Net Neutrality

I don't particularly care for getting political, especially not on the internet.  I prefer to keep my mouth shut, because there really are no right answers, and you can't think of everything.  Someone, somewhere will present you with facts that could shut down your whole argument.  It's a maze of compromises, and it's a headache to get into.  But, there is something that's been in the news of late that is of political nature, and its something I feel very strongly about.  It looks like the FCC is going to get rid of net neutrality.

What is net neutrality?  Basically, what it means is that internet providers have to provide the same internet speed to all websites, no matter what the content.  Without it, providers can slow down connection speeds to whatever websites they wish.  Let's take a site like Netflix.  It takes a lot of bandwidth, and a lot of people use it.  With net neutrality in place, everyone can access Netflix freely, at whatever their connection speed is, and everything is fine with the world.  This irritates the providers, because Netflix eats up bandwidth and that is a bad thing, apparently.  Without net neutrality, providers can slow down people's connections to Netflix, which means less bandwidth is being used, but the user is less able to use the web.  Unless of course they're willing to pay more money, in which case the provider will be happy to give the user a nice, fast connection.  Don't forget, in order to even have the opportunity for people to use their site, Netflix has to pay money to the provider, which raises subscription costs.  So, internet users have to pay twice to get the same service they had before.

This whole thing reminds of modern-day gaming.  Back in the day, you paid money, you got a full, complete game and that was it.  Now, this is still the case sometimes, but unless the game was developed by Nintendo, it probably isn't.  Now, you buy a game for the same price, but it isn't the full game anymore.  It's playable, and you can finish the game, but unless you buy the twelve different DLC's that eventually come out, you're missing part of the story, and that's annoying.  What's basically happening is the gamer is paying for two games, but only getting the content of one game.  That same basic idea is what will happen without net neutrality.  You'll be paying for two internets, but only getting the content of the internet you had before.

My Other Blogs
Cool Science News
Cool Golf News

My Twitter

Sinkhole Corvettes

I like cars, and I especially like the Corvette.  I want to own one, it's one of my big goals in life.  I'd heard quite a bit about the sinkhole at the Corvette museum, but up until this point I had avoided looking the pictures.  I looked today though, right here, and I was not happy that I had.  Some of them were okay, but some of them were not, and that was not nice to look at.  The one-of-a-kind racing Corvette was completely destroyed, and that's a big loss.

Sure, on the surface, they're just machines, but really, they're more than that.  They were on display at a museum, they represented the history of the most enduring car in American history, they were really more works of art than machines.  They were sculptures of metal, and they were valuable for more reasons than the fact that they were rare.  It's becoming less and less fashionable to like cars in today's world, but these cars really are more than just cars.  I don't know how feasible it will be to restore the most damaged cars, but if there is a way, I hope they do it, because I really think it's worth it.

My Other Blogs
Cool Science News
Cool Golf News

My Twitter

Internet Comment Sections

Let's face facts here, internet comment sections are terrible.  They just are.  Sure, there might be the very occasional bright spot in most of them, but 99% of the posts are just not worth reading.  Youtube comments have the worst reputation, but honestly, I don't think they're the worst.  A couple of Youtube people I'm subscribed to actually have comment sections that aren't immediately terrible, but I think that's more attributable to the fact that they are channels based on a video game with a very small, devoted fanbase who in general know what they're talking about.  No, in my experience, the worst comment sections I've ever seen are on the CNN site, which I suppose I shouldn't find to surprising, but somehow it still does.  I have literally never read a single comment on any article that I felt added something to the discussion. It's awful, but I think that it's just as much the fault of journalism tending towards the sensational in order to attract the worst parts of the internet, who have absolutely no attention span and constantly pipe into discussions despite having absolutely no knowledge on the subject, or worse, incorrect knowledge.

