As you may or may not know, Obama is going to practice a little diplomacy. In the near future, he is arranging a get together with Professor Gates and the officer who arrested him. The three are going to discuss the situation and the issues it brought forth. Now, I applaud the decision to discuss these crucial and critical topics over beer, but I am disappointed by Obama's choice of a cold one. Professor Gates will be drinking refreshing Blue Moon, the officer will have a cool Red Strip, but Obama is drinking a Budweiser.
Why Obama? Why?
For a man who preaches and practices being green and American created products, why would you choose the giant Budweiser? There are several American microbreweries that would have served as a better choice. Many practice green brewing techniques and make organic beers. Although Budweiser is called the king of American beers, it is not even owned by Americans anymore. It is owned by an international conglomorate. The craft brewers are American owned and American made. They would have been a better choice for this wonderful healing opportunity.
For shame Mr. President. For shame.
Please in the future, use a craft brew. If foreign diplomats are ever in the White House to discuss politics and global issues, share with them a true American beer. One that is made by true American patriots like our forefathers. These men and women have crafted a successful beer revolution, and God bless them!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
We're Having a Heat Wave
Wow. It is hot right now in Stumptown. It is currently 97, and they are predicting it to be in the 100s for a couple of days and to remain in the 90s the rest of the week. As you may, or may not know, Portlanders are not prepared for this kind of weather. Air conditioning is almost non-existent. I do not have it in my apartment, and before today, I did not even have a fan.
To try to beat the heat, I decided I needed some fans. Of course, I am practically broke, so this decision was a big one and involved some banking magic. Luckily, the choice to go to the store was nice because it was air conditioned. I think I should have stayed longer.
Anyway, I now have two fans. I bought a bigger box one to go in the living room. I figure my roommate and I can both utilize that one. Then I got a smaller one for my room. I can move it from by my desk or near my bed dependnig on where I need it more. All I have to do is unplug it. Hopefully, this heat wave does not last too long. Otherwise, I am going to find it difficult to do anything.
To try to beat the heat, I decided I needed some fans. Of course, I am practically broke, so this decision was a big one and involved some banking magic. Luckily, the choice to go to the store was nice because it was air conditioned. I think I should have stayed longer.
Anyway, I now have two fans. I bought a bigger box one to go in the living room. I figure my roommate and I can both utilize that one. Then I got a smaller one for my room. I can move it from by my desk or near my bed dependnig on where I need it more. All I have to do is unplug it. Hopefully, this heat wave does not last too long. Otherwise, I am going to find it difficult to do anything.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Marvel Divas
Yesterday, my roommate's friend shared with me a comic she recently got. It is called Marvel Divas, and it is the first of a four issue series. Based on the cover and my read of it, I would guess the comic is Marvel's attempt at luring in new female readers. To be honest with you, I think the whole thing is just plain goofy.
The comic tells of the relationship among four female B-league superheroes. I have been out of the comic world for a bit, but I do recognize at least two of the characters on the cover: Black Cat and Firestar. The other two heroines are Photon and Hellcat.
Anyway, the story reads a lot like an episode of Sex in the City with a dash of a Lifetime movie. The gals talk about their love problems and sex life to one another. As you can guess none of them are too lucky. At the end of the issue, the comic touches on the realm of Lifetime tearjerker when one of the super heroines reveals she has cancer. It makes the story even more melodramatic, and for an extra punch, the issue ends in a cliffhanger.
The entire comic really does give off a strong Sex in the City vibe. In fact, the main narrator of the comic is a writer. The publishing of her second book is what kicks off the story. I am not really sure what made this sound like a good idea, but hopefully, it works out for Marvel.
The comic tells of the relationship among four female B-league superheroes. I have been out of the comic world for a bit, but I do recognize at least two of the characters on the cover: Black Cat and Firestar. The other two heroines are Photon and Hellcat.
