This week I give the term stream of consciousness a whole new meaning by recording one of the many examples of the train of thought that rips through my mind and keeps me up at night. As I said in last weeks episode, if you think spending twenty minutes a week in my head is bad, try spending the entire week with this junk going through your head. You wouldnât sleep either. As always your feedback is welcome and even encouraged. So, please donât be shy.

Music Featured:

Raindrop Rhapsody by Option 42

Go forth and email nicnacjak at gmail dot com

Go forth and follow me on Twitter or Facebook using the links on the right

Donate. I am poor and I need money.

That is all.

Go forth and email nicnacjak at gmail dot com

Go forth and follow me on Twitter or friend me on Facebook

Donate. I am poor and I need money.

That is all.

Ok, I can't speak leet and, truth be told, I wouldn't speak it even if I could because I am not that nerdy. But, I trust I got your attention with the idiotic title. This is good. I want your attention. Why, you ask? Well, I just did something very cool.

I've been wanting to add Facebook and Twitter buttons to my blogpage for a few weeks now. Naturally, I put it off because I knew it would require effort possibly to the extent of hand coding the buttons in HTML. Hand coding HMTL must have been loads of fun in the early days of the Internet. But, as soon as GeoCities, Homestead, and Dreamweaver came along, hand coding felt equivalent to drawing hieroglyphics in the age of the alphabet. This has only increased since the development of âWeb 2.0â technologies like Blogs and Podcasts. But, sometimes, when you really want something you will employ caveman technologies to get it.

So, after recording, editing and posting my latest podcast episode (it won't show up on the website until Sunday) I took some time trying to get the buttons to appear on my blogpage. The images on the magic buttons that Twitter and Facebook spat out weren't making me happy so I âborrowedâbutton images from a site that I liked, uploaded the images to my libsyn account, and replaced the crappy images that the default buttons displayed with the awesome images that I âborrowedâ from said website.

The crazy part is it worked! I am such a bad ass. Look on the right side of the page underneath the Libsyn Player. There they are. It is so great! Now, you anonymous listeners who used to listen and leave can click these buttons and talk to me. A novel idea.

Go forth and email nicnacjak at gmail dot com

Go forth and follow me on Twitter or Facebook using the links on the right

Donate. I am poor and I need money.

That is all.

I had a bad day today. I had to deal with an inconsiderate jerk who was being a bad human. Did I take the high road? If you answered yes you are reading the blog for the wrong podcast. No, I took the low road. How low you ask? Well I just made a twenty-one minute seventeen second podcast ranting about him. I'd say that's low. But, it should serve to teach two things to my wonderful audience: A. Humans suck (even humans named Nicnacjak). B. Never piss off a man with an intermittently working microphone; it won't end well .

And, actually the entire podcast isn't about the bad human. We take a look at my history of social ineptitudes, tell you about how this encounter came to be and play some theme music. I'd tell you all about it but that would require more writing and I think I am better at podcasting. So go forth and download.

Music Featured:

Raindrop Rhapsody by Option 42

Please note this episode has earned its âExplicitâ tag at least five times over. Consume responsibly

Go forth and email nicnacjak at gmail dot com

Go forth and follow me on Twitter or Facebook using the links on the right

Donate. I am poor and I need money.

That is all.

This episode is all about king of the geeks: Wil Wheaton. In his career he has gone from teaching me about rail safety a la Stand By Me to reminding me about the difference between an actor and their character. Now days he lives in exile and writes books. Since I want to live in exile and write books I thought Iâd take about twenty minutes of your time to say thank you to the great ruler. Isnât it funny that I have to take your time to say thank you? I mean it took more of my time, but still, I have to take your time to do something that I want to do. Now that I think about it I could be breaking Wheatonâs Law by making this podcast episode. I sure hope that isnât the case.

Music Featured:

Raindrop Rhapsody by Option 42

Stand By Me By Ben E King

Go forth and email nicnacjak at gmail dot com

Go forth and follow me on Twitter or Facebook using the links on the right

Donate. I am poor and I need money.

That is all.

This week I hang on to the holiday theme for a bit longer to ask people to look at the difference in attitudes held in the nineties and the ohes. Has fear become a part of your life in the last ten years? It has been a big part of my life. The Ohes have made me into a fear zombie and since I donât like being a fear zombie this episode features me ranting about it. Really we should all be the egotistical selfish jerks that we were meant to beâI said that better in the podcastâ.trust me.

Comments? Follow nicnacjak on Twitter, look up Nicolas Jackson on Facebook or send nicnacjak at gmail dot com an email.

Music Featured Includes:

Raindrop Rhapsody by Option 42

Starting Over by Darkhorse

Darlin Do Not Fear by Brett Dennen

In this episode I take a trip down memory lane and revisit the events of the decade now known as the 00s. Donât get me wrong this isnât Vh1âs We Love the 00s. I am retelling the events of the decade from my prospective on a personal level. These are the things that meant a lot to me that will never grace the pages of a history book. I hope you enjoy the recollections as much as I enjoyed recalling them. New Years is great for this sort of thing!