Where am I going with all this?  I've seen a lot of internet comments over the years, I've cringed, I've beat my head against a wall at the sheer brain-melting stupidity, and it has conditioned me to never, ever comment on anything.  I know that I would definitely add something to the discussion, but I've trained myself to believe that anybody who comments on something else on the internet is a terrible person.  I don't want to be like them, so I don't say anything.  I know that's not true, but the conditioning is there, and it's difficult to surmount.  I don't even use social media that much anymore for the exact same reason, and it's the same reason doing blogs has been such a chore for me.  I convinced myself that there isn't a single voice on the internet worth listening to, not even my own, so I basically shut myself out completely.  It's slow business overcoming this, I have a Twitter, but I know I'm not using it properly, and as for the million other social media sites out there, I am completely clueless.  I do have these blogs.  It's a start, anyway.


My Other Blogs
Cool Science News
Cool Golf News

My Twitter

Half-Life Thoughts

Yes, you're reading that title correctly.  Half-Life may have been released in the 90's, but I've only just finished it.  Not ten minutes ago, I was taking on the final boss, and dying many, many times.  Gamers back then must have either been really good or really masochistic, cause I thought the game was very difficult.  That's probably what I'll take away from the experience, the sheer frustration and difficulty of the game.

I know Half-Life doesn't even compare to some of the more infamous hard games, but I thought it was very difficult.  It's not very forgiving, there are a bunch of difficult puzzles, the movement is inconsistent, and I couldn't figure out how to turn mouse acceleration off, which meant that every time I tried to swing my crosshair at something behind me, I always went way too far.  It made precise aiming very difficult as well.  I guess that's part of the fun of an old-school game, they're often unforgiving, but I could only enjoy it for so long.  I mean, I started this game last summer, it took me eight months to finish.  I would play for a few hours, get incredibly frustrated, then put the game down for a couple months.

Now, I don't think it was a bad game.  The enemies were difficult, and you have to think your way through them.  I just think that Half-Life is a game which really shows its age.  I think it's still worth playing, because it does set up Half-Life 2, arguably the best game ever made.  Again, I haven't played it, and when I do, I'm sure I'll have plenty to say about that too.  Hopefully it doesn't take the better part of a year.

My Other Blogs
Cool Science News
Cool Golf News

My Twitter

Spring is Not Quite Here

Boy, I happen to mention that it seems like spring is finally here, and the weather just takes a nose-dive.  It's snowing as I'm writing this.  So since outside activity has been impractical the past few days, I've taken the opportunity to start watching a show on Netflix.  For as big a fan of sci-fi as I am, I've never watched the X-Files.  There's a very good reason for that, actually.  Back when I was just a few years old, the show was still on the air, and my parents watched it.  I don't think there was anything five-year old me was more scared of then the X-Files theme song.  Whenever I heard it, I was out of the room, and there wasn't anything you could do to bring me back.  That's how I remember it, at least. 

That brings us to yesterday.  It was raining out, I wanted to start a new show on Netflix, and I had watched nothing but comedies since the summer.  It was time for something else.  So, I went for the X-Files.  So far, I'm really liking it.  And yes, I manage to stay in the room when the theme song plays.  I've overcome that particular childhood fear.

My Other Blogs
Cool Science News
Cool Golf News

My Twitter

Spring is Here

I don't have much to talk about here, it's been an absolutely incredible weekend, weather-wise, and I've spent most of my time enjoying it.  Always gotta take advantage of times like this when they come around.  It's getting to the point of the year where outdoor exercise becomes enjoyable again.  I like walking, but it's only so much fun when it's 30 degrees outside.  75 degrees is much better.

My Other Blogs
Cool Science News
Cool Golf News

My Twitter

Writing Tips #4

I have an extraordinary difficulty writing anything more than a few thousand words.  I've only ever finished one longer story, and it is terrible.  The premise is bad, the writing is bad, everything about it is bad.  So I can't do anything with that.  I've certainly tried many times to get that first novel written, but I always get stuck at around 10-15,000 words.  Part of the problem is that the ideas thus far haven't been great, but my last novel attempt had a great premise.  A little vague, but there was something there.  But once again, I had gotten myself stuck.  The problem was that I was only ever writing these stories in a mostly conversational manner.  The stories were being told almost entirely through dialogue, which occurred simply because I like writing dialogue, and I'm pretty good at it.

