Jump to content
Have You Played Atari Today?
2600|5200|7800|Lynx|Jaguar|Forums|Store
Warnings about File Attachments - Please Read!
  • entries
    243
  • comments
    458
  • views
    342,364

About this blog

Matters, Musings and Mysteries. (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I get commissions for purchases made through certain links.)

Entries in this blog

Now I can really get back to work!

The nice table I got that rolls up over my La-Z-Boy recliner is a great help, but the size of the recliner has me too far away from my 24 inch monitor, so I've been using the zoom feature in my browser to read most of the time (even after lowering the screen resolution). I don't have that problem any more. I'm now using a 32 inch LCD HDTV instead of a 24 inch monitor.   There was a sale on TVs, so I found a way to make room and bought a 43 inch plasma HDTV and moved my 32 inch LCD HDTV to my c
Random Terrain

Random Terrain

0

Thanks to Amazon I can get back to work

Some time after 2007 (I don't remember what year), I was given a recliner. I wanted to use the recliner as a computer chair, so I took a leaf that wasn't being used from an old drop-leaf kitchen table, attached two pieces of wood to the sides that were a little taller than the arms of the recliner, then put casters on the bottom to make a rolling table. I put my computer keyboard and mouse on the rolling table and it worked great. I could have my feet up and use my computer (much better than a n
Random Terrain

Random Terrain

7

I'm no longer semi-poor

Although I don't know how long it will last, now I won't have to desperately look for things to sell for food money in the middle of the month and I won't have to choose between supplements and food. I'll also be able to buy a new Xbox 360 game every month if I want to.   I'm not rich, as Americans define it, but I can now buy food that I like every month and afford to have a few extra things at the same time.   Like I said, I don't know how long it will last, but for now, I can live like t
Random Terrain

Random Terrain

14

Seaweed Assault is Almost Finished

Looks like the bugs are gone and it has a steady scanline count of 262:   http://www.atariage....eaweed-assault/     Once I get some more feedback and make little recommended changes here and there, then add an Easter egg of some kind, the game should be ready to put on cart if anyone would really want to buy it.         Random Terrain _
Random Terrain

Random Terrain

4

VbB Music and Sound Editor Happiness

It might sound silly, but I thought I'd mention that the Music and Sound Editor is making me happy today.   I've been working on some new sound effects and I was thinking that it's so much easier and more fun thanks to the Music and Sound Editor for Visual batari Basic that jwierer made. I can keep playing with the data and previewing with Stella dozens or hundreds of times until it sounds right.   I'm getting work done and having fun at the same time.         Random Terrain _
Random Terrain

Random Terrain

2

Seaweed Assault: The Sticky Stays

I've been playing around with making the seaweed less 'sticky' when players get themselves into tight situations.   One version I tried decreases the health bar by one notch and kicks the player out of the seaweed. If there is a long line of seaweed, the player could potentially get knocked through the line of seaweed (across the whole screen). It looks stupid and doesn't fit the game.   After trying a few different variations, I like the original sticky seaweed. The player will have more th
Random Terrain

Random Terrain

0

Seaweed Assault: Game Over Animation

I animated the Game Over message so it would match the underwater theme of the game. You can try the .bin file here if you want:   http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/187358-are-there-any-atari-2600-games-with-wavering-text-like-a-flag/page__p__2365286#entry2365286   I know most people are busy (since today is a holiday), but of the few people who have looked at it, nobody has complained yet. I guess I can move on to other parts of the game.         Random Terrain _
Random Terrain

Random Terrain

0

Seaweed Assault: DEFs to DIMs

I started to get DEF errors again:   www.atariage.com/forums/topic/187092-can-we-use-two-or-more-defs-that-use-the-same-string/   I said in that thread that I'd just keep the DEFs that I had and use DIM for any new BitOp variables, but I realized that I'd eventually become confused or frustrated by having BitOp variables in two separate places, so I spent some time today converting all of my DEFs to DIMs.   Although most of the changes were done using the Replace All button, it was still t
Random Terrain

Random Terrain

0

Seaweed Assault: Variable Overhaul

Nobody has to read these Seaweed Assault blog entries. I'm just using them as motivation (showing that progress is being made). I'll also use these entries to 'think out loud' about various things I might want to do.   To make it easier to add new variables for bonus items or enemies or whatever, I've given the dims and defs a major overhaul. There is a better order to everything, room has been made for new variable aliases, and some variable names have been changed to make the program easier
Random Terrain

Random Terrain

0

Back to Seaweed Assault

I was kind of asked to finish Seaweed Assault before doing more work on the new version of Bloober and the Gnarl, so I'm back to working on Seaweed Assault.   I've been giving the code an upgrade and things are going smoothly so far. I haven't messed up anything yet. If things keep moving along at a nice speed, I could be done with this game before October (2011).       Random Terrain _
Random Terrain

Random Terrain

1

Time to get Bloober and the Gnarl finished for the Atari 2600 (batari Basic game)

It seems like I have crawled out of the fog enough to get a game finished. I was starting to get there with Seaweed Assault, but there were still things about bB I wasn't clear about. Now that I've spent more time working on example programs, trying to help random people, and getting help from better programmers, I think I'm ready to get some games finished. (I have bits of code that are ready to use in various games that I didn't have before.)       History   Bloober and the Gnarl was a g
Random Terrain

Random Terrain

0

Whey looks like pus and smells like vomit

I read this back in the late 1980s, but it seems a lot of people still think that whey is a health food. The following Fit For Life II text is from the link below, but I fixed some errors they had in their blog entry:   www.foreverlivinghealth.com/there-is-a-better-way-than-whey/         Random Terrain _
Random Terrain

Random Terrain

3

DickNixonArisen and his Quest for the R Word

DickNixonArisen wanted to keep this public so here it is. He was trying to take my post out of context and make it all about rape. Well, here is the full story.     Take a look at this post:   http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/178104-mia-atariagers/page__view__findpost__p__2231559     Then I tried to explain why in my usual gross way:   http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/178104-mia-atariagers/page__view__findpost__p__2231588   In case it wasn't obvious in my post above, the ma
Random Terrain

Random Terrain

11

I got a PayPal Debit Card!

