February 25, 2009

Software favorites:
More updates for my software favorites - A small batch of updates. Apple has recently released a new version of their web browser (for Mac and Windows). The world's hardest working Graphic Converter moves forward with another beta; and finally, an application that is rather rapidly outliving its usefulness tries to stay relevant in the shadow of the latest iPhoto updates.

With these software updates, I've updated my Software Favorites page. It's primarily dedicated to web publishing for the Mac user. Not meant for the professional, It's my hope that home users and hobbyists will find it useful. It's a listing of applications that I find useful in publishing my web pages.
<https://www.robsworld.org/myfavs.html>

So much for snow:
This winter has been far warmer than my recollection allows. Kim and I have lived here (Colorado, Denver area) since early 2001, and this is the warmest winter that I can recall. While we had some snow earlier this month. The days that followed were quite warm. As a matter of fact, from the 23rd - 25th of February, we saw temperatures in the mid 60s (fahrenheit) during the day, and lows around freezing during the night. It's still winter, but it sure doesn't feel like it.

More Free music in February:
While I've been very busy with D&D, my community activities and other aspects of 'life' - I still managed to listen to some new music over the last few days. Here's a bunch of tracks I recently acquired. Where do I get all this stuff? I find a lot of free (actually free) music by visiting several of the new music web sites out there. Artists want you to hear their music - If you like it, you'll buy it. The major labels want you to pay for their product - letting you hear it for free is contrary to their business model. Well, guess what? I won't buy it unless I can listen to it first. The major labels are killing themselves with their restrictive distribution and dissemination policies. If you like new music, you can do a google search to find your favorite artists web site, a new music web site, or an archive of free music. Free music is available - Legally! Don't believe the major labels propaganda - Not all free music is illegal. You can legally download music for free. I download music from websites, newsgroups (when I already own rights to the music), and a couple of commercial sources. Here's a listing of some of the music I legally downloaded.

These are just some of the items I added to my music collection during the month of February. Since returning from Japan in 2001, I've been rediscovering my appreciation for music. I really picked it up again in September of 2005. Since then, I've been slowly adding, revising and updating my music collection. With these acquisitions, I've updated my online music listing. If you have a comment or a question regarding my music collection, please don't hesitate to send me an email.
<https://www.robsworld.org/mymusic/index.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/music.html>

Trust your mechanic:
Recently (May of 2008), Kim and I switched garages. We stopped taking our vehicles to the dealership. After racking a big pile of bills (and minimal resolution), I was able to convince her that we needed a change. So we gave a new shop a chance. A few friends recommended the shop to us, so we figured why not give it a try? We took our car to the Jim Paris car care center off S. Tower Rd. in Aurora, and we've been taking it there ever since.

<rave>A recurring theme for those concerned about the high cost of auto repairs. Fortunately, I've found a mechanic that seems to be concerned about my vehicle, my safety, my peace of mind. They don't seem as concerned with my wallet. Recently (28 Feb '09), Kim's Passat had a problem. Her rear brakes were malfunctioning. While out and about they locked up on her. Not a complete lock up, but a metal-on-metal situation. She called our mechanic - Jim Paris automotive - with this troubling development. Despite the late hour (after 5pm), and the fact that it was a weekend (Saturday), they told her to bring the vehicle in immediately. They even said they'd stay late to take care of our problem! What? Is that service? Wow!

Not only did they work on the Passat, they actually affected repairs that evening, and told kim that she should come back for free rotations. The price was a lot lower than I would have expected (rear brakes $187.00), and we're very happy with the way this stressful situation played out. Kudos to Jim Paris automotive off Tower Rd.</rave>

It sucks when your car breaks down, and Kim and I have lived through quite a few vehicle breakdowns. When we start looking to replace the Passat (in 2011 or so), reliability will be a top priority on our list. That and gas mileage! I've had excellent performance and low maintenance requirements on my 2004 XC90. Due to high gas prices, we're currently considering a Honda Civic Hybrid as a replacement to our 2001.5 Passat. The Honda Civic has an excellent track record when it comes to reliability, and the Hybrid gets awesome mileage.

February 21, 2009

We Got Snow!
My joints were aching a bit, but I figured it was just because of a recent visit (my first actually) to a Chiropractor. So, as it turns out, it was probably due to impending precipitation (see my Human Barometer page), or a combination of the two. In any case. We got snow. Last night (on the 20th of February, 2009), when Kim came home, she informed me that it was snowing! What? Yup. Snowing. Looked out the window and the white fluffy stuff was coming down. This morning I had to deal with it. Shovel in hand, I commenced to scrapping frozen water vapor off my driveway and sidewalks. Looks like we got an inch and a half. Not much at all. Very fluffy, light, and easy to manage. I cleared it all in less than an hour. I wonder when we'll get our first big snowstorm of the year? They usually come in February or March.

