ODDS AND ENDS

Here are a few observations I've been meaning to make but which are not really worthy of their own individual entry. So I'm grouping them together, even though they really don't have much to do with each other

UNDERCOATING AND VALET PROTECTION
My car, a Honda Civic, is equipped with a few features specifically designed to foil valets attempting to get into my trunk without my permission. I received, with my regular key, a valet key that will not work to open my trunk. I appreciate the concerns of the designers, those valets can be a crafty and nefarious bunch. I would like to point out, however, something they may have missed, namely that it's a Honda Civic. I have nothing against the car itself, I am actually quite fond of it and intend (and can reasonably expect) to drive it for a long long time. But it's not exactly the car of the glitterati. The people who prefer valets to do their parking for them do not drive anything so sensible as a Civic. The people frugal enough to buy a Civic in the first place are not likely to spend the money they save in mileage on valets. So, as a Civic owner, I'm not really afraid of valets and do not believe the security measures (and the few frustrations they cause) are necessary. Unless you're talking about the roving bands of valets who sometimes stalk the streets at night. Those valets I am afraid of.

MACHINIMA
This is an interesting concept and one that proves a lot of people really have more time than they know what to do with. Basically, it is a form of animation using game engines. Manipulate the characters on screen, record the result, cut and edit, throw in the sounds you want, and you've got your own puppet show made with digital puppets. The best known example of this (at least in my world) is Red vs. Blue which uses the game Halo (and more recently Halo 2) to perform skits. It's absolutely hilarious. Jamie (the fellow who posts comments long enough to make you wonder whether he thinks this is his own blog site) introduced me to the first season and I couldn't stop laughing. But beyond the hilarity, its form is fascinating to me (a recent reintroduction to RvB is what brought this topic to my mind). There are people who have used various games like Balder's Gate to recreate movies and plays or to make up their own stories. Greg Kostikyan talked about it in his blog some time ago. It's an example of the many ways we find to entertain ourselves with tools and games well beyond their original intended use (think kids and cardboard boxes).

THAT'S IT
No really, I have nothing else to say today.