Beta Test is Over: ULA Isn't

I'm still under contract with a ULA for the third round of beta testing for the new MMORPG RIFT, so I'm going to hold back on my comments for a week or so, then post my impressions of the game online. I will say that it was entertaining and enlightening to participate in the beta testing for the game, and I look forward to the opportunity to do more in the future.

They do demand that you submit lots of feedback on your game experiences and impressions, which only makes sense because I'm sure they aren't letting people create characters and log into servers just to get some excitement built up about a coming release. The computer designers for the system want to make damn sure most of the bugs are worked out before the official reviewers try their hand at their product.

Notice that I said "most" of the bugs, not all of them. I really do think that aiming for complete bug elimination is just one way to guarantee heartburn and a slew of ulcers. Fortunately, that wasn't my job in this case. I was just there to try out a new gaming world, and point whenever something broke. Or (blush), when I broke something. Heh! Not to much stuff broke while I was online, and let me tell ya, I was trying!

This does remind me of Elemental : War of Magic. I was closely involved with the beta testing forums for that launch, and much was made of the fact that the developers worked so closely with the beta testing crowd. There were some exceptions, of course. Some thought that their ideas and observations of the game weren't fully appreciated by those who were in a position to enact their suggestions, and therefore the game which was released didn't meet their hopes. But for the most part, the forums were filled with positive comments. I did see one instance where the developers should have listened to their target audience more closely. Almost all of the people eagerly awaiting the release of the game mentioned that all the proposed races looked very similar to each other. In fact, spotting differences between the different factions in the game was difficult. The qualities and physical characteristics between races was almost identical. The developers kept saying that it was their intention to have 8 options of a 'vanilla' race to choose from.
I was less than impressed.
I don't ask for extreme varieties, but I still don't see the point of giving the player an option of choosing between 8 indistinguishable races when starting a game. Ah well.

Goodbye 2010!

You know what? 2010 wasn't that bad at all. Would I say that it was kick-ass? Well... yes. Yes I would..

Stealing Syberia

So what did I get for my latest travel into Syberia?

I got some artwork. Good stuff too.

OK, I've been meaning to get back to the painting for awhile because I've had some ideas burning in my mind for a bit, and the only thing needed was some time. While Christmas brings many things, and this year it also allowed me to get some projects done, which means that it's time to dust off the old canvas and see what damage I can do.

For such a fantastic graphical adventure, there were only two images which struck me as being good paintings, at least ones that would fit for my style. I'm grabbing a bar poster from the second chapter in the Syberia saga, as well as some native sketches that are found in the bone ark. The sketches are ideal for a small canvas which I have floating around looking for a home, and the poster... well, if you've seen any of my other paintings than you'll know that I like the posters. This one has horses. Not my favorite animal to tell the truth, but I don't have a problem with them.

I was tempted to go for the logo on the side of the clockwork train, but after some consideration have decided to give it a miss. The logo is interesting, but to make in with a fitting background, I'd be using a lot of gray. Gray is a good color, don't get me wrong. But it can be a little... well... boring. I'm happy with my choices, but if I get a stirring to go back to Syberia, the train will be at the top of my list.

Syberia 1 and 2

Games = Syberia 1 and 2
Ted Puffer's Reviews = 4 stars

Game genres come and go, but there is no disguising the fact that the 'adventure game' has been on a decline for a number of years now. Most of this is likely due to the fact that to make an adventure game, you don't need 3d modeling, multiplayer or any other design scheme that jumps off the screen. What you need is a good story, and that is something that just doesn't happen because a deadline has been set. Great stories only come about through imagination, and I don't think imagination is something budgeted in the Blizzard process flow.

But Syberia has it in spades. These two games are the products of the same studio that came out with one of my favorite games "Amerizone", which is old and grey now but still one hell of a ride for anyone who gives it a shot. The setting is similar, in fact this story builds on the same world as Amerizone. Parts of the dialog indicate that the two games are united in location, as some of the species found in the alternate-relity Amazon jungle find their way into the frozen wastes of Syberia.

Most entertaining about the first chapter is the steampunk setting. Steampunk games get overlooked for the most part when people think of the style, and that's really a shame. Syberia has truckloads of atomatons, gears, steam and general victorian style to satisfy the most hard-core enthusiast of the genre.

Where the games really shine however is in the story, and the way the puzzles encountered on the adventure resolve themselves in logical ways. It's not the case where the main character is running around doing certain tasks for no other reason than they need to be done. Right from the start, Sybera presents the player with a main goal, and every puzzle naturally falls into the story as a way to get from point A to B. The setting and backstory are worthy of being expanded upon, and although it looks unlikely that a Syberia 3 will be coming out any time soon, I for one would be eager to step back into that world. Great game!

Closed Beta : RIFT

I wasn't expecting it, but I had a Christmas gift come early this year for me. I was invited to participate in the closed beta testing of RIFT : Planes of Telara!

The catch came when I had to make some space on the computer to allow for a massive 8 GB download of the game. I was just in the process of finishing up Syria 2, so I quickly ran through the last remaining puzzles in that title and then cleaned off my drive. I'll write more about those games (Syria 1 and 2) later because I really do want to do justice to the titles. Excellent Adventuring!

RIFT looks fantastic. Sure, some of the mobs look a little rough around the edges, and the character classes and specialties are one's that I'm not familiar enough with to decide on a favorite. But this is going to be fun to test out, and I'll be sure to write a ton of feedback to the developers about the play experience.

I did have to sign a NDA to get into the beta, so the blog will be mum about it from here on out. But once the NDA is lifted, I'll post my beta testing experiences here.

Yee-HA! A Merry Christmas to Ya!

Just passing on my wishes for everyone to have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year!

Over 200!

I noticed that I broke the 200 post barrier. I know this is significant somehow, but the nature of its importance has slipped my mind. Humm. Still, 200 posts...

Christmas Music Show

I just shared a stage with about 20 other guitarists in the High Desert Christmas Music show. OK, it's a huge name for what was essentially a small performance, but there's no denying the fact that it was a heck of a lot of fun to do.
For this show I took my chrome monster of a guitar. It doesn't have the greatest sound, but at the same time it rests very comfortably in my lap while I play it, and I wasn't concerned about being able to pick my notes out of the wall of sounds coming from the people playing around me. If the chrome beast has anything going for it, it's tone. A unique tone. Sometimes it howls like a wildcat, and other times it growls like a badger. This time I got lucky. It was content to make a throaty purr as I played.
The concert was accompanied by three singers who took turns with the music. All were good, and one in particular was exceptional. I didn't catch her name, otherwise I'd have put it here. She was excellent, and everyone tried to play up to the standard she was setting.

True Grit : Movie Review

Movie : True Grit (2010)
Ted Puffer's Rating : 4 stars

I was able to catch an advanced screening of the Coen brothers' "True Grit" in Palm Springs yesterday, and I've got to admit that it's one heck of a good movie. Now I love the Coen brothers movies. They are mostly known for off-beat characters and ironic humor, but what really draws me to their films are the complex plots. Each movie they create is centered around a plot that can't be summed up in one or two sentences. That's not easy to do. After awhile most movies fall into genres and can be trapped by them. Romantic comedies must have a break up scene, horror films need to have shadowy chases, etc. And that's fine, there really isn't anything wrong with sticking with what works. But Coen movies use these devices sparingly if at all, and try to tell larger stories then the genre usually sees.
True Grit is a Western. Now I hate westerns, horses and the desert in general. So the fact that I actually liked this movie and would see it again should speak volumes. One reviewer mentioned that there are no cut away shots where the camera lingers on a rolling horizon. I agree with this. Westerns can be counted on for throwing the breaks on the plot while the camera wanders the countryside. True Grit avoids this trope.
Today I watched the original, which I hadn't seen before. I was struck with how much of the dialog matched word for word between the two films, but they are completely different movies. It's actually worth seeing just for this, because it allows the viewer to see how two different directors (and actors) can start out with the same script but end up miles away from each other. John Wayne is good, no doubt. But darn it, I like the updated version better. I'm not completely sure why the first doesn't strike me as a 'landmark' film, and I hate to think that I'm only able to enjoy movies shot in a modern style with massive budgets. However, the fact remains that while I liked the first movie, I have no desire to see it again. The updated version blew my socks off.

Wet Hen

There comes a time in your relationship with a feline where you have to admit that the tongue just isn't doing the job anymore. Usually a cat can go years without a serious analysis of the effectiveness of the tongue-bath. But when the winter hits, it's pretty obvious that mother nature is going to have to take the back seat to soap and water this once.
Debbie is angry, and having to fend off her brother who is VERY interested in what happened to sis!

