Greetings.

No real connection between the title and content this time. I just like the word. "Barrage". Or...come to think of it...maybe it references the length of this post.

From my last check, it's been almost a month. I really could use a couple nights worth of light workloads, but that's beyond my control. Seems that now until November 14th (or so) will be just as busy. I'm really looking forward to winter break this year, as I may not have an actual job this time around. I may not have an income, but at least I'll have time.

So....lots on my mind tonight. It's been building ever since the last post, but I never had a good enough reason to get it all down until tonight. Let's get started...

First up...ZHP
The last time I worked on ZHP was two weeks ago -- I spent an entire night writing up a semi-formal User Agreement / Terms of Use / Legal Info document. Such things are not very exciting, I know, but at least it's something. Since then, I've also developed of semi-cohesive flow document on the ZHP code. Again, not exciting, but it is a document that will help me get back into the swing of development, a swing I plan to re-take starting next week. Remember the 10-hour resolution I made way back when? Oh yeah, it's coming back.

Second...Ampache
For those that don't know this little miracle daemon and web interface, you really should check it out...Ampache. From last time's post (6 / 10 / 2007 -- Hardware Ahoy), I've made some pretty decent progress on my never-ending personal server project. To date, I have successfully set it up as a file server (FTP), Apache webserver with PHP, MySQL, and Perl, enabled secure-shell login (SSH), remote desktop connection (x11 / VNC)...and now, with the help of Ampache, a pretty kick-ass music server.

The gist of it is this: Ampache itself is simply a web interface to various sound modules. You can set up music streaming through playlists and a Flash-esque player, as well as set up something called Localplay (and probably even more, that's all I use it for). Localplay uses an intermediary daemon called MPD (music player daemon), which interfaces with the local server's sound card to play your music to whatever is hooked up to the card's line-out (I also read about remote Localplay, but I don't really understand that).

So, not only can I play my own music collection from anywhere I have Internet access (thanks to the streaming), but with Localplay, I can (and do) effectively separate my music from my primary machine. Not a big deal, you say? Well, it is for me -- with a 40 GB main drive, 13 GB of which was formerly occupied by music, AND dual booting Windows XP and Linux,...it is a very big deal. While I do miss the speed of local music players (notably, Amarok), I think it's more than worth the trade-off in freed-up space (and I like the feeling of having a more tech-savvy setup). And best of all...Ampache is free.

Third...Ubuntu
Continuing in the vein of open-source and the like, Canonical released (K/X)Ubuntu 7.10, code-named "Gusty Gibbon", on the 17th. I only recently got around to installing it this past weekend. Although it's not quite as big a swing as going from Ubuntu to Kubuntu, 7.10 does have those minor improvements that justify an upgrade. Thanks to Ubuntu's regular 6-month release cycle, I get a twice-annual incentive to clean up my computer, get rid of stuff I never use, et cetera. I'm down to about an hour and a half to go from a base install to my fully operational machine -- not bad, considering a base Windows install (from my last experience) ran about two hours.

From here on out, the topics are a little...random. Fourth: Movies
Having recently had a chance to peruse the local video store, I came to a not-so-stunning realization about the movie industry: the large majority of movies are crap. When one can literally walk through a dozen aisles and not find a single good title, something is wrong. That said, I believe the following restriction should be placed on movie production:
No movies based on content already covered in previous media (i.e., TV shows, video games, re-makes, re-re-makes...)
That's it. Really. There are very few exceptions, but most movies made under the above pretense are crap, and the world -- no, the human race -- would be better off without them.

Maybe Hollywood is out of ideas. I don't know, I don't make it my business to fully understand workings of the industry. And that's all I have to say about that.

What is it...fifth? Super Smash Brothers Brawl
I am a loyal follower of Nintendo, and as such, I find it impossible to resist giving them a bit of free advertising. Developer Masahiro Sakurai maintains a daily blog on the development on Brawl, introducing new and returning features, gameplay, characters...everything. I recommend you take a look at the Smash Dojo for all the information. Maybe then you may understand exactly why I am waiting with all due patience for Brawl's release.

...though it occurs to me that with all the hype, if Brawl doesn't sit right, it will be a major disappointment. Such is the risk we take.

Last! Webcomics
Just a little thought I want to throw out there...
As a programmer (and generally more tech-type person), I don't spend much time on the production of visually creative output. Lately I've had a bunch of crazy ideas floating around my mind, many of which I cannot express given my preferred style of development. So...another thought came: why not do a comic? I know the response already: there are tons of comics out there.

Regardless of that, I do respect a great many webcomics and their artists / authors. They make it look easy, and that makes me inherently believe that it is not. Which makes me want to try it. It's a tough cycle, really -- the easier something looks, the more difficult it really is, and the more I want to do it.

Anyhow, let me put it straight: I really want to try my hand at writing / drawing / making (whatever you do with it) a webcomic. Now, given my lack of artistic ability in anything other than designs of a technical nature, it's going to be a...shall we say... deep learning experience. To say the least, a webcomic would be really far down the road, probably even further than...the Perfect Dark mod.

That's all...still a lot more to think about. Thanks for indulging my ramblings.

Mr. Bond, signing off.