Holy cow! This is great news! I got a PayPal debit card yesterday! Now when somebody donates money at my web site, I won't have to wait 3 to 4 business days for it to transfer to the bank:   Fast Access to the Cash in Your PayPal Account     I can get the cash from an ATM and buy groceries right away instead of desperately hoping that the money will hit the bank in less than 3 to 4 business days.         Random Terrain _
Random Terrain

Random Terrain

0

It Must be Lung Trouble Season

I read a status update not that many days ago about an AtariAge member who had a problem with one of his lungs that was bad enough that he needed to go to the hospital. The thing that happened to me yesterday while mowing wasn't that bad. It was just weird.   Now that I have a mask to wear when I mow, I haven't been getting horrible allergy problems from the evil plants outside. Well, I was only on the riding lawnmower for a few minutes yesterday evening when I got a sharp pain in my left lung
Random Terrain

Random Terrain

3

Batman: Arkham Asylum (Nocturnal Hunter Challenge 0:43.12)

I downloaded the free Insane Night Map Pack and have been playing the Nocturnal Hunter challenge off and on for a week or two. I had a hard time finishing it in under 2 minutes, then got it down to a little over 1 minute, then I got lucky a couple of days ago and finished it in 0:43.12 seconds.   I've been trying to see if I can finish it in 30 seconds, but I'm back to barely being able to finish in under 2 minutes. I wish I could remember what I did.       Update (June 13, 2011)   I jus
Random Terrain

Random Terrain

0

Creepy Commercial for Kids

Follow the creepy rabbit and his sidekick, the 'farmer,' into the back of their van. Go ahead kids, they have candy in there. They also have chloroform and a chainsaw:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQkHLVTJkW8&rel=0&fmt=35&showinfo=0
Random Terrain

Random Terrain

7

'Gutteral' Woodpecker

Seems like every spring for the past few years, a woodpecker has been drumming on the gutter at the corner of the house. It looked like a form of communication to me, but I wasn't sure. I finally got around to looking it up today:   http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=110934757893&topic=14063   Doesn't seem to do any damage, but I can't stand the noise, so I chase it away every time I get a chance. Damn 'gutteral' Woodpecker.       Random Terrain _
Random Terrain

Random Terrain

1

Bad News Everyone: My Brain is Not Going to Explode

Went to the doctor today and he said there's nothing to worry about. The squeezing feeling and headache that isn't quite a headache isn't caused by brain swelling. He said it's post-traumatic headache.   So for those who were wishing that my brain would explode and ooze out of my nose, mouth, and ears, it's not going to happen (at least not from this). I could always decide to snort Pop Rocks, Mentos, and Diet Coke, so don't give up hope.       Random Terrain _
Random Terrain

Random Terrain

2

Back on Tylenol Again!

I thought my brain swelling problem or whatever the heck it is might finally be over, but I've had to go back on Tylenol again the past couple of days. I don't like the idea of living on Tylenol. I wish the problem would go away and stay away. It's hard to stay awake when that stupid head squeezing pressure headache that isn't exactly a headache kicks in. It takes way too long for the Tylenol to work. The whole top of my head is sensitive to the touch tonight.   Maybe the pressure will make my
Random Terrain

Random Terrain

2

A person with . . .

The PC way to talk now is to say "people with" or "a person with." For example, you're not autistic, you're a person with autism. And you're not an 'aspie,' you're a person with Asperger's Syndrome. Here are more examples:   You're not black, you're a person with blackness. _ You're not white, you're a person with benefits. _ You're not gay, you're a person with drama. _ You're not a transvestite, you're a person with vagina envy. _ You're not straight, you're a person with homo
Random Terrain

Random Terrain

1

I don't have post-concussion syndrome, so why am I sleepy?

For at least a week now, I've been tired and sleepy. I can sleep for 6 to 8 hours at night and still want to sleep another 6 or more hours (in a row or in segments throughout the day). I thought the problem might be related to the fall I had in January when I had a slight concussion with the usual temporary amnesia:   http://www.atariage.com/forums/blog/120/entry-7777-i-fell-on-the-ice-and-got-temporary-amnesia/   I Googled the problem and the only thing I've found so far that semi fits is p
Random Terrain

Random Terrain

0

I finally got to see 3D TV yesterday

If you've been to the Ulterior Interior page on my web site, you probably know that I don't see in 3D. The only difference I see when I close one eye is that my field of view isn't as wide. I had glasses that contained 'partial prisms' from an eye doctor back around 1984/1985 that allowed me to see in 3D, but they only worked for about 6 months. The point of mentioning that is I have seen the world in true 3D. I could see and 'feel' the space between everything. Those glasses turned the flat, bo
Random Terrain

Random Terrain

5

The Stupidity of Shameless (Showtime)

The big sister on Shameless cries over her demeaning jobs and acts like the weight of the world is on her shoulders. She seems to think that stealing is perfectly fine, but someone freely giving her money is below contempt. "Don't you dare give me money, but I'll steal it from you when you're not looking" seems to be a way of thinking that some people actually have. What kind of messed up, backward brain do you need to have to think that receiving a gift is bad but theft is good?   I know that
Random Terrain

Random Terrain

0
AtariAge
Forums
Store
General
Follow AtariAge

Copyright ©1998-2023 AtariAge

×
×
  • Create New...