So, what the advice here?  Today's little writing tip is to go outside of your comfort zone when you're writing.  Don't always write in the style that you like, because you end up not learning anything, the story ends up not going anywhere, and you might lose a promising idea because your writing bias got in the way.  Also, don't be afraid to completely start over on an idea in a different fashion.  I'm doing that right now, and so far the story is looking good.  We'll see how it works out.

My Other Blogs
Cool Science News
Cool Golf News

My Twitter

State College Has Been Explored

So, I've lived in State College for quite a while now, and I do a lot of walking.  Over the past four years, I've seen most of the town up close, I've walked basically everywhere, with one notable exception.  The entire southwest corner of town was completely unknown to me, because when I was living on campus, it was too far away, and for the past year and a half I've been in this apartment, I just haven't wanted to....until today.

That dramatic pause there probably made it sound a lot more interesting then it really was.  I mean, for a brief moment, I thought I had lost civilization altogether.  There was a barn on my right and an empty field on my left.  I was wondering, "What have I done?  I'm gonna have to walk back the way I came!" I hate doing that.  Luckily, I walked a little more, and townhouses came back into view.  I hadn't lost the town.  And now, I know my way around a part of State College that I have never been to before and probably won't visit again, because there's nothing out there.  Hooray?

My Other Blogs
Cool Science News
Cool Golf News

My Twitter

Video Games and Getting Older

It's funny how your priorities change as you get older, especially when it comes to video games.  Even just a year or so ago, I couldn't get enough of them.  I could easily spent 6 hours or more at a time playing a game.  I should say that if I'm playing with other people, I can still go for long periods of time, but that's a bit different.  That's more of a social experience rather than a purely gaming one.  When it comes to individual gaming, I just can't do it anymore.  Not like I used to. 

There are quite a few games that I have started that I haven't finished.  I have the Metroid Prime series, the Half-Life series, and a couple of Legend of Zelda playthroughs that I started but have yet to finish.  I would love to finish them all as soon as possible, but I just have no drive to spend long hours playing them.  It's probably going to take me years to finish all of those.

I don't want to say that video games are a kid's activity, cause they're not.  However, I get the feeling that as I get into adulthood, it's only going to be certain kinds of games that will be appealing.  Multiplayer Nintendo games are probably going to be in because let's face it, lots of people like and play Nintendo games like Mario Kart and Smash Bros.  Providing Team Fortress 2 maintains its popularity, I'll still be playing that because there's no time pressure to it.  I can play for half an hour every few days and not lose anything.  Cheap, innovative indie games are probably in as well because they'll be short and provide decent money value.  I don't want to take anything away from expensive, mainstream games with a lot of DLC, but I just don't have the time or the willingness to invest in games like that.  That's just the way it is, and I'm not really too sad about it.  I never liked those big games anyway.  

My Other Blogs
Cool Science News
Cool Golf News

My Twitter

A Funny Little Story

I was taking a look through my old stuff, and I found this old homework assignment.  It's a little weird.

“I say, my good chap, my top hat is far superior to yours,” I addressed my colleague as we strolled through the park on our way to afternoon tea and crumpets.

          

“Dear sir, you are most incorrect,” Lord Haberdashery scoffed.  “Not only is my top hat taller and wider, but my monocle simply compliments the hat better than yours does.  You see, my monocle and top hat were designed alongside each other, they simply work together.”

           

“That may be true, but you see, my monocle has been in my family for 500 years now, and as for my top hat, it is an original.”

           

“An original top hat?”  Lord Haberdashery sputtered.  “Lord Baldersdash, you are surely in jest.”

