Let’s say you had a one gigabyte MP3 player full of music. Using encryption one could take all of the information contained on the MP3 player and turn it into a string of numbers based on the key and equation used for the encryption.

Consider that your DNA is a string of numbers in base 4.

If one had a device that could analyze the data contained in your DNA and determine the proper encryption method necessary to result in the exact same data contained on the MP3 player one could create a storage free MP3 player. It would be some thing that decrypted your DNA is such a way that resulted in your desired playlist.

Of course this would involve reverse encryption, or encryption cracking, which we can’t do effectively yet. It may even be slightly more complicated than that, but I still think it’s a cool idea.

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Scientists have announced that a new rock floating through space, Gliese 581 c may be a habitable planet. If this is the case, we will need to start thinking about ways to get there. Hell, we’ve been thinking about it as a species for years but we need to put aside social and political differences and really work toward finding a way to migrate to a new habitable planet. We don’t even need to live there really. We just need to be able to grow food on the planet until we find more planets capable of sustaining life.

Once we discover a planet capable of supporting farming, we can send our robo-workers to do do all the heavy lifting and humans will make future livings as Teamsters. Only we’ll all be piloting space ships delivering foodstuffs and repair parts back and forth. Ice Pirates anyone? It may have been an entertaining farce in 1984, but if we as the human race want to go out with a bang, not a whimper, then we really need to start making real progress into deep-space exploration and migration.

We need inter-galactic spaceships capable of traversing millions of miles a la Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek.

Think of it as science fiction if you must…but things change. Sometimes, fantastic stories that were once considered fiction lead to discovery.

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In my humble opinion.  It is possible that the president and Tyrol are also some of the final five, but I’m less than convinced of that.  Tigh, Anders and Tory are all humans that have been messed with/programmed by the cylons, Tigh was obviously captured and screwed with, Anders was discovered on New Caprica by Leoban (the dude holding starbuck hostage) and he was is tough shape, sick and in bed–that’s were he got programmed/messed with.  Tory, well we don’t know much about her so she could have been captured or whatever.

Discussion?

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Starting with the least offensive and going down to the worst show on TV…

8. Local Nightly News – There is only one reason for any local affiliate to continue to broadcast local news. That would be to in fact, give people updates on things that happen locally that are newsworthy. In Minnesota, we stopped doing that sometime around 1983. Here’s the local news format on all local TV stations for the first four minutes: Possible leading national story, possible leading state or local story, teaser for some quirky, funny or shocking segment, teaser for sports, teaser for weather.

If someone dies, they get a minute. If there is a killer or a rapist on the loose, they get a full ninety seconds. If a baby can hiccup the alphabet, they give the baby fifteen minutes.

Fire all the local amateur news anchors and let the grown-ups anchor the news. Even Jon Stewart actually covers some pertinent news issues.

7. American Idol – While American Idol is reality TV at its finest, it is time to kill reality TV. Paula is a rube, Randy is inoffensive at best and Simon Cowell is always right – which is why everyone thinks he is a jerk. He tells the truth and the truth hurts. But not as much as the amateurs who screech and wail their way out the door. The only thing American Idol has proved is that you can create a pop start out of nothing. They just took it to the next level by broadcasting the auditions and selling more merchandise.

Anybody remember Star Search? Same Sh#t, Different Decade.

6. Survivor – This is the crème de la crème of competitive reality challenges. All other shows that came after Survivor were just copycats. That being said, it’s time to go. How many people do we need to bring together how many times before we figure out that the most physically fit people will always win the final challenges? Sheesh. We get it. Fat people can’t run or win stamina contests. How about some brain puzzles?

5. Extreme Makeover Home Edition – We get it. Someone experiences tragedy. Sears and ABC rebuild their house for free during a one or two hour commercial. We don’t care. Get over yourselves already. It’s obvious you care more about commercials than compassion. Quick, show another power tool or a new car!

4. 24 – Either rename it “The Never Ending Story” and bring back Atreyu, or kill Jack Bauer.

3. Lost – The real trick about this show is where the script has been going for the last three years. That’s nowhere. The writers are lost - filling in back-story. Every new season only brings us farther away from series fulfillment and plotline completion. The only way to end this show will be to announce a “final season” so they can complete a friggin’ story arc. Either that or write in the Skipper and Gilligan and the SS Minnow and have them get everyone off that damn island once and for all.

2. Battlestar Galactica – This is the worst show on TV. This show is so low-budget that they didn’t even want to spend money on Cylon costumes so they altered the story and made them “9th generation” to explain the lack of technology. I keep expecting to see spaceships on strings fly past the screen or maybe a “Made with a Mac” watermark. At least the original BSG series had some actual stars in it like Lorne Greene, Dirk Benedict and Jane Seymour. This lazy BSG effort has D-list actors and Xena. It’s time to either spend some money on this show and bring it to prime-time or relegate “Battlestar” to “convention” status.

