f-log

There is a nice TopBlock review over at http://www.forest.impress.co.jp/article/2009/06/19/topblock.html">http://www.forest.impress.co.jp/article/2009/06/19/topblock.html&ei=hilDSqGfN-GrjAervZ2zDw&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dwww.forest.impress.co.jp%2Btopblock%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG">http://www.forest.impress.co.jp/article/2009/06/19/topblock.html
Which is funny cos it was created (xscreensaver) in 2005/6 and then the windows version was released end of 2007.

Electroplankton is a strange music/sound 'game' for the DS. I sought it out back in 2006 and paid to import the Japanese version.
Its fun and wacky, using the DS touch stylus to 'lead' plankton to make music.
The reason I mention it now is Alex is really enjoying the fact that there are almost no menus or options, he just clicks and plays.
Alex has also shown an interest in Super Mario Galaxy since he got a t-shirt but can not fathom the Wiimote. de Blob is another game he likes the look of but can not control the character for long. It's mainly due to the way the camera moves behind the main character in both but is to intelligent to just swing around when the character is turned i.e. do a 180 spin and walk forwards and the camera stays facing the character until enough movement spurs it to move back to a a 'chase' position.
This in its self produces an interesting play mechanic, where he will 'play' and then ask me to move the character out of a corner or back to a more central point.

I lied, the twitter talk was back in March, the April talk was me doing a blender demo.
This was not a "follow these steps and you will create RESULT" but instead a "Blender is capable of RESULT in a very sort a mount of time".
I was going for just 5mins per demo and made that no problem.
Demo one: Fuzzy Bee
Create a Pixar-realistic (i.e. not photo realistic but highly pleasing to the eye) bumble bee. (recipes below)
Demo two: Jelly Hair
Create a graceful bobbing jellyfish with realistic tentacles.
David then showed a quick blender physics demo-ing a bowling ball hitting 9 pins.
RECIPES
Demo one: Fuzzy Bee
Add sphere
Scale along single axis to get bee body shape and subdivide a few times.
Create material and set VCol paint.
Using Vertex Paint mode paint yellow and black stripes.
Add a new Partical Emitter as Hair, Emit from Verts.
Amount 20000, small random and Render Emitter, Normal 0.05.
(also added an extra light)
Found some time to add two wings from shaped beveled beizer curves.
Render to follow in later post.
Demo two: Jelly Hair
Add sphere and chop in half
set vertex group
Partical Emitter as Hair, Emit from Verts, Vertex Group set from above step.
Amount 16 to match number of vertexs in group.
Steps 8 to allow combing.
Combed all down, added key frames and physics on the hair.
Everything bobbed along very realistically.

At a LUG meeting long long ago (April) Steve gave a talk on the virtues of twitter, pre-warned I counter attacked with a anti-twitter talk.
Although I was well aware of the pros and cons I was surprised at the number of not only twitter virgins but social networking newbies.
The first (positive) talk concentrated on the great way like minded people can be connected, examples given included being contacted by (semi)famous people and being followed by distant friends.
The second (negative) talk (aka Mine) fell firmly in the *ALERT* *DANGER* *KEEP OF THE GRASS* category. I had an unsettling number of negative notes regarding past miss-use of twitter and the dangers of letting complete strangers (wether they be famous or not) having access to personal information.
Common example, have you ever tweeted about going away on holiday or what a great birthday you had, anything about new additions to the family ?
"I will be on holiday in the USA for a week, beach and party!" translates to empty house for a week.
"Woohoo! I got a light saber for my birthday from my girl friend" translates to date of birth == posted date excluding year and I think you can make some easy assumptions regarding the general age of the poster.
"Baby Amber Elisabeth Smithtown was born today at 02:34 7lb 4oz at the Jon Bon Jovi Mem. hospital New Jersey" translates to all the details needed to access/setup a new bank account or at least a good start for.
But as mentioned, maybe its to late, in which case enjoy the twittering of little birds.

Now broadcasting the past as the present, one month is much like any other.
Note to building security: do not add expensive gadgets to meeting rooms, securing them only with a 4 digit padlock.
Weekly dev meeting agenda: intro current projects, any other updates, brute force combi-padlock.
Total time spent 40mins(Man minutes), key space exhausted 26%, combination found TRUE.

Ah ha! now we know, well I do, it was probably to quick for you.
Looked sort of like a time paradox, certainly a lesson to myself in the future :)

Stuff has taken place but where has it all gone ...
[just posting this to see what happens now I have missed the month of May completely]