The underwater world of Rapture is as beautiful as it is horrifying…

At its heart, Bioshock is a first person shooter with some role playing elements – players are given quite a bit of freedom in choosing how to solve the game’s numerous environmental puzzles, and their character will directly reflect these choices via equipment and skill sets. Still, there’s plenty of shooting and action, and unlike other less traditional FPSs (Deus EX comes to mind), it would be next to impossible to make it through the underwater dystopia of Rapture without firing a few rounds into its many denizens. Unlike many other FPS “adventure” titles, Bioshock is at its core a completely realized shooter. Targeting was spot on throughout the many hours I spent with the game, and the enemy AI always seemed pretty solid when playing through on “normal” difficulty – enemies would frequently seek cover or employ flanking tactics, though rarely did their actions seem too predictive or unfair.

Not all of Rapture’s inhabitants are organic. Some of my favorite moments were had after “hacking” many of the game’s security robots and turning them over to my side…

Atmosphere reigns supreme throughout Bioshock – this is a game that begs to be played with the lights down low and the surround sound in full effect. Though not the prettiest game I’ve ever seen, it’s a far cry from being hard on the eyes. So much care was put into crafting the environments and their inhabitants that the occasional graphical inconsistency (and these are few and far between) is easy to pass over. Still, if I have any complaints with Bioshock, it’s with its variety (or lack thereof): though there are plenty of enemy classes which all seem to respond to you in their own unique ways, there isn’t nearly enough variety to the models that exist within these classes. Am I to believe that every “leadhead splicer” purchased their clothing at the same menswear boutique? It’s just a shame that a game that’s so immersive in every other respect destroys the suspension of disbelief at five minute intervals by reintroducing a character skin too frequently.

No matter how far you make it in Bioshock, the “Big Daddy” is still a terrifying foe…

I’ve overheard a few players criticizing Bioshock’s lack of multiplayer, but I feel this was a conscious (and well-thought) decision on behalf of the developers and not merely the result of a rushed production. Rapture holds many secrets, and it should take even the most hardened player many tens of hours to unlock them all. I don’t really see how multiplayer could work with a title like Bioshock without it feeling tacked on. Some FPSs can stand on the legs of their single player stories alone (the Half-Life games come to mind) – why dilute thirty of the best hours you’ve ever spent gaming by playing on a multiplayer engine that’s at best sub par?

The “Little Sisters” personify just how low the citizens of Rapture sunk in their quest for perfection…

All in all, Bioshock is a triumph for its developers, and it may be just the title that 2K Games needs if they have any hope of putting their recent financial troubles behind them. This is the sort of game that begs to be replayed thanks to smart enemies and truly captivating environments. It’s also the sort of game that truly earns its Mature rating, not for its graphic portrayal of violence, but for its intriguing exploration of complex philosophical themes which would be entirely over the head of most younger players. Horror, action, and suspense – all in a package that truly asks its audience to think. What more could a gamer ask for? Till Next Time—

The Good Ed

• Published by 2K Games
• Produced by 2K Boston / 2K Australia (formerly Irrational Games)
• HDTV support up to 1080p
• Dolby Digital 5.1
• Currently available for Xbox 360 (reviewed) and Microsoft Windows

I’m afraid this is going to be a quick post, but it goes out to all fans and supporters of the barbecue.  To celebrate the three day weekend, we had a few folks over to the house.  The weather was perfect, the beer was tasty (Ben’s newest creation, a Helles, is now ready for consumption), and the grill was ready to go.  I decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to fire up something besides the usual plain hamburgers.  I found the solution in a phenomenal cookbook I picked up about a month ago — Taming the Flame by Elizabeth Karmel. 

Simply called “Butter Better Burgers”, these artery-clogging monsters consist of two types of ground beef (sirloin and chuck) wrapped around a pat of homemade garlic herb butter.  The butter keeps the beef tasting rich and moist, and the herbs give the meet just a little bit of kick.  Next time, I’m going to experiment by adding more spices to the butter.  Also, I think I would have been better off if I’d let the butter warm up a little bit first before making the hamburger patties.  Still, these were without a doubt the best-tasting burgers that have ever come off my grill.  To those who made it, thanks for coming out!  To everyone else, I’ll see you next time!  Till Then—

The Good Ed

Well, I made it home to Cleveland this past weekend.  A lot of things came together to make this a pretty cool visit: two of my aunts came into town on their way to visit family in West Virginia; my sister Katie and her husband came in from Pennsylvania with their two boys (Reggie and Tommie); my other sisters Sue and Anna were in town for the weekend as well (as were Anna’s husband Jeff and their two children Matthew and Elise).  When all was said and done, we were able to have the type of laid back reunion which proves impossible around the holidays. 

