No, not Edgar Allen Poe. Although that would be cool, too.
I'm talking about Poe! As in, "my favorite artist of all time"!
According to a recent interview, she's not only getting back to performing after 10 years of silence, but she's looking at recording a new album, too. This is super exciting news. I've been a huge fan of her work ever since I bought her first album from some music club on a lark back in high school. It has this haunting quality (and, appropriately, her second album was entitled "Haunted") and her lyrics somehow cut to the quick of whatever emotional state I'm in. I love, love, love her music and will listen to her albums start to finish, which I can't really say about many artists.
For the uninitiated, here is a sampling of my favorite songs of hers. Enjoy.
I don't think the fact that I was leaving truly hit me until my last day. I hadn't left a ton of stuff to do, but opted to hand-write "sand" (notes of appreciation) to every staff member. This process took a few hours. It was fun to take time to reflect on what each person meant to me, and it was an exercise that took a surprising turn as I realized that, despite the fact that I worked with 80-odd people (or 80 odd people, heh), each one of them really meant something to me, and I could conjure a happy and distinct memory of each.
Then I started working on my goodbye letter to the whole staff. I created a photo-and-caption montage, and the process of creating it conjured so many memories of things I've loved about KaBOOM! that I started to get misty-eyed. From the Culture Captain event where I wore a cow costume to singing karaoke to "The Time Warp" at our staff retreat, I wondered...will I ever be allowed to be THIS WEIRD at work again? The reality of the situation hit me like a Mack truck to the sternum.
Later, I started going through my "kudos" file on my email and copying over my favorites to a Word doc. That brought back a flood of memories, too, and reminded me how much my work was appreciated over the past couple of years. Even at the ripe old age of 30 it's easy to occasionally feel like I'm just a stumbling moron who occasionally strikes it lucky...but re-reading these emails was a real confidence-booster.
People kept dropping by my pod to say goodbye throughout the afternoon. Surprisingly I found plenty to keep me occupied until 6 p.m., when I was able to bum a ride home (and thank goodness, because I had a ton of stuff to haul).
Through the hugs and the near-tears, I felt profound sadness for that which I'll be losing, but hope for the future, too. I know I won't really be losing the awesome people I've worked with, thanks to the miracle of Facebook. We'll all keep in touch and will probably still hang out. Plus, I have a whole new adventure to look forward to...one where I can really stretch my wings and take my career to new heights, working with an equally amazing (albeit much smaller) staff.
And in the meantime, I have a whole week off to reboot. If you have suggestions for how I should occupy my time (especially since I'm going to try to stay out of Josh's hair as he works from home), please post them in the comments.
You know those counterfeit Yu-Gi-Oh! cards you see in stores? Can you guess who's admitted to making them?
Surprise! It was Upper Deck, the very same company that once distributed the classic Japanese card game in the U.S. As you can imagine, Konami was none too happy about that and sued Upper Deck. According to ICv2, a settlement was reached this week that bars Upper Deck from ever again printing or selling Yu-Gi-Oh! cards. Upper Deck also now owes Konami a bunch of money, which is no surprise.
Unanswered in all this is why Upper Deck would seek to undercut its own profits. The only explanation I can fathom is the company wanted to milk the franchise for all it was worth, including selling counterfeit cards on the cheap to stores that couldn't afford to stock the real thing. What do you think?
So...yeah. This poster, pictured to the right, hung in my bedroom throughout my teen years. Though only this Christmas did I finally acquire my own copy of the movie.
As I write this post, I'm battling a temporary fit of insomnia by sipping herbal tea and watching "The Three Musketeers," which has started to become an insomnia staple for me. Why do I love it so much? Here's the short list:
1. The cast Charlie Sheen (when he was at the peak of his hotness), Tim Curry (who makes every movie better), Keifer Sutherland (a counter-balance of grittiness to the other men's charms), Chris O'Donnell (when he was cute and before he sported bat-nipples), Oliver Platt (who also makes every movie better), Rebecca DeMornay (who is simultaneously crazy hot and ice-cold as Countess DeWinter), plus a small part played by Julie Delpy from "Before Sunrise." Everyone gives a solid performance. And despite some arguably trendy casting choices, the movie holds up more than 15 years later.
2. The script The perfect balance of romance, action, suspense, adventure and humor...something few movies attempt but this movie handily succeeds at.
3. And yeah...OK... The dashing men with well-groomed goatees and long hair. The puffy shirts. The plumed hats. The "wenching" scene. The sheer "swashbucklery" of it all. And, admittedly, the fact that I saw it at a very influential age, right around when I went to my first Renaissance Festival. I wholly admit that I have a perspective on this film very similar to how Josh views the 1980s Transformers and G.I. Joe cartoons.
But regardless...it will always remain high on my list, not as a guilty pleasure, but as a simple pleasure.
