Monthly Archives: August 2008

Alternative to a Dukane Digital Presenter

Posted on by
Reply

As a librarian I get asked by teachers how to implement different technologies. One of those is a digital presenter, but they’re way too expensive for our budget (who gets it? for how long? how many books can we get instead?).

How about this: hook up the videocamera that your library already has to a TV. Instead of switching the camera to VCR, take out the videotape and switch the videocamera to the record mode. (Taking out the tape should prevent the camera from going into sleep mode/standby.)

For extra snazziness: attach the camera to a tripod, hook the camera up to an LCD projector.

A GM Summary of Session 6

Posted on by
1

I was going to do some more mockumentary footage for the most recent session (“There’s, like, Vong monsters and stuff”), but Sean did such an elaborate job.

The session started with us taking cover in a building in the city that we “came to save.”

Drabek lost his temper a little with Jedi continuing to rush in to places that angels fear to tread. And head said this was the kind of leadership he got out of the military to escape. Where leaders have no regard for the impact their actions have in terms of putting others in danger. He likened them to the Emperor in the arrogance in thinking their Force power could get them out of everything, even if it cost people their lives.

Drabek pointed out that we are facing an enemy we do not understand. With technology we cannot comprehend who have powers and abilities we do not understand. We are facing too many unknowns to go rushing in.

He lashed out at the reality that the New Republic is not ready for this enemy, the Jedi are not ready, no one seems ready for this evil which is tearing the universe apart.

After a couple minutes he seemed to calm down. He apologized for losing his temper and that he knows the Jedi are not really like the Emperor but he just thought he could escape this kind of life.

He just wanted us to try and think and be careful before we engaged the enemy. Especially because when any of us rush into a situtation we put everyone at risk and force each other hands.

The jedi had two visions:

1 was of Jason balancing on the galaxy with the Jedi order at one end, the New Republic at another and the Vong in a 3rd position. When the Jedi order moved to follow Jacen the New Republic fell off the edge of the galaxy. The Jedi order and New Republic were fighting the Vong in the balancing act.

2 was that there were a serious of situations that it appears the Vong have infiltrated: the Senate, the military, the forrest on this planet, a space station over a planet, and the offices of the Head of State. Each situation implied they were a significant threat to the survival of the galaxy against the Vong threat.

Then we spent the next couple weeks trying to figure how we could survive and maybe get off the planet.

We broke into two teams. One who worked on scouting the ship remains and another that scouted surrounding territory for a base of operations because we were finding evidence that the Vong might have this a hidden base on this planet.

Eventually the Jedi used the force to move most of the usable remains of the craft into the remains of a shop we found. Steve put together essentially a craft which is a minor weapons platform but was not space worthy – atmo only.

He also infiltrated the forest and brought back evidence the vong were capturing people and mutating them into something. They also were growing two other types of crops of creatures of war. He got video evidence which we then released to the Jedi later. It also was sent to the Chiss and Trigger man.

We got a comm system working and called for trigger man to come get us. He said he would do what he could but ships were at a premium. We were afraid that if he showed up the Vong might just shoot it down. The Chiss agent then put in a request for military back up.

Then we called the Jedi temple and realized everything is fragged across the galaxy. The New Republic is beginning to fracture along lines of people who want to work with/trust the Vong and others who feel we need to fight to the bitter end. Either way there is no unified opposition to this expansion. There are lots of rumors and propoganda going around about what is or is not happening. Trigger man said that he has never seen this kind of organized disinformation on such a scale in all his years in the info business. He said someone has spent years planning on how to create chaos in the information channels. It is blood-chillingly efficient.

Even the Jedi were breaking up. There are two camps: those who feel the Jedi need to forcefully oppose this evil with little holding back led by Kyp Durron and those who feel the Jedi are defenders and should avoid openly agressive defense. We “interrupted” a debate with all the jedi masters talking and ALL the Jedi watching. When we presented our evidence Kyp Durron said words mean nothing at times like this. Action is required. He said any who were with him to protect the people of this galaxy from the horrors of this enemy should join him now. He walked out and about 1/3rd of the Jedi left with him. Corran Horn stood to make it look like he was going to leave with them as well and it took Master Skywalker by surprise (he was leading the more stand back and defend approach). Horn said he was staying but that he felt master skywalker needed to give us decisive direction.

