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  Disnazis! 03:48 PM -- Thu October 13, 2005  

Those who said a parking garage were right, but such an answer evades the humor of the full truth - it's from the parking garage at Disneyland! Maybe it's not funny to you, but to me those things look seriously Nazi, and thinking of the Disnazis coming after you... "It vould zeem zat you are not feelink zee magic! Please to be comink vith us!" Much like when Homer and Bart were thrown in The Hole at Itchy & Scratchy Land. The Goofystapo? Okay, it's just me.

Exciting progress is being made on things that I am not speaking about! Woot! Today is Ninja day though, which is always a drag. It's a hard project, mainly because at its core it's very editable, which makes it very floppy and loose, like a beanie baby. Today I'm implementing the N-I-N-J-A letters, which you have to collect in sequence, all in one combo. This first set, since it is the first set, is tremendously easy though. Just jump at the right spot and the arc of your jump will take you through them all in order. But later, you'll have to do wall jumps, dashes, and more to get them all. Maybe even combo off of innocent victims!

I just finished auctioning off the 3 seasons of Buffy we own. I think I did fairly well - $12.50 for the first season, $22 each for the remaining two. That more than half pays for the 7 seasons we will be getting in the Chosen Collection (I told you about this before, you better have preordered yours already!). It's coming out November 15th, so yay.

Another ebay-related story is that yesterday I went to get the mail, and there was a note in the box that we had a package. It was a regular package, but when she brought it out, she brought another package too and said "This one's been here since August!" Turns out it was the set of CDs I bought on half.com in August that never arrived. Or so I thought. Obviously they did arrive, and nobody decided to share them with ME! Incompetence in mail delivery seems to be a constant in my life. I'm just going to have to learn to accept it. Speaking of that, we almost daily receive mail for previous occupants of our PO box. Eerily enough, most of them are named Hummel (my last name's Hommel if you didn't know). But boy am I tired of it. Quite a contrast to the time I sent a check to Brent's PO box, who made the Dr. Lunatic music, and called him "Burnt" on it (it's a nickname!). It was returned to me! I mean come on, people make spelling mistakes worse than that!

Here's another thing we encountered when setting up our cat run:

Pretty fancy lizard! He was semi-biggish, maybe 4 inches not counting tail. He was too scared to move at all, making the picture-taking easy. He was also in the midst of shedding his skin, as you can kinda make out just above his hips. We also found a toad in the cat run, which seemed pretty out of place in the desert (not a horny toad, a full-on squishy toad that should be in water, or so I thought).
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  Slacker 12:06 PM -- Tue October 11, 2005  

I'm wearing my "Slacker" T-shirt today. It's a cool shirt that emphasizes my lack of go-get-em attitude.

What's it like when you think? I am curious. I know there's deep-down thinking that just happens instantly, I'm not talking about that. But say you are trying to decide how to respond to the question I just asked. What's thinking about that like? For me, it's just like talking - I'm actually speaking out a reply in my head, or even discussing pros and cons of different answers, like "No, that's not quite right...". Sometimes I even catch my throat moving to do the talking (it's really bad when my mouth starts moving, and extra really bad when sounds come out... don't they call that a sign of insanity?). And I know this is a really bad habit, because my brain can think a whole lot faster than I can talk, but when I think this way, it slows down my thought to speech speed. Of course, I know there are tons of parallel tracks running at once to formulate that "spoken" thought, but it still feels very limiting. I think it also slows down my reading, because I read the words as if I were reading them aloud, just internally. So I can't read any faster than I can talk either, even though I can glance at a sentence and immediately know what the entire sentence says. I still have to talk it out before I can move on to the next. If I could get over that, I'd be a speed reader! In fact, as I understand it, that is the gist of speed-reading. I should get one of those speed-reading books sometime and see what's up.

Speaking of books, yesterday I came across this site, and read about the Personal MBA. I think I'm gonna check out some of the books there. I could really use business skills.