I once met Britney Spears. Here's the short version of the story:
When I was 18, "Teen People" was a brand-new magazine, and they had put out a call for "trendspotters." Being an aspiring writer who also loved getting free stuff, I applied, and, despite my inability to "spot" a "trend" even if it were standing in front of me waving a sign that said, "I am a trend!" I was accepted.
There was a big kick off event at the Mall of America for all local trendspotters. It was held on a Sunday and, being a bored college student without much to do, I went. I was promised free stuff (which turned out to be a pair of mittens made from recycled plastic bottles) and a free concert from none other than Britney Spears.
"Who?" I said when I read the invitation. I'd never heard of her. "Hit Me Baby One More Time" had just started playing on the radio on the coasts, but hadn't really made it to Minnesota yet.
Now, to set the stage here, I was taking three women's studies classes at the time: Gender in American Society, Psychology of Women, and African-American Women Writers. When I got to the event and saw Ms. Spears, who was 16 at the time, dressed like a 10-year-old and dancing like a stripper, I was all kinds of offended. I should also mention that I was the oldest and least-trendy "trendspotter" in attendance, as my outfit in this photo will testify. My meek attempt to be fashionable, ladies and gentlemen.
When the concert was over, I thanked the Goddess but was suddenly pulled aside by Jorge Ramon, a guy I'd later see all the time on VH1. He was Teen People's fashion editor. He said something that amounted to, "Look, you're the oldest one here and you're not expected to wait for your mom to drive you home in five minutes, so could you please help us with this luridly-dancing neophyte's autograph signing at Sam Goody?"
I agreed, and for the next hour or so I sat, handed out cassettes, and literally rubbed elbows with Britney while she signed autographs. I've been told by two independent sources, but have never actually confirmed this myself, that there's a brief scene in her "Behind the Music" episode on VH1 where you can see me sitting next to her. If anyone can find it on the web somewhere, please post a link in the comments.
I figured I should get a picture with her in case she ever became famous, so this photo is what resulted. I chatted with her for a couple of minutes after the autograph signing and quickly determined she was the most vacuous person I'd ever met. Looking in her eyes, all I saw was the back of her skull. Spooky.
So that's the story behind the photo. Me, mildly disgusted and feeling intellectually superior, and vapid, maybe-this-is-my-ticket-out-of-Mickey-Mouse-Club-obscurity Britney. Enjoy.
I noticed the recipe for hot Grape Nuts is no longer printed on the cereal box, so in case you're a fan, I thought I'd print it here.
Hot Grape Nuts 1/2 cup Grape Nuts cereal 1/2 cup milk 1 Tbsp butter or margarine Brown sugar, to taste (I usually use a big spoonful)
Mix milk and cereal; top with butter and brown sugar. Cover loosely and microwave on high for 1 minute 15 seconds, or cook and stir over on the stove over medium heat until sugar is caramelized.
The official explanation for the Red Line's delay at noon Monday was a "train malfunction" at Silver Spring. To my untrained eye, though, it looks less like a train malfunction and more like a track jump. It looks like the lead car's front wheels were directed to continue north while the rear wheels were directed to the turnaround point.
Bravo, Metro. Bravo.
UPDATE: It's going on 1 p.m. and no fewer than 10 Metro workers are now on the scene. The official line is now that a "train malfunction" has caused a "disruption at Silver Spring." I have yet to hear or see the immobilized train move. Here's hoping the problem is resolved before this evening's rush hour.
UPDATE 2: I noticed at 1:30 p.m. that the train was moved while I wasn't looking. It looks like trains are still single tracking through Silver Spring, but I suppose incremental progress is still progress.
UPDATE 3: Thanks to our new friends at Unsuck DC Metro, it's come to light "the train operator overran a red signal" and that mistake triggered the mess. Great. So now Metro train conductors are running red lights. I say again: FAIL.
THAT is a loaded question, my friend. Whether you're talking real pirates, fictional pirates, or friend pirates...man, it's like choosing among my nonexistent CHILDREN.
As it happens, I've been doing some reading on real pirates, so let's start there. I admit I kinda dig Lady Mary Killigrew, who was a pirate alongside her husband, Sir John Killigrew. After boarding a Spanish merchant ship, killing the crew and stealing the cargo, and was sentenced to death by Queen Elizabeth I, but at the last minute the queen, who liked Lady Killigrew, changed her mind and gave her a long jail sentence instead. I gotta think she was pretty charming to get out of that one.
As for fictional pirates, this is going to sound kinda sad but I really like Captain Hook. He's just too darn amusing. I've been reading the "Peter and the Starcatchers" series, a retelling of the story of Peter Pan, and Captain Hook remains my favorite character. (A very close second place is Captain Jack Sparrow, gratuitously pictured at right.)
And there's no way you're making me choose among my friend pirates. They are all full of awesome!
