Josh’s Musings

While playing with super glue, there was an incident where a large amount of glue ended up all over my hands. Now after washing them, and it still been there, i decided the only course of action was to go to the trusty google and find out how to get it off.

Now some people may be suprised to find out that not everything on the internet is 100% correct. Some stuff, may even be wrong. Ok, so for those who haven’t fallen off their seats, we’re going to continue with our tale.

After opening some tabs, and only reading some words that stood out (cause you don’t need to read everything), it seemed that nail polish remover was the go. Didn’t work. Read some more, gotta let it sit for a while, but alas didn’t work either. Onto another page and it turns out that face wash would do the job. Off i go and again, 10 minutes later, back in front of the laptop looking for the next solution. To keep the post a little shorter the following was tried:

• Nail polish remover
• Face Wash
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Hand Cream
• Hot Water
• Hot water and soap
• Peanut Butter

So how did it all end. Well after an hour or so, I was sitting there, with super glue all over my hands, and my they were burning. Damn you internet, you’ve let the team down.

Well the time has come to make a change. After using Zimbra for a long time I have decided to move to a Postfix / Dovecot / Roundcube setup.

After having to use Exchange at work for the best part of a year, I have developed a dislike to the storage of mail in giant database’s, and for this reason have decided to move away from Zimbra which employs a similar solution.

So for the people who actually have accounts, the change will hopefully be fairly quick and non disruptive. Expect it to be completed in the coming days / weeks depending on my work load.

1. People who walk around everywhere with ipods in. I understand travel, but do we need it when we walk around the supermarket. No. Make car noises as you round the corner, people will look, but it will be fun.

2. People who post blog entries about people who walk round with ipods.

I’ve been playing alot of Mario Kart DS and Wii, and also Live For Speed on the PC. And as i have been playing these, i can’t help but wonder which is the better play mode.
I have always been a big fan of racing simulators. Playing Grand Prix, and even Need For Speed: Porsche Challenge (the only one from the series to not feel completely like an arcade game), it was always fun to have to drive a car. What a corner, how am i going to get around this? Wait, could be it, could I have to use a brake to slow down to clear it. Wow, what a novel idea.
These games fast became addictive as you pushed lap after lap to brake later, lap faster, entry and exit speed were king. But the biggest problem was, when playing against good players, one mistake and it was over. Now this was a good, and a bad thing. It was great to have a challenge to catch up, great if you built a lead, but a little crap if you spun at the first turn and the rest of the race was spent chasing someone you couldn’t catch. But this is one of the things that seperated these games from the others.
Now on the flip side, take Mario Kart. A game designed that until you cross the line you have not won (I know technically thats the case for all games). Mario Kart for those who don’t know (and what rock are you living under), has item boxes. Depending on where you are in the postives, the more like you are to get a more “powerful” item. If you are in first, you get a banana or a green shell. Mostly useless. If you are in last, you might get a bullet, which will propel you through the positions, or at the very least, 3 mushrooms or the star, which will help you gain. Then there is the dreaded blue shell, that seeks out the leader and blows them up. Many a race has been lost in the last half of the last lap when i blue shell has blown you up. This method means it is a disadvantage to be leading, and best to stay in 2nd until at least the last lap. You can be half a lap ahead, and a couple of power ups for the chasing pack and they are right on your tail. Its very odd, and sometimes frustrating. What is weird though, is if you are really good, you will still win most of the time, but its closer then it should have been.
But which game is more fun to play and are they even. In terms of fun, i think it comes down to the skill level of the player. With simulators, if you aren’t as good as someone else, you will always loose, and that can get old very quicker. With arcade games, you are always in with a chance, which makes multiplayer a blast. In terms of satisfaction, simulators would have to be the winner. You are getting faster cause you are getting better, and you can always improve. But overall, I think i am going to have to side with Mario Kart. it wins only because at the end of the day, the most fun is when you play against others and it gets boring very quickly always winning, or always losing. I’m off to play some games.

So there i was, at an unamed semi-fast food chain ordering my lunch. The total was $10.50, and wanting a $10 note, i handed over $22. With a smile the attendant handed me back $10.50. Wait a second, alert, something’s not right. That’s a dollar short, crisis time. Usually, i have a bad habit of not bothering the attendant with my problem (for a dollar that is, not 20). This i know is not the preferred approach for most, and for today i decided it was time to be a man and demand my dollar.

Me: “Excuse me, shouldn’t the change be $11.50″

Attendant: “You gave me 21.”

M: “No, I gave you 22″

A: “21″

M (with wild eyes and angry tone): “NO 22!”

A: “Fine!”

And with that he jams the cash register open, and slams a dollar into my hand. Success! I was back in the game and off i went to wait for my order.

