Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Ode to Joe

By

On December 16, 2010

In General Cogitation

*Click* *Flash*
Birthdays and Anniversaries

*Click* *Flash*
Graduations and Weddings

*Click* *Flash*
Parties, Holidays, and Family Gatherings

It didn’t matter what the occasion was, he was always there to capture the moment. It was rare to find him in the picture because he was usually the person behind the camera taking it.

I will never forget the man I knew for only 5 years, the worst 5 years of his tragically short life, but the most unforgettable of mine. He was diagnosed with cancer the first time I met him but he never let anyone know that it bothered him.

He and I became close quickly; we shared a similar passion for our industry. We would often chat in the background about the latest technology from gadgets to programming languages while the rest of the family spoke on other topics.

We shared similar quirks and similar affinities. If it wasn’t computers and programming that made us alike, it was the uncanny similarities in idiosyncrasies.

After having known him, even if it was a brief 5 years, I am now committing to try to be even half the father, husband, and extraordinary man that he was. I will miss him terribly, as if he were my own blood relative.

So, at the next family event, if I notice heavenly camera clicks and flashes, I know who it is, taking pictures.

Joe.

In Memory of Ron Santo

By

On December 4, 2010

In General Cogitation

Ron Santo

A great tragedy befell the Chicago Cubs and Cubs fans everywhere. Former third baseman, and WGN Radio voice of the Cubs, Ron Santo, passed away. I am stricken with great sorrow and loss. I feel like I have lost a good friend, though I did not know him personally. Today, in tribute of this great man I will tell a story of my favorite memory of Ron Santo.

It was at the Cubs Convention, an event he enjoyed so much because he got to meet the fans. Ron Santo had a booth in one of the halls for the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation. A rumor began circulating that he was going to appear at his booth to sign autographs. A line began forming even though there had been no confirmation that he was going to show up. Apparently it really was a rumor, and an autograph session had not been scheduled, however, the rumor actually made it all the way to Ron Santo himself and he decided he would show up anyway. He walked through the hall to his booth with huge applause. I expressed to him how much I enjoyed This Ole Cub and he said that meant a lot to him, he was very proud of that movie. The most amusing part of the this brief encounter with a great man was when he autographed the prosthetic leg of the gentleman in the booth next to JDRF. A booth that represented prosthesis for disabled Americans and Americans dealing with diabetes.

While we will miss you greatly here on Earth, I find some comfort, and humor, of the image of you and Harry, sharing a Bud, rooting on the Cubbies from your own cloud-shapped sofa in the sky.

Yes, baseball has lost an icon and the Chicago Cubs have lost their biggest fan. It is a tragedy among tragedies that he was never inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown but he will be forever enshrined in the Hall of Fame in our hearts.

R.I.P. Ron Santo
1940-2010

Biggs On: Pre-Cataclysm World Event

By

On November 20, 2010

In Biggs On, World of Warcraft

So the World of Warcraft Pre-Cataclysm World Event has been going on for a few weeks now. The first phase involved random earthquakes shaking old world Azeroth. Phase 2 brought random rifts in various parts of Kalimdor, Eastern Kingdoms, Northrend and Outlands that brought forth angry elementals; killing 10 of them would close the rift (and grant you a Feat of Stength achievement if you closed one of each kind of rift). Then Phase 3 started; the elementals are now attacking four of the major cities: Stormwind, Ironforge, Orgrimmar, and Thunderbluff. The events require that you put up fortifications, elite elementals are everywhere, the weather has turned to torrential rain, buildings are on fire … it is complete pandemonium! It is epic!

In my personal opinion, this is far better then the world event for Lich King. Yes, the zombies were fitting and the occasionally scourge attack on Orgrimmar and Stormwind Harbor were pretty cool but I think Blizzard definitely kicked it up a notch with this world event.

There is one more phase before December 7th and we will see Deathwing and he will randomly kill us all while changing the landscape, and the face, of Azeroth forever.

I can’t wait!

Life [Updated]

By

On November 18, 2010

In General Cogitation

I am overdue for some life updates. It has been very busy the past several weeks. I have been assigned to a client with two other consultants for a few months to complete a pretty high profile project. The deadlines have been very tight and there is a lot of work to do. We are nearly complete and it has been rewarding in that it has been an opportunity for me to learn some new skills that will make me more valuable to my firm.

If you have been following along on any of my blog posts you know that the biggest news for me as of late is LASIK. I still do not regret going through it despite the intimidating surgery. I am weeks behind in sending out my usual MMO Times e-mail and my excuse is my job. The client I am working at is a bank and the project(s) I have been working on entails quite a bit of money so the pressure for perfection is fierce. As Christmas approaches I imagine things will calm down slightly and perhaps I can get in a few MMO Times e-mails as well as some more Biggs On posts.

