Minnaloushe

2008-03-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

The deafening silence coming from this blog is me, playing World of Warcraft. I'm happily escaping the real world and living in an online fantasy world for a time.

A friend turned me on to Garfield Minus Garfield, someone's clever idea of removing Garfield from Garfield comics: Friends, meet Jon Arbuckle. Let’s laugh and learn with him on a journey deep into the tortured mind of an isolated young everyman as he fights a losing battle against loneliness in a quiet American suburb.

I'm F*cking Matt Damon

2008-03-01T17:35:00.001-08:00

Okay, I'm not, but I wish...

Sarah Silverman made this video about it, and Jimmy Kimmel responded with another one.

He's "F*cking Ben Affleck"

Hubble Gallery

2008-02-28T09:14:00.000-08:00

I've just discovered the HubbleSite, where you can learn all about this amazing telescope, its discoveries, and the window it has opened for us into the universe. I particularly enjoy the photos in the Hubble Gallery, which are available in several resolutions for use in various ways.

I know I could spend entire days exploring all that is offered on this attractive, comprehensive website. If I were a child introduced to this site, I'm sure it would inspire me to become a cosmologist.

Crayon Physics

2008-02-24T10:30:00.000-08:00

What if everything you drew with a crayon took on weight and followed the laws of physics? This mindblowing game lets you play with the concept.

Crayon Physics Deluxe.

Spore Is Almost Here

2008-02-20T11:03:00.000-08:00

People of all ages have been eagerly looking forward to Spore, the newest project by Maxis, the makers of the hugely popular game, The Sims. The new evolution simulation game has been in development for three or four years, and folks had begun to refer to the project as vaporware. Well, the good news is that they have announced a release date of September 7!

Creator Will Wright promises that the game will be forgiving of non-gamers, allowing them to succeed without requiring hard-core gaming experience. You start out as a cell, gobbling up other creatures and evolving form and abilities, until as a land creature, you get to design your beast to compete for survival.

Maxis is banking on the creature creator being a big attraction, and has lots of plans for this portion of the game, including a separate Nintendo DS release of the creator.

In the tribe stage, you equip your beasts with tools and guide the tribe in warring with other tribes for dominance. Eventually, you'll have a developed civilization which will need your intervention to survive, which ultimately leads to what might be the best part, space travel and exploration of other planets, civilizations, and dominance of the universe.

Wired has provided an interesting preview of Spore, and you can see more screenshots at the Spore website.

It looks to be something fun for kids and adults, but I'm hoping they haven't gone too far in simplifying the game for it to be a challenge to gamers. Either way, it's on my to-buy list.

Of course, evangelical scientists are bound to refute the game's central premise, just as evangelical scientists refuted gravity with new 'Intelligent Falling' Theory.

Yes We Can

2008-02-12T08:18:00.000-08:00

The Barack Obama music video.

And terrifyingly spot-on, the John McCain video.

Welcome

2008-02-08T15:30:00.001-08:00

The Cat and the Moon

The cat went here and there
And the moon spun round like a top,
And the nearest kin of the moon,
The creeping cat, looked up.
Black Minnaloushe stared at the moon,
For, wander and wail as he would,
The pure cold light in the sky
Troubled his animal blood.
Minnaloushe runs in the grass
Lifting his delicate feet.
Do you dance, Minnaloushe, do you dance?
When two close kindred meet,
What better than call a dance?
Maybe the moon may learn,
Tired of that courtly fashion,
A new dance turn.
Minnaloushe creeps through the grass
From moonlit place to place,
The sacred moon overhead
Has taken a new phase.
Does Minnaloushe know that his pupils
Will pass from change to change,
And that from round to crescent,
From crescent to round they range?
Minnaloushe creeps through the grass
Alone, important and wise,
And lifts to the changing moon
His changing eyes.

-- William Butler Yeats

Word Sandwich

2008-02-08T11:30:00.000-08:00

If you like word games, I bet you'll become addicted to Word Sandwich. The rules are easy. The object is to guess the mystery five letter word. Your guesses will float to the top if they are too “high” in alphabetical order, and they will float to the bottom if they are too “low” in alphabetical order. Don't give up if you don't get the point right away, you'll catch on. Muaaahaaa!

The Elephant Caller

2008-02-08T09:08:00.000-08:00

This guy shows how to call elephants. They really seem to like it!

One for the ladies...

2008-02-08T09:03:00.000-08:00

China Miéville, award-winning science fiction and fantasy writer, is interviewed in this first of two parts. I have to admit to not listening to a word he's saying, at least the first time through. He definitely sets new standards for sf writers. Mr. Clean.

Part two is here.