Why haven't I posted in over a month? Am I channeling Princess? Nope, it just turns out that I have been busy. First we had to clean the house and reorganization of stuff. The my parents and brother came out for a visit. After my parents left, I made sure that I wouldn't have any more children. Then my brother stopped by for one last weekend and now I am here. It was good having family visit. It nice for the extra hands with Miranda. It is nice seeing family.
But what I want to complain about is the Detroit Lions. I sorely wish that they will win today. I don't see it happening. They have not won since their win against the Kansas City Chiefs back before Christmas last year. So now it has been over 12 months since the fans (myself included) have seen your team win. It is different than when the Buccaneers went 24 straight losses since they were an expansion team and had yet to have a firm fan base. You have a large (shrinking) fan base with tons of history. Filling the stands no matter how many losses we have had (minus this year). You have a set of fans that drooling for mediocrity.
So if we lose today, I will buy a Lions jersey to commemorate the occasion. I will make no list of things that the Lions need to do to improve. Why bother? Ford Sr. will do what he always does. He will keep the majority of his front office and grab a weak GM to head the organization. Marinelli will leave as the scapegoat that he desperately wants to be. The curse is a hoax. Its supposed end will not change this organization. Now these are not things I want to happen, just things that are likely to happen.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Godel, Escher, Bach book review
Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid
I knew the book would be interesting when the prologue of the book starts out where the author is looking back 20 years ago when he wrote the book and tries to describe the book. He rambles for a few dozen pages and still doesn't seem to describe it. I think what makes this book hard to describe is that it uses multiple different angles to try and find the point of intelligence or identity. It relies heavily on math but adds in doses of music, art, psychology, and quirky dialogues, in order to describe the idea that self-reference, which breaks many formal systems.
So, is that statement true or false? It is a valid statement in terms of structure, but its inherent meaning in not valid. It can then be put in terms of math where if you create a system where there are a series of functions. Each function is defined by a unique mathematical definition.
Then you create another function g(x) = fx(x). So g(1) = 1; g(2) = 4; etc. But in theory g(x) would exist in the set of function, but because there is no way to write this self-reference.
So how does self-reference apply to intelligence? It is the ability to step outside of a well-defined system and have the symbols necessary to describe the situation.
I do recommend this book to computer scientists and just folks looking for a quirky math book.
I knew the book would be interesting when the prologue of the book starts out where the author is looking back 20 years ago when he wrote the book and tries to describe the book. He rambles for a few dozen pages and still doesn't seem to describe it. I think what makes this book hard to describe is that it uses multiple different angles to try and find the point of intelligence or identity. It relies heavily on math but adds in doses of music, art, psychology, and quirky dialogues, in order to describe the idea that self-reference, which breaks many formal systems.
I always lie.
So, is that statement true or false? It is a valid statement in terms of structure, but its inherent meaning in not valid. It can then be put in terms of math where if you create a system where there are a series of functions. Each function is defined by a unique mathematical definition.
f1(x) = x
f2(x) = x * 2
f3(x) = log x
f4(x) = (x + 1) / (x ^2)
Then you create another function g(x) = fx(x). So g(1) = 1; g(2) = 4; etc. But in theory g(x) would exist in the set of function, but because there is no way to write this self-reference.
So how does self-reference apply to intelligence? It is the ability to step outside of a well-defined system and have the symbols necessary to describe the situation.
I do recommend this book to computer scientists and just folks looking for a quirky math book.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
All hail our robot masters
Ok, that was what I once thought. I mean I work for Amazon Personalization which is really about empowering these robotic intelligences. But I have had a change of heart.
ALL HAIL OUR KITTEH MASTERS!!!
As seen on Gizmodo
Brought to you by the letters K, I, and L and the website Vorpal Kitten.
ALL HAIL OUR KITTEH MASTERS!!!
As seen on Gizmodo
Brought to you by the letters K, I, and L and the website Vorpal Kitten.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Bailouts
Over the last couple of months there has been quite a bit of talk about various bailouts everywhere I go. Suddenly everyone is an arm chair economist, and I figured it was my turn. Sarcastic Weasel posted an excellent look at the events leading up to the problems. The basic core statement is that any set of stocks or investment not based on some form of production or direct service is really an investment in nothing. And you should really expect to get nothing in return for investing in these things.
