The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters

LIFE: 101Besttips.com

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 07:30:00 +0000

WHAT: It's a new website dedicated to encouraging people to lead happier, healthier lives in three areas: body, mind, and life.

WHY: What better way to hit the mid-year mark than with a new conversation starter that's about a website community where you can share your tips, solutions, and seek advice - not letting little things like an "economic crisis" get you down!

Divided into the three general areas mentioned above, 101Besttips.com covers tips on topics intended to lead to a fuller, richer life, varying from good things to eat (I have allowed them to use two of my blogs!) to healthy exercise. Right now, they even have a free ebook course called "Mindful Breathing," intended to help cope with stress and anxiety by learning how to engage in mindful breathing.

The site also includes a community board, and is growing daily with new content. On the downside, it is new and has a way to grow, but their hearts seem to be in the right place, and the community is sure to only grow with as new members contribute to the board.

www.101Besttips.com

/sms

FILM TERM: Swamped

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 13:00:00 +0000

WHAT: Being swamped is having so much going on at one time that you have very little time for sleep, and even when you sleep, you're still thinking about all the stuff you have to do.

WHY: We start shooting HEAD IN THE SAND on Friday, and production has ramped up in the last week and a half. Add with that the remain projects and assignments due for my final courses, and you begin to see why I'm writing about being swamped.

Even so, in film production, the "pre-production" seems to be the most stressful: it's the time when there are so many variables and unknowns. Once shooting starts, it's simply a matter of controlling the chaos. Prior to that, it's a matter of staying afloat until the first frame is shot and the film crew take on a life of their own.

As soon as events even out - hopefully mid-next week - I will return with new Conversation Starters. In the meantime, please browse the archives for gems that you may have missed.

/sms

FILM TERM: Gaffer

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:00:00 +0000

WHAT: In motion picture and television production in the United States, the head of the lighting and electrical department is the Chief Lighting Technician, most commonly referred to as the Gaffer.

WHY: The Gaffer is one of two department heads responsible for light and shadow that report directly under the cinematographer, or Director of Photography. While the average citizen knows the term "grip," they often falsely attribute that name to all the people they see moving any equipment on a film set. The Gaffer's equal and head of the Grips is the Key Grip. Both the Gaffer and the Key Grip have their own respective "Best Boy" (yes, females too are called "Best Boys") who usually keep their equipment orders and personal in order.

It's not really that difficult to understand: to light a film or tv set, light and shadow is used to define objects that expose and are captured on film. Anyone on set you see moving a light or running power is a Set LIghting Technician (a.k.a. electrician or juicer) - they deal with light and answer to the Gaffer. The grips operate similiary, but tend to provide support equipment and deal with shadows - cutting the light with opaque materials, gels, or some sort of diffusion - they in turn answer to their boss: the Key Grip.

By the way, the photo is misleading: that guy wouldn't be a Gaffer: although films tend to be run slightly differently, on professional Hollywood film and television productions, the gaffer and key grip rarely move equipment. Just one of the perks of being boss.

/sms

TECH: Real Time Rome

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 13:00:00 +0000

WHAT: Real Time Rome is MIT's SENSEable City Lab's project that collects and tracks real time cell phone data, bus, and taxi information in Rome with the hopes of helping individuals better plan their time by knowing congestion conditions on foot or vehicle.

WHY: Simply put, it's a way of mapping information how many people are where at any given time. By using cell phone technology - which the majority of people now have - the plan is to help curb Rome's congestion by mapping the pulse of the city.

Using your phone or kiosks displaying maps placed throughout the city at bus stops and the like, individuals can see how busy it is at a major plaza, which roads are congested, or what night clubs are the most popular.

It's really a simple idea that is pretty cool; it's using exsisting technology to help people be more efficient with their time. In a dynamic scenario, it may even allow buses to alter their routes as necessary, and by providing information to riders, help lessen stress levels by answering the unknown variable: when exactly is my bus going to arrive?*

http://senseable.mit.edu/realtimerome/

* In London, the transit authority conducted research that demonstrated that stress levels were reduced when riders knew the arrival time of late trains versus waiting without knowledge, hoping - yes, praying - that sometime their train would in fact arrive.

