Eye Too Big

Award Winning Trailer

2010-04-28T17:38:00.000-04:30

Buckle Up PSA

2010-02-23T10:40:00.002-04:30

The best and most effective PSA I have ever seen. Simple and direct imagery that does not rely upon gory reenactment; it is a very touching short story that reminds us that buckling up is something that you do not only for yourself, but everyone you love.

Carnival 2k10

2010-02-16T19:10:00.003-04:30

Just some pictures from around downtown Port of Spain on Carnival Tuesday. Carnival seemed quiet this year - didn't see as much mas this year, but that might have just been my bad luck.

SMBC - Lie Detector

2010-02-15T11:10:00.001-04:30

Alright....two SMBC videos in a week? I don't want to appear like a plagiarist, but this is their best video yet.

Bonus:

Happy Valentine's!

2010-02-14T08:42:00.002-04:30

TED 2010: Augmented Reality Maps

2010-02-13T18:44:00.003-04:30

We live in the future. And it's from Microsoft? Augmented reality maps which can zoom seamlessly from overhead satellite to 3d street view and internal building views. I won't spoil it but the audience wets themselves with excitement at the final reveal.

SMBC - Slippery Slope

2010-02-08T20:07:00.003-04:30

This might be hilarious, but keep in mind some people really do make this kind of argument.

The English Language - What a Slut!

2010-02-06T18:58:00.004-04:30

Apparently, the English Language is a total skank. The lady in the video is an expert in her field, you can tell because she wears glasses.

Originally from Penny Arcade

Ambient Noise to reduce Stress

2010-01-27T17:24:00.003-04:30

Great post at Lifehacker today
If you have noisy neighbors or your cubicle doesn't have a door, the post has links to various sound loops/noise generators to help cover up the sounds and help you sleep (or concentrate). Rain can be relaxing but Simplynoise also offers up some artificial white noise for you to download.

a quick guide:
White Noise covers the entire spectrum of hearing and will mask most sounds, but some people find it grating.
Pink Noise is a Gaussian Curve of noise than covers most of the spectrum but is less annoying
Red/brown noise is tuned for lower frequencies and blocks human speech (and the DVD playing next door) quite nicely.

I must be an Old Man

2008-01-19T22:30:00.000-04:30

So I finally got around to seeing 'No Country for Old Men' today. It was quite the cinematic experience, and is definitely one that a film buff should not miss.

No country starts immediately with stark landscapes and an even starker depiction of violence. Without going too much into the plot, the main character, Moss, stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone bad. Bodies and guns lie everywhere. Leaving the drugs behind (what whould a small town boy do with a ton of Mexican brown, anyway?) he finds the cash half of the exchange in the clutches of the last man to get away. When the drug bosses discover the money is missing, they send the hardest man they've got after Moss.

This man also happens to be totally psychotic and brutally blunt. He is a badass, but not in the way of a typical Hollywood badass, slopping testosterone over everything as he passes. He is more of a black hole, in that he exists to chew things up. You get too close to a black hole, there is no argument or discussion.

The film is particularly noteworthy for what it doesn't do. It never tries to force emotion onto the audience with music; there is no score. It doesn't glorify violence with pornographic slow-mo sequences. There are no improbable ballets where single gunmen dance around dozens of henchmen without getting scratched. There is no attempt to humanize or sympathize with the bad guy. There are no crass political messages being rammed down anyone's throats.

What it does do, is create a deep immersive sense of place and mood. The cinematography is has a graphic novel quality to it; carefully composed backgrounds into which action flow. The sound is clear, but gritty. All of the weapons, particularly the baddest shotgun I have ever seen in a movie, have an ugly sound which let you know they are designed to deal sticky-wet death.

I found that most of the time the audience didn't know what they should do. They laughed at some inappropriate moments and seemed to expect more action and a clear-cut happy ending. Reviewers also seem to be confused, some having compared this film to a hybrid of a western and a slasher. I believe it to be neither, since both those genres have at their core an optimistic ethical view: The good guys win and the bad guys lose.

No Country, while certainly beautifully shot and performed, has no such hope to offer. It paints a stark picture of an incoming tide of change which is impossible to comprehend or stop.

Let's pretend 2007 never happened

2008-01-11T18:10:00.000-04:30

So, it turns out I survived the Holiday season without being:
a) Rammed by a drunk driver
b) Trampled by mobs of shoppers
c) Choking on horrible fruitcake (ok, maybe one got me)
d) Burned horribly when inflammable vapours from said fruitcake are ignited by an open flame

So, it was a good year in the same sense that chicken pox is good because you can only get it once. When someone comes up with the technology, Eternal Sunshine style, sign me up so I can free some mental ROM space where 2007 is stored.

So, on to 2008!

