I haven't had one of those "eureka moments" in a long time -- one of those "damn, I finally figured out how to do this" moments.
For the past five years, I have been struggling with the direction that my forever-in-the-works fiction piece "Meltdown" should take.
Tonight I found the answer, and soon enough I'll have details up.
I'm so damn happy to have figured this out.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Leave It To Indiana
Although the spelling is a little off, Indiana is indeed home to a hotel called "The Gray Goose Inn."
Figures. I found this while browsing Google Earth and while looking for a hotel to stay in for the Body Worlds 2 trip. Click below for a larger image.
Figures. I found this while browsing Google Earth and while looking for a hotel to stay in for the Body Worlds 2 trip. Click below for a larger image.
Why Guitar Hero Saved My Life
I will admit that the title of today's post is a bit... dramatic... but the overtones of what it embodies isn't all that far off.
In the spirit of starting my B3.0 Initiative, I thought I would reflect on a few major interesting points from my recent past.
Two major anchors in my life have always been at the forefront of my interests: girls and video games. More than the other, girls have, of course, been my primary focus. This attention was traditionally showered on or in the direction of Lacey.
When things didn't go so well between us, I would typically turn to my other major interest, video games, to fill the gaps in my life and to get my mind off her and related troubles. When we finally split for good a few months ago, I was immediately worried about my mental health.
Generally, with school such a large part of my life, I've found video games to be somewhat of a time-killer that hurts more than helps me. However, Guitar Hero entered my life just before this past Christmas, and I found it to be so insanely addictive, so intriguing, and so awesome that it, for the first time since Ocarina of Time in 1998, became a video game that completely made me remember why video games are so awesome in the first place.
So during a time when I would have normally been grieving, bitching, and moping about from day to day, I have instead been shredding away, becoming the Guitar Hero master that I never really pictured me becoming. But I am good. And I hope to get better. I have a lot of growing room, I'm sure.
Further proff that [ music + video games = heaven ].
Out.
In the spirit of starting my B3.0 Initiative, I thought I would reflect on a few major interesting points from my recent past.
Two major anchors in my life have always been at the forefront of my interests: girls and video games. More than the other, girls have, of course, been my primary focus. This attention was traditionally showered on or in the direction of Lacey.
When things didn't go so well between us, I would typically turn to my other major interest, video games, to fill the gaps in my life and to get my mind off her and related troubles. When we finally split for good a few months ago, I was immediately worried about my mental health.
Generally, with school such a large part of my life, I've found video games to be somewhat of a time-killer that hurts more than helps me. However, Guitar Hero entered my life just before this past Christmas, and I found it to be so insanely addictive, so intriguing, and so awesome that it, for the first time since Ocarina of Time in 1998, became a video game that completely made me remember why video games are so awesome in the first place.
So during a time when I would have normally been grieving, bitching, and moping about from day to day, I have instead been shredding away, becoming the Guitar Hero master that I never really pictured me becoming. But I am good. And I hope to get better. I have a lot of growing room, I'm sure.
Further proff that [ music + video games = heaven ].
Out.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
The B3.0 Initiative
A common nickname that I go by is "B3." At one time this stood for "The Big B Bruno," but now B3 stands on its own simply as a name. Sometimes this name exists solely for the sake of having a nickname, and other times it helps create a brand-presence, such as with this blog.
The B3.0 Initiative is the very essence of both the long-desired release of my inner persona combined with a tightly integrated iterative growth process to achieve the desired result.
The past iterative process is mapped as such:
And now, I stand present with the immediate desire - almost a need - to push forward to begin the 3.0 Stage. As where the first three documented phases of my life were all encountered purely as contextual and natural evolutions of maturing, the B3.0 Initiative is all about pushing for the next big change, as methodically and as practically as possible.
Therefore, the B3.0 Initiative sets the following goals:
The B3.0 Initiative begins... today.
The B3.0 Initiative is the very essence of both the long-desired release of my inner persona combined with a tightly integrated iterative growth process to achieve the desired result.
The past iterative process is mapped as such:
- Pre-1.0 Stage
This accounts for all of my life, including history, attitude, emotion, and networking prior to my first major life change. This dates from my birth to about the 5th grade. This also accounts for changes in my life that saw a reduction in friends, an increase in sexual interests, and the first branch of self-obsessive interests, such as in computing and video games, right at about the 5th grade. (circa 1984 - 1995)
- 1.0 Stage
This accounts for the change of my creative self from artistic in a visual sense to artistic in a literature sense. Writing, during my sophomore year of high school, became such an obsessive and controlling part of my life that I learned to disregard everything else for the sake of sharing my stories with the world. During these years, I also admit that I have an obsession, somewhat controllable, with sex. (circa 1999 - 2000)
- 2.0 Stage
Falling hot on the heals of the 1.0 Stage, enter Lacey. She becomes the catalyst for 95% of the 2.0 change. These six years of my life would become the most tumultuous, yet most fulfilling, of my life, with true happiness - and depression - defining my persona. The breakup, distancing, and eventual split of our friendship begins the catalyst for the push to the 3.0 Stage. I also develop a strong distaste for drama. (circa 2001 - 2006)
And now, I stand present with the immediate desire - almost a need - to push forward to begin the 3.0 Stage. As where the first three documented phases of my life were all encountered purely as contextual and natural evolutions of maturing, the B3.0 Initiative is all about pushing for the next big change, as methodically and as practically as possible.
