Sure, the Wii has lots of games that are family friendly and kid friendly, and I'm sure it is safe to say that it has more family games than the Xbox360 and PS3. however, that does not make it a kid system. You know what I played on the Wii last night? Call of Duty: Black Ops. It's rated M, if you're keeping score, which is not the rating you drop on a kid's game. It's actually a fairly difficult game too. Know why? Has to do with how you aim the gun.
If I were playing this game on the Xbox, I would be using the dual stick controller to both look around and move and aim. I've played Xbox games. In fact, after playing Halo on the original Xbox, I reconfigured Metroid Prime (which I still believe is the best first person shooter there is) on the GameCube to mimic those controls. Perfect FPS setup. Come to think of it, Metroid Prime on the GameCube was easier than it is on the Wii. Oh, yeah, they redid the game for the Wii to incorporate that pesky Wii remote. You know, the device that set the Wii apart from it's competitors and catapulted it to the top of everyone's game? Now you have to aim with your hand and arm instead of a couple of control sticks.
The Xbox and especially the PS3 both have exceptional graphics. I'm not going to pull any punches there. The visuals on those systems are a sight to behold and without argument, they both possess superior system hardware. Thing is that while Microsoft and Sony upgraded their graphics (and that's it, by the way - their controllers were pretty much identical to their predecessors), Nintendo kept the same engine that the GameCube had (that's right, the Wii has the GameCube's guts), but revolutionized HOW you play the games instead. That little aiming deal you can do with the Wii remote makes the Wii the ultimate first person shooter game system. What better way to aim a gun than to hold the gun in your hand and aim it? They actually have Wii remote holders that resemble REAL guns, complete with the trigger in the right place and they're black with no silly orange barrel.
In fact, the Wii has a type of shooter game that the other systems don't (or don't have many of considering how silly the game would be). It's called a rail shooter. Think of it this way: pretend that haunted house ride at the fair where a cart takes you through the horrors of the phantasmagorical has lots of enemies popping up all over the place and you have a gun to blow them all away. But the cart keeps moving. That's a rail shooter. The game controls your movements and you control the gun, freeing you up to just blow stuff up. Some of the better rail shooters on the Wii are based on the Resident Evil and Dead Space series, all of which are M rated games complete with the blood and carnage you might expect. Still not kid's games.
I have a box full of Wii games that are not for the children or the faint of heart. Some of them are easy. Some are hard. Some require a great deal of problem solving. But I wouldn't let my kids play half of them, which is a far cry from the system that started it all for some of us, the 8-bit NES. You'd be hard pressed to find a NES or SNES game that kids shouldn't play, and those systems defined the home video game landscape.
My father-in-law thinks that if I got an Xbox, I would leave the Wii and never return. I disagree. If I had an Xbox, I would still get any FPS games on the Wii, if a Wii version exists (I'm looking at you, Modern Warfare 3), for the fun of playing the game as opposed to the superior graphics. Visuals are paramount in movies, but with video games, you have to enjoy the game first. Those beautiful visuals don't make any difference at all if the game isn't fun to play, and if I'm holding a gun on screen, it is far more immersive to hold it in my hand than to move an auto-locking reticule around the screen with a control stick.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Why?
The human race is obsessed with this question. We’re not satisfied with a solution for a problem. For some reason, we feel the need to explain the reason something occurred. To an extent, this makes sense for some things. Knowing the reason something occurred can help to prevent the same thing from happening in the future, so from that standpoint, of course the root cause is useful. However, this obsession can go too far by demanding a reason everything that happens, even when the “why” serves no greater purpose than the knowledge. Now, I’m all for knowledge, but knowledge at the cost of sanity is too much.
For instance, if your engine explodes, and upon inquiring as to why, the mechanic explains that oil is necessary for the continuous operation of a car engine, then you can use this information to always remember to keep oil in your car in the future.
If you end up in jail for stealing a woman’s purse, you know you’re there because you stole a purse, but then she comes around asks why you did it. In this case, your answer will determine whether she finds your reasoning acceptable to her as a valid reason for theft, and even more bizarre, she will believe or disbelieve based on your answer. However, knowing your reason will neither encourage nor deter her from participating in her own purse theft. What she needs is some kind of validation for the crime. If you say you did it on a dare, she’ll think you’re lying and don’t want to tell the real reason. If you say that you need the money, she’ll want to know why you need it. If your poor mother is dying and you need the cash for medical treatments or to prevent repossession of your house or car, she also won’t believe you because it sounds legit. If you say drugs and alcohol, she’ll nod and figure that was the reason. In no case is the information actually useful to her.
Another useless why comes when the family of a murder victim demands a reason for their loved one’s death. They obsess over this desire for a reason and demand it of the killer who takes great pleasure is not telling his reason. And really, when he does tell, it doesn’t help. Some claim this is called closure, but closure can be gained for most things by simply moving on. I know that’s easy for me to say, but I also don’t obsess over why things happen to me.