Sue and I were able to head off on our own adventures for a bit on Saturday.  First, we headed off to the community studio space where she does her ceramics work (here’s hoping you made a good sale at the art show!).  Despite a few random downpours, we were also able to make a visit to the library, have a fast (but tasty) dinner with Ron and Katie (and the boys), and head to Crocker Park for some window shopping.  Nothing hugely exciting, but it’s the kind of relaxing Saturday afternoon that I love.

Sunday gave us all an opportunity to meet up at my parent’s house.  After the family dinner, the adults were given a bit of a respite while the four little folks ran around the yard playing with bubbles.  It’s really quite amazing—despite all the expensive crap that lines the shelves of your local Toys R Us, it only takes a few dollars worth of bubbles and some wands to keep a small army of kids busy for hours.  It was really fun seeing those four run around (and get along), and it gave the rest of us an opportunity to catch up.  I’ll be heading home again for a friend’s wedding later in September, but I’m really glad I made it home for a few days.  Till Next Time—

The Good Ed

It’s hard to argue the point that Sony makes some really nice looking products: their LCD panels, computers, game systems and practically everything else they produce look great in any environment and seem to ooze cool from every angle and curve.  Sadly, their product engineers haven’t quite seemed to keep pace with the design staff.  Few products make this clearer than the PSP—a sexy little machine whose true potential has yet to be realized by the company that brought it to market.

The PSP really is a sexy piece of hardware.  Sporting a highly reflective gloss-black finish on its front face, it’s hard to distinguish where the 4.3 inch screen ends and the case begins (while the system’s turned off, at least).  Turn it on, though, and that screen quickly makes its presence known—sporting a resolution of 480x272, images pop off the PSP’s display with more tantalizing detail than I’ve seen on any other portable device (game system, DVD player, you name it).  The screen’s backlight can be set at one of three intensities to conserve battery life (an issue we’ll come to later).

Most of the controls you’d expect in a modern game system surround the screen: there’s the usual quartet of face buttons to the right of the screen, and a d-pad and single analog thumbstick to the left.  Though one analog input is a lot better than none, that single joystick means that most modern 3D games will be somehow handicapped from a control perspective—movement can be controlled via the joystick, but camera control must be clumsily applied to the face buttons or the systems two shoulder triggers.  Other controls include power and wi-fi slider switches on either side grip and a bevy of system control buttons below the screen.

Some have argued that the UMD drive on the PSP is a bit too complex and fragile for its own good, though I haven’t experienced any problems after two years of use.  The only weaknesses I’ve found with the design (besides the omission of a second analog stick) are the placement of its speakers and its battery life.  The speakers are located on the bottom of the device, firing downward.  To say that they sound like ass is an understatement, but hey—that’s what headphones are for.  Battery life is one of the system’s biggest demons, though it varies widely depending on the software being used: if a game or movie requires frequent reads from the UMD, battery life can drop to just under three hours.  Under normal circumstances, though, I’ve easily seen the battery last six or seven hours.  Lowering the screen brightness certainly helps.  As a rule of thumb, pick up the standalone battery charger and a spare power brick when you buy the system. 

Though recently support for the system has slowed to a trickle, there’s actually a pretty solid library of games available for the PSP.  Wipeout: Pure and Ridge Racer, two of the best racing games in recent memory, released alongside the system back in March of 2005.  Other interesting standouts were the puzzle game Lumines, the card/strategy combo Metal Gear:Acid! and the strategy game Field Commander.  Though the control interface does make designing 3D action and platform games a challenge, more recent attempts like Daxter and Metal Gear:Portable Ops have raised the bar with functional and intuitive control schemes.

Of course, as Sony is more than willing to tell you, the PSP does more than just play games—the UMD format was designed to distribute full-length films and television shows as well as game software.  Though the video quality of these releases was superb, it proved nary impossible for Sony to convince its customers that they needed to invest in yet another media format.  The move seems baffling as well, considering Sony already included memory stick support.  Flash memory meant that tech-savvy consumers could rip and watch any content they chose, without having to invest in UMD.  Though you’ll still find a few UMD movie releases on store shelves, the format has mostly gone the way of the MiniDisc when it comes to media distribution.

