jointwhereilive.com

I used a few different techniques using the image manipulation program GIMP to jazz up the pictures for the official header of jointwhereilive.com. This is how you do it:

Get a picture from Flickr. The Advanced Search function is helpful because it lets you search specifically for pictures released under Creative Commons licenses.

For this example, I am using an Alex Roberts original.

Open the picture in GIMP.

Rezise the canvas to 650×100px. Move the layer around to the desired position.

Duplicate the layer.
Select the top layer.
Go to Filters>Edge-Detect>Edge.

Settings:
Algorithm: Sobel
Amount: 2
Smear

Click OK

Go to Layer>Colors>Invert

Go to the layer dialog and select Mode: Overlay.

And yes, that’s all it takes to have a snazzy picture worthy enough to be an official jointwhereilive.com header. Don’t forget to save and enjoy.

I had to write a book review for my media management class, so I chose to read Managing Open Source Projects by Jan Sandred. Since I waited till the assignment’s deadline to get the book, I had to download it in pdf form at eBooks.com — for $30 no less! Whatever, it’s cool. I’d rather read about something I am interested in for more money than go to the bookstore and just pick up any ol’ management book.

Managing Open Source Projects is a good introduction to all things open source, more geared towards the beginner than the seasoned hacker. While I’d recommend the book, I wouldn’t recommend the supplier. eBooks.com encrypts their pdfs using DRM which prohibits reading the book on Linux. Even if you have Windows (or VMware), you are restricted to an old version of Adobe Acrobat because the newer versions are incompatible with the DRM. DRM sucks and so does eBooks. I shan’t be getting a book from them ever again!

Oh yeah, and what irony. I can’t read a book about open source software using open source software. eBooks.com should read the damn book before they sell it.

My website design professor showed the class this website. Looks like picking colors for my next website will be that much easer. Awesome stuff.

In a previous post I mentioned how I was back on Star Wars Galaxies. The game developers raised the maximum combat level from 80 to 90 while I was gone, so I needed to close the gap to be effective in my pvp bounty hunting. I started to level up through quests, however I was gaining xp at a snail’s pace. Then I switched to killing spiders on Dathomir; it was much faster, but boring as hell. So I finally turned to macroing! Yep, with a few macros and scripts — I’m an afk killin’ machine! Why work harder when you can work smarter, right?

BTW, my system is running Ubuntu (Edgy Eff) and I’m using Cedega for SWG.

The first thing you need to do for afk combat is make some in-game macros.

1st macro: ATTACK
/ui action toolbarSlot00;
/pause 1;
/ui action toolbarSlot01;
/pause 1;
/macro ATTACK;

2nd macro: TARGET
/loot;
/harvest;
/pause 1;
/ui action cycleTargetOutward;
/pause 25;
/macro TARGET;

3rd macro: HEAL
/ui action toolbarSlot02;
/pause 1;
/ui action toolbarSlot03;
/pause 1;
/macro HEAL;

Place your primary attack ability on the 1st slot (lower row).
Place your secondary attack ability on the 2nd slot (lower row).
Place your heal ability on the 3rd slot (lower row).
Place your buff ability on the 4th slot (lower row).

So for mine, I have Razor Net as my 1st slot, Ambush for my 2nd, Heal for my 3rd, and Favor of the Elders for my 4th.

Unfortunately, auto attack was disabled for in-game macros. To auto-attack, you need a 3rd party scripting program. When I played SWG on Windows, I used AC Tools. For Ubuntu I had to find an alternative. I downloaded xmacro in Synaptic. Once you download it, you’ll have to load the record module in your xorg.conf file.

In the terminal type:
sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Save a backup of xorg.conf

Scroll down to the modules section and insert:
Load “record”

Save the file and restart X (ctrl+alt+backspace)

Navigate to your home folder and create a new file with gedit called: autofire.macro
Add these lines to the file:

KeyStrPress Scroll_Lock
KeyStrRelease Scroll_Lock

Now save.

Create a new file in the home folder with gedit called: attack.sh
Add these lines to the file:

while :
do
cat autofire.macro | xmacroplay “:0.0″
done

Now save.

Almost done! Now go into SWG. Go to Options>Keymap>target
Rebind the Primary Attack command to the Scroll Lock button
Click ‘OK’

Find a location you want to grind out.

Bring up the terminal and run the script you made.

sh attack.sh

Go into SWG and start up the in-game macros. I’d suggest to sit back and watch it run through a few times — macros always need a tweak here or there.

To quit out of the in-game macros type: /dump
To quit out of the loop script, Alt+Tab over to the Terminal and type: Ctrl+C.

This is my first venture into mixing. Eyespot is a real simple website to use. It uses creative commons licenses too! I highly recommend it. BTW, this video doesn’t make sense — unless you’re high of course.

