Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I'm enjoying some time off and spending time with extended family up in Sacramento this weekend. Turkey dinner was great and now I'm feeling sleepy already.

Drums Arrived

Well, the new drums arrived on schedule yesterday and they worked like a champ. Juri does a really great job on them, sounding like an expert during drum fills. It is nice to be able to get some really high scores now since we can maintain a combo multiplier on the drums and get some awesome simultaneous overdrives going. We even did a couple Big Finishes last night! Good times!

New Drum Kit in Transit

It finally happened! After so many days of waiting, my new Rock Band 2 drum kit is en-route to my house. I checked the UPS web site today by chance, thinking that I wouldn't see anything new. Turns out that EA has delivered! Here is the run down:



Don't worry, EA. I'll get the old drums to you ASAP. I don't want to make you have to wait any more than necessary.

Rock Band 2 Misgivings

I know it has been a long time since I have updated this blog. Please forgive me on this... After finishing up my Chief Petty Officer Induction season, or initiation, or whatever, I have been quite busy with my new responsibilities. But that is a story for another day. Let's talk about the problems that I have had lately concerning Rock Band 2 and those faulty drum pads that so many people seem to be having issues with.

Since I made Chief, my wife wanted me to treat myself. I decided that I wanted Rock Band 2 when it came out. I think the game is a great idea! I'm a huge music game fan, I enjoy playing simulated instruments, and I've always wanted to try out the drums. Now, since people had some issues with the equipment that came with the first Rock Band, I decided that I'd wait for the second game to come out because Electronic Arts had made many improvements to the guitar and drums. I pre-order the game online through GameStop.com with express shipping because the game shipped on a Sunday and I figured that the stores wouldn't actually have it out for grabs until Tuesday. Since I ordered it express (at an additional $32), I should receive the game on Monday and thus have the game a day early. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out that way. The game was out on shelves in stores across America on Sunday, and then UPS didn't actually get the game to me until Tuesday!! I guess UPS express doesn't necessarily mean next day service?
Well, the game finally get here and I unpack it and set it up. I am really excited at this point since I waited so long to get it. I put the game in and get ready to wail on those drums since I have never played that instrument and it was what I was most excited about. I go ahead and pick and easy song to start with: "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor. Great tune! The notes start rolling down the track and I start hitting the pads with my drum sticks. I'm hitting the notes perfectly and things sound great except I keep hearing the sound of drum sticks hitting each other on the TV. For some reason, I don't have a combo going either. That is when I notice the blue drum. As I hit other drum pads, the blue pad also registers a hit. This "cross-talk" is messing up my game!
I decide to look online for people having similar issues and if there are any fixes. Many people talked about opening up their drums and putting cotton balls on the sensors or ensuring the sensors are not touching the walls of the well they are installed in. While I'm normally a "do-it-yourself" kind of guy, I didn't want to have to fix a product that I just freaking got in the mail! It is under warranty after all. While I shouldn't even have to go through this process, I decided to contact EA through their Rock Band Support web site and see if I can get a replacement drum set.

The troubleshooting portion of EA's web site was pretty silly. Did I install my AA batteries properly? Check! Are my pads synced with my PS3? Check! Okay, you have a serious issue with your drums and need to return them! Wow, no shit! All I have to do is give them some information, and they'll send me out a replacement set. Once the replacement gets here, I send out the old ones. No problem... oh wait, they want a receipt. Hmmm... I ordered the game bundle online so I don't have a receipt. I decided to contact EA Support about what I could do about this. Here is what I sent them:

I ordered Rock Band 2 special edition bundle online from GameStop.com. My drums showed up defective (the blue pad registers a hit when the yellow pad is hit and sometimes with the red pad). I want to return them for a new set but your web site says that I need a original receipt. The only thing that I have is the packing list from GameStop in the box and an order confirmation email. The packing list has everything that you ask for except the date of purchase while the email contains all information you have asked for. So, what can I submit as a receipt for this return? Thank you for your help.

Here is the response from the EA Support person:

Hello Jeffrey,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us regarding your Rock Band purchase. It is always a pleasure to assist our customers in any way that we can.

