L.A. Times botches the review. Spoilers at the link despite many mistakes. My own discussion follows the break and will include spoilers -- hopefully if you're reading a news feed, it doesn't include stuff after the break.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
How to get a nerd to exercise
Jaru and I got a Wii last week -- the one video game system Jaru would actually ask for ahead of me!
We also got the Wii Fit+ package which includes the balance board and such.
I've enjoyed it quite a bit since it allows me to exercise in the house in shorts then head straight for a shower. Driving back from a gym in sweaty clothes always bugged me, plus then I'd need multiple sets of clothes so they'd be clean.
One other benefit (I think) is that when I do the jogging in place for the jogging game I run on my toes since I'm effectively jogging barefoot. I've read that jogging in shoes causes problems since you tend to hit hard heel-first -- I'm I'm pretty sure that applies to me. When I tried jogging last I'd develop knee issues after a few months.
What surprises me though is how few exertainment games there are. Practically no true exercise programs that are game-focused. I picked up Walk it Out, which allows you to walk around a little virtual island. There's a slight game aspect in that you click on glowing stars and pellets while walking and build up the island with houses and trees and such.
I'd rate it 4 out of 5 stars since it's the only goddamn exergame out there really. But if there were any competition I'd give it 2 stars or less. In order to click on things you need to point the remote -- doing this while walking when you should be swinging your arms to get the full effect.
One plus of the game is that you need to step fairly high when using the remote in pocket method of walking, and at a good pace, so I work up a solid sweat while playing.
But it's frustrating that there are so many simply obvious ways of making a fun or interesting exergame.
Jogging works remarkably well by putting a remote in pocket. Jaru had the idea of simply laying down various virtual paths through unusual terrains. Why not jog through the Amazon, or Paris, or Middle Earth? That'd make jogging a little fun.
Or how about some incentive -- jogging through the amazon with a leopard chasing you. Or maybe you're a tiger and chasing hapless guys in pith helmets through the jungle. There's no reason your icon couldn't be an animal or monster.
Or you play as Pac-Man and gobble pellets while running away from ghosts.
You could dash off hundreds of interesting ideas in a few hours and they'd all be remarkably easy to implement -- yet there isn't a single dedicated jogging game on the Wii.
One thing though, using the Wii is making me really look forward to Natal.
I've played a couple sword games using the Wii and it's amazingly fun to swing the controller and hack something up. The big downside has been that it doesn't track the movements of the rest of your body. So being able to full body dodge and such will be very cool if the Natal technology works.
One upshot of all this is that there'll be all these pale, extremely wiry nerds in the future who spend 16 hours a day working out to World of Warcraft.
We also got the Wii Fit+ package which includes the balance board and such.
I've enjoyed it quite a bit since it allows me to exercise in the house in shorts then head straight for a shower. Driving back from a gym in sweaty clothes always bugged me, plus then I'd need multiple sets of clothes so they'd be clean.
One other benefit (I think) is that when I do the jogging in place for the jogging game I run on my toes since I'm effectively jogging barefoot. I've read that jogging in shoes causes problems since you tend to hit hard heel-first -- I'm I'm pretty sure that applies to me. When I tried jogging last I'd develop knee issues after a few months.
What surprises me though is how few exertainment games there are. Practically no true exercise programs that are game-focused. I picked up Walk it Out, which allows you to walk around a little virtual island. There's a slight game aspect in that you click on glowing stars and pellets while walking and build up the island with houses and trees and such.
I'd rate it 4 out of 5 stars since it's the only goddamn exergame out there really. But if there were any competition I'd give it 2 stars or less. In order to click on things you need to point the remote -- doing this while walking when you should be swinging your arms to get the full effect.
One plus of the game is that you need to step fairly high when using the remote in pocket method of walking, and at a good pace, so I work up a solid sweat while playing.
But it's frustrating that there are so many simply obvious ways of making a fun or interesting exergame.
Jogging works remarkably well by putting a remote in pocket. Jaru had the idea of simply laying down various virtual paths through unusual terrains. Why not jog through the Amazon, or Paris, or Middle Earth? That'd make jogging a little fun.
Or how about some incentive -- jogging through the amazon with a leopard chasing you. Or maybe you're a tiger and chasing hapless guys in pith helmets through the jungle. There's no reason your icon couldn't be an animal or monster.
Or you play as Pac-Man and gobble pellets while running away from ghosts.
