This week we learned of at least two brilliant minds which are being taken from the public square by debilitating disease. Of course, Steve Jobs is widely known for his work in the world of computers and electronics, helming the Apple empire, and leading his company to be the first-ever tech stock to be rated as most valuable amongst all others on Wall Street. Unfortunately, Mr. Jobs has now been forced to step down from his position as Apple's CEO due to health concerns related to his ongoing battle with cancer and other difficulties. The other brilliant mind is Pat Summitt, coach of the Lady Vols of Tennessee, who has amassed more wins than any other college basketball coach (men and women) in the history of the sport. Coach Summitt was known for her determined drive and staunchly well-maintained program which seldom saw any type of behavioral issues. Summitt has now been diagnosed with early-onset dementia, a condition which will ultimately and tragically result in the loss of her memories, personality, and cognitive function. It is a heartbreaking diagnosis for anyone to hear.
And so, although both individuals will attempt to continue in their contributions for as long as their health permits, the bottom line is that two exemplary minds will be lost from our collective intellect. Two people who have contributed so much, and would no doubt continue to contribute in wonderous new ways as long as they could, will now be sidelined in the near future. It is not only a loss for them and their families, but it also a loss for the entire world. Without pancreatic cancer and severe liver damage resulting in a transplant, what additions to the technological landscape could Jobs have helped usher in? If he could have remained in his position for decades to come, what more could he have envisioned and then conceptualized into reality? Certainly the past few decades have shown just how influential Mr. Jobs has been and would have continued to be in helping humanity progress towards a brighter, more convenient, and more efficent future. And then there's Pat Summitt, whose influence on women's basketball, her players, and college athletics have been tremendous. We can only assume that not only would she have continued garnering accolades and achievements without this heartbreaking diagnosis, but that Summitt would likely have also risen to even higher positions and projected even greater influence and success.
But the truth is we live in a world that has not yet defeated cancer, Alzheimer's, and many other diseases that bring about an untimely end in the lives of so many important and special people - whether they be well-known by many or well-known by a lucky few. Barring global catastrophe, we can assume that at some point in the future, research and technology will result in cures for these conditions, just as polio and smallpox have been annihilated through like means. But today, we are not yet there. And so the world will lose Steve Jobs... the world will lose Pat Summitt... and today and tomorrow, we will lose so many people who neither you nor I have encountered, but who mean the world to the people around them.
When we arrive at the day in which we can look at Alzheimer's, cancer, heart disease, and so many other diseases, and say they were a thing of the past, we can be sure that there will be ethical issues to be answered. How do we manage a populace that lives into their 100's on a regular basis? How will we prevent super-enhanced longevity from being a right of only the wealthy or well-to-do? And can the earth's resources handle a humanity that lives so long at such high numbers?
But one thing seems to be certain: those are questions that must be answered and will be answered. For it seems to me that if we could keep beloved contributors such as Summitt and Jobs in good health, we would certainly do so. And indeed, what cost is too high to help our loved ones who suffer from these same issues? What cost is too high to keep ourselves and our families together in good spirits and in good physical condition for as long as is possible? In my humble view, the issues of longevity will be solved much easier than the oft-experienced issue of saying goodbye.
Today there are no good answers for Summitt and Jobs. For the many who will pass on in the coming days, weeks, and years, we will have failed to stave off death. Beyond that vale, they will join others who have moved on... and it is we who will have lost. One day then it will also be our turn, if not before. What is beyond that vale is for each individual to explore and speculate - but regardless of the afterlife, we can say that their lives touched so many, and we look forward to a day when we can help people like them touch the lives of even more. Just as their lights have shined here on earth, we hope, pray, and wish that their lights will continue to shine and do not dim for many days. And at some unknown point down the road, perhaps we will be able to keep those lights burning longer. Perhaps there will be a day when the lights do not dim amongst the stars of our lives. I'm looking forward to that day, whether I see it or whether it is beyond my span. We will likely never be immortal in body, but our desire to hold onto people like Mr. Jobs and Ms. Summitt will keep us looking for a way to fellowship with one another longer and longer.
And when that day comes that we arrive upon the end - whether it be after a hundred years, two-hundred years, twenty years, or a thousand - may we be ready for that day. May we finish having done good and done well.
Dedicated to the vigor, drive, and continued contributions of Steve Jobs and Pat Summitt. May their lights shine brightly today, tomorrow, and "for as long as the good Lord permits."
http://www.twitter.com/bluelightningtn
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
A Brighter Tomorrow
The past few days for the western world have been a bit depressing as we watch both the European and American economies struggle with debt issues. While I could get into the reasons behind these issues and remedies for them, I'll leave that to the politicians and pundits, most of whom don't have to worry about alienating readers / consumers by delving into political discussion. So... let's stay away from that in this blog. What I would like to do is to take a moment to breath some positive vibes into what has been a tremendously deflating couple of days.
A completely apolitical mean by which we will see the western world, and furthermore the world, rise out of this economic malaise, will be the continued enhancement of technology and global intelligence. Even while the financials of various governments face serious contractions, it's important to pause and remember that regardless of the current situation, progress will continue and it will improve our lives dramatically. Whether democrats or republicans were in power in the eighties, nineties, and the millenial decade, technology continued to strive ahead. Whether we were in bull or bear market, it didn't greatly effect the pace of technological advancements. And indeed, if you'll look at where we came from in the past few decades, and you consider that progress is accelerating, I believe that come hell or high water, the next many years will be breathtaking in human success.
Let's look back for a moment before we look forward. If we look back to the eighties, we're essentially looking at thirty years in the past - certainly not what you would call a generation. In that span of time, how far have we come? Well, since the eighties, we've seen not only the dawn of cellphones, but those phones have now basically become mobile devices that function only in small part as phones. They're basically communicators which keep us in touch with the entire world no matter where we are. Not only that, but in the past thirty years, we've went from thinking it perhaps impossible to completely mapping the human genome. We're now in an era that sees us learning the secrets of all that biological code. And in the past thirty years, we've went from most people having an antenna to grab a couple of fuzzy, below standard defintion channels... to a world in which we can watch almost any show, at any time, in crystal clear clarity, on a multitude of devices. I remarked yesterday to a friend that his phone he complains about is actually more powerful than his desktop computer from ten years ago. That's pretty remarkable.
As we move forward, even in a down economy, even as governments face the facts about spending... we can know that the bumps are only that. No matter what happens, Moore's Law will continue, and we will race forward towards a brighter tomorrow. And although there are policies which may incrementally slow or speed the pace of technological advancement (cough, space program, cough, we NEED it), the truth is that our current age is moving the civilized world into a humanity totally different than what we've seen in the past many thousand years.
So what should we expect? Well, as a science fiction author, I'll just tell you that it's hard to say. The problem lies in the fact that we can never guess what the next big epiphany will be which will create a totally unexpected new device or concept. That's one reason that I try to be very non-descript about future products when I discuss my futuristic, fantasy world. There's just no way to be specific. Who would have predicted Facebook in 1985?
That said, there are a few things we can predict as being very likely. We can say with some assurance that mobile devices will continue to grow in importance, power, and usefulness. There's probably a day ahead in which our phones will somehow be tied into glasses and contacts, if we so choose, which will allow our very vision to be integrated with a user interface. In the next few years, we'll definitely see cars that can drive themselves with better precision than humans, and which will then create a flurry of federal laws to compensate for a car or truck that can be set to autopilot. Comptuers will also continue to be better and better at communicating with people in the language of humans - verbs, nouns, adjectives, articles, and colloquialisms, all set into a sentence structure that blurs the line between human assistance and electronic. As we race to the future, it's simply a matter of time before we unlock the secrets of aging and gain the power to stop it. What the world will do with that, who knows? It will certainly be a great debate as to whether or not mankind should do away with the cold hand of death altogether. Regardless, there will be little debate over the increasing lifespan of the populations - it's just a byproduct of our continuing medical/technological progress. Surely the developed worlds will soon see a day when 100 is the norm, not the rarity for lifespan.
So even in the midst of markets that seem quite dire, let us remember that we're moving toward a future of greater leisure, knowledge, and accomplishments. We'll navigate all those enhancements as we go, and hopefully we'll make good choices.
