Village Gamer (Tami being the head person) recently started up a monthly event called VINO… it’s like a gathering of the geeks for Vancouver.  *smirk*  Industry professionals from all branches come together for an evening of discussion, eating, drinking, and all around a good time.  With December’s event (the second one) coming up fast*** (I hear rumours of DJ music or Rock Band, but that’s still in the works), I think VINO is well on it’s way to being a great monthly event.

While I’m discussing Village Gamer, it seems that Tami is finally being recognized as a major Canadian News Site for the industry… a few weeks ago, she received a press copy of Dragon Age Origins (which I am sure Tami will tell you is one of her favorite games right now).  I think this is indication of great things for Village Gamer… all the hard work that Tami is putting into the site and it’s content might finally be starting to come back.

All in all, it’s been an interesting few months around the household, and I can’t wait to see what the new year brings… I imagine February will involve a lot of time spent NOT in Vancouver, so maybe February will be the time to finish the garage…?

*** NOTE: this has been written over the past few weeks while at work, to keep from damaging my desk with my forehead… so some events have already come and passed.  Might help if I remembered to send my txt files home before logging the work computer off for the night, but when you’re struggling just to keep up, stuff like that is the last thing on your mind.

I went from being a yard dawg (a position that I have known since I was 11) to being a Dispatcher, and a shipper for a major retail and distribution outlet for the Fraser Valley…  a bit of a major change in my life, but one I hope I can say I am adapting well to.  It also allows me time to focus some energy on projects outside of the Lumber Yard…  though admittedly, Tami is the one who does most of the work.

For the first time in 9 years, I got to see my best friend Tanis… someone who more often than not was reduced to being a voice on the phone, as distance made actual visits nearly impossible.  That voice on the phone was, for many years, my one voice of reason… a focus point to keep me sane on my little Island.  Well, as sane as one can remain when growing up over there.

A very good friend at work, who was also my then-primary means of travel to and from the store each day, instilled a small bit of fear on myself and the rest of my co-workers, when he was rushed into a triple heart bypass just over 3 weeks ago.  He’s pulled through fine though, and while he has not yet returned to work, I am certain that when he does, we’ll all be in trouble.

My young little cousin Stacia went and got herself married.  Mind you, I guess she’s not all that young anymore (none of us are), but since there were people at the wedding that I had not seen since my teen years (the bride and her sister included), she’ll always be the little kid at Christmas.

Gaming and animation recognition in Vancouver took another hit this past week… well, it’s taken several over the last year-ish, but this one is going to be the one that finishes off the year.

The Elans Awards, a scam awards show founded originally by Holly Carinci and Jack Weatherell, that Vancouver was subjected to for the past 3 years, decided that it was done with Vancouver (and Canada) and moved off to San Diego.  Good riddance as far as I’m (and many others are) concerned.  She is more than free to take her scamshow and go home.  We have dealt with Holly and her antics for some time now (much of it is available here on the site, and more yet will likely be made available soon), and the best thing that can happen to Vancouver and it’s Studios is for The Elans Awards to move as far away as possible, and never come back.  The antics of the producer (and her former “partner”) have polluted the industry for years… from bounced cheques, scamming webhosts and site designers, using show funding (provided by local businesses for the purpose of actually helping pay for a show) to pay for their own vices (bikes and partying come to mind), to general lying and badmouthing of companies in the Country that have worked hard to be where they are, only to be slandered for not jumping through hoops for the producers on a whim and bottle of wine.  The very idea that she has decided to move the show to another city in a different country shows that she has tapped the resources of this one dry, burning every bridge she has crossed along the way.  I sympathize to all the companies that are going to get tied up in this down in the States, but I congratulate Vancouver for managing to survive the worst thing to come to the industry in our Great City.  Better things are definitely coming… and none of them will have the name “The Elans” attached to them.  Do I sound resentful of this farce of an awards show? You’re damn right I do. I refuse to stand and support any group or event that is only out there to rape the industry in hopes of making a quick buck off the hard work of others.  To make a claim of being the elite in gaming awards shows is nothing more than a pathetic attempt to steal hard-earned money from game companies… many of which are struggling right now as it is… all so they can try to win a cheap pewter statue worth less than they had to pay out in order to be “nominated”… all the while stomping on the backs of those with talent and skill to recognize, all because they couldn’t afford to pay the entry fees (and then badmouthing those people behind their backs, calling them cheap and unprofessional).  The Spike Awards takes the time to notice what the industry has to provide, and recognizes them for it yearly.  Why support a second-rate awards show created by the same people who were busted for illegal trading and fined over $80,000, when you can support a real professional awards show like the one put on by Spike TV?  The Spike Awards is everything that The Elans wishes it could be but fails at, as well as everything that The Elans claims to be but lies about.

Things like not paying for the venue until the day of the show (and then badmouthing the venue for not letting people use it anyway) is bad form.  Bouncing cheques used to pay for services while badmouthing that same provider behind their backs is bad form.  Showing up to a show drunk, and continuing on from there is bad form (especially when it’s supposedly your show).  Using money that is supposed to be for a show to buy a motorcycle is not only bad form, its outright stupidity.  Mind you, stupidity seems to run rampant with the show and it’s producer anyway (its REAL producer, that is… personally, I don’t see how someone can be named as a founder of a show already in it’s 4th year, but whatever), so no real surprise there.  I also think it’s kind of stupid to badmouth someone really harshly behind their backs, using an email account on that person’s own server, then not bothering to delete those emails when you pack up and move during the cover of darkness while leaving bills outstanding with several companies.  Not that anyone would do that last thing, but if they did, I wonder if those other companies would like copies…

At any rate, do us a favour, Holly… don’t dent Vancouver’s door with your ass on the way out.  It might cause you some brain damage… and we don’t want to give any indication to Vancouver’s talent that you were ever even here.

It only takes two minutes to think about the sacrifice others have given, and are giving right now, for you to be here.   Tomorrow at 11 AM, give that time.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSmyoNg-fjE

Some people say, I’m a fighter
Some people hate what I do
I stand for my country
I stand for you

I got a family that loves me
They respect what I do
Try telling your child you’re leaving
Believe me it’s a hard thing to do

So, If I die don’t judge me
Cause, I will not judge you
And If I die, please accept it
Cause, I would die for you

We have our reasons
Rules, morals and beliefs
I won’t slander your opinion
I’m just searching for peace

So, If I die don’t judge me
Cause, I will not judge you
And If I die, please accept it
Cause, I would die for you

Now, from the headline there, you are probably expecting me to go into some rant about how it should be okay to tamper with Apple’s software because you are paying for the phone anyway.  Nope, not gonna go there.  So what’s the point in starting with such a controversial topic?  Well, hopefully over the next few paragraphs, I can explain further.

Apple is claiming that jailbreaking an iPhone will allow the user unlimited uncontrolled access to the cell towers, essentially giving them the ability to make free phone calls.  Yes, this is somewhat true, but HIGHLY misconstrued.  With a jailbroken phone, you COULD make free phone calls, and this has some cell providers very nervous.  Google is working hard to bring their new service, Google Voice, to cell phones everywhere.  And why shouldn’t they?  It’s a great service that allows you to be reachable on a single phone number, no matter where in the World you might be.  It’s like Skype times 2.  Cell phone services like AT&T are worried about this, thinking that it will pull their customers away.  What AT&T are not realizing is that yes, while a user can have Google Voice for making phone calls, they are still going to require some sort of data service to make it usable in non-WiFi locations.  So yeah, WiFi seems to be everywhere these days.  Have you tried to actually connect to any available City-wide WiFi services and use a streaming service like Skype Voice?  You may as well be using 2 cans and some string… work out the math when you have a thousand or so people on wireless… you might rank just slightly better than dial-up… if you’re lucky.  Don’t worry yourselves AT&T, people are still going to need your service… though I’m starting to wonder why.

Apple claims that jailbreaking their phones will give users unrestricted access to the insides of the phone’s Operating System.  Yep, that is actually true, and likely results in a lot of hard resets.  But only the dumbest of the dumb would actually go in there and screw around with something they don’t understand.  Okay, yeah, that sums up a good 80% of the population it seems (with a +/- of 15%, but those are the same people who take the cover off their electrical outlets so they can find out where the electricity comes from, and wake up an hour later in an ambulance commenting on how they didn’t think it would hurt to use a screwdriver on the screw with a wire attached.  Only the more educated and understanding of users would actually even know how to get into the operating system (here’s a hint for the lower-evolved… it doesn’t require opening the phone case), and what to do once they were in there.

Yes, Apple has every right to say to the user that jailbreaking is not allowed.  Heck, they’re right now trying to get the DMCA ammended to include jailbreaking as a form of copyright infringement (huh?).  But what harm is coming from the end user getting all the use out of their phone as they can?  The iPhone and iPod Touch have the opportunity to be the elite in PDA’s… what they don’t have is the functionality to be as big as they could be.  For everything you want the phone to do, you need to track down an App for it.  Can’t find one in iTunes because Apple already has a program that does something a little simular (I’m looking in your direction, Firefox)?  Tough luck then.  Maybe you have the coding skills to make an App that does exactly what you want… you’ll need to pay Apple for the right to make it, then the right to install it on your own phone… all this being based on whether Apple even approves the App in the first place.  Windows Mobile and RIM allow any user to install any program they want… yet Apple is locked right down.

When a user wants to jailbreak their phone, it’s not so they can screw over Apple, or pull one over on their cell service provider… it’s so that they can receive the functionality that the iPhone is capable of providing but that Apple has decided you don’t deserve.  It’s so users can install the Apps that THEY need, and not the Apps that Apple has told them they want.  If a user wants to install a program on the phone so that they can receive greater functionality from it, why not let them?  They know the BS about taking chances on it not working… let them make their own decisions.

While I would not go so far as some by comparing Apple to Hitler and the SS Army, I will go far enough to compare them to Microsoft (*shock* *gasp* *oh, the horror!*).  While Apple as long claimed to be the representation of all that is cool and hip with the computing world, they have begun to slip and fall from grace.  I guess things get lonely at the top.  While Microsoft is working to escape their Monopoly claims and work with the users to bring them what they want and need, Apple is moving in the opposite direction.  Prime example, the OS that the iPhone and iPod Touch run on is a trimmed down version of Unix, which in itself began as open source programming.  Now, you can’t even look at your own folders on it without jailbreaking the phone/iPod and using a third party program to browse the system.

So now I come back to the beginning… why you should jailbreak the iPhone.  Up to this point, I imagine that you were thinking I was talking to the average reader through the article.  Only partially… it’s primarily a direct address to Apple.  Why should you break the iPhone?  Well, because you should have already had it jailbroken when you gave it to us.  Bring back the rights for the user to install what they need, and reclaim your position at the top.  The longer you wait, the harder it’s going to be to dust off all the footprints from being trampled by all the others who have passed you by.

So Apple, Google Android has what it takes… do you?

