This is what happens when you're friends with the most hilarious people on earth.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
Invisibility Cloaks
Taken from an article on Yahoo.com.
New Material Could Make Objects Invisible
Scientists have taken another step toward the goal of rendering objects invisible using high-tech cloaks that redirect light.
Researchers for the first time demonstrated that a new material can bend visible light the wrong way in three dimensional tests. It builds on research that cloaks objects in the microwave wavelength.
The research, announced today, will be detailed later this week in the journals Nature and Science.
The metamaterial, as it is called, produces what's known as negative refraction of visible light. That means light is made to travel in the opposite direction from how it normally should bend when passing through a material. A common example is how a pencil will appear to bend upward when half-submerged in a glass of water. In the new work, researchers make the light appear to bend the other way.
Metamaterials are artificially engineered structures that have "extraordinary optical properties that do not exist in nature," the researchers write in Science. "They can alter the propagation of electromagnetic waves, resulting in negative refraction, subwavelength imaging and cloaking."
Visible light is just one type of electromagnetic radiation, a spectrum that includes everything from radio waves to X-rays and more.
Until now, the effectiveness of the cloaking has been demonstrated only in thin, two-dimensional materials.
Now at a National Science Foundation lab at the University of California, Berkeley, Jason Valentine, Jie Yao, Xiang Zhang and others have create a multilayered, "fishnet structure" that "unambiguously exhibits negative refractive index," they write.
"This straightforward and elegant demonstration enhances our ability to mould and harness light at will," according to a statement from the journal Nature.
Other research has looked into using plasmons - tiny electronic excitations on the surfaces of some metals - to cancel out the visible light or other radiation coming from an object and effectively cloak it.
Sci-fi fans know that cloaking technology made Romulan spaceships disappear in Star Trek. Among the real applications pondered for the future of real-world cloaking technology: stealth military devices and new medical techniques.
New Material Could Make Objects Invisible
Scientists have taken another step toward the goal of rendering objects invisible using high-tech cloaks that redirect light.
Researchers for the first time demonstrated that a new material can bend visible light the wrong way in three dimensional tests. It builds on research that cloaks objects in the microwave wavelength.
The research, announced today, will be detailed later this week in the journals Nature and Science.
The metamaterial, as it is called, produces what's known as negative refraction of visible light. That means light is made to travel in the opposite direction from how it normally should bend when passing through a material. A common example is how a pencil will appear to bend upward when half-submerged in a glass of water. In the new work, researchers make the light appear to bend the other way.
Metamaterials are artificially engineered structures that have "extraordinary optical properties that do not exist in nature," the researchers write in Science. "They can alter the propagation of electromagnetic waves, resulting in negative refraction, subwavelength imaging and cloaking."
Visible light is just one type of electromagnetic radiation, a spectrum that includes everything from radio waves to X-rays and more.
Until now, the effectiveness of the cloaking has been demonstrated only in thin, two-dimensional materials.
Now at a National Science Foundation lab at the University of California, Berkeley, Jason Valentine, Jie Yao, Xiang Zhang and others have create a multilayered, "fishnet structure" that "unambiguously exhibits negative refractive index," they write.
"This straightforward and elegant demonstration enhances our ability to mould and harness light at will," according to a statement from the journal Nature.
Other research has looked into using plasmons - tiny electronic excitations on the surfaces of some metals - to cancel out the visible light or other radiation coming from an object and effectively cloak it.
Sci-fi fans know that cloaking technology made Romulan spaceships disappear in Star Trek. Among the real applications pondered for the future of real-world cloaking technology: stealth military devices and new medical techniques.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
That's Just How It Works...
This probably wont be a very long entry, and it definitely wont even come close to the colossal textwall that my last one was, but I want to write some stuff down while it's fresh on my mind.
First, right now, I can hear my parents and a neighbor upstairs talking about politics and current events, and it's getting me a little bit flustered. I wasn't really eavesdropping until the subject changed to the whole 'insurgent imprisonment', Guantanamo Bay and such, and I heard them all nodding and agreeing to the fact that they don't deserve a fair trial because they're out there killing our troops.
Alright, I've got a few problems with that statement. I am in no way some bleeding heart liberal member of Amnesty International that believes that everyone should be forgiven, regardless of their offense - even though that's what Jesus would do, that's not a very practical way to run a planet. Because almost nobody feels that way. I believe in accountability for one's actions, and in taking responsibility for whatever you do, for better or for worse. Integrity, that sort of thing.
But denying a captured insurgent the right to a fair trial is just...wrong. Sure, you're pissed off that this character may have ended the lives of valiant American soldiers that died in the heat of battle defending their country. I'm sorry. This kind of thing happens. This is war.
And here's where my problems start. Look at their side of the situation: We're a bunch of foreigners that, in the name of "peace", and "good will", decided it would be a fascinatingly good idea to go ahead and hop on over into their country and to rearrange political affairs and situations to our liking. And in doing so, we introduced a whole lot of instability and ill will towards ourselves, and the situation still hasn't improved. We've turned Iraq from a really undesirable place to live into a chaotic hellhole. What if some other country had done that to us? What if a country with more power and more military resources had just one day decided (and on faulty intelligence, no less) that they were gonna march in and switch shit around because they didn't like how our country was being run? Would we not have a reason to fight back against invaders, regardless of their motives?
Imagine that something like that actually DID happen. Imagine that a more powerful nation came to our country, and started shooting people that tried to resist. Let's say that one of those people was you, because you're a patriot and you love your country, and you don't want to see someone else's ideas change your homeland. And let's say that they outnumber you, and capture you, and transport you to some strange island off the coast of Australia, where they torture and hurt you, a lone rebel, to try and find information about some 'terrorist network' that you've never heard of.
Does that sound fair, peaceful, or humane to you?
The insurgents are human beings. They aren't Americans, no, but they are human beings. I was always taught to love my fellow man, no matter what their sin was, and the insurgents fall under the category of 'fellow man'. I'm even going to go so far as to say that the real terrorists, the people whose only goal is to kill as many American infidels as they possibly can, are human beings. They have a faith that is seemingly and radically different than many of our own faiths, and they follow it with a remarkable level of zeal, and why? Because it is what they honestly and truly believe to be right.
And I don't think that the real terrorists should be let off the hook. If you kill somebody, no matter what your cause is, then you should be punished accordingly. But you shouldn't be punished without a fair trial. If there is no hard evidence that someone committed some atrocious act of violence? We have no right to pass judgment on them - because we can't prove that they did anything wrong.
And as for the men and women that are captured for simply being insurgents - what right do we have, as fellow human beings, to punish somebody for simply being patriotic in a country that we're invading? Again, picture this is YOU that's being punished. One day, you wake up, and take a stand against foreign invaders, like any so-called "God-Fearing American" would. And they capture you, take you away, and kill you. Why? Because you stood up for your right to be free and your right to live in the country of your choice.
How evil would these invaders seem to you?
These people aren't animals. They aren't a country of feral dogs that was writhing in pools of misery, just waiting for Democracy and Capitalism to come and save them from their own filth. They're human, and they can think and feel for themselves. There's no reason for us to lower ourselves to such a level in the name of protecting peace and freedom. If anything, we're doing the exact opposite. We're putting a double-standard on human life.
tl;dr - Iraqi insurgents are just as worthy of a fair trial as you would say that American prisoners of war in a foreign nation should be.
First, right now, I can hear my parents and a neighbor upstairs talking about politics and current events, and it's getting me a little bit flustered. I wasn't really eavesdropping until the subject changed to the whole 'insurgent imprisonment', Guantanamo Bay and such, and I heard them all nodding and agreeing to the fact that they don't deserve a fair trial because they're out there killing our troops.
Alright, I've got a few problems with that statement. I am in no way some bleeding heart liberal member of Amnesty International that believes that everyone should be forgiven, regardless of their offense - even though that's what Jesus would do, that's not a very practical way to run a planet. Because almost nobody feels that way. I believe in accountability for one's actions, and in taking responsibility for whatever you do, for better or for worse. Integrity, that sort of thing.
But denying a captured insurgent the right to a fair trial is just...wrong. Sure, you're pissed off that this character may have ended the lives of valiant American soldiers that died in the heat of battle defending their country. I'm sorry. This kind of thing happens. This is war.
And here's where my problems start. Look at their side of the situation: We're a bunch of foreigners that, in the name of "peace", and "good will", decided it would be a fascinatingly good idea to go ahead and hop on over into their country and to rearrange political affairs and situations to our liking. And in doing so, we introduced a whole lot of instability and ill will towards ourselves, and the situation still hasn't improved. We've turned Iraq from a really undesirable place to live into a chaotic hellhole. What if some other country had done that to us? What if a country with more power and more military resources had just one day decided (and on faulty intelligence, no less) that they were gonna march in and switch shit around because they didn't like how our country was being run? Would we not have a reason to fight back against invaders, regardless of their motives?
Imagine that something like that actually DID happen. Imagine that a more powerful nation came to our country, and started shooting people that tried to resist. Let's say that one of those people was you, because you're a patriot and you love your country, and you don't want to see someone else's ideas change your homeland. And let's say that they outnumber you, and capture you, and transport you to some strange island off the coast of Australia, where they torture and hurt you, a lone rebel, to try and find information about some 'terrorist network' that you've never heard of.
Does that sound fair, peaceful, or humane to you?
The insurgents are human beings. They aren't Americans, no, but they are human beings. I was always taught to love my fellow man, no matter what their sin was, and the insurgents fall under the category of 'fellow man'. I'm even going to go so far as to say that the real terrorists, the people whose only goal is to kill as many American infidels as they possibly can, are human beings. They have a faith that is seemingly and radically different than many of our own faiths, and they follow it with a remarkable level of zeal, and why? Because it is what they honestly and truly believe to be right.
And I don't think that the real terrorists should be let off the hook. If you kill somebody, no matter what your cause is, then you should be punished accordingly. But you shouldn't be punished without a fair trial. If there is no hard evidence that someone committed some atrocious act of violence? We have no right to pass judgment on them - because we can't prove that they did anything wrong.
And as for the men and women that are captured for simply being insurgents - what right do we have, as fellow human beings, to punish somebody for simply being patriotic in a country that we're invading? Again, picture this is YOU that's being punished. One day, you wake up, and take a stand against foreign invaders, like any so-called "God-Fearing American" would. And they capture you, take you away, and kill you. Why? Because you stood up for your right to be free and your right to live in the country of your choice.
How evil would these invaders seem to you?
These people aren't animals. They aren't a country of feral dogs that was writhing in pools of misery, just waiting for Democracy and Capitalism to come and save them from their own filth. They're human, and they can think and feel for themselves. There's no reason for us to lower ourselves to such a level in the name of protecting peace and freedom. If anything, we're doing the exact opposite. We're putting a double-standard on human life.
tl;dr - Iraqi insurgents are just as worthy of a fair trial as you would say that American prisoners of war in a foreign nation should be.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
DDR Hottest Party - Review
Ladies and gentlefucks, here comes another hot helping of video game review...in other words, if you don't find my writing particularly interesting, or you don't play video games anywhere nearly as frequently as I do, you might want to turn around and run screaming from your computer now.
Now that the unworthy have taken a trip to the asylum (who the hell randomly runs screaming from their computers, anyway?), I can cut to the chase.
It's time to review:
And, honestly? This game is as good as any to abuse my powers of image inserting for.
First thing's first - I'd like to thank the deviant of our own community who goes by the name of BlauerAuss for suggesting this game to me. She didn't really do any suggesting, just told me that she liked it and never really had problems with it compared to the atrocities that I'd detailed known only as DDR Universe, and DDR SuperNOVA. And I went with that and bought the game on a whim.
Fortunately for me, my $70 wasn't poorly spent ($35, actually, because my roomie and I went halfsies, LOL). This game has surpassed all other DDR entries that have come in the franchise before it, and I'm very happy that I bought it.
Well, since it's a good game, and I like to end on a good note, I'll start with the bad news first, so I can leave with the good news.
