2010

Following my tradition of copying Katherine's New Years post, here is 2010, though this time I've rather preempted her.

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?

- Uhm a few technical things at work
- Started playing social Touch Rugby

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for the next year?

- There weren't any. No, technically you could say I'm still following one from about 7 years back which was to make no more New Years resolutions

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

- No

4. Did anyone close to you die?

- No. Never been to a funeral.

5. What countries did you visit?

- None unfortunately.

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?

- A lover or relationship deeper than a friendship, which unsurprisingly is the same as last year

7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched in your memory, and why?

- September the 4th, not that I was in chch but family still live there.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

- Getting a better job, (for the second year in a row)

9. What was your biggest failure of the year?

- To be more outgoing, failure to actively seek out new people or find a relationship

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

-None

11. What was the best thing you bought?

- Another camera I guess, either that or my cellphone both are quiet awesome, or the multitude of books I've acquired

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

- No one really

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

- Certain local politicos who seem to think digging up nonrenewable resources from near pristine land is a way to improve the country
- The world leaders as usual with regards to politics and climate change
- Christian and all other overly religious and or fanatical peoples.

14. Where did most of your money go?

-Rent and savings

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

- The Towers of Midnight

- Mass Effect 2
- The new camera

16. What song will always remind of you of 2009?

-none

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?

- A bit happier I mean once again my job got better!

b) fatter or thinner?

- No change from last year seem to have stabilised on 70kg, hopefully a few more sports may drop that a little more, even though technically it's a perfectly healthy weight

c) richer or poorer?

- Richer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

- Getting to know people/make new friends
- Getting out of the flat and visiting cousins, friends and family in the North Island

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

-Spending money

20. How did you spend Christmas?

-With family in Chch

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?

- I wish

22. What was your favourite TV programme?

- Star Driver and Big Bang Theory

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

- Not really, still hate stupidity, especially the religious type
- oh and any one who smokes, I really really hate smokers!

24. What was the best book you read?

- Either 'Under Heaven', or 'The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms' oh and 'Changes' was awesome

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

- Vienna Teng

26. What did you want and get?

- A better Job

27. What did you want and not get?

- Love/relationship

28. What was your favourite film of this year?

- Haven't seen many, none of those I saw stand out

29. What did you do on your birthday and how old did you turn?

-Turned 26, absolutely nothing different from a normal day

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

- Love/relationship

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?

- Same as always, casual

32. What kept you sane?

- Books and Friends

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

- none, they're all idiots

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

- Talk of mining conservation land, first time I've written a rather annoyed email to a politico

35. Who did you miss?

- Not so many people this year, getting used to living away from everyone

36. Who was the best new person you met?

- A couple of new work colleagues, excellent people

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.

- Hmm maybe jump at all chances, it's worth it even if you don't quite get there, though I guess I already knew that.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

- Uhm... I'll pass on this one

Rules of a Moral Life?

Here are a few rules for what might be a moral life, for those who can or are willing to comprehend them.

One should knowingly, do no harm to another.
One should avoid doing anything that may harm another later.
If one must do harm to another, one should make every effort to minimise that harm.
Self harm should be discouraged, because it indirectly harms others.
A lack of foresight is harmful.
To violate these rules is to loose the protection of them.

Unfortunately to apply these rules get complex incredibly quickly and requires a massive amount of thought.

The Goal of Existance

Is knowledge, science, understanding what we are, where we are and what has and will be.

Self knowledge is part of this, but mysticism as comfortable and fun as it may be has no part. What does it create do or contribute? What is the point of a heaven if all you do is stand around all day and worship. That'd get bloody boring rather quickly I'd hope, both for the one being worshiped and those doing so. And who cares if you might be reincarnated as a bacteria it's hardly useful to worry about that, your not going to remember.

Instead why not seek out real knowledge, how to help others or ones self. Seek to extend your days and minimise your impact while expanding or helping to expand our knowledge.

As in the end, all that may well remain of us is our contribution to knowledge, which should it reach the necessary levels, may end up sustaining us and allow us to remain as we seek to expand it and seek out new wonders.

After all the universe doesn't care about you and chance ain't going to hand you a free survival card just because you believe it should. Learn and grow, expand your capabilities and knowledge and you might just manage to stay ahead of the reaper.

But don't forget to bring the other living things with you, or you'll end up cutting your own throat with out even noticing.

Kindle 3 in NZ

A few thoughts on the Kindle 3

• The eInk screen is amazing to read from, after reading 4 book on the device and reading until 2am in the morning there is no eyestrain unlike when I use an active display such as my netbook or cellphones.
• Books load quickly after the first time, when they appear to be indexed.
• The kindle store works well and with your credit card details linked to your account can be bought with only a couple of clicks.
• The purchased books arrive very quickly over both wifi and 3G.
• Also books purchased directly from there website arrive next time you connect the kindle to a network.
• The battery life is impressive on the first charge I've read 5 or so books before getting a battery warning, should last 8 or 9 books by the time it's had a couple more charges.
• Battery life is a function of page turns, so appears to decrease as you increase text size and spacing. But leaving it in suspend for a week has little or no effect.
• It's highly impressive to switch the device off and have the kindle render a graphic on the display and leave there while it's 'off'.
• The text is very clean and easy to read.
• The device is quite small about the size of a midsized paper back and incredible light!
• The size and weight make it alot easier to hold than an iPad for reading.
• The refresh rate when turning pages is quite acceptable, if you hit page advance when you reach the bottom of the page it should have refreshed by the time your eye reach the top.
• You can change the font, spacing and orientation of the text.
• The 3G makes is easy to buy a book and start reading it pretty much anywhere.
• The downside is it makes it a little too easy to buy a book that catches your eye, and with the purchase only requiring a click or two could easily get out of control.
• There are a lot of free ebooks in the correct formate available from third parties such as baen, including some complete series, which helps make the device even more valuable

