Introduction:Hi everyone,Im an indie game developer working on an ambitious 2D sci-fi sandbox game. The game features multiplayer support, procedural generation, and innovative mechanics, built entirely using C#, MonoGame, and LiteNetLib. This is a passion project that Ive poured countless hours into, and Id love to share my progress with you.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.You've probably seen or heard about Sony's headphone WH-1000X series. The series has been around since 2016, with a new version of the series released every year or two. The WH-1000XM4 headphones are the fourth in the series, and they're currently $198 (originally $348), matching the record-low price on Amazon, according to price-checking tools. And if you order the black or silver color, you can get them delivered before Christmas. Sony WH-1000XM4 Headphones Premium Noise Canceling Overhead Headphones with Mic for Phone-Call and Alexa Voice Control. $198.00 at Amazon $348.00 Save $150.00 Get Deal Get Deal $198.00 at Amazon $348.00 Save $150.00 The WH-1000XM4 headphones came out in 2020 to an "outstanding" review from PCMag and were eclipsed by the WH-1000XM5 (which are also hitting their lowest price right now) in 2022. Although the WH-1000XM4 are four years old already, they are still one of the best value wireless headphones for audio quality you can get today. Unlike phones, headphones don't need security or software updates to stay relevant as time goes by. Excellent audio stays excellent no matter how many years go by.If you like to have conversations but don't like to take your headphones off, the WH-1000XM4's automatic conversation feature will pause your audio and turn on an ambient mic when you talk, letting sound from outside pierce through the headphones. They also have that fancy AirPod feature that resumes playing or powers off when taking them on or off.Although these headphones are renowned for their audio quality, their active noise-canceling feature is also top-notch. The app lets you customize and adjust the ANC to your liking. You can also find the right EQ so you can listen to your music how you please. These headphones will give you about 30 hours of battery life with a full charge. For the price, you won't find a better combination of audio and ANC quality than the WH-1000XM4. If you're looking for the best ANC headphones, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra are currently at Prime Day prices and are considered one of the best headphones of 2024.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.This holiday season, give the gift of relaxationbut do not just pick up some lotion for someone and call it a day. Not to be ungrateful, but is there anything more boring than receiving another gift basket with a lotion and a loofah in it? There really isnt. There are better ways to give relaxing, self-care-focused gifts that are actually useful and cool. Please consider the following.The best gifts for skincareIn the parlance of social media, self care and skincare are nearly interchangeable a lot of the time. The good news is there are all kinds of little tools and doodads that can be used for skincare, and these make superb gifts. Depuffing gifts are nice stocking stuffers, and theyre not very pricey. I've been on a wild depuffing kick in my own life lately and use these three things consistently: Try these globes that you freeze and rub on your face ($12.98), a gua sha tool ($7.99), and a gel mask that can be frozen ($8.59). The NuFace MINI+ ($175) remains a covetable, popular present. It uses microcurrents to smooth and lift the skin, plus it's fun and high-tech.However, I've had better results with a competitor, which is even $5 cheaper: The MyoLift QT Plus ($170). It also uses microcurrent technology, but has some added perks: It uses a phone app to analyze your face and give you guidance during microcurrent sessions and comes with pads you can plug into the device and stick on your face so you don't even have to do the work of delivering the currents to yourself. I've noticed slight tightening and a little extra glowiness in my skin with consistent use.Getting someone actual chemical skincare products is difficult, since you might imply you see some kind of flaw in their face they should fix. Avoid this drama with a variety pack of sheet masks, like the Tony Moly All You Need set ($25). I have been a Tony Moly loyalist for 10 years and find their masks and other products to work much better than competitors, for what it's worth. I am especially fond of the caffeinated one foryou guessed itdepuffing.Sheet masks are simple to use, but you know whats simpler? Under-eye patches. In the last year, I switched to the Peauamie multipack, which gives you 30 pairs for $12.99. The pack comes with different varieties that address different concerns, and I use them