Month: March 2008

Settling in for the night

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The oh so lack of any thing more willing to do… lol.

I guess I’ll settle into work on the book, I have the source open in vim and the original draft in abiword.

At first it started as an MS Word document which essentially served to draft much of the text. Later on I eventually decided to do a bit of ‘porting’ to a more normal style of writing. ]for me]. At the time I started it, I chose to write it in a narrative like manor because I’ve never been accustomed to reading or writing in that style and really wanted to try it. Perhaps it was a good idea at the time; while my inspirations were all the more closer to heart.

Eventually I decided to opt for the style of writing I’m used to, essentially negating much of the draft to scratch paper. When I decided to give up on word processors I also gave up on finishing the book… After I got around to using Vim + TeX/LaTeX for my typesetting needs instead of XHTM+CSS (i.e. what webpages are made of) I eventually restarted work on it, including the change in style.

The ToC atm 

1 Prologue                                                                     5
2 The Beginning                                                                7
3 No Way Out                                                                  11
4 The Last Patrol                                                             13
5 The Nightmare                                                               17
6 The Hanger                                                                  19
7 Simulator                                                                   21
8 The Drop                                                                    23
9 Into the Breach                                                             25
10 Capture & Evasion                                                          27
11 Reunited Again                                                             29
12 The Records                                                                31
13 Into the Wolfs Den                                                         33
14 Epilogue                                                                   35
A Character Biographies                                                       37
   A.1 Heros & Heroines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
   A.2 The Villainous Bunch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
A BattleMech Specifications                                                   39
   A.1 Inner Sphere 'Mechs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
   A.2 Clan OmniMechs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Is essentially a transplant of each section named in the original draft, While the draft covers approximately 75-80% of the content, I’ve yet to finish transitioning it all here, I can reorganize it later.

Don’t know if the structure will stay, I mentally break things up a bit differently… based on the different segments of the story rather then a scene by scene basis.

Oh shit, not this lot again
Hitting the fan
Runs, Guns, and Healing
Revelations
Sacrifice
End Game

but that is not exactly conventional means hehe… At least, that is how I see things, which is a logical progression of supportive and flowing events.

As James Midnight is drawn forcefully back into the ol’outfit. To the mission going to heck in a hand basket, leading to him and Isabella Valkyrie litterly running for their lives, gathering arms, searching for safety.. Leading to a much overdue time for reconciliation. Only to be rocked by the shocking truth of their mission. And a lovers sacrifice leading to the final battle to the death thar will decide their fate: the Atlas Vs the Direwolf.

I don’t consider myself much of a writer, but when my imagination runs away with me I know a good story or two hehe.

I always thought of it as being to short in length, although the conversion from MS Word to a properly typesetable file format shows me it is going to be longer then I had originally imagined. Which really is interesting because the draft was rather lacking in my natural verbosity lol.

Oh well, tis start time.

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*SIGH*

Bored as watching molasses roll down a hill on a cold day

Yet to tired to actually do much of any thing [useful] :

Not very interested in tinkering with the files in ~/Documents/Personal/ at the moment.. I write what I feel, and organize the thoughts later: not some thing I am in the mood for tonight.

In the same directory is a folder with the files for a book I have been working on, on/off since like 2004’ish. Not really in the mood to /concentrate/ on it but at least it would be some thing to do, especially if I opted for working on a part that comes a bit more natural…

Then again, that includes the things I’m trying to distance myself from..

~/Documents/Computers/Vi-User-HOWTO is still not finished yet although there is only a few more paragraphs to do. I just don’t have the strength for it tonight.

I really need to get back to work on both NPM and my home work, the code is almost ready for a beta release, both just needs me with energy and free time combined.

One thing I have noticed, I find kghostview much better then kpdf, combines the performance of ghostscripts viewer and the ease of use the kde programs have. I can’t help but wonder what the new viewer in KDE4 will be like performance wise.

