Well I got an xbox 360 elite two days ago. Mainly because my premium had big troubles.

And I got great news today....

Pocahontas is well again!!!!

I'm gonna pick her up tomorrow!

YAYYYYYYYY

lol

Ahhh young man! You are laughing at me? Hmmm.....


Anyway welcome to chorrol! Hope you'll enjoy your stay!

im not that young in real life lol

Yes, I spent the greater portion of the grandsons' last visit restoring their PC. The largest effort was trying to do data recovery from the HDD before I nuked it and re-installed the operating system. Of course, the MANY viruses I found probably had something to do with the original crash.... I think the plan now is to not connect to the Internet at all- they can still get critters by porting games on infected disks, but that shouldn't be as serious an issue.

Ahh lucky ones who have a grandpa that can fix pc:s! I'll send over mine next time!

Anyway I'm happy to get Pocahontas back....In fact they didn't have to reboot it, they efficiently removed the nasty trojans and...hehe of course replaced the screen (had this wretched turqouise stripe right across it) And they have tested her so she should be cured and well by now.

I'm lucky, now I don't need to recover all my data! And my game saves....and other stuff.

Soon I can play again....and create sweet screenies

Linux? There are nasties but they're few and far between. And the games are free .


I had a fun past few days, I was at my flat in edinburgh which now has internet (YAY! - all I need now is a wireless card) and it turns out that every one of the wide and varied selection of hoovers is utterly knackered (also YAY - no hoovering).

I'm back in the middle of nowhere now to help my dad collect his bees back from the hills and to give my motorbike the oil change I've been promising it for weeks.

hmm so wat is everyone doing for the weekend

Hopefully the place Ive been trying to get a job at finally calls me/sends an email, No plans, might just kick it with my bro, and get a bottle of booze to celebrate if the approval comes in sometime today.

Other than that, Ive been writing again, dare I say, post machining even. Its nice to have that creativity flowing again. It reminds me of certain other activities that I enjoy doing

Probably playing halo 3.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for ya!

Anyway I got Pocahontas back today and I'll probably set her up and check out my files. Other than that I think I'm gonna try some writing again....got some good ideas last night from a friend....

i dont want to know wat those ideas are lol

No??? hehe I think you do!

lol i did pale pass quest and had to kill ogres just to get to the end soo many so little time and i killed 3 in a row by crotch haha

I gotta work monday and tuesday then again next weekend...I work three to four days a week doing twelve hour shifts at Glad. Yeah thats right folks I work with trash bags all day long, how exciting. Not to mention that I only get paid $8.45 an hour for night shift and they won't even share their trash bags.

On the upside I just bought an Xbox 360 elite and picked up Oblivion for it, which is much easier to play on the console than on the PC because of the controller...no mods though that sucks but with xbox live you can still buy the official plugins. I mainly bought the 360 because the moment Fallout 3 and Fable 2 hit the shelves next month, they will belong to me.

What kind of games do you like other than RPGs? I might be able to suggest a couple that you could try.

I recently bought a DVD burner so that I could put on disk the voluminous downloaded mods I have stuffed both my C: and my extra E: drive with. So I was very excited when it came. However, we didn't realize that we'd bought it out of box and that it came with no programming disk. So now I have to wait until I can buy Nero recording program to use with it.

Why not use some free burning program? There's bound to be a few to be found for Windows on sites like download.com!

Wow starg! Didn't even think of that. I will check that out, thanks!!!

I think I used http://cdburnerxp.se/en/home on my last computer, which didn't come with a program to burn discs. I think it works for DVDs too; you might give it a look.

So many stories in the fanfic section. I wish I had time to read them all. Really. There was a time, long ago, when I could actually keep up with them all, but I just can't seem to find the time for that anymore. To those whose stories I have not commented on: thanks for contributing to the plethora of great reading that exists here at chorrol. Please don't be offended that I haven't made a comment on your story; it's not a comment on your work, just on how much time I have.

On a completely unrelated note, I'm wearing my smiley face tie today. I guess I'm just all smiles today

Swedish site

I've had a good week back at uni, I've seen lots of folks I hadn't over the summer and all that jazz. Today was the martial arts demonstration which I think went quite well for my club (no one did anything sufficently badly that any novices would have noticed anyway), though they wouldn't give us a chair to play with.

