Doom: The Boardgame
posted by MikeM at 8:36 AM    

 
Well, nasty weather prevented us from having the game. Rescheduled for Feb 20, we hope.

Sunday at 10am it was still snowing and there was 1/2 inch of ice with 1.5" of snow on top of it. Not good driving weather. Ah well.

Cleaned the car off last night, wrecked a pair of nice leather gloves doing it. Never try to wipe ice off the windshield. Use a scraper. Oh well, live and learn. Took me around 20 min to clean the windows even after I got the scraper - it wasn't scrapable - around 1/2" of solid ice on every surface. Had to break it up and only then would it come off. Even with the car started and defrost running full blast it took a while.

And we didn't get it as bad as some folks south of us.

*Waves to friends & family in Roanoke*

posted by MikeM at 7:58 AM    

 
Well, I have the game all ready to go, all the characters are ready, the back-stories have been sent out, and it looks like freezing rain and snow tomorrow. *sigh*

Tomorrow was supposed to be the inaugural session of the new campaign - the one that I will be running, at least until the players mutiny and bring me down from my DM's perch.

We are in wait-and-see mode now, waiting to see if the weather will be as bad as forecast, or if it will clear up enough to have the game. Since some of the people come from Virginia, there is some concern over road conditions and freezing rain.
posted by MikeM at 11:51 AM    

 
Aliens Vs. Predator

I just watched the special extended version - and this movie absolutely ROCKS. I can't believe it got bad reviews! What are these reviewers smoking? What were they doing while the movie was on, 'cause they surely didn't WATCH it?

The plot meshes nicely with both series, fits into the timelines, and even incorporates the ancestor of a very powerful force in the future movies!

Awesome effects, great plot, good acting! I really enjoyed this movie!

posted by MikeM at 9:53 PM    

 
The solar system - in chocolate!

Wish I spoke Spanish - then maybe I could make heads or tails out of the website. I just thought it was cool to see the nine planets and the sun represented in chocolates.
posted by MikeM at 7:17 AM    

 
System: Disruptor-SLI / 300 : $5,730.00
CPU = AMD Athlon64 FX-55 (2.6 GHz) w/Zalman CNPS7000A-ALCU Cooler for Socket-939
MoBo = Asus A8N-SLI nVidia nForce4 SLI Retail
RAM = Corsair XMS PC-3200 2 GB DDR SDRAM TwinX Pack (Two 1gb Dimms)
Video = 2 x XFX GeForce 6800 Ultra PCIe 256MB in SLI dual-card configuration
Sound = Creative Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS Platinum
Temp/Fan Control = Silverstone SST-FP52 Thermal Sensing Drive Bay

A: Mitsumi 1.44 MB Black Floppy Drive
C: Western Digital Raptor 74GB 10,000 RPM
D: Western Digital Raptor 74GB 10,000 RPM
E: Maxtor DiamondMax 10 300GB 7,200 RPM
F: Plextor PX-712A Black DVD ± RW / CD-RW
G: Plextor PX-712A Black DVD ± RW / CD-RW

Case : Silverstone Temjin SST-TJ06 Black EATX Full Tower
Power Supply : Enermax Noisetaker 2.0 600W PSU (A64/P4)
GamePC Noise Reduction and Cooling Kit (Stage Two) includes extra fans and sound-dampening foam.
Kbd/Mouse = Logitech Cordless MX Duo Retail
OS = Microsoft Windows XP Professional with SP2 OEM

Ordered.

I have been putting this off for over six months - waiting until the hardware I wanted was released and became available. WOOHOO!

It's a lot of money, but it will be worth it. I'll finally have a fast computer again! My current Pentium 866 just isn't cutting it with the current crop of games. I have Doom 3 and Half-Life 2 on the shelf, unopened. Now, games aren't the only reason to buy a new computer, but it helps.

Just yesterday I noticed that the onboard USB on my old system is failing - the printer and mouse just stopped working. Then after a reboot they were OK for an hour or so, then dropped off again. Not good. I moved them to the add-on USB 2.0 card and everything is working fine!
posted by MikeM at 2:43 PM    

 
Well, we seem to have missed the majority of that storm. The forecast was for 6-10" with a 25% chance of 12". We got 4" or so - maybe 5". I would prefer NO snow, but 5" is better than 12"!

The winds picked up overnight, they were expecting 30-40 mph with gusts to 60 possible.

This morning it was 15 degrees when I walked maggie, and the drifting had dumped 8" of snow into piles on my back patio - after shoveling it off, I noticed that the winds had scoured the ground down to the grass, so there was lots of yard visible. My neighbor across the yard had a good foot of snow piled up against his back door. I don't envy him that job. The wind was still fierce, putting the wind chill near zero.

Just a bit ago I went back out to clean off the car - it was up to a relatively toasty 20 degrees and the winds had died off to 20 mph or so. In the 10 min it took to clear off the car, I was losing feeling in my face. After getting back inside, I realized that while my hands were NOT cold, due to good gloves, I still could not write. I was trying to write the model numbers down for the humidifier I have (need filters) and I literally could not write the numbers - just scribble. Kinda scary. I tried again after warming up in a thick blanket for a while, and had no problems.

