It’s Been a Hoot!
Packing stuff to move stinks. It’s not any fun, lugging heavy bins back and forth that are filled with items we probably don’t even need. Over the past few weeks I’ve been shuddering at the thought of how much money my wife and I have spent on plastic storage bins. We’re on a first-name-basis with […]
Advice From My Wife (Sort of Like ‘Plugged In’)
I’m the tech support for my wife’s in-home design studio. It’s a role I’ve always taken seriously and been rather proud of. I have from time to time had to seek out some help from brains more developed than mine if I really got stuck, but for the most part I’mthe man. And there it […]
“What Video Games Did He Play?”
“What video games did he play? How often did he play?” asks former FBI agent Robert Paquette in regards to Connecticut school shooter Adam Lanza’s exposure to video games. It’s pretty telling when guys from the top crime-solving agencies in America have that query pretty high up on their list of questions to ask when […]
I Put a Hit on You
Square Enix really messed up when they released their Facebook app that allowed users to put a “hit” on their friends. The app—a promotion for the Hitman: Absolution video game—was supposed to be a fun way to “poke” people, to misuse a Facebook term. And it was live mere hours before it was pulled back […]
A Dean of 15-Minute Fame
Back in my art school days I decided to do my hair up (when I had some) like they did it back in the 1950s, sideburns and all. I was really into 1950s Americana, you know? Hot rods, car hops and authentic Rockabilly music. It didn’t hurt either that my dad, Uncle Charlie and my […]
The Need for Speed? – #2
I like motorcycles. Fast ones. Always have. I owned a few in my younger days. And even now, if I had the dough, I’d be making my morning commute into the office on a Honda CBR1000RR. But these days I’d be sure to adhere to the posted speed limit. And if I got the urge […]
The Games Bullies Play
I recently read a pretty disturbing article from the BBC about video games. But this isn’t the usual heard-it-all-before-video-games-are-evil fodder. No, the subject matter we’re talking about here is different, and it involves a subject we hear about all too much: bullying. It seems as though nine out of 10 titles released today have an […]
What Do Your Apps Say About You?
I’ve got 120 apps on my iPad 2. My iPhone 4 sports 99 of ’em. I’ve got apps that range from the Holy Bible to ABC Song (it’s supposed to teach my kid the alphabet). I have three different apps for checking the weather and one for Bay Area news. The last one mystifies even […]
Gaming Through a Piece of Art
What if you walked into the Smithsonian American Art Museum and on display was … wait for it … video game art? Well, wonder no more. That’s right, an exhibit called “The Art of Video Games” is already here—and will be at the Smithsonian through September when it takes off on its own national tour. […]
My Jaw Is Still on the Floor (In a Good Way)
It’s one thing to see random acts of kindness on TV or in a movie. It’s quite another to personally experience one in real life. Times are tough right now, everywhere. The headlines are riddled with bad news about our economic situation. Gone are the days of a freelance designer (my wife!) having work come […]