What was it like, back then?

I believe that my generation is the last to see the existence of a simpler world before the technological takeover. I’ve often wondered what it will be like in 50 years when my grandchildren will ask me what it was like when I was a kid. Will they even comprehend how different it used to be, or will it be so different that it would be hard for them to imagine?

I remember asking my grandparents the same question when I was younger, and now that I think about it, sure things have changed, but the things that changed seemed more like upgrades. Things were made more efficiently with more options and usefulness.

As for the last decade or so, we’ve seen more than just upgrades. Totally new ideas and innovations have sprouted in the technological field. Things that would have been deemed impossible 50 years ago.

I’m somewhat glad that I was able to experience life without the “now” technology. Going on road trips with friends with no GPS, getting no cell reception with no internet access available, not knowing what’s going on in the world until the evening news, not worrying about risqué pictures that may be uploaded for all to see, actually knowing how to use the Dewey Decimal System in the library for research, I could go on, but you get the picture.

I went to the movies the other night and noticed how there was a certain glow that filled the walls. Almost everyone had a phone out and was checking their facebooks or emails or texting.  Ten years ago, there was maybe one or two in the theatre. Back in my day, we actually had conversations with our companions who were seated next to us to kill the time. Man, I sound old.

Now don’t pin me as a Neo-Luddite, I love my technology and the new stuff that they continue to shuffle out. I’m just curious as to how those who are born in this technological revolution are going to turn out.  What will their attention spans be like? Will they be in constant need to have a phone in their hands or some portable game device? All I needed was a book or a bear. Man, I do sound old.

Maybe this experience of being born when I did will give me an upper hand to the people dependent on needing technology to breathe.  All it takes is some massive catastrophe like a hurricane to knock out all the power and bring everything to a standstill. Even I had problems adapting to going back to pre-tech times. It sure gave me a bunch of time to read, but even my eyes can take only so much. I still remember when there was a giant service outage for a major cell company that affected many Americans. Many of my friends on my facebook with their service were complaining because they “didn’t know what to do!”

Now that we’re here in the now world, there’s no turning back. The times before are a fond nostalgic memory floating around in the backs of our minds. I can only imagine what I would tell my grandchildren in the future what it was like before everything.

E-musician

Too much time and too many phones on his hands?

What does it mean to be a “gamer?”

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when someone says “he’s a gamer?” For those who may be unaware of the vast aspects of the genre, they may picture an overweight pasty-white guy sitting in front of his computer in the basement of his mother’s with an empty pizza box. Stereotypes FTL! (For the lose), for the non-gamers out there.

I’ll admit that I originally condemned video games and thought they were a waste of time until my friends invited me to a LAN party one evening. This is a gathering of gamers that play games against each other through the Local Area Network system associated with computers. From the first head-shot in Call of Duty to the last tower standing in Warcraft III, I knew that this was not going to be a one time thing. That’s when I knew that I was indeed a gamer.

As for that stereotype which I mentioned earlier, none of my friends are like that. However, I won’t completely nullify the chance of that being possible because I do know of a few online friends who are such. But for the most part, they live as normal a life as can be.

One of the biggest obstacles I’ve had to overcome and still try to do is convincing my mom that I indeed have a social life outside the real world. When I started up World of Warcraft (a massively multi-player online role playing game), she insisted that I was wasting away at my desk, not experiencing life or interacting with the world.

Don’t think that I became a hermit when I played that game. I still had a life outside the game. I went to work, school, hung out with friends when I had the chance and went places when I had the money.  I still had time to interact with others, and time to interact with my online friends in-game.

It bothers me the most when people say you have no life if you play video games. Some people play sports, go shopping, watch tv or do nothing in their free time to enjoy themselves. I’m one of those people that enjoyed playing games in my free time to help unwind and have fun, and mind you it’s quite a bit cheaper.

A huge part of the experience is the gaming community that you will find in-game. My mom doesn’t understand and I’m sure many don’t realize that there is a giant community in the game that is created with people of all backgrounds from around the world. In WoW, I was a part of a guild, which is like a small friend group that works together and helps each other out. I’ve met many interesting people in the five years that I’ve played and I still keep in touch with them via facebook or aim. I’ve witnessed drama and break-ups and anger even if it was through pixels. Just because they are not physically here, does not mean they are not there.

Don’t say that gaming is a mindless activity either. There is quite a lot of thinking involved with strategizing amongst your guildies on how to defeat the raid boss, determining what gear is best for your dps (damage per second) or heals for that matter and figuring the best way to accomplish things together. There have also been studies that show how gamers have better reflexes than non-gamers.

Oh, and don’t think that all gamers are guys. To all those guys out there, yes there are GIRLS on the interwebs. More and more girls are joining the gaming community. It’s up to the hardcore gamers to figure out who the real ones are vs. the “posers” who are only on the bandwagon to find a guy. I’ve already found my gamer, ladies, so don’t worry about competition.

All I’m saying is keep an open mind on what it means to be a gamer. Maybe even give gaming a second chance. I’m glad I did.

