Chase Koeneke's Top 10 Games of 2022

I think in general, I found myself wanting in 2022. While new games in some of my favorite franchises saw releases, very few lived up to the expectations I had for them. I also just completely missed games that would almost assuredly make this list (Hardspace Shipbreaker, Immortality, Pentiment, Coromon, Chained Echoes, the list goes on). But what did make the list? Let's find out.

10. Digimon Survive

Look, I promised myself this would be my token tenth slot, and it’s not because it deserves it. Digimon Survive isn’t very good. Its strategy parts are thin and tedious, plagued by low movement ranges and bad maps. And its visual novel parts go on way too long, yet rarely offer much depth. 

But dammit, there’s something here, and with some adjustments, a sequel to Digimon Survive could be really good (though I’m not sure it’ll get that chance.) The art style is excellent, the writing is solid (again, it’s an issue of quantity and redundancy, not necessarily quality) and outside of one or two of them, I ended up really connecting to both the characters and the Digimon. Other games deserve this slot more, but there was no other game I wanted to like more than this, and I think that accounts for something.

9. Platformer Toolkit

I love playing games, but I think I love analyzing them even more, which is probably why Mark Brown’s video-essay-inside-a-video-game appealed to me so much. Mark Brown’s YouTube channel, Game Maker’s Toolkit breaks down game mechanics, theory and psychology, and after he taught himself Unity this year (documenting his progress on the channel), he built a game that gave a tiny window into the the minds of game developers. 

Platformer Toolkit is a simple browser-based 2D platformer, but it controls like garbage. This is by design though! Mark walks and talks you through the physics of character movement, unlocks sliders and panels in a Mario Maker style design that lets you tweak everything from jump height and run speed to squash frames and coyote time. And once you’ve finished the short and free experience, Mark opens up a number of presets that lets you toggle through a group of classic platformer physics setups (Mario, Sonic, Celeste, Meat Boy, etc.) so you can compare and gain a greater appreciation for why those characters control the way they do. It was really compelling and I felt like a learned a ton.

8. Marvel's Midnight Suns

I’ve felt this way for years and I haven’t been shy in saying it: I’m fucking tired of superheroes. Throw them all in the bin right next to zombies and let’s find a new thing to obsess over please. But I do love me a turn-based strategy game, so when the makers of XCOM: Enemy Unknown announced they were making a game based on Marvel heroes, the pros outweighed the cons, and I checked it out. And while I’m not back on the MCU train (in fact, the writing is so, so, so Marveliciously awful, that I’ve started skipping cutscenes whole cloth), I’m finding myself addicted to the game parts of this game. 

Midnight Suns does not play like XCOM. At all. It’s an entirely new, card-based system, played in very small arenas. You’re always outnumbered and you always have a very limited numbered of actions available to you each turn. To overcome this, you have to employ clever strategy to make the most of every move, using attacks to bounce enemies off each other or parts of the environment, disabling the most vicious threats and finding the perfect opportunity to burn an action on achieving an objective. And while I never could thematically wrap my head around why these larger than life super-beings were all fighting in these cramped little spaces, the fact is, it’s just a really fun system to play around in. 

7. Vampire Survivors

More than any other game this year, Vampire Survivors justified my purchase of a Steam Deck. That sounds weird, right? I spent over $500 on a thing just to play a $5 game on it most of the time? But, uh, Vampire Survivors really is that good. This horde mode meets roguelike with a thick coat of Castlevania paint and a sprinkle of idle game sensibilities just kept sucking the hours right out of me. 

While the game on its own is fun enough, the real secret to the game’s success is, well, it’s the secrets. Finding the right combination of active and passive power-ups leads to special ultimate upgrades that turn you into an absolute buzzsaw of destruction against screen-filling masses of enemies. The more you play, the more fun, new toys you unlock, compelling you to try just one more run. A compulsion I would often give into. 

6. Citizen Sleeper

I was so hot on Citizen Sleeper when I first loaded it up. I’ve followed Guillaume “blackysan” Singelin’s work for awhile now, and seeing their work translated to a video game was really exciting. And the writing, my god, the writing! I hung on most every word. And its dice-heavy tabletop game mechanics and extremely limited resources brought in a satisfying combo of luck and desperation that gave me a real sense of scrounging and stretching for survival. 

And then I realized that the game rarely allows the player to fail, almost always throwing them a bone at the last minute, never fully committing to the survival tale the story would have you believe. And about two-thirds of the way through the game, the economy just falls apart completely, as any reasonably competent player can amass more than enough resources to live comfortably, even while the story tries to convince you otherwise. 

It was a real heartbreaker to me, one that partially led to me taking the first potential ending the game presented. But the more distance I get from it, the less I think about the busted economy and the more I think about my sleeper, and the choices and friends she made along the way. And thinking about that makes me smile.

