Windows 8: Why Apple users will never be satisfied.

    Windows 8 has been released as a pre-alpha; an incomplete platform for hardware developers to play with. It’s an opportunity for Microsoft to gain a little bit of feedback during a critical stage in its development, while show casing a few of the very daring features prominent in the new release.

    Of course many are unhappy with Microsoft’s goal to bring tablets and desktops into a single system. Though, opinions are like naked bodies, not everybody has worked on theirs enough to be showing it off in public. It’s easy to be critical for the wrong reason. Many seem to take issue with the currently incomplete design because they cling to an ideal that nothing can be better than what the competitor feeds them. I suppose everybody wants to be the underdog, even when that dog is a yappy little punt-able bitch.

    Of these dogs, none are more annoying than the Apple loyalist, not to be confused with the general Apple user, these are a very loud minority of computer users who seem to be happy with the idea of one company controlling their Hardware, Software and Operating system through a complex strategy of selective incompatibility and a manipulative controlling software implementation system. They have all the charm and devotion of a scientologist, but with none of the limitations of being locked up in prison for fraud. They preach for a technological world where Apple can deny the software you can run, hiding behind a myriad of excuses,  never seeming to question why Steve Jobs won’t let other hardware manufacturers take a crack at building more affordable computers, capable of running iOS or OSX without a hack tool. And they are never swayed by the down fall of a third party docking station for their “i” product costing more in licencing fees than it does to produce the hardware itself.

    I don’t want people to get me wrong, I like my “i” device; It’s a great looking tablet that can only play video formats controlled by apple, loaded through their software. I can thankfully browse the internet on the go  using a unchangeable default browser that refuses to run flash, with the push of a few, well thought out, buttons or with one of the unthreatening alternatives that made its way past a list of unfair requirements into the app store. I suppose they don’t have any responsibility to their users, after all, all you need say is that it’s not a computer; it’s just an extension device.

    My point is not to compare, it’s that Apple Loyalist, and people currently looking towards Windows 8 need to sit down and come up with consistent requirements, not only for how they judge a good products, but also in how that product treats it competitors. Will it package all of its amenities’ together, using its quality software to force its lesser products and features down your throat? Will it be affordable with the promise it does not become obsolete within a short period? Can its life be extended through upgrades or its damaged and worn out sub systems be replaced. These things do matter.

    No system is perfect, but there are systems I trust to grow for the right reasons, and I will be openly critical when, what they sell me, does not meet my needs or stifles my choices. I don’t care about trends or popularity; I care about an open and competitive tech industry that remains strong and fair. Do I think what Windows 8 is a win or flop? I stand hopeful, but I refuse to make any concrete judgements until they have reached the final stages of their development.

I Think I'm In Love

Quite possibly one of the greatest land vehicles ever made...

Columbus Thunder and Lightning.

I meant to post this a while back when I was staying in Columbus. In Vancouver, rain is pretty prevalent. Georgia, on the other hand, has less rain, but far more thunder and lightning.

Wordpress Ho!

I have taken it upon myself to convert one of my other blogs over to Wordpress. Rather than choosing a basic theme, I’m implementing a theme so complex that Stephen Hawkins will be calculating the formula to derive how angry I am at this system. I have, in part, brought this upon myself, but i do have to admit, as far as the Wordpress installation is concerned, I had few issues.

Though, I will not be building any themes from scratch, I have become very good at Frankensteining the code from other blogs to twist into something that remarkably has not caused the entire internet to shut down out of pure disgust. Hazah!

On a side note: I have decided to grow some side burns, I find myself slowly looking more and more like David Tennant.

Koran Burning

I always cringe a bit when I talk about subjects like this, but I had to give my 2 cents on the burning of the Koran by a pastor down in the United States which resulted in very violent protests abroad.

Perhaps burning that book was rude, but why are we more hard on the pastor than people rioting? This is 2011; book burning was a tragedy in the past when the information was being erased in that process. But these days, the koran is at no risk of being erased. If I burned a copy of Harry Potter, nobody would give a shit beyond my sister. If I deleted a "Holy" ebook, nobody would flinch. This still comes down to a religion intimidating and bullying to have special status, it’s no different from when they rioted over cartoons being drawn of Mohamed.

Is it bad form? Yes. I had suggested a long time ago that if you want to send a message by showing the book is not something that should be put on a pedestal any more than other forms of fiction, you would be better off burying it and letting it naturally decay, or even reading it, and challanging its ideas using your rational mind. People do need to recognise that the type of groups in the past who have burned books, have done so because they were looking to change history, destroy information and supress others. How ironic that in this situation, it’s the other way around, and to make things more sad, this is incited between two religions, neither one of them capable of learning any of those lessons or even recognising the real problem.

Lets take a second crack at blogging about me...

