NovemberNov 14 Saturday 09
On relationships, failure rates, and asking the right question
Last night I attended the wedding of some old high school friends (grats! Ben & Kim). Interestingly enough, it was the second wedding I’ve attended this month that joined together a couple that had been a couple for over eight years (grats! also to James & Nancy). …
NovemberNov 12 Thursday 09
Officially back after the hack
So last thursday, just as I was about to shut down and leave the office, I received my least favorite twitter message of all time. Basically, I was informed through the tweet that my blog had been hacked. Very confused, I pulled up my browser and sure enough, my blog …
NovemberNov 3 Tuesday 09
Why no advancements in alarm clocks?
Go ahead and take a quick look at your alarm clock. If you're not home right now, close your eyes and visualize it for a moment. Don't worry, I'll wait. Now that you've got it, try to remember the alarm clock you owned before that one. Now the one before that. If …
OctoberOct 1 Thursday 09
No turn on red, except sometimes
I’m not sure if everyone in the less traffic-heavy parts of the country have them too, but here in Southern California we have these intersections where you can’t make a right turn at a red light. It’s not every intersection, it’s just these specific ones. …
SeptemberSep 25 Friday 09
FlashForward: ABC’s new time paradox
When I first heard about ABC’s new primetime drama FlashForward, I just had to laugh. I would have loved to have sat in on the meeting this thing was pitched at. “Ok, so here’s what we got! Everyone. On the entire planet, right? They like all pass out at the …
SeptemberSep 24 Thursday 09
The Good, the Bad, and the ODST
Back in September of 2007, Bungie Studios took their beloved Halo series “Next Gen” with the release of Halo 3 for the Xbox 360. Making full use of the beefier console’s graphics capabilities and revamped controller design, the game revolutionized the way we …
SeptemberSep 16 Wednesday 09
Scribblenauts: Write Anything. Solve Everything.
In the weeks leading up to E3 2009, everyone already knew what games they were excited for. They knew the big first party releases, they new the big sequels, and they knew exactly what they were going to be reporting on after each of the big press conferences. But …
SeptemberSep 15 Tuesday 09
Why do comics and graphic novels get such a bad rap?
Earlier this year, while the theatrical release of Watchmen was going closer, I ran out and picked up a copy of the graphic novel it was based on. To incentivize myself to actually finish it before the film’s release, I made the task one of my new years …
SeptemberSep 13 Sunday 09
Should all CG films go 3D?
This past week I saw Shane Acker’s latest film 9, a full-length reimagining of his 2005 short film (of the same name). Without a doubt the film is stunningly gorgeous. The miniaturized characters in their destroyed, post-apocalyptic world completely worked …
SeptemberSep 6 Sunday 09
The Film Gamer and it’s inevitable tie-in to Microsoft’s Project Natal
One of the big new stories coming out of E3 this year was Microsoft’s announcement of Project Natal; a stereoscopic camera input system for the Xbox 360 that provides gamers complete 1-to-1 full-body control over their in game characters. This past weekend, …
AugustAug 31 Monday 09
My concern about the 3D in Avatar
If you’ve been to a theater in the last week or so, or if you pay attention to any of the chatter surrounding the film industry, you’ve probably heard about the James Cameron Sci-Fi epic, Avatar. This film has been promising to be the greatest demonstration of both …
AugustAug 19 Wednesday 09
The benefits of being an early riser
For years I’ve considered myself a creature of the night. I would regularly go so sleep after 2:00am and I’d always set my alarm for the last possible second I could safely wake up without completely destroying my schedule for the following day. This seemed like the …
AugustAug 7 Friday 09
Chivalry, female independence, and checkout girls
With the exception of lunches at the office, I do all of my grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s. I generally shop their once a week and buy exactly 1 week’s worth of groceries. I have this perfect system where in I will only ever grab a hand basket and once I’ve …
JulyJul 27 Monday 09
One little regret
Just about everyone has experienced something in their life that they regret. Whether it’s the way they acted in that relationship, their decision to go that that party, their unwillingness to talk to that girl, or any number of things, there is always some huge event …
JulyJul 21 Tuesday 09
Intersections and awkward car alignment
I don’t know about you, but when it comes to driving, a majority of my frustrations and intolerance towards other drivers come from sitting at traffic lights or attempting to cross through intersections. Whether it’s annoying drivers who take cuts and can’t obey …
JulyJul 6 Monday 09
Transformers 2 TV spot proves the studios don’t care
If you happened to catch episode 26 of The Spoiler Warning Podcast, then you heard my review of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. You heard me rant, get upset, and voice how terrible I thought it was. But that was nothing compared to how pissed I am now, having …
JuneJun 26 Friday 09
Special Effects: Why realistic is less believable
This afternoon Apple posted the new HD trailer for Roland Emmerich’s new Film 2012, an “epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors”. It amazes me how terrible the effects look in …
JuneJun 9 Tuesday 09
In defense of the 'unfair' iPhone 3Gs pricing
Apple's WWDC keynote yesterday was probably one of the more exciting one's we've seen for a while now. We got a few quick looks at Snow Leopard (and it's amazing $29 price tag) and we got the big announcement of the new iPhone. I for one was completely excited. …
MayMay 31 Sunday 09
What’s up with all the Twitter spam?
From the moment Twitter made the public timeline searchable, the spam followers have been out in droves. If you mention a product name, that company begins following you. If you name a problem, someone claiming to have a solution begins following you. If you tweet about …
MayMay 12 Tuesday 09
Spoilers vs Familiarity
If you’ve ever been excited about a film, only to have major plot elements ruined for you by some jerk, then you know that spoilers are one of the worst things you can possibly experience as a filmgoer. While a film may be worth repeat viewings, you’ll never be able …