Songs Featured:

Raindrop Rhapsody by Option 42

10 Years Ago by Bass Bandits

Decade by Freight

Auld Lang Syne Friction Bailey

Share you 00s story with nicnacjak at gmail dot com

In this episode I return to an approximation of the Season 2 glory days. This time a dinner conversation about the term âHappy Holidaysâ inspires a rant about censorship. How does being politically correct jive with living in a society that uses critical thought? Hint: It doesnât if you donât like what you hear complain or donât download the damn podcast! Audio production still isnât up to snuff but aside from this I am quite happy with this episode.    

Songs Featured Include:

Raindrop Rhapsody by Option 42

Happy Holidays by Straydog

To Be Free by Love Deficiency

Speak Your Mind by Maree McRae

If you wish to complain and see how Iâll freely express my reaction send an email to nicnacjak at gmail dot com

This episode is an attempt at an ivory tower style revisit of the topic covered in last yearâs episode I Hate Snow. I examine the Santa Claus myth and the effect it has had on popular culture.

Music Featured Includes:

Raindrop Rhapsody by Option 42

Comments are welcome nicnacjak at gmail dot com  

Happy solstice! In this episode I offer my seasons greetings and share my harrowing summer misadventure that took me from a dazzling first date at Dennyâs to the couch in my Fatherâs living roomâNo itâs not the kind of bedtime story to be shared with the kids as they cruel up all snug in their beds but it is the story I have to tell and it will help contextually as I produce subsequent episodes for season 3.

Songs featured include:

Raindrop Rhapsody by Option 42

Winter Solstice by Robert Willey

Let It All Fall Down by James Taylor*

Seattle by Cameron Ember   

Happy Xmas (War is Over) by John Lennon*

*Please donât sue me Miss Lennon or Mr. Taylor

I do apologize for the poor audio quality in this episode. These are not the production standards I was hoping to uphold for the start of this season. Please email comments or questions to nicnacjak at gmail dot com

Happy Solstice,

Nicolas   

Hey folks it is that time of year once more. Yes it is time for me to produce the third season of The Nicnacjak Podcast. I donât have real strong topic ideas as of yet but I imagine Iâll devote much of the first episode to playing catch up with the events that transpired during the hiatus. We will see where it goes from there. Recording will commence tonight so, as the saying goes, here we go againâ.   

In this episode I talk about the triumphant release of my debut album Say What You Want to Say and the news of my Dad's recent motorcycle accident. This leads me to muse a bit about the risks of life and the importance of taking and understanding those risks.

Music featured includes:

Raindrop Rhapsody by Option 42

Say What You Want To Say By Nicolas Jackson

Hey Dad by Chewy Marble

In this episode, recoded live on May 23^rd 2009, I wrap up the second season of the podcast. I bring up the average number of listeners and discuss my ambitions to bring Season 3 levels back up to Season 1 levels. The problem with this goal being that only listeners can advice me on how to accomplish this. I also talk of my book in progress A New Beginning and my forthcoming CD Say What To Want to Say. If things go the way I would like, these projects along with my podcast will help me build a great media empire (yeah right).

I also discuss the dream adult life and the disparity between the dream and the reality that I have covered in Season 2. It is my hope that Season 2 proves that I can adapt to such a disparity. Lastly, I talk of my plans for Season 3. Expect it to be more planned out and dare I say produced more infrequently than Season 2. The Season premier will also be a live Blogtalk show. Current plans have it occurring the weekend of the July 4^th 2009. The official announcement will be posted here on Nicnacjak.com

Till then have a great summer!     

In this episode I reflect on the challenges I faced and covered during the course of Season 2. Specifically, the trauma of being unable to fill a role of consequence after investing nearly a third of ones life in education. How does one adapt to the demands of the modern world; a world that seems indifferent to the individuals' endeavor to qualify themselves for skilled labor. What can we do as a society to both improve our current circumstances and ensure that we don't repeat the same mistakes?

I also solicit your opinion on theses topics and all prior topics brought up in the season. I will be hosting the Season 2 Finale at 1pm pacific (19:00zulu) on May23rd, 2009. You can pick up the live stream of the show during showtime at www.blogtalkradio.com /nicnacjak and call the show at (646) 716-7136.

Music Featured Includes:

Raindrop Rhapsody by Option 42

Illogic Systems by AXINITE

Logical by Ben Base

Transitioning by Anthony L Smith

Reflection At Sundown by A Sunken Ship Irony

Transition by Selfish Gene

Reflections of Life by Hoggwash

The Wisdom Of The Years by Steve Swindells by Steve Swindells & DanMingo

Music comes from music.podshow.com

Comments or questions email nicnacjak at gmail dot com

This episode starts the end of season reflection process. What makes people like me think they are entitled to a certain living standard? Is this a reasonable expectation to have? Where did it come from anyway? Lastly, what can be gained when delayed gratification is delayed so far that it is never gratified?    

