I accidentally started a fire today while trying to boil water. I still have no idea how it started. My initial theory was that a towel was caught under the pot I was heating, but whatever the hell I pried off the stove was more white and rubbery. So I don't know what the hell it was. The more pressing concern after getting the fire out was the fact that the entire apartment had filled with smoke. And yet didn't set off my smoke alarm, come to think of it. I should probably check up on that.
I opened up all the windows, got the fans going and drafted my ionizer to clear the air, and I went out. I didn't have anywhere to go, so I went to Fred Meyer, where they had copies of The Orange Box which I have been looking for but had not been able to find. So when I got back I cleaned up some of the mess and then played through Portal. It's an interesting game. I then started HL2: Episode 2, but I was too used to playing with the portal gun to deal with it.
11 October 2007
08 October 2007
07 October 2007
still chasing skies
Now that it's October, the rainy season is upon us here in Oregon, but I am looking forward to another new development - my master's diploma should be showing up soon. Technically I have been a Master for three months, but it's good to have the official proof. Just like how my business cards showed up, so I feel more of a proper engineer now.
Once more this is not a mere Sunday night, but a Sunday night with a new Top Gear torrent running. Series 10 just started up. From the previews it looks pretty good. I've had torrents running since 2 but none have finished yet. Now I have to gamble on whether it will finish at a reasonable hour or if I should just go to bed.
Last week, figuring I am not building a new PC in the near future, I picked up a used copy of Need for Speed: Most Wanted for the 360, and worked my way through that. I had played it before but didn't beat the last guy. Yesterday I picked up Need for Speed: Carbon, which is the sequel, and I finished it today. Obviously, the campaign is much shorter, and there are other ways you can tell the game was half-assed (in standard EA fashion), but the number one annoyance I have is that the version I got does not have the Camaro Concept, which I had been led to believe and was the only reason I got the game to begin with, and I need to hunt down another copy if I want it. The least they could do was at least offer it on Xbox Live as an extra download.
Once more this is not a mere Sunday night, but a Sunday night with a new Top Gear torrent running. Series 10 just started up. From the previews it looks pretty good. I've had torrents running since 2 but none have finished yet. Now I have to gamble on whether it will finish at a reasonable hour or if I should just go to bed.
Last week, figuring I am not building a new PC in the near future, I picked up a used copy of Need for Speed: Most Wanted for the 360, and worked my way through that. I had played it before but didn't beat the last guy. Yesterday I picked up Need for Speed: Carbon, which is the sequel, and I finished it today. Obviously, the campaign is much shorter, and there are other ways you can tell the game was half-assed (in standard EA fashion), but the number one annoyance I have is that the version I got does not have the Camaro Concept, which I had been led to believe and was the only reason I got the game to begin with, and I need to hunt down another copy if I want it. The least they could do was at least offer it on Xbox Live as an extra download.
23 September 2007
autumn tactics
It is definitely turning to fall here and it is messing with my head. I feel like I should be moving into a dorm or getting ready for band invitationals or buying textbooks or something, but I'm 24 now and that is all in the past now. It doesn't help that all the stores are now pounding the Halloween stuff so it almost feels like middle fall instead of the very beginning.
I made an attempt to do something productive weekend but it didn't get off the ground, as the standard time everything closes in Oregon is twenty minutes before I get there, so I spent most of the weekend enjoying my new HDTV setup. I managed to clean out the last two major achievements in my racing game on the 360, and I watched the Back to the Future trilogy on my new upconvert DVD player, which was awesome.
Unfortunately I have not as yet incorporated TV into my HDTV setup, so I won't be catching the new Heroes until I can pull it down from a torrent. I'm more excited about the new series of Top Gear in two weeks anyway.
However, amazing as the setup was this weekend I just figured out that the 360 needed to have settings changed so it could do 1080i, when apparently I had it set to 480p. So when I thought my racing game was too pixelated, all I had to do was crank up the settings on the Xbox. Oh well, at least it only took me a few days to realize that. The higher resolution settings only work as widescreen for some reason, but that just takes getting used to.
