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.
Continue reading at Crispy Gamer…
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.
Continue reading at Crispy Gamer…
[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.
Continue reading at Crispy Gamer…
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.
Continue reading…
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?
Continue reading at GamePro…
[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.
Continue reading…
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.
- More really is merrier.
I’m the proud father of two girls instead of one as of October. Before the latest arrival (Hi, Maddie!), I errantly thought that two kids would double the parenting workload. In reality, it feels more like a 1.5 workload with a 2.5 return. Challenging, yes, but even more rewarding than I imagined. Continue reading…
GamePro lists the biggest stories of the year – some shocking, others far-reaching, everything you need to know.
Continue reading at GamePro…
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!
Continue reading at GamePro…
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.
Continue reading…
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.
I’ve uploaded a handful of recent images to Flickr after Lindsey and I erected our Christmas tree on Tuesday. Peep ’em, if you dare. Oh, and expect a steady influx of photo blogging in the coming days — the newness of this camera has yet to wear off.
Holidaze 2007 (or Blake tries out the new DSLR) [Flickr]
I spent the last hour reading allegations that Eidos dangled a six-digit advertising deal over GameSpot’s head in order to have long-time editor Jeff Gerstmann fired for the critical tone of his now-pulled 6/10 video review of Kane and Lynch (a text-only review remains). Whatever the real story, Gerstmann is currently out of a job.Truth be told, game makers have long since pressured gaming media to publish favorable game reviews as a higher score equates to greater sales. And while most publications will tell you otherwise (even self-serving at times), my sources confirm that several outlets have delt with the dilemma and even succumbed to filthy lucre.
The good news is the current publicity surrounding the issue will end up benefiting our favorite hobby in terms of its integrity, or lack thereof. Sadly, I’m not sure my fellow gamers want honest reviews, at least from the critics.
Continue reading at Infendo…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3BTuX_7qXI[/youtube]
Here’s a clever Canadian TV spot released in 2007 for Mr. Sub that lampoons Mormon missionaries — something I had the honor of experiencing for two years (’99-00) while in Brazil. Good times. Funny commercial.[via Don Loper]
Google has released an updated version of Google Maps Mobile (2.0) that includes a “my location” feature in addition to the proven mapping goodness. The jerry rig GPS uses cell towers to approximate your positioning. I tried it on my Blackberry, and it was eight blocks off from my actual position — but still pretty good for my general vicinity. You’d be screwed in areas with zero cell phone service, but cool nonetheless. Here’s hoping accuracy increases once the application leaves beta.
Photo credit: GigaOm
Rob Walker of the New York Times seemingly belittles the enjoyment level of my latest addiction, Guitar Hero III. And I quote:
“You’re not actually playing the guitar. No matter how good you may get at Guitar Hero, if you decide to take up the real instrument at some point, you’ll be starting from scratch.”
Being that the man writes for the Times, I’m sure he can appreciate the difference between the entertaining fantasy of video games and the dedication required to learn, play, and ultimately enjoy creating live music — in this case with a guitar.
Guitar Hero works, however, because it convincingly feels like you are a seasoned musician, even if you play real guitar like myself.
I’ve played rhythm guitar for 14 years now. I’ve also performed live in several bands to crowds upwards of 300 people. It is a powerful experience.
Why would I play Guitar Hero then? Because I can be the lead guitarist that I never was. Because I can play songs that otherwise would take much more practice to pull off. Because I can stir feelings from my youth — a memorable time in my life that has since past as the adult in me pursues more rewarding ends.
That’s why.
Lindsey, Sadie, Maddie, and I took a three hour drive to Moab, Utah the day after Thanksgiving to do a little casual site seeing. In between Sadie’s public disturbances, we managed to take some pictures of the beautiful red rock country.
Arches National Park
Here’s Lindsey and Maddie about two thirds into the three mile Delicate Arch hike. Unfortunately for six week old Maddie, this is one of the few pictures of her as she opted for sleep in lieu of curiosity.
Continue reading…
We’re betting you already have an ample supply of choice games to play this Christmas given the recent glut of releases. But that doesn’t mean the following titles aren’t deserving of your attention. Afflicted by a lack of advertising, an unfamiliar name, or just taking a back seat to Halo and Mario, these unsung holiday games should be on your radar — if not your game shelf.
Continue reading at GamePro…
Publicly professing your gratitude once a year makes up for an otherwise selfish individual, right? Whatever the case, here are 10 things I’m thankful for in 2007, a day before Thanksgiving — some genuine, others with tongue in cheek. Continue reading…
Lindsey and I were channel surfing on Saturday night before stopping on PBS HD to listen to the charismatic Paolo Nutini live in concert. I came away very impressed with the 20-year old Scottish-Italian that sounds like a mix of Bob Marly and Bob Dylan. Man, can he sing.
