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Patch cables are crossover cables.  You've got two options, crossover/patch for ad-hoc and straight-through for infrastructure networking.  Sorry, didn't catch on that you were talking about a reverse - crossover-type coupler versus a reverse pin-out, so the coupling is just redundant. 

Theory about solution...  reverse the connections on one of the cables.  It wouldn't change anything wiring-wise, but if there's a difference in conductivity it might.

Was playing with a diagram to make sure I was thinking correctly... 


And these are cables you'd previously used to network? You know that they're both patch cables? Don't suppose you've got a multimeter or RJ45 tester handy?

I can see the network sharing being problematic with incorrectly-configured IPs or missing protocols or something, but
(I'm assuming WinXP here) it should show a connection, just have problems with file transfers or internet sharing.  If it sees no connection at all, I'm still thinking cabling or bad/conflicted cards versus network settings.

Rather than software mystery, I'm suspecting your setup. 

-Why are you using a coupler?  For the added range only?

-If you're using two patch cables with a reverse coupler, you've connected them to a device that reverses the pin order when the patch cable (aka crossover cable) has pins 1&2 going to 3&6 and vice versa. 

-If all the cording is right, strand wire for CAT-5 is only rated for about 10 feet.  For longer distances you'd want solid-core, so the cords + coupler might be too much resistance for the connection to work properly. 

Eliminate the problem cords first of all.  Connect the laptop ethernet to PC ethernet with a single patch cable. 

(A brief educational note for LGM - you can use a hub - known as infrastructure networking - using straight-through cables.  You can also network in ad-hoc mode which uses the crossover cabling, in a way like making each network card a client/host port)

The Model 64 and Vanta series were castrated versions of the full-blown TNT 2 chipsets.  IIRC they're from around '97 or so.  There's no reason it shouldn't run HL / CS though. 

Since it's a card (I'm guessing from the convoluted assessments), you could double-check for an onboard graphics chipset that needs to be disabled by checking BIOS or the manual.

In any case, regardless of onboard graphics, there's still a possibility for conflicts.  WinXP's System Information tool might be a good thing to check (Programs/Accessories/System Tools/).  Under there go to Hardware Resources and Conflicts/Sharing and it should list if the device is sharing system resources with another device.  I've had more reliable results from checking the startup sequence screens when the machine boots though.

Another possibility is the driver version.  Was this updated via Windows Update or did you find/install a driver set?  nVidia stopped supporting the TNT2 after their 70.xx release though they've still got older drivers that support it here: Link. 

Why would this suddenly happen? Hard to say, but if a conflict then likely there was a CMOS reset or Windows system file failure, likely due to a crash, hardware failure, or fiddling around with settings. 

For the driver installation -
1) Preferably start in Safe Mode (hit F8 before Windows gets into its loading routine) If you're in safe mode, sometimes you'll find that there are multiple instances of the same device listed under the device manager.  If that's the case, remove 'em.

2) Under Add/Remove programs, check for nVidia drivers and remove any nVidia display driver there.  Since I don't know what driver set you're running, it might be listed as Forceware drivers, Detonator drivers, or TNT2 drivers.  If it asks you to reboot, don't let it yet.

3) Back in the device manager, right-click and choose uninstall (or go to its properties and choose that under the driver tab).

4) It should tell you Windows needs to restart... go ahead.  If the hardware wizard comes up with anything, ignore it, close out the found new hardware windows and otherwise refuse to cooperate with Windows insidious user-friendliness.

5) Run the downloaded installer for the 71.89 or older nVidia forceware drivers, after restart, hopefully the problem's cleared up.

Nah.  There is a tendency to default to criticism, but it's primarily from people in a comfort zone (relative anonymity of the internet, being with a group of friends, or in a particularly critical crowd).  It's easy when it's safe - find a greasy spoon mom & pop restaurant filled with old-timers and complain about teenagers driving too fast and it'll be hard to find a dissenter. 

I've only walked out of a movie once, primarily because I tend to enjoy most movies at least to some extent.  It seems to be a rare occurrence though.  People will gripe about how awful a movie is, but avoid making a fuss because they seem to feel they'd have to have a legally-sound reason for requesting their money back (technical difficulties, etc.).  If a movie was poorly advertised or the previews showed it as a comedy but it turns out a dull drama with some comic relief, people don't feel they've got a leg to stand on.  I'd highly encourage them to do so, provided they don't turn themselves into the type that feels they're owed payback in every situation and complain about everything attempting to get compensation for perceived wrongs.

