Oh man, Team Fortress 2 keeps getting better.
Courtesy of Rock, Paper, Shotgun, news was spilled today that thew new Pyro pack is going live on Thursday, with all new achievements to earn and weapons to unlock. Additionally, TF2 will be free this weekend to those who don't already own it. It's kinda like those free HBO weekends you'd have once a year, only this is like a million times cooler. Keep an eye on Steam's main page, which I assume will have details closer to this weekend on how to score some free TF2 gaming.
Be advised, if you're going to be playing it for the first time this weekend, you're pretty much going to be playing on servers with mostly Pyro's as people try to unlock stuff. Not that it's a terribly bad thing, just not the norm.
Additionally, the Meet the Sniper video is out and it's freaking hilarious. Check it out below:
Jun 18, 2008
It's a good time to be addicted to TF2
Jun 17, 2008
Alternative Broadcasting Mediums: Instant Messaging
The U.S. Open had a playoff round today, with Tiger Woods defeating Rocco Mediate in 19 holes of play. That normally wouldn't be mentioned here as you could find that story anywhere. No, it's how I witnessed Tiger win that is what's noteworthy.
In a ridiculous (read: awesome) abuse of technology, my friend (who runs his personal weight loss blog, Jimmy Tango's Fatbusters) gave me a play-by-play via Instant Message at work. Where others were trying to have the game stream live over the internet, and having difficulty with the bandwidth issues, my feed was speedy and reliable. It was a rather enjoyable way to "read" the tournament, as I could not only listen but participate in the broadcast as well by asking questions and making comments.
It got me thinking that Instant Message could be a viable sports communication medium. Think about it, one person could be giving a play-by-play of a game which then gets distributed from a central server outward to all those "listening in". Those listening could then be free to ask questions, which the server could interpret and query against any information it had to return an answer. If you could couple this with flexibility of service (could be used by any IM protocol; chat room capability, etc.), I think this would offer the following great advantages:
- Lightweight service - while I have no empirical numbers to back me up, a few kilobytes of text a minute has to be less of a bandwidth hog than streaming an event live over the internet.
- Interactive broadcasting experience - This is where this medium shines: the audience can actually enhance its own experience by asking questions, getting the information and statistics they want, when they're looking for it.
- Data mining - Want to know what your audience really likes? What they're really focused on? Data mine all the text that is generated in the course of the broadcasts. Questions the audience asks, comments the audience makes, languages the audience speaks, IM protocols it uses. There is a huge potential of information that can be gleaned from the audience, all of which could better help align future advertisements and services that better suit the audience's wants and needs.
But couldn't one of the big sports companies like ESPN find value here? Not only do they have the resources to implement something like this, they have a bajillion different services. If this service can reach a critical mass, simply knowing what a good portion of their fan base is thinking and what their preferences really are (through data mining of their broadcasts) could be of great value to help shape their other offerings.
At very least, if this could syphon off some of the people who would stream video live from their website it should reduce their bandwidth costs.
I don't know, maybe I'm a just a digital dreamer. Click here to continue reading "Alternative Broadcasting Mediums: Instant Messaging"
Jun 16, 2008
Captain Planet Begins: the live-action movie
I was thinking the other day how much I would like a live-action Captain Planet movie. Instead of taking it seriously, though, I decided to "improve" upon the formula a little bit and shake things up a bit. Here's the cast of the movie I want to see:
Captain Planet
Captain Planet was the go-to guy to catch the bad guys. When someone was looting and polluting, you could always count on him to make it right. On top of that, he had a great mullet. That pretty much sums up Dog the Bounty Hunter, who I think is perfect for the role.
Captain Planet
Gaia
Gaia was the one who first rounded up the planeteers and set them forth with guidelines to protect the planet and whatnot. I don't really remember, because I tuned her out whenever she was on the screen - she was rather boring and getting in the way of the ACTUAL planet saving. You know who else I kinda tuned out? Fran Drescher, who played the the nanny in "The Nanny". Gaia was a nanny of sorts, and Drescher's laugh really grated me the wrong way, so I learned to tune it out.
