The Procedure

I've been searching for this for about eight years now. I found it.

Month End/Quarter End at Work

When the sales teams and marketing teams hit their number we get beer! Not so bad when I've got to stay late tonight!

Mid-Summer BBQ!

Colitis Sucks.

The last two weeks I've been dealing with a stomach parasite. Avoiding the doctor has always been a policy of mine, it will usually takes quite a bit of pain for me to breakdown and go in for a check-up. Recently I've been having a lot of pressure in my stomach and thinking this pain would subside I let it linger, bad idea. It got to the point where I couldn't eat anything outside of yogurt without feeling my insides were going to explode. Two nights ago where I was completely grounded- lying on the floor, not moving. Well after three visits to the doctor I was finally diagnosed with Colitis, and they've got me on all sorts of meds.

So yeah- I'm a total wuss... let me use this forum to issue a public service announcement. Don't ever eat at the Santiago's in Castle Rock... I made the mistake of consuming the burrito from hell a few weeks back (when the pain started).

So the above picture is from Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. I decided to use this picture because I think my face reads "Colitis is SO much fun..." My mother-in-law is in from Europe so we've been driving all over this wonderful state.

Brett Anderson - Wilderness

My favorite singer ever has a new album coming out on July 27th. The ex-Suede front man has provided the soundtrack for me as I make my ascent into thirty-something.

Damn we're old. Good stuff for your ears here.

Exit Light.

Oh man- my news years resolution to blog more has had a rough two weeks. Oh well, I’m here tonight providing a small update. I’ve been wrapped up in the NBA Finals and playing Company of Heroes with Shane and Ricky. The wife is watching “So You Think You Can Dance” and I think I’m going to vomit. I love how we buy a laptop, putting two computers in the house, yet now its always a race to use the new toy.

As of yesterday it was the four year anniversary of my life starting over. I was dumped, unemployed, alone, and in a bad place. With the help of friends and family that was the day my life rebooted, and the reason why I’m here now with an incredible job, living in our own house, with an amazing puppy and the best wife a man could ask for.


E.Monsma - Enter Sandman from Tim Kinnaird on Vimeo

Anyways- I leave you with this- quite possibly the single greatest Rock Band vocal performance that has ever occurred in my house. The instruments are all over the place (you can thank Anthony, Sang, and Ricky for that) but the vocals are spot on. Yep, that’s E.Monsma performing Metallica’s epic “Enter Sandman.” I love the middle part he really kicks it up!

M1530 You Are Awesome.

So I ended up getting a Dell M1530 laptop for work. This is the first laptop I've ever owned and I'm pretty blown away with it thus far. I debated going with a Macbook but they have known issues connecting to our Citrix network at work. Here's a little picture (thanks to the built in webcam) of me and Moo Moo hanging out tonight. The wife has got summer classes so plenty of Tim time to go around.

Our Backyard.

I finished building the deck about a month ago. I built some stairs, added patio furniture, and a grill. Everything is blooming now and very green, and I dig how the neighbors bushes spill over the fence giving us additional privacy. The aspen trees also do an excellent job blocking out other houses. This little sanctuary is without a doubt my most favorite part of our house. I think Moo Moo loves it too!

Rock Park!

Grand Theft Auto 4 Thoughts.

Enough time has elapsed that I can freely talk about Grand Theft Auto 4 without being too spoilerific. I’m certain you’ve seen the reviews, heard the press reaction, the late night sketches (Conan had me in tears), and probably even played it for yourself. I finished story mode to completion about a week ago and I’ve had a lot of time to analyze what I liked and what needed work.

Niko is without a doubt one of the most interesting and compelling characters we’ve been introduced to in gaming for quite a while. What’s not to like, he’s charismatic, intelligent, witty, impulsive, and quite primal (when it comes down to it). Niko teeters on the edge reason, struggling to hold on to his humanity... yet at times more human than some of the people I know in real life. In an era where the reluctant hero dominates the market, Niko is a nice “anti-hero” change of pace.

The friends Niko encounters are important components that make GTA4 a memorable experience. Little Jacob and Brucie are my personal favorites. I especially like how much personality each character is given. The noticeable little touches while hanging out with friends are worth noting. Example, after a series of missions I decided to take Niko out for a drink with Packie, afterwards the pair stumbled out of the bar completely hammered. Packie was singing old irish drinking songs, and Niko was muttering mindless drivel. This makes me wonder if the actors actually got smashed to record that dialog, because they perform it so well.

The characters and environments are so well developed I also find myself adhering to the rules and laws of Liberty City. I act as if I were Niko, and play it as straight as possible. Previous Grand Theft Auto games I found myself plowing through pedestrians without hesitation. In GTA4 I find that sort of chaotic recklessness completely takes me out of the story and the experience. I find that I’m afraid of attracting unwanted police attention which puts me in danger of failing a mission.

Overall I feel like the tone of this iteration was certainly darker. The humor is still there, but it isn’t as upfront and in your face as San Andreas and Vice City. The radio stations are still hilarious, but there is something just a little off about the rest of it. I’ve also noticed the way I play the game has drastically changed since Rockstar introduced the cab system in this game. While this is a stupid thing to gripe about, I find that using cabs was an easy way to blow right through the game and complete missions quickly. I didn’t learn the city like I did in previous games, because I wasn’t forced to learn it, once I used the cab system I found there was no going back. I was tainted from that point on.

