(Note: I have used this image without the original creator's consent. Please contact me if this is a problem, so that I can remove it.)
Friday, March 18, 2005
Well, Badstar, how does this work for you?
Back on 03/11/05 I posted a link to an MSNBC story touching on how far robotics has advanced in Japan. I had joked about picking up a robot when I'm there on vacation starting at the end of next week. Of course, Badstar had an excellent comment on my post.
(Note: I have used this image without the original creator's consent. Please contact me if this is a problem, so that I can remove it.)
(Note: I have used this image without the original creator's consent. Please contact me if this is a problem, so that I can remove it.)
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Real things, Egg?
I took something today.
I can see things no one else can see. Do things no one else can do.
I can see things no one else can see. Do things no one else can do.
Sunday, March 13, 2005
SEC Tournament Champions
Florida 70 - Kentucky 53
Please note: I do not own the above image. I grabbed it through a Google Image Search.
Friday, March 11, 2005
Might need to purchase my own robot while I'm in Japan
Just saw this on MSNBC.com. When I'm in Japan, I'll try to at least get pictures. This is damn cool.
Japan embraced new generation of robots
Japan embraced new generation of robots
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Friday, February 25, 2005
T-minus 29 Days and counting ...
My first real vacation of this year will be starting in about a month and I absolutely cannot wait to go. For those of you who haven't been around me lately, myself and two friends (X and rotfiend) are going to be traveling to the Land of the Rising Sun at the end of March. I'll be gone for eight days and during the trip I will be visiting Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo (with possibilities for even more places to see).
Since this will be my first time traveling to Japan, I am going as part of a tour group. I would have liked to done this all on my own, but with the limited amount of Japanese I have learned so far and my unfamiliarity with that part of the world I feel it's better if I go as part of a bigger group. Also, I have always expected that this will not be my only trip to Japan. For all intents and purposes, this is more like a scouting mission. I see no reason why I won't be going back at another time, and when I do so I can explore the country more on my own.
For those who are interested to know exactly what I'll be doing in Japan, here's the itinerary.
I'll add more on this later, cause right now I need to get back to work.
Since this will be my first time traveling to Japan, I am going as part of a tour group. I would have liked to done this all on my own, but with the limited amount of Japanese I have learned so far and my unfamiliarity with that part of the world I feel it's better if I go as part of a bigger group. Also, I have always expected that this will not be my only trip to Japan. For all intents and purposes, this is more like a scouting mission. I see no reason why I won't be going back at another time, and when I do so I can explore the country more on my own.
For those who are interested to know exactly what I'll be doing in Japan, here's the itinerary.
I'll add more on this later, cause right now I need to get back to work.
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Jack of all trades, Master of none ...
I have waaaay too many interests. I've found myself trying to take on too many different activities at one time, but I have no desire to give up any one of them. Between work, video games, learning japanese/spanish/german, building a web site, studying for CCNA certification, seeing family, spending time with friends, exercise, Iaido, etc., I guess it shouldn't surprise me too much that I never feel like I have enough free time ...
... guess that might be why I am currently single. (Note to self: fix that)
But I digress. I find myself having many various interests. Some are due to a desire on my part to be more knowledgeable in a certain way, to enhance my career choices and path. Mainly this is evident in my trying to maintain a website (yes, trying being the operative word; haven't had the site up in two weeks at least now. Need to get that back on track.) and with my studying for CCNA certification. Other interests I have taken up are purely personal, to improve upon myself as a whole. I see this in my studying of different languages, as well as in my study of martial arts.
All in all, I aspire to achieve mastery in all the things that I have undertaken. The problem is that sometimes I feel that I'll never master any of them. Only be marginal in all of them. Don't know how I'd feel if that turned out to be the case. I can only do my best, and for now remain the jack of all trades and master of none ...
... well, I am master of one thing. The Ladder Match! And not a damn one of you can defeat me!
... guess that might be why I am currently single. (Note to self: fix that)
But I digress. I find myself having many various interests. Some are due to a desire on my part to be more knowledgeable in a certain way, to enhance my career choices and path. Mainly this is evident in my trying to maintain a website (yes, trying being the operative word; haven't had the site up in two weeks at least now. Need to get that back on track.) and with my studying for CCNA certification. Other interests I have taken up are purely personal, to improve upon myself as a whole. I see this in my studying of different languages, as well as in my study of martial arts.
