Category Archives: Current Matters

Anniversary… Missed!

Current Matters

Oh dear. I completely missed the 8th anniversary of this here blog. I always thought the 10th anniversary seemed so far away and boy, would I be old by then. Now that moment doesn’t seem that far at all. Out of sheer luck I enjoyed that day, even though being a work day the outcome wasn’t looking to be favourable. It was the last day of Summer afterall.

But enough about me, how has your existence been Internet?

De-Fenestration, pt.1

Current Matters, personal

I am now three-complete. I have running machines that operate under Windows (XP), Linux (Ubuntu) and Mac OSX. Now I’m beyond any flamefests, I can claim objective truth about any of the OS’s and nobody can claim prejudice. Pretty soon I will rule the on-line world with my position.

But alas, this is only momentary position since in the future I’ll aim to be Windows-free.

You may congratulate me on my nerd-prowess in the comment section.

Finnish Game Jam, Pt.2

Computer Games, Current Matters, Game design, Programming

Okay, the jam is almost over, our game is finished. Fire! To deadify! Your rivals! I am quite satisfied what our team of three accomplished in just 48 hours. We hadn’t met before and there was nothing ready before the jam. I felt it kind of unfortunate that I, almost immediately after the theme for the jam and the voluntary accomplishments were announced, came up with the game idea.

Unfortunate in the sense that in a happening like this, it might be a bit risky to hang yourself on an idea right-off-the-bat. Fortunately the idea carried us to the end. And stop reading this and try out the game!

Potential New Year Resolutions

Beginnings, Current Matters, This Blog

A new year is upon us and in another year, a new decade as well. I had this crazy idea to try and write on my blog every single day something, anything, for the coming year. Instead of making up my own mind, why not ask the more essential people (=bots), you, the supposed readers.

What do you think? Should I take it upon myself to write something on this blog for every day a whole year?

Sunday Night Ramblings, Part II

Concepts, Current Matters

I accidently clicked the “Add New” and now I’m expected to be intelligent, witty, insightful, interesting and all those other Slashdot moderations.

I’ve been slightly discouraged reading (and answering) all the attempts at spam this Blog receives. There seems to be two approaches, one is the obvious google-bombing style; stuff your comment post with as many links and keywords as you can. It doesn’t really matter if they are not that all related, it’s all good for the grand Google.

The other, more disheartening one, the spam contains a comment so generalized, careful not to say anything at else, but yet, trying to appear sincere, that it might appear real to some. I have extracted some fun answering those, as you might have noticed. I was thinking maybe I’d get famous and popular by writing those angry, yet funny replies to obvious spammage. I suspect this will be a type of activity that will get old soon and paying any amount attention to it loans some credibility to the whole activity.

I think spamming reveales one usually wisely hidden aspect of the existence of humanity, namely that we continue to exist solely for the actions and dedication of those who decide to pull _more_ than their own weight. “It’s not my business”, “somebody else can take care of it, there were plenty of other people”, “I couldn’t do anything, I would have only messed everything up”, “I don’t have time for it”, “I have other problems”. If it weren’t for those people, the people who make preceding type of comments would wear us down. Spamming is the unfortunate side-effect of the fact that we have those people.

Now, how’s that for some rambling?

Sunday Night Ramblings, Part I

Current Matters

I just finished re-watching Soylent Green (1973) a rather nice piece of 70’s dystopian sci-fi. The story doesn’t quite follow the Harry Harrison novel (Maker Room! Make Room! (1966)) but it has that distinct 70’s quality about it, from a time when we were last scared about over-crowding, destruction of the biosphere, climate change etc. It has a scene were two of the main characters eat a supper made out of Real beef and some warn-out vegetables, stolen from a scene of crime. And its the best meal they’ve had in a long time, or ever.

Funnily enough, the most modern thing in the film, an early arcade game Space War (1971) is the most dated thing in the film. I think one can draw a certain rule from here: If a technology is new, don’t portray it in any work claiming to be set in the future, you’ll just get its whole impact wrong and it ends up looking cheesy and dated.

The film was Edward G. Robinsons last, he died 9 days after his last scene. His last scene was a nice piece of 70’s cynical view of the future. Robinsons character goes to “home”, a place to have a nice, dignified death. You lie on a bed, you have 20 minutes to listen your favourite music and watch lovely landscapes. The main character, played by Charlton Heston, have to talk to him before he dies. According to IMDB, Heston was the only one knowing that Robinson was dieing of cancer, so his tears in the scene were real.

Another piece of nice 70’s cynicism of the future, were young women called furniture. Yes, they were part of an apartments facilities and Hestons character casually has sex with one of them, in the same way he steals soap, booze and food from the apartment.

Ohh, 70’s, I miss you so…