5. Live A Live

Man, I wish Live A Live had gotten a western release back on the Super Nintendo. I know young Chase would’ve loved the JRPG-meets-turn-based-strategy combat, the amazing music and the fragmented story that stars multiple protagonists in different time periods. I know this because current Chase loved it, especially with this HD 2D touchup it got on the Nintendo Switch. Is it better than Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy? I mean…maybe? The fact that it’s even a question at all speaks to how good Live A Live is. 

It’s so inventive for its era. Heck, it’s still inventive today, playing with both genre and expectations to create something unique while wearing its influences proudly on its sleeve. More RPGs should’ve taken cues from Live A Live. And they still should. 

4. Triangle Strategy

Oh look, another turn-based strategy game. Oh, and it’s HD 2D too? Yup, I have a type, and Triangle Strategy almost fits it to a t. The game tells a grand story that genuinely gripped me (even though the voice acting often didn’t), and offered real, tangible choice leading to different story paths, character recruitments and endings. 

And while the battle mechanics weren’t perfect, there was enough depth and variety from the different characters that I took great pleasure in building each soldier up, unlocking new skills and equipping with new gear, looking for synergistic combinations. I love tactics games that make me care about my characters, and I fell hard for this cast of knuckleheads.

3. Tinykin

One of my favorite gimmicks in media is shrinking down and exploring a normal-sized space as a tiny character. I love the MacGuyverness of recontextualizing modern household objects as buildings, tools and transportation. And Tinykin has this in spades. In this miniature adventure, you explore kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and greenhouses as you collect Pikmin-like Tinykin — creatures that help you navigate the world and solve its objective-based puzzles. 

Tinykin has no combat, just chill, puzzling vibes that allow for curiosity and coziness to walk hand in hand. And as your posse of Tinykin grows, you roll deeper and deeper with your crew, until you are masterfully climbing, gliding and sliding about these creative spaces. It’s the perfect game to wind down with, and one I’d happily return to if another room got added as DLC.

2. Pokemon Legends: Arceus

Coming into 2022, this is not the Pokemon game I expected to make this list. Legends: Arceus looked awful in trailers: Empty worlds, lifeless combat, no real multiplayer to speak of. And none of those things changed once I got my hands on the final product. What did change though, was my perspective of the game in the first place. 

Legends: Arceus has you exploring an ancient Sinnoh region, in a world where the concept of Pokeballs and capturing Pokemon is just being discovered. Battling Pokemon isn’t all that fun with the new speed and strong style mechanics, but there’s hardly any battling in the game at all. Instead, Legends: Arceus is about the thrill of catching and collecting. It’s the first game in a while that makes “catching them all” feel like a relevant goal again. And the arrival of Alpha Pokemon (which are essentially bigger and rarer versions of their normal counterparts) added yet another layer of collection on top. In a year where Scarlet and Violet mostly disappointed me, Legends: Arceus is what kept me carrying a torch for my beloved pocket monsters.

Neon White

No other game made me feel as smooth, as cool, as fast and as clever as Neon White. Traversing this deadly parkour demon hunting time trial was my favorite experience of the year. I loved parsing out the fastest route through a level, discovering shortcuts and time saves along the way, before spotting a collectible and slowing down to a puzzling crawl to work my way up to where it was hiding. I loved taking on the challenge rooms that require precise and inventive ways of using your arsenal, not just for killing, but for traversal purposes as well, and then taking that knowledge back to the main game and seeing how i could implement it into my runs. 

Just about the only thing I dislike about the game is some of its writing and voice acting. Spike Spiegel himself, Steve Blum does a great job, but very little else of the cast is pulling their weight. 

But when a game makes you feel this damn cool, it just doesn’t matter what little hiccups you encounter. It’s my favorite game of the year, and one I’d probably love even more if I had a dedicated crew on my platform of choice to compete for the best level times. Neon White is a kinetic experience that turned me into a speed runner with every level.

https://cnrdigitalstudio.etsy.com

End OTW Racism: A Call To Action

A fan protest against the lack of action from the OTW on addressing issues of harassment and racism on AO3 and within the organization

This is a Call To Action for Fans of Color and Allies

AO3 has acknowledged that they have a harassment & racism problem that its parent organization, the Organization for Transformative Works (OTW), needs to address. Currently, people can use AO3 to harass others through fanworks, comments, and tags. Just a few examples include: racist Untamed “spitefic” that used anti-Indigenous slurs and was written specifically to lash out at fans of color; a Transformer fic that used its Black-coded character to reenact George Floyd’s murder in July 2020; someone naming a fandom scholar who criticized their Nazi omegaverse fic in the tags of the fic specifically to incite harassment to the scholar; writers using racial slurs against commenters who pointed out racism in their hockey fic; and so much more.