Software favorites:
More updates for my software favorites. A small batch of updates. The Gimp moves forward. A free image manipulation program which rivals Photoshop in features. I bought a new set of logos for The Logo Creator, and a new version came with the logo pack/update. Finally, I updated my copy of X11, an operating environment which allows Mac users to run thousands of Unix applications. Many of these updates come a bit late, and you can blame VersionTracker.com for that. - Their email delivery mechanism is broken. Has been broken for many months now. I finally gave up on email delivery and signed up for RSS feeds. Suddenly I'm receiving notification on applications that I haven't updated in quite a while.

The Logo Creator:
This version of The Logo Creator is a compatibility upgrade. It came with the Web 2.0 Logo Expansion pack. The Logo Creator is exactly what it says it is. Software for creating eye catching graphic logos. I use the software to create banner graphics/titles for my web pages. The interface isn't the greatest, but the included logo elements are great and there are several pre-built templates to chose from (you can purchase additional add-on logo packs). Use a pre-built template or start from scratch. Aside from pre-set graphics, you can apply and manipulate a vast array of effects on all the elements of the logo. This software will allow you to create great looking title graphics for print or the web. Here are links to some of the pages containing title graphics/some of the titles I've created using this software: mymusiccollection.png, myreviews.png, southlands.png, photopainting.png
<http://www.thelogocreator.com>

The GIMP:
The GIMP is a GNU Image Manipulation Program. I'm currently running version 2.6.5. The GIMP is a freely distributed program for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. Written and developed under X11 for the Unix platform, I'm running a version ported to Mac OS X (runs under X11). This software application is the equivalent of PhotoShop for free! There's very little you can't do with this full feature graphic authoring software suite. It's got all the bells and whistles: Full suite of painting tools, Sub-pixel sampling, Gradient editor and blend tool, Custom brushes and patterns, Full alpha channel support, Layers and channels, Multiple Undo/Redo, Editable text layers, Transformation tools, Selection tools, Advanced path tool, Transformable paths and selections, Advanced scripting capabilities, Support for Photo-Shop plugins, and several more features. I've been using the GIMP for some years now, and I'm continually impressed by it's rich features and powerful rendering capabilities. Here are just a few of the graphics and titles I've created using the GIMP: Slice of a pseudo oil painting, adventuringgroup.png, dndbooks.png, vifsi.png. If you'd like to try out some of the GIMP's text effects, you can check out this web page that will let you create enhanced graphics using some of the GIMP's capabilities.
<http://sourceforge.net/projects/gimponosx>

X11:
One of the best things about OSX? - it's really Unix! I'm running the XQuartz 2.2.0.1 version, available from MacOS Forge

I've been using Unix longer than I've been using Mac's, so I knew about the power potential when I found out that OSX was going to be based on Unix. Some of the most powerful Unix applications run on any OSX equipped Mac. In order to run all these fantastic applications you need nothing more than Apple's version of X11 (which comes free with OSX, or you can download and install other versions). If you want to get a bit more advanced, you can use Fink or Macports with your OSX equipped Mac. Once you get your X Windows environment running, you'll find thousands of Unix applications that have been a well kept secret for all this time.

Getting Unix apps up and running on your Mac isn't always as easy as downloading and double clicking, but the following links should help you get started.
<http://developer.apple.com/opensource/tools/X11.html>
<http://developer.apple.com/opensource/tools/runningx11.html>
<http://www.macports.org/>
<http://www.finkproject.org/>

Tollgate Crossing Website:
My odd-ball schedule actually works in my favor for some things. One of those are the community support activities which I enjoy - I'm a volunteer with our local neighborhood watch, and I've recently started supporting our community in a more direct role. What started out as a website focused on our Neighborhood Watch has grown to encompass the whole of our community, in the form of an expanded website and a variety of email mailing lists. Here are a few changes I made at our community website in the last few days.

If you are a resident of 'Tollgate Crossing' in Aurora, Colorado, you might want to check out the new website. If you're interested in our Neighborhood Watch group (Serving Tollgate Crossing, Sorrel Ranch, The Wheatlands, Beacon Point, Southshore and Tallyn’s Reach), you should check out the Neighborhood Watch section. If you're a fan of "Rob's World!" you'll want to check out the web page, just to see what can be done with Apple's iWeb software. The web page turned out very nicely, and I hope it serves our community well. If you're a resident of Tollgate Crossing, and you're concerned about the safety and security of our community, you might want to join our mailing lists to receive periodic alerts, updates and information.
<http://www.apple.com/ilife/iweb/>
<http://www.tollgatecrossing.org/Info.html>
<http://www.tollgatecrossing.org/Events.html>
<http://www.tollgatecrossing.org/Welcome.html>
<http://www.tollgatecrossing.org/Volunteer.html>