My resolutions:

Be more of a jerk. I have realised that jerks are the wave of the future. There is even a jerk market that advertisers pander to. Jerks are happier because they choose their own happiness above others, and make quick decisions which they can always deny if it goes pear-shaped. They are willing to make noise when something is wrong, and hence get what they want more often.
Focus my energy. Decide on what's really important, and get it. If it turns out to be wrong, I can always deny (see previous resolution).
Take risks. Life is short, so you have to put your neck on the line if you want to get anywhere. This is also related to resolution #1 and 2.

Off Grid

2007-12-05T14:49:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I'm not dead. A recent lack of Internet access (Dial-up doesn't count) has resulted in no new posts in a while. I missed out on blogging the Hollywood writer's strike, Atlantis Squarepantis, and the release of Call of Duty 4.
Well at least the quiet time has given me some fresh perspective. The lack of connectivity made me truly realize how horrible daytime cable TV is. Replays of Scrubs and Ninja Warrior can only carry you so far.
I'd like to say that less time on the Interweb and watching TV have made me appreciate human company more, but I must report that humans continue to disappoint. So while I am awaiting the inevitable robot revolution, I'll be practicing my Binary comedy routine.

Zombie Swarms overwhelm Trinidad

2007-11-02T20:10:00.000-04:00

For the past week there have been numerous zombie sightings on both islands. The once human creatures seem to be attracted to bright lights and sounds. They especially congregate around slow moving trucks blasting music. Groups of zombies have also shown surprising colour-coordination, but it is unclear if this is post-zombification choice, or if indeed they are capable of higher reasoning. They also appear to lack the normal zombie hunger for human brains or flesh, but their moans of "'Peeeee-em-en" (Red zombies) and "Yooo-neeeteeee" (Orange Zombies) are quite terrifying. Local experts say that somehow this spike in zombie activity will stop after November 5th.

What's 50% faster than dork?

2007-10-22T11:48:00.000-04:00

First laptops, now this? Now I don't normally pass judgment on how companies ~~whore themselves out~~ increase brand recognition, but this seems a tad too much. What's next? Gucci toilet seats? Alienware clock-radios? Coca-cola bongs? (ok, this one probably exists) In any case, there is no way to spend $12,000 US that has a better yuppie-assness/cash ratio.
via Engadget

Parental Exploits

2007-10-11T11:11:00.000-04:00

This made me laugh today. I don't really read xkcd regularly but they can be hi-larious. But then again I always find SQL injection attacks funny.
via WWdn

Marvel/DC parodies

2007-10-10T19:20:00.000-04:00

Judging by the number of hits this random guy has, I'm very late to the party, but I'm posting it anyway because it's effin' awesome. Basically, he uses his collection of action figures (I want) as puppets to make short films. It all started with a Mac/PC parody thing:

And continues with the fantastic 'After Hours' series. The voice acting is really amazing.

Real Time: Health

2007-10-07T19:38:00.000-04:00

If you don't watch Bill Maher's Show, you should. It's one of the only shows on TV that covers issues using critical thinking. This is from the September 30 show.
"Ask you doctor if Getting of your ass® is right for you."

The Best Films to give you Permanent Mental Scars

2007-10-01T21:57:00.000-04:00

The AV Club has a great feature today on '24 Great Films too painful to watch twice'. Top of the list is Requiem for a Dream, which I must admit is great even though it is a bit obviously manipulative. Some might feel that it tries to hard to deliver its anti-drug message, but the wonderful soundtrack and deft fast cuts were cutting edge at the time, and the performances by Jared Leto, Marlon Wayans and Jennifer Connelly are all great. It left me depressed for days.
The other two on the list that I have watched are Grave of the Fireflies and Million Dollar Baby. Fireflies is an anime movie which takes place in Japan during and after WWII, and follows two young siblings as they scrabble among the ruins of war for survival. Beyond the charming minutiae of the interactions between brother and sister, the film features vivid colours and great animation. This makes the ending even more depressing, as it mirrors what could have been if the main character were able to put his pride aside. An interesting allegory for the pro-war Japanese government.
Million Dollar Baby I am not sure if it should be on the list. The first part of the movie is so disparate from the last act, and I just wasn't convinced by the plot and most of the background characters. To be sure, euthanasia is a touchy subject, but it wasn't central to the movie.
What's missing from the list? I agree with some of the commenters on Oldboy, which is a psychological thriller that places the protagonist in solitary confinement by an unknown party. He eventually escapes, and his obsession with finding his tormentor costs him more than he can imagine. Truly a devious and disturbing film.
What wasn't be on the list but I wouldn't watch twice? Ichi the Killer by Takashi Mike, which was good but obviously a gore-filled torture fest designed to shock.
What you shouldn't watch, even once? I have never seen these, and don't plan to: Batman and Robin, any of the American Pie movies, any of the Scary Movie sequels, the Real World movie, any Robin Williams comedy after Death to Smoochie, and any Ice Cube movie 'post-wussification'.