The PSP really does cram a lot of stuff into its small form factor.  Supporting wi-fi (albeit of the slower ‘b’ variety), the system allows for multiplayer gaming both locally (within the range of it’s transmission area) and via the internet.  A short while after the PSP’s release, Sony made a free internet browser available for download as well.  More recently, Sony has been toying with the PSP’s uses as an ad-on for their PlayStation 3 game console—remote access to media stored on the PS3 is made possible both via a LAN or internet connection.

It still boggles my mind that Sony never created it’s own version of the iTunes Music Store focusing on their vast library of movies and television programs instead of music.  The PSP is the very definition of an “ipod killer” (at least for video playback).  The system’s still pretty cutting-edge by today’s standards—had Sony waited until mid 2006 to release it, and they did so alongside a rather robust video download service, I’m confident that it would have been a huge success.  Hindsight’s twenty-twenty, I guess.  Still, the PSP is a rather competent game machine.  RPG, racer, and strategy fans will find plenty to love, and things continue to get better for players of 3D shooters and action games as the months go by (Ace Combat X was brilliant).  It will be interesting to see what Sony’s able to do with the platform, now that they’ve announced the new PSP Lite.  Only time will tell.  Till Next Time—

The Good Ed

Yesterday, I decided I’d give contact lenses one last shot.  I still have three pairs left after last year’s failed attempt to switch over to them.  Though there were many things I liked about wearing contacts (peripheral vision is so underrated), I had a lot of problems with dry eye and general discomfort.  It’s not that wearing them hurt, it’s just that I never seemed to reach that point where I didn’t realize I had them in.

I’ve now managed to wear them for a total of about sixteen hours between yesterday and today, and I’m determined to see this experiment through (at least to the end of the week).  As was the case before, my right eye doesn’t complain in the least when I’ve got the things in.  My left eye, however, always feels a little bit “off”—it’s somewhere between a mild itching and a mild burning sensation.  Most of the time it’s not an issue, but it’s always there, and only in the one eye.  Yet another reason to get myself an ophthalmologist, I guess.

Though my promised breakdown of current-generation game systems didn’t begin this weekend, rest assured—it’s in progress.  I started a write up of Sony’s PSP this evening, but got a bit bogged down in the details and thought it best to come back to it tomorrow.  Rest assured, it’s coming to the “kit” section very soon!  In the meantime, here’s hoping you all had a great weekend (mine was stellar).  Till Next Time—

The Good Ed

I'm afraid that today will mark the second day without a (real) post on Arcological.com. My apologies, folks. After a long day in the office, a few rounds of Chromehounds and a healthy dose of sleep have won out over blogging. A few things to look forward to, though: this weekend, I intend to begin adding some rather lofty reviews to the 'kit' section of the site as we take an in depth look at the new game systems that have hit market over the past year or so. I've also been very busy as of late, which means I actually have plenty to write about. Keep tuning in, and I promise I won't disappoint. Till Next Time--

The Good Ed]]> http://arcological.com/blog/2007/08/no_this_isnt_a_pattern_im_just.html http://arcological.com/blog/2007/08/no_this_isnt_a_pattern_im_just.html persona Wed, 15 Aug 2007 22:04:40 -0500

When it was released in the late summer of 1988, Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ faced a firestorm of criticism from conservative groups across the spectrum of Christianity.  “There’s a sex scene between Christ and Mary Magdeline!” they cried.  “It’s vulgarity on a level only Hollywood could aspire to!”  Controversy aside, The Last Temptation was certainly unlike any film about Christ that had come before.  Like its source material (the 1951 novel of the same name penned by Nikos Kazantzakis), the film attempted to do something which had rarely (if ever) been done previously: examine wholly that often forgotten human side of Jesus Christ. 

The Christ to whom we are first introduced has a long way to go before becoming the savior of mankind.  Constructing crosses which the Romans will use to execute Jewish political prisoners, Jesus is tormented every waking moment by voices and visions.  Labeled a pariah and a collaborator by his community, Christ eventually finds himself without friends and with a death warrant on his head (the Zealots wish to make an example of him for aiding the Roman’s executions of Jewish dissidents).  Now completely alone but for the voices in his head, Jesus heads out into the desert to find his calling.  He happens upon a monastery, where he finally begins to understand his role as “a fisher of men.”  When Judas, one of the Zealots, finds Christ in the desert, this would-be assassin is quickly converted into Jesus’ first apostle and his closest friend.

