So I finally found a decent DVD ripper that lets me do it for free (legally, I might add), but I’m not sure the audio is up to snuff. I ripped my skydiving video and am currently experimenting with different audio types on BT’s This Binary Universe videos (from the DVD) to see what sounds better. Kind of an interesting process, and I’ve only had DVD-ripping and burning possibilities for a year, so why not now?



I think I’m going to buy some more memory for this beast tomorrow. I am currently running at 2GB, but I’m thinking of pushing that up to 4, simply because I feel I strain it sometimes (I realized a few minutes ago I was running iTunes, photoshop, a DVD ripping program, and 2 video programs at once, plus AIM and Firefox. No wonder I need more RAM – especially with my plans for additional screen real estate!)



Well, lots has happened since my last entry. NIN released a free album – The Slip – online and for free. As if you needed me to tell you this. I think it’s a good album, a bit short, sure. But I like how each track has embedded artwork with it, something that Ghosts started and I think it’s evolved here. In the graphic below that I’ve compiled (crudely), it gives an idea of the overall feel of the album. I haven’t quite put it all together yet, but I’m pretty sure that it has more significance to future releases or projects, either that or the picture combinations creates something else entirely. I think this because of the red lines throughout, and leading up to the red background of the last track.



Good call on the MS Office, Kevin. But the only reason I’d support it (being a new version and the fact that I hate the .docx extension), I feel it’s time to start paying my dues for some of the stuff I’ve been using for years. I’ve only been using Office 2001 Pro for 5-6 years now.



I came across this blog entry a couple of days ago, summing up a man who, for 18 years, took Polaroid pictures until his death in 1997 on his 41st birthday. Kind of cool and sad at the same time. Very much chronicling the human condition, I think the project is very neat and I wish the site hosting the polaroids was up and running, but I assume the recent traffic has shut it down due to bandwidth constraints.

The DVD ripper is apparently taking 90 minutes to rip This Binary Universe. Yikes…I just hope the quality is better this time around. I mainly want it on my iPod/iPhone, since I think they’re cool little “music video” type of files. (And I’m pretty sure the audio isn’t better – damn!).

Speaking of audio, I’m looking for a good, free program (for Windows) that would allow me to mix multitracks. Any suggestions? I have Wavepad, but it’s grossly outdated and very limited as far as multitrack compilations goes.

I went skydiving last weekend, as a lot of people know. It was an exhilarating experience that can seldom be described in words. I was anxious while jumping from the plane, sure…but the thing about that was that you’re in this “soft” part of the air for a few seconds (and 12 until you reach terminal velocity); that is – your body is searching for something to “catch” as you fall. Eventually, this is the air. We ended up jumping from 12,500 above ground (keeping in mind the ground is over a mile high from sea level), and freefalling nearly 8,000 feet until our parachute was deployed at 4,700 feet. Our freefall averaged something like 127 MPH, but our top speed was 135 MPH. Even as the parachute was open, we were going a steady 20 MPH and descending at about 6-7 MPH. It was an experience I will never forget, with pictures and video to prove it!



video!

I suppose it’s getting late and I should head to bed pretty quick. I’m excited by the rush I’ve been feeling lately in my life, good things are always happening. And I’ve decided I’ve got to live it up while I still can – so at this point, I’m not going to stop for anything.

Inspired by Kevin's website, I decided to finally give mine an overhaul. I finally came to the realization that I wanted to try a new coloring scheme and feel that the one picked out works well.

I figured since Kevin's page about our book reveals what the definitive title is, I might as well take it one step further to reveal a little bit about the book in preparation for its finish.

The title - "I" - is a simple one. That's it. And believe it or not, a lot of thought and time went into it, but I felt that nothing else would better suit this collection of writing that is being presented with Kevin's graphical skills.

I'm proud of what we've accomplished so far, and can't wait to reveal the final product when it's ready.

Without further ado, you can check out the redesigned website here (or via link on the navigation menu):

travisprange.com

Hello!

As you may or may not have been able to notice, I've changed my overall website a bit by making nothing accessible by the previous gateway page. There's a couple of reasons for this.

1.) I'm going to start another blog, only this one will be for my travels and to document all of that. I hope to be revealing that within the next couple of weeks. I think the "gateway" has been confusing as I really have about 10 websites all compiled into one. I hope to make this less confusing with an inevitable re-tooling.

2.) I hope to redesign my site with a couple of things that are going on. It's always just been kind of a "personal" page with nothing really on it save some previous websites, some writing and stuff of the like, but I really want it to be something a bit more. Even though it's one of my better designs, I think it can be done in a better way. I think I will be trying to get rid of the multimedia feel to it for the most part. More details on that, later.

So I will continue to update this blog, as well as the new one on a periodic basis. I hope you keep checking back though, as I hope everything will be clear and concise sometime early in 2008, if not earlier. I'm very excited about what's going on, here.