Equillibrium

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S’just one of those days, where you just keep breathing in and out and nothing more.

I think I know a few who would probably get drunk, and _stay_ drunk at the rate things are going. Some times I wish I could join them 0.o

The files in my home directory continue to grow..

I think I’d rather like to fill my canteen (assuming I could still find it), nab the camera just in case, and take a nice hike through the woods and enjoy the scenery for awhile… Although with my luck even if I could get out of this rats nest. I’d probably get in worse trouble that way :, wouldn’t be suprised if I got shot at 8=).

Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

— “He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven”, William Butler Yeats

The last parts of which was quoted by Grammaton Cleric First Class Errol Partridge (Sean Bean) in one of my favorite action flicks, Equillibrium.

Video clip

Hmm, that music sounds familiar.

days thoughts

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So far the updates to my old Vi User how-to are going quite nicely, all things considered.

I’ve come to using GNU Make for automation work, to be honest if I had to use make features that are not standardized. GNU Make is the best bet to learn extensions any way because it is the most available set of extensions.

I’m not partial to BSD or GNU Make in the least, I only care about a working tool.

BSD Make failed to accept the makefile I setup for TeX documents, GNU Make accepted it without problem while BSD Make seems to barf at it. As long as the document gets build without me having to abuse my shells history features I don’t care lol.

The main problem is all of my projects are on a snails creep right now, courtesy of my family.

You know, I think I would love to take a pot & ladle from the kitchen. Then go pace back and forth in front of them banging the ladle on the pot; shouting “How do you like it” until I’m blue in the face — let them experience rest on their days off like *my* days off are spent doing things!

Oh what fun it could be to just be a cruel bastard for a change…

And how peaceful life could be if any one could head my words instead of [as good as] spiting at them.

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Some what of a strange dream…

Some where in the middle east, with a friends unit, dressed in civilian cloths, with the patrol, and carrying an SA-80 to boot.

The squad was coming out the back of a building and loading people into the Humvees. I saw a runner with a rifle and started shouting some thing like “Tango 4 o’clock” at my friend but he didn’t hear it… he kept moving. The enemy raised his AKM to fire at him so I shouldered the SA80 and put a double tap into him.

While killing is arguably the only serious problem I have with the idea of military service… Your squad or the prick out to kill all of you? That is kind of a forced decision if I’ve ever heard of it, especially if you’re armed.

Tango on the deck, friends alive… much preferable don’t you think?

What a strange dream for an American!

Especially when you consider I’m more partial to the H&K G36K Rifles then the American M16A4 and British SA80A2s hehe.

Musings about the new GCC

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GCC 4.3.0 exposes a kernel bug

Interesting discussion,

I know FreeBSD 7 is moving to GCC4 for the system compiler, iirc 7.0-Release comes with 4.2.x. I have GCC 4.3 installed on this laptop but my primary reason for it is that I wanted to try GCJ, the GNU Compiler for Java :-).

I can’t say the same about Linux distros but I’d expect FreeBSD to always make sure the systems compiler won’t have problems with a build world/kernel cycle.

I’ve only used GCCs 3.x.x C and C++ compilers but I’m not partial, all I expect from a compiler is sufficient standards compliance to the current standards. GCC 3.4.6 might not be perfect but hey, it beats Microsoft’s C Compiler hands down last I tried it :-).

I used to collect some types of software, text editors, terminal emulators, shells, window managers, and sometimes even office suites but I never took to collecting C Compilers. Largely because I don’t want to sit and wait to compile one more often then needed haha.

Snake Eater

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Been playing through Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater of late, could probably have it beaten by breakfast time but I’m not interested in losing sleep over it (more then any thing else).

I left off just after Snake loses his eye and gets chucked in the cell.

I know perfectly well the hardest part of the game is the end lol. Snake gets the living crap beaten out of him when he’s captured and loses his eye trying to protect Eva. But that still leaves escaping the cell, destroying the Shagohod and Volgin. Including the run for ya life of them all.

