by Graham Hall
Twilight - How I Lost What Little Remained of my Manliness
Tonight I watched Twilight with a friend of mine. It was (and I can’t believe I am about to write this) not that bad. Sure I can name quite a few movies better than Twilight but for what it is, it’s not that bad. Some of the dialog is pretty poor, but it does seem to fit the general cheesiness of the plot.
Basically the movie is about a girl who falls in love with a vampire that only drinks the blood of animals, and sparkles in the sunlight. Not exactly as frightening as Count Dracula or Barnabas Collins (20 internets to anybody who knows who that is), but he does look very creepy…in a pervert-like way.
The film itself is very spastic. One moment it’s all cute and happy, then without warning you’re thrust into a scene with the not-so-nice vampires hunting someone down, then back to happy and cute.
The movie doesn’t really start making any sort of sense until the very end, and even then everything is happening way to fast to keep up. Then just when I was getting into it the movie abruptly ends. I know its just part 1 of a series of movies, but at least give us some closure. I’ve never read the books, so maybe this is how the book ends as well, I have no idea.
So yeah, it’s not the greatest movie, but it’s a classic case of “it’s so bad its good”. And while it feels like its just the first act of a much longer story (actually I guess thats pretty much what it is), it has at the very least got me curious to see the next installment. Wow, I can’t believe I just admitted that…
Why Macs Are Better Than Windows (Or Linux)
I know what you’re thinking. “Oh boy, another Mac fanboy piece.” Well sorry to disappoint. I’m not going to blab on about Macs having a better user experience, or not getting viruses, those arguments are done to death.
The Mac OS is built to run on a specific line of computers. Windows (and also Linux) is designed to run on as many different hardware configurations as possible. In theory the Windows approach sounds great, but in practice it’s a terrible idea.
Apple has full control over the hardware that their OS goes on, so they can take the time to make sure everything works great with a specific GPU or a specific trackpad. Microsoft on the other hand has designed Windows to run on any computer with an Intel or AMD CPU and any ATI or Nvidia GPU, resulting in limitless configurations of hardware that can’t possibly be completely optimized for.
Then there’s drivers. All the necessary drivers are built into Mac OS X because Apple knows exactly what hardware it’s going to be installed on. With Windows you usually have to install or hunt online for the drivers you need for optimal performance, and even then you may hit issues with driver incompatibilities.
The only way Microsoft can fix Windows is by controlling the hardware it’s installed on, but chances are that will never happen. Thankfully, we have Mac.
Some Thoughts on Religion
I don’t really believe in an after-life. I don’t think that if we do bad things we go to Hell or if we do good things we go to Heaven. That’s not how I believe the world works. I do believe though that these concepts of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ really do affect us in some way. I believe the choices we make affect our lives right now, not what happens when we die.
My grandmother once encouraged me to follow a religion. She didn’t care which one, just that I chose one. I half-jokingly told her I would just make up my own and follow that, which she didn’t like very much. But I have my own beliefs that don’t really align with any religion that I know of, so it would be pretty pointless to just pick one.
This can get very interesting because of my Jewish background. Even though I really don’t follow the Jewish religion, I still call myself Jewish, which confuses a lot of people. What these people don’t seem to understand is that being Jewish is not just a religion, it’s a race, it’s in my genes! Chanukah, Passover, Rosh Hashanah, they’re still important to me for reasons that aren’t religious. (Though admittedly I never had a Bar Mitzvah)
At this point you’re probably calling me an atheist. Well no, I don’t consider myself an atheist at all. Why? Because being associated with a certain group means you’re automatically labeled with a stereotype. Yes I am aware that even atheists can be crazy lunatics. I often wonder how the sane Christians can even stand sharing a label with the crazy extremists who want to kill gays and non-believers. Seriously guys how can you stand it? I feel even worse for the muslims who aren’t going around bombing people. Every group has their crazies even though they don’t represent the majority, so I feel it’s safer to just distance myself from putting a label on my beliefs.
So, I believe that everyone has the right to believe what they like and nobody has the right to tell them they are wrong. People are so concerned about being right to the point of being scared that they could be wrong. There is no way of knowing who’s right so why don’t we all just believe what we believe and keep an open mind?