Here's to a brighter tomorrow =)
- Justin Frazier
http://www.theworldbreaker.com
http://www.twitter.com/bluelightningtn
A completely apolitical mean by which we will see the western world, and furthermore the world, rise out of this economic malaise, will be the continued enhancement of technology and global intelligence. Even while the financials of various governments face serious contractions, it's important to pause and remember that regardless of the current situation, progress will continue and it will improve our lives dramatically. Whether democrats or republicans were in power in the eighties, nineties, and the millenial decade, technology continued to strive ahead. Whether we were in bull or bear market, it didn't greatly effect the pace of technological advancements. And indeed, if you'll look at where we came from in the past few decades, and you consider that progress is accelerating, I believe that come hell or high water, the next many years will be breathtaking in human success.
Let's look back for a moment before we look forward. If we look back to the eighties, we're essentially looking at thirty years in the past - certainly not what you would call a generation. In that span of time, how far have we come? Well, since the eighties, we've seen not only the dawn of cellphones, but those phones have now basically become mobile devices that function only in small part as phones. They're basically communicators which keep us in touch with the entire world no matter where we are. Not only that, but in the past thirty years, we've went from thinking it perhaps impossible to completely mapping the human genome. We're now in an era that sees us learning the secrets of all that biological code. And in the past thirty years, we've went from most people having an antenna to grab a couple of fuzzy, below standard defintion channels... to a world in which we can watch almost any show, at any time, in crystal clear clarity, on a multitude of devices. I remarked yesterday to a friend that his phone he complains about is actually more powerful than his desktop computer from ten years ago. That's pretty remarkable.
As we move forward, even in a down economy, even as governments face the facts about spending... we can know that the bumps are only that. No matter what happens, Moore's Law will continue, and we will race forward towards a brighter tomorrow. And although there are policies which may incrementally slow or speed the pace of technological advancement (cough, space program, cough, we NEED it), the truth is that our current age is moving the civilized world into a humanity totally different than what we've seen in the past many thousand years.
So what should we expect? Well, as a science fiction author, I'll just tell you that it's hard to say. The problem lies in the fact that we can never guess what the next big epiphany will be which will create a totally unexpected new device or concept. That's one reason that I try to be very non-descript about future products when I discuss my futuristic, fantasy world. There's just no way to be specific. Who would have predicted Facebook in 1985?
That said, there are a few things we can predict as being very likely. We can say with some assurance that mobile devices will continue to grow in importance, power, and usefulness. There's probably a day ahead in which our phones will somehow be tied into glasses and contacts, if we so choose, which will allow our very vision to be integrated with a user interface. In the next few years, we'll definitely see cars that can drive themselves with better precision than humans, and which will then create a flurry of federal laws to compensate for a car or truck that can be set to autopilot. Comptuers will also continue to be better and better at communicating with people in the language of humans - verbs, nouns, adjectives, articles, and colloquialisms, all set into a sentence structure that blurs the line between human assistance and electronic. As we race to the future, it's simply a matter of time before we unlock the secrets of aging and gain the power to stop it. What the world will do with that, who knows? It will certainly be a great debate as to whether or not mankind should do away with the cold hand of death altogether. Regardless, there will be little debate over the increasing lifespan of the populations - it's just a byproduct of our continuing medical/technological progress. Surely the developed worlds will soon see a day when 100 is the norm, not the rarity for lifespan.
So even in the midst of markets that seem quite dire, let us remember that we're moving toward a future of greater leisure, knowledge, and accomplishments. We'll navigate all those enhancements as we go, and hopefully we'll make good choices.
Here's to a brighter tomorrow =)
- Justin Frazier
http://www.theworldbreaker.com
http://www.twitter.com/bluelightningtn
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Star Wars Kinect
I'm surprised that I'm doing another Kinect blog so soon after the last one, but I read an article last night about Star Wars Kinect and it was just more frustration for me - read on to see why:
Apparently, the previews for Star Wars Kinect were less than stellar, due to the fact that the Kinect sensor bar can't read your arm movements fast enough to keep up with a fast-paced lightsaber duel. My question is: how in the world did the developers not realize this before they started work on this project? I could have told them that the first day I played with Kinect Adventures! Does that mean that Kinect is any less cool? I don't think so; the sensor does what it's supposed to do and what it does it "terrificly". The problem is with developers (or with Microsoft, if they've given them this edict), who can't figure out that "Kinect + Peripheral = Amazing".
So somebody please tell me why Star Wars Kinect doesn't come packaged with a lightsaber handle-themed controller that is wireless, features haptic feedback, and includes a gyroscope? Obviously it requires more money to package something like that and to manufacture it in the first place, but honestly - you're making a Star Wars Kinect game that is supposed to make you feel like you're the jedi for the very first time. Get it right.
With the above described controller, the controller would be able to tell the Xbox it's positioning with almost no lag whatsoever, plus provide the player with the tactile response needed when hitting an object with a lightsaber. Meanwhile, Kinect would be able to watch the player's body, handling all of those commands while the arm holding the lightsaber is controlled via the lightsaber's positioning. Voilah, now the game is extremely responsive, much more immersive, and can handle much more complicated inputs. And you don't think every Star Wars fanboy is going to want to have one of these? Clearly that would help mitigate the cost to include a controller with every game (besides increasing the package price to $59.99 or $69.99).
And better yet, if you had that controller, you could choose to be a jedi or a sith lord... if you chose jedi, you'd have one blade, if you chose sith lord you'd have two blades coming out either end of the handle. How cool would that be?
This whole "you are the controller" thing is becoming a pain. Seriously - people don't mind controllers. And the thing is, Kinect would be sooo much better if we could just have some type of peripheral for some of the games. Sure, there are games that don't require a controller at all, but there are some that make more sense with one. Like how about a Samba de Amigo game that comes with the marracas so it can be accurate with the beat, but also requires you to move in certain ways using the Kinect? See, that took me ten seconds to think of.
Dear Kinect,
You're awesome. I'm sorry that developers are underutilizing your abilties and trying to force you into doing something that is awkward. Just keep watching videos of you with the hackers on YouTube so you can keep your self-esteem up. You're still an awesome piece of equipment, even if most of your software is underwhelming.
Love,
A Kinect Owner
Apparently, the previews for Star Wars Kinect were less than stellar, due to the fact that the Kinect sensor bar can't read your arm movements fast enough to keep up with a fast-paced lightsaber duel. My question is: how in the world did the developers not realize this before they started work on this project? I could have told them that the first day I played with Kinect Adventures! Does that mean that Kinect is any less cool? I don't think so; the sensor does what it's supposed to do and what it does it "terrificly". The problem is with developers (or with Microsoft, if they've given them this edict), who can't figure out that "Kinect + Peripheral = Amazing".
So somebody please tell me why Star Wars Kinect doesn't come packaged with a lightsaber handle-themed controller that is wireless, features haptic feedback, and includes a gyroscope? Obviously it requires more money to package something like that and to manufacture it in the first place, but honestly - you're making a Star Wars Kinect game that is supposed to make you feel like you're the jedi for the very first time. Get it right.
With the above described controller, the controller would be able to tell the Xbox it's positioning with almost no lag whatsoever, plus provide the player with the tactile response needed when hitting an object with a lightsaber. Meanwhile, Kinect would be able to watch the player's body, handling all of those commands while the arm holding the lightsaber is controlled via the lightsaber's positioning. Voilah, now the game is extremely responsive, much more immersive, and can handle much more complicated inputs. And you don't think every Star Wars fanboy is going to want to have one of these? Clearly that would help mitigate the cost to include a controller with every game (besides increasing the package price to $59.99 or $69.99).
And better yet, if you had that controller, you could choose to be a jedi or a sith lord... if you chose jedi, you'd have one blade, if you chose sith lord you'd have two blades coming out either end of the handle. How cool would that be?
This whole "you are the controller" thing is becoming a pain. Seriously - people don't mind controllers. And the thing is, Kinect would be sooo much better if we could just have some type of peripheral for some of the games. Sure, there are games that don't require a controller at all, but there are some that make more sense with one. Like how about a Samba de Amigo game that comes with the marracas so it can be accurate with the beat, but also requires you to move in certain ways using the Kinect? See, that took me ten seconds to think of.
