Geek v2.1: Same Dork, New Haircut

Crud Off The Cob

2009-10-25T22:17:44Z

Along with many of my fellow gamers at Con at the Cob this past year, I ended up catching the "con crud", as it's affectionately called. It took a few days to catch up with me, but when I started feeling chills and other fun aches last Tuesday, I decided to take a day off of work to hopefully rest & kick the bug. I alternated between sleeping and watching TV, which seemed to take care of the worst of it. I'm still coughing a bit, but it may be my bronchitis being aggravated by the whole thing.

As a side note, who knew that sharing a hotel room with four fellow gamers, eating greasy food, and staying inside for four days straight would be bad for the old constitution?

I'm sure there's a lesson to be learned here, but I'm not seeing it.

Of being a pet owner and dealing with the wee ones

2009-10-19T17:17:57Z

I've had this issue for a while now concerning my dogs and my neighbors for a while now (about three years). Namely, it's how the kids next door tease my dogs. In the past, it was just annoying. The youngest (probably around 8 years old by now) would run up at the fence, yell at them, things like that.

Recently, it's come to my attention that this behavior is escalating. Now he's waving a baseball bat at them until they angrily bark and pace at the fence. This has happened in full view of the parents without so much as a word from them, which is, as far as I'm concerned, the worst part of this whole situation.

Now, I have big dogs. They're well behaved, and I don't normally expect aggressive behavior out of them, but I know the reality is that they're animals. If provoked, there's certainly a chance that they'll attack. I'm well aware of the possible consequences if that happens, the best and the worst.

My dilemma here is how to deal with the problem. Legally, I know there's nothing that can be done. So far every entity involved has remained on their own property. So, what now? Talking to the kid isn't going to help, this I realize. It's the parents that need to be talked to, but I need to think it over before I do so. This has me angry to say the least, and my tact tends to suffer under such circumstances.

Twitter is Eating My Brain

2009-10-19T14:14:15Z

I was originally going to write a post-con wrap-up entry, but I tweeted at an alarming rate when I was there, so if you're interested, you can check out my twitter entries here.

Of course, realizing that, and coming up blank for what to write, I came to the conclusion that microblogging on Twitter is sucking out my creative juices. The problem is that it's that it's just too damn convenient. I can come up with anything short, be it profound or just a pointless observation (probably more of the latter, I know), quickly type it up on my phone in 30 seconds or less, send it, and move on.

Unfortunately, I do know that it's cutting down on my entries here. I try to put some thought in to my writing on LJ, but no such internal quality barometer exists for my short attention span musings on Twitter.

So, my goal for November? Tweet less and start writing more entries here. Time to reclaim my brain cells. To arms, self-control!

As for Con On The Cob, I had an excellent time, and can't wait for next year. I played in many games, bought much gamer swag, and have sufficiently appeased my geeky side for now. I highly recommend the con for any fellow gamer dork who can make it to the Ohio area in October.

Now, to announce this entry on Twitter. I never said I wasn't somewhat of a hypocrite.

I'm not dead yet!

2009-09-23T22:22:09Z

Due to health issues and a whole cavalcade of stuff going on in my Free Time lately, I haven't been able to update my LJ as often as I'd like. That said, here's a new one.

First off, The Sick, as I like to call it. A couple weeks ago a felt crappy, was coughing, sneezing, and all that fun stuff. I figured it was just a cold, but when my health started turning for the worse (over the counter stuff not touching my symptoms, etc), I hit up Ye Olde Urgent Care that Saturday. A lot of waiting and different stories from different people later (a right clusterfuck of poor communication, that place), I walked out with two scripts, an info sheet, and a diagnosis of bronchitis. It's been about two weeks now, and I feel better, but I'm still coughing like crazy. Ah well... time wounds all heels. Wait. Reverse that.

Aside from my health, I've also been getting a bunch of my old dust collectors, aka gaming books, together and selling them on eBay. I'm not above shamelessly plugging my stuff, so if you're interested, you can hit me up at http://myworld.ebay.com/dustdevil_75 .

