Plasma Sky Review: Not Your Mama's Galaga

Where to begin? First off, amazement at how far technology has come... as a kid who played the original black and white Zap!2000 on a Palm Pilot, this game is like the fulfillment of every space shooter fantasy I ever had. Cool graphics, slick controls, 80 levels of challenges, three modes, and three styles of touch control; this game is five star. Get it people - it's AWESOME!

No, I haven't been addicted to it for weeks. I first tried it two days ago, and it's one of those games you hate to put down. I wanted to sit and pass every level at one time; it took me two hours, but I finally did! My only complaint about the game is that it doesn't save the level you are on when you leave the game - you start at level one each time. I haven't ventured into the Hardcore or Survival Mode yet, but I can stay interested at the Conquest mode for quite some time. 

This game offers levels that mimic Asteroids, Galaga, and Zap!2000 all rolled into one. On three of the levels, you are in a face-off with the BOSS... survive or die, and you just might kill the bad dude! I also love the little "wingmen" you can pick up along the way; little ships that follow yours and offer another set of laser shots. I've had up to three at a time, and they are really useful on the levels when you are being surrounded by tiny enemy ships going every which way. 

The game is unfortunately no longer free on Amazon, but the $1.99 price is completely worth it - you would have spent somewhere around $20 for this as a computer game ten years ago, and it still wouldn't have been this good!

You can purchase it for Android or Apple devices from the Plasma Sky page. 

Have you played it? What did you think?

5 Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books Everyone Knows (but few have read)

(original image from Nasa)

I have a reputation for reading. Reading stuff that other people would probably not read (by that I mean your "normal" people, not the other book geeks!). Right now, I want to share some of the classic sci-fi/fantasy books that many people know from movies and media references, but not a whole lot of people have read. These are my thoughts to share with you: 

1. Dune

First off, anybody who makes it through this book deserves an award. A medal. Definitely a geek card, at least. In fact, I think everybody who wants a geek card should be required to read it, just to prove their dedication to our kind. 

This book is confusing, weird, and sort of fascinating. I have not clue what any of it was really about, but I pulled from it the story of a prince on the run who has some sort of special powers. Escaping from the assassins who killed his father, he flees to the desert, where he meets the desert people and is hailed as their Chosen One. It all has to do with harvesting a type of spice that everyone in the aristocracy is addicted to. Turns their eyes completely blue - which is cool in concept, and totally freaky in reality. 

2. The War of the Worlds

One of the pioneers of the science fiction genre, H. G. Wells saw technology before it even happened. This story recounts an invasion by a type of indestructible warships manned by nameless horrid creatures bent on killing humankind. 

I actually couldn't put this book down. They story haunted me until I finished it, because every step hinges on whether the protagonist will survive, and even more importantly, weather Earth will survive. There is also an interesting psychological twist to the characters, showing the many facets of what the human mind will do when placed under extreme stress. 

3. Frankenstein 

Everybody knows the premise of this tale... some dude that takes a bunch of body parts, imbues them with life, his creation gets out of hand, starts killing, and the doctor has to try and fix his mistake. What most people don't know, is that the doctor's name is Frankenstein, not the monster! 

Moral of the story: don't make something you can't control... like kids. Or patched together monsters.   

4. Journey to the Center of the Earth

Another forerunner of the great sci-fi fathers, Jules Verne had a mind full of futuristic worlds and scientific discoveries. I think almost all of his works have been made into films. While the movie version of JCotE is a little cheesy, you would be amazed how much of the bizarre imagery is straight out of Verne's book!

The awesome thing about all of Jule's stories and places it that there is the element of believability. He makes you hope that there is a lost world hidden at the center of the earth, or a real Mystery Island, or a real Nautilus. If you are a dreamer of dreams... read his books!

