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from An Open Letter

I have been socializing both IRL and online, and online that’s been in the form of spending time in a couple of different communities. I recently found one that I liked, and then I found another one I clicked with REALLY well. I was in call with them today for like 6 hours, and one of them was a pro player in Australia, and he was coaching us and showing us some cool things. He then watched me play with a few others and holy shit I wanted to die so badly LMAO. I played Rengar in fucking Iron and was just inting over and over again. It was agonizing. It was legit so bad I stopped to play Radiohead by myself on the guitar for a bit. I then decided to queue up another two ranked games solo on the smurf account and I even got a penta in one of them. It’s embarrassing because dawg I’m like sweating on an Iron account by myself on my main role on what was my main champ. But I just needed to convince myself that I was able to play him, I guess. Down bad lmao.

 
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from Aproximaciones

un día se dió cuenta de que estaba viejo así de golpe los cuatro pelillos en la frente los ojos apagados la nariz más pesada asimétrica los cachetes colgando como chayotes y todo lo demás que daba pena

pensaba / qué triste va a llegar la primavera pero me pasa por las narices y lo que me preocupa no es la muerte sino saltar directamente de humano a zombie con el agravante de que ya no hay zombies ni en las películas y así se fue viendo poco a poco

lo encontré el día que cambió la hora cuando entraba de lleno la primavera y otro día después y otro y me preguntó si era posible revertir el estado de zombie y repetía la pregunta sin dejarme responder al punto que sin darme cuenta me convertí en zombie más bien me empezó a secar y armándome de valor me acordé del antídoto y le dije

/ qué bien te ves Nacho

 
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from eivindtraedal

Elon Musk klarte ikke å “kjøpe” dommervalget i Wisconsin, et valg som ifølge ham var “avgjørende for sivilisasjonen”. Hvem vet, kanskje har han rett? I alle fall om vi anerkjenner at råtne fascister som Musk er en trussel mot sivilisasjonen. Nå ser vi at hans makt er begrenset. Dette er ukas beste nyheter.

Musk har fått mye politisk makt ved å true republikanske kongressmedlemmer med at han vil finansere motkandidater i fremtidige nominasjonsprosesser. Samtidig har vi sett at Musk har blitt dramatisk mye mindre populær i befolkningen. Å få hans omfavnelse kan altså fort bli et “kiss of death”.

Uansett hvor mye penger du får til TV-annonser og annen valgkampaktivitet så vil det ikke nødvendigvis utveie skadene ved å drive valgkamp sammen med det som er i ferd med å bli en av USAs minst populære skikkelser.

Autoritære ledere styrer med frykt. Når frykten avtar, rakner det fort. Dette valget kan være starten på en dominoeffekt som vil føre først til Musks fall, og senere til Trump. Kanskje er jeg litt ekstra optimistisk i dag, men jeg tror dette kan være starten på noe mye større.

 
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from On Old Age

Monitor to catch lies of omission (such as not volunteering important information when selling a used item) and think how would you feel if someone did the same to you.

Our cargo bike is probably my favourite means of transportation. It's a lot easier to get around in than the car (and a lot less noisy), it's a lot more comfortable than any of our standard bikes, it's a lot faster than walking — and whenever one child or two is too tired, they just hop in.

There's just one catch. I can't have a conversation with my oldest son.

One thing is his diction: it seems his tongue is too big, and his face muscles too weak, among other things, he has a hard time differentiating between S and similar-sounding letters. (Not a huge problem in Norwegian or Danish; rather more troublesome in Serbo-Croatian, where you've got s, c, z,  dž, ć, č, đ, š and ž.) 

Another thing, though, is the way he mumbles. When we walk back from school together, he always seems to talk to the pavement; he starts out looking at me, and talking loud enough so that I can hear, but then he gets caught up in his own thoughts, his train of thoughts leave the station, and he starts to mumble to the ground.

When I tell him to speak up, he manages to speak up for about five words, before he starts to mumble again.

When I tell him, for the umpteenth time, that I can't hear him when he turns away from me and mumbles, he seems to get confused for a second, just long enough for his train of though to disappear, and we have to talk about something else entirely.

It's even worse when he sits in the cargo bike. The roof, the sound of the cars, my problems of paying attention to both the traffic and my son's words at the same time — the end result is that I can't hear a thing he's saying.

So I have begun pretending. Aha, I say. Hm, yes. OK. Oh. Indeed. Really? Wow. Cool. M-hm.

