Hey friends, I've been particularly busy with my new job, takes me from 6a to 6p every day of the work week.
An update to my diet plan. Since may 23 I've lost 12 lbs of pure fat, and 4 inches of total mass from various areas of my body.
I've discovered that not having any sort of diet soda during the day is helping immensely...apparently Aspartame contains chemicals that promote fat storing, so good on you "diet" coke
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Before....
Now sitting at my computer, the end of day one, it wasn't so bad. High protein breakfast, Tuna salad for lunch, burrito bowl with no rice for dinner. And jesus did I drink a lot of water.
I took my measurements last night....biceps, thighs, waist and hips. The total number was 187. This is a data point I'll be tracking each week. As soon as my calipers come in the mail I'll get an estimate of my bodyfat percentage to track as well week to week.
I weight in at an embarrassing 293.5 pounds this morning. The good news is that isn't my high for the past 6 mo.
My goals with this regimen are three fold: In 3 months I want to be healthier than I've been since high school. In 6 months I want to be able to take my shirt off in public without giving myself a complex. 1 year from today I want to [goal redacted to protect the innocent]
Goal one involves a drop of 40 lbs, goal two means getting to sub 20% bodyfat. Goal three goes beyond both of those.
These may seem lofty, but I don't care, I'm going for it.
I took my measurements last night....biceps, thighs, waist and hips. The total number was 187. This is a data point I'll be tracking each week. As soon as my calipers come in the mail I'll get an estimate of my bodyfat percentage to track as well week to week.
I weight in at an embarrassing 293.5 pounds this morning. The good news is that isn't my high for the past 6 mo.
My goals with this regimen are three fold: In 3 months I want to be healthier than I've been since high school. In 6 months I want to be able to take my shirt off in public without giving myself a complex. 1 year from today I want to [goal redacted to protect the innocent]
Goal one involves a drop of 40 lbs, goal two means getting to sub 20% bodyfat. Goal three goes beyond both of those.
These may seem lofty, but I don't care, I'm going for it.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
A New Venture
*blows off dust*
I'm planning on using this space to track my "body reconfiguration" as outlined in the 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferris. I will spare the public my "before photos" and instead use the blog to track daily/weekly weight, weekly inches and BMI measurements and other data points. I'm not savvy enough nor do I believe I have the time to do Daily updates regarding photos of my meals...but I will be taking them and uploading the most shameful in a weekly post.
Thanks for being an unwilling participant/motivator In my change.
A large "before" post is forth coming...I still have some planning to do.
I'm planning on using this space to track my "body reconfiguration" as outlined in the 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferris. I will spare the public my "before photos" and instead use the blog to track daily/weekly weight, weekly inches and BMI measurements and other data points. I'm not savvy enough nor do I believe I have the time to do Daily updates regarding photos of my meals...but I will be taking them and uploading the most shameful in a weekly post.
Thanks for being an unwilling participant/motivator In my change.
A large "before" post is forth coming...I still have some planning to do.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
in which the terrible tale is told
now that my long nightmare is mostly over I feel I can step back and recount the events of the past 3 or so months leading up to my enrollment in NCSU masters in aeronautical engineering program.
We begin our tale with my being laid off from my employment of 2 years and moving back in with my parents. The job market wasn't getting any better, mind you this was at the crescendo of bank failures, the credit crunch, and skyrocketing unemployment. It was agreed upon amongst my close family members that secondary options, such as continuing education, needed to be explored. On what was basically a whim I registered for my GRE to be taken in early november. Since then I began to piece together the process for applying to NC State's graduate programs.
The week before my GRE test was scheduled I made a trip out to the school (roughly 4hr drive one way from my parents home in the mountains) to discuss entrance requirements and financial aid. Skipping forward to just after my GRE's were taken I began the process of getting recommendations, filling out requisite forms and applications and preparing for the late November (the week before thanksgiving) deadline for applications. Come that day I had all my documents in for the application and the very next day in the mail all (based on what I was told when I visited the aid office) the documents I would need to apply for a Stafford loan.
It is now the second week or so in December and I receive notification by email that I have been recommended for admission by the engineering department. This was good news but by no means a guarantee of enrollment. I promptly contact my loan officer at the university to check on the status of my loan papers. I am told that there is nothing to be done until I am fully accepted by the university. To give some idea of the time-line, the first day of classes for the second semester is January the 11th.
We move now to the week before Christmas, I receive notification via email that I have indeed been accepted by the university as a potential full time student, pending my enrollment of course. Hurrah says I as I contact my loan officer once again to get the ball rolling. There is news on this front thankfully but it is not good. Apparently there are other forms that I needed to fill out, three to be specific, a independent status verification worksheet, additional tax information worksheet, and the Graduate Benefits and enrollment form. The first 2 are quickly filled out by me and prepared for delivery on the 21st. The latter form is more complicated; there is a section for me to fill out then the form must be delivered to my graduate program office, filled out and signed, then forwarded to the financial aid office.
It is on the 21st that I am informed that the university and all its offices will be closed beginning the 23rd and ending on January the 4th. Faxing these forms seems to be the best bet. The tax forms get to the financial aid office promptly and are entered into the system. I am unfortunately unable to get confirmation of receipt by the graduate office before they close so I had a very relaxing Christmas.
Let us not forget that during all this time I need to find a place in Raleigh (4hrs away from home) to live and to arrange for my move.
Try as I might there is nothing I can do to move forward on my loan and without my loan I wont be able to register for any classes as there is a tuition hold on my account. So come the 4th I have a slew of phone calls, emails, and even campus visits to nail down the particulars of my enrollment 1 week before classes are scheduled to begin.
Bad news, it is Monday the 4th of January and the graduate office doesn't have the fax of my form yet! The silver lining to this cloud is that it usually takes 24 hrs for faxes to the office to be delivered (>.>). On Tuesday my father and I make a trek out to Raleigh with the primary intention of securing living quarters for myself. Along the way I am plastered to my phone making sure the form issues are dealt with. By the end of the day I have an apartment to live in (come later that week of course) and assurance that the form has been filled out by the graduate office and sent to the financial aid office.
Wednesday the 6th comes and goes and the financial aid office sees hide nor hair of the form. This is because the graduate office chose to deliver the form via the campus mail system, a process that can take upwards of 3 days. I am running out of time and well if I'm honest I broke down a little over the course of the next few days. Resolved was it that I was to move out to Raleigh 1 day early, coming out with the items taken to my parents home on Thursday with the hope of resolving my enrollment that day in person. On my way out I encouraged the graduate office to take a copy they had made of the form (and not informed me of the availability of said copy) and fax it to the financial aid office. I arrive on campus at 12:30 PM and seek out the graduate office secretary, who wouldn't return to her office till 1:15. As it turns out the form was not faxed so a second copy was made, to be delivered by me directly to the financial aid office.
