Ion Rocker drum kit review

By guest contributor Anthony Guzzardo

As a real drummer, the drum kit that came packaged in the deluxe bundle for Rock Band 1 frustrated me to no end. The cross talk was horrific and caused me to needlessly fail out of too many songs that should have been within my grasp. The pads had no bounce to them (as a real drum would) and the bass pedal was a dinky piece of crap that offered no resistance, making rapid pedal hits a frustrating affair.

Flash forward to nearly a year later and e-drum maker, Ion has created the antidote for the woes of real drummers languishing in the misery of having to deal with a substandard toy drum kit. They created a drum kit specifically for Rock Band players with the dual purpose of being able to use it outside of the game as a real electronic kit (with the addition of the drum brain). The cleverly-named Ion Drum Rocker is a fully loaded drum kit that gives both music gamers and real drummers alike a more realistic experience behind the skins.

What makes it so realistic? Well, right out of the box, the drum kit contains 4 "tom" pads and 2 "cymbal" pads that can be configured practically any way you like. If you felt comfortable with the pad setup of the original Rock Band kit, you can keep it the same on the Drum Rocker. Why pay over $300 dollars just to keep it the same though? The numerous clamps and in which the pads attach to allow you to customize your setup as you wish. In fact I highly recommend that you so as it leads to a greater sense of freedom and comfortability while playing. Setup time figures to be around an hour or less with the suggested drum configuration, however if you customize your kit as I had, then you better clear out a few hours on your schedule since it can take a lot of trial and error to get things absolutely perfect.

As much as you strive for perfection, there are certain aspects to the kit that make it tougher to achieve. The bolts, for one, can be easily stripped so you must be careful not to screw them in too tightly. You can't over-tighten the clamps, either. I found that out the hard way after trying to stabilize a swiveling "hi-hat" pole that the tighter you make the clamp, the more likely it is to snap in half. While you can RMA these things, thankfully you can find a suitable replacement for most of the faulty hardware at your local drum shop. What you won't be able to find, however, are replacements for the underly sensitive cymbals. My cymbals didn't really respond to normal sticking. In order for any of my hits to register, I had to first loosen the cymbal on the stand a bit (which is what you should do with real cymbals anyway), but then i had to literally slam down hard on them. Ion even recommends that you hit the cymbals harder than the drums. For those with proper drumming technique, that's a big no-no. Especially Ion's other recommendation to hit the cymbals at the top, not catching any part of the top. If you want the most realistic drumming experience possible, RMA your cymbals immediately and strive for something with greater sensitivity.

Despite these problems, the kit is a million times better than the original Rock Band drum kit. It is quieter, you get more bounce on the toms (though still not as much as an acoustic kit, which is a drawback) and even the cymbals - as insensitive as they can be - are actually a great addition and give added depth and realism to the game. It's so in depth that if you go into the freestyle drum trainer mode, the cymbal and tom pads actually register as separate entities, meaning that if you hit a cymbal, it sounds like a cymbal, etc. That's something you can't get out of the regular kit for sure.

Saying that the drum rack is durable and sturdy is an understatement. It's so sturdy in fact, that it has all but eliminated crosstalk and accidental double hits from my Rock Band vernacular. That's right! No more failing a song at the last second thanks to an unstable RB1 kit, shaky toms and a long succession of red pad hits!

The biggest improvement of the kit is the bass drum pedal. For one, it no longer attaches to the rack and you can now place it in a more natural-feeling position on the floor. Unlike the pedal provided with the original kit, this one provides greater resistance, allowing you to spring your foot up and down with greater ease. The greater resistance also allows for better weight support and allows for better use of advanced pedal techniques like heel-toe. I hope you don't have thin floors or downstairs neighbors wherever you play this! This sucker is loud, clunky and can scratch your floor if you're not careful, so I would recommend using a rug underneath the pedal.

Overall, from the perspective of a real drummer, the Ion Drum Rocker is the most realistic "fake" instrument intended for video games on the market today. It is customizable enough to make gameplay much more comfortable and makes good on every single pitfall that plagued the original Rock Band kit. The Ion Drum Rock is absolutely worth your time and money. Even if you're not into music games, it is durable enough to be used as a practice drum kit at the very least. However if you're serious about music gaming, want to pump up your scores or just want to look cool (and believe me, you will) the Drum Rocker is an absolute necessity.

Ninja: a restaurant review

Some of the awesome places that I have been to in New York I have just stumbled upon. Others I’ve heard about from the recommendations of others. Ninja is one of those places, and it’s something that I’m sharing with just about everybody.