I made an attempt to do something productive weekend but it didn't get off the ground, as the standard time everything closes in Oregon is twenty minutes before I get there, so I spent most of the weekend enjoying my new HDTV setup. I managed to clean out the last two major achievements in my racing game on the 360, and I watched the Back to the Future trilogy on my new upconvert DVD player, which was awesome.
Unfortunately I have not as yet incorporated TV into my HDTV setup, so I won't be catching the new Heroes until I can pull it down from a torrent. I'm more excited about the new series of Top Gear in two weeks anyway.
However, amazing as the setup was this weekend I just figured out that the 360 needed to have settings changed so it could do 1080i, when apparently I had it set to 480p. So when I thought my racing game was too pixelated, all I had to do was crank up the settings on the Xbox. Oh well, at least it only took me a few days to realize that. The higher resolution settings only work as widescreen for some reason, but that just takes getting used to.
16 September 2007
13 September 2007
hd hell
I did decide to get a digital projector yesterday. I had to drive all the way through Portland at rush hour to the Best Buy at the stupid airport to get it. By swiping cables from most of my A/V setup I was able to get it running, but I did not have the proper cables to get HD.
Today I went to finish the fight. I managed to find most of the cables I needed, but even Radio Shack has no idea where to find the special adapter required to complete the HD circuit. So I have to resort to ordering it from the internet and wait for it to show up.
I also discovered that yesterday while swapping cables around I got the 360 to grind my Test Drive Unlimited game disc to the point of unplayability. Guess I'm going to need another one of those.
The one minor piece of good news was that the Ace Combat 6 looked pretty amazing even without HD.
Today I went to finish the fight. I managed to find most of the cables I needed, but even Radio Shack has no idea where to find the special adapter required to complete the HD circuit. So I have to resort to ordering it from the internet and wait for it to show up.
I also discovered that yesterday while swapping cables around I got the 360 to grind my Test Drive Unlimited game disc to the point of unplayability. Guess I'm going to need another one of those.
The one minor piece of good news was that the Ace Combat 6 looked pretty amazing even without HD.
11 September 2007
days when i could live my life without you
Best Buy fails.
Yesterday I had scoped out a nice looking projector on Best Buy's website, but when I went to the store to maybe get it I found that Best Buy, supposed beacon of high tech toys, carries all of three projectors in their stores, none of which I had any interest in. I also tried Office Depot, but they appeared to be out and were selling it for $100 more anyway.
Yesterday I had scoped out a nice looking projector on Best Buy's website, but when I went to the store to maybe get it I found that Best Buy, supposed beacon of high tech toys, carries all of three projectors in their stores, none of which I had any interest in. I also tried Office Depot, but they appeared to be out and were selling it for $100 more anyway.
10 September 2007
i would read that page every day for the next year
I brought in a picture of the stricken Malibu on the back of the tow truck, but everyone expected it to be wrecked or something. Even though it was just a bad battery I still wasn't going anywhere. Philistines.
Since I can't spend money on an iPod or a car, I might buy a digital projector. I did all of five minutes of research and found a good looking one. So tomorrow I may go get it and rack up a million Best Buy reward points and turn my wall into an 80" TV. May as well get an upconverting DVD player while I'm at it. That way when my Project Gemini DVDs show up I'll be ready to rock.
On an unrelated note, there is apparently a Project X at work. I had never heard it before and then heard it twice today. If they wanted to name it something generic and low key, they picked the wrong name. What is Project X?
Since I can't spend money on an iPod or a car, I might buy a digital projector. I did all of five minutes of research and found a good looking one. So tomorrow I may go get it and rack up a million Best Buy reward points and turn my wall into an 80" TV. May as well get an upconverting DVD player while I'm at it. That way when my Project Gemini DVDs show up I'll be ready to rock.
On an unrelated note, there is apparently a Project X at work. I had never heard it before and then heard it twice today. If they wanted to name it something generic and low key, they picked the wrong name. What is Project X?
09 September 2007
swing and a miss
I ran across an Apple store in the mall that at least had new iPods out on display. I had been trying to find one and was all set to buy one now that I'd found it.
And then I tried one.