February 17, 2009

Cold and Crappy - Joints are aching:
On the 12th of February, I was aching. My joints have a tendency to ache whenever there's a low pressure front moving through the area - Seriously! (see my Human Barometer page). With aching toes, calves and wrists, I asked Kim what the weatherman had to say. She indicated that we were supposed to get snow on Saturday. "That's a day away", I remarked - "I think we're in for it sooner than that." Sure enough - When I woke up on Friday morning, I saw snow on the ground. We got some snow that night. Just a dusting mind you. Less than an inch. We didn't get any snow on Saturday (not here anyway), and according to the news, the mountains got most of the snow - as they always do. Along with the low pressure came low temperatures. The cold front has lingered. As I write this, we're still experiencing cold temps. Overnight temps have been in the sub zero range. Temps during the day haven't gone much above freezing, with low 50's today the wind has kept the relative temps low.
<https://www.robsworld.org/barometer.html>

Tollgate Crossing Website:
My odd-ball schedule actually works in my favor for some things. One of those are the community support activities which I enjoy - I'm a volunteer with our local neighborhood watch, and I've recently started supporting our community in a more direct role. What started out as a website focused on our Neighborhood Watch has grown to encompass the whole of our community, in the form of an expanded website and a variety of email mailing lists. Here are a few changes I made at our community website in the last few days.

If you are a resident of 'Tollgate Crossing' in Aurora, Colorado, you might want to check out the new website. If you're interested in our Neighborhood Watch group (Serving Tollgate Crossing, Sorrel Ranch, The Wheatlands, Beacon Point, Southshore and Tallyn’s Reach), you should check out the Neighborhood Watch section. If you're a fan of "Rob's World!" you'll want to check out the web page, just to see what can be done with Apple's iWeb software. The web page turned out very nicely, and I hope it serves our community well. If you're a resident of Tollgate Crossing, and you're concerned about the safety and security of our community, you might want to join our mailing lists to receive periodic alerts, updates and information.
<http://www.apple.com/ilife/iweb/>
<http://www.tollgatecrossing.org/Policy.html>
<http://www.tollgatecrossing.org/Welcome.html>
<http://www.tollgatecrossing.org/Alert_Me.html>
<http://www.tollgatecrossing.org/Neighborhood_Watch.html>

D&D updates:
We played a D&D session on the 7th of February, 2009, and the updates from that session have been posted. With their adventures in the shadow of Firestorm Peak concluded, the party is back on the trail again. On their way home, back to Whillip. Arrived at Silverymoon on the 13th of Septev, the party was exploring, enjoying and taking advantage of all the city has to offer. All that changed on the 15th of Septev, when they decided to visit a nearby shrine. A haunted, tainted, infested shrine - Assuming a fairly quick combat, the party had no idea what they were in for. An Elder Taint Elemental guarded the cursed shrine of Fharlanghn. In a protracted battle, this embodiment of evil slew Thalidimar and Grenco before the party was finally able to vanquish it. After the arrival of new allies, a rested and healed party was finally able to unravel the curse surrounding this shrine of Fharlanghn. After unearthing the remains of the shrine's patron saint, they restored the mortal remains to their proper resting place, cleansed the font of taint, and restored the balance at this holy shrine. Soon after the cleansing ceremonies were concluded, a group of priests and their entourage arrived. Grateful for the service performed by our group, the priests raised Zeddishous from the dead and reincarnated Grenco. With this curse behind them (or is it? Perhaps the party is now affected by some remnant of the curse?), While Khurshel has decided to part ways with the party (remaining in Silverymoon), the rest of our group eagerly boarded the Skycruiser Palisade and departed Silverymoon in their quest to 'Get Back to Whillip!'. Hopefully, while aboard the Palisade, they'll be able to relax in relative safety. Will the remainder of their journey be boring? Stay tuned for danger, stay tuned for mystery, stay tuned for the next adventure!

The Adventurers journal:
The tale of our adventurers. A series of journal entries from various party members. This document contains details of their encounters and adventures. Victory, defeat, desire and glory. Here is the tale of the S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S., a group of adventurers who set forth from Whillip, seeking fame, fortune and the defeat of evil in these lands. This update corrects some errors with the in-game dates, adds Dynnera's most recent addition to our online journal. A few paragraphs from Belt, and more insight from Greywing (one of the new characters joining our group of adventurers). Be sure to read about the party's journey back to Whillip aboard the Skycruiser Palisade. Be sure to read the journal entry for the latest details!
<https://www.robsworld.org/ajournal07.html#feb07_2009>

Where Now?:
I added a couple new locations to this page Uldra's Den was an Inn that the party stayed in while they were in Silverymoon. The Skycruiser Palisade is an immense flying ship. The party is aboard this skyship now, on their way back to Whillip. With a crew of 162, and many rooms, this ship would be an ideal location for a little mini-adventure. "Where Now?" is a listing of various places the party has visited or researched. This entry contains some essential reading for players in our campaign.
<https://www.robsworld.org/wherenow.html>