All in all, I aspire to achieve mastery in all the things that I have undertaken. The problem is that sometimes I feel that I'll never master any of them. Only be marginal in all of them. Don't know how I'd feel if that turned out to be the case. I can only do my best, and for now remain the jack of all trades and master of none ...
... well, I am master of one thing. The Ladder Match! And not a damn one of you can defeat me!
Sunday, February 06, 2005
E-A-G-L-E-S!
Just a quick shout of support to the Philadelphia Eagles in tonight's Superbowl. I am not really an Eagles fan, but I hope they win tonight's game. I love football, and seeing the game tonight will be a great way to end a very exciting season. Wish my two teams did better this year, but there's always hope for 2005. Anyway, beat the Patriots tonight Eagles!
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
If you meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha.
Badstar had a couple of interesting posts up on his blog recently, where he took two seperate tests from QuizFarm.com that were supposed to determine which religion he was "closest to". You can go to his blog to look at his results, but as for me, I figured why not try the tests out myself. I've never been even remotely religious, though that is not to say that I do not believe in religion. I was baptized Catholic, but I never really ever attended Church or any kind of services (excepting the few I've gone to with friends). Religion was never really that important in my family life. I have a loving family and as a child and currently as an adult, that's all I need. But anyway, what will I come out as after taking these two quizzes?
That was the first test. I honestly didn't like a lot of the 50 questions that were asked, and like Badstar I feel taking another test might give better results. So, how about this one?
The second test consisted of a shorter list of questions (30), but I feel like this one might be more accurate. In the previous test, I answered a lot of questions with what would be considered neutral answers, because I did not really feel all too strongly one way or another. At least with this second test, I was given more of an opportunity to take a clear position on each question.
Of course, all this has made me think back to other tests I have taken. Usually, these have all been fun little internet quizzes that determine stuff like Which Fantasy/SciFi character are you? (I ended up being Agent Smith from the Matrix on my first time taking the test), Which D&D Character are you? (played a lot of this when I was younger; the test said I was a Chaotic Good Human Ranger; funny, I've never played such a character...), and lastly one of my favorites is What Pre-1985 Video Game Character Am I?
|
| You scored as Wicca/Witchcraft. Wiccans are from a relatively new religion, dating only as far back as the early to mid 1900s. This is deceptive, Wicca is based off a religion that is very ancient and whose participants were hunted by the church in massive witch hunts. Although wiccan magic states that it "must harm no one". In the middle ages, a witch would have been hunted and killed if they were caught preforming any magical act, even healing. A sadder fact, though, is that most of the people killed for being witches in history were not in fact witches.
What religion are you closest to? created with QuizFarm.com |
That was the first test. I honestly didn't like a lot of the 50 questions that were asked, and like Badstar I feel taking another test might give better results. So, how about this one?
|
| You scored as Buddhist.
Religion created with QuizFarm.com |
The second test consisted of a shorter list of questions (30), but I feel like this one might be more accurate. In the previous test, I answered a lot of questions with what would be considered neutral answers, because I did not really feel all too strongly one way or another. At least with this second test, I was given more of an opportunity to take a clear position on each question.
Of course, all this has made me think back to other tests I have taken. Usually, these have all been fun little internet quizzes that determine stuff like Which Fantasy/SciFi character are you? (I ended up being Agent Smith from the Matrix on my first time taking the test), Which D&D Character are you? (played a lot of this when I was younger; the test said I was a Chaotic Good Human Ranger; funny, I've never played such a character...), and lastly one of my favorites is What Pre-1985 Video Game Character Am I?
 I am a Gauntlet Adventurer.
I strive to improve my living conditions by hoarding gold, food, and sometimes keys and potions. I love adventure, fighting, and particularly winning - especially when there's a prize at stake. I occasionally get lost inside buildings and can't find the exit. I need food badly. What Video Game Character Are You? |
Thursday, January 27, 2005
'With Cheese!'
Speaking of Zen Koans I have been pondering something.
