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Interesting Quote
Jan. 24th, 2007 08:03 amI had a dream this morning just before the alarm woke me up, and it had this quote in it. It was attributed to Einstein in the dream, but I don't recall ever hearing it before.
"The problem isn't coming up with new ideas, it's determining that it's new, then expressing it"
"The problem isn't coming up with new ideas, it's determining that it's new, then expressing it"
(no subject)
Jan. 23rd, 2007 03:51 pmMy iPod has a dirty mind.
"Duck Job" followed by "Monica's Mouth" on shuffle.
"Duck Job" followed by "Monica's Mouth" on shuffle.
Game Review - Touch Detective
Dec. 20th, 2006 09:24 pmTitle: Touch Detective
Genre: Adventure
Platform: Nintendo DS
Complete: Yes
Price Paid: $29.99
Would Pay: $9.99
Another, very conventional, point and click adventure for the DS. Unfortunately, it took mainly the bad conventions of the adventure genre. It wasn't horrible like others I could name, but there wasn't anything for someone that isn't enamored of adventures. The interface takes advantage of the DS, but not to the gimmicky degree that Trace Memory. Many puzzles were solved by "hey, I haven't used this item in my inventory yet, and here's a new situation", and some events were triggered by arbitrary conversations with characters, and there were some pixel hunts as well. Cliched, overdone problems with adventure games, but not done quite enough to make it a horrible game. Not good for those being introduced to the genre, but at least something to try for periods of time without needing to be coordinated. The graphics are apparently hand drawn, and quite pretty for a handheld. The touch screen is perfect for the game play, but the upper screen is underutilized, just indicating the characters moods.
Please, please, please, Lucas Arts, release Day of the Tentacle and Fates of Atlantis for the DS. This handheld is just screaming for a good point and click.
Genre: Adventure
Platform: Nintendo DS
Complete: Yes
Price Paid: $29.99
Would Pay: $9.99
Another, very conventional, point and click adventure for the DS. Unfortunately, it took mainly the bad conventions of the adventure genre. It wasn't horrible like others I could name, but there wasn't anything for someone that isn't enamored of adventures. The interface takes advantage of the DS, but not to the gimmicky degree that Trace Memory. Many puzzles were solved by "hey, I haven't used this item in my inventory yet, and here's a new situation", and some events were triggered by arbitrary conversations with characters, and there were some pixel hunts as well. Cliched, overdone problems with adventure games, but not done quite enough to make it a horrible game. Not good for those being introduced to the genre, but at least something to try for periods of time without needing to be coordinated. The graphics are apparently hand drawn, and quite pretty for a handheld. The touch screen is perfect for the game play, but the upper screen is underutilized, just indicating the characters moods.
Please, please, please, Lucas Arts, release Day of the Tentacle and Fates of Atlantis for the DS. This handheld is just screaming for a good point and click.
Another day in the life of a Sony exec
Dec. 19th, 2006 09:04 amOpen mouth, insert foot, shoot foot with tactical nuke.
Phil Harrison on the PS3: "Nobody will ever use 100 percent of its capability."
Gee Phil, then I'll never need to buy a PS4, nor should I have to pay 100% for the current one if I can't use it all.
Phil Harrison on the PS3: "Nobody will ever use 100 percent of its capability."
Gee Phil, then I'll never need to buy a PS4, nor should I have to pay 100% for the current one if I can't use it all.
Fancy That
Dec. 18th, 2006 08:17 amOur HOA wants to double our dues and put in a pool. There was a message in the message board on MSN (blech) saying that the silent majority really wanted this pool. Being one of those "silent" majority, simply because the meetings are impossible for me to make, I responded. That response was the first negative thing I've seen about the pool.
Let me rephrase, that I haven't seen. It didn't make it past the moderator. Things that make you go hmmm....
Update: It *finally* got posted. Originally posted: 8:36 PM Saturday, showed up 2:30 PM Tuesday. I thought the point of boards was speedy communications. That's the only message on the board since the one I replied to, so it's not like the moderator was swamped.
