So then, consider if you will...
Stella and I have taken a trip to an observatory out here. Yes, with the looking at stars and such. That is the kind of nerds that we are. What is even cooler, we are not just doing observing, we are doing imaging. Now, we are beginning in this whole CCD camera thing so we have the easy set up. Normally you would have to do 3 exposures to get color images on the bigger set ups, but this is the starter one where you get it done in one exposure so you can have a color image. Now we aren't just pointing it at the sky and going "snap" color photo. That would more be the method of some of my DSLR astrophotography. Haven't really done much on this trip, since last night was windy/cloudy/snowing. But I will undoubtedly do some more of that method eventually.
First you have to locate the object that you wish to image. This is done through some cool software and then you get to tell the telescope to point in that direction. The telescope rotates and you are ready to begin. You then tell the camera to take an image or series of images of varying lengths. We took a few 15 minute exposures that stand alone, but we have also been taking a range of exposures and stacking them. I have been taking between 5 and 30 minute exposures to stack together.
After you have taken the picture, you have to open CCDOPS and remove the hot and cold pixels. This is from temperature regulation of the chip, but it is an easy thing to fix, just a few clicks in the program. After you have all of the pixels cleaned up you stack the images and then you are ready to save them for photoshop.
Now in CCDOPS you open the picture, its in black and white and you can see that you have a picture of an object in the sky. But when you open it in photoshop basically you have a black screen looking back at you. You then have to play with curves and levels and saturation and all. Stella has been working this end of the process. But it is cool to watch her go from a blank screen to an amazing image of a deep space object. After its done in photoshop it is done and saved.
Don't worry, these will find their way onto my photoblog so that you can be all amazed. And feel free to show your friends and brag that you know the imager of the images being shown.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Just a few things
First off... 8-bit Christmas, Nick, you want to check this one out:
"One for a viking, out for some hiking, find the village, he will pillage"
It may not be the Rockettes....:
Since I'm at youtube anyhow...:
Finally the story of Santa:
Hope you enjoy.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Some Computer Notes
So as noted in the other blog Stella's computer is acting up again. Her plan is to get a mac, which should work out. Right now her laptop is being very odd. Like it just booted up, and then decided it would shut off. Its plugged into the wall, so it has power and such. It is just odd.
Speaking of computers that just won't boot, the newer desktop is getting ready to be shipped back to Compaq for them to see if they can make it run. They kept sending me links to solutions to get the darned thing to boot, and it continously didn't boot. So since it is under warrenty they should be fixing it or sending me a new functioning computer.
Now the old desktop, the one that got me through college and then stopped living this past summer, well, I have orderd a case so I can convert its old harddrive to an external harddrive so I can recover the stuff on there. Then in the future I can order a TB internal and switch it out so that its an external. Then there will be much storage space. After that I will probably pull the cards I wanna keep from it and then see where I can take the rest of it so that it can be properly disposed.
Luckily my laptop continues to function, even though it is a Vista based machine. Though I still believe that the most computing power in the house lives in the PS3.
I think that should wrap up these notes, I will end the post and wish you all well.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Little Big Planet
Ok, so I rented Little Big Planet and it is a lot of fun. I haven't really gotten to experience all of it, but the levels I've played have been really cool. Stella played a few with me and she enjoyed it as well. So for now I'll keep this short, but I'll write more on it later.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
The Force Unleashed
OK then...
I rented the force unleashed and have been playing it for a bit. Mostly I rented it cause I wanted to rent Little Big Planet and they didn't have any copies so I picked up this one, cause I have been curious to see how it is. However I can say that while it looks very good (amazing how they can make a video game look that good and the new clone wars movie looks like crap), the game is rather repetitive and gets dull. Basically you waltz through a level swinging your light saber randomly (cause there doesn't seem to be a good aiming system) then zapping lighting at people. Then you get to the boss where you swing your light saber and zap lighting at one guy instead of a level full of guys and the background doesn't change.
More and more I am becoming increasingly less accepting of anything new that George Lucas puts out with a Star Wars title on it. I am still willing to buy the original trilogy on Bluray provided I get the theatrical cuts, but beyond that there must be a really good reason for me to support any new Star Wars stuffs.
So yes, I've said it before, I hope I don't have to say it again, leave Star Wars be, if you take 20 years and craft a truly good story and make that a movie, I might go see it, otherwise I'll be ignoring it.
I rented the force unleashed and have been playing it for a bit. Mostly I rented it cause I wanted to rent Little Big Planet and they didn't have any copies so I picked up this one, cause I have been curious to see how it is. However I can say that while it looks very good (amazing how they can make a video game look that good and the new clone wars movie looks like crap), the game is rather repetitive and gets dull. Basically you waltz through a level swinging your light saber randomly (cause there doesn't seem to be a good aiming system) then zapping lighting at people. Then you get to the boss where you swing your light saber and zap lighting at one guy instead of a level full of guys and the background doesn't change.
More and more I am becoming increasingly less accepting of anything new that George Lucas puts out with a Star Wars title on it. I am still willing to buy the original trilogy on Bluray provided I get the theatrical cuts, but beyond that there must be a really good reason for me to support any new Star Wars stuffs.
So yes, I've said it before, I hope I don't have to say it again, leave Star Wars be, if you take 20 years and craft a truly good story and make that a movie, I might go see it, otherwise I'll be ignoring it.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
So for updates on what I'm up to I am working on twitter. My twitter can be viewed here. It should allow me to keep things more up to date then on just the blog. The blogs will remain up for random ideas and thoughts like the last couple posts that are up, but the twitter will be more a running log of what is going on.
This blog will stay as it is, the photo blog will still feature photos. But we will see how this new set up goes.
This blog will stay as it is, the photo blog will still feature photos. But we will see how this new set up goes.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Excel Music Video
Ok...
So this week has been wild. First I learn that scotch tape can produce x-rays. Yes, you read that right, but just once more so it sinks in SCIENTISTS FOUND A WAY TO PRODUCE X-RAYS FROM SCOTCH TAPE!!! Oh, yes, I mean you have to have a vacuum and all, but really. Who goes about peeling scotch tape in a vacuum, who is that bored and how much of a government grant were they playing with to get this to this point? You can read more about it here.
Now, while we are speaking of bored, why not a way to spend some time. Bored at the office? Well thats ok too! Apparently AC/DC decided to release a music video via Excel. So now you can download it and watch at work. Of course you can watch the youtube video, but then where would the fun in that be. So go here, download, watch it in Excel. Its kinda cool to think that its possible to make a music video in such a format.
Well, I think that will wrap it up for now.
So this week has been wild. First I learn that scotch tape can produce x-rays. Yes, you read that right, but just once more so it sinks in SCIENTISTS FOUND A WAY TO PRODUCE X-RAYS FROM SCOTCH TAPE!!! Oh, yes, I mean you have to have a vacuum and all, but really. Who goes about peeling scotch tape in a vacuum, who is that bored and how much of a government grant were they playing with to get this to this point? You can read more about it here.
Now, while we are speaking of bored, why not a way to spend some time. Bored at the office? Well thats ok too! Apparently AC/DC decided to release a music video via Excel. So now you can download it and watch at work. Of course you can watch the youtube video, but then where would the fun in that be. So go here, download, watch it in Excel. Its kinda cool to think that its possible to make a music video in such a format.
Well, I think that will wrap it up for now.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Stella's Laptop
Well, it would seem that Stella's Laptop is struggling to continue living, the thing seems to be stuffed with viruses or spyware or such. I am currently battling with it. Wish me luck.
PhotoSynth
So then... I have come across an interesting application on the web. It is called Photosynth. Basically what it does is analyzes a bunch of photos, determines where they overlap and then kinda sticks them together to make a virtual tour-esque set up. Now then, for starters you need to go to their website and sign up and download a program to see them. You can find it here.
Now, I'm currently playing with one. I'm trying out a set up of Stonehenge (building a henge are we?). So first off you can gaze upon some photos here. Then once you have enjoyed them in single photo form you can look at my synth.
It is found here. (You may have to be signed in to the site to see it, it also seems ya have to download the viewer.)
