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How To Improve Your Reading

Reading is truly a discipline that is worth while, but takes serious time and determination. Modern culture alone is devising every way possible to pull us away with out short attention spans, while reading requires a concentrated, uninterrupted focus. Also, the digital age has brought around so great a variety of entertainment that reading may seem old fashioned, or even boring. The reality of it is that reading is still an essential part of our understanding and development of our brain.

How does reading change our brain? This all comes back to one term: “Neauroplasticity”. No, I did not make that up. Neauroplasticity, in short, is the condition of ability of our brain to adapt to our habits, ultimately to become adept at our habits. Practically speaking, if you consistently practice guitar, your brain will slowly begin to physical reshape itself so that it can better accommodate that habit. This basically applies to everything we do, and this also means that to grow into our out of a habit takes serious time and determination.

This means, that if you want to become more speedy and adept at reading, then the greatest thing you can do is start reading right now! Don’t wait, begin to read a book, article, or hey a blog post! The more you begin to discipline yourself to read, the more your brain will begin to adapt and then aid you in your reading. This does take serious time, but it is well worth it. I guarantee if you were to study the life habits of many very successful people, you would come to find out that they are serious readers.

So what happens then when you begin to read? How can you be certain that you will be successful? I will say, when you first commit to serious reading, there are some very helpful tips. First, pick a book that you like. Have it be in a genre most comfortable to you, with the writing you like, and with the ideal plot. Why do this? Because you are already accustom to this so the only adapting you have to do is the willingness to have patience to read the whole book.

Second, keep you reading goals attainable. If you set a goal to read 4 books a month, but you work a full-time job and have other outside commitments, then I would back it down some and make it more attainable. You can always start small and then as you get better, raise the expectations.

Thirdly, set yourself up for success. Many people will try to get reading done in some of the most bogus places. They try to read amongst a group of people, at the dinner table, in front of a TV, or by their computer or phone. Good reading is uninterrupted reading. Try your best to not let your schedule, electronics, or chaos around you interrupt you reading goals. Schedule a time out of your day for reading, put your phone somewhere else, and find the quietest place you can in your house. If you are going to read, make it the best read you can.

In conclusion, my answer is simple: Yes you can get better, faster, and more comprehensive in your reading. The trick is not some pill or shortcut. The trick is hard work and determination, which will then reap great reward. Reading is worth it, even if it is hard at first. Do not give up on reading, for it will opens doors that you may have never known to exist.

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5 Ways To Improve Your Writing

Writing can be one of the most freeing or enslaving tasks one might take upon themselves. If you are writing a blog post, novel, or paper, it can go from being enjoyable to torturous pretty quick. While I am still growing in my abilities to write, there are a few tips that I believe changed the way I viewed writing. The more you can grow in your ability to write, hopefully the more enjoyable writing will become. Here the the Top Five Tips to grow in your writing skills.

Tip #1: Start Right Now

Don’t sit around and think, you will have time for that later. If you have a burning thought or idea, just start getting out on paper or on a word document. Too often people expect to write a master piece on the first draft, but that never happens. Some of the best ideas happen when we are willing to write them down and then let them slowly develop. So if you have an idea for even one scene of a novel or one paragraph of a blog post, just start writing.

Tip #2: Follow

This one has to be my favorite tip because you never know where you may end up. This tip is particular applicable to writing a novel or fictional piece. When you are writing about a character, just follow them. Imagine yourself as a fly on the wall simply watching your character (or characters). You want to let them be themselves and try you best not to interfere. I know that may sound crazy, but it has help me a lot to begin to make my characters seem believable, even to me.

Tip #3: Show Don’t Tell

This may be the most common piece of advice ever given. It comes down to this: You want your reader to see, hear, smell, taste, and feel, not just read. You goal is to draw them into your story. You want them to feel the pain that the character feels, cry their tears, laugh their laughs. It is easy to tell a story, but when someone witnesses it, its a entirely different experience. Doing this takes time and extreme effort, and I am still learning how. Great ways to start doing this is by describing scenes and situations with sensory images. (Examples: “The air tasted dusty”, “my ears rung from the blast”, “her eyes watered from the smell”, “he felt the warmth of blood begin to swell under his armor”.) Those are some really basic ways to begin “showing” and not “telling”.