Dear Kinect,
You're awesome. I'm sorry that developers are underutilizing your abilties and trying to force you into doing something that is awkward. Just keep watching videos of you with the hackers on YouTube so you can keep your self-esteem up. You're still an awesome piece of equipment, even if most of your software is underwhelming.
Love,
A Kinect Owner
Monday, July 18, 2011
Reaching the End: A Generation's Childhood and Harry Potter
As I was leaving the movie theaters Thursday night, I heard a college-age man say, "Well, I guess there goes my childhood." It was a poignant thought, probably echoing the feelings of many people in his generation as the curtains were drawn on the epic tale of Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. I couldn't help but agree with him - although I'm old enough that Harry Potter wasn't a part of my childhood per se, I have watched as it enthralled children, teenagers, and adults alike for the past decade or so. And so when the conclusion was reached in cinematic form, it was as if a childhood adventure had drawn to a close, sealing the door into adulthood for the vast number of children who had grown up with the boy who lived.
One of the things that struck me so odd about this journey was that I don't recall a similar even occuring in the past. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles didn't ever reach adulthood and finally defeat their nemesis once and for all. My childhood favorite, The Ghostbusters, never grew up, had children, and ended their adventure. Yet for the generation just behind me, their legend - their heroes - had become adults along with them.
I suppose one of the weaknesses of the final Harry Potter movie comes in the final minutes. So... if you haven't read the book and you haven't watched the movie, skip on to the next paragraph. Now, for those of you still reading, the weakness was that Harry Potter and friends all became adults, had children, married (and stayed married), and were back to say goodbye to their children as they traveled back to Hogwarts. The problem is that it seemed as if all the fun had been left far behind - it seemed that Harry, Ron, and Hermoine had left their adventures to the past and lived on for years in blessed placidness. Yuck. Who wants that?
And so I am perplexed. Is it better to end the story, or is it better that the adventures go on infinitely? Should the Lone Ranger have finished his tale? Should Batman be done once he's done. And what of Indiana Jones? The way that Harry Potter finished left me feelng melancholy - yes, I was happy to see the ending and it was an absolutely terrific movie. In fact, it was appropriate for the extroadinary and epic series of novels Ms. Rowling crafted, and which will live on as some of the best tales ever written (whether you believe it or not). Children will read those books for decades to come if not for longer. Fan fiction will live on for as long as the fans do. Yet I found the ending bittersweet. For as much as a story needs a conclusion, a conclusion likewise means the story is over. There is no further tale, there is no additional adventure, and all will be well.
Perhaps "happily ever after" isn't so grand after all?
So while it was fun to see how the story wrapped up in cinematic fashion, it was also sad to say goodbye to the characters a generation had grown to love. They were just as real to them as their friends - they grew up with them, they connected with them, they even looked up to them. It can't be understated how important it was that Rowling created Hermoine with such great academic qualities for little girls to look up to rather than more unsubstantial attributes. Endings are supposed to be happy when they end in such fashion, but this ending was also a "farewell."
I have a hunch that just as James Bond lives on, and just as Indiana Jones' adventures will continue... just as superheroes live forever, and as legends never die... I have a hunch that Harry Potter is not finished quite yet either. The question for J.K. Rowling is not if the story is finished. The question is, did Harry Potter accomplish his greatest achievement in youth, never to do anything greater for the rest of his life? If so, I consider that the most sad statement of all... because surely the generation that grew up with Harry Potter is only beginning to find their potential. Shouldn't Harry and friends be the same?
- J Frazier
http://www.theworldbreaker.com/
http://www.twitter.com/bluelightningtn
One of the things that struck me so odd about this journey was that I don't recall a similar even occuring in the past. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles didn't ever reach adulthood and finally defeat their nemesis once and for all. My childhood favorite, The Ghostbusters, never grew up, had children, and ended their adventure. Yet for the generation just behind me, their legend - their heroes - had become adults along with them.
I suppose one of the weaknesses of the final Harry Potter movie comes in the final minutes. So... if you haven't read the book and you haven't watched the movie, skip on to the next paragraph. Now, for those of you still reading, the weakness was that Harry Potter and friends all became adults, had children, married (and stayed married), and were back to say goodbye to their children as they traveled back to Hogwarts. The problem is that it seemed as if all the fun had been left far behind - it seemed that Harry, Ron, and Hermoine had left their adventures to the past and lived on for years in blessed placidness. Yuck. Who wants that?
And so I am perplexed. Is it better to end the story, or is it better that the adventures go on infinitely? Should the Lone Ranger have finished his tale? Should Batman be done once he's done. And what of Indiana Jones? The way that Harry Potter finished left me feelng melancholy - yes, I was happy to see the ending and it was an absolutely terrific movie. In fact, it was appropriate for the extroadinary and epic series of novels Ms. Rowling crafted, and which will live on as some of the best tales ever written (whether you believe it or not). Children will read those books for decades to come if not for longer. Fan fiction will live on for as long as the fans do. Yet I found the ending bittersweet. For as much as a story needs a conclusion, a conclusion likewise means the story is over. There is no further tale, there is no additional adventure, and all will be well.
Perhaps "happily ever after" isn't so grand after all?
So while it was fun to see how the story wrapped up in cinematic fashion, it was also sad to say goodbye to the characters a generation had grown to love. They were just as real to them as their friends - they grew up with them, they connected with them, they even looked up to them. It can't be understated how important it was that Rowling created Hermoine with such great academic qualities for little girls to look up to rather than more unsubstantial attributes. Endings are supposed to be happy when they end in such fashion, but this ending was also a "farewell."
I have a hunch that just as James Bond lives on, and just as Indiana Jones' adventures will continue... just as superheroes live forever, and as legends never die... I have a hunch that Harry Potter is not finished quite yet either. The question for J.K. Rowling is not if the story is finished. The question is, did Harry Potter accomplish his greatest achievement in youth, never to do anything greater for the rest of his life? If so, I consider that the most sad statement of all... because surely the generation that grew up with Harry Potter is only beginning to find their potential. Shouldn't Harry and friends be the same?
- J Frazier
http://www.theworldbreaker.com/
http://www.twitter.com/bluelightningtn
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
The Potential of Kinect is being Lost
One of the things that irks me right now is the technological accomplishment of the Micrsoft Kinect sensor bar coupled with the lack of software putting it to proper use. It's so frustrating to me that a company like Microsoft (who usually takes others' good ideas and makes them better) was able to create a totally new, Minority Report-like product, and now that it's out it is becoming a paper weight because of the lack of inginuity and creativity within the games industry. It's like they are so set in their ways that they can't see past the controller and begin to see how to use a product like this to enhance the market rather than gum it up with gimmicks.
So, here are five ideas that I have which someone should have immediately put into action when Kinect came out.
1) Why do we have to put down the controller to play Kinect? The whole idea that you must play games exclusively on Kinect or exclusively on the controller is bogus, untrue, and being perpetrated by the vast majority of developers. I want a Halo game that allows me to remove my right hand from the controller and throw a grenade rather than waste a button on that. I want to reload the gun by flicking the controller up and down. That leaves other buttons open. That allows additional inputs. Why aren't people doing this?????
2) Dear SEGA: Kinect launched and you released a hoverboard game with Sonic. Okay. But why in the world didn't you realize, "Hey, this is perfect for NiGHTS"? The players hand could control an orb which the NiGHTS character chases through the map. The off-hand could be used to control acrobatics like an orchestrator. Closing one's hand into a fist would make NiGHTS go into the spinning turbo mode. This would all be better than using a controller. Or, hey, SEGA, why is there no Super Monkey Ball in which you hold the world in your hands and tilt it that way? Yeesh.
3) Kinect, you'd be flippin' spiffy if you could see my open hand close into a fist. Then I wouldn't have to wait for a circle to go around my hand to select items. See, if you could let me close my hands, then I could pick items in a quick and efficient way that makes sense. Even Kudo should know that one.
4) Where's my horrific killer app that involves me controlling my movements with the left hand while my right hand holds a flashlight? Turn the lights off at night and let me talk through Kinect to the local yokels in some sort of twisted, dark film-like experience. If my hand is the flashlight, do you know how creepy that's going to be due to the immersion?