Character update:
While our meeting on the 7th of February didn't introduce any new characters, I did take some time to make several updates on this page. I made some format changes on the entry for Gregor. I updated Solmar's background section, adding some information from Solmar's point of view. I corrected some problems with Greywing's illustration (we don't have one!). I updated some info on Glan Sarin - a villain from Dynnera's background. I added a new entry for Malakai Palmitori - Patron saint of the Fharlanghn's shrine outside Silverymoon. I added a new entry for Zacharius Thybender - Captain of the Skycruiser Palisade. Now that Khurshel has decided to leave our group, I created a separate page for him. I also made updates to several character links. Despite all this character work, there are still a few characters lacking info (Richards new character, Gregor, Quinton), I'm still hoping to get illustrations for all the characters (Richard's new character, Gregor, Greywing and Ysoac). The "Who's Who?" page is a listing of characters, both player characters and non-player characters.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ewhoswho.html>

Players in our campaign:
Recently, we've had a lot of changes in the characters and players in our campaign. The loss of some characters (Thalidimar, Grenco), the resurrection of Zeddishous, reincarnation of Grenco, and departure of Khurshel. The addition of many new characters (Gregor, Greywing and Quinton). The addition of a new player (Kevin), and the departure of another (Lars), I've had to make a lot of updates to this and other pages. On this page, many changes were made to the character annotations beneath our players photo. That photo is now out of date, but I plan to take a new one as soon as we can get everyone together. A group of crazy characters constitute the players in our campaign. Many players have graced my gaming table over the years, some are old friends, some are new, but in the end - friends are what I call them. The players page contains a photo of our group and a short listing of who we are.
<https://www.robsworld.org/players.html>

House Rules:
Like any other D&D campaign (outside of tournament play), the campaign that I manage makes use of various house rules. You can pick up a new copy of these House Rules online. The House Rules are published in pdf format, and they define the 'flavor' of our campaign. Every good DM has his own list of House Rules. Recently, I've updated one of the house rules documents used in our campaign. Here are the new/updated house rules:

• Allowed Classes/Prestige Classes: The first change is a change to allowable classes. As hinted in some of conversations, I feel that the some of the Prestige Classes represent an unbalancing aspect into our game. While I still reserve final approval for all Prestige classes, I am instituting an 'Only One' Prestige class rule. A character may only hold levels in one Prestige class. If you were planning to take more than one prestige class please let me know how this will affect your character.
• Heroic Luck modification: The second change to the house rules affects the 'new' Heroic luck rules. The only change to those previously introduced rules comes in the form of a modifier for NPCs and monsters. For the sake of simplicity/ease of game play, I have decided that NPCs and monsters will not have their Heroic Luck modified by the Charisma score. This means that an NPC or Monsters heroic luck score will based solely on their CR (Challenge Rating).
• Spells and Critical Hits: The third change is something you probably didn't expect, because you don't seem to take advantage of it very often. Critical hits from spells. Yes it's been there the whole time. This change is meant to clarify critical hits caused by spells. It does result in a reduction of critical damage caused by some spells. If you're a spell caster, you're definitely going to want to check out these changes.
• Going up a level/Multi-Class characters: Finally, the change that some of you have been dreading. As Mark indicated, we've been running the campaign with a rule that said "a 'Multi-Class' character can advance in more than one class at a time". I am reversing that rule, and reverting to the standard PHB ruling. Multi-Class characters may only advance in one class at a time. I realize that this change may have an effect on some characters. If you feel that this change negatively impacts your character please indicate how it affects your character. Please keep in mind that single class characters can only advance one level at a time. If necessary, I will entertain some reworking of characters.

That's it for house rule updates. As a player, you are under no obligation to download or print this information. You can make notes during the game, you can print out these documents, you can memorize the info, request to review it, or have it repeated to you each time you come across specific situations. These house rule changes and additions primarily represent flavor updates, and do not have a significant impact on our campaign or the framework of 'official' rules.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ehsrls.pdf>

These updates follow our meeting on the 7th of February, and there will certainly be more to come. The campaign is rapidly approaching the end of a paragraph in the saga of our heroes, and the party is ready to lick it's wounds, rest, recuperate and train for their next adventure. In the meantime, you can keep up to date by continuing to visit "Rob's World!" for all the latest campaign info. If you're enjoying the story of our adventurers, I encourage you to write me and let us know. Perhaps you've got an idea you'd like to share, some criticism or praise. Either way, it'll be earnestly appreciated.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html>

Free music in February:
While I've been very busy with D&D and my community activities, I still managed to listen to some new music over the last few days. Here's a couple of tracks I recently acquired. Where do I get all this stuff? I find a lot of free (actually free) music by visiting several of the new music web sites out there. Artists want you to hear their music - If you like it, you'll buy it. The major labels want you to pay for their product - letting you hear it for free is contrary to their business model. Well, guess what? I won't buy it unless I can listen to it first. The major labels are killing themselves with their restrictive distribution and dissemination policies. If you like new music, you can do a google search to find your favorite artists web site, a new music web site, or an archive of free music. Free music is available - Legally! Don't believe the major labels propaganda - Not all free music is illegal. You can legally download music for free. I download music from websites, newsgroups (when I already own rights to the music), and a couple of commercial sources. Here's a listing of some of the music I legally downloaded.

