tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84346336148716054842024-03-12T22:26:29.644-04:00Geeks Amongst the MeekIt's time to get your nerd on.Tony G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09528783598932200131noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434633614871605484.post-316378107429400722009-12-17T09:59:00.000-05:002009-12-17T09:59:18.009-05:00On My Way To Greener Pastures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHELb3kKVLTWogi29t4TnncDl_zBVQ0QyGetl0kuY8O79rcx0sWj4IRWMFf2KUSfWlrZ6E7Sloq4Vvn2f0IMP3mrem63aJASnjD47THFtk6RQyHKtBbAeHyicvPCbXmD5ZBTdbWBGngyc/s1600-h/farewell.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHELb3kKVLTWogi29t4TnncDl_zBVQ0QyGetl0kuY8O79rcx0sWj4IRWMFf2KUSfWlrZ6E7Sloq4Vvn2f0IMP3mrem63aJASnjD47THFtk6RQyHKtBbAeHyicvPCbXmD5ZBTdbWBGngyc/s200/farewell.png" /></a><br />
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I've decided that I will be making yet another website which will focus mainly on comic criticism and finding new talent to entertain myself. Right now my list of comic reads is pretty short, and I want to change that.<br />
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What does that mean for GATM? It's going to the blog farm where the other blogs go when they're not wanted anymore. While I enjoy writing about geeky stuff, I'm sure I can incorporate it into the comic thing too (general interests, etc. etc.) <br />
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I want to thank everybody who has checked out the blog! You guys are swell. Remember to check in because I'll have the new blog up soon and the url will be posted here.<br />
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So, peace out geeks! If you'll excuse me, I'm going to pass out because of I've got the cooties.Tony G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09528783598932200131noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434633614871605484.post-40251867059245712009-12-08T22:21:00.000-05:002009-12-08T22:21:29.416-05:00A Farewell to Robot ArmsYou know, I haven't read much Hemingway but I think the title of this post is just too clever for its own good. I think it might need a less awesome title for balance, or you guys might expect the highest quality pun titles from here on out.<br />
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I should add a second title, like a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rocky_and_Bullwinkle_Show">Rocky and Bullwinkle</a> episode. <br />
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So this is a goodbye post for And I'll Form the Head (or stop the giant fighting robot presses! Eh, I'll work on my subtitles at some later point, dollink.) <br />
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The reason why I'll be ending this segment is because I want to focus more on webcomic critique, and also I have been posting less frequently on that portion of the website (even though as of lately I haven't posted anything at all on either portions, but that'll change when finals are over). I'll be keeping And I'll Form the Heads online, but it will become inactive starting... now.<br />
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So stick around, I'm not done yet! If you want to get your giant fighting robot nerd on, though, this blog won't be able to help quell your appetite. Maybe from time to time, if I find a webcomic on giant fighting robots. Then come back!Tony G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09528783598932200131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434633614871605484.post-61505188996224742782009-11-30T09:00:00.000-05:002009-11-30T09:00:08.929-05:00The Brawl to End It All: Wii Link Round-UpAs another school semester comes to a close, I get <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqPiJ0L7YmY">faklempt </a>when I think that some of the most enjoyable classes that I've taken will be finished, and that I won't see some of the classmates anymore afterward. There is one person though that I will be glad that I'm rid of. Mr. Justin Pilcher, blogger behind <a href="http://justinpilch.blogspot.com/">Breaking Back</a>, had done the unthinkable and challenged me to a game of <a href="http://www.smashbros.com/en_us/">Super Smash Bros. Brawl</a>. The audacity! The nerve. Oh, it's <i>on like Donkey Kong. </i><br />