Let me rephrase, that I haven't seen. It didn't make it past the moderator. Things that make you go hmmm....
Update: It *finally* got posted. Originally posted: 8:36 PM Saturday, showed up 2:30 PM Tuesday. I thought the point of boards was speedy communications. That's the only message on the board since the one I replied to, so it's not like the moderator was swamped.
Courtesy of ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
silar31
silar31Crackpot - INTJ 13% Extraversion, 60% Intuition, 86% Thinking, 53% Judging |
People hate you.
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My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
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| Link: The Brutally Honest Personality Test written by UltimateMaster on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test |
Game Review - Okami
Nov. 18th, 2006 09:35 pmTitle: Okami
Platform: PS2
Genre: Action/Adventure
Complete: Yes
Price Paid: $39.99
Would Pay: $39.99
Okami is one of those games that have been getting attention from the gaming press for quite a while. Some of those are bad (Daikatana), some of those don't exist (DNF), and some live up to the hype. Okami is definitely one of the latter. It's style is different from any other game out there, as is it's mythos. It is Japanese art and legend come to life. The entire game is done in the style of japanese paintings, and you have the power to draw on these paintings to influence your surroundings. The first few hours of play made me slightly queasy, paintings just aren't supposed to move.
Game play, summed up in one word, is Zelda. You control the sun god in wolf form, trying to defeat the demon that originally killed you. Experience is seldom gained by defeating monsters, but by restoring the environment to an uncursed state and feeding animals. Killing monsters gets you money, both in the form of yen, and if done correctly, demon fangs. A large portion of the game is exploring and backtracking to open up areas as you gain new powers. This game is a definite contender for "Game of the Year", and would probably get it if it didn't have to compete with Twilight Princess and FFXII. The plot pacing brings you up and knocks you down, asjenbooks can testify to. Final boss already? Whoops, nope. Here we go, *now* it's the final boss. Whoops, nope, repeat a few more times. Although when I finally did get to the real final boss, the battle was epic, taking me a good hour to finish.
The game is not perfect, and would've been better if they left a few things out. They took a little too much from Zelda, and there's a Navi clone. He's not as insistent as Navi, but he's a crude bastard. You meet him as he comes out of a tree sprite's dress, and he makes rude comments to the various women in the game, such as telling one that he "doesn't like seeing her and her two friends" cry, when there's no one beside her in the room. And even Amaterasu, the main character you play, isn't free from some of the crudeness. Some abilities you can buy are "Golden Rage" and "Brown Fury" - you play a canine, so the exact implementation of those abilities is left as an exercise to the reader. I really don't need all this juvenile humor in a game like Okami. It would've been better left out, such juvenile things do not belong here.
Platform: PS2
Genre: Action/Adventure
Complete: Yes
Price Paid: $39.99
Would Pay: $39.99
Okami is one of those games that have been getting attention from the gaming press for quite a while. Some of those are bad (Daikatana), some of those don't exist (DNF), and some live up to the hype. Okami is definitely one of the latter. It's style is different from any other game out there, as is it's mythos. It is Japanese art and legend come to life. The entire game is done in the style of japanese paintings, and you have the power to draw on these paintings to influence your surroundings. The first few hours of play made me slightly queasy, paintings just aren't supposed to move.