Gaming-wise, after a couple years away from regularly GMing, I decided to rustle up some players and get a Shadowrun campaign going. I'm using 4th edition rules, which I'm new to, but the Shadowrun universe is like an old friend to me. It's good to be back in familiar territory. Now there's just the issue of writing this darn thing...

On the horizon: Con on the Cob in a few weeks. Woot!

Short but sweet

2009-08-30T22:26:15Z

Last week I did well diet wise, although the teeter totter effect continues. I was down 5 pounds from the previous week, which is good. Now to continue that trend for this coming week.

Not much to add besides that.. Pretty much doing the same, and getting good results. The heat wave let up and is giving way to some cooler weather, so I'm looking forward to good, long walks.

Oh... damn. Well, better luck next week.

2009-08-19T22:59:19Z

So, didn't do so great this week. I'm up three pounds, but it's not a big surprise to me. I've been more sedentary this week due to the heat, and not taking my daily walks as regularly as I had been. Also, I ate more. I tend to give myself more liberty on the weekends, which is usually either Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday. Well, this week it was from Thursday to Sunday.

Oops!

Just the same, I'm not letting it get me down. I know what I did wrong, and I'm going to pick up where I left off, and try harder for the next weigh-in. So far (that is, starting Monday) I've been doing well, so it's just the weekend I need to be careful of.

Dog update. Also, If you don't know much about epilepsy, please read.

2009-08-18T01:57:59Z

This is a follow up to last night's entry about my dog having a seizure. I may rant a bit, I may whine a bit, so this is going behind the cut.

I decided to make this entry public, as I think it's important that more people are aware of what seizures are like and what to do if someone or some animal has one. I wrote a brief entry about this last night that was Friends Only, as I was on the panicky side. I wanted to spare the interwebs my unfocused, stressed out ramblings.

In any case, on with the entry. If you learn something from it, mission accomplished. Also, if you have any questions about epilepsy, feel free to ask me and/or visit The Epilepsy Foundation website (linked on my journal's main page).

So I was getting ready for bed last night, and I heard some odd noises coming from the hall. At first it sounded like my dogs were playing with each other, as they often do, but it was a repetitive thumping. My first thought was, "Hmm, that doesn't sound right," and I walked over to the hall to investigate. My mutt, Robin, was sprawled out across the floor, limbs twitching, and completely incoherent. Having epilepsy myself, I'm well aware of what a seizure is and I have a pretty good idea of how to deal with someone who's having one. I assumed it was much the same with animals. I made sure he was in a safe place and that there was nothing around that could hurt him, and waited for it to take it's course.

When the seizure ended, he was completely disoriented. I was calm and soothing, and rubbed his side a bit. I don't think he realized what was going on at first, as he barked at me in a vicious tone that I rarely hear from him. As he slowly regained his faculties, he was confused, but recognized me.  He started pacing (as he often does when he's nervous), and growled at me once, but he didn't get aggressive at all besides that.

I watched him for about a half hour or so. After that, he seemed to be "himself" again, if a bit confused and upset. I made sure he had plenty of water (which he readily consumed).

Aside from what I did above, I've accepted the fact that there wasn't much else I could've done, and certainly there was nothing I could have done to prevent it. Epilepsy is fairly common in dogs, and barring that it could have been brought on by the high heat and humidity we've had in the area over the past several days. He wasn't injured, so I felt comfortable waiting until this morning before I contacted the vet. My vet does want to see him, but wasn't concerned to the point that he wanted to see him immediately. I'm just to keep an eye on him up until the appointment, make sure he's got plenty of water on hand, and do my best to keep him comfortable (if not cool, something which is beyond my control).

So, in short, what to do: stay calm, make sure the individual isn't in a position to injure themselves, and do your best to comfort the individual once the seizure ends. What not to do: be forceful (physically or otherwise), make sudden movements when the seizure ends, or otherwise panic . Also, never, ever, stick your hands in the mouth of an individual who's having a seizure... unless you want to lose a finger and/or make a bad situation worse.

As a heads up, it's a terrifying thing to watch. Probably one of the scariest things you can think of. The body jerks uncontrollably, eyes can roll back in the head, and breathing can stop too. Incontinence has been known to accompany a seizure, although I'm lucky enough that it hasn't happened to me and it didn't happen to Robin, either. He did drool a lot afterwards, but he didn't really hurt himself (although I'm sure he's got some muscle pain today, as I often do afterwards).  Horror stories aside though, it does end quickly enough. The worst part generally only last from 30 seconds to a few minutes, but the disorientation afterwards can last a half hour or more.

