I apologize for the Star Wars trivia quote, but that's what I thought when I saw that Dell had shipped my lappy yesterday and will be arriving sometime today. It's almost a full week early, which is AWESOME! I can't wait to get my hands on that thing.
I'll post again later this evening when I get home.
You know what? Seeing as how popular unboxing posts are, that's what I'll do!
Keep your feelers on this blog folks. I'm calling the next post . . .
Dell / Ubuntu 1525N: THE UNBOXING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Formerly of experiences of Ubuntu n00bism. Now random postings on learning barefoot form.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
By gosh golly! What's that?!
I'll be keeping my old posts up for now, just for laziness sake.
Just want to give a quick update for ANYONE who may have read the previous post on some type of regular basis. This blog will change. Read the title all the way at the top and you'll see what it'll be about.
Anyway . . .
So last weekend, I got home after a bit of alcoholic binge-ing (i.e. heavily buzzed) and I logged on to check out my mail. I wandered the interwebs for a bit and decided to do a bit of a search on Ubuntu. Earlier in the week I had become obsessively curious about Dell's and Linux. The obsession really kick in that night!
Back in '02 or '03, I had graduated from Heald (hey, stop laughing I actually got something out of it!) with an AS in Computer tech. During the program we had a to do a senior project with a group. I really pushed my group into making a bombproof server. In other words, a linux box. I busted my ass on that project and swore to myself "Never AGAIN!!!". But hey, that was the young me and now I'm bored at work and need to play with something that I can learn all over again.
By the way, I'm gonna be 35 come August.
Back to Saturday night:
So there I was, reading up on the latest stuff about Hardy Heron and I remember that Dell was only pre-loading Gutsy Gibbon. But I Googled Dell and 8.04 and lo-and-behold! Do my eyes deceive me? Dell was now offering a few select pc's and laptops with Hardy Heron!!!
I hit the link and there were three options available: A tower, an Inspiron lappy and an XPS lappy.
Since I hadn't touched Linux since I was in school, I decided to pick the Inspiron lappy. Below are the specs
Inspiron 1525
Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2GHz, 800MHz FSB, 2MB L2 Cache
fancy, dancy, black shell
4GB, DDR2, 667MHz, 2 Dimm
15.4" Widescreen WXGA LCDTrueLife
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
120GB 7200 RPM SATA with Free Fall Sensor (better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it)
Ubuntu 8.04 with DVD Playback
Integrated 10/100 NIC
8X DVD+/-RW Dual Layer
Integrated High Def Audio (2.0)
Intel 3945 WLAN (802.11 a/g) Mini-card
Six cell battery
There weren't that many upgrade options available, but I upgraded what I could. Except the webcam and Harddrive. Don't need the webcam, and I plan to use external storage anyway.
Backup all the time and backup your backup. You can NEVER backup enough.
Oh, and for those of you considering this or any Dell pc (or HP, Gateway . . .), search for coupon codes. Needless to say, in my inebriated state I purchased the damn thing. This set up would've run me about $1100, but using one of the Dell codes available with a quick search saved me 25%. It came out to about $870, shipped!
Keep and eye on here, I plan to post up my experiences. Constructive comments and suggestions will be appreciated. This is a whole new game for me. I'll need the help.
GD
p.s.
Don't expect anything here for a bit about the laptop. I have an estimated delivery for the first week of August.
Just want to give a quick update for ANYONE who may have read the previous post on some type of regular basis. This blog will change. Read the title all the way at the top and you'll see what it'll be about.
Anyway . . .
So last weekend, I got home after a bit of alcoholic binge-ing (i.e. heavily buzzed) and I logged on to check out my mail. I wandered the interwebs for a bit and decided to do a bit of a search on Ubuntu. Earlier in the week I had become obsessively curious about Dell's and Linux. The obsession really kick in that night!
Back in '02 or '03, I had graduated from Heald (hey, stop laughing I actually got something out of it!) with an AS in Computer tech. During the program we had a to do a senior project with a group. I really pushed my group into making a bombproof server. In other words, a linux box. I busted my ass on that project and swore to myself "Never AGAIN!!!". But hey, that was the young me and now I'm bored at work and need to play with something that I can learn all over again.
By the way, I'm gonna be 35 come August.
Back to Saturday night:
So there I was, reading up on the latest stuff about Hardy Heron and I remember that Dell was only pre-loading Gutsy Gibbon. But I Googled Dell and 8.04 and lo-and-behold! Do my eyes deceive me? Dell was now offering a few select pc's and laptops with Hardy Heron!!!
I hit the link and there were three options available: A tower, an Inspiron lappy and an XPS lappy.
Since I hadn't touched Linux since I was in school, I decided to pick the Inspiron lappy. Below are the specs
Inspiron 1525
Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2GHz, 800MHz FSB, 2MB L2 Cache
fancy, dancy, black shell
4GB, DDR2, 667MHz, 2 Dimm
15.4" Widescreen WXGA LCDTrueLife
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
120GB 7200 RPM SATA with Free Fall Sensor (better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it)
Ubuntu 8.04 with DVD Playback
Integrated 10/100 NIC
8X DVD+/-RW Dual Layer
Integrated High Def Audio (2.0)
Intel 3945 WLAN (802.11 a/g) Mini-card
Six cell battery
There weren't that many upgrade options available, but I upgraded what I could. Except the webcam and Harddrive. Don't need the webcam, and I plan to use external storage anyway.
Backup all the time and backup your backup. You can NEVER backup enough.
Oh, and for those of you considering this or any Dell pc (or HP, Gateway . . .), search for coupon codes. Needless to say, in my inebriated state I purchased the damn thing. This set up would've run me about $1100, but using one of the Dell codes available with a quick search saved me 25%. It came out to about $870, shipped!
Keep and eye on here, I plan to post up my experiences. Constructive comments and suggestions will be appreciated. This is a whole new game for me. I'll need the help.
GD
p.s.
Don't expect anything here for a bit about the laptop. I have an estimated delivery for the first week of August.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Motorcycles
It's time for my yearly update!!!
As I once posted before, I appear to have some type of OCD (comics, recumbent bikes, razors . . .). Now I appear to have moved on to motorcycles.
The first weekend of January, I took the MSF (motorcycle safety . . .something-or-other) course. Highly recommended if you are considering motorcycling! With the type of commute I have now, I'm pretty sure I would've killed myself by now without the training I had in the class.
Since then, I've accomplished getting my Class C/M1 drivers license and getting insured. My dads Boulevard C50 has been sitting for a couple of months because it's been too cold for him to ride. Not for me!
I've been using his bike to ride to work and have had some pretty good "oh-sh!t" moments. I've learned from them and have been reading the forums to absorb more information to think about for my conditions. I've also been researching what type of bike I want in the long run. I think I've decided on the 2006 Kawasaki 650R.
If anyone reads this and has an opinion, let me know what you think.
GD
p.s.
i'm just posting. not checking on grammar or spelling right now. maybe later . . .
As I once posted before, I appear to have some type of OCD (comics, recumbent bikes, razors . . .). Now I appear to have moved on to motorcycles.
The first weekend of January, I took the MSF (motorcycle safety . . .something-or-other) course. Highly recommended if you are considering motorcycling! With the type of commute I have now, I'm pretty sure I would've killed myself by now without the training I had in the class.
