Greetings, Kobra Kai.

My apologies ahead of time, as there will technically be no real article from me this week.  I really don’t have much to say anyway.  You see, just a few days ago a friend and co-worker of mine – just shy of his thirty-second birthday – had a major stroke at his home.  He is currently in the ICU in critical condition and isn’t expected to make it.

I wouldn’t bring him up here in the halls of Spwug but for one reason – as I was thinking about the last 12 years that I’ve known him, I came to realize he was integral to a lot of the geek stuff I am currently into.

When I first met Scot Blair, we were both airmen in the Air Force.  It was 1996, and I had just gotten stationed at Langley Air Force Base here in Virginia.  I hadn’t really met too many people outside my job, so I hadn’t really made any friends yet.

That all changed the moment I ventured into the Day Room of the dorms to watch The Empire Strikes Back on the big screen TV.

Enter Scot – my first impression was that he reminded me of Whiz from the 80s cartoon “Kidd Video”, and he was just as smart.  He sat down beside me, introduced himself, and we watched the film, all the while quoting every line.

We struck up a friendship from that point on.  Now when I say he was integral to a lot of the geek stuff I’m into, I mean he introduced me to a number of things.  He was the one that had a small collection of anime titles that he would lend to me.  I had already wet my appetite for anime before I met him, but he was the one who pulled me in head first – Tenchi Muyo, El Hazard, Cowboy Bebop (just to name a few).  I may not be into anime as much as a lot of my friends are, but the stuff I do like I owe to Scot Blair.

He was also responsible for making me aware that there was a British TV series called Red Dwarf.  Now, I had read the two books (the only two books) that had been released in the states, and I loved both of them.  But then here comes along Mr. Blair and blows my mind with the idea of a TV show.  I watched a couple of episodes and I was hooked.  It’s one of my favorite series to this day.

I would have to say that the biggest part of my life that he had a hand in was meeting my wife.  In early 2000 I had gotten out of the Air Force and was working as a government contractor with Scot and our friend Eric.  During this time, I was in a really bad state.  I had just gotten out of a really bad relationship with a woman girl I loved very much.  The relationship was toxic and my heart had once again been broken.  I didn’t want to leave the house.  Ever.  Enter Scot, once again.  He had convinced me to go to this anime convention called Nekocon in Virginia Beach the weekend of Halloween.  At this point I was well on my way to growing my hair and beard out to become the wonderful Silent Bob look-alike you all know and love today.  I had planned on going to some costume contests and seeing if I could win some cash.  Instead, I let Scot talk me into going to this Nekocon.  I figured I would just take my poorly put-together Silent Bob costume with me to the con.

Not only was I a HUGE hit (and a staple of anime conventions for years to come), but I also met my future wife for the first time.  And the rest, as they say, is history.

Looking back on all of the above, I realize that Scot had a bigger influence on my life then I ever gave him credit for.  He’s helped make me the geek I am, and helped me take that first step into finding the woman I would eventually call Mrs. Sturges.  That is why I felt it fitting that I talk about him this week, and that is why he needs to recover (among other reasons).  I need to thank him.

Hunh.  Looks like I had a lot to say after all.

The Don offers his thoughts and prayers out to Scot Blair.

(Many apologies for last week, folks!  I thought it’d posted, but something must have fouled up along the way.  Still relevant info though…)

Japan rolls out the first robot girlfriend.  So soon?!  Man, trying to get up to walking & talking PVC models by 2010, I see.  Robots.  Destined to be our steel plated, glowing-red-diode-eyed apocalypse.  And the first step, to win the hearts and minds of humankind.  Or at least, charm the hell out of us with plastic perfection.

 Now, considering the idea is not even remotely new, I was entertained by how matter-of-fact, the news blurb seems.  It’s barely even two pages of text!  Nothing to see here, folks.  Wait for the Mac OS version; she’ll be a lot more stylish and have a punchy on-camera role in the Mac vs. PC commercials.  To be honest, it’s amazing to me that the premise of artificially intelligent, robotic companions isn’t a far fetched idea.  Heck, here we see the concept is already commercialize-able — SOMEBODY out there bought those robotic toy dogs!  It’s only a matter of time, I tell you!  Only a matter of time till Asimo is tooling around our homes, plotting our demise!