Tip #4: Have A Vision

You should have some big idea that you want to accomplish. It does not always have to be 100% clear, but you should be able to have at least one main goal for your piece of writing. If it’s a novel, you should have the main message of the book in mind, or maybe the climatic scene in mind, or even the conclusion of the book in mind. If it is a blog post, have maybe your title, or you main paragraph in mind. Why do this? Because if you have at least one concrete summary idea for your story or post, it keeps you grounded when writing all your details surrounding that great moment, subject, or ending. Also, you should like your vision. If you do not like the big idea or moment for you post or novel, then I highly suggest re-thinking you vision.

Tip #5: Never Give Up

This one could have gone unsaid, but I believe it is the one tip that we seldom remember. Regardless of how accomplished you are in your writing, there may always be that temptation to give up. Let me clarify, giving up means to stop all together, so starting over on a project is not giving up. Do not be afraid to start over, but do be afraid of giving up all-together. Writing takes time, effort, humility, and patience. If you are unwilling to devote those things, then really think about why you are writing in the first place. A master piece is a master piece when you can tell someone put blood, sweat, and tears into their work.

I conclusion, I really believe these five tips have greatly helped me and my writing. They have given me hope, and kept me learning. If you have any other great tips for writing, feel free to leave them in the comments below, and they may be on the next “Writing” blog post!

This is Daniel James, Signing Out

Games That Stood The Test Of Time: Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim has to be one of the most ground-shaking games ever produced. I will never forget the opening scene where you see your first dragon attack. This game is still one of the best selling and most played games of the decade. Bethesda really knocked everyone’s socks off with this game. In my personal opinion, it is still the best game they have made yet. While I am a die-hard Oblivion fan, I think Skyrim took single-player rpg to whole new level!

I am not going to do an in depth review mainly for the sake of time, but I will tell you some of the greatest defining features of this game. First, the amount of quests is absolutely overwhelming (in a good kind of way). Even if you finish the main quest story-line (which is EPIC), there are endless side-quests that are just as intense and exciting.

Second, the world of Skyrim is very alive. From hunting deer, to being stopped by robbers, to accidentally stumbling upon a Giants’ campsite, to finding a heard of Mammoths, to exploring forgotten dungeons, to attacking bandits forts, to finding quaint villages, Skyrim has it all and more. I have found myself enjoying the exploration of Skyrim just as much as the main quests itself. The thing that makes Skyrim seem so “alive” is that all the characters are doing their own thing, whether you are there or not. People and places change, along with what they care about. It truly feels as though you are apart of the world around you.

Thirdly, the combat and leveling mechanics and interface have improved EXTREMELY! The magic and fighting abilities are very user friendly and much smoother. Skyrim still has that skirmish type feel in battle, but it embraces it very well, and often makes the battles feel very intense and costly. There are so many paths that you can follow in your own personal skills from two-handed weapons, to one-handed, defense, offense, Armour, crafting, alchemy, destruction magic, restoration magic, conjuration magic, and so much more. The best part is you can make changes wherever and however you like. You will never have to pick one in the beginning and be stuck with it forever. You get to create the exact character you want with the exact skill base you like.

Lastly, you get to fight Dragons! As you could tell in the trailer above, this was the defining feature advertised for this new and upcoming Elder Scrolls game. Everyone was raving because they had never seen this kind of fighting mechanic in an Elder Scrolls game before. I have heard mixed opinions on the dragon fight mechanics, but personally, I think Bethesda did the best they could without altering the game so much as to no longer feel like an Elder Scrolls game. To me that is most important. These games have a specific vibe about them, and I believe they kept that feeling in Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim.