/sms

SHOPPING: Costco

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 13:00:00 +0000

WHAT: The largest "membership warehouse club" chain in the world based on sales volume, Costco offers low-priced, bulk packaged goods aimed at larger families, businesses, and filmmakers...

WHY: According to my brother, Costco doesn't carry crap. I'd confirm this if I had a Costco card, but that's probably a few months away. I do remember that in the past, though, yes, in fact, most of the products I've ever eaten or bought with somebody else's card were actually good.

Now, while I'm not a big fan of building large corporate chains that may treat their employees poorly or that drive away family owned businesses, Costco seems to have built a solid, reputable business: in 2006, they were ranked number one by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Besides some electronic items, customers can return any item - or their membership - for a full refund. This place is crazy: they sell more wine than anyone else in the United States, are the third largest pizza chain, offer travel services and insurance, and will even change your oil. Oh, yeah: they even have an optometrist!

www.costco.com

/sms

DRINK: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 13:00:00 +0000

WHAT: From the north valley of California comes a variety of remarkable, award-winning micro brewed beers. The Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, established in 1979 in Chico, California, brews over 700,000 barrels of world-renowned beer a year, ranks consistently on BeerAdvocate.com's Top 25 list, and has been featured on television shows such as FRIENDS and SEX IN THE CITY.

WHY: I usually only drink beer on special occasions, and last week was one of them. Sierra Nevada Brewing Company is the second best-selling "craft beer" in the United States - behind Samual Adams - yet it's exceeds the competition. I write this as unbiased as I possibly can, having spent my secondairy education in Chico, where the brewery also has a very nice restaurant that was opened in 1989. More recently, they opened "The Big Room," a venue for live music that has featured bands as diverse as Huey Lewis & the News and Steve Cooley Band.

Their most popular and widely distributed beer is the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale - this is the beer that made the brewery famous. It's great with a meal or straight out of the bottle. While I currently prefer their Celebration Ale, my brother likes their Stout - yet they brew a selection of seasonal, classic, and limited selection beers numbering somewhere between 10 and 12 -- you can search their website for a distributor near you, or visit the brewery itself in beautiful Chico, just 70 miles north of Sacramento.

http://www.sierranevada.com

/sms

HOME ENTERTAINMENT: Slingbox

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 13:00:00 +0000

WHAT: If you've got a broadband connection at home, Slingbox is a piece of hardware that you hook up to your television at home, allowing you to watch your TV while you on the go: from another computer or your mobile phone.

WHY: Alright, so having a DVR is pretty cool: it's the big fad right now, allowing television viewers to basically "mash-up" network programming, effectively creating your own programming channel. Viewers no longer need to decide between two competing shows that are on at the same time; watch one, record the other - and best of all, skip the commercials.

Not so cool for the networks or advertisers, though.

Then came Slingbox. You hook it up to your AV stuff at home, and voila! You can continue to watch what you want no matter where you are. Watch all your channels from your office desk - or on the otherside of the world. Prices start at $129.99, with no monthly costs. Yes, you can also watch your recorded shows that are on your tv. For television addicts, the drugs just keep getting stronger.

http://www.slingmedia.com/

/sms

ENTERTAINMENT: Hulu.com

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 13:00:00 +0000

WHAT: Hulu.com is the soon-to-be release media hub for Fox, NBC, and SCIFI Channel, Bravo, and USA Channel programming online. It will offer a video-on-demand service on regular network series, and is expected to also offer user-created content a la You Tube.

WHY: Currently, Hulu is in a private Beta mode, and I just received my password to join over the previous weekend. While I haven't really had a whole lot of time to browse the site, I have noticed that, so far, it seems impressive: thorough catalogs of the for-mentioned network programming: 30 Rock, Family Guy, Saturday Night Live episodes and clips.

