> Moving Directions

Howdy all, thanks for tuning in again to read my various ramblings. I've been a bit absent from this blog for a little while, and I think you deserve an explanation why. In the last few months I've had some serious upheavals in my life, and have had to make hard decisions on what I want to keep pursuing and what I want to leave behind. A multilateral blog, while fun and cool in its variety, isn't really something I can focus on at the moment. I'm getting really involved in eSports, and I want to pursue that as far as I am able. To that end, I am going to be re-forming this blog.

Since I'm not certain if I can even rename it, this will still be called RE: Missives, especially since I like that name. But I'm going to focus more on eSports and gaming related content, and I certainly will be updating it more frequently. Look for an average of a post per week, perhaps more if I can manage it. I'm involved in a lot of different related endeavors relating to competitive games right now, and hopefully I can continue doing just that. I'll also be regularly streaming on my Twitch TV account, tweeting eSports glib and glibe, and posting a video or two on Youtube whenever possible.

Check back soon, as I'll have more coming through the pipe, but until then, GL HF everyone!

> Living Together: Be a better Room-mate

Hi again, everyone. This week I wanted to delve not into a technology or geek topic, but one that most people can understand: sharing a living space with others. A lot of people during and just after school years live together under a common roof. Some do it to save money; others to enjoy the company. It seems like an obviously awesome thing, but it isn't always the easiest. People have different standards, different concerns, and when you tie your house affairs up with someone else these can clash. What's important is to talk out these differences, and work through issues before they become big, scary and monstrous.

Listening to your Roomies, even when they seem to be asking for too much, is a good way to start. If you disagree with what someone is expecting of you, go ahead and say so; just wait for them to finish what they want to tell you first. If you're having trouble with someone you live with and you don't know why, chances are communication has broken down.

If you listen, but don't hear anything wrong, perhaps the problem is someone doesn't feel they can talk to you about the problem. Maybe they told you a thousand times about something, and now they expect it without asking. Maybe something seems obvious to them, even if it isn't for you. It's hard to read someone else's thoughts. If this is the case, it may be best to try and bring up  your best guess is to them, and see if they respond. If they don't, at least you've tried to resolve the issue; they'll come around if they are reasonable.

Come up with a system that works for everyone. No one wants to feel forced into a way of doing things around the house. Try to work together to come up with a simple, easy to execute cleaning and house chores plan. If you buy joint food or amenities, come up with a system for that too. Once you can get everyone to agree to an easy system, it will be much easier to convince them to follow it. With enough time and practice, you likely won't have to convince them at all.

Lastly, disagreements WILL happen. Believe me, I've lived with enough people to know that we can all ruffle each other's feathers from time to time. If things do come to a shouting match, the best thing you can do is walk away until you are calm enough to discuss things without getting emotionally distressed. Even if you are still being yelled at, by simply not engaging with anger you have kept the situation from escalating. If you can do that perfectly you may as well join a monastery; if you can't, it's okay, we are all only human. Do your best to not react badly to whatever may happen, and you'll live much better among the people you've chosen to share a roof with.

12/13/2013 - As an addendum, sometimes it will be simply impossible for you to please your roommate completely. This is true with any relationship, and when it happens you'll have to weigh that against how much you value the relationship. Use your best judgement; it's never a good idea to burn bridges, unless that bridge is a toxic relationship.

Thanks for listening; until next time!

> Barcraft Planning 101

Hi again everyone! The fall is getting on now, and with it, the seasonal eSports events. Most recently, the conclusion of the the 2013 League of Legends World Championships (which sold out the Staples center in LA) drew quite the crowd. Coming up, Starcraft 2's World Championsip Series will hold it's Yearly finals at Blizzcon this November 7-9. These tournaments draw an amaing live crowd, demonstrating the growing popularity of eSports. Sadly, not everyone has the ways or means to make it to live viewings. In light of this, a certain type of event has caught on as well. Known as PubStomps, Barcrafts, or generic 'Viewing Parties', these are events in which fans gather at a Bar or restaurant to partake in spectating games while enjoying food and drink with others. It sounds pretty awesome, but if you follow the eSports scene it's probably old news to you. What I want to discuss today is how to get one going in your local community, or grow an existing event into something more awesome. Your locale may have it's own Barcraft or Pubstomp community, but if not, you can create it yourself in six easy steps. If that sounds interesting, read on!