Sometimes this can go on for many minutes. He mumbles something in the cargo bike, I listen to his intonation and toss out a few randomly chosen filler words. I catch a key word — Bakugan, Ninjago, Chima, the name of a friend — and i use that word as well. You really like Bakugan, don't you? Have you told your grandmother that you want a new Chima set? Who is this friend you're talking about anyway, is he the one with dark hair?

I imagine this must be what it's like to grow old and lose your hearing. You hear a few words, but you don't quite understand what the conversation is about. You're being asked a question, and despite having it repeated, you can't hear what it is about, so you have to hazard a guess. Most of the time, though, you don't want to be seen as someone who disrupts conversations, or as someone who's as deaf as an adder, so you just pretend to have heard everything and give an answer which hopefully won't be too revealing.

In other words: you lie. Just like I do with my son.

Now, imagine it's the other way round. You're having a conversation with someone who nods and says yes at more or less the right places, but who really has no clue what you're talking about. Wouldn't you be mad when you find out? Wouldn't you feel almost betrayed? You have spent much time and effort trying to put your thoughts into words, and suddenly you realise that all that effort was in vain? You would at least feel insulted.

I'll probably be hard of hearing when I'm old. I'll probably have a hard time at cocktail parties, or wherever there are many people talking at the same time. I won't be able to follow  conversation. Should I say so? And if yes, should I say so at once, or should I interrupt the conversation every time someone says something I can't hear?

That's what I do now with my son. Either I go “?” untill I hear him, or I tell him, shout to him, that I can't hear a thing, and that he has to remember that thought till we come back home.

It works. It's a lot less frustrating for both of us. But it wouldn't work in a social setting with other adults.

Imagine me going HÆ for every other sentence. I would be intolerable. (Not least because every way of saying HÆ or HEIN or HUH seems impolite for those who say it differently. I still have nightmares about a French women who couldn't hear her husband when I hitchhiked near Avignon fifteen years ago. HEIN!??!)

And of course, even more intolerable is the person who goes HÆ even though he heard everything in the first place.

I would prefer everyone to hear me, and me to hear them. But sometimes it's better to pretend, lest we all be intolerable.

A word of warning, though: if you get in my cargo bike, I may have to go all HÆ on you.

 

 
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from On Old Age

Manage a challenging task from start to finish.

Before start: queue. 30000 runners in one street, walking slowly towards the starting line. I am impatient and jump in just behind the 1.50-ballons, even though I know my pace will be a bit slower.

Km 1: Everyone passes me. I am the slowest in the field, or so it seems, and runners pass me on both sides. My feet are heavy, my legs even more so, my body weants me to call it quits already. This is terrible. I focus on the asphalt. I can't see the spectators, and barely hear them, the other runners are just a huge mass, I focus only on my own running, my own rhythm. I can't go on, you must go on, I'll go on.

Km 2: ditto.

Km 3: ditto.

Km 4: It's getting worse. I realise I haven't seen the buildings around the course at all, I have no idea where I am. I just run, slowly, laboring on.

I thought hard about quitting at this stage, just stop somewhere to get it over with. The tempo has been too high for me, even though I was slower than runners around me, I can't continue all the way, I will be too exhausted.

But the 12 kilometres mark is right next to our house, and my wife and kids will be there, and if I call it quits now, I still have to walk all the way back home. Might just as well run there. Go on.

A runner comments on my bare feet. One child, two, three children do the same: look, dad, he hasn't go any shoes! Another runner calls me psycho, smiles and gives me thumbs up. I notice I am looking up: I see the spectators and buildings around the course. I am finding my rhythm.

Km 12: My wife. My sons, two of them with a Norwegian flag. The third one sleeping in his pram. I try to give them a high five, but I'm too fast, and the youngest one didn't even notice that I touched his shoulder.

My knee hurts, but I can't stop now. I'm over halfway.

Km 15-20: My fastest 5 kilometres. I pass runners. I pass other runners! There are lots of them, though, I have to weave my way — and ever so often, I jump from one side of the road to the other to find the smoothest asphalt. But I'm doing fine.

Km 21: The longest kilometre I have ever run. I'm suddenly exhausted. But it's OK, I'm almost done. My feet are OK, my knee, my legs, everything is working the way it should, more or less, I will get to the finish line.

Finish: Just before the finish, I think about the man whose bib number I have. He who couldn't run because he had to donate a kidney to his son. I get tears in my eyes.

Oh, come on, you're always so emotional when you're tired. Just run across that line and you're done.

There. See? No need to cry.