That afternoon, roughly at 3:30 pm I received an email that my loan had been awarded in the full amount and that the tuition hold had been removed from my account. I made my way over to the library to register for my classes online, relief pouring over me.
But I was not done. Every graduate level MAE (mechanical and aerospace engineering) course available to me was full or on waiting list as well as a math course required by my degree. Allow me to put this problem in perspective; it is in my estimation not a very common occurrence for graduate students to be dropping classes especially in the second semester. Were I not to be enrolled for 9+ credits (that's 3 full classes) I would not receive my full loan award. Without my loan I would be unable to live on my own in Raleigh and thus unable to attend whatever classes I did get into. I would be forced to defer enrollment to a later semester and everything that I had done in the past 3 months would have been completely nullified.
There is, however, a happy ending to this terrible tale. As of this posting the class cap for all engineering classes has been raised, allowing me to enroll in 3 MAE courses, 1 MAE seminar (1 credit) and remain on the waiting list for my Math course.
By my own admission I am not an optimist. I like to consider my self an objective realist. My very nature precludes me from looking on the bright side when there remains obstacles in my path. Throughout this whole ordeal I was in a terribly foul and doom-saying mood. Never did I consider giving up, however, and in the end, it worked out.
Now I can get on to the important task of worrying myself to death about my academics and finances :)
We begin our tale with my being laid off from my employment of 2 years and moving back in with my parents. The job market wasn't getting any better, mind you this was at the crescendo of bank failures, the credit crunch, and skyrocketing unemployment. It was agreed upon amongst my close family members that secondary options, such as continuing education, needed to be explored. On what was basically a whim I registered for my GRE to be taken in early november. Since then I began to piece together the process for applying to NC State's graduate programs.
The week before my GRE test was scheduled I made a trip out to the school (roughly 4hr drive one way from my parents home in the mountains) to discuss entrance requirements and financial aid. Skipping forward to just after my GRE's were taken I began the process of getting recommendations, filling out requisite forms and applications and preparing for the late November (the week before thanksgiving) deadline for applications. Come that day I had all my documents in for the application and the very next day in the mail all (based on what I was told when I visited the aid office) the documents I would need to apply for a Stafford loan.
It is now the second week or so in December and I receive notification by email that I have been recommended for admission by the engineering department. This was good news but by no means a guarantee of enrollment. I promptly contact my loan officer at the university to check on the status of my loan papers. I am told that there is nothing to be done until I am fully accepted by the university. To give some idea of the time-line, the first day of classes for the second semester is January the 11th.
We move now to the week before Christmas, I receive notification via email that I have indeed been accepted by the university as a potential full time student, pending my enrollment of course. Hurrah says I as I contact my loan officer once again to get the ball rolling. There is news on this front thankfully but it is not good. Apparently there are other forms that I needed to fill out, three to be specific, a independent status verification worksheet, additional tax information worksheet, and the Graduate Benefits and enrollment form. The first 2 are quickly filled out by me and prepared for delivery on the 21st. The latter form is more complicated; there is a section for me to fill out then the form must be delivered to my graduate program office, filled out and signed, then forwarded to the financial aid office.
It is on the 21st that I am informed that the university and all its offices will be closed beginning the 23rd and ending on January the 4th. Faxing these forms seems to be the best bet. The tax forms get to the financial aid office promptly and are entered into the system. I am unfortunately unable to get confirmation of receipt by the graduate office before they close so I had a very relaxing Christmas.
Let us not forget that during all this time I need to find a place in Raleigh (4hrs away from home) to live and to arrange for my move.
Try as I might there is nothing I can do to move forward on my loan and without my loan I wont be able to register for any classes as there is a tuition hold on my account. So come the 4th I have a slew of phone calls, emails, and even campus visits to nail down the particulars of my enrollment 1 week before classes are scheduled to begin.
Bad news, it is Monday the 4th of January and the graduate office doesn't have the fax of my form yet! The silver lining to this cloud is that it usually takes 24 hrs for faxes to the office to be delivered (>.>). On Tuesday my father and I make a trek out to Raleigh with the primary intention of securing living quarters for myself. Along the way I am plastered to my phone making sure the form issues are dealt with. By the end of the day I have an apartment to live in (come later that week of course) and assurance that the form has been filled out by the graduate office and sent to the financial aid office.
Wednesday the 6th comes and goes and the financial aid office sees hide nor hair of the form. This is because the graduate office chose to deliver the form via the campus mail system, a process that can take upwards of 3 days. I am running out of time and well if I'm honest I broke down a little over the course of the next few days. Resolved was it that I was to move out to Raleigh 1 day early, coming out with the items taken to my parents home on Thursday with the hope of resolving my enrollment that day in person. On my way out I encouraged the graduate office to take a copy they had made of the form (and not informed me of the availability of said copy) and fax it to the financial aid office. I arrive on campus at 12:30 PM and seek out the graduate office secretary, who wouldn't return to her office till 1:15. As it turns out the form was not faxed so a second copy was made, to be delivered by me directly to the financial aid office.
That afternoon, roughly at 3:30 pm I received an email that my loan had been awarded in the full amount and that the tuition hold had been removed from my account. I made my way over to the library to register for my classes online, relief pouring over me.
But I was not done. Every graduate level MAE (mechanical and aerospace engineering) course available to me was full or on waiting list as well as a math course required by my degree. Allow me to put this problem in perspective; it is in my estimation not a very common occurrence for graduate students to be dropping classes especially in the second semester. Were I not to be enrolled for 9+ credits (that's 3 full classes) I would not receive my full loan award. Without my loan I would be unable to live on my own in Raleigh and thus unable to attend whatever classes I did get into. I would be forced to defer enrollment to a later semester and everything that I had done in the past 3 months would have been completely nullified.
There is, however, a happy ending to this terrible tale. As of this posting the class cap for all engineering classes has been raised, allowing me to enroll in 3 MAE courses, 1 MAE seminar (1 credit) and remain on the waiting list for my Math course.
By my own admission I am not an optimist. I like to consider my self an objective realist. My very nature precludes me from looking on the bright side when there remains obstacles in my path. Throughout this whole ordeal I was in a terribly foul and doom-saying mood. Never did I consider giving up, however, and in the end, it worked out.
Now I can get on to the important task of worrying myself to death about my academics and finances :)
Monday, January 4, 2010
PODS fail
so when moving out of my apartment in New Bern north carolina back in august, instead of hiring a moving company or renting a truck to ship my shit out to my parents home in Asheville North Carolina (376 mi, important to the story later) my father convinced me to do PODS, which will bring a storage container to where you are, you load it up, they pick it up and store it and will(supposedly) ship it to a destination of your choosing later on. First month and the pickup was ~$250 and its about 100 a month to keep storing it in Greenville, NC, roughly 45 mi from new bern.
