6.27.2009
6.25.2009
Agent Mulder Was Wrong
It turns out that high-as-a kite wallabies are the degenerate culprits behind Aussie crop circles. No, really.
6.16.2009
It's Shit Like This....
...that made me stop reading Marvel Comics. No. Really. In fact, the original run through of this story line is exactly what led to me vowing to never buy another Spider-Man comic again. News flash: Peter Parker is not the goddamn clone, assholes. He is Spider-Man. No. It doesn't matter that they went back some time after the fact that tried to put things right. Too little too freaking late, Marvel.
6.10.2009
"George III never taxed, regulated, or policed us remotely as much as Washington, D.C. does today."
Indeed.
*hat tip, instapundit
*hat tip, instapundit
6.09.2009
Faster With The Commercial Space Flight/Exploration Please
The current administration is taking the paring knife to NASA. I understand priorities. But they wouldn't have to slash NASA's budget if they weren't so busy pissing tax dollars away trying to hijack private industry. Assholes.
6.08.2009
6.06.2009
The Console Wars
It's been a while since I dropped in on Penny Arcade, so I had some catching up to do. I eventually got to this post and its accompanying comic.
I grew up during the console wars and it left very real marks on me. My memories are not as traumatic as Gabe's; I was Sega fan firmly entrenched amongst other Sega fans. Rivalries were bitter then. Sega's initial shot across Nintendo's bow from all appearances should have been fatal.
16 bits. Those of us who had been unknowingly wandering in the 8-bit desert of the Nintendo Entertainment System had seen a river and been told to drink deep. I remember the first time I saw a commercial from that set (the above being a later one); me and several other kids were sitting at the kitchen table of the woman who watched us after school. Our jaws fell open. We went downstairs and turned on the NES already dissatisfied. We had seen the promised land and knew we weren't in it. We had all just placed one item at the very top of our Christmas wish list and underlined it. Several times.
God, it seems so quaint now. These days no one talks about bits anymore. Any console from the original Playstation on doesn't sell you on hardware jargon, but features and screen shots. Bits are a thing of the past. But during the console war bits, colors, and processing speed were what it was all about.
Nintendo responded to the Genesis with the 16-bit Super NES and the console wars raged. It seems like forever that it was just those two behemoths slugging it out. Genesis trying to capitalize on it's superior speed, SNES trying to capitalize on it's bright colors. Nintendo added a new piece of hardware to the SNES cartridges, the Super FX chip, which made the SNES as fast as the Genesis. Sega released its first add-on to the Genesis, the Sega CD, which increased storage capacity (though not bit processing power). It's mostly known for a seemingly endless barrage of comedically bad live action games. Like Night Trap:
By this point other companies had started to get into the race and Sega released its second add-on to the Genesis, the 32x. (Feel free to skip the theme song.)
The height of the console wars (the 32-bit battle) saw Sony, Atari, Phillips, and Panasonic enter the fray. The Phillips CDi crashed and burned because it was an over-priced piece of dreck which had all of 5 games because it was more interested in being an entertainment center than a gaming platform. The Panasonic 3DO had more games, but only one was any good. No wait, I'm thinking of the Atari 64. The 3DO didn't have anything worth mentioning aside from low sales and a short life span. Sony stuck around with the Playstation because (I grudgingly admit) it was a good platform, but also because Sony is the seven-headed dragon and they own large portions of a ton of third party licenses which brought game exclusivity to meaningful levels. We'll get back to that later.
The 64bit Sega Saturn marketed itself as a 32bit platform because while Sega made brilliant stand alone consoles their marketing department should have been keelhauled and then shot for good measure. Nintendo was content to let the SNES carry the load during the 32-bit era and...that didn't fail spectacularly.