That's usually due to a video driver conflict of some sort, either a buggy/improper driver installation or missing/outdated components of Direct X. 

Is this happening in windowed or full-screen mode (or both)?

Any other games exhibit this? What kind? (3D, other 2D games)

It's hard to chase down the problem with no feedback, but reinstalling your video drivers and DX 9.0c might do it.  If not, there's some more difficult conflict to find probably in OS settings or motherboard chipset drivers (the latter being easy to reinstall, but fair likelihood of inexperienced users screwing up their installation with wrong drivers or ones installed out of sequence).

Not as inspiring as CNN, but just thought I'd toss up another sighting:
1up.com

Given the above scan, if I didn't want to lose any light-stroked detail, I'd play with the levels until I got rid of the stray marks and make that one layer.  I'd duplicate the layer and be a little harsher with the levels to get only blacks (or near to it) then put in darker lines by hand for the stuff I've lost from the second leveling using the first as a guide. 

I've had this problem too, the two things that worked for me were penciling lightly (with a hard versus 2B or something) and re-inking w/ Microns and erasing or using a uniform highlighter or lightly colored marker for the sketching so I'd have something easy to pick out in cleanup. 

I was playing with the levels before I read the other posts, so may as well post it, I guess.

Everything in CL is someone's opinion, so you don't need to be apologetic about it. 

+ I like the room quite a lot, easy to use for a background and a style simple enough to duplicate.  It's a little low on details and props but where you have them, they're rather good. 

- The stripes of lighting on the walls would be close enough to work, but it looks like there's a very bright spot in the back-left.  Unless there's a lamp sprite or something that's going there, it should be under the main light source (or, if the overhead's turned off, maybe from the window.

- The fixture holding the lamp in the center's too bright.  It's bright white and contrasts with the room too much.  In particular it shouldn't be this bright if the lamp is putting it in shadow (or, if the top of the shade is open, then it should be lighting the fixture causing it to cast its own shadow). 

- The window is way out of perspective..  other things are a bit off, but that window really stands out.  Based upon your walls angles, it should be trapezoidal instead of a parallelogram.

- I like that you took the time to do a highlight on the top of the wooden border, but it should change its brightness depending upon where it is in the light.  It stands out a little on the left, but on the right it glares. 

Good stuff, and best of luck with your game. 

I like the thing, quite a bit.  A guy at work's got most of the recent consoles set up (XBox, PS2, 360, GameCube, Wii, PS3) and the only one I've felt compelled to play was the Wii.  I want 'em all, but the PS3 doesn't have any games that are "Must have" for me, and the 360's only got a couple I want to play. 

I've only tried Wii sports so far.  It looks like absolute ass, but I've killed a good few hours without noticing the time go by.  I probably won't get one, though, until there are at least two games that I've been anticipating (Zelda and... Metroid maybe). 

I'm a little disappointed by the accuracy of the motion, and how quickly the thing loses track of you if you move quickly, but even being critical of it, I enjoy the natural motion while playing versus essentially translating everything mentally from analog to digital.

It's been a running joke I've heard from other people and seen on TV (e.g. redneck-type announcing that he got his brain surgery diploma from DeVry or something along those lines). 

It's better than nothing, but there are many better options.  Apart from not being accredited; for that amount of money you could easily attend community college and at least get something that'll transfer over as college credits or show some sort of formal education rather than a certificate. 

The good part about "universities" like DeVry, Empire College, or Heald Business College (don't know how widespread those last few are) is that they usually have some kind of job-placement program.  Sometimes they'll put tuition payments on hold until you either 1) drop out or 2) find a paying job in that field.  Looking into something like that isn't all bad if you definitely can't afford college and can't find meaningful work.   

The worst criticism of DeVry (in my opinion) that's been mentioned so far is their marketing technique (repetitive phone-calls, junk mail, auto sign-ups, etc.).

I think forcing yourself is sometimes important.  It at least helps with finishing a project you didn't have the drive to complete.  Depending upon the medium, you can often go back and add some inspiration to the parts you just muddled through. 

One thing I didn't see mentioned was New Stuff.  It often gives me a new boost of enthusiasm for something whether it's material, theoretical - as long as it's new and interesting to me.  A game I'm playing but stopped after awhile often gets finished after I get a new video or audio card.  I've never released an AGS game (aside from a for-friends one), but I do tend to progress quite a bit if I'm trying out some new shareware graphics program, or downloading and playing with one of SSH's or Strazer's new modules. 