This escalates to a far larger and more illogical scale when you deal with natural disasters. Our cost of sanity is usually perpetuated by the media after the disaster or other calamity when they describe the people as “trying to make sense of the situation.” If a tornado destroys a town or a hurricane ravages a coastline, there is no “why.” It is nature. The only “why” you get is a meteorological explanation of weather patterns. Does that really help?
Anyway, it’s a facet of human nature to demand reasons, but most of the time, they don’t get you anywhere. I always love a good bit of knowledge, but if that bit is out of my hands, I move on. Sure, I ask “why” on occasion just like everyone else, but I don’t demand it if there is no answer.
That’s the worst answer you can give someone who needs that validation. “Just because” or “I wanted to” or even “it was fun” don’t settle one’s mind, and therefore, it makes a “why-obsessed” person crazy. But it is a lot of fun to make the person squirm when you can give it to them.
Personally, I accept that some things have no explanation or the explanation is unattainable, as it is for many of the things that I do. For some things, you can never find a reason. And guess what? That’s ok.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Life is Like a Rubik's Cube
Or perhaps, it's like solving a Rubik's cube. There are many videos online where people "solve" the cube in 6 seconds and that sort of thing, but if you're fortunate enough to see this person also mix up the cube, you'll find that it takes approximately the same amount of time to "mix" it as it does to solve it. This is because they're following a particular algorithm to mix it and using the same one in reverse to solve it. From a higher perspective, they're creating the very problem they're endeavoring to solve, and since they created the scenario, they know how to fix it.
Actually solving the cube is a different matter entirely. You know, the cube that you hand off to the children to scramble and when they hand it back, it's a mess. That's more real. When you walk into any given situation, you have whatever life has tossed at you, and you have to take it from there to make it all right. A lot of people approach the cube by trying to solve one color at a time, and occasionally, they'll be able to swing one or colors doing it that way, but find when they try for the next color, they end up mixing up the ones they already finished. Solving the cube for this person is nothing short of frustrating because no matter what they do, they can't stop things they already worked out from mixing up again.
To solve a cube (and life) correctly, you can't look at one side or a single step. Sure a problem might have an immediate solution, but is that immediate solution the answer to the actual problem? A Rubik's cube has six sides. Are you only trying to solve one side or going for all six? If a file is corrupt is a program, are you only going to fix the one file or should you trace the problem back to its source to figure out where the corrupt file came from? A single step will involve doing the same thing over and over in vain. However, a step back to look at the big picture to define what the larger goal is will show what you need to do.
When you solve a cube, you don't do it side by side. You do it line by line.When solving one side, you have to remember the larger goal and solve the colors around the edges of that color as well by lining them up to the middle block as you solve the first color. This goal must be kept in mind while solving the first color, or it won't work. In correcting problems in life, you have to remember that bigger picture and ask yourself if this step is essential to the next and will it solve the bigger problem or achieve the larger goal? Is there something on this step that I need to do to assist the next step?
In the cube, you continue the solving sequence, by aligning the center line, followed by the center blocks of the side opposite from the one where you started. You continue until you finally have the final four corners almost lined up. The colors all match the corners where they are sitting, but it isn't aligned yet. In order to line up the final corners, you have to us a single algorithm over and over until one corner is aligned, spin the top to the next and keep going. This last step appears to rescramble the cube into a big mess, but when this step is done, all the layers are lined up, and it takes a couple of very obvious turns to bring it home to completion. This is honestly my favorite step because it looks a little spectacular. The application her is that sometimes, the final step of anything takes a leap of faith and trust in yourself. You can see what you need to do to get there, but it looks like it will get worse before it gets better. Sometimes it does, but as long as you have the goal in mind and press forward, you will get there and when you do, everything will fall into place until a few quick and obvious spins will present themselves and it is complete.
If your life is scrambled, don't focus on the mess. Work out where you need to be and see where the layers need to fall into place. Sometimes, it just takes a global perspective on the problem, and methodical working of the layers to find your way to the goal of having all your colors line back up.
Actually solving the cube is a different matter entirely. You know, the cube that you hand off to the children to scramble and when they hand it back, it's a mess. That's more real. When you walk into any given situation, you have whatever life has tossed at you, and you have to take it from there to make it all right. A lot of people approach the cube by trying to solve one color at a time, and occasionally, they'll be able to swing one or colors doing it that way, but find when they try for the next color, they end up mixing up the ones they already finished. Solving the cube for this person is nothing short of frustrating because no matter what they do, they can't stop things they already worked out from mixing up again.
To solve a cube (and life) correctly, you can't look at one side or a single step. Sure a problem might have an immediate solution, but is that immediate solution the answer to the actual problem? A Rubik's cube has six sides. Are you only trying to solve one side or going for all six? If a file is corrupt is a program, are you only going to fix the one file or should you trace the problem back to its source to figure out where the corrupt file came from? A single step will involve doing the same thing over and over in vain. However, a step back to look at the big picture to define what the larger goal is will show what you need to do.
When you solve a cube, you don't do it side by side. You do it line by line.When solving one side, you have to remember the larger goal and solve the colors around the edges of that color as well by lining them up to the middle block as you solve the first color. This goal must be kept in mind while solving the first color, or it won't work. In correcting problems in life, you have to remember that bigger picture and ask yourself if this step is essential to the next and will it solve the bigger problem or achieve the larger goal? Is there something on this step that I need to do to assist the next step?
In the cube, you continue the solving sequence, by aligning the center line, followed by the center blocks of the side opposite from the one where you started. You continue until you finally have the final four corners almost lined up. The colors all match the corners where they are sitting, but it isn't aligned yet. In order to line up the final corners, you have to us a single algorithm over and over until one corner is aligned, spin the top to the next and keep going. This last step appears to rescramble the cube into a big mess, but when this step is done, all the layers are lined up, and it takes a couple of very obvious turns to bring it home to completion. This is honestly my favorite step because it looks a little spectacular. The application her is that sometimes, the final step of anything takes a leap of faith and trust in yourself. You can see what you need to do to get there, but it looks like it will get worse before it gets better. Sometimes it does, but as long as you have the goal in mind and press forward, you will get there and when you do, everything will fall into place until a few quick and obvious spins will present themselves and it is complete.
If your life is scrambled, don't focus on the mess. Work out where you need to be and see where the layers need to fall into place. Sometimes, it just takes a global perspective on the problem, and methodical working of the layers to find your way to the goal of having all your colors line back up.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
A Story About A Passion Play Gone Wrong
I wanted to relay this story I heard the preacher at camp tell about when he went to see a passion play and the rather severe problems they had during the production. I'll do my best to remember all the details since it's been a few weeks since I originally heard it.
As you may know, a passion play is a story concerning the last week of Jesus' life on earth culminating in at least the crucifixion, if not the resurrection as well. Jesus Christ Superstar is a musical passion play, and Passion of the Christ is probably the most well know movie version of the story (as well as the bloodiest, only missing an NC-17 rating because of the subject material).
So, he was watching this passion play, and they reach the crucifixion part where Jesus was hanging on the cross. The actor was actually tied up to this cross and his final line is of course, "It is finished!" after which he bows his head, and the guards come out to stick the spear in his side, and then carry on. Well, after his line, he died and nothing happened. Apparently, the guards missed the cue and never showed. Jesus did the only thing a good Jesus can do in such an instance. He resurrected himself and cried out, more dramatically, "It is finished!" after which he bowed his head again and died. noting that the guards had not arrived, Jesus resurrected himself a second time, and cried out even louder and with more drama, "IT ... IS ... FINISHED!" after which, he died again.
By this time, the guards had apparently realized that they had missed their cue, and so they grabbed their spears and charged out to take care of business. Now, in order to achieve the effect of stabbing the spear in Jesus' side, the spear had a collapsible tip so that the Jesus actor would not be injured and real blood and water would not flow. Well, in their haste, the tardy guards grabbed one of the real spears and not the rigged-to-collapse one, and as they were in a hurry to catch up to their missed cue, they gave Jesus a hearty stab in the side ... where blood and water flowed. Jesus, was a really trooper, though, because the only way you knew anything was wrong was when he breathed in sharply through his teeth and clenched his fists.
Realizing they had actually stabbed Jesus, the guards rapidly got him off the cross and carried him backstage.
So for the resurrection scene, they pulled in second-string Jesus, as first-string Jesus had not had enough time to heal. The scene went on as planned, and at the end of the scene, they had this dramatic ascension whereby second-string Jesus was rigged to a tree behind the stage and slowly ascends into the branches ... or that was the plan. You see, rigs of this nature are carefully counter-balanced to the weight of the individual who is to be using it, and it turns out that first-string Jesus weighed a bit more than second-string Jesus. He told his disciples, "Surely, I am with you, to the very end of the a--" and the rig kicked in and pulled Jesus at blinding speed into the branches of the tree knocking second-string Jesus right out.
Fortunately, they didn't need a third-string Jesus because the play was quite over by that point.
As you may know, a passion play is a story concerning the last week of Jesus' life on earth culminating in at least the crucifixion, if not the resurrection as well. Jesus Christ Superstar is a musical passion play, and Passion of the Christ is probably the most well know movie version of the story (as well as the bloodiest, only missing an NC-17 rating because of the subject material).