Eva steering the motorbike while Snake deals with the army on their tails. While the character of Eva is arguably a great combination of beauty and ability, being almost skewered to death and bleeding out wouldn’t leave any one fit for combat.

Getting through the jungle with her in tow and the “Goon squad” is probably the single hardest part of MGS3, I remember the first time I played through it. I some what regretted that I never had time to pick up the M60, I found the light machine gun one night playing but was never able to get it later (forgot to save!). At least for Round #2 through the game there is The Bosses Patriot 🙂

Basically a weapon that makes the Colt Commando look a bit bigger while still clearly being an XM177 (prototype m4) family member. The C-Beta mag also has unlimited ammunitions so it’s as good as an M60 loool. Which will be good because the running firefight is one time when it will come in handy.

I’ve played the Metal Gear Solid games a long time, in fact MGS4 is one of very few reasons I’d ever care to get a PS3. I didn’t get into MGS to much until the VR Training missions game was released. I think my completion was like 295-297 missions or some thing like that. I got to be lethally proficient, training harder to fight easier :-). Metal Gear Solid 2 was great fun and I loved the additions. Although I think the plot could have used a little more work (seeing the twists coming).

The only problem with MGS3 is your stuck in the middle of a jungle and I’m used to sneaking in an urban environment. Spent most of the ‘classic sneaking through enemies, most of MGS2 mugging guards for dog tags and throwing them overboard xD. But MGS3, ambushing and knifing as necessary. The loss of the high tech sneaking suit and nano technology from MGS/MGS2 is not really a problem, it only made life easier sneaking through guards. And in MGS3 you get the next best thing, all the other high tech gizmos. Motion sensor, AP Sensor set to vibrate, not as good but handy from time to time. Considering MGS3 takes place in the 1960s it would probably have been as space age as the gear from the first Metal Gear Solid, but it still is just dead weight. From binoculars and a MK23 SOCOM to Thermal Goggles and a Knife 😉

The Jungles just not my bag for sneak past without dropping any but it’s a good game. It’s also great to see the legendary “Big Boss” in his youth. It’s quite a sad story though, I remember after finally completing it the first trip through.

It was nice to know that Snake and Eva got some time alone, without hundreds of soviet infantry on patrol. Especially considering how much the characters were put through, including Big Bosses eye… Kind of sad really but I think it makes it easier to snipe lol. And it ends with the cold hard facts, Evas betrayal, The Bosses real mission, and that the real aim of the ordeal was nothing more then to secure the Philosophers Legacy.

The story of “The Boss” is a sobering one, yet she was loyal to her country to the end. Is it really any wonder that after being granted the title of “Big Boss” for his success during Operation Snake eater that he eventually turns?

It’s been a long time but if I recall correctly, when Big Boss betrayed the Solid Snake we’ve all enjoyed destroying Metal Gears as. He was trying to create a warrior state with sufficient fire power to insure there independence or the destruction of any threats.

I look forward to MGS4 and the rest to come, and I wonder if Solid Snake will share Big Bosses final fate.


Writer’s Block: In this perfect world

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What is your idea of a perfect world? Why do you feel this way?

Live Journals Writer’s Block

Hmm, to ignore for a moment the usual ignore all political things policy I have for content here…

My idea of a more perfect world would be one with less fighting and more cooperation.

A single unified government and military across the world…

It’s always been my believe that political parties and “playing politics” is a waste of time. Whats right and what needs to be done is what should be done, if you go with what your party says and it is against what you feel is either, why bother?

People in power should use that power to make things better, not squabble over it. That is one thing I do like about FDR, during the great depression President Roosevelt went to work. He didn’t sit on his ass, he tried to solve problems and get people working on the right track.

As opposed to say, spending 8 years arguing back and forth between the Jackasses and the Elephants and getting nothing done. That’s what the world needs, people that will fight to make it a better place instead of bitch over the color of the bike shed!