In conclusion, I absolutely recommend buying this game and playing it. Many copies are still being sold today. ESO 5: Syrim stands as a pinnacle of Role-Playing games in the past two decades. It really does a great job of getting everyone’s favorite elements all into one game. It is personally one of my top favorite Role-playing games of all time!

This is Daniel James, Signing Out!

What’s Better: Laptop or Desktop?

Desktop or Laptop? Which one is better? Which one should I invest in? We could certainly make long lists of “pros and cons” that could be helpful, but I am going to share what I believe to be some very fundamentally important ideas when considering between these two.

First, you have to understand the purpose of both, and what your reasons would be in using them. If you travel a lot and never work at home, a laptop would be more suited. If you essentially work at home, then why not get a desktop PC. It is very important to understand where you will be using your computer, because that may answer your questions right away.

Second, you have to know what you are using it for. In all honesty, I love the idea of gaming Laptops, but I would prefer a gaming desktop any day. Laptops are great but are much more difficult to clean, do not stay nearly as cool, much harder to work on, typically take more abuse (because they are portable), and simply take more wear and tear. Desktops, while they are not portable, are much easier to clean, much easier to work on, on average would not take more abuse, and you can have much better cooling. If you are going to be pushing your computer to the limits, then I would highly suggest a desktop.

Don’t get me wrong, Laptops are great. If you are torn between the two, let me tell you how I reconciled them. I built my own desktop for video editing and gaming. I was able to do my own case, cooling, and choose the parts I wanted. I love it! I still needed a laptop for basic work (I.E. processing word documents, replying to emails, and writing notes for classes), so I use a very basic laptop without any high-end parts.

So at the end of the day, I will always value the flexibility of a desktop when it comes to parts, cooling, and stability, but the Laptop will always have my favor in portability and usefulness for work. Both can be great depending on the context of which you work and what you need to accomplish. Always be open to new ideas.

This is Daniel James, Signing Out.

Dungeons and Dragons……Fun?

The very first time I played Dungeons and Dragons (DnD), I was completely surprised! This game that I had made fun of for most of my high-school years was now becoming something I enjoyed as a young adult! I had all of these assumptions of the game that were not true, and I personally like listening to people play it as much as I enjoy playing it myself!

To help illustrate my point, I am going to explain the very most basic mechanics of DnD. The whole goal of the game is for you to play out your character. The leader of the game (the Dungeon Master or DM), is in charge of telling a story. He explains the context your characters are in, he lives out the characters that are interacting with yours, and he sets up the situations and trials that you face throughout the narrative of the story. The players of the game each have a character. These characters have different stats, abilities, personalities, backgrounds, and opinions. For you to do different actions with your character, you have to role a 20 side dice to find the outcome of whether you were successful in completing that action (I.E. Hitting someone with a sword, deceiving someone, convincing someone, climbing a rope, or doing some crazy acrobatic stunt). Each character will get extra or minus points on those roles depending on their characters strengths or weaknesses. In short, those are the very BASIC mechanics of the game.

The whole point is this: DnD is all about experiencing a story together. And this story is crafted by the players interacting with their DM (Dungeon Master). In the world that is created before you, you can go and do whatever you please, and the story may take you all over the place, meeting new people, conquering new enemies, and experiencing it all with your friends. The best part is that none of this had to be programmed in a computer, and it is something that is crafted by all of the individuals.

In short, I believe that Dungeons and Dragons is one of the most intuitive and adventurous games anyone could play, and it doesn’t require a gaming console or PC. I highly suggest giving it a try! Find somebody who has experience so that they can get you started well. The more I begin to interact with DnD, the more grand adventures become part of my experience!

This is Daniel James, Signing Out.

Top 5 Must Watch Anime

Yes, I am an anime fan. I have been watching anime since Middle-School, and it has always impressed me with it’s ability to express certain human emotions and experiences that only anime can express. So here is my list of the Top 5 Must Watch Anime that I absolutely love!

