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August 30, 2005

Here’s Your Chance, Non-Believers

UPDATE: This is no longer an available offering from Apple. No reason(s) has been given as to why it isn’ available anymore, it just isn’t, sorry.

Geniuses. That’s what they are.

First Apple releases an inexpensive cpu into the market for people who are concerned with Macs costing too much. Smart move. Even smarter, you can plug your existing monitor, keyboard and mouse into it (well, most monitors) so all you’re buying is the cpu. Smart.

But some of you still didn’t go buy one, or even try one out at a store. “It’s so different than a PC, I wouldn’t know how to do things.”

Whatever. Now’s your chance:
Test-drive a Mac-Mini for 30 days. If you don’t like it, send it back.**

Stop bitching. Stop making excuses. If you try it and don’t like it, then you can talk crap. Until then, shut it, slut it.

**This link should work. If not, go to the Apple Store, click on the Mac Mini (middle of the page) and then click on the big blue banner.

Posted by Seth at 02:43 PM | Comments (3)

August 29, 2005

I Dream of JeanieSudoku

Even since I saw Sudoku in the papers about two months ago, I’ve been highly addicted to solving the puzzles daily on USAToday.com. So to say that I’m a fan of Sudoku is a silly statement – I’m (practically) obsessed with it... so much so that ALMOST bought me a couple Sudoku books the other day while in Barnes and Noble (there’s no “S” on that last word, people). Yeah, daily solving, book-buying, Sudoku freak.

I can handle that. I enjoy the puzzles. It makes my mind work in a different, logical, way. That’s fine.

But when I start dreaming about a damn Sudoku puzzle, then I start to worry.

In my dream I’m highly anticipating the latest Sudoku in the paper. I open up the page and get my first glance at the puzzle – which is labeled “insane.” Insane? Yes. Why? Because there was only ONE number given to you. I freaked out, in the dream, how in the hell was I going to solve this?

Luckily the dream ended there, I just know I would’ve woken up in a pissed off mood had I tried to solve the puzzle in la-la-land. But it was pretty damn funny.

Posted by Seth at 11:04 AM | Comments (0)

August 28, 2005

OceanicFlight815.com Updated

4 8 15 16 23 42

What does the code mean!?! Hopefully we'll find out soon, when season two of “Lost” comes back on... but in the meantime, head on over to OceanicFlight815.com.

The site has finally been updated with new options. Take note of the Explore option. Here you get to explore three areas of the island – Rousseau's Bunker, The Black Rock and The Hatch. Each area has a sequence of dots that you click on. Clicking on the dots will usually give you clips from last season about the major story arcs. Sometimes, clicking on a dot won't progress the storyline, but give you interactive things, or other various clips, to help the story along. There is no one right way to navigate the dots, and if you want to see them all, you'll have to reload that area. But once you've seen all the diagonal clips, you'll get one last larger dot to click on... clicking on it gives you different things in the different areas... the one you'll really want to hit is the one from The Hatch – a clip from season two featuring Locke and Kate.

Hurry up already! Can fall come any slower?

Posted by Seth at 12:21 AM | Comments (8)

August 27, 2005

A Productive Saturday

Over the summer, my Saturdays have become very lazy and mopey. I usually lay around my place reading, catching up on tv or viewing films... oh, and there’s a healthy dose of being online in there, too. I don’t necessarily like not being active, but my Sundays usually make up for that with soccer and other exercising. Still, I should grasp a hold of nice days like this while I still can. Today wasn’t much different, but it was more productive than most of my recent Saturdays.

House Chores
I washed all my dirty clothes today, booyah. Next on the list, Target and grocery shopping – which I’ll do tomorrow, gotta wait for those Sunday coupons, ya know.

Shopped in the City Market
Kansas City’s River Market area really transforms into a different world on Saturdays and Sundays. There are so many people down here that I think you can barely find a parking spot at times. That’s great. Soon, more and more people will be down here more often. It’s really beginning to feel like a community and not just a pseudo-weekend destination. I checked out the new Chinatown Market finally, too. I didn’t see the milk and other commonly needed items in there like I’ve heard about – which furthers the need for someone to open a small grocery store in this area. Hell, I’d wager that a small Blockbuster would do some good business, as well. Hello, any entrepreneurs reading this lame blog?

