Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Old School Video Games!



Why are 8 bit NES games so much cooler than most of the games that came out in the last 10 years?

Smuff--- that's why!

An addicting game can be started at any time and become engrossing within minutes. All you need are the small things-- A catchy tune for the music. A guy in a red suit or blue or green (turtle) suit that jumps on things and maybe a smiling cloud or two. A few blocks that you break or stack on top of each other. A couple buttons... and you have a game that you can play not just until you have beat it, but forever...

The problem with most new games is they require intricate details, graphics, and story lines to be played or understood. The other problem with new games (the multi-player ones in particular-- I am speaking to you Halo!) is an amateur played doesn't stand an effing chance against anybody else because it is just level memorization. One you have the level memorized-- well-- why play anymore at that point?

I suppose NES games also have an element of level memorization (since there are few sporadic surprises in the programming), but their simplicity keeps them almost just as fun.

Don't get me wrong, great new games exist. And crappy old games also exist. But even the crappy old ones are hilarious. See: Angry Video Game Nerd.

Lastly-- Old school video games make for Frickin Sweet Clothing! --


(Credit)

Monday, October 26, 2009

Wordle



Today I discovered this neat website titled: Wordle

The site creates "word clouds." You can type in any website and it will take the words and turn them into a neat picture based on the frequency that you use them.

Here is an example of a word cloud using this very blog!




It looks like I don't use the word SMUFF nearly enough!!!

I love that something as simple as words arranged in a new fashion, with a little colour, is such a visually stimulating experience.

I think that I am going to put a Wordle in the sidebar and update it as the site updates so you guys watch the site evolve in a more unique way.

In other news, I feel like Peter Paul and Mary and their song, All Mixed Up, compliment this picture quite well -- so give it a listen.

-- Mary Travers you will be forever missed.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Google Chrome

Google Chrome is out for Macs (or the beta version is at least)... You got download it here:

http://www.google.com/chrome/intl/en/eula_dev.html?dl=mac

It took nearly a year and a couple of months for it to move from being an exclusive PC browser to now being a browser available for the Mac as well.



The above image is from my first test run of the browser and I am excited already. This post was done using mostly the chrome browser and other than one minor glitch it seems to be pretty awesome and really fast...

Why is Chrome smuff? Google has been priding itself on simplicity and effectiveness since its humble beginnings and that is the main reason that it is doing so well.

Chrome doesn't fail to follow up on Google's philosophy. Just opening up the browser for the first time, I was asked where I wanted to import bookmarks from and the transfer to Chrome was as easy as that. Another thing I love about Chrome is not only is the URL bar a place to put in websites, it also doubles as a google search bar.

Other than that, Chrome is one of those items that just works and there is no fangled gadgets needed or special add-ons, which makes it a pleasure to use.

If all things were smuffed like Google is, the world would be a much less cluttered and stressful place...

I can't wait for the Google OS

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Steve the Beetle

Meet Steve.


I found him in room and I decided he was too awesome to release back outside into the world and so I kept him. 

I keep him in a Ziplock container. I poked some air holes in it and put some grass and leaves in it for food. His legs looks like walking twist ties and sometimes, when I take off the lid to his home, he will walk around the edge over and over again. Exercise is important no matter how small you are I suppose.

Where the Wild Things Are ---- Reviewed



What small thing is the most extraordinary, creative, uncensored, ignorant, imaginative and curious thing on earth? If you listen to Spike Jonze, the director of Where the Wild Things Are, then your answer is bound to be "Children." One child in particular, who goes by the name MAX.

Max is a ferocious individual who craves attention the way any human being does once all that we have learned and all of the layers and social constraints that we have put up have been stripped.

The movie opens with Max in his wolf pajama costume ensemble chasing his pet dog in debatably the best scene of the movie. The way that Max interacts with this animal makes you question which one of them is more of an animal. The gorgeous shaky camera movements entrance you in a way that immediately make you feel as if you are Max, a crucial way to feel for the rest of the movie to resonate.



(credit)

As the movie progresses Max, just trying to get attention from another human being, picks a snowball fight with his sister's friends. Eventually it gets out of hand and nobody comes to Max's rescue. The common childhood theme of "Nobody Cares" comes into play at this point and Max beings to FLIP OUT.... At everybody.... the last straw being when he actually bites his mother for trying to restrain him and, at that point, he runs away, far away, into the depths of his deepest imagination.

This is where he meets the wild things.. and using his unbelievably skilled sense of manipulation that only a child such as himself could have, he becomes "king" of their colony (of sorts).