Do you know that McDonald's commercial where the duder was supposed to go out and get snacks for a party and ends up getting about $50 worth of those new Double Quarter Pounders? The key point to that commercial is not his sticking skewers into the burgers as a solution for the party, but rather his rationale is that things will be all better because the burgers are 'With cheese!'
The cheese is catch-all, the reason that the difficult becomes the viable. This Boddhisatva is saying that the cheese melds us, spiritually as well as physically, presenting a solution to a problem. The cheese, metaphorically speaking, is the love of a Higher Being that binds us together; without the bond of the melted cheese, we are basically an anarchic pile of breads, meats, and veggies causing disharmony in the party. The simple solution ruling over the complex quandry, the unifying point that reigns in the rogue.
Oh, could it be that we in our daily lives were more 'With cheese!', then truly peace and harmony shall follow.
Namaste,
-Evil Badstar.
(Methodist)
Do you know that McDonald's commercial where the duder was supposed to go out and get snacks for a party and ends up getting about $50 worth of those new Double Quarter Pounders? The key point to that commercial is not his sticking skewers into the burgers as a solution for the party, but rather his rationale is that things will be all better because the burgers are 'With cheese!'
The cheese is catch-all, the reason that the difficult becomes the viable. This Boddhisatva is saying that the cheese melds us, spiritually as well as physically, presenting a solution to a problem. The cheese, metaphorically speaking, is the love of a Higher Being that binds us together; without the bond of the melted cheese, we are basically an anarchic pile of breads, meats, and veggies causing disharmony in the party. The simple solution ruling over the complex quandry, the unifying point that reigns in the rogue.
Oh, could it be that we in our daily lives were more 'With cheese!', then truly peace and harmony shall follow.
Namaste,
-Evil Badstar.
(Methodist)
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
I'm the best there is at what I do
I was working on a draft of something to post about 3 days ago, but it simply wasn't coming along like I had hoped. So I scrapped it, and plan to return to it another day. That leaves me with little to talk about, at least until i came up with this idea.
I am an avid video game player and movie watcher (less so with movies, but I have a pretty decent-sized DVD collection). I have a pretty good library of games, and my roommate and I tend to rent the latest games when they get released. So, why not review what I play?
Before I get into this, let me just say that I do not review games/movies for a living nor do I have any entity paying me for any support/endorsement I might give. I also can only speak for myself, and do not in any way guarantee that someone reading any of my reviews will get the same experience as I did. So don't come to me crying because I praised something that you hated, because I don't fucking care! Last, when it comes to games/movies I only ask for one thing: entertain me! I don't care if I'm watching something epic like The Lord of the Rings trilogy or something ridiculous like Gymkata. All I ask is that I be entertained for the amount of time I spend watching/playing so that I don't feel like i just wasted my money and time. Now, on to the reviews.
I am an avid video game player and movie watcher (less so with movies, but I have a pretty decent-sized DVD collection). I have a pretty good library of games, and my roommate and I tend to rent the latest games when they get released. So, why not review what I play?
Before I get into this, let me just say that I do not review games/movies for a living nor do I have any entity paying me for any support/endorsement I might give. I also can only speak for myself, and do not in any way guarantee that someone reading any of my reviews will get the same experience as I did. So don't come to me crying because I praised something that you hated, because I don't fucking care! Last, when it comes to games/movies I only ask for one thing: entertain me! I don't care if I'm watching something epic like The Lord of the Rings trilogy or something ridiculous like Gymkata. All I ask is that I be entertained for the amount of time I spend watching/playing so that I don't feel like i just wasted my money and time. Now, on to the reviews.
- The Punisher: Platform - PS2. Expectations - All I am asking for is a high body count. Experience - So far (as this is our current rental), The Punisher has met my primary requirement: high body count. The game runs fairly smoothly on the PS2, and the load times are not bad in my estimation. Levels are fairly straight-forward, as most missions we have encountered seem to involve clearing out areas of local thugs and/or mafia-types. The game designers also instituted an interesting gameplay device where you can take an enemy hostage and then proceed to "interrogate" him/her. These "interrogations" basically consist of you choosing which way you will torture your victim to "break" them of their resistance, so they will give you clues for you continuing mission. There are also special zones in the surrounding environment which act as special interrogations, where the Punisher will use maybe a wood chipper or some other device to scare the victim into talking. Needless to say, this game is not for children. However, I wouldn't call it excessively gory, just that if you have ever read a Punisher comic than you can reasonably expect the same level of violence.