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On <a href="http://andillformtheheads.blogspot.com/2009/11/rob-up-in-this-brawl.html#comments">And I'll Form the Head</a>, he commented on my R.O.B. "I will <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=pown">pown</a> you with <a href="http://www.zelda.com/gcn/">toon link</a> any day." I replied, in righteous, furious anger, "I will drag my <a href="http://194.192.82.242/pikmin2/flash/player.asp">pikmin</a> across toon link's face as Captain Olimar." This little squabble ended there, but I don't like to be instigated. I got a short fuse. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm2BpI6TCDE&feature=player_embedded">I'm a mushroom cloud laying mother fucker, mother fucker</a>. <br />
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Now, I think we can settle this like gentlemen; in class, set up a Wii on the projection screen and let the video game fists fly. Not only will we see who the best Brawler is, but I'll also fulfill a dream of mine to play video games in a classroom. Come on, <a href="http://danielnester.com/teaching/">teach</a>! I'll even play a round with you. I'll take on anybody, any day. I know <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m2LbZIXia4&feature=player_embedded">I am the greatest</a>. <br />
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So, to better publicize the event, here is some information on the game and the two characters which we'll each be using, besides the information posted above.<br />
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If you think that Super Smash Bros. didn't have a fanatic following, head <a href="http://smashbros2.yurx.com/">here</a> for a whole write up of each game in the franchise and a forum of like-minded Brawlers. <br />
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Toon Link, a deviation of the original Link notable by his younger and cartoony appearance, has appeared in three <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Zelda">The Legend of Zelda</a> games to date, omitting Super Smash Bros. Brawl; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Zelda:_The_Wind_Waker">The Wind Waker</a>, released on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_GameCube">Gamecube</a>, and <a href="http://zelda.com/phantomhourglass/">Phantom Hourglass</a> and the recently released <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_Tracks">Spirit Tracks</a>, both appearing on the <a href="http://www.nintendo.com/ds">Gameboy Ds</a>. <br />
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Captain Olimar is the protagonist of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pikmin">Pikmin</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pikmin_2">its sequel</a>, commanding a legion of plant-like creatures to scour the earth for treasure. Both were released on the Gamecube, with Super Smash Bros. Brawl being his first appearance on the Wii console until Nintendo <a href="http://wii.ign.com/articles/961/961727p1.html">ported the original game</a> to use the Wii controller. <br />
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Keep checking in. Things are gonna get intense up in here.Tony G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09528783598932200131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434633614871605484.post-31053713541323086872009-11-27T09:00:00.000-05:002009-11-27T09:00:01.008-05:00Post T-Day; The Hiatus, A Presidential Pardon, and How Can I Crash Obama's Next Party?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkohYTM6GNcR9DWAH2sIJgnCy-_reJQcc9SYlh2BqjejC51Vj5HB1IPRdtO67zyMVqpcMEGTbR2BUAt4SEiJfqSvSpGEC-16EKEuDfLA7lGYNUoK2bnbK1X_-XQKZ52pwLHEVyk-SOTYc/s1600/hand+turkey.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkohYTM6GNcR9DWAH2sIJgnCy-_reJQcc9SYlh2BqjejC51Vj5HB1IPRdtO67zyMVqpcMEGTbR2BUAt4SEiJfqSvSpGEC-16EKEuDfLA7lGYNUoK2bnbK1X_-XQKZ52pwLHEVyk-SOTYc/s320/hand+turkey.bmp" /></a><br />
