I never was able to count without using my fingers.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Wall-E, I'd book now on the strength of this...
The trailer for Wall-E. I'm smiling already.
Are those Ian McKellan's perfectly shaped vowels and clipped consonants? July 18th is the UK release date. Can someone explain why there are still different international release dates? Surely it's not that difficult to make sure everyone's got a copy before you shout "play!"?
Are those Ian McKellan's perfectly shaped vowels and clipped consonants? July 18th is the UK release date. Can someone explain why there are still different international release dates? Surely it's not that difficult to make sure everyone's got a copy before you shout "play!"?
Monday, March 17, 2008
Torchwood Mission Nine: Dog Whistles
Which is a clever thing for a dog to do really, given their lip equipment.
This week there is a bit of exposition and then a rather loose puzzle, forgive me for being blunt. Anyway, we're finding the activation signal for the alien DNA that's being injected into those going under the knife for a perfect pucker.
First clue, confirms a lot of what we know...however according to the note activation is 21st March (is that Good Friday? I'm rubbish with dates). So all hell should break loose next week. Great :)
Following this there is a report, a meteor, a picture of an alien stem cell (pretty colours, but not as good as these), more meteor side story (of relevance later?), a reminder to watch Dark Talk again and finally Tosh's hint. Which is really the only bit that's relevant to solving this week. She says to check out the New Eden site again.
Head to the research page and watch the video of John Winters talking about their research. Things seem an awful lot more sinister now we know what's going on don't they? What's even more sinister is the amount of emphasis he puts on how they activate the transplanted body-healing stemcells that he talks about.
And how do they do it? Dog whistles. Well, ultrasonic sound anyway, but I reckon dog whistles would do it - are there cat whistles too? Anyway that's the solve, ultrasonic sound.
I'm taking my find music that Mima likes challenge (two in a row ;) ) very seriously and as such am introducing Monkey Swallows the Universe and their homemade video. They disbanded recently, but the lead singer Nat (myspace)is going solo, and has a lovely voice. I saw them live at a festival and fell for their recorders and melodica. Check out Science below and here's a link for Matterhoney.
This week there is a bit of exposition and then a rather loose puzzle, forgive me for being blunt. Anyway, we're finding the activation signal for the alien DNA that's being injected into those going under the knife for a perfect pucker.
First clue, confirms a lot of what we know...however according to the note activation is 21st March (is that Good Friday? I'm rubbish with dates). So all hell should break loose next week. Great :)
Following this there is a report, a meteor, a picture of an alien stem cell (pretty colours, but not as good as these), more meteor side story (of relevance later?), a reminder to watch Dark Talk again and finally Tosh's hint. Which is really the only bit that's relevant to solving this week. She says to check out the New Eden site again.
Head to the research page and watch the video of John Winters talking about their research. Things seem an awful lot more sinister now we know what's going on don't they? What's even more sinister is the amount of emphasis he puts on how they activate the transplanted body-healing stemcells that he talks about.
And how do they do it? Dog whistles. Well, ultrasonic sound anyway, but I reckon dog whistles would do it - are there cat whistles too? Anyway that's the solve, ultrasonic sound.
I'm taking my find music that Mima likes challenge (two in a row ;) ) very seriously and as such am introducing Monkey Swallows the Universe and their homemade video. They disbanded recently, but the lead singer Nat (myspace)is going solo, and has a lovely voice. I saw them live at a festival and fell for their recorders and melodica. Check out Science below and here's a link for Matterhoney.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Lots to do... :)
Well, it's been a busy week, but not got a lot of time so going to be brief.
Penguin Books are running a competition and ARG at www.wetellstories.co.uk, intent on giving away the entire back collection of Penguin classics. That's 1300 books. That's just lovely. It's been designed by Six to Start (the name of the company is a little clearer given the sheer number of sixes in their first project...or should that be seven? See the Unforum thread here for discussion.
I really want to know what's going on here. Jane McGonigal, is going to make (or has made, in between the Olympic Games) science into an ARG - now that would be just lovely - two of my favourite things in one. Add Belle and Sebastian, chocolate, recorders and just recently Super Mario Galaxy on Wii and I'm in heaven. What I want to know is: what, how and when. But not why. I know why :)
Moshi Monsters are celebrating Growly Grub day and have sent out extra beta codes so you can adopt your own monster, play puzzles and feed them mutant sprouts...I have three and will happily donate them if you demand one in a comment.
Have been thinking a lot about Sleeper Cell too. An awful lot. But then making fun is fun...isn't it? ;)
Finally, Guy has discovered that love is like a bottle of gin. Hopefully the first step in convincing him that there's more to drink than cider...
Penguin Books are running a competition and ARG at www.wetellstories.co.uk, intent on giving away the entire back collection of Penguin classics. That's 1300 books. That's just lovely. It's been designed by Six to Start (the name of the company is a little clearer given the sheer number of sixes in their first project...or should that be seven? See the Unforum thread here for discussion.
