Insanely Awe-dical

We had a dilemma at work. We had deployed our application to a server for testing and it had been working properly. We decided to get another server prepared for one of our potential clients. We had set up the box and put in all of the groundwork and it was ready. We installed the application and opened it up in our browser and saw the login screen and were happy.

Except, when I login, the page refreshes and presents me with the login screen again. The page is supposed to refresh and grant me entry to the application. This is actually handled by a cookie - the page first determines user has no cookie and displays login screen. When user logs in, it creates a cookie and the page then sees the cookie on refresh, and grants user entry.

We had run into this issue in IE7, but not in Firefox - very odd. At the end of the day (really almost 2 days), Mike discovered the server was on Mountain Time, but had the current time in Pacific Time. The result was the cookie was being created, but for "one hour ago." Therefore the cookie was expired, and rejected by IE. IE renders the page as if it has no cookie - resulting in the login screen once again. Simply adjusting the time fixed the issue.

Labels: at the office

This was one of the games that I had on my list of "Games to get when I get a Xbox360" I've had the 360 since Christmas (Thanks Kate!) and had not yet picked it up (the reasons for this, I can't recall them clearly).

Either way, the cheap price tag at Gamestop and having the idea of playing co-op with a friend that's in town was tempting, and I picked it up this weekend. One thing I remember reading about Gears of War is that it constantly topped lists of "Games to play to show off your HDTV." I was excited to see the visuals, and I know that the 5.1 sound on FPS games never disappoint. I'm reserving my opinions and curbing my excitement because Call of Duty 4 blew me away so much, that I almost feel like I can't be that impressed anymore.

The game has a dark tone, but hardly has any exposition - you start controlling your character within a minute of starting the campaign and you're moving around. You have a chance for a quick tutorial with the controls - using weapons and finding cover, and you're in the battle very quickly.

As opposed to standard FPS, this uses an over-the-shoulder perspective. Technically, it's a TPS (third-person shooter), but unlike Stranglehold and Max Payne where the character is centered, this character is situated to the left at about 1/4th of the screen. This prevents your character from getting in the way of your target, and I feel is a good choice.

What this perspective also creates is a sense that you're right there in the battle. The in-battle intensity is unmatch and distinctly different from other FPS games. The fray is intense with the emphasis on finding cover (a rock slab, a broken car, the edge of a fountain). With your enemies finding cover as well, your forced to flank your enemies. The cover system shines here, giving you commands to allow you to slide to a adjacent wall, jump over a wall and dash to the next wall, and other transitions to get you in flanking position. I want to pay special attention to the dash, which is really like a crouching run, but the camera gets set low and shaky, giving it the feeling you're watching a documentary.

Sometimes you get to flank your enemies - but sometimes you're both hiding behind opposite sides of the same wall. This is a great time to rev up your chainsaw bayonet and get in there melee-style. The chainsaw on your machine gun has a satisfying effect, with blood spattering on the screen and the enemy being horrificly sawed.

There isn't much to say about the visual and the sound other than it's an amazing experience and the in-battle intensity is fantastic.

Like Call of Duty 4, it's fairly short, but it's very satisfying. Call of Duty 4 did an excellent job of putting me in the battle and feeling the fear of the gunfire, grenades and artillery. Gears of War has a much more raw intensity about it through it's use of cover, camera angles and amazing visuals.

Labels: games reviews

So I'm at the office.  I walk into the door I always walk into and I hear these noises.  It sounds like sort of random tapping on a door.  I look around and apparently there are sounds coming from around the door - the door right by my desk.  It almost sounds like Snatch or Bailey pawing or tail wagging against the door. 

Normally I'd freak out for a second, then chill out.  But the sound is still there 1 hour after arriving.  And while I'm working, all I can think about is - dammit someone let Snatch/Bailey in or give them a snack or something so they chill out. 

Labels: at the office, neurotic

I was at Starbucks this morning to get a morning jolt, while waiting for my coffee, this skinny lady behind me started ordering. She asked some question about some mint, or iced or some weird drink, and the barista was confused. He said "Oh do you mean the Mint Nonfat Latte?" She scoffs "No - wha? Do I look like I need it?"

My face immediately went to a cold grimace - what arrogance . I can imagine that could say it jokingly, but this woman was in no joking mood - her tone indicated that was almost subtly insulted.

