Site Updated - Other News

I've worked on matching the style of the blog up better with the style of the webpage. There is still something funny going on with the spacing of my divs in Firefox, that I haven't figured out yet. I also updated the Comm page so that I don't have the old link to the guestbook that is no longer there anymore.

In other news, I will post up a recap of the summer in a few days. The Fall quarter starts up in a week and a half (right after Labor Day), so I will likely start mentioning that more.

The Lost Muffins game design team is starting to make real progress again, so look for more information on that in the future as well.

~Philip "Istanbul" Morey

Game Team

For those who don't know, the Midwest Regional Design Contest and Fair is coming up in about 3 weeks for 2009. Last year, I won the 3D Animated Short category, with an entry made from my first 3DS Max project. You can see clips of this movie in this compilation:



Well, this year, I am on a team called the Lost Muffins®, and we are making a game called The Pirates of Galactic Proportions®. Our website is now open for the public, and it is located at http://www.lostmuffins.com. Right now, we are working on having a complete level and the core of the game play finished up by the due date. We're doing pretty well and have high hopes, but we'll be continuing on this after the fair, to have a complete game.

Long Time

Although I am making this post from school, the router issue has been fixed. I've just been a bit busy, and I had gotten out of the habit of posting (if I could ever have been said to be IN that habit).

I started a new job the first week of November, doing support for people using a complicated website-based contract management and quoting tool. I was pulled immediately after the classroom training to go to a more specialized team on the same project, so it's been a lot of learning.

Last quarter I had:
Audio Visual Techniques (A)
Instructional Design (A)
Written Analysis (C)

AV Tech took a big chunk of time, but... I made a movie. I have not uploaded it to youtube yet, but I will do so sooner or later (probably on Christmas break).

This quarter I have:
Managing Game Development (which is more or less Flash 101)
Web Scripting and Authoring I (html, css and dreamweaver)
Ethics

I have also come back to FFXI as I am doing better monetarily to where I can pay some money for something even if there will be times I won't have time to play at all. I've still got the DarkAssassins pearl and Riykere is still on a lot. Shinjo joined the Army apparently.

I am still living in WI, where I have lived all of my life. We've been getting hit with Blizzaga IIIs pretty consistently already this year.

Besides that I am working on making a game with a team of fellow students/friends. When I can share more about that, I will.

The Brewers made the playoffs this year, if I didn't mention that before.

Well... Hello!

The new router that my sister got blocks most blogs for some strange reason, therefore I have been posting even less than normal. I've also been busy. Tonight I am just posting a hello from my parent's house, and how you doin' to whomever may be looking.

My Life - Update

Well, it's been a long long time (3 months almost) since I posted anything here, so I figure I better give a little update. Just in case anyone is checking in.

Still going to school. Didn't get 4.0 last quarter again, cuz I slacked too much in Economics. But, I'm regrouping and hoping to come back strong this quarter. Only taking 2 classes, Animation I, and Research Methods. Starting next quarter, I'll be switching into the 2 year Multimedia program, so I can get that associates on my way to my bachelors. I'm hoping the 2 year degree will help me get a job that pays more than $9/hr by mid next year, so I can have all my credit card debt gone before I get out of school and have to start paying back school loans. Egads, this is a do or die kind of situation for me. If I don't get a pretty decent paying job out of school, it's going to be a long long road... But, can't think about that right now. Just gotta focus and take care of the business at hand and have faith that the rest of it will work out alright.

I'm playing softball again this year. Our church has two teams this year, and since I wasn't able to make the first game or two this year, and I noticed that Team 2 somehow got 'loaded' with all of the kids, etc. I asked to play for them to help the team out. Although we still haven't won a game, and have only had one even close (against our Team 1 associates), I like to think I've helped keep everyone positive (as well as providing a solid offensive and defensive player to go with all the kids we have). Don't get me wrong, the kids are going to be good, but when you have over half your players having only played one or two years, as well as being half the age of a bunch of grown men on most of the other teams, it's a bit hard to compete. But, I predict more close games by the end of the year, and since we have at least 8 games left including the tournament, I feel farily confident that we will win a game before the end of the year as well. If not, I still hope we can keep the team together, cuz with one more year under our belts, we should start being pretty good I think.