So I am really looking primarily at two different bailouts. First is the bailout of the financial institutions. I understand that the government is putting its money into these banks in order to continue to keep the flow of credit intact, but we have seen that this is not what has happened. There is still some credit to be had but most institutions have overreacted and cut credit below levels previous to the current problems. I do have to say, I happy that the government is not buying up toxic assets as this would likely cause some additional problems. I listened on NPR the other day of an individual that had created a company that was creating a market around these toxic assets. This type of company would have made said individual rich, but if folks could invest in this, they would and again you would be investing in nothing.
Instead we see our government buying into stocks in these companies to bolster the assets they have to work with. This is a sound strategy if the company is being run correctly. At least if these companies can recover then the government would gain money back plus more. Hopefully we could pay down the enormous levels of debt that we have with other nations. Some level of debt is healthy, but we are far from healthy. Not all banks and financial institutions made really dumb mistakes, maybe we should invest in these institutions and let them grow as they obviously understand some of what was going on. And then they should honor FDIC commitments for people with the failed banks and then they can reinvest in intelligent companies.
The newest bailout idea for the automotive industry failed, but that is not the last time we will hear about it. The automotive companies are carrying their own form of toxic asset in pensions and health care for employees and retirees. What we need to do is rewrite the rules of retirement. I respect that these companies were creating a package of benefits that would help employees and gain employees given that it was so attractive of an offer. But I don't respect the fact that besides creating package that is not sustainable and they have hidden how poorly these retirement accounts were doing and deferred costs till later dates like last year. These companies are unhealthy and no amount of injection of government funds will make these companies intelligent enough to survive. Why were they not saving money in the good times? Did they even have good times? Right now, not many consumers are spending that type of money and it will be a while before they do.
So what do we do about it? There are millions of jobs at stake. Money spent on these companies will be wasted money, a gain in debt, with no way out. Instead, if you want to spend money, I would create a series of incentives for new industries to to move into the area. You have an area of the country with good access to both coasts, plenty of space and loads of people. What really is lacking is the diversity of jobs to create a stable area. Really you need to create some form of safety net for the folks that's jobs will be lost when these companies fold, instead of helping a company that has no idea how to stay in business and its set of executives.
Executives and socialized health care are big enough topics that are both pertinent hear, but I have avoided for the time being...
So I am really looking primarily at two different bailouts. First is the bailout of the financial institutions. I understand that the government is putting its money into these banks in order to continue to keep the flow of credit intact, but we have seen that this is not what has happened. There is still some credit to be had but most institutions have overreacted and cut credit below levels previous to the current problems. I do have to say, I happy that the government is not buying up toxic assets as this would likely cause some additional problems. I listened on NPR the other day of an individual that had created a company that was creating a market around these toxic assets. This type of company would have made said individual rich, but if folks could invest in this, they would and again you would be investing in nothing.
Instead we see our government buying into stocks in these companies to bolster the assets they have to work with. This is a sound strategy if the company is being run correctly. At least if these companies can recover then the government would gain money back plus more. Hopefully we could pay down the enormous levels of debt that we have with other nations. Some level of debt is healthy, but we are far from healthy. Not all banks and financial institutions made really dumb mistakes, maybe we should invest in these institutions and let them grow as they obviously understand some of what was going on. And then they should honor FDIC commitments for people with the failed banks and then they can reinvest in intelligent companies.
The newest bailout idea for the automotive industry failed, but that is not the last time we will hear about it. The automotive companies are carrying their own form of toxic asset in pensions and health care for employees and retirees. What we need to do is rewrite the rules of retirement. I respect that these companies were creating a package of benefits that would help employees and gain employees given that it was so attractive of an offer. But I don't respect the fact that besides creating package that is not sustainable and they have hidden how poorly these retirement accounts were doing and deferred costs till later dates like last year. These companies are unhealthy and no amount of injection of government funds will make these companies intelligent enough to survive. Why were they not saving money in the good times? Did they even have good times? Right now, not many consumers are spending that type of money and it will be a while before they do.