If you're buying this game for the first time, one of the first things that you'll notice (and if you went in with the same low expectations that I did, it's a little disheartening) is the incredibly idiotic Announcer. He sounds a bit like a white guy that thinks he's awesome and black at the same time...he sounds like Weird Al Yankovic, kind of. not in his voice, but in his demeanor.
As unimportant as the announcer is to the actual gameplay, I still miss the old guy. The uppity disco dude with his "Okay, let's start"s and his "Let's reveal your soul"s, he was truly a staple of the DDR franchise for me. And since he isn't in either of the next-gen titles that I've played, I'm assuming that he either died or got fired, and a little piece of the dancer in me died with him.
Anyway, yeah, the new guy is a dork. Which kinda sucks. Also, they still haven't brought back ROBO2001, my all-time favorite character in the franchise. When they do, I'll probably giggle. No dancer can ever surpass the incredible ROBO2001, with his plug for a head and his Gundam-style wings.
As a matter of fact, all of the characters are new. No more Rage, no more Disco, no more Emi, no more Slutty...I mean, Lady (see below).
This was seriously the only image I could find of Lady...thank god it was one of her being slutty.
Yeah, anyway, there's no classic characters (seriously though, Konami...bring back ROBO. Now.). Instead, they've got a whole new cast of semi-realistic dancers that only LOOK like the older dancers. Instead of Disco, there's U.G. Instead of Rage, there's Gaku. Instead of Lady, there's Domi. I mean, they do look legitimately different, but it's like the comparison between Bioshock and System Shock - you can totally tell that they're spiritual successors.
And now, onto the good news - and since the only two things I could find bad about this game were mentioned before, it's smooth sailing from here on, kids.
First and foremost I'd like to draw some light on Hottest Party's mission/unlock mode. This is a feature that is prominently featured in other iterations of the DDR series, and is also prominently flamed and criticized by me. Konami has an awful history of butchering these particular gameplay elements, forcing players to go through tedious, time consuming, annoying, and miserable tasks just to unlock music for use in the free play mode of the game - which is the only mode of the game that anyone actually enjoys. That, and workout mode.
I'm proud to announce that they did NOT fuck it up this time. It's so simple to unlock characters, stages, songs, outfits, and workout programs that it's actually a divine privilege to do so. I mean, yeah, hyperbole, totally, but my point remains. They've made it brilliant.
In DDR SuperNOVA, you traveled from stellar joint to stellar joint and completed annoying and often impossible tasks that weren't challenging...they were chores. They were difficult and meaningless chores. They'd make you need to dance several songs with ridiculous and random parameters set up and do so well or so poorly on them, just to UNLOCK the ability to play through the actual challenge stages. That's right, you unlocked the ability to unlock things. And that doesn't even COUNT for the store, so in actuality - get your notebooks out, class - you had to unlock the ability to unlock the ability to unlock things.
WHAT THE FUCKING HELL.
In DDR Universe, their "quest" mode was no better. Instead of traveling to these bizarrely-named "Stellar Joints", you would travel the country in your fancy Dancer-Bus, and enter dance battles and competitions in cities. They could've made it interesting and fun, but...they didn't. The so-called dance battles were the worst things ever! You would be told to dance against someone until their 'dancing gauge' depleted entirely. Then, while you were 'battling', their gauge would slowly replenish. Would yours? NOPE! And since yours was dependent on skill, and theirs was dependent on nothing, these dance 'battles' would last upwards of 15 songs! That's right - they go on at the end of the song if you haven't beaten them by then! And after you've beaten them it still isn't over, because you DON'T UNLOCK ANYTHING.
Sorry about that, I digressed in a big way. Digressed into a rant. But it helps to give you some background as to why I love Hottest Party so much more.
The method of unlocking in this game is similar to the method in SuperNOVA, but it is in no way the same. Groove Circuit consists of you choosing a character and traveling to different venues, then completing three straightforward challenges. It's never random - the first of 3 involves dancing to a set number of songs of your choice, the second of 3 involves dancing a few pre-selected songs, and the third involves beating the venue master in a dance battle. And in this dance battle, it has nothing to do with dance gauges or any of that old bullshit. It's a straight up competition to see who can acquire a greater score...THANK GOD.
After you complete each of the preset challenges, you unlock something. There's no store, so you don't have to unlock it twice, it's just there, you just earn it, and can instantly have it. And it's so refreshing that it works that way. Because there are so many new elements in the game including stages, outfits, and new characters, there's also tons of stuff to unlock. So there's always something that you still have yet to earn. And guess what? Groove Circuit can be played with up to four players. At the same time.
There are new features that integrate the use of the WiiMote and the Nunchuck, primarily 'hand steps' that involve the use of your right and left hands as well as the dance pad. It's an interesting and potentially fun addition to the DDR mechanics that are worth giving a try. Fortunately, you can easily turn these controls off, allowing you to play with a Gamecube controller or dance pad, or the standard Wii dance pad that comes with the game. On the Gamecube controller, there are four ways to operate the arrows: the C-Stick, the Analog stick, the D-Pad, and the face buttons. Since the face buttons aren't as perpendicular as other controllers for other systems, it takes a little getting used to, but it's still just as functional as they are.
They've also added some new play modes, particularly to the 'Free Play' option. There are cooperative dance modes for more than 1 player, battle modes, straightforward multiplayer, and the good old fashioned single dance mode.
I'm not done yet with praising this game, though. Beyond the mission mode, and beyond the vast options for controllers (also, this is a game for up to four people, which rocks), they've actually updated the graphics.
Now, I don't mean that they've made the graphics next gen or High-def, like they did for DDR Universe...while those were pretty, they did nothing for the feel of the game. In DDR Hottest Party, though, they've legitimately improved the dancing.
Now, dancers move realistically (just looks at their poses!) to legitimate routines. Often, the lead dancer will dance a different pattern than the backup characters, and while the dance is always in beat, it's never to the BPM. By that, I mean that they don't look retarded and hyperactive if you select a song with an insane BPM, like the Legend of MAXXX would have.
This might sound a little insignificant, but it really helps the game lose it's stigma of "crazy stupid Japanese fad", and makes you feel kind of cool playing it. And considering that it's DDR, that's a big improvement.
And lastly, the music selection is as good as, if not better than any other game in the series. Usually, I play DDR for the techno, and they've taken a refreshing approach to integrating pop and rap songs into their lineup - almost all of the popular music that finds its way into the tracklist has been remixed and sped up, thereby increasing the amount of fun had whilst playing it. There's also the triumphant return and remixing of some of my favorite tracks, including BREAKDOWN, Love-Shine, and B4U.
Alright, I think that about sums it all up. Time for a brief summary to this monstrous amount of text:
So, yeah. Massive journal entry, but this game deserves it. If you're going to play a DDR game, play this one. It's far more worth it than any of the others.
Now that the unworthy have taken a trip to the asylum (who the hell randomly runs screaming from their computers, anyway?), I can cut to the chase.
It's time to review:
And, honestly? This game is as good as any to abuse my powers of image inserting for.
First thing's first - I'd like to thank the deviant of our own community who goes by the name of BlauerAuss for suggesting this game to me. She didn't really do any suggesting, just told me that she liked it and never really had problems with it compared to the atrocities that I'd detailed known only as DDR Universe, and DDR SuperNOVA. And I went with that and bought the game on a whim.
Fortunately for me, my $70 wasn't poorly spent ($35, actually, because my roomie and I went halfsies, LOL). This game has surpassed all other DDR entries that have come in the franchise before it, and I'm very happy that I bought it.
Well, since it's a good game, and I like to end on a good note, I'll start with the bad news first, so I can leave with the good news.
If you're buying this game for the first time, one of the first things that you'll notice (and if you went in with the same low expectations that I did, it's a little disheartening) is the incredibly idiotic Announcer. He sounds a bit like a white guy that thinks he's awesome and black at the same time...he sounds like Weird Al Yankovic, kind of. not in his voice, but in his demeanor.
As unimportant as the announcer is to the actual gameplay, I still miss the old guy. The uppity disco dude with his "Okay, let's start"s and his "Let's reveal your soul"s, he was truly a staple of the DDR franchise for me. And since he isn't in either of the next-gen titles that I've played, I'm assuming that he either died or got fired, and a little piece of the dancer in me died with him.
Anyway, yeah, the new guy is a dork. Which kinda sucks. Also, they still haven't brought back ROBO2001, my all-time favorite character in the franchise. When they do, I'll probably giggle. No dancer can ever surpass the incredible ROBO2001, with his plug for a head and his Gundam-style wings.
As a matter of fact, all of the characters are new. No more Rage, no more Disco, no more Emi, no more Slutty...I mean, Lady (see below).
This was seriously the only image I could find of Lady...thank god it was one of her being slutty.
Yeah, anyway, there's no classic characters (seriously though, Konami...bring back ROBO. Now.). Instead, they've got a whole new cast of semi-realistic dancers that only LOOK like the older dancers. Instead of Disco, there's U.G. Instead of Rage, there's Gaku. Instead of Lady, there's Domi. I mean, they do look legitimately different, but it's like the comparison between Bioshock and System Shock - you can totally tell that they're spiritual successors.
And now, onto the good news - and since the only two things I could find bad about this game were mentioned before, it's smooth sailing from here on, kids.
First and foremost I'd like to draw some light on Hottest Party's mission/unlock mode. This is a feature that is prominently featured in other iterations of the DDR series, and is also prominently flamed and criticized by me. Konami has an awful history of butchering these particular gameplay elements, forcing players to go through tedious, time consuming, annoying, and miserable tasks just to unlock music for use in the free play mode of the game - which is the only mode of the game that anyone actually enjoys. That, and workout mode.
I'm proud to announce that they did NOT fuck it up this time. It's so simple to unlock characters, stages, songs, outfits, and workout programs that it's actually a divine privilege to do so. I mean, yeah, hyperbole, totally, but my point remains. They've made it brilliant.
In DDR SuperNOVA, you traveled from stellar joint to stellar joint and completed annoying and often impossible tasks that weren't challenging...they were chores. They were difficult and meaningless chores. They'd make you need to dance several songs with ridiculous and random parameters set up and do so well or so poorly on them, just to UNLOCK the ability to play through the actual challenge stages. That's right, you unlocked the ability to unlock things. And that doesn't even COUNT for the store, so in actuality - get your notebooks out, class - you had to unlock the ability to unlock the ability to unlock things.
WHAT THE FUCKING HELL.
In DDR Universe, their "quest" mode was no better. Instead of traveling to these bizarrely-named "Stellar Joints", you would travel the country in your fancy Dancer-Bus, and enter dance battles and competitions in cities. They could've made it interesting and fun, but...they didn't. The so-called dance battles were the worst things ever! You would be told to dance against someone until their 'dancing gauge' depleted entirely. Then, while you were 'battling', their gauge would slowly replenish. Would yours? NOPE! And since yours was dependent on skill, and theirs was dependent on nothing, these dance 'battles' would last upwards of 15 songs! That's right - they go on at the end of the song if you haven't beaten them by then! And after you've beaten them it still isn't over, because you DON'T UNLOCK ANYTHING.
Sorry about that, I digressed in a big way. Digressed into a rant. But it helps to give you some background as to why I love Hottest Party so much more.
The method of unlocking in this game is similar to the method in SuperNOVA, but it is in no way the same. Groove Circuit consists of you choosing a character and traveling to different venues, then completing three straightforward challenges. It's never random - the first of 3 involves dancing to a set number of songs of your choice, the second of 3 involves dancing a few pre-selected songs, and the third involves beating the venue master in a dance battle. And in this dance battle, it has nothing to do with dance gauges or any of that old bullshit. It's a straight up competition to see who can acquire a greater score...THANK GOD.
After you complete each of the preset challenges, you unlock something. There's no store, so you don't have to unlock it twice, it's just there, you just earn it, and can instantly have it. And it's so refreshing that it works that way. Because there are so many new elements in the game including stages, outfits, and new characters, there's also tons of stuff to unlock. So there's always something that you still have yet to earn. And guess what? Groove Circuit can be played with up to four players. At the same time.
