Thoughts

  • January 31, 2006

    007: Golden Eye

    Golden Eye

    Since last Wednesday, until Wednesday, Tim over at Ctrl-Alt-Del is doing a tribute to his favorite games for their holiday, “Winter-een-mass”. He has picked some good ones- but today’s takes the cake so far. Here is his tribute to Golden Eye

    Anyone who was old enough played Golden Eye for N64- One of the best systems of all time, in my opinion. As Tim put it:

    It had a handful of games that stand out for me during that time period, but one of them above the rest was the king of the N64 for me.

    Golden Eye was king of N64. First Person Shooters were relatively new then and Rare did a great job in making this one- I even beat this game. (While I do play a lot of video games, it’s kind of rare the i finish one. I didn’t beat Halo until like a week before Halo 2 came out). The best part, I think, was the multiplayer.

    I remember especially on snow days, my friend Matt, my brothers Phil, Mike and Rob and myself would sit around in our playroom and play for hours on end. Matt and I were the best, and had some epic battles. While we would all usually argue over Bond, I would go for Jaws. OddJob was forbidden and if you used him you were ‘a bitch’. I’d like to thank Tim for writing about this game and allowing some of my fond memories to resurface about that game and N64 in general.

    It was the Halo of that generation. Not as large, but then, video games weren’t as large back then. It attracted people who weren’t gamers by nature, with indescribably elements that added to mechanics to make it perfect in nearly every way.

    Later.

  • January 11, 2006

    Good Design

    Mike over at Mike Industries recently wrote about a site that has poor design. It has sparked a lot of discussion. Most are saying that it is bad and they should have hired a professional. However some are playing devil’s advocate, saying that ‘it’s getting them attention, right?’

    As a web developer, I am often faced with stuff like this, and I am here to say that though they are getting the attention that maybe they wanted, it probably is not getting the business they wanted. Whenever I am designing something for a new client, I always, always tell them that the website is a reflection of how they run their business and their business’s image. I gave this example in the comments for that post:

    A business is represented by its presentation. If this store was in the slums of some run down city with a crooked sign and paint peeling, I have a feeling you wouldn’t go in there, because they don’t care about their appearance. It is the same with any website. If the website does not look good, the user will get the idea that this is the way they run their business: half assed and something that just gets the job done. And if that is how their business is represented how do they feel about their products?

    And it is not just design, but content. If a site is too cluttered, they are trying to throw too much in your face at once. People do not want to read a cluttered website. Websites do not need 100 bells and whistles for attention. It should have a nice looking design that makes them stand out (not something that looks the same as everyone else) and a good balance of text and images. The discussion on Mike’s page is bringing up a lot of good points, all of which you can read here. Later!

  • September 16, 2005

    Music and Nostalgia

    I know we have all experienced this phenomena at least once in our lives. You listen to a CD that you haven’t listened to in a long time, maybe years, and when you hear those songs, it brings you back to maybe the last time you heard it, or around that time. It has happened to me a few times, but not as strongly as right now with the CD “War All the Time” by Thursday. I got it December of 2003, my freshman year of college. Whenever I listen to the song Asleep in the Chapel especially, it brings me back to then. I can see it perfectly- sitting in my dorm room, Martin Hall, at my computer, playing Call of Duty, which was all the rage my freshman year because of our awesome network at school. The scene out my window was a wintry freshman lower quad, everything covered with snow. The same scene that was on my computer- a snow storm to brave in search of the other army. I think the reason that this CD brings back such a vivid memory of that is because of the strong relationships everything I just described had. The CD has a white cover and is entitled “War All the Time.” The scene the CD paints is a broken down city that is war tired and now deserted. The game, Call of Duty, is a war game that would take place in the deserted cities described in the CD. It was very fitting that I listened to this CD while playing the game. Another one of our favorite levels was a Russian level that was very snowy- that coupled with the snowy atmosphere outside my window created a very convincing setting to play this game in. Listening to this CD makes me kind of want to be back there- a setting so unique that I know it will never be repeated.
    Thanks for indulging me for a bit- feel free to leave comments. Later.