As for church, I've started playing drums again. I played twice last month, and both times went alright. This month, I get to look forward to playing with the nemesis of the Music Department... The Pastor's Wife's Mother. I'm not one to complain too much about people, but she is just not a good fit on keyboard for our church. She's not too good a fit on organ either, but, at least there, if she's not fitting in, it can be covered up more by the sound department (which I am also a member of). The lady, god bless her soul, just refuses to blend in with the rest of our very talented musicians (no, I'm not talking about myself), and it's been causing more and more dissension in the department. Hopefully things get taken into hand pretty soon. Other than that, wish me luck in a couple weeks, when I get to face the trial by fire...

Also, on a musical note, I've started to jam with a co-worker who is a guitar player, and he's darned good. We've jammed... don't remember if it's 3 or 4 times now in the past 2-3 months. It's been fun, and it's helped get me back in the 'swing' (bad pun), of things, as I really haven't been drumming regularly at all since I stopped playing drums for the spanish church a year and a half ago or so after helping them out for about 5 years.

Well, I guess that's about all the news I have for the time being. I'll 'try' to be a bit more regular with my posting once again.

~Mophia

First Place Video

I got first place in the Animated Short category of the Midwest Regional Game Design Contest and Fair hosted at my school with this video. I won a keyboard! A gaming keyboard actually, so it has extra buttons and everything is customizable. Nice... Reeaal nice. I'll even open it up sometime and see if I can make it work through my KVM switch, hehe.

Two Weeks

Seventeen days ago: My pastor went into the hospital with pneumonia. That was a bad sign... Nine years ago, he nearly died because of pneumonia and ended up with a lung condition from that. He had had ups and downs with that situation since then.

Within the next day, the doctors had to put him on a ventilator. Because of how he had been struggling with his everyday life, he said that he would not stay on the ventilator longer than a week.

Nine days ago, my pastor died. Thankfully he doesn't have to struggle just to breath anymore. However, he has left behind his wife and two young girls. Any prayers or even positive thoughts anyone cares to send their way would be much appreciated.

Church Website for more information, link for donation to help family with medical costs from the past nine years.

Another Short Video and Picture(s)

Finally got my fighter model complete. Just have to skin the darn thing now... I better go find a couple photoshop for dummies books I guess! Pictures follow:

Really Short Videos From Modeling Class

Make sure your domains are private!

http://joystickrequired.com/forums/f3/drama-2951.html#post28987

Later on in the thread, he goes on to say that he found that his domain was not private, meaning his contact information could be gotten by looking at the registration information somehow. So, those of you who own any domains, make sure you have private ones! (Or at least don't have personal contact information attached.)

Time Flies

One nice thing about quarter systems is how fast they go by... Of course, that leads to some feelings of non-stop on the go action type things, but so far it's helping me keep my focus more than it's creating stress.

I managed to "squeak" out A's again this quarter, so I have my 4.0 still rocking through 20 credits. 99.7 or so in Math II, and somewhere around 95-97 I believe in Intro to Programming.

Next quarter will be a challenge, as I have my nemesis, Comp II (I have psychological issues with that class, I think I'll Call it Flower Arrangement 102 from now on). However, I'm taking it online, and I'm on a mission! I've also been improving each quarter so far on my procrastinating habits (at least in regards to school, my room/desk/etc. is still very disorganized and I haven't written on I:NJAC at all), so I have high hopes for this go round. I'm also excited about two classes, 3D Modeling and Rapid Visualization (which is a drawing class), though, like I felt with programming at the beginning of the quarter, I'm not quite sure what to expect. I'm kind of mentally preparing myself for the possibility of losing the straight 4.0, however, keeping that 4.0 is definitely the target.

I will be cutting back on the second job after the holidays, and there is a two week break right up around christmas and through the new year, so that will help me rest up and hopefully get a lil ahead on some of my work. (Run on sentence night tonight). This week and next week are a bit of a vacation as well, since I finished my finals asap. Working only 40 hours this week makes it easy in spite of having to work 'Black Friday' at the local mall at my retail job. Of course that's compared to working 70 last week, and averaging about 55/week since I started my FT job.