Summer is almost here.

Moo Moo straight up chilling. No one can kick it quite like her. Natch.

I've got two days off starting tomorrow. :)

I’ve started playing through Grand Theft Auto 4 and at this point I’m pretty much blown away. In fact this iteration has taken everything that the franchise has done well and turned up the dial a few notches. I’ve only scratched the surface in the single player mode and already I feel this game will undoubtedly be my game of the year, and I haven’t even touched the multiplayer mode yet. The release of GTA4 has transcended any other game release ever, as of right now it is the most highly reviewed game across the vast internets. If you can believe it, all of the best gaming websites all scored the game a perfect ten.

It’s the little things I’ve been noticing that make the experience so unique. The main character is Eastern European, and interacts with various Russians in the beginning of the game. During these sequences many people actually speak Russian and their behavior nearly identical to people I’ve met in Russia and my family over there. There are instances where I can pick up basic Russian words and phrases, and the Russian pop radio channel is spot on. Rockstar nailed it- no question.

At work, co-workers are all sharing their experiences with the game. No matter whom I’m talking with they already have some crazy story even after one night since release. I should take a picture of my Xbox Live friends list, its unreal how many people already have the game. Now I fully understand why Electronic Arts was so aggressive to acquire Take Two before the release of GTA, it will probably go down as the greatest console video game of all time.

Wednesday Thoughts.

I’m going to see Kraftwerk (or Kroft-verk if you’re German) tonight with Shane. We saw these guys back at Coachella a few years back. That show was excellent, I can distinctly remember hearing the buzz at the festival because they rarely played live shows, let alone in the US. Their set started during the middle of the Radiohead show, much of that crowd migrated over to this small tent to watch the Germans do their thing. At the time I only knew one Kraftwerk song, visually and musically I was completely impressed. So yeah… I now know more Kraftwerk songs these days… I’m very excited for tonight.

My Wii is getting up in price, thanks to Josh and Nico for bidding it up for me. It’s got about three days and 70 more bucks to go before it hits my reserve and I can confidently part ways with that piece. I’ve also completed an application for a Sony credit card, which I will use to buy my new PS3/Blu-ray player. More importantly, this Sony credit card gives you a one-time $100 credit when you purchase a Sony item of $299.99 or more. Don’t you just love when Sony hands out free money? So the epic Wii into PS3 plan is nearing completion.

I’ve completed my deck, it turned out well, and more importantly I think I’ve avoided any harassment from the HOA. I went completely rogue and went above the law to build this deck. If I would have submitted plans to the HOA the have the ability to jerk with you- tell you no, put completion time on your project, etc... I’m just glad it’s done, although I have noticed that Maya (my dog) is very hesitant to jump off the deck or even use the stairs. I think I’ll need to add some pavers so she doesn’t have to walk in the rocks. Hrmm…

I'm selling my Wii!

Someone please buy my Wii!

Building a Deck!

As summer begins to ramp up we’ve decided to spend our tax return making an addition to our house. We initially talked about hiring someone to pour another concrete slab in next to the current one in our backyard. After calling a few contractors I quickly learned this was going to be more difficult and expensive than I imagined. I began researching my alternatives and learned that building my own deck may be a fun, cost-effective, way of improving the atmosphere in our backyard.

After about four days of researching, measuring, moving rock, cutting and leveling, my deck is nearing completion. In fact all that remains are a couple of side panels, minor sanding and building a tiny set of stairs. Overall I think it’s turning out well, but in the beginning I was very nervous as I’ve never tackled a project this big by myself.




The foundation of the deck, and the size of the current slab.


My assistant and lead digger!




With the planking added it goes a long way!


Good job Daddy! We’re almost done! Now I just need some stairs.

The Budget:
Dek-Blocks $70
Foundation Wood $170
Trex Composite Weather Treated Decking $1100
Hardware Screws Nails etc. $50
Total: $1390.00

Assclown: see David Cook.

If you watched American Idol you saw rocker-wannabe David Cook do this.


I’m not sure what makes me want to vomit more, the blatant rip off that is taking place or the fake plea about his face. A statement for David Cook:

Dude you’re a contestant on American Idol in Hollywood- you’re not playing Live-Aid or the Tibetan Freedom Concert. You’ve ripped off several covers verbatim already, now you’re ripping stage antics? Leave the over the top white military coats in the closet, no way in hell you have earned the street cred to wear something like that. Oh yeah and you seriously need to turn down the cocky dial- no one with a brain is buying it.

Spare me the comments that he is “trying to do good” by writing such a message on his hand. The performance was bland and after Randy and Simon torched his ass he seemed to care less that they actually praised him for the message on his hand. He came across completely flat and empty. I certainly don’t think American Idol is lame for what they do to bring real issues to light. They do a lot of good when they raise money and send former Idols to Africa and present an informative video montage of the issues… and they even used Craig Armstrong’s epic “Wake Up in New York” to accompany the video. Nevertheless, David Cook is a lame wannabe without an ounce of originality in his body. Oh yeah and dude, you need to do something about that hair.

