tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9297773851987196032012-01-04T23:35:32.259-08:00A collection of thoughts, opinions, questions, information, and links on stuff that interests me.Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.comBlogger541100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-72998003579343308882010-09-03T12:21:00.001-07:002010-09-03T12:35:34.142-07:00

We finally made it...In the past couple of months we've managed to buy a house, move into it and -- most importantly -- get rid of the landlords whom we rented the old apartment from. And the things I could tell about the landlords are unbelievable, but I will just summarize it into this: they are a bunch of selfish, snotty, manipulating, money-grubbing, antisocial gangsters and I'm EXTREMELY

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-87508682589235634872010-06-13T13:18:00.001-07:002010-06-28T00:10:41.509-07:00

Like many other of my fellow countrymen and -women I voted for a new Belgian senate and chamber of representatives today. But unlike the most of them, I was also an election judge (called "bijzitter" in Dutch).Being such is cause for grieve for many but I never understood why. Okay, you have to spend a day away from home, but other than that what's the big deal?Today I've been proven right. My

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-78722808500037804702010-05-06T02:14:00.001-07:002010-05-10T04:41:16.597-07:00

After a short time of unemployment in December (which I preferred to call 'my well-deserved vacation') I managed to find a new job as a software developer at Softkinetic. It's a rapidly growing company specialized in what they call 'natural interfaces'.We develop the technology that allows people to interact with any device by means of body movement through the use of a 3D camera. It's about the

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-37109043810779119942010-04-29T12:45:00.000-07:002010-04-29T12:50:33.623-07:00

My fellow roleplayers and I have recently 'finished' our D&D4 campaign. That is to say, we defeated the Big Bad Evil Guy and (kind of sort of) neutralized the threat. There are still plenty of loose ends that we can tie up, but nothing significant to prevent a welcome ingame vacation.We've taken this opportunity to start something new -- at least for a while. The DM has become a player and yours

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-8368902298189735292010-02-24T11:33:00.000-08:002010-02-24T11:35:07.563-08:00

Unbelievable. I never thought it possible, but Douglas Adams did it again. This book is utterly fantastic, just like The Hitch Hiker's Guide -- maybe even better.I started reading this book with relatively low expectations -- I knew it would be good, but I thought it would not live up to The Hitch Hiker's Guide. And that assumption only made this experience so much the better. Again, his writings

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-282887756055112362010-01-22T07:15:00.000-08:002010-01-22T11:48:02.768-08:00

So we finally got the results of the first round of RPG Superstar 2010.As expected, I didn't make the top 32, but I did manage to get some unofficial feedback on my submission. It didn't turn out to be too bad; only some game mechanics were not right (the item seemed to be way too expensive for what it could do). Personally, though, I think it also lacked serious sex appeal to be RPG Superstar

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-13211336885767166352010-01-19T11:54:00.000-08:002010-01-19T12:01:58.867-08:00

It's been years since I've played my guitar, but I'm sitting here right now with 'The Axe' on my lap. I've pulled up a tab of Master of Puppets by Metallica and am practicing away at the intro riffs.I must say, after years of inactivity, I haven't lost much of my previously acquired 'skills' (actually, I'm reluctant to call it skills, because I'm far from good, but I can find no better word for

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-82865571965703648452010-01-15T12:52:00.000-08:002010-01-15T13:03:43.255-08:00

Almost everybody in my branch must have heard about Google Wave by now -- the new "communication and collaboration platform" developed by Google. Even though it's still in beta stage, many people already benefit from its uses. It hasn't replaced any of my trusted tools yet (MonkeyGTD as a ToDo-application, TiddlyWiki as an information designing tool, Evernote for collecting tidbits of information

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-30820484707071893092010-01-13T00:21:00.000-08:002010-01-15T13:04:50.482-08:00

Following ancient tradition -- I'm guessing three years now -- Paizo has kicked off this year's RPG Superstar design contest, an event in which everyone interested in RPG design can compete in several rounds for the title of Superstar. It's an excellent way to make a name for oneself and get a foot in the door for a professional career in this excitingly creative business. The winner gets to

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-28890779121086422622009-12-18T10:31:00.001-08:002009-12-19T02:23:12.404-08:00

It's been a while since I posted something useful on this blog, so evidently a lot has happened since. Instead of making this a four and a half page long discourse of recent (and not so recent) events, I'll try to keep it short. I've had a weird run-in (or should I say 'run-over') with a cat, bought a new car and a new computer, and lost my job.About the cat, I'm currently trying to write this

