patentdragon: (unexpected)
The other day, I found the 2013 edition of my annual "new signature" art-piece, which I sign as the bells ring at New Year. "100 chapters of story in the 10th anniversary year for Darkhawk, or die trying", it reads (or words to that effect)... and boy, have I utterly failed at that. I have become somehow disconnected from writing this year, which I can attribute, without fear of contradiction, to discovering Minecraft.

What do I do about it? Stop playing? That won't solve anything in itself, and will starve my latest, and to date most successful project - the Ace Of Thorns channel - of new material. Better time management is called for, and perhaps a more flexible electronic tool for writing than my phone, which has never been up to the challenge, or my netbook, which doesn't get switched on or even taken out of my working rucksack more than maybe twice a month. A dirt-cheap but efficient tablet, with the ability to turn out rich text documents, seems to be the solution, as the transcription from hand-written to electronic is a time-eater I can't afford these days... and I do still have stories I want to tell.

Tomorrow is a "break day", so I may have some time to think about all this. Making a decision on hardware is a loooooong way away, by the look of things, as the tablet market is so damned congested...
patentdragon: (unexpected)
That's me "back on the horse", after the post-exams break - ow, shouldn't have said "back", 'cause mine has chosen NOW to bother me for the first time in ages...

I think I'll be recording games videos straight to external hard drive from now on. I've been testing the technology this evening, and all seems to have gone well - I'd rather not keep on thrashing the laptop's drive, filling it with raw footage then copying it over to external storage when the "disk space left" gauge goes red. When it comes down to the nitty-gritty, I'd prefer (but still much rather avoid completely) to trash an £85 peripheral than a near-£700 main machine.

In other news... I'm "clearing the decks", pre-Rush. Appointments have been made, comic orders sent in - hmmm, I have a Minecraft video to upload...
patentdragon: (unexpected)
Hard drive space concerns have been dealt with*, even though that ate a chunk of the last day of my "long weekend" I *gasp* did manage to get some writing done - as in finally typing up a chunk of the latest Mane-of-Night story. I really need to do more writing, but I'm just not in that groove right now. PLEASE can we get these damn windows sorted so I can FINALLY get organised? It's nearly TWO YEARS since we moved!!!

(*I was going to place a reservation on a 3TB desktop HD at Argos, but noooo, it's not in stock, 'cause it's "discontinued". Oh great - too late on the deal that made this item cheaper than two of the 1TB portable models I just got for video management. Typical...)

Elsewhat... Yay - the Budget has something for me! Income tax will only be charged after the first £10,000 sooner than previous planned! Probably means I won't be getting many more refunds, though.

Also... there's a new Doctor Who trailer. A week and a half to go!
patentdragon: (Default)
O.M.F.G.

Definite Lottery Win Goodies - Four-metre-tall Japanese robot shoots bottle rockets, costs £860k. A robot you can ride around in...

From the same source - wired.co.uk - an amusing tale of a French company attempting to trademark the logo and slogan of "hackivists" Anonymous, to which the pushy little cyber-brats respond by "waging war" on the company with one of their "#Ops". Jeez, make your frigging minds up, willya? Are you against trademarks and copyrights or not? Isn't everything supposed to be, well, y'know, like FREE and "open source" for everyone? Hey, apparently no indidvidual is actually ALLOWED to own an idea, a SONG, a GAME or a MOVIE in Anonymous-World - we're all "sharing" (i.e. taking whatever we want for nothing, and crying "corporate imperialism" whenever you get caught STEALING)... aren't we?

Hypocrisy. Oh, and they still hide behind masks. Pussies.

And to think that, instead of his pussy-ism, you guys could've gotten behind my "I Am Groot Day" idea yesterday, to mark exactly two years until the release of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. Remember, pop-pickers, this movie is (or has to be) our "in-road" into the legend of THANOS.

I believe. After AVENGERS, how could I not...?
patentdragon: (Default)
Is... is this... summer? It sort of feels like it. That probably means it won't last...

Yeah, that's about all I'm going to write tonight. It's not been the best of days, with somebody letting their aversion to the "heat" get the better of their common sense. Yes, a LOT of my time is computer-focussed, but just imagine what life would be like if I didn't have that...?

I wouldn't have a fucking job for a start, and wouldn't that be lovely?

