Sketch Baroque

SPORE Chimerae

2008-04-11T14:18:00.002-05:00

Each day brings us one step closer to the release of Will Wright's SPORE. When it arrives, I intend to make all sorts of horrible amalgamations of once god-fearing animals. The following list is by no means complete. Help me think of more!

boarilla
bumble badger
girafferret
koalapotamus
labradorangatan
porcupython (thanks, askaninja!)
sharktopus
slothtopus
snake-topus
yaktopus

Star Wars Mural

2008-03-24T09:07:00.005-05:00

Cloverfield Concept Art

2007-09-24T12:15:00.000-05:00

I found this. I don't know if it's real.

Eastern Standard Time: Day 1

2007-06-29T14:30:00.000-05:00

My vacation started June 21st. I was going to fly out to see my friend, a grad student at Princeton, NJ.

After a short hop to O'hare, I would catch my connecting flight to Newark three hours later. I waited around for two hours and, on a whim, asked the fellow at the gate desk if my flight was still on time. He informed me that it had been canceled and I should check with so-and-so at some desk somewhere.

Turned out they transfered me to a flight that had already left. Suck. The best I could do was get on another one early the next morning. I called my sister, who thankfully lives in the Chicagoland area, and she picked me up. Unfortunately, she couldn't drive me in the morning so I had to call a cab to take me back to the airport.

New Computer

2007-06-20T08:53:00.000-05:00

My computron broke last week; it just decided not to start up anymore. I'd been saving up for a new one anyway, so this was my opportunity. My friend came over to help - I'm glad he did. It turned out to be a bit more complicated than I thought.

It works now though. Good times.

Food Poisoning

2007-03-02T13:10:00.000-06:00

If you ever have the choice between food poisoning and death, well, just be sure to think it through. My vice got me in big trouble a week and a half ago and I missed two days of work.

Monday I was up all night with my head over a trashcan. It was horrible. Tuesday my face is all red with broken capillaries and my eyes are horrifically bloodshot. Nearly two weeks later and I still look hungover. Wednesday I called the health department. They asked what I ate, what symptoms I had and when I experienced them and then told me they'd send somebody over to inspect the place.

I like to think I saved someone else from a fate worse than death. My sacrifice will not be in vain!

Snack Box

2007-02-03T21:13:00.000-06:00

Our office used to have an honor-system snack box on top of the soda machine. The lady who used to supply it stopped doing so. There has been a void in our lives (and stomaches).

Monday, this void will be filled.

Plastic Window Seals

2007-01-31T21:59:00.000-06:00

Our electric bill arrived today. I had heard bad omens from a few friends of mine, but it was still a shock that we owe more than double what we did last month. We resolved to do whatever we could to bring that number down. Tonight's project: sealing up the bedroom windows. Plastic window sealing kits can be found at your local hardware store.

If, like us, your blinds are screwed directly into the window frame, you'll have to remove them. The office and spare room will have to do without blinds for the rest of the winter, as I don't want to screw through my brand new pristine seal. Luckily, the master bedroom's blinds are affixed to the wall above the window.

The kit comes with a big plastic sheet and some double-sided tape.

Tape along each side of the window.

After 15 minutes, remove the protective backing from the tape on the top of the frame. If you're doing multiple windows, tape them all, and by the time you're done with the last, the backing on the first can safely be removed.

Measure out and cut a piece of plastic, making sure there will be a few extra inches on each side.

Stick the plastic to the top of the window, then remove the protective film from the tape on the sides and bottom of the frame, and attach the plastic there. It's okay if there are wrinkles.

Using a blow dryer on the highest setting, heat the plastic, starting with a corner. It will shrink (immediately), forming a tight seal around the window. When you're finished, the plastic will be totally invisible except for reflections. It doesn't look tacky like I thought it might.

Put your blinds back, if you can. Enjoy your draft-free window, but don't touch it!

Dord

2007-01-30T10:43:00.000-06:00

This is my new favorite word.
dord (dôrd), n. Phisics & Chem. Density

edit: Though thagomizer is a close second.

The Hawking Paradox

2007-01-29T14:08:00.000-06:00

We watched this show the other night called The Hawking Paradox (Dan's thoughts). Basically, it was about Hawking trying to reconcile the ideas that black holes destroy stuff utterly, and information can never be utterly destroyed.

His final solution was this:
When information is destroyed in a black hole, there are many other alternate universes where the information is still intact - because there isn't a black hole in that spot. If you average all the results from all parallel universes, the problem of destroyed information cancels out.

I call "bull$*@#!" That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. It's tantamount to saying "No, see, if you just pretend the black hole isn't there, then there's no problem! See?" ...crickets chirping.

Real Animation

2006-12-20T15:40:00.000-06:00

Disney is switching back to real animation. Hopefully, the industry will follow their lead (like it always has).

Hopefully this will mean more good films along the lines of:
The Emperor's New Groove
Tarzan
Hercules
The Lion King
Aladdin
Beauty and the Beast
The Little Mermaid

And less tripe like:
Shark Tale
Robots
Madagascar
Chicken Little
Hoodwinked
Open Season

(Yes, I know only one of those is a Disney film)

Screamerella

2006-12-17T14:55:00.000-06:00

I drawed a picture.

Planting a Tree

2006-12-16T12:31:00.000-06:00

In the spirit of telling stories from months ago, here's one from November!

Erin's parents gave us a tree for our anniversary. I called JULIE, the underground kill-line report service, to make sure there were no power or water lines running through our front yard, then took an afternoon and dug a hole. It was a fine hole, devoid of dirt.

Then the tree came and we placed it in the hole. I put the hole-dirt in one of our garbage cans, but now I don't know what to do with it. Dad says I should just spread it out over the yard, but it's been cold lately and I haven't wanted to.

Bathroom Painting Photos

2006-12-16T12:18:00.000-06:00

A while ago, we painted the bathroom, but I never posted pictures. Here are pictures.

Gorditabraten

2006-11-29T13:08:00.000-06:00

I want to create a German-Mexican fusion restaurant so I can call it Taco Schnell.

No nose hath smelt...

