Determining right Power Supply Unit (PSU) to use

Many custom PC builders have a hard time determining what size, i.e. number of watts, to use in their rig. Some just go with the thought that bigger is better, and that isn't necessarily the case. I've been searching around trying to solve this problem, and it looks like the folks over at ThermalTake have a page that simplifies this out greatly! Just enter in some of your basic specs, like CPU, GPU, attached devices, etc, basically anything that is drawing power, and it will calculate what you should need.

http://www.thermaltake.outervision.com/Power

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

I'm certainly not one of those who makes bad criticisms of a movie because I'm a purist of the genre, case in point all the Star Wars fans who had a spectrum of mixed reviews about the 3 prequel movies that were released out of Lucas Studios, but it seems again, that George Lucas, once famed director and visionary, has lost some of the luster that once gave him a massive empire to stand on. 

Indiana Jones genre to many was about action, adventure, and curiousity to the unknown. In many ways, we see that live on in other movies, such as National Treasure, where our curiosity for adventure and puzzles along the way fuel our desire to see these types of movies continue. 

This release though of Indiana Jones leaves a lot for both the casual Indy fan, as well as I suppose for those who grew up on this genre and were looking for Lucas to come back and hit one out of the park. 

The first most obvious flaw is how old Harrison Ford is. In his younger days, it was the vibrant young archeologist who's adventures threw countless obstacles in front of him--now as essentially a grandfather trying to keep up with his younger self, it seems a bit too unbelievable to imagine.

On the topic of unbelievable, the introduction of an alien influence into the movies central story arch really put a new level of stretching that you would suppose is fueled by Lucas's extra-terrestrial interests, but in an Indy film, really seems out of place. At first I didn't know where they were going with the story, and it certainly could have been promising, but if you watch through the end, you will probably be like me, and think to yourself, "What just happened", and was that really it? 

At any rate, its up to each individual to see it for themselves, but this is one that I will stay away from getting on BluRay and save your money for something with a higher replay value.

Previous Naruto Opening Theme

I can't believe that I didn't post this earlier, but here is Hearts Grow - Yura Yura!

New Naruto Opening Theme Song

As most who know me know that I am a huge Naruto fan. This is a show that I will download each Thursday every week and have done so for the last 5 years! And just recently they have put some really good songs on their opening and closing thems. Previous to this one, Hearts Grow - Yura Yura was on my iPod repeat over and over and over again! You just can't get enough of these songs! Well they've done it again, and this time with Inoue Joe - Closer, this one kicks it out of the park! Great song, great melody, and just gets you up and moving! Enjoy!

Meet the Robinsons--All Time Favorite Movie

So it's not often that I can say that a movie makes it to my all time favorite movie slot--its something of a challenge to make it there you see!

But I have to admit, this one caught me off guard. Typically I envision movies coming out of Disney with the famed joint collaboration between Disney and Pixar, but this one when it first came out didn't quite make much sense to me. I remember seeing the trailers and thinking to myself... "there's a big dinosaur in the trailer talking about having a big head and little arm's, just how good of a movie is this going to be"!

Quite the contrary though I have to admit--this one touched me at my very core. You know a movie is something that really has ever lasting endurance when each time you see it, physical emotions hit you. They could be laughter, sadness, anger, joy, whatever it manifests itself to be, but it's when we connect at that level that we begin to see all the possibilities as it's something that sticks with us having created a memory not linked by a thought, but linked to an emotional state. It's similar in nature to how we link memories to smells, and those memories tend to be much stronger than just those that we experience. 