I usually don't end up using the plug-in or module, probably won't continue using the new unfamiliar pixeling program (aside from Pixen for the Mac, which is pretty handy), but it makes it all look new and interesting again, and it always feels good going back to the comfortable programs or code base I'm used to. 

To have tried the thing and disliked it - that's one thing.  To make an uninformed opinion about it - quite another.  It's still more ridiculous to bring up an example that is so easily contradicted by another: Nintendo DS.  Seemingly gimmicky as hell, but the games are fun and sales have been steady for some time now (both of top titles and the consoles).

More people will start to realise that women-on-top aren't as scary as people would think.

And with that sentence I swing to DG's side of the argument.  Women-on-top in '08!

An interesting election for me, locally. I've heard all of the national results over and over, but California's surprises me.  In, what is arguably, the most liberal state, the voting trends mirrored national politics from the past four years.  Numerous multi-billion dollar bonds were approved while any increase in parcel taxes or consumer-based taxes were rejected.  The flood-prevention 4 billion-dollar bond was approved, likely due to remembrance of Katrina. Prop 90, seemingly meant to curb abuse of eminent domain, was shot down, and alternative energy research money was rejected. 

I expected the usual knee-jerk reaction by Californians of approving anything associated with the Democrats' agenda, so was a little surprised.  I wonder how things are going to go with a national Democrat legislative majority.  I'm guessing it won't be that different.

I've got a definite bias due to being enthralled with my first CD-ROM gaming experience, but I found the "story" all the more immersing because of its reliance upon the user's imagination.  The drawn-out narration of the Sierra games and the loads of dialog from LA's both wore on me I guess.

Many of the puzzles I hadn't seen before (mathematical variations, sure, but not in a similar presentation), particularly with their effect upon the environment.  7th Guest, by contrast, seemed all the more transparent with its Hexxagon rip-offs with spiders or ghosts or anagram games using Spooky Vocabulary (TM). By the time Riven rolled around, Myst's formula seemed trite to me though. 

 I have to mention *shudder* Myst.  After dodging the first couple of kicks to the crotch region, I have to maintain that it was very innovative as far as puzzles-without-explanation went and free-form exploration (not much guidance from the plot for either).  These might not have been seen as innovations, but it was the first adventure/puzzle game wherein once I'd interpreted what I was supposed to do, it no longer seemed random clickery, and after solving some of them made me fool myself into believing I was a genius (at least compared to the pick-up/use-on/combine everything strategy of a lot of other adventures).  7th guest made you think in order to solve many of the puzzles, but it seemed a collection of shareware-style puzzle games strung together with a poorly-conceived plot. 

I don't believe they'd appreciate you revealing their insidious master plan. Mwa ha ha.

Sorry, I'm a bit daft since someone crashed VLC player and it keeps repeating "Pitagora Suichi" or some other such Japanese-sounding phrase (looped for an hour now).

I can assure you that their sampling is very accurate.  The real question is not whether females are accurately portrayed in that number, but how many men are lying about their preference because they don't want to sound sexist even on an anonymous poll.

Like I said - curious, not arguing the validity.  Regardless, given an accurate sampling, roughly 51% of those polled would be female and likely have less resistance to a female president.  Since this leaves the remaining 49% making up only 18% more of the pro-woman tally (in theory), it's not as surprising.  I would be interested in learning what percentage of females surveyed were pro, and what percentage of males were. 

Also, given 51% of those polled having a greater inclination towards supporting their own, it's not as disheartening knowing that the support for a Jewish president is much higher than the estimated 2-3% Jewish population. 

Still, my hope would be for numbers in both surveys nearing 100% of not caring with respect to race, gender or creed.  Getting closer versus a couple decades ago, I would imagine.

[69 per cent]

In a Time poll, 19 per cent of sampled voters said they'd prefer a male president, 11 per cent prefered a female president and 69 per cent said it doesn't matter whether the president has a vagina or not.

1 per cent said they were unsure.

Likewise, a recent poll by Gallup shows 61 per cent of Americans (selected randomly throughout the country) feel ready for a female president.

In the same poll, 55 per cent ready for a Jewish president.

Some encouraging figures..  not so much the Jewish one.  I'm curious (not being antagonistic here) what percentage of the randomly selected were female.  I'd be genuinely surprised if more than 50% of male voters surveyed felt ready for a woman in charge.  There's been a lot of progress in this arena, but good ol' fashioned USA values tend to put the female squarely in the kitchen where she can mass-produce apple pies when she's in-between flag sewings.