(Are you confused, what with this article taking place after the last one?  I still really enjoy my iPhone… I just feel that it has the potential to be so much more, if only Apple were to allow it to reach it’s full potential.  Besides, you know how my mind works by now, I should hope.  )

So, on a whim (well, not so much, as I had been eyeing them up since the first generation was released), Tami and I headed into Abbotsford to visit James Kavin at the Rogers store (at Sevenoaks Mall, great service) and see about getting the new iPhone 3Gs.  After much discussion with the service representative about various methods to have the phone added to my account, we figured out a way to make it work well for both myself and Mike (who will soon be inheriting a new-ish HTC Touch Diamond).

Opening the box and turning it on for the first time, I was somewhat surprised by the speed.  Mind you, I have not had an older-gen iPhone to compare it to, but having come from a Motorola RAZR3, then to a Blackberry Pearl 8100, then to an HTC Touch Diamond, the 3GS was (to borrow from Rogers motto) Rocket fast.  Thus far, on initial testing the only problems I have encountered have been (and I will try to go into some detail as to why they are problems to me):

• Applications do not seem to like running in the background.  What I mean here is, when you have an Instant Messenger program running, and you go back to your home screen… well, it logs you out.  Many of them now support Push, and will send you an SMS when you receive a message while “offline”, but I personally like just being able to cycle between programs without them actually closing.  Background processes in Windows Mobile was one of its obvious selling features for me.  Especially since I tend to log into SSH from my phone to manage our servers, and having it log me back out each time I look at a different screen gets a bit tedious.
• Only being able to obtain LEGAL apps for the iPhone through the iTunes store.  That’s great, but you know, sometimes I want to help support those “basement coders” just as much as the people who sit in an office developing all day.  You will notice that I highlighted the Legal part there.  Yes I know that there are ways to bypass iTunes when installing Apps… so there is no need for anyone to comment reply this post with a walkthrough on jailbreaking, or on cracked apps… it’s not something we support here, and I am pretty sure if you walk into any Rogers/AT&T store and ask them about jailbreaking your iPhone, you’ll end up getting a 15 minute lecture on why they don’t allow it on their service.  Let’s not even begin to get into the specifics on what sort of risks you face with bricking your phone by going through that route.
• The inability to “browse” the phone files, like you can with Windows Mobile.  I understand that Apple is protecting their product, and trying to keep the average user from turning their shiny new phone into a Frisbee or a paper weight, but sometimes I like to be able to simply click on a file from an explorer window, and select “delete” without having to go through a resource-heavy program like iTunes.
• Syncing is a bit of a headache.  If you happen to make an iTunes App purchase from your phone, you will need to first “transfer your purchases” from your phone to your iTunes… even if the purchases where made on the same account.  If you fail to do this, the purchased App won’t be on your phone after you sync with iTunes.  I would think that a better design would have allowed for iTunes to store your App purchase history on their servers so that it just knew what was already purchased from your phone.  Or maybe to have the iTunes only sync newer content in both directions, so that nothing actually vanished from either end.  Wishful thinking I suppose.I am sure there are problems that I can come up with over the phone (I have not yet noticed the often-reported overheating issue yet,  but working in an office with A/C and not putting the GPS to much use thus far is likely one of the main reasons why), but I hear food cooking and all thoughts just sort of go out the window at that point.

Some of the definite selling points for the phone are:

• The screen is large.  With the screen taking up 90% of the front of the phone, it makes it very easy to both navigate and read sites.  I found on the HTC that, while the screen was a decent size, a lot of sites required several zoom selections and a lot of scrolling in order to read even the most basic of sites.  iPhone is a winner here.
• The camera takes phenomenal pictures.  With a 3MP builtin camera, the pictures that I’ve taken are right up to par with the standard $100+ digital cameras you would find on the market.  I admit, it’s no SLR camera by any means, but when you need a camera fast, it’s a good way to go.  And now that they have brought about digital video recording as well, any superiority that the HTC had in this area has been lost.  Good move on Apple’s part.
• The GPS is awesome.  Being a typical male *cough*, asking for directions isn’t exactly my forte… and the HTC tended to take as long as 5 minutes to locate GPS satellites before it could tell me where I was.  Usually by that point, I would have either been mugged, or found a coffee shop to ask how to get back to “the good part of town”.  The GPS on the 3GS, for one reason or another that currently escapes me, takes seconds… the longest I have had to wait so far was just under a minute… and this was while in my office at work (yeah, I get bored in there sometimes and need a reminder that yes, I am still at work).  While it only comes with Google Maps integrated (I would have liked to see some sort of Tom-Tom-like interface that could tell me that I need to turn left at the next corner, instead of assuming I know how to read a map), the gyrometer that the 3Gs now uses allows for “on the fly” map rotation, allowing me to always know which way is actually North, based on the direction I am facing.
• A very large portion of iPhone apps are actually developed right here in Canada.  While this may not exactly be an iPhone or an Apple perk, it’s most certainly one for Canada.  Kudos to Canadian App coders!
• Many of the Apps are actually reasonably priced.  Yes, you do have to sometimes pay for the programs you want… but with the literally thousands and thousands of Apps available on iTunes, it wouldn’t be too hard to find exactly what you are looking for.  Sure, there are a few out there that are… well, I guess I could say unreasonably priced, but you encounter that anywhere you go.  I can justify the higher prices on some Apps by simply pointing out that you’re probably still saving money over buying new hardware that does the exact same thing… and only that thing.  So overall, you’re likely still ahead.  And if not, just be determined and keep hunting for a cheaper version.

Overall I am thus far very impressed with the investment.  While it is of course open to improvement (as any piece of hardware would be), it’s certainly a very sleek and smooth-working piece of equipment.  I would avoid just calling it a phone, as it’s become very obvious that we have since moved away from the basic cell phones that were strictly for calls, and the new “mini computers” that we get now.  Apple is well on their way towards dominating the cell market with this release, and I can’t wait to see what they can come up with next to top it.  Expect to hear more from me on this phone as things progress and I discover new and exciting ways to break an iPhone. 

Out of my own curiousity, what do you (the readers) consider to be a “must have” application for the phone, assuming you have one.  Don’t have one?  What would be a definite required application you would want on one if you did?

Tami and I went to see the new Tom Hanks movie the other night… Angels And Demons.  Now, while a lot of people are claiming this to be a sequal to The Da Vinci Code, the book (and the timeline) actually takes place beforehand.  I still haven’t quite figured out if the movie is, though.  They reference a few times his (Professor Landon) past dealings with the Church… now, whether this is hinting at the events of Da Vinci, or just some random past event, I can not say.  The movie as a whole though, I felt was very well done, if not somewhat rushed.  Not rushed in the sense of missing out on the plotline altogether, but just… rushed.  They movied quickly from one point to the next, leaving little time to actually digest what had just happened.  There were a few points in the movie that actually seemed blurred… while they are dealing with one point, a second and third get thrown out there as well, almost as an afterthought.  It all tied together nicely by the end of the movie though, and even left you guessing just a little as to who the “bad guy(s)” really are.  You think you have it all figured out (thinking that it’s some weak plotline just to make sales), then wham, big twist at the end and you’re left thinking “Oh my gawds, how did I miss that???”.  It even has you going over the movie again in your head, with the realizations that you did actually miss those little hints and clues that lead to the final outcome… as a single hint, it’s meaningless… but once you put them all together, it’s like the Fort Knox of secrets playing out.
I am curious as to how the Church is going to react to the movie.  Its not like it’s Anti-Christian or Anti-Vatican… there’s even a nice little piece at the end where Landon (Hanks) realizes that things aren’t really all that bad in Vatican City.  the movie definately does say a lot about the (alleged) secrets of the Vatican vaults, leaving one to wonder (yet again) just how much might really be hidden by the Church.

Anyhow, on to the personal part of my bi-annual post.  You know, the part that usually signifies the fact that I’ve been working on a post for around a week, and just never actually got around to posting it (this is, of course, one of those cases).  To put it simply, I feel like crap.  Have for about a week now, off and on.  I blame John at work.  Why?  He was sick, and I see him at work once in a while… therefore I have decided to make the connection between him bringing the plague to work, and myself now feeling “bleh”.  My blog, my right. 
These 4:30 AM morning are starting to wear thin… I know there are some people who like the idea of starting real early, and getting off work in the early afternoon as a tradeoff… I’ve never been a morning person, so this new schedule is REALLY starting to get to me.  Not to mention that I notice myself snapping at people more at work.  It’s not their fault that I’m not a “people person”, so I should probably be spending more time appologizing to them for my temper… but I noticed today that by snapping once, I actually managed to get something to happen the way I had planned it, as opposed to how the salesman decided to make it at the last second.  I think I just miss spending time outside, and less time locked down in a little office… even if it is one with windows.

At any rate, I have a real packed day tomorrow, so I should probably get this posted and head for a shower and bed.  Hope that my 2 or 3 readers are doing well, and managing to avoid the bug going around.  Take care of yourselves, and see you all again in a few months… you know, when I get around to posting again. 

So lets just jump right into it with the major highlights, shall we?

Last week (it was Wednesday that everything went down), everyone at my job was called into a meeting with our store manager, human resources person, and all the floor managers.  Not exactly the sort of meeting I wanted to take part in, but it was something that I think most of us predicted coming along.  The first thing I noticed, was that two people were not present at the meeting.  The yard manager, and our store shipper/dispatcher.  While the Yard Manager being missing wasn’t a massive impact, I am torn on the other.  Greg (the shipper) was someone that I and Tami considered a friend.  Sure, I didn’t really see him outside of work, and the only time that she really saw him was when she was dropping off invoices… but he still brightened the day a little bit.  It was fun to come to work in the morning and just chat with him for the 5 or 10 minutes before starting my day, hearing about how his weekend was, or his trips into the interior, or the cabin he and Debbi planned on building for weekend getaways.  Just in general, he was a nice part to my job.  On Wednesday, his employment at Curtis Lumber was terminated, and he wasn’t there anymore.  Instead, I was moved into his office, and essentially given his job.  Not exactly the way I wanted to get a promotion…. but things have happened that I do not have the power to change, so I have to simply accept it and move forward.  At least one of the perks is that I am now off work at 2:30… or supposed to be, anyway.  I’m finding that its usually closer to 3:30 before I actually book off… but at least I’m showing dedication to learning the job and trying to make sure that everything is ready to go for the afternoon and following morning.  But just the same… Greg, I don’t know if you will ever actually see this, but you are missed by the staff at Curtis Lumber… don’t loose touch.

I see that The ELANS have yet again changed their date for the show.  No shock there, as that gives them a few more weeks to try and take people for… I mean, to bring in additional funding for their show.  It actually makes me sick to my stomach to think about what these two “people” are doing… in a time when there are layoffs all over the industry, and companies all over the Lower Mainland and the rest of the country are struggling just to keep their heads above the water, that these two come along and take them for more money under the cover of “buy your way into an awards show”… something that these companies shouldn’t even have to do.  Their work speaks for itself, and they shouldn’t be having to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars just for a little statue.  Try helping the industry, instead of leaching off it, like you did to people with Tech Investments Inc.  Looking at it logically, how many real award shows change their date so often, all so close to the “actual” date, all the while claiming that it’s to help people get submissions in easier?  The reality is likely closer to their funding not being available for the show due to it being spent on other things.  Wonder how much that new Harley of Jack’s cost…?