There are new features that integrate the use of the WiiMote and the Nunchuck, primarily 'hand steps' that involve the use of your right and left hands as well as the dance pad. It's an interesting and potentially fun addition to the DDR mechanics that are worth giving a try. Fortunately, you can easily turn these controls off, allowing you to play with a Gamecube controller or dance pad, or the standard Wii dance pad that comes with the game. On the Gamecube controller, there are four ways to operate the arrows: the C-Stick, the Analog stick, the D-Pad, and the face buttons. Since the face buttons aren't as perpendicular as other controllers for other systems, it takes a little getting used to, but it's still just as functional as they are.
They've also added some new play modes, particularly to the 'Free Play' option. There are cooperative dance modes for more than 1 player, battle modes, straightforward multiplayer, and the good old fashioned single dance mode.
I'm not done yet with praising this game, though. Beyond the mission mode, and beyond the vast options for controllers (also, this is a game for up to four people, which rocks), they've actually updated the graphics.
Now, I don't mean that they've made the graphics next gen or High-def, like they did for DDR Universe...while those were pretty, they did nothing for the feel of the game. In DDR Hottest Party, though, they've legitimately improved the dancing.
Now, dancers move realistically (just looks at their poses!) to legitimate routines. Often, the lead dancer will dance a different pattern than the backup characters, and while the dance is always in beat, it's never to the BPM. By that, I mean that they don't look retarded and hyperactive if you select a song with an insane BPM, like the Legend of MAXXX would have.
This might sound a little insignificant, but it really helps the game lose it's stigma of "crazy stupid Japanese fad", and makes you feel kind of cool playing it. And considering that it's DDR, that's a big improvement.
And lastly, the music selection is as good as, if not better than any other game in the series. Usually, I play DDR for the techno, and they've taken a refreshing approach to integrating pop and rap songs into their lineup - almost all of the popular music that finds its way into the tracklist has been remixed and sped up, thereby increasing the amount of fun had whilst playing it. There's also the triumphant return and remixing of some of my favorite tracks, including BREAKDOWN, Love-Shine, and B4U.
Alright, I think that about sums it all up. Time for a brief summary to this monstrous amount of text:
DDR: HOTTEST PARTY
(-)
announcer is annoying
no ROBO2001
(+)
Groove Circuit better than previous 'mission modes'
no store
dance battles are straightforward
plenty to unlock
dancing is realistic
up to four players
plenty of control options
new gameplay mechanics
more modes for more playstyles
OVERALL SCORE
9/10
(-)
announcer is annoying
no ROBO2001
(+)
Groove Circuit better than previous 'mission modes'
no store
dance battles are straightforward
plenty to unlock
dancing is realistic
up to four players
plenty of control options
new gameplay mechanics
more modes for more playstyles
OVERALL SCORE
9/10
So, yeah. Massive journal entry, but this game deserves it. If you're going to play a DDR game, play this one. It's far more worth it than any of the others.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Fable - E3 2008 Trailer (HD)
I don't know about you all, but I'm FUCKING PSYCHED.
Fable was one of my favorite games ever, back in the original Xbox's heyday. It was fun, it was interesting, the graphics were spectacularly done and the atmosphere was excellent. The villain, too, had one of the coolest concepts and looks and names out of any villain I've had the honor to thwart in all of my gaming exploits. Jack of Blades? More like Jack of Awesome.
I'm looking forward to the new super-context-sensitive combat, and to the dog, and the new relationship feature, and guns, and everything. Whoa, almost had a nerdgasm there.
I'm excited.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Guitar Queero: On Tour
GUITAR HERO: ON TOUR
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Music and Rhythm
Multiplayer: Yes, up to two players
Online: No
Guitar Hero: On Tour is the much awaited portable version of the best-selling console franchise 'Guitar Hero', started by legendary music game developer Harmonix, and now owned by the infamous Activision. Despite Activision's poor reputation amongst hardcore gamers (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, anyone?), their ownership of the Guitar Hero name does not seem to have destroyed it in the same way that Neversoft's work was. Guitar Hero III was a commercially successful release, with hordes of fans and a much lower price tag than their main competitor, Harmonix's Rock Band. The game significantly raised the difficulty bar for veteran players, introduced new songs, new modes, new characters, and a new co-op career setting, making it a decent improvement on the previous release.
Of course, with such a successful game and franchise under their belt, Activision would obviously want to 'expand the brand'. And so, they've now released a new entry into the Guitar Hero franchise, and this time, it's portable.
This is where things start getting ugly.
Let's start from the top: price tag. The average Nintendo DS game will set you back $35-$40, which is a bit hefty, considering that most DS games are just bite-size versions of their console counterparts. There are certain titles that are worth your money, such as the Pokémon games, Phoenix Wright, and Phantom Hourglass, games that will give you plenty of hours of gameplay for their cost. Guitar Hero: On Tour pumps the price up to $50, as much as a brand new Nintend Wii title. This is because of the included peripheral, of course, but $50 is still enough to make your stomach twist, especially if you're saving up for something (I.E., A computer. I.E., I'm saving up for a computer). And for such a cost, you'd hope that there would be plenty of music to choose from, even if you are having to pay for a special attachment.
Nope. The back of the box boasts barely 30 songs. There are five venues, with six songs per venue, and that's it. No battles, no unlockable bonus songs, nothing. I understand that there's only so much data that you can store on a DS cartridge, but I was really hoping for a little bit more bang for my buck. Activision decided to put about two unlockable outfits for each character, a bunch of unlockable guitars, and a bunch of unlockable guitar skins in, instead of what players really care about: the music. Sure, I liked having all kinds of costumes and guitars to choose from...on the console version. When you aren't playing on a big screen, they become a lot less apparent. More songs would've been better.
Okay, back to the peripheral. This thing has a whole legion of problems on its own, without the software's help. It's uncomfortable, it slides, it's almost impossible to hold your arm at a good angle, and for a portable game, it's incredibly un-portable. It's big, and clunky, and terrible. The fact that there are only four buttons doesn't somehow make playing the game easier for veterans.
Strumming is awkward with a finger, and impossible when using the stylus or 'totally radical guitar pick' that it comes with. For it to work properly and with decent timing, you have to lift your finger completely off of the touch screen for every note - no back-and-forth strumming in these parts. That may not sound terrible, but wait until you get a whole flock of notes headed your way. Then you'll feel the abuse. To use star power, you have to yell or blow into the microphone, which is one of the most effective ways to screw with your concentration, when your mind is already reading the oncoming notes, trying to make sure your finger stays centered on the animated guitar strings, and trying to hit the buttons while keeping the whole thing in one position.
To top it all off, the game's menus and interfaces are just as terrible and pretentious as they were in Guitar Hero III, and will probably be in Guitar Hero IV: World Tour. They were much better when Harmonix made them.
As addicting as the Guitar Hero gameplay is, On Tour has managed to make it no longer enjoyable. There's nowhere near enough music choice for such an expensive game, the controls are clunky, uncomfortable, and unresponsive, and the graphics and sound just aren't worth your time. If you want a portable rhythm game that you can play and listen to while you're on the road, go to a used game section and pick up Elite Beat Agents for $15. Maybe you can spend the $35 you saved on half a tank of gas.
MY RATING: |||------- 3/10
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Music and Rhythm
Multiplayer: Yes, up to two players
Online: No
Guitar Hero: On Tour is the much awaited portable version of the best-selling console franchise 'Guitar Hero', started by legendary music game developer Harmonix, and now owned by the infamous Activision. Despite Activision's poor reputation amongst hardcore gamers (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, anyone?), their ownership of the Guitar Hero name does not seem to have destroyed it in the same way that Neversoft's work was. Guitar Hero III was a commercially successful release, with hordes of fans and a much lower price tag than their main competitor, Harmonix's Rock Band. The game significantly raised the difficulty bar for veteran players, introduced new songs, new modes, new characters, and a new co-op career setting, making it a decent improvement on the previous release.
Of course, with such a successful game and franchise under their belt, Activision would obviously want to 'expand the brand'. And so, they've now released a new entry into the Guitar Hero franchise, and this time, it's portable.
This is where things start getting ugly.
Let's start from the top: price tag. The average Nintendo DS game will set you back $35-$40, which is a bit hefty, considering that most DS games are just bite-size versions of their console counterparts. There are certain titles that are worth your money, such as the Pokémon games, Phoenix Wright, and Phantom Hourglass, games that will give you plenty of hours of gameplay for their cost. Guitar Hero: On Tour pumps the price up to $50, as much as a brand new Nintend Wii title. This is because of the included peripheral, of course, but $50 is still enough to make your stomach twist, especially if you're saving up for something (I.E., A computer. I.E., I'm saving up for a computer). And for such a cost, you'd hope that there would be plenty of music to choose from, even if you are having to pay for a special attachment.
Nope. The back of the box boasts barely 30 songs. There are five venues, with six songs per venue, and that's it. No battles, no unlockable bonus songs, nothing. I understand that there's only so much data that you can store on a DS cartridge, but I was really hoping for a little bit more bang for my buck. Activision decided to put about two unlockable outfits for each character, a bunch of unlockable guitars, and a bunch of unlockable guitar skins in, instead of what players really care about: the music. Sure, I liked having all kinds of costumes and guitars to choose from...on the console version. When you aren't playing on a big screen, they become a lot less apparent. More songs would've been better.
Okay, back to the peripheral. This thing has a whole legion of problems on its own, without the software's help. It's uncomfortable, it slides, it's almost impossible to hold your arm at a good angle, and for a portable game, it's incredibly un-portable. It's big, and clunky, and terrible. The fact that there are only four buttons doesn't somehow make playing the game easier for veterans.
Strumming is awkward with a finger, and impossible when using the stylus or 'totally radical guitar pick' that it comes with. For it to work properly and with decent timing, you have to lift your finger completely off of the touch screen for every note - no back-and-forth strumming in these parts. That may not sound terrible, but wait until you get a whole flock of notes headed your way. Then you'll feel the abuse. To use star power, you have to yell or blow into the microphone, which is one of the most effective ways to screw with your concentration, when your mind is already reading the oncoming notes, trying to make sure your finger stays centered on the animated guitar strings, and trying to hit the buttons while keeping the whole thing in one position.
To top it all off, the game's menus and interfaces are just as terrible and pretentious as they were in Guitar Hero III, and will probably be in Guitar Hero IV: World Tour. They were much better when Harmonix made them.
As addicting as the Guitar Hero gameplay is, On Tour has managed to make it no longer enjoyable. There's nowhere near enough music choice for such an expensive game, the controls are clunky, uncomfortable, and unresponsive, and the graphics and sound just aren't worth your time. If you want a portable rhythm game that you can play and listen to while you're on the road, go to a used game section and pick up Elite Beat Agents for $15. Maybe you can spend the $35 you saved on half a tank of gas.
MY RATING: |||------- 3/10
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Homonculatus - Spore Creature Creator
So, I recently picked up the Spore Creature Creator, and I have to tell you - it's fun to use. This guy here is called the Homonculatus, and he's my favorite so far. I'm probably gonna use him when the full game comes out in September.
If you don't already know, either from my blog posts or one of the more reliable sources out there, Spore is set to become the next best thing in electronic entertainment. It's Will Wright's new franchise.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Spore 35min Demonstration from the GDCe
WOW! These are just getting me more and more excited about this damn game.
Hope that you're as excited as I am.
Spore
Okay, okay, it's an old video and I know. But I'm just now getting around to it.
Honestly, Spore is making me want to go out and buy a really, really nice laptop. More than any other incentive, Spore is making me want to send all my hard earned money down the drain in the pursuit of a better computer. This looks like one of the games that I just don't want to miss out on. And, while this is an old, and long, video, it showcases some of what I believe will be the most revolutionary gameplay ever.
Okay, hyperbole, but you get the point. This looks incredible.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Konami Crap
Alright. Rant tiems.
Some of you may already know (and if you don't you're about to find out) that I'm a pretty big fan of the Dance Dance Revolution series of interactive 'dancing' games - I use apostrophes because, really, we all know that's not dancing.