The most exciting item on the docket, arriving in a couple weeks, is the 3rd expansion to World of Warcraft titled Cataclysm; both of us are very eager for its arrival.

I wish I had more to talk about and you would think that given how long I have been absent that there would be more to share. So, with that said, I think I will sign off for the time being but check back for a few more topics in the “Biggs On” category which may include iPhone 4, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, iPad Revisited, and JQuery.

Cheers.

The MMO Times – Pre-Blizzcon Edition

By

On October 21, 2010

In MMO Times

Issue 14

Welcome back keyboard quarterbacks to another riveting edition of The MMO Times. There isn’t much to talk about this week but I wanted to get this out today because Blizzcon starts tomorrow. We have some interesting articles for all of you in this issue so lean back and enjoy.

Blizzcon Coming This Weekend!!
Remember Blizzard fans, this weekend (October 23rd and 24th) is Blizzcon 2010. I wonder what delicious secrets will be unveiled this year. We know it can’t be another WoW Expansion or the Cataclysm release date, so what juicy news will be the talk of the town (as it were). Perhaps the Diablo 3 release date? The new Blizzard MMO? I have a Blizzcon virtual ticket so I will try to provide the big headlines for you this weekend. I might do a special “living post”. (What is a living post? Its a blog post I will continuously update as Blizzcon progresses).
Blizzcon 2010 Website

Blogger Nerd Rages About Warhammer and Mythic
I’m sure most of  you have heard about this little piece of epic nerd rage. A blogger, who claims to be a disgruntled former employee of Mythic, unloads on Warhammer and Mythic (and takes a few shots at Bioware and SWTOR). As of the time of this writing there hasn’t been any proof or verification of identity of the author but if you want to see some drama, check it out.
Read More @ Massively

Tenacious D to Perform at Blizzcon
Let’s start with the Blizzcon news. Tenacious D will be performing the closing concert at Blizzcon this year. This band from 1994 presents the vocal talents of comedian Jack Black and Kyle Gass. Blizzcon is the weekend of the 23rd-24th.
Read More @ MMO-Champion

Cataclysm TV Cinematic
During the Dallas and Vikings game the new Warcraft Cataclysm cinematic tv trailer debuted. When it first came on I didn’t notice the beginning, I thought it was a movie trailer, but its pretty bad ass. Here are links to the WoW Insider article and MMO-Champion.
WoW Insider Article
MMO-Champion Post

SOE to Merge EQII Servers This Fall
Sony Online Entertainment has announced that they will be merging 16 live servers this November. The move isn’t all that surprising and SOE says the bigger populations “is just simply more fun” – an odd piece of logic for a rather evasive action.
Read More @ Massively

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The MMO Times

By

On October 12, 2010

In MMO Times

Issue 13

Welcome back gamers, to another MMO Times which brings you the latest, significant headlines in the MMO gaming world. So grab a Mt Dew and check out whats been happening in the virtual world.

Final Fantasy XIV Version Update
Final Fantasy players will be receiving a patch soon which promises to address quite a few bugs, but don’t get your hopes up about changes to the market wards. Apparently the patch notes (link provided below) also contains information from the developers regarding game mechanics. Read on and enjoy Final Fantasy fanatics.
Read More @ Massively
Patch Notes

Global Agenda Adds Friends with Benefits
No, not those kinds of benefits, get your mind out of the gutter! This program is basically a Refer-A-Freiend program where you can gift someone a code where they will receive 30% off the client program and grant you an in-game achievement that awards a mini-pet (that resembles an angry Laurence Fishburne bobblehead doll????).
Read More @ Massively

DCUO Beta Keys Available with Pre-Order
Despite the devastating news of postponing the launch date, fans of DC Universe Online can rejoice because if you have pre-ordered the game, submit a copy of your receipt and you can receive a beta key. SOE has extended the beta period for the game to compensate for postponing the launch. Hurry, only pre-orders dated prior to November 15th will be eligible.
Read More @ Massively

Ilum, SWTOR’s 16th Planet Announced
Ilum, one of the locations for crystals used to build lightsabers, is now home to the Sith. If you remember Hoth from Empire Strikes Back, then this planet is similar. This article has a video as well.
Read More @ Massively

Going Live!

World of Warcraft Pre-Cataclysm Patch 4.0.1
October 12, 2010 – Just as most WoW players expected, the massive 4.0.1 patch will be going live when the realms go down for their typical Tuesday maintenance. This patch introduces several new features that were announced as part of the expansion including Reforging, Prime Glyphs, 41-point talent trees and, of course, extended downtime. Extended downtime also, usually, means the realms won’t be playable for most of the evening.
Read Article @ Massively

I also provide The MMO Times in an e-mail. If you are interested in receiving the e-mail version please subscribe

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