Music Featured includes

Raindrop Rhapsody by Option 42

No Time For Change Anthony Stauffer and Holy Smoke

The Barracudas - Poor White Trash Jeremy Gluck

For This You Went to College George Hrab

Worse Than I Thought The Critics

This episode contains adult language; listener discretion is advised. If you have comments please email them to nicnacjak at gamil dot com.

In this episode I explore the wide world of escapism. This concept is a bit ambiguous as it can make life suck more or less depending on its uses. During this episode I explore my early adventures in escapism and explain why creating escapism for others tends to drain the escapism magic from your end product. Lastly, I endeavor to explore how one might strike a balance between escapism and reality. Can it be done?

Music featured includes:

Raindrop Rhapsody by Option 42

Escape Plan by Blue Hallways

Civilization Theme by Jeff Briggs

Give Me A Break by Allen Mayes  

No More Looking For Escapes by Cant Stop The Daggers    

This episode contains adult language; listener discretion is advised. If you have comments please email them to nicnacjak at gamil dot com.

This episode takes you back 6 to 7 years when Nincacjak was starting his senior year in High School. If you think he faces insurmountable social barriers today, just wait till you hear what he faced several years ago. This episode serves to expand the description of the problems discussed in "The Lament of the Lonely Isolationist Geekâ and give listeners a better idea of how Nicnacjak has (or hasn't) evolved since his teens. It also features the modern tragic tale of âBible Reading Girlâ.

The issues with the blogpage have been fixed thanks to the great community on the Libsyn Forums. Once more, this episode contains adult language; listener discretion is advised. If you have comments please email them to nicnacjak at gamil dot com.

Music Featured Includes:

Raindrop Rhapsody by Option 42

Once Bitten Twice Shy by Manuel Da Costa

My School Days by James Wills

If This Geek Ruled The World by Geoff Smith

In this episode I examine the origins of my social discomfort. Building on the concepts put forth in "Realistically Faithfulâ. I question the static nature of my social discomfort. Is it a ridged limitation of mine or is this a dynamic limitation that can be worked around? Is it realistic to search for a geeky soul mate or am I setting unrealistic goals?

This episode features strong language; listener discretion is advised

Music Featured Includes:

Raindrop Rhapsody by Option 42

Night in the City / Isolation by Joe Mieczkowski

Why am I a Geek? By Al Phlipp and The Woo Team

I wish you love by A Band Called Quinn

It Can Get Lonely in My Mansion by Lemon Demon

Geeks in Love by Lemon Demon

Comments? Send me email nicnacjak at gmail dot com

In this potentially oxymoronic episode I explore the possibly of being faithful in a realistic way. My theory is that if you are realistic in your approach to life and the goals you set for said life you will achieve a greater since of consequence thus making life suck less.

This episode features strong language; listener discretion is advised

Music Featured Includes:

Raindrop Rhapsody by Option 42

Effects of Sunshine 880 South

Hope to see another day BELIEVE

Truth A Band Called Quinn

Im A Realist the cribs

In the 17^th episode of the Nicnacjak.com Podcast's second season I explore ways to make life suck less by improving the social environment. I explore the role of the passersby, friends and family. I also offer a few tips for those of us that despise all of the aforementioned people and wish to cope with them sans that nasty murder business

Some strong language again in this one; listener discretion is advised.

Music featured includes:

Raindrop Rhapsody by Option 42

Wishing the World Away by Rhyn

I Hate Everyone by Get Set Go

In this episode I take a look at the history of currency. Why do we need money anyway and just what is value? I also frame this philosophical questions in the current global finical crisis. What went wrong and what can we as consumers do to stop this from happening in the future? Being smart with money is yet another thing we can do to make life/the world suck less.

Some strong language again in this one; listener discretion is advised.

Music featured includes:

Raindrop Rhapsody by Option 42

Music, Motorcycles and Money by Gary Dean Jennings

Gas Money by Billy Bourbon

Where dat Money Go? by David Ippolito

In this episode I take the desire for consequence and meaning discussed in previous episodes and discuss how we can find these things in the struggle to make life better or suck less depending on your proffered phrasing. I mention the importance of setting realistic gaols and doing all in your power to make you life suck less.

Some strong language in this one again; listener discretion is advised

Music featured includes:

Raindrop Rhapsody by Option 42

Spring will come by Alan Lauris

Wishing the World Away by Rhyn

As long as the world is turning by Beatrice Ericsson

Please send comments or questions to nicnacjak at gmail dot com

This episode starts out with me expressing annoyance over the "greenâ movement. The conversation evolves to include questions like: What is meaning? And, can the existence or lack thereof of god be proven? It is an intriguing evolution to say the least.

Adult language worked its way back into this one so listener distraction is advised.

