tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972120889629675714.post5050355090042650817..comments2024-02-25T05:24:24.948-05:00Comments on Beyond Easy: THESE INSANELY AMBITIOUS AND INSPIRING NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS WILL BLOW YOUR MIND AND BREAK YOUR HEARTPatrick Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02410016566636603639noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972120889629675714.post-14115937058250339592014-01-21T05:49:46.850-05:002014-01-21T05:49:46.850-05:00Zodiac is from 1988, that's barely even during...Zodiac is from 1988, that's barely even during the rise of PCs. Hyperbole, but certainly so little so that at one point you get an explanation that the actual computer is the funny box under the monitor. Gasp! Insofar as it can be called sci-fi the science involved is almost exclusively chemistry.<br /><br />You might enjoy Snow Crash as well. Actually you might enjoy Snow Crash more - there's a lot being made of the fact that in the future it describes, everything is just a franchise up to and including sections of suburb. Maybe "enjoy" isn't the right word here. It's got not so much a daft ending than a disconcertingly abrupt one, though, and personally I just like Zodiac better for its 1980s thriller vibe.<br /><br />Don't get me started on Ellis' worlds, I don't think the man is physically capable of not having vast information networks directly integrated with the human brain in his stories. (I, uh, may have sort of written a diploma thesis on that at some point.)Mr. Wolffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00634870339888609823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972120889629675714.post-34549704298744647202014-01-19T14:06:50.031-05:002014-01-19T14:06:50.031-05:00Adam: Hm. I might actually consider checking out B...<b>Adam:</b> Hm. I might actually consider checking out Bravely Default if I had the hardware to play it on. I'm still on a self-imposed freeze.<br /><br /><b>Paul:</b> That's one of the reasons I'm reluctant to play or write about Dissidia. I'm going to have to watch the videos and I'm going to have to review the videos, and I'll eventually have to spend a lot of time and effort finding ways to dump on them. I'm really not in the mood.Patrick Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02410016566636603639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972120889629675714.post-74937423664811178652014-01-19T13:50:54.222-05:002014-01-19T13:50:54.222-05:00I don't read much sci-fi, but I really dig stu...I don't read much sci-fi, but I really dig stuff that was written before the rise of the Internet. A futuristic world without futuristic iPhones just doesn't compute at this point.<br /><br />Speaking of Warren Ellis, flip through X-Men 2099 if you ever get a chance. It's actually not that great, but I'm pretty sure Ellis was working on the Marvel 2099 titles before he began Transmet (which is something I still have yet to read in its entirety), and the worlds appear quite similar.Patrick Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02410016566636603639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972120889629675714.post-25847360681947429232014-01-19T13:47:44.658-05:002014-01-19T13:47:44.658-05:00Hmm. I can't promise it will be the next novel...Hmm. I can't promise it will be the next novel I read, but it's definitely towards the front of the queue.Patrick Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02410016566636603639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972120889629675714.post-49160831752368358342014-01-19T13:46:53.384-05:002014-01-19T13:46:53.384-05:00The reviews suggest that it's trippy and flawe...The reviews suggest that it's trippy and flawed. Sounds up my alley!Patrick Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02410016566636603639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972120889629675714.post-90347372231474584652014-01-16T10:27:28.322-05:002014-01-16T10:27:28.322-05:00For what it's worth, I thought Dissidia was a ...For what it's worth, I thought Dissidia was a lot of fun. I played the "expansion pack" Duodecim, though. What can go wrong? As a mishmash of the whole series, it has a ton of likable characters, the best music in videogamedom and a huge amount of content. They even added a roguelike-ish mode. This wasn't a rush job. It's "some kind" of fighting game, though, so anyone expecting a pure RPG will be disappointed.<br /><br />The story though... I hope you love charaters being reduced to one quirk, people going on about the power of love and stupid quid pro quos leading to allies fighting each other. Either skip videos or say goodbye to your sanity.Paul Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04080407233499755600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972120889629675714.post-27531236623456334672014-01-15T00:24:37.403-05:002014-01-15T00:24:37.403-05:00I'd also recommend Blood Meridian. That was th...I'd also recommend Blood Meridian. That was the first book I read this year, and I doubt I'll read any other ones this year that I'll like more than it. I wasn't too impressed by McCarthy's The Road, but Blood Meridian surprised me.Adam E.https://www.blogger.com/profile/15301656119538410691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972120889629675714.post-56586539962180264702014-01-15T00:22:02.667-05:002014-01-15T00:22:02.667-05:00I'd