Squeaks and hisses

Xnews broken?

2008-03-23T02:11:58Z

Maybe someone here can help me out. Xnews works great, usually. But sometimes I get this odd cascading error (if you hit [ok] it spawns another error which in turn will spawn another if you hit [ok] into infinity) involving Riched20.dll. Once it happens, I have to reboot since any further use of Xnews just causes more and more errors. Even closing and opening Xnews won't fix it.

Googling riched20 and error yields that it might be missing (it's there) or broken (wouldn't Outlook Express then also refuse to open? But it does open so I gather my files aren't broken). The version i have is 5.30.x and every version I can find online is 5.0.x or thereabouts which is far older than what I already have.

Pre-birthday present

2008-03-12T23:54:13Z

Seems last night, around midnight-ish, a person or persons decided our driveway of cars looked like a good place to steal stuff. Months earlier a banker's car up on the hill of our devolpment was broken into and robbed of thousands in laptop and stuff-- the Neiborhood Watch recommended everyone lock their cars. We did not, pretty much since there's hardly anything worth stealing in the first place. In any case, Lady, our border colley, was barking like crazy that night in the fenced-in back yard but we paid no attention thinking she was barking at some other dog in the neiborhood. Turns out all three vehicles were rifled through. Mine apparently proved the biggest haul... they nicked, from the trunk, an extra brake-locking car security club and the old tire inflation kit. Both worth no more than $20 each when new. They also didn't take any of the power-adaptors in the car itself except for the Sansa-mp3 player FM-broadcasting/recharger. That was $70 when I bought it in January with Xmas money.

But vengance shall be mine, you see Sansa and iPod rechargers both have that wide-format usb connector that goes into the bottom. However, the Sansa and iPod have different hookups within... this mean if I use my Sansa in a iPod recharger, it'll fry, as in "the magic smoke will come out". This also means when the thieves use their iPod, it too will fry and have a literal melt down. The FM-broadcaster/recharger has no indication that it's for Sansa ONLY and to use it, you need to hook up that wide-usb connector (or find a headphone patch cord for the alt-in connector which is not that common to have on hand).

Oh yes, sweet, sweet poetic justice shall be mine when I hear the silent scream of a $100-$200 iPod cooking in some criminal's car.

(...but I'm still pissed off)

Singles Awareness Day

2008-02-13T05:00:00Z

...is what Valentines Day should be called. That wonderful day created by greeting card companies to make single people painfully aware of that fact.

But it's ok. I'm fine with it. *^^*

Nomnomnomnomnom!

2008-01-30T02:00:35Z

Mmm, nothing like bacon wrapped scallops. So good...! Guh, gotta stop eating them. ^^;

I never want to do that again...

2008-01-20T13:21:07Z

My god, I finally got back to a playable state.

Ok, back around 11pm, I notice I'm really low on disk space (the laptop's only got a tiny 30gb hd) so I fire up SpaceMonger and look for disk hogs. What's this? patch.mpq in the WoW folder? Looks old, November even. So, into the trash it goes. I dump the trash and then fire up WoW. The game crashes with a cryptic "Error" (hit ok button) as it tries to load my characters after logging in. I quickly deduce (with that sinking feeling in the pit of one's stomach) what's the cause. Without having an NTFS-capable undelete utility on hand I go to WoW's tech support and try a few things, all to no avail. The last resort is a deletion of the WoW folder and reinstall (I move the interface and account data files elsewhere to be put back in later and, oh yes, the WoW folder is too big for the trashcan so it's permantly deleted). Ok, reinstall. Can't be too hard, right?

...An hour later I figure out I never had WoW on CD, I downloaded it. All 3 and a half GB. It is that this point while hunting for the WoW-downloader app I find out there was indeed a file repair utility for broken WoW files. Doh! The downloader gives me 9 to 12 hours to get it all in peer-to-peer mode. (Again) Doh! I try the non-p2p mode which is just downloading from the web server only. The time shrinks to 2 to 3 hours. Ok, that's not as bad. Watching late night cable while it works.

...5 hours later it's done. Another half hour to install. Oh! But you're not done being raked over coals for your stupidity yet Morphy, ooooh no. Now you get to downloaded patches! (You'd think WoW would update the initial 3.5gb installation package, ugh)

...2 hours later I can finally apply the patches. At this point I can do the Burning Crusade upgrade (that one does come on CDs, 4 of them).

