Welcome to another episode of Creative Engineering! Having just updated the signs for my members and subscribers, I’m back to building the network with Integrated Dynamics. I’ll demonstrate how the importing and exporting features work, all while bypassing the in-game tutorials. My aim is to have all the cables attached to the machines and storage units before the next episode so the network will be ready for the Integrated Dynamics displays. Stay tuned to see if I can survive and thrive in this flat-world challenge!
Monthly Archives: August 2025
Tycoon Mania E1: I Start Swag Software
Kick off the new Tycoon Mania series with me as I dive into Software Inc. In this first episode, I’ll be setting up a brand-new company and taking on my initial contract to get the business rolling. Join me as I learn the ropes and figure out what it takes to succeed!
Is This Edmonton Intersection a Hazard? The Case for CPTED
Panhandling is a significant issue in the City of Edmonton, and while the city has methods for dealing with it, they are not always effective. In this post, I’ll examine the city’s current approach, highlight a specific intersection where it’s not working, explain what Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is, and show how it could be a powerful new tool for the city to use in this area and others.
The City of Edmonton’s first method for addressing panhandling is to tackle the issues behind it, such as homelessness, addiction, and mental health concerns. To do this, the city partners with charitable organizations and has a “Spare Some Change” campaign with the police to encourage the public to donate to these organizations rather than directly to panhandlers.
The city’s other primary tool is the new Public Spaces Bylaw. This bylaw specifically bans panhandling on or around roads, medians, and similar areas, with violations resulting in fines that start at twenty-five dollars.
However, both of these tools are failing to address panhandling at an intersection I have passed by every day I walk to work at the Rossdale Water Treatment Plant doing flagging during construction there. The intersection in question is 105th Street and 100th Avenue, where 105th Street goes from a one-way road up the steep hill there to a two way street. There is also a concrete median in the one-way part of the 105th street junction that separates cars turning left from those going straight or turning right after coming up the hill, and this is where I’ve seen someone most days panhandling there – usually around 6:20 am, before the city’s 311 lines are open for the day.
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is a strategy that uses urban design to reduce opportunities for crime and increase a sense of public safety. This is a perfect example of where CPTED could be an effective tool for the city. The situation is dangerous for both panhandlers and drivers, so a physical change would be a significant improvement. Making it impossible to stand on the median would permanently solve the issue and allow drivers to keep their full attention on the intersection and other traffic.
Beyond this one intersection, CPTED could also be a valuable tool in other public spaces, such as parks. By using smart environmental design, the city could discourage people from camping or sleeping overnight—an action already prohibited by another bylaw—while also improving the aesthetics and feel of the space.
CPTED has a proven record of success in other places, so why shouldn’t the City of Edmonton bring it in to make a positive change here?
Behind the Scenes: New Tech, New Challenges (A Linux Mint Post)
Hi everyone,
Swagnilla Ice here with an update on my switch to Linux Mint. I want to share my experience so far, the technical hiccups I’ve run into and solved, and what it means for the video quality of your favorite content over the next couple of weeks as I learn to use new editing software.
I made the switch to Linux Mint last Friday after getting tired of Windows 10’s updates affecting my internet connection—the last one even forced me onto Wi-Fi. The installation was smooth until I ran into a major issue with my dual monitor setup.
When I installed the recommended Nvidia driver, I lost one of my two monitors. After downgrading didn’t work, I switched to the open-source Nouveau driver, which solved the issue. While some may say this could affect gaming or other GPU-intensive tasks, I’ve noticed my gameplay is just as good as it was on Windows 10. If it means my new video editor renders videos more slowly, I’m okay with that, as having two monitors is more important to me than speed.
Speaking of rendering videos, I’ll have to learn new video editing software, and this is what will affect the quality of my videos for the next few weeks. Since Filmora is Windows-only, I’ve switched to Lightworks, an alternative recommended by Gemini after I decided Kdenlive wasn’t for me. While Lightworks is not designed for beginners, it’s still new software I have to learn. The good news is this change only affects my editing; the quality of my video recordings with OBS on Linux Mint will remain the same.