Saturday Afternoon DVD sloth-fest

2007-09-29T22:15:00.000-04:00

I decided to hit the in-no-way-illegal-whatsoever DVD store in Curepe a few days ago, with the intention of getting something my dad would like (he didn't really dig Little Miss Sunshine). With a nice quiet afternoon to fill I fired up the DVD player.

Tom Yung Goong/The Protector (2005)

I liked Ong Bak, but when this came out, I passed on it. I really didn't feel like going to the cinema to be surrounded by hooting and hollering chavs that week. And why is Quentin Tarantino's name even on this? There isn't a cool retro soundtrack or aging B-list star trying to make a comeback in it. Since this is Tony Jaa action flick, you go in expecting certain things. Amazing stunts. Deft camera work. Cases of Whoop-Ass™ being unleashed. Little to no plot. Tom Yung Goong doesn't disappoint (or in the case of plot, um....appoint?) . Some of the shots are visually stunning, and would not be out of place in an Oscar contender. Some good examples are: the local ceremonies (funeral and oracle sequences) which are naturalisticly lit and almost dream-like, and the Temple fight which is basically the love child of a very talented lighting team and a high-speed cameraman. Some of the dialog is really awful and there are some plot holes and continuity errors, but who cares? I'd rather watch this than any Hollywood star's "attempt" at wuxia any day.

Superman: Doomsday (2007)

This Direct-to-video release (or OVA, if you're an anime snob) retells the acclaimed Death of Superman story arc in the comic book series. There has been a live-action version of this in development hell in various forms over the years, and finally the animated version made it through. They re-cast all the voice actors this time around, with Adam Baldwin as Superman doing a great job. I didn't care for Ann Heche as Lois Lane, mainly because when the script called for emotional depth she took as excessive, forced and transparent. There is a big mismatch in Lois voice and appearance as well, for to match Heche they should have made the character taller, older and generally bitchy. The animation was smooth (when my absolutely genuine DVD wasn't skipping) and a little more detailed than JL: Unlimited; the effects are top-notch. The plot is alot darker than anything we have seen in any Superman movie or TV series before, but due to compressions into movie length, lacks the gravitas of the events in the comic. Mainly, Doomsday had to do away with the 4 'incarnations' which arose after Superman's death, but there are little cues which pay homage to their essence. As an extra there is a documentary on the history of the Death of Superman story arc, how it was conceived and what its impact was. If you read Superman comics, this is probably better than the movie it's bundled with.

Curse of the Golden Flower (2006)

If you've seen Zhang Yimou's other films, Hero and House of Flying Daggers, you know the drill. Amazing costumes. Huge sets. Jaw-dropping vistas. Thousands of extras. The budget? $45 million US. Seriously, with those prices, when China opens up culturally, Hollywood will no longer be top dog. Even though the film did so-so at the box office, their profit margin must have been huge! How's that feel, Waterworld? Back to the Film. Flower is a royal court drama, and while it has a few action sequences, has more in common with Greek Tragedy (the Greeks practically invented incest). It's hard to empathize with anyone, mainly because, in order to stay alive in a royal family, you have to be a scheming, conniving dick. It's never really made clear what set these events into motion, but it all comes to a head during the Chrysanthemum Festival, when a coup is attempted. Unlikely but impressive amounts of soldiers, cleavage and dead bodies fly in all directions. So does the point of this movie.

No Knead Bread

2007-09-25T12:49:00.000-04:00

This bread has been making the rounds of the cooking blogosphere, so I decided to give it a try. Most of the my bread comes out with a tight dense structure that is edible but too filling. I think this is because I never give the dough enough time to rise and then proof, I guess I don't have the patience. But the No-Knead-Bread is designed to make you wait, the trade-off being that there is no hard work! I can live with that. I decided to try the recipe using whole meal flour (theoretically same as whole wheat, but I suspect Trinidadian locally packaged whole wheat is simply flour with bran added).

The result: a lovely crust and open crumb, but the crumb was too wet and sticks to the knife. Very tasty right out of the oven, but loses flavour when it cools. The texture when cold is almost pone-like. Possibly since the whole flour is able to absorb more water, it needed more than the minimum 12 hour rising time to develop the gluten. Also, the weather was very humid, so less was lost to evaporation. I'll try it again with normal bread flour, but this time making sure to measure the flour by weight.

Who's in charge here?

2007-09-24T14:08:00.000-04:00

Today I was checking the show listing for Movietowne to see if perhaps '3:10 to Yuma' or 'Eastern Promises' had opened. Both A-star powered vehicles that have been getting good reviews. What new releases did they have instead?

