Last Christmas, I paid GOG.com three dollars, that's three bones to you archaic slang lovers, for the privilege of experiencing a game called Divine Divinty, on the surface a Diablo-esque sort of Pavlovian piñata-bursting experience in which loot explodes from the corpses of my vanquished enemies while underneath a writhing mass of narrative and detail a la Morrowind lies waiting to be discovered. Yes, yes, it's a stupid name. I've heard all the jokes and read all the worst-10 lists. But it was a good game. Well, it was good until the rewards got too long in between and I'd been tired of being dumped in the pool. I'm getting ahead of myself, though. Let's start at the beginning.
I woke up with amnesia (snooze) to discover that I was in a small village of healers the leader of whom appeared to be going crazy. After a lot of one dimensional conversations, I learned of a rare but valuable set of dual pyramid-shaped paperweights that would let me teleport myself between them at will. I only possessed one of the set though. I had to find the other. And it was in some labyrinthine cellar that sat atop an ancient, evil cavern of evil. I couldn't access the evil cavern of evil though because locked doors barred my exit from the cellar. I knew treasure was down there and I wanted it bad but I couldn't find the right key to get in. But wait, someone told me that if I tried to use the teleporting stone I already carried right away, I could find the other immediately. So I did and I got walloped by an angry mob of sword-wielding skeletons. Repeatedly.
Start over.
I found the lever the next time. Between the designers uncanny ability to make levers that open necessary-to-unlock doors blend so seamlessly in with the same brownish/green palette hues of the wet dungeon walls and the fact that I was trying to look at this game through the modern resolution of 1680x1050, I simply couldn't see it. Anytime there's a locked door in a dark dungeon, I was going to have to go pixel hunting for levers. Brilliant. But the pixel hunting at unintended resolutions wasn't the only frustration I encountered.
Both the brilliance and major weakness of Divine Divinity both lie in it's simple gameplay/deep narrative coupling. The simple gameplay evolves naturally and in non-linear fashion. You can attempt to do any quest you can find although that does not usually mean you'd be able to complete it. But that only made for some utterly ridiculous conversations. For instance, after grinding through the game killing every outdoor monster I could find in all the main areas, I decided to continue on the main quest which took me to a castle ruled by a bratty teen-aged Duke who thinks he's God. During the conversation, the young Duke mentions the growing Orc army to the south exactly seventeen times and how dangerous they are and how we'd need a whole army of soldiers to rid the land of their presence. Of course, in my wanderings, I'd already slaughtered the entire Orc army including the commander single-handedly.
Still, in addition to some of those niggling problems, my major disappointment with Divine Divinity is that it seems to expect the player to want to figure out what to do next but I encountered lots of side quests and even got to a point in the main quest branch where I didn't know what to do next. The journal offered no clues. The map offered no clues. All I had was an NPC telling me to do something and not giving me enough details about it. After that happened a few times, I gave up. That's one thing that most modern games are starting to get right. Some might complain that they're too easy, that they're not hardcore enough. Eff that, I say. If I'm not having fun, constantly moving forward like a shark, I'm going to die of boredom . I don't want to have to spend time guessing what I should be doing next.
I'm not sure if I'll go back and play Divine Divinity to completion. I had probably reached the 30-40 hour mark and the game just didn't seem fun anymore, like the only reason I wanted to finish it was to hear the rest of the story. But the story is hardly worth it. We all know the player is supposed to be the holy one or the divine one or whatever so at this point, who really cares? It's the same reason I don't see the point in playing Mario or Zelda games for the narrative. We all know what happens. Princess disappears or gets kidnapped. Mario/Link navigate puzzles and jumping traps to rescue her.
Ok, so I probably won't finish it. But I totally loved the character skills that were available. None of the skills were confined to a particular tree or class. You really could choose any skill, mage-, warrior-, or theif-related, at any time. The game really does give you unlimited choices about how you could evolve and grow your character. And I loved the score. The music was great and seeing as you get the full soundtrack with the game through GOG, you really can't go wrong. Is it worth the $6 when the game isn't on sale? Absolutely.
Showing posts with label computers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label computers. Show all posts
Monday, December 13, 2010
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Stuff Nerds Like
I was recently introduced to a family I had never met. One of the daughters of the family had drawn a respectable looking female head at a three-quarters profile on the paper table cloth. The head was most definitely drawn in a generic anime style with slightly angular eyes and small triangular nose. Everyone near the table was remarking how good it looked and the artist was accepting the compliments well. Amy, who I think was looking for some nerd cred, remarked on its anime style. That's when the girl piped back, "Hey, someone else knows about it!"
And that right there, my friends, is what will perennially bug me about stuff nerds like. As a nerd myself, I understand the mindset. We certainly have a proclivity to dig into a particular topic that we enjoy and mine it until the depths of its caverns are seemingly unblemished by other human interests. Jewels of unique and interesting content remain partially un-mined and sparkling from smooth, unblemished walls, ready to be plucked for our discovery and marvel. It always seems to us, as we dig deeper into aspects of gaming, music, culture, whatever it may be, that no other person could have possibly ventured as deep into the mountain as we have. But it is guaranteed that someone else has done so but that we just don't know it yet. We fail to understand that this path has been worn for some time.
So my initial reaction to the girl's comment was to simply think to myself, "Oh great, one of those." Another budding fan of Japanese pop art and culture who feels as though she is alone in her obsession. Alone in terms of what scope? Her family? Sure, I could see it. My parents didn't and to some extent still don't understand some of things I like. Her friends? Less likely but still probable. But start expanding that scope from a narrow band to a wide, global radius and she will begin to find the kinship of like minds. It's inevitable.
Perhaps as someone who knows of life before the world suddenly became connected with itself, I understand better what it was to know the isolation of the nerd. Not many people I knew would seek out some of the gems that I did. Bulletin-board systems existed during my childhood, but I didn't understand them and therefore failed to see the amazing potential of interconnected machines and databases of information until early in my adulthood. But now that we have the opportunity to perseverate on any topic we so choose simply by powering on our Intertrons, we can easily find others who can share in our interests.
For now, however, we should leave this girl in her perceived wilderness, in her age of wandering. She will find her niche. She may not see it now, but she will find it. She will join us.
And that right there, my friends, is what will perennially bug me about stuff nerds like. As a nerd myself, I understand the mindset. We certainly have a proclivity to dig into a particular topic that we enjoy and mine it until the depths of its caverns are seemingly unblemished by other human interests. Jewels of unique and interesting content remain partially un-mined and sparkling from smooth, unblemished walls, ready to be plucked for our discovery and marvel. It always seems to us, as we dig deeper into aspects of gaming, music, culture, whatever it may be, that no other person could have possibly ventured as deep into the mountain as we have. But it is guaranteed that someone else has done so but that we just don't know it yet. We fail to understand that this path has been worn for some time.
So my initial reaction to the girl's comment was to simply think to myself, "Oh great, one of those." Another budding fan of Japanese pop art and culture who feels as though she is alone in her obsession. Alone in terms of what scope? Her family? Sure, I could see it. My parents didn't and to some extent still don't understand some of things I like. Her friends? Less likely but still probable. But start expanding that scope from a narrow band to a wide, global radius and she will begin to find the kinship of like minds. It's inevitable.
Perhaps as someone who knows of life before the world suddenly became connected with itself, I understand better what it was to know the isolation of the nerd. Not many people I knew would seek out some of the gems that I did. Bulletin-board systems existed during my childhood, but I didn't understand them and therefore failed to see the amazing potential of interconnected machines and databases of information until early in my adulthood. But now that we have the opportunity to perseverate on any topic we so choose simply by powering on our Intertrons, we can easily find others who can share in our interests.
For now, however, we should leave this girl in her perceived wilderness, in her age of wandering. She will find her niche. She may not see it now, but she will find it. She will join us.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Nerd Funny
I don't ever pre-order things. But the Korg DS-10's US release has me giddy with excitement so I did the unthinkable a couple of weekends ago: I plunked down my cash to purchase the idea of software. I pre-ordered this thing and I can't wait until they ship it to me on October 14th.
For those not in the know, the Korg DS-10 is a full-fledged synthesizer with step sequencer for the popular Nintendo DS. I was just over at Amazon watching the tutorial videos and getting excited about programming this thing. I haven't had a chance to really dig into sound synthesis for quite a while and this is going to be my fix for sure.