You could dash off hundreds of interesting ideas in a few hours and they'd all be remarkably easy to implement -- yet there isn't a single dedicated jogging game on the Wii.
One thing though, using the Wii is making me really look forward to Natal.
I've played a couple sword games using the Wii and it's amazingly fun to swing the controller and hack something up. The big downside has been that it doesn't track the movements of the rest of your body. So being able to full body dodge and such will be very cool if the Natal technology works.
One upshot of all this is that there'll be all these pale, extremely wiry nerds in the future who spend 16 hours a day working out to World of Warcraft.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Some book ratings
I've had a flurry of reading over the last couple months. I don't trust my ability to assign quality ratings since I'm influenced by what other people say about books or the opinions I hear about a writer or even just how much the books seems like it ought to be considered good.
So I'm using a more empirical scale:
Q Quit reading the book.
Q+ Quit reading the book, but might read another book by the author.
R Read the book, but probably won't read another book by the author.
R+ Read the book, will read more books by the author.
It actually takes me a while to truly quit a book -- usually about page 100 before I get irritated enough to dump it and decide that I'm not picking it up again. Not sure about the qualitative difference between Q+ and R, thus no real star system.
The Tourist R+
I'm waiting for more modern era spy novels by this guy. I liked finding a modern spy novel that wasn't mired in the wars I can get mired in by turning on the news.
A Spy by Nature R
Up until the ending it's rather slow, but feels like an accurate description of a spy op. The ending felt like it went a bit Hollywood, which was jarring compared to the rest of it.
Already Dead and the rest of the series R+
Was really reticent about this since I'm not big on vampire novels, but really dug the lean and nasty writing.
Closing Arguments R+
Domestic life complicates theosophy and a mystic assault from beyond.
Magic to the Bone Q
Our broke heroine spends her last ten bucks on a taxi. Then her friend later gives her 100 bucks which she promptly blows on on more taxis. Get a bus pass! I got a hundred pages in and noticed I was starting to obsess over this taxi business instead of the story, so figured I'd move on.
Daemon Q
I couldn't get past the killer remote control Humvee that FBI agents apparently didn't realize you could hide behind a thick tree in order to avoid.
The Breach R+
Fun and fast-moving, one of two new authors from whom I'm definitely getting their second book.
Pandemonium Q+
Some interesting writing style but I need to be fed regular little plot pellets like the reading rat I am.
Child of Fire R+
Starts off fast and keeps moving. What I particularly liked was the lead characters and their complex, evolving relationships. The second author where I'm definitely getting book two.
A Corpse in the Koryo R (first eBook read on iPad)
Really cool idea, a detective story set in North Korea where detective also has to navigate complexities of politics. But the ending felt a little deus ex.
Songs of Innocence R
This is pretty fucking dark! Gritty pulp noir updated to today.
Horns R+
I read and loved Heart-Shaped Box, then discovered this kid's lineage... Anyway, the first book had already scored an R+ on its own.
Beautiful Lies R+
Even though not paranormal fantasy, this is what provoked the Urban Fantasy Mary Sues post. But the story was tense and fast-moving. Gonna give Black Out a try.
American on Purpose R
I suppose he'd have to re-incarnate in order to write a second biography.
So I'm using a more empirical scale:
Q Quit reading the book.
Q+ Quit reading the book, but might read another book by the author.
R Read the book, but probably won't read another book by the author.
R+ Read the book, will read more books by the author.
It actually takes me a while to truly quit a book -- usually about page 100 before I get irritated enough to dump it and decide that I'm not picking it up again. Not sure about the qualitative difference between Q+ and R, thus no real star system.
The Tourist R+
I'm waiting for more modern era spy novels by this guy. I liked finding a modern spy novel that wasn't mired in the wars I can get mired in by turning on the news.
A Spy by Nature R
Up until the ending it's rather slow, but feels like an accurate description of a spy op. The ending felt like it went a bit Hollywood, which was jarring compared to the rest of it.
Already Dead and the rest of the series R+
Was really reticent about this since I'm not big on vampire novels, but really dug the lean and nasty writing.
Closing Arguments R+
Domestic life complicates theosophy and a mystic assault from beyond.
Magic to the Bone Q
Our broke heroine spends her last ten bucks on a taxi. Then her friend later gives her 100 bucks which she promptly blows on on more taxis. Get a bus pass! I got a hundred pages in and noticed I was starting to obsess over this taxi business instead of the story, so figured I'd move on.