I think that is the first sign of hypothermia - lack of coordination and confusion. Got to watch for that. Much better now!

I played Silent Hill 4 all day yesterday, and about 4 hours today, and just put it down. It's a good game, but a bit repetitive and actually got boring after that long. I'll try again later this week perhaps.

I'm doing the final cleanup on that converted 2nd ed module that I'll be running next Sunday! I think it will be at least slightly entertaining. Now I have to figure out what happens after they reach the final destination and attain all the goals set before them. The adventure never ends!
posted by MikeM at 2:20 PM    

 
Virus hooks onto CNN headlines: A PC virus has started to spread through e-mail, luring potential victims by disguising itself as a headline newsletter from CNN

posted by MikeM at 8:54 AM    

 
Roads are wet this morning, parking lots and some side streets are covered but overall we are in pretty good shape. I had no trouble with my new 4wd! I could slide if I wanted too, or if I had to stop suddenly, but that's a vast change from randomly sliding around the road like my Saturn used to do when things got slick.

My jaw still hurts from all the work, but it's getting better. My voice is going due to the cold - I'm croaking like a toad this morning.

Last night I watched the Chronicles of Riddick, and while I like the character of Riddick and think it was done well, the plotline was horrible and some of the other acting wasn't worthy of the name.

It seemed to be a comic book come to life - and while those are fun to read visually, they really don't make the transfer to movies very well. The whole thing was far too unlikely. Overall I give it a C+ for being entertaining and having Vin Diesel in it.
posted by MikeM at 7:22 AM    

 
Just back from the dentist - need TWO crowns. The tooth just in front of the broken one was going as well. *sigh* $1500 for both.

On the positive side, we caught it today, as opposed to having to do this again in a few months when the cracked one broke. So I have 2 temp crowns now, and cannot feel the left side of my face.

I think a nap might be in order to help me fight off the aftereffects of the novocaine.

posted by MikeM at 4:13 PM    

 
I pretty much agree with this sentiment - the press is biased and is reporting only the stories that make the USA look bad. Twisting the facts into unrecognizeable facsimiles of themseves seem to be the normal method of operation for today's news agencies.

Media's coverage has distorted world's view of Iraqi reality
posted by MikeM at 11:46 AM    

 
Snowing now - already an inch on the ground, and the roads around here are covered except for wheel-ruts. Since the air temp hasn't been above freezing for several days, this stuff is freezing almost instantly because the roads are so cold. Nasty.
posted by MikeM at 11:00 AM    

 
Better today, back at work, and I have a dentist appt for this afternoon. Of course, the snow is expected to start this morning, ending by 5-7pm with up to an inch or a bit more accumulation. This means I'll be home by the time it starts getting bad - which is a good thing. Why home? Because when I get novocaine, I get sick for several hours. It's just my reaction, I suppose.
posted by MikeM at 8:22 AM    

 
New wrinkle to the sickness bit - throat spasms and deep coughs. Lovely. Home sick today, don't feel up to moving, and don't want to spread this around.
posted by MikeM at 7:46 AM    

 
Looks like I have the flu or something. It's nasty, whatever it is. Started with a sore throat Thursday, and at this point has progressed to a VERY sore throat, lots of drainage and stopped up nose and ears. Eyes hurt as well for some reason. There have also been many many trips to the bathroom, maybe it's a stomach flu combined with a bad cold? I'm drinking lots of juice and caffeine-free diet drinks to keep hydrated.

The worst part is that I cannot get my tooth fixed if I cannot breathe thru my nose, and no dentist is going to want to work in my mouth if I'm sick. I must shake this off and get better ASAP - cause this tooth is driving me crazy! 2500mg Vitamin C daily, plus OJ and other juices, and a double dose of my normal daily vitamin pill. I'm also taking decongestants and might end up taking antihistamines at night to sleep better.

posted by MikeM at 8:08 AM    

 
Windows update (XP) with error # 0x800A01AE:

regsvr32 wuapi.dll
regsvr32 wups.dll
regsvr32 wuaueng.dll
regsvr32 wucltui.dll
regsvr32 msxml3.dll

Resolved the problem. Just a tip. ;)
posted by MikeM at 7:56 PM    

 
Ouch. This is hard to describe. If you have seen a certain famous meme you will definitely recognize the basis, but this variant is so obvious and so entertaining that I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. Requires flash to view - so if you don't have a flash player you will need to install it first.
posted by MikeM at 10:10 PM    

 
Joy O Joy. Last night I broke the side off a rather sensitive tooth. Dentist is supposed to be in today from 8:30 to noon - but no answer there. Monday is a holiday. *sigh*

I get to eat a LOT of soup and soft pastas, I suppose. Chef Boyardee to the rescue.

Gaming tomorrow - should be fun. From what I hear, people are bringing 2 or 3 backup characters just in case. ;) Watch the 'threat' be two kender sorcerers who 'found' a teleport scroll and ended up in the Inner Sanctum of the Temple of Elemental Fire. Whups!

