Tarqueth's Wanderings

Taking Up Time

2012-02-23T06:31:00.000-07:00

Things that have preoccupied my time:

School - I have a midterm in my math course due this week. I've been studying for this and will be taking the test tomorrow (Friday). I still have this weeks assignments and quizzes due in my other two classes by midnight Sat. I really am happy that my classes are all online. I wish I didn't have to go in to take the midterm and final though.

League of Legends - I've been playing this in my free time and not-so-free time. This has turned out to be a really fun game for me. Thank God each game only lasts 30 minutes to an hour... usually. I have a friend that want's to enter some tournaments in this game, but I have to make it to level 30 first and I still have a lot to learn about the game. But it could be fun so we'll see.

Working out - Yeah, this I haven't been doing like I should. It's not like I couldn't take one of my 30 minute gaming sessions and work out, for some reason I just haven't. I do take my dog for a walk once to twice every day, doesn't that count? OK OK... I WILL work out after posting this blog.

YouTube - I don't spend a lot of time watching video's here, but I do subscribe to a few people/groups and check in about once a week to see what's going on. The problem is, when I do "check-in" I can spend hours watching video's unrelated to what I was originally looking for.

Watching Movies - I love sitting down with my girlfriend and watching movies. We went out and watched Journey 2 on Monday. It was funny in places and does have some action, but the best part was just sitting there cuddling with my girlfriend.

Well that's a few of the things that have been taking up my time. I have some rants about things on the internet, but that can wait till my next post.

Have a great day!

League of Legends

2012-02-04T16:39:00.001-07:00

So I've been slacking on keeping this blog up to date. Here's the latest...

I've found a new online game, League of Legends (LoL), which is a lot of fun and I now spend quite a bit of my free time playing. I've also found a site, OWN3D.tv, that allows gamers to stream their games live. . Very fun to watch and learn about the technical points of the game. I may look into streaming at some point. My streams would be more about how to NOT play very well. I'm still playing RIFT some, but not nearly what I was. I still have a lot to do in Skyrim and don't know when I'll get back to playing that. I've just been having so much fun with LoL.

School is going great, I'm right on schedule with my three classes. I'll have midterms in a few weeks and I feel pretty confident about them. I'm already looking forward to next semester.

I've been a lot more active than I was prior to the new year. I do feel like I still need to get into a stable routine for workouts though. I don't think I've actually lost any fat, I obviously need to work harder on this whole "getting into shape" thing.

Last thing... SOPA/PIPA are dead in the water, well for now anyway. The word is they are going to be revised and resubmitted. I'm going to guess that we'll never see a vote on them. I don't think they can revise them into anything acceptable. The internet has spoken!!!

STOP SOPA/PIPA

2012-01-12T18:53:00.001-07:00

No need to write up some long piece on this subject. Many others have done that for me already. Instead, I'll just throw in some links in hopes that a few will go learn about the ruin of the internet... OK, maybe that's a little dramatic, but SOPA/PIPA could very well hurt the economy even more.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2012/01/12/if-facebook-wont-stop-sopa-we-can-do-it-for-them/

http://americancensorship.org/

http://fightforthefuture.org/pipa/ - Don't forget to fill in the form and click "submit to congress"

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111122/04254316872/definitive-post-why-sopa-protect-ip-are-bad-bad-ideas.shtml

I agree that there is a piracy issue. SOPA/PIPA will not be able to stop piracy. Unfortunately they will cause more pain to our already hurt economy. Keep in mind, they could very well shut down all social sites... Facebook, Google, Tweeter, YouTube... all could end up being blocked. This would not be a good time to sit idle.

2012... New Year!

2012-01-01T02:49:00.000-07:00

So here starts the New Year, 2012. It’s time for the New Year resolutions!

1. Get back in shape.

I know this has got to be the most common of all resolutions. I’ve really let myself go since I left the military in 2000 and I miss the outdoors and being active. With all the trails in the local area for hiking, biking, running and walking, I should have no problem getting back to a healthier lifestyle. My lack of willpower and low energy levels are really the only things that have held me back from doing this before.