Caught Up On DVR’d Shows
Entourage is a damn good show... love, love, love Jeremy Piven. The Comeback is finally grown on me and I hope it gets picked up for next year – a week doesn’t go by that I don’t cringe or yell at the television because of Valerie Cherish. And last, but not least, Battlestar Galactica. Just when I think the show is about to enter the cheese-zone or jump the shark, it reels me back in. I don’t want to think this show could be good and last, but it’s defying my odds.

Quick Movie Review: “The 40 Year-Old Virgin”
Steve Carell’s first lead role in a film proved to be a good one. This was a damn funny movie, not funnier than “Anchorman” or “The Wedding Crashers,” but damn funny. I felt there were too many parts where the ad-libbing didn’t work out so well. If you’re easily offended by sexual jokes, don’t see this movie. If you aren’t, go get enlightened (or something). Side note: I think the scene where Carell is getting his chest hair waxed is all real. It’s almost like a Ferrel-Fallon SNL skit – Paul Rudd is cracking up and I don’t think he was supposed to be that much. Best scene of the movie.

Bought Stuff
A new historical book, “The Devil in the White City,” based on America’s first serial killer. And also bought me a Mt. Rushmore t-shirt from Urban Outfitters.

At My Last McDonald’s Meal, For a Long While
Yes... the evening was capped of with the meal and then a prompt viewing of “Super Size Me,” the documentary where Morgan Spurlock goes on a McDonald’s only diet for 30 days – three meals a day, every day. Blech. Get out and exercise people and stop blaming fast food places. I know they aren’t helping the situation much, but it’s really not their fault. You’re not regulated to eat their food, you have a choice.


So here’s to some of the last Saturdays of the summer. Boooooo.

Posted by Seth at 11:02 PM | Comments (2)

August 25, 2005

BMN: Supercross: The Movie

Two percent. Two. I can count to two with my legs. I repeat certain things twice because the second time you say something, it gives it more empahsis – it's usually funnier. I use number two pencils. I have two restrooms. The first number in my age is a two. I feel like I'm surrounded by twos. Which is why we felt the need to see this year's worst ranked movie, "Supercross: The Movie."

Yes, this movie about motorcycle racing – one that apparently felt the need to distinguish itself from all the other supercross-themed films, by adding "The Movie" to the title *#8211; has received the lowest ranking on Rotten Tomatoes this year... a 2% fresh rating. If you can see, one person out of 50 said it was good. One person. These are the same people that watched "XXX 2" and "Monster-in-Law," but they ranked them higher than this?

Well, did it deserve a two?

But in all honesty, this movie wasn't THAT bad. Yes, the acting was bad. Yes, the plot was pretty predictable. Yes, the girls were pretty darn cute, and pointless. But really, the show wasn't a two percent. You'd be hard pressed to make a two percent movie. Again, I remind you, these are the same people that watched "XXX 2" and "Monster-in-Law," and ranked them higher.

Like I mentioned, there was a TON of real racing footage, which hardly any other movie does these days. When the guys crashed, they crashed for real. Granted, you couldn't tell if the footage was taken for the movie, but we're going to assume it was... just for kicks. Nik and I were even kinda excited about the big final race.

I don't have much else to say about this. It was all over the board, goofy, bad story... but it wasn't a two percent. Did I like it, kinda, but not enough to see it ever again... unless we make a drinking game out of it – take a drink whenever someone ramps a dirt mound. Sounds fabulous.

Posted by Seth at 09:58 PM | Comments (2)

August 24, 2005

Kansas City Mexican Food (Post #250)

I'm a mexican food fiend. I could eat chips and salsa, or a variety of chips and other things (guac, cheese dip, bean dip, etc.), every day of my life. I love chicken and beef, but pulled pork (even BBQ-style) wins out almost anywhere (pulled, not cubed). I love the fresh salsa and guacamole, but love fresh, crisp, thick tortilla chips even better. I'm not a big fajita fan, but give me some fried ice cream or sopapillas any day, and I'll be happy.

I had my regular spots in Fayetteville, so naturally I was worried when moving to KC. If you're worried about finding good mexican food here, you really shouldn't. There's one street in KC, Southwest Boulevard, that houses some, if not all, of the city's best mexican restaurants...

Manny's
Home of the now-infamous "chips will cost you extra after the first basket" line. WHAT!?! You're kidding me! Fine, charge me $0.60, but only if Manny himself is looking... otherwise, I'll just wait for my food. Mmmmm, Frito Burrito (deep-fried burrito, because you need that).

