proto26 3Speak Podcast: Recent Episodes
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Listen and watch the latest videos from proto26. Hosted by 3Speak.tv. The free speech video platform on the HIVE blockchain.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=proto26/nplapizw
This year, the dry season was unusually wet. It rained occasionally but when it did come down, boy was it a downpour. As a result, many people could not harvest their crops due to the high moisture content of the plants. Furthermore, nobody that I know has their own threshing equipment. They have to wait their turn for this man from a few towns over to come with the machine. He does one parcel of land, then the one adjacent and so on and so forth. While some land owners waited for their turn, it would rain yet again. This is good for the people who managed to harvest in early December, which is the normal time to do so.
I wanted to come and see the threshing process so I went along with my uncle. This piece of John Deer equipment is impressive to a small scale gardener like myself. It was very interesting and even satisfying for the machine to take up the cornstalks and see the kernels from the window drop down into the collection chamber. Then somehow the bare cobs are thrown out the back. Those are the wonders of modern technology.
We harvested about 16 tons, if I heard correctly, from 2 hectares. This corn is for human consumption. It will likely go on to become tortillas.
The other interesting thing is that when it's time to harvest, a whole crew of people gather. Obviously the operator of the machine and the drivers of the two freight "buses" that held the harvested corn were there, but also a few other characters. A couple of grown men and their boys tagged along to apepenar, or pick up the ears of corn that don't get sucked up by the machine. Some other boys were following the machine, ready to catch any rabbits that scurry away. They caught a few indeed! I wish I could've joined them in their rabbit dinner. Some scavenging dogs were also on the scene, along with the occasional buzzard-like bird that soared above us.
Today, my uncle went early to a town 2 hours away. He took with him a sack of corn from each bus to be analyzed I think. From there, the buyer decides if he wants the rest or not. Hopefully my uncle turns a profit. This year was apparently a very bad one. The price of corn plummeted along with agave and just about everything else. People made more money renting their land out than actually using it themselves.
As for my uncle, he plans to rent his own parcel out for the next 5 years or so to his brother. And that's where this story ends.
I hope you enjoyed the short video. I am beginning to miss my own garden right about now. I had better start gathering some exotic seeds to smuggle back...
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=proto26/wyztlvoq
Welcome to "Adventures in Terminal 5 - Part IV"
Today marks the day I finally finish recording (and editing) one of my favorite marches solely on the Bb trumpet. I had to record over the span of many days and some days, conditions were not favorable. Last time I uploaded myself playing this piece, it was on the piano and I had also omitted a part. See that post if you liked this one and also for a little bit of background on the song. (I have since fired my cameraman as well!) Today, you all get the full version of the composition. Enjoy!
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=proto26/nwkbvopy
I (try to) play the part everyone knows. Colloquially known as "the ice cream song". Think of this as the sequel to my other video in which I play a different classic by the ragtime king. This one, however, is notably more difficult than the last. While being a two-step, in the beginning, it doesn't follow the standard ho-hum ( boom-chuck or umpah-umpah if you will) of most other ragtime pieces but instead follows a strange progression. I cannot sight-read piano music so I like to memorize it instead, focusing my attention on the left hand while the right hand resorts to muscle memory (and the occasional glance).
I don't claim to be an excellent piano player; far from it. It was not my first nor my main instrument though I did teach myself. I just have fun learning and playing ragtime and march compositions. The piano itself is not the sharpest tool in the shed, either. Though it is probably sharp, if you catch my drift. I had to fix a sticky E key by adding a small lead weight to it, too. Call me bad, call it out of tune... All that just adds character to my little wonky piano!
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=proto26/eoisdunq
Sylva is an exoplanet much like Earth. It has diverse biomes such as forests, canyons, and mountains and well as average wind and sunlight. Like with every other planet in the solar system, you must reach the center to activate its core in order to unlock fast tavel. With my sprawling base above ground, with all you can ever need on an alien planet, it seemed all that was left to do was go down. The subterranea is treacherous! One bad step and you can find yourself trapped in a crevice witout oxygen or at the bottom of a ravine. One railroad later (plus a portable oxygenator), and now we have a direct line to the center of planet Sylva. Building it was no easy feat. It took lots, and I mean lots, of aluminum and compounds.
Now, with the underground monorail, life is a lot easier. Travel to and from the core only takes a jiffy so ferrying resources from there , like Astronium, is very convenient. There's much to be found in the mantle and core, but for that you would need to optimize the train, send an exedition, disembark, and stray a bit from the railroad. Be sure to refer to your compass if you wander too far. You can find old tech both working and defunct, raw materials, and even some anomalies depending on the planet.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=proto26/plcmiekx
From the player that brought you "The Tale of a Lothric Knight" comes a new tale: Armored Man-Beast's Defeat.
