Somehow it seemed like a perfect post for today, don't you agree?
Happy Halloween!
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Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Welcome to Hell
Rowan Atkinson plays such a good bastard, as his turn as Blackadder aptly demonstrates, and it seems only fitting that during the intro to his live special, he played the biggest bastard of them all: the Devil.
Somehow it seemed like a perfect post for today, don't you agree?
Happy Halloween!
Somehow it seemed like a perfect post for today, don't you agree?
Happy Halloween!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Remembering Return of the Living Dead (1985)
Seeing as it is that Halloween season, and I already discussed my best costume ever last year, I thought, what would be an appropriate topic to talk about this year?
I remembered some of the campy horror movies from the 1980's that I loved so much, like CHUD, The Stuff and Night of the Creeps... but I also wrote about those last August.
So there was really only one movie I could talk about this year, a zombiefest that both followed and broke the genre rules in 1985. Of course, I am referring to Return of the Living Dead.
Return of the Living Dead takes place in Louisville, Kentucky in the neighborhood surrounding the rundown Uneeda Medical Supply Warehouse, an organization which is staffed by a couple of somewhat incompetent employees, Frank(James Karen) and Freddy(Thom Mathews). After a freak chemical leak from an Army canister in the basement, unwittingly caused by the assurances that it couldn't do so, the dead begin to reanimate in the warehouse and unlike their counterparts in the movies, damaging or destroying the brain of the afflicted doesn't stop them.
The situation gets progressively worse as more people get involved in trying to deal with it quietly, as each solution devised exacerbates the problem, and things really start to go off the tracks when the dead begin rising from the grave at a nearby cemetery.
Return of the Living Dead took the genre in a slightly different direction than the George Romero films, though it does borrow heavily from those very same films and even references the original Night of the Living Dead with a character claiming that the movie was real and what was in a container in the basement of the warehouse was evidence of those events. Of course, as you no doubt know, things take a terrible turn after that.
There are also features which would enrich other future films in the genre. For instance, the zombies, especially of the recently deceased, could move very fast and could talk, while at the same time, they were also capable of ingenuity and guile.
The lighter tone and comedic elements also predate Shaun of the Dead by almost 20 years and show that yes, a horrific zombie movie can also be funny. And that sense of whimsy has also influenced video games tackling the zombie theme as well.
The movie also had something which to me is a rare sight in a zombie movie... zombie animals. I mean, really, how many times do you see undead animals. And as an additional bit of 1980's nostalgia, Freddy's friends are all punks, and the movie's soundtrack reflects that, especially the dual shotgun blast of Partytime by 45 Grave and the Surfin' Dead by the Cramps.
The whole thing is just a lot of fun all in all, however, I can't in good conscience recommend the sequels however. They are a little subpar, especially as they really approached the limits of schlock.
I remembered some of the campy horror movies from the 1980's that I loved so much, like CHUD, The Stuff and Night of the Creeps... but I also wrote about those last August.
So there was really only one movie I could talk about this year, a zombiefest that both followed and broke the genre rules in 1985. Of course, I am referring to Return of the Living Dead.
Return of the Living Dead takes place in Louisville, Kentucky in the neighborhood surrounding the rundown Uneeda Medical Supply Warehouse, an organization which is staffed by a couple of somewhat incompetent employees, Frank(James Karen) and Freddy(Thom Mathews). After a freak chemical leak from an Army canister in the basement, unwittingly caused by the assurances that it couldn't do so, the dead begin to reanimate in the warehouse and unlike their counterparts in the movies, damaging or destroying the brain of the afflicted doesn't stop them. The situation gets progressively worse as more people get involved in trying to deal with it quietly, as each solution devised exacerbates the problem, and things really start to go off the tracks when the dead begin rising from the grave at a nearby cemetery.
Return of the Living Dead took the genre in a slightly different direction than the George Romero films, though it does borrow heavily from those very same films and even references the original Night of the Living Dead with a character claiming that the movie was real and what was in a container in the basement of the warehouse was evidence of those events. Of course, as you no doubt know, things take a terrible turn after that.
There are also features which would enrich other future films in the genre. For instance, the zombies, especially of the recently deceased, could move very fast and could talk, while at the same time, they were also capable of ingenuity and guile.
The lighter tone and comedic elements also predate Shaun of the Dead by almost 20 years and show that yes, a horrific zombie movie can also be funny. And that sense of whimsy has also influenced video games tackling the zombie theme as well.
The movie also had something which to me is a rare sight in a zombie movie... zombie animals. I mean, really, how many times do you see undead animals. And as an additional bit of 1980's nostalgia, Freddy's friends are all punks, and the movie's soundtrack reflects that, especially the dual shotgun blast of Partytime by 45 Grave and the Surfin' Dead by the Cramps.
The whole thing is just a lot of fun all in all, however, I can't in good conscience recommend the sequels however. They are a little subpar, especially as they really approached the limits of schlock.
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Monday, October 29, 2007
Trick or Treat: Halloween Meme
I nabbed this sweet little Halloween meme from over in Samurai Frog's neck of the woods, and I thought it was worth doing.
1. What is your favorite work of horror fiction?
Though some of you may disagree, but I'd have to say Shirley Jackson's The Lottery.
2. Who is your favorite monster?
Well, Godzilla, but that doesn't really fit with the horror theme... so I would have to say either The Thing as imagined by John Carpenter or the full grown variety of the Alien.
3. What horror movie gives you the most chills?
I think the original Wicker Man is still pretty damn freaky, with The Shining right up there.
4. Freddy versus Jason?
Freddy has all the personality.
5. Ghosts or goblins?
Goblins. Ghosts are only good for busting.
6. What is your scariest encounter with the paranormal?
Bah. I live a life of stunning coincidences, not of paranormal encounters.
7. Do you believe in ghosts?
In a word? No.
8. Favorite Halloween costume?
That I've ever worn? Probably my Radiation suit. On other people... well, if it was a woman wearing it, any costume with the word "naughty" in front of it.
9. If you had an unlimited budget, what would your fantasy costume be for this Halloween?
A fully gelatinous blob.
10. When was the last time you went trick or treating?
19 years ago.
11. What's your favorite Halloween candy?
Funsize Wunderbars.
12. Tell us about a scary nightmare you had.
When I was a child, I had a dream that I was a news reporter and a drunk killed me by pouring beer in my ear.
13. What is your supernatural fear?
Zombies are both my strength and weakness.
14. What is your creepy-crawlie fear?
I don't like the centipedes.
15. Would you ever stay in a real haunted house overnight?
It depends on if it was a nice place otherwise. I mean, I wouldn't just go sleep in a condemned and dilapidated house, if you know what I mean.
16. Are you a traditionalist (just a face) Jack O'Lantern carver, or do you get really creative with your pumpkins?
I'm very traditional.
17. How much do you decorate your home for Halloween?
Not too much. No webs, no lights... just sort of go au natural as it were.
18. Do you think Halloween is too commercial these days? Do you miss classic Halloween costumes or traditions from your childhood?
