Talk nerdy to me

Years ago I operated the combat flight simulator Sturmovik.

I not only flew within the computer program but flew

online as well.

I actually became somewhat accomplished at online WW2 air combat--

But for the 8 year old Koreans online who killed me at their leisure.

As with so many things the outside world intruded on the matrix and pleasure.

I was promoted and promoted again at work, making the real world insanely complex

and demanding all the time;

the result was zero time for the flight simulator geek in me, 

and this pleasure fell by the wayside.

With retirement  pending i recalled the pleasure and the feeling of accomplishment 

in combat flight simulation and decided to

 to reequip and return to flying Sturmovik.

In retirement I hope to defeat those hordes of 8 year old Koreans and reclaim the skies

for geezers.

Today I ordered the most recent complete and updated version of 

this simulator software for the PC---

IL-2 Sturmovik 1946---

and the absolutely necessary hardware,

a Joystick and throttle system, although the least expensive model.

Rudder pedals may come later..dependent on success or failure.

I am unsure at the moment if i should attempt to designate and upgrade my 

IBM t-41 Thinkpad as the specifically modified computer for

flying use only. 

Or it may be a miracle of the computing world where the new

combat flight simulator works perfectly on it...one never actually

knows that outcome until the software is installed and running?

Luckily i have friends who may provide advice on both the practicality 

on this experiment and may be able to provide the hands-on how to

in modification of the t-41.
This old laptop, which unfortunately i really like using,
may be just too far behind the technology curve tho for rescue.

One of the strange elements of Sturmovik is actually how 

beautiful the graphics of this combat flight simulator, can be with the right system.

I would often spend considerable time simply flying through the 

world this software offered.

I may even redesign a small area of the nerd cave

specifically for and setup for the laptop, controls, headphones, 

as well as seating and lighting for flying?

Nothing absurdly elaborate--

just a location to centralize my most recent obsession---

I'll keep you posted.

I am totally addicted:

This has been a dry season in films for my very particular tastes.

I have been placed in the waiting room

for films i actually want to view such as

Snowpiecer and Edge of Tomorrow

for their upcoming release on DVD.

I have also been following the production of the Mad Max remake

Fury Road,

Replacing Gibson with the excellent actor, Tom Hardy as Max.

Based on what little information and visuals that have been released to the net,

I already have high hopes for this remake.

It has great texture.

My morning commute here in the desert amongst

the oil field workers running late and the drilling supply,18 wheeler drivers

 either half asleep or on speed,

makes Mad Max's world a daily reality for me.

Perhaps the new film will provide survival expertise?

"All generalizations are false,

including this one."

Mark Twain

Mr. Finch's UMPC

 Johnny Winter..

Currently on the Paperwhite:

A couple of years ago, I purchased a Sony Vaio UX-380
ultra mobile personal computer.

When new, these UMPC's were incredibly expensive.

As part of my devious plot to rule the world,

i waited and bought a used, like new example, from Amazon, waaaay cheap.

Ultra mobile personal computers, UMPC's for short,

were considered the future of personal computing at one time.

Until, that is, the smart phone hit the early adopter, Japanese Schoolgirl market

and soon thereafter the entire world.

 Vaio UMPC's are outstanding, powerful and work great if you don't mind, as i don't, 

Vista as an operating system--and a 4 inch viewing screen.

Alas the rest of the world doesn't think as i do and these little Vaio UMPC's

are pretty much now collector items when you can find one.

This design remains so cool that Vaio UMPC's can be observed on odd occasions in film representing a futuristic small computer.

As shown here in a still photo from Terminator salvation:

 I dug out and set my UMPC up in it's charging/operating cradle next to my large laptop

and now can watch MST3K on the UMPC while i simultaneously prowl the web

 on the standard laptop.

My new set-up has more computing power than all of NASA

and the Strategic Air Command had from 1975 to 1995.

I am putting it to better use tho!

Too many jobs at home, and too little time right now.

Just doing the best I can. 

"The best weapon against an enemy,

is another enemy."

Fredrick Nietzsche

Way down in the hole

My Sony WMD-10 cassette walkman that i spoke of 

so proudly in a previous blog--committed suicide.

The motor is barely running now, perhaps a belt--perhaps 

who the fuck knows?

I am hanging onto it with the hope that someday in retirement 

I may acquire the expertise to fix it.

But----

I want to listen to my Jazz cassettes in the PM's at work,

with the death of my WMD-10 my only option for transportable tape music, would be

to bring one of my immensely valuable and non-replaceable recording portables

to work with me, something i am not going to do.

As a replacement i ordered, used, a Sony WM-F2081 player.

This may allow me to sit, read my Paperwhite and listen to jazz

while i await retirement to hit....

The unrated cut version of World War Z is tremendous.

Why they cut this film into pieces insuring it's mediocrity is beyond me.

Watch the unrated cut of this movie------ it is so worth it.

The retirement car project status remains the same..

No status change and none on the immediate horizon.

The garden is in the process of an excellent year.

Work remains the suck--

soon to be over forever at least i keep saying that to myself.

I am seeming stymied by the world lately.

All turns lead nowhere.

The only thing it seems that i am good at 

lately is:

"If there was an observer on Mars,

they would probably be amazed that

we have survived this long."

Noam Chomsky