The Christmas Tree 2009 December 25, 2009
Posted by Brian L. Belen in Show and Tell.add a comment
For posterity: here’s the Christmas Tree that the wife and I bought, assembled and decorated for our first Christmas together.
Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.
(The accompanying loot is quite respectable, too, I should add!)
The War of the Lions December 22, 2009
Posted by Brian L. Belen in Reviews, Video Games.add a comment
When Squaresoft (now Square Enix) released Final Fantasy VII in 1997, it may be said that an entire generation of video game enthusiasts lost their minds. I was one of them: FFVII was unlike anything I’d ever played, and I was so captivated by the experience that I decided to buy into two subsequent releases of Square that promised — if only tangentially — to expand upon that universe. The first of these was Ehrgeiz, whose appeal for me was its arena battle mode and the chance to use some of FFVII’s characters in head-to-head battle (there was a quest mode, too, but to me the fighting game was where it was at). The second was Final Fantasy Tactics, which was uncharted territory for me, being a strategy role-playing game (SRPG).
I played a fair bit of the first until it bored me; for the most part, it’s been forgotten. As for the second, I played as far as the fourth mission (plus a few random encounters) before giving it up. At the time, I found it just too difficult, and the English localization just terrible. So I lent it out to friends, a journey from which it would never return.
Years later, my brother asked me whatever happened to the as yet unconquered FF Tactics. Because he wanted to have a go at it (and I was equally curious), I bought a “Greatest Hits” reissue on eBay and turned it over to him. He gave up pretty quickly, too, mostly because we had other newer games worth playing. But in the short time he did give it a try, it was exactly as I remembered it, especially the bit about the terrible localization.
When I picked up a Playstation Portable (PSP) some time after that, I became curious about FF Tactics again. It had been re-released for the PSP as FF Tactics: The War of the Lions, altogether the same game but retouched and updated. Figuring I didn’t have much to lose, I picked up a used copy just to check it out.
Over the next few months, I logged in upwards of ninety hours playing time, and I’ll be damned if it didn’t end too soon.
It’s without a doubt a delightfully complex game with plenty of depth, both in terms of gameplay and story. With respect to the former, FF Tactics ranks among the pre-eminent SRPGs, and the game’s battle system is perhaps the one most often associated with the genre. Meanwhile, where the latter is concerned, War of the Lions manages to pull off the “epic fantasy adventure” despite (or maybe because of) an unapologetically convoluted plot, with enough twists and turns, political intrigue and personal tragedy to actually become engrossing. Add to this updated graphics that give it a pseudo-retro appeal (to the Playstation era) and magnificently rendered animated cutscenes, and the result is a game that ranks as a must-have for any PSP-owner looking for a protracted playing experience.
And yes, most of the localization issues have been resolved, with the use of a medieval-esque affectation in the story language giving the game its own kind of charm.
That said, the one drawback (literally) to FF Tactics: The War of the Lions as a PSP release is its battery consumption. In its initial release, the original FF Tactics had noticeably lengthy loading times. While these have been addressed in the PSP version, the game still manages to draw down the PSP’s battery relatively quickly, presumably because it runs on UMD. Last I checked, there is a downloadable version of War of the Lions on the Playstation Network that should alleviate this problem. Still, for a game of its length, one should be prepared for a fair amount of charging and recharging during the course of a campaign.
It’s amazing how a little nip here and tuck there can breathe new life to an already great game. Or maybe that’s just a testament to how good FF Tactics was to begin with, warts and all.
Instapaper December 19, 2009
Posted by Brian L. Belen in Odds and Ends, Reviews, Technology.add a comment
When I got my iPhone, the first order of business was to turn it into a portable news delivery medium. An easy enough task, given that NetNewsWire (my desktop RSS aggregator) had an iPhone version. In the process, however, I discovered an altogether better solution that doesn’t even need an iPhone to enjoy.
It’s called Instapaper, a service developed by Marco Arment that allows you to save online articles for subsequent reading. All it takes is an Instapaper account (which is free), a shortcut you add to your browser (which is easy enough to do), and you’re all set to go. If, say, while browsing the Internet you come across an interesting article that you don’t have time to read, you can simply “send it to Instapaper” (using the shortcut) and read it later on by logging on to Instapaper. Think of it like “bookmarking plus,” except that rather than create a bookmark you actually save the entire text content of a webpage for later reading.