I miss the Halloween of my childhood with horror movies for two weeks on a local station... and a general appreciation of the holiday on the airwaves. Seems like it has largely retreated to make way for more Christmas.
1. What is your favorite work of horror fiction?
Though some of you may disagree, but I'd have to say Shirley Jackson's The Lottery.
2. Who is your favorite monster?
Well, Godzilla, but that doesn't really fit with the horror theme... so I would have to say either The Thing as imagined by John Carpenter or the full grown variety of the Alien.
3. What horror movie gives you the most chills?
I think the original Wicker Man is still pretty damn freaky, with The Shining right up there.
4. Freddy versus Jason?
Freddy has all the personality.
5. Ghosts or goblins?
Goblins. Ghosts are only good for busting.
6. What is your scariest encounter with the paranormal?
Bah. I live a life of stunning coincidences, not of paranormal encounters.
7. Do you believe in ghosts?
In a word? No.
8. Favorite Halloween costume?
That I've ever worn? Probably my Radiation suit. On other people... well, if it was a woman wearing it, any costume with the word "naughty" in front of it.
9. If you had an unlimited budget, what would your fantasy costume be for this Halloween?
A fully gelatinous blob.
10. When was the last time you went trick or treating?
19 years ago.
11. What's your favorite Halloween candy?
Funsize Wunderbars.
12. Tell us about a scary nightmare you had.
When I was a child, I had a dream that I was a news reporter and a drunk killed me by pouring beer in my ear.
13. What is your supernatural fear?
Zombies are both my strength and weakness.
14. What is your creepy-crawlie fear?
I don't like the centipedes.
15. Would you ever stay in a real haunted house overnight?
It depends on if it was a nice place otherwise. I mean, I wouldn't just go sleep in a condemned and dilapidated house, if you know what I mean.
16. Are you a traditionalist (just a face) Jack O'Lantern carver, or do you get really creative with your pumpkins?
I'm very traditional.
17. How much do you decorate your home for Halloween?
Not too much. No webs, no lights... just sort of go au natural as it were.
18. Do you think Halloween is too commercial these days? Do you miss classic Halloween costumes or traditions from your childhood?
I miss the Halloween of my childhood with horror movies for two weeks on a local station... and a general appreciation of the holiday on the airwaves. Seems like it has largely retreated to make way for more Christmas.
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Fighting some Mighty Temptation
Since I bought a Playstation 2 a few years ago, I've resisted a growing urge. Of course, that urge has really been scratching at my brain as of late, and I feel that I may succumb to the temptation very soon.
You see, I've never played a Guitar Hero game, and part of me really really wants to.
At first, I resisted the impulse to play it because of the guitar controller. I've had been burned more than once on peripherals (I owned a R.O.B. Robot, Power Glove, NES Mouse etc), and well, a guitar seemed a little gimmicky to me. That and I completely suck at rhythm-based games. It is pathetic really.
And then the second installment of the game came out, and everyone was talking about it, and there were times when I wanted to bask in the light of faux thrashage, I truly did, but I've held firm in my resolve. Sure, I drove by Youtube videos online that were out of my way, but I don't have a problem.
My resolve started to really weaken this weekend with the release of Guitar Hero III... I might break before the end of November, and if I do, it will consume my very soul because I would have to achieve simulated rock perfection. It would turn me into a sweaty, leather-bedecked mess that desperately needs to melt some virtual faces. Forget about me blogging for a while... I would be sick in the head for a while if I started down that road.
I know if I open that door, there is no going back, and I don't know if I am fully prepared for that just yet.
You see, I've never played a Guitar Hero game, and part of me really really wants to.
At first, I resisted the impulse to play it because of the guitar controller. I've had been burned more than once on peripherals (I owned a R.O.B. Robot, Power Glove, NES Mouse etc), and well, a guitar seemed a little gimmicky to me. That and I completely suck at rhythm-based games. It is pathetic really.
And then the second installment of the game came out, and everyone was talking about it, and there were times when I wanted to bask in the light of faux thrashage, I truly did, but I've held firm in my resolve. Sure, I drove by Youtube videos online that were out of my way, but I don't have a problem.
My resolve started to really weaken this weekend with the release of Guitar Hero III... I might break before the end of November, and if I do, it will consume my very soul because I would have to achieve simulated rock perfection. It would turn me into a sweaty, leather-bedecked mess that desperately needs to melt some virtual faces. Forget about me blogging for a while... I would be sick in the head for a while if I started down that road.
I know if I open that door, there is no going back, and I don't know if I am fully prepared for that just yet.
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Sunday Night Video: Cake Flushing
A couple of months ago, I heard Shaun of the Dead stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost discussing their American tour to promote Hot Fuzz and they happened to mention something weird they did on a few of the dates. It was Nick Frost's birthday, so the hotels that the gang was staying at around that time gave him a cake... but because they were travelling, he couldn't take the rest of the cake with him.
So he came up with a rather novel idea: why not flush the cake and film the process. Yes, it is as stupid as it sounds, but man, it is still funny.
If I did it, I would probably laugh my ass off too.
So he came up with a rather novel idea: why not flush the cake and film the process. Yes, it is as stupid as it sounds, but man, it is still funny.
If I did it, I would probably laugh my ass off too.
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Sunday, October 28, 2007
The Costume Party: A Culture Kills Comic
If you've never seen the costume in the punchline of the comic, take a gander at it in all its horror.
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Friday, October 26, 2007
Week 24: Pageant of the Transmundane
This week's winner is someone who submitted their own work to the contest, which is something I really like to see. And considering that they are also a first time winner, well, there is also the excitement of introducing someone new to the club as well.
So who won it this week you may ask? You shall soon see.
OK, I really suck at creating tension, so I'll just get on with it.
It seems that Blayde of Blayde's Blog had a little idea. You see, they were thinking about pet ownership and all of a sudden an idea straight out of Futurama hit them. Considering the number of pets one might keep in a terrarium, the next logical step naturally seems to be putting a solar system into one.
I mean, it is an idea whose time may eventually come. It's bold, it pushes the boundaries of science playing God and I can almost see the commercials for it now. It would be bigger than the Slinky, the Pet Rock and the Hula Hoop combined.
Of course, finding a Homer Simpson picture that was appropriate for this week's winning entry may have been tough. Let's see what we have to capture in a single image: Homer Simpson, space and keeping pets in a glass enclosure. That is a tall order indeed... I don't think I can pull it off. Oh wait, I think I can indeed pull that off.
Ta-da! Welcome to the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award club Blayde. And here is your badge.
The rules of this little contest: Every week I will be selecting one blog post that I have seen from the vast reaches of the blogosphere to bestow with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award for being one of the freakiest(in a funny way) things I've seen or read during a 7 day period. It doesn't necessarily have to have been written during the week, I just had to have encountered it. That means that if you find something interesting and repost it like a movie or whatever, if I saw it at your blog first, you get the prize. Of course, creating your own content is also a very good way to win.
Now, if you see a post that you think is worthy of this illustrious prize, just drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com and we'll see if we can't get your suggestion up and award-ready while giving you some credit and a link to your own blog.