Well, I've pretty much said all that to say this. Everything's going pretty well, which I'm thankful for. Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Half Done

Wow, one nice thing about quarters... they go by really fast! Still holding my 4.0 so far, though the programming will start getting more complex now I'm pretty sure! So, wish me luck! Math II still going fine, although I finally got a point off... /sigh. Such is life. Also, worked 60 hours this week, so I'm glad that the midterm from programming turned out to be amazingly easy and we got done 2 hours earlier than normal!

One Third

One third of the way through my third quarter. Intro to Programming and Math II are going well! 97% and 100%. I haven't written, done anything particularly interesting to post up here other than that I write out my math homework in prose (at least a lot of it), which my teacher finds entertaining. Thank goodness it's online so I don't have to do the ole "Problems 1-1085109, Odd" business.

I haven't been late to work yet, in spite of the horrific earliness in the morning of it. (6-2, *Shudders*). I've been working about 50 hours between the two jobs, which is good. I'm slowly making headway with my bills. :) Also, I am insured again for the first time in a long time, but, I'd still prefer to not break my leg or anything!

I read the novelization of that new movie that's coming out, Beowulf, which is obviously about the epic, Beowulf. I can't say I loved some of the 'interperetation' of it, but it looks like it would be a decent movie. Probably won't watch it though since it horribly ruins my image of Beowulf. ;) If the movie is anything like the novel of the movie, then I commend them on their portrayal of the culture of that time period. They did an excellent job of incorporating the conversion to Christianity that was just beginning at that point in time.

New News

It's getting nigh the end (as in it's the last week) of the quarter. One class totally finished, Intro to PCs and locked down with a 100% (99.95 approximately). Now I need to buckle down and finish my paper for comp I tomorrow so that I have some time before sunday to edit it and get a minimum of an 85% on it. If I lock that down with an 85+, I think I'm guaranteed at least a 90%. Then Math I I'm currently shooting a 98%, which I should maintain with this weeks quiz/homework. The final is only 5% of the grade so that's pretty much a lock for an A as well. So, I just need to finish a paper in such a fashion that it doesn't totally suck and I should be through 20 credits with a 4.0!

Next Quarter I'm cutting back to 2 classes, Math II (Trigonometry), which I'll be taking online with my sister, as well as... Intro to Programming. That second one is kinda making me nervous, as I have not done any programming ever, unless you count some really basic html (which I don't). Well, it shouldn't be TOO hard I guess, so long as I make sure to keep up with everything. Then I'll get to help my sister when it's her turn to take it... yay...

Now, as for the reason that I'll be cutting back to 2 classes instead of 3... you may have guessed it already. I picked up a job. I will admit to not being SUPER gung ho about it, as it involves getting up at 5ish am, and assembly work on circuit boards. But, it is full time, which after the past year and especially the past 7 months, I REALLY need, even if it isn't the highest pay rate in the world. Combining it with still working a night or two a week at the retail store I work at, I should have a minimum of 45 hours every week which will go a long way towards getting me caught up, back on my feet and out of the mental hospital. Well, I guess I've always been crazy so it may not help that last one. ;)

Last week I read the last harry potter book, as well as the full Lord of the Rings 'trilogy' (it's not really a trilogy you know) all in about 4 days, instead of working on the paper like I should have been. Bad me!

I think that's all I've got for now, since I should really stop staying up late NOW so that I can hopefully get a new sleep pattern started before crunch time. (Kind of too late for starting that today I guess... Ooops)

Approximate Midpoint

Well, I'm approximately 1/2 done with this quarter of school, so I figure I'll give a little progress report. In Intro to Computers, I've been doing good, but we're having a debate on AMD vs. Intel next week. Current grade 99%. I'm also doing well in Math I, with a 98%. With Comp I, I should be doing better than a 91%, but I had a big 'slacker week' last week, so I still have one more assignment to catch up on yet, and also to do this weeks stuff.

In other news, I'm nearly done with The Story of Britain From the Romans to the Present: A Narrative History by Rebecca Fraser. Yes, I've been reading it for about a month and a half. It's quite interesting, but not the kind of book that I read 'straight through'. Not that I skip around in it or anything. I just set it down for a few days here, a couple there, and read/do something else. That's all I've got.

True Prosperity

True Prosperity- the ability to liberally apply the fluid of life on grass without thinking about it.