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-16489498210253039522009-10-07T04:11:00.000-07:002009-10-07T04:18:31.812-07:00

The major problem -- one of the major problems, for there are several -- one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them.To summarize: it's a well known fact, that those people who most want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it. To summarize the summary: anyone who is

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-71519208079530528162009-08-28T05:20:00.000-07:002009-08-28T05:41:05.243-07:00

I'm currently at a seriously intimidating -- if I may call it that -- yet exciting crossroad in my life. Part of it is that I will be quitting my current job in a couple of months and I have to find some other source of income before then.At the same time, two people from the RPG blog-o-sphere (namely Johnn and Yax) recently started up a program, called The Gamer Lifestyle to help aspiring RPG

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-64932996580530719722009-06-25T01:16:00.001-07:002009-06-25T01:22:30.697-07:00

I don't draw that much anymore, even though I would very much like to. I used to attribute this to a lack of time -- I'd hate to start on a drawing, if I suspect I will not get to finish it -- but now I believe there's another reason behind it: it's difficult for me to start if other people are around me. Especially other people who are much better at it than myself.It's a stupid reason, I know,

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-65857684305361469712009-06-10T02:20:00.000-07:002009-06-10T04:37:50.455-07:00

I just finished "The First Men in the Moon", a novel story by H.G. Wells, and really enjoyed it.It's a fiction that's very well narrated, to the point where I could really lose myself in the story. The descriptions are vivid, the (few) action scenes are short but fast, and the interaction between the protagonists are very credible and three-dimensional.Seeing that it was written some 70 years

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-52946466314816820512009-05-11T12:25:00.000-07:002009-05-11T13:22:04.778-07:00

For my 30th anniversary, my wife treated me to a gourmet weekend in Burg-Reuland, a small community in the province of Liège, Belgium. As a special bonus, she also invited our close relatives (brothers and sisters, parents, and children) to join us. My father-in-law had some prior engagements, so he couldn't join us. We also decided it would be best for our son to relax in a familiar environment

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-47055649929086381812009-03-27T04:35:00.000-07:002009-03-27T05:14:28.333-07:00

I have the best wife a gamemaster could wish for.Due to serious time constraints, what with a family and a demanding job, I've been deprived of my games for the last half year or so. Last week, though, I read an article about playing solo campaigns, and it suddenly dawned on me. If I could get my wife, who had played in my group sessions before, to agree to a solo adventure, we might just squeeze

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-31062615062869879992009-01-31T04:39:00.000-08:002009-01-31T05:37:31.120-08:00

What was supposed to be a routine grocery run this morning, turned out as an awkward, but touching trip down sympathy-lane.The Belgian people among you need no introduction to the drama that occurred on Friday last week. Those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, read here.This thing happened not far from where I live. In fact, I pass that nursery every Saturday when my son and I have

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-45830072598185871952009-01-15T00:56:00.000-08:002009-01-15T01:11:11.936-08:00

Every morning I arrive at the train station of Oudenaarde, and every morning I see at least 2 people in a pub drinking beers. At 9 am. Every day.It irritates me. I don't pay taxes so some people can spend their unemployment wages on alcohol every day. They should be finding a job, instead of wasting their lives and my money, damn it! Mind you, I have nothing against people drinking; just people

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-4300650811828320342008-12-28T06:36:00.000-08:002008-12-28T06:57:35.693-08:00

Last week was a scary week at our apartment. On monday, our electricity started to show peaks in voltage, which caused our lights to occasionally flash brighter and dimmer. As we advanced further into the week, it became intenser and even caused some household appliances to shortcut.Thursday evening, Christmas day, was the culmination of the whole fiasco, when suddenly the lights in our living

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-47681479231340497342008-11-25T12:44:00.000-08:002008-11-30T06:12:33.658-08:00

I think I just had my unluckiest week of the year. On monday, while driving from work to the train station, I got hit by a car. Well, perhaps 'tagged' is a better word; while driving along a bicycle path (with right of way), a car from a crossing street didn't see me and tried to advance slowly onto the intersection, when his bumper hit my left shin. I lost about a square centimeter of skin. On

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-746710642394056672008-11-21T08:00:00.000-08:002008-11-21T08:17:48.908-08:00

The D&D campaign that I was playing with a couple of friends for the last year has unfortunately died a slow death. Due to some major personal changes for almost all players, it was getting very difficult to get everyone together on a regular basis. Furthermore, interest waned as the story progression was grinding to a snail's pace -- at best, we played for four hours every two weeks.Now that our

