Lorem Ipsum Turducken

My coworker Nate got some new Bluetooth headphones over the weekend. They're BestBuy's in-store brand, Rocketfish. I went to Bestbuy.com to find them and do some comparos. I found these. I cannot stop laughing.

https://plus.google.com/113117251731252114390/posts/5UsGSKLHn6b

Mike Elgan - Google+ - Spread the word: Google+ has the best Olympic stream…
https://plus.google.com/113117251731252114390/posts/5UsGSKLHn6b

More Secret World Dialog - from further into the game... - via YouTube

More sample quest dialog from The Secret World - some of the 40GB I've taken so far. The quality of the story and gameplay has been stellar so far.

DeputyAndy - via YouTube

Deputy Andy's had a hard life...

The Secret World - Did you just... - via YouTube

Some cutscene dialog from The Secret World's first zone, Kingsmouth. I snipped a small part of my talking out, thus the bad jump cut that isn't in the original.

FILE0171 - via YouTube

FILE0167 - via YouTube

FILE0172 - via YouTube

FILE0173 - via YouTube

Multi-boxing WoW

Getting started with Multiboxing World of Warcraft

What is Multiboxing?
Multiboxing is, at its core, the practice of playing two or more copies of an online game at the same time. To illustrate the simplest form of multiboxing, and why a player might consider it in the first place, I will give a personal example.

I got my start in multiboxing back in 2003 while playing World War II Online (WWIIOL). In that title, players assume the role of the infantry, armor, artillery, aircraft, and ships of that period. Artillery units can be moved (pushed) by the player who is playing that role; however it is exceedingly slow – slower than a walking soldier. Of course this is as it should be, these are large, heavy guns being pushed by a small crew through European forests, and slogging mud, after all. However, it’s not very fun as a game activity.

The solution is Multiboxing. Players who enjoyed playing the Artillery role would often purchase a second account and use that account as their “hauler” – they would play an artillery piece with their “main” account, and also tow their heavy artillery around at will with their “Alt ”, switching between the accounts with an Alt-Tab, or (in my case) playing Artillery on my Desktop computer, and my Hauler on my Laptop, sitting to one side of me. Once the gun was in place, the “hauler” was parked some distance away, and out of sight. No other player to bore with dull gameplay consisting primarily of “sitting in a truck parked in a forest outside Brussels” for hours at a time.

That example also begins to touch on the “why” of multiboxing. Multiboxing allows you the freedom to accomplish tasks in a game that are designed for multiple characters/units, while not requiring other players to (necessarily) be present.

Multiboxing WoW – Why?
Players will Multibox World of Warcraft for a wide variety of reasons – my own reasons are:
For the technical challenge. I’ve been playing WoW since June of 2006. I have well over 2400 hours invested in that time, and Multiboxing is new and interesting.
I’d like to have more 70s so I can see ‘end game’ from more than a Rogue’s perspective, but I’m notoriously bad about leveling Alts. Leveling 2 (or more) characters at the same time is slower than leveling 1 character, but still substantially faster than leveling them one after another.

But, isn’t it cheating/hacking/TOS/likely to touch off brushwar in South America?
Well, I don’t know about that whole brushwar thing, but as far as the legality of Multiboxing in WoW, Blizzard Customer Service Representatives have gone on record many times stating that it’s absolutely legitimate to multibox, so long as you are not automating the actions of your characters in the process, and are adhering to the “One Button, One Action” rule.

"Multi-boxing is not a violation of the Terms of Use, Sincast. On the contrary, it's a fairly common practice and extremely fun to watch." – Syndri

"Badkarma, we do not stop players from owning and playing multiple accounts. There are all manner of ways to use two accounts that are not outside of our in-game policies and legal documents. " – Berghe

"We do not prevent people from owning multiple accounts, nor playing those accounts simultaneously as long as they abide by our Terms of Use and EULA." – Vrakthris

"multi-boxing,. , it's not considered a violation of policy." "[It] is viewed simply as a clever, yet tedious play style, but not altogether counterintuitive to the spirit of the game" – Syndri

[W]e do not stop players from owning and playing multiple accounts. What you want to avoid when playing both accounts is using any third party programs to automate game play in an effort to have the characters on the account playing the World of Warcraft without your presence. There are all manner of ways to use two accounts that are not outside of our in-game policies and legal documents (Terms of Use and End User License Agreement, http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/legal/), and as long as you steer clear of behavior that could be considered exploitive (Exploitation Policy: http://www.blizzard.com/support/wowgm/?id=agm01716p) you should be A-Okay. ;) –
Most, if not the absolutely vast majority, of multi-boxing is done with a fairly simple wireless keyboard setup or a number of simultaneous client windows.
As long as the actions aren't automated, then this sort of practice is perfectly within our policy, as the account holder is playing each and every account his or herself. – Belfaire 3/2/2008

"Nah, it's one person using one keyboard to simultaneously control more than one account. There's no automation in that case.
If there is, then it's against policy.
Dig? – Belfaire 2/24/2008

So, we’ve adequately established that multiboxing isn’t going to get you any more than some funny looks, let’s have a go, shall we?

Tools of the Trade
Since multiboxing is defined as the use of more than one character at a time, and you can only log into WoW with one character per account at a time, the first step in the process is to have access to multiple accounts.

Many of you reading this will already have access to more than one account that you can use to have a go at multiboxing.
You have an absolute right under the Terms of Use to access the accounts that your minor children use to play alongside you. They really need some sunshine, anyway.
You can sign up for a Trial Account at the World of Warcraft website.

Additionally, there are other “second account” options that players may have access to that constitute a violation of the Terms of Use, even if that violation is utterly undetectable by Blizzard.
Any other account you have access to, such as the account of your spouse/significant other/roommate/friend/guildmate-who-quit-WoW-and-gave-you-their-login-details/grandmother/cat/goldfish.

DISCLAIMER: Using any account that Blizzard does not see as ‘yours’, i.e. your account, or the accounts of your minor children, whether that use is for multiboxing or even “for just a minute” to get something out of his/her bank when they are busy with other things, is “account sharing” under the Terms of Use. If this makes you nervous, then I would recommend you sign up for a Trial Account for having a go at multiboxing. Additionally, never ever fetch anything out of your sweetie’s bank while he/she is away, no matter how inconvenient it is for you not to do so.

COUNTER-DISCLAIMER: It should also be pointed out that if you share accounts from under one roof/on one connection, that account sharing does not pose a significant risk to either account. The view from Blizzard’s servers is that both accounts are logged in simultaneously from the same location/IP address. Until Blizzard adopts mandatory use of biometrics/fingerprint readers to ensure that only you are using your account as stated in the Terms of Use, you have little to worry about sharing accounts within the confines one household/internet connection.

Now that that’s settled, and you have secured access to at least two accounts, you’re going to need two more things to get the ball rolling.
An addon called Maximizer. Maximizer will allow you to have multiple *borderless* WoW windows on your screen at one time, in any resolution of your choosing. It can be found at Curse Gaming. http://www.curse.com/downloads/details/146/
Hardware or software that will pass your keystrokes to all of your WoW clients. I use a software solution called Keyclone. It’s $10 to purchase, and it’s been quite trouble free for me. The author’s website is http://www.solidice.net, and that’s where you’ll find the latest version. Once licensed, all future upgrades to Keyclone are free.

OK. You’ve got two (or more) accounts. You’ve got Maximizer installed in your WoW directory. You’ve bought Keyclone, and got it downloaded and installed. You’re ready to start setting up your crunchy center of Multibox goodness.

First off, we're going to dive into Windows Explorer and do some basic setup.
Navigate to your WoW directory (usually found in C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft)
Inside your WoW folder, you'll see a WTF folder (doesn't mean what you think. It stands for “Warcraft Text Files”. Those Blizzard folks...). You'll see a 'config.wtf' file inside.
Make a copy of that file (either with Control-C, then Control-V, or by right clicking and selecting Copy, then Paste – whichever you're more comfortable with.)
Rename the file (with F2, or with another right click menu option) to “1_boxing.wtf”. We'll come back to this later.

The first thing you're going to want to do is log into a character on each account separately, set them up to use “Windowed Mode”, and turn off any addons you are running (temporarily).
Escape -> Video Options -> Windowed Mode (in the upper left corner)
Set your video options to 800x600 for demonstration. We will use Maximizer to resize the windows to whatever size is most convenient for you later on in the tutorial.
Log out of the character, and use the Addons button in the lower left to access your addons list. Select “Disable All” from the dropdown at the top of the page, and accept the changes.

Once you've done this on both accounts, exit the second account, go back into the WTF folder, make another copy of the config.wtf file, and rename it '2_boxing.wtf'.

Now that we've got that out of the way, we're going to continue, one small step at a time, until you've got two accounts up and running.

First, we'll just get you logged in with two accounts at once, and do some “core” activities manually. We'll rig them up with macros to make the process easier later.

Launch WoW – twice this time. You'll find that you are presented with two “Play” screens, then you'll be presented with two login screens (though you may have to drag the window headers at the top around to see them both simultaneously).

Log into one instance of WoW with one account's credentials, do the same for the other account. You'll find yourself looking at the familiar character select page, in two windows.
For the purpose of experimenting with Multiboxing, make yourself two brand shiny new characters. Choose two characters of races that start in the same location (Orcs/Trolls or Gnome/Dwarves, or any other single race). Further, choose two of the same caster class (Mage/Warlock/Priest/Druid/Shaman), as they are easier to work with initially.