La Fonda el Taquito
Salsa bar! What happened to the salsa verde? Mmmmm, chicken flautas.

Taqueria Mexico
Super-fast, super-cheap, nice salsa. Mmmmm, the massive burritos and good rice.

Tequila Harry's
Food is so-so... a friend once said, "I think I got the quesadillas... or was it the burritos... no, it was the fajitas. I dunno, it's all the same, they dump that damn cheese on everything." So true. But if you want a super-strong margarita, this is the place for you – one makes my stomach hurt, two knocks me out.

Margarita's
Their salsa is so good that you can buy it in the damn supermarkets here. Hands down, my favorite salsa in town. Kick ass cheese dip, too... it's got spinach in it!

Ponak's
Home of the ketchupy-salsa, great strawberry margaritas and corny rice (f’ing disgusting).

Sol Azteca
If you're from Fayetteville and you're looking for the La Huerta clone, look no further. Best chips in town, best rice in town, best white cheese dip in town... do I need to continue? Yes? Fresh guacamole, too. Speedy? Yes. Mice? Yep. Chicken bones in food? Sometimes. Does the menu say Sol Azteca? No. Why should it.

Baja 600 (not on Southwest Boulevard)
How does this Plaza-based restaurant make it on the list!?! Best guacamole in town – made fresh at your table (unless you're outside)... oh yeah, outside dining... jalepeno cream cheese sauce. Good lord.

So you can see, there's plenty of good places to get your mexican grub-on. If you don't like those places, we've got Taco Bell and In-a-Tub, too.

Posted by Seth at 08:53 PM | Comments (5)

August 21, 2005

10 Years Later, Reunited

When I think of decades, I find it odd that there's almost always a distinct separation from one to the other. You don't talk about the 40s and 50s in the same sentence, one would never compare the 60s to the 70s, nor do you dare mix the 80s and 90s together. How is it those decades begin and end within a definite 10-year periond. Don't those years blur in the slightest bit?

I speak of decades because it's only been a single decade since me and my 400 classmates left Fayetteville High School for the last time and began our lives as young adults. This weekend was the weekend of choice for our 10-year high school reunion, so I packed up some clothes and headed back down to Fayetteville.

I'll admit I was a bit distraught when I realized the reunion was so close. Not because it's already been 10 years, but because I loathe small-talk and I don't really enjoy awkward situations.

Fayetteville Residents Not Invited
The reunions of previous years proved to be a bit expensive – maybe because alcohol was included in the fee(s). This year was much cheaper because a new company was used to help plan and organize the entire event, which I'm sure was very nice for the reunion planning committee. To ensure that all classmates were contacted and informed of the reunion, some agency was used to track down each member of the class. How odd is it that at least five of the students, who now live in Fayetteville, weren't contacted? They found me and I just moved in January, and I'm not listed in any directory. Strangely enough, there were at least two classmates that were at the same bar/restaurant on Friday night and was able to partake in some of the celebration.

“Hi, I'm Seth...”
Friday night was the ice-breaker event, where you catch up with your classmates, then Saturday you party hard... or something. At one point in the night, a girl came up to a group of us and said she wanted to introduce us to her husband. With her hands to her side, as if the husband was right there, a guy walked up with his hand out to shake. Todd shook his hand first and then I extended mine and said, “Hi, I'm Seth.” Everyone kinda chuckled a bit and Todd quickly said, “And I'm Todd.” Turns out it wasn't the gal's husband, but yet another classmate and I stupidly introduced myself to him. Sorry Matt, I'm an idiot.

And the Award Goes To
The oddest moment of Saturday night was the presentation of awards. We were all wondering what this was going to entail and entertained ourselves by making up absurd awards to give out. Finally the time came and it turns out it wasn't that big of a deal. There were many generic questions asked about the classmates and their history or present condition: who traveled the farthest, who's been married for X amount of years, etc. Then the question “who has changed the least?” No one really said anything and looked around from table to table. Finally, a girl (ironically the same one who wanted to introduce her phantom husband) yelled out, “Seth Gunderson!” What!?! Several other names were shouted out after that, but I won in a landslide verbal vote.

WHAT!?! I've changed the least? So in the contest of who's changed the most, I was the loser. I lost because I'm pretty much the same person that I was in high school. I don't know what that means... I didn't get to ask that girl why she nominated me. Is it that I still look the same or is it that I still act the same? Both? If you want to twist the meaning to make it good, how about this... I knew who I was in high school and I didn't have to figure that out, and I've been the same ever since. Who knows. I didn't make anyone cry last night by critiquing their English paper, but I did give the double-bird and a loud “F-U,” when I won the award. That's how I roll.