After trudging through the Highwall, bringing down tons of hollows, along with a few proud Lothric Knights (which ain't sh*t), we find a conspicuously large and open chamber. This is the game's second boss. I will not be sharing the fight with the first. I was not happy with how many attempts it took...I even died the moment I defeated him.......
This is my first ever playthrough as a mage. Well, I'm not actually a full mage. It's more like Magician adept knight with high hopes of being a priest one day.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=proto26/pnnexrnr
Alas, this is the tale of a knight of the kingdom of Lothric. The Lothric Knights were once proud knights. This particular character was tough, and good man of noble stock. But the hearts of men... are easily corrupted. And the flames of chaos have a will of their own.
CreditsVideo content is my gameplay from Dark Souls III.
Audio, in chronological order, "Flash of Steel" from Final Fantasy XII by Hitoshi Sakimoto
"Burnin' Up" (Fire) by BTS,and ending with "Visions" by Hitoshi Sakimoto.
P.S.I forgot that the game allows you to remove the HUD, which is nice. And I JUST started playing the game, that's why you may notice I have weak spells/equipment. Future minimovies, if any, will exclude the HUD and be even more cinematic.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=proto26/iyjpkjld
Hello, Hive Gardeners and and enthusiasts! Today I present you with a video of how I typically do my bonsai work. Lately, most of the ones I've been honing my skills on have been in the citrus family. These can be very forgiving, fun to work with, and grow relatively quickly. Furthermore, I have large tree from which I can periodically make cuttings from to try, try again if all else fails.
The video features what I believe to be a small lime tree. It does not belong to me; I am merely her custodian, having rescued the poor thing before winter came. She actually belongs to a dear friend of mine who wanted a bonsai tree of her own. That was around late September, I think. Unfortunately, it was aleady too late for Shirman's little brothers and sisters.
Although Shirman was technically not rootbound yet and therefore not in dire need of a transplant, it's never a good idea to wait until that point. So I agreed to work on her. (Plus, a proper pot would look better than that trainer pot, anyways!) First, I prepared the new pot with some gravel and even shells and beach glass for drainage. Then I carefully removed the sapling and soil. It was very easy since the soil was sopping wet!
...
With all soil removed, it's simple to see what goes and what stays. Keep the smaller "feeder" roots and prune back the big ones with too much vigor. Remember, roots should be growing evenly, fanning out from the center! I only made 2 major cuts on some roots curling around the edge of the pot. Several smaller roots were pruned (minimally) to fit in the pot better and to prevent the same situation happening again right off the bat.
For the new soil I used a mix of some of the old soil along with some mix especially formulated for citrus trees. Why old soil? It worked didn't it? We include it because the tree has already lived in it and probably developed its own microbial/fungal signature. In other words the soil is familiar for the tree and the old things in it will benefit the new soil. Just make sure it doesn't have dead/cut pieces of your tree. This can be a vector for disease.
Maybe I topped it off with too much soil, which might make watering messy or even impossible, conventionally. I like to water my trees from the bottom, not by dunking the entire pot in water as you might see on social media. We take the same principle, which is just overkill, and tone it down a few notches. Just leave your potted tree in a container not much wider than it and fill that container with some water somewhere below the halfway point of your pot. If it is dry, the soil will soak up all the water through capilliary action.
See you again in 4 to 8 months, Shirman!
Musical Credits
I do not claim to own any of the music.
The first two samples (Inferiority Complex followed by OgeulOgeul) are originally songs by Park Kyung but were intstrumentalized by other fans and shared for free use on Youtube. The bass song I discovered ages ago. It is called Oleo and is a jazz standard. This version came from a dude testing out a bass recording system. I layered the different parts together as if it were a bass ensemble playing. And finally, the last 2 piano phrases are performed by yours, truly.
Thank you.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=proto26/cwpvcqka
Have you ever played Donkey Kong Country?
In that game, you meet an NPC that can be visted in certain locations few and far between so that he may give you game hints! After a few helpful tidbits (and knocks on the head), the elderly fellow tells the player to run along now. Some of the knowledge he would impart you might already know, while other messages are far too cryptic to mean anything (at the moment).
Since I've returned to the kingdom of Drangleic in Dark Souls II, I've met a similar character that offers me helpful hints on my journey. Talking to another real player is great; especially when that player is one who 'platinumed' the game. My friend Manny's intimate knowledge of Dark Souls is way more helpful than the wiki. He peered straight into the essence of the soul!
