New Games, Old Technology
If you ever want to take a look at the past, just look into some of the downloadable games available on Playstation, Nintendo and Xbox networks. I don't mean the past as in the countless games that are available that were originally on older systems. I mean some of the new games that are using old time technology.
People don't go to download $60 version of a game onto their system. There are still a majority of people that visit the store and purchase the disks. They don't want a large investment like that unless there is something physical in their hands. People are very tactile and still don't trust Cloud gaming or weighing down console memory with a ton of large games.
Instead, they prefer spending $5 or $10 on smaller games that don't have the major whiz bang factor. They may look like something that belongs on PS1 or the original Xbox, but are fun to play for a few hours until you beat it. These smaller games can still be just as fun as the big games, but graphics and sound just wouldn't be as sharp.
Many of these small developers don't spend millions on this games, but more like thousands. Many are labors of love that evolve into something bigger and better. The technology that developed first generation console games is incredibly inexpensive because everyone has moved on to the bigger titles. They can create games for pennies on the dollar. You can't beat great games at rock bottom prices.
Editing Other People's Work
As a writer, we learn a lot about grammar and story development, making us good at editing other people's work. The transformation from writer to editor is relatively painless unless you have a problem telling people the truth about their work, but that's what they pay you for.
I know many writers turned editors in the industry and many of them prefer it over writing. It's certainly less stressful to critique someone else's work than it is to listen to someone critique yours. Editing goes far beyond simply making sure commas a used appropriately.
It also requires that you examine their characters, plot, paragraph mechanics, etc. You need to take what they have and polish it into something that is publishable. You need to take the same care that you would use polishing your own story. In fact, several editors continue writing their own stories on the side.
When the stories become popular or win contests, your reputation as an editor grows. Editors get clients just as much by referrals as anything else. When you have satisfied customers, you have people that will tell their friends.
You may think that editing may not be lucrative, but a good editor can make a decent living. It won't be easy and it may take several years to get your reputation high, but it can be worth it. I guess the moral of the story is if you want to be a professional book editor, don't start by quitting your day job and instead work up to it one project at a time.
The Freddy Evolution
Freddy Krueger is one of those movie monsters that will go down in history. Decades from now people will still be talking about the Dream Warrior and his epic battle with Jason Voorhees. The Freddy that finally faced off against Jason is vastly different than the one that menaced Johnny Depp in the original Nightmare on Elm Street.
When Wes Craven started the series, he infused the character with his own dark sense of humor. Sure, Freddy is a killer and murderer, but he also controls your dreams like some psychotic sandman. Your imagination is actually his playground, so he has all those fears and other little secrets to use as fodder.
In the first movie, the humor was pretty light. They focused on the action, the dreams and his trademark one liners were few and far between. As the series went on, Freddy evolved into what the people wanted. They were tired of the silent killers like Jason and Michael Myers. They wanted someone that was vocal and actually having fun while they did. Robert Englund can be credited for creating many of Freddy's one liners.
There in was the problem. Freddy went from a serious movie villain to a stand-up comic with claws. By the time the series ended, the whole character was tongue and cheek. The reboot brought by the evil of Freddy and as the series continues, I hope they stick with it. There is nothing more pathetic than a horror monster that no one is scared of and is ridiculed and laughed at. You might as well just stick to B-Movies.
The Angel Angle
Supernatural has never been a show to shy away from tough topics or portraying the gray line that always exists between good and evil. Angels have been portrayed as selfish and powerful creatures that would just as soon destroy the planet as save a cat in a tree.
There have been a few good eggs and we came to realize that while there are some bad, there are also many others like Castiel that want to look out for the human race. After the death of literally thousands my evil Cas, it appears the angels are taking a cautious stance with Naomi seemingly as the ring leader.
The angels have always kept their true intentions pretty close to the vest. I can't help but wonder that the endgame is for them and what part Sam, Dean and Cas play in it. We've seen other angels pop up occasionally, but always in minor roles and acting more robotic than anything else.
Naomi is one of the few that actually seems to show some real emotion, but I am still not even sure if she's actually an angel. She does have the ability to control Cas and apparently keep him out of heaven. She also pulled him out of purgatory, so that makes her kind of high up on the food chain. As the mid-season finally wraps up and the next episode that premieres in January seems back on the angel/ demon story line.
I admit that this season is thrilling and I can't wait until I the new episodes come back in January.
The right bra makes all the difference
It has been several years since I’ve bought a new bra, and after shopping for one I remember why. Not only have their prices increased dramatically over the years—especially if you wear my size—but finding one that fits is hell. Every woman I’ve spoken to confirms this. None of us have breast sizes that fit perfectly into any bra, and getting fitted for a bra that completely fits you is so expensive that it’s out of the question. After trying on a dozen or so bras, I found two that sort of fit. They still aren’t perfect, but they are so much better than the old ones that I’ve been wearing that I can tell how much of a difference they make.
