Month: August 2024

  • I am now streaming and posting videos regularly

    I have finally gotten most things figured out for streaming on Twitch and posting videos on YouTube, and am posting/streaming regularly. Please check out the site https://halfapoundofpixels.com for more details regarding the types of games I’m recording, streaming, and my schedules.

    If you’re reading this, I have been job-hunting for a couple of months now and things are getting desperate. I have been fighting with unemployment for months, I have been exhausting my savings and reserves, and things are almost all gone. I have never asked for help publicly, mostly due to self esteem issues. Please check out the site above, watch a few of my videos, and Like, Follow, Subscribe if you can and wish to help out.

    I am continuing to look for employment via normal routes, and trying to stream/post videos – I really need help in gaining followers on both YouTube and Twitch so I can start earning through them.

    Thank you for reading.

    Skåll!!!

  • What happened

    So, my position at my previous employer was eliminated on March 1st, 2024.

    And after working in technology for about 25 years, everything is pivoting to AI. My 20 years of doing techsupport is being subsumed into AI chatbots. My 10 years of engineering workflows based on custom needs is being subsumed into AI design.

    So I started working on becoming a podcaster, but I discovered that I have trouble performing the reading/recording to create the stuff to edit into the audio for a podcast. I re-recorded the same bit of reading some twenty times before trying to move on.

    Concurrently I’ve reactivated my online profiles on various job board sites, but they’re now run by AI and keep mismatching my skills with “Sales rep” and/or “Marketing President” and/or “Medical Service” – or the worst, a Frankenstein combination of the three examples. Add to that companies don’t want to hire remote workers that can’t do hybrid work – and I haven’t had a car since before COVID, so I can’t go into a workplace. Every response I get to online job postings either mismatches my skills or requires in-office time, sometimes in other states or time zones.

    So I pivoted to possibly doing videos of me playing games with commentary, but I don’t expect that to start earning any money anytime soon. I’m hoping recording off-the-cuff videos will help alleviate the stress and difficulty in recording the materials for the podcast.

    This is concurrent to applying to every business within walking distance of where I live. I’ve only had two interviews.

    Just a few days ago I’ve started streaming.

    It’s so stressful. I’ve been working on multiple efforts for months, and now I’m reaching the end of my rope. I’m over 40. And everyone goes on about how I just need to reinvent myself, and I’m trying.

    I keep trying to blog, but I’m just not interesting anymore. Maybe because I don’t want to just promote hot takes anymore – all the takes out there are already hot enough to cook with.

    So, yeah. That’s what’s gone on.

    And I’m trying to improve the websites.

    Hope life is treating you well, reader.

    Edit: Oh, yeah, and the ceiling collapsed in yesterday in our kitchen. We rent, so the landlord came out and handled the emergency stuff, but the A/C guy is coming out to handle the condensation from one of the lines on Friday, and then if that dries out then the drywall person will be coming out to repair the ceiling in the kitchen. Not a quick fix, and definitely stressful the entire time.

    There’s probably more I’m forgetting, but I just gotta get back to it.

    Skåll!!!

  • More is happening

    Well, I just did my first real Twitch stream in the wee hours of this morning. (I took a nap yesterday afternoon that barely stayed in the nap category, so I just wasn’t tired.)

    My main focus was getting audio and video confirmed working and good for viewers, but none of the expected alerts were running. So, that’s been my focus after I reviewed the VOD and confirmed no eyes or ears were bleeding.

    Ya don’t really think about it while you’re watching a stream, but when you’re setting one up there are eleventy bajillion alerts for different situations, (So-and-so just subscribed! So-and-so just cheered! So-and-so did a bajillion other things!) and then there are things to connect to other things and authorizations to authorize, and confirmations to confirm, and just, yeah.

    My brain resembles applesauce right now. And I don’t think that’s because I did the night-owl thing.

    I mean, I’m still working on a logo for banners and the website and stuff – so I don’t even have an official “Stream Starting” or “Stream Ended” screen yet.

    I’m not even sure I picked the Quirky Text-To-Speech voice that I like, but I picked one! And I do know it’s gotta be British English. Since I changed Siri to British English, I just can’t NOT select British English. If only for when it says “ma’am”. Or tries to pronounce American placenames based on an Algonquin or Iroquoian languages. Or reads aloud something NOT prim and proper.

    Okay, I better get back to it.

    An upcoming post will reveal why I’m doing all this, or just confirm it if you, dear reader, have already guessed why I’m doing all of this.

    Thanks for reading. Hope you day treats you well!

    Skåll!!!

  • It’s happening

    Well, I’m going full-on with my YouTube channel, and I’m planning on starting streaming soon – and even later a podcast.

    You can read here to see the previous post where I whined about some of my misgivings, but now I’m just going at it.

    I’m also making updates regarding the videos, streams, and potential podcast at the dedicated website: https://halfapoundofpixels.com. I don’t plan on making dual announcements unless I’m really excited and can’t contain myself, so please check there for updates.

    Short post today, as I’m still working on this website and the other website and the themes, as well as videos – and experimenting with streaming this weekend.

    Thanks for reading, and I hope you’re finding some fun or relaxation where you can!

    Skåll!!!

  • I’ve Gone Ahead and Done It

    I’ve hinted before, but not really defined what I’ve got going on – and this past week it’s been driven home that I’m not elaborating because I’m too much of a perfectionist.

    So, I’ve started it now. I’m a YouTuber. You can find me here: https://www.youtube.com/@ennhuite

    I’m starting with Let’s Plays of small indie games that really rock, but I have plans to expand it to other things, like Twitch, a podcast, and possibly game development. And I’m not being vague about that for any reason other than I’m learning things to DO those things. I thought I had it figured out, but it turned out I didn’t, and that kept me from actually getting anywhere. And my perfectionism kept me from putting anything out there until I knew everything about all of it.

    Well, that thinking is gone now.

    To keep that separate from this drivel, I’ve set up the website https://halfapoundofpixels.com – but don’t be dismayed by it’s teensy-weensiness. It was just born today, and needs time to grow up big and strong.

    So, thanks for stopping by. Work will continue on this website, the other one, my channel, and everything else I just keep piling on.

    If you’d like to help, please click my Ko-Fi button below.

    Skåll!!!

  • I Think It’s Settled Down…

    And, as I type that, I figure it’ll all just fire up again.

    But I’m going to take that chance, hoping it’s fixed now.

    I’m still working on the theme – this one is minimal, but it’s also stubborn. So, we’ll see how long I stick with this, or if I’ll swap to another one.

    Hope you’re having fun out there, reader. I am, for sure. Completely and utterly. No piles of used swear words heaped around my computer desk and chair, rustling as I roll my chair back and bang my head against the keyboard, trying to put myself into a logic I am sure exists, but science still hasn’t found a whiff of.

    Skåll!!!