October 2004

On Sunday, the US has won “gold” in the World Cybergames. Team3D defeated the Titans of Denmark in CounterStrike to take home the $50,000 prize. The final match was played before an “enthusiastic crowd” of unspecified size in San Francisco. Ok, let me hear it “USA!”, “USA!”, “USA!”, “USA!” Thanks, that was good.

A few days ago it was the one year anniversary of Microsoft’s pledge to make security job one. How’s it going for them? Jon Udell has a good article on the subject in this week’s Infoworld. His conculsion, Microsoft is on the right track but they still have a lot of work to do. I’ll stick with my macs and OSX thank you very much.

The FBI has shut down 20 sites that were part of an alternative media network known as Indymedia. Rackspace handed the servers over after receiving a court order on Thursday. It’s not clear what Indymedia was doing wrong, but the FBI says it was acting on the request of Swiss and Italian authorities. 

Indymedia said it had been “asked last month by the FBI to remove a story about Swiss undercover police from one of the websites hosted at Rackspace. It is not known, however, whether Thursday’s order is related to that incident since the order was issued to Rackspace and not to Indymedia.” The seizure has sparked protests from the International Federation of Journalists. The EFF is offering help.

Halo 2 has gone gold. Bungie says the hotly anticipated XBox game will make its November ship date. Now if they would just hurry the f*** up with the Mac version (or even the PC version) I would be a happy camper.

And finally, now that I have given the happy and fluffy puppy news, here’s the bad shit. Apparently, some equipment that could be used to make nuclear weapons has gone missing and nobody seems to know where the f*** it is. Isn’t that nice? Now you know why I hardly sleep people.

Also, a US Senator is closing his office until after the November election over fears of an impending terrorist attack. Is this guy crazy or does he know something we don’t know? Either way, its a bit troubling.

And, fellow blogger Sean Bonner has some info that could be related at his blog.

What a world, eh? I sometimes wonder if we ever get the complete truth from any media outlet. Perhaps our leaders feel that we “just can’t handle the truth”. I don’t know about you but I am getting rather tired of getting things spoon fed to me and having my news “spinned”. Maybe after the election is over and we have a new President things will be different? Probably not but its a nice dream to have anyway.

Later.

Episode 2 – The Empire Strikes Back. A few friends and I spent most of last Saturday watching two of the three Star Wars DVD’s. Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back. I realize that sounds pretty geeky but it was a really good bonding experience. It was me in a living room watching a 50″ television with three friends who are all film directors.

I’m not a film director. Although I have directed short films and what is called “2nd Unit” on films before. 2nd Unit is a group of people who go around shooting stunts or inserts or whatever the main unit (aka 1st Unit) doesn’t have time to shoot. Things like closeups of feet pressing gas pedals during a car chase or shots of what the actor is reading in his hand or cars flipping over and blowing up (my personal favorite).

The funny thing about our little group that day was we all had one major thing in common, beside or love of gadgets, pizza and asian supermodels. We are all roughly the same age and all work in the entertainment industry and all saw Star Wars when we were kids and all of us found it a life-changing experience.

I don’t know if I knew exactly what had happened to me at the time. After all, I was only a boy. I did feel it though. Something came alive in me in that dark theater on May 27, 1977. As I said in my previous post when I watched Star Wars earlier in the month, I knew something important was happening to me. I knew for the first time what I wanted to do with my life. I knew for the first time who I wanted to be.

We all had that same experience. As I looked at the faces of my friends last Saturday I didn’t see a bunch of jaded guys in their mid-thirties with nagging wives, crazy girlfriends, studios gutting their movies or any of that. I saw a bunch of kids watching something extrordinary. I saw a bunch of kids who, despite their age or what had happened, or not happened, in their careers or their lives, were able to put that aside for a few hours and relive what it meant to be a kid again.

So, whatever George Lucas did to the movies. How he changed them or added this shot or these silly characters, he can’t change what the film and the experience means to us. No amount of “enhancements” can alter that. We were lucky enough to grow up at a time when movies were about something and had the potential to change people’s lives.

I have spoken and written about what a golden age the seventies were for movies and how those times are gone. Star Wars came out at a time when we needed something to believe in. Vietnam, Watergate and the other events of that time were a little easier to handle when presented with such a bright and hopeful vision of the future. The idea that we are all part of a whole and that a force binds us all together is a powerful message.

It’s a message we could all use today. Unfortunately, the hollywood of today, with its corporate ownership, audience testing, direct marketing and quest for profit, is incapable of producing something like that. Just as tragic, the so-called “independent” studios are all but gone as well. Swallowed up by their corporate parents and unable to exercise much creative control over their projects or to take a chance on any “risky” fare.

