Time Wasters

It's been awhile, I know.

I have some thoughts that I hope to get down later tonight or tomorrow. Until then go here: Samorost and then Samorost 2.

From the makers of Grand Theft Auto... PONG!

Rockstar Games makes Table Tennis game

This is the most brillant move ever. Here you have Rockstar Games, (in)famous for videogames that are innovative, expansive, massive, complex, with tons of gameplay options. Also games with excessive violence, sex and brutality. So what to they do for their first game on the next gen cconsoles?

Table Tennis. Ping Pong.

Besides the irony (made all so more brillant becaus ethe game is not ironic), it works on lots of levels.
Gives them an entry into the sports game market.
Broadens their brand.
Lets them work on a very simple game on the new gen hardware. Worrying about how to get simple things right as oppposed to try to balance a huge game.
And offering it for a lower price point...
Brillant. Just brilant.

Brokeback

Yes, I know these are getting old quick.
Pointbreak Mountain

Brokeback Redemption

Brokeback Heat

I enjoy these mashups for showing the power of editing and music. And for teaching us that context is everything.

But, also, in a larger view, I find it interesting how the Brokeback Remix Trailer trend is making us re-look at male/male relationships in films, and perhaps in a culture as a whole. On one level these trailers are "humorous," but in there own way they are also touching and sweet.

My Reality T.V. Kiss of Death

(NOTE: You might as well skip this if you don't watch television or reality television. Seriously.)

So Amazing Race has started back up again.
I can't say why I enjoy this show so much. It just hits so many things I love. Travel, games, challenges, culture clashes, personal relationships. Unlike most "reality" television, it is more of a pure contest, less scheming and manipulation. Okay, there is still a lot of manipulation by the producers, but that is part of what intrigues me. How to the editors create an engaging/comprehensible narrative from 11 teams (22 people) running all over the place. They have to establish the relationships within each team and between teams, create tension of the race with pacing, deliver information about the challenges themselves and information about the locations and cultures.

A great example of this is in Sao Paulo, Brazil, while Ray and Yolanda are in the street putting together a motorcycle. A crowd of men gathers, loudly checkin' out Yolanda. Yolanda is oblivious, but you can see Ray fuming but sticking to task. They are working together as a team and working well, but tension is building.

What I enjoy most is watching how Americans experience new cultures in such a haphazard way. I am always amazed by cluelessness and ugliness. Have they watched this show?

Anyway, I always have my favorites. Usually I pick parent/child combos, especially father/sons. No father/son groups this time. There is the mother/daughter team of Wanda and Desiree, who are my third favorites. Desiree is from NYC, and I am usually fascinated by NY teams.

My fourth faves (oddly) are Dani and Danielle, two Staten Island gals in matching pink suits. The seem totally clueless and absolutely positive.

My second faves are BJ and Tyler, who the other teams refer to as "The Hippies." They are your standard iconoclast (horrible word), San Fran, Burning Man, nothing should be taken to seriously type folks. Again I am drawn to teams that are enjoying themselves and enjoying the experience.

And my number one favorites are, of course, David and Lori, the nerd couple. You have to root for the happy nerd couple. And they are from Manhattan, Kansas, so they get points for that.

Now, for the teams I hate. As always, it is the whinny, driven couples with the one person being overly domineering. This year (as usual) it is the males who are jack-asses.

Lake and Michelle, married for 13 years. Lake is clearly "passionate" and "expressive", which means he is going to get angry at every challenge and hoot and holler at every little victory. And most likely snap at his wife at every chance he gets. Two signs they will continue to incur my wrath: (1) Leaving the starting line, Lake doesn't read the clue instructions closely and calls the airlines from a payphone to get reservations (against the rules, in this case). This is the very first clue, minutes after the race has started. When Michelle notices his time wasting mistake and points it out in a particularly snappish way, Lake says, "Yeah, that is a mistake I am partially to blame for." Partially?!? (2) After choosing to build the motorcycle, Michelle questions the choice (and does so in a whinny doubtful way). Lake's response? "DON'T SECOND GUESS ME!" Nice.

