So far this game has a lot of potential.  The towns are way too small, but I wonder if that isn't a function of keeping system requirements manageable. 

I think it was RPS that ran an article that is exactly why towns are small. They want this game to be playable by everyone, so they made the towns very small so everyone can play it. They plan to increase city size eventually once the average home computer gets faster.

So posts seem to sound like it is getting better?  Hate to give them money, especially $60, but I finally have time to play this weekend. Please keep posting server updates.

Soccer is why I can't. I could watch it online for a small fee, but it's just not the same. It's cheaper to buy shows I do watch otherwise than pay for cable.

Finding that if you don't use Metro, programs are much less user friendly (and there aren't enough good third party metro apps yet). Buttons are tiny and often hard to activate with a finger touch. The pen is better, but sometimes have a difficult time getting button presses registered with it as well. There is this odd middle ground between tablet and laptop that certainly could be smoother. Doesn't help that I am still struggling with Win 8.

Annoyingly I can't play Civ V. The window it runs in is slightly too big so the click to start the game button is under the taskbar and unclickable. Running it is the first time fans came on and it got very hot.

Word '13 works well though.

Interesting KD. I seem to be moving away from wired connections. I have 4 items in my house that aren't even capable of  having a wired connection.

And speaking of N, isn't there an upgrade to something faster close to release? Thought I read somewhere that an improved standard is coming?

Pretty much spot on in agreement. App store is horrible, but I have been pretty happy with MS apps.

did you get the extended warranty? I did, but they didn't actually give me anything for it. is it automatically added to the serial number in their database?

Edit: Never mind, found it under support.

I called the closest Microsoft store, and after a 5 minute on hold for them to find out if they had any 128gb models in stock, they said they did. So I made the 45 minute drive to Orlando. Today I learned malls are hell on a Friday night. I also learned I am old. And very white.

I picked up the Pro 128 gb model, the type keyboard and the extended warranty. I can get Office for $10 through work, so I didn't bother with the packs they sold, otherwise I think I would have.

Haven't done much on it yet, this is my first time using Windows 8 and I am very lost on it. It's very easy to use out of the box, but trying to get it set up the way I want it, is not very obvious so far.

Initial thoughts:

Screen is great looking. The auto brightness is a bit annoying, it seems only Apple has that feature down.

Touch controls are great. Windows 8 works well with it.

Keyboard is nice, and easy to use. It is a bit flimsy, but what you would expect.

I haven't gamed or ran anything serious, its gotten warm, but not hot.

So far very impressed. Most impressed I have been with a gadget since the 1st iPad (and I am a Apple guy, iMac, Air, iPad, iPhone, but I do have a gaming PC).

The thought of playing Civ V on a tablet is making me weak. That, and Office on a tablet sounds awesome. If I could walk into a store and buy one, or if Amazon carried it, I probably would have bought one already. Friend who works for MS told me she isn't impressed by it though, of course she seems to be the only one.

Fixed



My fellow Vets will understand this

Working in a Military Treatment Facility, we often sent our new medical technicians in search of a box of Fallopian tubes for the ER.  Hilarity was guaranteed to ensue as they went from department to department.  

After a Delta launch a couple of months ago they sent all the LTs out to do booster recovery. They armed them with fluorescent vests and binoculars and sent them out to the beach where they spent a couple of hours running around looking for a booster floating in the ocean. The FGOs thought it was hilarious. Things are so different at this base.

Slowly getting used to this thing. Google Now seems like it would be pretty awesome for a phone. This is one of the many things Apple could learn from.

I have to admit I am appreciating this thing more and more as I use it. Not that it would ever replace my iPad, but when i want something small and light weight it has its uses.

It does have jelly bean. Don't get me wrong, I like this nexus, it's a good tablet. Just don't think it compares to an iPad. I am still learning it though, it just doesn't seem very intuitive. For instance I still haven't figured out how to open up a the book marks in less than 2 clicks. Stuff like that.

Is it normal that  auto brightness fluctuate contently? I know I can turn it off, but it's a feature I like on iOS.

Sure, I am biased, but I used an android phone long before I used an iPhone, and didn't find it anything special then either. It has come a long ways, and I do think iOS needs to evolve to give more choices, but I don't find many advantages for Android over iOS. Out of the box I find it quite awkward. Of course time will tell.

I bought a Motorola Droid 3-4 years ago when it came out. Loved it at first, but soon grew to hate it (extremely buggy, bad keyboard) and bought an iPhone a year later. At this point I am a huge iOS fan, having had both an iPhone and iPad for years now. Still I have been curious about how Android has progressed over the years, and I wanted a 7" tablet, so I bought a Nexus 7 tonight.