religiously. A slam-dunk gift. Like I said, getting someone actual chemical skincare products can get dicy. But one kind is always appreciated: Products that provide hydration and improve skin texture and glowiness. I always have a COSRX Favorites set ($36) on hand. It's cleanser, toner, snail mucin (gross but effective!), and moisturizer. Nothing offensive there. Also, a tip: I usually see this set at Marshalls for about $16, so it's definitely possible to get it cheaper if you're going shopping in-store. The best gifts for relaxingWhen its time to relax, you need no less than four products to make it perfect. These are just the rules. We live in a very materialistic society and unwinding from the capitalist grind often paradoxically requires stuff.Shower steamers are cool because they serve no purpose other than to relax you. Theyre like bath bombs, but they release scents in the shower. Its pretty straightforward and they make a nice stocking stuffer. You can get seven for $9.99 at Target.I run through these quickly.A random candle from that gimmicky aisle at the checkout of TJMaxx only shows you put no thought into your gift. But a trendy candle? Thats different. Homesick candles ($28.50 and up) are big, as are birthdate candles ($48.99) and the ever-popular Maison Margiela Replica candles ($70). Win the holidays outright with a Diptyque candle ($45 or $74, depending on size).Everyone loves the Comfy ($49.99), a truly gigantic oversized sweatshirt made of blanket material that is ideal for shuffling around the house in a relaxed daze.One tried-and-true option here is a massage gun, but you should go big or go home: Homedics has a heated one available for $49.99.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.The holidays are a time for big emotions. The weather can get extreme, theres too much to do, and family gatherings offer up wild swings of intense feeling: joy, excitement, apprehension, annoyance, exhaustion. The movies (and life) teach us that any holiday meal with a sufficient number of guests must involve drama of some sort: Somebodys pregnant, somebodys getting married or divorced, someones coming out of the closet, someones dying. The season truly has it all.Movies offer us the opportunity to escape from all that by watching other people deal with their dramaand were not so much interested in subtlety and nuance, because thats not whats in the air. Is it even a Christmas movie if youre not bawling into your eggnog? Many of the saddest Christmas movies share very similar plot beats (its Dickens world; were just living in it), but its in the execution that they rise or fall. The most successful of them take big swings and hit us right where we live.Its a Wonderful Life (1946) Obviously. Its easy to dismiss Its a Wonderful Life as over-played holiday schmaltz; constant public-domain airings resurrected it from near-obscurity, but also turned it into seasonal wallpaper. Its always playing in the background, but nobodys paying all that much attentionwhich is too bad, given that its a much weirder and more nuanced film than the bit about angels and bell-ringing would suggest. We can only watch as George Bailey compromise his dreams over and over again, only to find that what little he has built rests on a house of cards. America, amirite? Theres real emotion in Georges breakdown, and a (mostly) satisfying catharsis in the ending, which is harder won than in many other gentler, cozier Christmas classics. You can stream It's a Wonderful Life on Prime Video and The Roku Channel. Its a Wonderful Life (1946) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Carol (2015) The chemistry between Rooney Maras Therese and Cate Blanchetts Carol is palpable from the moment their eyes meet across a crowded department storebut its the 1950s, and theirs is a love that dare not speak its name, even to one another. Queerphobia was, as we all know, entirely eradicated decades ago, so it might seem odd that a gay romance would raise eyebrows, but thats just how things were back then. The women suffer for their love, but the tears come less when things are going bad as when it starts to feel like they might just possibly start to go a little right. You can stream Carol on Paramount+ and Netflix or rent it from Prime Video. Carol (2015) at Paramount+ Learn More Learn More at Paramount+ The Best Man Holiday (2013) The sequel to 2013's The Best Man, this one quickly updates us on the fallout from that earlier film before moving into new territory (its not strictly necessary to have seen the original if youre looking to dive straight into the holiday festivities). Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, and Sanaa Lathan lead the sequel, which offers a bold blend of off-color humor, hot shirtless guys, sincere religious themes, and shamelessly heartbreaking plot twists. It all somehow mostly holds together. Its a well-acted soap opera with over-the-top moments of comedy, family drama, and tragedy, hitting every emotional beat youd want from a holiday movie. You can stream The Best Man Holiday on Prime Video. The Best Man Holiday (2013) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Joyeux Nol (2005) A fictionalized version of a true story, this Academy Award nominee deals with an unusual moment during the first year of World War I, when, at several points along the front lines, French, German, and British soldiers called a series of informal truces, often mingling to celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The German Crown Prince even sent the lead singer of the Berlin opera to perform along the front lines, entertaining both sides. In dramatizing the event, the filmmakers understand that the truce was both glorious and absurd. Those complicated feelings, and the knowledge that what were seeing represents a momentary lull in a war that would continue for years, make for powerful emotional moments. You can stream Joyeux Nol on Paramount+ or rent it from Prime Video. Joyeux Nol (2005) at Paramount+ Learn More Learn More at Paramount+ A Midnight Clear (1992) A different war, and a different Christmas truce (after a fashion) feature in Keith Gordon's A Midnight Clear, set during the Battle of the Bulge near the end of World War II. A small, inexperienced intelligence squad is sent to occupy an abandoned chateau to gather information on German movements. The Germans quickly have them dead to rights, but step away and, instead, begin to send signals (Christmas carols; a snowball fight) that they're not interested in fighting anymore. They realize that the war is coming to an end, and they hope to make a deal with the Americans: a mock fight and a quick surrender to avoid bloodshed. Of course, what sounds reasonable to soldiers on the frontline is completely anathema to the ones giving the orders. You can stream A Midnight Clear on Prime Video, Peacock, and Tubi. A Midnight Clear (1992) at Peacock Learn More Learn More at Peacock Stepmom (1998) The ingredients for a fairly typical seasonal comedy (or dramedy, anyway) are all here: Chris Columbus (Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire) directs Susan Sarandon as Jackie, a woman forced to spend the holidays with her ex-husband's girlfriend (played by Julia Roberts). The reason for this meeting, however, is less the stuff of rom-coms: Jackie has lymphoma, and neither she nor we are given any false optimism. She's dying, and this younger woman will likely become a stepmother to her children. Both the relationship between the two, and Jackie's illness, come to a head at Christmas time.You can rent Stepmom from Prime Video. Stepmom (1998) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video The Christmas Tree (1969) Terence Young, best known for his early James Bond films, directs William Holden as Laurent Sgur, a wealthy Frenchman on the verge of a new romance who learns that his 10-year-old son Pascal is dying following exposure to radiation. Determined to make his son's last days as special as possible, the three embark on a series of small adventures. The tone isn't overtly tearjerking, but there's no escaping the poignance of the central message about appreciating what you while you have it. You can stream The Christmas Tree on Tubi. The Christmas Tree (1969) at Tubi Learn More Learn More at Tubi Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) For a musical thats perhaps best known for Judy Garlands epic ode to old-timey streetcars, theres a surprising bit of emotional depth here. Following the upper-class Smith family for a year starting in the summer of 1903, the movie tracks changing times and changing circumstancesnothing excessively dramatic, unless youre Margaret OBriens joyfully morbid Tootie, who suddenly finds that the things that she expected never to change are more precarious than she thought possible. The key moment is Judy Garlands heartbreaking performance of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, a song that was later brightened up for radio but that, here, implores us to enjoy what we have while we have itbecause the future is uncertain. You can stream Meet Me in St. Louis on Max and Tubi. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Full-Court Miracle (2003) Blending inspirational sports-movie stuff with a bit of holiday magic, this seasonal staple finds the young teens at Philadelphia Hebrew Academy struggling build up their basketball team in spite of their truly awful coach. A struggling outsider enters the picture, and might be the one who can put them on the right trackif only the students and faculty will put their trust in him. The moment when the local rabbi relates the story of Hanukkah in relation to the kids basketball game is honestly pretty darned effective. You can stream Full-Court Miracle on Disney+. Full-Court Miracle (2003) at Disney+ Learn More Learn More at Disney+ In the Bleak Midwinter (1995) Writer/director Kenneth Branaghs indie isnt nearly as dour (or bleak) as its title might suggest, being more of a black comedy about a depressed, out-of-work actor who gets talked into staging a Christmas production of Hamlet (very Branagh, that) in an effort to save his sisters church from greedy land developers (arent they always). The lets-put-on-a-show-to-save-whatever premise has been done, but sharp performances and the directors clear affection for Shakespeare lend the film added emotional resonance, even if youre not a sucker for stories about finding the true spirit of the season in connecting with othersbut who isnt, really? You can stream In the Bleak Midwinter (a.k.a. A Midwinter's Tale) on Hoopla. In the Bleak Midwinter (1995) at Hoopla Learn More Learn More at Hoopla One Magic Christmas (1985) The Grainger family could be forgiven for giving up on the holiday spirit entirely: Jack is out of work, and Ginnies job at the grocery store isnt enough to save the family homewhich doesnt matter much, as shes about to lose that gig too. Thats all before a botched bank robbery leaves their two kids with only one parent. Fortunately, theres an angel waiting in the wings, but hes played by Harry Dean Stanton, so definitely not the cheerful sort. Daughter Abbie winds up being the familys only hope for something resembling a happy ending, but there are a lot of reasons to shed tears before the final act. You can stream One Magic Christmas on Disney+ or rent it from Prime Video. One Magic Christmas (1985) at Disney+ Learn More Learn More at Disney+ The Family Man (2000) We cant get enough of alternate timelines and glimpses into roads not taken, and Family Man represents a slightly more modern, fully Nicolas Cage-ized, and therefore more extreme, version of the trope. Here, a boring (but successful) corporate drudge gets sucked into an alternate timeline where he married Tea Leoni (the one who got away in his native timeline) but is also jobless and stressed by his inability to provide for his family. No life is ever perfect, I guess. When returned to his own timeline, he takes the opportunity to reconnect with the old girlfriend who might have become his wifeexcept that, even with lessons learned, theres no way to get back the time they lost or the children they had in the other timeline. (Its all very that-one-episode-of-Star Trek: The Next Generation.) You can stream The Family Man on Netflix and Peacock. The Family Man (2000) at Peacock Learn More Learn More at Peacock Remember the Night (1940) With a bit of the ol Christmas spirit, otherwise tough New York District Attorney John Sargent (Fred MacMurray) agrees to let shoplifter Lee Leander (Barbara Stanwyck) out on bail, and even offers her a ride to her mothers house in Indiana on the way to his own family gathering. The trip naturally includes moments of comedy and hints of romance, but its the ambiguous, not entirely happy ending that really packs a punchsuggesting that the manipulative Lee might have been genuinely moved by her time with John. You can stream Remember the Night on Plex. Remember the Night (1940) at Plex Learn More Learn More at Plex Last Christmas (2019) Emilia Clarke and Americas sweetheart Henry Golding have tremendous chemistry as a down-on-her-luck aspiring singer and the slightly mysterious man with whom she shares a lovely and inspiring holiday season. The twist ending here will either work for you, or it really wont (either way, its hilarious on paper). I was prepared to chuckle, but it still got me in the end. You can stream Last Christmas on Max or rent it from Prime Video. Last Christmas (2019) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) I have yet to find a Muppet movie that wont leave me in a puddle, so this ones an easy addition. Its more true now than ever, thoughDisney+ has finally made available a musical segment that was cut shortly after release and that, while sporadically available in various home releases, hasnt been part of the movie for quite some time. Its a moment between Scrooge (both present and past), and Belle, whose love he cast aside before giving in to a life focused on money. The Muppet goofiness stops for just a few moments that make the emotional stakes for Scrooge clear, and gives Sir Michael Caine an opportunity to warble a tune. You can stream The Muppet Christmas Carol on Disney+. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) at Disney+ Learn More Learn More at Disney+ A Christmas Tale (2008) A Christmas Tale plays with some of the same ideas as does The Family Stone, even to the point of casting a legendary lead actressin this case, Catherine Deneuve as the matriarch recently diagnosed with leukemia. This French comedy-drama goes a bit deeper and darker in its exploration of family dynamics around the holidays, but also approaches its central family with more empathy, acknowledging that, as we change, so do even our most stable relationships. You can stream A Christmas Tale on AMC+. A Christmas Tale (2008) at AMC+ Learn More Learn More at AMC+ Christmas, Again (2014) A face familiar (and welcome) to American indie movie fans, Kentucker Audley stars as a Christmas-tree salesman returning home to New York, an act which only exacerbates the downward spiral of depression and a sense of failure hes been mired in for years. Hes living in a trailer and just barely getting by before a mysterious woman enters his life, alongside some weird and eclectic customers who help him fight his self-destructive impulses. There are familiar beats here, but filmed with more realism and restraint (writer-director Charles Poekel partially financed the film with money from his own depressing Christmas-tree salesman job), so the darker moments hit a bit harder, while the moments of light feel very well earned. You can stream Christmas, Again on The Roku Channel. Christmas, Again (2014) at The Roku Channel Get Deal Get Deal at The Roku Channel Klaus (2019) A charming, bespoke Santa origin story based on nothing in particular, Klaus finds the lazy son of a postmaster general in 19th-century Norway forced to a distant island town where hes tasked with delivering 6,000 letters within a year, otherwise hell be cut off from the family fortune. Arriving there, he discovers the two primary feuding families cant be bothered to send letters for him to deliver, but that an elderly widower might be able to help him in a scheme hes concocted to convince the towns children to write letters in the hopes of receiving toys in returntoys crafted by old Klaus in hope of a family that never materialized. Its all beautifully hand-animated, and the genuine emotion wrings tears with Pixar-like efficiency. I defy you not to cry during the final act. You can stream Klaus on Netflix. Klaus (2019) at Netflix Learn More Learn More at Netflix Collateral Beauty (2018) Will Smith plays an advertising executive who retreats from life following the death of his daughter. His friends and loved ones arent able to connect, and he tries to cope by writing letters to his conceptions of Love, Time, and Deathall of whom respond. Its all a bit silly, but Smith leads a fabulous cast who very nearly sell the fantastical premise, and offer some genuinely weepy moments. You can rent Collateral Beauty from Apple TV. Collateral Beauty (2018) at Apple TV Learn More Learn More at Apple TV Mon Oncle Antoine (1971) Less an outright tearjerker than a quietly emotional coming-of-age story, this Qubec-set story sees young Benot helping his undertaker uncle on the day before Christmas in their rural town. The two bond, and fall out, while transporting the body of a teenager whod died unexpectedly. Once Benots hero, Antoine reveals, over the course of the day, that he hates his job and his life, and that drink has become his only escape. As a picture of growing up during troubling times, its an all-around great movie. You can stream Mon Oncle Antoine (a.k.a. My Uncle Antoine) on The Criterion Channel. Mon Oncle Antoine (1971) at The Criterion Channel Learn More Learn More at The Criterion Channel Jack Frost (1998) Though, at moments, it looks a bit like a horror movie, the Michael Keaton-starring Jack Frost is surprisingly affecting, especially for a generation of kids who saw it at just the right age. A year after the Christmas-day death of his often-absent father, his young son Charlie finds that hes been magically restored to life as a snowman on the lawn. On paper, the idea of a snowman possessed by the ghost of your dead dad mustve been a tough sell, but as a story about the deep-rooted desire for just one more day with a lost loved one, it works. You can stream Jack Frost on Hulu. Jack Frost (1998) at Hulu Learn More Learn More at Hulu Prancer (1989) This grim seasonal drama is already depressing on its facethe plot follows a young girl who determinedly maintains her holiday spirit despite the recent death of her mother, her fathers depression, and the failure of the family businessbut is somehow made all the worse for the stark realism with which director John Hancock treats the material; the movie is slowly paced, nearlu colorless, and nakedly unsentimental even when the girl rescues a wounded reindeer she is convinced fell off of Santas sleigh. The ending refuses to be too happy; the most it can offer is a reconciliation between the girl and her depressed dad, who offers that even if their whole lives continue going to shit, at least theyll still have each other. Merry Christmas! You can stream Prancer on AMC+ and MGM+. Prancer (1989) at AMC+ Learn More Learn More at AMC+ The Snowman (1982) The beautiful Oscar-nominated short film finds a young boy having a series of adventures with an especially well-crafted snowman. Suffice it to say that snow-people have all too short a season, and the lesson here winds up being a deeply poignant one about the bittersweet beauty of impermanence and change. You can stream The Snowman on Vudu and Pluto TV or watch it on YouTube, above. The Snowman (1982) at Pluto TV Learn More Learn More at Pluto TV

