Either I just accidentally dropped some acid, or we're watching a Disney movie!

We have a regular movie night on Fridays where we order pizza and eat in the living room. Thanks to Netflix we have queued up family/kid movies to always be here. I'm not Leander's biggest Disney fan, but you can't go wrong picking some classic Disney fare for the kids, right?

Uhhh, not so fast.

Dumbo was the latest offering. You can tell that it's from a long time ago (1941) by the tone of the dialogue - not that family friendly and antagonistic.

But that's not what raised my eyebrows.



Dumbo apparently has a dream sequence brought on by...something, perhaps the titular acid? Forgive me for not taking better notes - we were travelling and it was on in the van. Some of this stuff is pretty out there.



I'm pretty sure I watched Dumbo when I was younger, but I don't remember any of this.

Apparently there's an elephant that shops at Pottery Barn too!

My plan for World Dom...I mean High Definition

I've been wanting to jump on the High Definition bandwagon for a while, more for watching movies than anything else.

As to the competing formats, HD DVD and Blu-Ray, I'd be happy with either one if I knew every movie was going to come out on both. As it turns out, at least for now, there are some titles that I want exclusive to each one of the formats. I'm going to go out on a limb here, but I think eventually Blu-Ray is going to win, but it's going to be a long time. In the meantime I need to figure out how to get both....

I think I just got approval from the CFO to get an Xbox 360 + HD Drive. I should probably get it before she reads this.... Why the 360 and not the PS3? I know more people with the 360.

That's basically it.

I know I'm going to be happy with either High Definition video format. I'm getting ahead of myself with my blog posts, but I've seen examples of both, and Daddy likes!

I don't have all the time in the world to play games. Xbox Live is very nice, and I like having the opportunity to play with my friends when I get a chance.

But what do I do about Blu-Ray movies? The answer came to me a few days ago. I'll build a computer with a Blu-Ray drive and connect it via HDMI or DVI to the TV! The 360 covers the HD DVD angle.

Bada bing! Both formats. Thank you, Cleveland. Good night.

I put a preliminary system together today, and it worked like a charm. I have to figure out the best place to put it, as the Wife Acceptance Factor is both critical and slippery to grasp. A regular desktop stuck next to the TV has a low WAF, so I need to figure out how to shoehorn the components into a small form factor chassis, or at least one that is similar to my home theater components.

Definitely more to come.

Full sized images posted...FINALLY!!!

I've complained about images I post to my blog not being clickable, that is, clicking on them did not link to the original/higher resolution images.

I've been searching Blogger help files, help forums and sending email to Blogger with no response. I checked other blogs on Blogger and their images don't seem to suffer this same fate.

I checked the HTML of my posts and I couldn't see any alternate upload paths for the high resolution image...it's like my blog lost the functionality to upload fullsize images.

Blogger lets you work in a WYSIWYG environment or an environment that displays all the HTML code. In the WYSIWYG environment, you can drag uploaded images around to the correct spot and the layout code was smart enough to make everything how you want it.

Well, almost how you want it.

It turns out that moving an image in the WYSIWYG space gets rid of the original resolution code (image name, path, pixel count, etc) that is in the HTML. It just disappears. All that is left is the code for the thumbnail image.

I stumbled on to this while flipping back and forth between the an older post that still had clickable links to full size images and a recent post.

Why does this happen? I can find no other reason besides it being a bug.

If you go to the HTML environment you are able to cut and paste ALL the image-related HTML code to another place in your post, and everything goes with it. I've reuploaded the image to the post below and it works like a champ.

I'm relieved that I've found the solution, to say the least. Am I going to go back and fix everything? Probably not.

Not that there's anything wrong with my blog....

I just previewed my blog after posting the Snipping Tool entry, and I happen to check out the Ads by Google area.



Thanks, Google.

What's up with Vista Enterprise?

I've been on Vista Enterprise on my corporate laptop for a while, and a friend just got Vista Ultimate, so he's going through and finding some cool Vista tidbits.


One of them is the Snipping Tool, which looked to be in Vista Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate, but not Home Basic nor Enterprise, or so I thought. My initial reaction was confusion, as I thought Vista Enterprise was to Business as Ultimate was to Home Premium.

I mean, (performance wise) the bits are the same - the features are what define the edition.