  • August 27, 2005

    The Summer


    The GPO Building in Ireland

    Well, with Freshmen moving in today, the summer has officially ended. The summer of 2005 is definitely one to remember. While I worked hard in a job that I nor anyone else thought I’d ever have (construction), I did have a lot of fun. Some of the highlights include when I came to school for the weekend to paint, but really got nothing done, Fourth of July Weekend, all of those nights I played poker, and of course, Ireland. Ireland was a once in a lifetime experience for me, not in the sense that I will never go back, because I hope I do. But the whole experience- it was really my first time vacationing without my family- and my first time over seas. I didn’t know what to expect- but the trip was amazing because of the good company I had. My friend Sean, whom we stayed with was great, as was his family, who bent over backwards to accommodate us. Not to mention that not everyone gets to see U2 in Dublin, Ireland. I was a great way to end a 2 week stay. On the flight back, a handful of people sitting by me mentioned how the only reason the went to Ireland was for U2.
    It was tough to pick out one picture to encapsulate the whole summer in, but I went with the GPO Building in Dublin. I did want to choose a photo from Ireland, and I felt that this one was it because of the history of the GPO building and the fact that, in my eyes anyway, it’s a symbol of Freedom in Dublin and the rest of Ireland.
    School will be starting soon, and it will be back to class and another very busy academic year, as I am more involved this year than any other, HS or College. I consider myself very lucky to have the summer I had- all of the events, good and bad, made it a worthwhile learning experience, and one that everyone should have. Later.

  • July 11, 2005

    A Narative…

    The alarm clock goes off. 6:30AM. “Fuck. I don’t want to go to work.”
    You get dressed, grab food, get in your car. Call mom when you get there.

    Your on the highway now. 17- your comfort zone. Once you get off, you don’t really know where your going. It’s 7:15. You look ahead at the traffic. Someone hit their brakes. Now at the car just ahead of you. “O shit. Fuck. Fuck.”

    You just slammed into a car. But it wasn’t your fault. You know that. But thats the way it looks. You get out of the car. The image of the airbags going off is engraved in your head now. Fuck- 4 cars. Is everyone ok? Yes. Thank God. You want to call you dad. You call 911 first. Your somewhere on the highway. By exit 129 going east. The cops are there in minutes. Then you call your dad. Your ok. “It wasn’t my fault. I remember what you said. I kept my distance. I wasn’t tailgating. I slammed on my breaks. It wasn’t my fault.”

    First you think of everything worst that could have happened. Your still alive. Everyone is. Thank God. Thank God for your seat belt, for your airbags. Of all those moments you relax while you drive, this time you were driving upright. Hands at 10 and 2. Thank God.

    Once the adrenaline rush is over, you think that it could be better. “Fuck. my car is totaled. Fuck. I’m the last car. But it wasn’t my fault. I had no time to react. I wasn’t tailgating. I wasn’t even speeding. Fuck.”

    All you want to do is see you dad and tell him it wasn’t your fault. Its just a car he says. Thank god your all right. Its just a car. Fuck though. “It wasn’t my fault. Fuck…Thank God I’m alright…I wish I was at work right now.” Later.

  • July 2, 2005

    Why you should buy a laptop for college….

    I just read This- it’s entitled “Why you should not buy a laptop for college. Ok so this post isn’t why you should, but I’d like to help shed some light on the situation. I have both a laptop and a desktop. I built my desktop. I’m a computer geek. However, I find my laptop incredible useful for school and otherwise. Let’s take this guy’s post point by point.

    Price Issue: A laptop will cost considerably more then an equally matched desktop system… While this is true, most students should by laptops because they don’t need a really powerful machine. Something that can run MS Office (Word, Excel, etc.), AIM and a web browser (use FireFox) really should be sufficient. My laptop (Averatec Tablet PC) was $1300, is very small, and is currently running gAIM, Firefox, a notepad clone, Excel, Word, Windows Media Player and Adobe Photoshop as well as Gmail Notifier and Windows Updates. and it’s running fine. if your laptop breaks down you will nearly always have to send it to the manufacture to get repaired. That’s if you are still covered by the warranty… In my experience, the same thing will happen with a desktop. Most people are afraid of the inside of a computer and don’t want to deal with it. Depending on the damage, no matter what you have, you will b e sending it back. and ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS get the extended warranty. At best buy, it will extend it to 3 years.

    Portability Hype: Not all locations on campus will support wifi… This is true, so you will have to find out if you school does, and where. My school does and is expanding it throughout campus. And if your school doesn’t offer it, chances are someone living just off campus did no configure their wireless router correctly, and you can mooch off them. Sitting in a parking lot on campus, i found 16 WiFi connections. Also forget about using your laptop as a notebook… This one he’s pretty right about. But it’s good for those times where you want to bring it to class for other reasons, because you are giving a presentation or something- I’m a programming major, so I find that bringing my laptop to class helps sometimes. But, what our friend didn’t mention is those times you go home for the weekend or breaks. The Laptop is definitely great for this. You aren’t going to lug your desktop home for a weekend. It would take to much time and effort and probably not pay off. Also, those longer breaks- laptop breakdown is much easier. Since I am often in need of My computer- because of certain resources- I find myself bringing my laptop all over the place. Plus, Laptops are great for commuters who often spend the whole day on campus because why drive back and forth in between classes.