Anyway, the story reads a lot like an episode of Sex in the City with a dash of a Lifetime movie. The gals talk about their love problems and sex life to one another. As you can guess none of them are too lucky. At the end of the issue, the comic touches on the realm of Lifetime tearjerker when one of the super heroines reveals she has cancer. It makes the story even more melodramatic, and for an extra punch, the issue ends in a cliffhanger.
The entire comic really does give off a strong Sex in the City vibe. In fact, the main narrator of the comic is a writer. The publishing of her second book is what kicks off the story. I am not really sure what made this sound like a good idea, but hopefully, it works out for Marvel.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Where Have I Been?
Back in the day, I used to consider myself tech savvy. Back in middle school, I had my own website, and I was reading webcomics in high school. When facebook became available at MTSU, I was quick to join. As soon as I was able to acquire a Gmail invite, I signed up. I used to know what was going on in regards to the web, but apparently I have fallen behind the times. During the past few days, I have discovered so many new things!
On Sunday, Liza introduced me to the world of RSS and ATOM feeds. Thanks to gadgets like Google Reader, I no longer have to surf the web! Everything I care about is sent to one location. I know longer have to wait to see when a webpage will update; I get it automatically. I am sure I am one of the last people to join on this bandwagon, but I am kind of excited. However, I do feel this technology kind of negates surfing the web. Perhaps, I should start stumbling now as well.
For those unfamiliar, Stumble Upon is a website (or some sort of technology... or magic) that sends you to random websites! How cool is that? I do believe it has guidelines as well to direct your stumbling. I have known of it for a while, but I am becoming more intrigued. Apparently, I have been under-utilizing the web lately, but I am discovering new stuff to do... like more social networking websites!
The first one I signed up for is called Readernaut. It tracks what books you are reading, have read, plan to read, abandoned, want, and so on. So far, I am pretty impressed with it right now. Liza and I both signed up for it, but I think you should too! You can find me here.
Then there is 97 Bottles. It is a social networking site devoted to beer. I do believe I have found heaven on the web! It is a way for me to track the beers I try, tell you where I tried them, what I think about them, and more. As of right now, I have not played around with it too much (mostly because I have not drank any beer lately), but I plan to do more with it soon.
If those aren't up your alley, perhaps you might like Dopplr. Dopplr is a way for you to share your travels with friends and complete strangers. I've not played around with it too much, but Liza really likes it. Perhaps you will too.
Now I realize I can do a lot of this on Facebook or Myspace, but I really like having more niche sites. In my opinion, many of the applications on Facebook like these are really buggy and not user friendly. I like being able to share this information with anyone, and most of them have options than available on the big two sites.
Of course, Google is also trying to join in on the social networking fun, apparently. They have created Orkut. I think I noticed it the other day, and my friend, J, sent me an invite for it. As of right now, I have not investigated it, but I probably will in the days to come.
Finally, Liza showed me that Google has their own website hosting and building capabilities. I do believe I am going to create a new site soon. It should be a way for me to share all of my loves and interests in one place. It should have lots of crazy gadgets and what not. I will keep you up to date with the progress. I have some rough plans for it, but I think it will offer me some more options than just a blog.
On Sunday, Liza introduced me to the world of RSS and ATOM feeds. Thanks to gadgets like Google Reader, I no longer have to surf the web! Everything I care about is sent to one location. I know longer have to wait to see when a webpage will update; I get it automatically. I am sure I am one of the last people to join on this bandwagon, but I am kind of excited. However, I do feel this technology kind of negates surfing the web. Perhaps, I should start stumbling now as well.
For those unfamiliar, Stumble Upon is a website (or some sort of technology... or magic) that sends you to random websites! How cool is that? I do believe it has guidelines as well to direct your stumbling. I have known of it for a while, but I am becoming more intrigued. Apparently, I have been under-utilizing the web lately, but I am discovering new stuff to do... like more social networking websites!
The first one I signed up for is called Readernaut. It tracks what books you are reading, have read, plan to read, abandoned, want, and so on. So far, I am pretty impressed with it right now. Liza and I both signed up for it, but I think you should too! You can find me here.