So who won it this week you may ask? You shall soon see.
OK, I really suck at creating tension, so I'll just get on with it.
It seems that Blayde of Blayde's Blog had a little idea. You see, they were thinking about pet ownership and all of a sudden an idea straight out of Futurama hit them. Considering the number of pets one might keep in a terrarium, the next logical step naturally seems to be putting a solar system into one.
I mean, it is an idea whose time may eventually come. It's bold, it pushes the boundaries of science playing God and I can almost see the commercials for it now. It would be bigger than the Slinky, the Pet Rock and the Hula Hoop combined.
Of course, finding a Homer Simpson picture that was appropriate for this week's winning entry may have been tough. Let's see what we have to capture in a single image: Homer Simpson, space and keeping pets in a glass enclosure. That is a tall order indeed... I don't think I can pull it off. Oh wait, I think I can indeed pull that off.
Ta-da! Welcome to the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award club Blayde. And here is your badge.
The rules of this little contest: Every week I will be selecting one blog post that I have seen from the vast reaches of the blogosphere to bestow with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award for being one of the freakiest(in a funny way) things I've seen or read during a 7 day period. It doesn't necessarily have to have been written during the week, I just had to have encountered it. That means that if you find something interesting and repost it like a movie or whatever, if I saw it at your blog first, you get the prize. Of course, creating your own content is also a very good way to win.
Now, if you see a post that you think is worthy of this illustrious prize, just drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com and we'll see if we can't get your suggestion up and award-ready while giving you some credit and a link to your own blog.
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Weekly Google Code Roundup: Leopard day, JavaScript fun, and the open source world.
It's Leopard day. I am really excited to get home to install the new version of OS X. It isn't actually the new operating system itself that excites me, it is the new applications that I know have been waiting for this release to be able to see the light of day. Our own Google Mac team has announced an update for Leopard, so update Google Desktop before you change your strips for spots. When you setup the new Mail.app, consider enabling IMAP in Gmail and using both (I have been looking forward to IMAP support for a long time)!
I was really excited to see our Blogger GData JavaScript client library release. I am particularly proud of the examples that came along with the release as they really show you some of our ideas and give you good starting points for your own secure mashups.
If you want to test GData endpoints, there is help for doing some testing with cURL which we documented for you.
We got to hear to some of the teams too. Bruce Johnson and Joel Webber, members of the Google Web Toolkit team, had a nice interview with Pearson before the upcoming conference on GWT.
Paul McDonald and Rich Burdon of the Google Mashup Editor Team also discussed the nuances of the GME product and where it is heading.
In the Google Maps world Pamela played with clickable Polygons and used the ability to play a game. Also, if you are a Flash-y kind of guy, you can do more with KML and Flash.
We hosted a lot of open source meetings such as:
For those that like to search across open source code, we have a new ability to tell us more about your code via the integration of Google Code Search and Sitemaps.
Fancy some video? We had some great tech talks on campus including:
- Randall Schwartz on Git
- An internal look at VMware Fusion
- Internet Security Keynote Google VP Vint Cerf
As always, check out the latest tech talks, subscribe to the Google Developer Podcast and visit the Google Code YouTube channel.
I am now heading out to get Leopard roaring, but a couple of final points. The new Google Finance Gadgets are interesting, and take a look at how our developer team lives in a Mario World.
Best Quote Involving me Ever!
There are times when someone just puts a spring in your step and last night, I got a nice little surprise from USA Today's Angela Gunn.
You see, Carnegie Mellon put together a list of the 100 blogs that you would need to read if you didn't want to miss a major development in certain areas of discussion based on a model designed for finding and containing the source of contamination within a municipal water system. Yes, on some level it is as esoteric as it sounds.
And in reporting about both the model and the list, Angela said the following:
That is 18 shades of awesome.
If you've heard me talk about Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly, I am pretty sure you can figure out where I stand on Michelle Malkin, so to both be name checked in a quote as something good, something to aspire to, while at the same time, Michelle Malkin is getting burned... to me that is one of those perfect moments in blogging.
And I know some of you reading this also read Michelle Malkin, and I am not going to rip on her, but suffice it to say, me and Mrs. Malkin do not see eye to eye on many things, nor do I like the tone she takes when she discusses those same issues.
Let's just say, the above quote really made my week.
You see, Carnegie Mellon put together a list of the 100 blogs that you would need to read if you didn't want to miss a major development in certain areas of discussion based on a model designed for finding and containing the source of contamination within a municipal water system. Yes, on some level it is as esoteric as it sounds.
And in reporting about both the model and the list, Angela said the following:
But the experience of browsing entries on that list feels more blog-aware to me, precisely because I won't necessary have the all-the-news-that-fits experience that the 100 might give. I don't need to know -- not for work, not as a person -- what the amorphous "everyone" is talking about. I want to hear what people I respect are thinking, and I want to find more people who challenge or amuse or infuriate me. I think my personal blog intake is richer with less Michelle Malkin and more Andrew Kantor and Matthew Caverhill, or more Joe Bageant and fewer Gothamist clones if you prefer -- and as for my own blog, I'd rather be original than encyclopedic.
That is 18 shades of awesome.
If you've heard me talk about Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly, I am pretty sure you can figure out where I stand on Michelle Malkin, so to both be name checked in a quote as something good, something to aspire to, while at the same time, Michelle Malkin is getting burned... to me that is one of those perfect moments in blogging.
And I know some of you reading this also read Michelle Malkin, and I am not going to rip on her, but suffice it to say, me and Mrs. Malkin do not see eye to eye on many things, nor do I like the tone she takes when she discusses those same issues.
Let's just say, the above quote really made my week.
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Thursday, October 25, 2007
I admit it: Season 7 of 24 is looking good
I was a rather vocal critic of how Season 6 of 24 developed, and I was at the point where I had the show on probation. I was going to give it 6 episodic hours to wow me.
I had a chance to see the UK preview trailer for Season 7, and I am cautiously optimistic.
OK, I am a little more than optimistic. It looks kickass. Of course, there is also some major spoilage in the below trailer, so consider yourself warned.
So now I do have some rather high hopes now. It is almost how I felt when I saw the trailer for Goldeneye after the disappointment of the Timothy Dalton Bond Movies. Let's just hope Fox or the potential writer's strike doesn't screw this up.
I had a chance to see the UK preview trailer for Season 7, and I am cautiously optimistic.
OK, I am a little more than optimistic. It looks kickass. Of course, there is also some major spoilage in the below trailer, so consider yourself warned.
So now I do have some rather high hopes now. It is almost how I felt when I saw the trailer for Goldeneye after the disappointment of the Timothy Dalton Bond Movies. Let's just hope Fox or the potential writer's strike doesn't screw this up.