Gaia
Ma-ti
Ma-ti could talk with animals... seriously. Where most people would be labelled as insane and carted off to a loony farm, Ma-ti converses and communes with animals. Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer, is his real-life counterpart. Whether or not he can actually talk with dogs remains to be seen... but he does have a hit show and makes more money than me, so we can definitely rule out insanity.
Ma-ti
Gi
If I were to ask you who the least useful planeteer was, you'd probably go with Ma-ti and the power of heart. I'd have to disagree with you - unless there was a body of water around, Gi was limited in what she could really do. Granted, she did come through on a number of occasions, but she was the planeteer equivalent of Aquaman of the Super Friends. For that reason, I want Pamela Anderson filling out this role. In Baywatch, she was always around water (the ocean) and has yet to capture that kind of success elsewhere.
Gi
Kwame, Linka and Wheeler
I really have nothing to say here. These were arguably the three most useful planeteers in the bunch having control of the elements of earth, wind and fire. However, if I were to improve on the formula I would use the actual Earth, Wind and Fire simply because that would be awesome. Sure it doesn't work out number-wise, but who cares? Besides controlling the planeteers' elements they would inherently control the power of funk, which would make them all the more versatile.
Earth, Wind and Fire (collectively and literally)
Hoggish Greedly
Every story needs a villain. One of the staple Captain Planet bad guys, Hoggish Greedly was meant to represent the evils of industrialization and greed. Industrialization and greed aside, you'd have a hard time convincing me they didn't originally base him entirely off of Louie Anderson.
Hoggish Greedly
Jun 13, 2008
Team Fortress 2: Our intelligence has been captured
Yes sir, The Unwind is currently without intelligence. That is, after seeing the below video on TF2 griefing, or the act of being a Phillup in-game, I nearly fell over laughing and couldn't hold a coherent thought. Your mileage may vary, particularly if you haven't played the game before.
Be warned this video contains some adult language (which is why it's not embedded), as the sole intention of the person recording it was to piss off everyone else in the game. It's simple math: internet + anger = cussing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPoKaoJu0m4
In other TF2 dealings, I had found an excellent resource on all things TF2: http://tf2wiki.net/wiki/Main_Page. It has everything from strategies to class matchups to voice actors for each class. Everything anyone (me) would need to take their game a little too seriously.
All kidding aside, this is a great game and I have yet to get tired of it after many months of playing - no small feet this day in age. If you play (the PC version), leave your handle in the comments section and we'll capture some control points next time I log on.
Jun 12, 2008
Horatio Caine Is Awesome
Horatio Caine is a ridiculously awesome character. For one, I'm pretty sure his sunglasses are the source of his power, because he's usually got them on his person and they almost always make an appearance when he's being dramatic.
Additionally, Horatio Caine's neck doesn't function correctly all the time. His head is often tilted when he's talking with other characters, so much so that my neck starts to hurt if he's on the screen too long because I'm trying to compensate for the angle. I suppose no neck would be able to carry the ego and personality that Horatio has to shoulder. It is solely his cross to bear.
However, if you take Horatio Caine's one-liners in the context of the character's experiences, it gets downright disturbing. When he sees a dead body for the first time, his first instinct is to put on his sunglasses be a wise-ass? Is that really what goes on in the head of a forensic investigator? I'm not a psychologist, but I'm pretty sure that's borderline psychotic. Take a look for yourself below in a compilation of Horatio one-liners:
Witty charm, or cavalier sadism? You decide.
Either way, Horatio Caine is the only man alive that could get away with the above one-liners. And that makes him awesome. Click here to continue reading "Horatio Caine Is Awesome"
Jun 11, 2008
Photoshop Flailing: Gurn, Baby, Gurn
Once again, I focus my time and hone in on my photoshopping skills. This time, my muse was a recent post on gurning. I wanted to take a look and see which fictional characters would be natural gurners. While the execution (shopping) may have been less than perfect, the ideas nonetheless startle me. To the shops!
First up is Hannibal Lecter, who is not so much doing a gurn as he is scaring the crap out of me for not being restrained.
Hello, Clarice.
Jack Torrance drank a little too much of the red rum.
HERE'S JOHNNY!
This one is one of the Nazi's from Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Whatever you do, don't look directly at it.