Daemon Q
I couldn't get past the killer remote control Humvee that FBI agents apparently didn't realize you could hide behind a thick tree in order to avoid.
The Breach R+
Fun and fast-moving, one of two new authors from whom I'm definitely getting their second book.
Pandemonium Q+
Some interesting writing style but I need to be fed regular little plot pellets like the reading rat I am.
Child of Fire R+
Starts off fast and keeps moving. What I particularly liked was the lead characters and their complex, evolving relationships. The second author where I'm definitely getting book two.
A Corpse in the Koryo R (first eBook read on iPad)
Really cool idea, a detective story set in North Korea where detective also has to navigate complexities of politics. But the ending felt a little deus ex.
Songs of Innocence R
This is pretty fucking dark! Gritty pulp noir updated to today.
Horns R+
I read and loved Heart-Shaped Box, then discovered this kid's lineage... Anyway, the first book had already scored an R+ on its own.
Beautiful Lies R+
Even though not paranormal fantasy, this is what provoked the Urban Fantasy Mary Sues post. But the story was tense and fast-moving. Gonna give Black Out a try.
American on Purpose R
I suppose he'd have to re-incarnate in order to write a second biography.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Urban Fantasy Mary Sues
In Urban Fantasy novels the main characters are typically complex enough, but the love interests...
Good God! I've never seen more perfect examples of masculinity. Olympic athlete physiques. Nobel Laureate intellects. Great in bed. Utterly selfless and devoted to the protagonist. Any conflict in the relationship arises from a misunderstanding or some secret that's necessary because if not kept the world'll get destroyed or something, or from some failing of the heroine.
To be fair, female love interests in stories written by men are typically idealized too, but there's usually at least some true conflict in the relationship.
Good God! I've never seen more perfect examples of masculinity. Olympic athlete physiques. Nobel Laureate intellects. Great in bed. Utterly selfless and devoted to the protagonist. Any conflict in the relationship arises from a misunderstanding or some secret that's necessary because if not kept the world'll get destroyed or something, or from some failing of the heroine.
To be fair, female love interests in stories written by men are typically idealized too, but there's usually at least some true conflict in the relationship.
Sunday, April 04, 2010
iPad is Awesome for reading comics
And prices for a bunch of them actually match adjusted for inflation numbers I mentioned earlier. A bunch of indie and older titles sell for 99 cents.
So awesome that now I want to explore how to get a short indie comic series made. For nerdy sci-fi/horror and fantasy action stuff this is actually how you get companies to make those movies -- comic first, then screenplay.
So awesome that now I want to explore how to get a short indie comic series made. For nerdy sci-fi/horror and fantasy action stuff this is actually how you get companies to make those movies -- comic first, then screenplay.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Does Hollywood Have No Geeks?
Repo Men opened to $6.15M this week. In the future you buy your organ replacements on credit then repo men come and cut them out of you when you miss your payments. I know it's supposed to be allegorical, maybe they thought they were making some deep comment on our overuse of credit cards and health care issues. But how could anyone take the story even remotely serious?
It's the latest in a list of movies released over the last 6 months that just feel to me like what somebody who has never read a comic book or played a video game imagines geeks want to watch. If they had played it satirical like RoboCop that would've worked, but trying to play it serious? WTF?
Daybreakers -- the entire world population is vampires but not scary vampires, instead vampires who work at Wal*Mart and are accountants and such. Then some vampires are working on a cure.
My writing partner and I actually had an idea along these lines -- world taken over by vampires and we follow the efforts of a group of rebels trying to overthrow the vampire empire, sort of RED DAWN, but with vampires instead of Soviets.
I think Daybreakers might be the result of someone thinking that a modern vampire movie MUST have vampires as the protagonists.
Gamer -- seriously, video games where you mind-control prisoners through battles by doing Wii-style cavorting in front of a plasma screen? This is what inspired my theory that the people making the decisions have never played a video game.
on the other hand, there have been a couple solid concepts that haven't done great either --
Surrogates -- didn't do that well either (though significantly better than the others on this list), but it at least had a good premise. In the future people stay at home and mindlink into robot bodies that go out in the world and do things. Then the hero cop has a malfunction and has to go out in person to do things, which is a lot more dangerous, of course. A) that's plausible in that if the tech existed I can see people using the hell out of it, and B) good angle for the hero since he's especially vulnerable.