We’re only 5 days away now (as of midnight) from the launch of Halo 3.



I’m so excited for this game I can’t wait. It seems my life is again at a sort of crossroads. Where time is divided into two times: before this and after this. It doesn’t have much to do with Halo 3, but some of that I can’t deny. The last Halo was 3 years ago. Things weren’t too different back then and not much changed after it came out. Except for my attention to some things. But Halo was more of a priority. Duh.



Anyway, as most of you know, I push off for South America next Friday. It will be the 2nd time I’ve visited that continent. I’m such a fortunate guy, I really hope that someday I can be as generous to my children as I’ve been afforded so many great opportunities. And to my friends and family.



I remember certain times of my life more than others. Oddly, or not, my name means to traverse, or crossroads. I always feel like I’m at some sort of crossroads and crossing into a path that will lead to good things. I certainly am hopeful that the talents I have will not be wasted on my endeavors and will lead me more in the direction of my life’s work or whatever.
Changes are on the horizon on many fronts. I’m excited about all of them, as I believe each of them progress a part of me and enhance my life in many ways.



I’ve been watching a lot of the X-Files lately. I remember how much I love that show now…it makes me wonder how much the government hides from us and how little we know about the strange things in our universe that might not be explained by anything we know or can prove. My struggle has been that if aliens exist (which I am convinced they do), how does that fit into a Christian perspective? Does it negate us as a people, as beings, as earthlings, as a planet? I think the universe is way too big to not have something else exist. Does that mean we’re not special? What’s our purpose? But if we are the only things out there, that would be miraculous and I don’t see how God could be disproven through that idea. Likewise, can God be disproven if we are not alone? Certainly the questions are mind bending and I wonder often at the possibilities.

It’s difficult to write about a car that I really had never been passionate about until about 3 weeks before I figured I could drive it. I knew, for several years, that I wanted to rent a car for my 25th birthday. I mean, what else are you going to do on that day?

I had figured, for a year or two, that I was going to try and rent a Corvette. I would have preferred to rent a C6, just because they seem so refined (even though the styling/design is more evolutionary than revolutionary). Alas, much time spent scouring the internet and calling up a few rental companies revealed that a Corvette wouldn’t be easy to obtain, or cheap. I only found out that Hertz at the airport was getting a Corvette added to their fleet this summer. Yes, that’s singular. So anyway, that was a pointless pursuit, so I decided to find something else.



I had always kind of debated if I wanted a sportscar, or something more ridiculous, like a HUMMER, or something similar. I’m a die-hard fan of the H1, but couldn’t care less about the H2. H3, same story. Now the H4 might actually be a good Wrangler contender, so I haven’t turned my nose up at it quite yet.

Still though, I decided that I’d never really driven a sportscar, unless you consider a 1993 Cadillac Eldorado “sporty,” so why not? The Cadillac is fast, but cushy and doesn’t have the feel of sportiness.

So, inevitably I went with the 350Z. It was the cheapest of what I was looking to get for a day (about $190 with insurance - just in case I destroyed it!), and seemed like it would be a lot of fun. Plus, it didn’t hurt that a friend had mentioned they were awesome to drive. Thanks for that one, Kevin.



Awesome indeed. I did hit 110 twice between Denver and Boulder (I really could’ve gotten it higher, but a 110 mph ticket would have been costly enough), and ended up driving nearly 330 miles that day.

I took it up to Estes Park, one of my favorite drives in the world, simply because the drive up there is full of twists and turns, and incidentally includes many places to pass people who aren’t doing 70 mph. I am normally lucky to hit those curves at 40-45 in the Jeep. I took pictures up in Estes, didn’t really do much there, and drove to Boulder and around Denver some more.

Overall, I really enjoyed my day off from work (I’ve only taken off 5 I think since starting there in September) and spoiling myself with the taste of sportiness for a day.

Through my adventure, I realized a car like the 350Z would be bad for me though. I do consider myself a good driver (though a bit crazy), but even a car with that much power I think I would push too often, and inevitably take it too far. I think one (if not all) of the following would happen: 1. I would kill someone else in an accident, 2. I would get a LOT of speeding tickets, or 3. I would end up killing myself.

So I think I’ve decided that though I enjoy the sportiness of a car, an SUV such as my Wrangler is a good fit for me. It’s sporty enough, 4WD, and a convertible. Though its days are definitely numbered, at this point it’s a perfect fit and I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another one.



I decided this year though that I’m going to do something different every year for my birthday, to hopefully keep it fresh and interesting. Even if it means spending some extra money, I’m more than willing to save up for that than to spend money here and there on smaller crappy stuff.

So I think 2008 may be the year I skydive. I’ve always wanted to, so assuming someone will push me out of a plane (who am I kidding?! I’m sure many people would love to), I think that’s what I’m going to do.

Life’s an adventure. It’s a mistake not to take advantage of that.