Re: Zero.
- Being my all time favorite, Re: Zero hits home for me one a couple of areas. First, it has very believable characters that have extremely believable motives! That alone will draw you in. The overall story hits on some fantasy cliches, but then it gives so many original twists and turns that it will draw you right in ans surprise you. The main character, Subaru (Soo-BARR-ooo), is not some overpowered superhero, instead he is just human. His struggles in this fantasy world that he is put in, are human struggles. The action in this movie is very well done, and it does not take over or take away from the story. Overall, a very well balanced show, great and lovable characters, and a story-line that will have you laughing one moment, then crying the next. A fantastic work of art!
Bleach
- I know what you are thinking. “Did he just literally jump from a show like Re: Zero to bleach?” Yes, I absolutely did. Bleach is a polar opposite from Re: Zero, but it has some qualities that I appreciate very much. Bleach was the first anime that I seriously got into watching, and I finished all 360-some episodes (Now I have poor eyesight! JK)! Bleach tells the classic story of an underdog who is imbued with supernatural powers and goes on an epic quest to save the world and his friends, or multiple worlds and multiples groups of friends (it gets complicated). Ichigo, the main character, is believable in a lot of ways, and there are a couple of moments in the show where you can become very empathetic with him. One of the greatest qualities that I assign to bleach is their action and fight scenes. Bleach has what you might call a “hard magic” system, which basically means that the viewer is fully informed with how the world works and how the characters powers work. This is rally great for those who are super nerdy (like me)! Overall Bleach is one of those classic action-fantasy stories that will keep you clicking from one episode to the next and I highly suggest watching it!
Attack on Titan
- I had to bring this one up because it brings the idea of “desperate hard times” to a whole new level. For the record, I have only seen season one, but I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, and I absolutely LOVED it! Attack on Titan does a very good job at making you fall in love with the characters, and believe in what they are doing. You want them to succeed, and when it gets tough, you begin to get nervous. This show does a very good job at an “end of the world” kind of feel, but without the typically zombie apocalypse that has been beaten to death so many times (no pun intended). Attack on Titan does a very great job with their action, and while it is very graphic, it does not take away from the show at all. The show itself does not have any “light hearted” action, it’s aim is to be more sobering. Overall, one of my absolute favorites and is a must watch!
Death Note
- Death Note is a CLASSIC! While being more dark and cynical, Death Note is very unique, in that it follows the story of the antagonist more than the protagonist. The story in short is about a high-school student that finds a book left behind by a God of Death. Anytime this student writes the name of a person in that book, with that person’s face in mind, they are killed. The whole story is about the detectives in Japan trying to hunt down and find this killer who is trying to make the world “a better place” by eliminating people and criminals. It is truly gripping story with plenty of twists to keep you reeling. Something I also appreciate about this show is that it is very intelligent and not just senseless action. It is a mystery and a very fun one at that! This one definitely makes my Top 5!
Fate Stay-Night Unlimited BladeWorks
- Technically, this is a sequal series (the original being Fate Zero). Fate Zero is amazing, but Fate Stay-Night Unlmited BladeWorks just pulls ahead a little bit. This anime is about the “Holy Grail Wars”, which take place in modern day Japan. It is between 7 or 8 wizards or warriors and their familiars that they summon, and they fight to posses the Grail. While this may sound somewhat cliche, this show will actually blow your socks off. They often do a very good job at getting you emotionally attached to many of the competitors, which then pulls on your heart-strings when they all have to fight each other. Overall this show really hits home with a couple of good things. First, the animation in this show is absolutely STUNNING! It is very fluid and smooth. Second, the action is fantastic and very clear! Lastly, the characters are very interesting and complex, not always the case with anime, and I was very impressed. Overall this show does a great job at keeping the viewer into the story, and every episode does a great job at pulling you into the next without feeling forced. This one is certainly on my Top 5!

Well I hope you enjoyed my Top 5 must watch anime! These are some of my personal favorites! If you would ever like me to do more in-depth reviews of these anime’s or any others, please comment below!