Ninja is a Japanese restaurant located in Tribecca. On the outside, it is a very unassuming place with blacked out windows, and lettering that says Ninja. Some fliers and a menu are in the windows as well, but it doesn’t prepare you for what is awaiting you after the smiling hostess sends you on your way down the elevator.

You are met by a ninja who gives you two options: take the “normal” way to your table, or take the super secret ninja passage. We chose the super secret ninja passage, who wouldn't? I had to go first and of course was not pleased. But we made it through, and were escorted through the medieval Japanese town into a long room that was down some stairs.

There was a large group of us (twelve), so people trickled in after being escorted by various ninjas. We were then introduced to our ninja for the evening, and were given our menus. These were on scrolls that he took out from his belt. The wine list he unfolded from a parchment. The menus included many interesting ninja cocktails, as well as a great selection of appetizer and meal choices.

My boyfriend and I decided on the Hanzou, which is a five course meal that may have been meant for one, but can really feed two. This prix fix option includes a good majority of what they call “Ninja art dishes,” meaning that they come with an added ninja flare. We enjoyed the Clam bombshell (of which there is a small explosion), a great sushi platter, Kirikabu (above thinly sliced Mishima Wagyu beef, rice, sautéed Zucchini, and Michinobu sauce), the Bonfire (pan seared lamb with a garlic butter sauce, involved a large fiery table side presentation), and for dessert, the Ninja Star (if you love chocolate, you’ll love this). Other dishes that were ordered included the Floating sashimi (below served so it looked like it was floating on a cloud thanks to some dry ice), dancing plantain, Batto Jutsu (involving a sword that they wouldn’t let us keep), and many other tasty treats.

Throughout the dinner, the ninjas would play around with us, like sneaking up behind us, throwing fireballs at us (yes, real fire), and threatening assassination. We were also entertained by the world’s tallest ninja, who also had a killer moustache that curled up at the ends. He did a great card trick where he was able to guess seven cards randomly chosen from the deck, as well as change $1 bills to $100 bills and back again, inches from my face. That’s a handy trick these days!

All in all, I highly recommend this place for special dinners, if you’re visiting, or just have some extra money to spend. It is fairly expensive, but you’re getting top notch food, as well as excellent service and atmosphere. You also need to make a reservation in advance. For more information, visit their website here.

Recommendation for Ninja thanks to the Totally Rad Show. Thanks guys!!

Totally Rad Guild affiliate = serious business

I am not a fan of fanboys. They get way too intense over stuff that really isn’t a big deal.

One of my new endeavors has been starting up a new guild in WoW on my server, Stormscale. This guild is a fan guild for The Totally Rad Show. A friend and I had been toying with the idea for some time now about starting a guild in general and this idea dawned on us. First and foremost, we contacted the TRS show. They responded with a very nice email saying: “Go for it!! We'd love the TRS guild to spread to other servers. :)” We get VERY excited and begin the charter business, tabard, etc.

My friend posts on the Totally Rad Guild message board that “Hey we started an affiliate guild on Stormscale for the fans on that server. :)” What do we get? Fanboy hostile reactions:

“what the fuck is this all about?”

“Who knows. I'm guessing its someone that doesn't want to pay for a server transfer?”

“I'm a fan of batman but putting on a mask and a cape to look like him doesn't make me batman. I'm sure there are fans on most realms. Nothing wrong with getting together with like minded individuals all sharing a common interest but there can only be one REAL Totally Rad Guild. Why would people want a bunch of Kind of Cool Guild's across twenty-seven realms when they could transfer over here and group with Goggins, cyber with DrDark or get called an idiot by me? Seems a bit silly if you ask me but whatever. Good luck with it.”

Seriously? I mean, this was a nice effort by us. My friend buys WoW membership cards in the store as he has no credit card. And I live in NYC, have ridiculous rent/bills to pay, and I can’t afford to pay the transfer fee for three characters, which would total $75.

This reaction has turned me sour, I’m not going to lie. I like the TRS guys, I like the Project Lore guys, but this fanboy bullcrap has made me want to take my gold back and not want to be bothered with it. But then there’s the part of me that wants to continue, wants to push through the hostile reactions we got, and make this affiliate just grow, gain more TRS/Project Lore fans, and become something. This is why we started it. We wanted to spread the fan base, and if there are fans on the server, to have a place for them to come and hang out.

On a plus side, we almost have the gold for our first bank tab. We had one hell of an active night last night, and so far it seems like we may prosper if we continue to put work into this. To the fanboys: it would have been nice if you guys welcomed us. It’s not like we were being high and mighty about this. It’s not like we’re trying to make the guys switch servers. We’re fans too.

"What does not kill you, makes you stranger!"

