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VGC & Books & Movies of Late
Jan. 18th, 2013 08:53 pmSome stuff I've done lately -
Finished the game Deus Ex: Human Revolution, the third game in the Deus Ex series. The first was one of the greatest games ever made. The second was a nice game, but much too console-ified, and lost some of the spirit of the original. I've discussed this previously. This third game is ... drumroll... Awesome! They went back to the origins in just the right ways, yet added new capabilities smoothly. You can blast through killing everything in sight, or you can stealth your way and only knock out the opponents. Stealth and non-lethal are worth more XP, so the morality is layered on obviously. But you'll certainly get through faster just blowing everyone away. Your call. The advancement path is free-form and sensible within the context of the story. The plot is just an intricate as the original. This is a proud addition to the series, and I fully recommend it as worthy of your gaming time.
Read Physics for Future Presidents: The Science Behind the Headlines by Richard A. Muller. I TA'd for this fellow back at Berkeley, and when I decided to leave grad school and physics, he was the only faculty member to ask me if I was really certain that was what I wanted to do. So I like the guy, and I figured I'd read his book. It is adapted from the course of the same name (it used to be PH 10 - "Physics for Poets" when I was there, before he was teaching it), for which he has won teaching awards for much of the last decade. The major subjects are Terrorism, Energy, Nukes, Space, and Global Warming. While I know the basic physics, I didn't know every fiddly detail that comprises real-world effects. It is a fascinating book. If you just don't feel up to this, then you can read the condensed version (which I read beforehand), The Instant Physicist. It highlights the critical points and has amusing illustrations.
After 30 years of seeking and having naming my eldest child after the author, I finally located and read The Sensuous Dirty Old Man by Dr. "A". So...that's one off the bucket list. Let's just say it's not one of Asimov's better efforts and move along.
Last week, I watched Office Space. Yes, I'm a bit late to the party, thanks. Yes, I know most of the good lines because I do occasionally read things on the Internet. Now I know what line goes with the creepy picture of Diedrich Bader (is there any other kind?). It will make the next time Ike watches "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" that much more surreal. Anyway, it was sufficiently amusing and worth a watch.
And lastly,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
aelfie is at class tonight, and the kids have their TV time. I decided that I should take advantage of her Amazon Prime for a little something. Scanning through the selections, I came to just the thing. So now I've seen the pilot of "Firefly". That makes two episodes in just over 10 years. I will be done in ... 2132. No, wait, there's also the movie, so 2142.
Finished the game Deus Ex: Human Revolution, the third game in the Deus Ex series. The first was one of the greatest games ever made. The second was a nice game, but much too console-ified, and lost some of the spirit of the original. I've discussed this previously. This third game is ... drumroll... Awesome! They went back to the origins in just the right ways, yet added new capabilities smoothly. You can blast through killing everything in sight, or you can stealth your way and only knock out the opponents. Stealth and non-lethal are worth more XP, so the morality is layered on obviously. But you'll certainly get through faster just blowing everyone away. Your call. The advancement path is free-form and sensible within the context of the story. The plot is just an intricate as the original. This is a proud addition to the series, and I fully recommend it as worthy of your gaming time.
Read Physics for Future Presidents: The Science Behind the Headlines by Richard A. Muller. I TA'd for this fellow back at Berkeley, and when I decided to leave grad school and physics, he was the only faculty member to ask me if I was really certain that was what I wanted to do. So I like the guy, and I figured I'd read his book. It is adapted from the course of the same name (it used to be PH 10 - "Physics for Poets" when I was there, before he was teaching it), for which he has won teaching awards for much of the last decade. The major subjects are Terrorism, Energy, Nukes, Space, and Global Warming. While I know the basic physics, I didn't know every fiddly detail that comprises real-world effects. It is a fascinating book. If you just don't feel up to this, then you can read the condensed version (which I read beforehand), The Instant Physicist. It highlights the critical points and has amusing illustrations.
After 30 years of seeking and having naming my eldest child after the author, I finally located and read The Sensuous Dirty Old Man by Dr. "A". So...that's one off the bucket list. Let's just say it's not one of Asimov's better efforts and move along.
Last week, I watched Office Space. Yes, I'm a bit late to the party, thanks. Yes, I know most of the good lines because I do occasionally read things on the Internet. Now I know what line goes with the creepy picture of Diedrich Bader (is there any other kind?). It will make the next time Ike watches "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" that much more surreal. Anyway, it was sufficiently amusing and worth a watch.
And lastly,
aelfie is at class tonight, and the kids have their TV time. I decided that I should take advantage of her Amazon Prime for a little something. Scanning through the selections, I came to just the thing. So now I've seen the pilot of "Firefly". That makes two episodes in just over 10 years. I will be done in ... 2132. No, wait, there's also the movie, so 2142.