Having now found a place to live in Raliegh for my attending NCSU its time to move my stuff from greenville to Raleigh. I get on the horn with PODS this afternoon to arrange the details. OH snap theres an additional fee to move it to a different location that the origination. First off, I never specified a delivery time or location, this is bullshit but Im hearing them out because im not expecting much and it will be worth it in the end.
The estimate comes back, for the 84 mi trip from greenville to raleigh, the fee will be, ~$1000 and it will take a min of 8 days to get there.
the why? Well apparently pods storage facilities are franchises and they would need to "transfer" my tiny ass container from the Eastern NC franchise to the Raleigh Franchise for starters, at least 4 days. Then 4 days to get it from raleigh to...raleigh. The fees are some bullshit to protect loss of business for franchises or some such shit.
more bullshit: its only $100 fee to abandon my shit, and practically free to drive out there and pick up my own stuff from the container, which I will be doing in a uhaul over the 3day MLK weekend.
They've since called me back after geting yelled at saying that they'd do it for half but it would still be cheaper to hire some guys to go and pick it up and put it in my apt for me.
Lets put a kicker on this. A moving company came to my house in Ashville, packed up my furniture (I packed everything else) unloaded and carried everything up to a 3rd floor walkup in New Bern and set up my bed and dresser and bookcases for $800.
The long and short of it, dont use pods, do it yourself or treat yourself and hire a moving company
Having now found a place to live in Raliegh for my attending NCSU its time to move my stuff from greenville to Raleigh. I get on the horn with PODS this afternoon to arrange the details. OH snap theres an additional fee to move it to a different location that the origination. First off, I never specified a delivery time or location, this is bullshit but Im hearing them out because im not expecting much and it will be worth it in the end.
The estimate comes back, for the 84 mi trip from greenville to raleigh, the fee will be, ~$1000 and it will take a min of 8 days to get there.
the why? Well apparently pods storage facilities are franchises and they would need to "transfer" my tiny ass container from the Eastern NC franchise to the Raleigh Franchise for starters, at least 4 days. Then 4 days to get it from raleigh to...raleigh. The fees are some bullshit to protect loss of business for franchises or some such shit.
more bullshit: its only $100 fee to abandon my shit, and practically free to drive out there and pick up my own stuff from the container, which I will be doing in a uhaul over the 3day MLK weekend.
They've since called me back after geting yelled at saying that they'd do it for half but it would still be cheaper to hire some guys to go and pick it up and put it in my apt for me.
Lets put a kicker on this. A moving company came to my house in Ashville, packed up my furniture (I packed everything else) unloaded and carried everything up to a 3rd floor walkup in New Bern and set up my bed and dresser and bookcases for $800.
The long and short of it, dont use pods, do it yourself or treat yourself and hire a moving company
Sunday, June 14, 2009
more musings
Just as an update to my last post, it was revealed to me during my Online DND campaign with the Fancy Bastards (forums.hijinksensue.com) that there are over 30 race choices and more than 15 classes in 4.0 dnd.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
On Roleplaying Stereotypes
I've been playing RPGs on the computer and console for many years, but only playing paper and pencil dungeons and dragons for oh maybe 6. Its been only recently, the past few campaigns or so, including those played at college where I've taken a more active interest in Roleplaying my character.
In the first campaign I ever dilligently roleplayed for the Dungeon Master asked me if I had rp'd before because I was pretty good at it (the dm was a big RP game runner, World of darkness and other such white wolf games). I honestly had not, but I replied, "I have a very good fantasy/sci-fi background which I use to build a characters personality"
now why would I start off this post about RP stereotypes whith such a story? Well it relates to an almost constant argument I have with a friend of mine down here that i play DND with almost every week. Since 4th edition DnD has come out, we've bickerd back and forth about the removal, reversal, and other such changes to the classic archetypes many of us learned the game with.
I personally dont take issue with the game mechanics changes. Hasbro/Wizards is trying to take a brand with bad connotations and a small player base and bring it to the mainstream. And to to that they've done things such as, remove negatives stat bonuses from character races, introduced more varied races and classes, and made precedent for almost any wacky/inane combination you can think of all in the name of increasing the player base by "upping the fun" As I said, this doesn't bother me. What does bother me is that such mechanics allow for people to go against what I will call the RP Stereotypes.
What is an RP stereotype by my definition? Its an idea, an archetype, widely held, usually inspired by fantasy writing or older versions of rpgs. Example: All drow can assumed to be evil. All undead can be assumed to be evil. Orcs are dumb, Elves are frail. And nowaday's new players dont have that sort of indoctrination into such archetypes, primarily because they aren't included in the game mechanics. All player races have no negative stat bonuses, so you have no idea what a races weakness is. There is an epic destiny (read, prestige class) where you become a lich (specifically an archlich) so as you may fight evil for eternity. I use that example specifically because I have a major problem with it. The process of becoming a lich is a process by which a wizard of the day would shed their humanity, literally and figuratively.
To rant about another problem I have in this vein, there are so many new wild and crazy character races, they just aren't feasible. The idea by my understanding is that the character races are supposed to be common enough that those cultures can raise "heros." Humans, elves dwarves, all make sense, but shifters, genasi, devas, and goliaths? They just dont fit into my (now admittedly antiquated) world view.
Dont get me wrong now friends, I'm not angry enough to stop playing. Its just that it kinda rubs me the wrong way. In the effort to essentially make more money, the publishers are contradicting the source material, going against the established narrative.
These are just my jumbled thoughts.
In the first campaign I ever dilligently roleplayed for the Dungeon Master asked me if I had rp'd before because I was pretty good at it (the dm was a big RP game runner, World of darkness and other such white wolf games). I honestly had not, but I replied, "I have a very good fantasy/sci-fi background which I use to build a characters personality"
now why would I start off this post about RP stereotypes whith such a story? Well it relates to an almost constant argument I have with a friend of mine down here that i play DND with almost every week. Since 4th edition DnD has come out, we've bickerd back and forth about the removal, reversal, and other such changes to the classic archetypes many of us learned the game with.
I personally dont take issue with the game mechanics changes. Hasbro/Wizards is trying to take a brand with bad connotations and a small player base and bring it to the mainstream. And to to that they've done things such as, remove negatives stat bonuses from character races, introduced more varied races and classes, and made precedent for almost any wacky/inane combination you can think of all in the name of increasing the player base by "upping the fun" As I said, this doesn't bother me. What does bother me is that such mechanics allow for people to go against what I will call the RP Stereotypes.
What is an RP stereotype by my definition? Its an idea, an archetype, widely held, usually inspired by fantasy writing or older versions of rpgs. Example: All drow can assumed to be evil. All undead can be assumed to be evil. Orcs are dumb, Elves are frail. And nowaday's new players dont have that sort of indoctrination into such archetypes, primarily because they aren't included in the game mechanics. All player races have no negative stat bonuses, so you have no idea what a races weakness is. There is an epic destiny (read, prestige class) where you become a lich (specifically an archlich) so as you may fight evil for eternity. I use that example specifically because I have a major problem with it. The process of becoming a lich is a process by which a wizard of the day would shed their humanity, literally and figuratively.
