Pages

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Announcement - Hit with the Flu

Hello everyone,

I know the one and only question you are probably asking is: Where. Have. You. Been?! Let me answer that right now. The title of this post sort of gives it away, I hope. A few hours after noon on Tuesday I got really sick and it turns out I had the flu. I spent the rest of Tuesday and all of Wednesday (basically 2 full days) where I could not even sit up. Luckily, this morning when I woke up, I felt fine. Just hungry and sore.

About being sore... well, let's just say all of yesterday I had been on the couch with my neck leaning
back on the arm of the couch. Bad idea. Along with my back already being sore, I can barely move my neck right now because of how sore it is. So I have not had a very good past 2 days.

I am sorry for not posting, and I really wanted to get the Portal into the Past done yesterday, but like I said, I had the flu. So I am going to get the research done and hopefully have the Portal into the Past posted sometime tomorrow. Hopefully I am not hit with the flu again anytime soon, but who knows? I will get to work on the research needed for the Portal into the Past which will hopefully be posted tomorrow. Thanks for reading this quick announcement!

And just as a quick note: No matter how much you like something, doing it for two days will tire you out so much you will probably fall asleep. Yes, that is what happened to me. I love watching Youtube videos from BajanCanadian, JeromASF, Lachlan, PrestonPlayz, Mr.Woofless, and Vikkstar123, as well as some other Minecraft Youtubers. So I spent all of Wednesday (because Tuesday I was practically sleeping the whole time) watching those Youtubers on the Kindle. And even though Youtube is one of my favorite things to do, I fell asleep I was so bored. So my recommendation: when you are sick, try doing something that you don't often do so you will not get bored of that thing.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

My First Gaming PC - Borg-Q FX Quad-Core Win 8.1

Hello everyone,

About yesterday: I am sorry for not posting yesterday. But I had just got a new PC and it took a long time to set up and I had some internet issues. By the time it was ready to use, and I got Minecraft downloaded, I was trying to decide what to do Minecraft Monday about. It turns out I don't have a webcam like I first thought because we got rid of it. Because of that, I could not do a video like planned. So I then was going to take screenshots of the mod Madpack 2 which I just got for the first time. But it turns out advancing in that mod takes forever so I did not have much to get screenshots of. And long story short, I  ended up with nothing for Minecraft Monday and I had to go to bed. But I will get something up here soon for Minecraft. Also, I have a slight change of plans. I don't think I will always do Minecraft Monday. Things have happened where I just don't have any topics or the time and then you all get disappointed. So now you know that there might not always be a Minecraft Monday. But I will still try to get them every Monday.

And the news? Okay, I am sorry for that slight rant. Like I basically said, I was pretty busy yesterday. But what is this post about? Well, I got my first ever gaming PC yesterday. It is a Borg-Q FX Quad-Core Win 8.1. So today I decided to do some sort of review of it. Here is the review:

I enjoy the Borg-Q FX Quad-Core Win 8.1 very much. Compared to my old PC, which was just a basic computer, this one is way faster. I mean it is lightning fast. Even with my poor internet speed out where I live (in a small farm town in Washington with a population of about 400 people) I can still do everything without lag.

I mainly play Minecraft, but I use a lot of mods and I play all the mega-servers. Before, whenever doing a game like Hunger Games through Minecraft servers, I would freeze, skip frames, or Minecraft would just completely shut down. Plus, I could only run smaller mods and nothing super good. But yesterday when I was trying out my new PC, I can play anything without lag. The only lag I did have was a little bit of server lag, but it was only when loading the mini-game for Skywars.

Along with servers, I downloaded a very large mod I have wanted for a long time called Madpack 2. Madpack 2 has about 137 mods all put together. When I had my old PC, there would be no way I could get Madpack 2 to work without wrecking my computer and Minecraft. But once again, the Borg-Q FX Quad-Core Win 8.1 lets me play Madpack 2 just like playing normal Single player Minecraft, meaning no lag.

Along with Minecraft, I play Terraria, but I have yet to try that out on my new PC. But an old issue was Youtube. I watch a lot of Youtube videos from Minecraft Youtubers like BajanCanadian and the "Pack" and people like Orepros and SethBling. But in the past, Youtube would run so bad that there was really no point in watching it. Yet, since getting the Borg-Q FX, I can watch my typical Youtube videos with no issues.