All Multiboxing movement is based on getting the Alt Characters to /follow the Main, so that's where we'll start.
Once you have both characters logged into your chosen starting area, pick one as your “Main”, and the other will be your “Alt”. We're going to get one to follow the other.
Select your Main's window and /invite your Alt to a group.
Select Accept to the Group Invite on your Alt.
With your Alt, select your Main.
In the chat window of your Alt, type /follow
Select your Main's window, and run around a bit. Note that your Alt follows your Main wherever you go.

Congratulations, you're Multiboxing!

Now, running around while having another character or five following you is pretty neat, but not exactly the most useful thing in the world. Next, we're going to fire up Keyclone and configure it, so when you push a key in one instance of WoW, it's transmitted to the other window. Go ahead and close both instances of WoW for now, and open up Keyclone.

Basic Keyclone Setup
In Keyclone, you'll want to hit Setup right off the bat, and enter some settings to get Keyclone to pick up (and thus, talk to) your two Warcraft windows.

On the left side, you'll see a number of options categories. You only need be concerned with the following three things for now.
Under 'do-not-pass', you want to add the TAB key, so that your Alt(s) won't accidentally select the closest (read: WRONG) target when you use TAB to pick a target with your Main.
Under general, you want to tick the 'auto-add windows titled' and 'exact name match', then enter 'World of Warcraft' in the line below.
Tick the box that says “focus follows mouse”

Hit OK, and you're done setting up Keyclone for now.

Fire up your two copies of WoW and log into your two accounts. Notice how when you start typing the first account name, Keyclone transmits that name to the second account's Account Name box. Hit PAUSE on your keyboard (usually, it’s located above your numeric keypad on the right side of your keyboard) to suspend Keyclone's functionality for the moment while you log in.

INTERMEDIATE USER'S LOGIN TIP: If you are the sole owner of your accounts, it's convenient to set the passwords to be identical across them all – then you can suspend Keyclone while you type in your account names, you can select the Password box on each instance of WoW, then you can unsuspend Keyclone and just type the password one time.

Now that you've got Keyclone suspended, you can type in your usernames and passwords for your two accounts, but don't log in yet - we're going to do this the easy way. Once your info is typed into the clients, unsuspend keyclone (with PAUSE again), and hit Enter. Both accounts will log in simultaneously.

Once you're in-game, you're going to want to suspend keyclone while you go through the process of /invite, accept, and /follow again. Then unsuspend keyclone, and go find yourself a nice level 1 wolf/boar/nightstalker/etc.

TIME FOR FUN!!!!
Select a single mob with both characters, make sure Keyclone is unsuspended, and press whichever key is your default spell attack (Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Smite, Shadow Bolt, or Wrath) and giggle with glee as you watch both characters cast at once. Lather, rinse, and repeat this process until the mob is dead for your first Multiboxing kill.

So, now you can move, and you can shoot, but getting to level 70 this way will be terribly painful. There is help on the way.

Macros for Multiboxing
Using Blizzard's built in macro system, combined with the keyclone will make your multiboxing life easier as you level. Let's start with something very basic.
To get to the Macro Editor, you can either type /macro into chat, or you can hit Escape, and then select Macro. Either way, you'll get to the same place.

In your Main macro frame, you'll need what some Multiboxers call “The Big Button”. You'll need a copy of this macro on all of your Alts, and it's a good idea to have it on your Main, too, just in case.
The Big Button is a multipurpose macro that handles your most commonly used functions, like telling your Alt to target the same mob or NPC that your Main has selected, or telling your Alt to start following your Main once again (after you've interacted with a questgiver, or opened a chest, for instance)

On your Alt, in the Macro Frame, select “New”. This will open a 'flyout' that contains the game’s various icons as well as an input box for a macro name. Pick an icon and a sensible name, select OK, and the flyout will disappear, and you're ready to enter your first macro.
In the input box for the macro, type (or copy/paste) the following.

/target focus
/follow
/assist
/stopcasting

Drag the icon for this macro to your hotbar. Put it in slot #1 (where “attack” is currently). Drop the “sticky” button for “attack” that you just picked up on an empty spot on the ground, and it will disappear. Because you don’t want your Main to attack something every time you tell your Alt to follow your Main, drag the 'attack' button on your Main off the #1 spot, so it, too, is blank.

FOCUS

Starting with your Alt, target your Main, and type /focus into the chat window. Your Main is now the focus of your Alt, and you can do some nifty things with that relationship.

Use your Main to target a mob, then hit the '1' key. Your Alt should target the same mob as your Main. Now hit the button for your spell attack attack again, and your characters should both attack the mob you picked out with your Main. Spend a little time just running around and killing stuff for the moment.

Yeah, you're right. Multiboxing is, at first, pretty easymode. You should be twoshotting just about anything you attack, even with just two characters. The challenge comes not from any individual combat – as you progress, you'll have more abilities that you learn, and the challenge comes from learning how to weave them together using macros so that you are using your characters to their fullest extent, or to make your life easier. Speaking of which, we’re now going to add some macros that make logging in, grouping up, and getting rolling easier.

On your Main:
Make an Invite macro. With two characters, all you need to put in it is one line of:
/invite YourAltsNameGoesHere
If you have more than one Alt at this point, add each one on a new line.
/invite YourAltsNameGoesHere
/invite YourSecondAltsNameGoesHere
/invite YourThirdAltsNameGoesHere

Save it, drag it to an unused button (8,9, or 0)

Now we get into some of the nuts and bolts of macros. This macro will accept a group invite, accept a quest you share from your Main, accept a trade initiated from your Main, release your corpse when you die (and you will!), and accept the “Resurrect Now?” dialog when you've done your corpserun. This macro goes on all your characters in an out of the way spot.

/script AcceptGroup();
/script AcceptQuest();
/script AcceptTrade();
/script RetrieveCorpse();
/script RepopMe();

Now let's give them a whirl, shall we?

Log out of both of your characters, then log back in.
On your Main, press the button that corresponds to where you put your /invite macro. An invite window should pop up on your Alt's window. If not, check the spelling in your macro.
On your Alt, press the button that corresponds to your Accept macro. You should join the group.

On your Alt, in the Chat window, type /focus YourMainCharactersNameHere, then press enter, and then your Big Button.

BONUS POINTS:
Make a /focus macro on your Alt and put it on your hotbar.
Remove your offensive spell from your hotbars and replace them with a macros that use “/cast YourSpellNameGoesHere” instead. An 'attack' macro is easier to update, and clever use of some more advanced macro commands means you can put multiple abilities on one button (such as a macro that casts Smite if your target is hostile, Lesser Heal if your target is friendly, and Resurrection if your target is friendly and dead – all from one button press)

At this point, you should be able to log in, group up, head out, and kill stuff without actually having to manually type anything in.

QUESTS!
Picking up quests is fairly easy. Run back to that first questgiver in your starting area, and pick up the quest with your Main. Now open your quest log, and use the “Share Quest” feature on your Main, then the number-button on your keyboard corresponding to your Accept macro. Your Alt should accept the quest, and away you go!
Note: As you know, some quests are not shareable – so be sure to share them out to your Alt (s) as soon as possible after picking them up, so you can pick them up individually on your Alt s, if need be. Finding out that a quest isn't shareable when you start wondering why quest items aren't dropping for your Alt s is a huge letdown. Don't ask how I know this.

Turning in quests must always be done manually with each character, though if you step through the quest dialogs on all characters (as opposed to walking through the dialogs on one, then the next, then the next, etc.), then the Accept Macro will ease the pain a little bit, sometimes (like on those quests where the reward is silver only, or when accepting the next quest in a chain).

So, now you have the basics – you can launch two copies of WoW, fire up Keyclone, log in, group up, follow your Main around, accept and turn in quests, target mobs, attack them. I'm presuming that you've figured out how to loot at this point, as well. This comprises approximately 80% of what you'll spend your time doing while Multiboxing. We're moving right along!

MAXIMIZER!
The final piece of the puzzle is setting up Maximizer, and creating a batch file to automate some initial tasks to make switching between playing your main, and multiboxing easy.


First, we're going to create a “launcher” for your Main.
Go back into your WTF folder, right click a blank spot in the folder, and select New -> Text File.
Rename the text file to “1boxing.bat”.
Right click the file, and select “Edit”.
In the file, enter (or copy/paste) the following:

copy "C:\program files\world of warcraft\WTF\1_boxing.wtf" "C:\program files\world of warcraft\WTF\config.wtf"
"c:\Program Files\world of warcraft\maximizer.exe" --margin 0,0,0,0

(This presumes that you have a standard installation of WoW. If you installed to your D: drive, or to C:/wow, etcetera, then you'll need to make the appropriate changes to the directory paths listed above.)

This copies 1_boxing.wtf (the copy of your original configuration file we made at the very beginning of this process) to config.wtf, then launches WoW in a full screen mode using Maximizer instead of the WoW launcher.

Now, we're going to create a “launcher” for your Main and Alt combination. It will be a little more difficult, since you're going to have to tell Maximizer how much “blank” space to leave on each side of your two WoW windows separately.

