I want to be the Pookie levels.

When I made "I wanna be the Pookie" a fan game about a streamer, I didn't know how to make it easy for me to layout different maps. SO I used what i know and made it so I could visualize each of them in a spreadsheet. The game engine interprets a CSV file and renders the map from there.

Overall I recall making this little game an interesting challenge. Since it was created using the P5.JS framework and this was before AI assisted programming really became accessible to me, there was a lot of learning I needed to do.

Luckily the framework is very beginner friendly, and I knew going into the project that it would be a Final Fantasy "I want to be the Guy" ripoff/inspired/influenced game the basic ideas were already in place before I even learned a single thing.

As mentioned above, the map system was going to be a challenge for me to implement, but i first needed to implement the basic movement and gravity. I actually spent quite a bit of time relearning how to make hitboxes register correctly, and had a dev map with a bunch of blocks I'd jump between to make sure I could get things just right. I tried to remember the development of Super Mario 64, in which the developers focused heavily on how movement should feel and be rewarding.

By no means did I come close to capturing a good feeling movement system, but I am happy with the way it ended up.

Back when I posted the game on Itch.io I commented on the world building system, and i really am still proud of myself for integrating it. It was a great way to understand level design. If i were to do this project again I would think more critically about the layout of the levels. I did include some pixel perfect jumps, and the limitation of the block by block system, and the speed an jump/gravity I chose meant the levels were either to easy or too hard. In order to test the levels I actually doubled the values, and then implemented it as a power up in the game.

The final implementation of each level, was mapping it out in Google Sheets, and then copy pasting csv values into an array in a file called "levels" that called the next room based on the player room location and what wall they hit. Nothing groundbreaking but I'm proud of it.

No, I don't like that

 David Sparks of macsparky.com recently posted, about if all cars were trackable. The gist is that if your vehicle is stolen, the police would track it. 

Maybe I'm cynical, but I would be very surprised if they aren't monitoring that data always. If it's registered to the consumers IPhone, how can law enforcement have access to it? Isn't secure end to end part of Apple's selling point?

The original story is from AppleInsider found here.

Sears Sanding Machine Aquisitions

I stumbled upon a Sears Craftsman combo sanding machine at an online auction. At the time, I had no idea what these were worth. I managed to snag it for $30, and given its condition, I’d say that was a fair price.

When I picked it up, the top sanding belt was missing, so I bought replacements. The front disc wobbled, and it was mounted to a heavy but poorly constructed stand that barely fit into my car.

Once I removed it from its old stand, I tried firing it up with a new sanding belt. Tensioning the belt on the rollers was straightforward, and the tracking adjustment was easy enough. However, as soon as I applied any pressure to the top belt, it stopped, and the screeching sound of the drive wheel slipping on the belt was deafening.

A bad belt, maybe? Not too difficult to fix—I just needed to remove the cover and swap it out. Unfortunately, the previous owner had used large amounts of what I assume was super glue, Loctite, or some other bonding agent on the grub screw, making it almost impossible to remove the disc.

So, I did what any impatient 30-year-old would do: I bent the plastic guard off, breaking it beyond repair in the process. I even said out loud, “Pfft, I don’t need that anyway.” I did, in fact, need that guard. The very next day, while sanding a board, it caught and pulled my hand into the spinning disc. I quickly realized why that guard was there.

I immediately went to my computer, designed a replacement guard, and 3D-printed it before doing any more work on the sander. While taking the machine apart, I noticed the belt was fine. The gear, however, was completely stripped, and a large amount of black plastic residue had accumulated inside the now-destroyed dust cover. I found a replacement gear file online, specifically listed for this model, and printed it without bothering to check dimensions.

A few days later, my Ender 3 finished printing, and I had a mostly functional sander for about $45. That includes the cost of printing and a Band-Aid.

While I was measuring for the disc cover, I also designed and printed a dust collector hookup to slide onto the end stop. It’s a mediocre collection system at best, but whenever I use the sander, I roll it to the center of my shop and connect it to my small dust collector. This process helps keep my garage cleaner than it would otherwise be, as it forces me to keep the floor tidy for rolling.

Maybe I’ll write about my thought process on that someday, but for now I'm very happy with my little sander, and it gets more use than just about anything else in the shop. 

Space is pretty cool

 https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/nasas-hubble-traces-hidden-history-of-andromeda-galaxy/

"Now, a century later, the space telescope named for Hubble has accomplished the most comprehensive survey of this enticing empire of stars. The Hubble telescope is yielding new clues to the evolutionary history of Andromeda, and it looks markedly different from the Milky Way’s history."

Video on Youtube by NASA:

Political Theater

I hope if nothing else, the general public understands the completely obvious manipulations politicians do.

https://aftermath.site/tiktok-ban-trump-bytedance

"The only thing more embarrassing than having to live through all this is if it actually works, if Trump comes out of this weekend having tricked even one more regular person into thinking he's on their side. I understand why some people would want to believe this narrative, and I understand why the last four years might make them susceptible to it. But hopefully even more people will see it as a warning for how much more bullshit is headed our way, a reminder of how clear-eyed we'll need to be to resist politicians and companies punting us around in their self-serving football game. "

I can partially forgive people in the 1930's due to lack of access of information, but this is disgraceful to not see and realize what has been happening (on both sides). Makes me sad to be an American.

The Fundamental Misunderstanding of Apple Intelligence.

Apple has lagged significantly in the "AI" product race since OpenAI's ChatGPT took the world by storm a few years ago. Their rushed and poorly executed launch of "Apple Intelligence," awkwardly shoehorned into their existing product ecosystem, has been botched at best.

A telling sign of this misstep? Apple Intelligence is conspicuously absent from the website banner promoting their flagship offerings. In stark contrast, the Vision Pro platform is front and center, reflecting Apple’s heavy bet on augmented reality.

This framing problem isn’t just a marketing misfire—it highlights a deeper strategic issue. Apple continues to present Apple Intelligence as a feature rather than a standalone product. Until they reposition it as its own ecosystem, it’s likely doomed to fail.

Historically, it’s been difficult to get the public to fully embrace digital products unless they’re tied to physical objects. For years, video games, and even movies, have relied on physical copies in stores despite the growing dominance of digital downloads. Apple’s strength as the world’s largest hardware company makes it uniquely vulnerable here—its audience isn’t used to valuing intangible services on their own.

To succeed, Apple must lead a shift in public perception, helping the "average Joe" see value in Apple Intelligence as a core product. Until then, Apple’s AI efforts are likely to remain in the shadow of competitors like OpenAI, who understand that AI is most powerful when it’s a product, not an accessory.

 

From NPR

 

https://www.npr.org/2024/02/27/1234271434/4-day-workweek-successful-a-year-later-in-uk

"Companies that have tried it are reporting happier workers, lower turnover, and greater efficiency. Now, there's evidence that those effects are long-lasting.

The latest data comes from a trial in the U.K. In 2022, 61 companies moved their employees to a four-day workweek with no reduction in pay.

They began it as a six-month experiment, but today, 54 of the companies still have the policy. Just over half have declared it permanent, according to researchers from the think tank Autonomy, who organized the trial along with the groups 4-Day Week Campaign and 4 Day Week Global."

More companies should consider implementing a four-day workweek. Numerous studies show that employees rarely work a full 40 hours in a given week. Spending less time in the office on repetitive, uninspiring tasks could improve morale and create a workplace people look forward to being part of, rather than feel obligated to endure.