Were We Wrong All Those Years?
Easily the most intriguing notion about this weekend was something that I thought about the entire way back up to Kansas City. Still, thinking about it now, I wonder about its implications. One time this weekend, someone snubbed me to converse with someone else and a few others made the statement, “you probably don't remember me,” to me and Todd. We were talking about that this afternoon, and we're unsure what it means.

As a little background, Todd and I were pretty much a self-contained duo in high school... especially senior year. We had many, many friends, and groups that we hung out with on a regular basis, but we usually kept to ourselves and our humor. We were also well-known throughout the class, as our names were synonymous when mentioned in legends and lore. The biggest thing about us was that we didn't play the typical high school game(s) – we weren't going to partake in the popularity contests that can consume young minds, so we just were who we were.

We didn't have any, for lack of a better word, enemies at school... but looking back, I can see where some level of animosity could've built up and lingered – through no one's fault, just typical high school stuff. We weren't rude to people, but like I mentioned, we kept to ourselves and mostly existed in our own little world.

So when people, especially two girls I went to elementary school with, say the words “you probably don't remember me,” that strikes a nerve.

I hope I wasn't thought of as some high and mighty ego-freak. I never thought I was better than anyone, nor do I think that way now. I have a crude and crass sense of humor, but those who know me understand that I'm just very sarcastic – often reverting to shock-value jokes, just to get a laugh. Again, that's how I roll.

Could those same people we didn't interact with in high school think that we were playing some type of game, too? Or were they being modest and just saying typical reunion-stuff? I hope it's the later of the two.

Fin
All in all, I had a fabulous time. I caught up with a lot of people, got phone numbers, and laughed, and laughed, and laughed – it helps when your table consumed the most beer at the party... it also helps when Josselyn is there and laughs at anything Todd and/or I did. If you're on the fence about attending your reunion, I highly encourage you to go... don't be a wuss.

Posted by Seth at 08:09 PM | Comments (2)

August 18, 2005

IM Gonna Prank You

The other day I received an Instant Message (IM) from someone I don't know. Generally, when I receive IMs like that, I'm a bit of a jerk to the person until they tell me who they are. I don't have time for their shenanigans, so I want them to get to the point.

It turns out, it was an elaborate prank pulled off by Ken, via CyberPrank.com. It was a good one, I was getting upset because IM Artificial Intelligence sucks... which works perfectly for this type of prank.

I told Todd about the deal and he wanted to be pranked. So with his awareness of the deal, here's how his conversation went down:

RunnerUp228: Is this todd
Todd's Secret IM Name: no
RunnerUp228: thats too bad
Todd's Secret IM Name: it's the dog of the dookie pop
RunnerUp228: really?
Todd's Secret IM Name: PSYCHE!
RunnerUp228: :-)
Todd's Secret IM Name: :-) and a Slurpee
RunnerUp228: so have you done anything exciting today?
Todd's Secret IM Name: i did that hanbester long-dumpie thing i was telling you about
RunnerUp228: uh hello? why aren't you talking?
Todd's Secret IM Name: because i am typing a short ticket to the improv! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?
RunnerUp228: don' tbe too confident
Todd's Secret IM Name: No for real! I did! Ask my Dad!
RunnerUp228: Ok
Todd's Secret IM Name: What'd he say?
RunnerUp228: hello? ugh aol keeps freezing on me
RunnerUp228: :-p
Todd's Secret IM Name: Whoa! That was a CRAZY face you made! Just like a crazy feller!
RunnerUp228: y?
Todd's Secret IM Name: Why aren't you talking?
Todd's Secret IM Name: y?
RunnerUp228: I dunno about that one
Todd's Secret IM Name: I dunno about that one
Todd's Secret IM Name: either
RunnerUp228: uh huh... sure lol
Todd's Secret IM Name: uh huh... sure lol
Todd's Secret IM Name: either
RunnerUp228: lol
Todd's Secret IM Name: whoa. that didn't make sense
Todd's Secret IM Name: HEY! I'm LOLing too!
Todd's Secret IM Name: YES!
RunnerUp228: i thought so
Todd's Secret IM Name: HA!
Todd's Secret IM Name: great minds think alike
RunnerUp228: huh?
Todd's Secret IM Name: and in a bottle of peepee!
RunnerUp228: hmmm, what od you want to talk about?
Todd's Secret IM Name: what od i want to talk about?
Todd's Secret IM Name: let's talk about that giraffe again!
RunnerUp228: i dunno lets talk about u
Todd's Secret IM Name: That was NUTZZZ!!!1
RunnerUp228: i thought so
Todd's Secret IM Name: you always think so
RunnerUp228: why are you concerned over me?
Todd's Secret IM Name: well, danny, it's like this: you have that third testicle and everyone thinks it's weird
Todd's Secret IM Name: and i agree
RunnerUp228: dont worry im not as weird as u think
Todd's Secret IM Name: it's weird
Todd's Secret IM Name: Not you! Your testicle!
RunnerUp228: u think that I am weird?
Todd's Secret IM Name: No, Danny! Your TESTICLE!
Todd's Secret IM Name: TESTICLE!
RunnerUp228: Ok
Todd's Secret IM Name: Ok
RunnerUp228: yea...
Todd's Secret IM Name: year?
RunnerUp228: You have been talking to a computer! One of your friends is reading the whole conversation and laughing it up right now! GET EVEN! Have the bot prank all your friends by visiting cyberprank(dot)com

