User:	ephealy
	Date:	2008-08-07 17:15
	Subject:	Interface-Zero
	Security:	Public

I've been looking forward to the release of this book for a year.

When I started talked with David at RDP regarding the Cabbages, I asked him what book he'd like to publish, if he could choose any book on his 'wish list'. A cyberpunk book was his answer. So, the Cabbages set about making his dream come true.

Interface-Zero is the result of over a year of development by B. Matthew Conklin III, Hal Maclean, Patrick Smith and Richard Clark (among others).

Available from OBS and RPGO.

	User:	shellyinseattle
	Date:	2008-08-07 14:35
	Subject:	Lots of Wildlife
	Security:	Public

When I first moved to the Pacific NW, I kept having "National Geographic" moments every time I saw the salmon runs, then these moments tapered off. This year, though, I've been having quite a few of these.

Around the neighborhood: a deer and her faun, a family of 4 racoons, and hearing the howls of coyotes last month. At first I thought the howls were just part of a dream, but then i really woked up and realized, no, it really was the coyotes. Probably the ones that live about a mile away in the ravine and the surrounding greenbelt. Best...sitting in my backyard watching the eagle on top of a evergreen being circled by annoyed blackbirds. Not that the eagle really seemed to care.

On Mt. Rainier: a marmot, lots of birds, plus lots of deer and their fauns including one with twins.

In general: all the hawks that sit on the poles alongside the highway.

And fall's salmon season hasn't even begin.

	User:	doodlestan
	Date:	2008-08-07 11:11
	Subject:	Summer Trouble, Had Me A Blaaaaast
	Security:	Public

"Trouble? But I'm on summer vacation!"

As so often happens, while my schedule is full of one thing, my brain decides to throw me ideas about several OTHER things ... and all I can do is jot down rough ideas and images, then get back to the matter at hand.

In this case, I've done a few different Dr. Symm doodles that point to various new adventures for the World's Smartest Monkey and his faithful companion, Sarah Bean. This represents the most generic of them ... the idea being that Sarah's enjoying her summer vacation when Dr. Symm shows up and says that there's some kind of trouble and he needs her help.

Maybe that's actually a metaphor for what my brain does ... it pops up with some "trouble" when I'm in the middle of enjoying my current activity. Of course, it's rare for a freelance assignment to be as much FUN as a summer vacation ... but mine tend to at least be entertaining.

User:	grubb_street
Date:	2008-08-07 08:25
Subject:	VG: State Treasurer
Security:	Public

http://grubbstreet.blogspot.com/2008/08/vg-state-treasurer.html

User:	grubb_street
Date:	2008-08-06 21:08
Subject:	VG: Secretary of State
Security:	Public

http://grubbstreet.blogspot.com/2008/08/vg-secretary-of-state.html

	User:	wakko
	Date:	2008-08-06 17:08
	Subject:	Twitter cross-pollination.
	Security:	Public

• 21:05 Installed Vista. Ugh. I feel dirty. But, at least I'll be able to play Age of Conan again. #

	User:	oni_anne
	Date:	2008-08-06 11:14
	Subject:	Playing With Plurk and Ping.fm
	Security:	Public

Plurk is a Twitter clone, but is interesting in that it has multidimensional conversation features which include replying to threaded posts and historical reading. I'd say that its most predominate feature is the time line widget when you go to your plurk main page. it basically shows a time line of your posts or "plurks" in relation to others with in the context of time. Overall the web interface on Plurk is much more superior than on Twitter. You can also edit your posts, unlike twitter you have to delete and repost. Sites like Twitter, Plurk, Kwippy, and Identi.ca are what I'd call "micro-blogging" sites. There is an inherit flaw in such sites -- they don't accommodate easily for unified conversation services. Each site represents a "circle of friends" and its difficult to cross-communicate between circles. Its akin to wanting to throw a party and inviting all your friends, but there's a language barrier from one set of friends to another. In the case of many social networking sites, the barrier is technology and site segregation.

Another site I've been playing with is Ping.fm. which tries to fill the service need for cross-communication. Ping can unify most social networking sites, but not all. Ping's services only offers a one-way channel -- from you to the sites -- so when you want to make a post to your social networking sites, you create one and it will automatically populate all sites. There's nothing really out there that I've found that allows me to gather posts from all social sites and respond accordingly to posts in the protocols required for that social site.

PS: I should add the one thing that i don't like about Plurk. Its not very intuitive on how to search and find friends you know. I got kind of confused on adding a friend and becoming a fan.  I get the feeling that this feature is unfinished if it is an attempt to separate levels of friendship, such as best friends vs acquaintances.

User:	grubb_street
Date:	2008-08-06 09:58
Subject:	VG: Lt. Governor
Security:	Public

http://grubbstreet.blogspot.com/2008/08/vg-lt-governor.html

	User:	doodlestan
	Date:	2008-08-06 08:54
	Subject:	Hellboy Interviews
	Security:	Public

"Hey! I did funny little interviews with you FIRST!"
"Yeah, like Mignola never thought of THAT!"

