An Introspective Retrospective of a Prospective Genius

The Corpse Bride

So, last night I saw The Corpse Bride and it was "okay." Visually, it was absolutely perfect, but the film's story seemed rushed and disappointingly simplistic. The entire film is only 1 hour and 14 minutes, which made the plot seem like an after-thought to the visuals. Its story lacked all the wit and charm of The Nightmare Before Christmas. I am, however, consoled by the fact Tim Burton didn't actually write The Corpse Bride. That makes me feel better.

Aimee Song of the Week

On October 27th, I'll be going to my first Aimee Mann concert. In fact, I'm ready to go right now. I've never been more ready for any event ever. Unfortunately, I lack any sort of device for time travel, thus I'll have to wait for the concert old school style. So, until the big day, I've decided to post the lyrics and an iTunes Music Store download link to a new Aimee song every week.

This week's song, High on Sunday 51. I really hope she plays it at the concert; the lyrics are brilliant and hauntingly beautiful.

The monkey knows how you'll react
Creating want by holding back
Like some reverse pyromaniac
Let me try, baby, try

I propped my window up and then
I turned my back to lure you in
To rifle through what I might have been
Let me try, baby, try

Baby, please -- let me begin
Let me be your heroin
Hate the sinner but love the sin
Let me be your heroin

We have crossed the rubicon
Our ship awash, our rudder gone
The rats have fled but I'm hanging on
Let me try, baby, try

Baby, please -- let me begin
Let me be your heroin
Hate the sinner but love the sin
Let me be your heroin

Pointlessness FTW!

So, I just finished one of the most pointless, yet oddly slightly rewarding things I've done in a long time. Basically, I logged into World of Warcraft and rode my mount all the way from the Arathi Highlands to Booty Bay. I didn't really time myself, but I know the trip took over 45 minutes.

So, why'd I do it? Who knows for sure. The last few days have been particularly stressful for me. I can't really concentrate well enough to do anything fun, let alone personally productive. I just wanted to do something that would keep me occupied, but in a way that didn't require much active thought. So, it was just me and the scenery of Azeroth, like (as cliche as it may sound) going for a virtual jog. It was also interesting to see how truly seamless WoW really is, that I could travel from one end of the map to the other without the use of any scripted transportation. Hopefully, this won't turn out to be the highlight of my week.

Firefly FTW!

So, today a friend and I watched 8 episodes of Firefly and it freaking ROCKED! Honestly, I went into it with fairly low expectations. I mean, sure, several people told me it was great, but two of those very people also told me that I absolutely had to see Sky Captain; one of the worst pieces of sci-fi I've ever seen. Also, Firefly barely lasted one season. A fact that only further concerned me. Still, I figured, screw it, bring on Firefly!

The first 10 minutes of the show basically hooked me. It begins with a really well done combat sequence that sounded quite cool in surround sound. The show's not really about galactic warfare, it just opens with the last major battle of a civil war. We have two discs left to watch, so I'll write a fuller review then, but as I said, I love it thus far. It's fairly reminiscent of Cowboy Bebop in that ultra futuristic technology is used in contrast with elements of, say, the old west. People flying in spaceships, yet carrying 6 shooters to do what needs doing while planetside. I'll write more later...

In closing, Firefly FTW!

Notes

Note to self: Relax

Note to self: Think before you rant

Note to self: Neurotic sucks

Note to self: Very little is absolutely impossible

Note to self: Remember the notes

Humpty Dumpty

This says it all:

Say you were split, you were split in fragments
and none of the pieces would talk to you
Wouldn't you want to be who you had been
well, baby I want that, too

So better take the keys and drive forever
Staying won't put these futures back together
All the perfect drugs and superheroes
wouldn't be enough to bring me up to zero

Baby you're great, you've been more than patient
saying it's not a catastrophe
but I'm not the girl you once put your faith in
just someone who looks like me

So better take the keys and drive forever
Staying won't put these futures back together
All the perfect drugs and superheroes
wouldn't be enough to bring me up to zero

So get out while you can

Get out while you can
Baby, I'm pouring quicksand
And sinking is all I had planned
So better just go

Oh, better take the keys and drive forever
Staying won't put these futures back together
All the perfect drugs and superheroes
wouldn't be enough to bring me up to zero

All the king's horses and all the king's men
couldn't put baby together again
All the king's horses and all the king's men
couldn't put baby together again

Lost Fest '05

So, tonight I watched the final episode of Lost. We watched 22 episodes in a crazy 3 day-ish marathon. Yes, it was some hardcore tv viewing.