So, he was watching this passion play, and they reach the crucifixion part where Jesus was hanging on the cross. The actor was actually tied up to this cross and his final line is of course, "It is finished!" after which he bows his head, and the guards come out to stick the spear in his side, and then carry on. Well, after his line, he died and nothing happened. Apparently, the guards missed the cue and never showed. Jesus did the only thing a good Jesus can do in such an instance. He resurrected himself and cried out, more dramatically, "It is finished!" after which he bowed his head again and died. noting that the guards had not arrived, Jesus resurrected himself a second time, and cried out even louder and with more drama, "IT ... IS ... FINISHED!" after which, he died again.
By this time, the guards had apparently realized that they had missed their cue, and so they grabbed their spears and charged out to take care of business. Now, in order to achieve the effect of stabbing the spear in Jesus' side, the spear had a collapsible tip so that the Jesus actor would not be injured and real blood and water would not flow. Well, in their haste, the tardy guards grabbed one of the real spears and not the rigged-to-collapse one, and as they were in a hurry to catch up to their missed cue, they gave Jesus a hearty stab in the side ... where blood and water flowed. Jesus, was a really trooper, though, because the only way you knew anything was wrong was when he breathed in sharply through his teeth and clenched his fists.
Realizing they had actually stabbed Jesus, the guards rapidly got him off the cross and carried him backstage.
So for the resurrection scene, they pulled in second-string Jesus, as first-string Jesus had not had enough time to heal. The scene went on as planned, and at the end of the scene, they had this dramatic ascension whereby second-string Jesus was rigged to a tree behind the stage and slowly ascends into the branches ... or that was the plan. You see, rigs of this nature are carefully counter-balanced to the weight of the individual who is to be using it, and it turns out that first-string Jesus weighed a bit more than second-string Jesus. He told his disciples, "Surely, I am with you, to the very end of the a--" and the rig kicked in and pulled Jesus at blinding speed into the branches of the tree knocking second-string Jesus right out.
Fortunately, they didn't need a third-string Jesus because the play was quite over by that point.
Roaring River
So I'm posting for the sake of posting. What should I write about? Don't really know, but I do know that once again, I want to write on a daily basis on this blog. The trouble is that everything that happens, happens so quickly that it's difficult to keep it up and write it down. I have an app on my phone to also blog, but again, taking those few moments to sit down and type it all out is difficult. I figure it is just best to write about whatever is happening, so here goes.
Over the recent July 4th weekend, we went out of town with the Queen's family to Missouri, since her parents and grandparents have fifth wheel spots in the Roaring River State Park area where we also go fishing. I really don't like to fish. The Queen's grandfather has been having some heart related issues, and he has always been the one to "clean" (odd word for skin, gut, chop, and fillet fish) the fish for everyone. I refuse, so my brother-in-law, aka Darth Vader, volunteered to be the one to do it. He did a good job.
He and Padme then suggested we head over to Branson to a shopping center called Branson Landing so they could shop for a particular toy for Luke that they can only get there. The store is called Ridemasterz, or something, and is basically like Build-a-Bear with cars. You pick your chassis and customize it till your heart's content. They invited everyone to go as well, and then they took the longest road possible to get there (in total deference to both our GPS and theirs). We had the "privilege" of sitting through the longest five miles I've ever had to sit through to take in the horror that is Branson, MO.
We called it "Little Vegas" just based on how it was setup and the sorts of sights we took in during that five mile stretch. We had a lot of time to look while parked in traffic. If Vegas is where old stars go to wind out their careers with a steady job, Branson is where they go to die. We saw billboards for artists that seriously made their careers in the 50's. Bill Haley, for example, who is best known for the song "Rock Around The Clock" that came out in 1954. Yeah, he's still performing...in Branson. Also saw a theatre that does concerts of "The Legends" such as Garth Brooks, Liza Minelli, Stevie Wonder...Elvis and Michael Jackson. Oh yeah, they are all impersonators. The real artists don't perform in that theatre. No, when you watch "The Legends," you are watching a bunch of people sing and perform like the actual artists. And this wasn't the only Elvis show either. No, I saw at least three Elvis shows on that strip. In addition, if you're down with the old time photos, you have lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of choices of studios. Heck, there were two of them in the shopping center we went to. There were a couple of interesting amusement parks, but other than that (not to be overly negative) it really seemed like one of the most pointless places I've ever been to.
However, this shopping center had a candy store where we were able to call Rock Girl on something she said once. She said if she could get some Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, she would try them. Well, the Harry Potter promo item was made by Jelly Belly, and if their buttered popcorn flavor tastes that accurate, I shudder to think of the vomit flavor. Anyway, this store did not have Bertie Bott's, but they did have some every flavor beans with flavors like puke, booger, skunk spray, curdled cheese, and other equally bizarre and stomach turning choices. Rock Girl declined. So we got Margarita, Strawberry Daquiri, and Piña Colada instead. They were good.
