Journals
Failed my driving test for the second time.
UPDATE: Turns out, the whole motor is in fact, cashed. I will not be driving for quite a while. =X
So today is the most god-awful day of my life. I'm not sure what is wrong with it yet, but my supercharger has a serious problem. Since the supercharger is stock, the vehicle won't work without it. Now it may just need a $50 part, but it may need to be replaced, which none of us have the money to do. Worst case scenario it will have cashed my motor along with it and I'll be in the thousands rather than the hundreds.
7 days of school left, finals the last two days, and I now have no transportation. All my friends live on the other end of town and most probably won't be willing to take me there, much less back home. Deep sigh. =/
So today is the most god-awful day of my life. I'm not sure what is wrong with it yet, but my supercharger has a serious problem. Since the supercharger is stock, the vehicle won't work without it. Now it may just need a $50 part, but it may need to be replaced, which none of us have the money to do. Worst case scenario it will have cashed my motor along with it and I'll be in the thousands rather than the hundreds.
7 days of school left, finals the last two days, and I now have no transportation. All my friends live on the other end of town and most probably won't be willing to take me there, much less back home. Deep sigh. =/
One of my friends lend me the book "Narcissus and Goldmund". It was a crucial book that led him to his spiritual path and ultimately converted him into an Orthodox Jew.
For those who are unfamiliar with this work by Hermann Hesse, it's a story about two monks who befriended each other, and the author took us into an introspective journey into their lives.
Each of them represent a philosophy in life. Narcissus represents the cerebral, control, and introspection. Goldmund represents the freedom, sensual, and emotional elements in life.
After reading the book, I realized that I went through several stages in my life already. For the first part, as an adolescent, I related most closely to Narcissus. I was a studious student and devoted all of my effort in discipline and study. The second part of my life, which started around my college years, I gave myself to indulgence. This phase did not fully realize itself until I was training to become a doctor in residency. I played games with things and people, and I didn't feel fully alive until then.
Finally, I became an artist. This is when I can most closely relate to Goldmund. I feel the fervor of creation, and it often boiled my blood during one of the creative frenzies that I engage in when I design a level for games.
Now I feel that I embody both elements--Narcissus and Goldmund. It's the only way to fully live life. I am finally at ease about my identity when I am able to embrace both aspects of life.
For those who are unfamiliar with this work by Hermann Hesse, it's a story about two monks who befriended each other, and the author took us into an introspective journey into their lives.
Each of them represent a philosophy in life. Narcissus represents the cerebral, control, and introspection. Goldmund represents the freedom, sensual, and emotional elements in life.
After reading the book, I realized that I went through several stages in my life already. For the first part, as an adolescent, I related most closely to Narcissus. I was a studious student and devoted all of my effort in discipline and study. The second part of my life, which started around my college years, I gave myself to indulgence. This phase did not fully realize itself until I was training to become a doctor in residency. I played games with things and people, and I didn't feel fully alive until then.
Finally, I became an artist. This is when I can most closely relate to Goldmund. I feel the fervor of creation, and it often boiled my blood during one of the creative frenzies that I engage in when I design a level for games.
Now I feel that I embody both elements--Narcissus and Goldmund. It's the only way to fully live life. I am finally at ease about my identity when I am able to embrace both aspects of life.
Finished high school today. Exams done, offers from unis received. Now to wait for scores, which should be available by the end of June.
Due to such an epic occasion, new avatar. Danny Carey (Tool) this time, one of the world's best and my personal favourite drummer. A neat picture of him, non-rotated too! :>
Anywho, commencing beer.. now.
Due to such an epic occasion, new avatar. Danny Carey (Tool) this time, one of the world's best and my personal favourite drummer. A neat picture of him, non-rotated too! :>
Anywho, commencing beer.. now.
My son has a new pet.
I'm going to keep doing this every day, if I get as lucky as I did today.
Logged on to TF2 before heading off to school, and let it sit in one of the specified IDLE servers until i got home. Found out I had lost connection though, not sure when, but I picked up an Ubersaw, Cloak and Dagger, and 2 Backburners in the time. Though now I have 3 Backburners... >_>
Logged on to TF2 before heading off to school, and let it sit in one of the specified IDLE servers until i got home. Found out I had lost connection though, not sure when, but I picked up an Ubersaw, Cloak and Dagger, and 2 Backburners in the time. Though now I have 3 Backburners... >_>
4400 writer Scott Peters is working on an upcoming television series remake of "V", to be broadcast on ABC sometime in fall 2009 and is based on the science-fiction franchise created by Kenneth Johnson.
As a V fan, im pretty excited about this. The question of course is: will it be of any quality of the original, as it is just a remake? Im gonna keep my eye on this.
Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahjPQjQGdbU
So, my 8800GTS has died on me.. 2 years now since that day we met.
Fortunately the shop i bought it from gives a 3 year warranty, so they gave me a videocard with the same price as the 8800 was new.
I present to you this:
Yes its actually alive!
Fortunately the shop i bought it from gives a 3 year warranty, so they gave me a videocard with the same price as the 8800 was new.
I present to you this:
WARNING: RANT.