Therefore, the B3.0 Initiative sets the following goals:
- Personal Emotional Neutrality: Not quite to the level of the Borg in an emotion-free state, but I wish to seek a state of emotional stability that does not allow for immediate anger, fear, or love (sometimes perpetuated by false hope) to manifest in me prior to allowing rational thought a chance
- Physical: Near the beginning of the 2.0 stage, I weighed 180 pounds before falling to 151 over a few months' time. I now weight 192 and intend to take this into the 150 to 160 range once again, with a goal of "sometime this fall."
- Networking: I wish to increase connections with old friends that I have lost contact with rather than immediately and purposely pursue the attention of new relationships.
- Professional: My official (and final) graduation date is Spring of 2008. Next semester begins my final year at BGSU. My central goals: increase my GPA, focus hard on learning the fine details related to my major (programming theory, software development, etc.), and finish one more major work of creative fiction.
The B3.0 Initiative begins... today.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Sleepy Head
Damn Skippy....
It's barely 6:30pm on the first beautiful Saturday evening of the spring season...
And I'm getting ready to go to bed.
I never said that I liked the 5am Sunday Grocery shifts at Meijer, but I also really can't complain since I get off so early, which leaves my Sunday afternoons free. In order to make sure I can sleep well enough every Saturday night, I purposely deprive myself of sleep Friday night so I will want to sleep sooner Saturday night.
Still, if I'm going to feel this tired, this early, every Saturday, then I just want to give up. Ack... oh well... at least the money is good.
It's barely 6:30pm on the first beautiful Saturday evening of the spring season...
And I'm getting ready to go to bed.
I never said that I liked the 5am Sunday Grocery shifts at Meijer, but I also really can't complain since I get off so early, which leaves my Sunday afternoons free. In order to make sure I can sleep well enough every Saturday night, I purposely deprive myself of sleep Friday night so I will want to sleep sooner Saturday night.
Still, if I'm going to feel this tired, this early, every Saturday, then I just want to give up. Ack... oh well... at least the money is good.
Friday, March 23, 2007
TTF
True Type Font?
Touch To Find?
How about... Three Things Friday?
What I'm excited about:
1) Consistent 70 degree (yet rainy) weather is coming all next week. Seventy. Hellz yes.
2) This is my 400th blog post (go ahead, count them). Expect my next celebration when I hit 500 later this year.
3) Orb. This is something I've just discovered yesterday, but it has already made me extremely excited about its potential.
Here is the jist of Orb: a server program is installed on your home computer and is directed to all of your media files, which may include music, video, pictures, or documents. File format support is very broad, and thus far everything I've thrown at it has worked (iTunes FairPlay, however, does not work to the best of my knowledge).
From any web-connected PC, by pointing a browser (I've tested with IE and Firefox; thumbs up so far) to http://mycast.orb.com and entering your user ID, you can gain access to all the media and document files that you shared from your home PC. For me, this means that over 21 GB of music, movies, music videos, and access to all my personal Word and Excel documents is available from any PC on campus...
I find this amazing, and intend to use it regularly. If you find yourself on the road quite a bit, are connected, and want very easy access to your media files, I highly recommend Orb as the middle man for now. The service is thus-far free, displays minimal advertising, and uses a fairly modern AJAX web browswer interface for the "client" PC that is being streamed to.
Out.
Touch To Find?
How about... Three Things Friday?
What I'm excited about:
1) Consistent 70 degree (yet rainy) weather is coming all next week. Seventy. Hellz yes.
2) This is my 400th blog post (go ahead, count them). Expect my next celebration when I hit 500 later this year.
3) Orb. This is something I've just discovered yesterday, but it has already made me extremely excited about its potential.
Here is the jist of Orb: a server program is installed on your home computer and is directed to all of your media files, which may include music, video, pictures, or documents. File format support is very broad, and thus far everything I've thrown at it has worked (iTunes FairPlay, however, does not work to the best of my knowledge).
From any web-connected PC, by pointing a browser (I've tested with IE and Firefox; thumbs up so far) to http://mycast.orb.com and entering your user ID, you can gain access to all the media and document files that you shared from your home PC. For me, this means that over 21 GB of music, movies, music videos, and access to all my personal Word and Excel documents is available from any PC on campus...
I find this amazing, and intend to use it regularly. If you find yourself on the road quite a bit, are connected, and want very easy access to your media files, I highly recommend Orb as the middle man for now. The service is thus-far free, displays minimal advertising, and uses a fairly modern AJAX web browswer interface for the "client" PC that is being streamed to.
Out.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Blue October
Blue October is not just one of my all-time favorite bands (having only discovered them last year), but their music speaks volumes to me ("Inner Glow"), while some song lyrics just stand out as brilliant:
"Don't trust my words when I'm in the bed with you
I'll bring the message, but the message gets lost
Yeah you opened your legs and maybe
I promised you
You didn't notice that my ankles were crossed"
Sexual Powertrip (One Big Lie)
I'll bring the message, but the message gets lost
Yeah you opened your legs and maybe
I promised you
You didn't notice that my ankles were crossed"
Sexual Powertrip (One Big Lie)
... And Counting
I have two of four major projects complete for this week.