We finally got most of the garage cleaned out… okay, thats exagerating a bit.  We cleared a path from one end to the other.  But this is a huge step towards the possibility of converting it into a soundproof games room.  Either that, or we leave it as a storage garage and instead work on building a nice new sunroom off the kitchen.  Either way, I predict a LOOOONG summer ahead.

Vancouver recently hosted a visit from some executives for WCG Worldwide.  Why were they here?  To summarize it, there are some people working real hard to bring WCG’s attention to Vancouver as a possible host city.  Unfortunately, the reputation of two previously mentioned people caused some damage to the reputation for the City, and by the time that it was pointed out that those two are most definitely not associated with the city or it’s Industries (and most definitely not Tami or I or our company), the damage had already been done.  We only hope that they open their eyes to what Vancouver really is, and that the actions and scams of a few do not represent the city as a whole.  Vancouver is an amazing city full of some of the World’s most talented people.  To have the actions of two scammers destroy what all those other people have put their lives towards working on is just… sickening.  Especially when they are doing it under the guise of running an awards show claimed to showcase that very same talent.

Overall, its been a pretty interesting few weeks.  I can hardly wait to see what gets thrown in my direction next.  Expect many rants when such things do take place.  Other than that…

Later.

Wow, was I mistaken. From having to wait for months to get a payment, to lies about the delays, to cancelled meetings at the last minute, to actual insulting emails and threats being sent to us because we do not and have never provided the service they are suddenly demanding from us. Well, I’m sorry to the producers, but I’m not a psychiatrist, so I can’t help you with your problems, any more than I can provide free website management to you, all because you think you’re more important than the rest of the planet.

I had not heard of a boiler room until recently. It’s enlightening that my first experience with the term was when someone else in the local Industry sent me a link to The ELANS own Jack Weatherell being found guilty of operating a Boiler room by the BC Securities Commission, and charged $25,000 ($33,219 total, after including legal fees) in 2000 (links further down). Is this someone we want to be associated with? I am left wondering how much of their thousands and thousands of dollars in sponsorship money is actually being invested into the show, and how much is being skimmed off the top by the producers. It supports that theory when hearing from some of the people involved in last year’s show, who have pointed out that some are still owed money. Let’s not forget the day of the show, when we were told by the Center that we could not even enter the venue to set up for the show, because the Producers had not yet even paid for it’s usage. And, while at a recent networking event in Vancouver (one of many that we attend, as we are friends with most of the people there), we took some time to chat with a friend at another company, only to be notified by Holly later that we had no right to speak with him and that we are not to do so again. That one really bothered me… that they feel that because they pay us for webspace and bandwidth, they also have the right to dictate who we can talk to, and what we can talk about. Sorry your highness, but you do not own us, and we will associate with whomever we so choose… which is likely not going to be either of you.

I sympathize with those whose email addresses were farmed by these two, and added to a non-opt-in emailing list. I apologize especially to Andy Dunn (zman), whose name and address was farmed from linkedin, resulting in spammage from Holly and Jack, and his having to “lock down” his profile on there, potentially blocking out possible legitimate contacts (see below for the link).

To be warned in advance to not work with these two people is one thing, but we made a choice not to listen to those warnings, and now we are stuck with the headache of having these leeches attached to our company. I can only feel relief that all they screwed us out of was $150 contract payment, and our time maintaining a site that they either could not figure out for themselves, or could not be bothered to take the time and learn (yes, we offered on several occasions to show them how to manage their site, only to have them cancel at the last minute every time, yet constantly send us “updates” that they demanded be posted right away… something they could have done for themselves, but decided that it should be a service we provide to them, even though it was never a part of the agreement).

The truth of the matter, plain and simple… these two are scam artists to the core, sucking whatever they can from those who mistakenly get close enough, then throwing them to the side once they are done with them. Jack’s history with the Securities Commission is warning light number one to avoid them… if he was so quick to take thousands and thousands of dollars from innocent people then, how is what he is doing now any different? Simple answer, it’s not. It’s truly a reality check when people you thought that you could trust turn out to be nothing more than manipulative liars. I don’t want anyone else to find out about Jack and Holly the same way we have. Take this advice, do your research, and draw your own conclusions. But let me tell you, it doesn’t take $250 to send a game to 5 people… especially when you have to supply them with a copy of the game in advance. Where is all of this money going, if not to actually pay the people they owe it to for their show? Once you factor in that they also are charging an additional $250 just for a ticket to the show… well, the math doesn’t add up (what one person would go through 350 dollars in seafood and champagne, just to find out if they won a $100 pewter trophy?). Lets not even begin to mention (okay, let’s) the fact that in order to submit your game for “nomination” (seems more like having to buy your way into the awards), you MUST send the producers 7 copies of the game for each category you buy into, so that they can be sent to the 5 judges. Wait a minute, there’s that math again. Where do the other 2 copies go? And do the nominators get their games back when it’s all done? So, lets work some numbers. $250 to enter, plus lets say $45 per game (oh, how I wish new games only cost $45) times the 7 copies you must provide. So right now, we’re at 565 just to enter into a category. Want to watch your game win? That’ll cost you an additional $350… that’s right people, the right to attend the show you just sent your 7 games to in hopes of winning a pewter statue is going to cost you another $350. So, we’re now up to $915 just to win an award. They call this an appreciation towards the gaming industry. To me, it looks more like a financial raping. I haven’t even bothered to factor in the hundreds or thousands of dollars that would have to be spent on airfare/travel fees and hotel rooms, for those who don’t have the convenience of living in the host city of Vancouver.

I wish I could tell the World what these two people have to say about those who do NOT “donate” thousands of dollars to buy a sponsorship package… if only there was a way to do so without revealing sources.

But do your own investigating.

How they build their “Opt-In” list (by the way, Opt-In lists are supposed to be built based on people requesting to be placed on it, and not by farming addresses from webpages… Jack and Holly are building their list using the same tactics that are used to send 90% of the spam you receive in your email accounts):

• http://www.indiegameguy.com/blogs/zman/archive/2008/08/15/using-linkedin-as-an-email-collection-tool.aspx

And here’s some great reading on Jack’s history with stealing money from people (Anyone who talks with Jack Weatherell, ask him to explain Tech Investments Inc, and who Ross Kain and Rodney Degroot are):

• http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=1c2313a7-4534-4ba4-93b8-a149afd32fd5
• http://www.bcsc.bc.ca/comdoc.nsf/comdoc.nsf/webpolicies/994CEBD38425C40188256A5000686E86?OpenDocument
• http://www.bcsc.bc.ca/comdoc.nsf/AllByUNID/B2193EE581FD9CED8825698F00625471?opendocument
• http://www.bcsc.bc.ca/release.asp?id=803

The above links simply show that Jack Weatherell doesn’t care about the people he works with… he only cares about the money they have, and what he has to do in order to get to it from them, even if that risks leaving them with nothing. A true user and manipulator.

So what do I want? I’ve certainly given up on the money they agreed to pay, especially after sending us an NSF cheque, then telling us that we should be happy to have even gotten that (provided a picture for your viewing pleasure, just to show that they were happy enough with the product to send a cheque, but for some reason the thousands that they are bringing in for submissions and sponsorships just doesn’t seem to stay in their account long enough to cover the expenses they are ringing up). Do I want them off our servers? Yes, but they made the choice to pay for the full year (albeit at a VERY discounted rate, and 4 months late), so I will continue to give them the service that they pay for. What I really want, is for the rest of the World to know just who Jack Weatherell and Holly Carinci really are. I hope that soon, they all do… before it ends up costing them thousands of dollars, lost to 2 people well on their way to becoming among Vancouver’s worst scam-artists. In the unstable economy of today, people’s money should go towards legitimate purposes, and not have to be invested in buying your own award when you fully deserve to be given one (its called an award for a reason, after all).

I wonder how much the SpikeTV Video Game Awards cost to enter…? Or The Grammys. Or The Junos. Or The Oscars. The list goes on, but I imagine the result is the same… no matter what you invest into entering, you at least come out with something much better than these two are providing.

Recently, there was a video game tournament held in Vancouver called Vanlan. The ELANS reminds me more and more of that tournament every time I think about it. Even the people that run both events are the same. Take the money and run.

I know that our other customers have not seen what Jack most recently said to us in regards to them, but just the same I apologize for his statements. If it ever comes down to it, you all will of course come first, and he can take his illegal stock selling, email spamming, and bad attitude and find another host who will provide him with the space, bandwidth, and 4000+ outgoing messages per email spam blitz and find another host to take for a ride.

And, for your viewing pleasure, I give you my $150 custom coding payment:

        Lets start with the basics, shall we? Snow sucks. It sucked when I was growing up, it still sucks now. It’s cold, it’s wet, and it fucks things up when you have to work in it. On a plus note though, it does create it’s own work, as I’d probably be bored as fuck at work if not for all the snow removal we get to go through now.

        Next up, agreeing to projects without payment in advance. Yeah, I thought I had learned about that earlier in the year, when we had to wait from July 10th (when a price was agreed to) until November 7th (when we actually got paid, after months of “its on it’s way” “its in the mail” “We’ll get it to you tomorrow”) for our last payment, but stupidly I agreed to take on a smaller project from the same people (within days of our company finally being paid) at an agreed to price of $150. This was November 4th. I kept my end of the deal, and delivered to them what was requested. Did I get paid? Not yet, I haven’t. Same excuses as we got before, of course… except for an added bonus. They actually sent me a cheque just before Christmas for the full ammount. And the funny, it bounced worse than a rubber ball. That led to me getting fed the line “We’ll have it to you by Christmas, promise”. Uh huh. You may have noticed that Christmas has come and gone, and I just recently got another email saying that it’ll be in my bank account tomorrow. Funny how I get replies to my money requests ONLY when they have problems with their email. Now, I’m not going to name names here, because that would just be cruel, but I will point out that these people are supposed to be running a “Major” awards show… something that will obviously cost into the tens of thousands… yet they won’t pay their own bills for months at a time? There have been rumours that last years show hasn’t even been fully paid off yet… so I wonder where the sponsor fees are going this year? Again, not gonna name names… of course, it wouldn’t be OVERLY difficult to track down who it is, if you are so interested. To summerize… if you have no intention of actually paying someone for work when you say you are going to, don’t waste that person’s time. Especially if that person has control of a series of buttons that can do terribly nasty things to your website and email hosting. You know, just as a suggestion.

        Something else I learned… well, I kind of already knew it, but it’s most definately been confirmed without any shadow of a doubt. UK Rock Bands are awesome. Those of you who have not yet checked out Mendella (who played at our annual Gaming LAN Tournament in August), WHY HAVEN’T YOU??? Tom, Jay, Toby, Sam, Lewis, Luke, Dave (Dad), and Jo (Mom) are absolutely amazing people, and it was an honour and priviledge to host their visit to BC in August… I can not wait to work with them again, or even just visit with them.They’re playing a New Years eve show in Barnstaple UK, so if you are anywhere near there, you better damn well go to the show!

