“Breaking Bad” 16-Bit Edition
Last month some people who I thought were my friends peer pressured me into “trying” Breaking Bad. Breaking Bad is an AMC series about a highly overqualified high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with lung cancer. With the help of a former screwup student begins cooking the worlds highest quality crystal meth in order to pay for his treatment and leave some money for his family. Insanity and amazing storytelling ensue. The show is ridiculously addictive. Next thing I knew I was nursing a three episode a night binge habit.
Just watch the damn show. You won’t regret it.
Moving on… College Humor created a 16-bit version of Breaking Bad. It comes complete with a badass 16-bit rendition of Rodrigo y Gabriela’s masterpiece Tamacun. Don’t watch this unless you’ve watched the show already… Bitch.
16-Bit Breaking Bad
Rodrigo y Gabriela’s first album with Tamacun and 8 other magnificent songs (CD) (Download)
Best of Funny Christmas Movies, TV & Music
Surviving another month in the “holiday spirit” echo chamber made me ponder, “Which of these movies, television episodes, and songs do I actually enjoy?”
Best Christmas Movie
Winner
Die Hard (1988) - ”Now I have a machine gun. Ho ho ho.” It’s a tale of redemption set on Christmas. That makes it a Christmas movie. Deal with it.
Runner-up
Elf (2003) – Everyone likes this movie. If you don’t I recon you might be one of those damned communists.
Best Christmas Television Episode
Winner
South Park – Woodland Critter Christmas (Season 8, Episode 14, 2004) – Stan helps some adorable Woodland Critters give birth to their savior. Insanity ensues. This isn’t for the faint of heart, or for young children.
Runner-up
Futurama – Xmas Story (Season 2, Episode 8 1999) – 1,000 years in the future, a robotic santa (John Goodman) distributes gifts on Xmas. Robot Santa’s behavior standards were set too high in the factory and he judges everyone as naughty… And tried to murder them for their misdeeds.
Best Christmas Song
Winner
O Holy Night – Matt Mulholland - Be sure to read the description of this song, and stick around for the crescendo at the end; Mulholland has exceptional vocal range.
Runner-up
The Night Santa Went Crazy - Weird Al Yankovic
Happy Holidays!
Goodbye GamePro – Thanks For Teaching Me To Read
GamePro Magazine taught me to read.
Growing up my parents pretty much only purchased toys on birthdays and at the Holidays, but they would buy reading material whenever we asked. The thing was, I hated reading. I didn’t enjoy reading mostly because I had a very difficult time learning to do it. GamePro was the first written material I encountered that helped me see the immediate benefits of reading. Best of all, I could get a new one every month!
I persuaded my mom to buy me a subscription when I was in second grade, and I read every issue from then until its recent cancellation. There were times where I didn’t own any current gen consoles, and couldn’t play the games they wrote about, but I still kept and read the magazine (I’m looking at you Playstation 1 era). GamePro introduced me to geek culture and quirky writing. I discovered satire through the magazine’s April Fools LamePro editions which initially confused me, but clearly impacted me.
I thought about canceling a few times over the years, but I am a man of few rituals, and reading GamePro every month was probably the only life-long ritual I’ve ever had. I’m bummed to see it go.
Goodbye GamePro, thanks for teaching me to read.
(Via IndustryGamers)
Arm Cannon = Metal + Classic Gaming
Instrumental music (acoustic or electric) is my personal preference for work time for all of the reasons your would assume. I’ve been working a ton lately, so I’ve been listening to a lot of instrumental artists ranging from Bela Fleck, to Rodrigo y Gabriela & Jake Shimabukuro. On the geekier side, I’ve also discovered an awesome band called Arm Cannon.
Arm Cannon takes their name from Mega Man’s primary weapon, they combine metal and classic 8 & 16 bit music in creative and fun ways. There’re a lot of bands out there that do this, but Arm Cannon is my new favorite.
If you like that, consider checking out two albums; they’ve got a lot of great music.
In other news, I was off the blogging wagon for a while, but I’m back on.
Thank You & Farewell Mr. Jobs
Every significant job I’ve ever had was needed because of something Steve Jobs created. The guy invented the personal computer as we know it. The same goes for the smart phone. He didn’t do either alone, but he was the man with the vision. He was one of those rare Nikola Tesla-like people who could see the future, and then make it (Unlike Tesla, he was really good at making money while creating amazing things).
I hadn’t thought about the fact that nearly every dollar I’ve earned, and most of my hobbies and interests exist because of Steve Jobs. I also hadn’t expected to be so upset when he died.
Steve was an uncompromising visionary who made amazing things a reality. He was the kind of man I could respect while disagreeing with him. Under his leadership Apple consistently set the bar for quality in technology & design.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how little time we have to make a real impact, and create amazing things. So much of my client work is unfulfilling because I’m doing work for people who don’t understand or care about technology. They have no concept about what is possible, and therefore have no desire to push the boundaries of possibility. They have the budgets, but they have don’t have the will. We live in incredible times, in large part because of the contributions of Steve Jobs. I have realized for a long time that I need to take control of my life’s work, and make great things, but seeing the headlines of Steve’s death have made me realize that tomorrow is not the day to take action. Time is too short.
Thank you for helping create that future Steve. Thank your for all of your ideas, your actions, your gadgets, your software and your uncompromising vision. You are immortalized in the technology that structures our lives, and our future.
(Images via gapingvoid & Oatmeal)
The Star Wars Saga – Here’s the Order to Watch Them
George Lucas is milking Star Wars again with a new release of the entire saga on blu-ray with new special effects, deleted scenes & three documentaries… But Greedo still shoots first.
The natural inclination is to watch these films in numerical order: I, II, III, IV, V, VI.
Don’t do that.
My preference is to watch them in the order of their release because that’s the natural way that the story unfolds: IV, V, VI, I, II, III.
However after a long drawn-out conversation with some friends I’m willing bend a little and go with this order: IV, V, I, II, III, VI. This order lets you see Luke’s story unfold, followed by Anakin’s, and both of their narratives collide and resolve in the final chapter.
Either option is solid, just please don’t watch them in numerical order. Every time a person watches Star Wars in numerical order Yoda sheds a tear.
Little Girl Discovers Ancient Fossil
Six year-old Emily Baldry made my inner six year-old insanely jealous by digging up an ancient and nearly perfect fossil.
No kidding, 6 year-old David is weeping into an empty hole through the space-time continuum.
(Via BoingBoing)