I can't think of any better concrete way to learn about the science of sound in a hands-on capacity than using a sequencer that lets you build a sound from its basic elements: sine waves. VCOs, VCAs, VCFs, EGs, S&H: all of these are acronyms with which you'll quickly become familiar and then after you play around for a while, suddenly it all starts to make sense. Actually, I think the VC part of those letters is pretty funny in the context of the DS. Those letters stand for Voltage Controlled, meaning actual electrical signals are being produced to generate the desired effect, but there's nothing voltage controlled about the DS-10 software. It is software, after all, and already completely in digital form. See? Ha ha. I told you it was funny. Nerd funny.
For those not in the know, the Korg DS-10 is a full-fledged synthesizer with step sequencer for the popular Nintendo DS. I was just over at Amazon watching the tutorial videos and getting excited about programming this thing. I haven't had a chance to really dig into sound synthesis for quite a while and this is going to be my fix for sure.
I can't think of any better concrete way to learn about the science of sound in a hands-on capacity than using a sequencer that lets you build a sound from its basic elements: sine waves. VCOs, VCAs, VCFs, EGs, S&H: all of these are acronyms with which you'll quickly become familiar and then after you play around for a while, suddenly it all starts to make sense. Actually, I think the VC part of those letters is pretty funny in the context of the DS. Those letters stand for Voltage Controlled, meaning actual electrical signals are being produced to generate the desired effect, but there's nothing voltage controlled about the DS-10 software. It is software, after all, and already completely in digital form. See? Ha ha. I told you it was funny. Nerd funny.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Warp Five, Mr. Sulu
I've been pretty busy at home over the past couple of weeks. I repainted the second bedroom. I've also moved my studio into that bedroom as well to make way for a nursery. I was a bit reluctant to do that, but now that I have it in here, it feels pretty good. There's a TV with a DVD player in here so that we can watch movies or TV shows while working out, plus the audio to the TV is routed to a home stereo unit for better audio playback. I then ran the stereo unit to the mixer that's connected to my computer so that if I want to record from the radio or the DVD player into Pro Tools, I can. I feel like Captain Kirk in here. It rules.
We had our childbirth class at the hospital on Saturday and it really has me excited. Well, that and I put the stroller together, installed the car seat bases, and spent more time getting the nursery ready last weekend.
Sandy and Evan, thanks for the cookies. They were really good. Evan will be glad to know that I'm taking some time to install the Doom 3 expansion and Last Man Standing mod update.
We had our childbirth class at the hospital on Saturday and it really has me excited. Well, that and I put the stroller together, installed the car seat bases, and spent more time getting the nursery ready last weekend.
Sandy and Evan, thanks for the cookies. They were really good. Evan will be glad to know that I'm taking some time to install the Doom 3 expansion and Last Man Standing mod update.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Next Stop, The White House!
One of my favorite quotes was uttered by W. C. Fields, "If at first you don't succeed, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it." The first time I'd ever seen those words, they were posted on the wall in the room of my high school government and economics teacher. Unfortunately for him (or me, I can't quite decide), I did not take those words to heart, especially when it came to his tests. Ironically, I think he eventually began to give me points for persistence or perhaps pity when, as the answer to every single question about a specific bit of legislation enacted half a century prior to my birth, I would answer "The Hawley-Smoot Tariff," which is perfectly real but something about which I was painfully uneducated considering that I had only heard about it while reading Dave Barry essays aloud with my friends instead of studying for the government exams. But years later, my youthful persistence to remain ignorant would eventually worm its way back to considering the Fields quote in the context of a harsher reality.
Earlier as a preteen, I loved both playing games with and programming computers. At the time, when asked if I'd had a hobby, I would respond that programming was it and also that I was considering a career in it. Again unfortunately for me, once I became old enough to study such subjects in high school, I discovered that I was good at music and that I liked girls, not to mention that I had also developed a healthy distaste for actually being in high school, which put a premature cap on the progression of my programming skills. But as a college student, I was reintroduced to computer games via Duke Nukem 3D and found that the games I had imagined as only a possibility as a child were now actually being made. It also did not escape me that, not only were those games being made, there was decent music to go along with them, music that someone probably got paid to write. I made up my mind then and there as an undergraduate student struggling to discover what exactly it was that I wanted to do with myself for another fifty years, to embrace my roots and focus on a career in technology as it related to music and sound.
Of course, little did I know at the time that my chances of making music as a career, even in the burgeoning days of computer games' surging popularity, were about as slim or slimmer than my becoming the President of the United States based on my knowledge of the Hawley-Smoot Tariff. I was determined that I could blunder my way in based on my love and knowledge of music and naively applied to every open position I found while sending some truly pathetic examples of demo reel non-showmanship including cassettes with unmarked labels and blank CDs with Sharpie-d contact information scrawled onto the surface. Yes, I have been guilty of these faux pas and more but I do not, however, apologize for anything because without any training or guidance of any kind, I was making it up as I went along, like a jazz solo or a high school government essay exam.
Once I successfully realized that I had a screen door's chance at being built into a submarine of landing an audio gig, I did what anyone with a dream of fantastic underdog success might do. I held onto my dream like a convict guarding his cigarettes, garnered a string of singularly terrible jobs, and continued to work on learning the skills that would someday enable me to make audio for video games. The journey has led me over five hundred miles through blue collar enslavement, entitled trust fund baby classmates and ivory-tower academics, and even a slightly off-target, but related career. However, even with almost half a decade of additional experience holding a related job and an equal amount of time devoted to the attainment of the job, I still could not get the time of day from the game industry if I stopped it on the street and offered it cash. It is as though I am constantly running five steps behind the departing bus, always making it to the door just after it's been closed and locked.
What turns a simple goal into a dream and what drives us to chase them so stubbornly? Perhaps it is the faith that success comes to those who are persistent and patient. But perhaps that success also comes from one's ability to be clever, crafty, or ingenious, to know how to turn the tide in one's favor with a simpler idea. Then, there is also the question of fortune, the act of being in the right place at the right time. Speaking for myself, I feel as though I have the persistence and patience down to a science. But I must lack the ingenuity to truly follow through. Not to mention that the very idea of simple fortune seems as strange to me as any. In any case, I don't know what the future will bring, but if the past is any indication, the words of W. C. Fields continue to resonate with my experiences. Perhaps I should quit my job and run for office.
Earlier as a preteen, I loved both playing games with and programming computers. At the time, when asked if I'd had a hobby, I would respond that programming was it and also that I was considering a career in it. Again unfortunately for me, once I became old enough to study such subjects in high school, I discovered that I was good at music and that I liked girls, not to mention that I had also developed a healthy distaste for actually being in high school, which put a premature cap on the progression of my programming skills. But as a college student, I was reintroduced to computer games via Duke Nukem 3D and found that the games I had imagined as only a possibility as a child were now actually being made. It also did not escape me that, not only were those games being made, there was decent music to go along with them, music that someone probably got paid to write. I made up my mind then and there as an undergraduate student struggling to discover what exactly it was that I wanted to do with myself for another fifty years, to embrace my roots and focus on a career in technology as it related to music and sound.
Of course, little did I know at the time that my chances of making music as a career, even in the burgeoning days of computer games' surging popularity, were about as slim or slimmer than my becoming the President of the United States based on my knowledge of the Hawley-Smoot Tariff. I was determined that I could blunder my way in based on my love and knowledge of music and naively applied to every open position I found while sending some truly pathetic examples of demo reel non-showmanship including cassettes with unmarked labels and blank CDs with Sharpie-d contact information scrawled onto the surface. Yes, I have been guilty of these faux pas and more but I do not, however, apologize for anything because without any training or guidance of any kind, I was making it up as I went along, like a jazz solo or a high school government essay exam.
Once I successfully realized that I had a screen door's chance at being built into a submarine of landing an audio gig, I did what anyone with a dream of fantastic underdog success might do. I held onto my dream like a convict guarding his cigarettes, garnered a string of singularly terrible jobs, and continued to work on learning the skills that would someday enable me to make audio for video games. The journey has led me over five hundred miles through blue collar enslavement, entitled trust fund baby classmates and ivory-tower academics, and even a slightly off-target, but related career. However, even with almost half a decade of additional experience holding a related job and an equal amount of time devoted to the attainment of the job, I still could not get the time of day from the game industry if I stopped it on the street and offered it cash. It is as though I am constantly running five steps behind the departing bus, always making it to the door just after it's been closed and locked.
