Indie Game Jam
Right now (yes literally right now), I'm on the road shooting something which may or may not turn into something really great. Of course, it could also turn out to be absolute rubbish. The funny thing about this is this: The thing I'm doing is about people doing something exactly like that.
I'm at the Indie Game Jam 3 in Oakland at the beautiful Washington Inn. Fifteen feet away from me are twenty some people that are intently trying to create finished video games in just under four days. I won't go into the history of the Jam, (I'll let the website tell you that) but I will say that this (or at least the idea of this) is fantastic and brilliant and could (note: could) lead to some incrediblely new ideas in the world of video games. At the same point, these games could (note: could) entirely fail to do the event justice. No one here knows yet and that's really what's so cool.
Everone starts with the same tool set and engine. The people from Electronic Arts have graciously donated a TON of animations and models from the Sims and it's myraid expansion packs. Intel has donated the computers. And a bunch of people have donated there minds. All in the name of risk (at least that's how I perceive it).
Risk. It's easier than it sounds but harder than it seems. If anything that initial push into the unknown is the simple part, the biting off more than you can chew (at least for now), ignoring those that have said no before. What's harder is the creeping sensations that set in over the course of the thing, the little problems you never expected, the sense of something never coming together. Like exploring a new neighborhood, you never know what (or who) will be coming around the corner ahead.
And yet without it, something else happens. Things stay the same. Complacency sets in. Something withers. Not dead but most definitely dormant.
There's a fear that comes from being there. Or finding yourself on the way. I've felt it and it's not much fun.
There isn't much of that fear here in Oakland now.
Stay tuned for more from IGJ 3. I'll upload some pictures when I get a second or two.
Oh BTW, I'm actually here to make this into a half-hour special. We'll see if it works. I sure as hell hope so.
Giant Steps (Coltrane) + Flash
I used to paint.
Not like with coveralls and cans but like with tubes and horsehair.
I liked it (a lot) and hope to go back to it again someday if I finally get my ultimate job as overpaid creative concubine.
I used to paint mostly to Coltrane. I don't know why. Something about his stuff (especially A Love Supreme) really put me in that spot.
So did this.
Something that can put me in that spot (especially when I'm bogged down in the minute of work) is most definitely worthwhile.
Optimus Prime Dies of Prostate Cancer
This is a brilliant bit of PR.
Godspeed Robot Chicken.
Boondocks Banned
The following strip was banned today from the Chicago Tribune.
The following strip ran as is:
Which is the greater tragedy?
McGruder rules.
Blink + American Idol = Great
Okay, if you haven't read Blink, go get it.
Malcom Gladwell's writing reminds me of the best parts of the blogshpere, like he's personally showing me new stuff all the time.
At times even better than The Tipping Point, Blink has Gladwell 'thin slicing' his way to a better understanding of quick (read: unconscious) decisions and the scientific acualities behind those decisions. It's truly a fasciating read and I can't reccomend it highly enough.
One of the things he talks about in the book is a couple of psychiatrists who have studied the muscles in human faces to the point that they are able to read the minds of those that they study. Boing Boing just posted something cool about these guys and you can read more about it there.
So the other night, I was watching American Idol (no regrets, it may be some of the most interesting television being made right now, truly exposing pure emotion for better or for worse) and I paused the picture to get up and go get some thing from the kitchen. When I came back, my wife was laughing. A lot. I glanced at the TV as saw that this one girl had a look on her face I'd never seen on American Idol. This girl (I can't remember which one; at this point in the show it doesn't really matter anyway) had turned towards the girl next to her and looked like she was literally about to spit on her. Imagine the feeling you get when someone picks their nose directly infront of you. It was one of those.
We laughed and then pushed play and wow what a difference a split second made. Literally, a milisecond later the girl's disgust switched to a brilliant smile and she reached up to hug the girl with what looked like genuine affection. I say 'looked like' because without the pause I never would've caught it. We rewound the scene and watched the whole thing play out in real time. Nothing but smiles and happiness.
Suddenly we had a new game and a whole new way to watch TV. Do it for yourself. You won't believe it. Tonight's Academy Awards were a whole different experience.
Oh one last thing about this. You'll have more fun with high def programs.
I'm A Robot
When music videos are done right, they can transcend both the track and the visuals.
I give you "Scent of a Robot".
And I'm programmed not to know.
The Link Source Place
So I fully admit I came to the blog space late. Real late.
And I can fully admit that I'm not regularly posting which I think is breaking rules one through ninety-nine of significant comments or traffic generation.
But goddamn it, I do have my finger on the teat of the internet culture. It's just that most of my surfing ends up on the telly every afternoon.
Of course, like any other 'cultural pundit' (aka bullshit weblogger) I steal most of my stuff. As do others. That's kind of the whole point of the internet.
Del.icio.us slash popular is the best.
That today brought me Post Secret. A blogger who actually uses his blog to make new things rather than recycle others ideas.
But even better is Waxy's Stat page which lists all of the places that Waxy grabs from on a daily basis. Of course, del.icio.us is big up there. But there's a crapload of other blogs that I've begun linking from as well.
And finally, my favorite link of the day:
Helmet Burger
Thanks to Pereira in today's news meeting for this one. Hopefully more on this on today TSS.
The Link Source Place
So I fully admit I came to the blog space late. Real late.
And I can fully admit that I'm not regularly posting which I think is breaking rules one through ninety-nine of significant comments or traffic generation.
But goddamn it, I do have my finger on the teat of the internet culture. It's just that most of my surfing ends up on the telly every afternoon.
Of course, like any other 'cultural pundit' (aka bullshit weblogger) I steal most of my stuff. As do others. That's kind of the whole point of the internet.
Del.icio.us slash popular is the best.
That today brought me Post Secret. A blogger who actually uses his blog to make new things rather than recycle others ideas.
But even better is Waxy's Stat page which lists all of the places that Waxy grabs from on a daily basis. Of course, del.icio.us is big up there. But there's a crapload of other blogs that I've begun linking from as well.
And finally, my favorite link of the day:
Helmet Burger
Thanks to Pereira in today's news meeting for this one. Hopefully more on this on today TSS.
Posting Delays
Okay, so I now know why this whole blogging thing is more difficult than it seems.
You see, it takes time.
And time is a valuable property to those of us who cannot freeze it.
And to those that can, I salute you.
What I like about this blog is that essentially (at least for now) I'm writing to no one besides myself. Of course, it's also my hope that at some point someone would read this. Otherwise, why would I need to put it in public?
But is this in public? I would venture that posting in a blog that has a buzz meter of about nil would be the internet equivalent of pissing on the exterior of your own home. Everyone can see you do it, but what makes you any different from the crazy guy pissing in the fountain?
Therefore, I shall continue to post in anonymity for the forseeable future.
Hey, at least I'm not
this guy.
Question of the week: Has the internet changed Warhol's 15 minutes of fame theory?