I am done with the matter now - and I am now going to go and play Star Trek Online, and maybe new purchase Legend Of Grimrock until bed-time.

Think I'll be glad to get back to work. There, I get peace and quiet.
patentdragon: (Default)
BIG gaming session - haven't played so much of anything for YEARS. If this lappy was going to let me down, it would've done it by now...

I'm really going to have to "turn it down" a bit, if I'm going to get anything else done. It's not easy when you're two ranks from the top of Star Trek Online and just took part in a major-league city storming in Skyrim. Both games are really "comfortable" now - and there's nothing cooler than giving The Big Dragon-Shout and knocking giants of humanoid and spider origin flying...

Heeheehee!
patentdragon: (Default)
Yeah, I've been naughty, and missed a posting slot - but I am trying out the laptop via the TV (not quite convinced about that), and writing has been going pretty well during Work Slot 2...

...and there's some kind of technical glitch about new posts getting through. Yeah, that was the reason for the missed post - and not Star Trek Online.

But hey, the strawberry plants are thriving.
patentdragon: (Default)
Reporting from the netbook, 'cause the laptop needed a reboot, and got stuck again. The latter probably realises that its position as current #1 hardware solution is about to be usurped, and is getting in one last "dig". Yep, the new laptop has been ordered!

Today, however, was not be the day of rest I'd anticipated. A brief shopping trip was expanded to include other necessities, and then stretched further to include a visit to the town's annual medieval fayre, which I have NEVER managed to attend before! I returned with some nice buckles, a VERY promising knotting tool and a chain/mail keyring - and some photos (in an attempt to pick up on another Mission 101 Task - 55 - Take more photographs. I'm not about to complain, but tomorrow is going to be seriously "anti-busy" to make up for it.

So, I guess I better start gathering the software I'll need to bring the new laptop up to speed - ooooh, look; Cloverfield on telly...!

Bang goes that plan. ;-)
patentdragon: (Default)
Back to work tomorrow - and yet again, my day took some time to start to my satisfaction. We had a partial power-outage following ANOTHER bout of stormy weather, but that was all due to a circuit-breaker tripping, not wind or falling trees - and right after that, the Christmas decorations absolutely HAD to come down...

I am only now getting my arse in a seat, to try and make some use of what little remains of my work-break. I'm already exploring options for my loooooong-overdue hardware upgrade - damn all these multi-core processors - and some other shopping may be done before week's end ...ooooh, new LEGO minifigures...

Now may be the time to start planning on, or in some instance complete, some of my major creative Mission 101 Tasks, such as
88 - Create usable stage/screen/cosplay props of three pieces of costume or equipment from my own projects
91 - Create a "personal goddess"
94 - Make a PD-worthy pair of boots from scratch!
97 - Build a diddley bow
- pity we're now short a craft shop...

Time, perhaps, to go looking for more leather and some faux suede, for two projects outside of the Mission "portfolio". Yes, I'm in the mood to make stuff - weather permitting.
patentdragon: (Default)
Now this is more like it. Yes, there have been one or two household jobs to attend to, but I managed to deal with those, and extract another hard drive, this time from a dead computer. Data recovery was a complete success, and there are now two "gutted" machines beside my desk - getting closer to counting Mission 101 Task 59
59 - Learn to upgrade PCs
as a *SCORE* - I know what a graphics card looks like now. However, completing this Task will require me to install a new component into a functioning machine, and return that PC to fully functioning condition, and that's the scary part. Right now, I'm running out of operational computers - they're actually outnumbered by the Game Boys and DSes in my possession (monochrome Game Boy, DS Lite, DSi XL)...

More Mission 101 News... My first "prop" (or more rightly pair of props) for Task 88
88 - Create usable stage/screen/cosplay props of three pieces of costume or equipment from my own projects
are coming along nicely, after a mid-week complete about-turn in design. The main components are ready - just about - and all that's needed now are suitable fastenings, which may require some more knotting research.

Operation Funplex News... Gonna have a look at some potential costume options, after one spectacularly fell through last weekend (and I still have no go-ahead to send the offending item back and get my refund). Hmmm...

And Finally... They've done it again - the Rush song "Face Up" on "Roll The Bones" has "Brighthawk soundtrack" potential!
patentdragon: (Default)
Now I know what I want out of my next computer...



Yeah - something that can run Elder Scrolls - Skyrim in jaw-dropping fashion...

That is all.