What turns a simple goal into a dream and what drives us to chase them so stubbornly? Perhaps it is the faith that success comes to those who are persistent and patient. But perhaps that success also comes from one's ability to be clever, crafty, or ingenious, to know how to turn the tide in one's favor with a simpler idea. Then, there is also the question of fortune, the act of being in the right place at the right time. Speaking for myself, I feel as though I have the persistence and patience down to a science. But I must lack the ingenuity to truly follow through. Not to mention that the very idea of simple fortune seems as strange to me as any. In any case, I don't know what the future will bring, but if the past is any indication, the words of W. C. Fields continue to resonate with my experiences. Perhaps I should quit my job and run for office.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Deadlines
I haven't missed a full month without a post yet and I'm not going to let this month be the first time that happens. I've been really busy lately with work as I've taken on a freelance position editing some voice files. I've put in an additional 25 hours or so of work per week which leaves much less time for blogging my nonsense here. However, the gig pays decently at about 80 cents per file with the potential to get an additional 20 cents per file for every file completed at the end of the project.
This extra work has provided me with the extra income to finally get the MacBook that I had been admiring. It's really a Christmas present for both Amy and myself supplemented by the addition of a wireless router so that Amy can have a connection to the Internet if I'm on the PC. She's usually frustrated every other Thursday when Evan and I have our semi-weekly game nights and she can't get on the web. So, now that I've set things up, she can sit in the living room and pay bills online or check her email while I'm slaying mighty demons and picking up that phat lootz they drop. I have to admit that I'm pretty enamored with the laptop/wireless network, too. It's a lot more comfortable to write this post from the comfort of our big chair in the living room with a warm kitty beside me than from my desktop PC upstairs.
Finally, I also picked up an Mbox 2 so that I can have Pro Tools for the laptop. I've used Pro Tools almost exclusively for the past three years and I've become very adept at getting work done in that environment so I needed something to speed up my time on the freelance work I've been doing. Sound Forge does the job, but I can really fly in Pro Tools. When the files are short an clean I can hit between 90 and 100 per hour which is a pretty good clip. I really have to be in the zone to get those numbers though. I'm pleased when I can keep my speed between 50 and 60 files per hour.
This extra work has provided me with the extra income to finally get the MacBook that I had been admiring. It's really a Christmas present for both Amy and myself supplemented by the addition of a wireless router so that Amy can have a connection to the Internet if I'm on the PC. She's usually frustrated every other Thursday when Evan and I have our semi-weekly game nights and she can't get on the web. So, now that I've set things up, she can sit in the living room and pay bills online or check her email while I'm slaying mighty demons and picking up that phat lootz they drop. I have to admit that I'm pretty enamored with the laptop/wireless network, too. It's a lot more comfortable to write this post from the comfort of our big chair in the living room with a warm kitty beside me than from my desktop PC upstairs.
Finally, I also picked up an Mbox 2 so that I can have Pro Tools for the laptop. I've used Pro Tools almost exclusively for the past three years and I've become very adept at getting work done in that environment so I needed something to speed up my time on the freelance work I've been doing. Sound Forge does the job, but I can really fly in Pro Tools. When the files are short an clean I can hit between 90 and 100 per hour which is a pretty good clip. I really have to be in the zone to get those numbers though. I'm pleased when I can keep my speed between 50 and 60 files per hour.
Friday, August 25, 2006
Dead Drive
My optical drive crapped out on me this evening. It's kind of frustrating since I've been having a good time ripping my CDs lately. Thankfully, I'm almost positive that it's covered under Newegg's return policy so I'm going to call tomorrow for an RMA. Until then, I'll have to swap the dead drive out with my old combo drive.
[UPDATE 8.25 7:59PM]I swapped the faulty drive out for my old combo drive and it unexpectedly solved another problem. The faulty drive was somehow triggering the LED that responds to hard drive activity and had been for a while, but the older drive doesn't do that. I have no idea how or why that happened, but it couldn't have been good. I'm glad to get that bad drive out of my machine.
[UPDATE 8.25 7:59PM]I swapped the faulty drive out for my old combo drive and it unexpectedly solved another problem. The faulty drive was somehow triggering the LED that responds to hard drive activity and had been for a while, but the older drive doesn't do that. I have no idea how or why that happened, but it couldn't have been good. I'm glad to get that bad drive out of my machine.
Monday, March 13, 2006
INFORMation
So far, giving up playing video games in a solitary setting has been fun. Yes, I've been able to fill that time with chores and the like, but I've also had time for various endeavors that I always find myself thinking about but never actually doing.
For instance, I've started to rediscover programming text adventures in the Inform language. I first learned about Inform in a computer game design class that I took while in graduate school, now a seemingly distant four years prior. When I took the course, I enjoyed immersing myself in the language, which I would describe as object-oriented with a generous dash of syntactical verbosity a la BASIC, but due to the ugly fact that I had a deadline for a project, I couldn't spend time learning how to elegantly implement some of the interesting ideas that I had.
Now that I have no pressure to complete an assignment, I have been able to spend more time learning the basics of the language using the Inform Beginner's Guide. This guide did not exist in its current state when I took the game design course and if I had had the opportunity (or the time) to read through it before starting my project, I could have saved myself from a few headaches. I've already learned more about Inform by reading the Beginner's Guide than I did in three weeks of sporadic coding and begging classmates in the class newsgroup for tips and advice.
Also, the pleasantly warm weather on Saturday gave me the opportunity to get the bikes out of the shed so that Amy and I could go on a ride. It made me excited to be able to ride my bike to and from work again, but Amy did not hesitate to offer a reminder of my excitement in August when I'm sick to death of it and want nothing more than to take the bus. Viva la difference, I say!
On the job front, there is no further news to report. I sent them answers to their written, pre-interview questions, which they have probably reviewed by now. I expect to hear from them in the next couple of days if they are indeed interested.
For instance, I've started to rediscover programming text adventures in the Inform language. I first learned about Inform in a computer game design class that I took while in graduate school, now a seemingly distant four years prior. When I took the course, I enjoyed immersing myself in the language, which I would describe as object-oriented with a generous dash of syntactical verbosity a la BASIC, but due to the ugly fact that I had a deadline for a project, I couldn't spend time learning how to elegantly implement some of the interesting ideas that I had.
Now that I have no pressure to complete an assignment, I have been able to spend more time learning the basics of the language using the Inform Beginner's Guide. This guide did not exist in its current state when I took the game design course and if I had had the opportunity (or the time) to read through it before starting my project, I could have saved myself from a few headaches. I've already learned more about Inform by reading the Beginner's Guide than I did in three weeks of sporadic coding and begging classmates in the class newsgroup for tips and advice.
Also, the pleasantly warm weather on Saturday gave me the opportunity to get the bikes out of the shed so that Amy and I could go on a ride. It made me excited to be able to ride my bike to and from work again, but Amy did not hesitate to offer a reminder of my excitement in August when I'm sick to death of it and want nothing more than to take the bus. Viva la difference, I say!
On the job front, there is no further news to report. I sent them answers to their written, pre-interview questions, which they have probably reviewed by now. I expect to hear from them in the next couple of days if they are indeed interested.
Monday, December 05, 2005
Killer Road Trip
For the four people who read these ramblings, I apologize that November was a slow month for posts. But, I was so busy with other things that posting just kind of went away and hid under a bed for awhile.
After I finished building my new computer, Amy and I packed up our belongings and partied east coast stylee in VA Beach (prounounced "vuh-beech", as Mike Parker always used to say). Adam and Theresa's wedding festivities went well and if you're curious about any of the goings on, please email me. I'd love to document what happened, but despite the lack of huge readership on this blog, I'd feel a little weird about making it all so public. Besides, if you're one of those four people I mentioned before, you probably already know all of the fun, juicy stuff anyway.
The week after wedding was Thanksgiving so Amy and I spent that time with family in PA since we were already over that way. It had been colder than normal in Virginia, but when we got to PA it did nothing but snow. At least, in my memory it did nothing but snow. On Thanksgiving Day proper, while traveling to Amy's grandparents house, we actually had to pull off of the road for about 10-15 minutes due to white-out conditions. I couldn't see anything beyond the hood of our borrowed car. No thanks.
Speaking of traveling mishaps, I've never felt safer on a plane than when I was in the cab on our return trip home from the airport. As we were pulling away from the terminal, navigating the tangled S-curves that lead traffic away from the airport, the driver's phone rang. He was looking for it but couldn't find it. Amy spotted the phone and tried to hand it to him, thrusting his arm well in front of his field of vision so that he could easily see it without looking around. However, as Amy exclaimed that she had his phone, he turned his entire torso toward the back seat. At that point the cab promptly careened into another cab in the adjacent lane. It was just a small dent and some paint so after a few minutes and exchanged insurance information we were on our way home again. The rest of the trip was only mildly harrowing, but it was not without a race against some falling railroad crossing gates. If I hadn't been so tired, I might have kissed the asphalt of our driveway when we pulled up to the house.
So, now that we've been home for just over a week, the Christmas tree is up and the lights are on the bushes outside or front window, complete with a frosty covering of fresh snow. I'm bored. When's my next vacation?
After I finished building my new computer, Amy and I packed up our belongings and partied east coast stylee in VA Beach (prounounced "vuh-beech", as Mike Parker always used to say). Adam and Theresa's wedding festivities went well and if you're curious about any of the goings on, please email me. I'd love to document what happened, but despite the lack of huge readership on this blog, I'd feel a little weird about making it all so public. Besides, if you're one of those four people I mentioned before, you probably already know all of the fun, juicy stuff anyway.
The week after wedding was Thanksgiving so Amy and I spent that time with family in PA since we were already over that way. It had been colder than normal in Virginia, but when we got to PA it did nothing but snow. At least, in my memory it did nothing but snow. On Thanksgiving Day proper, while traveling to Amy's grandparents house, we actually had to pull off of the road for about 10-15 minutes due to white-out conditions. I couldn't see anything beyond the hood of our borrowed car. No thanks.
Speaking of traveling mishaps, I've never felt safer on a plane than when I was in the cab on our return trip home from the airport. As we were pulling away from the terminal, navigating the tangled S-curves that lead traffic away from the airport, the driver's phone rang. He was looking for it but couldn't find it. Amy spotted the phone and tried to hand it to him, thrusting his arm well in front of his field of vision so that he could easily see it without looking around. However, as Amy exclaimed that she had his phone, he turned his entire torso toward the back seat. At that point the cab promptly careened into another cab in the adjacent lane. It was just a small dent and some paint so after a few minutes and exchanged insurance information we were on our way home again. The rest of the trip was only mildly harrowing, but it was not without a race against some falling railroad crossing gates. If I hadn't been so tired, I might have kissed the asphalt of our driveway when we pulled up to the house.
So, now that we've been home for just over a week, the Christmas tree is up and the lights are on the bushes outside or front window, complete with a frosty covering of fresh snow. I'm bored. When's my next vacation?
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Sinatra is Alive!
The parts I ordered to build the new computer arrived Monday so as soon I returned home, I set my attention to assembling the machine. Most of the hardware assembly was smooth sailing. The only part of the assembly that gave me some trouble was after I had installed the DVD and floppy drives. To install those drives, I had to remove the front of the case in order to remove the face plates that line the outside of the drive bays. The drives installed without a hitch, but getting the front of the case back on proved difficult. Basically, there were two pairs of plastic tabs just behind the hole on the case front that prevented the DVD drive from fitting through it. I ended up having to file both sets of tabs down just a little bit to get the front of the case to fit around the drive.
I started the assembly at around 7pm and by 10:30pm, the moment of truth when I powered on the machine was a relief when I saw the monitor flicker as the board ran its POST. All systems were go and a few minutes later, I was checking to make sure that all of the drives were recognized and adjusting the boot drive sequence in the BIOS. I'm never happier to see the words "BOOT DISK FAILURE! PLEASE INSERT A BOOTABLE DISK.", than after a successful hardware installation.
I had wanted to be done with the hardware installation on Monday night, but I didn't quite make it because I hadn't routed any of the cables in any discernable order to make things look clean. The inside of the case was just a jumble of power cables, data cables, and electronics. So last night, I spent a couple of hours rerouting the cables to make the area around the motherboard as easy to work on as possible. There's still a couple of audio cables from the front panel that I wish could be routed differently, but unfortunately they are not long enough to reach all the way to the back of the case without cutting straight across the RAM just under the CPU. It's not pretty, but it has to be that way.
After that was done, I started in on my least favorite part of the process, installing the operating system. The installation process itself is never that difficult, but the tedious process of reestablishing internet connectivity and getting all of the necessary hardware drivers installed can sometimes be a real pain. I had some initial trouble getting my internet connectivity back because the drivers that control the built-in ethernet port on the motherboard weren't installed initially. I inserted the driver CD that came with the motherboard and proceeded to load any drivers and software that had something to do with networking on an nForce chipset motherboard. That turned out to be a mistake. I'll get to that a little later.
My plan for Tuesday night was to 1) Install the OS, 2) Install the latest chipset drivers, 3) Flash the BIOS to the latest version, and 4) Install the latest video drivers. Once I had an internet connection, I almost immedeatly began getting popup windows that were reporting some scary things like, "Windows has detected 55 critical registry errors!" and "Every computer that isn't running ME is going to self-destruct in 30 seconds!" Since this was a clean install, those messages seemed fishy. So I ignored the warnings, plowed ahead with my installation of Service Pack 2, and as I suspected, those messages went away. I later discovered that it was a flaw in Service Pack 1a that caused Windows Messenger to send reports like that erroneously. How... helpful.
Once I had Service Pack 2 installed, it was time to grab the latest nForce4 drivers. Remember that I had just installed a bunch of drivers for the motherboard as well as some software. It wasn't necessarily a mistake to install the drivers, but I also installed the nVidia Firewall and the nVidia Network Administration Management (NAM) tools. Nothing seemed awry until I went to nVidia's support website to download the latest version of the nForce chipset drivers. I started the download, which seemed abnormally slow, and once they were successfully downloaded I began the installation process. However, I was only seconds into the installation when Windows quickly reported that the file that I had downloaded was corrupt. So, I tried downloading it again with the same results. I tried downloading the file from all three mirror sites also with the same results. I tried downloading beta drivers from third party sites still with identical results: FILE IS CORRUPT!
At this point, I knew something was weird so I Googled "corrupt nForce4 drivers" and found a wealth of information that all pointed to the nVidia Firewall and the NAM tools as a source of many corrupt downloads and heaps of frustration. So, I uninstalled those tools and rebooted. On reboot, the OS failed to start. I restarted the machine again and began to consider a format and another fresh install. While I was searching for my printed instructions about how to do that, I had neglected to watch the screen and when I looked up, it was asking me if I wanted to boot into Safe Mode or try for normal operation. But I had missed the countdown. Windows began to boot up normally and I crossed my fingers. Lo and behold, it worked! Finally, I had some success.
With the Firewall and NAM culprits out of the system, the nForce download and install went smoothly. Once I had the new chipset drivers installed, I went to my motherboard's support site, downloaded the latest BIOS and flashed it to the chip. All was still well with the world. Lastly, around 1am, I put the finishing touches on the basics of my new system by installing the video drivers. Earlier, Amy had come up with the idea of naming all of the computers on the eventual network after crooners. So my new machine, Sinatra, is up and running and will be ready for its debut on Thursday, with Evan and Serious Sam 2. I can't wait.
I started the assembly at around 7pm and by 10:30pm, the moment of truth when I powered on the machine was a relief when I saw the monitor flicker as the board ran its POST. All systems were go and a few minutes later, I was checking to make sure that all of the drives were recognized and adjusting the boot drive sequence in the BIOS. I'm never happier to see the words "BOOT DISK FAILURE! PLEASE INSERT A BOOTABLE DISK.", than after a successful hardware installation.
I had wanted to be done with the hardware installation on Monday night, but I didn't quite make it because I hadn't routed any of the cables in any discernable order to make things look clean. The inside of the case was just a jumble of power cables, data cables, and electronics. So last night, I spent a couple of hours rerouting the cables to make the area around the motherboard as easy to work on as possible. There's still a couple of audio cables from the front panel that I wish could be routed differently, but unfortunately they are not long enough to reach all the way to the back of the case without cutting straight across the RAM just under the CPU. It's not pretty, but it has to be that way.
