Life

[Roderick]

THat's quite an upgrade! You got some birthday money there, Piratepoo?

[Lu]

2 Year contract, 20 bucks a month, unlimited free interwebs!

[ThunderPeel2001]

Welcome to the hell of a touch screen interface......

(Sorry, I'm exaggerating. I did a similar upgrade to a HTC Desire, and yes, it's great for lots of reasons -- I love getting my email, using the internet, even some great apps... but I miss being able to text quickly.)

[Lu]

I use the Swype thingy. It's rather fast, though I'm still getting used to it, so I assume I'll get even faster with it. Also, I have an iPod Touch, so I'm not entirely unfamiliar with touch screen keyboards.

[ThunderPeel2001]

I use the Swype thingy. It's rather fast, though I'm still getting used to it, so I assume I'll get even faster with it. Also, I have an iPod Touch, so I'm not entirely unfamiliar with touch screen keyboards.

I've not tried Swype, but I used to be able to text one-handed, without looking, with complete accuracy, extremely fast, while holding up my end of a conversation. Now it (usually) takes two hands, is way slower, and requires my full concentration. Not being able to use something by touch alone is one of my major problems with touch screens... but maybe that's just me.

[Lu]

No, I agree. There is no doubt in my mind that a tactile keyboard allows for faster, less error prone messaging. I would prefer it, but it wasn't a dealbreaker for me when I chose the GalaxyS.

In other news, I have a gigantic headache. I've mailed like 20 websites to tell them about our game. Took me like 5 hours. Marketing and all that jazz is so not for me. Weirdly enough, a lot of those review websites try to sell you something back. Like ad space or even something they call "expedited reviews" basically you pay them money to review your game... Yea.

[Roderick]

I am so anxious right now. Today's the day the Blizzard Global Writing Contest winners will be announced. I sent in a scrap of my own and the past weeks have been quite filled with a growing sense of anticipation. Fingers crossed

[Erkki]

I haven't read this thread for a while. Been very busy with a project at work. But that work has ended (more or less*). I'm both sad and happy. I posted about a potential new job and a tough decision in Spring. I decided to finish the project at my current employer then. But the offer for the new job was extend until this fall and I'm making that change, today was my last day at Helmes (one of the two largest software development companies in Estonia) and the week after next I'll start a new job at a start-up(-ish) that develops a product that is well-known in the Java community around the world. It won't be as important a position as it would have been in spring but I'm still pretty excited and a bit scared of working in a place where I suspect everyone else is smarter than me.

* the project went a bit over the deadline of Sept 30 but will go live in a month or so. I will still be helping to some extent. If the launch goes well, I'll be proud but if it flops I can pretend I had nothing to do with it. HAHA .

[pabosher]

I am so anxious right now. Today's the day the Blizzard Global Writing Contest winners will be announced. I sent in a scrap of my own and the past weeks have been quite filled with a growing sense of anticipation. Fingers crossed

I posted an article about that on my website, and a fantastic reader sent me his entry to read! I've been so busy over the past while that I haven't had a chance to properly sit down with it, but it starts off really, really well. Love seeing that sorta thing.

[Roderick]

Good luck with the job, Errki! Must be exciting yet scary at a start-up, coming from one of the big fish?

Speedy, or should I say PHILIPPE; I looked up your article. The site is really nicely done, is it a big gaming site? Anyway, perhaps I'll send you my story too, once this is all done. Would love to hear your opinion.

[EDIT] Blizz just announced the winners will be announced Oct 18th. So there's another ten days that I'll be all pent-up and anxiously awaiting.

Edited October 8, 2010 by Rodi

[Squid Division]

Gah I was just randomly charged 147GBP by 'Communication Group' through PayPal. I've gone through the whole PayPal process and called my bank, etc.

The confusing thing is that this was the contact information given:

Customer Service URL: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Customer Service Email: [email protected]

Customer Service Phone: +44 2072765595

Which as far as I can tell is all correct, if probably not legitimate information. So either the British government is charging me, or someone is using their contact info as a front.

[Kolzig]

Hey ThunderPeel, a new package is in the mail. Tried sending you PM but your quota is full again.

[SignorSuperdouche]

Oh boy, I've missed the internet and that includes all the regular Thumbs (Except Toblix. Obviously*). Hopefully I haven't been forgotten in my absence.

I've moved into a new flat just outside London with a work colleague and my girlfriend. My girlfriend is also a colleague as it happens. Actually she's my boss which is kind of awkward at times. And she's about 20 years older than me. It's been an odd couple of months.

Oh, I also read The Laughing Policeman. It's fucking brilliant.

So, how's everyone doing? Any new peoples kicking around that I should say hi to?

*Actually, I love Toblix the best.

[Snooglebum]

It seems like absences are a recent trend, since I went into internet hiding along with SignorSuperdouch, and quite forgot about the Thumbs. But I am back! Hello!

What kept me busy, rather then a valid excuse like moving or work, was releasing an album, which was easy, and making a website, which was bloody hard and is still annoying me. Also, school, I guess.

Welcome back, Superdouche!

[Nachimir]

Superdouche! Snooglebum! Welcome back.

My girlfriend is also a colleague as it happens. Actually she's my boss which is kind of awkward at times. And she's about 20 years older than me. It's been an odd couple of months.