I've been messing around with Tumblr's "Ask Me Anything" feature, and I totally dig it. So now I present to you...the "Ask Us Anything" box for Think Lynsen! This will be a permanent feature in the navigation, thanks to Blogger's new Pages feature. So start asking stuff today!
If you're going to hire a director for the next "Spider-Man" film, it only makes sense for it to be Mr. Webb. Now they just need Spider Wills for cinematography and Marta Bite to help produce.
It all started when I heard Real McCoy for the first time.
As square as I was, my radio was most often tuned in high school to classical music. Occasionally, I'd turn the dial to hear the popular songs of the day, but they rarely did much for me. I felt more comfortable around instrumental and orchestral pieces than some preppy boy band or overly dramatic crooner. Even the inspired works of Peter Tchaikovsky and John Williams, though, seemed to fall short of the perfect match for my musical tastes. I wasn't sure what I was missing, but I knew I was missing something.
Then, one night as we were driving around the Twin Cities, my best friend in high school played for me "Run Away" by Real McCoy. I loved it. The song was unlike anything else I'd ever heard — and I wanted more. So you can imagine my happiness when I learned this song was part of an entire heretofore-unknown-to-me genre of music.
In the years that followed, I never understood the general distaste that many of my fellow Minnesotans had for electronic dance music. I mean, I could understand people who said it just wasn't their thing. But there were far more people who actively spoke out against EDM, berating and insulting it. Sad as it was, I eventually became accustomed to society at large regulating EDM to some inferior status. Like comic books and video games, EDM is often regarded as playthings of the immature.
That's why I was so happy last year when Activision released "DJ Hero," the rhythm game that celebrates the works of EDM artists. People like me finally had the opportunity to interactively enjoy Daft Punk in the same way that "Guitar Hero" players could rock with Jimi Hendrix and Beatles fans could revel in "Rock Band." Finally, I thought, the hate would fade.
But it was not to be. The game didn't sell well in its first month, spurring many critics to say there was no market for the product. Then the $120 game was sold for $88 at Target just weeks before Christmas. Doom and gloom predictions for the fledgling franchise were silenced last week only after Activision's head honcho affirmed that a sequel is forthcoming.
I was glad to learn that Activision isn't giving up on "DJ Hero." There's a lot that can yet be done with the series, including enabling more dynamic competitive and cooperative play, granting players greater control over the actual mixing of songs, and allowing buyers to download for free or reduced cost mp3 files of the game's many unique mixes. Letting players create their own avatars — a function that arguably should have made the first game — also could go a long way to helping people better identify with the action they see on screen.
The beauty here, though, is that I'm talking about how to improve an already solid game. The game isn't broken. It doesn't need an overhaul. It needs refinement, a friendlier price point and more songs with cross-genre appeal. I was thrilled, for example, that Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" and MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This" were featured on the same mix. The sequel needs more pairings that excite the "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero" crowds.
In the meantime, though, I'm doing my best to evangelize the game. When we host friends, I often just happen to be playing the game when people walk through the door. I happily note the game offers many difficulty settings and that players can't fail a song. That's already encouraged a few people to try the game. My goal in advance of the second game's release is to turn at least one friend into an enthusiastic DJ.
But even if I fail in that quest, "DJ Hero" will remain one of my favorite video games of this generation. It may lack the refined stylings of "Guitar Hero" or the party flavorings of "Rock Band," but "DJ Hero" gives electronic dance music fans a robust and quality game to call their own.
It's the game I've waited 15 years to play. And the wait was worth it. Thank you, Activision.
It came as no surprise to me last week when Metro's general manager said he was stepping down. The last 12 months have been the deadliest in the D.C. transit system's history and it's time for new leadership.
Granted, the job is one that nobody in their right mind would accept. There are too many institutional problems afflicting Metro and too many financial challenges for anyone to substantially change things in the time frame by which performance will be publicly and privately evaluated.
Oddly, perhaps the most realistic approach to fixing Metro is with a fictional character at the helm. It's a silly concept, to be sure, but imagine how things would be different if Washington's subway and bus systems were under the direction of great minds such as…
• Grand Moff Tarkin of "Star Wars." Surely the man who oversaw construction and command of the Death Star can get Metro under control. His coworkers might have to endure a "foul stench," but I think that's a small price to pay as he brings the system to peak efficiency.
• Kermit the Frog of "The Muppet Show." Whether it's coming from unions, media or customers, there are no shortage of complaints about Metro. Who better to handle the pressure than Kermit, a persistent leader who succeeds under even the most harried of conditions?
• Sarah Connor of "Terminator 2." Armed with a few good "there is no fate but what we make" speeches, I think Sarah might represent exactly what Metro needs. Sure, she spent a few years in the loony bin, but we all have our quirks. We'd just have to bear with her constant attempts to downgrade the software.