This is almost a week over due, but I seriously had to get my thoughts together before I could write a proper review for Dark Knight.

I saw it opening weekend in the regular theater. I was bouncing with excitement between waiting to see Dark Knight and finally seeing the Watchmen trailer on a big screen had me excited to no end. Watchmen will have to be another post though.

One thing I liked about Dark Knight was that you were in the midst of the action from the start. No intro music and flashy screens with the title, directed by, starring, etc. Immediately you’re drawn into a bank robbery by guys in clown masks, who in the end all kill each other off, and then you’re face to face with the Joker before he sneaks away in a line of school buses. I think because you’re immediately thrown into the action is why for the first time in what seems like eons, I didn’t see anyone take out a cell phone or hear anyone talking, aside from the reaction noises to the film.

This is definitely the summer blockbuster for 2008. A great director, great story, and amazing acting from all of the actors in the film helped to bring this movie to a whole new level, trumping Batman Begins and making me wonder how they will ever top this movie.

From here on out, there will be some spoilers, so read at your own risk!

I will start off with one thing that I thought was done in a new manner that was particularly nice: The musical score. To be honest I barely remember specifics of the music, aside from the fact that it was very well done and was more of an accent to the action of the movie. There wasn’t a huge, anthem song in the beginning, nor was their one during poignant scenes or the final confrontation between Batman and the Joker. The music also had a sort of horror movie tone to it, mixed with some elements that were action movie-esque. The one musical cue that I remember is the buzzing noise that always seemed to begin softly, and then crescendo to a peak right before the Joker did something, or before his presence was known. It brought that character to more of a horror movie level, which accented his portrayal by Ledger even more.

On that note, let me talk more about the Joker. I’ve always liked his character as there was a funny air about him, but dangerous at the same time. Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker struck a chord with me because this is the Joker that I love. I love the darker Joker more than the cartoony Joker (whom I always felt was off). I felt that this darker Joker has more personality, more depth as a character, and more of a good opponent to Batman than the other villans.

The Joker is a sociopath and an anarchist. He enjoys chaos, thrives on it in fact, and has no relative care for anyone else in his surroundings. He has no affection for anyone, except maybe for Batman whom he states he has too much fun with. The Joker also believes in the worst in people. Prime example of this is his “experiment” with the people on the ferries. He expected either the convicts or the citizens of Gotham to hit the trigger and blow up the other boat. He made no contingency in case of the fact that they decided to sit and await their fate.

Heath Ledger got into the Joker’s mind and he played him so brilliantly that I feel bad for the actor who eventually has to step into those shoes. Those are some big shoes to fill, and I’m sure that will intimidate many people. Though I do think that someone may come along who can step into those shoes who will be able to bring the Joker alive again.

Another brilliant performance came from Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/Two-Face. I was skeptical about the Two-Face plot line, but the minute I started watching the movie, that disappeared. Eckhart did such a wonderful job beginning as Gotham’s “white knight” and showing that sometimes it really just does take a push to bring someone over the edge. His most poignant line being: “You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become a villain.” And no, I don’t believe Two-Face is dead. The eulogy held at the end of the movie was Gordon taking Batman’s advice and keeping Dent’s “white knight” status alive among the people as a hero, and not make them aware that after being let out of the hospital by the Joker, he went and killed people in order to try to get to a truth. If anything, he’s locked away in Arkham for the time being.

There were a couple things with the movie that I didn’t like that much. The first being Rachel. Yes, she served her purpose, her and Harvey were cute together, and I felt bad for Bruce, but yeesh did she begin to bother me a lot about halfway through. I must say, I like Katie Holmes in the role better than Maggie Gyllenhaal. I also didn’t like Batman’s voice. Yes, I know Bruce needs to disguise it so it’s a more raspy tone, but it was too raspy. Something about it just was too over the top for me. Christain did a better job in Batman Begins.

All in all, this movie was amazing, and is my top recommendation to people if they haven’t gone out to see it yet. And I’ll actually be seeing it again, except this time in Imax. ;)

Urban Decay

I've always been fascinated by architecture, both of large and small structures. I love old archetecture. And in the past few years, I've really become interested in the decay of buildings, even towns and cities.

The way nature slowly begins to take over abandoned buildings and their surroundings is an interesting process. Not to mention how paint slowly peels away from walls and bits of plaster and stone fall, it makes for some interesting settings to photograph.

Recently, I saw an article in a community I belong to on Livejournal about The 10 Most Amazing Ghost Towns. This list includes some old favorites of mine, like Prypiat in the Ukraine and Kolmanskop in Namibia.

