See, it used to be that you requested access to a beta release, you helped play test the game, the devs took in all of the beta tester’s suggestions and bug finds and then released a better, less bugy, more complete game.

Now it seems that not only have we entered the world of the patch, where games are released sort of almost kinda done, with a few little itsy bitsy problems that will be worked out by the second or third 300MB patch.  But, you now have to pre-order a game - pay actual money - just for the privilage of being included in a beta.

What if you hit the beta program and find out the game sucks?  Or that the devs just can’t be bothered to fix the deal-breaking (for you anyway) bug?  Hey, guess what, after the hours you put in helping them test their product, which you’ve determined isn’t for you, you get to buy it anyway!

Maybe the devs and publishers could ask gamers to invest 10% of the total cost of a game at the start of the development cycle!  Then, if the game doesn’t sell well or is a complete waste of 1’s and 0’s, they can blame the investment pool of players for not raising enough money.

Maybe I’m just grouchy today, but between this and flash on Linux, I think I’m going to go home, unplug and read a book.

Technorati Tags: beta, cod, world at war, call of duty, pay to play a pre-release, horsefeathers, video games, pc, computers, technology, angry geeks

Why on Earth should my modern browsers (Firefox, Opera) still freeze up on every third embedded video I try to play?  Websites are rendered ugly as hell because Flash just doesn’t know what to do with them. You do realize that by hindering a portion of today’s web browsing consumers you’re eventually affecting your own bottom line, right?  Even a small portion who can’t do the things that web developers, web store owners and viral marketing execs expect them to do can be significant if it impacts delivery and sales.

For those who aren’t employed by Adobe.  Yeah, I think that Flash sites are not the way to go, even with Google’s revelation that Flash can now be indexed.  The truth of the matter is Flash is here and it’s probably here to stay so we need Adobe to please swallow whatever bitter pill they’re fumbling around with and just get a working version out to all of us in Linuxland so we can watch cats attack string on YouTube or whatever it is we’re wanting to do online.  Okay?  I know of lots of local, small sites like restaurants and small brick and mortar shops who have Flash front ends on their sites.  And you know what? It stinks not being able to patronize them - for them and for me.

We need a working Flash.  Let’s hope 10 does a much better job of it than 9.  Until then, I’ll be taking my own petty mental revenge by referring to this monstrosity of a rich media crap fest as ‘flunk’ using my inside voice.  No, that won’t fix anything but at least it will get that grimace on my face into a twisted smile as I kill and restart my browser yet again.

Technorati Tags: flash, linux, adobe, firefox, ubuntu, flunk

I also happen to take not one, but two trains during my daily commute, which allows for the things at the back of my brain to come forward and romp about while I’m not paying attention.

My first train is a well appointed commuter jobby where riders have the luxury of only occasionally having to sit in someone’s lap.  My second train is more of a traditional underground number which is pretty boring except for the occasional flash of a dead white, club wielding guy I see between stops occasionally.

The subway is also a bit more crowded than the commuter train, forcing us to somethings stand on each other’s shoulders.  This close proximity allows me practice my favorite past time quite easily - people watching.

Over the last few days I’ve noticed a curious phenomonon.  Perhaps it’s brand new, perhaps it’s just made it past that filter that hangs out between my eyes and my brain.  There seem to be a growing number of people who are on the old side of young, say in their mid forties, who are peering at their Blackberries from a distance of about 27 nanometers.

The guy standing on the platform next to me litterally had to keep brushing nose prints off of his screen.

He’s not the first one I’ve noticed doing this and it’s usually on the subway.  On the commuter train, most people are curled up on their seats (there’s nothing more uplifting than the site of two rival executives gently snoring as they spoon each other on a cracked plastic seat) and to tired to function.  By the time we’ve all reached the underground, Blackberries and other data phones are being flashed around like lightsabers at a Padawan slumber party.

As folks get older and refuse to accept that their eyes are hanging out back in 2003, these little devices get closer and closer to their faces.  I’d probably be no exception except I already own a pair of spectacles.

Blackberry Nose.  We’re soon going to have an entire population that will be able to pick out the smell of non-reflective transparent plastic from their crooked beaks.  Next time your out in public with a business crowd, check it out and let me know how many instances you see.