Now yes, I know a problem with my old PC was probably the graphics and video cards. I even looked, and both my graphic and video cards are way below average which explains my PC problems. But I got this new PC so I could have top performance instead of just replacing the cards.

The pros about the Borg-Q FX Quad-Core Win 8.1 that I have noticed are:
  • No lag in gaming or when using mods/playing large, usually laggy servers
  •  Quick on uploading and downloading things
  • Quick on loading pages
  • High quality PC
  • Great price
  • Quick on starting up the computer after being on Sleep or being shut down for the night
  • There are a lot of fans so it will not overheat unlike most PC's
  • Plenty of room inside to upgrade/add more parts
  • And, of course, the PC looks super cool with the lights and design

Cons:
None that I have seen yet.

Notes:
The Borg-Q FX Quad-Core Win 8.1 runs on Windows 8.1 which I have only used on my grandma's computer during the summer. But so far, even though I know most people don't like it, Windows 8.1 is a new, interesting thing to use. I am still not 100% sure on my opinion on the new Windows, but my only "complaint" is it is sort of hard to switch from internet to start menu to desktop. But I bet there is an easier way to navigate through those pages. Overall, Windows 8.1 is pretty good. And the Borg-Q FX Quad-Core Win 8.1 is just one 7-letter word - amazing.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

The Hero's Prophecy Series - An Interview with the Heroes

Hello everyone,

As you might know, I mentioned yesterday doing a post that gives an update on The Hero's Prophecy Series possibly for today. Well, I decided to something a little more interesting. I remembered that in the past I did an "interview" with Steve, Hero, and Sadie - three of the characters from the Hero's Prophecy series. But two of those characters are not introduced until Book 3. And the real action with them is not until Book 4. So I want to do another character interview, but with more of the Heroes. Those Heroes include Steve, Sadie, Hero, Niamey, TheBest, Archer, Zalia, DragonSlayer, and Justin. Here is an Questions and Answers Interview with some of the well-known Heroes:

Steve, how do you feel being the Prophecy Child knowing that one day you must kill the King of Darkness?
I... I don't really know. I lived almost my whole life on a farm, and only recently started training in the Nether [In Book 4]. If my father, uncle, and great-uncle could not kill the Dragon, then what is the chance I can? I might be brave, and I would never admit this to anyone, but I don't think I can slay the King alone. I believe that every hero needs help in life from people who care.
Archer, what were your feelings after Zalia tried permanently killing you the first time?
At first I was just shocked to be alive. If it was not for DragonSlayer's skilled father, I would have died in the woods then devoured by Zombies or Wolves. But after that phase passed, I really just felt lost, gone. I guess that is why I took to such a violent but hidden fighting life. I needed something to cover up my lost and grief. I was not at all angry at Zalia, nor at myself or anyone else. The only thing to blame was her disease. But even now, I feel the pain. I love my sister more than anything, even with her disease. And to know that she is still out there and safe after what happened... well, it makes me feel more complete.
TheBest, why do you cover up your help-needing self as a cruel, lying, powerful kid?
First of all, I am not "help needing". Yeah, I lost my parents. But that does not mean I will go crying to Steve saying "help me, help me!". Also, I am not cruel. I am strong, powerful, and feared. I do lie about things too, but that is just necessary. If people knew I was fifteen and not sixteen as I claim, my status would fall. If I gave mercy to the new people of Mineville, my popularity would go to nothing. To have power, you have to have people's fear. And to have their fear, you have to be strong and be able to lie and bring a sword down on someone's head.
DragonSlayer, would you really do anything to save Steve? And if so, would you do it just because of Notch's law or because of your friendship?
I would do anything to save Steve, or anyone else close to me. I would not want to die and leave him behind, but I would if I needed to. And as to what I am, I am unsure. I believe in Notch's law to protect Steve with everything and do not doubt his power. But I also do not protect just because some immortal king tells me to. Even if it was against the law, I would still protect Steve with my life. So I guess it is because of our friendship because I know Steve would do the same for me.
Zalia, do you ever think about your brother, Archer? And if you do, what do you think about him?
My brother Archer is a... a rough topic. I love him, of course. But after what happened those many years ago, I feel that he is just a ghost in my memory. Even though we met again, I could only force myself to believe he was a ghost. Archer was supposed to be dead, whether I wanted it or not. But I do think about him. A lot. And I have mixed feelings and thoughts. I always think about what happened, what might have happened, our future if I was not what I am, and whether or not Archer still exists in the world. Part of me denies all I have seen in the past few months since the Zombie Appocalypse. But I can only keep myself from thinking the never ending "What if..." questions.
Niamey, why do you help Steve so much even though you seem to hate him?
Well, I don't hate Steve. But I don't like him much either. The thing is, before my mom went out to find my father, and before leaving me, she left me a note. The girl who rescued me had kept the letter, and I treat it now like a life because it is all I have left of my mother. That note told me all about the Prophecy and the importance to protect Steve. Even if I don't like Steve, my mom did. Or at least, she wanted to protect him. And because of that, I have no choice but to do the same. Yet, I tend to help Steve more in words. I give him parts of his past and future and give some advice. Either way, I am just doing what I believe is right.
Sadie, how was it being possessed by the King of Darkness [in Book 4]?
I do not remember much from then. I saw some parts of what I was doing, hearing, and saying, but I had no control over myself. I remembered when I called Steve a monster though... and I could hear the Dragon whispering in my head, forcing me to say and do things that I would never even think about. The Dragon is pure evil, and I cannot wait until he is destroyed for good. And one of the things I find so horrible now is that even though I have so much book knowledge, it was not enough to help me. That alone just proves how different and powerful the King is.
Hero, you are considered a cool kid. But why did most people not take you seriously when you went to the schools to warn them about the Dragon returning?
Sadly, it is because of who I am and the news I was delivering. First off, no matter how "cool" I look, I have white eyes. Most people still believe Herobrine as some evil ghost thing. And seeing me? Well... only one can imagine what went through those teens' heads. Secondly, who wants to believe that the King of Darkness has returned again? I sure would not. Not to mention I was not from any of the schools I warned. Just that alone is enough to make most people not believe me.
Justin, what made you sacrifice yourself for the remaining survivors, even after your whole family was dead [assuming ghosts can talk]?
I had a duty to complete. My mom basically sacrificed herself to find my father. That left Millie's life in my hands. And when that Zombie killed her... I knew nothing else mattered. My parents were dead. My sister was dead. What else was there to live for? But of course, there was something else to live for. Even before Steve came crashing through my back door I had a mission. I wanted to prove my worth to my family, even if it killed me. Once Steve came, that gave me a firm idea. I decided to do all I could to protect him and help the others if it meant proving I still cared to my lost family. If my family had not died, or even if just Millie had not died, I probably would not have sacrificed myself. I would be too afraid, and I would not want to abandon my family. But when everything is lost, the only option left is to take the role of a leader or hero. That is exactly what I did and I do not regret my option at all.
 
 
I hoped you enjoyed today's THP Heroes Interview, and I will probably bring you more. I am sorry for the lack of a picture for Justin; I have yet to make one. All the pictures I drew. I will, along with getting Justin's picture up, update Zalia's once I draw the background to hers. Either way, I hope you enjoyed this interview. Also, for a quick update, Book 1 is done. I am just waiting for my mom to finish reading it before I decide what to do next. As for the website that goes along with the series, it is nearly done. I just have to add some more pictures for the characters which I hope will be done by this weekend. Then I will quickly check the pages to make sure there are no typos/spelling errors and then I will post the link on  here. Also, I probably won't have posts - or at least any long ones - every week from Friday-Sunday because I am really busy those three days. Typically, I will post on Monday-Thursday. Thanks again for reading this!

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Portal into the Past - Egypt, Washington Missile Silo (Site 8)

Portal Into The Past

Hello everyone, 

As you might know, today is the first "Portal into the Past". So what is it, exactly? Basically, the Portal Into the Past series will be on Wednesday unless research takes longer than planned. Every weekend, my family and I go Geocaching to local areas. What I then do is pick my favorite location we went to that weekend and start researching the area. Then on Wednesday (unless research takes longer than planned) I will write a "Portal into the Past" post on this blog and add the pictures I took over the weekend. That is the basics to my Portal Into The Past posts.