Then I thought - what if the barista was a cold, woman-judging bastard? I suppose then that should be an excellent retort, but I believe the barista was caught off-guard with the questioning to be quick enough to veil an insult in a response like that. In fact, kudos to fast-reacting insulting barista. You made me a great triple shot latte and you insulted the bitch. Kudos indeed.

At work, we are working on a list of items that we want to rearrange. We have added Up and Down arrows next to the list, and upon clicking on up or down, our code moves the selected item up or down. Often, we had a user add an item to this list, which brings it to the bottom. They intended it to be on the top, so they click on the up arrow rapidly to bring the item to the top of the list.

The effect is a sort staggered move - the clicking isn't responsive for every click. Only by clicking slowly, do we see the correct behavior.

Today, Mike realized the problem - we were responding to the "Click Event" and it was behaving properly, but we were not responding the the "Double-Click Event" If you click twice quickly, the Click Event registers for the first one, and the Double-Click Event registers for the following one. The result - one click we respond to, and one click that has no code to react to it. Mike coded in the "Double-Click Event" to mirror the effect of teh "Click Event" and voila! A responsive up and down arrow images that move up and down the list quickly.

Labels: at the office

A couple of years ago, Kate got into PA school and moved to Las Vegas. I was still stuck in Irvine, and made a plan to visit Kate for the weekend. As I hit Baker, I got a call from her - her tire had blown out and she was stuck. She was safe - parked at a non-descript parking lot in a safe part of town.

Luckily, I know how to change a tire, and I told her I'd get there and help her. I started to change the tire, and things did not go smoothly. One lug nut had a key, and upon trying to take it out, I ended up wrenching off half of the face of the nut. Another lug nut was simply very tight - I was able to remove the nut, but I also removed a portion of the actual rod it was connected to it. As a result, I'm left with a lug nut I cannot remove, and a lug nut I cannot replace. It's been a long day and a long drive and it's late - I vote to lock the car, go home, and get the tow truck in the morning to get it taken care of.

The next day, it's the hot Vegas summer, and we call to get a tow truck. We are new to town, and tell the tow truck company we are at the Jones exit off of the 215 freeway. Apparently, there is another Jones exit off of the 215 elsewhere, and we called the tow truck company to confirm - we are at 215 and South Jones. The dispatcher/operator said that's what they had down before, and we were sure it would be fine. WRONG - we waited for over an hour with no truck and called back. The dispatcher confirmed that the truck had gone to 215 and N Jones, and was on their way to us (link to maps showing difference in distance).

The Vegas heat had been getting to us, and we waited patiently. Eventually someone comes - some lanky dude in a car - not a tow truck. He comes out with a tire iron thinking he'll save the day. He sees the problem we had and said that we needed a tow truck. NO SHIT SHERLOCK - we asked for a tow truck. Another hour or so in the heat pass and a tow truck comes. They say they cannot tow the car because the busted tire is a rear tire and it's a front-wheel drive car. Well great - we have to wait an additional hour or so for the flat-bed truck to pick us up.

After a day of waiting we get to Pep Boys, where they tell us that the Toyota dealership tightened the lug nuts way too tight. We complained, and received compensation from Toyota, but it is not without losing 4-6 hours of my Vegas weekend in the god-forsaken heat.

What an ordeal. But the crazy thing is - IT JUST HAPPENED again:

• Kate's car breaks down


• She just got it serviced from Toyota a couple of days ago


• Her lug nuts are fucked up and can't be removed manually


• Tow truck company sends guy to wrong location (this was a confusion between i-15 and i-215 link


• Company sends tire guy who can't do shit and calls a tow truck for us

This damned bad luck and incompetence is ridiculous. As insult to injury, when the tow truck comes to save us, he asks which car needs to be towed. It's a legitimate question because now my car apparently has a flat tire. I rush over to change my flat, and upon doing so, realize that my hazard lights have been on for over an hour and my car has died. The flatbed took Kate's car away, while the tire guy jump started my car after i changed my tire.

I will say this - I feel lucky that it did work out that way - if the flatbed came right on time, my tire might have blown out while driving.

We ended up getting home around 9pm last night, stressed, annoyed, dehydrated (vegas heat damn you), and filthy (my shirt and pants had asphalt stains all over).

Just once, I'd like to be able to save my girl - get the distress call, go there, and change her tire and be the man. Both of these situations, I've been the guy who fails to change the tire due to Toyota's incompetent mechanic servicing.