After that was done, I started in on my least favorite part of the process, installing the operating system. The installation process itself is never that difficult, but the tedious process of reestablishing internet connectivity and getting all of the necessary hardware drivers installed can sometimes be a real pain. I had some initial trouble getting my internet connectivity back because the drivers that control the built-in ethernet port on the motherboard weren't installed initially. I inserted the driver CD that came with the motherboard and proceeded to load any drivers and software that had something to do with networking on an nForce chipset motherboard. That turned out to be a mistake. I'll get to that a little later.
My plan for Tuesday night was to 1) Install the OS, 2) Install the latest chipset drivers, 3) Flash the BIOS to the latest version, and 4) Install the latest video drivers. Once I had an internet connection, I almost immedeatly began getting popup windows that were reporting some scary things like, "Windows has detected 55 critical registry errors!" and "Every computer that isn't running ME is going to self-destruct in 30 seconds!" Since this was a clean install, those messages seemed fishy. So I ignored the warnings, plowed ahead with my installation of Service Pack 2, and as I suspected, those messages went away. I later discovered that it was a flaw in Service Pack 1a that caused Windows Messenger to send reports like that erroneously. How... helpful.
Once I had Service Pack 2 installed, it was time to grab the latest nForce4 drivers. Remember that I had just installed a bunch of drivers for the motherboard as well as some software. It wasn't necessarily a mistake to install the drivers, but I also installed the nVidia Firewall and the nVidia Network Administration Management (NAM) tools. Nothing seemed awry until I went to nVidia's support website to download the latest version of the nForce chipset drivers. I started the download, which seemed abnormally slow, and once they were successfully downloaded I began the installation process. However, I was only seconds into the installation when Windows quickly reported that the file that I had downloaded was corrupt. So, I tried downloading it again with the same results. I tried downloading the file from all three mirror sites also with the same results. I tried downloading beta drivers from third party sites still with identical results: FILE IS CORRUPT!
At this point, I knew something was weird so I Googled "corrupt nForce4 drivers" and found a wealth of information that all pointed to the nVidia Firewall and the NAM tools as a source of many corrupt downloads and heaps of frustration. So, I uninstalled those tools and rebooted. On reboot, the OS failed to start. I restarted the machine again and began to consider a format and another fresh install. While I was searching for my printed instructions about how to do that, I had neglected to watch the screen and when I looked up, it was asking me if I wanted to boot into Safe Mode or try for normal operation. But I had missed the countdown. Windows began to boot up normally and I crossed my fingers. Lo and behold, it worked! Finally, I had some success.
With the Firewall and NAM culprits out of the system, the nForce download and install went smoothly. Once I had the new chipset drivers installed, I went to my motherboard's support site, downloaded the latest BIOS and flashed it to the chip. All was still well with the world. Lastly, around 1am, I put the finishing touches on the basics of my new system by installing the video drivers. Earlier, Amy had come up with the idea of naming all of the computers on the eventual network after crooners. So my new machine, Sinatra, is up and running and will be ready for its debut on Thursday, with Evan and Serious Sam 2. I can't wait.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Holy Christmas Garbage Computer, Batman!
Last weekend started and ended wonderfully. Amy had the day off and she picked me up from work at 2pm instead of my usual 5pm. Then we went on a short shopping spree in search of a new artificial Christmas tree. We weren't really finding anything that we liked for quite a while, probably due to the fact that the stores were only beginning to push their Christmas stock onto the sales floor. But, we stopped at Menards just to check and found that all of their display trees, while not yet decorated, at least were assembled and ready for our perusal.
At Menards, we found a nice 7.5' tree that weighed in at around 2200 tips. It really is a very robust fake pine. Our only mistake was that we neglected to think of the diameter of the bottom of the tree as the measurement of a circle. To us, it was merely a linear measurement and we liked the idea of wide tree to fill the display window in our living room. However, when Amy finally set it up, the base of the tree must have been almost three feet from the wall with no room to move closer. She realized our error and called me from my World of Warcraft session with Ian to determine our course of action. In the end, we decided to keep the tree and put it in the corner by the half wall next to the door. We decided to leave off a few branches on the bottom tier so that we can inch the base a little closer to the wall. No one will ever be the wiser and that way we can keep the most excellent tree.
Saturday was then upon us and after my second appointment at the dentist to have some cavities filled, our near future was bright with promise. I took my shoes off and walked into the kitchen where the dishwasher was running. I stepped up to the sink to wash my hands, but quickly retracted my left foot when it came into unexpected contact with a puddle of water. I reached for a paper towel to mop up the water but as I did so I noticed that the puddle stretched from the left cabinet under the sink all the way over to the doorway by the dining room. Suspecting the worst, I opened the door that hides the garbage disposal and could immediately see that water had been leaking through the bottom of the disposal through its electrical system and into the cabinet.
After emptying the cabinet, with Amy's help I began to take apart some of the waterways that connect the disposal to the foul hells buried deep in the bowels of the earth into which water waste is cast. Only a few slices of unground melon rind remeained lodged in the trap from the previous evening, not nearly enough to cause a leak of such magnitude. We knew then that there was a problem with the disposal itself and realized from the documentation we received when we moved into the house that our In-Sink-Erator, model Badger V, was installed over 18 years prior and was probably calling to us in a desperate plea for retirement. So, only a couple hours had passed before Amy found a Consumer Reports approved disposal as well as a local company that would install the unit. The new garbage disposal is now installed and working at a sound intensity level that is at least 15dB more quiet than that beast of a Badger V. We can actually hear each other speak while the new unit is running without having to scream.
That evening, after the festivities, we went to Jeff and Jen's apartment to watch Batman Begins, which was definitely a movie we should have seen in the theater if we had wanted the full impact of the experience. Nevertheless, we had a good time and after leaving Jeff and Jen's we returned home in time to catch some sleep in expectation of Sunday. The first half of Sunday was typical, but after church both Amy and I went on a bike ride through the trees that were probably around the peak colors for the fall season. It was a beautiful ride and we were happy to get some time to spend in the brisk October air.
In other news, I've been kicking around the idea of building another computer for a number of months now, having built at least three new systems on paper but never committing to the actual purchase and assembly process. That changed today, though. I ordered almost all the necessary parts from my favorite online retailer and hopefully the new machine will be ready to roll by the end of next week. The only item I neglected to order was a floppy disk drive, which for some reason still clings to the strings of necessity as a member of a the new computer hardware suite. I decided to go with an SLI-capable motherboard for future expansion. I also chose an nVidia 6800GT video card, the top of the line from the previous generation, which saved me almost $100 from the middle-of-the-road 7800GT. Eventually, as prices drop, I'll add another identical video card to utilize the motherboard's SLI capabilites and boost its graphical performance even further. I'll avoid posting any further specific specs here so as not to spur all of my nerd friends into a spastic frenzy while they point out every minute error in my product choices. I'll save that for face to face conversations. In the end, I'm looking forward to enjoying PC gaming again.
At Menards, we found a nice 7.5' tree that weighed in at around 2200 tips. It really is a very robust fake pine. Our only mistake was that we neglected to think of the diameter of the bottom of the tree as the measurement of a circle. To us, it was merely a linear measurement and we liked the idea of wide tree to fill the display window in our living room. However, when Amy finally set it up, the base of the tree must have been almost three feet from the wall with no room to move closer. She realized our error and called me from my World of Warcraft session with Ian to determine our course of action. In the end, we decided to keep the tree and put it in the corner by the half wall next to the door. We decided to leave off a few branches on the bottom tier so that we can inch the base a little closer to the wall. No one will ever be the wiser and that way we can keep the most excellent tree.
Saturday was then upon us and after my second appointment at the dentist to have some cavities filled, our near future was bright with promise. I took my shoes off and walked into the kitchen where the dishwasher was running. I stepped up to the sink to wash my hands, but quickly retracted my left foot when it came into unexpected contact with a puddle of water. I reached for a paper towel to mop up the water but as I did so I noticed that the puddle stretched from the left cabinet under the sink all the way over to the doorway by the dining room. Suspecting the worst, I opened the door that hides the garbage disposal and could immediately see that water had been leaking through the bottom of the disposal through its electrical system and into the cabinet.
After emptying the cabinet, with Amy's help I began to take apart some of the waterways that connect the disposal to the foul hells buried deep in the bowels of the earth into which water waste is cast. Only a few slices of unground melon rind remeained lodged in the trap from the previous evening, not nearly enough to cause a leak of such magnitude. We knew then that there was a problem with the disposal itself and realized from the documentation we received when we moved into the house that our In-Sink-Erator, model Badger V, was installed over 18 years prior and was probably calling to us in a desperate plea for retirement. So, only a couple hours had passed before Amy found a Consumer Reports approved disposal as well as a local company that would install the unit. The new garbage disposal is now installed and working at a sound intensity level that is at least 15dB more quiet than that beast of a Badger V. We can actually hear each other speak while the new unit is running without having to scream.