So what do we do about it? There are millions of jobs at stake. Money spent on these companies will be wasted money, a gain in debt, with no way out. Instead, if you want to spend money, I would create a series of incentives for new industries to to move into the area. You have an area of the country with good access to both coasts, plenty of space and loads of people. What really is lacking is the diversity of jobs to create a stable area. Really you need to create some form of safety net for the folks that's jobs will be lost when these companies fold, instead of helping a company that has no idea how to stay in business and its set of executives.
Executives and socialized health care are big enough topics that are both pertinent hear, but I have avoided for the time being...
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Geez oh pete.
Alright, I have been a bit under the weather and so has the rest of the family. After fighting off a round of the common cold, we followed that up with a round of the stomach flu. Everyone is back to healthy though, but just trying to catch up with stuff around the house for the last week or so.
Election was very interesting. Hope everyone voted and voted their mind. I know I did via mail in vote. I am interested right now so see what things get changed in the next 2 months and then see what happens in President-elect Obama's first 6 months. This will be a test of both a Dem legislative branch as well as Dem executive branch.
Really don't like talking politics. That and religion are just fast ways to alienate people and tax friendships.
So, I feel like I should drop some pics and a video of Miranda and call it a post.
Election was very interesting. Hope everyone voted and voted their mind. I know I did via mail in vote. I am interested right now so see what things get changed in the next 2 months and then see what happens in President-elect Obama's first 6 months. This will be a test of both a Dem legislative branch as well as Dem executive branch.
Really don't like talking politics. That and religion are just fast ways to alienate people and tax friendships.
So, I feel like I should drop some pics and a video of Miranda and call it a post.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Rock Band 2: Gaelic Fishwife on hiatus
While my friend Ish was staying with me out in Seattle, we created a fake plastic band called Gaelic Fishwife. And now with Ish heading off to complete some testing and look for bigger boats to sail, it had to come to pass that the band needed to be retired. That doesn't mean it is over and we will have some reunion shows whenever he is up for it.
Good luck Ish on your tests, and keep rocking!
Good luck Ish on your tests, and keep rocking!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Various Game reviews
Well I haven't been doing many reviews as of late, mostly cause things have been a bit busy. As for books, I have been reading Godel Escher Bach for the last 2 months. It just takes a while to get through it, but I am looking forward to putting up a post about it. I also recently picked up a blu ray player in the Sharp Aquos BDHP21U. I will probably review that as well once I have used it more. So far, I have not been impressed. The menu system is no intuitive and the boot time on it is horrendous.
Rock Band 2
Wow. What an improvement. The basic mechanics of the game has not changed. What has improved is single player mode, calibration, and online band mode. First off the calibration mode is much improved in that now you calibrate the video separate from the audio. It really makes it easier to find your timing while playing when both the video and audio are in sync. The single player mode is essentially band mode. You can go on tours or invite your friends in to help. Also introduced is challenges which are reminiscent of the first Rock Band's single player mode. Complete a challenge to open up more challenges and new songs. And best of all, the online band tour mode which should have been in the first one comes together so well in this release. I got the chance to play with Skidge who is in Germany and everything ran super smooth from my side and it sounded like it ran well on his side as well.
This is the game they should have made in the first place, even when the first one was fun. Get it.
GTA IV
Again, wow. GTA IV is another spectacular installment in the GTA series. The story telling is absolutely fantastic and by the end it really bothered me that the situations I was in, put Nico in such bad situations. The game play is well done. Player control is easily done and combat is very strategic if you want it. The cover system of combat is very well done and just makes it fun. None of the plot missions were painfully difficult. The side missions and support characters are full of flavor and fun. This is however *not* for kids. In fact, I couldn't even do Taxi missions while my daughter is around due to the swearing.
One point that made me a bit upset was in the last mission you are forced to follow the bad guy who is in a boat while you have a dirt bike. I didn't follow the shore, but cut cross country. I was still able to follow the boat, but failed to initiate a game trigger. I did hit the necessary ramp and would hang in midair from a rpg before the game would lock up. I did this over ten times before realizing you could actually follow the shore.
Either way... get the game.
