tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126242602024-03-07T10:15:54.243-08:00oogua man, a plan, a canal, oogu.Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.comBlogger561125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-854576529258506852011-08-12T12:50:00.000-07:002011-08-12T15:46:09.820-07:00on the nature of peopleDear Republicans and conservative members of The Supreme Court,
<br />
<br />Corporations are not people. Corporations can't feel. Corporations can't laugh. Yell the most disgusting insults you can find on UrbanDictionary.com at a company's articles of incorporation. Tell the stone and steel of a company's corporate headquarters that you can't live without seeing it smile every morning. Sneak up on a corporate logo and jump out at it from the bushes with a frenzied yell and an airhorn.
<br />
<br />None of them will flinch. None of them will blush. Corporations can't feel shame, embarrassment, or fear because they're not people.
<br />
<br />
<br />In 108 years, no one has ever given PepsiCo a hug. It's not because there aren't people that love Pepsi. It's because PepsiCo is nothing tangible around which arms can be wrapped.
<br />
<br />General Electric has never felt bored as it sat for an hour after school in detention.
<br />
<br />Since 1839, Berkshire Hathaway has never felt the pangs of hunger or yawned inappropriately in a job interview because it had been so nervous the night before that it didn't get enough sleep.
<br />
<br />Exxon doesn't know what it's like to lie in bed at night with the fading wet marks of a kiss on its forehead and tears drying on its cheeks, wondering if it somehow is responsible for its parents' divorce.
<br />
<br />When AT&T expressed interest in merging with Cingular, it didn't pull Cingular's hair or awkwardly throw at it the special Valentine's Day card it had spent half an hour searching for while its mom was busy in Target's housewares aisle.
<br />
<br />Corporations don't know what it's like to burp, to bleed and fear the sting of its own mortality, to watch their father's aunt slowly forget her life piece by piece from the rolling destruction of Alzheimer's.
<br />
<br />People do. People who sit on the board of directors do. People who work in the mail room, or Security, or Facilities, or IT do. People who hate their commutes to work every morning or people who have been laid off, fired, or downsized do. People who make millions of dollars each year or vacation in the south of France do. People do these things because these are the things people do.
<br />
<br />Boeing may have some of the fastest vehicles on Earth, but Boeing has never gone joy riding and while Carnival Cruise Lines are a staple of tropical vacations, Carnival has never felt a Jamaican breeze in its hair or the buzz from a great appletini.
<br />
<br />People are people. People have dreams and loves and secrets and affairs and slack off at work or push themselves to make their grandmothers proud. People are weak and fragile. People are brave and inventive. People smell bad. People breastfeed, break-up, propose, and busk for money in public. People believe in magic, science, religion, UFOs, angels, and rooting for the underdog.
<br />
<br />People run companies, work for companies, buy products and services from companies, and dream of starting their own companies.
<br />
<br />But once they do, those companies are never people.
<br />
<br />Never.Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-87380482273384888922010-01-12T01:46:00.000-08:002010-01-12T02:06:12.204-08:00no, Ben - it has nothing to do with Rosco's dogI've been writing the monthly audio column in Game Developer Magazine for about 4 years now. As enjoyable as it's been, I miss writing fiction. It's something I used to do quite often in my teens and early twenties. But life and work marched along and I slipped out of the habit of writing short fiction. <br /><br />By the way, the first short story I wrote was in Mr. Fiorini's typing class. I was supposed to be typing: <br /><br />A lad, a lass, and alack<br />A lad, a lass, and alack<br /><br />but Seth and I decided to write stories instead. I think mine were always about my D&D character...<br /><br />Anyway, flash forward 20 years and i've been itching to get back into it. I decided to start small. Flash Fiction, for those unfamiliar with it, is very short short stories, in a nutshell. I don't know where the dividing line is in terms of word count between flash fiction and short stories, but I set a goal for myself of trying to write a story with plot, setting, characterization, and development in 500 words. I then submitted it to a new online flash fiction journal called <a href="http://www.yesteryearfiction.com" target="main">YesterYearFiction.com</a>, and it was selected for publication. <br /><br />Long story short, you can find my first piece of flash fiction <a href="http://www.yesteryearfiction.com/2010/01/11210.html" target="main">here</a>. Actually, I think this blog post is longer than the story itself...Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-38177372035996214032009-09-28T14:30:00.000-07:002009-09-28T14:42:30.508-07:00a bush by any other nameLucasArts has a <a href="http://lucasartsworkshop.wordpress.com/" target="main">new blog</a> that we've been using to talk about the up-coming release of our new game, "<a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/video/exclusive-debut-lucidity/56796" target="main">Lucidity</a>."<br /><br />So far, the blog has been doing well and we've been getting a nice dialogue going with LucasArts fans and developers. However, as with every blog, a little spam slips into the midst. This weekend, we got some spam that was caught by the spam filter, but the text of it just struck me as so goofy that I wanted to share it. Spammers, does this really prove to be a successful way of driving traffic to your spam site?<br /><br /><i>"I stand here today humbled by the task before Dofus kamas, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our cheap Dofus kamas. I thank President Dofus for his service to buy Dofus kamas, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition."</i><br /><br />Uh...<br /><br />Turns out the "kamas" are the currency in a free, Flash-based MMO named Dofus. I have to say, I'm very grateful to them for their generosity throughout this transition, as well. Who knows what would have happened to us if President Dofus would have turned his back on us.Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-63721048873530713452009-09-21T18:15:00.001-07:002009-09-21T18:17:51.933-07:00a little night musicThe first two pieces of music from our new game, <i>Lucidity</i>, have hit the interTubes. You can check them out <a href="http://lucasartsworkshop.wordpress.com/2009/09/21/something-svenskt-this-way-comes/" target="main">here</a> and <a href="http://lucasartsworkshop.wordpress.com/2009/09/21/tickling-the-ivories/" target="main">here</a>.<br /><br />Needless to say, I'm happy to see them getting out there like this.Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-86131224479404018482009-07-27T22:27:00.000-07:002009-07-27T23:19:59.713-07:00goodnight, buddy<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jharlin/3764940142/" title="pipper's hug by jharlin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2431/3764940142_1d1d709696.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="pipper's hug" /></a><br /><br />She's gone.<br /><br /><a href="http://ferociousgravy.blogspot.com/" target="main">Amanda</a> has a very detailed post about how things were for us with Pipper as we watched her get sicker and sicker. Friday was horrific. Our vet appointment was at 3 and we found ourselves tortured by watching the clock throughout the morning. All I wanted to do was smother her with hugs, but she was miserable and wanted to be left alone. I was heartbroken - I didn't want to bother her, but I knew that with every minute that passed our last goodbyes came closer and closer. Every half hour or so, I'd go search out wherever she was resting, cuddle up to her with a big hug, and then leave her dejectedly as she shrugged me off and tried to find another place to rest where she wouldn't be messed with.<br /><br />This went on for a few hours. A little bit before 2, just about the time I was starting to really freak out that I wouldn't get to hug her and say my goodbyes, she finally let me curl up with her. For the next hour, I lay there trying to soak up every last second we had together - trying to memorize the smell of her fur, the sound of her purring. I hugged her. I talked to her and told her how much I loved her. I thanked her for all of the things she taught me, thanked her for being one of the greatest friends I've ever known. I cried like crazy and then apologized for crying all over her.<br /><br />The hour was gone quickly. Amanda and I began to help each other by trying to focus on "one minute at a time" and only one task at a time. Time to get dressed. Time to get the crate. Time to put her in the crate. Time to take the crate down to the car. Time to drive to the vet. I don't think either of us would have been able to really function if we'd been viewing the situation with any kind of macroscopic vision.<br /><br />I don't think I can really talk about the vet visit. Suffice it to say, it was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life.<br /><br />Life without Pip is hard. We've been sleeping poorly - both of us wake up in the middle of the night worried about kicking her or trying to figure out where she's at only to painfully remember that she's gone. We've been hearing phantom sounds around the apartment that sound like her purring, her nails on the hardwood floors as she walks around, etc. Each of us have broken down into tears a number of times and there have been many sighs and frowns without the need for any explanations as to why.