December 31, 2005

For the lil ninja in our life, I give him Fuggy Fuggy.

I pretty much watched from the rest of Episode 1 to half way through Episode 2. This is only my third time watching 2, as I actually turned it off the first time I rented it on DVD. Something about the pacing has always bugged me, the only time the movie slows down to let you absorb we have to watch Anakin mindraping Padme. It is still my only way to explain how she can go from, "Don't look at me that way," to kissing him and rolling over in the clover. Jedi mind tricks can be used to influence games of chance or they can make you a girlfriend. Anakin is still badly played, badly scripted and as annoying as hell. I think the idea of making him whiny and petulant was a mistake. The arrogance part should have been played up more, perhaps a dark brooding type who considers himself above the rest of the council. I also feel a great need to see him as the great man that Obi from the orginal series described, a great man who has a great fall. I feel cheated.

Watching one after the other, I don't think I mind the pacing as much now. I still miss the presentation elements of intrigue that were present in Episode, continuity pieces that draw you in. Qui-Gon was said to have crossed the council in times past, thus not being on the council, and that makes you wonder more about him. Nothing like that happens, besides the mentions of Sifo-Dyas. Still, the opening sequence is great as well are the night scenes of Corruscant. Now we just have to see how I react to the ending battle, and if I will be as bored as the first two times. December 31 05

December 30, 2005

Holey kafoley, these Top 10 weirdest case mods are a lot of fun. I wonder how long before The Ronce has beasties like this?

So I have an unexpected 4 days in a row off. Day one will not have any major activities of housecleaning involved, so I am doing what I have always wanted -- watch all the Star Wars movies. Today is episodes 1 through 3. I borrowed these DVDs from a workmate and I will, maybe monday, watch 4 through 6 on the set that Santy Claws brought me.

This is about my seventh time watching The Phantom Menace, and like I am one of the eight who liked all The Matrix movies, I am one of the few who really liked the first movie. It's not just the re-exposure to the trilogy that I enjoyed so much in my youth but there were so many elements that just clicked for me. Qui-Gon Jinn is possibly the coolest character I know, the epitome of the D&D character I would want to play -- calm, collected, peaceful and skilled beyond normality. The background is set up to be watched, little things happening, continuity & world details filling up what could be empty space. Unlike the two following, I find the pace to be perfect, giving us introductions to new environments and characters but not sacrificing it for flash, bang boom. The political story is fun as well, such a small event leading to such big consequences.

I have just ended the pod race and the freeing of Anakin. I tried to recognize Keira Knightley as Sabe, the decoy but I haven't been able to see her through the makeup. JarJar is not as annoying as most think and if anything, does play a memorable character. I still wonder about the Gungan city beneath that tiny swampy lake.. must be lots of land floating on the sea.

OK, toast & coffee is made so now it's time to finish. December 30 05

December 29, 2005

Speaking of women in games (the afore mentioned MJ is a woman), the new issue of The Escapist is all about the girlz.

Reading an interview with a Montreal blogger, who is also a video game producer, got me thinking about jobs. And yes they are usually on my mind anywayz.

Part of my moaning about sucky jobs and work situations is that I never had any idea what I wanted to do growing up. Many things like film director, screen writer, novelist, graphic artist, TV producer, video game creator, etc. seemed like the jobs that only people in great big cities attained. Me in lil ol Sydney, Cape Breton could not conceive of becoming such. These days, I wish I had pushed or had been pushed.

They say you are never too late, that you can become anything you want as long as you try. Or at least I still hear that being spouted by people my age or older. I honestly do not think that is true. It's a left over 70s/80s riff that just doesn't apply. The generation of today that has to be retrained is going to be stuck with the lower end jobs. They won't be able to break into fields where 20sumthins dominate. Very few can take subbordinate who is 20 years younger and few want a manager they could have fathered. There is also the time involved in becoming established in any creative career. Take video games, in all the media that you read or watch (i am subscribed to G4/TechTV.. yes, I haven't cancelled yet) video game people seem to be totally attached to their jobs, living breathing and being their work. Do I have the time to do that? Could I afford to start at the bottom for sucky pay and do that? Do I have any obsessions that I could sink into that could become a job? I wonder... December 29 05

December 28, 2005

I am over the hump and it's probably due to the availability of online music. I no longer walk into music stores wondering what to buy and end up buying the latest releases by bands I listened to 10 years ago. Sources like Tiny Mix Tape's Top 25 Albums of 2005 gives me a chance to seek/download some new music. Now I just have to start buying it again.