That evening, after the festivities, we went to Jeff and Jen's apartment to watch Batman Begins, which was definitely a movie we should have seen in the theater if we had wanted the full impact of the experience. Nevertheless, we had a good time and after leaving Jeff and Jen's we returned home in time to catch some sleep in expectation of Sunday. The first half of Sunday was typical, but after church both Amy and I went on a bike ride through the trees that were probably around the peak colors for the fall season. It was a beautiful ride and we were happy to get some time to spend in the brisk October air.
In other news, I've been kicking around the idea of building another computer for a number of months now, having built at least three new systems on paper but never committing to the actual purchase and assembly process. That changed today, though. I ordered almost all the necessary parts from my favorite online retailer and hopefully the new machine will be ready to roll by the end of next week. The only item I neglected to order was a floppy disk drive, which for some reason still clings to the strings of necessity as a member of a the new computer hardware suite. I decided to go with an SLI-capable motherboard for future expansion. I also chose an nVidia 6800GT video card, the top of the line from the previous generation, which saved me almost $100 from the middle-of-the-road 7800GT. Eventually, as prices drop, I'll add another identical video card to utilize the motherboard's SLI capabilites and boost its graphical performance even further. I'll avoid posting any further specific specs here so as not to spur all of my nerd friends into a spastic frenzy while they point out every minute error in my product choices. I'll save that for face to face conversations. In the end, I'm looking forward to enjoying PC gaming again.
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Back-up Before B-Fest
The annual B-movie festival B-Fest will wreak its own brand of cinematic havok on the campus of my alma mater this weekend. Dennis and I will most certainly be in attendance. However, I consider us only two of the lucky few who were able to acquire tickets. The entire event sold out in just two and a half days. That's under 72 hours to you and me, Jimmy. Next year, I expect a nerd riot.
However, even more pathetic than an all out dork brawl over a festival of terrible movies, are the dorks who have seen the current line-up of movies already. I must admit that I have already seen three of the movies on this year's list, but my dorkiness pales in comparison to Dennis who has seen almost all of them. As he has already been primed by the opportunity to preview this year's selection, I expect his jokes to be of the utmost caliber.
On other notes, Evan and Sandy were forced to cancel their trip to our house this past weekend due to the weather. After shoveling the driveway and marveling at the result of my task, two 4.5 foot piles of snow flanking the driveway, I agreed that remaining in their hometown bunker was a wise decision.
The uncooperative weather did give me a chance to change out my problematic hard drive, however. I no longer have to live in fear that I will never see my precious data again if the machine were to shut down inadvertently. Not that I would have been at a complete loss if it actually had occurred, though. I do backup my data on a regular basis just in case such a thing were to happen. I hope you do, too.
However, even more pathetic than an all out dork brawl over a festival of terrible movies, are the dorks who have seen the current line-up of movies already. I must admit that I have already seen three of the movies on this year's list, but my dorkiness pales in comparison to Dennis who has seen almost all of them. As he has already been primed by the opportunity to preview this year's selection, I expect his jokes to be of the utmost caliber.
On other notes, Evan and Sandy were forced to cancel their trip to our house this past weekend due to the weather. After shoveling the driveway and marveling at the result of my task, two 4.5 foot piles of snow flanking the driveway, I agreed that remaining in their hometown bunker was a wise decision.
The uncooperative weather did give me a chance to change out my problematic hard drive, however. I no longer have to live in fear that I will never see my precious data again if the machine were to shut down inadvertently. Not that I would have been at a complete loss if it actually had occurred, though. I do backup my data on a regular basis just in case such a thing were to happen. I hope you do, too.
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Seven Days and All's Well
Amy and I hosted a small Thanksgiving celebration this year. We invited my family for a few days so the task of the creating a meal was not insurmountable. Amy handmade an apple pie this year that was truly excellent. I hope she makes one again sometime. Everyone had a fun time and the week went by very quickly.
Also because of the holiday, Evan and I had to forgo our game night, but we'll resume on Thursday as normal. I need to remember to ask him to store my Neverwinter character on the server as I think my hard drive is failing. This happened once in August, but it seemed to be fluke because it hasn't occurred again since then. Every so often it clicks and whirrs on boot in a not so normal way until the BIOS tells me it can't find it, so basically I'm shopping for a new one. I'd like a bigger one anyway. Who wouldn't? (insert your joke here) Ba-dump ching!
In other minor irritation news, I had to stay late at work on the first day back after the vacation. It was only 30 minutes, but that usually means I don't get home until 6:30pm instead of 5:30pm because I miss my bus, which was indeed the case in this instance. But despite the inconvenience, I can rest easily knowing that children in the UK will not be forced to wait any longer than necessary for their Postman Pat book.
Also because of the holiday, Evan and I had to forgo our game night, but we'll resume on Thursday as normal. I need to remember to ask him to store my Neverwinter character on the server as I think my hard drive is failing. This happened once in August, but it seemed to be fluke because it hasn't occurred again since then. Every so often it clicks and whirrs on boot in a not so normal way until the BIOS tells me it can't find it, so basically I'm shopping for a new one. I'd like a bigger one anyway. Who wouldn't? (insert your joke here) Ba-dump ching!
In other minor irritation news, I had to stay late at work on the first day back after the vacation. It was only 30 minutes, but that usually means I don't get home until 6:30pm instead of 5:30pm because I miss my bus, which was indeed the case in this instance. But despite the inconvenience, I can rest easily knowing that children in the UK will not be forced to wait any longer than necessary for their Postman Pat book.
Monday, November 15, 2004
License to Ill
It has been slow going for the last 10 days. As of my last post, Amy was sick and as you might expect, I was next in line for the newest version of the flu virus. I actually took a day off of work on Monday, November 8th because I wasn't feeling well. I had been saving that day for sometime next year, but in the end, I made the right decision to stay home. That was the worst day of one of the nastier colds that I've had in the past few years. I'm still recovering actually, but the only symptom left is a nagging cough that enjoys waking me up at 2:30am.
On a better note, I installed my new DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive, performed a full format of my hard drive, and reinstalled the operating system on the computer. Everything is now running very smoothly again. The icing on the cake is that there are no horror stories to report. After the reinstall, I promptly installed the three games that were given to me by Evan and we've already played twice. We've started with a community made module for Neverwinter Nights that's proving to a bit of a challenge. Mysteriously, it also has a tendency to only award experience points for kills to the party leader instead of distributing the points evenly. We keep switching the party leadership back and forth each time one of us levels-up.
In other game news, I finally finished Painkiller as well as Super Mario Sunshine. Since I can't seem to function without playing a game with a long storyline that can easily rack up hours of play time, I started playing Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker which is proving to be almost is fun as Ocarina of Time. I really like the cel shading, too. I don't like it any more or less than the older games' graphic styles, but it's a neat change.
Currently listening to: John Coltrane, Countdown (alt take)
On a better note, I installed my new DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive, performed a full format of my hard drive, and reinstalled the operating system on the computer. Everything is now running very smoothly again. The icing on the cake is that there are no horror stories to report. After the reinstall, I promptly installed the three games that were given to me by Evan and we've already played twice. We've started with a community made module for Neverwinter Nights that's proving to a bit of a challenge. Mysteriously, it also has a tendency to only award experience points for kills to the party leader instead of distributing the points evenly. We keep switching the party leadership back and forth each time one of us levels-up.
In other game news, I finally finished Painkiller as well as Super Mario Sunshine. Since I can't seem to function without playing a game with a long storyline that can easily rack up hours of play time, I started playing Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker which is proving to be almost is fun as Ocarina of Time. I really like the cel shading, too. I don't like it any more or less than the older games' graphic styles, but it's a neat change.
Currently listening to: John Coltrane, Countdown (alt take)
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
SWRAP It Up
I went with Jeff to the SWRAP Expo this weekend which was quite an experience. It was my first time going to the expo and probably won't be the last. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the Commodore 64 but these guys and gals take it to a whole new level. They are truly pushing 20 year old computers to their limits and beyond. One of the most impressive demos was Steve Judd showing the SLANG language compiler for the SuperCPU. Basically, a programmer can assign any keywords she prefers to its equivalent command in assembly language. In BASIC terms, instead of passing the CPU a POKE statement with a numerical value like 53281,0 you could say screenbg(black) instead. If that still doesn't make sense, don't worry. Just trust me that it was cool.
