The Vice Principal is taking in all of the Honors English people and interviewing them about Mr. P. He asked us questions about the girl who reported to the Principal, and about how Mr. P apparently singled her out. I don’t remember if this happened or not, but it does sound vagueley familiar…
I sent Mr. P an email of encouragement. I think he appreciated it.
Stay tuned for updates.
Half-Life 2 Goldeneye mod available on Christmas Day
Back in September we brought you word of some enterprising gamers’ attempts to recreate Goldeneye as a mod for Half-Life 2. Development has been progressing on the efforts to create Goldeneye:Source and there’s good news—for people interested in testing and helping with the mod, alpha release is just around the corner.
As a Christmas present to the gaming community, the alpha release will be available on the 25th December, and (according to its website) will include:
We’ve also uncovered word of a Perfect Dark 2 source mod; despite this age of high-definition sequels, sometimes the classics have as much allure as ever.
[Update - there’s also a Perfect Dark: Source mod; thanks, Tarek]
[Via Joystiq]
I sooo wish I could get this game… Friggen awesome… imagine how awesome it would be to play these old N64 games with Half Life 2 graphics. I wish I could play it…
Ebert: video games inherently inferior to film and literature
Roger Ebert is arguably the world’s best-known movie critic, but his knowledge of video games appears to be nominal at best (and blatantly ignorant at worst).
Consider his online response (3rd question down) to a fan who asks why Ebert won’t broaden his horizons for games as he has for comic books and animation: “Yours is the most civil of countless messages I have received after writing that I did indeed consider video games inherently inferior to film and literature. There is a structural reason for that: Video games by their nature require player choices, which is the opposite of the strategy of serious film and literature, which requires authorial control.”
The second paragraph of his response demands direct quotations as well: ”[T]he nature of the medium prevents it from moving beyond craftsmanship [however elegant or sophisticated] to the stature of art. To my knowledge, no one in or out of the field has ever been able to cite a game worthy of comparison with the great dramatists, poets, filmmakers, novelists and composers…. for most gamers, video games represent a loss of those precious hours we have available tomake ourselves more cultured, civilized and empathetic.”
Wait, so Roger Ebert is unfamiliar with the linear storylines and cutscene extravaganzas already cliched in console RPGs these days? Has no one deigned to show him a Metal Gear Solid or even the original Xenosaga yet? Or did those wacky endings in fighting games turn him off from the possibility of games with cinematic storytelling forever?
[Via Joystiq]
My Thumb is Down
I remember when I was watching Ebert and Roeper once, they were reviewing Resident Evil: Apocalypse. Ebert said “This movie is based on a video game, so I suggest buying the video game and boring yourself instead of paying this movie to do it for you.” That really rubs me the wrong way. I understand why he wouldn’t want to play video games, but to insult them without research is unprofessional. Ebert has this attitude of “If you play one game, you’ve played them all.” And assumes that all video games have a plot equivalent to Pong. He really bothers me, but then again, he’s no Jack Thompson.
(also includes a Link to a QT movie) The Pong Clock plays a random game of Pong that goes on for 24 hours at a time � right side wins every minute, left side wins every hour. We�re scratching everything else off our list this year � this is the only thing we want.
This has got to be one of my favoritest stories ever. I WANT one of these. It’s so awesome.
read more | digg story
Never give out your password or credit card number in an instant message conversation. To help prevent infection by a computer virus or worm, never accept or open any file or link in an instant message until you verify its authenticity with the sender.
BRAMILTON says: (10:03:07 PM)
what does ur name stand for
(–Mîké–)Mr Paul is such a L337 H4XX0R (minime283.blogspot.com) Cai says: (10:05:15 PM)
what do you mean?
BRAMILTON says: (10:05:45 PM)
the L337 H4XX0R
(–Mîké–)Mr Paul is such a L337 H4XX0R (minime283.blogspot.com) Cai says: (10:05:54 PM)
lol
(–Mîké–)Mr Paul is such a L337 H4XX0R (minime283.blogspot.com) Cai says: (10:06:03 PM)
“Leet Haxxor”
BRAMILTON says: (10:06:29 PM)
what the fuck is that
(–Mîké–)Mr Paul is such a L337 H4XX0R (minime283.blogspot.com) Cai says: (10:06:57 PM)
its a nerd thing, you wouldn’t understand
(–Mîké–)Mr Paul is such a L337 H4XX0R (minime283.blogspot.com) Cai says: (10:07:04 PM)
you’re too much of a n00b
BRAMILTON says: (10:07:21 PM)
ahah whats a n00b suposed to be
(–Mîké–)Mr Paul is such a L337 H4XX0R (minime283.blogspot.com) Cai says: (10:09:19 PM)
newbie.
(–Mîké–)Mr Paul is such a L337 H4XX0R (minime283.blogspot.com) Cai says: (10:09:24 PM)
It’s a geek insult, see
(–Mîké–)Mr Paul is such a L337 H4XX0R (minime283.blogspot.com) Cai says: (10:09:49 PM)
if someone goes into a game and is like “What’s a spacebar” they’re considered a noob

(–Mîké–)Mr Paul is such a L337 H4XX0R (minime283.blogspot.com) Cai says: (10:09:55 PM)
and they are ridiculed
BRAMILTON says: (10:10:03 PM)
ahhaha k
An amazing Lego project: a gigantic church complete with pews, pipe organ, congregation, glass windows, etc. Check it out!