1. Holy shit :0

2. It sounds like the months are not going to stop being odd.

[miffy495]

Currently, I'm working like crazy and in the middle of moving. All of my shit (except for my PC, PS3, and 360, as well as a couple of games for each) is in boxes right now, and most of those boxes are in storage. Unfortunately aside from "not where I am right now" I do not know where I will be living in November yet. Apartment hunting, yeah! Also, the Calgary International Film Festival ended about a week and a half ago, which is the busiest time of year for me at work. Or it would have been, had my theater's 75th anniversary month not come immediately after. I went straight from CIFF into ridiculous amounts of projection work for all of the special events we're hosting. This has meant an average (!) of 5 prints to work on each night at work, as well as almost daily midnight shows. Most of these are selling out as well, as for any show older than 2 years we're making it free with a food bank donation. The food bank is fucking loving us right now, especially after our Tarantino night (Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction) and the standing-room-only Big Lebowski late night show. All of this means that aside from a bit of time on my DS on the bus, I haven't played a thing in a while, and probably won't for another while yet. Whee!

[Sully907]

Still no luck finding that first big radio job. Had a good internship, almost got another paid one with the Detroit Lions, but didn't make it past the final round of interviews, so here I am doing tech support in the mornings, and waiting tables in the evening again

[ThunderPeel2001]

Hey Signor!

Great to hear things are happening in your life! Welcome back

And welcome back to you, too Snoogles!

[Kolzig]

Getting ready to go on a nine day journey tomorrow. Me and my wife are going to Lapland and Northern Norway.

Route is something like Vaasa-Rovaniemi-Levi-TromsØ-Alta-Nordkapp-Inari/Saariselkä-Rovaniemi-Ranua-Vaasa.

Lets see if I make through this alive, the winter just started in Finland so the weather is surprising, winds are strong, the roads are icy and we have about 3000 kilometres ahead of us and I'm the only one doing the driving. The longest I've ever driven is Vaasa-Helsinki-Vaasa and is "only" 421km x 2.

I've never been in Norway so I hope the North doesn't disappoint, timeframe isn't the best possible one, but now we just felt that it's time to go.

Edited October 15, 2010 by Kolzig

[syntheticgerbil]

This past week I scrambled to get new artwork on my website because an old supervisor or boss from the place I worked at before the place I worked at split into two companies recommended me as "one of the best character animators he knows" to some recruiter looking for one who makes bad licensed Disney games in Austin, which made me feel pretty good as I never particularly liked that guy and he never showed much approval towards me. It could also be that he works with my old art director now who took me out to lunch last week as he was in town for GDC.

Anyway, it's good to feel like people I previously worked with still feel I was worth a damn, but I didn't get that job at all, which I didn't exactly want but I was still kind of annoyed. It's not like I've been looking though, since my portfolio needs a crazy amount of updating since the last time in 2007, so I feel like none of my best anything is really on display, so I completely understand. On the other hand, the guy this company did end up hiring had credits on animating on Land Before Time V and Space Jam among other big name things, so I don't know how I'm supposed to compete with that.

Anyways, I feel really happy, needed, and annoyed all at the same time! Great!

[Roderick]

Keep working at it. And update that damn portfolio! That's some important stuff

[Hermie]

Getting ready to go on a nine day journey tomorrow. Me and my wife are going to Lapland and Northern Norway.

Route is something like Vaasa-Rovaniemi-Levi-TromsØ-Alta-Nordkapp-Inari/Saariselkä-Rovaniemi-Ranua-Vaasa.

Lets see if I make through this alive, the winter just started in Finland so the weather is surprising, winds are strong, the roads are icy and we have about 3000 kilometres ahead of us and I'm the only one doing the driving. The longest I've ever driven is Vaasa-Helsinki-Vaasa and is "only" 421km x 2.

I've never been in Norway so I hope the North doesn't disappoint, timeframe isn't the best possible one, but now we just felt that it's time to go.

Dude, I'm from Tromsø! If you read this before/when you go there, I would be happy to give you some cool tips! Too bad you're not going around Christmas, or I would be present. o/

[Kolzig]

Dude, I'm from Tromsø! If you read this before/when you go there, I would be happy to give you some cool tips! Too bad you're not going around Christmas, or I would be present. o/

We will be there two nights, tomorrow we will leave to Tromsø, would be great to hear some tips. We have three museums to visit and maybe some beer brewery thing. That's all we know so actually not much at all.

[Hermie]

We will be there two nights, tomorrow we will leave to Tromsø, would be great to hear some tips. We have three museums to visit and maybe some beer brewery thing. That's all we know so actually not much at all.

Right, then one of them is probably Polaria, the artic sea musem:

It's cool, they have seals and stuff. o/

There's also the "Artic Cathedral", if you like fancy buildings:

Then again, you can see it from most parts of the city, maybe not necessary to look at it up close?

Another cool touristy thing is to check out the mountain lift, for a great view of the whole area:

For eats, you of course have to go to the restaurant where I used to work, Vertshuset Skarven! There's a pub in the first floor; if you want the traditional Norwegian fish meal, that's the third floor, but if you're more like me, you prefer the steak house in the second floor.~

And as I recall you like rock/metal (well, you're Finnish, so duh), then you should check out BlåRock, a pub not far from the brewery. They play great music, have the walls covered in rock memorabilia, and serve some great burgers.

[Nachimir]

Today, I got an unexpected phone call, a mate asking me if I fancied going mountain biking in the peak district. Lesson of the day: Be very careful on unmaintained downhill runs that are graded black. I'm going to get better off road tires before the next time we go out.

I don't know what happened. It was so fast, one moment I was looking ahead on the trail, the next I slammed into the ground. At first I thought I'd blacked out just before or something, but the guy behind me said I went down in a split second. He couldn't tell what happened either; something appeared to take my front wheel out.

Fortunately*, my body was shielded from the impact by my face, but I also hit my chest, shoulder, knee, wrist and thigh. No permanent damage, but I was lucky not to break anything.

The scenery was good enough to take my mind off it for the rest of the ride