This article lists a few others that are very interesting for their histories, as well as the photographs of their decay. Gunkanjima (pictured above) was the first to gain my interest because it's an entire island that is abandoned. Once a coal mining town that had an unbelievably high population, now more of a forbidden zone, except for a brief stint as a movie set for "Battle Royale 2."

I highly recommend reading this list and looking at the photos. All of these locations have interesting histories behind them, and the photographic evidence of what remains of these ghost towns are quite beautiful.

I really must go urban exploring someday... I know that there are plenty of interesting places in NYC and the surrounding areas to check out.

E3 announcement madness... my take on a couple of things

So there are a lot of things to talk about: from Rock Band 2 announcement mayhem, to the cry of many Sony fans upset that Final Fantasy won’t be an exclusive title anymore… my take on everything below.

First off, there has been a deluge lately of all kinds of Rock Band 2 announcements. The first one being the new, improved, and expensive drum kit. This revamped kit features 4 drum heads, bass pedal and three cymbals. The “standard” kit will feature drum pads that will not be as noisy and will have velocity sensors, slots to clip on cymbals, and a metal reinforced bass pedal. But more impressive is the kit that will be sold separately through a partnership with an outside company, Ion. This kit looks like it has a metal frame, 3 cymbals, and the ability to unplug it from the game to use as an electronic drum kit. It will also be going for $300.

The second big announcement was the track list for Rock Band 2. It features 80+ new songs, as well as 20 DLC songs that will be released for free on the Xbox Live Marketplace. You will also be able to import the songs from the original Rock Band game into Rock Band 2. Harmonix states that by the end of the year, there will be over 500 songs total for Rock Band 2. The tracklist for the game itself is pretty impressive. I am very excited about Presidents of the USA, Dream Theater and Judas Priest being in the lineup, among many, many others! I must say that I am very excited for this game to be released, and yes I started saving.

In other gaming news, it was announced yesterday that Final Fantasy XIII will be released for the 360 as well as the PS3. This has caused large mixed reactions: some are excited for the franchise being opened up to another console, while on the other side there are those who are very upset, and some posting on online forums that “it makes me want to cry L.”

Now personally, I have been a long time fan of the Final Fantasy games, as well as loving my PS2, but when it came to the PS3 or the 360, I wound up going for the 360. I felt that the PS3 was way too overpriced, wasn’t sure at the time who was going to with the DVD format war, and there were no games at launch that caught my eye. I wound up buying my Elite instead when that came out (and I had saved the money for that), and have enjoyed that so much more with the variety of games that have come out for it. I do plan on getting a PS3 in the future, but only once I have an HDTV, and for the sole purpose of a DVD player (Unless the next Kingdom Hearts game is PS3 only).

So yes, I am excited that the next Final Fantasy game was released for the 360, and I will definitely buy it when it comes out. And also, I do think that the fans that are up in arms over this should calm down, and remember that it isn’t being pulled off of the Playstation and becoming an xbox exclusive. If anything, it will make sure that people don’t have to buy another console just to play one game. I think it’s a great move by Square-Enix to open up the game, as it may increase the fan base as well as help revenue.

And just to end this on a lighter note, I bring you this video from G4 which never fails to make me laugh:

Guns don't kill people, but magic missle might...

This article astounds me: School shooter did not think that shooting someone would kill them

In 1997 Evan Ramsay (then 16 years old) took a twelve-gauge shotgun to school and went on a shooting spree, killing a fellow classmate and the school principal. He is now serving a 210 year jail sentence. In a recent interview with ABC News he admits the following:

"I honestly believed that if you shoot somebody, that they would get back up."

It's hard to accept, he admits, but Ramsey said his naivete left him unable to grasp that firing a gun in the real world is different from firing one in a video game: "I didn't realize that you shoot somebody, they die."

I'm sorry, but at 16 I knew already that if someone shoots you with a gun, depending on where you're shot, you could die. I watched plenty of movies, and paid attention in school to figure this out. Really, it's not to figure out, especially when you're already 16 years old and in high school! I also love the fact that this is, of course, blamed by video games. Video game violence is the new scapegoat, so rock music can have a break.

What I want to know is how his parents, or the school system, failed to help educate him about the difference between fantasy (video games, movies, etc) and reality. And that, yes, guns can kill you. I really have a hard time believing that someone at that age can be so naive. But if I'm wrong... yet another reason for me to fear for the future of humanity.

And the early adopters cry out in anguish...

Yesterday Steve Jobs announced at WWDC the new iPhone 3G. Now I’m not surprised about Apple coming out with a second generation iPhone. It was expected by just about everybody. However, what surprised me was the new price point: $199 for a 8gig and $299 for a 16gig. A far cry from the $599 price point for the original 4gig model.

