Black Knight I am

Basketball!?

2006-02-09T20:50:00.000-04:00

I'm getting stoked for... Basketball! "Wha-? Have you gone completely off your leather rocker?", you say. I know, I hate the game too, but only when it comes to the NBA and their 'look at me and my bling bling' attitudes. No, what I'm excited about is high school basketball, particularly that of my favorite neice (Hi Victoria!) and her team in Houlton. I recently made it to two of her last two home games and watched with an unexpected pride as they charged their way into the playoffs. Now, we are all planning a trip to Bangor to watch them play (hopefully in more than 1 game)! I really pumped to see them play on a bigger stage like that. It should be really fun and exciting for the whole team, as well us fans.

So, Victoria, if you read this, be sure to soak it all up when you are there. Enjoy every moment - win or lose, know that we are definitely proud of ya kiddo. Just keep working on those foul shots! :) Go Lady Shires!

What kind of pie am I?

2006-01-06T13:11:00.000-04:00

Since Brandon had it on his site, I felt like posting mine. Somehow I knew I would be pumpkin, my fav...

You Are Pumpkin Pie

You're the perfect combo of uniqueness and quality
Those who like you are looking for something (someone!) special

What Kind of Pie Are You?

Merry New Year

2005-12-30T23:16:00.000-04:00

Hope everyone had a Happy Christmas and created some more good memories to cherish for another year. Time now for those New Year's resolution promises that are rarely ever followed through on. At least, in my case it's that way. I guess the best way to keep a promise is to start slow and be methodical in what one needs to do in order to keep it. Can't really think of anything off the top of my head that I have any to make anyways, but I'm sure there is something there I can do to improve myself. I'm sure a few will hit me as soon as I publish this.

Anyways, have a great year, and stay safe my friends and random passer-by's!

Almost Chistmas

2005-12-21T01:51:00.000-04:00

Its coming up so fast that I can almost taste it. It becomes a little surreal for me at this time of the year in so many ways. Most of the feeling stems back from when I was a kid, of course; as it is the same for almost everyone else as well, whether it be positive or negative. I used to love getting presents, and still do of course, but now that I'm older I seriously love watching family members open their stuff they get, especially the items I get them. Most of the time, I do try my best to get them things they need and want, while totally surprising them. I have a couple items that I know will generate that 'oh wow' factor in some of my family. At least I have my shopping long done and my wrapping almost completed this year. Can't wait.

In recent years, the surreal feelings of anticipation have been drowned out by other things in my life that are too complicated to post here. I don't know how else to put it, but I tended to be very selfish inwardly when it came to Christmas time. I always did my best to give to my family, but that's as far as it would go. I just shut myself off to everything and everyone else around me, but put on a brave face at Christmas time and did my best to enjoy myself and have fun.

Ever since last year's Tsumai, and then the whole fiasco with the Hurricanes in the gulf of Mexico, it really, really puts things in a clearer perspective. How selfish of me. How dare I feel bad for myself and the life I have been given, when these people have suffered a hundred times more than I - and continue to suffer. My thoughts and prayers have been drawn to them often, and I just wish there was something I could do more. Being powerless to do something physically to help these people in pain hurts, but I know that there are other ways, and I continue to try my best.

So while everyone is with their families this, take a moment or two to at least think of the emptiness and longing that some people are going through this time of the year. Even the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan need to be remembered...

Comments...

2005-12-12T23:25:00.000-04:00

Had to turn off comment posting for awhile. Stupid moron started sp@mming my site about @dw@re. Note to anyone who sp@ms here - I will report you and remove your comments everytime. Just bugger off completely.

Anyways, as I predicted, the Bruins are making their turn down the toilet. Brilliant move, getting rid of Thorton. I would have to start cheering for another team - like the habs, but they suck even when they win.

I have always tried liking the Leafs in the past... but something isn't right with them either... Maybe I'll go with someone like the Wild, since we know they suck ahead of time and don't get too disappointed. At least *they* have a superstar to cheer for...

Down the crapper they go...

2005-12-01T12:42:00.000-04:00

Well, any interest I had in Bruins hockey this year has been completely shot. I thought Harry Sinden was bad, but this Mike O'Connell is more of a useless tool than Harry was. Trading away a franchise player (Joe Thorton), after only a few seasons of his career is the most boneheaded move I've ever seen. Bah to the Bruins I say! I refuse to watch them, or even care for the remainder of the year. Go Patriots.

Bon Jovi still Rocks

2005-10-13T22:13:00.000-03:00

I just picked up Bon Jovi's latest album, and I gotta say that they still sound great. I am really impressed with most of their songs musically. It sounds enough like the old Bon Jovi to know its them, while adding a more modern kick to their music. Being a child of 80's and early 90's music, this is just right up my alley.

This album has 15 songs, of which about 12 I really liked the first time through. Sometimes it usually takes me a few times through an album to figure out if I like the tune or not, but this one just captures my attention from the get-go with its title track. I recommend it, if you are a fan of Bon Jovi at all...

Still working on Geekfest

2005-10-07T18:04:00.000-03:00

The deadline ends today for saving $10, and the last number I heard that had actually registered were around 50. Not a lot for what we are shooting for, but there have been many people that just haven't bothered to sign up early. No idea why they want to pay $10 extra, but their loss is their gain, in a manner of speaking. More money just means better resources for the next Geekfest. At any rate, Joel (the owner of 21stcenturyparables.com), has been shooting out a number that could come close to 200 people coming to this event. That will definitely be worth seeing, since we had around 100 for Geekfest I.