The wiki states that Dark Souls II's statistical data determined the Fume Knight to be the game's toughest boss, which I can personally attest to! Manny, however, claims that the Darklurker is the hardest boss. I beg to differ. I told him my experience with that encounter and he demanded proof, so here it is!
I could have defeated it faster but I guess I took a long time freaking out after it underwent mitosis as I tried to gauge, dodge, and ultimately predict their attacks. Also fire does decent damage! Did anyone know that?!
Sorry about the lapse in time. I did not edit that. That must have been a glitch with the screen capture software but it could not have been more than a few seconds. How do I know? If you may have noticed, shortly before the time in question, I use a life gem. My HP refills but when it's around 85%, that's when it suddenly jumps to 100%. And let's be serious, how long is it going to stay that way during a double boss battle? Hence only a few seconds passed.
Either way, I defeated it in well under 5 minutes.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=proto26/zqbifnab
Hello, music lovers! Last time I played some piano for you, but this time I'll be playing pianee! Haha! My friend describes this song as "cantina music" and rightfully so! The song, as the title suggests, is Maple Leaf Rag by the king of ragtime, Scott Joplin himself. This was one of his first songs, before he came out with his more well-known piece, The Entertainer (which I need to practice).
I first heard this piece in high school, being played by a small boy a year or two younger than me. I can't remember his name right now but he ended up being known as "Ducky" by the band kids. Every time I heard him playing Maple Leaf it would make me laugh for some reason. This was also around the time we acquired the piano I'm playing on now, which was apparently discarded because they already had too many. So I ended up learning Maple Leaf, albeit in an "easier" key. It was the first real piano song I ever learned.
I hope you enjoy this excerpt, being the main and most familiar part. Do you recognize the tune?
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=proto26/mvltojph
Today I share with you all a song that was composed over 100 years ago by Genaro Codina. Codina actually composed it as part of a bet between himself and Fernando Villalpando to see who could compose the best march for the then-governor of the Mexican state of Zacatecas. What fun! Both contestants submitted their compositions to a jury, which consisted of friends and family. Codina's piece ended up winning and it was debuted for the governor, General Jesús Aréchiga and conducted by the loser, Villalpando. Today, the song (which has lyrics, too) is considered the regional anthem for the state of Zacatecas and some consider it the unofficial nantional anthem.
This song is very fun to play and listeners always find it entertaining. I did omit the last part actually (the F Major part). The song is so long and has many repeats (I only repeated my favorite part [the part that starts on D7]) and goes back to the beginning twice. Since I almost always play this shortened version, I rarely get a chance to practice that last part. The piano arrangement is a whole step above the concert band arrangement for some reason. Back in my mariachi days, I had arranged this song for us to play but the other members found it too difficult/confusing and not widely known enough.
I hope you enjoy this classic Mexican piece of history and art.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=proto26/pbazgiwj
I can't believe this was 10 years ago! Me, my oldest sister (a.k.a. #1), and my mom were at one of our favorite second hand stores when I stumbled upon an electric organ! I began to test the organ with the current song I was addicted to at the time, Olympia Hipprodrome by Russel Alexander. This song was stuck in my head for several years after discovering it during my sophomore year of highschool in band class of course (which I took all 4 years).
Luckily, my head has since forgotten this song and it instead has been replaced with the ear candy that is Kpop such as Boy with Luv which is my current favorite.
Look at the crowd I draw while I test the keys even with a chromatic part. The lady in the background glances at me and then I draw the attention of her son. One woman even tipped me $2. Number 1 can barely contain her giggles while she films me.
Unfortunately this store of donated goods no longer exists. I knew this song so well that I knew everybody's parts. I even conducted the song in a concert at my school in Chicago at Jones College Prep High School. I wonder if the video still exists on YouTube...
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=proto26/lywnnqgh
Hello, all!
If you've been following me lately, you've probably noticed that I've been posting a lot about Final Fantasy. Today, we will be discussing a very iconic song from the series, The Prelude.
Background
Back in the late 1980s, the company Square was going out of business. They were prepared to make one last game, Final Fantasy. Nobuo Uematsu agreed to work on the project. Though he had been with Square for 2 years up until this point, the previous games he created music for were not very succesfull. Final Fantasy (I) turned out to be a smashing success.
Uematsu went on to compose music for over 30 titles! Many of them were istallments in the Final Fantasy series. There are many icons among his work such as One-Winged Angel" (FFVII) or recurring themes like Battle on the Big Bridge* (FFXII) or the Main Theme.
The Prelude
Probably the most iconic theme is The Prelude. It started off as just the startup song, but with every new installment, it also evolved. It is present in most games. Now it is considered the unofficial theme for Final Fantasy. Uematsu himself was asked if he ever predicted how evocative this short piece would be. He frankly said no. He later admitted that it only took him 30 minutes to compose the modest piece.