But, yeah, me? Big fan of them. I got introduced to them by my former-crushes-and-now-best-friends Laura and Clara, and ever since they've been a huge staple of my exercise routines. They've played a big part it me going from the tub of lard that joined dA back in '03, to the sexy hunk of man-flesh that I am today. And I like a lot of the music, because I've always been a fan of techno.
That having been established, FUCK YOU, KONAMI. FUCK YOU, FUCK EVERYTHING YOU EVER WERE, AND FUCK YOUR LIVES. AND ESPECIALLY FUCK YOU, BEMANI. (Bemani is the rhythm and music game studio of Konami.)
I don't know what your problem is. I don't know what all of those Japanese DDR fans have been telling you, and I really don't know what the hell is wrong with your quality control department. EVERY GAME SINCE EXTREME 2 HAS SOMEHOW MADE THE TERRIBLE SONG UNLOCKING OF THE PREVIOUS GAME IN THE SERIES...WORSE.
DDR Max 2 is what got me into the franchise. DDR Extreme built upon that love of the franchise, and that's the game that I scored my first double- and triple-A's on. DDR Extreme 2 was a gem of a title, one that finally introduced online play, and a 'quest' mode that wasn't totally bogus. It was still bogus, but it wasn't totally bogus.
WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED!?
After I bought my xbox 360, I bought DDR Universe, because I loved the idea of using my Xbox Live account to play online, and I love the idea of updated gameplay, and all of that. Oh, you guys updated the gameplay, alright. You updated it to SHIT. The DDR Universe Quest Mode is probably the worst thing to have ever happened to any console, ever. EVER. Who told you that it would be a good idea to make a goal to dance until your A.I. opponent's gauge was depleted, and then make that gauge continually recharge at a rate faster than you could ever possibly dance? Who told you it was a good idea to put boss battles into a DANCING GAME? And who, WHO THE FUCK, told you, that somehow players would feel rewarded when they finally beat a task, after dancing for eight hours straight, when the only thing that they unlock from that task is the ability to PLAY THROUGH THE WHOLE FUCKING THING AGAIN!?
But forgive me, I digress. This isn't a rant about DDR Universe. This is a rant about DDR Supernova.
I went out and bought DDR Supernova for the PS2 the other day for a few reasons. 1. Frankenbox has neither been fixed, nor replaced, so I was really in the mood for some different music to dance to. 2. It was fairly cheap, only setting me back twenty bucks, which I could afford to spend. Those sound good enough, right? And besides, I figured that they would've still been using the Extreme 2 unlock system, which was at least moderately usable.
BOW HOWDY, WAS I FUCKING WRONG OR WHAT?
I don't even know if the English language can describe the clusterfuck that Konami has decided to call 'Stellar Master Mode'.
Here's the idea: You choose to play 'stellar master mode' and it drops you on this...map. On this map are some destinations called 'Stellar Joints' (they really need to work on Japanese-English translation). You pick a stellar joint, and, WOW! Up pops a list of tasks, coupled with a list of songs to complete the tasks with. You can complete the tasks in any order, using whatever songs are applicable. The tasks range from "Beat 3 songs on beginner difficulty" to "pick a song using roulette, and complete it", and the songs are usually centered around a theme (for the Stellar Joint Pop Corn, the songs are all popular hits from the last few years).
This is where I start to have a problem.
PROBLEM ONE! If you know FOR A FACT that veteran players are going to play through your games, then why are you going to force them to play through songs with easier, literally boring, difficulties? Why haven't you installed some sort of fix for that? If I can beat MAXX 300 on heavy, why on god's green earth would I want to fucking play through a Captain Jack song on BEGINNER? That's like asking Albert Einstein to figure out what 2 + 2 is, and he has to spend at least an hour on the math!
PROBLEM TWO! Some of the tasks they give you...are so, so, SO fucking RETARDED! They have tasks like, Play two songs in a row with a female dancer! The dancer choice is random at the beginning of each song, and there are only two random female dancers possible. THEN, if you do manage to score the first one, if the next one RANDOMLY decides to be one of the countless guy or children dancers, it goes ahead and resets your fucking dancer count! So you have to get two more female dancers, in a row!
HOW THE HELL DOES THAT FUCKING BULLSHIT REFLECT MY SKILL AS A DDR PLAYER?!
And even if you do manage to complete all five of these senseless, tedious, retarded fucking tasks - wait for it - you're not done yet. Nope! The only reason you were finishing these tasks was to unlock these 'Trials' that you have to complete to get completion on the stellar joint!
OH.
MY.
GOD.
IT WILL NEVER, EVER END.
I completed the first Stellar Joint, 100%, after a whole, whole lot of swearing, cursing, and air-kicking. Then I went to check the store to see what new songs I could buy.
Guess what?
NONE.
Konami, you need to stop trying to be innovative. You're really, really bad at it.
Rant over.
Some of you may already know (and if you don't you're about to find out) that I'm a pretty big fan of the Dance Dance Revolution series of interactive 'dancing' games - I use apostrophes because, really, we all know that's not dancing.
But, yeah, me? Big fan of them. I got introduced to them by my former-crushes-and-now-best-friends Laura and Clara, and ever since they've been a huge staple of my exercise routines. They've played a big part it me going from the tub of lard that joined dA back in '03, to the sexy hunk of man-flesh that I am today. And I like a lot of the music, because I've always been a fan of techno.
That having been established, FUCK YOU, KONAMI. FUCK YOU, FUCK EVERYTHING YOU EVER WERE, AND FUCK YOUR LIVES. AND ESPECIALLY FUCK YOU, BEMANI. (Bemani is the rhythm and music game studio of Konami.)
I don't know what your problem is. I don't know what all of those Japanese DDR fans have been telling you, and I really don't know what the hell is wrong with your quality control department. EVERY GAME SINCE EXTREME 2 HAS SOMEHOW MADE THE TERRIBLE SONG UNLOCKING OF THE PREVIOUS GAME IN THE SERIES...WORSE.
DDR Max 2 is what got me into the franchise. DDR Extreme built upon that love of the franchise, and that's the game that I scored my first double- and triple-A's on. DDR Extreme 2 was a gem of a title, one that finally introduced online play, and a 'quest' mode that wasn't totally bogus. It was still bogus, but it wasn't totally bogus.
WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED!?
After I bought my xbox 360, I bought DDR Universe, because I loved the idea of using my Xbox Live account to play online, and I love the idea of updated gameplay, and all of that. Oh, you guys updated the gameplay, alright. You updated it to SHIT. The DDR Universe Quest Mode is probably the worst thing to have ever happened to any console, ever. EVER. Who told you that it would be a good idea to make a goal to dance until your A.I. opponent's gauge was depleted, and then make that gauge continually recharge at a rate faster than you could ever possibly dance? Who told you it was a good idea to put boss battles into a DANCING GAME? And who, WHO THE FUCK, told you, that somehow players would feel rewarded when they finally beat a task, after dancing for eight hours straight, when the only thing that they unlock from that task is the ability to PLAY THROUGH THE WHOLE FUCKING THING AGAIN!?
But forgive me, I digress. This isn't a rant about DDR Universe. This is a rant about DDR Supernova.
I went out and bought DDR Supernova for the PS2 the other day for a few reasons. 1. Frankenbox has neither been fixed, nor replaced, so I was really in the mood for some different music to dance to. 2. It was fairly cheap, only setting me back twenty bucks, which I could afford to spend. Those sound good enough, right? And besides, I figured that they would've still been using the Extreme 2 unlock system, which was at least moderately usable.
BOW HOWDY, WAS I FUCKING WRONG OR WHAT?
I don't even know if the English language can describe the clusterfuck that Konami has decided to call 'Stellar Master Mode'.
Here's the idea: You choose to play 'stellar master mode' and it drops you on this...map. On this map are some destinations called 'Stellar Joints' (they really need to work on Japanese-English translation). You pick a stellar joint, and, WOW! Up pops a list of tasks, coupled with a list of songs to complete the tasks with. You can complete the tasks in any order, using whatever songs are applicable. The tasks range from "Beat 3 songs on beginner difficulty" to "pick a song using roulette, and complete it", and the songs are usually centered around a theme (for the Stellar Joint Pop Corn, the songs are all popular hits from the last few years).
This is where I start to have a problem.
PROBLEM ONE! If you know FOR A FACT that veteran players are going to play through your games, then why are you going to force them to play through songs with easier, literally boring, difficulties? Why haven't you installed some sort of fix for that? If I can beat MAXX 300 on heavy, why on god's green earth would I want to fucking play through a Captain Jack song on BEGINNER? That's like asking Albert Einstein to figure out what 2 + 2 is, and he has to spend at least an hour on the math!
PROBLEM TWO! Some of the tasks they give you...are so, so, SO fucking RETARDED! They have tasks like, Play two songs in a row with a female dancer! The dancer choice is random at the beginning of each song, and there are only two random female dancers possible. THEN, if you do manage to score the first one, if the next one RANDOMLY decides to be one of the countless guy or children dancers, it goes ahead and resets your fucking dancer count! So you have to get two more female dancers, in a row!
HOW THE HELL DOES THAT FUCKING BULLSHIT REFLECT MY SKILL AS A DDR PLAYER?!
And even if you do manage to complete all five of these senseless, tedious, retarded fucking tasks - wait for it - you're not done yet. Nope! The only reason you were finishing these tasks was to unlock these 'Trials' that you have to complete to get completion on the stellar joint!
OH.
MY.
GOD.
IT WILL NEVER, EVER END.
I completed the first Stellar Joint, 100%, after a whole, whole lot of swearing, cursing, and air-kicking. Then I went to check the store to see what new songs I could buy.
Guess what?
NONE.
Konami, you need to stop trying to be innovative. You're really, really bad at it.
Rant over.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
I Can See Them! The Monsters!
Like I said, I have a whole bunch of new information to spew in your general directions. And like I said, by "you", I mean "nobody".
This is part one of an ongoing series involving one of my best friends' mothers and her paranoid psychosis. This actually happened. To me. I'm the pink text. No, seriously, I am. You don't believe me. It's fucking true.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Dubailand
Sorry I've been so inactive. Not that any of you all care. And by 'you all', I mean, the people that are non-existent. Because I'm not famous yet.
WELL! The good news is that I've accumulated a fair amount of information to relay to you via the blogosphere. First order of business?
Dubailand.
Well, not so much Dubailand as Dubai itself...I just read a fascinating article about the place, and it has given me a fucking ass-load of inspiration for my writing. And that's not just gay innuendo.
Apparently the place is growing and developing at a skyrocketing pace. Like, so fast that there's a permanent dust cloud above the area because of all the construction. It's got some sort of international economic cause that's too confusing for me to delve into right now, but from what I understand it has to do almost entirely with the price of oil and Saudi oil moguls.
It seems to me (And to US News, apparently) that Dubai (and a few other states around the Persian Gulf) is turning into a supermodern land of business opportunity, colossal architectural achievement, and biggest things in the world.
I smell a fictional capital of the world in the making. My latest story is dealing with a post-apocalyptic world, and I need to be creating a planet earth of the near future, so that I can effectively demonstrate its destruction. It'd be incredible to have that kind of historical detail in a sci-fi epic. And I'm gonna work on it.
I'm mostly writing this down so I don't forget to write about this. I have serious ADD with my story plots.
WELL! The good news is that I've accumulated a fair amount of information to relay to you via the blogosphere. First order of business?
Dubailand.
Well, not so much Dubailand as Dubai itself...I just read a fascinating article about the place, and it has given me a fucking ass-load of inspiration for my writing. And that's not just gay innuendo.
Apparently the place is growing and developing at a skyrocketing pace. Like, so fast that there's a permanent dust cloud above the area because of all the construction. It's got some sort of international economic cause that's too confusing for me to delve into right now, but from what I understand it has to do almost entirely with the price of oil and Saudi oil moguls.
It seems to me (And to US News, apparently) that Dubai (and a few other states around the Persian Gulf) is turning into a supermodern land of business opportunity, colossal architectural achievement, and biggest things in the world.