Runners everywhere. It's like a concert or a football match. We walk after each other, like lemmings perhaps, to get our water and an apple (apple? who can stomach an apple after having run for two hours?) and a medal and a T-shirt.

Done. I did it. I feel good. I walk back home for 30 minutes, barefoot. Two old women stop me hundred meters from my front door and ask me about my feet: yes, I did run the entire thing without shoes. Amazing, they say, and I feel even better.

It was challenging. Especially the start. But I did it. My official time: 2.00.31. My Endomondo time: 1.58. 28. I'll go with Endomondo. (I didn't run in a straight line, you see, so I ran farther than 21.1 km, so... But it doesn't matter.)

I think I need some sleep.

 
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from thehypocrite

shadow jams for the connective tissue of the soul

I have an idea for an experiment. It involves music.

Music, that great and majestic contributor to heightened highs and deeper lows. If there's a problem with music today, it's paralysis of choice. Most of us end up either listening to what we already know, or we rely on the algorithm to show us something new, only it usually just regurgitates what we already know. There's no substitute for a DJ who really knows what they are doing.

So, I'm going to try a collaborative playlist on spotify. The readership here is small, so I imagine the contributions will be modest and unlikely to introduce that troll element that is so pervasive on the internet today.

You don't need a premium spotify account to participate, you can add the playlist to any free account, anonymized or otherwise.

Click this link and when it launches spotify, click the 'save to library' button. This will add the playlist to your list of playlists. You can then add and listen to songs to your hearts content.

Join The Hypocrite's Osxs collab playlist

Not your cup of tea? No love is lost. Thanks for patronizing this sloppy, soppy writer. May the sea stretch out before you like a mirror and the sun shine upon your deck.



#music

 
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from Kremkaus Blog

Wen soll man um Rat bitten, wenn niemand da ist? (Bild: KI-generiert)

Wer in einer ländlichen Region wie der Altmark lebt und politisch aktiv ist, kennt das Phänomen: Die drängendsten Herausforderungen entstehen oft nicht aus Mangel an Ideen oder Engagement, sondern schlicht am Fehlen von Menschen, die mit anpacken. Junge Leute verlassen nach der Schule ihre Heimat – um zu studieren, beruflich Fuß zu fassen oder einen anderen Lebensentwurf zu verfolgen. Zurück bleibt eine Lücke: fachlich, kulturell, manchmal auch emotional. Doch was wäre, wenn wir diese Lücke nicht als Verlust begreifen, sondern als Chance?

Während meiner beruflichen Stationen in Städten wie München, Brüssel und Berlin bin ich immer wieder auf Menschen aus Sachsen-Anhalt gestoßen, die sich dort mit beeindruckender fachlicher Tiefe und klarem gesellschaftlichen Kompass engagieren. Viele von ihnen haben den Kontakt zu ihrer Heimatregion nie ganz verloren. Immer wieder stellte ich mir die Frage: Wie ließe sich dieses Potenzial für die Entwicklung unseres Bundeslandes aktivieren – auch dann, wenn eine Rückkehr für diese Menschen keine Option ist? So entstand in meinem Kopf die Idee eines “Beirats der Weggezogenen”.

Diese Idee möchte ich am 8. April 2025 auf dem Forum für Soziale Innovationen und Gemeinwohlorientierte Unternehmen (SIGU) im bcc Berlin Congress Center vorstellen. Eine Veranstaltung, getragen vom Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz sowie vom Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung – und der perfekte Ort, um einer so pragmatischen wie visionären Idee Gehör zu verschaffen. Ein “Beirat der Weggezogenen” klingt vielleicht ungewohnt – doch genau darin liegt sein Reiz. Denn viele, die gegangen sind, haben ihre Herkunft nicht vergessen. Sie tragen die Erinnerungen an ihre Kindheit, an Nachbarschaften, an Dorffeste noch immer in sich. Und sie sind oft bereit, sich zu engagieren – wenn man ihnen die Möglichkeit dazu gibt.

Ein solcher Beirat muss kein bürokratisches Ungetüm sein. Er kann klein und unkompliziert starten – mit einem digitalen Heimattreffen, mit persönlichen Einladungen oder einem Aufruf über Social Media. Ziel ist es, Menschen mit biografischen Wurzeln in einer Gemeinde zu gewinnen, die heute in Berlin, München, Köln oder anderswo leben – und die bereit sind, ihre Erfahrungen, ihr Wissen und ihre Netzwerke zurück in die Region fließen zu lassen. Es geht nicht darum, dass sie zurückziehen. Es geht darum, dass sie mitdenken, mitwirken, mitgestalten. Mit Ideen, mit Kontakten, mit einem kritischen Blick von außen – und mit einer großen Portion Herzblut.