        And more. SIGGRAPH rocks.The Vancouver Chapter recently hosted a charity event… all proceeds went towards the food bank. The actual event featured a World Premiere screening of “The Tale Of Despereaux”, over a full week before it was actually shown in theatres. Now, how cool is that? You can read Tami’s review of it atVillage Gamer (yeah, that’s right, I’m lazy… she’s so good at writing, that I could never top it anyway). I’ve been a member of SIGGRAPH for a while, and their events always amaze me, be it the films they show, the speakers they bring in, or just the way they support the industry as a whole. The gaming and movie industry in Vancouver is huge, and SIGGRAPH is always managing to bring in the big names to dazzle us.

        Whuzzis? You’re still here? Wow… you must be bored. Anyway, that’s a pretty quick summery of some of the things I learned through 2008… at least half of which I hope to carry on through 2009. I’m certain that there were many more things that I “learned”, but they were likely so common that everyone else in the World already knew it, and I was just slow to figuring it out. So, now that you’ve made it to the end of this little clip, I can feel good knowing that I actually added some content to this graveyard, and can go downstairs to get a drink.

        Thanks for visiting, and come back soon.

On a side-note, I finally started to process some of the video that was shot while the Mendella crew were here visiting… with that, I give you a small sample… Mendella Invades the 2008 Abbotsford International Airshow.

What started off as a wet morning turned rather suddenly into an outright downpour. But, thanks to some quick thinking and creativity of the sound and tech crew (Curtis and Ryan from Sonic Voodoo Productions), promoter and owner of VillageGamer Tami, and “space occupier and video camera person” Scott, a very large tarp was strung out over the field, giving the feeling of watching a concert inside a circus tent. Thus it was born, “Under The Tarp Productions: Always A Unique Show”. While the wind battered at our defenses of black poly from the sides and rear of the stage, the rain tried to bring down our shelter. Still the band played on, and in moments of true creativity, even added it into the act. Lead singer Tom “Butters” occasionally changing around lyrics of their songs to reference “the rain keeps coming down” (and down and down), while “set design and emergency water management” Scott (that’s me, people) scrambled to pop various small holes in the tarp to drain the growing lake forming overhead in the low points of the shelter. Drummer Toby Parker was even supplied some “backup beats” from the thunder in the distance, which simply added to the effect of “Rain or shine, we come to rock your (soaking wet) socks off!”.

All in all, a great time was had by all under the tarp, and the band, while braving the weather during the “breakdown” of the set and packing of the gear, had nothing by wonderful things to say about our lovely province and it’s people… although I think there may have been some mumbling in the background about how the rain finally let up for a few minutes during the very last song, only to start again once the packing started.

I think that it is a very safe bet to say that these boys are destined for super-stardom… and they are well on their way. Thank you Mendella for showing Aldergrove a great time, and we will all be watching for you in the record stores next year. Enjoy the remainder of your stay in Beautiful Sunny British Columbia, and we hope to see you here again real soon.

* NOTE * Mendella will be playing another show in Vancouver, on Wednesday August 13th at the Roxy (932 Granville St). They are set to take the Stage at 8:30 PM, so come out and show your support for this amazing band.

Mendella is:
(Bass and Supporting Vocals) Jude Davies
(Rhythm Guitar) Green Jay
(Vocals) Butters
(Lead Guitar) Chappell
(Drums) Toby Parker
(Tech) Luke Matthews
You can (and SHOULD) check out their music and profile on MYSPACE

It was an honour to work with this band, as well as with Dave and Jo while they were here in BC, and I look forward to the time when I can work with them again. Enjoy the ride to the top, boys… you’ve earned it.

DSL… Less than a week away.  Just a few more days, and we’ll be packing up the vehicle(s) to prepare our trip into Vancouver for DSL ’08, ready for an early morning departure.
Okay, maybe not really early… probably closer to 10 or 11… but you get the idea.  With some great prizes, and an amazing band who will be playing a live concert there on Saturday night, this will definately be an experience to remember.

I managed to get a few days off this past week… not exactly by choice, though.  Stepping off my firklift on Monday, I somehow managed to either twist wrong or bent wrong or something, because as my foot made contact with the ground, I got this sudden pulling/tearing feeling just below my shoulder blades.  Nice, huh?  It gets better.  Being the typical guy, I decided that whatever it was couldn’t have been too serious, and reported it to the shift supervisor, and kept on working to finish out the day.  Not one of my better ideas, but whatever.
So Tuesday comes along, and things are not happy.  By noon, it hurt to even move… my firklift seat didn’t really help the situation much, what with forklifts not having any shocks.  Headed to the chiropractors, and after some interesting tests, find out that I had 3 vertibre and 4 spinal ribs out of place that had to be “repositioned”.  Yeah.  OWW!  But wow, did it feel good after.  They couldn’t do anything about my neck for that visit, as its a WCB claim (and the neck is not part of the report), but my back felt great after.  Of course though, I can’t return to work until they say it’s okay, so here I am sitting at home at 11 AM on a Thursday waiting… and waiting… and waiting.
Meanwhile, I just know there’s stuff to be done at work, and that it’s probably superhellainsanebusy… and I’m here, waiting.  Even after I get out of the office, it’ll be close to 3 PM… by the time I got to work, it’d already be 4, and the place closes at 5:15 (can we say pointless trip?).  Theoretically, WCB will cover the 2ish days I’ll be off.  A slight redesign on the forklift would be nice too, as that seat really does NOT help any.
I’m not really sure if they follow this, but I would like to congratulate Matt and Rachel on settling on a (apparently) nice appartment to move into.  I say apparently, because as I write this, I have not yet seen the pictures and can only go on Rachel’s description on her livejournal.  Either way, congratulations you too!  I do NOT envy your next few weeks as you sort and pack and sort and move and sort and unpack and throw away and… well, you get the idea.

As you’ve probably guessed, this blog post was done over the course of… ogh, about a week.  So if you’re confused about the jumping around the calendar thing, let me straiten it up for you real quick.
Journey review: July 21st-ish
DSL blurb #1: July 24th
Back Owwie stuff: July 24th
DSL #2: July 29th
So yeah… about a weekish or so to get this typed.  I guess that’s just how I work.

At any rate, I doubt I’ll be blogging again this week.  I may post from the LAN, but I commit to nothing at this point.  If anything, I’m certain I will have pictures, video, and stories to post when I get back, so be sure to either subscribe to the blog, or check back regularly.  A good, sleep-deprived time is sure to be had by all. 

Later.

…

Are we ever?

Thanks to some incoming assistance from some friends, a lot of stress has been taken off our shoulders, allowing us to focus on other parts of the event, as well as the dozen or four other projects that all suddenly popped up.

Umm… yay?

So, we’ve gone to see a few movies since my last post.  Indiana Jones And The Crystal Skull, Hancock, and Wall-E (which we caught last night in Abby).  Thoughts?  I was actually impressed, for the most part.  I’ll explain a bit here, without spoiling the movies.

Indy.  Well, other than the weird-ish ending, it was a fairly well-done movie, I thought.  Yeah, they deterred from their usual topics of chasing after Xtian relics, and into a mythical outlook (or a different mythical outlook *wink*), and it’s sad to find out that the actual real life Crystal Skull(s) were found to be fake, but overall it was pretty good.  Shia LaBeouf could very easily take on Indiana’s legacy as a treasure hunter, and I think that the movie may have actually left that option open.  I guess it’s whether Lucas and Spielberg are in need of a new gold-plated Mercedes or not.
Speaking of gold plated… HOLY CRAP HANCOCK!!  I have heard a lot of bad reviews about this movie, but honestly, I came out of it happy.  Why?  Other than the fact that everything that Will Smith touches on a July long weekend turns to solid gold, it was like Superman with actual human traits… primarily the flaws.  Sure, one of the flaws was the ability to put back a 40 pounder of any hard alcohol like we drink water… then take out a sign or two while flying drunk… but it brings up the question “If you had the power to save people over and over and over… would you still do it when they stopped thanking you?”.  Throughout the movie, it also moves (somewhat slowly in points) towards the idea of one person being able to change the world.  Yeah, in this movie, part of that seems to involve destroying buildings, cars, trains, streets, people… you know, change the world one piece at a time.  Great ending though (no, I will not spoil it).  Some of it was disgustingly predictable, but overall, I enjoyed it enough that I would seriously like to see it again when it comes out on DVD.
Wall-E.  Great animation, although a bit more “cartoonish” than a lot of the Pixar movies we’ve seen lately, and a strong storyline that remains consistent throughout the movie.  The downside to the storyline?  Well, while the movie was obviously done to market primarily to kids, a lot of the storyline was a bit on the mature side for them (like a lot of “cartoons” now).  It weighed heavily on the Environmental impact humanity has made on the planet, and what it takes to make it better.  Now, this may spoil part of the movie, but it (the movie) also takes a quick jab at American Lifestyle… as people depend more on junkfood and machines, and less on such strenuous tasks as walking, what happens to their bodies?  Hover chairs, though… gotta get me one of those.  The movie touches peoples hearts a few times, like when Wall-E (obviously the main character) starts to… wait, can’t tell that without spoiling things.  Just be ready to tell the kiddies that everything will be alright… Pixar wouldn’t hurt their pocketbooks… I mean, their characters like that.  they did a nice touch of using live action “movie reels” inside the cartoon to give that feel of looking back on “old Earth”… something that, so far as I am aware of anyway, Pixar had not done for any of their other movies.
Oh, and you adults will also get to see a few mini-references to 2001-A Space Odyssey in the movie, so be watching (like you could miss these).

So what’s up in my personal life, other than DSL?  Well, some of the things, I can’t… actually… say.  Well, I can, but I would probably get in trouble and be moved to the couch until after the things are over… that’s a long time, and I’m not THAT into our new couch.  One of the things that I can talk about though, is how creeped out I was the other day at a customer that came into work… she was, I kid you not, airport security’s worst nightmare.  I mean, piercings in moderation is one thing (though not really MY thing), but DAMN, she probably breaks a sweat whenever she’s within 15 feet of a magnet.  She had, and I am not making this up, like 3 in her eyebrow, two in her lower lip, and two in her upper lip, she had both sides of her nose pierced, the center ring (why?  Well, why the hell not.. she’s already going for a 50/50 flesh to metal ratio), she of course had her ears turned into a pin cushion, and the trademark tongue piercing… and that was only what we could see (without asking, which I certainly had no intention of checking into).  Why would someone trash their body like that?  I mean, fine, pierce your ears… but know where to draw the line.  Maybe I’m just alone in thinking that when I look at someones face, I don’t want to be looking at shiny crap ON the face.  Plus, and I mentioned this earlier… imagine what damage could be done if they were to be near one of those big car magnets… or an older microwave.  So, how much do you want to bet that she screams and yells when she gets a paper cut or a sliver? 

