<![CDATA[The Older Gamers Forums - Blogs - Ashlann's Basket by Ashlann]]> http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/ Online Gaming for Mature PC and Console Gamers en Thu, 23 May 2013 01:29:09 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/images/misc/rss.jpg <![CDATA[The Older Gamers Forums - Blogs - Ashlann's Basket by Ashlann]]> http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/ A Different Life http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/167-different-life.html Tue, 05 Feb 2013 12:45:44 GMT Wow, I haven't been 'active' on TOG for a long, long time. I remember the days when gaming and being a very active member of the TOG community were very central to my out-of-work life. They were great times, spent with gaming friends that we enriching to be around. But, as with all things, change is inevitable.

I started spending a little more time sleeping, and a lot more quality time with my daughter. We get out and enjoy photography together (she is fascinated with insects and loves macro photography) and we draw together. From that, I discovered a whole new world on Google+


Full post

I've ended up with a thriving online business drawing my scribblegraph illustrations, exclusively shared on Google+ who have been amazingly receptive and supportive.

If you're on Google+ let me know! You can find me here:
plus.ashlann.com
plus.scribblegraph.me (the scribblegraph page)

or you can follow what I'm up to at my website:
scribblegraph

All the best to all my old friends here on TOG - never forgotten!

Ash ]]> Ashlann http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/167-different-life.html Podcast 24 - E3 coverage http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/79-podcast-24-e3-coverage.html Thu, 08 Jul 2010 05:54:47 GMT Well, you may have seen the announcement... Well, you may have seen the announcement about the recently uploaded GIPC 24 - Part 1 of our E3 coverage. What a show! In ep 23 we welcomed Drac as a permanent member of our Podcasting team, and his in-depth knowledge of the gaming industry is certainly invaluable.

...and tonight our little baby turns 25 and becomes an official TOG member! What? Yes, tonight we record episode 25 (part 2 of our E3 coverage) and the Podcast comes of age.

So make sure you subscribe to the Games Industry Podcast forum and look out for it, because it's going to be our biggest and bestest Podcast yet.

Enjoy! ]]> Ashlann http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/79-podcast-24-e3-coverage.html iPhone OS 4 is here http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/77-iphone-os-4-here.html Wed, 23 Jun 2010 02:29:09 GMT "A new update is ready for your iPhone (4). Would you like to update?"

Yes. *click*

"This update is available, but requires iTunes 9.2 to run. Would you like to download?"

Not particularly, but OK, I'll humour you. *click*

"This 374M download will install iTunes 9.2 on your system, a music player that does no more than WinAmp does with a 7M download. Oh, and we'd also like to just go ahead and install Safari on your FireFox PC. We're not asking, it's just ticked, see? So we're gonna do that."

Um, not feeling so chirpy about that. Please don't. Where's the don't ask me again button to get rid of that, anyway?

"Sorry, we at Apple don't like to ever give you THAT option! Shucks!"

Hmm.

"...and go make another coffee. This download's gonna take a whiiile!"

So I see. This better be worth the wait:) How are you all finding it?

edit:

"Ding! Hey, guess what? I'm done! But now I wanna restart your computer on you. I'm still feeling miffed you rejected my Safari components, so I've installed another little surprise. You'll love it. When I restart your system there will be this.. oh, I don't want to spoil the surprise. This is great! We'll have some laughs. Do you want to continue?"

...what do I do:?:

On another note, it's conceivable I've been playing too much Portal. Excited much?

edit 2:

...Oh you're freaking kidding me! iTunes finished its 500M+ download of the new OS, then the installer 'crashed' with the message "The download timed out. Please try again later". And now it has started the download all over again!

Why do people like Apple? ]]> Ashlann http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/77-iphone-os-4-here.html Sydney and a Podcast Update http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/70-sydney-podcast-update.html Tue, 25 May 2010 01:24:14 GMT After an absolutely fantastic trip to Sydney, I've finished my catching up with the Podcast editing. Episodes 20, 21 and 22 have all been completed and uploaded and you can grab them from the Podcast Forum. I even downloaded ep.22 to my iPhone (special guests Hoppy & Drac) so I cna listen to it this morning when I go into work for a rrreally lame meeting on my day off. LLLAME.