All is not lost, however. Somewhere, perhaps in a darkened theater right now, is the next visionary who will finally get it and do something about it. It might have even been one of the guys in that living room with me on Saturday. And that’s the greatest thing about showbiz and life in general. You just never know what might happen. After all, tomorrow is another day.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Episode 2 – The Empire Strikes Back. A few friends and I spent most of last Saturday watching two of the three Star Wars DVD’s. Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back. I realize that sounds pretty geeky but it was a really good bonding experience. It was me in a living room watching a 50″ television with three friends who are all film directors.

I’m not a film director. Although I have directed short films and what is called “2nd Unit” on films before. 2nd Unit is a group of people who go around shooting stunts or inserts or whatever the main unit (aka 1st Unit) doesn’t have time to shoot. Things like closeups of feet pressing gas pedals during a car chase or shots of what the actor is reading in his hand or cars flipping over and blowing up (my personal favorite).

The funny thing about our little group that day was we all had one major thing in common, beside or love of gadgets, pizza and asian supermodels. We are all roughly the same age and all work in the entertainment industry and all saw Star Wars when we were kids and all of us found it a life-changing experience.

I don’t know if I knew exactly what had happened to me at the time. After all, I was only a boy. I did feel it though. Something came alive in me in that dark theater on May 27, 1977. As I said in my previous post when I watched Star Wars earlier in the month, I knew something important was happening to me. I knew for the first time what I wanted to do with my life. I knew for the first time who I wanted to be.

We all had that same experience. As I looked at the faces of my friends last Saturday I didn’t see a bunch of jaded guys in their mid-thirties with nagging wives, crazy girlfriends, studios gutting their movies or any of that. I saw a bunch of kids watching something extrordinary. I saw a bunch of kids who, despite their age or what had happened, or not happened, in their careers or their lives, were able to put that aside for a few hours and relive what it meant to be a kid again.

So, whatever George Lucas did to the movies. How he changed them or added this shot or these silly characters, he can’t change what the film and the experience means to us. No amount of “enhancements” can alter that. We were lucky enough to grow up at a time when movies were about something and had the potential to change people’s lives.

I have spoken and written about what a golden age the seventies were for movies and how those times are gone. Star Wars came out at a time when we needed something to believe in. Vietnam, Watergate and the other events of that time were a little easier to handle when presented with such a bright and hopeful vision of the future. The idea that we are all part of a whole and that a force binds us all together is a powerful message.

It’s a message we could all use today. Unfortunately, the hollywood of today, with its corporate ownership, audience testing, direct marketing and quest for profit, is incapable of producing something like that. Just as tragic, the so-called “independent” studios are all but gone as well. Swallowed up by their corporate parents and unable to exercise much creative control over their projects or to take a chance on any “risky” fare.

All is not lost, however. Somewhere, perhaps in a darkened theater right now, is the next visionary who will finally get it and do something about it. It might have even been one of the guys in that living room with me on Saturday. And that’s the greatest thing about showbiz and life in general. You just never know what might happen. After all, tomorrow is another day.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Christopher Reeve has died. He never gave up on life despite his injuries. He really was, I have to say it, a super man.

He will be missed.

I love this. The local Crawford, TX (Bush’s adopted hometown) paper The Lone Star Iconoclast has endorsed John Kerry for president. Kerry’s home paper, the Boston Globe, hasn’t come out with an endorsement yet.

What a bunch of brave guys. They are sure getting a lot of flak for this one. I admire them for standing up for what they believe in. Good for them.

Maybe there is something to this Democracy thing after all?

Later.

RIP Rodney. You will be missed. More here.

Later.

EDWARDS 1

CHENEY 0

Who the heck was that angry, bitter man that looked vaguely like the Vice-President? And, didn’t he realize that he was wearing a microphone? If he slouched any more forward he would have fallen over. That’s probably why he wanted to be sitting at a table.

Really, all I can say about Cheney’s performance is that he looked about ready to pass out much of the time. I have to believe that he is an intelligent and articulate man with a great deal of experience in government. However, that guy was not in attendance tonight. What we had instead was someone who looks beaten down. A man who knows, deep down, what kind of hole he and President Bush have dug. A man who knows that he and President Bush have no idea how to get us out of the mess in Iraq or the mounting deficit here at home. He looks like a man without a plan.

He did have a few good points and managed to seem positively upbeat when he attacked John Kerry and John Edward’s records in the Senate. Really, he was at his best when attacking Edwards personally. Which is, of course, another refuge for the desperate. When you don’t really have anything substantive to say or any real plan, just keep calling the other guy an asshole over and over. Loudly. And in front of lots of people.