Also, you can check out our living room. That one is found here. If you look you will notice that the tv show keeps changing and Bernoulli pops in and out at different places.
I had to post of this one, cause, well, it would seem that no one else posts anymore.
Now, I'm currently playing with one. I'm trying out a set up of Stonehenge (building a henge are we?). So first off you can gaze upon some photos here. Then once you have enjoyed them in single photo form you can look at my synth.
It is found here. (You may have to be signed in to the site to see it, it also seems ya have to download the viewer.)
Also, you can check out our living room. That one is found here. If you look you will notice that the tv show keeps changing and Bernoulli pops in and out at different places.
I had to post of this one, cause, well, it would seem that no one else posts anymore.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
LHC
For more then 20 years now scientists have been working on the Large Hadron Collider. Just a few days ago on the 8th of September they finally turned it on. And so far it has yet to produce a black hole and destroy the planet, which is good. Basically they are trying to determine some things about how the universe operates, how its made up, so we can better understand things. You know, simple stuff, antimatter and the like.
Anyhow, I know its a few days after turn on, but I have a few things for you to enjoy. First off we have a comic from the nice folks at xkcd. You can see it here.
Next up we have a way for the modern kids to understand some science by trying to explain it through a popular music genre. You can go here and watch it.
And finally if you want to visit the official looking website and learn about it, go ahead and look here.
Its great when we use science to smash things open.
Anyhow, I know its a few days after turn on, but I have a few things for you to enjoy. First off we have a comic from the nice folks at xkcd. You can see it here.
Next up we have a way for the modern kids to understand some science by trying to explain it through a popular music genre. You can go here and watch it.
And finally if you want to visit the official looking website and learn about it, go ahead and look here.
Its great when we use science to smash things open.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Set Back
So there has been some minor set backs to things. Yesterday when I tried to boot up my computer it died on me. Now granted it was about 7 years old and had been moved around a lot. It was running slow and I had wanted to get a new computer for a while now. So we set out to get a new computer.
Last night we brought it home and set it up. I was installing some stuff like firefox and office and shut it off for the night. Then I couldn't get it to load up again. If the power cord is attached the fans will run, but I can't get it to begin to boot up.
I went to the compaq website and ran through their trouble shooting options and have sent them an email to try to get more information about this. So right now I'm running off of my laptop.
I will get more stuff up when I can
Last night we brought it home and set it up. I was installing some stuff like firefox and office and shut it off for the night. Then I couldn't get it to load up again. If the power cord is attached the fans will run, but I can't get it to begin to boot up.
I went to the compaq website and ran through their trouble shooting options and have sent them an email to try to get more information about this. So right now I'm running off of my laptop.
I will get more stuff up when I can
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Random Games
So then....
I am still playing Mario 64 DS, and I have now gotten 50 stars (yay half way) and unlocked all the characters. So that is a plus. Its a bit annoying being stuck with the control pad instead of a joystick like the 64 had, but oh well. It still works out.
As far as consoles go, I haven't had much time to play, but I intend to do some of that this weekend. Still playing GTA IV, but it doesn't really hold that much excitment any more and I am considering selling it back, cause, well... I don't play it that much. Lego Indy is fun, but it is basically Lego Star Wars again, and while it is cute and such, I'm not sure that it has inspired me to want to get Lego Batman. I mean, if I had kids, yes it'd be a grand game for them.
I think that I would like to see about getting that Viking game, it was fun and I should be able to get it used so that is a plus. Also I am thinking that the Force Unleashed game should be worth a look. Bioshock is coming to the PS3 and I'd like to rent it and try it, I've heard some good things about it.
In long range plans I would like to get a Wii. There are good group games like Mario Party and Smash Brothers for it. I don't regret getting my PS3, if nothing else it has been worth it as a Bluray player, but I have found some games on it that I have been enjoying. I played Blazing Aces on my friends Wii and found I like the control set up on the PS3 more, so I would have versitility, which is nice. Plus, I would like to get Mario Galaxy and the new Zelda games. Cause come on, what other games have the history of Mario and Zelda.
As far as computer games go... Well I think I may be out of that arena for a while. My computer is now too slow to play most games that come out and I would need to upgrade it before I can go on with the computer gaming, but I think that it is a better current plan to keep with consoles.
Finally I think I may pick up the Zelda game for the DS. Since I will be traveling again it would be good to have a change from just Mario. But for now, I will sign off.
I am still playing Mario 64 DS, and I have now gotten 50 stars (yay half way) and unlocked all the characters. So that is a plus. Its a bit annoying being stuck with the control pad instead of a joystick like the 64 had, but oh well. It still works out.
As far as consoles go, I haven't had much time to play, but I intend to do some of that this weekend. Still playing GTA IV, but it doesn't really hold that much excitment any more and I am considering selling it back, cause, well... I don't play it that much. Lego Indy is fun, but it is basically Lego Star Wars again, and while it is cute and such, I'm not sure that it has inspired me to want to get Lego Batman. I mean, if I had kids, yes it'd be a grand game for them.
I think that I would like to see about getting that Viking game, it was fun and I should be able to get it used so that is a plus. Also I am thinking that the Force Unleashed game should be worth a look. Bioshock is coming to the PS3 and I'd like to rent it and try it, I've heard some good things about it.
In long range plans I would like to get a Wii. There are good group games like Mario Party and Smash Brothers for it. I don't regret getting my PS3, if nothing else it has been worth it as a Bluray player, but I have found some games on it that I have been enjoying. I played Blazing Aces on my friends Wii and found I like the control set up on the PS3 more, so I would have versitility, which is nice. Plus, I would like to get Mario Galaxy and the new Zelda games. Cause come on, what other games have the history of Mario and Zelda.
As far as computer games go... Well I think I may be out of that arena for a while. My computer is now too slow to play most games that come out and I would need to upgrade it before I can go on with the computer gaming, but I think that it is a better current plan to keep with consoles.
Finally I think I may pick up the Zelda game for the DS. Since I will be traveling again it would be good to have a change from just Mario. But for now, I will sign off.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Super Mario 64
I have to say, this may be the best Mario game. I now have it on DS, which has some slight tweeks and actually looks better then on the console. It is grand to play it again, but I will just leave you with that thought for now.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Mario
Ahh, our good friend Mario. Short, portly little plumber. Mario is from the Mushroom Kingdom, which happens to be in a world that is not quite ours. This will make telling his story a little more difficult, as there is currently not a set dating system for the Mushroom Kingdom. But once you over look that, the story can be taken fairly easily.
Mario knew adventure from a very young age. As a baby he had a quest to find his lost brother Luigi. This was accomplished with the help of a gang of Yoshis. It would seem that Bowser had captured Luigi while he and his brother were being taken by stork to their parents. Luckily though Mario with his help was able to find his brother and rescue him from Bowser.
After this incident life became quiet for a while. Mairo and Luigi were able to grow up, one would assume peacefully, in the Mushroom Kingdom. During this time is most likely when the brothers meet their Wario and Waligi, who are constantly trying to one up the Mario Brothers. Also during this time it is likely that Mario meets Princess Peach Toadstool, who becomes the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom and Mario's love interest, as well as her servant Toad.
At some time, most likely as a teen, Mario gets a pet ape who he names Donkey Kong. Mario gets a job as a carpenter and is going out with Pauline. However Mario does not treat his pet well, perhaps because a gorilla is not a good pet for a teenager, or perhaps because he is spending most of his time with Pauline, which also leads him to fail at carpentry. But for whatever reason Donkey is not a happy Kong and breaks free, he kidnaps Pauline. This leads Mario on a fight to save his girlfriend from his pet. While in the end he rescues Pauline, she leaves him shortly after this incident. Once again, the reasons aren't clear, it could be that he is rather cruel to his pet and she does not want to be kidnapped again, it could be that he seems to be a failure at carpentry and isn't going anywhere, or it could be that he is becoming more and more interesting in the Princess and less interested in her.
