Quicktime has this bad habit of looking for all its recent list movies. If I play them off a disc and the disc is not there when I run Quicktime - it keeps telling me to put in a damn disc! Annoyance! But fixing it is simple - clear your recent list. ><
Chapter 1 - 02: Something New
Nothing changed today. Absolutely nothing. All of our calculations led to null. We knew we were going nowhere. Time was running short - if we didn't complete at least a theory of such an engine, we would be transferred to another project. We all wanted to do it, but it just wouldn't work. We all went home with exhaustion. My room was dark. The moment I walked into it, it lit up. The console in my room was flashing and dutifully informed me that I had a new message. I wondered who the message was from. It could be from the upper ranks, maybe to remind us of our deadline, could also be Kamal inviting me out for some tennis in the games room. I decided it could wait - maybe a shower would be good to freshen up first. In less than several seconds, my screen started flashing a different colour - another message had come. It had to be important if I had two messages. I decided to grab my remote control device and play them. They were both from an unknown address - it only had one familiar-looking section - Takamatsu-Ran Industries in the 'from' tag.
I played the first one. It said that there was a pirate headhunt for me. It said that I was being hunted for creating the most dangerous device yet - a high speed weapons transporter. I was shocked to find such reports attached to the message. The next message was stated that a worker from the Raumfalte network would come to help me leave the station before it was attacked for the bounty - me.
The reports look fabricated, but verifying it with the release signature I had illegally obtained decades ago - I was convinced they were real. Things sounded like they were going to change really quickly.
Stargate Atlantis
I pretty sure a large number of science fiction fans would have been raving over the two seasons for the two Stargate series we have. To be honest, I think you guys would probably be attacking seeders for Battlestar Galactica too - so let's get to the point. The last episode of Stargate Atlantis season 1 aired on SKYone a few days ago, and probably left fans raving for more. I highly doubt Stargate Atlantis could reach the depth of Stargate SG1 did - and it's likely that there will be inconsistencies between the two series eventually. It's sad to see the inconsistencies between the series, but I believe it is for the better - the new facts usually either make more sense or make for better stories. I'm kinda impartial to Rainbow being pushed back to being just a recurring character, but I think I would love the doctor as a cast regular. :D What about SG1? It's moving into its ninth season - which I would say must be the best ever possible for a science fiction series. The episodes in the eighth season are superb, probably thanks to the depth generated by countless episodes between various parties. It's currently being shown on (dunno what channel, forgot :P). I believe The Reckoning Part Two just aired recently, and it delves deeper into a few major arcs in the SG1 storyline - the Ancients, the Replicators, Goa'uld, and the semi ascended Anubis. The two-part season finale is said to be phenomenal and supposedly will outdo all time travel stories ever done before. The only sad part about season nine of SG1 is that it's likely Richard Dean Anderson will show up a lot less often (recurring character, probably) - and because he's playing Jack O'Neill, the bugger who's pretty important in the Stargate universe to being with, it's unknown how it is finally going to work out. But I remember somewhere that they're going to reduce his importance in season nine by putting some general in charge of the SGC - supposed to be Russian or something - I don't know - not that I care so much for future season spoilers - all I care for is that there is a season nine.
I'm still waiting for news for the second Stargate movie - if there will be any. :(
LAN Party - January 2005
Well, I'd have to say the same problem that plagued me the last time plagued me again this time - my senses were dulled due to lack of sleep. I remember the time in the morning during one of the 2003 LAN parties - I was king. :D The LAN party started at around 5pm when chewxy, f1freak and I decided to move chewxy's comp downstairs to join mine in his mother's music room. We set up the computers - and it was party time. Two computer and three people was hilarious fun and we attempted to whack each other in Counter-Strike: Source. After a while, maybe around 8pm, my small brother arrived. He could kick some serious butt - (OK, it was more like f1freak's butt). Before that, I decided to make some switches to the power management so that we could sustain the four computers expected to arrive. At around 8 something, CKL, arrived with his beautiful LCD screen (envy!). His graphics card started acting funny (it needed heat to function). He spent quite a while trying to fix that problem while f1freak and my younger bro were battling it out in Counter-Strike: Source. At nearly 11pm, muuti arrived with his computer. He brought the entire monitor box with him (unlike me) and we spent some time setting it up. The LAN party had finally reached its full roster, although some of the participants (f1freak and my younger bro) had to leave. We played one round of Warcraft 3, some Unreal Tournament 2004, some Serious Sam 2, some Dota Allstars and some Need for Speed Underground 2. We had a lot of fun, but the serious lack of participants and computers had made the LAN party a little dry.
There was a funny thing that happened though - we decided to try out this Seriously Warped Deathmatch that came with Serious Sam 2. We played a few crazy maps, including one that was absolutely odd where there was no top or bottom. I enjoyed myself thoroughly - but I think a 6600GT sitting in my computer would have absolutely changed my standings.
Miracle? Probably Not.
Yesterday, I got into a heated battle with one of the traders on LowYat.Net. I'd have to say that it was my fault. I was poking a little too hard for my own good, I suppose. Frankly, never did expect it to happen that way. From bad to worse, we both made rash decisions and eventually it led to a disaster which I would say should have ended today when he started listening to what I had to say. I would have to say that my decisions should stay as they are - I will still probably want to sell the card off if there is one for me at the end of this. This will probably be the last graphics card bulk I will ever join for the next few years. I suppose I should do some soul searching after this to find out what started this - was it me or was it shared? About the miracle in the title, my phone line got struck by lightning today. It surged through my surge protector, into my DSL modem and into my phone. I saw the spark. It felt hot and felt like it had hit me. I imeediately shut down the computer in fear of further damage. Just on Friday, I was talking with chewxy about how he and I were completely opposites. He was the embodiment of Murphy's Law for electronics, and I was the complete opposite. The modem survived the blast, the phone survived the blast and so did the surge protector. How was that possible? I really don't know. To me, it was impossible to begin with. I lost two modems to the force of lightning before.
I probably won't be tempting fate so much any more. Rainy season coming in a few months. Time to change habits for a while. ;)