I saw this video last week and thought it was interesting, but found that I kept thinking about it. What do you think?
Video: Kiwi!
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Category Archives: Thoughts
Disney’s getting more of our money
We decided to do things a little different for Christmas this year. Instead of getting presents for each other, we’ve collectively opted to use the money to purchase Disneyland annual passes for the family. It was costly, but we’re saving gift purchases, and also used proceeds from the sale of my old car. We go about three times in the next year and it’s basically paid for.
We first went this past Monday and had an enjoyable time on what turns out to be one of the lightest visitor days of the year.
And for the first of a planned series from our visits:
Disney Rules #1:
If your party needs to discuss something (e.g., “what to do next?” or “do we have everybody?”), move to the side of a walkway and do not just stop in the middle causing an unnecessary traffic jam.
So, how do you get a Playstation 3 without having to stand in line?
Easy, just work for the company. In all seriousness, unless you’ve been under a rock, you’ve likely heard that the Playstation 3 was released to North America (Japan was last week and Europe is next year). While I’m not any kind of über-gamer, I am a geek and a company man so, of course, I wanted to make sure I got a system.
SCEA executives were quite generous and even though units are quite constrained and significantly lower than was originally hoped or planned, they are allowing any full-time employee that wants one to order one. Not only that, they assure us that we’ll receive them before Christmas. We are also getting them for a discount. No, it isn’t much (and it would be inappropriate for me to say what it is), but I don’t have to buy a HD tv (like some CompUSA’s and Circuit City’s are requiring) nor did I have to wait in line.
As a sign that I’m more parent than gamer, the feature that I’m most looking forward to is the wireless controllers. I’m tired of tripping over and wrapping up the cords and extenders. That’ll be nie. It’s also nice that every game supports widescreen (a feature that any PS2 title could support but few do).
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The Blue Man Concert blog post
We went to Blue Man Group’s How to be a Megastar 2.0 concert Saturday night. It was largely the same as their Complex Rock Tour from a few years back which wasn’t surprising as they haven’t come out with a new album since then. Everyone enjoyed it and it was the kids’ first rock concert.
My shirt was a fun addition. I originally thought that it wasn’t sensitive enough when I first turned it on when I got it at the office, but it turned out to be perfect for the sound level of the concert. I was also afraid that I would be an annoyance to those around me but with so much going on on the stage, it didn’t seem to bother anybody.
I took some snaps with my phone. Click the picture to the right to go to the gallery. Sorry for the quality.
I also had to point out a pretty interesting drum kit that Tracy Bonham‘s drummer used during her opening act performance. It’s called the GigPig and looks to be an interesting and compact kit. Part of me really would like to pick one up.
I’d write more, but I’m writing this while in a hotel room for LOPSA’s SysAdmin Days in Phoenix, AZ. I’m tired and can’t really think of much more to say (intelligently, at least).
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3D has gotten better
I’ve long appreciated both Tim Burton and Danny Elfman and their collaborations together are usually winners. One of my favorites is The Nightmare Before Chritmas (1993). It’s a fun stop-motion animated movie with a great soundtrack (the lead sung by Danny Elfman himself).
Recently, Disney has re-released the movie after “converting” it to 3D. I was a bit skeptical that it would be any good. I mean, how well can you make a 3D movie out of something that was 2D to begin with?
The accomplishment was achieved by In-Three, Inc. The process develops a right-eye shot for every sceen which is can then be combined in whatever 3D presentation you would like. You can find more information on 3D in film on wikipedia.
I saw it yesterday with my kids. The end result isn’t quite as striking as something that was produced from the beginning in 3D, but it was certainly better than I had thought. At least they didn’t mess up the movie. If you have a theater nearby that is showing it in 3D, it’s worth the effort to see it. Especially if you haven’t seen it before.
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Pond update
I realized I haven’t given any updates on our pond. It’s been about two months since we put it in and have subsequently added a total of 31 fish (3 koi, 26 feeders, and 2 pacostamus) and the artificial grass on the side and back of it.
The only bad thing is the fact we have lost all three koi and one of the goldfish. Our fish supplier says that koi should be sufficiently ‘hearty’ and the feeders (other than the one) have been thriving. Now that it’s getting colder, we’ll probably let things alone for the winter and add a few new fish when it gets warmer.
I put a few additional pictures in the gallery so feel free to take a look.
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Yeah, I know you haven’t heard from me
Pretty stagnant lately, huh. I don’t really have a reason why I haven’t made the effort. Sure, I’ve been busy at work and there are some things going on with our extended family, but does it really take a lot of time and effort to put a note up?
Not really.
I’ll try to be better.
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I have a new obsession: Loco Roco
One of the perks for working in my department at SCEA is that our director buys a copy of each SCEA published game. This week, I got a copy of the new PSP title Loco Roco. It is fun. It works in almost every aspect. The graphics are bright and fun but simple so load times are practically instantaneous, the music is infectious, the controls are simple (only three buttons), it’s a simple concept to start with but it gets more challenging.
As an employee, I am hopeful that it is a big success, but alliances aside, it is a legitimately well-produced title.
I’ve kept the kids away from my PSP up until now. I may have to hide it lest I risk losing it to them.
It’s tough being a “mom”
My wife, Becky, headed up North to visit her aunt Thursday morning, and to cover, I stayed home on Friday to play “mom.” It wasn’t too bad and I have done the general routine before (e.g., get the kids fed, dressed, packed, and set for school) but yesterday was a bit atypical. Becky has volunteered to help out in our kids’ classes and since the day she worked out was Friday, that meant I was the substitute.
Truly, it was a treat. I got to take the kids to school, hang out a bit before class, and then help in each of their classes to various degrees. In our son’s 1st grade class, I colated, traced, and cut-out several items. In our daughter’s 4th-grade class my responsibilities were increased to do actual testing on reading.
It really was a treat and I am envious of Becky and the fact she gets to do this every week.
What a stud
Becky and I are fans of History Channel’s Digging for the Truth. The host, Josh Bernstein spends each episode researching and trying to answer historacal questions. The one we’re watching now is investigating the existance and location of Troy mentioned in Homer’s Iliad.
So far in this episode we found out that he can dive and is a competitive archer. In previous episodes, he’s gone rock climbing, researched the Ark of the Covenant, Easter Island, Stonehenge, and the Holy Grail.
I want his job.