Journal of the Unmazing Ant-Man!

I Saw Jupiter Tonight

2008-10-08T10:59:53Z

Seriously. I haven't had the telescope out for ages. I was hoping to use it when my niece and nephew were visiting from NZ, but the weather wasn't cooperating.

I finally found it through the scope (it's really obvious to the naked eye) no thanks to my crappy viewfinder which was off by a good two degrees of sky or so...

I couldn't make out much detail, but it was clearly a disc and not just a spot like a star. I could see two moons close to it, and one further away on the other side. Checking my astronomy software, the two closest moons were Io and Europa, and the furthest out one was probably Callisto.

Awesome, in the true sense of the word.

Dear Channels 9 and 10

2008-09-25T01:41:51Z

The phrase you are looking for is "fast tracked" or possibly "fast-tracked".

What you don't want is "fastracked". This implies a rack that is fast.

Please fix your promos forthwith.

The Good, The Bad and The Cheap

2008-05-15T00:55:45Z

I've had a lot of time recently to do all sorts of interesting things, but I have invested a large chunk of it in watching rented DVDs.

This is a good thing in some ways, as I've been able to finally see some classic films that I have never seen before, for example Taxi Driver and Deliverance.

But it also means that occasionally I make a bad decision at the rental shop and end up with some clangers...

Gabriel is an Australian-made film reportedly created on a budget of $150,000, or "two parts of eff-all" in film speak. The movie revolves around Purgatory, a dark city where souls waiting to be judged reside in squalid circumstances. A battle is fought by the forces of Light and Darkness, represented by the Arc (sic) angels and Fallen respectively for control of the city and hence the souls.

The production values are surprisingly high, the acting is excellent and the story is interesting even if it seems to lose its way about halfway through. Still, I'd recommend having a look to see what's achievable ion such a tiny budget.

Day Of The Dead is a remake of the George A. Romero film of the same name. Where the remake of Dawn Of The Dead was fast-paced, had interesting characters who developed as the film went on, and contained some genuine pathos, this film... doesn't. It's cheap, and it shows. The characters are uninteresting (though not hateful). Nothing actually seems to happen other than zombies come - good guys run. And the sole interesting twist retained from the original film - a zombie who can think - is pretty much thrown out the window. Even zombie movie fans will likely be disappointed with this one.

Shockwave - Oh Jesus Christ, what the hell is this crap. So, so cheap and so, so bad. Military robots (who look like they'd be at home in a Ray Harryhausen picture despite the fact that they're CGI) rampage on a deserted island. Half the cast of Star Trek make small appearances, as does Bill Mumy.

I mean the opening shot of the film has that rock from Star Trek. When it's the opening shot, you know the film is gonna suck.

Fighting Cancer! Biff! Pow!

2008-04-22T11:13:26Z

It's time again for the annual Relay For Life, organised by the Cancer Council of Australia to raise funds for cancer research, and awareness of cancer generally.

Anne and I will be hoofing it as part of our team of twenty, named "Pam's Party". The team will have at least one person walking the track over a period of two days. Our team did very well last year. It's an even bigger team this year, so we're expecting to do even better - but we need your help!

The whole thing is run on donations and we want your money. You can go to this site to learn more about the Relay and to make a donation.

To make a donation straight to our team, go here.

To make a donation straight to me, go here. All the cool kids are doing it!

Every little bit helps, so dig deep and give cancer a kick in the unmentionables.

Your Excellency

2007-12-06T22:27:25Z

His Excellency Mr Hassan Talat Nazer

Your Excellency,

I am writing to express my serious concern over the treatment of the victim in the Qatif rape case.

Charging the victim of such a horrendous crime does not serve justice. This poor woman has been assaulted in the worst possible way, and instead of offering her protection and support your government has seen fit to punish her.

Woman all over the world suffer too often from assumptions that they are somehow culpable in cases of sexual assault. Should we blame a victim of a robbery for walking at night? Or the victim of a burglary for owning a house? Similarly to these examples, charging a victim of a rape with some form of wrongdoing seems nonsensical. It is certainly unjust.

I also have great concerns about freedom of speech in your country. Anyone – man or woman – is entitled to their opinion and should be able to express it without fear of reprisal. This is especially true of government – citizens should be able to be vocally critical of their leaders and their leaders' decisions without repercussion. I believe this to be a fundamental right.

I look forward to the day when your country reforms its judicial process, and where victims of any crime can expect compassionate treatment, instead of further victimisation.

Sincerely...

You can write a letter to the Saudi ambassador to Australia yourself at this address;

His Excellency Mr Hassan Talat Nazer
PO Box 9162
Deakin ACT 2600

Thanks to KateO for the update.

Computers ain't idiot proof.

2007-11-27T04:41:13Z

And now here's Andrew with a tip for those of you planning to open up your computer and prise the heat sink off the CPU so you can clean it;

Don't.