These are just some of the items I added to my music collection during the month of November. Since returning from Japan in 2001, I've been rediscovering my appreciation for music. I really picked it up again in September of 2005. Since then, I've been slowly adding, revising and updating my music collection. With these acquisitions, I've updated my online music listing. If you have a comment or a question regarding my music collection, please don't hesitate to send me an email.
<https://www.robsworld.org/mymusic/index.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/music.html>

Software favorites:
Yet another full release for one of my software favorites. GraphicConverter moves ever forward. It's another full release for the product that's always getting better. It's another free upgrade for those who own a license. If you need a powerhouse converter, editor and browser for your graphics, grab a copy of GraphicConverter - You won't be disappointed.

GraphicConverter:
Thorsten Lemke (of Lemkesoft) released a new full release version (6.4). GraphicConverter is an image converter and editor. A fantastic piece of shareware that is well worth the price ($35.00). I use it to convert image formats into web standard formats, to create and edit image maps and other graphics. I've been singing GC's praises for many years now, and I'm not sure I would do without it. The best part about GC is it's author. Thorsten Lemke is completely committed to his customer base. Constantly and Continuously responding to customer recommendations and bug reports. GC is a dynamic, evolving, application. Always on the cutting edge, an absolute must in any web developers tool box. At a fraction of PhotoShop's cost, this photo editor puts a huge wrench in your toolbox.
<http://www.lemkesoft.com/xd/public/content/index._cGlkPTE5Mw_.html>

February 12, 2009

What about Analog on Cable?
Hmm... What's this? You might be wondering what I'm talking about. Well, let's see if I can't provide a bit more illumination. Surely you've heard about the DTV transition? All analog television broadcasts (in the U.S.) are going to be discontinued on the 17th of Feb, 2009 (Scratch that - The DTV Delay Act (passed by congress on 26 Jan, 2009) changed the mandatory analog cutoff date to June 12. Starting in January of this year, television stations are going to start switching to all digital broadcasts. By the 12th of June, there won't be anymore analog TV stations... Or will there? There is one huge source of analog television not addressed in all this legislation. Analog on cable. What? Some of you may not know what I'm talking about, so allow me a moment more.

Cable providers carry two signals on that copper running into your house. One of the signals is digital. To see it, to use the fancy menus, programming guides and order the 'Pay Per View', you need one of the Cable Boxes provided by your cable provider. Even if you have a newer TV with built in HD/ATSC tuners, you'll still need a box or cable card (If your TV has a slot for one) in order to descramble the premium content channels. You'll have to rent one or the other. The cable card is cheaper, but the cable company probably won't clue you in to that fact. Hey - It's a source of income for the cable companies. They make a lot of money off those monthly lease fees. O.k. moving on. The other signal on the cable is analog. That's right, it's the same type of signal as those currently (up until the transition in Feb - July of 2009) transmitted by broadcast television stations. The cable companies carry this signal so you (subscribers) can get cable TV on your old style television without a cable box. It's not the full featured cable. You don't get the channel guide, the fancy menus, the 'Pay Per View' or premium channels. The cable companies do this as a service to you. You want cable in the bedroom, but you don't want to pay for a second cable box - Those things cost a lot. Maybe you want some cable in the laundry room, or the kids room upstairs. Certainly don't want them ordering the skin-a-max late at night.

So, now that you know what I'm talking about. Let's talk about the transition. Right, the DTV transition. It doesn't apply to cable TV, or does it? They've still got analog on their cable. So what's going to happen to that signal? Will it go away when the DTV transition occurs? Will the cable operators use this transition as an opportunity to turn off your low cost analog subscription? "Sorry, but the FCC mandated the end of analog broadcasts". The cable companies might use this as an opportunity to get rid of these analog signals. They take up a lot of room on the cable. They're much wider (bandwidth wise) than the digital signals. They require a completely separate set of older equipment to maintain, and the revenue margin on those subscriptions is much lower than the margin on the digital signal. I don't like the looks of this. I'm about to make a prediction.

If I were a cable company, I'd keep the equipment around for a little while. A few years maybe. Then, guess what - Send out a letter. "Dear customer. We're going to discontinue the analog service on our cable network. If you wish to keep receiving cable programming on your older televisions, you're going to need an upgrade." Ka-Ching! Ahh, the sound of progress. They're doing you a favor. They're enhancing your customer experience. They're providing you with an 'All digital service', less outages, less maintenance costs, and a savings for the customer. I'm willing to bet that they could even reduce your subscription costs. They'll save a lot of money by getting rid of that old analog equipment. They'll save a lot of money when they lay off all the technicians who serviced, maintained and managed those old analog services. Plus, their profit margins will increase when you end up ordering a new box for that TV in the basement. Conspiracy theory, or glimpse of the future? You'll get your answer in a few years.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DTV_transition_in_the_United_States>
After I wrote this, I did some googling...
<http://www.dtv.gov/consumercorner.html>
<http://www.ezdigitaltv.com/Cable_Television.html>
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-276576A1.pdf>
<http://arstechnica.com/old/content/2007/09/fcc-to-cable-you-must-support-analog-tvs-until-2012.ars>