Minimize all your windows, and right click on your desktop.
Select Properties, then Settings
Note the numbers that your monitor is using for resolution - 1024X768, or 1280x1024, or 1600x1200, etc.
Jot down not only those numbers, but also calculate the numbers that are ½ of each of them (512x384, 640x512, 800x600, etc.).
Go back into your WTF folder, right click a blank spot in the folder, and select New -> Text File.
Rename the text file to “2boxing.bat”.
Right click the file, and select “Edit”.
In the file, enter (or copy/paste) the following:

- For 1024x768 resolution:
copy "C:\program files\world of warcraft\WTF\2_boxing.wtf" "C:\program files\world of warcraft\WTF\config.wtf"
"c:\Program Files\world of warcraft\maximizer.exe" --margin 0,384,0,0
"c:\Program Files\world of warcraft\maximizer.exe" --margin 384,0,0,0

- For 1280x1024 resolution
copy "C:\program files\world of warcraft\WTF\2_boxing.wtf" "C:\program files\world of warcraft\WTF\config.wtf"
"c:\Program Files\world of warcraft\maximizer.exe" --margin 0,640,0,0
"c:\Program Files\world of warcraft\maximizer.exe" --margin 640,0,0,0

- for 1600x1200 resolution
copy "C:\program files\world of warcraft\WTF\2_boxing.wtf" "C:\program files\world of warcraft\WTF\config.wtf"
"c:\Program Files\world of warcraft\maximizer.exe" --margin 0,600,0,0
"c:\Program Files\world of warcraft\maximizer.exe" --margin 600,0,0,0

For all other resolutions, take the 'smaller' number in your resolution, divide by 2, and follow the example patterns shown here – “0,(½ the smaller number),0,0” and (½ the smaller number),0,0,0

This copies 2_boxing.wtf (the copy of your configuration file we made after setting WoW to windowed mode and 800x600 resolution) to config.wtf, then launches *two* copies of WoW, and places them one on top of the other on your screen, with no borders.

You can use this technique to launch even more copies of WoW. The 'margin' portion of the command line is the hardest part. It specifies the 'gap' for maximizer to leave on the screen in a top,bottom,left,right format. Using maximizer, you can create a WoW window of a size of your choosing, just by adjusting the “margin” settings in your batch file.

So, now that you've finished with your batch file, save it, and double click it, and just be very patient as it loads – loading two copies of WoW can take a minute or two, and maximizer can be a little finicky about moving the windows to where they belong if you start clicking on things while it's doing it's job.

Once your two windows are up, you're ready to log in with both accounts and perhaps start levelling in earnest! However, if your WoW window looks 'funky' now, that's because you're 'stretching' what was an 800x600 window to be whatever size half your monitor is. You'll need to edit your 2_boxing.wtf file to fix that.

Navigate to your WTF folder, and find your 2_boxing.wtf file.
Right click it, and select select 'open' or 'open with'. If you select 'open with', then choose wordpad as your editor.
Part way down you'll see a line that says: SET gxResolution "800x600"
Edit that line to match the window resolution that you've chosen using Maximizer - for instance, if you're using 1024x768, and you've got one window over the other as in the example given above, you'd use 'SET gxResolution "1024x384'.

From here, you've got all the basics down - you can set up windows for any number of accounts the way you want them (with a lot of trial and error at first), log in, set up a group, target mobs, cast spells, accept and turn in quests - you'll probably now want to get in touch with other multiboxers and start picking up some 'advanced' tips – primarily in the form of multipurpose macros that can do more than one action per button if you hold down a modifier key – for instance, a macro for your priest that casts Power Word: Shield if you Alt-click the button, Shadow Word: Pain if you Shift-click it, and Smite if you simply click the button.

There is a sizeable multiboxing community with plenty of tips and advice to be found at http://www.dual-boxing.com

Welcome to the world of multiboxing in WoW, enjoy your stay!

New World of Warcraft Guild starting...

The Corsairs...

http://www.jonathonbarton.net/wow

What do y'all think? (like anyone reads this...)

What a complete fustercluck....

OK...I'll try to make a long story short...

US Airways and America West merged last year, and as a result, they started using America West's gates here at the airport, with the knowledge that they would be building out two more jetbridges to be able to land two more planes simultaneously.

Well, that buildout work is almost done.
In fact, it's supposed to go into service tomorrow morning. Like "the first departure is at 6am" kind of tomorrow morning.

However...

...nobody notified us of this until late yesterday afternoon, despite our Department Head telling the construction crews last week that we would need a MINIMUM of 48 hours to make the requisite changes to our software once the network cabling and electrical work was complete - and 72 hours would be better.

Did I mention that the electrical work is complete, but the network still isn't done?

So we're scrambling to make our changes, and then we'll just HOPE that the network subcontractor got all their stuff right...

Big. Surprise. Here.

One of the members of N'Sync reveals he's gay...

You guys are sure it's just one of you?

6 weeks, huh?

6 weeks goes by with no update... Yeah, my usual lame self. :)

Lessee... Finally unsubbed from WWII Online (hadn't played in 6 months), and Cyrus kept talking about playing World of Warcraft...
...so I found a 7 day trial account, and promptly got hooked. Doubly so when I created a character on a PvP RP server, and happened across a Guild with a PIRATE theme... *YARRRR* :)

I'm *so* having a blast with it... :)

Time to come back to the Blog...

Stupid bluecoat has blocked all access to Livejournal from work.

But not Blogger!

So, after a two year hiatus, it's time to dust off this rickety old thing and post my random flitting thoughts over here.

In Memoriam

Not dead...just...gone...

...but never forgotten...

For Everything Else, There's Masterkey

MMMmmmm...new airsoft replica coming soon...

Sold this for $250...(JAC M16A1 Carbine and one mag)


and Traded this...(MGC M16A1 and 2 mags) + $250 cash


for this...



=)

*DOH*

Seen on People's Court this morning...
Judge Marilyn Millian: "Do you know what it takes to get a *THIRD* DUI!?!?!"
Defendant: *pause* "Two previous."

Added a new feature to the template...

Updated to the latest WinAmp (which supports playing my Napster's secure WMA files - which is good, since Napster updated to a new version, and won't install!), and downloaded a plugin which allows me to upload a little file that is included in the template to show what I'm *REALLY* listening to...either right now if I'm listening to something, or most recently, if I'm not.

*happy Jon*

YAY My Favorite!

Time for Dr. Demento! (drdemento.com)

www.wlup.com, Sundays at 10pm! *WOO WOO WOO*

*yawn* Random Thoughts...

I'm *SOOOOO* tired... We've been having....issues...at work with the servers, and it got worse this morning, so I've spent my WHOLE DAY either running around fixing things, or sitting at my desk writing about the things I fixed, and trying to keep everything straight in my head while I write up what's been happening, even while I take more calls for things to fix... *sigh*

I'm starting to get nervous as to whether or not the BDUs I ordered last week will get here in time. I haven't heard a word from the seller yet... *crossing fingers*

MEGGIE GOT A JOB!!!! (Well, pending references and drug test and all that jazz...)
I'm *SOOO* happy for her. It's a SUPER DOOPER job, too...It sounds so perfect for her. You'll have to see what she said about it...Here.

Blah. I'm tired.

How's that for luck?

Wedding party shoots down plane
Mon 13 October, 2003 04:06 BST
BELGRADE (Reuters) - A two-seater sports plane on an unauthorised joyride was apparently shot down by mistake when it flew over a Serbian wedding party where guests were firing guns into the air, local media have reported. Two men were reported to have sustained serious injuries when their aircraft burst into flames and crashed near Kraljevo, central Serbia. "I heard shots from a wedding party which was very close to the crash site. Then I saw the plane in flames. It was shot in the left wing," witness Zoran Vukadinovic told reporters on Sunday. "A few moments later, while attempting a crash landing, it was caught in overhead power cables," he said. Local media said neither of the men held a pilot's licence. Firing guns into the air at weddings and other celebrations is common in Serbia.
*************

*DOH*

They steal a plane, and have the misfortune to get SHOT DOWN? How's THAT for luck? =)

A Photo

OK, this is a picture I've wanted to do for a long long time...

The fact that the REAL Roy pissed off some Gangrel Vampire provided the inspiration to actually MAKE the picture...Note the handy protective gear. Wise man, that Roy...

So, without further ado... I present to you...

SIEGFRIED AND ROY - 2004!

:)

Axed My Hosting Company Today...

Welp, after three long years with them, I've decided to throw my old hosting company overboard...

It seems that, contrary to the discussions I've had with the owner in the past, it's entirely too much hassle for them to actually bill me on the 8th of the month. So they have been rolling over charge after charge for months...and yesterday they hit me for $182 buxx. Not Cool.

Looks like I'm going to go with the fine folks at ExpertHost.com instead. They still only bill once a month, but I can get the same features for less money. One of the issues I had with DeepCyber.net is that they absolutely do not take checks. ExpertHost does...so I can set up an automatic billpay to send them a check on the 8th (just like all my other bills), for the following month's hosting. Pretty cool if you ask me.

They also have additional plans, unlike DCN, so that I can resell space... it's $15/month for one domain name, and $10 each/mo. for 2-5 domains. So rather than trying to stuff all my projects into one database, if they get to the point where they're worth paying $10/month, I can split them out into their own actual projects... I'm going to do that for Todd's Airsoft Rental company venture...