Madden 09
Look it is time for the annual release of a franchise that owns all the licenses to professional sports programs. This was was heading straight for mediocrity in my book. I have played 5 of the Madden games in the last 9 years and in most cases there has been little improvement (which 2kSports was doing some incredible advancements in the few years before the EA lockout). However the dynamic difficulty setup they implemented really has made it very fun. I haven't tried it in multiplayer but in single season of career mode, it really made the games close and challenging. I give this my seal of approval.
Footnote to NFL
Highlights containing the Lions don't really count.
Rock Band 2
Wow. What an improvement. The basic mechanics of the game has not changed. What has improved is single player mode, calibration, and online band mode. First off the calibration mode is much improved in that now you calibrate the video separate from the audio. It really makes it easier to find your timing while playing when both the video and audio are in sync. The single player mode is essentially band mode. You can go on tours or invite your friends in to help. Also introduced is challenges which are reminiscent of the first Rock Band's single player mode. Complete a challenge to open up more challenges and new songs. And best of all, the online band tour mode which should have been in the first one comes together so well in this release. I got the chance to play with Skidge who is in Germany and everything ran super smooth from my side and it sounded like it ran well on his side as well.
This is the game they should have made in the first place, even when the first one was fun. Get it.
GTA IV
Again, wow. GTA IV is another spectacular installment in the GTA series. The story telling is absolutely fantastic and by the end it really bothered me that the situations I was in, put Nico in such bad situations. The game play is well done. Player control is easily done and combat is very strategic if you want it. The cover system of combat is very well done and just makes it fun. None of the plot missions were painfully difficult. The side missions and support characters are full of flavor and fun. This is however *not* for kids. In fact, I couldn't even do Taxi missions while my daughter is around due to the swearing.
One point that made me a bit upset was in the last mission you are forced to follow the bad guy who is in a boat while you have a dirt bike. I didn't follow the shore, but cut cross country. I was still able to follow the boat, but failed to initiate a game trigger. I did hit the necessary ramp and would hang in midair from a rpg before the game would lock up. I did this over ten times before realizing you could actually follow the shore.
Either way... get the game.
Madden 09
Look it is time for the annual release of a franchise that owns all the licenses to professional sports programs. This was was heading straight for mediocrity in my book. I have played 5 of the Madden games in the last 9 years and in most cases there has been little improvement (which 2kSports was doing some incredible advancements in the few years before the EA lockout). However the dynamic difficulty setup they implemented really has made it very fun. I haven't tried it in multiplayer but in single season of career mode, it really made the games close and challenging. I give this my seal of approval.
Footnote to NFL
Highlights containing the Lions don't really count.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
What is the cost of IP loss?
An excellent article by Ars Technica.
Favorite quote:
Favorite quote:
In economic jargon, charging anything for pure IP—which has a marginal cost approaching zero once it has been produced—creates a deadweight economic loss, at least in static terms. The actual net loss of IP infringement is an allocative loss that only appears in a dynamic analysis. Simply put, when people pirate IP, the market is not accurately signaling how highly people value the effort that was put into creating it, which leads to underproduction of new IP.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Put down the rusty pipe...
If you don't read Penny Arcade, I forgive you. It really isn't for everyone.
However, I do feel obligated when there is something noteworthy or even mildly entertaining, to give it a bit of linkage for its contributions to gaming society.
DRM is harming your best customers.
However, I do feel obligated when there is something noteworthy or even mildly entertaining, to give it a bit of linkage for its contributions to gaming society.
DRM is harming your best customers.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
On the firing of Millen
I haven't really said anything yet, as I wasn't really sure what this meant for my sports team. So going into our bye week, the team finds out that their GM has been released. I have seen quite a few different articles but they all seem to take one of two attacks.
1) Bought darn time. Millen has taken a team that was mediocre for decades and transformed it into one of the worst teams in the history of the NFL.
2) Millen is a good guy. Don't grind him into the ground if he couldn't make the team better.
I think that Millen probably is a good guy. He talks straight. He tries to do what he says. The problem is that Millen really isn't the type of leader needed for a large organization. A leader in the NFL needs to know his strengths and weaknesses and then to get folks to help them where they need it.
1) Millen completely fails in identifying talent. Or even correcting this lack ability to find talent.
2) Millen was never in touch with his team. He lived in Philly and commuted into Detroit. If this is not a bad thing, why was there not an effective leader on the ground? Fire the VP of operations and the assistant GM on this one.