I bought the Nexus because I figured Asus/Google were the best bet. I want decent hardware and I want the OS upgrades immediately. I find the lack of timely updates for Android devices to be a major draw back for most of the products so knowing that the Nexus was Jelly Bean was a plus. Anyway I have been reading reviews for a while, and nothing seemed to be rated better than the Nexus for the price.

The Nexus is decent, I love the keyboard, and fear getting used to it and then going back to my iPad. Outside of that? Screen is marginal at best, low res, dull colors, auto brightness is horrible. While the OS seems to be speedy, too often I have to wait in apps. Apps seem years behind iOS. Even apps available for both, are better on iOS. It's jarring how bad apps are at times. True they are vastly cheaper, but I would rather pay and get quality. Battery life is not even close to an iPads it seems so far. Text interface outside of the keyboard is bad (cut and pasting much easier on iOS). What am I missing?

It's very fair to say that I need to spend more time with the Nexus, since it is one of he highest rated Android tablets, I feel like I am missing something.  I can't think that my disappointment is hardware based. So what am I missing?

"2 Send"

How old is your phone? 2? Send?

I know my cell and work numbers. That's it.

I have a Bootcamp partition, but never use it anymore (I have a PC for gaming). What's the problem, was very easy to set up if I remember correctly.

First it was the phone number on the sign, then the license plate. Sorry, I have a tendency to look for flaws.

I have no words for this picture

I do, that's in Oregon. :-)

I bought a .40 cal XDm compact pistol about 2 years ago, mainly because I worked with a bunch of gun nuts and I wanted to go shooting with them. I haven't fired it in over a year, I am just not a gun guy, nor am I around gun people anymore. Now it just sits in its case and I don't even have any ammo for it, which I keep meaning to pick up since I live in a place with a higher crime rate than I am used to.

When I got it, I fired some of their guns and they all seemed basically the same to me. Last year I got to shoot an M-4 with a red dot sight though, I had an absolute blast with it. I even got expert marksman awarded with it. It was so much more fun, and accurate, than the M-16 we used to train on. I thought about buying one, but can't justify the money.

The course syllabus doesn't tell you CeeKay? Both of my current classes I already know what is coming when.

Another crappy week here, I have to write a paper that I procrastinated on starting last week, so now I have to play catch up. I don't think I have written a paper in 25 years or so, I am so lost. No idea how I am going to fill up 5 pages. Using today to get all the homework done and turned in so I can use the rest of the week to take notes and start that paper.

Awards dinner this Friday so I get to get dressed up and hang out with coworkers for that.

On top of that, continue to stress over what I am going to do with my life.

The high point is Champions League soccer this week!

I'm off. :-) But doing homework all day.

This is becoming much too much of a common experience on the iPad.

Thanks for the tip, but after H&R told me $350, I tackled them myself on Turbotax. I don't feel overly confident about it...but it's done.

Most of my problems were with USAA, they did some really strange crap on brokerage forms.

I am watching also. Never miss Survivor, but it does always take me awhile to get into it. As you said, the Faves are more like the misfits, but I would rather not have seen most of them again. Especially Russell's kid, he's not even a good villain, just an idiot. I would rather see the new guys kick their butts although they aren't a very exciting bunch either.

Lee,

All I'm really doing is finishing up at my local college so I can finally get a degree. Also working out twice a day just to get back into shape. But other than that, got nothing going on.

As for what I miss in the military, I think I miss the structure the most. I always had somewhere to go, somebody to train, something to do. Now? Not so much. Sure I will miss my military friends and will keep in touch but its not the same being on the outside.
Hindsight is 20/20 but I really should have prepared myself for this day a lot more. Feel a bit lost and useless.
Now I understand all the stories of career salty dogs dying a few years into retirement.

Anyways I'll get over it. Good luck with your upcoming retirement Lee and I hope nothing but the best for your future.

Semper Fi

Can't find a job? I am hearing mixed stuff, I have friends that have walked into great jobs, and others who can't find anything. Right now it sucks because they aren't hiring for civil service, and with our government at a stand still on the budget, they may start cutting contractors. I am hoping that since I am not tied down to any one area that will increase my odds.

I can understand about missing it. I think I will too once I am out, but right now the thought of it sounds great. I am sure the grass is always greener though.

I don't have a degree either (well an associates, but that doesn't count), and while I could get it done before I have to get out, it looks like too much stuff is going to get in the way. I am really thinking of just getting out to become a full time student, between retirement (maybe some disability) and the GI Bill it seems feasible.