    Productivity Hype: Your going to be as productive as you want to me. He mentions online research and distractions- that is true. But you will be able to get the internet anywhere on campus. If you want to do online research at the library you can do it on their PCs, but it wouldn’t be a hassle to bring you laptop there and connect. Either way you will have those distractions, might as well be comfortable, web wise.

    Durability & Security Issues : hey are more easily prone to getting nicks, dents and scratches and a bad fall could just spell the end. Also unlike desktops, laptops are more likely to getting stolen or lost…. This is where being a responsible adult comes in. Keep an eye on your laptop, get an nice case for it for when it’s not in use and you will be fine.

    I hope this has been helpful and I would be happy to answer an questions on the issues for anyone. Just leave a comment or email me (Joe@Casabona.Org). Later!

  • June 28, 2005

    I am back…

    And there is a lot to talk about. The trip to Ireland was amazing, relaxing, and a lot of fun in general. It was a vacation as well as a retreat in some aspects. I had a good amount of time to myself to just think and clear my head. With no internet I wasn’t on the computer all that much- just to upload the 700 and something pictures we took. I created a Flickr account and will be adding more over the next few days. There we did the usual tourist stuff like take a tour of the town and country- which is beautiful- the rumors are true. The night life was nice- since we stayed with a friend, and some other guys showed us around to the good places. I found out reenforced what I thought already- I don’t like to drink all that much. Watching others and remembering is much more fun….most of the time. Sitting at the bar just talking was a good time- the clubs were ok- I look like a fool when I dance, and as a result don’t really like to dance. What I really enjoyed was going out to Wicklow County. There is one place- Guiness Lake- I could have stayed out there for days. Sitting on top of a hill over looking a lake and mountains with a nice refreshing breeze. I tried to recapture it in pictures, but they don’t even come close to being there. All in all it was a good trip and I’m sure ill probably post more on it some time.

  • May 30, 2005

    Some general stuff.

    First off, today’s Questionable Content so so good, i feel i need to share it with you.

    Second off [i guess], since my post about the Yankees doing well, we got our ass kicked by the BoSox twice. Perfect.

    Thirdly, I have a Half.com store (which should be working soon) and I am an Ebay Seller now! I have a feeling I will soon become addicted to this. Later!

  • May 26, 2005

    Networks and The Death Star

    Last night my friend called me up and we started talking about Tight VNC, a remote access program I installed on his computer at school. He asked if it would work now that we are both home and I explained to him that since we are both on different networks it would not. We talked a little more and he asked me about ports. I go to explain and he says “Explain it to me like if the Death Star was a server.” SO I explained it as such- The Death Star is a server- which is of course just a computer. So we have the front of the death star which is the giant ray that is the ruiner of planets. Go 180 degrees around to the back- you have a bunch of bays for ships to land. These bays are the ports. Each port is for a different ship. For instance, one is for the ships caught in the tractor beam (such as the Millennium falcon). One is for Vader’s TIE Fighter, etc. These bays are used often and can be left open because of their use. However, there are some bays that aren’t used that much. For instance, If there was a bay for Darth Sidious’ ship. He does not visit the Death Star but they keep his bay open anyway, in case he does. That is not good- because what if someone steals Sidious’ ship, or get one just like it. Then they can go into that bay and have full access to the Death Star. He then asked me how routers work and I did it in terms of a space station (keeping with the Star Wars Motif). By the end of the conversation, I realized how much of a nerd I really am- not only because I could explain ports and routers in such a manner, but because I enjoyed explaining it that way. Later!

  • April 8, 2005

    Mobility!

    So Im away for the weekend at the lovely Woodloch Pines Resort– A resort in northernish PA- Hawly- kinda near the Poconos. Anyway, There is a resort side- R&R if you will, and a business side- one aspect of which is the real nice 18 hole golf course they have. We- my family, friends and I are staying in the springs- a development (if you want to call it that)- built around the golf course. They are given to larger guest groups- but owned by other guests in a time share type manor. This of course lead me to believe that there was at least one wireless network I can steal from. I was right. There are actually 2- but the other one is very weak. But also, on the resort (in the main lobby and other select places) you can connect to their guest WiFi Network. I absolutly love the fact that I can pick up a connection from just about anywhere with my laptop b/c of the enviroment. My school is also getting like that. Soon, WiFi will be available anywhere. Later!