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Podcast with Bruce Johnson and Joel Webber
Last week the folks at Pearson Education sat down with Bruce Johnson and Joel Webber to discuss the creation of Google Web Toolkit and Pearson's December conference Voices that Matter: Google Web Toolkit. Listen to the podcasts to hear Bruce and Joel explain the history of GWT and the challenges of building a cross-browser Java-to-Javascript compiler. They also talk about the sessions that they are most looking forward to attending at the conference, and their upcoming book on GWT. Thanks to Bruce and Joel for sharing their thoughts and to Barbara and Greg at Pearson for putting this together.
Registration for the Pearson conference is still open, but be sure to register before October 27th (this Saturday) to receive the early bird pricing discount. You can review the complete list of sessions and speakers on the conference website.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Google Hosts CIFS Workshop
Around sixty developers from over twenty different companies converged on Google's Mountain View Campus at the end of September to sample the free food. Oh yes, and also to test their implementations of the CIFS network protocol for interoperability.
CIFS, the Common Internet File System (that's Windows Networking to you and me), is the file sharing protocol build into all Windows versions, and also MacOS X, Linux, HPUX and now Solaris clients. Samba is the best known Free Software implementation of CIFS, and most of the Samba Team were there to help improve Samba3 and Samba4's interoperability along with the other CIFS vendors.
Over the three days much code was written, much beer was drunk, and the air was turned blue with cursing when bugs were found! As the Samba Team were mentoring several Google Summer of CodeTM students, we also got to record a podcast about our experiences participating in the program over the past three years.
Thanks to Google for hosting the event and setting up the gigabit networking required. The endless coffee supply was also essential when dealing with network protocol problems.
The best summary of the success of our testing occurred on the final day of the event, when a sad and frustrated CIFS client programmer wrote the following on our testing notes whiteboard:
"the server *hates* me :-) :-)"
It was great to see everyone coming together, even people from competing companies, to help fix problems with everyone's implementations of CIFS. Look for the resulting improvements in new versions of products and future releases of Samba.
The Samba Team takes a break during the CIFS Workshop.
(Photo Credit: Leslie Hawthorn)
My Highs and Lows of the Pop Culture Day
In the past 24 hours, I've read a few stories and learned about a few things that have both pleased and disturbed me. Won't you join me as I recount them.
- NO! Actress and Marilyn Manson amusement Evan Rachel Wood wants to record an album. When one of the people at the label discussing your potential career says "You should hear her karaoke!" I think that is a bad, bad sign. Yes, she was in a musical journey through the Beatles catalog, but does that make her a legitimate musical artist. I mean, Meryl Streep has quite a set of pipes on her and you don't see her releasing an album of adult contemporary standards, do you?
- YES! Portishead has an album that is nearing completion. It has been a decade since Portishead released a studio album, so hey, now is as good a time as any to comeback. I think the world needs trip hop again. Well, at least I certainly do. I wonder if their sound will be radically different now.
- NOOOOO! Fox is considering making a Women's Prison spinoff of Prison Break. Come on... in the world of spinoffs, this one, this one really feels forced, especially because it involves a character that has not even been introduced yet.
- YEEESSSSSSS! George Carlin has released a DVD retrospective of almost all his specials, starting from his first HBO gig at USC in 1977 and proceeding all the way through to 2005's Life is Worth Losing, with 10 other specials in between. It is about 14 and a half hours of comedy gold. He is my kind of asshole indeed. And we are only about a month away from being about to pick up the first of the new Futurama movies. HUZZAH!
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Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Updates from the I Free Software Forum
I recently traveled to the I Free Software Forum in Lisbon, Portugal, where I gave two talks. The first was on load balancing and the second focused on "Google e o Software Livre" (Google and Free Software). The main organizer of the conference was Ralf Braga, an old friend of mine from Brazil, who moved to Lisbon few months ago.
Both of the talks were well attended, which was great. During my load balancing talk, I covered things I found out while testing Linux Virtual Server and HAProxy, two open source software load balancing solutions. I explained a bit about the basics of load balancing, and then the pros and cons of each approach.
Lisbon is a very beautiful city. Everyone was chatting about the amazing growth of conferences about "Software Livre" in that country. There will be a total of 6 conferences about open source software around Portugal in just the next few months.
There were around of 200 people attending two simultaneous rooms of talks over two days, and most attendees were university students. One of the sponsors prepared the table for their booth in the same shape as the Ubuntu logo. Really cool. They also had Ubuntu pillows. Do we have Google Code pillows? We should. :)
The organizers are planning the second edition of the conference for next year already. I proposed to the participants that each one of them brings at least one friend who has never been to an free software conference before with them when they return. I know I'm already looking forward to going in 2008!
(The I Free Software Forum site is in Portugese. You can read an English translation.)
KDE 4.0 Release Party at Google HQ
When we met Sebas at the Ubuntu Developer Summit last November, he thought the digs were pretty cool and he asked if Google would be willing to host a release party for KDE's upcoming 4.0 launch. Since Sebas seemed like such a nice chap and we love hosting open sourcerers, we said "Hey, why not?"
While the KDE development team has been hard at work preparing Betas, we've been collaborating with the project's outreach team on details for the release party. The release party, along with typical conference activities like presentations and BoFs, will be rockin' at Google Corporate Headquarters January 17-19, 2008.
If you're looking for more information on the event, check out Troy Unrau's blog. Rumor has it that that KDE e.V., the non-profit organization behind the KDE project, will even fly one lucky KDE community member out for the release party.
We hope to see you there!
Remembering Urban Chaos: Riot Response
Read any reviews for Urban Chaos: Riot Response, the one of the first things that is mentioned is that it isn't the most innovative or original First Person Shooter out there, but it is an entertaining romp. And if you have read any of my other "Remembering" columns here, that is basically the description of any of the movies I chosen to take a closer look.I picked up this game a few weeks ago after having played the demo on Hitman: Blood Money, and I have to say, it was a good purchase on my part.
The game follows the exploits of T-Zero, a SWAT-like Anti-gang unit of an unnamed police force. You play as Nick Mason, a former marine who was recruited to the team just before it was to see major action. The villains of the game are a single gang of anarchist terrorists called the Burners, whose mode of dress is straight out of The Road Warrior. I mean, every member of the gang is sporting some form of hockey mask and some form of leather wear. Through 17 missions, you guide Mason as he tries to bring peace to the city by protecting civilians and other emergency workers(like Firemen and EMS personnel) and killing or arresting gang members. As the scenarios unfold, the Burners get more and more brazen about their attacks on the city, and to put that into perspective, the first mission involves defending the police station that T-Zero is based out of from an attack by the gang who are trying to liberate one of their leaders who was arrested earlier in the day. With that as a starting point, you can imagine that things get a lot more intense as the months of action go by.
