Fragging?

I return with another post about my latest obsession / interest / hobby - fragging! More specifically, I have taken to playing Warsow.

Warsow is a free, cross-platform (as in Linux, Mac, and Windows) first-person shooter with incredibly fast-paced gameplay and shiny graphics. It's really hard, too... or at least it is, for me. I've been playing it mostly on deathmatch and instagib deathmatch. ("Instagib" means that each player is armed with an incredibly powerful gun that takes awhile to reload but can kill with one hit... it's like "sudden death".) I tried to play it online a bit, but it's sickeningly hard online, because the guys there are really, really good.

I'm also working it into an exercise routine. See, I'm uh... well, I could be in better physical shape. (I'm not at all fat - actually, I'm pretty skinny - but I could use some muscle mass), so every time I lose a match of Warsow, I subtract my score from the match winner's score, multiply it by two, and do that many pushups before the next match. (I did around sixty pushups last night. :P)

If anyone wants to download Warsow (the Windows version), I hosted it myself, 'cos otherwise you have to wade through a bit of stuff to get to the file...

warsow_0.42_setup.exe

If you're using Linux, you should know how to get it via a repository already... and if someone that reads this has a Mac and wants to play too... well, you can go find it on your own. ;D

If anyone else gets into this, let me know and we'll see about playing against each other online.

In other news, I hope all of you had a wondrous Christmas and got just what you wanted. I would make a Christmas-y post, but several of the other blogs I'm affiliated with already covered that.

Well, I'm gonna probably go and frag some more bots on Warsow. I'll talk to you all later!

-K

Fragging!

I've been meaning to post about this for the last few days, but other stuff just kept coming up.

On Monday, I was down at my friend Nick's house. He was playing Metriod Prime 2: Echoes on his Gamecube - he had borrowed it from his older sister's boyfriend. Now, I'm not too big on first-person shooters - I am generally really bad at them - so I watched him play through the campaign mode for awhile. After a bit, he asked me if I wanted to play against him in Multiplayer. I accepted.

We picked our map and got on our way. I'd played a Metriod game for Gamecube once before, but I didn't really remember the controls - I just knew enough to know that they were really different from other FPS games I'd played. The other different thing about the Metriod series is that you can turn into a "morph ball" - your character rolls up into a little sphere that can move quickly and drop little bombs.

Nick had apparently played the map before - he went straight for the turret. There's a turret at one end of the level that has incredible range, unlimited ammo, and is capable of one or two hit kills. It can access almost every area of the map, too. He fragged me about four times in the first two minutes of the ten-minute match and wouldn't shut up about how much he was killing me. The following conversation ensued:

Nick: Hahahaha, got you again! +gloat gloat+
Me: Dude. You're in the turret. That's not skill. You just have a huge gun. That's pretty much not fair.
Nick: What, do you want me to get out of the turret?
Me: Yeah I think you shoul-- No. Wait. Stay in the turret. I'm gonna figure out how to kill you.
Nick: Ok, whatever.

He fragged me a few more times in short order as I tried several different approaches, mostly those related to running up to the turret and getting shot. After dying a few more times that round and losing by a large margin, I decided that I needed a different approach.

The next round, I noticed something. In one of the few areas that was safe from the mighty turret's reign of terror, there were item pads that awarded different timed upgrades - for instance, invincibility or invisibility. I ran over an item pad, got me some invincibility, switched to morph ball mode, and stormed the turret.

Nick: +shoots me several times+ Why aren't you dying?!
Me: +silence+

I discovered that back behind the turret, there's some sort of port that accommodates a morph ball. I slid back there and pushed myself into the port. Nick's health started dropping rapidly... then his screen went black and I was awarded a kill.

Nick: What did you just do?!
Me: I killed you.

Then, he had no choice but to come out and fight me like a man. Since it took me a few tries to get to the turret before my invincibility ran out or whatever, he had killed me enough times so that I didn't have time for a comeback, so I lost the round. But, I developed another strategy... if lock on to your opponent and strafe, you can stay locked on to him and you kind of shuffle around in a circle. If you press B while doing this, you dash quickly in whatever direction you're strafing. Nick didn't quite get this at first... he'd run up to me, guns blazing, and I'd lock on, strafe in a circle around him, and kill him before he was quite sure what was going on.

I won the last round. ;D

The rounds prior, Nick had been gloating of his victories. See, I don't believe in gloating. I let my performance speak for itself. That way, if I lose, I don't feel like an idiot... and if I win, the person who was gloating feels pretty dumb. So at the end of the third round, when the results popped up and my number of kills was greater than his, I just kinda smiled while he read off the scores with a sheepish look on his face.

