Okay, so I have Podcast #7 all ready to go (Tribute to America), but I’m having some issues with my audio editing software - Audacity won’t let me save files as mp3 and my audio converter is converting files with weird scratches inserted in the middle. However, I’m going to try to sort those out and get the podcast uptomorrow.

How Has the Week of Awesome Gone?

Eh.

TF2 updates:

• Goldrush=Good.
  Goldrush=Fun.
• Medic achievements=impossible.
  Medic achievements=too many medics in any single server I join.
  Medic achievements=me feeling guilty to change to medic to get achievements on team bloated with medics already
  Medic achievements=me hating every medic who has already unlocked a weapon.
  Therefore: Medic achievements=Bad.
• Payload maps=Confusing as hell in Hammer.

C.S.O

Incredible. Of course.

Good Karma

Canceled, will be rescheduled.

Lost

Good, but not great. I was expecting that though - Lost generally has a schedule where every other week the episode is really good, and last weeks was great, so I expected this week’s to be a little lackluster [NOTE: This generally does not hold true for the end of a season though, where there are 4-5 high-fueled episodes in a row]. So next week’s episode should be good (and it looks like it).

Oh, and in case you forgot…JoCo tomorrow (!).

My schedule for the ultimate week:

• TUESDAY: Attending a performance (with pre-concert lecture) of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• THURSDAY: Good Karma Cafe and Lost
• SATURDAY: Jonathan Coulton/Paul & Storm concert!
• ???: TF2 Update!

Two parts to this post:

1. Last night’s episode of Lost, for those of you who saw it, was pretty incredible. I feel like this episode is the turning point in the season - up until now, conflicts have been set up, i.e. freighter people helping the losties? (hint: no) and whether they were going to attack the barracks (hint: yes). This episode started to resolve the conflicts and answer some of the questions brought up in the first part of the season. So yea.

2. Continuing with yesterday’s post, I’m going to give a list of my favorite TF2 custom maps below:

CONTROL POINT MAPS:

• cp_jailbreak_b3 (or cp_jailbreak_b2)
• cp_orange_x (or cp_orange_x3. Not cp_orange_x4)
• cp_orange_tower
• cp_toyfort (and any variation thereof)
• cp_tron_final

CAPTURE THE FLAG:

• ctf_avantown
• ctf_convoy_v2
• ctf_royal_b3

CHALLENGE/CREATIVE MAPS:

• cp_bestinclass_v2
• cp_highclass_v2
• volleyball

BAD MAPS:

• ANY surf map

I’m currently “working” in my “spare time” on two maps: The first is a one-team capture the flag map (i.e. one team tries to capture, the other team tries to prevent) taking place in a 3D version of Kanto (i.e. The world from Pokemon red/blue/yellow). Red team starts in Pallet Town, and needs to take the intelligence from Professor Oak’s lab to Giovanni’s gym in Viridian City, where the Blue team starts. The second map I’m working on is a “challenge” map similar to Best In Class - except instead of having a separate course for each class, there is only one course per team, but certain obstacles can only be overcome with a specific class, and the whole team needs to work together. Aw, how heartwarming.

So I guess I lied, here’s a third part to the update: I was reminiscing with some friends today of literature that we read in Elementary and Middle School. Here are some recommendations/anti-recommendations:

RECOMMEND:

• The Rats of Nimh
• Bridge to Teribithea (spelling? too lazy to check)
• The Frog and Toad series

DO NOT RECOMMEND:

• Johnny Tremain
• Kavik the Wolf-Dog
• Junie of the Wolves