King's Bounty : Armored Princess Review

Title : King's Bounty : Armored Princess
Ted Puffer Rating : 2 Stars

This is a game that's hard to hate. It has good graphics and is a turn-based strategy game which is my heart's desire. But there is a fatal flaw that keeps it from becoming 'great'. It's linear. VERY linear.

The story is good, and actually deserves a post of it's own because it is complex, has many characters and immerses the player in intrigue and suspense. But the caviat is that there is no way to play the game where you are given a choice of options to affect the outcome.

You start as the leader of a squad. Pretty standard and a good start for a turn based game. As you explore a series of islands across a mythical world you encounter squads of bad guys you need to wipe out. As you prevail against these encounters, your character and army gathers resources (gold) and experience to make you a more efficient fighter.

But the squads have been placed so that you will constantly encounter tougher and tougher opponents. This makes sense, because there isn't much fun having your hind quarters constantly handed to you over the course of a campaign. This also means that your experience at the grand finale is going to be the same no matter which decisions you make as to what islands to explore. In a sense, you could have just easily had your character start on one end of a vast road, with the main boss at the other end. You take one step on the road, fight, take another step, fight a tougher group, take another step, etc.

So while this game has a lot to go for it, you essentially don't have any decisions to make, and therefore the end seems shallow. No matter what you do, the outcome would be the same. I do like strategy titles which rely on... well... strategy.

Cooking with Fear and Intimidation : Heart of Darkness Pumpkin Pie

The Setup: Thanksgiving Feast

Thanksgiving can be a trying time, especially when you have to prove your complete domination of a kitchen for a Thanksgiving Feast. These events are tricky because they don't offer any good opportunities to demonstrate CFI. The setup is simple, it's a potluck with a turkey dish as the main course. The main course is the typical highlight of the evening, so everyone's eye is going to be fixated on the bird.
In these situations you can count on the turkey being assigned to the person who is either hosting the event, or the most recognized chef among the participants. In other words, it's a perfect opportunity for CFI! Are you the sort of person who relishes showing up your host/hostesses' cooking skills in the middle of their own home? (Hint: Yes. Yes you are.)

So grab your best whisk and beat cheeks to the lab. It's time to season that turkey with a dash of Fear followed up by extra helpings of Intimidation.

You'll need to get some things ready. Start with:


1- 9" round cake pan
1- 9" springform pan
1- pre-cooked frozen pumpkin pie

Ideally the pie should be small enough to fit inside the springform pan and leave about a 1/2 inch gap between the crust and the edge of the pan. I picked this on up at Trader Joes, but it doesn't really matter where you lay your hands on one. Just buy it and thaw it for about 1 hour before starting to bake. The pie shouldn't be completely thawed, but you don't want a block of ice either.

The Recipe:

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup milk
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup butter (softened)
1 1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

(Preheat your oven to 350.)

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.

Wasn't that easy? You may want to mix all except the nuts to make sure you've whisked out any lumps that will form. When batter is smooth, fold in the chopped nuts. If you have any rituals about the "correct" order you mix ingredients, do them now. Otherwise, just follow along, OK? I don't tell you how to do your job, don't tell me how to do mine. My job is to make you look good, so stay focused.

2. Pouring the Batter:

Grease (with Pam, Butter, whatever) both pans all the way up the sides. Also, cut a circle of parchment paper the diameter of the springform pan, and place it in the bottom. Then grease (Pam, Butter, etc.) the parchment paper. You're ready to pour the batter.

Aim for something like this:



The object here is to have about 1/2 to 3/4 inches of batter in the 9" round. The springform round should have about 1 1/2 inches of batter. You will have a little batter left over. No biggie, it's to be expected.



3: Dropping the Pie

Take the frozen pumpkin pie out of the aluminum pan and drop it into the center of the batter in the springform pan. You know, I can't believe that I actually had to type that last sentence. Scratch that. If you want to bake a pumpkin pie tin in the middle of your cake, go right ahead. It's going to give your dessert all the delight of chewing on tinfoil with about 1000 times the calories.
But for the rest of us, take off the aluminum pan, drop into springform batter. The batter is going to be thick, so you'll want to press the pie down until the edges of the batter just come up to the top of the crust. The nuts in the batter will keep your pie from sinking all the way to the bottom.
The cake will rise in the oven and start coming over the top of the crust. This is fine, because that will protect the crust from burning. But you don't want it reaching the pumpkin. Trust me on this. Push the pie till the batter just comes up to the crust and you'll be fine. The results should look something like this:


4. Bake it

Put both the 9" round and springform into the oven. Bake for 22 minutes.

You'll know it's ready to come out when the edges are a light brown and pulling away slightly from the sides of the pan.

Surprise! You can't use a cake tester on this recipe to determine if the cakes are done. If you stick the batter with a cake tester, it's going to come out with pumpkin every time. So look at the edges for the signal that it's ready.

5. Examine the Results

So you take the cakes out, and hopefully you're looking at these two beauties here:


The springform cake is concave (because of the pie), and the 9" round is convex (because of... well ask Alton Brown the next time you see him). The important thing to remember is that you might be thinking that they look like two puzzle pieces that could fit together. Hold on to that thought and proceed to the next step.

But first, just look at this babe! Yeowza!



6. Remove the Springform Bezel, cover with Cool Whip

Use a cake knife and slide it around the sides of the pan before unlocking the form. If you're careful, you should be able to remove the sides with no problem. Since you followed my directions earlier about putting a parchment paper circle in the bottom of the springform pan, then it should be the work of a moment to slide that bad boy onto a cake platter.




Cover the exposed pie with Cool Whip, but don't cover the pie crust. I'm sure there is a more generic way to say Cool Whip, but most of the variations don't sound like food. Call it "Frozen Whipped Topping" if you want, as long as you know I mean Cool Whip.

With me so far? Good. You should have this in front of you.



7. Add the Second Layer

Remember ages ago when I said that the cake layers look like they could fit together nicely? Let's see how well that works. Take the 9" round cake layer, flip it over, and then place it on the pie layer. The pieces will fit perfectly because of mathematical spacial principals and the fact that we're awesome. Lightly press the layers together.

Just look at that!


8. Frost the Heart of Darkness

Since the tricky part is over, I'm going to leave you to your own devices on this one. I prefer a thick vanilla frosting topped with pecans. The pecans will tie the whole Heart of Darkness together because they taste good with pumpkin pie and spice cake. Also, they look pretty sharp on a white background. So act like you're on a date, and lay it on thick.

My results. Yours will vary depending on skill and patience. I'd also recommend taking some time with this because the cake will be impressive looking on it's own. You also want the presentation to overshadow whatever Aunt Helga has done with the turkey this year.

For my money, it's no contest. You win hands down.



9. Bask in Glory

The Result: You've just sat through a solid hour of talk at the table with everyone praising Aunt Helga. She really went out of her way this year to make the perfect turkey, didn't she? Wow! She must be a miracle worker! Best turkey I've ever tasted.

Meanwhile, you are plowing through the side dishes like a starving beaver through an old-growth forest, happy in the knowledge of what is to come. The final denouement of your hostess! Accolades from awed and intimidated diners! Everyone settles back comfortably in their chairs and the mention is made for desert. Agreeable murmurs go around, with everyone asking for just a small piece of whatever is to come.

You smile.

"Don't get up Aunt Helga," you say. "You've done all the work this evening putting together a wonderful meal. I'll serve dessert." You make your way to the kitchen and come back with your calorie-packed motherload of pumpkin. A quick slice with a knife and you reveal:


"What? What's that? Is that a.... pie? A pie... in a cake?"

Heck yes it is! And it doesn't matter how it tastes either, because for the next 11 months, when people share stories about how they spent their Thanksgiving, it will start with your Heart of Darkness. People love to one-up each other, and nothing tops this cake. Picture it. Tomorrow morning when cousin Ralph goes back to work he'll be regaled with stories from his co-worker about how she had Thanksgiving Dinner on a beach in Mazatlan. Cousin Ralph nods politely, and then says, "That sounds great Sally, but you should have seen this pie we had..."

By the way, it tastes like a dream; just like the sweet taste of cooking with Fear and Intimidation!