So what's the moral of the story? Strategy can unseat even the biggest of turrets... and gloaters never prosper. ;D

-K

Ceci N'est Pas Une Post

Surreality... it's such a beautiful thing. It's even more beautiful when you get to watch it happen - to someone other than you.

You could say that Sunday was a pretty surreal day for me. I started it at 4:30 AM, when that disco ball fell on me and woke me up. I couldn't get back to sleep for about an hour, and I had to be up at 6 AM... so that was rather unpleasant.

Of course, I woke up late - my phone rang at 6:45 AM. It was my bus captain's wife, reminding me to be at the church at 7:15 AM. I scampered and scurried about the house at a rather high rate of speed, getting ready and such. (Once, I got totally ready for the bus route in five minutes flat - I'm talking I was dressed and out the door within five minutes of waking up.)

On the way to pick up some kids, my bus captain / driver decided that he didn't need to drive on the road, so he backed way up into a snowbank. Twenty minutes, an awesome spade shovel, two tired arms, and a playlist including THIS/Is, Just A Band, Alex Gopher, and Cicada later, we were rolling down the road again. ^^_

Then, on the way to drop kids off after church, my bus captain / driver decided that he was too cool not to fishtail around corners, so he put us in another ditch. Guess who was integral in removing the bus from the ditch?

I got dropped off at home, only to discover that my van was stuck in my driveway. Talk about a fail Sunday. It was... pretty wacky. 0__o

But, on Saturday, something pretty good happened. I bought myself a new MP3 player. My PSP screen got broken (again) a few weeks ago, and I've been needing a MP3 player anyway... so I broke down and actually spent some money on myself. I got a good deal, though - I got a 4GB Creative Zen Mozaic LX for only $50! It's a pretty slick little unit - it supports playlists (pre-made and on-the-go), and it works fine under Linux, using Amarok as the MTP client. And... I can put pictures of Caitlin LeAnne on it. ^_^

Well, I'm all blogged out - I've posted on my blog thrice today (a record, I think) and I posted a big long comment on a certain post of Lynn's. I'll write at you guys later.

-K

x = y + 1

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main(int arg, char* pszArgs[])
{
    int y, x = 1;
    cin >> y;

    for (;((x*x)<(x*y));x++)
    {
        cout << x << "... " << (x*x) << " < " << (x*y) << "\n";
    }
    cout << x << "... " << (x*x) << " = " << (x*y) << "\n";
    x++;
    cout << "\n" << x << " = x because " << (x*x) << " > " << (x*y) << "\n";
    return 0;
}

I wrote some nifty C++ code to more or less prove that in the inequality x2 > xy, that x = y + 1... always. Lynn is awesome... she let me call her up on the phone and rant for a few minutes and explain it to her so that I was sure that I understood it myself.

If anybody can further optimize this code, I'd love to see it. I like learning new stuff, even if it's at the expense of not looking as smart as the other guy.

EDIT: In case anyone read the above code and noticed the severe lack of <iostream> in the #include statement... well, it didn't occur to me that I needed to code in the angle brackets, and I didn't notice that it didn't show up. Thanks to korendir for catching that.

EDIT EDIT: I changed the code a bit. y is now a user-defined variable, as it illustrates the point better that way. Also, I fixed it so that it doesn't output two equal numbers as one being greater than the other (the loop breaks on (x*x)>=(x*y), not (x*x)>(x*y).

EDIT EDIT EDIT: I shortened it even MORE by using for loop's built-in condition and iteration commands. I'm not sure why I didn't do that in the first place.

-K

Quickly now...

I'm going to do a nice long post later, 'cos my day yesterday was crazy... but at the moment, I feel the need to mention a few layout changes before I forget. Behold!

• Changed blog description (the text under the title) from "now with 100% more wintry flavor" to "i saw you kick that puppy"


• Added a few people to my blogroll - Stinky Feet and Soggy French Fries, and Sure Things Happen To Everybody...Don't They?!?. More on those colorful characters later.


• Changed the way that my blogroll looks. (Go look at it and spot the differences!)

I'm not the only one doing layout updates, either... everyone's favorite Liquid Lady has revamped her blog, too... but she used a template. (Blargh!) Even so, it looks nice.

Well, I'm headed out to get my chores started. As previously stated, I'll post more later.

-K

Industrial Counter-Espionage

Well, I just had quite an adventure.

