California Housing

If you’re wondering what’s wrong with the housing market in California, look no further than this ad from last Sunday’s paper… SELLER MUST SELL! Well, okay, then! Let me just go to the bank and get a couple of millions from my saving account.

Silent Reviews

• Die drei ??? – Poisoned Email (“American English translation) – No. Bad grammar and stilted expressions aplenty…
• The Tony Awards – No

Memory

In 1990, I bought a 512KB system memory extension for my Amiga 500. Finally, Legend of Faerghail had extra sounds and combat animations!

In 1991, I spent several month’s allowance on 2MB of extra system RAM for my Amiga 500. I never used it, but at least I was able to play the initial, unoptimized retail version Das Schwarze Auge before anybody else could! I never got into the game.

In 1996, I spent over 300 German Marks on 64MB of system RAM for my PC. I thought that the resulting grand totalof 96MB would help me BSP’ing a bunch of tricky maps that I had made for Beyond Belief, but it turns out I was simply blowing up the converters in other places.

In 1999, I bought my first 64MB USB memory stick so that I could transfer files from my laptop to my parents’ home computer. I still have that USB stick, even though I’ve lost every other one since then.

In 2001, I spent over 400 German Marks on a 128MB Compact Memory Card for my camera. I could hold hundreds of 1600×1200 pixel photos I wanted to take during that trip, and I still filled it up.

In 2004, I spent $200 on a 1GB USB stick.I have no idea where it is, or what I used it for.

In 2006, I spent over $300 on a 4GB USB stick. I promptly lost it and bought another one. It died after a year.

In 2008, I bought my current 8GB USB stick for 100 bucks. It’s secured to my key chain with two metal rings, but even then it sometimes comes off.

Today, I saw 8GB USB sticks for less than 20 dollars. Each one could save approximately 15,000 copies of Legend of Faerghail.

Now, where is my 32GB iPhone?

Silent Reviews

• Up – Yes
• A Night at the Museum – Meh
• The DaVinci Code – Meh
• Angels & Demons (audio book) – Yes (until the final part)

I’m bahaaaaack! It might take a bit to get back to regular updates, though

Testing The New Server

Testing server migration. Back to regular business soon!

Server Move

My page is undergoing some internal changes to the server, but we will resume regular service soon

Silent Reviews

• 17 Again – Competent…

Napa and Columbine

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the day when two teenage boys entered the Columbine High School, carrying duffel bags that contained the guns and home-built propane bombs they would use to wantonly attack their fellow students. What followed is one of the deadliest school shooting in US history; an event that shook up the nation, sparked a cultural debate, inspired a movie, and created a term that has become synonymous with school shootings all around the world: Columbine.

Today also marks the day that an armed man walked across the Napa Valley Collage campus (my wife’s school), putting the college under a total lockdown, with SWAT teams and helicopters combing the perimeter for the suspect.

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Silent Reviews

• Watchment (movie) – Yes
• Bolt (Blu-ray) – Yes
• Rachel Getting Married (Blu-ray) – Yes
• Depeche Mode: Sounds Of The Universe – Yes

Monthly Hike: Point Reyes

When I was in my early teens, I caught a swashbuckling adventure movie about Sir Francis Drake on TV. The movie was probably awful, and the plot most certainly heavily romanticized. But back then, it impressed me enough to start naming my game characters after the legendary English captain/explorer/pirate (depending on who you listen to) – and ever since then, my Ultima avatars have been named “Drake”.

History caught up with me a few years ago when I moved to Marin County. Drake’s Bay at Point Reyes is considered to be the most likely landing spot during Drake’s 1579 world circumnavigation, and many local features (such as the Sir Francis Drake Boulevard) are a constant reminder of this colorful history.

Why am I telling you all this? Because during the past two weekends, Victoria and I visited to Point Reyes National Seashore to do some heavy-duty hiking. Point Reyes is well renowned for its great hiking trails and camping sites, played host to the classic horror movie The Fog (filmed in Inverness), and offers other attractions like the Point Reyes light house and great whale watching. Oh, Point Reyes  is also located smack middle on top of the San Andreas fault – the reason for the breathtaking terrain that makes up this part of California.

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