News Corps and NBC Universal have been busy removing their content from You Tube, and are attempting to control the eyeballs that watch their shows through Hulu. However, the next evolution of internet surfing - including videos - means taking it mobile. For example, allowing modules of content to travel safely from one site to next. Liked that clip from Heroes? No problem, take this snippet of code and imbed it on your own page. The rights holder would then be able to retain control, and also control the advertising within the module, as well.

Until then, Hulu looks promising for a safe place to get content while you're away from your home TV set.

www.hulu.com

/sms

ENTERTAINMENT: Google Earth's Flight Simulator

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 13:00:00 +0000

WHAT: Google Earth is already a great program as is. But the Google Earth developers team has added a hidden "easter egg" inside the 3D mapping program. Hitting Ctrl + Alt + A ( + Option + A on the Mac) brings you into the flight simulator mode, and you can fly two planes around the satellite accurate world.

WHY: Is Google taking on retail flight simulators like Microsoft head-on? They've still got a long way to go, but the initial landscaping far exceeds any other out there - it's realistic and exact, culled from authentic satelite photography - so you see an authentic overhead shot of your house.

Where Google will have to make up ground is in flight simulator physics, and model detail - the second half of a realistic flight simulator program. Right now, there is no control panel overlay for controlling the "plane." You fly by using keyboard controls. However, for a free program, Google Earth is just getting cooler every day.

Check out more at http://earth.google.com/intl/en/userguide/v4/flightsim/

/sms

ENTERTAINMENT: EMPIRE Magazine

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:00:00 +0000

WHAT: EMPIRE magazine is Britain's numero uno selling, high quality, populist, glossy movie magazine. It was one of my favorite magazines available when I lived in Scandinavia, and continues to cover both mainstream and art house movies, as well as DVDs and video games. It's also expensive to buy in the United States.

WHY: If you're a movie buff, Empire covers it all for you in clever detail. You can find the magazine at Borders, and maybe Barnes & Noble - for around $9.99. Yes, it sounds like a lot for a magazine, but it's jam packed from cover to cover with trivia, buzz, and coverage that you won't find in similar American magazines.

EMPIRE often has themed issues, such as STAR WARS or "Gangster Cinema." Additionally, you'll often find extras such as full-size posters or refrigerator magnets. It's a refreshing look at the entertainment world.

http://www.empireonline.com/

/ sms

SONG: Do Not Forsake Me [The Ballad of High Noon]

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 13:00:00 +0000

WHAT: The haunting, Academy Award Winner for Best Music, Original Song, as well as Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedic Picture for 1952, Do Not Forsake Me is the theme from HIGH NOON. It is sung by Tex Ritter, father of the late comedian John Ritter, and was written by Dimitri Tiomkin (music) and Ned Washington (lyrics).

WHY: This is an unforgettable, haunting song - and possibly the start of the movie "theme song" (see article link below). As much as I wrote that Back To The Future was a great old friend from 1985 because it was a complete movie experience, this ballad perfectly suits the tone of a lone man sacrificing himself for the good of the community.

The film is simple: "A retiring lawman about to leave town with his new bride seeks allies among the fearful townspeople when an outlaw he put in prison returns with his gang to take revenge in this classic western (IMDB)." The lyrics of Do Not Forsake Me say it all:

Do not forsake me O my darlin'
You made that promise when we wed.
Do not forsake me O my darlin'
Although you're grievin', I can't be leavin'
Until I shoot Frank Miller dead.

http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/03/28/ballad_of_high_noon.html

Song on iTunes: Do Not Forsake Me - Tex Ritter - iTunes

/sms

ENTERTAINMENT: Back To The Future

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:00:00 +0000

WHAT: This is the complete movie experience: Back to the Future is an adventure of a movie from 1985 starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, with a sharp, twisting plot, amazing soundtrack, and expert directing by USC alumni Robert Zemeckis.

