Broken Computer

Well, my GeForce 8800 GTS decided it didn't want to live anymore last Sunday, so since that day I've been without computer. Sure, I have my laptop - my six year old Medion laptop from Aldi (I was actually looking for a new, but I guess that must wait). Just to whine a bit more, the Friday before my television providor (YouSee) decided to change my full subscription to the basic package leaving my with a very limited amout of channels to choose from.

Hopefully, someone will come this weekend to look at my computer to see what needs changing. With a bit of luck (please!) I can do with just a new graphic card and an extra ram block (I only have 2GB now). If there's room (I don't think there is) I'll get a new internal harddrive too - I need a fresh install of Windows (haven't decided whether it should be 7, or just XP again) and I need to backup the stuff from the old harddrive. Plus, I could use the extra space.

If everything goes as planned, I should be back online with a new and improved computer within the next week. Then I just need to find a new name for it (Skaery is my laptop, and Hal, Chegg, and Zoey were my previous computers).


EDIT:
New parts have now been ordered. I decided to go with a XFX Radeon HD4870 with 1GB and a fresh couple of RAM blocks 2x2GB. Actually I wanted the HD5850 card, since it's only the 5000-series that supports DirectX11, but that series is more or less impossible to get in Denmark at the moment, and I can't wait until someone get some home. Never the less, HD4870 is still much better than my old 8800 GTS 320MB card, and it's only half the price of the HD5850 card. Sadly, though, the place I ordered the gfx card from didn't have any at home, but they should get some on Tuesday, and then with a bit of luck I'll have it by Wednesday (that is, unless they decide to show up when I'm not home).

At the moment the plan is:

1. Replace the RAM (should come Tuesday)
2. Install the new gfx card (hopefully no later then Wednesday)
3. Clean around the spot where my computer usually stands
4. Do a backup of my game files
5. Find a new internal harddrive with around 1TB (might wait a week with this)
6. Find a good version of Windows 7
7. Format C:

100% on Toki Tori

Another game for the collection. Toki Tori, this small indie platform/puzzle game with 80+ levels ranking from easy to almost impossible was really fun to play. You play as Toki, a small cute chicking collecting eggs for something (spoiler free). In each level you'll get a number of items to use such as bridges, telewarps and bubbles. You'll need to plan ahead and carefully use your items in the right places, which can be very demanding from time to time.

Overall, with the price tag of $4.99/4,49€ (and 25% at release) this is a must have for puzzle lovers. The fact that the team behind the game actually adds stuff to the game after release enhances this point. So far they've added two community levels and a new one is comming plus something extra (I might not have 100% after this update!). A MetaScore of 81 is very well deserved, and I would give it 8/10.

3rd Place

After fighting hard to keep my 5th spot on SteamStats on the top list I actually managed to get enough points to reach 3rd place. A lot of these points game from the small indie puzzle game Bob Came in Pieces where I did a few speed run achievements.

100% on D.I.P.R.I.P. Warm Up

Finally, I managed to get the last two achievements I was missing in D.I.P.R.I.P. (Die In Pain Rest In Peace). This game/mod is one big grind, and after doing all the other grinding a long time ago I was still about 2000 kills short in the Team Mate (kill 5000 as a team) and Level 7 - Rolling Carnage (kill 5000) achievements. All that's done now, and I can leave this game to D.I.P.R.I.P..

Computational Commutative Algebra with Singular - Ideals, Varieties, and Gröbner Basis

I finally finished my MAT5 (semi-thesis) last week. The exam went just fine even though I was sick I felt nauseous all day. Well, if you feel like learning about of ideals, varieties, and Gröbner bases in a polynomial ring here is my project.

LINK

Synopsis

We will begin by introducing some of the basic objects of the reports, such as the polynomial ring, ideals, and varieties. The computer algebra system Singular will be used throughout the report to help with the calculations.
The Gröbner bases will be introduced, and these will allow us solve various problems, such as to determine if a given polynomial lies in a given ideal, and to ease the calculation of common solutions for a set of equations.
The correspondence between ideals and varieties will be proved, and examples will be given to show these correspondences. In the last part, mappings between varieties and the quotient of the polynomial ring modulo an ideal will be studied.