- Mercenaries: Platform - PS2. Expectations - When your commercials are centered around the idea of "blowing the crap" out of everything in the game, I better damn well get exactly that. Experience - Mercenaries is exactly like they say in the commercials. You play as one of three mercs who work for a global corporation. In the game, it seems there is a new leader of North Korea, who has decided that he is going to reunify with South Korea. By force. Your job is to work for any or all of 4 factions within the game (South Korea, China, A.N.*, Russian Mafia) to stop North Korea, and to gain as much money as possible while doing so. Now, you start out being fairly neutral towards all the factions (except North Korea, who will always be your enemy), and depending on your actions your rating within each faction will raise/lower. Also, one faction may have you do a job that will be to the detriment of another faction so there is some complexity in solving missions without being branded an enemy by another group. But enough with all this talk of missions and complex faction-building. The question on everyone's mind is, "Can you really blow the crap out of everything?" With the exception of trees in the environment, the answer is a resounding "Yes, yes you can!"
- Resident Evil 4: Platform - Gamecube. Expectations - Hmmm ... I really didn't have much in the way of expectations on this one. I had a fond memory of my experienced with the other Resident Evil games, so as long as I was given the same kind of atmosphere then I would probably be happy. Experience - Great fucking game! This may be the best Resident Evil yet, and I have played nearly all of them. My first complaint of any RE game has always been that they never give you enough ammo. I understand that I should be scared and that I need to run away from the nasty hordes of zombies that want to eat my brains, but sometimes a man wants to stand and fight. In RE4, they give you that opportunity. Ammo drops much more frequently, much to my liking. Another area that was fixed was in the orientation of the character in relation to the controls. I knew of many friends who could not play the older RE games because of the control scheme that was implemented. Simply put, in older RE games to move your character forward you have to press up on the controller, no matter which direction your character is facing on the screen. This would confound some people, because the character may be situated so he/she is looking towards the bottom of the screen, so naturally you would want to push down on the controller to move the character in that direction but you would still need to press up because that would make the character to move forward. In RE4 the viewpoint is situated just over the right-hand shoulder of the main character in the game at all times, so pressing upwards on the controller would seem natural when you want to move the character forward. Lastly, this game looks like it will take a good amount of time to play through as well as showing off incredible graphics and atmosphere. I highly recommend this to anyone with a Gamecube.
Monday, January 17, 2005
Just like to offer a little welcome ...
A good friend of mine has to decided to grace my little blog with his wit and presence. I hope that everyone will give JerseyStrangler some time to develop here. I, for one, am greatly appreciative in that he has decided to take some time to impart his wisdom upon us mere mortals through my small sphere of influence here in the web.
Further Updates: Two more good friends of mine are going to be joining me in this little endeavor. That brings my currnet count of blog contributors up to 3. I probably won't get anymore people onboard, unless someone really wants to help out. Anyway, please keep an eye out for posts from Ammy and X. I have known JerseyStrangler, X and Ammy for over 10 years now, and I expect them to all contribute things of interest over the course of this blogs life.
Also, I would like to make a correction about my Lazy Saturday post. X has informed me that the pictures of deep sea fish are not those of creatures that washed onshore due to the tsunami. According to his sources, they were captured during a deep sea excursion that scientists made a few weeks before the tsunami occurred. It sucks to have your facts wrong, but the pictures themselves are cool so it is still worth a look.
Auf Wiedersehen!
Further Updates: Two more good friends of mine are going to be joining me in this little endeavor. That brings my currnet count of blog contributors up to 3. I probably won't get anymore people onboard, unless someone really wants to help out. Anyway, please keep an eye out for posts from Ammy and X. I have known JerseyStrangler, X and Ammy for over 10 years now, and I expect them to all contribute things of interest over the course of this blogs life.
Also, I would like to make a correction about my Lazy Saturday post. X has informed me that the pictures of deep sea fish are not those of creatures that washed onshore due to the tsunami. According to his sources, they were captured during a deep sea excursion that scientists made a few weeks before the tsunami occurred. It sucks to have your facts wrong, but the pictures themselves are cool so it is still worth a look.