A new window with a big price tag:
Yes, this is my personal blog. I guess you'll have to take the good with the bad. Interesting, insightful articles; followed by mundane, boring blog postings. O.k. on with the boring... So, our house is settling. It's a new house, and there should be some settling around the foundation. One result of that settling, a cracked window. A couple of months back we discovered a cracked window in our living room. A small two inch crack, that grew into a foot long crack in just a couple months. With some concern that the glass might actually break, we finally scheduled an appointment to have the glass replaced. The folks at '5280 Windows' did a good job of replacing that cracked glass, and they gave us a good warranty. The double paned window measured 32" x 34". The cost to replace this pane of glass? We're not talking about an entirely new window, or even two panes of glass. Just the replacement of that one pane. $364.00! O.k. the glass had a plastic coating, and they sealed the space between the panes, but still - That seems a bit high. Being a new home owner, I'm really not sure whether that's a good price or not. What do you think? Being a home owner sure can be expensive. Hopefully the settling foundation won't result in bigger problems - Knock on wood.
<http://www.5280window.com/site/home.aspx>
<https://www.robsworld.org/ourhouse.html>

Apple Security Update 2009-001:
Another security update released by Apple. This update addresses numerous (28) security concerns. Patches address problems with the following OS components: AFP Server, Apple Pixlet Video, Carbon Core, CFNetwork, Certificate Assistant, ClamAV, CoreText, CUPS, DS Tools, fetchmail, Folder Manager, FSEvents, Network Time, perl, Printing, python, Remote Apple Events, Safari, RSS, servermgrd, SMB, SquirrelMail, X11 and XTerm. Thankfully, Apple's software update makes it easy to find out about, and implement these security updates. If you own a Mac, you can rest assured that any potential security concerns will be addressed in a timely and thorough manner. You can read more about the update at Apple's website. Keeping my Mac safe from malicious hackers and such.
<http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/security/>

February 7, 2009

I got sick!
It's been a long time since I've been sick (As a matter of fact - It was approximately one year ago), so this minor illness came as something of a surprise. While Colorado is suffering through a typical flu-season, I've been lucky enough to escape (so far) with nothing more bothersome than the common cold. On the 23rd of January, I caught some sort of bug from my wife. She got it from friends of her's, who probably got it from their kids. By now it's probably spread around the world. It lasted from the 23rd of January through the 5th of February, and I'm still feeling some of the effects (mostly just congestion). Taking Zicam (in my case) usually stops a cold dead in it's tracks. In this case however, I've caught something a bit more powerful than your ordinary cold. I needed some of those other 'medicines'. I had to get some nyquil and dayquil to relieve symptoms and help me sleep. I find that it's a bit of a bother - having to take cold medicine, getting extra sleep, drinking plenty of fluids, etc. I hope you're not a victim of this years cold and flu season. If you haven't already, please be sure to get your flu shot.
<http://www.zicam.com/>

D&D updates:
We played a D&D session on the 24th of January, 2009, and it was another interesting session. As previous sessions saw the party battling an Elder Taint Elemental, this session was a continuation of their efforts to clean up the shrine of Fharlanghn outside Silverymoon. After unearthing the remains of the shrine's patron saint, they restored the mortal remains to their proper resting place, cleansed the font of taint, and restored the balance at this holy shrine. Soon after the cleansing ceremonies were concluded, a group of priests and their entourage arrived. Grateful for the service performed by our group, the priests raised Zeddishous from the dead and reincarnated Grenco. With this curse behind them (or is it? Perhaps the party is now affected by some remnant of the curse?), the party is eager to return to Silverymoon in order to 'Get Back to Whillip!', where they can relax in relative safety. Will the remainder of their journey be so eventful? Stay tuned for danger, stay tuned for mystery, stay tuned for the next adventure!

3rd Edition Campaign:
After our most recent meeting (on the 24th of January, 2009), I updated the next game date (7 Feb, 2009). It's been a long, tough adventure, and after more than two years of gaming, I'm certain that the current adventure will end in 2009! (The players may take me up on this one). Hopefully, the party can make it back to Whillip without any further losses! I also updated some character/player annotations beneath the small group photo on this page. This is the first stop for information on the campaign that I'm currently running. Here you'll find information regarding our next meeting, some notes, and an index of web pages and documents that are important to our campaign.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html>