5) The kids love Dora. The kids love Micky Mouse Clubhouse. Yet no matter how much they love 'em, it seems that Dora and Mickey can't quite see like they used to. Ever notice how when they tell the kiddos to reach up, even if the kids do or don't, Dora and Mickey say "Great job!" Well, with Kinect, they could see your kids. They could interact with them and the entire game could go along just like a regular episode. Heck, put four episodes on a disc in which the characters can actually see and interact with the kids. That'd be just groovy wouldn't it? I'd love to see the wee ones point to the blue object on the screen after being prompted, only to hear Mickey say, "Almost, but that's orange. Can you find the blue one instead?"
Let's go innovators!
- J Frazier
So, here are five ideas that I have which someone should have immediately put into action when Kinect came out.
1) Why do we have to put down the controller to play Kinect? The whole idea that you must play games exclusively on Kinect or exclusively on the controller is bogus, untrue, and being perpetrated by the vast majority of developers. I want a Halo game that allows me to remove my right hand from the controller and throw a grenade rather than waste a button on that. I want to reload the gun by flicking the controller up and down. That leaves other buttons open. That allows additional inputs. Why aren't people doing this?????
2) Dear SEGA: Kinect launched and you released a hoverboard game with Sonic. Okay. But why in the world didn't you realize, "Hey, this is perfect for NiGHTS"? The players hand could control an orb which the NiGHTS character chases through the map. The off-hand could be used to control acrobatics like an orchestrator. Closing one's hand into a fist would make NiGHTS go into the spinning turbo mode. This would all be better than using a controller. Or, hey, SEGA, why is there no Super Monkey Ball in which you hold the world in your hands and tilt it that way? Yeesh.
3) Kinect, you'd be flippin' spiffy if you could see my open hand close into a fist. Then I wouldn't have to wait for a circle to go around my hand to select items. See, if you could let me close my hands, then I could pick items in a quick and efficient way that makes sense. Even Kudo should know that one.
4) Where's my horrific killer app that involves me controlling my movements with the left hand while my right hand holds a flashlight? Turn the lights off at night and let me talk through Kinect to the local yokels in some sort of twisted, dark film-like experience. If my hand is the flashlight, do you know how creepy that's going to be due to the immersion?
5) The kids love Dora. The kids love Micky Mouse Clubhouse. Yet no matter how much they love 'em, it seems that Dora and Mickey can't quite see like they used to. Ever notice how when they tell the kiddos to reach up, even if the kids do or don't, Dora and Mickey say "Great job!" Well, with Kinect, they could see your kids. They could interact with them and the entire game could go along just like a regular episode. Heck, put four episodes on a disc in which the characters can actually see and interact with the kids. That'd be just groovy wouldn't it? I'd love to see the wee ones point to the blue object on the screen after being prompted, only to hear Mickey say, "Almost, but that's orange. Can you find the blue one instead?"
Let's go innovators!
- J Frazier
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Here's to Our Dreams
Well, it's been a long hard road, but we've finally arrived at the day I've been looking forward to for a while now. July 1st - the day "The World Breaker" is officially available on Amazon.com and the Kindle. It's worldwide, it's a product, it's something I'm proud of, and we're ready to start marketing the heck out of it. Of course, Joe Ellis will be handling most of the advertising and marketing... for me, it's time to get a few days rest before I begin work on the sequel. I already know what happens, I already know how it happens, and I already know how it ends. I just have to get it down on paper, and do it in such a way that it envelopes the reader. By the time the sequel is launched, we'll have a pretty good idea about how my career as an author is looking, so this will be an interesting couple of months.
For me this is the culmination of many, many determined weeks in which I refused to quit. As many of you know, the previous years have not been kind to me. I have been in two relationships that ended in devastating disappointment, both of which left me standing in disbelief. In both I remained steadfast in my belief that values, optimism, and an unquenchable desire to do good ultimately overcome. And in both, once the dust had settled, I came to the realization that if I hadn't been torn down, I would already be headed towards success. That's why the book happened. It was time to shoot for success, difficulty or no.
Originally I wanted to own a restaurant and businesses. I wanted to start out as a teacher, give back to the community, and then make huge, massive dreams come true. Some of them did happen. I did complete college and became a Spanish teacher. I did work for a video game company and I saw my ideas implemented in their products. I was a 3D animator for Lee University and learned so, so much about computer graphics. My goals were to start businesses, start a restaurant, maybe work on a video game, maybe work for a theme park. I wanted to do something that made many people very, very happy. That's what I've been about. That's who I am.
And though I always kept my eyes upon that prize, I was detoured much more than I would have liked. I never changed, but people around me did. I'm still the same today that I was ten years ago, and I hope to be the same in fifty years that I am today... except with some wrinkles. No matter the hardships, no matter the difficulty, I refuse to change who I am. The whole world can change, but I will not. I believe in altruism, in helping others, about selflessness, and in progress. And I will continue to do so. That is why "The World Breaker" exists.
Many months ago I came to the realization that my dreams were slipping out of my hands. I realized that though I had been dreaming for years and years and years... my dreams weren't any closer to happening, and instead I was being derailed toward a normal life. And I don't want normal. It's not that I'm special or more important than anybody else... it's just that I want to do special and important things. And so I began to write a book.
It began when I read a popular book series - a very popular book series. And as I read the first book, I had the arrogant thought that I could do this. In fact... I thought I could do better than that. Now, you may have already read my book and you may think that's a bunch of rubbish because you think my book isn't all that great. But then again, maybe you do think it's pretty good. That's the risk I took. I thought that if I really felt I could write at that level, then I should go for it because otherwise I was just touting myself without any action. So I took the plunge. And now there's a real book out there.
I hope everyone enjoys the book. I hope that it reveals truths to you and morals as well... I hope you think about things you might not think about otherwise. I hope it takes you on an adventure and introduces you to a world that you begin to care about. But most importantly, I hope that everyone keeps going for their passions, regardless of the obstacles, regardless of the trials, and regardless of the odds. Do your passion if your passion is good for you and others.
There's a great big, beautiful tomorrow,
Shining at the end of every day.
There's a great big, beautiful tomorrow,
And tomorrow is just a dream away.
Man has a dream, and that's the start,
He follows his dream with mind and heart.
And when it becomes a reality,
It's a dream come true for you and me.
- Carousel of Progress
Here's to our dreams,
Justin Frazier
For me this is the culmination of many, many determined weeks in which I refused to quit. As many of you know, the previous years have not been kind to me. I have been in two relationships that ended in devastating disappointment, both of which left me standing in disbelief. In both I remained steadfast in my belief that values, optimism, and an unquenchable desire to do good ultimately overcome. And in both, once the dust had settled, I came to the realization that if I hadn't been torn down, I would already be headed towards success. That's why the book happened. It was time to shoot for success, difficulty or no.
Originally I wanted to own a restaurant and businesses. I wanted to start out as a teacher, give back to the community, and then make huge, massive dreams come true. Some of them did happen. I did complete college and became a Spanish teacher. I did work for a video game company and I saw my ideas implemented in their products. I was a 3D animator for Lee University and learned so, so much about computer graphics. My goals were to start businesses, start a restaurant, maybe work on a video game, maybe work for a theme park. I wanted to do something that made many people very, very happy. That's what I've been about. That's who I am.
And though I always kept my eyes upon that prize, I was detoured much more than I would have liked. I never changed, but people around me did. I'm still the same today that I was ten years ago, and I hope to be the same in fifty years that I am today... except with some wrinkles. No matter the hardships, no matter the difficulty, I refuse to change who I am. The whole world can change, but I will not. I believe in altruism, in helping others, about selflessness, and in progress. And I will continue to do so. That is why "The World Breaker" exists.
Many months ago I came to the realization that my dreams were slipping out of my hands. I realized that though I had been dreaming for years and years and years... my dreams weren't any closer to happening, and instead I was being derailed toward a normal life. And I don't want normal. It's not that I'm special or more important than anybody else... it's just that I want to do special and important things. And so I began to write a book.
It began when I read a popular book series - a very popular book series. And as I read the first book, I had the arrogant thought that I could do this. In fact... I thought I could do better than that. Now, you may have already read my book and you may think that's a bunch of rubbish because you think my book isn't all that great. But then again, maybe you do think it's pretty good. That's the risk I took. I thought that if I really felt I could write at that level, then I should go for it because otherwise I was just touting myself without any action. So I took the plunge. And now there's a real book out there.