Huge thanks to theZee for making time to catch up with me when I was in Sydney! Have photos, will post;) ]]> Ashlann http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/70-sydney-podcast-update.html The Walking Dead - back in the swing. http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/68-walking-dead-back-swing.html Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:40:57 GMT After a very hard couple of months in my personal life, Season 2 of the Games Industry Podcast... After a very hard couple of months in my personal life, Season 2 of the Games Industry Podcast is back in full swing! Episodes 17, 18 and 19 are done, dusted and uploaded ready for your aural entertainment. We recorded episode 20 this evening and I assure you, it's an absolute pearler! Look out for it's release later this week. Maybe even tomorrow! (I do have to work tonight... when do I sleep I hear you ask? I take 20 second naps every 3 minutes. In all honesty, it's all I have time for. I am the Walking Dead)

Stefaan and I would just love to hear more feedback on the casts - more questions, comments, ideas etc. We put a lot of work into these casts and would love more listener involvement. In episode 21 we are planning to discuss something that has come up recently with StarCraft 2 BETA keys selling for in excess of US$200 - would you pay that much for BETA involvement in the game/s you love? Why? If you have thoughts on this, drop us an email at podcast@theoldergamers.com - we'd love to hear your thoughts. ]]> Ashlann http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/68-walking-dead-back-swing.html Sick Kids and Discoveries http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/66-sick-kids-discoveries.html Sun, 28 Mar 2010 05:00:53 GMT I worked 11PM-8:30AM last night, not an abnormal shift by any means, but one of the "longest". My ex called me when I was leaving for work and told me Jasmine (our daughter) was in hospital. She had been vomiting for 24 hours and she was worried. I couldn't get anyone to fill my shift, so I had to work the night before I could get to the hospital. It's 1PM now and I'm exhausted, but Jasmine is 100% fine. Argh kids - they worry you to death, don't they?

Discovery: Tiger Woods Online! Game-play is as good as the PC game versions, but you play online! All your favourite courses and clubs. It's in BETA but I don't think it's closed, so head on over there if you feel like you need a round: it's superb!

Hey, and I'm always up for a friendly game if you're keen - let me know;) ]]> Ashlann http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/66-sick-kids-discoveries.html GIPC: The New Season http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/64-gipc-new-season.html Wed, 17 Feb 2010 02:16:24 GMT After a much needed break of drinking Coopers and other general debauchery, The Games Industry Podcast has kicked off a new season! *Episode 16*, the... After a much needed break of drinking Coopers and other general debauchery, The Games Industry Podcast has kicked off a new season! Episode 16, the first for 2010, is now available for download in the Podcast Forums. Or, of course, if you're hooked into the info-rich gooey veins of the universe through iTunes, you can get it there.

Episode 17 is not far behind it, and 18 is going to air tonight!

...well, possibly. I'm just off to the doctor to find out why I'm covered in spots. No, I'm not revisiting the awkward prepubescent phase of ultra-zits... I've woken up, feeling otherwise top shelf (as in, right beside the Johnny Blue Label top shelf) but am covered in very suspicious red spots.

Woo hoo! Legitimate Time off work;) ]]> Ashlann http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/64-gipc-new-season.html Something in your Stocking http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/60-something-your-stocking.html Thu, 24 Dec 2009 09:04:05 GMT For those people who subscribe to the Games Industry Podcast Forum (http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/games-industry-podcasts/), you will have seen... For those people who subscribe to the Games Industry Podcast Forum, you will have seen I sneaked up episode 14 very quietly. And if you keep your eyes open you might just see 15 appearing any minute! But only for those who have been nice;)

This is our last cast for 2009. We are taking a well earned break... read: chained to the 2010 drawing board, planning interviews, articles, kidnapping prospective guests.

I'd like to say a huge thank you to a few people who have given their time & energy to helping Stefaan and I with the cast this year:

Fox - for your musical contributions,
Ned & Atrayo - for your constant input and support,
Mesar, Jakob_Pavlov and Ariya - for your time and input as our guests - thank you!

And all our other listeners and supporters who have left their comments. We have taken everything on board and it really helps us take an objective look at our content. Thank you!

I'll leave you all with a little Christmas snapshot from my first experience on an MMO - I think Santa will be bypassing my house this year... I keep killing his snowmen.