Ich denke zum Beispiel an die Bürgermeisterin einer kleinen Gemeinde, die gemeinsam mit einem Kulturverein ein digitales Heimattreffen organisiert. Ehemalige Bewohner*innen erzählen, was sie heute tun, und diskutieren mit, wie sich die Gemeinde weiterentwickeln könnte. Daraus wächst ein lockerer Beirat, der sich regelmäßig online austauscht, Projektideen unterstützt, Förderanträge begleitet oder sogar den Aufbau eines Coworking-Spaces im alten Pfarrhaus mit vorantreibt. Manche Mitglieder übernehmen Patenschaften für Jugendprojekte, andere vermitteln Kontakte zu Hochschulen oder Unternehmen. Der Effekt: Die Gemeinde erhält neue Impulse und Ressourcen – und die Weggezogenen spüren, dass ihre Perspektive zählt.

Ein Beirat der Weggezogenen ist ein Becken voller Serendipität. (Bild: KI-generiert)

Ich bin überzeugt: Der “Beirat der Weggezogenen” kann zu einem starken Hebel für regionale Resilienz und Identität werden. Gerade strukturschwache Regionen brauchen kreative Formen des Zusammenhalts, die über physische Nähe hinausgehen. Das Potenzial dafür liegt längst vor uns – in alten Schulfreundschaften, in E-Mail-Kontakten, in ehemaligen Jugendfeuerwehrmitgliedern. Es muss nur aktiviert werden, denn oft sind es gerade die losen Verbindungen, die eine Region in Bewegung setzen. Der erste Schritt ist dabei verblüffend einfach: eine Einladung aussprechen, Verbindung aufnehmen, gemeinsam Zukunft denken.

 
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from Roscoe's Story

Prayers, etc.: * 05:00 – Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel * 06:00 – praying The Angelus * 10:00 – praying the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Traditional Holy Rosary in English, followed by the Memorare. * 10:45 – making an Act of Contrition then making an Act of Spiritual Communion, followed by praying Archbishop Vigano’s prayer for USA & President Trump. * 11:00 – Readings from today's Mass include – Lesson: Ex 32:7-14 and Gospel: John 7:14-31 * 11:20 – Today's Morning Devotion (Psalm 50) as found in Benedictus Magazine, followed by the Canticle of Zacharius (Lk 1:68-79). * 11:45 – Thought for today from Archbishop Lefebvre: It is good to think often about the eternity of God. It is very difficult, obviously. For us, there is always a past, a present and a future. So how can we conceive of eternity, that instant which always is? That seems inconceivable. And yet it is so. We are always trying to put God inside a time, for example with reference to Creation. If Creation had a beginning, it would seem that something began in God. Well no, that is false. Nothing began in God. He is always the same. * 12:00 – praying The Angelus * 14:30 – prayerfully reading The Athanasian Creed, * 18:00 – praying The Angelus, followed by today's Evening Devotion, (Psalm 123), as found in Benedictus Magazine, followed by the Magnificat: Luke 1:46-55. * 19:00 – praying the hour of Compline for tonight according to the Traditional Pre-Vatican II Divine Office, followed by Fr. Chad Ripperger's Prayer of Command to protect my family, my sons, my daughter and her family, my granddaughters and their families, my great grandchildren, and everyone for whom I have responsibility from any demonic activity. – And that followed by the Tuesday Prayers of the Association of the Auxilium Christianorum.

Health Metrics: * bw= 223.0 lbs * bp= 138/78 (60)

Diet: * 09:45 – 2 HEB Bakery cookies, 1 banana, 2 pcs. of pizza, nachos w. meat & cheese sauce * 16:20 – fresh pineapple chunks * 19:00 – snacking on saltine crackers

Chores, etc.: * 07:45 to 09:45 – doctor's appointment * 17:15 – listening to the Texas Rangers Gameday Show ahead of their tonight's game vs the Cincinnati Reds

Chess: * 14:55 – moved in all pending CC games

posted Tuesday, 2025-04-01 ~19:45 #DLAPR2025

 
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from Silent Sentinel

The Puppet Show Is a Distraction. The Real Threat Is Behind the Curtain.


I. The Spectacle

We are not meant to look away. But everywhere we turn, we’re told where to look.