WHY: Of course I was going to write about this film at some point. In fact, I might even be so bold as to say that, as a complete movie experience, it's better than Star Wars, and even more complex with it's societal commentary spanning decades of the American experience and popular culture. Even if you don't agree with the previous statement, BTTF blows away the last three Star Wars films AND the televised Ewok Adventures!

If, for some bizarre reason, you have never seen Back to the Future, or even if you have, go watch it again. It's like visiting a good, old friend. Yes, you'll laugh at some of the outdated references, but Marty and Doc will still put a smile on your face. I guarantee it.

"You built a time machine out of a Delorian?!?"

What better way to spend a lazy holiday afternoon.

http://www.bttfmovie.com/

/sms

HISTORY: H.C. Andersen's The Little Mermaid

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 13:00:00 +0000

WHAT: The Little Mermaid -- Den Lilla Havfrue in Danish -- is a fairy tale that was written in 1836 by Hans Cristian Andersen, the Danish author of The Snow Queen, The Ugly Ducking, and The Emperor's New Clothing, among others. Visitors to Copenhagen, Denmark, visit the tiny Little Mermaid statue, the city's icon -- but also the focus of repeated vandalism over the decades.

WHY: The Little Mermaid statue was commissioned in 1909 by the son of the Carlsberg Brewery after he saw a ballet about the Little Mermaid. Since its reveal in 1913, the statue has been the focus of repeated attacks of vandalism: she has had her head cut off several times, her hair has been painted red, she's been given a bra to wear, she's had her arm amputated and she's been blown off her rock.

Why all this attention? Issues range from simple drunks looking to occupy themselves, to feminist groups against the morality of the original fairy tale. Regardless of the reasons, she has returned time and time again to her perch on the rocks, and tourists arrive daily, digital cameras in tow, snapping portraits of the very non-Disney "Original Gangsta."

One cannot look condescendingly back on H.C. Andersen's stories, as so often happens with old movies. Times were not easier, nor were stories sugar coated for children - and unlike the Disney version of The Little Mermaid, the original version has a complex, heavier ending. You can read the entire original translated story at the link below.

http://hca.gilead.org.il/li_merma.html

/sms

FOOD: Archer Farms

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 13:00:00 +0000

WHAT: According to Wikipedia, Archer Farms is "the store brand of premium foods offered exclusively by Target." With their logo Tasty Food, Tasty Price, Archer Farms brand can be found in all Target stores.

WHY: Yeah, I know: why am I talking about junk food offered from the 5th largest retail store in the United States? I'll tell you why: they've got great deals on pretty tasty snack foods. While I'm not going to delve into their entire line of products - I wouldn't know where to begin, since I'm a fairly recent discover of their products - I will mention their nuts.

Almonds, peanuts, and various trail mixes are offered at great bulk food prices, and something more: they actually taste good. For my friends from abroad, the next time you're in the States and looking for quick, cheap, bad for you picnic food, you can stop by and get yourself some of these produces. I know it may sound strange to find tasty food at a Target store in the United States, but there you have it. Happy Friday to you.

www.target.com

/sms

ENTERTAINMENT: Amazing Stories - Season 1 DVD

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 13:00:00 +0000

WHAT: Season one of Amazing Stories, the Steven Spielberg created television series that ran for two seasons on NBC, is available as a four-disc box set. Running from 1985 to 1987, the show was an anthology series similar to The Twilight Zone. However, Amazing Stories lacked a host, and despite 12 Emmy nominations and 5 wins, NBC canceled the show and said "bye-bye."

WHY: For a kid, Amazing Stories was just that: amazing, but also fun. Whereas The Twilight Zone could be frightening, the Amazing Stories - each episode was a unique, self-contained short story - were generally of lighter fare and more cinematic than the sitcoms or other dramatic series of the time.

Watching the series today, it seems obvious why the show couldn't sustain an audience: most of the protagonists simply reacted to the "amazing" events they became part of, instead of creating, controlling, or making decisions that effected their destinies.