...Another hour and one failed install at the 4th CD later I have re-applied the patches and moved the Interface/Account folders back. WoW loads, video settings are re-entered and everything works like it should.

It's now 8am. I'm tired having been up almost 24hrs and quite mad at myself for making a problem worse and worse. (I'm also good at getting lost too; if there's a wrong turn, by gosh, I'll take it!)

For my next trick, I'll wipe out XP on the Dell laptop here and spend the next week begging Dell to send me a WinXP disc since they don't give you one, instead giving you a "System Restore" option that wipes the HD back to just-purchased-laptop status (read: spend your vacation time downloading and applying patches from Windows Update to bring an old version of XP up to snuff before you can begin to load all the other junk that took years to get just right)

...I need a cookie. :(

The Y2K38 Bug! Aaaah!

2008-01-16T04:14:52Z

Swiped from Slashdot...

Jon Masters writes: "I just wanted to remind everyone that Saturday, January 19th 2008 will mark the beginning of the 30-year countdown to the Y2K38 bug, when Unix time will overflow 32 bits. Some 30-year loan calculation software might start having problems with this over the weekend."

1 week away

2008-01-13T17:08:16Z

First year of UK national fetish day
NATIONAL FETISH DAY

"Perverts Wear Purple"

Monday 21st January 2008

What is it about and why should anyone join in? I’ll explain...

Being purple and latex, I suppose I could be worn. Any ladies out there wishing to make a fashion statement (that purrs)? *^.^*

morphyloon @ 2007-12-25T19:08:00

2007-12-26T00:08:58Z

Merry Vixmas ^^

Silly silly silly

2007-10-02T14:18:28Z

Swiped from elsewhere... :)

Halloween Meme

animakitty runs around screaming for hours until abruptly silenced by ramalion, wielding a sharpened axe

athelind eats cngsoft's spicy, spicy brains.

balloondragon shows up with burning torches, pitchforks and dip

balloonpup tries to pick up Phantom Hitchhikers

battyvitae haunts your candy

cngsoft calls momentrabbit to let them know the psycho killer's in Iowa

dragonrift sacrifices rochndil's socks

froyst puts apples in your razorblades

knesumi swoops on balloondragon and drains their gerbils

mocha_mephooki summons the undead armies of battyvitae to steal your candy

momentrabbit carves shirrawhitefur's effigy in the medium of Bank Manager's lunchbox

ramalion dresses up as froyst

rochndil TPs yiffer

shirrawhitefur devours the entire neighbourhood's pumpkin

yiffer gives you a toothbrush

LJ Name

Talk Like A Pirate Day

2007-09-19T11:54:44Z

Arr! Shiver me loons- er, timbers!

morphyloon @ 2007-08-29T15:39:00

2007-08-29T19:42:16Z

MFM tomorrow!

Packing up the car at the moment... Still puzzling over what to bring on the laptop.

MFM 11 in '07

2007-07-06T06:02:50Z

Just thought I'd mention it since everyone who can, is at Anthrocon. *^^*

55 days left to MFM

Naruto: The Movie

2007-06-07T01:30:46Z

Yup, went to go see it today. I am not really a fan of Naruto specifically but I enjoy most any anime I can go watch.

If you're wondering about the movie, here's a wiki on it that would offer far more information than I can give in a blog.

I did get a chuckle as I was going in too. Guy had tried the window to get a ticket and was told the movie sold out. He then asks if there's another showing. Heh, apparently he wasn't paying attention to the trailer that had been running for -weeks- during the Regal Cinema's pre-show thingy... One day, one showing, buy your tickets early. (I got mine through Fandango)

Yes, there was quite a few cosplayers there but only two had weapons on them... if you can call a brown pvc pipe with brown cardboard and tape 'blade' a weapon for one of them (looked like a pick actually). The other was a plastic replica probably purchased at Wal-Mart. Naruto itself is an easy anime to cosplay. Heck, just slap on one of those headbands or wristbands with a ninja clan's logo on it and you're all set.