Catwoman

Pretty nice, eh? This is a piece that I picked up at the Catalyst Foundation Art Auction at The House of Blues. All of the artwork was good, I can't stress that enough. Each piece showed amazing talent, and had something for everyone in attendance. This one called my name loudest, and I couldn't resist placing a bid early on.
As the evening progressed, I found that I was the first and only bid on this painting. Wow! It must be something about the economy, because I thought that every painting would have sold by the time the last act left the stage. From what I could tell, only 10% of the paintings found a home, which I hope doesn't discourage any of the artists. I can't stress enough how good they all were.
This piece (Inside Out Girl) or as I call her "Catwoman" is hanging on my wall now. It makes for a great Avatar. Who would have thunk?

Abandoning Amnesia

I just couldn't take it any more. Stumbling around dark rooms loses its appeal after awhile. This game has been given high marks at almost all review sites I've visited, but no one has mentioned the murky graphics or frustrating stumbling around. I must be missing something, but I don't have the patience to figure it out.

King's Bounty is calling my name next, stay tuned!

Amnesia The Dark Descent Review

Game: Amnesia The Dark Descent
Ted Puffer's Rating : 3 stars.

I'll come clean and say that I'm not finished with this game, so this review is going to be incomplete. This was a title I picked up because it is in the Lovecraft genre, which doesn't come up a lot. Horror games are out there, but they're not as popular as your standard FPS or RTS title. This one wasn't only horror, but Lovecraft horror so I knew that sooner or later I'd be installed in on the game system and taking it for a spin.

Now about the review. Let me start by saying that the game is dark. Well no kidding, I hear you say, what game set in the Lovecraft world WOULDN'T be dark! OK, I say, I understand that you may have jumped to the conclusion that when I said "dark" I was making a comment about the overall tone of the game. But my intent was to describe the graphics, and they are dark. Murky. In other words, very hard to see.

Horror gets a rap for having a person running around dark hallways and alleys, and there is some truth to that. Darkness is where bad stuff happens, right? But what works on movies, doesn't really translate that well to computer games. For starters, the frustration level goes right through the roof. Imagine if you will the sexy heroine of the typical horror movie. She runs through a dark forest. She runs through a dark swamp. Exciting, right? Adds to the tension of the story and keeps you on the edge of your seat.
But computer games are different. The same scenario suddenly becomes "...can't see were I'm going... got killed. reboot. Got hung up on a branch that I didn't notice... controls seems frozen... got killed. reboot. Ran into a corner of the room, couldn't see the doors to get out... got killed. reboot."

Right now there is far too much of this for me to strongly recommend the game. It does have a sandbox mode for the creative types to make their own levels, and I've checked it out already. Once I invent a level or get further along the story line, I'll update this review. Right now the story is good, sounds are creepy and puzzles are moderate. All in all a good game. But please somebody, turn on the lights!

House of Blues!

Cross another thing off the bucket list! The House of Blues is a fantastic place to hang out and enjoy some excellent music, especially when you know the band!

This was an event that I've been looking forward to for a long time now. I have a friend who let me know that an organization that she belongs to was going to host an art auction at the Hollywood House of Blues. So if I was interested in coming along, checking out some art and rocking out with the band....
To tell the truth, I'm not sure what the rest of her pitch was going to be. I couldn't hear her over my screams of joy. You think that I'm exaggerating? Uh, yeah. Screams of joy, I tell you.
Because the House of Blues is just one of those places that seem to come up a lot, and yet aren't something that I've ever gone too before. Disneyland. Everyone knows the name and place, and usually finds some event that gets them through the gates at least once in their lives. But how about "The Laugh Factory", "Brown Derby", "Santa Anita" or "Angels". I'd imagined that HOB would be one of those places. But not any more. Yes, I loved it and I'm going back.

The art auction was the offical reason for the visit, and I have to admit that I was happily surprised at the talent on display. Art auctions can be a mixed bag, but there's always something worth seeing or if you're an artistic vampire like me, there's always an idea worth "borrowing". I saw plenty of examples of both. There were only a few paintings that didn't have at least something I liked about them. The rest of them were amazing in a variety of ways, and displayed joy and soul with each stroke of the brush.
This was a silent auction, which was something I'm sort of familiar with. The artwork each had a tag with several lines on it. If you were interested in a piece, you put your name on a line along with your bid. Then you walked away. The next person who is interested would put their own name down, and a price higher than your own. This way you could bid on all the artwork first, go listen to the music, grab a bite to eat, etc. Throughout the evening, you could return to the gallery floor and see if anyone was trying to outbid you.

OK. Pretty easy.

So I found one piece early on, and made my bid. For the rest of the night, I was the only person bidding on that painting. What started as a way to get the ball rolling, and drive up the price of a painting so I could justify passing on the purchase, eventually turned into a winning bid. So I'm now the proud owner of a frikking huge painting. Woah. Didn't see that coming. I've got to work on my self control.

I'll post photos of it later. It's called "Inside Out Woman", but I like to think of it as "Cat Girl"

Chasing Owls

I joined a group that went to a dry river in the High Desert to find and collect owl pellets. If you're not familiar with owl pellets, they are the little bundles of fur that are left over when an owl eats. OK, it sounds kind of gross. But the truth of the matter is that they are no worse than the typical process that happens in nature all the time. Owl finds kangaroo rat, owl eats rat, owl drops pellet.

The dry river was a great spot to gather them because there are plenty of trees that the owls use for their hunting ground, and I learned a trick to collecting the things. When I've done this sort of work before, it mostly involves walking to a tree, circling the tree looking for small lumps in the sand and then moving on to another tree. Hunting started slowly. I walked around for a good hour and came up mostly empty handed.

Our guide called me over to show me a nest. This was a large tree with a hole about 12 feet off the ground. At the base of the tree was a large pile of bones, which was interesting as long as you're not a kangaroo rat. If you ARE a kangaroo rat, then it probably looks like the killing fields. Very gruesome and spooky! But for people, its an interesting sight. It became even more interesting when the resident owl finally got fed up with us tromping around his front porch and took flight from the hole. He (or she) was amazing! Large, boxy and about as impressive as anything I've encountered in the wild. The owl took off and circled us for a bit before alighting on another tree further on. He ticked of a raven in the area which proceeded to 'churk' and make that distinctive sound which is similar to stones rolling around a tin can. So for the rest of the pellet hunt, we knew exactly where the owl was!

At the end of the trip, I'd collected a good sackfull of the gray bundles and was ready to call it a day. Walking through sand is exhausting, and although the morning was cold, the sun was rapidly heating us up. The pellets will make their way into a classroom where students can study them and learn about owls, nature, and the rather traumatic life cycle of the kangaroo rat.

Pacific Grove and Butterflies

butterflies are a big deal around here. Pacific Grove names itself the Butterfly City because the Monarch butterflies make a point of using this area as an endpoint on their annual migration. One end of the route is firmly planted in Mexico somewhere, and the other stretches up the state to wrap itself around Monterey.

It's beautiful here. It's raining, the waves are coming in like semis crashing along the beaches and the air is cool with a hint of storms. Everything that I look for in a mid November.

The best part about this trip was that I got to meet a relative which Kathy had uncovered from her work in genealogy. This would be my Grandfathers-Brothers-Daughter, which translates into 'second cousin' if you do all the math. Math has never been my strong suit, so I'll just say she's a relative and one that I'm happy to have met. She's a lot of fun, has a great smile and made me feel very welcome when we showed up on her doorstep! I'm hoping that we can return the favor if she ever decides to make a trip to Southern CA. Ideally, we can meet up with her in Cape Cod if she's willing to make the trip.

Monterey in the Rain

Is it worth driving about 7 hours to spend a few days in Monterey just for the rain? Actually, yes it is. If you've suddenly found yourself living in an area that gets rain about once every three months, then it's well worth the drive to the beach. It's beautiful out here right now. Lots of fog, heavy rain and leaden, overcast skies.

I'm taking the guitar on the road, along with a variety of laptops. For this trip I'm not traveling lightly. Sometimes it's very freeing to just get in the car and head for the horizon, not caring where the travels will take you. Then sometimes you've got baggage. This is a baggage trip.
I'm on the clock for Zurich, which means that I have to keep in constant contact with my employers, just in case they need me for a project. As it turns out, they do. The moment I logged in from the hotel I found some messages waiting for me asking me to log onto the FTP server for some last minute projects. Thank goodness I'd set up the netbook for FTP access. Its got PhotoShop and Adobe InDesign loaded as well, although I have yet to put them through their paces on the lightweight system. Still, it should work for basic projects.