5. Silmarillion

I put this book last... because it seems to be the last book anybody ever thinks about reading.  Except total Tolkien fanatics, kinda like me. Everything you wanted to know about the origins of Middle Earth, and more. If you like history, you will love the detail and care that went into creating the world of Lord of the Rings. I absolutely loved it.

Did you watch the Hobbit? Were you totally confused by some of the back story and stuff that wasn't even from the book? The reason the producers split the book into three movies is because they wanted to share some of the history that ties the gap between Hobbit and LOTR, and also explain the events leading up to the ring being cast into the fire. Wanna know what on middle earth is going on in the movies? Read the book!


What are some of your favorite, not-so-commonly-read sci-fi/fantasy books? Have you read any of the ones above? Do you like the movie adaptations?

Codecademy Cadet

I don't know about you, but I go through waves of obsession with new subject matter every couple of months. Whether that be Angry Birds, BBC Sherlock, or food (I've never quite gotten over that last one). So, my latest spur-of-the-moment educational fling is learning HTML code/syntax. I had briefly mentioned it in passing to a fellow G+ser, stating it was 'Too hard and I would probably never find the time.'

Then, that stubborn mule streak in me kicked in and said, 'No way! You know you can do it & you are just too lazy to try... loser! You would prefer to eat banana bread and watch NCIS instead of actually putting something into your head, lamebrains!' I tend to ignore this voice by drowning it out, but that little spark of interest had caught on. 

When +Viking Ender put up a post about Codecademy in his stream, I decided I should check it out. That was like at 11:30 at night. At 1am I was wide awake, typing away, thrilled at the power I had just discovered. Do you like to be in control? I do... and html is pure control, building your own environment from the roots up. I felt like Flynn from TRON, just hoping that I would learn how to add background colors before I was sucked into the digital world. Really, it's super cool.

The program lets you take everything at your own pace, and you start doing hands on work right away. As you fill in the code on the left, there is a window to your right showing you if the formula was written correctly. There is also a full-screen view where you can see your work as if it were an actual web page. Everything is broken down into simple lessons, and as you go along you earn badges (pictured above), encouraging your progress. 

 (This is what I was working on by day 2 of html basics)

What's great about what I'm learning is that it will help me be able to do more with the blog, and possibly work on some web pages. One thing about my obsessions - I love doing it until it becomes work, then I can't stand it. Bad? Most likely. But, I'm probably just going to keep this skill at the hobby level, which is what makes Codecademy so great: it is free, which is excellent for most people who don't want to spend any more money on an education. Check it out! 

Creative Consultant

(created by Nikki Derouin)

Folks! Look at these super awesome business cards my sister designed! They even have a QR code, which if you have a smartphone (I don't) means you can access my blog even faster. That makes the impatient side of me happy. The writer side of me loves the clock and the ink stain... we had to dial down the red tones on the ink color, because it looked a little too murder mystery. Which was cool, granted, but I'm not Arthur Conan Doyle. Ha.

I also took some business card that I had printed through MOO.com and made labels for them to include my blog URL. (By the way, if you order something through the link above, you will receive 10% off your order & I get referral "moolah", so check it out! They have customizable postcards and stickers, too.)

These ones also have my email and phone number on them, so I don't just hand them out to anyone. Which  is why I had Nikki design the others just for the blog. It's kind of funny, because that means the people who don't get my personal information actually get a cooler business card... I guess to make up for the lack of info and be fair and all that. You can't have everything. Or something like that.

Paruresisachluophobia... yeah, I have it

I need this. I saw it and was filled with reassurance, because this proves that someone out there understands. I have a deep seated (pun intended) fear of sitting on the toilet in the dark. 

I won't do it & you can't make me! 

Because I totally believe in the whole monsters-coming-up-from-the-drain thing, and I know that on the day I decide to sit on the toilet in the dark, that myth will come true. I don't know where these light up bowls come from, or if they are even a reality, but I want one!

