The long story long

I figured I'd put this somewhere that I can point to when friends ask what's going on with the sincere interest in the answer. While I appreciate everyone's support and concern, these are the basics that I just can't bring myself to continuously repeat to explain the situation or answer the same questions over and over about.

We've been sinking financially for some time. A few of you know about the background with Mike getting hurt on the job last year and the workman's comp nightmare that followed, including losing his job in the process. Ever since all of that started, our life has been a series of fall behind, catch up, fall behind further, etc, ad nauseum.

The shop he is working at now is falling far short of useful, and our budget deficit continues to grow. I was turned down for assistance and am now non-med-compliant, so re-applying will have to wait. We can't even afford the co-pay to go back to the psychiatrist, and even if we could, my full medication load is more than we could pay for - even with insurance.

Caedyn has been applying for jobs all summer with no results, not even callbacks for interviews. Mike's brother is having similar troubles and hasn't managed more than part-time jobs that are not covering his expenses.

About a year and a half ago, Mike and I and Caedyn had started talking about moving to Orlando after graduation with multiple goals in mind that would benefit all of us. After a few more financial set-backs in the last week or so, we've begun to work on moving that timetable up, and we've asked Mike's brother to join us. The cost of living is cheaper, the tourist influx does not slow down to deathly close to nothing for much shorter periods of time, and the atmosphere in our neighborhood (particularly in our building) has steadily become less and less conducive to maintaining any kind of hope that I will ever be able to leave my front door without accompaniment again.

The idea is to find Mike a shop in an area that is busy enough to keep him making commissions rather than minimum hourly compensation, something more substantial and sustainable than part time for his brother (as well as more comedy clubs and social activities!), and a part-time job that Caedyn can fit around school.

That's for starters.

If I find myself answering the same questions a lot, I'll add to this as we go.

As soon as we have firmer dates and details, I'll post them here. We intend to get this off the ground as soon as possible.

Thanks for reading.

Edit: I'm still dealing with the neck/shoulder pain thing and trying to get by without meds, so stress levels are still through the roof on my end.

Weird Blank Startup Items?? I can help!

Lemme start from the beginning.

First of all, your Startup menu is completely different from your Start menu. It contains any programs or items that start up when you, well, start your computer up. To view it, you go to Start > Run, type in msconfig, then go to the Startup tab.

So my dad and I were performing maintenance on his computer, and we found several lines in our Startup that had no text in the Startup Item OR Command columns. What I found out was that these were registry errors. They don't harm the computer majorly, as they have no command, but you can still clean them up easily.

First of all, you're going to want to run Registry Editor by going to your Run dialog again and typing regedit. Depending on what user the Startup item once was, you will have to go to either HKEY_CURRENT_USER or HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. Once in either of these, go to Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run. Here you might see an entry with -- you guessed it -- no value. You can safely just delete this value. (If you don't see one there, go to another HKEY_) Restart your computer and you're done.

Naruto Iron Man

Pretty cool video... oh for crying out loud! Blogger apparently thinks it's funny to not let me copy-paste the dang code! Frikk.
Just go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDY30DqabvY sheesh...

Well crap!

Sometime yesterday, my PSP's UMD drive got busted. It just up and stopped working. Makes an awful grinding noise whenever I put a UMD in, so now I can't play any games unless they were downloaded, and the PlayStation Network does not have what I want (in downloaded games, I mean). So yea, that sucks. Now I can't play Naruto OR the upcoming Kingdom Hearts game coming for the PSP. Ugh...

My Christmas wishlist

I decided to post up my wish list just for kicks, since Mom posted up hers on Facebook.

Anyways, in January I'm getting a shiny new PS3, so I loaded it with PS3 games.

I have several sub-lists, too, in case someone actually does want to get me something. Which I doubt, but oh well.

Top 10 Overall:
10. Counter-Strike: Source (PC)
9. Any good manga
8. Snakehead (a book from the Alex Rider series)
7. .hack//G.U.+ #3 (Manga)
6. Virtua Fighter 5 (PS3)
5. Left 4 Dead 1 or 2 (PC)
4. ModNation Racers (PS3)
3. Brutal Legend (PS3)
2. Gift Cards: Best Buy, GameStop, Target
And the #1 spot goes to: Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (PS3)

Top 10 PS3
10. Assassin's Creed
9. Street Fighter IV
8. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
7. LittleBigPlanet
6. Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
5. Batman: Arkham Asylum
4. Virtua Fighter 5
3. ModNation Racers
2. Brutal Legend
And, again, #1 goes to: Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (PS3)

Top 3 PC
3. Left 4 Dead
2. Left 4 Dead 2
1. Counter-Strike: Source

This section is for those who don't have that much Christmas cash:

Top 8 Under $20
8. Any LEGO set
7. Alex Rider Series: Snakehead
6. Gift Cards: Best Buy, GameStop, Target
5. Any good manga
4. .hack//G.U.+ Volume 3 (Manga)
3. Any weapons from Brickarms.com
2. Counter-Strike: Source (PC)
1. A Naruto calender (hey, it's the new year!)