Holy freeholey, i couldn't stop clicking the boobies at Peter Stanick's website.

Mmmmm, Laser Engraved Toast.

December 22, 2005

If any of you are wondering why I might be wondering why I am not writing much, consider this: I work retail during the holiday season. I work retail in a store known for gifty items for and from people with a little bit more money than most people working there. I work retail in a place that hires about 30-40 extra employees for the season, gives them a day or so training and then pushes them onto the floor and states, "Sell !! Sell !! Keep positive !! Sell !!" There's not a lot of overtime involved but every minute and every second of the day is a ten coffee high stress, run your fucking feet off, get yelled at by last minute i am double parked morons who don't believe that the other seven people in front of them also wanted individual gift boxes wrapped and bowed for their 11 tree ornaments. Yes, there is an hour & fourty minute wait. NO, I don't have any more. Yes, we sold out ... two weeks ago in fact. Yes, it is in the new catalog but the catalog IS a seperate company advertizing their own stock. No, I don't have that catalog-only sofa on display on the floor and I understand you don't want to buy anything without seeing it. Yes, that candle stocking holder isn't working, nor are the seventeen behind me ... bad company bad !! Yes, we will have it again next year. No, I cannot create a gift receipt after you have paid, sat down waiting for your items to be wrapped and then come back to me twenty minutes later. Ooops, the new person sold you the wrong thing. Your gift certificate was Purolated yesterday; I am sorry it is not there yet. No I cannot walk six blocks carrying your packages to your car. Yes, the parking cops in our area are evil. No, we do not validate parking. No, your living room set will not be manufactured and delivered before Xmas and I understand you have family coming over and perhaps you should buy folding chairs for them to sit on in the meantime. Yes, the garland is fake as is everything but those amarylis bulbs and no they will not bloom on Xmas night... that IS why we started selling them 8 weeks ago. No, I cannot sell you that display lamp, garland, tree, sconce, table, extension cord, table or employee. Yes, we say Happy Holidays not Merry Christmas. No, we don't have Xmas Cards. Yes, it is crowded in here today. No, there is not a one to one ratio of employee to customer. Yes, even you will have to wait in the queue. No, I do not know who you are but I did known who Dini Petty was and she was rather sweet. Yes, have a nice holiday too.

And yes, I did avoid writing anything recently cuz I knew this was coming out of me, through every pore. December 22 05

December 21, 2005

Yay, snowman flashie !!

Oooooo, bedside table +1, +2 vs. intruders.

December 20, 2005

Did I blog Torontoist already?

December 19, 2005

OK, I just love PARK(ing) and it's improv place to sit. I really fucking love this.

I could get behind this idea of Serial Diners. The letter H is on the menu. (via unknown toronto, which should get it's own linky love but what the hey...)

Too tired to say much more than paved.ca, a GTA blog.

December 16, 2005

Heh. PVP Online, the webcomic, says everything I want to say about working retail during the holidays.

What have I been doing lately? Hmmmm, well baking cookies: chocolate chip & chocolate snow caps last night and gingerbread & sugar cookies today. Reading Jinx by Brian Michael Bendis, via the gKent lending library. Re-watching Hidalgo and marvelling how much arabic is spoken in a recent time american movie. Reading Perdido Street Station by China Mieville and enjoying it much more than my first attempt; it's very much like a D&D world that grew up to become steampunk. Bad Bad Boy, my pajamed antisocial badguy who just likes to hit people, now has zippy running speed & a stocking cap. And working. I was surprised at my own bitter reaction but the part time sales person who was promoted to a management sales position, leaving me once again as a mere full-timer, well it made me a slight bit bitter. But really, she was more than capable and I trained her well. December 16 05

I shouldn't need an Introduction to Information Architecture but I probably do.

December 15, 2005

Yes, all I want for xmas is my katamari tees !!

Wow! I cannot believe I never heard of Amanita Design and their fun fun flashie game called Samorost. (via jay is games)

This is weird, indulgent and a little anarchistic. Mercedes-Benz, you know those guys who make fancy cars, also makes playlists of tracks meant to be played on their car stereos and allows you to download and listen.