I hope everyone enjoys the book. I hope that it reveals truths to you and morals as well... I hope you think about things you might not think about otherwise. I hope it takes you on an adventure and introduces you to a world that you begin to care about. But most importantly, I hope that everyone keeps going for their passions, regardless of the obstacles, regardless of the trials, and regardless of the odds. Do your passion if your passion is good for you and others.
There's a great big, beautiful tomorrow,
Shining at the end of every day.
There's a great big, beautiful tomorrow,
And tomorrow is just a dream away.
Man has a dream, and that's the start,
He follows his dream with mind and heart.
And when it becomes a reality,
It's a dream come true for you and me.
- Carousel of Progress
Here's to our dreams,
Justin Frazier
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
The Antithesis of Carpe the Day
Dear Inventors...
Could someone please invent something to mow my yard?
And please clean my dishes too?
Roomba's nice,
So how about we get the price to just a buck or two?
Okay, stop. Writing poetry is hard. It has to rhyme and junk. Let's switch over to just normal stuff, shall we? I figure that requires enough little neurons firing already.
Honestly, how much time in the day is spent with the mundane, ordinary, every day, [insert additional adjective meaning the same, redundant thing] chores around the house? No, I don't want to do my laundry anymore. I have things to do. No, I don't want to pressure wash the deck, nor does water sealing it sound like a splendid, good time. I just want to sit on my fat, lazy butt and play Mortal Kombat all day, every day, without fail. I may spend the caloric output needed to switch over to Hulu and watch reruns of The Office... but that's my limit!
Seriously... I don't want to feed the dogs. I don't want to water them. I don't want to do groceries, or drive, or take a walk just because my calf muscles are deteriorating. Machines should be able to do that. And I don't want to chew my Big Mac just to be able to enjoy it before washing it down with a vanilla shake (and mighty nice whipped cream may I add) - is there not some blasted machine that can get that pumped straight to the right taste buds for my enjoyment?
Ugh, I don't want to go on dates or get to know women. They should just love me for the blob of glory that I am. Honestly, there should be a line at my door right now of hot, athletic, genius women. I have no idea why that isn't happening. And I would rather like it if vegetables would grow straight out of the ground with no effort whatsoever. I mean, what was God thinking when He failed to realize that filet mignon plants should sprout like dandelions all around my fence? Of course, you know if He did, He'd forget to have 'em medium rare... you'd probably have to actually cook the darn things.
I just want to lay in a waterbed and never get up. Just let me control Pacman with eye movements and have everything handed to me on a silver - nay - platinum tray. I want to be bathed and scrubbed by a Honduran maid from a bucket of pure Perrier. I want to be lavished with exotic delicacies and pulled in a beautiful carriage by a herd of wild zebras. And you know what? While we're at it, I want a tail. A glorious, wonderful tail so that I can control a mouse while I simultaneously type on the keyboard. And both of those things already take way too much effort.
So how's about this? Why not just cut off my head, sustain it, drop it in a Futurama-esque bowl, and let me control some cybornetic body that requires absolutely no effort whatsoever? And I want endorphins pumped straight into my brain. Tons of 'em. I want to be happy all the time with no work whatsoever and for no reason at all.
And then I realize... "Hey, I actually like being busy, having to do things, and being active. Being totally lazy would be a real drag."
So get up and go do something today. You can be lazy and watch the world go by when you're decrepid. In the words of Michael King, "Carpe the day, baby!"
Could someone please invent something to mow my yard?
And please clean my dishes too?
Roomba's nice,
So how about we get the price to just a buck or two?
Okay, stop. Writing poetry is hard. It has to rhyme and junk. Let's switch over to just normal stuff, shall we? I figure that requires enough little neurons firing already.
Honestly, how much time in the day is spent with the mundane, ordinary, every day, [insert additional adjective meaning the same, redundant thing] chores around the house? No, I don't want to do my laundry anymore. I have things to do. No, I don't want to pressure wash the deck, nor does water sealing it sound like a splendid, good time. I just want to sit on my fat, lazy butt and play Mortal Kombat all day, every day, without fail. I may spend the caloric output needed to switch over to Hulu and watch reruns of The Office... but that's my limit!
Seriously... I don't want to feed the dogs. I don't want to water them. I don't want to do groceries, or drive, or take a walk just because my calf muscles are deteriorating. Machines should be able to do that. And I don't want to chew my Big Mac just to be able to enjoy it before washing it down with a vanilla shake (and mighty nice whipped cream may I add) - is there not some blasted machine that can get that pumped straight to the right taste buds for my enjoyment?
Ugh, I don't want to go on dates or get to know women. They should just love me for the blob of glory that I am. Honestly, there should be a line at my door right now of hot, athletic, genius women. I have no idea why that isn't happening. And I would rather like it if vegetables would grow straight out of the ground with no effort whatsoever. I mean, what was God thinking when He failed to realize that filet mignon plants should sprout like dandelions all around my fence? Of course, you know if He did, He'd forget to have 'em medium rare... you'd probably have to actually cook the darn things.
I just want to lay in a waterbed and never get up. Just let me control Pacman with eye movements and have everything handed to me on a silver - nay - platinum tray. I want to be bathed and scrubbed by a Honduran maid from a bucket of pure Perrier. I want to be lavished with exotic delicacies and pulled in a beautiful carriage by a herd of wild zebras. And you know what? While we're at it, I want a tail. A glorious, wonderful tail so that I can control a mouse while I simultaneously type on the keyboard. And both of those things already take way too much effort.
So how's about this? Why not just cut off my head, sustain it, drop it in a Futurama-esque bowl, and let me control some cybornetic body that requires absolutely no effort whatsoever? And I want endorphins pumped straight into my brain. Tons of 'em. I want to be happy all the time with no work whatsoever and for no reason at all.
And then I realize... "Hey, I actually like being busy, having to do things, and being active. Being totally lazy would be a real drag."
So get up and go do something today. You can be lazy and watch the world go by when you're decrepid. In the words of Michael King, "Carpe the day, baby!"
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Alpocalypse: A Review
Weird Al Yankovic's latest album (five years in the making) is a tremendous achievement of comedy and style. Whereas most comedy music acts need to use some level of shock to add humor to their prose, Yankovic is able to carry an entire album on ideas that easily make the PG label. Whereas the group Lonely Island sings songs about sexual acts or lyrics about being on a boat that receives a good deal of its comedy from gratuitous profanity, Weird Al can transform Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me" into "TMZ" and craft a clever bit of lyrics that will keep its value as long as TMZ does. That's not to say that other styles of comedy music aren't funny... it's just to say that Weird Al remains in another stratosphere because of his self-handicapping (which in turn makes his music less dated).
So here's a quick rundown of each song on the album:
1. "Perform This Way" (Parody of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way") - While the song is supposed to be the major hit on the album, the quality of the upcoming video for the song will really be what determines how far this one goes. The lyrics aren't up to par with "White and Nerdy," but to be fair, there just aren't enough lyrics in the original song to give Yankovic a chance to change things enough. It's an interesting choice for his big single, but if the video is excellent (and there's plenty of subject material) then it'll be golden.
2. "CNR" - CNR is one of the weaker songs in this latest offering. It essentially takes the Chuck Norris joke idea to melody and suffers Walker Texas Ranger for Charles Neslon Riley. It might be funnier if the Chuck Norris jokes on the web weren't already (mostly) funnier than what is in the song. The other problem is that "CNR" is such a niche celebrity that many listeners won't be familiar with the subject of the song, thus making it much less funny. As a send up of Riley, the song is nice.
3. "TMZ" - Here is an excellent bit of lyrics, showing that when Al has a bevy of words to work with, he can do wonders. Everything here is crisp and catchy, with a wonderful two-sided mocking of both TMZ and celebrities that switches late song. The song is one of the best on the album.
4. "Skipper Dan" - A major departure for Yankovic, this little diddy is extremely subtle in its humor. Chances are it won't be a major hit by any means, but I came away feeling it's the best song on the album. If you've ever felt you weren't acheiving your potential and/or you've been on the Jungle Cruise ride in a Disney Park, you'll come away from this song appreciating that Weird Al knows how to be funny without being in yoru face. It's a superb mocking of anybody who has to be repetitious in their job... melancholy comedy at its best. Is it possible for a song about Adventureland to be border-line emo?
