Techie post

1. I saw an article linked on HardOCP yesterday about building a 'dream' HTPC (Home Theater PC) and from there did a little reading on XP Media Center Edition. And to be completely honest, I'm sold. It supports all of this cool stuff: TV (including PVR functionality and a TV guide combined, so you can search for a show and decide you want to record it), PiP, FM radio, MP3/WMA audio, DVD/CD playback, and some other stupid stuff like My Pictures/My Videos functionality (although that could potentially be very cool for stored movies on the HD, and collections of comedy gold pics / movies). More importantly, the integrated remote and the slick interface are huge bonuses. It's easy to use with a remote from the couch with all of that stuff, and that's what's important in the end. Moreover, it still functions as a normal WinXP box, so I could install that on a small secondary box (the tiny box I've always planned) and be able to surf, play music, and generally entertain with an extremely quiet box.

2. My Ti4200 needs a step up the minute Half-Life 2 goes gold. Here are some interesting options on PriceWatch:
$160 Radeon 9600XT 128MB (31000 marks in AquaMark3 (a DX9 benchmark)), 95.7 frames in 1280x1024 in Wolfenstein Enemy Territory)
$200 Radeon 9500 Pro 128MB (identical to 9600XT 128 in AM3, 89% the performance in ET)
$200 Radeon 9700 (stock) 128 (no benchmark data, but will assuredly run slightly faster)
$250 Radeon 9700 Pro 128 (135% the performance of a 9600XT in AM3, 142% the performance in ET)
$65 Radeon 9600 Pro 128 (85% the performance of a 9600XT in AM3, 96% the perforformance in ET)
$145 Radeon 9800 (stock) 128 (no benchmark data, but will assuredly run faster)

It's looking like the stock R9800 128 is a really good call, assuming I won't need the extra 128MB in HL2. The stock 9800 with 256MB is still insanely expensive (well over $400).

Any thoughts, techies?

Re: Soph and abortion, and oh yeah, I'm home

Go check pi by clicking on the Aroon & Soph link over on the right. Then find the giant blue block of text (yes, it burns my eyes too) and read up on Soph's encounter with the abortion debate taking place in the West Mall earlier today. When I walked by, it was the pro-life guy on the microphone begging someone to come up and argue with him. Nobody cared. Somebody made fun of him by the time I reached the Six-Pack and I laughed out loud while other people around me didn't get it. I almost walked up and quoted Bill Hicks:

"So you're pro-life? Instead of locking arms and blocking abortion clinics, why don't you lock arms and block cemeteries? Let's see how committed you fuckers are to this cause."

Just for the sake of not causing an abortion debate thread, here's my viewpoint: I'm pro-woman's-choice. This is not synonymous with "I am for the woman's right to choose." I think the women of the country should get together and make the decision for themselves on abortion all together, and force the pigs we men are to deal with it. It's nothing more than a moral decision to be made: whether or not abortion is OK. Not religious, economic, or a matter for the health care industry (three things which the current government really loves but still sucks at like Gershkoff and basketball). I don't care if men are making up half the country's population; it's their choice

Oh, but the happy news is I'm home for Thanksgiving. It was an insanely fast drive here with Soph ridin' on the side and so much talk that my throat dried out halfway there and we yet still kept talking. It's midnight, mom's in bed (she has to go to work tomorrow), and I'm just waiting to get tired before I crash, get up tomorrow and go get my hair taken care of and perhaps find some other crazy hijinks over in Ft. Worth.

Oh, crap. I just remembered I have homework to finish on this trip home (I hate having projects due next week, it's so insane). I guess that'll keep me occupied tomorrow, too. But hey, at least I'm living in the luxury of my wonderful little home once more.

I had forgotten until just now

Remember Bubb Rubb? The "woowoo" guy? Yeah, the "WOOOO WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" guy? You'll appreciate this. I had forgotten one of the by far coolest things that happened at the John Mayer concert last weekend:

There's a few lines of "Come Back to Bed" that go like this, right after the solo:

You can be mad in the morning
Or the afternoon instead
But don't leave me
98 and six degrees of separation from ya baby
Come back to bed

Instead, after a beastly seven-minute solo, he came back in and sang just the following:

Baby, 'das only in da mornin.

Yeah, it's some pretty amazing things you think up this late at night when you have access to your blog.

Blake's birthday is around the corner

Since I'm a greedy bastard, I'm going to ask you (collectively) for a pair of Wavebird controllers. This is so a) I have a pair of Wavebirds, and b) I have 4 controllers for 4 player Smash (and soon Mario Kart and/or Mario Party 5). If you're feeling more pro-music, anti-gaming, I'm also looking for sheet music songbooks involving pop musicians I tend to like (including Coldplay and David Gray).

It's really hard to outdo the fellas who got me Vice City last year; I think that'll go in the books as the best birthday present a non-parent has ever gotten me. But I'd really be happy with this.

Oh yeah, gag presents / small things are still much appreciated. Nothing quite like a pound bag of Jolly Ranchers or candy "You're Full of Shit" pills to show a kind of love that just doesn't quantify roses and chocolate.

And no, this site is not becoming a site where I post provocative/suggestive/compromising pictures of myself in order to have creepy people send me things on my 'wish list.' It's my damn birthday, and besides, I'm giving away cookies on the big day. So feel the love, jerk.