I was having a conversation with some friends last night and talking about movies that I haven't yet seen ... and I was reminded of the fact that I STILL haven't made time to get out to see Hellboy II. It's got to be on the last legs of its run, so I NEED to make that a priority THIS week. I think I'm going to find time tomorrow to go see it (maybe during the day, if I can find a theater that still has it in the matinee rotation).

In the meanwhile, here's a doodle I did just before the movie released, when those BRILLIANT cross-over commercials were airing. They were very similar in tone to some Gerry Table doodles I did back when the FIRST Del Toro Hellboy movie was being released ... so the so-called "joke" was that they ripped me off. (Maybe I should dig through my old notebooks and FIND those doodles ... they'd still be amusing enough to post here.)

It's certainly not the first time that I've had an idea, put it on the back burner, and later find that someone else actually DID something with a strikingly SIMILAR idea. It's what we creative types like to call the heartbreak of "parallel development," and I've been on BOTH sides (having found out, upon my initial arrival at TSR that one of the books I'd published with West End Games was pretty much EXACTLY like a proposal Steve Miller had made ... but mine was already on the market).

That's just how the creative life goes. There are too many talented people out there, and too few truly UNIQUE ideas.

	User:	shellyinseattle
	Date:	2008-08-05 21:28
	Subject:	Goats and the border collie
	Security:	Public

As I approached the auto shop for our oil change, I saw a huge herd of goats across the street at the Renton airport. Having the little one in tow, I knew that the best way to keep her occupied during an oil change would be to take a closer look at the 80+ goats. Actually, I would have gone across even if it had just been me.

At first the goatherder just warned us not to touch the electric fence that temporarily enclosed them. But she started volunteering information after I asked a few questions about the goats. It because obvious that she wasn't just someone hired on the cheap to watch the herd but actually knew quite a bit about them. She could name all the different breeds like the fainting goats. She pointed out the lone sheep that was convinced it was a goat. Found out that the goats would be there a couple of days gnawing through the strip of Himalayan blackberry bushes (an invasive species here in WA state) and other weeds. And she had great control over the border collie commands.

The border collie was very excited to be doing it's job. The goat herder explained this one was only a year old so was more excited than you'd expect. Their other border collie was temporarily out having a foot amputated (!) but would be back in service if it was able to. My first dog was a rough-coated collie so I really love these dogs, but I recognize that border collies need too much work and space to run for us to ever consider getting one.

Seattle Auto Shop
This is obviously just for locals, but I highly recommend the auto shop we went to today, Advance Auto Tune. They're honest, well-priced, have good turn-around times, friendly, and clean. Their staff has a very low turnover rate and they care about their customers enough to know exactly who I am when I call. They're so good that we've been going there for about 12 years no matter where in the Seattle area we've moved to.

User:	grubb_street
Date:	2008-08-05 12:15
Subject:	VG: Governor's Race
Security:	Public

http://grubbstreet.blogspot.com/2008/08/vg-governors-race.html

	User:	open_design
	Date:	2008-08-05 10:16
	Subject:	Last Chance to Vote for the ENnies
	Security:	Public

Please support Open Design in the ENnie Awards! We've been fortunate enough to grab two nominations this year, both of them in the Electronic Book category.

To vote for them (and all the other deserving products that you love), please visit the voting booth today. The voting period ends tomorrow!

	User:	doodlestan
	Date:	2008-08-05 09:30
	Subject:	Great Idea ... Crappy Roll
	Security:	Public

"No amount of tactical advantage and careful planning can survive really sucky rolls."

This doodle comes from the last time I visited Seattle long enough to make a guest appearance in what used to be my weekly D&D campaign. Well, not MINE ... but the one I'd played in for more than five years. The scenario was simple enough, and the characters seemed well suited to handle it in relatively easy fashion (the point was to capture an antagonistic NPC and get some sort of information out of him, if I remember correctly). But a series of truly AWFUL rolls, combined with typically great rolls by the DM, meant that we had to work our butts off just to keep from getting our collective butts kicked by a single opponent.

I was playing the were-bear, who had been an unimportant side character but, by the time that night was through, became an important ally (and stayed that way for the next segment of the campaign). I ALSO got a chance to play my old gnome rogue (now an epic-level NPC) for a social interaction or two ... and THAT was a TON of fun.

But all that was at least two years ago. I haven't been back to Seattle for a long enough stint to join in any more games since, much to my regret. I know they're playing a 4E campaign now (probably in a new setting) and I have to admit to being decidedly jealous about not being able to join in on that.

Oh well. If my Seattle job opportunity pans out, I may yet have a chance to rejoin the group ... though I hear they've got a significant WAITING LIST of people who want to play.

User:	grubb_street
Date:	2008-08-04 21:37
Subject:	Voter's Guide
Security:	Public

http://grubbstreet.blogspot.com/2008/08/voters-guide.html

User:	grubb_street
Date:	2008-08-04 14:24
Subject:	Brave New World
Security:	Public

http://grubbstreet.blogspot.com/2008/08/brave-new-world.html

	User:	shellyinseattle
	Date:	2008-08-04 14:05
	Subject:	Magic Card-nage
	Security:	Public

While cleaning through part of the garage, I found some boxes of old Magic cards. Immediately, I thought of my second cousins (7 and 12) who are way into Pokemon cards. Hmm...a plot was hatched.

