Thumbosis

I play lots of video games. Most people would say "too much", but I enjoy it more than just watching TV. Trouble is my hands are hurting. Carpal tunnel? Early stages I am sure. I nicknamed my ailment "thumbosis". The swelling of the thumbs due to major kills, scores, and race wins.

So I will take a break and catch up on the missed episodes of Lost, while the swelling goes down. But I will not be down for good.

Happy gaming!

When is it okay to panic?

I just got off one long bumpy flight from Oakland to Seattle. Scary stuff. So when is it okay to lose it? I mean I was digging my nails in to the arm rests, sweating up a storm, and cracking my teeth clenching so hard.

I fly pretty regularly, but flights like that one, just give me chills.

Now you just can't freak out like the days of old. Today it is grounds for water torture in some hidden base in Cuba.

I made it. I'm happy I did, but think they should add a sound proof padded room in the back, kinda like the baby crying room at church or at theaters.

Fun at the factory

Check out what these guys did with at the Ford auto plant with a manufacturing robot. A little bit of programming and a willing team member, and you have your own amusement park ride at the office. Check it out:

Form follows function design

Obviously the graphic designer had great source material. It is nice Wolverine art. But this is a great example of Form and Function design. LOL.

Next time the designer may want to look closer at the mechanical specs for the blow up punching bag, before doing his graphic design and art placement.

Enjoy the fun, I know Wolvie will.

Searching for my muse

I work as a Creative Director in advertising. In a highly competitive field where new ideas set you apart. The difficulty comes in finding or creating that great ad concept that is truly new. Advertising has been around for a long time, and it sometimes feels like everything has been done by others before me.

So how do you come up with truly new ideas? I don't know.

I confess to being a nicely paid professional who does not always have all the answers. New ideas come from new ways of thinking. They come from looking at the audience, the product or offering, the problem at hand, then coming up with a solution that works for everyone and gets results.

Still it can feel like torture. Like I am spinning my wheels in something like a human hamster wheel. I often look skyward and beg some for divine intervention.

I have an ego, and like to think that all the great solutions are rolling around in my head, just waiting for me to give them to the world. But are they? I focus on the problem, and finding a creative solution. I can't stop thinking about it until something comes to me. Often ideas come to me in my sleep, or in the shower.

I am just calling out to a muse for help, and they answer. Sounds nuts. Then I heard Elizabeth Gilbert speech on creative genius on TED.com. She speaks of actually taking a less self-torturous way of being creative. It is a wonderful presentation and you should check it out.

My muse may just be part of my own creative process or creative psyche, but I am glad it is there when I call. It may put me on hold, or hit the ignore key at times, but it usually comes around.

Obama and Prince of Persia

Some great things happen to me this week. Obama became my/our President, and I scored a copy of the beautiful PS3 game, Prince of Persia.

Obama brings hope for our nation and the world. This game gives me hope that art in video games is still welcome.

I really can't blame the rest of the civilized world for hating our country right now, and I really hated the lack of real creative artistry in games. I long for games like Jet Set Radio, Shadow of Colossus, or Okami that blend art, story, and game play.

So Prince of Persia is an easy game, but really wonderful and fun. The visual watercolor landscapes are breathtaking and magical. I hope the coming years with Obama as President bring us some great times and change too.

Bring back a country we can be proud of and bring back art and creativity in games.

Red ring of death

I am a gamer and proud of it. I recently joined the 360 crowd, and bought myself a 20gb model as a Christmas gift to myself. Thank me very much.

Well after only 2 months of gaming goodness, my xbox caught the holiday spirit and went all rudolf the red nose SOB on me. Thank the gods for the internet, I was able to do a few things and get the red rings of death to clear. But I fear they are just zombies, and will soon rise again.

The system freezes up mid game, or mid anything really. So it looks like I have to send it in for repair. I had hoped that Microsoft had fixed this kinda unreliability but I guess not. Happy freakin' new year.

So I wait to find out from the warranty people and ponder the over $200 bucks I spent on games, xbox live, and an extra controller. All sitting dead to me.

I love hot sauce

Yeah and sometimes it doesn't love me. We have all been there when the spicy stuff has its revenge the next day after digesting. But, let's focus on the moment, today.

I was wandering around checking out the after holiday sales and got hungry. I spent so much cash shopping I wanted to eat on the cheap, so I popped in to Del Taco.

As the title says "I love hot sauce", and I normally can't stand the junk at DT. But today I discovered something new. The sauce was overtly hyped with the name "Inferno". Well I tried their previous hottest sauce "Del Scorcho" and it was a nastily artificial mild load of crap.

It pleases me to announce "Inferno" is not only actually hot, it is tasty. So with my veggie tostadas, and lips still burning, I smile contently.