2006-11-20T16:26:00.000-06:00

I thought I knew the depths of stink. Both of our basement toilets spewed forth a dizzying cloud of sewer gas today. We tried to ignore it at first, but we were soon overwhelmed and had to stand outside. The poor intern is cleaning it up. Poor, poor redshirt.

First Recorded Emoticon?

2006-11-15T11:07:00.000-06:00

Could this link show evidence of the first recorded emoticon?

Quantum Cryptography

2006-11-09T15:39:00.000-06:00

Somehow, I fail to see how this quantum cryptography thingy is a big deal. Isn't it just a really good random number generator?

Warning: Ignorance Alert! This is merely my layperson understanding of how this works...
If I want to decode an encrypted message, I need three things:

The encoded message.

The method used to encode it.

The encryption key (usually a number or a word).

Say, for example, I send a secret message to my friend Ruteger. "Meet me at Steak and Shake. You're buying." I run it through my encryption machine with the key "857312." Even if someone intercepted the message and knew my encryption method, they would still need the key. In this case, the key is rather short and a computer could guess it with trial and error.

But wait... Why not generate the number with a photon? Photons can make random numbers using SCIENCE! Now, instead of the pseudo-random number key "857312," I can now have a truly random number key: "2287937."

The amount of work done by the spy is the same. Am I missing something here? Do I have a fundamentally flawed understanding of cryptography? (likely)

City of Heroes: Wings

2006-11-08T11:01:00.000-06:00

Holy cow, these look amazing; the animators really did their homework. After seeing them on the test server, I'll probably put these on a lot more characters than would strictly make sense. Winged robot AWAY!

YouTube video.

The Prestige

2006-11-07T12:56:00.000-06:00

Awesome movie. It's sort of a murder mystery with a SHOCKING TWIST! Two magicians with a bitter rivalry are always trying to one-up each other, with deadly and awesome consequences. Seriously, best film I've seen in a while.

Also, Nikola Tesla is in it.

SPORE Sloth

2006-11-01T16:42:00.000-06:00

I can't wait for SPORE to come out. This game would seem to be everything I've ever wanted. Hopefully you can put lights and smokestacks on your critters, so I can make this:

The Internet in One Sentence

2006-10-27T13:03:00.000-05:00

I found this quote in the comments of a YouTube video. It eloquently sums up the vast majority of discorse on the web:

City of Heroes: Veteran Rewards

2006-10-25T12:27:00.000-05:00

CoH will soon have a new system where subscribers get in-game prizes based on how long they've had an active account. They revealed the latest batch of them today.

3 Months: Trenchcoat
Folks have been asking for this for a long time.

6: Greek Alphabet chest emblems
This is the lamest reward by a big margin. Guess they can't all be super good.

9: Kilts for males, "belly shirts" for females
I hear reqests for kilts all the time too.

12: Bonus attack power, special versions of the "sprint" power, and some new decorative pieces for supergroup bases
Some fun stuff. The extra attack will help out at low levels and the base items can add that much more dimension and realism to a base. The sprint powers were originally exclusive preorder items. Those who got them with their preorder felt it was a special little bonus that not many people would have. Now a fair number of people will and that doesn't sit right.

15: Wings
These look exactly as I wanted them to look. Well done. They even flap when you fly!

18: Samurai armor
Looks great! Very nice.

21: One-shoulder cape
Eh, kinda lame. I can't think of any of my characters that would look good with this.

24: Teleport power that takes you to your supergroup base, more decorative base items, special titles
Exclusively-solo players are out of luck here. I'm psyched though. My SG base is awesome.

27: New tech armor
Not bad looking, but really not anything special. This doesn't look all that different from the tech armor options we already have.

30: Chest emblems from existing NPC groups, more decorative base items
Seems like another filler milestone to me.

33: Really really cool bonus attack power
The Nemesis Staff is the sweetest temp power in the game. Now I'll get to keep it FOREVER!

36: Non-combat pet, decorative base items
A little critter that follows you around. I hope we'll get to name them. Looks like fun!

Scattered in there are also a bunch of costume change tokens and character respecs. Unfortunately (or not), they've given out so many of those already that they're just not an enticing reward anymore, so I did not include them in my list.

Fertilizer

2006-10-23T16:38:00.000-05:00

I killed a bunch of grass.

Those fertilizer application carts have a sliding lever on them that gives the user more control than simply "open" and "closed." The strip of grass by the mailbox is now a healthy brown.

Fiend Folio Art Review Part 1

2006-10-21T16:19:00.000-05:00

This D&D monster book has been around for a few years. Like my analysis of the Monster Manual 3, I'm going to go through each creature entry and bore you with my commentary. In this case, I'll only be talking about the art. Click here for WotC's teaser art gallery for the book.

Shining Stars

Abyssal Ghoul - Scary lookin' critter right there.
Bhut - A big scary melted ghost with big teeth. Reminds me of an evil version of Slimer from Ghostbusters.
Blackstone Gigant - Very dynamic image, despite the fact that it depicts a statue.
Caryatid Column - Looks just like a classical marble statue... come to life with a sword. The serene expression on her face sells it.
Crawling Head - Icky, but perfect.
Alkilith - A nasty slime creature, here depicted as neon green and purple lava. Totally alien and wonderful.
Paeliryon - 20 foot tall morbidly obese "devil-clown." I don't think a better visual interperatation could exist.
Ethergaunts - Utterly alien, bizzare entities from a parallel reality. NAILED.
Armadon - Armored bug monser, straight outta Starship Troopers.
Half-illithid Lizardfolk - Shows an example creature with said template. It's exactly as I would have imagined it. Well done.
Hullathoin - An enormous zombified four-legged "thing." Covered in boils that burst forth with swarms of evil locusts. I love this thing so much.
Inevitable - Geometric, clockwork beings that roam about enforcing the laws of the universe. The illustration here is flawless.
Jackalwere - Striking sillouette.
Lucent Worm - Giant gooey, transperent slug. Truly horrific.
Maug - Captures the feel of an enormously heavy and powerful stone-person thing. He's got some momentum going, and he isn't going to stop.
Shadar-kai - A shadowy race of faerie folk. Great use of contrast and angular edges to evoke the mood.
Yuan-ti Anathema - Evokes not only what the creature looks like, but also hints at what yuan-ti society is like.

