OOC Galaxy's Dump (A Paradoxical Echoes OOC/OOG discussion thread)

I understand the overworked part; that's why I try to purposefully cram for a week, then relax the rest of the month (like last week was my hell week). Because of that cramming off-and-on, I'm at a doable balance now where I don't feel overworked. Its been a process for me, admittedly one I don't like at times, but one that has worked in the long run. Ultimately, I feel the double duty of Darkest Night & Johnny Boy was a success in the long term---I know its hard to see now, but we have literally saved countless hours, months, and a whole additional game by doing double duty on the short term and it has well positioned everyone for a great, RELAXING second half of the game. Trust me, I know it doesn't feel or seem that way now, but see it from my end and I'm getting ready for the beach chair, drink, and the sun as we literally coast into the second half of this game.

You're a trooper for it, Sith, I give that to you, because you didn't have to do this with me. You could of called me a bloody idiot and let me suffer alone---well you did call me an idiot in other words to be fair---but you still jumped in with me. Kind of like a trash compactor on a big round battle station in some movie that sounds oddly familiar.

On a last, admittedly guilty thought, I'm sinfully pleased to hear you're descaling your other game workload for the sake of our little adventure here. It means we're doing something right to make this worth-your-while and enjoyable, compared to other pursuits on the boards.

 

That makes logical sense. So I can't argue with the structure of that approach. Although, you could just leave the room or head out in your own little adventure---or literally, like you put it, post a carrot in there that you overheard the conversation. I do random things all the time in posts to go fishing for tags.

I just don't want you to feel restricted in space & time, when you don't have to be. Admittedly, in DRL, I leave conversations all the time midway. People say I'm rude; I'm just efficient with my time: I don't see the practical need of staying in a conversation, regardless of it's context, if it's not suiting my own immediate goals I need to accomplish and I've heard enough relative information to accomplish those goals reasonable well without having to listen to someone or someones repeat themselves 10 times 10 different ways. I get easily annoyed and bored at those people. So, case in point, you could just do that in the game. Why the heck not?

 

You and me both! We could start the DRL cruise line and make bank off of people.

 

I don't enjoy making choices for other players, if they want me to overhear the conversation they will state so in their post. I feel that taking such liberties is wrong and a little on the godmoding side.

Natalia has no reason to leave, she is merely waiting for the others to arrive. She is not a proactive character, at least in social situations. There is no driving force for her to go 'on her own adventure'. She is more likely just to bury herself into her datapad to deal with the boredom which would be just as boring to read as it would be to write.

 

I see it as godmoding if a player is purposely taking those liberties to avoid a damaging situation. If you're doing it for the sake of helping out a fellow player stuck in DRL...I think anyone would see your intention to help, at least I would. All the same, however, I see your point as well.

 

---Game Master Announcement---

Hey all, a quick favor or question. Depending how you look at it. I'm friends with a few of you here on Facebook, some of you I have your phone number (or use to, my contacts list didn't transfer from old phone).

With that said, if you feel comfortable with it, I wouldn't mind being friends with you on Facebook. Most importantly, its a secondary measure to reach out to you in case of DRL and we can't find you on the boards. Back in the hay-day of the Intervention games, with all of our 53 or 63 players we had come through our first game (2009-2013) and I wanna say about 19 or so for our second game (2013-2016), we always prided ourselves on our family environment. Essentially put, we care about you as a person, not just as a player. DRL happens and its important to know, whether its a few thousand miles away or across another country or even an ocean in some cases---you're in my personal thoughts & prayers and I'll do what I can to be a helping hand, listening ear, or shoulder to lean on. And I know for a fact others here share those same feelings as I do.

Some of you I've met in person and have a incredibly strong & personal friendship with since 2003. Others our friendships have spanned time and space since 2004 or 2010 that defy the current wisdom of how friendships should work. Others we've shared a phone call about life for what seems like hours. Some its been a Facebook message or live chat. Whatever the method of communication, its been the action of reaching and saying you're not alone. And its been, personally to me, a saving grace in some of my darkest times between 2012 and 2015, when I thought I was literally on the brink more than once. It was that phone call or Facebook message that brought a smile to my face when all the other people in my life on a daily basis couldn't do. That's what friendship means at its deepest levels, to know that someone cares about you.

