I run this joint. Don’t know where to start? Let me show you around:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1w4g2vr7B4[/youtube]
Or not. I’m sure the U.S. Military spent a fortune on this thing given the fat, slow cow that our government has become.
[via Gizmodo]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbqJm2birME[/youtube]
Lindsey and I watched The King of Kong: Fistful of Quarters on Wednesday, a hilariously funny “documentary” that follows Steve Wiebe as he attempts to overtake the world’s highest score in a game of Donkey Kong from reigning champion Billy Mitchell.
Not only is the movie entertaining, but it’s cleverly presented in “good vs. evil” fashion, boasts an awesome soundtrack, and features some very creative transition effects. Oh, and it stars lots of socially inept individuals who are fun to watch.
According to a recent Gallup poll, a majority of baseball fans (57%) think Roger Clemens lied last month when he told Congress he had never taken performance enhancing drugs. Despite this, 62 percent of fans surveyed believe Clemens should still be in the Hall of Fame.
What??!!
As a reminder, The Hall of Fame’s motto is “preserving history, honoring excellence, and connecting generations.” Clemens’ induction, if convicted, would preserve history alright, but what about honor and example (read: connecting generations)?
I saw Me and My Girl last night — a play that takes place in 1920s England. The performance was entertaining (a bit stale at times), but I really enjoyed the English… which got me thinking of the funniest British words. They are:
I just got done reading Chris Anderson’s 6,000 word preview for his upcoming book Free! Why $0.00 Is the Future of Business. In short, the article examines cross-subsidies (read: giving away razors to sell razor blades) as they pertain to the web products and their near-zero operating costs. You can have a free lunch so long as someone else picks up the tab, maintains Anderson.
While the article was informative, I don’t think the strategy of giving is “the future of business,” rather it’s an effective marketing tool for select web companies — not everyone, and especially not for offline ventures. Still, Anderson presents some compelling evidence that “free” will become more ubiquitous than I currently believe.
Ironically, and in an effort to deflect the “wait a minute, your product isn’t free” criticism, Wired is offering up to 10,000 copies of its March 2008 issue at not cost to you (a fraction of the 500,000+ issues the publisher sells every month, mind you). Not quite what I’d call “practice what you preach,” but then again, I don’t think Anderson’s article endorses the demise of direct sales altogether, even if his headline does.
Lindsey and I were discussing off-brands last month with our good friends, the Andersens — specifically, what generic imitations we refuse to buy as consumers. Personally, I will never substitute the following products with an inexpensive alternative:
If you haven’t noticed, Apple prints “Designed by Apple in California” on the back every iPod and iPhone it sells, sometimes in a ridiculously tiny font size. Joel on Software tells why:
“These five words evoke a flurry of happy memories… Apple in California is, of course, on the literal level, a computer company, and not a very nice one, but put those words together and you think of apple orchards, and the Beatles, and you think of how Forrest Gump got rich off of Apple stock. And ‘designed in California…’ It’s not made. It’s designed. In California. Like a surfboard. Or a Lockheed XP-80.”
In short, California stands out by being the hippiest of all United States. And unlike its competitors, who outsource both product design and manufacturing overseas, Apple keeps its design rightfully in-house — at all times and at all costs. Continue reading…
Says the New York Times:
“Research shows that among the youngest Internet users, the primary creators of Web content (blogs, graphics, photographs, Web sites) are digitally effusive teenage girls (not boys).”
I believe it.
ABC News published an interesting story this week about a middle-class kid who imposed homelessness upon himself and claimed to never use his degree to upgrade his life over the course of a year. Ten months later, he had an apartment, a car, and $5000 in savings from nothing more than $25 and a gym bag, suggesting that the American Dream is alive and well, and that hard work alone can overcome poverty.
I believe in the last line adamantly, but the experiment fails to consider certain variables that the privileged kid was unable to isolate. First, he’s male and white — that helps. Second, college is more than just a piece of paper, so even if the kid didn’t market his degree, he was capable of greater deductive reasoning, logic, and creativity than most homeless folk. Lastly, he was fortunate enough to carry (though he never used) an emergency credit card.