Then there is 97 Bottles. It is a social networking site devoted to beer. I do believe I have found heaven on the web! It is a way for me to track the beers I try, tell you where I tried them, what I think about them, and more. As of right now, I have not played around with it too much (mostly because I have not drank any beer lately), but I plan to do more with it soon.
If those aren't up your alley, perhaps you might like Dopplr. Dopplr is a way for you to share your travels with friends and complete strangers. I've not played around with it too much, but Liza really likes it. Perhaps you will too.
Now I realize I can do a lot of this on Facebook or Myspace, but I really like having more niche sites. In my opinion, many of the applications on Facebook like these are really buggy and not user friendly. I like being able to share this information with anyone, and most of them have options than available on the big two sites.
Of course, Google is also trying to join in on the social networking fun, apparently. They have created Orkut. I think I noticed it the other day, and my friend, J, sent me an invite for it. As of right now, I have not investigated it, but I probably will in the days to come.
Finally, Liza showed me that Google has their own website hosting and building capabilities. I do believe I am going to create a new site soon. It should be a way for me to share all of my loves and interests in one place. It should have lots of crazy gadgets and what not. I will keep you up to date with the progress. I have some rough plans for it, but I think it will offer me some more options than just a blog.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Has Obama Been Watching Chuck?
While reading the paper, I discovered an article about the Obama administration using colleges to recruit future intelligence agencies. Immediately, I thought of the first season episode of Chuck, "Chuck Versus the Alma Mater." In this episode, it is revealed that Chuck's former professor has been recruiting students for the CIA for years. In fact, he was responsible for recruiting Chuck's old roommate.
Well, now it appears the government will actually be taking steps to such a process, and they're looking at basically creating a degree in spying at certain colleges. Students will receive federal funding with the possible stipulation of having to work for a certain agency. They're also basically guaranteed summer internships. The program is still in the planning stages. I have no idea how I feel about this, but I certainly hope they did in fact get the idea from Chuck.
Well, now it appears the government will actually be taking steps to such a process, and they're looking at basically creating a degree in spying at certain colleges. Students will receive federal funding with the possible stipulation of having to work for a certain agency. They're also basically guaranteed summer internships. The program is still in the planning stages. I have no idea how I feel about this, but I certainly hope they did in fact get the idea from Chuck.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Chicago Express: A Review
Since I was a kid, I have loved trains, and I love board games. Therefore, it is logical to assume that I would highly enjoy train games. Unfortunately, up until now, my experience has been limited to TransAmerica and Ticket to Ride. Although light games, I love both of them and count TransAmerica as one of my favorites, but I have craved something more in depth.
Thus around my birthday, I set out to fix this dilemma with a purchase of a heavier train game. At the time I was debating among Age of Steam, Steam, and Chicago Express. During this time I was following the Age of Steam vs Steam drama and was unsure of which to get, so I settled on Chicago Express. Mostly because it was what my local game store had. I do not regret this decision; it is quickly becoming one of my favorite board games.
In Chicago Express, players assume the roles of investors and funnel capital into five seperate rail companies in the hopes of making the most money from dividends. The game features a beautiful map and money and stocks on what I would consider fancy paper. It is a visually appealing game.
One of the unique aspects of Chicago Express is that players aren't a single company. Instead, players all have control over a certain company. Well, as long as they have stock in it. This mechanic encourages a high level of player interaction which is why I love the game so much. You are constantly working with the other players to benefit yourself without benefiting them as much. Sometimes it is fun to use your one share of a stock to run a company into the ground, but for the most part, everyone seems to work together.
When the game begins, there is an initial stock auction for the four primary companies. The last company does not appear until later in the game. After a share has been distributed for each company, the game begins.
During the game, players get to choose from one of three actions: auction, develop, or expand. With the first auction, the player names one of the companies and offers a stock in it. Each company has a limited number of shares and a mininum bid. This bid is based off the income level of the company divided by the number of shares out including the one being auctioned. This formula is also how one calculates the dividends from these stocks.