I really want to know what's going on here. Jane McGonigal, is going to make (or has made, in between the Olympic Games) science into an ARG - now that would be just lovely - two of my favourite things in one. Add Belle and Sebastian, chocolate, recorders and just recently Super Mario Galaxy on Wii and I'm in heaven. What I want to know is: what, how and when. But not why. I know why :)
Moshi Monsters are celebrating Growly Grub day and have sent out extra beta codes so you can adopt your own monster, play puzzles and feed them mutant sprouts...I have three and will happily donate them if you demand one in a comment.
Have been thinking a lot about Sleeper Cell too. An awful lot. But then making fun is fun...isn't it? ;)
Finally, Guy has discovered that love is like a bottle of gin. Hopefully the first step in convincing him that there's more to drink than cider...
Venter at TED
TED2008 finished at the beginning of the month and there's been a flurry of new videos of the talks (generally about 15 minutes in length) to the site. One of the new talks is by Craig Venter, I've posted before about his last TED talk here, and like last time I find his new talk fascinating, but it leaves me in two minds.
The science is very impressive and his delivery is understated so that when he says things like "replacing the entire petrochemical industry" or "producing fuel from sequestered CO2 within 18 months" it makes it seem more so. On the other hand, does he actually answer the question at the end about using the technology he's creating to produce bioweapons? He gives reasons why it is currently unlikely, but is it actually impossible? That's probably unreasonable of me - you can use all sorts of technologies to make weapons that are also used to produce entirely innocuous and useful products.
And the product he's talking about here is to divert CO2 waste-streams from manufacturing and make fuel directly from them using synthetically constructed microorganisms. Though this doesn't actually remove CO2 from the atmosphere, you remove the emission - perhaps permanently if when you burn this new fuel you recycle that CO2 as well. Climate change undeniably needs radical solutions and this certainly is one.
I'm trying to look past the presentation to the heart of his talk and find out what he's actually saying and what I think about it, meanwhile see for yourself below.
The science is very impressive and his delivery is understated so that when he says things like "replacing the entire petrochemical industry" or "producing fuel from sequestered CO2 within 18 months" it makes it seem more so. On the other hand, does he actually answer the question at the end about using the technology he's creating to produce bioweapons? He gives reasons why it is currently unlikely, but is it actually impossible? That's probably unreasonable of me - you can use all sorts of technologies to make weapons that are also used to produce entirely innocuous and useful products.
And the product he's talking about here is to divert CO2 waste-streams from manufacturing and make fuel directly from them using synthetically constructed microorganisms. Though this doesn't actually remove CO2 from the atmosphere, you remove the emission - perhaps permanently if when you burn this new fuel you recycle that CO2 as well. Climate change undeniably needs radical solutions and this certainly is one.
I'm trying to look past the presentation to the heart of his talk and find out what he's actually saying and what I think about it, meanwhile see for yourself below.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Mission Eight: We've got a stiff
Roger Griffiths is the aforementioned stiff. poor fella, what a part? Slumped against a wall in a photo and that's your lot? I hope he's got a day job. Anyway, we need the password for Fischer's laptop and we have a singularity scalpel to help us. Lovely.
Actually, the entire mission can be completed without the use of the tool or anything other than the first bit of evidence. An "e-mail print-out from Fischer to Griffiths". Not to be picky, but it's not a print-out - sorry, I'm being grumpy.
Fischer and Griffiths went to school together and the email includes a link to photos of the reunion. Dutifully we follow the link to Fischer's Flickr site and particularly admire the ones of him pointing up an alley to his garden. He really is my favourite character :)
Tearing ourselves away from this, the reunion photos (looking like every gripping reunion) have the school motto on the bottom: veritas vos liberabit. Rereading the email, the Latin motto is mentioned as important - could it be? Surely not! Whack it in the mission completion box and...oh. Fail.
Translate it to English (I used spells from Harry Potter and the names of bacteria to help me) and you have the truth will set you free. I think I stuck it in without 'the' and it worked. Next week - will we finally get to dissect an alien?
In other topics, Improv Everywhere, responsible for the first bit of wonder below were recently responsible for the latter travesty. Mysterious, novel and gleeful freeze; naff, cringeworthy, napkin musical. More of the first please :)
Grand Central
Tiverton Parkway
Actually, the entire mission can be completed without the use of the tool or anything other than the first bit of evidence. An "e-mail print-out from Fischer to Griffiths". Not to be picky, but it's not a print-out - sorry, I'm being grumpy.
Fischer and Griffiths went to school together and the email includes a link to photos of the reunion. Dutifully we follow the link to Fischer's Flickr site and particularly admire the ones of him pointing up an alley to his garden. He really is my favourite character :)
Tearing ourselves away from this, the reunion photos (looking like every gripping reunion) have the school motto on the bottom: veritas vos liberabit. Rereading the email, the Latin motto is mentioned as important - could it be? Surely not! Whack it in the mission completion box and...oh. Fail.