Each mission is prefaced with live action news segment from Channel 7 News, and there is this undercurrent through many of the early missions that the media and public opinion is against T-Zero as well, seeing it as a multimillion dollar boondoggle. Of course, as things start to go from bad to worse, opinion about the team starts to change for the better. Your peers in the emergency services however see you in action every day, so they have quite a different and more positive view of T-Zero's work from the start, and the game is designed so you have a symbiotic relationship with them, as you help keep them safe from the gangs while they go about their work and they help you when you need it. For example, firemen can naturally put out fires and knock down locked doors to allow you to access to areas you need to patrol. Now for the most part, your weaponry is also pretty standard: a pistol, shotgun, stun gun and assault rifle. You can also pick up weapons from your fallen foes, though generally your starting weapons are better anyway. But, there is one additional piece of equipment which really makes a different. Seeing as the game is subtitled Riot Response, you are also equipped with a riot shield, which when in use protects you from thrown items like Molotov cocktails and hand weapons, but it can also stop bullets and be used to knock out gang members if they get too close, and that thud is a very satisfying sound. It is a great gameplay device, as it allowed the developer to change the pace of the game at times, as there are situations where it is essential for your survival.
All in all, it is a very fast paced game, and one keeping with many of the traditions of the medium. In a way, the game sort of reminds me of an old school beat 'em up from the 1980's or 1990's remade as a FPS... like if Mayor Mike Haggar in Final Fight was a kick ass supercop.
I also liked the fact that unlike a lot of other games using the criminal/law enforcement angle, there are no drugs involved. Not one reference. And that was refreshing really, because it seemed like in modern police gaming everything boiled down to that issue.
When I sat down to write this, I started to think that if you took 4-5 missions from the game, stitched them together as a narrative and presented it on film, I think you would have the makings of a great heroic bloodshed movie in style, and the last two missions lend themselves especially well to this kind of treatment.
So, is it the best game out there? No. Is it a fun bloody little romp through some gritty, crime-filled streets? You bet your ass!
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Monday, October 22, 2007
CBS pulls the trigger on first Cancellation!
Remember when I said that because of the looming writers' strike, it was likely that no scripted shows were going to be canceled.
Well, scratch that. We have our first victim of the year.
Viva Laughlin!
Yes, the setup sort of worked with David Tennant on the BBC's Blackpool, so I can see why Hugh Jackman wanted to do it.
Of course, you could just knock me over with a feather, you really could because we all know that musically driven scripted dramas have been Nielsen gold. Just ask Stephen Bochco. And putting it on after the hard as nails, blood and gore of CSI was also a stroke of genius on the part of CBS.
Put it this way, if I was playing a TV series death pool, I would have probably picked this one #1.
I think the math goes something like this:
Hugh Jackman + Singing + a Nevada city in the title + A British series import that doesn't have some Ricky Gervais juice in it = 1 packet of insta-cancellation.
I am betting the CBS execs are really kicking themselves because they didn't pick up that Zombie drama. Now that would have been something worth singing about.
Well, scratch that. We have our first victim of the year.
Viva Laughlin!
Yes, the setup sort of worked with David Tennant on the BBC's Blackpool, so I can see why Hugh Jackman wanted to do it.
Of course, you could just knock me over with a feather, you really could because we all know that musically driven scripted dramas have been Nielsen gold. Just ask Stephen Bochco. And putting it on after the hard as nails, blood and gore of CSI was also a stroke of genius on the part of CBS.
Put it this way, if I was playing a TV series death pool, I would have probably picked this one #1.
I think the math goes something like this:
Hugh Jackman + Singing + a Nevada city in the title + A British series import that doesn't have some Ricky Gervais juice in it = 1 packet of insta-cancellation.
I am betting the CBS execs are really kicking themselves because they didn't pick up that Zombie drama. Now that would have been something worth singing about.
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The hardest books to read
Here is my list of the three hardest books to read to your children:
- Fox in Socks: Dr Seuss went crazy with the tongue twisters
- Where did I come from?: Explicit, awkward, yet informative
- Sadako: You'll know what I mean if you attempt to read it.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Sunday Night Video: A Bit of Fry and Laurie
Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie have a long and storied history working with each other on the small screen from Blackadder to Jeeves and Wooster. And between 1987 and 1995, they also put together 26 episodes of sketch comedy on the show, A Bit of Fry and Laurie.
This is a strange little sketch from that show.
Nothing more I really need to say except it really reminded me of something Monty Python would do.
This is a strange little sketch from that show.
Nothing more I really need to say except it really reminded me of something Monty Python would do.
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Saturday, October 20, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
Week 23: Pageant of the Transmundane
This week, I should be reporting from New York, Montreal or Boston as once again a heavy hitter has won this award, but alas, I am sitting on my ass in a bus station outside of South Bend, Indiana, which is still a pretty auspicious place to be for this award period.
By now, you may have a few of the usual suspects playing through your head, and have likely guessed who won the award this week. But for those of you who haven't been following this award for a long time, there is a man who stands astride the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Awards like Jack Nicholson at the Oscars.
That man is Mr. Fabulous at Pointless Drivel.
A few weeks back, I sort of called Mr. Fabulous out after another blogger pulled a stunt which was of his caliber of demented work. And boy, did he deliver.
I don't know if my admonishment did anything to stoke the fires within, but I have to say, I am notably impressed by his restraint.
You see, after yet another blogger called him out about his sensitive palate, well, he decided to buy the hottest hot sauce he could find and put his tongue to the test. What happened after that is gold, fried gold, man!
You are a sick, sick man Fab. And I think the image below is appropriate for this Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award, don't you?
And I am sure you know what to do with one of these as well:
The rules of this little contest: Every week I will be selecting one blog post that I have seen from the vast reaches of the blogosphere to bestow with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award for being one of the freakiest(in a funny way) things I've seen or read during a 7 day period. It doesn't necessarily have to have been written during the week, I just had to have encountered it. That means that if you find something interesting and repost it like a movie or whatever, if I saw it at your blog first, you get the prize. Of course, creating your own content is also a very good way to win.
Now, if you see a post that you think is worthy of this illustrious prize, just drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com and we'll see if we can't get your suggestion up and award-ready while giving you some credit and a link to your own blog.
By now, you may have a few of the usual suspects playing through your head, and have likely guessed who won the award this week. But for those of you who haven't been following this award for a long time, there is a man who stands astride the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Awards like Jack Nicholson at the Oscars.
That man is Mr. Fabulous at Pointless Drivel.
A few weeks back, I sort of called Mr. Fabulous out after another blogger pulled a stunt which was of his caliber of demented work. And boy, did he deliver.
I don't know if my admonishment did anything to stoke the fires within, but I have to say, I am notably impressed by his restraint.
You see, after yet another blogger called him out about his sensitive palate, well, he decided to buy the hottest hot sauce he could find and put his tongue to the test. What happened after that is gold, fried gold, man!
You are a sick, sick man Fab. And I think the image below is appropriate for this Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award, don't you?
And I am sure you know what to do with one of these as well:
The rules of this little contest: Every week I will be selecting one blog post that I have seen from the vast reaches of the blogosphere to bestow with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award for being one of the freakiest(in a funny way) things I've seen or read during a 7 day period. It doesn't necessarily have to have been written during the week, I just had to have encountered it. That means that if you find something interesting and repost it like a movie or whatever, if I saw it at your blog first, you get the prize. Of course, creating your own content is also a very good way to win.
Now, if you see a post that you think is worthy of this illustrious prize, just drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com and we'll see if we can't get your suggestion up and award-ready while giving you some credit and a link to your own blog.