I Have Returneth

2007-06-05T02:14:53Z

The flight in was uneventful although a small intense thunderstorm delayed my return trip by 2hrs. Hmm, I'd have to say the convention went over well for me. It could have been better at times... but I'll be addressing those issues with my staff head and crew over the next year to iron out the wrinkles transpirering from my first go as one of the supervisors for On-site registration. WLP had a banner year for sales which is a good thing. In fact, they were so good Kris will be looking into moving from the Artist Alley up to the Dealer's Room.

But for now, I've got some sleep to catch up on. *^^*

p.s. Any suggestions for a site to put con pictures? Image Shack is useful, if you have one or two photos, but uploading 200 is /beyond/ tedious.

A-kon 18 this weekend

2007-05-29T03:07:47Z

Back to A-kon, again. This will be my, mmm, 14th consecutive convention appearance. I'm not sure if I should be proud of that, considering I spend roughly $1200 each time. Oh! Not all on anime swag, I mean the flight, hotel, and anything else between my departure Thursday and return home on Monday. The hotel cost is the real killer though. For many years it would just be me footing the entire deal and at $80, 100, 120 a night, it adds up fast over five days (four nights). Recently I've been rooming with White Lightning Productions which cut my former hotel bill from $600-800 to a much easier $200-250. The flight however has been pretty much the same over the years, about $280-320. Only recently have I had time that driving is an option, but then with the price of gas these days the flight is still cheaper. What bugs me is the flights from Boston where I used to live is the same as Knoxville, TN, where I live now, even though the distance is twice as far to Dallas, TX.

Ever since 2000 I've been volunteering too. Registration is apparently my forte because I do reg at MFM too. And this year, heh, I promoted myself (well, I said yes to the offer among seasoned registration volunteers). I'll be one of the 'supervisors' for A-kon paid registration-- this is so the real boss of reg can get a break and not have to run back and forth between paid reg and pre-reg. With A-kon growing in size every year, the number of volunteers do too so. Last year's attendance was about 12000 with 800 volunteers (the +15% yearly growth is almost constant).

Practice makes perfect?

2007-05-04T07:27:05Z

I have to admit Spiderman 3 is well worth the $8.50 midnight showing last Thursday. And as I look back at 1 and 2, I also believe it's the best of the bunch. Mmm, it's darker and a few issues are resolved but we all know they could easily slap together a fourth Spiderman movie and make a hundred million easy. Yes yes, sequels are bad and counterproductive to the idea we should get new movies... however, there is always an exception to the "sequels suck" rule. Spiderman 3 is certainly one of those delightful exceptions. (I'm trying to be vague so as not to spoil it for the rest of you) ^^;

...Off to bed for me. It's 3am!

I wish this was a joke

2007-04-29T15:23:50Z

RIAA Claims Ownership of All Artist Royalties For Internet Radio

Posted by Zonk on Sunday April 29, @01:22AM
from the isn't-that-called-stealing dept.
Music Businesses The Internet
ISurfTooMuch writes "With the furor over the impending rate hike for Internet radio stations, wouldn't a good solution be for streaming internet stations to simply not play RIAA-affiliated labels' music and focus on independent artists? Sounds good, except that the RIAA's affiliate organization SoundExchange claims it has the right to collect royalties for any artist, no matter if they have signed with an RIAA label or not. 'SoundExchange (the RIAA) considers any digital performance of a song as falling under their compulsory license. If any artist records a song, SoundExchange has the right to collect royalties for its performance on Internet radio. Artists can offer to download their music for free, but they cannot offer their songs to Internet radio for free ... So how it works is that SoundExchange collects money through compulsory royalties from Webcasters and holds onto the money. If a label or artist wants their share of the money, they must become a member of SoundExchange and pay a fee to collect their royalties.'"

From what I've gathered you, the digital radio station, cannot have it both ways either. The internet radio station must sign up with SoundExchange with all the music it plays or none at all, no partial contracts. However, the artist may set up compulsory contract so that anyone can play it's music when they arrange it with the digital radio station thereby cutting RIAA/SoundExchange out... it's a bit like a open source GPL liscense I guess. Problem is making up this contract with every station out there. Wouldn't be a problem with a dozen or so but if the artist become popular, it might lead to hundreds and thousands. Since I don't know if the contract can be reduces to a 'click here' type page, there might be a mountain of paper generated.