Loud gestures. Viral outrage. Manufactured crisis. The media flails, the crowd boos or cheers, and the stage lights stay hot. It’s a puppet show.

And while we watch—while our attention is consumed by the performance—the real machinery of power moves behind the curtain. Quiet. Deliberate. Strategic.

For years, we’ve tried to understand Donald Trump through the lens of politics. We’ve called him a populist, a disruptor, a fascist, even a genius of chaos. But the truth, laid bare interview after interview, is both more disturbing and more absurd:

Trump is not a serious man. He governs not with ideology, but with impulse. Not with policy, but provocation. Not for the people—but for the spotlight.

He doesn’t need a plan. Because the spectacle is the plan.


II. A Hollow Vessel

When asked why he ran for president, Trump answered without hesitation: “To be the most famous man in the world.” Not to serve. Not to build. Not even to win. To be seen.

He flings trial balloons into the air just to see what lands. Floats invasion announcements like clickbait. Uses cruelty as punchlines. Sees governing as a stage set—and the press as his unwilling PR team.

Michael Wolff, who’s chronicled Trump closely, has said it simply: he governs like a reality show host. The presidency is a spotlight. He performs. And we watch.

And yet—he remains one of the greatest threats American democracy has ever faced. Not because he is strong. But because he is hollow. And behind him are people who are not.

As one French politician put it: “Washington has become the court of Nero—an incendiary emperor, submissive courtiers, and a buffoon on ketamine tasked with purging the civil service.”

It would be funny if it weren’t so true.


III. The Architects Behind the Curtain

Trump is the chaos. But behind him is the design.

A network of loyalists, ideologues, and oligarchs has gathered—not to serve the country, but to rewire it. People like:

Peter Thiel, who sees democracy as inefficient, and envisions algorithmic rule by the wealthy and the powerful.

Elon Musk, entangled in everything from surveillance satellites to speech policing, testing how far his influence can go.

Stephen Miller, architect of the cruelest immigration policies in modern memory, still shaping the playbook.

Cash Patel, Jeffrey Clark, and Tulsi Gabbard, selected not for expertise, but obedience—placed in position to help purge civil servants and watchdogs who might resist.

These are not public-facing figures with red hats and rally chants. They are strategists. They understand systems. They know how to dismantle from within.

And they’ve already begun:

The federal law enforcement misconduct database that tracks dirty cops? Deleted.

All the JAG'S, The top military legal officers who could resist unconstitutional orders? Removed.

Inspectors General, civil rights lawyers, government scientists? Fired or sidelined.

This isn’t dysfunction. It’s a purge. The slow removal of institutional safeguards, one official at a time.

And it’s not just national. Trump has openly questioned NATO, praised dictators, and studied the world’s oligarchs with admiration. Putin, to him, is not a threat. He’s a role model—the richest, most powerful man in the world.

That’s who Trump wants to be.


IV. Reclaiming Our Gaze

We are not watching a clown show. We are watching a play with a buffoon in the spotlight—while the stagehands dismantle the set behind him.

If we keep laughing, gawking, or fighting over the theater, we will lose what matters most.

Because distraction is not a side effect. It is the tool.

It allows for the privatization of public life. The hollowing out of democratic institutions. The normalization of surveillance, cruelty, corruption, and control.

We don’t need another headline. We need to pull back the curtain.

Because the show is not what’s real. The show is what they use to keep us from seeing what's being taken. What's being changed. What we still have the power to defend.

 
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from Roscoe's Quick Notes

Major event of this day was my doctor's appointment this morning. It was just a regular 4-month follow-up. I have no major complaints, neither does my doctor. At least, not yet. I should hear back tomorrow or the next day re: the results of my lab work. That's what I'm really curious about.

posted Tuesday, Apr 1, 2025 at ~5:33 PM #QNAPR2025

 
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from The Newfangled Gazette

Today marks four weeks since I last streamed on Twitch, and with three weeks to go before my next scheduled stream, I thought I'd share some of the changes I'm planning to make when I return.

For 18 months straight, I have worked hard to learn, refine, and be consistent at streaming on Twitch. I'd like to share with you some stats.

Show You The Money

As of the time I write this, I have streamed a total of 958 hours on the platform. That's an average of over 53 hours per month, or over 12 hours per week. I have 814 followers and 24 subscribers.

Since becoming a Twitch Affiliate on October 10, 2023, I have been paid out about $2400 from Twitch (after taking their cut and diverting more after that into the Twitch DJ program since its inception) and approximately another $275 in tips and merch (after processing fees, etc.), for a total of $2675. After taxes (37%), my actual pocketable income from Twitch has been about $1685 over 18 months of streaming.