After Pauline leaves him, Mario grows anger and takes this aggression out on Donkey Kong. Donkey is locked up and treated very poorly, but at some point Donkey had a son. Well Junior finds out what has happened to his father and sets out to save him. Of course Mario doesn't want any part of this and does his best to stop the young ape, but in the end Junior saves his father and the two return to Kong Country, but that is another story.
Mario falls into depression, his girl left him, his gorilla left him, the girl of his dreams is busy being a princess. Mario sinks into his depression more and more. Finally his brother gets a hold of him and convinces Mario to come live with him. Luigi has a simple life as a plumber and soon trains his brother in plumbing. Mario starts to work his way out of his depression and enjoys his life with his brother. They enjoy playing in the sewers where they find an endless infestation of crabs, flies and turtles (yes in the Mushroom Kingdom there aren't gators in the sewers, there are turtles).
Soon Mario learns that his dreamgirl has been kidnapped by Bowser. He convinces his brother that they must set out in order to save the Princess. Once again Mario is out on adventure. With the help of his brother and their knowledge of the plant life in the Mushroom Kingdom they are able to to rescue Peach from Bowser. Mario and Luigi become well know and finally Mario has caught the eye of Peach.
Infact in his next adventure he convinces Peach and her servant Toad to join him and Luigi while they fight the evil frog Wart, since he has invaded Subcon, which is most likely a bordering nation to the Mushroom Kingdom. Wart is over thrown and peace is restored to Subcon which builds the relations between the two countries.
Of course this leads to Mario being known as a hero all over the land. Soon he is called to Sarasaland to save Princess Daisy. She was captured by Tatanga, who is a spaceman. By this point adventure has become second nature to Mario and is frequently going out on them or going to meet his fans, of course this leads Luigi to take care of the business. Again Mario rescues the Princess, all in all it is not a bad life from Mario's point of view, known all over the land, constantly meeting Princesses.
Mario and his friends also begin a go-kart league that becomes know all over the Mushroom Kingdom. Many of Mario's friend, as well as some enemies work their way into the circuit as drivers. These races become some of the most well known events that happen in the Mushroom Kingdom. This may be due to the fact that there isn't much in the way of sports or entertainment in the land.
But while he is enjoying all the fame that he has collected, Bowser returns to the Mushroom Kingdom and again abducts Princess Toadstool. Mario convinces his brother to leave the plumbing business while they set off to save the Princess once again. Again Bowser finds that he can not best the Mario Brothers and Peach is safe again.
At this point Mario and Luigi settle back into the plumbing business. Mario is found most nights at the local cafe regaling the children of the Kingdom with tales of his adventures. It is also around this time the brothers try to expand their business into Brooklyn. While it lasts for a short while, the supply problems of having 2 shops in 2 different worlds become too much and the Brooklyn shop is closed.
Of course with their frequent travel to Brooklyn Bowser is able to again capture Princess Peach (who one would have thought would have by this point gotten better body guards) and is able to take her off to Dinosaur Land. While again on a quest to save Peach, Mario is reunited with an old friend, Yoshi. Yoshi happily agrees to save the Princess. Again Bowser underestimates the Mario Brothers and they prove victorious. They all return to the Mushroom Kingdom thinking they will be at peace.
While Mario returns and enjoys his life of plumbing/rescuing princesses/racing go-karts, the amazingly presistant (or stubborn) Bowser returns for another try. Again he captures the Princess and Mario sets off to rescue her. And again Luigi is left to do the plumbing alone. Not surprisingly Mario is able to best Bowser yet again and save his sweet Princess.
Now after this adventure Mario feels that he has had about enough of the Princess saving and decides to take up golf. He is able to set up a Pro tour, with mostly his racing friends. They still race their go-karts, but now Mario realizes that there is money to be made in professional sports. He soon convinces his racing fans that in addition to golf they should take up tennis. The people of the Mushroom Kingdom flock to all of these events, again due to the lack of other entertainment in the land. Mario also decides that with the moves he has learned on his quests a fight club could also be a profitable venture. And it turns out he was right, as it draws more contenders then any of this other events. This may be because it is the only one that he has opened to more then his racing competitors.
But Mario is in for some trouble. He was out and about and was checking out a haunted mansion. But he finds himself trapped in a painting. This may be due to his last quest had him jumping through painting to go to different lands trying to save the Princess, or he might have just gotten a bad mushroom. But Luigi has to set out to free his brother. Now after this ordeal Mario decides that it is time for a vacation. Since he has never actaully taken one before he lets his travel agent pick the spot and he convinces Peach that they need to get away from it all. Which she agrees to, most likey hoping Mario will finally propose to her.
However when he gets to the Isle Delfino, where his travel agent sent him, it turns out someone who looks just like him had been running around trashing the place. So he is made to clean the island to clear his name. All the while Peach hits the beach to work on her tan. But she is kidnapped by the imposter Mario. The true Mario does managed to clean the island and save his girl. After all that they head back to the Mushroom Kingdom.
But of course there was not peace there. Bowser had plenty of time to plot. This time he kidnapped Peach and took her into space....
1. www.themushroomkingdom.net
2. www.wikipedia.org
Mario knew adventure from a very young age. As a baby he had a quest to find his lost brother Luigi. This was accomplished with the help of a gang of Yoshis. It would seem that Bowser had captured Luigi while he and his brother were being taken by stork to their parents. Luckily though Mario with his help was able to find his brother and rescue him from Bowser.
After this incident life became quiet for a while. Mairo and Luigi were able to grow up, one would assume peacefully, in the Mushroom Kingdom. During this time is most likely when the brothers meet their Wario and Waligi, who are constantly trying to one up the Mario Brothers. Also during this time it is likely that Mario meets Princess Peach Toadstool, who becomes the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom and Mario's love interest, as well as her servant Toad.
At some time, most likely as a teen, Mario gets a pet ape who he names Donkey Kong. Mario gets a job as a carpenter and is going out with Pauline. However Mario does not treat his pet well, perhaps because a gorilla is not a good pet for a teenager, or perhaps because he is spending most of his time with Pauline, which also leads him to fail at carpentry. But for whatever reason Donkey is not a happy Kong and breaks free, he kidnaps Pauline. This leads Mario on a fight to save his girlfriend from his pet. While in the end he rescues Pauline, she leaves him shortly after this incident. Once again, the reasons aren't clear, it could be that he is rather cruel to his pet and she does not want to be kidnapped again, it could be that he seems to be a failure at carpentry and isn't going anywhere, or it could be that he is becoming more and more interesting in the Princess and less interested in her.
After Pauline leaves him, Mario grows anger and takes this aggression out on Donkey Kong. Donkey is locked up and treated very poorly, but at some point Donkey had a son. Well Junior finds out what has happened to his father and sets out to save him. Of course Mario doesn't want any part of this and does his best to stop the young ape, but in the end Junior saves his father and the two return to Kong Country, but that is another story.
Mario falls into depression, his girl left him, his gorilla left him, the girl of his dreams is busy being a princess. Mario sinks into his depression more and more. Finally his brother gets a hold of him and convinces Mario to come live with him. Luigi has a simple life as a plumber and soon trains his brother in plumbing. Mario starts to work his way out of his depression and enjoys his life with his brother. They enjoy playing in the sewers where they find an endless infestation of crabs, flies and turtles (yes in the Mushroom Kingdom there aren't gators in the sewers, there are turtles).
Soon Mario learns that his dreamgirl has been kidnapped by Bowser. He convinces his brother that they must set out in order to save the Princess. Once again Mario is out on adventure. With the help of his brother and their knowledge of the plant life in the Mushroom Kingdom they are able to to rescue Peach from Bowser. Mario and Luigi become well know and finally Mario has caught the eye of Peach.
Infact in his next adventure he convinces Peach and her servant Toad to join him and Luigi while they fight the evil frog Wart, since he has invaded Subcon, which is most likely a bordering nation to the Mushroom Kingdom. Wart is over thrown and peace is restored to Subcon which builds the relations between the two countries.
Of course this leads to Mario being known as a hero all over the land. Soon he is called to Sarasaland to save Princess Daisy. She was captured by Tatanga, who is a spaceman. By this point adventure has become second nature to Mario and is frequently going out on them or going to meet his fans, of course this leads Luigi to take care of the business. Again Mario rescues the Princess, all in all it is not a bad life from Mario's point of view, known all over the land, constantly meeting Princesses.