Legion -- not a unique idea in geek circles. There's been I figure at least 4 roleplaying games based on the idea of angels kicking demon ass on modern earth. But it's a good genre that hasn't really been done as a feature. Might've been better though to make Jensen Ackles the angel and try to work a Supernatural tie-in.
I saw a recent option sale on a short story the premise of which was that in the future overpopulation has gotten so bad that the government has hit teams wander around icing couples who have a second child. As a short story it was sharp and had some nice twists. But as a movie it sounds like another Repo Men.
It's the latest in a list of movies released over the last 6 months that just feel to me like what somebody who has never read a comic book or played a video game imagines geeks want to watch. If they had played it satirical like RoboCop that would've worked, but trying to play it serious? WTF?
Daybreakers -- the entire world population is vampires but not scary vampires, instead vampires who work at Wal*Mart and are accountants and such. Then some vampires are working on a cure.
My writing partner and I actually had an idea along these lines -- world taken over by vampires and we follow the efforts of a group of rebels trying to overthrow the vampire empire, sort of RED DAWN, but with vampires instead of Soviets.
I think Daybreakers might be the result of someone thinking that a modern vampire movie MUST have vampires as the protagonists.
Gamer -- seriously, video games where you mind-control prisoners through battles by doing Wii-style cavorting in front of a plasma screen? This is what inspired my theory that the people making the decisions have never played a video game.
on the other hand, there have been a couple solid concepts that haven't done great either --
Surrogates -- didn't do that well either (though significantly better than the others on this list), but it at least had a good premise. In the future people stay at home and mindlink into robot bodies that go out in the world and do things. Then the hero cop has a malfunction and has to go out in person to do things, which is a lot more dangerous, of course. A) that's plausible in that if the tech existed I can see people using the hell out of it, and B) good angle for the hero since he's especially vulnerable.
Legion -- not a unique idea in geek circles. There's been I figure at least 4 roleplaying games based on the idea of angels kicking demon ass on modern earth. But it's a good genre that hasn't really been done as a feature. Might've been better though to make Jensen Ackles the angel and try to work a Supernatural tie-in.
I saw a recent option sale on a short story the premise of which was that in the future overpopulation has gotten so bad that the government has hit teams wander around icing couples who have a second child. As a short story it was sharp and had some nice twists. But as a movie it sounds like another Repo Men.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Paperback book prices
As a follow-up to the last post -- a paperback from 1970 like Cat's Cradle above went for 95 cents. Inflation calculator puts that at $5.19 in 2009 money.
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Comic Book Price Increases
I noticed an old comic book cover on the web today and was reminded of what the prices used to be. As in the above cover from 1970 -- 15 cents. When I first really started reading them in 1976 they were typically 25 cents.
Which, according to the inflation calculator, would be 82 cents today for the 1970 book, or 93 cents for the 1976 book.
But actual comic prices now are much higher -- $2.99 or $3.99.
No wonder I'm so wary of buying them now! I had considered buying some recently but since I could buy one typical novel for the price of two comics, and the comics get read in about half an hour, I just couldn't justify paying for comics.
Admittedly the paper and color quality is a lot higher now. But I'm not paying 3 to 4 times as much just so that my fingers can indulge in the silky touch of glossy paper.
Saturday, March 06, 2010
My Top 13 Movies plus extras
Going into Oscar weekend and I'm able to get a list of films off IMDb so here's my top 13 that I've seen:
(500) Days of Summer
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Inglourious Basterds
District 9
Up
Moon
Star Trek
Watchmen
Push
The Hurt Locker
The Hangover
Coraline
Drag Me to Hell
Only the top two are in order of preference. Also, might be missing some since Hurt Locker didn't show up in my search and I assume that means other good films didn't show up either.
A big part of my voting criteria were I voting for the Oscars would be "how memorable is this film?" So even though Watchmen has issues, it's really striking. And it'd be a tough call between (500) Days and Mr. Fox. 500 works really well but Mr Fox is really fun and fresh.
A couple honorable mentions:
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
He's Just Not That Into You
Then movies I haven't seen that I think might make the list:
Thirst
Crazy Heart
The Men Who Stare at Goats
Up in the Air
A Serious Man
(500) Days of Summer
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Inglourious Basterds
District 9
Up
Moon
Star Trek
Watchmen
Push
The Hurt Locker
The Hangover
Coraline
Drag Me to Hell
Only the top two are in order of preference. Also, might be missing some since Hurt Locker didn't show up in my search and I assume that means other good films didn't show up either.