In fact, he’s inspired me to write shit on my hands.

Tuesday Thoughts.

So Marina has been watching “Rock of Love 2” on VH1 religiously. No matter how much I try and avoid it, somehow I ultimately end up watching it. The premise is pretty simple- Bret Michaels (of Poison) hooks up with a bunch of random skanks and strippers, week by week he then weeds them out. It’s humorous, but afterwards I always feel like I need to sanitize myself. In the most recent episode he eliminated the last girl before the finale, of course after he pretty much forced her to get a tattoo of show logo on the back of her neck. What I find most interesting here is that the girl obviously didn’t want a tattoo- yet because the cameras are rolling she goes through with it. She then gets sent home minutes later, during elimination she basically acknowledges the fact that she knew she was going home. What? So now there are two girls left, one that looks like the human version of Janice from The Muppet Show and the good girl (or least skanky of them all).


In other news I had to give a best man speech at my brothers reception (200 people) last week. It was easier than I remember it in college, but I still got nervous. The beer helped take the edge off and once it was all done I could finally enjoy the remainder of the evening. Public Speaking is one of those things I don't think I'll ever fully embrace. Even with my new job I get nervous when I have to talk in front of the CEO.

Gonna start writing my March album reviews today or tomorrow. I think I've finally had enough time with each album. Which reminds me, I'll be seeing Kraftwerk in a few weeks, need to load up my iPod with their new stuff.

South Park is Great.

One of the many reasons why the writing on South Park is the best thing going. If you don't get this you need to spend more time on the Internet.

Fifa 2008 is hard.

Either I've completely forgotten how to play soccer or I just suck. I started playing Manager Mode in the Fifa 2008 on the default "Professional" difficulty and was "sacked" after a mere seven games. Apparently Lazio management finds a record of 0-6-1 and not a single offensive goal unacceptable.

Oh yeah, I miss the World Cup now. Four years apart is just too long...

Monday Thoughts.

My co-worker is now one of those people who is addicted to using hand sanitizer. Every the half-hour or so the smell of rubbing alcohol starts wafting through the air. I think maybe she feels that if she uses it so frequently she can avoid getting sick. There has been studies to prove that crap doesn’t even work.

I’ve decided to purchase a new copy of Fifa 2008 (360) off of ebay. I actually got a brand new copy for $27 bucks, not bad considering it still retails in stores for $59.99. That is the thing about these annual franchises, they lose their value rather quickly when the next iteration is six months away. Soccer or (Footie) diehards have begun to make the transition to Fifa over the much beloved Pro Evolution series. Fifa has finally shored up their physics engine and now it plays just as well as ProEvo, not to mention you have the players and league licenses. I played the hell out of the World Cup version, so it’ll be nice to get back out on the pitch.

The new GTA4 trailer came out, it’s a pretty standard effort from Rockstar. It’s hard to not get excited about this game, especially when the main character (Nico) sounds and looks exactly like my Russian brother in law. It’s uncanny the resemblance! I’m also excited for Star Wars “Force Unleashed,” these games are always enjoyable, and the new physics and special effects look incredible. I’ve decided it’s going to take a lot for me to buy Mario Kart for Wii, even after the new Smash Brothers game I’ve been contemplating selling my whole setup. The Wii might be the most overrated system ever.

Anyways… it’s quarter end and I’ve got to stay until 7-8 PM tonight. Sigh.

Radiohead - In Rainbows

Here is my long overdue analysis of Radiohead's latest studio effort.

Videotape:
Naturally I’ll gravitate more to the songs which feature a piano, I find it adds a certain level of class to a song. The problem with Videotape is that it doesn’t consist of very many layers of music- you have the piano, the percussion, and Thom. Although I will admit that it does serve as an excellent platform from Thom to sing, ultimately its simplicity is its downfall. It falls very short as a Radiohead closer, definitely the worst of that group.

Jigsaw Falling into Place:
Love the intro- especially after the soothing goodness of House of Cards. As this album enters its twilight the pacing is a little unexpected. The lyrics seem pretty dark themed, at least from the scattered bits I’m catching. Something about a Cheshire cat grin and walls swallowing people. I guess this is the song you would need to drugged out to really get. You’ll have to tell me about this one Scooter.

House of Cards:
Probably my favorite of the bunch- this is unique. It’s a Radiohead song that isn’t trying so hard to blow your mind, definitely coming across as more natural. As Johnny strums guitar it creates a warm foundation for the vocals. Thom sounds like he’s singing from the deep recesses of a cave. The echoing compliments quite nicely, especially working with the beat and guitar. Feels like Thom and a couple of ghosts are singing me a lullaby.

Reckoner:
This is sonic perfection, all while keeping with the orchestra theme. It combines all the subtleties of Radiohead which make them unique, Phil’s consistent beat, Thom’s howling, uncanny lyrics, and most importantly traditional song structure. Far and away the reason to own this album- after it’s all done I feel nothing but cleansed and refreshed afterwards.