If you suspect that a piece of equipment you received with your Rock Band game is not functioning properly or missing, please visit our Rock Band Troubleshooting and Warranty page. Here you will find troubleshooting steps for the various instruments that will help you identify potential problems and order a replacement, if necessary. Rock on over to the Rock Band Troubleshooting and Warranty Page: http://rockbandservice.ea.com/

If there is anything further that we can do for you, please don’t hesitate in contacting us. Additional support can be found on our help site located at http://support.ea.com/cgi-bin/ea.cfg/php/enduser/rockband.php.

Sincerely,

Sonam,
Rock Band Support
Electronic Arts.

I couldn't believe what I just read! I told them that I had a problem with my drums and that I wanted to return them and I asked what I could provide them as proof of purchase. The person doesn't answer the question posed. It almost seemed like an automated response! So, I sent a reply back to Sonam:

Okay, so you didn't actually answer my question. In fact, this seems like an automated response more than anything. I know I didn't explicitly state this, but I did go through the web site already to discover that I have defective drums. I have in fact placed good batteries in my drum set and I have properly connected my drums to the PS3. Since neither of those things would actually cause the crosstalk problem the drums are experiencing as I have stated already, the drums are definitely defective. So now we come back to my original question: what can I use as a receipt for my drums when I ship them to you guys? Can I use the packing slip GameStop sent me, even though it doesn't have a date of purchase on it (which I would think it probably important), or should I submit the confirmation email I received when I bought the game, or both? Please answer my question this time. I've had enough problems with getting the game in the first place from GameStop, the last thing I want is to return this game because of poor customer service on top of that.

I have also attached the scans of the two items in question that I will be submitting for the RMA, once you answer my question.

Thank you again for you help. Hopefully we can resolve this issue with your next response. I'd hate to have to speak to the next person up the chain.

Very Respectfully,
Jeff Peterson

After this, things seemed good to go. Sonam and I sent one more message each, confirming RMA numbers and such and then Sonam sent a final response:

Hello Jeffrey,

Thank you for sending us a copy of your Rock Band receipt. Your information has been verified and we are finalizing your request for a replacement. Your should expect to receive your replacement peripheral soon!

If you have any further questions regarding this issue, please let us know. Additional support can be found at our help site http://support.ea.com.

Sincerely,

Sonam
Rock Band Support
Electronic Arts

Sweet! I was going to my new drum set soon! Sonam sent me this final message on October 23rd. During the first week since I received that message, I checked the UPS web site to check the progress of my package being delivered. UPS said that the billing information was received and to check back on the status of the package later. I checked every day, hoping to see that my package was shipped and that it was on its way to my house. After a week and a half of no change in status, I sent another message to EA Support but I received no response.

I got home from work today and checked my email. There is a message from EA in my inbox. I open it, hoping to see that my pads have been sent. Here is what EA tells me:

Dear Jeffrey,

We trust you have received your new PLAYSTATION 3 Drum Pads by now and are enjoying the Rock Band experience! However, it has been 14 days and we have not yet received the faulty PLAYSTATION 3 Drum Pads you?re returning to us.

To avoid a charge to your debit or credit account, please return your faulty PLAYSTATION 3 Drum Pads immediately upon receipt of your replacement. A charge will be posted 28 days after your request for a replacement if we do not receive your faulty PLAYSTATION 3 Drum Pads.

Rock on, Jeffrey!

Electronic Arts

At this point, I'm literally fuming! I immediately pick up the phone and call EA Support so that I can directly talk to a person. While I'm waiting for the support agent to answer the phone, I calm down so that I can talk reasonably to the person. I'm upset, but I don't want to be rude either. I calmly explain the situation to the woman who answered the phone and she tells me that due to the volume of incidents, and the hand processing of receipts, the turnaround has been slow. She said that I should expect to see my product shipped next Thursday! So, I ask her what would happen if the 28 days pass and EA hasn't recieved my old drums. Would I still be charged? She replied that I would, but once I see that they have received my old drums, I need to call them and they will reimburse me the cost.

