in which I sign up for a social network

After my rant on the complete non-understanding of social networks sites like myspace and facebook... I signed up for facebook.

I know, I know... I said that this blog and the flickr account are the ONLY things I needed to stay in touch with the world.

But I realized that if I'm ever going to come out of the insular shell that I'm in socially, I'm gonna have to start SOMEWHERE.  I figure if I can find friends on facebook, then at least there some commonality to it.  I'm a very sociable guy, just not in traditionally sociable places.  I'm more likely to strike up conversation with someone at a bookstore than I am in a bar or club.  I don't drink and the bar/club scene has never been one that I've felt comfortable in.

Basically, I'm trying to say that if I'm ever going to make my way in the world, I have to be connected to world in more ways that I am now.

And I think that facebook is going to be a good start.

Banker's Hours

I work in a bank.

I work “banker’s hours”

Not anymore.

The bank that I work for is switching from “2 weeks vacation/paid holidays/5 days sick time/2 personal days” to Paid Time-Off.

And I’m not sure if I like that yet.  We may or may not have to work bank holidays.  If we don’t work the holidays, we HAVE to use our PTO.  We can’t take an unpaid day off so we can use that time somewhere else.  I won’t be getting 3 weeks vacation (like the old system).  I could take 3 weeks vacation and holidays, but I wouldn’t have any sick time to work with.

I really think it sucks, and it’ll take some getting used to. I’m thankful I have a job that is steady and won’t be going anywhere, but at the same time I feel like I’m getting screwed over on my time off.   I signed up to work in an office environment, not a retail store.  I signed up, knowing that 5 years in that I’d get 3 weeks paid vacation.  I kinda feel robbed.  I really feel that the time and work that I’ve put in at the company has been for nothing – no reward for the years of service I’ve given them.

But at the same time, I do like the complete flexibility that PTO offers.  I might not want to work President’s Day, and I could use that time that I would have used and use it on another day.  If I want to take every last Friday of every month off, I could.  It’s better than most retail/food service.  Most other jobs I’ve held offered NO vacation/sick time/benefits, so I should be grateful for what I have.

But I still can’t shake the feeling that I got shafted.

In which I rave about DOSBox

I love retrogaming.

 

There is something about old PC games from the 80’s and 90’s that you just don’t get in the current run of titles.  The only downside of being a retrogamer in this day and age is the fact that computers are too fast to run anything written 20+ years ago.  Couple that with the fact that the Windows platform makes it nearly impossible to get even Windows 95 games up and running on a modern (XP/Vista) computer.

 

But there is hope.  And hope comes in a package called DosBox.

 

What DOSBox is, is a x86 emulator that runs on XP/Vista that allows you to run old DOS programs.  How DOSBox works… well... that’s beyond my technical expertise.  But the end result is one of retrogaming bliss.  Tack a frontend to the program (like D-Frontend of DOG), and you have the best way to run DOS games.

 

Take the classic exploration game Starflight.  It flat-out WON’T run on a Windows Machine. Period.  I tried for months to try to tweak settings in XP to run it, and it just wouldn’t work.  I downloaded DOSBox and DOG, and within 5 minutes, I was playing one of my favorite childhood games, with no errors or slowdown.  Now couple that with the plethora of abandonware sites out on the internet (Home of the Underdogs and Abandonia come to mind), and you, too, can experience the treasures of computer gaming past.

 

I strongly recommend that if you download DOSBox that you also download a frontend.  DOSBox’s command line is ancient compared to what current users are used to, and unless you learned how to operate DOS back when it was the operating systems of choice (remember c:\ = the stick shift of operating systems), it’s a very difficult thing to wrap your head around. The frontend allows you to go in and actually tweak setting for each individual game, giving you the ability to setup profiles for each game, and making the experience virtually pain-free.

 

DOSBox + a frontend = Gaming Bliss….

To quest or not to quest...

Well, after much anticipation, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King released on Thursday.

And therein lies a dilemma.  I’m still 4000 gold short of buying my epic flying mount, and (sadly) the great run of daily quests in QuelDanas have had their gold rewards drastically reduced. So what do I do?  Wrath is geared for high level playing and end-game content, but what about new players or players that are just getting back into the game?  Getting an epic flying mount help tremendously in Outland, but getting 5000 gold is going to be tough, especially since Blizzard dropped the gold rewards on the Level 70 daily quests.  So how am I going to make any money?

