Posted by Andrew
February 3rd, 2010
Steve Jobs has apparently, under some disputed but strong words, stated that Google has done evil by introducing a smart phone to the market. Apparently, the man wished to compound the embarrassment of his iPad release by reminding us that he mixed a Blackberry with the touch screen on the interactive catalog at JC Penney. Or maybe I should have forgotten that whole Xerox/PARC debacle.
By the end of the month I’ll be ready to put down good cash money toward a new phone. It will not be an iPhone. For one, I disliked Quicktime very much. It looks nice and all, but that ugly blue Q loads up whenever I restart my computer. It eats up system resources just to remind me that our lord Jobs, who art in Cupertino, reinvented RealPlayer, and that too was not evil. I do not like Quicktime. I do not want Quicktime installed on any of my computers eating up system resources for no good reason. Without Quicktime, the extended features of an iPhone would be almost entirely useless to me.
In fact, I like to fool with my gadgets and customize them when possible. Jobs, however, thinks it would be evil if I were allowed to do too much of that with an iPhone. My investment would be turned into an unusable brick should I treat the device in any manner which might incur His mighty wrath. Any money I may spend on an iPhone will have been in vain if Saintly Jobs does not approve of my wishes. If I recall correctly, however, the evil competitor has an Open-Source operating system.
Free markets and competition are not evil. Closed systems run by angry, power-hungry elitists are evil. Arbitrary rules set out be these elitists with no room or concern for an individual’s wish to improve his station are evil. If this word is going to be dragged out into the daylight, then I would propose that whoever masterminded the iPhone has done a lot more evil than Google.
Competition gives us choice. It pushes those people who want to trade for our money to offer a better value - be it in service, product, support, or any combination of offerings. A lot of people love their iPhones. I want them to love their iPhones. Those things aren’t cheap. Apple has done a good job satisfying their wants and needs. That was not evil. I do not have any desire for an iPhone for many reasons of my own. It is not evil for me to want a product that is more in line with my temperament, goals, and abilities. It is not evil for a competitor to offer such a product to me.
Apple had no issue trying to upstage other manufacturers or developers. The Blackberry was offered just about five years before the iPhone. Their direct attacks against competing personal computing platforms are a part of American pop culture.
As if the Quicktime and Bricking issues weren’t enough to drive me away, this rant put me in the improbable position of actually wanting an iPhone even less. Now not only does the phone not fit my needs, but the company has proven its complete lack of ethics or common sense. Jobs just called the practices of his own company evil as well, and the Apple employees are said to have cheered. I can not in good conscience trade money with them.
Tags: technology
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Posted by Andrew
January 23rd, 2010
Let me start with the movie. The movie was good. It was clever. It was fun. It deserves to become a regular Halloween time event among horror fans.
This is not about the movie. This is the journey to viewing the movie.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Horror Movies
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Posted by Andrew
December 8th, 2009
Last night was magic club night.
Wow. There were performances last night the likes of which I have not ever seen — the likes of which most of the club was astounded by. Not only is this a very talented club, but the people are just amazing to speak with and be around.
I learned a new effect and had a prop passed on to me, with the promise made that one day when I was a seasoned member that I help another new member with advice and a new tool. The member who helped me had been given the same chance years ago, and passed that on to me along with the new tools.
I hope to do him proud both with the effect and with my future help of a future member.
I would like to point out as well that this is an effect I have wanting to study for quite some time. And now it will be one that I study and enjoy practicing for some time. My oldest is already astounded by my less-than-polished efforts.
I can only hope that my future recipient is as happy when I pass whatever it is I can offer on to him or her.
Tags: magic, small victory
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Posted by Andrew
December 7th, 2009
It’s Monday! Tonight’s blog post is being sent late due to this being the monthly magic club meeting night. Hooray!
Going through even my professional news sites, there is a lot of negativity going around today. Everyone has to do what everyone else says from all sides of all political points of view. The sky is falling on the industry again. And it’s probably falling in real life again too.
I don’t have time to be glum. Today I want to post about five things that make me happy. I am choosing the number five first, and thinking of five things second.
Before continuing, I also want to point out that, yes, the people in my life make me happy. Very happy. However, adding them to the list would be a cop-out. As such, they get first mention and a special place of honor above and beyond this list.
- Magic! I wouldn’t be throwing this much money into a hobby that I loathe. More to the point, I love the idea that someone can ask himself or herself how to make the impossible become possible. I love that the mind, the hands, and countless hours of dedication can bring these things into reality. I especially love stage magic, with the colored scarves and rings and all its trappings. The reactions from my oldest son when I get a new effect right are also priceless.
- Being alive. Even at its worst, it sure as hell beats the alternative.
- Halloween. Like magic, Halloween is a time of possibility. You can be anything you want for one night. (This year I was a wizard.) Then, you face your fears and get your reward. I can not think of a single more moral holiday than Halloween.