With the 3G there comes some frills and some hardware improvements. The audio is said to have been improved, along with battery life and talk time. The fact that the phone is 3G capable now means quicker download speeds can now be reached, even bragging that it could beat the speeds of the Nokia N95 and the Treo 750. The iPhone will also have updated software that will be compatible with the Microsoft exchange server, so I sense seeing more of these in the Financial District here in NYC.

On the frills side is built in GPS, which shows a moving dot on Google maps to show your location, as well as the iPhone now coming in white as well as black (for the 16gig model).

I’m sure at least some of the early adopters are none too happy about buying so soon, but I’m sure there are some who are still pleased that they did. Me? I’m glad I’m waiting. Not only did I figure version 2.0 of the iPhone would be a good improvement, but I also don’t like AT&T. I’ve had bad experiences with their “customer service” in the past, but I have been told that it is improved.

The iPhone 3G will be released July 11^th. Maybe sometime in the future I will get one and cope with AT&T…

For more information and the official press release, check out Gizmodo’s page here.

The Grand Telectroscope

Over the long holiday weekend, my boyfriend and I went out to Brooklyn to see this interesting art exhibit called the Telectroscope. Multimedia artist and sculptor Paul St. George created an art installation that links London to New York City. In each city there is a steampunk-esque telescope device that protrudes from the ground, allowing visitors to look down into it’s lens. There they will see the city, and people who are standing in front of it in the other city, via a HD camera and broadband setup.

St. George also concocted an interesting fictional back story for the exhibit where he says that this project was based off of the plans of his great-grandfather Alexander Stanhope St. George, who was said to be an eccentric Victorian engineer. Alexander is said to have come up with these plans after tunnels were found on a mid-Atlantic island that were dug to entomb French prisoners of War, or to aid escaping slaves. Paul says that he found these plans and decided to follow through on his great-grandfather's.

The telectroscope in NYC resides on a pier under the Brooklyn Bridge on the Brooklyn side. It looks as if it was pushed up onto the dock, complete with rocks and wood planks surrounding the base of the scope. At the front there is an area for people to stand (or queue for the Brits) to get their chance to look out at London. New Yorkers get to see the Tower Bridge in the background, and Londoners get to see the Brooklyn Bridge. It’s very fun to look down this long tube and see people smiling and waving back at you in real time. My boyfriend got a kick out of writing on a white board “Manchester United #1” and finding out that one gentleman on the other side is not a fan.

I was able to get some photos of the Londoners (who may or may not have been posing), and what looks like fireworks in the background. Once I have them uploaded I’ll post them here for debate. Was there some holiday yesterday in the UK that would be cause for fireworks?

This has been my favorite exhibit of the summer so far!

Top picture courtesy Stephanie Summers; Bottom picture from Wikipedia

This is happy news

Lori Drew, the mother who created a fake myspace account in order to gain the trust and then harass a young girl, who wound up hanging herself has been indicted. Article here on CNN.

When I first read about this story on Fark, I was shocked and appalled by the actions taken. Granted, kids doing something like this happens, but for an adult, who knew that this girl suffered and was on medication for depression to do this was completely out of line. And I wasn't the only one upset. The legions over at Fark quickly did detective work and found this woman's name (which wasn't originally listed), home address, phone, business information and other facts. The power of the internets. I always find it interesting to watch that happen... amazing how quickly an online mob can amass members and information.

Anyway, glad to hear that this woman is going to do some time for being a failure as an adult.

Go away or I shall taunt you a second time!

Fark is always great for random funny political news... take for example this article, where the author makes fun of Hillary's campaign using a Monty Python reference. In the Fark thread, cue the comments involving images and the following from user saintstryfe:

Howard Dean: Bring out your dead!
[clang]
Bring out your dead!
Barack Obama: Here's one.
Howard Dean: Ninepence.
Hillary Clinton: I'm not dead!
Howard Dean: What?
Barack Obama: Nothing. Here's your ninepence.
Hillary Clinton: I'm not dead!
Howard Dean: 'Ere. He says he's not dead!
Barack Obama: Yes, he is.
Hillary Clinton: I'm not!
Howard Dean: He isn't?
Barack Obama: Well, he will be soon. He's very ill.
Hillary Clinton: I'm getting better!
Barack Obama: No, you're not. You'll be stone dead in a moment.
Howard Dean: Oh, I can't take him like that. It's against regulations.
Hillary Clinton: I don't want to go on the cart!
Barack Obama: Oh, don't be such a baby.
Howard Dean: I can't take him.
Hillary Clinton: I feel fine!
Barack Obama: Well, do us a favour.
Howard Dean: I can't.
Barack Obama: Well, can you hang around a couple of minutes? He won't be long.
Howard Dean: No, I've got to go to the Romney's. They've lost nine today.
Barack Obama: Well, when's your next round?
Howard Dean: Thursday.
Hillary Clinton: I think I'll go for a walk.
Barack Obama: You're not fooling anyone, you know. Look. Isn't there something you can do?
Hillary Clinton: [singing] I feel happy. I feel happy.
[whop]
Barack Obama: Ah, thanks very much.
Howard Dean: Not at all. See you on Thursday.
Barack Obama: Right. All right.
[howl]
[clop clop clop]
Who's that, then?
Howard Dean: I dunno. Must be a king.
Barack Obama: Why?
Howard Dean: He hasn't got shiat all over him.