Music used includes

The Nicnacjak.com Podcast Theme Raindrop Rhapsody by Option42

Hippie Girl by Electrobuddha

The Beginning of the End of the World by The Free Press

Pen & Teller BS Theme

Meaning by Samllfish Adventures

They Won't Be Speaking English When I Die-John Garza

Please send comments or questions to nicnacjak at gmail dot com   

In this episode I talk about what I term as the philosophical quest for adulthood. I propose that this quest is inspired by the desire to do something of consequence while being hindered by the necessity to accept consequence whilst proceeding through the quest. Although this is a complete episode, intuition and download records tell me that this is but the start of my topic exploration.

Music in this episode includes:

The Nicnacjak.com Podcast Theme Raindrop Rhapsody by Option42

Grow Up by Doug Hempstead/Area Resident      

When Children Grow Up by Bill Tucker

Consequence by Hypernova

This episode is family friendly!

Please email comments to nicnacjak at gmail dot com

Thanks,

Nicolas

In this episode I explore my lack of patriotism. Is it good? Is it bad? Does it really matter if I have respect for the current President? Are other countries doing things better? Is the US doing things better than other countries? Why did we revolt against the English government anyway?

Once more, there is some adult language in this episode; listener discretion is advised.

Music used in this episode includes:

The Nicnacjak.com Podcast Theme Raindrop Rhapsody by Option42

God Save The Queen The Queue

O Canada by Danny Fong, Brodie Cuff, David Thiessen, Andrew Kesler

Canada by Gordon Scott

The Sun down Under by Guardian Mind Mix

This Land is Your Land by Walter Funky Kidz   

Please check out these artists at music.podshow.com  

Email comments or questions to nicnacjak at gmail dot com

Thanks,

Nicolas Jackson

This episode was inspired by a Facebook Note, of all things. The focus is the relation between age and life accomplishment or maturity. I attempt to dispel the myth that these two factors are related in any large fashion with a special emphasis on the correlation between the age of twenty-three and the perceived notion of entry into true adulthood.

No strong language in this one; unless, of course, you consider "hell, damn or crapâ to be strong language. But, if that's the case you are probably too close minded to be listening to my podcast anyway. Being open minded is good.

My life number as of this post:

18,011 Days till Friday, July 12th, 2058 as of March 20th, 2009

8,936 Days since Sunday, September 30th, 1984 (Update Daily @ 1215 PDT)

Total Life Span Expected 26,947 Days*

33.16% of expected life span has expired.

*Projected date of death based on the algorithm of Deathclock.com  

To ramble anymore would be a wait of life so I say thank you Katie. Send me emails with comments. Nicnacjak at gmail dot com.

Enjoy your life,

Nicolas

In this episode, I share my current quandary over my educational inadequacies, desires and my current lack of career success. In this economic climate, how does one determine if further education is required? If such a determination can be made, what guarantee is there that further education will pay off?       

I also explore my educational history and ponder over mistakes I've made along the way. This is quite an interesting journey, as I approach the tenth anniversary of my freshman year of high school.

If you have comments, please send me an email nicnacjak at gmail dot com. As is now usual, this episode contains adult language; listener discretion is advised.

Songs used in this episode include:

Paul Simon Krodocrome  

Boy @ Heart Never Made a Mistake

The Carpenters Sing

THE CONDUCTORS I"ve Been Working on The Railroad

Sam Cooke Wonderful World

Pink Floyd Another Brick in the Wall Part II

Thanks,

Nicolas

Hi folks the Podcaster marches into March (admittedly a bit late) with a rant about the close of the PI in Seattle and the future of journalism. Also covered is things related to AIG and a tease about a series of novels that I am slowly working on.

Music used includes:

Newspaper Bed by Kenny Ainge (music.podshow.com)

American Pie By Don McLean

Weight Of The World by Amy Speace   

What You Own By The Cast of Rent

   
Once more this episode contains some "adult languageâ listener discretion is advised.  

Please email your comments to nicnacjak at gmail dot com

In this episode I go for the quintessential "look how much technology has changed our lives in the last 20 years" rant. I marvel at the vulnerability of Microsoft and the contestant operating system debate among computer users. I also wonder how Google makes it money; can Adsense be doing it all? I also visit the topics of Wii controls, 3D games, and GPS in aviation.

Once again this episode contains some strong language so listener discretion is advised.  

Please send me feedback nicnacjak at gmail dot com.

Thanks,
Nicolas   

I start off this episode by ranting about the TSA and their proposed "Large Aircraft Security Programâ. I submit that the TSA stands in sharp contract to the principles put forth by the fourth amendment. I go on to promote the wonderful world of General Aviation and emphasize the negative impact that the Large Aircraft Security Program would have on this wonderful world.

I also mention that today (February 20^th, 2009) marks Kurt Cobain's 42^nd Birthday and comment on his work and the grunge alterative culture that is now is now ingrained in Seattle, The Emerald City.

Once more there is some âadultâ language in this one so listener discretion is advised. Comments are welcomed via the email address nicnacjak at gmail dot com.         