The main lesson we learned from this weekend's experience was that we really need to get the princesses more practice playing Uno, Skip-Bo, and Phase 10.
Oh, and the resort we stayed at had unadvertised Wi-Fi that we totally jumped on.
Over the recent July 4th weekend, we went out of town with the Queen's family to Missouri, since her parents and grandparents have fifth wheel spots in the Roaring River State Park area where we also go fishing. I really don't like to fish. The Queen's grandfather has been having some heart related issues, and he has always been the one to "clean" (odd word for skin, gut, chop, and fillet fish) the fish for everyone. I refuse, so my brother-in-law, aka Darth Vader, volunteered to be the one to do it. He did a good job.
He and Padme then suggested we head over to Branson to a shopping center called Branson Landing so they could shop for a particular toy for Luke that they can only get there. The store is called Ridemasterz, or something, and is basically like Build-a-Bear with cars. You pick your chassis and customize it till your heart's content. They invited everyone to go as well, and then they took the longest road possible to get there (in total deference to both our GPS and theirs). We had the "privilege" of sitting through the longest five miles I've ever had to sit through to take in the horror that is Branson, MO.
We called it "Little Vegas" just based on how it was setup and the sorts of sights we took in during that five mile stretch. We had a lot of time to look while parked in traffic. If Vegas is where old stars go to wind out their careers with a steady job, Branson is where they go to die. We saw billboards for artists that seriously made their careers in the 50's. Bill Haley, for example, who is best known for the song "Rock Around The Clock" that came out in 1954. Yeah, he's still performing...in Branson. Also saw a theatre that does concerts of "The Legends" such as Garth Brooks, Liza Minelli, Stevie Wonder...Elvis and Michael Jackson. Oh yeah, they are all impersonators. The real artists don't perform in that theatre. No, when you watch "The Legends," you are watching a bunch of people sing and perform like the actual artists. And this wasn't the only Elvis show either. No, I saw at least three Elvis shows on that strip. In addition, if you're down with the old time photos, you have lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of choices of studios. Heck, there were two of them in the shopping center we went to. There were a couple of interesting amusement parks, but other than that (not to be overly negative) it really seemed like one of the most pointless places I've ever been to.
However, this shopping center had a candy store where we were able to call Rock Girl on something she said once. She said if she could get some Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, she would try them. Well, the Harry Potter promo item was made by Jelly Belly, and if their buttered popcorn flavor tastes that accurate, I shudder to think of the vomit flavor. Anyway, this store did not have Bertie Bott's, but they did have some every flavor beans with flavors like puke, booger, skunk spray, curdled cheese, and other equally bizarre and stomach turning choices. Rock Girl declined. So we got Margarita, Strawberry Daquiri, and Piña Colada instead. They were good.
The main lesson we learned from this weekend's experience was that we really need to get the princesses more practice playing Uno, Skip-Bo, and Phase 10.
Oh, and the resort we stayed at had unadvertised Wi-Fi that we totally jumped on.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Church Camp
As I did last year, I have the privilege to play in a worship band for the high school week at a church camp. As before, I play the bass, but this year I'm augmenting my bass skills with a keyboard on the side for a couple of songs. It is minimal switching, but still enjoyable. Truly, playing in a worship group has felt like a real calling in my life. Thus far, it has not been my place to lead anything, but I would not be opposed to stepping in should the need arise. At present, I rotate between bass and keys (not piano) throughout the month, and I'm on every week at church.
This year, I got to meet the worship leader from another church which was interesting. It turns out that not only are there a group of churches like the one I now attend, but the worship leaders meet on a regular basis. Add to that that there is actually a degree or something for worship minister. Had I known anything about that while pondering college, I just might have done it.
It's apparently the year of the worship intern though. Not only does our churches worship minister have an intern, but this other one has two: his son and his son's girlfriend. Distraction anyone?
The speaker at the camp this year did have a couple of amusing stories though. I will post them up when I'm at a real keyboard and not riding along on our way out there.
This year, I got to meet the worship leader from another church which was interesting. It turns out that not only are there a group of churches like the one I now attend, but the worship leaders meet on a regular basis. Add to that that there is actually a degree or something for worship minister. Had I known anything about that while pondering college, I just might have done it.
It's apparently the year of the worship intern though. Not only does our churches worship minister have an intern, but this other one has two: his son and his son's girlfriend. Distraction anyone?
The speaker at the camp this year did have a couple of amusing stories though. I will post them up when I'm at a real keyboard and not riding along on our way out there.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.1
Blogger on Android
I think blogger/blogspot has something to do with Google, and as such, I figured Android would have some kind of app to post blog entires on here. There has been a good one out there for awhile that is basic, but effective called Blogger-Droid. But then I noticed that Google came out with an official version of the blogger app, and I figured it would be better.