And I guess this is the perfect time to try it out. I'm in the motel room right now and the sounds of rain are pattering against the window. Time to get to work.

Screwtape Review

I'm famous! Appearing on page B1 or the Mountaineer Progress Newspaper counts as fame, right? Humm. On second thought, never mind.

It's a glowing review, but keep in mind that the author has a crush on the director of the play, so some good press was pretty much a given. Still, it's nice to see everyone involved in the production given acknowledgment for the hard work. I'm not sure if the journalist was in the audience for the opening night performance, or if she attended the second night's showing. I hope the latter is the case! No reviewer should have seen that first night. Hopefully all involved will forget the experience in time.

I'm glad the photo-journalist got that second shot. It's from one of the best 'staged' scenes of the play. I don't know who took the picture, but they captured it perfectly.

I got in Encyclopedia Dramatica!

Woot! Uh, this is a good thing, right?

Well, maybe not. But still, it's impressive. Link can be found here:

Screwtape Closing Night

We absolutely rocked the house. The crew did a dynamite job, the stagehands were expert and a great time was had by all. I’m not kidding. After a horrific start the night before, I think that everyone just buckled down and came up with the best performance they could… and it was amazing.

I wish that my friends who were in the audience the night before could have seen the second performance, but it wasn’t to be. They got to witness the rough ride we went through 24 hours earlier. But the audience for the second night got to see one heck of a good show!

Screwtape Opening Night

I'll put down a few words here about opening night for Screwtape, just in case there's anyone who is just about to join in community theater and wants to know what it's like.

The Scene: Packed dinner theater. The stage is against one wall and is about 15 inches off the floor. The theater is packed and the food has already been served. In an attempt to keep the noise of the dining to a minimum, dinner has been served before the show. So when the play begins, all guests will be ready to relax and enjoy the entertainment. An announcement has already been sent to the audience requesting that all cell phones be turned off and the house lights have dimmed. The play is about to begin.

The Play: Screwtape. A play which shows the attempts of a trio of devils who attempt to lure a soul into the fiery pit. The soul gets away of course, but it comes close to some pretty eternal punishment from time to time. A morality play, but without the heavy handed preaching element and standard good vs. evil setup. In other words, and interesting religious play.

The Actors: A mixed lot of first time performers and more experienced actors. A wide range of ages as fits the parts.

The Mood: Lots of anticipation and a nervous energy hangs heavily in the air. As you will see, there's a good reason for this.

Curtain Rises, and the play begins.

First issue right out of the box, the director fumbles a line. Not a big deal, and immediately ignored by the audience who has no idea anything untoward has happened. But to the actors who have been rehearsing together for the past few weeks, it’s obvious and comes as a little bit of a relief. I mean, if the DIRECTOR can flub a line then suddenly the pressure is off. No one wants to be the first one to make a mistake, and now that the director himself has done it, everyone can relax and just enjoy the play.

But fate has other plans for this crew.

From the start, it’s rough going. The first act features three people on the stage at one time. An easily controllable number, and not large enough to get out of hand. So the chances of people stepping on each other’s lines is minimal. But it happens. First one time, and then again. And then again. Suddenly the actors who are huddled back stage start to get an uneasy feeling about the night’s performance. Things aren’t going to plan, and as the play goes on the wheels start to come off. A lighting cue is missed, then a sound cue. The actors on the stage are suddenly jugglers. If one actor misses a line, the other one will smoothly take over and advance the dialog in the proper direction. Sure, the script may jump ahead by a few lines, but nothing too critical at all and the audience is unaware that something is out of the norm. But when the second actor then misses their line or cue, the ball is tossed back to the first actor.

This snowballs until the line-readers back stage are struggling to keep up with finding the page the actors are on. One minute everything is fine, and the next moment they have both jumped a page and a half ahead, and there’s nothing that can be done but pray that the guy in the lighting booth can keep up. Maybe they can… maybe…

Still on act one, and suddenly an actor experiences what must be the most horrifying twists of fate and cruelty all rolled up into one. The mind goes blank. This is an odd occurrence and must be something that is limited to homo-sapiens because I can’t readily come up with any good reason for this condition to exist, and yet almost every actor has had it happen to them at one time or other. If you are being stalked by a lion in the savannah, at what point does your brain decide that the best thing it can do to increase your chances of getting out of the tight spot and continuing on so you can pass along your genes to the following generations, is to have you suddenly forget everything including your own name? Why does this happen, what purpose does it serve?

But it happens, and it happened right in the middle of act one. Now since this is opening night, no one has made any plans for this eventuality. So when the actor has his mind go blank, there is panic behind the curtain but nothing helpful. The actors look at each other in horror, but no one knows exactly what to do. So the players are left with sending out psychic messages hoping that one of their brainwaves will get through and unloosen the actor’s tongue.

It doesn’t work. The actor is stuck, the play is halted, and a tension fills the air. The director finally whispers a line from back stage and the actor is freed from his torturous limbo. The play resumes. When the actor is finally able to leave the stage, his brow is beaded with sweat and I’d swear he’s sporting a few extra grey hairs which weren’t on his head when the scene started.

My part comes up. I leave the sanctuary of the back stage and take the floorboards. I hit the stage and am blinded by the lights. We hadn’t practiced in the lights before, and I’m surprised how bright they are. I know that the house is packed, but can’t see a single person in the audience. Nor can I hear them, but I’m not sure if this is because of the acoustics of the theater or because coffee hasn’t been served yet. I get my lines out… pretty good… until the end. I flub a line that I hadn’t flubbed once in practice. No big deal, but the words do come out of order, which is irritating. I have a great part where I get to yell at the top of my lungs and I look forward to it every time I pick up the script. In this case, I still yell, but some of the effect is lost. Ah well. I leave the stage.

But my part isn’t over completely.

When I get off stage, I almost immediately yell one word, pause, then yell a second word. No big deal lots of fun. But again, we hadn’t practiced it completely.

So I get off stage and retreat to the cool darkness that lurks behind the set. I yell my word…. and one of the actors who shared the stage with me moments ago leaves the stage behind me… so when I yell the second word she gets the full force of my bellow right in her eardrums. She reels backwards like she’s been shot with a tazer. It wasn’t my intent, but not much could be done about it. She sits down and tries to get rid of the ringing in her ears and I prepare for the next scene.

The play grinds on. Lines are skipped with a regular basis now, and the actors have gone from dread to resignation. Everyone knows that the play isn’t going as well as we’d like, but it’s going all the same. With praises of gratitude, the house lights dim and it’s intermission. I slip out the back for a cigarette.

Intermission: Lots of murmuring from the audience filters in to the back stage, but nothing can be clearly made out. It sounds like happy murmuring, so that’s a plus. The actors are looking frazzled, and are gathering their strength to get through the final scenes and put this play out of its misery. One fiend has lost a plastic fingernail and is getting a new one superglued on. Another fiend is having his stage make-up roll off is face from sweat. I’m in the first part of Act 2, and I’m ready to go.

Lights flash in the auditorium, and finally raise again. It’s showtime. I listen for a moment and hear my cue. I take the stage. I bobble a few lines, but nothing critical. I’m where I should be and then I get up to cross the stage. And find a problem.

We hadn’t practiced with the furniture. Not really. So when the time comes for me to move behind someone, there’s no way it can be done. So I stand in front of them instead. Not really a problem, but it was something that I hadn’t planned on either. So I make the best of it and press on. I get most of the lines out, and then need to be cued from another actor.

Here’s where my mind gets fuzzy. I’m not sure which part I actually messed up on. All I know is that I was about to say a line, and then realized that I’d just said it about 10 seconds previously. So if I said it again, I’d be repeating myself which would sound strange to everyone in earshot including me. The actor my character is talking too gives me a nice little prompt and I finish the line and then get off the stage. For my character, the play is over. And not a moment too soon. The actual play has more to go, so I get ready for the long haul. I change out of my jacket, put away my prop… and then get called to the other side of the stage.

I’d forgotten that I actually do have another part I need to get done before I can relax completely. I need to take the stage again. I don’t say anything, but I do need to be there. I hastily put on my jacket and get the prop ready, run to the far side of the stage and then slip through the curtain. I walk on… walk off… and now can finally relax. Sort of. Lots of play to go, but I really AM done this time.

The scene is coming to an end, when a fiend takes the stage, and immediately takes a tumble on the 15” clearance. She goes down, and goes down hard. Everyone winces, holds their breath, and prays that she’s ok. She is, and gets to her feet. I’m not sure if there was a reaction from the audience to tell the truth. I’m sure there was, but I was so struck with horror and fatalism that I don’t recall any specific reaction from the guests at their tables.