3) What is with the hiring process on coaches? Seriously. It seems like they have locked on to a guy and not really evaluating all the options.
There are some other issues as well, but really comes down to an inability to manage the impact of your shareholders (i.e. don't draft Harrington just cause a shareholder says to) as you should know your business and stick to it. The other part is how do you lead from afar?
So now what do we have. The assistant GM and VP of football operations are going to lead through the rest of the year. Stop. These guys should be gone. Get a GM in now. Start interviewing, get hiring. Why? The season is probably a loss. I could be wrong, but everyone is pretty disgruntled in the locker room by the sounds of it. Also that way you can get some folks in, evaluating talent and see what you can get moving before the trade deadline. Also you can get some of the 3rd string players getting some time and see if there is anything down there. Also start dropping some of the folks that don't belong there and take a cap hit early.
Please, if you are going to rebuild, don't waste any time.
1) Bought darn time. Millen has taken a team that was mediocre for decades and transformed it into one of the worst teams in the history of the NFL.
2) Millen is a good guy. Don't grind him into the ground if he couldn't make the team better.
I think that Millen probably is a good guy. He talks straight. He tries to do what he says. The problem is that Millen really isn't the type of leader needed for a large organization. A leader in the NFL needs to know his strengths and weaknesses and then to get folks to help them where they need it.
1) Millen completely fails in identifying talent. Or even correcting this lack ability to find talent.
2) Millen was never in touch with his team. He lived in Philly and commuted into Detroit. If this is not a bad thing, why was there not an effective leader on the ground? Fire the VP of operations and the assistant GM on this one.
3) What is with the hiring process on coaches? Seriously. It seems like they have locked on to a guy and not really evaluating all the options.
There are some other issues as well, but really comes down to an inability to manage the impact of your shareholders (i.e. don't draft Harrington just cause a shareholder says to) as you should know your business and stick to it. The other part is how do you lead from afar?
So now what do we have. The assistant GM and VP of football operations are going to lead through the rest of the year. Stop. These guys should be gone. Get a GM in now. Start interviewing, get hiring. Why? The season is probably a loss. I could be wrong, but everyone is pretty disgruntled in the locker room by the sounds of it. Also that way you can get some folks in, evaluating talent and see what you can get moving before the trade deadline. Also you can get some of the 3rd string players getting some time and see if there is anything down there. Also start dropping some of the folks that don't belong there and take a cap hit early.
Please, if you are going to rebuild, don't waste any time.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Buying Rock Band 2?
I bought it. It is a huge improvement over the first one. I just saw that there is a deal on it through October so if you are going to buy it, click over to Amazon and get a free 1600 point card so you can get some more songs downloaded.
Rock Band 2 Promo
Rock Band 2 Promo
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Sports Fan Divorce Papers
It just doesn't make sense to me that the Detroit Lions can be doing so poorly. It goes beyond the fact that they are losing, which is bound to happen. Instead is because they lost these games in such a spectacular fashion.
Where does this leave me as a life long fan of the Lions, every year praying that they can start a new path of winning football games. In my lifetime, I have seen a playoff visit (and loss), but otherwise it just painful. This year however might be the worst and we are only 3 weeks into the season.
We have moved to balanced attack and we did have a balanced attack, but you are talking 116 passing yards and 116 rushing yards which isn't going to win you a game unless you have a defense like maybe the Bears or Titans. The defense is just not stopping anything and an offense that is unable to eat any clock to give the defense a chance to rest.
My original guess of 5-11 season is completely off. If I look at the teams that they have to win week to week, I am sure that they are going to lose every game this year, but they will probably win one at the end of the year when some other team doesn't care if they win or lose.
At some point, sports teams are like your family. You can't chose them or divorce them. I got lucky with my family, who are completely awesome, but right now, I feel no pride or love for my team.
Where does this leave me as a life long fan of the Lions, every year praying that they can start a new path of winning football games. In my lifetime, I have seen a playoff visit (and loss), but otherwise it just painful. This year however might be the worst and we are only 3 weeks into the season.
We have moved to balanced attack and we did have a balanced attack, but you are talking 116 passing yards and 116 rushing yards which isn't going to win you a game unless you have a defense like maybe the Bears or Titans. The defense is just not stopping anything and an offense that is unable to eat any clock to give the defense a chance to rest.