Thanks,

Nicolas

In this adult originated episode (adult language; don't listen if you are going to be offended; hint hint) I share a horror story about a couple that rudely made their way through my line last Wednesday. I offer you, the customer, a few tips, inquire about the reusable bag thing, share my love for cities by the bay and my express distress over my isolation and the cruddy state of the economy/world.

Please send my your comments nicnacjak at gmail dot com

In this episode I make more comments about the dismal state of the US Economy and react to Mr. Obama's proposed stimulus package and its relation to Franklin D Roosevelt"s New Deal. I suggest that we take this time to really think about the future of our country and even go so far as to propose an amendment to the US Constitution. I also implore US voters to remember that we have an indirect democracy and if we wish for our Legislative Branch to work effectively we must elect people to it that can work effectively rather than engage in political squabbling.

With apologies to people bored by political talk, and a warning that this program contains strong language that peacefully to petitions the Government for a redress of grievances while ousting John McCain and those like him, I present to you The New Deal 2.0.   

Please send comments to nicnacjak at gmail dot com.

Thanks,

Nicolas   

In this episode I talk about the death/closing of Aces Studios and the US/global economy. I also start sharing more of my political ideals and my thoughts on what a government should be. Lastly, I turn to the job struggle continuing to share my lack of job satisfaction and the concept of Caucasian elitism relative to career expectations and higher education.

There is some strong language in this one; listener discretion is advised. Don't forget to send me feedback nicnacjak at gmail dot com

I made a visit to both FS and TSinsider.com the official Microsoft websites for the development of Flight and Train Sim. The rumor is true. Aces Studios, the internal developer of both Train and Flight Sim has been shut down by Microsoft. This means that both Train Sim 2 and FS XI (11) are being cancelled/postponed. Although I've had my struggles attempting to join this team, I still feel strongly about both these teams and franchises. I sincerely wish the best for the members of The Aces team and hope that these successful fancies aren't forever lost to a corporate restructure.

These are indeed tough times for all of us around the world. For those of us in the US, we must strive to be better than Rome. For the rest of the world; stand up and don't let the US take you down. Below is the copy from both websites. Rest assured this topic will come up in next weeks Let's Talk Train Show, my podcast and any future SkyBlueRadio work.

The Best to All,

Nicolas Andrew Marsh Jackson

FSInsider Version

By now, many of you have heard that Microsoft has closed Aces Studio, the publisher of Microsoft Flight Simulator. This was not a reflection of the quality of the products Aces has developed, the sales performance of the games, or the quality of the team at Aces. This difficult decision was made to align Microsoft"s resources with our strategic priorities. Microsoft Flight Simulator X will remain available at retail stores and web retailers, the Flight Sim community will continue to learn from and encourage one another, and we remain committed to the Flight Simulator franchise for the long term.

Microsoft Game Studios is investing significant resources in many exciting and new areas of gaming and entertainment, including Windows games. We believe these future investments will push innovation, community, and collaboration to unprecedented levels and will provide more synergy with our ongoing investments in Games for Windows - LIVE as well as other Windows entertainment technologies. We have nothing specific to announce at this time, but stay tuned for more information.

We are humbled and proud of the passion and support that the Flight Simulator franchise has developed over its more than twenty-five year history. This includes you, the large community of flight simmers, as well as the vibrant third-party ecosystem that has developed around the game. We will continue to produce, sell, and support the latest version of Flight Simulator as we plan for future versions of the franchise. Thank you for your understanding of our decision and for your continued support!

TS Insider Version

By now, many of you have heard that Microsoft has closed Aces Studio, the publisher of Microsoft Flight Simulator and Microsoft Train Simulator. This was not a reflection of the quality of the products Aces has developed, the sales performance of the games, or the quality of the team at Aces. This difficult decision was made to align Microsoftâs resources with our strategic priorities. As a result of this difficult decision, development of the next version of Train Simulator is being postponed for an indefinite period.

Microsoft Game Studios is investing significant resources in many exciting and new areas of gaming and entertainment, including Windows games. We believe these future investments will push innovation, community, and collaboration to unprecedented levels and will provide more synergy with our ongoing investments in Games for Windows - LIVE as well as other Windows entertainment technologies.

We are humbled and proud of the passion and support that the Train Simulator franchise has developed. This includes you, the large community of railroading simmers, as well as the vibrant third-party ecosystem that has developed around the game. Thank you for your understanding of our decision and for your continued support.

Dear Mister President Obama,

I cherished your Inaugural Address. However, I feel compelled to remind you, Mister President, that there is more to theses United States than diversity in race and belief. The ideas and values brought forth by the US Constitution and its amendments are and should be the basis of theses United States. This includes universal equality, freedom of expression, and separation of church and state among others. However, the most important value to the people of The United is not one of the oft aforementioned. Our most important value as citizens of theses United States is the willingness to accept the consequences of holding up to our sacred values.