English 206 short story: done and ready to rock and roll for workshop.
Computer Science 301 database: complete and ready to roll for Friday's lab.
CS 425 has two projects, one due Sunday, and another (technically it's homework, not a project, but it's fairly involving nonetheless) due on Tuesday. Both will keep me fairly busy throughout the weekend.
Gah, I want my life back, and these 12 hour days at BGSU to end.
Out.
English 206 short story: done and ready to rock and roll for workshop.
Computer Science 301 database: complete and ready to roll for Friday's lab.
CS 425 has two projects, one due Sunday, and another (technically it's homework, not a project, but it's fairly involving nonetheless) due on Tuesday. Both will keep me fairly busy throughout the weekend.
Gah, I want my life back, and these 12 hour days at BGSU to end.
Out.
The Evolution of a Story
Well, Event Horizon may not be quite done yet, but I have another piece of fiction complete.
Written for my English 206 class, the story linked below will spend the next six weeks in workshop, and when this semester is over, will be rewritten with all comments/concerns/edits in place.
I am posting the raw, unedited principle first-draft now, and will post the revised, updated version at the end of the semester. Note: the story in its current form does not have a title.
Untitled Story
(Microsoft Word Document format)
Out.
Written for my English 206 class, the story linked below will spend the next six weeks in workshop, and when this semester is over, will be rewritten with all comments/concerns/edits in place.
I am posting the raw, unedited principle first-draft now, and will post the revised, updated version at the end of the semester. Note: the story in its current form does not have a title.
Untitled Story
(Microsoft Word Document format)
Out.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
The Return of the Dream
Lately I have noticed something: I wake up, and recall having dreams. This is not a big deal for most people, but for me it is. For the past five or six years, I have been barely able to recall my dreams, if I even have any in the first place.
In the past two days, however, I have been able to recall five separate dreams, with two standing out very well in my memory. A large part of my former creativity was based around images from my dreams ("Event Horizon," anyone?), and I have felt creatively stifled in the last few years because of this. I hate to over-analyze myself and my dreams, but it's hard not to. Below is an example from the last two days.
Dream One: I spend an entire day at Otsego High School, running through a full school day as I remember it from my senior year. The big focus of the dream was a small device I carried. It was essentially similar in form to an ARCHOS AC604 multimedia device.
Analysis: I believe my obsession over having to choose a new phone (for our Verizon Wireless contract renewel) is putting me on gadget-envy overload, as I want some new sexy tech, but most likely won't get it. This happens all the time when I see the latest and greatest from ARCHOS. As for the time period, I used to have an ARCHOS Multimedia Jukebox 20 in high school, which might help have framed this dream.
Dream Two: This one came out of nowhere. I was in love with Lacey again. We sat in a quiet hallway, quiet and shy of each other due to our now 4-month and counting split. However, we quickly proceed to become familiar with each other, both emotionally and physically (really, really quick, might I add). That is the dream in a nutshell.
Analysis: Is my complete and purposely-active ignorance of Lacey really me denying very-buried feelings? Or is it a longing for a whole different type of person that I buried when her and I split? It's hard to say, because I am 110% happy with who I have become in the last few months...
*sigh*
Out.
In the past two days, however, I have been able to recall five separate dreams, with two standing out very well in my memory. A large part of my former creativity was based around images from my dreams ("Event Horizon," anyone?), and I have felt creatively stifled in the last few years because of this. I hate to over-analyze myself and my dreams, but it's hard not to. Below is an example from the last two days.
Dream One: I spend an entire day at Otsego High School, running through a full school day as I remember it from my senior year. The big focus of the dream was a small device I carried. It was essentially similar in form to an ARCHOS AC604 multimedia device.
Analysis: I believe my obsession over having to choose a new phone (for our Verizon Wireless contract renewel) is putting me on gadget-envy overload, as I want some new sexy tech, but most likely won't get it. This happens all the time when I see the latest and greatest from ARCHOS. As for the time period, I used to have an ARCHOS Multimedia Jukebox 20 in high school, which might help have framed this dream.
Dream Two: This one came out of nowhere. I was in love with Lacey again. We sat in a quiet hallway, quiet and shy of each other due to our now 4-month and counting split. However, we quickly proceed to become familiar with each other, both emotionally and physically (really, really quick, might I add). That is the dream in a nutshell.
Analysis: Is my complete and purposely-active ignorance of Lacey really me denying very-buried feelings? Or is it a longing for a whole different type of person that I buried when her and I split? It's hard to say, because I am 110% happy with who I have become in the last few months...
*sigh*
Out.
Songs, Songs, Songs
Music is one of the most important aspects of my life, and to help reflect this, I have began posting a section called "The Defining Songs" on my sidebar. Check it out. From time to time I will update this section, and the songs are in no particular order. Essentially, these are the songs that are either my favorite or mean a lot to me, one way or another.
Updates soon.
Updates soon.
Monday, March 19, 2007
What Did I Step In?
I've been quite busy with school related tasks to even consider updating, but having accomplished one-fifth of this week's workload, I somehow DO feel accomplished. The rundown for the coming week and near future:
Tuesday: AM classes, then working on CS 301 and Eng 206 projects. Hanging out with Colleen briefly after 4pm, maybe...
Wednesday: Sleeping in (woo-hoo!) and one, maybe two classes mid-day. then working on CS and Eng projects again (*sigh*)
Thursday: AM classes, work until 4, then working on another CS 425 project, then perhaps B-Dubs with a friend or two (although this is shaky at best, perhaps just food out?)
Friday: More sleeping in (double woo-hoo!), two classes, then relaxing all afternoon with video games, and hopefully enjoying the weather.
Next week, I will be focused on summer and fall class scheduling.
But first, I have a short story to finish, two CS projects to wrap up, a 6-page English paper to write, and two books to read at the same time... I'm entering this semester's crunch mode, and I hate it.
Out :-(
Tuesday: AM classes, then working on CS 301 and Eng 206 projects. Hanging out with Colleen briefly after 4pm, maybe...
Wednesday: Sleeping in (woo-hoo!) and one, maybe two classes mid-day. then working on CS and Eng projects again (*sigh*)
Thursday: AM classes, work until 4, then working on another CS 425 project, then perhaps B-Dubs with a friend or two (although this is shaky at best, perhaps just food out?)
Friday: More sleeping in (double woo-hoo!), two classes, then relaxing all afternoon with video games, and hopefully enjoying the weather.
Next week, I will be focused on summer and fall class scheduling.
But first, I have a short story to finish, two CS projects to wrap up, a 6-page English paper to write, and two books to read at the same time... I'm entering this semester's crunch mode, and I hate it.
Out :-(
Friday, March 16, 2007
Please Initial Here
Male, 22, Ohio
Seeks
Female, 18 - 26, Ohio, for Companionship
See Application Below:
Please fill in all answers legibly and completely to be considered.
Your Name: Brandon Michael Bruno
Your Birthday: a blustery October 4th, 1984
Your Favorite Color: mainly yellow; sometimes bright red, but I've never admitted that until now
Describe your body in a sentence: 5' 10", red hair, a little extra chub; yet alive and lonely
Describe your personality: a ticking time bomb
Describe your current goals: to see the sun rise, to see it set, and in between put a smile on someone's face
Describe one thing you're good at: scrutinizing my own existence and asking myself: "why?" almost all the time
Describe a weakness: everything and nothing (and being indecisive)
Describe one thing you're known for: working with computers and lying
Describe one major change in your life (past five years): falling in love
Describe one major change in your life (past year): falling out of love, hard
Describe one major change in your life (past month): rediscovering myself, and learning to love new friends
What are your long-term ambitions: to be happy, rich or poor
If you could be ice cream, what flavor: vanilla (plain and simple, yet the basis for all things)
On a perfect summer day, what would you be doing: walking amongst nature, breathing the cleanest air I can breathe
Do you smoke: no, although I'm known to sometimes fume at people (they just don't know it... even the one's for whom I tell "it's ok")
Describe your ideal partner, physically: alive, skinny/fat/medium, healthy - physical details are not important
Describe your ideal partner, emotionally: strong, with caveats to cry when I cry
Describe your ideal partner, psychologically: positive and strong, willing to overcome their faults
Describe why you filled out this application: because I want to be known, I want to be cleansed, and I want to be honest again
Blank Application
Seeks
Female, 18 - 26, Ohio, for Companionship
See Application Below:
Please fill in all answers legibly and completely to be considered.
Your Name: Brandon Michael Bruno
Your Birthday: a blustery October 4th, 1984
Your Favorite Color: mainly yellow; sometimes bright red, but I've never admitted that until now
Describe your body in a sentence: 5' 10", red hair, a little extra chub; yet alive and lonely
Describe your personality: a ticking time bomb
Describe your current goals: to see the sun rise, to see it set, and in between put a smile on someone's face
Describe one thing you're good at: scrutinizing my own existence and asking myself: "why?" almost all the time
Describe a weakness: everything and nothing (and being indecisive)
Describe one thing you're known for: working with computers and lying
Describe one major change in your life (past five years): falling in love
Describe one major change in your life (past year): falling out of love, hard
Describe one major change in your life (past month): rediscovering myself, and learning to love new friends
What are your long-term ambitions: to be happy, rich or poor
If you could be ice cream, what flavor: vanilla (plain and simple, yet the basis for all things)
On a perfect summer day, what would you be doing: walking amongst nature, breathing the cleanest air I can breathe
Do you smoke: no, although I'm known to sometimes fume at people (they just don't know it... even the one's for whom I tell "it's ok")
Describe your ideal partner, physically: alive, skinny/fat/medium, healthy - physical details are not important
Describe your ideal partner, emotionally: strong, with caveats to cry when I cry
Describe your ideal partner, psychologically: positive and strong, willing to overcome their faults
Describe why you filled out this application: because I want to be known, I want to be cleansed, and I want to be honest again
Blank Application
Promises, Promises
I mentioned a while back that I would be conducting a 9-day trial in which I would use three different operating systems, 3 days a piece, to do my normal day-to-day work and report on how they work for me. This was post-poned after my Ubuntu installation went belly-up after I toyed with some drivers in a pretty low-level fashion. After reinstalling, however, I'm ready to rock and roll. Hopefully I'll begin this project this coming Monday.
