The Depth of My Sadness… January 14, 2007
Posted by Brian L. Belen in Ramblings.add a comment
…can be felt long before I have to leave. It strikes me in small doses: A person’s remark that I’d only just gotten here and I’ll be off again soon. The thought of the things I won’t get to do or the the company I won’t get to enjoy while I’m away, not to mention the meals I’ll be eating alone. And of course the realization that I’ll be doing my own laundry again for the next couple of months.
Horror of horrors.
But what really hurts is thinking about all the people I’ll be leaving behind, and what they’ll be doing (without me!). Where my friends are concerned - and I don’t have many: I’m all for quality, not quantity, and have no illusions of the…regard that others have for me - it just smarts realizing that I’ve fallen off the radar of nearly everyone I know and have very little to show for it while they move along in their lives to better and brighter things. As for my family, at least I will see them again in May, probably for the annual jaunt “to get away from it all”.
And then there is that one thing. When I think about that, it’s just dizzying how amazingly lucky I am and at the same time how screwed up my situation is as I continue to pursue I know neither what nor what for anymore. That’s when the hurt really begins. And it’s not just any hurt. Pain is more like it, the gut-wrenching kind that kills you slowly. I know that this is mostly impatience and impulsiveness - I am young, with the future lies before me, the world is my oyster! - but, ah, what a time to be impatient and impulsive!
This just goes to show that sometimes the wounds that sting the most are self-inflicted. Or maybe I’m still stuck on having to do the damned wash.
The Devil in the White City January 11, 2007
Posted by Brian L. Belen in Books, Reviews.add a comment
Erik Larson has a knack for storytelling and a flair for the dramatic that shines throughout The Devil in the White City.
The book relates two tales of Chicago at the turn of the 19th century, the larger of which is the story of the 1893 World’s Fair. Emblematic of the gilded age, it is the story of the race to make the Fair a reality, of the struggle to make it succeed, and of the vision of America’s greatest architects - particularly the prolific Daniel Burnham - that resulted in the magnificent structures for which the Fair will never be forgotten. At the same time, Larson also tells the much darker tale of one Herman Webster Mudgett, alias H. H. Holmes, a psychopath that goes on a killing spree at the height of the Fair. His crimes largely unnoticed, he is ultimately brought to justice some time after the curtains had been drawn on “the fair that changed America”.
In alternating between both stories, Larson makes The Devil in the White City a study in contrasts. The optimism, effort and energy of the principals that made the Fair happen are juxtaposed against the macabre, methodical and sometimes inexplicable crimes that Holmes commits. What makes this juxtaposition work is that Larson does not force the issue: both stories are told independent of each other, so much so that if both tales were separated and compiled individually, each would perhaps make its own readable book. At the same time, since the contrast is a natural one to make, and because Larson leaves it to the reader to infer what he or she may from both stories, the result is a thoroughly enjoyable read.
An enjoyable read based on fact, no less. Indeed, the book sometimes feels as if it were fiction masquerading as fact, when the truth is exactly the opposite. Larson is clearly in his element as he makes late 19th century Chicago come alive before readers’ eyes and delicately re-creates some of Holmes’s heinous acts. It is apparent that he is able to do both so well because of the amount of research that had been poured into the manuscript. This becomes all too clear at the book’s end, with its very accessible (but not at all insubstantial) notes. The book may not be a history text, but it might as well be; it is certainly not fiction, but it is just as enchanting.
Truly, The Devil in the White City demonstrates the entrancing appeal that history can have in the hands of those with an unwavering commitment to the facts - and the talent to spin an interesting yarn.
I (heart) Apple January 11, 2007
Posted by Brian L. Belen in Technology.add a comment
After weeks of cryptic teasers about how the past was just precedent, the Macworld Expo has come and gone, and Steve Jobs must be tickled pink about the frenzy he’s causing among technophiles the world over.
First, the much-anticipated iPhone (a.k.a Sexiest. Device. Ever.). Based on the available information, it is a widescreen iPod, personal digital assistant, 2-megapixel camera and quad-band celphone rolled into one. The large screen is a touchscreen that works in a manner similar to the slider found on most iPods, and the stock applications seem to be very similar to Mail, Safari, Calendar and Address Book on any Mac computer (on this note, the SMS function looks very much like iChat, which is just amazing). Wi-Fi, EDGE and Bluetooth connectivity have also been promised, giving it a whole lot more flexibility than existing PDAs on the market.