Liberty is futile without great sacrifice. This is why Mister Patrick Henry famously demanded liberty or death. This is also why Mister Benjamin Franklin famously stated that, "they who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.â It isn't easy being a citizen of theses United States and it never has been, nor will it be. However, the difficulties of this task will become meaningless unless we remember that those who have died in tragedies such as terrorist attacks, transit accidents and combat most often do so while enjoying the essential liberty afforded them by the Constitution and its amendments.

It may seem necessary to keep these United States safe and secure with organizations like the TSA, FCC, FBI, CIA, Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard, local police and Marines. But, please keep in mind that every security measure put in place limits our essential liberties all the more.
Thank you for your time and service to theses United States. I wish you a successful term as our 44th President.

Sincerely,
Nicolas Andrew Marsh Jackson  
January 21st, 2009

Friday November 9th, 2007

I landed in SEA for Fancon @ 4:46 PST yesterday on rwy 16l. The route used was SILOW1.SILOW FLG GCN BERYL ELY REO IMB.CHINS5 with a take off from rwy 7l @ PHX. Overall it was a good flight.

The show starts bright and early on Saturday so I'll be ingesting some of Seattleâs best coffee. If there is any info you folks want me to retrieve please let me know. I'll be posting updates on this thread as often as I can.

If anyone happens to be going to the show look for a long haired leaping gnome. I'd love to say hi:P

That's all for now.

Update #1

The show is now underway, and what better way to start than free food and alcohol! I got to talk shop with the AVSIM staff writer, as well as one of Boeings flight simulation developers not to mention a certain international third party dev team working on a very extensive A320 series sim product.

Will report more tomorrow. For now nicnacjak is at the gate and shutting down.

Update #2
Saturday November 10th, 2007

The main day of Fancon has now come to a close. But, oh what a day it was! I spent most of my day at the conference sessions learning as much as I could from the shows presenters.

P.I. Engineering was the first up with recommendations on how to make ground based scenery look more realistic. Although most of their work is more applicable to train sim, the FS modeler can also gain a lot from their insight.

Next up was Raynald Bedard of Embry-Riddle University. His talk was based around the FSX mission system and the way that he and a team of his students have been able to add an advanced scoring system to the missions. Although the original intent of this system was to assist in training students as the university, the technology developed for this is being brought into the flight simulation community. During the show visitors were able to play missions that qualified them to be part of the FanCon Fly-Off. The winner of the event received a $25,000 scholarship to Embry-Riddle.

The next talk saw PMDG premiering an early version of their MD11 aircraft. It goes without saying that this was a very exciting presentation. The crowds went wild and the complexity of the simulation was plainly evident. After the premier, the software was demoed at PMDGs booth. Although I didn't get a chance to play with it, itâs on the top of my to do list for day 3!

Following these talks I went to spend sometime on the show floor. The impending release of the PC12 for FSX courtesy of Flight1 has got me excited. There is also AirSimmer, who is currently working a very realistic model of the A320. Although getting the fly-by-wire- system right is clearly a big hurdle, the demo I saw this weekend was very promising. I also stopped to have a chat with Captain Mike Ray, one of two former 747-400 pilots that I talked to today! Captain Ray has a new manual out covering the A320, a handy asset to have aboard.

Next it was back to the talks to hear from Aces themselves. It would appear as if they are putting a very heavy emphasize on feeding the community of payware add on developers. Their eventual goal is to make both flight and train sims more direct portals to the third party community that they support. Although this doesn't mean a whole lot in the short term, the implications are very positive for the long term. MS hopes to make further strides towards their goals with Train Sim 2 and more improvements with the inevitable release of the next FS incarnation.

I wrapped up my day by joining the World Flight endeavor with the 763 and a very advanced flight deck environment. Sure, I made that approach into Russia a little early but fun was had.

Got to shut down for the moment. Tomorrow there is a tour of the Boeing Plant and more talks and booths to visit. Don't forget to say hi if you are up here!

Update #3
Sunday November 11th, 2007

Well the conference is over and two wonderful 737-800 pilots have ensured that Nicnacjak is back on the ground in Phoenix.

Day three went rather quick. It stared out with a field trip to the Boeing Plant up in Everett, Washington. The sad news is that one is not allowed to take pictures as you tour the hangers where the 777 and 787 are made. Evan sadder news is that the hangers for my two favorite Boeing planes (the 737 and the 747) are not open to the public. On the bright side, though, it is very cool to see the assembly line for the triple 7 and getting a look at the original 787 and the beginnings of the second 787 was just cool.

Interestingly enough, Boeing has very few facilities for building aircraft at Boeing Field International, although, the museum of flight is located there. The 747, 767 and 787 are all made up in Everette at Pain Field. In the meantime the 737 is pumped out at Boeing's facilities in Renton.