• Destro of "G.I. Joe." The arms supplier to Cobra Commander, Destro would run Metro so well that you could set your watch to it. He'd also station Iron Grenadiers in every car, silencing roudy teens and people who think the "no food" and "no radios" rules don't apply to them. The tradeoff? Tripled fares that go to the profiteer.
• Dr. Sheldon Cooper of "The Big Bang Theory." Implementing decisions driven by complex algorithms and statistical analyses, Sheldon would doubtless conclude the best way to keep Metro on schedule would be to empty the train and proceed without passengers. Sound crazy? It shouldn't. The system already does that. It happened to my train a couple weeks ago.
What fictional character would you put at Metro's helm?
I just popped in my new copy of The Three Musketeers, and I couldn't help but notice how ancient the DVD assembly was. As soon as I pop the DVD in, I'm greeted with a series of solid green screens with warnings not to duplicate the DVD, and then I'm taken, with no fanfare, to a very static menu. My options include "Chapter selection," "Set Up," "Bonus Material," and "Play." The "Bonus Material" includes a production featurette, music video, and "film recommendations."
It's pretty clear this DVD was assembled in the early days of DVD. I always smirk a little bit when I encounter this.
But, at the risk of sounding Carrie Bradshaw-esque, it got me thinking: What do we expect from DVDs now versus when they first dropped onto the market? Most of my early DVDs feature very little, if any, special features, and often those are relegated to cast biographies (whee), perhaps a featurette, and trailers for other movies. Now, it seems like at least one commentary track is pretty much expected, as well as deleted scenes, perhaps a gag reel, and if you're lucky, alternate ways to view the movie (i.e. "Pop-Up Video" style).
Sometimes I think the newer movies do too much with their presentation...for instance, the menu sequences with unskippable, long animations tend to annoy me (Harry Potter DVDs, I'm looking at you). Basically I dislike anything extraneous that comes between me and watching the DVD's content, like not having a "play all" button right up front on a TV show's DVD, or making me view an "episode summary" before I get to play an episode of a TV show. And sometimes the additional content is next to useless...dull cast interviews, for example, episode previews, or featurettes on aspects of the production I have no interest in. And I'm a firm believer that if your gag reel consists of nothing but takes where somebody laughs instead of reading their lines, it's not worth including.
That said, here are features I wish every DVD would include:
An intuitive menu that quickly allows me to access the main content with just one click of the remote
A commentary track that features at least one of the actors, or at least a compelling, articulate director (Exception to this rule: Roger Ebert's commentary on "Dark City" is fantastic, even though he had nothing to do with the production.)
A gag reel, provided it's actually fun to watch and not totally repetitive
Deleted scenes, preferably set up so I can watch all of them back to back with just one click
English subtitles
Featurettes, when they make sense. For example, on "Aliens" I found the featurettes fascinating because they went over various aspects of the unique design and look of the film, and were broken into nice, bite-sized segments I could watch at my leisure.
A director's cut, with the option to play the theatrical cut if possible. I rather regret getting the extended versions of some DVDs because they're simply too long, and the additional content doesn't add as much as I thought it would. For casual viewing, sometimes I dig the theatrical version. (We actually got both the original theatrical versions and the uber-extended versions of all three "Lord of the Rings" movies for just this purpose.)
The ability to hit "menu" as soon as the DVD starts playing to go directly to the menu and skip any and all FBI warnings and trailers
What do you think? What does your ideal DVD look like? And at what point does a DVD deserve a souped-up re-release?
Most people who know me would probably classify me as a geek. I like computers, video games, comic books, Harry Potter, and my favorite movies are Aliens and Terminator 2.
But there are certain things that cause my nerd-cred to take a nosedive, particularly in conversations with fellow nerds.
Folks, I present to you...the list of things that damage my credibility as a geek:
1. Though I love Star Trek, I didn't like The Wrath of Khan. At a party yesterday, learning of this fact caused a certain attractive gentleman to claim this changed his opinion of my physical desirability.
2. I have tried and failed to enjoy Babylon 5. The story seems too heavy-handed to me and the accents are borderline silly.
3. Speaking of silly, I can't get into Farscape either. Again, I've tried. I can't get past the silly Muppet on the show.
4. Aaaand I also can't get into Dr. Who. I've tried several different incarnations but the British production values always take me out of the show, plus the writers make the continuity of the DC universe look simple. Oddly, I do dig about every other episode of Torchwood, the spinoff show.
5. I've also had bad luck with Dungeons and Dragons. I've tried several campaigns and can't get over the fact that it takes dozens of hours to play a single game, and about 15 minutes between turns. In an age where computers can do complex calculations for you in split seconds, I'd much rather play Final Fantasy. Though, conversely, I have no interested in MMORPGs like World of Warcraft.
