My Quiet Riot crossover post

For those who actually read my other blog, this will seem a bit familiar.

I was recently given a wonderful gift. A gift of music. Specifically Quiet Riot's album: Metal Health. I'll be honest here: I wasn't as impressed as I had hoped, upon my first listen. Sure, who can resist the album's two hit singles, "Metal Health" and "Cum On Feel The Noize"? But the rest of the album just felt either a little soft or a little hokey or both.

Well, it's weeks later, and I still can't stop listening. I've entirely fallen in love with the album. I don't have a good explanation for my change in feelings, but it is what it is. If you like classic 80's metal, and you haven't given Quiet Riot a chance yet, I strongly urge you to pick up Metal Health and bang your head.

Skulls and birds and guitars, oh my!

A few months ago, my buddy over at St Awesome came up with a frightfully accurate portrayal of Target men's t-shirts. His theory was that nearly every shirt contained at least a skull, bird, or guitar. For a while, it was a fun game to play when visiting Target; there was a plethora of shirts that fit the description. Now, times are a'changin'.

Taking a look at Target's current line-up, I'd have to say trees are starting to become the new guitar. They both have similar shapes, so it seems a logical step.

I wonder if they have the missing link t-shirt: a tree in the shape of a guitar!

The age of the fleeting standard

Recently, the HDMI Founders group released HDMI 1.4. For those of you who are not familiar with what HDMI is, it's a specification for connecting A/V devices. In fact, that's what makes it special: it's a single cable that can transport both audio and video at the same time. In theory, this is a wonderful new thing, but there's information unsaid so far that might color this rosy picture.

To fully grasp why I have such issues with this new spec, let's travel back in time a bit. Right now, we're in the 1940s. A company called RCA has introduced a fancy new connector call the phono plug. It's a neat way to connect your phonograph to your amplifier. One, simple, sturdy, cable. All it does it transport a single audio channel.

Now, let's hop on over a few years to when stereo records became popular. The little cable that was so elegant in design is now doubled, and we have one for left and one for right. That's it.

A few decades later, we hit the end of the 1970s. Suddenly, there's a reason to upgrade your audio equipment and video equipment. The laserdisc has brought 5.1 surround sound to the home, and composite video has enabled people to connect video devices without all the static and fuss that came from the RF (radio frequency) connector. But not to worry, your collection of phono plug cables still works. That simple cable is used for everything you want to connect. Even when digital audio is introduced in the 1980s, that same cable can be used to transport that too.

It's not until the end of the 1980s that we see a new type of cable: the mini-DIN, or s-video cable. It provides a cleaner picture over the composite video that was being sent over our phono plug. Due to the nature of TV technology at the time, most people didn't bother with the new-fangled connector until the mid to late 1990s, and by then a new video standard was created called component video, that used, you guessed it: the phono plug!

Let's pause here in time. By the mid 1990s a home A/V setup could have 9 phono plugs between A/V devices. 6 for 5.1 surround and 3 for component video. Gosh, it's great that we can reuse that little connector, but it's a rat's nest back there! Let's reduce the clutter by replacing our 5.1 analog with some crisp, clean digital surround sound, using either a single phono plug, or a fancy fiber-optic cable.

Digital is great, but now it seems that some of my components use coax (the phono plug) and some use TosLink (the fiber optical), despite both being the same digital signal. Now I've got to make sure all my components talk with the same standards.

This setup was great for about 10 years. Then a great, new technology came to us: HDTV. High Definition. Thankfully, our good, old phono plug cables are here; we can use them to get nearly pixel perfect HDTV. But digital is perfect, and we only want one cable, not three.

So in 2003 the HDMI specification was born. A standard that could be used to connect your A/V equipment together using just one, thin, little cable. But it was only version 1.0.

One year later, they released version 1.1. This time you could have more types of audio over the cable. We've gone from a new standard every decade or so, to an update every year. Thankfully, we only need to upgrade our TV, receiver, and Blu-Ray player to get the new features, we can keep our old HDMI cable.

Now, in 2009, after 8 revisions on the "standard" (including 1.3b1), they've released version 1.4. Except this time, after we buy a new TV, receiver, and Blu-Ray player, we need to buy a new HDMI cable. But which one?

Wait: multiple cables? But I thought HDMI was supposed to be the end-all-be-all of standards? Where before we had a single cable that could do 1080p/60 (that's 1080 lines of a progressively scanned image at 60 frames per second) and DTS-HD Master Audio (that's 7.1 channel audio that sounds just like your local multiplex), we now have 5 different cables that all support different things.