There is a quite at the end of the movie that touches you at the core and is quickly becoming words that I live by:

Around here we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. We're always exploring and experimenting. - Walt Disney

This goes up there with my other favorite quote:

Ask a question and your a fool for three minutes--don't ask a question and your a fool for life. - Unknown

It's important that we align the way that we live in what we would consider the most virtous ways, actions that when we look back upon our lives in retrospect, we will not shurg ourselves off but look at how we changed and grew and became more than what we were. Meet the Robinson's is a terrific example of how when we are faced with the most uphill challenges in life, we must pull ourselves together and keep moving forward. When we stop and dwell on the things that could have, should have, might have been, we tend to get lost in our own crapulance, and ultimately pay the price because of all the missed opportunities that could have been the Mount Everast of accomplishments in comparision to that which we can't seem to let go. 

Having come from an adopted background, family and friends are things that you don't take lightly--in fact for me, it's probably harder to become my friend, because there will always be an underlying thought of abandonment and mistrust. But if you live your life always doubting the goodness that might be out there, you can never forge real relationships with the ones that are around you, but those who you have yet to meet. But let's not also forget about one of the most important foundations to what might just end up being a house of cards, and that is to put the trust in yourself to let go of your worries and doubts and let yourself take a chance on life. 

One of the first jobs that I worked at, one of the trainers on the first few days of orientation told me the following words, and they have always stuck with me:

Always be aware of what you say and who you say it to. You never know who might be listening to what you have to say. For all you know, the person in the elevator that you think is just another person, might just end up being the CEO himself!

While some of this is a bit of words to the wise to make sure that as a newbie you don't say the wrong things to step on people's toes, its stuck with me because you never know what turn of events might happen and how that will in turn impact your life. You may have one of the most brilliant thoughts and your just chatting it up with your friends while you are out on a smoke break, but in the elavator you end up being overheard by someone from senior management who then takes you aside and wants to know more of your great ideas--this starts you on a path that will shape and develop you from that point on. Now that's just an example of one such set of circumstances, but I think it's a lost art that people forget about to be mindful of your surroundings and to be aware of the butterfly effects that continually occur around us. 

Reference

Lord of the Rings on TV--Legend of the Seeker

In what has to be one of the most interesting new shows to come onto the landscape, The Legend of the Seeker, I thought was originally just an off shoot of the Lord of the Rings series. But in reality, the show has many unique qualitites to it, and after watching what has already been broadcasted for season 1, this is a show that I think will be in it for the long haul. The story is unqiue and there is a dynamic between the two main characters that I think viewers will be drawn to. The wizard has a sort of quarky complex to him that reminds me of Doc Brown from the Back to the Future trilogy. The show picks up again in January, but you can catch all the episodes from Hulu:

http://www.hulu.com/legend-of-the-seeker

Another show bites the dust--My Own Worst Enemy

Another show that we watch each week, My Own Worst Enemy, we just found out is also getting cut from the NBC lineup. I have to admit, that this one didn't really catch me off guard, as the story was a very confusing story to follow, and it was unclear as to what the NBC folks were going to do to carry out a story line now that Slaters character seemed to be able to function with being woken up either as Edward or as Henry. 

Stargate Atlantis runnings its final course--The Sanctuary to the rescue!

Many moons ago I wrote a blog regarding this show, and I have to admit, I thought this would be one of the legacy StarGate francises to last a decade or so. No so true as it turns out. The final series episode will air 2 weeks from now on the 9th of January 2009. 

Let's hope that the final two episodes are memoriable and put the show to rest in the right way, as we can recall so many times before where series finalies leave the fans wanting for me. Take Startrek: Voyager, searching for years for a way back home, only to wrap up in a short few episodes a magical way using some Borg transdimensional conduit that will take them from the Delta quadrant to the Alpha quadrant? Or Startrek: DS9, where the buildup to the Dominion/Cardasian and Alpha quadrant had been massing for months, only to end in a massive and wanting space battle? We've seen this happen before, and I'm just hoping that in this case, the writers and producers of the show take stock in what this francise means, and what it means to fans, and do the right thing. 