Over the weekend, my family and I were Geocaching around Egypt, Washington which is in Lincoln county. Well, one of the Geocaches we went to was near a Minuteman Missile Silo. My dad went out to
find the cache when the owner of the area came. So my dad was talking to him, and finally he asked if we could go into the Silo. The owner said yes, but only me and my dad could go in because it was too dangerous for younger kids (I have four younger siblings, all 10 and younger). So we grabbed a flashlight and headed over to the Missile Silo. The picture to the left shows the outside of the Silo.

Inside was the storage area where the owner was storing hay and an old car. So while researching, I discovered that first of all, this Missile Silo was a Minuteman missile silo which meant it could launch in 15 minutes. The Fairchild Airforce Base (near Airway Heights) had 9 Minuteman Missile Silos in
different locations. Site 8 is in Egypt, Washington which is the one I went to over the weekend. As I was reading, there would be an underground Missile Launching area called the coffin. The coffin would be covered by a 42-ton steel lid. That would be 150 feet away from the crew living area, power plant, and the control consoles. There would be a tunnel that led from the coffin (where the missile would be held) to the other things I mentioned. The tunnel would look like the picture on the right I took. Also, all these pictures were pitch black but I had flash on my camera plus we had the flashlight which helped.

During the time the missile silo was on alert, it was during the Cold War. We had the Atlas E (the nine Fairchild Airforce Base missiles) aimed at Cuba. The ones down in Texas and Missouri were aimed elsewhere because if they fired at Cuba, it would go right over it and land into the ocean instead. But Washington state was far enough away that aiming at Cuba worked. One thing that you should know is that each of the nine missiles, including the one I visited, were 100 times more powerful than the atomic bomb we dropped on Nagasaki in 1945. Each missile was 84 feet long had a 4-megaton atomic bomb attached to it. Every Atlas E site had only one of these missiles.

Each Atlas E site (including Site 8) were on a 20 acre facility with the launch and control area being 5 acres of that 20. At first, they had a fence surrounding only the five acres for the launch and control area, but then they made a fence around the whole 20 acres. Each site cost 4 million dollars to build and it was strong enough to withstand a nearby nuclear bomb blast.

To enter the Silo, there is a giant giant steel door weighing multiple tons that leads to the above-ground part where the coffin is located. The large door is 16 inches thick, 15 feet wide, and 17 feet tall. Then to enter the tunnels to the power plant, control consoles, and living area, there is a smaller door made of steel. The picture above, left shows what I think would be part of the living area.

The coffin was 105 feet by 100 feet with a central bay where the missile would be stored horizontally. The fuel that would propel the missile would be made up of a mixture of liquid oxygen and kerosene. But this was a problem because to fuel the missile, it had to be on the surface where the missile was vulnerable. And they could not pre-fuel the missile because it had to be empty when in the coffin. Also, the fueling process was extremely dangerous because of the fuel volatility.

When the Atlas E silos were active, they had the crew members working 24 hours shifts. They had 3 communication systems which connected them to the Strategic Air Command. The Atlas E Site 8 (Egypt, Washington Missile I went to) was only on full alert once. That was during the 13 days in October, 1962 when the Cuban Missile Crisis was happening. But the missile was never launched and the silo was deactivated on June 25, 1965. It had first been activated on April 1, 1960. Now eight of the nine Atlas E missile silo sites are privately owned. The one that is not privately owned is in Reardan, if I remember correctly. The picture to the above, right shows the label of the Strategic Air Command which is what the 3 communication systems connected to. 
 

The picture to the right shows the locations of the nine Atlas E missile sites. I hope you all enjoyed - and learned from - the first Portal into the Past of Egypt, Washington Missile Silo (Site 8). The next one should be on Wednesday, the 29th. Meanwhile, you can keep an eye out for tomorrow's post which I believe will give you an update on what is going on with the The Hero's Prophecy Series as well as the website that goes along with it. Thanks for reading this, and I hoped you enjoyed today's Portal into the Past!