The HDMI Founders group has now given us:

• Standard HDMI Cable – supports data rates up to 1080i/60;
• High Speed HDMI Cable – supports data rates beyond 1080p, including Deep Color and all 3D formats of the new 1.4 specification;
• Standard HDMI Cable with Ethernet – includes Ethernet connectivity;
• High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet – includes Ethernet connectivity;
• Automotive HDMI Cable – allows the connection of external HDMI-enabled devices to an in-vehicle HDMI device.

The above is taken from here.

I'll ignore the automotive standard for this discussion, but let's focus on why the other four cables are a problem. The biggest issue here is instead of giving the consumer more, they're effectively hurting the consumer by giving manufactureres the option of only providing support for connecting the "standard" HDMI cable v1.4. If the press is to be believed, they've cut off the maximum video output at 1080i/60 (this means there are 1080 interlaced lines to the image, which is not as good as progressive), where as before we had 1080p/60. To continue to get your 1080p/60 fix, you need to ensure everything supports HDMI 1.4 "High Speed." Which brings me to the next problem, if we need a new cable as it is, just always give us Ethernet too. The cost of manufacturing the highest end cable is negligable. If the consumer chooses to buy a lower-end receiver now, that consumer shouldn't have to worry about replacing anything but the receiver later. But this way they not only buy a new receiver, but new cables too, all in the name of HDMI.

Why have we gone from a new interconnect every 10 or more years, to effectively a new one every year? Part of it has to do with the rapid pace of technology, but part of it - and I feel the driving force behind the HDMI Founders group's decision - is greed. HDMI Founders gets a licensing fee for each cable that is produced. What better way to increase revenue than by multiplying that license 5 times? Consumers may never have the luxury of buying a home theater setup that stays fresh for 10 years ever again, but they don't need anyone making it any more difficult.

My childhood gaming experience

I'm not usually one to post other people's work and call it a day, but this Penny Arcade strip really sums up being on the Sega side of the console wars back in the day. Except I've played Punch Out.

Note: I don't know what Penny Arcade's policies are on image leaching like this, so if you represent them and would like me to kill this, please contact me, I would be happy to comply with your wishes.

Why we should all keep the mix tape alive

If you're a product of the 80's or even most of the 90's you should be familiar with the concept of the mix tape. But for those who are unfamiliar, a quick rundown: a mix tape is an audio cassette filled with music from a variety of artists chosen by the mix tape maker for the mix tape listener.

As we've abandoned the audio cassette for the CD and now the CD for the mp3, we've started to lose the wonderful benefit of the mix tape. It's a way of introducing someone else to new music that you like. I'm sure some of you out there are thinking "this is what Pandora is for," but you'd be wrong.

The mix tape has a unique property. Things like Pandora try to find you new music that you like, but it's based on music you already know you like. The mix tape is hand-picked by someone else with no guarantee that the intent is to bring you music you like. They can often be filled with music you just don't care for, but that's the beauty! Say you give it a listen and you find yourself annoyed by the music, but then you think, "golly, my friend couldn't have that poor taste in music, I'll try it again." Perhaps this time you find yourself nodding your head to a couple of songs. Intrigued, you give it another listen. And another. And eventually you've realized that you like some of the music.

So now you think, "hey, if I like their music, maybe they'll like mine!" Now you get the wonderful chance to do something different with your music. Instead of just putting on any old album, or letting your computer shuffle things for you, you're now an active participant in your music collection. Now you're going over all of your tracks searching, listening, thinking, trying to find the perfect match. When you're done not only have you created a great new mix for your friend, but you've taken the time to appreciate the music you've got.

When all is said and done, two people have not only introduced each other to new music, but they've re-introduced themselves to their own music.

Whether it's on a cassette, CD, or flash drive, give a mix tape to a friend, and keep alive this wonderful experience.

Myth Understood

Here's a great myth: only old people don't understand computers.

Everyone talks about how young people just "get" computers and old people are sooo clueless. Well, guess what: young people have just as much trouble getting around their computers. It's all a matter of self-involvement. I've worked with people younger than I, people who grew up in this fancy computer age, who can't seem to grasp how copy and paste work.

If my 80 year-old aunt can learn the very basics of Windows (yes, we bought her her first computer at 80, what?), it's possible there are 10 year olds waking around not knowing that there's other ways to get places on the internet than through their home page search box.

Don't blindly discriminate. This has been a public service announcement from your local guy-who-keeps-an-online-journal.

Note: this entry was originally written 4/25/08, but sat around in my Drafts for over a year.

Beating the digital music stores

Although I'm a fan of technology, for some reason I've never embraced purchasing digital music downloads. There's something I love about having the CD that is exciting to me. But since nearly everyone I know has started buying music on-line (especially from the iTMS), I've started having a contest with myself: can I beat the iTMS pricing?

