You've gotta love cats! XD

I'm listening to Enigma as we speak -- I've never heard this song before, thank you~!

My ears are really sensitive when I get up in the morning (and at night, too,) and I'm constantly clapping my hands over my ears and asking x-family member to speak more softly or turn down the sound, so I can slightly (and ONLY slightly, I'm sure) relate to your hypersensitivity to noise. The article's mention of movie theaters is one of the main reasons I don't like going out to the movies -- SO LOUD!! >_< On the rare occasion that I do go, I always take either tissue paper or ear plugs to stuff in my ears so that I can stand to be there. *sigh* I assume that muffling sound doesn't work well for you?

I remember an episode of Heroes where one of the super-abilities someone had was hearing so sensitive that the only thing that would drown out all of the noise was to wear headphones blasting rap music! I remember thinking at the time that that power sounded more like a curse to me!

I wish I could offer some words that would help, but I'll have to settle for wishing for you to find a way to dampen the sensitivity.

* DAILY BUMP *

I have no time to reply right now, but I'll be back in a few hours! :-)

Spread the happiness BUMP

Not in. +1 for your very generous happy giveaway that will make many people happy ^_^

Here's a bump with my other kitty, Ceri:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGFCa09taEk

:-)

Not in, but this thread made me happy by informing me there's a game called "Muffin Knight." +1

Sadly, it's not as fun as it looks -- rather boring, really, as it's just one screen that doesn't change. You just jump around and avoid enemies while you collect as many muffins as possible :p

One of the worst things about hyperacusis is the loss of dynamic range, which means you're unable to process quick shifts in volume, and all sounds are perceived louder. If I'm in a quiet room with a hard floor, and I accidentally drop my keys, it's unpleasant and sometimes painful. Another bad thing is the reactive tinnitus. My tinnitus (ringing in the ears) is very mild and doesn't bother me most of the time, but whenever I'm exposed to loud noises, it suddenly increases to the point of being highly irritating. It takes a few minutes to a few hours before it returns to its usual level. Over the years, I've learned to avoid these situations, and I protect my ears every time I have to deal with challenging noises. For example, when I use my vacuum cleaner, I always wear earmuffs, otherwise it's an impossible task.

Movie theaters, bowling centers, attraction parks and bars are now infernal places for me, even if I wear earplugs and earmuffs at the same time. Restaurants are also very challenging. High pitch sounds and low frequencies are harder to handle: clanging dishes and silverware, slamming doors, lawnmowers, bus brakes, motorcycles.. They're all hard on my nerves!

Fortunately, I can buy movies on DVD or rent them without leaving my couch (thanks to the video on demand), and because I have total control over the volume, watching movies or series is not a painful experience, but a great way to evacuate my stress. I also like to read books and enjoy a good game. A few years ago, when I was the co-owner of a computer store (1995-2013), I worked over 60 hours a week and didn't have a lot of spare time, but I always managed to find the time for a good game. It's a good stress reliever! Since I had an easy access to every computer parts I needed, I was able to build virtually silent computers! Playing games on a quiet system, with no annoying fan noise and at a comfortable volume is a must! No stress, no pain, just pure fun! :-)

In my late 20s I watched a lot of non-English films and got pretty used to closed captioning. Then around 30 I got into watching "The WIre" and even though it's ostensibly in English I needed the captions to parse those crazy Baltimore accents.

I've never looked back - unless it's a movie that actually needs to be loud, I watch most things with the volume turned way down low and the captions on. It's really great how many platforms support that now.

Same actually holds for gaming - I play quite a few with the sound turned off completely, and either silence or soft music in the background.
Oh, I mostly just liked it for the title, I wasn't that interested in it as a game. ;)

Conversely, the title of "Dangerous High School Girls in Trouble" is a big put-off (recalls that horribad not-quite-camp movie "Teenage Catgirls in Heat"), but it actually looks pretty engaging as a game concept. I saw it on the TBBBOB steam key giveaway I think? And after absolutely refusing to click on it the first 10 times due to the title, I linked and was actually a bit pleasantly surprised. Seems like a game where the way they named it may scare away the audience most inclined to actually enjoy it.

* LAUGHING BUMP *
 
 
 
I'm not a big fan of closed captioning, except for foreign movies. It's a matter of taste...

Sometimes, I also turn off the sound when I play some games, and listen to the television or the radio instead. This mostly happens with puzzle games.
 
 
 
Don't be rough with muffins, <span class="bold">you could regret it</span>! :-D

Let's start with the happiness. :) The thing that brightens my already happy days (no darkest days in the past 5-6 years fortunately :D) is meditation, making games (I published my first game yesterday ^^) and writing. If I want to actually laugh I have my list of people to turn to: Louis CK, Mitch Hedberg, George Carlin, Eddie Izzard - just to name a few. :) Also the Game Grumps are my daily dose of laughter. And nowadays I've been rewatching Linkara episodes - if you need a few good jokes to brighten you up, he's not a bad bet. :D Musicwise it has to be Downtown Woodoo - if I need energy I just listen to this and if you're energetic you can't really be sad now, can you? :)

As for the giveaway, I'm in for Schein and Urja. I've selected them because I'm interested in both. Playing with lights and chess-related shenanigans are close to my heart. :)

Thank you very much for this giveaway.

Please count me in for these games:


DarkEnd
Fist of Jesus
Gunspell - Steam Edition
Jet Car Stunts
Z

1) K_1269 - although he doesn't post very often, he's one of the best people I met here

2) All these games are on my wishlist, because I think I would enjoy them

3) There are many things that can brighten my day, but for the last couple of months it would be probably this song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2o00UFfyIfQ

* Another bump *


I'll distribute the first games tomorrow, and see what I'll do with the remaining ones...


In the meantime, here's a video about true happiness:

▪ <span class="bold">Adorable 3 year old is very happy to dance!</span>

 
" Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hands, but let it go, and you learn at once how big and precious it is. "

– Maxim Gorky
 
 
 
It's time to open my hands to spread joy and happiness! Here are the lucky winners of this giveaway:
    
Have fun with your new toys! :-)