Since then, I've accomplished getting my Class C/M1 drivers license and getting insured. My dads Boulevard C50 has been sitting for a couple of months because it's been too cold for him to ride. Not for me!
I've been using his bike to ride to work and have had some pretty good "oh-sh!t" moments. I've learned from them and have been reading the forums to absorb more information to think about for my conditions. I've also been researching what type of bike I want in the long run. I think I've decided on the 2006 Kawasaki 650R.
If anyone reads this and has an opinion, let me know what you think.
GD
p.s.
i'm just posting. not checking on grammar or spelling right now. maybe later . . .
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Now for something a bit different
It's been over a year since I last posted here. The whole bike thing never really worked out. I do have the plans, the equipment and most of the materials, but I just don't seemt to have the skill. I need a LOT more practice before I even consider trying my hand on using my welder on the cromo tubing.
What I have done is order a brand spanking new bike for me to use. It's a Surly Cross Check. I picked that one for several reasons. One, I'm a big boy (now at 250 lbs down from 285 back in January). Two, it seemed to be the bike to get according to the folks at Bike Forums. Specifically in the Clydesdale and the Commuting sections.
I'll be posting pics up as soon as I have in under my feet. I juset need to decide what type of pedals to get on it. I think I've already decided on the Crank Bros. Mallet pedals. They'll allow me to use the bike as normal without having to clip in. I've never used clips, but I've always wanted to try. This'll be my chance.
More soon . . .
What I have done is order a brand spanking new bike for me to use. It's a Surly Cross Check. I picked that one for several reasons. One, I'm a big boy (now at 250 lbs down from 285 back in January). Two, it seemed to be the bike to get according to the folks at Bike Forums. Specifically in the Clydesdale and the Commuting sections.
I'll be posting pics up as soon as I have in under my feet. I juset need to decide what type of pedals to get on it. I think I've already decided on the Crank Bros. Mallet pedals. They'll allow me to use the bike as normal without having to clip in. I've never used clips, but I've always wanted to try. This'll be my chance.
More soon . . .
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Is it a case of OCD?
So, I'm a collector. I was an avid collector of comics years ago. I had it so bad that I was easily spending over two hundred bucks a month. And I would rationalize it by saying I wasn't as bad as some other collectors that I know. The fact still remains, I'm a collector.
I may not collect comic books any more, but other things now occupy my life. For the past year, it's been razors. I'm talking about old style safety razors. Or as they are known by those-in-the-know, DE's.
DE's as in Double-Edge razors. There are others I'm interested in such as Schick Injectors and some straight-edge razors (aka - cut-throats). I've got it bad, too. I've hit up antique shops, flea markets and I've even asked old folks if they may have razors in their possesion.
Family members know that I collect razors and they are always buying me razors. And so far they just happen to be the wrong, uninteresting ones. I tell them how cool it is so as not to discourage the practice, though. They may one day come across one that I 'need' and purchase it for me and I'll be one happy fool.
Trust me when I tell you, I do use a couple of the ones I've found. I've three in particular. A Merkur Slant, and old Gillette adjustable Fat-boy and a recently aquired Krect Spiral razor. The latter I just used this morning after cleaning and sterilizing in an autoclave. It's a little worse for wear, but it's all cosmetic. I can probably nickel-plate it myself later, but very likely not. I don't know what to think of it yet. A few more shaves with it and I should have a more solid opinion.
If your a guy (hell even a woman), you may be interested in the art of Wet Shaving. Now don't be dirty. Wet shaving is the whole process of shaving the 'right way'. Think back on those old movies where the guy would shave with a brush to lather up and use a straight razor to shave. Or if possible and more close to home, your dad or grandfather shaving with that type of set-up. It didn't necessarily have to involve a straight though. It most likely was a DE.
For the women out there, it could have been the same memory with the added one of maybe your mom or other female adult shaving their legs with a DE.
Today we have cartridge razors.
Plus: Easy, safe and convenient.
Negative: Irritation and razor burn (one and the same?), expensive cartridges!
Wet shaving:
Plus: Less irritation, meditative practice, lot's of information available if you know where to look, and (BIG plus) much cheaper in the long run!
Negative: Time consuming, slight learning curve.
Wet shaving is a whole involved process. It can be done fairly quickly, but you'll still be taking more time with it than you would with a cartridge razor.
If there is one thing that I would recommend before going all-in, I would say dump the canned goop. That stuff drys your skin and adds to the discomfort. If you have a Target nearby, they recently began selling Proraso shaving products as well as some others that I'm not to confident on. Go to Target and pick up a five or six dollar tube of Proraso shaving cream and also the twelve or thirteen dollar Boar hair brush. It's a good size brush and a lot of wetshavers like it.
Now I'm not a guru or anything. There is a lot more information out there that I'm just scratching the surface of. Below are a couple of links where if you do a bit of searching, you'll find a lot of answers. Feel free to ask a few questions there as well. 99% of the members there are real laid-back and freely give advice. If I change one persons life because of this, I've done well.
Shave My Face Forums - Great forums. Ask and you may be able to get a good deal on a razor and such!
The Wetshavers Group - This is another forum with a lot of info. They ask that if you sign up and you post, sign off your posting with your first name. Helps bring it into more of friendly environment. You'll feel more comfortable.
GD
I may not collect comic books any more, but other things now occupy my life. For the past year, it's been razors. I'm talking about old style safety razors. Or as they are known by those-in-the-know, DE's.
DE's as in Double-Edge razors. There are others I'm interested in such as Schick Injectors and some straight-edge razors (aka - cut-throats). I've got it bad, too. I've hit up antique shops, flea markets and I've even asked old folks if they may have razors in their possesion.
Family members know that I collect razors and they are always buying me razors. And so far they just happen to be the wrong, uninteresting ones. I tell them how cool it is so as not to discourage the practice, though. They may one day come across one that I 'need' and purchase it for me and I'll be one happy fool.
Trust me when I tell you, I do use a couple of the ones I've found. I've three in particular. A Merkur Slant, and old Gillette adjustable Fat-boy and a recently aquired Krect Spiral razor. The latter I just used this morning after cleaning and sterilizing in an autoclave. It's a little worse for wear, but it's all cosmetic. I can probably nickel-plate it myself later, but very likely not. I don't know what to think of it yet. A few more shaves with it and I should have a more solid opinion.
If your a guy (hell even a woman), you may be interested in the art of Wet Shaving. Now don't be dirty. Wet shaving is the whole process of shaving the 'right way'. Think back on those old movies where the guy would shave with a brush to lather up and use a straight razor to shave. Or if possible and more close to home, your dad or grandfather shaving with that type of set-up. It didn't necessarily have to involve a straight though. It most likely was a DE.
For the women out there, it could have been the same memory with the added one of maybe your mom or other female adult shaving their legs with a DE.
Today we have cartridge razors.
Plus: Easy, safe and convenient.
Negative: Irritation and razor burn (one and the same?), expensive cartridges!
Wet shaving:
Plus: Less irritation, meditative practice, lot's of information available if you know where to look, and (BIG plus) much cheaper in the long run!
Negative: Time consuming, slight learning curve.
Wet shaving is a whole involved process. It can be done fairly quickly, but you'll still be taking more time with it than you would with a cartridge razor.
