A documentary about videogames? In my non-techie town? I believe I was required to go by law.
To summarize: a few years ago some guy breaks the world record for Donkey Kong, which had been set, seemingly in stone, back in the 1980s. Result: all hell breaks loose. It's kind of like when Indiana Jones found the Ark of the Covenant, and the Nazis opened it, only to reveal pissed-off spirits who melted their faces off. Sometimes it is scary to mess with ancient history.
Going into the movie I expected a bit of amusement and nostalgia. As it begins, you might find yourself a bit uncomfortable with your laughter - after all, these people up on the screen are actual people out in the world. But then, then, you are sucked into this ghost world of low res, high scores and 8-bit obsession. Every character is too real to be real. Emotion drips from the screen.
This is a movie you want to watch with other people around. Ideally, you will invite over as many friends as your local fire code allows. There will be cheering. There will be booing. You will pay for the whole seat but you will need only the floor, because, rolling with laughter, that's where you'll be most of the time.
At minimum you need one other person to turn to incredulously as the drama unfolds. And make no mistake - there will be drama. This documentary manages to expose the searing, pure, white-hot tip of pure competition and later you'll realize that your heart raced as if this was a race to the south pole, or the moon, instead of people sitting on stools looking at flashing pixels.
The New England Aquarium has my favorite membership card.
XC skiis, skates, snowshoes, sled, thermos with hot cocoa
On last night's episode of The Amazing Race, teams were rushing around Japan and had the option to either go smell some flowers or go play with some robots. Luckily, one team chose robots, so we got to see some sweet cellphone-robot-soccer action.
Racers competed in a robot soccer game at SYSTEC AKAZAWA, controlling a PLEN model robot (PDF specs), pictured here. Like him? He'll only set you back about $2,400. This makes you wonder how much the tricked out custom robots the other players were using cost. One thing is certain - if the Japanese kids controlling them hadn't had their robots all but dive out of the way of the racers' attempts at goals, that team still wouldn't have be done with that leg of the race.
This segment illustrated the massive robot literacy gap we face here in the United States. Senators - please introduce mandatory robot soccer stadium construction legislation. Do it for the children.
After surviving a colder and snowier than usual December, January 2008 is off to a mixed start. Last week began with piles of snow and then ice ruts from the two feet of snow that fell on New Year's Eve & Day. Friday was my coldest commute yet at 2 degrees F! Out of paranoia I actually over-layered and was too warm. By contrast it is 43 degrees F today (and, the streets are mostly melted clear).
I took the Christmas lights off the bike and stored them for next year. The days are getting a little longer, and we'll see how many days I can stay on the bike this winter. Last year the real snow didn't hit until Feb/March/April!