• The webbrowser is rather basic though usable, a 5 way pad is not the best way to browse the web.
• The music player is completely basic, no gui just plays stuff in order in the background, the built in speakers are of reasonable quality.
• The book reader as usual is the standard robotic voice, and won't make audio books obsolete any time soon.
• The books seem to have US$2 surcharge on them to cover the cost of sending them Internationally via 3G, this applies both when buying via 3G or Wifi, which as far as data charges go is a complete rip off!
• Book prices are in US$ so while the books are still cheaper than a normal priced paperback they're not incredibly so (NZ$17 for the most expensive I've bought)
• While the book range is decent I've run into a number of books that are not to be sold in NZ

Overall I'm very happy with the device I just wish the book prices were in NZ dollars and didn't have the US$2 surcharge!

I Am A: Lawful Neutral Elf Wizard

Dang I'm sure that should be Chaotic Good, that's what I usually play after all!

I Am A: Lawful Neutral Elf Wizard (3rd Level)


Ability Scores:

Strength-11

Dexterity-13

Constitution-13

Intelligence-16

Wisdom-14

Charisma-12


Alignment:
Lawful Neutral A lawful neutral character acts as law, tradition, or a personal code directs him. Order and organization are paramount to him. He may believe in personal order and live by a code or standard, or he may believe in order for all and favor a strong, organized government. Lawful neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you are reliable and honorable without being a zealot. However, lawful neutral can be a dangerous alignment because it seeks to eliminate all freedom, choice, and diversity in society.


Race:
Elves are known for their poetry, song, and magical arts, but when danger threatens they show great skill with weapons and strategy. Elves can live to be over 700 years old and, by human standards, are slow to make friends and enemies, and even slower to forget them. Elves are slim and stand 4.5 to 5.5 feet tall. They have no facial or body hair, prefer comfortable clothes, and possess unearthly grace. Many others races find them hauntingly beautiful.


Class:
Wizards are arcane spellcasters who depend on intensive study to create their magic. To wizards, magic is not a talent but a difficult, rewarding art. When they are prepared for battle, wizards can use their spells to devastating effect. When caught by surprise, they are vulnerable. The wizard's strength is her spells, everything else is secondary. She learns new spells as she experiments and grows in experience, and she can also learn them from other wizards. In addition, over time a wizard learns to manipulate her spells so they go farther, work better, or are improved in some other way. A wizard can call a familiar- a small, magical, animal companion that serves her. With a high Intelligence, wizards are capable of casting very high levels of spells.


Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?

2009

Following my tradition of copying Katherine's New Years post, here is 2009.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?

- Explored Northland
- Moved into a flat with people I know!
- Changed Jobs within a company

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for the next year?

- There weren't any. No.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

- No

4. Did anyone close to you die?

- No. Never been to a funeral.

5. What countries did you visit?

- None unfortunately.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?

- A lover or relationship deeper than a friendship.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched in your memory, and why?

- None 2009 mostly work, and can't remember the dates of the non work stuff.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

- Getting a better Job

9. What was your biggest failure of the year?

- To be more outgoing.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

-None, odd cold.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

-My car I guess, I mean it's a car so hardly excitingly, but unfortunately far to useful.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

-No one really

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

-The world leaders as usual with regards to politics and climate change
- Christian and all other overly Religious and or fanatical peoples.

14. Where did most of your money go?

-Rent and Car

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

- The Gathering Storm
- A new computer
- Bioware's return to there roots

16. What song will always remind of you of 2009?

-none

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?

- No change, maybe a little happier now my Job is better

b) fatter or thinner?

- 10% bigger, apparently I'm now nearly a health weight.

c) richer or poorer?

-Richer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

- Getting to know people.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

-Spent money

20. How did you spend Christmas?

-With Family in Chch, and house sitting

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?

- I wish

22. What was your favourite TV programme?

- Darker than Black 2, and Eden of the East

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

- Not really, still hate stupidity, especially the religious type
- oh and any one who smokes, really really hate smokers!

24. What was the best book you read?

- The Gathering Storm, now I have hope that the Wheel of Time may end well.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

- none

26. What did you want and get?

- A better Job

27. What did you want and not get?

- Love/relationship

28. What was your favourite film of this year?

- Sherlock Holmes? Maybe having problems remembering what else I saw this year

29. What did you do on your birthday and how old did you turn?

-Turned 25, and Secretly had a lot of people over for Breakfast with out most of them realising the true reason!

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

- Love

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?

- Same as always

32. What kept you sane?

- Books and Friends

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

- none, they're all idiots

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

-nothing really

35. Who did you miss?

-Lots of people, who no longer live in the same city

36. Who was the best new person you met?

- One of my flatmates from my previous flat, a good bloke
- A couple of people at work

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.

-Some times exceeding expectations is rewarded

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

- Uhm... I'll pass on this one