Here's a funny picture. Let's see if you can guess where it was taken:



Hint: it wasn't in 1942 Nazi Germany, though it does appear to be. Answer coming in the next journal entry. So, am I just crazy, or do you think the way I do?
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  I Wonder Why? 06:41 PM -- Mon October 10, 2005  

We just finished seeing the entire series of Wonderfalls via Netflix. It's like 13 or 14 episodes, only 4 of which actually aired. Another in the long and distinguished line of series that the networks (usually Fox) didn't "get" and couldn't be bothered to promote or pursue, but which are in fact much better than the shows that continue on year after year. Or maybe they didn't get ratings for real reasons, I don't know. Wonderfalls is cool, and I recommend it on two grounds - for one, it's a very good TV show. But better yet, the episodes of it that were made work together perfectly, like a miniseries. If you watch the whole set, you'll be left probably wanting more of course, but you'll also feel that a complete story was told. So I recommend it on that basis. Watch it for what it is and enjoy, and don't worry about what isn't there, because it's complete as it is. Wish the same could be said for Firefly! Sigh. Cut down in their prime...

But there is a certain goodness to that. Some series just go on too long and eventually jump the shark, and you hope for them to be put out of their misery. I think it's better to be left wanting more than to watch the sad decline and wacky new sidekicks and babies. Firefly was definitely not ready to be chopped, but I'm quite happy with what I got from Wonderfalls. It is all it needed to be. And then the creators of those shows, if they cut them off (with a reasonably satisfying conclusion, not some cliffhanger) in their prime, can then go on to make something different that will be equally compelling, rather than beating the same dead horse into glue. It won't always capture that same magic, but neither will the first series if it keeps dragging on. Hey, I'm just gonna come out and say it... The Simpsons should have ended 5 years ago when they were amazing! Futurama was the new and wonderful project from that group, and it indeed was fresh and great (and had a whole different take on comedy, more heartfelt and moral, and more ridiculous at the same time). Sigh, Futurama... another one abused to death by Fox. When will they learn?

Here:
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  Fussin' And A Feudin' 07:56 PM -- Thu October 6, 2005  

So for the past two days, I've been unable to send mail. I didn't know why. Spent all day today trying to get the mail sender on my server working with the tech support there, to no avail (previously, I sent mail through my ISP's server, which had stopped working). What on earth was happening? I also couldn't get to my ISP's website, or worst of all, read Penny Arcade! Well, it turns out, according to my ISP's web site (said info had to be "read" to me over IRC for me to discover it), there are two giant behemoths feuding in the middle of America (you know, like Kansas or something - somewhere nobody would notice getting trampled), and they are cutting off each others' customers in some ways. The real info is at that link. Sounds messy. I hoep they wrap it up quick. To fix it, I had to dial up from a different number, and after several minutes attempting to interpret the arcane symbols in the Customer Info Guide in our phone book, I am relegated to just crossing my fingers and hoping the number I'm using is not a local toll call. It seems right, but pretty much according to this chart, I could dial Bangladesh for free, so I think I'm misreading it.

Bonsai got to ride in the car today, which he enjoyed in the same way humans enjoy a really really scary haunted house. Of course, at the end of the haunted house, you pop out onto the street again, safe and sound. Bonsai ended up at the vet. Poor baby. Here's a picture of the dramatic results of having our cat run finished (remember, Huzzah is black and white):


And then they come inside and lay on the bed.
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  SERENITY THEN! 06:40 PM -- Sun October 2, 2005  

We saw it! I would say that everyone on Earth needs to see it immediately. I say that so that they'll make me a trilogy. But was it great? Yeess.... but not the most amazing movie ever. If you're not a Fireflyhead (is that possible?!), it's a really exciting and interesting sci-fi movie. Not the best one ever, but definitely worth seeing. You will undeniably have fun - very very funny, very exciting and intense, very original, and an interesting plot that you are very welcome to read certain sociopolitical commentary into. I don't think anybody could not at least enjoy it as a fun popcorn movie (well, unless you're very squeamish about violence - it's exceedingly violent, though not gory).