Mario and his friends also begin a go-kart league that becomes know all over the Mushroom Kingdom. Many of Mario's friend, as well as some enemies work their way into the circuit as drivers. These races become some of the most well known events that happen in the Mushroom Kingdom. This may be due to the fact that there isn't much in the way of sports or entertainment in the land.
But while he is enjoying all the fame that he has collected, Bowser returns to the Mushroom Kingdom and again abducts Princess Toadstool. Mario convinces his brother to leave the plumbing business while they set off to save the Princess once again. Again Bowser finds that he can not best the Mario Brothers and Peach is safe again.
At this point Mario and Luigi settle back into the plumbing business. Mario is found most nights at the local cafe regaling the children of the Kingdom with tales of his adventures. It is also around this time the brothers try to expand their business into Brooklyn. While it lasts for a short while, the supply problems of having 2 shops in 2 different worlds become too much and the Brooklyn shop is closed.
Of course with their frequent travel to Brooklyn Bowser is able to again capture Princess Peach (who one would have thought would have by this point gotten better body guards) and is able to take her off to Dinosaur Land. While again on a quest to save Peach, Mario is reunited with an old friend, Yoshi. Yoshi happily agrees to save the Princess. Again Bowser underestimates the Mario Brothers and they prove victorious. They all return to the Mushroom Kingdom thinking they will be at peace.
While Mario returns and enjoys his life of plumbing/rescuing princesses/racing go-karts, the amazingly presistant (or stubborn) Bowser returns for another try. Again he captures the Princess and Mario sets off to rescue her. And again Luigi is left to do the plumbing alone. Not surprisingly Mario is able to best Bowser yet again and save his sweet Princess.
Now after this adventure Mario feels that he has had about enough of the Princess saving and decides to take up golf. He is able to set up a Pro tour, with mostly his racing friends. They still race their go-karts, but now Mario realizes that there is money to be made in professional sports. He soon convinces his racing fans that in addition to golf they should take up tennis. The people of the Mushroom Kingdom flock to all of these events, again due to the lack of other entertainment in the land. Mario also decides that with the moves he has learned on his quests a fight club could also be a profitable venture. And it turns out he was right, as it draws more contenders then any of this other events. This may be because it is the only one that he has opened to more then his racing competitors.
But Mario is in for some trouble. He was out and about and was checking out a haunted mansion. But he finds himself trapped in a painting. This may be due to his last quest had him jumping through painting to go to different lands trying to save the Princess, or he might have just gotten a bad mushroom. But Luigi has to set out to free his brother. Now after this ordeal Mario decides that it is time for a vacation. Since he has never actaully taken one before he lets his travel agent pick the spot and he convinces Peach that they need to get away from it all. Which she agrees to, most likey hoping Mario will finally propose to her.
However when he gets to the Isle Delfino, where his travel agent sent him, it turns out someone who looks just like him had been running around trashing the place. So he is made to clean the island to clear his name. All the while Peach hits the beach to work on her tan. But she is kidnapped by the imposter Mario. The true Mario does managed to clean the island and save his girl. After all that they head back to the Mushroom Kingdom.
But of course there was not peace there. Bowser had plenty of time to plot. This time he kidnapped Peach and took her into space....
1. www.themushroomkingdom.net
2. www.wikipedia.org
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Mario a Communist?
So if you search the web you will find many sites and articles that claim Mario was in fact a communist. But the simple fact is no, he is not, but still lets go ahead and look into some of their arguments.
First off is his color scheme. Now you have to remember that he started his live in the 8 bit world. So its not like there were a lot of color choices, but there were in fact some. And if you look into things he started off as the abusive owner of Donkey Kong.
Next up is that Mario is trying to over throw King Koopa. Now, Bowser may have appointed himself king, but it would seem that he is imposing his will over the Mushroom Kingdom by force. It would seem that Princess Peach's parents would be the true ruling, so here you have an imposter to the crown taking over and setting up his own troops to rule by fear and threats. He has stationed his troops all over the Mushroom Kingdom in order to oppress the people. So you have a story similar to Robin Hood.
At the end of each level in the Super Mario Brothers game you lower the flag of Bowser and raise your own flag. Now the flag you lower could be a peace sign as many people say, but then again, it could be a skull. Now based on the ways that Koopa seems to rule it is more likely that his flag is a skull. And while Mario does raise the flag with a red star, perhaps this was the flag of the true ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom.
So it seems that Mario is a hero that is trying to restore the correct ruler, rescue the Princess (daughter of the true ruler). So he is not trying to bring power to the people, he is trying to kick out the self imposed ruler who has seized control and terrorized the people. He does not share the wealth he accquires on his quest with the masses, he hoards it all for himself. Mario can't be a communist. He is not concerned with the masses, he probably has hopes that the rightful ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom will make him a lord.
But just for fun, check out this cartoon.
First off is his color scheme. Now you have to remember that he started his live in the 8 bit world. So its not like there were a lot of color choices, but there were in fact some. And if you look into things he started off as the abusive owner of Donkey Kong.
Next up is that Mario is trying to over throw King Koopa. Now, Bowser may have appointed himself king, but it would seem that he is imposing his will over the Mushroom Kingdom by force. It would seem that Princess Peach's parents would be the true ruling, so here you have an imposter to the crown taking over and setting up his own troops to rule by fear and threats. He has stationed his troops all over the Mushroom Kingdom in order to oppress the people. So you have a story similar to Robin Hood.
At the end of each level in the Super Mario Brothers game you lower the flag of Bowser and raise your own flag. Now the flag you lower could be a peace sign as many people say, but then again, it could be a skull. Now based on the ways that Koopa seems to rule it is more likely that his flag is a skull. And while Mario does raise the flag with a red star, perhaps this was the flag of the true ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom.
So it seems that Mario is a hero that is trying to restore the correct ruler, rescue the Princess (daughter of the true ruler). So he is not trying to bring power to the people, he is trying to kick out the self imposed ruler who has seized control and terrorized the people. He does not share the wealth he accquires on his quest with the masses, he hoards it all for himself. Mario can't be a communist. He is not concerned with the masses, he probably has hopes that the rightful ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom will make him a lord.
But just for fun, check out this cartoon.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Don't see Star Wars
So Star Wars continues its long slow death. Way back in a simpler time Star Wars was released. It was an amazing movie and it was followed by some amazing sequels. It was made even though no one believed in it, they made up technologies in order to complete the movie. It was not a huge movie with a limitless budget. It rocked.
It continued to be a huge thing for about 30 years. People would re-watch the movie on VHS, there were always toys and games. Everyone knew it, many many could quote the entire trilogy. Lucas was making a mint on a movie that came out 30 years ago, which isn't a bad place to be. Had it been left as it was undoubtedly people would have introduced it to their kids and it would have continued to keep churning out money.
But this wasn't enough. George Lucas decided that he wanted to tweak a few things. Now instead of doing this with a director's cut put out on video he came up with the Special Edition and put it in theaters. This was the first knife in Star Wars that would start its death. New graphics were added. While many people went to see it in theaters and many people got it on VHS, it was hard to not see the original version that people had grown up with.
Then came the prequels. Major Suckage! But good old George continued to push through them, because there was money to be made. This time instead of the driving force being to tell a story it seemed that main purpose was show off all the new graphics that ILM could pull off now. While there was the promise of an awesome episode 1 what came out was was garbage. The same story followed with episode 2. It was an experiment in how digital you could get while filming a movie. Finally episode 3 came out, a movie that seems to have been shot entirely on green screen.
While yes, the graphics looked cool. But didn't someone say that a special effect is just a means of telling a story? Oh wait... wasn't that George? Way to go buddy. Well, on the other hand he did make millions off of what basically boiled down to a couple hours of special effects. But there was money to be made.