If we assume that each song is worth $1 and each full album is worth $10, an album with 2 hit singles on it needs to be $2 or less, or if I buy an album for $10, I should love every song on it. This makes buying new CDs very exciting. Some people like to bargain hunt for shoes, I do it for music.

I've found there are some very good benefits to buying music the way I do.

1. I'm not spending more money than my friends would on the same music.
2. I don't buy willy-nilly because most CDs are too expensive under my rules.
3. There's the chance I'll like more songs than I expected on an album, making my purchase a virtual profit.
4. Despite the progress made on iTMS, CDs still give you lossless tracks, full album art, and credits.
5. When my mp3 player runs out of batteries, I can pop in a CD and still enjoy my music.
6. If a friend wants to borrow an album, I can grab the CD and lend it to them without having to turn on my computer, or transfer files, or anything.
7. If my digtial copy gets corrupted, I've got a lossless backup.
8. I never have to worry if my files are in the right format for a certain player, or in any other format at all.

Although I know the RIAA would frown heavily on my purchasing used CDs and then ripping them to mp3s, I'd like them to know I do break my rules sometimes and buy new, full-priced albums. I'm willing to spend full price on a new CD at a concert. Great musicians should be rewarded for their hard work, and I feel that buying a ticket to their show and buying merchandice when you're there is the best thing you can do for them. Even if you go to their show and download the songs on your iPhone as they are played at the concert, at the end of the night, you're still paying a third party for their music, and you still can't have the band sign the cover.

A note: I'm sorry for singling out Apple, but they are currently the dominant venue for digital music downloads and music players. The same thoughts and rules apply to all digital music stores.

Food photography is hard, hand-held food photography is impossible

During a very delicious dinner recently, I decided to try my hand at food photography. I'd heard it is very difficult to do, especially as a professional with hot lights. It seems that once you get a pleasing looking composition, then your food is reflecting light in an unpleasing way. Despite this challenge, I decided to do it anyhow, because practice is always good, right? Well, I didn't have my tripod on me so I had to do the shots hand-held.

Hand-held indoor photography is also a difficult task due to generally poor lighting, and the combination of trying to get the food to look good and to keep my hands from shaking too much, I only ended up with one sorta okay photo out of about 12. Above you can see the final result.

Recipes for the lazy or: Magic Shell is a ripoff

Here's how to make your own Magic Shell chocolate ice cream topper and chocolate fruit shell:
Ingredients: chocolate chips.

Instructions:
Take a small pot, fill half with water.
When water boils, place glass mixing bowl on top.
Drop a few chocolate chips into bowl.
When chips start to melt, start stirring with spatula.
Continue to stir and drop chips in until you've got a nice sized pool o' chocolate.
Use liquid chocolate to cover fruit, ice cream, or whatever.
Never buy Magic Shell again.

It's almost embarrassingly easy to do. The best bit is you can use your favorite chocolate, not just whatever Smucker's wants to give you (no offense to Smuckers, please don't sue me).

So guys: impress your next date by looking like you can cook! Just don't try to cover your date in chocolate, unless she's into 2nd degree burns.

WTFicide

WTFicide: when something breaks due to unexpected input. My open source word processor committed WTFicide when I tried to load a new Word document.

Coined by "Baeocystin" of Ars Technica.

Batman (1989) revisited

A certain song ("Another Man's Rhubarb" -Pop Will Eat Itself) reminded me of the 1989 Batman movie. Having not seen it for about 8 years I decided to take a look at the IMDB quotes page for the film. Many have compared and contrasted Joker from the 1989 film and the 2008 film, and the general consensus is that the 2008 Joker better captures the essence of the character.

I can easily agree that the whole Jack Napier backstory in the '89 film is a terrible departure from the origin-less Joker of the comics. Joker is a great character because he is more important as a metaphore than as a villain. Clearly, this is what the '08 film hammered in again and again. But where I feel that Joker fell short was living up to his name, and this is where the script for the '89 Batman film really shines. The '89 Joker has a real zest for life. He just wants to have fun...at the expense of others' lives. You get the feeling that Batman is like a stern parent to a hyperactive child. I love this Joker, because the Joker metaphore is there, but it's subtle. He is both portrayed as the antithesis of Batman and his equal without hitting the viewer on the head with the idea.

The real issue at hand, I feel, is not that the '89 Joker is a poor joker (ignoring the origin story), but that Jack Nicholson was a poor choice. The criticism suggests that we weren't watching Joker but Jack. Although I think he's an excellent fit for the character, I can see the critics' point. To those critics, I say: read the script and invision your choice of Joker, and maybe you too can enjoy my favorite Joker.