Faust Arp:
Thom’s voice is very nice when layered against the cello and the string instruments. It comes across as an orchestra of gibberish at times, making me wonder what he’s trying to say to me. Nevertheless, it is quite beautiful and doesn’t have to make any sense- one of the inherent beauties of listening to Radiohead.

All I Need:
It is my belief that “All I Need” suffers from a slow beginning that seems like it would fit better toward album end. Nevertheless, the music progresses enough to wake anyone who may have dozed off. Lyrically Thom doesn’t sound very different from the previous two tracks, which I believe is a negative. The piano joining the crescendo is very welcome, hopefully appearing more throughout the album.

Weird Fishes/Arpeggi:
The song structure feels a little bit awkward here, but it’s Radiohead so I’ll assume it was all purely intentional. Beyond Thom repeating “Weird FISHES” mid-track and the percussion explosion at the end, it seems much uninspired- or maybe I’m just clearly missing the point this morning. In fact, it’s very hard to draw any conclusions about this song. Thom claims “I’ve been eaten by the world” or did he say “the worms...” I’m lost.

Nude:
This sounds a lot like a Mercury Rev song, that is until you hear Thom reminding you it is definitely Radiohead. It’s wrapped in sadness, lines like “so don’t get any big ideas, they’re not gonna happen….” while the music swells drive that point home. This is one of those introspective songs you listen to after a breakup late at night, when you’re taking yourself entirely too seriously.

Bodysnatchers:
This song features all the elements of classic Radiohead- Bends guitar, OKC synth, and Kid A lyrics. Almost as if Thom is introducing you to a Subterranean Homesick Alien, at least in the imagery it successfully creates. The distortion is turned up to max, easy to bob your head to, but not mainstream enough for the Radiohead hardcore to hate it.

15 Step:
Abrasive beats, tempered down by a calming guitar. Interesting enough lyrically, especially when catch fragments of the lyrics. At first reaction I felt the banshee howling mid-track was a little over the top, but as the climax builds it seems to work well with the softly spooky atmosphere.

My Man Günther

This is hilarious. I have to admit, music like Günther is definitely my guilty pleasure. Since Aqua released Barbie Girl way back in my Sophmore year of high school I've always loved playful dance music. It's nice to see something that doesn't take itself to seriously and makes you laugh. Slightly more obvious than Eric Prydz's "Call on Me," but still sexy and fun.

Now we finally know what happened to Samantha Fox (from the 80's). She was without a doubt my brothers number one teenage crush. Well she hooked up with my man Günther to make an awesome duet.

My 2007 in Review!

The Year in Review Tim Kinnaird from Tim Kinnaird on Vimeo.

Paintball!

Marina's work had a free team-building paintball day this past weekend.

Third.

It seems like just yesterday I was living in some shithole apartment in Aurora. On the walls of my shithole were my collection of subway size posters of bands and albums I enjoyed. One of those posters was of Portishead, the pioneers of trip-hop. Perhaps it was a phase, or maybe a fad, but I really enjoyed all artists from that genre. Portishead’s music was the perfect mix of heavy beats and soothing vocals that worked together to create a dark and gloomy atmosphere.

Year after year murmurings of the band’s third album were pretty much routine. It wasn’t until I finally saw activity (ten years later) on the band’s website did I believe these rumors to be true. Well, this week a couple of little birdy’s informed me that the album leaked on to the glorious Internet.

My initial thoughts:

• Trip-Hop sound is pretty much absent (no scratching).
• Beats and drums are far more unconventional then their previous work.
• “Machine Gun” is excellent. I love the synthesizers!
• In certain instances it captures a Sci-Fi vibe perfectly.
• Beth Gibbon’s voice has held up over the last decade. Still pristine and haunting.
• Sounds like my iPod has been possessed and is emitting evil sounds.

I’ll expand further when I do my album reviews at month end. For now, I’ll just let Portishead’s “Third” marinate…

New Music - February 2008

Richard Hawley – Lady’s Bridge - 8.0/10

As I slowly make my ascent into my full-blown adulthood, this sounds just about right. It’s cheerful and romantic, and at times you’ll definitely notice the Elvis and Frank Sinatra influences. Top to bottom this was definitely the best album out of my February bunch. Lady’s Bridge is definitely better during the night, songs like “The Sun Refused to Shine” will calm the soul right before bedtime. Stand out tracks: “Tonight the Streets Are Ours,” “Valentine,” and just about everything else.

Klaxons – Myths of the Near Future - 7.4/10

The tracks on this album feature a very serious and direct piano melody overlaying buzzing and humming guitars. The vocal work screams with urgency, it’s extremely upbeat and accentuated by the synthesized tones in the background. Overall this experience feels unique, unlike anything in my collection, it leaves the lasting impression that this experiment in rock was successful. Stand out tracks: “Golden Skans,” “Two Receivers,” “Totem on the Timeline.”

Rivers Cuomo – Alone - 4.8/10

This feels less like an album and more like a collection of random songs Rivers had lying around his house. Rivers vocals remain of high quality- I’ve always enjoyed his voice whether he’s singing or just talking. In this instance these songs lack the polish you would expect to find on a Weezer studio album, but it’s enjoyable to hear some of these rough cuts. I must admit, after the initial listen you will walk away feeling you know the Weezer front man a little more intimately. This certainly isn’t bad, but I can’t help but long for the next Weezer album. Stand out tracks: “I Was Made For You,” “Chess.”