6. Finally, I also hated the firsttwo Spider-Man movies, and didn't even bother watching the third.
Starting Feb. 8, yours truly will be the marketing manager for Small Act, a company that builds software and provides consulting services to make social media simpler and more effective for non-profits.
I'm really excited about this new venture. I'm jazzed for the opportunities to help Small Act plan which conferences to attend, to manage their own social media presences, to educate non-profit professionals in how to use social media, and to simply be a part of a small but rapidly growing company that's about to have a phenomenal year. And I'm really jazzed to work with some seriously brilliant people.
There's a lot I'm going to miss about KaBOOM!, don't get me wrong - I made some wonderful friends there who I'll miss seeing every day, and the cupboard full of cereal will definitely be hard to say goodbye to. And, of course, I'll miss the springy monkey that dangled above my desk. But I'm proud of this new direction for my career, and am excited to spread my wings in the for-profit world while helping other non-profits achieve their visions.
What do you get when you combine the Nintendo Wii and Netflix, my two favorite entertainment options? You get a smile from me.
The two companies announced yesterday they are combining forces this spring to bring streaming content to the little white box. The partnership is described succinctly: "For no additional monthly fee, Netflix unlimited members will be able to watch thousands of TV episodes and movies." The way it works is fairly simple. You begin by telling Netflix to send you a free disc that enables the service on your system. Once in your Wii's drive, the disc lets you pull the content much in the same way your computer pulls Netflix's Watch it Now content.
It's yet unclear whether all streaming content is available for the Wii. I'm hoping that Nintendo doesn't try to protect it's "family friendly" image and block Netflix from streaming R-rated movies, or do something similarly silly.
But assuming that no such lunacy comes to pass, I consider this partnership a great boon to Wii owners. More content at no extra cost is always a good thing — and in these tough economic times, it's downright awesome!
Saw this 1944 ad on Mental Floss yesterday. Considering how far we've come as a nation, it's amazing there was once a time when people presumably had to be sold on electricity as a concept...and that there was a need to specifically market it to women. My favorite bits of this ad:
"Today, women are awakening to electricity--preserver of youth, giver of freedom."
Preserver of youth? Really?
Also...
"Womankind gratefully turns task after task over to electricity, her obedient and faithful servant..."
Uhhhhmmmmm...not sure it's necessary to anthopomorphize the electricity, but whatever.
And here I thought the "Star Wars: The Old Republic" game on Xbox 360 and "DC Universe Online" game on PlayStation 3 were the only MMORPGs that would capture my attention. Leave it Lego to impress.
By the way, if the title of today's post confused you, I'll direct you here for an explanation. Just know there's a bit of bad language in this link.
After hearing of Josh's insane success with the Borders Express clearance sale, I couldn't help but take a peek at their offerings. And I did pretty well, too. For $15 I picked up the third book in the Peter and the Starcatchers series (I've read the first one and just bought the second with some Christmas money) as well as a book I'd had my eye on for awhile: Eat This, Not That: Restaurant Survival Guide. I'd thumbed through it while killing time at the Tampa airport awhile back and found it full of shocking discoveries that will help guide my food choices. For example:
The McDonald's Filet o' Fish is better for you than the Burger King BK Big Fish Sandwich - choosing the McD's option saves you 260 calories and a whopping 14g of fat!
The Chick-Fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Club Sandwich has 600 fewer calories and 43g less fat than the Panera Chipotle Chicken sandwich.
If you find yourself trapped at a Wendy's. your best option for a side is a small bowl of chili. It has fewer calories and a lot more nutritional value than a side order of fries.
At a burger joint, your comparatively low-calorie meal choice is the humble hot dog. While burger sizes have increased (along with Americans' waistlines) over the past 20 years, the hot dog has remained the same, so it's a good choice for portion control.
Just because it's a salad doesn't make it a healthy option. The California Pizza Kitchen Thai Crunch Salad with Fresh Avocado, for example, clocks in at an insane 2,238 calories. Yikes! You're better off ordering a steak, in this instance.
I found all these facts both fascinating and helpful, though I'm definitely taking them with the following grains of salt:
It's better not to eat out at restaurants in general if you can avoid it
Most of the "Eat This" options are really the lesser of two evils (i.e. hot dog vs. hamburger)
It's not so much a "diet plan" as a "if you are forced into a corner and must choose, here are some good options" book
But all that said, it's a good resource to have. There's also a "Supermarket Survival Guide," a book targeted at home cooks, and a book targeted at kids in the series. I'd be interested in acquiring all of them at some point (minus the kids' one) to keep me aware of the best better options available at various chain restaurants.
Little did Annie's parents know that when they gave me $10 to Borders for Christmas they'd reignite my passion for "Star Wars."
To be sure, it's not like that passion had faded much. Our DVD shelves have all six "Star Wars" films, plus the two "Clone Wars" collections. Our trip to Walt Disney World in 2007 included the purchase of one lightsaber. And I recently enjoyed playing "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" on the original Xbox. "Star Wars," much like Transfomers cartoons and G.I. Joe comics, will likely always be part of my toy chest.