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I took a day off to gorge myself in food. I think we can all agree on the place <a href="http://wikiality.wikia.com/Hell#The_Third_Layer">where I'm going</a> when the party that's called my life has ended. There will be a bonus punishment of being maimed by each turkey I have devoured. I will meet them with open arms.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj1j9ThmlUqh4AwkgPpQ4K99wpJPdxuS6xYcVKalV1Lf95y8RSHKOqyAIeFk2n1ZH3saKNu0BZJAAI9VK772evi6H4NHl7JafXAOfTgcfIA4lsx8Kk7om837TWlu8Q1KBWCdZDDDIl59w/s1600/turkey+pardoned.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj1j9ThmlUqh4AwkgPpQ4K99wpJPdxuS6xYcVKalV1Lf95y8RSHKOqyAIeFk2n1ZH3saKNu0BZJAAI9VK772evi6H4NHl7JafXAOfTgcfIA4lsx8Kk7om837TWlu8Q1KBWCdZDDDIl59w/s320/turkey+pardoned.bmp" /></a><br />
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There is one turkey this year that will not be sacrificed to my ravenous hunger;<a href="http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/obama-give-presidential-pardon-turkey-named-courage/story?id=9166752"> Courage, the bird chosen to be pardoned by President Obama</a>. He thinks he got it off easy, but being a foodie with an insatiable appetite for the bizarre, I would give anything to have a pardoned turkey for a snack.<br />
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According to the ABC article, Obama feels the same way, <br />
<blockquote> "The president, joined by daughters Sasha and Malia at his side, told a crowd of invited guests at the White House this morning that some presidents actually ate their turkeys. <br />
</blockquote><blockquote> "You can't fault them for that. It's a good lookin' bird," Obama said." <br />
</blockquote>He's got a point! He probably also understands that eating a bird that you previously lied to, telling it that it'll live the rest of its life in Disneyland, is also one of the biggest eating taboos,(starting now. I made the taboo up, but doesn't it sound like the cruelest and coolest thing ever? Let it go on the record that this taboo is now a real and serious issue.) but the bird's anguish will only make it more delicious.<br />
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Now I'm not saying I have it in for Courage, I'd eat any of the pardoned turkeys. I wonder if Clinton's turkeys are still kicking it. They're probably good for the libido.<br />
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Speaking of presidents, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/11/26/dinner.whitehouse.crashers/index.html">these bastards</a> ruined my elaborate plot to crash a white house state dinner! I can't go into the details but it would put <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV-U-ERRU_A">George Clooney</a> to shame. Seriously though, I should be able to report one of these shindigs. I got a blog, I got a phone that can tweet, and I don't have political bias! Just a party bias (I eat for free and drink for free, and I get to crash in the oval office. These conditions are not negotiable.)Tony G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09528783598932200131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434633614871605484.post-5796483250809398452009-11-24T09:00:00.000-05:002009-11-24T09:00:11.936-05:00Junk Food: The Bacon Explosion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi80VTbso-NH5W5mArsmcIRXysRxP9U5B4LO3_1j_wC4O-nD9T2GRStvMtIIOwTxuWexHsV2_IvlhtQKooBPQuL_k9ngwz0ZBev_Ce2abScg1ov2ohFfXwbb0d212hhsIHvcz2rpw0SxOo/s1600/bacon+explosion.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi80VTbso-NH5W5mArsmcIRXysRxP9U5B4LO3_1j_wC4O-nD9T2GRStvMtIIOwTxuWexHsV2_IvlhtQKooBPQuL_k9ngwz0ZBev_Ce2abScg1ov2ohFfXwbb0d212hhsIHvcz2rpw0SxOo/s320/bacon+explosion.bmp" /></a><br />
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This is another post <a href="http://www.bbqaddicts.com/blog/recipes/bacon-explosion/">to a link</a> where I just have to say "wow". Eating one of these beasts is likely to clog a few arteries. I actually just had the mental image of taking the above picture and shoving that into a blood vein. That would be exactly what it would do to your body, don't you think?<br />
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You would suffer multiple aneurysms like a firework finale. Would be a bad ass way to go out though!Tony G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09528783598932200131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434633614871605484.post-86840990662187336882009-11-23T08:00:00.001-05:002009-11-23T08:00:02.259-05:00More Christmas Stuff: T-Shirts For Your GeekLooking for gift ideas for your geeky loved one? What do you mean you geeks don't feel love the same way normal people do? Now you're just being insensitive.<br />