Stay tuned!
Stay tuned!
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Adding Up
English 333 readings +
Computer Science 425 programs +
English 206 story +
Work @ Meijer +
Possibilities +
Stress +
Too Many Questions =
Time for a vacation!
Computer Science 425 programs +
English 206 story +
Work @ Meijer +
Possibilities +
Stress +
Too Many Questions =
Time for a vacation!
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Lousy Smarch Weather
It's a month of change. A new season starts (spring), a new design for my blog is here (duh), and all just in time for my B3.0 initiative (stay tuned for what this is about soon).
After toying with Blogger 2.0's new layout interface, I took time to design new graphics for Critically Correct. Everything should line up just fine, and I'll be making minor tweaks here and there, although some you may not necessarily noticed right away.
I hope the new design/scheme helps support a more tech-focused blog.
Also, as I become familiar with the Blogger 2.0 design API, I will eventually introduce a custom layout for Critically Correct, rather than just new graphics.
Until later, I'm out.
After toying with Blogger 2.0's new layout interface, I took time to design new graphics for Critically Correct. Everything should line up just fine, and I'll be making minor tweaks here and there, although some you may not necessarily noticed right away.
I hope the new design/scheme helps support a more tech-focused blog.
Also, as I become familiar with the Blogger 2.0 design API, I will eventually introduce a custom layout for Critically Correct, rather than just new graphics.
Until later, I'm out.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Spring Break Good Times
Spring Break 2007 is essentially over for me. It has been a short week, I have tons of homework to do yet, a test this coming week, and lots of time to be spent at Meijer.
And yet, I'm thrilled about how this spring break has went. Why?
Because as of today, I swear that it is, well... spring. All 52 degrees of it.
But beyond that, this is possibly my last spring break before graduation (December?), and I did absolutely nothing. First, some history.
My first spring break at BGSU was spent entirely at Meijer. As a freshman, I did not see the need to spend big money that I did not have on a vacation to some place that I did not want to necessarily go.
My sophomore year was spent in the awesome city of Los Angeles with my (at the time) wonderful girlfriend Lacey. I explored completely new places (El Segundo and other LA suburbs), did new things (rode a subway, flew in an airplane), and experienced different cultures first hand. More than anything before it, spring break that year was an eye opening experience that put equality, exploration, and opportunity as the forefront foundations of my life.
Spring break 2006 was another life-changing experience for me. Spent in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee/North Carolina on the Appalachian Trail, I became closer to nature than I could have ever dreamed. Most days were spent in thirty degree weather (single digits at night), but I came out of the 5 day trip with experience of survival, the importance of drinking water, and the luxuries of heat that we all take for granted.
And here I am, sitting in the same spot that most of my break has been spent: in front of my computer. What have I learned from this spring break? Sometimes taking it easy is the best vacation I could ask for. For all the planning that went into previous spring breaks, doing nothing this past week has brought me closer to things that matter in my life: friends, family, and my writing. I've had an awesome time with Kristin, unspeakably good times with Colleen (for whom I've decided is now close enough to me to be considered my best friend -- not breast friend!). Growing with a person like that is the most unexpected surprise of recent memory, and I truly think I can trust her for almost anything -- except, of course, driving my car.
With work at 5am tomorrow and homework to do afterwards, my spring break officially ends today. I am lined up for a full week of school/work/etc., so it'll be back to the grind tomorrow afternoon.
I look forward to updating a bit more often than I have been. Until next time...
Out.
And yet, I'm thrilled about how this spring break has went. Why?
Because as of today, I swear that it is, well... spring. All 52 degrees of it.
But beyond that, this is possibly my last spring break before graduation (December?), and I did absolutely nothing. First, some history.
My first spring break at BGSU was spent entirely at Meijer. As a freshman, I did not see the need to spend big money that I did not have on a vacation to some place that I did not want to necessarily go.
My sophomore year was spent in the awesome city of Los Angeles with my (at the time) wonderful girlfriend Lacey. I explored completely new places (El Segundo and other LA suburbs), did new things (rode a subway, flew in an airplane), and experienced different cultures first hand. More than anything before it, spring break that year was an eye opening experience that put equality, exploration, and opportunity as the forefront foundations of my life.
Spring break 2006 was another life-changing experience for me. Spent in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee/North Carolina on the Appalachian Trail, I became closer to nature than I could have ever dreamed. Most days were spent in thirty degree weather (single digits at night), but I came out of the 5 day trip with experience of survival, the importance of drinking water, and the luxuries of heat that we all take for granted.
And here I am, sitting in the same spot that most of my break has been spent: in front of my computer. What have I learned from this spring break? Sometimes taking it easy is the best vacation I could ask for. For all the planning that went into previous spring breaks, doing nothing this past week has brought me closer to things that matter in my life: friends, family, and my writing. I've had an awesome time with Kristin, unspeakably good times with Colleen (for whom I've decided is now close enough to me to be considered my best friend -- not breast friend!). Growing with a person like that is the most unexpected surprise of recent memory, and I truly think I can trust her for almost anything -- except, of course, driving my car.