I spend about 80% of my free time thinking about this right now (very stressed), so I am very curious to see how it's going for others. Thanks for kind wishes, and the same to you. Hope things get better.

Do you have plans or a goal to work towards? What do you miss?

Been asking myself a lot of questions as I try to figure out what to do, which is what stopped me from pulling the trigger (currently approved to retire 1Nov, but not going to do it). I feel like I need to have more of a plan before I can do it, otherwise I will just regret it in the long run.

Still, I can't wait for the day that I am done. It's scary, but it will be like a new life.

Going to HR Block I guess. 20 pages of documents, most of which I can download right from banks, but the amount of missing info is not making me confident to do them myself.

Missing it?

Old friend had his ceremony today, felt really jealous. I am trying to plan when to do mine. Probably not this year, but early next. Don't think I will miss it once I make the decision, unless I can't get a job. :-)

After a 70% on my Management midterm, I am in panic mode and trying to make sure I am more prepared for the second half of the semester and can save my grade. Plus I have to start writing a paper. Luckily my other class is an easy A so far.

On top of that, I am really considering retiring from my job. I might be unemployed by the end of the year and need to figure out where I should move to.

So basically, I am so stressed right now, this is going to be a very long week. I am scared s***less about the future.

Down to 177, lowest I have been in a decade. Fitocracy is helping to motivate me for now, even if my work outs are light (but I am working muscles I haven't used for years). It does have an awkward interface though and seems a bit buggy.

Haven't been very successful on a diet change though. In fact work is so boring I have been having afternoon trips to the snack bar. Still, I drink so little beer, especially compared to a year ago, I think that makes up for the snacks. I had 3 beers last night and went to sleep. That's just odd. :-)

I can't see buying a mini no matter what they do with it. Full size iPad and iPhone are more than enough. I do keep playing with the idea of getting a smaller Kindle Fire, but I hated my Android phone, so not sure.

Becoming a thoughtful and functioning adult. It sounds trite, but my life could have gone a very different direction.

I haven't achieved it, tried a few times, gave up.

As I said, I worked in a post office last year, as I did about 15 years ago in that same post office. 15 years ago the amount of 1st class, as well as junk mail with through the roof, back then everyone still got bills, letters, etc in the mail. Last year it was about 1/10 of what we used to get. Some people still receive and mail bills/letters, but outside of cards, most of the mail was junk. On the hand, thanks to place like Amazon, the package volume was much higher.

The only bad part I see to this is jobs. USPS is going to have to lose a lot of employees.

I think they should take it one step further and go ahead and cease delivering packages that day as well...

They can't, at least not easily, just closing on Sunday creates a huge backup in packages. The occasional national holiday weekend where they are closed two days makes it even worse and the transportation networks had to press on anyway. (Source: I managed a post office last year.)

Refund received. 

Must be nice, still waiting on forms from 2 places. Not expected until the end of Feb either.

Signed up for fitocracy this week. Leeabe51 if anyone is looking for friends on there.

I always use Turbotax but strongly considering having them done this year. Did a lot of investing, transferred stocks to different brokerage houses, and it's looking like the paperwork might be a bit overwhelming for it. Plus I am curious about deductions involved with stock losses from last year, charity, and school tuition. Going to see how goes in Turbotax first though.

Thanks for the tips Pete. My issue that is I am trying to save money, so I have been trying to eat as cheap as possible, so that's part of the reason I have such a carb heavy diet. But you are right, I need to replace some of those carbs with protein.

A couple of years I used software to track calories, and that was by far the most effective way to lose weight. When entering the numbers in at the end of the day it really shows you where you are getting empty calories. It was a huge hassle though, especially with home cooking, which is why I am not going that route this time.

I tried Fitocracy about a year ago, but found the interface confusing, so stopped using it. I should probably check it out again, because it really is a great idea.

I'll jump in. Maybe if I post it, and hold myself accountable, I can make it. I want to lose 10 lbs. Been hovering at 180 for a year, and I would like to get to 170. I have already cut way back on alcohol, stopped eating out almost entirely, but I seem to still be holding at 180. Think my problem is carbs, I tend to eat a lot of pasta and bread. I don't want to cut back on either really (cheap and filling), but need to learn better portion control. I need to be more active as well, never used to be an issue for me, but lately it very much has been.

5-6:00 eat dinner, relax, surf, watch TV
6-9:00 homework
9-10:30 watch TV, sometimes accompied by a glass of scotch or a beer or two
10:30 bed/listen to a podcast

My life could not be more tedious currently.