But now I'm diving back in with such vigor that you might think it's 1991 all over again. That was the year "Star Wars" returned to the forefront of my consciousness with the publication of "Heir to the Empire," the first real sequel to "Return of the Jedi." It was a captivating book that I recall devouring in one day. Its author, Timothy Zahn, went on to write two brilliant sequels before penning several other "Star Wars" volumes. The momentum he built with that trilogy continues to this day as many "Star Wars" books set before, during and long after the movies are part of Del Rey's annual publication schedule.
Armed with my $10 gift card, I went yesterday to the local Borders Express, intending to review the offerings and perhaps buy "Allegiance," the most recent "Star Wars" book from Zahn. Those plans changed, though, when I learned the store was closing and all items were on clearance. My shopping list quickly jumped to four items as I additionally grabbed "Death Star," the story behind the infamous space station's creation, plus "Betrayal" and "Bloodlines," the first two books in the far-flung "Legacy of the Force" series set 40 years after the movies.
All totaled, the four books set me back just $3.57 after using the gift card. I probably would have bought even more had the store still stocked otherbooks I'm interested to read, but I suppose these 1,792 pages are more than enough to get me started…
Our fair Internet has come a long way, you have to admit. But one way in which some sites still stagger is in the realm of user passwords.
I'm one of those people's who is kind of nuts about my passwords. I change them regularly, I use different ones for each site I visit, and I make sure they're hard to break. I don't use my spouse's name, somebody's birthday, or anything that someone could guess, and I like to use long passwords with special characters and numbers.
...Only some sites won't let me do that. And I am completely baffled as to why.
For every new site I register at, I attempt to make one of my long, complex passwords with special characters. But many of them - including ones that contain financial or very personal health information - give me a maximum character count or won't let me use special characters. Why? One of them even restricted me to a 6-character-or-fewer password with no special characters. What good does that do anyone?
As a site administrator, wouldn't you want your users to make tricky passwords so their accounts won't be hacked? And what sort of system won't take a 6+ character password? In the instance of the 6-character-or-fewer password, I had to invent something completely different from my usual set of passwords, which means I will never, ever remember it and will always have to either use the "forgot your password" button or search for where I wrote it down. This is just bad customer service. As a user, I don't like these kind of restrictions. I can understand them for usernames, sure, but passwords should be pretty much whatever I want them to be.
If anyone has an explanation for why a site would restrict your password character count and character types, let me know in the comments. And if this annoys you as much as it annoys me, post your aggravation in the comments too.
You've probably seen the news that Netflix is going to delay renting Warner Bros. movies until four weeks after they hit stores. The notion has riledplentyofpeople, and perhaps you're among them.
But despite this outcry, I really don't get what people are so upset about here. So you have to wait an additional 28 days before you can see the next Batman or Harry Potter flicks. So what? You already had to wait some arbitrary time of the studio's choosing before the movie was available on DVD. What's another few weeks? If you're so anxious to see the darn movie, go see it in the theater. Or buy it on DVD. Or rent it from one of those — what do they call em? — movie rental shops.
Oh, I'm sorry. Did the content of your choosing not magically appear at the appointed hour for your highness? Life is hard, I know. But maybe you can take this opportunity to view some of the 200 movies in your Netflix queue. Or maybe even find something about which to be legitimately concerned or outraged.
Like Josh, I've been thinking of CONvergence. Those of you who read the blog frequently probably know of my love of cosplay. For the last couple years at CONvergence I've dressed as Paine from Final Fantasy X-2 - a custom costume made by an eBay seller. This year, I've got my sights on something new - namely, a Seven of Nine costume. At the risk of sounding vain, I think I could pull it off...and I've never seen one at CON before.
But I'm starting to understand why I've never seen one before. Googling and eBaying around, there don't seem to be many places that offer custom-made Star Trek costumes beyond the standard uniforms, and the few that exist have dozens of non-fulfilment complaints against them.
Searching for the prosthetics is even trickier. Seven wears a prosthetic on her eyebrow and on one hand, and I haven't been able to find ANYTHING out there to purchase.
So I'm appealing to you, our readers - do you know any custom tailors who might be able to make a convincing Seven costume? And do you know any place I could purchase convincing prosthetics to go with the costume? Please post in the comments or contact me directly (contact link is in the right sidebar). I'd be grateful for any help - and would certainly post pictures of the finished product!
I hope all you new Nintendo Wii owners are enjoying your Christmas gift. There are many great games available for the system, so you should have no trouble finding something for you.
Like you, I've been having fun playing video games in the days and weeks following Dec. 25. I received four particularly fun games this year — "DJ Hero," "EA Sports Active: More Workouts," "My Life as a Darklord" and "Super Mario Galaxy" — and wanted to let you know they've all got my enthusiastic "thumbs up." This selection well represents some of the best titles available for the system.