Resident Evil: Extinction
Day Watch
Skinwalkers
Death Sentence
Underdog

So what do these have in common? Well other than really poor reviews, all of them performed most underwhelmingly at the North American box office. Who would voluntarily go to see 'Underdog', a film about an unpopular cartoon character that aired when its current target age group wasn't even born yet? Or Day Watch, a sequel to a russian film that wasn't shown here, and which is near indecipherable even having seen the first one?
I don't really know too much about film distribution, but I am guessing there can't be too much cost difference between buying a critical bomb and a hit. Don't the studios want to make money either way? Doesn't the cinema want people to actually pay them to come see a movie? Who is in charge of buying these films, and what sort of system do they use to pick them? Some guesses:

Dart board
Trained monkeys
Trained monkeys throwing darts

Somehow I can't shake the feeling I am doing both monkeys and darts a disservice.

Talk Like a Pirate

2007-09-18T20:26:00.000-04:00

September 19th is International Talk Like a Pirate Day! A bit of info for the uninitiated: this does not entail speaking about bit-torrent, DivX encoding or burning CDs. It's about having fun talking with a pirate accent (or rather, a parody of an accent, butchered by Hollywood).
Remember your 5 A's:

Ahoy!
Avast!
Aye!
Aye Aye!
Arrr!

Here is an excellent tutorial on advanced pirate grammar, in case ye be slackin', ye filthy bilge-rat. Eye patches are fun, but not required. Bring your parrot to work for extra cool points, but having a leg amputated is probably going to far.

Flight of the Conchords: Top 5 songs from Season 1

2007-09-15T22:15:00.000-04:00

'Flight of the Conchords' quirky brand of kiwi humour has got to be one of the best things to hit television recently. The show follows two struggling musicians from New Zealand who are trying to make it big in New York. Bret and Jermaine also happen to be a real musical duo, who possess a wry deadpan wit upon which they impale a range of musical genres. The cast is rounded out by Mel, the band's one fan, and Murray, the bands manager (he really steals the show sometimes). To celebrate the completion of an awesome first season on HBO, here are my favourite songs from the the series so far.

5. Part Time Model
Jermaine really knows how to make a girl feel special.
"When you're on the street
depending on the street
I bet you are definitely in the top 3"

4. Goodbye (Leggy Blonde)
Murray sings an touching ballad to an unrequited office crush. The scissors solo is worth the price of admission alone.

3. Not Crying
Bret and Jermaine manage to be dumped by the same woman.
"These aren't tears of sadness
because your're leaving me,
I've just been cuttin' onions.
I'm making a lasagna... for one"

2. Too many MotherUckers
Who knew kiwis faced such vehement prejudice? The self-censoring makes their righteous anger twice as funny.
"I'm gonna juice the muther -ucka
(There's too many mother -uckers -uckin' with my shi-)
He's gonna wake up in a smoothie"

1. She's so hot... BOOM! (Boom King)
The winner! How do you humourously murder an entire genre, nay, a culture, with one song? You use a Casio 1983 DG-20 Electric Guitar, set to electric mandolin, of course.
" 'ere mih now!"

Superbad: Review

2007-09-14T20:33:00.000-04:00

Normally, I avoid teen movies like the plague, or at the very least, like 90's Batman sequels. So why bother with Superbad? Well, aside from good reviews, it was produced by Judd Apatow, previously known for directing The 40-Year-Old Virgin (which I liked) and Knocked Up (which I will see when it comes out on cable). That, and its title. 'Superbad' also happens to be a title of a good James Brown song, and is a pretty ancient slang term from the 70's, when things were so flippin' cool they needed to add the words 'super' and 'bad' to make one fantastic über-word. What, pray tell, could a modern teen comedy have in common with the 70's pimp-tastic sub-culture?

Not very much, actually, aside from the funky soundtrack, a bad outfit, and a few off-hand references to pimpery (but always figuratively. Sorry, Superfly fans). As the film opens, we are introduced to the two main characters, Evan and Seth (which are also the names of the film's writers, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg), who are pretty stereotypical high-school losers. Foul-mouth sex-obsessed Evan is the foil for the shy and more introspective Seth, and the BFF pair are about to be split up at the end of the summer when they go to different colleges. What follows is a mad night where they both try and fulfill their 'last chance' desires with their respective crushes.
Uh, who gives a crap? How are we to relate to Evan, who the writers make moronic and slightly creepy by giving him a bizarre phallic-art obsessed past and a seemingly one track mind? In contrast, Seth is emotionally paralyzed and unable to admit any feelings towards his friend or crush object, but we never see why. The duo eventually resolve their plotlines purely by circumstance.
The thing is, I ended up actually liking the movie. The entire movie gets stolen by the character Fogell, who is the geeky third wheel to the main characters' friendship. In a hilarious side plot, Fogell gets a very unlikely sounding name on a fake ID which he uses to try and obtain alcohol. He ends up encountering policemen Slater (Bill Hader) and Michaels (Seth Rogen), and the trio embark on an even more surreal and absurdly funny adventure than the main characters! Why bother having the main characters around at all? I certainly didn't care if they had a happy ending or died in a fire.
The audio aesthetic was pretty groovy and successfully sidesteps the MTV-ness of other films where everything has to be expressed with bad pop-music du-jour. Hooray! I don't have to pierce my ear drums with rusty icepicks. Go see it.