His album, These Streets, features the most original lyrics I’ve listened to all year. Last Request, Rewind, Million Faces, These Streets, New Shoes, White Lies, and Autumn all come highly recommended. Definitely check out this easy listening if you haven’t already.
[Currently Drinking: Shirley Temple]
To fade or not to fade, that is the question.
Fact: Nintendo’s Wii is on track to outsell Sony’s record-setting PS2 at 115 million units sold. That’s according to comparative NPD sales data for both systems. No other console has sold faster in its first eight months of availability than the Wii.
Despite its undisputed initial success, however, several industry pundits remain unconvinced. “The Wii will fade,” they say, suggesting that the machine’s novel motion-controls and antiquated graphics will soon cause the system to wane in popularity.
Continue reading at GamePro…
Our family camera of three and a half years has been having aperture issues for a while. The trusty Canon would still take pictures, but the quality was getting progressively worse. Still, that didn’t deter me from stretching my dollar.
This morning, however, I noticed spilt chocolate milk all over the camera. Lindsey and the girls were visiting their grandpa in Salt Lake City last night, and the two products must have crossed wires in the diaper bag.
It was as good of an excuse as any to finally upgrade to the digital SLR camera shown above.
I currently use Bloglines as my feed reader of choice. It’s gotten the job done over the past three years, and overall I’m happy with it. But if there were a feed reader that could do the following, I’d make the switch to a new platform:
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Timed feeds. I should be able to regulate my individual feed intake. I’ve already cut down my total feeds from 400 to 40, but there are still feeds that I’d like to have updated either once a week or once a month while others get updated daily.
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Feed restrictions. This is more of an extension of the above item, but I’d love to restrict feed consumptions during certain hours (read: 9-5) to optimize productivity. Mindless thumbing through my feeds is more fun than performing menial work that still needs to be done.
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Feed priority. Again, this is related to item one, but I’d consider bumping my feeds back up if I could prioritize and time them. Tagging would be nice as well as better integration with Del.ici.ous and/or saved feed items.
Does such a reader exists? How would you improve your feed reader?
Link
NOTE: I run XP on my desktop and OS X on my PowerBook.
I haven’t played in a band for years — until tonight. It wasn’t the kind I used to enjoy as a confused teenager or hipster undergrad. But it sure felt the same.
I’m talking about Guitar Hero III for Wii; specifically playing online together with an old friend from high school, Casey Willis.
We took turns playing imaginary guitar and bass in real-time on Fisher Price-like axes — he in Georgia, and I in Utah. Even though I work online for a living, I’m still amazed by the simple things the internet is capable of achieving. In this case helping two has-beens feel young again.
And we didn’t even have to deal with a mediocre PA system.
Libertarian underdog Ron Paul raised more than $4.2 million yesterday — the greatest single day fund raising amount of any Republican so far and third only to Clinton and Obama this year. The Associated Press tells why: “Paul advocates limited government and low taxes like other Republicans, but he stands alone as the only GOP presidential candidate opposed to the Iraq war. He also has opposed Bush administration security measures that he says encroach on civil liberties.”
My Blackberry inexplicably died on Saturday afternoon while napping on the kitchen counter. Two years of age seemingly put the kibosh on the device’s ability to connect to T-mobile.
So I called T-mobile to solve the issue. It turned out my phone had in fact died and was no longer under warranty. I would need to buy a new phone.
Reality bearing down, I decided to do what I’ve done so many times to successful results as a consumer: ask if my continued business would be worth an exception — in this case having to fork over $100 for a replacement.
“You’ve been with us a long time, Mr. Snow,” the last manager happily said over the phone. “We’ll send out a new phone right away (read: your $1200/year cell phone account is worth a $100 concession).”
Half of life is simply asking.
The conventional “rise in development cost” argument doesn’t always add up — here’s why.
When Microsoft released the Xbox 360 on November 22, 2005, it marked the first time that console gamers would be treated to high-definition graphics in all their detailed glory. It also marked the beginning of an era where major game publishers would impose a $10 next-gen tax — $60 per game instead of the usual $50.
Rumblings of a price increase for video games began in 2004 as publishers non-exclusively decided that a $10 price hike would help offset the rise in production costs as more and more money was being spent on big budget games. The move, in theory, would help mitigate the high risk of releasing video games. Microsoft and Sony obliged with the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), but interestingly not everyone got on board.
Continue reading at GamePro…
