Decade in Review: 2000s (Part 4)

I started the decade sick as a dog. It is my declaration to leave the decade having fun. I'll be working, I'll be travelling, I'll be taking on things on my own. But I'm determined to have fun at the close of the year, the decade.

To My Friends, Family, And All Others Whom It May Concern: Happy Holidays, have a great New Year.

Decade in Review: 2000s (Part 3)

I saw that the world changed and stayed the same simultaneously. Strangely enough the person I least saw fit to characterize the decade, ended up being exactly so. G.W. Bush for better and for worse was on top of mind of so many people, it's ridiculous. He was the butt of many jokes, had a hand in the aftermath of the 9-11 attacks and the wars he started afterward in Iraq and Afghanistan. Despite everything he was the personification of the decade: Hero or a success one day, Villain or a failure the next. Also see Michael Jackson, Tiger Woods, Alex Rodriguez, Pim Fortuyn, Geert Wilders, Saddam Hussein...

People end up no longer looking up to others in the public eye. They just see a characterization, someone to make fun of. Yet the threshold for getting into the public eye is lower than ever. There's a reality TV show for everything, from building a house, to building a pop start career, to living in a home locked up for six months. Maybe people are just looking for new role models, closer to themselves.

I don't think this decade has it worse than any of the previous ones. Every single one had its own issues, wars, illnesses, tragedies. This time we have had terrorism, SARS, Mexican flu, economic crisis, a new pope, and various ecological and environmental issues. We are no farther and no closer to doom as any of the preceding decades. I'm sure that the next decade will find something new for us to worry about.

I do believe people in general are growing more restless. With all the technological advances we've gotten used to building hundreds of relationships in a short amount of time (cf. Linkedin, Facebook), without actually building relationships. We the people want all our information now and fast, on our mobile (i)phones, and our patience is rapidly declining. Anyone that doesn't follow our tempo, people in other social contexts, people even with differing interests, much less different cultural backgrounds, we don't tolerate anymore. We want our jobs to complete faster, in shorter time frames, at lower costs. We want to roll out our new products and campaigns before the competition does. It is a bloody football game. Everything is a potential conflict. All the while we try to get our governments to set down the rules of engagement, or we try to set an industry standard. So that's where we get our DRM, our policies, our copyrights from.

We are moving faster than is good for us. It takes some time to get used to and this decade is not enough. I'm not sure when we will be enlightened enough to actually handle all the riches we are given, but we are definitely not there yet.

(To Be Continued)

Decade in Review: 2000s (Part 2)

Regarding the big picture, I'm thinking my fundamentals haven't changed a lot in the past ten years. How I used to think the big things in life work, I still think those hold true. I do believe I've gotten better in articulating and selling this in a socially acceptable manner. Also I have the experience, the resources and the status to do so. Unfortunately I also have a far bigger chip on my shoulder than before. I'm more jaded, more cynical.

If my fundamentals haven't changed, it also means my insecurities are the same. Most of the time I can hide these reasonably well, but occasionally they rear their ugly heads. I still think I need an excuse to do anything. But sometimes I have to force that excuse; usually that excuse doesn't appear on its own.

Work has become a big thing in this decade. From starting a career, to slugging through, to achieving success, to having an economic crisis and not knowing if the company as a whole will survive. As it stood, I was always going to end up with a job by the end of the decade. I just didn't know how far up I could go.

There's a distinct segregation between people at my company. I always end up working on a fine line between them, because my background would put me in one group, but I work in the other. It's fun to contrast our groups, and see what we can learn from each other. It's also fun to confront my colleagues with their own behavior, sometimes a little too much.

I've seen people at their best at work, I've seen them at their very worst. I understand the unique trait that my colleagues have, which makes them so good. In cases where most normal people would start panicking, my colleagues stay cool, take action and leadership, and you never think they are out of control. When they are at their very worst however, it's best to stay out of their way...

(To Be Continued)

Decade in Review: 2000s (Part 1)

The 2000s. The decade they don't have a good name for. The Noughties isn't it.

It's a long way since the year 2000, and frankly it's scary how far we've gone. It's scary how far I've gone. Ten years ago I was still in college, I was still on my first mobile phone, and IT still seemed like a good career. Since then I've been beat up, cut open, knocked out, heart broken, and flat out denied. I've also been recognized, celebrated, hired, promoted, and admired. I've fainted, blacked out and fallen down. I've also stood right back up, scaled heights I thought I would never scale, and put myself out there, which I'd never thought I'd do. Above all, I now have a bunch of stories to tell.

In ten years I've gone as far west as Vancouver and as far east as Tokyo. I've danced, and I've won. I've stood in front of my peers and I've entertained, I've sold, I've taught. I have responsibilities, I have a public role. I have a place in the world, which is my own.

I've also forgotten. Names, faces, people, places, events, initiatives. Sometimes even myself. This is tragic, because I promised myself I would never do that. And yet I have, just like hundreds of people I've met and spent time with in the past decade. This is not a consolation. Just an acknowledgement I'm no different, no stronger, no better than the rest.