My original guess of 5-11 season is completely off. If I look at the teams that they have to win week to week, I am sure that they are going to lose every game this year, but they will probably win one at the end of the year when some other team doesn't care if they win or lose.
At some point, sports teams are like your family. You can't chose them or divorce them. I got lucky with my family, who are completely awesome, but right now, I feel no pride or love for my team.
Friday, September 19, 2008
ATC: An other girlfriend
I decided I needed to start another series. I am not sure how many of these I will be able to do as they are completely dependent on my train ride. Hence the beginning of Awkward Train Conversations. I might a side series which would be funny train conversations if ATC doesn't supply enough content.
Across from me sat a rude man and his girlfriend. I call him rude as he would ram his knee into mine and not say anything and also spread out way too much.
Rude man across from me(Rudy): Remember when we went to Greece.
GF: I never went to Greece.
Rudy: I could have swore that I went with you.
GF: No.
Rudy: It must have been a different girlfriend.
Awkward silence...
Across from me sat a rude man and his girlfriend. I call him rude as he would ram his knee into mine and not say anything and also spread out way too much.
Rude man across from me(Rudy): Remember when we went to Greece.
GF: I never went to Greece.
Rudy: I could have swore that I went with you.
GF: No.
Rudy: It must have been a different girlfriend.
Awkward silence...
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Phone companies are evil
Having to prune who I am following (stalking) on Twitter these days. I had set a number of friends that have generally low volumes of tweets per day as ones I would like device updates on. This however did not pay off as my latest bill showed 119 text messages over my 200 text message plan. Not good.
This however got me a little bit upset as I am paying ~10 cents to transmit 160 bytes. I mean seriously.
I think it might be cheaper to send my messages into space.
This however got me a little bit upset as I am paying ~10 cents to transmit 160 bytes. I mean seriously.
I think it might be cheaper to send my messages into space.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Bulk August family update
I actually meant to put this into a couple of posts, but things didn't really work out how I had planned. The middle of August we flew back to Snow-town to go to Michelle's sister's wedding. We spent the first half of the vacation prepping the family house for the sudden influx of 300 people and then spent the last half cleaning up after 300 people. Overall it was good seeing family and taking part if an absolutely gorgeous wedding, but boy was it exhausting.
Rehearsal and Christening Set
Wedding Set
Reception Set
After we got back Miranda came down with a cold. We kinda figured this would happen. That many new people and that much time in airports and airplanes that it was bound to happen. She had a pretty high fever on Saturday with no other symptoms so we called the doctor who recommended an ER trip just to check for Strep. We came out with just a case of the Flu and proceeded to catch the same things ourselves.
Unfortunately this also coincided with my favorite event of the year in PAX. So unfortunately I was only healthy enough to go to one day day. I am pretty upset about it actually. There were some things of note during this year. There were TONS of people, lines were incredibly long. Fallout 3 looked absolutely incredible. I didn't think I would buy it, but seeing it in action (as played by other con goers), I ended up pre-ordering it. Wii Music looks like it has some potential to be fun the way Mario Paint's music creator was fun. Rock Band 2 looks like more of the same, which is to say fun. Guitar Hero World Tour's drum set looks to be on par with Rock Band's, but the singer's display was oddly compelling for me. Dawn of War 2 talk was amazing. It looks amazing and it feels like people who are really passionate about it are working on the title. I missed the Keynote because the hall was full. Wouldn't even let me in the door. Wizards of the Coast had a huge booth that was packed. Bought my required PAX shirt for the year. Overall it was fun.
PAX08 Pictures by Reverend0
Rehearsal and Christening Set
Wedding Set
Reception Set
After we got back Miranda came down with a cold. We kinda figured this would happen. That many new people and that much time in airports and airplanes that it was bound to happen. She had a pretty high fever on Saturday with no other symptoms so we called the doctor who recommended an ER trip just to check for Strep. We came out with just a case of the Flu and proceeded to catch the same things ourselves.