So I googled to see if anyone else shares this phobia with me, and to find out what amazing name it had so I could label myself... it doesn't have one. It simply falls under the heading of "toilet phobia". Really? You'd think somebody would have come up with something a bit more imaginative. So I've come up with Paruresisachluophobia. Does anybody else out there have this too?

Levodian Flu

For all the Trekkies out there, until March 31st, Hulu is offering all episodes of the Star Trek series for free! I have been catching up on Voyager, and ran across S2E9, where the holographic doctor infects his program with a 29 hour flu. It really was apt to my situation, so I edited the clips and compiled them together. You might want to turn your volume up:

  

I think someone has added a few hours/days to my "program"... I should have been feeling better by now!

My friend +Karen Westbrook mentioned that she is repainting her door. She said it was the closest thing she would get to having a hobbit hole... I told her I was going to go to her house and scratch an Elven rune "G" on her door just for the fun of it. :) It reminded me of this display I saw while we were out shopping yesterday:

Isn't this the neatest display? I loved it so much, I wanted to take it home with me. They might have noticed though, trying to sneak it out through the automatic doors. It really was adorable. It is a goal of mine, to have a hobbit hole my backyard. Just in case, someday, a hobbit stops by and needs a hole to stay in. "Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with thing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort."

By the way, I bought my copy of The Hobbit: There and Back Again... Did you?

Good Ol' Green Super Juice

Remember a while back when my computer crashed while I was saving the world as Agent Tanya? Even though I still haven't pinpointed the reason why my computer went kerphlooey, I think I may have unlocked the secret to being a great superhero! It's not the suit or the good looks or the money... it's the green juice! Look!

Tony Stark aka Iron Man

Bruce Wayne aka Batman

Alfred isn't a superhero, but he's awesome, so here is a bonus pic.

Since I have a not-so-secret desire to be a superhero, and because losing weight and working out open up all sorts of opportunities... I teamed up with my awesome sidekick, Mom, and made my own green juice:

This, my friends, is kale, turnip greens, carrots, apples, and celery. I've been having a glass every morning for breakfast. I haven't noticed any superhuman strength yet, but I know it's coming. One of these days, something will flash by your window, and when you get up to see what it is, there will be a single kale leaf sitting on the sill with a message written on it: Sleep safe tonight... Super Green Girl is watching over you. If that doesn't creep you out, I don't know what will. Maybe the headline "Celery Stalker Remains Anonymous Terror" will make you turn to me for help. One can hope.

Confessions of a Klutz

I think my body is going on strike. My fine motor skills are leering at me from a safe distance, mocking every bruise and scrape I acquire from their absence. Maybe they aren't feeling appreciated enough. Fine Motor Skills, if you are out there - you are very, very fine, very appreciated, and very missed. Please come back... I promise I won't take you for granted again.

I started out this morning with a bang. I have been trying to get back into exercising, and most of that is done on my bedroom floor on a 4x8 foot strip of carpet. I got a little too enthusiastic this morning, and when I rolled back to start doing crunches *wham* I misjudged the space and my head came down on the metal rim of my mushroom chair. 

Then, I was in my parent's room talking with Mom and decided to head down stairs to make dinner. As I came around my parent's bed, the last two toes on my foot decided to get to know the wooden leg of the foot board better. The relationship ended badly. 

To finish off the night, I was trying to take a photo of my Nutella cookies, and my fingers just gave up. It was as if some muscular liberator had shouted, "Phalanges, be free!" They obeyed... I feel so betrayed. I trusted them. Thankfully, my camera didn't break, but I sure scared the cookies to death.  

RUN!

Decided I'd do another game review to round out my lazy Saturday. I have been playing Temple Run for most of it, and thought I'd share the love. If you are into high-adrenaline, fast paced action games that will siphon all your spare time... welcome to the club. :)

Imangi Studios

The first one I got hooked onto was the original Temple Run. Basically, you are running for your life, being chased by demon monkeys. By swiping up, down, left, and right, you jump tree roots and run along a labyrinth of walkways collecting coins and trying not to trip... the demon monkeys show no mercy. 