Technorati Tags: blackberry, gadgets, nose, that plastic data smell, beaks, gadgets, technology, geek

Larry was so gruntled today, he didn’t even haul off on anyone with an assault rifle.

Gruntled. The opposite of disgruntled.  Sometime back in our murky past we added the prefix ‘dis’ to the fine word gruntled and then gruntled ambled off to the word graveyard never to be seen again.

This is a word I’d like to bring back into everyday use.  Say it with me.  Gruntled.  Doesn’t that have a nice sound?  It’s got a ring to it, like discombobulated but with a refined touch.  In fact, writing this little article makes me very gruntled! Which is a good thing, because I’m on a dark train with no AC surrounded by sweaty, swearing commuters.  I should be disgruntled but contemplating the gruntling effects of composing a quick thought piece on the wrecked past of our language has made me happy to the last.

I was so curious about disgruntled that I cast about online for it’s history.  The wonderful and highly useful Online Etymology Dictionary (I was thrown for a bit searching for Entomology and coming up all bugs) tells us that disgruntle was first used in or around 1682.  It comes to us from ‘dis’ meaning ‘entirely’ and gruntle; ‘to grumble’ arriving to us from ‘grunt’.

By the by, the Online Etymology Dictionary works out in acronym form to be the OED – very similar to another in-print version of an dictionary featuring Etymology that I can’t mention for fear of being sued by lawyers with expensive suits and British accents.

So perhaps my self-created history of Gruntle is a bit off – gruntle – to grunt.  Hmm.  Can you be gruntled?  Grunty?  I prefer happy to grunty, unless of course I’m grunting happily, perhaps parked in front of a large bowl of nachos or a powerful computer.

I say move forward and to heck (euphemistic alteration of hell, first recorded 1865) with etymology!  Let’s gruntle for world peace, a favorable salary and the ability to change our language as we see fit!

Technorati Tags: etymology, gruntled, world peace, nachos, ramblings

There is always a very small chance that this will get pulled off into the right direction, some how survive the execs in the movie industry and actually come out as a live action gem worth seeing at $12 a pop in the theater.  I’m not holding my breath for this but damn, if that did happen then I’d be driving out to the west coast to kiss a few people.  Kasdan has done some neat stuff in the past (Empire Strikes Back anyone?) but faith in Hollywood I no longer have though, so I’ll continue to grumble.  Here’s the Routers article - interesting to note that they call this ‘fantasy’ and not ’science fiction’:

Veteran screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan has been hired to write “Robotech,” Warner Bros.’ adaptation of the anime classic.

“Robotech” was a 1980s cartoon series from Harmony Gold USA and Tatsunoko Prods. It was re-edited and re-dialogued to combine three Japanese anime series to give the producers enough episodes to air as a daily syndicated series.

A sprawling sci-fi epic, “Robotech” takes place at a time when Earth has developed giant robots from the technology on an alien spacecraft that crashed on a South Pacific isle. Mankind is forced to use the technology to fend off three successive waves of alien invasions.

“Robotech” extends Kasdan’s return to the fantasy genre that began in 2007, when he was tapped to pen the “Clash of the Titans” remake for Warners and Thunder Road.

Kasdan wrote the screenplays for “The Empire Strikes Back,” “Return of the Jedi” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark” before penning more intimate ensemble dramas such as “The Big Chill” and “Grand Canyon,” which he also directed.

Technorati Tags: robotech, scifi, fantasy, stupid mathew fox,   toby, films, movies, geeks, fandom, anime

I might be a naysayer, but I’m also determined to break myself from the slaying that is nay (I guess that cancels out the nayishness of it). Tonight I went to good ol’ Reuters. When all else fails to grab your attention, scour through Reuters and you’re sure to find something. Maybe.

Listed under the most popular articles (Seriously?- the following is article worthy? It’s news? They’re actually reading it because it was unknown to them previously?)
1. Heavy marijuana use shrinks brain parts: study
2. Speed up bathing and save energy

Please don’t tell me I have to elaborate on either one of those articles.

