One Year of Video Games

A little over a year ago I broke down a bought a Nintendo DS for the upcoming release of The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass on Oct 1st. Upon getting the device I discovered that it had a built-in GameBoy Advance slot for backwards compatibility with older GBA games. I hadn't played a hand-held system since my first Gameboy back in the early 90s, so this was a bonus allowing me to catch up on all of Nintendo's hand-held titles. I eventually picked up and completed Phantom Hourglass and a plethora of DS and GBA games. This helped me get in touch with my inner video game nerd and I eventually completed around 20 titles over the last year on this spiffy hand-held as well as my Wii and Virtual Console. Here's the list of completed titles as well as a short list of games I'd like to complete over this year.

My DS signed by Gabe & Tycho from Penny-Arcade during Comic-Con 2008

Nintendo DS
Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Hotel Dusk
Trace Memory
Mariokart DS
The New Super Mario Bros
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations
Professor Layton and the Curious Village

GameBoy Advance
Final Fantasy I: Dawn of Souls
Final Fantasy IV Advance
Final Fantasy VI Advance
Metroid Fusion
Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

GameBoy Color
Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

Virtual Console
Legend of Zelda
Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past

Wii
Boom Blox
Super Mario Galaxy

Almost Complete
Metroid Prime (Gamecube)

On Deck for 2008/9
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Virtual Console)
Zelda II: Adventure of Link (Virtual Console)
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (Gamecube)
Super Mario Sunshine (Gamecube)
Okami (Wii)

Updates:
Completed Oracle of Ages in the beginning of Oct 2008

Tax Plan Myths

In response to this site http://www.rightchange.com/issue_tax1.php

Mooseshit. If you make below 111k/yr you end up paying less taxes with Obama's plan. Course if you do or someday think you will make 600k+/yr, then McCain's plans works better for you:

Comparison between Obama and McCain tax proposals (Washington Post)
What Obama and McCain's tax proposals will do to your tax bill (CNN Money)
McCain and Obama Tax Plans Diverge on Wealth (LA Times)
Tax Deceptions (Newsweek)

If those sites aren't enough Greenspan has something to say about McCain's plan.

Even if I do start making 111k/yr my taxes still won't go up under Obama until I hit that magical 600k/yr mark, but even then I'm still not "rich" by McCain's definition...

Also, taxes? Who cares as long as "the fundamentals of our economy are strong" and we elect the guy who invented the blackberry but doesn't know how to use email, right?

Ubuntu Inside of Etch Inside of Sid

Fun screen shot I took today while seeing if Ubuntu Linux I installed on a laptop was up;

Debian Sid->Debian Etch->Ubuntu Hoary

Oanh and Micheal's Comic-Con 2008 Schedule

After going through the newly posted Comic-Con schedules Oanh and I have decided on the different events we'd like to see. Since some of them may be more crowded and we may not make it we also included alternate events.

Primary
Alternate

Wednesday
6:00-7:30 - Fringe Pilot Screenings - Ballroom 20

Thursday
10:30-11:30 Comics Arts Conference Session #1: Guerilla Warfare and Sneak Attacks - Room 30AB
11:00-12:00 The Disney Animation Story Process - Room 32AB
11:30-1:00 20th Century Fox: The Day The Earth Stood Still and Max Payne - Hall H
11:30-12:30 SPORE: One-on-One with Will Wright - Room 6CDEF

12:30-1:30 DC: Superman: Man of Tomorrow - Room 6B

1:15-2:00 How to Tell a Story - Room 4
2:00-3:00 Science Fiction That Will Change Your Life - Room 2
3:00-4:00 Wizard's First Rule - Room 6B
4:30-5:30 Episodic Games: Rewriting the Adventure Genre - Room 3
5:30-6:30 The Science Behind Science Fiction - Room 6B
5:45-6:45 Showtime: Dexter - Room 6CDEF
7:00-9:00 Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist - Room 7AB

Friday
10:00-11:00 Marvel: Your Universe - Room 6A
10:00-11:00 Batman: Brave & Bold - Room 6B
11:55-1:00 Warner Bros.: Watchmen - Hall H
12:30-1:30 The Art of Adapting Comics to the Screen - Room 5AB
12:30-1:15 Spaced - Room 6A
1:00-2:00 Looking at Our World: Eye on the Present - Room 3
1:15-2:00 Trailer Park - Hall H
2:30-3:30 Radical Comics! - Room 10
2:45-3:45 Lionsgate and Odd Lot Entertainment: The Spirit - Hall H
4:30-5:30 Vertigo: View of the Future - Room 5AB