UPDATE! I did it. Patent Saturday 2011 is BOOKED.
patentdragon: (Default)
The S-U-N was out again when I left work today. Two days in a row - it can't last, and it won't (beyond three days, it seems). Sadly. Not being "glass half empty"; just tellin' it like it is.

So, what else is there...? A new Windows 7 PC at work, which I'll be getting to grips with tomorrow - hardly thrilling...
- I think there'll be an opening for a story post at the weekend...
- TWO days to the Doctor Who season finale - gonna be fun to see how THIS all works out...

It's a warm evening, perhaps too warm for trying to string coherent thoughts together. Now I know where the time goes - I sleep through a big chunk of it.
patentdragon: (Default)
Thought For The Day... Some day soon, I will get organised.

Until then, I'll have to do with creeping onward with whatever project manages to grab my attention - today, it's salvaging hard drives from old computers. I brought two with me from Number 99, and there are three hard drives to recover from them before they can go for scrap. Today, I ordered an enclosure, which I plan to use as Step 1 of this plan.

meanwhile... Damn, is it one month already? Hardly seems like it - but all my immediate needs are met, and I get peace and quiet when I need it. I could even say this place is starting to feel like home...

There. I said it. And y'know what? I actually mean it.

Oh, and there was a Darkhawk anniversary in there somewhere, too. Wow, eight years...
patentdragon: (Default)
My, what a lovely "relaxing" Sunday. Okay, the right curtains are up in their proper places, and a bunch more windows now work properly, but all that counted for naught following a "chocolate cake vs. carpet" incident. I'll say no more, expect for "crisis semi-averted" - although I'm sure I'll have a sore neck tomorrow from all that curtain hanging...

Okay, now for some more calm, reasoned bitlets...

ITEM! Got a bit more writing done this morning. Would do more if I could get these sodding blinds to work - I mean, I'm cooking here.

ITEM! I'm thinking the Transformers 3 first-week box office bonanza will be severely eclipsed by HP7.2. Maybe £15-16 million? Saturday 2pm at the NPH was PACKED - and giving applause as the titles rolled.

ITEM! I appear to have been excused my self-imposed "debt" associated with the "new" boiler at Number 99 (see my Mission 101, Task 92). This would mean I'm a good deal better off than I expected to be right now - maybe I can afford a much better PC now. Perhaps a new pair of boots, too.

ITEM! Note to self - COMIC ORDER.

ITEM! Rather amusing to see someone spend credits on a "shoutout" in IMVU, only for it to feature a mispelling of the user-name. Repeatedly.
patentdragon: (Default)
Change of plan... I'm trying the new monitor as a second display for the laptop, which has a beefier graphics capability. It still doesn't like running IMVU at full-screen, though - something even more powerful is going to be needed, but this should still be okay for Ultima Online tonight...

I'm trying out a few other things in the meantime, and obviously there's a limit to what this laptop can churn out. I will have to go for a desktop machine that can do the crazy stuff - and I had budgeted for something a bit more pricey than the basic-level box I've been struggling along with these last few years. Just wish I knew something about graphics cards.

Development News... Right now, there really isn't any. Work on the new Brighthawk story has ground to a halt as the latest shopping "cascade" absorbs a bit more of my attention than I'd like. I'll be restarting at the weekend, perhaps taking a different approach, and folding some important current characters into the mix.

Now maybe a Glitterthorn story might be fun - just a one-chapter snap-shot like the Mane-of-Night one I just completed...

Tonight's highlight... At last - new Torchwood - mmmmm, and in HD, too!
patentdragon: (Default)
Destination - Weekend... Right, that seems to be the DVR operational now - haven't tried recording yet, but I do have playback, so that's half the battle.

So, what else is on the list? for a start, I can also cross off some boot-maintenance, as the heels of the boots that are now indoor-only took a little punishment during Mission Task 100. I'm also thinking of posting the first chapter of TDD-701 "A Star Is Rising" tomorrow...

...and there's work to be done on a chunk of wood that'll be a diddley-bow fairly soon...

...a new monitor to order (there's really not enough room for a big boxy one)...

...and a heap of stuff still to sort out from The Move!