She gets through the scene, and then limps off stage. It foreshadowed the rest of the play. The play limped to a close, and an exhausted crew assembled for one well-deserved round of applause. Dang. It wasn’t pretty, but it was over.

As a director once said: “Congratulations on a job… done.”

Dead Authors

The drawback of falling in love with a book from a dead author is that you know not to expect a sequel. I mean, if the author didn't write one when they were alive, they certainly aren't going to now. Raffles is such a book. I just finished the last Raffles story every written and held on to every word. The language is unlike anything I've read before, and captures the era in which the book was written. If a modern writer tried to capture that feel, it would only be as a parody or incomplete picture. There are scenes and phrases which could be safely borrowed, but the true essence is probably gone for good.
Grrr.
But hey, it's a heck of a good book and I'm glad to have read it. Raffles has always been a bit of a mystery to me because the setup seems obvious and leads the reader into certain expectations. The guy is a gentleman criminal. No problem. But he is wracked with guilt over his actions, and yet drawn to them by the very nature of who he is. Much of the stories are dialogs about how the acknowledgment of his nature is in many ways a curse to him. He suffers physically from the strain of carrying the burden of guilt for his crimes, as he also tries to reign in his excesses. As a final piece of work, Justice Raffles is a masterpiece and leaves the reader hungry for more. But it wasn't to be. Just like Raffles to leave his admirers puzzled and yet enchanted.

Raffles Quote

"Never had I clearer vision of the man he might have been but for the kink in his nature which had made him what he was."

E.W. Hornung

Hidden Joke

OK, here's the deal. I'm writing a story that takes place on a oil platform in the middle of the Caribbean. With me so far?
Now the publisher has given me carte blanche for naming the location of the story. So after some thought I came up with something that is a riot. It's a play on the infamous "Deepwater Horizon" which simultaneously saved and doomed life as we know it. The crux of the problem is that I can't tell anyone about the name I came up with. But it's a riot! ARGH!
Ah well. If anyone is filming an adult movie on an oil platform, please let me know. I've got the perfect title for your movie.

Working in Redlands

I had a full day behind the counter at the Redlands Art Association, but forgot my camera! ARGH!
I was hoping to take a few photos of the paintings that I have on display there, but managed to forget my camera on the way out the door. Computer, check. Book, check. Coffee, double check. But the camera didn't make it.
The theme of the gallery this month is "Red, White and Black", and there were a new batch of artists who had work on display. I was stunned by the change in the gallery since the last time I was there. When I'd gone down before, there were plenty of SouthWest themes and lots of Redlands city scenes. But this time there was an energy that was unexpected and wonderful to see. Some of the works were simple, but everything seemed to have nice touches that put them over and above most local galleries.
So how did my stuff hold up?
Pretty well actually, but not a blow out by any means. I held my own, which I'm very happy about. If I had a pocket full of cash on hand, I would have walked out with a few works, I don't mind saying. There was a Dance Macabre portrait that was VERY good. I think I'll send word through the gallery to the artist to let them know how much I liked the paintings I saw.

Saving a Story

Oh! Before I forget, I got published again! This time it was especially meaningful to me because I was able to take a story that REALLY needed help and polish it to a nice shine. It's got weird humor, lots of action and an actually story. So I'm not complaining in the slightest. WOOT!

Always a Catch

Of course writing a blog is a double edged sword, because when there's plenty of interesting stuff going on, I'm too busy to blog. And when things finally die down for a bit and I can catch my breath, suddenly I've got lots of time for writing but nothing to say.
However, every now and then a chance comes along where I've got a few minutes free to keep the blog updated and also take a breather from events. This is one of those times, and I'm grabbing hold with both hands.
The play is less than a week away! Wow! OK, that was odd because I could have sworn I had months to get the lines down and work on pacing. Suddenly, the theater is selling tickets and the set is being built. Tonight will be devoted fully to rehearsal stuff which is a nice way of saying that we'll finally get to see how much of the dialog the leading man has learned. Yes, he's got a lot of stuff going on in his life right now (MLM stuff, a phase we've all gone through at one time or other), but seeing him stumble his way through the playbook is a scary experience.
Also, I'll be heading out to the House of Blues this weekend to catch my favorite local band and also rub shoulders with people who like good music loud. Or loud, good music. Heck, maybe they just like loud music. I don't care, just so long as they can dance.
Classes continue to be good, but more on that later.
Also, I finally got the sheet music for the guitar performance I'll be participating in this Christmas. Sure, it's a collection of standards. But the instructor found some versions which have a nice life to them, so if all goes well it should be a fun set to play. I actually really love Christmas music, but some versions are played more as a dirge than a festive tune. This stuff is actually pretty good.

Improv in the mountains

There is a place called Bluejay in CA which reminds me of Lake Arrowhead for view and culture. It's a small place in the mountains which has many trails and lots of places to take nature hikes. I went there this past Friday to do some improv for a womens retreat that was happening at one of the local community centers. The place is very nice and huge! They have an olympic sized pool on a deck surrounded by trees. Just the place to go when you want to get away from it all!
The retreat had a 'cruise ship' theme, which they celebrated by decking the rooms with nautical decorations. Life vests, sails and cruise posteres lined the walls. Now personally I thought just getting away from the desert for awhile would be relaxing enough, but this gave everyone a taste of life on the open seas.
Even though about 3/4ths of the acting troupe were men, we were invited to provide some entertainment for their lunch. It was a blast! I think there were about 150 women there, and everyone was in a good mood, which made for a very responsive crowd. We were able to joke around with them during the skit, and we got lots of laughs. This is the first time I've done improv as an official member. The prevoius time I allowed myself to get pulled onto the stage to take part in some of their skits. That time the crowd was very small, and I wanted to help them out because it was obvious that the team was trying like crazy to get some enthusasim going.
This was completely different. Everyone was enjoying themselves, and all we had to do was keep the good feeling going. No problem!

Screwtape Part II

One of the dangers of getting involved with a drama crowd (the theater part, not the "my life is a crisis" group), is that there is a tendency to get volunteered for many projects without really knowing it. I'm not sure how it came about, but somehow I volunteered to help out with an improv skit this weekend on a cruise ship. The skit won't be that long, only 20 minutes or so. And aside from the chance to wallow in the sun on a pleasure craft, they are supplying the food. So free food, lots of sun... yeah I made the right decision.
No idea how the skit is going to go, but from what I can tell it involves a lot of hats.

Great White

Great White is a band which has, if you'll pardon the pun, jumped the shark years ago. Now that being said, they are still a cool rock band and I'm looking forward to seeing them today. They are going to be playing in Yuciapa which isn't that far away, and the band is worth the trip.

Also, I'm going to support "Shameless" which is opening for Great White. OK, that's the real reason that I'm going to this gig. Ya have to support the band! I know the lead guitarist and am looking forward to seeing them rock the house. Great White is just gravy!

As a quick little side note, I'll be at the Redlands Art Association Gallery on the 16th to do a day as a curator. They actually have morning and evening shift available, but since it is a gallery and they do have wi-fi connections, I'm planning on spending the whole day there. When the gallery is slow, I can just catch up on school work. If the gallery is packed and there are dozens of people clamoring for my attention, than so much the better!

Red and the Black

I currently have two paintings at the Redlands gallery for the "Red and Black" exhibit which will be running for the next month. These are the paintings that I created only using three colors, but now that I've been down there I don't think that was completely necessary. In fact, I'm beginning to think that the 'theme' for the shows are less of a broad guide and more of a mild suggestion. I didn't see anything that was boldly red or black.
But I did see some fantastic glass work, which was a treat. I haven't seen amazing pieces outside of the Tacoma Glass Museum, at least not in CA. But whoever was exhibiting their glass at the Redlands gallery obviously knows the craft. Pretty amazing stuff.

Also, there is a guest artist on exhibit, and I'm planning a prank. Yeah, it's the Yucca Valley guy again, robots and all. I already have my canvas ready....

Forum Moderator

I've been asked to be a forum moderator for an online art site! OK, this was completely out of the blue and it's probably going to require much more time than I really can allow for a project, but talk about something that's hard to pass up. Why did they do away with the term "Webmaster"? Now that I finally get my chance, the vogue term is "Moderator" which sounds more like a person arbitrating deals on bulk goods.
Webmaster. I like the sound of that. Maybe I'll just have to make it my screen name.
But what is really exciting about this is the opportunity to check out what other artists are doing, and guide discussion on the site. That alone is worth the time spent in front of the monitor. The company is just rolling out the site right now, so I have no idea what to expect. But I'll be sure to place updates here.
Oh, I'm gonna have to get a new Avatar. Yeah... Something with shiny chrome mebbie.