Well, maybe not. I actually DO have a post floating around as yet unformed int he back of my head but I haven’t had time to sit down and think it out. My Best beloved is having surgery tomorrow so I’ve been a bit wrapped up in getting ready for the fun that is the hospital waiting room. I’ve got 2 knitting projects, a magazine for the San Diego Comic Con, a novel, and about 4 DS games to help me wait out a 2 hour procedure. Think I’ve got enough stuff? Maybe I need another game….

Anyway, I have a slightly random question to all you folks out there (more than likely all y’all that are moms, let’s call a spade a spade, shall we?) I have a teddy bear that needs a bath, but I know that washing machines are a bad way to go (glass eyes should not be smacked around, you know.) and besides I really don’t feel like spending $10 on the dryer to get the stuffing dry. Any ideas on surface cleaning stuffed toys?

In recent months, domestic anime licensors have been announcing more and more of their acquisitions that would be released subtitled-only. Nozomi Entertainment has doing this with a few of their titles — Emma, Maria-sama ga Miteru, and Aria in particular — and Bandai Entertainment has a couple too — namely Toward the Terra, Panda-Z, and Gurren Lagann (though an English-dubbed version will come out some time after the series airs on Sci-Fi). The number of shows coming out in this format are still small, but becoming significant.

There’re the obvious reasons for the change: Saving on ADR costs and eliminating studio time, not having to hire voice actors, and reducing production expenses. Eliminating an audio track also allows for a little more content to be squeezed into each disc, and an entire series can be released in as little as two volumes. That’s good news for the consumer too — more show for less money.

Whether this is one of the new trends that we will be seeing more of as the anime industry struggles to keep afloat remains to be seen. Many of the movers and shakers of the industry, both in the US and in Japan, have already addressed the issues of digital content accessed through Internet downloads and p2p communities, though only a handful of new release models, such as streaming content through partnered sites, have been introduced. Subtitled-only releases, a throwback to the industry’s infancy, could represent another such initiative, but is this really such a good idea?

A lot of the shows named above are niche titles (with the arguable exception of Gurren Lagann, though its later dub release makes the point moot), so it can be said that keeping production costs down helps to justify expected lower sales volumes. However, what can these subtitled versions offer that people cannot grab online? The typical commercial anime’s target demographic is still sitting firmly with the school-aged crowd: people who are most likely not working, do not have readily disposable income of their own, and, perhaps most damaging, have grown up in the Internet era. If they really want digital content, they know where to find it.

Most of the shows named above are mostly targeted towards more mature audiences, so perhaps there’s some expectation that people who want the series will purchase them as they come out. However, there is the risk of assumption, and I’m not sure anyone really knows how well this is going to turn out. Having special exclusive content makes ownership of official copies more appealing, but the likelihood this will increase the retail price is also high, which defeats the purpose of making this a more affordable alternative.

Combating content piracy and adapting to modern socioeconomic trends is a tricky proposition for such a small industry (despite reports that FUNimation earns the bulk of profits for Navarre, the industry is still tiny compared to other entertainment outlets). Subtitles might be a good alternative for a very small subset of licensed titles, but I don’t think it will work as a general sales model.

For the industry to survive, consumers have to be willing to buy the product. How they’re convinced to do so is the problem that we will continue to face for a number of years to come.

Way back when I was first married, my ex and I impulsively decided to go ring shopping while driving past the maul (no typo, I call them mauls for they maul you with savings!).  We walked into the Kay Jewelers at Montgomery Maul (no longer there BTW) and spent a few minutes looking at rings.  When we decided we needed help, we were promptly and most decisively ignored by the staff.  As we were one of two couples in the place, they had to use some pretty strong jutsu to ignore us.  After many minutes of unsucessful attempts to get anyone’s attention, we left and headed to another store.  I can’t recall the name, but again, we were most verily ignored.  Brushed off if you will.

This was a clear case of ageism.

Normally, whenever we were treated poorly, I used to attribute it to racism.  We were a mixed couple, I’m Asian and she was a tall Caucasion blond.  But in this case, I suspect it had more to do with what we were wearing than our skin color.  When I go to the maul, I dress like a proper geek should.  Ultraman t-shirt, pants with zippers.  Clearly not someone who appears to have large amounts of cash.  But here’s the thing.  When a young couple walks into your jewelery store, chances are they’re there to purchase something.  They may not look like much, but it’s a good bet that they have money to spend.  It might not be for an engagement ring.  It could be for a necklace or some earings.  Either way, couples don’t window shop for jewelery.  You can’t drag a guy into a jewelery store unless he’s buying something.

I actually had a decent wad of cash to spend on an engagement ring.  Someone at that Kay Jewelers could have made a decent commission.  Instead, they earned nothing but my enmity and bad publicity because I talk shit about them every time a friend says they’re thinking about buying jewelery which is usually about the time they’ve saved huge cashola to spend on an engagement ring.  We took our business to Mervis who treated us like kings and sold us a higher quality diamond for less than we would have paid for Kay Jewelers.

Idiots.

I’d like to report that this sort of thing doesn’t happen to me now.  But when my current wife and I decided to go ring shopping, we were met with a few cold shoulders.  The fuck is wrong with these people?  By now, I would have thought that these old fucks running these stores would realize that geeks have geeky jobs which in turn hand out geeky fat paychecks.  We did find a place that treated us very well from our first step through the door and we bought my wife’s engagement ring and both our wedding bands from them.   And we’d buy more from them if Audrey actually wore jewelery.

So there you go.  When ring shopping, be wary of anti-geek shop owners.  Don’t give them your money.  They don’t deserve it.  No matter how fancy or upscale the store is, you deserve respect because dammit, you’re gonna buy something shiny and expensive!

Greetings, Deadly Friends!

So, some of you may have seen that Iron Man movie that came out a month or so ago.

You may have even stayed until the end credits.

You further may have known that Robert Downey, Jr. made a cameo as Tony Stark in a related film that opened this past weekend.

What am I getting at?  Wait.  What was I getting at?  Oh yeah – I saw that film last Sunday and I’m going to do a mini-review for this week’s Office of the Don.

That’s right, this week I talk to you about The Incredible Hulk.

Now, from what I’ve seen and heard, there are two classes of people – the bourgeoisie and the laissez-faire.  No, wait.  That’s not right.  Hang on, let me look it up…

 
*elevator music*

 
Okay, got it – there are those who like the Hulk film that Ang Lee made a few years ago, and those that don’t.  I, personally, liked the film for what Ang Lee tried to do despite a couple of daddy issues I had with it.  His personal take made for a decent psychiatric study into a popular comic book character.  But it wasn’t the Hulk we geeks know and love.

Now, the latest and greatest from The Transporter director Louis Leterrier?  This is the Hulk film the fans wanted.  It took elements from the Bruce Jones run in the comic (Mr. Blue), the TV series (including the theme song – well done!), and mixed it together with some top-notch talent.

Is this movie as good as Iron Man?  No.  But, it’s close.  The pacing is excellent – it’s set up almost like a combination of a Bourne Identity-style thriller and a monster movie.  All the actors gave great performances.  The only exception was Liv Tyler.  She wasn’t bad, but I preferred Jennifer Conelly’s Betty Ross.

The CGI stands out a little at first.  But by the time Hulk and Blonsky are duking it out on a college campus, the CG effects are forgotten as it pulls you into the action.

The plot seems more cohesive and put together better than in Ang Lee’s effort.  There are a couple of divergent storylines going on with a couple of different characters, but each one seems to serve the greater story, merging into the main plot before the end.

And there’s no crap involving crazy fathers and weird character amalgamations.

Then there are all the little shout-outs to the fans – the mention of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury, Stark Industries, the Stark cameo, a sequence towards the opening that seems rather familiar to anyone who has seen the show, and the theme song.  Oh, and there is not only a cameo by Lou Ferrigno (jerk), but a surprise cameo by Bill Bixby himself!  All of these are sure to make a fanboy giggle with glee.  I should know.  I tested that personally.

