Rather than incisive words of wisdom today, a set of recent photos for you.
A guy gets a little busy and peeps start taking pot shots… I guess I gotta throw down a little old school entry to satisfy the teeming hordes perusing the site.
Proud
I am proud of my wife, Michele. She’s off in Paducah, Kentucky for the AQS Quilt Show. This is the Mother-of-all-Quilt-Shows. She took the laptop with her and is going online to check email and she’s blogging the show!
Remember, she’s the one with the BFA, not a EE degree like me, so her first solo trip with the laptop is a big deal.
With lines like this, she’s got the blogging thing down better than most:
When I walk through the convention center, I can see the TRUE America…
It’s the women. and most are size XL and fuckin’ proud.
I tried to convince her to try the wireless card, but there’s no damn Starbucks even in Paducah for her to connect to easily…
Rant
Fuck Rick Santorum. This bigoted, lying, hypocritical, sack of shit represents all that is bad about the closed minded fucks that inhabit the right wing of the Republican party. This guy has got to go. America is about personal liberties and freedoms. He’s against that. He’s against the core of American ideals.
Call that scumbag at 202-224-6324 and tell him to resign.
To try and defuse the situation, he actually said this:
“[I have]no problem with homosexuality — I have a problem with homosexual acts.“
Look, I know plenty of Republicans that are good hearted people that love America and have tolerance for all creeds. I ask you, doesn’t this stufff make you sick? Why don’t you take back your political party from the fascist fundamentalists that at are using our Constitution as toliet paper?
Weblogs
Alrighty people listen up. Many of you that read this here weblog, have weblogs of your own. I use blogrolling to keep track of all the weblogs I read and tell me when they update. The trick is that when you update your weblog, you need to tell the tracking services like blogrolling, weblogs.com, and blo.gs that you’ve updated.
It’s not hard. If you use Movable Type, just make sure that Blog Config -> Preferences -> Allow Pings on by default? is checked ON. If you use Blogger, just upgrade to Blogger Pro and it happens automagically.
Just do it.
Don’t linger at the bottom of my blogroll list, I don’t look there. I’m looking at the top of the list for the fresh blog entries.
Food
I’ve converted another into the Church of Skyline Chili. BillB is a true believer. He tried Skyline and LOVES it. You will too, if you try it.
Gaming
I’m in game-overload. BF1942, Shadowbane, Planetside, and now the RtCW: Enemy Territory beta. So few hours, so many games.
Star Wars Galaxies looms in the near future threatening to consume the gaming world like a neutron star passing through a star system.
It’s a good time to be a gamer.
Tech
There are a couple of tech stores that need mention.
The first is Tigerdirect. Tigerdirect is like the clearance center of the internet. They’ve always got cool shit on sale. They have everything you need, want, and don’t know you need, on sale. They’ve got an amazing section of recertified and closeout technology that makes even and Fry’s-hardened geek like me drool.
The second is Cyberguys. They don’t have such a wide selection, but they have items you can find nowhere else. You know you need dual power extension liberator and a USB cell phone charger and an Asian Design MouseRug.
These guys are worth signing up for their email to check out the deals.
Wrap-up
So, is that a good enough weblog entry for you content hungry hounds? Time to go do something else…
I wish I had a ton of new stuff to write but I don’t.
Currently, I’m downloading the Return to Castle Wolfenstein Expansion from Fileplanet. I hope it’s a fun as it was when I tested it last year at E3.
Come back tomorrow. I hope to have recharged batteries by then…
Whew, what a day yesterday.
Zoe’s got a bad cold and was home from school yesterday. I can deal, but I had to give an update for an 8AM meeting at work. I called in via the conference line and put the phone on mute. I explained to the girls I was busy on the phone and asked them to be quiet.
The group I was speaking to is a senior group of tech heads in the company. I’m explain the latest reasoning for the blah-blah-blah project when Mira walks up and says, “Daddy, I need you. I wanna play a game.” She can boot the computer and switch CDs a hundred times previous to this but NOW she needs me. I try to shoo her away, but she says “Dad-deee!”. I say into the phone, “Excuse me.” Then I turn to Mira and say, “Sweetheart, you going to have to wait until I’m done on the phone. You can run the computer yourself.”
On the phone, there is silence and I resume the talking, “Blah blah review process, blah blah capital.” And then someone in the group says, “SOunds good Sweetheart.” and the whole group starts laughing.