I got back from Lynn's house yesterday, where I was doing some industrial counter-espionage. To be honest, I ended up not having any time for the counter-espionage... I was too busy!

We arrived not too long after I finished my last post. I unpacked my stuff, got set up in my room, nervously joked with Lynn's mother and father and little brother Jordon for a few minutes (I would have been socializing with Lynn, but she was not there), realized that Ubuntu was being a pain and not letting me connect to their wireless network (they have security enabled and good ol' Linux just was not cooperating), and went to bed.

I got up at 6 AM the next morning for work and went to take my shower.

At 6:15 AM, I was on one of the family computers, texting Lynn to get help with making the water in the shower come out of the shower head. 0__o

Needless to say, it was a pretty eventful experience. On Monday alone, I worked for around 16 hours. I only got five hours of sleep a night from Saturday to Tuesday (last night I slept a TON). I learned the definition of "hard work", and I learned that it is something that I truly enjoy. I learned all about ultimate omelettes. I learned that not everyone in the world likes sarcastic humour. I learned that I am capable of more than I think I am. I learned what it's like to be destroyed at Wii Bowling and Wii Tennis. (Jordon learned that he had better brush up on his Shooting Range, Charge! (aka Cow Racing), and Laser Hockey techniques. ^_^) I learned that I don't mind eating salad that has bananas in it. I learned that Goodrich, MI is incredibly windy. I learned that "rolling" has two Ls and one O, not the other way around. I learned that mostacholi is amazing. I met Lynn's Aunt Kim (my opening line was a cockily-delivered "I'm not 'fraid of you!").

Man... I learned a ton of stuff. I could go into detail, but I don't want to bore anyone. A lot of really cool stuff happened and I learned a lot, and I even got to make a bit of money to buy Christmas presents with!

But something else happened while I was down there - something of incredible significance.

I met Lynn on August 21, 2008. Since that fateful instant, when I took off my headphones and put down my laptop and stood up and looked her in the eye and extended my hand and announced my name, my life has changed profoundly. First, I was afraid of her. (Seriously.) Then, after I learned that she didn't bite (too hard), we started spending a lot of time together. (We started spending so much time together that the college decided that we were a "dating couple" and that we had to sign the "dating log", to which we responded that we were "just friends" [and we were at that point] and *almost* went to the extreme of getting a courting pass signed so that we wouldn't have to put up with the college anymore.)

Then I dropped out of college and she almost cried, at which point I realized that Something Significant Was Going On That I Was Obviously Only Subconsciously Aware Of.

Then, to be quite blunt, I fell in love.

Not all at once, of course... but bit by bit, I found myself going out of my way to be with her, thinking of her when I should have been thinking of other things (i.e. my job, videogames, computers, music, and other important things like that). I found myself running a mile and a half after a hard 9-hour day of work to the local coffee shop to spend a few minutes with her. I even wrote a song for / about her.

Well, one thing has led to another, and yesterday, I got her father's permission and blessing to continue on in my relationship with her.

So if you will notice, the "About" section on the right-hand side of my blog doesn't say that I have a crush on someone anymore.

Really, our relationship is a sacred thing, and I do not feel at liberty to write about it at length, so I am going to end this post before I reveal anything that I should not... because I could go on and on about Caitlin LeAnne for hours. But... should something significant happen (i.e. if we were to get married next April or something [and no we are not engaged]), I will likely write about it here... that is, if I feel like it. ;D

-K

Remote Blogging!

First things first... I didn't do so hot on my ACT. I nailed the grammar section and I did really well on the reading comprehension section (this should come as no surprise, I hope)... but I didn't do so well on the math section, and I absolutely gave up the ghost so to speak on the science section. I mean, it was bad. I spent a good part of the rest of Saturday in depression. :P

Also on Saturday, I worked another catering job with my mom and Mrs. Long, but it was nowhere near as exciting as the last one. Really, that's a good thing, because the last one was a bit much. :P (Srsly, go read about it!)

So today has been one of those days where it's like you are on the Gravitron, and the floor drops out on you and you're stuck to the wall, wondering what happens next. Currently, I am rolling down I-75 with two adults that I just met about six hours ago. No, I'm not being kidnapped (well, in a way, I kind of am)... I am going down to Lynn's house for a few days. The adults are her parents, and I am not being held against my will. Her father is going to be putting me to work for a few days, so I will be able to make some sweet cash and maybe even build some muscles.