Another impressive demonstration by Jim Brain addressed software that allows things like .zip archives and even HTTP sites to be mounted as storage drives on the C64. Jim showed how it is possible, with his software, to make the C64 think that it sees a storage device when it is actually looking at a web site or any number of archive file formats. He said that he plans to include FTP sites in the future.
Other demos included a prototype of the C-One, a Commodore machine emulated in PC hardware which was running in a very sweet modded case, by the way, an expansion device (the VIC REL) and software that lets you automate other electronic devices (a radio controlled truck was used for the demo) with your C64, a C64 BBS including real time chat hosted on a Linux server, and a Nintendo Light Zapper that had been modded to work on a 1702 Commodore monitor. I also got to see the IDE64 in action. The Last Ninja loaded up in 2-3 seconds instead of the usual few minutes.
In terms of purchases, I was able to acquire two new Epyx 500XJ joysticks, music composition software, an Incredible Musical Keyboard overlay, a Commodore Programmer's Reference Guide, and a near-mint , boxed copy of Might and Magic. Needless to say, I spent a decent amount of time using my C64 for the rest of the weekend! I had actually forgotten how fun it was to program with this computer. Not long after my parents brought our old machine to Chicago, I dug back in to BASIC programming for a refresher and yesterday I finished a program that pretends to predict your future but mostly just spits out nonsense.
After the expo, Amy and I went with Dennis to the Music Box theater to catch a midnight showing of Forbidden Zone. I had never been to the this theater before and it was awesome on the inside. The theater was built in 1929 (probably before Black Tuesday) and it was thoroughly ornamented to look like you're sitting in a small Mexican town. At least, I thought it looked like a Mexican town. Anyway, the inside of the theater looked much like the inside of one of the restaurants in the Mexico Pavilion at Disney's Epcot Center. Strangely enough, the music that was playing before the movie started was game music from the C64 with a woman singing some kind of gibberish over it. One of the tunes she made up words for was the theme from Auf Wiedersehen Monty. I was truly struck by the synergy of events that day. By the end of the movie, I had been awake for about 20 hours so I wasn't entirely coherent, but seeing as though the movie was even less coherent than I, it hardly mattered.
Another impressive demonstration by Jim Brain addressed software that allows things like .zip archives and even HTTP sites to be mounted as storage drives on the C64. Jim showed how it is possible, with his software, to make the C64 think that it sees a storage device when it is actually looking at a web site or any number of archive file formats. He said that he plans to include FTP sites in the future.
Other demos included a prototype of the C-One, a Commodore machine emulated in PC hardware which was running in a very sweet modded case, by the way, an expansion device (the VIC REL) and software that lets you automate other electronic devices (a radio controlled truck was used for the demo) with your C64, a C64 BBS including real time chat hosted on a Linux server, and a Nintendo Light Zapper that had been modded to work on a 1702 Commodore monitor. I also got to see the IDE64 in action. The Last Ninja loaded up in 2-3 seconds instead of the usual few minutes.
In terms of purchases, I was able to acquire two new Epyx 500XJ joysticks, music composition software, an Incredible Musical Keyboard overlay, a Commodore Programmer's Reference Guide, and a near-mint , boxed copy of Might and Magic. Needless to say, I spent a decent amount of time using my C64 for the rest of the weekend! I had actually forgotten how fun it was to program with this computer. Not long after my parents brought our old machine to Chicago, I dug back in to BASIC programming for a refresher and yesterday I finished a program that pretends to predict your future but mostly just spits out nonsense.
After the expo, Amy and I went with Dennis to the Music Box theater to catch a midnight showing of Forbidden Zone. I had never been to the this theater before and it was awesome on the inside. The theater was built in 1929 (probably before Black Tuesday) and it was thoroughly ornamented to look like you're sitting in a small Mexican town. At least, I thought it looked like a Mexican town. Anyway, the inside of the theater looked much like the inside of one of the restaurants in the Mexico Pavilion at Disney's Epcot Center. Strangely enough, the music that was playing before the movie started was game music from the C64 with a woman singing some kind of gibberish over it. One of the tunes she made up words for was the theme from Auf Wiedersehen Monty. I was truly struck by the synergy of events that day. By the end of the movie, I had been awake for about 20 hours so I wasn't entirely coherent, but seeing as though the movie was even less coherent than I, it hardly mattered.
Sunday, August 22, 2004
Ketchup!
My family's visit went well and we all had a good time. Amy and I took them to some unique restaurants which are plentiful around this area including Kabul House and Farang Meet Thai (formerly Blue Sapphire). We also paid a visit to the Chicago Botanic Gardens. The day at the gardens was gorgeous. The temperature was in the mid 70s with low humidity and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The Japanese garden, my personal favorite, was excellent as always.
As I said before, my parents were going to bring some of my various collections and computers that they didn't want to store any longer to our new house when they came to visit. I got to sift through my modest collection of Garbage Pail Kids, which are still funny, a few boxes of various sports cards and comic books, and a large collection of Mad Magazines dating back to the early 1980s. Of course, the Atari 2600 came with them as well as the Commodore 64C. Unfortunately, the Commodore's sound was not working and I have since found a replacement on Ebay. I was quite disappointed as my beloved SID 6581 was the main reason I was looking forward to arrival of the Commodore. Everything else is in working order, though, even the 1541 5.25" floppy drives which are notorious for failing with age. I did have to clean some of the third party Atari cartridges, but they are all fine now that I have given them the appropriate alcohol swab.
Amy and I finally bought a couch for the basement entertainment area. Our choices were very limited because of the space available to manuever the furniture around a tight U-turn and down some basement stairs. But, we finally found something that we liked and it should fit downstairs without too much trouble. The couch is a sectional set that travels around a corner with a sleeper in one section so that we can now officially sleep seven people here comfortably. Bathroom privileges would be a different story!
We also took a look at some bicycles. Both Amy and I enjoy riding and I'd also like to commute to work by pedal power. We haven't made a purchase yet, but I think we might by the end of the week. We found a great bike shop called Amlings Cycle Shop that offers superb service. It was the best service that I've experienced at any local bike shop and I highly recommend them if you happen to live in the area.
Our acquisitions don't end with furniture and bicycles, either. We made a visit to the Tree House, a no-kill, cageless adoption house for stray and injured cats. We saw two cats that we liked very much and we'll probably have one of them by the end of the week. The first was a black cat with a tiny tip of white at the end of her tail and the second was a light orange tabby that was very friendly. We're not quite sure which one we'll pick, but either one will be a welcome addition to the house, not to mention that Amy will finally stop bugging me to get a cat.
I also went with Dennis to catch some film fun at the Chicago Underground Film Festival this weekend. We saw a collection of short films that were definitely entetraining to say the least. My favorite was a very short feature called Cats and Pants that was just this woman saying, "Cats" and "Pants" in quick, random patterns. The video complementing the audio was a montage of still images of, you guessed it, cats and pants. Both Dennis and I found this wildly hilarious. I was practically crying with laughter. However, the "artier-than-thou" crowd apparently thought that it made some deep comment on modern society because hardly a peep was uttered by any of the other theater-goers. It's just further proof that B-Fest is the best film festival in this area by far! My second favorite short was called Cheap Ludes. It was the strange story of a man-sized turkey on human legs running around Mexico City looking for toothpicks. We also caught a full length feature called God Told Me To, a thriller about a detective investigating crimes apparently inspired by the Almighty. The director, Larry Cohen, was present to give us some insight into the film and to relate some anecdotes about Andy Kaufman whose very first film appearance occurs in a short parade scene.
Currently listening to: Matt Uelmen, Monastery - Diablo 2 OST
As I said before, my parents were going to bring some of my various collections and computers that they didn't want to store any longer to our new house when they came to visit. I got to sift through my modest collection of Garbage Pail Kids, which are still funny, a few boxes of various sports cards and comic books, and a large collection of Mad Magazines dating back to the early 1980s. Of course, the Atari 2600 came with them as well as the Commodore 64C. Unfortunately, the Commodore's sound was not working and I have since found a replacement on Ebay. I was quite disappointed as my beloved SID 6581 was the main reason I was looking forward to arrival of the Commodore. Everything else is in working order, though, even the 1541 5.25" floppy drives which are notorious for failing with age. I did have to clean some of the third party Atari cartridges, but they are all fine now that I have given them the appropriate alcohol swab.