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-68968996694793809322008-11-19T12:37:00.000-08:002008-11-19T12:51:02.340-08:00

... because if you miss, you may hit a star. -- W. Clement StoneThe purpose of life, if you ask me, is not so difficult to discern. The way I see it, it's to have dreams and try to make those dreams come true.However, it's important to realize that the collection of dreams you have is not set in stone. Some will turn out to be unreachable -- this we have to face. Some will eventually be reached,

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-76569811326622956652008-11-17T12:24:00.000-08:002008-11-17T12:32:28.218-08:00

Finally someone who's given some thought about all those environmental and 'Save the Planet' issues. George Carlin can really put things in a right perspective; we can all learn a little humility from this guy.

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-59062407070948978732008-11-14T07:02:00.001-08:002008-11-14T07:06:44.162-08:00

I've been back at work for a couple of days now, after two-and-a-half weeks of paternal leave and an extended weekend.When I first got back in the office on wednesday, it felt like I've been gone for just a couple of days. However, when I think of the two weeks of emotionally strong moments with my newly expanded family, it seems like it's been two months.Can you imagine how chronically

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-55538443490009383472008-10-26T12:21:00.000-07:002008-10-26T12:25:37.630-07:00

Yesterday around noon-ish, our daughter Cato was born. She's a healthy daughter, weighing in at 3.730 kg, and measuring 52 cm.We have a blog going at http://cato-vanherle.blogspot.com. I apologize to all non-Dutch speakers: it's in Dutch. If you would like to know what's going on, drop me a line (either here or on Cato's blog) and I'll give a quick English transcript.

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-91898316704212657472008-10-25T12:44:00.000-07:002008-10-25T12:48:19.511-07:00

This question suddenly came to me today. It seems like a silly, trivial question, but I find it a very difficult one to answer.Imagine you would be working in a hospital, and you would be responsible for distributing the patients' breakfast and for collecting the dishes afterwards. In this breakfast, a few slices of cheese or ham are included. Imagine that a patient doesn't eat all of his or her

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-5521622502556742582008-10-12T02:57:00.000-07:002008-10-15T12:52:23.627-07:00

The last two years have not been kind to my resistance against stress and pressure and my ability to see things in perspective. Not coincidentally, a lot of (albeit good) things happened to me these years: I moved to a new city, got a new job in the video games industry, raised a son, got married, and now we're expecting a second child.Suffice to say that the extra responsibilities I gained for

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-48084054398397771402008-10-03T02:52:00.000-07:002008-10-03T04:25:29.046-07:00

It's kind of 'interesting' -- for lack of a better word -- to see how many people's very first reaction to a game of go is how the goishi (official japanese term for the playing stones) look like candy. In one form or another, more than 75% make that reference: "Oooh! Can I have a mint?", "Can you eat these?", or just put one between their teeth and pretend to bite it.And it's not just in my

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-57363350450790123082008-09-19T01:11:00.001-07:002008-09-19T01:22:16.826-07:00

Last night we got to drive to the hospital again. This time, though, as opposed to the previous trip, it was a lot more relaxed.My wife started to have minor contractions around noon, which would slightly intensify towards the evening. By the time I got home from work, they would come in 5 minute intervals, which is a sure sign to get ready to leave for the hospital.When we were there, she was

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-71627114192214060472008-09-10T11:49:00.001-07:002008-09-11T10:03:52.782-07:00

As said in the previous post, work is getting stressing. Unfortunately, at home it isn't getting any easier. My wife is currently in her 33rd week of pregnancy and that means she might go into labor any time now.If her water breaks when I'm at work, it's a 45 minute ride back home, and then another half hour from there to the hospital. Considering that Frederik, our first child, took just about 2

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-48806624040239807422008-09-10T11:07:00.000-07:002008-09-11T10:00:41.723-07:00

There are some rough months ahead of us at home, and we've been having our first tastes already (more about this in the next post).As if that's not enough, work is getting more stressing by the day. Plannings are fully booked, and even get overbooked the closer we get to the deadlines. New requirements for the game are still being added, and old ones keep getting changed. I can't take anything

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-13614887010087234462008-08-13T06:32:00.000-07:002008-08-13T06:50:59.887-07:00

Last Sunday evening, my wife and I had our own little 'special adventure'.At about 1:45 at night, she woke me up groaning from serious pains. I thought she was going into labor (over 2 months early), but according to her it weren't really contractions. Furthermore, her whole body started to cramp up, she was getting sick, and she felt like she was going to pass out.I immediately called an

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-44765858389608484902008-08-06T04:54:00.000-07:002008-08-06T05:04:44.304-07:00

The first screenshots and ingame movie trailer of Larian Studios' new game 'Divinity 2 - Ego Draconis' are released and can be seen in this article from computerandvideogames.com.Also, Larian Studios is looking for playtesters. If you live close to Oudenaarde, Belgium and are willing to spend an afternoon trying out the new game, be sure to sign up!