Game play, summed up in one word, is Zelda. You control the sun god in wolf form, trying to defeat the demon that originally killed you. Experience is seldom gained by defeating monsters, but by restoring the environment to an uncursed state and feeding animals. Killing monsters gets you money, both in the form of yen, and if done correctly, demon fangs. A large portion of the game is exploring and backtracking to open up areas as you gain new powers. This game is a definite contender for "Game of the Year", and would probably get it if it didn't have to compete with Twilight Princess and FFXII. The plot pacing brings you up and knocks you down, as
jenbooks can testify to. Final boss already? Whoops, nope. Here we go, *now* it's the final boss. Whoops, nope, repeat a few more times. Although when I finally did get to the real final boss, the battle was epic, taking me a good hour to finish.The game is not perfect, and would've been better if they left a few things out. They took a little too much from Zelda, and there's a Navi clone. He's not as insistent as Navi, but he's a crude bastard. You meet him as he comes out of a tree sprite's dress, and he makes rude comments to the various women in the game, such as telling one that he "doesn't like seeing her and her two friends" cry, when there's no one beside her in the room. And even Amaterasu, the main character you play, isn't free from some of the crudeness. Some abilities you can buy are "Golden Rage" and "Brown Fury" - you play a canine, so the exact implementation of those abilities is left as an exercise to the reader. I really don't need all this juvenile humor in a game like Okami. It would've been better left out, such juvenile things do not belong here.
Third Response
Oct. 24th, 2006 11:15 amLooks like was too good to be true
And my response (referring back to her first response as well)
I have spoken to the person who replied to your friend. I must have read your email a bit too quickly, because I thought the email came from you rather than your friend. According to our operations manager, your friend's email was filled with foul language and verbal abuse.
I have to stand behind our operations manager. We are not required to endure such abuse in exchange for votes. We won't say anything to make you happy and then turn around and ignore you like other political candidates. I assure you that Kinky is the only candidate in this race who may actually bring something new, honest and refreshing to the table. Something that's sorely lacking.
Thank you,
Laura
Laura Stromberg
Press Secretary
Kinky Friedman for Governor 2006
laura@kinkyfriedman.com
512.326.5465 office
512.689.7393 mobile
512.326.5116 fax
www.kinkyfriedman.com
And my response (referring back to her first response as well)
Yes, the original e-mail was filled with foul language, I agree with you
on that. The proper response in that case, would simply have been
deletion. It's far simpler (and less likely to rebound) to simply click
delete, especially if Mr. Jordan is as busy as he claims.
Ms Stomberg, I have a question for you. Inconvenient truths are often
couched in rude and profane language. You don't know someone, say
within the past 10 years, who has done the same, made a career out of
it and is using the experience and notoriety to, oh, hypothetically,
run for governor?
And through all this, I notice that the original concern still remains
unadressed. How is it fair to put more on a group that is already
overburdened with more than it's fair share of costs? How is it
Constitutional, providing Equal Protection? How does it not violate
Federal laws banning discrimination on family status? So far all I see
is a candidate that parades "For the Children" as a banner, slams a
group that is usually politically easy to slam, and doesn't give a
second thought to the Constitutionality or fairness of proposals.
Sounds like the average politican to me, just one with a more colorful
background.
Second Response
Oct. 24th, 2006 10:26 amQuite a bit difference in tone from the first one
Can you tell me who sent you that email, or what email address the reply came from?
I am shocked and appalled. We owe you an apology. I'd just like to find out exactly who that apology needs to come from.
My deepest regrets. I can tell you, having known Kinky for 10 years and having worked with him on this campaign since Feb. 2005, that he would find that kind of response unacceptable.
Thank you,
Laura
Laura Stromberg
Press Secretary
Kinky Friedman for Governor 2006
laura@kinkyfriedman.com
512.326.5465 office
512.689.7393 mobile
512.326.5116 fax
www.kinkyfriedman.com
And the first (non-automated) response
Oct. 24th, 2006 08:00 amThe first response to my e-mail:
If you think we are required to endure verbal abuse in exchange for your votes, you have obviously confused us with our cowardly, say-anything-to-make-you-happy-then-turn-around-and-ignore-you counterparts in the political parties.
Reasonable people may disagree. Unreasonable people may writre me with scatological language. I may respond in kind. I may not. I'm very busy.
Publish whatever you want.