The problem with the average Joe trying to write a blog is that it often lends itself to zero readerships. Let’s face it, I’m not a celebrity and I have yet to find a way to stand out. Despite this, I will continue writing here, and maybe, with a little luck, I can find a few readers.

I finally have that script idea, or comic, or book; in all honesty, I don’t know what I’m going to do, but the idea stands. I’ve been developing a story that can approach many of the political situations I read about abroad: the rise of the atheist community, the issue of resources dwindling, the class wars, and how the arts are so important to it all. I will be posting updates and eventually making an alternative blog to help focus the project.

The Joy Of Swearing

One of my heroes, Stephen Fry, on the Joy (and necessity) of swearing.

Olympic Protestors Gone Wild.

For many in Vancouver, the Olympics have become a love/hate relationship. I certainly have my part in it as one of the cogs of entertainment with several of the sponsors.

As many have seen on TV, we have a high number of Olympic protestors. I love seeing people stand up for what they believe, but only within responsible and rational limits. Normally I would try to show some understanding, after all, there are 2 sides to most issues, and they have certainly made some valid points in regard to excessive spending and out of control and abusive security measures. And should you not agree with their views, one must at least respect their right to protest.

This would certainly be reasonable if all they were doing was protesting; but these groups have reached the point of a mob mentality, where they seem more driven to smash windows, vandalize and take manipulative measures to hurt the general hard working Olympic volunteers and employees. I was trudging a large bag back from a long day at a gig, and I came across one of these "terrorist mobs", their faces wrapped in scarves, not much different from the sharia law pushing mobs found around the world chanting for violence. Spray painting private businesses and heckling anybody that seemed to be part of the games is not going to help the situation. Having to be contained by very expensive to equip police units is, if anything, is making the issue worse and costing tax payers more. This is not standing up for your rights; this is the desperate ramblings of controlling, spoiled, bullies. Only Canadians have the right to complain; we’re the citizens covering the costs and working around the havoc. Many of these protestors come from other nations and have no right to say what we can and can’t do in ours. There was a vote held for the Olympics, this would have been the time to present your message in a clear and honest manner, and if people were unconvinced, then you need to except that and move on, you are welcome to keep your view and pass it onto the next Olympic protestors.

I'm completely disgusted with the ideology that this is a global responsibility we can shrug off because a very small and noisy minority is bent on using other city issues. If they wanted to see the Olympics run on a more efficient system, go to school for accounting and sign the %$#! up to HELP, because the Olympics are not going away. Don’t blame those that are trying to make the best of it and have a little fun.

Where the Wild Things Are

Many of us remember the book “Where The Wild Things Are”, it was a testament to that feces throwing monkey in every boy.

This movie had a great story, some good performances, fantastic characters and the potential to be this year number one movie. People wanted to love it, and that gave it the ability to reach an audience open to it.

So what went wrong; why did I walk away feeling like the film had broken off a peace of my mind and tried to duct tape it back on? Like many, I didn’t understand why, or at least I failed to have the words. But if I had to break it down, I think it failed with the relationship between the director and character of Max, or at least his ability to share that character with us. Don’t get me wrong, I believe Spike Jonz and Max Records bonded during this film. The behind the scenes footage shows the two of them as very close friends. But what might have been good for their personal relationship, was disastrous for the movie.

I’ll give Spike Jonz credit for climbing into the mind of child, but once in there, he become too comfortable. He failed to understand that the inside dialogue that often goes on in a child’s head, is not something that translates into film. It’s like opening a book, and instead of seeing a refined dialogue, you find your self reading the very fascinating, but still unfinished author’s notes. He failed to guide the actor to separate who he was with who Max was. He was a sketch of Max, when what we needed was a final drawing. And though he could have left in a bit of the raw and real childish mannerisms, he needed to do a better job of choosing the type of inner dialogue that we could all understand. I think it might of helped stay more synchronized with the book.

Despite all of this, I recommend seeing this in theaters; the world Spike Jonze created is awe inspiring. And if you can get past this dialogue issues, what you get to see is a fantastic break down a child’s fears and frustrations. Neither the director or the actors failed to step up, but rather, they needed to step BACK, and try to take a third party perspective to the final product.

The Horror of Build a Bear

Recently I met somebody who works for “Build a Bear”. You know, that place where they take dead, hollowed out, stuffed toys and use their zombie fluff machine to bring them back to life, while at the same time, stealing a bit of our dignity. It suddenly occurred to me, if somebody works for build a bear too long, will they eventually grown teddy bear ears? You know, just like how guys who work in birth control factories eventually grow breasts?

Now that being said, when he grows those ears, is it socially exceptable to comment? I just don’t think I could keep myself from looking at them. And if it is ok, can I set him up in a tent and charge 50 cents a gander to all the Japanese girls into that sort of thing? I don’t want to cause awkwardness, but those girls do like their teddy boys.