The pornographic website PornHub is adding Florida to its list of states to block starting next year. Gizmodo reported that Floridians who visited the porn website recently were greeted with a warning that says You will lose access to PornHub in 14 days thanks to a new state law that requires an ID to visit the website.PornHub has already blocked a number of states from accessing its wealth of sexually explicit content because of new state laws that require visitors to provide a valid government ID to verify their age for access. Floridas legislature passed its porn ID law and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law on March 25 as part of a series of regulations intended to protect minors from explicit materials. The adult entertainment trade association The Free Speech Coalition is fighting Floridas law in federal court, according to The Florida Times-Union.Florida will become the 13th state to institute an age verification law for adult websites. Florida follows Texas, Utah, Arkansas, Virginia, Montana, North Carolina, Mississippi, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky and Nebraska that all have ID verification laws on its books.Not only does this impinge on the rights of adults to access protected speech, it fails strict scrutiny by employing the least effective and yet also most restrictive means of accomplishing [the states] stated purpose of allegedly protecting minors, according to the official PornHub blogThe PornHub blog also states that the company is concerned about the safety and welfare of children but the idea of using identification creates more risks with users safety and privacy. The Louisiana law in particular has no state regulator overseeing the new laws implementation which results in a flawed enforcement regime, the PornHub blog states.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/pornhub-is-breaking-up-with-florida-202650152.html?src=rss

PlayStation Lead Architect Mark Cerny is back again to explain the nitty-gritty details of how the PlayStation 5 Pro achieves its various graphical improvements. Cerny first introduced the PS5 Pro in September and in a new 37-minute video, he gets into how the Pros improved GPU uses tech from AMD and announces a deeper collaboration between Sony and the chip maker.The PS5 uses AMDs RDNA 2 GPU architecture originally released in 2020, while the PS5 Pro uses what Cerny refers to in the video as RDNA 2.X. The new GPU is a mixture of what was already offered on the PS5, with some cherry-picked features from the more advanced RDNA 3 architecture AMD introduced in 2022. Thats paired with ray tracing techniques that Cerny says are from future RDNA tech on AMDs roadmap, and custom machine learning features created for the PS5 Pro. Those machine learning components are also apparently a key part of AMD and Sonys future work together.AMD has been a fantastic partner for SIE for many years now, Cerny says. And Im honored to announce that we have begun a deeper collaboration with a focus on machine learning-based technology for graphics and gameplay.Amethyst, the name the companies chose for their new project together, is primarily concerned with creating a more ideal architecture for machine learning, according to Cerny. The new hardware architectures the companies are developing could benefit future consoles and AMDs own GPUs, but theyre just one part of the plan. Sony and AMD are also working towards the democratization of machine learning, which sounds like possible software tools to make it easier for developers to implement AI in gameplay and graphics.The whole video is jam-packed with information on the thinking and engineering that went into the PS5 Pro and worth a watch if youre looking for more detail on what Pro means in this case. It might not convince you to upgrade to the new $700 console, but it certainly makes the case that Sony didnt take designing it lightly.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/playstations-mark-cerny-did-a-deep-dive-on-the-ps5-pro-and-sonys-new-partnership-with-amd-193613727.html?src=rss

Latest Nintendo Switch 2 leak could have finally revealed the upcoming console's name.

Rapido was apparently exposing a feedback archive online, which included emails and phone numbers.

You can get yourself some exclusive content and some discount deals on your Samsung phone right now.

