Control: Better on PS5

Control: PS4

Control is not another day at the office, it’s incredibly challenging requiring wit and fast reaction. You spend the game retaking control points which clear out some of the Hiss frequency and eventually allow fast travel, Ability upgrades, “Astral Constructs”, and mini missions called Board Countermeasures. There’s so much depth to the story I was completely drawn in. There’s a lot of lore behind the objects of power and plenty of TPS reports to read.

I’m not going to go too sleep on this. It’s an awesome title and I can’t wait to play it on PS5. The PS4 hardware is pushed to the max as the fans on my PS4 go brrrr from the constant rendering and what not. There’s a few artifacts, frame skips, motion blurring, which may have caused a few problems with keeping the flow going, but I think these will be resolved with the PS5 launch.

#Control #PS4 #epicgames

How not to make Nutty Maple Truffles

Melting Chocolate

I’ve always had a skill set in making confections, but it’s a skill I have definitely not honed. One key thing in baking is to follow your recipe list and use the right ingredients. JL Fields introduced a great cookbook in 2020, vegan baking for beginners, that has 75 sweet and savory recipes to get those creative gears spinning. This brings me to my worst confection ever. Nutty Maple Truffles. Now if one would properly follow the ingredients list it calls for semisweet chocolate. Myself being one to overlook instructions used unsweetened baking chocolate.

After melting the chocolate and allowing it to cool for an hour, it seemed to need more time to chill. That’s when I realized my error. I combined and melted the peanut butter and maple syrup, the ingredients would not bind. It was a gooey mess! I tried to save the chocolate by adding sugar. Truly disappointed I composted the whole project.

Baking is a delicate skill and being precise in measurements, ingredients, and mixes is key. I mark this one as a failed confection. Until next thyme.

You can find JL Field’s Vegan Baking for Beginners by using the link below. It’s a great lesson in mathematical measurements and baking.

A Difference of Opinions

I recall when I moved to Minnesota, and the first time I experienced racism. Boarding the green line a man was getting off and said, “you’re on the wrong side”. Jokingly unaware, I said, “I didn’t know there were sides”.  Then this man started to assault me and tried to take my cellphone as I contacted Public Safety.  I wished no ill will towards this man who I put up a defensive stance toward, but I learned that I had experienced racism for the first time in my new home. As I profiled the assaulter, I knew that someone was on our side.  You never interfere with a Public Safety call.

This happened the day before I started my career in Minnesota, and Target still wanted me to come to work after this assault. You have to wear heavy armor to tackle racism, and there’s no cure for it. There’s only understanding and dissecting millennia of oppression, insurrection, violence, and straight up cruelty.  People have potential but it requires investment, and may that investment never be taken from the bloody hand of a victim. There is a cure for racism, and it’s a matter of finding the frequency from which this racism lies.

#blm

#blacklivesmatter

Sharing Privilege

When we stand together, united, we need to question where privilege comes from.  Where does the time go while we wait for the answer to come?  We know the answer, and now it’s time to execute a solution. I never had a day where I didn’t have food on my plate, even if the food was unappealing. I learned to eat my vegetables and appreciate every meal.  As I saw each piece of fruit, vegetable, grain, legume, or whatever presented in front of me, I knew this food came from someone’s labor. The only thing I could hope for is the person who helped bring this meal to me was given a better life.

Understanding where our food comes from is very important, an infectious virus could hurt food supplies, or even the people who help feed us all. Food is important, and it’s actually pretty cheap if you look at it seed by seed. It’s also a gateway to learning about the world and where food comes from. As a vegan I started to really dive into my privilege and found that I didn’t know how to show the value of the food I made or had made for me. A simple thank you goes a long way, but it doesn’t fill everyone’s bank.  I started questioning where my food came from, and wanted to know, who’s the asshole?