The 50 Worst Movies Ever

The magazine Empire made a poll to determine the 50 worst movies ever made. Here is that list (source):

50. Spider-Man 3
49. Showgirls
48. Town & Country
47. Soul Plane
46. Howard the Duck
45. Blade Trinity
44. The Matrix Revolutions
43. Year One
42. Parting Shots
41. Van Helsing
40. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
39. Dungeons and Dragons
38. Son of the Mask
37. Max Payne
36. Eragon
35. House of the Dead
34. I Know Who Killed Me
33. Ultraviolet
32. The Spirit
31. The Pink Panther 2
30. Scary Movie
29. Southland Tales
28. The Sweetest Thing
27. Street Fighter
26. Glitter
25. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
24. Speed 2
23. Freddy Got Fingered
22. Jaws: The Revenge
21. Alone in the Dark
20. Swept Away
19. Gigli
18. Dreamcatcher
17. White Chicks
16. Plan 9 From Outer Space
15. Catwoman
14. Disaster Movie
13. The Avengers
12. Norbit
11. Meet The Spartans
10. The Room
09. Highlander 2: The Quickening
08. The Happening
07. Sex Lives of The Potato Men
06. Heavan's Gate
05. Epic Movie
04. Raise The Titanic
03. The Love Guru
02. Battlefield Earth
01. Batman and Robin

Achievement Stats for January 2010

Here are my achievement stats for January 2010.

Total Number of Achievement Games: 91 (86)

• Toki Tori
• Bob Came in Pieces
• Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly Academy
• Zero Gear
• Wings of Prey

Total Number of Achievements: 3643 (3243)

Total Number of Achievement Points: 4808,76 (3768,83)

Average Points Per Achievement: 1,32 (1,16)

Achievement Games Owned: 69 (63)

•  Toki Tori
•  Bob Came in Pieces
•  Zero Gear
• Aquaria
• And Yet It Moves

Achievements Earned: 1747 (1480)

Achievement Points: 1784,35 (1287,28)

Average Points Per Achievement: 1,02 (0,87)

Complete list of new achievements earned:

