Personal Update

[kallistii]

I am slowly making my way through The Ethical Imagination. A lot of good information there. But a lot to think about too. I had hoped to bring my laptop around with me where ever I went to write down ideas and such...but the beastie I have I don't think is quite able to handle that amount of use. So, I think I am going to sell it off, and see about getting something newer, and a little bit more solidly constructed. I would still be happy with my old Compaq with out of Magnesium, but it's dead.

In more entertaining news, I have actually installed Windows Vista on my home system. It's pretty...but not enough to justify using all the time. But I have to support it soon at work, so I might as well get a jump on things now. Besides, it's always fun to learn a new operating system! But I do have a problem that I haven't been able to fix. I have a Samsung 906bw monitor that has a max resolution of 1440 x 900...but Vista doesn't understand that for some reason. I first thought it might be the NVIDIA drivers, as I only have an old FX5200...but I've been reading that people with other cards have had the same problem. So I am running at at a somewhat lower rez...but that's OK for now.

Since I have a Windows system fully functional that is semi-current, I spent the $20, and installed one of the more popular 1st person shooters for team play, Counter Strike Source. Some people at work have a server, which should be up in a day or so, and we can play together. It's been a while since I did a lot of FPS gaming. So it's been interesting, as I have been looking at other public servers that have no one one them so that I can get used to the controls again. I may even take a look at stuff like Second Life as well. It all depends on the amount of sleep I need and such.

I've also purchased a M-Audio USB sound beastie, which allows me to run high quality sound off my laptop, or the old iMac I have which doesn't have any working sound. It has both unbalanced quarter inch inputs for guitars and keyboards, as well as balanced XLR inputs for using mics like my Shure SM58. This will sort of be looking at something to fool around with so I can get used to the environment if I can get into the Music Production course I would like to get into in the fall.

Today, I saw the doctor. I've been having some problems with my left eye. It would occasionally go out of focus. I am also still having problems with my left ear...chances are, they are connected. My doctor is currently looking to get me an appointment with an eye doctor. There is a small chance that it is glaucoma, and that can lead to blindness. So this is kinda scary for me...right now, I have a problem with my ear which is affecting my hearing, and a problem with my eye, which could cause me to go blind in that eye. I hope to hear more soon...

ttyl

Comments

[raynedaze.livejournal.com]

hi I have gotten the mutiple messages to contact you. I am not using my cell as it is very expensive with the roaming and long distance charges. My sister is arriving Sunday the 29 at 4:30 pm at the bus station. The plan is you pick her up, drive to my place, give her the keys to my apt, have her get the stuff from there and pack it into the van and then drive her to fest site.TSivia is to get the keys to you soon if she has not already done so. I arrive late afternoon on Thurs. the 2nd. I will need to get home unpack and repack clothing etc., shop and pack groceries and if you could then pick me up and take me to a Canadian Tire enroute to KG that would be perfect--I need to buy a tent and a chair . I will call your cell on Sun or Mon night to discuss plans and any concerns you may have.
hugs Rayne

[kallisti.livejournal.com]

OK. That's the info I need to know...I, for some reason, though it was this Sunday...

ttyl

[duncanmac.livejournal.com]

I hope you get good news about that eye ... glaucoma would definitely not qualify under that description.

As for the laptop ... I can't afford expensive purchases right now, much though I wish I could. Another point is that my desire to wean myself off Windows completely is running into a few snags ... such as fonts that have trouble with conventional (curved) apostrophes and quotation marks and programs that will only run from a command line and refuse to prompt for a password ... little things like that.

I intend to try and fix those problems ... in my copious spare time (whatever and whenever that is).

[duncanmac.livejournal.com]

I should add that, iff I did buy the laptop, I'd probably install Ubuntu or some other Linux dialect on it, provided I did not run afoul of some NDA-dependent device driver or the like.