And yes, there were toys and games and tie ins. Cartoon Network put out an animated show, old animated cartoons were released. Money was made cause Star Wars was cool, even though it was dying as money was paid to keep getting a piece of it. And yes, I do own the 3 new movies, mostly for the sake of having the whole set of them. The best thing that I did was purchase the dvds that had the theater version of the orginal movies (With the Ewok song and all).
And now... Now we have another movie in theaters. This time its animated and just as crappy as ever. Had this been a fan creation, just someone with nothing better to do in there spare time it would have been cool. But to think that this was people's jobs? It was just sad, I recommend not going to see this one.
And George, should you happen to read this.... If the goal is to just make money, go ahead, do a full out release of that Holiday Special. I mean, you've already gotten this far down, at least that had the first appearance of Boba Fett. Otherwise, please stop and back slowly away from Star Wars and hopefully all of Hollywood. I'm sure that you have more then enough money.
And one last line... Han Shot First.
It continued to be a huge thing for about 30 years. People would re-watch the movie on VHS, there were always toys and games. Everyone knew it, many many could quote the entire trilogy. Lucas was making a mint on a movie that came out 30 years ago, which isn't a bad place to be. Had it been left as it was undoubtedly people would have introduced it to their kids and it would have continued to keep churning out money.
But this wasn't enough. George Lucas decided that he wanted to tweak a few things. Now instead of doing this with a director's cut put out on video he came up with the Special Edition and put it in theaters. This was the first knife in Star Wars that would start its death. New graphics were added. While many people went to see it in theaters and many people got it on VHS, it was hard to not see the original version that people had grown up with.
Then came the prequels. Major Suckage! But good old George continued to push through them, because there was money to be made. This time instead of the driving force being to tell a story it seemed that main purpose was show off all the new graphics that ILM could pull off now. While there was the promise of an awesome episode 1 what came out was was garbage. The same story followed with episode 2. It was an experiment in how digital you could get while filming a movie. Finally episode 3 came out, a movie that seems to have been shot entirely on green screen.
While yes, the graphics looked cool. But didn't someone say that a special effect is just a means of telling a story? Oh wait... wasn't that George? Way to go buddy. Well, on the other hand he did make millions off of what basically boiled down to a couple hours of special effects. But there was money to be made.
And yes, there were toys and games and tie ins. Cartoon Network put out an animated show, old animated cartoons were released. Money was made cause Star Wars was cool, even though it was dying as money was paid to keep getting a piece of it. And yes, I do own the 3 new movies, mostly for the sake of having the whole set of them. The best thing that I did was purchase the dvds that had the theater version of the orginal movies (With the Ewok song and all).
And now... Now we have another movie in theaters. This time its animated and just as crappy as ever. Had this been a fan creation, just someone with nothing better to do in there spare time it would have been cool. But to think that this was people's jobs? It was just sad, I recommend not going to see this one.
And George, should you happen to read this.... If the goal is to just make money, go ahead, do a full out release of that Holiday Special. I mean, you've already gotten this far down, at least that had the first appearance of Boba Fett. Otherwise, please stop and back slowly away from Star Wars and hopefully all of Hollywood. I'm sure that you have more then enough money.
And one last line... Han Shot First.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Study of Console History
So if you couldn't guess from the last post I'm doing a bit of study of the history of gaming consoles, mostly just for fun and enjoyment. Currently I'm reading a book on the History of Nintendo, which so far has been quiet interesting.
As a random fact, the code name for the Atari 2600 when it was being made was Stella. (I thought of you honey).
Well, I suppose that at some point there will be some more posting about games and consoles and the like, I know that you will all be excited for that.
As a random fact, the code name for the Atari 2600 when it was being made was Stella. (I thought of you honey).
Well, I suppose that at some point there will be some more posting about games and consoles and the like, I know that you will all be excited for that.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Video Game History
So just for reference here is a bit of history of home video game consoles. We won't talk so much about computer games, that would only add to this. So then lets begin.
We will start in 1972 (before I was around), Magnavox released the Odyssey. And it did alright, then Pong showed up. This is when people noticed and we got the Odyssey 100 and Odyssey 200. And that was basically generation 1 of video gaming.
Generation 2 began roughly in 1976. It was the early time of 8 bit gaming. This is the period that gave us the Atari 2600 and the ColecoVision. It also saw the release of the first hand held consoles with changeable cartridges. Also this is when games like Donkey Kong, Frogger, Space Invaders adn Pac-man arrived. Also it saw the crash of 1977 (older systems where sold cheap, flooding the market, Atari and Magnavox survied), the rebirth (many more companies released consoles, Atari continued to dominate) and the crash of 1983 . Due to the cheap systems on the market, the flood of poor quality games and the fact that more and more people began to own computers, the video game market nearly died. Many companies filed for bankrupcy.
Of course this opened the way for Nintendo to come to the states and in October of 1985 they release the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System). The NES managed to survived because of a lockout chip which meant that they were able to control the games that came out on there system. This meant there wasn't the flood of cheap games and they were able to stay healthy as a company. This is also when we got the first appearance of SEGA, but there system failed to do much in the states, so mostly this generation of video games is known for the NES and Super Mario Bros. (It also happens to be where I entered gaming, though I kinda played around with some Atari stuffs).
Now then, as you can guess next came generation 4. Sega came out with the Genesis and to answer Nintendo release the SNES (Super Nintendo Enteratainment System). This closed out the 80s and brought gaming into the 1990s. Also Sega put out the Sega CD. And the 4th generation upgraded us for 8 bits to 16 bits. And with Sega being around it started some console wars. Now there were some other, smaller systems out there, but Nintendo and Sega were the big dogs. And Nintendo kept its lead as this generation closed out.
To start out the 5th generation Atari brought out the Jaguar and then there was the 3DO. These both used CDs and were much more powerful then the SNES and the Genesis. But they also didn't come close to selling as well. Due to cost and difficulty to program for them they were canned in 1996. To really get this generation going Sega put out the Saturn, a CD based system with dual chips, however it only lasted until 1998. A new comer named Sony released the Playstation (which would later be the PSone). This was orginally going to be a CD addon to the SNES. Nintendo put out the Nintendo 64 (N64). It was the only cartridge based system of the generation, but it still made enough money for Nintendo to remain on the top of the pile.
The 6th generation only saw bigger names putting out gaming systems, it also saw the switch from CDs (or in Nintendo's case cartridges) to DVDs (a whole 9 gigs of storage). This would allow for more information and more impressive gameplay as well as longer load times. Sega offered the dreamcast for this generation of gaming, it would be the end of Sega systems and the first that they would discontinue. Sony released what has so far been the best selling system of all time, the PS2. With the switch to games on DVD Sony allowed their system to play movies as well as games. Nintendo finally switched to an optical system, but went with a smaller size disc which would mean no watching of movies on the Gamecube. And then Microsoft entered the fight with the Xbox, which ended the need of memory cards by having a hard drive in the system. It was big and bulky, but it was carried on by Halo.
Now, in 2005 we entered the 7th generation of video game consoles. This era brought much more internet connectivity, High Def graphics, and wireless controllers. Microsoft ushered in the new era with the Xbox 360. Now to be the first system out Microsoft opted to stay with games on DVD, which limited the space for the game. Also they ended up with some issues with the system failing to work. But more Halo arrived and fixes were made. Sony brought out its third generation of system in the PS3. They waited to get the ability to play Bluray, which allowed for much, much more room on the disc. It also boasts quite an impressive processor. However this meant that it was more difficult to program for. Now eventually it will mean that the system will be able to do great things, however now it is still waiting for programs to exploit the system. And Nintendo presses on. They did make the decision to not try to compete directly with the other two and have aimed their system at more of a family based system. While they don't deal in High Def, they have a motion sensitive system for the controls.
We will start in 1972 (before I was around), Magnavox released the Odyssey. And it did alright, then Pong showed up. This is when people noticed and we got the Odyssey 100 and Odyssey 200. And that was basically generation 1 of video gaming.