• (Jan 31) Champions Online: Vanquished Rakshasa, Raiders on the Storm, Ceiling Cat.
• (Jan 31) Bob Came in Pieces: Chapter 8 - All Parts, Chapter 9 - All Parts, Chapter 10 - All Parts, Chapter 12 - All Parts, Chapter 13 - All Parts, The Rare Syndrome. 
• (Jan 30) Champions Online: Avalanche, Lemuria History: Rastrinfhar's Abyss, Vanquished Captain Claw , Swabbie, Bottom Feeder, Parole Officer.
• (Jan 30) Bob Came in Pieces: Chapter 4 - All Parts, Chapter 5 - All Parts, Chapter 6 - All Parts, Chapter 7 - All Parts, Chapter 1 - Silver Time, Chapter 1 - Gold Time.
• (Jan 30) Champions Online: Murky Waters, Jolt, Vanquished Roman Stepanov, Cherenkov's Radiation, Half Full, Bleak Minion Assault.
• (Jan 29) Champions Online: Robots, Radiation, and Rampage, Crisis Beneath the Sea, Lemuria: Explorer, Fully Submersible, Murky Waters.
• (Jan 29) Bob Came in Pieces: Chapter 10 - Rusty Cage, Chapter 11 - All Parts, Partpourri, Chapter 11 - Purple Rain, Chapter 12 - You Spin Me Round, Chapter 14 - Gold Time, Chapter 13 - Drop It Like It's Hot, Back To Work!, Chapter 14 - Silver Time.
• (Jan 27) Champions Online: The Flame of Krim.
• (Jan 27) Bob Came in Pieces: Chapter 7 - Push It!, Chapter 8 - Search and Destroy, Chapter 9 - Let Me Blow Your Mind.
• (Jan 26) Bob Came in Pieces: Chapter 1 - We Didn't Start the Fire, Chapter 2 - Part Shaped Box, Chapter 3 - Build Me Up Buttercup, Chapter 3 - All Parts, Chapter 4 - Rocketman, Chapter 5 - Underground, Chapter 6 - Run to the Hills.
• (Jan 26) Champions Online: Monster Island: Cartographer, Monster Island: Spawn Camper, Banzai Pipeline, Hole In The Wall, The Qularr De-Fleeted, Flyswatter, Grease Monkey, Bait & Switch.
• (Jan 26) Champions Online: The Wild Life, Corporate Malfeasance, Baywatch, Stop and smell the..., Drill Bits, Head for the Hills.
• (Jan 25) Left 4 Dead 2: GAS GUZZLER.
• (Jan 25) Champions Online: Flame-kissed, Vanquished Hyrg Coruscator, The Unnatural Imbalance, The Wild Life.
• (Jan 25) Champions Online: Banisher.
• (Jan 22) Champions Online: Vanquished Escaped Qularr Swarmlord, Conviction, Novicius.
• (Jan 21) Torchlight: Line of Kings, Trolling for Punishment.
• (Jan 19) Torchlight: The Need for Greed, Bum Luck, Hardcore Hero, Deep Delver, True Delver.
• (Jan 19) Champions Online: Necrullitic Research, Blazing, Ghost Hunter, Slightly Queasy, Vanquished Necrull, Vanquished Zarn, Monster Island History: Andrithal, Necrull Intentions, When a Curse is a Blessing, Steam Bath.
• (Jan 18) Champions Online: Canada History: Lynx Fold, Canada History: Hoarfrost Hills, Historian: Canada.
• (Jan 18) Champions Online: Communication Breakdown, A Taste for the Toxic, Home on the Range, Tower Assault, Tower Defense, Respect for the Dead, Canada History: Lynx Fold.
• (Jan 18) Champions Online: BASE Jumper, Three Coins, Get to the Choppa, Adaware, Top of the World.
• (Jan 17) Zuma's Revenge: Foie Gras.
• (Jan 17) Left 4 Dead 2: SHOCK JOCK, THE REAL DEAL.
• (Jan 17) Zero Gear: Gentleman's Wager, Frozen Finish, Comeback, All You Need is Love, Paratrooper.
• (Jan 17) Zero Gear: Pacifist, Pirate Party, War Games, Termination, Easy Rider, Inspector Kemp, Gentleman's Wager, Frozen Finish, Comeback.
• (Jan 16) Champions Online: Vanquished Nest Leader Tadataka, Vanquished Ripper, Hatchling Assault , Vanquished Dr. Dino Demogaard, Monster Island History: Echinocos Shores, I Am the Egg-Man, Monster Island History: Slither Beach, Egg-Static, The Cast Away, Worshipped, Islander, Vanquished Slug, Alternative Energies, Gekko, Nest of Serpents.
• (Jan 15) Champions Online: Apocalypse Survivor, Surrounded By Evil, Be Prepared.