Screwtape and Wormwood

I just got a part in a High Desert production of "Screwtape" which surprises me because until a few weeks ago I didn't realize that the book ever was made into a play. It was, and what is even more impressive, it was authorized for the stage by C.S. Lewis himself! So this isn't one person's obsession to bring the book to the stage, but an actual adoption by the author.

The down side is that all the minion roles were taken, so the chances of me wearing a tail and stroking my goatee in a Mephistophelian way is zero. But I do get to do a lot of yelling, so that makes up for it. I get to play Mr. Macadam, who is a wealthy tycoon and abrasive personality. I'll have to work on the role. I did the rehearsal while grinning from ear to ear!

Tripwire Logo

This is a down and dirty band logo for Tripwire. Considering that they are going to be an opening act at the House of Blues in Hollywood next month, they have got to have some sort of logo! I'm going to be there to enjoy the tunes, and catch the other acts. In the mean time, I'll pass this logo along. Creating something is easy, getting it put on t-shirts and banners will be someone else's headache!
The logo can be read normally or upside down. This is an optical illusion known as an ambigram, which is surprisingly easy to do. If you have drafting skills and the equipment handy, you can just go to town and mess around until you get something that works. Alternatively, you can use a program like FontCreator to bash together some letters which serve the purpose. I went with the program. I like the idea of being able to put the letters into a style which can be scaled through Photoshop without losing any detail.


Of course, the second that I mention that I notice there is some pixiliation on this image, but that was because I was using a small canvas for the test. A larger image, which would be better for graphic design, won't show any of the rough edges.



If there is such a thing as too many Photoshop effects, I haven't heard about it. Yes, these are stylistic chestnuts. But they still look cool.

Sample of Font

OK, I did this in about three seconds, but it's enough for you to get an idea about the possibilities that this font offers.

Elemental Font

I've put together a quick and dirty TTF file of the font from Elemental: War of Magic. I was unable to get the "Q" or the "Z", so I estimated what these icons would look like. Fortunately, the entire Elemental Font has a feel which makes it a unified whole as a typeset. So coming up with characters which kept the same feel wasn't a problem at all. This font has been made to be modified in Photoshop, etc for any mods or images you can imagine. So have a blast and let me know how it works out for you!

You can access the file here.

Elemental Easter Eggs

I posted earlier about wanting the Elemental Font in a .ttf file, and said something about how great it was when I first realized the runes on the Ultima IV cloth map could actually be read. Well, I didn't get a response about the font, but guess what I discovered when my cloth map came in the mail today... there is script around the border of the map and the poster. And yes, they can be read.

I love the game like crazy, and realize it had a rocky launch (to put it kindly), so I'm not being snarky or sarcastic when I say I discovered a few bugs cropping up in the poster text. Quite a few of them actually.

If you want to decipher it yourself, stop reading now.

Cloth Map:

North: "Seven thousand years ago, was the noontide of the mortals of Elemental. It was the age of the Magicians. The world was filled with magic and wonder. Its power shines as a beacon, and gains attention of Titans."

East: "The Immortals found a world lush with life and rich in magic. They set out to dominate this world and became in conflict."

South: "The Immortals were dominated by two leaders of terrible might. One was named Curgen, the other Kirtion. The shards became rooted in place. Their source of power gone, the mortal magicians were swept away (I think the word "by" was edited out here, and should be inserted between this and the next sentence.)."

West: "the Channelers, mortals who could channel the magic from shards. Life hangs by a thread. The only hope for Elemental is you."

Poster:

Top: This should read "The Kingdom of Men (ELEMENTAL) The Empire of Fallen"

...but there is a typo. It actually reads: "The Kingdom of Men (ELEMENTAL) The Empire fo Fallen"

Bottom: "Part 1 of the Elemental Cycle - War of Magic."

Right: This should read "In the First Age after the cataclysm was born the one who would bring life back to the world."

...but it doesn't. All I can imagine is that at the last minute, a graphic designer decided to scrunch the text around so that it would appear more balanced on the edges of the poster. However, when they did this the text got garbled and became nonsense. It actually reads: "In the First Age after the cataclysm was born the the(printed twice) (smudged letter) bring life back to the world."

Left: This should read "In the First Age after the cataclysm was born the one who would cover the world with death."

....but thanks to the mysterious graphic designer, we get something even more bizarre. It actually reads: "In the First Age after the c(smudged letter)orn the the (this time the second "the" is mirrored, actually printed backward and reversed) one who would cover the world with death."

And finally, my LE box came with a flier for the book Destiny's Embers (In stores now! Order today!). I had already placed my order for the book and was about to throw the ad away, when something caught my eye across the top of the page. It was a script of text, and it had a final typo for me to find.

It should read: "Elemental Destiny's Embers"

...but it actually reads

"Elementala Destinyas Embers"

Maybe it's for the Spanish version of the book?

Big Bear in Summer

I made a quick trip up to Big Bear Lake today to get away from the heat which is racing through Victor Valley right now and showing no signs of letting up. The altitude there is about 8,000 ft, which means it's much cooler up there than hanging around the cacti in town. Yes, it's touristy. But it's also clean and earnest which helps a lot.
I'll pack the camera next time. There's plenty of wildlife around and I want to get some shots of the lake. What I wasn't expecting was the display in the nature center. It would be perfect for Halloween. It's a large, new complex which features stuffed owls and large native mammals in natural settings. However, the taxidermist who worked on the poor guys really didn't do that great of a job. Either that, or the animals he was presented were worse for wear. The result is that each critter is haunting in some unsettling way and will do more to keep people respectful of the environment than Smokey ever could on his own. Watch out kids, or nature will come to haunt your dreams!
Speaking of Halloween, Big Bear hosts a film festival and Horror fest every year. Yeah, I'm checking it out!

Elemental War of Magic

This is the game that I've been waiting to arrive since the late 80's. One of my favorite games of all time is Master of Magic, with very good reason. It's full of strategy, allows random worlds to be created so each game is different, and with some careful consideration a person is allowed to completely dominate the opposing empires in the world. All in all, and excellent game!
Now it's needed a revamp for years, and not for the obvious reasons. Usually when a game requires an update it's because the graphics haven't aged well and on faster systems can be an ugly grind to play. Not so with Master of Magic. The graphics are rough, no question. But the concept and execution of the game is done so well that high end graphics aren't needed.
But stability is, and MoM hasn't aged well because of it. When it was released back in the 80s it was one of the last great games of the DOS era. It could be played on Win '95 with a few tweeks and an understanding computer. But even then it was a roll of the dice whether the game would work as well as it should. When Windows upgraded, the chances of having a good MoM session dropped dramatically.
Now there has been lots of interest in remaking the classic title, but nothing has come through completely. Home-brew projects never really came to completion although a few looked very promising. Age of Wonders got close, but was bogged down by micromanagement and lack of a random-world generator.
OK, let me justify that last statement. AoW DOES have a random world generator, but it misses the mark. You see, they tried to get too good with the graphics. So instead of having one 'tile' indicate a mountain and another tile represent plains, they had tiles that went: plaines, steppes, hills, mountains, peaks and finally volcanoes. Yeah, thats good and everything, but if you can only build on plains then your options for laying out your empire were limited. The maps were beautiful, but you were shoehorned into only building a certain way.
Warlords V was a good effort as well, but was less focused on empire building than combat. Not a bad thing, but not as satisfying. When Warlords looked like it was on the cusp of making a worthy successor to MoM, they decided to take the RTS route like every other publisher in the business. Yeah, not cool.
But then out of the blue is Elemental: War of Magic. This game looks fantastic and has captured the same spirit and wonder that was embodied in every aspect of MoM. True, it's billed as the "Not Master of Magic" game, but take one look and you'll see it's influence on every screen. Elemental has added some wonderful features, but appears to avoid tampering with what worked in the original title. This is something that every other remake has failed to take into account. Yes, you can make MoM a RTS game, or even FPS, but at the end of the day you've lost what made MoM so great in the first place!
Elemental avoids the pitfall, and has me salavating waiting for it's launch date to finally arrive!