On the other hand, there is another show that shows a lot of promise, The Sanctuary with one of the friendly faces from the Stargate SG1 and Stargate Atlantis series--Amanda Tapping. I was curious when she left Atlantis as I thought her role was just developing, but now it makes sense for her to get her own show and really define herself apart from what she was doing in the Stargate realities. The show is somewhat confusing for those who are just picking it up for the first time, but stick with it, as the show really grows on you!

Copying rows from one table to another in MSSQL

To copy specific rows from one table to another in MSSQL you will want to run something like:

insert into destinationtable select * from sourcetable where column = ''

So for example, if you wanted to restored rows from your sourcetable where userid has DOMAIN.COM in it, your query would look like:

insert into destinationtable select * from sourcetable where userid like '%DOMAIN.COM'

Creating table from another table in MSSQL

In MSSQL, you sometimes want to backup your table(s) before you do something, so in the event you need to roll back, you don't need to restore the entire database, you can just copy in the data from the newly created table, and dropping the data in your existing table. 

To do this, you would simply run:

select * into newtablename from existingtablename

As most of you will remember, the first cut of the Punisher aired back in 2004, and while it was an interesting movie, I think most would say it didn't live up to the spirit of the Punisher. 

We have seen over the past few years a revolution in the comic and Hollywood worlds, as they have collided on various projects. We saw successes in the original Spiderman, but in the two sequels, I think most would generally say those were not so good, with Spiderman 3 being a major flop. The same goes with the X-men trilogy, with the first one laying good groundwork for future work, and the other 2 movies being a general let down, with X-men 3 being a HUGE failure! 

But as with most revolutions, you see change occuring, and in this case, we first saw the Marvel world come together and pull itself out of the wreakage stronger and more fit than ever. For years they have complained about everything from loss of directorial impact, cast, marketing, film direction, story line, etc, the list goes on, and to this, they pulled together and formed Marvel Studios and released two enourmously popular blockbuster films, Iron Man and the remake of the Incredible Hulk.

While I'm not a comic book reader of the past, I do have to admit, I completely enjoy watching these films, as it sparks the inner child in each of us to look at the future and science fiction and stretch our imaginations to the possibilities without going into the realm of ultra-fantastic. Last Friday on opening day, Marvel and I went to the first screening of the new Punisher: War Zone movie, and I have to admit, right off the bat I was very impressed. The movie was far more realistic and gore-filled than I had originally thought it would be, and the story was tight and to the point. For the entire movie I found myself drawn to the characters and closely glued to the screen in anticipation of what was coming next. Needless to say, DC hit one out of the park, and I know from my vantage point, I'll be looking to the next release of the Punisher, as the movie left it wide open for a sequel. 

RuffWear Bark'n Boots Grip Trex Review

So Momo got his Christmas present early--it came in the form of RuffWear Bark'n Boots Grip Trex booties for him. You can view the company information from this URL. 

Many may ask, why it is that we would invest what we would consider a lot of money into getting foot accessories for our dog. Here are a few requirements that we have that drove our decision to make this investment. 

1. During various times of the year (mainly end of Summer early Fall), we notice that Momo will start to chew on his feet, leaving them bear and sometimes to the point where he breaks the skin as you can see little scabs on his paws. We believe that this is probably due to some chemical irritant that he walks through, perhaps those inconsiderate folks in the neighborhood who decide green lawns are a more worthy cause than consideration for our 4 legged friends. We've asked our neighbors and HOA to post signs whenever their lawns are treated with anything, but we have found that folks take this to little or no consideration. 
2. During the winter time, especially when the weather gets really cold, Momo will start to walk like his paws are freezing to the ice or concrete, as you see him trying to walk with one paw raised, than after hobbling along will try and raise another paw. In the past I've had dogs who just lie on their back with all their paws in the air as its more comfortable than walking on the sub-zero temperatures beneath them. I think as humans, we forget that we invest quite a bit of money into technology that is put between our natures barrier (skin) and the elements--whether that be in the form of boots with hi-tech synthetics and tech to keep our feet warm and dry, or jackets of equal technological marval!
3. When Momo comes inside, his first act is usually to lick his paws clean--and god knows what he picks up as he's walking along!
4. When it rains, we have a wet dog walking through the house leaving his paw prints on everything. Generally in addition to the dampness, there is also mud as naturally he walks through that as well as he tries to do a number 1 or number 2 (or both if nature prevails!). 
5. No matter what it seems that we put on his feet, his feet must be a delicate part of him as he doesn't like anything on them! He tries and usually succeeds in kicking off whatever we put on his feet, through vigorous shaking and biting at whatever is on his feet.

