Author Archives: Admiral Grout Panache

Visualization of the Linux Kernel

The Kernel is the part of an operating system that interfaces with the hardware, handling all of the most commonly used and tedious tasks such as writing to disks and actually sending signals on a network.
This is a video showing a 3-d print out of all of the pages of code in the linux kernel, [...]

Conan vs. Leno: Weighing In

The Abstract Exponent endorses Conan O’brien without equivocation.
Jay Leno was an apologist for idiotic and atrocious Bush policies for the duration of their administration, now he plays the victim.
I watched his Monday night show and it was terrible.  Eating barbecue with Sandra Bullock, with a chef waiting on them hand and foot.  A list of [...]

Microsoft Points - MS Fail #412898028408912

I always have to qualify my disappointments, my many, many disappointments with Microsoft, with certain compliments, like Xbox LIVE is still better than PC or playstation online gaming, once you’re in it just works.
But it’s still as if they make it as hard as possible.   You can’t just have an xbox live card, you must [...]

Saints Row 2 - A Strange Ghost in my Machine

I was reluctant to play Saints Row 2 and probably wouldn’t have if Zero Punctuation hadn’t said it was the best of 2008, saying something like ‘if you want to be a grandmother running over bastard then this game will allow you to be that person.’
I have to enthusiastically agree, SR2 has allowed me to [...]

Review: Army of Two: “Assault on Adolescence”

This game is almost totally unredeemable, but I’d prefer to start with the reasons it is ultimately redeemable.
First of all, it tries something new and executes it professionally.  Anyone who worked on the game should be proud of their accomplishments.   Ripping off the car doors to use as cover, the aggro system and the ‘back [...]

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas, “The Impossible Prone”

Rainbow Six Vegas has a lot going for it.  Decent graphics, excellent gear selection, somewhat interesting maps, missions, bot fighting, a cover system and other stuff too.
But it’s just not all the way there.  Why can’t I lay prone on the ground?   Why can’t I set a mine?   Why did that smoke grenade not even [...]

Gears of War 2, “Revenge of the Acid Nozzle”

My biggest complaint about the first person shooter genre is the railroading.  I like to have many different options available when I confront a foe, not just a couple.   Consider the original Halo, each of those grey octagon areas offered a dozen different ways to go about breaking down their defenses.   Then there were the [...]

The Nature of Microsoft Issues vs. Mac/Linux issues

Consider: A Windows PC is brought in to the shop where I work with the following message appearing after every boot, just as the desktop appears:
“Xprcedrtfsc.exe cannot be found.   The result of 000×21eag325 was returned from the session”
This message appears just above a big ‘Ok’ button every time you log on, which you must click [...]

Top 10 Suggested Improvements for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2 Online Multiplayer

Bonus Number 11!  Please open up more buildings in the city maps.  If you have a machine gun, you can open doors to residential homes.
10. Good camouflage for all teams, no red on Islamacist’s uniforms
9. Maps where ghillie suits are useful, big maps with lots of tall grass.
8.  Complete controller layout customization options so I’m [...]