Gateway MA3 MX6447

Symptom: Blue Screen of Death(BSOD) after logging in. Fan does not spin once Windows starts.
Googled cause: video card(ATI) driver version seems to prioritize GPU temperature over CPU temperature, causing cpu overheat before gpu signals fan to spin.

Solution attempts:

• Clean fan and heatsink with brush and blower.
  
• Uninstall ATI driver, unsuccessful... BSOD before reaching uninstall.

Solution Steps:

• Backup data, prepare for reformat and reinstall of Windows XP Media Center 2005
• Download Win XP MC2005 (laptop has license key anyway)
• Laptop refuses to boot using the downloaded disk, but it works on another laptop.
• Remove HDD and connect to usb. Make sure there are multiple partitions, one for the OS and another a temporary drive(FAT32). Attempt diskless install via: "Z:\I386\winnt32.exe /syspart:K: /tempdrive:K: /makelocalsource /noreboot" where z is the dvd drive is and K the fat32 partition. (note: DO NOT use sp3 installer, will give 'iaStor.sys' not found errors)
• Place back HDD in laptop. Boot and install winxpmc2005
  
• After XP, install ATI video driver and ATI Catalyst.
• Installation is stable although fan still doesn't spin while in XP. still investigating.
  

New Challenger

For a while now, I've been following the series "Hajime no Ippo" aka "Knockout" aka "Fighting Spirit". The show is extremely inspiring and entertaining, with crazy humor and interesting plot. In a nutshell, its about a bullied youngster who found inner strength through boxing. The animated tv series ended just as the show's lead, Makunochi Ippo captured the Japanese Featherweight Belt. After one movie and a special, the watcher is left hanging, as the story wasn't concluded. 2002 saw the end of the series, thus after running through all the watchable media, I went to read the Manga. This sated the craving for a while.

After 7 long years, it was a welcome development that they launched the continuation of the tv series and subtitled it "New Challenger". This run would hopefully cover all plots up to the latest manga, which includes the following storylines:

• Miyata's OPBF Title Challenge
• Kamogawa Gym's latest genius recruit: "Itagaki"
• Miyata's Dad's Past and the Filipino Champion "Randy Boy Jr."
• The return of Gero-michi
• Takamura's Rampage of multiple weight classes
• and a lot more.

Please support the official DVDs when they come out, but for the fans that want to watch it asap, you can find them thru tokyotosho.com. A number of groups are subtitling the series: SpeedStar, Animebreaker, Saizen & Ignition-One, Mahero, Frostii. Speedstar releases the fastest, saizen&ignition-one would probably be a good version to keep (because they scanlate the manga too).

Queen B and Poopy Tea

The fine line between REM dream and reality is a weird place.

I was in a beach, which felt oddly similar to Tree Hill's. Going about my business, I felt that I was being bullied. People were shunning me and preventing me from doing things I had to do. All this orchestrated by a mischievous girl who greatly resembled Blair Waldorf.

Throughout the episode, I would randomly utter "Damn, I need to crap", although there was no immediate urge/pain/reflex to do so. People would then without fail, clog up the lines to the restrooms which was starting to get into my nerves.

Luckily enough, I chanced upon an occupied stall with no one waiting in line. After a while, I got impatient and looked over the stall door. What I saw was 'Blair' "brooking" herself, either tempting me or pissing me off.

So I woke up a bit dazed, then I ran off to the toilet. Damn poopy tea.

Two Zero Zero Nine

The year 2008 was a bit rough, with a lot of lows and some highs. May 2009 be fortunate, and I do hope to take more control of my destiny.

It's been a theme in my recent posts, but it's just over 4 months until I turn 30. Pictures from my last trip to pangasinan revealed an unsightly truth, that I'm overweight and out-of-shape. Time is ticking, bmac. Chop chop.

Strobist info: Camera on tripod, 10sec exposure. Handheld flash, radio triggered.