From here, the story follows more closely the works of The New Testament.  It’s not until The Crucifixion itself that the story veers towards the less familiar (as Christ is presented with his “Last Temptation”).  Though these final forty-five minutes of the film are its most controversial, they’re by no means gratuitous, and do more to highlight Christ’s divinity than any other interpretation of his life put to film (that I have seen). 

Willem Dafoe’s portrayal of Christ is as moving as it is unexpected

Martin Scorsese has produced a true masterwork in The Last Temptation.  Aided by a spectacular cast and a talented cinematographer (Michael Ballhaus), he manages to combine elements from Gnosticism, The Bible, and Kazantzakis’ work into a complete envisioning of Christ’s life like no other. 

The DVD I viewed was the 2000 Criterion release.  Although the extras were enlightening (particularly Scorsese’s self-shot production diary and the short documentary on Peter Gabriel’s groundbreaking soundtrack), the image quality of the film itself suffers a bit due to a low bit rate and the lower-grade MPEG encoding of seven years ago.  It’s not awful by any means, but a modern transfer and the bonus materials being moved to a separate disc would be much appreciated.  Although the film was remixed in Dolby Digital 5.1 for this release, I regret to say that I would have preferred the original stereo mix—dynamic range is a it tad too great given the subject matter, and the few times which the surrounds did come into play seemed to do more harm than good.  Still, this Criterion release is leaps and bounds above what other studios were releasing on the format at the time, and I’m fairly confident that we’ll see a re-release at some point in the future (if not to DVD, perhaps to one of the next gen formats).  All in all, this is a film which everyone owes it to themselves to see.  The devout will more fully appreciate the sacrifice made by Christ at Golgotha; others can simply enjoy it as the story of a great sacrifice and the struggle and introspection it took to get there.
Till Next Time—

The Good Ed

• Directed by Martin Scorsese
• Starring Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, and Barbara Hershey
• 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen
• Newly remastered Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack
• 163 minutes

Yesterday marked my annual pilgrimage to Saratoga Racetrack in Saratoga Springs, NY to watch the horse races.  I’ve made it there at least once a season for the past five years, and the place never seems to disappoint.  I’ve never been that big a winner (probably because I’m really not that big of a gambler).  I lost a bit yesterday—a grand total of $4.60, but most of that was due to completely reckless betting during race five.  All of my winnings yesterday were either due to “wins” or “shows”, though I did give a few quinella and trifecta bets a try.  Despite how ridiculously hot it was out in the sun, it was a really good time.  Considering my weekends are pretty much booked from now through Labor Day, I’m doubtful I’ll make it back before the season’s end.  Still, there’s always 2008!  Till Next Time—

The Good Ed

I’m not quite sure who the folks at Hasbro were trying to cater to when they designed their lineup of Nerf Blasters.  It’s dangerous enough when six grown men take pot shots at one another from over the walls of their cubicles; put one of these in the hands of a ten-year-old and you have an eye injury waiting to happen.  Still, that doesn’t diminish the fact that these are some of the coolest toys I’ve ever seen!  My fellow Nerf owners and I have now been exposed to three of the current blasters.  I’ll go ahead and outline them here.

The Nerf Buzzsaw is a strange one—by pulling a handle on the back of the gun repeatedly, one is able to set a disc into rotation that will zip up to three foam balls towards a target when the trigger is pulled.  It’s a fun blaster, but not a good pick for younger folks due to the coordination that’s required (the disc inside the gun needs to be spinning really fast before the balls will take flight).  There’s also a horrifically loud grinding noise that’s made whenever you pull the handle (I realize it’s called the Buzzsaw, but seriously).  A fun weapon, but not without its problems.

Though I thought the Maverick was going to be the coolest of the smaller dart guns, I was a bit disappointed by its range.  It’s nice to have six shots at your disposal, but you still have to “cock” the gun after each shot, and its maximum range is probably 25% less than the Nite Finder blaster.

This is the last word in Nerf’s dart gun arsenal.  The Nite Finder EX-3 has great range, a built in laser site, and it only costs $6.  We’ve easily seen darts fly 50 feet, and it’s by far the most accurate of these three shooters.

Of course, Hasbro isn’t the only manufacturer of foam shooters out there.  BuzzBee Toys has their own line: Ruff Stuff Air Blasters.  These generic reinventions of various Nerf blasters are in many ways superior to the products they duplicate.  The Double Shot Dart Blaster is one of the most accurate weapons I’ve seen, and the motorized Mech Tommy 20 is downright terrifying (despite its propensity to jams and its incompatibility with most of the Nerf-licensed ammo types).  I’m pretty certain the Ruff Stuff Air Blasters are a Wal-Mart exclusive, and they offer considerable bang for the buck.

