We’ve all seen what happens when popular games become movies. Like Hitman. And Doom. And Super Mario Bros. They never live up to the hype.
Crap games*. Or not particularly complex games. Make for awesomeness.
*These games are not technically crap.
Category: Culture
Deadly Read
I grew up on Choose Your Own Adventure books. But I used to cheat. I’d read them in reverse, because I didn’t want to die. It turns out that’s the wisest approach. Because the writers want you to die. Statistically speaking. This guy named Michael Niggel put together a flow chart of a typical Choose Your Own Adventure novel. It looks like this.
You can see a high quality PDF here.
Variations on a theme
Guitar hero and Rubiks Cube combinations are so last year. Real geek prodigies join string quartets and play medleys of game theme songs…
Ninjitsuit
My first thought when reading about this new, controversial “Burquini” the Islamic bikini invented by an Australian and banned in France (two things that make something more likely to be awesome) was that it looks pretty much like a ninja suit.
Am I right? Yeah. Which got me thinking further – firstly, I didn’t know what a ninja suit was actually called – which was a bit of a gap in my ninja arsenal. For the record it’s a shinobi shozoko. But it’s always dangerous to put a ninja in a box.
Besides the typical ninja uniform, the ninja would use any type of clothing that would get them closer to the mission goal. Sometimes the ninja dressed up as priests, peasants or even samurai. Whatever the mission required, they did.
So, now you’re wondering why I am still talking. You’ve got my point. Well, no. You haven’t. Have you seen the Mythbusters Ninja Episode – it’s my favourite – not because they do cool ninja stuff, but because they go to a ninja warehouse and buy awesome ninja equipment for their ninja mission.
Well, there’s a place like that on the internet. And you can buy a ninja suit for $69 (I assume US) that includes ninja shoes, ninja socks and ninja boots. You can get a different pack that comes with some gear as well for $82. I know what I want for Christmas… or a wedding anniversary present… (hint, hint).
Seek, and you shall find…
Checking just how people end up visiting my blog is one of my favourite past times.
Today someone got here by googling this phrase:
"what to write on your fb status to make your husband mad and nobody else gets"
Sure enough, if you google it, my controversial post on status updates is there are suggested result number 2.
Sadly I don’t think this would be very helpful for this person. So here are some suggestions, for that one person out there.
- Thinks Bert Newton is the funniest man alive.
- has a headache.
- Is looking forward to an early night tonight.
- Misses her husband and wishes he wasn’t over the other side of the world (only works if he’s not over the other side of the world).
- Is only cooking dinner for one tonight.
- Bought heaps of new shoes and dresses today while her husband was at work.
- Did some spring cleaning today and threw out her husbands collection of ___ which she never really appreciated.
Any other suggestions. Lets help this poor soul out in the comments.
4WD Segway
The real reason Segways haven’t taken the world by storm (despite having awesome brand placement on shows like Arrested Development) is that they’re not really all terrain personal transportation devices.
Here’s a handy solution.
YouTube Tuesday: Coffee culture
I know it’s not technically Tuesday. Well, not in Australia anyway. I’m a pretty inclusive kind of guy.
It’s been a long time since my last coffee post. I’d look it up, but that would take away valuable posting time and delay the wonder that is the Mona Lisa being recreated with coffee in Sydney. That’s right. This little video has gone all over the world, and it was created in our backyard. Impressive.
Working Families
So, K-Rudd isn’t actually to blame for coming up with the phrase… because the West Wing did it. Back in season 2. I wonder if politicians feel the pressure to outdo the West Wing. Like South Park and the Simpsons…
SAM
[reading] “We want a real tax cut for working families to help them pay for higher
education and housing, while our opponents want to help the rich pay for bigger swimming
pools and faster private jets. [pause] No, I don’t think so.
The mechanics of the scammer’s mind
There’s a great article on the Washington Post website about the inner workings of the typical Nigerian Scammers mind – featuring quotes from actual scammers.
In good months, Banjo said, he has made $60,000.
But in these tough times, the scammers said, they are relying more on a crucial tool: voodoo. At times, Banjo said, he has traveled six hours to the forest, where a magician sells scam-boosters. A $300 powder supposedly helps scammers “speak with authority” when demanding payment. A powder, rubbed on the face, reportedly makes victims viewing the scammer through webcams powerless to say no.
“No matter what, they will pay,” said Olumide, a college student, adding that he is boosting his romance scams by wearing a magical, live tortoise hanging from a cord around his neck.
I have a couple of new scambaiting posts up – and a couple more to come… check them out…
On Twilight
Like little sister number two – see post below – I haven’t read Twilight or watched the movies. But people I respect have. And their opinions on the matter seem divided.
One thing I can’t understand. And I am a completely heterosexual male so this might be a case of perspective… but one thing I just don’t get – is how the guy from the Twilight movies is considered remotely good looking. Let alone the officially recognised “Sexiest Man in the World”…
I think my friend Benny put it best when he asked when the disheveled homeless look came in. Robert whatever his name is always looks like he’s spent the last week sleeping on the street. And perhaps he has. Derelict was a Zoolander satire – it wasn’t a prophecy.
Cultural Convergence
The West Wing is the best television show ever made. Without question. The Godfather trilogy is the best movie trilogy ever made. Also without question. So when one references the other… you sit up and pay attention…
TOBY
So we’ve got to do it for him. We’ll keep it away from this office but we’ve got to get real
now. Leo, Ann Stark’s a war time consigliere. That’s why she was bumped up.LEO
I’m a wartime consigliere too, Toby. I was just hoping it’d be peace time a little longer.
I’ve posted a lot about the West Wing in the last couple of days. I’ve been watching a lot of it. It’s just as good third time round. We’re up to season 2 already.
The best news, is that the scripts from every episode are up online. Here.
I’ve been toying with some lengthier posts on the intersection of faith and politics in the West Wing – but I suspect that only really interests me. It really is the seminal political text of this generation.
Separated at birth…
This probably isn’t the most flattering thing I’ll ever write about my father.
But, in watching the West Wing again I am further struck by the often eery similarities both in distinguishing features and facial expressions between dad and Toby Ziegler. There are lots of things that aren’t similar. But sometimes it’s just scary.
I’m just saying…
Font wheel drive
Some car loving boffins got together and decided to make a font. That’s right. A font.
Here’s a video.
iQ font – When driving becomes writing / Full making of from wireless on Vimeo.
Here’s the font. 
Cardboard Boxing
I like pugilistic endeavours. I haven’t really gotten into the whole Ultimate Fighter thing. But I would (watching not participating). If I thought my wife would let me… that’s neither here nor there.
Did you know that there’s a “Cardboard Tube Fighting Championship“… no? Well now you do – thanks to here. And it looks awesome. Here’s the official site. Anybody want to organise one in Townsville?
Toby’s Mac
Macs are cool. I don’t have mine yet, but already I know this.
I’m playing with Robyn’s now. And I like it. But this belief has been reinforced by a day watching the West Wing (starting from Series 1) – one of the perks of sickness.
I had never noticed this before. But Sam and Toby both write their speeches on Macs. How cool is that.
For all of those people thinking that this title was a reference to Christian music – you were wrong.