This is Daniel James, Signing Out!

Top 5 Tips To Building Your First Computer

For those who are looking into building their own computer, or are in the process of it, here are the Top Five tips that may be very helpful for you!

Make a Clear Budget
- You need to know exactly how much everything is going to cost. It can be easy to underestimate the overall cost of computer, especially if you forget little details like cooling, fans, keyboard, windows software, monitor, or mouse. Getting caught up in the rig is fun, as long as you are prepared to pay for everything you need.
Buy It All At One Time
- This is probably some of the best advice I followed when I built my first computer, and it goes right along with budgeting. If you only have enough money to buy one or two of the parts you need, just wait. There is a very good chance that you may change your mind, find a better deal, or you might not get enough money in the next month or so to finish buying parts. Very soon it can become a mess, so I HIGHLY recommend saving the money you need, then buying it all in one go. I learned this one from experience.
You Do Not Need “The Newest” nor the “Best”
- If you are not looking to run three monitors at 4k while hosting two servers, than you certainty do not need to buy the highest end hardware. While it is cool to have nice shiny “top of the line” parts, it is very often not necessary. If you are just gaming for a hobby or editing videos on the side, I would highly suggest looking into the mid-grade parts. Often times, as long you you do not skimp on essentials like RAM, GPU, or CPU, mid-grade parts with the current gen. of hardware runs great!
Do Your Research
- If this is your first time building a computer, then do some serious research. Even before you buy parts, make sure you learn what parts are compatible, because it is very easy to miss something and buy a part that will not work with your computer. There are a ton of resources online that will teach you the basics of building, and you will not regret taking the time to learn! I will never forget the one time I just decided to “wing-it” and almost caught my computer on fire! So yeah, please take the time to learn and ask questions before you jump in.
DO NOT SKIMP
- No, I am not about to tell you to buy the newest and best because we already addressed that. I will say though that too often people decide to pay significantly less for one part on their computer and it ends up crippling the whole rig. For example: I bought a really nice CPU and a very nice MSI GPU, but I skimped on the RAM because I thought I could good buy with 4gb, instead of 8gb. For the longest time, I was trying to play high end graphics games, overclocking the GPU, and was still getting poor frames per second. The moment I upgraded to 8gb of Ram, the game ran as smooth as butter. Why? Because I did not meet the requirements of the game in one area my hardware. Point is, know what your requirements will be, and do NOT skimp. Save the money and buy what you need and want, you will not regret it in the long run.

Well, those are my top 5 Tips! I hope this was helpful! I will continue to post about all of my computer adventures and advice! If there is anything you would ever like me to talk about in the future, just comment below!

Daniel James, Signing Out!

Games That Stood The Test of Time: Elder Scrolls 4 – Oblivion

Dangerous mountainsides, deep dungeons full of unknown loot and terror, thriving cities with lively characters, weapons and magic galore, and endless quests taking across all of Tamriel. This was my first impressions when I took to the keyboard and mouse on Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion.

This was the first Elder Scrolls game that I had ever played, let alone the first game produced by Bethesda, and it honestly shocked me. I was blown away by the complexity and lively interactivity. It was the most “multiplayer” feeling singlerplayer game I had every played. Skyrim had just been released but I didn’t have the money nor the computer to run it, so I played Oblivion, and I am so glad I started there. In hindsight, I wish I had started on even an earlier game because I am beginning to realize just how wonderful the history of these games are. In short, I will spend the rest of this post talking about why I believe Elder Scrolls 4 is an absolute classic, and why it has stood the test of time.

First, Elder Scrolls 4 was released in 2006. That alone should tell you something. The game and it graphics way exceeded that current year’s expectations. Let alone the fact that the gameplay far exceeded any other games during that time at least in the genre of Role-playing games. Let’s talk about some of it’s strengths during it’s time.

