Apr 2, 2025 Log

Wrote Journal Entry on Phone

Was feeling crappy (congestion, fatigue) yesterday. My mood was shitty all day. Got into it with wife a few times after petty pardonable things. Didn't feel good.

I meant to take it easy, but as usual, I didn't. I researched how to create AI agents and made (in my opinion) one of my best ads for Cereus & Limnic: EFO with my new Chief of Marketing over the shoulder (a real Gemini "Gem" of an AI assistance.)

A squeezing sensation came over me, I think that's it. Money, lack of engagement with my creations, the burying of disciplined acts lost in this sprinting Age of Acceleration - it entered my energy, racing and ruining me.

The task of these times is to taste, not eat too fast or much. To let it in without fear, within limits. It's hard, but I know when I've taken too much. I can feel it. Yesterday was a possession. Today it's back to that oxen step. Trudges build bridges to somewhere, hopefully, eventually.

Drawing

I drew for about an hour. Mostly following the Udemy Course "Learn to Draw the Human Figure."

My left hand feels more solid when I draw. Today's practice had me putting a sample character together. I think it turned out ok for my first time.

Then, still wanting to experiment with ways AI can help me learn drawing, I gave it the first section of my current manuscript and had it give me a drawing prompt. The prompt was good, my drawing... eh still need more practice. But this is one of the first times I've drawn something on my own, no references. So it was a valuable exercise.

Novel Craft Secrets | Book Cover Basics Video Distribution

HAC Studios Admin

Monthly Downloads folder clearing.

Had a pesky straggler of a bitch folder that wouldn't delete. Had to consult Google Gemini for assistance.

Ended up gutting the folder by uninstalling (7-zip) then rebooting in Safe Mode (Windows Key + R, Enter "msconfig", Select Safe Mode Minimal (Windows 11))

Then the thing finally disappeared.

Took 30 minutes too long.

Cereus & Limnic: Escape From Okinawa | Novel "Sculpting"

Starting to reach more of the AI-assisted writing in the manuscript, so it requires more scrutiny. Today was fact checking technical terms Claude inserted for a scientific report section.

I did some experimentation with Google's AI mode (which is basically it's answer to Perplexity which does the same thing). Learned somethings about oxidation, tellurium, and polymer degradation (you'll know more later when the novel comes out).

Watched Nintendo Switch 2 reveal on YouTube

The release of the Switch 2, in my mind, is the death of the console era. It's basically a portable PC with Nintendo branding. This isn't a bad thing. Lots of games I never played will become available. But video games, like movies, books, and other entertainment have been moving toward the same mean my entire life. In a way it's satisfying to see how a staple of my childhood has become a mature industry, besting even the once unshakeable film industry. Nintendo still stands out with it's vast array of recognizable characters and focus on fun gameplay over graphical fidelity, realism, or niche challenge. I doubt I'll get one this summer $500 is pretty steep, but I imagine I'll have one within the next year.

Back to FreeCodeCamp

There's something about FCC that keeps pulling me back. Maybe it's the simplicity of the mission or the presentation, but I found myself wanting to start over.

This comes after I entered a Hackathon this week to fork Gumroad's code and quickly found out how limited my skills were, even with AI on my side.

Vibe coding is fun, but once the vibe is gone, it's just coding again. And if you can't do it, no amount of vibe will get you back in the groove to save your code. You're cooked.

I've had the same philosophy the entire time when it comes to AI - AI use without understanding is akin to abuse of power; unchecked, it leads to failure and embarrassment every time. So I went back to the basics - slow and steady to review what I know, and shine a torch on what I don't.

The new videos in the curriculum seem very helpful, and I'm looking forward to seeing more.