Jacen had also shared a vision he had which was similiar to our Jedi’s vision but not exactly the same.

Then we stopped the session just before Skywalker talked.

So she can read? Most impressive.

Posted on by
1

Caution: The following dad moment contains high levels of saccharine. If instead you are looking for Nerd News, know that I bought the novelization of Force Unleashed for my library today or maybe watch a video or read about Fox trying to Rorschach Warner Brothers.

Last Tuesday I woke up for work and found ants in the pantry and the cat’s dish. I sprayed insecticide all over the place, even outside and cleaned up some stuff. I was on my way to work, though, so I asked my sleeping wife to do the mopping so life could continue to thrive.

I didn’t know who would get up first, so I shut the pantry door to keep the cat out and made sure the child lock was on the door. I barred a chair against the door and left a sign with the big letters, “NO” on the chair.

My wife woke up to find that note on the floor with a new note on the chair from my oldest daughter saying, “Yes, [daughter's name] can go in.” She was coloring safely at the table but felt like the sign needed some clarifying.

A Friday night with my brother, the counter-terrorist

Posted on by
Reply

A transcript of my brain while playing Rainbow Six: Vegas 2:

Ooh. Nice credits, like a movie. Whoa. I’m in a government building making a customized version of me, complete with distinguished graying sideburns. That adds pathos.

Hey. Why’s it fading? Oh, some guy’s narrating in a little Weather Channel window. High pressure system with a slight chance of chemical weapons.

Okay. Diplomats. Check. Terrorists. Check. Now, if I remember my Rogue Spear correctly, we’ll spend the next half hour clicking on a map so that my guy will wait around for one shot and if he screws up the penalty is not just mission failure but another half hour at a map. So let’s just…hold on! Some guy’s waving at me on a mountain top? I guess I need to follow. No map?

No cutscene. Some suit is talking to me. I hope he doesn’t noticed my armored brother gyrating behind him.

Run around, save the day. What?! You wanted your hostages alive? You don’t know what you’re talking about. Grenades are a very elegant weapon. Amateur. When does Slade get his gold-plated AK-47?

The villain’s running away dressed as one of our men? How very 24. I just heard that our chief tech on our Comm Team has to take her friend’s kid to work and her slacker hacker ex-husband’s AA sponsor won’t return her phone calls. And there’s some satellite imaging, I think.

Ah! The villain is wanting to parlay. Let me just cover him with my…sniper rifle? Hold on! Let me switch…no, not the thermal vision! Boom. I am now on my back and everything’s in trippy colors while I wait to respawn.

Next mission. We’re lined up outside of the control center. A well-placed flashbang and we should be home free. Perfect place to pause the game. Ooh, nice menu. Sure, Slade, go use the restroom. Hmm…I can still hear the narration. Well, hello there, Team AI. You’re lined up to go in, too?

“Go, go, go!”? Slade! Get back here! No time for the bathroom! The Norwegians’ lives are at stake!

Not cool! No pause? Not cool!

The game becomes more intense as one mission flows to the next without pause and my tongue swells from thirst and I fear the political repercussions of using the restroom.

In all honesty, the game promises more hours of play and more options for multiplayer. Player 2 can’t issue commands to the AI, but can jump in and out of story mode at will. There’s also the classic Terrorist Hunt stages with some new maps. This is not the old school Rainbow Six that I remember. A lot more streamlined, a lot faster action (rappelling?) and now if you get shot you wait for a respawn. Poor Ding Chavez, who always used to die on the old second mission because he was too fatigued, never to return for the rest of the game.

Really messes with continuity which really messes with me.

The Apostropher Royal

Posted on by
4

A part of our linguistic heritage: When a greengrocer noticed a punctuation error in the queen’s edict, the queen was gracious and proclaimed that greengrocers can have all the apostrophes they need, to use as they see fit.

Apostrophes will be delivered every Tuesday.

I’m finally listening to Eats, Shoots, and Leaves from the BBC. I had bought the picture book for my library; the radio show is equally enjoyable – how’s that for a semicolon, Lynne Truss? I enjoy the contributions from the different language experimenters, including the Beachcomber segments where the greengrocer legacy hails from.

The greengrocer’s apostrophe? if you’re ever disturbed by signs advertising “tomato’s, potato’s, and banana’s” (or the suburban “DVD’s, CD’s, and Video’s”), you’ve seen it.

