Thoughts on Squirrels

2009-07-01T00:31:00.001-07:00

The gringa special at a local mex joint. Like, for the white girls.

Horrible picture you say? Hardly legible you say? I agree. =\

Amazing gaming news resource

2008-06-19T12:10:00.001-07:00

I stumbled this website this morning, and I've got to say, it's the most comprehensive game news source I've ever seen on the web. It has feeds from every game site I can think of, and then some. Plus, it has mouse over previews, which is incredibly handy. Now, they should make a google sidebar widget, and I'd be all set.

But, widgeted or not, it's a great way to kill a couple hours. :)

Nimbus Cloud Computer

2008-04-23T10:35:00.000-07:00

The Nimbus Cloud Computer is a tiny pc type thing, and it's only job is to get you on the internet. It has a basic desktop interface that has links to online applications. Sort of like gOS & the gPC, except tinier & cheaper, like free cheap. It connects via an ethernet cable (why not wireless, ScreenPC???), has usb ports, and is free, as long as you're willing to look at an advertisement on your desktop and allow ScreenPC hold $50 on your credit card. Otherwise it's $19.99/mo. Online storage through screen PC is an additional charge, but with all the online apps currently available, I don't know why you'd pay for that.

This is an extremely interesting concept. This sort of internet access would be perfect for hotel rooms & lobbies, in the guest room at your house, and any other place where you would like to allow people to access the internet, but where they don't need access to install programs or have a full blown desktop.

It makes me want to build a homegrown version. I'd love to have something simple like this in the future. It's not something I need now, but with more & more of my workspace going online thanks to docs.google.com, and projects like Gnome Online Desktop, how much longer will I actually need a full blown PC to do my "computering"? Aside from gaming, that is. Wouldn't an OS that was really only hardware drivers & a browser launcher be a great idea for the majority of people? Or for an under the tv pc in everyone’s home, so you can show everyone that awesome Old Greg clip on YouTube?

The problem is, I have no idea how to build what I'm looking for software wise. Maybe Xubuntu on a mini atx with a couple gigs of memory, onboard video & maybe add usb wireless? Even xubuntu is bigger than what I'm looking for, I think. I'm guessing there is probably already something linux based that is exactly what I'm looking for. Unfortunately, I can't find it.

Free stuff!

2008-04-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

Like everybody else, I'm a huge fan of free stuff. More than that, I just love getting a good deal. To that end I've added a couple feeds here at sqrlking.com.

Slickdeals.net is a wonderful site where you can post deals you find, and browse other deals. Maybe you were holding out on getting CoD4 until the price dropped? According to slickdeals.net you can now pick it up for $35.

Giveaway of the day has one licensed software product per day that you can download for free. Definately worth keeping you eye on.

The Freebies Blog is something I just stumbled across, and it looks awesome. Lots of free games so far.

and that's all folks.

VLC Media Player

2008-04-03T15:54:00.001-07:00

Ijust came across this awesome video player that supports ubuntu & just about every other type of OS. Not only does it support a bunch of formats, but it doubles as a server to stream media in your network.

I got all excited.

And then i realized that I don't have a bunch of movies that I watch from the computer, so this doesn't effect me.

That made me a little sad, but I thought I should share anyway.

Brainwave Remote?

2008-03-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

From mediapost.com, an article about the future. I'm pretty excited about all the "brainwave monitoring stuff, I can't wait until they can recognize speech using this technology. The implications for anyone from a handicapped person to the consumer trying to think of "that one song" are just amazing.

From the article

...the brainwave-scanning remote control? It combines gestures, head movements, facial expressions, and data on previous content usage with information on the user's conscious thoughts and emotional states, gathered with brain scans, to navigate a graphic interface that looks sort of like a huge virtual galaxy of media options.

Original article here

Game Review: Warhawk

2008-03-19T10:46:00.000-07:00

I've been playing Warhawk for a few months now. At first, as with most games, I rented it. It was ok, I played it for a couple weeks & returned it. I had fun, it was ok.

Then a couple weeks later, I felt an uncontrolable urge to play again. I romanticized the games graphics, the lagless play, it's vehicles, the camaraderie , and most of all the satisfaction you feel when you lob a 'nade at an incoming Warhawk and the thing. So, I bought it & the expansion, because I lack self control.

Why I Like it

Warhawk is, all & all, a good to great game. The vehicles are spectacular fun, and the combat is fast paced & for the most part easy to get to.

Complaints

More maps please. And player created maps should be allowed & encouraged on any game like warhawk. I'm not sure what the technical restrictions for that are on the PS3, but I don't care. As a customer, make player made maps available.

What's in the game?