Tags:
Professor Johnny Marr... I love the sound of that
I just read today that Johnny Marr, cofounding member of the Smiths, has been given a position at the University of Salford as a visiting professor for courses on popular music and recording techniques.
That is fan-freakin'-tastic. I am sort of jealous really, and I don't even play music.
I wonder how many of his students will end up making a contribution to the world of popular music? Only time will tell.
That is fan-freakin'-tastic. I am sort of jealous really, and I don't even play music.
I wonder how many of his students will end up making a contribution to the world of popular music? Only time will tell.
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Blogger GData JavaScript client library released with offline Blogger client example
Near the end of September we announced the release of a new GData JavaScript client library that allowed you to do full read-write access to Google Calendar from JavaScript.
We now have another service for you to have at. A GData JavaScript client for Blogger has been released, which means that you can now do richer mashups with blog content.
We sat down with Ryan Boyd and Pamela Fox to discuss the release and delved into some of the sample applications that have already been written. They include:
- A tool that takes your upcoming Calendar entries and creates blog posts of the events
- A code snippet that you can add to your website that enables visitors to your site to click on a link to comment on your content on their own blog
- Code that allows you to search blogs on various topics, find entries, and again allow users to comment on their own blog
Pamela also worked on Blog.gears, a Blogger client that works offline using Google Gears. She took some time to take a peak at the architecture behind the application, and then walked us through the application itself.
If you have ever wished that you could do writable Blogger mashups without the need of proxy code on your own server, take a peak at the new client library, and listen in:
An interview with Paul McDonald and Rich Burdon of the Google Mashup Editor Team
We had the pleasure of sitting down with two of the Google Mashup Editor team to discuss the product and how developers can use it to build mashups in short order.
We start out by discussing what the product actually is. The term "mashup" is a very overloaded term out there, so a mashup editor could do a number of things. What are the pieces? How does it compare to other tools like Yahoo! Pipes (complementary!)? What are the user and global feeds?
We then delve into practices for building your mashups, and discuss good examples that are out there. We finish up discussing areas that the team would like to delve into as the product evolves.
So, take some time to download the episode directly, or subscribe to the show (click here for iTunes one-click subscribe).
Thanks to Paul and Rich for taking the time to chat with us.
Livin' in a Mario World
I think we all remember the 8-bit awesome that was classic Super Mario Brothers. Most of us in Developer Ops have spent many hours immersed in the pixelated world of question marks, mushrooms, coins, and Koopas. So, when the cube decorating contest (the theme was 'Games') was announced, the course of action seemed obvious.
I recruited a few lieutenants and we had some brainstorming sessions -- complete with design docs sketched out on a whiteboard.
There would be two main areas - the classic Level 1 terrain and an underwater level. We took on this task with typical Google vigor -- 15 yards of blue cloth, 5 rolls of saran wrap, 10 pieces of posterboard, foam, lots of color printer toner, and a few afterwork hours/weekends later, here are some of the results.
They say that a good work environment increases productivity. Where better to seek inspiration than the hardest working plumber ever?
Living the dream.
Stephanie Liu
On behalf of the Developer Operations team
P.S. In case you were wondering, we came in 2nd to Analytics (their theme was Jumanji). They had a motion sensor box that triggered a tiger roar when you walked by though. It was pretty cool.
Either it is brilliant or the stupidest video ever
I think either you'll love it or you'll hate it.
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Thursday, October 18, 2007
Tell us about the code on your site with Code Search Sitemaps
We've heard from a number of site owners who want to make sure their public source code is searchable via Google Code Search. To help with that, we extended the Sitemap Protocol to support code files. This makes it possible to specify all the code files on your site, as well as the programming language and software license for each file.
To get started, check out the new Code Search tags for Sitemaps. For complete software packages that are archives (.tar, .tar.gz, .tar.bz2, or .zip), you can create a packagemap file to describe all the individual code files in each package. For example:
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9"
xmlns:codesearch="http://www.google.com/codesearch/schemas/sitemap/1.0">
<url>
<loc>http://example.com/download/myfile.c</loc>
<codesearch:codesearch>
<codesearch:filetype>C</codesearch:filetype>
<codesearch:license>LGPL</codesearch:license>
</codesearch:codesearch>
</url>
<url>
<loc>http://example.com/download/myproject.tgz</loc>
<codesearch:codesearch>
<codesearch:filetype>archive</codesearch:filetype>
<codesearch:license>Apache</codesearch:license>
<codesearch:packagemap>packagemap.xml</codesearch:packagemap>
</codesearch:codesearch>
</url>
</urlset>
Once you've created your Sitemap, post it to a public URL on your site and then be sure to submit it through Google Webmaster Tools.
We hope this effort will help make even more code accessible and useful for developers. Let us know what you think. There's still a lot more code out there, so we'll keep working on improving Google Code Search as a tool for finding it.
The Roaming Gnome is Missing
While on a visit to Northwestern University, Travelocity's Roaming Gnome was kidnapped. There are no suspects in the case. The Roaming Gnome, a both much loved and much hated spokesman for Travelocity, who began his work with the company as an unwilling participant, but soon began to work voluntarily for the company, was taken from the University's Transportation Center while another employee of the company and alumnus of the school was conducting a Q and A session with students.
Theories abound as to the motives of the kidnappers. Some say the criminals were members of the Garden Gnome Liberation Front, others say that the offenders are holding the Travelocity mascot for ransom, while another theory suggests that the ultimate goal of the kidnapping was in fact to put the gnome on a rocket and send it into space, giving it the journey of a half-lifetime.
Of course, the idea that someone took the ad icon for even more sinister purposes can't be discounted. We don't yet know if the Roaming Gnome was the victim of foul play. Perhaps some sick individual decided to put a few slugs into the clay celebrity or is going to make a seedy snuff film with the Gnome? It is too early in this mystery to speculate.
What I do know is, this story is a little more sane than the Ellen Degeneres drama, wouldn't you agree?
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A Darwinian Meme
SamuraiFrog tagged me for this meme, and since I've been a little bit blocked, I thought that a little more meme action would be ok. I am not going to include the rules in this post because they are frankly really confusing. Basically, as this goes around, it is supposed to slowly evolve as people alter the questions. That is the gist of it really.
Here is my go at it:
1. The best time travel novel in SF/Fantasy is...
I was taken with Downtiming the Night Side by Jack Chalker myself.
2. The best cop story you've ever read:
I really liked Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett. It is a good little police procedural in a department that is just getting itself back on its feet... oh, and it is light fantasy as well.
3. The best Protest song in rock is:
Combat Rock by Sleater Kinney
Now, I am supposed to tag someone, but alas, I don't do that.
Here is my go at it:
1. The best time travel novel in SF/Fantasy is...
I was taken with Downtiming the Night Side by Jack Chalker myself.
2. The best cop story you've ever read:
I really liked Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett. It is a good little police procedural in a department that is just getting itself back on its feet... oh, and it is light fantasy as well.