I really couldn't say.
Apparently, the Google blogger app programmer(s) presumed that when you post a blog, you always do it from a Google address entered into your phone, not from a proxy email address like I do with this one. I cannot enter my geek address on my phone, and therefore, I cannot use the official Blogger app, since I cannot find a way to login to any blog from any email address.
So I'll keep using the other one. It's free, so it's not like it's a big loss. I already know how to use it. It can upload pics and everything else. I used it on our Colorado trip last year for the portions that I did blog of it. My sincere hope is that they figure out that people create blogs under email addresses other than their primary ones.
Seriously, I can't be the only one who does this.
I really couldn't say.
Apparently, the Google blogger app programmer(s) presumed that when you post a blog, you always do it from a Google address entered into your phone, not from a proxy email address like I do with this one. I cannot enter my geek address on my phone, and therefore, I cannot use the official Blogger app, since I cannot find a way to login to any blog from any email address.
So I'll keep using the other one. It's free, so it's not like it's a big loss. I already know how to use it. It can upload pics and everything else. I used it on our Colorado trip last year for the portions that I did blog of it. My sincere hope is that they figure out that people create blogs under email addresses other than their primary ones.
Seriously, I can't be the only one who does this.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
So I'm just Whining But...
I'm a writer and an entertainer for the most part as I've indicated before. I like to play my piano and write my stories, and the greatest thrill I get is knowing that people like what I put out there. Therefore, there are few things more frustrating for me than being completely ignored when I put something out there. I've got a few books and videos here and there, and of course, I've got a facebook page where I hock it all, and sure, maybe people are tired of me. Still, when I put out a video, it's never entertaining enough to be shared very far. Best I had for awhile was an effects video that was 8 seconds long that got a little over a hundred views in 24 hours and then stopped cold. And few to no people are interested in my music. I have made videos of quite a few songs that I've written and performed, and no matter how often I post and report, no one cares.
You see, I have spent a good portion of my life devoted to bettering myself at these goals I have, and the idea that everything I've done is completely pointless, and that I should resign myself to the programmer job since that's the only thing I'm good enough at is depressing. It invalidates my existence.
It's tough living an invalidated existence. Yes, I have a family. Yes, they make me happy. That's not what I'm talking about. We all have different sides to us, and in my case, I have the personal side, and the work side. The personal side is awesome per the aforementioned family and honestly, we're doing very well.
The work side sucks. I have a job that I dislike, though it's the best I've ever had. I play bass and keys at church, but I still long for true piano. The Queen does not understand my internal difference between keys and piano, but they're played differently. She thinks I'll never be satisfied, but I have a satisfaction point. I've just never reached it. I have written books, and though I have a loyal readership, it won't expand. I write songs that no one wants to listen to. I've sent letters for screenplays and my books to no avail. I have a movie too, but it gets no action whatsoever.
You see, I have a point that I will be satisfied with what is going on, but it's like I am constantly one step from that point in nearly every aspect of my life. I am allowed to taste just a little of where I want to be, but never allowed to cross over. I'm like a rocket that can see the edge of the atmosphere, but can't reach escape velocity.
If I could reach escape velocity in one piece of my work life, I would be at least a little happier. Heck, I'd be a lot happier if I could make a living out of about any of my talents. I have a truckload of them. I can play almost a dozen instruments and sing, but no music career. I can write books, screenplays, technical documents, and music (and lyrics), but no writing career in any of those fields. I know how to make a movie start to finish. I shot, edited, and even composed and performed all the music. No film career. I learned programming on an old computer I hooked to a TV and hacked old BASIC programs to play games. And that's all I have.
It's just a bummer.
You see, I have spent a good portion of my life devoted to bettering myself at these goals I have, and the idea that everything I've done is completely pointless, and that I should resign myself to the programmer job since that's the only thing I'm good enough at is depressing. It invalidates my existence.
It's tough living an invalidated existence. Yes, I have a family. Yes, they make me happy. That's not what I'm talking about. We all have different sides to us, and in my case, I have the personal side, and the work side. The personal side is awesome per the aforementioned family and honestly, we're doing very well.
The work side sucks. I have a job that I dislike, though it's the best I've ever had. I play bass and keys at church, but I still long for true piano. The Queen does not understand my internal difference between keys and piano, but they're played differently. She thinks I'll never be satisfied, but I have a satisfaction point. I've just never reached it. I have written books, and though I have a loyal readership, it won't expand. I write songs that no one wants to listen to. I've sent letters for screenplays and my books to no avail. I have a movie too, but it gets no action whatsoever.
You see, I have a point that I will be satisfied with what is going on, but it's like I am constantly one step from that point in nearly every aspect of my life. I am allowed to taste just a little of where I want to be, but never allowed to cross over. I'm like a rocket that can see the edge of the atmosphere, but can't reach escape velocity.