Fark user Magorn also uses the Black Night skit... which also really fits the situation:

Hillary Clinton: Right. I'll do you for that!
Obama: You'll what?
Hillary Clinton: Come here!
Obama: What are you going to do, bleed on me?
Hillary Clinton: I'm invincible!
Obama: You're a looney.
Hillary Clinton: The Hillary Clinton always triumphs! Have at you! Come on, then.
[whop]
[Obama chops the Hillary Clinton 's last leg off]
Hillary Clinton: Oh? All right, we'll call it a draw.
Obama: Come, Michelle.
Hillary Clinton: Oh. Oh, I see. Running away, eh? You yellow bastards! Come back here and take what's coming to you. I'll bite your legs off!

I'm rooting for Obama, but I must say this whole race is just... annoying. Can someone just declare the winner for the nomination already? This really feels like it's being dragged on longer than it should have. I'm starting to get into the frame of mind "wake me when it's over" and then I'll look in more detail at policies and whatnot.

And now for something completely different...

From BBC News: Seal attempts to have sex with a penguin

The 100kg seal first subdued the 15kg penguin by lying on it.

The penguin flapped its flippers and attempted to stand and escape - but to no avail.

The seal then alternated between resting on the penguin, and thrusting its pelvis, trying to insert itself, unsuccessfully.

After 45 minutes the seal gave up, swam into the water and then completely ignored the bird it had just assaulted, the scientists report.

Why a fur seal would indulge in such extreme sexual behaviour is unclear.

I know why... Interspecies Erotica. Not just related to donkey shows in Mooby's anymore.

In all seriousness though, the article is pretty interesting. The animal kingdom seems to be a lot more perverted than one would have you think. Apparently "sexual harassment" is common among animals in the same species, but this is the first recorded harassment between two different classes of vertebrae.

Ah the good ole TSA...

I remember when I was a kid, going on trips with my parents, security at the airport was a breeze. I could walk through the metal detector carrying a stuffed animal. Not to mention, we were always treated fairly nicely.

Back in those days (I’m olde tymie…) you could also meet people who were coming in at the gate, or if traveling alone, you could wait with family or friends before boarding the gate. I also remember when my mom would have to book a specific non-smoking flight because of mine and my dad’s asthma not being able to handle the regurgitated smoke on the planes.

Boy have things changed. Airline employees tend to be a lot more surly, and customers are not treated as nicely. It’s more like we’re cattle, and should be happy that we’re being allowed this service that they provide. And consumers are showing their disapproval by not flying as much, or not traveling certain airlines, thus forcing mergers or having to declare bankruptcy.

But today’s entry shall focus on the good ole TSA. After 9/11 restrictions have become tighter, and understandably so. However with some things, the TSA can be a bit much. One of the new regulations is putting small 3oz or less liquid or gel containers in a ziplock bag in your carry-on luggage. Fine by me, but at the same time, there are some things that could be an issue to passengers, like adults traveling with small children. A news article I remember reading last year talked about a mother who was detained and treated horribly by TSA over her child’s sippy cup (message board post with article here)

The story quickly spread on the Internet this week after blogger Bill Adler, a Washington author, saw a note Emmerson wrote on a Web site for city parents. Adler interviewed Emmerson and relayed her account.

He wrote that a TSA screener seized her 19-month-old's cup after asking if there was water in it, causing Emmerson's son to cry. Emmerson was told she would have to leave the security checkpoint and dump out the water if she wanted to keep the cup.

Emmerson said she accidentally spilled the water because she was nervous and traveling alone with a toddler.

TSA, however, said Emmerson dumped, not spilled, the water on the floor.

Now yes, the TSA made the rules for safety, we should obey them, and I can understand this. The issue comes in with the treatment of passengers with regards to these rules. If they treat people calmly, then people will generally respond calmly. If they take an attitude, well, the results will be less than pleasing.