Last night, they came by for a bbq and spent most of the time rooting through the five boxes trying to figure out which ones they wanted to take home. Whew--I had been worried that they'd get bored. My one rule for them was that their parents had to okay the amount, because I didn't think they'd appreciate having that many cards in their home.

We still have about 4 boxes of cards, some even sorted into binders. If anyone in the Seattle area would actually like to pick them up and play with them let me know. They're from about 10 years ago when Wolf worked for WotC. None of the valuable cards are in this collection.

	User:	oni_anne
	Date:	2008-08-04 10:34
	Subject:	Summer Update
	Security:	Public

Sig's B-Day: July 30th

For Sig's B-day weekend, we started out on Friday by watching The Dark Knight. An amazing movie that went far beyond my expectations, especially for a comic book movie. We then had a splendid time at Canlis for a stockholders dinner party. On Saturday we toured Woodinville's wine area and stopped by the Silverlake Tasting Room, where our friend works. She gave us a deep discount on two bottles: a 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve and 2005 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc Reserve. We then stopped by the Chateau Ste Michelle Winery, then a tour and dinner at Redhook Ale Brewery. Sunday we rested and played Metal Gear Solid 4 and other games.

LA Fitness

I decided to join this gym because it didn't seem like a fru-fru gym, where they up-sell you on health foods, personal training, or any other crap non-sense. Turns out that I was half right: they don't sell nutritional crap, but they try to get you into their personal training session. But they do have one thing going for them that I really like: its damn clean! When i go in the morning, there are workers buzzing around cleaning the equipment, the bathrooms, showers, pool area, and vacuuming the floor. Makes me feel safe from the sickness you can get at gyms. And after I told them I didn't want to be bothered anymore about personal training, they have left me alone. Definitely 10 times the quality than Balley's or 24-hour fitness in terms of service and cleanliness.

Metal Gear Solid 4

MGS4 is the only game I've had time to play. Man this is an awesome game ranks right up there with all the other awesome game's I've been playing in the last year (Portal, Bioshock, and Mass Effect) Though Sig and I finished the game, I wanted to go back and test out things we missed the first time around. I'm playing more on the no-kill-stealth and get-friendly-with-the-rebels route. Its rare that I find games still great the 2nd time around, this one just takes the cake!

LINQ, C#, ASP.NET 3.5, T-SQL

Coding has been my daily main staple. I'm taking a pleasant pace at it, considering that during the school year has rush-rush deadlines. I've discovered I'm almost dead in the water without the ability to look up classes, syntax, etc online. I should really learn how to code from memory. I should also really pick up the pace in August and wrap up some of these hanging projects up.

August Plans: Mariner's Game, Dragonflight, and PAX

This thursday, I'll be attending to my first baseball game ever. A friend of mine invited Sig and I to a "Stitch'n'Pitch" where you knit and watch a Mariner's game. This should be interesting considering I'm not into baseball in general, but I figure I should try it out at least once in my life. Safeco Field also has Nintendo DS wi-fi where you can download baseball game and player stats. I'm very eager to try that out.

Sig wants to go to Dragonflight this coming weekend and test out more 4e games. I'll be going to but I decided not to hit it up hard core and stay up till 5am in morning gaming like in the past. I'll try going ad-hoc this year to test out new things.

On August 29-30,  I'll be going to PAX 2008 - my favorite con. I'm just a video gamer at heart, while Sig is a RPGer. I think i'm also gonna wing it at this con too and increase my probability of trying out new things.

Sadly, there is no camping this year, nor Gen Con.  As much as i'd like to go camping i don't think we'll have time for it.  Gen Con as usually is too expensive right now for us, and with Sig's new job position we hardly have time to go out of town.

	User:	doodlestan
	Date:	2008-08-04 09:54
	Subject:	Bunny Bully
	Security:	Public

I found one remaining unposted doodle from the first time the inexplicable bunny showed up in my notebooks. He and his anthropomorphic friends haven't made any appearances in the last six months or so ... maybe they were just a passing thought. But I think they'll probably be back.

Sometimes my brain just holds things in reserve for a while before letting them out in a rush. Often, the next burst of creativity includes deeper insight into the characters and story ... so I'm looking forward to actually finding out something more about these funny animals. Sure would be nice to know what I've been drawing!

	User:	eyemage
	Date:	2008-08-04 08:00
	Subject:	aliens vs monsters trailer
	Security:	Public

	User:	ephealy
	Date:	2008-08-04 07:15
	Subject:	Prophecy (Atomic Array 003)
	Security:	Public
	Music:	Polegnala e Todora (The Mystery Of Bulgarian Voices)

Atomic Array, Episode 003, is out!

Featured Game: Prophecy RPG, from Relentless Publishing
The Pick: Thief
The Rant: 'All quiet in the western multi-plax'

We also wrapped up our album design and Digg It contests, while launching some more. I'll give you a hint... iPods!

Listen Now! Comments and link love welcome.