Also, television series rely on a few economic basics, one being the need for a production to utilize set after set from episode to episode. It is expensive to build new sets all the time, so the overhead must have been great. I can imagine that Amazing Stories was expensive to make: each episode was a new director, new story, new characters, and typically had new production designs.

Does Amazing Stories stand the test of time as a great show? Not really, but it's still a good time, and it's fun to go back and view all the episodes that I remember so well. It's a nostalgic time machine that takes you back to the 80's, and just watching the guest stars in each episode is reason enough to add this set to your DVD collection.

Amazing Stories at Amazon.com

/sms

NEWS: The Writer's Strike

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:00:00 +0000

WHAT: It's been two decades since the film and television writers went on strike, but huge technological changes have forced them back on the picket lines to negotiate contracts with networks, studios, and producers.

WHY: It won't be long before you start seeing some significant changes on your television set: already late night comedy is missing, and in about three weeks, the networks will be out of their current run of this season's television series. Instead, you'll soon be watching new reality television shows: at CBS alone, they've got 14 reality shows ready in the wings, averting the need for creative, professional guild writing.

That last strike, back in 1988, lasted 22 weeks and cost the industry about $500 million. That's a long time. In the meantime, the studios have stocks of archived shows, and are ready to pump the airwaves with reality television, which may - like it did in the late 80's - erode the real estate for dramatic or sit-com shows. Some of your favorite shows - ER, for example - might not survive a strike.

So what do the writers want? A few things, but the big one is WGA representation in the new media (i.e. internet) world. For example, if a studio wants to develop content for web-only release, they don't want to have to hire WGA writers -- they'd like the right to get anyone they want. Of course, the writers want to be contracted for this original content creation as well - a "new" media since the strike in 1988.

These are tips of the iceberg. For further info, check out:

http://www.wga.org/

/sms

HISTORY: Dealey Plaza, Site of JFK Assassination

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 13:00:00 +0000

`WHAT: Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas, is the site of the November 22, 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. While riding in an open-air limosine with wife Jacqueline and Texas Governor John Connally and wife, crowds heard three shots that killed Kennedy and wounded Connally - with Lee Harvey Oswald becoming the United States' government's official assassin.

WHY: Saturday was a sunny afternoon in Dallas, when I found myself staring at the painted "X" marking the spot of the fatal head wound that ended John F. Kennedy's life and presidency. It seemed that not much had changed in nearly 44 years - the images of the historical Zapruder film imprinted firmly in my mind - as a scattered gathering of folks wandered about Dealey Plaza. Small-time entrepreneurs and a few homeless men were selling assassination pamphlets or DVD copies of the Zapruder film, and the museum that now resides in the former Texas Book Depository attracted visitors. Those that were alive and old enough back in '63 know exactly where they were when they heard about the assassination - I remember my father telling me he heard it while driving across the San Mateo Bridge in California.

Standing there today, thinking back on a time when things were supposed to be better - or perhaps they were the end of better days - made me think: the best day is the present, and it's what you make of it. In the film, Kennedy is smiling and waving in the sunshine, just seconds away from the end of his life. As I looked around Dealey Plaza, I thought that there should be something there, a bigger tribute to an assassinated American president, instead of cracking concrete, fading paint, and a few out of town tourists finding something to entertain them. Then I remembered the Eternal Flame at Kennedy's grave, and remembered that this wasn't supposed to be good place. Whether or not you believe in conspiracy theories regarding the assassination - it does seem highly unlikely that Oswald could have been alone - standing at the site of a place you know so well - and the emotional resonance of a nation divided - that, president or not, here was where someone's life ended.

Looking at that footage, being in that place, and reflecting on events of today makes me realize that you must be able to stand behind your thoughts, keep an open mind to the possibilities, and like Kennedy in the moments before those bullets, have a smile on your face.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedy_assassination

/sms

HISTORY: Sugar Plums

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 12:00:00 +0000

WHAT: Sugar plums, sugar plums, sugar plums... somehow, on my iPod, I have a track of Jiminy Cricket telling his rendition of "The Night Before Christmas." I've no idea how I got the track, but it's there, and Jiminy recites the line from A Visit From St. Nicolas: "as visions of sugar plums danced in their heads." So what exactly are "sugar plums?" Apparently, a couple of things: hard, round shaped candies made of sugar, and one of a few plums with non-bitter skin.