To rant about another problem I have in this vein, there are so many new wild and crazy character races, they just aren't feasible. The idea by my understanding is that the character races are supposed to be common enough that those cultures can raise "heros." Humans, elves dwarves, all make sense, but shifters, genasi, devas, and goliaths? They just dont fit into my (now admittedly antiquated) world view.
Dont get me wrong now friends, I'm not angry enough to stop playing. Its just that it kinda rubs me the wrong way. In the effort to essentially make more money, the publishers are contradicting the source material, going against the established narrative.
These are just my jumbled thoughts.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Success?
I am currently sitting at the gate for my flight from atl back home after my interview. I believe it went well, this is all I will say bout it till monday, when I will find out for sure how well it went.
its been raining really hard here the past few days and every flight has been pushed back a significant amount. My orignal departure time was scheduled to be 8pm. Not that bad, gave me some time to get a decent meal at the airport.
as I live and breathe I stand (well, sit) before the great blue wall o time tables and my flight now leaves at 2:04 AM
you didn't misread that. 2 in the frakkin morning.
As I understood it, airports close down around midnight...but I guess this flight to new bern is an exception considering the EWN airport is where they store the jets for this (2x a day) flight. So pretty mcuh no matter what Im getting out of ATL tonight/tomorrow. I can only hope its not daylight again when it happens.
What follows is a summary of my day at LM Aero in Mareitta GA
7:45 am, I arrive at LM's vistor center, nigh soaked from head to toe in my good suit, as it had started to pour felines and canines just after I got away from the hotel.
Imagine my suprise to see a number of other college or just post college aged people similarly attired. I was unaware this was going to be a group interview. Thankfully they were all here for different jobs, I only met one other gentlemen interviewing for the same position as me.
I spent the morning in a conference room waiting and meeting with LM peoples to sort out paperwork, get reimbusment papers, and the like and to actually have my interview.
After this period a lunch was had at their supremely well appointed cafeteria.
And then we come to the heart of the matter, the redeeming feature of this trip should I not be extended a job offer, the tour of the C-130J, P3, and F-22 Assembly factory. To me, a meche graduate with a supreme boner for military aircraft and LM (the company) in particular this was an orgasmic experience. I got as close to an F-22 as any civilian not working for LM can get.
Seeing the C-130 (super hercules) up close was eye opening too, that plane is frakkin enourmous even in its barebones state. The propeller blades is about as tall as I am and made completely of fiberglass composite.
There may be more if I think about it in the 8 hours I have left in this gods forsaken airport so stay...tuned? Do you tune in to the internutz?
Love, Peace, and Taco Grease
FT
its been raining really hard here the past few days and every flight has been pushed back a significant amount. My orignal departure time was scheduled to be 8pm. Not that bad, gave me some time to get a decent meal at the airport.
as I live and breathe I stand (well, sit) before the great blue wall o time tables and my flight now leaves at 2:04 AM
you didn't misread that. 2 in the frakkin morning.
As I understood it, airports close down around midnight...but I guess this flight to new bern is an exception considering the EWN airport is where they store the jets for this (2x a day) flight. So pretty mcuh no matter what Im getting out of ATL tonight/tomorrow. I can only hope its not daylight again when it happens.
What follows is a summary of my day at LM Aero in Mareitta GA
7:45 am, I arrive at LM's vistor center, nigh soaked from head to toe in my good suit, as it had started to pour felines and canines just after I got away from the hotel.
Imagine my suprise to see a number of other college or just post college aged people similarly attired. I was unaware this was going to be a group interview. Thankfully they were all here for different jobs, I only met one other gentlemen interviewing for the same position as me.
I spent the morning in a conference room waiting and meeting with LM peoples to sort out paperwork, get reimbusment papers, and the like and to actually have my interview.
After this period a lunch was had at their supremely well appointed cafeteria.
And then we come to the heart of the matter, the redeeming feature of this trip should I not be extended a job offer, the tour of the C-130J, P3, and F-22 Assembly factory. To me, a meche graduate with a supreme boner for military aircraft and LM (the company) in particular this was an orgasmic experience. I got as close to an F-22 as any civilian not working for LM can get.
Seeing the C-130 (super hercules) up close was eye opening too, that plane is frakkin enourmous even in its barebones state. The propeller blades is about as tall as I am and made completely of fiberglass composite.
There may be more if I think about it in the 8 hours I have left in this gods forsaken airport so stay...tuned? Do you tune in to the internutz?
Love, Peace, and Taco Grease
FT
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
On dreams, and their defference
I am currently busying myself in preperation for what could possibly be the most important interview of my life, for a job with the company I have quite literally always wanted to work for since I entered Engineering School, Lockheed Martin. I will be flying down to the corporate HQ recruiting center in the ATL tomorrow at quarter to 7 in the gorram morning but I am hoping it will be worth it.
I am trying not to build up my hopes on this one, but its really hard not to.
At the very least I'll get a tour of wherever Im going and that will fill my cool tank for a while.
Additionally the process of potentially getting me transfered away from here and to another internal group has begun, possibly a bit too late unfortunately, but Its a backup plan.
for those of you not in the know (programming note, probably all of you) the contract I am working under will expire this june, and as of yet there has been no renewal or new contract. Do the maths and you'll see I need to find another job.
insert shameless twitter plug here, its the best way to find out whats going on in my boring life (twitter.com/fraktruck)
I am trying not to build up my hopes on this one, but its really hard not to.
At the very least I'll get a tour of wherever Im going and that will fill my cool tank for a while.
Additionally the process of potentially getting me transfered away from here and to another internal group has begun, possibly a bit too late unfortunately, but Its a backup plan.
for those of you not in the know (programming note, probably all of you) the contract I am working under will expire this june, and as of yet there has been no renewal or new contract. Do the maths and you'll see I need to find another job.
insert shameless twitter plug here, its the best way to find out whats going on in my boring life (twitter.com/fraktruck)
Friday, March 6, 2009
Mac and Cheese, frakstyle
Submitted for your approval, a recipe very delicious
Ingredients list
2cups elbow noodles
12oz cheese, I use NY Chedder (1 and 1/4 standard packaging)
1cup Panko or japanese breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tbs. mustard powder
1 tsp salt
a total of 7tbs butter (all but 1 section of a stick)
3 tbs AP flour
5 strips thick cut bacon cut into small pieces (optional)
3 cups milk
1 egg beaten
1 bay leaf
Render/cook bacon separately drain and set aside.
for the noodles:
boil water and cook the noodles for 6 mins drain and splash with cold water to keep them relatively firm
For the sauce:
melt 3 tbs of the butter in a pan over medium heat, let it cook till it stops bubbling then whisk in the flour thoroughly and cook over lowish heat till it darkens slightly
add the seasonings (paprika, mustard powder, salt) and mix till a pasty consistency
slowly add the milk whisking as you go, toss in the bay leaf and bacon now
slowly bring the mixture to a boil (medium low heat) whisking as often as possible
once the mixture thickens considerably temper the egg with a spoonful of the hot mixture at a time (this is the most complicated part) and then whisk into the sauce
dont forget to remove the bay leaf at this point
over very low heat, add 3/4s of the cheese, one handful at a time allowing it to fully mix in before adding the next
incorporate with the noodles and put the whole mess into a casserole dish covering it with the remaining cheese and then the panko topping which is the 4 tbs of butter melted and mixed with the breadcrumbs
bake for 1/2 hour in 350 oven, then broiled with the door slightly ajar for a min or two to brown the topping
id suggest giving it some time to rest but who can resist.
most of this recipe is attributed to Alton Brown, but I made some changes.
