Sponge

I am more convinced every day that my drive home is slowly eating my creativity. Not eating it, I suppose, just... absorbing it like a sponge with no intent to return it. Have you ever tried to wring ideas out of a car? Cars are decidedly difficult to twist, making it near impossible to wring them properly. Plus, I sort-of really like my car.

I keep thinking of snippets of songs in my mind. I'm trying to project this front of being somewhat stoic and independent, though, so their less-then-positive nature tends to make me shy away from them.

The worst part of winter is cold fingers. It makes it difficult to type with the speed and accuracy I normally enjoy. My lab at work (it is, in fact, only mine in my mind) is also cold despite being next to the other lab which is nice and toasty. I need magic gloves that don't affect my hands in any way other than to increase their temperature. Supposedly using infrared heating bulbs is an excellent way to keep hands warm in the winter. I have not tested this theory yet since I feel like I have been ordering far, far too many things lately. Work is going to start looking at me in a disapproving manner if I don't stop getting packages. In my defense, I really wanted a new computer.

I beat Batman: Arkham Asylum and went back through to find all the extras. I haven't played with the challenges much yet; the Xbox 360 controller lacks an internal heater to give me the necessary dexterity in the cold. I can say that Arkham Asylum is an incredible game, even now at a little over a year old. It is graphically impressive without being too intensive (my old machine ran it just fine at 1920x1200) and the fighting system is the best I've ever played. The story, both the main plot and the hidden extras, was engaging and compelling. I am throughly intrigued by Harley Quinn's character now, and I am excited for the sequel to launch so I can discover more. Truly an excellent game.

Speaking of games, Fallout: New Vegas finally runs at 1920x1200 with everything set on high. I haven't tried ultra yet, but I might be able to do it. I have had a hard time transitioning back into Fallout after my hiatus, finding it difficult to remember not to shoot everyone on sight. To its credit, New Vegas does allow you to kill just about anyone, putting you in a considerably more believable world, but using a bullet to the face as a greeting also means that I keep missing out on side quests. When I can manage to not murder people, I am enjoying the game. Getting rid of the occasional graphical stuttering has helped with immersion in a big way, allowing me to get back into Fallout mode in my mind. I still haven't gotten a house, which is proving to be a pain in the ass. I certainly had a home in Megaton/Tenpenny Towers by this point in Fallout 3. I need somewhere to store all of the stuff I've collected. I can't carry all these stolen pre-war books with me all the time.

So, new computer. I decided it was time. Actually, Newegg decided. I like to keep an up-to-date wishlist on Newegg even when I'm not in the market just so I can keep my computer-component-choosing-chops up. When Newegg's Black Friday newsletter showed up on my phone, though, I realized that every component except the processor was on sale, netting me somewhere in the area of $200 in savings (in 8-10 weeks to allow for rebates). I'm calling it a good deal.

In buying and building my new machine I had a realization. People always tell you to do what you love and follow that for work. Love before money or something like that. I'm abusing these phrases. The point is, I haven't changed what I am passionate about: I love gadgets. I don't care what type of gadget or what it does, if it is shiny and electronic, I love it. For now, I work making gadgets in a way. I'm still holding onto the dream that I will, one day be able to follow gadgets to a place where I can play with them and write about them. Maybe someday. Don't get me wrong - I like the engineering aspect. I'm learning about the guts of everything and how the corporate world works. The real-life gadget mill is a lot different from the way it existed in my mind. I just have no interest in management. Bah, who knows.

I keep thinking about cars. It needs to stop because I can't buy one for several years. Maybe by then Mazda will restyle the Miata into something less jellybean-like and more angular and edgy. Or maybe Ford will hear my pleas and turn the Miata platform into (a) a sportier reincarnation of the Probe or (b) a sportier reincarnation of the Mercury Capri. Or both, that's an option. Something to combat the Pontiac Solstice (even though we all know that the Saturn Sky was way hotter). Of course, in 5-7 years my life could be vastly different and I'll be looking at more family-friendly fare.