Pumpkin Bloom

2007-09-11T13:46:00.000-04:00

Overcast and rainy today, but good lighting to take some pics of the pumpkin vine in the front yard. The butterflies like the flowers.

Rest of gallery

A little trip

2007-09-09T22:58:00.000-04:00

Went to Salybia today (don't care how Google maps spells it) to visit the land with some family. I wasn't feeling well and didn't go hiking, but I did grab a few shots.

Add to To-do list

2007-09-08T17:40:00.000-04:00

No more arctic ice in as little as 23 years.

Add to to-do list:

Go see a glacier
See a polar bear
Build ark.

Ramblin' Man

2007-09-07T17:16:00.000-04:00

Renaissance men aren't common these days. Neither is the term 'Renaissance man' (maybe because it's an awkward phrase and sounds stupid). Yahtzee is an Australian based Brit who writes stories, designs games, produces/animates/narrates videos, writes witty reviews and draws comics. All of these can be found on his website, Fully Ramblomatic.com. Ok, so most of these aren't very pretty, but they are hilarious.

The highlights:

Games: I have played 5 days a stranger and 7 days a Skeptic, and while short and sometimes non-intuitive, they were well written and genuinely suspenseful.
Comics: although he can draw (a bit), my favourite comics are the cowboy-novel cover mash-ups.
Reviews/Videos: Yahtzee is probably most famous for his stream-of-consciousness video reviews which are full of foul language and gut-busting animated sight gags. The Escapist magazine now has a section dedicated to him.

Early Risers- I hate you

2007-09-03T11:59:00.001-04:00

Since the dawn of civilization, those who wake up after 9 have been viewed as degenerate, lazy, idle and selfish, especially by those who wake up like the flip of a switch at dawn. The early risers are the ones who greet you with a smile first thing in the morning, set meetings for 8:30 am, and hop around getting things done. I hate you all.
Not because I believe you have any less right to be happy than I do of course, but because you insist that everyone do the same as you. These are the people who agree that it would be a good idea to set everyone's working hours 8-4. And if you seem to be having trouble being on time, well we can fix that. You just need to be healthier. Eat right. Go to bed early.
Well it turns out that Science has found this simply isn't true. Some people operate on a different cycle. 'A' people and 'B' people. Larks and Owls. So no, I'm not lazy. Your 8-4 lifestyle screws me up and makes me sick. I hate being stuck in traffic every day because of someone else's anachronistic notion of 'productivity = starting early'.
So the world is run by 'A' people, simply because the 'B' people aren't awake enough to protest when they make up a new rule! How's that for discrimination. Hate to burst your bubble, but we are just as talented and hard working as anyone else. No, we don't need to 'apply ourselves' any better. We are dysfunctional because you are forcing us to conform to a mold that doesn't fit.
Well the 'B' people are organizing. And we are angry. So screw you, don't bother calling before 10 am.

New 360° Holographic Display

2007-09-01T19:04:00.000-04:00

Holo-displays have long been a staple of Sci-fi, but actual technology has always been very far behind. Techniques such as multi-angle surface coatings have given us the illusion of depth, but only in a very narrow viewing angle (think holo-stickers). Smoke projection can give a 3d like effect, but cannot show true multiple angles.
Until now. Here a new type of holography is demonstrated which offers true parallax and occlusion effects to multiple viewers in a 360 degree arc. How does it work? A new type of diffusal coating on a rotating mirror reflects light from a high speed projector directly above. This coating ensures each reflection 'image' is confined to a 1.5 degree arc horizontally and any direction in the y-axis.
Uh, just watch the video.

Pretty cool, huh? Just imagine the possibilities: 3d-modeling (in 3d!), advertising, games, holo-video messages pleading for help carried by robots, and um, more entertainment.

AVP2: Requiem

2007-08-31T11:54:00.000-04:00

You may have seen the crapfest that was Alien vs Predator in 2004, the PG-13 bastard offspring of two great franchises. What was supposed to be horror/action was chewed up by the Hollywood machine and spit out again as an action buddy comedy.

So why bother with the sequel, AVP2: Requiem, which is coming out in December? For one, the directors Colin Strause and Greg Strause who are visual-effects guys by trade, seem to have learned from the mistakes of the 2004 movie, and are going back to the series horror roots. This means more in-camera shots instead of relying on CGI 'wow-factor'. It also means more blood and gore, like the original franchises. And cursing. Aliens and Predators, being from other planets, probably won't understand you, but as they eviscerate and decapitate your friends you might as well get in a few choice curses. Here is the R rated trailer originally from IGN. available in higher res from the movie site.