Personally, I think someone needs to get a hammer a stake and take out this vampire of the recording industry. Tho, at the current rate of alienating itself from listeners and now the very artists it leeches from, I hope it will die sooner than later.

WoW claims another soul

2007-03-04T12:21:17Z

Yep, gone and sold my soul for gold and whatever blue rares I can find...

I've only got one character tho, Zoeni, a tauren hunter for the Horde. Here's a few screenshots I've taken so far...

Zoeni starting out at noob camp.

---
Much later, around level 19 and wandering down to the Southern part of The Barrens, I'm minding my own business, just trying to squish some scorpions. Down the road a few alliance characters ride their mounts. Upon getting closer, as I watch, they hop off to say hello... er, I think. Um. Wait. Why are they drawing weapons? I'm not set PvP! Hey, watch it! Ack! I would have said more but I was cut into little pieces in about 3 seconds.

---
A few levels later, 21, I spent an hour fishing in an oasis in The Barrens and harvested nearly 50 Deviate Fishes. Using a cooking recipe I turned them into, er, Deviate Fishes (you think they could have come up with a better name). The nifty part is eating one transforms you into either a pirate or a ninja. Haiya! I'm a hunter ninja! :D

(Oh, the cat partially seen is Kitty, my pet sabertooth)

WoW on trial

2007-02-22T18:00:12Z

Yup, said I'd never do it... but I did it. Maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment? Then again, my tax refund has me wealthier than normal so I'm giving that soul stealing game a try. On day, mmm, two(?) of a 10 day trial, still wandering around noob forest. If you're curious, I'm an night elf hunter named Yeenn. The server is the only one that begins with Q (that I'll never remember). Ended a full night's playing at level 8 and I only died once... er, wanted to find out how far I had to fall before it was fatal, heh. You see, on Anarchy Online, you take no damage falling, no matter how high the distance.

That's another thing, WoW runs better than AO. It's probably because of the more modern engine and less polygons on the screen (for the background environment that is). Of course, there's a whole lot of switches I can turn on to really cripple this Dell E1505 Inspiron. ^^;

Fetishy Sci-Fi fiction

2007-02-18T03:18:08Z

This is a long story, one that you should devote time to properly read. Written by Evil Dolly, the story Eudeamon is set in the near future, a bit like Blade Runner involving latex and imprisonment. I would also strongly suggest keeping some tissue handy-- for your nose you pervert, heh. ;)

I think Sebastian and Cerine are two that'll enjoy this yarn but then again, you might too. Happy reading! *^^*

Money money money

2007-02-17T19:15:30Z

Woohoo! My tax refund finally showed up!

*^^*

For those with cable

2007-02-17T02:18:40Z

Anyone given BBC-America a chance with their latest show Hyperdrive? I never got a chance to see Red Dwarf beyond a single episode but I really like this goofy space show.

(I also like BBC-America because they show a lot of the new Dr.Who, heh)

WoW for free? Gotta be a scam.

2007-02-10T23:50:04Z

Ok, this is the fourth time I've seen a 2gb bittorrent advertising how you can play WoW on this free server. Does anyone know exactly what the catch is? There has to be a catch... At a guess, I'm thinking, beta/test server or some other non-static database that'll reset often, trashing any characters on it.

Fantastic Flash

2007-02-01T17:21:37Z

If you have Flash 8, go to Sebioff's Deviant Art page to try out some of the more creative uses of Flash. The drawing board is alright, and the Spider is sufficiently neat & creepycrawly, but I think Evolution is the best of the bunch. Oh, there's even a gravity based game to Duel with a friend. For the easily amused (like myself), there's also this 6 Experiments mouse-following one. And lastly Attraction is a simple and elegant depiction of gravity with as many objects as you want.

p.s. You can nab the code too, for offline entertainment, if you have Firefox. Use the tool, [page info] and then select the [media] tab. Pick out the "embedded" item and save it on the hd. Amazingly, even the largest Flash is under 30k. For a Windows user, it's a refreshing change when most nifty widgets and things weigh in at 100's of K, if not a few mb.

Just a bit >:)

2007-01-27T00:43:31Z

You Are 36% Evil

A bit of evil lurks in your heart, but you hide it well.
In some ways, you are the most dangerous kind of evil.

How Evil Are You?