1. Grey’s Anatomy – I just named Battlestar Galactica the worst show, but somehow, Grey’s Anatomy is even worse than the worst show on TV. The acting is mediocre, at best. My preferred plotline would be for all the interns to drown. I would also enjoy watching them all contract an STD and die. Where other hospital dramas have enjoyed great writing and long standing power (Trapper John MD, ER, Saint Elsewhere), Grey’s Anatomy is a comedy that sometimes tries to be a drama and this deadly combination makes it easily the most terrible hospital show to ever grace the small screen.

Dr. McDreamy was at his best in “Can’t Buy Me Love.” Meredith is too old and unconvincing to be a “young intern”. This show’s only saving grace is Dr. Bailey who is expertly played by Chandra Wilson. They should fire everyone else and re-brand the show as Dr. Bailey’s Show. It would also be cool to move Dr. Bailey to Chicago and have her go work in the ER. It would be the best of both worlds.

Grey’s Anatomy first jumped the shark when they had a “Code Black” on immediately after the Superbowl and they ran teasers all the way through. It has been jumping every week since. Words will never be able to capture just how bad this show is.

Sometimes on other “hospital” shows you will hear a medical term here or there, but not on Grey’s Anatomy. They would rather use cutesy, pop-phrases like “vajayjay” instead of making their idiotic viewers feel stupid.

There will never be another show on TV as poorly written or badly acted as Grey’s Anatomy.

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So what if it was the creepy little girl in Poltergeiest who orginally uttered those lines. We may all be saying those words soon enough. While Interplanet Janet’s visit to O’Hare was reported around January 2, 2007, and now we have people in several Midwestern states spotting fireballs or bright lights.

When it’s Danger-Cold, people should just stay inside and try to stay warm! If you wander too far in the bitter cold you will see many things. Especially if you are spending your nights staring at the sky watching for little green men.

Ever since Icarus flew too close to the sun we have had people spotting dragons, mermaids, ghosts, whatever.

The easy way to avoid seeing things flying around the sky is to simply get out of the house and interact with other humans. It helps prevent seeing things when cabin fever sets in after five months of sub-arctic temperatures.

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Apparently UFO is SO last century…now we have to call them UAPs. Well, whatever. But it does seem that a dozen or so employees out at O’Hare witnessed a UAP event last November. The story is getting a little national coverage and some international, but not in the sense that it is being taken seriously.

For some reason, it’s hard to get taken seriously when you claim to have seen little green men. The FAA’s official statement delivered by Elizabeth Isham Cory discounted any suggestions of UFOs or UAPs:

That night was a perfect atmospheric condition in terms of low [cloud] ceiling and a lot of airport lights. When the lights shine up into the clouds, sometimes you can see funny things. That’s our take on it.

I wouldn’t go so far as to claim we are being observed by little green men, but I would go as far as to say I believe that it is likely that humans are not the most advanced carbon-based life form hurling through the universe.

If the world can be created in seven days who knows what else is possible? It wouldn’t surprise me that if there were a technologically advanced society observing humankind, they would certainly not attempt to make contact with a barbaric species that seems hell-bent on killing themselves off.

Oh, and according to SunriseSunset.com, the sun set at 4:39pm in Chicago on November 7, 2006 so technically, it was still daylight when the event occurred.

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If you’re cool you know the Wii will be available next Saturday at midnight in a number of different places. If you’re prepared you’re clutching your pre-order and having trouble sleeping. If you’re a tenacious procrastinator without a job (or significant other) you’re camping outside some retailer playing your DS starfox/advancewars/mariokart/pokemon (building up your collection in anticipation for diamond or pearl) waiting for your Wii. If you’re lucky your significant other is waiting with you.

I assume you’ve gotten your room ready. Pushed the couch back, perhaps even bought a smaller coffee table. Detached your Xbox from the component inputs on your receiver and put it into storage (lord knows there’s no reason to keep that relic). You’ve probably called your friends and set up a party for Sunday. If you’re really hard core you’ve been adjusting your sleeping schedule and stocking up on energy drinks to help facilitate your party at midnight (less likely to have the sun interfere with the wii-mote).

