So I finally watched the last episode of The West Wing last night, which I have faithfully downloaded since Rob got me hooked several years ago. I haven’t been so depressed to see a television show go off the air since they cancelled ST:TNG when I was in junior high, and I think it’s worse this time around because it isn’t just an emotional affinity for the show that’s kept me dedicated, but the knowledge that The West Wing is, in fact, good television. Darren Barefoot recently posted along these same lines and said that The West Wing had been “the smartest show on television”, which is a statement I heartily agree with. Now that it’s over, the question now becomes what else is out there that could possibly replace it? (more…)

I decided that I would re-install Ubuntu on my main PC tonight. I’ve had it on here before, but it was removed somewhat abruptly when some bad RAM forced me to re-install Windows XP, which arrogantly overwrote my boot-loader software, as well as mucking with the partition tables a bit I believe. So it was time for a fresh start. In went the Ubuntu installation CD (thanks to Rhonda from Acadia for that!), off went my computer, and on the next boot I was on my way.

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Over the past month, several friends and I have been having fun getting our feet wet in the world of MMORPGs by playing Guild Wars, which more accurately brands itself as a “CORPG” (”Co-operative” or “Competitive Online RPG”). I’ve never played any of the big MMORPGs before, not since my days of dabbling in MUDs and MOOs, primarily because of the monthly fees which I simply cannot afford on a student income. Guild Wars is unique however, in that it offers free online play after purchasing the game, available at EBGames for $50-$60. That fit into my budget, and the budgets of Mike, Gregg, Keezer, and several others who have all bought the game within the past few weeks. (more…)

Certain people that I might possibly know, may or may not have a birthday that is conceivably on or somewhere around the day of May 12. If you were to know someone who fit this description, I would hope that you would wish them a very happy birthday. And if I were to know someone who did (or perhaps even did not) fit this description, then I would certainly want them to know I wished them a very, very happy birthday as well. Now the rest of you lot, move along: there’s nothing more to see here.

I had this in my MSN name the other day, so it’s about time I explain it. You really ought to watch this on video, but since video clips are bandwidth-hogging, pictures and audio will have to do until you can find a decent torrent.

It may be helpful to first set the scene. The TV show in question is “Blackadder” (or “Black Adder”, if you wish), a popular British comedy that has had four different incarnations. In this scene, we are in the fourth and final incarnation, wherein Blackadder and chums find themselves on the verge of being sent into battle during World War I. In fact, word has just come down from on high that tomorrow morning at dawn, “the big push” will be taking place and the British troops will go “over the top” of their trenches, venturing into no man’s land. Each of our three soldiers takes the news differently: Lieutenant George (or Dr. House, as he is known in some circles) accepts the news in impossibly good spirits, and goes off to prepare the other men. Private Baldrick, a self-professed poor, gormless idiot, seems unperturbed and takes it in stride. Captain Blackadder however is quickly moved to hatch a plot; an old trick he picked up while campaigning in the Sudan, involving two pencils, a pair of underpants, and “wouble”.

You can listen to an MP3 clip, and the images below are linked to larger versions.