To be expected, it doesn’t come cheap (whenever that that will be). Apple is looking at coming out with two models: a 4GB one priced at around $500, and an 8GB model that will fetch around $600. Both, however, will come with a two-year service plan in the United States (care of Cingular Wireless), which presumably makes it cheaper than it really should be. No word yet if an unlocked model will be available, or for how much.
Next, Apple tv. Best decribed as an intermediary between a computer and a TV, the device will allow users to play their digital media content from the former onto the latter. This makes sense for people with a lot of downloaded video content that previously could only be watched on a computer screen. Naturally, this product should work seamlessly with iTunes (and Apple does in fact promise that newly added content to a user’s iTunes library automatically updates on Apple tv). All this for the low, low price of $300.
More information on both devices can be found on the Apple website, the source of the screenshots above. In particular, the iPhone has a really impressive features tour that’s well worth the time viewing.
Rip. Load. Store. Repeat. January 10, 2007
Posted by Brian L. Belen in Ramblings, Technology.add a comment
I’ve spent a couple of hours over each of the past few days re-ripping CDs into my iTunes music library.
Some time ago, a computer glitch coupled with a lack of common sense cost me the contents of my iPod. Nothing was spared, neither music nor data. As one might imagine I was mortified when this happened, all the more so because I had set things up to save space by keeping my music on the device and deleting them from my computer. In short there was no backup, and the prospect of going through all the trouble of re-ripping my CDs did not seem all that inviting.
But not all hope was lost: some intersnooping led me in the direction of PodSalvage, software that promised the ability to restore lost or accidentally deleted files from an iPod, among other things. That I had no second thoughts about paying for the software (all $40 of it) goes to show I was really desperate. So I did. And it worked, up to a point. My music library had been recovered, but I lost all the data stored on the iPod. Arguably a fair trade-off, all things considered.
For a time everything was good.
Then I started noticing that all was not well in MP3 land. Occasionally, I’d queue up a song only to hear a different one play. Other times, songs would begin as they usually do only to abruptly stop and start again from the top. In yet other cases, songs would end and immediately lead into an entirely different one as if both belonged on the same track. My initial reaction was that these were just a few isolated cases, and indeed it appears that they were. But with a library nearing 10GB worth of music, “a few” tends to add up to a lot.
I repeatedly admonished myself to bite the bullet and re-rip my CDs, but predictably kept putting it off. Finally I’ve been able to get around to it: so far, nearly seventy CDs during idle hours over the past four or five days. Thankfully, iTunes doesn’t make re-ripping a chore, as the program is (mostly) smart enough to ask whether one wants to replace the existing songs or keep them, overcoming the additional task of deleting songs beforehand.
There are still a few hiccups, though. For instance, with the passing of years Gracenote CD Database’s album descriptions have undergone minor changes to genre classifications, wreaking havoc on some of the smart playlists that I’d pre-programmed for my convenience. This, however, is trivial. A bigger and thus far unresolved problem is the fact that a good number of my CDs are as yet unaccounted for, either misplaced or unreturned with the passing of years. Then, of course, there is the greater irony to this exercise: that I may never actually listen to all of these newly replaced songs, given the inevitable tendency to settle on a subset of albums that are unfailing favorites.
Yet it has been fun to realize how my musical tastes have changed over time, to experience the surprise from finding old albums (even the bad ones), to understand almost immediately why I bought them and what I liked about them in the first place. Who knows? Maybe by beginning with these I will get around to listen to my newly reconstituted library, and rediscover that I have more favorites than I give myself credit for.
Okami January 7, 2007
Posted by Brian L. Belen in Reviews, Video Games.2 comments
If there is a game that proves the Playstation 2 has some life in it yet, that game has to be Okami.
Developed by Studio Clover and distributed by Capcom, Okami is a gem of a game steeped in Japanese folklore. Okami Amaterasu, the sun goddess, takes the form of a white wolf to save the village of Kamiki from the eight-headed demon, Orochi. Wounded, she disappears after successfully sealing away the demon, ushering in a period of peace and prosperity across Japan. Yet 100 years later, when the demon seal is broken, a weakened Amaterasu returns to find the land a darker and more dangerous place again in need of her protection. This sets the stage for players to take Amaterasu on an adventure to reclaim her lost powers in order to defeat the evil spirits once and for all.