You’ve certainly pre-ordered some games. Zelda of course, sure the graphics will be a little disappointing but you know that the fishing mini-game is going to totally make up for it (is there a better application for the wii-mote?). You’ve probably ordered some other game as well, maybe a good party game like Rayman or Monkeyball in case Wii-Sports isn’t enough to keep your party going. Perhaps you were brave and risked the first person shooter knowing that the wii-mote will be the ultimate fps interface. Redsteel or Call of Duty? The risk is that the controls may take an iteration or two for the developers to really nail it–for sure Metroid will be awesome but that’s not a launch game. The guy at the counter probably told you to pick up Trauma Center because he played it at his conference and it was freaking great. Of course you’ve already beat it on the DS and you’re unsure of the value it could provide during your Wii-Day party. If you’re more conservative you may still pick up excite truck because of the reviews it’s getting, but if you were more conservative you probably wouldn’t be getting a Wii and you certainly wouldn’t be reading this blog (liberals only please).  Of course Wii-Sports will be included and you know it will be a blast. But what about the four-player games? Do they justify the purchase of the two extra remotes (with which you’d have to buy the nunchucks for your party game purchase) that gets expensive 40$ x 3 (wii-mote) + 20$ x 3 (nunchucks) = $180. Here’s my advice: Don’t buy all four now. Get one extra with a nunchuck. Wait for a third party version with rechargeable batteries and a cordless nunchuck (there will probably be a first party cordless nunchuck but not for a while). To keep your party going don’t rely on the Wii alone. Make sure there is plenty of drink and a number of Dual Screens running The New Super Mario Brothers.

You seem prepared. There are still some unanswered questions. What’s the final secret? Is there a final secret? I expect there is and my prediction is that it’s Wii-Play included with the Wii-Mote. I wouldn’t be suprised if there was some sort of voice over IP included as well (the only real justification for the wii-connect 24 that I can figure out). I’m still holding out for the 3D projection solution that has been rumored as I’m sure you are. Although together wii know that it’s unlikely. Perhaps for the next Nintendo console will have it (in three years) which will be more resolute than the PS3 and 360 combined (yeah I said it! 1800p BABY!) that console will sell for roughly 300$ making the purchase of the Wii and the Nintendo Next-Revolution less than the total cost of a premium PS3 (not to diss on the thrice, I will get one… as soon as I have a lot more money).

Wii-Day is near. Be patient, it’s hard I know. Ive been passing time by listening to wii-casts and pouring over the internets scraping up every nugget of info. Breathe… take a Lamaze class if you have to… focus… wii’re almost there.

So Say Wii All!

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As everybody on earth knows in what has to be the fastest spreading news ever to spread in the history of the earth, Nintendo has announced that the name of the here-to-fore called revolution is to be: Wii (pronounced “we”). And everyone seems to hate it. Of all of the editorials I’ve seen on game sites most say Wii is a bad idea while others say it’s stupid. Of comments on stories about the name change 90% of them are negative (not a formal %–an estimation). Ever since I first saw the Wii controller I’ve believed Nintendo has a big winner on their hands, and the more I read about people’s experience with the controller the better I think they’re going to do. The insane amount of publicity that this name change has generated is also a bit of a coup for Nintendo–yeah, it’s mostly people saying that Nintendo has gone nuts, but it’s publicity none the less. Additionally, I like the name.

Along with the name change Nintendo published the following in their site:

Introducing … Wii.
As in “we.”
While the code-name “Revolution” expressed our direction, Wii represents the answer.
Wii will break down that wall that separates video game players from everybody else.
Wii will put people more in touch with their games … and each other. But you’re probably asking: What does the name mean?
Wii sounds like “we,” which emphasizes this console is for everyone.
Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii.
Wii has a distinctive “ii” spelling that symbolizes both the unique controllers and the image of people gathering to play.
And Wii, as a name and console, brings something revolutionary to the world of video games that sets it apart from the crowd.
So that’s Wii. But now Nintendo needs you.
Because, it’s really not about you or me.
It’s about Wii.
And together, Wii will change everything.

That’s what Nintendo had to say and I buy it. I think Wii will change everything. I also think its going to outsell the 360 within a year and PS3 will have trouble keeping up with it (even in America). I don’t expect Nintendo’s initial sales burst to maintain a market lead because I expect MS and Sony to adapt and catch up pretty effectively (the 360’s announcement about a depth sensitive camera for mo-cap is already a concession to Nintendo).

So welcome to the next great console (the last one was the DS (get brain age if you haven’t)) it’s name is Wii and it’s going to be more fun than wii’ve had playing video games in a very long time.

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“God of Hell,” Sam Shepard’s newest play is as much of an agitprop (agitation propaganda) play as they come. I just read it today and was inspired by how blatant his message is. Read the New York Times review of the production (with Tim Roth and Randy Quaid). I think that more artists, especially in the theatre, need to grow some balls as far as our current political situation is concerned. Every artist should feel personally responsible to society to inspire positive change and use their art to do just that.
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