I smell a restraining order being contemplated…

Anyway, if any of the Magnificent 19 are into extreme dorkiness AND RPGs, the follow the link below to play “Holy Wars,” an online Christians/Crusaders vs. Islamists/Pagans.

http://www.holy-war.de/EN/World2/bin/?advertiser=121009

It’s free and highly addictive.

You can even join out goofy little “order.”

I should probably step out and get some sun…

Posted by Team_Dub on 07/20/08 at 04:13 PM ET

I haven’t gamed for many, many years (donated all my rulebooks to charity, but kept all of my 100+ dice for sentimental reasons), but when I moved out to Baltimore for a job after college I got into it a little bit - just for a few years.

My groups didn’t do too much AD&D;(although I did have a minotaur matador character that was fun) without a lot of modification of the rules to make it more versatile, a lot of Shadowrun and Deadlands, some of the White Wolf system (Vampire, Werewolf, etc).  I don’t even have a clue what kind of things are on the market nowadays. 

I never got into the computer stuff, or LARPing (live action role-playing), although I’d help friends out with props or being an extra if they needed one more body.

But yeah, I’m even more of a loser nerd than you realized.  Didn’t mean to let that slip out. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/20/08 at 07:06 PM ET

On an entirely different note ...

*attempts to change subject from gaming*

I’m planning on buying an MP3 player, since I am probably attending a five-day conference this November, and since it will be about a 10-hour drive each way I want to take my tunes with me.

So, any advice?  I need something that will hold about 200 CDs, I’d like a good FM radio as well, but don’t care at all about video capability.  Brands you like, brands you hate - I’m not interested in spending $300 but I’m not looking for something dragged from the dregs in the bottom of the barrel either.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/20/08 at 07:13 PM ET

Wow, who knew so many nerds were hockey fans. Count me among them.

Baroque, I’d suggest one from Creative Labs. A few of my friends have also had various Creative players and have been satisfied with them. I had a Zen Sleek (2gb, monochrome screen by choice, but discontinued) for several years until recent water damage to my apartment knocked it out.

Cause of that, I’ve been researching a new one myself lately, and am considering a 16 or 32 GB Zen (credit card size, flash based memory, expandable SD card slot, clear color screen, compatible with all common music software and online services - which is why you won’t find them at Bes Buy)

I’ve used ipods, and I simply don’t like them. Overpriced, undersized, and to much proprietary issues just turn me off. I’m not a fan of their menu system either. They’ve got the aesthetics thing goin, but many other players are also pretty.

From what I understand, the Zune from Microsoft is turning into a formidable competitor as well. It just hasn’t snagged the market share yet, and has to get past the MS branding.

Also, here’s a site to help ya out.
http://www.anythingbutipod.com/

For the sake of being sorta on topic, anyone know if Ericsson has signed his contract that was rumored yet?

Posted by Nate A from Dark side of the moon on 07/20/08 at 09:14 PM ET

P.S. Baroque,

The Creative players generally have an FM radio as well, not sure about the Zune. I know most ipods dont.

Posted by Nate A from Dark side of the moon on 07/20/08 at 09:15 PM ET

Listen to Nate, Baroque. Don’t listen to me because I’m a die hard Apple fan (via my bro) and have happily owned 3 iPods.

...however…

caveat emptor

Posted by Osrt on 07/21/08 at 12:43 AM ET

Wow, who knew so many nerds were hockey fans. Count me among them.

Sigh...yeah, me too.  While I haven’t played an RPG since I was fourteen, I still work in IT, computer geekery and all its trappings.  I’d rather be a Designated Coffee Taster, but that just doesn’t pay the bills.

It’s not a powerful galactic force - it’s the little white rabbit that guarded the cave in the Monty Python movie with the Holy Grail!

If it’s any consolation Baroque, I knew what you meant.  “Death waits!  With tiny sharp teeth!  Look at him!  He’s a killer!”

“He’s a bloody rabbit, you manky Scots git!”

But I’d never heard the term “Vorpal Rabbit.” I didn’t realize the term existed outside “Jabberwocky.”

an online Christians/Crusaders vs. Islamists/Pagans.

Wow.  Online, there really is nothing sacriligeous.  Just don’t let Osama and his buddies hear about it.