"DJ Hero," the newest version of the music game series begun by "Guitar Hero," is great fun and has already given Annie and I hours of enjoyment. Featuring some fantastic mixes of current and classic tracks, the robust game is perfect for fans of the club music genre. It's only shortcoming is the mode that allows someone with a "Guitar Hero" guitar to join. The mode feels tacked on and does an otherwise solid game no favors.
Another sequel, "EA Sports Active: More Workouts" nicely refines the first version's exercise formula. The addition of warmup and cool down segments gives players a more complete workout. An improved interface better indicates which peripherals are needed to perform each exercise, new visuals make for a more engaging experience, and the many new exercises keep things fresh. I'm anxious to delve deeper into this title.
"My Life as a Darklord" is another title that crams a lot of gameplay into its small size. This downloadable title, which was graciously gifted to Annie and I remotely by Jason at Madthoughts, has almost single handed restored my faith in video game writers. An offshoot from the Final Fantasy world, this fun and quirky game is perfect for play in bite-size chunks. And the dialogue? Hilarious!
Perhaps the best gaming surprise for me this year, though, was "Super Mario Galaxy." Not sure about this one after abandoning "Super Mario 64" and "Super Mario Sunshine" for various reasons, I find "Super Mario Galaxy" has given me the purest Mario joy since "Super Mario Bros. 3" released 20 years ago. I'm just a few levels into the game, but it's quickly become one of my favorite Nintendo Wii titles.
How about you? What games did you get for Christmas — video game or otherwise — are you enjoying?
Annie and I decided this week to take a chance and started making plans to attend CONvergence 2010.
We didn't want our less-than-ideal financial situation to stand in the way of our regular summer vacation, so we've bought admission tickets and made a hotel reservation in the hopes that things will be better for us come July. The investment was small enough — and so easy to cancel — that we felt safe taking this incremental step toward geeky con joyness. We also believe that when things are down, it's good to have something fun like this on the calendar. This is one of the reasons that I went ahead with my large birthday gift to Annie two weeks after the Blade closed its doors. Smiles, after all, are far better than frowns.
And in our continuing effort to simplify, we've decided to forego the CONvergence hotel registration system. We're planning to stay this year in Hotel Sofitel, the con hotel's closest neighbor. We've enjoyed staying in the Sheraton Bloomington, where all con activities occur, but a broken registration system that pained us in the past is proving again to be less than accommodating. We've heard good reviews from friends, so I believe this decision was the right one.
But all this raises a larger question. In these trying economic times, what luxuries are you doing your best to maintain? Are you, like us, keeping a regular retreat on the calendar? Have you refused to drop cable? Are you paring back rather than ending your comic book purchases? Share your key indulgence in the comments.
It seems the key to the perfect blog entry is an Awesomeness poster featuring a still from the "G.I. Joe" movie.
A quick look at our traffic from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 shows you folks have some very particular (if not peculiar) tastes. Our sharing of Barney Stinson's Awesomeness poster in June 2008 remained your favorite item. My shot-by-shot analyses of the "G.I. Joe" teaser and trailer also scored big. A rant about pedestrians I wrote in early 2008 refuses to die, and Annie's more thoughtful posts about golden birthdays and underrated movies were popular. You also apparently like poking around our archives when you're not loading our front page. And I thank you for that.
Still, our bounce rate from 2009 was pretty high at 83 percent. And people only linger for about 2.5 minutes on average when they visit. So… My question to you is what more would you like from us this year? On what topics should we turn up the volume? And what kind of posts make your eyes glaze over?
Times are tough. You're down an income. Generic products now line the pantry. You've cancelled cable and are wondering how much longer you can afford an internet connection. Believe me: I get it.
But as a reminder that we should be thankful for what we've got is this great New York Times article about what some people are enduring in Japan. The apparent last refuge of people seeking to avoid homelessness, “capsule” hotels make the smallest college dorm rooms seem like posh arrangements. For $640 per month, renters get a capsule no larger than 6.5 feet long by 5 feet wide. The Times reports that utilities, linens and bathroom use are included.
Still, it is a bleak world where deep sleep is rare. The capsules do not have doors, only screens that pull down. Every bump of the shoulder on the plastic walls, every muffled cough, echoes loudly through the rows.
I encourage you to read the full article for a better impression of this phenomena. It's likely to make you better appreciate what you have — even if it's less than last year.
So I've been on Facebook for awhile, and promised myself I wouldn't waste any time with those annoying Facebook games, but...I've succumbed. I've found a few that are actually pretty fun. But there's a trick to playing them in a such a way that doesn't annoy the pants off your friends and colleagues. Because seriously, nobody cares if your Dungeons and Dragons character leveled up, if you got a high score in FARKLE, or if you desperately need butter in Restaurant City.