I smell a fictional capital of the world in the making. My latest story is dealing with a post-apocalyptic world, and I need to be creating a planet earth of the near future, so that I can effectively demonstrate its destruction. It'd be incredible to have that kind of historical detail in a sci-fi epic. And I'm gonna work on it.
I'm mostly writing this down so I don't forget to write about this. I have serious ADD with my story plots.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Dean Kamen, Inventor Extraordinaire
I imagine that you all remember the Segway? It was a handy little transportation device invented by a guy named Dean Kamen a few years ago, famous for its bizarre design and revolutionary auto-balancing ability (which our current U.S. President still somehow managed to outwit, it seems...).
Well anyway, the guy that invented the things has been hard at work on another project, one that was given to him by the united states government, and now that he's almost done with it, Yahoo posted an article about it (it should be noted that I get most, if not all, of my quirky world news from either my Yahoo.com homepage, Newsweek, the Daily Show or the Colbert Report). And it looks so wild.
It is, essentially, a cybernetic arm. Now, that's probably a term that's a little too sci-fi (and I'm probably not unsing it right, anyway). But it's still a wild device, akin to the thing that they put on Luke Skywalker at the end of 'The Empire Strikes Back'.
Okay, I'll shut up with the sci-fi references. The article and video will probably do a better job of wowing you, anyway.
(Sorry for the terrible sound quality.)
And HERE is the article I found out about this from, with a much higher sound quality.
Well anyway, the guy that invented the things has been hard at work on another project, one that was given to him by the united states government, and now that he's almost done with it, Yahoo posted an article about it (it should be noted that I get most, if not all, of my quirky world news from either my Yahoo.com homepage, Newsweek, the Daily Show or the Colbert Report). And it looks so wild.
It is, essentially, a cybernetic arm. Now, that's probably a term that's a little too sci-fi (and I'm probably not unsing it right, anyway). But it's still a wild device, akin to the thing that they put on Luke Skywalker at the end of 'The Empire Strikes Back'.
Okay, I'll shut up with the sci-fi references. The article and video will probably do a better job of wowing you, anyway.
(Sorry for the terrible sound quality.)
And HERE is the article I found out about this from, with a much higher sound quality.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Wii-Whoops!
Yeah, here it comes, another hot helping of video games news and commentary, right to your face.
So! Those of you out there that happen to be the proud owners of both a Wii and a wi-fi enabled house are probably happy to see that Nintendo has finally implemented a new system for downloading and playing games by less well-known developers, similar to the Playstation Network on the PS3 and the Xbox Live Arcade on the Xbox 360, and it's called Wii Ware.
Pretty exciting stuff, huh? I, personally, was pretty psyched to see it up and running, and to see some of the critically acclaimed launch titles that the service is starting out with.
But then I remembered: the Wii doesn't have a hard drive. While the 360 and PS3 sit contentedly on their pile of console options and triple-digit gigabyte space, the Nintendo Wii continues to amaze us with...512 MB of standard storage space. A DVD copy of 'Fight Club' takes up more space than that (which is funny, because the Wii also doesn't play DVDs. Which doesn't seem like a big deal now, but if your primary device for viewing movies is disabled, you're really gonna be ticked that Nintendo didn't include this seemingly obvious console capability). Those of you that are good at solving impressive mysteries may have already put two and two together.
If you're going to be downloading fully-fledged, stand alone titles from the wii ware channel straight to your Wii, you're going to eat up the 512 MB limit so fast it's retarded.
Sure, they offer you the ability to use SD cards to save Wii-related data (which is kind of cool because it gives the SD card more use than just a digital camera memory card), but you still have to copy the data you want to use from the SD card to the console whenever you want to use it.
That's only one of the big inconveniences, though. Apparently (because I haven't actually tried to buy anything yet) the interfaces leave not only a lot to be desired, but also leave a whole bunch of users frustrated out of their minds. As a security measure, they've made it so that you can't save your credit card information or billing address. Sure, it's safer, but I'd rather be shot, beaten, and mugged, than have to input my name, address, credit card number, zip code, area code, telephone number, social security number, date of birth, date of death, and date of nintendo-caused-suicide every SINGLE time that I want to buy a game.
This article probably does a much better job of explaining it than I do:
So! Those of you out there that happen to be the proud owners of both a Wii and a wi-fi enabled house are probably happy to see that Nintendo has finally implemented a new system for downloading and playing games by less well-known developers, similar to the Playstation Network on the PS3 and the Xbox Live Arcade on the Xbox 360, and it's called Wii Ware.
Pretty exciting stuff, huh? I, personally, was pretty psyched to see it up and running, and to see some of the critically acclaimed launch titles that the service is starting out with.
But then I remembered: the Wii doesn't have a hard drive. While the 360 and PS3 sit contentedly on their pile of console options and triple-digit gigabyte space, the Nintendo Wii continues to amaze us with...512 MB of standard storage space. A DVD copy of 'Fight Club' takes up more space than that (which is funny, because the Wii also doesn't play DVDs. Which doesn't seem like a big deal now, but if your primary device for viewing movies is disabled, you're really gonna be ticked that Nintendo didn't include this seemingly obvious console capability). Those of you that are good at solving impressive mysteries may have already put two and two together.
If you're going to be downloading fully-fledged, stand alone titles from the wii ware channel straight to your Wii, you're going to eat up the 512 MB limit so fast it's retarded.
Sure, they offer you the ability to use SD cards to save Wii-related data (which is kind of cool because it gives the SD card more use than just a digital camera memory card), but you still have to copy the data you want to use from the SD card to the console whenever you want to use it.
That's only one of the big inconveniences, though. Apparently (because I haven't actually tried to buy anything yet) the interfaces leave not only a lot to be desired, but also leave a whole bunch of users frustrated out of their minds. As a security measure, they've made it so that you can't save your credit card information or billing address. Sure, it's safer, but I'd rather be shot, beaten, and mugged, than have to input my name, address, credit card number, zip code, area code, telephone number, social security number, date of birth, date of death, and date of nintendo-caused-suicide every SINGLE time that I want to buy a game.
This article probably does a much better job of explaining it than I do:
Try it out, though, and you'll find some big problems. The interface is average at best, and the limited storage of the Wii console means trouble for heavy users of the machine's Virtual Console service (which lets you download classic games), who are suddenly going to have to make some tough choices about which games to keep. With only 512 MB of on-board storage, players are running out of room, and although you can store games on an SD card, you have to copy them back before you can play them. If keen players are already reaching the limit, what's it going to be like in a few years?
This is, to put it mildly, a shame, because there are already a couple of gems waiting for WiiWare browsers. Despite having a title long enough to fill up the Wii's memory on its own, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King is harder to quit than crack cocaine and a real bargain at $15. LostWinds, an innovative platform game from a small British developer, is receiving some decent reviews and clocks in at only $10.
That's assuming you have the patience to get them downloaded in the first place. Compare and contrast the Wii's Shop interface with similar offerings on the PS3 and Xbox 360, and you'll see that although Nintendo is unquestionably the master at building easy-to-use, appealing hardware, it has a lot to learn about interface design.
Here's a hint: make it easy for us to give you money. The Wii Shop won't save credit card information, which probably makes it slightly more secure, but inputting all those numbers with a remote control is silly and tiresome. That's nothing next to the inconvenience of having to fill out the billing address every time, though, and the Wii makes you do that in minute, exhaustive detail. Hey, Nintendo: If my Wii gets stolen from my front room, it's a safe bet the culprits already know where I live.
OK, so you've juggled memory around to make space and filled out enough forms to give a mortgage broker nightmares. Surely things get better when you actually start downloading games, right? No, Nintendo has a treat in store for you there as well. Once you've purchased your chosen game, you'll be greeted with a cheery (and, for some reason, orange) Mario running repeatedly across the screen grabbing gold coins. What purpose this serves isn't immediately clear. Presumably it's some type of progress bar, but -- as far as we're aware -- there's no apparent relationship between fat Italian plumbers, orange or not, and download progress. Maybe Mario's interminable transit symbolizes Nintendo gobbling up the revenue from your purchase. Who knows.
Moreover, why are we still watching him? On the 360, we could be playing Grand Theft Auto by now, simply waiting for the helpful pop-up notification while a whole stack of games download in the background. Coin-grabbing Mario, as he sucks down my dollars, looks awfully happy about this state of affairs, but we're not.
Seriously, Nintendo, we're delighted you're supporting independent developers (and Square-Enix) and encouraging yet more innovation on what's already the most novel and exciting games platform out there. With the Virtual Console and WiiWare, you're well on the way to beating the selections of the competition's download services. But did you have to make it such a pain to use?
Saturday, May 24, 2008
That's Ridiculous, Neal Peart!
Sorry about the post drought. Here's an embedded video to shut you the hell up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iONLKn5VHY4
By the way, uh, blogspot? Is there a particular fucking reason as to why I can't copy and past the 'embed' link straight from YouTube? I mean, why wont you let me do that? Bitches. Sorry, readers, just follow the link.
Whatever. Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neal Peart should kick your ass.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iONLKn5VHY4
By the way, uh, blogspot? Is there a particular fucking reason as to why I can't copy and past the 'embed' link straight from YouTube? I mean, why wont you let me do that? Bitches. Sorry, readers, just follow the link.
Whatever. Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neal Peart should kick your ass.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Special Guest Starring
So, John McCain just 'guested' on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and it only made me realize: I actually really like the guy.
I respect John McCain, and I appreciate his honesty, his environmental policies, and his ability to lead. I don't really feel his overly agressive foreign policy is what's best for the country, but other than that, I'm absolutely fine with him being elected. (I also appreciate Jon Stewart and his refusal to keep from asking hard-hitting, controversial questions, even on a forum such as his laid-back half-hour entertainment block.)
That having been said, I still love Obama a whole, whole lot more. Obama is a passionate speaker, an honest politician, and a force for change. Obama is my pick, and my favorite.
My only reason for writing this was to say that I'm comfortable with either. Which would mark the first time ever, for me (even though this is my first election).
I respect John McCain, and I appreciate his honesty, his environmental policies, and his ability to lead. I don't really feel his overly agressive foreign policy is what's best for the country, but other than that, I'm absolutely fine with him being elected. (I also appreciate Jon Stewart and his refusal to keep from asking hard-hitting, controversial questions, even on a forum such as his laid-back half-hour entertainment block.)
That having been said, I still love Obama a whole, whole lot more. Obama is a passionate speaker, an honest politician, and a force for change. Obama is my pick, and my favorite.
My only reason for writing this was to say that I'm comfortable with either. Which would mark the first time ever, for me (even though this is my first election).
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Have we forgotten the dead so soon?
Not that I assumed horse racing would be finished because of Eight Belles, but honestly, I need blog material. Ideas welcome.
Not that I assumed horse racing would be finished because of Eight Belles, but honestly, I need blog material. Ideas welcome.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
"We've Struck Distractions!"
(New font, hope you like it.)
The human race is alarmingly good at ignoring the obvious. If the evidence is there, and accepting the facts means that you'll lose money and customers, you pretend like it's a hoax.
That's one of the most frustrating things in the world to me. Voluntary ignorance.
Apparently, the next big thing is Oil-shale:
Since we've become so dependent on technology that is powered by petroleum products -- from the gas that runs your car to life-saving pharmaceuticals -- more unconventional sources of crude oil are being investigated. One of the more promising reserves of oil that hasn't been commercially exploited yet is oil shale. This is essentially oil trapped in solid form within rock.
-taken from the linked article
So what's my beef? I think it should be obvious. We're wasting time, money, and resources in an effort to continue fueling our outdated culture of fossil fuel dependence. We're killing the planet because rich, white Oil executives can't spare some change and refuse to admit that the planet is getting hotter, people are getting fatter, and it's mostly thanks to dependence upon fossil fuels.
What REALLY grinds my gears is that there are so many viable alternatives to it, to this fossil fuel addiction. Don't believe me? Give me ten seconds and I'll do some research.
