January 2018

Here’s a historical community-compiled list of known Sega Dreamcast hardware part numbers. It was copied from ASSEMblergames, so thanks to Quzar, DreamCaster and everyone else who contributed! I have preserved the original question marks and uncertain translations rather than pretending every entry has been independently verified. These first models often... Continue reading

Using the power of digital callipers and third-party power supplies… too bad I didn’t have the first-party supplies on hand. That’s probably why my PAL inner-barrel measurement wandered by about 0.1mm. Super Nintendo (PAL unit measured here) Inner barrel: approximately 2.5mm Outer barrel: 5.5mm Standard PAL supply: AC, so polarity... Continue reading

I found this footage from April 2016 and wanted to get the word out about how bad this insecticide was for the lizards around my house. The trees had been sprayed with bifenthrin to stop a bug from killing them, and afterwards I started finding lizards twitching and stumbling around.... Continue reading

It’s feast time for Sprinkles and Pudding! Or Tillie and Pudge, if we’re using their more familiar names. The two little green-cheeked conures have been settling into their new home throughout January, and apparently a good meal is another excellent excuse for a bird adventure. With toys to attack, places... Continue reading

Back in 2016 I sent across a funky GameShark cartridge for the Sega Saturn that came bundled with something or other. I didn’t have much use for it so I sent it on to Skyway1985 over in the US in exchange for some goodies of my own! He has since... Continue reading

Previously, way back in August 2016, I posted about having power supply problems on my Sega TeraDrives. I had considered falling back onto a PSU replacement if replacing parts blindly failed. As it turned out, this was the plan I ended up following. Instead of the PicoPSU, I went with... Continue reading

Here we have some video of the Amstrad Mega PC, upgraded into what is effectively Mega PC Plus territory by replacing the PC7386SX 386SX motherboard with a PC7486SLC 486SLC motherboard. That’s right, 486-style instructions with the raw processing power of a 386. Maybe that isn’t quite selling it right. This... Continue reading

I’m still alive and still kickin’! Surprised? That’s right, I fixed all the broken links. All the images work now. All of them! Over 400 of the blighters! I think I’ve developed RSI in my face from staring at all the broken Google links! Special thanks to Google for canning... Continue reading

Just when we thought the rattle ball wars couldn’t get any worse, the heart-shaped rattle ball has come under attack! Apparently a computer virus from the 23rd century has travelled all the way back to target this innocent little toy. How did it end up in the 21st century? We... Continue reading

There are three very important things every conure should do before 9am. Play? Check! Preen? Check! Nap? You bet! Tillie and Pudge have been getting used to their new home, and it seems they’ve already worked out a perfectly sensible daily schedule. Of course, there’s always time to squeeze in... Continue reading

Rattle balls! The natural enemy of the wild conure. Well, according to Tillie and Pudge, anyway. Our two little green-cheeked conures have a fine collection of these suspicious round objects, and apparently the best way to deal with them is to run about and give them a proper going-over. The... Continue reading

The rattle ball wars have begun! Tillie has apparently been sent back through time disguised as a cyborg assassin, and poor Pudge is the latest target. Does anyone know where Kyle Reese has got to? We could probably use some help around here. At this rate, Skynet is going to... Continue reading

Rope climbing isn’t just for the gym or the military, you know. Apparently it’s an important part of the daily routine for Tillie and Pudge as well! The two conures have a newly made rope running from the bottom of their cage up towards the top, and they’re determined to... Continue reading

Meet Sprinkles and Pudding! Or should that be Tillie and Pudge? These two little green-cheeked conures have apparently acquired some additional names, because one name per bird simply isn’t enough around here. Tillie, otherwise known as Sprinkles, and Pudge, otherwise known as Pudding, are compact little feathered troublemakers belonging to... Continue reading

You are cordially invited to the charity gala ball, hosted by Pudge and Tillie at 23 Bird Road, Conureville. Formal attire is encouraged, although the hosts themselves will probably arrive wearing feathers. The event is, of course, disguised as a rattle ball. Please RSVP by… oh, who are we kidding?... Continue reading

What do you do with an off-brand packet of Pringles from the Christmas hamper? Turn the container into a bird tunnel, of course! Pudge and Tillie have been testing out all sorts of things around their new home, and this latest bit of repurposed packaging seems made for tiny conure... Continue reading

Who’s feeding who around here?! Tillie and Pudge have been taking turns trying to feed each other, which is apparently a very important activity in the conure household. Over and over they go, until one of them gets a little grumpy about the whole arrangement. Perhaps one day there’ll be... Continue reading

It’s only been just over a week since Tillie and Pudge arrived on New Year’s Day. They’ve already been exploring their new home, chasing around and finding all sorts of little adventures to get into. After a busy day, however, the two conures have decided it’s time to snuggle down... Continue reading

Apparently the luxury bathtub is in for repairs. Something about millet jammed in the plug hole, although I explained to the repairer that this simply couldn’t be right. Only water goes down the drain in this household! Honestly, the accusations people make about perfectly respectable conures. Tillie wasn’t going to... Continue reading

Homework time! Pudge and Tillie have decided to help out with the iPad, although I suspect their idea of homework has rather more to do with eating apples than getting anything useful done. Apple iPad, apple snack. Close enough, right? I’m sure this will work out just fine! Oh, never... Continue reading

It hasn’t even been a week since Pudge and Tillie arrived at their new home, and already they’re getting up to mischief! The two green-cheeked conures have been making themselves at home, and apparently the rooftop is a perfectly reasonable place to have a bit of a rumble. After all... Continue reading

Tillie has only been in the new household for a few days, and already playtime is turning into quite an adventure. One moment there’s a bird enjoying a bit of fun, and the next there’s a sudden plummet towards the floor! Luckily, Tillie’s quick reflexes turn the incident into a... Continue reading

What a way to start the new year! We’ve just adopted two lovely green-cheeked conures, and neither has a name yet. That’s something we’ll have to sort out, but for now we’re getting to know our newest little housemates and helping them settle in. Two little parrots have joined the... Continue reading