If the world would work together, we could do so much more… The hungry? If every one did some thing they would be fed, The sick? If every one did some thing they could be cared for… But no, most of us do nothing… I remember comparasons in church of the people to the body of Christ. If the entire world could work towards a goal, it’s best minds, every nations resources, so much could be done.

I think if we had a single government, as opposed to one (or more) in every country it would be easier for us to focus.

Who cares if he is a different religion? Be it a Christian, Jew, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim. American, Russian, Japanese, African, white, black, polka dotted, apple or orange, man or woman it matters not so great, we are still one people! A human is a human, by any nationality, by any creed, by any sex. Work needs to be done, not on the national level but on the universal level.

But I think, knowing people.. That odds are such an idea of a unified mankind is only a possibility in the world of Science Fiction. I remember I once had an idea for a set of short stories, where we had begun to explorer space until one day a Chinese ship was destroyed by an alien craft.

The nations of the world forced to unite under one flag to stand against the invaders or die. The idea that I had, was that for each country two leaders would be elected. Each the head of their own (country sized) district. Like a Khan and SaKhan of the clans of BattleTech. One would stay and minister over the affairs of state while the senior of the two would represent the district in joint-council. Where every part of the alliance would have a chance to make there voices heard.

The biggest super powers, leading the road and the power of each vote being factored by the population count. Thus, countries such as The USA, Russia, and China (the 3 main earth factions in the stories) would hold enough sway to be interested in being involed. Yet calculated in such a way that they could still be opposed. Such a system ain’t perfect but when faced with annihilation it sure sounds nice eh?

Some of the designs I drew up for ships of war, were based on the concept that it was a hodge podge fleet. Made up of what ever forces each space-capable country could put together for earths defense, and the increasing attempts to build around a standardized group of tools. Each Marine with the same 6.4mm bull pup style assault rifle. Each ship with the same set of sabre and tri-star fighter craft and the like.

In fact, one of the short stories was to be a rescue mission to save the engineers behind the most successful technologies, the Sabre class fighter and the new ‘ship of the line’ that would create an Assault Frigate to be feared by the enemies capitol ships.

I honestly think, until such a threat or some other reason big enough to force us to do so. That the world will never stand united, unless they must stand as brothers and sisters in arms or become a field of corpses.

In World War II, the people in the US worked together. The soldiers went off to fight, those who stayed worked to give them the tools to win the war, almost every one helping. Today, I wonder if we could even muster half the effort of a few generations ago unless we too had such cause to take unified action. Let along a snow balls chance of the entire world cooperating for any thing but the most serious of goals.

A perfect world for ****me**** however, now that is an easy thought to think about. The things I want in life, nothing more.

Although, considering my families part in that… I think getting people into an human-wide organization for the betterment of the world would be easier lol.

It’s crowded in worship today
As she slips in
Trying to fade into the faces
The girls’ teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know
Farther than they know

CHORUS
But if we are the Body
Why aren’t His arms reaching
Why aren’t His hands healing
Why aren’t His words teaching
And if we are the Body
Why aren’t His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way
There is a way

A traveler is far away from home
He sheds his coat
And quietly sinks into the back row
The weight of their judgmental glances tells him that his chances
Are better out on the road

CHORUS
But if we are the Body
Why aren’t His arms reaching
Why aren’t His hands healing
Why aren’t His words teaching
And if we are the Body
Why aren’t His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way

Jesus paid much too high a price
For us to pick and choose who should come
And we are the Body of Christ

Chorus (2x)
If we are the body
Why aren’t His arms reaching
Why aren’t His hands healing
Why aren’t His words teaching
And if we are the body
Why aren’t His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way

Jesus is the way

— If We Are The Body, Casting Crowns

I think that song shows some what the problems of this world. And if you’ve ever seen a dedicated body at work you know what they can do…. Now if only it was on such a grand scale.