(To Be Continued)

New Dangerous Road Side Objects Ahead

I might come off a little like the grinch or Scrooge, but they should really do something about all the christmas decorations people are hanging their houses full with. Especially those moving, flashy light thingies. If you're in a car driving past such a home, you can't help but watch. In so doing you completely miss the road ahead of you. I've already hit a speed bump too hard, because I was distracted by some sort of light rain decoration on somebody's front lawn.

Okay, alright. Keep the decorations, but lose the flashy moving stuff. That stuff is just dangerous for drivers all around.

2009 in Review: News

I thought 2009 was best summed up in the following news items:

1) Attack on the Royal Family on Queen's Day [youtube] [official]

Not exactly a "where were you" moment, like the WTC attacks or the slaying of Fortuyn, but a shocking and unbelievable one nonetheless. You'd didn't think such a thing would happen, and then it does. Live on television. Or Twitter, depends on your viewpoint.

2) Michael Jackson dies [link]

This was a "where were you" moment. Also one that finally killed off CNN as a premier news source, seeing them scooped by Twitter, TMZ, LA Times and other internet sites. Also the edit war on Wikipedia's Jackson page was funny as hell. Like tug-of-war, but for nerds.

3) The Stig is Michael Schumacher..! [video] eh... no.

Not a "where were you" moment, but probably the biggest and most unexpected cameo in television history. Nobody, NOBODY saw this coming. It freakin' made the headlines of major newspapers, ten o'clock news, teletekst. It did show what a great sport Schumi really is right now, something you wouldn't suspect him to be when he was still an active driver.

4) WHOSE RESPONSIBLE THIS + KANYE V. TAYLOR @ VMA

Nobody knows these were "where were you" moments, but they truly are. The birth of a meme is a wonderful thing, and when two come along in a short timeframe, it's real damn special.

So, where were you when 2009 happened? "Imma let you finish, but WHOSE RESPONSIBLE THIS?"

My Idea For A Facebook App

Writing small Apps for iPhone, Facebook, MSN, Hyves is booming business now. It's not a big investment, the per-unit revenues are relatively small, but if your App catches on, potentially millions and millions of people will bring cash into your coffer. All you need is a good idea.

So here's my idea, which no doubt already exists in some shape or form, or which will be pilfered the moment I post this.

People always take great enjoyment from setting friends up whom they think would go together well. In the past they would set up a blind date between the two, or bring the two in one space in a convenient get-together.

Now for our internet social networks we could have a similar setup. I have a huge amount of contacts, and if I happen to think that two of them who don't know each other directly, should get into contact, I should be able to link them. That link would contain an invitation to bring the two into a chat, and if the connection is successful, the two would be linked themselves, and I would get credit (and an invitation to the wedding).

The app should be able to track the number of successful / failed connections you made, which tells you how good of a matchmaker you are.

Sure beats spending a tenner per month on a dating site... unless you have no friends, or your friends enjoy setting you up with utter catastrophes.

Best quotes of 2009

"There is no problem about leadership in Italy. The Holy Father tells us what to believe, our teachers tell us what to think and our fathers tell us how to behave." - anonymous Italian businessman

-- Barry Tomalin, Mike Nicks [The World's Business Cultures and How to Unlock Them]

Microsoft's VP of Interactive Entertainment Business in Europe, Chris Lewis, tells GI.biz that the removal of the HDMI cable from the Elite packaging was to enable more "flexibility to consumers who can then decide which type of cable they want for their specific gaming and TV screen set-up." Pardon us, but that's like saying Sub-Zero ripping out your spine gives your body more "flexibility." Of course, the drawback is that you're dead.

-- Alexander Sliwinski [Joystiq]

Greatness is mostly timing, which is mostly luck.

-- Scott Adams [Dilbert Blog]

The only place a software designer would typically prefer a picture over a thousand words is in a museum.
-- Alex E. Bell [Death by UML Fever @ ACM Queue]

"An artist listens to his inner calling and hopes the public agrees. A business person listens to the audience and gives them what they want."

-- Scott Adams [Dilbert Blog]

Transformers 2 on Blu-Ray

Michael Bay really messed up a lot of people's childhood memories. Basically he remade a cartoon show with Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, but forgot the basic tenets that made the show great in the first place. The plot was neither here nor there, the addition of the twins was resoundingly stupid, and the way they randomly introduced and killed off characters made this a spectacular, but ultimately forgettable experience.

