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just a quick update to post about some neat new sites i’ve been using lately.

first of all, this is a game called loops of zen. i’m linking you to the full window version because it’s way better that way. the game is a great little brain teaser that doesn’t require that much commitment… not that i’m afraid of commitment… well maybe i am when it comes to video games.

in the way of games, i’ve added two more neat ones to my arcade repertoire. the first is age of booty. it’s a fun pirate themed real time strategy game that strikes me to be in the theme of settlers of catan… but in real time, not turn based. at any rate, it’s probably just the hex tiles that remind me of it. you move your ship around the ocean board attacking merchant ships, other players and harbors around the map. i’ve been extremely addicted to it as of late, and i highly recommend it.

the second xbla title i recently downloaded is castle crashers. i’m not sure on the history of this game, but i do know it has quite a cult following so i’m guessing this game was originally launched as an artsy flash game. at any rate, sarah saw the demo of this one and we were hooked. it’s a well designed 2d side scrolling rpg reminisce of the old days of gauntlet.

finally, my good friend phil introduced me to portal for the first time last night. from the guys that did half-life and a group of college kids, this game presents an interesting and worthwhile twist in fps to bring you the fps puzzle game like never before. basically, you shoot portals out and warp everywhere. it sounds underwhelmingly simple, but it actually makes for a great new puzzle idea that i’m now itching for more of.

next up is a shiny new site that i’m dying to tell everyone about. it’s lala.com, and it’s part itunes, part itunes music store, and part last.fm all blended together into one, pretty easy, pretty familiar interface. i signed up yesterday, uploaded my entire library over the course of the evening, and voila! i can listen to almost all of my music over the internet through lala.com. if you go there, sign up, and like it, be sure to friend me.

oh yeah! and last up, before i forget is hobnox.com. the site has a bunch of interesting stuff, but i haven’t really taken the time to explore. the big thing that’s really caught my eye in the past is their audiotool. it’s a reason-like synthesizer that’s web-based. they finally added a record feature, so besides just doodling around on it, you can now save what you’ve done.

over and out!

I may subtitle this post: “Things That Happen When You Have Nothing Planned”.

I love the conversation when you meet up with a friend: “so what do you want to do?”, and the reply: “ehh, nothing, you”, “yeah, I don’t know”. With my group of friends this conversation invariably ends in one of several ways: TV, Videogames, or Jam Session. It was after one of these conversations with a larger assembly of my friends we began to play beats from a keyboard and battle rap each other. This may seem like a totally legitimate course of action for some people, but a closer look at the social make up and musical taste of our group would reveal, without a doubt, that rapping is not on the top of our “fun things to do” list.

However, we ended up rapping against each other, with each other, and around each other. It was hilarious. We rapped about school subjects like geography and science as much as we rapped about the funny growth on my nose or each other’s sexual preferences.

So, to that unexpected fun burst of creativity i have found some fun links for improving the battle rap skills of those around me. Read these and take heed. Though it may not happen often, battle rapping may soon become a regular member of our “bored-time” repertoire.

1. How to SURVIVE a Battle Rap
2. Learn your flocabulary
3. Wiki on freestyle wrapping

here’s a couple neat things and info I’ve collected this week.

First is hobnox. Most of you who know me, know I’m always rattling on about music I make with ableton live and reason. Here is a audio generation tool that is based off of a similar usability theory as reason: graphically recreate the instruments and their interaction (i.e. cables etc.). The plus side for all of you and myself is that you don’t have to install anything (until they come out with an adobe air version). Which means that you don’t have to know a whole ton about music software, just music hardware in general. If you can hook up some guitar pedals and fiddle with a beat machine, you’re there. It’s a lot of fun. My cube-mate wasted a couple hours because I introduced him to the site (sorry). So have fun. If you figure out a way to record what you’ve done (you can’t save yet) put it on muxtape and let me know about it.

Second, is just a little article for all my friends looking to get their money into the money making business. High yield savings is the first step, and this article shows you how you can figure out just how much interest your savings account is bringing in. Very helpful. Also, you’ll want a calculator. I recommend and use instacalc on a daily basis.