At any rate… yeah, piercings and tattoos have never really appealed to me, and this example just made me… ick.  Other than that, it’s mostly SSDD syndrome in the NightStorm way of life.  Things are going well, and they’re of course going to just get better as time progresses.  Check back over the next few weeks, because there’s going to be some awesome announcements coming.  I wish I could make them now… but, well… couch.

Also, check out Tami’s blog (or villagegamer.net), as she’s reviewed a couple of great books on there in the last week or two (well, a lot more than a few, in a much greater length of time, but a couple stand out in my recent memory of 7 days… that’s about all I’m good for right now) that I suggest people check out.  Especially people who like, play, or live within 100 miles of someone who plays, video games.  That’s all of you, for the record.  Just in case you missed that.

Below is the official press release sent out by the United States Department Of Justice.  I’d just like to take a second to thank everyone who helped on this case, as well as Tami (of course) for riding this out to the end.

I think it’s time to breath a heavy sigh of relief.  One less headache. 
 

Department of Justice

Eastern District of California

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                           CONTACT: Lauren Horwood

Tuesday, June 10, 2008                          PHONE: (916) 554-2706

www.usdoj.gov/usao/cae                          lauren.horwood@usdoj.gov

Docket #: 07-cr-442-LKK

COMPUTER HACKER PLEADS GUILTY AND AGREES TO TWO YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced today that GREGORY KING, 21, of Fairfield, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Lawrence K. Karlton to two counts of transmitting code to cause damage to a protected computer. As part of the plea agreement KING agreed to a two-year prison sentence.

This case is the product of an extensive investigation by the FBI, whose agents analyzed Internet logs, executed search warrants, performed forensic analysis of KING’s computers, and took KING’s confession. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew D. Segal, a member of the U.S. Attorney’s Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (CHIP) Unit, prosecuted the case.

According to Segal, KING admitted to using a “botnet” to conduct distributed-denial-of-service (DDOS) attacks against two different Web sites: Killanet and Castlecops. A botnet is a network of malware-infected, zombie computers (bots) that can be used to conduct DDOS attacks, send spam, and commit fraud over the Internet. Bots are also used to infect other computers and thus propagate the botnet. The owners of the infected computers do not know that their computers have been infected with “botware,” but their computers can nonetheless be secretly directed by the “bot herder,” the person in control of the botnet. In a DDOS attack, a bot herder directs the bots to flood a victim computer with information and thereby disable the target computer.

Known online as Silenz, Silenz420, sZ, GregK, and Gregk707, KING admitted to controlling about 7,000 bots and using them to DDOS attack Killanet and Castlecops. Killanet, an interactive forum where members share advice on graphic design, Web design, photography, and gaming was DDOS-attacked in 2004, 2005, and 2006. Castlecops is an Internet security community specializing in anti-phishing, malware analysis, and combating spam; it was DDOS-attacked in 2007.

On October 1, 2007, FBI agents went to KING’s residence to arrest him. After agents knocked on the front door, KING exited the back door, hid a laptop computer in the backyard, and then returned to answer the front door. Pursuant to a search warrant, the laptop was seized and searched. It contained, among other things, botnet software and references to KING’s various Internet monikers.

The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Karlton on September 3, 2008 at 9:30 a.m. The maximum statutory penalty for this violation is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables and any applicable statutory sentencing factors.

    Why?

    I went out to the bar last week with Tami to celebrate her birthday, and experienced first-hand, that which is to be the future of mankind… the hope for our species as a whole.

    …

    We’re doomed.

    …

    The band that played are old friends of Tami’s, and go by the name of "Cease and Desist".  They also put on a show, where they dress up as the singers of the songs they cover (for example, they do an amazing cover of "Maggie May" by Rod Steward, while the lead singer dons the wig and clothes to match) as "Atlantic Crossing", but they didn’t do that for this show.  So yeah, they’re a cover band… but a GREAT cover band.  The part that left me with an empty feeling for society?  The kiddies that were in the bar at the time.  While many of them really got into the music, some were just… sad.  Not "boo hoo" sad, but "what the fuck" sad.  Some of them were damn near breeding right on the dance floor (when, given their general overall look, they shouldn’t even be breeding in the privacy of their own dorm rooms).  The paper towel dispenser in the bathroom ran out of towel, okay?  No big deal, just tell one of the staff and it’ll get looked after, right?  Nuh uh… some dumbass actually tore it off the wall and left it sitting on the floor.  Yeah, that’s a good way to get it refilled.  I hope the person went in there later, pissed all over themselves, and then couldn’t dry their hands when they were done because there was NO FREAKIN’ TOWEL DISPENSER ANYMORE!!  Morons.

    Some of the kids in this bar were outright obnoxious.  Of course, it was obvious that it wasn’t a true bar, but more of a college bar, given the crap that was being played over the radio during breaks in the live show.  Just the same though, we got some networking in, and may have a great announcement coming up soon.  It’s in the works… like everything else… damn, we have a lot of things "in the works" right now.  Oh well, it’s all good.

    Anyway, now that I’ve managed to get over the childish antics of a bar full of apparently prepubescent teenage boys and barely-dressed barely-legal streetwalkers, I can move on to some great news.

    DSL 2008 is going to have a live concert!  That’s right, Mendella has been confirmed to play at DSL 2008.  I’m really psyched about this, and once we have figured out the final details (we have a date, and location, but need to sort out the small details), a massive announcement about it will go up on the DSL site, as well as on Village Gamer.  I will of course echo it here, for the 3 readers I have.  *cough*

    Great things are coming… just as long as those kiddies from the bar aren’t a part of it.  And as long as our datacenter doesn’t try to explode again.  Yeah, wishful thinking.

I don’t want to be a "job hopper"… you know the type, who will work at one place just long enough to become annoyed with it, then suddenly quit and start looking for employment somewhere else. I have a good work history, and I want to keep it that way. Besides, with DSL coming, money will of course be welcome… and it flows a little better when you actually show up at your job in order to obtain the paycheck. I guess I’m just… annoyed.

Anyway, rants aside, this hasn’t been that bad of a… damn, its been a few weeks, hasn’t it.. all things considered. We went out last Friday night to an Industry Mixer, and ended up hanging out with a few of the guys from RockStar games (unfortunately, I can’t namedrop this time, due to the secrecy that the company operates under, and the fact that in doing so, I may end up with a hit out on me *cough*). We discussed to some extent the enjoyment that Mike has been getting out of GTA 4, and they tipped us off to a Rockband competition taking place in Vancouver that we should check out… so we did. You can read about that over at
http://www.villagegamer.net.  We actually attended the finals today, and got a chance to see an amazing up-and-coming band from the UK play live. There are some amazing announcements regarding them, but I’ll save that for later. In the meantime though, check them out. The name is "Mendella".
http://www.myspace.com/mendellaband

Went shopping with Tami yesterday (yeah, I’m jumping all over the calendar), and among the many things we picked up was a brand new Nintendo Wii for the house. It was technically an investment for Killanet and DSL, but just the same… I didn’t initially think it would be that fun of a system when it first came out, but I am the first to admit in this case that I was wrong, and I
apologize to Nintendo (who will be visiting us at DSL 2008). I beg your forgiveness in hopes that you do not dispatch a short pudgy plumber to deal with me. *cough*

We’ve launched a brand new site, focused on the Vancouver Gaming Industry.
http://www.villagegamer.net.  The site also has a good idea on what I’ve been up to over the past few weeks. Check it out.

Anyway, things are rocking hard here, and I predict an amazing Summer ahead. Keep tuned to
http://www.bladeradio.com for Mendella, and keep tuned to this site for personal updates.

Take care everyone.

 As the story goes, this video was made with an intended purpose… a focus on the War in Iraq.  The statement it makes though, reaches far beyond any one purpose.  This video should be viewed more as a way of life… a better way.  Is it possible that the World can really live this way?

 You decide.

 With each passing day, we have choices to make.  Do we turn left, or right.  Do we smile, or cry.  Do we point and laugh, or do we help the person up?  It doesn’t take much to reach out and make someone else’s life a little better.  Does it?  One World.  Our World.  Together.  Think about it.

On a side-note, Digital Storm LAN has signed on a few new sponsors.  RedBeard joined us yesterday, and has offered to send a number of high quality OEM skins for the LAN.  What are OEM skins?  Well, they are metal foil skins that you can put over your DS, PSP, or XBox to give them a completely unique look.  They use a 6 colour print process onto the metal, then coated in a clear epoxy to provide protection from scratches and dings.  This allows you to have a flame job, or advertising for your own company, or favorite movie logo right there on the side of your game console (or whatever else).

DSL has also partnered with VS-Gaming Arena out of Vancouver, giving them exclusive in-store ticket retail sales.  In simple English, this means that if you want to buy a ticket for DSL in person and can not make it to one of our selling events, you can buy the ticket at his Cafe anytime during their regular business hours.. and can even sit down at one of his many computer terminals to check email, or just frag the guy on the other side of the room.  It’s all good, and Dustin is a great guy, so be sure to swing through and say hi, even if you don’t need a ticket.  He’s got a CS 1.6 Tournament coming up on the 12th and 13th, so if you’re into the FPS games, this might be just up your alley.

We have another "in person" ticket sale taking place at the Croatian Cultural Center on April 12th, from 1PM to 4PM (it’s a Saturday).  There is also a monthly computer swap meet taking place there at the same time, so come and buy your ticket, and stay for the sale.

On a personal note, umm… lesse, what is there I can talk about…?  Uhh… yeah, I’m drawing a total blank on this one.  It must be because it’s my day off and my brain refuses to function when it doesn’t actually have to.  days off are good.  Like pizza.  I like pizza.  And cookies (yes, I am simply looking around the room and describing what I see… sad, isn’t it?).  Caffeine is good too… and speaking of which, my cup is empty, so I’m gone to get a refill.

Take care everyone, and coffee to all.

…………..

           I must be nuts.

I was given a unique opportunity for my birthday this year… I got to be one of the “heads” for the 2nd Annual Elans Awards show here in Vancouver, along with Tami and Mike. The show is put on by Jack and Holly, and Tami was essentially their right… sorry, left (Tami is left handed) hand for the event, Mike was given the title of “Security Head” (two days before the event), and I was the head of the Limo team, as well as doubling as security. As the night went on, it appeared that I was also the main contact point between the volunteers, and Tami (who was in direct contact with the Producers), and the near-constant chatter over my headset made it very hard to focus on what Seth Macfarlane was saying. But, we pulled through, and other than a few technical problems (which are bound to happen during a live show) things went very well. We will definitely be on the list for next years event as well (only hopefully it will have more planning involved in advance). I did take pictures, as did some of the other volunteers I worked with, and I will of course upload them as soon as I get the time to put them all together and clean a few of them up. It’s coming, I swear.