2. Be more positive.

I feel like I’ve slipped into some rut where I’m negative about everything… I don’t like it. I need to make a conscious effort to change! I loved how I felt when I was positive most/all the time and I really want to get back to that place.

3. Finish my AAS.

I’m not sure if it will be possible to finish it this year, but I’m starting classes again in about a week and I’m really not that far from my Associates. I need 23 credits and most of them are computer courses. I’m already registered and have the books for the 3 courses I’m starting on the 9^th. I’m actually excited to start learning some new things again.

4. Help others.

Not sure exactly how yet, but at times I really feel compelled to get out and help in the community. I think this comes from seeing the impact my mother and father had when they volunteered for the VA Parade year after year. As I grow older, I have some hope that there is something I end up doing that has a good impact in the world. I’m guessing most people want to do something that will help the world out.

5. Blog regularly.

Not sure why I can’t seem to find time to do this. I have plenty of time each day to do most of what I want so this should be easy enough. We’ll see. ;-)

So this is a short list of resolutions, but each item is realistically obtainable. Last year I didn’t make any resolutions. Years prior to that, all of the resolutions I made weren’t realistic, they were more of a joke. It’s much easier to make unrealistic resolutions and joke about it when you fail than it is to make realistic ones and follow through with them. Though it’s very gratifying to make the realistic ones and follow through!

HERE’S TO MAKING 2012 A GREAT YEAR!

Back To School

2011-12-15T20:33:00.001-07:00

Well once again I'm going to be attending college. Starting in January, I'll be taking classes at Rio Salado Online. I'm going to be concentrating on some basic programming and web UI. Needless to say, I'm actually excited about returning to school.

Life is Great

2011-10-25T01:51:00.000-07:00

There always seem to be a few hurdles in life, but all in all, my life is great. I have the most wonderful woman by my side and I love spending every moment with her. I can honestly say that I finally understand what it feels like to find your soul mate. I'm not talking about finding someone you just truly love, I'm talking about that person that you thrive to be with at all times. The one you miss although you just saw them a few minutes ago. It's the person you have such a deep connection with, you just know that's the one you NEED to be with for the rest of your life.

New T-Mobile Plan A Bit Misleading IMO

2011-05-21T07:25:00.000-07:00

I’m a T-Mobile customer and I will admit that I love the service and customer service they provide. They now are offering a “Truly Unlimited” data, talk and text plan. I understand that when they say it’s unlimited they are referring to the amount of data being used; however, there is a restriction. After you’ve used the first 2GB at the 4G speed, they throttle back your connection for the rest of the month and you will be sending/receiving data at a slower rate.

I’m currently grandfathered in to a much older voice plan with T-Mobile. I have the myFaves 300 plan which gives me 5 numbers I can call on any network (does not take up my monthly minutes) and I can change each of those 5 numbers once a month. I also have unlimited data/texting for my phone which actually means 5GB on the 3G network before I’m throttled back. I pay about the same as what the “Truly Unlimited” plan is being offered for. I get more data usage; of course it’s at the 3G speed instead of 4G.

I also have the Dell Streak 7 tablet with the T-Mobile 4G data plan and I absolutely love the thing. My phone is up for replacement next month so I need to decide whether to get another Android phone, or just go with a phone for the voice plan. Tough decision… Ok, not really, I just need to decide which Android phone I’m going to get. :-D

Dell Streak 7 Tablet

2011-04-07T03:40:00.002-07:00

I got the new Streak 7 from T-mobile almost two weeks ago and I'm loving it. The only real drawback is the battery dies quickly with the stock settings. After removing some of the needless Widgets from the home screen, the battery lasts much longer. I'm still learning many of the functions, but so far I'm loving this 7" screen!

Definitely worth the money in my opinion.

Great Video I would like to share

2011-03-31T21:37:00.001-07:00

Woodkid - Iron from WOODKID on Vimeo.