This holiday season, the last thing my coworkers and I wanted to do was go on strikebut this week Starbucks has left us no other choice.As baristas, we make Starbucks run. Were the reason the company hit record-breaking salesin its fourth quarter last yearand yet Starbucks continues to fail to invest in us, choosing to cut our hours rather than give us more support on the floor as we struggle to fulfill thousands of ever-more-complicated drink orders every day.When I started working as a barista at Starbucks almost 18 years ago, I was drawn in by the companys warm atmosphere and commitment to building community. As a barista, I loved being able to connect with our customers, along with the dozens of amazing baristas Ive been honored to work alongside. But lately that connection has been strained by the impossible workload my colleagues and I have been saddled with due to understaffing across stores.Working at a drive-through store where there are a maximum of four baristas on the floor at one time, each of us is expected to do the job of multiple people. And the work multiplies when the holidays bring in a flood of customers, making things far from merry for the skeleton crew often tasked to handle the chaos with a smile on our faces. Its no wonder customersespecially younger customersare turning away from Starbucks, finding other options, and spending their hard-earned money elsewhere.On top of dealing with the stress of understaffing at my store, I wake up every day fearing that my hours are going to be cut. I make just a little over $18 an hourthats far from a livable wage in Urbana, Illinois, where an average one-bedroom apartment costs $1,125 a month to rent. Thats especially true when I have to beg my manager to ensure Im scheduled for at least 20 hours of work a week. If I dont meet those 20 hours every week, I could lose my benefits and the health insurance I rely on to care for my three children, including my 10-year-old daughter, who has type 1 diabetes. For me, ensuring Im able to get enough hours is literally a life-or-death situation. My daughter needs her insulin.Starbucks Workers United members picket outside a Starbucks store in Chicago on December 20, 2024. [Photo: Vincent Alban/Bloomberg/Getty Images]When the opportunity came around to organize my store last year, I immediately jumped at it. I was proud to join the thousands of Starbucks workers organizing with the union to win a voice on the job, living wages, and the protections and staffing we need to be able to make Starbucks the great place it used to be.And Im just as proud to be joining baristas across the country this week as we go on strike to protest the companys unfair labor practices and show executives that their behavior at the bargaining table wont fly and that weand our customersdeserve better. Its great the company has invested in leadership at the topnow its time for Starbucks to pay us what were worth, and to move toward resolving the hundreds of outstanding unfair labor practice charges its still facing for violating labor law during the unions national organizing campaign.After union partners put forth a bargaining proposal last month to double parental leave for retail employees, the company declared just weeks later it is expanding leave to all baristasshowing that when our union organizes and speaks out together, we can deliver results for all baristas. But our work is far from over, and isolated policies alone cant fix our workplaces. (Starbucks did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.)How did we get here? Less than two weeks before the companys end-of-year deadline to bargain a foundational framework for contracts with our unionone that would transform the lives of more than 11,000 Starbucks baristas across the countryit proposed an economic package this month with no new wage increases for union baristas now and a guarantee of only 1.5% in future years.Just think about that. Starbucks CEO Brian Niccols pay package is worth $57,000 an houron top of his salarya shocking 10,000 times what the median barista makes. In the same year that Starbucks gave Niccol a $113 million golden greeting, the company had the audacity to tell usthe very baristas who fuel its profitsthat theres no money to invest in our raises.We entered an agreement back in February to bargain a foundational frameworkthe company said repeatedly that it wanted one finalized by December 2024. A part of that framework included resolving outstanding legal issues with union baristas. Yet Starbucks has failed to fully resolve hundreds of unfair labor practice charges. And it has not brought a viable economic proposal to the table. Starbucks did not put forth a real raise for baristas over the past three months of bargaining meetings.These walkouts, over unresolved unfair labor practice charges and the companys failure to offer a serious economic package, are just the beginning. Starbucks cant turn its business around without baristas like us. We want to partner with the company to return Starbucks to its storied past. Were ready to consider proposals that include meaningful raises for union workers and resolve the outstanding unfair labor practices. Starbucks, its your move.