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Buy some t-shirts for your nerd this season. Lord knows they aren't going to buy clothes for themselves. Here's some websites for quick and easy reference! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTY6VSwqeaMsWkQ_VWMIpZTin_9R8lqCXBBFbrz62FH65JIMqjK60y1T7zW9fFU5t_t5Dtdf5N3USP_JMrWRJFIIZHkK-D3S4kjSnQGHkh1qpG3dKeEWhftfySRQDoRxF6M5WmhCGvcM/s1600/sircritter+bear.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTY6VSwqeaMsWkQ_VWMIpZTin_9R8lqCXBBFbrz62FH65JIMqjK60y1T7zW9fFU5t_t5Dtdf5N3USP_JMrWRJFIIZHkK-D3S4kjSnQGHkh1qpG3dKeEWhftfySRQDoRxF6M5WmhCGvcM/s320/sircritter+bear.bmp" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://sircritter.com/">Sir Critter</a>- They're animals in fancy get ups on your t-shirt. What else do you want? One of the best features of the website is that you can decide how many animals you can put on the t-shirt, so the combinations are endless (not really, I just don't want to do the math). <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVcsflRyoY3VaIvs-HYMBZx_SyuXnJY4kqM5kl3jJVzzHZQmEL_NpXd5Bwg6jnR9PnHIxiq9WFaIZ8UN1UxBCUExathgio41i-tYw-KGDwSbaXSA-vzsXFhGBP41moskAEbOm1lOCzrjk/s1600/dinosaurcomicwhale.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVcsflRyoY3VaIvs-HYMBZx_SyuXnJY4kqM5kl3jJVzzHZQmEL_NpXd5Bwg6jnR9PnHIxiq9WFaIZ8UN1UxBCUExathgio41i-tYw-KGDwSbaXSA-vzsXFhGBP41moskAEbOm1lOCzrjk/s320/dinosaurcomicwhale.bmp" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://topatoco.com/hey/">TopatoCo</a>- Okay, so these t-shirts are mainly inside jokes of popular webcomics, but they have some general humor comics that will still tickle your geek's funny bone. You will want to check out <a href="http://www.topatoco.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=TO&Category_Code=QW">Dinosaur Comic</a>'s and <a href="http://www.topatoco.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=TO&Category_Code=BEAT">Hark! A Vagrant</a>'s sections specifically. Great stuff.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTNgzA9QfBSoTJSsdUIlkkIlFiHBnrB9cOT2cevMXWf3YstvLogLKRFsnJ_478khu_gbQitxduzAdRnSA0j8l8OL1B524Itpi33CTQ-HHY2Y6QHYjBMmRVIsA2FCP249n-mO2T6MCOx5I/s1600/thinkgeekblock.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTNgzA9QfBSoTJSsdUIlkkIlFiHBnrB9cOT2cevMXWf3YstvLogLKRFsnJ_478khu_gbQitxduzAdRnSA0j8l8OL1B524Itpi33CTQ-HHY2Y6QHYjBMmRVIsA2FCP249n-mO2T6MCOx5I/s320/thinkgeekblock.bmp" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/unisex/gaming/a282/">ThinkGeek</a>- I'm making a bit of a stretch but this website has a ton of generic nerdy t-shirts, ranging from computer lingo to gaming innuendo. Get it? I'd Hit That? You might not, but if you did you'd be in stitches. I laughed so hard I pissed my pants. <br />
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<a href="http://fashionablygeek.com/">Fashionably Geek</a>- A listing and review of geek clothes and apparel online, with price ranges and a short critique. From what I've seen, its pretty earnest and reliable. My favorite shirt featured was <a href="https://www.anticlothes.com/shirts/show/80-mph">this one</a>. Layin' down the law!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5LuXQbhVdMKC7cTJXGmA1l9jSk6mb9tnGYB3qvSIQWy02S_wbRVOmNrhb8qo2JEV4r-kQWFSddt1nI8sVF9kQoL7VG1k7LYUChkqTZcrmiz7b6bS2osJ27BzWtdcPZ1RJXiSy3QbwGc/s1600/jinxstuff.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5LuXQbhVdMKC7cTJXGmA1l9jSk6mb9tnGYB3qvSIQWy02S_wbRVOmNrhb8qo2JEV4r-kQWFSddt1nI8sVF9kQoL7VG1k7LYUChkqTZcrmiz7b6bS2osJ27BzWtdcPZ1RJXiSy3QbwGc/s320/jinxstuff.bmp" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.jinx.com/collusion/learn_all_that_is_learnable_t_shirt.html">J!NX</a>- Basically this is the Walmart of geek clothes. It's the major provider of <a href="http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/">World of Warcraft</a> clothing, and every geek you know has played that game once or twice in their life time, even if they deny it. These clothes aren't as funny as the other ones listed, but they have some cool looking graphics.<br />