We can only hope it will be good. It can't be worse than AVP1, right?

Wil Wheaton keynote at PAX

2007-08-28T10:29:00.000-04:00

To thee not blessed enough to attend PAX this year, find thee consolation in this recording of Wil Wheaton's keynote address. In his speech, Wil finds common ground between generation to unite against the political forces who think that gamers are a bunch of violent retards who rape and murder everything in sight. He delivers some great stories from the Dawn of Videogames and classic arcades. A great listen of you have any interest in gaming or are a fan of Wil's.

The retro future is here

2007-08-27T16:25:00.000-04:00

I love some steam in my punk (can you tell from my new site design?). Of note are the works of Miyazaki, Alan Moore's League of extraordinary Gentlemen, and I have a particular soft spot for Girl Genius. It's unfortunate that most people's only exposure to the aesthetic of steampunk is The Wild Wild West. Digg has a great story today about steampunk artisans who 'retrofy' modern equipment such as laptops and keyboards (direct story link here).
One such artist, Datamancer, is profiled in the story as part of a movement of technologists who wish to preserve a particular look and feel of a bygone era. This aesthetic utilizes brass, wood, leather, glass and analog displays, instead of minimalistic plastic and aluminium. From his website, it is evident that Datamancer is really talented at turning things like laptops into Victorian echo masterpieces (with clawed feet!). Too bad his web design skills are not so hot.
Also see The Steampunk Workshop for more amazing designs (above pic from their site).

Bioshock Demo Impressions

2007-08-25T14:30:00.000-04:00

So I finally got my eager hands on the PC demo version of Bioshock. In case you hadn't heard, the gaming press has elected Bioshock as their new messiah. I won't bore you with lengthy exposition.

It rocks.
The water is awesome (it makes you want to pee sometimes).

That is all.

Hello Bento

2007-08-22T20:41:00.000-04:00

via Slashfood via Yahoo Blogs

This is so cute, it goes beyond the boundaries of cute so that it loops around and becomes terrifying, in a Stephen Hawking closed universe kind of way. A Bento box carefully crafted not only to look like everyone's favourite mascot-without-a-mouth Hello Kitty, but more specifically, Hello Kitty dressed up in an Easter Bunny Outfit. Who in Hades has the time and the inclination to design and craft such a masterpiece? Who would actually want to devour Hello Kitty's little perfect little face? There are no comforting answers. By its very creation, this bento has unleashed evil forces whose consequences won't be understood for generations to come.

Fight Dengue with WCG

2007-08-20T12:57:00.000-04:00

The World Community Grid is launching a new project: fighting Dengue, West Nile and Yellow Fever. Using the power of computers around the world, the researchers hope to find a broad-spectrum drug to treat all of these illnesses.

More than 40% of the world's population is at risk for infection by dengue virus. Annually, 1.5 million people are treated for dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever. Hepatitis C virus has infected ~2% of the world's population. Yellow fever and West Nile viruses have also had significant global impact. Unfortunately, there are no drugs that effectively treat these diseases. Consequently, the supportive care necessary to treat these infections and minimize mortality severely strains already burdened health facilities throughout the world. The discovery of both broad–spectrum and specific antiviral drugs is expected to significantly improve global health.

If you aren't already a member, join now. Use those spare CPU cycles to so some good for your fellow man. Are you really using all of your 2 Ghz cycles anyway? Plus, you can brag about your stats.

Statistics Last Updated: 08/20/2007 12:06:04 (UTC)
Totals:
Total Run Time (y:d:h:m:s) (Rank) 0:066:00:08:50 (#105,974)
Points Generated (Rank) 116,115 (#51,672)
Results Returned (Rank) 368 (#56,696)

Vaccuum Tube

2007-08-19T23:18:00.000-04:00

I visited Revision3 today... it's been awhile. They have a dozen shows now, wow. I remember when they were now starting. I used to watch Diggnation but then it got a bit boring and banal (just like regular TV! But on the Interwebs!) I happened across a gem of a show called Mysteries of Science Explained. Using a B&W aged film style, a scientist guy explains a random 'science' topic, hilarity ensues. I won't spoil it for you.
On another high note I see Jessica Corbin of TechTV fame hosting one or two shows on the network. I also notice Dan (Double D) still has that "OMG i'm on TV!!!111!! lolz" vibe going on. WTF, man? You have been on TV for some years now, you must have realized shouting "Bitches!" is only funny so many times. In 2001.

The Kite Runner

2007-08-16T10:42:00.000-04:00

One of my aunts gave me this book for Christmas, and I finally got around to reading it. (Last year she gave me a Danielle Steel novel... I decided not to 'read' anything into it) I had a wicked bout of insomnia so I decided to pick up the book and read a few chapters to get me sleepy.

