BahLOG - sonic in Melbourne
input rotation, output translation
Tuesday, April 26, 2011 <---
<--- posted by Oliver at 10:31 PM --->
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Wednesday, April 13, 2011 <---
<--- posted by Oliver at 3:11 PM --->
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Tuesday, April 12, 2011 <---
I'd like to acknowledge my friend Seiji, it seems that he's finally done with cigarettes... Some people try to avoid talking about it but I know personally it's a tough battle and it's something to be proud of, some experience worth sharing. Not to highlight that humans will fall into temptation, but that we are always capable of turning things around. No matter how bad it might seem it's never too late.
I dreamed of Japan again last night, maybe it's my trip which is coming up next month, maybe it's the romance... but I can't help but feel like there is something in my future waiting for me there, something huge and immovable.
<--- posted by Oliver at 1:33 AM --->
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Saturday, April 09, 2011 <---
<--- posted by Oliver at 9:18 PM --->
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Monday, April 04, 2011 <---
Straight Flush: Texas Hold'em and Poker Addiction
I've been getting into poker in a big way and never realised how addictive this game could be. It's often the simplest games that capture the most of our time and attention. It's the froggers, pac-mans, donkey-kongs, doodle-jumps... except unlike the above, a cash game of poker is a $100 minimum buy-in. So on the weekend I played two variations of the same game; cash game and tournament, and from that experience could draw only one conclusion. Cash game style poker is gambling. It reeks of all of the classic endorphin hooks to keep you playing and it has no beginning and no end... Tournament style poker has a start and an end and, in my opinion, is still a pure game. Although there's adrenaline involved in both, there's much more to keep you focused on the observation, skill and stratergy aspects when in a tournament, which is what got me here in the first place! I don't know why that is, exactly, as it's supposed to be the same game... but these are my observations.
I know there are "rounders" out there who can play the game so well as to make their living from it, but for most people they are not driven by rent money but by the gambling angle and if you loose, you can always buy back in... it's a game with no defined end point or goal, that in itself should sound alarm bells. A poker tounament on the other hand, you pay your entry fee, get your chips along with everyone else, then that's it. If you bust, you are eliminated. It's up to you and your skills to battle it all the way to the top. The winner takes the prize, everyone else get's a good story...
I do enjoy gambling, but If I do ever feel so compelled, I gamble properly. I play the big table games, I play fast and I play wild, but I never exceed my limits.
Cash game poker has no beginning, no end and no limits. It's in the freeking name: "No Limit Texas Hold'em".
Poker caught me off guard because I didn't consider it gambling, that's not how it's introduced, it starts as a simple game of skill, with an element of chance, like monopoly, but there is a reason it's played in the casino.
So no more cash games for this card fan. I wish you all the best of luck on your own strange journeys...
<--- posted by Oliver at 6:13 PM --->
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Friday, March 25, 2011 <---
<--- posted by Oliver at 3:47 PM --->
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Friday, March 11, 2011 <---
Carpel tunnel much?
My new USB Kinesis ergonomic keyboard arrived a few days ago and I am enjoying it thoroughly. I had a PS2 version of the same keyboard I bought second hand from the same friend that got me onto them originally, but the PS2 to USB adapter required constant plugging and un-plugging and certain keys were giving me trouble in the finder. I had switched back to the apple generic slimline bluetooth keyboard for a while and in doing so had no hesitation in shipping out a brand new, black, USB model.
That's the apple multi-touch trackpad blu-tacked to the center panel there, mainly for 2 finger scrolling but the rare occasions I do require small cursor control. Otherwise I use a wacom intuos 3 or, if illustrating, my cintiq 12WX.
The apple keyboards look nice, but are really laptop keyboards in an aluminium enclosure. After only a week on the apple keyboard, not only could I no longer stand the sensation of hitting the bottom of the key travel every keystroke, my wrists were starting to complain, on occasion with considerable and enduring pain...
I cant put into words how much I LOVE the Kinesis welled keyboard. The keys are in-line with your fingers, the contoured wells are very well designed and using the thumbs for space, backspace and command keys is absolute genius. But the most important thing for me is the 4mm of travel in each key. This means you type without ever hitting the bottom and makes the single most important difference in typing sensation and speed.
I know $250 US is a lot for something that is usually $5... but if you type a lot, think about it, how much are your wrists worth to you? Absolutely no regrets and no hesitation recommending the Kinesis keyboards to you. Thank me later :)
If you do purchase one, I recommend also changing the caps-lock key to a control key so you can hold cmd+ctrl keys with thumb and pinky. I also assign the control keys as command keys as these are the mac equivalent, and the alt keys into option keys. I use control a lot for sending a screen shot to the clipboard and also for cmd+ctrl key combos so I need my other hand. These are all simple options in the Mac OS and don't require any programming of the keyboard (although it is fully programmable).
<--- posted by Oliver at 4:15 PM --->
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Thursday, March 03, 2011 <---
If you've also done this then you know what it means :)
And if you've done this you know what that means...
And... hang on...
<--- posted by Oliver at 2:02 AM --->
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Saturday, February 26, 2011 <---
When I was in highschool, we kids were very much preoccupied with being funny and interesting as people. Overhearing a conversation between two teenagers today, they seemed more preoccupied in talking about other peoples youtube videos and internet jokes that were funny and interesting, while they were certainly not laughing above a chortle and their actual conversation would most certainly not have received many "likes".
I'm not saying either way is right, but it did seem to me that being interesting in person matters far less, these days, than maintaining the appearance of being interesting online, where you can reach more people. One-on-one conversation seemingly delegated to arming yourself with technique in avatar management.
What do you think? Is your personality now measured with your favorites list?
Oh by the way, did you see that cat giving the thumbs up? It's very funny. You should definitely check that out.
<--- posted by Oliver at 7:25 PM --->
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Sunday, February 06, 2011 <---
<--- posted by Oliver at 10:15 PM --->
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