Unafraid, and unimpressed with the correspondent who wrote me in the first instance, I remain, sincerely and unapologetically yours,
John
John Jordan
Field /Operations
Kinky Friedman for Governor Campaign
701 E Ben White Blvd
Austin TX 78704-7400
512 326 5465 x 214
john@kinkyfriedman.com
Two words, two votes
Oct. 24th, 2006 12:08 amI wrote up that e-mail I promised. It was sent to various addresses at his domain, and it was also sent to most of the places he will be interviewing tomorrow. I wanted them on the CC list, but it was all webforms, dammit.
Feel free to post this elsewhere.
Edit: formatting changes
Feel free to post this elsewhere.
Mr Friedman,
A friend of mine recently wrote to you with their concerns on your health care proposal. Now, this e-mail was not worded particularly politely, nor was it from a resident of Texas. A proper response would've addressed how your proposal was fair to those without children, or how it did not violate the Equal Protection clause of the Constitution, or how it did not violate the various Federal laws prohibiting discrimination based on familial status, all of which have been concerns of mine and would be addressed in any sane governmental policy. Or, considering the lack of standing of the author in the Texas elections, the e-mail would've been completely ignored. Sad to say, neither of these possibilities was what happened. Curse my expectation of simple civility and decorum, but the response was short and simple, consisting of two words - "fuck off". Those two words, that have, at a minimum, cost you the votes of me and my wife.
We are childless, and we vote. We are sick and tired of being a piggy bank, abused with out so much as a heartfelt "thank you". Enough is enough. I was willing to overlook my misgivings on your proposal since I am so much in alignment with other portions of your platform. Well, those two words so simply tossed out by your staff have brought those misgivings to the forefront, and have swung our vote away from you. In case you doubt our original willingness to vote for you, please feel free to check the signatures gathered at the <petition signing location> You will find both my name, and my wife's name there. What we so proudly signed at the time is now something we regret.
Please think over any hasty responses, as this missive, and all replies will be publicly posted on the internet. Welcome to the information age.
Austin, Texas
Edit: formatting changes
So much for Kinky
Oct. 23rd, 2006 09:40 pmMy wife and I are both childfree, meaning we don't have children, nor do we want them. Kinky Friedman's suggested health care reforms had me worried. People without children, quite frankly, got screwed. We were supposed to bear the brunt of the cost and get the least benefits. This bothered me, some, but I was willing to overlook it considering I agreed with him on most other things.
As of today, it is a flaw I can no longer overlook. A friend of mine sent an e-mail to him over this health policy. Now, it was from out of state, and, how shall we say, not very politely worded.
An appropriate response would've been explaining how his policy was fair, or how it is Constitutional, or how it doesn't violate any of the Federal laws banning discrimination based on family status. Or, considering the tone and the fact that it was from out of state, no response at all.
But no, the response didn't fall into any of those. It was a very short, very succinct e-mail, consisting of two words. "fuck off". Sorry, that is not a responsible answer, and shows an even greater disrespect for my demographic than I imagined. Kinky just waved goodbye to my vote.
( Full response e-mail below cut )
As of today, it is a flaw I can no longer overlook. A friend of mine sent an e-mail to him over this health policy. Now, it was from out of state, and, how shall we say, not very politely worded.
An appropriate response would've been explaining how his policy was fair, or how it is Constitutional, or how it doesn't violate any of the Federal laws banning discrimination based on family status. Or, considering the tone and the fact that it was from out of state, no response at all.
But no, the response didn't fall into any of those. It was a very short, very succinct e-mail, consisting of two words. "fuck off". Sorry, that is not a responsible answer, and shows an even greater disrespect for my demographic than I imagined. Kinky just waved goodbye to my vote.