Imangi Studios

Very recently, the brilliant creators of the original released Temple Run II, now including swinging from ropes and careening through a mountain in a coal cart (I haven't reached this point yet). This time, however, instead of being chased my multiple demon monkeys, you are being haunted by a huge, enormous Demon Monkey that is taller than you, and if he gets too close, blocks the view. 

Alper Sarikaya

Along the same lines, but set in a more futuristic world, is Gravity Project. I think I might even like this slightly more than Temple Run, because instead of having to physically turn the screen, you simply swipe your finger and you can change the entire gravity, walking on the walls, sliding under doors, kicking bombs, and gathering time chips. Stub your toe on one of the yellow bars, and you are dead... sometimes when I stub my toe, I wish I was dead, so I really related to that aspect. 

All of these can be found in the Google Play store, or follow these links:

Gravity Project

Temple Run

Temple Run II

Is It Scrumptiously Crunchable?

Maybe it's a little strange to quote Gollum. But, I'm a little strange, and it is always the first thought that pops into my head when I try a new food, "Is it nice? Is it juicy? Is it scrumptiously crunchable?" I need to get out more.

The contraption above, my friends, is a Sharper Image Super Wave Oven, and it cooks food using convection and infrared technology to make food crispy without having to fry it in oil. It also cooks much faster than the usual method. We tested ours out on breaded chicken and potato wedges.

Instead of using plain ole breadcrumbs to batter the chicken, Mom used stuffing crumbs, and it was delicious! And yes, we did bleach down the counter top after having raw chicken on it, for all you germaphobe fanatics (looking at you, N!). Personally, I'd rather brave chicken slime salmonella than toddler snot, but that's another subject... they're all icky.

The oven itself reminds me of a test container for radioactive substances - when you put the lid on, the handle goes down and seals it shut, then turns on the light. You aren't supposed to stare at the light, and once  you start the cooking timer, there's no going back. I sort of wondered if we were creating some sort of Marvel-worthy mutant chicken, but no such luck. I was really hoping for a chance to put on my cape. 

It's No Laughing Matter, Mr. Spock

As an INTJ, we get compared to that most worthy of Vulcans, Mr. Spock. It's an honor really. Some people think this means we are cold and dull, lacking the ability to laugh, but this is far from the truth. Allow me to share with you a taste of Vulcan humor, to prove that rational beings can have fun too:

We find humor in the truly funny, the jokes that make sense and have (for us) a logically humorous meaning.

Play on words is one of the NT's delights... we are masters of the pun, creative with double meanings, and find delight in well phrased ambiguity.

Remember, you can always laugh with your Vulcan, but don't laugh at your Vulcan... or you'll find yourself in a lot of tribble.

There Lived A Hobbit

WOW. I finally saw it! What can I say? The word 'epic' gets thrown around in our society too much today, referring to anything from perfect timing to a slang term for awesome. The Hobbit is epic in the full sense of the word, as in the whole tale of man's morality and bravery set into a story that soaks into your heart and stays with you, like a banner that you see in battle and rally to. The magic of the book captured me as a child, and today the magic of the screen drew me in as an adult. I didn't want it to end... I wanted to step through that door into Middle Earth and never turn back. Breathtaking scenery, hilarious comebacks, and soaring courage that turns to tears. I had to keep myself from standing up in the theater and shouting them on, encouraging them to fight for their lives. (Also, all epic-ness aside, I'm going to be a fangirl here and say that three hours of the brilliant, handsome, talented Martin Freeman is almost more than I can handle! I smiled so hard my face hurt during the first half hour of the movie when the dwarves are making themselves at home in his hobbit hole. "It's crocheted!" Sorry, I digress...)