I mentioned a moment ago that I am rolling down the road. But yet, I am on the internet... how can this be? Well, Lynn's mom has one of those sweet-action wireless broadband cards, and she is letting me use her laptop! I must say, it is a most excellent diversion. This is the first time I've ever gotten to use a wireless broadband setup, so I'm really enjoying this.

Well, we are almost to their house, I think, so I will end this post now. I'll definitely keep everyone posted on how my adventure goes. Watch this space for tales of intrigue, sweat, adventures in buying audio hardware, wedgies, and international counter-espionage! (Ok, so I was kidding about the wedgies part... but you get the idea - this is gonna be exciting.)

-K

ACT and Pizza!

I spent most of my day today helping my friend Nick shovel off his roof. He hadn't shoveled it since the beginning of the winter, so there was around three to four feet of solid snow on top of it. We only got over half of it done, despite the fact that we worked on it for several hours. I got home around 6 PM, and I was exhausted, so I took a "fifteen-minute powernap" that ended up lasting until just a few minutes ago. :P (I hate doing that. I hate taking naps in the middle of the day.)

You may have noticed the picture of the delicious pizza. About three weeks ago, I quit pizza - I had been eating so much of it that I got absolutely sick of it. I was pretty much addicted to it, too. It was bad... so I quit it.

Last Tuesday, I decided that I could start having pizza again... but instead of eating store-bought frozen pizza that is chock-full of preservatives and other nasties, I decided to make my own, and it turned out to be rather amazing. I have decided that from now on, I am going to eat less pizza, and any pizza that I eat at home is going to be lovingly hand-made. It's so much better that way. (I made it, by the way... like all by myself! Isn't everyone proud?)

Well, I've gotta be wrapping this up... I need to get to bed (again) because I have to take my ACT in the morning. (I uh, managed to not-take it last April with everyone else in my class for some reason.) I am really, really not looking forward to it. Meh. Ah well.

I'll let everyone know how I do. See you all later!

-K

Being Sick Used To Be Fun

Remember when you were a little kid, and you woke up in the morning on a school day, and you just didn't feel so well? Your mom would put her hand on your forehead, and she would declare that you had a "low gray temperature" (for years that's what I thought it was, seriously), and that you should go back to bed. The rest of the day was usually spent watching movies and playing videogames while eating Jell-O and popsicles and soup. (Or, if you were me, you would run around the house excitedly until my mom said that if I didn't settle down, that I was going to school.)

But yeah... being sick used to be fun. You got waited on by your mom, you ate "comfort foods," and you basically didn't do much of anything.

All that changes when you get older, I guess. I wasn't feeling so hot last night, and when I woke up this morning, I had a pounding headache and one heck of a sore throat. I've spent most of the day in bed... for me, that's just pure misery, 'cos I like to be up and about. :P

Well, I've got a nice playlist going, at least. Music is helping to make the headache less painful, somehow.

Also worth mentioning is that when I get sick, for some reason I just spend hours trawling Wikipedia. So far today, I've learned more than I care to know about Teletubbies, early Apple iMacs, Richard Stallman, Bunny Lake Is Missing, early portable computers, school violence in the 1920s, LUXO Jr., Pinhead the Cenobite, Kriss Kross, Altair BASIC, Flower Pot Men, INXS, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, Seanbaby, the Microsoft Halloween Documents, pub rock, Puppet Master, and Red's Dream, among about a million other things. 0__o

See you all later... I'm going to try to sleep a bit more.

-K

Falling In Love On Accident

Early this morning, I did something that I have not done in a very long time.

I wrote a song.

Not only did I write a song, but I wrote a good song. Not only was it a good song, but it was a full-length trance anthem.

And not only did I write a full-length trance anthem, I did it in one sitting - from 12 AM to 4:30 AM. (I got up at 9:30 AM - 5 hours of sleep for the win!)

Silver Lining - Falling In Love On Accident

I'm pretty tired, and I think I am coming down with some sort of sickness, and I have a basketball tournament to attend (read: watch) tomorrow, so I'm gonna cut this post short. But please download Falling In Love On Accident, and let me know what you think of it. I think I finally crossed the threshold from "kid who plays with virtual synths" to "electronic musician".

Before I go... I need to mention a few other things. First, I updated my SoundClick today for the first time since last March. Here is the address: http://www.soundclick.com/silverlining. Second, I also added a SoundClick Player Widget to the right side of my blog - from it, you can listen to any of the songs that I have on my SoundClick (although, to be honest, most of it is rubbish).

Blog to you later, everyone!

-K