5:00-6:00 Mythology, Secret Societies and Lost Civilizations - Room 2

5:15-6:15 Entertainment Weekly's The Visionaries: Filmmakers - Hall H
5:30-6:30 Penny Arcade - Room 5AB
6:15-7:00 [adult swim]'s Robot Chicken - Room 6B
8:30-10:30 SCI FI Friday Night: Eureka and Stargate: Atlantis - Room 6B

Saturday
10:30-11:45 Heroes: Exclusive First Look at "Villains" - Hall H
11:00-12:00 IDW Publishing: Ideas and Dreams 2008 - Room 3
11:15-12:30 Quick Draw - Room 6CDEF
11:00-12:00 Watching the Watchmen— Author and artist Dave Gibbons - Room 7AB
12:00-1:00 Dark Horse Comics - Room 2
12:00-1:00 Lost - Hall H
12:45-1:45 Exclusive Q&A with the writers of The Office - Room 6A
2:30-3:30 Disney Pixar: Bolt and UP - Hall H
3:30-4:30 Chuck Screening and Q&A - Ballroom 20
4:45-5:45 SCI FI Eureka - Room 6CDEF
5:00-6:00 Oni Press Panelmonium 2008! - Room 3
5:30-7:00 Sony: Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, Quarantine, Pineapple Express - Hall H
7:15-8:15 MythBusters Q&A and Sneak Preview— Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage - Room 6B
8:30-10:00 Marvel: Wolverine and The X-Men Animated Screening - 6CDEF

Sunday
11:30-1:00 Comics Arts Conference Session #14: Postmodernism and Revolution - Room 30AB
12:00-12:45 Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay - Ballroom 20
3:30-4:30 Dave Gibbons - Room 7AB

Sierra Wireless MC5725 on Debian Linux

When I started my new job I was given an HP Compaq 6910p as a work laptop, which came with a nice embedded 1xEVDO (Sierra Wireless MC5725) card that I could use to get online anywhere where there is a Verizon signal. Over the past week or so I've been migrating from Windows XP to Debian, and this was the last bit of hardware I needed working. Here are my notes on how to get it up and running:

Requirements:
Kernel 2.6.21 or newer with sierra module compiled or latest from http://www.sierrawireless.com/faq/ShowFAQ.aspx?ID=607
Device activated in Windows and powered on (disable turning power off in preferences)

Load the modules:
sudo modprobe usbserial vendor=0x03f0 product=0x211d
sudo modprobe sierra

Setup kppp:
Uncomment noauth in /etc/ppp/peers/kppp-options
Modem device: /dev/ttyUSB0
Flow Control: Hardware
Line termination CR
Connection Speed 921600
Phone Number: #777
Authentication: PAP/CHAP
Login ID: your_device_phone_number@vzw3g.com
Password: vzw

Automatically load modules in Debian:
edit /etc/modprobe.conf/usbserial and add:
options usbserial vendor=0x03f0 product=0x211d
edit /etc/modules and add:
sierra

Refrences:
http://www.ka9q.net/5220.html
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-networking-3/motorola-e815-evdo-cant-dial-phone-592375/
http://tuxmobil.org/ibm_lenovo_thinkpad_t61_nc216ge_umts_linux.html

Some Technical Info:

lsusb -v:

Bus 002 Device 003: ID 03f0:211d Hewlett-Packard
Device Descriptor:
bLength 18
bDescriptorType 1
bcdUSB 1.10
bDeviceClass 0 (Defined at Interface level)
bDeviceSubClass 0
bDeviceProtocol 0
bMaxPacketSize0 64
idVendor 0x03f0 Hewlett-Packard
idProduct 0x211d
bcdDevice 0.02
iManufacturer 1 HP
iProduct 2 HP ev2210 1xEV-DO Broadband Wireless Module
iSerial 0

dmesg:

[ 1976.898309] usbcore: registered new interface driver usbserial
[ 1976.898435] drivers/usb/serial/usb-serial.c: USB Serial support registered for generic
[ 1976.898527] usbserial_generic 2-1:1.0: generic converter detected
[ 1976.898645] usb 2-1: generic converter now attached to ttyUSB0
[ 1976.898738] usb 2-1: generic converter now attached to ttyUSB1
[ 1976.898828] usb 2-1: generic converter now attached to ttyUSB2
[ 1976.898897] usbcore: registered new interface driver usbserial_generic
[ 1976.898957] drivers/usb/serial/usb-serial.c: USB Serial Driver core
[ 1982.544979] drivers/usb/serial/usb-serial.c: USB Serial support registered for Sierra USB modem
[ 1982.545685] usbcore: registered new interface driver sierra
[ 1982.545762] drivers/usb/serial/sierra.c: USB Driver for Sierra Wireless USB modems: v.1.2.8

I Saw Red

Oh Weezer, you make my heart sing. Your last three albums have, for me, been a bit lackluster. When I first heard you were coming out with another new album, and going to name it another color, after such high expectations for Green, I was a bit disappointed. Hearing the first single Pork and Beans and seeing the noting the lyrical similarities between it and Beverly Hills made me worry even more, so much in fact that I didn't even bother to really seek out any info or samples. But you've had your grip on me for as long as I can remember, and you knew I'd buy Red the day it was released. And I am so glad that I did. So glad.