Taken together, Instapaper and an RSS feed reader make for a potent combination. An Instapaper account can serve as a temporary archive of articles you’ve found interesting and would like to revisit, like a one-stop-shop for your web-sourced reading that eliminates the hassle of visiting multiple sites. It even allows you to syndicate your archived articles like an RSS reading list. But taken mobile — it has a Kindle version and is already optimized for the iPhone — Instapaper becomes a killer app, allowing you to take your internet reading with you on the go.
The free-to-try version of Instapaper for the iPhone/iPod Touch caps the amount of articles you can take with you at ten (i.e. your Instapaper account may have more, but your device will only download the ten most recent articles you’ve sent to Instapaper). The “pro” version, which only costs $5, allows you to take 250 articles with you and comes with a host of other features — tilt scrolling, text resizing, night mode — well worth the cost.
Easily, Instapaper is a vital tool for those who get their fix of news and information on the Internet, and a must-have app for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
Setting the Table December 16, 2009
Posted by Brian L. Belen in Books, Reviews.add a comment
Just by reading Setting the Table, it’s no wonder that Danny Meyer is successful as an enterprising restaurateur. Granted, that’s principally what the book is about; yet it’s how the book is put together that stands out — and may itself speak volumes about how he runs his businesses.
In part, it’s your standard business autobiography, which chronicles the beginnings of what would become the Union Square Hospitality Group and many of Meyer’s other adventures (and misadventures) in between. But it is equally a treatise on Meyer’s philosophy of enlightened hospitality as well, and thereby a primer of sorts on what should constitute excellent customer service. Further, the book also affords a cursory behind-the-scenes look into what goes on in the restaurant industry, one colorful anecdote at a time (such as his story about eggs daffodil; a real winner, that).
It’s true that there are many other books out there that cover the same ground; some may even be about running restaurants specifically, too. But while most do so individually, Meyer manages to convey what’s important about his story, his business philosophy and his experience from cover to cover, in such a way that Setting the Table is a satisfying read had one picked it up to learn about any one of those things, and all the more pleasantly surprising because of everything else the book has to offer.
Truly, isn’t that — the promise of getting exactly what you want, the excitement of coming across something new and different — what the restaurant business should deliver?
Run Run Run December 13, 2009
Posted by Brian L. Belen in Books, Reviews.add a comment
We live in the age of the extended social network, where anyone can learn anything about anybody they’d want to at the click of the mouse. By and large, this means that anyone can be a celebrity, which in turn implies that there is no detail too small about the lives of public figures and genuine celebrities to escape the watchful eye of an inquisitive public.
That said, I didn’t know author Haruki Murakami was a marathon runner until reading his book, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.
It might seem unusual for a literary artist of Murakami’s renown to write a memoir that revolves around his affinity for running. Yet it’s a testament to his talent that this almost-autobiography is rather fascinating. Surely it affords readers an opportunity to see a side of Murakami they otherwise would not (for instance, he was at one point the proprietor of a Jazz club in Japan). More than that, however, it’s a personal account of the travails of a marathon enthusiast and would-be triathlete, where each challenge faced and obstacle surmounted (note to self: be careful not to rub Vaseline on one’s goggles before the swim portion of a triathlon) becomes something that readers can identify with and rally around.
I am glad that I discovered this side of an author I’ve come to admire, not over the Internet but through this book and on his own terms. One doesn’t need to be an avid runner to appreciate What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, but it certainly helps. By and large, Murakami has managed to put into words the simple joys that accompany not just running, but more importantly running one’s own race.
Risky Business? December 10, 2009
Posted by Brian L. Belen in Show and Tell.add a comment
Seen on a library shelf I chanced upon. I always thought playing the stock market was a crapshoot, but this might be taking the notion a wee bit too far…
There Are Two Dimensions to Market Competition December 7, 2009
Posted by Brian L. Belen in The Daily Grind.add a comment
There’s theory, and there’s reality.
Theory tells us that consumers are best off under a regime that promotes free competition. The logic isn’t hard to follow: so long as profit opportunities exist, producers have an incentive to make things that consumers want and need. The more producers enter the market to take advantage of such opportunities, the fiercer the competition between them, with the end result that consumers enjoy access to better quality goods at the lowest possible prices. Producers win, consumers win, everybody’s happy.