I'm not too worried about the charge that I will receive on my credit card for this because I can afford it right now. But what if I couldn't? What about all these other people who are obviously having the same problem as I am? What if they can't afford it? Why should we have to go through this trouble? Why wasn't the product ready to go out of the box? I am still quite upset about EA's poor response to all of this. Will all of those who have had problems be compensated for a lack of full enjoyment of our game for this extended period of time?

Disneyland Half-Marathon

Sorry it has been so long since I have last written, but a huge change in my life occurred a month ago. I was selected for promotion to Chief Petty Officer! So, I have been busy with the induction process, or initiation, or whatever you want to call it. It was pretty grueling at first, but our group has really picked it up and we are charging strong! You can read more about it at the following web site.

Anyway, yesterday was the big day: the Disneyland Half-Marathon. I was training for it really well with WiiFit and running. But once I was selected for Chief, my training regimen changed. As part of initiation, I've been running 3-6 miles every other day with strength training every Tuesday and Thursday. The results of this training program provided some incredible results in the Half-Marathon. I finished the 13.1 mile run in 2 hours and 56 seconds!! I was so proud of myself! I ran nearly the whole thing, taking a short power-walking break on Mile 6 until about 3/4 of the way to Mile 7. When I started running again at that point, I slowed my pace somewhat to reserve energy for the last 1.1 mile. On Mile 12, my pace picked up dramatically. At my last 0.1 mile, I sprinted to the goal as I passed by Juri and nearly ran into Minnie at the finish line!! I was so happy! I picked up my medal and got my picture then I met up with Juri and Kuni at the Disneyland Hotel.

IT FINALLY HAPPENED!!!

If you hadn't heard already, I was selected for advancement to Chief Petty Officer today by the Navy! I am so freaking happy and excited! I have worked SO hard for this and it has all finally paid off. According to the results, I was the fourth selectee out of twenty-one total selected Surface Nuclear Electrician's Mates. I beat out two of my good friends who also made it this year: Jeff White and Shane Floding, who were in fifth and sixth place respectively. I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart who has worked for me in the past 6 years that I have been in a supervisory position of some sort (ranks listed are the rank they were at when I last saw them):

USS Enterprise
EM3 Josh McGrew
EM1 Jeremy Norville
EMC Travis Post
EM1 Hoffmaster
EM3 Jasmine Johnson
EM2 Josh Adams
EM3 Heather Chaney

EM3 Josh Ferguson
EM3 Eric A.
EM2 Timothy Hawkins

MARF Prototype
EM1 Matt Emerson
EM2 Brandon Kent
EM1 Jay Stirrat
EM1 Jesse Rayburn
EM3 Jene Phillips
EM1 Wilbert Veit
EM1 Robert Avelis
EM1 Kristopher Bair
EMC Amy Van Natta
EM1 Dana Gregory
EM1 Durand Adams
... and countless students!

USS Nimitz
EM3 Bryan Peña
EM3 Suelema Sanchez
EM2 James Burke
EM2 James Sapp
EM2 Austin Usher
EM2 Cassandra Perando
EM2 Travis Rupp
EM3 Katelin Mays
EM2 Steve Slovyan
EM2 David Gainey
EM3 Kyle Meredith
EM3 Jo Zoril
EM2 Theodore Pilalas
EM3 Glen Kirby
EM2 Jamie Guerrero
EM2 Jacques
EM3 Nigel Walker
EM2 Shawn Brehm
EM2 Robert Kottelanne
EM2 Gregory LaFleur
EM2 Michael Hughes
EM3 Craig Braxton
EM3 Craig Weight
EM3 Eric Tabor
EM2 Zack Josker
EM3 Reggie Wilhelmson
EM3 William Williams
EM2 James Bowen
EM2 Matthew Wimberly

I apologize if there was anyone that I have forgotten. My memory is hazy at times... =(

It was only through the hard work, sweat, and blood letting that these individuals have done that I have reached this new milestone in my career. Thank you all for your incredible effort during the countless Operational Reactor Safeguard Exams, Mobile Training Team visits, deployments and shipyard availabilities. Thank you to my family (especially Juri) as well, for standing by me through the best and worst of times in my life.

Now for two months of Hell before I get my anchors pinned on me... =)

Dr. Horrible!!