I’m happy to say my dual monitor setup, USB camera, and microphone are all working perfectly. This means the core video and sound quality of my recordings should be just fine (unless my OBS settings are off). The real learning curve is in the editing process: things like adjusting background music volume, adding text screens and transitions are all different in Lightworks, so I’ll be learning how to do all of that from scratch.
f you have any tips for me, feel free to share them in the comments below. If you’re not yet a member, you can register and then share your advice with the community. Until my next post, take care and God bless all of you!
Episode 55: St. John of Damascus
Ever wondered about the saint who defended icons and experienced a miraculous healing? This week on ‘A Few Moments with God’, we explore St. John of Damascus, a renowned theologian and polymath. Born in Damascus, he became known for his eloquent sermons and writings defending the use of icons during the Iconoclastic Controversy. His miraculous healing and profound impact on Christian thought make his story one to remember.
Swag Plays Banished S2 E44: The Saga Concludes
In the thrilling finale of Swag Plays Banished, the resilient citizens of Otterview face their toughest challenge yet: surviving without tools as their population swells to 72 by early spring of year 20. This episode marks the end of the season under one of the three independent conditions set at the start. While we successfully built all other structures in the settlement, we fell short of constructing three key buildings: the town hall, the marketplace, and the eastern tunnel to resources. Not reaching 100 citizens and not completing three structures is a bit disappointing, but it’s all part of the journey. Join me next time as we embark on a new gaming adventure! See you soon!
Swag Plays Banished S2 E43: Iron Shortage, Tunnel Progress
In this thrilling episode of “Swag Plays Banished,” Otterview presses on towards the ultimate goal – year 20. With tools running low and a dwindling supply of iron, the challenge to sustain production until the end is daunting. The team adds more builders to the mix, constructing two new homes to accommodate the growing population while steadily advancing the tunnel. Will their efforts be enough to complete the tunnel by the year 20 deadline? Stay tuned for the final episode of this season and series to find out the thrilling conclusion!
Swag Plays Banished S2 E42: The Beginning of the End
The citizens of Otterview are tough, but the end is near! In this episode of Swag Plays Banished, we see how they survived yet another freezing winter. Despite their best efforts, the tunnel project is still a long way from being finished, and our population now stands at 63. How do you think the series will end? Let me know your predictions in the comments, and stay tuned for the final two episodes!
Building for the Future: New Payments & A New Direction
When I created Swagnilla Ice, I wanted to build a company that was accessible, forward-thinking, and ready to grow with my community. Today, I’m announcing two important changes that reflect that vision.
A New Way to Pay in the Swagnilla Ice Shop
I’m excited to introduce a new payment option for all digital goods and services in the Swagnilla Ice shop: cryptocurrency! I understand that not everyone uses or has access to traditional payment methods like PayPal. By offering a crypto payment option through my partner, Coinbase, I’m giving you more choice and making my shop more accessible to a global audience.
Here’s how it works:
- When you choose to pay with crypto at checkout, the Coinbase system automatically handles the conversion. The price of your purchase, originally in Canadian Dollars (CAD), is automatically converted to the real-time equivalent in your chosen cryptocurrency.
- I’ll accept any cryptocurrency that Coinbase supports.
- All crypto payments are instantly and automatically converted to USDC, which keeps prices stable and protects Swagnilla Ice from market volatility.
A New Direction for Video Content
In my efforts to evolve and focus on the future, I’m making a change to my content strategy. I will no longer embed the “news and announcement” video series of the past on blog posts. Instead, I want to embed announcements directly into blog posts like this one to keep all of my news in a single, easy-to-find location. I’m still excited about creating future video content, but these will likely be singular posts rather than series based on a modpack. This will allow me to put more creative energy into other video projects for my future community.
Creative Engineering E28: Learning Integrated Dynamics From Scratch
What happens when I decide to replace a core system in my world? After celebrating our latest subscriber milestone and adding our community site members to the sign, I make a huge decision. I’m taking out Refined Storage and learning Integrated Dynamics from the ground up, following the tutorial books. Will I be able to build a new system that works just as well? Watch to see my progress and how a new automation system takes shape.