          

 “In fact, I am not, for this top hat was created by the inventor of top hats himself, the Earl of London, Reginald Brimble.  I’ll have you know that this hat is over one thousand years old.  It has seen the rise and fall of empires, it has seen the world.  To be honest, Lord Haberdashery, to compare this hat to yours would be an insult to the British Empire and her people,” I said.

           

“Sir, you are a liar and a cheat,” Lord Haberdashery sneered.  “A second-rate nobleman trying to pass off a completely average top hat as something special.  Sir, I will not have it.”

           

“I say, good chap, that is poor form indeed,” a voice came from above my head.

           

“What was that?” Haberdashery asked.

           

“It would be the hat,” the hat said.  “I must say, you have hardly shown behavior worthy of a British gentleman.  Accusing a fellow man of lying about his top hat is questionable, sir, very questionable.  Perhaps your jealousy stems from the fact that Lord Balderdash here is from a very old family, while your own family only recently attained noble rank.”

           
Lord Haberdashery looked ashamed.  “Lord Baldersdash, you possess a wise and noble hat.  I defer to it and to you.  Shall we continue our walk?
         
“Indeed,” I said.   “Let us not speak of it again.”

My Other Blogs
Cool Science News
Cool Golf News

My Twitter
 

New Mario Kart 8 Trailer

This video just came out today.  It shows quite a bit of what gameplay will look like in the new Mario Kart game, including a couple of new items and the whole upside-down component.  Now, I'm sure that many people will enjoy more items, but personally, I thought there were way too many things in Mario Kart 7.  I acknowledge that blue shells are probably a necessity as they prevent excessive victory margins (usually), but the cloud, the shrink lightning, and the Pow block are just terrible.  I can't say I'm a fan of red shells either, they're either ridiculously annoying or completely unreliable, running immediately into a wall or off a cliff.  I don't know about the anti-gravity thing either, watching the trailer was enough to get me confused as to what was going on.  Mario Kart shouldn't be particularly complicated, and I'm afraid that the anti-gravity makes it so.  Nintendo's been doing this for a while though, so if anybody can make all this work, they can.

My Other Blogs
Cool Science News
Cool Golf News

My Twitter

Goat Simulator

For this (slightly after) April Fool's post, I thought I'd give me thoughts on what is possibly the greatest idea for a video game ever.  Goat Simulator was released on Steam today, and while there is absolutely no hope of running it on my laptop, I have managed to play it.  Luckily, my roommate shares my conviction for realistic goat-based gameplay.  I've given it a couple hours of my time, and it is an absolutely hilarious game, well worth the ten dollar price.  However, that has to come with a disclaimer, which I'll get to later.

The premise is simple enough.  You're a goat in a small town, and your task is to create as much mayhem as possible.  You get points for doing things, but these are points in the style of Whose Line Is It Anyway, because they really don't matter.  What does matter is the absolutely ridiculous gameplay, which was partly by design, but mostly due to the incredible number of glitches present in the game.  Seriously, the studio left them in because they were hilarious.  And they are.  You can go around the town, completing various little challenges and finding items, which upgrades your goat with new, amazing powers.  Things can get ridiculous when you get enough powers.  At one point, I found myself inside a cluttered house with the following abilities: I could suck objects in and make them swirl around me, I could summon additional goats from the sky, I could shoot baseballs from a shoulder mounted baseball cannon, and I had a completely uncontrollable jetpack.  The sheer mayhem I could cause was incredible.  I loved every minute of it.

Now, for the disclaimer.  Now, I would recommend that people buy this game, but only if you are willing to accept the game as, well, not really a game.  There isn't a win condition, and you're not going to get anything out of it but sheer entertainment.  So, if you're the sort of person who likes to complain about things, the kind of person who expects everything to have a purpose, I would steer clear of this game.  However, if you're the sort of person who would spend money for the sake of a joke, Goat Simulator is the perfect thing for you.  It really is great.

My Other Blogs
Cool Science News
Cool Golf News

My Twitter