Day 1, the new doctrine

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Well I’ve gotten almost absolutely nothing done but it’s been a generally peaceful day, rather then a hectic one. I’m really not looking forward to work tomorrow either :-(, Mondays is afternoon to evening.

Still pushing “personal best” records for operating on a minimal of sleep. I don’t really have much problem, never really have been comfortable any way. What I miss at night I make up for the next day if necessary 0.o

Managed to get all of my pictures transfered to the file server by way of my desktops card reader. Only to end up having to take a few more later lol. Our cameras documentation does a bad job of assuming that your only ever going to use it with there Windows software but once the camera is set up to use USB/Mass Storage rather then USB/PTP it’s easy to use it 🙂

Just hooked it up to my laptops USB port and powered it on, simple FAT16 mount operation. The only problem though is only root can mount my da devices : so I’ll have to fix that later in devfs.* files.

My laptop has a card reader but sadly it doesn’t work with FreeBSD :-(. I still need to transfer the kernel over from my test machine to the test FreeBSD 7.0-Release install here so I can test one of the drivers… If that doesn’t work I need to look at trying to write a driver or give up on my dream of using my spare SD Card for file transfer :@

Coco and Willow

I still need to learn about touching up photo’s in GIMP, don’t think the dogs like being photographed lol. Then again I don’t really like being *in* pictures either, haha that reminds me of a picture of my Dad. He was working on the van, sticking his tongue out in disgust at Ma coming by with the camera <_<.

Spent some time in TG#3 kicking in with Flashbangs after lunch. Been at least a week since I’ve had a serious round but the rust don’t build that fast when you’ve had as many ours in the virtual shoot house as I have… Noah ran a Live Op this afternoon on TG#1; Most people were a bit disoriented that Wiz had team radar and team names disabled, we don’t usually train that way although we go in without team radar on Live Ops fairly often. I was like, ok he’s standing near our AoR, he’s holding a G36K, and he’s got a stock armpatch, and he more like Noer then JB so I knew who to follow.
Without the team names on it’s hard to tell who is who but between equipment, armmpatach, body language, and mission plan it is not impossible to do so in a tight element.

It was a good operation even if it went to pot fast.

The plan was that Wiz, Noer (EL+TL), and Me would move up to the first van and cover. While Bravo team (Ambu, JB (EL), and Noah) moved around the side alley to the store room. The tangos heard Bravo moving across the front door (our Point of Entry) and they blew the door out with a frag on us.

Noer ordered Bravo team to move in with Flashbangs and clear to store front while Alpha was to take over there AoR out back. So Wiz started off running and we dogged it to the west side of the map gunning down threats as they came. Not sure how many casualties were on Bravo but in Alpha we only had maybe one man injured (Noers Arm :).

We did a quick bang entry into the store room, passing along the left office wall. Our person of interest (1 of the hostages) came running out fleeing. I ducked my head into the room to see if there was any threat, because I might have to cover 90 degres to it’s left. Looked clear, was about to report that there was a second room inside over comms when a tango waltzed out. Put a burst of shots his way and as usual for RvS, none did squat, he ran through the bullets into the back room. And gunned down a second hostage and I could see the gun of another tango in there flagging around the corner 🙁

Live Op Failure.

It was nice to get to see *some* of the inside of the mission. I knew the map because I used it for Live Op “IRA Sting” like last year. But I spent that Live Operation out side with a Snipers Rifle rather then in a cushy TOC when the first entry team was gunned down by the get away driver 0.o

We might have failed the LO but it was well executed IMHO. Noer planned out the assault and coordinated the teams before we moved out and all we had for floor plans. Was a sketch (not very detailed) that Noah did of the area on a piece of notebook paper.

When that front door went up in smoke we had to do some thing, he sent in the closest team and swapped the AoRs to compensate. Taking us from a stealth infiltration to a dynamic blow and go. I think he did a fine job, it’s just that one of the hostages didn’t make it out :