Will tomorrow’s articles shed light by telling us:
1. If you don’t use your car, you will save gas
2. Lights, natural or artificial can help you see better
3. Eating less food helps in weight reduction
4. Having sex increases your chances of conception
5. Planning on taking a coast to coast trip this summer? Flying in an airplane instead of walking *could* reduce travel time significantly
6. Extensive UCLA studies show that people prefer sugar on cereal over salt

Oh I’ve got it, perhaps I should  submit some articles to assist society by telling them that getting a job will increase their income!

Helpful hints for the summer:
1. Staying in the shade can reduce sun damage
2. An airconditioner will cool down your dwelling more than an oven will
3. Students at UCLA are trying to solve the enigma of why residents of Nome, Alaska are less likely to suffer heat stroke unlike people in Death Valley, California.

So I’ve started to work out, feeling good about myself- I’m happening. Okay then… so I’m sprawled out on my lounge chair on my porch as evening approaches. Fresh out of the shower, wearing a silk blue nighty (and boxers of course), lotion sparkling on my cleansed skin and a group of guys walk by- “HOLY CRAP!!!!” one or two of the 6 are eyeing me and I’m thinking “Oh yeah I still got it…”

“DUDE check it out… (and I’m smiling as they’re drooling) she has her laptop hooked to her television (my brand new flat panel HD LCD digital widescreen), that looks AWESOME! OMG that’s a sweet set up!” (once I figured out you can see my geekiness from the streets). I’m half naked, dripping wet, my legs stretched out… and wow.

Back to the exercise ball hopefully I can get a flat screen implanted on my chest. In all fairness I was watching an evening with Kevin Smith…

Here are a few ideas to help get you through this crisis and hopefully assist in keeping your sanity or pushing you into the mouth of insanity where nothing will bother you any more.

1. Push your car to work. Sure it might take a little longer, but you’ll have shelter should it start raining, and if you own an SUV, good- I hope you pull a giant muscle.
2. Take your family and move into your cube. Once you explain the benefits of living at work to your company and once they see your family, you’ll be telecommuting in no time (providing you still have a job)
3. In the middle of the night on a weekend, hook your car up to your neighbors. When they go to run errands, pile your family into your car and enjoy the free ride. Make sure you talk to them the day before to find out what they’re plans are so you can avoid spending the day at their Aunt Gretta’s fifth wedding in the middle of nowhere.
4. Only shop at stores on your work route. If it happens to be only a Circle K- learn how to make tootsie roll/kitkat casseroles.
5. Buy a rickshaw and convince your kids or the neighbor kids that rickshaw pulling is FUN! The shorter it takes for them to get you to work or the store, the more candy they’ll have when the day is over. Win win. If there are no kids around you, kidnap Ed Begley Jr. and force him to pull the rickshaw.
6. Sign up to an online dating service even if you’re already in a relationship. Have the person pick you up at your place or across the street for early morning “dates” that just happen to be at the building you work at. “Excuse” yourself to use the rest room and run over to them when you can in order to keep the conversation/date going. The date will be conveniently over with at the time you need to go home. If they thought it was a great date, then wonderful- you can have this reoccur four more times that week. If it doesn’t go over well, no worries, make sure you have a constant supply of “dates” to get you through until a pay day where you could afford to fill up your car again.
7. Attach shopping lists to your cats and send them to the store. Make sure you put your phone number on the list so the cashier can call you and obtain payment over the phone. Yes, it may take a few days for you to get the groceries because cats like doing things at their leisure, but hey- you just saved a trip. If you wind up with no groceries when your cat gets home, either train your cats better or find cats that can run errands for you.
8. Google Earth your area and find the route to work with the most hills and “coast” your car as often as you can.
9. Get your co-worker (who has a car and is married) incredibly drunk one night and then place them on their doorstep with wrinkled looking clothes and the stench of cologne or lipstick stains on their collar (which ever would cause marital problems). Offer them your sofa while they work on their relationship issues that seem to pop up the next day and then in return for letting them sleep on your sofa, they drive you to and from work… and the grocery store, electronics store, the movies… etc. Once the gas crisis is over or you’ve saved enough to purchase an electric car- then you can save the marriage.
10. Sell your ex’s soul on ebay for a pre-paid gas card.

The funny thing is that I found the rickshaw pic on a kids party rental site.

I know all good things come to an end, and perhaps it’s just a beginning, but in the meantime the return is sinking me.

I fell in love with NYC. Head over heels in love and it’s going to SUCK having to communicate with Ben in different time zones again! I don’t wanna!