The second action is developing hexes on the board. Developing allows a player to increase the income level of a company by developing cities or mountains. Forrests are a way to pump more cash into the company.
Finally, players can try to expand the network of the rail company. With this action, players use the capital in the railroad to grow and increas the income level by going to various cities. In another great mechanic, players have to use the money of the company to expand instead of their own. Players money is completely seperate from the companies.
All three of these actions can only be chosen a limited number of times. There are little guages on the board to show the progress of the actions. When the indicator is in the red, players are unable to choose that action unti they are reset. After two guages are in the red, the game pauses for a dividend phase.
During the dividend phase, players recieve revenue from the stocks they own. The amount paid out is calculated the same way the mininum share price is calculated. In both instances, the numbers are rounded up. It helps a little to be decent with math. At the end of the dividends, the guages are reset and play resumes. The game continues until one of several end conditions are met. Usually three or more companies being out of stock or trains to expand with.
In Chicago Express, resources are extremely limited. Each company has a set number of shares and trains. Therefore, players have to constantly struggle with how to expand. If they are too slow to expand, it may be more costly later. Then they will need more capital. To do so involves auctioning more shares which lowers the amount of revenue you might receive because more people become involved in the company of. The entire time playing I sit on the edge of my seat watching everything unfold and trying to plan what to do.
As of right now, I really only have two problems with this game: the box and the length. As for the former, the box is much too big for the game. It looks gigantic, but in reality, it really is not. I would say it is more similiar to Ticket to Ride, but it could have been in a smaller box.
With the length, I feel like the game ends too soon! It can be played in about 45-75 minutes which is actually a huge plus for the game as well. I am just always disappointed when the game ends because I feel like things are really starting to heat up and get super interesting. However, if the game went on much longer, it would probably drag some. Oh well. The positives of this game greatly out weigh the negatives.
Chicago Express is a wonderfully delightful game. It has great components, a decent play time, and with only three actions to choose from, a lovely simplicity. However, it has enough tough decision making to make it highly strategic, involving, and addictive. Without a doubt, Chicago Express is one of my new favorite games.
Thus around my birthday, I set out to fix this dilemma with a purchase of a heavier train game. At the time I was debating among Age of Steam, Steam, and Chicago Express. During this time I was following the Age of Steam vs Steam drama and was unsure of which to get, so I settled on Chicago Express. Mostly because it was what my local game store had. I do not regret this decision; it is quickly becoming one of my favorite board games.
In Chicago Express, players assume the roles of investors and funnel capital into five seperate rail companies in the hopes of making the most money from dividends. The game features a beautiful map and money and stocks on what I would consider fancy paper. It is a visually appealing game.
One of the unique aspects of Chicago Express is that players aren't a single company. Instead, players all have control over a certain company. Well, as long as they have stock in it. This mechanic encourages a high level of player interaction which is why I love the game so much. You are constantly working with the other players to benefit yourself without benefiting them as much. Sometimes it is fun to use your one share of a stock to run a company into the ground, but for the most part, everyone seems to work together.
When the game begins, there is an initial stock auction for the four primary companies. The last company does not appear until later in the game. After a share has been distributed for each company, the game begins.
During the game, players get to choose from one of three actions: auction, develop, or expand. With the first auction, the player names one of the companies and offers a stock in it. Each company has a limited number of shares and a mininum bid. This bid is based off the income level of the company divided by the number of shares out including the one being auctioned. This formula is also how one calculates the dividends from these stocks.
The second action is developing hexes on the board. Developing allows a player to increase the income level of a company by developing cities or mountains. Forrests are a way to pump more cash into the company.
Finally, players can try to expand the network of the rail company. With this action, players use the capital in the railroad to grow and increas the income level by going to various cities. In another great mechanic, players have to use the money of the company to expand instead of their own. Players money is completely seperate from the companies.
All three of these actions can only be chosen a limited number of times. There are little guages on the board to show the progress of the actions. When the indicator is in the red, players are unable to choose that action unti they are reset. After two guages are in the red, the game pauses for a dividend phase.