• (Jan 15) Champions Online: Vanquished Tilingkoot, Vanquished Mind Slayer, The Demon of the Lost, Monster Island: Explorer, Apocalypse Survivor.
• (Jan 15) Zero Gear: Overachiever, Screwed.
• (Jan 15) Nation Red: Ladies First, Right-Hand Man.
• (Jan 15) Champions Online: Blue Collar, Monster Island History: Argent Corporate Wildlife Preserve, Taking a Peak, Vanquished Steel Commando, Corporate Predators, Tall Tale, War of the 'Foots, Canada: Cartographer, Canada: Spawn Camper.
• (Jan 14) Champions Online: Get to the Point, Blue Collar.
• (Jan 14) Zero Gear: Triple Flip, Ultimate Indie Gamer, Nail Biter, Float Like a Butterfly, Draft Master, Climate Change, Deep 6, Rocket Sauce, Good Sport, K.O., Use the Force, Deep Space.
• (Jan 14) Zero Gear: Sting Like a Bee, Flippin Awesome, Barrel Roll, BFF, Double Flip, PWNT.
• (Jan 13) Champions Online: Beachcomber, A Tree Grows in Westside, Vanquished Giant Destroid, Destruction of Mass Production.
• (Jan 13) Champions Online: Vanquished White Rhino, Manimal Victory, Master of Manimals, Vanquished Mega-Terak, Monster Island History: Wayfarer Coast, No Probes Allowed, Beachcomber.
• (Jan 13) Torchlight: Hat Trick, Passing the Torch, Hardcore Champion, Questor, The Long Haul, Noble Lineage.
• (Jan 13) Zuma's Revenge: Justified and Ancient, My Cup Runneth Over.
• (Jan 13) Champions Online: Vanquished Neanderthal, Guest Star.
• (Jan 13) Champions Online: Machine Revolution, Lemuria History: Undying Reef, Guppy, Riders in the Sky, Flak Attack, Vanquished Windfist, Desert Bounty Hunter, Vanquished Neanderthal.
• (Jan 12) Zuma's Revenge: We've Got Clearance, Clarence.
• (Jan 11) Zuma's Revenge: You Want Fries With That?.
• (Jan 11) Champions Online: March of the Manimals.
• (Jan 10) Champions Online: Jar Collector, Maggot.
• (Jan 09) Left 4 Dead 2: HEARTWARMER.
• (Jan 08) Champions Online: Vanquished Dr. Destroyer.
• (Jan 08) Zuma's Revenge: I Will Survive, Iron Will.
• (Jan 08) Torchlight: Pension Plan, Superstar, Universally Understood.
• (Jan 08) Zombie Driver: Sunken Hope.
• (Jan 08) Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter: Game Master, Co-op Hippy, Serious Co-op.
• (Jan 07) Champions Online: Lifeguard, Little Nook, Desert History: Area 51, Historian: Desert, Desert History: Project Stein, Pit VIPER, Offensive Line, Citizen Grond, Unsafe, Jailbird, Made in China, Dragon's Roost.
• (Jan 07) Champions Online: Island Hopping, Monster Island History: Wells' Pass, Lifeguard, Little Nook.
• (Jan 06) Champions Online: Mad Bling, Manimal Resources, Accident Prone, Twisted, Vanquished Ultimate Mind, Teleios' Journals, Imitation of Life, Walk with the Manimals, Hot Stuff, Private Practice.
• (Jan 06) Torchlight: Price of Loyalty, Sir Mixes-a-lot.
• (Jan 06) Champions Online: Manimal Assault, Vanquished Hyena Swine, Manimal Crossing.
• (Jan 05) Torchlight: Modpocalypse, Rich, Beast Slayer II, Beast Slayer III, Hardcore God, Swift Execution, Speed King, Enchantment Overload, Transmogrifier, Gambling Enthusiast, Gambling Addict, Gambling Fiend, Epic Strike, The Horse Whisperer.
• (Jan 05) Galactic Bowling: Flawless Finish.
• (Jan 05) Champions Online: Purifier, Searching In Shadows, Johnston's Private Reserve, Ghost Camp, Secure the Perimeter, The Beast Within.
• (Jan 04) Foreign Legion: Buckets of Blood: War Hero, What a plot twist!.
• (Jan 04) Galactic Bowling: Noob, Nemesis, Champion Among Friends, Partial Credit, 710.
• (Jan 04) Champions Online: Canuck, Canada History: Burial Butte, Good for the Spirit, Vanquished Paul Johnston, Maple Leaf, Great Demon Assault.
• (Jan 03) Zuma's Revenge: Multiplicity.
• (Jan 03) Zuma's Revenge: Zhaka MuMu, Chains of Love.
• (Jan 02) Galactic Bowling: The Chosen One, Ladies Man, Triple Sacked.