Manic Street Preachers – Send Away the Tigers - 4.1/10

At this point the Manics seem to be cranking out albums yearly with their quality steadily decreasing. With that being said you would expect their eighth or ninth attempt (I’ve lost count) to be extremely uninspired. Unfortunately, there is really nothing here to indicate otherwise. Immediately this sounds nearly identical to their last few releases, even the collaboration with Nina from The Cardigans sounds very average. I’ve always admired James Dean Bradfield’s lyrics and political commentary, his ability to present an idea in a single statement is top notch. “Send Away the Tigers” doesn’t offer any clever wording, let alone anything that will allow you to sit and ponder. Stand out tracks: “Imperial Bodybags,” “Rendition.”

The Horrors – Strange House - 2.4/10

Don’t quite get this album. It feels like a cheesy Halloween themed soundtrack, something you’d hear in the background at The London Dungeon… that is if the London Dungeon was converted into some sort of gothic dance club. For now I’ll pass, although I could see why some people would like this, but musically it’s not for me. I’ll leave my generic review at that. Stand out tracks: “Jack the Ripper.”

Back from Cancun.

Congrats to my brother and his new wife!

Get your Rock Band Guitar working with Guitar Hero 3 (PC) PART 2

Rock Band Guitar and Guitar Hero 3 on PC from Tim Kinnaird on Vimeo.

If you are having trouble please see this post.

Still can't figure it out? Feel free to shoot me an email and I'll be glad to help.

The Glow!

It took hard work, it was a way of life. After many years I have finally achieved the power of "The Glow." Actually I was thinking about a few awesome 80's movies today and it got me wondering about how they did this special effect in Barry Gordy's: The Last Dragon. Well, just like my man Sho'nuff (The Shogun of Harlem) I have realized the true power of layers in Photoshop!

AudioSurf + Go West (Original) = Great Pop + Game

Only four work days remain before we’re on a jet plane to Cancun for my brother’s wedding. With that being said you can imagine it was difficult for me to rise this morning. My family left for Mexico this AM, so we have the pleasure watching their two puppies for the remainder of the week. Of course to Maya (our pup) it’s like Christmas day, as she’s not accustomed to visitors- let alone on her turf. She got up twice in the middle of the night to jump off the bed to say hi to her friends, just sitting there in front of their cage wagging her tail.



I checked out Audio-Surf this weekend. I think I set records against the vast Internet on U2’s “Mofo” and Neutral Milk Hotel’s “Holland 1945.” You should definitely check it out if you’re a rhythm game whore (like me). I’ll attempt to do a video of fast-paced puzzle goodness at lunch- need to think of the perfect song.

Not a bad little run there... Had some trouble near the end.

Rock Band Fun!

Here is a clip from the archives of the Kinnaird Estates. First part is the band performing "Pleasure" by Bang Camaro (me on vocals), then E.Monsma and the crew rocking "When You Were Young" by The Killers.

Maya Moo Moo!

Hi- I'm Maya. I totally love trying to bum people food off of my parents. I'm hanging out in the office closet tonight. Check out my new pink shirt Mommy got for me!


I love to chew on squeak toys while my Dad works on the computer. He just loves the sound soooo much after an hour!

Random Monday Thoughts

I’ll be returning my copy of Burnout Paradise. After about ten minutes I quickly determined I should probably just be playing Forza 2. Burnout is exactly what I was expecting- a series of random crashes and no real sense of skill involved.

We saw U2 3D again Saturday night. Bono did Luciano Pavarotti justice on his rendition of “Miss Sarajevo.” That last bit of Pavarotti’s part was incredible.

This weeks 1UP Yours was excellent. If you’re into gaming, you should definitely listen to that podcast. The best part- it’s free!

The Good Charlotte song “I Don’t Wanna be in Love” is trying so very hard to sound like The Killers. This probably explains why it’s the first song from them I wasn’t forced to listen to. Thanks to Madden 2005 I somehow know all the words to their hit “The Anthem.”

Coffee Talk.

I’m surrounded by many coffee enthusiasts at my place of employment. Many people actually brew their own coffee in our break room. If you accidentally pick up the wrong coffee pot (with their coffee) they are not shy to tell you get your effing hands off. I drink three cups of coffee daily. That amount of consumption would lead someone to believe that I actually like coffee. I don’t mind coffee, but I think my primary reason for consumption is I believe it makes me more accurate in my work. Taste has never been an issue for me. I’ll drink any type of coffee that is presented in front of me, as long as it’s free. In fact, I believe my taste buds may not be functioning properly because I can’t tell the difference between Starbucks and that “Freeze-dried Tasters Choice Bullshit” that is offered for free in our break room. Maybe it’s that I don’t want to taste a difference. Honestly, I get a mildly subversive feeling inside when I sit across from someone sipping on their six dollar grande and throw down my free cup of generic coffee. It makes me feel superior- when it absolutely shouldn’t.