Biodiesel from Microalgae. (PDF file)
Before I delve into the Microalgae element, let me argue for biodiesel. Sure, it's not my personal favorite for the race to clean energy...Solar power is my favorite. But biodiesel has a lot of convincing benefits to it. For one thing, even though burning fuel will still contribute to the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, it will so ridiculously reduce the contribution that it should be no contest between itself and our current energy source. Not only does the stuff burn cleaner, but because sources of biofuel are generally plant life, growing and harvesting the stuff cleans CO2 out of the air before putting it back in, creating a sort of equilibrium. Not to mention the fact that we probably wouldn't have to change our lives very much if we converted to biodiesel...from what I understand it works in a lot of vehicles already. More than if we turned everything electric, at least (which is still the best case scenario in my opinion).
Of the biodiesel crops, microalgae looks to be the most promising. The numbers alone are daunting: microalgae harvesting can yield (by liters per hectare) 795.9% more oil than corn can, in the same amount of space. Mostly because this new biodiesel source, this microalgae, is made up of more than 70% oil. Microalgae can be grown almost anywhere; in specialised factories, in ponds, on building roofs, all over the place. And because it's so small with such a massive ability to yield its oil, it's ridiculously efficient.
All of that is in addition to the fact that most of the other sources of biofuel on that list are foods, and could be put to much better use as such. Developing countries need corn, wheat, and rice, not biodiesel or electricity. Nobody eats algae (yet), so it's neither an expensive waste of resources or a ridiculous waste of space.
As I said, though, I still favor solar power over all of this. It's perfectly clean, insurmountable in quantity, and should last until our race has long since abandoned this planet (or, in other words, several billion years from now). Solar power also wouldn't require diversion of water resources to use in the same way that growing and harvesting algae would. And there are a slew of environmental hazards and difficulties that come from irresponsible irrigation. Solar powered cars and homes would nearly eliminate the need for any kind of fuels at all, and technological development coupled with research spending could bring about more advanced photovotaic cells and such that allow more energy to be stored and diverted to other needs. Our entire world ran on solar power until the industrial revolution; when will our mechanical creations run on it, too?
The worldwide rate of energy consumption in 2004 was approximately .471 Zettajoules (ZJ), while the amount of solar energy that is absorbed by the earth each year is around 3850 ZJ. That means that there’s 99.98776% of all the energy on earth not being used, and it’s perfectly clean and natural energy.
Like I stated before, though, I can be a proponent for biodiesel, if only because the infastructure is already in place. But we need to stop with the distractions. We need to stop fooling ourselves with 'new coal' and 'clean coal', we need to stop building coal power plants, and we need to realize a big, bad, looming titan sooner than later. Global Warming doesn't give a damn about your politics and about your beliefs. The only thing that's going to be able to put a stop to it before it puts a stop to us all is change.
Change. Not silly diversions.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Super Duper Delegates
Oh man, I was worried for a second there.
I'm an Obamamaniac, and proud of it. I love the man. I'm voting for him, asking all my friends to vote for him, asking all my enemies to vote for him, and would gladly give him my left kidney if he asked. He is, in my humble opinion, the best thing to happen to American politics since Lincoln. He's humble, honest, worldly, charismatic, and pure (as opposed to the corruption that has plagued our government since forever). He's in it for us, not himself, not for a legacy or power, but for the American people. But I was definitely worried about his chances at becoming president a few weeks ago.
It seemed like he was a shoo-in until Reverend Wright (see below) and his 'elitism' comment happened.
Hillary Clinton, who I dislike greatly (bitch be way too muh-fuckkin' partisan, ya dig?) took advantage of those two unfortunate events, and I can't blame her. I was a little disappointed in Barack for a moment because it seemed like he'd started pandering for votes. While I understand that, sometimes, that's what you've got to do, I still can't say I approve. Obama needs to stay true to himself, his values, and most importantly, his message. But Clinton made a comeback with her Pennsylvania win, and I just about cried.
That's why, when I logged on to yahoo.com today, I was ecstatic to read: Obama Passes Clinton in Superdelegates.
The article talks about how, despite Clinton's comeback in the Pennslyvania primary and her totally unfair lead in superdelegate endorsements at the start of the campaign trail, Obama is straight up beasting on picking up endorsements of his own. He's currently got more than she does:
I'm excited about the elections once again, and I'm rooting for Obama all the way. He's it. He's the chosen one, man. I honestly believe that he can get us out of the Iraq situation, he can help our economy, he can improve our national image, and he can restore the American people's faith in the American government.
And that's saying something.
I'm an Obamamaniac, and proud of it. I love the man. I'm voting for him, asking all my friends to vote for him, asking all my enemies to vote for him, and would gladly give him my left kidney if he asked. He is, in my humble opinion, the best thing to happen to American politics since Lincoln. He's humble, honest, worldly, charismatic, and pure (as opposed to the corruption that has plagued our government since forever). He's in it for us, not himself, not for a legacy or power, but for the American people. But I was definitely worried about his chances at becoming president a few weeks ago.
It seemed like he was a shoo-in until Reverend Wright (see below) and his 'elitism' comment happened.
Hillary Clinton, who I dislike greatly (bitch be way too muh-fuckkin' partisan, ya dig?) took advantage of those two unfortunate events, and I can't blame her. I was a little disappointed in Barack for a moment because it seemed like he'd started pandering for votes. While I understand that, sometimes, that's what you've got to do, I still can't say I approve. Obama needs to stay true to himself, his values, and most importantly, his message. But Clinton made a comeback with her Pennsylvania win, and I just about cried.
That's why, when I logged on to yahoo.com today, I was ecstatic to read: Obama Passes Clinton in Superdelegates.
The article talks about how, despite Clinton's comeback in the Pennslyvania primary and her totally unfair lead in superdelegate endorsements at the start of the campaign trail, Obama is straight up beasting on picking up endorsements of his own. He's currently got more than she does:
In the overall race for the nomination, Obama has 1,863.5 delegates and Clinton has 1,697, according to the latest AP tally. Obama is just 161.5 delegates shy of the 2,025 needed to secure the Democratic nomination.
-taken from the linked article on Yahoo! news
I'm excited about the elections once again, and I'm rooting for Obama all the way. He's it. He's the chosen one, man. I honestly believe that he can get us out of the Iraq situation, he can help our economy, he can improve our national image, and he can restore the American people's faith in the American government.
And that's saying something.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Katrina is a Burmese Name
You know, hundreds of thousands of people shouldn't have to suffer long, painful deaths because of international problems and poor diplomacy skills. The U. S. isn't being allowed to give aid to the people suffering from the crisis in Myanmar because htey don't trust us:
"We are in a long line of nations who are ready, willing and able to help, but also, of course, in a long line of nations the Burmese don't trust," U.S. Ambassador Eric John told reporters in Thailand's capital, Bangkok.
"It's more than frustrating," he said. "It's a tragedy." Each day of delay means "a lot more people suffering."
Now, I can't really blame the Burmese people for not trusting the United States. If I were the leader of a foreign nation, I wouldn't trust us either. We're belligerent elitists with a hard-on for capitalism and prejudice against anyone that doesn't embrace our system of government, and I can understand not wanting to have anything to do with us. But what are we gonna do? Sneak a nuclear warhed into your country inside of a hot pocket? For your sake, Myanmar, let us help. Don't let your people suffer because of your paranoia.
(photo and quotes taken from Philly.com)
And as long as we're talking about immense natural disasters, I'm really fed up with people blaming all of these catastrophes on God. Oh, the Tsunami was an act of God, oh Katrina was God's doing, Myanmar is God getting ready to end the world!
Don't be fucking ridiculous. This is what we call "Global Warming". Ever heard of it? It's kind of a big deal these days. I don't know about you, but these disasters are as good evidence as any that Global Warming exists, and that it's ready to royally wreck our asses.
The invisible avenger in the sky isn't ending our world. We are. And, really, if you honestly think that Al Gore is trying to perpetuate a hoax for money, then you deserve to drown.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
I Have the Powah!
Solar Power is so vastly underrated.
Honestly, I have no fucking clue as to why more money isn't invested in developing and deploying devices and stations that would harness the near-infinite power of the sun, that big ol' mass of incandescant gas that's floating up there, causing skin cancer and keeping our world moving.
I don't know if people are stupid, or if they're stubborn, or what, but there is a SHITload of sunlight to go around. All that daylight? That could be solar power. Solar power that causes no pollution, that doesn't hurt the environment, that will last us for at least another hundred million years. Humans have only been around for a couple thousand years. We've only been using fossil fuels for energy for one or two thousand. And we're already fucking ourselves royally.
That's why I get angry when I read stuff like this article.
While I can appreciate that what they've done will reduce fossil fuel consumption, how tiny of a change is that? How insignificant of an act is that? Wow, homeowners in Hawaii (where they're already rich as all hell) will save a few hundred dollars annually. Is that the ONLY reason that you're doing it? To make your life easier, to save you money?
What-the-hell-ever happened to the greater good? What happened to self-sacrifice for a larger cause, for something more important than one selfish person and their money?
Oh, right. We're human beings. We never had that to begin with.
Honestly, I have no fucking clue as to why more money isn't invested in developing and deploying devices and stations that would harness the near-infinite power of the sun, that big ol' mass of incandescant gas that's floating up there, causing skin cancer and keeping our world moving.
I don't know if people are stupid, or if they're stubborn, or what, but there is a SHITload of sunlight to go around. All that daylight? That could be solar power. Solar power that causes no pollution, that doesn't hurt the environment, that will last us for at least another hundred million years. Humans have only been around for a couple thousand years. We've only been using fossil fuels for energy for one or two thousand. And we're already fucking ourselves royally.
That's why I get angry when I read stuff like this article.
Hawai'i could become the first state in the country to require that all new single-family homes come equipped with energy-saving solar water heaters.
Lawmakers last week approved the mandate, which advocates say would save new homeowners hundreds of dollars a year in electricity costs and help reduce Hawai'i's use of fossil fuels.
While I can appreciate that what they've done will reduce fossil fuel consumption, how tiny of a change is that? How insignificant of an act is that? Wow, homeowners in Hawaii (where they're already rich as all hell) will save a few hundred dollars annually. Is that the ONLY reason that you're doing it? To make your life easier, to save you money?
What-the-hell-ever happened to the greater good? What happened to self-sacrifice for a larger cause, for something more important than one selfish person and their money?
Oh, right. We're human beings. We never had that to begin with.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Animal Wrongs
Horse racing: it's fucking inhumane.
You may or may not have heard about the death of a certain horse on Saturday, Eight Belles, during the final stretch of the Kentucky Derby. She was the first filly, the first female horse, to compete in the race since 1999, and came in second place on race day. Second place only to be euthanized moments later.
Her two front ankles broke after the race was over, after she'd hit the backstretch. Since she didn't have a leg to stand on so that a splint could be placed, she was euthanized there, immediately, killed on the track.
Frankly, I'm not amused. Horses are such beautiful creatures, so free and wild when left alone. I don't see why it's necessary to imprison and breed them for this 'sport of kings'. We don't have a king. I don't know if you noticed, but 'King George' is just our president's nickname.
It's wrong. Put an end to it. And that's that.
You may or may not have heard about the death of a certain horse on Saturday, Eight Belles, during the final stretch of the Kentucky Derby. She was the first filly, the first female horse, to compete in the race since 1999, and came in second place on race day. Second place only to be euthanized moments later.
Her two front ankles broke after the race was over, after she'd hit the backstretch. Since she didn't have a leg to stand on so that a splint could be placed, she was euthanized there, immediately, killed on the track.
Frankly, I'm not amused. Horses are such beautiful creatures, so free and wild when left alone. I don't see why it's necessary to imprison and breed them for this 'sport of kings'. We don't have a king. I don't know if you noticed, but 'King George' is just our president's nickname.
It's wrong. Put an end to it. And that's that.
Littering: An Essay
Littering is considered a "nasty side-effect of our convenience oriented culture." It's very common for people to take their wrappers, bags, and refuse from their unit-by-unit product consumption and callously toss them aside on roads, sidewalks, in parks and on beaches without so much as a second thought. The worst part is that so many people do it; almost everyone litters or has littered a decent amount in their lifetime. We all know we've done that thing where you wait until nobody is looking and then push a gum wrapper or receipt out of your pocket so it looks like it just "fell out." Why? Because it's convenient and you don't have to go and find a trash can.