( Full response e-mail below cut )
We've always been at war with EastAsia
Oct. 23rd, 2006 09:27 amBut we will stay the course. We will do what is right. GWB, 4/5/2004
we must stay the course, because the end result is in our nation's interest. GWB, 4/13/2004
And that's why we're going to stay the course in Iraq GWB 4/16/2004
We will stay the course until the job is done GWB, 12/15/2003
We will stay the course, we will complete the job in Iraq. GWB, 8/4/2005
We will stay the course, we will help this young Iraqi democracy GWB, 8/30/2006
we’ve never been “stay the course,” GWB, 10/22/2006
(via fark)
we must stay the course, because the end result is in our nation's interest. GWB, 4/13/2004
And that's why we're going to stay the course in Iraq GWB 4/16/2004
We will stay the course until the job is done GWB, 12/15/2003
We will stay the course, we will complete the job in Iraq. GWB, 8/4/2005
We will stay the course, we will help this young Iraqi democracy GWB, 8/30/2006
we’ve never been “stay the course,” GWB, 10/22/2006
(via fark)
For the macheads
Oct. 19th, 2006 08:24 pmThis probably only applies to developers, but just a heads up in case you see any weird app problems that you can't explain in 10.4.8
signals (specifically, at least SIGABRT) are not handled properly in any thread other than the primary thread of a process. It doesn't dump core on PPC, and the core generated on intel is not readable by the debugger.
signals (specifically, at least SIGABRT) are not handled properly in any thread other than the primary thread of a process. It doesn't dump core on PPC, and the core generated on intel is not readable by the debugger.
Review - Defiance
Oct. 7th, 2006 10:50 pmTitle: Legacy of Kain: Defiance
Genre: Third Person Action Adventure
Platform: XBox
Complete: Yes
Price Paid: $12.99 - 10% (used)
Would Pay: $29.99
This is Soul Reaver 3, except you get to play as both Kain and Raziel and see the storyline from each of their views. This is much closer to Soul Reaver than Soul Reaver 2. I just wish it was a little closer. The Elemental Temples were a shadow of their former selves, although getting to the Water Temple felt almost exactly like puzzles from Soul Reaver 1. It's a shame that more of the game wasn't like this.
The Kain portions were fairly linear feeling, but still fun. You could easily tell where you were going to be as Raziel, as Kain couldn't open Elemental doors and you could often catch a glimpse of one. Some of this overlap was done rather sloppily however. The events of Kain and Raziel were 500 years apart, but sometimes the later time would be cleaner and have less damage than the earlier time even though the area was abandoned for that whole time.
The voice acting and story of the Kain series (Blood Omen and Soul Reaver) are both excellent, although with all the time travel it's hard to know what's going on and who's the good guy and who's the bad guy, although that is part of the charm. The series has kept it's voice actors (RIP Tony Jay, you'll be missed) throughout, making it easy to get into one after playing the others. Although whatever you do, don't play soon after eating. The graphical effects of the underworld can make your stomach do flips.
Genre: Third Person Action Adventure
Platform: XBox
Complete: Yes
Price Paid: $12.99 - 10% (used)
Would Pay: $29.99
This is Soul Reaver 3, except you get to play as both Kain and Raziel and see the storyline from each of their views. This is much closer to Soul Reaver than Soul Reaver 2. I just wish it was a little closer. The Elemental Temples were a shadow of their former selves, although getting to the Water Temple felt almost exactly like puzzles from Soul Reaver 1. It's a shame that more of the game wasn't like this.
The Kain portions were fairly linear feeling, but still fun. You could easily tell where you were going to be as Raziel, as Kain couldn't open Elemental doors and you could often catch a glimpse of one. Some of this overlap was done rather sloppily however. The events of Kain and Raziel were 500 years apart, but sometimes the later time would be cleaner and have less damage than the earlier time even though the area was abandoned for that whole time.
The voice acting and story of the Kain series (Blood Omen and Soul Reaver) are both excellent, although with all the time travel it's hard to know what's going on and who's the good guy and who's the bad guy, although that is part of the charm. The series has kept it's voice actors (RIP Tony Jay, you'll be missed) throughout, making it easy to get into one after playing the others. Although whatever you do, don't play soon after eating. The graphical effects of the underworld can make your stomach do flips.