A big part of my voting criteria were I voting for the Oscars would be "how memorable is this film?" So even though Watchmen has issues, it's really striking. And it'd be a tough call between (500) Days and Mr. Fox. 500 works really well but Mr Fox is really fun and fresh.
A couple honorable mentions:
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
He's Just Not That Into You
Then movies I haven't seen that I think might make the list:
Thirst
Crazy Heart
The Men Who Stare at Goats
Up in the Air
A Serious Man
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Smoking hiatus reaches five year mark
At seven dollars a pack, this gets easier and easier, but my smoking hiatus -- to be resumed once technology or imminent death changes my reward/penalty structure -- is now at five years.
It hasn't been particularly difficult, but it would be awfully nice for nano-technology to finally pay off in the form of carcinogen and heart disease scrubbing lung-based nano-bots.
It hasn't been particularly difficult, but it would be awfully nice for nano-technology to finally pay off in the form of carcinogen and heart disease scrubbing lung-based nano-bots.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Insurance Rate Hikes
WellPoint CEO defends rate hikes as pressure grows
Just chose a recent headline for the above -- but when I saw this sort of stuff occurring just around the time Obama is making his second push for health reform I started wondering.
This is exactly what health reformers should be blazing all over their ads -- along with anecdotal stories about the middle class getting squeezed out of health care. Don't insurers know that?
And of course they do. Now, there's no shortage of stupidity running the world, so that's the mostly likely answer.
But a sharp, long-sighted insurance Overlord might realize that health care reform either occurs now -- or it occurs later after the problems have become catastrophic -- since premium increases drive more people out of the insurance pool, pushing them to rely more on the ER, making hospitals shift more of the overage burden to paying customers, driving premiums up further, and thus pushing yet more people out of the insurance pool.
Along the line suddenly some European system polls extremely high and poof -- health insurance industry vanishes.
Obama's system retains the private insurance industry and dumps a lot more payers into it. How it was in the 90s might be the best alternative -- but that's not possible. So "helping" the Obama reforms go through rather than watch their business disappear in ten years might be an incentive to do media-attention-grabbing things now.
Just chose a recent headline for the above -- but when I saw this sort of stuff occurring just around the time Obama is making his second push for health reform I started wondering.
This is exactly what health reformers should be blazing all over their ads -- along with anecdotal stories about the middle class getting squeezed out of health care. Don't insurers know that?
And of course they do. Now, there's no shortage of stupidity running the world, so that's the mostly likely answer.
But a sharp, long-sighted insurance Overlord might realize that health care reform either occurs now -- or it occurs later after the problems have become catastrophic -- since premium increases drive more people out of the insurance pool, pushing them to rely more on the ER, making hospitals shift more of the overage burden to paying customers, driving premiums up further, and thus pushing yet more people out of the insurance pool.
Along the line suddenly some European system polls extremely high and poof -- health insurance industry vanishes.
Obama's system retains the private insurance industry and dumps a lot more payers into it. How it was in the 90s might be the best alternative -- but that's not possible. So "helping" the Obama reforms go through rather than watch their business disappear in ten years might be an incentive to do media-attention-grabbing things now.
The iPhone Touch Screen
The presence of a touch screen on a device had previously sounded good in theory but always rather sucked in practice.
It typically involved stabbing repeatedly at touch screens on bank atms and grocery store card readers until they finally registered the contact and then occasionally decided to register it multiple times.
And the Sony Reader with touch reinforced all that. Touch, then screen flickers dark. Then one second later it scrolls -- hopefully not too far.
But the iPhone touch screen rocked. Did the touch two fingers to the Google map and squeeze or spread to zoom in and out. Scrolled instantly. Totally responsive.
Now just put that on a device big enough that I'll find several uses for it and I'll be pleased.
It typically involved stabbing repeatedly at touch screens on bank atms and grocery store card readers until they finally registered the contact and then occasionally decided to register it multiple times.
And the Sony Reader with touch reinforced all that. Touch, then screen flickers dark. Then one second later it scrolls -- hopefully not too far.
But the iPhone touch screen rocked. Did the touch two fingers to the Google map and squeeze or spread to zoom in and out. Scrolled instantly. Totally responsive.
Now just put that on a device big enough that I'll find several uses for it and I'll be pleased.
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