This thing is cool. I’ve been thinking about getting a mini PC for the last year now. Upgrade my current beige box into a server. Place it on a rack in the closet with a fresh stack of drives, maybe a RAID device. Take the Firewire, USB 2.0, and second video cards out. Put them gently on the ground and stomp on them.

Macintosh and I are friends. I used to call myself a “Mac Tech” back in the days of the IIsi and PowerPC. Over the years the relationship has fallen apart. The Mac has also never been very “gamer” friendly. You don’t see them lugged to a LAN party with a fresh copy of the latest first person shooter on them. This made the price point hard to swallow. It’s like buying a $50,000 hydrogen fuel cell car. You paid a lot of money for a neat looking reliable car, but you can’t just fill’er up at the Mobil station next door and it’s sometimes a pain in the ass to get parts for it.

So I went for the $500 Honda that I could put anyones motor in, and get a million low cost upgrades for. It runs okay most of the time, gets good mileage, and chugs along. It stalls occasionally and won’t run in the higher altitudes, but it’s been good to me.

The one thing I need is the ability to import and edit DV video. I know that will be 1000X better on a Mac. Unix for me will be a no brainer. I used to be a big LAN gamer but those days are gone. I’m older, more sophisticated now. Maybe it’s time to buy the BMW.

I need to price one out with the super-D-duper DVD toaster drive. As they just announced it the site is slammed. Click here for the complete specs and info on the iMac mini from Apple.com. But I think this is going to be my next computer. Might even get one for the girl too.

I made an effort to watch the Olympics this year. Tine is more of an Olympic fanatic – if only for the men moving fast in tight pants.

During the night (the parts that I caught) I noticed more techno was being played for the opening. Christine said that she thought she heard a tune that sounded like one I had just recently been playing in the car. The only CD I have in the Subaru is “The Future Sound of London – Dead Cities.” She is almost certain that “We Have Explosive” was played during the parade of nations. If that was the case – what an ‘interesting’ song choice. “… and now the team from Iraq makes it’s way into the stadium – WE HAVE – WE HAVE – WE HAVE EXPLOSIVE!” Christine said that they didn’t play any of the words. Thank goodness.

During one of the NBC Olympic Preview spots (where they highlight an athlete and his or her past performances) I heard a track from “Apollo Four Forty – Dude Descending A Staircase” I think it was “Electronic Civil Disobedience.” What’s great is I heard a lot more then just the ‘token techno sports songs’ in these spots.

I learned today that DJ Tiesto was spinning the mix at the opening ceremony! Also, Bjork sang in one of the only vocal spots during the opening. It took me a while, but I was able to get a hold of the Tiesto Olympic set list. Thanks to the kids over at tranceaddict.com

Today while watching swimming I heard “Darude – Sandstorm.” This overplayed tune is in my ‘token techno sports songs’ category, but it’s still techno.

This won’t be so much of a book review as it will be a review of how this series has interested me for many years.

I have begun again. The journey of Roland and his companions across the desert, the forest, other worlds, and other dimensions. I began reading Stephen King back in High School. Some of his work did little to stir my curiosity. “Carrie,” “Christine,” “Firestarter.” Some of his work still fascinates me in it’s complexity. The Dark Tower books 1 and 2 had been out for a while, and in 1992 “The Waste Lands” came out. In a fever I read “The Gunslinger” and “The Drawing of the Three.” I walked right into a trap. First, I was hooked. I wanted more. Second, the third book was a huge cliff hanger. Not a “We’ll see what Roland gets into next week.” or “Stay tuned for the next exciting adventure!” but a plot that twisted and wrapped you up so that you were with Roland traveling into the unknown. Would we crash? Would we be forced into a terrible position? Who knew? “When is the next book coming out?” “He doesn’t know! What do you mean HE DOESN’T KNOW?!”

I cooled my energy by reading “The Stand.” This 1300 pager is not for the big print faint of heart. It’s a great long read. I read it twice. After this I kept up with some of King’s other work. “Dolores Claiborne,” “Needful Things,” etc. I then grew tired of his newer stuff and moved on.

Then in 1997 “Wizards & Glass” came to print. “Did you know there is a new Dark Tower book out!” My remaining High School friends shouted to me on the phone. “Yes… I know…” I sighed. I asked for it for Christmas that year, or my birthday if I remember. I never read it. I mean, I was going to get around to it. I really wanted to re-read the first 3 books. Then hit book four fresh, with vigor! Never happened.
Continue reading The Dark Tower Series →

I had to pull the laptop out in order to reset a “check engine” code on ze’Neon. It turned out to be “IAT Circuit High.” (Intake air temp high in English.) This was not too worrisome, considering we spent the afternoon puttering around Jersey traffic.

I stepped inside Christine’s parents’ suburban home and grabbed my wifi adapter “for the hell of it.” I restarted the network browser. WOAH! 6 Networks popped up. I stepped out the front door onto the driveway. *refresh* 12 more networks popped up. LinkSys, LinkSys, LinkSys, LinkSys, etc, etc. Only two were encrypted. Oh well, 10 more to choose from.

Now I’m sitting in the Kitchen writing this. I’m on a Comcast network. They have a LinkSys wireless router with firewall. Now the firewall is protecting… me. This is an amazing time for the wireless Internet. I can walk up and down main street like a gunslinger, with my wifi adapter and trusty laptop at my side.

As part of the cross country trip, we’ll be blogging it. I’m waiting to pick up a modem cable for my Motorola phone. I have a feeling though, the only thing we’ll need is this ‘here wifi adapter. YeeHAW!

Ever wonder what you’d look like if they took a picture of you every month for the last few years? Ever wonder what it’s be like to be arrested every week since 1992 for public intoxication?

Thanks to the Freedom of Information Act. We can peer into the records of the Kentucky ‘Lexington-Fayette’ Urban County Division of Community Corrections. Where a Mr. Henry Earl has spent some time sobering up.

It seems that he’s currently detained.
Free beer at the Superbowl party!

– Kris