I’m typing this from my hotel room in wonderful San Jose, California. I’m here for work, though I haven’t done any actual work yet (not complaining.) I had a layover in Denver on the way from Cleveland to San Jose, where I (coincidentally) ended up on the same flight from Denver to San Jose as … [Read more…]
Valve Software finally released the Lost Coast add-on level for Half-Life 2 today. It’s not terribly long, but at least it’s some new Half-Life 2 content! It’s really intended as a tech demo for their new HDR (High Dynamic Range) lighting technology, so the level (yes, just one level) is only about 15 minutes or … [Read more…]
I just had one of those “Hrm, that was unusual” moments. I was on my way outside for one of my several daily walks (I really need to get up and away from the desk or I go nutty, plus the exercise is good) and walking through the reception area, on my way to the … [Read more…]
I think I’m finally getting adjusted to the new lifestyle, diet-wise at least. I still haven’t slipped into a reasonable exercise regimen, but at least I’m eating right. Still looking for new foods to try, especially for lunch. Hit-and-miss last week, I made a potato and green bean salad that was a pretty big miss … [Read more…]
Cousin number two passed away last night. So my aunt (great aunt, but same difference really) lost her daughter the day before her son’s funeral. Losing a child is rough enough, but losing both your children in the same week, even if both losses were expected, is beyond rough. Damn.
Time Magazine recently picked their 100 Greatest English-language novels from 1923 to the present, and Alan Moore’s Watchmen made the list, the only comic to do so. I won’t argue it’s inclusion, as it’s easily my favorite comic of all time. I’ve read it more times than I can count and every time I pick … [Read more…]
Finished another new track! This track is the yang to the yin of my last couple tracks. Whereas the last couple I did were rooted in randomness and chaos (mostly for the timbre, synth patches and whatnot) this track is planted firmly in the corner or order. All the rhythmic and tonal structure is based … [Read more…]
Got the first real sign that we're getting into the meat of the fall here, I could see my breath this morning on my way into work. The leaves have only just begun to change colors, but breath in the air is certainly a sign that fall is here. I'll confess that I'm one of … [Read more…]
Well, one of the two cousins that were not expected to last the year died this morning. I wasn't terribly close, so I'm not that broken up, but it's still a bit sad any time family dies, close or not. I especially feel for his mother, who has already lost a sister just two months … [Read more…]
Chugging along, still dropping the pounds at the rate I had originally hoped. I’m digging around for some more low-calorie and low-fat recipes (preferably vegetarian) to try and expand my diet a bit. I’ve basically been eating the same thing every day for a month-and-a-half now, so it’s time to branch out a bit. Oct … [Read more…]
It is Friday, isn't it? Feels more like a Tuesday or Wednesday. Perhaps it's because I'm actually busy and have work to do today, whereas most Fridays I'm milking what little I have to do and going home early (assuming I even go into work at all, which I don't on many Fridays.) Even with … [Read more…]
It looks like I'll be spending three days in San Jose the first week of November, flying out October 31st and returning on November 2nd. It's work related, so it's likely to be fairly boring and I probably won't get to see much of the city, but at least I'll finally be able to say … [Read more…]
Well, the rumors were true. Apple announced the new iPods today, and they now incorporate video support. A nice, large 2.5" 320×240 color display, and it supports MPEG-4 or H.264 video. Would have been nice to support standard QuickTime movies or other formats, but I don't see myself using the video playback much anyway. Sadly, … [Read more…]
Well, looks like the dance room at the Ferndale Record Time outside Detroit has closed. I only visited it on a couple of occasions, but always found good stuff when I did. Plus, it’s a piece of techno (and Detroit) history. The official word from Record Time head honcho Mike Himes: (with a spot of … [Read more…]
First, Unicef bombs the Smurfs into oblivion. Poor things are just dancing around the village on a nice, sunny day when the bombers show up and annihilate the whole village. Good times. Next, Wallace and Grommit perish in a warehouse fire. Actually, the entire history of Aardman Animations was destroyed. All the sets and characters … [Read more…]