On Friday last week my system started overheating again. I had fixed this problem before by cleaning all the dust out of the box, so I figured I could do it again, only this time, for real. It's hard to get a brush in around the heat sink, so I decided it would have to come off.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I reattached the heat sink, not realising that I had broken one of the clips that held it in place. Next time I switched it on... presto! Fried CPU.

So I took it to the nicest computer repair man I've ever seen, who tsked-tsked appropriately. He said I could replace the CPU, but it would be a) expensive and b) pretty much obsolete anyway.

Can I get a new CPU for this machine? I asked.

Sure, he said, but you'll need a new motherboard 'cause it wont fit on this one.

Ok, I said through gritted teeth. But wait, that means I'll need new memory too, right?

Yep, he replied. And a new video card 'cause your old one is obsolete too.

After much discussion and a lot of quiet internal cursing, I spent the eight-hundred-odd dollars to get the thing working again. It was the longest three days of my life.

T:V maps

2007-11-20T22:39:18Z

I've gone through the maps I've been working on for Tribes and identified the ones that are actually worth continuing to work on. As a result I've deleted four, leaving me with another four to finish. One has already been finished and released.

Even though the game is three years old and isn't played by anyone I still derive a great deal of pleasure constructing maps for it :) I should be learning how to do 3D modelling, as it would open up a whole new realm of mapping possibilities, as well as being a highly-marketable skill should I ever want to return to the games industry.

irritant01 @ 2007-11-19T12:03:00

2007-11-19T01:06:28Z

Project Finish What You Started proceeds anon. I've dumped - er - given away some 23 of the CDs I had to friends. That only leaves 8, and most likely I'll give them to the Vinnies.

Unfortunately I have to now add another project to the list - repainting my Bioshock figurine. I thought I could do this fairly quickly and with minimal fuss, but investigation and advice (thanks Craig!) makes this more problematic.

The figurines that came with the Special Edition of the game are pretty cool but they've been very badly painted, hence my desire to do it right.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

2007-11-08T22:23:11Z

The story of a man and his son travelling the road searching for food and safety following some global apocalypse.

Bleak, haunting yet lyrically beautiful.

Highly recommended.

Unemployment - Day One

2007-11-08T21:32:00Z

To paraphrase Bart Simpson, the video games industry is a hideous bitch goddess.

Now that's probably unfair, but I'm seriously pissed to have been forced into the position where I need to quit my job for the sake of my marriage and my sanity. It shouldn't have to be this way - people working in the games industry are entitled to the same expectations of quality of life as anyone else.

Some companies will be well-run and some... not so well. But the overarching theme behind working in the industry is one of exploitation. Unreasonable demands, impossible deadlines, no remuneration for extra work, and low pay for skills and talent that would receive top dosh in any other industry.

People work in the games industry because they have a passion for it. They're willing to put up with the exceedingly long hours because they want to be part of something fun. And making games should be fun too.

I salute the incredibly talented and dedicated people I've worked with, and I implore their employers to not take their presence for granted.

Magic Wishing Hat: When I run a games company it'll have strict limits on hours, full remuneration for any extra work done and a satisfying work-life balance for all concerned.

Portal in Valve's Orange Box

2007-10-14T22:16:45Z

If you haven't bought this one and played it already, I highly recommend you do. It's a fantastic game.

It's also a great example of a simple game concept being leveraged thoroughly throughout the game. It's a highly focussed affair.

It's also very, very funny and has an interesting story that's hinted at throughout. Plus there's a surprise song over the end credits by one of my favourite artists.

The 22 Most Awful Moments in Science Fiction on Something Awful

2007-10-06T02:05:23Z

"The second worst monster to appear on Dr. Who? That goddamn theme song that implants itself in your skull like some sort of Amazon River brain fluke opened a techno club in your hippocampus."

Heh.

http://www.somethingawful.com/d/most-awful/most-awful-scifi.php?page=1

ELO + Daft Punk = Midnight Juggernaughts

2007-08-09T08:31:09Z

Just got their new album Dystopia yesterday. Very funky, very strange.

The Simpsons Movie

2007-07-29T07:28:28Z

Saw the Simpsons Movie this morning. Anne and I usually go to the earliest Sunday screenings of films we want to see, and the theatre is usually nearly empty. This morning it was quite full, which tells you how popular this film is going to be.

I enjoyed the film immensely, though the first half is better than the second half - it kind of loses steam. Still very funny and well worth a look, even if only for Ralph Wiggum's rendition of the 20th Century Fox music.

At one point Anne was laughing so hard I thought she was choking.

More like ARSEwood

2007-07-24T03:20:40Z

But then Arsewood isn't an anagram of Doctor Who.

Seriously, I really, really want to like this show but it is marred by poor writing, sloppy direction and editing and mediocre acting. It has no sense of pace whatsoever.

I'll be surprised if it survives in it's current incarnation, or if it will need to be thoroughly overhauled.

Livin' Large

2007-07-22T22:12:58Z

What an exciting weeked!

On Saturday we went and bought a new television for the bedroom (no snickering), and I bought a new digital SLR camera. I've been thinking about getting a decent camera for years so I finally took the plunge.