Five minutes later, I hear, 232 (my number), been called. “232″ was called happily again, and i made my way through the crowd to the front where the attendant and I made contact the second time. When he saw me, the face dropped and I knew that this was not going to be nice. I caught the tray at a similar speed to a  bullet at close range and off he went. For the rest of my time in the restaurant, he told everyone to enjoy their meal. Not me though, he hoped i choked on it.

It has got me wondering though, why does he care. The register is going to count correctly. Its not his dollar. He is not going to be docked a dollar. I am a blank face in a sea of customers, so why take it to heart. I think its because he a fool.

So if you are the attendant who probably got your buddy to give my burger treatment, i just want you to know that i did enjoy my meal, even if you didn’t want me to.

Josh

As most will know, Michaela and I are part of a ten pin bowling league. Well tonight was the first week back after the break, and after many many times thinking that i should post something about bowling, i am finally going to post something.

First thing to get in the open, is the fact that Michaela now has a higher average then me. She is a dark horse, slowly chipping away my lead, without me even noticing. Then suddenly, bam there it is, Michaela no 1., Josh no 2.

So, as I was saying it was the first week back. Everyone brings out the bowling balls, dust them off, do up the laces and bowl down some practice balls. Pfft….like I need a practice i thought, first mistake. As i walked up for the first bowl, i pull back the arm and realise that something is terribly wrong. I’m no longer bowling a bowling ball, i’m tossing a brick. I was in trouble. Not only was it a brick, i was bowling like its a brick. To save time, we will say that the first game was a disaster, well for me anyway. Michaela beats me easily.

The second game, I decide that its time to unleash the new ball I’ve been developing. I call it spin ball. Or chaos ball. It spins, hits and causes havoc. It was my time to shine. Wrong again, the next two games are a disaster. Lets just say with Michaela bowling her highest score of 177, it was her that helped us win. Wait, did i say help, it was her that won it for us.

Although bowling is great, i do have to vent a couple of erks about leagues. Firstly, if you have an average of 180, can you please not go, “ohhh…that was lucky” when you get a strike. Your average is 180, that means you get strikes and lots of them. If you say “that’s lucky” 10 times a night, its not luck. No-one is that lucky. Its not modesty, its annoying. And the only thing more annoying is the demanded congratulations. Your opponent runs down, bowls a strike and walks back and sticks his hand out waiting for for a high 5. Hold the phone, a strike means good for you, not for me. Not really wanting to high 5 that. And say i was nice, a good sport, and wanted to pump up the opposition, then i will offer my hand. Not the other way round. I will just sit so far away you can’t reach me. But i know deep down that won’t help.

So to end, I say anyone that wants to go bowling, nows a good time. I’m rubbish, and you wont need to high 5 me.

I’ve been meaning to post this for a while.

Its a good thing Batman was on the ball, otherwise they would have been a goner!

I really do.

Last weekend, we ventured off to the Show. Fun times to be had to by all. As we walked in the gate, one couldn’t help but become excited by the sight of people flying upside down, sideways, sideways and upside down.

As we boarded the first rollercoaster, there was a gentle buzzing forming in my belly. And we’re off, whoosh, spin and we’re done. Hmmmmm…….I think we need something a little more extreme. Looking around, what is there, wait, wait, there we go! The No Limit. With a name like that, you can’t go wrong.

Lining up, we had our hands stamped for re-rides, and as we emptied all loose items into a bucket, and were strapped in, I couldn’t help but think, that this was a mistake. For years as a kid (non-goat variety), I went to the show and wanted to go on the rides that spun you round. Now my parents, knowing fully well the extent of my travel sickness didn’t really go for that idea. So here I am, 23 years old, making decisions for myself. Decisions that were well thought through, carefully considered, rather stupid.

As the ride started, the dread was building. Backwards, forwards, building up the speed needed to go over. I knew i was in trouble. The rest of the ride is a blur. I remember my brain been thrown side to side, every part of me feeling unnatural. Vision disappearing as blood rushed to the head. Vision returning as my stomach bottomed out. My eyes going into the back of my head as i went rushing towards the ground upside down and spinning.

As my feet touched down on solid ground, I knew what i had to do. And I knew i did not have much time. I ran and i ran, and then threw up.

I swear, i will never ride on the No Limit again.

Once every so often you come across a link that means nothing, but once clicked changes your life. First there was teagames.com (TG Motocross 2, still waiting for you to beat me Dan), then it was Desktop Tower Defence. Now it is Jelly Battle (credit to Timo).

What could be better then melting, squishing, nuking, handbag slapping Jelly Babies. The answer is nothing.

But not all stories have a happy ending. My tail of sorrow is due to a Jelly Baby called Ryyr. That piano to the head was a low blow and would rank as the most disappointing moment of the day. Ryyr, your day will come.

Josh.