Regardless of which blaster you choose, you’re going to need a hefty supply of ammo.  This can be had relatively cheaply at Hasbro's online toy shop and most Target stores across the country.  My personal favorites are the Nerf Sonic Micro Darts which emit a blood-curdling shriek as they fly through the air (they’re also the safest of the dart types, thanks to their thin and flexible rubber tips). 

Whichever blaster you choose to call your own, please use it responsibly.  If your office mates tell you that they don’t enjoy being shot in the face, they probably mean it.  Also, please clean up after yourself—no one wants to live or work in a room that’s been turned into a DMZ thanks to the inch-thick layer of Nerf ammo on the floor.  Most importantly, have fun.  Till Next Time—

The Good Ed

As much as I love the internet and all the conveniences it places at our fingertips, I loathe the browsers that take us there even more.  With so many options out there, it’s amazing that there isn’t one that gets everything right.  What’s even more amazing is the number of folks who still insist on using what I view as the worst offender: Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.  With the relaunch of Arcological.com over the past week, I’ve been quickly reminded of how big a hassle coding for a variety of browsers can be: if things look great in Safari, they’re purple and upside down in Explorer. 

For being one of the older kids on the block, it still surprises me how often Internet Explorer seems to get things wrong—I often wonder if HTML is a second language that it learned from the friendly-yet-uncommunicative Polish butcher down the street in Redmond.  This isn’t to say that the other browsers out there get things right all the time: feature rich and accurate, Mozilla's Firefox can run sluggishly on some systems (particularly Macintoshes); Opera seems to offer more features and ad-ons than anyone else, but it does so at the expense of performance; Apple's Safari is lightning quick on a Mac, but it runs really poorly under Windows and continues to have a hard time with Java-based sites.

My recommendation?  When you get into the office tomorrow, treat yourself to a “download break” as you enjoy your morning cup of coffee (provided you have administrative rights on your desktop) and download one of the three “Explorer alternatives” I’ve linked to above.  You might like some of the “new” features Microsoft has added to Internet Explorer 7, but those same things have been available for years on the other browsers.  Perhaps the most important feature they offer which Explorer still lacks: the internet as its designers intended.  Happy surfing, folks, and Till Next Time—

The Good Ed

*Feel free to message me or comment on this thread with any inconsistencies that pop up as you explore arcological.com

As just about any apartment dweller can tell you, shoddy wiring seems to come hand-in-hand with renting: lights flicker when you recharge your cell phone; turning on the clothes dryer is cause for panic across your city’s power grid; houseguests tremble in fear whenever they have to flick a switch. It’s hard enough just to live in conditions such as these. What’s next to impossible is plugging in high-end electronics and expecting them to perform properly. As dangerous as spikes in current can be to receivers, televisions and computers, sags in voltage can be just as damaging over time. For this reason, I desired more than a basic surge protector when it came time to purchase a power solution for my entertainment system.

One of the more affordable ways to bring voltage regulation into the home is through the variety of uninterruptible power supplies aimed at consumers. Though most are still designed for use with computer systems, more and more are being released which specifically address the power needs and requirements of the home theater. A recent contender in this subcategory is American Power Conversion (better known as APC). Though they’ve been developing power solutions for computer systems both large and small for decades, it’s just been a few years since the release of their first AV products. First to market were their ‘S Type’ AV power conditioners—offering high-end construction and a myriad of features including a true sine wave output when under battery operation, these were a hit with audiophiles, but their prices kept them out of the reach of many AV enthusiasts.

More recently, APC released their ‘J-Type’ conditioners. These two models (the J10 and J15) offer almost every feature of the ‘S-Type’ products (with the exception of a pure sine wave output) at less than half the cost. The J15, for instance, lists for a mere $650, and at that price it’s a steal. I mulled over the differences between the ‘J’ and ‘S’ product lines for quite some time before I finally made a decision. What convinced me to go with the J15 was a conversation I had with one of APC’s product engineers. Since I was primarily looking at these products for their undervoltage protection, he convinced me that the pure sine output of the ‘S’ series was pretty irrelevant (I’m not going to run my system off battery anyways—for me, that backup only exists so that I can safely power everything down in due time). With this information in hand, I placed my order, and within three days their was a 75 pound packing crate on my doorstep.

Here’s a view of the J15’s rear panel.

