Things have been getting fairly interesting here in Boston lately. I have only been here one month, and I've already made lots of friends, and even met a girl that I like! I never imagined that things would be going so well so quickly for me, but I'm very glad that they are. Although there have been a few complications, it has otherwise been enjoyable. I spent the weekend hanging out with LE, going to shops, visiting various parts of the city etc. We got to eat at various lovely restaurants, and I got to see parts of the city that I haven't seen before. I had my first trip to the Esplanade, my second (but first useful) trip to Newberry Street, and my first trip to the Galleria. I'm really happy that I get to spend time with such a lovely person, and I hope that we can get to know each other better in the future.

To those of you who have been caught in the middle of all of this, I apologize if I have made your lives any harder. I don't know if there is anything I can say or do for you that will make things any easier… I guess there really never is. I guess I'm thankful that everyone has been so nice about everything, and haven't made things more difficult than they already are.

In other, unrelated news… TG went with JR and MW to visit the wonderful world of Ikea. They brought home all kinds of wonderful things… when I came home they were nearly finished organizing the kitchen. The house is finally coming together! Now if only everything else could be so simple…

I've hit three record stores in the last week, and picked up ten albums: Alison Moyet – Essex
Chumbawamba – Tubthumper
Kim Wilde – Close
Mr. Mister – Go On
Pet Shop Boys – Fundamental
The Clash – London Calling
The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico
Semisonic – Feeling Strangely Fine
Squeeze – Singles: 45's and Under
Wilson Phillips – Wilson Phillips

Basically, all over the map.

Also posted at: last.fm

Okay, time for my irregular Gothador stats update.

Setting up a simple firewall/gateway using Linux couldn't be easier. This article on Linux Journal describes how to set up a Linux-based NAT system using only one NIC. Recently, Verizon decided to enforce their "one IP per connection" policy. While this is certainly understandable from a business perspective, it is extremely annoying from this customer's perspective. Since there are currently TWO computers connected to "my" DSL connection, I needed a way to NAT them back onto the Internet again.

Well, this is a major pain in the ass, as anyone who has done it can attest. I tried this before, using the old IP Chains method, with little success. (Mind you, I tried to do this using 10Base2 and some dodgy terminators, so it wasn't all software related.) Anyway, the trick to this set-up is using the new IP Tables routing system (nice) and Linux's ability to "alias" extra IP addresses onto existing interfaces.

I don't have PPPoE here (Verizon West, still running DHCP… a blessing), so my script is a little different. All I had to do was change the reference to

ppp0

to

eth0

to reflect the change in my connection method, and… Viola! Now packets are routed from one Windsong, through Golubo, and onto the wider Internet, using the same network interface. Very nice, very nice indeed.

It's time for another Gothador Stats Update!

I have gone up quite a bit since my last update, so here are my current stats.

There was an invasion of Yvews in Gothador today. I managed to kill seven Yvews, six Enhanced Yvews, and four Yvew Lords. These are very powerful transdimensional creatures that give lots of experience points (especially if you make the last few hits with the Drow Dagger). I managed to go up plenty of levels, and got lots of neat items — including three spells. I got KS'ed twice, though. The first time it was by Slayer, the second time was by Rhaetou. I did get the items and gp from these creatures, at least.

For those of you who are in the Cult of Faeries, just drop me an email if you need some Yvew items.

Well… I haven't posted anything in a while, so I figure I'll tell you a little about my progress in Gothador and tell you my current stats. Well, I've been hunting and questing and generally just running around all over Gothador. Mostly, I've stuck to hunting in the Dark Forest (high XP creatures seem to hide there). I've gotten up to level 55, although some of that is due to using Ultimate Speed Potions. (Grrr.)

Yesterday, I went on a group hunt with the rest of our "cult" (The Cult of the Faeries of Gothador). To those of you who are alarmed by the idea of your Fearless Leader belonging to a cult… fear not. That is merely the name that Hunted Cow Studios gave to a group of players in Gothador (like a party in D&D). Anyway… we hunted down many Gargants, which are hard to kill and barely worth the effort. It basically takes team effort to kill those things, and it has to be done in order to complete the Consolidated Perfection quest. (A noble goal, indeed.)

Anyway, as I promised, here are my stats:

So, until next time, Adieu!

Recently, in addition to playing the Vampires game, I have also been playing Gothador. It is similar, in that it is a grid-based MMORPG, but it isn't simply about vampires and biting. In the Gothador realm, you battle with a myriad of mythical creatures, ranging from bats, rats and dogs to goblins, orcs and demons. There is danger lurking around every corner, and (after you get a few levels and items) it is quite fun. Good luck, and happy hunting!

Oh, and if you get stuck, you can get info on everything in the game by checking out the Guild of Wisdom.

The Allurists Guild informs you that business near Walrus and 68th has been slow lately. Persuade 3 prestigious vampires (with at least 500 blood) to visit The Cart and Castle there and tell the bartender "alexdw sent me". You have ten days. You must not set foot inside the pub yourself during the quest – drunks give us a bad name.