Yes, I Was Wrong About The iPad
Back when the iPad was first announced I hated it. To me it didn’t have much of a point. Why would someone buy a tablet with a cell phone OS? But like my initial hatred towards the iPhone, I have come to change my mind and now find myself wanting one. Yes, I went from “this is stupid” to “holy crap I want one”
“But Graham, you love your MacBook Pro!” Yes I do, but I’ve been looking for an excuse to want an iMac to replace it. But my lifestyle does not lend itself to being tethered to a desk whenever I want to use a computer, even though the iMac offers a much better cost to power value, and its large screen lends itself well to graphic design. But now with the iPad I have found the perfect solution; have an iMac for my heavy lifting like graphic design and gaming (which I normally do at my desk anyway), and an iPad for more relaxed use, like web surfing, Tweeting, and blogging.
So yes, I was wrong about the iPad being pointless. Just like I was wrong in my belief HD-DVD would trounce Blu-Ray, or my predictions that the Wii motion controller would be a flop (despite this prediction I still wanted one really bad, and now I love it).
I still stand by my firm belief that 3D is a fad though. But if I see any evidence to the contrary I will be among the first to admit my wrong-ness (though I will still think its a stupid gimmick).
My (Long Overdue) Review of Super Mario Galaxy 2
I got this game just days after release (because of Nintendo’s odd tradition of releasing games on Sundays making it impossible for Amazon to offer release date delivery on their stuff) even though I was less than in love with the first game.Yes, I loved the gameplay of the original, but it seemed to be packed with lots of unnecessary story.
The story in Galaxy 2 is simple: Princess Peach gets captured by Bowser (seriously I think she’s just getting kidnapped for kicks at this point), and Mario must venture into space to save her. In order to progress though, Mario must find power stars, which fuel Starship Mario, which is simply a planet in the shape of Mario’s head.
The gameplay is pretty much the same as it is in Galaxy, but you get all new levels, and a few new power-ups. And don’t forget Mario’s good pal Yoshi! Each level brings something new, and unlike most previous Mario games, themes do not seem to repeat themselves much, if at all, which gives Galaxy 2 some very nice variety that lacks greatly in most of today’s video games.
It’s a fun game, from the moment you start the first level, to the ending where Mario gets a cake that is decidedly not a lie. But wait! There’s more! Even after dealing the final blow to Bowser (in probably the most epic Bowser fight ever) there’s still more to do! The main game is only 6 worlds long, but after beating it, you unlock a secret 7th world. Though you will have to go back and get all the stars if you want to unlock all the bonus levels. The ones I’ve unlocked so far aren’t very long (each one takes about 2-3 minutes if you don’t die) but they are very tricky. While far from the hardest levels in the game, they will present a significant challenge to players who aren’t prepared.
So the final verdict? If yo
u have a Wii, you need to get this game! No seriously, buy it. Now.
What is Genius?
Genius is not just someone who is smart. Genius is something more. Genius thinks creatively, outside the box. A genius uses their knowledge in new ways. Genius moves the world forward. Genius brought us the best in science, technology, and art. Genius doesn’t always get straight A’s. Genius doesn’t always do everything right. Genius is not always understood or appreciated.
Can genius be learned? Or is it something you’re born with? Neither. Genius is the way one sees and perceives the world. Genius is the way one hears and listens to the world. Genius is the way one touches and feels the world. Take the time to look at the world from a new perspective and you may discover the genius in you.
Video Game Ratings
I’ve never really liked the ESRB (Entertainment Software Ratings Board) ratings that all the game boxes in America are plastered with. This is because they are not very informative, and because kids are different. Whats appropriate for one kid might not be for another, and vise versa. Sure the ratings often come with small descriptors, but these are usually quite vague and unhelpful. “Rated Teen for comic mischief.” Gee thats helpful.
There should be a set of categories assigned to each game, each one rated out of 5 based on the severity. So for example your average shooter would have ratings like:
1Language: 2
2Violence: 4
3Drugs & Alcohol Use: 1
Also, game retailers could train their staff in the specifics on this system so that parents can direct their concerns to them. Obviously games with strong adult content should be marked as such though.