In June 2020, after the murder of George Floyd, the OTW committed to addressing these issues. It has been nearly three years and they have not yet implemented any of the changes they promised, other than a blocking/muting tool that was already in development before 2020. We need to hold the OTW accountable to their own promises. (See the section further down on “Why Are We Doing This” for even more detail.)

As fans, together, we are powerful. We are organizing to protest the lack of action on promises made by the Organization for Transformative works to deal with issues of racism and harassment on their platform, Archive of Our Own.

We call on fans to do any or all of the following actions any time between May 17 to 31, 2023 to send a message to AO3 and OTW that we will hold them to their promises.

On AO3

Change the title of ten (or more!) of your most recent or most popular fanworks to include ‘End Racism in the OTW’ in the beginning, and provide a link to this post in your summary or first/top creator’s note

Post a new fanwork any time between May 17th to 31st with “End Racism in the OTW” either as the title or at the beginning of the title. The fanwork does not have to be long - it can be a 100-word fic, a quick sketch, a podfic of a ficlet, a 20-second vid/edit, a short piece of meta, etc. In the summary or first/top creator’s note, provide a link to this post

If updating any WIPs with a new chapter, add ‘End Racism in the OTW’ to the title and provide a link back to this post in your summary or first/top author’s note

Update your AO3 icon using the profile pic graphic in our Social Media Toolkit

Plan to maintain these changes until May 31, 2023, or longer if you wish

Send a message to the OTW asking for an update on their 2020 commitments!

For Readers: leave encouraging comments on fanworks with the "End Racism in the OTW" title to show your support of this initiative.

On tumblr

Reblog this Call to Action with the tag #End OTW Racism

Update your profile pics and banners using the graphics in our Social Media Toolkit

Follow this account for updates and signal boost our posts

On Twitter

Follow @/EndOTWRacism (remove the backslash) and signal boost our pinned tweet

Update your profile pics and banners using our graphics, and change your display name to include #EndOTWRacism

Use sample tweets and graphics from our Social Media Toolkit to tweet about your fanworks, and use the hashtag #EndOTWRacism

Help us make this a long-term campaign - sign up to help with other anti-racism projects and future actions!

What Do We Want?

Since their June 2020 statement, OTW has been working on updating their Terms of Service (TOS) to address racist and bigoted harassment, but with little transparency and only the vaguest of updates. It has been three years since their commitment to this update - we want to see the results of their work implemented in the next 6-12 months. Their TOS updates and complementary policies should include:

Harassment policies that can be regularly updated to address both on-site harassment and off-site coordinated harassment of AO3 users, with updated protocols for the Policy & Abuse Team to ensure consistent and informed resolutions of abuse claims

A content policy on abusive (extremely racist and extremely bigoted) content; by abusive, we are talking about fanworks that are intentionally used to spread hate and harassment, not those that accidentally invoke racist or other bigoted stereotypes

These points are not particularly new and are not our own innovation; please refer to Stitch's article written over two years ago, asking for several of these very things.

OTW has also already committed to various process-based actions for longer-term works towards centering antiracism, including hiring a Diversity Consultant. The last update that OTW published said that the consultant would be hired within the next five years (after already having had three years to work on it since their original commitment). That is not soon enough. We want to see the following process-based actions implemented:

Hiring a Diversity Consultant within the next 3-6 months

Committing to a policy of transparency on this topic, with quarterly updates on the progress of these projects including challenges and their plan for overcoming those challenges. These quarterly updates should be published on OTW News page and newsletters, not solely discussed in Board meetings

Why Are We Doing This?

16 years ago, Astolat famously published her manifesto calling for a fandom Archive of One’s Own. In that time, AO3 has grown to be a central pillar of fandom, likely far outstripping its founders’ original vision. It is more than just an archive now; it is a central hub of the modern fannish experience. AO3 and the OTW must continue to grow and evolve with fandom over time to remain a healthy and functioning pillar of fandom. To that end, there are several areas in which the organization, as it admits itself, is lacking.

In June 2020, in the wake of the George Floyd protests and the uprising of the Black Lives Matter Movement, The OTW published a “This Week in Fandom” referencing the works of Dr. Rukmini Pande and Stitch, among others in which they discussed ‘making change for a better society’ through ‘conversations about race and racism’. In response, Dr. Pande and Stitch submitted a letter to the OTW calling for a more formal public statement than an offhand reference in a News Roundup that only served to call for thoughts and discussion without any indication the organization intended to do anything, policy wise, to address the issues being raised.

