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Lately, much of my off time has been pre-occupied with a great experiment. A few weeks ago, I decided to finally pull the trigger on a Switch 2, my first time owning a Nintendo system since the SNES and GameBoy Color, and my first time playing on one since the N64 was still a smash hit at parties.

For the most part, it’s been a positive experience. I love that it’s a much larger screen and less hefty device than my original SteamDeck, not that the battery life is significantly different. I’ve found it remarkably nice for playing handheld on the couch, and has actually caused me to use my SteamDeck in handheld much more frequently. Unlike my laptop and ‘Deck it can actually be docked in the TV console upstairs without making me grumble about the tight spaces, which is also a plus.

In terms of graphics and power, it’s kinda of a “Meh” factor. Many of the games already out on the platform encompass things that have had Steam and Xbox One / PlayStation 4 releases. Often ones that also run on SteamDeck either perfectly or with a little fiddling. The difference of course is the Switch 2 is more apt to target 1080p, which makes me happier because I often play docked to a large 4K screen. I consider the main advantage there that it’s now “Good enough” hardware rather than as limited as the Switch and its revisions. Plus, nVidia’s DLSS tech and stuff is definitely better.

Hardware has been pretty solid, but I have to preface that with “Depends on what you play.” The Joy Cons 2 seem to be pretty decent controllers for handheld mode, but not as good as Steam Deck’s superb (but integrated) controller. For more FPS oriented games like Resident Evil, frankly, the Joy Cons 2 sucked so bad that I turned right around and ordered the Pro 2 controller. That’s closer in quality to an Xbox One or Series X/S controller. I honestly don’t care about the detachable controller aspect, but if you’re more prone to playing games like Pokemon and Mario than games that require fast, precise aiming (basically any first person and most third person shooter), they’re great for the former and crap for the latter. On the flip side, gyro aiming support is actually native for many Switch/Switch 2 titles.

One of the things I’ve been happy for, is that the eShop has a much larger variety than I expected. Quite a few games I’d play are available through the Switch back catalog, except I already have them on other platforms. I was a bit concerned that options would be smaller beyond Nintendo’s own first party releases.

Game Cards, I remain somewhat on the wall about. For games that actually use them, I don’t really mind. The downside of course is that many third party games are either digital (shop / code-in-a-box) or Game-Key Cards. For those, the only real value IMHO is the second hand market. You can trade in the card, but unless you’re frequently trading 3-5 games whenever you buy 1, it’s probably a bigger deal when for you cash out. I.e., if you migrate to an incompatible platform like PlayStation, it makes sense to dump the games with the console. That said, my childhood is proof that trade-ins and pre-owned are a perk when money is tight. In which case, you probably should get anything other than a Nintendo Switch–the games are frakking expensive.

Conceptually, I like the idea of Game Cards. They’re a similar size to full SD cards, making them practical in ways that a MicroSD is too damned tiny. Likewise, that avoids the problem that earlier Game Pak / Game Card are too bulky when you’ve got a lot of them to carry. Honestly, I’ve never been a fan of the install to hard drive model for game consoles: may as well use a PC and pure digital distribution if that’s how it is.

Of course the reality is the inverse. For first party games, the benefit is much smaller updates. For a game that’s around DVD/DVD DL scale, the update might be closer to 500 MB stored to internal storage. That’s been the case for Mario/Zelda/Pokemon games that I’ve tried so far. IMHO, that’s a fair compromise for saving 4-8 GBs per game.

For third party games, the reality is you may as well be digital and expect to have to download the entire thing. On the flip side, I’ve found that games are often smaller. Many are in the HD DVD to Blu-ray SL scale as opposed to Blu-ray DL and up, meaning they’re well suited to a 16G or 32G Game Card if they actually used the card for storage. It seems many publishers have dropped unnecessary assets when baking games for the Switch platforms.

For example, Resident Evil 9 is a Big Freaking Game™️ on Steam if your storage is measured in GB, but basically a standard size for modern games. If you like PC gaming, you measure your storage in TB, not GB. It’s about 80 GB on PC, and I had expected it to be over 120 GB when I pre-ordered. On Switch 2, it’s under 30 GB! There’s some irony in that as well. On Switch 2, we’re basically running a DLSS upscale to 720/1080p from about half that resolution. Docked, it’s no where near as nice as my laptop’s 4K output. I wouldn’t be surprised if SteamDeck offered equally limited graphics at best, but you’re still stuck downloading the entire shebang because the game’s assets have to cover everything from the lowest supported potato to the beefiest they’ve got.

That’s actually one thing I kind of like about consoles, since it’s a stable target, you’re basically locked, cocked, and ready to rock from the beginning. No fiddly. But, it’s also going to be inferior rendering to a beefcake PC that can throw 3 pounds of RTX at the problem. For me, it’s become more about input methods in many cases; e.g., I greatly prefer to play certain games with a mouse and that typically leaves PC as the only platform. Playing Doom 2016 on an Xbox One for example was a painful experience compared to PC, where the controller is optional.l

Well, that’s enough rambling for now.