There was a cool setup at the beginning of the tours that included a museum with the vertical stabilizer for the 747, the 727 flight deck, and a sample 787 cabin. I did get pictures of those! And, it the news department it looks like Boeing is trying to put an end to its 767 program. They are currently waiting on a bid from the us military for a possible version of the plane, but, should this fall through the flow of new 767s maybe drying up soon to be replaced by the 787. If production ceased, the 767 would join the 717, 757, 727 and 707 in the hall of retired Boeing airliners.

After returning to the Fancon conference, I found that things were beginning to wrap up. I attended the last talk on scenery development and plane modeling. Scenery to the (G)Max: Exploring New FSX Modeling Options by Bill Womack.

Not being a molder myself some of the techniques he mentioned went over my head. However, I was able to grasp the concept that G Max is a very handy tool for plane building in FSX, especially if you don't have the 6k needed to buy 3DS Max or Maya.

As the show floor was closing down, I walked by the SimTube booth where Cody Bergland of Jaggyroad films was showing one of his famous flight videos. A quick walk out to the main corridor lead be by the World Flight 767-300 which had just taken off on its last leg inbound for Boeing Field International. Flying around the world is no small task to be sure!

Once I was forced off the show floor by some nut who claimed the show was closing, I took my suite case and headed for the trusty 560 bus to SEA-TAC. I had thought of going by BFI, but, by the time the show ended all I had energy to do was sleep in the terminal as planes took off and landed on runway 16l. Finally, it was time to board the trusty 737-800 that would take me home. The air was a little choppy but not too bad. Upon arriving into Phoenix on runway 25l, I experienced the smoothest landing I have had in ages. The perfect ending to such a great trip!

My thanks to Sky Blue Radio for allowing me to take this trip. I would also like to thank Neil McNeight who helped to arrange the trip to the Boeing plant.

I hope to be returning again next year for now please stand by for photos and tune in at the normal times as I return to the airwaves this week.

PS the route for the return flight was SUMMA6.SUMMA ANGOO IMB NEERO SLOWN BERYL
CORKR.MAIER2

Dear fellow game developers and journalists,

My name is Nicolas Jackson and I am a game designer that has been studying the craft in my personal and undergraduate educational time for the past five years. For the majority of this time, I have devoted myself to completing my undergraduate education on-site in Phoenix, Arizona at the University of Advancing Technology.

Since I am in my last semester (to be completed Dec. 19^th 2007) and am not required to be on site, I have decided to relocate to a game industry hub (Seattle or San Francisco) as soon as possible. This relocation is to take place no later than January 1st, 2008, though I am likely to relocate earlier provided an employment commitment.

Should any of you have employment opportunities or know of colleagues with opportunities that might allow me to move sooner, please let me know.

I have benefited greatly from the educational opportunities afforded to me by long standing relationship with colleagues such as yourselves. And, I can only imagine how much more I would be able to benefit from relationships like these while living in one of the industries central hubs. 

I am happy to travel to any central industry area as required. This week, for example, I will be traveling to the Bay Area.   

I specialize in game system design and balance, along with audio engineering and non-liner content creation. I am most interested in simulation development, however, I would enjoy contributing to most any game project that revolves around a complex system.                           

Thanks for your time and consideration. I look forward to many meetings in the cozy coffee shops that seem to pop up around industry hubs. Please find a copy of my resume and sample system design work attached to this message.

Sincerely,

Nicolas Jackson

During this show I mention a lot of the potential battles that I face in my personal life including: apathetic law enforcement agencies, landlords and educational institutions. I talk about ways to evaluate the quality of service you are getting from such organizations and some ways to determine if a laps in quality is worth fighting for. I also talk about the consumers and proprietors duties relative to customer service and quality. In the process I mention a few games and ideas relative to the game and entertainment industry.

As always, if you have questions or comments you can email me via the address nicnancjak@gmail.com. You can also instant message me with the id tag nicnacjak via most of the clients out there. I now have a Skype account with the same id. And donât forget about my main website www.nicolasjackson.com.

In other news, I have started the process of applying for jobs within the game and multimedia industries. I am more then willing to relocate, so long as a firm employment contract has been signed. If you are a Game or Multimedia Industry employer and have an opportunity you think might work well for me please use the above contact information. If you are an industry employee and you know of an employer that might have something for me please use the same info to give me a heads up.

In still other news, technical difficulties have prevented me from posting this last weeks episode of The Letâs Talk Trains Show.* Apologies for the inconvenience, should the difficulties get resolved the files will be posted as per usual.  

Thanks,
Nicolas

*Episodes of The Letâs Talk Trains Show are only rebroadcast via this podcast temporarily as a âbeta testï? of the shows success rate when distributed via downloadable MP3 and RSS podcast formats. These episodes are posted based upon an agreement with the copyright holder, SanDiegoRail, who is solely responsible for the shows content. The NicolasJakson.com Podcast and NicolasJackson.com Website is not responsible for the view or opinions expressed on The Letâs Talk Train Show.

With the exception of direct notations, The NicolasJackon.com Podcast, Radio Show and website and all content therein was developed and produced by Nicolas Jackson. Copyright 2000-2007. All Rights Reserved.