Then there is Monica and Joseph (with matching "MO JO" shirts...ick...). Joseph isn't too bad, but he does react badly to Monica's shortcoming: defeatism. As they are getting to the first airport, just after the race has started, she looks like she is on the verge of crying that they won't get on the first flight. If she is going to start to break down at that, I wonder out she'll be the first time they get lost....

My last comment is about the old couple. I love the old couples. Life long bonds, infinite care and love for each other, perspective. But as always, they state that "brains" are their strength and that is what is always their downfall. Last night it was Fran and Barry walking right past the clue box repeatedly.

Chiditarodhttp

So Chicago is having their first shopping cart race on March 4th. First, New York still has the best name. The Chiditarod? Okay...

I do appreciate the food drive aspect. I think that needs to be implemented here. More logistics, but still a good idea.

They don't seem to embracing the sabotage aspect. Or at least they aren't listing it as an actual prize. The only reference to it is in the rules:

Can we try to prevent other teams from winning?
Everyone enjoys some good competition...

Now, I would love to just head up their and witness the event as a C.O.B.R.A. rep, but that is the night of the C.O.B.R.A. party / 2007 planning meeting. Anyone in the NYC area who'd like to show up for that, drop me a line.

Malaysia Bigfoot Watch

I have missed all the news on the Malaysia Bigfoot fever that has been going on. But listening to the BBC last night there was a little mention that the Malaysian government is trying to make it harder for foreigners to go into the jungles to search for the mysterious beast. Not to protect Bigfoot, but to make sure a Malaysian finds him first.

But since the evidence is things like this "footprint" (which seems to indicate that Bigfoot is a 15ft stub-toed chicken), I don't thing he world is going to be missing much.

Mangled Universes

I have to say that this explains a lot.

Mangled Universes

Now, this idea is probably flawed, but it is yet another thing to worry about.

OR it explains how this last year went for many of us.

Ah, blogs

This was sent to me from Papa SixSider: Blog of J.L. Picard.

Funny thing is I was just thinking about how the Bible would read if it was written as a blog.

Cold

Minnesota is cold. Damn cold. This is nothing new, but I forget how cold cold can be until I actualy witness how the cold can grip you and cut straight to the bone.

But the warmth is also there, a warmth I do find lacking in NYC. I sometimes forget that it can be extremely easy to laugh, and laugh hard. I can tap into a level of confidence and comfort that I don't seem to be able to always get to in NYC.

Humph.

There are certain things that make me so sad, certain things that I don't allow myself to have, that I deny myself. Why is that?

The is a grand pillow fight in Union Square on Saturday at 2pm and I'm going to miss it.

Humph.

Nice bartender (?) purchased our table a round of car bombs last night. That was good.

Going out to dinner with 2 couples tonight. There will actually be 7 people at the table as both women are "with child." Ah, the world of bumps.

Last note: Jake showed me Yatta! today. I was unfamiliar with this new "fad" of Japanese culture. Wow. We realy did a number on their psyche, didn't we?

Choices

Sometimes you have to do things that you don't want to do. That is life, isn't it? You have to make a choice based on your knowledge and your heart. You have to weight these things and balance them.

Time is pissing me off. I want a crystal ball. Or to go back. But that's not he way it works.

I really want to bring people joy, and not pain. They say that pain is just part of it, that love can conquer all. But I'm tired of that. (Not of love, just the pain part.)

So, I need to figure out how to focus both inward and outward. I need to figure out how to truly open myself to others. And to myself.

So, I am back on that lonely road again. Back on this idiotic quest.

Bits and Pieces

Just tiny crumbs of things. The big things are not public things, so you just get the tiny ones.

I've been singing "Cheney's got a gun" in my head all day.

My Tivo did some massive upday thing. Not I can get internet radio and podcasts and it has two games and I can get moie tickets. I'm not a hundred percent I'll use any of this features, not it's nice to watch the slow creep of progress.

I get to see some massively great friends this week. And freeze my ass.

But I've frozen my ass here. We finally got snow here. Last year's blizzard seemed more massive to me. Perhaps it's just that I don't have to dig out a car anymore.

It doesn't look like Brooklyn's attempt to break the world record for The Largest Snowball Fight will happen this year. Insurane issues (and the fact that we've had no snow). Hopefully by next year.

