(no subject)
Before I go into anything else, I have an announcement about this journal: Because of this interview (thanks emilyami ), the attitude expressed therein, and LiveJournal's lack of notification on changes to the site (the most glaring one being the "Flag This Journal" "feature") I've decided that once my paid account expires (which will happen on December 6 of this year) I will no longer post on LiveJournal. Some may consider this to be extreme, but I'd rather not have to put up with crap like this now or in the future. I'll finish out my paid time since I want to get the value for my cash, but after that I'm gone. What makes me even more willing to leave is the fact that back before LiveJournal was bought by Six Apart, Brad Fitzpatrick, the head of LiveJournal at the time, said that there would be no ads on LiveJournal. My how times change. I've been looking into other sites on which to move my journal to and I haven't ruled out the possibility of starting my own site since the LiveJournal software is open source. I may also switch to journaling in my Gopherspace (which would make it a "phlog"), but as no one could leave comments in there that would be a last resort. Of course, if I do end up starting my own journaling site, all of you who are on my friends list are more than welcome to start your own journal there.
Now back to the regular update.
I've been alternating between Saturday and Sunday entries it seems. Today I write on a Sunday since I've been trying to get my Computer Science III homework done since it's due on Wednesday. I'd like to say I spent all the time I could yesterday at work on it, but the truth is that I was distracted until about 5 PM, and not with work, either. There were various other computing topics that interested me more, and I followed my bliss on those until I realized how much time had passed. I did make some progress on the homework, just not as much as I wanted to. The same thing happened today, though this time the distraction was more practical: setting up my laptop so that it will automatically set up my network cards when they're inserted and getting rid of that setup when I take them out. Both basically consist of starting and stopping dhclient, the DHCP client that comes with NetBSD. In any case, I'm not sure if I'm going to get my homework done on time, but I think I'm almost done. The problem is that I still have one major problem to solve before I can complete the assignment and so far solving it has seemed pretty daunting.
Last week was Spring Break and I did end up going with Logan to Omaha for the Midwest Music Spectacular, which was a series of video game tournaments centered mostly on music games, in particular those put out by Konami's music branch, Bemani. We went on Thursday morning since Logan wanted to get some practice in even though the tournaments wouldn't take place until Friday. We left right after I got off work on Thursday morning; in fact, Logan picked me up from work and I'd put the rest of my stuff in his car the night before. I spent most of the car ride going in and out of sleep. We got in to Omaha shortly after 12:30 and made it to the Family Fun Center, a large arcade in downtown Omaha, at around 12:45. From there we decided to eat and did so at the Jason's Deli next door, where we both got sandwiches and took advantage of the unlimited fountain drinks and free ice cream. After that we went back to the Family Fun Center and established the pattern we'd be in for the rest of the day and part of the next: Logan would keep playing the BeatMania and Poppn' Music machines and I would either watch or go off on my own and play some other games I was interested in. The games I played were Cruisn' World, The Simpsons arcade game, Joust, the Star Wars: Episode I pinball table, the Mario Kart arcade game, and the one I'd end up going going back to the most: Area 51 Site 4. We met two people who were also there for the tournament right away, and more would arrive later in the evening into the night. At around six we decided to check into our hotel (the first time I'd ever seen Logan want to get a hotel room when at an event out-of-town), went to a used CD store across the street for about a half-hour, then walked back to the arcade, which itself took a half-hour. We didn't eat again until about ten to ten that night, where we went to an excellent Mexican grill across the street, right before they closed. Then we walked back to the hotel. We both went online for some time, then I went to sleep and Logan would follow about an hour later. The actual tournaments started the next day, so after we checked out of the hotel, did some browsing at Border's books, and I got a huge meal at Jason's Deli while Logan did some browsing at the GameStop next door, I went into the arcade. Logan was already there, practicing on the BeatMania machine once again. The first tournament was the Poppn' Music tournament. It went pretty slowly and I don't even know who won, but I was amazed at people being able to get through songs at above level 40 like it was nothing. About an hour in they started the BeatMania tournamant, which was the reason why Logan came and the one tournament he participated in (I didn't participate in any tournaments, though if we'd have been able to stay for the Saturday tournaments I would definitely have entered the Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament). Logan had done a lot of practicing at home, almost making BeatMania his obsession, but here it didn't pay off: he was eliminated in the second round of a double-elimination tournament. I don't know who won that tournament either, as after Logan got eliminated I went upstairs to play more Area 51. After the tournaments and a short commercial shoot (the arcade wanted to shoot some footage for a new commercial), both the BeatMania and Poppn' Music machines were left on free play, and I took advantage of it on the latter since the only other place I'd played the game was at Ai-kon last year. I got a little better and graduated to using nine buttons instead of five, but I was definitely still a novice. We kept playing games until about 8, when we headed to the hotel we checked out from to see some of the other people from the tournament and have dinner with them at the nearby Village Inn restaurant. Logan and I were definitely the oldest two in the group, as otherwise I don't think there was anyone there over 20. Logan and I were mostly quiet as there was one guy (whom I'll describe in more detail later) who talked a lot and was obnoxious. After our late dinner we left. We got back to Cedar Falls at about 1:45 AM.