Atari's 64 hung in for a little while, but the real battle was between Sony's PS and Sega's Saturn:
Sony's entry into the console wars was a game-changer though. Before Sony, the majority of exclusive games for any given platform were those that were made by it's company. The same third party titles were essentially available on all platforms. It wasn't necessary to own every system. One would suffice. Hardware was the primary reason to buy a console and that created fierce brand loyalty. Sony's financial power over many third party developers would eventually result in the end of the console wars. There's no war when your average gamers has all available platforms. Now having exclusive third party titles is the norm, and instead of missing out on a good gaming experience most gamers just own multiple consoles. Sometimes that makes me a little sad.
Jeebus. This post is way longer than I intended. Sorry folks.
I grew up during the console wars and it left very real marks on me. My memories are not as traumatic as Gabe's; I was Sega fan firmly entrenched amongst other Sega fans. Rivalries were bitter then. Sega's initial shot across Nintendo's bow from all appearances should have been fatal.
16 bits. Those of us who had been unknowingly wandering in the 8-bit desert of the Nintendo Entertainment System had seen a river and been told to drink deep. I remember the first time I saw a commercial from that set (the above being a later one); me and several other kids were sitting at the kitchen table of the woman who watched us after school. Our jaws fell open. We went downstairs and turned on the NES already dissatisfied. We had seen the promised land and knew we weren't in it. We had all just placed one item at the very top of our Christmas wish list and underlined it. Several times.
God, it seems so quaint now. These days no one talks about bits anymore. Any console from the original Playstation on doesn't sell you on hardware jargon, but features and screen shots. Bits are a thing of the past. But during the console war bits, colors, and processing speed were what it was all about.
Nintendo responded to the Genesis with the 16-bit Super NES and the console wars raged. It seems like forever that it was just those two behemoths slugging it out. Genesis trying to capitalize on it's superior speed, SNES trying to capitalize on it's bright colors. Nintendo added a new piece of hardware to the SNES cartridges, the Super FX chip, which made the SNES as fast as the Genesis. Sega released its first add-on to the Genesis, the Sega CD, which increased storage capacity (though not bit processing power). It's mostly known for a seemingly endless barrage of comedically bad live action games. Like Night Trap:
By this point other companies had started to get into the race and Sega released its second add-on to the Genesis, the 32x. (Feel free to skip the theme song.)
The height of the console wars (the 32-bit battle) saw Sony, Atari, Phillips, and Panasonic enter the fray. The Phillips CDi crashed and burned because it was an over-priced piece of dreck which had all of 5 games because it was more interested in being an entertainment center than a gaming platform. The Panasonic 3DO had more games, but only one was any good. No wait, I'm thinking of the Atari 64. The 3DO didn't have anything worth mentioning aside from low sales and a short life span. Sony stuck around with the Playstation because (I grudgingly admit) it was a good platform, but also because Sony is the seven-headed dragon and they own large portions of a ton of third party licenses which brought game exclusivity to meaningful levels. We'll get back to that later.
The 64bit Sega Saturn marketed itself as a 32bit platform because while Sega made brilliant stand alone consoles their marketing department should have been keelhauled and then shot for good measure. Nintendo was content to let the SNES carry the load during the 32-bit era and...that didn't fail spectacularly.
Atari's 64 hung in for a little while, but the real battle was between Sony's PS and Sega's Saturn:
Sony's entry into the console wars was a game-changer though. Before Sony, the majority of exclusive games for any given platform were those that were made by it's company. The same third party titles were essentially available on all platforms. It wasn't necessary to own every system. One would suffice. Hardware was the primary reason to buy a console and that created fierce brand loyalty. Sony's financial power over many third party developers would eventually result in the end of the console wars. There's no war when your average gamers has all available platforms. Now having exclusive third party titles is the norm, and instead of missing out on a good gaming experience most gamers just own multiple consoles. Sometimes that makes me a little sad.
Jeebus. This post is way longer than I intended. Sorry folks.
6.04.2009
Just In Case...
...you've never had a television show canceled. One of the writers behind Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles speaks up and it is freaking hilarious. It's too good to excerpt so read the whole thing.
Body-More, Murderland.... Still Not Number One
So thanks due to an accounting error or something the city I reside in is in fact not actually the most violent city in America because that honor goes to Detroit.