Also, maybe this would stop game retailers carding everybody for M-Rated games, though I doubt it.
Fanboyism
It’s a hot and muggy today and I decided to be curious about fanboyism, basically extreme brand-loyalty. I was curious as to why people get so defensive about their choice of product. I did a bit of research on the topic (2 minutes on Google) and found an interesting piece on Gizmodo Australia.
Basically, the article says that we rationalize preferring the things we do, often to the point of absurdity. Here’s an excerpt I found very interesting:
“In experiments where people were given Coke and Pepsi in unmarked cups and then hooked up to a brain scanner, the device clearly showed a certain number of them preferred Pepsi while tasting it.
“When those people were told they where drinking Pepsi, a fraction of them, the ones who had enjoyed Coke all their lives, did something unexpected. The scanner showed their brains scrambling the pleasure signals, dampening them. They then told the experimenter afterward they had preferred Coke in the taste tests.
“They lied, but in their subjective experiences of the situation, they didn’t. They really did feel like they preferred Coke after it was all over, and they altered their memories to match their emotions.”
This also got me thinking that it’s not just companies and brands that people become “fanboys” of, but also religions and political parties. It certainly makes sense, you see it everywhere, people rabidly defending their position with Christianity vs Atheism, or Liberal vs Conservative, while putting down the opposing viewpoint. So next time someone says Obama is a socialist, or atheists are devil-worshippers, you can just call them a fanboy.
(quote source: https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2010/06/fanboyism-and-brand-loyalty/ )
The Good Things
I’m feeling pretty down, and when I feel that way I like to remind myself of the things in my life that are good. It’s easy to forget what’s good in our lives when there’s so much negativity in the world.
• My new cousin who was born on Monday. From what I’ve heard he’s doing well.
• My family, who are there to support me when they can.
• My lovely girlfriend, who puts up with my crap, and is always there for me when she can.
What’s good in your life?
Kids and Video Games
A while back I wrote some ideas for the video game rating system, well today I learned why maybe the rating system in its current form is not so bad after all. I was at a cookout with my girlfriend (some church thingy) and I was talking to this kid, had to have been 8 or 9, and he was telling me about all the video games he likes to play. I missed the name of them, but I’m pretty sure one of the games was half-life 2 (a game that made me poop myself a couple times) and the other one I didn’t recognize but involved cutting peoples heads off.
Now I’m not one of those people whos like “VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES ARE EVIL AND MUST BE BANNED!!” but it just goes to show that some parents are to lazy and/or incompetent to pay attention to what their kids are playing. Ok I really shouldn’t assume but what would this kids mother say if she actually saw what this kid was playing?
Maybe I’m just a bitter 20 year old gamer who pines for the golden age of gaming. Before trophies, quicktime events, and elaborate cinematic cutscenes.
Being Alone
After a night out with friends, or a family gathering, or even just a day of work I like to just be alone. I’ll just spend all my free time on that day just reading a book, playing a video game, surfing the web, or cleaning my apartment. Maybe it’s not the healthiest way to live but there you have it.
To me, solitude is just as important as interacting with people. But either one in excess drives me crazy! If I was around people all day, every day, I would lose my mind. Likewise if I was alone al day every day I would lose my mind. Like anything its about finding balance.
Alone time is when I get everything done. I vacuum the floor. I wash the dishes. I write on my blog. I beat a video game. This is why I live alone, I would find roommates a distraction from what I need to do. Fortunately I have a girlfriend who is very understanding of my quirky ways and would probably be very easy for me to live with, beyond the normal difficulties of living with someone.
So what are some of your weird quirks or habits? Are there people in your life who are understanding of these quirks?
The Bus
Once in a while I have to take public transportation and I really don’t like it. It’s not the inconvenience of it’s crappy state in Rhode Island, but it’s the people. It’s not that I hate being around people, I just don’t like being around more than a few people. It’s the same reason I avoid parties or crowded restaurants, it just bothers me a ton.
