WoW level 2

OK. Still at level 2. Maybe I'm just tired but I couldn't figure out what the hell to do. I finally killed a Worgen but they killed me twice after that and I still cant figure out what to do next. I think I'll change my realm tomorrow or something. 

I started doing some research so maybe that will help me. Also tried changing a few button combinations so I will see how that goes. Will continue to read up on starting WoW to get some additional info.

I walked around for at least 20 minutes, gaining experience points and discovery points. that was about it. I guess there goes my 1 level a day theory. I think I'll revert to at least playing the game once a day, that's way more attainable than one level a day, especially since I found out that some of the quests require for it to be done in multi player mode. That's gonna be fun!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Down Day

Long day at work, not necesarily too tired to play WoW today but I don't think I'm in the frame of mind to  complete level 2 and give a good overview of the level. So instead of just not posting anything, I at least felt like I owed it to my blog to at least say why I didn"t.

World of Warcraft Level 2

So now I'm level 2. that first task was easy, got killed twice by rampaging Worgens and I think I kinda know how to fight now. Will test it out tomorrow and know by level 3. So far so good. 

The learning curve is very sharp as there are no quick tutorials. It's almost as if you are to know how to play just by logging in. I will continue to have a more in depth analysis as i go along. I also see all the other players running around and I am very interested in figuring out how to meet other players and communicate with them. Maybe someone out there can give me some advice. I might have to look into doing some research as to strategies and the likes.

The first mission wasn't bad, I was able to find the supplies but not only did I have to open the boxes but then I had to select the contents as well. I will have to look a bit more at the interface to see if there is an auto selector or something to simplify some of the actions.

Next, I'll start to take screen shots so I can post them as well.

World of Warcraft

I've finally took the next step to geekdom by playing World of Warcraft for the first time. I am officially a Level 1 Worgen Mage. will see if I can complete a level a day. Well that might not be possible this week with my level of work this week but I will try to update here at least once a level.

Something I found funny today or just weird

On my bus trip back to NYC. Bus stops for a quick break. The Driver announces that we were going to be stopping for approximately 12 minutes. I leave the bus and come back in 5 minutes. 2 minutes later, someone 4 seats ahead of me decide to get off the bus. Between trying to figure out what to do with his laptop and where to put his bag, he took another 4 minutes, by the time he gets off the bus and walks to the entrance of the rest stop, the driver is on his way back and of course, he just has to turn right back around and get back on the bus where he takes another 2 minutes to rearrange and sit back down. The concept of time is something that not everyone has a firm grasp on I guess. I just found it a bit amusing. I know that some people who read this post might not think it's funny, but I did.

Did you ever want to know the difference between rum,whiskey, vodka, brandy and tequilla!!!!

I always wanted to know the difference and just never got around to researching it. I found an answer via a post on Yahoo answers:

Whiskey is essentially beer without hops that's been distilled. The ingredients can range from barley, wheat, rye, corn, millet, oats...virtually any starchy cereal grain you can think of can be made into beer and thus whiskey.
Single malt whiskey (whisky for the Scots) is purely barley and distilled at a single distillery.
Bourbon is an American whiskey that has by law >51% corn in its list of ingredients...many will tell you it must be made in Kentucky, but this isn't true, though the vast majority of Bourbon distilleries *are* in Kentucky, there a few exceptions. Time in the barrels also is a factor.
Scotch is simply short for "Scotch Whisky" (with no 'e' in the spelling...they like it this way) and simply refers to whisky made exclusively in Scotland and by law has to be aged 3 or more years in wood casks to be called "Scotch."

Brandy is merely distilled wine. Specialty brandies such as Cognac and Armagnac are made in specific geographic regions and of certain wines to be called such by French Law. This is the same with "Champagne" being exclusively from the Champagne region and all others are "sparkling wine."

Rum is made from sugar cane and it's byproducts (molasses) and is pretty simple. Fermented cane juice or molasses or combinations of each are then distilled...sometimes multiple times. Light rum is not aged, or aged very shortly. It has the least flavor and is good for mixed drinks. Darker rum has been aged, sometimes with flavors or spices and is suited for some mixed drinks, but the older it is, the more suited for sipping it becomes...similar to fine brandies or whiskies.

Vodka isn't exclusively from potatoes. In fact, it's increasingly rare that it is made from potatoes in that they are more expensive as an ingredient for the whole distilling cycle. You'll find that most vodkas are distilled from grain...the same as whiskey, but more and more thoroughly so that there is minimal/no flavor left in the distillate. It's also not aged or barreled and therefore remains crystal clear and colorless.

Actually all brown spirits (whiskey, brandy, rum) derive the majority of their color and flavor from the wooden casks that they are aged in. When distilled, they all...yes, *ALL* come out crystal clear and colorless. Caramel color may be added in the cheaper varieties, and dark rums will frequently have molasses added back for a richer flavor (which is not necessarily characteristic of the cheaper varieties).

