch and become your pets. These pets also enhanced your abilities and you can end up with a long stack of them. After a while your character can look very Crazy-Town Banana-Pants with all the item you collect.

Since I am not looking for a challenge, I am playing on easy, and still some dungeons/areas and bosses can be a little difficult. Every run of one level or boss is never the same as everything randomly generated. Every time you die you lose all your abilities and enhancements, however you collect some crystals that will let you buy other skills before you get back at it. When you die you get "seed" a code which you can use to repeatedly play the same run or even share it. There is some disadvantage to use these, you can unlock achievements and get Faith Gems. I am guessing the Faith Gems. Again, I haven't tried to use any of my own "seeds" to see what happens but I do have a few saved. Reminds me of the old Mega Man X days.

Every time I die I just start all over, it sucks at the beginning, especially when you're used to be overpowered for a few levels. I think the game it's worth checking it out, its 19.99 USDs at the eShop with a downloadable demo or, again, free-to-play on the xbox one with GamePass.

I have a thing in my chest, feelings, concerns, and fears. I have many thoughts, things to say, things to be sad and or angry about but can’t sort them out. I want to stay positive, happy, and active but it’s hard. It is very hard some days. I wish I could go by not worrying about the state of our country, social issues, the pandemic, the politics. Also, wish I could do more, wish I could fix things by snapping my fingers. To close my eyes, snap my heals and repeat, “There’s no place like home” and bibbidi-bobbidi-boo", all is well in the world.

In many ways, it has been a rough couple of months, or year, and for everyone. It’s okay to not feel okay, as they say.

Why do we fall, sir? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.

Alfred Pennyworth

It hasn’t been as year yet since I have been at my current job. Without getting into much details, one of my duties is to visit fields, of different crops and gather data. My first experience at this particular task was on my very first week – corn. At the time it was what we call the second reading the first time it’s just stem count, basically count every plant on the field. This year’s study is ready to be counted, which I had done before but different that was much to “read”, and I was not alone. At the time I was with my “trainers” sort to speak. Well, because of COVID, the one person I’d normally do this with and learn from, can’t travel. This means, it is all me – yikes! I mean the task isn’t rocket science but I can’t deny that I am a little nervous. What if I read the planting map wrong?, What if I count what i am not supposed to count? What if I miss anything? Is this what they call Impostor Syndrome?

Either way, it’s my job and I will do my best, but can’t shake the fear off insecurity, especially with something that I have – in a way – never done. Then again, there is very little I can mess up on and if I do the field will still be there next day. Sometime this week I will take my field supplies, mapping and data sheet, stand of front of the field, pray and may god have mercy on us! 😂😂

Part of my “morning rituals” is to open Micro.blog on my browser and scroll (Keep scrollin' scrollin' scrollin' scrollin' – what?). Not only Mb is a great place to hang out and interact with pretty swell people but it’s also a “live and breathing RSS feed” (to me). I scroll and I may reply or engage on a short post or two, reply to some mentions, and “right-click-open link in new tab” wizardry when I see something interesting. Only to then later open Feedbin on the browser to find all the articles/blog posts I opened from the micro.blog feed! I guess it’s a good way to ensure I didn’t miss anything good 😎

There's a certain behavior that I knew about myself but never really put too much thought on it. Or at least not enough to make want to write about it, that is.

If you follow me on the Twitters for example, you might notice that i change my avatar/profile picture quite often. And for this, I apologize (not). There are other places in which I might have an “online presence” that it can go unchanged for a while but twitter’s the one that varies the most.

The reason I change a lot, well, there are many reasons but the most important one is to reflect whatever it is I am into at the time. If I’m into a game, I tend to change my avatar to a character or something related to the game. Sometimes it can be an anime character or a character from my childhood like Astroboy for example.

Even my phone’s Lock Screen can be a reflection of whatever it is that I am into. For example, right now I am very into Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman’s audiobook, it’s so good! I might need to write about this as some point. Therefore, my Lock Screen wallpaper right now is an art about the Sandman.

On Twitter, at the moment, I have a pixel art of Zero from Mega Man as my avatar, made by Crisman berunonto.

First, I have always been a huge Mega Man fan and have recently acquired the Mega Man X Legacy Collection for the Nintendo Switch. Which by the by, it is on sale for $9.99 at the eShop so go get on that!

Now, I have a feeling that I’ll change it again. In the past few days I have been playin the heck out of Neon Abyss on the Nintendo Switch.

I haven’t been able to put down this game since I’ve got it. I am having a blast, truly. It is “Free-to-play” on game pass or you can download the demo on the Switch and check it out.

This is something silly about me but I needed an excuse to write about something. 😎🥁

Yesterday I did a quick run to the store, well it wasn’t that quick really, but I did try to be as quick as possible. I want to say 95% of the people in the grocery store, and I included, were wearing masks, which I was a little surprised to see if I am being honest. There were a few not wearing them but then, there was this dude, I couldn’t help myself but to stare at him in, I don’t know, like “dude you are bonkers” kind of look. He was not wearing a mask per se but instead, he grabbed one of the small plastic bags you usually would put produce or meat in and covered his face with it. I mean, what’s the worse that could have happened, he’d asphyxiated himself to death?

The cray-crays are out there…

Third day of the work week but my second day back at the office. Yesterday, Luna_i_ wasn’t feeling well and grandma was recuperating from a small surgery and so, I had to stay home with the girls.

The paranoia at work is real people. Things do feel a little more normal but still. If I leave my desk the first thing I do is to grab a paper towel, spray it with disinfectant that I have by the door and open every door with that paper towel. Do whatever that it is that I need to do inside the main building, usually use the restroom or pour hot water into my oatmeal container and head back. And I do the same process on my way back. Spray a paper towel with the solution we have at work and open every door using that. Get to my desk or office area and before I touch anything else, I wipe my hands with hand sanitizer.

Beyond those two things, I don’t leave my desk or office area for anything at all.

I need to find ways to avoid leaving my desk at work at all costs, as employee’s cases have begun to rise. Bad timing, I guess. I bring coffee from home, therefore I do not need to go to the breakroom for that. As for breakfast, usually, I would have some “instant oatmeal” needing only hot water, and usually, I’d go to the breakroom for that. I guess I am going to have to find a different meal. For lunch, I don’t even worry since my day ends by 11:00 am and can have lunch at home. The problem is using the restroom. Technically there is a restroom right by the side entrance to the main building, the one is closer to the trailer in which my office is located. Little to none interaction with people when using that one. However, for whatever reason, we can’t use that side of the building, not only need to use the farthest door from the trailer but also the farthest restrooms, I need to walk by a few offices and laboratories. On top of that, I need to remember to wipe every doorknob I touch along the way, on my way in and out.

I know the company is taking every precaution to keep us safe, but there’s also so much they can do. We as employees need to comply and be better when we are not at work. Also, I am glad that I work in a space were my interaction with the main building is virtually nonexistent. Except when a “bio-break” is needed, of course. Wearing masks at all times is mandatory. Like I have said before, there are disinfectant spray bottles and wipes by every door, access to parts of the building are limited to certain groups and not all employees are on-site at the same time, we have two different shifts.