All posts by archangel

Everything Else

How cool is Skype?

5 Comments

Very cool. I just loaded it yesterday and did a couple test runs with Agent Hulagun – kudos to him for his part in the vital mission. Overall, it was pretty simple. You have to click download a few too many times, but eventually you get there. When running the installer, remember to click the [ Options… ] button and make sure everything’s kosher.

I had a slight issue due to a non-standard microphone configuration. I have an Audigy 2 ZS card with an I/O plate for the front of your case. It has a 1/4″ mic input with preamp, into which I have plugged in a Shure SM58 mic (pretty much the most famous ball mic ever). This shows up in audio/sound programs like Audacity as “Line-in 2/Mic 2”, but most programs just show the sound card or “windows default” (or something like “system”) as an option. This requires you to use the control panel to select that mic as the system default. Problem is, programmers who think they’re oh so clever will change the system default to “Microphone”, and this is very frustrating when troubleshooting!!! I had to uncheck an option in Skype that says something like, “Let Skype mess up my options that I’ve taken a while to get right”. I am paraphrasing to accentuate truthfulness. When that was done, though, it worked.

And it works really well. Granted, I’m using a $100 mic and $60 headphones, but it’s pretty clear on both sides. And of course, totally free. There is a slight chance that Yahoo! Messenger with Voice will also work with my setup, but it doesn’t have a “don’t screw things up checkbox”, and it definitely screws things up when you use the voice setup wizard. I’ll have to find another test subject to troubleshoot that.

I recommend either a headset or mic/headphones combo. Using a speaker will turn it into – surprise! – a speakerphone. And those are annoying for both parties. However, you probably want to be able to unplug the headset/headphones easily; I know my computer will mute speakers when headphones are plugged in. You can uncheck that option, but then you’re driving both at the same time, which seems like kind of a waste.

I originally wanted this set up to communicate with East Coasters without burning up all my cell phone minutes. If I call them 9pm their time, it’s still 6pm (primetime) for me. Of course, this also works for locals with only cell phone access.

So feel free to add me using my Crack Team email address. If you don’t know it and can’t figure it out, email me and I’ll clue you in.

Share/Bookmark
Film

Miami Vice: Spoiler Free Review

So I could think of all sorts of fruity wordplay for this review, but the movie doesn’t mess around so neither will I. It just kicks ass. Now it does take some time to set up relationships between Crocket and Tubbs and their lady friends. Michael Mann doesn’t rush through that part, but he makes up for it with boobies, and more importantly later on, guns capable of removing limbs. The action scenes flat out rock; you do not want to wait for the DVD. See it somewhere with a great sound system and hear those .50s really sing. Ok, not so much sing as thunder – it pretty much sounded like lightning came down in the next seat over. [1]

It’s much more gritty and realistic than other action movies we’ve had lately (e.g., Mission: Impossible, which I also liked). It’s at the top, but not over the top. Yeah, it still has hot cars and boats and houses, but the series taught us 20 years ago that you need that crap to convince successful scumbags you’re just like them.

Just a reminder that Michael Mann directed Heat [2]. If you haven’t seen that lately, I can pretty much guarantee you it’s much better than you remember. It probably ranks up there as one of the most underrated action/cop/thrillers ever made. Miami Vice has the same intensity, although in different ways. Less touchy feely, more shooty stabby.

[1] And yet the burn mark was on my seat. Strange.
[2] And exec produced the Miami Vice television series.

Share/Bookmark
BTW

E3 Shrinks

E3 is scaling way down. Surprisingly, the reasons are reasonable. The video game industry no longer needs a big event to garner the attention of the press, and May is too early to display games scheduled for fall. It’ll now be a place to do some press conferences and let the bigwigs network. Since they closed it off to the public this year, I don’t think anyone really cares. I guess this is good news for PAX.

Share/Bookmark
Everything Else

Beware the Vellux Blanket!

I have a gigantic mess in my washing machine right now. It consists of hundreds of tiny pieces of Vellux blanket. Those are the comfy, spongy blankets you see in hotels all the time. I had mine for years, no problem. I noticed it started to get a little dusty, so I threw it in the wash. But that wasn’t dust. That was total fiber breakdown. I opened the washer to find a nylon mesh and what was formerly attached to it. I’m going to need the shop vac to clean it all up, and I’m worried it might have clogged the washer’s drain. Hopefully anything that can get through the small holes in the cylinder won’t be enough to do damage.

Anyway, I just wanted to warn others. If your Vellux blanket seems just a tad ratty (maybe some frayed edges), a piece falls off of it, or it seems unusually dusty, just chuck it. Not worth risking your washer, or the enormous pain in the ass it is to clean it up.

Share/Bookmark
Television

Future of HBO

1 Comment

HBO has revealed it’s future TV plans. The bad news is that Rome will be gone after next season. It was an extremely well done show, which I guess made it a bit too expensive ($100M). But it looks like Curb Your Enthusiasm will be coming back, a show I thought was already dead after the last episode seemed so much like a series finale. Alan Ball, creator of 6 Feet Under and writer of American Beauty, is working on a vampire drama, which should be pretty interesting coming from that mind. And of course, only one more season of Sopranos (really, the second half of this one).

Share/Bookmark
Film

Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man’s Chest (Spoiler Free)

1 Comment

I think average opinion on this was, “Eh, it was ok.” That about sums it up. It is also one of the most anticipated films of the year, and it is selling out like crazy everywhere. I got there 45 minutes early and the line was already insane. I imagine some were there a couple hours early or more. Anyway, I thought the effects were good, especially on the sea men, but the story never really got you that involved. Some action scenes felt a bit repetitive and long, too. Of course, Keira Knightly was beautiful, but that’s gonna be the same in any movie she’s in. What I’m most curious about is the second week box office drop, and how it will fair against Superman in the long run. Normally I’d think this would go away quickly, but since everyone knows a third film is on the way, they’ll probably see it anyway.

Edit: Pirates OBLITERATED box office numbers, smashing records left and right. It’s the new #1 weekend, passing Spiderman by over $17M. This must have also beaten Aquaman by a wide margin, so Vinnie Chase has gotta be bummed.

Share/Bookmark