Home life is going well. Got my first root canal at the beginning of the month. That was an expensive yet enjoyable experience. Okay, I’m lying. The drugs were definitely enjoyable though, and made it easy to forget that there was even any pain to begin with. It’s nice to be able to finally get my teeth looked at and fixed up. It had been far too long, and as the dentist said, right now I’m looking to buy him a brand new car by the time he’s done in there. Whatever, as long as the owie goes away, and the pills flow freely. Yet another nice thing about being back in Canada… “Why yes, I would like to have a prescription for a bottle full of Tylenol 3′s… $9? I think I can cover that…”

I think Mike may have found his calling. He starts voice acting school on April 6th, and he’s now got a job DJing for an online radio station (who is looking to expand to XM Radio) called Bladeradio. He’s DJ Behemoth, and right now, broadcasts at around midnight… given his sleep schedule, he’s perfectly set for this time slot. He’s having a great time doing it, and has shown amazing responsibility with keeping to the schedule (“I’m so tired… but I go on in 2 hours, and still have to put some songs together… can’t sleep yet!!”). Bladeradio has actually signed on to be one of the sponsors to DSL, and Mike is set to broadcast live from the LAN… should be entertaining.

Overall, things are moving along very well, and I can’t wait to see what the Summer has to bring to our plans. If DSL goes well, we may finally be able to open our physical store here in town (once council clues in to the fact that we are NOT a bloody arcade), and things will really take off.

Next on the to-do list… find, purchase, and prepare a brand new (likely Dell) server, and figure out how to route 380 computers, 3-12 xBoxes, and 18 24-port switches through it. Can’t take more than 15 or 20 minutes, right? Anyone got a few thousand feet of Cat5e cable they don’t need?

 So next month I turn 30.  Being a person who was rather amazed to survive to 20, 30 is probably some sort of big deal… or something.  Having never turned 30 before, I don’t exactly have anything I can compare it to.  I’m sure it’s important to some people when they experience the event, but personally it’s just not that big of a deal.

 How would I like to spend it?  Sleeping in, cuddled up to someone I love.  Really, that’s all I want for my birthday.  It kind of narrows down the list of who I can get a present like that from, doesn’t it?

 One would think that, after 30 years of existence, a person would be able to figure some things out.  But then again, if that was the case, we wouldn’t have the saying "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it".  Have I learned from my history?  I should hope that, at the very least, some of my mistakes will not be repeated.  I’m happy where I am now, and of course I would not be there without having made some mistakes in my past.  They are essentially what made me who I am, and I can live with that.

 So I get to spend this birthday doing something amazing.  The eLans are being held the day after I turn 30 (the second annual eLans), and I get to actually work backstage for it.  The chance to help run (even if on a micro-scale) a major Canadian Awards event, and meet some extremely talented and well-known people (like "Family Guy’s" Seth MacFarlane) is an amazing opportunity for me, and I think it’s a great way to ring in "number 30".  Of course, I’ll likely be too busy focusing on the awards show to even care that it’s my birthday.

 I must say though… it will be a very nice, and refreshing change to spend my birthday with someone I love and who loves me.  Might even be the start of a change, where I have something to look forward to with each passing year.

…….

 Or maybe I’m just getting old.

On a side-note, DigitalStormLan 2008 is running full-steam ahead.  We’re about to launch an entire series of new sites (which, of course, I will link to when they go live), and we have a number of potential locations scouted out for the LAN party, which will also be a qualifier for the World Cyber Games.  And, of course, with the completion of one headache, comes the onset of another.  Once DSL is completed for the year, we begin to kick our next project into gear… the opening of a physical location here in Aldergrove, to act as the new "Home Base" for Killanet Technology.  What is the base going to be?  We’ll be an Educational Media Outlet… a location where people can come in to learn things from the basics of computer control, to the more advanced fundamentals of Graphics design and animation, all the way up to game developement.  We plan on having several computer terminals available to the public during open hours, so that they may complete homework, research projects, check their email, or even just chat with friends.  There’s plans to have guest speakers and "teachers" come in from the multitude of Studios around Vancouver to show people how they do their magic, and there is even plans to go retail (seeing as we would need to be able to cover the lease somehow) and become one of the (hopefully) primary computer repair and supply locations in the area.

So yes, things are going very well, and I can see "30" as being a great year.  Assuming I survive that long.  20 was lucky… 30… well, you get the idea. 

Take care everyone, and talk with you soon.

- Me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WVCUEifZYI if it doesn’t work for you…

That’s my new way of life.  Something goes wrong, just move on.  It’s what got me to here, and it’s working out well so far. 

So, here we go.  My list of things I learned through 2007.

What have I learned this year?

• Greyhound sucks.  There is a reason it’s so cheap… that’s the only way someone would willingly spend more than 10 minutes on one of their busses.  Personally though, I don’t think it balances out.
• The best relationship is the one that you never really notice is there until it smacks you right in the face.
• Laying Linoleum sucks… especially when you are very limited in your supply and operating under a "learn as you go" method.
• "Home" isn’t always the place you live.  "Home" is the place you feel you belong.
• New Orleans rawks, and yes, Jino, Donna, Tony and Gail really are as cool in person as they are on the board.
• If someone acts like a nut, it’s very likely that the person truly is in need of mental care
• Suicide is nothing more than a cowards escape… which explains why only a coward would try it
• Once someone lies to your face once (be it about where they are, or who they are sleeping with), there is nothing to stop them from turning into nothing more than a pathological liar… the best thing you can do with a pathological liar is to get as far away from them as you can.
• Women with Russian ancestry are hot.  Or at least one of them. 
• Don’t ever replace the toilet.  If one ever requires replacing, just give up and get a new house.
• Being a "gamer" and living in a "gamer house" is probably one of the most expensive hobbies one can come across.  But at least entertainment is always readily available (assuming you can wrestle the controller out of some one’s hand long enough).
• So there’s this guy… Murphy… he’s not cool.
• Sometimes, it’s not about the destination, but in the journey you took to get there.

I’m here.  And I’m happy.  I hope you all are as well.  Take care.

- Me

Do They Know It’s Christmas? 

(Paul Young)
It’s Christmas time
There’s no need to be afraid
At Christmas time
We let in light and we banish shade
(Boy George)
And in our world of plenty
We can spread a smile of joy
Throw your arms around the world
At Christmas time

(George Michael)
But say a prayer
Pray for the other ones
At Christmas time it’s hard
(Simon LeBon)
But when you’re having fun
There’s a world outside your window
(Sting) And it’s a world of dread and fear
Where the only water flowing is
(Bono joins in)
The bitter sting of tears
And the Christmas bells that are ringing
Are clanging chimes of doom
(Bono only) Well, tonight thank God it’s them instead of you.

(Everyone)
And there won’t be snow in Africa this Christmas time.
The greatest gift they’ll get this year is life
Where nothing ever grows
No rain or rivers flow
Do they know it’s Christmas time at all?

Feed the world
Let them know it’s Christmas time
Feed the world
Do they know it’s Christmas time at all?

(Paul Young)
Here’s to you
raise a glass for everyone
Here’s to them
underneath that burning sun
Do they know it’s Christmas time at all?

Chorus (Everyone)
Feed the world
Feed the world
Feed the world
Let them know it’s Christmas time again

Feed the world
Let them know it’s Christmas time again
Feed the world
Let them know it’s Christmas time again

Repeat 

 And, because it’s my site and because I can, I give you… The One, The Only, Eric Cartman. 

Artist: Bob Rivers
Song: 12 Pains Of Christmas

The first thing at Christmas that’s such a pain to me
Is finding a Christmas tree

The second thing at Christmas that’s such a pain to me:
Angry husband:
Rigging up the lights
And finding a Christmas tree

The third thing at Christmas that’s such a pain to me
Man getting over being drunk:
Hangovers
Rigging up the lights
And finding a Christmas tree

The fourth thing at Christmas that’s such a pain to me
Exhausted man:
Sending Christmas cards
Hangovers
Rigging up the lights
And finding a Christmas tree

The fifth thing at Christmas that’s such a pain to me
Five months of bills!
Sending Christmas cards
Hangovers
Rigging up the lights
And finding a Christmas tree

The sixth thing at Christmas that’s such a pain to me:
Nervous wife:
Facing my in-laws
Five months of bills!
Oh, I hate those Christmas cards!
Hangovers
Rigging up these lights!
And finding a Christmas tree

The seventh thing at Christmas that’s such a pain to me:
Nervous wife’s husband:
The Salvation Army
Facing my in-laws
Five months of bills!
Sending Christmas cards
Oh, geez!
I’m tryin’ to rig up these lights!
And finding a Christmas tree

The eighth thing at Christmas that such a pain to me:
Whining kid:
I WANNA TRANSFORMER FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!
Charities,
And whataya mean "YOUR in-laws"?!?
Five months of bills!
Oh, making out these cards
Honey, get me a beer, huh?
What, we have no extension cords?!?
And finding a Christmas tree

The ninth thing at Christmas that’s such a pain to me
A tired father:
Finding parking spaces
DADDY, I WANT SOME CANDY!!!!
Donations!
Facing my in-laws
Five months of bills!
Writing out those Christmas cards
Hangovers!
Now why the hell are they blinking?!?!?
And finding a Christmas tree

The tenth thing at Christmas that’s such a pain to me:
A mother:
"Batteries Not Included"
No parking spaces
BUY ME SOMETHIN’!!!
Get a job, ya bum!
Oh, facing my in-laws!
Five months of bills!
Yo-ho, sending Christmas cards
Oh, geez, look at this!
One light goes out, they ALL go out!!!
And finding a Christmas tree

The eleventh thing of Christmas that’s such a pain to me:
A male couch potato:
Stale TV specials
"Batteries Not Included"
No parking spaces
DAD, I GOTTA GO TA BATHROOM!!
Charities!
She’s a witch…I hate her!
Five months of bills!
Oh, I don’t even KNOW half these people!
Oh, who’s got the toilet paper, huh?
Get a flashlight…I blew a fuse!!
And finding a Christmas tree

The twelfth thing of Christmas that’s such a pain to me:
Two men:
Singing Christmas carols
Stale TV specials
"Batteries Not Included"
No parking?!?
WAAAAAAAAAAH! WAAAAAAAAAAH!
Charities!
Gotta make ‘em dinner!
Five months of bills!
I’m not sendin’ them this year, that’s it!
Shut up, you!
FINE! YOU’RE SO SMART, YOU RIG UP THE LIGHTS!!!
And finding a Christmas tree

Take care everyone, and talk with you soon. 

I give you a clip that just jumped right out at me… well, not literally, but you know what I mean.

I credit Tezza (Tegan, to those who know her) from the 12 Stones board for actually transcribing the lyrics before anyone else thought to (and of course Jino for correcting her on one word).

Once In A Lifetime

Taking chances, will they take their toll?
Will you focus, or will you lose control?
Your eyes are open, your path is chosen
You can’t back down now, you’ve come too far
And so now it’s time to stand up and take your best shot

You made it, just take it
This might be your once in a lifetime shot (Take your best shot)
Don’t waste it, or you’ll be left faceless
It’s once in a lifetime so take your best shot

Second chances, will they come at all?
Is your mind set to use all self-control?
Your conscience speaking, it tells you nothing is certain
But certainly some things are worth it
So now it’s time to stand up and take your best shot

You made it, just take it
This might be your once in a lifetime shot(Take your best shot)
Don’t waste it, or you’ll be left faceless
It’s once in a lifetime so take your best shot

Taking chances, will they take their toll?
Will you focus, or will you lose control?