Nice.
I took Zoe to the doctor. The doctor confirmed that cough + fever + lethargy = sick and gave Zoe a prescription. A trip to the store to pick up food & medicine and we finally got home.
I cooked dinner for the kids and even made them brownies for dessert.
When the kids were in bed I started getting IMs from friends saying that the web host was down. Yep, a router died somewhere and the servers were disconnected from the net.
I tried playing Shadowbane, but login was broken. Giving up, I went to bed.
I’m hoping for a smoother day today.
I’m sure it will piss off my brother, but I finished another book. I almost finished it on the plane home, but had 20 or so pages to finish last night.
A Princess of the Aerie – John Barnes
This is the second book in the series about Jak Jinnaka in a future society 15 centuries from now. The first book in the series The Duke of Uranium, introduces us to the world and the characters.
Barnes weaves an interesting future and follows many of the traditional space opera conventions. The book has plenty of action, hard sci-fi tech, and even a dollop of sex. There are lots of interesting idea like AI PDAs that you wear on your wrist, magnetic based docking transfer systems, and mining technology that uses hot magma.
Unfortunately, the main character, Jak, appears to be a hapless tool of others during most of the story. Like a powerful weapon, he is easily manipulated and does damage where he’s pointed. For a highly trained spy, he’s as guilliable as they come.
Perhaps Barnes is taking the long view and looking to show the change of Jak from fool to hero. I can’t tell. I like the characters, but Jak is almost unsympathetic since he seems to fall for every trap that is placed in front of him, usually escaping only by the grace of his friends appearing at just the right moment.
I’m sure I’ll read the next installment, but if thinking space opera is what you are after, I suggest the Night’s Dawn series by Peter Hamilton.
Now I’m reading Barnes’ other new book, The Sky So Big and Black and it is fantastic. None of the issues of Princess appear in this book. More when I finish the book.
I forgot to post up a few photos of this week.
Near Clifton, where our family lives, is a park called Mount Storm. The park has a view of the river and into Kentucky. I tried to find a geocache there, but I had no luck.
I’ve been in Cincinnati a week and most of my time has been spent revolving around eating or waiting to eat. There isn’t much fof me to do since I’m not involved in the wedding planning of my sister-in-law and the kids are usually running around with their grandparents.
Cincinnati has a few traditional foods that I enjoy whenever I visit.
Skyline Chili – Skyline is the king of Cincinnati chili. Chili here is quite different than Texas-style. The chili has hints of cinnamon, chocolate and other spices in it. Sounds strange, but it’s delicious. Typically it’s served over spagetti with cheese on top (a three-way) or over a small hotdog (a coney). The taste is unique and perfect for snacks or large meals. Once you get hooked on this chili, you’ll be stashing cans of it in your luggage too.
Graeter’s Ice Cream – Graeter’s is the local ice cream company that make all kinds of seasonal flavors. High quality stuff. The stores also have candy and cookies for sale. Similiar to the Fosselman’s back home, always a treat.
Glier’s Goetta – Goetta is German food consisting of oatmeal and pork meat with spices shaped like a sausage. The tube is sliced and fried. Similiar to breakfast sausage but better. The goetta melts apart in your mouth. Again, a taste you have to try before you can concieve what it is. I’m carrying eight pounds home with me in my luggage.
There are also a few places to eat that we don’t have at home, but do have in Cincinnati:
White Castle – White Castle is the home of the square mini burger. Hot greasy burgers that you buy by the sack. I ate 7 on Thursday and still could have eaten more. If you are near New York you can find them too.
BW3 aka Buffalo Wild Wings & Weck – I love hot buffalo wings. I went to college in upsate NY and tasted the real deal. BW3 is the real deal. A good place to eat what Michele calls my ‘comfort food’. Plenty of tasty sides to round out an all-fried meal.
Tomorrow, I head home with the girls and Michele heads to Paducah for the big quilting show. Time for sleep.
I finished a few books recently. Last week I was in Vegas and finshed Gibson’s Pattern Recognition. On the flight out I started Cadigan’s Tea from an Empty Cup and finished it a few days ago. Here are a couple brief reviews.
Pattern Recognition – William Gibson
I have enjoyed William Gibson’s books over the years, and this one is no exception. Those that are looking for hard sci-fi or futuristic cyberpunk will not find it here. This book takes place in the present day with today’s technology. Gibson is good about showcasing ideas and items that live below the radar of most people. For example, Gibson talks about mechanical calculators called Curtas.