Brief moments between sprints

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Today’s mostly been the kind of day where I count myself lucky if there’s time to take a shit. But, I managed to get things done, and still make time for a walk in the park after work. It’s the first night this week that I haven’t had something else to do :|.

The trees provide decent cover from the rain, although they do little for the spirit crushing humidity it adds to an already humid day. Packing my water bottle, so that I could stay hydrated, turned out to be a very damn good idea. I’m really just glad that when the humidity starts looking like Florida, the temperatures aren’t so awful. I find the walks and exercise do wonders for getting my muscles towards a happier state of tired-but-not-exhausted, but the weather sucked.

Life being what it is, I still had to cook, pack lunches, and get the kitchen squared away before I could actually sit down. But I’m happy everything got caught up. My inner craving would rather raid the diner for a burger, but it’s the healthy eating that’s made one of the largest impacts on reaching my weight goals. There’s few better incentives than obtaining your objective.

For what few hours I have left before it’s time to go to bed, I have a feeling that most things less urgent than a zombie apocalypse will be waiting until tomorrow. Either that, or I’ll be shouting “Sparkle, mother fucker!” and swinging a chainsaw. The next twenty minutes or so, are nearby declared a rest period.

Recharging batteries

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Having spent the evening on the couch after a late, hasty meal, I find myself feeling somewhat recharged. In the great search for something to watch, Netflix suggested one of my favorite Ryan Reynolds films: The Proposal (2009). Considering that means it has to compete with Deadpool (2016), that’s no mean feat for a romantic comedy.

When I originally came across the movie a few years ago, I hadn’t thought very much of it at a glance. Really, the only reason I didn’t keep scrolling was because of RR, figuring it must be worth a shot despite the premise. By contrast, it’s a movie that makes me both smile and laugh my ass off–both somethings my internal batteries needed.

It rather has an old spirit and modern wit at its heart, being both full of antics that I could easily see out of movies back in the golden age of Hollywood (and screwball comedies). Combined and twisted with the insanity we should probably expect from the 21st century. Plus, to be honest, I really freaking love the ending, especially the twist with the immigration agent 😂.

A Rockin’ Requiem

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After listening through Lyra Vesperi’s entire track listing of Singles/EPs on my music subscription service, I was happy to see a recent addition when I left work. Not only that, but it’s a pretty freaking great requiem.

The bandits poisoned every cup and slit my party's throats
Now I am drinking in the dark wearing my armor coats
I pour a tankard on the wood to bait the angry dead
The shadows gather in the room demanding to be fed

I don't need water from the shrine to wash your curses out
I only need the tavern ale and a familiar shout
I speak the jokes we used to tell before the bloody night
And drag your screaming twisted souls into the holy light

The iron binds the dwarven bone
I will not let you walk alone

So raise your glasses to the sky!
I came to watch my brothers die!
I break the chains that hold you here
I wash your phantom in the beer
Go find the halls of shining stone
I'll finish up 
This keg alone

I take a sip and close my eyes to hear your roaring laugh
An axe swings right behind my neck to cut my spine in half
I duck the blade and kick the chair, I know your heavy swing
I punch the ghost of my best friend and hear his armor ring

You always dropped your shielding arm when charging for the kill
I strike your spirit in the chest to break your evil will
You curse my name with rotting jaws and bare your phantom teeth
But I will send you to the forge and let you rest beneath

The iron binds the dwarven bone
I will not let you walk alone

So raise your glasses to the sky!
I came to watch my brothers die!
I break the chains that hold you here
I wash your phantom in the beer
Go find the halls of shining stone
I'll finish up 
This keg alone

The magic fades, the tavern clears, the shadows start to crack
I feel the tears upon my beard, but I won't pull you back
The Maker calls your weary names to sit beside the fire
I did the duty of the priest, I built the tavern pyre
My hammer aches, my knuckles bleed, my spirit starts to bend
But you are walking in the light, my brother and my friend
The silence hurts more than the blade, the victory is cold
But you are free to drink the mead from mugs of solid gold!

The iron binds the dwarven bone
I will not let you walk alone!

So raise your glasses to the sky!
I came to watch my brothers die!
I break the chains that hold you here!
I wash your phantom in the beer!
Go find the halls of shining stone
I'll finish up 
This keg alone

My Purpose – Lyra Vesperi

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Here’s one that I stumbled across the really resonants with me–especially the chorus, because the notion “I’m exactly who I am meant to be / the missing piece is me” is one that I would love on a t-shirt. Between a relatively rare personality type, and being someone who actually cares what kind of person that I am, I rather like this tune.

Plus the entire damn thing is rather ear wormy. As a whole, the lyrics fit that “Wherever you go, there you are” quip I learned from Buckaroo Banzai. I think perhaps as a culture, we put too little thought into philosophy in the modern era, but self-understanding has always been a fundamental concept to me. Knowing yourself is a key that unlocks a lot of mysteries, it’s certainly allowed me to like myself as a person far more than I ever was capable of before then.