WHY: When was the last time you were at the store or market and saw some sugar plums? Where did these things go? Once upon a time, kids were dreaming of these things during the holidays, but in all my time, I've never seen them.

Or have I? The real question is, which sugar plums were the kids dreaming of, the fruit or the candy? I'm going to guess that they were dreaming of hard, plum flavored candies. I know, I know, plum flavored candies might not sound that great - or do they? Aren't you bored of the same old candy you find at a supermarket: Hershey's Bar. Boring. Snickers. Alright, but still: boring.

Now, hey, wow, yippie: sugar plums! Give me some! Sounds promising, no? The elusive sugar plum does grow in the area I'm from, in Northern California, so I've likely been eating these things my entire life and simply calling it a "plum." Now I know better. You can check the links below for hard candies, fruit, and even sugar plum gels.

Fruit: http://www.mountlassen.com/products/fruits/fruits-dtl-sgrplms.html
Gels: www.sweetpalace.com
More on the history: http://www.godecookery.com/friends/frec74.htm

/sms

REFERENCE & ENTERTAINMENT: The Otherside of the World!

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 12:00:00 +0000

WHAT: Today's brick is simple: take a Google Map and modify it. Everyone's doing it. However, this site let's you fulfill that childhood question: "If I dug a hole through the earth, would I end up in China?" The answer is: probably not. You'd more than likely end up in a huge body of water.

WHY: Today's brick is purely a conversation starter, and I suppose a spoiler of adolescence. Truly, it's not really vital that you know where you'd end up if you could accomplish the insurmountable task of DIGGING a hole through the CENTER of the EARTH! Not-with-standing the enormous distance or the nuclear heat that would incinerate your flesh instantly, you know you want to know where you'd end up, right?

Right. The strange thing is this, though: don't you feel that you have some sort of connection with the people that live exactly opposite on the globe than you? What is that fascination? I suppose that, in some metaphysical way, they are your Doppelgänger of sorts.

Most likely, though, you're going to find that your Doppelgänger on the otherside of the planet is a fish. Or maybe a shark. Or algae. Plankton, most likely...

www.ubasics.com/dighole/

/sms

TRAVEL: El Mirage Dry Lake Bed

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0000

WHAT: El Mirage Dry Lake Bed is a place to get away to in Southern California - you can camp under the stars and experience the desert just a short hop from Los Angeles - as well as visit the filming location for hundreds of car commercials and feature films.

WHY: The desert is a land of extremes, and if you drive 1 1/2 hours out of Los Angeles, you'll be solidly in the heart of the heat. The lake bed - a hard, concrete like surface - is perfect for testing the speed of your car or invention, ultra lite flying, motocross, and model rocket launches. Anytime you'd need a large, flat area for something, El Mirage would be a great choice.

The number of commercials and films shot there prove it. It's so hard and flat that land speed records are set here. Besides seeing the location in commercials, El Mirage was featured in Leathal Weapon, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and Shania Twain's "That Don't Impress Me Much" music video. Access and camping are free, although it's probably best suited for RV-style (i.e. self-contained) camping.

http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/barstow/mirage.html

/sms

BRAIN & ENTERTAINMENT: 3D Puzzles

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0000

WHAT: Yeah, you know what these are: puzzles taken to the third dimension: are they models, or are they puzzles? Whatever they are, they are challenging foam replications that require patience and tenacity to complete - and they are often of a quality that you can be proud to display in your game room or local library.

WHY: Today I started putting together the United States Capital 3D puzzle -- I'm using it as a prop for pitching a television series. Remember doing puzzles?

