All Narfed Up photography and words by Bryan Villarin

Hey everybody, thanks for staying subscribed if you’re still here. In regards to the last post “I’ve lost the inspiration to write,” thanks for the [two] comments.

As we finish 2006, I felt compelled to write for you.

Six months ago, there was a drastic change to my life. Things are tough. I feel that I’ve lost almost all of my friends. It’s not the same, not even close. I’m “alone” tonight. I feel like I don’t have the same connection as before.

Fortunately, a Bible passage that was the focus of the sermon today hit the spot. From Jeremiah 29 (NASB), God sent the Jews into Babylon because it was his will, and he wanted them to be patient. It was part of his plan. Even though they were suffering, it was all meant to happen.

Jeremiah 29:7 (Amplified Bible): And seek (inquire for, require, and request) the peace and welfare of the city to which I have caused you to be carried away captive; and pray to the Lord for it, for in the welfare of [the city in which you live] you will have welfare.

What have I learned this year? What can I gain from that knowledge going into this next year? If I want to stay focused, I need to patiently trust in our Heavenly Father more than ever. Friends that have been there before aren’t. God is the only One that has stayed constant.

To my friends that read this blog, please understand that this isn’t personal or about anyone specific. I know that things happen, but I’m at peace with everything. I wish I knew how to explain myself more clearly, but I don’t know how to at the moment.

Miscellaneous thoughts

• [Blogging] I’ll be switching back to one blog instead of two. I’d like to just have the blog on a domain rather than a sub-domain. I’m not fully aware of the implications that might occur, but then again, I’m not sure I care. It’s not like I’m making money on this, right? Any suggestions on moving over to a new domain and basically starting from scratch, I’m all ears. For example, what do I do with the content currently on this blog?
• [Money] Set aside an emergency fund for computer-related issues. Think of other stuff you need and use on a regular basis. Your car might need a repair, and if you’re living paycheck to paycheck, something like that might hit you pretty hard.
• [Life] If you can find a way to live more simply, it’ll make things much easier for you.
• [GTD] On the way to the airport the other day, I made my mom write down stuff that I’d need to take care of while she was away. Say things out loud. Have a friend or significant other ask you about your stuff. Better yet, make a checklist. (Nothing new, I know.)
• [GTD] The more I write everything down, the more efficient I become. I was driving back to Arcadia from Glendale, when I saw on my list that I needed to buy a pair of Hearos High Fidelity Ear Filters from Guitar Center. My ears thanked me at band practice today. I put that purchase off for so long until I wrote it down.
• [GTD] If you don’t have your own non-digital inbox at home, get one.
• [GTD] If you don’t keep your contacts digitally, it can only help you. You can always print them out to have a paper-based version.
• [Life] The band is…ok.
• [Life, School] I’m going back to school in nine days. I haven’t been in a class since June. I’ve slacked long enough.
• [Friends, Life] To the friends I don’t talk to anymore, I really do miss you all. You’ve all got your own lives, so…yeah.
• [GTD] If you haven’t read “Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity“, you need to. It can only help you.

Can you tell I haven’t had a Weekly Review in a while?

Happy New Year - see you on the flip side!

Looking at the previous posts on this page, it’s extremely noticeable that I haven’t focused on writing as much as I used to. I’m loving del.icio.us, so I use that when I come across cool articles worth sharing. I camp in Bloglines when I’m on the computer. When I’m not on the computer, I’m either hanging out with friends, catching up on TV shows I’ve “recorded”, or gaming on my ghetto PS2.

I believe the thing that’s changed is that I’ve “evolved” to using two blogs to keep personal and technology-related separate. Now, I feel more…pressured…to write more meaningful topics here, and I inadvertently created a mental block. I definitely don’t think I’ve been doing blog-worthy things lately to warrant regular posting at Bryan Off Topic.

Does any of that even matter? With RSS, I don’t really care if someone writes bi-weekly. There’s always content out there to read, watch, or listen to. I’m not doing anything controversial or questionable.

• Should I buy a new domain name and start fresh? (My last name is tough to spell when you hear it the first time. It isn’t exactly spelled like it sounds, so it can get frustrating.)
• Should I delete Bryan Off Topic and go back to using one blog?

The people that prompted me to think about this is Alex King and Matt Mullenweg (Photo Matt). Both have recently redesigned their website (and they look excellent!) More specifically, I like the use of the articles plugin Alex created, as well as the elegant simplicity. On Matt’s site, I love the header and navigation. Too bad I can’t design - maybe I should try and learn how to over the vacation period?

I love thoughts, especially if they’re from you.

I’m not sure what’s up with my computer, but I have reason to believe that it’s in its final stages. This past week, software that’s been stable isn’t anymore. (e.g. Firefox, iTunes 7, Internet Explorer) Then, it’s been throwing random Blue Screens of Death. Today, I even tried formatting and clean installing Windows, but even after that, without any additional software installed yet, the computer continues to crash.

I’ve tried the following:

• Ran MemTest86, twice, and found no errors
• Ran SpinRite 6.0 (Level 4)
• Clean Windows XP SP2 install

I haven’t changed any hardware. So, it’s something on the motherboard. (That narrows it down nicely, huh?)

Hopefully, I’ll get a replacement computer tomorrow night from a relative. (He also works in IT.) I’m not sure about the specifications, but he mentioned that it’s a clamshell Dell Optiplex GX270 with 1GB DDR RAM. Not sure about the processor speed, but I’m running an AMD Athlon 1600+, so it’s likely to be faster than what I have right now.

I’m not sure what to do with the old computer. Who knows if the power supply is starting to go? What if the video card is starting to go bad? I’m glad I backed up my data to the external hard drive, but I’m still uneasy.

For my next computer, I want a small form factor machine. This Antec case is a beast, so I’ll either sell it or store it away towards building a PVR system for home. It’s tough to troubleshoot a large computer because it’s a bit tougher to pickup, turn around, and so on. I’ll have to save for awhile, of course.

Or, should I get a Mac?

Any suggestions on how to troubleshoot further? I’d love to hear it!

Note: I’m on the trouble machine writing this. I booted off an old Knoppix Live CD, writing this. It’s running fine. Any ideas on that? In emergency cases like this, it’s probably a good idea to download and burn a copy of Knoppix. It runs pretty well.

Update 12/12/2006: I got the new system, and installed everything last Thursday. Back to normal? Basically! It’s a Dell Optiplex GX270 (clamshell), so it’s not the most customizable system.

• Pentium 4 2.39 GHz
• 1 GB DDR SDRAM
• 24x CD-RW
• Integrated video
• USB 2.0
• 56K modem

He had a 60GB hard drive installed and ready to go, but it was manufactured in 2001. I was a bit scared, so I replaced it with my current 120GB hard drive, which I bought earlier this year.

For now, I’m going to stick with using USB 2.0 instead of Firewire. I’d have to buy a low profile Firewire PCI card if I really need it. At the moment, my iPod syncs just fine, and I don’t mind if synchronizing my external HD takes a bit longer.

If I want to use my Lite-On 52x CD burner, I’ll need to buy this Bytecc BT-200 USB 2.0 to IDE cable adapter. I’ll probably buy a DVD burner from Newegg, too. In any case, my CD burning speed will stink until then.

So, my system isn’t crashing anymore, and I’m happy!

I’ll still save up for a new system. I don’t love the one I’ve got right now, since I don’t have Firewire capability. I’ll most likely save up to build my own PVR first, then possibly get a Macbook.