3. The best Protest song in rock is:
Combat Rock by Sleater Kinney
Now, I am supposed to tag someone, but alas, I don't do that.
Tags:
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Joomla!Day USA East at Google
Last weekend, Google hosted the first Joomla!Day to be held in New York City. We had around 80 users and developers join us to discuss everything from the GPL to cool new features added to the project's latest release candidate. We had a mix of scheduled talks and unconference-styl breakout sessions, plus a cool hacking lounge open throughout the day. We concluded with a review and collaborative feedback session on the Joomla! sites created by several of the conference attendees.
(Photo Credit: Ben Freda)
If you'd like to hear a bit more about the event and some of the co-conspirators who made our day a success, check out the wrap up post by Louis Landry, Joomla! Project Manager and one of their developers.
Many thanks to all of our guests for joining us and sharing their time and collective creativity!
Data driving
Stephen Dubner outlines ways of getting the kiddies interested in data.
First, the kids will vote on their favorite and least favorite playgrounds in the park. Then they will collect data on a variety of metrics: number of swings, amount of open space, shady vs. sunny areas, etc. Then they will try to figure out the factors that make a good playground good and a bad playground bad. They will also consider the safety of each playground, and other measures.That reminds me of our next planned school holiday activity: "does the law of large numbers really work? Let's toss a coin a thousand times and see."
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Threat of a Writers' Strike boon to new programming
Well, I have some good news for those of you who started watching a new series this season.
I think we've all been burned by the quick cancellations of new shows by overzealous network executives, and we probably all have stories recounting how a certain network has done you wrong time and time again. However, things may be a little different this year. I don't remember hearing about anything getting canceled this season. I haven't even heard rumors that a show is on the ropes and is on the verge of being axed, and I thought it was odd at first, but then I found out why.
You see, there is a looming writers' strike, so it looks like if a network filmed episodes of a series or even ordered additional scripts, we will likely see them, because they need that content and if they cancel a show, they are going to have to scramble to find something else to fill that slot. So, no matter how bad a show it doing, it will likely stick around for some time.
Of course, because the networks are trying to get as many scripts done and ready for filming before the strike, there could be some quality issues for older and more established series, as the rush will likely result in fewer drafts of material and some story lines not getting the attention they likely would under normal circumstances, and depending on how long the strike lasts, some finales may also be affected, as I've heard that if the strike goes on into next year, that is the theoretical limit to how many scripts can be produced for any scripted series, after which, reruns and reality shows will likely rule the roast.
And seeing as January is also the premiere month for both Lost and 24, those shows would be particularly hard hit by a strike (especially 24, whose star has to go to jail both before and after this current season, so time is very tight indeed for the exploits of Jack Bauer).
So, while the prospect of some of these new series getting a better chance to find an audience sounds good, well, the long-term consequences of strike could be disastrous for every fan of scripted programming, especially when you look at what followed the 1988 strike.
I think we've all been burned by the quick cancellations of new shows by overzealous network executives, and we probably all have stories recounting how a certain network has done you wrong time and time again. However, things may be a little different this year. I don't remember hearing about anything getting canceled this season. I haven't even heard rumors that a show is on the ropes and is on the verge of being axed, and I thought it was odd at first, but then I found out why.
You see, there is a looming writers' strike, so it looks like if a network filmed episodes of a series or even ordered additional scripts, we will likely see them, because they need that content and if they cancel a show, they are going to have to scramble to find something else to fill that slot. So, no matter how bad a show it doing, it will likely stick around for some time.
Of course, because the networks are trying to get as many scripts done and ready for filming before the strike, there could be some quality issues for older and more established series, as the rush will likely result in fewer drafts of material and some story lines not getting the attention they likely would under normal circumstances, and depending on how long the strike lasts, some finales may also be affected, as I've heard that if the strike goes on into next year, that is the theoretical limit to how many scripts can be produced for any scripted series, after which, reruns and reality shows will likely rule the roast.
And seeing as January is also the premiere month for both Lost and 24, those shows would be particularly hard hit by a strike (especially 24, whose star has to go to jail both before and after this current season, so time is very tight indeed for the exploits of Jack Bauer).
So, while the prospect of some of these new series getting a better chance to find an audience sounds good, well, the long-term consequences of strike could be disastrous for every fan of scripted programming, especially when you look at what followed the 1988 strike.
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Monday, October 15, 2007
Sigurd Magnusson of SilverStripe on open source and the Summer of Code
Sigurd Magnusson, co-founder of the SilverStripe open source CMS platform, was in town for the mentor summit that wrapped up the Summer of Code.
We used that opportunity to grab him, put him in a Tiki hut, and chat with him about SilverStripe. We discuss life as an open source company, and the experience and advice based on having ten students enrolled in the summer of code program.
Thanks to Ohloh we have statistics on the code produced by the students. Obviously, the lines of code metric is purely quantitative and doesn't show the actual work involved, but it is great to see how these students have produced:
In the chat below you will hear about some of the really cool additions that SilverStripe has in its trunk thanks to the students.
Conan O'Brien on Jim Gaffigan
I've discussed both Jim Gaffigan and Conan O'Brien here, and when a video come along that is sort of in the spirit of Iconoclasts, I just have to run with it.
There is no panda content, which is a relief. However, it isn't kosher, as there is talk about sweet, tender bacon.
Thanks to Myspace's Paul Armstrong for sending me this wonderful clip.
There is no panda content, which is a relief. However, it isn't kosher, as there is talk about sweet, tender bacon.
Thanks to Myspace's Paul Armstrong for sending me this wonderful clip.
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Sunday, October 14, 2007
Methods of Destroying Someone in Historic Order: A Culture Kills Comic
It's bad when the title uses more words than the actual comic.
Oh well.
Oh well.
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Friday, October 12, 2007
Week 22: Pageant of the Transmundane
This week's winner is Adino Online, who last week had an image-filled post comparing German and Chinese culture, and it is very illuminating.
Homer's worked for Germans, but he visited China, which I think gives the edge to China in the representation for this award. Therefore, I chose an image of Homer Simpson strangling and being strangled by a panda for this week's Transmundanity Award.
Congratulations Adino, and here is a badge to celebrate your win.
The rules of this little contest: Every week I will be selecting one blog post that I have seen from the vast reaches of the blogosphere to bestow with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award for being one of the freakiest(in a funny way) things I've seen or read during a 7 day period. It doesn't necessarily have to have been written during the week, I just had to have encountered it. That means that if you find something interesting and repost it like a movie or whatever, if I saw it at your blog first, you get the prize. Of course, creating your own content is also a very good way to win.
Now, if you see a post that you think is worthy of this illustrious prize, just drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com and we'll see if we can't get your suggestion up and award-ready while giving you some credit and a link to your own blog.
Homer's worked for Germans, but he visited China, which I think gives the edge to China in the representation for this award. Therefore, I chose an image of Homer Simpson strangling and being strangled by a panda for this week's Transmundanity Award.
Congratulations Adino, and here is a badge to celebrate your win.
