RIP RF
Don Knotts has died. Goodbye, Mr. Furley. May the you and Jack Tripper rock that Regal Beagle in the sky. Don’t let him turn back into the tinkerbell.
I am watching the winter olympics
I am watching the women’s (ladies?) figure skating. I already know the outcome. Why am I watching it then?
Go Bel Air girl! Oh. You got sixth.
Go Sacha Cohen! No not Alli G, Sasha Cohen! Oh. You fell and got second. You fall and got second? How does that happen?
Like my father, I dread everytime a skater falls. “Once they fall,” he use to say, “it’s over.”
The Americans didn’t do so well. Perhaps the curse of Michelle Kwan robbed them of a medal filled Olympics.
Update: The Americans are falling. Sasha Cohen is still geting the silver. Bel Air girl, Kimmie has the jitters. Still a wonderful performance. The judging is weird no more 10s and it is so anticlimactic.
Dull little boxes, dutifully peforming dull little tasks
Another topic we discussed in tonight’s class was the question if “computers inspire creativity?”
Once again the Windows consultants in class said no. They couldn’t ever imagine a computer helping someone be creative. I pity their outlook in life. Why would anyone ever use Windows if this was the case?
One of them said that, while there are software programs that help you create things, computers do nothing to inspire creativity. He said that photoshopping is nothing like painting and that computers are for performing various drudgw work.
I wanted to snap, “Get a Mac!” That will show you the endless possibilities of being creative. Break those chains and get a mac. You don’t know what you’re missing.
Computers are tools. Software programs are tools. In the artist’s hands, these tools can do amazing things. Look at digital animation. That is creative! I think that using them will ignite the creative side of you. You never know until you’ve tried.
This is why I like the Mac platform. There are endless inspiring programs coming out for it. I believe the indy Mac developer world is just like the indy film world of the eighties. It is ready to go big time. If it could just change the developers that are like that Windows consultant, then Apple could rule the world. I think that day is coming.
Jihad
As you know, I am going to school for a masters in software engineering. One of the classes I am taking this semester is Human Computer Interactions. A very social-sciency type of subject. Tonight’s lecture topic was software tools. Programs that create other programs. This relates back to HCI, because these types of programs aid the developers in crafting the software. The lecture was just a categorization of the various types available.
This topic is a virtual grenade for software developers. Ask ten different software developers their favorite editor and you may get ten different answers. Ask them their preferred language and get a myriad of names. Ask them favorite platform and watch the whole thing explode in your face.
Tonight, the instuctor let slip that Java was faster than Visual Basic. I ran for cover. I was expecting a total flame war to break out, live in class. It happened.
We have a mix of developers in class. There are the web services folks, me the embedded systems guy, a lady who has to do COBOL, a Java dude and a few MS developers. One in particular has been a consultant/programmer on the MS Windows platform for about 15 years. He knows his Windows stuff and had to respond back to the Java versus VB jab. The Java dude had to respond back. I think if the instructor was not a woman it would’ve gotten ugly real fast. I, being a MacAddict, stayed out of this fight. Everyone knows that Macs rule.
Tempers simmered, and we ended up agreeing to disagree. That is the best tact.
The Seed Grows
There’s a brand new offshoot from The Seed. I don’t know what this is going to be about, but I know this, there won’t be any pooping there.
Now we can have even more self-referential conversations.
“Like a big bear.”
After reading this article, the first thing to come to my mind was, “Has it really been 10 years?”
The film was ahead of its time, Favreau said, setting the stage for the type of comedy found in more recent box office hits “Old School” and “Wedding Crashers.”
Bi-Mon-Sci-Fi-Con
After spending the morning browsing the wares at Farpoint 2006, I wondered what other geeky activity is in my future. To go with all the Robotech posting, I may have to try Otakon this year.
“Reeeberrrr!”
My Macross thread has been going on very well. Nice mix of comments. Even the big W showed up. Thinking about it, the seed noted that the cast of NewsRadio should play the parts. I like considering they did their own take on a film (see Sinking Ship).
Dave Foley as Rick Hunter or Exedore.
The late Phil Hartman as Dolza.
Joe Rogan as Khyron.
Maura Tierney as Lisa Mill… er Hayes.
Andy Dick as Max.
Khandi Alexander as Claudia.
Jon Lovitz as Breetai.
And Stephen Root as Roy.
What a strange list.
Anyway, I wanted to list his suggestions here so that we can compare.
Rick and Lisa
Roy
Minmei
Dolza, Breetai and Gloval
Maz?!
Miriya
Claudia
Ben
Keep them coming. And as an enticement: Miriya!
“To be in love”
From the comments in Capitol Swell’s post on the hotness of Grace Park comes this interesting tidbit from the seed.
2ndseed said…
The only thing that sucks about watching Battlestar Galactica is that it isn’t Macross. That batlles definitly look like a scene from any Macross battle, the ship full of citizens just trying to make ends meet. Man it’s so close to being Macross. Battlestar is just a TV show and it’s truly amazing. Just imagine a live trilogy movie adaption of Macross. I’m not saying the whole Robotech Saga, just Macross. It would blow away anything before and after.
Battlestar Galactica is a very good show. I have it on TiVo and usually watch it Saturday mornings just to catch up. Grace Park doesn’t do it for me. She’s too cylon-y. She’s hot in that picture, but…
Anyway, I liked the Macross interjection in the comment. So let’s open up this joint and see who to cast in a live version of Macross. I am starting this thread to see who you think should play the parts.
Instead of being serious, I am going to start with something amusing: casting the “Frat Pack” in the male roles.
Roy Fokker : Vince Vaughn
Rick Hunter : ??? [I don’t know]
Breetai : Jon Favreau
Captain Gloval : Stephen Root
Khyron : Ben Stiller
Ben : Owen Wilson
Max Sterling : Luke Wilson
Dolza : Will Ferrell
Exedore : David Duchovny
Lynn Kyle : Ron Livingston
The women’s roles? Let’s get some hotties.
Lisa : Rachel McAdams
Lynn Minmei : Devon Aoki [I don’t like this pick, but who knows hot young chinese actresses?]
Claudia : Gabrielle Union
Azonia : Catherine Zeta-Jones
Miriya : Kate Beckinsale
Sammie : Kirsten Dunst
Kim : Lindsay Lohan
Vanessa : Eliza Dushku
Now that is a funky list. The actresses are hot and the men are funny. I wonder how that would work? Post your’s in the comments.