w00t!

I have finally obtained the 2 big Microsoft certifications I was going for: MCSA (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator) and MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer). Both are for Windows Server 2000 (I started the program at York Tech before they migrated their Microsoft track to Server 2003, so I'll take the upgrade exams).

Now to get married. :-)

Something to think about

"The abuse of greatness is when it disjoins remorse from power."

- William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar

Doom 3 Review

[NOTE: I am still playing through Quake 4, and it's going slowly due to school, work, and the necessity of getting some sleep between the two. So, I'm going ahead with my review of Doom 3]

Many people remember Id Software's early works, such as Commander Keen and Wolfenstein 3-D. And their more recent hit, Quake 3, not only was a hugely popular game in it's own right, but it's graphics engine was the basis of numerous others, such as Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force. Yet the game that really took Id Software into the wild blue yonder and helped define the First Person Shooter (FPS) genre was Doom, the story of a lone Marine's battle with the legions of Hell. Id Software made a few sequels and expansions to the original game, but they all used the original Doom engine and would be better described as expansion packs, as the gameplay mechanic remained relatively unchanged.

Id Software took this franchise to a new level with Doom 3, which was one of the most highly anticipated games of 2004. While it is true to the frenetic, run-and-gun roots of the original, and it is a beautiful game, Doom 3 goes to prove that beauty is only skin deep.

Let's start with the positive. Graphically, Doom 3 is gorgeous. The textures and lighting are just mind-boggling--in fact, they're some of the best I've ever seen, particularly with respect to the metallic and organic surfaces replete through the game. The way the player's flashlight shines looks quite a real one would being shined into a muggy, dimly-lit room. Doom 3 has other bells and whistles that are quite nice, such as per-pixel hit detection. Basically, if you shoot a rocket at a monster's legs, it may very well fly right between them. Hit detection is no longer based on a "box" around a given character or monster model.

The sound really puts the player in the mood in this game. From the muted shuffling and gurgling of zombies, to the sudden and seemingly random ceiling panel crashing to the floor, you could swear it sounds like you're being stalked by Hell's army in a science station, which is the whole point. This game is best played with the lights off and a pair of headphones. I have a pair of Zalman 6.1-channel surround headphones, and those enhanced the sound experience further. Just be careful about the volume, as certain monsters have ear-splitting screams (such as the Imp), but others have a hushed skitter.

Storywise, it isn't too deep. The plot is elaborated upon by way of computer screens and people's PDAs you acquire along the way, but one can play through the game fine and enjoy it for what it is: a feral action game, not an interactive movie with interwoven plots and layered sub-context. Here's the gist: you're a Marine on Mars guarding a research facility when all Hell breaks loose during an experiment...literally.

My biggest beef with this game, however, is with what is the most important aspect of a game: the gameplay. I mean, you are playing the game, not just watching it. Pretty graphics, whiz-bang touches, and nice sounds are good things to have, but they are icing on the cake. Playing a pretty game lacking gameplay is like eating a hollow cake with buttercream icing--tasty, but unsatisfying. To be fair, the game does get off to a great start, with moments where I jumped and nearly screamed (don't want to describe any in detail, as that would spoil the surprise). But after the first level or two, it gets to be formulaic. Step one, enter room. Step two, see teleportation animation. Step three, pretend to be surprised. Step four, shoot [insert monster here] in the [insert weak point here] with [ insert favorite weapon here]. Rinse and repeat. I mean, I enjoyed the game for what it is, a sci-fi action shooter, but I didn't come away with the sense of awe and wonder as I did after playing through Half-Life 2. Also, there isn't much replay value other than trying it on harder difficulty levels. In other words, if you've seen an Imp jump out a closet once at you, you've seen 'em all.

All in all, it's a decent shooter, and I highly recommend it (the PC version can be had cheap in the pre-owned section of your local video game store). Just don't expect to be blown away (no pun intended) by a shooter that redefines the genre. If you like plot and puzzles, then you'll come away wanting. If you loved the mindless action of the original Doom, you'll feel right at home. Feel free to post constructive criticism in the comments area, as this is my first attempt at a written video game review.

