Nov

30

Future TV Shows

November 30, 2007 | 1 Comment

So I was reading about Futurama and all the little secret messages that the writers put in the show.  I realized that, although I enjoy the minor ones I pick up on I would never bother to freeze frame through the show or figure out the secret alphabet used in messages of the show.  I would like to read about what others figure out……just not do it myself.

Then the thought occurred to me: Why not have a game in a show.  Basically, my idea is to cross ARG and TV shows, like dramas.  A TV show could have all sorts of secret messages in it.  However, it wouldn’t ever pointedly state that there was a game or message around the show.  In fact, much like ARGs an “insider” might have to plant the first finding of a message or clue on the internet themselves.  Then people would watch the show every week for clues.  Those clues could be used to take some action in real life, mostly going to websites or such but could include someone having to go to a building in a city to find a clue that they would hopefully tell others about using the internet.  You might even have money or item prizes to individuals that attained certain goals.  Part of the game would be to figure out how the game is played.

But then you have all these people who would take it too hard core and go after other players and then murders and blackmail start to happen.  Pretty soon it would bring about the downfall of America, some teenage emo kid who believes that “life is pain” would get ahold of the nuclear football and end the world.

Forget I ever brought it up.

Nov

19

Favorite C.S. Quote

November 19, 2007 | Leave a Comment

I took a C.S. elective course my sophomore year of college that used “Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs” as it’s textbook. I will never forget the first paragraphs of the book (emphasis mine):

We are about to study the idea of a computational process. Computational processes are abstract beings that inhabit computers. As they evolve, processes manipulate other abstract things called data. The evolution of a process is directed by a pattern of rules called a program. People create programs to direct processes. In effect, we conjure the spirits of the computer with our spells.

A computational process is indeed much like a sorcerer’s idea of a spirit. It cannot be seen or touched. It is not composed of matter at all. However, it is very real. It can perform intellectual work. It can answer questions. It can affect the world by disbursing money at a bank or by controlling a robot arm in a factory. The programs we use to conjure processes are like a sorcerer’s spells. They are carefully composed from symbolic expressions in arcane and esoteric programming languages that prescribe the tasks we want our processes to perform.

A computational process, in a correctly working computer, executes programs precisely and accurately. Thus, like the sorcerer’s apprentice, novice programmers must learn to understand and to anticipate the consequences of their conjuring. Even small errors (usually called bugs or glitches) in programs can have complex and unanticipated consequences.

Fortunately, learning to program is considerably less dangerous than learning sorcery, because the spirits we deal with are conveniently contained in a secure way. Real-world programming, however, requires care, expertise, and wisdom. A small bug in a computer-aided design program, for example, can lead to the catastrophic collapse of an airplane or a dam or the self-destruction of an industrial robot.

Master software engineers have the ability to organize programs so that they can be reasonably sure that the resulting processes will perform the tasks intended. They can visualize the behavior of their systems in advance. They know how to structure programs so that unanticipated problems do not lead to catastrophic consequences, and when problems do arise, they can debug their programs. Well-designed computational systems, like well-designed automobiles or nuclear reactors, are designed in a modular manner, so that the parts can be constructed, replaced, and debugged separately.

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Nov

16

IEDs in America?

November 16, 2007 | 1 Comment

I viewed some footage from the peace activist in Olympian trying to block Strikers from going to a port to be shipped out.  After the police removed them they hurled  trash bins and dumpsters in the street to block the Striker  vehicles.  Being, well, Strikers they just plowed through the dumpsters.

Since the dumpsters didn’t stop American Striker Vehicles will the peace protesters turn to IEDs to try and stop the Striker Vehicles?

Nov

5

Guitar Hero III for Wii

November 5, 2007 | 2 Comments

A week ago I went out during lunch and picked up Guitar Hero III for the Wii. The only time I had played GH was when it first came out at a Best Buy during lunch for about a week. I liked it a lot then but just couldn’t justify spending the money on the game. When I found out that GHIII was coming out for Wii I was thrilled (I have a Wii). So I went out last week and purchased it.

I don’t know why, maybe because I took so long to get it, but I was as excited as a kid opening a Christmas present when I got it home and opened it. I hadn’t felt that way about something in a LONG time.

I was pretty tired when I first started playing it so I thought I would just sit in my gaming chair and try the game out. That didn’t even last halfway through the song. I felt the need to get up and dance around while playing. It didn’t help my playing ability any but, holy cow, it was fun. I can play the game on easy level sitting down but anything harder than that I have to stand up. Only recently have I began to start playing without moving around like a complete goofball. Even still every once it a while I break out and start moving funny while I play because I just can’t help it.

It is that fun. The past week I haven’t been able to tear myself away from the game to even play World of Warcraft. Being the age I am (let’s say. . . . over 30) I’m not sure I will ever finish the hard levels. Also, I get my butt kicked playing strangers online. I think I have won only one match online and most of the time I just get completely wasted by the ability of my opponent. However, I do have fun just trying.

If you played air guitar as a kid and like video games then I highly recommend this game.

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