The Adventurers journal:
The tale of our adventurers. A series of journal entries from various party members. This document contains details of their encounters and adventures. Victory, defeat, desire and glory. Here is the tale of the S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S., a group of adventurers who set forth from Whillip, seeking fame, fortune and the defeat of evil in these lands. This update corrects some errors with the in-game dates, adds Dynnera's most recent addition to our online journal, and a closing post from Greywing (one of the new characters joining our group of adventurers). Be sure to read about the party's journey back to Whillip, as well as the return of Zeddishous and Grenco - Yes that's right, you read it right. Zeddishous and Grenco both died in battle, but now they're back! Be sure to read the journal entry for the latest details!
<https://www.robsworld.org/ajournal07.html#jan24_2009>

Where Now?:
I updated several a few locations on this page - Oerik - A continent far to the west (Not my cousin). Ohnest - Another name for that far away continent. Daviet - The continent upon which most of the characters adventures take place. Sometimes referred to simply as 'The Realms', or Faerun. Maltize - A major continent far to the West of Daviet. Sometimes/also known as Maztica. This continent lies between the Realms and Ohnest or Oerik. Rokugan - Also known as Kara-Tur. Rokugan is/are the lands on the eastern edge of Daviet. The character of these far eastern realms are vastly different than those of The Realms. "Where Now?" is a listing of various places the party has visited or researched. This entry contains some essential reading for players in our campaign.
<https://www.robsworld.org/wherenow.html>

Monsters encountered:
As a result of the meeting on the 24th of January, I added a couple of new monsters to the page. The party lost one horse to a Red Tiger, which tried to drag off the horse. Another horse was lost in a battle with flying beasts. The screechingNight Hunters are vicious hunters found only in the Realms. The monsters page is a listing of monsters that the party has encountered, read about or heard of.
<https://www.robsworld.org/monsters.html>

Character update:
During our meeting on the 24th of January, we introduced another new character. Gregor (and his dog Lupe Garou) is another companion of Greywing and Quinton, a subset of characters coming to our group from the 'Clean Up Crew' (Another band of adventurers based in Whillip). In addition to the new characters, we have a couple of familiar characters returning from the dead! Grateful for some services performed by our group, priests of Silverymoon have raised Zeddishous from the dead and reincarnated Grenco. For now, these two characters will retain their own character pages, but I spent a considerable amount of time updating images, descriptions (Grenco is now a Dwarf!) background information and details regarding the current status of these characters (and the other new characters). With all this character work, there are still a couple of characters lacking info, I'm still hoping to get illustrations for all the characters. The "Who's Who?" page is a listing of characters, both player characters and non-player characters.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ewhoswho.html>

Players in our campaign:
Recently, we've had a lot of changes in the characters our players are running. With the loss of some characters (Thalidimar, Grenco), the addition of many new characters (Gregor, Greywing and Quinton), and the addition of a new player (Kevin), I've had to make a lot of updates to this and other pages. On this page, many changes were made to the character annotations beneath our players photo. That photo is now out of date, but I plan to take a new one as soon as we can get everyone together. A group of crazy characters constitute the players in our campaign. Many players have graced my gaming table over the years, some are old friends, some are new, but in the end - friends are what I call them. The players page contains a photo of our group and a short listing of who we are.
<https://www.robsworld.org/players.html>

These updates follow our meeting on the 24th of January, and there will certainly be more to come. Our meetings on the 10th of January and 24th of January, saw the introduction of some new characters, so stay tuned for additional updates. The campaign is rapidly approaching the end of a paragraph in the saga of our heroes, and the party is ready to lick it's wounds, rest, recuperate and train for their next adventure. In the meantime, you can keep up to date by continuing to visit "Rob's World!" for all the latest campaign info. If you're enjoying the story of our adventurers, I encourage you to write me and let us know. Perhaps you've got an idea you'd like to share, some criticism or praise. Either way, it'll be earnestly appreciated.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html>

Software favorites:
Yet another round of updates to some of my software favorites. GraphicConverter moves ever forward. With another beta release, here's a product that's always getting better. It's another free upgrade for those who own a license. Apple released an update to the iWork productivity suite (not the '09 update, a different update), and Bruji.com updated it's line of 'Pedia products.

GraphicConverter:
Thorsten Lemke (of Lemkesoft) released another beta version (6.4b0) of his signature software product. GraphicConverter is an image converter and editor. A fantastic piece of shareware that is well worth the price ($35.00). I use it to convert image formats into web standard formats, to create and edit image maps and other graphics. I've been singing GC's praises for many years now, and I'm not sure I would do without it. The best part about GC is it's author. Thorsten Lemke is completely committed to his customer base. Constantly and Continuously responding to customer recommendations and bug reports. GC is a dynamic, evolving, application. Always on the cutting edge, an absolute must in any web developers tool box. At a fraction of PhotoShop's cost, this photo editor puts a huge wrench in your toolbox.
<http://www.lemkesoft.com/xd/public/content/index._cGlkPTE5Mw_.html>