Will you make it? Will you make it? Will you make it?
Will you make it?

You made it, just take it
This might be your once in a lifetime shot (Take your best shot)
Don’t waste it, or you’ll be left faceless
It’s once in a lifetime so take your best shot

It’s once in a lifetime (Take your best shot)

So take your best shot

Thoughts? Good gaming song, don’t you think? I would like to hear some opinions, so please don’t hesitate to respond.

Maybe I should be taking better medication for my finger…

   As I thought about it, my phone beeped at me. Hmm… could it be getting jealous of the attention the computer has been getting lately?? Nah… likely just some setting I haven’t found yet to make it stop. I went to Rogers Wireless the other day with Tami to check out new phone plans… turns out I was eligible for a new phone as well. Go figure. Got a Blackberry Pearl 8100 “smart” phone free. Not sure how smart it really is though, as it keeps doing what I tell it to and then getting mad when things break. It plays videos and music though, and has the expandable memory so I can fit lots and lots of junk on it, so I suppose it’s all good. I’m happy with it anyway.

   We went and picked up the family Christmas present the other day too. xBox 360 Elite. I’m impressed. I mean, I’m not much of a Console gamer by any standards (or gamer in general at the moment), but even I found myself messing around in xbox Live and thinking “Okay, I could like this”. We picked up a new Wireless Router to go with it, so it’s online right now. Feel free to add me to your friends list on Live (NightStormDraco), and perhaps I might even be able to figure out how to approve the request. Mike is downstairs right now “testing” it. So far, he’s approved of the purchase. In fact, I think he may have genetically bonded with the chair infront of the TV, as that is pretty much where you can find him now, since it’s been set up.

   What else is new in my life?? Well, the year is almost over. Gonna be time soon where I get to reflect on the events that have passed, and think to the Future that has not yet come. It doesn’t mean I live in the past… no, not in the slightest. I just like to spend some time thinking back on the year, and seeing what I can learn from it… so that hopefully certain fuckups won’t be repeated. I’m certain right now that one of them won’t. Trust is a massive factor in any relationship, and it’s nice to have finally found it. Honesty is another major factor, and I don’t think I can even begin to explain how it feels now to have someone that I can both trust and believe.

   Speaking of whom, Tami is gearing up to take on City Council again about opening a location here in town. I think she has a solid case this time, as the exact same center was recently opened near Toronto, and an article about it was posted in the Globe And Mail (she forwarded a copy to all Council members). We also have our sorta-annual LAN coming up sometime in the sorta-near future. Digital Storm Lan 2008 coming soon to Langley… or Vancouver… or, well… the Lower Mainland.

   I am so proud of her. She has such determination that I have never seen… when she meets an obsticle, instead of becoming discouraged, she takes it head-on and beats her way through it so she can proceed with the plan. And, when someoen says no to her idea, instead of just walking away from it, she goes at it from a different angle until they see it her way. I hope she knows how happy I am to be with her, and, as I said, how proud I am of her.

   Anyway… kinda got off on a multi-tangent. I suppose this counts as enough of an update, though. Hope all of you are doing well, and if I don’t make another post beforehand (though I likely will), I hope your Holidays are safe and happy. Take care, everyone.

- Me

   Pretty simple, isn’t it? When you make a choice, you have to expect repercussions of that choice somewhere down the line. Whether they are good or bad, is purely based on the choice you make. Lets look at an example.

   Example 1 (the good): You truly love someone, and they want to spend their life with you. So, when you tell them you love them, they smile.
   Cause -> Effect. The cause is the words you say to them, the effect is the most beautiful sight you have ever seen.

   Example 2 (the bad): You take a bunch of pills then drink some alcohol, and leave a suicide note sitting next to you while your kids are sleeping upstairs. This results in you being put into a hospital and your kids taken away.
   Again… Cause -> Effect. The cause is being a selfish child not thinking of your kids while you try to kill yourself, and the effect is loosing the only people who would have loved you unconditionally if you had only never tried to abandon them.

   Not too difficult to wrap ones head around, is it? So why then, do some people still choose to blame the rest of the World for the way their own life is turning out? Especially people who are thousands of miles away at the time? Is there some sort of hidden message that the rest of us aren’t receiving?

   Victim complex is a serious issue. Go ahead and Google it, it’ll actually have results. Some people are insistent that they can do no wrong, and every screw-up in their life is the not the result of their choices or actions, but of everyone Else’s. Those people need to grab a clue. Your life is the way it is because of YOU, not because of us. Daddy didn’t pour the booze down your throat and make you an alcoholic behind the wheel. You not getting hugged by your mother as a child didn’t turn you into a child molester. The fact that your dad hit your mom when you were a kid does not give you any excuse to hit your wife or girlfriend when your upset (or anyone, for that matter). And sorry, but that ex-boyfriend/husband/whatever didn’t pop the top off that bottle of pills and hold a gun to your head while you ate them.

   When it comes time to make choices, where is the difficulty in simply reviewing the potential results of those choices? How long would it have taken someone to consider the fact that if they tried to off themselves while their kids slept, that possibly if they failed in the attempt, the kids might be taken away from them? That’s not even hard to fathom… it’s basic logic (which obviously escapes some more than others).

   Its time that some people stepped up to the plate and accepted responsibility for their own actions. And the first step in that is to stop blaming the World because you proverbially fucked up (or who knows, maybe not proverbially…. I could care less what you do in your personal time). Are you a closet case of victim complex? How often do you blame others when your own life goes to shit? Accept responsibility for your mistakes and learn from them. You learn SFA if you don’t admit they were your screw-ups in the first place.

   This is my angry post. Feel free to file it under “rant” and not bother reading it again… it might not even survive the week. But damn, blogs are a great venting point, aren’t they?

    My relationship with that person did not end well.  She had cheated on me several times (two of which are confirmable, but likely there were others), and with what she put me through, I don’t think it’s possible to dislike someone any more (I know of at least one person who can relate to that, and he remains active on my myspace blog, so he’ll probably check this one sooner or later anyway… so HIYA!!).  I left with pretty much nothing… I had been emotionally broken down and most of my possessions were “claimed”… even objects that were never hers to begin with… things I have had since I was a teenager, and pictures of my now dead grandfather.  All things that suddenly were no longer mine.  I was lost, and damaged.  Then someone found me, and fixed me (you can read about her all over this place).

    Today, I came home from work to a message waiting for me on Messenger.  This woman who cheated on me, used me, lied to me, and took advantage of me for years  decided it was time for an attention grab.  Mind you, she wasn’t targeting me this time… no, she was targeting the guy she was cheating on me with (whom she continued a relationship with after I left).  As the story goes, she took a number of pills and mixed them with some alcohol, after writing a letter.  See where this is going?

    I don’t know where she is.  Honestly, I don’t care.  Likely some hospital somewhere, possibly even one with nice white jackets and padded rooms.  Again, harsh, but whatever.  After so long, it’s easy to stop caring about someone who chooses to self-destruct continuously without actually accepting help from anyone.  I know that my children, as well as her son from a previous marriage, are looked after.  That is what counts… obviously, it’s not something she took into consideration at the time.  I am only left in awe of how far someone will go just to get the attention of someone else… after speaking with a few people this evening, it comes out that she had broken up with “the guy” shortly before taking the pills.  She did this to her first husband (prior to their marriage), trying to kill herself to get his attention.  She told me just before our relationship ended that she had considered suicide… I even found the letter she wrote.

    Seriously.  Is the only way to get someone’s attention to do something extreme (and in this case, extremely stupid)?  What ever happened to “Hey, we need to talk”?  This was ultimately the reason my relationship with her failed, and why I am so happy where I am now.  I no longer have to put up with “do as I say or I’ll try to kill myself”.  I suppose it all comes down to maturity.  Yes, there are days when I wonder if I’m really loved as much as I originally thought I was, or how important I really am to people… but I don’t see killing myself (or attempting) as being a very productive way of solving the problem.  Communication means a lot, and so does spending time just thinking.  Hell, thinking about it is what leads me to discover that most of my insecurities are inside my own head, and are only there because of how I was treated in the past… my mind is clouded by that, and makes it hard sometimes to see how I am really treated now.  Doesn’t justify trying to kill myself over.  Just takes logic and effort to see through it.

    Anyway, not sure where I was going with all this… I suppose I just wanted to vent, and didn’t want to annoy or bother Tami with stupid things.  I know that this is probably the most insensitive thing any of you have ever seen me type or say, but sometimes stupid acts don’t need to be buried or sugar-coated to make the person seem a victim of their own choices in life.  To my 2 or 3 readers, take a minute to tell someone that you care.  It won’t kill you, and I doubt it would kill them… unless they’re mentally unbalanced and try to pop some pills or something, in which case, well… whatever.  I hear they make those jackets in all sizes, and yes, the sleeves are SUPPOSED to be too long.  Otherwise, where would the challenge have been for Houdini?

Then 9/11 happened. I had been out of school for some time by this point, but living in the States at that time, it hit close to home. Schools were locked down (including the small-town school my then-step-son was attending), all planes were forced to land, and military was mobilized. People had died. Lots of people. Every News channel, every website, every conversation centered aorund this act, and the idea that we were going to War. Canada, my home Country, was one of the first to reach out to the States with an offer of aide (something a lot of Americans have since forgotten). Soldiers from my home Country were now at War, fighting for a Country that was not even their own. And more, Soldiers from my home Country were dying for that War. Selfless acts of sacrifice in the name of Freedom and again, the way of life we had taken for granted.

Between September 11 2001 and September 25 2007, 72 Canadians have lost their lives (LINK). These were not simply unnamed faces… these were someone’s son, or daughter, or neice or nephew, or grandson or granddaughter, or mother or father. All people who stood up and stepped forward to defend freedom, and ultimately gave their lives for it. How do we honour them? How do we now, today, stand here and say thank you to those people who can no longer be here with us? We take a day, and dedicate it to their lives and their sacrifice. We think of them, we carry their courage and their memory and their sacrifice with us, and we make sure that what they gave was not in vain. And we make sure that every generation knows what November 11th really means. It’s not a day from school, nor a day from work. It’s a day to say “Thank You”.

If that same teacher were to now ask me the same question I was asked then, my answer would likely be much different. I only wish it did not take the deaths of all those men and women for me to stop viewing the day through selfish eyes, and to understand what it really meant.

Rememberance.

To everyone who is in the Military, or has been, or knows someone who is and stands by them even in the darkest of moments. Thank you.