Ok, lecture's over.

On a positive note, Robin's doing much better today. He's eating & drinking, and though he's on the uncomfortable side (it's still beastly hot out), it seems that he's made a full recovery. I'm going to keep an eye on him, of course, but overall I'm pleased with his progress. Luckily, seizures are something I know a lot about.

Strange things are afoot at the Circle K

2009-08-17T04:12:38Z

So, next week I'm having the initial meet up for my upcoming newbie campaign for Shadowrun. For those that are averse to the geekier side of things, I'm putting this behind the cut. Although, I must wonder... how did you find my blog if you're not geeky, and why are you reading it?

I've got the majority of my campaign plotted out, and I pretty much know what I want to accomplish with it (if not what's actually going to happen). I just have some of the finer points to work out, character generation for the players, and actually running the game. I'm running a bit blind on this one, as I only know half the group. The other half are people I drafted through LJ, and none are experienced with the system (SR 4th edition). The latter part (total newbies) is actually the least intimidating part to me. That I actually find exciting, as I usually play with grognard types who know the respective systems far better than I do. So in that respect, it'll be a bit refreshing. That and I get to spread the word about Shadowrun, which has been a favorite of mine since it originally came out in 1989.

It'll be a change of pace for me, too. I haven't played SR regularly since my old group scattered across the US in the early 2000's. While I still love Savage Worlds, I opted for SR, as I think that'll be easier to teach to newbies.

I hope to post updates on the campaign as it's going on, as long as my players are ok with it. No trash talking, of course, unless it's criticizing my slipups as a GM.

So, all in all, excited! Can't wait.

Status quo

2009-08-13T14:14:53Z

So, this week I ended up maintaining. That is, I didn't lose any weight, but I didn't put any on either. Considering the dramatic loss I showed for the couple weeks, I'm ok with that.

I decided that I'm not going to try a more aggressive approach. I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing, and not beat myself up over not losing weight more rapidly. I'm not competing with anyone, so this is purely for personal gain (well, loss, really).

On a positive note, I'm cutting back on eating the comfort foods and starting to actually cook more. This is a big step in the right direction for me. I've been living on canned spaghetti rings and other convenience foodstuffs for the past several months, and now I'm actually putting time & thought in to what I eat. So, if anyone has recipe ideas for complete idiots, feel free to shoot them my way. :)

Technical difficulties

2009-08-04T11:43:40Z

So, here I am three weeks since the start of my diet. The first week showed the most dramatic loss, and I've been kind of hovering back & forth at the same weight since then... I think. The problem is that, for the first week and a half, I was using a scale that was inaccurate. Luckily, I have a second scale in the house, and was able to verify that. So, I'm on a new scale now, and I believe I'm about where I was a week ago.

I'm not sure how to proceed. Now that I'm not shedding pounds like water, I'm feeling a little unfulfilled. I'm debating whether I should choose a more aggressive approach (ie - set a higher/quicker goal), or go with the status quo and be happy that I'm not putting weight on (ie - slow and steady wins the race).

I'll give it a week and see how I feel then. Part of the problem is that I'm weighing myself daily, and it fluctuates based on what I ate the day before. It was supposed to encourage me, but it's having the opposite effect. So, status quo and switch to a weekly weighing schedule. That works.

Thank you, metabolism, for a dramatic and fulfilling accomplishment

2009-07-28T11:45:39Z

So, this marks the beginning of week two of my official dieting process. The first week was a success! Having done this whole process before, I know the weight loss is generally pretty high in the first couple weeks. That said, I've lost 10 pounds for week 1.

My goal is to lose a pound a week after this. If I lose at a quicker rate, great! If not, I won't let it discourage me. For now, I'm happy that I was able to stick to my guns for the past 7 days, and intend to stay on track.

The internets are getting smaller

2009-07-27T12:26:11Z

Over the weekend, I received two friend requests on Facebook. One was from one of my father's co-workers (we share a first and last name), and the other was from a girl I dated (once) over 10 years ago.