Most developed countries in the world today, primarily and especially America, thrive and love convenience. America is a country that has been accused of having products with packaging that costs more to produce than the product itself, where disposable cups, Styrofoam boxes, individual wrapping and plastic utensils reign supreme. Our spoiled rotten culture is hurting the environment because we don’t like washing dishes and would rather buy in bulk than take a trip to the bakery. Recycling has gained popularity in recent years, but not enough so as to make a significant dent on the amount of waste produced by the country annually. As long as people are obsessed with the bare minimum required of them, litter will most likely continue to be a problem. Most people can’t even be bothered to hold onto their trash until a proper receptacle can be found…their trash ends up on the ground, for all to see.
An insignificant consequence of littering that seems to garner a lot more attention than it needs to is the fact that littering creates an eyesore. When an area is covered with garbage, it’s unpleasant to look at. The simple fact that this consequence is one of the first things that come to mind when people hear the word ‘litter’ is a testament to the negativity of our convenience oriented culture: it’s ‘inconvenient’ to look at it.
A much more important effect of littering is the many ways in which it affects the environment and individual ecosystems. Discarded cigarette butts decay slowly over the course of more than a decade, all the while leeching toxic substances like lead and arsenic into the water and soil. Plastic containers can have often bizarre and unexpected effects on animals (like the nefarious “duckling in a soda ring” scenario). Rusty, discarded aluminum cans can cuts things that brush past them, causing disease in both animals and humans.
Aside from the aforementioned impacts of littering, litter can have a significant impact on faraway ecosystems. Wind and rainfall can carry trash and toxins from one area to another, entering rivers, oceans, and other environments. Litter, and large amounts of it, can collect in one area, creating problems for the animals that live there. A great example of this is the pacific trash vortex, an area in the pacific ocean when tons upon tons of human garbage has clumped together in the middle of the ocean and is starting to have negative effects on marine life and birds. Litter is also costly to state and local governments – California spends over twenty-eight million dollars a year cleaning up litter from their cities and forests.
So what can be done about this problem? Is there anything already being done? There’s a lot we can improve on in our culture of convenience. There are a few volunteer organizations that spend time and effort cleaning up highways, parks, forests, roadways, and the like, and while that helps, it’s almost an exercise in futility because of the scale difference between how much trash is thrown out versus how much is picked up. To make a real impact and a real change, and to solve this problem, everyone must work together. Companies should use only biodegradable packaging. Junkyard items should be recycled. People need to eat, drink, and live in moderation. If all this happens, we might be able to avert this problem before it turns into something worse.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
MADD About Games!
Before I go on, I'd just like to say: Mothers Against Drunk Driving, I appreciate you. I understand what you stand for, and your cause is one of a few that I wholeheartedly support. I have no problems with trying to keep people from taking to the streets intoxicated, and possibly harming innocent bystanders in the process.
Now that that's out of the way, no, I am not o.k. with MADD trying to coerce the ESRB to change the rating given to Grand Theft Auto IV from 'Mature 17+' to 'AO Adults Only'. (that link could've been integrated a whole lot better).
The organization is calling on the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, the independent organization that assigns video-game ratings, to reclassify "GTA IV" as an Adults Only game. The action-driving game, which includes the ability to drive while intoxicated, is currently rated Mature.
Big deal. Alright, my sympathies to you, I understand where you're coming from. I get it, drunk driving isn't a joke, drunk driving isn't funny, and drunk driving is a dangerous, "100% preventable" activity that can ruin lives and has done so countless times. But...okay, hold on, time for point-by-point debunking of your actions:
- Given that the ESRB took all possible actions in GTA IV into account (including robbery, assault, 1st and 2nd degree murder, drug trafficking, alcohol abuse, prostitution, conspiracy, grand larceny, and all other types of assorted debauchery), why would the presence of drunk driving as an option make them change their rating? It's definitely not the worst thing on that list.
- If you want the rating changed because you don't want people to think the big D.D. is a fun way to pass the time, get real. Anyone that would infer that from the context of a video game is already an idiot and cannot be helped. I suggest prayer.
- The game is already exclusively avaliable to people ages seventeen and up, and the ESRB has determined that age seventeen is the age at which this content can be deemed 'appropriate'. Changing the rating to AO will, one, barely increase the age necessary to purchase the game (17+ to 18+, so the people that want the game will still be able to get it), and two, punish the developers and retailers that have strict 'no Adults Only' policies (which is almost every major retailer out there...K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Target, EBGames, GameStop, Babbages, Slackers, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera...). We don't need to punish the game's developers by destroying their sales and financial gain; I like the idea of Rockstar hanging around to wow us with yet another fantastic GTA, Midnight Club, or Bully game. Rather, we need to hold parents and irresponsible retailers who make games like this avaliable to kids that aren't technically 'old enough' to be playing them accountable for their actions.
- Grand Theft Auto IV isn't about drunk driving. Just like Grand Theft Auto III gained infamy for the ability to kill prostitutes for a 'refund', this is an excellent example of crusaders missing the point. "For the same reason that you can't judge an entire film or television program by a single scene, you can't judge 'Grand Theft Auto IV' by a small aspect of the game," as said by Rockstar Games in a statement released on Wednesday.
Like I said, MADD, go get 'em. Just keep your mitts off my games.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Redbox Retaliation
Okay, really, I understand that you're low-budget and cater to the financially lacking and/or irresponsible, but...how inconvenient can one automated rental service be?
The other day, Jelani and Chance and I decided to trip over to FatDonalds for some fast, deliciously unsatisfying and unhealthy food (which reminds me...I really, really need to start biking again before I turn into an obesity statistic). With a large drink, you receive a tab that gives you one redbox rental DVD free for one night. Well, I had nothing better to do that night, so I figured why not? I peeled the tab and, when we finished eating, jiggled our fat asses over to the big, unsightly machine. I typed in the promo code, picked out a movie ("What should I get?" "Haha, barney." "Fuck that dude, I'm serious." "So was I!" "Shut up...what should I get?" "Good Luck Chuck was funny. Try that." "Eh, what the hell, it's free. Sure."). Suddenly, though, I was prompted for my credit card number, my home address, and all kinds of other shit. That was unwelcome, but I still filled it out. I could walk back and give the DVD back whenever tommorrow.
So, I get home. I watch it. It's funny, vulgar, and not as amazing as some people had made it out to be. But it's a decent view for free.
Andrew (my older brother) and I head back towards the FatDonalds that I got to DVD from, park the Beast, get out walk in, and are met with - what are the chances - an OUT OF ORDER sign. So I can't return my fucking DVD. And, now that the redbox company has all my delightful information, should I not be able to return it, they can start charging me for every day I don't bring it back. Personally, I was not only unpleasently suprised, but offended. I asked the folks behind the counter about it, and they didn't have ANY idea what to do. After asking the manager about it, they proceeded to tell me that Redbox and McDonalds (oops, sorry, FatDonalds) have nothing to do with each other, so I can't give them the DVD. Instead, they recommend to try another location, and tell my brother and I to drive over to the one on Kingshighway about two or three miles away.
What the fuck.
Well, there's not really a whole lot else to do. We drive, in the Beast (which gets about 10 miles to the gallon, I might add...), to the next Fatdonalds location. Again, we park, we walk inside, and we look around.
Where...is the redbox machine...?
The idiot at the other McDonalds sent me to another one, except this one doesn't have a Redbox machine. At all.
FUCK.
The kind cashier at THIS location told me that they were sorry, that if we wanted we could file a complaint (sorry, lady, I'm too easy-going to take it THAT far), and that Shop 'n' Save also has a Redbox.
UGH.
Yeah, I guess we had no choice but to trek over to the gorcery and give that one a shot. It wouldn't have suprised me if the redbox there had...blown up or something, I dunno. Anyway, it wasn't. It wasn't perfect either, though: there were two people in line ahead of me, and they were the SLOWEST PEOPLE ALIVE. I honestly had to wait fifteen minutes before I could use the machine, and all that I had to do was slide a fucking DVD case into a slot. Ten seconds of work, tops.
Well, I did finally manage to return my DVD. And the fifteen minutes gave my older brother a chance to buy booze to his hearts content...friggin alcoholic. I doubt I'll ever rent from Redbox again. The rest of my day was fine, though.
Online Multiplayer Anecdote of the Day:
In GTA IV, Graham [killograham] and I stole a helicopter, flew it to the top of the Empire State Building, and took turns skydiving to earth without parachutes. Awesome fails to describe that experience.
The other day, Jelani and Chance and I decided to trip over to FatDonalds for some fast, deliciously unsatisfying and unhealthy food (which reminds me...I really, really need to start biking again before I turn into an obesity statistic). With a large drink, you receive a tab that gives you one redbox rental DVD free for one night. Well, I had nothing better to do that night, so I figured why not? I peeled the tab and, when we finished eating, jiggled our fat asses over to the big, unsightly machine. I typed in the promo code, picked out a movie ("What should I get?" "Haha, barney." "Fuck that dude, I'm serious." "So was I!" "Shut up...what should I get?" "Good Luck Chuck was funny. Try that." "Eh, what the hell, it's free. Sure."). Suddenly, though, I was prompted for my credit card number, my home address, and all kinds of other shit. That was unwelcome, but I still filled it out. I could walk back and give the DVD back whenever tommorrow.
So, I get home. I watch it. It's funny, vulgar, and not as amazing as some people had made it out to be. But it's a decent view for free.
Andrew (my older brother) and I head back towards the FatDonalds that I got to DVD from, park the Beast, get out walk in, and are met with - what are the chances - an OUT OF ORDER sign. So I can't return my fucking DVD. And, now that the redbox company has all my delightful information, should I not be able to return it, they can start charging me for every day I don't bring it back. Personally, I was not only unpleasently suprised, but offended. I asked the folks behind the counter about it, and they didn't have ANY idea what to do. After asking the manager about it, they proceeded to tell me that Redbox and McDonalds (oops, sorry, FatDonalds) have nothing to do with each other, so I can't give them the DVD. Instead, they recommend to try another location, and tell my brother and I to drive over to the one on Kingshighway about two or three miles away.
What the fuck.
Well, there's not really a whole lot else to do. We drive, in the Beast (which gets about 10 miles to the gallon, I might add...), to the next Fatdonalds location. Again, we park, we walk inside, and we look around.
Where...is the redbox machine...?
The idiot at the other McDonalds sent me to another one, except this one doesn't have a Redbox machine. At all.
FUCK.
The kind cashier at THIS location told me that they were sorry, that if we wanted we could file a complaint (sorry, lady, I'm too easy-going to take it THAT far), and that Shop 'n' Save also has a Redbox.
UGH.
Yeah, I guess we had no choice but to trek over to the gorcery and give that one a shot. It wouldn't have suprised me if the redbox there had...blown up or something, I dunno. Anyway, it wasn't. It wasn't perfect either, though: there were two people in line ahead of me, and they were the SLOWEST PEOPLE ALIVE. I honestly had to wait fifteen minutes before I could use the machine, and all that I had to do was slide a fucking DVD case into a slot. Ten seconds of work, tops.
Well, I did finally manage to return my DVD. And the fifteen minutes gave my older brother a chance to buy booze to his hearts content...friggin alcoholic. I doubt I'll ever rent from Redbox again. The rest of my day was fine, though.
Online Multiplayer Anecdote of the Day:
In GTA IV, Graham [killograham] and I stole a helicopter, flew it to the top of the Empire State Building, and took turns skydiving to earth without parachutes. Awesome fails to describe that experience.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Le Premier De Mais
...Not sure if that's exactly how you say it in french, but Happy May First, everyone!
That means I only have a small amount of high school left. Like, two weeks left of high school. And then it's over, it's permanently and forever over. I am SO excited. When I have kids, I'm gonna totally be able to be all "high school sucks, I feel your pain, rah blah blah blah" and shit. Exciting.
Excuse me while I travel off to Microsoft Word so that I can complete my report for Dr. Gayzar. I mean Azar. Laters.