McAlmont + Butler = Good V-Day Music

The ex-Suede guitarist and the man with the golden voice perform "Falling" live.

Happy Valentines Day!

U2 3D

We saw U2 3D last night. It was actually quite awesome, surprisingly it didn’t reek of “U2 Cash-in” like many of their other recent projects do. The setlist was a bit weak, which featured some of their newer stuff and a few classics you would expect to hear at any U2 show. There were certainly instances where I kept imagining how awesome this 3D/sensory overload idea would have been if it had been done on their ZooTV or Popmart tours.

I had always considered the whole 3D concept kind of gimmicky- but after last night I just realized that I’d never seen it done properly. The atmosphere achieved nearly everything you would expect from a U2 show. Even with the U2 fans sitting in the theatre, you could hear people singing along and clapping to the beat. Creepy moment of the night goes to the lady sitting in front of me, she was literally reaching out into the screen to touch Bono’s hand. I think at that moment the U2 hardcore in attendance collectively cringed.

Under the Sea.

So I’ll be finishing BioShock tonight. I literally was at the doorstep of the end boss before my gaming session was cut short by the powers that be. I’ll start off by saying that the art direction is simply incredible- the 1940’s film noir style is definitely underdone in gaming. This, accompanied by properly placed music and ambient sounds throughout, it really benefits having a Dolby 5.1 sound system for this title.

The pacing is excellent, as there really is no penalty for death; it keeps you cruising along without hesitation. There was however, a few moments where I found myself highly irritated with a few of 2K’s design choices. The in-game security system is annoying as hell- this is very reminiscent of the Metal Gear Solid franchise. It’s more or less “Oh great, I was detected again… guess I better spend five minutes running around and hiding from the computer AI.” Fortunately, halfway through the game you obtain a power up that allows you to stand still and hide from security once detected. To me, this is almost an admission from the developer that “yeah we know this is annoying the shit out of you.” Even after the power up you’ve just got to wait there for about a minute and half before you can continue on. This is just enough time to get up, check your phone, let the dog out, whatever.

This design flaw isn’t enough to drastically derail the experience, because BioShock stands alone in terms of narrative in the First Person Shooter genre. The story and the characters are memorable, and you actually care about what is happening, instead of running around and shooting everything that moves. I see why so many people are quick to label BioShock as game of the year, the first fifteen minutes alone are probably some of the most gripping and intense moments of gaming I’ve ever experienced. This high level of quality is continually presented throughout, making BioShock easy to recommend to any fan of the FPS genre.

The Ascent of Tim

I’m recuperating from the North American Sales Conference this week. Actually I think my liver is recovering- to be a little more precise. After witnessing sales people get smashed all week long I’ve come to the conclusion that “being able to pound alcohol” should be a prerequisite for any sales job. And yes- I’m the guy who is heckled for choosing water over my fifth beer. To complicate the situation, the Telemarketers approached me at the end of the night and said “Dude, we’ve got an Xbox 360 setup in our room and more alcohol…” and my response? “Dudes, I’ve got to get home to my wife and dog.” Wow- just wow.

Oh yeah… I almost forgot to mention a big “eff-you” to the managers at the Park Meadows Best Buy. These clowns tried to deny me the return of my 16 GB iPod Touch, issuing a bunch of nonsensical policies and restocking fees. It was a hard fought battle, at the end of day I stood alone on the battlefield clutching nothing but a 32 GB iPod Touch.

You lose again Best Buy- why do you insist on this war with me? Could it be because I’m the only man alive who actually knows my rights when I sign up for the Performance Service Plan?

Oh well, the war is over for now- they’ve neutered the Performance Service Plan, and with improved technology I’ve decided to go without. Thanks for the six new iPod’s over the last eight years Best Buy.

New Music - January 2008

Along with my goal to blog more, I’ve also made resolutions to listen to new music. My initial goal of five new albums a month may seem a little lofty, considering I probably only listened six or seven new albums all of last year. Here I am after a month:

Yael Naim – Yael Niam – 4.2/10

Half of the songs she sings in French, which feels lost on me- although I can appreciate a good melody. At moments her voice sounds like Liz Frazier (Cocteau Twins) or Beth Gibbons (Portishead) it’s almost interchangeable as Yael switches back and forth. The format in which 90% of the album is presented is very singer-songwriter, which is something similar you might find on a Tori Amos album. For me, the memorable moments are: Too Long, New Soul, and Toxic (yep a sulky slow-beat trip-hop esque cover of Britney Spears). The Toxic cover is worth the price of admission alone and “New Soul” is the song featured on the MacBook Air commercial- so you will be familiar with it.

The Cardigans – Best of – 6.7/10

I know technically compilations shouldn’t count, but there are about 5-6 of these songs that are new to me. Not enough people actually care about The Cardigans, but they should, as they really hit their stride in the latter part of their musical career. Unfortunately we live in a society where Lovefool, Erase/Rewind, and My Favorite Game are all they will be known for. When the reality of it is “Long Gone Before Daylight,” their second to last album, is an absolute gem. This would explain why it is so well represented on this Best of collection. Not really a review, but more of a rant. The Cardigans are great, and I feel like I’m the only person who actually believes this.