If you want to pull a cyberprank of your own, go to CyberPrank.com and click on “Send The Bot.” Fill the form out, sit back and enjoy. Oh, as a warning, make sure you save the HTML of the conversation, the email function doesn't seem to work.

Posted by Seth at 03:35 PM | Comments (4)

August 14, 2005

Usability Woes

Just a few minutes ago I logged into my online bank account to check my account and reconcile transactions. But before I did, I accidently requested the wrong page via the Commerce Bank "Access My Accounts" drop-down menu (as found on Commerce Bank's Home Page). I suggest you re-enact the same mistake that I just made.

  1. Go to the home page
  2. Find the "Access My Accounts" drop-down
  3. Select "——————————"
  4. The page will automatically redirect you to the chosen page

Error
The page you've requested either does not exist or has moved.

What??? Really??? You mean to tell me that there's no "——————————" page? What if I need to check the balance on my Long Dash account?

C'mon, that's a little absurd isn't it? When that happened to me, I was a little upset. Of course I didn't mean to select that line, but it could happen to anyone visiting the web site. No one wants to get an error message when they really haven't made a mistake – on the web, that's kinda like getting a detention when it was another person talking. And while it's good to have customized error messages like that, there's a few things that they could do to make it better.

Read the message they post:

Error
The page you've requested either does not exist or has moved.

We recently redesigned and added to our site. If you reached this error via a bookmarked page, or followed a link from another site, it is likely the page you requested has moved. If you typed the URL in directly, please check it for accuracy.

Visit our Home Page or Site Map to find what you need.
  1. Let's list the page that the user was trying to find... in this case, their error message would make them look like dummies.
  2. Tweak the body copy. The site has been redesigned for quite some time now and if there are still that many old bookmarked pages, why not look at your site logs and create some automatic redirects from the old page(s) to the new ones?
  3. Linking to the Home Page and Site Map is a nice idea here, except when you actually go to the Site Map page, you have to know what division of the bank you're looking for. Not really user-friendly, this needs to have nearly every page link on the site so users can read it all and make a selection – not guess again.
  4. Of course, this would almost be a non-issue if they chose to do the easiest fix – put a little snippet of Javascript on the menu selection that would void the page trying to redirect to the error page. If you can somehow manage, if you also try to navigate to the "Login to..." selection, you'll get the same error.

Overall, it's not a huge issue and it didn't prevent me from using the site. But, on the internet, you only have a few chances to really capture your audience and NOT upset them. It's small things like this that could upset someone enough to not want to use the site. Don't make users question their intelligence or site-using ability, make it so dumb and easy that someone who doesn't know how to program a VCR can check their online bank account.

Posted by Seth at 12:28 PM | Comments (2)

August 12, 2005

Real Life Computer Commands

If you're like me, then you're on a computer over eight hours a day. Whether it's emailing, browsing, coding, designing, etc., I'm on the computer. I get tired of using the mouse and, chances are, I'm not using it correctly (in the ergonomic sense, that is). In my world of HTML/CSS and Photoshopping, I've found that you can save a whole bunch of time by using keyboard shortcuts. It even annoys me some to watch others NOT use them.

