Taniith’s Relto

So, I keep getting comment spam at a significantly higher rate than I used to. So, I turned on some features that block comments unless they are from a user who has already had an approved comment. So if you have an account then at most 1 of your comments wont appear till I approve it, but I don’t think that will work for people without accounts (all the more reason to make an account! :D)

Also, yay GDC!

Last week, we had the 2 (and 6) year anniversaries of when URU was canceled. On that day, one of the NPCs from the game posted on their in-character forum. Thus began the lead up to today. For a while now, they’ve been promising us the source code for the game. As of today, they have taken the first steps toward that by opening a game shard. Myst Online is now available for free to the masses; anyone who wants to can download the client and play.

I’m still waiting to get the source (well, I really just want the source for the tools so I can try porting them to Maya), but this is a great step.

I would ramble, but I have stuff to do. So, I leave you with that.

-K

Apparently, word of my skillset is getting around. Britt (one of the new professors; the one I had that little tiff with in A-term) runs a figure-drawing workshop every week. I don’t go, but I know several people that do. I’m told that at the one this week, someone idly mention to a friend that they were having trouble with something Maya related. Someone else then said something to the effect of “have you asked Elliot?”.

I guess I must do a good job when I TA (I’m not this term), because random people are passing around that I’m the go-to guy for help in Maya. As nice as it is to be appreciated, I really hope this doesn’t get out of hand, heh.

-K

WPI had an H1N1 shot clinic yesterday; it was even free! I went and got my shot, which was obviously nothing compared to the horror I had built up in my mind while walking up the hill (and waiting for them to get back from lunch, leaving me more time to mull over how agonizingly painful it would be). As you might expect, several hours later my arm started to ache. That’s no big deal though, cause that’s just what happens… but then my other arm started to hurt in the same spot! This I don’t understand at all. I have the same ache in both arms. It’s like the other arm feels left out and decided to take matters into its own hands (well, I guess that expression doesn’t work on something that has a hand, but you know).

Its somewhat amusing, if a tad annoying.

-K

Edit: Comments closed due to spam.

Some months ago, the sales tax rate in Massachusetts was increased to 6.25%. Now, me not being much of one to keep tabs on the news, I managed to miss this fact. When the day came for the change, I was on the grand Adventure (probably on a train or something). After I got back, I had lunch with my old teacher Andrew, after which we meandered into that ice cream store on Moody street. They had a sign on the counter saying how they had tweaked their prices to come out to nice even amounts with the new tax rate. Having no idea about this so called tax increase, I figured they must be playing some scam! Nonetheless, I bought my sorbet (or something) and went on my way. Once I got home, I discovered that it was all true and came to the conclusion that the sand around my head was deeper than I had first supposed.

Now jump to just now. Whenever I head back to Worcester from Newton around dinner time, I stop by the Framingham rest stop and get chicken from Boston Market. Say what you will, it’s pretty good food all things considered. I then continue on to Worcester, where I eat my food, after which the container tends to sit around until the next trash day. Which would be tomorrow. Collecting stuff to dispose of, I saw a receipt that happened to be from last week’s meal. Just as I was about to throw it away, I happened to glance down and do you know what I saw? “7.00% Tax”. Apparently, someone went ahead and raised the sales tax again! That’s twice they haven’t told me…. except this time it seems that didn’t tell anyone else either, besides this Boston Market. Sure, its a couple of cents, but its not right to charge the wrong tax. Unless they really did raise the tax, and neither I nor Wikipedia were told O_o

I know its not much of a blog post, but its something, eh?

-K

Just a quick bit of commentary on the episode… you probably shouldn’t look if you haven’t seen it yet. (more…)

In the past couple days, I’ve discovered a few interesting things. First is Ponoko. They have a whole host of materials that they will laser cut (from felt to plastic to wood). I got a few small bits laser cut for Heek, but that was just in plastic. I’m now starting to think about my plan for Heek, and I think I might take advantage of Ponoko for some of it. I’m thinking something like interlocking MDF for structure (either laser cut or I’ll do it myself with a bandsaw somewhere). Maybe with decorative top parts, especially on the master box; I can actually get it cut and engraved in cherry or walnut to look like a real Heek table!

Ok, so that covers the box structure, but MDF is kinda boring. After some thought, I think I’ll go with a Steampunk theme. I’m going to get some sort of aged leather to put on the sides (while I can get engraved leather from Ponoko, I don’t think it’s worth it). Then, I’ll get aged, thin copper or brass to wrap the edges and corners. I’ll top it off with some tacks/rivets all around the metal. And it will be epic; far more interesting than just simple boxes like I was first thinking of. I already found some interesting thin (36 gauge) copper and brass foil, including some reclaimed rolls of the copper, so I ordered a sample pack to test the look and formability.

Also, another pair of sites I found were the MakerBot and the RepRap. Both are personal 3D printers that you (partially) build yourself. They are both pretty rough right now, but the development plans look pretty cool. The MakerBot is sort of an offshoot of the RepRap; Its more interested in usability while the RepRap is about building a fabricator that can replicate its own parts. RepRap is working on things like 3D printing circuit boards (and the actual transistors that are solder on as a pipe dream), so you can use it to replicate more of itself. MakerBot, on the other hand, is working on ideas like adding additional nozzles to use support material like the professional printers. That way, anything can be printed without the worry that overhangs will break before they have structure build up, or before they totally cool off/dry.

Its all very interesting, and I look forward to seeing where it goes. Now there are good way to get 2D stuff, laser cut pieces, and 3D stuff, and the possibility to build or buy all of those fabricators in some way. Dave has this idea he’s been saying for a bit that 3D printers will be so affordable by the time that I graduate that everyone will be able to pool together and get one as a gift. Who knows, maybe he’ll be right…. but then again, maybe I’ll have built my own by then ;p.

-K