On the down side I now feel thoughly ill and I've found out that I have to do a really rubbish course next semester, though my timetable is quite nice then.

I just got back into civilization (or syphilization, as I sometimes call it) from a couple weeks in and around the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, in Minnesota. I do so enjoy canoeing, and I got to put in almost 90 miles of it.

So then I pulled back into Missoula for the weekend and immediately played in an ultimate frisbee tournament. Good times.

I've just come back from a week of business related travelling. I'm very tired, but at least it was a success. I do think I'm getting sick though...

Aww Stargie....then you need a huge whisky with hot water, honey and a dash of lemon!

Ehh its funnier to be sick anyway!

Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh.... I have lost the ability to sign in to Xbox Live, which is quite annoying. This is due to one of two things.

The first is that perhaps Live is simply down... I find this unlikely, but it's nonetheless possible, affirmation or otherwise of this would be appreciated by anyone else with a Live account.

The other is that my ethernet cable is busted. This wouldn't be so bad, as it only cost me about 7 euro, but for the fact that recently a hole was drilled from my room down to the room the modem is in, meaning the cable no longer has to run down the side of the house. Even still, had I not been so busy this week that I was unable to use my Xbox at all until yesterday evening, it would've been annoying, as the cable would ned replacing, but could still be removed from the holes and discarded.
As things currently stand though.... esterday (i.e. thursday) my sister had a new wardroom put in her room.... one behind which the cable runs, and which pins the cable quite firmly in place, meaning that 1) I can't remove the cable to check for damage, and 2) I can't remove the cable to run a new one through the same channel to the modem.

Yeah, really sucks quite a bit >_<

EDIT: Yeah..... definitely the ethernet cable. Suckish. Oh well

I was sprayed by pepper spray for training last Friday, that is some nasty stuff. I got a 2 second blast of it and it didn't really start hurting right away, then I opened my eyes and they immediately started burning as if I had plucked them out and tossed them into a fire. But that isn't the worst of it, not by a long shot. When OC (which is cop lingo for pepper spray) hits any skin on your body it will feel as if you are in the fiery depths of hell. Seriously. I thought my face was going to spontaneously combust and burn right off.

So I got through that, my face was finally starting to feel a little better then I took a shower. Big mistake. You see, OC is water based and putting water on my skin only reactivated it, plus I decided to get it out of my hair so my hands and arms started burning and did not stop until about Sunday morning.

So the morale of the story is do not do anything that would end in you getting sprayed by pepper spray. At least not the kind we use (there are varying degrees of hotness, the one we use is almost as hot as it gets).

We had some shoplifters here in florida called the pepper spray bandits because they'd spray it in the clerks faces and then grab merchandise and run. They finally got caught and although they came to the store chain at which I was a supervisor, I never experienced it. Thank God. I don't envy you your training with that stuff, Sir Radont.

Wolfie:

WLAN.
802.1a standard (5 GHz band).
Big honking antennae (>= 5dBi gain, better 9 dBi).
WPA2-PSK encryption.

Don't talk to me about wlan. Mine has only just sorted itself out and will probably go down again. Not a clue what the problem is (other than cheap router and thick walls).

Pepper spray doesn't sound much like fun. Fortunatly with the amount of time I spend stuck at uni I don't really have the time or energy to go breaking the law.

We are finally beginning to see some fall color here- the ash trees are a brilliant yellow, the dogwoods and sumac are deep red. Some maples are holding their green and others are painted orange, red, and yellow with some green intermixed. It seems like it took that soaking rain on Tuesday to finally trip a switch. We are still under drought conditions- something like 6 inches (15 cm) under for rainfall.

That necessitated my cutting down a large (50 foot or 15 m tall) maple tree at one end of the house. The dry soil had stressed it to the point that it died. At least I will have a good supply of firewood for the winter. There is another, larger tree just off the front porch that is showing similar stress- but only one side of the large fork.... That one will be an even bigger challenge to rope and drop without hitting the house or smashing up some of our other trees....

