pcal.net

I thought Guitar Hero was the lamest thing ever - until I actually played it the other day. I loved
Parappa the Rappa and GH is just another take on that idea.

Then I discovered Frets on Fire: open source community, people contribute hundereds of songs. So I did one of my own - I attempted to transcribe a short song by one of my old bands. It was not easy onaccounta the tools are not very good. (Apologies for the solo in the middle Ralfie - I just couldn’t figure it out).

Anyway, here it is: ninepin.zip

 

I’m not truly lame until I buy the guitar controller thingie and hook it up to my MacBook. Which is possible with a PSX/USB adapter. Not that I am going to get one.

The mac port of
DEFCON
is finally out.

It basically takes the last scene from

WarGames
and makes a real-time strategy game out of it. I’m still figuring out how the game part of it works (I played the Windows version a while ago), but the unique mood and aesthetics alone justify the purchase - it simply looks and feels like nothing you’ve ever played before.

“So, um, there are these robots that come and destroy almost all of the humans on the other side of the galaxy. But a few humans get away on a big spaceship and the show is basically about them running away from the robots and…but yeah, no - it’s really really good. No, it’s really nothing like Star Trek. Um, yeah, really, you should check it out. I even have the DVDs”

That’s pretty much how a fan of Battlestar Galactica sounds when trying to convince a friend to watch it. After giving the clumsy spiel myself for a while, I’ve lately had the pleasure of hearing other people stumble through it.

But BSG really is hands down the best TV sci-fi ever, and I’d be willing to make the case that it’s some of the best dramatic writing on TV in any genre. It isn’t about spaceships and robots; it’s about 9/11, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay. Really. I’m often amazed that the show doesn’t make headlines for the boldness of the subject matter.

But while it’s bold, it’s also subtle. There is no preaching. There is no editorializing. The writers simply say “here is the world, it’s very complex, you figure out what to think about it.” It’s so refreshing - that mode is almost completely absent from political and cultural discourse in 21st century America. Maybe it’s no surprise that you have to go to outer space to find it.

…

Unfortunately, as I write this, I am also wondering if the show has jumped the shark. I recently caught up on a episode 7 of the current season, and it was just plain bad. Laden with possibilities, it landed with a thud. It’s the first time I’ve felt like the writers have lost sight of where they are going. Here’s hoping it’s a blip and not a trend.

If you haven’t watched, it might be time to start now before things start going downhill. (And you do have to watch it from the beginning or you will be very lost).

1. If you have never played World of Warcraft, don’t bother reading the rest.
2. I have been true to my word and not played WoW in nearly a year.
3. I am nonetheless quite tempted to buy one of these hats:

The results of my handiwork this past weekend: