Year: 2006

I haven’t really officially taken a vacation from work yet, but this past week, including Memorial weekend, I took it off to rest and relax, hence, the lack of any blog entries last week. I spent the weekday sleeping in and put in some good running and biking. For the Memorial weekend I took a road trip to San Diego with some friends. The weather wasn’t so great until Sunday. On Sunday the beaches were packed and there was plenty of alcohol floating around and not to mention all the beach bunnies too.

Pictures of my trip has been posted in the gallery. Check ’em out.

All previous videos and future videos will require the Divx Web Plugin. If you don’t have the plugin your browser will prompt you to enable “Active X” and then request you to install the plugin. This new way of accessing the videos is much better. The video is actually streamed, so you don’t have to wait for the entire movie to be buffered. The plugin is much smaller than downloading the entire setup file. Hopefully my videos should be playable on all platforms.

All the videos now have their own category. If you want to browse the videos only, you check out the “Videos” link on the side menu listed under “Categories”

I’ve always had a corded mouse when using any computer. I always thought, “Why need one when you’re sitting inches away from your computer anyway?” When I got my new laptop, I decided to pick up a wireless Logitech mouse. On my previous laptop, I had a corded mouse and had to unwind to plug it. It wasn’t a much of a deal until I used the wireless mouse and found it much more convenient. When using the mouse you actually feel the freedom of not having to adjust the mouse for cord slack and even having an extra bit of space whereas before the cord would be obstructive. When I decided to replace my desktop computer mouse I had to get another wireless mouse.

From left to right: V400 and V200; both these models are for notebook-use. There are high-end wireless mice made specifically for desktops with rechargeable docking bays rather than having batteries.

The V400 is the one I’m using for my notebook. It’s Logitech’s latest notebook wireless mouse. It currently sports a dual laser engine and is able to work on more surfaces than the old optical mice. The V400, which is marketed to be a rugged go-anywhere mouse, have very comfortable rubber grips, and the most impressive feature is the tiny wireless receiver can be stored inside the mouse itself when not in use.

My desktop mouse is about 5 years old, and it was getting so dirty and ugly that it needed to be replaced even though it works perfectly. I replaced it with the V200, which is the an older model compared to the v400, but works just as well, in fact it works a bit better. The V400 seems to go to sleep a bit too quickly when left idle for a short moment. Unlike the V400, this mouse sports the older generation optical tracking and doesn’t have a compartment to store the receiver, instead it snaps to the bottom of the mouse when not in use. The receiver holds in its place well, but it can come loose when put in a bag where it can roll around.

If you haven’t tried a wireless mouse and still using a corded one I recommend picking up a cheap model which can be as cheap as $15. Try it out and see how much more convenient and even extra space it can provide.

This fight took place in June of 2000 at King of the Cage 4. Duane ‘Bang’ Ludwig is a Lightweight Champion kickboxer who trains under the legend, Bas Rutten. Bang takes on Shad Smith, a brawler who has claimed to be in over 1,000 street fights.

This is the fight that got me interested in taking Muay Thai. In an actual street fight anything can happen, but in a cage/ring a street fighter’s skill can only go so far… as to not getting destroyed quicker than someone with no experience at all.

NOTE: Check out Shad Smith sporting his Airwalk shoes in the cage.

[Video is not available at the moment]

That obviously answers the question, “Do bears shit in the woods?”

If you do a search on my blog you’ll find that I played the first Call of Duty and gave it high marks. I’ve had Call of Duty 2 for a while, but I never got a chance to play. I recently installed Call of Duty 2 on my new laptop and have just finished all the campaigns. This sequel is no different besides an overhaul in graphics and effects.

The game is split up to three different campaigns; Russian, British, and an American campaign. Each campaign is then split up to several missions which are fast paced and full of action. The game is relatively easy even when set to ‘regular/normal’ difficulty. As you get into the latter of the game the objectives may become a bit repetitive, but it’s made up by intense action and an increase in difficutly. The Call of Duty series are also released on consoles such as the Xbox and Playstation 2. I’m not certain if the gameplay or the missions are similar, but if it’s anywhere near this PC version then it must be a worthwhile game to play.

I definitely recommend this game to anyone who even has a remote interest in First Person Shooters let alone have a keen interest in World War II history. If you have a powerful gaming rig go straight for Call of Duty 2 as it very much similar in game play to the first one. Otherwise if you have a dated computer, you should get the first Call of Duty as the requirements for it is not as extensive.

I recently got a new flash based gallery that I was able to embed into my blog. Not all the pictures have been transfered over to the new gallery. In the meantime, check out the new gallery by accessing the same gallery link on the side menu.

If you want to check out the old photo gallery, which I intend to update and maintain, it’s at www.firepowr.net/gallery