If you are a browncoat, well, you don't have a choice. You've already seen it if you're not in the hospital. Did you, Mr. Browncoat, enjoy it? Yes and no... it takes things further, explains things, gives you more of the trademark hilarity, and pushes the characters to their limits. I really don't think anybody else makes movies with the personal stakes SO high for the characters. Nobody comes out of this anywhere near unscathed, and the abuse heaped on them is intense. Most frightful of all is that by the finale, you're chewing your nails because you have no idea who might live or die - it's that brutal! No Hollywood hero safety net here (you know, like "well, we know he's not gonna die, obviously!"). Another fun thing, though subtle, is the fact that you read the entire plot as a screed against the evil empire of Fox for so mistreating the show (You can't stop the signal!). It also does things that likely, for us fans, will make you scream at Joss and tell him to take it back! It certainly had that effect on our resident intergalactic bounty hunter. There is another downside for fans - the camraderie between the crewmembers is really missing in this movie, I think. They're just not really nice to each other anymore! Mal especially stands out as a very angry man. They still banter in very amusing ways, but not really in a friendly way, it seems like.

Yes, it's absolutely a great movie. It's not the second coming of the Matrix, but it's great. And it brings Firefly back to us. I deeply hope for a sequel (and trilogy - but stop there, don't beat it into the ground), but after the events in this one, I fear things will be forever changed in ways that can only diminish the wacky fun (one change in particular ringing in my head here). But who knows? Now that I've seen this movie, I'm back to square one - waiting and waiting for the next one! Too bad it'll be at least 2 years this time.

After that accomplishment of sitting very still for 2 hours, we accomplished something else. I should probably post pictures, but that is a serious pain. We finished building our cat run! It was so manly of us. We built it, and we put the cats in it, and they are happy. Ollie is already trying to break loose. Now all we have to do is use the enormous pile of gutter materials we bought and put up our gutters... next weekend, that is.

PS - Don't post any spoilers, I'll yank em.
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  SERENITY NOW! 09:08 AM -- Sat October 1, 2005  

Hey, it's U-day everybody! Well, yesterday was. Serenity is here, and we are off to go see it this morning, since going on a Friday is a complicated gas-wasting endeavor, with one of us working in the big city and the other not. Last night we watched as many episodes as we could before sleep was necessary, which was 3. We're not tough, and we don't drink caffeine (well, and somebody never gets home from work until way late). It's fun to be excited about a movie. Also fun is going to town and eating out.

Ninja troubles - I made it so that when you throw guys, it doesn't do damage to them magically like it did. Instead, they get hurt when they hit the wall or floor. Also, when thrown, they can smack into other guys and knock them around (a key component of entertainment!). But I screwed it all up, so instead throwing them currently smacks them into the ground twice and kills them. So next Thursday I'll be working on that again...
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  Projekt 10:22 AM -- Tue September 27, 2005  

Okay, so scratch that - I'm working on FIVE projects at once. One for each day of the week! I'll tell you about one, because it wasn't meant to be secret, and I've been working on it all along: Dueling Doodles. That's the new name of my board game Art Attack. I'm working to make a better prototype with cards that are easier to use and smooth it up, and then we'll see about getting it published or self-publishing or something. It's a great game!

Then there's Ninja of course, the two mystery projects, and a new mystery project. Two of them are attempts at Halloween games. I'm hoping I can have one or the other ready in time! Sure, progress on all of them is slow, with only one day a week working on each one (and only 3 or 4 hours!), but you know what? It's the first time I've felt like I'm making steady solid progress since Kid Mystic Redux! So sure it's a little slow with so many projects, but all of them are constantly chugging ahead at the same time, so it's good. It's hard to be bored with a new project every day! And the new mystery project isn't really getting in the way of anything, because it's going on the day I previously had "Other" as my project (meaning work on any of the projects).

So you wanna know about the mystery projects?!?!!? Ah, that's a shame. Here's all the hints you get: they're all computer games in some sense. Two of the three are extremely innovative, and I don't think any games quite like them have ever been done before. One can be played without coming into physical contact with any part of your computer. All will (assuming they do get released) be available, in time, for both Mac and PC. One of them will work on almost any computer, in fact. And lastly, you already have the main software needed to play one of them.