Merry Christmas, all!



Ashaell Nathens - Monk, Adventurer, level 20 Snow Man Smiter (Guild Wars) ]]> Ashlann http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/60-something-your-stocking.html Podcast #12 http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/52-podcast-12.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:12:34 GMT Podcast #12 is in the bag! We had a lot of fun making it, with huge thanks to *Mesar* and *Jakob_Pavlov* for making themselves available and... Podcast #12 is in the bag!

We had a lot of fun making it, with huge thanks to Mesar and Jakob_Pavlov for making themselves available and having fun with us.

Podcast #11 will be available for download some time this weekend (watch the Podcast forums for announcement).

Also, I'd like to thank Ned for submitting his questions - Father and I talked before the cast and decided these two were certainly worth more time than we could gift them with in this cast, so certainly #13 is shaping up to be huge!

Podcast #13 will be recorded Thursday 19th November so please submit your questions to us before then. You can email them to us at podcast@theoldergamers.com in either written or voice recorded form.

Thanks for listening! ]]> Ashlann http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/52-podcast-12.html Daughters http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/47-daughters.html Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:55:32 GMT Daughters are too gorgeous by far. I need either a cage to keep her in, or a shotgun to keep them out. Nothing else will do. Image:... Daughters are too gorgeous by far. I need either a cage to keep her in, or a shotgun to keep them out. Nothing else will do.



Another recent trip to the foreshore; some of the local fishermen trying to put a dent in the blowfish population:



And that's why I love living in the west: sunsets over the ocean are something I never want to live without again:) ]]> Ashlann http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/47-daughters.html (Finally) Creating a website http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/44-finally-creating-website.html Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:37:41 GMT I have finally found time to start building something at ashlann.com (http://www.ashlann.com), a domain I purchased months ago. I installed Drupal... I have finally found time to start building something at ashlann.com, a domain I purchased months ago.

I installed Drupal v6 on it today and have added various modules, some of which have proven to be frustratingly incomplete. I was intending to use this domain primarily to host photography and graphic design, but a working gallery module is hard to find!

I have installed a forum module, but again, the interface is... frustrating.

Anyway, add it to your favourites and hopefully watch it grow. If you have any knowledge at all of Drupal, I'll probably hit you up for help! ]]> Ashlann http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/44-finally-creating-website.html A day at the beach http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/42-day-beach.html Sat, 03 Oct 2009 17:08:26 GMT It was a lovely day here in Perth today: my dad is in town for a few days on his way home from Singapore, so we took Jasmine down to a local beach... It was a lovely day here in Perth today: my dad is in town for a few days on his way home from Singapore, so we took Jasmine down to a local beach (near Rockingham) - it's a beautiful natural headland with a lot of wild-life.

Here's a couple of pictures from the day - you can check out the gallery for the rest.


My little angel, Jasmine


One of Jasmine's favourite finds, the friendly fish.


One of simply millions of fossil/shells - the beaches are covered with huge 'sedimentary' style rocks made nearly entirely of shell matter. It's amazing. A macrophile's dreamland. ]]> Ashlann http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/42-day-beach.html <![CDATA[The New Paperweight - it's great!]]> http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/39-new-paperweight-its-great.html Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:33:11 GMT PC woes. Oh, we've all been there, I know. I'm just so utterly fed up with it!

A month or so back, I put in a new GPU & PSU (that's a gizmit and a hoodad for those of you not fluent with the lingo) - the system booted fine, but would not reboot without a BIOS flash.

Despite all advice & best wishes from the TOG think-tank, web searches, tips from Deep Blue and Bill Gates Himself, that issue still remains. The BIOS utterly vanishes the minute it achieves a successful boot, and it needs to be re-flashed (meaning kicked up the proverbial, for those not hip to my jive).

So, that I can live with barely cope with. Another odd side effect of that install was that my secondary monitor stopped working. I love using dual monitors. If you don't know why, you haven't tried it yet. SO, that I had to learn to survive with as well. Granted the monitor I was left with is a decent one (SamSung SyncMaster 226BW)... still not the way I would like.

Today I accidentally ended up in a PC hardware store and I unintentionally gave a guy some indication I wouldn't mind a new monitor (thinking that ol' secondary was dead) and I quite amazingly ended up leaving with a new SamSung (SyncMaster P2350).