"As a foulness shall ye know them."

2006-10-19T09:52:00.000-05:00

An odor is present here. You know when after you floss your teeth and you smell your finger? (C'mon, everbody does it.) It is the rank miasma of death. Investigation as to its source may prove necessary.

I lit a three-wick scented candle but it is powerless against the funk.

Where in the World is Chris?

2006-10-15T11:13:00.000-05:00

My friend Chris is in Japan, teaching English for a year. Using the address he gave, the city's official website and Google's translate feature, I came up with a dot on a map. I'll see how close my estimate was the next time I hear back from him.

Sloar

2006-10-10T15:18:00.000-05:00

The 1984 film Ghostbusters has Rick Moranis spew forth the following insane rant:

"During the rectification of the Vuldronaii the Traveler came as a large, moving Torb. Then, during the third reconciliation of the last of the Meketrex supplicants they chose a new form for him—that of a giant Sloar. Many Shubs and Zuuls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Sloar that day, I can tell you."

What the heck is a 'sloar?' My inclination is that the writers just made it up, but might it be some sort of kiln or 'death-sauna?'

Skeleton Baby

2006-09-29T13:16:00.000-05:00

Years ago, while visiting Six Flags: Great America during Fright Fest, several friends and I tried to think of ways to bug the crap out of the unfortunate costume-wearing employees. We asked a fellow dressed as a skeleton the following question:

If two skeletons got married and had a baby, would it be a real baby or a skeleton baby?

What is the real answer, and why?

Marmaduke Explained

2006-09-27T11:37:00.002-05:00

Every link site I visit has featured this in the past week. I'm featuring it too - because it's AWESOME.
http://marmadukeexplained.blogspot.com/

The writer deconstructs the subtle wit of America's greatest dane.

iTunes 7 still sucks.

2006-09-25T23:04:00.000-05:00

Waiting it out has proven fruitless. I'm tired of hoping Apple will patch the program so it works. To their credit, they have posted some workarounds for the problems folks are having, but seriously. No one should have to "work around" anything when you release an update like this.

The suggestions to fix the problem haven't worked for me. The main thing I use iTunes for at home is playing music in the background while I play games. Sound from the game and sound from iTunes have a fundamental disagreement they didn't have in version 6.

Oh, and get this: They have the cahones to tell me the problem is with the other programs I have running (see the very last bullet point on the page). Gee, the only change to my system is the new version of YOUR program, and you're telling me the problem is with everything else? I'd say "nice try," but it isn't, really.

Needless to say, I have reverted to an older version until the damn thing works for me.

Aaron's Last Day

2006-09-15T17:47:00.000-05:00

My friend, Nerf target, and mentor said his goodbyes today. We'll keep in touch, certainly, but it won't be the same. Have a good one, Aaron.

iTunes 7 Windows Bug

2006-09-12T20:57:00.000-05:00

iTunes 7 for Windows has a major playback bug. When running any other programs with iTunes in the background my music plays all garbled. I really hope they patch this soon - as in like, tomorrow.

The only information I have on it right now is this thread in the Apple forums.

Youth Ministry Logos

2006-09-12T18:56:00.000-05:00

Logos I designed for the Jr. and Sr. High School ministries of a church.

V for Vendetta

2006-09-12T18:36:00.000-05:00

This is what we like to call a good movie based on a comic book. It may have not been totally believable, but at least it wasn't campy and insulting.

If you're looking for 1984 meets The Count of Monte Cristo look no farther. I enjoyed it greatly.

pandora.com

2006-09-08T14:19:00.000-05:00

This is the greatest website. You enter the name of a music artist or song, and it plays other songs that share characteristics with it. It's the result of a huge project by some music analysts. They went through thousands of songs, listing very specific features of each. The search engine goes through these lists and finds stuff you might like. Very, very cool.

You can save playlists, and rate individual song results thumbs up or down (like TiVo!). Did I mention very, very cool?

Painting the Bathroom

2006-09-08T14:07:00.000-05:00

From the moment we bought the house, Erin was itching to repaint our purple bathroom. I told her to wait a little bit, until we got settled in. Such was our Labor Day project. We went out to the store, bought the supplies we needed, including some quick-dry spackle for the nail and screw holes all over the walls.

While Erin put up the tape to block the trim and ceiling, I drilled a new hole for the light fixture. The lights and medicine cabinet were too low - I had to lean over to see my face in the mirror! So we needed to move everything up about five inches. I drilled a great big hole five inches above the existing great big hole and set about getting the exposed wires where they needed to be. When wiring the cable and speakers for the living room, I had bent a wire coat hanger into a hook to pull cords through a small hole, so I figured I'd give it a shot here. It took some work (including making a second hook to grab and pull the other hook through the hole), but it totally worked.

Then we painted. Erin got these "paint pads" that work quite well on the wall edges. Then we used the roller for the rest. It really wasn't bad at all.

The Godfather

2006-09-08T14:00:00.000-05:00

This film is a classic. Several friends of mine often mention that it's one of their favorite movies of all time. We had never seen it before, so we rented it and sat down for the long haul.

This movie is great. Like my friend says, it makes you want to be in the mob (just a little). Dramatic, suspenseful, great music, wonderful characters. My favorite part was the gradual transition of the main character - he's pulled in by things within and outside his control. Sort of a tragic anti-hero.

There was a lot going on, and I got a bit confused by all the different characters. They'd be talking about somebody by name and I would have no clue who they meant. But it certainly didn't lessen my enjoyment of the story.

Sears Repair and Service Center

2006-09-08T13:32:00.000-05:00

I bought a reconditioned weedwacker at Sears, after giving up on the other one. This new one didn't work either - it would idle for a few seconds, then just shut off. Lame. I called Sears a few times during the week, and they never answered. Turns out they close at 5, so there was no way I could get there until the weekend.

Saturday, I drove back to the store with the machine in the back seat...

Dave enters the store, carrying a weedwacker. He waits in line at the counter for a couple minutes.