Reality, on the other hand, is often much different, and not just because of the many imperfections that keep markets from operating along the lines of the idyllic “free” scenario (which are many and significant, but not the point, really). Consider: a business realizes that a particular market segment has unserved or underserved needs, and proceeds to create a product accordingly. Another business realizes the profit potential and attempts to penetrate the market as well, but not by producing the exact same thing, nor even one that’s technically better. Instead, it strives to compete by producing something “good enough” for the consuming public, even if it is capable of making something better. Why? Because ultimately what matters is not what consumers may want in the future but what they want right now; and as more producers seize upon this concept, the more they will vie for consumers’ attention by churning out goods with fewer bells and whistles and for cheap.
Hence, consumers benefit from lower prices and producers make some good money, but collectively the items or services on the market aren’t as good as they perhaps ought to or can be.
Yet this doesn’t necessarily imply that all competition is really just a race to the bottom. There’s a case to be made that truly exceptional, innovative businesses are successful by behaving as theory dictates in the face of market reality. However, they do so by recognizing that their principal competitor is not just the look-alike or startup across the way; really, they themselves are their own closest competitor. That’s why, say, Nokia comes up with new phone models every so many months that render their existing models obsolete, Apple keeps upping the ante with its iPods and notebooks, and Google deems it important to get involved in various Internet ventures.
As a result, it seems that everyone wins: producers earn a profit and ensure that they are the only ones in a position to put themsleves out of business, while consumers get access to innovative products they willingly pay for even at a premium — assuming they pay anything at all.
Ultimately reality is undoubtedly as messy as theory is pristine. But where competition is concerned, perhaps what’s missing in the paradigm is that businesses sometimes need not look beyond the confines of their organizations for their closest competitor, and that by doing so they can provide goods that consumers want in their entirety, at prices the market can bear.
Strobe and Sirens December 2, 2009
Posted by Brian L. Belen in Ramblings, Show and Tell.add a comment
When I was in college, I had a friend who bought a police strobe light for his car.
It was a simple yellow job sans the siren, big enough to look official (notwithstanding the color) and small enough not to be taken seriously. I don’t know if he ever used it to get ahead while stuck in traffic, but I do recall having some fun with it riding with him through empty parking lots late at night — lights aglow — or getting some extra fanfare when I’d bum a ride and he’d jokingly turn the light on when we’d reach the vicinity of his house or mine.
That yellow strobe light stayed on his dashboard until it disappeared one day. I thought it had gotten broken, but was told instead that he had to put it away after getting in trouble since he didn’t have a permit for it.
That conversation stuck with me because it made a lot of sense. Not everyone can nor should have strobe lights or sirens in their car (especially not for laughs), and so it’s important to police their use (pun intended) to maintain the integrity of what they stand for: a means to alert others that a vehicle must get by because of an emergency. Any other use for them on the road is either abusive or simply designed to draw attention to the user. Thus, in my values system, the only justifiable use for such things is by an official government vehicle responding to an emergency. No more, no less.
Today, however, I find it distressing that the use of strobe lights and sirens has become so debased as to represent a privilege that the wealthy, powerful or would-be important lay claim to.
Manila drivers know this all too well. On any given day, one comes across examples of their blatantly indulgent and irresponsible uses. In many instances, it’s as obvious as private vehicles (those without red plates) making use of sirens to bully their way through traffic. Sometimes government vehicles are guilty of the same, too, as when a vehicle with red plates can be found, strobe lights ablaze and sirens blaring, zipping its way through traffic despite the absence of an apparent emergency.
These do violence to one’s sense of propriety. Logic dictates that private vehicles, whether or not owned/used by public officials, have no business using sirens or police lights; that’s why there are hazard lights in cases of emergency, which do not preclude getting assistance from local law enforcement if necessary. For their part, government-owned vehicles should be subject to one simple rule: use only in cases of emergency. A traffic jam does not constitute an emergency. If the rest of the populace can go about its business despite metropolitan traffic, there’s no reason to expect anything less from our politicians and bureaucrats.
It’s a breakdown of norms, to be sure, and enough to make one question the legitimacy of any siren, even on vehicles with reason to have them. I can no longer count the number of times I’ve looked suspiciously at an ambulance trying to make its way through heavy traffic; after all, who’s to say if beneath the heavily tinted glass is some guy just out on a joyride? Yet for all that, I still make way when I see flashing lights behind me.