And finally, Uncle Fester doing a gurn in his Sunday best.
Creepy AND Kooky.
Jun 10, 2008
Proposal: Unwind's Pedestrian's Walk
Another "at-risk" leg under-user
Citizens of the Internet, I am here today to inform you of an alarming trend: leg under-use. Cultural pressures, the widespread availability of automobile technology and sedentary lifestyles have caused this latest health epidemic. If this trend continues, our legs may soon become the body's next "pinky toe" - nice to have appendages, but wouldn't be really used for anything anymore.
It's time to change that. New research suggests that leading a more pedestrian lifestyle can help stem the onset and in some cases even reverse the effects of leg under-use.
I propose an annual "Pedestrian's Walk", a walkathon to promote pedestrian awareness. I envision a large outdoor venue where physical activities, games and (of course) walking will take place. Ideally, there would be refreshments (still unsure if there should be alcohol) and entertainment as well, as this walk is meant to entertain as much as it is to inform. The event would be open to all who catch word of it, all in the spirit of pedestrian awareness.
Let me know what you think. If you, dear readers, think this idea has merit and I can get the logistics of the event worked out, then maybe - just maybe - we can help win the fight against leg under-use together.
Jun 9, 2008
If you keep making that face, it's going to get stuck like that
Have you ever made a funny face before? Whether it be to make someone laugh, or scare a little kid on Halloween, everyone has. According to Wikipedia (the universal source of all truth), this distorted facial expression is known as a "gurn".
Some people across the pond seem to take this activity a little too seriously. In England, they have gurning competitions where the contestants have to make the most ridiculous faces they can while sticking their head through a horse collar. Picture in your mind what that looks like. Then take a look at the following world gurning champion ten years running, Tommy Mattinson, with the Queen of England:
The Queen is giving the same "wtf" expression you probably have on your face right now
I also found a few other gurning resources online (again) thanks to Wikipedia. If you want to see more gurning pictures,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/3670504.stm
http://www.thecumbriadirectory.com/Cumbria_Traditions/Gurning/Gurning.php
http://ansaman.site88.net/secondgurnrules.html Click here to continue reading "If you keep making that face, it's going to get stuck like that"
Jun 6, 2008
Ha ha! Logic!
A college buddy and I recently had this exchange:
College Friend: Friday is opposite day... blog it
me: that means you just gave me a command to not blog it
CF: don't blog it!
me: ok, I won't
CF: good
CF: my head is about to expload [sic]
Question: Did I lie to him by posting this? Show all your work for full credit.
Bonus question: Can I believe your answer? Assume it's Friday no matter when you respond. Click here to continue reading "Ha ha! Logic!"
Holy crap, it's been a month
I can't believe it's been a month already since I started The Unwind.
Blogging for The Unwind has been a terrifyingly exciting experience for me, and is unlike anything else I've done before. You know that nervousness you get when you speak publicly? It's sort of like that feeling hitting you retroactively, especially with people I interact with in real life. I know in my rational brain I have no reason to feel this - it's just kind of a knee-jerk reaction. I look forward to overcoming that feeling in the future, as it'll no doubt help me in other facets of my life.
But there are upsides. For one, I'm having an absolute blast and am finding the more I write, the better writer I become. The same is true with being creative: I feel as though I am more creative having a month now under my belt. I'm also learning a few skills and dabbling in some new technologies in the process, which never hurts. And lastly (but not least-ly) I've gotten a loyal core following that has been really supportive and given me some great, honest feedback. I can't thank you you all enough.
Also, I've kind of settled on a few details about the blog that I'll lay out here:
- I'll try and update every weekday. That seems like the right frequency to me from both a schedule-management and a content generating perspective.
- I'm under no obligation to censor anything here, but I do need to be able to be proud of what I've put out on The Unwind. Therefore, this blog is going to stay relatively clean and respectful.
- While I do have personal, social and professional lives, I'll be intentionally vague about them here to keep them separate. I'll relate stories and experiences, but no names or specifics - I respect mine and others' privacy and I really don't feel like putting my job in jeopardy over a blog.
- No, seriously, I can't thank you all enough for the support.