I should be thankful there isn't a movie to go and see this weekend, 'cause I really don't know how I'd fit it all in! Argh, and the British Grand Prix...!
patentdragon: (Default)
After The Fall continues, and the mysterious, sudden departure of Mane-of-Night is explained, as Mystalorn gathers, with friends and allies, to remember what they have lost. Meanwhile, Lord Fh'ane's kingdom begins its recovery...

Release Notes... A post a day, as promised. Enjoy!

Today's highlights... Yay - shiny new gadgets! Yay - the ability to actually use them! Can I use my brand spanking new TV as a monitor? Something else to explore - such as just how to hook my DVR up to this new beast...

At least I have a better net connection now, thanks to having my PC on my desk instead of beside it. As far as my boot storage facilities go, my adjustable hanging scheme - explored yesterday - rather tripped over the lack of suitable rail-chain interfaces (hooks or screw-shut shackles, basically). Time to break out the trusty paracord, I suspect...
patentdragon: (Default)
17...


Development News... I'm kind of midway through TDD-701 "A Star Is Rising" at present, with one of my least favourite scene-types just ahead - can I possibly avoid getting bogged down in another "big meeting"? The story does seem to require it, but maybe I can try something just a little different...

In the mean-time, I'm starting to pull together an important plot-thread for the future, something that's been several years in the making (but nothing as long in the brewing as REIGNFALL). It will require some additional thought, but the foundations have already been laid in TDD-701 - remember, the path you walk may not always take you where you expect to go.

Move News... Not much to report just now - although I am having to think about what I'm going to do with surplus computers. I'll be extracting a couple of hard drives in order to recover data that's been locked up on them for the last few years, and that will require USB-enabled drive cases, which I've already been doing some research on. Actually cracking open said machines and removing the drives intact is a different matter entirely - I could do with a proper set of the relevant tools. So little time, so much to do...!

Remember the Weekend of Madness? Well, it looks like a whole MONTH of the same is on the way!
patentdragon: (Default)
(Last day-related blog title for a while - promise!)

Development News... Strong progress has been made with TDD-612 REIGNFALL Chapter 7. A piece of the "end-game" is in place, with more to come presently - if I get even a bit of writing done this evening, that will be suit me just fine. I am needing to get additional work in, 'cause I was awake only ten minutes before my alarm this morning, so no early slot. Guess I might not be seeing one of those again after the clocks changed at the weekend...

Meanwhile - A Tech "Review"... ...or more properly, a bit of a bitching session. I'm running Firefox 4 at the moment, and yes, this shiny new version does seem to be an improvement on the previous model - but...

- what happened to the "reload" button (and why can't I add one?)?
- why no bottom of the screen status bar (and why can't I reinstate it)?
- and which smart-ass switched the order of "open in new window" and "open in new tab" on the right-click menu?

There's "improving" things, and there's "screwing things up for the sake of it". It's not all bad - I didn't mention the damned "tabs on top" or "tabs constantly showing", 'cause you can actually switch those off and return to a more comfortable layout...

*shrugs* Ah well, can't really complain - at least it's not completely broken! The speed improvement makes up for the essentially cosmetic negatives. Score: 8.5/10
patentdragon: (Default)
Double Header Update... If Skyline really was made for just $10 million, then it earns another 0.25 on its score.

Sleep? Check.
Bath? Check.
Recovered...? Let me get back to you on that one...

Mission 101 Update... I am killing Task 64
64 - Try and run an RP thread on Gaia
Their decision to include the equipping of a smoking-related item in their "Achievements" system is simply disgusting. There is just no excuse for promoting the habit. If there's no change in this policy, I'm finished with Gaia - and I find myself with an empty slot in my list. Unless I find somewhere else to RP...

...so, what's left? I already have an "RP in Ultima Online" task (Task 63), and I actually have a specific character for the task, getting known in the area I usually frequent, and providing a regular public service, manning the main tavern in the neighbourhood. Right now, Second Life is really a no-goer, due to hardware limitations, but that's something I intend to remedy once The Move gets closer to being finalised - a hardware upgrade is certainly well overdue. Could there be a suitable laptop...?

Gonna take it easy for the rest of the day - maybe some writing later - and watch the two movies on this afternoon - Eighties nugget Explorers, and the outstanding My Neighbour Totoro. Guess it's about time to get into the Christmas spirit.

And finally... Need to make whatever plans are needed for Patent Saturday (that's Wednesday after next) - I'm thinking it's going to be centred around a quiet final celebration at Site A, with presents...

October 2024

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