Restructuring

Well, I've reorganized the computers and paraphenalia (sp?) yet again! I now have the PC back out in the living room, sharing Keyboard, Video and Mouse with the laptop via a KVM switch. I can now perform the eqivalent of alt-tabbing while playing FFXI. (If I were playing, I'll log in with my sisters chars more often). I also broke out my USB hub that I bought awhile back, but never hooked up, so now I've got the wireless network, my JS, a printer, a scanner and a cord for a digi cam all hooked up now. Also, I have an old VCR hooked up to the monitor, cuz it's a special LCD flatpanel screen, so it has 3 AV hookups and a monitor hookup slot. So, now I can watch my old fave videotape, This Week In Baseball's Greatest Plays. Joy!

School To Begin Again, and More

Monday I start my second semester in the Digital Entertainment and Game Design program of ITT Tech. I'll be taking Comp I, Math I, and Intro to PCs. Luckily, these classes shouldn't be a huge challenge as I am concurrently seeking a final (for a couple years at least I hope) end to my job problem, and will most likely be learning a new FT job working possibly 60 hours a week (one of the jobs I got a first interview with, waiting on a possible second).

I checked out the official Jules Verne, Around the World in 80 Days. As some may recall, I have a story/novel/book idea on the back burner that I'd like to do, Around the Galaxy in 80 Days. After reading the book (which I hadn't read in sever years), I've noticed how much more liberty the producers of the movie (TV movie I think) took than I first realized. Also, I think that I'd be able to write a sci-fi version that balances the spirit of the book and the movie in an acceptable fashion, though I think I'd try to bring it in closer to Jules' original feel a bit more so than the movie. First, I gotta get I:NJAC finished. Maybe if I push really hard I can finish it in a year. I have moderate hopes of finishing the next chapter by the end of the week before school starts back up again and I have supreme business to look forward too.

~Mophia Out

P.S. If I can get a FT Job that pays $10 or more, I'll be back in FFXI in a month. If not... it could be a loooooong time.

Sigh

I need to look for work still...

I need to get more than 20-25 hours a week out of 2 jobs...

I need to be able to pay my sister back... 4 months of rent she's covered so far without any of my part.

Gas is ridiculously expensive... it costs me somewhere between $16-18 to go back and forth to school once a week. $44 to fill up the tank from empty. And my car sucks. The brakes are in sorry shape, which caused me to have to really pull out some 1337 driving skills to avoid getting into an accident when a bad one happened a few cars ahead of me on my way to school last week.

But... I do have a CDL and work experience in another field... yet one more thing to put on my resume.

So... even though i'm rather depressed (considering i'm an optimist) the optimism is still there. Now to go get my homework done for my class tonight and to finish catching up in my online class that I fell a bit behind in over the last 2 weeks.

I Passed

I Passed the road test to become a school bus driver. Hide your children.

A Post

My busy-ness factor has increased dramatically this week. I'm interested in doing lots of stuff, but, short of doing something like requesting a day off of work, there's no way I could say with any certainity that I'd be able to do something at a given time. That's with only working 5 hours last week too... I'm scheduled a lot of on-call shifts that I get used for just enough to not be able to plan anything during them. I've also started CDL B&C /P /S training this week, and was studying books and taking the written tests for an instruction permit last week. This is on top of starting school, 8 credits worth, just two weeks ago. I haven't even checked my chocobo since the weekend. Well, I got more long-winded than I intended, but, that's wassup. (Also had a couple music practices last week.)

-This is what I posted on the linkshell forum, saying what's goin on.

God Save the Trees

The trees of the world are thankful for the online revolution. Sure, from 1995-2000, Canada doubled it’s paper production, and paper usage has been estimated to have increased by 40% since the popularization of e-mail[1], but just think of the amount of knowledge out there on the World Wide Web; tree-friendly information. A major advantage of online communication is the availability of knowledge without sacrificing our environment.



It’s impossible to say exactly how many web sites there are on the World Wide Web, due to it’s dynamic nature, but, according to Thomas Boutell’s calculations based on there being over 108 million individual websites counted by the Netcraft Web Server Survey in February, there are at least 19.2 billion individual web pages[2]. A ream of paper weighs about 6 lbs, so 19.2 billion pages is the equivalent of 115,200 tons of paper just to print off every site once. That’s a lot of information available without harming a single being of deciduous or coniferous ancestry.



