I happened to catch a TV commercial the other day for an electric dusting device. It was essentially a battery-powered handle that spins an attached dusting head. I was not paying too much attention, but the following tagline caught my ear.
It now makes dusting fast, easy, and fun!
I can accept fast and easy, though frankly, dusting is not particularly slow or hard to begin with. I know because one of my childhood chores was to dust. This consisted of spraying Pledge on things (tables, chairs, the cat, my sister) and then wiping it with a cloth. Granted, my mother was never particularly happy with the dusting job I did, but I at least fulfilled the letter of the law, if not the spirit.
I now, of course, hate dusting, as well as vacuuming, my other childhood household chore. I more or less refuse to do unless I have a hot-date (ie, never). Frankly, my apartment is small enough that I could dust, vacuum, repaint, recarpet, set it on fire, and then rebuild it in maybe 20-minutes, but I digress.
This particular device, though, is promising to make dusting fun. Somehow, I doubt that adding a spinny-thingy onto a duster would make it more fun, but what if it did? What if teens suddenly started having dusting parties?
Teen #1:Dude! Susans parents are out of town. We are going to totally dust that place tonight!
Teen #2: Whooo!
High-fives ensue.
Tomorrow: Dust Parties: Is Your Teen a Duster!?
Monday, July 9, 2007
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Fame and Fortune Will Be Yours
I am sitting at my desk, staring balefully at my computer screen. My computer fan is whirring loudly away. My cat is on my lap, looking for attention. The Microsoft Word page in front of me is completely blank. So is my mind. My butt itches.
I am trying to write the blog. I get halfway through a piece and then realize that a colonoscopy is probably not that funny. Highlight, delete, blank page. Funny is not happening. Funny is a long way from happening. Funny has left the building. My butt still itches. I should probably buy some cream or something.
A thought occurs, a possible topic. And then it dies, like a canary in a mustard gas mine. I need ideas. I need help. I really need something for that itch (possibly an exorcist).
Therefore, I turn to you, the one or possibly two people who read my blog (and are not my mother). What would you like to read about? What strikes your fancy? Do you want more history? More video games? More venomous? More rants? Give me some topics, please :).
And get this: if I use your topic, I will give you credit! Fame and fortune will be yours, as I will put your name in the actual blog! Something like: This topic was suggested by Killaman Slaughtermaster, so blame him (bonus points if you get the reference).
So, please, help me keep the blogs coming. You can either respond to this blog or go to Wayfarers Moon > Forum > General > Blog Topics and suggest something there. Do it for the children.
Cheers,
-Jason
I am trying to write the blog. I get halfway through a piece and then realize that a colonoscopy is probably not that funny. Highlight, delete, blank page. Funny is not happening. Funny is a long way from happening. Funny has left the building. My butt still itches. I should probably buy some cream or something.
A thought occurs, a possible topic. And then it dies, like a canary in a mustard gas mine. I need ideas. I need help. I really need something for that itch (possibly an exorcist).
Therefore, I turn to you, the one or possibly two people who read my blog (and are not my mother). What would you like to read about? What strikes your fancy? Do you want more history? More video games? More venomous? More rants? Give me some topics, please :).
And get this: if I use your topic, I will give you credit! Fame and fortune will be yours, as I will put your name in the actual blog! Something like: This topic was suggested by Killaman Slaughtermaster, so blame him (bonus points if you get the reference).
So, please, help me keep the blogs coming. You can either respond to this blog or go to Wayfarers Moon > Forum > General > Blog Topics and suggest something there. Do it for the children.
Cheers,
-Jason
Friday, July 6, 2007
Another Very Small Rant
For whatever reason, it has become vogue to back into parking stalls. I suspect it has something to do with street racing and the Fast and the Furious IV: Drive-Through Combo. In my apartment complex, half the cars in my row are regularly parked backwards. I find this rather silly, as the only reason to park backwards is if you need to drive away really fast. Doctors may need to park backwards. Fireman, sure. Batman, definitely.
Overall, I do not care. Park however you wish, as long as you do not inconvenience others.
Therein, however, lays the crux of my rant. I have noticed a lot of big trucks, those big, huge six-tired, super-jumbo-extended cab, 5-mile-to-the-gallon pickup trucks parking backwards. There are three of them in my work parking lot alone.