Just have to hold out until Tuesday to get it all done...

Oh. Wow.

I'm doomed, *DOOMED*, I say...

So...someone posted that link last night to the combat commands...and...as usual, I *HAD* to go see what the main site was about...

I'm DOOMED.

I had no *IDEA* what Airsoft was, much less what "Unconventional" Airsoft might be...so I checked the site out, then went and Googled the term.

Oh. My. God.

OK, so, before I go any further, I have to put a warning in here for Tala, my CounterStriking friend.

DO NOT LEARN WHAT AIRSOFT IS!!!

Turn back now, Tala... You do NOT want to know. Not unless you want to end up like these people...You'll probably especially recognise the last one.

Yes, it looks awesome.
Yes, it's totally legal.
Yes, they are shooting at each other.

...with 6mm plastic BBs...

The guns range from $25 to $500 each, with many many many choices under $130.

I found a group here in Denver that meets twice a week. I might have to go check it out some time. In the mean time, I'm going back to drooling and dreaming... =)

For My CounterStruck Friend...

http://www.unconventional-airsoft.com/information/handSignals.php

"DOG EATING CATFISH DIES"

"DOG EATING CATFISH DIES"

Wow...that musta been one *big* Catfish!

Tragic...

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/ap/ap_story.html/National/AP.V1062.AP-Giraffe-Lightni.html

Obviously, lightning strikes high points, right?
OK...so a thunderstorm rolls in, and you're a giraffe...

WHAT DO YOU DO?

A) Hide under a tree. (no no no...they tell you NEVER hide under a tree...)
B) Run around in circles...a moving target is harder to hit.
C) Click you heels three times... "There's No Place Like Home...There's No Place Like Home...There's No Place Like Home..."

More headlines...

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,6805214%255E663,00.html

Didn't anyone ever tell that guy..."You Can't Fight At City Hall"!?!??!

SWG Redux...

Life is OK...

SWG is pissing me off... Oh, sure...lure me in, make it lots of fun, get me hooked, make me go buy a new video card, make me spend a whole weekend fighting with the new card to get decent performance out of it, make me reformat my HDD and downgrade to Win98SE in the process (because I can't find my stupid Win2k disk), make the system unstable as hell in the process (because it's Windows 98 Sucks, Eh?), then watch the game start having random CTDs....

But I'm still addicted...it's SO much fun! I'm thinking about moving off of the Corbantis Server to Bloodfin...
Here's why... Pretty cool stuff.

I think I'm going to grab a spare Win2k disk from work, then reformat and reinstall Win2K/drivers/SWG when I get home. I'm tired of the crashes and CTD's, and I want my system stable like it was last week... fercryinoutloud.

Work today is really slow... Babysitting Mode is good for a Saturday when Brent's not around... In stark comparison to yesterday... I did so much running around that I got a blister on my right foot!
11:30-12:30 - replaced 3 bulbs in the clarity monitors in the Terminal. Despite being the closest we have to being "open air", it still gets warm in the space betweent he two banks... :(
12:40 (right after I walked in the office door) LED's blank over the ticket counters from America West to Delta...go *back* to the terminal to fix it.
1:30 American Airline's Admiral's club FIDS screen is messing up (showing both arrivals and departures where there should only be departures)
1:35 American Airlines reports that *all* of their FIDS are messing up. Go check our equipment, make sure it's all running good, then let them know they need to check with Tulsa.
2:10 Delta is having issues with their workstation... Can't figure out what they're trying to do (new user) so, I go BACK to the terminal and fix it. (it really just needed a restart).
2:55 Get back through security and walk A, B, and C concourses.
4:30 FINALLY get to sit down for any length of time... *sigh*

I was *SO* glad yesterday was over when it *finally* was.

Star Wars Galaxies

I bought Star Wars: Galaxies on Saturday. Man, that's a totally fun game... I can't believe how much my character changed over the course of just the first few hours of playing. I started out as an Artisan - with the intent to become a Droid Engineer. I picked up Basic Marksmanship, and Basic Scouting Skills by the time the weekend was over. Totally changed the character's focus. I started out in Mos Entha on Tatooine, because that's where my friend Shea has a Rodian character. I'm totally amazed at how many people are online... Mos Entha's not that big a city, but there are a lot of players there...I took a shuttle to Bestine, and there were more there, then I walked to WayFar, and there were still more there!
Now, that'd not be all that interesting if it were just one planet, 5 or 6 cities...but I'm sure it's like that all over each server. 6-8 cities per server, 6 planets per server, 10 servers!

*wow*

Enneagram Type 9

Someone on the INTP open list suggested taht I was an Enneagram Type 9. I looked
at what there was of it, and lo and behold! I am thus.

E9

---

Healthy loop controlled by Basic Desire:

Need to find union -> accept others -> do the right thing -> Need to find
union

In the healthy state, the need to find union induces Type Nines to genuinely
open up to others and accept them as they are. Others often find their acceptance
welcoming and build up a strong bond or union. This way, Nines' need are satisfied
and a balance is reached.

In the average state, when Nines' are less accepting of others or the world,
which means the union begins to weaken. This causes the the need to find union
to increase, which helps Nines to again become more accepting of others. Thus
the balancing loop can help Nines to recover.

Unhealthy loop controlled by Basic Fear:

Fear of separation -> illusions of union -> accommodating -> union -> Fear
of separation

In the unhealthy state, the basic fear of separation can cause Type Nines to
delude themselves with illusions of union, which they sustain by ignoring reality
and blindly accommodating others or the world. Unfortunately, this means they
won't achieve true union, which further increases Nines' basic fear. The cycle
continues to build up.

I haven't talked before about how accepting I am of other people. Don't
feel the need. It just is who I is.

I have, however talked about the stupid decisions I've made in the past
when I'm not in a one-to-one relationship with one other human being. Unhealthy
loop Fear of Separation TOTALLY fits that scenario. Deluding myself with illusions
of union (with someone totally inappropriate/unhealthy for me) is another big
fit to that scenario.

---

The Peacemaker (the Nine)

Peacemakers are receptive, good-natured, and supportive. They seek union with
others and the world around them.

How to Get Along with Me

(reorganized to show what's most important to me personally)

If you want
me to do something, *how* you ask is as important as *what* you ask. I especially
don't like demands, expectations, or pressure.

Hug me, show physical affection.
It opens me up to my feelings.

Laugh with me and share in my enjoyment of life.

I like a good productive discussion (even if it's about the hard stuff) but not
a confrontation. I'll walk away cold if I feel pressed. If I do *LET ME GO*. I'll
only get agitated and escalate the confrontation like a cornered animal if you
don't. Have faith, I'll clear my head and be back real soon, now, y'hear?

Ask
me questions to help me get clear. Understanding is important to me, and sometimes
I need to turn it over and over in my head to make sure I "get it"

Give me time
to finish things and make decisions. It's OK to nudge me gently and nonjudgmentally.

I'm a big procrastinator, but an aspect of that is liking to work under a little
self-made pressure.

I like to listen and to be of service, but don't take advantage
of this. When my eyes glaze over, or I stop communicating, have the sense to let
it go for another time...I will ponder what we've talked about in the meantime.
I promise.

Let me know you like what I've done or said.

Listen until I finish
speaking, even though I meander a bit.

Tell me when you like how I look. Even
though I don't care how I look all that often, I'm not averse to flattery.

What I Like About Being a Nine

• being able to relax and have a (stress free!) good time


• being able to go with the flow and feel one with the universe


• my ability to see many different sides of an issue and to be a good mediator
  and facilitator


• caring for and being concerned about others


• knowing that most people enjoy my company; I'm easy to be around


• my heightened awareness of sensations, aesthetics, and the here and now
  


• being nonjudgmental and accepting

What's Hard About Being a Nine

• caring too much about what others will think of me


• being confused about what I really want


• being critical of myself for lacking initiative and discipline and lacking
  follow-through on committments I don't feel "engaged" by.


• being judged and misunderstood for being placid and/or indecisive


• being too sensitive to criticism; taking every raised eyebrow and twitch
  of the mouth personally


• not being listened to or taken seriously


• having a way of paying attention that reflects and 'groks' other people's
  positions, which can lead to difficulty in maintaining (or identifying in
  the first place!) a personal position, but also the development of a marked
  ability to sense others' inner experience.

...the more I read, the more I go..."Holy FUCK, dude!"

---

Point Nine: The Mediator

Nine in Love - Living with Nines:

Once a Nine merges with you it is hard to separate. Relationships can continue
for years beyond the natural stopping point. Nines find it hard to give up memories
of old relationships so that new ones can develop. I've been the "dump-er" twice
in my whole life...Else I've been the "dump-ee"

You'll find that Nines divert attention from feelings by becoming preoccupied
with unessentials. (I diverted a conversation with Meg tonight with a deftly
placed "So, what do you want to do for dinner"...*sheepish grin*) They search
for alternatives to forestall arguments. they are often laconic and uncommunicative
about what they really feel: "Let the unspoken remain unsaid." This is only
true when there's unspoken or ongoing conflict, or conflict within myself that
I have not yet identified with. If I'm doing really OK, then I'm the most communicative
bastard you've ever met. =)

Nines retreat into habitual patterns and trivial concerns ("lots of little
things to do") rather than really engaging in the relationship. Energy spreads
to the mechanics of living together: the house repairs, the mortgage rate. As
a Nine's partner, you will find yourself being the active agent for change.
I don't understand what this part is trying to say at all... FWIW, Habitual
Patterns are necessary for my life as a procrastinatory, scatterbrained INTP
- I get worried if I leave the house more than 4minutes on either side of my
"scheduled" time to go catch the bus. I set bills to auto-pay from the bank.
I do get stuck in a rut sometimes...but the rut is always changing... )

The Nine will say back what you want to hear. This does not imply that the
Nine agrees with you. It's hard for Nines to say no because your needs sound
louder than their own. This is one of the biggest things I've ever heard about
"How Jon Sucks". I do it to avoid conflict, but I also do it *FAR FAR* less
than I did 10 years ago.