<br /><br />Logically, I know that she's no longer in pain. I know that she's no longer struggling to breathe, struggling to be comfortable within her own skin, and struggling to hide her illness from us as she did for so long (something I've now learned that cats do). But those thoughts are small comfort when I walk into our bedroom at night and feel the habitual words "Hi, buddy" choke themselves in my throat with the sudden remembrance of her passing away.<br /><br />I miss her immensely. I love you, Pip. I love you and I miss you.Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-68901389363855348742009-07-22T21:01:00.000-07:002009-07-22T22:11:04.145-07:00my friend is dyingIt's been a difficult last two weeks. We found out two weeks ago that our cat, Pipper, is dying of both lung and brain cancer. She's started to have raspy breathing, a general lack of energy, and a diminished appetite. I don't think we have much time with her. <br /><br />And I'm having a really hard time with that. <br /><br />Pip is essentially my first pet. When we were little, my dad had a habit of getting dogs in the winter, holding onto them for about a month while my brother and I got attached, and then returned them to the SPCA because he didn't like walking them in the cold. So, I never really got to experience what it was like to come home every day to a buddy who was always kind, always happy to see you, and always 100% love in a pure form. <br /><br />I've learned so much from her and I'm having a very hard time saying good-bye. I don't even really know what to say ... I'm just losing a dear friend and it has me pretty crushed.Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-58110707395646276912009-07-01T11:32:00.000-07:002009-07-01T11:38:52.908-07:00phase one: completeI did it and it felt great. I purged about 150 people off of my friend list from Facebook. Gone are all of the people I don't know. Gone are all of the people that I once approved out of a feeling of obligation. Gone are all of the people that I don't feel like seeing updates from anymore.<br /><br />Feels good.Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-88504709920251193172009-06-28T22:24:00.000-07:002009-06-28T22:48:08.140-07:00step oneI'm completely tired of Facebook. At first, it was just MySpace with a better code base that didn't take a million years to load each page. Not to mention it had that really smart feature whereby it asked you when you confirmed a new friend how you knew them. If you said "I don't know them" it then asked you "then why are confirming them?" or something. This simple question stopped me from friending a bunch people I didn't know. <br /><br />Unfortunately, as the popularity of Facebook grew, more and more people that I didn't know - and perhaps more annoyingly - more and more people I do know started asking for friend requests. Eventually it just seemed to become one massive, unending High School reunion. I went to one reunion. I don't need an eternal one. <br /><br />Anyway, I've had it with Facebook. So, Monday I'm going to dig into my friend list and start purging. If I don't know you, you're gone. If I don't feel like keeping in touch with you, adiĆ³s. If I get I down to where the only people are people I want to keep up with and I still get annoyed with Facebook, then I'll just delete my account.Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-67859387940773999652009-06-24T20:46:00.000-07:002009-06-24T21:01:30.316-07:00inconsistency at its finestI've been terrible at maintaining this thing, and by thing I mean blog, and by blog I mean weblog, and by "I mean weblog" I mean you knew that already. Mainly, though, it's because of one massive reason or the next. There was a time a number of years ago where I had plenty of time for blogging. I also happened to have a fair amount of time for Minesweeper and for learning how to play Spider Solitaire.<br /><br />Nowadays I barely have time for lunch. Those old days of Minesweeper seem like a laughable distant other life. I've been working a lot lately. WAY too much lately, to be honest - and that's saying something for me. Sitting here two days out from the end of the fifth game I've completed this year already (five games in 6 months is crazy), I'm really starting to feel some fatigue from it. Monday I start <i>two</i> new games. I need to find a way to pace myself amidst the crazy ... pace (ahem) ... of my job.<br /><br />One of the things that Amanda and I have been doing is setting up a new habit where I come home every Tuesday at 6:30. We've done this two weeks in a row now and I have to say that I love it. I get to leave work while the sun is still up and I get to reliably know that we'll have some quality time together.<br /><br />I haven't even had time to write about how I finally got rid of my faithful old Camero, The Green Wind. It died two years ago, and like all good Cameros, it then sat dead in my driveway rotting from the outside in. It was retired gracefully and donated to a breast cancer charity for scrap.