I spent my winters in the grey
Just watching seasons slip away
I had a gift I could not name
A spark without a proper flame
The world was loud and I was small
I felt like nothing much at all

But then the clock began to chime
I stopped wasting all my time

Whoooaaa!
I’ve found the lock, I’ve found the key!
The world is opening for me!
I’m exactly who I meant to be!
The missing piece is finally me!
Whoooaaa!
I’ve found the lock, I’ve found the key!
The world is opening for me!
I’m exactly who I meant to be!
The missing piece is finally me!

I used to walk the background lines
And read the fading, dusty signs
They wanted blades and iron shields
To fight the terrors in the fields
But now my spark has found a way
To turn the night to golden day
The sun is bright, the air is sweet!
The path is open at my feet!

The fog is gone, the air is clear
I’ve finally conquered every fear

Whoooaaa!
I’ve found the lock, I’ve found the key!
The world is opening for me!
I’m exactly who I meant to be!
The missing piece is finally me!
Whoooaaa!
I’ve found the lock, I’ve found the key!
The world is opening for me!
I’m exactly who I meant to be!
The missing piece is finally me!

I walk with purpose in my stride
With nothing left for me to hide
I spent too long in hollow space
Just trying to find a solid place
Now every morning is a prize
With open hands and looking wise

The world can keep its epic tales
I’m the wind within my sails

Whoooaaa!
Whoooaaa!
Whoooaaa!
Whoooaaa!
Whoooaaa!
I’ve found the lock, I’ve found the key!
The world is opening for me!
I’m exactly who I meant to be!
The missing piece is finally me!
Whoooaaa!
I’ve found the lock, I’ve found the key!
The world is opening for me!
I’m exactly who I meant to be!
The missing piece is finally me!

I’m exactly who I meant to be!
The missing piece is finally me!

OK, this one made me laugh my ass off

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Perhaps too many video links of late, but posting this one because the title says it all. I ROFLMAO through almost the entire song.

LYRICS : 
[Verse]

Scout bursts in with blood on his face,
“Tiny-ass room! It’s a damn crawlspace!
There’s twenty cultists packed wall to wall—
If we fight in there, we’ll ALL fall!”

Barbarian said, “Bro, I can barely swing,”
Paladin said, “I can’t channel a thing!”
Druid sniffed, “Smells like bat guano and doom,”
And the rogue muttered, “This feels like a tomb…”

The ranger squinted, “Hey, where’s the floor?”
The mage tripped and kicked in the door.
Everyone turned to him with dread...
And he just smirked and raised his head:

[Chorus]

 “I don't give a shit about how large is the room,
I cast Fireball, make it go boom!
I don’t give a damn if we’re tight in a hall,
'Cause Fireball solves it all!”

[Verse 2]

It was eight by eight—barely space to stand,
The mage was grinning, fireball in hand.
Rogue screamed “NO!”, the paladin said a prayer,
But we all knew death was already there.

“There's no ventilation!” the warlock cried,
“I’m under a table!” the ranger lied.
Druid yelled, “TURN BACK!” mid-bear shift,
But too late… fireball began to lift.

[Chorus]

 “I don't give a shit about how large is the room,
I cast Fireball, make it go boom!
I don’t give a damn if we’re tight in a hall,
'Cause Fireball solves it all!”

[Bridge]

The spell went off like a sun in a jar,
Our gear’s now soup, and our souls went far.
The rogue’s now ash, the tank’s just dust,
The druid’s bear form combusted—just.

Cleric’s bones are lightly toasted,
Dwarf’s beard is flame-roasted.
And the mage? Oh, he’s super dead—
But he laughed the whole time as his hat caught red.

[Chorus – Slower, Echoing Through the Flames]

 “I don't give a shit about how large is the room,
I cast Fireball, make it go boom!
I don’t give a damn if we’re tight in a hall,
'Cause Fireball solves it all…”
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One of those quips I can blame on my mother is, “They’re coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-ha / To the happy home / With trees and flowers and chirping birds.” It’s something that I heard often enough growing up, that whenever my warped sense of humor references the idea of being dragged off to the funny farm, it’s likely to pass through my grey matter.

Oddly though, despite it being one of those almost burned in ROM things, I never managed to remember who the bloody hell sang that song.

Of course, most quips like that that ma caused to stick in my brain are some kind of ear worm. Ahh shit, now my mind is thinking of

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Between the truths and giggle snorts, this almost had me in stitches.

Exercise

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It’s taken about a week, but I think my body is finally getting back into the swing of walking regularly.

I’ve been trying to maintain a habit of taking about a 2 kilometer walk each day, and a morning exercise cycle. About a minute on / minute off working through a cycle of press ups, crunches, squats, and walking lunges. Relatively simple, and enough to be done during my intermittent fasting period without leaving me too ravenous by lunch.

In general, I found this rather tiring but not exhausting at the start. I’ve reached the point where my legs don’t feel quite so tired. So, that rather makes me feel a bit happier. Not entirely sure how well it will work out for my aim of getting a small calorie deficit going, but I figure it’s at least a healthy step in the right direction, lol.