Today wasn’t quite as exciting or eventful as the previous days. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were so unbelievable that I feel anything today could not even come close to it. I guess it *is* quite a bit for NYC to keep one upping itself. I think the city was begging for mercy, or maybe it was my aching feet.

We started off by seeing the NYC Jedi (the much cooler version of the SCA) Choreographed Jedi fighting with lightsabers (although I wanted to stand up and protest- YOU CAN’T JAB SOMEONE WITH A SABER AND YOU CAN’T CAUSE SOMEONE TO BLEED!!! IT’D CAUTERIZE!!) <- and that’s why I’m a dork. Then there was an hour of getting separated from my party by a sea of people (I should have gotten the watchie talkies).

Thankfully we found each other (with the help of security) just in time to get to the IGN theater. It was awesome seeing quite a bit of Wanted and listening to Timur Bekmambetov discuss the upcoming film and answer questions pertaining to the film (if they wore costumes then everyone would know they’re assassins- SO DON’T ASK!! Yes, that was a duh thing, but TWO people inquired!!). Seth Green and Matthew Senreich had us cracking up with a look into the Robot Chicken Star Wars (I can’t wait!) and then it was a definite treat to listen to the panel discussion of Hell Boy 2 with Guillermo Del Toro and the crew (Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Luke Goss etc. Guillermo Del Toro is truly a genius and one who does enjoy straying far from his roots in Independent film. It sucks financially, but creatively it’s worth the suffering.

We truly have a summer of delights coming our way.

The disappointment came when we tried to get into Zombie Survival 101. Now I’ll never know how to survive a zombie uprising. I bet half the people who took our spots probably thought it had to do with how to survive sitting through a Rob Zombie film (creative genius- but he needs to quit trying his hand at full length films… please Rob, I’m begging you). If the long wait and bad jokes on our part was a test, then we definitely failed. We weren’t fast or aggressive enough to push and shove our way through a ton of other people who had to wait equally long… yet fortunate enough to wait closer to the door.

The saving grace was when our Media Queen (Jenn, she’s been completely awesome- and yes… SHE… media queen is not a stage drag name) managed to get Ben to meet one of his favorite authors Terry Brooks along with a book signing. This entire trip she has done an outstanding job making sure Jonathon met his mentors and ensured we didn’t get lost!

Dinner was at Pomodoro on 9th Ave. Great food and service- make sure you stop in. You can say “Arsgeek” sent you, but that really wouldn’t do anything but cause them to smile and nod at you politely.

Tonight I’m resting up for a day of saying good bye to my friends and the city by seeing as much as we can before the evening separates us and signals the time for our departures.

Ben of course will have his say on the days events (and pictures- I left my camera on by accident and drained the battery). Until then, good night everyone and a continued thank you for your support and encouragement in making this trip possible. It’s been great getting to meet and introduce Jonathon to the many people we could who have helped to make this all a reality and being able to say “Thank You”  face to face. Sadly our last few thank you’s have been drained mumbles of appreciation because our bodies just cannot keep up with all we’ve wanted to do and see.

Dawn

Technorati Tags: Wanted, Hell Boy 2, Robot Chicken Star Wars, Terry Brooks

Of course I could be wrong, but please educate me if I am. If I’m correct and if there are any comic book writers out there: “Why do you hate your mothers?”

This causes me to think further- If a superhero is raised without an a-typical family; Why to politicians and religious figures shove the need for strong family values down our throats? We should show them the ficticious examples of what the world would be like without a two parent environment: Laser beams destroying buildings in large cities, mid-air fighting and shiny costumes all for the greater good!

I’m beginning to believe that if my folks were offed when I was a wee one, then I’d be out there saving innocent people from the clutches of evil. Thanks for being alive mom and dad. you always ruin EVERYTHING!

When the Hulk movie came out I was THERE! I took the boy and while he’s smiling and doing the “YEAH!” thing- I had to creatively splice my straw from my 32 oz beverage and use it to prop my eye lids open. I found myself doing the same when I watched the trailer for the upcoming film.

I feel Incredibly Bad because Comic-Con is right around the corner, the Hulk is spot lighted, Jonathon LOVES this green angry guy and I’m worried there won’t be enough straws around to prop my eyes open (I equate Hulk with nice, warm, cozy, deep sleep).

