I go through periods where I just don't post. I'm sure all of you know that by now, if you are even still paying attention to this minor blog.

I don't know why, I just run out of things to talk about, and instead of posting entries just to keep posting (which I probably should be doing), I just don't.

There are phases where I feel like a natural blogger, and times when it feels forced. It feels forced now, especially when I'm involved in a meta-post such as this one.

I suppose I could list the things that have distracted me, maybe that will knock something loose in my brain...

Poker -- I've been playing a lot of poker. I haven't been strictly winning, and I haven't been strictly losing. On the whole, I'm in the black, and have actually been able to take money out of the poker bankroll so that my initial investment has been paid back, so I guess you could say I've been winning. But not much.

Forth -- This language has had a hold on me for a while. I know what I don't like about it (the data stack makes all parameter passing implicit rather than explicit, and that means that it's pretty hard to tell what's going on unless the code is well commented). And yet, I can't let it go. It's fascinating. I'd love to get a Forth chip and play with it.

Microcontrollers -- This distraction is actually related to the previous one. I go through periods where the insulation from the hardware that high level languages provide is actually kind of grating. Sometimes I want to twiddle bits. And guess what language (other than machine language and C) that is popular with microcontrollers? Forth. It turns out that Forth chips have been on several deep space probes. I think that's cool.

Gran Turismo 4 -- Gran Turismo is a series of games for the Sony Playstation series of video game consoles. It bills itself as "The Ultimate Driving Simulator," and that's not too far off the mark. GT4 came out at the end of February. As a 40th birthday present to myself, I bought the Logitech Force-Feedback Pro steering wheel that's designed for GT4. It's fantastic, if a bit expensive. I've played every Gran Turismo release, and it just gets better and better. Ever wanted to do laps on the Nurburgring with a fully tricked out Ford GT? You can.

Life -- there have been many things going on that have no technical content. Sometimes I write about them, sometimes I don't. There are a few things that I'm not comfortable sharing, so I don't.

Why post now? Well, I've gotten some feedback, directly and indirectly, that my silence has been deafening. I'm sure that there are people that are going to read this and say "That's me!" Well, it's not strictly any one person, but a series of events. Yeah, that's a somewhat cagey statement, but it is what it is, and it's honest.

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