Just so things make sense I made myself a MySpace Music Page tonight so that's why some of you who haven't blocked friend requests from bands are thinking that I was requesting to be your friend twice. The two songs that I have up there are simple vocal demo with some EFX. Check them out and let me know what you think but please be nice I am nervous about making my music available to the public.

I have a new podcast as well as an edition of Let's Talk Trains that I hosted and board opted on available at my podcast page http://nicnacjak.libsyn.com. You can also get there via my website www.nicolasjackson.com.

The Myspace band page is located at www.myspace.com/nicolasjackson. Feel free to add and freely distribute the demos. This is one recoding artist who is putting their money (or lack thereof) where their mouth is by allowing free distribution of their music. This is a trend that will continue. I don't expect to make money from my music.

The website will get a bit of an update once I get my laptop and EHDD free of their current virus infections. I don't like the cruel realities of the modern Internet. If you have questions or comments email me nicnacjak@gmail.com.

Thanks,

Nicolas

Part 1

00:00-15:16

During the first half of the show I talk about how to get in touch with me during live shows. The toll phone number is (646)-716-7136 and my im id is nicnacjak@hotmail.com. I have not locked down a formal schedule for The NicolasJackson.com Radio Show as of yet, however, I will attempt to make listeners aware of when I schedule live shows.

After the formal introduction stuff I move on to the main topic of the day. I start out by explaining that LTT is on hiatus this week in honer of âDeceleration of Independence Dayï?. What I failed to mention was that LTT will be live next Saturday from 10am-12pm PDT (6pm-8pm GMT) for the 5^th anniversary show. I also note that I called from a listeners place of residence in Phoenix, Arizona last week. The fun of meeting a caller/listener last week was not lost on me. However the energy required to get to Phoenix left me a little worn out and thus deserving of the hiatus (if I do say so myself).

I then move on to explain why I was in Phoenix and the challenges involved in realizing that my âlifeï? is 870 mi or 1400.12 kâ about 13 hours 39 mins away. I relate this to the fact that I am currently in transition and refer back to the last time I was in transition (see my podcast episode Growing Up with Transitions. ) Despite everything being what it is, I make sure to acknowledge that life isn't all bad while in transition. And, even when my reaction to a transition has been less than desired, it has still resulted in positive things like my association with The Let's Talk Train Show, my interest in Internet broadcasting and my interest in game development and journalism.

Break: Just seek forward I currently do not have the ability to edit this audio
15:17-15:34

Part 2
15:35-30:11

I start off the second half of the show referring back to my love of broadcasting (even terrestrial thanks to Jim Howell and KZFR), game development and game journalism. I also share my philosophy on experience: it maybe painful but its the only way to learn. I then move on to explaining how Whitesnake's Here I Go Again represents where I am in life right now. I also refer to the journey that I've gone through over the past few months that can be represented by Green Day's Boulevard of Broken Dreams and as I've come out on the positive side of the transition Whitesnake's Here I Go Again.

I go on to acknowledge that this show has been more personal in nature than my more recent podcasts. However, this type of show seems to be much more consistent with what my core audience enjoys so I will continue to produce episodes of this nature so long as I get positive feedback about them. I also bring up the concept of privatization and keeping my public life separate on some level from my privet one.

I end the show by talking about the field of Internet broadcasting and my desire to bring other netcasters onto the show to ban together and talk about the nature of the medium. I also make a point of reminding people that small shows like NicolasJackson.com Radio, The NicolasJackson.com Podcast and The Let's Talk Train Show (to a lesser extent) are not run for profit. They are run because putting the shows together is enjoyable and as entertainers we take pleasure in entertaining others. If we choose to add polish to our broadcasts by playing copyrighted music we should be charged a fee. However this fee should be in line with our production motivations. For more info on this topic please see http://www.savethestreams.org/.

As always thanks for listening. Comments, Questions, Suggestions, and Constructive Criticisms are welcome.

E-mail: nicnacjak@gmail.com

MSN: nicnacjak@hotmail.com

url: http://www.nicolasjackson.com

NicolasJackson.com Podcast: http://nicnacjak.libsyn.com/

NicolasJackson.com Radio Show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hostpage.aspx?show_id=37213

Thanks,

Nicolas

Big industry shows like E3 are being reworked to appeal to the business side of things and while some maybe crying, smaller shows like PAX, AGF and GDC offer gamers, developers and media personal a better chance to converge and share information so we can continue to further our way of life.

IÃïïve made a few site updates. Here is hoping that you like them. If anyone would like to help me make the site look nice please let me know. My battle with CSS isn't going well silly Tim Berners-Lee and his HTML why canÃïït we all use something simple like a pdf maker?

The reason for the poor production quality is the place of recoding. The first half of the episode was recorded at my parents house while the second half was recorded in a frightening hotel room in Seattle.

If you ask me it adds to the mood of the piece but that's just some random art lingo so you decide for yourself.