If there is one thing that I would recommend before going all-in, I would say dump the canned goop. That stuff drys your skin and adds to the discomfort. If you have a Target nearby, they recently began selling Proraso shaving products as well as some others that I'm not to confident on. Go to Target and pick up a five or six dollar tube of Proraso shaving cream and also the twelve or thirteen dollar Boar hair brush. It's a good size brush and a lot of wetshavers like it.
Now I'm not a guru or anything. There is a lot more information out there that I'm just scratching the surface of. Below are a couple of links where if you do a bit of searching, you'll find a lot of answers. Feel free to ask a few questions there as well. 99% of the members there are real laid-back and freely give advice. If I change one persons life because of this, I've done well.
Shave My Face Forums - Great forums. Ask and you may be able to get a good deal on a razor and such!
The Wetshavers Group - This is another forum with a lot of info. They ask that if you sign up and you post, sign off your posting with your first name. Helps bring it into more of friendly environment. You'll feel more comfortable.
GD
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Who cares if it's been a while!
The reason I'm posting is because I was going through the stories on Digg when I spotted one that was kinda interesting. I've always wanted to buy a Roomba to mess with and see what it exactly it was capable of other than just roaming a room and sucking up dirt!
These guys at the South by Southwest Conference (SXSW) had a couple of Roombas laying around thinking about the same thing as me. Except they took it a step further and made Roomba Frogger!!!
You guys have to read it. It's flippin hilarious!
GD
These guys at the South by Southwest Conference (SXSW) had a couple of Roombas laying around thinking about the same thing as me. Except they took it a step further and made Roomba Frogger!!!
You guys have to read it. It's flippin hilarious!
GD
Friday, December 23, 2005
Merry Christmas!
I've heard the facts on Christmas. I don't care.
Many of the traditions of Christmas may have been 'pagan' traditions, but it just showed what the Church was willing to do to try to get the bigger message across.
The Holy Church knew it had to adapt to the enviroment. It was Darwinism at it's most basic. Find out what the local beliefs are and use them to convince people that 'our God is the same God as your God . . . but better' (ok, I exaggerated a little).
I don't agree with the whole matter, but I kinda' understand why it was done.
I will admit that I'm not a practicing Catholic, but I have my reasons. Some of it is pretty obvious from my previous statements.
The whole point of this post is to state that the season of Christmas is meant to remind us that the Lord Jesus was born during some hard times, and that Mary and Joseph made sure that Jesus was safe and comfortable. In other words, Christmas is a time for family.
It is a time to give of yourself if you haven't already. Almost a kinda' like a time to redeem yourself for what you may have not done for others yet.
You don't have to go out and buy gifts for others. If you do, buy the gifts for the kids! Spend time with family and friends.
Now, I'm not sure what other religions do, but I do know that other important Holy Days occur for those other religions at this time of the season. I'm pretty sure a lot of it is about family and God as well.
Merry Christmas!
Happy Holidays!
Peace, love and God bless you all!
GD
Many of the traditions of Christmas may have been 'pagan' traditions, but it just showed what the Church was willing to do to try to get the bigger message across.
The Holy Church knew it had to adapt to the enviroment. It was Darwinism at it's most basic. Find out what the local beliefs are and use them to convince people that 'our God is the same God as your God . . . but better' (ok, I exaggerated a little).
I don't agree with the whole matter, but I kinda' understand why it was done.
I will admit that I'm not a practicing Catholic, but I have my reasons. Some of it is pretty obvious from my previous statements.
The whole point of this post is to state that the season of Christmas is meant to remind us that the Lord Jesus was born during some hard times, and that Mary and Joseph made sure that Jesus was safe and comfortable. In other words, Christmas is a time for family.
It is a time to give of yourself if you haven't already. Almost a kinda' like a time to redeem yourself for what you may have not done for others yet.
You don't have to go out and buy gifts for others. If you do, buy the gifts for the kids! Spend time with family and friends.
Now, I'm not sure what other religions do, but I do know that other important Holy Days occur for those other religions at this time of the season. I'm pretty sure a lot of it is about family and God as well.
Merry Christmas!
Happy Holidays!
Peace, love and God bless you all!
GD
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Yeah, I'm a blog thief.
Taking a cue from Erin, I took the following test:
I answered the questions honestly, and the test was still wrong . . . on one point.
I know God exists and I do care (at least for myself).
The rest of it is true.
GD
| You are Agnostic |
 You're not sure if God exists, and you don't care. For you, there's no true way to figure out the divine. You rather focus on what you can control - your own life. And you tend to resent when others "sell" religion to you. |
I answered the questions honestly, and the test was still wrong . . . on one point.
I know God exists and I do care (at least for myself).
The rest of it is true.
GD
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
The Birthday Massacre . . . Kick Ass!!!
So as I'm having to fill in for one of my vacationing employees, I've got the computer free and I decide to load up Pandora.com. It's a pretty nifty music website that kinda streams music (to your hard drive, not RAM) of a whatever style of music you feel like listening to (ie: type in a band you like, similar music plays).
Anyway to the point of the title . . . so I load up Pandora and there is nothing on my list that I really feel like listening to, so I type in Voices Carry by Til Tuesday. One song loads up and it ok, and few more play until it hits Nevermind by Birthday Massacre. Wow, I thought it was a band from the 80's, but I'd never heard of them.
They're not. They formed in this century as Imagica for a few years, had a change in members between then and The Birthday Massacre and BAM! Badass music.
This happened this afternoon and I've already ordered the Violet album and I'm on the hunt for the Nothing Nowhere album.
Check out the following website, it has a couple of clips from Violet. Let me know what you think!
Oh, and the clips don't really do the music justice. The other songs I heard really do sound like they're from the 80's! The clips aren't bad though.
Metropolis Records: The Birthday Massacre
GD
I feel dated now . . . <: (
Anyway to the point of the title . . . so I load up Pandora and there is nothing on my list that I really feel like listening to, so I type in Voices Carry by Til Tuesday. One song loads up and it ok, and few more play until it hits Nevermind by Birthday Massacre. Wow, I thought it was a band from the 80's, but I'd never heard of them.
They're not. They formed in this century as Imagica for a few years, had a change in members between then and The Birthday Massacre and BAM! Badass music.
This happened this afternoon and I've already ordered the Violet album and I'm on the hunt for the Nothing Nowhere album.
Check out the following website, it has a couple of clips from Violet. Let me know what you think!
Oh, and the clips don't really do the music justice. The other songs I heard really do sound like they're from the 80's! The clips aren't bad though.
Metropolis Records: The Birthday Massacre
GD
I feel dated now . . . <: (
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Stolen: Meme #15
I've stolen another meme from Erin. Thank you Erin!
Have a head that looks like a lollipop OR hands that are three times their normal size? Hands! Imagine the possibilities. It's just more likely you'll get caught!
Have sweat that smells like bacon OR like a flowery air freshener?
Hm. Tough one. I'd have to go with the air freshener
Tell your deepest sexual desire to a complete stranger once a day OR clap your hands in a highschool cheerleader style everytime somebody says "OK"?
Clap, and I'd move to Zimbabwe or something.
Dress like elvis at formal functions OR dance like him?
Too easy, I'd dress like Elvis. He had his moments of lucidity.
And to end on a lighter note . . . after two years, we finally received our raises! Woo hoo!!!