Tirades and trinkets

For anyone who goes to McDonald's and just throws away those game pieces, don't. I'm collecting them. Seriously, I'm one stamp away from a Dodge Viper. :-P

Also, I've picked up a few PC and console games recently and thought I might try my hand at reviewing them upon completion, as well as other games I've already completed. Who knows? Maybe I can get a job at a game magazine playing games then talking/writing about them, which would incorporate two of my favorite pastimes: writing and playing video games. I'll try to stick with the more recent ones, as I doubt there is a great amount of interest in a review of Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, Contra, etc.

I'm getting close to the end of Quake 4, so I'll probably do a combo review of that along with Doom 3, since the former uses the latter's graphics engine and arguably borrows heavily from that game.

Off the market, ladies.

Tonight, my girlfriend of 4+ years had made me one of the happiest men on the planet. She said yes when I asked her to be my wife.

And that was the easy part. Now I have to get addresses, make phone calls, look for a house for us, plan the honeymoon, etc. But being busy for this is a good kind of busy.

A Better Way, Indeed

Yes, I am for the Fair Tax. Just imagine a future without income taxes, the IRS, etc. I don't see why people have a problem with it. The site answers most of the commonly asked questions, and has a good deal of the research behind the idea there as well. The site does a much better job of explaining it than I ever could.

So, check it out. Who knows? You may just learn a thing or two.

A change for the better

Well, only 5 more days left at tech support until I start my new job at Global Linking Solutions in Charlotte, NC. I'll be a Network Operations Center (NOC) technician. Most of what I'll be doing is monitoring people's networks and responding as needed to site events. In short, I'll e making almost 40% more money, and will actually be getting networkign experience, as well as the opportunity to move on upward into network engineering or administration.

Also, my classes started today for my last semester at York Tech. By the end of the year, I should have my degree and my CCNA and MCSE certifications. Yes, this is definitely a positive turn of events.

Dregs of Society

I swear, I really have to agree with the sentiment of Hyldain's latest post. As you may or may not know, I work with him at tech support for a regional ISP/call-center. These two doozies really set me off, however. Foul language and lengthy diatribe to follow, so consider yourself warned.

1) Crazy Army Wife Bitch:

Ok, so this woman calls in and I begin troubleshooting. Basically, lightning hit her part of the barracks at an army base in Georgia and knocked out her Ethernet card, since the DSL signal indicator light was still lit. This apparently occurred while she was instant messaging her husband in Iraq. Let me first say that Mr. Army Husband, I duly appreciate your service and sacrifice and dedication to our great nation. Thank you, sir. Your wife on the other hand, is an incredibly stupid, hyper-emotional, irrational, tyrannical cretin who should promptly burn in hell. When I tried to explain she'd need another Ethernet cable, she went absolutely irate on me. She began a 20+ minute rant (during which I couldn't get a single word in edgewise) about how it would be on my head if her husband died before she or her children could speak to her again. She then proceeded to personally insult my intelligence when I told her that the lightning probably knocked out her Ethernet cable or the Ethernet card. Nevermind the fact that she called in seven hours later, connected with USB (an alternative to Ethernet as an interface on her DSL modem) and was getting online fine. Because, her husband is in a combat zone with nothing better to do than chat with him over DesertBand Wi-Fi (patent pending).

2) Complete Lying Cornhole Man:

Then I get this dude today. He refused to troubleshoot with the first level tech, and demanded to speak with second level, where I'm working today. Basically, he didn't release his IP address before switching computers, and the first level tech [correctly] told him he'd need to wait four hours for the lease to expire. Oh, HELL NO, that was unacceptable, so he went irate and I got him transferred to me (since I have absolutely NO fucking access to the DHCP server and can't do anything about it). But, since he was telling me this was a business situation, I offered to walk him through a procedure where we could hook the old PC up to the modem, release the IP, then switch back to the new PC and get him online. But NOOO, that couldn't happen, since he insisted that we fried his Ethernet card when our crews "cut some wires" [laws of physics be damned!]. Also, he was threatening to cancel his service because it was down for 36 hours and he claimed he pays $3,000 (yes, three thousand) a month for his DSL connection. I had to call Bullshit (trademark of Penn and Teller's Bullshit!) on that one, since you can get a damn dedicated gigabit fiber optic line for less than that. So, I transferred him to line repair, since he was demanding a tech out there immediately. Then, line repair proceeded to give me hell, as if I was the one refusing to troubleshoot.