Eventually, the organization did remove the references to the works of Dr. Pande and Stitch and then made an official statement on the issue of racism within the organization and AO3. In it, they identified several things they would be prioritizing to combat harassment and benefit users. Some of those have been implemented (notably those that were already under development). However as of this writing, little else has been done especially in regards to:

Improving admin tools for the Policy & Abuse team

Reassessing the current mandatory archive warnings with the possibility of implementing others

And, most importantly, reviewing the Terms of Service (TOS) to allow the Policy & Abuse team to address harassment that is currently not covered by the existing TOS

By their own admission, the current tools and policies of the OTW are not sufficient to deal with issues of harassment and racism.

Several people who were involved in the founding of the OTW, including previous OTW Board members and staff on the original OTW Content Policy Committee, acknowledge that the founding of the OTW in 2008 and early board iterations failed us as a fandom by not doing enough, and by not even considering the way racism is perpetuated in fannish spaces, despite a long history of racism in fandom.

It has been nearly three years since the original commitment by the organization with little visible, measurable progress on these three crucial issues and a complete lack of transparency on where they are in regards to even beginning to deal with these issues. In fact, in Q&As, it was heavily implied by a member of the board that those calling for OTW to deal with issues of racism (which OTW had already acknowledged as a problem!) were not really fans but outside agitators.

This has cast significant doubt on the organization's sincerity and commitment to their stated goals, and on their position as leaders of a central fan tent-pole. Fans of color are not outsiders. They are right here, members of our community, and they are being harassed and targeted and driven out while space and platforms are being given to racists.

We, as fans of color and our allies, find the current state of fandom and current actions (and lack thereof) unacceptable. Fandom is our space, all of ours. We, as a fandom, have a right to a racism-free space and have a duty to our fellow fans to create that space. Unlike so much of the world, this is a space we can control and make better. It is a space we must make better. To read even more about this movement, visit our FAQs.

There's a lot of anti-Romani racism in Dracula, and today's entry marks the start of it.

So I thought it might be a good opportunity to highlight some organisations that are working to promote Roma rights, and some ways, alongside donating, that you might be able to support them.

The European Roma Rights Centre carries out strategic litigation to support Roma rights, as well as doing advocacy and research. You can sign up to volunteer for them here; one volunteer-run project currently live is called Challenging Digital Antigypsyism, and focuses on identifying and reporting hate speech on social media platforms.

On a similar theme, Minority Rights Group International has a campaign toolkit on countering cyberhate against Roma. The focus of the campaign is Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia.

In the UK, Friends, Families and Travellers works to end racism and discrimination against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people and to protect the right to pursue a nomadic way of life. If you're in the UK, you can ask your MP to sign their pledge card. And if you witness discriminatory comments in politics, you can report that here.

The Roma Support Group, based in London, works with Eastern European Roma refugees and migrants. They have a number of volunteer roles for people with regular time to offer.

Becoming a Dataiku ML Practitioner: A Journey Through Machine Learning

Machine learning is one of the hottest skills in the market today, and for good reason. With its ability to automate complex tasks and make predictions based on data, it's transforming industries across the board. One tool that's making a big impact in the ML space is Dataiku.

Dataiku is an end-to-end machine learning platform that empowers organizations to build, deploy, and manage machine learning models. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced data scientist, Dataiku provides a comprehensive set of tools to help you create, test, and deploy models quickly and easily.

The Dataiku ML Practitioner certification program is designed to help you master the platform and become a confident user of machine learning tools. The program covers everything from basic ML concepts to advanced techniques, and provides hands-on exercises to help you apply what you've learned.

If you're looking to build a career in machine learning, or simply want to add a valuable skill to your toolkit, becoming a Dataiku ML Practitioner is a great place to start. The certification program will not only help you master the platform, but it will also give you a deep understanding of machine learning and its real-world applications.

In conclusion, Dataiku is a powerful tool for anyone looking to get into the machine learning space. With its comprehensive ML Practitioner certification program, you can take your skills to the next level and make a real impact in your organization. So why wait? Start your journey to becoming a Dataiku ML Practitioner today!

Concept: metroidvania-style game where you start out with the abilities of a standard cinematic platformer protagonist, and each upgrade gives you a standard action platformer ability – e.g., the ability to drop through thin platforms, the ability to control your momentum in mid air, a gun with unlimited ammo that doesn't oblige you to do a lengthy and immobilising reload animation every six shots, having an actual health bar rather than just dying to everything in one hit, etc. – such that your fully upgraded endgame toolkit is equivalent that of your average starting metroidvania character.

How to use Livebox OTT Toolkit to start your OTT business?

