I got my new ATI card in the mail last week.  Pure awesomeness.  However, the technology in my old PC's old enough that I just had to do some major upgrading. (or, at least this was as good an excuse as any) 

Since this was technically my fifth machine, and I was disassembling an old one, I felt it best to christen this one, the Johnny 5.  Because I'm just that geeky.  80's references aside, I should point out that this is a milestone for me in many ways.  This is my first system with a video card fully certified to handle 3dsmax, Maya, and pretty much all the other 3D packages.  This is also my very first dual-boot machine.  That's right.  I'm no longer a Windows purest.  I now own a very intimidating Vista/Linux dual boot system.  Or...it will be when it's done.  I've still got to install Ubuntu, but once it's complete, I'll have my production station up and ready to go.  w00t!!!

Well, we finally got our little blurb on CGW.  You can view it here.  Pretty sweet!  More exposure!

Besides that, not a whole lot has been happening lately.  Jeremy Birn released a new lighting challenge today, so I'll be working hard on that and his previous ones until classes start on the 15th.  More outdoor lighting, which means more practice before I dive into my outdoor environment, professor willing.  It's funny.  I've been anticipating and preparing to start this project for weeks, but I still don't know if the professor will approve it.  Eh, I might come up with a backup plan just in case.  Might.

I'm also working on effects these next two weeks.  Unreal 3's Cascade editor is pretty cool.  Steam, small explosions, and rain are all within my grasp.  Bwahahaha!  But enough evil genious talk.

I played Metal Gear Solid 3 for hours on end last night.  PS3 backwards-compatibility is nice, but without a special adapter, you can't hook up your memory cards.  Starting over from the beginning was a pain, but it did give me a chance to re-live some classic MGS3 moments.  Ocelot's pansey call for help:  "Mrwawr!", Snake's constant staring and taste for every animal in the entire jungle: "Yea, yea, but how's it taste?", and who can forget the cheezy 007-esque "Snake Eater" opening sequence...45 minutes (if you're slow, like me) into the game?

Well, done, Kojima.  Classic.