Usually I like to drown out the people by bringing my iPod and listening to music or sometimes watching a TV show (Doctor Who is my favorite) and this usually works, but is only really acceptable on the bus.
I also find ways to discourage people from sitting next to me if I don’t know them. Usually my bag occupies the seat next to me, unless the bus is so crowded that it would be insanely rude of me. Though that doesn’t usually happen unless people are flocking to the beach like it’s their last chance before the eternal winter to cook themselves with UV rays.
I have had people try to talk to me on the bus. These are usually crazy people with no sense of body language. To them “please don’t talk to me” means “please talk to me, I’m so lonely”. So they do. They also tend to be very good at detecting somebody who is not having a good day, because they seem to gravitate towards me when I’m feeling cranky.
There are also people who like to blast their music (with music being a very generous word) so you can hear exactly what they’re listening to. Did I mention they’re wearing headphones? Yeah, why do these people think everybody else wants to hear their crap? At least I can take comfort in the fact that these people will be deaf in a few years. Of course now I hear that headphone use at any volume can lead to hearing loss. I would say that’s ironic but the Internet has totally screwed me up on what that word means.
And do I really need to talk about the moms yelling at their equally obnoxious kids? Or the random guy who asks you for cigarettes?
Do you take public transportation? What kind of people do you
see when you do?
The State of Broadband
So I read an article on Ars Technica today about broadband speeds in the US. I was reading some comments from people and they all seem to say the same thing: my broadband sucks. One commenter said “forget the 4mbps dl; how do i get my hands on this 1mbps up? thats a bit wild.” Now I pay a reasonable amount for my broadband and I get 13-15 Mbps download and 4-7 Mbps upload, depending on the day, so this guy either has very cheap internet access or his ISP sucks.
Out of curiosity I looked up average broadband speeds by country. The US averages at 3.9 Mbps download. I had to read that twice for it to sink in. I can upload data faster than the average American can download it! Now again, I’m not paying some outrageous amount of money for my broadband. In fact, I checked the average cost of broadband in the US and according to the FCC, its about $46.25, which is actually more than I pay!
Ok, so I have higher than average broadband speeds, yet I pay less than average. This seems crazy to me. I think what I’ve learned here is that the average American gets ripped off by their ISP, and that I should never again complain about my broadband speeds.
iOS and the Death (or not) of the Mac
The more advanced Apple’s iOS gets, the more I realize that we’re looking at the future of mainstream computing. iOS is actually a very powerful operating system, it is built on Mac OS X after all. But iOS is able to deliver this power with a very simplistic presentation. Sure, until recently it couldn’t do basic things like cut-and-paste, and even more recently, multi-tasking, but it’s maturing. In a few years I expect that iOS will start getting some serious competition.
iOS takes out all the hassle that is present in its bigger brother, Mac OS X. Of course, this comes with a tradeoff, and that’s freedom. You don’t have access to the filesystem, and you’re restricted to using apps available from the App Store (unless you jailbreak, but thats another story). It sounds crazy, but to the average user it can be very liberating. The average user doesn’t want to worry if they’re deleting something they shouldn’t, or if the app they’re downloading isn’t trustworthy. Apple led the way in usability with the GUI and the Macintosh, now they’re going to the next step with multi-touch and iOS.
Now I’m not saying computers as we know them will disappear, but I think they’ll be reserved for the people who need the power and flexibility. To use an analogy made by Steve Jobs at All Things Digital this year, not everybody needs a truck. So for all you people who fear the end of the Mac, don’t fret. The personal computer isn’t going anywhere, and the people at Apple aren’t stupid. iOS devices will certainly be Apple’s biggest sellers, but what are the people who develop and create the content for these devices going to use? A Mac!
I think Apple wants to control the creation (Mac), distribution (iTunes), and consumption (iOS) of content. The developers, the authors, and the artists (the ‘crazy ones’) use the Mac to create their content, which is then sold through iTunes to the masses to be consumed on iOS.
Well I started writing this intending on writing a piece on why I think iOS is the future of computing and I ended up talking about how it’s not really the end of the Mac. That how my mind works, I start off thinking one thing and I go off on a tangent. I’m done now though, I could just keep on going and going.
