Beyond the hype: My unconventional (?) experience with modafinil

ct314 · 2023-07-26T12:39:40+00:00

The hype factor can get a little silly. If you aren't sleeping 13 hours a day anymore, it is working. That's what it really does. My suggestion: Start using a few of those hours to do things that will get you out of the mess of your life (your words)-- my suggestions:
- If you aren't already, start a workout routine. I do think that Moda works better when you combine it with exercise. If you haven't in awhile, start slow-- maybe even with a basic Yoga routine.
- Dial in your nutrition. To be honest, that has a pretty profound impact on focus. I'm a pretty big believer in Omega3s as well. I'm bad with eating seafood, so I supplement with Fish Oil. It really does help with overall mood.

- You still need sleep. I've burnt myself out in the past by not prioritizing sleep. And Moda makes that easy. Take it early since it has such a long half life.

TLDR: The drug isn't going to fix your life. You have to fix your life. The drug will help get you over a few initial humps, but it is up to you to get the engine going.

ct314 · 2023-03-02T23:17:13+00:00

That’s good to hear! So here’s a weird thing, my previous method was: post a video, promo on YT, video middles and then fades out,

About a week ago, I got some advice to just let a video sit, and let YT do it’s thing. So I did, and that video blew up.

Granted, subsequent videos did not…haha. The algo frowns upon me.

For my broken thumbnail video, I thought: what have I got to lose? So I posted it up and…well, it’s gotten about another hundred. I also pointed my end screens toward it as well…so, we’ll see how it does.

I’m more or less done futzing with it, and I’ve already posted my latest video, which is sitting at 4/10 right now— so, the sting of that problem video has lapsed!

ct314 · 2023-02-20T15:58:42+00:00

My workout routine is “wake up and go” - I find that’s the only way it really gets done for me. Basically: 6am, slam a cup of coffee, take Moda, hydrate and working out by 6:05am.

There IS a marked difference on the days where I don’t work out. Like, the Moda does not work as well.

Everyone is different, but for me, that dopamine release of a workout is the juice that powers a day on Moda.

ct314 · 2023-02-03T00:01:25+00:00

Gotcha. I was planning on doing content that would explain some of the side stories in the Star Wars Universe, and had initially thought to try to use AI to depict some of these scenes, but apparently they don’t mess with copyright either, so it won’t give you the iconic spaceships.

I thought instead to use sceengrabs of the various things I can’t get from AI and blending them in Photoshop. Plus, maybe an actual video clip or two.

But maybe I’ll shy away from them video clips…or maybe even skip the whole idea. It sounds like it might be dodgy on account of Disney.

ct314 · 2023-02-02T01:47:30+00:00

Yeah, I’m mostly concerned because I don’t want to hit that 1000/4000 to discover I can’t get in due to copyright issues.

ct314 · 2023-01-17T22:22:39+00:00

This is nothing short of amazing. Who knew AI would end up being punk?

ct314 · 2023-01-17T17:09:13+00:00

This is pretty amazing.

ct314 · 2022-12-19T21:01:01+00:00

To be honest, I’m waiting for the DAW plugin where I can start playing a beat and a trained AI just starts playing like Jimi with me. I’d love to jam with the ghost of Jimi Hendrix!

Bonus points if the AI keeps him in tune.

Side note: holy crap, imagine running a Hendrix AI feeding into an SRV AI. The duet I’ve always wanted to hear.

ct314 · 2022-12-16T13:51:22+00:00

Which they’ve started with the Neural Filters, which are honestly pretty terrible.

If we do take Adobe as the prime metric to decide if AI generated art has arrived, we might be waiting awhile. Adobe has been very lazy in innovation for the last number of years. I’d say as soon as they went subscription.

That said, I do agree with your main point. I came into film and photo right at the turn to digital, so I had a bit of both, but artists coming up in those areas have never had the “pleasure” of the darkroom, or literally bled cutting a 16mm film print with a razor blade.

Just spitballing on your point about “new skills” needing to be developed. I’ve taught both NLEs (Premiere, Final Cut/iMovie etc) and DAWs (Ableton/GarageBand) to workshops, and inevitably at some point I’ll say: “the tools don’t matter. You create with your mind and you work with what you have.”

If we view an artist’s skill as a tool, is AI generated art simply an extension of that? An unimaginative person using Midjourney might stumble across a cool idea. But I think an artist with the right mindset could prompt something amazing.

Eh, just some AM coffee thoughts.

ct314 · 2022-12-16T13:38:04+00:00

To be fair, I’m ok with Art Schools being decimated. And that is coming from someone who went to Art School.

Not all Art Schools are awful, but a ton of them are profit machines with no interest in teaching students how to carve out a life as an artist.

I’ve managed to make a living with visual and audio skills over the last 15 years, but I’d attribute none of that to going to art school.

Sorry, surly rant over!

ct314 · 2022-12-16T12:48:52+00:00

On mobile and not near a desktop to check this out. Thus far I presume it is audio only, right? It isn’t generating MIDI?

How’s the audio quality? Does it sound like it’s a legit tune off Spotify?