$1685 / 958 Streaming Hours = $1.71/hr

And that's just actual streaming hours. I have easily logged well over another 985 hours off the air into Twitch in terms of thinking, planning, setting up, learning, research, social media, networking, and other activities related to the stream.

And I haven't yet mentioned how much money I have paid out-of-pocket for equipment, software, physical media, supporting other streamers, and other expenses. I haven't kept track of any of that. I'm afraid to. It's easily several thousands of dollars.

I am eternally grateful for the financial support I have received from Twitch viewers. But I obviously haven't done it for the money. I've done it for the love of sharing music and of the wonderful people I've been able to meet.

Early on I had hoped to be able to grow things to the point where I was making significant income from streaming. I focused a lot on the financial side of things – subs, bits, tips, etc.

But after what I have seen and experienced during my time as a streamer – and after taking some time to step away and really think about and evaluate my experience – I realize now that I don't even want to be a “career” streamer anymore. I've seen streamers that make a living on Twitch and I when I think about it, I don't want to do what they do. I don't want to be like them. To do so would require me to compromise some of my deepest values in pursuit of money. I will not do that.

I also don't want to be dependent on Twitch for my livelihood, to have to worry about making sub/bit/tip goals every month just so I can feed my family and pay the bills. That would almost certainly turn something I love into something I dread, and I would have to spend every waking moment streaming or working on something related to the stream. And if Twitch makes significant changes to subscription costs, payout rates, DJ Program costs, or anything else like that, it could drastically impact my ability to earn money on the platform.

I don't want to be an “influencer” or “content creator” with a “fan base” or anything resembling any of that, but that's what it takes to make it on Twitch. I tried some of that, and it never felt right. It never felt authentically me. I was trying to do those things because “that's what successful streamers do.”

But my definition of “success” is very different than that, and mostly incompatible with the way Twitch is set up. However, as Twitch is still one of the premiere streaming platforms on the Internet – and the only one that has a DJ Program – I'm going to try to be more intentional about using it in accordance with my values as much as possible.

To that end, I no longer care about making money as a streamer, and if I could demonetize my Twitch channel right now, I would.

However, Twitch is moving things in the opposite direction. They recently announced that they would soon allow some monetization features on streams that have not yet made Affiliate or Partner. I can only assume this means they will be running ads on all streams in the near future. In addition, because I am in the Twitch DJ Program, they will almost certainly require me to remain monetized in order to bring in revenue that will be paid towards the licensing costs of that program.

But I can still make some changes that will better align my streamer experience with my values. I've already done the following:

Here are more changes I will be making:

  • No longer asking for financial support of any kind. I have deactivated all bot timers and channel info referring to or asking for subscriptions, bits, or tips or financial support of any kind. If anyone wants to contribute in these ways I can't stop them! I'll keep my Ko-fi (for now) and keep !tip and !ko-fi chat commands active in chat if anyone asks about it, as I know some people prefer not to give Twitch any money. I also no longer have any subscription, bit, or tip goals.
  • Every stream will now be a charity stream. I will likely rotate through different charities as time goes on, but right now I'll be focusing on supporting the MusiCares Foundation. This will make it a little bit harder for viewers to give me (but mostly Twitch) money and easier for them to support a good cause that helps people in need.
  • Deactivate the ad schedule. Twitch could change the way this works in the future, but as of now, if a streamer does not activate and define an ad schedule, viewers who are not subscribed to the channel only have to watch a 15 or 30 second pre-roll ad when they first tune into the stream. After that, if the streamer has not actively set up an ad schedule, viewers can enjoy an ad-free experience for the duration of the stream as long as they don't refresh! Huzzah!

Format and Programming Changes

As for the actual content and format of the stream, I've been thinking about trying some different things. The core experience will remain the same: listening to records with friends. But I'd like to make it more like an actual radio program you might listen to on terrestrial radio, too.

So I've decided that I won't be talking over the music anymore. I will pause between tracks or album sides before I speak and will be a lot more active in chat.

I also want to try more intentional programming. Like shows focusing on certain themes or concepts. And I want to intersperse the music with more formalized spoken word content. Uplifting and inspirational thoughts and stories. Biographical sketches and stories about the artists and the music. Maybe even heartwarming and interesting news stories. I'll experiment with these ideas and others, but I really want to make this a more intentional experience for me and for the viewers rather than just trying to “get my hours” and putz around listening to random music all the time with no real purpose or direction. I'm not interested in quantity anymore. It's time to focus on quality.