I can admit it now: I love Goo.

I recently started playing a wonderful new game. It's got charm and wit and it's a fun challenge, but never so hard that I want to stop. It's called:

World Of Goo

It's a physics-based puzzle game in which you must construct structures with goo balls in an effort to to get as many goo balls as you can into a pipe. The graphics a smooth and simple, the music rivals some movie scores (reminds me a little of Danny Elfman at times), and the game-play is a pleasure.

Go, get dirty.

Lies he has told

I'm not usually one for just linking to people's blogs in my blog, because it just helps invalidate the existence of my blog, but to those who do read my blog, but neglect Primate Brow Flash, please take a moment and read this entry: Lies I have told.

My Halloween Movie Script

For your enjoyment, I've written a short screenplay entitled: MissDial. The tag line is "They Missed By One Number."

Cast:
Woman: beautiful brunette in early 20's, has soft voice
Man on phone: has raspy voice

[INTERIOR: Dimly lit living room]

Phone rings.

W:Hello?

Man on phone coughs.

W:Hello?
M:Hello.
W:Can I help you?
M:Susan?
W:No, I'm sorry, you must have the wrong number.
M:I don't think so.
W:Well, there's no Susan here.
M:Is this 555-2415?
W:No, it's 555-2416.

We hear the man hangup abruptly.
Cut to black. Roll credits.

Economic stimulus gifting

These days, it's easy to travel all the way to your local Amazon.com and buy your friend a birthday gift of the latest Eddie Murphy flop on DVD. You can even send it to him directly. Heck, you can even include a nice note, saying how much you appreciate him as a friend. But really, a kick in the shins and passing him a twenty next time you see him would do just as well.

In these trying economic times we need to be sure that what we're spending our hard earned money on is worthwhile. So why not redirect that money towards a gift that not only means something (besides showing your poor taste in films), but is beneficial to our economy?

Instead of trekking all the way to Amazon.com, type in fewer letters and go to Etsy.com. There you can find a wide range of handmade goods that can be shipped directly to your friend, and to top it off, you're sending that money to a disgruntled artisan who will be happy to drown their sorrows in booze and more art supplies, thus directly stimulating our economy.

So next time you have the urge to share with your best friend the delights of a man in a lady's fat suit, think again, and buy them something unique that will not show them how little you know about quality movie-making. And when you're done, you can sit back in your chair and imagine your new favorite artist running out and buying one bottle of paint and six bottles of beer.

Excuse me, I have to go rewind my VHS of The Klumps.

I'm A Conspirator!

Last night I went to my very first International Cartoonist Conspiracy meeting. The ICC meets at various locations once a month and does a comic jam. Despite what you might have heard, this does not involve cutting up comics, adding pectin, cooking and jarring. Instead, each person gets one blank (but numbered) page. A theme is decided upon, and each person creates the first panel on that page. Then the pages are passed around, each person continuing the story on that page. The final panel(s) must be linked to the next page's first panel, thus creating one (theoretically) coherent comic at the end of the night!

The Minneapolis branch is a great group of people to work with. They meet the first Thursday of each month at Diamonds Coffee Shoppe in Minneapolis at 6:30pm. It's a great time, anyone can participate, and they do NOT require you to be good at drawing or writing. Just bring your creative juices (and fruit pectin).

Side note: I've been informed that last night's comic will be part of a gallery show at Altered Esthetics called "Happy Holidaze" which will run Dec 4-20th.

Trying on other peoples' shoes

It's true: you can never really know what it's like for someone until you're (metaphorically) standing in their shoes.

Nothing says class like a nylon track suit and a tie

Feel free to replace the tie with a bolo or ascot.

Name/Job correlation?

My mother likes to joke that everyone in IT is named Dave. As it turns out, I've never worked with anyone named Dave. Not in IT, not outside of IT that I can remember.

However, I've found that working in the financial sector I'm currently working in the same office as 6 Michaels. There are a total of 7 in the company. Does working in finance attract people of a certain name? Are there other jobs that seem to attract more of one name than others?

Maybe there's just an over-abundance of Michaels in the area.

Feeling poor? Just convert a 5 dollar bill into Zimbabwe Dollars

Right now, the Zimbabwe Dollar is worth a whopping 0.00000000005353 USD. So go ahead and exchange some of your money, heck, even a penny, for millions of Zimbabwe Dollars!

And for some delightfully depressing reading, check out Dr. Gono's statement on the current state of monetary affairs in Zimbabwe. It makes you long for the Weimar Republic!