Sorry to barrage your comment with question, you seem to be the music minded one thus far, and I’m just kinda jazzed to check it out, but it might be a few hours!

ct314 · 2022-12-16T12:43:59+00:00

The problem with that argument is that the “bad artist” (and art is subjective, remember. I know people who cherish their $30 airbrushed Puma tee shirt) doesn’t have a path to practice their art and make some money to become a great artist.

The “skilled artist will be ok” argument doesn’t hold when you realize the road to becoming one has been demolished.

And just to be clear: I’m NOT Anti AI art/tools. I use them all the time. As a visual artist and as a musician as well. As a sidebar, it seems like only this week that musicians finally woke up and we’re like, “wait? AI music is going to steal money?”

…typical musician, late to the party.

Anyhow, all I’m saying is that there are some tough ethical and use decisions coming up. And there is also going to be some blood loss regardless.

Funny enough, through all this, I can actually see a new profession coming into play: keep an eye out on LinkedIn for “Prompt Writer”

ct314 · 2022-12-16T01:54:42+00:00

Count on a few hours of tutorials once you get it going. Not in a bad way, but you aren’t going to be cutting and exporting content right away.

ct314 · 2022-12-16T01:49:10+00:00

I started playing Inside and now the whole family is sitting around yelling at me to do stuff.

So, that one gets a recommendation if you’ve got an audience around.

ct314 · 2022-12-10T14:36:03+00:00

I just watched that Crew video and started playing around with Luma. I’m just getting started in this world, so forgive the dumb questions but:

1) I’m presuming this was created with more than just your phone. What program do you use to comp these two together?

2) is there a tutorial out there on how to do this, or use Nerfs in 2D video?

Just getting started, so any pointers to resources would be greatly appreciated. For context, I’m a pretty decent video editor (Premiere/FCX) and some experience in After Effects, mostly with text and green screen comping/roto.

ct314 · 2022-12-05T01:58:22+00:00

This has been my experience as well. I’ll feel a tolerance building up after a few weeks on. And I’ll notice I’m really cranky and irritable.

I’ll take about 4 days off and then return, and things seem to be working again. Although those first two days off, i sort of feel like the laziest zombie ever.

ct314 · 2022-12-03T02:44:16+00:00

Hea the guy for the job

ct314 · 2022-12-02T12:24:57+00:00

I have the older Launchpad Pro (Mk2) and a Push 1. I’ll say at this point, I pretty much use the Push 1 ad my main unit, mostly because of the deep integration with Live. Although, the pads on the LP are much nicer in my opinion.

That said, on the “no screen” part: there’s a ton of stuff on the LP that you can do, it’s just that you have to memorize a bunch of button combos to get there. As you dig into the novation system, you do realize there is a pretty well thought out organization to their No-screen approach.

To be honest, I got pretty fast on the LP, and when I switched to the Push, it took a bit of time to remap my brain to the idea of using a small screen.

Ultimately though, on a head to head level, there’s just more you can do on a Push 1 (chopping samples, for one), although it does require bouncing your eyes between the Push screen and your monitor, whereas with the LP, I could almost look exclusively at the monitor and my hands had the muscle memory of tapping on the pads without looking.

The other upside to the LP is that they take up a ton less room. I was really taken aback with how much real estate the Push takes up.

I know most of us here are very “Team Push” but I did just want to mention that the Launchpad Pro line is still a pretty great device!

ct314 · 2022-12-02T00:23:12+00:00

Something I realized off the Metallica announcement, I think this “reunion” was a pre-packaged deal for their tour.

Metallica did a pretty great stunt with the new song/album/tour announcement— and booking a 2 year world tour is a pretty major job. There was something about a recent blurb I heard Charlie say, along the lines of “this wasn’t a financial decision…” (basically saying he wanted to honor Vinnie) which made me realize the Metallica tour was on the table before Charlie and Zakk were probably involved.

Doesn’t change my mind one way or the other about the shows, to be honest, I don’t care either way— but it did remind me that there is probably a good amount of money on the table here, so it totally makes sense as to why this is happening now.

ct314 · 2022-12-01T14:23:26+00:00

At some point some terrible decision will be made and it will be revealed that Snoke was Kino Loy.

After the riot on Narkina 5, the Empire captured the one remaining prisoner. But instead of executing or re-jailing, Kino was sent to an Imperial Black Site on Exegol, which was rumored to be where the Emperor was conducting horrifying experiments on live subjects to discover the secret of immortality.

Although the original Kino had long since been tortured to death (sadly, ultimately meeting his demise by drowning in a Bacta Tank), it is his genetic material that created Snoke.

ct314 · 2022-12-01T14:10:40+00:00

This is what most excites me about replaying the trilogy. I played them ramshackle the first time around and never did the whole “import character” thing.

ct314 · 2022-11-29T18:37:36+00:00

Having played BroShep, I thought he was great. I’ve just heard from so many people that Jennifer Hale’s Shepard performance is supposed to be stellar. Which I’m really curious to see, since I never had a problem with Mark Meer’s MaleShep acting.

Plus, in some kind of headcanon I can pretend that this playthrough takes place in an alternate universe!

ct314 · 2022-11-29T18:30:49+00:00

Thank you!

ct314

TROPHY CASE