Granted, the accuracy of a lot of the information on the web is suspect, but, having such a huge amount of information at my fingertips, with out defoliating our world is a strong advantage of online communication. Now we just have to get people to stop printing off all of their e-mails.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[1] The ePaper Revolution; Geographical; Aug2005, Vol. 77 Issue 8, p36-37, 2p, 1c Ebsco Host, Acedemic Search Elite, kwd: paper usage

[2] WWW FAQs: How Many Websites Are There?. Boutell.com, 2-15-2007 Thomas Boutell. http://www.boutell.com/newfaq/misc/sizeofweb.html

Some RL Stuff

I feel positive vibes that I will be a 'Teller' within two weeks. Failing that, I'll end up being a 'School Bus Driver' in a slightly longer period of time.

There's a 95% chance that I'll be starting at ITT Tech in June, in the Digital Entertainment and Game Design program. Expensive and challenging. Well, going to school to be a audio engineer like I was thinking about doing a couple years ago would be rather expensive too, and a lot lower of job placement and starting salary rate with that kind of degree... The nice thing about the things I'd learn with this program is that, though gaming is the central focus of it, everything could apply to a very diverse set of jobs, from boring programming, to web development or graphic arts. Basically anything to do with computers. I could probably even get into some IT positions with a degree like that.

Now... I just need to get my FT job all set so I can start getting on pace to make more than 8k this year...

So much that I should do...

A To Do List...

1. Clean Room - Perpetually at the top of the list.
2. Clean Rest of Apartment - Infinitely second.
3. Write More of I:NJAC - I do do this sporadically, but, really need to...
4. Type Up All That I Have Written - Writing is the hard part, I just need to be less lazy!
5. Get My Taxes Done - The sooner I do them, the sooner I get money! (I hope!)
6. Get Car's Brakes Fixed - New addition to the list, but need to get #5 done first.
7. Change Strings On Acoustic Guitar - Electric guitar all done, now this one.
8. Post More Often Here - Hmm... what's this? ^^
9. Start Posting On Crash-Riding And Make It Look Good - One of these days.
10. Post My Oodles Of FFXI Screenshots - Photobucket here I come!

TTF!

Life, the Universe, and Everything

I read six Douglas Adams books this week. Give me a couple days to get my brain untwisted, but they're still great. :) I just need to learn how to fly one of these days. (The trick is to fall/throw yourself at the ground, then forget to hit it...)

Still looking for a FT job. 20 hours a week just doesn't cut it... /sigh Too bad it's not as easy to make money in RL as it is in FFXI...

Speaking of FFXI, I've opened a forum (well, made a spot in a forum that I opened then never used) for my 'main' Linkshell, Divinity. It's the MMEC board. If any of you want to say 'hey!' to any of my LS buddies or me there, feel free.

This week in FFXI has seen me get to level 17 Ninja, my 'Kazham keys' for Istanbultaye, and quite a bit of farming. My sister's new character is 20 now, with chocobo and subjob and she has Black Mage up to 11 as of last night.

Also, Alaydhien of Mischievious Muse fame, has put in a couple appearances online. yay!

I unloaded all of my screenshots (my space was used up), I'll be getting a photobucket account or something to put them all up on, so everyone can see :)

I should stop being lazy and get the next section of I:NJAC up sometime... and work on writing the next one.

Slowly Improving...

Slowly getting better over the last couple days. I was able to work 4 hours wed, after calling in sick tuesday evening (the day I was finally able to get the drops). Then today i worked almost 10 hours between my two jobs. 8-3 (and 30 min break) and I got someone to close for me so I only worked 5-8 at the other one. The improvement should continue, so I'm hoping to make it through both of my shifts tomorrow w/ no problems. (10-3 and 5-10:30, 10.5 hours)

In FFXI news... I partied in Valkurm Dunes last night and got Thief up to level 18. Tonight I farmed, mined and got Dragoon up to level 10 all at the same time. My chocobo is 9 days old, and really cute. His name is JackBattle.

That's all I've got time for, since I need to go to bed.

Take care all...

Mophia

Sick...

I had a nice case of swimmer's ear through christmas. Finally got to the doctor today and got eardrops. $27... *sigh* Two doses so far and some slight improvement.