Unfortunately this also coincided with my favorite event of the year in PAX. So unfortunately I was only healthy enough to go to one day day. I am pretty upset about it actually. There were some things of note during this year. There were TONS of people, lines were incredibly long. Fallout 3 looked absolutely incredible. I didn't think I would buy it, but seeing it in action (as played by other con goers), I ended up pre-ordering it. Wii Music looks like it has some potential to be fun the way Mario Paint's music creator was fun. Rock Band 2 looks like more of the same, which is to say fun. Guitar Hero World Tour's drum set looks to be on par with Rock Band's, but the singer's display was oddly compelling for me. Dawn of War 2 talk was amazing. It looks amazing and it feels like people who are really passionate about it are working on the title. I missed the Keynote because the hall was full. Wouldn't even let me in the door. Wizards of the Coast had a huge booth that was packed. Bought my required PAX shirt for the year. Overall it was fun.
PAX08 Pictures by Reverend0
Monday, August 11, 2008
Review: Watchmen
First off, I am not by nature a comic book guy. I have enjoyed the occasional comic book that I have picked up. I have not really read any series regularly. With the upcoming movie for the Watchmen, I decided to take a look at this graphic novel. The trailer to the movie definitely looked interesting, but really what was this all about?
The color and imagery are vivid. The writing is good. The story is mostly good. I am sure that just pissed off quite a few people on that one... that is if anyone reads my entry. The basic premise of the story is you have a world where masked vigilante heroes exist. They are not super in terms of power, but truly super in their desire, drive and training in their fight against evil. This has created a story where many of the pivotal events in our world have changed since their emergence. The cold war is stronger than ever. The US won in Vietnam. Public riots eventually led to the downfall of these masked vigilante's and the public soon began to fear as there was indirect conflict with the police.
As this world unfolds, the story starts with murder of someone and how one masked vigilante, who refused to put away the mask attempts to track down the killer and determine who is behind it and what it all means. It really is a murder mystery/conspiracy tale at its heart.
I found the story excellent through most of it. It created a world that was interesting. At several points in the story, it is told next to the telling of a popular comic of that universe (Tales of the Black Frigate). Where what was happening to the characters in this book were a reflection and sometimes counterpoint to the actions in the tale of the Watchmen. I am sure many comic aficionado's found this as brilliant, I found this ploy difficult to read. And without given away the end, you feel as if you are building to something brilliant and enlightening or terrible and frightening, when suddenly the story twists into something less interesting and oddly like a forced closure. I felt there was more to explore in the world, but it was closed down because of a print limit or disgruntled artists, or some other reason.
I do recommend this to adults. It is a tad on the dark side. Enjoy.
The color and imagery are vivid. The writing is good. The story is mostly good. I am sure that just pissed off quite a few people on that one... that is if anyone reads my entry. The basic premise of the story is you have a world where masked vigilante heroes exist. They are not super in terms of power, but truly super in their desire, drive and training in their fight against evil. This has created a story where many of the pivotal events in our world have changed since their emergence. The cold war is stronger than ever. The US won in Vietnam. Public riots eventually led to the downfall of these masked vigilante's and the public soon began to fear as there was indirect conflict with the police.
As this world unfolds, the story starts with murder of someone and how one masked vigilante, who refused to put away the mask attempts to track down the killer and determine who is behind it and what it all means. It really is a murder mystery/conspiracy tale at its heart.
I found the story excellent through most of it. It created a world that was interesting. At several points in the story, it is told next to the telling of a popular comic of that universe (Tales of the Black Frigate). Where what was happening to the characters in this book were a reflection and sometimes counterpoint to the actions in the tale of the Watchmen. I am sure many comic aficionado's found this as brilliant, I found this ploy difficult to read. And without given away the end, you feel as if you are building to something brilliant and enlightening or terrible and frightening, when suddenly the story twists into something less interesting and oddly like a forced closure. I felt there was more to explore in the world, but it was closed down because of a print limit or disgruntled artists, or some other reason.
I do recommend this to adults. It is a tad on the dark side. Enjoy.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Date Night
Well, for all my hard work, I was given a gift card at work to take the family out for dinner. Of course we excluded Miranda, instead giving her the treat of running around with a bunch of other kids, since really we wanted the ability to eat a meal and not have to eat as fast as possible cause she is bored.