5. "Polka Face" - A polka medley of recent hits by various artists. It's another nice polka from Weird Al, with several songs being particularly funny in this format ("I Kissed a Girl" and "Blame It").
6. "Craigslist" - Never has Yankovic ever done a style parody this well. In a total send-up of The Doors, Al mimmicks Jimmy Henderson with great flair, even getting The Doors' keyboardist to join in on the recording. The material here isn't nearly as funny as Al can be, but in an odd twist, the skill in replicating the original band makes the track pass with flying colors.
7. "Party in the CIA" (Parody of "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus) - The weakest of the parodies on the album, the song takes a different turn for Al by being very slightly political. It's catchy, it's funny, and on most albums it would be considered excellent. The problem is this is from the Prince of Parody... so it simply can't hold its own against other great additions on this collection.
8. "Ringtone" - It's in the style of Queen. It sucks. I'm sorry, this song just isn't very good at all. The lyrics aren't funny, the music is somewhat grating, and that's all there is to it. In every good album, there's gotta be one stinker.
9. "Another Tattoo" (Parody of "Nothing on You" by B.o.B. featuring Bruno Mars) - The best parody on the album is the ninth track on the disc. It's tremendous. Al is at his best when he takes a song with few lyrics and can turn it into something totally different that could be a comedy song all on its own, even if it wasn't a parody. This one matches the criteria. The song mocks those with a mass-tattoo fetish, and it does so marvelously. There are so many little jokes in this song that the average person may miss on the first listen.
10. "If That Isn't Love" - One of Al's very best original songs ever. I'd tell you more about it, but you need to listen to it without any spoilers. The first few lines are the worst of the song, and that means it's only going to get better and better... and that's a sign of a great, great comedy song.
11. "Whatever You Like" (Parody of "Whatever You Like" by T.I.) - It's okay. An average parody that doesn't feature the crisp lyrics Al is known for. It's decent enough, but again, the potential for the video means it may really work well on YouTube.
12. "Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me" - The last song is a wonderful crescendo. Honestly, it's just a beautiful, beautiful piece of humor that really shows that Weird Al Yankovic is the best in the genre he practically created. It begins like a wedding song arrangement and just keeps getting better and better and better. Tremendous.
And there's my review that went much longer and much more in-depth than I had intended.
So here's a quick rundown of each song on the album:
1. "Perform This Way" (Parody of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way") - While the song is supposed to be the major hit on the album, the quality of the upcoming video for the song will really be what determines how far this one goes. The lyrics aren't up to par with "White and Nerdy," but to be fair, there just aren't enough lyrics in the original song to give Yankovic a chance to change things enough. It's an interesting choice for his big single, but if the video is excellent (and there's plenty of subject material) then it'll be golden.
2. "CNR" - CNR is one of the weaker songs in this latest offering. It essentially takes the Chuck Norris joke idea to melody and suffers Walker Texas Ranger for Charles Neslon Riley. It might be funnier if the Chuck Norris jokes on the web weren't already (mostly) funnier than what is in the song. The other problem is that "CNR" is such a niche celebrity that many listeners won't be familiar with the subject of the song, thus making it much less funny. As a send up of Riley, the song is nice.
3. "TMZ" - Here is an excellent bit of lyrics, showing that when Al has a bevy of words to work with, he can do wonders. Everything here is crisp and catchy, with a wonderful two-sided mocking of both TMZ and celebrities that switches late song. The song is one of the best on the album.
4. "Skipper Dan" - A major departure for Yankovic, this little diddy is extremely subtle in its humor. Chances are it won't be a major hit by any means, but I came away feeling it's the best song on the album. If you've ever felt you weren't acheiving your potential and/or you've been on the Jungle Cruise ride in a Disney Park, you'll come away from this song appreciating that Weird Al knows how to be funny without being in yoru face. It's a superb mocking of anybody who has to be repetitious in their job... melancholy comedy at its best. Is it possible for a song about Adventureland to be border-line emo?
5. "Polka Face" - A polka medley of recent hits by various artists. It's another nice polka from Weird Al, with several songs being particularly funny in this format ("I Kissed a Girl" and "Blame It").
6. "Craigslist" - Never has Yankovic ever done a style parody this well. In a total send-up of The Doors, Al mimmicks Jimmy Henderson with great flair, even getting The Doors' keyboardist to join in on the recording. The material here isn't nearly as funny as Al can be, but in an odd twist, the skill in replicating the original band makes the track pass with flying colors.
7. "Party in the CIA" (Parody of "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus) - The weakest of the parodies on the album, the song takes a different turn for Al by being very slightly political. It's catchy, it's funny, and on most albums it would be considered excellent. The problem is this is from the Prince of Parody... so it simply can't hold its own against other great additions on this collection.
8. "Ringtone" - It's in the style of Queen. It sucks. I'm sorry, this song just isn't very good at all. The lyrics aren't funny, the music is somewhat grating, and that's all there is to it. In every good album, there's gotta be one stinker.
9. "Another Tattoo" (Parody of "Nothing on You" by B.o.B. featuring Bruno Mars) - The best parody on the album is the ninth track on the disc. It's tremendous. Al is at his best when he takes a song with few lyrics and can turn it into something totally different that could be a comedy song all on its own, even if it wasn't a parody. This one matches the criteria. The song mocks those with a mass-tattoo fetish, and it does so marvelously. There are so many little jokes in this song that the average person may miss on the first listen.
10. "If That Isn't Love" - One of Al's very best original songs ever. I'd tell you more about it, but you need to listen to it without any spoilers. The first few lines are the worst of the song, and that means it's only going to get better and better... and that's a sign of a great, great comedy song.
11. "Whatever You Like" (Parody of "Whatever You Like" by T.I.) - It's okay. An average parody that doesn't feature the crisp lyrics Al is known for. It's decent enough, but again, the potential for the video means it may really work well on YouTube.
12. "Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me" - The last song is a wonderful crescendo. Honestly, it's just a beautiful, beautiful piece of humor that really shows that Weird Al Yankovic is the best in the genre he practically created. It begins like a wedding song arrangement and just keeps getting better and better and better. Tremendous.
And there's my review that went much longer and much more in-depth than I had intended.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
The Sky's the Limit
For the past two days, I read the final copy of "The World Breaker: Limited First Edition" from cover to cover... not as an author, not as an editor, but finally for entertainment. I suppose this was the sixth or seventh time I had read the story, but my first time reading it in the final form. Thank goodness it is so good.
I began writing "The World Breaker" in December of 2010. In April of 2011 I had finished the story and began the editing process with a team of literary assistants. Although we decided on the July 1st deadline, I quickly realized that we would be pushing it to have the book available in time. After all, some people take years to write a novel... this would be less than seven months. Still, time is valuable and every day a missed opportunity, so I went about working as hard and as dilligently as I could to finish on time. The book was all in my head, it was just a matter of getting it on paper. At one point, Joe Ellis and I were up until 2 AM working to make a deadline. Writing the book truly became my second, full-time job.
So it is with great satisfaction that I have come to the conclusion of that work. It's not conclusion in that I'll never write again... actually I'll start on the sequel in full force a week into July. It's that there is a finished product sitting behind me right now. It's great. My goal originally had been to write something that was Best Seller worthy, even if it didn't sell ten copies. Well, right now we've made that goal - the book is an amazing story, 110,000 words long, about a man who has nearly lost everything in his life and his reclamation of who he is as he works for a company about to change the world through a new virtual reality system. It's deep, it's fun, it has tons of action, it has romance... it's a tour de force. Don't believe me? Buy it and see. I can say all these things now because I have finally read it in its final form, and I am proud of it. It takes a lot for me to be proud of something.
I now have some idea of what I want to do. With the huge potential of this book to sell well if we market it in the right ways and get it in the right hands, I want to be an author. I am an author I suppose. But I want to finish this series, as well as write another series that is in my head. Hopefully they'll be successful and I can use them as a springboard to do other things and use my creativity in all the ways I've had stored up in my noggin. If they don't sell tremendously... well, I can say that I've written a book. And it's a book I'm very proud to have my name adorning.
And that'll do just fine for me, even though the sky's the limit.