sooner recommend playing Bravely Default a...I'd sooner recommend playing Bravely Default as part of a Final Fantasy retrospective. From what I found playing the demo, the game feels more like a Final Fantasy game than any since FFX. Not that you seem likely to continue the series (and I wouldn't blame you if you didn't).Adam E.https://www.blogger.com/profile/15301656119538410691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972120889629675714.post-73820641810389828952014-01-12T00:33:02.365-05:002014-01-12T00:33:02.365-05:00The thing about 'developing intellectually'...The thing about 'developing intellectually' doesn't just apply to individuals, but society. When you brought up the idea of learning to forage it called to mind various other quasi-related ideas beyond your own thing.<br /><br />I wrote an entire rant, but frack it I don't want to post a 700 word comment. Basic thing is, I think we - the affluent enough First World - have things so easy for us that we could challenge ourselves to a significant degree, but instead we choose to idealize simplicity (without giving up modern convenience) and the familiar.<br /><br />Your pursuit of foraging may be the exception to all the bullshit I was thinking of when I was ranting, but it doesn't negate my general issue.Philip Pangrachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14117360002501230429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972120889629675714.post-75462872292071902032014-01-10T00:23:20.119-05:002014-01-10T00:23:20.119-05:00I just finished EL Doctrow's new book "An...I just finished EL Doctrow's new book "Andrew's Brain." I liked it a lot, and at 200 pages, it's not a super punishing read.<br /><br />Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07405743957834555304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972120889629675714.post-66206177842809999382014-01-09T19:27:25.917-05:002014-01-09T19:27:25.917-05:00If you're talking about eating dirt and gettin...If you're talking about eating dirt and getting stung by bees, foraging might be your prescription!Patrick Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02410016566636603639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972120889629675714.post-50960350768276345992014-01-09T14:57:57.305-05:002014-01-09T14:57:57.305-05:00There's more to being human than developing on...There's more to being human than developing oneself intellectually and doing things with pratical value (whatever that means)?Jon B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02032846652504184776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972120889629675714.post-49774811596735570792014-01-09T04:26:50.624-05:002014-01-09T04:26:50.624-05:00In addition to Cryptonomicon, check out Stephenson...In addition to Cryptonomicon, check out Stephenson's Zodiac. It's quite uncharacteristic in that it's a comparatively simple thriller about environmentalism and chemistry, but it's really good. I reread it many times over the past 15 years, and I don't like many books I enjoyed when I was 16 anymore.<br /><br />Definitely was not written in the last five years though. Hmm. I just recently got through Warren Ellis' Gun Machine and that was pretty good. As a bonus it's set in Manhattan, which pleasantly surprised me (I was actually looking for it when I was there but couldn't find it in shops; clearly I should have looked in the tourist sections).Mr. Wolffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00634870339888609823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972120889629675714.post-35211633681239549672014-01-09T04:10:17.447-05:002014-01-09T04:10:17.447-05:00I played and really liked FF XIII and I couldn'...I played and really liked FF XIII and I couldn't take Dissidia for more than 15 minutes. Exercise caution.Mr. Wolffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00634870339888609823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972120889629675714.post-42722751306168671702014-01-09T03:00:27.388-05:002014-01-09T03:00:27.388-05:00I submit to your will.I submit to your will.Patrick Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02410016566636603639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972120889629675714.post-51391992420487767402014-01-09T02:59:45.983-05:002014-01-09T02:59:45.983-05:00When you say "develop ourselves intellectuall...When you say "develop ourselves intellectually," I wonder what you mean. I'm curious as to why expanding one's knowledge and depth of experience with the contents of unanthropized spaces (for lack of a better term) shouldn't qualify as intellectual development.<br /><br />I like the idea of going out into the woods (which I regularly do anyway) with a purpose other than meandering and zoning out. I like the idea of trying new foods. I like the idea of becoming better acquainted with the plant kingdom. And I like the idea that it could turn into a collaborative hobby with Hannah. ("Hey, look at these delicious leaves and roots I found! Let's cook and eat them for dinner!") Even if it won't eliminate my trips to the supermarket, I don't see why that would make the experience any less edifying.<br /><br />I understand (and often share) your frustration with the pop-primitivist scene, but I do believe there's more than just a kernel of truth in the admonition that the modern affluent lifestyle alienates people from the things that sustain them. And I don't think that wanting to dabble in skills that went missing during industrialization necessarily amounts to a wholesale rejection of modern civilization or a denigration of its benefits.<br /><br />(though i often do worry about the costs of these benefits, particularly in terms of atmospheric carbon accumulation. if i am ambivalent about modern civilization, it is primarily because of the sustainability question.)Patrick Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02410016566636603639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972120889629675714.post-63029446616219066052014-01-09T02:54:58.709-05:002014-01-09T02:54:58.709-05:00Oof. We'll see.Oof. We'll see.Patrick Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02410016566636603639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972120889629675714.post-42736411836903533372014-01-09T02:54:18.603-05:002014-01-09T02:54:18.603-05:00I might *consider* doing Dissidia if PSP emulation...I might *consider* doing Dissidia if PSP emulation is up to it. But I'm not sure if it would be worth expending so much time to produce a piece that will in all likelihood amount to "this is so stupid i hate this why did they make this why am i doing this."Patrick Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02410016566636603639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972120889629675714.post-77973512013420549172014-01-09T01:07:28.467-05:002014-01-09T01:07:28.467-05:00Definitely read Cryptonomicon. It may take you som...Definitely read Cryptonomicon. It may take you some time, but it is entirely worth it. Furthermore, I'm a big Neal Stephenson fanboy, and I subscribe to the belief that if you can push your opinions on people before they have enough data to form their own, you can leave them with preconceptions for years to come.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972120889629675714.post-42386694529289725872014-01-09T00:00:38.650-05:002014-01-09T00:00:38.650-05:00Your bit about foraging raises the issue of how/wh...Your bit about foraging raises the issue of how/why people seem to reject modern society and overvalue outdated ways of living. The advancement of technology should, by rights, make our way of living easier and free up our time for intellectual pursuits. Instead we’re working harder than ever, we elevate horrible people and generic schlock in our culture, both the Left and the Right have their pet peeves about science and technology, and there’s a never ending mindset that things were better when they were simpler, when in reality life was harsher, people died more often and things were just all-around more miserable.<br /><br />“Oh, isn’t so horrible we’re all wired and spending our time online instead of working with our hands or getting back to nature?” Fuck no, it’s not horrible. We should be elated to be alive right now, enjoying the best standard of living ever. The reason we aren’t, the reason we always get this “Technology is bad, we need to simplify our lives” bullshit is because we squander the opportunity we’re given. The inventor of the television dreamt that people could use it to learn Greek or Latin in their own homes. Instead we got Gilligan’s Island and Duck Dynasty. http://www.cracked.com/article_17186_6-geniuses-who-saw-their-inventions-go-terribly-wrong.html<br /><br />That’s not a failing of technology. If anything it’s a failing on our part. We’re given an easier life than our ancestors had, but we don’t take advantage of it to develop ourselves intellectually. Instead we think we’re supposed to keep doing things as people to, and if we deviate we’re somehow failing. We as a people aren’t growing to meet the potential we’re establishing for ourselves.<br /><br />Foraging does not have practical value because we have farms and long-distance travel to bring food to us; other people can make a living doing work so that we don’t have to, freeing up time for us. And that’s a good thing! Why do people have to think this is bad?<br /><br />And this seems too on-the-nose to not bring up http://www.theonion.com/articles/grueling-household-tasks-of-19th-century-enjoyed-b,1519/Philip Pangrachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14117360002501230429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972120889629675714.post-16566098201929733752014-01-08T22:45:30.891-05:002014-01-08T22:45:30.891-05:00I'd love to read that Mother 3 critI'd love to read that Mother 3 critAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17464656467928474716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8972120889629675714.post-64165031466725746682014-01-08T15:06:57.970-05:002014-01-08T15:06:57.970-05:00Nice resolutions. I got the "other" half...Nice resolutions. I got the "other" half of War & Peace for Christmas myself (this baby's too big for one paperback to handle).<br /><br />Legacy of Kain, legacy of schmain. What's the going rate for another Final Fantasy article? (Final Fantasy XIII-2 or XIV or... Dissidia) I'm willing to put twenty bucks in the pot.Paul Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04080407233499755600noreply@blogger.com