If I could reach escape velocity in one piece of my work life, I would be at least a little happier. Heck, I'd be a lot happier if I could make a living out of about any of my talents. I have a truckload of them. I can play almost a dozen instruments and sing, but no music career. I can write books, screenplays, technical documents, and music (and lyrics), but no writing career in any of those fields. I know how to make a movie start to finish. I shot, edited, and even composed and performed all the music. No film career. I learned programming on an old computer I hooked to a TV and hacked old BASIC programs to play games. And that's all I have.
It's just a bummer.
Auto-Flushing Toilets
So at my workplace, we have these toilets with sensors that when you move away from them, they auto-flush. Clever technology. The idea is that you can go through the entire bathroom and only touch the door handle and maybe the paper towels. Well, one of the toilets here had been getting "stuck" in flush mode, and it would run for literally hours wasting water. The bathroom was so noisy with the constant whoosh of the flushing mechanism that it was annoying.
Well, recently, they got someone out here to fix it. now, the toilet does not spend all day in flush mode. No, they took it to the other extreme. Now, when you move away, it goes "whish," and really, it took you longer to say that word than it does for this toilet to activate and then shut off. So from the neverending flush, we now have to hold the handle down long enough for a reasonable flush to occur.
Seriously, did they not test this when they "fixed" it?
Well, recently, they got someone out here to fix it. now, the toilet does not spend all day in flush mode. No, they took it to the other extreme. Now, when you move away, it goes "whish," and really, it took you longer to say that word than it does for this toilet to activate and then shut off. So from the neverending flush, we now have to hold the handle down long enough for a reasonable flush to occur.
Seriously, did they not test this when they "fixed" it?
Woes of an Android Phone
I used to take note of posting ideas and save them up to post one thing a day. Now? I think I'll just roll things out as they come to me.
So what's the answer for people who aren't with a company that does the iPhone? Well, Android, of course. Android would be what happened when Apple went with that exclusive, AT&T only contract for their iPhone and as a result, they have serious competition. Well, sort of.
I have a early Samsung version of the Android phone, and I made a dreadful mistake with it. I upgraded the operating system from 2.1 to 2.2. Normally, an OS upgrade is a good thing. It keeps you on the cutting edge and able to run everything that comes out. Yeah, this is true unless your phone's hardware isn't capable of handling the new software.
My first impression of the new OS was that it was cool, but little by little, I found the cutting edge was just too much for my phone. Of course, once you're updated, you can't really go back. How do I know it isn't working for my phone? The time it takes to do...anything.
I unlock the screen...yes, just unlock the screen, and it takes no less than 30 seconds for the home screen to come up. I stare at my background and nothing else unless that first screen of apps shows up. If I want to make a call, I press the phone icon, wait, press the contact (I rarely dial a new number), wait (I stare at the screen until it connects to ensure it actually does), tap the screen once to stop the screen from blacking out and autolocking through inactivity, finally engage the call. Angry Birds plays on my phone, but I'm missing a lot of the background elements, and I have no level info
I have a Bible app so I can have a Bible always on me, and I am one of those freaks that pulls out his phone in church when the pastor says "Turn with me to..." However, it takes so long to unlock the phone, access the app, and then get to the book, chapter, and verse that by the time I have it pulled up, the pastor has not only read it, but he's moved on.
I don't hate my phone. It's just that the manufacturers didn't think about the hardware requirements when they made it. The Queen's, on the other hand, is a newer model with the cool Galaxy S system and it works great.
I'm jealous.
So what's the answer for people who aren't with a company that does the iPhone? Well, Android, of course. Android would be what happened when Apple went with that exclusive, AT&T only contract for their iPhone and as a result, they have serious competition. Well, sort of.
I have a early Samsung version of the Android phone, and I made a dreadful mistake with it. I upgraded the operating system from 2.1 to 2.2. Normally, an OS upgrade is a good thing. It keeps you on the cutting edge and able to run everything that comes out. Yeah, this is true unless your phone's hardware isn't capable of handling the new software.
My first impression of the new OS was that it was cool, but little by little, I found the cutting edge was just too much for my phone. Of course, once you're updated, you can't really go back. How do I know it isn't working for my phone? The time it takes to do...anything.
I unlock the screen...yes, just unlock the screen, and it takes no less than 30 seconds for the home screen to come up. I stare at my background and nothing else unless that first screen of apps shows up. If I want to make a call, I press the phone icon, wait, press the contact (I rarely dial a new number), wait (I stare at the screen until it connects to ensure it actually does), tap the screen once to stop the screen from blacking out and autolocking through inactivity, finally engage the call. Angry Birds plays on my phone, but I'm missing a lot of the background elements, and I have no level info
I have a Bible app so I can have a Bible always on me, and I am one of those freaks that pulls out his phone in church when the pastor says "Turn with me to..." However, it takes so long to unlock the phone, access the app, and then get to the book, chapter, and verse that by the time I have it pulled up, the pastor has not only read it, but he's moved on.