<br /><br />I gotta wrap this up and go home. So ... ::BAMF::Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-17115114072675700762009-06-16T14:59:00.000-07:002009-06-16T15:01:31.747-07:00i know lots of wordsAnd I use them in this interview with <a href="http://www.mixnmojo.com/features/read.php?article=harlininterview" target="main">Mixnmojo.com</a> all about the updated soundtrack to <i>The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition</i>.<br /><br />Just in case anyone is interested ...Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-5870700907387909592009-06-04T15:59:00.001-07:002009-06-04T16:32:08.646-07:00you can't please everybodyAnd sometimes you can't please anybody.<br /><br />For years, LucasArts has been the target of fanrage that came from the cancelling of <i>Sam & Max: Freelance Police</i>, a sequel to the 1990s adventure game <i>Sam & Max Hit the Road</i>. Loyal adventure game fans felt that the company had turned its back on them in favor of making a quick buck on Star Wars games.<br /><br />Anytime we put out a new game, there was a very vocal minority of people who would complain on our forums and across the net saying things like "Who cares about Star Wars!!?! Make more Monkey Island games!!"<br /><br />Well, fast forward to Monday of this week. LucasArts announces the impending release of <i>The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition</i> and Telltale Games' <i>Tales of Monkey Island</i>. While the adventure game fans of LucasArts all seem genuinely happy with the announcement, there's now messages like this on our forums:<br /><br />"I HATE U LUCASARTS Save Star Wars: Battlefront 3 NOT Monkey Island<br /><br />UGGG THEY NEED TO RELEASE BATTLEFRONT 3 NO1 GIVES A SH1T ABOUT Monkey Island"<br /><br />So there you go. Make Star Wars: Battlefront? Get yelled at for not making Monkey Island. Make Monkey Island? Get yelled at for not making Battlefront.Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-54693385731332255542009-06-03T10:36:00.000-07:002009-06-03T10:51:44.782-07:00a calipigeous rose by any other name ...[Thank you <i>Word Power Made Easy</i> and Ms. Von Rembo's 8th grade English class for the blog title today.]<br /><br />I have a friend that I worked with who told me recently about how he and his wife combined their names when they got married. Not in the most common form by hyphenating, mind you. No, they took part of his last name, glued it onto the first half of her last name, and created a new last name for themselves.<br /><br />Amanda and I had briefly talked about doing that when we got married. Unfortunately, none of the combinations we came up with sounded very good.<br /><br />- Yarlin<br />- Haste<br />- Haraste<br />- Yaslin<br /><br />You get the picture.<br /><br />Anyway, the other night we were lying in bed talking about it and we realized that we'd forgotten to try taking all of the letters of our names and rearranging them together into a completely new name. Unlike Yarlin, this new approach yielded some pretty spectacular results.<br /><br />While we missed the boat on being Mr. and Mrs. Hyenas-Trail, Earthysnail, or Ashy-Ratline, I think we definitely should have considered Mr. and Mrs. Nearly-Has-It.<br /><br />And by far and way, my favorite that I'm still considering, is Mr. and Mrs. Alstarhiney.<br /><br />Jesse Alstarhiney. It has a certain ring to it. I might need new business cards ...Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-65715423162345220362009-06-01T09:27:00.001-07:002009-06-01T09:32:21.265-07:00Monkey Island: Special EditionFINALLY!<br /><br />After months of working on it in secret, I can finally talk about what I've been doing at work lately.<br /><br />Today, LucasArts officially announces <a href="http://www.lucasarts.com/games/monkeyisland/" target="main">The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition</a>!<br /><br />I'm so happy I can finally say its name out loud after such a long secret wait. It feels like the "secret" of Monkey Island has really just been that it existed again after so long. Can't wait to see how the world responds.Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-47679716017398094762009-02-16T21:21:00.000-08:002009-02-16T21:27:31.992-08:00um ... wtf?Anyone see the Valentines episode of SNL this weekend? Something about it was weird. Everything seemed normal until the skit with the Wii and then after that the whole rest of the episode seemed edited and full of old fake commercials from other episodes. Was it edited? Did a skit get cut or canned? Was something censored and then filler material added in its place for the West Coast broadcast? <br /><br />Anyone know?Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-68778718064039248962009-02-02T09:27:00.000-08:002009-02-02T09:38:55.200-08:00rap logicSo I'm listening to Young MC's "Bust A Move" this morning on my way to work - like you do - when it starts to nag a me...