I got home, plugged it in and installed it - nothing. Self-tests fine, just not receiving anything from the system. 5 minutes of playing aimless fiddling earnest work with nVidia Control Panel and Device Manager later and *POOF* - system goes black. It's running, but I've lost all visual.

Try flashing your BIOS blindfolded some time, knowing that if you don't you can start removing hardware to reset your mainboard.

...which I did, about 20 times tonight.

Good news: I'm back up and running and I have a seriously nice, brand new SamSung paperweight. You should get yourself one! They're great!

So: New PC - it is time. ]]> Ashlann http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/39-new-paperweight-its-great.html <![CDATA[Did I hear it chime Beer o'clock?]]> http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/35-did-i-hear-chime-beer-oclock.html Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:15:49 GMT Oh yes, I truly think I did! Episodes 6, 7 _*and*_ 8 have now all been mastered, re-mastered and uploaded... Oh yes, I truly think I did!

Episodes 6, 7 and 8 have now all been mastered, re-mastered and uploaded ready for your aural entertainment. That brings us right up to date, and it means I might actually fit in some serious gaming tonight!

...except Redgum and Father are waiting for new forum signatures. Oooh that Redgum - why you gotta go needing change, man? Never change a winning formula! (In all honesty, I'm really excited about doing this one... i want to prove to myself I can pull it off again!)

Well, I hope you all enjoy a beer as much as I'm enjoying this one (the hard-earned ones always taste the best) - Cheers! ]]> Ashlann http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/35-did-i-hear-chime-beer-oclock.html WoW and Cigarettes http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/34-wow-cigarettes.html Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:18:41 GMT Bumbee - don't read this. I don't want you to lose heart:(

This is one of those "Have To Share" things. Squirrel is always telling me off for, well, anything and everything. And I understood what he was trying to say here, but not until I re-read it trying to find out why he's telling me WoW is bad...
Quote:
[11:11] TOG | Killer Squirrel: what are you up to?
[11:11] TOG| Ashlann: editing podcast 7 + 8
[11:11] TOG| Ashlann: need coffee first i think. and a cigarette.
[11:13] TOG| Ashlann: you?
[11:13] TOG | Killer Squirrel: WoW and cigs are bad for you...
[11:13] TOG| Ashlann: WoW is worse than cigs.
[11:13] TOG| Ashlann: as stupid as it sounds, I get more fresh air having a 2 minute cigarette than you do playing WoW.
...so yes, episode 7 will be out... today! ]]> Ashlann http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/34-wow-cigarettes.html Games Industry Podcast 4... and 5! http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/32-games-industry-podcast-4-5.html Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:01:18 GMT If you go into the woods today, you're in for a big day of audio entertainment!

Podcast Forums

Father and Nestaron have been working double-time to patch the pipes between TOG and iTunes (apparently Drain-O wasn't the solution, sorry guys!) and now... drum roll! ...you can find us on iTunes.

To celebrate, I've mastered & uploaded episodes 4 and 5, both available now both here on the site and on iTunes.

Also, I'm spending a lot of time (more than you'd think!) composing and recording the little 30 second musical 'fillers' you hear in the casts. I love playing guitar, but if I keep this up, Father's going to end up doing all the talking to a collection of ballads being played in the background.

I'd love any eager musicians to step forward and offer their musical talents to the cast. Get in touch with me if you've got a beat and a way to record it!

Now, go grab the two new episodes! Quick! Did I mention you can grab them from iTunes?

:) ]]> Ashlann http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/32-games-industry-podcast-4-5.html LoTR Avatars http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/16-lotr-avatars.html Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:56:03 GMT Squirrel·Friendly® has taken a back seat this month and I've been playing with a few of my favourite screenshots from the Lord of The Rings; the films, that is.





In particular, that image of Denathor's mouth after he has eaten a cherry tomato -- one of the most moving scenes in the trilogy. I have always been a fan of the books and I thought they portrayed his madness quite well indeed. If you have seen the extended versions, you will recognise Sauron's Mouthpiece, another favourite image of mine. I loved this scene, and I felt it was one of the more savage cuts in the films.