GD
Meme #15
Would you rather:Have a head that looks like a lollipop OR hands that are three times their normal size? Hands! Imagine the possibilities. It's just more likely you'll get caught!
Have sweat that smells like bacon OR like a flowery air freshener?
Hm. Tough one. I'd have to go with the air freshener
Tell your deepest sexual desire to a complete stranger once a day OR clap your hands in a highschool cheerleader style everytime somebody says "OK"?
Clap, and I'd move to Zimbabwe or something.
Dress like elvis at formal functions OR dance like him?
Too easy, I'd dress like Elvis. He had his moments of lucidity.
And to end on a lighter note . . . after two years, we finally received our raises! Woo hoo!!!
GD
Friday, November 11, 2005
Yes, I am a gamer . . .
. . . and I found something I thought was funny seeing as how it applies to me. I don't really game online or anything, I mainly do the console thing (xbox, ps2, gamecube). Let me know what you think.
Here is the actual link to the site that has the article:
http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000733067601/
and here is the article:
29 no-nos for gamers over age 30
Posted Nov 11, 2005, 9:57 AM ET by Vladimir Cole
Related entries: Culture
The ESA says that the average gamer is 30 years old. It’s time that those of us who are 30 or older realize that some of the things we grew up doing as gamers are no longer really appropriate, cool, or kosher given our new demographic bucket. Here, then, is a helpful guide to 28 things a gamer should never do past the age of 30.
1. Participate in LAN parties with minors
2. Quit your job to pursue a pro-gaming career
3. Start a Star Wars themed PC case mod in the living room
4. Ever use the jargon OMG, BBQ and WTF together in the same phrase
5. Pirate games - shouldn’t you have an income by now?
6. Find the idea of teamkilling funny
7. Choose a female avatar so that you can try to upskirt her
8. Refuse to play games that are rated lower than mature
9. Tea-bag a downed opponent in Halo 2
10. Play any game with Princess Toadstool in it
11. Choose a gamer handle including any form of the words “hell,” “killer,” “death,” or ”-inator”
12. Yell “pwnt” in a public virtual space
13. Play a female character in an MMOG in order to troll for “Crying Game” victims
14. Disconnect when losing at Starcraft or any other RTS
15. Ninja loot
16. Get your gaming news from a print publication
17. Replace the letter S with a dollar sign when writing Microsoft, Sony, or PlayStation
18. Live in your parents’ basement to support a gaming habit
19. Break mice in a fit of rage after being served in an FPS game
20. Try to win an argument in a gaming forum
21. Pretend that movies like Doom and Tomb Raider are anything but crap
22. Carry softcore anime porn on your PSP to show the guys at work
23. Hadoken someone as a greeting, complete with hand motions and sound effects
24. Play competitively against anyone under the age of 10
25. Read or write fanfiction
26. Yell or type, “Laggg” when losing an online game
27. Bogart the controller
28. Work at GameStop “just for the discount”
29. Type liek JeffK
Here is the actual link to the site that has the article:
http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000733067601/
and here is the article:
29 no-nos for gamers over age 30
Posted Nov 11, 2005, 9:57 AM ET by Vladimir Cole
Related entries: Culture
The ESA says that the average gamer is 30 years old. It’s time that those of us who are 30 or older realize that some of the things we grew up doing as gamers are no longer really appropriate, cool, or kosher given our new demographic bucket. Here, then, is a helpful guide to 28 things a gamer should never do past the age of 30.
1. Participate in LAN parties with minors
2. Quit your job to pursue a pro-gaming career
3. Start a Star Wars themed PC case mod in the living room
4. Ever use the jargon OMG, BBQ and WTF together in the same phrase
5. Pirate games - shouldn’t you have an income by now?
6. Find the idea of teamkilling funny
7. Choose a female avatar so that you can try to upskirt her
8. Refuse to play games that are rated lower than mature
9. Tea-bag a downed opponent in Halo 2
10. Play any game with Princess Toadstool in it
11. Choose a gamer handle including any form of the words “hell,” “killer,” “death,” or ”-inator”
12. Yell “pwnt” in a public virtual space
13. Play a female character in an MMOG in order to troll for “Crying Game” victims
14. Disconnect when losing at Starcraft or any other RTS
15. Ninja loot
16. Get your gaming news from a print publication
17. Replace the letter S with a dollar sign when writing Microsoft, Sony, or PlayStation
18. Live in your parents’ basement to support a gaming habit
19. Break mice in a fit of rage after being served in an FPS game
20. Try to win an argument in a gaming forum
21. Pretend that movies like Doom and Tomb Raider are anything but crap
22. Carry softcore anime porn on your PSP to show the guys at work
23. Hadoken someone as a greeting, complete with hand motions and sound effects
24. Play competitively against anyone under the age of 10
25. Read or write fanfiction
26. Yell or type, “Laggg” when losing an online game
27. Bogart the controller
28. Work at GameStop “just for the discount”
29. Type liek JeffK
Thursday, November 10, 2005
My version of Meme #13
I'm lazy (anything different?) and I'm gonna answer Erins Meme #13.
1. How many times a day do you wash your hands? Before I walk out of the restroom and everytime I mess around with mushrooms and mushroom related products. Pretty much means prun(e)y hands.
2. How often do you get the flu that's going around? Flu . . . been a couple years
3. How often are you really "sick" when you take a sick day? Whenever I'm "sick and tired" of work.
4. Who would you like to see in a cage match? Michael Moore and Rush Limbaugh
5. Name 3 things you absolutely love: Tesla (my car), Baby (matriarch of my chihuahuas), and an engrossing book.
6. If you had to give 2 of them up which would they be (and why)? Telsa and the book, because nobody puts Baby in the corner (sorry).
7. Name 3 things you absolutely loathe: Annoying dogs and night, annoying cats at night, and a really fucked up ending of what was a really good book (read Snowcrash, Neal Stephanson)!
8. What is your all time favorite memory EVER? You want me to think that far back?!
9. What is the one thing that happened in high school that would make you avoid your class reunion? This is a stupid question!
10. What is your dream job, no matter how untrained you might be or unrealistic and bizarre it might be? Being Alan Moore!
11. If you could write yourself into any tv show, which show and how would you do it? I'm gonna be a typical guy and say Las Vegas. I would be the only guy to make Sam Marquez (Vanessa Marcils' character) fall in love. God I'm such a dork!
12. If you could replace anyone on a tv show, who would you choose to replace on what show and why? The James Caan character (Ed Deline) on Las Vegas. Hey, he's a badass!
1. How many times a day do you wash your hands? Before I walk out of the restroom and everytime I mess around with mushrooms and mushroom related products. Pretty much means prun(e)y hands.
2. How often do you get the flu that's going around? Flu . . . been a couple years
3. How often are you really "sick" when you take a sick day? Whenever I'm "sick and tired" of work.
4. Who would you like to see in a cage match? Michael Moore and Rush Limbaugh
5. Name 3 things you absolutely love: Tesla (my car), Baby (matriarch of my chihuahuas), and an engrossing book.
6. If you had to give 2 of them up which would they be (and why)? Telsa and the book, because nobody puts Baby in the corner (sorry).
7. Name 3 things you absolutely loathe: Annoying dogs and night, annoying cats at night, and a really fucked up ending of what was a really good book (read Snowcrash, Neal Stephanson)!