Ingredients list
2cups elbow noodles
12oz cheese, I use NY Chedder (1 and 1/4 standard packaging)
1cup Panko or japanese breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tbs. mustard powder
1 tsp salt
a total of 7tbs butter (all but 1 section of a stick)
3 tbs AP flour
5 strips thick cut bacon cut into small pieces (optional)
3 cups milk
1 egg beaten
1 bay leaf
Render/cook bacon separately drain and set aside.
for the noodles:
boil water and cook the noodles for 6 mins drain and splash with cold water to keep them relatively firm
For the sauce:
melt 3 tbs of the butter in a pan over medium heat, let it cook till it stops bubbling then whisk in the flour thoroughly and cook over lowish heat till it darkens slightly
add the seasonings (paprika, mustard powder, salt) and mix till a pasty consistency
slowly add the milk whisking as you go, toss in the bay leaf and bacon now
slowly bring the mixture to a boil (medium low heat) whisking as often as possible
once the mixture thickens considerably temper the egg with a spoonful of the hot mixture at a time (this is the most complicated part) and then whisk into the sauce
dont forget to remove the bay leaf at this point
over very low heat, add 3/4s of the cheese, one handful at a time allowing it to fully mix in before adding the next
incorporate with the noodles and put the whole mess into a casserole dish covering it with the remaining cheese and then the panko topping which is the 4 tbs of butter melted and mixed with the breadcrumbs
bake for 1/2 hour in 350 oven, then broiled with the door slightly ajar for a min or two to brown the topping
id suggest giving it some time to rest but who can resist.
most of this recipe is attributed to Alton Brown, but I made some changes.
Friday, January 23, 2009
New years project
On Monday I turned 24, just an fyi
on to content, this year my project is to finish all those damn RPG's in my gaming cabinet...there are soo many unfinished games that a shorter list is those that I've actually completed >.>
Will update on the progress as I go but currently Im back into FFXII
on to content, this year my project is to finish all those damn RPG's in my gaming cabinet...there are soo many unfinished games that a shorter list is those that I've actually completed >.>
Will update on the progress as I go but currently Im back into FFXII
Monday, November 10, 2008
All a twitter
If you knew me personally, you might know my feelings on social networks. Web 2.0 brought with it the myspaces, the facebooks, and all the like. Personally i am not a fan of those things. The problem with them that I see, is that it takes too much work to keep up with people.
Me being the lazy and quite forgetful type, I rarely even check the social sites I am on, and thus it has been difficult for me to keep in contact with people out of sight (and thus out of mind)
There is one service that I have found to be most manageable, Twitter This service can both be completely web based and through light weight and low maintenance apps.
for the uninitiatied it works like this, you type in your message of 140 characters or less and it goes out to the tubes, and is aggregated by all the people that follow you and vice versa.
The hardest part is finding people you know :D
My twitter username is FrakTruck
see you on the tubes
Me being the lazy and quite forgetful type, I rarely even check the social sites I am on, and thus it has been difficult for me to keep in contact with people out of sight (and thus out of mind)
There is one service that I have found to be most manageable, Twitter This service can both be completely web based and through light weight and low maintenance apps.
for the uninitiatied it works like this, you type in your message of 140 characters or less and it goes out to the tubes, and is aggregated by all the people that follow you and vice versa.
The hardest part is finding people you know :D
My twitter username is FrakTruck
see you on the tubes
Sunday, November 9, 2008
teleadvisor
a post about the televison I watch
the SciFi Channel is giving me a birthday present this year! and that's the rest of this season (the final one) of Battlestar Galactica.
on to current television: 30 Rock, the greatest thing NBC has produced since the 90s is back finally.
I haven't been watching this season of Heroes because I hear its worse than last season and getting worse each episode.
Chuck has new episodes, and I enjoy this show. It was going to be cancelled since it never picked up ratings (blame the writers strike) but since its cheaper to keep shows than cancel them, they get another chance.
Its Always Sunny in Philidelphia is a magnificent program if you aren't already watching it, you can do so at hulu.com/its-always-sunny-in-philidelphia (all current and past episodes)
Discovery actually has some decent shows coming out this season along with new episodes of mythbusters. Prototype this is fun for engineers like me, but they try way to hard to be Mythbusters 2.0. Time warp is a short show about capturing stuf with Slow mo cameras. In Hi Def I can see this show being really interesting, but its really just more of an artpiece than anything informational.
the SciFi Channel is giving me a birthday present this year! and that's the rest of this season (the final one) of Battlestar Galactica.
on to current television: 30 Rock, the greatest thing NBC has produced since the 90s is back finally.
I haven't been watching this season of Heroes because I hear its worse than last season and getting worse each episode.
Chuck has new episodes, and I enjoy this show. It was going to be cancelled since it never picked up ratings (blame the writers strike) but since its cheaper to keep shows than cancel them, they get another chance.
Its Always Sunny in Philidelphia is a magnificent program if you aren't already watching it, you can do so at hulu.com/its-always-sunny-in-philidelphia (all current and past episodes)
Discovery actually has some decent shows coming out this season along with new episodes of mythbusters. Prototype this is fun for engineers like me, but they try way to hard to be Mythbusters 2.0. Time warp is a short show about capturing stuf with Slow mo cameras. In Hi Def I can see this show being really interesting, but its really just more of an artpiece than anything informational.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
politik 2: elected boogaloo
America chose, huzzah
Now we found out if we made the right choice.
Other people can put it more eloquently than I can, but the reason Obama was able to get to so many different kinds of people was his accessibility. I really hope he can carry that to the white house.
Reacting to his acceptance speech, I have to say that I definitely agree with him, RE: the state of our nation. I do believe that our generation and those surrounding it have had it pretty darn "easy"
2 wars, each with no significant national impact, banking and financial sector running free and wild, we are a land of opulence and we've taken it too far. Its time for sacrifices, I've already made several just so I can keep living the way I like to, its not about to end so I'm getting used to it.