I have a great many thoughts about Lost. The story's excellent, the writing's great and the show's production values are top notch. It's probably one of the best "fate" themed stories I've ever seen. Fate fascinates me. I'm pretty much a believer in the notion that our destinies are basically fluid. We make choices, choices lead to outcomes and the circle starts again until we die. However, much of what I just said seems to contradict almost everything I said in my last post. Which leads me to consider the fact that maybe I just make really suck choices... Or maybe the choices I get just lead to outcomes of varying degrees of suck... Hmmm... Interesting stuff. See, this is why fate is so intriguing.

Lost also makes me realize how much I'd dig ending up some place away from... everything. No responsibility aside from survival, no schedules, no need for work or cash. Just hanging out with cool people and doing whatever the mood dictates. Life is just so full of annoying junk sometimes, I find it difficult to get anything good done. I'm working on changing some of that though.

Like, I hired an assistant recently, which's one of the best things I've ever done. It's freeing. For the first time in a long time, I can do exactly what I want during the day. I don't have to watch the soaps, or ESPN, or troubleshoot computer problems for other people, or hear "in a minute" (which actually means 5-15) when I want something. It's almost like autonomy, 4 to 6 hours at a time. I feel weird about it though. I'm getting greedy for the autonomy. I feel like I'd be willing to do anything to get more. It's a weird feeling...

Anyway, Lost FTW!

Too Good

So, life is really going quite well, too well. I always worry when things go well. It's like that arc in the middle of a movie during which the drug addict gets hit by a bus just after getting clean and falling in love. Granted, I'm not a junkie and I doubt I'll get hit by a bus, but I worry that all this good stuff will crumble like house of cards. It's like, best case, all the good stuff goes away and things go back to the way they were. Worst case, I die or something. These are things I ponder of late. It's ridiculous, but I can't help but wait to get proverbially ganked. I really don't want anything bad to happen, but every prior experience tells me it will. Of course, the tinier voice in my head cries, "Bullshit, if you wait for bad things to happen, they surely will. So, shut up and have fun." I guess I just have a hard time trusting... anything. Hell, I barely trust myself sometimes.

Baby, there's somethin' wrong with me that I can't see...

Worth It

"Isn't that worth fighting for? Isn't that worth dying for?", while a bit extreme, is a quote that I completely get right now. There are things in this world that are worth me rocking the boat. There are real reasons to make real changes. I tend to be all about the path of least resistance. It's a life of "safe" boredom. But that's no way to live. I've never had more valid reasons for doing the exact opposite of everything that makes me nervous. So, here goes...

Happy 100th Post

All you want to do is something good
So get ready to be ridiculed and misunderstood
'Cause don't you know that you're a fucking freak in this world
In which everybody's willing to choose swine over pearls

And maybe everything is all for nothing
Still you'd better keep it to yourself
'Cause God knows it's not safe with anybody else

You can take your own advice and try again
But a thousand compromises don't add up to a win
And they'd be happy if you'd only cover your tracks
But the trail of crumbs you've left won't help you find your way back

So maybe everything is all for nothing
Still you'd better keep it to yourself
'Cause God knows it's not safe with anybody else
God knows it's not safe with anybody else

You can play along, but you'll just end up wrong somehow, won't you

But you're the idiot who keeps believing in luck
And you just can't get it through your head that no one else gives a fuck

So maybe everything is all for nothing
Still you'd better keep it to yourself
'Cause God knows it's not safe with anybody else
God knows it's not safe with anybody else

God knows it's not safe with anybody else
It's not safe with anybody else
God knows it's not safe with anybody else

Posted by Mike at 11:01 PM | Comments (0)

How apt

I am always delighted at the fact that Aimee Mann lyrics apply to life so well:

no, there's no one else, I find,
to undermine or dash a hope
quite like you
and you do it so casually, too

Caulfielding it

Right now, if I could go Holden Caulfield on my garage windows, I swear to God I would.

