Super Bowl – Play by Play

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I started off Super Bowl 46 with an attempt at a play by play commentary, but I quickly fell behind and gave up on the idea. Here’s as far as I got:

The assembly of athletes who collectively and correctly anticipated the correct orientation and impact of the small disk of metal that was recently launched into the air by an independent party have now forcefully projected the hollow elongated sphere of leather through the atmosphere in the direction of the other group of athletes who are also participating in the upcoming struggle to score the most points by voluntarily overcoming a series of unnecessary obstacles instigated by the fore mentioned group of players.

Lore, Canon, & Fanfiction

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I’ve always been fascinated by the fictitious worlds that sparked my imagination. Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, Stargate, Zelda, Metroid, and more recently Game of Thrones.

With all these books and shows however, comes a set of official documents by the original creators and authors which describe the true canon for the different series.

As a geek and a perfectionist, I’ve always held on closely to the canon of certain stories. Especially ones that I have really enjoyed over the years.

I’ve never really been a big fan of fan fiction. I enjoy the occasional parody. Somethings are really well done, but good fan fiction doesn’t step out of the realm of reality within the framing of each story. Bad fan fiction (is it still fan fiction then?) will completely destroy the physics or culture of the world. If done properly, destroying the world, or perhaps mixing two different worlds can be fun and enjoyable, but overall, fan fiction has never really been my cup of tea.

But there is another type of story which also captures my imagination, Yet unlike the stories by J.R.R. Tolkien, or George R. R. Martin, there is no strict doctrine that these stories must follow. The stories I am talking about are lore or folklore.

Lore, or folktales are very interesting. Anyone can use the characters and adapt them as they like and there is nothing to be disproven about them. This makes it very hard for people like me, who enjoy having a defined set of rules for each universe to live in.

Think of it this way, the epic imaginings of Tolkien are like are like rules that govern a nation. Everything is all in under one law. But lore is like a continent, where every town on the continent is part of the same land, but each has it’s own laws or rules.

Take for example, Dracula. I absolutely love Dracula, by Bram Stoker. While the idea and concept of the stealthy and powerful vampire is intriguing, Dracula does an amazing job of making the vampire out to be this extremely evil creature. (I mean, come on. He eats a baby.)

The whole folklore behind vampires is that they are truly evil and greatly feared creatures. Most of the lore for vampires is agreed upon. To kill them you need to stab them in a heart with a stake, put garlic in their mouth and cut off their head. They don’t go out in sunlight. They can control evil creatures like rats or wolves. They can turn into bats. They drink blood, can’t seen in mirrors, can’t stand garlic, Crucifixes, etc. They can’t enter a room unless they are invited, some can’t cross running water, they are highly seductive, and VERY, VERY EVIL.

Most lore agrees on the evilness of vampires because most of it comes from folk tales, oral tradition, and really old books. When people potentially believed they existed. However, since no one person “invented” vampires, anyone can make up whatever they want to about them. So if you wanted to write a book about how a teenage girl falls in love with a vampire who, like all other vampires, wears a clown wig, dresses up like lady gaga whenever he needs to go into the sunlight, and prefer to drink cherry soda over blood, you are more than welcome to do so, because there are no official rules about vampires.

The reason I am finding this all relevant right now is that I recently watched Pirates of the Caribbean 4, On Stranger Tides. I was really intrigued by the lore that surrounded mermaids.

I’ve always enjoyed the idea of mermaids, but I’ve never really delved deeply into mermaid lore. So when the (spoiler alert) mermaids turn out to be deadly vampire fanged seductive and potentially evil creatures, I was a bit taken aback, and also a little curious. (Don’t get me wrong, even if they are seductive killing machines they would still have my vote over Count Clownboy.)

Since watching the movie I’ve done a little research on mermaids and while I’m sure most of the stories came from partially to fully drunk sailors and pirates who were looking to impress the men at the local pubs after what was most certainly a very dull and uninteresting voyage. Other ones probably came from professional story tellers of the Greeks who knew how to keep their audience listening.

At any rate, if Twilight is any indication, we might be in prime time for a mermaid story about a girl who sparkles when she walks on land and doesn’t really want to seduce and kill this guy, because she is really in love. And that’s a movie I just might go see.

eBay is My Playground: Episode 3

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Two weeks after finally selling my item to a US buyer, and barely 12 hours after posting my previous ebay emails, I discovered that the story of this device was not yet finished. I start off here with the initial email after selling the item.

To: Zack
From: mrbobdobolina
Date: October 4
Subject: RE:Payment

Dear Zack,

Hi,

Thank you for your quick payment. I will ship the item out tomorrow. I noticed that your Paypal Address is different from your eBay shipping address.