Hopefully the rest of America, especially those living in the "real america" will understand and board the train to hopeville, we want you there you know.
Now we found out if we made the right choice.
Other people can put it more eloquently than I can, but the reason Obama was able to get to so many different kinds of people was his accessibility. I really hope he can carry that to the white house.
Reacting to his acceptance speech, I have to say that I definitely agree with him, RE: the state of our nation. I do believe that our generation and those surrounding it have had it pretty darn "easy"
2 wars, each with no significant national impact, banking and financial sector running free and wild, we are a land of opulence and we've taken it too far. Its time for sacrifices, I've already made several just so I can keep living the way I like to, its not about to end so I'm getting used to it.
Hopefully the rest of America, especially those living in the "real america" will understand and board the train to hopeville, we want you there you know.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
politik
Hello, my name is Chris Schaller and Im a registered Independent who voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election. I live in North Carolina, a battleground state.
Got that out of the way.
I have always classified myself as an independent, or more favorably a moderate. I classify myself this way because I feel that the two party system is a dismal failure, as it breads pandering and catering to special interests to get elected rather than truly representing the voice of the people. Ideally there would be any number of candidates from any number of parties representing all the dissenting opinions in this great land, but then we come to the problem of the Electoral College which throws all that into the shitter.
Needless to say I alone wont be changing how our goverment works any time soon so I have to live with what we got. I voted the way I did in this election because I feel that of the two candidates (and their running mates) the Democratic ticket best represents what I want to happen to government. I agree with the message of change that Obama has put forth and agree with a majority of his policies.
now conservatives, dont get me wrong, I am a moderate and as is such there are a number of things I agree with John McCain on. Had he been given the nomination in 2004 I would have voted for him. I like the "maverick" but I believe that he has changed some of his idealogies with the intention of winning the election. I am not as familar with conservative circles and beliefs as some of you out in internet land but I believe Sarah Palin lost the election for McCain. She certainly is popular with the "people" of "real America" and thats the ticket that supposedly George II rode to the white house twice, but as an "elite" I guess member of society, I have to say the potential for her to lead this nation scares the shit out of me.
If there is one thing in politics (impossible) that angers me the most it is the negative campaigning. In all the rhetoric I have heard and read in this election from the McCain camp (minus the debates) its been all about how we shouldn't vote for Obama, not why we should vote for McCain. McCain rallies full of people saying how they're scared of an Obama presidency. Thats the most ludicris shit I have ever heard of. Im not frightened of a McCain presidency (just a Palin one)
Its very hard for me to put into words because I prefer not to talk about this stuff but as a moderate (and I do believe I am one) the division in this country that is being talked about and created by the McCain camp is the real enemy. To actually believe that there are parts of this nation that are "un-American" hurts me deeply
To quantify my politics in a sentance I would say this, I despise extremes be they conservative or liberal. I cant watch MSNBC or Fox News without getting very angry at my television.
this is all I have to say for now
see you in 4 years
Got that out of the way.
I have always classified myself as an independent, or more favorably a moderate. I classify myself this way because I feel that the two party system is a dismal failure, as it breads pandering and catering to special interests to get elected rather than truly representing the voice of the people. Ideally there would be any number of candidates from any number of parties representing all the dissenting opinions in this great land, but then we come to the problem of the Electoral College which throws all that into the shitter.
Needless to say I alone wont be changing how our goverment works any time soon so I have to live with what we got. I voted the way I did in this election because I feel that of the two candidates (and their running mates) the Democratic ticket best represents what I want to happen to government. I agree with the message of change that Obama has put forth and agree with a majority of his policies.
now conservatives, dont get me wrong, I am a moderate and as is such there are a number of things I agree with John McCain on. Had he been given the nomination in 2004 I would have voted for him. I like the "maverick" but I believe that he has changed some of his idealogies with the intention of winning the election. I am not as familar with conservative circles and beliefs as some of you out in internet land but I believe Sarah Palin lost the election for McCain. She certainly is popular with the "people" of "real America" and thats the ticket that supposedly George II rode to the white house twice, but as an "elite" I guess member of society, I have to say the potential for her to lead this nation scares the shit out of me.
If there is one thing in politics (impossible) that angers me the most it is the negative campaigning. In all the rhetoric I have heard and read in this election from the McCain camp (minus the debates) its been all about how we shouldn't vote for Obama, not why we should vote for McCain. McCain rallies full of people saying how they're scared of an Obama presidency. Thats the most ludicris shit I have ever heard of. Im not frightened of a McCain presidency (just a Palin one)
Its very hard for me to put into words because I prefer not to talk about this stuff but as a moderate (and I do believe I am one) the division in this country that is being talked about and created by the McCain camp is the real enemy. To actually believe that there are parts of this nation that are "un-American" hurts me deeply
To quantify my politics in a sentance I would say this, I despise extremes be they conservative or liberal. I cant watch MSNBC or Fox News without getting very angry at my television.
this is all I have to say for now
see you in 4 years
Friday, October 31, 2008
Further experimentations in the field of yum science
last night I decided to do some cooking experimentation. I took a rather plain Mac and Cheese recipie from the box of muller elbow noodles and spiced it up a bit.
The recipe calls for a rue of butter and flour. I used flour seasoned with BBQ and Mesquite spices, as well as some salt/pepper and oregano, which gave my rue this amazing color and smell. After mixing in some milk for the cheese sauce I added the bacon I had chopped and cooked earlier with a similar spice mixture. After boiling the mixture and simmering I added the cheese, just a simple mild chedder and added it to the already boild macaroni. Baked it with a topping of italian breadcrumbs.
it was quite possibly one of the more delicious things I have ever produced.
The recipe calls for a rue of butter and flour. I used flour seasoned with BBQ and Mesquite spices, as well as some salt/pepper and oregano, which gave my rue this amazing color and smell. After mixing in some milk for the cheese sauce I added the bacon I had chopped and cooked earlier with a similar spice mixture. After boiling the mixture and simmering I added the cheese, just a simple mild chedder and added it to the already boild macaroni. Baked it with a topping of italian breadcrumbs.
it was quite possibly one of the more delicious things I have ever produced.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Vote
On Friday I voted. And unlike 4 years ago I feel that it actually mattered seeing as North Carolina is now a tossup state. The early vote thing has got to be the greatest thing to happen to the electoral college since...well ever
I hope by reading this it reminds you to do you patriotic chore by Nov. 4 Check your state Board of Elections website for early vote info.
you will note I would never dare tell anybody how to vote...just to vote
I hope by reading this it reminds you to do you patriotic chore by Nov. 4 Check your state Board of Elections website for early vote info.
you will note I would never dare tell anybody how to vote...just to vote
Thursday, October 16, 2008
A vidja game posting
Its been a while folks, time to dust this thing off with a post about what I've been playing lately.