The former I politely explained that I wasn't who she thought I was, and the other I added just because.. Well, why not. It's the point of social networking, isn't it? The funny thing is that I barely remembered her, which quickly put me in the position of feeling like a Male Stereotype.

On Facebook, I'm friends with old schoolmates (high school, middle, and elementary), distant relatives, former co-workers, girls I dated once... Oh yeah, and close friends and family too.

I feel like the walls of the internet are closing around me as it gets easier and easier to find people online.

Hey look, another friend request! It's my mother's cat.

Posted via LiveJournal.app.

Stuff I'm listening to, July 2009

2009-07-20T22:56:12Z

Here's my mid-summer update of podcasts that I'm listening to. I haven't done this in a while, mostly due to a brief hiatus that I took from them, but in any case... Here they are. I'll cut this, as it's a fairly long list.

Escape Pod: weekly science fiction podcast magazine.
The FuMP: free funny music twice a week.
GeeksOn: a podcast by geeks and about geeky topics. Usually monthly.
The GeekSpin: more funny music.
Joel Radio: weekly comedy show.
Keith and the Girl: comedy radio show 5 days a week.
Manic Mondays: funny music & news of the stupid weekly.
The Metamor City Podcast: science fiction serial, bi-weekly.
Murder at Avedon Hill: novel delivered via podcast; murder mystery in a fantasy setting.
The Murverse: author Mur Lafferty's feed; includes I Should Be Writing, the Heaven series, and other assorted goodies.
PodCastle: weekly fantasy podcast magazine.
Pseudopod: weekly horror podcast magazine.
SModcast: comedy podcast by director Kevin Smith and producer Scott Mosier.

On now on to phase.. um.. 3 I think?

2009-07-20T02:37:25Z

So, after I had a wake up call of sorts earlier today (more on that later), I decided it was time to move on to the next phase. Yes, the actual dieting.

I'm looking to lose at least 50 pounds over the next... as long as it takes. My goal is 50 weeks, but if it ends up being less, great!

In the past, I used this Fairly Popular Weight Loss Program That Used A Point System. It worked out really well for me, but I don't have the extra money to enroll right now. Instead, I'm using an iPhone app that counts calories (which is essentially the same thing as I was doing before).

Will I stick with it? I think so. I have pretty good self control when I put my mind to it, and I'm finally starting to pull myself out of this funk that I've been in.

All that said, I'm not hoping for good luck. It's not luck that I need. It's determination, and the will to stick by goals that I'm setting for myself. That, I think I have.

Maintaining is good... right?

2009-07-05T15:51:10Z

This week has went well for me. I've been sticking by my promise to walk every day, so I consider that a success. Next step is cutting back on the fast food and/or junk food, and possibly increasing the amount distance/time I walk every day.

I also need to start weighing myself either daily or weekly, probably weekly for now. While I do feel more energetic overall and my clothes are fitting somewhat better, I need a definite way to quantify my weight loss (since that's my immediate goal).

So, status quo more or less... but what I haven't been doing is breaking promises with myself, which is important.

Early July doggie update

2009-07-03T14:11:10Z

So, the report from the vet came back last week. My dobie, Viper, does indeed have hypothyroidism. She was actually pleased about it, in a sense, in that it's an easy condition to treat. The regimen? Two small pills a day (hormone supplements) and a fish oil vitamin once a day.

Sounds easy, right? The pills are small (half the size of a regular sized ibuprofen or aspirin), and should be relatively easy to disguise. The fish oil vitamin is in capsule form, and is considerably bigger, but that one only gets administered once so that should outweigh the difficulty. Simple, you'd think.

Not so much. I originally tried hiding the hormone pills in peanut butter, which worked for about two days... until she figured out there were pills in her treat. Then she'd lick up all the peanut butter, but somehow leave the pill (she's very talented). This epic struggle between man and canine lasted for about a day before I decided to just toss the pill down her throat. It's less frustrating for both me and the dog, believe me. The fish oil vitamin, a veritable horse pill, is a whole other story. There was just no tossing that thing in her mouth without potentially choking her. Now I just slice open the capsule and mix it in her food.

