“With coupons unavailable, support and education insufficient, and the most vulnerable Americans exposed, I urge you to consider a change to the legislatively mandated analog cutoff date,”
That's right folks, the most vulnerable Americans are exposed to not having TV! What is this world coming to when American's who apparently lack education (no not in general) to the analog television cutoff date won't have any TV to watch. Even though I'm subjected to these warnings on my already digital stations countless times somehow there are some people who still don't know you might need a converter box.
You know when they'll find out? When their TV stops working! Then they'll go to the local Walmart or Radio Shack, talk to some fine store associate, and learn that they can either buy a new TV or a converter box, their choice! Nobody is dying because they don't have TV so I don't think Obama and Congress need to wring their hands and worry about the helpless stupid Americans who can't watch their talkies.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Keepon Beatbot
What seems like decades ago in internet time a video went viral showing a cute dancing robot essentially composed of two yellow foam balls. The back story was that it moved to the beat of music, as displayed on the video it was dancing to. It was also explained that this robot was designed as a research project for kids, yadda, yadda, yadda.
So that was back around August 15th, 2007. Where's the commercial version of this dancing robot? It's pretty much the exact thing we need robots for in this world. It pointlessly entertains us and seemingly can't harm us in any way. WoWee can make 500 different iterations of the RoboSapian but not one of them can dance to music in an entertaining fashion, yet these two yellow balls make it look fun. And yet it's still not yet made and affixed to an ipod dock and dancing to the beats in my office. What is wrong with this world? If I needed to freeze myself and rethaw in the future, how many years forward should I set the clock to ensure that there's a good dancing robot of some sort for my entertainment? Please use the comment section to assist me in making my decision.
So that was back around August 15th, 2007. Where's the commercial version of this dancing robot? It's pretty much the exact thing we need robots for in this world. It pointlessly entertains us and seemingly can't harm us in any way. WoWee can make 500 different iterations of the RoboSapian but not one of them can dance to music in an entertaining fashion, yet these two yellow balls make it look fun. And yet it's still not yet made and affixed to an ipod dock and dancing to the beats in my office. What is wrong with this world? If I needed to freeze myself and rethaw in the future, how many years forward should I set the clock to ensure that there's a good dancing robot of some sort for my entertainment? Please use the comment section to assist me in making my decision.
Careful what you say
E***: we may have to join the pacific northwest masses and buy a subaru at some point. ugh
me: those are some fugly cars...
E***: they're fugly, but they're capable
me: if you were saying that about a prostitute would that make it OK?
E***: yes
me: those are some fugly cars...
E***: they're fugly, but they're capable
me: if you were saying that about a prostitute would that make it OK?
E***: yes
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Cats don't get Technology, need Encouragement
This saturday our cats were given a late Christmas gift. The gift was actually technically for me but it's something I've wanted for the cats for a while. An automatic cat box!
It's not hard to imagine how things things work. The mechanics are only a step above what I could make with my Lego Mindstorm set. A sensor is activated by a cat presence within the box, a motor turns on 15 minutes after the area is clear, pushing a rake across the sand and flipping up any waste into a basket held above the rake.
When the device is first plugged in it comes to life for an initial test run, and this is the point where I knew there could be problems. Both cats came running over to stare as the motor made a loud whirring sound and it began its slow crawl over an initially empty plastic box. Then the rake, which could just as easily have been a long row of teeth swung up from the box and a plastic lid flipped open. Then the teeth came down, the lid (aka cat digestion box) flapped shut, and the monster made its slow crawl back to the starting position.
It didn't matter that later the box was filled with the same cat little the cats have used most of their lives. That could just be a trap, the light hanging from the end of an angler fish, just waiting for them to step inside. I moved the box so that it was in the same place as one of their old boxes, so they'd get the picture. When you first turn it on it lurches into action and they both ran over and just watched. When it was done moving one brave cat poked around it just long enough to start another cycle. 15 minutes of peace later and it was back in action, and both cats ran over to watch again. I had to go to work but for all I know this could have gone on all day.
I saw paw prints in the sand on day 2 but I guess they weren't ready yet and had decided to just pass on through. Three days into this little experiment I was starting to dread that my cats were indeed technophobes. We had let their other two boxes go uncleaned so that they may be encouraged to use the brand new clean litter, yet still they were hesitant. I resorted to drastic measures, removed one of the old fashioned cat boxes and took a clump from one box and placed it into the automatic cat box. Two hours later I get a call that some brave cat soul risked life and limb to use the new box. Hopefully this is the beginning of the end of manual cat box scooping as we know it!