My back hasn’t felt this good in ages—and I’m still hunched over my desk writing as I normally do. The right bra makes all the difference, and frankly I’m surprised that we don’t have a new one developed that does more yet. I’ve been reading about female inventors with my daughter lately, and after seeing all the things they’ve invented over the years, I am wondering why no one has invented a better bra in all of these years. How about adjustable cups that you can take in or out with a simple pull of a string? How about a size that fits all with an adjustable band while we’re at it?
I think it might be simple to make a reversible bra with different colors and patterns so you could buy two in one, per se—or maybe even reversible cups you could add to your strap manually, switching out colors and sizes as you need them. Then you could even buy separate cup sizes if you need them, which would certainly help women who are pregnant, nursing, or recovering from a mastectomy. Women who simply have breasts of different sizes—which includes a wide range of women—would also be happy with this!
And while we’re on the topic, why make every bra so damn different that the same size won’t work for every body? Why not make it to where if you try on one size, you’re done with it, so you don’t have to try it on again with a different model? There should be some kind of regulations in place in the garment industry to ensure this—but I suppose that this helps keep the dieting industry alive as well.
Easy no-bake chocolate éclair cake
If you like éclair pastries but would love something even more decadent—and perhaps even more cheap!—an éclair cake may be just the thing you’re looking for. It’s the simplest dessert to make, with no baking involved. I make one for my husband’s birthday every year, and this year it’s already half-gone on his birthday (without my daughter and me eating any of it yet!). Here’s how you do it.
Ingredients:
1 box graham crackers
2 boxes vanilla pudding
1 container whipped topping
3 cups milk
1 container chocolate frosting
Mix your vanilla pudding packages with 3 cups of milk, then stir in your entire package of whipped cream. Lay a layer of graham crackers on the bottom of a baking dish, then spoon half of your pudding/whipped cream mixture on top. Layer another layer of graham crackers on top of that, followed by another layer of filling. Finish it off with a final layer of graham crackers.
Next, put your icing in the microwave (be sure to remove the lid and foil seal if present!) for just a few seconds to melt; 30 to 40 should work fine. Drizzle this over the top of your cake over and over until the container is empty (or until someone in your house wants to lick the bottom half-inch or so!), then place the whole container in the refrigerator. You should keep it there for at least three hours before serving so it will be a smooth, creamy, firm mixture in cakelike form.
When you cut the cake, it’s so soft that a spoon will generally work; the icing, however, usually hardens so you may want to use a knife first before spooning into a dessert dish. You could also drizzle some sauce or a bit of whipped topping on top of the cake—but it’s pretty awesome as it is.
This cake is a perfect project for kids, since it requires no heat or baking. It’s also a good treat in the winter or the summer, since it’s cold and creamy yet chocolaty. For variations, you can always substitute any flavored pudding you like—Oreo might be very good, and chocolate lovers might want to substitute their favorite chocolate pudding—or even add a few spices. I am thinking a swirl of caramel with some sea salt would be pretty amazing, but my husband likes it this classic way, so that’s how we make it this time of year.
Next summer, however, we may have to include some caramel sauce…
Surprises from a yuppie haven
My husband and I used to have an annual tradition of going to Dave and Buster’s for his birthday. It’s an expensive date between dinner and games, so it’s a once-a-year thing. We weren’t able to do it for the past two years, but this year we were fortunate enough to go. We took our daughter with us so it wasn’t much of a date, but he was so stoked that I didn’t even care.
See, there’s the thing: I hate the place. I call it a yuppie haven. I don’t even like the food. The place is crawling with yuppies after work in their suits, sneering at us in our obviously cheaper clothes, and it’s as loud as Chuck E Cheese—a place I don’t care much for, either. But he loves it, so I’m more than willing to go with him. Usually I have a drink, at least, which I can enjoy—but since I was on kiddo duty while he played games, I didn’t do that, either.
So while I was there, rolling my eyes at all of the “yuppies” and still burning over a jerk who cut me off walking in earlier because he was obviously so much more important than my family and I am, I was pleasantly surprised when a woman—who saw my cute child, obviously—came up to us and offered us the tickets she won. I told her thank you, absolutely stunned at the surprise.
Not fifteen minutes later, a man approached us and gave us four game cards with money still on them to play on! Seriously? There was no way I could maintain my disdain for the place when so many nice people surrounded us.