Generation 2 began roughly in 1976. It was the early time of 8 bit gaming. This is the period that gave us the Atari 2600 and the ColecoVision. It also saw the release of the first hand held consoles with changeable cartridges. Also this is when games like Donkey Kong, Frogger, Space Invaders adn Pac-man arrived. Also it saw the crash of 1977 (older systems where sold cheap, flooding the market, Atari and Magnavox survied), the rebirth (many more companies released consoles, Atari continued to dominate) and the crash of 1983 . Due to the cheap systems on the market, the flood of poor quality games and the fact that more and more people began to own computers, the video game market nearly died. Many companies filed for bankrupcy.
Of course this opened the way for Nintendo to come to the states and in October of 1985 they release the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System). The NES managed to survived because of a lockout chip which meant that they were able to control the games that came out on there system. This meant there wasn't the flood of cheap games and they were able to stay healthy as a company. This is also when we got the first appearance of SEGA, but there system failed to do much in the states, so mostly this generation of video games is known for the NES and Super Mario Bros. (It also happens to be where I entered gaming, though I kinda played around with some Atari stuffs).
Now then, as you can guess next came generation 4. Sega came out with the Genesis and to answer Nintendo release the SNES (Super Nintendo Enteratainment System). This closed out the 80s and brought gaming into the 1990s. Also Sega put out the Sega CD. And the 4th generation upgraded us for 8 bits to 16 bits. And with Sega being around it started some console wars. Now there were some other, smaller systems out there, but Nintendo and Sega were the big dogs. And Nintendo kept its lead as this generation closed out.
To start out the 5th generation Atari brought out the Jaguar and then there was the 3DO. These both used CDs and were much more powerful then the SNES and the Genesis. But they also didn't come close to selling as well. Due to cost and difficulty to program for them they were canned in 1996. To really get this generation going Sega put out the Saturn, a CD based system with dual chips, however it only lasted until 1998. A new comer named Sony released the Playstation (which would later be the PSone). This was orginally going to be a CD addon to the SNES. Nintendo put out the Nintendo 64 (N64). It was the only cartridge based system of the generation, but it still made enough money for Nintendo to remain on the top of the pile.
The 6th generation only saw bigger names putting out gaming systems, it also saw the switch from CDs (or in Nintendo's case cartridges) to DVDs (a whole 9 gigs of storage). This would allow for more information and more impressive gameplay as well as longer load times. Sega offered the dreamcast for this generation of gaming, it would be the end of Sega systems and the first that they would discontinue. Sony released what has so far been the best selling system of all time, the PS2. With the switch to games on DVD Sony allowed their system to play movies as well as games. Nintendo finally switched to an optical system, but went with a smaller size disc which would mean no watching of movies on the Gamecube. And then Microsoft entered the fight with the Xbox, which ended the need of memory cards by having a hard drive in the system. It was big and bulky, but it was carried on by Halo.
Now, in 2005 we entered the 7th generation of video game consoles. This era brought much more internet connectivity, High Def graphics, and wireless controllers. Microsoft ushered in the new era with the Xbox 360. Now to be the first system out Microsoft opted to stay with games on DVD, which limited the space for the game. Also they ended up with some issues with the system failing to work. But more Halo arrived and fixes were made. Sony brought out its third generation of system in the PS3. They waited to get the ability to play Bluray, which allowed for much, much more room on the disc. It also boasts quite an impressive processor. However this meant that it was more difficult to program for. Now eventually it will mean that the system will be able to do great things, however now it is still waiting for programs to exploit the system. And Nintendo presses on. They did make the decision to not try to compete directly with the other two and have aimed their system at more of a family based system. While they don't deal in High Def, they have a motion sensitive system for the controls.
Web Comics
So I have started reading some webcomics. I would like to recommend this one. It has lots of very funny comics. Also I tend to read Air Force Blues. But that might be cause of my job. Anyhow, this is a short post, but if you were to stumble across any various webcomics let me know.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Dear Windows Media Center
Dear Windows Media Center and all those interested,
Are you off your nut? It seems that you feel you need to open every time a disc is inserted into the laptop. You are not the choice player, I've told you this. You also seem to have an identity crisis. We are region 1 types. You see, you were acquired in region 1. The DVDs I watch were acquired in region 1. Yet about 90% of the time you seem to believe yourself to be from some strange region. Please knock this off. Infact, just make life simple and don't open.
Signed,
Skrazynerd
Are you off your nut? It seems that you feel you need to open every time a disc is inserted into the laptop. You are not the choice player, I've told you this. You also seem to have an identity crisis. We are region 1 types. You see, you were acquired in region 1. The DVDs I watch were acquired in region 1. Yet about 90% of the time you seem to believe yourself to be from some strange region. Please knock this off. Infact, just make life simple and don't open.
Signed,
Skrazynerd
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Some New Stuffs
Well now. It seems that there have been a couple new programs that I've pulled up to start using. First off we'll talk about Firefox 3. They put out there new edition and I can say that it is now on both of my computers. It is quite nice. At first you may not notice the differences, but after you play with it some it starts kicking more ass.
Now then, I have also found a few plug ins that I am liking. First off is personas for firefox. It currently looks like my header and footer is wood paneling. There are a bunch of different options, but this one works for me. Also I set up foxmarks. Now I just need to set it up on the home computer. It stores bookmarks and such so I can get to them from any computer once I sign in. Now I will be able to access my booked marks sites from the desktop even when I'm traveling.
The other software that I'm playing with is Dreamweaver. I am working on building a website for Stella. As it turns out currently I'm not overly knowledgable on it, so there is much learning going on. However hopefully things will start working out well for it.
Now then, I have also found a few plug ins that I am liking. First off is personas for firefox. It currently looks like my header and footer is wood paneling. There are a bunch of different options, but this one works for me. Also I set up foxmarks. Now I just need to set it up on the home computer. It stores bookmarks and such so I can get to them from any computer once I sign in. Now I will be able to access my booked marks sites from the desktop even when I'm traveling.
The other software that I'm playing with is Dreamweaver. I am working on building a website for Stella. As it turns out currently I'm not overly knowledgable on it, so there is much learning going on. However hopefully things will start working out well for it.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Dash it all, now you've done it
You are confusing the Star Wars trek with the Star Trek wars!
Any how, as you may gather from my photo blog, I got to go to Star Wars weekend at Hollywood Studios. This was quite a good time, many peoples in costumes and all. There are some more pictures which will be coming along in good time. Many thanks to my wife who put up with me being a nerd and wanting to see everything. It was a very good time.
Now, as you may or may not know, I've been picking up Star Trek as well. Its been happening for a while now. But I currently have season 1 of The Original Series (TOS). Which I have been watching out here, mostly cause I've found that I'm not all that big into the current TV, especially that which has been coming on during the day.
Ahh, for a simpler time, when command wore gold, klingons were the enemy and women were green.
Any how, as you may gather from my photo blog, I got to go to Star Wars weekend at Hollywood Studios. This was quite a good time, many peoples in costumes and all. There are some more pictures which will be coming along in good time. Many thanks to my wife who put up with me being a nerd and wanting to see everything. It was a very good time.
Now, as you may or may not know, I've been picking up Star Trek as well. Its been happening for a while now. But I currently have season 1 of The Original Series (TOS). Which I have been watching out here, mostly cause I've found that I'm not all that big into the current TV, especially that which has been coming on during the day.
Ahh, for a simpler time, when command wore gold, klingons were the enemy and women were green.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Networks
So I am in the process of learning about building a home network. The plan is to have a wired set up in the office for linking some computers, but to also have wireless capability. I want to set up a server to store photos and music and the like.
Now, I'm working on wireless-G. I currently have this capability. I can use the laptop about the house and also fire up the PS3 on the wireless which is quite nice. I'm running all that fun encryption stuff to keep peoples from piggy backing on my network to slow it down.
I have multiple user accounts currently on this computer. Its a temporary measure, until we get Stella set up with either her own computer or get her a new one. Once that happens is when the real networking will begin. It would be quite convenient to have a server set up to locate pictures and musics and various files on (the calendar, the amazing movie database).
Also I'll need to find a print server so that I can get some printing down off any computer in the set up. I'd like to work mostly with Linksys, cause I like them and they seem to work for me.
Anyhow, I think that will be it for now. Should any of you know of some good resources for this please leave a comment.