Schedule

I'm trying to decide if I want to stick to my tried and true Tuesday & Thursday evening schedule or change to just one evening per week. I'll see how I'm feeling about that over the next few weeks.

I will not, however, be doing as many pop-ups as I used to. Probably almost none. I've been working on filling my free time with some other things that are important to me – reading, writing, family, church, etc. – and I need to make sure I maintain a healthy balance.

Conclusion

My time away from Twitch has been everything I hoped it would be so far. It's been a good time to reset and refocus on what matters to me and regain some perspective. I'm excited about these changes, as I can give my full attention to what I cherish most about streaming: sharing good music, connecting with good people, and bringing a little joy and hope into their lives.

#Twitch #updates #streaming

 
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from eivindtraedal

Det er bra det endelig kommer litt mer kritisk oppmerksomhet rundt Wolfgang Wee. Denne typen podcaster er et spesielt fenomen, som bidrar til å gjøre offentligheten ganske mye dummere. Det starta som et korrektiv til reelle utfordringer i etablerte medier, og har havna i en helt annen grøftekant, som er mye verre.

I motsetning til regisserte debatter på TV, eller kranglete og konfronterende revolvertnterjuver, tilbyr podcaster som Wee timevis med friksjonsløs dialog mellom programlederen og en gjest. Ofte i form av lange monologer. Her er det skyhøyt under taket, og god tid. Hos Wee finner vi for eksempel ca 90 timer ufiltrert Asle Toje. Endelig fri fra innøvde talepunkter og korte “soundbites”!

...og over i ufiltrerte tankestrømmer der programlederen nikker og jatter med uansett hvor idiotiske ting gjestene sier.

Det påfallende med podcaster som Wee og Joe Rogan (eller Ness) er at folk gjerne vil henvise til enkeltepisoder med interessante gjester. Men hvis et medium kun er seriøst når det har seriøse intervjuobjekter, så er det jo ikke et seriøst medium. Kvaliteten må jo måles på hvor skarpskodd intervjueren er. Wee er først og fremst god til å gi folk en mikrofon, trykke på “record” og jatte med dem. Ikke sånt som gir toppkarakter i Volda.

Men det er jo også poenget! I motsetning til “mainstream medias” trange meningskorridorer, er det her plass til de kontrære stemmene, de som tør å utfordre det bestående. Endelig fri fra politisk korrekthet og sosialdemokratisk flokkmentalitet!

...og over i konspirasjonsteorier, kvakksalveri og ufunderte påstander. Alt er bra så lenge det er kontrært!

Wees (og Rogans) oppskrift er å trassig gå mot strømmen. Det kan av og til være nyttig og viktig, men hvis man ALLTID er kontrær, havner man på mange rare steder, som de siste årene har vist. I armene til Trump (i Rogans tilfelle), eller som en nyttig idiot for Putins propaganda (i begges tilfelle). Ja, man kan til og med bli sittende og nikke ivrig til en holocaustfornektere, slik Wee også har gjort.

...og denne smørja har altså mange unge mennesker konsumert hundrevis av timer av. Som jeg allerede har nevnt, er dette et alternativt skolepensum som gjør deg dummere på omtrent alle måter. Et “korrektiv” til etablerte medier som er ti ganger verre. Det merkelige er kanskje at vi ikke har fått en ordentlig samtale om det før nå.

Jeg tror dessverre det er et symptom på en kultur der man har gitt opp alle andre kvalitetskriterier enn popularitet. Å kritisere noe mange liker er den siste og eneste synd. Da er man jo misunnelig, en “hater” (spesielt om man jobber i “mainstream media”). “Mener du virkelig at så mange mennesker kan ta feil?”.

Svaret er naturligvis ja. Det finnes mange ting som har vært veldig populære og som også har vært veldig skadelige. Vi kan føre opp “ukritiske podcaster som sprer konspirasjonsteorier, kvakksalveri og propaganda ufiltrert” på lista.