The new Livebox OTT Toolkit involves a selection of features to make your OTT organization a single of the most sought-soon after as properly as Netflix, Hotstar and Hulu. The OTT Toolkit has all the pre-created characteristics you require. Crew Livebox understands your company requirements as properly as the character of your organization and implies the specific strategy you would want. You can indicator-up for a no-value or Professional plan that is dependent on your requirements. Livebox OTT is the only price range-pleasant OTT system supplier which provides 24*seven assistance. Right after signing up with ottserviceproviders would be surprised to see all the readymade attributes by clicking which you will be capable to technically create your own OTT platform. The Dashboard is a menu that displays all of the information related to your account. This indicates that you will be in a position to look at your earnings whole as nicely as the number of consumers as nicely as the number of subscriptions, and the overall quantity of movies, channels and sequence that have been manufactured accessible to the customers and much more. The dashboard also has shortcuts to further alternatives. You can also decide on the Tab of Contents on the left facet to go further into the information. From the articles listing, you can insert, control and engage in with the several alternatives and functions provided. You can make numerous channels, upload videos, categorize material into episodes and collection, and so on. In addition to the end users who indicator up on the OTT application, you may be able to produce several person profiles and grant them the potential to accessibility your contents. You can also incorporate further details and categorize your material into distinct groups these kinds of as the genre of the material as effectively as the director who directed the content and the characters of the distinct material. This OTT toolkit has got every thing you demand! You can also pick to disable or allow the exhibit of details to the subscribers. You can design and style and modify plans for your subscribers to decide on from. You can connect RazorPay and get payments from your clients. Livebox also supplies RazorPay Integration support if you call for help with it. The most critical gain that will come with the Livebox subscription is you get storage room to store your information and then use it to classify and distribute. Select your add-ons and shell out only for the kinds you call for! Right after setting the foundation of your OTT software, you might be completely ready to go. You can customize your banners and the total appear and come to feel of your software. Start your OTT software in just a handful of minutes of signing up for with the completely personalized OTT remedy.

To help spread the honorable arts of source-seeking far and wide, I have compiled a list of websites I often rely on. It is by no means comprehensive but it should be helpful for those who want to try looking for sources on their own.

Google Lens:

More specifically, the "Search by Image" option that replaced the reverse image search functionality of Google Images in 2022. Although it focuses on image segmentation and recognition, it has the most encompassing image set by far. It will rarely point you towards the source directly, but you can use it to find different or more complete samples, which is a good way to start.

Yandex Images:

Its "Visual Search" functionality resembles the older Google reverse image search, which can be better in some situations. It lists pages that contain fairly similar matches and a board of looser samples.

TinEye:

Although smaller and less-capable than other options, it stores the date and address it found each result, which really helps narrowing down potential sources. It works best with unedited or nearly complete samples.

Above are general-purpose tools that are suited for images of any subject matter. Following are sites with narrower scopes, mainly focused on artworks or anime-adjacent media.

SauceNAO:

If you have an unedited image, this is the tool for the job. Though weak against crops and edits, it indexes heaps of works from artist-focused communities, social media platforms, and image boards.

trace.moe:

In the "rare" occasion that I stumble upon a screenshot of an anime I don't recognize, this tool is a lifesaver. It is "comparatively" much smaller than the others, but it can give you the exact moment you're looking for, down to the minute.

For now, these are the stars in my toolkit! There are other notable tools out there, but these are the ones I have the most success with.

Image description: [ a photo of the Psych Survivor zine in a bush of ivy. The cover is a collage made out of medical records, vintage flower drawings, and magazine letters spelling “psych survivor zine".]

Hello everyone! I am so thrilled to announce the launch of the psych survivor zine, now available to download on www.psychsurvivorarchive.com.

A little bit about this project:

The Psych Survivor Archive is an abolitionist organization deeply invested in mad liberation and cross-movement organizing.

We host two projects: the Psych Survivor Zine and the Digital Story Archive. The Psych Survivor Zine celebrates Mad art in volumes released twice a year, with thematic prompts for each edition. The Digital Story Archive is a more informal forum for psych survivors to write about our lives and share as much as we want, when we want, how we want. 

Through this archive, I hope to create a platform where psych survivors are believed and the psych system is held accountable for the ways it has harmed us. Our pain, resistance, knowledge, and grief are worth listening to, and I offer up this archive as a communal method of bearing witness. 

This space is for the imperfect crazy person, the noncompliant patient, those of us who trash our rooms in the psych ward and yell to ourselves on the street. This space is for our comrades still incarcerated in all kinds of institutions and prisons. This space is for anyone who has been harmed by the psychiatric system and wants to rage about it–and this space is for anyone who doesn’t have the words to talk about it. 

This space is for you.

You can download a pdf and an image described pdf for free on the website, or order a physical copy! This zine is incredible-featuring artwork by 13 different Mad artists, the 55 page zine includes collages, poems, harm reduction toolkits, and more!!

Artists include @kihnindewa, @bioethicists, @gothhabiba and @librarycards, among many more!

This project has been really vulnerable and cathartic with me, and I am so excited to share it with you. Feel free to explore the website, submit your story, and check out our resource guide.

https://www.justiceforall.org/icc-submissions/

This is via Justice For All, a Chicago based NGO.