Our only weak area is prizes. We are lacking some key items to make the people want to come and play. It looks like trophies will be our solution for the winners of each tourney and then handing our other bought and donated items as door prizes. Should be good for keeping everyone happy, until we are able to self-fund some better ones in the future. So far we have been sponsored by Bawls, and by a local business owner, Canmod (www.canmod.com - who made the XBox mod for me with the claws in it, shown on that site).

I also plan on running an officially sanctioned UT2004 dedicated server at some point, hopefully to be listed on the Geekfest website. It'll be a nice little place where church folk can come all year round and frag each other senseless.

Geekfest II on its way

2005-09-18T00:31:00.000-03:00

Well, its being actively promoted and we are all deep into getting this thing together. Only 1 month to go, too. Due to my involvement in the the first Geekfest, I have been asked again to help in the setup and maintaining of PC networking, servers, and tournaments. There is a great group of us working hard together to get this thing all together. Hopefully the first Geekfest helped us to smooth things out for this one.

On October 22, 2005, the crew will be hosting the second incarnation of Geekfest at the First Wesleyan Church, in Fredericton. This will be a LAN party focusing mostly on PC's, with some XBox gametime. The cost will be $40, or $30 if you register before Oct. 7th. The website is www.21stcenturyparables.com.

For those not knowing what a LAN party is - its an all day event, or in some cases, several days, where people bring their PC's and network them all together to a play massive amount of games against each other. Games that will be played are the Counterstrike mod for Half-Life, Starcraft, and hopefully Unreal Tournament 2004. There will be many prizes for the winners and runner-ups of each catagory, and possibly door prizes.

Should be fun and we all look forward to it...

Still kicking...

2005-08-18T13:34:00.000-03:00

Since a certain someone is on my case about not posting anymore, here it is.

Nothing new to report.

Thank you Microsuck...

2005-04-01T12:23:00.000-04:00

Well, I finally got hit with a nasty spyware program that I cannot get rid of, not matter what I do. Some stupid pop up window has given me the C00lSearch spyw@re, which not only makes pop up ads appear at random when using IE, it also hijacks my homepage to one of theirs. Not only that, but these spyw@re programs dropped off a few viruses on my system too. Lovely way to spend the last couple of days.

Despite running @daw@re, Spy bot, Spy sweeper, Spy subtract, Crapware Shredder, and norton antivirus, the little buggers are still on here.

I hope the people that make these things die a horrible death. I blame Micro$haft for this problem too. Their software is so full of holes, its not even funny anymore. I am never using IE again, so now I have fully moved over to Firefox - a much more secure browser that doesn't allow spyware to get in. I would highly recommend everyone else to switch over too. Firefox is a little different and might take some time to get used to, but its worth it, after what I've been through.

I still may have to format this piece of junk if I can't get rid of it totally. Guess the joke's on me today...

RRRoll Up the Rim and Win!

2005-03-30T15:10:00.000-04:00

Guess I won again. That mankes me 3 for 4 so far. Woo! Got me a coffee this time - was getting tired of winning donuts. My sister bought one with me and did not win, sadly, which makes it 31 straight days and no winner for her. So, Dale, you're not the only one who doesn't win in that contest. Guess my Tim's Karma is good, if there could ever be such a thing...

Just finished playing Rebublic Commando last night, and while it was fun, it got old and repetative at about the halfway point of the game. It had some nice squad teamwork (albeit scripted), but in the end it was just another mindless shooter. I did love how it started - kinda got a bit of virtual shell shock from the visual overload. If nothing else, it was good for the storyling that will lead into the new movie coming out in May. Can't wait for that one...

Been debating whether or not to join an online virtual squadron for IL-2. I have had the game for a couple years, but I still am not very good at it. I need something to keep me occupied and entertained, to take place of my old inactive Mechwarrior squad.

What to say

2005-03-27T23:15:00.000-04:00

First message on my blog. Where to begin, what to say? Its worse than trying to carry on a conversation with someone you just met at random on the street. Happy Easter maybe? Guess I'll need to come up with some kind of direction to focus my attention to, but for now I'll just post this nonsensical rambling below.

What I'm Blog posting from: I'm using a self-built PC with a ASUS P4C800 Deluxe motherboard, P4 3.2 Ghz CPU, 1 GB of RAM, SBlaster Audigy 2 sound card, ATI Radeon X800 w/ 256 MB RAM video card. I've also got about 250 GB's in hard drive space. I have had this setup for about a year and a half (save for the ATI card, that's new last summer). I don't plan on getting an upgrade any time soon, except maybe to try and get SATA hard drives installed, instead my old ATA ones. I'm just too lazy to bother at this point.

Had a good time today at church. It felt good to be there on this sunny, warm day. It was a packed house, as it usually is during this holiday. Lots of music, though. Lots. I love music, and it was all great, but after about 45 minutes, I was starting to drift off into my own thoughts. Kind of what everyone is doing right about now reading this blog (assuming that there is someone reading). I guess having a minor ear infection affected my enjoyment of the music today - kinda hard to focus when you hear out of only one hearing hole.

That's probably enough drivel for now, unless I find some tricks to learn on this Bloging bit...