December 14, 2005

A coworker, who happens to be still in highschool, mentioned he picks up his latest assignments via the English teacher's blog, a blog only about the class. I find that weird, appropriate and somewhat anarchistic. December 14 05

Some time, probably over a year ago, I mentioned The World's Largest Dungeon as a fun endeavour for the D&D player. Playing it did not happen as my life dores not currently lend itself to regular events. I still want to own it, even more so now that I have read Steve's review over at Tolen Mar.

December 13, 2005

J has a fine collection of woo-woo books and materials, and to be honest, I thought that I made up the term to describe her hobby. (via matt haughey)

December 12, 2005

Arrrrgh !! There is no more Secret Swing !!

The Livejournal site called Myspace Deaths is a little controversial. But in any large and popular web community there is the fact that many of it's members are bound to die. At some point in history, even the Blogger A List will start dying.

December 10, 2005

On a side note, that doesn't mean I support wholesale attacks of a personal nature.

A few years ago, someone made a comment which J took offense to, a quite assinine comment which even made me, who deals with a-holes on a daily basis, shake my head. In response, J told the person as much with the ability J has. Things went downhill from there with posts made with vitreol spewing both ways. Kinda schoolyard. People were taken off of permalink lists, noses were lifted. You could see the glares across the provinces that seperated them.

Then J started receiving personal attacks on her own blog. They were troll like attacks, meant to stir up an arguement or anger or whatever. That was when I had to go into the comments files by hand and delete unwanted comments. Can you believe it that person has already made it back to leave a nasty comment in her latest edition of her blog? At least with MT I can ban posters, ranges of IPs and entire ISPs if I have to.

But why? Why would someone take the effort to come on and check a dead blog every so often, awaiting it's resurrection just so they could leave a nasty comment? What is so fucked up about their life that this becomes a crusade, even if only in the short term? What pleasure can be gained by leaving personal attacks on a blog that don't even make it to public consumption? I can only suspect mental defect. December 10 05

December 09, 2005

Interesting that after all these years of blogging, I only find out now that the term Blogosphere refers not to a collective of people blogging, but the subset of people who blog about blogging, it's technologies, it's trends, etc.

I come to this understanding during my reading of the latest drama between Mena Trott (a person behind MT, the software used to do my blog) and Ben Metcalfe (someone I never heard of), a drama about being nice on blogs and in comments. I have been part of this debate in the past and I have changed sides. I used to be part of the "be nice" crowd but really, only being nice means your blog is relatively benign and most often boring... mine for example. Occasional blunders in communication make for good posts; thus this whole thread and my post. (pointed to by razorshine, by way of HorsePigCow) December 09 05

The 30-Day free trial at Expressions Photoblogging Service, makes me wonder what it would be like to do a temporary photoblog, one that would run for 30 days and then go away.

Ooooo I want a reaver finger puppet !!

December 08, 2005

Just a few things that went through my head:

• My Aunt called me in order to get my parents address, so she could send them a christmas card. she did not, however, ask me for my address to send me one.
• The other day I saw a bus go by that had the marquee stating "Santa Bus !! FREE !!" and last night, a bus driver saw me walking up the hill with my load of grocery bags, slowed down next to me as if to say, "Need me to pick you up?" I nodded, "No but thanks!" and kept on walking. That was nice of him.
• She did do the Bell pixel ads; I was wondering.
• I don't think the customer is going to drop off a bottle of wine, as a thankyou gift, no matter what he said he would do.

December 07, 2005

I just spoke to my Aunt Nellie, my father's sister, whom I haven't spoken to in about... say, 12 years. She lives here in Toronto. And she is very much family -- the conversation lasted less than 5 minutes with not really much to say. Heh. December 07 05

cookies
Originally uploaded by tbit.

I changed my desktop today to this Untitled from Mute.

Neat! Make your own Flipbook !

December 06, 2005

I found myself singing along to Don't Get Down by Hayden. This one is for J.

And all you need to do
Is get away from everything
Quit this sad old scene
Come back when you feel the need
We'll all be here for you

And find something that will make you feel
Like everyday's too short
we're only here for a little while
You'd better make your mark

I too have to pipe in on the debate about public photography. The guy states that if you are asked to stop taking photos, in public, of people, places or things, then you should stop. To quote,

"The issue is that when people are made uncomfortable by something you’re doing, you should stop. That’s called being courteous. It’s called being respectful. It’s called not being an ass."

I do this occasionally. I ended up at Adam Curry's Weblog, a who started MTV.com and I believe, when he gave it to MTV, an old boss of mine started the whole MTV website. I was brought to it by his own post about editing the Wiki entry about podcasting, in which I didn't know he was involved at the beginning. Workbench (hearing myself think, "i really hate it when someone has a domain name that is catchy but the website is called something else; oh wait it is his NAME.") brought me to that with his own post about the editing. Someone in the comments points out that Cadenhead and Dave Winer (blog whipping boy from the old days) work together and Winer & Curry have a beef, probably from their early days doing podcasts stuph. I got to that page from the sidelink at Airbag. And Airbag has this neat skin for the (recent gen) iPod called iPod Tattoo, inspired by/for some HP product. Kottke got me to Airbag. December 06 05

December 05, 2005

I love blogs, personal sites and just plain ol websites that look like sketchbooks.

P.S. Go SHIFT-Reload marmy.

I am not completely sure but the weekend passed me by and I was pissed off for almost it's entirety. I have ideas why I was amorphously angry, not entirely sure where it was coming from or whom it was directed at, but it most definately was work related. So many things have been happening that are not able to chalked up to the "work sux" attitude I most often carry. Complaining about work is on course with my psyche but now I am beginning to feel the toll of watching people do reprehensible things and not being able to affect any change, in fact having to smile through it and pretend I accept. I honestly think I might be damaging an integral part of me, call it soul or psyche. December 05 05

It's been a while since I was over at A List Apart. The article The Curse of Information Design says what I was thinking when working on small sites. We might feel the definate need to add in all the overhead of specs and site maps and structures and colour choices and proper font choices, etc. etc. yada yada yada. But when you are doing a website that could be accomplished by three pages and who really cares where they nav is, I believe we should save the client some money and just do it. December 05 05

Hey! Maybe they should learn to repulse the monkey?

December 04, 2005

Woot! Imogen Heap (you know, the Frou Frou, song from Garden State, girl) has a Flickr account !

Now that I am part of the pod nation, I am looking at music in a different way. No longer do I look for albums, to be burned & decorated with homemade CD covers. I am now seeking music to download and place on my device, such as that found at aurgasm and many other fine music blogs. new category!

Nice food blog which is about cooking, not about eating out and it's called Apartment Therapy - The Kitchen.

OK, Starbucks is a stupid git for having a lady named Sam Buck change the name of her coffee shop but what is even stupider is the number of people posting direct comments to Sam herself. This was a newspaper article people, not her own blog.

December 03, 2005

This article about Real Photo Postcards is neat considering this is basically what my new photoblog is going to be based on.

A few years ago I bought, when I was flush with funds, a ton of knitting shite because she wanted to start the hobby. Recently she bought some knitting books. I hope to get a Hand-crocheted scrollbar scarf out of the deal.

December 02, 2005

This Not-So-Secret History of 'Aeon Flux' comic strip reminds me I have to watch my DVD set before I see the movie.

Oh good, now I know the name of the singer for Roysopp's new song called What Else Is There. She is Karin Dreijer.

It's sort of amusing reading the story of fraud and abuse at PriceRitePhoto: Abusive Bait and Switch Camera Store, a post about trying to buy a great deal on a camera and ending up being abused by their sales/CS reps. The most interesting part is how he fought back by posting this story on his blog and the feedback generated enough of a negative highlight that hey apologized. I still think they are a scam company, one of those many companies that may actually sell you stuff but never the high ticket / low price items you want. They make money from the people who do not cancel, accept the abuse, accept the sell-ups and do not dispute problematic charges. I knew a guy who quit a pretty good job with a moving company to accept a position with a competitor. Then he found out that he competitor made it's money by overbooking and forcing customers to pay extra for "emergency situation moves". December 02 05

myjournal
Originally uploaded by tbit.

myipod
Originally uploaded by tbit.

December 01, 2005

Thee are people who will cringe at the subject matter for Darkon , a documentary on LARP (don't ask, google it), and there are people who will go, "KEWL !"