Would you like to learn how to play it as well? It is simple, once committed to memory. What's cool about playing this on piano is that you're required to press the sustain pedal all throughout the song. That way all the notes meld together and you get that harp sound, which is what it was originally composed for.
The first run starts on C3 (1 octave below middle C). We will call it the C Major part. All you have to do is repeat C D E G ascending for 4 octaves and end on the 5th C before descending back to where you started. Does that make sense? This is what you would play:
C D E G, C D E G, C D E G, C D E G, C , G E D C, G E D C, G E D C, G E D
But then instead of ending on the C you started on, the next run, A minor, begins straight away. And don't let go of that sustain pedal!
This time, you'll be ascending on these notes:
A B C E
Following the previous pattern, you'll stop on the 5th A and then go in descending order ( E C B A). When you get to the starting A again, don't play it and instead start from the C Major part again. It should look like this:
...E C B A, E C B, C D E G, C D E G... and so on.
What's Next?
Now that you get the general pattern, from here on out I will just give what repeats and the transition to the next run.
So you start with C Major, then A minor, back to C Major, A minor again but this time when you descend you will end on that first A you started on then hit C and then we're in F Major.
...E C B A C F G A C...
Repeat the last 4 notes up the appropriate number of octaves but instead of ending on the last note you omit it and decend from the 3rd note, A.
... F G A C, F G A G F, C A G F... and so on
This will be the new pattern.
When you descend back to the first F then it's down to C then B then D and then G major: G A B D. (Remember you descend from the 3rd note!)
When you get back down to G, you'll end the run on the D below and then the next run will start on the G# below that. I'll show you how the next run turns around. Be careful with the G naturals and G sharps
...G# C D# G, G# C D# G G# G D# C G#...and so on
Ending like this:
...G# G D# C, Bb D F A ... and so on
End on the appropriate Bb (B flat) then descend while gradually slowing down and finally ending on Bb again. You may now let go of the sustain pedal!
Seems very confusing but makes sense the more you listen and memorize the small tranisitions. What do you say? Are you up to the challenge?
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=proto26/dxnrmtcu
What happens when your favorite video game gets remastered on a console that also has screen recording and video editing capabilities? You get home-made films!
I've been working on this project on and off for, oh I don't even know anymore. The raw footage for this film in the making comes from the game Final Fantasy XII. Square Enix owns the rights to that, I don't claim to. All I'm doing is basically condensing the story, altering some dialogue and events, and adding a few jokes.
To date, I would say the film is about 80% complete. At this phase, I have begun to hold private screenings of the unfinished film to gather some data on first impressions and reactions. So there is need for a trailer!
Normally, upon startup of the game, an alternate version of this video plays. I have kept the original song(s) along with the first half unedited to pay homage to the original game from which I draw inspiration. The second half, which normally shows flashes of every major character and boss in the game, is instead condensed to the party and its allies along with their names. I wasn't sure whether or not to include short introductions with names in the film but now that I've arranged a preview, that problem is solved. Enjoy and stay tuned! (Original music by Nobuo Uematsu.)
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=proto26/gafvakdh
Let It Die is a free game game for Playstation 4. The premise is that you have to make your way to the top of tower with more than 40 floors, each floor full of screamers and 1 hater. Screamers are like fast zombies, except they are able to wield weapons. Haters are more cunning and represent other fallen players that died in the tower. After a number of consecutive hits, an enemy has a chance of becoming groggy. The groggy status makes it susceptible to a finisher, which is different for every weapon. The video does not show all the weapons in the game, but a majority of them. Every season new weapons are added including unique weapons and some that are derivative of other existing weapons.
Every 10 floors there is a boss and after failing several times to the 4th and final boss and stopped playing the game due to failure anxiety. Recently though, I gathered my best mushrooms, the game's consumables, and tried again and beat the game! Hurrah!
Enjoy the video.
Filmed, directed, and edited by yours truly.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=proto26/ftrmawpo
These are some animals I have discovered in the game, No Man's Sky. They are among the strangest I have ever seen in the game and that says a lot, considering everything is procedurally generated. The first creature is a bipedal avian found on a desert planet. Bipedal creatures are pretty rare. The second life form is also bipedal. Nicknamed the "Sassy Butt Cow", it has many strange features. Some have even said its head resembles a roast chicken! The third creature is notable for its small pair of wings. This excessively vocal creature is otherwise unremarkable as it is what most animals in the universe look like. Usually though, flying creatures are either small and insect like or titanic and soar high above the ground so this specimen is indeed a rarity.