While everything else is completely f-ed up I thought I would add to the drama by completely rebuilding the supercomputer into a linux wonder box.

It is really stressful because it is not just for me, it is for (e:terry) and (e:ematthew) and they have to be able to like it too. Right now it looks like crap, bu t it is running suse 9.2 to be upgraded to 9.3 once the DVD finishes downloading from azureus [inlink]computer,3[/inlink] I added a DVD burner and an extra 160GB drive for a total of around a half a TB. Hopefully everything can fit now that windows is gone.





I also went and checked out the treo 650 today and I was disappointed that the keyboard was so small, I couldn't type on on with my adult sized hands.

I hate living in the land of crappy mobile phones. I really want a new phone. My sidekick 2 died with a plague of insects so as I wrote before I am back to the sidekick 1. My contract expires in october and I don't really want to go back to a sidekick 2 for another year. It just doesn't have enough flexibilty for me in terms of apps, it doesn't record sound of video and it doesn't do wap at all, and most of all it doesn't connect with my laptop to work as a modem.

There are so many amazing phones in other countries. I wish that this sidekick like phone would come to america



Specifications:

• Network: CDMA 2000 1x 1900 MHz
  
• Intel PXA 272 520 MHz
  
• Intel Marathon Graphic Accelerator
  
• Display: 65k colors (240 x 320)
  
• 1.3 Megapixel Camera w/ flash
  
• Windows Media Player 10
  
• Wi-Fi 802.11b
  
• 192MB RAM / 64MB ROM
  
• 1M polygon 3D Game Support
  
• Divx Codec built-in

2Last night walking home from Allentown with (e:lilho) we were talking about (e:hodown) and I was telling that I am glad I don't live in a big city as it reduces my exposure to excessive amounts of in-your-face advertisments. There is just something peaceful about an advertisment free space.

Think about it, if you live in NYC or Tokyo or Toronto, it is almost like every surface become a monument to consumerism. Every surface that can, hold a message on what to buy, how you should look, etc. From the light up hightech version down to the glued down paper ones. Even on busy street like Allen we don't have much of that besides that one billboard that is so high up no one sees it.





Imagine being confronted by those kind of advertisements in every direction. I think people will say you become numb to it and it doesn't affect you but that can't be right or no one would invest all the money. I think what really happens is it begin sto work subliminally. You no longer consider the implications of looking or even consider the good in the advertisement but then when you are in the market, the message kicks in and you are like, "I do want kodak film." (e:lilho) was saying that in such a place it makes it more difficult to define who you instead of what everyone wants you to be. I think she has a good point



Sorry I really need a new cell phone so I can get better pics. When I first saw this new light up sign on chippewa I was so sad to see Buffalo, get its first glimpse of Las vegas. Strangely, I think some people would refer to it as progress for the city. Is being exposed to all of the advertisements really progress? I like not having to think about all the things other people want me to want. It's just another form of forced desire. I know I could just not look at it. But when it is flashing and spinning and so giant, do you really have any choice. It is human instinct to look. I hope progress in Buffalo doesn't mean it will ever look like those pics above.

So I met with my thesis advisor today and everything seems to be in order but I have to meet with my entire committee very soon and add a person possible. Then I think I need to get it bound.



I also saw Dave Pape today (sorry the pic quality is so bad) and he was playing the Donkey Kong bongo game that I wrote about last night
[inlink]paul,3754[/inlink]. It appears that in addition to drumming you have to clap. I think it works in a simiilar way to my baby swimmies [inlink]paul,2483[/inlink]. You need flash and a microphone to play with them.

We also spoke about doing some mobile to VR project which would be really fun. I cannot wait for the thesis to be over. It is somewhere around 40 page snow but I have lots more info and so few days. I am also taking on another programming job, making children's games for a site. That should pay the student loan bills. So I am back to having four jobs. I guess I do owe about $86,000 so it sounds very reasonable to me.

Has anyone else notice that 99% of computer games are violent first person shooters. I don't understand that. I don't mean video games in general, I just mean PC games. I guess there is the whole there.com, secondlife.com, everquest, sims thing. What do you guys think?

I mean consoles are full of other types of games, which brings me to my title, alternative interfaces for games. Like DDR and the maraca game for dream cast. Today at EB games we saw the donkey kong bongo game and the playstation version of the same thing. I want to try them but (e:terry) says I won't play enough to justify the purchase. Does anyone have these drum games? I want to try it out.