Overall I'm glad I went, though my feet hurt for most of the time from all the standing I did. Socially I wish I would have done better, but then again music games aren't my strong suit, and I was pretty much tagging along with Logan. I did meet a local guy named Justin, though. He'd been to Japan and talked about the many arcades that are there and how popular they are, something that Phil would verify on IRC last night when I asked him about it. Unfortunately we didn't exchange contact info, so I don't think I'll ever get to talk to him again. By contrast, the obnoxious guy that we ate with at Village Inn was named Alex, and he'd brought his girlfriend with him. He was your typical teenage punk, a guy who feels the need to put the word "fuck" in some form in almost every sentence, who kept insulting his friends, and who had no qualms about kissing his girlfriend multiple times right in front of us. He's someone I wouldn't want to talk to again.
Jeff and I were able to get my car to the auto body shop on Monday after a long wait for the tow truck to come to the repair shop. The estimated cost of repair was $250, which was below the $300 that I set as the value where I'd decided it wasn't worth it and junk the car instead. The guy who looked at it said it wouldn't be until Friday before he'd get to look at it, but apparently he either got through his other jobs faster than he anticipated, someone decided not to have something done, or he told me it would take longer than it actually would because when I got home from Omaha there was a message on my answering machine from him saying my car was done. I wouldn't be able to pick it up until tomorrow, though, and I'd called and told him this on Thursday morning on the way to Omaha. Tomorrow Vik will take me to get the car. It's a good thing that my sister Melissa paid me for her airline ticket last Monday, since that means I'll definitely have the money to pay for it without having to dip into my nest egg.
Other than that and having to have other people drive me everywhere, it was a pretty uneventful Spring Break. Vik had taken SSBB back to the video store, but he got it for his birthday, as he said he would. He has yet to take it out of the package, but I'll fix that if he won't.
I've also decided not to move after all. I don't really have to move and I started too late looking for a new place that would suit me, plus Vik didn't have a roommate lined up, so in the end I think staying will be a better idea. I just hope the management of our complex gets their act together.
That's all for this week. No Software of the Week this week, but there's one utility I'm working with and if it proves to be as useful as I think it will I'll feature it next week.
Now back to the regular update.
I've been alternating between Saturday and Sunday entries it seems. Today I write on a Sunday since I've been trying to get my Computer Science III homework done since it's due on Wednesday. I'd like to say I spent all the time I could yesterday at work on it, but the truth is that I was distracted until about 5 PM, and not with work, either. There were various other computing topics that interested me more, and I followed my bliss on those until I realized how much time had passed. I did make some progress on the homework, just not as much as I wanted to. The same thing happened today, though this time the distraction was more practical: setting up my laptop so that it will automatically set up my network cards when they're inserted and getting rid of that setup when I take them out. Both basically consist of starting and stopping dhclient, the DHCP client that comes with NetBSD. In any case, I'm not sure if I'm going to get my homework done on time, but I think I'm almost done. The problem is that I still have one major problem to solve before I can complete the assignment and so far solving it has seemed pretty daunting.