“Oooh… I was in an accident… I can’t live a normal life… I’m so angry and when I’m angry I can destroy stuff and people… and all my girlfriends die… and that sucks…” I think they should do a Hulk musical. (imagine Hulk singing) “Me so angry… you don’t like it when I’m angr-yyyyy… all crushes get dead… and that really sucks!!” Then he can dance and destoy! Give him a little catch phrase or something and instead of green… let’s go with an amish blue. Smurf on steriods.

Hopefully the Con will turn me around and take me to the Hulk side… or I’ll just fly back with sleep drool stains on my chin and straw shards in my eye balls.
[tag]The Incredible Hulk[/tags]

This brings me to my Star Wars Trilogy (V, IV, and VI) marathon this weekend. Sunday morning I popped in The Empire Strikes Back. I woke up and nixed the coffee before viewing the Lucas treat and surprisingly I was awake enough to enjoy it. A few hours and an energic lunch later I put in Return of the Jedi. 30 minutes into the movie I was completely out in slumber land. I woke up to the fire works and little Ewok celebration and realized that this is what happened the last time I watched it. The movie knocks me out regardless of the time of day or coffee quota met.

Do I like the movie or do I hate it? I’m not sure of anything except it’s a great sleep aid.

SO, if you hear an awesome ColdPlay song on the radio that makes you relaxed, pull along the side of the road and enjoy your nap.

1. The survey only consisted of 2,248 people.
2. The people were British.
3. It was done at a hotel chain (where most people on holiday would probably crash if the re-runs of the Headbanger’s Ball was airing).
4. I really love the Star Wars Trilogy… well, I guess I really love 2 of the 3… I can’t really recall the the middle part of the third, and evey time I try, I yawn and wake up 8 hours later.

Original Article from Reuters: Survey finds rockers Coldplay help you sleep
LONDON (Reuters) - Britons like a dose of music from the rock band Coldplay to help them fall asleep, a survey from hotel chain Travelodge found on Monday.

The band, whose frontman Chris Martin says he avoids caffeine and alcohol and is known for a lifestyle that is anything but rock ‘n’ roll, topped a poll of music choices to help listeners nod off.

Other artists chosen for their slumber-inducing qualities were James Blunt, Snow Patrol, Take That and Norah Jones.

But those who prefer to be tucked in with a book at night judged celebrity autobiographies as the most effective sleep aid, with the life stories of glamour model Jordan, soccer star David Beckham and Sharon Osbourne ranking at the top.

Nothing seems to get your message across of “BACK OFF!” because bumper stickers have become the visual white noise and people tend to take glares and finger waving as invitations to act even more inconsiderate.

Well… I was thinking, “It’d be so cool if I could make a reader board for my back window to tell the drivers behind me to get off my tail, get off the freaking phone and pay attention to the road… or Hello gorgeous, heading my way?” Being as I’m not the successful inventor type (I was one step away from just sticking a lite-brite in my back window and frantically changing the message at each red light) I felt this dream was unobtainable UNTIL I happened across a site HERE that specializes in exactly what I’m looking for (costing around $45.00).

Whether or not it’s legal to display such a thing in a moving vehicle (even if you watch the language) is currently unknown by me because I was merely surfing to see if my “genius” idea had been done . IF it *is* on the wrong side of the law, I was thinking that if a cop were to pull me over for having a nifty gadget to convey my thoughts I can quickly change it to read, “I love traffic cops, and they’re awesome. Marry me.”

Even if it’s not legal to drive with the display, should you wind up stranded on the side of the road without a cell phone or passenger with hiking boots, you can display a help sign (providing your issue isn’t a dead battery?).

Here are some things I’d like to program into one:
“If you’re going to ride my butt at least buy me dinner first”
“Drive now, talk to your idiot friend later.”
“You obviously don’t pay attention to fashion, but can you PLEASE pay attention to the road?”
“By the time you finish reading this, my accomplice crawled into your back seat with an ax.”
“I’m single, but I can remedy that if you’re willing to follow me to Vegas.”

Yes, the one’s I’ve seen have been a little too small for a full sentence to scroll in enough time to be read at a red light or stop sign, but it still makes a nice day dream. (sigh)