Strengths

A True Open World
- Other games had open worlds, but they paled in comparison to the life that permeated in this one.
- There were bandits, dungeons, mountain trolls, mud-crabs, hunters, traders, guard patrols, villages, kingdoms, witches, and vampires.
- The world was also large with varying landscapes and weather regions. One minute you would be fighting snow trolls in the mountains, then completing a quest in spider infested swamp lands.
- Not only could you explore Tamriel, but also the hell-bent world of Oblivion, and the the Strange Lands found in a hidden portal. So three worlds (Tamriel being the biggest) that
Deep Character Design and Leveling-Up
- From the first opening scene of the game, you imputed your preferences. The game let you customize your character down to his eyebrows. This was ground-shattering at the time.
- As you level up, you can customize you physical abilities like strength, stealth, dexterity, and stamina. Or you can customize and upgrade your magical abilities.
- You can also find awesome loot all across Tamriel, some containing magic imbued weapons or armor.
The World is Yours, The Choices Are Yours
- While the main quest is exhilarating, the side-quests are just as fun. In the main quest you are to stop the hellish forces of Oblivion from sweeping across the lands, and it is truly exciting! The endless amounts of side quests will boggle your mind. Just a couple of them are: Joining the gladiator arena, joining the thieve’s guild, joining the fighter’s guild, become affiliated with the Dark Brotherhood, and so much more!

These are just a few of the things that make Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion one of my all time favorite games. Like any game out there, it is not perfect, but it was far ahead for it’s time and it took many adventurers on unforgettable quests!

Is it worth it to build your own computer?

At one time or another, you might have wondered if you were really getting your money’s worth when you bought an expensive brand of computer or laptop. There are some fantastic designers out there, and some incredible hardware on the market, but it can still be scary buying a computer at full retail in hopes that it will last the long haul. Would it make more sense just to build your own computer? Does it really save money? Is it too hard to learn? How long does it take?

These were the questions that were running through my mind in high school when I wanted to build my own computer. All of my friends had bought gaming computers or laptops, but I didn’t have the budget for it. I had heard from a relative that building a computer was cheaper, but I did not know if it was true. Roughly one year later, I was playing Battlefield 3 on my new gaming PC, that I had built!

So let’s get to the point. I personally believe there are serious benefits to building your own computer, if you have the time and patience to search out parts and learn how to build a one.

So how is it more beneficial?

Benefits

You get to decide what you want when it comes to everything on your computer.
- If you know what you are doing, you can often meet your needs better.
- You can pick the exact parts you want! (Down to your method of cooling, it is all up to you!)
You don’t have to pay for the brand of computer. (Building Your Own Is Typically Cheaper)
- Many times with you average big name brand computers, you will end up paying their retail price, on retail parts, plus their labor when it came to building the computer in the first place.
- When you do the building on your own, you only have to pay for retail parts. Many big name brands can buy parts in bulk, but they still charge for the build and design of the computer itself, so most times than not, it is cheaper to build.
It is a fun experience!
- It can become a significant thing to have a personal computer that you built yourself.
- It is fun to learn, and their can be a lot of creativity involved when it comes to your personal preferences!
There are plenty of resources online that can teach you the basics on how to build a computer.
- Off the top of my head, “JayzTwoCents” and “LinusTechTips” are both YouTube resources that will give you the basics on how to build a computer, but their are plenty of others.
- Very soon my own blog and YouTube channel will have step-by-step instructions on how to build a computer!
You learn a lot through the process and ultimately become more “tech-savvy”.

These are just a few of the benefits to building your own computer, but before you decide to build your own computer, make sure you do your research! There are plenty mistakes you can make if you are not careful such as: Buying parts that are not compatible, not buying all the parts you need, buying from websites that may send you damaged or heavily used parts, buying out-of-date parts that will not meet your needs, not buying adequate cooling devices, and not buying a beefy enough power supply.

This is not to intimidate you but more so to encourage you to do your research. I deeply enjoy building computers and I would highly suggest that you learn and give it a try! It is a great experience, great time of learning, and often times a great way to save some money!

Artical Date: January 16, 2020

Author: Daniel James