If you haven't seen it, you are missing one of the greatest pieces of cinematic beauty that I have yet seen. There is a piece of Bilbo in all of us, the quiet homebody who is called to step out of our comfort zone and fight for something we believe in. Tolkien's world is our world, just painted on a different canvas. His words shape your imagination and the creators of the movie bring those shapes to life. 

Are you looking for an adventure? Be prepared to join the readers, the followers, the dreamers. Sure, some of us are a little obsessive, and maybe it seems weird to have an overwhelming desire to have pointed ears or furry feet, but it is our way of saying we have signed on to our own quest. The minute we are born, we are given the task to find salvation from a burden - to each travel to our own brink of doom and despair and cast aside the evil weighing us down. It is a story of redemption.

"He may have lost the neighbour’s respect, but he gained – well, you will see whether he gained anything real in the end." ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

Pretzel Mitosis

I have no idea where my afternoon went... it's like that portion of my memory was erased. Maybe I was off doing some super secret government mission and then they wiped my memory. Hmm... if I remember any of it, I'll be sure to tell you what cool things I did.

One thing I did do, which I am almost ashamed to share, and yet will share because I hope my fellow geeks will appreciate this: 

Pretzel mitosis. Because I'm strange like that. 

Another thing - my family has lately been engrossed with the children's educational game Sugar Sugar if you'd like to spend your free time over the holidays doing something to exercise your logic and problem solving skills. If you need help, my Dad and N. have completed all 30 levels in the past two days... 

In A Hole In The Ground...

So how many of you are going to the midnight premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey tonight?! Anybody dressing up?? If we didn't live in such a small town, I would totally be waiting in a long line, holding onto my movie ticket, dressed as an elf. As it is, I would prefer not to get my picture in the local paper as the only person who showed up with pointed ears and a cloak... I am also deferring my movie going experience until my birthday, which is in two weeks.

I started a Pinterest board called Take Me To Middle Earth, where I will be posting some of my favorite quotes from the book, and *ahem* possibly one or two pictures of Martin Freeman, who happens to be in my Top Five Favorite Actors of All Time list. 

If you go, please comment and tell me what you thought of it! Without any spoilers!

May The Flakes Be With You...

...Snowflakes, I mean! For today's activity I voted on paper snowflakes & found these amazing templates to make Star Wars themed patterns! My Dad gets all the credit for the incredibly detailed R2D2 above, I lack the patience to do anything like that. Plus it involved an Xacto knife, which I have a habit of slicing myself with, so I try to avoid using them. :)

If you want to try making some of these awesome scifi snowflakes for yourself, go here.

Here is my (much simpler) replica of the Rebel Alliance symbol:

Have fun! Share pictures!

Black Friday Bloopers

I love to go Black Friday shopping. I find a great thrill in being among a mass of human beings, none of whom I know,  yet we each share a camaraderie of braving the cold and the lines to get a deal on a TV or a cashmere sweater. Yes, it's foolish and crazy, but there is an element of competition and conquest that can't be found any other time. 

This year, we crossed the foolish and crazy line. Kohl's had some awesome deals that I wanted & the doors opened at midnight. Back in my big city days, this would have meant you get a few hours of sleep, drive five minutes to your local store, and go home a hero. Now that I live in small town USA, there is no after dinner nap or local store. An hour and a half drive back from my sister's, then another hour's drive to D-- where the Kohl's was. Did I mention it was snowing? Not like Currier & Ives snow, this was like three-year-old shaking a snow globe blizzard. 

By the time we got to the Kohl's parking lot I was worried we were going to have to trudge a mile in the howling fury, but by good fortune there was a spot open near the door. People were running through the slushy parking lot, hanging onto coats and each other, dashing to the store. Most of us were making horrified groans, "Awwhghgheityger, why... what are we doing? Whahahahharghfp, this is so stupid! Hurry up!" I don't think a single person complained about long lines, because at least we were inside and warm. Mom, Dad, and I took turns holding a spot in line while the other two dashed around and looked at deals. I have been considering buying a tablet for some time, and there was a deal on a Polaroid PTAB8000. I crossed my fingers and bought it, hoping this was a good model. 