Opus of Tedium

So, recently I was comissioned to write the most tedious 606 words I've ever written. Basically, it's an article meant to guide neophyte SwitchXS users toward games that play nicely with assistive technology. Part of me understands that some people may lack the vision or knowledge to realize that assistive technology isn't just for school and vocational purposes. However, another part of me finds it annoying that an article is required to illustrate something so obvious. It's annoying because I know how things work. "Experts" recommend assistive technology to kids or adults with injuries, but they impose such stupid limits on what said technology can do. So many kids get stuck thinking assistive technology is only for homework. I've had people with PhDs boggle over fact that I can play Rise of Nations with my thumb and a switch. It's a system of low expectations and self imposed limitations. It should be blatently obvious that assistive technology is listening to iTunes, IMing, gaming, writing stupid blog posts like this one.

Anywho, here's the article:

For many new users, playing games with SwitchXS under Mac OS X might seem like a daunting task. However, with a little practice and the right games even a novice can be up and clicking in no time. Many years ago on my PowerBook 3400, I had no idea where to begin in terms of gaming. All I knew for sure was that I had to play something, gaming was in my blood. Yet, despite all the other unknowns, my course remained steady. After all, it’s gaming and not rocket science.

To begin, it’s best to start with games that don’t require a great deal of quick action from the user. It’s preferable to try games in which the situation isn’t kill or be killed. For instance, Freeverse Software’s Burning Monkey Solitaire is a delightful suite of solitaire variations that don’t require fast paced action. Not only is Burning Monkey Solitaire fun and visually pleasing, it also serves as fine practice for novice users to boost their mousing skills. A downloadable demo of Burning Monkey Solitaire is available from www.freeverse.com with the full version available for $24.95. An excellent price for an excellent game.

Of course, the true uniqueness of computer gaming is found in playing online against others. Multiplayer gaming is often the most rewarding gameplay experience. So, where to begin? For the inexperienced switch user, many popular online games may be a bit too hectic. Casting spells, leading armies, flanking an unwitting adversary, such things can be frustrating for the first time switch user. However, there are plenty of multiplayer games that provide copious amounts of fun, as well as the means to strengthen one’s uber-l33t switch skillz.

Once again we look to the folks at Freeverse Software and their aptly titled collection of multiplayer board games, Big Bang Board Games. Board games are an excellent stepping-stone in that they’re incredibly fun, intellectually challenging and don’t require a great deal of quick action from the user. Board games have nearly endless universal appeal. So, the folks at Freeverse have taken the liberty of crafting 7 visually impressive board games and bundled them into a single collection. These games include 4-in-a-Row, Backgammon, Chess, Checkers, Mancala, Reversi and Tic-Tac-Toe; each rendered in lovely OpenGL, each quite fun. Not only are such games good for enhancing one’s ability to maneuver the mouse via SwitchXS, but they help to strengthen one’s typing ability by way of in-game chatting. Nobody really wants to practice typing by writing essays. I know I never did. A downloadable demo of Big Bang Board Games is available from www.freeverse.com with the full version available for $24.95.

Another interesting game is Decipher’s The Lord of the Rings Online TCG (Trading Card Game). Basically, players purchase digital trading cards and form them into customized decks with which to battle other players. A starter deck goes for $9.99 and contains all the basic cards needed to play. This game is entirely mouse based, making it quite good for crafting accurate mouse skills. The Lord of the Rings Online TCG game client is free download and is available at http://lotrtcg.decipher.com.

The previous games are just a glimpse of what’s possible with SwitchXS. They are prime examples of where to begin. Often, some users are resistant to assistive technology because they don’t realize that it can be fun. Assistive technology isn’t just about doing homework, browsing the web and turning on one’s bedroom lights. Assistive technology is an entire world of things. It’s killing zombies and casting spells while Aimee Mann sings Real Bad News in iTunes. It’s whatever one can imagine. This article only covers the beginning.

It's also going in a newsletter, so hopefully posting it here won't get me sued.

Good Mood

I may have been in a bad mood for, say, the last year and I may be in a bad mood tomorrow. Yet, right now, I'm in a perfect fucking mood.