Blink. Blink Blink. WOAH!1
read more | digg story
Jack Thompson’s Alabama License Revoked.
Controversial attorney thrown off of GTA lawsuit.
Oh wow. Check this out:
In our previous coverage of the trial, we reported that Thompson had voluntarily withdrawn from the case because he felt that the “other side [meaning the trial defendents] wants to make me the issue.” However, Judge Moore, the case’s presiding jurist, issued a stinging 18-page report in which the judge rejected Thompson’s claim of voluntary removal and stated that Thompson was effectively thrown off the case for actions “before this Court [that] suggest that he is unable to conduct himself in a manner befitting practice in this state.” Furthermore, Moore has referred Thompson’s conduct to Disciplinary Commission of the Alabama Bar for “appropriate action.” Such actions could potentially include complete permanent disbarrment from the practice of law in the state of Alabama.
I feel like christmas has come early. Yay.
read more | digg story
Please read part 1 before proceeding forth.
You cannot imagine what the mood was like in english class this morning. It was one of the most unique moments in class I’ve ever been in.
Mr. P starts off the class by saying that he got home last night and then put on some music and then went to bed.
The interesting thing is that you could tell that the whole english class knew what happened yesterday after school with honor’s english. Even though there were only about 7 of us there at the time.
“I have a…meeting…that I might need to go to at 8:45.” Mr. P says. “In fact, I almost guarantee it.”
Then at 8:45 the Vice Principle walked in. The room fell entirely silent. Complete…eerie…tense silence. You have never heard a classroom this silent in your life. Mr. P walks out of the room, and a student passes him a note. It says, “We won’t forget you if you become an unperson.”
After about 30 seconds of silence from when Mr. P left, the room erupted into conversation.
At around 9:30, Mr. P went back in and stunned everyone. He had a smile on his face. He didn’t lose his job, and something is probably gonna be done about honor’s english.
The rest of the message I got from Mr. P was criptic. He said that our ‘I’s would be changed, and that they would be meeting again for two weeks. He said the meeting was with The Principal and Vice Principal and someone from the school district. He said they were meeting again in two weeks. He definately seemed to be in a good mood though. He told us all of our marks and adjusted them through the 10% he got back.
I’m telling you, that class was such an interesting class in the way that Mr. P taught us. He knew that everyone in the class knew what happened, yet he never mentioned one word about it.
Stay tuned for updates.
All right. Now everyone is furious at my school’s english teacher, (for anonimity reasons, we’ll call him Mr. P.) l at the moment. First I’m going to tell you why.
Honors Engilsh is a course at lunch time put on by the principal. It adds 10% to your English mark. When Mr. P heard about this, he was furious. He’s had problems with the principal before, and he’s retiring this year. So he didn’t want the principal to mess up his evaluation.
At the end of class today, Mr. P told all of us in honor’s english to stay behind after class. He explained to us that he’s going to give us an “I” until this whole honors english thing is resolved.
Now a lot of people were understandably upset by this, but if you’re upset at Mr. P, consider this:
I salute Mr. P and wish him the best of luck in this war.
Stay tuned to this blog for updates.
I HATE REALPLAYER!!!
Something I never understood is why Realplayer is as successful as it is, and why it isn’t living in a cardboard box in the gutters of Software city. I dread whenever I download a .rm and .ram file..which requires me to open this horrid program.
The other day, I decided to go and download RealPlayer8. When I went to install it, The following message popped up:
Your current volume has 0 kb available. You need 9874 kb.
Wow. My hard drive has 0 kb and it’s still running. Now THAT’S an accomplishment.
So anyways, What I do next is decide to download Realplayer 7. Who cares if the version is one less? Well then it can’t create a folder in the preferences. It doesn’t say WHY it can’t create this particular folder, just says that it can’t. After all, why should you, the user, know exactly why the installer is incompetent of doing a simple task?
So then I go to the Real support forums. I type up the problems I had with installing RealPlayer 8 and 7 and then submit it to the support forums. What an interesting place that is. When I check back the next day, there is no response, but one of the Real Player employees fixed some errors I made in the post. Thanks, Real, thanks.
Another thing that’s interesting is the actual posts on the support forums. It seems I’m not the only one who is having problems with this program:
So when I finally find out what’s wrong, something that has not bothered any other program I have ever installed but bothers RealPlayer in particular…and then I run the program.
Ouch.
The program is completely and totally covered with digital feces. On the right I have “channels” for things I will never use. I have the filename path, bars underneath and overtop, all over the place. Little useless buttons. The interface is so expensive to your computer that it sometimes laggs terribly while playing video, which is its PRIMARY FUNCTION. Of course, that is just me and my obsolete computer talking, but still.
What is it that makes RealPlayer popular in the first place? Well…the answer is .rm. I am astounded at how well the .rm codec is compressed and yet it still retains its quality. This is probably why RealPlayer has been able to survive all these years. However, with the introduction of DivX, XviD, 3ivX, and other codecs whose names prove the unoriginality of computer programmers, RealPlayer’s time may be almost up.
Keep in mind this whole blog is all about RealPlayer 8, which is 5 years old. I haven’t (fortunately) had to use the new RealPlayers yet, but I have a feeling they’re going further in this direction just by looking at real.com.