I assume I should ship to your eBay address:

John Johnson
111 Johnson Street
Jacksonvile JO, 11111

but thought I would double check with you, just to make sure I am sending it to the right place. Our mail goes out at noon (CST), so if I don’t hear from you by then I’ll use the eBay address.

Thanks again.

- mrbobdobolina

To: mrbobdobolina
From: Zack
Date: October 17
Subject: RE:RE:Payment

Dear mrbobdobolina,

PayPal address is correct. I’ve been in the hospital and out of touch for several days. Package will probably (eventually) come back to you. Let me know if/when that happens. Thanks.

- Zack

To: Zack
From: mrbobdobolina
Date: October 17
Subject: RE:RE:RE:Payment

Dear Zack,

Sorry to hear you have been in the hospital. I hope you are well, or at least doing better. About four months ago I was in the hospital due to a car accident, but they only let me stay for a few hours before tossing me back out onto the street where I had to spend a few nights sheltering under a bridge before the anesthesia wore off and I remembered who I was. Fortunately it was in the summer and the evenings were warm. I don’t think I could survive a night outside in the Minnesota winter.

According to UPS (Tracking number: 0118 999 881 999 119 725 3 ), the unit was delivered on October 11th. The website status lists it as being left by the front door.

I apologize if I have indeed sent this package to the wrong address. A quick Google search tells me that the the package was delivered a mere 1248 miles from it’s desired destination. That would be quite the road trip just to pick up a package. If I lived in California, I would offer to join you on an adventure to pick up the box. My new car gets good gas mileage and we would probably only have to stop for gas 5 or 6 times, although it would take us two days to get there and back. I have friend who live in Portland and we could probably spend the night at their house.

You really have me at a loss here. I’ve never shipped a package to the wrong address before, I do hope you have some means of accessing the package. If somehow the package does make it’s way back to me, I will let you know right away.

In the meantime, I might suggest that you update your ebay shipping address to avoid further confusion, although you probably know that already, and quite possibly are using it in a devious plot that will help you take over the world. I hope the Avid Mojo can help you in your schemes. I also have plans to someday take over the world, but I’m not allowed to share them with anyone because they are still a secret. If you take over the world before me, I wouldn’t mind owning a small city. I have a few options in mind.

- mrbobdobolina

To: mrbobdobolina
From: Zack
Date: November 14
Subject: RE:RE:RE:RE:Payment

Dear mrbobdobolina,

I finally got up there this last weekend and found the package. Thanks for your kind concern. I’ll fix the address conflict before another eBay buy.

Good luck to you. Avoid hospitals and underbridges.

- Zack

Well, all’s well that ends well, as they say. And it’s nice to finally get these events nicely tucked away. Happy e-baying everyone!

Reality is Broken

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I just finished reading “Reality is Broken” by Jane McGonigal.

The book was really quite good. I enjoyed the insight it provided into the nature of video games, why we play them, and why we play games in general. But also how to incorporate more game like activities into our everyday lives.

I learned quite a few things from this book.

First, games have a set of definable characteristics. We don’t always notice them while we play, but they are there anyway. They help to define any good game. If we apply these criteria to any activity, we can make it a game.

Second, games have really taken up our time. The stats for world of warcraft are amazing. World of Warcraft players have collectively logged 5.93 million years of playtime. That’s just over 50 billion hours, and the game only launched in 2004.

The number of hours children spend playing games before age 18 is staggering, and potentially useful in the future, since all these young children are master gamers by the time they reach adulthood.

Third, building games is hard work, yet game designers take things very seriously. Halo 3 contains 54,000 pieces of audio and 40,000 lines of dialogue. 2,700 of those audio bites are footfalls. Depending on who is stepping on what. That is impressive.

Finally, people who are against video games don’t understand the benefits that games provide. It’s not just about wasting or not wasting time. It’s not that gamers are looking for escape from the real world. These people are looking for a challenge, fulfillment, a sense of accomplishment that our day to day lives just doesn’t provide for us. It’s not that our daily lives can’t provide this, it’s just that they don’t. (Yet.)

The solutions outlined in the book are very broad and can be applied in many ways to many fields, which is exactly what we need to do. Have a lot of people start to apply these “fixes” to reality so that we can begin to have more fulfilling lives without needing to virtually enhance our existence.

If you are at all into video games, or want to look for ways to better engage people in the real world, this book comes highly recommended from me. This book might also be helpful for anyone headed into game design, though the main focus of the book is not how to design games.

You can check it out on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Reality-Broken-Games-Better-Change/dp/1594202850

I read the Kindle version.

Also, McGonigal’s TED Talk can be found here: http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world.html

Computer Desk Update

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On the most recent episode of This One Podcast, Bob and I talked about our desks and setups. So I thought it might be nice to take a look back at my desk and see how it has served me over the years and what I wish I would have done differently, if I were to ever do it again.