Now we've got the Blu-ray... which basically does little alleviate the movie's failings. But why let me tell you, when Topless Robot can do that perfectly well.

http://www.toplessrobot.com/2009/06/transformers_fun_facts.php

http://www.toplessrobot.com/2009/06/actual_genuine_worst_moments_in_transformers_2.php

http://www.toplessrobot.com/2009/06/trs_transformers_2_pre-review_rant.php

http://www.toplessrobot.com/2009/06/tr_review_transformers_revenge_of_the_fallen.php

http://www.toplessrobot.com/2009/06/bonus_robs_transformers_2_faqs.php

2009 in Review: Video Games

The running theme of this year is waiting. All the proper games we want, such as Final Fantasy XIII, Gran Turismo 5, Diablo III, Bioshock 2, Bayonetta, StarCraft II, are all not coming this way until next year. The reasons for this are many and varied. Some games are still mired in development hell, others are scared of major competition, or the economic downturn, or the holiday season and Black Friday.

What we are left with this year are titles like Uncharted 2, Forza 3, New Super Mario Wii, Street Fighter IV, Resident Evil 5, The Sims 3, Killzone 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Dawn of War 2, Ratchet and Clank Future... sense a theme here?

And the one game everybody was afraid of, politicians for its controversial content, game publishers for its ability to completely drown out all other hype, gamers for its cost and lack of PC dedicated servers, Modern Warfare 2 did eventually end up to be the biggest release of the year. Why? I really couldn't tell you. But then again I'm not that big on FPS anyway.

Maybe this year's theme is the discussion about digital distribution. The DRM discusssion has been pulled to the background, replaced by publishers who now have to make the decision whether or not to leave retail channels behind. It's a big decision, because it fundamentally changes the playing field and turns it upside down. I've been buying more online than ever, and it pays off I must say. Retail channels actually have very little added value in this kind of market. The only problem is that I still need to be able to backup whatever I buy. I shouldn't need to buy a game I already bought again if my computer gives up the ghost (and that tends to happen a lot). Maybe cloud computing will help, but do I really want to be so reliant on the cloud?

Also: Windows 7 and the reboot of the PlayStation 3

Top 10 Games I played in 2009:

1. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
2. Killzone 2
3. Warhammer 40.000: Dawn of War II
4. Guitar Hero: Metallica
5. UFC Undisputed 2009
6. Street Fighter IV
7. Red Alert 3 Uprising
8. Batman Arkham Asylum
9. inFamous
10. LittleBigPlanet

2009 in Review: Music

The year in music seems like it lacks its own character. Actually it's been pretty nostalgic, and most of it has to do with the death of Michael Jackson. Everywhere you hear his songs, he's all over the billboard charts, he's at the movies. And yet, it basically left everybody else in the dust. What did the year 2009 have to offer apart from MJ?

iTunes finally getting rid of the DRM was a godsend, and it must have been a huge boost to their bottom line. I finally started downloading music for money, and with me many more people did so. Now I haven't heard any confirmation about those numbers, but I can imagine why these numbers would be terribly inconvenient for record companies to have public. Then they would have to admit that DRM is really hurting sales more than it protects their assets.

And with people saying that music rhythm games are dead, we've never seen as many new releases as this year. Guitar Hero 5, Rock Band Beatles, DJ Hero. I even shelled out for Guitar Hero Metallica. And truly it's a powerful idea that with a little hand-eye coordination you too can rock out with Robert Trujillo... Maybe there's a little market saturation going on. And you know, the fallout of the economic downturn is still taking up headlines, so people might not want to shell out a hundred bucks to buy a plastic drumset.

Finally, I have a new appreciation for J-Pop! You really can't listen to it for long starting off, but there's more depth and quality to it once you get it. And we like Japanese female artists. We do.

Most Valuable Artist 2009: Lady Gaga looks weird, dresses funny, and her songs are eccentric to say the least. I was pretty high on her first song, truly thinking it was going to be her lone and only hit single before dropping back into obscurity. But then she brought out another single, dressed up in a failed christmas ornament, and released another hit single, and then yet another... Now she's joining forces with Miss Sasha Fierce, to becoming the most dominant artist of the year.

Band du Jour: I truly hate reality shows. In fact later this month I'll have an entire post to say something about reality shows. But I think Stereo is hitting high marks, and rightly so. What can I say? Strong female vocals, powerful guitar riffs. That's pretty much all I need. Good enough for me to forgive their transgression of being on a reality show to get formed.

Artist I'm embarassed about liking: Jordin Sparks has this strange gift. She's not exactly what I'd call my type... but she's brought out singles that just manage to stick into your head, and not leave. Same goes a little bit for Nikki, but her body of work is not as great as Jordin's.

Up and Comers: This year I'm high about Paloma Faith (an excellent former iTunes single of the week), Laura Jansen, and Pixie Lott. Okay, I admit that Lott's insanely short hot pants in her debut clip have something to do with it. Raphael Saadiq are also strong new entries this year.

Top 5 singles of 2009:

1. Muse - Uprising
2. Paloma Faith - Stone Cold Sober
3. Kyteman - Sorry
4. Laura Jansen - Single Girls
5. Jordin Sparks - Battlefield

Notable entries for no other good reason but pleasant memories

• Miss Li - Bourgeois Shangri-la (Tokyo / iPod nano Gen. 5)
• Yael Naim - New Soul (Nice)
• Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind (Yankees win the World Series)