I use the tried-and-true Alt-Prnt Scrn for screenshots/dialog captures, so I was slightly disappointed that my system didn't have what sounded like a cool program.

After some poking around, it turns out that Enterprise DOES support the Snipping Tool. As pointed out by Spaghetti, the Snipping Tool falls under Tablet PC Support, which defaults to disabled in Vista Enterprise.

After checking the box and a few moments of configuring...make that a few minutes of configuring...I'm golden! I'll definitely be using this.

But why wasn't it enabled by default? I would think that "Enterprise users" would want more productivity-increasers and would be savvy enough to not be overwhelmed by feature inundation, but who knows.

Gifted and Talented

We moved our kindergartner out of a private school and into public school with some trepidation. I'm a product of both private and public schools, and our assumption was that we (and our son) would get more out of a private school.

We quickly learned the opposite.

After enrolling in our subdivision's elementary school (Leander ISD) we found that the kindergarten teacher our son has is amazing. Any doubt as to the quality of the education from her quickly dissipated. But could kindergarten keep up with our son?

LISD and our school has a Gifted and Talented program, and something called QUEST. At this level, QUEST focuses on creativity, critical thinking, observation, etc. We went through the application process, filled out questionnaires, the school interviewed our son, and finally we heard that he had been accepted into QUEST! Shazam!

His first project is researching a particular insect (he chose honeybees) and working on making his insect out of craft materials for a QUEST fair later this year.

Housekeeping

It looks like more than a month has gone by - time for blogging!

Fixed wishlist.
Fixed movielist.
Removed musiclist.

Model Fight update 10...the end?

So our Model Fight kind of ran in to the weeds. I finished most of the exterior of the building I was going for, and here it is.

I'm going to give this project a rest and start another. It will have something to do with robots, of course.

A .dream come true!

I have a laptop running Vista Ultimate, and I recently found out about Windows DreamScene. It basically allows you to have mpg or wmv files as your Vista background.

Here is a static shot of mine. Just imagine the plasma wave gently undulating as I do work.

The software for this comes in three parts.

1. An update to Windows Vista Ultimate - Windows DreamScene.
2. Stardock Deskscapes - a free download. This extends dreamscape files (.dream) to add dynamic content, changes over time, etc.
3. Stardock DreamMaker - another free download. This allows you to create the actual .dream file and share them.

I already have some ideas for making some .dream files - basically animate some 3d content I already have for a quick test. This could definitely be an attention-grabber for systems at stores, kiosks, tradeshows, etc. Stardock has provided six free .dream files, and they are charging a few bucks for another one.

Go to WinCustomize for more .dream files, downloading the software or picking up some user-generated content.

Six Degrees of Freedom!

Yesterday I emailed my manager to see if I could purchase the 3DConnexion SpaceNavigator, a six degrees of freedom (6DOF) controller for 3D applications. I've used 6DOF controllers for a long time, and I love them. Also, at $59, the SpaceNavigator is A SCREAMING DEAL!

An hour or so later my manager stops by my desk and hands me a box - a SpaceExplorer! Very nice!

Uh oh - I'm running Vista. Will it work? I notice that there are Vista drivers on the website. After a quick download and installation it works like a champ in SketchUp. I also was able to load SolidWorks on my system yesterday, so I'll give that a shot.

$59 is truly a bargain for a great piece of hardware. Definitely recommended if you use CAD or DCC applications, Google Earth...even a Mac!

Syd Mead

I'm a big Syd Mead fan, and I just found a new (to me) website with some of his work - The Syd Mead Project. I've always liked his retro-futuristic designs, and I love his cars.

Enjoy!

Too...Many...Books!

Wow. Yesterday I added a bunch of books that I wanted to a List (Blogger Page Element) and I guess I didn't realize how many books I wanted. Now I have a huge list on the right that pushes my other Lists down into nigh obscurity.

I'll switch those over to a Froogle Wishlist, which Blogger can accomodate easily, but I believe it is only in my Profile. I started a Wishlist but never did much with it. I wanted to add these books to my blog so I could access the list from anywhere (current softcopy of the list is on my work PC).

The Poor Man's Guitar Hero

I tried out a new program this morning - Frets on Fire. It's basically Guitar Hero with a keyboard instead of the guitar controller.

It's pretty fun, and I got a few more people interested in it today. It comes with three songs, but it can also import Guitar Hero tracks from the game DVD. Very nice!