At 3am we went to the mall and had a delicious stromboli from Sbarro - the food court was more packed than I have ever seen it before. People everywhere, carrying six bags apiece, cramming around the coffee kiosk like ants on a candy bar, and everyone shouting. When we left, the snow was packed into our wheels and we had to kick it off and pry the doors open. The snow finally stopped, but the wind picked up, and it was making the stop signs shudder and sway. I began to fade at about 7 o'clock, and fell asleep with my head on my knees in the car... for future reference, this is a bad idea. My neck is still sore! However, at that point I could have slept standing up. 

When we finally got home, I took just enough time to plug the tablet in to charge before I crashed into bed. I woke up five hours later, feeling like Loki must have felt after the Hulk tossed him around... my brain was rather fuzzy, everything ached, and the one bright spot to waking up was the fully charged tablet on my nightstand. 

I was about to find out why you are not supposed to operate machinery while drowsy. Here is a glimpse into my thoughts at the time: Man, this is so exciting! I like the feel of this tablet, it doesn't feel cheap. Metal back. Nice. Ok, here's the power button. Hey, it's powering up! Wait... oh. Um, wow, the screen seems kinda grainy, no, more like a cross-stitch grid. Surely Polaroid can come up with a better screen quality. I mean, they're photographers, for goodness sake! Ok, just calm down, maybe it will get better. (An hour later) There is no way I can put up with this! It's making my eyes go crazy! I can barely read the screen, and it's giving me a major headache. I'm going to have to go all the way back and return it. I'll never find a deal like this again. But then again, for the money I spent, I expect some quality! Why can't anything ever be simple?!!

At this point I was irritated, a little sad, and still not thinking clearly. I took it to show Dad & his reaction was similar to mine. Right away he was on the support website, looking for a phone number and checking for updates. He figured this one must be defective & we'd need to get it exchanged, but for now we just need to wait until Monday to call. Then Dad says, "Hey, is this some kind of screen protector?" "Do you think...?" "No way..." If you looked in a picture dictionary under the word Thunderstruck, our faces would be there. I peeled back a corner of the plastic and looked. Beautiful. Crystal clear little apps danced under my fingertips, laughing at one of the biggest technical bloopers I have ever committed. I've never felt quite so stupid...

The Polaroid PTAB8000 is a very fine tablet.*

*12/6/12 Although the screen quality improved greatly after my "discovery", I did wind up returning it because of performance glitches and being unable to access the app store. Apparently, I was not the first, and the lack of support for the device made me reconsider. So, for now, I am saving up for a Google Nexus 7, which will hopefully be more to my liking. :)

Angry Birds: Star Wars - Could It Get Any Better?

This is epic. You take Angry Birds, which is addicting, challenging, and strangely reminiscent of Scorched, and combine it with the most popular and well-loved movie series of all time... Angry Birds: Star Wars edition. I have not been this excited in a while!

I love video games & computer games. I thought everyone knew this, but when I expressed my joy over acquiring a free Xbox to one of my closest friends, she said, "You like video games?" I guess I've been doing a better job of hiding my geek side than I thought! 

A lot of people see gaming as a waste of time - and if you are neglecting your responsibilities to play them, yes, they have a downside. But as a recreation to do in your free time, there is nothing quite like the thrill of figuring out a new game, conquering new levels, and challenging yourself to do better. I see the positives: hand/eye coordination, therapy for the elderly, exercise, and it can sometimes be used to make connections with those who have autism, or a communication disability. I recently read an article that said computer games can be good for kids - in today's society where everything 'has to be fair' or 'everyone wins', computer/video games make no discrimination... you win, you lose, and you challenge yourself to try again. 