So given these requirements, we have been scouring high and low for something to address all of these requirements. We've tried a few products with limited success, but nothing that really has had long term possibilities. That is until we heading in to our local REI store in search for a parka for me actually, and found they had quite a large pets selection in the store (score!). We found these and the first thing we noticed was how the velcro fastener made a very tight fit possible--this was important to address the issue of him kicking off the boots after we put them on. 

Next we noticed that the soles were made by Vibram, and my wife is absolutely taken to town with this as she looks for this on practically all her shoes from now on as she's convinced of their superior fit and comfort (Merrell shoes is one that she's particularly fond of at the minute).

Aside from the above, we saw that the construction was very well done, and when his paws are in them gives a lot of room for movement. The box that they came in with also lists the following which are not on the website:

• Built on an anatomical mold like human shoes for consistent fit, sizing, and shape
• Air mesh upper is comfortable, breathable, durable, and drainable for all-season wear
• Grip cuff hugs the leg, stays in place, and improves comfort
• Expansion gusset makes the boots easy to put on and enhances fit
• Sure Cinch closure strap and lash tab ensure that the boots stay on the paws
• Seamless construction reduces abrasion and improves fit
• Reflective trib adds safety and nighttime visibility
• Vibram high-grip, high-traction, high-performance sole
• Omnidirectional X lug for stability and traction
• Nonmarking sole for nautical and home interior uses
• Extradurable for miles and miles of adventure

After we made this purchase and got home, we fitted Momo with these, and decided to take him on an extended walk. Now it has been snowing here in Chicago for the last week, and while there isn't a lot of buildup, there is some snow on the ground and more importantly ice that is beneath it. Now Momo doesn't like ice at all--he actually avoids it at all costs if he can, and I imagine this is because he feels unsure of his footing and the tendency to slip is a lot more prevalent. He faught for the first few minutes, and take it from folk who have tried a number of various products, this is normal. You just have to get the dog walking to keep his mind focused on something other than what's on his feet. After the first few minutes, he started to act normally and the walk was on. We immediately noticed that it seemed like he had a lot better traction, as he didn't slip once on the ice and he didn't seem to be phased by ice or snow. He was able to make his usual movements, including the stances for number 1 and number 2 activities. He was playful in the snow and energentic, and it certainly seemed like the boots were able to move with him and did not cause discomfort moving from stance to stance. He was walking as well as running, activities that we would not have expected from previous products we have tried.

The proof was in the pudding when we got him home and did the paw test, and sure enough they were dry to the touch even though the boots themselves had bits of caked on snow that had turned into ice and were very wet. All in all I'd say this was $60 well worth it and I would recommend this to any dog owner who has/is going through similar types of things as I've listed above. Feel free to comment on your experiences success or failures as I'd be interested in what others have noticed about this product.

Purchasing Siege weapons in Warhammer Online

So in my pursuit of playing Warhammer Online, there is a feature for Keep sieges that I have been trying to get information on how you go about purchasing siege weapons. These include things like battering rams as well as defensive tools, such as hot oil. Most people say "You can purchase this at an NPC", but I've been having a heck of a time figuring out which NPC sells it. Well here you go, in the town that you are in, typically this is the town that is closest to the keep, you will find an NPC with the label: Quartermaster. From that NPC, you can purchase the necessary siege devices and go to war with the other realm!