I did have a minotaur matador character that was fun

Heh.  Talk about a split personality.  Did you just go chasing yourself around?

So, any advice?

Ah, now we’re back to talking my language.  Computer geek, remember?  And music, along with books, is probably the most important form of entertainment in my life.  So, a bit of advice.

First, the 200 CDs thing is a bit vague.  200 CDs can take up anywhere between 5 gigs and 1.13 terabytes.  It all depends on the bitrate that the CD is sampled in when it’s ripped (copied into a an audio file).  The higher the bitrate, the better the quality of the file.  The mininum bitrate that you should even consider is 64 kbps (kilobits per second)-- the above 5 gig figure, but there really is no need to rip at direct CD quality of 14,400 kbps (the higher figure).  I generally rip at 128 kbps, which I find to be the best compromise of quality and space (about 1 MB per minute), with very few noticeable degradations in quality.  Serious audiophiles would frown on that, though, and generally would rip at 256 kbps or above, though above 320 kpbs, you’d have to have VERY special ears to tell any difference between a 320 kbps MP3 and the original CD source.  Some audiophiles bypass bitrate and go for lossless audio formats like Ogg Vorbis or FLAC, but it doesn’t sound like you’re too worried about the true fidelity that offers (and the compression algorithms on those formats aren’t as advanced as those on lossy formats like MP3 or AAC, so file size is still an issue), though correct me if I’m wrong.  Knowing what I know of your tastes in music (Baroque classical), I wouldn’t recommend you go with my bitrate of 128 kbps because it won’t cut the mustard for fast changes in the music.  I’d recommend you go with 192 kbps or above, or consider variable bitrate-- this is probably the best route to go down for good quality that can keep up with orchestral music and still keep your file size down.  So I’d estimate you’re looking at around 7 gigs for your 200 CDs (at about 55 minutes per CD).  An 8 or 16 gig flash-based player should suit you just fine.

It also sounds like your main priority in a player is the same as mine-- storage.  I’m not too worried about video, and while I’d like a good screen for photos, I MUST have enough storage for my entire music collection-- about 50 gigs.  Of course, that means for now, flash-based players have to be ruled out (though in a year to eighteen months, I expect they won’t).  This is the other part of the equation-- the storage medium.  Generally important, as smaller flash-based players consume less power and have fewer moving parts, thus making them more durable (less susceptible to damage such as hard drive crashes) and having longer life per battery charge.  They’re perfectly suited to exercise, and I have a cheap, no-name one for this purpose.  But my main player is a Creative Zen Vision M 60 gig (slimline) player, now sadly discontinued.

Having had several other makes, I can seriously recommend Creative products.  They’ve been making computer sound equipment for decades, and the sound quality I get out of my Creative player is GREAT (through a pair of Sennheiser CX300s, it’s freaking sublime).  It’s larger than your average player though not excessively so, and the interface is decent for not having the Apple clickwheel.  It requires no propriety software such as iTunes, and I use Windows Media Player, a standard part of the Windows OS, to synch up music-- it even does album art with no subscription fee.  From this standpoint, it’s good to look for a player that is PlaysForSure compliant-- this is a protocol agreed by a consortium of portable media player producers (excluding of course Apple) which dictates that the player work with no proprietary software and has restrictions on DRM (Digital Rights Management).

There are several well-reviewed makes on the market that would mean that you don’t need to go down the iPod route, such as Creative, Microsoft, SanDisk, etc.  While the accessories are tougher to find (since they’re not nearly as ubiquitous as the iPod), the ones you need can be found, and the tradeoff is worth it.  Most of these also play a far greater range of formats than the iPod, meaning no time-consuming conversions into Apple-friendly formats.  Newer players can also play lossless formats, if you decide that you want to go down that route.  While none of them offer the huge capacities that iPods do (it seems most manufacturers are now happy to leave the hard-drive based players to Apple), you can find enough capacity in an affordable flash-based player for what you want to hold on it.

Finally, I can’t recommend enough the site that Nate’s already pointed you toward.  You can always find plenty of resources online about iPods, but there are very few dedicated to the ‘other’ sector of the market, and Anything But iPod is by far the best.  There are forums, FAQs, articles, up-to-date information, a selector and comparison tool, and so on.  They’re always helpful over there too.  If you decide you don’t want to go down the iPod route, then they will not steer you wrong.