I began writing "The World Breaker" in December of 2010. In April of 2011 I had finished the story and began the editing process with a team of literary assistants. Although we decided on the July 1st deadline, I quickly realized that we would be pushing it to have the book available in time. After all, some people take years to write a novel... this would be less than seven months. Still, time is valuable and every day a missed opportunity, so I went about working as hard and as dilligently as I could to finish on time. The book was all in my head, it was just a matter of getting it on paper. At one point, Joe Ellis and I were up until 2 AM working to make a deadline. Writing the book truly became my second, full-time job.
So it is with great satisfaction that I have come to the conclusion of that work. It's not conclusion in that I'll never write again... actually I'll start on the sequel in full force a week into July. It's that there is a finished product sitting behind me right now. It's great. My goal originally had been to write something that was Best Seller worthy, even if it didn't sell ten copies. Well, right now we've made that goal - the book is an amazing story, 110,000 words long, about a man who has nearly lost everything in his life and his reclamation of who he is as he works for a company about to change the world through a new virtual reality system. It's deep, it's fun, it has tons of action, it has romance... it's a tour de force. Don't believe me? Buy it and see. I can say all these things now because I have finally read it in its final form, and I am proud of it. It takes a lot for me to be proud of something.
I now have some idea of what I want to do. With the huge potential of this book to sell well if we market it in the right ways and get it in the right hands, I want to be an author. I am an author I suppose. But I want to finish this series, as well as write another series that is in my head. Hopefully they'll be successful and I can use them as a springboard to do other things and use my creativity in all the ways I've had stored up in my noggin. If they don't sell tremendously... well, I can say that I've written a book. And it's a book I'm very proud to have my name adorning.
And that'll do just fine for me, even though the sky's the limit.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
The Balancing Act
Every good thing is about balance.
Our bodies are a triumph of balance, which we refer to as homeostasis. The earth is life giving only if it is in a state of balance: rotate it off its course from the sun just a wee bit and we're all in for a very long winter or summer. And even a good movie comes down to balance - we want consciously or subconsciously for the story to maintain just the right level of so many different things depending on the genre. In the end, we walk away happy from an experience based on balance.
Take a game of football as another example. In a bad game of football, one team trounces the other and we're all tremendously bored by the second quarter. A good game, on the other hand, is a game in which both teams are nearly equal in their abilities and output, and the result is a game that comes down to the final seconds with a miraculous finish that pleases both the fans and the advertisers. Why was it such a good game? Balance. And take almost anything you like and you'll find that it's level of pleasure can be derived from a good level of balance.
Yes, intense action and near death escapes are fun in the game Halo, and everyone likes barely surviving through your own thumb-twitching skillz. However, keep that pacing up non-stop for an hour and you'll find yourself overloaded from the chaos. Throw it out there in small bursts with more placid interludes in between and you'll be a happy gamer. Balance.
Ever played a game of Super Street Fighter IV? Many of the fighters in that game are referred to as "Upper Tier" while some are referred to as "Lower Tier." Try fighting a good player using an "Upper Tier" character while you use a "Lower Tier" character. The result is usually frustration because the "Lower Tier" fighter lacks the resources needed to fairly defeat the opponent. Switch it up so that both players are using "Mid Tier" characters and you've got something. Balance.
Now wouldn't it be nice if every character in that game were perfectly balanced? Sagat would begin to fear my Hakan, I"ll tell you that (SSFIV people will get that). Or what if every NBA game came down to the final minutes because of true balance and gameplay that encouraged it? What if every book, story, or movie you experienced was perfectly balanced in such a way that you left it feeling that everything had been expertly crafted? And, finally, what if the government could strike the perfect balance between services and reservation, between taxation and the free market, between the left and the right? Well, that would be balance, and that would be good.
It all comes down to balance. Balancing the good and the bad, the fast and the slow, the kinetic and the potential... when you can balance these opposites in any given facet of your life, you achieve the best of what can be.
Our bodies are a triumph of balance, which we refer to as homeostasis. The earth is life giving only if it is in a state of balance: rotate it off its course from the sun just a wee bit and we're all in for a very long winter or summer. And even a good movie comes down to balance - we want consciously or subconsciously for the story to maintain just the right level of so many different things depending on the genre. In the end, we walk away happy from an experience based on balance.
Take a game of football as another example. In a bad game of football, one team trounces the other and we're all tremendously bored by the second quarter. A good game, on the other hand, is a game in which both teams are nearly equal in their abilities and output, and the result is a game that comes down to the final seconds with a miraculous finish that pleases both the fans and the advertisers. Why was it such a good game? Balance. And take almost anything you like and you'll find that it's level of pleasure can be derived from a good level of balance.
Yes, intense action and near death escapes are fun in the game Halo, and everyone likes barely surviving through your own thumb-twitching skillz. However, keep that pacing up non-stop for an hour and you'll find yourself overloaded from the chaos. Throw it out there in small bursts with more placid interludes in between and you'll be a happy gamer. Balance.
Ever played a game of Super Street Fighter IV? Many of the fighters in that game are referred to as "Upper Tier" while some are referred to as "Lower Tier." Try fighting a good player using an "Upper Tier" character while you use a "Lower Tier" character. The result is usually frustration because the "Lower Tier" fighter lacks the resources needed to fairly defeat the opponent. Switch it up so that both players are using "Mid Tier" characters and you've got something. Balance.
Now wouldn't it be nice if every character in that game were perfectly balanced? Sagat would begin to fear my Hakan, I"ll tell you that (SSFIV people will get that). Or what if every NBA game came down to the final minutes because of true balance and gameplay that encouraged it? What if every book, story, or movie you experienced was perfectly balanced in such a way that you left it feeling that everything had been expertly crafted? And, finally, what if the government could strike the perfect balance between services and reservation, between taxation and the free market, between the left and the right? Well, that would be balance, and that would be good.
It all comes down to balance. Balancing the good and the bad, the fast and the slow, the kinetic and the potential... when you can balance these opposites in any given facet of your life, you achieve the best of what can be.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
My Prime Is Always Today and Tomorrow
"You can be anything you want to be."
"Shoot for the stars."
"America is the land of opportunity, where a person always has a chance as long as they have an idea."
Those are a couple of generic quotes that I'm sure we've heard in some version for a very long time. In the United States, many of us are practically raised hearing these things. Yet at some point most of us cease to believe in them any more. We give in to the monotony of life, and the belief that good enough is enough. We succumb to the every day, we become drones, and we follow the same routine with the same dreams without the desire to break free. I refuse to do so, and I hope you do too.
The world needs dreamers. Maybe the dreams won't come true, but if enough of us are trying to break the mold with visions that will enhance and impact the world around us, then surely some of those dreams will become "dream come trues" for all the rest. Why should we ever give in to the "same old same old"? Nothing drives me more crazy than to hear that high school or college are the best days of your life. "Alright then," I think... "I guess it's all down hill from there."
But it's not. It doesn't have to be.
Every day is a new adventure - every week a new chance to set an objective and to go for it. There are enough people who are satisfied. I don't think I will ever be satisfied, and I don't want to be. My prime is today. My prime is tomorrow. It will never be in the past, because I will always be a sentient, conscious person moving forward to a brighter future whether in this world or the next. Yesterday is gone, but I have today and I'm being gifted tomorrow. Why waste them? So life hasn't always treated me fairly - why throw in the towel? So tomorrow may be hard - why give in? So life in this moment is painful - isn't pain fleeting? Who is to say that my silver ship won't go sailing tomorrow? We don't plant splendorous oak trees today - we plant saplings. But those saplings in time turn into grandiose canopies of green, towering up and over us. But if we do not plant now, in time we will see no fruition from our lack of effort.
Be passionate,
Jusin Frazier
"Shoot for the stars."
"America is the land of opportunity, where a person always has a chance as long as they have an idea."
Those are a couple of generic quotes that I'm sure we've heard in some version for a very long time. In the United States, many of us are practically raised hearing these things. Yet at some point most of us cease to believe in them any more. We give in to the monotony of life, and the belief that good enough is enough. We succumb to the every day, we become drones, and we follow the same routine with the same dreams without the desire to break free. I refuse to do so, and I hope you do too.
The world needs dreamers. Maybe the dreams won't come true, but if enough of us are trying to break the mold with visions that will enhance and impact the world around us, then surely some of those dreams will become "dream come trues" for all the rest. Why should we ever give in to the "same old same old"? Nothing drives me more crazy than to hear that high school or college are the best days of your life. "Alright then," I think... "I guess it's all down hill from there."