I really wish I had transfer onto the PvE server earlier – I could have had my epic already! J

And it’s been less than 24 since Wrath’s launch and someone on the EU’s Drek’thar server ALREADY HIT 80!  Ten level in less than 24 hours?  Do these people even have lives?  I mean, it’s a fun game and all, but jesus – get out and breath some fresh air every now and then!

I’m beginning to wonder if Blizzard even thought the whole level progression through.  80 in less than 24 from 70?  Maybe it’s time to rethink XP in the game.  Either stop giving the Rested XP bonus after 70 if you are in the inn – or maybe extending the amount of XP needed to level.  I’m wondering if these people in their rush to 80 even bother to enjoy the game that Blizzard worked hard on creating.  They are in such a mad rush to be the first to 80 (by way of achievements) that they skip quest lines, and just grind and/or quest until they achieve their goal.

And I’m not the first to say this, but I wonder how unhealthy this type of behavior is.  I am a believer that video game/internet addiction exists, and players like these prove it.  I, for one, have a life outside of the game.  Don’t take that as a slam against ALL MMO players.  I know plenty of people that have a job, family, friends and still play WoW.  But there are people that, sadly, WoW is their life.  That’s all they do. And to me, that paints a sad, sad, picture of today’s society. When a computer game can eclipse real life as a priority – I begin to wonder about humanity ability to thrive.

My new home...

Well, Sorta.

I finally decided to take the plunge, and pay to transfer my level 70 Hunter off the PvP-Bleeding Hollow server, and move it to the PvE-Trollbane server.

And I couldn't be happier.

I was able to, in one hour, run 20 daily quests and get over 100g for my time. Something that would have taken me at LEAST 3-4 hours (if I didn't give up) on the PvP server.

The process was pretty painless as well. From the time I put through the request to the point at which I could actually play on the new server was about 45 minutes. So 25 dollars and 45 minutes later, I was actually having playing again.

I also took the gold and purchased a Guild Charter, got my 9 signatures, and started up The Dragon Guard on the new server. So when Damastus, Pipsie, Rellas, Ransue, Grothen, and Arlilith get the money to come over, the guild will be ready for them to go.

You know, I really am looking forward to running the guild for the time being - Most of the people that signed are low-level characters, so I think it'll be great to help them out, and hopefully they will like the gameplay that we (the guild) are accustomed to.

In which I find out I can suspend a service...

I’m actually saving money this winter.

For the last 3 weeks, I think I’ve watched a total of 8 hours of TV.  Not that I don’t like watching TV – on the contrary – I love it.  NCIS, Heroes, Criminal Minds, Dirty Jobs, Mythbusters, these are a few of the shows I watch on a weekly basis. But lately, because of winter starting to settle in, I’ve been watching movies in my bedroom.  Which is the only room I heat during the winter, due to the fact I have to heat using electricity.

So I was agonizing over the fact that I wanted to get rid of my cable.  I haven’t been watching it, and It’s 70 a month that could go to heating this winter.  So I bit the bullet and went to TWC’s website to go about disconnecting my service. 

But a cool thing happened.

I found out about the Seasonal Suspension Plan.

Here’s how it works: There are a lot of older folks that live here in Maine during the Summer and then go to a place further south (usually Florida) during the winter. So TWC created a way to suspend your cable service while you aren’t living in the state!  Awesome!  It’s only $5 a month to suspend your cable, and then you choose the time when you want it turned back on.  So I figured I use it to suspend my cable during winter (when I’m not watching TV in my cold living room), and then turn it back on in April when it’s warming up again.

I’ll be saving $420 over the next 6 months – and it’ll all go to heating an medications. 

 

I voted.

After some confusion on which Ward in Auburn I reside in, I finally made it to Auburn Middle School to vote (huge thanks to Chuck for carting my butt around last night).

And now that it’s over, I’ll say I voted for Obama/Biden.  The reason?  I honestly think that we, as a country, can’t take 4 more years of Bush-style politics in the White House.  We need a new direction in our economy.  We need to re-think our strategy in the Iraq War.  We need to change – and I think we are now on the right track for that change.

And as an aside, is it me, or does McCain look like a “Mini-Me” to George Bush’s “Austin Powers”?