A direct link to the ICC-TP submission platform is here:

https://otplink.icc-cpi.int/

From the SAG-AFTRA twitter, how to show your support as negotiations resume today!

[ID: A series of images with the same layout. At the top of each is the SAG-AFTRA strike logo, a figure with its arm raised next to the word SAG-AFTRA; at the bottom of each is #SAGAFTRAStrong and sagaftrastrike.org. The text on the images read as follows:

Show our negotiating committee some love!

Tuesday, the 103rd day of our strike, the AMPTP is coming back to the bargaining. table. Wherever you are — at the grocery store, walking your dog or out on a picket line — now is the time show your support for the Negotiating Committee.

Please join us on a picket line if there is one near you, and let's show the studios and streamers what solidarity looks like. Wear your SAG-AFTRA gear all day! Going out? Staying in? It doesn’t matter! Wear your SAG-AFTRA swag.

Post! Across all platforms post a message or video of support demanding a fair contract. Share a graphic from our toolkit. Use the hashtags #SagAftraStrike #SagAftraStrong #Power2Performers

Tell your friends. Let’s flood the feeds with #SagAftraStrong solidarity — and let the Negotiating Committee know we’re in this for as long as it takes to get a fair deal. One day longer. One day stronger. As long as it takes.

/end ID]

Palestine Global Strike Jan 21-28, 2024

Infographics / toolkit created by queerandtranswealth and the_operating_system on IG.

[Photo ID: Blue to yellow gradient background. A photo of Bisan in a Press vest smiling at the camera while standing outside in the daylight. Text reads: 'Bisan called for a global strike next week from January 21-28. @ queerandtranswealth.' /End ID]

[Photo ID: Blue to yellow gradient background. Text reads: 'What is a general strike? A general strike is a stoppage of work and economic activity across all industries to force leaders to change their actions. Bisan called for a global general strike from January 21 to 28. The purpose of the strike is to disrupt economic systems supporting the ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Bisan wrote in a post yesterday, "Strike as much as you can and protest...for a whole week or until this madness ends!" @ queerandtranswealth' /End ID]

[Photo ID: Blue to yellow gradient background. Text reads: 'Are general strikes in the United States protected by the National Labor Relations Board? No, they are not. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) protects the rights of employees to engage in "concerted activity," which is when two or more employees take action for their mutual aid or protection regarding terms and conditions of employment (NLRB.gov). If your workplace or union does not support the general strike, your employer may discharge, discipline, or threaten you for participating. @ queerandtranswealth.' /End ID]

[Photo ID: Blue to yellow gradient background. Text reads: 'You have the privilege (underlined) to strike if you have: A workplace that supports the global strike for Palestinian people. A union that is organizing a general strike in solidarity with Palestinian people. Unused sick days or PTO. A fully funded emergency savings fund to use in case you get fired, disciplined, or threatened. Your own business or private practice. Here are other ways you can support the global strike. @ queerandtranswealth.' /End ID]

[Photo ID: Dark background with text in colors of pink, yellow, white, red, and light blue. Text reads: 'The many meanings of "shut it down" - how many can you commit to tomorrow? This brief toolkit offers ways to STRIKE if you can't physically be at an action: With your money (boycott / divest / support). With your attention (read / watch / listen). With your platform (share / archive). With your voice as a voter (write / call / fax). With your personal networks (gather / build). With your calendar (plan / commit). With your bodymind (wrestle / strategize).' /End ID]

[Photo ID: Dark background with text in colors of pink, yellow, white, red, and light blue. Text reads: 'An access oriented strike framework: As we call for a GENERAL STRIKE, how can we do so sensitively to the ways that certain forms of resistance are a privilege? And create inroads for those for whom a work stoppage or arrest involves risks such as homelessness or deportation. So too must we name the inherent ableism in valuing physical presence most highly, and leave room for that for whom violence is a palpable threat. If physically "striking" isn't accessible, this guide invites you to consider how a strike day can be a call to COMMITMENT - to holding yourself accountable for changing where your attention and resources go.' /End ID]

[Photo ID: Dark background with text in colors of pink, yellow, white, and light blue. Text reads: 'Strike with your money. Commit to boycotting + spreading awareness about BDS / consumption. Commit to moving your money out of corporate banks and harmful investments. Be concrete: start the process of setting up new accounts. Put a list of brands to avoid on your phone or in your wallet. Demand accountability and transparency at business + schools.' /End ID]