Auf Wiedersehen!
Memorable Quotes
Neil Patrick Harris: [to Kumar] I know it's a dick move. That's why I'm paying for your meal.
[looks down to count money]
Neil Patrick Harris: [quietly] Prick.
[looks down to count money]
Neil Patrick Harris: [quietly] Prick.
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Lazy Saturday ...
Not much to report today. Been a pretty lazy Saturday, even here at work. Raining outside to, so there's been less to do. Anyway, saw these two items earlier today. I originally saw these stories on the site, Slashdot, which is a great site for us techies.
The first one is a classic example of why I need to go take a vacation to Japan. Cause I know I need this product. Oh! Super Toaster!
Secondly, we have a bunch of posts on what looks to be a Russian diving message board. In a lot of the posts there are pictures of various fish that have washed ashore because of the terrible tsunami that hit SE Asia. Some of these fish look like they were pulled from the deeper parts of the ocean. This page takes a while to load, due to all the images but I think it is worth it just to see what kinds of creatures there are in our oceans.
Ja matta!
The first one is a classic example of why I need to go take a vacation to Japan. Cause I know I need this product. Oh! Super Toaster!
Secondly, we have a bunch of posts on what looks to be a Russian diving message board. In a lot of the posts there are pictures of various fish that have washed ashore because of the terrible tsunami that hit SE Asia. Some of these fish look like they were pulled from the deeper parts of the ocean. This page takes a while to load, due to all the images but I think it is worth it just to see what kinds of creatures there are in our oceans.
Ja matta!
Friday, January 14, 2005
Ladies and Gentlemen! Boys and Girls! Children of all ages! Welcome ...
I love the news. I try to keep up-to-date on what is happening in the world, if for nothing more than to use later in conversation. Sometimes you can find real gems when looking at stories across various sites. Here are two such stories I enjoyed reading today:
1. This first story was linked off the Drudge Report, which I don't go to often. So, I cannot verify the authenticity of this story.
2. I have seen this second story reported on many of the various major news sites (CNN, MSNBC, etc.).
I plan on adding some extra stuff to this blog soon. Mainly just a listing of links I frequent, so you'll have a better understanding of some of my interests. Those will probably be up in the next few days.
Adios.
1. This first story was linked off the Drudge Report, which I don't go to often. So, I cannot verify the authenticity of this story.
2. I have seen this second story reported on many of the various major news sites (CNN, MSNBC, etc.).
I plan on adding some extra stuff to this blog soon. Mainly just a listing of links I frequent, so you'll have a better understanding of some of my interests. Those will probably be up in the next few days.
Adios.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
... quick update on life ...
Well, just a quick update since my last post. At work, our NOC is complete and we have all moved up into the new area. It is not as bad as I feared, but we'll see as time develops how this all affects our group dynamic.
Gotta get back to work, but I may be posting some site links and stuff later for your amusement.
Gotta get back to work, but I may be posting some site links and stuff later for your amusement.
Friday, January 07, 2005
"Have you paid your dues, Jack?"
For a little over 4 years now, I have worked as a tech support rep for a non-profit organization here in St. Petersburg, FL. Coming out of college, my grades were OK (nothing spectacular, as I seemed to suffer from acute senioritis) but what I found out during many interviews was that to get a foot into the IT world one needs to have practical job experience. School work is nice to look at and it was nice that I had a degree, but it wouldn't get me a job. So, I figured that to get where I want to be in the industry I needed to "pay my dues" and work up the ladder. I was offered a job in the local Tampa Bay area, and to this day I am thankful to the man that hired me for believing in a young kid that was fresh out of college.
Honestly, I have been surprised that I have stayed at my job for as long as I have. If you've never done it or do not know people who have, technical support wears you down. And I feel like I've been ground down to the bone. The only reason I have stayed with it this long is two-fold. First, I work with a great group of people. We all get along, joke around with each other, and generally have a good comraderie. Secondly, it's simply been easier to stay with the familiar then venture into the unknown.