With work at 5am tomorrow and homework to do afterwards, my spring break officially ends today. I am lined up for a full week of school/work/etc., so it'll be back to the grind tomorrow afternoon.
I look forward to updating a bit more often than I have been. Until next time...
Out.
Monday, March 05, 2007
A Different Vista
With all the talk of Vista lately, I feel as though I'm almost caving into the hype. To remedy this, I have taken up a challenge for myself.
For three (3) day time periods, I will live my computing life on three different operating systems. First will be XP, which has been my mainstay for five years or so. Second will be Vista, which is obviously still Windows, yet still a testbed of sorts. Finally Ubuntu Linux, installed on my Inspiron 5150 laptop, will be my final test.
The rules are simple: during each three day trial, I must use each OS wholly, without switching to another to accomplish any task that I normally might. This should pose interesting application compatibility issues, although it is worth noting the switch to Ubuntu won't be too hard, since I'm already used to using open source apps like Firefox and Open Office on a daily basis.
I will update at the end of each trial to report my experience. This will be a three week project, starting next week.
Out.
For three (3) day time periods, I will live my computing life on three different operating systems. First will be XP, which has been my mainstay for five years or so. Second will be Vista, which is obviously still Windows, yet still a testbed of sorts. Finally Ubuntu Linux, installed on my Inspiron 5150 laptop, will be my final test.
The rules are simple: during each three day trial, I must use each OS wholly, without switching to another to accomplish any task that I normally might. This should pose interesting application compatibility issues, although it is worth noting the switch to Ubuntu won't be too hard, since I'm already used to using open source apps like Firefox and Open Office on a daily basis.
I will update at the end of each trial to report my experience. This will be a three week project, starting next week.
Out.
Upcoming Movies
TwitchGuru is running a wonderful article on the upcoming "geek movies" of 2007, and roughly third-thirds of them look to be quite interesting. Among my picks to see are TMNT, Transformers (Michael Bay, however, worries the hell out of me), The Simpsons, and of course, Spider-Man 3.
Link: Top 10 Geek Movies of 2007
Link: Top 10 Geek Movies of 2007
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Guilty Guitars
An interesting battle, although as subdued and quiet as it may be, has been taking place between myself and a friend. Sometimes it's an outright bashing contest, sometimes a seemingly heated argument over a feature list, and sometimes it's just about "mine is better."
The battle is fought over video games. One product originates from Japan, the other from Cambridge, Massachusetts. One plays out with arcade hardware, the other built from the ground-up with a console in mind. These are already stark contrasts that help set apart two very different products that are commonly mistaken to be "intruding on one another." This could not be farther from the truth, and what follows is my analysis and honest opinion regarding the differences and similarities between the Guitar Hero series and the Guitar Freaks series.
First of all, this is an opinion piece first and foremost, and I do not tread ground that I have not had experience with. Information that is factual has been sourced from Wikipedia, so take such sources with a grain of salt. I generally do not make assumptions about that which I have not had direct experience with, but I will note otherwise if I decide to do such a thing.
First, some history is in order, but I'll regulate such matters to Wikipedia:
Guitar Freaks: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_freaks
Guitar Hero: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_hero
The heart of my story goes something like this: Guitar Freaks and Guitar Hero are two different games, each with its own basic premise and goals. The only real thing they share is their established genre (rhythm/action) and the commonality of being based on impersonating a guitar.
One common point of contention for both games is "to what degree do they simulate playing a real guitar?" When arguing from this perspective, one will almost always lose. Neither game can simulate in whole the act of playing a guitar (for obvious physical reasons). Instead, one can judge the games based on the techniques employed within game play that encourage the suspense of disbelief in the player, typically elating a level of excitement and accomplishment that one might experience when mastering a real guitar. Both games accomplish this euphoria in difference ways. Guitar Freaks features a simpler button layout (3 fret buttons and a strum bar, with a pitch modification dial) compared to Guitar Hero, but uses this simplification to add difficulty in game play design. Such is the case in song speed. Because the three primary fingers of a hand can rest over the three fret buttons, notes can scroll at the player in rapid-succession, and on harder difficulties these notes may scroll at very challenging speeds, testing the stamina, dexterity, and accuracy of any player.
Guitar Hero, on the other hand, typically features more slower, mostly spaced out songs (partly due to the selection of American rock and alternative music). However, the biggest factor in ramping difficulty is the build of the controller: 5 fret buttons, a strum bar, and a whammy bar. On all but the hardest of songs, notes typically scroll at the player with reasonable speed, in such a way that a player of any skill level can "read" the notes. However, a player can not cover all the fret buttons with one hand, and "neck scrolling" is required for most songs. This introduces the need to maintain a notion of what fingers are where on the neck, then anticipate how to move and anchor them for the next set of notes. Although a great majority of songs are slower in comparison to those featured in Guitar Freaks, the challenge factor is balanced out by this physical difference.
