BlackDots's Blog - 2old2play

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Obama's win last night in South Carolina was an absolute blow out, with him receiving twice the number of votes for Hillary. Despite the expectations of many pundits and cynics, Obama won across all demographic categories. What's even more interesting is that he garnered more votes in the Democratic primary than the combined votes of McCain or Huckabee in the Republican primary. Since these were open primaries, that says something about Obama's ability to carry the South in a general election. This win should really give Obama some momentum going into Super Tuesday, and could help close the gap between he and Clinton in some of the larger states like California and New York. Donations to Obama have already increased significantly since last night.

Below are parts 1 and 2 of his victory speech from last night. I think this is his best yet, and definitely worth a look.

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I Think Will Ferrell is My Hero

"This just in, GE is bankrupt."

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Wow, Video Games Have Evolved Over the Past 25 Years!

This whole Mass Effect thing is getting out of hand.

If you haven't seen this video yet, it is worth a look:

Seriously, is this what passes for "expertise"? The person taking the "anti-" stance admitted to NEVER PLAYING THE GAME THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT. Not only that, but when Geoff asked if she had played the game, Cooper had to stifle a laugh as she said "No". What I'm sure she was thinking was "Games are for kids. I am an adult with a masters degree from some Long Island diploma mill and am therefore an expert on any question put to me." OK, I might have embellished that last part, but you know I'm right.

The fundamental problem here is not that Mass Effect has a sex scene. It is that non-gamers, specifically non-gaming parents, do not understand that video games have evolved significantly in the 25 years since they played Pac-Man at the boardwalk that one summer. It's not all Pong anymore. Video games have evolved because video game players have evolved. It's not just 5 year old with Pokemon, as I am sure everyone on this website can attest. Adults are the drivers of video games products and, guess what, we demand more sophisticated and involved content, as we would for books, music, or movies.

Movies are the most analogous form of media to video games. The ratings are similar, as is the content. In fact, thinking of games in terms of movies is probably the easiest way for non-gamers to understand the variety of games on the market. Games are not just for children. Some games should not be played by children. Some parents might buy their child an M-rated game out of ignorance because they still think everything plays like Super Mario Bros. and is geared for all ages. Fortunately, there are plenty of websites to educate them. If they choose not to find that information on the Internet, which, as we know makes finding information nearly impossible, then they are lazy. Plain and simple. Apparently being a parent is difficult and time consuming, and might actually require you to be involved with the lives of your children. Shocker.

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It Was Bound to Happen

Well, Canon released a new version of the digital Rebel, called the XSi:

Which means that my XTi, which you see me holding at the picture to the upper left, is now the "older" model. I knew this would happen, and I promised myself I would be OK with it. I usually feel antsy when a new version of something comes out because I start to feel that the iteration I own is horribly outdated and somehow no longer useful. It's a wonder I ever bought an iPod, considering a new model comes out every afternoon. Obviously, the whole concept is ridiculous. My camera is great and I really like it; money well spent. What bugs me is that the technology that has trickled down from the higher product tier, in this case the 40D, has resulted in a camera that is a much larger improvement over the XTi than the XTi was over the XT (do I sound crazy yet? Just wait).

Here are some of the features that I'd like to have on current camera that the XSi features:
- 12MP sensor
- Spot meter
- 3.5 frames per second burst mode
- Face detection and auto lighting optimizer

The XSi also comes with a kit lens that has image stabilization. The kit lens sucks, but IS is handy and usually results in a $250 or more premium over a lens with similar optics, so it's a nice improvement.

Anyway, it's a good camera. It has stuff that mine doesn't, but I think I can deal. I'm more focused on getting better lenses and a real flash now anyway. When I do buy a new body, it will most likely be in the 40D's tier...I hope.

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Turning Point: Fall of Liberty Demo

So, did any one else download this and stop playing after five minutes because the game felt like some sort of self-administered punishment.? Any one? Any one? Bueller?

What a disappointment. The premise is cool, but the game looks bad, the enemies are stupid, the models are ugly, and the controls are clunky. The sensitivity has two settings: too fast and too slow. Maybe they'll polish this off before release, but in terms of piquing my interest in this game, the demo is an absolute failure.

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This Borders on Indulgent...

...but I couldn't resist.

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Frontlines: Fuel of War Demo

My brother-in-law tipped me off to the Frontlines demo on Live. I checked the website, and liked the premise, so I downloaded it this morning and gave it a whirl.

It's...OK. First off, I think it looks good. The Unreal 3 engine is a pretty thing, and I think this demo shows us what we can expect in terms of visuals. I also liked the idea of being able to control combat drones. That should add some interesting gameplay elements, especially in multiplayer.

Unfortunately, there are a couple of problems. Before getting into it, let me say I understand this is a demo and the final product is still a month out. Anyway, the AI is stupid. Like, stupid stupid. They don't move much, they don't track you very well as you move around them, and they don't seem to work together. Second, the weapon selection system sucks. It's similar to what was in BF2:MC. The system in the original Xbox version of BF2:MC was OK, but for some reason, the 360 version of the game had a slightly tweaked version of the selection system that drove me nuts. Frontlines' system, unfortunately, is like the 360 version of BF2:MC. Also, the characters are annoying. The jacked-up "let's kick some ass" dimwit character might work in Gears of War, but that's because everything in that game is over the top (e.g. chainsaw bayonet). It might sound boring, but given that the story is meant to be plausible (and I think the cinematic at the beginning of the demo does a great job of setting things up), and we are dealing with the end of the world as we know it, I'd imagine the tone of the game would be a bit more somber and fatalistic. Then again, what the hell do I know?

