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People ask me to introduce myself, and I never know how to do that in a few clear sentences.
Too much of it only makes sense once you can see how the pieces connect.
So this world is my answer to that question.
If you're short on time, head north till you hit the tracks. 1st place will be dad or Patrick I reckon — if you take 1st place you will skip right to my Resume.
If you care to live a little in my shoes, take a swim for more than 10 seconds. That will take you back to where it all started.
Welcome
This is my résumé, but in the only way I could think of that would actually do a better job.
I’ve never created a game before. I had no idea how complex it would be to build physics in a 3D world. I underestimated how picky I would be. I could have made this simple. I could have made it so when you bump into something there’s no real calculation happening — no actual math making sure the distance it travels, the way it rolls, or how it transforms matches what you’d expect if you were really driving it.
But that’s not how I work.
If you drive into something here, it behaves properly. The distance, the roll, the transfer of weight — it’s all being calculated, not guessed.
I’m saying all this because this is a work in progress — and the truth is, I only come back to it when I run into another wall.
When someone needs it written down before they’ll work with me.
When ability isn’t enough without credentials attached to it.
When I realize again that I don’t know how to answer the question “introduce yourself” in a way that lets people lower their guard.
I don’t work on this because I want to. I work on it because I haven’t figured out a better way to explain what I’ve done without either underselling it or sounding unbelievable.
If it were just my own progress being slowed down, I wouldn’t care as much. But I’m not here for fame, money, or glory. I have 193,000 students every year in the Philippines that I’m actively working with, trying to do exactly what I’ve believed since I was a kid — that technology can level the field.
I’ve always believed that if you simplify the complex, if you remove the silos that lock information away, and if you put the right tools in someone’s hands, then any person — regardless of where they were born, regardless of how much money they have — can turn an idea into a business, an invention, a real story of success.
As far as I’m concerned, there are billions more people who could do that.
The problem isn’t lack of intelligence. It’s barriers. It’s systems designed in ways that keep people out. Some of that is bureaucracy. Some of it is fear. Some of it is built by people who benefit from others staying small.
So this is my answer to “introduce yourself.”
I’m answering it by learning how to code a video game. By building a 3D world where the laws of physics actually apply, because if something exists, it should function correctly.
I’m not done yet. I don’t know when I will be.
And honestly, I hope I don’t have to keep coming back to it.
Because the only reason I’m actively building this is when I realize again that the door is still closed unless I explain myself in a format someone recognizes.
Turn on Story Mode and move around.
This is the most honest résumé I know how to make right now.
| WASD or ARROWS | Move around |
| SHIFT | Boost |
| CTRL LEFT or B | Brake |
| SPACE | Jump |
| ENTER | Interact |
| M | Map |
| L | Mute |
| T | Post a whisper |
| R | Respawn |
| NUM KEYS/NUM PAD | Activate hydraulics |
| LEFT CLICK (DRAG) | Move camera |
| H | Honk |
| One finger | Move the car |
| Two fingers | Move camera / zoom |
| Tap (on the car) | Jump |
| Boost | |
| Jump | |
| Brake | |
| Interact / Exit | |
| Accelerate | |
| Backward accelerate | |
| Hydraulics | |
| Joystick Left | Turn wheels |
| Joystick Left (press) | Honk |
| Joystick Right | Move camera |
| Joystick Right (press) | Zoom in/out |
| Select | Reset |
| Start | Pause |
Ship's Log
/
2h 30min 15s
Rewards
The Run
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Mentors
What Made Me
I started on the river in January 2008.
Deckhand at Eckstein Marine (about 6 months), then deckhand at American Commercial Barge Lines (about 3 years).
From there I worked my way up: steersman, pilot, captain.
About eight years in, I started making training and instructional videos.
Mentors
My dad, James Salinas, was my biggest mentor and my best friend. Called him daily — motivation, confidence, hard river knowledge. Started on the river March 1989, the month my mother became pregnant with me. Died on his 32nd anniversary as a towboater. The first time we passed each other with me as Captain of 40 loads at 26 — he was extremely proud.
Charles Dicus — "Bubba, don't steer to starboard until the two trees are in your port window." Most graceful pilot I have ever seen. Made Louisville bridges with 15 loads and placed the tow in the canal and lock without engaging the engine.
David Penix — "I can show you how to get out of sticky situations." Best friend on the river. "You gotta make it look worse before it's gonna get any better."
Chris Primm — Old-school. Ran the river on radar alone. Never consulted charts. If everyone could ride just a week with Chris Primm, they'd be a better pilot. Mark Twain would have written about him.
Randy Chamness — Port Captain. Promoted me to Pilot of 40 loads after 4 years. Captain after less than 1 year as Pilot. Truly cares for each employee.
Steve O'Ferrell — One of the most popular captains on the river. People wave from every passing boat. Fine-tuned my skills for up to 40 loaded barges.
Dave Bryant — I'd trust him with my life. Most humble person who's extremely skilled. Good ole country boy that will take anyone under his wing.
Brian Weibrecht — Pilot with the most detailed bar book on the river. Thousands of hours hand-drawing bars and notes on the entire system. If patented, that book could earn millions.
Also: Jack Kline, Charlie Stapleton.
Now
I’m Capt. Dustin Blaine Salinas.
CEO and founder of the Institute of Applied Integrated Biophysics.
U.S. Coast Guard Master of Towing — all waterways governed by the United States.
16 patents in 17 months. Not because I was trying to come up with patents. Someone brought me a problem, and I came up with a different solution.
When science comes up, I’m comfortable thinking in systems, mechanisms, evidence, and first principles.
Tech Stack
This portfolio is powered by Three.js (WebGPU) and Rapier physics.
Connect
Music
Ambient soundtrack by Kounine (Linktree).
— Dustin B. Salinas
Skills Radar
Five core domains — hover a node for details.
You earned it.
Most people never get this far.
Download Resume (PDF)But if you want the full story — there's more to find out there.
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Story Mode
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⚓ Past Life
The River
You stayed in the water too long.
The river remembers you.
Captain of 40 loaded barges at 26 — the first time we passed each other on the river, my dad was extremely proud.
U.S. Coast Guard Master of Towing — all waterways governed by the United States. Earned in 3 years, 10 months.
The water is not just a boundary — it is an entry point. Every system I build traces back to operating at scale on moving water.