I ended up reading the book from cover to cover.

The plot centres around Amir, who grows up in Afghanistan in the 60's. Amir's family is very well off, and Amir lives a life of relative comfort. His servant Hassan is about the same age and they develop a very asymmetric type of friendship; he is of a different ethnic group who have been repressed for centuries. Hassan's devotion is unconditional, yet Amir is emotionally unable to give his friend any meaningful reciprocation.

Amir, it turns out, is a weasel and a coward, also physically inept at most sports, he is a disappointment to his father. Hassan, in contrast, is terminally honest and marvelously gifted in the sport of kite running; he has a special relationship with Amir's father of which Amir becomes jealous. He then betrays Hassan in a shocking incident which leaves Amir under a cloud of guilt which follows him everywhere. Some readers can't stand the fact that the main character is unlikeable and so basically flawed, but I thought it was very unique and challenging.

The story takes another turn when the Soviets invade and Amir and his father are forced to flee to the United States. Fast forward some years: Amir grows up and becomes a writer, far from the strife in Afghanistan. which has come under the crushing yoke of the Taliban. One day, Amir receives a phone call which leads him back to his home country, to seek out redemption.

This novel has no fairy tale ending. The author leads us deeper and deeper into the dark pit of the human soul, unapologetic and unflinching. The epic level of the quest on which Amir embarks is on the same level as any of the most acclaimed fantasy novels. In the end, it leaves the reader with mixed emotions, but feeling satisfied; the author succeeds in letting us know that while the human condition sometimes includes inflicting horrible pain of each other, it also includes deep meaningful connections that time cannot fade. At the end, the story that asked "Is redemption possible?" answers with "I hope so."

Weather rolling in

2007-08-12T18:12:00.000-04:00

Had lunch at my aunt's place today. The weather was rolling in fast so I decided to take a quick shot. In minutes it was raining quite hard, but it didn't last long. That's Trini weather for you.

In your head, In your heh-ed

2007-08-09T11:33:00.000-04:00

After all the hype around the zombie co-op game Left 4 Dead, and the announcement that it wont be released till 2008 (son of a ...!), I needed something to satisfy my zombie cravin'. So I decided to download a copy of the Romero 1968 classic (perfectly legal, it is in the common domain due to a screwup with the publisher). I was excited, this was supposed to be the original; the zombie film to spawn all modern zombie films. The cultish fan base that surrounds the Romero films, and the crappy 2000's remakes were all the exposure I had to the Dead films.
So... was it actually scary? Hells yeah! From the tension of the opening scene where two siblings go to visit their father's grave, the tone is dark. And it just gets darker after that. The zombies themselves (or ghouls, they never refer to the creatures as zombies in the film) , are pretty simple, with minimal makeup. Not too scary when they appear in small numbers, for they are pretty weak and slow. What makes them dangerous, as any true zombie aficionado knows, is numbers. They just don't stop coming.
Most modern horror films fail to be scary because of poor pacing. They ratchet up the tension so high, and for so long, that when the scare finally comes it's more of a relief. The characters, who are often annoying teens, and/or stereotypes, we end up wanting to see die. The background is often left unexplained, with an obvious sequel-hook at the end.
Romero, having seen these mistakes made, handles all of these things masterfully. The lulls in the tense action he fills with character development and realistic plot exposition (using tv and radio broadcasts). The characters are 3d, realistic even without backstory. Having a African-American for a lead was quite cutting edge for the day, but to me colour disappears in the face of brilliant acting. The character Ben (Duane Jones) is well educated, smart and a good leader; he never asserts his cultural differences, he simply deals with the situation. Originally, the script called for him to be uneducated (with corresponding dialogue), but Jones took issue with this and the script was altered. Many of the scenes are in fact ad-libbed, such as when Babra (Judith O'Dea) recounts the story of the attack on her and her brother.
What I find the most fascinating is that zombies embody so many basic fears, how one reacts to them truly shows who you are. Will you be cold and rational? Hysterical and catatonic? Will you get busy living, or get busy dying?

"They're coming to get you, Barbra!"

TV's new Dynamic Duo

2007-08-07T11:10:00.000-04:00

Pow! Crunch! Chomp!