Now, I do not care what sort of vehicle people drive. These people may have perfectly good reasons for driving these colossal trucks, be it they have boats to haul, they are tall and need the legroom, or simply like them. However, if they are going to park these enormous vehicles backwards, they should at least be able to get them into the stall.
That is what irks me. These trucks barely fit into a standard stall anyway and if parked backwards inexpertly, they end up taking up two stalls. My work lot is crowded. There is just enough parking. If the lot is full, you end up walking a couple blocks. So, if you are going to park your gigantic truck backwards, make sure you actually get it into the stall, so other people can use the lot as well.
Cheers,
-Jason
Overall, I do not care. Park however you wish, as long as you do not inconvenience others.
Therein, however, lays the crux of my rant. I have noticed a lot of big trucks, those big, huge six-tired, super-jumbo-extended cab, 5-mile-to-the-gallon pickup trucks parking backwards. There are three of them in my work parking lot alone.
Now, I do not care what sort of vehicle people drive. These people may have perfectly good reasons for driving these colossal trucks, be it they have boats to haul, they are tall and need the legroom, or simply like them. However, if they are going to park these enormous vehicles backwards, they should at least be able to get them into the stall.
That is what irks me. These trucks barely fit into a standard stall anyway and if parked backwards inexpertly, they end up taking up two stalls. My work lot is crowded. There is just enough parking. If the lot is full, you end up walking a couple blocks. So, if you are going to park your gigantic truck backwards, make sure you actually get it into the stall, so other people can use the lot as well.
Cheers,
-Jason
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Be Nice to the French
It is July 4th here in the United States. This, of course, means eating until you are ill and watching fireworks. The fireworks I can understand. We won our independence from the British after several years of hard fighting and to commemorate that we blow stuff up. We are Americans. We like it when things explode.
However, this blog is neither about eating nor fireworks. It is about being nice to the French. Why, you may ask, we saved their butts in two World Wars? The answer: they saved our butts during the Revolution. Not only did they quietly finance our Revolution (which sent them into debt and helped bring about the French Revolution), they also contributed troops and most importantly, a navy.
It was this navy that won the Battle of Chesapeake and bottled Cornwallis up at Yorktown, forcing him to surrender. This pretty much won us the whole shooting match.
I realize it is has been politically correct lately to bash the French, but on this, our Independence Day, we should give a nod to an ally across the water. Sure they baffle us and seem pointlessly contrary at times, but arguably, we would not be celebrating a 4th of July without them.
So, if you happen to know a Frenchman, shake his hand and say thanks. If you happen to know an attractive, single French woman, give her my number :)
Salut,
-Jason
However, this blog is neither about eating nor fireworks. It is about being nice to the French. Why, you may ask, we saved their butts in two World Wars? The answer: they saved our butts during the Revolution. Not only did they quietly finance our Revolution (which sent them into debt and helped bring about the French Revolution), they also contributed troops and most importantly, a navy.
It was this navy that won the Battle of Chesapeake and bottled Cornwallis up at Yorktown, forcing him to surrender. This pretty much won us the whole shooting match.
I realize it is has been politically correct lately to bash the French, but on this, our Independence Day, we should give a nod to an ally across the water. Sure they baffle us and seem pointlessly contrary at times, but arguably, we would not be celebrating a 4th of July without them.
So, if you happen to know a Frenchman, shake his hand and say thanks. If you happen to know an attractive, single French woman, give her my number :)
Salut,
-Jason
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Two Important Announcements
This is Jason Janicki, writer for Wayfarer’s Moon with two important announcements.
First of all, Page 26 marks the end of Issue #1! What will happen next? Who will the Hooded Woman shoot first? Can Haith wear less? Is Lily really that naive? Will the Master ever find his Visine?
The second, more important announcement is this: Leigh needs to take a break. So, there will be no new comic pages until the 17th (two weeks and change from today). We will be putting up sketches on the regular update days, but no new pages. Once again, Page 27 (the 1st Page of Issue #2) will be up on the 17th.
Through the rest of July, we will be updating the comic on Thursdays, with sketches on Tuesdays. Ideally, this will give Leigh a breather and allow him to get ahead on the book. We plan on resuming our regular update schedule in August.
Rest assured, Wayfarer’s Moon is not going anywhere. We will be on the forums, answering what we can and we are looking forward to continuing the story.
Cheers,
-Jason
First of all, Page 26 marks the end of Issue #1! What will happen next? Who will the Hooded Woman shoot first? Can Haith wear less? Is Lily really that naive? Will the Master ever find his Visine?
