So yeah; a lot has happened since my last update. I presented my thesis, passed, and am now the proud owner of a Masters of Science Degree in Computer Science (specializing in Game Development and Artificial Intelligence)...yippee.

The same day I defended my thesis also presented me with the next chapter in this ride of life: I landed a Game Developer position at Vectorform. They got me working on iPhone games, but we do a lot with Microsoft products as well; we helped launch the Microsoft Retail Store by providing inactive solutions on the MS Surface. The place is great, I love my job and the people I work with are fantastic.

I knee deep in Objective-C right now, and its really making me miss the blessing of C# and XNA, specifically. Those were the managed-coded days.

Finally!

I just got the "Snow Leopard Compatible" RapidWeave 4.3rc1 release, and am able to finally update LankyDwarf!. Even though this site does nothing remotely interesting, I was starting to get a bit blue-balled not being able to update many of the exciting things that have been going on in my life.

And now that I can update...its just too much to do right now. I'll send out small tidbits of things going on over the next week though.

Added a listing for my undergraduate research project, “CodeParty,” under the “Games & Apps” page. Also added our teams hockey schedule for this season to the “Hockey” page.

For the first time, I was scanning through twitter posts using the search term “video games,” and it finally dawns on my why I hate Twitter so much.

I don’t hate the premise of Twitter, but rather it’s users’ need for using Twitter. I liken it to the hybrid car craze, and more specifically, the class of consumers who would make absolutely sure they let you know they’re driving a hybrid, and for all the right reasons, and you’re not.

I can see a real earnest use for Twitter, especially in the academic sector (social psychologist must be having a field day). That is something I could be excited about, even though ironically, having that information available would require the very participation I’ve already described as inane. (Hilarious).

But in a more troubling sense, this ecosystem of self-affirmation seems to provide the most vivid glimpse into a possible future that I would rather not be a part of. So instead, I’ll maintain my thoughts on an obscure, empty website like this, hoping that no one ever reads whatever I put on here. Cause its probably a waste of their time.

So I’ve taken the plunge and splurged on the newest Macbook Pro model (late 2008). The Apple Store had the stock 2.53GHz model in, and $2700 later, I own what I affectionately call the “Cadillac of Notebooks.” I mean, honestly, what else would you call a notebook that dynamically readjusts the screen brightness based on the amount room lighting. This thing is most definitely the whhhhhhhhip!

A couple of things regarding gaming on my new rig:

1. Using Codeweavers’ “Crossover Games for Mac” to play Team Fortress 2/Half-Life 2/Counter-Strike: Source is doable; however, it’s drains the battery more than necessary, therefore, I’m going to Boot Camp the harddrive for native fraggin’.
2. Also in Crossover, all Source games were forced into using the DirectX 8.1 renderer. No need for that when I spent all this money on the dedicated Nvidia 9600M GT! I do own a copy of Parallels 4.0, but again, it, too, has to route all my gaming through a software layer first.

I loathe the thought of Boot Camp for the simple reason that I’m too dependent on Mac OS X now. Even with my first generation white Macbook, everything was extremely snappy, responsive and familiar...and mind you, when I got it in 2006, it was my first Mac ever. What the hell do I do if I want to listen to music AND play games!? Ohhhh no.

But I suppose now I must concede to the idea that no one operating system has it all. I need Windows for gaming and XNA development (pretty important stuff), and I need Mac OS X for everything else.

It's been a very busy last few weeks. I'll certainly be glad when this semester is done with. Today is the "Fall Brawl," "The In-State Hate Game," or as one hilarious 97.1FM fan state, "Domestic Disturbance" between Michigan State & Michigan. I certainly hope that MSU takes this one to the cleaners. Being a longtime Spartan Fan (despite my hangups with the University), I want nothing more than for MSU to show that they are legitimate and worthy of Big Ten respect. So I'll be glued to the TV for more of the afternoon.

If you think that Javon Ringer is deserving of the Heisman trophy this year, go here and vote for him. If he wins that poll, Nissan will cast him as their vote for the Heismen winner!

Other plans for the weekend, besides football, is Sirc's place tomorrow and also getting some homework done. For real!

Well, tonight is the first pre-season game for the Detroit Red Wings. After last year, in addition to getting in on a fantasy hockey league this season, I'm more stoked than ever! Hopefully my new AT&T U-verse service won't hamper on my viewing pleasure. Let's hope.

Hockey is here! Eeeeeeeeeeee!

SEE ME DOMINATE! Buy NHL 09 for the Xbox360; request to join "The Walmart Greeters" club!

Got back from the Radiohead concert yesterday, and MY GOD! Most certainly the best musical experience I'll ever come across. What's more is that getting back from Indy means three weeks vacation!

Getting an apartment soon; 'bout time.

I've abandoned work on my game engine. Specifically, the code I'm spending my time on now is going towards my master's thesis. Only 10 more months of school left! I can see the light ahead.

Knowing that you would be placed with a loving & responsible family, would you choose to live 7 - 13 years as a dog? Or a 50 - 70 year old human with no guarantees? (Heh, well aside from the 50 - 70 yr. old one...)

I look at my Great Dane, Zelda, who is only 9 mos. at the moment, and think of how good she has it. She has no idea that her life expectancy is approximately 7 - 9 years (nor would you or I if we took the question's first option), but is that really something to concern yourself with when you're waited on hand & foot, void of any responsibly, and can nap for 12 hours a day YOUR WHOLE LIFE.

To be clear, I do have plenty more brain busting questions than this, its just that most of the complexity involved in discussing them seem ill-suited for the medium of the Internet.

Cheers

Things have been shaky for a lot of reasons. The semester is culminating amidst a hell of a lot of academic and professional drama. It turns out that despite the overwhelming amount of pure excellence I piss each morning, I can't seem to get through a solid interview. The last one is still out for a verdict, but I'm not optimistic.

Also, I'm nowhere near as prepared for my algorithms final as I should be and I all I can think about I pumping out hours worth of game coding.

Lastly, to prove I'm not a complete D&D shut-in: Go Wings! (and any level 23 Dragons still in the Stanley Cup playoff run).

cout << "Hello, world!";
return 0;