Facebook games are inherently built to be viral...to force you to promote them to your friends. But unless all your friends are similarly obsessed with these games, seeing things like this in their news feeds is generally annoying. So once you install a game, there are a few steps you should take.
See a Facebook game or app you want to try? Go ahead and install it.
IMMEDIATELY after it's installed, before you start messing around with it, go to your Settings -> Application Settings.
Find the application you just installed, and click "Edit Settings." Now, each app presents you with different options at this point. If possible, set "Privacy" to "Only Me" (as in, none of your friends will be pestered by your activity in the game). Also be sure to click the "Additional Permissions" tab and UNCHECK the box that says "Publish recent activity (one line stories) to my wall."
But that's not the end of things. Most games will continuously prompt you to post stories on your wall. Watch carefully when these prompts come up, and be sure to choose "cancel," "skip," or "don't allow."
A lot of applications will also ask you to "tell your friends" about the application. If you really, REALLY think a particular friend might enjoy it, feel free to invite them...ONCE. Don't pester people, even if the game promises to reward you for every invitation you send.
Once in awhile, check your wall to see if stuff is being posted without your knowledge or permission. If it is, and if you've carefully followed the steps above, simply uninstall the application or game. To do this, go to Settings -> Application Settings, and click the "X" to the far right of the name of the offending application.
Now, if you have friends who don't follow these guidelines and you want to de-clutter your feed, here's what you do:
When you see an invitation in your "requests" for a game you have zero interest in, click the "block this application" link just below it. You won't get invitations to that application anymore.
When you see some application update in your feed that you want to avoid seeing in the future, mouse over it and you'll see a box labeled "Hide" in the upper right hand corner of that story. Click "Hide." Facebook will then prompt you, asking if you want to hide all that particular person's updates, or that particular application's updates. Unless you're really sick of your friend, go ahead and just hide the application's updates. Then they'll no longer appear in your feed.
And if all else fails, email them a link to this post.
Did you ever see "2010: The Year We Make Contact," the tortured sequel to Stanley Kubrick's futuristic opus? No? In that case, you've lived a better life than me.
Hollywood fortunately has far better plans in store for us during MMX. This year's lineup includes sequels to some of my favorite movies, a couple remakes that could be worth your time and the beginning of the end for Harry Potter. Let's review.
"Alice in Wonderland" (March 5) is the first movie likely to win my money in 2010. Despite an initial trailer that made the film look like a retelling of the book, it's apparently a sequel. That makes me far more interested in the project and its potential.
"Clash of the Titans" (March 26) also could get me to open my pocketbook, but it's no sure thing. Having been burned one too many times by the likes of "Beowulf," I'm taking a cautionary approach to this remake of the stop-motion photography classic. Still, I'm hoping for the best.
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I" (Nov. 19) will, I pray, be better than the movie series' last installment. To hear Potter fans bemoan the cinematic "Half-Blood Prince" as though it wronged the franchise nearly as much as "Phantom Menace" spat upon "Star Wars" is not an experience I wish to repeat. That the final book is being divided into two films, though, builds my expectations for a truer Potter adaptation.
Speaking of good adaptations, "Iron Man 2" (May 7) shows great promise. Aside from the silly recasting of James Rhodes, the film should do well to move past the origin story and further explore Tony Stark and his many liabilities. I expect to see more hints of the Mandarin and Stark's alcoholism as we build toward a third movie. Don't let me down, Hollywood.
"Kick Ass" (April 16) is another comic-turned-movie with good potential. The franchise comes from the same comic scribe that created "Wanted," which was turned into such a horrid movie that I refused to sit through it. I'm willing let bygones be bygones, though, and don't expect that Hollywood will similarly fumble this attempt. Because if the recent trailer is any indication, it seems this time they got it right.
Another movie for which I'm hoping the second time is the charm? "Red Dawn" (Nov. 24). I've long thought the original movie was great in concept, but lacking in execution. To re-imagine it along the lines of "Battlestar Galactica" could yield a fascinating product. I'm not sure what the old-to-new ratio is in this effort, but some positive buzz would assure my Thanksgiving weekend includes a trip to the theater.
The movie I'm most eager to see this year, though, is among the last to hit theaters. "Tron: Legacy" (Dec. 17) debuted with such an amazing trailer last year that it actually made the franchise cool again. And that's no small feat. Provided that Hollywood can follow through on its promise, "Tron: Legacy" could easily become my favorite movie of the year.
But enough of my pontificating. What's on your cinematic radar this year?
No, not Edgar Allen Poe. Although that would be cool, too.
. I'd thumbed through it while killing time at the Tampa airport awhile back and found it full of shocking discoveries that will help guide my food choices. For example:
," the story behind the infamous space station's creation, plus "
" and "