But I can’t say this will always be the case. Driving to work the other week, I was alerted to some flashing lights and a commotion behind me. Insinctively, I began to pull aside to let the vehicle through — until I looked at my rearview mirror and saw the conveyance in question was a piece of crap, tackily painted 1980’s-era Mitsubishi Lancer. I’m sure there’s no way that car could’ve been on any official business to merit such sound and fury.
To my mind, that disconnect embodies everything wrong with the Philippines’ strobe light and siren regime, and maybe other things besides. Although a small issue, it’s telling that what little social capital there is in this country, on the road, can be eroded by some douchebag in a piece of crap, tackily painted 1980’s-era Mutsubishi Lancer who selfishly wants to get ahead.
Dissertating 16 November 29, 2009
Posted by Brian L. Belen in Academically Speaking.add a comment
For a moment there, things were looking up. My adviser gave me the greenlight to proceed with the defense of my proposal, one of my readers gave me encouraging (if not enthusiastic) feedback, and a presentation was sheduled for mid-November. All that remained was to get feedback from the other reader, to whom I’d already sent a draft. Not a big deal, given the circumstances, and thus ever so briefly it appeared that I’d be able to make some significant progress after months of work.
How wrong I was.
Let’s just say that the feedback I was waiting for was anything but positive. I can’t even say it came from left field, because somewhere in that conversation I was told, in so many words, that I shouldn’t even bother pursuing the topic. To paraphrase, to do so would be a very bad idea for me, for the gaduate program, and even academically.
I’d rather not relive the episode. Suffice it to say that after trying to remedy the situation (clearly, both I and the other members of my dissertation committee disagree), it was decided that the prudent thing to do would be to postpone the proposal defense. Meanwhile, it appears that the reader in question will opt not to continue on in my committee, while another faculty member has agreed to take that place. Hopefully, things are back on track now for a rescheduled defense in the spring.
Frustrating? Sure. In fact, there was a stretch back there where I was unable to write coherently about any of this because I was so upset. To think: this was only for the proposal; how much worse can it get for the defense of the dissertation itself?
But it’s time to move on. This much I will say, though: I’m glad that those who signed off on my proposal understand what it is I’m trying to do, why I want to do so and ultimately see where I’m coming from. At the end of the day, those two votes of confidence mean more to me than those negative remarks should trouble me.
In the meantime, my work continues.
Hermosa Ecozone [Presentation Thursdays] November 26, 2009
Posted by Brian L. Belen in Presentations, The Daily Grind.add a comment
Here’s a presentation I made for the Hermosa Ecozone Development Corporation:
In designing this one, there were a couple of things I wanted to try out aesthetically. First, I thought it would be nice to use a color palette not too far removed from the colors already on the company logo; hence the heavy use of the green and white combination. Second, since the idea was to get potential investors and/or locators interested in the project, it made sense to emphasize location, thus giving me an opportunity to use a fair bit of Google Earth screenshots as part of the presentation.
Of the presentations I’ve had to put together recently, this was challenging because of my desire to keep things simple and the need to craft the slides in such a way that they could be used as leave behind materials (per requirement). In the end, however, I think the final product struck a decent enough compromise with the text-heavy slides balanced out with more visual ones. In terms of flow, the presentation was designed such that the “watermark” background images on the text slides fully reveal themselves in the subsequent slide (which is more effective when viewed as a slideshow and not as printed material).
Personally, it was interesting to see how this presentation evolved since the first draft was developed in July ‘09. Specifically, with each iteration the key points to focus on became more refined. To cite an example, the seventh and eighth slides, which show relevant landmarks and the site’s accessibility via major airports, were late additions to the presentation that brought together the message of the Ecozone’s locational advantage in a more concrete way.
(And yes, the compass on the seventh slide is from my iPhone. It was the simplest way I could think of to get a nice-looking compass on the slide.)
A couple of notes for future reference: Best to avoid using white text reversed on any background. While the presentation displays well enough onscreen or in print, the white on green text can be hard to read. If I have the time, I’d like to try out keeping the underlying slides white with faded background images (maybe even in grayscale) or reversing the palette such that the slide is green and the strips are white. Finally, when using maps or location plans, it’s absolutely necessary to show both orientation and scale. I wasn’t sensitive about this at first but now know better, if the questions that have come up regarding the presentation in the past are anything to go by.
[About Presentation Thursdays: Every now and then, on a Thursday, I post a presentation from my archives and include some accompanying commentary not just about the content but also my thoughts on designing it. The presentations can also be viewed and downloaded from my Slideshare page]