Nines fantasize about merging with ideal partners and being swept into a new
life. The flip side of merging with the lives of others is that the Nine blames
you when things go wrong.

Holy fuck, batman... Yes, I do compromise a lot and find LOTS of middle
ground in my relationships. I put old hobbies away and pick up new ones, friendships
are set aside until the relationship dies on the vine and goes away, because
I made a bad choice in the first place. And, I totally went through the blame
cycle recently. "It's her fault that I don't participate in Adria anymore,
and that I don't talk to all my old friends...I gave all that up for the 'good
of the relationship'" Bullshit. I gave up some of it because I'm a lazy SOB
who doesn't like conflict. I quit participating in Adria because there was one
individual in Denver who was nothing BUT conflict - she's gone, and now it's
just laziness and disinterest on my part. Friendships? Most of my friends are
women (I grew up with 3 of them), and Meg gets a little insecure. It's my fault
for not standing my ground with what's important to me, however. I accept total
responsibility for that.

Relationships deepen when the Nine can merge with you without any loss of personal
identity.

HaYuckYuck...Gawrsh, Mickey, Ya think that's why the INTP-INTP relationship
appeals to me SO much that it seems a day can't go by without me mentioning
it SOMEHOW? c.f. the "merging with ideal partners" bit above... INTP-INTP entails
(in my fantasy, anyway) minimal loss of personal identity...for either of us.

---

Childhood Origin: Connected to parental-figures.

Basic Fear: Of separation.

Basic Desire: To have union with other.

Healthy Sense of Self: I am peaceful.

Characteristic Temptation: To be too accomodating.

Characteristic Vice: Sloth in self-remembering.

Characteristic Virtue: Patience.

Hidden Complaint: I am content with the way things are, although
everyone else is always pressuring me to change.

Key Defense Mechanisms: Repression, dissociation, denial. Peacemakers
are accomodating and are often out of touch with their anger.

---

Self-Preservation Nines: "Appetite"

I am very attached to my rituals of watching TV, reading, working on my computer,
sleeping extra long, going to movies, and so on, and I feel anxious when anything
interferes with them.

I tend to neglect important tasks and responsibilities and focus on my habits
instead.

Procrastination and Ostrich head in the sand-ing Food is prime in my life.
Sometimes I use it to numb out, distract myself, and cover up my feelings. not
really so much

I like to collect objects and information.

Sometimes I have trouble throwing things away because I can't decide which
really matter to me.

I try to meet my own needs by keeping my home, car, office, or purse supplied
with whatever I might want. "Toy" junkie

Relational Nines: "Union"

I like the feeling of being in union with a lover, family member, friend,
mentor, famous person, guru, pet, nature, or the divine.

When not in a relationship, I usually feel melancholy and yearn to be.

I try to make my partner happy, both to avoid conflict and because his or her
happiness will rub off on me.

I am usually so focused on my companion that I fail to notice what is going
on with me.

When my partner places demands that I feel are unreasonable on me, I either
become stubborn, go away emotionally, or go along so as not to make waves.

I often blame others for things that are not right with my life.

Sometimes I long to be more independent and discover my own priorities, desires,
and aliveness.

I can stay with my own feelings best when I have an open expanse of time alone.

Social Nines: "Participation/Nonparticipation"

In adddition to wanting to further causes, I join groups in order to structure
my time, to soak up energy and become enlivened, to see how I can best fit in,
and to discover where to direct myself.

Though I gravitate toward groups, I sometimes
feel ambivalent about whether I really want to belong.

If someone becomes bossy
or unpleasant, I often can't find the words to speak out, and I become stubborn
or withdrawn instead.

I often stay on the fringe. This keeps me from having to
commit myself fully and from having to participate in conflicts.

I bring my mediating
skills and my ability to build consensus to groups.

I often take the role of caretaker
due to my tendency to want to be all things to all people.

Since I automatically
become involved in whatever floats by, I pick up nuances from others; but I'm
slow to pick up and express what I myself feel.

---

Point Nine: The Program of Non-aggression
with Indolence and Indecision

Special Gift: Peaceful awareness

Self-Definition:
"I'm easy-going."

Shadow Issue: Laziness

Rejected Element: Conflict

Addiction:
Indecision/Inaction

Strength Needed: Action (Love)

Defense Mechanism: Narcotization;
"shutting off the juice"

Psychological Disturbance: Obsessive/passive aggressive
personality

Talk Style: Epic stories (Also known as "No Shit, There I Was..."
Stories, of which I have dozens...)

Preoccupations Include: Dichotomy of belief/doubt.
Dichotomy of mystical/worldly concerns. Replacing essential needs with inessential
substitutes. Indecisiveness and difficulty saying "no". Containment of physical
energy and anger. Control through stubbornness and passive aggression. Fluctuating
attitudes, oppositional behavior and emotions -- either to adhere to the desires
of others as a means of gaining security, or to be defiantly resistant and independent.
Difficulty in maintaining a personal point of view, but ability to recognize and
support another's position. Fight-phobic: avoiding conflict by not knowing the
anger wihtin.

Focus: Personal emphasis on appetite. Couple emphasis on union.
Community emphasis on participation.

Life Task: To experience love guided by the
strength of taking actions appropriate to any given situation, including conflict.


Deception: Indifference (Sloth)

Pseudo-deception: Distress

Antidote: Diligence
Pseudo-antidote: Resignation

Illusion of Reality: Peace at any price

Self-justification:
"I preserve my satisfaction."

Time Orientation: Preserve the past (Uh, Renaissance
Recreation...Um..HELL-O, McFly!)

Approach to Problem Solving: Withdrawing: "I
am satisfied."

Relationship to Life: Way of Mediation: "I negotiate with life."


Wow...that's like a Freakin' USER MANUAL... Remember that discussion
about Emotional Bank Accounts and "What's Your Currency?" Day-am... There it is...all
in one place... Wow.

Deaths in Iraq

*67* deaths in Iraq in a month...the month since the *END* of hostilites!

Isn't that more casualties than we had *during* the hostilities?

Weird Dream...

I had this *very* weird dream last night... I dreamt that I was leaving Denver to go on a vacation, and I was flying on ATA airlines, down at the C49 gate...but it wound up being this weird ATA-Express-type deal..they led us down the jetway, down the stairs onto the tarmac, around through all these buildings and alleyways to the plane...which was 1/2 Tiny commuter plane, and 1/2 Douglas DC-4 (Circa 1945). There was a long wait to get on the plane. It was hot, but I wasn't sweating. Once I got on the plane, There were bench seats that ran down the length of the sides of the plane, but they were upholstered like a '70's couch - comfy, but this tacky blue velour. When I sat down, my head was bumping against the side of the plane. There were no seatbelts. I had to ask a grumpy old man to move over so I could sit down - he was taking up 1/2 of two "seats". Then the pilot got on board, and we took off from right there...but we had difficultly gaining altitude. It seems that the pilot was explaining to the copilot how the Heads Up Display worked, how the little indicator showed where the plane was actually flying...whether it was going to hit the ground or not. ...and he was flying LOW and FAST...right over the freeway toward downtown!

Then I woke up.

Very weird.

Stupid website...

> BTW, I found this web site from young men who want mid
> drifts covered...what do you all think?
> B.
> http://www.angelfire.com/id/jlamro/baremid-drift.html

I'll be honest...

Idiots like that make me want to vomit.
"to flaunt the gift that God has given them."

Puh-Lease...that's based in the archaic and amazingly stupid notion that nudity is somehow evil or demeaning or disrespectful to oneself or others. What complete and utter bullsh1t. Nudity is just exactly that, nudity, neither more, nor less.
Nudity has *no* objetively positve or negative qualities of it's own...only the beholder's mind can assign it positive or negative qualities.

My "religious" take on it, however, is stronger. Nudity is the *most* "respectful to God" attire there is...it's exactly how he created you and brought your stupid a55 into this world. Clothes are manmade an imperfect. Nudity is nothing short of Man at his greatest likeness to Him with no worldly trappings to interfere.

Now, if you're one that believes that nudity is demeaning, the fault lies within your own heart, and could take many guises...
Perhaps you are an imperfect person who lusts unhealthily...and you want the nudity in others covered up so you're not tempted by your own flaw.