To put things simply, the J15 is built like a tank. I realize that most of its heft comes from its large internal battery, but as you look over its surfaces, you’re bound to recognize it as a quality product. Assembly was relatively simple. After connecting the battery to its terminal and snapping on the front faceplate, one needs only plug it in, and the J15 comes to life. Though I first viewed the LCD display located on the front panel as a gimmick, I’ve come to recognize it as an invaluable tool in operating the unit. From this front faceplate, one can adjust voltage trim levels, set the brightness levels for the display and status LEDs, and acquire up to date information about the quality of power being output to connected equipment (one can view number of watts being drawn, the unit’s input and output voltage, the battery’s runtime based on current load, and a variety of other statistics). There are a total of 12 device specific outlets which are broken up into four banks for filtering purposes. Analog devices are separated from digital, and line noise filtration is matched to a particular device's needs. Other features include three separate coax pass-throughs, telephone and 10/100 Base T Ethernet pass-throughs, a DC trigger pass-through, and a USB data port for management from a connected PC.

My only complaint with the J15: though the LCD can be turned off completely, the blue LED which surrounds the power button can only be dimmed.

Under normal use, the device is completely silent. The only time it makes itself known in my home is during an undervoltage situation (when it makes an audible “click” sound) and when it's operating off battery (a cooling fan engages at this time, and though not deafening, it's definitely audible enough to interfere with program material). One can adjust the unit's sensitivity to undervoltages if that “click” becomes too annoying, but for me, that sound acts as simple reassurance that my purchase was justified. My unit is forced to regulate an undervoltage about four to five times hourly, usually in response to the HVAC turning on or someone operating a larger appliance in the house.

The J15’s battery capacity and maximum load have proven more than adequate for my mid-sized system (I probably could have gotten by with the smaller J10, which costs about $100 less). As a precaution, I plugged my subwoofer into a separate power center, though even during a film’s loudest passages, the J15 has never exceeded 50% of maximum load.

Although I haven’t noticed any great improvement between this unit and other products I’ve used from companies like Monster Power, the J15’s price-to-performance ratio is utterly mind-blowing. Nothing else comes close to offering as many features for such a low price, and most of those products aren’t backed by a legacy as impressive as APC’s. Considering the rash of blackouts I’ve already experience this summer, $650 doesn’t seem like that much to spend for total peace of mind. Till Next Time—

The Good Ed

• 865 Watts maximum output
• 20 minutes runtime @ 35% load; 110 minutes @ 5% load
• 12 AC outlets (all with battery backup)
• Active voltage regulation

This evening at 6:36, the space shuttle Endeavour lifted off with minimal fanfare and a schedule full of humdrum construction tasks at the International Space Station.  As much as I’ve always been captivated by the prospects of space travel, NASA’s current agenda (and its recent scandals) do little to awaken the latent explorers in regular folks like you or I.  Considering the manifold discoveries brought forth by unmanned probes and satellites in the last few decades, it’s hard to justify the costs of manned space exploration (in dollars and in human life).  Every once in a while, though, NASA does get something right when it comes to its manned space program.  Aboard STS-118, that something is Barbara Morgan.

Barbara Morgan (left) and Christa McAuliffe prior to the Challenger’s final flight…

Back in July of 1985, Morgan was selected as the backup candidate for NASA’s ill-fated Teacher in Space Project.  She trained alongside Christa McAuliffe for many months, and was McAuliffe’s alternate for STS-51.  Of course, that mission would come to be known merely by the name of its shuttle: Challenger.  Following the disaster, Morgan did some public speaking work for NASA, but primarily she resumed her role as an elementary school teacher in Idaho.  Many thought Challenger would be a sad and tragic end for the prospects of civilians in America’s space program.

In January of 1998, Morgan was chosen by NASA as their first Educator Astronaut.  Unlike her role in the defunct Teacher in Space Project, she would now receive the same rigorous training (and be expected to perform the same tasks) as any other member of NASA’s astronaut corps.  For Endeavour’s current mission (STS-118), Morgan is scheduled to act as operator for the robotic arm that will maneuver many of the larger pieces during the crew’s construction work on the ISS.  She will also teach a number of classes to students back here on Earth—some of these lessons remain unchanged from those McAuliffe was slated to teach more than two decades ago.