It's classless, so as a soldier you can use any weapon you see. There are also vehicles and stationary guns/missiles you can use. Communication in game is team only and via a bluetooth headset. You can spent $60 for the game w/headset in stores, or you buy the game by itself for $40. Maybe you already have a bluetooth headset. Good for you. I waited for Fry's to have a sale. I got my bluetooth headset for $7.99 last thanksgiving, and it happens to be the same model that came with the game if you bought the package. Communication is key to winning, so of course it's rare on a regular server to find teammates who will communicate.

The weapons for ground troops are pretty standard fare. There's a rocket launcher, machine gun, the afore mentioned 'nades, mines, flame thrower, snipe and binoculars (air strike). Each has it's own uses, and they're all pretty easy to figure out. It did take me a little while to learn that flamethrowers can really fuck up an enemy air vehicle if it's close enough. Also, it took me playing team fortress 2 before I realized that the bazooka isn't a bad weapon for close combat, just make sure you try to hit the ground at the feet of your enemy. Also, instead of a knife, you get a "war blade" which is ALWAYS a 1 hit kill. Amazing if you catch a player in the open, or if you catch them while they're driving by in a jeep.

The vehicles are the main reason to play Warhawk. Whether you're in them, or against them, they're awesome.

First is the jeep. Every Jeep has a machine gun and can fit up to 3 people. Jeeps are a great tool for capture the flag. Their weakness it the lack of protection they provide, and the gun seems hard to aim & hit with. If you time it right, you can kill any person in the jeep with your war blade while they drive by.

The tank is what it is. A tank. If you get a convoy of tanks going, they're pretty unstoppable & fun. Tanks can fit 2 people, one driver & turret controller, and one who can either ride protected in the tank, or stick out of the hatch to shoot.

The Warhawks are one of the two flying vehicles, and probably the most fun you'll have in game. They carry 2 people, a driver and a hostage/passenger who can't do a damned thing until he gets dropped off. You get 2 flight modes with them, one is the standard plane type flight, the other is a hover mode that allows you to sit still & wreak havoc on ground troops. They have a medley of weapons available which you can pick up in flight which I won't go into except to say that you lock onto enemies by holding the fire button down for a few seconds when they're in your sights. Took me a while to figure that out. They also have machine guns. The MG has unlimited ammo, but does have a heat limit, so if you overheat the guns you must wait for a few seconds to shoot again.

Finally, the newest vehicle, the Dropship. These are HUGE monsters that fly very, very slowly. They have lots of hit points. They have 4 MGs per side, that the driver can use. They also carry 7 people including the pilot, and each passenger gets his own missile turret. On top of all this, they can carry a vehicle, either a tank or a jeep, via some sort of magical electric tow system. The towed vehicle can be fully loaded with soldiers, or empty. A great tool for both capture the flag & zone play.

And the maps. The maps that are in game are fun, but again, MORE please.

That's all.

Drew Curtis' FARK.com

2008-03-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

"It's not news, it's FARK.com."

"Everybody Panic."

And, for the Fark Cliche trifecta, "Today's (something) brought to you by (someplace)."

Drew Curtis' FARK.com provides a continuous stream of humorous, interesting, and disturbing links introduced with user submitted headlines. Some of the headlines are cryptic, some are a concise summary of what the link contains, and all are entertaining. The site is divided into broad categories like "politics" & "geek", but I've rarely used any but the main "not news" tab.

The headlines are comprised of 4 parts. First, there is a link directly to the source, handily visually announcing where the article originated. Next is the tag; each headline is tagged to denote what category they fall in to. These tags include "asinine", "weird", "ironic" and my personal favorite "Florida". Then comes the headline. To the right of each headline there is a forum where some people comment on the linked article, or whatever.

Before I used RSS and Google desktop, I used Drew Curtis' FARK.com to help feed my craving for knowledge. Now they are part of my RSS feeds. It is one of, if not the, the greatest source for not news on all the internet.

Why Ron Paul Didn't Win

2008-03-06T16:29:00.000-08:00

I’m a Ron Paul supporter.

It’s amazing the responses that gets. From “But he’s crazy!” to “God Bless You.” Of course, there are arguments about his political viewpoints, why he isn’t qualified, his religious beliefs, whether or not babies are babies yet at conception, et cetera. To me, these responses are all valid, understandable, and some of them even thought provoking.

There is, however, a group of responses that outweighs all of these by far, and makes me both sad and upset. These are the responses that fly off the cuff of unsuspecting “regular” folks... The most typical of these are “He doesn’t have a chance!” and “But, you’re wasting your vote…” Both of these responses indicate to me that the only reason the other person is voting, if they vote at all, is because they think they’ll pick the winning side.

And that is an acceptable, healthy basis on which to vote for president. What better way to choose our leader? Because after all, who really wants to go to work the Monday after Election Day and have to say they voted for the losing side? Not me, buster.

/end sarcasm

What does it take to turn that around? How can people be convinced that the ones who are truly throwing their votes away are those who scream for change & still vote for the status quo?