I really like my decision to have a draw for cords and extras. I have a USB cord that runs out of the back of my iMac over to a USB hub which is hidden behind a drawer. A half circle opening allows for all kinds of cords to run from the USB hub to any device I need, which is snuggly put away in the draw and a whole tangle of clutter disappears from eyesight.

I don’t remember if I specifically measured my stereo for inclusion in the desk, but the side corners are just right for both my stereo on one side, but also the stackable plastic drawers you can get from Target or Walmart.

I’m glad I gave myself plenty of room. I knew at the time I needed a space for my 19 inch CRT monitor, but even with that gone I have a lot of stuff for my desk and I like the workspace.

One thing I wanted was space on my desk to write or draw. Provided my desk is clean enough, I have that space, but it’s not as well lit as I originally had hoped. There is some room for improvement there, but I need to find a better source of light.

Originally, I think I had intended to stain the wood a lighter color. I think I went darker mostly due to the availability of the darker stain which we had on hand. While the lighter wood might have been nice, I have grown fond of the beautiful color of the wood.

(Side note: after I ordered my desk, I took a picture of the wood, and had snapfish.com print me a mousepad with the picture of the wood grain on it. Best mousepad ever for my desk.)

This desk was one of my first big wood projects. I gave the measurements and the layout a lot of thought. One thing I wish I would have given a bit more thought was the finishing of the desk. The screws are all visible and there are a few other mechanics which probably should be moved slightly to help hide them and make everything look pretty. In addition, I have had several modifications made and a few new holes drilled since I built it and none of these modifications have been stained or finished off the way they probably should be. Maybe my next big move?

I built this desk as a “one person, two computers” desk. Having two computers though, often times provides opportunities for two people to use computers at the same time, such as for games and such. As a result, there is a bit of an awkward sitting arrangement for anyone who wants to sit at the second computer, either in lack of room for legs space or for reaching the keyboard, or whatever. If I was to do this again, I would seriously consider making the one side longer or at least providing a better system for a second person who needed/wanted to use the desk at the same time.

Overall I think that the desk has paid off nicely. It only cost me $320 to build (not including my time, although I do enjoy woodworking projects to help expand my horizons) and so after 3 and a half years, it only cost me $8 a month… give or take. Which in my opinion, is one mighty fine investment.

Skyward Sword Soundtrack

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For the most part I have been very impressed with the Skyward Sword soundtrack. While it contains many Zelda-esque sounds and themes some themes and melodies remind me of Super Smash Brothers and even Final Fantasy.

Here, listen to Ghirahim’s Theme. (Slight Spoiler Alert.)

The first time I heard his theme played I couldn’t help but think it sounded a lot like this other theme I once heard.

This second song is a bit more foreboding and arguably more epic. If you don’t recognize it, it’s from Final Fantasy 7 and it’s called “Those Chosen by the Planet”, though it might better be remembered as Sephiroth’s Theme.

While the two pieces do offer some definite similarities, Ghirahim’s theme is also reminiscent of Ganon’s Castle theme from Ocarina of Time.

Again, a side by side comparison shows the two are certainly not copies, but a lot of the same feeling and style is there.

As soon as Ghirahim’s Theme switches from the foreboding beginning to the melody at around 13 seconds in, I can’t help but hear Final Fantasy 7 there as well. It’s maybe not so much in the notes as it is in the style. I can’t find any tracks to back up my claim here, but that’s what think of when I hear it.

I really enjoy the changes that the Skyward Sword soundtrack brings. The classic House theme is still abundant and the secret unlocked jingle is (over) used. The fact that the music doesn’t sound like a midi mix down is a huge improvement over other games such as OOT.

EPILOGUE
In my small amount of research for this post I ran across a few things of interest. First is that the Zelda Overworld/Hyrule Theme has really evolved over the past 25 years. I hope to put together a side by side comparison of the songs as soon as I have a chance.

Also, the Stolen Materia theme from Final Fantasy 7 is very Pikmin-esque, at least at the beginning. I attribute it to the staccato nature of the instrumentation.

Star Trek Today

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If Star Trek took place today. A short and rough example. (I would be thrilled if anyone made a short film based off this concept.)

To set the scene the star ship is closing in on the first alien vessel ever encountered. This could be first contact.

Comm Officer: Captain! We are being hailed!

Captain: Put it up on screen.

*Video goes up on screen*

Comm Officer: Coming up on screen…

Captain: Greetings!

A slight pause while the Captain waits for a response. The aliens appear to be talking but no sound is coming through.

Captain: Officer, why can’t I hear them?