Andy Serkis as Gollum/Sméagol was also superb, and I loved the beginning of Return of The King. A little fact from these films: Serkis was never intended to play this voice/character; he signed up purely to do the 'body acting' for the animation of Gollum. The voice he used when jumping around on the animation set, getting himself into character, blew Jackson away. He was quickly stepped up to play Gollum!

A couple of other off-shoots from this series:

]]> Ashlann http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/16-lotr-avatars.html Site Upgrade Announcement http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/14-site-upgrade-announcement.html Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:09:01 GMT You might be noticing a few changes around the site today. All I can say is: *Phew!* Image: http://www.ashlann.com/TOG-GFX/Pins/awesome.png ... You might be noticing a few changes around the site today. All I can say is: Phew!



Nestaron has announced the implementation of changes to the 'Postbit' (that box beside all your posts with all your info in it) and a huge overhaul of site graphics.

We have all been hard at work making these changes that will improve the way the site looks and operates. Most noticeably, with the reduced height of the Postbit, you will be able to read more posts on your screen!

Personally, I hope you all enjoy the fresh look we've been working on, and I can now announce the very suave and sophisticated new name for wings: Pins!

There are a few members who have been waiting on work from me (easykill, I'm sorry! BattleScoob - well you already knew what I was up to!) - now you know why I've been so slow to get to your signatures! Hopefully I'll be able to get something to you soon now this project is completed.

I'm going to go crack a very hard earned bottle of Cab Sav now, and I'm going to enjoy every drop.

Cheers! ]]> Ashlann http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/14-site-upgrade-announcement.html <![CDATA[Avatars & The GIPC #3!]]> http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/13-avatars-gipc-3.html Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:10:37 GMT *Images Are Power* Anyone who has ever experienced an emotional reaction to portrait photography on any level knows what I mean. Some of you may... Images Are Power

Anyone who has ever experienced an emotional reaction to portrait photography on any level knows what I mean. Some of you may have noticed my avatars: I like to use images of famous people with expressive faces. Christopher Walken is one of my all time favourite comedians & actors, with such a distinctive style.



Recently I decided to do a little self re-invention and moved onto another actor I find inspiring, Jack Nicholson. I chose one of my favourite images of him, one that portrays his darker side: Jack Nicholson, The Joker. I made three, intending to rotate them:



This was my favourite, and the one I put up straight away (thanks for appreciating this one, Reoh!).

Nearly immediately, a fellow TOG moderator that I will not name for fear of embarrassing him (he's a good friend, and who am I to tell everyone that this otherwise manly gentleman is afraid of a little picture?) asked me to immediately change my avatar or he cannot read my posts. He was literally covering the screen, he was that freaked out.

I said "Killer Squirrel, you can't be serious!"

And he said "Oh, The Squirrel is serious. If you don't change it, I will!"

...or something like that. So you can see I was left with little alternative;)

Here's the other two JN avatars I made:



The one on the left he referred to as the.. well, I can't tell you what he said about it in any way that would be appropriate to a public post. Suffice to say it was less than flattering to Mr Nicholson's manliness. The other one -- he covered up before even looking at it.

..and thus was born my new line of avatars: squirrelfriendly®



I hope you enjoy:) PS: KS, you're awesome enough to have a line of avatars named after you.

Podcast Update
For those of you who read this and are following the Games Industry Podcast - thank you!! And here's some breaking news: watch out for the release of the GIPC #3 later tonight! ]]> Ashlann http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/13-avatars-gipc-3.html Games Industry Podcast 2 Released! http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/10-games-industry-podcast-2-released.html Sat, 18 Jul 2009 04:21:11 GMT Hi all! The TOG Games Industry Podcast #2 (http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/notice-board/247859-tog-games-industry-podcast-episode-2-a.html)... Hi all!

The TOG Games Industry Podcast #2 has been released!



Stef and I were a lot happier with this one, and we both hope you enjoy it.

We really look forward to people submitting their thoughts & questions for inclusion in the casts. You really don't need anything fancy: just open Windows Recorder (Accessories > Entertainment > Sound Recorder) and talk! Share your thoughts/questions with us.

Send your audio file to me (linked in a PM, or email the file to ashlann@gmail.com) and we'd love to include it in a future cast.