(Credit)


Sadly, once he meets up with the Wild Things, the amount of anger and angst (in the wild thing world) is almost overbearing, and there is very little recoup time before another fight breaks out. Sure, this is how real life works, but in the movies, you need a little contrast to keep things fresh. Don't mind me though, that is essentially my only complaint of the movie. So, the wild things help him though his confused role in life, his understanding of how animalistic he is, and finally, they help him understand the finicky elements of comradeship and family.

This film is so beautiful and it is an adventure. I feel like most of this is constructed by the elements that many people overlook when watching a movie/ the smaller or less noticeable elements:

#1. THE SOUNDTRACK IS GORGEOUS. If you haven't yet listened to the song that I posted at the top of the post. CLICK PLAY NOW!!! Karen O. (of Yeah Yeah Yeah's fame) and her wonderful friends have done it again. It encapsulates you in the world of childhood imagination in the most soothing of ways, in much the same way as a lullaby does.

#2. The cinematography- Spike Jonze is a master of his art. Enough said.

#3. The costumes/ CGI/ you find it hard to believe that he didn't actually genetically breed real monsters because they couldn't look more real...


Monday, October 19, 2009

BedHEAD

I want to loo

This morning I sneezed. So I went to the bathroom to grab a tissue and on the way out I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I thought three things in this order:

1. WOW, ridiculous bedhead.
2. Who would want to wake up next to him?
3. I miss you.

So after that I went back to your room and I crawled into your bed. And you smiled. At me.

You smiled. At me.

Or maybe you just smiled. And I happened to intercept the smile.
Either way. When I smiled back... You continued to smile.

So, I think the point is... my bedhead is so funny that it makes you smile. And maybe laugh (but only a little).

Why else would you be smiling?


Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Outfoxed


For those of you that do not know, this blog is being written, in part, for a course at the University of Western Ontario on blogging. In this course we periodically have to write a response to something we watched or discussed in class.

In this entry I am going to respond to a Documentary that we watched in class titled, “Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism.” The film’s focus is Fox News and makes an impressive jab at their “imperfect” ultra right wing viewpoints (which is, in all honesty, not a difficult thing do—just watch any episode of The Colbert Report or The Daily Show).

It is always funny for me, as a Canadian, to watch anything Fox News related because a Canadian counterpart to Fox News doesn’t really exist (yet). While watching this documentary, it is hard for me not to find the tactics used by Fox News to be comical. These tactics include: using fear to get their audience to believe what they have to say, “muddy the argument enough” until they “win” with at least a draw, and playing off of “the people that don’t think that [they are victims of propaganda because]… they’re much easier to propagandize.” In other words, they take advantage of American ignorance…

An example from the documentary of Fox News’ formula is a portion where they interview Jeremy Glick. In this portion Jeremy talks about his appearance on the O’Reilly factor. Jeremy discusses how Bill O’Reilly hushed him and denied him a word in edge-wise anytime that he had anything potentially threatening to say that was contrary to O’Reilly’s POV. The documentary made it seem as though anybody who doesn’t let O’Reilly manipulate them is almost immediately kicked out of the studio.

The slogan of Fox News, which the documentary kept referring back to, is “fair and balanced” and I feel like the main point that it was making is that Fox News is far from fair and far from balanced. Fox News deals with "news" (or should I say, opinion) poorly and uses way too much yellow journalism (sensationalism), but I would argue that the trend and direction that most news channels seem to be heading in is not for from what we see on Fox News today. Even though, as I said at the beginning, I don’t find Canadian news this comical, I fear that it may not be too far off.

The end the documentary discusses that a public uprising is necessary for this phony reporting to be stopped and although I agree, I wonder if, with the rise of the Internet, people care enough about TV news at this point to not let it go to shambles.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Always wear a helmet, kids!


The milk is not what matters. The milk is not what matters. The milk is not what matters.

What matters is safety kids. Safety first!

Monday, October 12, 2009

Micro



If you are at all interested in microscopic imagery, then check this out.

If you are not interested in microscopic imagery, then check it out and... you will be.

It is proof that the most beautiful, and amazing things aren't necessarily something you can see with the naked eye. Sometimes, if you put a little extra effort into looking beyond the surface and between the cracks the world can turn into a new, mysterious and wonderful place.

(If you click on the link you will reap the benefits of the work already being done for you, but that doesn't mean it isn't more rewarding when you make the extra effort yourself!)

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Talking Big

"My commitment to you is unwavering even as we wrestle with these enormous problems"
Of course politics matter and that is why a president that has an interest in helping more groups than just the big ones, or just one at a time, is refreshing to say the least. BUT-- I feel like the bigger somebody talks, more weight is added to their shoulders. I don't think Obama has fallen over yet, but he has certainly been weighed down by the issues and the skepticism (and even the "praise".) I hope he maintains his integrity though because he has the potential to fix lots and lots of smuff.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Tight Grip

...When we are 70, will you still love me?