Call of Duty: Black Ops

2010-11-11T03:33:00.003-07:00

I picked up this game on the 9th. I've had a chance to play about 6 hours worth of it so far and this is my initial thought about the game. The storyline is absolutely great, as is the actual game play. The problem is, when playing through the campaign, you just start to really get into the battle and then... a cut screen. Yep, it never fails. Now don't get me wrong, I like the storyline and watching scenes of what's going on is great and all, but don't cut to it right when the battle starts getting good.

I'm sure those of you who pick this up to play online against other people aren't going to care about the cut scenes in the campaign. For those of us who like to play through the campaign though, this isn't a good game for it.

Treyarch/Activision really dropped the ball on this game imo. This game probably should have been advertised as short clip movies with the option of online FPS battles.

For anyone who cares about the storyline along with uninterrupted battles, stick with Modern Warfare 2.

Review of Arcania (Gothic 4)

2010-10-23T15:16:00.004-07:00

This is a fairly new game developed by DreamCatcher. I picked this up for my Xbox 360 a few weeks ago. I've played it probably a total of 10 hours so far. It's a nice RPG and isn't linear... thank God! The original storyline is actually rather good and the quests give you a chance to escape the original story for a short time and explorer the entire area.

Since I'm not really that far into it, I shouldn't comment much on the combat. What I will say about it is that it's rather easy. By that I mean that mobs die fairly quick and there isn't much in the way of skill involved. Very little thinking is needed when combating an enemy. Some MOB's/NPC's are resistant to certain types of damage, so you do have to watch and make sure you are using either spells, melee weapon, or bow and arrow. Sometimes you have to mix up the type of damage, but that seems to be a rarity.

While out and about, you can pick up herbs, flowers, mushrooms, iron ore and such for use in crafting. Although I haven't made any weapons, I have dabbled with the alchemy and it's nice to be able to make healing and mana potions. I have yet to use a potion in the game though. Maybe the MOB's will get harder later.

I'm sure there will be downloadable add ons later, and I see this as being a game that could keep one entertained for many, MANY hours.

I would suggest this game to anyone who enjoys RPG's.

Karate Kid and How to Train Your Dragon

2010-10-18T19:14:00.003-07:00

Last week I bought two new Blu-ray's. The Karate Kid and How To Train Your Dragon. Both turned out to be great movies. I wasn't sure how the Karate Kid was going to be since I grew up with the original, but it really was a good movie.

Dreamworks really outdid themselves with How to Train Your Dragon. Vikings and Dragons... what more could you ask for? Graphics were amazing and the story had several nice twists. Check out the trailer here.

Think I'll watch them again this week. Yeah, I enjoyed them that much.

Beautiful Morning

2010-10-16T07:24:00.002-07:00

I woke up this morning, made some coffee, and sat on my back deck in the cool air while listening to the birds chirp and watching six dogs play. Relaxing there, I just thought over the last few days and how great it is to have family and friends that care so much about me and my family.

No words can express the amount of gratitude I have for those who have helped me and my family with the memorial for my father, for the love shown, and the support given. I am so blessed to have you all in my life.

This is an absolutely beautiful morning.

Dad's Memorial 10/14/2010 @ 2pm

2010-10-13T09:56:00.003-07:00

I spent all day yesterday with my mom getting things set up for the memorial tomorrow. It was really nice being able to spend all that time with her. It's been a long time since I last got to spend this type of time with my mom. My mom, being a mom, helped (guided) me clean my place spotless. It's still a little cluttered, but very clean! :-)

My sister, brother-in-law, and niece got in town late last night. The count at my house is 5 people, 6 dogs, and 3 cats. It's good to have them in town, though I wish it were under better circumstances. They will be leaving this Saturday. I wish they could stay longer so we could do more, but I'll take what I can. ;-)

For all of those travelling to get here, please be safe.

Games Games Games!

2010-10-06T01:24:00.003-07:00

So I've played through HALO Reach on the easy and normal modes. The game gets much MUCH harder as you increase the difficulty. And I don't mean just a little harder. I'm preparing for "Heroic" mode now. We'll see how that goes. This has been a fun game so far, even running through it over and over hasn't been boring like I thought it would be. Increasing the difficulty level has kept it interesting. I'm not sure If I'm really ready to play against other people on Xbox Live though. Those young kids seem so coordinated!