EDIT: Dr. Horrible is still available to watch for free, with limited commercial interruptions. If you STILL haven't seen it, get your butt there NOW! It's hilarious!

Oh, before I forget, thanks to Penny Arcade, Juri and I found this totally hilarious short by Joss Whedon (the guy who made the Buffy series and the movie Serenity, among other things) and starring Neil Patrick Harris. It is called Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. If you don't check it out TODAY, you will miss out on watching the whole thing for free. After today, you will have to buy it on iTunes or on DVD when it is released. I just may get it on DVD anyway, because it is just that good! You owe it to yourself to watch this... RIGHT NOW!!!!

Gearing Up for ComicCon

The big day is coming up this week. Thursday, to be exact. I took special liberty just to attend! I have never been to a convention like this before. ComicCon is a gathering of comic and manga artists, movie makers, and game companies in San Diego. It happens every year in San Diego and this will be our first year attending. My wife and kids are just as excited as I am. We even have Juri's youngest brother coming down to join us. Nearly every night for this past week, after the kids have gone to bed, Juri and I discuss some of our plans for ComicCon.

One thing that we are really excited for is seeing the guys who make the web comic Penny Arcade. Being avid gamers ourselves, these guys sense of humor are very similar to ours. Juri and I recently purchased two of their latest volumes of comics and have been laughing hysterically at many of the jokes. One of our plans at ComicCon is to ask them to sign our books. I also wanted to ask them if they plan on making any toys of their characters. I’d definitely throw down some cash on a Fruit Fucker action figure!!

Another plan is to see the Rooster Teeth gang. They are the guys who make the popular internet series Red Vs. Blue. While I’m not a fan of the Halo game series at all, I do love what these guys have done with the game to make a hilarious show. We own the first three seasons of the show on DVD so I plan on getting them to sign those discs or jewel cases. If they happen to have more seasons available to buy there, I’ll definitely snag them.

We, of course, intend to swing by the booths of the various video game companies on hand. Konami, Square-Enix, and Capcom will be there, along with Pokémon USA. I doubt that any of our favorite game developers will be there, since it seems like this is more of an opportunity for publishers to showcase their latest games, but oh well. I hope that we’ll get some cool swag from them nonetheless.

I can’t wait for the big day! Thursday can’t get here soon enough! I’m totally looking forward to getting free stuff and buying unique things we can’t find anywhere else.

Arcade Cabinet Status

It has been quite some time since I mentioned anything about the arcade cabinet. I did "finish" it, in that games were playable on it. For some time there was some good game playing action on it. Then, the problems began to rear their ugly heads.

The first crisis occurred when the computer's video card died. I managed to snag an old one from a friend for the cheap price of free. Unfortunately, the card wasn't good enough for playing games. =( So, the cabinet became more of a beatmania and Guitar Hero arcade game using the PS2's. After we moved to San Diego, the next issue appeared. The TV the arcade cabinet uses would flat line occasionally. What I mean is that the TV image flattens into a thin line through the center of the screen with normal sound output. I slight smack to the side or top of the TV would cause it to fix itself. However, the issue began to crop up more and more frequently. It now happens pretty much every single time I play beatmania. Finally, since I got the new laptop, I decided to put my old Alienware computer into the arcade cabinet to be the main game machine. While working on reformatting the computer with an optimized version of Windows XP using a program called nLite, the computer suddenly turned off! I suddenly smell the acrid odor of smoldering electronic components from the power supply!!

Juri always says that bad things happen in groups of threes. So since three things have happened, I hope that I can make fixes to the cabinet to get it restored to life. I plan on fixing the TV myself, since I've always wanted to open up a TV and check it out anyway. Don't worry Dad, I will make sure to avoid the TV tube!! =) I did some research on the problem and I hope that I can figure out the cause and repair it. I'm also waiting for a little bit of money to get the power supply that I need to replace the bad one in the computer. Then I can get back to preping the computer the rest of the way.

I really hope to have this all done soon though. I'm really excited to have some friends over to enjoy some gaming action on the arcade cabinet. There are still some finishing touches to work on as well. I STILL need a name for it, I need to touch up the paint, and I need to do the artwork. These aren't necessary, but they will need to be done to consider the cabinet completely finished.