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Well, enjoy!Tony G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09528783598932200131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434633614871605484.post-19931127139192093052009-11-22T19:11:00.005-05:002009-11-22T20:29:08.618-05:00The Albany Batman Tweets Again: Crawdaddies Procured, and Cat Saved: Can I Has Superhero Status?Today's adventure was much more epic than I thought it would be.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqmgszHKIuaxQ3iawpUdTK1qAhay5VSQMkxSKwwFrlTeY2nZ-1ph_2NgDRvoQeOiFkURyFeAoDo5bwn-qnAs2kKw3n0IiN1xzoASxckBLCvbtPTfWjhxd46y-naAGPhVwrKwG4hIchCQ/s1600/albany+batman.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqmgszHKIuaxQ3iawpUdTK1qAhay5VSQMkxSKwwFrlTeY2nZ-1ph_2NgDRvoQeOiFkURyFeAoDo5bwn-qnAs2kKw3n0IiN1xzoASxckBLCvbtPTfWjhxd46y-naAGPhVwrKwG4hIchCQ/s320/albany+batman.bmp" /></a><br />
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The story starts from this first tweet:<br />
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<b><a class="tweet-url screen-name" href="http://twitter.com/albanybatman" title="Tony Geras ">albanybatman</a></b>: <b> Found a cat. probably someones pet. likes tuna! must find its owner if it has one</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2R61mvf5YyQFHalyc8OT8RyAW-OAcGENDLdIabMgKdqsvlFc0d8bYPwfKWz_quNxQ-fz3A8Puv4Rb5U5RyD9HE9izDhAJKvhxsQ063BPAQ2rpae6FwWy-wc_dx2y4gCHEOuO4zPwVWA/s1600/albany+batman+maui.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2R61mvf5YyQFHalyc8OT8RyAW-OAcGENDLdIabMgKdqsvlFc0d8bYPwfKWz_quNxQ-fz3A8Puv4Rb5U5RyD9HE9izDhAJKvhxsQ063BPAQ2rpae6FwWy-wc_dx2y4gCHEOuO4zPwVWA/s320/albany+batman+maui.bmp" /></a><br />
</div> What a crazy day it has been. Continue reading if you wanna see what I mean.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>In all actuality, the live-blog started yesterday when a real life mission fell into my hands; a cat followed ze Grif and his sister (ms. Grif?) back to our apartment, and we were convinced by how affectionate the cat was that it was someone's pet. Our arch-nemesis, Dave, kept trying to allure me to a secret pet that the landlord didn't have to know about, but I kept thinking that this cat was some little girl's only friend in the whole wide world, and taking away this cat would be like taking away Santa.<br />
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Dave asked me what we should name it, tormenting me, and I proclaimed "Fuck that. If you name it, you want to keep it." So, everybody in the house called it Fuck That the Cat.<br />
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At one point I even tried to lure the cat away from the house, thinking that the cat was from a neighboring house and that it was just looking for some attention. That didn't work out so well.<br />
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<b><a class="tweet-url screen-name" href="http://twitter.com/albanybatman" title="Tony Geras ">albanybatman</a></b>: <b>Thought we ditched the cat. came back and it ran off the porch to greet us. fml</b> <br />
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We kept it in a box outside with a bowl of water and a blanket, fearing that we would claim it as our own if we put it in the house, and then called the animal shelter of Albany to see if we could give the cat a good shelter in case nobody claimed it. The message we left went to voicemail.<br />
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That next morning, while I'm still sleeping, ms. Grif gets a call from the shelter that a woman had lost her cat that sounded exactly like the one we found a week ago. ms. Grif had to leave so the contact information was given to ze Grif who proceeded to call the woman and tell her that the cat has been sleeping on our porch and she can pick it up whenever she wants. He had to make a quick phone call back to tell her that the cat disappeared sometime in the night. <br />
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<b><a class="tweet-url screen-name" href="http://twitter.com/albanybatman" title="Tony Geras ">albanybatman</a></b>: <b>Found cats owner but lost cat! off to play frisbee in batman disguise.</b><br />
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<b><a class="tweet-url screen-name" href="http://twitter.com/albanybatman" title="Tony Geras ">albanybatman</a></b>: <b>Fatigued from sickness. still no sign of cat. sad!</b><b> </b><br />