<br /><br />If your best friend Harry has his own brother (Larry), why are you going to be the best man at Larry's wedding? Doesn't he have any friends of his own? Why wouldn't his brother be his best man? If there's bad blood between the two brothers, what are you doing getting between the two brothers? Harry's your best friend. Wouldn't you side with him?<br /><br />I should have asked Young MC when I randomly met him one day in LA.<br /><br />Or, you know, maybe it's best that I didn't...Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-68300758443270591592009-01-21T05:59:00.000-08:002009-01-21T06:03:30.542-08:00more to come ...The inauguration was amazing and I'll try to get our pictures and a write-up up soon.Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-58419458339815319122009-01-18T18:21:00.000-08:002009-01-18T18:35:13.734-08:00change we can partake inHanging in Philly with my family right now. Manda and I are fueled on Wawa and east coast snow. We flew into town for the inauguration, knowing that we didn't have tickets and would be hanging out with 4 million of our closest friends on the national mall. However, my brother had arrived in town a day earlier so that he could drive down to DC and pick up the two tickets he was allotted through sheer chance. <br /><br />As luck would have it, they asked him how many he needed and - long story short - Amanda and I now also have tickets.<br /><br />Can't wait. : ) It'll be great to witness history in the making.Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-84608222090392382882009-01-14T09:46:00.001-08:002009-01-14T10:02:01.308-08:00at the risk of sounding like an old man ...Can I complain about my ailments?<br /><br />My cold that I got just after the New Year still hasn't gone away. In fact, it's gotten worse with my shotgun trip to Montreal last week. Oh, by the way, I went to Montreal last week for business.<br /><br />So, my cold is still hanging around. My cough has progressed nicely to the point that I've coughed my throat raw and have no voice anymore. Plus, as of this morning, my cold has moved north and I now officially have an ear infection as well.<br /><br />And and, I got a freakin' $45 parking ticket this morning for not turning my wheels towards the curb while parking in the city.<br /><br />Okay, so that last one isn't really an ailment, but it's definitely a pain in the ass so I'm counting it.Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-59796251001040082812009-01-03T11:08:00.000-08:002009-01-03T11:34:41.306-08:00uh .... merry happy?Cripes, I've become really lousy at updating this thing. So, happy new year to everyone. I'm enjoying the onset of my first cold of the year. Hopefully I have fewer this year than last. Then again, I won't be killing myself to finish The Force Unleashed this year, so hopefully that means less crunch time this year than last too.<br /><br />I've been getting my ultra-nerd on recently and playing D&D with a group of guys from work. I haven't really played this much since I was in my teens and I'm really enjoying it. I didn't realize back then how much the basic principles of game design come into play with D&D. Story pacing, puzzle design, the basic design of what is fun and what isn't ... It's all related to video game design. So, that's been fun.<br /><br />Work's been good but I can't talk about it. I did an interview as part of an article on game composition for the New York Times. Not sure when that comes out though. Amanda and I had a really nice Christmas and shared breakfast with Ry followed by the rest of the day at Amanda's mom's place with her family.<br /><br />OK. I'm tired of thumb-typing on my iPhone. Update done for now.Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-43953953077095577942008-12-17T08:18:00.000-08:002008-12-17T08:26:48.256-08:00woohoo!Well, it might not be a winter wonderland covered in snow and resembling some kind of Thomas Kinkade calendar, but winter has finally come to San Francisco. And I don't just mean this year has moved into a colder phase. I mean that in all of the years I've been living in CA, this is the first year that I really feel like I've experienced anything approaching an East Coast winter. This morning, for instance, I'm blogging while I wait for my windshield to defrost.<br /><br />Frost.<br /><br />I haven't had a need for an ice scraper in years. Next up, snow!Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-48132538145345879182008-12-12T10:36:00.000-08:002008-12-12T19:22:25.565-08:00adventures in homeLast night I downloaded and checked out the public beta for the new Playstation Home, Sony's online community hub for the Playstation 3. Basically, it's a system much like Second Life (or LucasArts' old "Habitat" for that matter) where you create an online avatar and then wander around "town" talking to other people's avatars, playing games, or shopping at the Mall.