And the Weiner is...

Yes, I admit it... Epic Fail.

I could complain about my wife being out of town and, therefore, not only not able to help me with my Venom costume, but causing me to be distracted, as I don't operate well (at all) when she's not around.

I could also blame the time I spent on reviewing stuff for the websites or helping to run the ACM Regional Programming Competition at LSU, but that would be unseemly, now wouldn't it?

Or, I could blame it on the red paint not drying on the rubber snake (it didn't for about a week, actually) or the fact that Hancock Fabrics didn't have enough of the material I wanted. I could even say it's all because my sewing machine refused to work the night before the contest... which is true, but hardly the one thing that went wrong...

The truth, of course, is that I tried to do too much, in too short of a time. I didn't even wear a costume for Halloween this year. Live and (hopefully) learn, I suppose. My plan is to keep working on the Venom costume over the next year, in my "spare" time. I am generally a busy person, but I'm going to try to set aside a few hours a week to work on "Personal Projects," such as building a full-sized R-Series Droid, modifying my car, dabbling with electronics and making costumes, not the least of which is this Venom costume.

In other news, my best friend, neighbor, fellow Game Vortex game reviewer and partner in crime, J.R. Nip, did throw together a costume in a single night, and not only did it come out nice looking - he actually took first place at Lamar's Corporate Headquarters Costume Contest. He went as Dilbert, with black shoes, white socks, black pants, a white shirt, a flip-up red tie that I helped rig up with a metal coat hanger and a mask he made of poster board, skin-tone material and enough chemical adhesives to tranquilize a horse. He did an awesome job, and won a hundred dollar prize, to boot!

Ah, well... Venom will have to have his day next year. . .

My Deserted Island

I love computers. I also am quite fond of technology, in general. In fact, typically my biggest gripe about technology is that I often am disappointed by the rate with which it advances. Why can't I go to the store and by a personal robot akin to R2-D2 or C-3P0? Why don't we have Star Trek's transporter technology yet? Why hasn't Stark Industries announced repulsor technology yet?

Despite my technophilia, I have, recently, started to wonder if all of this advanced technology that has, effectively, made the world so small that people on remote locations half a world apart can video conference with each other (or pwn each other) in real time is merely increasing the general stress level of all parties concerned. Communication has become not just prevalent, but pervasive. Ironically, I am discussing this via the Internet - the single most prevalent and pervasive communication channel in the world.

I have even toyed around with the possibility of purchasing a small island somewhere and setting up "camp," so to speak, with a self-sustaining home powered by a solar panel array and wind power, with a garden that produces just enough food to support me and mine. To simplify.

Imagine... If you owned your home outright, your land outright... you had no use for a vehicle... your electrical needs were met (for free) by the sun and the wind... and you had, for all intents and purpose, no need (okay, little need) for money. Imagine the freedom this would provide. You could do any of several low-income things and generate enough money to get by.

Probably most ironic in this entire scenario is that I can't imagine attempting this without some sort of (reasonably high-speed) Internet access. If I were that removed from the bustle of everyday modern life, I would definitely need some way to communicate... and the Internet seems to do a good job of replacing telephones, televisions and newspapers.

Astromech Gallery - Astromech.net

About, say twenty or thirty years ago, computers were in an infantile 'hobbyist' stage; "Getting a computer" meant buying a motherboard (if that) and adding little electronic things to it. Some things were available in parts at different locations, but something had to be made from scratch. As time and technology raced each other, computers have become extremely commonplace, from being embedded in our everyday lives to being sold as fairly discrete units that can be bought in a single box at a store and after a little bit of color-coded setup, can do anything you could hope to do with a computer.

Except walk around. In my opinion, we are NOW with robotics where we were THEN with computers. The economy of course will play a part in the rate of technological advancement, especially in regards to those products which can be considered a luxury, but nevertheless, the robots of our favorite science fictions are waiting for us just around the corner. Will it be another ten years? Twenty? Thirty? That depends on you... ...and me. I personally have decided to embark on the creation of a new robotic friend. Perhaps he will put in some good words for me if they eventually take over!

Don't know any good robots? Perhaps you should start familiarizing yourself with a few