I don't hate my phone. It's just that the manufacturers didn't think about the hardware requirements when they made it. The Queen's, on the other hand, is a newer model with the cool Galaxy S system and it works great.
I'm jealous.
Been Awhile
You know, I haven't updated this in awhile not because there hasn't been anything to talk about, but because I can't seem to find myself a few minutes to sit down and write anything. I figure anything is better than nothing, and unlike previous attempts to stay updated, I'm not promising anything. Ideally, I'd like to type little tidbits of what's going on, but we'll see how reality treats us.
I suppose the most prevalent issue plaguing my brain at present is my job status. Unlike a lot of people, I am employed without a care for the state of my job. They love me, and depend on me for a lot of stuff, which is good. Nothing is true job security, of course, but I can say I feel pretty secure. But also like a lot of people, I'm not entirely happy. Some days are better than others, and it honestly has very little to do with the work or the people or any of the normal things that people find wrong with their employment. No, in my case, the issue is that it's not the job I actually want to be doing.
I know that sounds childish, but at the same time, this is my blog, not yours, so I can say what I wish.
My job is basically a support programmer for a remittance program that posts data to hospital information systems. Say that five times fast. I have no problem doing it, and my boss says I do it very well. Like I said, I'm very secure in my position, though obviously careful not to be too secure since there's someone somewhere behind me that can step right up and do the same thing. There always is.
But as I sit here day after day doing this, I have that constant and nagging reminder in the back of my head that in my heart I'm a writer, not a programmer. Programming has its level of creativity, but writing is my true passion. I searched our company's internal job database to see if there was a writer position within these walls, and I found a technical writer project manager. My thought? I want to write. Not manage the writing. Maybe that's narrow of me, and I can say I'm not qualified, but I also have to consider that I grossly "unqualified" for my current position. I think I'm one of very, very few people on this floor without a college degree. Sometimes, it's more important to someone to be able to do a job than to be able to show a piece of paper that they're qualified.
Now, could I potentially manage a group of people writing toward a goal? Of course. I have that level of creativity, and I've done technical writing before. Still, it's not my goal. Do I want to go from one halfway point to another halfway point?
My goal is to be my own writer, and presently, I am hitting the last brick wall of getting agents or publishers to pay attention to my books. Of all the fields of writing, books are probably the easiest to break into because they're the least expensive for anyone to take a chance on. Now don't misunderstand me. This is not to say getting in is easy, because I have yet to be accepted.
But I'm hopeful the time will come, and until then, I'll continue in my halfway point, not doing the dream. It's just one of those days when not being a success is bumming me out.
I suppose the most prevalent issue plaguing my brain at present is my job status. Unlike a lot of people, I am employed without a care for the state of my job. They love me, and depend on me for a lot of stuff, which is good. Nothing is true job security, of course, but I can say I feel pretty secure. But also like a lot of people, I'm not entirely happy. Some days are better than others, and it honestly has very little to do with the work or the people or any of the normal things that people find wrong with their employment. No, in my case, the issue is that it's not the job I actually want to be doing.
I know that sounds childish, but at the same time, this is my blog, not yours, so I can say what I wish.
My job is basically a support programmer for a remittance program that posts data to hospital information systems. Say that five times fast. I have no problem doing it, and my boss says I do it very well. Like I said, I'm very secure in my position, though obviously careful not to be too secure since there's someone somewhere behind me that can step right up and do the same thing. There always is.
But as I sit here day after day doing this, I have that constant and nagging reminder in the back of my head that in my heart I'm a writer, not a programmer. Programming has its level of creativity, but writing is my true passion. I searched our company's internal job database to see if there was a writer position within these walls, and I found a technical writer project manager. My thought? I want to write. Not manage the writing. Maybe that's narrow of me, and I can say I'm not qualified, but I also have to consider that I grossly "unqualified" for my current position. I think I'm one of very, very few people on this floor without a college degree. Sometimes, it's more important to someone to be able to do a job than to be able to show a piece of paper that they're qualified.
Now, could I potentially manage a group of people writing toward a goal? Of course. I have that level of creativity, and I've done technical writing before. Still, it's not my goal. Do I want to go from one halfway point to another halfway point?
My goal is to be my own writer, and presently, I am hitting the last brick wall of getting agents or publishers to pay attention to my books. Of all the fields of writing, books are probably the easiest to break into because they're the least expensive for anyone to take a chance on. Now don't misunderstand me. This is not to say getting in is easy, because I have yet to be accepted.
But I'm hopeful the time will come, and until then, I'll continue in my halfway point, not doing the dream. It's just one of those days when not being a success is bumming me out.
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