Now, I'm working on wireless-G. I currently have this capability. I can use the laptop about the house and also fire up the PS3 on the wireless which is quite nice. I'm running all that fun encryption stuff to keep peoples from piggy backing on my network to slow it down.
I have multiple user accounts currently on this computer. Its a temporary measure, until we get Stella set up with either her own computer or get her a new one. Once that happens is when the real networking will begin. It would be quite convenient to have a server set up to locate pictures and musics and various files on (the calendar, the amazing movie database).
Also I'll need to find a print server so that I can get some printing down off any computer in the set up. I'd like to work mostly with Linksys, cause I like them and they seem to work for me.
Anyhow, I think that will be it for now. Should any of you know of some good resources for this please leave a comment.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Movies and Games and Such
Alright, first off, Yes, in case you are still unaware I do have GTA IV. I have been playing it, it is fun. Note that I have no urges to go out and drive like an idiot, steal cars or shoot people. The evils of the video game have not yet got me. I must say that it looks really amazing, and the soundtrack and such is cool. I preferred the music from Vice City, but the Russian Punk station is cool.
Next off we'll launch into the movie category. I have seen several this weekend. Friday night I was going to see Iron Man, but since the jackalopes unplugged the theater I ended up seeing 3:10 to Yuma, which was a good movie. It seems there have been a lot of westerns coming out lately. Anyhow, I'm not sure that it is worth buying, but it was a good movie to watch.
Then yesterday I rented some movies and watched a couple. First off was Alien vs. Predator Requiem. I can say that I'm glad I didn't see it in the theater. It wasn't that bad, but it wasn't all that impressive either. So yeah.
Then was Charlie Wilson's War, which I thought was really good. I think that will be one that I will end up owning. I am kinda interested now in looking into it a bit more and seeing how the movie differs from actual events and the like.
We went back to the theater and saw Iron Man which was really cool. Probably one of the best movies adapted from a comic book that I've seen. Also the whole thing was a big AFMC commercial. Which was kinda cool to see.
And then today I ended up watching The Kingdom, which was interesting. It was good. Its one that I had heard was good from a number of people, so I ended up watching it.
Finally this weekend I watched Transformers. Yes, I had not seen it until today and I have to say, I really wasn't impressed. I mean, the CG looked good and all. But with everything that I had heard about the movie I felt kinda let down. It just wasn't all that good. So yeah, definitely not one that I would end up owning.
And now into upcoming movies. In case it was unclear to anyone, I am excited to see the new Indy movie. They had a new preview of it before Iron Man and I was quite excited. Also they had a new preview for the Dark Knight, which I'd also like to see. Oh, and then there is Get Smart.
As for video games there is the Lego Indiana Jones game coming out which I plan on getting and the Force unleashed. Perhaps that new Guitar Hero business as well.
Next off we'll launch into the movie category. I have seen several this weekend. Friday night I was going to see Iron Man, but since the jackalopes unplugged the theater I ended up seeing 3:10 to Yuma, which was a good movie. It seems there have been a lot of westerns coming out lately. Anyhow, I'm not sure that it is worth buying, but it was a good movie to watch.
Then yesterday I rented some movies and watched a couple. First off was Alien vs. Predator Requiem. I can say that I'm glad I didn't see it in the theater. It wasn't that bad, but it wasn't all that impressive either. So yeah.
Then was Charlie Wilson's War, which I thought was really good. I think that will be one that I will end up owning. I am kinda interested now in looking into it a bit more and seeing how the movie differs from actual events and the like.
We went back to the theater and saw Iron Man which was really cool. Probably one of the best movies adapted from a comic book that I've seen. Also the whole thing was a big AFMC commercial. Which was kinda cool to see.
And then today I ended up watching The Kingdom, which was interesting. It was good. Its one that I had heard was good from a number of people, so I ended up watching it.
Finally this weekend I watched Transformers. Yes, I had not seen it until today and I have to say, I really wasn't impressed. I mean, the CG looked good and all. But with everything that I had heard about the movie I felt kinda let down. It just wasn't all that good. So yeah, definitely not one that I would end up owning.
And now into upcoming movies. In case it was unclear to anyone, I am excited to see the new Indy movie. They had a new preview of it before Iron Man and I was quite excited. Also they had a new preview for the Dark Knight, which I'd also like to see. Oh, and then there is Get Smart.
As for video games there is the Lego Indiana Jones game coming out which I plan on getting and the Force unleashed. Perhaps that new Guitar Hero business as well.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Keyboards
Ok, so I want to get a new keyboard. My top priority is to get one with media controls. Every time that I end up using my laptop and then switch back to the desktop I want to have those skip and pause buttons. The volume is nice but mostly skip and pause is what I want to have. If I can pull off that I'd also like to get one of the ergonomic keyboards, kinda split and all.
Also I've been looking at those fingerprint readers for the computer. It would be really cool. I nearly picked up one the other day. However right now most of my money is being diverted from toys, so I didn't end up getting it.
Anyhow, its been a movie weekend, played a little GTA IV. So far since the weekend started I have seen 3:10 to Yuma, Alien vs. Predator Requiem, and Charlie Wilson's War. As long as the theater is actually working tonight I'll be watching Iron Man and then I also have The Kingdom and Transformers rented, so I am planning on watching them as well.
I'm sure that there will a post later on this weekend about all these movies, so I will let you wait till then.
Also I've been looking at those fingerprint readers for the computer. It would be really cool. I nearly picked up one the other day. However right now most of my money is being diverted from toys, so I didn't end up getting it.
Anyhow, its been a movie weekend, played a little GTA IV. So far since the weekend started I have seen 3:10 to Yuma, Alien vs. Predator Requiem, and Charlie Wilson's War. As long as the theater is actually working tonight I'll be watching Iron Man and then I also have The Kingdom and Transformers rented, so I am planning on watching them as well.
I'm sure that there will a post later on this weekend about all these movies, so I will let you wait till then.
Friday, May 02, 2008
GTA IV
Ok, I did get the game at midnight. I've gotten to play it. It looks amazing. No, I have not gotten to spend hours on end with the game, but it is really cool. Reading more and more about it, it is a very extensive work of art. Any how, I know I've done a bunch of short posts, at some point I'd like to be able to sit down and do some long ones too. But until then, I wish you all well.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Midnight Release
So yes, I am staying up to midnight to get GTA IV. It looks like it will just be a fun game that I can goof off in and blow off some steam. Also it apparently has multi payer stuffs in it and all. I'm sure if you do a search online you can find more info about all the details.
Also, I will probably end up with the special edition. Now yes, I realize that it costs 90 bucks. However they are doing a sale so it will cost 60 this evening/morning. And to make things better I have something like 41 bucks on a gift card to Hastings along with a 5 dollar coupon. Meaning that I will only really be paying about 15. So for a 90 dollar game paying 15 ain't that bad.
I will no doubt post something else about it here. And I know that some people might say that I'm a nerd or a dork for going to a midnight game release, but you know what? I don't really care. I've accepted who I am and can embrace it.
Also, I will probably end up with the special edition. Now yes, I realize that it costs 90 bucks. However they are doing a sale so it will cost 60 this evening/morning. And to make things better I have something like 41 bucks on a gift card to Hastings along with a 5 dollar coupon. Meaning that I will only really be paying about 15. So for a 90 dollar game paying 15 ain't that bad.
I will no doubt post something else about it here. And I know that some people might say that I'm a nerd or a dork for going to a midnight game release, but you know what? I don't really care. I've accepted who I am and can embrace it.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Cars
So I was driving back from Albuquerque today. I had an idea. You see, we already have cruise control, now we just need a steering control. They can make Lego robots that will follow a line, so why not put one sensor on each side of the front of the car. You could have them track the lines and stay in that lane. Set your speed and then just watch. You could even put a forward looking sensor to alert you to anything that you are approaching.
Any how, just a short thought. Now is time to relax since I'm a bit tired.
Any how, just a short thought. Now is time to relax since I'm a bit tired.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Vista sucks
I would like to say that Vista sucks. It really really sucks. Unfortunately it is loaded on my laptop. I am working on making it more like a usable operating system. Should any of you know of a good place to look up how to get Vista running smoother please let me know.