Polite But Entirely Unhelpful Lady: How may I help you?
Me: I bought this a week ago and it dun't work. Could I get it fixed or replaced?
Lady: Sure. We can send it up to [God knows where] to get repaired for you. Just fill out this work order.
Me: Okay. (hands over the machine, fills out the form)
Lady: Alright, we'll give you a call on the 16th (two weeks from now).
Me: The 16th?
Lady: Yes. Is there anything else I can do for you?
Me: No. That'll do it. Thank you.

Dave leaves, disappointed. What a load of crap. He gets in the car and drives to the parking lot exit. Hmm. I wonder what Erin will say when I come home with nothing, claiming we might hear back in two weeks.. Dave does a U-turn and parks the car again, walks back inside.

Polite But Entirely Unhelpful Lady: May I help you?
Me: Bet you're real happy to see me, huh?
Lady: ...
Me: Could I just exchange it now instead of waiting two weeks for repairs?
Lady: I'm sorry, but if there's a problem with a product we have to get it repaired.
Me: Are you sure I can't just trade it for one of those over there? They're pretty much the same thing.
Lady: I'm sorry but I can't do that.
Me (getting irritated): Look, I bought this last week with the understanding that it would work. Now you're telling me I have to wait another two weeks just to use the machine I already purchased?
Lady: I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do.
Me: *sigh* Okay. Thanks.

Dave gets back in the car, quite annoyed. He drives once around the parking lot, then realizes he has the reciept in his back pocket. He reads it gleefully, stops the car, and goes back into the store for the last time.

Me: This is the last time you'll see me today. I promise.
Polite But Entirely Unhelpful Lady: What I can I do for you?
Me: Could I get a refund please. (not a question)
Lady: Sure. (does all that is required for the refund)
Me: Thank you. (walks over to the rack of weedwackers, picks one out and brings it to the counter)
I'd like to buy this weedwacker.
Lady: (completes the transaction - turns out this one was ten dollars less than the other)
Have a good weekend, sir.
Me: Thank you.

Super Justice Team GO!

2006-08-24T20:31:00.000-05:00

Our City of Heroes supergroup has a new secret HQ. Take a tour with Screamerella!

The reception desk - first thing you see when you materialize inside.

The purdy but dangerous skylight. If we were ever attacked, this would be the weak spot in our defenses.

Teleporter room. The empty space on the right is reserved for another unit - not yet constructed.

The workshop where Col. Pemberton has been building the new teleport pad.

Rec area and computer room, seperated by a not-at-all soundproof glass wall.

The basement, with generator and water heater. Grey Pup promised to change the lightbulbs last Thursday.

Snakes on a Plane

2006-08-24T20:29:00.000-05:00

This king among films was absolutely hilarious. It was all I hoped it would be and more. I found myself laughing uncontrolably at the line "We have to put a barrier between us and the snakes!" There's something indescribably absurd about it.

There was a lady all by herself in the theater with us. I thought it was a little strange, 'til she walked out about halfway through and I realized she must have been screening it for her kid. Chuckle.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

2006-08-18T12:50:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I laughed out loud so many times at a movie. I've always enjoyed Will Ferrell's sense of humor; he was the best thing about SNL while in the cast.

"This sticker is dangerous and inconvenient, but I do love Fig Newtons."

Watercooler

2006-08-16T13:03:00.000-05:00

While at work some time ago, I made a comment that the water in our dehumidifier ought to be drinkable, since it comes directly from the air. That's probably true, but I wouldn't want to try it without cleaning it up a bit. The tank probably has mildew growing in it, and who knows what foul vapors and particles are floating around in the air down here.

Anyway, here's a detailed schematic of a hypothetical dehumidifier/water filtration system.

...And a prototype.

Weedwacker

2006-08-15T22:07:00.000-05:00

The Descent

2006-08-13T21:20:00.000-05:00

Movie night on Thursday! We saw The Descent.

Very good, visceral and genuinely scary. The director managed to hit a nerve, making the viewer feel as claustrophobic as the characters. With lots of "gotcha" moments, this is a great film if you're a fan of somewhat gory slashers. Interestingly, the characters are all women. This totally eliminates one of the conflicts classic to horror films: sexual tension.

Again, if you're a fan of the genre, see this movie. It delivers on its promises.

A.

Wordpress and EasyPHP

2006-08-06T23:01:00.000-05:00

Inspired to once again redefine my web presence, I am starting to put together a new website using Wordpress. Tonight I went through the first website I made that had a blog in it, copying all the entries and images, and editing the post dates to reflect when they were actually written. A bit tedius, but I hope it's worth it in the end.

Smoove Move

2006-07-28T22:17:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday we went to the bank for closing. It took almost exactly one hour to sign and initial all the paperwork. Finally, we had the keys! We'd been packing all week, but that evening was the first time we could take some boxes over.

Saturday, though, was THE DAY. My in-laws came down to help, and four of our friends stuck around and carried large objects with us. We rented a U-Haul, getting everything in only one trip. With so many assistants, the whole process went by quickly - we were done in five hours.

Two of our friends insisted on mowing our yard and weeding the garden! I was overwhelmed by their giving spirit. Best move EVER.

More Boxes

2006-07-19T21:18:00.000-05:00

You'd think after two days there'd be more progress. You'd be wrong.

Looking Up

2006-07-19T20:45:00.000-05:00

Mobile

2006-07-17T21:56:00.000-05:00

Packing Up

2006-07-16T21:58:00.000-05:00

This is an unfortunately small percentage of all we have to move. A little bit packed every day will add up, I suppose.

Calvin & Hobbes

2006-07-11T09:40:00.000-05:00

C&H has always been my favorite comic strip. I remember when I got the first book, noticing that Calvin would be the same age as me.

25 Calvin & Hobbes strips.

Miyazaki

2006-07-09T22:13:00.000-05:00

Continuing to use my Hollywood Video coupons, I rented a couple Miyazaki films: My Neighbor Totoro, and Howl's Moving Castle. Totoro was really great, truly a wonderful view of what it's like to be a child in a loving home.

Howl's Moving Castle is a fairy-tale in every sense of the word. Dazzling vistas of imagination, likeable characters. I think Princess Mononoke will always be my favorite, but Howl is a close second.