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A few hours passed, and we thought this saga had ended on a depressing note. On the way back from sickly frisbee, my batman ski-mask covered in snot, our arch-nemesis Dave was playing with Fuck That on the porch. While exercising, the cat had found Dave and followed him back to the apartment. ze Grif called the woman back and we promised that we wouldn't lose the cat again. We kept it inside, gave it another can of tuna, and now we await the owner's arrival. I really hope that she's this things owner. If not, I might try to make a hard sale and convince her to take it anyways because the cat is really adorable.<br />
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<b><a class="tweet-url screen-name" href="http://twitter.com/albanybatman" title="Tony Geras ">albanybatman</a></b>: <b>The cat returned! ze grif called its owner and left a voicemail. the cats name is meow. victory!</b><b></b><br />
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<b></b><b><a class="tweet-url screen-name" href="http://twitter.com/albanybatman" title="Tony Geras ">albanybatman</a></b>: <b>Actually the cats name is spelled maui, like my cat who passed away last summer. glad we could help someone</b><br />
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I actually wasn't sure if I would help anybody today as Albany Batman (by the way, I dropped the whole secret identity thing. You all know who I am already and its not like we have phone booths around where people become completely oblivious to who entered and who came out.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJTWomWxPR8CTPc6e4e78hNIUd-E6P2r2NvvaeXZRRmHGnXezOByX8ldXAPzGte2fEYDM01MPre_xZPH00Kr5sVJ3-oc0znhcPk9uSM-5DAWlwEzvyoZUv1LQ79DX_eMSQqjnPY9uaVE/s1600/albany+batman+secret+identity.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJTWomWxPR8CTPc6e4e78hNIUd-E6P2r2NvvaeXZRRmHGnXezOByX8ldXAPzGte2fEYDM01MPre_xZPH00Kr5sVJ3-oc0znhcPk9uSM-5DAWlwEzvyoZUv1LQ79DX_eMSQqjnPY9uaVE/s320/albany+batman+secret+identity.bmp" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When I'm not being Batman, I look like a <a href="http://www.smurf.com/smurf.php/www/home/en">smurf</a> with a blue hat. <br />
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After the cat escapade, I went to go get crawdads, as promised.<br />
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<b><a class="tweet-url screen-name" href="http://twitter.com/albanybatman" title="Tony Geras ">albanybatman</a></b>: Albany batman is now on central on his way to hannifords and possibly <a href="http://www.popeyes.com/">popeyes</a>?<br />
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</div><b></b><b><a class="tweet-url screen-name" href="http://twitter.com/albanybatman" title="Tony Geras ">albanybatman</a></b>: Nvm i was on washington st. Now im on central<br />
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<b><a class="tweet-url screen-name" href="http://twitter.com/albanybatman" title="Tony Geras ">albanybatman</a></b>: Ze grif said dont ass dont tell lol<br />
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<b><a class="tweet-url screen-name" href="http://twitter.com/albanybatman" title="Tony Geras ">albanybatman</a></b>: At hannifords. got crayfish!<br />
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<b><a class="tweet-url screen-name" href="http://twitter.com/albanybatman" title="Tony Geras ">albanybatman</a></b>: Passed <a href="http://www.chocolategecko.com/">the choc gecko</a> on the way back<br />
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<b><a class="tweet-url screen-name" href="http://twitter.com/albanybatman" title="Tony Geras ">albanybatman</a></b>: i'm back home. now i must clean my room and prepare to cook some of these delicious crawdaddies.<br />
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And that's that. I was thinking of taking a picture of the lady when she got here, telling her about my blog and her cat's inclusion in today's escapades. You know the ladies love a man with a blog.<br />
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On a final note before the conclusion (that's when the lady gets here at 9:00pm), if saving a cat from starvation and the harsh weather won't get me included in the<a href="http://worldsuperheroregistry.com/world_superhero_registry_gallery.htm"> World Superhero Registry</a>, nothing will! <br />