Translate it to English (I used spells from Harry Potter and the names of bacteria to help me) and you have the truth will set you free. I think I stuck it in without 'the' and it worked. Next week - will we finally get to dissect an alien?
In other topics, Improv Everywhere, responsible for the first bit of wonder below were recently responsible for the latter travesty. Mysterious, novel and gleeful freeze; naff, cringeworthy, napkin musical. More of the first please :)
Grand Central
Tiverton Parkway
Monday, March 03, 2008
Liverpool Half Marathon
They had a lovely day for it, this is me looking out the window as they near the end. I had a cup of tea and a bacon sandwich to encourage them on that final loop of the park. ;)
Lax, Slack and Lazy
None of which are terms I would ever use to describe me...I just happen to have neglected write-up duties for the last two episodes. Luckily breed_prime covers mission six here and mission seven here. Phew! Thanks breeda_prime - will aim to get on the ball with this week's episode.
Now - what shall I do with all this space?
Well, the Loose-Fish Project wrapped up Good Captain this week. This was an adaptation of Benito Careno, a novella by Herman Melville that was broadcast via Twitter, the Twitter page for the project is here. Twitter is a sort of microblog/meet in the pub for a drink/status update tool that I'm rather fond of - see my feed to the left there <-. I really liked the idea of producing the novel as a feed of tiny snippets, the first person narration lent itself well to Twitter. I must admit though, I found it difficult to follow what was going on at times - mainly because I followed the feed on my phone which didn't always send me sequential tweets. Occasionally the 140 character limit on twitter updates seemed a little bit too prescriptive and updates came in threes. Despite this it did lend a sense of anticipation for the next segment, I didn't notice whether the frequency of the updates changed during the progress, but you could use the feed in this way, increasing the frequency to match the pacing of the action at those points.
I did look forward to those tweets though and miss them now that the project has finished, though it seems there will be forthcoming projects. The Wiki of the Dead was mentioned in the final tweet from goodcaptain. I doubt it will be as useful a source of reference as wikipedia, consisting of the single entry "BRaaaainnnnzzzz"?
Other fictional uses of twitter include Zombie Attack, (guess what that's about) and Madame Zee, silly horoscopes that give a cheery boost. I'm not sure I've ever been referred to as Pumpkin or Muffin as many times as I have been by Madame Zee. Twitter is also handy for ARGs, its immediacy and ability to alert lots of people simultaneously made it a central part of a live event at the BBCs One Big Weekend in Preston when Perplex City and Frozen Indigo Angel combined (that's one link to lots of links to save my link fingers). More recently it's been used in Project Ophiuchus/Locatemyfriends alerting players of what a character is doing and emphasising the realtime nature of the ARG.
Encouraged by Mima liking the last song - here's another, also with a video I like (and an album I like and a way of presenting the album I like). Laura Marling's band are really spindly.
Now - what shall I do with all this space?
Well, the Loose-Fish Project wrapped up Good Captain this week. This was an adaptation of Benito Careno, a novella by Herman Melville that was broadcast via Twitter, the Twitter page for the project is here. Twitter is a sort of microblog/meet in the pub for a drink/status update tool that I'm rather fond of - see my feed to the left there <-. I really liked the idea of producing the novel as a feed of tiny snippets, the first person narration lent itself well to Twitter. I must admit though, I found it difficult to follow what was going on at times - mainly because I followed the feed on my phone which didn't always send me sequential tweets. Occasionally the 140 character limit on twitter updates seemed a little bit too prescriptive and updates came in threes. Despite this it did lend a sense of anticipation for the next segment, I didn't notice whether the frequency of the updates changed during the progress, but you could use the feed in this way, increasing the frequency to match the pacing of the action at those points.
I did look forward to those tweets though and miss them now that the project has finished, though it seems there will be forthcoming projects. The Wiki of the Dead was mentioned in the final tweet from goodcaptain. I doubt it will be as useful a source of reference as wikipedia, consisting of the single entry "BRaaaainnnnzzzz"?
Other fictional uses of twitter include Zombie Attack, (guess what that's about) and Madame Zee, silly horoscopes that give a cheery boost. I'm not sure I've ever been referred to as Pumpkin or Muffin as many times as I have been by Madame Zee. Twitter is also handy for ARGs, its immediacy and ability to alert lots of people simultaneously made it a central part of a live event at the BBCs One Big Weekend in Preston when Perplex City and Frozen Indigo Angel combined (that's one link to lots of links to save my link fingers). More recently it's been used in Project Ophiuchus/Locatemyfriends alerting players of what a character is doing and emphasising the realtime nature of the ARG.
Encouraged by Mima liking the last song - here's another, also with a video I like (and an album I like and a way of presenting the album I like). Laura Marling's band are really spindly.
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