But it's not. It doesn't have to be.
Every day is a new adventure - every week a new chance to set an objective and to go for it. There are enough people who are satisfied. I don't think I will ever be satisfied, and I don't want to be. My prime is today. My prime is tomorrow. It will never be in the past, because I will always be a sentient, conscious person moving forward to a brighter future whether in this world or the next. Yesterday is gone, but I have today and I'm being gifted tomorrow. Why waste them? So life hasn't always treated me fairly - why throw in the towel? So tomorrow may be hard - why give in? So life in this moment is painful - isn't pain fleeting? Who is to say that my silver ship won't go sailing tomorrow? We don't plant splendorous oak trees today - we plant saplings. But those saplings in time turn into grandiose canopies of green, towering up and over us. But if we do not plant now, in time we will see no fruition from our lack of effort.
Be passionate,
Jusin Frazier
Friday, May 13, 2011
Believing in Hope
The world is a great big place full of great big and beautiful things. Sunny-soaked mountain sides, inspirational rivers and oceans, corral reefs teeming with all varieties of life... Yet as we see every day, the beauty and splendor of our world also coexists with a darker place, a place of misery and hunger, deceit and destruction. And so it is that, in my opinion, life is only truly wonderful when we focus on the altruistic parts of the world we live in, and work towards a future that reduces the inherited suffering of this place.
We could dwell on the negatives of this world and of this life - indeed, many people do. I believe they're referred to as pessimists or "downers." These people view the world in such a way that they become the victims of it with no hope of ever breaking free. Certainly there are people who would have valid reasons for accepting such a dreary outlook - how can a person with terminal cancer or an impoverished child in Africa see any hope for living in beauty and goodness? But it is possible, and it is possible for the whole world to seek better and better lives for all our citizens of this globe we're flying on. There is always hope. Even in the darkest of all storms, hope abounds. And it abides in those who choose it beyond all obstacles, all risks, all probabilities, and all the darkness they face.
Even in failure and defeat there is hope. Even in the end, there is hope. In all times, in all places, and in all people... hope can endure. And so I choose to live my life on the sunny-soaked mountain tops. I choose to live my life seeking the good in this world and the good in other people. Come what may, come whatever pains I must deal with, come whatever disease or heartbreak, sadness and disappointment, setbacks and sacrifices - through it all I will look for hope. Because in every single thing, there is opportunity. In every single thing there is a chance. And in every dark moment, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
So let's go explore this world, facing it with bravado and excitement, in spite of the negatives that exist in it. There are simply too many wonderful things to miss if we don't.
We could dwell on the negatives of this world and of this life - indeed, many people do. I believe they're referred to as pessimists or "downers." These people view the world in such a way that they become the victims of it with no hope of ever breaking free. Certainly there are people who would have valid reasons for accepting such a dreary outlook - how can a person with terminal cancer or an impoverished child in Africa see any hope for living in beauty and goodness? But it is possible, and it is possible for the whole world to seek better and better lives for all our citizens of this globe we're flying on. There is always hope. Even in the darkest of all storms, hope abounds. And it abides in those who choose it beyond all obstacles, all risks, all probabilities, and all the darkness they face.
Even in failure and defeat there is hope. Even in the end, there is hope. In all times, in all places, and in all people... hope can endure. And so I choose to live my life on the sunny-soaked mountain tops. I choose to live my life seeking the good in this world and the good in other people. Come what may, come whatever pains I must deal with, come whatever disease or heartbreak, sadness and disappointment, setbacks and sacrifices - through it all I will look for hope. Because in every single thing, there is opportunity. In every single thing there is a chance. And in every dark moment, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
So let's go explore this world, facing it with bravado and excitement, in spite of the negatives that exist in it. There are simply too many wonderful things to miss if we don't.
Friday, May 6, 2011
The Sport of Story
In every game there are rules and strategies that exist in order to make the competition fair, compelling, and concise. In checkers, the rules are simple and well defined. In American football, the rules are quite complicated, but only in order to maintain a strict order of play which results in quick bursts of high-intensity sport. In order to be most successful at any game, unless it is a game of total chance, one must know the rules and apply them in a way better than the opponent in order to win. For example, the master chess player is able to apply the rules of the game many, many steps ahead of the current positioning of the pieces in order to imagine all possible scenarios and in what way he may best place his offense and defense. If the player is able to do this in a better way than the opponent, the player is more likely to end the game victoriously.
I was discussing a game called "Rook" with acquaintances recently. The acquaintances had variations on the set of rules for the card game which I found to be detrimental to the cohesiveness of the strategy of the game. One such rule variance they played with was created so that a weak hand of cards could still be powerful - by failing to do any positive thing at any point throughout the dealt hand, a player who bid "low" would earn a very significant number of points. Unfortunately, this idea was a poor concept because it rewarded failure. The player with the terrible set of cards did not need to apply any mental prowess to the game if they chose to try to fail, they simply needed to play poorly with an already poor hand. Whereas the person who bid normally needed to apply great levels of intellect in determining how to gather the necessary amount of points in the game, the player bidding "low" could earn a nearly identical number of points by losing in the worst possible way. Because of this variant concept, the strategies which make the game of Rook so compelling were deluted.
Writing a novel is much like creating the rules of a sport or a game. The novel has certain key points that the reader wants from the novel in order to be entertained. Applying the points is necessary, but the reader also wants those points given to them in an interesting and semi-unique manner in order to keep their focus piqued. They want to be entertained in the same way that the participant in the game of Rook wants to be entertained, and just as the spectator of an American football game seeks entertainment. In the novel, the reader wants to identify with the characters, they want to resolve a major issue, and they want consistency in the crafted universe. The reader wants a plethora of appropriate and accurate words so that they do not bore with the vocabulary - the reader wants to be surprised with the story in a way that makes sense and can be understood looking back. But the truly good books do not simply follow those basic rules... the truly great novel looks to go for two points in the end, or to shoot the moon. And in the literary world, that means that the novel seeks to answer or call into question major life issues; and thus, the reader walks away more enlightened, and more keen from the experience.
And what are the rules for writing a really terrific blog? Well, I'll figure that out as I continue to add additional entries... and if this one isn't exactly mindblowing or worthy of acclaim, it may be because it's 3:30 am and I need to make it another 16 hours without going to sleep. Yikes.
I was discussing a game called "Rook" with acquaintances recently. The acquaintances had variations on the set of rules for the card game which I found to be detrimental to the cohesiveness of the strategy of the game. One such rule variance they played with was created so that a weak hand of cards could still be powerful - by failing to do any positive thing at any point throughout the dealt hand, a player who bid "low" would earn a very significant number of points. Unfortunately, this idea was a poor concept because it rewarded failure. The player with the terrible set of cards did not need to apply any mental prowess to the game if they chose to try to fail, they simply needed to play poorly with an already poor hand. Whereas the person who bid normally needed to apply great levels of intellect in determining how to gather the necessary amount of points in the game, the player bidding "low" could earn a nearly identical number of points by losing in the worst possible way. Because of this variant concept, the strategies which make the game of Rook so compelling were deluted.
Writing a novel is much like creating the rules of a sport or a game. The novel has certain key points that the reader wants from the novel in order to be entertained. Applying the points is necessary, but the reader also wants those points given to them in an interesting and semi-unique manner in order to keep their focus piqued. They want to be entertained in the same way that the participant in the game of Rook wants to be entertained, and just as the spectator of an American football game seeks entertainment. In the novel, the reader wants to identify with the characters, they want to resolve a major issue, and they want consistency in the crafted universe. The reader wants a plethora of appropriate and accurate words so that they do not bore with the vocabulary - the reader wants to be surprised with the story in a way that makes sense and can be understood looking back. But the truly good books do not simply follow those basic rules... the truly great novel looks to go for two points in the end, or to shoot the moon. And in the literary world, that means that the novel seeks to answer or call into question major life issues; and thus, the reader walks away more enlightened, and more keen from the experience.
And what are the rules for writing a really terrific blog? Well, I'll figure that out as I continue to add additional entries... and if this one isn't exactly mindblowing or worthy of acclaim, it may be because it's 3:30 am and I need to make it another 16 hours without going to sleep. Yikes.
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