Most days I do try to remind myself of the goodness of people, and of the world in general. This, however, has been one of those trying years filled with familial turmoil and change, which is uncomfortable, to say the least. It’s not even that I don’t embrace change—typically, I am great at rolling with the punches—but this year provided me with some change that I’m really not used to at all, including some “drama,” which I avoid at all costs, and I’m still carrying the effects of this with me. Our evening at Dave and Busters reminded me that I need to have faith in people and that optimism serves so much well than pessimism. Why bother wallowing when you can hope?
All of that said, if I had to eat at a yuppie place, I would totally choose TGI Friday’s instead. Maybe for our January anniversary date…
Radical forgiveness
When humans first invented religion—yes, we invented it; hard to remember, I’m sure—it was mainly to explain the unexplainable. We didn’t have microscopes or telescopes or any scopes, so we made up gods who were much like we were—jealous and horny and angry, only with much more power—who were in charge of these things. Why did Cousin Leon get smallpox, why did the drought hit, why did the invaders take over the land? Easy—the gods made it all happen.
Since we can explain so much more today than we could back then—not everything, of course, but much more—we seem to have turned to using religion for two main things: political control and radical forgiveness.
Most of us know how religion is used as a form of political control—from the Crusades to today’s battles over abortion, gay marriage, and putting the Ten Commandments on every cereal box, it’s a complete joke to believe that there’s any separation of church and state. In fact, thousands of evangelical voters will not only claim they are one—many will also claim that our founding fathers themselves were devout Christians.
The radical forgiveness, however, is something that I’ve only recently become aware of. A friend of mine told me about how a horrible relative of his suddenly became a Christian and everything he’d ever done to hurt his family was finally forgiven—not by them or himself, but by God. So since God says it’s okay and all is forgiven, now he can live with himself and believes he never did these horrible things.
I have been witnessing this very process occurring with someone close to me recently, and while I’m happy that the person now has something to live for, I am still deeply hurt by the past ten years of our relationship and would much rather have some kind of closure, some kind of therapy even, to deal with it rather than this sudden religious presence. It’s like the decade just disappeared for this person, wiped perfectly clean, while every pain still remains for the rest of us. I wish I had a magic potion to make me forget all of it myself, but I don’t, so I’m left still trying to figure this crap out.
It’s up to every person to decide whatever they believe in, of course; I just don’t think either of these things are good reasons to do so.
Boom Boom Cards
My husband was peering over my wish list and generally making fun of it like he always does—while we aren’t doing Christmas for each other again this year, we still like to make lists “just in case” someone wins the lottery or something—and he suddenly scoffed, “What the heck is a Boom Boom Card?”
I could tell from his expression that he was hopeful that the item in question was of a sexual nature, and I could only roll my eyes. “It’s not like that!” I told him. “These are cool cards with ideas for random acts of kindness and other fun things to do on them. They’re whimsical and fun and loving and I want them.”
He could only shake his head, but when he looked them up with me he discovered that he, too, would like to try these cards out. Boom Boom Cards come in all kinds of styles—they have sets for families, teens, every day use, and even a “green” deck. You can check out the different decks and what they could add to your life here. From leaving notes for people to help make their day to mowing peoples’ yards and much more creative ideas, you’ll find them in a deck of Boom Boom cards.
Men in Black III
Men in Black rocked my world. It’s one of the few movies that I can watch over and over again (funny how several of the movies that make that list for me include Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith…), and I absolutely love how grotesque my favorite actor, Vincent D’onofrio, gets for his role. MIB II, however, was so painful that I didn’t even finish it. I love Rosario Dawson so much, but I just couldn’t get into that movie at all.
So I went into renting MIB III with caution over the weekend. Yeah, I had heard good things—but I remembered II’s groan-worthy flow and plot points. I am here to tell you, however, that III does not disappoint and, in fact, builds on the first film in a way that the second movie should have done.
Per the previews, you probably already know that the movie involves J going back in time to save K’s life, and in the process he meets a younger K and learns why he changed so much and is the anti-social old fart he is today. The reason why might bring tears to your eyes as it did me; I audibly gasped, something I didn’t even do while watching The Dark Knight Rises.
But there’s even more aside from the good plot in this movie. I love J and K, and the two were fabulous here—particularly during the past, when they get to know each other as young men. The villain, however, is also stellar here. He gives D’onofrio from the first film a run for his money—Bane from the previously mentioned movie could really take notes from this one—and he was both gross and scary. There were other memorable, fun characters as well, such as an undercover agent otherwise known as Andy Warhol and an incredibly sweet, if a little bit batty, clairvoyant alien sent to help J and K.
As with any other time travel movie, there were plenty of problems—such as if K were killed in the past, how would J have been recruited in the first place to go back and rescue him, et cetera—but overall my husband and I found satisfying answers to most of our questions at some point while we discussed it afterward. Out of all the sequels we’ve seen this year, I think this was my favorite and I would really recommend it if you enjoyed the first movie in the series.