So was the experiment a success? I think so for the most part, though I’d like to see the result using a motivated individual with no background resources at all. Penny for your thoughts?
Upon my return from cruising last week, and following Lindsey’s post, here are my favorites photos from our lovely trip. Good times were had by all.
Grand Cayman from the excursion boat Continue reading…
The details:
Lindsey and I will be leaving on our first cruise this Saturday, departing from Miami on Sunday to tour the Caribbean. Any pointers for a cruising noob? Disembark? Don’t disembark? To the comments with you, kind reader!
NOTE: As a result of our travels, Smooth Harold will be on a publishing hold until Monday, February 18 at the earliest. Have a great week, everyone.
Ever wonder which controller has the best battery life? If so, you’re in the right place. Over the last month, we juxtaposed Xbox 360, Wii, and PS3 controllers at GamePro Towers to find out which ones go the distance. Though our research is far from scientific, we isolated all obvious variables, rigorously documented our findings, and worked in an uncontaminated testing environment for optimal significance.
For our tests, we cleaved to the following criteria: We only used out-of-the box hardware — that means no charger packs for 360 and Wii, which must be purchased separately. We played a wide variety of games on each console, including lengthy single-player adventures and shallow downloadable games, both online and off. We played for varying time intervals, from fifteen minutes to upwards of eight hours (Hello weekends!). We used Duracell CopperTops for 360 and Wii testing. And we deemed all battery(s) dead after attempting to reconnect the controller for a third consecutive time. Behold, the results:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=339ixMtHrVk[/youtube]
A video mashup of Daft Punk‘s “Around the World” and The Charleston, first popularized in 1923. All good things do come full circle…
[Thanks, Steven]
I applaud what Utah’s CP80 and similar anti-porn groups are trying to do: keep smut away from the curious eyes of children. But some of their ideas are just ridiculous.
Take this one for example: a new bill introduced last month by Rep. Bradley Daw (R-Orem) that seeks to age-gate all wireless networks in Utah, including the one in your home. Failure to comply would result in penalty for the operator, not the offender or offended. In other words, you are your brother’s explicit keeper, by law even — not by agency.
On this, a near-deciding Super Tuesday in American politics, Freakonomics author Stephen J. Dubner reminds us that statistically, your vote is rarely a deciding factor in an election. I’m posting this to feel good about myself for not voting today, especially after sending a fiscally conservative Ron Paul a coupla benjis in contributions which weren’t enough.
See also: My homeland is in a world of hurt | The silver lining of mainstream POTUS candidates
Wikipedia highlights: “In contrast to many of the star players of his era, Sanders was noted for his on-field humility. Despite his flashy playing style, Sanders was rarely seen celebrating after the whistle was blown. Instead, he preferred to hand the ball to a referee or congratulate his teammates… he never spiked the ball after a touchdown.”
I had the privilege of watching Sanders live in 1988 at Oklahoma State, while my father was a professor there. He is the greatest running back I’ve ever seen.
Lindsey and I finished our taxes early this year, e-filing on Tuesday with our people. It feels good to put that one in the “completed” folder.
What’s more, I saved a grundle in 2007 by filing as an s-corp instead of a partnership (note: the federal government does not recognize an LLC, a state entity, so Uncle Sam defaults to a partnership filing for tax purposes). Couple that with an additional tax credit for our second child born in October, and the Snow family will be spoiled with its first return in three years.
The downside: flat revenues also contributed to the return, though I honestly can’t complain. Not one bit. Have you done your taxes?
This FPS franchise has made its name with unbeatable action and speed that is — yes, unreal. Does this UT for the PS3 live up to its name? Find out in Blake Snow’s review of Unreal Tournament III, developed by Epic Games and published by Midway.
Hawk’s back with more sick skateboard combos in Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground — does the game prove itself on the Wii? Blake Snow reviews the skate park sim developed by Page 44 and published by Activision.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPgV6-gnQaE[/youtube]
[via email. thanks, brooks!]