Evil Bird Mutants!

As I walked into work this morning, I heard the terrifying caw of an enormous bird circling the sky above me. I looked up to see a decent sized seagull. The sound it emitted made it seem much larger than it actually was. When I heard that noise, a memory was triggered in me. I was reminded of the stories of the evil Crowzilla, a beast of a bird that resided at the naval nuclear reactor prototypes in New York State.

Many rumors surrounded the existence of Crowzilla. A giant crow unlike anything most people have ever seen, Crowzilla stories were often utilized as a way to terrorize feeble-minded students and to help pass the time on the midnight watches. People have stated that they have seen the bird but the details often change. Crowzilla has been known to reside underneath the reactors of MARF and S8G (the names of the two prototype reactors) and on top of the giant D1G sphere. It has a wing span of 10-25 feet or more! The bird has been sighted stealing the food and hats of students and staff alike while in mid-flight. Crowzilla has gigantic feet, a razor sharp beak, huge talons, a deformed head, red eyes, etc. Obviously there is no consistency in the stories of Crowzilla. This leads one to doubt its very existence!

During my time stationed in New York, both as a student and as a staff member, I have seen several very large crows flying around the site, cawing at me as I walk by. I am certain that these crows are the source of the Crowzilla stories. Is there large size caused by nuclear radiation? That is very unlikely. If Crowzilla and its hellspawn did nest under the reactor compartments of the prototypes, they would not survive. The areas underneath the prototypes are unshielded from radiation while the reactor is operating because there is no need for people to be under there at that time. Those areas are normally locked to prevent people from entering unless we shut down and verify radiation levels are very low. Now I’m sure that birds could fly into these spaces if they wanted to but in all the times that I have been down there, I have never seen any bird carcasses that would surely be present if they inhabited the area. Could a crow fly through there momentarily and still live? Most likely. Would it mutate? No! Could the bird’s offspring be mutated? It is a possibility. Crowzilla could possibly be the result of a mutation caused by the radiation from the reactors, creating a crow that is larger and stronger than its predecessors.

Now, I’m not trying to say that nuclear power is dangerous and that we should shut it down! I’d be out of a job if I was saying that. Nuclear power actually generates less radiation (when properly shielded) and creates no greenhouse gases compared to a conventional coal burning power plant. The radiation that I receive in a month on board a nuclear powered ship from the reactor is (on average) thirty times less than what I get from the earth and the sun naturally! Nuclear reactors can’t explode like an atomic weapon. Sure, there have been a couple of meltdowns (Three Mile Island and Chernobyl) but lessons on reactor design and operation have been learned and continue to be trained on from those accidents and the loss of life in Chernobyl was due to misinformed military and citizens about the affects of radiation when the Russians were trying to clean up the mess. Just like anything else in life, including coal power plants, problems with nuclear power can occur if not properly maintained and watched over. As far as I know, no mutations have been born and survived past childhood from the affects of nuclear radiation from nuclear power plants.

The giant crows of the New York prototypes may not be Crowzilla and are certainly not freaks of nature by any means. However, the mythical status of the giant bird beast will continue to live on in the minds of the wildly imaginative nuclear reactor operators who thought of it. Nuclear power is an environmentally safe means of power generation that we should all consider in our future of dwindling resources. It isn’t perfect, but then, nothing ever is. In Darwin’s eyes, Crowzilla is hardly the perfect crow.

Looking Back

I perused my old entries today while I was at work. I was bored because I had to wait to attend some training near the end of the day. It was interesting to read what I had written so long ago! I didn't realize that I had utilized this blog so much! There were a lot of entries. I didn't read them all, but I did say some interesting things. It was exciting reading about my arcade cabinet. I'm still not done with it. I finished up the painting and got it up and running. Unfortunately, the computer died so right now it is used primarily for playing beatmania on the PS2. Reading about Maia's band-aid obsession was really funny too! I miss the days when the kids were smaller and funnier.

It is nice to get my thoughts and feelings down. I haven't been very good at keeping a journal. It isn't like keeping a blog is very convienient or easy, but I did manage to keep it going for two years and nearly 100 entries! Getting my feelings down on this blog is a nice way to vent and release stress and frustrations, and to also brag or boast when no one else is around.