In many ways, the closest game that Okami resembles is The Legend of Zelda. Indeed, Okami often seems as if it were a title meant for the Nintendo Game Cube that somehow found its way onto the PS2. This is only to say that it does right by the action-adventure cum role-playing genre, bringing together something at once familiar and unique to a console that has seen far too few titles of the sort that has brought the competition so much success.
The game is rife with puzzling dungeons, occasional side-quests and epic boss battles. But the central feature that makes Okami unlike anything before it is the “Celestial Paintbrush” that allows players to use the screen as a canvass and “paint” (calligraphy) in mid-game to affect changes in the environment. This has many uses, such as enabling players to further explore the game’s world by giving Amaterasu the ability to manipulate the elements (by causing gusts of wind, for instance, or making water geyser forth) and is also used as part of the game’s battle system. In some cases, the paintbrush is also used to rebuild broken constructs such as bridges or floors. Naturally, these paintbrush abilities grow as the game progresses. Yet it is the simplest use of the paintbrush learned early in the game, the ability to cause trees and flowers to bloom and thereby add color to the drab and dreary world to which players are first introduced, that is also the most fun. It is this that compels players to really feel as if they were playing the role of a god painting on a canvass. In fact, a large part of the allure behind Okami is seeing the environments change as the game progresses.
This “screen-as-canvass” motif extends to the game’s graphics, which work exceedingly well. The cel-shaded animation is topnotch, making the entire game appear as if it were painted on an oriental scroll as befits the many Japanese legends that underlie the plot. With novel character designs and rich environments throughout, Okami showcases what the PS2 is capable of and is a compelling reminder that video game graphics need not always strive for 3D realism in order to be visually stunning. That there is little if any difference between in-game graphics and the token cutscenes further testifies to Okami’s visual appeal.
From the standpoint of gameplay, it would appear that Studio Clover had gone out of their way to make Okami entirely fun to play. Controls are highly intuitive, and the game itself is perhaps easy to moderate in terms of its difficulty level. Though the game does get progressively harder, it does so by making puzzles and quests more clever rather than testing player’s reflexes or commitment to burning the midnight oil besting the game. In fact, the game can actually be completed without losing a life; as such, it is rare that players will ever get frustrated by anything the game throws at them. Further, Okami is also potentially quite short, as players should be able to finish the game after anywhere between thirty to fifty hours (within which the game can be 100% completed), depending on how many sidequests they decide to pursue.
On the whole, Okami is an enchanting game that is as satisfying as they come. Part engaging puzzler, part action-adventure platformer, and part role-playing game, Okami is a franchise that gamers can only hope will continue long into the future.
The Story of Rex January 5, 2007
Posted by Brian L. Belen in Comics, Reviews.add a comment
Those with a fondness for modern-day fairy tales would do well to check out Michel Gagné’s A Search for Meaning: The Story of Rex. The entire opus is viewable on the acclaimed animator’s website.
At once surreal, fantastic and charming, it is a superbly illustrated tale that waxes philosophical with subtle poignancy. Already a favorite in some circles, this is sure to win over more admirers of all persuasions.
Those who can’t get enough of Rex will also find him serialized in Flight, where Gagné contributed a story in both the second and third volumes. These should tide over fans until a full-fledged Rex graphic novel comes out in the near future.
Sort of Like Zen January 3, 2007
Posted by Brian L. Belen in Ramblings.add a comment
If I could create my own little “words of wisdom” collection - cobbled together from things I’ve heard, seen or done - it would contain the following:
1.) Leave the world a little better than how you found it.
2.) Don’t be an @$$hole.
3.) Read at least twenty-six books a year (or, even better, fifty-two!).
4.) Always keep in mind that if you aren’t part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.
5.) Dream BIG.
6.) There are no half-measures in life.
7.) Do things right the first time.
8.) Remember: there is no greater revenge than outliving one’s enemies.
9.) Never sell yourself short: live up to your potential.
10.) Everything in moderation.
11.) People always rise to that which is expected of them.
‘Tis a short list, but I have a feeling I’ll add to it when the spirit moves me.