My friend Justin once told me something about shortcuts that I never truly understood, until recently. His profound statement was this... don't you wish sometimes you could undo things in life by hitting command-z (or ctrl-z)? Imagine that, you spill a drink, command-z, no mess. Amazing.

The other day, a friend had a similar thought... in our restroom at work, we have a large set of magnetic words to play with while sitting on the john. At first the words were easy to find, all spaced out and separated. That's not the case now, they're all over the place and it's nearly impossible to find the word(s) you're looking for. How could would it be to just hit command-f to find the word you want?

Other ideas?

Command-tab (alt-tab) to switch between tasks that you're doing – grocery shopping, restroom break, watching a movie, etc.

Command-s (ctrl-s) to save a conversation you're having before it spirals out of control.

Esc to disappear from any uncomfortable moment.

Ctrl-alt-del (pc-world only) to go to bed.

I dunno. Sounds kinda goofy now that I just typed all that out.

Posted by Seth at 08:15 PM | Comments (1)

August 10, 2005

Not Just Your Standard Video Game

Standards. We all have them. We all live by them. In fact, I think we all need standards to simply function in life (some more than others). But I'm not just talking life rules, norms and morays, there's so much more to standardization than you probably know.

The fabled "browser wars" from the late 90s were based solely on internet standards. Netscape would create a proprietary HTML tag and then Internet Explorer would create a different one. Soon, web designers/coders were building two separate sites, one that worked in IE and one that worked in Netscape (anyone remember the "site best viewed in Internet Explorer" messages?). It wasn't until the W3C stepped in and said “enough,” that the browsers started to offer other bells and whistles instead of creating it's own code.

A similar thing occurred in the Inline Skating world. There were about six different major skate manufacturers and all six had different kinds of skates. So chances were if you bought a pair of grind plates for your K2s, they weren't going to fit someone else's Solomons. That's not good. In the past several years, there's been a standardization of skate parts, so now virtually any skate part will fit any skate. Standardization.

When you order cable, in some cities you can get it from different providers – it's the same channels, just a different carrier. When you buy toothpaste, it can go on any toothbrush. I don't have to order specific tires for my Jetta, I have many I can choose from. Gorton's fish sticks are compatible with any oven in the world. Tide will work in my washing machine just like Biz will.

Do you see where I'm getting at? Standards are a good thing. Standards are needed.

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine asked how I liked the new NCAA Football 2006... my response was that I can't play it because it wasn't made for the GameCube (yes, I was upset by this). Then, just a few days ago, I was talking to my friend Tug about the next generation game consoles (Xbox 360, PS3 and Nintendo Revolution) and it struck me that there's no standardization in video games.

Why?

If I want to play a Mario- or Zelda-based game, I have to buy a Nintendo console. If I want to play Halo, I have to buy an Xbox. For a while, if I wanted to play Grand Theft Auto, I had to have a PlayStation. Why?

You could say it's a moot point now since most games are developed for all three platforms. But sometimes (NCAA Football 2006, Zelda, Mario, Halo, et al) that's not the case – either sales, or console limitations, determine whether a game will be re-written for the other engine(s). And sometimes console manufacturers want to be exclusive. So most people who have enough money to do it, buy two of the three (or all three) systems, others stick with one and cross their fingers.

Why? This doesn't make sense.

Well, what does each console do that the others don't? They all have memory slots. They all have controllers with a lot of buttons. Some play DVDs. Some have network adapters built in, others have the capability. Some have internal hard drives. That's not enough. What's the big difference? The last time I checked, the PS2 version of Medal of Honor was the exact same game as the one for GameCube – with different controller settings. Same game, people. So EA Games spent millions of dollars to make that game work on all three consoles... was it worth it?

Why?

Wouldn't it make sense for there to be ONE game that worked on three different consoles? And then the consoles, and their features, were different than the others? You want a Home Media Center, buy and Xbox. Want easy online play, by a PlayStation. Don't want bells and whistles, buy a Nintendo.

Is this a pipedream? Probably so. But I think it's needed.

Posted by Seth at 07:33 PM | Comments (4)

August 07, 2005

Me Vs. Ye?

With as much information as there is in this world, it's assured that people will disagree on some, if not many, things. Below are the things that I think are the clear winners, in my book, against others' views.