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-2713412905348306582008-08-02T03:20:00.001-07:002008-08-03T07:32:47.654-07:00

A nice little discovery in the obscure shadows of the internet: the website of Vegard Hanssens.Among a few interesting math applications (such as fractals and birth primes), he's got a number of challenging puzzles on there as well. Each puzzle type has a huge database of specific puzzles, and for each one you have the option to solve it online, print it out, or let it solve itself. I suggest to

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-79146724446836062282008-08-01T06:40:00.000-07:002008-08-03T07:32:18.344-07:00

Some researchers at MIT have discovered a way to store energy from solar power, which was until now not possible.The fact that solar energy was not available when the sun doesn't shine, was apparently the only reason why we couldn't completely rely on it yet.Until now, because a simple setup of neutral pH water with a special catalyst in room-temperature (inspired by photosynthesis - the way

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-38668241147082296292008-07-30T08:08:00.000-07:002008-07-30T08:13:43.358-07:00

Larian Studios, my employer, has yesterday completely restyled their website in anticipation of an important announcement, that should come any day now.If you're interested in computer roleplaying games, I suggest to keep an eye (and a bookmark) on the Larian website.Glee!!

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-45479178093362777102008-07-15T06:27:00.000-07:002008-07-16T04:13:25.581-07:00

After almost a year of running our current home campaign of Shackled City (D&D 3.5), and a little under a week away from starting a new homebrewn campaign at work (D&D 4), the time seemed appropriate to revise my collection of computer tools that I use to run my games.In the past, I've been using one particular all-encompassing tool most often, and tested a few others that were much alike. Until

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-30515367136258139202008-07-14T01:42:00.000-07:002008-07-14T12:02:15.998-07:00

Last friday, my wife and I returned from our week of holiday (actually, our honeymoon) in Schwarzwald, Germany. Our son stayed a week with his grandparents, so my wife and I could really relax and enjoy.We stayed for 5 days and 4 nights in a quiet little hotel in Muggenbrunn, making small trips to surrounding sites like the Feldberg, Belchen (from the top of which we could see the Alps), the

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-85904257476306556132008-06-27T00:55:00.001-07:002008-06-27T01:09:02.159-07:00

This morning, I witnessed another shiny example of a neanderthal in traffic.I was riding my bike towards work, when I stopped at a crossroads to give right of way. The car driving behind me had to stop as well.There were three cars coming from the right-hand side road; two of them were able to pass without a problem, but before the third one could get on the intersection, the car behind me

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-6316345786109042232008-06-17T05:33:00.000-07:002008-06-17T05:49:45.546-07:00

It's been a week since the new 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons came out, and a lot of interesting reviews have already been written:First Impressions (Gnome Stew)Dungeon Master's Guide review (Musings of the Chatty DM)While at first I was very skeptical about the new edition, having read the reviews and skimmed a colleague's copy of the Core Rules books did convince me to at least try it out. Some

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-70131303936400944612008-06-10T07:49:00.000-07:002008-06-12T02:01:10.133-07:00

So, the wedding was last saturday, and I have to say it was everything it should have been. Except for the weather, maybe (there was no sun, but that didn't bother us in the least), the entire day was as perfect as it could be. Everything appeared to be meticulously planned and executed, even though we just let ourselves go with the flow and just had a great time.The civil wedding in the morning

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-38433758038829039942008-06-05T13:20:00.001-07:002008-06-05T13:21:27.728-07:00

One more day before the wedding, and we're both so amazingly relaxed you wouldn't believe it.I wonder what effect this will have on the day itself? Stay tuned...