Despite the initial difficulties with medicating Viper, I am pleased overall with her progress. The flakes in her fur have cleared up, she's more energetic, and her movement has improved drastically. Good news all around.

Video games, RPGs, gaming conventions, and other assorted geekiness

2009-06-28T23:54:40Z

My geekery updates have been sorely lacking lately (for me, anyways), so I figured it was time to give one.

Video game-wise, I've pretty much been playing just one... Fallout 3. Excellent game if you're into RPG's and/or the post-apocalpytic genre. Graphically, I don't know that I'd call it "beautiful", as it's a pretty bleak world you're wandering around in. As far as capturing the essence of a war-torn, post nuclear urban area and surrounding countryside, it does incredibly well. The character development system is good, although the game does tend to get fairly easy once you reach a certain point (around level 10 and after, in game terms). I haven't played all the expansions, but I did get Broken Steel, which I enjoyed. I think I'm done with it for now, though. I've just about hit the level cap, and I've played through the main plot and most of the subplots. I'm not sure what's next.. probably Fable 2.

And then there's Sims 3, which I just started playing on my PC. I don't have enough to write a full breakdown, but I'm liking it a lot so far.

RPG-wise, I've been a little disappointed lately. I've been playing Warhammer Fantasy in my Tuesday night group, and haven't been enjoying the adventure too much. It's a dungeon crawl, which isn't horribly interesting to me to begin with, and it's been lasting for at least three months. Same dungeon. I've made my distaste known, and the rest of the group shares my opinion, so hopefully there will be a change of pace fairly soon.

Coming up in October is Con on the Cob. I'll be going with the same crew I went with last year, and I'm looking forward to four days of Savage Worlds, geeky music, and just having a ton of fun in general. If anyone can make the trip out to Ohio in the fall, I'd highly recommend it (there's a link to it on my page here).

As far as my gadgets go, my iPhone is still working well for me. I updated to OS 3 recently, which is a bit better (having cut & paste is a HUGE improvement), but I'm miffed that AT&T hasn't turned on the functionality for MMS ("picture texts") yet. They say it'll be on "by the end of summer", but really, I'm paying for it already with the with the text message plan that I have. But I digress...

The new laptop is working very well. It's nice to be on a PC that doesn't overheat, can run actually new applications, and has built-in wi-fi. I'm sure the technology curve will hit it soon enough, but for now I'm happy with it.

Future notes: Call of Cthulhu game (?), Sims 3, Necessary Evil (am itching to run it), Con on the Cob con report.

One week down and seeing a difference!

2009-06-27T13:24:40Z

So, my daily routine of walking has been working well for me. I've been doing it for about two weeks now, and I've definitely seen a difference. My clothes feel looser, physical activity is coming easier to me, and my leg muscles are starting to strengthen again. It helps warmer out, and I'm exerting myself that much more.

So, good deal. As a related note, I should start doing shoulder exercises as well... I had surgery on my right shoulder a few years ago, and I have to work at it to maintain it's strength.

Report from the vet, 2009

2009-06-24T11:39:53Z

Thankfully, the trip to the vet went fairly well. The dogs are healthy, for the most part, have their rabies vaccines, and are all set. Viper (my doberman), however, may have a hormone imbalance. She was tested for hypothyroidism, which is a common problem for dobermans. If she tests positive, she'll have to take relatively cheap meds and a fish oil supplement. As for the arthritis that she has, the vet recommended to continue treating her with Bufferin as needed.

Waiting in line at the vet, also a concern of mine, went as smoothly. The vet let me wait in the car and came and got me went it was their turn, so no parades of dogs barking to worry about.

Oh, and my mutt, Robin, is as healthy as a horse. A little goofy, but none the worse for wear.

So, I feel much better. The dogs are vaccinated, licensed, and doing well. It's a huge load off of my mind, as I've been concerned about Viper for a while now.

A fun trip to the vet sarcasm alert

2009-06-23T13:35:18Z

So, thanks to New York State Department of Taking My Money (it's a large department), I have to take my dogs to the vet today for a rabies vaccine. While, perhaps for many dog owners, this isn't a big deal, for me it's going to be quite a task.