The difference of 33 killings is just enough to push Detroit's homicide rate past Baltimore's to reclaim the No. 1 ranking among cities with a population of 500,000 or more people. Baltimore's rate is 36.9 killings per 100,000 people; Detroit's is now 37.4 per 100,000.
It's okay, Bleed-more! There's alwaysnext this year. Now where's my goddamn bread and circuses?
The difference of 33 killings is just enough to push Detroit's homicide rate past Baltimore's to reclaim the No. 1 ranking among cities with a population of 500,000 or more people. Baltimore's rate is 36.9 killings per 100,000 people; Detroit's is now 37.4 per 100,000.
It's okay, Bleed-more! There's always
5.29.2009
Weekend Stuff
I'm kind of a horror movie buff, so this weekend I'm totally looking forward to catching Sam Raimi's new flick, Drag Me to Hell.
It's nice to see himtaking a break from turning Spider-Man into an emo loser getting back to his horror roots.
It's nice to see him
5.27.2009
Umm... No
Io9 has either lost its damn fool mind or is in cahoots with whoever is in the process of ginning up the zombie apocalypse. Zombies are not and cannot be sexy/hot. Because they're rotting dead flesh and will eat your intestines out of your screaming soon to be living dead body.
Case closed. Not sexy. Not hot. Be prepared.
Case closed. Not sexy. Not hot. Be prepared.
5.23.2009
Memorial Day Weekend
It's tradition over here at WTJD, that we open up the DVD bin, crack open a few beers, and have a Band of Brothers marathon for Memorial Day weekend.
By this juncture, I don't expect there are many people who haven't seen it. However, if you're one of those unfortunate few the History Channel usually runs a marathon this weekend. It is awe inspiring and I recommend watching it with the same conviction with which I would recommend breathing.
By this juncture, I don't expect there are many people who haven't seen it. However, if you're one of those unfortunate few the History Channel usually runs a marathon this weekend. It is awe inspiring and I recommend watching it with the same conviction with which I would recommend breathing.
5.22.2009
Federal Witness Placed In Cell With "People" He Was Testifying Against
And that's only the beginning of the funny.
So, this gang member, Van Sneed, is supposed to testify against three other gang members who were charged with drug conspiracy....andkilling witness tampering. These four worthless wastes of life are then locked in a cell together and a fight ensues. Oh, and Sneed's greatest claim to fame? His appearance in the Stop Snitching video.
Honestly, if it wasn't for the collateral damage, I'd say let the scum wipe each other out.
Hat tip, Steve
So, this gang member, Van Sneed, is supposed to testify against three other gang members who were charged with drug conspiracy....and
Honestly, if it wasn't for the collateral damage, I'd say let the scum wipe each other out.
Hat tip, Steve
5.21.2009
5.20.2009
Classic...If You're Into This Sort Of Thing
Down in the basement at work today. That means iPod time. So I've been rocking out to these guys all day and figured I'd give you folks a taste.
5.15.2009
Some Griping And A Question
A friend sent me a link to this site today (specifically the Yakuza pineapple post). The first thought that popped into my head was that it would be an excellent way for me to brush up on my written Japanese. The second thought that popped into my head was how completely ridiculous it is that having studied the language for a little more than 5 years, none of my instructors really taught Kanji. These weren't private lessons, but the Japanese language curriculum for Baltimore County.
To get an idea as to just how crazy that is, imagine taking an English class where you're taught to speak English, but only taught to read and write prefixes, suffixes, articles, and a handful of basic nouns, verbs, and particles (ex. days of the week, numbers, to run, to read, up, and down). Imagine studying English for over 5 years and being less literate than a kindergartner. Exactly.
At any rate, that's in the past. Right now I'm looking to refresh and improve my Japanese language skills. So, my question for you fine folks is this: Do you know (or have you heard) of any good study guides (preferably specifically for Kanji)?
To get an idea as to just how crazy that is, imagine taking an English class where you're taught to speak English, but only taught to read and write prefixes, suffixes, articles, and a handful of basic nouns, verbs, and particles (ex. days of the week, numbers, to run, to read, up, and down). Imagine studying English for over 5 years and being less literate than a kindergartner. Exactly.