Unfortunately I can not speak for any advanced techniques featured in Guitar Freaks. I do know that point multipliers exists, and that "full strumming" (strumming up and down) can greatly aid in passing especially-fast solos or songs. For comparisons sake, however, both of these things exist in Guitar Hero as well. One additional technique that stands out in Guitar Hero is the "lower-note note holds" and the "hammer-on/pull-off" technique. In the case of the former, in the even that only one note is being played, any fret button lower than said note can be held down, based on the fact that on a real guitar only the highest note of a string is actually heard. This has implications in the latter technique, hammer-ons and pull-offs. Essentially, notes that scroll close enough together can be played from just one strum. This allows for groups of close notes to be hit accurately without repeated strums, which is another factor in being able to move up and down the neck without having to continuously worry about strums throwing your mark off. (If anyone can contribute to this section regarding Guitar Freaks, please leave a comment stating so and provide your input.)
Guitar Freaks focuses on player accuracy (a staple of many -- if not all? -- Bemani games). The "strum window" surrounding each note on Guitar Freaks is extremely small, and is padded by the measurement of how accurate a player is in strumming the actual note. This range is tight, but allows for detailed grading to take place, giving many players the chance to "always improve." Guitar Hero, on the other hand, features a "hit or miss" approach to note strums, but instead allows for a generous windows of "hit" around each note, mostly to allow for the possibility that a hammer-on or pull-off may take place. This also allows skilled players to be sloppy with their fretwork, and I've even been known to simply smash the fret board in just the right general pattern to hit the notes I need (This still doesn't seem to help on "Jordon," however).
Another large point of contention is the history of the beasts. Guitar Freaks has been around since 1998, although was regulated mainly to Japan for quite some time. Because Japanese gaming culture does not typically mesh well with American tastes, bringing Guitar Freaks to America in its early phases was not a particularly great idea (read). However, the concept was more than established in that "it worked, people somewhere would play this." It took an American game studio to Americanize the concept in the form of Guitar Hero, and the same success that Guitar Freaks has seen in Japan was replicated by Guitar Hero in America. Of course there are the pundits that argue "Guitar Freaks was teh firstz!!11!11!!!1." Well, duh, of course it was first, any educated gamer will tell you that. However, Guitar Hero was exposed in the mass media of American entertainment before Guitar Freaks was, thus the process seems reversed.
All in all, both games are strong in their field. Both provide a satisfying "in the zone" feeling that can be associated with playing a real guitar, both feature advanced play techniques that assist the novice and experienced gamer. Although both entered American culture in different ways, both feature strengths that make each its own. In the end, I do believe, that means it is simply a matter of personal tastes for what game becomes your favorite.
Let the thrashing begin.
The battle is fought over video games. One product originates from Japan, the other from Cambridge, Massachusetts. One plays out with arcade hardware, the other built from the ground-up with a console in mind. These are already stark contrasts that help set apart two very different products that are commonly mistaken to be "intruding on one another." This could not be farther from the truth, and what follows is my analysis and honest opinion regarding the differences and similarities between the Guitar Hero series and the Guitar Freaks series.
First of all, this is an opinion piece first and foremost, and I do not tread ground that I have not had experience with. Information that is factual has been sourced from Wikipedia, so take such sources with a grain of salt. I generally do not make assumptions about that which I have not had direct experience with, but I will note otherwise if I decide to do such a thing.
First, some history is in order, but I'll regulate such matters to Wikipedia:
Guitar Freaks: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_freaks
Guitar Hero: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_hero
The heart of my story goes something like this: Guitar Freaks and Guitar Hero are two different games, each with its own basic premise and goals. The only real thing they share is their established genre (rhythm/action) and the commonality of being based on impersonating a guitar.
One common point of contention for both games is "to what degree do they simulate playing a real guitar?" When arguing from this perspective, one will almost always lose. Neither game can simulate in whole the act of playing a guitar (for obvious physical reasons). Instead, one can judge the games based on the techniques employed within game play that encourage the suspense of disbelief in the player, typically elating a level of excitement and accomplishment that one might experience when mastering a real guitar. Both games accomplish this euphoria in difference ways. Guitar Freaks features a simpler button layout (3 fret buttons and a strum bar, with a pitch modification dial) compared to Guitar Hero, but uses this simplification to add difficulty in game play design. Such is the case in song speed. Because the three primary fingers of a hand can rest over the three fret buttons, notes can scroll at the player in rapid-succession, and on harder difficulties these notes may scroll at very challenging speeds, testing the stamina, dexterity, and accuracy of any player.
Guitar Hero, on the other hand, typically features more slower, mostly spaced out songs (partly due to the selection of American rock and alternative music). However, the biggest factor in ramping difficulty is the build of the controller: 5 fret buttons, a strum bar, and a whammy bar. On all but the hardest of songs, notes typically scroll at the player with reasonable speed, in such a way that a player of any skill level can "read" the notes. However, a player can not cover all the fret buttons with one hand, and "neck scrolling" is required for most songs. This introduces the need to maintain a notion of what fingers are where on the neck, then anticipate how to move and anchor them for the next set of notes. Although a great majority of songs are slower in comparison to those featured in Guitar Freaks, the challenge factor is balanced out by this physical difference.