Enjoy! And let us know what you think!

~Ashlann ]]> Ashlann http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/10-games-industry-podcast-2-released.html Plate Art http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/8-plate-art.html Sat, 11 Jul 2009 10:13:55 GMT A few friends at work and I like the food at a local bar. We go there fairly often for lunch, have a quiet pint and wind down for a bit. As such, we... A few friends at work and I like the food at a local bar. We go there fairly often for lunch, have a quiet pint and wind down for a bit. As such, we tend to know most of the staff, and we assume they recognise us.

Last week, we got a bit creative with the left-overs. It started with me making a square out of the left over chips, then eyes were added. From there, everyone got involved and what resulted can best be described as, well, a masterpiece of "improvisational organic expressionism". We thought we'd present it to the waitress when she came to clear the tables, just to give her a bit of a laugh.

So, when she came and picked up the plate and clearly didn't see what was on it at all;

I said, "We left you something"
She replied, "Oh, thanks, I don't eat fatty foods"

We all looked at her blankly, and pointed out what was on the plate, and she said;

"Oh right, thanks. I'm really not hungry."

..What is more disturbing here? That she couldn't see what was here on the plate, or that she actually thought we were offering her our scraps to eat?


Take a look at this image of the creation and tell me what you think:

]]> Ashlann http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/8-plate-art.html When filters are Evil http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/7-when-filters-evil.html Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:10:04 GMT I work for a rather prominent Australian business largely involved in the medical field. They have very strict guidelines about internet usage, and... I work for a rather prominent Australian business largely involved in the medical field. They have very strict guidelines about internet usage, and endless 'Standard Operating Procedures' that outline these rules. IE is the browser supplied to us on all PCs, and very aggressive filters monitor our activities.

However, about 2 years ago I did something rather clever. No executable can be run without sysadmin rights. Somehow they overlooked applying this rule to our 'My Documents' folder (a virtual doc folder that is accessible from any terminal). So, I created the folder 'FireFox' and ran the .exe there. And because FF uses a different range of ports, none of the filters was looking for traffic here:twisted: I have been able to browse TOG from work, check my gmail (a monumental no-no) etc etc. All without being sniffed out.

...and this has been wonderful, until today. Someone in IS/IT finally found my traffic trail and blocked all ports FireFox uses.

Un.Freakin.Believable. Any FireFox user must feel my pain. Going back to IE (6!) behind aggressive firewalls -- as if the program isn't sluggy enough already!

I'm lucky if I can check Reuters from work now.

Bastards. ]]> Ashlann http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/7-when-filters-evil.html TOG Games Industry Pod Cast http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/6-tog-games-industry-pod-cast.html Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:27:13 GMT Nestaron has been hard at work (as always!) and the TOG Games Industry Pod Cast now has its very own home on the TOG site! We are doing some last... Nestaron has been hard at work (as always!) and the TOG Games Industry Pod Cast now has its very own home on the TOG site!

We are doing some last minute fingernail-cleaning and general personal maintenance, but you should see some lovely things (with prettiments abounding) very, very soon.

In the meantime, why don't you scratch up a working definition of prettiments for me?

~Ash ]]> Ashlann http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/6-tog-games-industry-pod-cast.html Zynga! http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/4-zynga.html Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:20:41 GMT Recently, in between reading forums and doing the various little routine jobs we do, I somehow accidentally logged into Facebook. I quite... Recently, in between reading forums and doing the various little routine jobs we do, I somehow accidentally logged into Facebook. I quite intentionally 'deleted' my account there; it's not a service I get anything out of, and quite frankly, if there's people I haven't spoken to in 10+ years, there's more than likely a decent reason for that.

Facebook doesn't 'delete' accounts though. They just sign you out and make them inactive. So you can sign in any time. They really just won't let you leave, will they?

I didn't, however, log in to see who's washed their hair recently or bought a new magazine: I was curious about something I saw called 'Zynga' Texas Hold Em. I'm a bit of a fan of the game, and I thought I'd have a poke about and see what the go is.

Half an hour later? Completely addicted:)

Do you play Zynga Texas Hold Em through Facebook? If so, let me know and I'll add you.

...and hopefully lighten your chip stack;) ]]> Ashlann http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/blogs/ashlann/4-zynga.html