My biggest complaint is that the scroll wheel sucks. It's jerky and not very sensitive and I don't like how the center button is now an 'innie' and bottom line the wheel experience put me off on the whole thing. That was hardly the end of it though. The shape is less rounded than my 4G and I didn't like that. The new anodized aluminum fron panel was also somehow annoying to the touch. On the software side of things, the operating system is so busy making fancy flying graphics that there is a lag when you switch menus rapidly. I also discovered that if you are listening to a song while scrolling through cover art, the song gets drowned out in static. Apple has obviously spent so much time making this a fashion accessory that they forgot that first and foremost it's a damn music player.
I was immensely disappointed. Here I was, one of millions of iPod fans, and I ended up walking out of the Apple store in disgust and into a Best Buy (despite yesterday's bad experience) to check out the competition.
But frankly, there isn't much. It pretty much boiled down to Microsoft's brown brick, the Zune. I played with one for a minute and liked how widescreen videos play sideways, so you can actually see it, but I couldn't actually work out how to get back to the menu. There were seven buttons and none of them did anything remotely menu-ey. So the controls are unfathomable. And that is before the host of other issues such as the crippled WiFi. At the very least I'm going to wait for the next generation so Microsoft can fix what it knows it screwed up. The Zune is a first generation product so I will give them the benefit of the doubt while they hammer things out. In the meantime I am going to have to make do with my iffy battery, floor-dropper 4G iPod.
I also picked up a Consumer Reports new vehicle guide, although it doesn't have any info on the G8. I am kind of cooling on the G6 again. Unless I really like the new G8 I may be holding out for the long term, most likely for a Camaro. So long as the Malibu keeps running.
And then I tried one.
My biggest complaint is that the scroll wheel sucks. It's jerky and not very sensitive and I don't like how the center button is now an 'innie' and bottom line the wheel experience put me off on the whole thing. That was hardly the end of it though. The shape is less rounded than my 4G and I didn't like that. The new anodized aluminum fron panel was also somehow annoying to the touch. On the software side of things, the operating system is so busy making fancy flying graphics that there is a lag when you switch menus rapidly. I also discovered that if you are listening to a song while scrolling through cover art, the song gets drowned out in static. Apple has obviously spent so much time making this a fashion accessory that they forgot that first and foremost it's a damn music player.
I was immensely disappointed. Here I was, one of millions of iPod fans, and I ended up walking out of the Apple store in disgust and into a Best Buy (despite yesterday's bad experience) to check out the competition.
But frankly, there isn't much. It pretty much boiled down to Microsoft's brown brick, the Zune. I played with one for a minute and liked how widescreen videos play sideways, so you can actually see it, but I couldn't actually work out how to get back to the menu. There were seven buttons and none of them did anything remotely menu-ey. So the controls are unfathomable. And that is before the host of other issues such as the crippled WiFi. At the very least I'm going to wait for the next generation so Microsoft can fix what it knows it screwed up. The Zune is a first generation product so I will give them the benefit of the doubt while they hammer things out. In the meantime I am going to have to make do with my iffy battery, floor-dropper 4G iPod.
I also picked up a Consumer Reports new vehicle guide, although it doesn't have any info on the G8. I am kind of cooling on the G6 again. Unless I really like the new G8 I may be holding out for the long term, most likely for a Camaro. So long as the Malibu keeps running.
08 September 2007
there's beauty in the breakdown
Today was an adventure day, as much as I didn't want it to be. The company picnic was today. I figured I would hit Best Buy quick to see if the new 5.75G iPods were in and then head straight over to the picnic for lunch.
However, when I came out of Best Buy the Malibu wouldn't start. At all. It was totally dead.
I walked to the nearby gas stations but they were useless, so I had to call a tow truck. It eventually showed up and the guy broke out a battery booster, and after two attempts we got the engine running. However, when he removed the booster the engine died again. Tow Truck Guy declared the alternator broken, so I had him load the Malibu up onto his truck in the middle of the parking lot, causing a bit of commotion.
Tow Truck Guy kindly hauls my sorry ass over to Sears (saw a Ferrari 360 on the way) and dumps me in their repair bay, effectively allowing me to jump the line. After I settle with Tow Truck Guy, Sears Guy runs some more thorough tests and said it was the battery that was bad after all.