It's not hard to imagine how things things work. The mechanics are only a step above what I could make with my Lego Mindstorm set. A sensor is activated by a cat presence within the box, a motor turns on 15 minutes after the area is clear, pushing a rake across the sand and flipping up any waste into a basket held above the rake.
When the device is first plugged in it comes to life for an initial test run, and this is the point where I knew there could be problems. Both cats came running over to stare as the motor made a loud whirring sound and it began its slow crawl over an initially empty plastic box. Then the rake, which could just as easily have been a long row of teeth swung up from the box and a plastic lid flipped open. Then the teeth came down, the lid (aka cat digestion box) flapped shut, and the monster made its slow crawl back to the starting position.
It didn't matter that later the box was filled with the same cat little the cats have used most of their lives. That could just be a trap, the light hanging from the end of an angler fish, just waiting for them to step inside. I moved the box so that it was in the same place as one of their old boxes, so they'd get the picture. When you first turn it on it lurches into action and they both ran over and just watched. When it was done moving one brave cat poked around it just long enough to start another cycle. 15 minutes of peace later and it was back in action, and both cats ran over to watch again. I had to go to work but for all I know this could have gone on all day.
I saw paw prints in the sand on day 2 but I guess they weren't ready yet and had decided to just pass on through. Three days into this little experiment I was starting to dread that my cats were indeed technophobes. We had let their other two boxes go uncleaned so that they may be encouraged to use the brand new clean litter, yet still they were hesitant. I resorted to drastic measures, removed one of the old fashioned cat boxes and took a clump from one box and placed it into the automatic cat box. Two hours later I get a call that some brave cat soul risked life and limb to use the new box. Hopefully this is the beginning of the end of manual cat box scooping as we know it!
Monday, January 05, 2009
Advertising Fail
Online ads are stupid in general because computers put them together and sometimes computer are a little too logical. My UPS/Turban story was one example, but here's one that's a bit stupider (pun intended)...
So yeah, I got this advertisement when on ESPN.com and no, it doesn't make any sense but I suppose they don't care as long as someone clicks on it. Now why anyone would anyone click on it is anybody's guess.
So yeah, I got this advertisement when on ESPN.com and no, it doesn't make any sense but I suppose they don't care as long as someone clicks on it. Now why anyone would anyone click on it is anybody's guess.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Review
First, I would like to point out some observations. The metacritic score for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was a rather dismal 73, dismal given the relatively high production value, technology, and effort that appears to have gone into this game. Curious about this, I read several of the reviews that were on the low end and have formed an opinion about those reviewers as well. My second observation is that while the game did get mentioned in Time's rather laughable "Best Games of 2008" list, it didn't make the cut on a more dedicated site like Joystiq. What surprised me more is that it did not get mentioned by any reviewers as either "Best of the Rest" or "Biggest Disappointment"... It would seem to me that this game deserved some sort of recognition no matter where you fell on the fence about the gameplay.
The easy part to critique is the story. Most agree that it was well done, fit into the Star Wars universe nicely between III and IV, and actually added something to the story, making it a worthwhile prequel. Since the story covered a very limited timeline, it did not do much to expand on characters, but it did provide an insight into some of the settings in Star Wars that I thought was nice, and I'm not even a Star Wars fan. This alone made it worth playing through in my opinion, as the settings were all well done, unique, and interactive.
The star of the show, as evidenced from the title, is the Force. Many reviewers complained that they didn't get enough diversity of force powers, although I think this game included all of the known powers and actually did add a few (in comparison to Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic there were definitely new powers). I find it difficult to find fault when a designer is relatively restricted by an established IP. Furthermore, there was unlocking of powers throughout the first play through, so I felt a natural progression, even if I tended to use some of the original powers more than the unlocked ones. Another complaint was the targeting system, and my only reasonable guess is that this was fixed in a patch because I never found it difficult to target enemies that I wanted to attack.
For me, the question was whether I felt like I was controlling a person very strong in the force, and one powered up force push alone gave that impression. As I fought the miscellaneous enemy here or there I would occasionally fling them into the air as if they weren't even worth my time to bother fighting. If I had to complain about the force powers, my complaint would lie in how they were controlled via the controller because I think that the designers could have designed the force lift/throw mechanic better. In the game once you lift an object/person with right trigger you control the throwing of that person either up or down with the right thumbstick or left/right/forward/back with the left thumbstick. The reason I tended to throw characters up into the air is that I would naturally pick them up with the right thumbstick and use the same thumbstick to attempt to fling them forward but instead they would fly up and to their deaths. While flinging them up was entertaining at times, it was an unintended consequence. Alternatively they could be flung forward on release of the trigger with no coaxing on the left thumbstick and that also would have felt natural. Using both did not feel natural.