What can technology do for you?

After being stranded in Dubai due to the volcanic ash cloud, an Australian-British couple gets a surprise wedding at the hotel they were waiting at with a Skype connection for the rest of the reception in Britain.  The family was able to see and hear the ceremony through webchat.

It’s amazing how technology works in our every day lives.

Story can be found here.

Chat Roulette

A new website is sweeping the internet gathering a group of followers that is ever growing, including some celebrities. The site is called Chatroulette, a place where you are put at random with another person from anywhere around the world with a webcam and web access. Why is this becoming so popular?

The Chatroulette web site was created by Andrey Ternovskiy, a 17-year-old high school student in Moscow. Ternovskiy said the idea arose from the video chats from Skype. He proceeded to write the program under three days. Chatroulette debuted in early November of 2009. When it first came out, the traffic was around 500 visitors a day. Now the number has sky-rocketed to 35,000 as of February 2010 and 1.5 million for March 2010.

This new concept of randomly chatting brings back the memories of old school anonymity of the web like the old random chat rooms that used to be so popular.  One reason people choose to use this site is because the can become exhibitionists on the web cam and remain anonymous without having the backlash of crude comments on a YouTube wall or FaceBook. You can dance around in a chicken suit or talk to a random person about your drunken escapade in Vegas with strippers without regret for the most part, unless someone is actually recording the video with another program. Though it’s still anonymous for the most part.

One of the reasons why it is such an addicting place is the fact that you could get “randomed” with really interesting people, and if you get tired of the person, or if something gets a little inappropriate, all you have to do is hit the “Next” button. Of course, there’s always the disheartening action of you being “randomed” by a stranger. Then you’re left to wonder whether you just weren’t hot enough or looked too boring.

Another amazing aspect of Chatroulette is that you can become randomed with people from all around the world. About 33% of the Chatroulette population is from the US and 5% from Germany, the rest is all over the place. Whenever I tried it for the first time, I was randomed with a guy from northern Germany who spoke no English. Luckily, I’m somewhat fluent in German, so I was able to speak to him and practice my German with him. It was an interesting experience just speaking with someone from around the world with no connections, in a different language, just shooting the breeze. Another worthy encounter was a guy from Austin, Texas who was wearing a cowboy hat and doing the dishes. You never know who will pop up on your screen next.

But before you decide to pop on in and take a look, let me warn you, there are some instances where you will run into the perverts that will decide to aim their web cams down south for a sight you more than likely would not want to see. Approximately one in 10 users encountered the naughty bits. But what’s great about Chatroulette, is that all you have to do is “next” the person. That’s all I did. You have to be able to put up with the weirdos to attain some interesting conversations.

There are even some celebrities jumping on the Chatroulette bandwagon. Kelly Osbourne, Joel Madden, Nichole Richie, and Perez Hilton all claim to be users. It’s even been featured on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and an episode of South Park.

There’s even been an instance of a live concert where Ben Folds does an impromptu session of singing about whoever pops up on the screen next.

I think that Chatroulette is here to stay. It is the perfect time sink for people who are bored, lonely or just want to have fun and act crazy. The traffic may die down due to the newness of it wearing off, but I think that people will continue to use it for fun and other strange activities. As for me, I’ll probably stop by every now and then if I just want to talk with random people or run into the crazy guy who wears a cat suit.

For other funny Chatroulette screen shots, try bestofchatroulette and bestchatroulettescreenshots. Warning: Some of these are not safe for work!

Percy Jackson in print wins the duel

Percy Jackson is a boy with two lives, one on screen and one in print. Their lives are so different, I don’t see how the movie studios were able to film the story so differently from the plot of the book and still retain the name of: “The Lightning Thief.” I read the book after I watched the movie and spotted so many differences.

The book, The Lightning Thief, is the first of five in the series of Percy Jackson and the Olympians written by Rick Riordan.

Both the movie and the book take a somewhat similar path down the storyline.  A dyslexic young boy (12 in the book but played by an 18 year old Logan Lerman) has strange things happening to him and finds out from his teacher that he is a demigod, an offspring of the gods. He is brought to “Camp Half-Blood,” a camp for demigods, and meets others like him.

He befriends Annabeth, daughter of Athena and Grover a satyr.  Percy finds out that he is Poseidon’s son. He also finds out that he is wanted for stealing Zeus’ master lightning bolt.  The three go on a quest to find the lightning bolt and to get Percy’s mother back from Hades who has been held hostage in the Underworld.

In the movie, the first scenes were so rushed and the background of Percy was unclear as to why he was in the predicament. It did not allow for the audience to feel for the character, he was more of a troublesome boy from the looks of it. In the book, it gives a great deal of background so the reader can understand where the character Percy came from. There is a starting point from where the character can develop. In the movie, there was hardly any room for Percy or other characters to develop.

One of the biggest things that bothered me the most was how the film completely omitted one of the bad guys that plays an important role in the second book of the series. Instead, all of the blame is put on a different character which changes the original plot of the book.