<br /><br />I've never played any MMOs, or online multiplayer games like Team Fortress, Halo, or Counterstrike. As such, this was my first real experience with any kind of online community socialization since the days of AOL chat rooms. It's weird. Very weird. The addition of human avatars hasn't actually changed much, if any, of the strange anonymous online behavior that exists.<br /><br />There are still people who will meet, chat, interact civilly, and then move on whenever they feel the need. I spent some time talking to a high school English teacher and we chatted all about how they are finding that teens are typing text speak like "OMG" or "lol" into English papers they turn in. Fairly interesting.<br /><br />Then there are still the trolls who will run around like hormonal 13 year-olds (probably because they're hormonal 13 year-olds) and pester any of the female avatars, threaten to beat up any of the male avatars, and yell things like "I SMELL PUSSY!!" over voice chat.<br /><br />It also took about one full minute before I saw one avatar walk up to another and say "Hi there, I'm from Sony Online Technical Assistance and there's a problem with your account. I need you to give me your password so that Sony IT can fix it." When the person they were talking to said "There's no problem with my account," Sony IT then proceeded to say "ROTFL ROTFL ROTFL" and started dancing.<br /><br />Speaking of dancing, there also seems to be an odd way of acting like a jerk in Home. Lots of people were running up to other people, standing directly right in front of the other person nose-to-nose, and then making their avatar dance. Trying to imagine this in real life is ridiculous. If I were ever at a real park where groups of people ran through yelling "I SMELL PUSSY!" and then started to dance in my personal space, I'd never go back there again.<br /><br />Thinking of it in those terms, I makes me wonder if I ever really want/need to go back to Home again. Should the promise of online communities be held hostage by douche bags? At least the AOL model presented people with the ability to hang out with other people with similar interests. I wonder if things like avatar book clubs, avatar theater troupes, or avatar bands will eventually evolve in Home as they have in Second Life.Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-89082836091935825722008-12-10T17:57:00.001-08:002008-12-11T10:39:59.442-08:00this was on facebookSo, there's probably a virus hidden in it somewhere. But, apparently, if you've seen more than 85 of these 239 movies, you're supposed to have no life. Since everyone needs to evaluate their life every now and again based off of a random list of crap generated by some 14 year-old web monkey, let's see how I do (I already know what the answer will be):<br /><br />(x) Rocky Horror Picture Show<br />(x) Grease<br />(x) Pirates of the Caribbean<br />(x) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest<br />( ) Boondock Saints<br />(x) Fight Club<br />(x) Starsky and Hutch<br />(x) Neverending Story<br />(x) Blazing Saddles<br />(x) Airplane<br />Total: 9<br /><br />(x) The Princess Bride<br />(x) Anchorman<br />(x) Napoleon Dynamite<br />(x) Labyrinth<br />( ) Saw<br />( ) Saw II<br />( ) White Noise<br />( ) White Oleander<br />(x) Anger Management<br />(x) 50 First Dates<br />( ) The Princess Diaries<br />( ) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement<br />Total so far: 15<br /><br />(x) Scream<br />(x) Scream 2<br />( ) Scream 3<br />( ) Scary Movie<br />( ) Scary Movie 2<br />( ) Scary Movie 3<br />( ) Scary Movie 4<br />(x) American Pie<br />( ) American Pie 2<br />( ) American Wedding<br />( ) American Pie Band Camp<br />Total so far: 18<br /><br />(x) Harry Potter 1<br />(x) Harry Potter 2<br />(x) Harry Potter 3<br />(x) Harry Potter 4<br />(x) Resident Evil 1<br />(x) Resident Evil 2<br />(x) The Wedding Singer<br />( ) Little Black Book<br />(x) The Village<br />(x) Lilo & Stitch<br />So Far: 27<br /><br />(x) Finding Nemo<br />(x) Finding Neverland<br />(x) Signs<br />(x) The Grinch<br />( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre (original 1974 edition)<br />( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning<br />( ) White Chicks<br />( ) Butterfly Effect<br />(x) 13 Going on 30<br />( ) I, Robot<br />( ) Robots<br />Total so far: 32<br /><br />(x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story<br />(x) Universal Soldier<br />(x) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events<br />( ) Along Came Polly<br />(x) Deep Impact<br />(x) King Pin<br />(x) Never Been Kissed<br />(x) Meet The Parents<br />( ) Meet the Fockers<br />(x) Eight Crazy Nights<br />( ) Joe Dirt<br />( ) KING KONG<br />Total so far: 40<br /><br />( ) A Cinderella Story<br />(x) The Terminal<br />( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie<br />( ) Passport to Paris<br />(x) Dumb & Dumber<br />( ) Dumber & Dumberer<br />(x) Final Destination<br />( ) Final Destination 2<br />( ) Final Destination 3<br />(x) Halloween (old version)<br />(x) The Ring<br />( ) The Ring 2<br />( ) Surviving X-MAS<br />(x) Flubber<br />Total so far: 46<br /><br />(x) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle<br />( ) Practical Magic<br />( ) Chicago<br />(x) Ghost Ship<br />(x) From Hell<br />(x) Hellboy<br />( ) Secret Window<br />( ) I Am Sam<br />(x) The Whole Nine Yards<br />( )The Whole Ten Yards<br />Total so far: 51<br /><br />( ) The Day After Tomorrow<br />( ) Child's Play<br />( ) Seed of Chucky<br />( ) Bride of Chucky<br />( ) Ten Things I Hate About You<br />( ) Just Married<br />(x) Gothika<br />(x) Nightmare on Elm Street<br />(x) Sixteen Candles<br />( ) Remember the Titans<br />( ) Coach Carter<br />(x) The Grudge<br />( ) The Grudge 2<br />(x) The Mask<br />( ) Son Of The Mask<br />Total so far: 56<br /><br />( ) Bad Boys<br />( ) Bad Boys 2<br />( ) Joy Ride<br />( ) Lucky Number Sleven<br />( ) Ocean's Eleven<br />( ) Ocean's Twelve<br />(x) Bourne Identity<br />(x) Bourne Supremecy<br />(x) Lone Star<br />( ) Bedazzled (Original)<br />(x) Predator I<br />( ) Predator II<br />(x) The Fog (Original)<br />(x) Ice Age<br />( ) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown<br />( ) Curious George<br />Total so far:62<br /><br />(x) Independence Day<br />( ) Cujo<br />( ) A Bronx Tale<br />( ) Darkness Falls<br />( ) Christine<br />(x) ET<br />( ) Children of the Corn<br />( ) My Bosses Daughter<br />( ) Maid in Manhattan<br />( ) War of the Worlds<br />(x) Rush Hour<br />( ) Rush Hour 2<br />Total so far: 65<br /><br />( ) Best Bet<br />( ) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days<br />(x) She's All That<br />(x) Calendar Girls<br />( ) Sideways<br />(x) Mars Attacks<br />(x) Event Horizon<br />( ) Ever After<br />(x) Wizard of Oz<br />(x) Forrest Gump<br />(x) Big Trouble in Little China<br />(x) The Terminator<br />(x) The Terminator 2<br />(x) The Terminator 3<br />Total so far: 75<br /><br />(x) X-Men<br />(x) X2<br />(x) X-3<br />(x) Spider-Man<br />(x) Spider-Man 2<br />( ) Sky High<br />( ) Jeepers Creepers<br />( ) Jeepers Creepers 2<br />(x) Catch Me If You Can<br />(x) The Little Mermaid<br />( ) Freaky Friday<br />( ) Reign of Fire<br />( ) The Skulls<br />( ) Cruel Intentions<br />( ) Cruel Intentions 2<br />( ) The Hot Chick<br />(x) Shrek<br />(x) Shrek 2<br />Total so far: 84<br /><br />( ) Swimfan<br />( ) Miracle on 34th street<br />(x) Old School<br />(x) The Notebook<br />( ) K-Pax<br />( ) Krippendorf's Tribe<br />( ) A Walk to Remember<br />( ) Ice Castles<br />( ) Boogeyman<br />(x) The 40-year-old-virgin<br />Total so far: 87 (I officially have no life)<br /><br />(x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring<br />(x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers<br />(x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King<br />(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark<br />(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom<br />(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade<br />Total so far: 93<br /><br />( ) Baseketball<br />( ) Hostel<br />(x) Waiting for Guffman<br />( ) House of 1000 Corpses<br />( ) Devils Rejects<br />(x) Elf<br />( ) Highlander<br />( ) Mothman Prophecies<br />( ) American History X<br />( ) Three<br />Total so Far: 95<br /><br />( ) The Jacket<br />( ) Kung Fu Hustle<br />( ) Shaolin Soccer<br />( ) Night Watch<br />(x) Monsters Inc.<br />(x) Titanic<br />(x) Monty Python and the Holy Grail<br />(x) Shaun Of the Dead<br />( ) Willard<br />Total so far: 99<br /><br />( ) High Tension<br />( ) Club Dread<br />(x) Hulk<br />(x) Dawn Of the Dead<br />(x) Hook<br />(x) Chronicle Of Narnia The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe<br />(x) 28 days later<br />( ) Orgazmo<br />( ) Phantasm<br />(x) Waterworld<br />Total so far: 105<br /><br />( ) Kill Bill vol 1<br />( ) Kill Bill vol 2<br />(x) Mortal Kombat<br />( ) Wolf Creek<br />( ) Kingdom of Heaven<br />( ) The Hills Have Eyes<br />( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman<br />( ) The Last House on the Left<br />( ) Re-Animator<br />(x) Army of Darkness<br />Total so far: 107<br /><br />(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace<br />(x) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones<br />(x) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith<br />(x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope<br />(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back<br />(x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi<br />(x) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage<br />(x) Ewoks The Battle For Endor<br />Total so far: 115<br /><br />(x) The Matrix<br />(x) The Matrix Reloaded<br />(x) The Matrix Revolutions<br />( ) Animatrix<br />(x) Evil Dead<br />(x) Evil Dead 2<br />(x) Team America: World Police<br />( ) Red Dragon<br />(x) Silence of the Lambs<br />(x) Hannibal<br />Final Total: 123<br /><br />So. I've seen 123 of them. Honestly, I think you could have shortened the list down to two items:<br /><br />If you've seen either of these two movies, you have no life:<br />(x) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage<br />(x) Ewoks The Battle For Endor<br /><br />Done. 100% no life. Honestly, I'm equal parts proud and ashamed that "The Notebook" is the one that put me over the 85 movie mark. Damn that movie and its gut-wrenching humanity ...Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-47943589201984634402008-12-10T16:57:00.000-08:002008-12-10T17:19:11.706-08:00i'm at it againThere I go again ... not updating my blog for weeks at a time.<br /><br />I've been busy. Very busy. Unfortunately, it's nothing I can talk about yet. Still, I'm having fun and working at a pretty brisk pace these days.<br /><br />Other than work, yesterday was Ry's birthday. He's 31 and officially in his 30s now. I wanted to take him out for meatball sandwiches for lunch to this place in SF that he told me has the best meatball sandwiches in the city.<br /><br />Unfortunately, there was absolutely nowhere to park. At one point I turned onto a street looking for parking and was immediately getting honked at like crazy by the cab behind me. "What the fuck?! Why is this guy such a jerk? I'm going, jerk! Relax!" we yelled at him from within my car. Of course, it was about 30 seconds later that we realized I'd turned the wrong way down a one-way street and the jerk-cab was actually trying to be nice-cab by alerting me to my stupidity.<br /><br />Didn't work.<br /><br />Anyway, Ry eventually got out of the car, ran into the pizza place, and picked up the sandwiches while I drove around outside. He's right; the sandwich is very good. Best meatball sandwich I've had in a while. Of course, it wasn't until I'd dropped him off back at home and was halfway to work before it dawned on me that I hadn't treated him to lunch. He'd treated me to lunch since I was driving around outside. So much for my birthday plan.<br /><br />Oh well. We had an adventure. And really, that's all it really comes down to ... stories to tell your grandchildren.<br /><br />Old Man Ry: Gather 'round, children. Did I ever tell you about the time your grand-uncle stiffed me a birthday sandwich?<br /><br />So. Happy Birthday, Ry. :)Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-56263154025725478182008-11-17T13:49:00.000-08:002008-11-17T14:07:58.979-08:00little big obsessionAmanda and I have been playing Sony's Little Big Planet for the last few weeks in a fairly heavy rotation. If you don't know it:<br /><br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="gtembed" width="480" height="392"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=37307"/> <param name="quality" value="high" /> <embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=37307" swLiveConnect="true" name="gtembed" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" allowFullScreen="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="392"></embed> </object><br /><br />I'm totally in love with it. We've beaten all of the single player levels. We've aced (completed without dying) most of the levels. And we're really close to having found 100% of the prizes hidden within all of the levels.<br /><br />With all of that so far along, I've been turning more to designing my own levels lately. What's interesting is that we're finding that Amanda and I are both really good at different parts of the level design process. She's a fantastic gameplay engineer - able to design the mechanical contraptions behind puzzles, vehicles, etc. I'm more of an environment artist. I have a knack for the visual aesthetic of a level or enemy design.<br /><br />Together, we've been making some really cool stuff so far. Unfortunately, not much of it is actually finished. So, we really have yet to publish much of it. We had created a really fantastic Jack and the Beanstalk level during the public beta, but didn't publish it in time and it evaporated. One of these days, I hope to redo it.<br /><br />Anyway. I'm obsessed. Great work, Sony (and specifically Media Molecule). Oh and the music, sound, and voice in the game rule as well. If you have a PS3, you owe it to yourself to check the game out.Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12624260.post-6865218713424763522008-11-07T10:44:00.000-08:002008-11-07T10:54:12.219-08:00$2.63?!That's how much gas was this morning when I went to go get it. It's down about $2/gallon from what it was about 5 months ago. It also happened to cost me about $20 less to fill up my tank. Craziness. <br /><br />Don't get me wrong. It's a good kind of craziness. But still ... that's some wild price fluctuations. And if it's at $2.63 here, does that mean it's under $2 in the rest of the country?Bughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112909837995062972noreply@blogger.com10