 
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from Telmina's notes

表題の通り、昨日ようやく、ヤマハのオーディオミキサー「ZG02」が手元に届きました。

 購入のきっかけは、次の通りです。

  • 以前使用していたローランドの「BRIDGE CAST」に起因すると思われる音声チャットの不具合があった。
  • これに伴い、オーディオ周りの配線の見直しが必要となり、ゲーム機からのUSB経由の音声入力に対応したミキサーを新規に購入する必要に迫られた。

 なお、自分は、ローランドの「BRIDGE CAST」のほか、今回購入した「ZG02」と同じヤマハの「ZG01」も併用していたのですが、どちらもゲーム機からの音声入力が十分とは言えませんでした。「BRIDGE CAST」はPS5からのUSB音声入出力に対応しているものの、Nintendo Switchには非対応。「ZG01」はPS5でもSwitchでもUSB経由の音声入出力はできず、ゲーム機からの音声入力はHDMI経由でおこなうのですが、PS5の4K/120Hz映像に対応していないので、実質的にSwitchでしか使えません。

 しかし、ただでさえ配線が複雑になっている上に自分のデスクも既にものを追加で置ける状況ではなく、「BRIDGE CAST」も「ZG01」も無理矢理設置していましたので、配線の見直しと機器そのものの配置の見直しも必要となり、結局その両方を満たせる「ZG02」の購入に至った次第です。

ヤマハ「ZG02」の外箱

 なお、「ZG02」は非常に品薄で、自分が注文したのは2月17日だったのですが、結局1ヶ月以上も待つこととなってしまいました。

 昨日、ようやく届いた「ZG02」を、早速「モンスターハンターワイルズ」プレイ時にDiscord経由の音声チャットで用いてみました。元々「ZG01」用にPCに導入していたソフトウェアをそのまま使えるため、初期設定の時間を大幅に短縮できました。使用感も上々です。

 まだ、Nintendo SwitchやPS5といったゲーム機には接続していませんが、それらについてもいずれ試してみたいと思います。というか、ゲーム機からのUSB接続をちゃんとおこなえないことには、大枚はたいて「ZG02」を購入したい実がまるでありませんからね…。

ヤマハ「ZG02」

#2025年 #2025年4月 #2025年4月2日 #お買い物 #ヤマハ #ZG01 #ZG02 #オーディオテクニカ #ATHGDL3 #ゲーム #モンスターハンター #モンハン #モンスターハンターワイルズ #モンハンワイルズ #MHWilds #Steam #PC #Discord #Windows #Roland #BridgeCast

 
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from The Father's Love

Hello, my Friends!

In a world full of uncertainties, many things come with conditions, fine print, and shifting guarantees. But one thing remains unchanging and secure—the love of God. His love is not a “maybe” or a “might.” It is a divine certainty, sealed not with ink, but with the blood of Jesus Christ. This is not a poetic idea—it is a spiritual reality affirmed by the very heart of the Gospel.

Sealed in Blood, Not Behaviour

The love of God was demonstrated most powerfully at the cross. Romans 5:8 declares that “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This was not a reward for righteousness; it was a rescue mission for the unrighteous. The new covenant was not established through human obedience but through the perfect obedience and sacrifice of Jesus.

This covenant is not breakable. Galatians 3:15 says that even a man-made covenant, once confirmed, cannot be annulled. How much more the covenant God confirmed through His Son’s blood? Jesus didn’t die to give us a trial subscription to God's love—He died to guarantee it for eternity.

Confidence in the Contract

Because God’s love is not based on our performance, we can be confident in our standing. Romans 5:17 speaks of those who “receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness” who “will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” This reigning isn’t future—it’s now. We live with bold assurance because our position in Christ is secure.

We are not trying to earn favour; we are living from it. God is not evaluating us moment to moment. His verdict was delivered once and for all at the cross. Romans 8:38–39 leaves no room for doubt: nothing in heaven, on earth, or under the earth “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

A Cleansed Conscience and a Quiet Confidence

Because of Christ’s finished work, believers can walk with a cleansed conscience. Hebrews 9:14 tells us that His blood purges us from dead works to serve the living God. This means we are free from guilt, shame, and the endless striving that legalism demands. We serve from rest, not restlessness; from intimacy, not insecurity.

God’s love doesn’t waver with our feelings. It isn’t re-evaluated when we fail. It’s anchored in the eternal work of Jesus and affirmed by the Holy Spirit, who seals us until the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13–14).

Rejoice in the Unshakable Truth

So, when the enemy whispers doubts or your emotions falter, look to the blood—not your behaviour—for assurance. The cross isn’t just a symbol of love; it is the signature of God’s unbreakable contract. Signed. Sealed. Guaranteed.

Be blessed today, my friends, and rest in the unwavering truth that His love for you is forever settled in heaven!

To watch a short clip on this, check this out! https://youtube.com/shorts/vp4GNAhhg_M?feature=share

 
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