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'Where the Wild Things Are' Featurette

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Make sure to click on the "HD" button after clicking on the video so it spawns on another page.  But this is wonderful to see.  I read that the people behind the film were working closely with Maurice Sendak, but I didn't realize they were working *this* closely.

--
.ungawa

-Spyke

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I'm not dead yet!

Many things have happened since I last posted... Some good, some bad.

In short:

- I was let go by Mythic back in February. I've been on the hunt for a job since but the job market in the DC Metro area for an IT Manager/Project Manager/etc is pretty slim right now. Basically I'm too skilled for a grunt position and not skilled enough for others. Plus the lack of training in the gaming industry (read: lack of certifications and schooling) has really hurt me in some ways. But I have a few leads, mostly with the federal gov't in some fashion, so we'll see.

- I've been able to spend more time with my girlfriend, though. No relationship is perfect and they all take effort. If not then you're doing something wrong. =) But I don't know of anyone else I'd rather spend time with then her... So we must be doing something right. All I know is that she is my best friend and that I love her.

- Most of my updates are over at Facebook. Although I'll probably start using this space again for longer posts and thoughts and just link them there.

- I've also got a Flickr page, too. I have a new camera and am trying to take pictures of some of the various cool things that I do.

- I'm days away from being an official member of the 501st Legion. I am still waiting on the armor for my Snowtrooper Commander, so I decided to go with something quick and easy for membership purposes. So I applied as an Imperial Crewman. From this I can do a other costumes like a Naval Trooper or Tie Pilot without much difficulty.

- I am also being dragged kicking and screaming (not really) into the Colonial Marine (from the movie Aliens) that most of the peeps do, too. I'm doing just a basic grunt. I should have my armor, BDU's, etc, ready in a few months.

- Not working a gazillion hours a week has done wonders for my health. I'm down about 20 pounds from where I was when I was working and I feel wonderful. I'm looking at joining a local health club to help with this even more.

That's about it in a nutshell... Have a few things coming up that we'll be doing... The Video Games Live concert... Shoreleave... Maryland Renaissance Faire...

Should be an interesting time.

.ungawa

-Spyke

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Where I've been...

You'll mostly find me over at Facebook. I tried Myspace out but it never clicked... But Facebook is like liquid crack.

Very, very dangerous.

Otherwise I've got a fairly solid social life going. Mostly hanging out and doing stuff with members of the 501st. I know, sweet right? I have a girlfriend as well.

Yes... Hell has probably frozen over... but I don't care, I'm enjoying things too much. =)

.ungawa

-Spyke

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The best thing I have ever seen...

I cannot say how much this made me smile.

.ungawa

-Spyke

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My Grandpa...

After a short bout of what was onset dementia my Grandpa died this morning at 4am while in hospice care (due to pneumonia from the other day).

I'll be flying up to Ohio on Tuesday for the viewing and flying back after the funeral on Wednesday.  My Mom luckily was able to be up there this weekend to spend time with her father before he passed.  Although due to the dementia, the man that we knew as Lloyd Spring has been gone for quite a while.

I wrote about my Grandma passing a few years ago... That was his wife.  While she was the head of the family he was the one that filled the role of the "man of the house" as long as I knew them up until her death.  He was in the Navy during World War II and owned many different businesses (ranging from a gas station to finally an insurance company) there in the small town of Crooksville, Ohio.

While Grandma spoiled me Grandpa was the one that always taught me the ways of the world... and what it was to be a man (from his point of view, of course).  He also was heavily involved with one of the main Protestant churches there in town.  I forget what his "title" was, but he was heavily involved in the donation plates as well as sometimes going up to read a bit of the Scripture.  One of the things he was most proud of was teaching Sunday School to the middle-school kids.  When Mom and I lived in Crooksville for the year my father was stationed in South Korea I would go to his Sunday School classes.  Not by choice, mind you... but in the end I found them to be very educational and hardly ever "preachy".  I think those Sunday School classes is what sparked my interest in researching all religions and let me make the choices that I have as far as my faith goes.

He also was a consummate fisherman.  He and some of his buddies would go up into Canada every year to fish.  They would share this small and dingy cabin on the edge of a lake for a couple weeks.  He'd always come back and we'd have a fish roast with the fish that he'd bring back.  He kept doing this well into his late 60's to early 70's.  He was also the first one that taught me how to fish.  

I remember one of the few times that I'd ever hear him curse was due to me.  We were at the small lake there near Crooksville during a vacation.  I was no more then 9 or 10 at the time.  He was baiting my hook and I accidentally jerked the pole causing the hook to go into his finger.  "Well shit, John!"  Needless to say that hearing him actually cursed made me REALLY scared for my life that day.  Looking back at it I brought it up later and we would laugh at it some.

With his passing a chapter in the book of the Springs closes for good.  Mom is now the defacto head of the Family for various reasons that are too complicated and too damning of some of her family members.  This is going to be a tough Holiday season for her... but in some ways now... things are done.  I am hoping that she will be able to heal up from this and finally get some relaxation into her life.  At least she'll be up in Crooksville for T-day with Dad and the rest of her extended family.  Grandma's sisters (Joyce and Mary-Jo... her are more like sister to Mom now) will be there as will their families.  So she will be in good hands.

I write this to let y'all know what kind of a man my Grandpa was.  And to say that he will be missed... dearly.

--
.ungawa

-Spyke

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NXE - New Xbox Experience

So as widely covered pretty much everywhere Microsoft has rolled out the NXE or New Xbox Experience.

I updated my 360 this morning and I must say that so far I'm digging things. Sure I've got the whole "wow this is new and different" going on... But I can see how in another month or so I'll be completely comfortable with the new interface.

If nothing else I'm all for the Avatars. I can't wait to see what they do to expand the clothes... Mostly from the standpoint that who wouldn't want to have a suit of armor from Mass Effect, Halo, or Gears of War to be able to wear on their Avatar?

Speaking of which, it looks like there's a service where you can use your Avatar on the web/in emails by this simple URL:

http://avatar.xboxlive.com/avatar/[gamertag]/avatar-body.png

Just change out where it says [gamertag] to be your GamerTag (use %20 if you have a space in your Tag) and you get your Avatar.

This is what mine looks like:



I'm pretty happy with how I turned out. =)

.ungawa

-Spyke

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