It's funny...I just had an hour and a half discussion with Brent, my ISTJ co-worker...I was trying to think of a good example of an internal flaw in a *woman's mind* that might be displayed as a disapproval of a scantily clad woman in public...
...somehow, we wound up our discussion talking about thescandal resulting from the decision that the Denver Fire Department made to reduce the physical testing requirements for it's female firefighters. His argument centered around people being upset at the image of a small woman not being able to carry a large man down the ladder from a burning building. Totally unwilling to consider that fire companies on scene are *teams*, and that it's far more likely that the brawny dude fireguy would grab Brent, while the small woman would grab his daughters... Totally unwilling to think about a Brawny Fireguy coming upon a person who was smoking in bed...and they weigh upwards of 350 pounds...

*ROFL*

Anyway, I'm sure there's a reason that reflects a personality conflict within the individual that would explain in some cases why a girl would want another girl to "respect herself more" and put more clothes on ...but being a guy who does not hold that viewpoint, I can't think of what it would be.

I'm tired and need a nap.

Jon

Good Day....

Today's been a good day, all things considered... Work not too hard, plenty of thunderstorms to keep me entertained.

INTP

So here's my first post about things that make me tick.

1. Steak,chicken,seafood eaters. meats. carnivorous.
I do prefer to have some sort of meat with my meal, yes. Although I don't particularly identify with being a carnivore, I'm definitely not a strong herbivore.
I like to get the Chili's Philly Cheesesteak with the Tuna Steak as the guts instead. YUMMY!
I like Burrito Supremes and Meximelts at Taco Bell. I like to cook hamburgers at home. I'd buy the great big package of meat if I had the discipline to divide it into smaller portions when I got home. I'd also do that if I had the tools to make it convenient. Mom had a thingitythingitything from Tupperware that would make even sized hamburger patties... Just smoosh some GB into it, then stack the next piece on top of that, ad nauseum, and toss the whole kit and kaboodle into the freezer. I need those and a George Foreman and I'd be set.
I can also eat the same thing day in and day out. Every day at the airport I get a hotdog from Lefty's Grill on the east end of C concourse. It's cheap and filling. I also lived on Pasgeddy (It's a Spoonerism of Spaghetti, Marie...) and Newman's Own for MONTHS on end when I live in Oregon.

2. The quality of food must be unquestionable.
Huh? I'm not really sure I understood this one.
I *religiously* sniff the milk before using it. That stems from a seriously unfortunate encounter in High School.
I went to have a bowl of cereal for breakfast on Tuesday morning after a long weekend... Poured the cereal into the bowl, put a light dusting of sugar on it...was totally starving and looking forward to eating... Grabbed the milk, popped the top off of it, and commenced to pour putrefied CHUNKS of soured milk onto my lovely bowl of Cheerios...BLEAH! I've never been the same with milk. I can go buy a gallon, bring it home, put it in the refrigerator, and come back to use it 30 minutes later, and I will *STILL* smell it to make sure it's not gone bad. I'm a trusting soul, but I don't trust them damn cows!

3. We don't care about our personal appearance.
Yes, and no.
I try to look good with what I have.
I hate shopping. I'm a cheap bastard and don't like to spend a lot of money on something so...daily. I have learned the meaning of *quality* though. I have a pair of Bass shoes that I've worn pretty much every damn day for the last 4 years. They're FINALLY starting to need replacement. I guess I'll drive down to Castle Rock to the outlet store and get another pair sometime soon. :)

4. hypersexual (Some INTP's have found the TRUE meaning of life lol)
Hyper-Sensual.
Sex is nice in it's own right, but ultimately, I can masturbate to orgasm all on my own, and it's not missing that much from that aspect of it. Sex is *great* with the right person, but I sometimes need some prompting. I grew up in a culture that viewed sex as..."women don't like it", "they don't want it", "they 'give in'", "It's a Duty", etc., as a result, I definitely need a relationship partner that will take the sexual initiative in a long term relationship, or that aspect will founder (after the first year or so).
However, there are a million and one things *sensually* that I cannot do for myself. THAT is where I'm hypersexual/sensual.
I've found that I'm off and on Polyamorous. I've had Poly relationships (good and bad), as well as Monogamous relationships (also good and bad). More info here: http://www.laps.org/intro.html)
As an INTP, however, I've always *also* had difficulty with that thought, because I cannot possibly rationalize it in any meaningful way in my head. It simply doesn't make sense to me, but those are the tendencies that I have anyway.
Maybe it's hypersexuality.
Maybe it's hypersensuality.
Maybe it's Introversion in that I want my partner to have a partner who is also my partner so that *they* can go hang out together and leave me alone sometimes.
I guess my ultimate "best poly relationship" goes back and forth between these two "dreams"
a) A long term relationship with one woman, who is bi, and wants in her life one man, and one woman, who are also in a relationship with each other (seriously closed triad)
b) An LTR with one woman, who is bi, and wants in her life one man, and the freedom to have girlfriends as she sees fit. If the current GF and I are a good fit, then it's OK to have a relationship as well. If not, it ain't no skin off my nose.

On the other hand, I go back and forth between feeling poly and feeling 'mono', as well. Deep down, I suspect that a monogamous relationship with a woman who was a good match for me intellectually and sexually and space requirements and interests and communication styles and all that, and *also* was of a sensual leaning to like to girlwatch, too (separately and together)...and was *ALSO* secure enough with herself that she could deal with *my* girlwatching habits would be perfect.

5. socially awkward (REALLY hurts the success of #4 lol)
Yep. Total doofus. Introverted, but more in the Jungian sort of terminology. I am something of a "people person" and I really genuinely LIKE to help people solve their problems...as long as there's not too much actual work involved. I LOVED working in Technical Support. I HATE to help people move their stuff to a new place to live. Directions? I'm there. I'll even take you there myself.
But I stumble all over myself in the process...

6. The early 20's of alot of INTP's are filled with self-doubt, depression, and an extreme identity criticism that can mimic the "Mid- Life Crisis" most others don't get until 40ish. Usually followed by a wonderful self confidence as 30 draws near.

No. I felt out of place as a youth. I hated my HS graduation. Everyone was going on and on and on about how we'd reached the end of our education and the end of this and the end of that...and all I could think of was how we'd just spent the last 18 years of our life getting to the starting line, and they were about to pull the trigger on the cap(-and-gown?) gun and the *real* race would start. I felt that I saw the way things were, or at least the way they should have been. The only lack of confidence I had was the same lack of confidence I have now. As an INTP, I want to be recognized for my technical prowess. As a DISC Promoter-type, I want to be liked by my peers. Therefore, as a human being, I need to feel that my peers like me because the find me to be competent.

7. The politics of most INTP's leans to the right. NOT necessarily Republican! NOT because of religion,abortion,guns,taxes,etc, but because of the "keep government small and simple" aspect.
This is a very poorly phrased question. It would have been easier to say "It seems many INTP's would prefer a small and simple government."
Yes, a small and simple government is a good idea.

8. The loyalty of an INTP has not so much to do with how loyal you are but how LONG you've know the said INTP (this can be an avenue of pain for alot of INTP's) in other words alot of INTP's will show more loyalty to a jerk they've known for 10 years than to a totally loyal sweet person they've know for "only" 5 years. where as an Extrovertive personality makes loyalties very easy.

I know nothing about loyalty beyond the concept of trust. If I like you and I trust you, you have my friendship and also have my loyalty. Otherwise, I'll sell your ass out in a heartbeat. =)

10. INTP's usually like cats more than dogs.

I don't know why that would be an INTP trait, necessarily. I do think it's a valid indicator of personality, though. I have never known anyone who detests cats (on principle, not due to allergies) to have any redeeming qualities whatsoever.

11. INTP's make up only 3-6 percent of the human population. (during the archaic hunter-gatherer epoch of human history, what role do you guys think this 6 percent played in the 50 member nomadic groups of people that roamed the earth? leaders? warriors? shamans? our social awkwardness makes me wonder if we were ostracized from these clans alot more than other personality types.What do you guys think?

Umm... Like we tend to do now... Architect.
Who would have figured out crop rotation, or plowing across the hillside rather than up and down it. Herd migration patterns. We're good at analyzing complex information systems and delivering the results in terms that the common folk can understand. Just because there aren't any Global Positioning Satellites doesn't mean that primitive cultures don't have complex systems.

12. INTP's if religious, practice quietly and rarely in an organized group.(Do you guys think INTP's have a higher rate of Agnostics and Atheist?)

Agnostic.

14. INTP's are usually skinny OR short BUT rarely big or overweight.
5'9" and 200 pounds. Neither particularly short, nor particularly skinny.

15. INTP's love to talk about the "what ifs" and the "what could be" so much that it annoys other personality types

Yes. "What If" is a big one for me.
I have conversations with friends and coworkers in my head. I reply past memories vividly - and sometimes the end result isn't quite the same as what really happened.

Jonathon

No Topic Here

[take the test] - [by krystaljungle.com]

The Dullest Blog in the world...(is not mine!)

Genius, sheer genius, I tell you!
http://www.wibsite.com/wiblog/dull/

No Topic

Noon - You are pleasant, friendly, and an overall
nice person. You enjoy the energy and activity
of the daytime, and tend to be very productive.


When are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Fun Fun

There's nothing I like more (at the moment) than taking the cat for a tow...
Step 1) Change the shoelaces in your daily grind shoes.
Step 2) Tie the ratty shoelaces together.
Step 3) Walk around the house trailing said shoelaces...

I Hate Wolf Blitzer...