Tribute to Canadian Soldiers

Canadian Forces Tribute
Played at Military Night
Produced: Steve Godkin, Manitoba Moose
March 10, 2007
Winnipeg,Manitoba,Canada
MTS Centre
Moose vs. Iowa Stars
AHL Hockey
Parent Club; Vancouver Canucks

For our King and our country and the promise of glory
We came from Kingston and Brighton to fight on the front line
Just lads from the farms and boys from the cities
Not meant to be soldiers we lay in the trenches

We’d face the fighting with a smile – or so we said
If only we had known what danger lay ahead

The sky turned to grey as we went into battle
On the fields of Europe young men were falling
I’ll be back for you someday – it won’t be long
If I can just hold on ’til this bloody war is over

The guns will be silent
On Remembrance Day
There’ll be no more fighting
On Remembrance Day

By October* of ’18 Cambrai had fallen
Soon the war would be over and we’d be returnin’
Don’t forget me while I’m gone far away
Well it won’t be long ’til I’m back there in your arms again

The guns will be silent
On Remembrance Day
There’ll be no more fighting
On Remembrance Day

One day soon – I don’t know when
You know we’ll all be free and the bells of peace will ring again
The time will come for you and me
We’ll be goin’ home when this bloody war is ended

The guns will be silent
On Remembrance Day
We’ll all say a prayer
On Remembrance Day

On Remembrance Day – say a little prayer
On Remembrance Day

Well the guns will be silent
There’ll be no more fighting
Oh we’ll lay down our weapons
On Remembrance Day

Known as “Remembrance Day” in Canada, and “Veterans Day” in the United States, the meaning is the same. To remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice to assure our freedoms and, in essence, our very way of life that many now take for granted.

Do I support the war? No. There is nothing I would want to see more than our Nations sons and daughters brought home before they too loose their lives. But will I stand and honour them for their choices and their actions? Yes. An amazing artist (who has already made appearances here) wrote an astounding piece called “Soldier” as a tribute to these people, and has made it available for free to anyone who wishes to listen, watch, or use it.

I urge all readers (all what… two or three of you, counting the google bawts) to please take a few minutes to visit This Site and show your support for our armed forces all over the World, both active and retired. You can download the song and video at This Webpage… or you could just watch it down below.

Please do me a favour.  On November 11th, at 11 AM, please take a moment to think of the sacrifices that were made so that you could even take that moment. It won’t kill you.

Take care, everyone.

Some people say, I’m a fighter
Some people hate what I do
I stand for my country
I stand for you

I got a family that loves me
They respect what I do
Try telling your child you’re leaving
Believe me it’s a hard thing to do

So, If I die don’t judge me
Cause, I will not judge you
And If I die, please accept it
Cause, I will die for you

We have our reasons
Rules, morals and beliefs
I won’t slander your opinion
I’m just searching for peace

So, If I die don’t judge me
Cause, I will not judge you
And If I die, please accept it
Cause, I will die for you

I could… but I’m sure most of that will be released slowly in the coming months as the trial progresses and information reaches the WWW.  Besides, why read here when you can read it in any of the thousands of other sites that are focusing on the arrest (even though they are focusing on a site that was attacked for a week, more than one that was attacked for years, but whatever… an arrest is an arrest).  Instead, I think I’ll focus on a lighter note.

Morale.  What’s that, you say?  Well, when Greg was running free, we were under a constant threat of having our sites attacked again (and again, and again), causing yet more damage to the systems and loss of data and coding.  It makes it hard for anyone to want to actually do anything, when you don’t even know how long it will be there for.  With Greg’s arrest, it’s like a weight has been lifted.  People are more willing to talk openly, and to participate in conversations on the forums again.  The threat has been, shall we say, neutralized… at least for the time being.  I mean, there’s still thousands of botnet kiddies out there… packet monkeys riding on the coat tails of the original gods of the hacking world (read: Mitnick).  Taking one kiddie down hardly puts a dent in the global cause.  But it’s one less threat, and that’s good enough for me.

I guess in a way, I could be thanking Greg.  Not that I will, seeing as fate would have played out one way or another anyway, but just the same, his idiocy and stupid choice of actions did speed things up some.  What would I be referring to?  Well, while I had spoken to Tami some beforehand (one of the groups on my IRC was harassing her and her team on another network, so we had to chat to each other on a few occasions to bring peace to the groups), it was the actions of Greg that caused us to begin speaking to each other regularly.  IM, email, IRC, and the occasional 3 AM wake-up call on the phone (“Greg is on IRC, and the server load is going up..” “Okay, I’ll be there in a minute *yawn*”).  As I said, fate would have eventually played it’s part anyway seeing as I already knew Tami, but the fact that we were sort of thrown into a situation where near-constant communication was necessary was a bit of a silver lining to the dark cloud that was sitting over our community for 4 years.  That silver lining, I suppose, has turned into more of a gold ring. 

Anyway, just wanted to point out that even in the shadows of idiocy, there can always be a good side.  I also want to point out that while he was, in all examples given to the public so far, a few KB short of a MB (heh… computer reference), he was actually a very intelligent kid who held great promise if only he would have focused on something more productive instead of destructive.  On several occasions, he was invited to join Killanet as a productive member of the group, and to use his knowledge to help others instead of causing problems.  He, apparently, decided to choose the latter anyway.

On a side-note, I wanted to make a public display of thanks to the officers who worked on this case (who I am not sure if I can name or not, although one in particular always made me laugh while we were discussing the case on the phone, and I’m sure he knows I mean him), as well as Assistant U.S Attorney Matthew Segal and U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott for the time and effort they have put into this.  You all are, for the record, life savers.  Not to mention sanity savers (is that even a real term?).  Anyway, thanks everyone.  And thanks to those who actually cared enough to read this.

Anyone looking for updates on the case, please visit our home site, http://www.killanet.net, as that is where the updates will be posted.  That’s also where you can get hold of myself, or the other admins and staff, in regards to this whole mess.

Anyhow, take care everyone, and talk to you soon. 

- Me

Source
McGREGOR W. SCOTT
United States Attorney
Eastern District of California
Sacramento
501 I Street, Suite 10-100
Sacramento, CA 95814

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

INDICTMENT AND ARREST FOR COMPUTER HACKING

SACRAMENTO — United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced today the arrest of GREG KING, 21, of Fairfield, California, and the unsealing of an Indictment returned on September 27, 2007, charging KING with four counts of electronic transmission of codes to cause damage to protected computers.

This case is the product of an extensive investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to Assistant United States Attorney Matthew D. Segal, a prosecutor with the Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office who is handling the case, the Indictment alleges that KING used a “botnet” to attack computer servers. A botnet is a network of infected computers that, unbeknownst to their owners, are compromised by a hacker and programmed to respond to a hacker’s commands. The infected computers are referred to as “bots,” “zombies,” or “drones.” According to documents filed with the court, KING allegedly controlled over seven thousand such “bots” and used them to conduct multiple distributed denial of service attacks against websites of two businesses. In a distributed denial of service attack, a hacker directs a large number of infected computers (“bots”) to flood a victim computer with information and thereby disable the target computer. On the Internet, KING was also known as “Silenz, Silenz420, sZ, GregK, and Gregk707.”

When agents went to arrest KING at his residence this morning, KING went out the back door of the residence carrying a laptop computer, depositing it in the bushes in the backyard. Agents obtained a warrant to search KING’s backyard and seized the computer. KING was arrested and is expected to appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Sacramento at 2:00 p.m. today.

The maximum statutory penalty for a violation of transmission of damaging code to a protected computer is ten years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. However, the actual sentence will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables, and any applicable statutory sentencing factors.

The charges are only allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

You can also read about it Here and Here (You can also download and read a full copy of the Unsealed Indictment at this link).

 Or, if you would prefer to just listen…

The singer is Shawn Hlookoff, and I’m sure the person I’m thinking of as I listen to this song knows that it’s them I am actually thinking of (Assuming they even are aware that this place exists, and have gone through the trouble of actually checking it) , so I’ll just say… I love you Tami (you know, in case there was that small shadow of doubt or something ).

And hey look, there’s lyrics too.  Just for those who are too lazy to listen to the song. 

When I first met you, I was shy
I could not talk, I was toungue tied
You had something that I couldn’t resist
It doesn’t get much better than this

Our first date was long ago
We did not rush, we took it slow
No one guessed we’d be a hit
It doesn’t get much better than this
It doesn’t get much better…

If you want a star, I’ll pull one down
If you need a lift, I’ll get you around
Every day I’m blessed by your kiss
It doesn’t get much better than this

We all share a perfect love
Sometimes it’s smooth, sometimes it’s rough
And we may have our differences
It doesn’t get much better than this
It doesn’t get much better…

If you want a star, I’ll pull one down
If you need a lift, I’ll get you around
Every day I’m blessed by your kiss
It doesn’t get much better than this

If you want a star, I’ll pull one down
If you need a lift, I’ll get you around
Every day I’m blessed by your kiss
It doesn’t get much better
Than this…

Uh huh.

Anyway, what’s up in my life.  Well, I’m happy… that’s something that is still fairly new in my life.  I moved back to BC after 7 years away, and am now with a wonderful woman named Tami, who has amazingly managed to fill in a very large hole in my life that started when I first moved from BC.  We haven’t picked a date for the actual wedding, but it’s coming sometime (she has the ring, so it’s got to ).  She was there for me through every problem I experienced while I was in Michigan, offering me advice and just being my emotional anchor… but it wasn’t until I was back in BC before I realized what was always there right in front of me.  Guys are slow like that.  I guess sometimes it’s all about taking chances.

I took another one of those the other night too (chances, that is).  On a whim, decided to see if I could find Tanis on facebook.  I had one hit, but there was no picture (and a security feature on facebook is that people can’t view your profile unless you are on their friends list).  I sent a random message to someone else on her friends list asking if it was really the Tanis I knew (linked a picture of her and I together), and amazingly, I am now back in contact with my best friend who I have not seen in 10 years.  It’s like everything is suddenly coming together, and making up for all the shit that I had to go through while I was gone.  Karma, perhaps, or just life saying “I guess you deserve a break for once”.

Still trying to adapt to being back in a city… well, sort of a city anyway.  The idea of being able to hear things at night is a bit of a blend between refreshing and annoying.  Its refreshing to hear that “white noise” in the background, but at the same time, I swear if the neighbours behind us don’t shut their little football up at night, the least of their concerns will be whether their drunk friend can find his car at 3 AM (last night… you had to be there).  It’s nice having stores nearby though… that’s something you really miss when you’re on Pender.  No need to get in a vehicle or spend an hour walking just to go get a pop or a snack.

Anyway, I guess that’s sufficient for a first post.  At the moment, I’m sort of more testing that this will actually post (yay for post to email!) and how it looks when/if it does.

Hope everything is going well for you all (those who care to actually read this).

- Me

Now Playing: Snow Patrol – Chasing Cars

I just felt like posting random crap because my myspace was becoming neglected by it’s owner lately, and needed something new.

Hope everyone reading this is doing well in whatever path life has tossed them down.  Take care. 

Now Playing/Watching: Snow Patrol “Chasing Cars”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ajy0w1XPJk8 (US Version)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSfw-qWAJ4w (The Better Version)

I just need to convince her that this split keyboard thing has GOT to go. 

 So yeah, anyway… no more empty blog space.  If you actually took the time to read this far, you need to find a new hobby.  Fast.  Good luck, and hopefully those brain cells will eventually recover from the damage that I have caused.  No worse than the damage a month or three of binge drinking would bring about.  Luckily for you all, I likely won’t be doing this again for a good long long time.