By Piers the Deaf on 2/23/2007

Yay, we got a Wii! It was pretty hard to find one, but with a little bit of calling and the help of a friend, I was able to get a Wii. I must admit, I was hesitant and ready to be unimpressed. However, once I got it hooked up to my 42" plasma TV, I was blown away. The sports games are easy to learn and loads of fun. Zelda is entertaining and fun to play, and there are a few other games that I'd love to try out. One of the cool features that I love is the built in Wi-Fi support. Once I got it on my network, it now supports e-mail and web browsing! An amazing part is that when the Wii is turned off, it still receives e-mail. And when a new mail comes in, the CD tray glows blue, even when the Wii is off.

The down side is that the friend support is clunky and difficult. I don't know any friends that have a Wii, so I can't add anyone to test out some of the fun features there. Anyways, if you want to e-mail my Wii, send it to: tyrende@gmail.com (it will auto-forward...

Read More »

By Piers the Deaf on 2/19/2007

This is a question that I've been pondering lately. I mean, I know that people do change as their life experiences guide them, but do they REALLY change. Or are they always the same person they were born and then they learn to behave differently based on what is accepted or not?

I ask this because my brother, whom I've never gotten along with well, seems to have finally matured and developed into a real person. He is being responsible, nice, and reliable! It's amazing really. But I wonder if he'll stay that way. In the past he has claimed to have changed, but at some point reverted to his old self. I suppose that in the end, only time will tell. Until then, I'm skeptical.

By Piers the Deaf on 2/15/2007

This week has definitely had its ups and downs. The ups are fun to talk about so I'll go over them first. My good friend is getting lined up for an interview at Microsoft! I really hope he gets it! Microsoft needs people like him! I'm still on my workout plan… 3 times a week, 30 minutes of weights and 30 minutes of cardio. Today I got a free 5 minute deep tissue massage. I know 5 minutes isn't much, but it definitely was nice!

In less positive news, I got a call from my mom. My dad's cancer has spread to his liver and the chemo isn't working anymore. Fortunately, I'm able to take some time off of work, so we are driving down to visit them tomorrow. It's going to be a long weekend. *sigh*

By Piers the Deaf on 2/12/2007

The MBTI instrument was developed by Isabel Myers and Katharine Briggs as an application of Carl Jung's theory of psychological types. This theory suggests that we have opposite ways of gaining energy (Extraversion or Introversion), gathering or becoming aware of information (Sensing or Intuition), deciding on coming to a conclusion about that information (Thinking or Feeling, and dealing with the world around us (Judging or Perceiving).

Now for those that know are care, my type ended up being ESTJ (Extroversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judging). I think this is actually a very good result for me. Here is what this means.

ESTJs are typically logical, analytical, and objectively critical. They like to organize projects and then act to get things done in a systematic, timely, and efficient manner.

ESTJs focus on seeing things as they are, not as they might be. They are matter-of-fact, practical, realistic, and concerned with the here and now. Past experience helps them solve problems, and they...

Read More »

By Piers the Deaf on 2/11/2007

Well, last night was our third annual Feast of Revelry, and it was AWESOME! I'll be honest when I say that I honestly thought it would be hard to match the success that we had last year, but Ämy and Tessa pulled it off with flying colors! Well done. A special thanks to our autocrats, the feastocrat (Raphaella), and everyone that volunteered their time an energy for this event.

Huzzah!!

By Piers the Deaf on 2/10/2007

Ah, I'm a sucker around Valentine's day. I found a babysitter and I'm taking Leah to the local casino for Valentine's Day. She was ecstatic when I told her about it! Hehe. I don't expect that we'll make any money, but send some luck our way. Maybe, just maybe, we'll win something! She's a big fan of slots, but I might plop my butt down at the blackjack table. I've also been studying the craps table a little to. I have to get ready for our Vegas trip in April! Woot!

That's all for now. Take care!

By Piers the Deaf on 2/8/2007

I admit it… I'm a Lost junkie. My wife and I picked up the 1^st season when it was first released on DVD and started renting them from Blockbuster. At first we weren't really too keen on the idea, but after about 4 episodes, we were both hooked! Since then, I've convinced at least 2 or 3 others to watch. I love the way the producers expand the storyline and incrementally develop each of the character's histories.

Last night was a new episode! Woot! The show is starting to be less magical and more adventurous. It's evolving to be more about the interactions of the characters and less about the mystery of the island. Unfortunately, I'm missing the magic that the island had. I'm really hoping they bring it back.

By Piers the Deaf on 2/7/2007

Well I researched the definition of Chatelaine and it's not quite what I expected. Mostly they refer to the fact that it's the head woman of a large house or castle. As surprising as it may seem, I am not a woman, but I am working on becoming a Chatelaine. Our current Chatelaine has done an excellent job, but is both in need of a break, and also nearing the end of her term. So I did some research and decided I'd go ahead and volunteer.

So what is a Chatelaine in the SCA? It's basically the greeter. It's the person responsible for assisting new members and educating them about the society as a whole. This education of course can only do so much before these members need to attend an event and see for themselves. I was fortunate in that I was there early and was able to have a pretty good conversation with the new members who attended the meeting last night. It was really exciting as I remember...

Read More »

By Piers the Deaf on 2/7/2007

Today I am working on getting our blogs to be editable (and publishable) in Word 2007! The picture publishing isn't working great, but I'll try now…

If this works, we'll see a picture of my puppy.