Kratos is back in another hack-and-slash action-adventure on the PS2 — does this next generation of his saga hold up on last-gen hardware? Blake Snow reviews God of War II, developed by SCE Studios Santa Monica and published by Sony.
Having spent the majority of my time as a video game critic since the latter half of 2006, I say this a lot when confronted by my peers. Yesterday I was “working” on a feature article that required my playing an excessive amount of games. Lindsey’s friend Stephanie came over, only to find me in my living room saving a digital world from evil, in the middle of the day even. “I swear, this is for work,” I said.
My tax people (H&R Block Premium represent) have also heard this excuse as well. Knowing that few individuals can legitimately write-off video game purchases, Sallie, who does both my business and personal filings, documents the expense as “research materials” so as not to raise any red flags. “I swear, this is for work,” I maintain.
Is it really work, then? I wouldn’t go that far. But I have played games against my will to meet a deadline. What I will say is that this is how I make a living. So if you ever hear me retort, “I swear, this if for work,” what I really mean is, “I swear, I’m not dorking around.”
In his defense [Leezy Lindsey]
A statement from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reads: “President Gordon B. Hinckley, who led The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through twelve years of global expansion, has died at the age of 97… from causes incident to age.
“His quick wit and humor, combined with an eloquent style at the pulpit, made him one of the most loved of modern Church leaders. A profoundly spiritual man, he had a great fondness for history and often peppered his sermons with stories from the Church’s pioneer past.”
In my lifetime, I respected this man as a prophet of God.
I’ve blogged about Helvetica before (my review here), and now that the documentary is posted in its entirety on Google Video, there’s really no reason for anyone not to see it. Get that!
After visiting CNN.com yesterday for the first time in over a year, I stumbled upon this interesting poll: 92 percent of Americans admit to being liars, 2 percent lie about being liars, and 6 percent admit to lying while polling. Now you know.
If I had it my way, I’d elect Ron Paul as president of the United States, because the most important issue in my mind is avoiding U.S. bankruptcy (which is coming). The only way to do that is by being fiscally conservative — something Paul excels at (in theory).
While President Bush may be conservative in his beliefs, I’m told he has spent more tax dollars (and borrowed more money) than any other U.S. president. That’s not conservative. So whomever gets the nomination next November, it’s likely they’ll be more responsible with foreign credit cards than Bush has been. That’s a good thing, whatever their larger political beliefs may be.
Ars Technica reports: “A new UK report on the habits of the ‘Google Generation’ finds that kids born since 1993 aren’t quite the Internet super-sleuths they’re sometimes made out to be. For instance, are teens better with technology than older adults? Perhaps, but they also ‘tend to use much simpler applications and fewer facilities than many imagine.'”
A Digg user responds: “Quite true — my youngest brother (14) is constantly asking me how to do this or that on his computer. Usually it’s quite simple, and the first thing I ask him is if he Googled it first. The answer is invariably ‘no.’ Kids are lazy, no matter when they were born.”
In December of 2007, game developer Guerrilla Games admitted to altering newly released Killzone 2 screenshots in order to make them look more attractive. “There are only the tiniest bit touched up,” said the company’s QA manager, Seb Downie, in a PlayStation.com reply to savvy gamers who noticed discrepancies when compared to actual gameplay footage. “There was a little bit of color-correction done and some minor polish, but nothing major,” he maintained.
Indeed, the advertised screenshot was hardly a radical improvement over its in-game counterpart. But it wasn’t the first time Guerrilla Games had altered the game’s appearance, either. Killzone 2’s debut trailer, shown in 2005, looked a lot more glamorous than it did two years later when proper gameplay was shown at E3. And who can forget EA’s exaggerated 2005 promo for its next-gen Madden? The screenshots looked superb, but the actual gameplay looked glaringly inferior when it was released later that year.