- Vernor’s Ginger Ale. This wonderful drink is primarily sold in Michigan. However, many grocery stores in the Austin area which are located near college student havens stock this in abundance. My thanks to them! Most people choke and cough the first time they take a drink of this potent beverage. Young children in Michigan are also fed Vernor’s when they are sick. It helps you grow up strong.
- Books! I sat on the couch to read a newly purchased book. My oldest son sat on the other side to read one of his favorite books. My two year old son then found a book and sat between us to read. That night it was Terry Goodkind. When I quit smoking several years ago, I sat down with all five (at the time) Harry Potter books to keep my mind and temper focused on something harmless.
I feel happy!
Tags: Family, friends, happiness
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Posted by Andrew
December 6th, 2009
Yesterday I made clear an intention to blog once to either this site or to my Nightshine Islands podcast site every day between Saturday December 5 and Thursday December 10. Fridays are usually out of the question.
Last night I posted a whole list of excuses to my podcast as to why I have not uploaded any new audio in 14 months. I did so in video blog format so that I would need to actually show my face while making those excuses.
A good friend of mine asked me to make one blog post a “magic” post. I enjoy performing solely for stress relief and personal pleasure. I will perform in public if asked, and am capable of balloon animals as well. One day I will probably be a self-made party clown. In order to get feedback from friends and family, including my brother and fellow amateur magician, I will post private videos. These are practice videos of a handful of routines that I am working my way through. I primarily am concerning myself with presentation now, and not so much learning the magic itself.
As a side effect, some of my friends now seem to expect it from me. Maybe I should be glad I’m that guy? I sincerely don’t know — I’m just enjoying it for the sake of enjoying it.
Tonight I did have fun re-practicing and pulling off a couple of effects. The difficult one went off without a hitch, and the easy one was suffering some bizarre malfunction that had to be dealt with on the fly. Go figure.
My oldest son was present to be a spectator, and to ask me to do magic with some tiny sponge dinosaurs. He interrupted between the “two tricks” to make this request, and I had to politely turn him down. His reaction to the easy effect made everything else worth the struggle.
I hope the friends and family who see it think as well of it as my son did.
Tags: cards, friends, magic, video
Posted in Nightly Update, magic | 1 Comment »
Posted by Andrew
May 24th, 2009
The biggest reason I had for clearing out the Geocities space was to keep my Downtown Nowhere pages alive.
Downloading the files to a separate folder then uploading them by FTP to their new home was a breeze. Getting Google and Yahoo and the other search engines to see that the pages have a newhome was going to be more difficult.
For the time being, I’m taking the advice of this artice: How to Deal with the Geocities Closure. I will also try to report back after a few weeks have passed.
Finally, I may create a new section of this site to host my old page, just for laughs and nostalgia.
Tags: web design
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Posted by Andrew
April 8th, 2009
When I fell off the face of the planet, I was hard at work on another album: The Riddle of Doom. The artwork has been recolored some, and currently even appears on this very blog.
I just don’t have the time. My little boy is now walking, talking, playing video games and Dungeons & Dragon even. We are teaching him to read. He also now has a baby brother. I am now the second-most long lasting employee at my workplace. I have really taken on a lot, which strangely is the entire theme of the unfinished album.
I did manage to squeeze out a brief video game piece for the Newgrounds Audio Portal. The Last Robot Kingdom of Blip 01. Please listen and enjoy it.
I am also slowly working out some small pieces that are intended to be background music for either magic acts or horror movies. Ideally, every song will be dual-purposed to both ends. I like some of what I’ve cooked up so far, but really want to have some longer pieces by the time it’s all finished.
I can (and have) put together fairly respectable demos given about 2 hours and some time on my analog 4-track. Those have been heard by family and quickly forgotten about. What goes on the site should be up to a higher standard.
One day, when I am ready again, I do very desperately want to finish the Riddle of Doom album.
There is still music. There will always be music.
Tags: Family, mp3, music
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Posted by Andrew
March 9th, 2009
Today marks nine consecutive days without biting my nails. This is a new record.
This really hit home to me during a recent meeting, when my finger nails were chewed short and the cuticles were shredded all apart. That would no longer do.
What follows is just a little self-congratulation. Most of the worst is showing considerable improvement. My wife is offering me a manicure once everything has grown out well enough.
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Tags: personal care, pictures, small victory
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Posted by Andrew
February 19th, 2009
I have been practicing the pass in front of a video camera. This camera is mounted on my wife’s very nice tripod. Tonight, I decided to push myself one further and connect the camera to my video capture device.
The camera is teaching me more about angles than a mirror ever could. I can also revisit my attempts to look for what works and what does not work. Plus I have all the tools to zoom in, slow down, or otherwise scrutinize my efforts.
They need scrutiny. Much scrutiny.
Yet, my revenge against this move is well underway. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: cards, magic, pass, small victory, video
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