[Photo ID: Dark background with text in colors of pink, yellow, white, and light blue. Text reads: 'Strike with your calendar. Commit to weekly and monthly blocks of time, either on your own or with others. We owe Palestine, and each other, endurance -- this work is the work of our lives. It deserves our dedicated time. Identify and plan on upcoming events to attend, online or off. Make a list, a note on your phone, a story highlight, a saved post folder on your phone of organizations and people whose work you want to follow. Recognize the value of this feeling manageable. Be strategic. Samidoun has a great events calendar!' /End ID]

[Photo ID: Dark background with text in colors of pink, yellow, white, and light blue. Text reads: 'Strike with your platform. Commit to the global call to visibly stand in solidarity with Gaza + Palestine, for ceasefire, and against genocide: Film a 10 second selfie video. Say "My name is (first name only), I am from (country) and "I stand with Palestine." Send your clip by email to [email protected] and upload it to your personal platform with the hashtag #IStandWithPalestine. Commit to fighting the algorithm by sharing and archiving counternarratives.' /End ID]

[Photo ID: Dark background with text in colors of pink, yellow, white, and light blue. Text reads: 'Strike with your attention. Commit to re/orienting your time on this day away from passive consumption of media and leisure activities, towards educating yourself, getting involved in virtual actions, contacting your reps, etc. Quiet strike re/orient "workday" hours. Watch / listen / read: Today, dedicate blocks of time to strategically informing yourself, with film, audio, articles, or other media. Share what you've learned.' /End ID]

Beauty Website

https://cnrdigitalstudio.etsy.com https://cnrdigitalstudio.etsy.com Transform your beauty website with a touch of elegance and professionalism using our customizable Beauty Website Banners! Perfect for beauty bloggers, natural skincare sites, or anyone passionate about the aesthetics of their online presence, this 14-page set is the ideal toolkit for creating a visually stunning web experience…

View On WordPress

Sonic to get "several new mobile titles" in the future, according to SEGA management meeting document

The Sonic the Hedgehog series is expected to receive "several new titles" for mobile platforms, SEGA's parent company confirmed in a management meeting early Wednesday.

Apple and Google were both named as "key players" in the mobile sector for SEGA, as the publisher detailed an encompassing transmedia scheme for the blue blur, which will include licencing and collaborations with other third-party properties.

"Several new" mobile games under development

With an established presence thanks to the likes of free apps like Sonic Dash and Sonic Forces Speed Battle, the franchise looks set to dive in the world of mobile gaming, as part of SEGA's future plans.

The publisher did not rule out exclusivity clauses with subscription-based mobile gaming services. In recent days, the publisher signed a contract with Apple to produce Sonic Dream Team, and Netflix announced a mobile port of Sonic Mania Plus for their game subscription service.

No word of a specific timeframe for the aforementioned mobile games, currently in development.

Future Sonic mobile games to adopt Rovio's Beacon toolkit

As part of the mobile expansion, the upcoming slate is expected to adopt "Beacon", an internal development and marketing toolkit powered by machine learning, frequently utilized by Rovio, the Finnish studio behind Angry Birds that SEGA acquired over the summer.

The studio described Beacon as a platform to "build games and get games to market, models to profitably grow and monetize the game and live operations tools to maximize our players’ fun."

The toolkit has been criticized in a number of fan-run Angry Birds forums for incentivizing revenue at the expense of gameplay quality.

SEGA did not disclose if the Beacon platform will extend beyond the present suite of HARDlight mobile games.

More details on SEGA's resurrection of classic hits

SEGA also unveiled these new images and descriptions for the five new games announced at The Game Awards, described as a "power surge" to re-electrify their classic hits, like Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio.

Crazy Taxi: Innovative & Fresh Style Driving Action! Cheerful feeling of freedom and fusion of nature and city. Peel out the new stage of Crazy City!

Jet Set Radio: "Counter-Culture" - Tokyo Street Open World! Experience the "rebellion" movement that feels free in a suffocating society. Make friends, increase your fans, and create a movement!

Shinobi: Slay the enemies in the silence of the moment. Run through the world of Shinobi, full of monsters and ninja actions. Grab Oberozuki, the legendary sword and slay evil once more. Your clan and the world are counting on you.

Golden Axe: Warriors arise to subdue the demons! Defeat your enemies with a variety of attacks with swords and magic! The legendary story about the battle axe, Golden Axe is about to begin!

Streets of Rage Revolution: Beloved side-scrolling beat 'em up action series! Take control of one of the ex-officers and make the city a place where people no longer have to walk the "Streets of Rage."

The announcement coincided with SEGA's plans to strengthen their flagship video game brands like Persona and Like a Dragon, and to expand with legacy properties.

(Edit 2:00 pm ET - post updated with new details)

Thoughts on Crab Day

I support this idea and I'll be participating on July 29th.

I see a lot of folks saying things to the effect of, "don't reward Tumblr for making things worse/not listening to their userbase/not adding features I need-want-like." I also see a lot of posts saying that the organizers of Crab Day are TERFs, neo-Nazis, and/or ultraconservatives.