Two eSports fans having a great time at Barcraft.

Barcraft Planning - Step 1: Want it to happen? Decide to do it!

This may sound obvious, but  you would be surprised by the number of people who just don't want to get involved, even if it means making something happen for a little effort. In order to plan a successful barcraft, you'll have to make the effort to contact people, venues, advertise (free is fine), and provide information when needed. Sometimes, you may end up doing it alone. Don't worry! It's not a terrible amount of effort, and once you've organized one, it gets much easier. You'll make plenty of eSports friends and learn a lot along the way, and you might even sign up volunteers. In any case, a fun time is guaranteed!

Step 2: Create the event

Again, seemingly obvious, but it can easily be put off until the last minute. Pick an upcoming tournament or Series, the bigger the better. Don't ask if people are interested in coming to a hypothetical event, create a page for one! This lends legitimacy to your event, and makes people more likely to attend. Getting started is easy too, just create an event on a social networking site like Facebook or Meetup.com. After that, you can link all your advertising posts and emails to the event page (just make sure it's publicly viewable for maximum exposure!) Be sure to go ahead and add ANYONE you think may want to attend; Friends, family (Come on, you've already explained to them what this 'eSports' thing is by now), and related groups. the last one may be tricky if you don't know many people in your community. Start by going to your town or city's social networks (reddit.com/r/yourcity, Facebook groups for eSports in your town or University, YES they do

 exist) and posting/inviting everyone you can.

Step 3: Find a venue

Alright, this is where you get to learn something cool. Start by searching for a suitable location online or around town. Hit up neighborhood or sports bars, anywhere that has food (and drink if you want that), and plenty of TV's. Don't forget an internet connection, which you'll need for connecting to the Tournament Stream. Once you find a suitable place, call or meet with the manager. Explain to them briefly about eSports and that you can drum up a good deal of business for them if they let you use their TV's and internet. Make sure you can secure the venue for the day(s) you want to host the event or at least get a dedicated section reserved for you.

Step 4: Advertise, advertise, advertise

Now that you've learned how to secure a venue like a pro, it's time to let more people know about your event. I touched upon this briefly when I mentioned social networking in creating the event, but it's more important than ever here. Anywhere you can get free exposure is important. Try sites like reddit.com (there is a dedicated /r/barcraft for this), teamliquid.com/barcraft and http://wcs.battle.net/sc2/en/barcraft (for Starcraft), and again, Facebook. Try to join as many eSports/geeky Facebook groups as you can, as you will have access to its members, and therefore more exposure for your event. Update the main event page as frequently as you get new information.

Step 5: Securing Sponsors

This one can also be tricky if you are new. I still struggle with it, although the connections I have made help. Contact local companies that market to Gamers and eSports fans. Is there a local branch of Kingston or Nvidia nearby? Go talk to them! You would be surprised, but many companies love to sponsor these kinds of events with free swag to give away. Just make sure to mention them in all your advertisements and event info (and plug them at the event). Oftentimes, the company that makes the game you are viewing will have an interest in showing support. For Starcraft, try Blizzard at BarCraft@blizzard.com. For other games such as Dota2 and League of Legends, try their producers' support or contact pages.

Step 6: Go, and Have fun!

Now that you've done all that hard work, you get to enjoy what comes out of it. Show up an hour early to test out the connection (if you haven't already) and make sure any decorations are in place. Then, just wait for people to arrive, and host the event however you like. I usually just stand up and make announcements as needed; feel free to tailor your hosting to your own style of communication. Plug your sponsors, thank the Bar/Restaurant for having you, and enjoy the tournament! Whether you get a handful of eSports die-hards or a massive gathering, you're sure to have an excellent time. While there, mention the work that went into creating the event, and ask if anyone wants to volunteer to help make it happen again. Who knows, you may make a whole new group of friends. 

I hope all that has been helpful if you're planning on starting a Barcraft in your city, or just merely curious about the process. It's a fair amount of hard work and coordination, but at the end of the day, you've got a really awesome event to be proud of. So get out there, and host your own Barcraft! 

> Fall TV Roundup

Hello everybody, how's it going?

