I was telling Jeff about this article on IM the other day, and I felt the need to share. It may help to understand why I think it’d cool if you understand what I do for a living. Long story short (too late), I am and Information Architect, and hold an MS in Human Computer Interaction. The point of all that is that I really get in to how people interact with interfaces. I design them, I test them, and I try to evaluate those tests and their results to improve the interface. That being said, the recent cover article in Wired is basically all about how Bungie and Microsoft are testing the new Halo 3 using user testing proceedures I learned about in grad school and often have occation to use at work.
What’s cool is the subtleness of the design, the problems, and their corrections. In any case, just go check out Halo 3: How Microsoft Labs Invented a New Science of Play over at Wired.
Blog Posts
High Tech Calvin Ball
I just saw this article on Gamespot about the new Halo, and one of it’s new modes. This seems really cool. The long and short of it is that you can edit on-line maps on the fly. Say you’ve got 4 guys running around blowing each other up, and you decide right here and now would be a good place to find a rocket launcher, you can go and drop one right there for you to pick up.
Viva la mayhem.
Oh, Ookie did that shit
So Michael Vick is going to plead guilty to this dogfighting mess. Here’s what I’ve learned from this whole thing, and I’ll wager it’s not the same thing you learned.
The maximum sentences for the things Vick, or Ookie, as he is referred to in the indictment, are as follows.
For Dogfighting
1 year in prison
$100,000 fine
For Interestate gambling
5 years in prison
$250,000 fine
That means that as a society, as indicated by the weight we have decided to place on different criminal offenses, we are FAR more offended by gambling than we are by fighting, hanging, and drowning animals.
I gotta say, I find that offensive. He tortured and killed animals and in order to add some meat to the case they needed the gambling charge.
And while I’m railing on gambling in sports. Daryl Strawberry, who has/had a severe drug addiction, which caused him and Dwight Gooden to be imprisoned and booted from baseball, got NUMEROUS chances to come back and give it another shot. Pete Rose gambled, and he’s banned for life.
We are ridiculous. These priorities are so far out of alignment, Riggs wouldn’t be able to pop them back in banging them against a wall.
So, please if you’re going to commit a crime, and I don’t recommend you commit one, you’re better off doing drugs or killing animals, than you are gambling.
Did I win my wager from the first paragraph?
Some see things the way the are and ask why. Others see things…
This photo was taken earlier this evening at the Indiana State Fair. It was not doctored in anyway. There is no Photoshop editing, no trick angles, and yes, the product this stand was selling is exactly what is featured on the big yellow sign. (P.S. That big strand of people in the lower portion is, indeed, the line for this fantastic product.)
A great man has died
I know that Jeff is quick to play the "Everything in the world can be tied back to Aaron Spelling" game, but another great behind the scenes television master has died.
Merv Griffin died today at the age of 82. (CNN Story) There aren’t any among us who weren’t sucked into The Wheel of Fortune mania of the 80’s. I remember when my uncle had a friend appear on "The Wheel" and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Sure, I was 11 or something, but still, there it was.
While The Wheel may seem a bit dated and old, Vanna’s graceful maintenance work not withstanding, Merv’s other major achievement is timeless. Yes, that’s right, Jeopardy. This show alone coined the term for innumerable jokes, situation comedies, and pop culture quips. "In the form of a question, please…"
You can always sit down and watch Jeopardy and be challenged and have fun arguing answers and even the categories themselves with anyone. Oh, and if the sheer coolness of Jeopardy isn’t enough, there was even a Golden Girls episode all about it. THAT is cool.
Wow, I’ve been my wife’s husband for too long, I am publicly admitting that a Golden Girls tie in makes anything cooler. Ahh well, so it goes.
God speed Merv, you entertained us well.
Not to crap on his acheivement or anything but…
Barry Bonds just hit 756. I had the game on in the background and I saw it as it happened. For a record as big as this one, I only have one observation to make.
There are iconic images in sports. After Jordan pushed off to hit the winning shot in his last game as a Bull and he held his hand up, making sure he followed through. Kirk Gibson pumping his fist as he hobbled around the bases. That crazy fuck who chases Hank Aaron around the base path patting him on the back when he passed Babe Ruth. What did Barry give us?
He held up both hands above his head as he watched it go. Then, we he knew it was over with his arms still held above his head, he clapped his hands like a seal clapping it’s flippers. Wheeeeee!
The size of this record is in direct proportion to the lameness of that celebration.
What happened to saluting a baseball as it leaves the park?
As I watched the footage of Barry Bonds’ 755th homerun the other night I was struck by Commissioner Bud Selig’s reaction to it. It conjured up this image in my head.
Bud Selig holds the same opinion of Barry Bonds as Lance Corporal Harold W. Dawson has of Lt. Daniel Kafee. Barry Bonds, however thinks Bud Selig is a "lousy fucking softball player."
Not again with this stuff
I was just reading a quote from an IU recruit about his unofficial visit. I hope we get this kid, but let’s try not to lie to or purposely confuse the boy. He said this,
"Another thing I really impressed with was how
well their posts pass when the post is double teamed. D.J. White is one of
the best players in the country and they had great highlights of him getting
doubled and sometimes tripled and he was able to keep his eyes up and be strong
with the ball and find the open person out on the perimeter."
I guess they didn’t show the highlights from the 12 times a game that he dribbled, with the double team on him, out to the corner and then threw a horrible pass.
I do applaud their efforts. It must have taken days to find enough examples of DJ passing well out of the post to piece together a highlight reel.
Living the Dream
As Barry Bonds gets closer to breaking Hank Aaron’s home run record, I’d like to shed a new light on this for everyone that may make us all feel a little better.
In 1974, when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s record, many people were actively rooting against him. Because he was black (still is by the way).
In 2007, as Barry Bonds prepares to break this record, many people are actively rooting against him. Not because he’s black, but because he’s kind of a dick and no one really likes him all that much. Some people will claim it’s the steroids thing, but at the heart of it it’s because he’s a dick.
This means, that we are not judging him by the color of his skin, but rather the content of his character.
This isn’t exactly with Martin Luther King was talking about, but pat yourselves on the back if you don’t like Barry Bonds because of what he has done and the kind of person he shows himself to be, because we are all examples of Dr. King’s dream.
My childhood crush is smarter than yours
Winnie Cooper is releasing a book, encouraging girls to not be stupid little crack whores.
Speaking as a teacher. Good for her.
And also, in your face everyone who prefers the Olsen Twins, or any other child star! Mine is smarter.
Jeff Taylor Writes 