Work, Rest & Play

I thought it was about time I wrote a proper post, so here we are.  Just an update with what I’ve been doing recently.

Work
I’ve been doing a lot of work with Windows Server 2008, and completed exam 70-647 a couple of weeks ago which means I am now a (deep breath) Microsoft Certified IT Professional: Enterprise Administrator.  Technically to achieve this qualification you need to pass four separate exams, but as I am already a Server 2003 MCSE I only had to take this one and the 2003-2008 upgrade one that I passed a few weeks ago.  My goal of getting certified on Server 2008 as soon as possible received a tick in the check box.

I’m currently working on operating system deployment using Windows Distribution Services (WDS), a cinch if working with Vista and Server 2008 images, but not quite so straightforward if you want to get a Windows XP machine image created (which is, of course, what I want to do).  As well as having to put on the Sysadmin flack jacket after writing a rather strict system policy to lock down the workstations.  A tin hat may also be in order, but I’m only following orders

Rest
With everything that has been happening lately there hasn’t really been much rest time, but what little time I do get has mainly been spent as far away from computers as possible.  I’ve even read something called a “book”, apparently they were popular in olden times.

The book in question was the second edition of I Was A Robot by Wolfgang Flur, the story of the heydays of Kraftwerk told by the “electronic percussionist”.  It’s a great read, Martyn bought me the original release several years ago which due to legal pressure from the two founding fathers of the group meant that large chunks had to be removed.

Fortunately the courts found in favour of Herr Flur (who was only telling the truth after all!) and this “uncensored” version is a great, is somewhat saddening read.  In typical style I bought the book back in 2003 and read around a quarter of it before letting it languish in my bedside cupboard drawer.  I finally finished it last weekend and highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in either Kraftwerk or electronic music in general.

Movies have been rather thin the ground recently as well, no sign of any Blu-rays for review on the horizon, I’ve taken to re-watching Arrested Development yet again, the one show that just keeps getting better each time I watch it.

Play
You may have heard but apparently there is a small game that has just been released called Grand Theft Auto IV?  I don’t think it has picked up any mainstream coverage anywhere…
It amused me yesterday to see the usual media outlets (Daily Mail, et al) all jumping on the “this is evil, your children will be murdered in the playground tomorrow, just mark our words!” bandwagon.  Well it sells papers I guess.

Sadly my copy has yet to appear, I like the GTA games but I don’t have to have this one the moment it comes out.  I got home from work yesterday thinking it had arrived but it was in fact Condemned 2 for the PS3 (thank you Movietyme and your £23.99 price drop).  Hopefully it will be waiting for me when I get home today, if there is one series that always comes to your aid when you need to vent frustrations, it is GTA.

Also on the gaming tip, I’ve been playing a lot of the ultra sublime Rez HD, but the completion of Area 5 still eludes me.  It also leads to extremely sore hands, a surefire sign that I’ll blink and before I know it will be waiting in line for my OAP bus pass.  Well maybe not a blink.
The final game I’ve been playing is Unreal Tournament III on the PS3, which is…well it’s Unreal Tournament!  Fast paced action, another good agression venter and it looks and sounds great.

Back to WDS I suppose….

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Category: General, Movies, Tech Stuff, Videogames