After watching last weeks debate between John Kerry and President Bush, I felt like Kerry was finally able to show that he has a backbone and is ready to kick some ass in order to become President. He was on the world stage and looked every bit Presidential. Edwards did a great job as well but sometimes came across lacking in the experience department. He made little sense on Afghanistan; he wobbled on the “global test” issue; and he was completely lost when asked to respond to the question that he was too inexperienced for office. Of course, that’s a hard question to answer without seeming defensive. Sadly, Edwards blew that one.

Right now, an ABC news poll gives the debate to Cheney with 43 percent to Edwards 35 percent with 19 percent calling it a tie. Those numbers are a little unfair in that ABC’s viewership is 38 pecent Republicans, 31 percent Democrats, and the rest independents. Factor that in and its almost a tie.

A CBC poll of only uncommitted voters found that 41 percent said Edwards won the debate, versus 28 percent who said Cheney won. Thirty-one percent said it was a tie. So, there you go. That poll makes a little more sense to me, even though it is on CBS (i’ll give them a break).

I would also like to know what Cheney really thinks of President Bush, especially where gays are concerned. I don’t know about you, but I sensed a little rift there. I respect Cheney for acknowledging his daughter (finally) but how can he support a man who’s beliefs classify his daughter as evil? Maybe we will get all the dish in a few years when Cheney writes a tell-all with Kitty Kelly.

In the meantime, I think that Edwards helped Kerry tonight. Cheney was effective on some points and for sure was a hit with his base supporters but i would be surprised if he had any effect, except a negative one, on the so-called “swing” voters. He just came across, as I think he often does, as cranky and used to getting his own way and how dare you question me and while were at it go fuck yourself.

Later.

I just found out that I’m a crook because I use an iPod and iTunes. At least according to Steve Ballmer, Bill Gates’ whipping boy.

I wonder if he might be biased in favor of his own company when it comes to who should be your music vendor of choice? He also thinks that Apple and the Mac are the wrong platform if you want to have a digital home of the future. I really think that Steve has been sipping a little too much of the Microsoft Kool-Aid.

I know, I am not the best person to speak in an Apple versus Microsoft debate. I make no secret of the fact that I think the Mac is a superior platform for most things that most people want to do with their computers. I am writing this here entry on a Macintosh right now.

In my more recent career as a tech guru I am often asked which computer to purchase by one or more eager folks with some money burning a hole in their pockets. Many of them are paying clients and some are just family members or friends looking for some free advice. Either way, my answer usually leans towards the Macintosh.

However, the real answer depends upon what the person or the company is doing and plans on doing with their computer or computers. For the individual, who is doing basic computing such as e-mail, browsing the web, digital pictures, music and that kind of thing, The Mac is a fine product and can do all of those things, and much more, extremely well.

If the person or company want to go farther and more importantly, want to have some sort of collaborative environment with group tasking, calendars, etc. then I would tend to steer them towards the Windows side of the street and go with something like Microsoft Exchange.

I’m sure many of you are gasping for meaning with this revelation and to that I can only say that my job as a tech consultant is to provide the best solution that best fits the needs of the client. As much as I might want it to, the Mac can’t do everything and has some severe shortcomings when it comes to the corporate environment.

Now, I realize that their are probably many ways to put together several applications that will do close to the same job as Exchange but kludging together a solution is not in the client’s best interests and therefore not what I am going to recommend to them.

What does all this mean to the average user? Not too much. For the normal user and small business that doesn’t require complex collaborative software and is looking for basic file, print and web functions, the Mac running OSX would be a fine choice and I have recommended it many times. The Mac is shown in the best light when it is used for creative endeavors such as photos, music, graphic design, video editing and the like.

When it comes to more specific needs, especially for the business customer, Windows can fit the bill and does so quite well. I would actually choose it over linux at this point as well until linux emerges more into the consumer space and out from the “geek” closet.

That said, I still prefer the Mac over Windows, especially at the consumer level, because of its ease of use and reliability as an OS. I have many computers (too many, really, just ask the wife) but I still use a Mac daily to get my work done. It just works.

Oh, I also want to plug the good folks at TiVo for one of the greatest invention of the last ten years. I just picked up a new TiVo series 2. It was very easy to set up and also joined my wireless network with ease. Now I can stream pictures from iPhoto and music from iTunes into the living room and play them over the television. All with the included Home Media Option. That’s cool.

If you don’t have a TiVo, go out and get one. It’s that great. You can trust me, I’m not really a crook.

Later.