The internet is a big scary place with people who say or do one thing and turn out to be the other. Sometimes in the most negative manner possible. So, of all people, I understand if you don't want to share Facebook friends and I'm not offended. Like I said, its a secondary method (Facebook) beyond the boards to reach out to you in DRL happens. Or if you just want to shoot the **** as we Americans say. And I can waste hours doing that, trust me. I'm Italian and can run your ear off with stories.

PM me if you want to add me on Facebook. I'll give you my contact details. I won't give out my phone number, except a few of you do have it already, but that was given out because of unique circumstances.

I do ask ONE THING, however. And its very personal and very serious to me. If you're friends with my ex-fiancee (whose on these boards as well) on Facebook, please do not add me on Facebook. Its not you---I just don't want my ex-fiancee knowing anything about my wife or my kids. I don't want her to see photos, where I live, etc. I'll keep it at that, sine I don't want to discuss it beyond that. Thank you for respecting that concern.

 

Sorry it took me so long to make this short post, got derailed so many times in the past couple of weeks.

 

This message in from @Bravo

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Hey-

Computer has been down since Saturday. Hoping to have it up & running by tomorrow. Transferring from HDD to SSD was a 3 day headache. Been updating & backing up files since Tuesday night.

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End message.

 

Thank you Grey!

So, I'm back up & running (finally). Had some last minute backup issues last night (Thursday), which forced me to run the PC for almost 24 hours between two separate backups to a 5 TB external drive. Long story short, I've been forced to do a system overhaul of my 2013 computer over 2 years (since 2018) and the last bit of upgrades came out of left field with the last remaining older 2013 parts failing unexpectedly early February 2020. Its been a wild two months going from emergency upgrades in February (that hurt the wallet) to this last week with adding a new SSD (from my 2013/2018 double HDD setup) after saving up the money. The transfer of 2 TB worth of data and 1 TB of portable backup to my new 5 TB system with 5 TB portable backup has been a headache all week. Finally, its all done (even after a last second emergency repair, since the 2013 HDD got put back-in by accident & not the newer 2018 HDD).

I'm extremely sorry for the delay. Physical & data repairs were supposed to be done on Sunday afternoon. They didn't get done until Monday night, then the transfer of data to my HDD set up (I'm a stickler for redundancy & organizing my data) took way longer then expected. I have a triple data backup system and I wasn't anticipating the longevity of data transfer issues since Tuesday.

 

With the coronavirus (COVID-19), how is everyone holding up? Its been touch & go here in Colorado thus far, with a lot of people out of work.

@Sith-I-5 , @Mitth_Fisto , @greyjedi125 , @TheSilentInfluence , @galactic-vagabond422 , @TheAdmiral , @Laine_Snowtrekker

 

We don't have in person classes for university anymore. It feels strange if I'm being honest. I'm not going out of the house unless I have too. I hope everyone else is doing well.

@Bravo

 

Well, I have this reclining armchair at home, and as of this last week, I can literally say that I eat, sleep and work from this chair.

If I limit myself to a meal a day, if I have to self-isolate, or London gets locked down, I have enough for three weeks.

I saw empty shelves this week.

In a British comedy show called Red Dwarf, the longest lasting, emergency backup milk, was dog milk, "because no ****** would drink it".

For my local Tesco supermarket, it looks like the RL equivalent is Pepsi Max Cherry (1L), eight neatly stacked bottles, surrounded by nothing.

 

I am worried as I am about to lose my job, and also bummed out about not being able to take my daily walks as I am worried for my parents as they are in the risk groups...

 

We are staying in as much as possible and practicing social distancing. So far so good. Continually praying for this crisis to pass and asking for healing and recovery for our nation and the world.

 

I am working on a post, planning it out.

 

We're in a pickle over here in Colorado. Our governor just declared a State-wide lock down, which now puts my job at risk starting tomorrow.

Sorry if I'm not online much this week, we've been dealing with this virus fallout all week, both at home & at work. Stay safe everyone. Prayers & good thoughts to you all.

 

An update----

I'm trucking along day by day during this lock-down. Everything is up in the air job wise, but still working thankfully (but its a day by day thing). But I have to start doing something to distract myself or I'll go crazy.