Comm Officer: I don’t know Captain.

Captain: Can they hear us?

Comm Officer: I think so Captain, but the computer is only recognizing our microphone inputs… it doesn’t appear to see our cameras.

Captain: Have you tried turning it off and on again?

Comm Officer: I’m looking at the preferences, our camera doesn’t show up in the list. I’ll restart the program, but that’ll terminate our call.

Captain: Make it so.

Comm Officer: Okay, program is restarting…

Captain: Tell me when we’re up.

Comm Officer: The program appears unresponsive.

Captain: Officer, we need this system up and running RIGHT NOW.

Comm Officer: Understood sir. I think I’ll have to reboot the computer.

Captain: Make it fast.

Science Officer: Their ship has some very odd power readings sir, but then again, everything about them is… alien…

Captain: Keep me appraised.

Comm Officer: Okay, computer has rebooted, starting up the comm app…

Captain: Patch me through.

Video appears on the screen, with audio. The alien is explaining that they can neither hear nor see them on the screen.

Captain: We are having some computer problems. We apologize.

Comm Officer: Okay, it says we are sending audio and video now. We should be good.

Captain: We should be up and running now. Greetings!

Aliens: We can see your video, but we are unable to understand your audio.

Captain: Comm Officer?

Comm Officer: We’re sending out a high quality signal, sir. Everything on our end is working.

Aliens: The audio we are receiving, we cannot unenvied it. We have developed sophisticated audio, we call it MP3 format. Perhaps your audio is not compatible?

Comm Officer: MP3? Oh, sir… all our ship’s audio is encoded in OGG format! We can read everything coming in, but we only send out OGG.

Captain: BUT NOBODY USES OGG!

Comm Officer: I’m sorry Captain, if I could connect to the internet, I could possibly download an update or plugin?

Captain: Make it so!

Comm Officer: But we are not in wireless range at the moment.

Aliens (Who have been talking this whole time): You appear to be in deep conversation, but are unwilling to talk to us. Your lips are moving, but we hear no sound. You are a strange species… perhaps you are mocking us? We’d like to think you were intelligent and capable of trade…

Captain: Ensign, how close is the nearest access point?

Ensign: Just a few lightyears back sir.

Captain: Aliens! We regret that we cannot send you audio, allow us to retreat and upgrade our ship. We shall return with the information you require.

Aliens: Why do you not talk with us? Why are you leaving?

Captain: Turn us around, Ensign.

Aliens: A rude and obnoxious race! We will not tolerate TROLLING in our UNIVERSE!!

Captain: We’re not trolling, we are having computer… oh, never mind. Comm Officer, turn it off.

Aliens: We shall take this as an act of. *shut off*

Captain: We’ll I’d say we’re off to a good start. Science Officer, show me how to make my Solitaire game show up on the big screen again.

More Accurate Dialogue

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I’m thoroughly enjoying Skyward Sword right now, though my personal dialogue and the game’s dialogue tends to be rather different. Almost need to do a riff track for the game.

Kukiel’s Mother: My daughter is missing! Can you help me find her?

Link: Good news and bad news. Good news is, I found your daughter, hiding out with the town monster. Bad news is that I may have stabbed her in the face with my sword… Only once though… And it wasn’t entirely on purpose… You know what? Actually, I’m going to tell you that the monster did it. Because now that I think about it, it’s probably better for me to tell you that someone else is responsible and I really don’t want to take blame on this one.

This One Podcast

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A week ago my friend Bob Martens and I started up our very own podcast. You can find our episodes at This One Podcast website, or on iTunes.

Episodes are planned on a “once every two weeks” basis as we start off, with the possibility of moving to weekly as we get into the flow of things. The show plans to cover a good variety of topics, with the main focus being on technology. Episode one we talk about Zelda: Skyward Sword and gaming systems.

Being our first episode there were some issues with audio, but I’m sure the content will be engaging enough to make you forget all about it.

Welcome to the future!

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It’s 2012. By now we are suppose to be living a a utopian society filled with flying cars… Yet the state of affairs appears to be severely lacking:

  • Cruise control is not standard issue in all new vehicles. (Neither is air conditioning.)
  • Windows 7 still requires you to paste your screenshot into an image editor to save it. (Yes, I know… Android is even worse.)
  • Cell phone companies still offer plans without text messaging.
  • POP3 not only still exists, but is frequently used.
  • People are still using roman numerals.
  • 3D is apparently still a good idea.
  • People still make lists of pet peeves and annoyances.
  • Netflix still hasn’t invented a “random movie” option, or for that matter, any easy way to sort by category or MPAA rating.
This is my short list of “daily annoyances” and I’m sure I’m leaving things out. What annoys you now that we live in the future?

What else would you add to this list?