Barbara Morgan today, at age 55…

Morgan’s accomplishment here is twofold: as a teacher, she’s able to lend her eyes and ears to children back home, opening up a whole new world to them in terms they can understand; as a civilian, she proves that space travel is not something that should be reserved for fighter pilots, and that crew diversification very well be the answer to a number of NASA’s problems.  Here’s hoping Morgan’s historic trip into space will fuel a new generation of pioneers, and lead the way to brighter times for NASA.  Godspeed, and good luck!  Till Next Time—

The Good Ed

Let’s get right to the chase: American horror films have been absolutely abysmal in recent years.  Perhaps I’ve become ridiculously desensitized to violence courtesy of all the mature rated videogames I allow into my home (I know… I’m BAD), but I really don’t find buckets of blood that horrifying.  Besides—as much as Hollywood would like to tell you otherwise, fictionalized torture is not entertainment (even when the victim is Paris Hilton).  It’s with great pride, then, that I introduce to you one of best “horror” films I’ve seen in nearly a decade (horror is in quotations for a reason, but I’ll get to that).  A breath of fresh air has made its way across the Pacific in the form of the 2006 South Korean monster film The Host.

Park Gang-du is quite the unlikely hero…

Set in Seoul in the present day, The Host artfully combines horror, slapstick comedy and political satire with a grace that hasn’t been seen in a long time.  It tells the story of a dysfunctional South Korean family: Park Gang-du (played by Song Kang-ho) is the not-so-bright proprietor of a riverside concession stand on the shore of the Han River; Park Hee-bong (played by Byeon Hee-bong) is Gang-du’s father and co-owner of the concession stand, who somehow manages sharing space with his dope of a son; Hee-bong’s other children are Park Nam-joo (played by Bae Doona), a Korean archery champion, and Park Nam-il (played by Park Hae-il), an alcoholic and unemployed college grad; rounding out the cast of characters is Park Hyun-seo (played by Ko Ah-seong), Gang-du’s school-aged daughter who harbors both pride for her champion aunt and shame for her dimwit father and alcoholic uncle.

The Park family from left to right: Nam-joo (Bae Doona), Hee-bong (Byeon Hee-bong), Hyun-seo (Ko Ah-seong), Gang-du (Song Kang-ho), and Nam-il (Park Hae-il).

When The Host’s titular monster arrives on the shore of the Han River and takes young Hyun-seo back to its lair, the Park family must set aside their differences and head out in search of their youngest member.  Throughout this journey, the viewer is treated to slapstick comedy, suspense and drama of a caliber American filmmakers rarely attain.  Director Bong Joon-ho and his tightly knit crew demonstrate skill far beyond their years as they spin a masterful tale set in places both familiar and foreign.

Most of The Host is shot on location rather than on a soundstage.  This isn’t to say, however, that there’s anything at all amateurish or simple about the sets—in fact, they’re so grandiose that the viewer is led to presume that all of them are constructed (as opposed to found) locations.  The creature remains a believable horror throughout the film, bearing more in common with LOTR’s Gollum than Jedi’s Rancor.  The only time the monster seems to display its CGI roots openly is during the film's climax—a forgivable problem, considering the complexity of the scene (and the proximity of the “beast” to live actors).   

Overall, The Host is a film that remains entertaining to the last.  The characters are all as believable as they are charming, the themes will hold true for just about any audience member, and the thrills are bound to keep you on the edge of your seat.  As for the various video releases themselves, I had the opportunity to view the Blu-ray version.  Incorporating all the content of the two disc collector’s edition DVD, this format’s enhanced resolution audio and video make viewing the film in a modern home theater setup an extra treat.  Perhaps the only shortcoming was the fact that subtitles were presented in white as opposed to yellow (still, I was never at a loss for what was going on—this is a monster movie after all).  Any fan of suspense and drama owes it to themselves to watch The Host.  Till Next Time—

The Good Ed

• Directed by Bong Joon-ho
• Approximately 119 minutes
• Rated R
• Available on DVD, HD DVD, and Blu-ray
• English and Korean languages in 5.1 PCM, DTS-HD, and Dolby Digital (Blu-ray version)
• 1.85:1 Aspect ratio; 1080P HD video (Blu-ray version); all extras in 4:3 at 480P

In news related to my weekend trip to Chautauqua, I had the honor of sawing a piece off of my 2002 Nissan Sentra while traveling through Buffalo on Friday.  About 150 miles prior (just outside of Utica), I began noticing a strange sound emanating from the front wheel well on the driver’s side.  Fearing a flat, I quickly pulled over at the next rest area.  Though my tire was fine (thank God), there was an eighteen inch long piece of plastic skirting hanging off the wheel well and extending loose halfway to the bumper. 