Tequila is fermented agave juice which is then distilled. The different colors/grades relate to the amount of aging. Like Cognac etc. "Tequila" only comes from a certain region of Mexico, and is exclusively Blue Agave...all others are "Mezcal"

Gin is neutral spirits (like vodka) which are flavored via various methods with primarily juniper berries and also other botanicals.
Ouzo, Pernod, and Absinthe belong to a group of spirits called "Pastis" (I forget the meaning exactly). These are all primarily flavored with anise and liquorice and when water is added, the oils from the infused botanicals un-dissolve and turn the drink milky. Absinthe is unique in that it contains wormwood as one of its botanicals. Wormwood contains thujone which is a controversial substance which renders it illegal in a majority of countries. It is said to make the drinker hallucinate...often called "seeing the green fairie" as Absinthe is colored green. The truth is that Absinthe is *extremely* alcoholic relative to other spirits (65% alcohol and up) and is traditionally drunk with water poured through a sugar cube (lighting the sugar cube on fire is optional...and dumb) which reduces the strength for drinking.

2 hours in

After 2 hours and 18 minutes.  We are at 78% with high usage.  About to switch to my tablet to watch some videos though.  The data speeds on the bus suck usual. I won't start with that explanation today.  Maybe on my way back I will break it down. 

Trip day chronicled

Started at 96% @ 11:46. Wifi on, battery saver on with all options enabled and auto sync turned off. Let's see what I can get out of my one year old note 2 with jelly bombed custom rom installed.

Back to the future flash back.... One word, AWESOME!!!!!!!!

I feel like building one of these for myself.

New server hardware sector emerging!

Hopefully, one day I can own one of these:

A SeaMicro server. Photo: WIRED/Ariel Zambelich

http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2013/10/seamicro-amd-verizon/?cid=co12930924

John Considine, the Verizon chief technology officer pointed out that " Verizon has been working with SeaMicro for over two years on its new service, and that should show you just how long the gestation period is for this sort of computer hardware." The technical details pointed out in this article are very interesting and ground breaking. Not only is the technology getting better faster but it is also using less power to do more work. Sounds like a win win situation to me.

Handy Man Day September

So today, I will start with a disclaimer:

Warning: Do not attempt to install any type of wiring without being properly trained to do so. I have an Electrical Engineering Degree and I have several years of experience handling, installing and troubleshooting electrical systems and circuits. Serious injury can result from incorrect wiring or instillation, including death and loss of property. 

Now, that being said, I will try something a bit different this time. I took a ton of pictures so I will be using them to outline what i did and if anyone has any questions or comments, please post a reply and I will reply to your posts with more details.

Above Pics are the before Images. 

Yeah, Terrible placement. Needs to be relocated ASAP but for now, it stays.

Final Product.

 Just posting everything, will be adding comments as I go along. A Lot of comments to add as you can see.

I'm still here

It's been a pretty busy month for me and everyone involved in my projects.  I am working on a new handyman post.  It's s lot of pictures and it's taking me some time between work and home to get our finished and posted. 

The iphone launch came and went.  Samsung announced its note 3 and smart watch. More gun violence in the news.  Winter is coming! !!!!!!!!

Server OS instillation finally completed.

           It has been a long road to get to where we are now. We ended up using Debian for the OS. After getting a compatible Graphics card, it was only a matter of time before we were able to get the hardware and software to function properly together after effectively setting up the software parameters.

Log in screen up and running. secured and all. Found a few important application packages and updates that I applied immediately.

Here is the Desktop. Nice, simple and fully functional. Will keep you up to date with the blog setup and instillation. Now I can start concentrating on some hardware work. I have to prep the final home for the server and setup the security system for The Lab. 

Handy Man Day August

          Started prepping the driveway, walkway and stairs to be resurfaced. Here are a few before pics:

 
As you can see, a lot of the initial coating is gone and there are a lot of layers of paint that need to be removed. 



 There are also a few cracks that have developed from harsh New York winters and over all wear and tear from the temperature changes that occur between winter and summer year over year.

The outcome is all within the preparation and I eluded to this previously but it cannot be understated. I reiterate this because even I get frustrated with the level of intensity involved with preparing to complete the process. Time Line:

9:15 - Woke up, had breakfast and started to plan the day.
10:00  - Started preparing the surfaces by removing loose and built up layers.
11:00 - Went to Home Depot with a list of items needed to complete to project.
14:00 - Finally got back from Home Depot with most of the items that we think will complete the work and continuing the prep work:

 

Prep work continued until approximately 19:00 when we filled the larger cracks and gaps with cement and the smaller ones with cement/crack sealant that's similar to silicone. Will have pics tomorrow with results. I will tell you all this. It was not easy and it takes dedication, determination and pure will power to complete the prep work properly and effectively.