I’m back!  2008 is no more, and in its place, a brand spankin’ new shiny 2009!  So before I get my blog’s blood pumping again, let’s take a quick review at my 2008, and go over some plans for 2009!

2008 – Hey! What Happened?

I know, I know.  I blogged about as much as a grandma in Kansas this year, but give me a break.  I’ve been busy!  Here are some highs and lows of 2008.  Just to make this list more appealing, I will add some artificial excitement by adding an exclamation point to the first portion of each point.  Please read these points aloud with intense vocal inflection for increased dramatic effect.

Highs

• I have an awesome girlfriend!  Her name is Sarah and she is wonderful and sweet and beautiful and smart and funny.  Chances are, if you are reading this, you know her and would have to agree.  She’s totally boss.
• I’m loving my job!  It’s been busy, but challenging and rewarding.  It’s important to love what you do.
• I got a car!  Not like new new, just new to me.  It’s a 2007 Toyota Corolla I bought  from my friend Jeff.
• I lost weight!  About 40 pounds in total. We had a contest at work to see who could win the most, and we won.
• We finally elected a President I like!  Sure a whole lot of you didn’t want him, and I appreciate your candor in telling me just how awful of a President he will be, but I am still sold.

Lows

• Finances!  I know everyone’s wallet took a hit this year, so I can’t say this is uniquely my problem.
• Crime!  My car got broken into I think three times this year.

2009 – Year of the Ox

So what is the plan to put together another awesome year?  So far here’s what I got.  Please continue reading with the same exclamatory flow of the previous section.

• Stay healthy!  Racquetball. Jogging. Walking. Keep doing it.
• Move!  I think I might take a brief hiatus from the city, and move out to the ‘burbs.  Make my commute shorter and my rent cheaper.
• Get out of debt! I hear you laughing, but it can be done.
• Organize and Minimize!  I have too much stuff, and as a result too much clutter.  Before I move I want to organize what I want to keep, and sell, donate, or trash stuff that I don’t want.
• Make an iPhone App or Game! There are some ideas I have that have been floating around in my head for a bit.  Even if I don’t make a cent, I think it would be a good exercise to make an app and see it through the App Store certification process.
• Blog More!  Writing is a good creative outlet, and unfortunately, I didn’t find enough time in 2008 to do it.  I want to make sure I set aside time to blog more.

So that’s the plan.  Stay tuned for my highly publicized annual critique of this years’ movies and GAMES!

Wow, this blog has really gotten the shaft. I know I haven’t updated my blog in a long time, but things are starting to settle down a bit, so I should be able to blog more often. Here are some random things that have happened in my life since the last entry.

I have a new job at InternetSafety.com. It involves doing some pretty fun Linux Network programming with some friends that I did my college internship for. I really love the work, and my only complaint is my long commute, but I should be able to start working from home soon. Also, that pesky secretary is always throwing things at me.

I am an uncle (for the fourth time)! Abbygail Rose Brown is the newest member of the Brown family.

My first batch of beer finally conditioned, and proved to be good. Not great or amazing mind you, but a noble first effort. I think the temperature from the initial fermentation was a little too high, so by the time I added the priming sugar for the bottling process, the yeast was a little too weak to carbonate the brew. This resulted in a Weisbier that was a little too sweet and only about 4% ABV. Almost like a Weis-Dunkelweis hybrid. Since then I have started on another batch, this time a Continental Pilsner.

I went to Germany and didn’t even blog about it. Josh and I decided that the only way to really experience Oktoberfest, was to just go to Munich and see the real deal. Along the way there was Autobahn racing, old churches, beautiful art, horrendous currency exchanges, and even some luggage lost….by the FRENCH! Altogether it was an amazing experience, and I regret nothing!

I have been playing a metric ton of games lately, and there have been a lot of really great ones. Halo 3, Rock Band, Guitar Hero III, Call of Duty 4, Mario Galaxy, PGR 4, Half-life 2: Orange Box. This has been the best Christmas ever for games.

So, not sure if I missed anything, but those are some of the highlights. I’m pretty sure I’ll post again before Christmas, but if not, Merry Christmas!

I love Wikipedia. Barely a day passes without looking something up, or even doing some mindless browsing. So I was definitely intrigued by EA’s recent attempt to alter its history on their Wikipedia entry. Of the multiple edits, EA has attempted to removed any reference to Trip Hawkins and erase all criticisms of the company.

Now, I know your first question. “Why isn’t he posting this on his game blog?” Well the truth is, this little piece of news was found out using a new tool that resolves anonymous Wikipedia editors’ IP addresses to company names. It has a much bigger social and political impact than just video games, so I posted it here. It’s a tool created by Cal Tech graduate Virgil Griffith, and hosted at Shacknews. The tool has uncovered all sorts of Wikipedia edits that range anywhere from hilarious to concerning. Most amusing I found, was Disney’s attempt to erase DRM criticisms, the MLBPA’s attempt to quiet drug testing controversies, and even someone at Fox News trying to rename the movie “The Incredibles” to “The Stupids”. What I find most interesting about some of these edits is the juvenile nature of people when they think they are completely anonymous. Apparently someone at the MLB goes “crazy for boobs”.

Now I understand that the majority of edits are not official corporate communication, and that most likely it is just a zealous employee trying to push the ideals of his employer. But what people write when they think they can’t be traced is definitely amusing. If you have some time, check out the rated list here.

Also, in case you are wondering, the Quantum Leap reference was shamelessly inspired by Joystiq’s coverage of the EA fiasco. What can I say, the allusion fit too well to ignore.

All I did today at work was wait for a customer to deliver specs on a project. So, I surfed the Internet. I found this site called A/V Geeks which is a traveling archive of over 18,000 obscure 16mm educational and industry films. I found them to be quite funny and watched them all day. Most of them range from the 50’s to the 70’s so you get to see such undertones as capitalism, moral constructs, conformism, and even fear of nuclear fallout. No matter what the videos are about they all end up being hilarious due to their awful production values. Here are some of my favorites.


If Mirrors Could Speak
Robbie is a “sad clown” whose social estrangement is compared to lying, cheating, and vandalism.

The Great Annual Bathtub Race
The tuba really sets the tone on this exciting adventure.

Food Doesn’t Fly: Lunchroom Manners
Favorite quote: “I eat my food instead of throwing it around. THAT’S manners!” And what is with that random kid’s demonic laughing?

Why Doesn’t Cathy Eat Breakfast?
Nothing says a National Dairy Council Film like that groovy bass line.

So I Took It…
So what! Fuck you! Just kidding, poor Sally is a little more mild natured and honest about her kleptomania. But that Glenda girl is a thieving whore!

If you enjoyed these as much as I did, Skip Elsheimer from the A/V Geeks will be in Atlanta at the Eyedrum on July 6th to show off some of the films from his collection. Don’t forget the popcorn.

Well, I haven’t exactly posted like a maniac since I got my new domain, but I just wanted to say that my webhosting company 1&1 is awesome. I got an awesome deal on my two sites. Anyway, I told my brother about it, and he was interested in signing up too, so I figured I would throw him, and the rest of the world, my affiliate link. Sign up through me, and I will get a bone from 1&1, and I’ll even split it with you. Click on the ad below to sign up.