I popped it back into place, but realized it was just going to work its way loose again.  I proceeded to do what any sane person would—approach anyone with a pickup truck and inquire if they had duct tape.  A few people gave me an incredulous raised eyebrow, and a few more gave me their sympathy.  None, however, gave me duct tape.

I set out again with this piece of plastic skirting wedged precariously back into place, and thought all was well until a few miles past the first Buffalo toll booth on I-90.  While driving about 30mph in rush hour traffic, I heard a loud thud followed by a “KRRREEEEECH” sound as this dilapidated piece of black polymer came completely loose and began to become wedged against my beautiful $150 all-weather radial.  I proceeded to quickly cut across three lanes of traffic to the shoulder, where I contemplated my next course of action.

The 2002 Nissan Sentra GXE: now with 25% less wheel well…

I still had no way of securing the piece back onto my car, so I was left with plan ‘B’: removing it from my car entirely.  Ron, I’m not sure what inspired you to order us those Leatherman Crunch tools a few years back, but thanks to that thing’s saw blade I was back on my way in about five minutes.  The best part was, I only had to dodge one crazy woman in an SUV who felt it was her God-given right to drive in the shoulder. 

So as I drove to work today enjoying a little bit more road noise than usual and slightly compromised gas mileage, I reminded myself of the lessons I’d learned over the previous weekend.  First off, never leave home without a big-ass bladed  multitool in your purse (ahem… I mean, “messenger bag”).  Perhaps more importantly, there’s always room in a car for a roll of duct tape.  Happy traveling, all, and Till Next Time—

The Good Ed

Back in March of 2000, when I was still a “young lad” of 21, my closest college friends and I embarked on an unorthodox Spring break to remember.  My good friend Cat’s folks owned a house on Lake Chautauqua (which is about forty-five minutes southwest of Buffalo, NY), and it seemed like the perfect place to get away for a few days.  A few months ago, Cat suggested a reunion for all of us, and nowhere seemed more appropriate than that house overlooking The Lake.

Sadly, two of us weren’t able to make it.  My buddy Doug was in a bike accident on Monday (he got banged up pretty bad, though it’s nothing a few days in the hospital and a healthy lawsuit against the driver who hit him can’t fix), and Paul and his fiancé Shauna were without a car this weekend (if you two end up with another Oldsmobile, I’m going to scream).  Still, the rest of us (Cat, Justin, Alexa and myself) made it down to Chautauqua, and we had a blast!

On Friday, Cat’s mom saw to it that we were fed well.  After spending the early evening on the beach watching the sunset (sorry folks—I was too busy enjoying it myself to take any pictures), we went back to the house where we discovered the spread of spreads living in the fridge: fresh olives, steak, tomatoes, potatoes, romaine—it was tasty to the last. 

Saturday, we decided it best to head out into the great outdoors.  In the early afternoon, we ventured to Panama Rocks, a nature park about twenty minutes from Cat’s place.  After a tasty picnic lunch (you’ll have to remind me what that deli meat was called, Cat), we made our way into the park. 

Although the main trail itself was only about a mile long, the rocks provided ample opportunity for climbing, crawling and scuttling.  Though I probably got a little bit dirtier than I like to, I had an awesome time.  It’s rare to visit a park that gives its patrons such freedom to explore—I’m sure that Panama’s private ownership gives them a lot more latitude in this regard compared to a State park, but it was still nice to see.

Saturday night, we went into town and had dinner at a funky little place called The Italian Fisherman.  Despite the incredibly drunk man out on the deck whose hobbies included screaming and screaming, we had a great dinner of shrimp and french fries.  I also learned an important lesson while there—fried green beans are actually quite good (and they taste nothing at all like green beans… go figure).  The entertainment was a blast—the voice of the woman singing was a perfect combination of Rosemary Clooney and Mai Yamane.  When we got back home, we were greeted by a pleasant mix of German beer and the night sky (much like Friday’s sunset, I wish I had pictures of the clear night sky… you’ll have to let your imaginations do the work, I’m afraid). 

Sunday, Cat’s folks made it back to the house, and we took a short boat trip up to the Chautauqua Institution’s grounds.  I’ve never really seen any place like it—religion and art coexisted in a way one really isn’t used to seeing (especially since I came from the Midwest, where those two forces practically seemed to be at odds with one another).  We weren’t able to stay too long, though, and then it was back to Albany.  Thanks to everyone for a sweet weekend.  Till next year (wherever we end up)!