Another character, Luke, who plays a small role in the movie, does not expand upon the plot like in the book. There is an entire scene missing from the book where we learn an important secret regarding what is brewing in the god’s world.

Another slight difference is the location of the Underworld. In the movie, the entrance is right behind the Hollywood sign. In the book, the entrance is through a recording studio with funny characters in the waiting room. The three quest-goers also must go through a lot more security in the book than compared to the movie.

If I had to pick, the book would be a clear winner on all accounts with action, adventure,  mystery and character and plot development. The movie loses the heart of the book and is overplayed with cliches. I’m probably giving it more credit because I watched the movie first, than read the book. If you read the book first, you will definitely not like the movie.

A Different Twist

When Joe Leydon visited our class the other day, he mentioned a bit about how a director can change the tone or angle of a story from what the writer has written.

I found these two videos to be excellent examples of how someone can take what is already there and twist it into a totally new angle.

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How To Train Your Dragon

How To Train Your Dragon is a great movie to start out your spring with younger ones, even those a bit young at heart, especially those who have felt misunderstood by others. It has a fresh story with interesting creatures that the audience will want to tame their own dragons by the end of the movie.

The hero of the story is Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel), a young scrawny boy who has much to live up to, mainly because his father Stoick (Gerard Butler) is the village leader and main dragon killer.

One evening when their Viking village is raided by dragons, Hiccup tries to gain his father’s acceptance by killing a dragon with his own catapult contraption. Out of pure chance, or destiny, he nets one of the most elusive and powerful of all dragons. When he tries to tell his story, no one believes him.

When he goes out in search of his prey, he comes upon the dragon.  Instead of killing it, he sets it free and creates a bond between the two.  He names the dragon Toothless, and becomes very close with him.

Hiccup learns the secrets in training dragons as he nurses Toothless and surprises his villagers with his newfound talent, more like the “dragon whisperer.” This talent comes in quite handy when the evil dragon is discovered.

How To Train Your Dragon was made from the same studio that created Shrek, Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda. It is also based on a book series by Cressida Cowell.

The movie will be sure to keep even adults interested. It sparks hope in young minds when they see what young Hiccup can accomplish as he proves and finds himself. There is also plenty of interesting flight and battle sequences. The CGI is also very well done.

What you don’t know won’t hurt you…

Now that the health care reform bill is officially signed, what does that mean for us Americans?

Well, very soon, we will be seeing dramatic changes at our favorite fast food places or chains that have over 20 locations.  Instead of having just a nutritional pamphlet hidden away on the wall or a poster that is rarely seen, there will soon be calorie content right on the menu next to the food item. Now you will know that your Big Mac has 540 calories and your Whopper has 670 calories.

The Food and Drug Administration will establish more specific regulations and when the law comes into affect.

The health care law states: “succinct statement concerning suggested daily caloric intake” that are “posted prominently on the menu and designed to enable the public to understand, in the context of a total daily diet, the significance of the caloric information that is provided on the menu.”

The nutrition facts would also be required on vending machines for items where the nutritional content can sometimes be hidden.

California and New York City have already began the practice in the last few years. What effect has it had on the caloric intake?

In a study done by the NYU School of Medicine,  they found found that 27.7 percent [of people] who saw calorie labeling in New York said the information influenced their choices, however, they did not detect a change in calories purchased after the introduction of calorie labeling.

This part in the law would benefit those seriously trying to lose weight. As for others such as myself, I’ll still eat that 500 calorie burger even if the number looks larger compared to the others. People will still continue to eat the high calorie fatty foods.

It’s going to be a close one.

Neither the Republicans or the Democrats can call for a real win just yet for the governor’s seat of Texas. With a narrow victory for Perry in a 3 person race and a huge victory for White in an 8 person race, it’s hard to say who has the upper hand. Right now, it’s anyone’s game.

For some, it may be an easy choice to choose whom in November, for others it may be a back and forth battle of a decision.

On one side of the ring is White, a fresh new face for Texas who has a decent reputation from a high populous city. He is one of the strongest democratic candidates for Texas since the time of Ann Richards. He has a decent resume as former mayor of Houston and businessman which will help him ease the fact that he is not a radical left wing liberal and help gain votes from those forming their own opinions.

On the other side of the ring is Perry, a well-known face who has been the longest running Texas governor for 10 years. He is the face of conservative voters that do not want to have any ties with Washington in a time of distrust. Also, many are abiding by the old Texas saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

The year will be an interesting one for both of their campaigns. Perry will try to boast his positive record and White will boast his good record with Houston. It will definitely not be a clean campaign.

For a part of Perry’s campaign:

He’ll say that White aligned himself with President Barack Obama on issues like health care and climate change and try to paint the ex-mayor as a “liberal Democrat trial lawyer that’s out of touch with mainstream Texans,” said Perry spokesman Mark Miner.

On the other hand with White’s campaign:

White confronted Perry’s anti-Washington message head-on, calling it a distraction from his failed record as governor on issues like job losses and the high school dropout rate.

It will be an interesting fight to watch in the upcoming months. Just don’t put any bets on the table just yet.