So on Friday night, Michelle and I went down to one of our favorite restaurants in the area, Salty's at Redondo Beach. Since we had plenty of time, we went about meal at a casual pace. Michelle really wanted the mussels and clam appetizer, we got that. It was steamed and sauced in a wonderful pesto sauce. It was definitely very good. Michelle also got a Mango Alcohol slushie (can't remember the name). For our main course, Michelle got the Salmon with a dill cream sauce and I got the Halibut with tomatoes and capers on asparagus. I thought the dishes were cooked perfectly but were slightly underseasoned. Both of these fish have a strong flavor but need very strong pairings. Still, the dish was very good.
For dessert, Michelle ordered the Triple Chocolate Cake, while I ordered the Ultimate Nudge (coffee drink). My coffee drink was ... potent. The cake was very heavy and dense (and far too large a portion).
Overall, it was very relaxing.
At some point, I am hoping to put together a decent review of the Watchmen graphic novel that I just completed. If I run out of time, I will drop off a half-assed one...
So on Friday night, Michelle and I went down to one of our favorite restaurants in the area, Salty's at Redondo Beach. Since we had plenty of time, we went about meal at a casual pace. Michelle really wanted the mussels and clam appetizer, we got that. It was steamed and sauced in a wonderful pesto sauce. It was definitely very good. Michelle also got a Mango Alcohol slushie (can't remember the name). For our main course, Michelle got the Salmon with a dill cream sauce and I got the Halibut with tomatoes and capers on asparagus. I thought the dishes were cooked perfectly but were slightly underseasoned. Both of these fish have a strong flavor but need very strong pairings. Still, the dish was very good.
For dessert, Michelle ordered the Triple Chocolate Cake, while I ordered the Ultimate Nudge (coffee drink). My coffee drink was ... potent. The cake was very heavy and dense (and far too large a portion).
Overall, it was very relaxing.
At some point, I am hoping to put together a decent review of the Watchmen graphic novel that I just completed. If I run out of time, I will drop off a half-assed one...
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Woodland Park Zoo
Last Saturday, I decided to do something I had yet to do with Miranda. A friend from work suggested a daddy and kids day out at the zoo to let the moms get a break. So, Miranda and I made the 30 minute drive into the zoo to meet Jeff and Nathan. I have to say, I was very impressed by the zoo. Yes the animals looked bored, but that is universal for zoos that I have found. You could see though that the staff really tried hard to make things good, though. The worked with feeding and cleaning. They talked to visitors. Overall it was a nice experience.
Miranda explicitly told me, "No Stroller." I should have overrode her, but generally I let her make all the non-critical decisions. This became critical after about 90 minutes of walking and she was getting tired. We had a bit of a meltdown, but really it was a combination of tired, hot, hungry, and thirsty. We got all that remedied when Jeff suggested a nearby mexican restaurant that had awesome quesadilla. Miranda consumed a lot of the chicken and cheese, but avoided the shell.
So I did get some pictures of the zoo. Feel free to look at them.
Miranda explicitly told me, "No Stroller." I should have overrode her, but generally I let her make all the non-critical decisions. This became critical after about 90 minutes of walking and she was getting tired. We had a bit of a meltdown, but really it was a combination of tired, hot, hungry, and thirsty. We got all that remedied when Jeff suggested a nearby mexican restaurant that had awesome quesadilla. Miranda consumed a lot of the chicken and cheese, but avoided the shell.
So I did get some pictures of the zoo. Feel free to look at them.
Friday, August 01, 2008
Useful widget that may make you a buck or two
Thought I would take a moment to promote the Amazon Page Recommender Widget. First off, as disclosure, I do work for Amazon.com and might have had something to do with the widget. First off, it gets you the power of Amazon Recommendations to try and earn a percentage of the income. On top of it though, will provide recommendations for other pages on your site. Given my traffic here is pretty low, the recommendations for my pages tend to be based on the couple posts before or after the one you are on. It just happens to be how my readers are going through my site. But after crawling through my pages every once in a while something interesting pops up.
That said, if you have a site and an Amazon Associate account, you should try it. Also be sure to check out the helpful FAQ and performance tips.
That said, if you have a site and an Amazon Associate account, you should try it. Also be sure to check out the helpful FAQ and performance tips.
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