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<b>Update: </b>It wasn't the ladies cat and she didn't contemplate adopting Fuck That. Second option, toss the cat onto our neighbors? But it has already moved inside... damnit!Tony G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09528783598932200131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434633614871605484.post-6867982872722432132009-11-21T22:20:00.004-05:002009-11-22T15:46:54.211-05:00Liveblogging: Holy Crayfish Albany Batman!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn9bNe-rzfd4KJpS5EfU_N-vqh7kU457gxEn8YNui9wjkjvrHxR72sq8tJh0os6UEoxGDZp5vqXbbMsL2k5UaIt-ik7-Rd3v1e1tAHm8Lo1G3PLUzRtqiM2HtX_jt9Fj1jjg9_kIr7btw/s1600/batman-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn9bNe-rzfd4KJpS5EfU_N-vqh7kU457gxEn8YNui9wjkjvrHxR72sq8tJh0os6UEoxGDZp5vqXbbMsL2k5UaIt-ik7-Rd3v1e1tAHm8Lo1G3PLUzRtqiM2HtX_jt9Fj1jjg9_kIr7btw/s320/batman-logo.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Tomorrow, at 7:00PM, Albany Batman will be getting <a href="http://www.optu.org/images/pond_crayfish.jpg">crayfish</a> to boil for a Thanksgiving feast. It's going to be <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Jm3Zb-HSvo">fucking tasty</a>. Also, only the Albany Batman and ze Grif will probably be eating them. Rejoice! <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is a map of where he'll be heading, and along the way he'll be updating live from twitter.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4PtHYH4GZstqZTUpiWTzET5e2aKVUDT78GLSWZrOHH_RpIUTRCZJaFXwjubDEoWDfrg3cm8LwOhXaOM5V7rhborgte_o59_9Bg0fGNellYJwI0xcWOtRWvu4ti-RGbPVj-9TEO1RrhJQ/s1600/albanybatman+crayfish+map.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4PtHYH4GZstqZTUpiWTzET5e2aKVUDT78GLSWZrOHH_RpIUTRCZJaFXwjubDEoWDfrg3cm8LwOhXaOM5V7rhborgte_o59_9Bg0fGNellYJwI0xcWOtRWvu4ti-RGbPVj-9TEO1RrhJQ/s400/albanybatman+crayfish+map.bmp" /></a><br />
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Originally, the Great Detective of Albany was going to do a route around the Saint Rose campus, but this mission for crayfish, the tastiest of shellfish, surpasses anything else he had planned that day. If he's bored he'll probably hit up Saint Rose afterwords because he loves wearing his mask in public.<br />
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Stay tuned!<br />
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UPDATE: I'll probably leave a little bit earlier than 7:00PM, but I'll be updating live from my tweets to let the public know where I am if they want to high five me. Tony G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09528783598932200131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434633614871605484.post-16259615751337582942009-11-20T21:34:00.001-05:002009-11-20T21:41:28.904-05:00Liveblog! The Albany Batman Tweets Begin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLyPpMi-NFGJeKrrdgzTzrkjBYRDyyiMLTWf5WJWS6fgOygRNLHDLVxDJs080nK_HAusYbG_mPbZW1RHOQVwubxCoYFeIsvjGxxNL-orRSETIKk4WnZ2JyNF0PlA_r_JV7xev0WBJMvE/s1600/baman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLyPpMi-NFGJeKrrdgzTzrkjBYRDyyiMLTWf5WJWS6fgOygRNLHDLVxDJs080nK_HAusYbG_mPbZW1RHOQVwubxCoYFeIsvjGxxNL-orRSETIKk4WnZ2JyNF0PlA_r_JV7xev0WBJMvE/s320/baman.jpg" /></a><br />
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This week will start off the new segment The Albany Batman. Basically, the Batman is going to do some patrols of Albany's hot spots of crime (Muddy Cup, Bombers, Price Chopper, etc.) and see if he can thwart crime*. He'll also be doing signatures and kissing the babies. <br />
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Sunday, I'll be posting a map of Albany Batman's patrol, with Albany Batman's permission of course, so if you want to see the caped crusade-tweeter for yourself, try to find him in those designated areas! (This week the Albany Batman will probably just hang out around <a href="http://www.muddycup.com/albany/index.html">Muddy Cup</a> and on the <a href="http://collegeofstrose2-px.rtrk.com/">Saint Rose</a> campus green, but if he's feeling ambitious, or hungry, he might hit another spot up! He'll update as he presses on through the day.)<br />
