Monthly Archives: June 2009

Reading: Connie Willis

Posted on June 27, 2009 by midiguru

Many years ago I was knocked out by Doomsday Book, Connie Willis’s novel of time travel to the dark days of the Black Plague. But then I tried another of her books, found it disappointingly shallow, and gave up on … Continue reading →

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Networkin’ Coolness

Posted on June 26, 2009 by midiguru

A couple of readers of this blob suggested Remote Desktop Control as a way to circumvent an irritating problem I was having with computer ergonomics. After a tiny bit of research, I downloaded TeamViewer, which is free to individuals, though … Continue reading →

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Hobbyist Programming

Posted on June 25, 2009 by midiguru

Trying to get back into TADS 3. It’s an incredibly powerful language in which to write interactive fiction, but it’s not for the faint of heart. The first time I tried learning it, I found myself crying, “Classes and templates … Continue reading →

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Never Satisfied

Posted on June 25, 2009 by midiguru

This is a sad story about technology. I own two very nice laptops, a Mac and a PC. The PC is my office machine, and is normally hooked up to a second monitor, a Firewire audio interface, a USB hub, … Continue reading →

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More on Musika

Posted on June 23, 2009 by midiguru

A few days ago I posted a piece detailing my attempt to suss out the services offered by Musika — according to their banner, “The nation’s leading music lessons provider since 2001!” Okay, I like to stir up a little … Continue reading →

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Vinyl Flashback

Posted on June 22, 2009 by midiguru

My turntable still works. I have a small but provocative collection of LPs, some of which I’ve been carting around for more than 40 years. Amazingly, even after being boxed up at the back of a storage locker for the … Continue reading →

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Reading: The Dragons of Babel

Posted on June 20, 2009 by midiguru

Elves, centaurs, dragons, trolls, witches, hippogriffs, and other creatures even more fantastical throng through Michael Swanwick’s The Dragons of Babel. But it isn’t what you’re thinking. Swanwick has taken classic fantasy and mythology and done a cheerfully brutal mash-up with the seamier … Continue reading →

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Photoshop Junkie

Posted on June 20, 2009 by midiguru

Remember the Mac IIci? Great computer, for its day. Back in 1992 or thereabouts, I found myself with a loaner machine in my home. On it was a copy of Photoshop. I can’t draw, so Photoshop was an ideal program … Continue reading →

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Video: Battlestar

Posted on June 18, 2009 by midiguru

I never saw the original BattleStar Galactica series. The new series looks pretty good, though it’s far from flawless. Last night I watched the pilot miniseries, which is essentially a 3-hour movie. I’ll try a few more episodes before making … Continue reading →

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Traduzione italiana

Posted on June 17, 2009 by midiguru

A few magazine articles that I wrote (years ago) were translated into other languages, but none of my books has ever been translated … until now. The Inform 7 Handbook is being translated into Italian! I can’t read Italian, but … Continue reading →

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