The second, more important announcement is this: Leigh needs to take a break. So, there will be no new comic pages until the 17th (two weeks and change from today). We will be putting up sketches on the regular update days, but no new pages. Once again, Page 27 (the 1st Page of Issue #2) will be up on the 17th.
Through the rest of July, we will be updating the comic on Thursdays, with sketches on Tuesdays. Ideally, this will give Leigh a breather and allow him to get ahead on the book. We plan on resuming our regular update schedule in August.
Rest assured, Wayfarer’s Moon is not going anywhere. We will be on the forums, answering what we can and we are looking forward to continuing the story.
Cheers,
-Jason
Monday, July 2, 2007
The Business of Video Games: Part 6
And at last we come to the unsung (and often unwashed) heroes of game production: the Testers. Testers, well, test. They play the game in its various stages, looking for bugs and reporting them via some painfully obtuse bug tracking system. Sounds like fun, does it not? Surprisingly, no.
Take your favorite game and play it through 100 times. Randomly unplug your game system every so often. That is what being a tester is like. Now do that again, except with your least favorite game. Rinse, repeat. Insane yet? Do not worry, you will be soon.
Now I have been accused of being cynical about the games industry. It is true. I have spent a lot of years making games and it can be an amazingly frustrating occupation. Yet for all that, I keep plugging away. Why? Because with all that is wrong with the games industry, you still get to work with a diverse group of intelligent, talented people on something amazing. You get to make video games.
Cheers,
-Jason
Take your favorite game and play it through 100 times. Randomly unplug your game system every so often. That is what being a tester is like. Now do that again, except with your least favorite game. Rinse, repeat. Insane yet? Do not worry, you will be soon.
Now I have been accused of being cynical about the games industry. It is true. I have spent a lot of years making games and it can be an amazingly frustrating occupation. Yet for all that, I keep plugging away. Why? Because with all that is wrong with the games industry, you still get to work with a diverse group of intelligent, talented people on something amazing. You get to make video games.
Cheers,
-Jason
Sunday, July 1, 2007
The Business of Video Games: Part 5
Programmers are strange, intelligent beings of semi-mystical origin. They spend hour upon hour writing in strange, obscure languages that only they can understand. You might assume that their primary job is to actually code the game, but in reality, it is to say no.
Can we implement this feature? No.
Can we have fifteen Laser Unicorns instead of twelve? No.
Do you want pizza for lunch? No. Errr, yes.
In actuality, the programmers are simply practicing the Engineering philosophy espoused by Scotty in that one episode of Next Gen. Scotty advises Geordi that he should always pad out his estimates, so he can get them done ahead of schedule. Programmers do this as well. By always saying no, they can then shock and amaze by saying yes. They are a tricky bunch, those programmers.
The other job that starts with a P is that of Producer (or PM in some places). Producers make sure everything gets done. They make schedules, they plan, they talk to the publisher, they have MEETINGS. Meetings in all caps with italics (though not underlined, that would be excessive).
Producers must know what is going on with the project at all times, so they have to talk to everyone else constantly and be involved in dozens of decisions, large and small, every day. Producers, strangely enough, tend to be very calm people. The uninitiated might think this was because they are level-headed and serious. No, it is because they are exhausted from all the meetings and do not have the energy needed to strangle the person next to them.
Tomorrow: The Wrap-Up
Can we implement this feature? No.
Can we have fifteen Laser Unicorns instead of twelve? No.
Do you want pizza for lunch? No. Errr, yes.
In actuality, the programmers are simply practicing the Engineering philosophy espoused by Scotty in that one episode of Next Gen. Scotty advises Geordi that he should always pad out his estimates, so he can get them done ahead of schedule. Programmers do this as well. By always saying no, they can then shock and amaze by saying yes. They are a tricky bunch, those programmers.
The other job that starts with a P is that of Producer (or PM in some places). Producers make sure everything gets done. They make schedules, they plan, they talk to the publisher, they have MEETINGS. Meetings in all caps with italics (though not underlined, that would be excessive).
Producers must know what is going on with the project at all times, so they have to talk to everyone else constantly and be involved in dozens of decisions, large and small, every day. Producers, strangely enough, tend to be very calm people. The uninitiated might think this was because they are level-headed and serious. No, it is because they are exhausted from all the meetings and do not have the energy needed to strangle the person next to them.
Tomorrow: The Wrap-Up
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