Pandora Parrot @pandora_parrot@beach.city

Like. What matters to folks I tend to associate with are things like "conversations" and "how much we hang out" and "What do we want to do with one another." Less things like "How much money do we collectively have" or "how many internet points can you give me?"

Recently, some folks gave me a bunch of reddit karma and awards for a short story I wrote on there. It was an odd experience, since I have no use or value for such things.

It felt like I was from an alien planet and someone was handing me a bunch of money, but to me it's just green paper I have no use for.

On my planet, likes, reddit karma, geek gold, and all their ilk have little to no value. Folks I associate with trade in other things.

Played Root last night. We played with the cats, regal birds, conspiracy crows, and the vagabond.

The Vagabond is a war profiteer that benefits from helping the other players. A sort of "All sides are bad centrist" type character. I won as them by forcibly allying with the birds and murdering a ton of cats.

The game is quite brutal for how cute the art is.

I loved Matrix 4. Frankly, it was my favorite in the entire series.

Largely because it got meta and criticized itself, its own existence, the fandom its a part of, the studios that called for its existence, etc.

But not just criticism. It also noted that everything creative and good ultimately becomes a tool of "The Matrix," whatever you believe that to be.

It challenges you to look beyond the comforts and challenges around you and ask yourself what's controlling you.

It's why digital collectibles in general are just so odd to me. Why do people care so much about owning a purple hat for their virtual avatar on Fortnite or Roblox?

It bugs me.

The fact that people in general are interested in these ideas of "I own a bunch of collectible *things*" is really... IDK... capitalistic and upsetting?

I often examine myself for hypocrisy in these things, but I generally try to buy experiences. Merely owning a *thing* brings me no joy or pleasure. It's what it enables me to *do* that I enjoy, generally. Games and toys and tools and whatnot are my jam.

I've been getting somewhat irritated by seeing a lot of otherwise intelligent people getting drawn into the current NFT crypto fad.

Enabling more people to get access to the fine art capitalism money laundering game was not, actually, a good thing.

Obtaining and purchasing more virtual widgets when people are unhoused, unfed, sick, etc. is not anything resembling good.

I haven't been socializing much online in the past few months because in person socializing has been so intense and demanding. There's just been a lot of work to do to keep up with everyone and everything going on, and to make sure that things get taken care of.

I'll be doing Unreal Engine stuff, which I've never done before. I'm shocked that they're doing this, but they want me for my UI expertise, and are willing to let me learn Unreal on the job as I go. I haven't even done C++ in 10 years! O.O

So it's been a bit of a mixed bag for me. Lots of stress. Lots of chaos. But also a lot of wonderful family moments that bring happiness in the midst of all of that.

Looking forward in the next few days to starting my new job as a game developer for a really neat indie development company with some cool bonafides.

Holidays have been nice. We've actually had up to 8 people total in our house (up from our usual 5) by using a variety of means to stay safe from covid. Thanksgiving and Christmas were wonderful examples of those holidays. I've had massive numbers of board game events to play. All covid safe.

The past few months have been... a lot. Quit my job at Netflix due to them enabling transphobia. Then my partner and her spouse started getting into conflicts. Couple that with covid chaos, and I've been just kinda... all over the place.

It occurs to me that in retrospect, 2020 wasn't so bad.

November was like constant socializing and visiting with folks also job interviews and planning things. December is gonna be some catch up for me personally, then starting to study up for my new job in January!

I *was* gonna go off and do my own thing, but a small game studio contacted me through a mutual connection and I got a new job! I’m gonna be a game developer now! And get paid to learn Unreal even!

We are doing dinner the hard way tonight.

Like my wife says. Dave Chappelle may be a transphobic asshole. But the biggest assholes are the executives at Netflix like Ted Sarandos that paid him for his content and willingly give transphobia a platform.

It is racist that we react so negatively to a Black man that's trying (and failing) to talk about his experience of racism from queer and trans people, but ignore the rich white executives that gave him a microphone.

Fuck Netflix and fuck Ted Sarandos. I'm out.