Revamping the Chrome

So what to do with an unplayable guitar? Weep bitter tears over the frets while your fingers caress its now unmusical body of course. But what about after that?
Well, I've always wanted to modify my chrome resonator so it would be an electric guitar. And I do have this useless guitar just chock full of parts... All I'd really need to do is to cannibalize the thing, stuff the parts into my chrome baby and make a few holes. Of course, I've never used a dremel tool to cut through curved steel before, but how hard can it be?

Actually, not that hard as it turns out.

Do you see that block of plastic with the equalizer controls? That wasn't there this morning. The same goes for the cable out jack at the base. The guitar is now an electric/acoustic hybrid. A working one! How does it sound? Well, weirder than before, but about 80 times more awesome!

When Life Gives You Lemons, Break Your Guitar

Awhile back I was taking a VVC class for guitar. It was very introductory, but also a ton of fun. Since this was a class aimed at the guitar beginner, there were many people who brought in whatever guitar they could get their hands on.
Some people had guitar's they'd inherited from their father or mother. Others had been given a guitar for a Christmas gift years ago, and were just now getting around to actually learning to play the thing. I brought my chrome beauty.
This guitar is a resonator. The thing weighs a ton, and I've written about it before. It's a beast to play, and the sound is unusual to say the least. I loved the opportunity to show it off, but as the class progressed it was obvious that it was unsuitable for my recital. For one thing, it really IS difficult to play. Also, a more normal guitar has a richer tone and would make my playing sound pretty sweet. I do have a straight acoustic guitar, but it's got a curved plastic back. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. So what, right? Well, some people look down on guitars like that. I think they look awesome, but the purists seem to think the tone is flat. They might have something. Of course, it's also an opportunity to get another guitar, so that's what I did.
I picked up a cheap acoustic/electric guitar on eBay and used it instead. It sounded great, heck even I could tell that. But there was a danger lurking in my purchase which I didn't realize until much, much later.
The guitar sat in it's case for a few months. I'd imagined that it was safe as kittens, until I opened up the guitar case to do a bit of fiddling around. I found that one of the strings had snapped. That was weird, because I deliberately loosened all the strings when I knew I wouldn't be playing for a bit. I didn't want any extra strain on the neck while it sat.
So I tuned up the remaining strings, and found something weird and horrible. The notes were, well, weird. I kept tuning down to the last E, and found that the 6th string had a horrible buzz. I've only had buzzing sounds on electric guitars, nothing from acoustic before. This was terrible. It sounded like a wasp nest which was on a heavy duty spin cycle in the washing machine. I looked closer and noticed something was wrong with the guitar itself. Something with the neck.
The string was hitting the first three frets. I checked closer and saw that the neck had warped. So I tightened all the other strings to see if it would bow back into position.
And another string snapped.
Fine. So I did some online research. It turns out that guitar necks bow in three different ways. Either forward, backward or with a twist. Forward and backward are bad, but not expensive to fix. A twist is bad, but some guitars have a special tension rod in the neck that you can make the adjustment yourself to correct the issue.
Did I mention this was a cheap guitar? No rod on this one.
To fix a twist, you take it to a guitar shop and pay money. And yes, the cost of the repair was more expensive than this guitar was worth.
Now about lemons and lemonade...

Mockingbird Mama

I found a baby mockingbird in the back yard today, or I should say that the friendly neighbor's cat Apollo found the bird, much to the concern of it's Mom and Dad. I found the baby just in time! They parents were kicking up a fuss, chirping and bouncing around to distract the gangly orange tabby. The baby was imitating a stone, and didn't move or make a peep. Good instincts on the baby's part. The cat was returned to the neighbor to keep inside while we decided what to do.
I eventually picked up the bird (with gloves, natch), and placed him in the bird feeder which is a good 5 feet off the ground. This way he would be safe from prowling cats, and the parents could keep an eye on him.
I checked on him about an hour later, and he was no where to be found. I'm thinking he probably jumped down onto the bushes below, but didn't go out to check. I'm counting on Mother Nature to take care of him from here. Go nature!

Catwalk

Another View:

This is a pretty cool project that took two days to finish. The idea is to create a catwalk where the house cats can climb a set of stairs up to a long shelf running across the top of some double doors. The stairs were made from cigar boxes which have been covered with unusual papers. the ones in the center have been left open to be finished later. In time, they'll be filled with artistic touches and details. The tops of the boxes and shelves are covered with carpet, so that the cats won't slide off. The same goes for the shelf, a strip of carpet is glued to the wood so that they can play freely, without the risk of plunging off over the side.
The boxes are attached by heavy angle braces, and then screwed into the wall behind them. When attached, the boxes were firmly fixed to the wall, and can support a cat's weight without bowing.
The boxes are narrow, but large enough for the cats to easily climb and descend. It took Tommy awhile to catch on to the concept, but Debbie figured it out quickly. Smart cat!

Mirror's Edge Artwork

Artwork to rip off the walls? Hell yeah! Just you wait!

Mirror's Edge Review

Game: Mirror's Edge
Ted Puffer Review: 4 stars

The reason I decided to give this game a shot was because of the graphics. You play "Faith", a runner who is a glorified messenger in a futuristic city. She gets around by jumping between rooftops, sliding down drainpipes and other parkour behavior. The city is what caught my eye. EA did an amazing job of creating a huge, sterile glass and chrome city to play in, and to my mind it's the real star of the game.
If you go online you'll see that the reviews for the game are mixed. Almost everyone likes the fact that the idea behind the game is new and fresh. Yes, there is some gun play involved. But for the most part, the game is played in FPS style and has you solving puzzles. Specifically, how on earth are you going to get from the street to the top of a skyscraper without using stairs.
The reviewers didn't like the controls, and I have to agree with them. When you encounter a hostile target, you use almost Aikido like disarming moves. Again, this is new but at the same time leads to a lot of frustration. For the most part, you can be in the perfect position, use the disarm move at the perfect time, and then helplessly watch as Faith gets pistol-whipped until the screen goes black.
But I stuck it out and am glad I did. The plot, Faith's motivation for getting to the top of said skyscraper, is very good and the voice work in the game is exceptional.
The drawback from playing this game is a serious one. I remember going to the arcade and playing some racing game, something fast and entertaining enough to get the adrenaline flowing. Then I'd get in my car and drive like a maniac home. After leaping chasms in the game, it was hard to drive in a safe and normal way afterward.
Now when I'm at the mall, I look around and think, "hop that ATM, jump to the planter and then shimmy over the railing and I'm on the second level. That's got to be easier and faster than walking all the way to the escalator..."

Hungry little Hawks

So I'm messing around in the garden feeling pretty good with myself. I've watered all the marigolds, iris' and a bunch of other flowering things that I haven't remembered the names too yet. I've fed the birds in the back yard, cut back a bush that was crowding the entry way and lopped off a few branches of a screwbean tree that were tapping my head as I walked into the house. I figured I'd done everything that needed doing in the morning.
Suddenly, I hear a low droning coming from right over my shoulder. I turned around, and was eye to eye with a hummingbird. I swear he was scowling as he flashed his iridescent chest. He waited. I waited. He waited some more.
Oh yeah, fill the hummingbird feeder. I'd almost forgot. He hadn't though.
Pretty pushy for a guy who play handball in my coffee mug.

Taking it on the chin

Tommy has actually improved a bit today and his chin looks good. I still don't have a clue what sets him off, but am breathing a little easier now!

Another Notch!

Boo YA!!!! Sold another story and putting the finishing touches on it in InDesign. Did I get published again? Heck YES!!

Random Quote

"Sometimes you have to sit back and be amazed by what humans can accomplish when they really, really want to kill each other."

Happy Birthday Ryan!

Ryan, have a wonderful birthday!
Love,
-Ted

The Awkward Circle

The problem with having cool things going on means that I don't get much time to update the blog, and when I don't update the blog instantly, time passes. Then more cool things go one and the cycle repeats itself. Grr..
But for the past few weeks there have been some great things going on. Namely:
The Palm Springs Short Film Fest: Hit two groups of showings. A mixed bag, but there were some great films that I'd have been sorry to have missed. So all in all it was worth the drive out there (hot, long, etc.) to see them. Palm Springs is great to visit as well, but I was pretty beat that day because...
I got published again! Yee Ha! Also, I've got two more stories submitted that that's pretty cool. I'll write more about those later, because I wanted to mention...
Starting classes to finish up my degree. Classes started last week... been going to them... and writing... and it's been working well because I was able to fit it in with another.....
Tripwire playing live in Rancho Cucamonga! Sweet performance! Yeah, they added a Journey song to their show. And yes, I sang along with the band. I didn't air guitar tho. Not really. Not too much.