Troublemaker
My Name is Jonas and Tired of Sex were perfect album openers for Blue and Pinkerton, they started off quick and deadly hitting home with the first notes and starting each album journey off right. You nailed it here, if this were a movie this is the opening scene where you're introduced to the characters without any dialogue, just some good establishing montages.

The Greatest Man That Ever Lived
How about The Greatest Living Study of Modern Music this decade?! Take a simple tune such as Shaker Hymn, and then performing in almost every modern style; hip hop, thrash metal, crooning, marching chorus, 80s hair ballads, modern alternative, pop country, Pinkerton style, spoken word, baroque chamber music, and finally finishing with Blue style, brilliant!

You don't like it, you love it.

Pork and Beans
Yes, you're the single, I've heard you about 200 times the last two weeks. You know what though, your crunchy chords still make me happy. Your music video makes me ever happier.

Heart Songs
In the Garage part II: Now With More Emo!. Reminds me a bit of when I first listened to the NOFX 13 Stiches where they rattle off all the bands that influenced them. Although I doubt I'll go and grab some Gordon Lightfoot like I did with Descendents. Points for the Fresh Prince of Bel Air reference too.

Everybody Get Dangerous
Probably my least favourite track on the album, and I could possibly see it becoming almost a club song.... Still better than anything off of Make Believe.

Dreamin'
Freaking-fan-tas-tic. Has a nice Blue quality to it, and I just when I thought it would totally ramp up and bust into even more hard crunch chords.... chirping birds? Huh? Then it gets kicked up a notch into full duet territory and then switches back into Blue, and back again, and again. This type of progressive mixing of styles is one of the main reasons why I'm Weezer fan.

Thought I Knew
Talk about switching gears, this isn't ever Rivers on vocals. Wait a minute, did they accidentally mix in some generic pop singer? Nah, it's Brian Bell, and he's done good, damn good. Not one of my favourites, but like noted before, the creativity shown on this album more than makes up for it. Sort of reminds me of something I'd heard in a mid to late nineties teen movie.

Cold Dark World
Nice collaboration with Rivers and the new guy bassits Scott. Sort of sounds a bit like Lincoln Park with some of the spoken word lyrics but it's a nice little tune.

Automatic
I can't listen to this song enough, and it doesn't even sound remotely like Weezer. Pat Wilson takes control and truly shines on the album. My brother and I were trying to figure out what group it sounds like, but we just couldn't put our fingers on it. We even thought maybe early Silverchair almost. That alone is a good sign since it sounds so familiar yet so new. The drums and chords are almost so simple it's surprising to listen carefully and hear the full spectrum of what's going on.

The Angel and the One
And we come full circle. Only in Dreams and Butterfly were perfect endings for Blue and Pinkerton and this is no exception. Like the song at the end of a really good movie this song just flows over you and lets you reflect on what you just experienced. You just don't want it to end.

Overall this album is a major shift in Weezer's style since they came back with Green 2001. I'm not going to compare it overall to Blue or Pinkerton, since all three can stand alone on their own. After losing faith in Rivers and thinking that Alone would be the last chance of hearing any of the magic Weezer first captured me with in my teens, I am mollified. I can't wait to hear some of the bonus tracks and see what they have planned in the future. This album is easily one of the best of the decade.

Okami and Baroque

In preparation for not having any free time with my new job coming up next week I felt it was necessary to get a few video games to enjoy before then. Both were released in the past week and both are remakes of games for other systems (PS2 and Sega Saturn). Below are my simple reviews.

Okami is awesome, the perfect meld of Japanese mythology, music, and style and looks simply stunning on the Wii. Unfortunately the gameplay mechanic of drawing with the brush is troublesome at times, but with a bit of practice you come to realize it's just part of the challenge. I really like the way it ramps up the learning curve and just engrosses you from the start. The opening cinematic is simple but effective in getting you excited for what's to come. There's also a website featuring the art of Okami which in turn inspired me to redo my laptops theme.


I actually haven't played Baroque yet, although reviews for it are less than stellar. It's apparently very Roguelike, with a multitude of weapons and equipment as well as randomly generated dungeons. The dark style and themes seem like something I'd like and I'll update this once I play it some.