Feist – The Reminder – 3.3/10

My wife loves those VH1 top twenty music video shows, so after the millionth time hearing “1234” I decided to give the album a shot. Heartfelt- I must admit. It’s got that “after the rain” vibe down perfectly, but unfortunately it doesn’t leave a lasting memory. As I sit here and reflect after 3-4 listens I can’t recall anything that is worth talking about. When I asked my friend Scooter about Feist he called this album a “take it or leave it” experience. I think I’ll be leaving it.

Brian Eno – Music for Airports – 5.6/10

How can I call something new when it came out almost 30 years ago? Well it’s new to me, and it’s coming from the ambient genre which isn’t very well represented in my collection. Music for Airports is work music, nothing abrasive enough to distract you from the task at hand. It’s difficult to really describe this album, as it doesn’t follow conventional music structure. It’s a cleansing and refreshing experience, that does its thing while you do your thing, if that makes any sense (which I’m sure it doesn’t). I’ll just let Brain Eno properly describe this- “I'm struck by the insidious, computer-driven tendency to take things out of the domain of muscular activity and put them into the domain of mental activity.” –Eno

That’s about right.

32 GB iPod Touch! :(

Leave up to Apple to screw me on my recent purchase of my iPod Touch. A couple weeks back I used my Best Buy warranty on a 16 GB model, in which I’ve absolutely fallen in love with. What happens? A new 32 GB version is now in stores for a mere 100 dollars more. This is absolutely worth the extra cash to double the memory, especially once you hack and jailbreak the Touch. I may try and pull some shenanigans if my local Best Buy actually has these in stock. I don’t know why this would be a problem, considering I’m giving them more money. That is the unfortunate thing about purchasing a product made by Apple, you know eventually you’re gonna get hosed with new releases and better deals, you just don’t expect it to happen two weeks later.

iPod Touch

My old iPod officially kicked the bucket. No worries because I had the Best Buy extended warranty. So here is a test post via my new iPod Touch!

The Obligatory Coachella Post.

FRIDAY, APRIL 25: Jack Johnson, The Verve, Raconteurs, The Breeders, Fatboy Slim, Tegan and Sara, Madness, The Swell Season, The National, Animal Collective, Slightly Stoopid, Mum, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Stars, Battles, Aesop Rock, Midnight Juggernauts, Does it Offend you, Yeah?, Minus the Bear, Spank Rock, dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip, Diplo, Adam Freeland, Santo Gold, Jens Lekman, John Butler Trio, Vampire Weekend, Dan Deacon, Architecture in Helsinki, Sandra Collins, Busy P, Cut Copy, Black Lips, Datarock, Professor Murder, Reverend and the Makers, The Bees, Porter, Rogue Wave, Modeselektor, American Bang, Lucky I Am.

SATURDAY, APRIL 26: Portishead, Kraftwerk, Death Cab for Cutie, Cafe Tacuba, Sasha & Digweed, Rilo Kiley, Dwight Yoakam, M.I.A., Hot Chip, Cold War Kids, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, DeVotchKa, Flogging Molly, Mark Ronson, Turbonegro, Scars on Broadway, Islands, Enter Shikari, Calvin Harris, Boyz Noize, Junkie XL, Cinematic Orchestra, Jamie T, The Teenagers, VHS or Beta, Carbon/silicon, Erol Alkan, Yo Majesty!, Little Brother, Bonde Do Role, St. Vincent, Akron Family, MGMT, Institubes DJs (Surkin, Para One and Orgasmic), James Zabiela, Sebastian, Kavinsky, Dredg, The Bird and the Bee, Grand Ole Party, New Young Pony Club, 120 Days, Yoav, Electric Touch, Uffie

SUNDAY, APRIL 27: Roger Waters (“Dark Side of the Moon”), Love & Rockets, My Morning Jacket, Spiritualized, Justice, Gogol Bordello, Chromeo, The Streets, Metric, Danny Tenaglia, Simian Mobile Disco, Booka Shade, Murs, Dmitri from Paris, Autolux, The Field, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Les Savy Fav, The Cool Kids, Sons & Daughters, Sia, Holy Fuck, Black Kids, Black Mountain, The Annuals, Kid Sister w/A-Trak, Man Man, Duffy, I'm from Barcelona, Manchester Orchestra, Deadmau5, The Horrors, Austin TV, Shout Out Louds, Plastiscines, Brett Dennen

Wow:
Portishead
Kraftwerk
Death Cab for Cutie
Rilo Kiley
MIA
Stephen Malkmus
The Streets

Moderate Interest:
Love and Rockets
Spiritualized

WTF:
Jack Johnson
Roger Waters

Get your Rock Band Guitar working with Guitar Hero 3 (PC)

I was very surprised to learn that there wasn’t very much information on how to get this working or if it was even possible. Hopefully this little mini-guide will aid you in your journey to rock. Fortunately, after some reading and testing, more reading and testing, I can confirm that it is possible to use your Harmonix Xbox 360 Rock Band Guitar on your PC to play Guitar Hero 3.