Its that time of the year again, and by that I mean its time for blizzard to release another expansion to WoW, this won called Wrath of the Lich King focuses on arthas and northrend. Of course I've already pre-ordered mine and cant wait to start, thats a sad little peak into my life. I had the opportunity to play some of the beta and have this much to say, they made the first few levels of 70-80 much more accessible with two different starting zones, also the death knight starting zone/quest line is some of the most fun you can have in an MMO style game.
Regarding WoW's most immediate competitor, Warhammer, I have not played WAR yet, because they don't offer trial subscriptions and I'm not gonna shell out cash to play something for a week and decide I dont like it. From what I've heard its almost entirely pvp balanced and focused, which WoW is not and that's what they are selling the game on: a fully realized pvp experience with a lackluster pve component. The reason why WoW is winning is that it can appeal to both audiences as well as the moderates. The hardcore pvper's already left for AoC and came back so now its something new for them to do.
FYI I'm almost wholly dedicated to pve content in warcraft (armory) primarily because I'm not that good at pvp and it would take up even more of my time.
on to consoles, 2 newish games that I've been playing on the sexbox360 include TigerWoods PGA '09 and The Force Unleashed.
Tiger woods is pretty much the only sports game I'll play. Its the best golf sim I've ever played and it looks fantastic. Granted there isn't a lot of playable content but its highly repeatable. The learning curve isn't too bad and theres tons of difficulty to add in as you get better at the game. That is not to say it is without fault however. While EA picked up a ton of liscences for the game and real courses, there are a few notable things missing, namely Pinehurst, Agusta National, and the trademarked majors (British Open, Masters, US Open). The FedEx cup is there but the feeling of epic golfy-ness seems missing. The most frustrating aspect of the game however is the camera. Occasionaly the camera will jump to the worst angle possible, or trees and shit is just in the way and you cant see anything. Seeing as in the easier difficulty modes you have some control over the ball when it lands, these shots are incredibly frustrating.
The Force unleashed had so much hype attached to it, and I dont think it lived up to expectations. The story was flawed and raised more cannonical questions than you can shake a stick at. it seems it was written for the audience that loved the prequals and loves to make connections between people that shouldn't exist, while other star wars games (namely KOTOR) were designed to be enjoyed by the true fans. That aside, the gameplay is fun, if not frustrating at times when IT WONT LET YOU MOVE AND KILLS YOU!! But thats a curse of most action "platformers" using that term loosely. Interesting to note is that I myself bugged out the game on 3 different occasions, which doesn't say much for the QC teams at lucasarts. For those of you going wtf KOTOR(1 and 2) had literally hundreds of little bugs, I'm not talking about a graphical glitch, I mean purpetually falling through a graphical glitch till you reset the game. Additionally Kotor is a 40+hour game with tons of content, I finished TFU in under 20 while exploring all the content I could find (and I looked), you would think they could have fixed some of those things? Maybe I'm being unfair, I dont exactly work in the gaming industry so take my comments with a grain of salt.
That is all for now
godspeed and good luck
Its that time of the year again, and by that I mean its time for blizzard to release another expansion to WoW, this won called Wrath of the Lich King focuses on arthas and northrend. Of course I've already pre-ordered mine and cant wait to start, thats a sad little peak into my life. I had the opportunity to play some of the beta and have this much to say, they made the first few levels of 70-80 much more accessible with two different starting zones, also the death knight starting zone/quest line is some of the most fun you can have in an MMO style game.
Regarding WoW's most immediate competitor, Warhammer, I have not played WAR yet, because they don't offer trial subscriptions and I'm not gonna shell out cash to play something for a week and decide I dont like it. From what I've heard its almost entirely pvp balanced and focused, which WoW is not and that's what they are selling the game on: a fully realized pvp experience with a lackluster pve component. The reason why WoW is winning is that it can appeal to both audiences as well as the moderates. The hardcore pvper's already left for AoC and came back so now its something new for them to do.
FYI I'm almost wholly dedicated to pve content in warcraft (armory) primarily because I'm not that good at pvp and it would take up even more of my time.
on to consoles, 2 newish games that I've been playing on the sexbox360 include TigerWoods PGA '09 and The Force Unleashed.
Tiger woods is pretty much the only sports game I'll play. Its the best golf sim I've ever played and it looks fantastic. Granted there isn't a lot of playable content but its highly repeatable. The learning curve isn't too bad and theres tons of difficulty to add in as you get better at the game. That is not to say it is without fault however. While EA picked up a ton of liscences for the game and real courses, there are a few notable things missing, namely Pinehurst, Agusta National, and the trademarked majors (British Open, Masters, US Open). The FedEx cup is there but the feeling of epic golfy-ness seems missing. The most frustrating aspect of the game however is the camera. Occasionaly the camera will jump to the worst angle possible, or trees and shit is just in the way and you cant see anything. Seeing as in the easier difficulty modes you have some control over the ball when it lands, these shots are incredibly frustrating.
The Force unleashed had so much hype attached to it, and I dont think it lived up to expectations. The story was flawed and raised more cannonical questions than you can shake a stick at. it seems it was written for the audience that loved the prequals and loves to make connections between people that shouldn't exist, while other star wars games (namely KOTOR) were designed to be enjoyed by the true fans. That aside, the gameplay is fun, if not frustrating at times when IT WONT LET YOU MOVE AND KILLS YOU!! But thats a curse of most action "platformers" using that term loosely. Interesting to note is that I myself bugged out the game on 3 different occasions, which doesn't say much for the QC teams at lucasarts. For those of you going wtf KOTOR(1 and 2) had literally hundreds of little bugs, I'm not talking about a graphical glitch, I mean purpetually falling through a graphical glitch till you reset the game. Additionally Kotor is a 40+hour game with tons of content, I finished TFU in under 20 while exploring all the content I could find (and I looked), you would think they could have fixed some of those things? Maybe I'm being unfair, I dont exactly work in the gaming industry so take my comments with a grain of salt.
That is all for now
godspeed and good luck
Saturday, July 12, 2008
4e redux
Im gearing up currently for my first 4e campaign and I wanted to share with you background and character info for my Dragonborn Fighter, Balthazar Al-Mua
Character Stats:
Ability Scores
STR 18
CON 14
DEX 13
INT 11
WIS 12
CHA 12
29 HP
19 AC
14 Fort
13 Ref
11 Will
weapon of choice is the battle axe with shield, I've taken the "guardian" path but will def be picking up some Damage dealing skills on the way up. Im attempting with the Battleaxe (a d10 damage weapon) to go with a hybrid build, with the ability to do damage and stay alive, we'll see how successful I am.
with this campaign our DM is planning to incorporate personal histories in the form of personal quests, one for each of the three level tiers and appropriate in difficulty. The format is for heroic tier (1-10) the quest would be to find somebody involved in your life, or in your overall goal. For paragon (10-20) tier is to find an item giving it a sort of artifact status be it related or not to your overall goals. the Epic tier (20-30) would involve doing something "epic" or world altering (i.e. your overall goal etc.)
