Phew!

We metaphorically dodged a bullet, and literally dodged a humongous tree branch!

Even the chairs weren't spared from the wind.

This is the branch.

It got close.

Really close.

So close it wrapped around the end.

Mom takes this as additional evidence as to the existance of God. I’m really conflicted on whether God exists or not, as for just about anything else I can see definate, tangable evidence of it. Mom tells me I should go with what I’ve felt of God to prove the existance of an omnipotent, metaphysical being. Therein lies my conflict. When I was little, I made a little clay crucifix in Sunday school. The priest blessed it. There was a feeling of power in that thing. I went outside church to look for my mother and sister. Then I asked the crucifix. In a surge of energy, I knew just where they were, and looked down to see them waving at me from down the hill in the parking lot. I carried it around after that moment, but it met its prompt end – I think the very same day – when I had it in my back pocket and it fell out and shattered on the cement. It then lost its power.

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Categorized as Life

Portable Apps

7-Zip Portable was very useful a few minutes ago! One of the drivers for my dad’s machine on my USB stick was a rar, which XP cannot open without external help. The audio driver has this 3D audio demo where, using only two speakers, it gives the illusion of the sound going around you either horizonally or virtically. It seems to do so by making front sounds tinny and back sounds full, top sounds full and bottom sounds muffled. Not perfect by any means, but still an amusing demo.

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Categorized as Software

Wewt

I got my dad’s machine together. I’m installing XP (gag) on it now, and I’ll install Ubuntu (yay!) afterwards. I’m currently in the process of downloading the XP drivers for the new machine. ASUS’s website is really slow.

Specs are as follows:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ @ 2.7GHz

2 GB DDR2 800 RAM (Dual channel)

XFX nVidia 8600 GT

640GB HD

It also has a Rosewill PCI slot fan underneath the graphics card, which is nice. It’s Micro-ATX, so it’s nice and compact, yet not so much so that building it was a pain. I really like AMD’s heatsinks, they’re very solid and easier to install than Intel’s socket 775. With the AMD2 socket the heatsink fits over mounting tabs, then you turn a lever and it locks solidly in place. I also really like the AMD2 processor mount. With Intel’s 775 heatsinks, you have to loosen then shove four tabs into holes in the motherboard. It is difficult to do and can be alarmingly jiggly and loose. I’ll post more updates as the situation develops.

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Categorized as Hardware

Hot! Wait, What?

The BOINC zombies were hot to the touch this morning! I may have to shut them down until we get CAT6 to the basement if it gets worse. I opened the window, pulled on zombie in front of the cool air, set a fan in the closet, and turned on the house fan to pull the cold outside air through.