Rollergirls is a curious show for me. Strange filter, I guess. I find it fascinating and truthful, but I'm just not sure that it can be understood by people who haven't seen "behind the curtain." And perhaps if they ARE "behind the curtain" they are too close to understand it.

I am enjoying this season of Survivor so far. I like the twist of Exile Island, even if it is a bit cheesetastic. Gamewise, it adds to the whole thing.

I have found myself with absolutely no desire to follow the Olympics. Absolutely none.

The Gospels of FSM

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Flying Spaghetti Monster Cartoons Requested

I am putting out a request for illustrations depicting The Flying Spaghetti Monster and or the Prophet Bobby. These are not meant to offend anyone, but in the spirit of expressing the First Amendment. Please send all original illustration to twangofthevoid@gmail.com.

Confessions

Somethings I feel like I need to get off my chest:

- I like vacuuming but I don’t like lugging the vacuum cleaner around. I also have a vacuum cleaner that is worth more than my computer.

- I have an unhealthy relationship with cheese and Coke w/ Lime and Hot Pockets.

- If someone got me reservations at Mesa or Per Se tomorrow night, I wouldn't blink about spending $500.

- I want to eat the offal meal at The French Laundry.

- I can and do use the word “mythos” in reference the superhero genre. With a straight face.

- I like television and I love my Tivo.

- I try to limit what shows I watch regularly but the list gets large quickly. Currently? Lost, Gilmore Girls, Project Runway, Battlestar Galactica, Rollergirls, The Office, 24, The Boondocks and Survivor. I will add The Amazing Race and The Venture Brothers when they start up again.

- I still believe that, in general, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was the best show that has ever been on television.

- I watch the Food Channel more than I cook.

- I applied to be on Survivor and got an interview. My audition tape was quite good, as was my interview. But there are only so many over 30 skinny white boy slots.

- I almost applied for the next cycle of Survivor. But the application was due on Feb. 3rd and I was going to film my tape at the Idiotarod and things got to hectic to thing about lugging around a camera.

- I cheated in a relationship once. And the sex was horrible. It was a drunkin' thing. Afterwards (right after the deed), I casually, because I could think of nothing else to say, mentioned that I had had never used a ribbed condom before. She thought I said "ripped condom" and panicked a bit until I cleared it up.

- I have a desire to do a podcast. Radio drama thing. I wrote a mini-script last night. But my computer is chugging a bit these days. But I may upgrade in March and get the new iLife and see what happens.

- The morning after I cheated, I had to go to a set strike with both women. Later that night (after ending it with both of them), I got drunk with ANOTHER gal that I dated the next semester.

- I chew paper.

- I don't go a day without coming up with an idea for a story. Not a day. Today's story was about a sock that goes to group therapy.

- My rewriting the novel is a huge pain. Not because it's boring and hard (which is true) but because I get distracted. Every time I cut out some element, I feel the need to think about how I can rework it into a new story.

- I really miss playing cards at 2 in the morning at the Hard Times Cafe in Minneapolis.

- More to come.

Wartime Executive Power Hearing

I've been at the computer listening the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings today.

It's not the wire tapping that bothers me. Well, it does. They keep fighting over whether it is "domestic" surveillance or not. Is it not domestic if only half the folks are located in the U.S.? If you are out of the U.S., are you suddenly not governed by our laws and ideals? (Okay, yes, apparently that is how we function.) Do I think that if they believe that there is an immediate risk, should they wire tap? Probably. But that is why we have these systems of checks and balances. That is why FISA is there. I have yet to hear a reason why the 72 hours FISA gives them to get a warrant is not enough time except that it is a pain in the ass.

My problems with the Bush administrations actions:
- The argument about executive power granted in a time of war. "In time of war." When do we decide that we are NOT in a time of war? Who decides? Will there be anytime that our country is so well loved in the world that no one will be plotting against us? If so, is there no time limit on wartime executive power?
-That the checks and balances are being placed in the hands of members of the NSA, with little or no oversight.
-If the administration thought the FISA was too restrictive, why did they not ask Congress for adjustments to FISA? They have done it before. They have changed FISA often. The argument has been that in a time of war, the executive branch just doesn't need to. The only reason I can come up with why they didn’t is that they knew Congress wouldn't do it. But we don't know because we don't know how big the program is and what type of information they are acting on.
-Gonzales keeps saying that he cannot comment on things the President hasn't yet confirmed. Huh? Perhaps it is just legalize and perhaps I am just feeling paranoid, but that seems to say to me that the President has only confirmed those things that have been exposed. Meaning that there are programs that have been exposed. Well of course that is true.
-That this argument is yet another step down the slippery slope. If this is allowed, with no oversight, what other powers can be conveyed? Torture? Assassinations? Camps? Tossing the First Amendment out the window? Canceling or manipulation of elections? Yes, I realize these are extreme, but it's a slope.