Messing around with this definitely makes me want to get the real Guitar Hero (and Guitar Hero 2) for the controller and extra features (encore, crowd, meters, etc), and dismantle a keyboard to make my own guitar controller.

Frets on Fire is definitely fun, and a great way to show off your hot licks at the office.

New OS version

If towns around Odessa, TX, wanted to use the new Microsoft OS, as advertised in Friday Night Lights, would they use Vista Permian?

On Vista and Tags

A feature within Vista that I was really looking forward to using is Tags (sorry for the lame link - scroll down to the bottom). Tags are basically quick labels for files that one can use for organization or searching. They are already used by websites and blogging software (my blog calls them "Labels").

I thought this would be great - I could tag all my patent documents and graphics with "patent" and then I could always quickly find what I need to be working on or saved data.

Tagging is done within the Explorer in a pane below the folder, like this.

Clicking on the box after "Tags:" prompts you to select an existing tag or create your own. So far so good.

The more I played around with Tags, though, the less useful they seemed. Apparently you can't tag everything. Tag-supported files include Office files and image files - these are the ones I've tested so far. No tag support for .txt or .rtf files. Wha wha wha? I prefer to do quick documents in Textpad, not Word, so most of my quick work is untaggable.

While that's not a dealbreaker, it's a little disappointing.

I was also planning on using Tags to help me organize all my data, especially with patent files, benchmark results, etc. The more I thought about it I realized it wasn't exactly like I had wanted.

For instance, I put all patent work in a folder, \patents, with subfolders for specific projects or topics. What would be the point of me tagging all my graphics with "patent" if they are already organized in patent folders? If I needed them, I already know where they are. I'm going to have to tag with subtopics, but the files should already be in subfolders, theoretically already "tagged" by placement.

I could definitely see the benefit of being able to search for all benchmark results for AMD X2 5000+ processors (tagged as AMD, 5000, etc), but since I've done a lot of work on pre-Vista/pre-tag-enabled systems, I've named my result files with specific details in the filename to help with sending them to the correct people.

A plus for Tags is group-tagging. If I didn't want to go through and rename all my vacation photos from IMG0001 - IMG4165 to discrete names I could just select all of them and tag them "Seattle, June 2006" and move on to the next batch. I like that.

I guess it comes down to your preference - do you want to organize by folders and filenames, or by Tags? Or am I missing something? How would you use Tags, and do you think they have a benefit over foldername/filename organization?

Corporate Vista

Two days ago I volunteered for the early adopter Corporate Vista rollout. I'm typing this from Vista as we speak. I'm still in the process of getting my data and programs back on my machine, but I'm running a mobile Precision M65, T2600 2.16GHz, 4GB RAM (3.3GB reported thanks to 32-bit OS), Nvidia Quadro FX 350M.

My Windows Experience Index is 2.0, unfortunately, with the graphics the limiting factor. I'm pretty sure that's because I'm still running the driver from the OS and haven't loaded the Nvidia driver.

My monitor is a Dell 2007FPW at 1680x1050, and Vista looks NICE. Widescreen monitors are the bomb with Vista.

Excel 2007 is pretty much the same usage-wise, and I thought I would have a harder time getting around the Ribbon, but I think I like it. I haven't had much to do with the rest of Office 2007 but I'll be sure to post it. I really like Outlook 2007, especially the calendar layout. A To-Do Bar is present within many sections of Outlook, and I like it more than previous editions.

This is all pretty subjective right now, without screenshots, but I'm almost late for a meeting. I'll try to put more as my experience grows.

It's been a long time, baby!

Hey, I'm back! I know it's been weeks since I've posted last, but sometimes life occurs. I have a lot of content to upload too, and I'm embarrassed to say that some of it is still Christmas-related! Wow...at least a month late, but sometimes that's how I roll.

I couldn't resist

So I'm cruising IMDb, like I love to do, and I start reading a story about how Harrison Ford turned down $20 Million to play Han Solo in another Star Wars movie, and instead will play Indiana Jones in a fourth IJ movie.

I'm fairly deep in the thread, and I see this entry by a certain Mr. Roadkill, and I couldn't help but post it:

Okay, here's the REAL deal.

Harrison Ford took the Indiana Jones role over the Han Solo one because it's going to be a much better movie.