Unfortunately I can not speak for any advanced techniques featured in Guitar Freaks. I do know that point multipliers exists, and that "full strumming" (strumming up and down) can greatly aid in passing especially-fast solos or songs. For comparisons sake, however, both of these things exist in Guitar Hero as well. One additional technique that stands out in Guitar Hero is the "lower-note note holds" and the "hammer-on/pull-off" technique. In the case of the former, in the even that only one note is being played, any fret button lower than said note can be held down, based on the fact that on a real guitar only the highest note of a string is actually heard. This has implications in the latter technique, hammer-ons and pull-offs. Essentially, notes that scroll close enough together can be played from just one strum. This allows for groups of close notes to be hit accurately without repeated strums, which is another factor in being able to move up and down the neck without having to continuously worry about strums throwing your mark off. (If anyone can contribute to this section regarding Guitar Freaks, please leave a comment stating so and provide your input.)
Guitar Freaks focuses on player accuracy (a staple of many -- if not all? -- Bemani games). The "strum window" surrounding each note on Guitar Freaks is extremely small, and is padded by the measurement of how accurate a player is in strumming the actual note. This range is tight, but allows for detailed grading to take place, giving many players the chance to "always improve." Guitar Hero, on the other hand, features a "hit or miss" approach to note strums, but instead allows for a generous windows of "hit" around each note, mostly to allow for the possibility that a hammer-on or pull-off may take place. This also allows skilled players to be sloppy with their fretwork, and I've even been known to simply smash the fret board in just the right general pattern to hit the notes I need (This still doesn't seem to help on "Jordon," however).
Another large point of contention is the history of the beasts. Guitar Freaks has been around since 1998, although was regulated mainly to Japan for quite some time. Because Japanese gaming culture does not typically mesh well with American tastes, bringing Guitar Freaks to America in its early phases was not a particularly great idea (read). However, the concept was more than established in that "it worked, people somewhere would play this." It took an American game studio to Americanize the concept in the form of Guitar Hero, and the same success that Guitar Freaks has seen in Japan was replicated by Guitar Hero in America. Of course there are the pundits that argue "Guitar Freaks was teh firstz!!11!11!!!1." Well, duh, of course it was first, any educated gamer will tell you that. However, Guitar Hero was exposed in the mass media of American entertainment before Guitar Freaks was, thus the process seems reversed.
All in all, both games are strong in their field. Both provide a satisfying "in the zone" feeling that can be associated with playing a real guitar, both feature advanced play techniques that assist the novice and experienced gamer. Although both entered American culture in different ways, both feature strengths that make each its own. In the end, I do believe, that means it is simply a matter of personal tastes for what game becomes your favorite.
Let the thrashing begin.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Like/Dislike, Round II
Time for another Favorite/Least Liked set.
Tonight's topic is hard for me, because I hate ranking my own video game collection, which is partially why there is a "runner up" item in each list.
Topic: Of my own personal collection, my favorite/least liked Super Nintendo games.
My Favorite Is: Harvest Moon
The original Harvest Moon was released in 1997 and immediately became my favorite game on the SNES, mostly because it was so different than all the other games I owned at the time (mostly platformers).
Runner(s)-Up: Super Mario RPG, Mario Paint
My Least Favorite Is: Mario Is Missing
I purchased this game for $12 at a "going out of business" sale at a local video rental shop many, many years ago. At the time I did not quite understand what "edutainment" was, although I did find some of the history trivia interesting. Nonetheless, it was (and still is) the least-played game in my library.
Tonight's topic is hard for me, because I hate ranking my own video game collection, which is partially why there is a "runner up" item in each list.
Topic: Of my own personal collection, my favorite/least liked Super Nintendo games.
My Favorite Is: Harvest Moon
The original Harvest Moon was released in 1997 and immediately became my favorite game on the SNES, mostly because it was so different than all the other games I owned at the time (mostly platformers).
Runner(s)-Up: Super Mario RPG, Mario Paint
My Least Favorite Is: Mario Is Missing
I purchased this game for $12 at a "going out of business" sale at a local video rental shop many, many years ago. At the time I did not quite understand what "edutainment" was, although I did find some of the history trivia interesting. Nonetheless, it was (and still is) the least-played game in my library.
Friday, March 02, 2007
Thank You's and Other Changes
A big "thank you" goes out to everyone who read my "Thoughts on Vista" post. Traffic-wise, it was the biggest day my blog has ever seen.
I'm altering ever-so-slightly the focus of this blog. Rather than mesh a 50/50 balance of personal life and commentary/news related items, I'm going to slowly lean towards publishing opinion pieces, commentaries, tech articles, and a few other random tidbits now and then. Personal issues and rants will still occasionally appear here, but I'm considering merging those into a separate blog site in the future, although I'm weighing my options still, so don't hold your breath for that.
I'm working on a wonderful opinion piece that I hope to publish sometime this weekend regarding Guitar Hero II / Guitar Freaks. Yes, you made me do this, Colleen :-)
Out.
I'm altering ever-so-slightly the focus of this blog. Rather than mesh a 50/50 balance of personal life and commentary/news related items, I'm going to slowly lean towards publishing opinion pieces, commentaries, tech articles, and a few other random tidbits now and then. Personal issues and rants will still occasionally appear here, but I'm considering merging those into a separate blog site in the future, although I'm weighing my options still, so don't hold your breath for that.
I'm working on a wonderful opinion piece that I hope to publish sometime this weekend regarding Guitar Hero II / Guitar Freaks. Yes, you made me do this, Colleen :-)
Out.
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