On Sunday morning we had to call the fire department to douse a blaze we spotted in a dumpster out the back of the local bowling club. It wasn't a small fire by any means, but thankfully it was more or less contained within the metal dumpster. The biggest risk was that a wire mesh skip full of recyclable cardboard was sitting right next to it. We stayed until the fireys arrived - Anne was very excited, she'd never phoned emergency services before :)

Then we went to the movies and saw this film about these robots that could TRANSFORM into vehicles and back again. Whenever there was trouble they would TRANSFORM to fight or to run away. I think it was called "The Robots Who Couldn't Sit Still".

Ronald's Unfinished Symphony

2007-07-20T09:30:38Z

I went to McD's the other day, through the drive through. Now it can be a bit of pot luck sometimes - I've had them forget dipping sauces, forget drinks, even forget whole menu items. But this is the first time I've actually had them forget the bottom bun of my burger.

Seriously, my burger only had one bun. The top one. The bottom one was nowhere to be seen. The burger had been placed in its little cardboard clamshell as if nothing was amiss, the meat in direct contact with the container.

I can only assume the kitchen jockey hoped no one would notice.

Sadness

2007-07-15T08:54:43Z

I got an e-mail over the weekend to say that one of the guys I went to university with had taken his own life.

I worked with Justin on at least two short films while we were studying. He was a great bloke, young, passionate, creative, and quite ocker. He had some issues with depression not long after uni, and I visited him in hospital at that time after he'd made an unsuccessful suicide attempt.

After that we didn't keep in touch. His parents sent out a blanket e-mail to everyone on his hotmail contact list to inform of us of his passing. I recognised quite a few of the e-mail addresses of fellow uni-goers.

My thoughts are with Justin's family and friends during what must be an incredibly difficult time.

Bronchopneumonia!

2007-05-13T01:07:08Z

Bronchopneumonia! Yee-haw!

I''ve been off work now for about two weeks fighting this lung infection. I've had chest x-rays, then a cat scan... the diagnosis; bronchopneumonia.

Now this is worse than bronchitis, but not as bad as full-blown pneumonia. The reason this has taken hold so quickly, and is being extremely stubborn, is my diabetes. Too much blood sugar = food for bacteria + impaired immune system.

This has been a real shock to me. This kind of thing could kill me in the long run, I can't afford to get infections like this especially at this stage of my life when I have a whole world of possibilities just opening up.

I have to get my diabetes back under control. No, not just under control, I have to get rid of it altogether. It's doable, and the first step is to lose a bunch of weight. I started well last year and lost a few kilos but I've been very slack this year. Ironically being ill has put me off my food.

Sickness and the Relay

2007-05-01T09:15:54Z

Have you ever been so sick you've actually moaned?

I currently am and do. But it's not all bad news...

On Friday arvo last week I came down with a nasty virus - normally not a big deal, I'm usually pretty good with throwing viruses off quickly, but we were preparing to walk in the Relay For Life to raise funds for cancer research.

By Sunday I was very, very sick. The virus had been joined by a bacterial infection and I was vitually bedridden. Too hot, too cold, coughing and trying despearely not to cough. And moaning a lot.

I've been off work the last two days and according to the doctor I'll need to be off for two more. I've been given the super mega ultra powerful antibiotics in the form of pills as large as my head. I blame a trip to New Zealand with Anne the weekend before as the source of the bug.

The good news is that our Relay For Life team came up just short of our goal of around $5000, and we apaprently raised the second-most funds out of all the teams that participated.

Back.

2007-04-18T12:57:48Z

He's back again.

His fur darkens my future. His teeth gnaw at my past.

He snarls and growls in my ear. Is that him howling, or me?

Timewaster

2007-04-11T23:48:56Z

Here's a great little game called The Burgg.

http://theburgg.com/

People post really badly drawn pictures depicting famous films and you have to guess what they are. Some are funny, some are strange, some are rather disturbing...

Feelin' Old

2007-04-03T22:26:02Z

We're having something of a competition at work to cover our desks in figurines. I promised I'd bring in some.

I brought them in this morning, and one of my younger co-workers asks "Did you bring in your figures?"

"Yes," I said, proudly holding a Dalek aloft.

"Cool!" He said. "What is it?"

>:(

Earth Power! I mean hour.

2007-03-30T09:07:45Z

Tomorrow (Saturday) night from 7:30 to 8:30pm, turn off your lights!

It's called Earth Hour and it's a statement about reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It's something that everyone can do to show their support for the planet.

If it's a clear night, I also plan to be out on the balcony with the telescope looking at the stars :)

Hopefully this will be a regular event!

Certainty

2007-03-25T06:32:44Z

I turned 37 at the beginning of the year and it suddenly struck me, I still have no real idea what the hell I'm doing.

I mean I have plans, I have expectations, but what I don't got - and I assumed I would when I became an adult - is any degree of certainty.

Confidence. Focus. Determination.

Now it occurs to me that maybe no-one actually ever does figure it out.

When will I know - I mean really know - what I'm suppsoed to be doing, instead of just taking best-guess actions?