8. What is your all time favorite memory EVER? You want me to think that far back?!
9. What is the one thing that happened in high school that would make you avoid your class reunion? This is a stupid question!
10. What is your dream job, no matter how untrained you might be or unrealistic and bizarre it might be? Being Alan Moore!
11. If you could write yourself into any tv show, which show and how would you do it? I'm gonna be a typical guy and say Las Vegas. I would be the only guy to make Sam Marquez (Vanessa Marcils' character) fall in love. God I'm such a dork!
12. If you could replace anyone on a tv show, who would you choose to replace on what show and why? The James Caan character (Ed Deline) on Las Vegas. Hey, he's a badass!
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Meme repost . . .
I figured since I put all that time into it, I might as well repost my answers to Erins Meme thing. Get ready to do some readin'!
1. What is your occupation?
Analytical Supervisor / Research Assistant
2. What color is your underwear?
White (and blue).
3. What are you listening to right now?
My typing.
4. What was the last thing you ate?
Oatmeal.
5. Do you wish on stars?
Nope.
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Green.
7. How is the weather right now?
Flippin' cold and cloudy
8. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
Hey, I'm just visiting. And yeah.
9. What happened to question 9?
It was written.
10. How old are you?
32, and happy birthday erin!
11. Favorite drink?
Non-alc: OJ, Alc: Beer
12. Favorite sport to watch?
Hockey and baseball.
13. Have you ever dyed your hair?
What?! Am I a chick (no offense)!
14. Do you wear contacts or glasses?
Contacts out and about, glasses at home.
15. Pets?
Dags-Chihuahuas: Baby, Chiquita, Gorda, Pee-wee, Princess (in that order)
16. Favorite month?
June (not birthday month like some people).
17. Favorite food?
Chicken w/rice.
18. What was the last movie you watched?
High Tension (gory and fun).
19. Favorite day of the year?
July 4th!
20.What do you do to vent anger?
Draw, read and walk (not in that order)
21.What was your favorite toy as a child?
Believe it or not, my imagination!
22. Fall or Spring?
Spring!
23. Hugs or kisses?
Too touchy feely!
24. Cherry or Blueberry?
Cherry.
25. Do you want your friends to email you back?
Sometimes, if necessary.
26. Who is least likely to respond?
My mother, she'll call.
27. Who is most likely to respond?
My brother, always online (Birthday today - 10/27).
28. Living arrangements?
House, rent.
29. When was the last time you cried?
???
30. What is on the floor of your closet?
Boxes of books.
31. Who is the friend you have had the longest?
Huerta, since high school.
32. What did you do last night?
Hung out with little bro'.
34. What inspires you?
Too much.
35. What are you afraid of?
Pain.
36. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers?
All of the above.
37. Favorite car?
Maclaren SLR!
38. Favorite dog breed? Irish wolfhound (agreed!)
39. Number of keys on your key ring?
Several keyrings, max of 4 on one.
40. How many years at your current job?
8 years.
41. Favorite day of the week?
Duh, Friday.
42. How many states have you lived in?
Two
43. How many cities have you lived in?
Two
44. Song that lifts your spirits?
Lots!
45. Alternate career choice?
Writer for Cartoon Network!
46. Who made you laugh 'hard' recently?
My brother.
47. Sunrise or sunset?
Sunset.
48. What book are you reading now, or what was the last book you read?
Brimstone by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.
49. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Doing my bosses job!
50. What is the most surprising answer above?
The Irish Wolfhound.
1. What is your occupation?
Analytical Supervisor / Research Assistant
2. What color is your underwear?
White (and blue).
3. What are you listening to right now?
My typing.
4. What was the last thing you ate?
Oatmeal.
5. Do you wish on stars?
Nope.
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Green.
7. How is the weather right now?
Flippin' cold and cloudy
8. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
Hey, I'm just visiting. And yeah.
9. What happened to question 9?
It was written.
10. How old are you?
32, and happy birthday erin!
11. Favorite drink?
Non-alc: OJ, Alc: Beer
12. Favorite sport to watch?
Hockey and baseball.
13. Have you ever dyed your hair?
What?! Am I a chick (no offense)!
14. Do you wear contacts or glasses?
Contacts out and about, glasses at home.
15. Pets?
Dags-Chihuahuas: Baby, Chiquita, Gorda, Pee-wee, Princess (in that order)
16. Favorite month?
June (not birthday month like some people).
17. Favorite food?
Chicken w/rice.
18. What was the last movie you watched?
High Tension (gory and fun).
19. Favorite day of the year?
July 4th!
20.What do you do to vent anger?
Draw, read and walk (not in that order)
21.What was your favorite toy as a child?
Believe it or not, my imagination!
22. Fall or Spring?
Spring!
23. Hugs or kisses?
Too touchy feely!
24. Cherry or Blueberry?
Cherry.
25. Do you want your friends to email you back?
Sometimes, if necessary.
26. Who is least likely to respond?
My mother, she'll call.
27. Who is most likely to respond?
My brother, always online (Birthday today - 10/27).
28. Living arrangements?
House, rent.
29. When was the last time you cried?
???
30. What is on the floor of your closet?
Boxes of books.
31. Who is the friend you have had the longest?
Huerta, since high school.
32. What did you do last night?
Hung out with little bro'.
34. What inspires you?
Too much.
35. What are you afraid of?
Pain.
36. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers?
All of the above.
37. Favorite car?
Maclaren SLR!
38. Favorite dog breed? Irish wolfhound (agreed!)
39. Number of keys on your key ring?
Several keyrings, max of 4 on one.
40. How many years at your current job?
8 years.
41. Favorite day of the week?
Duh, Friday.
42. How many states have you lived in?
Two
43. How many cities have you lived in?
Two
44. Song that lifts your spirits?
Lots!
45. Alternate career choice?
Writer for Cartoon Network!
46. Who made you laugh 'hard' recently?
My brother.
47. Sunrise or sunset?
Sunset.
48. What book are you reading now, or what was the last book you read?
Brimstone by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.
49. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Doing my bosses job!
50. What is the most surprising answer above?
The Irish Wolfhound.
It's almost Friday!
\Bike update
I can't seem to get the geometry right on the frame I'm building. Everything works out great until I'm about 3/4 of the way through. I've gotta figure out what's wrong. It's a good thing I haven't started on the expensive material yet. I've been using spare bike frames and such. The last frame I almost finished, then it went horribly wrong. It was just a small little error that seemed to multiply exponentially. The next frame should be completed now that I know where all the little problem areas are. Wish me luck.
\Bike update
A couple of weeks ago I picked up a new cell phone. My two year contract with Verizon was up and I needed to upgrade my plan and phone. I liked my Motorola C343 but it was beginning to crap out on me. After doing some research to find the best phone available that I could play with (i.e. hack) and not break the bank, I decided on the Motorola e815.
The e815 through Verizon is hobbled. You have Bluetooth, but you can only use for wireless headsets. You can transfer files to your computer, as long as it's only contacts and dates. I wanted it to be completely open to me, so I found some websites and links to get the software I needed to break the e815 and make it whole again.
After some nervous hacking, I am now able to transfer files wirelessly, play my music and videos on it and store files on it. The amazing thing to me is that it comes with 40mb of onboard memory. And you can pick up a transflash card to expand it's storage capacity. By January of '06, you'll be able to intall 1gb of memory into the phone. I've got a 256mb card in it right now, I'll be picking up the 1giger early next year.