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-82735068189374732982008-06-03T04:56:00.000-07:002008-06-03T05:17:06.094-07:00

A friend's blog pointed me towards the book Mastery, by George Leonard, explaining the process we go through whenever we learn a new skill.I've only just begun reading it, but it's already an interesting read, more so because I currently have some situations where it applies: I'm a 'fresh' parent (a year and a half parenting doesn't exactly make you an expert), I recently took up drawing, and I

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-88065121641305900742008-05-26T01:04:00.000-07:002008-06-05T13:22:42.516-07:00

This weekend, my friends completely surprised me with a bachelor party (yeah, I'm marrying in two weeks).It was a great evening, filled with the sweet nostalgia of staying up all night playing games and having fun. We went out for dinner (japanese) and spent the night at a friend's apartment in Leuven, where we played boardgames and console games (Wii and PS2) until sunrise.Oh yeah, and they got

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-12743645675511382892008-05-20T03:46:00.000-07:002008-05-20T03:48:52.829-07:00

Funny story: http://www.netfunny.com/rhf/jokes/98/Jul/gazebo.htmlAt least, funny enough if you're a roleplayer.

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-79334900556664366532008-05-20T03:22:00.000-07:002008-05-20T03:33:57.429-07:00

I'm sorry to disappoint most of you, but this is not a deeply psycho-analytic and philosophical self-reflection post. I'm afraid I'm going to turn most of you away when I tell you it's about one of the strongest features I've ever seen in C#, a programming language.I knew that C# had something called 'Reflection', which you could use to determine object types and other 'compile-time' information,

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-15863841260384241572008-05-13T04:50:00.000-07:002008-05-13T04:55:41.431-07:00

Good news for all you Game Masters out there: there's a new blog for and by GM's, called Gnome Stew (http://www.gnomestew.com).They have a number of experienced and well-versed Game Masters writing periodic articles about The One True Art. Go check it out!

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-79683338932575865162008-05-05T02:08:00.000-07:002008-06-03T05:25:38.795-07:00

Well, the week off has come to an end. It was a fun and relaxing week, with a couple of trips (Brugge, Gent, and Leuven), and some time spent at home drawing, playing boardgames, and watching Twin Peaks.Our good intentions to sleep out didn't really succeed, though. Most of the time we stayed up later than we normally do (too much fun), and we got up at almost the same time as always (routine).

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-40274355436920249912008-04-27T01:15:00.000-07:002008-04-27T01:21:47.097-07:00

It's the first time in his life that our son will stay with his grandparents for an entire week. It's also the first time in 16 months that we can take a breather from all the nursing and cleaning.On the one hand, I'm glad to be able to do whatever I want for a change, without constantly having to interrupt because of nap-time, diaper-changes, bottle-feeding, and reading books; but on the other

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-49907521579133886532008-04-16T04:12:00.000-07:002008-04-17T04:49:21.447-07:00

I notice that people in traffic become more and more selfish, rude, impolite, impatient, inept, cocky, ... behind the wheel of a car.Is it just me, or perhaps just Dendermonde? Or is it a global plague?It is really astonishing (and not in a good way) to see how few people apply the rules of 'Right of Way'. Either they don't know, or they just don't care.Perhaps it would be a good thing to force

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-29716769646697047822008-04-08T05:35:00.000-07:002008-04-08T05:40:04.577-07:00

A few weeks ago, I decided to start practicing go again.It has been - what? - 3 years since I played it regularly? In my previous life (different home, different job), I knew a few people who played it, and whom I played against at work. There was even a local go-club which I could attend every week.Now, since I moved to Dendermonde and started my job at Larian Studios, those people are too far

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-71165792906290381742008-04-07T02:56:00.000-07:002008-04-07T03:11:35.712-07:00

Until recently I figured that when two people have been together for over 4 years, have been friends for over 8 years, and have successfully (i.e. without any fights or much doubt) lived through the first year of raising a child, any challenge would be easy to overcome.Apparently, I was not entirely correct. It's very important to think of your wife and kids first, and to talk things out at the

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-31383013820994039242008-04-02T06:06:00.000-07:002008-04-03T05:56:15.124-07:00

Just in case someone does happen upon this blog, and decides to waste some time, I would like to introduce myself a bit.I'm a 28-year-old guy, born in Belgium. I've lived here my entire life, in a worry-free and well-supported environment.I've studied mathematics and science in high school, and went on to computer science in college.Currently, I work as a game software developer at Larian Studios

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929777385198719603.post-52906595395404514992008-04-02T05:40:00.000-07:002008-04-02T06:19:47.602-07:00

Writer's block. On my first post. Typical. Well, I guess this typifies my blog and my intention with it. I decided to start a blog. Why? No particular reason. I have already played with the idea of starting a blog of my own several times in the past, but every time I dismissed the idea as 'silly'. "There are billions and billions of blogs out there already", I reasoned, "why would one extra blog

Wim Vanherlehttps://profiles.google.com/113283206084046582951noreply@blogger.com0