College Basketball vs. College Football
Let's see... In one sport, you have to have a perfect season, or nearly one, before you can even get near a national title (not to mention the whole idiocy that is the BCS). In the other, you have to have a so-so season to get invited to the big tournament, then, it's anybody's game (even lower-seeded teams can be the champs, right KU?). I think if football had a eight-team tournament at the end of the season, then it would be better. But that's not likely to happen any time in the future (need I mention it's the ONE major college sport that doesn't do that? even smaller divisions do it.).
Winner: College Basketball (sans Dick Vitale)

Friendster vs. MySpace
I started off on Friendster, but do a majority of my checking on MySpace. But MySpace is ugly, and clunky, and in some sort of maintenance half of the time. If Friendster would only chuck away all of their advertising, then it might be not as annoying to my eyes.
Winner: Friendster (barely)

Old School vs. Super Troopers
This one is a kinda touchy subject for some people. In fact, I've yet to meet a person who likes them equally as much. Old School is hilarious, it's got Luke Wilson, Will Ferrel and Vince Vaughn (one-half of the Frat Pack) and every male's dream plot of being in a frat, but not in college. Super Troopers is made by the guys at Broken Lizard, and was their first big hit. Lots of goofy stuff, but, I think the writing in that film is highly intelligent and it makes me extremely jealous.
Winner: Super Troopers

Family Guy vs. The Simpsons
Yet another touchy subject – this time, extremely so. I've always loved The Simpsons, but I love Futurama even more. It's not the same ol' thing that The Simpsons have been doing for OVER 10 years now. I think they're beyond their life cycle, but they still have their moments. Family Guy, on the other hand, is the new kid on the block (kinda). Numerous people rave on and on about Family Guy, so much so, that I finally decided to give this show a shot... I can't do it. It has some funny spots here and there, but I can't get over the fact that I think it's too much like The Simpsons, without being The Simpsons. Sorry, I tried.
Winner: The Simpsons (but it's time to stop)

UPN vs. The WB
Who cares?
Winner: Both!

Bugs Bunny vs. Mickey Mouse
You gotta love the crass-ness of Bugs, and the fact that he looks damn good when dressing up like a girl bunny. Mickey, however, DOES have a giant theme park (city, too) and an actual girl mouse that he can hang with.
Winner: Bugs Bunny

Star Wars vs. Star Trek
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Winner: Star Wars

What other classic match-ups did I miss?

Posted by Seth at 09:33 PM | Comments (7)

Simon Says, "F Off"

Does Simon Have to Cut a Bitch!?!

Today is Simon Bird Gunderson's fifth birthday. That's five years that I've (Wendy, too) had to endure him not coming when I call him, scratching and biting me for no reason, late night sneak attacks and, of course, knocking stuff over when I haven't fed him. All this, plus the fact that he hates it when there's more than one person at my place, chews on chords and cotton clothes and would rather sit NEAR me and not ON me.

But he's my boy and I love him.

Don't bother sending him money or even a birthday card for that matter. Don't extend any happy birthday wishes or try to give him a kiss. Don't think that he'll be nice to you, not today, not ever. That, my friends, is how Simon rolls – however the hell he wants to.

And if you pass him on the streets, just look away, or he'll cut you and tell you to "f off."

Happy the Birthday, Simon!

Posted by Seth at 02:28 PM | Comments (2)

August 02, 2005

BMN: Stealth

Walking out of the theaters tonight, I confided in Nik and Scoot that this movie was so horrible, that I didn't know which direction I wanted to go [with my review]. To which Nik replied, "neither did the writer." So true, Nik, so true. Scoot said nothing, he just wiped tears from his eyes and said, "it was so touching." I wouldn't go that far, Scoot, but we'll let it slide this time.

There was something seriously wrong with this movie. No, there were lots of serious things wrong with this movie. So many, in fact, it's hard to pinpoint what I should talk about. I'm sure Nik and Scoot can fill in the blanks for me, but damn it was bad. It's sad because movies like this (and it's awful, awful rating) further justify the theory that the crappy blockbuster films get stuck in August because they can't touch the other summer films. Paying attention all you "Dukes of Hazzard" fans?

The funny thing is the first time I saw the trailer for this film, way back in March (?), I knew it was going to suck. Even the second set of trailers, which made the movie look a lot more decent, couldn't sell this movie. But enough banter, why did it suck!?!

The Near Future Rules!
The film is set in the "near future," which really doesn't mean much... except that now the US Navy has some kick ass fighter jets and a new robot plane. Oh, we also have some insane intelligence computer systems that can project how buildings will crumble in a matter of seconds, obtain retinal scans and fingerprints from satellite images... that's powerful. All this and Russia is still flying in their MiGs.