The rules of this little contest: Every week I will be selecting one blog post that I have seen from the vast reaches of the blogosphere to bestow with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award for being one of the freakiest(in a funny way) things I've seen or read during a 7 day period. It doesn't necessarily have to have been written during the week, I just had to have encountered it. That means that if you find something interesting and repost it like a movie or whatever, if I saw it at your blog first, you get the prize. Of course, creating your own content is also a very good way to win.
Now, if you see a post that you think is worthy of this illustrious prize, just drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com and we'll see if we can't get your suggestion up and award-ready while giving you some credit and a link to your own blog.
Tags:
20 Questions: A Meme
Since it is an easy, breezy Friday Afternoon, I thought it was time for me to make up a new meme.
Basically the premise is that you ask and answer 5 questions each about literature, movies, television and video games. You can use some or all of my questions, and you can make up you own if the fancy suits you.
And like nearly every meme here at Culture Kills, you are under no obligation to do this, as there is no tagging slot with this one.
So here we go!
Literature:
Best books you read in school: Fifth Business by Robertson Davies
Books you hated in school: Catcher in the Rye and A Separate Peace
Book you keep meaning to read but haven't gotten around to: I have a copy of Don Delilio's Underworld sitting on my table... it has been with me for almost a decade.
Favorite Author: Terry Pratchett, with James Ellroy a close second.
Place from a book you'd like to inhabit: The Dublin of Joyce's memory in Ulysses
Gaming:
Most satisfying plot-related death: Officer Tenpenny: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - That dude had to die, he just had to.
Most satisfying ending: North America's Final Fantasy II - That thing wrapped up almost every storyline in the entire game.
Most Disappointing ending: Final Fantasy VII: What was that?!? It was a ripoff, that's what it was.
Favorite lead character: Has to be Cortez from the TimeSplitters games... bet you all thought I was going say Solid Snake or someone from the GTA games, didn't you.
Game you wish you could play but can't: (because you don't have the console or your computer won't run it) - One of the three great First Person shooters from the Xbox 360 (Bioshock, Gears of War or Halo 3).
Television:
Favorite show all time: WKRP in Cincinnati - I loves me some Les Nessman and Bailey Quarters.
Favorite Theme Song: The Equalizer, Mastermind (Approaching Menace), and CHiPs.
Have you ever bought a series on DVD that you didn't watch on TV first: Well, I bought 30 Rock because I couldn't watch it on Thursdays. I guess that counts.
If you had to stop watching a particular show, which would be your first choice: As I said last night, it would likely be CSI
Should NYPD Blue-style swearing and partial nudity be back on the air: Hell Yeah!
Film:
Best Shootout: The Hospital Scene in Hard Boiled.
Best Car Chase: The Chase in Nice in Ronin.
Best Fight Sequence: The final fight in Kung Fu Hustle.
Character actor you love to hate: This was a close one, but I think the late J.T. Walsh wins out over William Atherton.
Someone who should be in every movie released this year: Samuel L. Jackson. Come on. You knew I was going to say it.
Basically the premise is that you ask and answer 5 questions each about literature, movies, television and video games. You can use some or all of my questions, and you can make up you own if the fancy suits you.
And like nearly every meme here at Culture Kills, you are under no obligation to do this, as there is no tagging slot with this one.
So here we go!
Literature:
Best books you read in school: Fifth Business by Robertson Davies
Books you hated in school: Catcher in the Rye and A Separate Peace
Book you keep meaning to read but haven't gotten around to: I have a copy of Don Delilio's Underworld sitting on my table... it has been with me for almost a decade.
Favorite Author: Terry Pratchett, with James Ellroy a close second.
Place from a book you'd like to inhabit: The Dublin of Joyce's memory in Ulysses
Gaming:
Most satisfying plot-related death: Officer Tenpenny: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - That dude had to die, he just had to.
Most satisfying ending: North America's Final Fantasy II - That thing wrapped up almost every storyline in the entire game.
Most Disappointing ending: Final Fantasy VII: What was that?!? It was a ripoff, that's what it was.
Favorite lead character: Has to be Cortez from the TimeSplitters games... bet you all thought I was going say Solid Snake or someone from the GTA games, didn't you.
Game you wish you could play but can't: (because you don't have the console or your computer won't run it) - One of the three great First Person shooters from the Xbox 360 (Bioshock, Gears of War or Halo 3).
Television:
Favorite show all time: WKRP in Cincinnati - I loves me some Les Nessman and Bailey Quarters.
Favorite Theme Song: The Equalizer, Mastermind (Approaching Menace), and CHiPs.
Have you ever bought a series on DVD that you didn't watch on TV first: Well, I bought 30 Rock because I couldn't watch it on Thursdays. I guess that counts.
If you had to stop watching a particular show, which would be your first choice: As I said last night, it would likely be CSI
Should NYPD Blue-style swearing and partial nudity be back on the air: Hell Yeah!
Film:
Best Shootout: The Hospital Scene in Hard Boiled.
Best Car Chase: The Chase in Nice in Ronin.
Best Fight Sequence: The final fight in Kung Fu Hustle.
Character actor you love to hate: This was a close one, but I think the late J.T. Walsh wins out over William Atherton.
Someone who should be in every movie released this year: Samuel L. Jackson. Come on. You knew I was going to say it.
Tags:
Weekly Google Code Roundup: Lots of Geo, feeling Ajax-y and another SoC graduation
Weekly Google Code Roundup: Lots of Geo, feeling Ajax-y and another SoC graduation
It really rained today, which has been the biggest rain that I have seen since moving to Mountain View. I am used to it, since I hail from England, and I have the chance to go back to London to speak on Google Gears at the Future of Web Apps conference. We learned more about Vortex, a simple new offline and sync abstraction on top of Gears.
In other Ajax news, the Ajax API team released a nice new Dynamic Feed Control that has a wizard that helps you find feeds.
The GWT team are looking forward to Pearson's GWT conference which offers dedicated time with GWT developers and core engineers. The Rialto framework also joined the GWT family by creating a GWT wrapper of itself.
The bulk of the news seemed to center around the geo landscape.
Chris Schalk wrote a detailed article on mashing Google Maps with Oracle XML DB and Java.
Pamela announced a new LabeledMarker which supports marker and label toggling, and the Google Mashup Editor team has updated its geo coding in maps.
There were some really fun feature additions too. You can now play YouTube videos from within Google Earth. It is great to zoom in on the Eiffel tower and see videos related to it.
The Earth team have also made it much easier to explore Earth in general. I enjoy the history of London.
If you aren't sure whether it is daytime or not when you drunkenly call your friend who is in europe, flip over to the featured DaylightMap site that always shows you where the sun shines.
We will finish with some interesting news for the newest coders:
- Patrick Copeland talked about a new class around testing Google Mashup Editor that will be on offer to the University of Irvine students
- We had a graduation of our own as we wrapped up our Third Summer of Code
- Completing the student theme, Christophe Bisciglia discussed his Google Code for Educators work and pointed to the MapReduce lectures
As always, check out the latest tech talks, subscribe to the Google Developer Podcast and visit the Google Code YouTube channel.
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