Top 3 Any Price
3. Any LEGO set
2. Gift Cards: Best Buy, GameStop, Target
1. Any weapons from Brickarms.com

Mega Mugen Fighter 47 New Version!

A new version of Mega Mugen Fighter 47 is well on the way! This new version includes the following:

-2 new characters
-All-new renovated Naruto Uzumaki
-Nerfed the attack power of Konata
-Redone controls for Haruhi, it is now easier to do her Hyper Attack.
-Compatibility with the NEW version of my All-New Toolbar for Internet Explorer letting you play Mega Mugen Fighter 47 right on your browser!

The .zip file will include my new toolbar for Internet Explorer! Get your copy of MMF47 today!

Double Uber Win

Two winners combined!

Biiiiiiiiiig update on the Battle against Vundo

Kablam! Kapow! Kablooie! Kaswoosh! After several attempts at defeating the dreaded Vundo Trojan of Popup-y doom, I finally delivered a lightning-fast karate kick to its... okay, I'm getting waaaaaaay too overdramatic..... eheh...

Anyways, as you probably guessed, I finally got rid of the Vundo trojan thingy that avoided capture by three different programs. Funnily enough, those other programs took HALF AN HOUR just to scan my computer and say "Trojan.Vundo was not found" while this new program, VirtumundoBeGone (Virtumundo is another name for Vundo) took two seconds and a reboot and, in this time, both located AND disabled Vundo. A little ironic there, huh? Cool part is, it even wrote a log file! Which was uber cool. I sent some people the log file, but I might upload it to my MediaFire soon.

In case you don't know, Vundo is a Trojan Horse family. What am I blabbing on about? Viruses have families? Yes, they do, and you can find out all about it with the power of http://www.wikipedia.org/ and Google.

Finally, I may be moving soon. Not just houses, but emails, too. Coming soon will be xperimental02@gmail.com. Remember the address as it will be my new one. I will send you a confirmation email when finished.

Peace out,
Caedyn

There's an app for that, too...

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=3854&tag=nl.e550

Yes, the iPhone app companies are really capitalizing on this...
(Thanks ZDNet)

A new game by yours truly

You got to check out the game that I, Caedyn Danow, am currently in the process of making. Its name is Mega Mugen Fighter 47, a fighter game made with the infamous Win Mugen. The characters featured are numerous, and they come from everywhere:

Lucky Star
Street Fighter
Naruto
King of Fighters
Smash Bros. Brawl
Kingdom Hearts
Sonic
Megaman
Shaman King
Final Fantasy
The Simpsons
Family Guy
The Incredibles
and more to come!!!

Beta 2 will be out soon, as soon as FileFactory.com finishes its upload. If you want the website for more information, visit www.cdano95.webs.com and read aroound there.

Well, the download's 75% complete, so watch out!

Hack A Vista wins PlayCrafter.com Contest!

Hi everyone!

Hack A Vista, a flash game made by yours truly, just won the January 23rd Contest on Playcrafter.com!

Link here

Q: What is Hack A Vista?
A: Hack A Vista is a cooperation-based game about hacking a computer. I understand it's hard to tell that it is about that, but it's a good game nonetheless.

Q: How do you play it?
A: Basically, you control the guy with the half-circle head. Use the arrow keys to move around and jump. The little crab guy also moves to your current position. The crab guy is called your puppet program. You help him and he helps you. You have to get all the little green code chips to hack a computer. You have to move gates, free them up, move stuff, push keys, unlock stairs, and more puzzles.

Q: Are you gonna make a sequel?
A: Nosy... maybe...

Walk for the Animals

Hi! Caedyn here. Like animals? Pets? I know most people do. Well, coming up is the Walk for the Animals, and I'm raising money for it! Just come to my website here.

Hey, Caedyn...

Told you Legos aren't just for kids!