Amy and I finally bought a couch for the basement entertainment area. Our choices were very limited because of the space available to manuever the furniture around a tight U-turn and down some basement stairs. But, we finally found something that we liked and it should fit downstairs without too much trouble. The couch is a sectional set that travels around a corner with a sleeper in one section so that we can now officially sleep seven people here comfortably. Bathroom privileges would be a different story!
We also took a look at some bicycles. Both Amy and I enjoy riding and I'd also like to commute to work by pedal power. We haven't made a purchase yet, but I think we might by the end of the week. We found a great bike shop called Amlings Cycle Shop that offers superb service. It was the best service that I've experienced at any local bike shop and I highly recommend them if you happen to live in the area.
Our acquisitions don't end with furniture and bicycles, either. We made a visit to the Tree House, a no-kill, cageless adoption house for stray and injured cats. We saw two cats that we liked very much and we'll probably have one of them by the end of the week. The first was a black cat with a tiny tip of white at the end of her tail and the second was a light orange tabby that was very friendly. We're not quite sure which one we'll pick, but either one will be a welcome addition to the house, not to mention that Amy will finally stop bugging me to get a cat.
I also went with Dennis to catch some film fun at the Chicago Underground Film Festival this weekend. We saw a collection of short films that were definitely entetraining to say the least. My favorite was a very short feature called Cats and Pants that was just this woman saying, "Cats" and "Pants" in quick, random patterns. The video complementing the audio was a montage of still images of, you guessed it, cats and pants. Both Dennis and I found this wildly hilarious. I was practically crying with laughter. However, the "artier-than-thou" crowd apparently thought that it made some deep comment on modern society because hardly a peep was uttered by any of the other theater-goers. It's just further proof that B-Fest is the best film festival in this area by far! My second favorite short was called Cheap Ludes. It was the strange story of a man-sized turkey on human legs running around Mexico City looking for toothpicks. We also caught a full length feature called God Told Me To, a thriller about a detective investigating crimes apparently inspired by the Almighty. The director, Larry Cohen, was present to give us some insight into the film and to relate some anecdotes about Andy Kaufman whose very first film appearance occurs in a short parade scene.
Currently listening to: Matt Uelmen, Monastery - Diablo 2 OST
Friday, August 06, 2004
Furniture or a Killer Gaming Rig?
Like a bird that meticulously assembles a nest twig by twig, we are slowly reassembling our possessions in some kind of meaningful order. The coming weekend should prove to be quite a boon to our unpacking process. However, I may, perhaps, be too busy riding a new bicycle around town to notice much. I'm looking forward to the purchase of a new bike so that I can commute to work without the guilt of adding to the planet's environmental problems or the lethargic resignation of my will towards the pudgy waistline I have developed. Also, as we once again have a lawn to maintain, we will also be purchasing a lawn trimming device not to mention that we are also in need of some sort of torture contraption...er...weight machine (at Amy's request). The potential purchases do not come without some keen sting of regret, though. I haven't even started thinking about furniture.
Why the regret, you may ask? All of this, in one way or another, leads me back around to my insatiable lust for technology. You see, Ian gave me Painkiller as a gift for participating in the wedding. But for the last few months, I have been purposely avoiding eye contact with any game product which could possibly tape open my eyelids to the fact that my computer is now hopelessly behind the times in terms of eye candy. So, I spent some time this week tweaking my system in the hopes that I would actually be able to play Painkiller with some minor alterations and sacrifice of the visual quality of which the game is capable. This was, however, to no avail. So, Painkiller is now forced to the end of the list of unplayed games I have lying around, which is not such a bad thing in and of itself. What is frustrating is that I am now keenly aware of my need to build a new gaming machine that will put the spank on the likes of Painkiller, Far Cry, and, yes, Doom 3. The problem is that I do not have the funds to build such a machine, especially considering all of the other purchases that we have planned for the next few months. Not to mention that I am acutely aware of the laughable futility of ranking a gaming rig ahead of such things as a lawn mower and furniture, but geeks simply do not deal well with obsolescence.
Currently listening to: Mesa Kasumai, Good Enough (For Fodder)
Why the regret, you may ask? All of this, in one way or another, leads me back around to my insatiable lust for technology. You see, Ian gave me Painkiller as a gift for participating in the wedding. But for the last few months, I have been purposely avoiding eye contact with any game product which could possibly tape open my eyelids to the fact that my computer is now hopelessly behind the times in terms of eye candy. So, I spent some time this week tweaking my system in the hopes that I would actually be able to play Painkiller with some minor alterations and sacrifice of the visual quality of which the game is capable. This was, however, to no avail. So, Painkiller is now forced to the end of the list of unplayed games I have lying around, which is not such a bad thing in and of itself. What is frustrating is that I am now keenly aware of my need to build a new gaming machine that will put the spank on the likes of Painkiller, Far Cry, and, yes, Doom 3. The problem is that I do not have the funds to build such a machine, especially considering all of the other purchases that we have planned for the next few months. Not to mention that I am acutely aware of the laughable futility of ranking a gaming rig ahead of such things as a lawn mower and furniture, but geeks simply do not deal well with obsolescence.
Currently listening to: Mesa Kasumai, Good Enough (For Fodder)
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Anticipation Unbearable
Amy and I have less than a month left before we pack up our lives and move across town into a new house. Well, it's a used house, but it's new to us. With all that's going on, all I seem to be able to think about is getting back to writing music. Maybe my fantasizing is just stress-related. It always seems as though I'm itching to write new music only when I am so busy that I don't even have time to think about it. Prior to February 2004, I was mostly writing music and creating sound effects for other people so that my portfolio would impress someone and I would get a job writing music and creating sound effects. So I finally got a job (and it is indeed most rad) and ever since I've been heaving a metaphorical sigh of relief by not wanting to compose music or deal with sound outside of work. Five months of rest and I'm ready to create music just for me again. In all honesty, I did record two songs for my own pleasure since January, but one was just a throwaway joke track about the movie Robot Jox. The other was a jazz flavored electronic track that I recorded with my Zube Tube and tenor saxophone.
Anyway, I've been listening to Tree Wave, Bit Shifter, Nullsleep, and Printed Circuit, among others for the last few weeks and they're inspiring me to dust off my coding and tracking skills to get some killer old school chip sounds happening. But, I'll just have to wait until after our move in August to get some time for that kind of stuff. Until then, I'll continue to stay inspired by those very cool artists mentioned above.
I am definitely excited about the new house for musical purposes, though. First, my parents have been threatening to haul all of my stuff that's currently stored at their abode to Chicago as soon as we got a house. Now that that threat will be carried out, I'll have my Commodore 64 and Atari VCS back. It'll be like a reunion of old friends. I haven't been able to play on the authentic machines ever since I left home 6 years ago and I'm looking forward to putting both machines through their musical paces. Emulators are cool and all, but there's nothing like using the real thing. Secondly, I don't have to keep quiet on my saxophone like I have to in the apartment. It's always nice to be able to just play without worrying about complaints from the neighbors.
Currently listening to: mmfan316, Modern Control, incredible chip music from Japan.
Anyway, I've been listening to Tree Wave, Bit Shifter, Nullsleep, and Printed Circuit, among others for the last few weeks and they're inspiring me to dust off my coding and tracking skills to get some killer old school chip sounds happening. But, I'll just have to wait until after our move in August to get some time for that kind of stuff. Until then, I'll continue to stay inspired by those very cool artists mentioned above.
I am definitely excited about the new house for musical purposes, though. First, my parents have been threatening to haul all of my stuff that's currently stored at their abode to Chicago as soon as we got a house. Now that that threat will be carried out, I'll have my Commodore 64 and Atari VCS back. It'll be like a reunion of old friends. I haven't been able to play on the authentic machines ever since I left home 6 years ago and I'm looking forward to putting both machines through their musical paces. Emulators are cool and all, but there's nothing like using the real thing. Secondly, I don't have to keep quiet on my saxophone like I have to in the apartment. It's always nice to be able to just play without worrying about complaints from the neighbors.
Currently listening to: mmfan316, Modern Control, incredible chip music from Japan.
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