Ahhh, fall colors in the Smokies! How wonderful, makes me wanna go there immediately..mmmmm. But we also see fall coming, birches and oaks are now getting their beautiful red and yellow nuances. Unfortunately this time of the year passes too fast and soon the november dullness is all over us..

Plantie, thanks for that CD burning link .. I downloaded it.

Treydoggie, you are making me remiss that I live in Florida now; too far south for the parade of colors that is autumn up north. We have color changes but they are much softer and you have to look more closely to see the difference. And since the slow moving hurricane, we've had a whole new batch of baby lizards born .. seems the lizards got mixed up and mistook the hurricane for Spring. But the baby ones are so cute and so rare this time of year.

Harvest is upon us. Around here you can see it everywhere, coloured leaves falling from the trees to form a noisy carpet of delight on the streets, chestnuts beg to be kicked about...

It would be pleasant if not for the fact that it gets colder every day, everyone is getting sick and the days are growing shorter and shorter. Although it surely beats winter in these parts. If only we had snow in winter, one might be able to enjoy it, but alas, all we get is cold, darkness and an all-permeating grayness that dulls mind and dampens spirit.

Me, I'm sitting at home, coughing and sneezing and drinking many a cup of hot tea in an attempt to get back up on my feet, thinking about what is yet to come and whether it wouldn't be better to live on some tropical island with no seasons, or indeed in the land of baby lizards.

One has to wonder though, as used as we are to seasons, wouldn't we miss them in the end? Could we really appreciate summer - as short as it may be sometimes - as much? Could we really appreciate spring and harvest as we do if there was no winter? My mother seems to think so. I never used to, but now, I'm not so sure....

I enjoy the change of seasons- although the hot weather seems to come earlier and last longer. And I would like to see more snow than we usually get... Of course, if I really get nostalgic for snow, I can drive up to the mountains later in the year.

Take care of yourself, Stargelman. Eat some chicken soup.

Yes starg .. lots of grandma's recipe for colds .. chicken soup. As for missing the seasons - some down here in Florida do, especially in their first years here but then you just sort of forget. I don't miss snow or the change of seasons really at all. As pretty as the falling leaves are; that is only what 2 or 3 weeks that it happens. Is that long enough to put up with 3 or 4 months of cold weather? Not to me. We more or less dread summer in Florida to tell you the truth; not only because it is so darned hot & muggy but because it is prime hurricane season as well. But most all Floridians value and love autumn which is our most beautiful and comfortable weather time of year.

I wouldn't be able to live in Florida because of the storms, I was annoyed by the power outages and the wind we had here in Arkansas...and we just got some heavy rain. Compared to the tropical storms and hurricanes people deal with on the coast we have it easy.

I'm almost always looking forward to the cooler seasons because things just seem more calm and relaxed...almost a serene feeling that makes everything a bit easier. For me at least.

It's getting colder really quickly here. And its getting darker too, sunrise is about 8 now and it sets at 6 which means I don't see that much of it. I'm definatly a summer person but I think winter is nessesary as a contrast. I'd get bored if there weren't seasons.

One thing I don't mind is that even in the last decade there is less snow. I hate snow with a passion.

On the topic of cold remedies I'll vouch for hot toddy - a mixture of hot water, honey, lemon and whisky. Clears the head no end.

Ahh same here! It's getting more fall-ish by the day. I know the fall-colors here will never match those of Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, but the trees here are getting pretty colorful by now.

I love snow, and I really hope we'll get a lot of it this coming winter. Last winter I missed the snow, because when the landscape was white where I live I was working in the very south of the country and there it was merely raining and stormy. So when I got back for x-mas the snow was gone!

crap!

Anyway work is killing me at the time being, even got to work on sunday...without even being paid for it! Ah well I'm doing it to help a couple of colleagues...they need some day off so...

I've spent most of today ranting. And I intend to spend most of next week ranting.

The agency that lets our flat came to inspect it today and found it... ILLEGAL!

What terrible offenses were we committing? Only the most heinious of crimes: having a sofa in the hall. Yes thats right, for some unknowable reason it is illegal for me to put my sofa in my hall in my flat.