I won’t go into the plot structure, you can read it on Amazon reviews. In the novel, Gibson explores the idea that everyone is searching for something. Be it an answer, love, or a mechanical calculator, each individual is looking for something special in life. Something that has importance to them, but not to others.
The book looks at how these individuals quests intertwine and work together. Gibson also shows how the new technologies available make the completion of such quest easier.
Technology does not change what people desire in life, it just changes how they go about reaching their goals.
If you are looking for a traditional ‘hero-wins-in-the-last-chapter-after-cheating-certain-death’ sci-fi novel, this ain’t for you. If you are interested in thinking about how technology adds or subtracts to the work of attaining happiness, this book is for you.
Tea from an Empty Cup – Pat Cadigan
This the first book of Pat Cadigan’s I’ve read. I can’t remember who or where I heard about it, but a good book.
The novel is set in a near future cyberpunk world where artifcial reality (AR) is commonplace and people regularly fall into lives in AR that are more compelling that lives in the real world. The technology is believeable with enough details to satisfy hard sci-fi readers without delving into textbookese.
Having enjoyed the proto-ARs that are online games, I was interested in seeing what Ms. Cadigan had to say about the future.
Similiar to Gibson’s Pattern Recognition, all the characters in the book are looking for something. The focus is on the role of artifical reality in these hunts. The vision is interesting, but in the end it is difficult to relate to reality.
The book is fun and enjoyable as a quick read, but for more heady cyberpunk, turn to Bruce Sterling.
Other Cruft
Yoshi pointed me to DanO’s post on Shadowbane & the Express Lane. Funny stuff. I’m with DanO. The Cash Only lane is for speed folks. I also hate those damn grobolds…
Martin’s been a crazy weblogger. On his 35th birthday, he blogged 35 times! Next, he wrote a scene from home, Hollywood style.
Go listen to Pat’s Music. The song, The Key, is good.
Blogsprogs is an interesting page about the experience of a few Dads raising their infants. Funny stuff since I’ve been through it.
Lastly, if you eat seven White Castle burgers for lunch, expect to burp them for the rest of the day. More on Cincinnati food later.
Before I headed off into the ether for the night I read mathowie’s post on usernames. Go read it, I’ll wait…
Now Matt is a smart guy with lots of whuffie and all that, but in this case he’s wrong.
Having usernames or as I like to call them noms de net is important to having well balanced interaction with people on the internet.
Many of the newer users of the net that think that weblog comments are the end-all of personal interactivity may think it’s fine to use real names on the net for everything, but it’s not. I think they simply don’t know any better. I view the people who use FirstLast for a username the same way I view people that have aol.com addresses on their business cards. The just aren’t operating on the same plane as me.
There are many ways for people to interact on the net and they each have different social dynamics. Gaming interactions and weblog interactions are two wildly different beasts. Chat rooms and message boards even have different mentalities.
While you cannot ever be completely anonymous, with a few simple clicks you can be fairly untraceable. With enough resources and time, any information can be gathered, but to most people the barrier is too high.
There are many times when anonymity is important. Log into a game of Quake or Counterstrike with your real name, do some serious damage to people and sure enough you have hate mail in our inbox before you quit the game.
Consider games like Everquest or Ultima Online, where much of the politics of the game takes place on message boards. Use your real name there and people will be calling you on the phone complaining about why you PKed them in the game.
Interested in some ‘alternate lifestyle’? Are you going to use your real name?
Chatting in IRC with a bunch of strangers? Are you going to use your real name?
Yes, people could try to track you down, looking for connections, but they don’t in most cases.
I’m sure you all could track down my two main nom de nets in a few seconds, but there are several names I use that no one but my wife knows. Hell, I’ve got websites that none of you even know exist. Any you can’t even find them due to the way I’ve registered them. You can’t google up a connection, believe me, I’ve checked.
Anonymity has it’s place on the net.
People want to be something other than they are in real life on the net. How can I be the valiant swordsman online in a game and be named MichaelPusateri? The net for a large part is about fantasy. They fantasy of being an expert, the fantasy of being a sexpot, the fantasy of being anything but yourself.
To give in to the flavor of the of hour and use FirstLast as your username is dull, boring, and quite mundane.
Have some fucking style. Have a damn story about your name. Disconnect, just a little bit, from the real world and live a little.