I'll start to be able to get to tags tonight.


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How is everyone else holding up? Any updates on jobs? Families? @TheAdmiral ?

 

Well I managed to apply to a temporary work from home position. Waiting for a result. The problem in my city is that it is a resort, mostly hotels, restaurants, night clubs, bars, cafes and they are struck pretty hard. Also for now I can't afford to move to another city.

 

You can apply for unemployment, correct? That should help some, especially with the USA government adding $600 a week (or month) to whatever you're getting from unemployment. Assuming, a course, you're in the USA. If not, then yeah, it would be a hard ride.

We're day by day in Colorado. I don't agree with everything the governor did---nor did much of my city, which is solidly red (politically)---but I do understand the necessity of some of it from a Firefighter/EMS background of five years. I think, unfortunately, it was a lot of knee jerk reaction on our governor's end at first, which hurt us more than helped us (personally). Now that the governor actually has a plan finally, instead of reacting to California & New York (which is what he was doing initially), I think we'll be better for it.

 

The problem is that I have been on unemployment benefits less than 3 years ago, so if I go on it again, I will just get the minimal for 4 months. If I manage to push it until June (then it will be more than 3 years) I will get 60% of my salary for 6 months. For now it looks that I might make it until then. So at least that is the law in my country. Though the unemployment keeps rising and the government extended the State of Emergency until May 13th...

 

It is so appropriate that this is post #666. It's the small things in life, what can I say.

@TheAdmiral You should check with them, I have heard that if you make sure to be very clear at the onset that your unemployment situation right now is 100% due to Covid-19 that that limitation will be waved in many instances. Although I have heard some states are requiring proof such as an employer letter stating that as the reason they let you go or suspended your position.

As for me, I am alive, I am working at reduced hours at the hospital, and generally feel like I am living on the edge which my stress is high and writers block despite extra hours to actually write this week are at a severe high. It took me three days to get enough into the mind of Havah Jeth to make that post today. Normally, since picking him back up, it usually only takes a couple hours mulling over a post I am going to reply to before just whipping it out. Status report finished.

 

Aye, @Mitth_Fisto

I was just informed today that we are being placed on temporary lay-off and must seek unemployment benefits. My stress levels are at an all time high, which has crippled my creativity. Indeed, despite having more time to write, it's a struggle to get my mind in a creative space. Irony of ironies. There are other financial stressors involved, but I don't want to get into that here. Support from friends and prayer has kept me from the edge, I can only hope this episode in our modern history comes to a close soon. Stay healthy and stay safe everyone.

 

@TheAdmiral , hang in there bud. I'm going to assume you're not in the USA. Getting any required paperwork from your former employer would help, as @Mitth_Fisto said. Try like to hell to get that paperwork. You're in my prayers. Let us know if there's anything anyone here in the game can do for you. I got excess paper products (reserve I keep on hand) and at least here in the USA right now, that's like gold. I'll be more than happy to mail you any paper towels and toilet paper you need. We don't have a lot in our reserves, but we have enough to share and Christ will provide for our needs so we can help others.

Mitth, these reduced hours may be a blessing, keeping you away from that virus as much as possible. And keeping both you and mom safe & healthy. God will see you through brother. He always does. Let us know in the game if you need anything. Like I told Admiral, I got limited paper product reserves I can mail out.

@greyjedi125 , hang in there brother. I'm day by day, having survived four rounds of layoffs thus far. We're working with reduced staff, reduced revenue, and reduced hours. We're very blessed (praise be to Lord Jesus Christ) that my wife's job is paying our weekly childcare costs---up to a point---through this virus, or we wouldn't be making it. Let us know if we can do anything for you, including paper products.

 

Any assistance from me, would be limited, I think, to what Amazon can deliver, since the lockdown here, has also shut off some of my points of assistance.

I attempted to call a hotel for a relative who had abruptly been made homeless, however their automated message said government instructions had shut them down.

@Mitth_Fisto - hopefully that is just part of a weird confluence, but for me, that number has been occurring far too much this week. This thread has reached it, a spreadsheet had reached that row...

 

Thank you for the support! So far I don't need anything, but thanks for the offering!

I hope that I can post in the next few days, sorry for the delay!