I have every intention not to move it.

But really what sort of law is that?

Reminds me of the statement that if a city/state/other governmental entity REALLY wants to give someone grief, they can ALWAYS find violations to charge and prosecute. Don't know that that is what is happening to you, but I do know that overzealous enforcers of THE RULES are a danger everywhere. You just know they were hall monitors when they were kids....

Like our across-the-street neighbor who really hates our (lack of) yard-maintenance. He frequently mows the grassy strip in front of our house (because I don't do it often enough to suit him) and once had the county come and absolutely butcher the trees at the front of our lot. My feelings is that the silly wanker needs to get a life. If our trees bother him so much, he should quit looking at them.

Its illegal to block or constrict a stairway or hall (even partially) because of fire safety and easy access during medical emergencies. Fire needs fuel to burn, having a couch in the hall can help fires spread between rooms much more quickly. Also, if for some reason paramedics need to get to you, they need plenty of space if they have to carry you out.

To be honest its just wierd, if they really wanted to do us for something (and I don't see any reason why they would) there are a whole host of (a least arguably more real) things they could do us for if they tried. I think they're just trying to be annoying because they can. I should imagine a healthy dose of common sense and scorn will sort them out if they complian again, and if that doesn't suggesting that we might be as tardy with the rent as they are with repairs will

I could see their argument if the sofa was in a common stairwell but it isn't and the remaining width of the hall is wider than the door by a long shot.

They just need to grow up.

@Olen

I believe you will find that for every rule, there are 10 bureaucrat's who make it their life's goal to enforce them in the strictest, most inconvenient manner possible. And all of us ants have more chance to lift the Empire State building than to change their mind, or even fight their obvious power over us. Yes, it sucks, but apparently society breeds power-hungry pencil pushers.

@Treydog

Somehow, I never perceived you as the type to call people names, especially in a public forum. Perhaps my great admiration for your superb writing has caused me to put you on an inhuman pedestal. I know my parents have had some strong words to say about local officials and their over-zealous tree-trimming practices, so I do have to say I understand your reaction completely. Your neighbor sounds like he needs a more satisfying hobby that will allow him to ignore things that are not his concern.

I think I may be getting increasingly grumpy in my old age.... Still, I find merit in what you say. I think some of it stems from the fact that I had the good fortune to grow up running through the woods and along the lake. Even 20 years in, I have never adjusted to living in a development, where I can hear the neighbor shouting at his kids, or the one on the other side who (no kidding) mows his lawn 3 times a week- even in November.

Nevertheless, I should probably speak (and write) in a way that better reflects my age and upbringing.

Shifting gears- the older grandson has become interested in war-games (he is 7). Anyone got any suggestions for appropriate board-games that he might enjoy? Probably something a bit less involved than Risk, but more stimulating than Battleship.... I was kind of remembering Stratego and a whole bunch of other old Milton-Bradley games.

It wasn't my intention to imply you weren't acting your age; I'm certainly one to believe that people should not be limited to someone else's perception of how they should act. My father has to be just about the youngest 60 year-old I know, although he can "act his age" if absolutely necessary. My only intention was to observe that your comment didn't fit with my experience of you, that's all.

I have to say I never really played wargames other than Battleship, so I'm afraid I don't have any useful suggestions for you. I hope someone else can help you out with that.

So has anyone else played Dead Space yet? I got it wednesday, just finished it now after 10 hours or so of playtime, and intend to replay shortly. It's an incredible survival-horror, the music and atmosphere had me constantly on edge throughout, and the enemies were really well done. The combat system... or the "strategic dismemberment" part of it, at any rate... is ridiculously gory and awesome. The little twist in the last level was definitely unexpected, and extremely well done. I'd definitely reccomend this game - for any one of age to play it (18+ rating here) - especially fans of the whole survival-horror thing.

I've seen some stuff about Dead Space but right now I'm caught up in the glory that is Fallout 3...man its good. Nothing cooler than being able to walk through ruined cities and ramshackle camps of people. You can really tell it was made by beth with how free roam it is, I'll just say that its better than anything I've played in a while and with all the great games I've bought in the last few months thats saying alot.