I went to pass the time in the waiting room, where a very static-y TV was showing U-O whoop on U-M, a game I didn't think I was going to catch any of. I also read an interesting article in one of the magazines about the roots of GM racing. I had a bag of salty stuff from the vending machine, which combined with the emergency Mt. Dew I had in the car amounted to everything I'd eaten so far today.
At one point Sears Guy came back and said they'd discovered my serpentine belt was badly cracked. I told them the go ahead and fix it and then, since I'd never heard of the damn thing, checked to make sure it wasn't in the same category as headlight fluid. Turns out it does exist, so good catch, Sears Guy.
I wasn't the only one in automotive purgatory. Another guy kept wandering in and out. After he wandered back in I asked him "So what are you in for?" So I talked with him a little bit. Mostly about how we wanted U-M to lose. Same with some of the other Sears Guys who were checking the score. One of them was once a Buckeye, so we were united by our common enemy. I thought the score was 12-7, but when I went to squint at it it looked more like 39-7. At that point the TV says "If you're wondering what the numbers at the top of the screen are, they are 39 and 7." Uncanny.
Eventually the Malibu is repaired and I am freed from automotive purgatory. I pull out of the Sears center and punch in the coordinates for the picnic in my GPS. Of course, following GPS to an unknown location is a tricky thing and I am nearly T-boned en route, but I eventually show up to the park around 4:30. I wander around for a little bit before finding a guy I know from work, who says the picnic has been over for half an hour. He then gives me a short tour, pointing where the tables of ribs and the raffle prizes were, and then shows me where the food was, which is now reduced to trays of baked beans.
So I got hosed. And now I have to spend all Monday explaining why I skipped the picnic.
And no, the new iPods aren't in yet. Lame.
However, when I came out of Best Buy the Malibu wouldn't start. At all. It was totally dead.
I walked to the nearby gas stations but they were useless, so I had to call a tow truck. It eventually showed up and the guy broke out a battery booster, and after two attempts we got the engine running. However, when he removed the booster the engine died again. Tow Truck Guy declared the alternator broken, so I had him load the Malibu up onto his truck in the middle of the parking lot, causing a bit of commotion.
Tow Truck Guy kindly hauls my sorry ass over to Sears (saw a Ferrari 360 on the way) and dumps me in their repair bay, effectively allowing me to jump the line. After I settle with Tow Truck Guy, Sears Guy runs some more thorough tests and said it was the battery that was bad after all.
I went to pass the time in the waiting room, where a very static-y TV was showing U-O whoop on U-M, a game I didn't think I was going to catch any of. I also read an interesting article in one of the magazines about the roots of GM racing. I had a bag of salty stuff from the vending machine, which combined with the emergency Mt. Dew I had in the car amounted to everything I'd eaten so far today.
At one point Sears Guy came back and said they'd discovered my serpentine belt was badly cracked. I told them the go ahead and fix it and then, since I'd never heard of the damn thing, checked to make sure it wasn't in the same category as headlight fluid. Turns out it does exist, so good catch, Sears Guy.
I wasn't the only one in automotive purgatory. Another guy kept wandering in and out. After he wandered back in I asked him "So what are you in for?" So I talked with him a little bit. Mostly about how we wanted U-M to lose. Same with some of the other Sears Guys who were checking the score. One of them was once a Buckeye, so we were united by our common enemy. I thought the score was 12-7, but when I went to squint at it it looked more like 39-7. At that point the TV says "If you're wondering what the numbers at the top of the screen are, they are 39 and 7." Uncanny.
Eventually the Malibu is repaired and I am freed from automotive purgatory. I pull out of the Sears center and punch in the coordinates for the picnic in my GPS. Of course, following GPS to an unknown location is a tricky thing and I am nearly T-boned en route, but I eventually show up to the park around 4:30. I wander around for a little bit before finding a guy I know from work, who says the picnic has been over for half an hour. He then gives me a short tour, pointing where the tables of ribs and the raffle prizes were, and then shows me where the food was, which is now reduced to trays of baked beans.
So I got hosed. And now I have to spend all Monday explaining why I skipped the picnic.
And no, the new iPods aren't in yet. Lame.
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