Luv my phone!
GD
I can't seem to get the geometry right on the frame I'm building. Everything works out great until I'm about 3/4 of the way through. I've gotta figure out what's wrong. It's a good thing I haven't started on the expensive material yet. I've been using spare bike frames and such. The last frame I almost finished, then it went horribly wrong. It was just a small little error that seemed to multiply exponentially. The next frame should be completed now that I know where all the little problem areas are. Wish me luck.
\Bike update
A couple of weeks ago I picked up a new cell phone. My two year contract with Verizon was up and I needed to upgrade my plan and phone. I liked my Motorola C343 but it was beginning to crap out on me. After doing some research to find the best phone available that I could play with (i.e. hack) and not break the bank, I decided on the Motorola e815.
The e815 through Verizon is hobbled. You have Bluetooth, but you can only use for wireless headsets. You can transfer files to your computer, as long as it's only contacts and dates. I wanted it to be completely open to me, so I found some websites and links to get the software I needed to break the e815 and make it whole again.
After some nervous hacking, I am now able to transfer files wirelessly, play my music and videos on it and store files on it. The amazing thing to me is that it comes with 40mb of onboard memory. And you can pick up a transflash card to expand it's storage capacity. By January of '06, you'll be able to intall 1gb of memory into the phone. I've got a 256mb card in it right now, I'll be picking up the 1giger early next year.
Luv my phone!
GD
Friday, October 14, 2005
It's Friday!
I am outta here in 25 minutes! I am planning to enjoy a couple of beers and take care of my yard this weekend.
Maybe have a small barbecue.
I just want to rest. Get some sleep.
I'll probably finish building my work table tomorrow. Not much left to it. Just the legs.
My first prototype bike looks ok. It appears solid. I need to improve my welds a bit. Otherwise the bike is solid. It won't be coming apart on me any time soon. I may post pictures up Monday. We'll see.
Everyone, have a good weekend. I may post from home.
GD
p.s.
you may be seeing a better looking portabello mushroom in stores pretty soon. all from monterey mushrooms.
Maybe have a small barbecue.
I just want to rest. Get some sleep.
I'll probably finish building my work table tomorrow. Not much left to it. Just the legs.
My first prototype bike looks ok. It appears solid. I need to improve my welds a bit. Otherwise the bike is solid. It won't be coming apart on me any time soon. I may post pictures up Monday. We'll see.
Everyone, have a good weekend. I may post from home.
GD
p.s.
you may be seeing a better looking portabello mushroom in stores pretty soon. all from monterey mushrooms.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Smurfs . . .
This morning while getting ready for work, I was watching the Daily Buzz. The Daily Buzz is a morning show that's actually funny at times. Anyway, one of the topics was . . . Smurfageddon!
Yeah, exactly!
Apparently Unicef has a commercial in Belgium where the Smurfs are bombed. Read the article.
So while trying to find the download for the commercial, I found some other things as well.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm tolerant of other peoples beliefs. I didn't write this up, but I've heard of similar things from other JW's. I remember hearing about this when I was a kid. The Smurf tie-in is in the last five or six paragraphs of the 'rant'.
JW/Smurf Rant
Let me know what you think. Have you heard of this too?
GD
Yeah, exactly!
Apparently Unicef has a commercial in Belgium where the Smurfs are bombed. Read the article.
So while trying to find the download for the commercial, I found some other things as well.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm tolerant of other peoples beliefs. I didn't write this up, but I've heard of similar things from other JW's. I remember hearing about this when I was a kid. The Smurf tie-in is in the last five or six paragraphs of the 'rant'.
JW/Smurf Rant
Let me know what you think. Have you heard of this too?
GD
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
. . .
So! For the second time in as many weeks, I've burnt my index finger and thumb. And by the same instrument even! You see, I manage and supervise a compost analysis lab. One of the instruments that we use analyzes nitrogen. Basically there is oven that is at 950 degrees C.
I didn't get burned by that. I got burnt by another part of the machine that uses a catalyst tube that is usually at 750 degrees C. Fortunately for me it had been removed about 5 minutes prior to me grabbing it to clean it out.
The tube was "cool" enough to just get the skin to near blistering. Because of my many experiences with major burns ( I used to work in a pizza place) I immediately doused my fingers in cold water. As luck would have it, the water was near freezing. Painful, but not as painful if I'd just left it alone.
After about four or five minutes in the freezing running water, I turned it off and checked out the damage. You couldn't see the damage yet, but I could feel it.
The pain was excruciating for about 15 seconds, and then it was fine. I applied some burn ointment and bandaged them up. I'm typed this up with the burnt digits, no problem. Just a slight ache. By tonight, the damage will become visible. I won't be able to feel things too well with them for a while, but that's not too bad.
Like I said earlier, this was the second burn in as many weeks. A couple of weeks ago, I burnt the same digits with the same type of tube. That time though it was completely my fault. And it was a stupid way of doing it.
Not to get into specifics, but I knew what I was doing, knew what was going to happen if I didn't stop my hand from grabbing the tube. But my hand was possessed and it was insistent on finding out if a cold looking piece of quartz tubing was really hot. That burn hurt a lot more.
GD
I didn't get burned by that. I got burnt by another part of the machine that uses a catalyst tube that is usually at 750 degrees C. Fortunately for me it had been removed about 5 minutes prior to me grabbing it to clean it out.
The tube was "cool" enough to just get the skin to near blistering. Because of my many experiences with major burns ( I used to work in a pizza place) I immediately doused my fingers in cold water. As luck would have it, the water was near freezing. Painful, but not as painful if I'd just left it alone.
After about four or five minutes in the freezing running water, I turned it off and checked out the damage. You couldn't see the damage yet, but I could feel it.
The pain was excruciating for about 15 seconds, and then it was fine. I applied some burn ointment and bandaged them up. I'm typed this up with the burnt digits, no problem. Just a slight ache. By tonight, the damage will become visible. I won't be able to feel things too well with them for a while, but that's not too bad.
Like I said earlier, this was the second burn in as many weeks. A couple of weeks ago, I burnt the same digits with the same type of tube. That time though it was completely my fault. And it was a stupid way of doing it.
Not to get into specifics, but I knew what I was doing, knew what was going to happen if I didn't stop my hand from grabbing the tube. But my hand was possessed and it was insistent on finding out if a cold looking piece of quartz tubing was really hot. That burn hurt a lot more.
GD
Friday, September 16, 2005
Speakin' of Birthdays . . .
My birthday was a couple of weeks ago, August 31st. What'd I do? I went to work. My birthdays are mine alone. I don't want anybody making a fuss. I have my reasons and if I were to explain them, you'd wish I'd kept my mouth shut.
Suffice to say, when my friends become aware of my birthday, all hell breaks loose. I don't know who told them but I really regretted it the day after. Let me tell you the story:
My birthday was on a Wednesday. Somewhere between then and Friday, my friends remembered and I paid for it. I had just got home from work that night. It had been a long day and I didn't leave work until after 6:30pm. I picked up something lite to eat and I had planned just watching a bit of tv and begin reading Neal Stephensons' Quicksliver. It's a book I've had for a while and I'd been meaning to get to.
I never had a chance.