Please, don't be mislead. We at Tech Support know you all out there aren't experts. Hell, we don't expect or demand anyone to be one. HOWEVER, we do expect you to listen to us, to follow directions, and to treat us like human beings. Believe it or not, we're trying to help you, it's what we do. If we sound irritable, it's because of individuals like Mr. and Mrs. Fucktard above.

Independence Day 2005

July 4th has come and gone, and I reflect upon the holiday with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I continue to be moved by thoughts of what exactly the founders of this great nation were placing at stake when they signed the Declaration of Independence way back in 1776. On the other hand, though, I am saddened by lack of dedication of that caliber, myself included, in the present day. This is especially poignant when I think about how little is apparently being done about that horrible Supreme Court legislation edict decree decision regarding eminent domain as it relates to private parties [see the previous post for the story].

It is my fervent hope and prayer that we never have to get to the point of armed rebellion in this land. I wish nothing more than to be able to reach a peaceful resolution to this. However, when you have judicial tyranny of this sort, you begin to wonder about the futility of it all. Yet even as those thoughts creep in, I can almost hear the voices of Jefferson, Paine, Henry, Franklin, et al., and their condemnation of my weak resolve. These men and countless others put it all on the line to escape tyranny and put in place this Grand Experiment in Democracy known as the United States of America.

So, even as my heart is broken by the apathy apparent in myself and my fellow countrymen, it is also comforted by the fact that we as Americans have come through bad times, even bloody times, and have become a stronger Union for it. Even more important, I can rest in the knowledge that God is ultimately in control. As the old hymn goes, "whate'er my God ordains is right."

Now if I could only begin to live my life as if I truly and believed what I just wrote...

"Land of the Free"?

Apparently not, according to this latest U.S. Supreme Court ruling. So much for private property rights, huh?

You know, this fiasco is precisely why we need to end this business of filibustering every judicial nominee that President Bush puts forth to the Senate.

The story speaks pretty much for itself. I just can't believe that 5 "judges" can trounce all over the 5th Amendment, which reads as follows:

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation [emphasis added].

Good thing there is still a 2nd Amendment...and I'm not joking.

Catharsis...

I was reading some friends' blogs about goals they'd set for themselves by certain ages, and those pangs of regret, long surpressed in the depths of my psyche (you know, down there with the faint light of dreams long ago dreamed) began to rear their collective ugly head. Almost at tears, I write.

Growing up, I had such lofty aspirations for myself. It may sound silly now coming from a man as fat and out of shape as I am, but I always wanted to be an astronaut. I remember seeing old footage of Neil Armstrong's historic landing on the moon and thinking to myself, "That is what I want to do! Something that hasn't been done before." As many of my elementary school teachers would tell you, I always had my nose stuck in books about the space program, particularly the Apollo program. I came to make a goal for myself: become the first human to set foot on Mars...or something equally as likely to land me a place in the history books.

And, for a time, all seemed well in proceeding toward that objective. In high school, I quickly rose to the top of my class. I graduated as valedictorian and headed to Georgia Tech to study nuclear engineering.

Then, I lost it all.

Now look at me. Overweight, out of shape, and stuck in a job at tech support while I finish out computer networking at a local tech school. My, how the mighty have fallen indeed. While I was at Georgia Tech, I had written down some goals for myself by the year 2010. I happened to find them in the murky waters of the My Documents folder on my computer. Suffice it to say I am nowhere near them.

Then again, is that necessarily a bad thing? I mean, I was a different person in the fall of 2000 when I wrote those as part of a stupid freshman orientation assignment. And different people have different goals, right? At least I have clothes, shelter, food, and family...and a woman who loves me dearly. Maybe instead of pining for the past, I should be on my knees thanking God what I do have.

"And I said: 'Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!'" Isaiah 6:5, English Standard Version

The saga continues

Ok, sorry for the lack of updates recently. Here's the latest with what is going on with my battle with the beast known as WPA-PSK. I am now on my second Linksys WRT54G router and still can't get it to connect with any of my computers.

Honestly, at this point, I am at my wit's end. I will try to contact Linksys support for further help on the issue, but it looks as if I am stuck with WEP for the time being. For more details, I have a thread going here under my gaming handle, Veridor.

For the record, check out BobXFett's post about nLite, which is perhaps one of the coolest programs I have ever used. Especially since it easily takes an hour after a fresh install of XP to get it tweaked and customized for my tastes. In short, nLite takes the work out of that by letting you slipstream service packs, hotfixes, tweaks, settings, etc. into a burnable disc image, or ISO. Basically, you get a fresh install that is pretty much up to date and pre-customized for you. Nice indeed.