What felt the most unique throughout the game was the environment. While many aspects were clearly in place purely to provide a demo for the "Digital Molecular Matter" technology by Pixelux Entertainment, it was all done very well. To put it simply, they modeled glass, plants, wood, and metal to all act appropriately when interacted with by the force. In an early stage of the game you come across a giant wooden door that also has a steel frame. As you use force push to knock it down you cannot help but feel impressed as the wood shatters and flew away while the metal deformed in exactly the shape you would envision if a huge gust of force blew through it. Throughout the game there are metal doors that must be pushed through and the deformation is always slightly different which adds to the realism. Plants act rubbery, glass shatters, but only falls where force is applied. It all felt right. What really showed this all off were settings that included these elements but in a normal fighting scene, where glass would shatter and fly around purely because you were using the force powers on enemies you fought. In a world of plants, they even showed off a combination of elements, with plants that would respond with a rubbery reaction, but pulled too far and they would break off like a rubber band snapping. New technology that is put to work and not just a gimmick definitely warrants some praise.
Boss battles are the area that I was most critical of, but not for the reason several reviewers pointed out. I do not mind dying on a boss battle in medium difficulty. I think I would find a game too easy if I played through and beat every boss on the first effort so I was surprised that some reviewers faulted having to replay a boss 5 times. What's more, the game actually saved some progress made for bosses automatically to reduce the amount of replay required. I did find that repeating one technique of using lightening then attacking with the lightning light saber combo seemed to get me through most battles, but they were still challenging and I found them consistent. My biggest complaint was that just at the finale of the fight, a script kicks in to show you defeating the boss, but the player is required to push buttons corresponding to the characters actions. This resulted in me not fully enjoying the final moments of the battle because I had to focus on the button pressing or else the sequence might have to be restarted. I found this to be a very poorly designed flaw in a game that is suppose to focus your attention on seeing the devastating power of your force.
Everything else worked so I would say that it was a good game. Whatever score you want to attach to that recommendation is your business but I think that it was worth playing, not frustrating, and a very unique experience.
The easy part to critique is the story. Most agree that it was well done, fit into the Star Wars universe nicely between III and IV, and actually added something to the story, making it a worthwhile prequel. Since the story covered a very limited timeline, it did not do much to expand on characters, but it did provide an insight into some of the settings in Star Wars that I thought was nice, and I'm not even a Star Wars fan. This alone made it worth playing through in my opinion, as the settings were all well done, unique, and interactive.
The star of the show, as evidenced from the title, is the Force. Many reviewers complained that they didn't get enough diversity of force powers, although I think this game included all of the known powers and actually did add a few (in comparison to Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic there were definitely new powers). I find it difficult to find fault when a designer is relatively restricted by an established IP. Furthermore, there was unlocking of powers throughout the first play through, so I felt a natural progression, even if I tended to use some of the original powers more than the unlocked ones. Another complaint was the targeting system, and my only reasonable guess is that this was fixed in a patch because I never found it difficult to target enemies that I wanted to attack.
For me, the question was whether I felt like I was controlling a person very strong in the force, and one powered up force push alone gave that impression. As I fought the miscellaneous enemy here or there I would occasionally fling them into the air as if they weren't even worth my time to bother fighting. If I had to complain about the force powers, my complaint would lie in how they were controlled via the controller because I think that the designers could have designed the force lift/throw mechanic better. In the game once you lift an object/person with right trigger you control the throwing of that person either up or down with the right thumbstick or left/right/forward/back with the left thumbstick. The reason I tended to throw characters up into the air is that I would naturally pick them up with the right thumbstick and use the same thumbstick to attempt to fling them forward but instead they would fly up and to their deaths. While flinging them up was entertaining at times, it was an unintended consequence. Alternatively they could be flung forward on release of the trigger with no coaxing on the left thumbstick and that also would have felt natural. Using both did not feel natural.
What felt the most unique throughout the game was the environment. While many aspects were clearly in place purely to provide a demo for the "Digital Molecular Matter" technology by Pixelux Entertainment, it was all done very well. To put it simply, they modeled glass, plants, wood, and metal to all act appropriately when interacted with by the force. In an early stage of the game you come across a giant wooden door that also has a steel frame. As you use force push to knock it down you cannot help but feel impressed as the wood shatters and flew away while the metal deformed in exactly the shape you would envision if a huge gust of force blew through it. Throughout the game there are metal doors that must be pushed through and the deformation is always slightly different which adds to the realism. Plants act rubbery, glass shatters, but only falls where force is applied. It all felt right. What really showed this all off were settings that included these elements but in a normal fighting scene, where glass would shatter and fly around purely because you were using the force powers on enemies you fought. In a world of plants, they even showed off a combination of elements, with plants that would respond with a rubbery reaction, but pulled too far and they would break off like a rubber band snapping. New technology that is put to work and not just a gimmick definitely warrants some praise.