CNN's coverage is OK, but I HATEHATEHATE Wolf Blitzer's delivery...He spends the whole time shouting at the camera.

Bush and Blair To Meet In Northern Ireland

Is it just me, or is that...um...tempting fate?

;)

End Your Money Worries...

...says the commercial on TV...

I'm thinkin' "Go knock over a bank...then money will be the least of your worries..."

:)

*SNOW*

Hee HEE!

I Can't WAIT!!!!

Rain showers today will switch to snow later tonight... and snow will become heavy late tonight. The changeover to snow will most likely occur between 8 PM and midnight. Periods of heavy snow are expected Tuesday through Wednesday. Storm total accumulations of 1 to 3 feet are possible with the heaviest amounts near the foothills by Thursday morning. North winds strengthening to 30 mph will produce areas of blowing and drifting snow on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Suggested Use

George Bush's Economic Stimulus Package

http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1132050&nav=0RaPE0TJ

:)

State of the Union...what was really said..

Our military has put the terror training camps of Afghanistan out of business, yet camps still exist in at least a dozen countries. A terrorist underworld -- including groups like Hummus, Smokeabollah, Islamic Yeehaw, Kareem el Jabbar -- operates in remote jungles and deserts, and hides in the centers of large cities.

While the most visible military action is in Afghanistan, America is acting elsewhere. We now have troops in the Philistines, helping to train that country's armed forces to go after terrorist sales that have been executed by an American. Our soldiers, working with the Bosleyian government (the Government of Tom Bosley - ed.), seized small terrorists who were plotting to bomb our Embassy Suites. Our Navy is patrolling the coast of Africa to block the shipment of arms to terrorists and the aid of terrorist camps in Somalia.

My hope is that all nations will not screen my calls, and will eliminate the terrorists parasites who threaten their playgrounds and our own. Many nations are acting forcefully on the matter. Pakistan is now cracking down on these terrorists, and I admire the strong leadership of President Musharraf. (Applause.)

But some governments will be timid in the face of terror. And make no mistake about it: If they do not act, America will. (Applause.)

Our second goal is to prevent regimes that sponsor terrorists from threatening America or our friends and allies with arms. Some of these regimes have been pretty quiet since September the 11th. But we know their true nature.

Iran aggressively pursues green treehouses and exports them, while an unelected few repress the Iranian people's hope for freedom.

North Korea is a regime arming terrorists with airplanes, boats and Tropical Islands and Wild West Shows, while starving its citizens.

Iraq continues to flaunt its hostility toward America and to support Ringmaster Bart and Beautiful Assistant Gina in their plans to get arms and cannon with which to attack America from their Big Top Circus.

States like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an Axis of Weeble, arming to threaten the peace of the toy world. These regimes pose a grave and growing danger. They could provide arms to these weebles, giving them the means to match their hatred. They could attack our allies or attempt to blackmail the United States. In any of these cases, the price of indifference would be catastrophic.

We will work closely with our coalition to deny weebles and their state sponsors the materials, technology, and expertise to make and deliver arms of mass destruction. We will develop and deploy effective missile defenses to protect America and our allies from sudden attack by these Weebles. (Applause.) And all nations should know: America will do what is necessary to ensure our nation's security.

CNN Suxxors

From the Bonehead of the Day Award.
18 Times Faster Than The Speed Of Bad Science Reporting

For those of you who still don't realize that television is just an
entertainment medium and should never be believed for science and
medical information, we offer up bonehead award one given to CNN for
reporting, with a straight face, that the shuttle, Columbia, was
traveling at 18 times the speed of light when it exploded. You can
see their announcement here: http://tinyurl.com/59h6

FIDS

Chuck was just talking about a show he saw on Discovery the other day about the beginnings of Scheduled Air Carriers... At New York, there was a guy with one of those cone-shaped (cheerleading-type) bullhorns out in front of the Terminal announcing Flight Information...

FIDS = Flight Information Dude, Shouting...

:)

OK, so I tested *completely* Liberal.

That doesn't surprise me...

Neither does this.


free enneagram test

Welcome to Colorado, if you don't like the weather...

...Wait 10 minutes...

Updated: 2:45 PM MST on February 02, 2003
Observed at Broomfield, Colorado
Temperature 34 °F / 1 °C
Windchill 25 °F / -4 °C
Conditions Light Rain
Visibility 3 miles / 5 kilometers
Clouds Overcast (OVC) : 800 ft / 245 m

Yesterday's Maximum 72 °F / 22 °C approx.
Yesterday's Minimum 50 °F / 10 °C approx.

I KNEW it!

I knew they'd blame the space shuttle crash on the Liberals...

CNN Headlines say: "Initial Investigation Focusses On Left Wing"

!!!

Song Stuck In My Head!

Even Old New York
Was Once New Amsterdam...

Why did they change it
I can't say
People just liked it better that way...

So Take me back
to Constantinople
No you can't go back
to Constantinople
Been a long time gone
Constantinople
A Tukish delight
on a moonlit night

Baloo...

...is *SUCH* a *LUSH*....

Neither one of us can leave a White Russian sitting on the table for even 5 seconds before the cat's sniffing at it - and often time's he's so bold as to climb up onto our chest when we're sitting on the couch - if he can't beg any out of us, he makes his move anyway...

Jeez... :)

Good Talk Tonight...

The less of an idiot I become, the better the relationship gets...

Realizing that Meg is so very unique is a step toward non-idiocy.
I think I'm going to dig out Radical Honesty at some point and give it a good read.

I think I need it. :)

A Joke...

I used to know a guy that carpooled through the Lincoln Tunnel from New Jersey into Manhattan every day.

He quit because he developed Carpool Tunnel Syndrome... ;)

(Yes, I thought of that on my very own...)

I had my very first experience with *court* today.

When Kathlene decided to go over the hill, and had her run-in with the Denver PD, she told quite the pack of lies to Officer Kevin Malloy (who, incidentally, is no relation to Adam-12's Pete Malloy, however). They ranged from telling him that she was, in fact, her 10 year old sister, that she didn't know her phone number, that she didn't know her mother's phone number (but, it was on the caller ID at home), she lived at 415 Harrison St, that she was staying with friends over near the 7-11 on 8th Avenue, that Meg and I had gone to Grand Junction for the weekend and weren't due back until the following Sunday Night, that we'd also given her a *sound* beating right before we left (but nary a mark on her, right?)... When the officer did stop by to deliver paperwork to us that night, his expression was, "I may have been born at night, but it wasn't *last night*." So he gave her a citation for giving False Information to a Peace Officer.

Today was her court date. First time I'd ever been in any kind of courtroom, ever. Long story short, Kat was offered, and accepted, deferrment on the charge - which basically means that she'll do quite a bit more community service than if she'd faced the judge, but in the end, if she completes it, the charge will be dismissed, and she'll go on her merry way.

Too much to write, too tired to write more... I was up until about 4:30 last night, and got up at 10 til 7...tired...want...to...goof...off...

-J.

Well, so much for the regular updates... *sigh*

*eek* Has it been over a month again already?
Meg and I had our 1-Year anniversary on the 17th of January - we went to the Wellshire Inn. Pretty snazzy place, but I felt like I was *far* too young for a gig like that... Maybye we'll go again for our 20th anniversary! *grin*

Mentioned the trouble with Kat...we found help *yay*. Things look like they're going to be getting better with her over the long term, which is really a terrific thing. She's really *really* angry with her mother (who I hope reads this, but that, among many other things, is *highly* unlikely), and is starting to deal with those feelings, and I think that's *wonderful*. I just wish it weren't so stressful on her (and us) in the process.

We're starting a new blog... Denver Restaurant reviews... Hope this one has more regular updates than the others do.

-J.

Had a really rough day at home, though. We had to come down on Kat with both feet...again. She really does need to learn respect - not just for parental figures, but also for herself and everyone around her. Not sure how to do that. She uses *everything* as a crutch to avoid responsibility. "My mother used to hit me" (not sure I believe that), "I'm afraid of men" (why? Because your mother used to hit you? *DURF?*), "I'm just a little bratty kid"...blah blah blah, the list goes on for ever and ever...

What to do?

Comments welcome on this subject!

Hmmm... Not too bad a day at work yesterday... Nobody too awful... I've started carrying a mini tape recorder with me to work, so I can note my thoughts for you, gentle reader (HA! Like there is a reader of this page!), and ensure that they are shared with one and all.

Chiasmus - This is my new affliction...

Oh, well.. Off to work... Enjoy!

Happy New Year...

I'm going to make some concerted effort to keep this page more updated as time goes on... To that end, I'm taking a tape recorder along with me to work, so I can think to it, and put those thought thoughts here to share with one and all...