Jun 5, 2008
Science has failed me
Detroit has won the Stanley Cup tonight, meaning that my thoroughly scientific method of predicting the end of the series may have been flawed. Congrats, Red Wings, for winning the Stanley Cup and slapping 1995's prediction in the face!
http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=280604016
Houston, we have WiiFit
I was able to secure a copy of WiiFit today and will post in the near future about my initial reactions to it and how the progress is coming thusfar. I do plan, however, on taking you all on through a long, strange journey as I transform my body from this:
I'm thinking it'll probably take me 3, maybe 4 weeks tops. Savvy? Click here to continue reading "Houston, we have WiiFit"
Jun 4, 2008
Prediction (NHL '95): The 2008 Stanley Cup winner is...
Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm about to make a bold prediction. Your 2008 Stanley Cup winner will be the Pittsburgh Penguins who will win in 7.
Granted, I know at this point the series currently stands 3-2 in favor of the Detroit Red Wings, so there's a much greater chance I'm right about this than I would have been at the beginning of the series, but there is a method to my madness - science is backing me up on this one. My method was simple: have a computer simulate the game of hockey and determine the winner. That should be a fair and accurate way of determining who the best team in hockey is in 2008, yes?
To do this, I fired up NHL '95 for the Sega Genesis and set out to have the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Detroit Red Wings (Game 6), and if needed the Red Wings host the Penguins (Game 7). The results are below as well as some highlights of the games.
Not now, John Shrader. Please get off-camera... IT'S STANLEY CUP HOCKEY TIME!
Game 6:
Game 6 saw a lot of penalties, possibly because the referees had nothing better to do. Overall, players from both teams were using all of their 10 frames of animation very nicely and were able to pull off such complex maneuvers worthy of professional hockey such as "skate left", "carry puck", "check" and my favorite "shoot puck". Detroit 2, Pittsburgh 4.
Scoring Summary -
- 1st period, PIT PP goal, #17 T. Sandstrom (R. Tocchet)
- 1st period, PIT goal, #7 J. Mullen
- 1st period, PIT goal, #32 P. Taglianeti
- 2nd period, PIT goal, #66 M. Lemieux (J. Jagr)
- 3rd period, DET goal, #19 S. Yzerman (R. Sheppard)
- 3rd period, DET goal, #16 V. Konstantov
Pittsburgh's win pushed the Stanley Cup finals to Game 7, where it was a hard fought game most of the way through. The virtual crowd was going wild, right up until they realized the game was pretty much over and shuffled out to their virtual cars so they could avoid the virtual traffic. Pittsburgh 5, Detroit 2.
Scoring Summary -
- 1st period, PIT goal, #68 J. Jagr
- 1st period, PIT goal, #25 K. Stevens (M. Lemieux, L. Murphy)
- 1st period, PIT goal, #66 M. Lemieux (K. Stevens)
- 2nd period, DET goal, #19 S. Yzerman (K. Primeau)
- 3rd period, DET goal, #22 D. Ciccarelli
- 3rd period, PIT goal, #25 K. Stevents (K. Samuelsson, T. Barrasso)
- 3rd period, PIT goal, #10 R. Francis
These highlights brought to you in HD (where available)
Jun 2, 2008
Tropic Thunder Viral Video and Lord Stanley's Cup
Premise: Jack Black, Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. are trying to make a viral video to promote a new movie they're starring in, Tropic Thunder. Jack Black brings the slapstick, Robert Downey Jr. brings the personality, and Ben Stiller doesn't screw it up too badly. It made me laugh and I'm going to make with the sharings now:
http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1588375&vid=237158
It probably feels like I'm phoning this one in tonight (hint: I am), but game 5 of the Stanley cup still hasn't finished as of the writing of this post. I'm not even a huge fan of hockey, but with triple overtime and the championship potentially up for grabs tonight, the excitement is thick enough to choke on.
Engrish pedometer instructions
Having hinted at it previously, I've decided to post the instructions to that infernal pedometer from last week. They are written in glorious, glorious Engrish, which at times can make little to no sense. My personal favorite is one of the notes, "4) Breakable does not drop and wet".
Enjoy!
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