My Thoughts on Music Pricing
If you’re familiar with iTunes you’ll know probably see lots of $0.99 songs and a few $1.29 songs. Until a couple years ago all songs were $0.99 but the record industry wanted more flexible pricing. Now I think this was a stupid move.
$0.99 is the perfect impulse purchase price for a song. If I find a song I like and it’s $0.99 I don’t even think about it, I just hit the buy button. But if the song I want is $1.29 it becomes more of a thought out position. “Do I really want this song? Is it worth that much to me?” I don’t think I’m the only person who thinks that way, and I know that a couple record companies have lost a few sales to me simply because their song was $1.29.
Or maybe I am just crazy which is very likely.
Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland - A Review
A few weeks ago I heard about a new RPG coming out for the PlayStation 3 called Atelier Rorona and I was very intrigued. So about a week after it came out I hustled down to my local GameStop and picked it up. It came in a large box for a video game because it included a very nice hard-cover art book. You can check out my full unboxing here.
The style of Atelier Rorona is very different than most games of the RPG genre. Instead of focusing on battling and making your characters stronger, you focus on crafting items through alchemy, and raising your skill level in that area. That’s not to say that fighting isn’t an important part of the game. You often find yourself in the wilderness, searching for items you can use for alchemy, and of course you’re guaranteed to run into a fair share of monsters.
The battle system usually makes or breaks an RPG, but in Atelier Rorona the simplistic battle system actually works. Yeah it’s not the strongest part of the game, but it doesn’t need to be. The battles are short, and can actually be pretty challenging if you haven’t upgraded your equipment. One element of the battle system I have issue with is how special skills are handled. Unlike most RPGs that have separate meters that get depleted when you use special skills, in Atelier Rorona using special skills take away from your HP. It creates an interesting challenge but in can get annoying when your healer doesn’t have enough HP to use a healing move.
The alchemy system is where this game shines. At first it starts off very easy with most items only requiring 1 or 2 ingredients. As you progress though, you’ll be able to create more items requiring more ingredients, and even other alchemy items. Also, the traits of the items you create become very important, so you end up having to choose your ingredients very carefully. Another factor is quality, which is pretty simple, basically the higher quality ingredients you use the higher quality your final item will turn out.
The story it pretty basic. You play as a young girl with self-confidence issues, named Rorona, who works for a very incompetent and lazy alchemy master, named Astrid, at a shop that the kingdom of Arland is threatening to shut down unless they can complete certain jobs for the kingdom. So of course the whole thing gets unloaded on you, and Astrid puts you in charge of the alchemy shop. Every 3 months (in-game time, thankfully) you get a new assignment that must be completed by the time you get your next assignment. This occurs over the course of 3 years, and during that time you meet some very interesting characters, most of whom can join you to gather ingredients.
The graphics are beautiful. When you first put in the game you are greeted by a very lovely anime movie, and all the in-game graphics fit in very nicely. The game itself is almost entirely 3D, but the graphics are rendered with cell shading, very similar to The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker. Also, all characters have beautifully drawn 2D sprites that pop up during dialog scenes, though unfortunately these are not animated.
Yes, there are voice overs. You have the choice between English and Japanese, and though I haven’t played it with Japanese turned on, I can tell you that the English voices are…decent. Rorona’s voice can get annoying after a while, but thankfully only the major scenes even have voice over, which would seem like a bad thing but in this game it’s not. I have read that the Japanese voice-over is much more extensive.
Overall it’s a good game. I have thoroughly enjoyed playing it, and while it not be everybody’s cup of tea, it’s certainly a unique experience and perfect for someone who’s looking for something different. The inclusion of the art book really makes it a great value. If you’re a fan of Japanese RPGs you’d be doing yourself a great disservice by overlooking this game.
Video Game Morals
I’ve noticed something about how I play video games with moral choice systems. When I play these kinds of games I tend to make decisions based on what I think I would do if I was in the characters situation.
I personally believe games are supposed to be fun (which is why I refuse to play Farmville) and somehow being evil for the sake of being evil just isn’t that fun, even when it’s all pretend. Running around blowing up cars and killing random civilians started off as a fun diversion, but after a while the guilt sets in and I just start feeling pity for the half-dozen polygons I just snuffed with my thunder drop.