Flickr Photos

I ran across a bunch of slides I'd taken from a photo class way back in Junior High, and decided to put them on my Flickr account. The photos aren't anything special at all, but might be of some interest to anyone who attended Clement Junior High in the 80's. So head over there and check them out at your leisure. Also, if you have any information about the people in the photos, please let me know and I'll update the information from them.
What is interesting about the class is that the students did all their work on black and white slides, so they could be processed in the school's dark room. The slides usually were covered with dust and debris, so even the best images would have a dated feel to them. I'm glad these survived and can't imagine that current photo classes use this medium any more. Digital cameras are so easy to use, and so low maintenance that a dark room would seem like a quaint lab to offer. Heck, I'm not even sure that the school has a photo class any more. But it was a great class during the years I was there, and was one of the bright spots of my day. Thanks Ms. Alexandrus!

Greater Morongo Basin Lobster

OK, this one came out of the blue. I was spending the day at the Greater Morongo Basin Nature Preserve and taking advantage of probably the last day of the month that will have less than 110 degree weather. I was checking out the local wildlife, and saw something strange in the small pond that runs through the center of the preserve. A flash of orange had caught my eye, and when I looked over the side of the boardwalk to investigate further, I was surprised to see a goldfish. A large goldfish. Now the exotic way to name these things is to call them Koi, but they're carp all the same. This one was about the size of a harmonica and was lazily drifting along in the cool water. When the current took him out of view I kept looking to see what else was in the water.
I saw another smaller goldfish. Then two more.
I have no idea what these guys were doing in the preserve, and they were probably thinking the same thing about the crayfish which was poking along the bottom. Yeah, a crayfish.
All I can imagine is that someone was having to get rid of their apartment aquarium, and couldn't stand the thought of flushing these guys out to sea. So they smuggled them into the park and released them into the wild. I can't say anything about the wisdom of such an action, but the fish seem to be doing well, and the crayfish looked happy. Or as happy as crayfish look. They don't really have faces, you see.

YouTube Videos Released

Tripwire in Rancho Cucamonga has dropped a batch of new videos on YouTube, and I'm glad to say that I'm in some of them! Of course the stars of the night are on the stage, but I'm in the crowd singing along with everyone else. They put on a great show, and I'll admit that almost all of the songs they cover are ones I have on my iPod at any given time.
Summer heat has decided to take up residency in the High Desert, and it's no fun. The unspoken rule is that you try to get as much done with your day before 11pm, because after that it's not really worth it. The heat is crazy, but the nights are fine. I'm a nightowl so I've got an advantage here. But the mid-day heat takes its toll in many ways. I'm not going to the gym before 9 at night. It shouldn't make any difference because the place is very well air conditioned, so even it it means a hot drive to the gym, it shouldn't affect the workout, right? Wrong. There's something unrewarding about doing a full workout after sweating in a car. And when the routine is over, there's no reward to leaving the building at noon. So for the time being, I'm putting in some late hours at the gym. It works, but it's strange. I'd much rather get my workout over with before lunch, but the 105 degree weather is keeping me indoors for now!
BBQ with the group this Monday. Heh, we'll see how that goes.

He Shoots, He Scores!

Second time getting published! In your face Van Gogh! Do you hear me? In your post-impressionist face! BOOYAH!

Feral Cats

I had to capture a feral cat today and take the poor guy to the pound. I'm not sure how old this cat was, but I'm sure he wasn't more than three of four years old. I'd originally planned to grab him and take him to the vet for a checkup first. He has mats, which is to be expected for a long haired cat living outside. Also, one of his eyes was always squinting which gave him a Popeye look. I'm sure it was a battle scar of some sort.
When I grabbed him he tore the heck out of my arms, even though I'd taken the precaution of wearing leather gloves first. His teeth tore right through one of the fingers and grabbed me pretty good on my right hand. It was a struggle getting him into the carrying case, but I knew I'd only get one shot so kept at it. What a fight! He went in, and I went to examine the damage. Nothing too serious, but it's obvious that he really is a feral cat, or at least a cat who's been on his own long enough to go feral. There really isn't a chance to get a home for him. There's no way a vet could check him out to see if he's carrying anything either. I had hoped that a shave and some days of good food would make him presentable for homes, but it's not to be. He's a tough customer.
So I took him directly to the pound. It's sad and I'm bummed out. But there wasn't too much I could do about it. We have a neighbors cat who loves to sun himself on the patio, and the two of them would explore the yard together. I'm glad they get along, but it would only be a matter of time before the feral feline passed some disease on to the other cat. Grrr. There are many times I wish I could talk to cats more directly. I wish I could have explained to the feral guy the situation. Tell him to calm down and shape up!

Deadlines and More Deadlines

It appears that there's a catch to being a published author. With publication comes the understood acceptance of more deadlines. I've had a ton of them the past few weeks, which have kept me busy. I love writing, but the deadlines are going to take some getting used to.
What happens is that I'll check my email in the morning and see what projects the company are sending my way, and then have to plan my week around them. The priorities are constantly changing, which means that I'll have to stay on my toes. Also, it means that it's a bit harder to plan for the future than the typical 9-5 job. It's fine, just different. Right now I'm waiting for the next project. So I have a bit of down time to fill. I'm going to do a touch of painting over the weekend while I wait.

I'm a Published Author!

Hurray! Yep, I sold an article for cash. Real cash too! I made more than H.P. Lovecraft while he was alive. Not bad, not bad at all!
OK, so I made more than he did without factoring in inflation and other things. Still, it's pretty cool!

Borderlands Artwork

Oh yes! Lots of stuff to rip off the walls here. I took some shots of the vending machines and will be sketching them out in the days to come.

Borderlands Review

Ted Puffer Review = 4 Stars, oh yeah!
Game = Borderlands (and the three add on packs)

There is something attractive about a game which bills itself as having millions of guns in it, and Borderlands delivers the goods with this FPS. There are guns in the game, tons of them. After awhile they actually become the main form of currency in the game itself. No need to carry cash around to make a purchase, just trade in a few rifles and side arms for what you want and you're good to go. It may be overkill, but it's GOOD overkill!
Most impressive about the game, at least for me, was the look and feel of the world 2K created. It's a strange post-apocalyptic rotoscoped landscape that you find yourself in, and spend the game prowling around and shooting things. The colors are rich, but in a cartoon like way. Heavy black borders are the order of the day here. Although it does look cartoon like, for some reason its still fully immersive, which was unexpected. Normally it would make sense that to suspend disbelief in a game, you'd have to have photo-real environments to explore but Borderlands never even tries for that. The physics are close, although you can drop a heck of a distance without any damage which is unrealistic but a ton of fun. Overall, I was hooked and loved the experience. Great game!

Day Away

The monastery in Vallerjmo hosts day and weekend retreats all the time, and I finally had a schedule free enough to make the drive over to spend a day with the monks. I'm sort of in awe that a monastery was built in such a strange place and wouldn't have thought it would be so ideal, but the desert provides a magical backdrop for a day of meditation and prayer.
The monks own the valley and have made it an oasis in the hills. The lands are quite large. I'm not sure how many acres the monastery stretches for, but the valley goes back quite a way into the surrounding hills and each part has been carefully tended. There are shady groves, an artifical pond and multiple outbuildings for housing and workshops.
I made an earlier trip here to check out the wildlife. No, not the monks. The greenery is a destinatino for migrating birds of all types, and I've hiked around the hills before looking for native species. They have woodpeckers, red-wing blackbirds, mockingbirds, hummingbirds, sparrows and ravens. Of course, this still is the high desert, so they have their share of snakes and lizards as well. I've seen lizards, but no snakes yet.

This day retreat got me hooked into the whole experience. They start out with a lesson and then the group has leave to walk around the grounds in meditation. A noon bell summons everyone to communion (Catholic, so I just watched), and then lunch. The food is fantastic. Monks know how to cook and eat very well. I'm sure the picturesque ideal is to have monks sup on simple fare of raw vegetables and hard bread but these guys know what they're doing. We had soup and sandwiches; but what soup! And what sandwiches!
After the meal, there is another lesson and then another walk around the hillside. I could have gone further up the paths to check out this cool "Stations of the Cross" trail, but essentially ran out of time. It's hard to imagine that so much of a day can be taken up by just walking around outside, but there is something very special about the monastery. It's a time for quiet reflection and recharging one's spiritual batteries.