Ok, I was laughing so hard at this I had to post it. In Mexico music aficionados are duking it out “Warriors” style. And with a headline that includes the words anti-emo, and riots, you know I’m into it. Also, here’s the money quote:

“They’re organizing to defend their right to be emo,”

So basically a bunch of kids who listen to Metallica and The Sex Pistols are beating up kids who listen to Taking Back Sunday and Dashboard Confessional. I’ll be totally honest. I’d rather listen to The Sex Pistols and beat up some meat head Metallica fan than be all metaled out and beat on some kid who’s whimpering in the corner because he just kissed his girlfriend.

But I’m glad they are defending they’re right to be emo. Listening to one specific genre and having it shape the course of your life is really deep and thoughtful. More power to the whole Mexican Music Genre-as-life system. If I were to pick my life through the genre of music that I listen to I’d probably follow Sun-Ra. That way I could declare that I actually came from Uranus. Sorry… that didn’t come out right I mean I’m a dignitary from France… Crap that’s not a planet… I really have some stuff to figure out if I’m going to do this thing 100%. I’ll have to get back to you on that.

Two articles on the same topic, from the same associated press release with two very different titles. I don’t really care to speculate on what gives. All I’ll say is, source matters. And also, it’s pretty clear that 1) the government is totally clueless about what it does and 2) people are dumb enough to trust this government with things like their healthcare and their retirement. I’d get the links for all that, but I’m lazy and you’re smart: FIGURE IT OUT. the sad thing is that of all the things we shouldn’t trust the government to do, protecting us and our borders is one of the things we should trust them to do. guffaw, guffaw.

And while I’m on the topic of the government of the people, I HOPE YOU PEOPLE VOTED TODAY. Whining on and on about how you aren’t properly represented. I know state and local elections are a lot more confusingly gray as opposed to the highly media-cized presidential popularity contests, but seriously if you care so much about your government and your rights start at the local level. You’ll thank me.

From the psycho teen angst department, I read this today in the headlines. I’m just gonna go out and say it here, that kid needs to be checked in. Look I know we all get dis-associative at times, but this is a little ridiculous. Plus his mom at least seems likable based on what I read in the article. And to the mom who took him to the hotel room: ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Ok, telling his mom was the right thing to do, but helping him get into that situation in the first place. I’m betting that if that hadn’t have been a cop, you could be an accessory at worst and at best you’d find yourself wading in a pool of your friend’s blood. You get the gold star for the day.

Also, unless I’m mistaken, FOX or some idiot scientist/numerologist/statistician/whatever needs to check the math on this one. While it certainly is an interesting useless factoid, 1 in 10 IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM 407 out of 7634.

I must do this because I’m bored. Some kid in VA won the right to have an anti-abortion club in her school.  Now look I’m all about not killing babies, but some of these religious fanatics (I’m one of them… on some issues), need to get it in their skull that just as much as they have the right to an anti-abortion club, some smart-aleck’s gonna have the right to a pro-baby killing club. That’s the way free-speech swings and if you don’t like it, TOO BAD.

The airline industry sucks. I don’t know why it’s still around. Oh wait, yes, it’s coming back to me… consumers are idiots. Between the FAA’s ridiculous regulations and people practically dying while they’re trapped for hours in a plane taxiing around a totally inefficient runway system, the airlines are trying to take away your little peanut snacks. But apparently they’re getting better at leaving on time. Woooooo you also get a gold star for the day. I hope you airline moguls are happy.

I give up. I’m so burnt out on being negative and edgy that I just can’t go on. Here’s the rest of my links for this post sans-witty commentary.

Moron the farm bill - excuse me… More on the farm bill.

Radiohead goes out on good faith and the cheap punks take advantage of them. I said I was done commenting, well I lied. Now I download albums, I’ll be the first to admit it (as long as the moochers over at the RIAA aren’t knocking at my door). But seriously, what did you think would happen. Most of the people on the torrent networks are LEACHERS. And I’ll reasonably bet that the 60% or so who didn’t pay for the album are the punks that don’t share on the torrent networks.