What you need:
Harmonix Rock Band (Xbox 360) USB Wired Guitar
Xpadder: Joystick to Keyboard emulation software
Guitar Hero 3 (PC)

Activision and Red Octane were damn certain to make sure only their brand of guitar was compatible with GH3. Well, if you’re like me and prefer the Rock Band guitar then all you need to do is follow these steps.

Initial Setup:
1. Download and Install Xpadder.
2. Plug in your Guitar
3. Map the keys in Xpadder’s Setup



4. Start GH3
5. Map the keys in GH3’s Controller/Keyboard Setup



6. Switch to Lefty Mode
7. Exit GH3

Playing:
8. Unplug your Guitar
9. Start GH3
10. Advance through introduction screens using the keyboard (this is important, as if your Guitar is plugged in GH3 will detect it and make it wonky)
11. Minimize GH3 by hitting Alt-Tab
12. Plug in your Guitar
13. Load Xpadder
14. Maximize GH3
15. Check to make sure lefty mode is disabled
16. Rock out

Again, there may be a much easier way of doing this, but I sure couldn’t find it. I’ll add video and screenshots tonight. So you can see exactly how I am mapped in both programs.

MacBook Air.

The aesthetic is simply brilliant, but a heavy price tag (starting at $1800) considering all the stripped out features. No DvD drive, replaceable battery or network jack, I guess Apple assumes their customer base will always have a wireless signal (wherever they are). It is roughly 800 dollars more than the MacBook for something that is essentially two pounds lighter and severely gimped.

But damn it’s pretty.

Easy Love.

Have you ever heard a song and wondered if it had a video? Sometimes it's not always good to go looking. I feel like I should go to confession after watching that. Better save this one for home kiddos. ;)

New Indy?

Alright, so this morning I'm checking the news, trying to see if Wade Phillips got canned after the Cowboys monumental collapse. I usually hit up ESPN.com first, as they tend to break these sorts of things, or at the very least speculate on such topics. As I click into the NFL section I’m welcomed with the motherload of ads for the new film: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

I quickly clicked on the Indy ad and was taken to the website of this new feature film. The advertisement revealed a drawing of Indy how we remember him in the 80’s- young and fit with brown hair. Once the website loaded I was greeted by pictures of Harrison Ford as modern day Indy, grey hair and certainly much older looking. It was jarring at first, I felt myself reverting into “Star Wars Prequel Mode” bracing, waiting for my childhood to be raped again.

Now hold on a second, sure he’s old, he’s grey, but he still looks fairly rugged. This just might actually work. This will hopefully be structured similar to “The Last Crusade” where Indy assumes a more adult Dr. Jones (parallel to the role Sean Connery played). They need to ensure that there isn’t an ounce of CGI in this film, and tell an entirely new story. Also, the creative staff must try hard to be inventive and not rely too heavily on previous films or jokes; after all we don’t need a remake. The new Indy might also benefit from something shocking at the end, like tease the death of Indiana Jones.

Coming out May 22nd, that’s soon!

U2 Guitar Hero?

Scouring the gaming news this morning- I noticed that Kotaku reported on a rumor that Activision could release a Guitar Hero “U2” themed game. It's probably a good thing this isn't in the Rock Band format, my rendition of "Lemon" would probably sevrely hurt the eardrums of those in the same room.

So let’s explore the possibilities of a U2 Exclusive Guitar Hero game:

Costumes
• Young Bono, Adam, Larry, Edge
• Joshua Tree/Rattle and Hum, give me the Bono mullet!
• Achtung Baby/Zooropa, Macphisto, The Fly and Mirrorball Man
• POP, short hair Bono and the Muscle T-Shirt!

Venues
• Small Club Gigs
• Something very similar to Red Rocks in Colorado
• Joshua Tree tour stage
• ZooTV tour stage
• Popmart tour stage
• Elevation tour stage (definitely the heart)
• Vertigo tour stage

Ten Songs this game MUST include:
1. Zoo Station
2. The Fly
3. Acrobat (PLEASE!!!!)
4. Where the Street Have No Name
5. Bullet the Blue Sky
6. Discotheque
7. Gone
8. Stay (Faraway, so close)
9. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
10. Lemon

I’m probably a little overambitious in my requests. Most likely they will just plug some U2 MP3’s in the Guitar Hero machine and crank out the most uninspired Guitar Hero cash-in to date. The sad thing is, I’ll be first in line to buy this.

Visions of Virtualization.

I’m inclined to blog right now.

I’ve been back from Russia for about a week now, my sleeping schedule has finally returned to normal. Upon further analysis, the vacation definitely occurred at a key moment, with business closing out at year end. There were several instances I had nightmares about my job while I was away. One night in Russia I woke up with extreme urgency, almost like something you would see in a movie. That night I felt overcome with that chaotic stress I had felt during Q3 and Q4 of this last year. In a way I was relieved that it was only a dream, but the dream felt very real (as cliché as that sounds). From time to time I had visions of VMware (the company who I basically owned the relationship with) showing up in a stretch limo dragging me off on the next plane to the US- because they can’t function without me holding their hand. Fortunately, I’ve returned to peace- so much so that I think the shit-storm has finally subsided for the time being. This probably explains the unexpected urge to blog.