How about 80?
Will we still lie together?
Will we still laugh at each other's jokes?
Will you still smile when I walk in the door?

When my hair turns gray, when I loose the poof, when I have a few wrinkles...

Will we still hold hands? When we do, will you still squeeze? A grip that says, "never let me go."
Will you still think that I have pretty eyes? Will I still get so excited that I can't wipe the smile off of my face?

Will we still remember the nights, the nights we when we just...cuddled?
Will I still remember the first time I saw you?
Across the room.
Will you still like me "too much"?
Will I still remember the first time that you spoke to me?
The first time that we kissed?
The first time that we [censored]?

Will you still hold a grip on my heart?
Will I still hold a grip on yours?
Will we still walk across town without a care?
...Will your heels still be 7 inches high?

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

PUPPY PIGS!

Okay, so I have been following this vlog for an extremely long time (since mid 2007) titled the vlogbrothers and they have long been obsessed with the idea of there being puppy sized elephants.
(They are going to use the word Nerdfighter a lot, their first video on what that is...is here)...oh THE AWKWARDNESS!!!-- Don't mind the song if you watch that video...

I am probably going to mention them a bit in the process of this blog, but BACK TO THE ENTRY.

So, they like puppy sized elephants. And who doesn't remember the infamous house hippos commercial...



The point is...small animals are just so adorable... and now, they have become a reality...


I WANT ONE! And they actually exist... Check it out!

Not only do they exist, but celebraties are buying them...and owning them...
My mind can't help but to wonder about mini giraffes. XD

two weeks in.

Alllllrighty...

Now that I have been blogging for two weeks I think it is that that I stop convincing myself and whoever may be reading this what Smuff is and actually start blogging... I feel like I have sort of an idea what I am going to be talking about in my blog at this point, so if you want to come along for the adventure feel free to follow.

Much love,

Philip

Mini Me is Smuff



I feel like this picture speaks for itself. It has been circulating the interweb for the past 24 hours and why? Because of smuff!

People may not know that they find smuff fascinating, but they do, and this picture proves it. Now, obviously, this is a much lighter (more humorous) version of smuff, but it is still smuff. Anyway, I should probably write a sentence that doesn't have the word smuff in it... No, I'd rather not actually, smuff is just too awesome.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Anne Frank is Smuff.

This video of Anne Frank is the only (known) existing footage of this amazing young woman. It just surfaced on the internet and in a little over a week has nearly a million hits on YouTube. I feel like Anne Frank is one of the things that smuff is all about, so I am glad I stumbled across this video.

Anne Frank was one of six million human beings that were murdered during and because of the holocaust. Yet, just an image of her existence for two seconds in a video is so valuable. Why? Because she is a real human being, and her story is relate-able, horrific, terrifying, and true. The diary that she wrote when she was hiding for her life in a hidden attic in occupied Germany gives the world a first hand perspective of how horrifying the circumstances were during that time. Her story, however small and insignificant (while it was happening) is the sort of thing that actually can make even the coldest of hearts change their mind about the real cost of war.

So... 1 in 6 million...it may sound puny, it may sound like unachievable lottery odds, it may sound like the most insignificant fraction, it may even sound like smuff, but Anne Frank may be a good reason to rethink that.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Google Censorship is Smuff.

A terrifying reality has hit the internet: Google is finally censoring itself.

Now I hear many people saying, "that is old news man! Google has been censored in China for a while now."

Well I am not talking about censorship overseas, I am talking about censorship right here, in North America. Now, to be honest, I can't provide a first hand account of this phenomenon because I still only know about this occurring in the United States (please comment if you know about it happening in Canada), but it is still slightly disturbing to know that even Google has its own priorities, agenda setters, gatekeepers, yada yada yada...

Now, in case you haven't clicked the hyperlink above yet, the censorship that I am referring to is that of taking "The Pirate Bay" off of its search results or off its friends list...if you will.

Now, in case you aren't as much of a computer nerd as I am, The Pirate Bay is one of the Internets largest Bittorrent websites, which is a site where users host or "seed" content, be it music, video, games or software and others download or "leech" the programs and hopefully go on to help seeding the product when they have finished their download. It is the big share-story of the Internets.

Why did Google censor The Pirate Bay? Well, they recently were sued for "assisting in making copywritten content available." Check out their full trial results here.

For now, this is only smuff, they are still pretty reliable in finding most stuff, but now that Google is not afraid to censor itself, who knows what it will censor next?