Anyhow, as I am tired I will have to complain more later. Grumble.
Anyhow, as I am tired I will have to complain more later. Grumble.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Apple
So a lot of people are using Apple stuff, either the computers or the little pods and the like. I can safely say I am not a pod person. Now, before I go on I must say that if you are manly dealing with graphics or the like yes, an Apple computer isn't bad. In fact at most schools that I've seen the art departments tend to use Apples. This is actually the main reason I've dealt with Apples.
Now you see, I grew up with a PC. We got our first family computer when I was young. It had the old screen where you pretty much had black white and green, most everything was text based, you ran programs by knowing the exact command to give in DOS.
Now you see, I grew up with a PC. We got our first family computer when I was young. It had the old screen where you pretty much had black white and green, most everything was text based, you ran programs by knowing the exact command to give in DOS.
C: DOS
C:DOS: RUN
Run DOS Run
C:DOS: RUN
Run DOS Run
Anyhow, thats where I started dealing with computers. As a kid they had some computers in school and we always had a computer at home. I remember the 5 1/4" disks that were actually floppy and all.
Well, I have to say that the old Apple computers that were around at that point weren't that bad at all. Though in many ways they were similar to the PCs that were out. In fact in 1984 they put out a commercial saying that they would be different then IBM. It was a very famous commercial. If you need to brush up, you can check it out here.
Toward the end of the 1980's Apple was doing good, but things changed. Apple tried to keep up but didn't really manage that well, until they came back in 1998 with the iMac, and then in 2001 they let out the iPod. That is when it started.
There are 2 big things here. The first is that the ipod became huge. By 2004 Apple sound 8.2 million ipods. Everyone wanders around with their pod. And its great... for Apple. To play with your pod you have to use Apple's itunes. When you buy music on itunes you can listen to it on itunes or your pod. I've heard my friend complain that there is trouble trying to move a pod from one computer to another when you switch your computer. Pretty much Apple lets you borrow some music to listen in on your pod. And everyone should do it. Think back to that commercial, Remember when they said 1984 wouldn't be like 1984? Well maybe 1984 wasn't, but 2004 was. Pod people get to be nameless and faceless under Apple. And Apple will let you know, think about those pod commercials. The person is blacked out so you see an outline, and then they are sure to show you the pod. Apple would like you to know that you don't matter, but the pod does. Here is another little commercial to let you check out.
The next big thing is that Apple decided that the entire computer should be sealed up in a box. Your screen, your drive, your processor. You aren't allowed to touch it. When it is time to upgrade, its time to upgrade everything. I pop my case open to upgrade each component as I like. If I need a new video card to play a game I open the case and put in a new video card. I don't have to buy a whole new computer. The joys of having a PC.
Oh, and those Mac and PC commercials brought up another good point. They have one on their website where they convince the PC its not his fault because not everything comes from the same source. Its called breakthrough, go watch it. Now lets think about this. Apple is saying they are better because everything comes from one source. Meaning they are the only source for Apple stuff. Meaning that they can release what they want, not what you want. They can charge as much as they want, and either you pay the price or don't get it. Where as if you have a PC you have plenty of suppliers, they compete to put out what you want. The lower prices so you buy theirs and not the other suppliers. But Apple doesn't care about you, they care about Apple.
Now, Apple also claims that it doesn't get viruses, doesn't freeze and doesn't crash. I had to sure Macs for 1 class in college. 1 semester, thats it. And the Macs froze up. I got to talk with the guy who was responsible for them. He told me that he had seen them freeze and crash. It is just a computer, those things happen with a computer. As far as viruses, there haven't really been any for Macs yet. Macs also haven't been targeted. Apple computers run an OS. An OS is made of code. If you spent enough time looking at it you could develop a virus for a Mac.
Anyhow, I will stick with my PC. It works.
Well, I have to say that the old Apple computers that were around at that point weren't that bad at all. Though in many ways they were similar to the PCs that were out. In fact in 1984 they put out a commercial saying that they would be different then IBM. It was a very famous commercial. If you need to brush up, you can check it out here.
Toward the end of the 1980's Apple was doing good, but things changed. Apple tried to keep up but didn't really manage that well, until they came back in 1998 with the iMac, and then in 2001 they let out the iPod. That is when it started.
There are 2 big things here. The first is that the ipod became huge. By 2004 Apple sound 8.2 million ipods. Everyone wanders around with their pod. And its great... for Apple. To play with your pod you have to use Apple's itunes. When you buy music on itunes you can listen to it on itunes or your pod. I've heard my friend complain that there is trouble trying to move a pod from one computer to another when you switch your computer. Pretty much Apple lets you borrow some music to listen in on your pod. And everyone should do it. Think back to that commercial, Remember when they said 1984 wouldn't be like 1984? Well maybe 1984 wasn't, but 2004 was. Pod people get to be nameless and faceless under Apple. And Apple will let you know, think about those pod commercials. The person is blacked out so you see an outline, and then they are sure to show you the pod. Apple would like you to know that you don't matter, but the pod does. Here is another little commercial to let you check out.
The next big thing is that Apple decided that the entire computer should be sealed up in a box. Your screen, your drive, your processor. You aren't allowed to touch it. When it is time to upgrade, its time to upgrade everything. I pop my case open to upgrade each component as I like. If I need a new video card to play a game I open the case and put in a new video card. I don't have to buy a whole new computer. The joys of having a PC.
Oh, and those Mac and PC commercials brought up another good point. They have one on their website where they convince the PC its not his fault because not everything comes from the same source. Its called breakthrough, go watch it. Now lets think about this. Apple is saying they are better because everything comes from one source. Meaning they are the only source for Apple stuff. Meaning that they can release what they want, not what you want. They can charge as much as they want, and either you pay the price or don't get it. Where as if you have a PC you have plenty of suppliers, they compete to put out what you want. The lower prices so you buy theirs and not the other suppliers. But Apple doesn't care about you, they care about Apple.
Now, Apple also claims that it doesn't get viruses, doesn't freeze and doesn't crash. I had to sure Macs for 1 class in college. 1 semester, thats it. And the Macs froze up. I got to talk with the guy who was responsible for them. He told me that he had seen them freeze and crash. It is just a computer, those things happen with a computer. As far as viruses, there haven't really been any for Macs yet. Macs also haven't been targeted. Apple computers run an OS. An OS is made of code. If you spent enough time looking at it you could develop a virus for a Mac.
Anyhow, I will stick with my PC. It works.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Mole Day
Well it seems there is a website and some agenda for mole day to be on 23 Oct. From 6:02 am to 6:02 pm. Seems mighty backwards....but oh well.
www.moleday.org
www.moleday.org
A few dates to remember
Greetings! Yes, it is a blog for my nerdiness to live at. I will put up world 1-2 of Super Mario Brothers at some point. There will also most likely be some other random posting like laughing at sitting in an S-0rbital. But for now, you should mark your calendars!
14 March - Pi Day (try to eat your pie at 1:59)
25 May - Nerd Pride Day (so it started in Spain of all places, but I think that we have plenty of nerds around here, so let's try to get the word out)
25 May - Towel Day (Don't Panic)
The next square root day won't be till 3 March 09.
And finally for Mole day, which is altogether a rather troublesome day. It would seem that some places in the States celebrate on June 2. Other places in the States celebrate on October 23, so they can do school stuff with it. I hold that we should go with most of the rest of the world and celebrate on 6 February.
Now, should you have any questions or such on any of these, let me know.
14 March - Pi Day (try to eat your pie at 1:59)
25 May - Nerd Pride Day (so it started in Spain of all places, but I think that we have plenty of nerds around here, so let's try to get the word out)
25 May - Towel Day (Don't Panic)
The next square root day won't be till 3 March 09.
And finally for Mole day, which is altogether a rather troublesome day. It would seem that some places in the States celebrate on June 2. Other places in the States celebrate on October 23, so they can do school stuff with it. I hold that we should go with most of the rest of the world and celebrate on 6 February.
Now, should you have any questions or such on any of these, let me know.
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