iWork '08:
iWork is Apple's productivity suite. Previous versions of iWork contained two applications, a bit anemic for a productivity suite. It was missing a crucial component. No spreadsheet application? In 2007, things changed. They added a spreadsheet application. Numbers is the newest addition to the productivity suite. With the addition of this new component. iWork became a feasible replacement for the venerable (and still useful) AppleWorks - which hasn't seen an update since 2004. iWork is also a home contender for Microsoft Office. Most home users don't need the power provided by Microsoft's productivity suite. iWork applications are Office compatible (No it's not 100% compatible, but it can open, edit and save as Office documents), and the pricing is far more affordable than the behemoth on the block. So, the addition of numbers, the fantastic price ($79.00 for three full feature productivity apps), the great reviews (that I've read), the compatibility (Office and AppleWorks) and the outstanding support that Apple provides, have enticed me to switch from AppleWorks to iWork. All of the iWork components contain web based output options, which is crucial for anyone creating web pages, or managing a web site.

iWork consists of three productivity applications:

Pages - Version 3.0.3 - A word processor and page layout application. The application has been revised to include a simple 'word processing' mode. No need for frames, centering objects or selecting layout templates. This new mode lets you open the app, and start typing immediately. In addition to this new 'simple mode', Pages includes some very sophisticated page layout capabilities. With 140 page layout templates, you've got a huge arsenal of sophisticated, ready to use, professional looking documents waiting for your input.

Keynote - Version 4.0.4 - Apple's outstanding presentation software. This application features many capabilities that PowerPoint lacks, and the reviews have been glowing. Instant Alpha (remove backgrounds), 30 effects (works on any object), 25 transitions, voice-over recordings, and A to B animations make Keynote a heavy hitter in the presentation arena.

Numbers - Version 1.0.3 - The latest offering in the iWork round-up. It's Apple's entry into the spreadsheet ring. Apple has taken a simplified approach to a complicated subject. Create intelligent tables using drag-n-drop or natural language formulas. Numbers even works with Exel spreadsheets. No, it's not 100% compatible, but it covers most of the bases, and it tells you when it can't recreate some formula or function.

Apple released a new version of these applications in 2009. - iWork '09 - While I haven't had a chance to update; yet. I am planning an upgrade when I buy my new computer (in May of 2009). When I do buy the '09 version, I'll update my software favorites page to reflect some of the enhanced features available in the new version. On the 5th of Feb, 2009, Apple quietly released some minor updates to the iWork '08 productivity suite. That's good news. Despite the recent release of iWork '09, Apple is continuing to update the '08 versions. The release notes were (in typical Apple style) completely inadequate: "This update addresses general compatibility issues." A bit more detail was found in the Keynote 4.0.4 update. "This update addresses compatibility issues with Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 and Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2008 as well as general compatibility issues."

DVDPedia:
DVDPedia is a great little application for cataloging and displaying your movie collection, and I'm running version 4.4.2. It's list of features is impressive, and it keeps getting better with every update. The database is capable of generating statistics, you can keep track of multiple collections, you can easily add titles by typing the name of the movie or you can scan the barcode (using your iSight camera or a barcode reader) right off the movie box (it then searches the internet, and displays choices). It has customizable HTML export capabilities, a borrowed feature with address book integration, the ability to play movie in full screen mode, and many more features which make an awesome addition to your software library. I use it to generate HTML listings of my movies. Below are links to some of the pages I created using this software.
<https://www.robsworld.org/mymovies/index.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/iphonemoviecollection/index.html>
<http://www.bruji.com/dvdpedia/>

CDPedia:
CDPedia is a great little application for cataloging and displaying your music collection, and I'm running version 4.4.2. It's list of features is impressive, and it keeps getting better with every update. The database is capable of generating statistics, you can keep track of multiple collections, you can easily add titles by typing the name of the artist, album, or track. You can scan the barcode (using your iSight camera or a barcode reader) right off a jewel case (it then searches the internet, and displays choices), or you can import lists of music from iTunes. It has customizable HTML export capabilities, a borrowed feature with address book integration, and many more features which make an awesome addition to your software library. I use it to generate HTML listings of my music. Below are links to some of the pages I created using this software.
<https://www.robsworld.org/mymusic/index.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/iphonemusiccollection/index.html>
<http://www.bruji.com/cdpedia/>

Bookpedia:
Bookpedia is a great little application for cataloging and displaying your book collection(s), and I'm running version 4.4.2. It's list of features is impressive, and it keeps getting better with every update. The database is capable of generating statistics, you can keep track of multiple collections, you can easily add titles by typing the name of the author, book, or isbn number. You can scan the barcode (using your iSight camera or a barcode reader) right off the book cover (the application searches the internet, and displays choices). It has customizable HTML export capabilities, a borrowed feature with address book integration, and many more features which make an awesome addition to your software library.

I haven't started Bookpedia yet, but I'm planning to use it to update a bunch of pages featuring book collections. If it performs as well as the other applications from Bruji.com, I'm sure I'll be very satisfied with the product.
<http://www.bruji.com/bookpedia/>