It's been quite a long time since my last update! I've kept busy, as you might imagine, but that shouldn't mean I neglect writing about awesome topics. In that spirit, I've decided to devote this post to one of my favorite subjects. Fall is just around the corner, and that means only one thing: new fall TV season! Below is a list of some of my favorites that I might sadly have to wait to see (Netflix as a cable replacement has a few downsides). But just because I will have to exercise monk-like patience doesn't mean you have to! (seriously, go see these ASAP) Ranked in no particular order, they are:


4. Sherlock
Airs on: BBC, PBS

Expect it: October (UK), January 2014 (US)

Although the premiere date has yet to be announced, fans have a reason to be excited for this one. The third series** of the BBC's modern take on the classic detective stories recently received a teaser trailer, highlighting some amazing scenes that we can expect to see. With primary antagonist Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott) dead, it will be up to a new villain to step up to the plate. Even more exciting, the resolution of last season's cliffhanger will finally be revealed, and the internet will finally be at (temporary) peace. But what has been the delay for so long? Perhaps it is the increasingly busy schedule of both lead actors. Benedict Cumberbatch has recently played Khan in the latest Star Trek installment, as well as been rumored for some other work. Martin Freeman's face is popping up everywhere these days, from an oddly relevant Real-estate Agent (The World's End), to a particularly famous hobbit (The Hobbit: The desolation of Smaug). Coincidentally enough, the two will meet up in the latter movie, where Freeman's Bilbo Baggins has a game of wits with Cumberbatch's Smaug (and if that weren't enough screentime, he will also pull double duty as the sinister Necromancer*). But with all their busy schedules, the pair have amazingly managed to get Sherlock's season 3 filmed and ready to air. It has been awhile in coming, but this fantastic take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's work in finally just around the corner.

3. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Airs on: The Hub

Expect it: Saturday, November 23

There is a reason this show, while aimed at a much younger demographic, has taken the internet community (primarily 18-30 year-olds) by storm. Some say it is the animation style that is most appealing (MLP is made using Flash), some enjoy the story writing of the accomplished Lauren Faust; and some find a deeper meaning in the show's message about friendship. Whatever the reason, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has enjoyed unprecedented success across one of the most diverse fan bases i've ever been a part of. All of this has ensured the show's fourth season will be even more exciting: Twilight Sparkle and her five friends return to the horse-themed land of Equestria this November for new adventures, new fun, and perhaps some new friends and enemies. Whether a minor mishap leads to major mayhem, or Equestria is threatened by some fantastical villain, the Mane Six (pony pun) will be up to the challenge. And just maybe, they will learn something new about friendship along the way.

2. Avatar: The Legend of Korra
Airs on: Nickelodeon

Expect it: Friday, September 13

It has been well over a year sice we last heard from Avatar Korra and her friends in Republic City. The sequel to the critically acclaimed Avatar: The Last Airbender has been seen as a solid, if sometimes hasty, continuation of Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino's original story. In the world of Avatar, some people posess the ability to control or "bend" one of the four classical elements of Earth, Wind, Fire, and Air. One person, known as the Avatar, can bend all four. At the end of the previous series, the imperialist Fire Nation has been defated by then-Avatar Aang and his friends, and peace is slowly returning to the world after 100 years of war. Flash forward sixty years, and the setting for Korra is drawn up. Undergoing rapid modernization, the world has gone from feudal era to 1920's Industrial, and all of the change centers on the melting-pot metropolis of Republic City. But of course, all is not well. Aang's teenaged reincarnation Korra sneaks aboard a Republic City-bound freighter, escaping the confinement of her home in the South Pole. Upon arriving, she discovers new friends and deadly enemies. An anti-Bending revolution brews in the depths of the city, eventually sparking conflict that leads to a climactic battle with the leader of the revolution, Amon (Voiced by the legendary Steve Blum). Originally planned to run as a miniseries (terminating at the end of 12 episodes), Korra featured an explosive season finale that aired last June. The series expansion can be credited to host network Nickelodeon, an amusing turnaround from their original reluctance to approve the show in the first place. Korra and her new "Team Avatar" will come out of hiatus this next Friday, with an entirely new story arc that fans both new and old will love.