One other thing about the mystery projects should be noted: they're all pretty early in development, so I don't even really know if they'll be fun! So they may still get dropped. But I have very high hopes for two of them, and the third I just started yesterday, so that one's just WAY up in the air.
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  Fury and Righteous Anger 07:15 PM -- Mon September 26, 2005  

I received an unsolicited telemarketing call on my cell phone today. My cell phone.
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  Fun n' Games 03:25 PM -- Thu September 22, 2005  

Ah, so I fixed the Ninja bug in the first couple minutes of my workday! Then I got a bunch more done. You can now complete (some) goals in the level, and they get marked off and everything. I still have one more Ninja hour later on today, I'll have to finish up the goal stuff. I also made the model for the Trainee, the first enemy you fight that can actually move (well, obviously I "made" it by starting from the Time Ninja himself, who incidentally was modeled from the scared guy in Habitat For Horror):


There's the closest thing to a Sneak Peek you're getting for a while! Nothing new and exciting to show.

So here's the latest Game Design Showdown I've entered: BGDF Forum. See if you can guess which game is mine. It shouldn't be too hard actually, for you guys. I will reveal the answer once voting on that site is done (oh, and please don't go and vote, that's just not fair, and I would be really embarrassed... if you wanna join that site though, join up and vote next month! Hey, enter your own design next month too!). I really like my entry in this contest more than usual. I've been thinking to make a prototype and try it out if I ever have a spare moment.

Okay, so I'm on my web time, I've gotta go look some stuff up and do some work.
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  Twos 06:31 PM -- Wed September 21, 2005  

Two days of using the schedule, and it's still great fun (today was a blast!).

Two food discussion items: first, in searching for something to make, we came across a recipe for Vegetable Chowder ("Chowdah! Say it! Chowdah!!") which is just awesomely good! And it was really easy. It was also good to actually be cooking something for the first time in 11 decades or whatever it's been. Second thing is that we have been dieting here at the HQ. Not seriously, because we don't really need that, but we've just been eating too much. So here's the easiest way to diet (I think), it works great for us: all you do is write down everything you eat in a little journal, along with how many calories it is. At the end of the day, you total it. What you do with that info is up to you, but that's the whole diet! It helps if you go online and look up your basal metabolic rate (Here's a calculator), so you have something to shoot for. Your basal rate is what you burn if you spend all day in bed, so if you eat that much, then any movement you actually do end up making by some chance is burning the fat away. I guess you could call it the shame diet, because it works entirely on the concept that you'll stop pigging out when confronted with just how much you are eating. Would work even better if you had to post your calories publicly! But then you'd probably starve yourself and die.

Two nature notes, in wacky bunny story form: First, I went by the window one day and saw a bunny sitting out there on the ground, just chewing away. Then I noticed what he was chewing on - it was a huge piece of plant, about 2 feet long, just laid out across the ground. I sat and watched for over a minute, because the bunny just sat there, his jaw constantly churning, as the plant gradually inched into his mouth. It was so funny to see, like he was very slowly slurping up a spaghetti noodle. The thing was bigger than he was! The other wacky bunny story doesn't really work as a story, but it was cool to see. One bunny was chasing another, rather viciously, and every time he caught up with it, the chased bunny would turn and hop right over the chaser, and lead him in the other direction. They did this back and forth a bunch of times before they vanished behind the trees. I think bunnies amuse me.

Two secret projects. Yesterday I worked on one, and today I worked on the other. Both of them are going great, and are a lot of fun to work on. That's putting them above the Ninja game, for sure, which is being very cantankerous. I ended my day monday with the Ninja game in a state where it crashes every time you start it up. I spent half the day digging at that bug, and it's still not fixed, so that'll be fun to go back to tomorrow!

Oh hey, the family of quail are out in front of our house munching up all our birdseed right now! The babies have grown up, but they're still smaller than the big ones. And they all still travel in a big pack, which is funny to see, because they run like... I don't know what, cartoons I guess.

Well, tomorrow's the ninja game according the Mr. Schedule, so that bug better get packing. Oh, and speaking of twos, you have until two-morrow to vote on Halloween Horror, and then the building can commence!
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