Last week was Spring Break and I did end up going with Logan to Omaha for the Midwest Music Spectacular, which was a series of video game tournaments centered mostly on music games, in particular those put out by Konami's music branch, Bemani. We went on Thursday morning since Logan wanted to get some practice in even though the tournaments wouldn't take place until Friday. We left right after I got off work on Thursday morning; in fact, Logan picked me up from work and I'd put the rest of my stuff in his car the night before. I spent most of the car ride going in and out of sleep. We got in to Omaha shortly after 12:30 and made it to the Family Fun Center, a large arcade in downtown Omaha, at around 12:45. From there we decided to eat and did so at the Jason's Deli next door, where we both got sandwiches and took advantage of the unlimited fountain drinks and free ice cream. After that we went back to the Family Fun Center and established the pattern we'd be in for the rest of the day and part of the next: Logan would keep playing the BeatMania and Poppn' Music machines and I would either watch or go off on my own and play some other games I was interested in. The games I played were Cruisn' World, The Simpsons arcade game, Joust, the Star Wars: Episode I pinball table, the Mario Kart arcade game, and the one I'd end up going going back to the most: Area 51 Site 4. We met two people who were also there for the tournament right away, and more would arrive later in the evening into the night. At around six we decided to check into our hotel (the first time I'd ever seen Logan want to get a hotel room when at an event out-of-town), went to a used CD store across the street for about a half-hour, then walked back to the arcade, which itself took a half-hour. We didn't eat again until about ten to ten that night, where we went to an excellent Mexican grill across the street, right before they closed. Then we walked back to the hotel. We both went online for some time, then I went to sleep and Logan would follow about an hour later. The actual tournaments started the next day, so after we checked out of the hotel, did some browsing at Border's books, and I got a huge meal at Jason's Deli while Logan did some browsing at the GameStop next door, I went into the arcade. Logan was already there, practicing on the BeatMania machine once again. The first tournament was the Poppn' Music tournament. It went pretty slowly and I don't even know who won, but I was amazed at people being able to get through songs at above level 40 like it was nothing. About an hour in they started the BeatMania tournamant, which was the reason why Logan came and the one tournament he participated in (I didn't participate in any tournaments, though if we'd have been able to stay for the Saturday tournaments I would definitely have entered the Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament). Logan had done a lot of practicing at home, almost making BeatMania his obsession, but here it didn't pay off: he was eliminated in the second round of a double-elimination tournament. I don't know who won that tournament either, as after Logan got eliminated I went upstairs to play more Area 51. After the tournaments and a short commercial shoot (the arcade wanted to shoot some footage for a new commercial), both the BeatMania and Poppn' Music machines were left on free play, and I took advantage of it on the latter since the only other place I'd played the game was at Ai-kon last year. I got a little better and graduated to using nine buttons instead of five, but I was definitely still a novice. We kept playing games until about 8, when we headed to the hotel we checked out from to see some of the other people from the tournament and have dinner with them at the nearby Village Inn restaurant. Logan and I were definitely the oldest two in the group, as otherwise I don't think there was anyone there over 20. Logan and I were mostly quiet as there was one guy (whom I'll describe in more detail later) who talked a lot and was obnoxious. After our late dinner we left. We got back to Cedar Falls at about 1:45 AM.
Overall I'm glad I went, though my feet hurt for most of the time from all the standing I did. Socially I wish I would have done better, but then again music games aren't my strong suit, and I was pretty much tagging along with Logan. I did meet a local guy named Justin, though. He'd been to Japan and talked about the many arcades that are there and how popular they are, something that Phil would verify on IRC last night when I asked him about it. Unfortunately we didn't exchange contact info, so I don't think I'll ever get to talk to him again. By contrast, the obnoxious guy that we ate with at Village Inn was named Alex, and he'd brought his girlfriend with him. He was your typical teenage punk, a guy who feels the need to put the word "fuck" in some form in almost every sentence, who kept insulting his friends, and who had no qualms about kissing his girlfriend multiple times right in front of us. He's someone I wouldn't want to talk to again.
Jeff and I were able to get my car to the auto body shop on Monday after a long wait for the tow truck to come to the repair shop. The estimated cost of repair was $250, which was below the $300 that I set as the value where I'd decided it wasn't worth it and junk the car instead. The guy who looked at it said it wouldn't be until Friday before he'd get to look at it, but apparently he either got through his other jobs faster than he anticipated, someone decided not to have something done, or he told me it would take longer than it actually would because when I got home from Omaha there was a message on my answering machine from him saying my car was done. I wouldn't be able to pick it up until tomorrow, though, and I'd called and told him this on Thursday morning on the way to Omaha. Tomorrow Vik will take me to get the car. It's a good thing that my sister Melissa paid me for her airline ticket last Monday, since that means I'll definitely have the money to pay for it without having to dip into my nest egg.
Other than that and having to have other people drive me everywhere, it was a pretty uneventful Spring Break. Vik had taken SSBB back to the video store, but he got it for his birthday, as he said he would. He has yet to take it out of the package, but I'll fix that if he won't.
I've also decided not to move after all. I don't really have to move and I started too late looking for a new place that would suit me, plus Vik didn't have a roommate lined up, so in the end I think staying will be a better idea. I just hope the management of our complex gets their act together.
That's all for this week. No Software of the Week this week, but there's one utility I'm working with and if it proves to be as useful as I think it will I'll feature it next week.