Thankfully, I’ve only had one bad experience. I was able to take my half-full face wash through JFK to Tampa, but apparently I couldn’t do that on the way back. Gotta love consistency! I think if the TSA went through some customer service training, and if they didn’t hire people who looked like they hated their existence, things could go better.

Then again I may just be idealistic…

Mini news bites

• Apparently, NYC is freaking out over Emperor Palpatine Pope Benedict's visit. Many streets are being closed off in the areas he will be visiting over the weekend, and in AM New York, it advises that if you can leave your neighborhood (if one of the pope’s stops is there) for the weekend it is advisable. Really? Come on. Getting around NYC is a hassle in general. And if you live near the UN and are whining about traffic being closed or increased police presence, it’s your own fault you moved there then. I will be happily tucked away in Queens far from the madness.
• I’m also fluent in Nerdic according to “experts”. Some key terms are: RickRoll, UGC, Mashup, HDMI, Android (according to Pixmania.com’s top 10 list.
• This is just full of stupid and I don't see how it would be considered art. FAIL
• As for good art, check this out “Cereal Mascot Reunion” His artworks is very interesting and thought provoking. I also like “Space Girl” (link in sidebar).

Ghost in the Shell: Live action movie (Spielberg has awesome taste)

According to Variety, DreamWorks has acquired the rights to the Japanese manga “Ghost in the Shell.”

Avi Arad, Ari Arad and Steven Paul of Seaside Entertainment are attached to produce and brought the project to the studio. Jamie Moss has been tapped to pen the adaptation.

Universal and Sony were also chasing "Ghost in the Shell," but Steven Spielberg took personal interest in the property and made it happen at DreamWorks.

" 'Ghost in the Shell' is one of my favorite stories," Spielberg said. "It's a genre that has arrived, and we enthusiastically welcome it to DreamWorks."

Ghost in the Shell is probably one of my all time favorite manga and anime series. There’s just something compelling about the world and the characters that were created by Masamune Shirow in the manga, and the fantastic way that they were adapted into animated films and a TV show.

The prospect of a live action GITS is interesting, especially with it being tied into using 3D technology. That would make the net diving scenes pretty interesting. Not sure who I would want them to cast as Motoko Kusanagi, but it would have to be someone who would do her character justice, otherwise I’ll probably hate the movie. I’m always worried about movie adaptations for video games and anime. From all accounts the live action Aeon Flux was horrible, and most people haven’t been happy with video game movie adaptations. Though I must admit, I really enjoyed the first Tomb Raider movie.

Now if only people can make up their minds with regards to the Halo movie…

It's a hassle to be sick these days...

I hate the US Healthcare system. Most insurances are bullcrap, and the only one that I’ve ever had a decent time with was Aetna. Now I have United Health Care, and I’m longing for the days of Aetna. An example of the crap that I go through with UHC: I need medication for acid reflux, however, my plan with UHC does not cover Nexium (which I have been on previously for a couple of years), and they won’t let me have another alternative because I’m too young. Yes, apparently I am not allowed to have Acid Reflux until I’m middle age or older.

And now I read articles like this: Consumers may see higher co-pay costs. The insurance and drug companies want to implement something called “Tier 4” pricing, which makes patients pay a percentage of the cost of medications, instead of a fixed rate as has been the norm for awhile. That means if someone has cancer, MS, anemia, arthritis and Hepatitis C (among other diseases) could pay thousands more a month for their medication.

“They lower the costs for most consumers, but it does so at a price,” said Avalere Heath President Dan Mendelson.

Insurers call them “specialty drugs” and say relatively few people suffer from these chronic conditions. But some research has found more than 75 percent of Medicare beneficiaries do pay into the “Tier 4” system.

“Relatively few” people may suffer from those chronic conditions, but I highly doubt that they’d be able to afford oh, say $4000 a month for medicines to help their cancer treatment.

Now, I have to admit, I haven’t seen the Michael Moore doc “Sicko” yet. I do plan to. But I’m sure I’ll get more horrified about our health insurance industry here in the states.

And to all you Canadians: Count your blessings. And if this country deteriorates more, who knows, maybe I’ll be moving up there. Oh and stop bragging about how awesome your healthcare system is… heh

One of my favorite street artists, Banksy, has created a new mural speaking about the use of CCTV in the UK.

And he managed to do this in plain sight of a CCTV camera. He ericted a scaffold, and behind a tarp (or some other sheet) painted the artwork without being caught. I guess someone was snoozing at the control panel and didn’t notice this at all.