I had just opened the door when one of my friends showed up and said we were going to get some pizza and beer at the local Round Table. It's the only RT that makes their pizza right! It sounded good at the time. When we show up, there's one of my cousins and two other friends waiting. We have our pizza and beer have a good time. Someone mentions it was my birthday and everyone feigns surprise and say we gotta do something. I tell them I just want to relax and read my damn book and get up to go to the restroom. By the time I get back, it's been decided that we are going to The Penny Farthing, a british pub. It's a great place when you want to relax. I just didn't feel like relaxing the same way my buddies wanted to.
From that point on, things get a little blurry. I remember having a couple of beers first then a Kickin' Chikin', another beer, a couple of expensive tequila shots me stumbling to the restroom and everyone finally deciding we should leave. Everyone but me, I was waaaayyyy to buzzed/drunk to voice an opinion.
My cousin receives a call on his cell and informs everyone there is a party we were just invited to. I was conscious enough to realize what that would mean. I'd be fucked. I had hit the wall ages ago and if I went to that party, the wall would be bashed and broken through. No amount of water was gonna flush all that alcohol away.
I think I remember saying, "Let's GO!!!"
My cousin informed everyone it was my birthday once we hit the party and somebody said "Happy Birthday" and handed me two warm screwdrivers. I pounded them.
That's all I remember.
I asked what happened after that. I've heard that I'd had two beers a few more screwdrivers . . . and then the stories get a little crazier. Stuff I know I would never do (fighting, manhandling and disrespecting women . . .). If any of that had occured, I wouldn't have left that part without some bodily injury.
I remember getting home, and having to toss my cookies once. When I woke up around 7am, I found a couple of under-shirts that had been used to puke in. Those went in the garbage immediately. I was feeling ok then. After throwing the shirts out, I went back to my room. Oh . . . my . . .
My room smelled of alcohol. It smelled like somebody had just sprayed alcohol everywhere and it would never dry. It was horrible. That's when the joys of metabolic alkalosis began.
When it started, I was pukin' about every fifteen minutes. I tried holding my breath to balance my bodies' pH level. It wasn't helping. I was really screwed up. The every fifteen minute thing went on for a couple of hours. It then went to every half-hour. I would get some water down and feel ok for a bit but it would all come out in the first heave. I'd be dry-heaving after that. My stomach would lock up in a heave and nothing would come out. It . . . really . . . sucked.
At some point it finally got to an hour between chunking and then it stopped. I was in my recliner at 1pm, not moving. I didn't want to risk another onslaught. I stayed that way for a couple of hours, but I was beginning to feel really hungry. By around 3pm I got some chicken soup down. By later that evening, I was eating all kinds of food.
It usually takes me days, if not weeks, to get over something like that. That was the worst I've ever had a hangover. By Sunday, it was like I hadn't done anything all weekend. I even had a couple of beers. And I enjoyed them.
I never want to do that again.
GD
Suffice to say, when my friends become aware of my birthday, all hell breaks loose. I don't know who told them but I really regretted it the day after. Let me tell you the story:
My birthday was on a Wednesday. Somewhere between then and Friday, my friends remembered and I paid for it. I had just got home from work that night. It had been a long day and I didn't leave work until after 6:30pm. I picked up something lite to eat and I had planned just watching a bit of tv and begin reading Neal Stephensons' Quicksliver. It's a book I've had for a while and I'd been meaning to get to.
I never had a chance.
I had just opened the door when one of my friends showed up and said we were going to get some pizza and beer at the local Round Table. It's the only RT that makes their pizza right! It sounded good at the time. When we show up, there's one of my cousins and two other friends waiting. We have our pizza and beer have a good time. Someone mentions it was my birthday and everyone feigns surprise and say we gotta do something. I tell them I just want to relax and read my damn book and get up to go to the restroom. By the time I get back, it's been decided that we are going to The Penny Farthing, a british pub. It's a great place when you want to relax. I just didn't feel like relaxing the same way my buddies wanted to.
From that point on, things get a little blurry. I remember having a couple of beers first then a Kickin' Chikin', another beer, a couple of expensive tequila shots me stumbling to the restroom and everyone finally deciding we should leave. Everyone but me, I was waaaayyyy to buzzed/drunk to voice an opinion.
My cousin receives a call on his cell and informs everyone there is a party we were just invited to. I was conscious enough to realize what that would mean. I'd be fucked. I had hit the wall ages ago and if I went to that party, the wall would be bashed and broken through. No amount of water was gonna flush all that alcohol away.
I think I remember saying, "Let's GO!!!"
My cousin informed everyone it was my birthday once we hit the party and somebody said "Happy Birthday" and handed me two warm screwdrivers. I pounded them.
That's all I remember.
I asked what happened after that. I've heard that I'd had two beers a few more screwdrivers . . . and then the stories get a little crazier. Stuff I know I would never do (fighting, manhandling and disrespecting women . . .). If any of that had occured, I wouldn't have left that part without some bodily injury.
I remember getting home, and having to toss my cookies once. When I woke up around 7am, I found a couple of under-shirts that had been used to puke in. Those went in the garbage immediately. I was feeling ok then. After throwing the shirts out, I went back to my room. Oh . . . my . . .
My room smelled of alcohol. It smelled like somebody had just sprayed alcohol everywhere and it would never dry. It was horrible. That's when the joys of metabolic alkalosis began.
When it started, I was pukin' about every fifteen minutes. I tried holding my breath to balance my bodies' pH level. It wasn't helping. I was really screwed up. The every fifteen minute thing went on for a couple of hours. It then went to every half-hour. I would get some water down and feel ok for a bit but it would all come out in the first heave. I'd be dry-heaving after that. My stomach would lock up in a heave and nothing would come out. It . . . really . . . sucked.
At some point it finally got to an hour between chunking and then it stopped. I was in my recliner at 1pm, not moving. I didn't want to risk another onslaught. I stayed that way for a couple of hours, but I was beginning to feel really hungry. By around 3pm I got some chicken soup down. By later that evening, I was eating all kinds of food.
It usually takes me days, if not weeks, to get over something like that. That was the worst I've ever had a hangover. By Sunday, it was like I hadn't done anything all weekend. I even had a couple of beers. And I enjoyed them.
I never want to do that again.
GD
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Another . . . Bike update!
So . . . last week before leaving for my trip I went to visit the local big box store where I had requested some prices for chromoly metal tubing to be used for the bike I want to build. It turns out that they cannot get a hold of the tubing.
I am going to have to find a local metal shop and find out if they can get a hold of some for me. I don't need much, but chromoly is mainly used for bicycles and for airplane building. Not that many homebuilders in this part of the world apparently. But I hear that some people use the chromoly to make roll bars for cars. There are plenty of car homebuilders in the area so I still may be lucky enough to find a shop.
For now though, I will be building an original GroundHugger (look it up). It's a pretty neat lookin' bike. It's what originally got me interested in building my own recumbent! I finally got ahold of some of the original plans from the Popular Mechanics magazine (Build PM's GroundHugger, April 1969). Not a lot of info, but the dimensions are on there and so is some of the important information needed on what parts to get. Boy that was a pain to find because a lot of the local libraries don't carry magazines that far back. I had to have them photocopied from the Naval Post-Graduate School here in Monterey.
In the article it says you can build your own rear wheel stays but it also says if you have access to an old bike, use those. So I started shopping around for beat up cruiser style bikes all over the place.