Now, my company has just about finished a "NOC", or Network Operations Center. A NOC is generally a command post, where techs like me monitor the various systems that the company is running so we can prevent or respond to any problems that might occur. When I first heard that they were building a NOC, I was excited because I thought it signalled that my company is trying to be more proactive in regards to preventing problems. I also looked towards this as an opportunity for advancement within the company becuase it seemed we would be working more closely with some of our upper-level engineers. But as the project has been finishing up, I have become less and less optimistic. The more I've watched, the more it seems that this whole setup is just a cosmetic change. It looks like we'll be doing our same job as always, just in a "nicer" area with some upgraded equipment (mainly new desks and monitors). We have a meeting today where the rumor is that we will be told how we are now supposed to conduct ourselves. Previously, we have been given a lot of leeway in how we act because we are generally out of the public's eye. This has helped because it allowed all of us techs to develop a great chemistry. Now I am worried that will all be changed. I honestly can't imagine coming to work and not joking around with some of the guys between calls, as that helps to take the edge and frustration out of the job.
As the time for this whole change draws nearer, I've thought more and more about the line Jack Burton gave to that 8-foot tall maniac. "Have you paid your dues, Jack? Yes sir, the check is in the mail."
Honestly, I have been surprised that I have stayed at my job for as long as I have. If you've never done it or do not know people who have, technical support wears you down. And I feel like I've been ground down to the bone. The only reason I have stayed with it this long is two-fold. First, I work with a great group of people. We all get along, joke around with each other, and generally have a good comraderie. Secondly, it's simply been easier to stay with the familiar then venture into the unknown.
Now, my company has just about finished a "NOC", or Network Operations Center. A NOC is generally a command post, where techs like me monitor the various systems that the company is running so we can prevent or respond to any problems that might occur. When I first heard that they were building a NOC, I was excited because I thought it signalled that my company is trying to be more proactive in regards to preventing problems. I also looked towards this as an opportunity for advancement within the company becuase it seemed we would be working more closely with some of our upper-level engineers. But as the project has been finishing up, I have become less and less optimistic. The more I've watched, the more it seems that this whole setup is just a cosmetic change. It looks like we'll be doing our same job as always, just in a "nicer" area with some upgraded equipment (mainly new desks and monitors). We have a meeting today where the rumor is that we will be told how we are now supposed to conduct ourselves. Previously, we have been given a lot of leeway in how we act because we are generally out of the public's eye. This has helped because it allowed all of us techs to develop a great chemistry. Now I am worried that will all be changed. I honestly can't imagine coming to work and not joking around with some of the guys between calls, as that helps to take the edge and frustration out of the job.
As the time for this whole change draws nearer, I've thought more and more about the line Jack Burton gave to that 8-foot tall maniac. "Have you paid your dues, Jack? Yes sir, the check is in the mail."
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
On to the boring stuff ...
I was born in Sanford, NC back on December 5, 1977. Shortly thereafter, my family moved down to Tampa, FL where we have lived ever since. I attended K-12 public schools here, and after graduating from Chamberlain High School I went to the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. I attended that institution for 4 years, and I graduated in May of 2000 with a Bachelor's of Science in Computer Science. From there, I moved back to Tampa where I was eventually hired by a local non-profit organization to join their technical support team. I have been working there ever since.
Real boring life, eh? I will say that I am blessed to have a great group of friends in this town, and that I also am working with probably the best group of people I could have hoped for. I will honestly say that I would have left Tampa long ago if it weren't for the friends I have here, as well as the coworkers at my job.
Regardless, I am beginning to wonder if it may be time to move on. I'm still young, and I'm starting to think that 3 years in one place may be a bit too long especially with opportunities that I might find elsewhere. I can't say I will be leaving anytime soon, as I have been planning for the last year to take a vacation this coming March or April (more on that later). But I think it's time for me to look into moving on to further my career ...
Real boring life, eh? I will say that I am blessed to have a great group of friends in this town, and that I also am working with probably the best group of people I could have hoped for. I will honestly say that I would have left Tampa long ago if it weren't for the friends I have here, as well as the coworkers at my job.
Regardless, I am beginning to wonder if it may be time to move on. I'm still young, and I'm starting to think that 3 years in one place may be a bit too long especially with opportunities that I might find elsewhere. I can't say I will be leaving anytime soon, as I have been planning for the last year to take a vacation this coming March or April (more on that later). But I think it's time for me to look into moving on to further my career ...
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