What follows is what I've come up with for my personal quest and personality.
The Al-Mua clan of Dragonborn is as ancient as the race itself. As is such, the family is a very pure clan of warriors and defenders of the ancient empire of the Dragonborn, a family integral in its defence and government, even related by a thin branch to the ruling family. Since the disbanding of the clans, and the demolishment of the empire, the Al-Mua clan almost completely alone stood together on the island of Dalmasca intending to carry on the old ways, making it their goal and destiny to one day to reunite the clans and forge anew the great empire of the Dragonborn. To achieve this goal the clan elders have aligned themsevles with the King of the Ordelia Empire (a hodgepodge civilization); thinking that service to an established empire can afford benefits that could prove useful. To this end, the recent son of the Al-Mua clan, Balthazar, a student of the God Erathis has completed his training in the Dragonborn tradition and goes abroad in the service of King Ordelia.
The three quests that we came up with are as follows.
Heroic: I intend to seek out an avatar or recieve a prophecy of Bahamut the patron of the dragon born who will hopefully point me in the right direction to re-establish the dragonborn empire
Paragon: i will seek out the Hydra Armor of Dartharos Baldiem, the first leader of the dragonborn civilization
and of course my epic: Reunite the sprawled Dragonborn clans and establish a nation for our own use.
Character Stats:
Ability Scores
STR 18
CON 14
DEX 13
INT 11
WIS 12
CHA 12
29 HP
19 AC
14 Fort
13 Ref
11 Will
weapon of choice is the battle axe with shield, I've taken the "guardian" path but will def be picking up some Damage dealing skills on the way up. Im attempting with the Battleaxe (a d10 damage weapon) to go with a hybrid build, with the ability to do damage and stay alive, we'll see how successful I am.
with this campaign our DM is planning to incorporate personal histories in the form of personal quests, one for each of the three level tiers and appropriate in difficulty. The format is for heroic tier (1-10) the quest would be to find somebody involved in your life, or in your overall goal. For paragon (10-20) tier is to find an item giving it a sort of artifact status be it related or not to your overall goals. the Epic tier (20-30) would involve doing something "epic" or world altering (i.e. your overall goal etc.)
What follows is what I've come up with for my personal quest and personality.
The Al-Mua clan of Dragonborn is as ancient as the race itself. As is such, the family is a very pure clan of warriors and defenders of the ancient empire of the Dragonborn, a family integral in its defence and government, even related by a thin branch to the ruling family. Since the disbanding of the clans, and the demolishment of the empire, the Al-Mua clan almost completely alone stood together on the island of Dalmasca intending to carry on the old ways, making it their goal and destiny to one day to reunite the clans and forge anew the great empire of the Dragonborn. To achieve this goal the clan elders have aligned themsevles with the King of the Ordelia Empire (a hodgepodge civilization); thinking that service to an established empire can afford benefits that could prove useful. To this end, the recent son of the Al-Mua clan, Balthazar, a student of the God Erathis has completed his training in the Dragonborn tradition and goes abroad in the service of King Ordelia.
The three quests that we came up with are as follows.
Heroic: I intend to seek out an avatar or recieve a prophecy of Bahamut the patron of the dragon born who will hopefully point me in the right direction to re-establish the dragonborn empire
Paragon: i will seek out the Hydra Armor of Dartharos Baldiem, the first leader of the dragonborn civilization
and of course my epic: Reunite the sprawled Dragonborn clans and establish a nation for our own use.
Friday, June 13, 2008
4e
if you are a classic nerd like me, hell if you even know me you probably have at one point in your life leafed through a Dungeons and Dragons book. Though most of you reading this have even participated in such an event as a campaign, there are those of you out there who have not been touched by its greatness.
Last week the much anticipated 4th edition of the classic paper and pencil roleplaying game was released with a rousing cheer in the nerd community, and a whisper elsewhere. I started playing the game towards the tail end of 3rd edition with the Spaniard and some other friends from Connecticut days and we got pretty into it. When 3.5 came out it didn't seem like a lot was changing so the transition wasn't too bad. Granted by this point I had moved to North Carolina and our 3.0 campaign was on indefinite hold. Once when I came back up to the CT we played a bit after converting to the new rules. In college I got involved in some pretty lengthy 3.5 campaigns that were tonnes of fun with Nate and that crew and we pulled a bunch of people into the lifestyle with us.
After graduation, getting a job, and moving down here I found I was hurting for some DnD so after a few trips to my local games store I landed myself in a campaign with some kids who work down in the Depot where I do my contract work. These cats showed me how to really do the "game" aspect of 3.5. Twinking out your character, min maxing, all that fun stuff, it was a totally different game experience than with "its the gnome" or "whatever Nate called his campaigns"
Anyway on to 4e. They changed everything. No joke, no exaggeration. Combat system, class system, magic items, character creation, there is very little left from 3.5 that went unchanged. Its going to be a totally different experience for a lot of people, and there will be some that will reject the change. Personally I'd be excited to play either version, since they both have their merits, but I can see where Wizards was going with 4e. They wanted to make it more accessible to the general public in a world dominated by World of Warcraft and I don't really blame them, they are trying to run a business. I just hope they don't completely abandon support for the 3.5 ruleset, since I know some people who will still play it.
Last week the much anticipated 4th edition of the classic paper and pencil roleplaying game was released with a rousing cheer in the nerd community, and a whisper elsewhere. I started playing the game towards the tail end of 3rd edition with the Spaniard and some other friends from Connecticut days and we got pretty into it. When 3.5 came out it didn't seem like a lot was changing so the transition wasn't too bad. Granted by this point I had moved to North Carolina and our 3.0 campaign was on indefinite hold. Once when I came back up to the CT we played a bit after converting to the new rules. In college I got involved in some pretty lengthy 3.5 campaigns that were tonnes of fun with Nate and that crew and we pulled a bunch of people into the lifestyle with us.
After graduation, getting a job, and moving down here I found I was hurting for some DnD so after a few trips to my local games store I landed myself in a campaign with some kids who work down in the Depot where I do my contract work. These cats showed me how to really do the "game" aspect of 3.5. Twinking out your character, min maxing, all that fun stuff, it was a totally different game experience than with "its the gnome" or "whatever Nate called his campaigns"
Anyway on to 4e. They changed everything. No joke, no exaggeration. Combat system, class system, magic items, character creation, there is very little left from 3.5 that went unchanged. Its going to be a totally different experience for a lot of people, and there will be some that will reject the change. Personally I'd be excited to play either version, since they both have their merits, but I can see where Wizards was going with 4e. They wanted to make it more accessible to the general public in a world dominated by World of Warcraft and I don't really blame them, they are trying to run a business. I just hope they don't completely abandon support for the 3.5 ruleset, since I know some people who will still play it.
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