Just drinking a coffee

I'm just drinking a coffee.

I'm struggling to produce anything half decent for my blog.  It's bizarre - half the time I have four to five posts ready to go, lined up, and I'm impatiently waiting for an opportunity to get another post out there, and the rest of the time is like this - I can't think of anything good enough to write.  Or I get halfway into a post, until I realise that it isn't very good and/or is overly offensive, and abandon it, forever to exist in the limbo of draft posts that I can't quite bring myself to delete but don't want to publish.

And then I'll hit the drinks - tonight being a coffee.

I wasn't always into hot drinks.  Well, coffee has always been okay.  Preferably with a large amount of cream and sugar, whatever that is required to remove the taste of the coffee and reduce the heat.  I've never understood people that have hot drinks without anything to cool them down.

Tea, though, I've only really gotten into in the last three or four years, when in an effort to cut my caffeine levels I switched to tea (and yes I do know that there is caffeine in tea, but a bit less I hope?).  To begin with I really struggled with the taste, but eventually managed to get to drinking it without milk or sugar, and just with a bit of cold water to cool it down.

I should say, if you've ever read my blog, and especially if you (fools that you are!) have come back and read it more than once - thank you.  I passed through 15,000 views the other day, which is a big achievement to me.  I need to make an icon or something for it...

There we go!

While I witter on about drinking, is it wrong to drink a 75cl bottle of 4% perry to yourself?  I've taken care of one of these and my other half is asking if everything is alright (which it is - I just don't have anything pressing to do in the morning so I'm taking the opportunity to push the boat out a little tonight).

For anyone that's interested, I've mentioned recently that I've been making an audition video for a computer gaming show - well, the video has been finished and was sent off Monday night, and I've been told that they'd like me to go into the studio in person to do an audition!  There was some issues with the video, which is completely acceptable (if my YouTube channel had ten million subscribers I might query this, but hell, I don't have ten million, I have 27! And I love every one of you.  And when I say love, I mean appreciate. Sincerely.), I'm just really enjoying the opportunity to try for this, and everything that I'm learning from it.  I ought to say special thanks to Matt for letting me record him play and talk about GTA V.  And Kirsty for letting me invade their house and not coughing and sneezing all through the recording (I ended up cutting all the audio out - but thank you anyway!)

Now I'm going to go play more Card Hunter.  Expect a proper post about it soon.

Feeling pumped

This is probably the first time I've ever referred to myself as "pumped".  Pumped isn't a word that should be used in reference to a person, or any kind of living creature.  You pump up bicycle tyres.  Okay, I guess I could be considered "pumped" in that I am currently storing some kind of spare tyre around my waist, but that's not the meaning I'm going for.

About half an hour ago I finished a computer gaming audition video that I've been putting together all weekend - and by all weekend, that does include pulling an all-nighter last night to get the damn thing edited!  It never seems to take that long to do a video, you just record it right?

Nope.

There's bits that don't work and you have to rerecord, or you have to think how else you can do the video, there's cutscenes and videos you need to cut in, there's easter eggs you have to make (not the chocolate type), all this stuff.

I'm always struggled, when it comes to videos, with making the quality good enough.  Part of this is down to that I could really do to spend about £1200 on a new PC and recording kit, but mostly it's down to my innate temptation to settle for what I've got, to say "That'll do" when really, it could be better.

I don't know if anything will go forward from doing this video, but I've really enjoyed the challenge of making it, and it's nice to have been asked to audition.  Hopefully I've learned one or two little things about editing and I've had some new experiences along the way.  I'm almost tempted to say that "I've been on a journey" but I only find that phrase acceptable to say if you've actually physically moved from one location to another.

Or if you've jumped on one of the guys behind "Don't Stop Believing"!

Internet Stuff

I have news!

I've been asked if I'm interested in auditioning for a series about gaming. It's for Platform Play, and I'm very excited. No idea if I'll get anywhere but it's great just to be asked if I'm interested in auditioning.  If you feel the need you can see my initial web audition below.

Platform Play is part of Platform Expos,  which is working to create a hub of games development, transmedia and content creation in the Humber region.  It's really exciting what they're doing and I really hope it takes off.  If you are in the Humber region, do be aware of the upcoming Platform 2013 expo in November - I've got my ticket booked for the Friday (and the day off work), I'm not quite sure whether I'll be in there doing a load of filming or whether I'll just be enjoying everything going on, but either way it's going to be fun!

Couple of Internet things to tell you about:

Firstly, just a reflektor. This is an interactive film that uses your webcam and smartphone/tablet to interact (it can use your mouse instead of your phone if it isn't to hand) and is quite cool. It follows a young woman who travels between her world and our own.  I won't spoil it by saying what happens but do check it out at https://www.justareflektor.com

The other thing is that I am rapidly becoming addicted to Card Hunter. This is an online collectable card adventure game that you play either as a single player fighting your way through dungeons,  or in multi player head-to-head. You get loot, which gives you better cards. Very good fun and free to play (although you do get more loot if you pay to become a member of the card hunter club), the only downside is that because it is so popular at peak times you may have to wait to get onto the server (which is always a sign of a good game!)

Pics below:

Okay, so I've got to kill some kobolds right? Lets do this.

A Mighty Bludgeon is deployed.  That's gonna hurt.