Hollywood Video

2006-07-07T19:18:00.000-05:00

So it turns out we have 6 'rent one get one free' coupons for Hollywood Video, 'cause of a class action lawsuit against them. We've had them for 3 months and I just remembered 'em today. While at HV, I learned we had a free movie credit on our account, due to a broken DVD we rented, plus an additional buck fifty. I rented three movies for $1.42!

The Tenth Dimension

2006-07-06T11:46:00.000-05:00

Speaking of alternate universes filled with pure evil, check this out. Gotta warn you though, the site has had a lot of traffic lately and is experiencing unseasonably long load times. When and if you get in, click 'Imagining' and you'll be privy to a thoughtful and unconventional look at what higher "dimensions" might be like. If - after length, width, and height - time is the fourth dimension, what might be the fifth? The 10th?

Superstring theory (I've been told) mandates the existance of 10+ dimensions - I'm sure my quantum physics friends will eventually let me know that the superstring dimensions are all spacial, having nothing to do with 'time,' and curled up like quantum drinking straws or something. Again, Imagining the Tength Dimension is not an explanation of the way things are, just a different way of thinking.

Ultroloth

2006-07-05T23:43:00.000-05:00

The most foulest and mostest cunning lords of the Gray Waste are the enigmatic Ultroloths. Always covered in voluminous cloaks or robes, their mysteries are filled with evil and nastiness. Tony D. rules.

Postage Meter

2006-07-01T00:55:00.000-05:00

Months ago, I did an illustration of an electronic postage meter for an ad. We ended up using a photo instead of this look, but I liked this little sketch.

See, envelopes go in where the arrow is. Then you push a button or something and your letter dematerializes, reappearing at the post office.

Guess What We Bought Today!!!

2006-06-29T22:50:00.000-05:00

Here's a hint: it has a garage.

The house is just off the left side of the frame.

The back of the garage.

Inside said garage.

The House We're Looking At

2006-06-28T20:33:00.000-05:00

We've been looking at houses for a little while now; not owning our home is starting to get old. This place looks kinda small in the first picture, but it's not (at least compared to our apartment now).

Click on a photo to enlarge.

The Philosopher

2006-06-27T16:41:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine has a LOG of his musings on the WEB. It is hosted on BLOGGER but it's not a 'blog. It's just not, okay?!

All Opinions Are Not Equal

Stilt Beetle

2006-06-18T15:46:00.000-05:00

King of Razors

2006-06-13T19:37:00.000-05:00

It seems like I draw some variation of this little guy every day. My mind draws through the lines and I relax a bit - pencil zen.

This is the best one. I don't really know what all those things are floating around his head, but I draw that kinda stuff all the time too.

Metroid Prime: Retroview

2006-06-12T11:31:00.000-05:00

If you wait 5 years to buy a game, you can get it pretty cheap.

Super Metroid was a classic. It took everything we loved about Metroid and brought it to the next level. Prime brings the series at least the same distance again. The first-person perspective takes a bit of getting used to, but before long you're trudging through the swamps of Talon IV like a pro.

Despite the radical departure from the "platform shooter" format, it stil feels like Metroid. The following things define and preserve the series:

blowing a hole in a weak wall to find a secret missile expansion

backtracking through areas I'd already explored because "now I have the Morph Ball"

atmospheric music

…and they're all still here. Nintendo has added to that successful formula with a mysterious and developed story, and exploration in the third dimension. Prime is a worthy addition to the Metroid story - true to its roots, and treading new ground.

Why Sketch Baroque

2006-06-11T00:09:00.000-05:00

The original intent when creating this '-blog' was to put up the little doodles I make when I'm thinking or bored. I just got a scanner for my birthday so the dream will finally be realized! BEHOLD!

Uneasy Sleeper

2006-05-25T00:15:00.000-05:00

Sleep doesn't always come easy for me. The peace and quiet can actually be a distraction - with no external stimulus, my brain fills in the gaps with (gasp) thoughts. I don't NEED thoughts at 12:30 AM. I've been thinking about seeing a doctor to get some kind of sleep aid. Anything's got to be better than what I do now (allergy medication and tequila).

There have been many after-school specials about the dangers of sleeping pills, including a Punky Brewster episode I remember vividly, for some reason. She kept using the word "hooked" like the audience would never be able to understand anything else.

My biggest problem night is Sunday. It's hard because my wife works second shift, so on days we both work, I don't get to see her until 11:30. I need to get up at 7:30, so I should be in bed right about then. On Sunday night it's even worse, 'cause I've been staying up even later to spend more time with her.

My glass is almost empty now. Let's try another "good night." Good night.

The 5th Sentence on Page 123

2006-01-13T23:01:00.000-06:00

This is the part where I copy what Chris did, who copied what somebody named shortcakegreen did.

Grab the nearest book.

Open the book to page 123.

Find the fifth sentence.

Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.

Don't search around and look for the coolest book you can find. Do what's actually next to you.

"Civilian activist groups sometimes protest the arming of these robots, as some models have demonstrated a lack of the judgement necessary to use weapons safely and responsibly."
- Dragonstar: Starfarer's Handbook

Terry Scott Taylor

2005-12-19T14:17:00.000-06:00

While listening to a Christmas album the other day, eleven of my neurons fired with a nebulous recognition. The artist's voice was uncannily familiar, but where had I heard such tones before? I listened to the song again, and came to a tenuous conclusion. Could it be? A google search later, I discovered I was right!

The man who sings Holy Emmanuel on City on a Hill: It's Christmas Time is the same font of mirth who lent his voice to the Playstation game, Skullmonkeys.

Nero is a Piece of Crap

2005-12-14T22:21:00.000-06:00

This is so bloody frustrating. I'm supposed to make a DVD of our wedding video in time for Christmas and the computer gremlins are doing all in their power to stop me. The program that came with the DVD burner is one of those "dumbed down" applications. You know the kind I mean: big friendly buttons, no menu bar (those are too advanced for you), and you can only work on one project at a time.

Oh, so you want to save it to come back and work on it later? Okay. We'll just save it for you, and then never let you open it again. How's that?