First of all, my doberman likes to bark. At other dogs. A lot. It's not that she's a vicious dog (aside from the bad rep that dobies tend to have), it's that she wants to play. Other dog owners, however, don't see it this way. All they see is a ninety pound menace that's causing chaos in her wake. To be honest, I don't really blame them.

More importantly, I'm worried about my dobie. The past seven years or so haven't been kind to her, and she hasn't aged well. She has arthritis that acts up when it's cold or damp, and has trouble walking when it's bothering her a lot. I can't imagine I'll get great news from the vet, but I'll hope for the best. I should be preparing for the worst, but I'm at a loss.

Anyways, that's about 5 hours away. Fingers crossed.

*EDIT* - Post-vet report: dogs healthy, worries begone! :)

A brief tribute to the Corey & Joel Radio Show (2005-2009)

2009-06-21T14:51:30Z

I've been a listener for The Corey & Joel Radio Show since 2007. I was a late adopter to the podcast scene, and only heard about them when I bought an MP3 Player with a separate directory for podcasts. So, I did a random web search for "comedy podcast", and found Corey & Joel on a podcast directory site.. I think it was Podcast Alley.

I've been a fan ever since. It was two comics from the Detroit area talking about junk food, video games, movies, and lots of other things. It had a lot of rough humor as well, which I've always been a fan of.

To be honest, I've been listening to the show for free, and haven't been the loudest supporter.. I wrote an email to the show once, but I didn't go on their forums and didn't donate. I did what I could though, by plugging them on my very small soapbox on the interweb here occasionally, and mentioning it to friends.

As of last week's show,Corey and Joel Radio #222: Hello Goodbye, it was announced that Corey would be leaving the show. The show would continue as Joel Radio, with one host, and may change formats slightly (though what exactly is changing hasn't been announced).

As a fan, I'll miss the show in it's previous format, but it will be fondly. I'd recommend checking out the website and going through their archive, or hey, even subscribing to it's new format... it's funny stuff.

Ya gotta start somewhere...

2009-06-21T14:03:00Z

So, since Christmas, I've let myself go. No excuses, no pretty words to dance around it.. I just need to get back on track with keeping my weight down again.

Now that it's nicer out, I'm starting to walk on a daily basis again. That's phase 1. Phase 2 is changing what I eat.

What I really should do is just go cold turkey and starting officially dieting and exercising, but to be honest I don't have the willpower right now. So, baby steps for now (no pun intended).

Back in my day... (fill in archaic reference here)

2009-05-24T14:27:49Z

I'm not sure where it was exactly that I lost touch with the newest computer technology. It was, say, about fifteen years ago when I started buying new PC's (as opposed to ancient hand-me-downs that ran on jet engines). I knew pretty much what I was looking in to. How much X amount of dollars would get me as far as a system went, and many of the system specs that are important when you're buying: RAM, processor, hard drive, video card, etc..

When I went computer shopping on Friday, I found the selection to be a bit overwhelming. While not a whole lot has changed as far as what's important, I had no idea which processors were top of the line versus average, how much RAM was needed, or what was industry standard as far as pre-installed "goodies": DVD burners, Wi-Fi, etc..

I'd like to think that I'm not THAT old (relatively speaking), but is this a sign of the technology curve passing me by? Or is this just one long description of how much geek cred I've lost over the past ten years?

Well, I still play tabletop roleplaying games.. at least I've got that going for me.

Ok, really this time, I'm back

2009-05-23T13:00:34Z

I've been computer impaired for the past couple months. My old laptop was all but dead, and wouldn't run if it was warmer than 60 degrees in the house. And no, that's not exaggeration.

So, after a few months of hemming and hawwing, I finally broke down and bought myself a new laptop. Thankfully, kellydamnit came along and helped me shop with her expertise, and I think I picked up a pretty sweet system.

So, yeah, I'll be yelling and screaming on here again.

Appliances needed

2009-03-15T19:14:55Z

Fellow LJ'ers in the Buffalo area: in the near future I'm looking to buy a new bed (queen sized) and a new refrigerator (apartment sized). If anyone knows of any good deals, drop me a PM. Thanks!