The new Angry Birds SW has some awesome background scenes and the characters will bring a smile even to the non-die hard Star Wars fans. The Luke Skywalker bird (shown above) has lightsaber capabilities, Obiwan has a force field, and Han can shoot stuff out of the way before he lands. There are even a set of bonus levels to unlock where you get to find out the special capabilities of the R2D2 & C3PO birds. *Spoiler* One of the things I got a kick out of was when the Darth Vader pig laughs at you when you fail a level... who knew Vader was a Bad Piggie?

If you have a mobile device, I believe you can download it for free, but for those of us on PC, you can download a demo version here. Seriously, do it! You'll have a blast, not only because it's good fun, but because of the nostalgic warm feelings you get from seeing your favorite space heroes turned into catapulting fowl on a mission. 

Now, my goal is to get three stars on every level...

Computer Flu...

My computer is sick! I'm afraid it has a virus, and like most contagious diseases, you never quite know where it came from. Was it a link on Pinterest? One of the apps I got from the Chrome store? The Marvel Avengers Assemble game? ...I happen to think it's the last one. I broke one of the cardinal rules and clicked on an advertisement on a Youtube video. There is a reason you shouldn't.

It seemed like it was ok - for an hour, I was Agent Tanya, and I was saving the city from the evils of Hydra, Poison Ivy, and Viper. Iron Man and I even got the jump on Whiplash... Oh yeah people, I was on a team with Iron Man, Black Widow, & Hawkeye! Thor even came and helped us out when we were in a pinch. Captain America personally thanked me for defeating the bio-terrorists and he gave me a purple ion crystal. I felt like I was totally rocking the superhero thing! Then I tried to check my emails. And it wouldn't let me in. So I did the Number One Rule of IT training - turn it all off, count to ten, and turn it back on. It only got worse! Now I can't even log into my own user account!

This all happened at 12:30 last night, and since I couldn't freak out and tell someone (they all go to bed at a decent hour), I decided that maybe I should just go to bed. All those superhero-like feelings that I had surging through me only moments before slowly oozed out and I laid there thinking about every single file I had modified since the last backup. Doesn't really make for a good night's rest. 

I woke up this morning and discovered that Mom and Dad had left to help some people move. There went my backup IT guy... So, I took a deep breath, "You can do this! You are a certified A+ tech, aren't you? This is what you were trained for, just like in the book!" Except it wasn't very reassuring, because my instructor had told us that in most cases you just backup what you can and reload Windows, because finding all the corrupted files was much more difficult than simply starting off fresh again. I have been through pages of Microsoft support forums and I'm doing my best to avoid a reload, but I see it looming up in the distance...

For now, I'm using Mom's computer to write this, so I may not be writing consistently for a few days. Hopefully I'll be up and running again soon! In the meantime, be kind, smile at a stranger today, and whatever you do, don't click on popup ads! The price of being a superhero is too high for us mortals...

How To Comment On Posts

This morning, I received some emails from people asking how to comment and wondering if you need a Google account, etc. So, here is a quick 'tutorial' on posting comments.

First off, after entering a comment, select how you would like to comment. Many of you will be simply selecting Anonymous, *however* I had someone tell me they didn't have a Google account, when I knew for a fact they did! Do you have Gmail? Or a Youtube channel? That automatically means you have a Google account. You can just sign in using that username/password. But if you do select Anonymous, anyone can comment (I would appreciate a name or nickname at the bottom if I know you, but if not that's ok).

Ok, so now you are going to hit 'Publish'! Then it will come up with a screen like this...

You will be asked to type in a set of symbols/letters. This is to help keep me from getting spam. Some of the combinations can be super hard to figure out, so if you want a new set, click the 'refresh' button to the right (looks like an arrow going in a circle) and it will give you another. In the picture above, you would type in 20 babiali and then hit the publish button.

I hope this helps clear up some of the issues!