Project Fail

As I've mentioned previously I have been pretty excited about building a PC inside an old NES case. The intent was harmless but as with everything I seem to undertake the implementation seems mostly folly. Don't worry this is not intended as a "woe is me" entry. The concept has been done many times. Where I strayed from the norm was in the way it was done. Ever implementation I have seen seems to cut the case up and expose all the nifty little computer plugs. My goal however lofty was to keep the alterations to the outside of the case to a minimum.

The crux of the problem is that the bottom of the NES case contains a molded ridge in the shape of T that connects to the three sides of the case. This ridge stands a little less than 1/2 inch tall. Before I set out to do this project I did some homework. I measured the case very closely and compared the sizes of the parts I would order. On paper everything looked good but in practice things fell apart.

Everything fits without the processor fan on top of the heat sink. However without the fan in this position the processor generates too much heat. With the fan on top of the processor I can close the case with some effort but the fan cannot turn or pull air. I have tried every solution I can think of to no avail. In the end I believe I will need to cut out the T shaped ridge in the bottom of the case. In reality removing the ridge will not be that noticeable from the exterior of the case. The main reason I had been avoiding removing it had more to do with the difficulty of doing so correctly.

I don't think the frustration I am feeling is completely just about failing at this project. It's more that I feel like it's just the most recent in a long line of failed attempted projects. Sometimes I feel like every time I try to do something all it does is annoy those around me. In a way I involve others because it gives me some connection to them. It's something I can do with them. I suppose I should stop consider whether they really care to be involved in the first place. I think sometimes people think I can't do anything on my own so when I do have an idea for something new others look at it as just creating more work for them.

Perhaps I depend on people too much. Maybe I need to do more things on my own. Of course if my track record is any indication perhaps I should stop trying to do anything at all. If I can't do something completely on my own I shouldn't undertake it. I spend too much time thinking of stupid ideas. I think I will try to just "chill" for a while.

Damnable! I stand here on the precipice looking over at what I once was, fat. I thought foolishly I had rid myself of such demons. In my complacency I have given my pursuer the advantage. Now is not the time for lament! Now is the time for action, calorie burning action! I should immediately like to drop at least 8 but preferable 13 lbs. I fear if I reach that peak of 140 I may tumble down the wrong side of the mountain. If that happens so help me I will eat everything and everyone on the way down!

Hummus, I need Hummus an Flat bread Stat!

Nintendo PC

I finally got off my butt and ordered the parts I need to build my Nintendo PC project. The idea is simple; put a computer inside an old NES case. Although I have seen this done before I was never quite happy with the implementations I have seen. In almost every example the person will cut one or more holes in the exterior of the case itself. It would be my preference not to leave any distinguishing marks on the outside of the Nintendo at all!

As technology has advanced and parts have gotten smaller I have felt more and more that my goal was obtainable. As with any project though I have run into a few setbacks. I ordered a Slimline DVD R to fit in the case. The drive had to be SATA as per the requirements of the motherboard. Before I ordered the drive I checked the description to ensure that it would work. When the drive finally arrived I was dissapointed. The site does say the interface is SATA and technically I suppose it is. The drive however will not accept a standard SATA connection, it needs a special cable which of course it does not come with.

I spend the better part of the day going from computer store to computer store with no luck. I must admit a certain level of frustration not in my ability to locate the part I needed but in the caliber of people I was forced to interact with. Frys stands out as the worst. Personally I have never had much luck there anyway. Sure they have "everything" but no one there is helpful or ever seems to give a damn. This trip was no exception. Everyone I spoke to told me in the most condescending way that the part I seek does not even exist. One clerk went so far as to say he knows all the connectors and cables and that the drive could not possibly accept the connection I described. He then went on to tell me that it must be standard SATA and that I don't know how the plug works. Luckily I brought my phone with me so I pulled up 6 or 7 of the very close images I took of the drives and cables. At which point he told me with the some aire of confidence the drive was proprietary and that connector would only be available on the motherboard made specifically for it.

Despite pictures, Google, Amazon, and New Egg, place after place it was the same response: No such connector exists. I even found one place that sold the exact same drives I had purchased online, but again without any cables. If you don't know something then just say you don't know and don't waste my time. Most of the time I just didn't care enough to correct the ignorant statements, but that condescending tone never fails to make me want to punch someone in the mouth.

What a day, or week. Oh who am I kidding, what a month! It's not that things have been hectic. Quite the contrary actually. I think the problem is me. I feel "out of sorts" again. My sleep patterns are off again. My wife has drawn the correlation between my sleeping habits and the time I spend playing Star Trek Online (STO). I will not deny that there is a connection, however I really feel that she has the relationship reversed. My sleep has been off since before I was playing Star Trek Online and of the time I spend awake at night I don't spend nearly as much playing as she thinks.

Honestly if you subtract the game from the equation something else would just take its place. It's in the quiet hours of the night that my mind seems to be the most restless. Without distraction my mind just seems to wander aimlessly from subject to subject. Think of it like dreaming when you are awake. It doesn't sound so bad but the caveat is that it makes it incredibly hard to sleep. My brain just won't shut down. Many times the whole situation makes me chuckle. The harder I try not to think about anything, the more my mind jumps from subject to subject. Apparently thought is the arch nemesis of sleep.

Perhaps its my sleeping habits that are making everything else seem so blah during the day. I'm not tired in a way that I could sleep but I am for lack of a better word "thin" or "spent". My wife has suggested before that they weather plays a part and I believe her. It seems the gloomy days are affecting more than just myself. I'm not depressed myself but I can feel it in the air. The best thing about the low points is they signal high points in the future.