City of Heroes Screen Shots

2005-12-12T23:07:00.000-06:00

On a totally unrelated note, here are some pictures of my City of Heroes characters.

Grey Dog on the wrong side of the tracks. Note that his "cape" is actually just a bath towel.

Grey Dog's alternate costume.

Magmaroth is wreathed in flames.

Magmaroth wields his firey sword.

Christmas Tree

2005-12-12T22:47:00.000-06:00

We have our first Christmas tree as a family. At first, it wouldn't fit in the stand we got for it, so we ran out and bought a saw. Then it fit, but it was crooked, so we stuffed a couple towels under one side of the stand. After setting it up, we discovered that I'm allergic to pine. As long as I don't touch it, bad things don't happen.

Initially, we were worried the dog would eat the thing, or make a mess on it or something. So far the worst he did was try to drink the water out of the stand.

We're Married Now

2005-11-20T11:14:00.000-06:00

That was the best week and a half of my life. The wedding was perfect, the reception was a blast, our honeymoon was so much fun!

The most nerve-wracking part was actually the rehearsal on Friday night. It just made it all a present reality instead of, "Oh, we're getting married in November. That's months away!"

Wedding Bands

2005-10-30T23:11:00.000-06:00

We picked up our wedding bands yesterday. Mine is surprisingly heavy. It may be that, of all the transitions I will make when I am given "husband" status, the wearing a jewelry will take the most getting used to.

Also, we bought a camcorder. The bride-to-be wants to make a wedding/reception/Hawaii video. It should be noted that we do not have the correct cord to connect this thing to the computer, nor do we have a DVD burner. "Family Christmas Gift" here we come.

November Fifth Nears

2005-10-25T22:04:00.000-05:00

I have never been more terrified in my entire life. A major milestone of life is coming up VERY soon and then it will pass. A chunk of my life will be over. Granted, a new one is beginning, and that's very exciting, but as change often is, it is freaking scary.

Good Movie, Bad Movie

2005-10-17T21:41:00.000-05:00

Serenity is all it promises to be. It takes a series cut down before its time and makes it awesome again. Loose ends are tied, and those that aren't are simply cut off, so to speak. Joss reveals things fans of the series always wanted to know, and makes it a big deal.
This movie is good; intrinsically better than the Star Wars prequals (those have enough going for them that they don't need to be as good, unfortunately). It's better if you've seen the TV show. Knowing the characters intimately makes their changes and growth mean much more.

See this movie, or even better, watch the entire (14 episode) series, then see the movie.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy stinks. If you ever read the oft-quoted Slashdot review, its pretty much dead-on. Attempting to walk into this film with an open mind was difficult, having heard the things I have, but I did my best.
Rarely do I leave a movie unfinished, but I can add this one to that short list. The characters (and the story) meander about the galaxy with no purpose in mind. (They actually have a goal, or so they say, but it must not be terribly important or they would have tried to attain it.) Clever bits were altered to be less clever, and other things were intentionally changed so they made no sense.

Don't see this movie.

City of Villains Beta

2005-10-13T23:00:00.000-05:00

The City of Villains beta non-disclosure agreement was lifted today. I am now allowed to tell cool things I've seen while testing the game.

Brute: Definitely my kinda guy. You smash things, and the faster you smash, and the more guys attacking you, the more damage you do (up to triple normal!)
Mastermind: You get henchman who do your bidding, including soldiers, zombies, robots, or ninjas. You get to name them and you can make 'em say stuff. I look forward to setting up complex macros of them arguing with each other, etc.

I've been doing this for two weeks and those are the only archtypes I've played. I've been trying to get up to the point where I can create my own Supergroup and build a base. Mission accomplished this evening. However, base editing is non-functional right now, so I can't play with it. Puh.

So, uh, yeah. I'm pretty sure I didn't mention anything that people didn't know before.

AirZooka update! My coworker did indeed make a working fanzooka out of a plastic disposable cup and a latex glove. Not as mighty as the trashcan-sized version, but cool nonetheless.

Airzooka

2005-10-10T22:28:00.000-05:00

The art department where I work is a war zone. The two guys on either side of me are equipped with nurf suction-dart guns that they have modified to a frightening degree (extra rubberbands all over them, etc).

Out of place without a weapon, I purchased the AirZooka. Of course, the first thing they wanted to do when I brought it in was supe it up. We tried a number of modifications, but none increased the weapon's potency. One guy vowed to build his own from scratch this evening. I'll post updates on how that turns out.

The Beginning of the End

2005-10-04T18:31:00.000-05:00

I write this thing for me, so I shouldn't feel guilty about not updating. I promised myself that I would never post about not having anything to post about. I also tried my very darndest to never start my opening sentances with the word "I."

That's three broken promises. That hurts, Dave.

Wookie, Firefly, Squid

2005-09-28T19:33:00.000-05:00

We're baby-sitting a dog for a few days. He's obese, breathes laboriously all the time, stares obsessively at the guinea pig cage, and smells bad. Good ol' Wookie.

Firefly is a pretty good show. Jeff lent me the series on DVD. My favorite character is the real gruff mercenary guy. He's a total ass, but the ship just wouldn't be the same without him.

Somebody has finally done it! A giant squid has been successfully photographed in the wild. That should put a stop to the documentaries where they go looking and never find one.

Awesome Things

2005-09-24T11:21:00.000-05:00

The following things are totally awesome.

Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children
and
Duck Doom Deluxe

I had the extreme pleasure to experience both this weekend. Advent Childen is all it promises to be and much more. I never really thought about it before, but every character in that game is a superhero in the truest sense of the word. They can all fly like in wire-fu films, except hundreds of feet more, and they fight and holy crap they're fighting on top of multiple really fast motorcycles and a giant monster is blowing crap up and Cloud is flying and there's awesome music and Vincent is being great and everybody's throwing things and people use limit breaks and explosions and things that are awesome and Final Fantasy and holy crap!

Dave takes this moment to change his pants and wipe the drool from his desk and keyboard. He then proceeds to relate an amusing comment from his watching of the film. "I baptize you in the name of Aeris, the Lifestream, and the Holy Materia." There was really no other way to interpret that scene, blasphemous as it was.

The Doom thing is really fun too. My high score was 450,100. My favorite part is when you kill the duck with the rocket launcher or the BFG 9000 the dog doesn't hold up its corpse. Hilariousnessicity. You'd think they would have let you shoot the stupid dog, but no. Not even when the dog turns into a monster.

Hackjob

2005-09-20T19:11:00.000-05:00

My weekend must not have been very exciting. The only thing I can remember is giving my guinea pig a haircut. Allow me to repeat this so the shame can sink in. The only thing I remember about the entire weekend is cutting the fur of a freaking guinea pig. Bow before the gweena-barber! BOW!

We are in the process of discovering that one of our guinea pigs is secretly a long hair. This luxuriant breed of cavie can be rather high-maintenance, if the fur is allowed to grow to its full length. Sunday, I decided to nip this potential problem in the bud, so to speak.

The one with the haircut is Chiquita, the other is Penny.

Avast, ye scurvy dogs!

2005-09-19T12:48:00.000-05:00

Yargh. Today be International Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Batten the hatches and swap the poop deck, etc.

A Fantastically Gibbous Moon

2005-09-16T23:26:00.000-05:00

Behold the swollen, leering eye of Earth's dark sister!

Taking a detailed picture at night is difficult. If I wanted to relay a boring couple of sentences about cameras, I would say something like the following:

Everything is black except light sources, which become featureless hotspots. I could maybe get a decent one if I had more direct control over the f-stops and shutter speed, but I don't.

Why I would want to do that I can't imagine. It's not like I published that as my original post, later decided that it was dry and uninteresting, and replaced it with a post talking about the post.

That would be unhealthily narcisistic.

Dirty Words

2005-09-15T22:36:00.000-05:00

The web programmer at work was creating a database site where people could submit information via a form. She wanted the thing to edit out offensive words without making an actual person go through each post. While compiling a list of the vilest, filthiest words she could think of, she started to run dry.

For about an hour today, it was my job to find a list of naughty words. Here's what I found. (Warning: Link contains naughty words.)

Charlie needs a haircut.

2005-09-14T22:04:00.000-05:00

Note that I did not personally witness the events in the following anecdote. It was mearly relayed to me with such mirth that I felt the internet would be richer having heard it.

The other day, Charlie was out for a walk and decided to claim a certain tree as his very own. The act is quite comical, as he raises his one back leg up much higher than it needs to be. He often loses his balance and falls over, right leg skyward.

Anyway, this tree was a pine tree. A juicy one. The poor dog leaned into the thing 'cause he was standing on only three of his legs, and when he began to walk away, discovered that he couldn't. His long, lusterous fur found the sap of the plant irresistable, and he had gotten stuck. After a bit of tugging, he was free.

The sap in his fur has proved relentless, sternly rebuffing all attempts to remove it. Bathing, brushing, necromancy all have come to naught.

Charlie needs a haircut.

Thermal Radiation

2005-09-13T20:21:00.000-05:00

The cause of the popped blood vessels in my eyes revealed itself to me last night as I delivered dinner to my fiancee (now, which one of those gets the accent?) at work. Her boss mentioned that the same thing happened to her after she drank too much and threw up. It was like a cartoon, with a little lightbulb over my head and everything!

Another wave of invites went out for the City of Villains beta test. Guess who wasn't in it. C'mon, guess. That's right, me. They said I'll get in eventually; I've been in City of Heroes for over twelve months. Right now, the main reason I want in is the "Thermal Radiation" power set. My motivations are subtle, varied, and mostly incomprehensible, but they can best be expressed with the following sentence:

You heal your allies by setting them on fire.

I'm torn between that and the army of robots.

"Blood tears I cry, and the screams remain inside!"

2005-09-09T23:07:00.000-05:00

The stress from last weekend has caught up with me, it seems. I've had a headache the last two days of work (sitting at a computer in the dark doesn't help) and I popped a blood vessel first in my right eye, now the left. I took a picture, but it's really gross. Nobody needs to see that.

Suffice it to say, my eyes hurt and they look scary.

Floor Chicken

2005-09-08T18:41:00.000-05:00

Two pieces of half-eaten fried chicken sat in the hallway outside my apartment for a couple days. What sort of person would drop fried chicken on the floor and just leave it there?

I managed to throw it away without touching it. The dog really, REALLY wanted to eat it.

Monster Manual 3

2005-09-07T22:46:00.000-05:00

This weekend, Eric found my copy of the D&D Monster Manual 3 and pawed through it. There are a few gems, but I'd really have to say the MM3 was a disappointment overall. Because I like making lists of things, here's a list of things.

Beacons of Hope

Arcane ooze
Cinder swarm
Sorrowswarn demon. Great name, great picture, cool powers. We got a winner.
Death giant. Sounds really highschool, I know, but he's got what it takes.
Shadesteel golem. THIS KILLS EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME.
Grisgol. Really great. He puts a curse on you when you kill him. An AWESOME curse.
Knell beetle
Night twist. Another monster with an awesome curse.
Redcap
Rot reaver. Not a very good picture, but good anyway.
Slaughterstone behemoth
Slaughterstone evicerator
Vasuthant

Solid

Ambush drake. I'm a sucker for dragons.
Astral stalker
Battle briar
Boneclaw
Brood keeper
Cadaver collector
Charnel hound
Chelicera
Chraal
Conflagration ooze
Dragon eel. This one would get a lower grade, but it has a really good picture.
Dread blossom swarm
Dust wight
Ephemeral swarm. Good picture, great idea.
Geriviar. Really strange, but has a unique combination of abilities.
Eldritch giant
Glaistig
Alchemical golem. Not a bad idea, but I can't imagine why in-game person would ever make one of these sure-to-destroy-your-entire-house-in-its-first-battle golems.
Gloom golem. Not bad, but a bit of a stretch to make a golem out of that.
Prismatic golem
Grimweird
Gulgar. If you absolutely must have more monstrous humanoids.
Harssaf. See above.
Justicator
Living spells. Neat idea. Nice to have 'em statted out.
Mindshredder. Silly-looking, but some good abilities.
Necronaut. Awesome name.
Lifeleech otyugh. Why isn't this a template?
Petal. Not a badly written fey, if you're into that sort of thing.
Phoelarch. Points for creativity.
Plague spewer
Protean scourge
Ragewalker
Ak'chazar rakshasa
Naztharune rakshasa
Prismatic roper
Runehound
Shimmerling swarm
Shredstorm
Shrieking terror
Skindancer
Snowflake ooze
Spellwarped creature
Splinterwaif
Stonesinger
Summoning ooze
Susurrus. But seriously, WTF?
Topiary guardian
Trilloch
Witchknife
Wood woad
Woodling
Yugoloth (I love yugoloths, even though the 3rd edition team keeps giving them extra arms for no reason)