I'm sorry there was no multiplayer available in the demo. The Battlefield-style play sounds interesting, if they can pull it off. As I've stated before, I love that gametype and I hope it can be faithfully brought to the console at some point. I guess we'll have to wait until next month to see how this all comes together.

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Clinton, Obama Win Nevada

Wha?

"A source with knowledge of the Nevada Democratic Party's projections told The Nation that under the arcane weighting system, Obama would win 13 national convention delegates and Clinton would win 12 delegates. The state party has not released an official count yet.

Barack Obama released an official statement celebrating a delegate victory. 'We came from over twenty-five points behind to win more national convention delegates than Hillary Clinton because we performed well all across the state, including rural areas where Democrats have traditionally struggled,' he said."

The Electoral College seems pretty simple by comparison.

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Meet Scrotie (NSFW-ish)

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to introduce to you...Scrotie, the official mascot of the Rhode Island School of Design ice hockey team, The Nads.

"And what does Scrotie get them to cheer? 'Go Nads!'"

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Book Battle

I like reading. A lot. Every once in a while, though, my reading habits get totally derailed and I find myself struggling to make it through a 200 page book about stars...with pictures. We have a great library near me in Newport Beach. Actually, it's too good. Every time I go there, I end up walking out with six books. I usually only end up reading one or two of them, and then pay late fees on the rest. It used to be worse, though. I used to go to Barnes and Noble and leave with six books. I'll take the late fees instead.

A few weeks ago, I was reading Penny Arcade and Tycho mentioned a book called Altered Carbon. It is a futuristic sci-fi/detective story set in a time when everyone has a neural implant that records the memories of their lives. When the body dies, the information in the implant can be transferred to an implant in a new body. So, if you can afford it, you can essentially live forever. After reading the synopsis, I thought the concept introduced some interesting ethical aspects, so I picked it up.

Well, it wasn't what I expected. It was more of a hardboiled detective novel full of the usual cliches. I could see why a fan of the genre could like it, but I didn't take to it. The novelty of the neural implant wore out after about a 100 pages, and my attention started to drift to other things, namely COD4 multiplayer. Again, I found myself stuck with a book I didn't want to finish. I hate it. I know this is silly, but it makes me feel like I let the book down or something.

Anyway, I've decided to reboot my book list and start fresh. Right now, I'm reading The Genius of America. I also have a few books about Darwin, and The Origin of Species. Hopefully, one of them will stick.

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3 Graphic Designers Re-create D-Day

It looks like Spielberg might have spent too much on extras.

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Stay Classy

The big story in the news now is how the race between Clinton and Obama is heating up, and turning negative. For the past few days, reports have hit the press of different speeches Hillary and Bill have made dropping certain phrases that could be construed as racial slams against Obama. Well, true to form, Obama had this to say about the whole thing:

You have seen a tone on the Democrat[ic] side of the campaign that has been unfortunate. I want to stipulate a couple of things. I may disagree with Senator Clinton and Senator Edwards on how to get there, but we share the same goals. We all believe in civil rights. We all believe in equal rights. They are good people. They are patriots....
I don't want the campaign at this stage to degenerate to so much tit-for-tat, back-and-forth, that we lose sight of why we are doing this.

Obama said he wants to send "a strong signal to my own supporters that let’s try to focus on the work that needs to get done. If I hear my own supporters engaging in talk that I think is ungenerous or misleading or unfair, I will speak out forcefully against it....

Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton have historically been on the right side of civil rights issues. They care about the African American community.… That is something I am convinced of. I want Americans to know that is my assessment.

Obama's handling of this situation illustrates why he will have my vote in the California primary on February 5th. Even in the midst of an intense political fight, he refuses to take the easy way out and sling mud back at his assailants. Instead, he acts like an adult and steps away from a petty fight. This is how a leader acts. This is how a president should act.

Hopefully, things will go his way in Nevada on Saturday.

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More Pictures

It's great when people visit; I actually get out of the house! Yesterday, my brother-in-law and I went to the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, CA. Here are some pictures. You can view the rest here.

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Beautiful San Diego

My brother-in-law is in town from New Jersey, so we took a trip to San Diego. Here are some pictures. You can see the rest here.

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No, I Said I Wanted to Be Buried in an Air Jordan

Underwire, one of the blogs over at blog.wired.com, posted this story yesterday about a West African tribe that buries its dead in "fantasy coffins."

"Plain rectangular caskets are so passé. For the past four decades, the Ga tribe in Ghana have celebrated the deceased by designing 'fantasy coffins'. These resting places are made to symbolize the livelihood of the person inside of them -- a fisherman is laid to rest in a giant wooden fish or a seamstress is tucked away in a sewing machine."

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