Monthly Archives: February 2006

Update O-Rama

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So, this morning I finally broke down and bought a new video card.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the saga, I built a new computer around this time last year. It was, quite literally, on the bleeding edge of technology. Brand new line of motherboard, spiffy fast processor, lots of RAM. A truly fine machine. One of the features this rig had was SLI capability. SLI is, essentially, linking two identical video cards together to divide workload and improve performance. I purchased 2 Leadtek Nvidia Geforce6600GT cards and set to getting them to work.

Truth be told, they’ve never really worked right.

I had a lot of problems putting this machine together to begin with, but once it was running I began having problems with my video. I would get screen tearing, or flashes of screen distortion. Sometimes to the point where the game in question was unplayable. I have tried countless combinations of settings, switching out cards (up to an including sending two cards back for replacement), and I have come to the conclusion that either SLI completely sucks OR the secondary PCI-Express x16 slot on my motherboard is hosed. I actually suspect the latter to be the case, unless Leadtek just sent me back the same card twice.

The only way to really find out would be to install the one card I know is working in that slot, then put it back in the primary.

Not going to happen.

So, last night, my frustration with this finally came to an end when I loaded City of Villians and had half a screen of garbage (the half controlled by the second card). I pulled the other card out, for the final time.

Which leaves me with a 128MB video card.

While this doesn’t necessarily suck, for a right as powerful as mine it’s a bit on the frustrating side. So I decided that since I was being so very good and paying off credit cards left and right, I deserved to spend a relatively small amount on myself and upgrade my video. By the end of next week I should have a refurbished ATI XT1800 video card. Frankly, I never should have gone from ATI to begin with. I used ATI cards for years, and never had a problem with them.

Next time I know better.

Weight Tracking Summary

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Your current weight | 283.0 lbs
Weight change since your last recorded weight | -2.6 lbs
Total weight change to date | -136.2 lbs

Despite the Super Bowl party on Sunday and going to lunch at my Mom’s restaurant on Tuesday, managed to drop another significant amount of the cruise weight off. Hooray, me! I attribute this to the fact that even in those situations I was relatively good, and I’ve still been exercising every day (only day I’ve missed since getting back was the day of the Super Bowl party). Have done DDR the last two nights, as it’s a bit too chilly to walk in shorts and I don’t have any sweat pants. Will have to watch the alcohol consumption this weekend between Karaoke and the plays, but I think even then I’ll be ok.

It feels good to be on track again.

419.2 / 283 / 225

I can do this.

Random tidbits

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Because the day is wrapping up and I don’t want to start another project at this point.

The next book in the Anita Blake series, Micah, is set to hit the stores on February 28th. You can read the first two chapters of it here. Having done so, I have to admit that I’m not all that excited about the book. I’ll buy it, and I’ll read it, but it really seems like the same formula that has fed the series for some time now. Anita struggles with the fact that she’s boning several guys. Anita has a bad reputation. Anita complains about the possibility of sleeping with strangers (but does so anyway). As interesting as the sex is, it’s really sad to me to see that the series has really become erotica with a horror background instead of horror with an erotic flair.

And speaking of horror novels, apparently New Line Cinema has licensed out the rights Freddy Krueger and Jason Vorhees to a publishing company called Black Flame. I just read through the customer reviews of the novels, and I have to admit to being mildly intrigued (and a bit dissapointed that some of the ratings have been so low). I freely admit that these two characters are, oddly enough, near and dear to my heart. I loved watching the movies growing up, and I can recall the influence of them showing up in many of our early tabletop games. I’ve even thought about writing some fan fiction with them in it myself, but haven’t ever gotten around to it (could have something to do with the fact that I haven’t written any new fiction at all in years).

I want one of these. I also want a kitchen big enough that I can have all my cooking toys out on display without utterly and completely losing all of my counter space. Speaking of which – Are there ANY houses around here with decent sized kitchens? Even xanyboi‘s kitchen, which has a lot of floor space, seems to have a lack of counter and storage area.

You know, at some point I should probably take my Christmas tree down.

Probably won’t be this weekend, though. Between my social engagements, a planned Molten Core run, and side work that I have to do I’m not going to have time for much else.

And on that note, it’s quitting time.

Ok – Handypeople chime in!

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In the past, I’ve collected comics. I still have quite a few of them, but they are currently stuck in the back of one of our closets in long boxes, buried under piles of…well…stuff you put into a closet. I want to get them out of the closet, and I want to start collecting comics again…But let’s face it. Comic long boxes are huge, unwieldy, and ugly. There is no attractive way to put them in your home.

So I found these. They’re perfect, and they are exactly the kind of thing I’ve been looking for.

However…they are $200 per drawer.

Not really in my price range, ya know?

So I want to try to build something like them myself. The problem is, I have no idea how to.

Any of you done woodworking in the past? How difficult would this be?

*** Edit *** My boss rocks. I believe he’s found a much more cost effective solution for me.

Shilling

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In the off chance that you are new to my journal, or that you haven’t been really paying attention to what I’ve written in the past, I feel it important to point out here that I am, in some small way, an artist. I honestly feel uncomfortable using the term, because I see so many people around me who are considerably more dedicated to their respective trades than I am, but be that as it may I get on stage every once in a while. Having been part of a company on and off for just over four years now (yikes! Has it been that long???), I’ve seen the struggles they’ve gone through as a small independent house trying to keep their doors open and still offer something new to the local arts scene.

So I’ve got kind of a thing for telling everyone I know to support the arts.

And on that note, I now bring you the shilling. I will also apologize for not cutting this long post, but I think it’s important enough not to.

First of all, my good friend theonebob is currently looking for donations to help keep his radio show, “The Shape Of Things To Come,” on the air. For those of you who are local, he’s on a radio station much like our beloved 88.5 FM – and it’s time for him to fill the coffers again. I’ll let him explain…

The Shape of Things to Come, New York’s only Prime Time, Sunday Evening radio show that plays “Dark Music” needs your help to stay on the air.If you’ve ever listened to the show, you know that TSOTTC supports the entire scene by playing music and interviewing artists and luminaries you won’t hear anywhere else on the airwaves. (You can check out the playlists here here: http://tsottc.livejournal.com.)Since The Shape of Things to Come does not accept paid advertising, the only way the show stays on the air is through donations from supporters like you.

What would your pledge of $10 or more mean to The Shape of Things to Come? Your pledge is YOUR VOTE, YOUR VOICE and the surest way to send a signal to the powers that be that this music has a place on the station and on the air.

To show your support, please click here. Any amount of money you can pledge will be helpful and appreciated. The Pledge Drive ends on February 14.

Broadcasting for over20 years, “The Shape of Things to Come” is the longest running and best dark music show to air in NYC. Sunday nights between 9 pm and midnight Eastern Time. It is hosted by Bob Westphal (TheOneBob) and broadcast to the
New York City region over noncommercial 89.1 WFDU-FM “Where New Music Begins,” and to the rest of the world via the Internet on http://www.wfdu.fm. Plus you can hear the past week’s show repeated on http://www.TheOneBob.com.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Bob Westphal (TheOneBob)
————-
Listen to and support
THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME
Station: 89.1 WFDU-FM
Every Sunday, 9PM to midnight EST
Web rebroadcast all day, everyday at www.theonebob.com.
Yahoogroup: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheShapeOfThingsToCome
LiveJournal: http://theonebob.livejournal.com
Playlists: http://tsottc.livejournal.com

And speaking of my Jobsite family…

This is the final weekend for both Topdog/Underdog and Phyro-Giants!

If you haven’t yet made it out to Phyro– you’re actually getting two extra chances since we held the show over from last weekend. We have a show Sat. at 10:30pm and Sun. at 7pm. We’d love to see you this weekend, Saturday could particularly use some help. Don’t miss out! Check out all our reviews, commercials, press etcet http://jobsitetheater.org/phyrogiants.htm.

Topdog/Underdogis actually picking up quite a bit of steam. We had some significant walk-up last weekend (more than doubling our audience Saturday night on that strength) and this weekend looks to be doing even better. As a matter of fact – this Saturday’s show just sold out a few minutes ago. Performances remain Thu. – Fri. at 8pm and Sun. at 4pm. Check out all about Topdog at http://jobsitetheater.org/topdog.htm.

It looks like we might make it out of both of these shows alive, and it’s always nice to not lose money. It’s actually harder than you think in the theater. Most importantly, we have two great shows we’re putting on for you. All this hard work doesn’t mean a damn thing in my mind if people don’t see the shows.

I hope, if you haven’t already, that you can find time for us this weekend. If you have already made it out,mind passing on the word there’s a few more chances to see some great pieces of theater?

netgoth and I will be at the Saturday performances of both shows. While Topdog/Underdog has already sold out, there are still tickets available for Phyro-Giants! that night and other shows this weekend.

Support the arts! Donate! Go see shows!!

Shilling done!

Cha-Ching!

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First and second mortage have now been rolled into one mortgage, along with the financing I took out for the windows.

As of this morning, five of my credit cards are paid down to $0.

In the next week, I’ll be adding at least one more to that list. I’ll have until Mid-March before I have to start putting money towards the mortgage again, and during that time I’m paying off as much credit card debt as possible. Fully intend on knocking several grand off of the top.

It’s a start.

I’ve got 3 years to completely get my credit turned around again. At that point, I’ll be refinancing the mortgage and going to a 15 year. If my credit isn’t in shape by then, I’ll be hosed because at that point the interest rate I have becomes adjustable.

So yeah. That’s what’s up here.

bleargh

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It’s a good thing I’m as brilliant as I am.

Because I’ve had to re-write the same page four times today.

God save me from clients who decide to use software in a completely different way than I designed it.

Head go ‘splodey now. Mikey isn’t here. Please leave a message and he’ll get back to you.

Whew…

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Our hero, having been just realized that he has entered the “coding zone” and lost track of time, stops to take a deep breath and look back over what he has written.

Damn…I’m brilliant.

—

On a completely unrelated note, I just got a really bizarre phone call.

That is all.