Why am I writing about this? I just feel this need to speak up. I listened to a program about the German theologian Dietrich_Bonhoeffer yesterday. It just got me thinking about adding one's voice.

Cringe Lit

Heading off to Freddy's (485 Dean Street Brooklyn (Dean & 6th Ave)) tonight to hear some Cringe Lit. Folks reading from their junior high and high school diaries and poetry. Should be painful, hilarious, touching, sweet, sad, etc.

Ah, the cringe moment! Those bits and pieces of our pasts where that we look back at and can't help but feel our stomaches knot up. I searched for my old diary for high school, but was unsuccessful. Perhaps I have thrown it away, perhaps it is just hiding, waiting for that special momemnt to pop back up and haunt me.

Idiotarod and Team C.O.B.R.A!

Oh, the glorious Idiotarod!
Shopping Cart Race Extreme.
Team C.O.B.R.A. won Best In Show and caused mass chaos with our fake checkpoint and other devious plans. The organizers also expressed the desire to pass the torch into our hands next year. Not sure how I feel about that. Coinsidering we couln't even getto the starting line in time (and still had a cart come in 8th), us running the whole show might be problematic. But a fine honor.

GO TEAM COBRA!

SantaCon, Life, Blah Blah

Been oh so busy.

SantaCon rocked, of course. Mad crazy chaos. Fantastic. (Why doesn't Minneapolis do this? Well, the cold... and the fact that no one is on the street to see it... humph.)

Team C.O.B.R.A. is gearing up. Idiotarod is not far away. If you want to be a part of the best shopping cart racing team in the history of sapce/time, contact me.

Transit strike. Needed to shop today. Grrrr. Whatever. Off to L.A. tomorrow. Yay.

SantaCon

Tomorrow. NYC (and elsewhere). Still time to go get a suit (try Halloween Adventure on 4th Ave. and 12th St.) and come out. As to where it is starting... well, that's still a secret.

So here is my suit this year. Nice stencil of the Team C.O.B.R.A. logo on the back.

I have never lasted the whole thing, but this year I am in for the long haul, damn it. No wimping out for me.

Meanwhile, I have started editing the book. Some things to struggle with, most are pretty small (a lot of punching up). I have also started the second book. Not nearly as clear, but a more ambitous. Great combo, I know. Taking my time this time, but I want 50 solid pages by the end of Feb..

Oh, yeah. I remember this.

SantaCon NYC is Saturday the 10th. Don't know where yet. Still have to get my suit.

So much to do, so little time.

Learning things about myself everyday. Things maybe I knew and had forgotten. I'm not sure. Ideas that I once had seemed to have dissolved in a series of compromises I made. Not to anyone else, but to myself.

The difference between clarity and delusion can be ephemeral, can't it?

My mind once worked this way. I remember it. My body once worked like this way. I remember it. My heart once worked this way. I remember it.

But back then, I didn't know who I was and it all enveloped me, supplanted me, leaving nothing in its wake. And then I was drowning.

Years have past since then. I thought those pre-drowning days were... an aberration. Or youthful delusion. It was not 'rational' to have that sort of passion for words, for creation, for hearts, for touch.

Have I gone so many years not understanding what the word 'passion' means?

Things feel solid now. They push back at me in ways they never have before. I have stopped worrying all the time about intruding on others. I have stopped worrying about losing what I hold dear.

It is all very silly, I realize. I know it can all be taken away with a strong breeze. But that doesn't seem to matter all that much. Because I feel like I have control for once. Maybe the first time ever.

Humph. Should have learned all this years ago. But they say 34 is the new 24. I'm not sure who said it, but I bet they were 33.