You know what I hate about HL modeling? It's illogical and overly complicated. Every model has different bones and submodels, and there's no way to turn one NPC into another without renaming bones. It should work like this for all models:
1. ONE body, no two bodies like in Op4, the backpack attachments go in a category below.
2. Heads. No limit, but all the same thing, just heads, no arms or anything.
3. Weapons. This includes barney's guns, the Hgrunt's weapons, and the scientist's needle.
4. Extra submodels/acessories. Op4 backpack and anything a mod's npc might need.
5. ALL THE SAME BONES FOR HUMAN MODELS!!!!
If I want an Op4 medic mesh on a scientist model, I should be able to do it without pain, if I want a Female assasin mesh on barney, I should be able to do it, and there should be a way to tell milkshape and other softwares to ignore bones in the meshes, just for things like the example directly above.
Now, doesn't that sound easier?
You know what I hate about HL modeling? It's illogical and overly complicated. Every model has different bones and submodels, and there's no way to turn one NPC into another without renaming bones. It should work like this for all models:
1. ONE body, no two bodies like in Op4, the backpack attachments go in a category below.
2. Heads. No limit, but all the same thing, just heads, no arms or anything.
3. Weapons. This includes barney's guns, the Hgrunt's weapons, and the scientist's needle.
4. Extra submodels/acessories. Op4 backpack and anything a mod's npc might need.
5. ALL THE SAME BONES FOR HUMAN MODELS!!!!
If I want an Op4 medic mesh on a scientist model, I should be able to do it without pain, if I want a Female assasin mesh on barney, I should be able to do it, and there should be a way to tell milkshape and other softwares to ignore bones in the meshes, just for things like the example directly above.
Now, doesn't that sound easier?
Don't lynch me for this but I'd like to quickly share something I've been working on sparingly for a few weeks. I mentioned in a previous jounral about and I though I should follow up on it.
Just this link to my progress thread.
Post comments here so you don't have to sign up there.
Just this link to my progress thread.
Post comments here so you don't have to sign up there.
Well i'm downloading the XSI mod tool for source. I might as well start to make custom models for my maps seeing as how i don't map like valve, and therefore can't use any of their models. It'll be a tough learning process to model for source, but i'll get through it i'm sure.
Then i'll slowly transition into source mapping. Trying to utilize the models I've made.
My first project: Age of empires II Inspired HL2DM map
Small little castle village, plenty of open room. Some hallways and corridors.
I need custom models for this because... well I'm not making every little detail out of brushes. Screw that.
I'm also downloading the Artist's Guide to XSI. It's a bunch of video tutorials (Totaling 1.7 GIG) Showing how to use a lot of the tools and such.
Can't tell you how much i'm looking forward to this.
EDIT
The Artist Guide is highly recommended!! Get it if you want to do anything with XSI
Then i'll slowly transition into source mapping. Trying to utilize the models I've made.
My first project: Age of empires II Inspired HL2DM map
Small little castle village, plenty of open room. Some hallways and corridors.
I need custom models for this because... well I'm not making every little detail out of brushes. Screw that.
I'm also downloading the Artist's Guide to XSI. It's a bunch of video tutorials (Totaling 1.7 GIG) Showing how to use a lot of the tools and such.
Can't tell you how much i'm looking forward to this.
EDIT
The Artist Guide is highly recommended!! Get it if you want to do anything with XSI
I started my car up the other day after installing some new parts, and one of the lifter retainers spontaneously shattered. With nothing to keep the directional roller lifter from spinning in circles inside its bore, it ground off the edges of the roller against the camshaft, ruining them both. I now have to pull off my cylinder head, extract the shards of metal from my engine, and replace all the lifters and the camshaft.
On top of that, school's about to let out, it's stuck at my auto shop, and my courageous mother will not allow me to bring it home to work on it, so it will sit inside a fence for months in which time most cars there get vandalized.
Yay, perseverance.
EDIT: Just struck a deal with my mom, seems that she'll let me work on it at home as long as I can finish it in a short period of time.
Yay, perseverance.
EDIT: Just struck a deal with my mom, seems that she'll let me work on it at home as long as I can finish it in a short period of time.
I PASSED! GET IN.
Alright, I'm taking my theory test again tommorrow, I've been doing practice tests and passed all of them with a percentage higher than 90, and I've done the same with the hazard video clips too, so hopefully tommorrow I'll pass it. I'm not holding my breath on it though.
Apart from that I got my college report thing today, I'm working at a very high standard, my tutors are all impressed with me and I've never missed a day since I started. So atleast that's going well.
L4D version of Wetwork (Survival) is going well besides a few bot problems and nav mesh errors, for some reason infected will stop climbing the ladder just short of the ledge which causes them to fall, and rising the ladder does nothing to help, very strange and VERY annoying. That bloody Nav Mesh Error message won't go away either.
So yeah, I'll update this journal tommorrow to say wether I passed or not, my test is at 9:30am.
Alright, I'm taking my theory test again tommorrow, I've been doing practice tests and passed all of them with a percentage higher than 90, and I've done the same with the hazard video clips too, so hopefully tommorrow I'll pass it. I'm not holding my breath on it though.
Apart from that I got my college report thing today, I'm working at a very high standard, my tutors are all impressed with me and I've never missed a day since I started. So atleast that's going well.
L4D version of Wetwork (Survival) is going well besides a few bot problems and nav mesh errors, for some reason infected will stop climbing the ladder just short of the ledge which causes them to fall, and rising the ladder does nothing to help, very strange and VERY annoying. That bloody Nav Mesh Error message won't go away either.
So yeah, I'll update this journal tommorrow to say wether I passed or not, my test is at 9:30am.
EDIT:
