Rock Tumbling....the new hobby

Camden and I have recently started a new hobby...Rock Tumbling.  We started last week with some very rough rocks and let them tumble for one week.  Here we are about to open the container and see what the rocks look like after stage one (there are four stages total)

Here is what the water and course grit turned into after tumbling 24 hours a day for seven full days.  It all turned into a very gray liquidy sludge.  Camden didn’t think it looked very good.

I didn’t get a picture of the rocks before we started the first stage so this picture won’t really mean anything, but this is what some of the rocks looked like after the end of the first stage.

This is what the next round of rocks looks like before starting stage one.  After this we will do stage two which smoothes the rocks a bit more before we do two stages of polishing.

As you can see above, there are lots of sharp rough edges that will be rounded off in stage one.  Next week we’ll post pictures of this batch after stage one and start stage two.  Below is a picture of how it all fits together inside the tumbler with water, rocks, and the very course grit.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Single Player Campaign

I’m only about an hour and a half into the game so I certainly don’t have a full spectrum report….but so far it is both amazing and terrifying!  I loved the first installment of Modern Warfare, but this latest one is even more intense.  Most of the time I feel like I am just running for my life trying to get to the next objective, keep in mind I am playing on the lowest, easiest setting called “Rookie”.

Level 1 has you defending a bridge builder immediately after finishing the brief training.  After the bridge is set, you man a Humvee mounted machine gun as you patrol the seemingly quiet streets……until you get ambushed.  The rest of the level has you running behind your squad leader as you clear out buildings of enemies while trying to not harm any innocent bystanders.  It’s very close-quarters fighting and really gets your heart pumping.

Like the first Modern Warfare, there are frequent (and automatic) game save points so if you do happen to die, which I do frequently, you only have to go back a little ways to re-play.

Level 2 begins with a frustrating-if-you’re-not-coordinated climb up a sheer ice wall.  Sounds easy enough; left click swings the left ice axe, right click swings the right….I got confused about 3/4 of the way up (twice) and fell to my death.  After getting to the top it’s a long jump to the next ice wall.  This level is more of a ‘stealthy’ level where you try to avoid contact as much as possible.  But, since you are outside in a blizzard you have to use a heartbeat sensor to see your enemies and avoid them.  It’s difficult to see, and the longer you stay outside, the harder it is to see as your vision slowly ices over.  Taking cover in buildings is hard because they are occupied.  Eventually you get to blow stuff up, drive a snowmobile and jump it across a large crevasse!

When you start the game it warns you of disturbing content and gives you the option to skip it without penalty.  Level 3 is that content.  Even is you decide initially to play the level, it asks two more time before you start the level if you want to play the disturbing scenario.  Again if you start playing you can skip it via the pause menu...I recommend skipping this level.  I won’t explain it here, it is disturbing.

Level 4 had me running confused and lost through a small hilltown village where I had absolutely no clue how to get to my objective all the while being being shot at from all directions……all directions.

I am currently at Level 5 (if I’ve counted correctly) and the war is now on American soil.  Lots of running, and shooting, and currently I am defending a fast food hamburger joint.  You get to control unmanned drones to fire weapons from the air.  Very fun, but very intense!

All this is just in the single player mode.  I’ve played multiplayer a bit already as well, and am very impressed with the new features.  More on that later.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

I was curious how they were going to handle the technical aspects of this game regarding copy protection.  In Modern Warfare 1 there was the ability to buy one game and load it onto multiple computers to play over a local network.  This time you are required to sign up with an online gaming forum called “Steam”.  The serial number that comes with your game is assigned to your account.  My understanding is that you can load the game on multiple computers and play it without the need of the physical DVD disc once loaded.  You can also play your game both online and as a single player campaign from any computer that has the game loaded, since you are required to log into your Steam account before the game launches.  The great thing about that is you always have access to your character and don’t have to worry about making sure you have your latest profile with you if for instance you play at home and when there is nothing going on at work.

Which means, you can’t load the game on multiple computers and play your friends if you only have one copy of the game.  Each Steam account requires a serial number and validation code for the media you purchased.  This certainly prevents people from buying one copy and handing it out to their friends for online play.  It is seamless and a very well executed integration between the game and online service.  The online lounge seems a lot like the Playstation3 multiplayer lounge for the first Modern Warfare….I like it.  It seems to match you automatically with the best server for your connection and player ranking.  You also have the option of inviting friends to your game or creating your own ‘server’.

I’ll write more about this game as I progress…..so far I really really like it, only wish it had a ‘take cover’ option like in the Rainbow Six Vegas games.  I like to hide behind walls and stuff.