Fable: The Lost Chapters had a similar moral system and I reacted very similarly to the negative choices I made. After massacring an entire town I began to feel very guilty, to the point where I actually reverted to a previous save from before my virtual mass homicide.
This might be why I have trouble playing games like Grand Theft Auto. I once tried to seriously play through Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and I completed maybe 2 or 3 missions before I just decided it wasn’t any fun simply because shooting innocent civilians just isn’t fun. Though I will say I had no problems bustin’ some digital caps in some trigger-happy NPCs’ behinds.
Does anyone else apply their own real-life moral compass to how they play video games or am I just insane?
My Favorite Video Games!
A couple years ago on my old blog I did a piece on my favorite video games of all time. Well, it’s been a while so I thought I could do it over, and in the process bring it up to date. I have played more games than I can count but these are the games that really stood out for me and that I enjoyed more.
Keep i mind, these games are in no particular order, so just because one game is higher on the list doesn’t mean I like it more.
Donkey Kong Country - I don’t know if it’s the combination of the awesomeness and nostalgia of this game, but I think it’s the greatest platform game ever. Ok, maybe not the greatest, but it’s definitely up there. Even to this day, it’s hard to tear me away from stomping Kremlings, and blasting out of barrels.
Super Mario Bros 3 - Another Nintendo classic, and happens to be my favorite Mario game. While I didn’t grow up with the original version on the NES, I spent countless hours playing the All-Stars version on the SNES. Not only is this one of my favorite games of all time, it is also my favorite Mario game of all time.
LittleBigPlanet - Yes, I seem to have a strong preference towards platform games. This was one of the first games I bought when I got my PS3 earlier this year and it has already grown on me. What draws me in is the practically infinite amount of levels, thanks to the large focus the game puts on creating and sharing. While I do enjoy creating occasionally, I tend to spend most of my time browsing the countless user created levels.
Pokémon Silver/Gold - I’ve always been a fan of the Pokémon series (though I’ve never been a fan of any of the side-games like Snap, or Coliseum).Out of all the variations throughout the years, the Silver/Gold duo are perhaps my favorite. It had just the right amount of everything, and while I still enjoy the series I feel Nintendo has gone a tad overboard with the series since (I don’t even know how many Pokémon there are anymore!). The recently released remakes, SoulSilver and HeartGold on the DS have rekindled my love for these games, and they remain the primary reason I own a DS.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Yeah, I know, not a surprise at all. This game has it all, a compelling story, exciting combat, and challenging dungeons (not to mention the infamous Water Temple). Sure the graphics look a bit dated today, but that doesn’t stop this game from being nothing short of amazing. In fact, I plan on buying a Nintendo 3DS just so I can play the remake of this game.
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron - There are more Star Wars games than I can count, but none of them have anything on Rogue Squadron. I got this game when it first came out on the Nintendo 64, and I was blown away. There was nothing quite like flying around in an X-wing shooting down TIE fighters. While there were 2 sequels on the GameCube that were far superior technically, this game still has the charm that the sequels just didn’t have.
Anyways, those are just some of my favorite games. What are yours?
Is It Christmas Yet?
The amount of obsession we have in our culture for Christmas is crazy. To me the Holidays are about just spending time with your family and friends, though the gifts are fun too. But the amount of stress and obsession that surrounds this time of year drives me crazy. A lot of the insanity is fueled by commercial interests who hope you get yourself into debt buying their stuff.
All this starts the day after Thanksgiving with Black Friday, when most consumers engage in an epic struggle (occasionally to the death), and everyone with half a brain goes to Amazon.com (not a sponsored plug). It’s also a day when the unruly misfits (such as myself) shun the materialistic crap and observe what is known as Buy Nothing Day, when they don’t spend any money at all.
Now don’t get the wrong impression, I like Christmas (despite the fact that I’m Jewish, THANKS MOM!). I just dislike the stress that goes along with it.
Anyway, I want to wish you all a stress-free and simple Christmas.