At any rate, that's in the past. Right now I'm looking to refresh and improve my Japanese language skills. So, my question for you fine folks is this: Do you know (or have you heard) of any good study guides (preferably specifically for Kanji)?
5.14.2009
Congratulations, Maryland!
You're one of the 5 least free states in the Union!
There really is no place like home.
There really is no place like home.
5.12.2009
On NASA
This post is less of a +/- list than a two perspective glance at some common questions about NASA. However, before we get into anything else, I have a bone to pick with the 14 dead astronauts jab. Don't get me wrong the loss of life is tragic, but we're strapping people to rockets to speed them away from the surface of the Earth at speeds that replicate multiples of Earth's gravity. The space shuttle goes from 0 to 17,000 mph in 8.5 minutes. All of this is towards the end of sending human beings into the single most inhospitable environment known to man. The fact that only 14 brave men and women lost their lives in that pursuit is remarkable and belongs firmly in the 'NASA rocks' column.
That said, let's look at the two other (major) issues:
1.) Government Bureaucracy vs Private Industry-
Clearly one of NASA's biggest problems is the degree to which it's a government agency with all of the accompanying/resulting inefficiencies, mismanagement, and sprawl. Of course, the greatest benefit of NASA being a government agency is that all Americans own a piece of NASA's accomplishments. The moon landings continue to be a source of national pride (as they should be), and I'm not sure to what extent that would be true if they had been accomplished by US Air or IBM.
Privatized space flight and exploration are the way of the future, but I think there's a strong argument for maintaining some kind of government space agency for national security/defense purposes at the very least.
2.)Manned vs Non-manned Space Exploration-
As far as practicality is concerned, this essentially comes down to whether or not think one of the biggest purposes of space exploration is give mankind an option for survival when the sun starts to die or an asteroid the size of Texas looms or whatever gonzo space disaster happens that's beyond our ability to control or fix. If being able to make a home on other worlds sounds important to you, then there's no substitution for manned space exploration when it comes to accumulating data on the effects that environment will have on human anatomy and psychology. It also provides field data on the challenges we'll encounter.
If you think space exploration is essentially about building a better encyclopedia then the costs and risks (in every sense) of manned space exploration are unjustifiable and robots are clearly the superior alternative.
I'd like the human race to have as many options for survival as possible.
In short, I would sell my organs on the black market to pay to be a part of the first human colony on Mars and NASA made us believe it was possible.
That said, let's look at the two other (major) issues:
1.) Government Bureaucracy vs Private Industry-
Clearly one of NASA's biggest problems is the degree to which it's a government agency with all of the accompanying/resulting inefficiencies, mismanagement, and sprawl. Of course, the greatest benefit of NASA being a government agency is that all Americans own a piece of NASA's accomplishments. The moon landings continue to be a source of national pride (as they should be), and I'm not sure to what extent that would be true if they had been accomplished by US Air or IBM.
Privatized space flight and exploration are the way of the future, but I think there's a strong argument for maintaining some kind of government space agency for national security/defense purposes at the very least.
2.)Manned vs Non-manned Space Exploration-
As far as practicality is concerned, this essentially comes down to whether or not think one of the biggest purposes of space exploration is give mankind an option for survival when the sun starts to die or an asteroid the size of Texas looms or whatever gonzo space disaster happens that's beyond our ability to control or fix. If being able to make a home on other worlds sounds important to you, then there's no substitution for manned space exploration when it comes to accumulating data on the effects that environment will have on human anatomy and psychology. It also provides field data on the challenges we'll encounter.
If you think space exploration is essentially about building a better encyclopedia then the costs and risks (in every sense) of manned space exploration are unjustifiable and robots are clearly the superior alternative.
I'd like the human race to have as many options for survival as possible.
In short, I would sell my organs on the black market to pay to be a part of the first human colony on Mars and NASA made us believe it was possible.
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