Online Multiplayer Anecdote of The Day:
Goodness me, Grand Theft Auto IV is fun. Especially the online gameplay.
The other day I joined a party with all of my black friends from school (most of them are black...the one white kid I play with regularly and go to school with is Zyka [FiercewarriorZ]). We screwed around in party mode for about an hour, then elected to enter into a team deathmatch against some other parties. It was all good.
Of course, the anonymity of the internet shows up in the most unexpected of places, as we were suddenly matched up against a whole bunch of ignorant white kids that seemed to feel it was A-OK to spout some of the most vulgar anti-african-american sentiments ever, just because of the people in my party. And when you bring race into an online conflict, you have t stay until it's resolved. I don't think there's anything as satisfying as annihilating an entire team of racists with a rocket launcher. Or mowing over one of their star players in an SUV again and again and again until they're dead. Oh, man, it was delicious. Especially when somebody said "I hope you get hit by a car," and then a Ferarri sent one of the racists flying about four hundred feet to his death.
Don't worry. We trounced them, We trounced the shit out of their ugly white asses in the name of tolerance. Redneck, KKK, pieces of shit, every one of them.
That means I only have a small amount of high school left. Like, two weeks left of high school. And then it's over, it's permanently and forever over. I am SO excited. When I have kids, I'm gonna totally be able to be all "high school sucks, I feel your pain, rah blah blah blah" and shit. Exciting.
Excuse me while I travel off to Microsoft Word so that I can complete my report for Dr. Gayzar. I mean Azar. Laters.
Online Multiplayer Anecdote of The Day:
Goodness me, Grand Theft Auto IV is fun. Especially the online gameplay.
The other day I joined a party with all of my black friends from school (most of them are black...the one white kid I play with regularly and go to school with is Zyka [FiercewarriorZ]). We screwed around in party mode for about an hour, then elected to enter into a team deathmatch against some other parties. It was all good.
Of course, the anonymity of the internet shows up in the most unexpected of places, as we were suddenly matched up against a whole bunch of ignorant white kids that seemed to feel it was A-OK to spout some of the most vulgar anti-african-american sentiments ever, just because of the people in my party. And when you bring race into an online conflict, you have t stay until it's resolved. I don't think there's anything as satisfying as annihilating an entire team of racists with a rocket launcher. Or mowing over one of their star players in an SUV again and again and again until they're dead. Oh, man, it was delicious. Especially when somebody said "I hope you get hit by a car," and then a Ferarri sent one of the racists flying about four hundred feet to his death.
Don't worry. We trounced them, We trounced the shit out of their ugly white asses in the name of tolerance. Redneck, KKK, pieces of shit, every one of them.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Grand Theft Slumber
Too soon for a real post? That lost one didn't count, so shut up.
My first mirror! Yay!
So, apparently, if you're trying to look up information on Macbeth and the Deceptive Appearences Within...googling it is no good. All you get is about 35 pages worth of cheating websites where you can steal essays. I'm not stupid enough to steal an essay off of google. Though, I'm going to enjoy the resulting irony when I use those "purchaseable essays" as sources in my paper. Not stealing, or cheating, but actually researching. I win.
That doesn't matter, though. What matters is that I own Grand Theft Auto IV, and that I traded my precious slumber last night for her wonder...that, and eight cans of Monster. Eight cans of Monster, man. They're totally recking my insides, but I don't particularly care. I got to play GTA IV all night long. It is...so wonderful. And all you naysayers can back the fuck off, what me and GTA share is beautiful.
It deserved that 10/10 score from IGN.com. Honestly, I'm really pleased with the way that the game turned out. The graphics have gotten a huge overhaul, and have actually affected the gameplay in doing so, mostly because of the driving physics. Now, cars actually seem to flip, fly, and react relistically. If they land upside down, they don't just sit there helplessly and slowly catch fire. Driving is more challenging because it simulates actual driving physics based upon what car you're n, how many people are in the car, where they're sitting at in the car, what the weather's like, how fast you're driving, etcetera, etcetera. The list goes on.
But that's just a small bit of why this game is so great. The cutscenes, oh, the cutscenes. The voice acting and lip synching in this game is quite simply the best that I've ever seen. It's not just like watching a movie; it's like playing through 'The Departed'. A super-long special edition version of it. The languages are accurate (which is important because the game is set in a spin-off of New York, full of immigrants), and the accents are heavy and add lots of flavor. This is especially apparent with the Jamaicans...even WITH subtitles on, you need a translator. And they're still technically speaking english.
And don't even get me started on the multiplayer.
16 players. The whole city as your playground. Guns, cops, pedestrians, traffic, all optional. You know where the helicopter is? Go get it, pick up a teammate, and terrorize your enemies. Just watch out for RPGs. Need a quick escape from a human vs. human firefight? Hop on your NRG 600 and blast through and alleyway, dive behind a dumpster, and use cover to your advantage. Bored with all that? Get a city bus and pick up ALL 16 OF THE PLAYERS IN THE GAME and roll through the city like an unstoppable machine gun orgy. It's free mode, baby, there's no worries, no care. At one point the other night, my friend and I raced through the subway tracks on our Harley Davidson ripoffs, going about as fast as possible. I won that race, though, because he happened to be driving on the 'oncoming' side. GodDAMN that was a nasty impact.
And the civillian AI is more than impressive; it's a feat of coding and technology. These robots, no, these PEOPLE, actually have lives. Sure, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but the illusion is very, very impressive. I was driving around the city this morning and saw everything from a horrible car accident with two flipped vehicles, ambulances, and traffic jams, to a guy working on a smoking engine on the side of a downtown street, to a guy taking a piss in the corner of a stairwell in the projects. This city is actually alive. The illusion is complete.
There's so much potential for fun here. Free romp through the city. Play an objective match with your friends. Take turns watching your friends throw themselves off of a construction crane just for shits and grins. Play through one of the most cinematic, well-written, and entertaining story modes of any game I've ever seen. Visit a comedy club and watch Katt Williams perform an original stand-up routine (I SHIT YOU NOT). Pick up a lovely lady of the night. Hang out with your NPC friends. Take your girlfriend out for a night on the town. Sit back and just watch the city do its thing.
Buy this game. Don't miss out on it.
And, hey, I'm not the only one.
My first mirror! Yay!
So, apparently, if you're trying to look up information on Macbeth and the Deceptive Appearences Within...googling it is no good. All you get is about 35 pages worth of cheating websites where you can steal essays. I'm not stupid enough to steal an essay off of google. Though, I'm going to enjoy the resulting irony when I use those "purchaseable essays" as sources in my paper. Not stealing, or cheating, but actually researching. I win.
That doesn't matter, though. What matters is that I own Grand Theft Auto IV, and that I traded my precious slumber last night for her wonder...that, and eight cans of Monster. Eight cans of Monster, man. They're totally recking my insides, but I don't particularly care. I got to play GTA IV all night long. It is...so wonderful. And all you naysayers can back the fuck off, what me and GTA share is beautiful.
It deserved that 10/10 score from IGN.com. Honestly, I'm really pleased with the way that the game turned out. The graphics have gotten a huge overhaul, and have actually affected the gameplay in doing so, mostly because of the driving physics. Now, cars actually seem to flip, fly, and react relistically. If they land upside down, they don't just sit there helplessly and slowly catch fire. Driving is more challenging because it simulates actual driving physics based upon what car you're n, how many people are in the car, where they're sitting at in the car, what the weather's like, how fast you're driving, etcetera, etcetera. The list goes on.
But that's just a small bit of why this game is so great. The cutscenes, oh, the cutscenes. The voice acting and lip synching in this game is quite simply the best that I've ever seen. It's not just like watching a movie; it's like playing through 'The Departed'. A super-long special edition version of it. The languages are accurate (which is important because the game is set in a spin-off of New York, full of immigrants), and the accents are heavy and add lots of flavor. This is especially apparent with the Jamaicans...even WITH subtitles on, you need a translator. And they're still technically speaking english.
And don't even get me started on the multiplayer.
16 players. The whole city as your playground. Guns, cops, pedestrians, traffic, all optional. You know where the helicopter is? Go get it, pick up a teammate, and terrorize your enemies. Just watch out for RPGs. Need a quick escape from a human vs. human firefight? Hop on your NRG 600 and blast through and alleyway, dive behind a dumpster, and use cover to your advantage. Bored with all that? Get a city bus and pick up ALL 16 OF THE PLAYERS IN THE GAME and roll through the city like an unstoppable machine gun orgy. It's free mode, baby, there's no worries, no care. At one point the other night, my friend and I raced through the subway tracks on our Harley Davidson ripoffs, going about as fast as possible. I won that race, though, because he happened to be driving on the 'oncoming' side. GodDAMN that was a nasty impact.
And the civillian AI is more than impressive; it's a feat of coding and technology. These robots, no, these PEOPLE, actually have lives. Sure, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but the illusion is very, very impressive. I was driving around the city this morning and saw everything from a horrible car accident with two flipped vehicles, ambulances, and traffic jams, to a guy working on a smoking engine on the side of a downtown street, to a guy taking a piss in the corner of a stairwell in the projects. This city is actually alive. The illusion is complete.
There's so much potential for fun here. Free romp through the city. Play an objective match with your friends. Take turns watching your friends throw themselves off of a construction crane just for shits and grins. Play through one of the most cinematic, well-written, and entertaining story modes of any game I've ever seen. Visit a comedy club and watch Katt Williams perform an original stand-up routine (I SHIT YOU NOT). Pick up a lovely lady of the night. Hang out with your NPC friends. Take your girlfriend out for a night on the town. Sit back and just watch the city do its thing.
Buy this game. Don't miss out on it.
And, hey, I'm not the only one.
Achievement Unlocked: F1RST P0ST!
Blogspot and such. Right. Cool beans, man.
So, now I actually have to blog. Ignore the awkward 'what-the-hell-do-I-talk-aboutiness' that inevitably occurs whenever I'm trying to make a good first impression on the internet.
Perhaps I'll start mirroring things now. That's always looked fun. Mirroring things.
Right!
Alright, a little less awkward now...I've never been good about keeping blogs constant, because I've never liked typing about myself except in short, concentrated bursts, that only occur every week or two. Hence my deviantART longevity; that site has more focus on forums, art, and community than it does blogs, so keeping my journal up-to-date could take a back seat to interacting with deviants.
What will THIS blog likely contain? Anecdotes about my exciting life (which IS rather interesting, fortunately enough), video game/television/book reviews, short stories, political commentary, sexual propositions (or do I mean pro-positions...? You'll NEVER know), ambiguous grammar corrections, the occasional useless complaint, and links, photos, and conceptual gadgets out the ass and/or wazoo.
Until I decide to bless you with my presence once more, this'll have to do. Toodloo, kiddies.
(As a side note, it should be made known that I consider all person or persons that read any of my blogs as kids, kiddies, kiddos, children, or otherwise infantile in presentaion. It's nothing personal.)
So, now I actually have to blog. Ignore the awkward 'what-the-hell-do-I-talk-aboutiness' that inevitably occurs whenever I'm trying to make a good first impression on the internet.
Perhaps I'll start mirroring things now. That's always looked fun. Mirroring things.
Right!
Alright, a little less awkward now...I've never been good about keeping blogs constant, because I've never liked typing about myself except in short, concentrated bursts, that only occur every week or two. Hence my deviantART longevity; that site has more focus on forums, art, and community than it does blogs, so keeping my journal up-to-date could take a back seat to interacting with deviants.
What will THIS blog likely contain? Anecdotes about my exciting life (which IS rather interesting, fortunately enough), video game/television/book reviews, short stories, political commentary, sexual propositions (or do I mean pro-positions...? You'll NEVER know), ambiguous grammar corrections, the occasional useless complaint, and links, photos, and conceptual gadgets out the ass and/or wazoo.
Until I decide to bless you with my presence once more, this'll have to do. Toodloo, kiddies.
(As a side note, it should be made known that I consider all person or persons that read any of my blogs as kids, kiddies, kiddos, children, or otherwise infantile in presentaion. It's nothing personal.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