For the sake of being sorta on topic, anyone know if Ericsson has signed his contract that was rumored yet?

Have a look at Snapshots.  George has info from the NHLPA website that shows him as being compensated handsomely this upcoming season, so it appears as though the rumors of him signing were true.  I’ll sleep a little bit better once I know for sure that it’s a multi-year term, but whatever.

Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from a dark workshop surrounded by gadgets on 07/21/08 at 03:48 AM ET

Heh.  Talk about a split personality.  Did you just go chasing yourself around?

The irony appealed to me.  Plus I got huge tips after my crowd-pleasing matches! 

(I usually played human-like characters with many language abilities and high social skills, but I think that was when I was bored and went with something different - might have been shortly after my Ravagon lost all contact with his home reality and bit the dust, but can’t remember.)

*******

Thanks for the advice, guys - all the players look good on television, but that’s because they exist on the Commercial Planet, where children behave if you use the right words, no one who shops at the right store will ever be out of a job because he looks that part, wives can have a spotless house and still not have a hair out of place, and coloring your hair and whitening your teeth is all that is required for perfect happiness.  Well, that and Viagra, apparently.

I’ll definitely check out that website, Nate.  Thanks!

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/21/08 at 07:31 AM ET

For the sake of being sorta on topic, anyone know if Ericsson has signed his contract that was rumored yet?

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080721/SPORTS0105/807210344/1128/SPORTS0103

July 21, Detroit News: The Wings have locked up one of their remaining free agents, agreeing to terms on a three-year contract with defenseman Jonathan Ericsson . The two-way deal is worth about $2.7 million if Ericsson remains in the NHL but pays him less—and doesn’t count against the Wings’ salary cap—if he’s playing for Grand Rapids in the American Hockey League.

this is fantastic.

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 07/21/08 at 08:54 AM ET

Thanks for the advice, guys

Oh shiz-- don’t mean to mislead you Baroque, but I’ve just rechecked my calculations, and for 200 CDs at an average of 55 minutes each ripped at 192 kbps VBR (variable bitrate) you’re actually looking at nearer to 16 gigs, so better look at 16 or 32 gig flash-based players.  Sorry.  Glad to be of help though.

agreeing to terms on a three-year contract with defenseman Jonathan Ericsson

Great news.  Now I can sleep the sleep of the innocent.  And in that sleep I dream I’m a minotaur matador who lives on the Commercial Planet.  God bless advertisers.

Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from watching the days tick away until Fil's arbitratio on 07/21/08 at 09:18 AM ET

Oh shiz-- don’t mean to mislead you Baroque, but I’ve just rechecked my calculations, and for 200 CDs at an average of 55 minutes each ripped at 192 kbps VBR (variable bitrate) you’re actually looking at nearer to 16 gigs, so better look at 16 or 32 gig flash-based players.  Sorry.  Glad to be of help though.

No problem - it isn’t as though I ran right out this very second and got a device based on inaccurate information.  Plenty of time for corrections and mulling over options.

And in that sleep I dream I’m a minotaur matador who lives on the Commercial Planet.  God bless advertisers.

You funny. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/21/08 at 10:21 AM ET

Plenty of time for corrections and mulling over options.

Well, as long as we’re doing that, there’s always the option of ripping at a lower bitrate to save space.  Guess it’s all about doing a few samples and seeing how they come out.

Oh, and there is ONE knock against Creative-- their proprietary software that comes bundled with their players sucks sweaty hairy goat balls.  It’s pretty awful, and leave ths CD if you buy one-- just let your operating system install the drivers by itself and use whatever synch software you already have.

And as A2Y appears to be moving on from this, feel free to email me if you think I can help out any more.

You funny.

Well, thanks.  I try.  Occasionally I score a hit.

Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from the gadget shop, high on soldering fumes on 07/21/08 at 02:04 PM ET

Well, thanks.  I try.  Occasionally I score a hit.

comedy is like running for President.  say a bunch of crazy sh!t, see if anyone laughs, and if they do stick with it until they stop laughing and then pretend you never said it.

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 07/22/08 at 11:26 AM ET