Two culinary heroes rise up to defend a troubled New York. One, the veteran, with multiple shows and long experience in the biz. The other, a rookie, with only half a season under his belt, seeks to prove himself. Together, they will fight against the forces of Disney and crappy chain restaurants to free the minds and stomachs of their fellow New Yorkers!
Last night, Travel Channel aired a special Bizarre Foods and No Reservations back-to back. Holy duck-guts, Bourdain!
Andrew Zimmern was up first, and while one may be tempted to think that dirty-water hot-dogs are the scariest food item to be had in NY, you'd be wrong. Andrew found slices or pure pork fat, live sashimi (it's looking at me!), and bugs. Lots of bugs. Food source of the future they may be, and I may want to try deep-fried crickets someday, but Teriyaki Cockroaches is where I draw the line. Andrew visits Chinatown with some old buddies to re-live the old days and try the Duck Entrails and Sea Cucumber. He also visits a metal working artist, 'Steel' Neal, with Bourdain tagging along. Neal gives them each a strange wicked piece of metal as a gift, which combines all western utensils (even a straw!). Cool stuff.
Bourdain starts his show by asking the question: "Where do the service people go when they finish work?" This is always a good question to ask when searching for the best food. Bourdain finds underground Saki bars, secret 'chefs only' hang outs and dance shows by Bizarro Russians. He gets Andrew to show him around Queens and take him to what may be simply described as an Egyptian Organ Restaurant. Now, you would think that Andrew's long experience as a chef would make Bourdain look at him as a comrade, but Tony keeps referring to him as "Bizarre Foods Guy". Although, Tony does admit that he's a bitter, bitter man almost every show. Maybe when Andrew gets renewed for a second season he'll get more respect.

The Simpsons Movie

2007-08-04T19:54:00.000-04:00

It only took me a week and a half, but I finally got around to seeing the new Simpsons movie. Why the long wait? Honestly, I was afraid of being disappointed. After 17 years of shows, I wanted something epic. Something mind boggling. Something that made me look at the characters differently.
The movie turned out to be pretty good; but not the (warning: pun ahead) Homeric epic I had hoped for. The energy and humour of the first few scenes does not carry throughout the whole thing. There were initially some good jokes poking fun at religion, the government and Bono. The fizz goes out a bit after the first half. In all, it was on par with a good episode, which is just a half hour long. This is a testament to the quality and density of the humour when the show was at the top of its form, which almost demanded multiple viewings.
But what then, could have completely satisfied a lifelong fan? I admit I stopped watching after season 9. The show didn't seem as funny, as irreverent or satirical. For those of us who truly grew up with the show, the evolution of the early seasons (1-4) led us to more sophisticated and nuanced areas of humour. What started as a more Bart-centric, fart-joke and catch phrase ridden ("Don't have a cow, man!" - seriously, why I find this hilarious?) show for kids became smart, edgy, adult oriented and more Homer-centric (eg. the Guatemalan Insanity Peppers episode).
With such a long running show, avoiding ground already covered becomes impossible. Marge and Homer having a serious split, questioning the basis for their marriage. The family gets a new strange pet. Bart looking to the Flanders to be a surrogate family. Lisa searching for love. An outlandish plot that threatens the whole town. All done already.
With all of these situations hashed and re-hashed, has the Simpson's time come to an end? I cannot say, not having seen the recent seasons. But I can say, as a lifelong fan- I'm tired of the some old same old. This is one of the reasons one of my favourite episodes is when Lisa has a vision of the future, where she is going to college. This changes the characters a bit. Bart is a spitting image of his father. Lisa is out on her own. Maggie is all grown up! It changes enough things to feel fresh again. But alas, it was a one-shot. With all the money the movie is making, there almost surely will be a sequel. I sincerely hope it is better.

Naruto Shippuuden Episode 22-23

2007-08-04T12:00:00.000-04:00

This week's dose of Naruto comes to us in the form of an hour-long summer special. It manages to pack quite a punch in the action department, only slowing down when it focuses on Team Gai's totally unexciting clone fight (how many episodes has this been going on?) and Naruto's pointless chase. Apparently team Gai hasn't watched any cartoons at all, even the Smurfs handled evil clones better than them.
The episode shines when it showcases the conflict between Chiyo and Sasori, which is really smoothly animated for the most part and really shows how two puppet masters really battle. Sakura comes in at the end to make this episode really all about Grrrl Power. With cool battles and characters like this, who cares about Naruto? Go Chiyo-ba-sama!

A message to the 22nd Century

2007-08-03T11:52:00.000-04:00

1st post! This blog is meant to be a personal sounding board, a means to improve my writing and expression, and a record. Hopefully 100 years from now, data-anthropologists seeking to discover what life was like before the Great Chaos and The Flood, will stumble upon this and find answers. Google will probably still be around, anyway. For those future historians, some clarifications about our era:

'Sponge-Bob' is the deity whose mythical adventures are recorded on the television show 'Spongebob Squarepants'. He has millions of followers and forms one of the most dominant religions of our time.
'Paris Hilton' is a long running joke among news organizations. There is no such person.
Doublespeak is the language of out time. Phrases often mean the complete opposite of the dictionary meanings of the individual words. Examples: "War on Terror", "Reality Television", "Vision 2020".
Yes, we all knew the icecaps are going to melt, we did nothing about it, screw you, great-grandchildren.