Super Plane, Bad Tech Support
The three "best pilots" in the Navy are sent to start flying missions with a fourth pilot – the robot plane, Eddie. I can't imagine how much the government spent on a plane like this, much less the A.I. that came with it. But I'll tell you what, they saved a ton by just sending one tech-guy with it on it's first mission. Volkswagon will send an entire fleet of mechanics and engineers out when a new car is first being shown and driven around... US Navy, one nerd.

More Plane Things...
The plane can connect to the internet. Cool. But, careful, it downloaded "all" the songs. What? The best part, it has an external speaker system. The plane was also fitted with a cockpit, for "troubleshooting" issues. Good thing, because Matthew McConaughey's look a like needed to fly in it at the end of the movie – sans life-support and seatbelts, of course.

Is This Really Hal In Disguise?
There were so many obvious comparisons to Kubrik's "2001: A Space Odyssey," it's almost not worth mentioning. What is worth mentioning is that at any moment I wouldn't have been surprised if the plane would've said, "you've got mail." Hey Eddie, the AOL mail dude called, he wants his voice back. Also, Max from Flight of the Navigator called, too, he wants his look back. One more thing, Sony, I'm calling, I want my money back.

The World Revolves Around Love
Can we stop inserting love stories into every freaking movie, please? This movie might have been better if there was no love story involved. That's a very delicate "might," though. Okay, doubtful, but take that crap out.

Ugh... I could go on. But I'd rather not re-live anymore of that trash. Nik? Scoot? Help a Seth out.

Posted by Seth at 10:31 PM | Comments (9)

I Swear, I Didn't Know... Well, Kinda

Some big news in baseball happened yesterday when Rafael Palmeiro was suspended 10 days when tested positive for steroid use. This guy is a 3,000 hit and 500 homer player... which means he's pretty much got a seat at the Hall of Fame table. It's bad enough that he failed a steroid test, what's worse is that he lied to Congress earlier this year about not being a doper.

Here's what Raffy had to say:

"When I testified in front of Congress, I know that I was testifying under oath and I told the truth," he said during a telephone conference call Monday. "Today I am telling the truth again that I did not do this intentionally or knowingly."

I don't know whether I believe him, or not. I think I'm leaning in towards the not-believing camp. Why? Because I NEVER take a pill, or medicine, without knowing what it is and what it could do to my body (luckily, I don't operate any heavy machinery, either). That's a pretty simple, and hardfast, rule.

It's pretty hard to imagine that Palmeiro just takes medicine on a whim. Here's what's more troubling, what team doctor, or physician, agent, whatever, is going to give him something that would cause him to fail a drug test? If I were Palmeiro, and I REALLY didn't take the steroids willingly, I'd be suing – or beating the crap out of – someone.

Let's get off the drugs, please. Make the sport legit. And stop treating the general public like idiots, not everyone has a halo floating above their head.

Posted by Seth at 03:22 PM | Comments (2)

August 01, 2005

Please Note, To Your Right (Stage Left)

The "Links to Check Out" section is back up and running. Even made me a nice little RSS button to subscribe with – for those of you who are RSS-savvy.

Posted by Seth at 03:34 PM | Comments (0)

My Mom REALLY Pissed Me Off

I'll tell you what sucks – being anal about certain things (and by “certain,” I probably mean a “lot”). What sucks even worse is that even in dreams, I can't escape those anal tendencies. Dreams are supposed to be where you live in a freaky world, not where your idiosyncrasies haunt you and make you feel bad when you wake up.

So Mom (capitalized because if I substituted her real name, it would be capitalized), I'm sorry if I woke up angry at you this morning.

Why was I mad? Simple... she washed my half-black, half-white sweatpants in hot water with bleach. What in the hell was she thinking? Cold water, no bleach, just like the tag on the pants say and then I wouldn't be forced to NOT talk to her until she went and bought me a new pair. I can't play soccer in half-kinda-blue, half-white sweatpants, can I? Wait, can I play soccer in sweatpants, period? That's not the point.

Damnit Mom, I almost smoked marijuana in my dream just to defy you even more.

I really need to chill out.

Don't worry about it though, it was just a dream. And I still love you, Mom. But I'm going to need those new sweatpants soon.

Posted by Seth at 07:45 AM | Comments (1)