Again, this movie isn’t as good as that other Marvel movie that came out this year, but it’s a fun and wild ride.  If you’re looking for “Hulk Smash!”, you’re gonna get it.

Plus, that feeling I told you about in my Iron Man review?  The one where it felt like the Marvel Universe is finally coming into being and expanding?  This film is just handed us another piece of the puzzle.

And not even Mr. McGee could make me angry after watching this film.

The Don is trying to find a way to control the raging heartburn that dwells within him.

This past Saturday was World Wide Knit In Public Day (no I am not making this up.) The point, I think, is somewhat dependent on the person who is knitting in public, but for many people it is a way to get others interested in knitting. It’s a way to start a dialog with the public, many of whom stop and ask questions and comment on the work.

I started pondering this as I prepared my projects for Saturday (I decided on my lace shawl, if anyone’s interested,) and I started thinking how impossible this sort of thing would be for video gamers. First off knitting is a bit more portable. Also it doesn’t require electrical outlets.

Sure there are handheld game devices, but they seem to somewhat defeat the point. It would be nigh impossible to drag a big enough screen out into a public square to ensure that the public could see the game in question, thus hopefully sparking conversation. Then there is the insanely wide variety of games to showcase- ranging from Old School Super Mario Brothers to Grand Theft Auto to Dance Dance Revolution. And, naturally, no matter what game one chooses others are sure to have extreme objections to that game.

It’s kinda sad, I think really. There’s a great capability for common ground and community for this sort of thing, if it’s taken out of the scary (and loud, and often dark) arcades and brought into the sunshine and the public, but the very things that make it so powerful and interesting and varied are the very things that make it impossible to ‘take out to the people.’ I guess I’ll have to stick to knitting video game inspired sweaters, and explaining them to anyone who asks.

Greetings, Browncoats!

Some of you may be aware that Anime Mid-Atlantic is this weekend in my backyard of Virginia Beach. Some of you may be excited to go. Me? I’ll be there on Saturday, but I have a different reason to be excited.

Tomorrow I am finally joining the rest of the Next-Gen Console folk. I’m getting a PS3.

“Why the PS3?” you ask. Excellent! I’m so glad we’re back to our usual conversations! You’ve been quiet for awhile. It’s so nice to be talking again.

But anyway, back to your question.

My reasons for choosing the PS3 are simple. BLUE RAY. Not too long ago (before I moved into my current humble abode), my DVD player decided he didn’t like me anymore and departed for that place that unused Beta recorders and Scott Baio’s career go. And we all know which disc won the most recent movie media format war.

That’s right. Scott Baio.

Wait, what? NO.

So yeah – Blue Ray won. Now, put two and two together, mix with tapioca pudding, and voila! We just made a mess. And I decided that getting a PS3 would not only solve my DVD playing issues, but would also finally give me the ability to play all of the next-gen games I’ve been wanting to play for quite some time.

Not only that, but I have a PSP. So now I can finally download PS1 games to play on my Portable. With that option now open to me, I may actually finish some of those PS1 games that have been sitting on my shelf unfulfilled. What? I said I’d call them. I didn’t say when.

With all that in mind, I’m pretty excited to be picking it up tomorrow, er… I mean my lovely wife will be picking it up for me tomorrow while I’m at work. And the timing couldn’t be better – tomorrow is the day they release the 80GB bundle pack with Metal Gear Solid 4. Between that and the other two games I picked up the other day, I have plenty to be excited about.

Tapioca pudding.

The Don lives in his world, but sleeps on your couch.

Working on new computer, brb!

As many people know, the earthquakes that happened last month in China have been devastating. We have seen the reports, and know of the horrors that have happened.

But I believe that this page of comics (http://www.paulgravett.com/articles/133_china/133_china.htm) shows us some stories that we haven’t seen here in the U.S. (and possibly in other countries as well)

Warning: The stories are very moving, so if you’re someplace where you don’t want to have people see you cry, you may want to wait until you’re home.

Our thoughts go out to the people in China affected by these tragedy, and to all of those people in other places (like Burma) who are dealing with their own tragedies.