Not feeling much about anything lately….
Hiding online is a task nowadays but achievable if you can bring yourself to the point of disabling your gadgets. The problem is your connections’ social media ramblings.
Hidden
Cheesing it
Minimum effort for maximum gain is the basic formula for any investor. Specialist areas like Dark Web, Cryptocurrency and The Division attract mavericks running routines that do just that. At the moment, I’m investing a fair amount of time running easy missions (rinse and repeat cycles) on The Division Global Event to earn points to buy classified gear and it’s paying off nicely.
Cryptocurrency efforts have been thinned by real-life challenges and Dark Web is basically ignored for now. IRL the 90+°F daily heat wave is messing up my balance but I’m still going to focus on a Christmas escape to Florida this year, nuff planning needed.
Re-inventing yourself
The serious business of Gaming has not gone unnoticed by the global powerhouses like Microsoft. Gaming is one of the six massive investment areas that the tech giant is focusing on and it makes me laugh when individuals jab at my lifelong indulgence on this “not so niche” area of computing.
In the meantime, this weekend I took some time to level up my 3rd character in readiness for the next Global Event in The Division. It’s always fun starting from scratch and it gives me a good excuse to opt-out of real life. I was joined by a few friends along the way and avoided toxic or youth gamers.
In a way, I guess we re-invent ourselves in real life to suit the situation and our personal goals all the time.
Solo runs
My love for single player games continues; this skillset is particularly fruitful in a real-life Person versus Environment (PvE) situation. This morning I arrive at Gatwick Airport knowing I had just one hour to get to the terminal gate.
Navigating major airport terminals during summer holidays is challenging if you don’t anticipate the delays and have a countermeasure in mind. Also, any Network specialist will tell you that the last ‘hop’ is often the most problematic.
Airport terminal log – target Gate arrival time 11:20
10:30 arrive at Gatwick by train 10:40 arrive at terminal monorail shuttle transfer (Primary service) Delay 1 - (Service failure)Terminal train out of service transferred to slow buses. 10:45 arrive at terminal 10:50 Checked-in luggage (I don’t normally do this) 10:55 Arrive at security check Delay 2 - (Slow Service) Carry-on luggage selected for ‘random’ check 11:05 Cleared to proceed to gateway Delay 3 - Gate allocated at 15 mins walk 11:10 Arrive at Gate sweating and panting 11:30 Actually boarding plane Delay 4 - Sitting on runway waiting for flight slot 12:14 Flight actually takes off
Flight departure scheduled for 11:55 and there no compensation or anything I can do about it except bitch and blog.
Hazards and delays avoided
Heavy or cumbersome hand luggage Travel document misplaced Gadgets misplaced Fast steady pace walk pass all NPCs (In real life - families, groups,tourists, airport staff walking the opposite way and folk who arrived early) Shopping queues No window shopping No phone calls No App checking No SMS or VoIP No other players ...single player runs are definitely faster
Mission accomplished – Side effects
Elevated blood pressure Massive adrenaline surge No time to think No last minute detours Hight chance of verbal conflict
Countermeasure
Arrive 2 hours ahead of time. (Problem: 4 out 5 EasyJet flights delayed)
Chaos can raise its head rapidly. Are you prepared?
Winter version is similar with the added bonus of being able to use your coat to conceal a second carry-on bag avoiding the additional fee….whoops, did I say that out loud.
Getting to know you…Getting to know all about you
iOS 12’s new features are perfect for self-analysis. The built-in Screen time feature is just the sort of transparency an users now need. A pure non-technical approach to analytics give you granular control over your downtime, App time limits and content restricts.
My screen time is 77% down from last week and it’s very fitting as I was using social networking frequently with a Loved one.
Here’s some interest stats about me from ScreenTime I picked up my phone 30 times a day Once every 35 minutes after 14:00 I get around 13 notification a day
The most obvious use of this new resource is parent control, although I deliberately changed by device usage behaviour based on these stats.
Many of us won’t want to know these statistics. The truth about our device dependency is confirmed and proved.
Ignorance is not always bliss.
How to keep calm in Austria
In a few months, it will be a full decade since I first ventured into Austria and I must say that it’s been mostly good. I’ve learned to navigate what is by far the most hostile environment I’ve lived in. Austrian are in the category of “Rude people” so I development anti-social strategies to avoid them in their own country.
Creative and aggressive use of technology helps me avoid the need to ask questions, this is key as do not speak German. Uber and Amazon and occasionally FaceBook have provided excellent faceless services helping me get the exact things I want and need.
Cash is King
Money literally talks and avoids misunderstanding or aggression. I also tend to pre-paid my stays at hotels and pay for taxis in advance, no arguments. I paid you, now shut the fuck up.
Plug-in Zone Out
I tend to use headphones triggering the natural human response of not trying to engage in any German conversations with me.
Of course, this forced isolation has it downside but I do love the Austrian countryside.
A decade of Stealth