To view more of his art, go here

As for the whole Big Brother issue that people are having with the CCTV, I’m on the fence. On the one hand having the cameras around is a good idea because it can help with watching the streets for crimes and for use in trials. However, at the same time, this can easily spiral downwards and the powers that be can turn it into Big Brother: watching the general populous, manipulating video to favor police/government, and crack down on general freedoms.

As I don't have one topic to discuss, here are some bullet point topics that I just have smaller comments about:

• Rick Rolling the NY Mets: Thanks to Fark.com, a vote on the Mets website to determine the 8th inning song resulted in Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" as winning (and yes I voted for the Astley song). However... sad news:

  Rather than commit to that as the new eighth-inning tune since it probably doesn’t reflect the fan base’s wishes, the Mets will play the top six selections once apiece during the first six games of their home stand. The one that draws the largest crowd response will stick.

  This is sad news. But at least it still has a chance. Oh well...
  
• I am convinced that the MTA is run by some crazy old prospector guy. There's a notice on the 4/5 subway line stating that the 5 train and the 2 train are going to be switching places. Meaning that the 5 is going to run on the 2 line, and the 2 on the five line. The reason? The MTA is doing electrical work on the 5 line. Ok... now... if they're doing electrical work on the 5 line... shouldn't they halt service? I do believe that the 2 train running on that line will still be using electricity... next thing you know they're going to raise fares again.
• One sees some strange people on the train at 6am. Like this guy on the J who was downing a Pabst Blue Ribbon like no tomorrow. Someone got an early start today.
• I have probably the coolest UPS guy who stops at our floor. We talk gaming, tech and metal music. And I may get him playing WoW.

Well... enough of the inane ramblings for today.

....really?

“Melanie Engle was trying to just pluck the stray hairs here and there. She was trying to deliver an age-appropriate eyebrow wax to her client. It was hard, though, because there was a foot tapping next to her, and a voice shouting in her ear: “No! Not like that — like a supermodel’s. I want them arched.”

After years in the beauty biz, Engle had seen her share of crazy ladies demanding perfect, Glamour-cover-worthy brows. But this Crazy Lady wasn’t talking about her own brows. The brows in question belonged to Crazy Lady’s daughter. Who was eight.

After sweating through the kid’s eyebrow wax, Engle, today an aesthetician at the Adolf Biecker Salon/Spa outposts in the Rittenhouse Hotel and Strafford — and, it should be noted, one of the most sought-after eyebrow specialists in the region — was directed to give her pint-size client a … bikini wax.”

--Full Article Here--

This is just awful. Apparently this is a new thing for the more privileged kids today, to go to spas and get the same treatments as mommy. When I was eight, I was lucky if my mom painted my nails. The nail salon and spa was a magical grown-up place in my eyes where little girls were not allowed to go to until they were grown up. I only ever went to Bo Ricks to get my hair trimmed when it got too long or unruly. I never had it dyed or permed until I was at least 12 or 13 years old, and the closest I came to getting special treatment was for two separate instances where my mom took me to Glamour Shots when I was between the ages of 10-12 for “pretty pictures” that made me look like at least a teen in high school. I considered it dress up.

But now kids are growing up to expect these special treatments. I have been in spas, both in Illinois and here in New York city, where I’ve seen a large group of pre-teens come in for a “spa birthday party” where they got the full treatment from mani-pedis, to hair cut/colors, massages, eyebrow waxing and probably facials. And all of these girls acted like it was nothing special, as if they do this on a regular basis. I would have been shell-shocked if my mother took me for a full spa day when I was 14!! I didn’t set foot into a spa until freshman year of high school, and only then to see the esthetician about my problematic skin and almost constant breakouts.

Now, that brings me to a point that was also brought up in the article. There are some mothers who bring their girls in for similar skin issues, or maybe their daughter has bushier eyebrows, and they want to save their children from the snot-nosed brats who will ultimately make fun of and shun them. This is okay. I went through that myself and wound up going to a spa for facials once a month to help my skin problem clear up. However, there is a thin line, and a lot of mothers are crossing it. And the mothers that cross that line begin to foster a behavior In their daughter which leads to expectations of such treatments. This expectation could lead into them wanting boob jobs for a sweet 16 or high school graduation (not unheard of…), botox injections in their 20s, and god knows what else.

I grew up having to deal with not the best looking hair, bad skin, and dealing with hair growth that I wasn’t used to. But I think I turned out fine, and I’ve learned to appreciate what I look like, instead of trying to hide all of my imperfections. Now, granted I do whine sometimes about wanting a body like, say Kate Winslet, but in general I’m happy with who I am.

I hate what the media, and their obsession with image, is doing to childhood… they’re slowly killing it.