No luck!
That is until yesterday! My cousin needed a computer moniter for his pc because the one he had been using up and died on him. Well I happen to have access to a bunch that will never be used again, but still work. I grabbed a couple of them and took them to his place. He lives with his fiancee and her dad. Once there I find out that her dad is an avid bicycle collector (sort of). I told him my dilemma and he said we could trade! I had already brought the moniter over so he let me have a cruiser frame he had sitting around! KICK-ASS!!!
I now have my rear wheel stays for the GroundHugger and I believe I have the main tubing sitting in my back-yard right now from one of those attach-a-tandem kid bike thingies you can get so you can take a kid around on a half-a-bike attached to yours. I think it'll be perfect. All I gotta do is bend it. I'll have access to a torch this weekend. I'll bend it then and thus, the building will begin!
GD
I am going to have to find a local metal shop and find out if they can get a hold of some for me. I don't need much, but chromoly is mainly used for bicycles and for airplane building. Not that many homebuilders in this part of the world apparently. But I hear that some people use the chromoly to make roll bars for cars. There are plenty of car homebuilders in the area so I still may be lucky enough to find a shop.
For now though, I will be building an original GroundHugger (look it up). It's a pretty neat lookin' bike. It's what originally got me interested in building my own recumbent! I finally got ahold of some of the original plans from the Popular Mechanics magazine (Build PM's GroundHugger, April 1969). Not a lot of info, but the dimensions are on there and so is some of the important information needed on what parts to get. Boy that was a pain to find because a lot of the local libraries don't carry magazines that far back. I had to have them photocopied from the Naval Post-Graduate School here in Monterey.
In the article it says you can build your own rear wheel stays but it also says if you have access to an old bike, use those. So I started shopping around for beat up cruiser style bikes all over the place.
No luck!
That is until yesterday! My cousin needed a computer moniter for his pc because the one he had been using up and died on him. Well I happen to have access to a bunch that will never be used again, but still work. I grabbed a couple of them and took them to his place. He lives with his fiancee and her dad. Once there I find out that her dad is an avid bicycle collector (sort of). I told him my dilemma and he said we could trade! I had already brought the moniter over so he let me have a cruiser frame he had sitting around! KICK-ASS!!!
I now have my rear wheel stays for the GroundHugger and I believe I have the main tubing sitting in my back-yard right now from one of those attach-a-tandem kid bike thingies you can get so you can take a kid around on a half-a-bike attached to yours. I think it'll be perfect. All I gotta do is bend it. I'll have access to a torch this weekend. I'll bend it then and thus, the building will begin!
GD
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Sooooo . . .
Last Thursday my parents, brother, Issac (brothers friend) and I went down to Chula Vista to visit my sister who I recently wrote about having her baby. My dad didn't have a chance to go the last time so we planned the trip for this weekend.
It was a good time. Thursday, we arrived at Universal Studios and stayed there for a while. We left about 4pm and then we drove down to Chula Vista. It wasn't horribly bad, but it was trafficky. It took us a while to get there.
Friday, my parents crossed the border to TJ to visit my sister and David (my bro'), Issac and I drove around the area and found a mall. We walked around, checking out the chicas until it got a boring and went to see a movie.
The Skeleton Key is pretty good. I thought it was gonna be crap, but it was alright. We went back to the hotel and crashed for a couple of hours. The day before had been a long day. We were still tired.
At some point somebody was knocking on the door. It was my sister! And the baby! I've said it before, newborns are UUUUgly. Not this one. Somehow this baby dodged the ugly stick. My sister had brought my parents back through some short-cut that she knows about and they cleared the border in 20 minutes.
She hung out a while and then my mom and my sis' took off to do some shopping. My mom didn't get back until after 10pm.
Saturday we didn't wake up until somtime after 10am. We all got ready and decided to go check out this place called Horton Plaza. I have an uncle who won't stop harping about it, so we went to check it out.
Horton Plaza is a three story outdoor mall. Of course it works in San Diego because it hardly every rains there ( I guess). It's almost crescent shaped and it has a big movie theater there as well. As far as malls go, it's a'ight.
What we should have done is check out the Gas Lamp district. To me, that was more interesting. We left there and on the way back to Chula Vista everyone wanted to go see a movie. David, Issac and I recommended to my parents, The Skeleton Key. It's the kind of movie they like. Since my crew had already seen that one, we decided on The 40 Year Old Virgin. That one is a must-see. Go now. Skip work and go now!!!
After the movies, it was getting late. We bought a couple of pizzas and went back to the hotel and spent the night watching Cartoon Network. By-the-bye, my parent were in one room and we were in another. We went to sleep late even though we knew we had to be up at 9am at the latest.
Sunday was hellish!!! We were on the road after "breakfast" by 11:30am. From that point on, we would hit traffic all the way until after LA where all the highways and interstates merge. We weren't completely free, but it was much better than goin' 35mhp.
We didn't get home until after 8pm. I did all the driving and I went to sleep once I my bag in my room. I didn't even change.
Soooo,
See ya' tomorrow!
GD
It was a good time. Thursday, we arrived at Universal Studios and stayed there for a while. We left about 4pm and then we drove down to Chula Vista. It wasn't horribly bad, but it was trafficky. It took us a while to get there.
Friday, my parents crossed the border to TJ to visit my sister and David (my bro'), Issac and I drove around the area and found a mall. We walked around, checking out the chicas until it got a boring and went to see a movie.
The Skeleton Key is pretty good. I thought it was gonna be crap, but it was alright. We went back to the hotel and crashed for a couple of hours. The day before had been a long day. We were still tired.
At some point somebody was knocking on the door. It was my sister! And the baby! I've said it before, newborns are UUUUgly. Not this one. Somehow this baby dodged the ugly stick. My sister had brought my parents back through some short-cut that she knows about and they cleared the border in 20 minutes.
She hung out a while and then my mom and my sis' took off to do some shopping. My mom didn't get back until after 10pm.
Saturday we didn't wake up until somtime after 10am. We all got ready and decided to go check out this place called Horton Plaza. I have an uncle who won't stop harping about it, so we went to check it out.
Horton Plaza is a three story outdoor mall. Of course it works in San Diego because it hardly every rains there ( I guess). It's almost crescent shaped and it has a big movie theater there as well. As far as malls go, it's a'ight.
What we should have done is check out the Gas Lamp district. To me, that was more interesting. We left there and on the way back to Chula Vista everyone wanted to go see a movie. David, Issac and I recommended to my parents, The Skeleton Key. It's the kind of movie they like. Since my crew had already seen that one, we decided on The 40 Year Old Virgin. That one is a must-see. Go now. Skip work and go now!!!
After the movies, it was getting late. We bought a couple of pizzas and went back to the hotel and spent the night watching Cartoon Network. By-the-bye, my parent were in one room and we were in another. We went to sleep late even though we knew we had to be up at 9am at the latest.
Sunday was hellish!!! We were on the road after "breakfast" by 11:30am. From that point on, we would hit traffic all the way until after LA where all the highways and interstates merge. We weren't completely free, but it was much better than goin' 35mhp.
We didn't get home until after 8pm. I did all the driving and I went to sleep once I my bag in my room. I didn't even change.
Soooo,
See ya' tomorrow!
GD
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