I just bought several rather expensive books at Amazon - all of the books I need to take the MCSE+S certification exams from Microsoft Press, and another set from Sybex - the combination should be perfect. I would love to have my MCSE+S before this time next year. MCSE+S = Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer + Security - it's a nice cert to have.

posted by MikeM at 10:56 AM    

 
Jeep Shows Hurricane Concept at Detroit Auto Show
posted by MikeM at 2:59 PM    

 
Jeep Hurricane : TWO Hemis
posted by MikeM at 2:59 PM    

 
5 Reasons to Update Windows XP to Service Pack 2

posted by MikeM at 2:57 PM    

 
Classic '80s Games : Play Now!
posted by MikeM at 3:58 PM    

 
Well, it appears that I have reduced my caffeine intake from nearly 600mg/day to under 200mg/day. Not bad. After several days of headaches and stepping it down day by day, I have managed to drink only Dt Pepsi at work - 40 oz/day, plus some at lunch, and no caffeine at home. Since Dt Pepsi has 24mg/8oz, I should be right around 150mg at work. I try to avoid it at home now, but I may have one dt mt dew or so. Two at the most. Dt Dew has 37/8 oz, so a 12 oz can has 55.5, same as regular Dew. One puts me over the 200mg mark, and two is over 250, but that is still under the 350mg point - where some researchers claim addiction starts.

If I stop getting dt dew and just get dt pepsi or even better, caffeine free dt dew - I can do even better.


posted by MikeM at 3:00 PM    

 
Brave or stupid? You decide!
posted by MikeM at 12:31 PM    

 
Tom's Hardware Guide PCs & HowTo: Windows XP a Goner? First Aid for your Windows PC - Emergency Package For Data

This is an excellent guide to recovering a messed up XP, 2000, or even 98 or before Windows system. My toolkit has most of these items in it already!
posted by MikeM at 10:11 AM    

 
Hacker penetrates T-Mobile systems : A sophisticated computer hacker had access to servers at wireless giant T-Mobile for at least a year, which he used to monitor U.S. Secret Service e-mail, obtain customers' passwords and Social Security numbers, and download candid photos taken by Sidekick users, including Hollywood celebrities.

Ah well, I'll be switching away from T-Mobile as soon as my contract with them expires. Apparently not only do they have a really limited coverage area and poor reception even in their core areas, their security sucks as well.
posted by MikeM at 9:27 AM    

 
I haven't been doing much of anything recently - at home I'm playing DemonStone on the PS2, but it frustrates me, so I can't play it long, an hour or so. Even on easy mode I die a lot. ;( Might have to look up some cheat codes or use the game shark.

I'm also watching Buffy Season 7 and Angel Season 4 concurrently. I'm trying to watch alternate DVDs from each set, to keep the events more or less in order. 7 is the final season for Buffy, and there are important events in Angel that tie into it. I haven't seen many episodes of Angel after season three, so these will mainly be new ones!

Over the weekend I watched most of Angel season 3. The Sunday game way moved to Saturday, and I think we are playing again this coming Sat in an effort to make up for 5-6 weeks of no gaming because of the holidays.

I'm going to have to somehow make the time to read my newest work-related book : "The Tao of Network Security Monitoring : Beyond Intrusion Detection" by Richard Bejtlich.

I'm waiting on a shipment from Amazon that has a few more DVDs I was looking for - including the DVD set of Kingdom Hospital by Stephen King. Remember when I was raving about it a while back? It's out on DVD! I also ordered the boxed set of the collected works of Alice Cooper. ;)
posted by MikeM at 7:33 AM    

 
Cat Logic for the New Year

posted by MikeM at 1:41 PM    

 
Here are a series of before and after pictures, overlaid with a button that switches back and forth, so you can see in large scale and close up the differences. Impressive.

Tsunami - Kalutara Beach, Sri Lanka
posted by MikeM at 3:09 PM    

 
Great site if you are a collector of DVD boxed sets! TVShowsOnDVD.com
posted by MikeM at 10:00 AM    

 
Friday night I had some friends over, we watched the Return of the King (Extended Version) and watched the ball drop. Happy New Year!

Saturday I played Baldur's Gate on the PS2, had a couple of friends over and watched "I, Robot", then watched Iron Chef America for a few hours until we were all pretty much redeyed (1am), they went home, and then instead of going to sleep like a rational person, I played Baldur's Gate until 7am. Ugh.

Sunday I slept until 12:30, then played (you guessed it) Baldur's Gate some more.

Monday I had to go to work - once I got home I played Baldur's Gate. FINISHED IT! Woo! Great game, right around 18-20 hrs total. The rest of the evening I spent working on my Druid character for the D&D 3.5 game Sunday - just a backup, but we came very close to a Total Party Kill, so I put a higher priority on the backup.

Tonight after work my brother is coming in, so we'll either watch movies or go out somewhere, should be fun!
posted by MikeM at 8:43 AM