...or maybe not.

Apparently, the router is to blame at this point. The D-Link adapter I purchased started doing the same thing as the Netgear adapater, as I described in my earlier post. So, I went to Best Buy and exchanged it for another router, so we'll see how things work tonight.

Some good news, though: I was correct in determining that the the DHCP client service had indeed been stopped. However, starting it was no easy matter. It kept telling me that it was failing to start because dependencies were failing. As I discovered, it was some remnants of Norton Antivirus remained after uninstalling it that were causeing the DHCP client service to fail to start. For more info, go here. Yet another reason to hate Norton, folks.

Nearing a solution...

By the way, I've learned how to do acronym title text in HTML, so anytime you see an acronym and want to know what is stands for, just hover the mouse over it and the spelled-out version will pop up. A perk of using Mozilla Firefox is the fact that acronyms with title text will be highlighted in the page, almost like a link.

Ok, I've been able to determine that my Netgear WG111 adapter is FUBAR. I have purchased a D-Link wireless USB adapter, and it picks up the wireless network fine. However, it won't get an IP address automatically, yet I know the DHCP is working because my computer that I use to configure the router is connected to the router directly through Ethernet and gets a dynamically assigned IP address just fine. It gets better, though. Apparently, it works properly when I statically assign an IP address to the adapter.

Thanks to my buddy Mark, I've determined the solution there. My first clue was that when I specified a static IP address, I had to restart my computer. Now, this is normal...if you are running anything prior to Windows 2000 Professional. Mark proceeded to inform me that this happens in Windows XP (which I have on both machines) when the DHCP Client Service is disabled. And, of course, a machine with that service turned off will not be able to get an IP address through DHCP.

So, tonight, I shall try to re-enable that service on the machine using the wireless to see if that works. If it does, I know I have a bad Netgear adapter and will proceed to RMA it to Newegg for refund (hopefully). Also, this will assure me that my router's DHCP server is fine, despite the fact that I will most likely not use DHCP in my network for security reasons, but I still want to know it works and is there if I want it.

Wireless woes...

In light of my parents' decision to acquire DSL within the month, I decided as my part of the deal to get a wireless router and adapter and set up the home network. Besides, when I move out, I'll be needing those anyway, and I'm a lazy bastard who doesn't feel like running cable. So, I purchased a Netgear WGR614v5 wireless router and a Netgear WG111v1 USB wireless adapter. I took it upon myself to set up the LAN side of things, especially since I'm paranoid about network security and wanted to get WPA-PSK up and running on the local side so that once the DSL is installed, I just hook it up to the WAN port and go. I thought that being a networking student, this would take me all of an hour or two.

5:30 AM rolls around the next morning and I STILL can't get the adapter and the router to communicate. I disabled all security, powercycled everything, upgraded/rolled-back/flashed/re-upgraded the firmware and drivers on both devices, etc., all to no avail. I have a post on it here on the Netgear forums, but no solutions as of yet. So, any of my readers (all one or zero of you) who happen to be wireless networking experts who can lend a hand, please do so, as I am at my wit's end.

Today's been interesting at work. One of the lead technicians called out, so they pulled me to be the second LT for ths shift. I like LT'ing as it is a challenge of sorts as I try to help techs who for some reason are stumped on their calls. But, I doubt they'll let me do this too often. Anyhoo, gotta run for the night.

Wow, I haven't touched this thing in years [literally]. I was actually pleasantly surprised to see that my old Blogger was still here. In the years since I've touched this one, I've been using Xanga and Livejournal (see links to the right). However, a couple friends at work (see their blogs in my handy sandy sidebar to the, you guessed it, right) showed me the new and improved blogger and I must say, it is quite nice. Highly customizable, like Livejournal. So, I decided to go with a new template and do some modification to it, as I am trying to relearn HTML and CSS.

In case you are wondering about the title of the blog, it's from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, from the scene where Anthony turns the angry mob against Brutus after Caesar's assasination in Act 3.

I'm working tech support now, and I hate every minute of it. As soon as I get my networking degree and finish the MCSE program, I am out of here. For the curious, I am still dating Emily, though we did break up there for a while.

Can't think of much more to say, so there.