I found this clip of the Bishop Don “Magic” Juan or I guess he’s calling himself the archbishop these days. I first saw they bishop (yes, the people have crowned him they bishop) in Pimps up, Hos down: The Directors Cut. He’s also on another pimpumentary American Pimp. I recommend his book, From Pimpstick to Pulpit. It’s a good read. Don’t believe in God? Do what they bishop did, smoke a little PCP. That’s a sure path to godliness.

In one of my classes, the topic of securing authorship to a copyright came up. Someone mentioned the poor man’s copyright method.

The poor man’s copyright entails placing a work into a self-addressed envelope and sending it through the US mail. It sounds like a good idea and I’ve heard of it many times before — from songwriting teachers no less! However, this method is a myth and won’t hold up in court. It doesn’t work because one could easily send themself an unsealed envelope through the mail. For instance, I could send myself an unsealed envelope. USPS would date it and send it back to me. I could then wait till the next Diddy album comes out and place the lyrics from the newest Diddy hit inside my envelope and seal it. I could then proclaim, “Hey, Diddy stole my work. I had these lyrics written out in 2002 — gimme cash now!”

It is true that everything we write or do creatively is automatically copyrighted, but the only way to be sure to secure the authorship in a copyright is to register the work at the US Copyright Office.

I just got back into Star Wars Galaxies to see how the game has progressed since I left. I was part of the exodus of players that left the game when Sony ripped the guts out of the old system as part of the NGE. After the NGE, characters were forced to choose one profession. I didn’t want to be confined to the cantina as an entertainer, but I also didn’t feel right playing as Jimi Hendrix and not being able to bust out my guitar (well, it’s a mandovial, but close enough) and turn this mutha’ out. So I said, “fuck it” and left.

Fast forward a year or so and now I’m back on SWG. I still can only be one profession, but it’s actually working out. Jimi Hendrix is the perfect disguise for a Bounty Hunter. I walk up to my mark in my entertainer/civilian clothes with my guitar equiped and I chat them up for a bit. When they let their guard down, I use my armor swap macro to instantly equip myself in full armor and weapon. I drop a trap and then they’re mine for the taking.

Actually, I would get beat more often than not if my brother-in-law and fellow BH, Posner (his character is modeled off of Judge Posner), wasn’t there to have my back. BHs are underpowered in the game, but I don’t mind it since I generally play with Posner anyways. It’s funny killing players, they always have a different reaction. Some scream that it’s not fair and others ask us to train with them.

Anyways, BHing has revitalized my interest in SWG. Who would have thought ganking could be so much fun?

Donald Trump’s representative in his hair v. hair match with Vince McMahon is none other than Bobby Lashley. Lashley is a relatively new wrestler, but he’s received a huge push since he’s debuted.

Last Raw, it was revealed that Stone Cold Steve Austin will be the “special guest referee” for the match. Now there is no question that McMahon will lose. McMahon and Stone Cold feuded for the majority of the 90’s and I can see Stone Cold shaving McMahon’s head as one of those “Wrestlemainia Momments” that will feature heavily in future Wrestlemania ad campaigns.

Personally, I don’t care much about the match. Umaga never speaks on the mic. Lashley has horrible mic skills — he’s known as the soft spoken wrestler. How weak is that? So basically, both wrestlers have zero charisma. Plus, they aren’t that great in the ring.

Unless something else happens to shake things up, this match could go down as the worst in Wrestlemania history.

RBX asked alot of good questions in my last blog entry and I think the response deserves its own blog post.

McMahon probably won’t wrestle any more matches. He injured himself in his last bout and his doctors have advised him never to wrestle ever again. And at age 61, that’s probably for the best.

Last Raw, it was revealed that Umaga will represent McMahon at Wrestlemania. He’s billed as the “Samoan Bulldozing Machine”. He holds the intercontnental championship, so he’ll probably wrestle a similar caliber wrestler.

It’s hard to give a good estimate as to when professional wrestlers retire. Many of them wrestle in the independent circuit long after they’re released from WWE. It largely depends on the shape of the wrestlers and how many injuries they’ve sustained over their career. Ric Flair is still wrestling every week on WWE — he turns 58 on Feb. 28th!

As for the nature of professional wrestling. I always say that it’s a real performance. Winners are predetermined and conflicts are created from the minds of writers, but the matches themselves are largely improved. Wrestlers abuse their bodies in the ring and generally have to survive on pain pills. When wrestlers bleed, that’s usually real blood. They hide razor blades in their wristbands and cut their foreheads to produce the blood. Cutting their foreheads in this fashion is called “blading” and when they bleed it’s called “juicing”. Other than that, every professional wrestler has a long list of accidental injuries sustained over thier career, so when you see a wrestler grimmacing in pain — that may not be an act at all!