Uninspired

Armand. Alright guys, get this. They're like people, but they're ARMADILLOS!
Bearhound
Changeling. I know they think they need to have the playable races in the monster manual. Sigh.
Deathshrieker. Uh, alright, we need another undead. How 'bout something that screams a lot. What'dya mean we've already done that? Oh, right, well, just give it a skull for a head and I think we'll be good.
Battletitan dinosaur
Bloodstriker dinosaur
Fleshraker dinosaur
Swindlespitter dinosaur. Yawn.
Drowned. Good picture, but no.
Storm elemental
Feral yowler. Yawn.
Hangman golem. Uh, how 'bout... uh, what haven't we done yet? Rope!
Mud golem. See above.
Kenku
Blackscale lizardfolk. A write-up for these guys wasn't really necissary.
Poison dusk lizardfolk. Again.
Lurking strangler
Needletooth swarm
Odopi
Omnimental. So if one of these, a Tempest, and a Storm elemental all got in a fight, would anybody care?
Plague brush
Rage drake
Rejkar
Salt mummy
Shifter. See "changeling."
Ssvaklor
Swamp strider swarm
Thorn
Vermin lord
Visilight
Voidmind creature
Warforged. You know, Eberron?
Zezir

Just Plain Bad

Avalancher. Who could take this thing seriously with a picture like that?
Bonedrinker. Really bad picture.
Arrow demon
Dracotaur. We already had this creature. It's a tauric lizardman aligator.
Sand giant. Does this interest ANYONE?
Flind gnoll. It's like a gnoll, but with NUNCHUCKS!!!
Goatfolk
Forestkith goblin. It's like a goblin, but with a NET!!!
Web golem
Harpoon spider
Ironclad mauler. It's like a bear, but with ARMOR!!!
Lhosk
Lumi
Mastodon. This is different from a dire elephant, how?
Mivilorn
Nycter. For the love of... Nobody likes desmodus, alright, NOBODY!
Skullcrusher ogre. This goes far beyond "uninspired."
Quaraphon. WTF?
Sea tiger
Seryulin. It's a slug. You ride it.
Siege crab. If I see one more creature described as "a living siege engine" I'm gonna lose it.
Cave troll
Crystalline troll
Forest troll
Mountain troll
War troll

A Wrinkle In Time

2005-09-06T20:05:00.000-05:00

Sunday evening my friend Eric came up to visit. I hadn't seen him in a while and it was great to catch up. He's now all fitted for his tux (he's my best man for our November nuptuals) and all that.

I can say as a matter of fact that Sunday evening I imbibed more alcohol than I have ever had before. That night marks the first time I threw up as a result of drinking too much, and the first stretch of time that has been forcibly wiped from my memory.

After my head was over the toilet for the first time, I have no recollections. Eric tells me I was ranting incoherently about something and offering him all my pillows. Thank goodness we were at my house instead of some bar somewhere. To sum up, alcohol should only be enjoyed in the following ways:

someplace safe
with people you know and trust
near a toilet or large sink
after eating food that will taste as good several hours later
far from fun but sharp or otherwise dangerous toys
with strong opinions that you have yet to form or loudly express
um, in moderation, yeah.

Juice: the Shark-dog

2005-09-04T18:00:00.000-05:00

My aunt threw Erin and I a wedding shower this weekend. We drove up to her house in Wisconsin and spent the night. For many years, my aunt's dream has been to have a quilting-retreat at her house and have groups of quilt-enthusiasts up for weekends. Over the past year, they built it, and it's huge. It's so cool that she has pursued what she wanted to do gung-ho. That's where we stayed. It's kind of like a rec-center/dormitory.

They have this enormous white dog with no neck. He was like a pitbull-shark mix (a rare breed) and he wouldn't leave Charlie (our dog) alone for a minute. Not attacking or anything, just following him around, trying to play.

Charlie's a bit neurotic and really shy around other dogs. He didn't like Juice too much.

Going to Chicago

2005-09-02T08:22:00.000-05:00

Two of the things on my list are done. I still have to finish the kid invitations. I worked on them a little, but I mostly played City of Heroes. Issue #5 is up! There's a new zone, and new powersets. I played it on the test server a few weeks ago, but I didn't to invest too much time on the Training Room 'cause anything I did or accomplished wouldn't count.

We're going up to Chicago in an hour or so. We have a wedding to attend, and another shower for us in Wisconsin. The dog gets carsick, so we can't feed him until we get there, and he has to take his doggie dramamine (the hassle of forcing a dog to take a pill is better than cleaning up the alternative).

Boo-ya, etc. Four day weekend.

So begins Skebar, I guess.

2005-09-01T19:17:00.000-05:00

It seems the pull of the 'weblog' is strong indeed. Long have I resisted, and several times I have succumbed to its pull, but perhaps this time will stick. Maybe the reason I couldn't keep it up before was my obsessive need to oversee every tiny detail of the website. I programmed it all myself, and every update I literally rewrote the page by manually. This should be much easier and updating will be less of a chore.

Ooh! How 'bout a numbered list. Everybody likes lists, right?
Things I should be doing now instead of writing:

Cleaning the guinea pigs' cage. It's been a mite too long since last it was done.
Going to Target. I need to buy a card and a wedding gift for this weekend.
Creating a kids' invitation for our wedding in November. Why isn't it done yet, Dave?

One of these might get done, if I'm lucky.