During the dividend phase, players recieve revenue from the stocks they own. The amount paid out is calculated the same way the mininum share price is calculated. In both instances, the numbers are rounded up. It helps a little to be decent with math. At the end of the dividends, the guages are reset and play resumes. The game continues until one of several end conditions are met. Usually three or more companies being out of stock or trains to expand with.
In Chicago Express, resources are extremely limited. Each company has a set number of shares and trains. Therefore, players have to constantly struggle with how to expand. If they are too slow to expand, it may be more costly later. Then they will need more capital. To do so involves auctioning more shares which lowers the amount of revenue you might receive because more people become involved in the company of. The entire time playing I sit on the edge of my seat watching everything unfold and trying to plan what to do.
As of right now, I really only have two problems with this game: the box and the length. As for the former, the box is much too big for the game. It looks gigantic, but in reality, it really is not. I would say it is more similiar to Ticket to Ride, but it could have been in a smaller box.
With the length, I feel like the game ends too soon! It can be played in about 45-75 minutes which is actually a huge plus for the game as well. I am just always disappointed when the game ends because I feel like things are really starting to heat up and get super interesting. However, if the game went on much longer, it would probably drag some. Oh well. The positives of this game greatly out weigh the negatives.
Chicago Express is a wonderfully delightful game. It has great components, a decent play time, and with only three actions to choose from, a lovely simplicity. However, it has enough tough decision making to make it highly strategic, involving, and addictive. Without a doubt, Chicago Express is one of my new favorite games.
Monday, May 4, 2009
I Wish Lunch Could Last Forever
Last night, I was discussing with Liza my theory on meals. Over the years, I have realized that each meal we eat has a distinct social characteristic. These characteristics relate strongly to time of the day.
Breakfast is the most solitary of meals. For most normal people, it is the first meal of the day, and you are just waking up. If you are like me, you don't have the energy to carry on any sort of conversation. It is a time to get focused on the day and to get prepared. Not to be distracted by people.
On the other hand, lunch is the most social of all meals. It should be enjoyed in a noisy cafeteria surrounded by friends and acquaintances. It is like a mini-midday vacation! Lunch time conversations are always light hearted and never too serious. In college, many of my favorite memories are of eating with groups of people in the cafeteria. In fact, there were times that I had my lunch friends who I never really hung out with outside of the cafeteria. Lunch is the meal that is best enjoyed with other people.
As for dinner, it is the most intimate. It is meant to be spent with significant people in your life: family, lovers, and very dear friends. It is a time to truly get to know someone and reflect about each other. Why do you think dates are supposed to occur in the evening?
Of course, that leaves brunch. To be honest with you, I don't understand brunch. It wants to be breakfast and lunch, but it always turns in to one or the other. Not both. In my case, it usually winds up being lunch. After all, lunch is my favorite meal, and like the Jimmy Buffett song, "I wish lunch could last forever."
Breakfast is the most solitary of meals. For most normal people, it is the first meal of the day, and you are just waking up. If you are like me, you don't have the energy to carry on any sort of conversation. It is a time to get focused on the day and to get prepared. Not to be distracted by people.
On the other hand, lunch is the most social of all meals. It should be enjoyed in a noisy cafeteria surrounded by friends and acquaintances. It is like a mini-midday vacation! Lunch time conversations are always light hearted and never too serious. In college, many of my favorite memories are of eating with groups of people in the cafeteria. In fact, there were times that I had my lunch friends who I never really hung out with outside of the cafeteria. Lunch is the meal that is best enjoyed with other people.
As for dinner, it is the most intimate. It is meant to be spent with significant people in your life: family, lovers, and very dear friends. It is a time to truly get to know someone and reflect about each other. Why do you think dates are supposed to occur in the evening?
Of course, that leaves brunch. To be honest with you, I don't understand brunch. It wants to be breakfast and lunch, but it always turns in to one or the other. Not both. In my case, it usually winds up being lunch. After all, lunch is my favorite meal, and like the Jimmy Buffett song, "I wish lunch could last forever."
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