Ratchet and Clank Master here

I am currently playing Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal, and I got into the Insomniac Museum. Woot me!
What's the Insomniac Museum, you may ask? The Insomniac Museum is a super-secret "planet" in Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal that contains a collection of things that didn't make it into R&C Up Your Arsenal and interactive things like an explosion creator and Hacker puzzle customizer. There are two ways to get here, and I use the easiest way, which means setting the PS2's clock to 3:00 AM to take a secret teleporter.
Sometime soon, I will run through the Insomniac Museum again and create a cool "tour guide" for anyone else who want to see all of the cool sights...or can't play the game and want to read about it.
Blow ya to smithereens later!

OMG, My Baby's A Teenager!!!

Happy Birthday, Caedyn!!!

Baby, ever since you were born, you have taught me more about love and joy than I could have ever dreamed would be possible. You've taught me just how much of myself I can really give, how far I can strive, and how beautiful life can be. I've never been more proud of my role in anyone's life than I am in my chance to be a mother to you, and I pray every day that the guidance that you find in me comes from God's grace and wisdom rather than my own shortcomings.

So little really changes with these numbers we assign ourselves with the passing of the years. What does change is our experiences and how we see the world around us. My prayer for you is that each of your experiences brings you one step closer to the man I know you'll be one day.

Learn from your mistakes. Embrace who you are. Don't worry so much about being perfect while you're figuring out just who Caedyn is, and know that we love you no matter what.

Never forget that cord that connects my heart to yours.

Birthday Time!

Happy birthday, Harry(aka Pop-Pop)!!!

Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Harry
Happy birthday to you!!!!
Wooooooooooo hooooooooooo!

Lil update on the kid and the big 1 3

Well, it's been an interesting couple of weeks here, and with another hurricane possibly on its way here, I'm thinking a smallish update now is probably a good idea. Should Ike decide that SoFlo is the place to hang, we'll likely be taking an unscheduled vacation for a day or two until he leaves. Normally, I welcome guests, but this would be one of those exceptions to the rule.

School finally got off to a shaky start once Fay was done dumping buckets of water on us, and Caedyn reports that his new set of teachers are decidedly...boring. That's right, folks. For two weeks now, the answer to "How was school today?" has been "Boring." Is it starting to become obvious that he'll be a teenager in a week and a half?

Incidentally, Caedyn was showing me some of the things that he'd like to get for his birthday, and between the indecision and the pricetags (including a couple of Lego sets that are running in the neighborhood of $50 and change), the discussion that followed brought us to the conclusion that he'd really like to shop for his own presents this year. While I think we'll probably get away with presents under the tree one more Christmas, I think he's come to the point where gift cards are the best strategy. The mommy in me cries "Presents!!!", but the practical mom in me sees that those items he has chosen himself in the last year have survived in his attentions longer.

So, family members, there ya go. Gift cards. Wal-mart and Borders are best, because he'll go through them the fastest. Unless you live down here and want to do Kabooms, since instead of a birthday party (with the old folks), he's opting for taking two friends there for an afternoon of video games and pizza like last year.

There are other things going on, but mostly they're just keeping us on our toes. Keep us in your prayers and warm thoughts, and stay in touch!

God bless.

OMG!

But, sadly, only Naruto fans can really get the joke...Oh well, enjoy.
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/397037#

You know what's funny?

That Mom's scared a little about the storm, but I'm calm. Rather, I'm excited! The points system(ask my mom) was suspended temporarily due to Fay, so I could play on the PS2 and computer all I wanted! And, almost on cue, Steve borrowed the rest of the Ratchet and Clank games(on the PS2), so I am blowing crap up until Fay comes over me, hears the havok, and runs off like a wimp!

And yes, I will turn Fay into a sheep. Unless you played Up Your Arsenal, you won't get that.

X527: Ultimate Troop LAN

I'm currently working on an online multiplayer game called X527: Ultimate Troop LAN. If you would like to check out the beta, click here. If you are actually skilled with Game Maker, and have a YoYoGames account, click here to contact mine and help me with this game. For my website, click here.

What is X527: Ultimate Troop LAN?
X527: Ultimate Troop LAN is an MMO in the style of Exteel. Basically, it's a shoot-em-up, so if shooters aren't your thing, just go read something else that interests you.
Again, the combat is sort of a 2D Exteel clone, jumping around finding and picking up weapons to shoot your opponent with. That sort of thing. Currently, I only have one mode(Deathmatch), four weapons, and two sample levels, but you can still build your own levels, too.
No AI enemies are available yet, but keep an eye out.