July 25, 2007

A Sad Day For Journalism

It seems that on August 3rd we will lose the only newspaper with the balls to print the stories that no one believes, but everyone sort of wishes were true.

Posted by edgore at 9:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 5, 2006

Nintendo Wii

So, through a complicated and extremely suspicious series of events I managed to get a Nintendo Wii on launch day, despite having failed to pre-order one. Suffice to say that it helps to know people...awesome people.

Anyway, after playing with the thing for a few weeks I have decided to finally write something about it.

It's pretty freakin' awesome.

The motion sensing control is pretty good - not nearly as bad as some of the early reviews were saying. It's not perfect, but it's certainly very, very usable.

The Mii character maker is cute, and so far everyone has been very pleased with their ability to make a game character that resembles them. Oh - our Wii number is 3951 5687 0232 8752 and the nickname is "edgore" if you want to add us and let our Miis mingle with yours.

The games are all pretty good - none of them are spectacular, but they are all really fun to play, especially with multiple controllers and multiple people. I don't think there has ever been a console launch that was so heavy with games for more than 2 players.

Playing with this thing reminds me a lot of my first 128K Macintosh back in 1984. The Mac had only black and white graphics, but it had a mouse and a graphic interface - you interacted with programs not by typing cryptic commands, but by moving the mouse around and manipulating virtual objects. That's what using the Wii feels like. I can imagine a version of Soul Caliber, for instance that insead of relying of a series of button presses for combos instead uses the movement of the Wiimote for control.

And that would totally rule, though not as much as my idea for a giant monster games where you ducttape Wii-motes all over your limbs and rampage through a virtual city.

My other game ideas for the Nintendo Wii include:
1. Baby Harp Seal Hunt - You know that you have already thought about it.
3. Beat Beat Cop! - Combines the challenge of rhythm games with the fun of wailing on suspects with a nightstick
4. The Babysitters' Club - Shake the Wii-mote to shake the baby until it stops goddammed crying.

Posted by edgore at 2:37 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

September 27, 2005

Don Adams

Finally, something not on a personal note.

I just found out that Don Adams died today at the age of 82. Get Smart was one of my favorite shows when I was growing up. The Cone of Silence, the Shoe Phone, Hymie the Robot, The Craw - these were all hilarious, but the thing that made the show amazing was Don Adams' dry, snappy delivery.

To my surprise, he had 7 children. Like you, I had always assumed he was, you know. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Posted by edgore at 8:50 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 3, 2005

Short (fictional) Story

When a relationship ends the worst part is property. It all belongs to someone, and figuring out who owns what is the hardest job you will ever face.

In our case it’s a house. All the other stuff – the CD collection (all mine), dishes and knick-knacks will all work out. It’s where we stay that I know is going to be a problem. We can’t both stay here; not forever.

I tried to make things easy by getting out of the bedroom and sleeping on the couch in the living room. It’s not a permanent solution, but it gives me the time to figure things out.

It’s not the best place to get a good night’s rest; the damn thing was build out of horsehair and hardwood in 1973 and it feels like it. Even worse it’s right next to the bedroom, so I can hear every noise she makes in there. I never hear her come home, for all I know she never leaves, but I can hear her in there all night, until I finally fall asleep. I never hear her in the morning – if she gets up, it's after I do, so I am off at work and miss that.

Got to go to work, after all; house payments, electricity bills. All that stuff does not care that your world has fallen apart at the seams. I am pretty sure that I cannot expect to see any kind of a condolences from any of my creditors.

I know that she leaves the bedroom when I am not there; sometimes I will walk down the hallway towards the laundry room and get a hint of Opium.

This arrangement has been in place for months now. Me out here, her in there and out paths don’t cross. Probably that is for the best – I have no idea what I would say to her if I saw her. It’s not that I am mad at her; Yes, I am mad at her. But I really don’t think it’s her fault; I’ve got no right to be mad, or angry or any synonym you could find in Rogets'; "pissed" if you've got a recent version. I’m just sad and disappointed. I’m at a loss for what to do. I know that none of this is her fault.

It’s possible that deciding the sleep on the couch is a poor strategy. It puts me in sight of the computer room – her's on the right and mine on the left. I can see hers from where I lay on the couch - blank screen, cold - when I fall asleep.

Some mornings, when I wake up it’s on – fan humming and screen lit up. Blearily, I will get up and turn it off. It’s tempting to check her history or her email, but honestly I'm afraid of what I might find. So I just turn it off.

Sometimes, after I find her computer on I’ll get an email telling me that she is sorry and that she loves me. That she wishes she could make it right and that everything could just go back to being like it was.

I delete them. I don’t mark them as "junk", because then anything else she sent would get shit-canned before I ever saw it. But I can’t save them, I have to delete them.

You have to understand. it’s been 3 months since I made sure all her email accounts were closed, and over 8 months since the accident – a drunk slammed into her car at 60 miles an hour. They assure me that she died instantly and didn't feel anything.

But in the room next door the sounds continue and these emails still come some mornings. Someday maybe I'll stay home unexpectedly and see what comes out of the bedroom and leaves that trace of Opium in the air. I know though that I will never open the bedroom door.

Posted by edgore at 12:55 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

March 16, 2005

You Don't Like What?!?!

So, apparently in his latest book of essays (I have no idea what it is called, because, frankly I don't care) Jonathan Latham makes a comment about true movie geeks who judge their relationships success (or more likely, failure) by the cinematic compatibility of their erstwhile/former mate.

I totally get this.

I really think that I have gotten better over the years. Sharon can't stand Brazil, which is obviously the 4th greatest movie ever made (points to those who know which 3 are better, and why), but I love her anyway (most of the time).

But I really do understand that movies are a litmus test - the movies that you like (or don't) tell more about you than any internet quiz you could ever take. I don't care which Star Trek Character you are most like (did Wil Wheaton get Wesley Crusher when he took that quiz? Have to ask) - all I care about is whether or not you liked Blue Velvet. If you did, then affinity between us is possible. If you didn't, then what did you think about City of Lost Children? (Sharon hates it, but see note above above Brazil...)

Posted by edgore at 10:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack