Jay McGavren's Journal

We watched the second episode of The Lost Room last night… DAMN, this show is cool. I’m really glad it’s a mini-series, too, because it’s not going to have time to get lame (ahem, Invasion, maybe but hopefully not Heroes).

Of course, this is TiVoed, so everyone but me probably knows by now whether the ending will kill my buzz. We’ll see, as soon as tonight.

Lenny asked to play chess again over the weekend… He’s no grand master, as we have to keep going over how the pieces move, but once he had it all in his head, he was actually thinking a move or so ahead. Remember, this kid’s only 4 1/2.

I actually credit a lot of my strategic thinking ability to the chess games I had with my Dad when I was young, so this is a great sign.

Wow. There’s no way I’d have waited this long to pick up Shadow of the Colossus if I’d known exactly how good it was. It was ambitious enough to attempt even one creature that you actually climb on top of, but they made over a dozen. And then they actually try to shake you off?! Bugtesting this thing had to be a bitch.

The effects are spectacular, too - running for your life on horseback from a towering monster is twice as terrifying when the screen is shaking, the world is a blur from the speed, and the only thing emitting from your stereo is thundering chaos. And the story… I’ve always gravitated toward songs without lyrics, so a story without words is near perfect in my eyes.

On the downside, I’ve been having dreams all weekend where all I can see is those glowing eyes staring down at me…

Yes, I actually respond to stupid e-mail quizzes from my family...

Q. What is your occupation? Software develeper. Q. What color are the socks you’re wearing? Black. Q. What are you listening to right now? An electric fan. Q. What was the last thing that you ate? A nice egg-bacon-and-bagel brunch, prepared by my loving wife. Q. Can you drive a stick shift? It’s been years; probably not. Q. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Green. Q. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My wife’s friend Holly (tech support stuff). Q. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes. Q. How old are you today? 30. Q. Favorite drink? Coca-cola. Q. What is your favorite sport to watch? Soccer. Q. Have you ever dyed your hair? No. Q. Pets? A standard poodle, Max. Q. Favorite food? Sweet-and-sour pork. Q. What was the last movie you watched? Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2004). Q. Favorite day of the year? July 4th. Q. What was your favorite toy as a child? A “worry bird”, which was basically a fuzzy ball with a beak. Q. Hugs or kisses? Hugs. Q. Cherries or Blueberries? Cherries. Q. Do you want your friends to email you back? Yes. Q. Who is most likely to respond? My mother-in-law. Q. Who is least likely to respond? My wife (who doesn’t read her e-mail). Q. Living arrangements? With my wife and son, and my mother-in-law as a roommate. Q. When was the last time you cried? Real men don’t cry. Q. What is on the floor of your closet? A box of old compter parts. Q. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to? Lacey. Q. What did you do last night? Played video games and watched the aforementioned movie with my wife. Q. Favorite smells? Ground coffee beans. Q. What inspires you? The work of leaders in the software industry. Q. What are you afraid of? Avian flu. Bioterror. Q. Favorite dog breed? Standard poodle. Q. Number of keys on your key ring? 7. Q. How many countries have you lived in? 1, been to 2 others. Q. Ever driven a motorcycle or heavy machinery? No. Q. What are your favorite hobbies? Software development. Q. What is your life’s purpose? See above.

How to be happy...

…according to the books I’ve been reading lately…

-Shun all hedonism. -Find work that is meaningful to you. -Discard thoughts of profiting from your work. -Have a clearly stated goal, and a means to obtain continual feedback on your progress toward it.