1. Doctor Who
Airs on: BBC One

Expect it: Saturday, November 23

What can I say? I did play favorites after all, and saved the best for last. This year marks the 50th since the inception of the most famous Sci-Fi program of all time (Sorry, Star Trek fans!) The momentous occasion will be celebrated in a true Doctor Who fashion, with a special episode set to air this November. The history of the Iconic Doctor's adventures could span a novel longer than The Lord of the Rings, which makes elaborating on it a bit difficult. The most recent incarnation of the series, however, is a bit easier: it began its run in 2005. Then-producer Russel T. Davies faced a difficult task of breathing new life into a show that had been off the air for over 15 years, with only a 1996 movie in between. He accomplished this by bringing in both superb writers and actors (including the "fantastic!" Christopher Eccleston). After series** one's success, the show's return seemed absolute. And it has been; over the years since it's return to air, an entirely new generation of fans around the world has sprung up around the show, bridging the generation gap that so few TV programs can manage. One of the more clever bits of writing in Doctor Who is the way in which the protagonist's actors are switched out. The Doctor is an alien capable of "regenerating" his body when he is mortally injured. When he does so, the character's entire appearance (and personality) is altered, allowing the show's writers to recast him as another actor. The end of last season was the final run for the 11th Doctor (Matt Smith), and the show's writers have announced that Peter Capaldi (of BBC series The Thick of It, among others) will become the next Doctor during the special. Some of the more popular previous Doctors and travel companions will reappear as well, setting the 50th Anniversary up to be a spectacular one. And with the annual Christmas special to lead into the new series only a month away from that, fans certainly have much to be excited for.

*See: Sauron
**In the UK, TV seasons are referred to as "Series"

> Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm

Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm, an expansion to the inaugural Wings of Liberty was released across the globe just two weeks ago. Continuing Blizzard's tradition of fantastic games, HOTS updates the mechanics of the popular competitive Real Time Strategy Game, Starcraft 2. Being a longtime Blizzard fan, I sat down with the new expansion and decided to flex my army-commanding skills, to play through both the single-player campaign and the online multiplayer. There won't be very much technical or deep mechanics overviews this time, as I'm still trying to work some of those out. What I will cover is the Story and Community around Starcraft 2, and how much fun a game like this can be!

The second installment focuses on the Zerg race, aka the bugs from Starship Troopers

Heart of the Swarm's single player campaign picks up where the the previous campaign (Wings of Liberty) left off. I'll assume here you know enough about Stacraft to go on, as explaining it could be it's own post! Anyways, we're back with rebel leader Jim Raynor, who has finally suceeded in returning his love interest/potential murderer Sarah Kerrigan from a nasty Zerg infestation that had turned her into the omnipotent Queen of Blades (excellent story writing here, Blizzard). Of course, all is not well. While running experiments and tests to see if Kerrigan is indeed fully cured, Prince Valerian Mensk's facility comes under attack, prompting all shit to hit the fan. Raynor and Kerrigan attempt to escape, and I really can't go into any more detail without a ridiculous amount of spoilers. Suffice it to say, the action kicks off with a bang, much like the game's release.

So why is Starcraft such a popular game across the world? You could chalk it up to marketing hype, which Blizzard is VERY good at (see: worldwide launch event). But there is something else, something which keeps it's playerbase interested years after the game's launch. The community around Starcraft II is a key factor. Casual players from across the world compete in online matchmaking to improve their skills. Profesional players are showcased in several large sponsered tournaments for Fame, Glory, and prize money. Tournaments are often streamed online, in addition to having live audiences on location. Last Sunday, a large group of Starcraft Fans took over a local Bar & Restaurant to stream one such tournament and drink beer, in an event called Barcraft. For several hours the crowd cheered as we watched our favorite players go head-to-head , while listening to commentary from Streamcasters such as Sean "day[9]" Plott, and  Marcus "djWHEAT" Graham crack jokes and talk Starcraft Stategy. In the end, MLG Dallas came down to two high-level pros from Korea (The dominant country in Starcraft), Zerg player Lee "Life" Seung Hyun and Terran Lee "Flash" Young Ho. Although the player and fan base are the driving forces in the Starcraft community, business hasn't sat idly by. Companies like Jinx and Thermaltake, selling everything from clothing to CPU coolers line up to give away branded swag to fans and players. Many of the professionals are also sponsored full time by one company or another. Even some enterprising businesses like Twitch tv have answered the demands of gamers and fans by revolutionizing the way we view competitions and game content.