Crown War was yesterday... Only 28 more days of being Sir Aleksii, Duke of Ekaterinegorod...
The Crown War was actually really really fun... Meg and I were presiding, and there were no disputes. Meg's friend Chris also showed up, and seemed to have a good time. The results were:
In Attendance:
HRG Sir Aleksii Ivanov Ekaterinegorodtsova
HRG Elizabeth Rainwater I
Sir Ram Suraya, Crown Contender
Katalina DeLorenzo, Crown Contender
Sir Sergay Ruslanovich, Crown Contender
Baron Angus
Connor Campbell
Jennifer Pardue
Jaydon Kennard
Ed Brown
Lord Perrin Malcom
Giselle Malcom
Lord Michael Augustice
Joshua Augustice
Guinivere Augustice
Katya Ekaterinegorodtsova

Visiting:
Kim Payton
Chris Osborn
Hamilten Pedersen

The Combat Events:
Shinai Battle 1: Victor: Sir Ram Suraya and Katalina DeLorenzo
This battle was a "Capture the Crown" battle. Each "Crown" had a guard, and the opposing armies goal was to defeat the army, then the guard, and bring the opposing Crown back to their start point. The battle was over fairly quickly, with only Sir Sergay and Katalina left standing

Shinai Battle II: This was the same scenario as above. However, each Crown was armed with and 18" Shinai that they could only use to strike the other Crown. The battle came down to Katalina DiLorenzo and her guard, Sir Michael, on one side, and Sir Sergay on the other... As Sir Sergay was being escorted back to Katalina's home base after being captured by Sir Michael, Sir Sergay put up a valiant (and highly entertaining!) show of trying to reach (and kill) Katalina, while remaining in Sir Michael's grasp. Each combatant had a number of resurrections they could claim from their "deity", HRG Elizabeth and Chris Osborn. To claim a resurrection, each dead combatant had to grovel before their deity, begging to be returned to finish their Earthly work. There were some quite impressive grovels, such as Sir Ram, who started on his knees, and slowly crawled forward, begging in a tone that even the Marshals could clearly hear, and the Grovelling Champion, Sir Michael, who crawled to HRG Elizabeth on his belly for ~25 feet!
Victor: Sir Ram Suraya and Katalina DeLorenzo

Shinai Battle III: This was a 30 minute Resurrection Highlander-style battle, where only headshots counted, and the Goddesses of Res were again in action. The battle came down to the two *least* experienced combatants, Ed Brown on Sir Sergay's side, and Joshua Augustice on Sir Ram's side.
Victor: Sir Sergay Ruslanovich

In the Shinai

Ren Battle I: Victor, Sir Sir Sergay Ruslanovich

Ren Battle II: Victor, Sir Ram Suraya and Katalina DeLorenzo

Ren Champion's Battle: Victor, Sir Sergay Ruslanovich

The Arts Events:
Entrants:
Sir Ram Suraya, an Arming Doublet, Master's Crafted
Giselle Malcom, Blackwork piece, Knight's Fine
Sir Sergay Ruslanovich, Ptolemaic Map, Knight's Crafted
No other Arts Lists had entries.

The Arts Results:
Sir Ram Suraya, 23.66, winning the Master's Crafted Category for Sir Ram and Katalina DiLorenzo
Giselle Malcom, 28, winning the Knight's Fine Category for Sir Sergay Ruslanovich
Sir Sergay Ruslanovich, 29, winning the Knight's Crafted Category for Sir Sergay Ruslanovich

The Archery Events:
The Target: a Member, wearing Shinai Armor, facing away from the combatants, with a fencing mask on backwards:
The Scoring:
Head - 3 points
Torso - 2 points
Arms/Legs - 1 point

First Huntsman's List: 20 paces distance, 3 shots
Joshua Augustice - 1 point. All others 0 points

Second Huntsman's List: 12 paces distance, 6 shots, 60 seconds to complete.
Sir Ram Suraya's Army: 19 points total, 10 highest score
Sir Sergay Ruslanovich's Army: 30 points total, 11 highest score

Armored List 1 - No combatants
Armored List 2 - No Combatants
Armored Champions Battle - No Combatants

Totals:
Sir Sergay Ruslanovich, 6 War Points
Sir Ram Suraya and Katalina DiLorenzo, 5 War Points

Victory to:
Sir Sergay Ruslanovich!

MMMMmm.

DSL is yummy... I'd forgotten, what with the DNS problems I was having, and then suffering through 3 weeks of dialup...

:)

Telocity DSL Saga Continues:

The DSL has been on the whole time...I tried to dial in this AM, and got "invalid username or password". Called Billing (to update from the BofA acct.), and was told that everything was in order, and there were no billing problems listed, but that I was still listed as a Rhythms customer. Updated the billing info while I was there. Called TechSupport... Found out that Dialup has been hosed since yesterday afternoon, and I needed to be patient... Called Migration Status, and found out that I was actually a customer that WorldCom bought from Rhythms, and that the DSL has been on the whole time, aside from a short downtime (a few days) while they switched me over!!! *GRRR* Plugged the DSL back in, and reinstalled the software. Didn't work. No DNS. Called Tech Support back, got the DNS set up, and *voila* it works. Not only that, but that stupid 64.xx.xx.xx problem is gone, to boot!

Good morning!

I've decided to make this my default page, such that I might actually *write* in it once in a while... I'm in the process of getting the Talon's Transmission repaired, so that I'll actually feel comfortable driving it around without worrying excessively that I'll be on the freeway someplace, and the tranny won't take the stress anymore, and lock up, killing me in the process... Here all this time, I thought that it would cost me upwards of $1000 to fix, and it's a $65 part... *sigh*

We're going to California for Imperial War! I'm incredibly happy to go this year, because we've got *14* people going...Last year, we had only 4.

LAID OFF!!!

*sigh*

I can't believe that it's been over two months since I added anything new here... I suppose I can console myself with the thought that life has been pretty hectic, and sharing my daily thoughts with anyone hasn't exactly been at the top of my list of things to do...though it should be.

I was laid off from Wellogix in late March. That's a first...It's also the first time that I've put my resume up on Monster/Dice/et al, and the phone *hasn't* been ringing off the hook. I think that's really a sign of the dot-com washout of 2001. I also get the feeling lately that we're returning to the grassroots of the Internet - people connecting with people instead of everyone who has a good idea trying to connect with my money.

So, as far as the job situation goes, it looks like it's time to do something entrepreneurial... Stay Tuned...

The Libera Manifesto - READ THIS!

The Ultimate MMORPG - Part One

I was discussing with a friend today what would make the ultimate in Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game... We both play Vampire:The Masquerade - Redemption currently. Hardly Massively Multiplayer, but it was a breakthrough in that it was the first game to offer a StoryTeller option. NeverWinterNights is looking to do the same thing. The major difference (genre aside) will be that you'll be able to walk from one GM's NWN game to another GM's NWN game. THAT sounds highly cool, in that it creates the possibility of having a persistent world that one can adventure in, moving from one place to another. It also will allow GM's to create stories that are less combat driven, and more character driven... I'm really looking forward to that.

However, I still believe that the MMORPG scene is in its infancy. I mean, like *hours* old kind of infancy. One of the reasons I think that White Wolf waited so long to produce a VtM game was that they wanted to do it *RIGHT*, which meant waiting patiently until the hardware advanced to the point that they could accomplish the "vision" on a home PC. VtM runs pretty well on a 266, and it looks *great* on my 750. I think there is still a long way to go, and many more advanced to be had... Here are some things I think need to be in a game to make it great.

1.) Distributed Architecture - Allow individual GMs to host a game that can have "doorways" to other locally hosted games on other machines - Like NWN.
I think NWN is a first step in that direction, but I also think that in order for it to be "complete", there needs to be a server stub that runs on a host machine that does not require a full session of the game be spawned on the GM's machine. The GM can run the server on his own machine, or on a second machine on a home network, etc. He can then log into the game as a GM using the standard game client, just like anyone else. This is one of my biggest gripes about VtM. In order to have a chronicle "active" for people to play in, I need to leave the game itself running. I can't effectively "background" the task. I believe that making it easy for GM's to link to each other should be a trivial task...not significantly more difficult than adding somone to a web-ring is now... (in fact, that would be a good paradigm to work from.)

2.) A Standardized, Extensible Modeling Schema. Another one of my biggest gripes about VtM is that the modeling seems to be limited to what's available in the boxed version. Sure, anyone can *SKIN* a model, but creating new models is a whole new challenge. The fact of the matter is that there's a whole *hell* of a lot more Creative Talent *outside* a game company, amongst it's fan base, than there is *inside* that game company, and a smart company will take advantage of that fact, use tools that the user base can get their hands on (industry standard tools would be best) and allow it's fans to do development on new models. I think the community has shown that good work is rewarded, and crappy work is forgotten quickly. An interesting development would be to take a standard humanoid model, and release a customization kit that will "stretch" the model to the dimensions input into the program, allowing a completely customized model (that can be sized to fit a real player, or to create a tall, thin elven character, f'rinstance). This would also allow the program to transmit only the model's size data, with a skin to follow, allowing the customization, without increasing network traffic too much.

3.) Customization - I think that this ties into both the previous item and the next item. Users should be able to customize the look and feel of their characters to a large extent, and those changes should be transmitted across the network to players that can see that character on the fly, without having to stop the game, download the model/skin, install it, and restart. Broadband is becoming more popular every day, and I think that the added immersion created by allowing a player to actually put his/her own face on a model is worth the network hit of having to transfer a model/skin to my machine.

4.) User Tools - Story Creation, Scripting, Mapping...these should all have reasonably easy to use interfaces, as well as using standard file formats wherever possible. Characters could perhaps use Maya, 3d Studio, Poser, etc. Buildings, trees, etc could use .dxf files, Autocad Native files, 3dStudio files, Poser files, etc...

I think that's it for my first rant on the ultimate MMORPG... :)

J.