And now for some software.

Visuwords - I really like this. Particularly because it’s like a thesaurus, but better.

Mofuse - This looks interesting, especially if you’re big into accessibility/mobility. I used to have my blogs compatible with the iPhone and some Mobiles at one point.

And finally, of interest to some in my close circle: This dude lived in Trappe.

I del.icio.us‘d this one: SignalMap. It allows you to add what signal you are getting, where you are getting it to a googlemap api. You can see all the signal points in your area with comments. I added one for work so far.

the hypochondriac’s favorite (or most feared) site has a decent article with pointers for getting more energy. don’t read the last page, it’s advertisements basically (and totally lame). top on my todo list is exercise (in the morning!?!?) and breakfast.

great list of credit pointers (10 commandments style) from the consumerist.

what apple product have you owned? my first mac (besides the ][’s at school) was a Mac Classic. with a black and white screen, i was able to surf the web through prodigy (which is still around somehow). which basically meant i was surfing a fake web.

i don’t usually link straight to Fake Steve Jobs, but he includes some parody thoughts that i particularly like regarding the sloth known as the recording industry.

more screw-the-recording-man goodness: ars has a little article about a grandma who is fighting back, as well as some related stories down at the end which are worth a look.

Bebo vs. Facebook vs. Myspace: bbc reporting that myspace is loosing ground to the two. God I hope so. Myspace is so UGLY. Personally, I like virb.

CNSnews (who I’m not too familiar with) is reporting on a bill meant to stop idiots Feinstein and Edwards (and others) from reviving the fairness doctrine. Screw that… why stop there? WOULD SOMEONE PLEASE ELIMINATE THE REST OF THE BACKWARDS, SOCIALIST ALPHABET SOUP LEFT OVER FROM THE DEPRESSION. Thanks for representing me, you bastards of human life.

A pretty comprehensive grid of iPhone rankings from valleywag. I probably won’t be getting one. My dream is an FOS platform phone that I can skype with. I’m dying to ditch cellphone providers and their abusive contract practices.

I didn’t even know about these songs until guitar hero. I grew up under a rock.

Neat article about an experiment in WWII that gifted sailors with infrared visibility through their diet. I smell an “Infrared Pill”, it would sell like hotcakes. At least I would buy a bottle.

From the front pages of digg: an interesting compilation of “oldest cities in the world.” Rife with differing opinions because no one’s actually lived long enough to be there when those cities were actually created.

You can get your ugly face off of google maps (MAN PEEING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD… wish i still had that link). Just give them your identity. via lifehacker.

If Bill Gates corrupted Steve Jobs I think I’ll cry. Just read the comic.

I like this idea. Since I do music too, you should all follow this graphical set of instructions. If you click on the graphic there’s an article. But it was long and boring. DON’T READ IT.

Good story about justice and identity theft. How appropriate and popular a topic. But seriously, kudos to the lady that got her ID back.

Funny graphic for those of you who know my emo side. Gotta love those girls that shout “I love you!”

This was on reddit, but I have no idea where the pictures are from, save they’re most likely rednecks.

New electric car with some nice-looking specs. Unfortunately I’m assuming this is out of most people’s price range and the tech won’t trickle down for sometime.

Just a couple little tidbits in the morning rush of things.

Found a neat little piece of software that tracks the programs you use on your computer similar to the way last.fm tracks the music you play on your media player. It’s called Wakoopa, and you have to download a little program on your computer for it to work. The signup is really easy and the weberface is really clean and seems easy to use. I haven’t actually gotten to stretch it’s legs though because I believe work is blocking me from being able to connect the program to their servers. I’ll bring more news on that when I get it to my lappy at home.

I’ve been listening to Further Seems Forever a lot recently. This is an album that I got from someone at work without thinking too much about it. I’ve always heard a lot about them because of their relationship to Dashboard Confessional, but never really got into them. Well, like I said I was listening to their album, How to Start a Fire, and I just got really into it. So I checked it out on wikipedia, and they broke up last year. Bummer.