I've also been playing Fable II and DragonAge: Origins. I already have their sequels pre-ordered along with Black Ops. The first week in November is when some of the games I've pre-ordered start coming out. I should be ready by then. ;-)

Android Phones

2010-09-06T23:25:00.000-07:00

I'm still loving my MyTouch 3G from T-Mobile. These Android phones have so much functionality. Apps that let you use your phone to connect your PC/Laptop to the internet, coupled with an unlimited data plan, simply rock! I'm excited to see what the Android phones look like and can do when my 2 year replacement is up on my MT3G. I really like this phone, but all of the newer Androids are twice as fast... processing speed, not connection. Regardless, I have 9 months left before I can get another phone.

Below is a speed test ran using my MT3G with my Laptop. I'm pretty happy with a 3.4Mbs download speed.

Ready For The Weekend

2010-09-02T07:02:00.000-07:00

Well it's that time for me again. The weekend is here and instead of going to San Diego, I'll be staying home. San Diego is on for next weekend instead. :-) I am so ready though, got a few things around the house I want to do. Thanks to the massages I've been getting every other week, my right shoulder and neck are no longer sore. I can't use that as an excuse to not get things done now.

I still haven't been working out as regularly as I need to. I guess it's time to set a schedule and some alerts on my calendar for reminders.

Things I've done recently.... Installed a ceiling fan above my desk at home. Cleaned out one of my rooms and organized some of the area around my workout area. Started a walkway/path from my parking spot to the door. Now I just need to finish up those items I've started!

Have a great day!

Working out

2010-08-23T10:05:00.001-07:00

Yep, I've started working out again. Just got done with an hour work out. Now to see if I can stay motivated to continue working out daily. I definitely have the time now. It's just a matter of doing it. Time for a shower and some running around that needs to get done.

Happy Monday!

Heat

2010-08-21T09:05:00.000-07:00

Funny how when it's the winter time we look forward to the summer and the heat it brings. But after 4 or 5 months of this crap, I'm ready for the winter weather again!

TGIF... For me anyway

2010-08-18T21:05:00.000-07:00

Got off work this morning, went to my massage appointment (Oh the joy!), came home and did some yard/house work, then slept till 8. I'm ready for my last work shift this week.... It's my Friday!

I'll be working from home tonight. I am now using a much faster, more reliable internet from my house. This should let me telework more easily. :-) I've been running some minor tests with it today and they have proved to be MUCH better than my Verizon MiFi broadband card. The MiFi is excellent in town or on the road, but it only picks up EDGE/G2 network at my house. The connection I am using at home now is provided by WydeBeam and it uses microwave/radio frequency to deliver the signal. Ok, I've geeked it up enough for the day.

Have a great night!

One more night!

2010-08-11T06:14:00.000-07:00

Almost done with tonights/this mornings shift. Just one more night of work and then it's off to San Diego.

The new job is going great. Nights have been a bit tough to get use to, but I'm slowly getting there.

Well, I've got nothing more to say right now. Have a great day!

Happy Birthday Dad!

2010-08-04T19:21:00.000-07:00

Thanks for being there when I've needed. You've made me a good person, without your influence I don't know what or where I would have been.

I love you dad
Happy Birthday!

video-2010-07-29-18-08-20

2010-07-29T19:31:00.000-07:00

My Love by Sia (with Lyrics)

2010-07-24T09:29:00.000-07:00

Speed Camera's

2010-07-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

As of midnight last night, the speed camera's in AZ have been turned off. At least they were supposed to be. I didn't have the guts to test them out by speeding 11 over. The funny thing is, for the first day in forever, I didn't have to deal with stop and go traffic. The traffic moved along fine and I never had to slow down under 45 mph. I made it to work in about 45-50 minutes. It normally takes an hour and fifteen to an hour and a half. Not one accident and it seemed like more people were staying in their lanes instead of cutting in and out of traffic. I say we take those millions of dollars a year that were being spent on the camera's and hire more police officers. And to think they could have done that from the beginning.