Even though H.O.T.S. is brand new, the community that loves it has been around for a long time. Back in the early days of multiplayer computer strategy games, circa 1998, the original Starcraft was released. I remember playing it a bit, even if I wasn't very competitive at the time. Back then, I was more into card games and console video games, so I left Starcraft and did something else for awhile. For years, however, the community of players grew, and early tournaments and professional circuits sprang up around it. It is because of these dedicated early players that the Starcraft 2 scene is as it is today. Even so, the community is still growing, and has only a small following when compared to professional sports like Football, Soccer, or Basketball. This may sound like a silly comparison, but the level of professional play in eSports is no less dedicated than any professional athlete. And with so much support, and ever growing player base (HOTS sold 1.1 million in its first day alone), it's hard to not see the phenomenon continue. I personally hope it does. As an on and off player, I've had a rather inconsistent history with Starcraft, but whenever I do visit again, I'm fascinated by the fierce competition, vibrant storytelling, and  amazingly dedicated community of players and fans. Perhaps this time, I'll stick around.

Before I run off, I think it's fair to say I wholly recommend Heart of the Swarm to any RTS enthusiast with a copy of Starcraft, and both WoL and HoTS to anyone even vaguely interested. There's so much more here than a single game in a box, it's an entire universe of it's own. So give it a try, and I'll be seeing you in the Koprulu sector!

> Asus UL30VT - Tweaking Hardware and Software for a leaner linux laptop

Several years back, Asus released a sleek and dynamic laptop line utilizing the the then-new Intel Ultra-low voltage CULV chipset: the UL30VT, UL50VT, and the UL80VT. With excellent battery life, reasonable pricing, and a Dual-graphics solution that allowed for gaming, the UL's have lasted reasonably well (I'm typing this on one right now :) Naturally, there has been a lot of work to get it working on Linux, and for the most part, it's been sucessful. However, most flavors of linux by default are not optimized for laptops, let alone the somewhat unique hardware in the UL's. For this post i'll be showing you how I lowered my battery usage on the UL30VT, using the latest version of Linux Mint (14, MATE edition). I have also made hardware changes to increase battery life, which may not be feasible for everyone.

Just look at that sexy thing.

UL30VT replacement battery:
http://www.amazon.com/4400mAh-A42-UL30-A42-UL50-A42-UL80-Replace/dp/B004HFFID8/ref=pd_cp_pc_0

My SATA II SSD:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220390


One of the most useful Linux laptop tools out there is called Powertop. Essentially, it keeps track of devices and processes running on your machine, and gauges their average power usage. For anyone who wants to pinpoint what's eating the most of their battery, it can't be beat. Installing and using Powertop is simple enough on the Ubuntu-based Linux Mint, just install and calibrate, like so:

sudo apt-get install powertop
sudo powertop --calibrate


Now it's important to let the calibration run on battery power and to leave your laptop alone while it happens. Powertop will analyze and aggregate the power usage of your hardware components, and for a power estimate based on the total power used and battery capacity. As we start making our optimizations, you should notice a marked increase in estimated battery life.


UL30VT specific battery optimizations:

The UL30VT has a very unique hardware configuration, as it utilizies 2 graphics cards: An intel onboard solution for low power usage (the one we want here), and a beefier Nvidia discrete card (it uses its own memory and a lot more power, so this is the one we will turn off), usually used for gaming. This configuration is very well supported in the Windows 7 it ships with, but we want to optimize it for Linux! The best solution that i've found at the time of writing is to simply disable the Nvidia card altogether. In order to do this, I followed this thread on Ubuntu Forums, with some slight modifications. The debian file didn't install for me, so I ended up compiling the module from source (after adding a module header to the code), and manually adding it via the modprobe command. What this does is install the module to the Linux kernel for the current session. In order to turn the Nvidia card off at every startup, however, it needs to be a permanent module. This can be done by adding the name of the module to /etc/modules. Normally this should work fine, but it ended up bricking my installation a few times. The workaround I found is to run the 'modprobe' command itself at every startup (by adding it to the /etc/rc.local file). After this, I noticed a 4 Watt decrease in overall power usage from powertop.

After extensive trial and error, these are the exact steps that worked for me (your mileage may vary):

cd Downloads (or wherever your .deb is downloaded to)
ar x *.deb
tar xzf data.tar.gz
cd usr/src/
tar xzf nvidia-*.tar.gz
cd dkms_source_tree
add #include<linux/module.h> to the top of asus_nvidia_g210m_acpi.c (or whatever the c file is called)
sudo make clean install
sudo cp nvidia_g210m_acpi.ko /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/
depmod
modprobe nvidia_g210m_acpi

To run on boot:
add 'modprobe nvidia_g210m_acpi' /etc/rc.local

Enabling brightness keys:
The UL30VT seems to have had some issues with getting the brightness keyboard keys working by default in Linux. However, by following the guide provided here, I managed to get them operational.


