... like being gently flogged to death with scented bootlaces.

It's not easy to have a productive night when Imperial Galaxy is down from 7 to 8 and youtube upload is down from 9:30 to ???. Given this is my 10th video, youtube upload has been down 20% of the time. The last downage was for my kickoff youtube (described here and uploaded while I wrote this), so my downage rate went from 100% to 10, now back to 20. The ball's in their court.

Between the downage, my 10th video and my first 1000 viewer video (!!!), I guess now's as good a time as any to look back on it. My stated goal on that first night was "as a means to the end of self-betterment". Sheesh, how quickly goals can change. That self-betterment referred to my piano abilities. While I have been doing okay with the piano, I'm certainly nowhere close to my resolution's level. However, I have used the site to further my talents with creating movies (which I can't say I considered at the start of the year). With my 10th, I focused on multiple videos syncing with one audio. For my next, I'd like to work on transitions.

Imperial Galaxy updates:
- 6/10: I'm promoted to Admiral! (though still volunteering as Captain (04))
- 6/12 am: I notice a sharp decline of FLTCMDs. Looking more closely, I apparently was released from the fleet by a (let's say anonymous) cousin. I had witnessed fleet shuffling in the past and crossed my fingers it would resolve itself.
- 6/13 pm: I get antsy. I sent offending party a cordial personal query. He/she apologized, chalked it up to human error, but with no mention of getting me back in. Left with few options, I send personal messages to my superiors, both of whom I've noted as helpful and active in the fleet.
- 6/14: Sure enough, both write back inviting me into their fleets. I send a fleet request and get in. Not only am I back in, but I've been promoted to Volunteer Commodore (05)! True, I am at level (09), but the fleet is a tad top-heavy and I prefer a slow rise in responsibility rather than a pauper to prince transition.
   Not only was I a Commodore, but I had my own fleet! For a start, I had 4 under me, though that became 1 quickly after. This meant I could start attacking 3s and 4s confidently instead of 1s, 2s, and the occasional yellow 3.
   Even though the ordeal had been frustrating, I became thankful for it all. Not only did it lead to a promotion, but it forced me to talk to my superiors who are now personally aware of me and my loyalty to Nemesis. As with my RL career, I don't "network", but rely on my work to speak for itself. It's not that I refuse to be political; I just decided I wouldn't waste any more energy working on my professional facade. However, in times like this when an opportunity to get a superior's attention, I'll take it and can see the benefits.
- 6/16 pm (present time): Fleetless again. This time, the accident was done by a Prince who had been very helpful to me. Luckily he is helpful and currently online, though apparently for some reason I'll have to move back to Captain. I'm promised it will only be temporary, and I'm willing to believe that -- mostly because he's salivating over my high CB count.
   I'm still excited about the new fleet placement, unconsciously considering the recent snafus as a sort of karmic collateral.... though I would have to screw up my post pretty royally to even it out :)

One hour later and....... youtube is still down. According to my searches, mine will (eventually) be the first cover version of a certain TMBG song. What's the polar opposite of the Midas touch? Methinks I'm suffering from that this night.