On Friday I saw an advertisement for “Extra’s” in the nacho line at school and a marquee asking parents to “Please Drive Safety”. I had to report the marquee to the secretary, since persnickety parents would most assuredly comment.

I restrain myself usually from being a grammar snob in much the same way that Palpatine was able to hide his Dark Side presence at Qui-Gon’s funeral.

Sometime I’ll rant about the “You’re Friend in Moving” that I saw on the side of a moving van.

Sadly, I finished another Brian Jacques novel

Posted on by
4

It’s all about the pronunciations.

First off, it’s Brian JAKES, not like the French ocean explorer. I used to argue for the French, until I heard it on the audiobook of Martin the Warrior. The narrator pronounced it weirdly. Yeah, I found out the narrator was the author.

So much fun. Characters named Felldoh, Tramun Clogg, Badrang, Grumm, and Snogglenose – you just keep pronouncing them as you go through the day. My daughter was called a salty searat the entire road trip today.

Also – Mike – what’s your take on the pouting Olympic wrestler?
A cranky Olympian. I didn’t predict it.

Cream cheese and jalepenos

Posted on by
Reply

If you haven’t had the Fiery Jalepeno Popper Chicken Sandwich from TGIFriday’s, you must.
Better than what greeted me when I tried to listen to Pandora:
Photobucket
When I was listening to my Will Smith station, “Summertime” came on. Immediately my wife’s ringtone chimed. Yep, “Summertime”. Very Fresh.

In other references to distorted reality, check out the speaking tour.

Starkiller

Posted on by
3

Update: Just watched the new trailer. Yep. Pretty sure that’s Leia.

Instead of just calling him The Apprentice or, specifically, Vader’s Apprentice, the main character in Force Unleashed now has a name: Starkiller.

What’s funny is that was supposed to be Luke’s last name (check the very bottom).

The character of Luke Skywalker changed greatly during the evolving story of Star Wars. Early versions of Luke were a grizzled war hero of 60, a Jedi Master that would blend the qualities of both the classic-era Obi-Wan Kenobi and the prequel-era Qui-Gon Jinn. The daydreaming farmboy that plunges into a galaxy of adventure was a role filled by Annikin Starkiller in these early drafts.

It’s also interesting that Juno Eclipse is in it, since that was going to be Asaaj Ventress’s name. What I didn’t know, though, was that the Episode III production team had filmed two different death scenes for Shaak Ti and neither got used. She’s still alive and kicking…we’ll see if Starkiller tracks her down.

Shaak Ti’s fate vacillated during the production of Episode III. She was originally scripted as being held captive aboard General Grievous’ flagship at the start of the movie. Assigned to protect the Chancellor, Shaak Ti was also taken prisoner by the Separatists forces. When Obi-Wan and Anakin are investigating the cruiser, they come across a strangely despondent Shaak Ti sitting at General Grievous’ feet. Her spirit broken, Shaak Ti apologizes for her failure, right before she is stabbed in the back and killed by Grievous.

When this sequence was cut from the edit of Episode III, Shaak Ti’s life was spared. She can still be seen in Episode III, as a tiny tabletop hologram on Kashyyyk, when Yoda is remote-conferencing with the Jedi Temple.

During additional photography of Episode III in Shepperton Studios, a scene of Anakin Skywalker killing Shaak Ti was photographed for the sequence of events taking place in the besieged Jedi Temple. This version of events was the basis for how the attack on the Jedi played out in the novelization, which has Shaak Ti in charge of defending the Temple. This scene, too, was cut from the movie.

Miyamoto has no friends

Posted on by
Reply

Actually, he probably has tons. But now he can’t talk about his hobbies, since his gardening love turned into Pikmin and his health nuttiness developed into Wii Fit. I know that my hobbies feed my librarian ideas and vice versa and all that connectedness stuff.

IGN has a fun take:

If we were behind the scenes at Nintendo though, we’d insist Miyamoto fed ladles of misdirection in a bid to bewilder fellow console makers: “Do you know what I’m most into at the moment? Wool craft and Feudal history”. Then just sit back and watch as Microsoft and Sony race to release Knitwear Warrior to the thunderous indifference of the masses.

RSS Feed

Posted on by
2

If you were looking for the more than 10 articles to come through the RSS feed, I just tweaked it (as per The Ohm’s request).

Test it out, faithful subscribers. You should get more than 10 now.