Boss battles are the area that I was most critical of, but not for the reason several reviewers pointed out. I do not mind dying on a boss battle in medium difficulty. I think I would find a game too easy if I played through and beat every boss on the first effort so I was surprised that some reviewers faulted having to replay a boss 5 times. What's more, the game actually saved some progress made for bosses automatically to reduce the amount of replay required. I did find that repeating one technique of using lightening then attacking with the lightning light saber combo seemed to get me through most battles, but they were still challenging and I found them consistent. My biggest complaint was that just at the finale of the fight, a script kicks in to show you defeating the boss, but the player is required to push buttons corresponding to the characters actions. This resulted in me not fully enjoying the final moments of the battle because I had to focus on the button pressing or else the sequence might have to be restarted. I found this to be a very poorly designed flaw in a game that is suppose to focus your attention on seeing the devastating power of your force.
Everything else worked so I would say that it was a good game. Whatever score you want to attach to that recommendation is your business but I think that it was worth playing, not frustrating, and a very unique experience.
No Blank Check?
I'm sure that many people are upset by the economy and the actions that our government is taking, supposedly to fix the problem. I'm just wondering where politicians get off being so hypocritical and yet manage to be re-elected year after year. Here's some faults on both sides to start the new year:
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said Sunday "We want to make sure it's not just a trillion-dollar spending bill, but something that actually can reach the goal that he (Obama) has suggested"...
After giving a blank check to Paulson that has not done anything to help the problems he identified, maybe you could chalk this response up to the "fool me once" knee-jerk response. But really, if anyone should get a blank check to experiment with government spending I would lean towards the president in a brand new administration to get that blank check. We've thrown enough money at unpopular wars, bailing out banks, etc. that this is just a drop in the bucket.
Now for my complaint about Obama's plan, he's essentially rehashing a Bush refund with a slight spin on delivery:
Obama would offer a tax cut equal to $500 a year for individuals and $1,000 for couples. The credit would work essentially as a payroll tax credit, meaning the money could be delivered fairly quickly. Companies could simply reduce the tax they withhold from employees' paychecks.
Since it was evident that people were happy to stick the government checks that the Bush administration sent out, Obama is trying to sneak it in to our wallets, but one still has to ask how much this will really benefit our situation. The unemployed certainly won't enjoy a payroll tax cut. The rest of the populous will hopefully save the money, and we're left with the government holding less money and everyone in the same situation they were already in. I prefer the rest of the plan which suggests spending on infrastructure, but I think even more emphasis should be made on green projects that will have a longer lasting beneficial impact. The problem, as most have suggested, is that creating 3 million jobs repaving roads and installing solar panels is not going to do much for the unemployment problem, because these people are being laid off from tech and manufacturing jobs, not building/roadwork. Only time will tell how this all plays out, but these are some pretty ugly times.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said Sunday "We want to make sure it's not just a trillion-dollar spending bill, but something that actually can reach the goal that he (Obama) has suggested"...
After giving a blank check to Paulson that has not done anything to help the problems he identified, maybe you could chalk this response up to the "fool me once" knee-jerk response. But really, if anyone should get a blank check to experiment with government spending I would lean towards the president in a brand new administration to get that blank check. We've thrown enough money at unpopular wars, bailing out banks, etc. that this is just a drop in the bucket.
Now for my complaint about Obama's plan, he's essentially rehashing a Bush refund with a slight spin on delivery:
Obama would offer a tax cut equal to $500 a year for individuals and $1,000 for couples. The credit would work essentially as a payroll tax credit, meaning the money could be delivered fairly quickly. Companies could simply reduce the tax they withhold from employees' paychecks.
Since it was evident that people were happy to stick the government checks that the Bush administration sent out, Obama is trying to sneak it in to our wallets, but one still has to ask how much this will really benefit our situation. The unemployed certainly won't enjoy a payroll tax cut. The rest of the populous will hopefully save the money, and we're left with the government holding less money and everyone in the same situation they were already in. I prefer the rest of the plan which suggests spending on infrastructure, but I think even more emphasis should be made on green projects that will have a longer lasting beneficial impact. The problem, as most have suggested, is that creating 3 million jobs repaving roads and installing solar panels is not going to do much for the unemployment problem, because these people are being laid off from tech and manufacturing jobs, not building/roadwork. Only time will tell how this all plays out, but these are some pretty ugly times.
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