Preparing for the Challenge

When it comes to preparing or planning ahead, I'm really terrible. For every long-term project that I've ever done in school, it was always a last minute rush to finish the job. When it comes to preparing for a vacation or trip, I tend to wait until the last minute to pack, usually leaving something behind in the process. Now I'm hard at work preparing for another type of challenge: a 13.1 mile "half marathon" through Anaheim, California and Disneyland!

I've always considered myself to be a decent runner. Being in the Navy, I have to run 1.5 miles within a certain time period for our Physical Fitness Assessments every six months. It is funny to hear people around me freak out when it comes to doing that short run because they are afraid to fail. Even without regular exercise, I can finish the run in about eleven minutes flat. I know that with practice I can do that run even faster! I have just been too lazy. I had never considered the notion of entering a marathon style run before because I haven't had the initiative to accomplish such a feat. Running for that distance kind of scares me! But, being able to achieve something like this shows just how fit I am. The steps it'll take to accomplish that goal, if continued afterword, will maintain my health and ensure a longer life.

I was asked to join the Disneyland half marathon by Juri's dad. Ever since he was told that he has a cholesterol problem, he has changed his eating habits and now regularly runs. Now that I am getting older (I turned 29 years old today), I realized that my health is much more important to me than ever before. So I figured, what the hell, and said yes. It was about two months ago that I was asked and I have done nothing to prepare for this marathon up until four days ago. That was my procrastination, obviously. Sure I ran some during the deployment I just got back from. I couldn't maintain a regular workout routine though because I was always busy with various work and repairs. But, now that I am home and back to a normal routine with work, I came up with a regular workout regimen. I have duty every four days, where I am stuck on the ship for a full work day. Because of my work scheduleon those duty days, I have decided to make that day a rest day to recover from my workout routine. On the days in between duty days, I will do my workout as follows. On the first day, I will do a 1.5 mile run for speed. I will start at 7 mph with a sprint at the end and hope to be running at 8 mph when I near the end of my preparation for the marathon. I will also do WiiFit strength training and balance games on that day. The second day will be strength training. I will do sets of pushups and crunches, alternating between the two. Right now, I'm doing ten pushups and thirty crunches per set. I hope to increase that amount as well as I go. I will also perform some yoga and strength training sets on WiiFit to add more variety and fun to my workout while working on my balance, posture, and breathing skills. The third day will consist of a long distance run, which I'm currently working on extending my time as I start this routine. I run at 6 mph constantly for thirty minutes and I hope to increase that time to forty-five minutes and then an hour. I will increase that time when I am ready to do so. In order to ensure that I follow through with this plan, I have made a workout log in Excel to track my progress.

So, that is my plan for the Disneyland half marathon! I hope that this adventure in physical health and fitness does more for me than just improve my overall health. I would like to use this planning example in other areas of my life to avoid future procrastination problems. A good plan will generally avoid future disasters. I will definitely use this blog to write out other futures plans in order to help cement these plans into being.

A Long Time Ago...

I know, I know... It took me forever to update this blog. I've been really busy. I'm not going to apologize. I can't make up for the lack of updates. I didn't realize that blogging was actually a lot of work. But, Juri and I were talking recently during our road trip up to Sacramento, CA. She said that I should start up my blog again. I thought about it and realized that was a very good idea. I want to tell my family and friends about the things that I do and what I want to accomplish. So, getting the blog up and running again is a good way to do this.

So, many things have changed in the past year plus. My family and I moved across the country from New York to San Diego, CA. I am now stationed on the USS Nimitz, which has just returned from a four month surge deployment. We are scheduled to deploy again in a year or so from now. I'm delving back into the world of computer programming again. I recently bought a new laptop (which makes blogging easier) so that I can work on programming on deployment. I also signed on to run the Disneyland Half Marathon this year on August 31st! I'm preparing daily for it by alternating between running and strength training. I'm working hard to increase my endurance.

Anyway, I will be writing more in this blog now. I hope to have something to write everyday. I will talk about games that I am playing, programming that I done, and things going on in my life and work. Thanks for reading.