While I agree that TERFs and Nazis (neo and paleo) need to be yote into the sun, whoever started this idea was not wrong about the site needing money to continue operating. Tumblr is a business. That's how businesses work.

Now, they can get money from advertisers and monetization partners, or they can get it from users. If they get it from advertisers/investors, those parties have the opportunity to weigh in on features they think will generate more revenue... like Tumblr Live... which is objectively trash. Tumblr Live is powered by LiveBox, an add-on service provider that enables sites to host live streaming content to generate revenue. Tumblr is also trying to attract users from the X-Twitter exodus by making the interface more familiar to these users. Was this a bad idea? Yes. It's a desperate attempt to attract more users so as to increase ad views and generate more revenue. But, remember, Tumblr is a business. That's how businesses work.

For YOU (and me!), Tumblr is a community. It's a platform for our art. It's a meeting place for friends and like-minded individuals. It's a safe space for self-expression. It's the last mostly-unmonetized bastion of social media in a landscape dominated by influencers, hustlers, and data-miners. For TUMBLR STAFF, Tumblr is a service that they are trying to sell so that they can obtain money that they can then exchange for food, housing, repayment of student loans, etc. If they can't afford those things by selling you their services, then they will literally go do something else. Yes, Tumblr is indeed a business and not just a passion project. That's how businesses work.

So by buying things directly from Tumblr, like a $3 crab-summoning gift, and especially as part of a coordinated effort like Crab Day and/or Crab Week, you are telling Tumblr Staff that YOU are a CUSTOMER, not just a monetizable data point. We are, in a very distant sense, establishing ourselves as a body of influence. If Tumblr sees that we can and will do this en masse, they are more likely to treat us as contributors and potentially shareholders who need to be kept happy. We each have a vested interest in the continuation of this site, and we have a rare opportunity to show the specific value of that interest.

Also, for those who want more accessibility tools, this is a great way to get those implemented. Accessibility for web applications is a big, big business and toolkits and training for accessibility standards tend to cost quite a lot. Training for a single accessibility plug-in toolkit can cost around $2000 per user*. That's about 667 crabs. By participating in Crab Day, even just a little bit or even just spreading the word about it or even just allowing others to participate as they please without pitching a ragequit tanty about it, you can tell Tumblr staff that you're here as a customer, your voice needs to be heard, and your needs are important.

If this doesn't work, and Tumblr doesn't take their userbase seriously after we make a concerted effort to support them, then please by all means go back to whatever version of complaining makes you feel most satisfied. But just for now, let's try something new!

*based on actual costs of a web accessibility training program offered by the agency for which I work

Choosing the Right Method

(⁠｡⁠•̀⁠ᴗ⁠-⁠)⁠✧ advice

Engaging in the process of learning something new, such as mastering a foreign language like Japanese, is something that requires a strategic approach. One of the fundamental principles that can be a game changer is the steadfast clarity of our goals. Without a doubt, the destination we have in mind plays an indispensable role in shaping the path we traverse.

Let's step into the world of learning Japanese. Remembering why we're doing it is crucial. Is it to grasp anime conversations? Or to enjoy manga in its original language? Or perhaps to have heart-to-heart chats with Japanese friends? Whatever it is, this "why" is like the heart of our journey, guiding us toward a clear goal.

Yet, it's not merely enough to have a destination in mind; the vehicles we choose to undertake this journey matter just as much. When it comes to learning languages, the methods and tools we pick are like the vehicles taking us to our language goals. For example, if we want to chat fluently with native speakers, a strategy focused on practicing conversations becomes super important. But if we're into understanding anime stories better, a method that helps us decode everyday dialogues might be the best way forward.

In simple terms, our goals and methods go hand in hand. We need to wisely choose a method that matches our goal. Customizing how we learn is essential. Think of it like wearing a tailored suit – it fits us perfectly, allowing us to move easily and reach our goals effectively.

Moreover, the resources we have are like our learning toolkit – they're very important. Just like a carpenter picks the right tool for each job, we should choose our resources carefully. Whether it's language apps, textbooks, online lessons, or language exchange platforms, they should match our methods and help us move closer to our goals.

To sum it up, mastering a new skill, especially a language, showcases how adaptable and resilient we are. To tackle this journey effectively, we need to sync our goals, methods, and resources seamlessly. Our 'why' shapes our path and gives it meaning. Customized methods act as guides through uncharted linguistic waters, while resources empower our progress. This collaboration creates a powerful trio, driving us toward success, making our journey convincing and consistently triumphant.

またね～@inkichan

꒰ა ˚₊ ✧・┈・╴﹕꒰ ᐢ｡- ༝ -｡ᐢ ꒱﹕╴・┈・𐑺 ‧₊˚໒꒱