The Proof is in the Pudding
Faked, enhanced, or otherwise augmented screenshots are commonly called “bullshots.” Their intent is to make a game look more appealing than it actually is, and their occurrence has largely existed since video games were first commercialized. So are bullshots misleading or just good marketing?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72nPf4UaemU[/youtube]
Jump the shark – a term to describe a moment when something that was once great has reached a point where it will now decline in quality and popularity. Going downhill. (The Urban Dictionary)
My favorite part is at 4:09 in, where Richie says, “A shark! That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard… Fonz, you’re not jumping over garbage cans on a bike, you’re jumping over a shark!” The suspense crescendos at 8:35.
I watched an inspiring documentary on PBS this weekend — Harvesting the Wind narrated by Morgan Freeman. The film profiles wind farmers from southwest Minnesota, and how they are harvesting wind energy to provide local power and supplemental income for a decline in crop profitability.
The idea, which has shown initial success, is that wind farming can bring business back to small town America, without multinationals owning all the pie. In Minnesota, more than 25 percent of wind farms are owned by private individuals or cooperatives to keep money within the community.
In light of recent news that Warner Bros picked Blu-ray over HD-DVD, there’s talk that the HD format war is essentially over, as nearly 75 percent of all studios pick Blu. Paramount and Universal, the last of the big five movie studios, are rumored to be following suit in an effort to avoid consumer confusion at retail.
Even though I own a Blu-ray player, I’m kind of rooting for a stale mate so we can bypass optical media altogether and go straight to downloads. I don’t even buy Blu-ray movies (only renting them) because I’m unconvinced that’s how HD should be consumed. Sure, the picture is gorgeous, though to a lesser extent than the transition from VHS to DVD. So I ask…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqynFkoToeI[/youtube]
As seen on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno discussing his recent exclusion from a Fox News Republican debate, and why Mitt Romney shouldn’t lose the nomination because of his religion (filmed Jan. 7, 2008). Vote Ron Paul.
The term soft drink (more commonly known as pop, soda, or soda pop in parts of the United States and Canada, or simply coke in the South, or fizzy drinks in the U.K.; sometimes called minerals in Ireland) refers to drinks, often carbonated, that do not contain alcohol. — Wikipedia
After sucking down my second glass of sudsy A&W Cream Soda this morning, I might have to give it the nod. Either that or delicious Shirley Temples. What’s your favorite soft drink?
I’m no fan of new year’s resolutions. I think individuals should resolve to improve on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, not yearly. But I am big believer in learning from the previous year, which brings me to my list of top educational attainments and the last post of 2007.
GamePro lists the biggest stories of the year – some shocking, others far-reaching, everything you need to know.
Lindsey plays a moving rendition of Oh Come All Ye Faithful on the flute.
Sadie and Maddie in front of the tree.
Sadie ponders the true meaning of Christmas… Continue reading…
The AP reports: “Zach Brooks pocketed $1,000 this month blogging about the cheap lunches he discovers around midtown Manhattan. The site, Midtownlunch.com, is just a year and a half old and gets only about 2,000 readers daily…”
Without soliciting ad space, I averaged $575/month ($19/day) in 2007 across my two blogs (the other being Infendo). They garner a combined 3,000 daily readers. (Casual time spent keeps me operating at a loss, however.) Note: I don’t use Google AdSense because Tribal Fusion and Value Click pay better in my experience.
By my calculations, then, I make lunch money fit for two. Not rich, but then again, I didn’t start blogging to make money (believe it or not) — I started blogging because I’m opinionated and like writing.
When you consider the incidental networking opportunities created by daily blogging, however (read: people who find or read your blog and offer high-paying gigs), I am a rich man. Not TechCrunch rich. But new rich at the least.
I shutter to think were I’d be today without blogging — personally, professionally, and financially.
Headline and image courtesy the Associated Press
Amid the myriad of mediocrity and contrary to popular belief, there are several high caliber Wii games deserving of your time. These are the best so far limited to only one mini-game and excluding GameCube ports. Let the listing begin!
I could be wrong, but I believe Utah is one of the safest states in the nation.
So safe, in fact, that fellow coppers quickly get bored with their uneventful professions and back each other up on routine traffic violations, as depicted above (taken from my living room window).