General laptop battery optimizations:
For awhile now, I've been a big fan of Hak5 on Revision3. Most recently they put out a segment on linux battery optimizations, from which many of these following tips are drawn. For the full episode, go here: http://hak5.org/episodes/hak5-1225

1. Disable unneccessary Startup applications.
If you're like me, there are few startup applications/applets in most linux environments that you actually need. Some others, such as bluetooth manager and default-keyring are optional and consume battery when run in the backround. To disable, simply search for startup applications in your menu bar, and uncheck what you don't need. (WARNING: If you don't know what a startup application does, DO NOT disable it. Seriously, that's like dividing by zero.)

2. Lower backlight brightness
Most of the time, you likely won't need the absolute brightest setting your laptop has to offer. You can usually set the brightness from your power management console (click the battery icon, then preferences), or there may be keyboard keys that map to brightness functions (like on the UL30). Whatever your setup, you will need to make this behavior default in power management. I reccommend using the lowest brightness you can stand, but comfort may weigh more than battery life, depending on your preferences.

3. Turn off unused devices
Most of the time, I use my laptop on wireless only, so I don't really need my ethernet interface. In linux, you can see your interfaces with the ifconifg command. Try it, and you should see a few different ones, a lo (don't worry about this), a wlan0 (your wireless interface), and eth0 (we'll disable this).
To turn off eth0, run this command:

ifconfig hw eth0 down

To make this change run on startup, add this same command to your /etc/rc.local, like we did for our G210m module.

Do you know any other devices you can safely disable on your linux laptop? Post it in the comments!

4. Disable Swappiness
Straight out of the Hak5 segment, we'll be disabling our swappiness. But what is Swappiness? Swappiness (tired of it yet?) is a tool which controls when your machine starts to use its Swap memory (reserved hard drive space which is used as an overflow for RAM). By setting this to 0, we will force Swap to not be used until absolutely necessary. Because HDD space is more expensive to access, this will save us power if we have available RAM. To set, find your swappiness file:

/proc/sys/vm/swappiness

and edit it, setting whatever value it has (mine was 60) to 0. Make sure you do this as root (or run sudo with your command!)


Conclusions:
And that's it! If you've been following along, your laptop should now be consuming significantly less power than when we started.
According to powertop, I get about 6 hours @ 10 Watts when idle and 4-5 hours @ 14-15 Watts under reasonable use, but every machine is different. How'd yours do?
If you have any questions or additional suggestions for power optimization, please leave a message in the comments!

Thanks to:
Hak5.org
ubuntuforums.org
wiki.daviddarts.com/Main_Page
Google (for all the searchability)

> Intro

I've decided that I'd like to have a place to write about the things that I like. I've tried blogging before, but all my attempts have typically been constrained to a single topic or genre. If I didn't feel like writing something about that, nothing would get done. The same problem would crop up if I couldn't think of a relative topic for the week. It's easy to see how this problem can discourage someone from keeping their writing up to date. Fortunately, the solution is so obvious it could've slapped me in the face: Add some variety, and mix up the topics. So here's a fresh attempt at putting what I love to keyboard. Every week I'll be bringing posts on a mix of topics that anyone with good taste should love. Hold on to your hats, seats, pants and idioms!


So who the hell am I? Okay, I suppose some introductions are in order. The name's Devin, but online I like to go by Piratechnics. I'm  a self-styled geek, with obsessive interests  in all the usual topics. The stuff I like to write about includes Pop Science, Sci-fi and Fantasy, Software, Hacking (Good, Evil, and all other brands of varying mileage), Music, Movies and Video Games. I'll try to devote a decent amount of time of each of these, and maybe an oddball topic thrown in. For the more technical topics, I'll try to give some background, but most of the time I'll be just learning as well. For all the rest, I'll likely be 50/50 describing the work and gushing over how awesome it all is. Would you expect any thing different from a Geeky Dude?

So that's that for introductions and indoctrination. As I've indicated, this insipiant internet communiqué has been instantiated to learn, teach and internalize the ins-and-outs of varying innovations, in order to increase intellects. Without further intricacies, it's fair to include that this blog is now initialized. Please check back for further input at another instant.