Puzzles are a great mind-clearing device. You concentrate on shapes that allow - for a moment - your mind a minute of clarity, much like entering REM sleep. It can be a satisfying kind of mediation. With a 3D puzzle, you take the challenge of a flat, 2D puzzle and make it that much harder: now where does this portcullis go? Build Venice, Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, New York and more, and don't be surprised if you solve the crisis that has been plaguing you.

Makers of 3D puzzles: www.wrebbit.com

/sms

ENTERTAINMENT: Guitar Hero 3 for WII

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0000

WHAT: Guitar Hero III is a video game where you are a rock star. Starting from a near nobody, you work your way up the rock star ranks by playing along with real songs - as musical notes scroll along, you push a corresponding button and strum, earning your way to rock and roll fame and fortune.

WHY: The reason I like this game is that it actually forces you to listen to music at a somewhat in-depth level. The songs are, overall, hits that you'll know, but you'll start hearing them differently: instead of simply clapping along, you're part of the band. If you mess up, you'll hear it - the song will sound like crap.

To progress in the game, you've got to be able to play a song fairly well. Don't worry - it's kind of like Simon Says meets Karaoke, except that instead of memorizing the colors, they show on the screen; and instead of singing, you have to let your fingers find the buttons.

Don't worry if you don't know how to play the guitar -- this isn't that. It's still a game, it's engaging with a simple premise -- and it's pretty fun. Perfect family fun - if your family is early teens and older.

http://www.guitarherogame.com/gh3/

/sms

BF PODCAST: Episode 7

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0000

Week 43 - Episode 7 - Including Curb Your Enthusiasm, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles for WII, and "Bed In A Bag!"

HOME: Bed In A Bag

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0000

WHAT: Now get this: "Bed in a Bag." Isn't that funny? When you buy a "Bed in a Bag," you get fitted sheets, pillow cases, and a bed spread or comforter. Yes, that's right: you get - almost - an entire "Bed in a Bag." The only other things you have to provide are a mattress, pillows, and optional bed frame. So should it really be called "Nearly A Bed in a Bag?"

WHY: "Bed in a Bag." It reminds me of a Family Guy episode where they talk about the game "Ball In A Cup." Bed in a Bag. That's hilarious... I don't know why I think it's so funny, but all I have to do is say: "Bed in a Bag," and I start laughing. Anyway, it's a great marketing gag: you know most people are going to buy an entire matching set of sheets and such when they go shopping for them, so why not just put the whole shebang into a bag and sell it all at once? Think of the deal you'll be getting!?

Makes me realize that you can't just substitute any word for "bed." I'll let you fill in the blank for your own, instant marketing tool: "________ in a Bag." Anyway, all I've got to say on the matter is: "Bed in a Bag."

Check www.overstock.com or search Google for "Bed in a Bag."

/sms

ENTERTAINMENT: Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles for WII

brickfactory@gmail.com (The Brick Factory - Conversation Starters) — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0000

WHAT: A new game that comes out next month for the Wii called Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. Turn your WII controller into a gun with the game attachment, then go around blasting zombies until you've had your fill. Oh, yes, and they come after you.

WHY: Alright, so playing graphically violent games with zombies and gore isn't for everyone, but the Resident Evil series has built a reputation for getting your heart pounding in the horror-genre worlds they create. Now they're coming out with a new Resident Evil title, and this one's for the Wii game system. You know the Wii: it's the game system with the controllers that respond to motion; you can bowl or play tennis, and you mimic the motions of bowling and tennis with the controller in your hand.

But for Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, you take your Wii remote and place it in a plastic "gun" adapter. In the game, you'll play in first-person and have to actually aim at the screen to get the zombies. Okay, nothing super new here, but at least it's an exciting new game title for the Wii. One bigger complaints of the game system is that, while they got it right with the controller, the graphic power available on Wii games leaves something to the imagination. The brains of the Wii seem to be less powerful than the Playstation 1.

For those owners of Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, you'll have to wait a little longer for a new Resident Evil title, but you can check out the graphically intense trailer for Resident Evil 5 at their website.

www.residentevil.com

/sms