The rumour that it takes place in the sixties is true, and fits in nicely with the Mr Ford's present age.

What hasn't been widely revealed is that Sean Connory *will* be in the movie, although the role will probably surprise many people.

Since Satan owns the pink slip for the soul of pretty much everyone who has ever worked in motion pictures, he can shuffle the deck however he sees fit... and some interesting studio mergers mean that Sean Connory will play an elderly James Bond who fell through a temporal rift as the result of Xindi interference with Earth history - the theory being that if they could get all the kids hooked on beer and acid and dope then warp drive would never be invented. Little did they realise that Optimus Prime would ride in on My Little Pony and save the day by assassinating Kennedy and illegitimately fathering Rosie ODonnell with, you guessed it, Rosie ODonnell - who fell through the same temporal rift James Bond fell through. Pygmies re-discover left-over gou'auld technology that permits them to build hypersonic blow-dart weapons, which are capable of destroying ICBMs and thereby save the USA from the tyranny of total destruction when they decide to make the Ukraine glow in the dark...which happens two-thirds of the way through the movie, because the Ark of the Covenant (which was stolen from Area 51 by the Xindi) has been given to the Russians, who are using it to try to re-animate a cut-n-shunt SuperPolitician they've made from the cryogenically preserved remains of Adolph Hitler, Josef Stalin and Walt Disney - but exposure to nuclear fallout causes this re-animated monstrosity to sprout wings and fly to Tokyo, where as Mothra it does battle with Godzilla until Indiana Jones...

Sorry, I've given too much away already. You'll just have to buy a ticket like everybody else.

Jumping for joy

Merry Christmas!

There, I said it. I can't stand it when people say "Happy Holidays" when they are too scared to say "Merry Christmas." And a "holiday party" at the end of December...with gifts...food...watching The Polar Express? Please.

Santa brought our boys (and their parents) a trampoline this year! They've always had fun on the ones we've visited, and my wife had been praying and dreaming for one since she was a little girl as well.

Being the mechanically-inclined dad that I am I asked Santa if he could just drop off the unassembled trampoline and I would put it together. He naturally agreed, but he said that I would need to put get it ready the night before Christmas, as he wanted to surprise the boys with it on Christmas morning.

That works for me, but I didn't realize how cold and rainy it would be after dark...when the boys would be asleep. I got most of it done that night (being out after midnight I think I got a Christmas cold too), and finished it early Christmas morning.

We even let the kids have some time on it too!

I'm not brave enough to do a flip on it yet, but I can manage a somersault.

Happy New Year too!

Greater good from The War Store

I've been playing games for a loooong time, but relatively recently got into miniature wargaming, specifically Games Workshop's Warhammer 40k.

Actually, I'm more into the hobby aspect of the game, which consists of creating game boards and terrain upon which the miniatures, uh, fight. To put a finer point on it, I'm more of a terrain supplies collector than an actual terrain maker, as I collect a lot of styrofoam, plastic bits, etc, and I havean utter inability to throw anything away.

Finally I've gotten around to purchasing a Tau starter-set army so I can actually throw down (or get my Greater Good handed to me).

I had heard about a store called The War Store through various on-line sites, and since they offered a 20% discount on Games Workshop products, I decidedto give them a try. I had no idea as to the size of The War Store, but their website boasts an impressive selection of many products. I figured it was just theweb presence for a local game store.

The website said to call them and Neal, the owner, would talk to me. Okay. When I called, another person said Neal was out of the office for a few minutes butleave my name and number and he would call me back. To be honest, I was a little skeptical at this point, as I figured that anybody there would take my orderand I wouldn't actually talk with the owner of the store. I left my info and tried to do some actual work.

A few minutes later I got a call from Neal! It may not be much to many people, but I appreciated the personalized service. I told him what I wanted (the Tau Battleforce box) and he knew exactly what I was talking about. Unfortunately they weren't in stock, but should be arriving the next day. I went ahead and placed the order as I was in no hurry - this was before Christmas and I had plenty on my plate.

I was happy to see that I got quick email updates on when the backorder was filled (the next day, just as Neal forecasted) and when my order was shipped, alongwith the tracking number.
A few days later I came home to a very special package waiting for me, securely packed and in great condition.

Thanks to a good discount and great service, I'll definitely be ordering from Neal and The War Store again.