I see this regularly; 2-3 patrol cars for every one perpetrator. Here’s an idea, Utah — reduce the number of cops and cut taxes! Yeah, I just went there.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxz9pRDtvmk[/youtube]
I imagine this is what Brodhi looked like riding the fifty year storm in Point Break before drowning in peril. Amazing.
Despite my chubbish looks, I drink more than eight cups of water per day. I down the stuff, in fact.
Since first working from home circa 2003, I regularly filled a large, blue plastic cup with H20 several times daily. Over the years, I switched to a variety of water bottles for convenience purposes — ones with narrow openings, semi-wide openings, and suck contraptions.
I’m happy to report that I’m now back to cups. It’s less work, I don’t need convenience (I work at a desk), and cups have better functionality than pobre bottles.
What was I thinking? So do you intake water from a cup or bottle during the workday?
For those who don’t know me personally, I’m a big fan of electronic music. I can listen to the stuff for hours and perhaps even listen to it more than live compositions — the sound is just so tight, so crisp.
Raymond Scott, a sound engineer and musician born in 1908, was an early pioneer of electronic music. I understand he was one of the first artists to create songs using only computers.
Recorded sometime between 1953-’69, this is one of my favorite tracks of his. I shutter to think where we’d be musically without this man’s contributions. Good stuff.
NEW YORK (AP) — Page after page, Roger Clemens’ name was all over the Mitchell Report.Count them, 82 times.
Barry Bonds showed up more often. So did Jose Canseco. Andy Pettitte, Eric Gagne and Miguel Tejada also became part of baseball’s most infamous lineup since the 1919 Black Sox scandal.
But they didn’t get the worst of it Thursday. That infamy belonged to Clemens, the greatest pitcher of his era.
The Steroids Era. continue reading…
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=lWF8KV4IW5o[/youtube]
Flying at 100 miles per hour in France — easily one of the coolest videos I’ve ever seen on YouTube. Be sure to watch until the end. Wingsuit flying [Wikipedia]
[Via email. Thanks Clay!]
I finally saw Helvetica on DVD last night with my non-designy wife. Some thoughts: Continue reading…
Parents say the darndest things to influence kids — especially when their two-year-olds constantly question “Why?” after every command, like my daughter.
For example, she has this stuffed Elmo she takes wherever she goes. Expectedly, Lindsey and I are trying to put the kibosh on that — more for convenience than principle. So when leaving for church yesterday morning, my daughter wanted to take Elmo. “No,” her mother replied, to which Sadie quickly retorted, “Why?”
“Because Elmo doesn’t believe in God — he’s an atheist.”
Later that night, while trying to persuade Sadie to eat her veggies after she repeatedly questioned “Why?” I said, “Because Elmo’s a corn-eating fool.”
In a single day, the muppet became a corn-eating atheist. God bless his soul.
Steven Smith, my whiz-kid of a brother-in-law, believes Circuit City, Best Buy, and other electronics retailers may be purposefully degrading the signal of low-end HDTVs in an effort to maximize the sale of more expensive HDTVs. Although unconfirmed, he may be right.
Michael Jackson is a freak — and I’m not talking about his exorbitant lifestyle or questionable relationship with children. I’m talking about his superlative ability to sing, dance, and entertain.
His seminal album, Thriller, was released 25 years ago this week. Selling an unthinkable 104 million copies worldwide, it’s still the second most widely purchased album of all time after the Eagle’s Greatest Hits.
It is impossible to listen to this album and not bounce your head, rock your hips, or move your feet. Although difficult in picking just one, I’ll say Human Nature is my favorite song from this well-aged record. It’s a shame Jackson wasn’t as talented offstage.
This is the front grill of my 1999 Jeep Cherokee after colliding with a large deer while heading south on East Canyon Road just outside of Orem. You should have seen the deer.
I’m happy to report that Lindsey, Sadie, Maddie, and I are all fine — though it could have been much worse had I not just plowed through the thing, especially given the snowy conditions. Jeep is currently under repair at the body shop.
Immediately after hitting the prancing beast at 55 miles per hour and pulling over to power down my smoking engine, Sadie kept repeating, “Scary.” It was.