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After this first day, Albany Batman will probably only appear for parties, conventions, and special occasions. He's got other things to do, you know! Like drive around a bitching awesome batmotorcyclecarboat. <br />
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So check out the tweets! Those are the equivalents to distress signals, you know. <br />
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*hang outTony G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09528783598932200131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434633614871605484.post-84922921097737743882009-11-20T09:00:00.000-05:002009-11-20T09:00:07.538-05:00Sure It Can Kill Everybody But It'll Cure Malaria!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkgRLZIRscCjFERMwMRcVPjCO4BDWssVyjng3WKthmggdTufYP8s-da3Hd_E86nVayDtRVTSDVur8ehrQbwzcsCK7CqHLMIzX4W15Kt04ZddfxjY_GDl7f81NIavCcMiiRYjrIZYPB_E/s1600/giant+mosquito.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkgRLZIRscCjFERMwMRcVPjCO4BDWssVyjng3WKthmggdTufYP8s-da3Hd_E86nVayDtRVTSDVur8ehrQbwzcsCK7CqHLMIzX4W15Kt04ZddfxjY_GDl7f81NIavCcMiiRYjrIZYPB_E/s320/giant+mosquito.jpg" /></a><br />
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Look, people need to stop fucking around with nature before EVERYBODY gets hurt. <br />
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Scientists want to cull the amount of adult mosquitoes? Well that's grand, but if you try to alter insects for the means of human progress, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqfIWlVB9e8">then something like this happens</a>. Sure it's campy science fiction today, but one day the science involved might squash the fiction and we'll be begging our new mosquito overlords to grant mercy.<br />
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They'll probably not consider mercy an option at that point. They'll be too thirsty.Tony G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09528783598932200131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434633614871605484.post-69301227741840079242009-11-19T09:00:00.002-05:002009-11-19T09:00:06.703-05:00Kellogg's Let Go Of The Eggo?<object height="265" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/F-Yq1I8gIA0&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/F-Yq1I8gIA0&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object><br />
<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/18/news/companies/eggo_waffle_shortage/index.htm">This is some of the saddest news I've ever read</a>. What does the Kellogg company expect us to do, make our own waffles!? (heh, interrobangs.)<br />
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While I don't go out of my way to purchase Eggo waffles, normally I skip breakfast entirely because I hate mornings and everything involved with them, but I do enjoy the waffle enough that I'm shocked and surprised that their production will be cut down so drastically.<br />
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You know what I think it is? I have this curse that if I enjoy something enough, it is destroyed. It's true, if I vocally say that I like something, expect it to be demolished. It happened once to this Chinese food place I enjoyed (they were evicted so <a href="http://www.mildred-elley.edu/">a small business school</a> could use their building) and then a local deli (it burnt to the ground), and both happened within a matter of weeks!<br />
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Eggos had been inflicted with my curse. I hate you, Eggos! I hate you very much. Please make a speedy recovery.Tony G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09528783598932200131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434633614871605484.post-19211170714155818992009-11-19T09:00:00.000-05:002009-11-19T09:00:04.406-05:00Robots Need Love Too, With Proper Legal Representation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_vTcUzHxIXDm9-ORu3Hn0IsoAhlpy0ApleydzbvQdVTvnHmS5cdWzYRpZVnBwyZR4YcPg09rB7XTXwwRSRFQfjj1P_6N6M7g8v4EsdMEYtCiEhsW5iZ00pU80W0dUicWlcxOyeguLgk/s1600/man+and+robot+hugging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_vTcUzHxIXDm9-ORu3Hn0IsoAhlpy0ApleydzbvQdVTvnHmS5cdWzYRpZVnBwyZR4YcPg09rB7XTXwwRSRFQfjj1P_6N6M7g8v4EsdMEYtCiEhsW5iZ00pU80W0dUicWlcxOyeguLgk/s320/man+and+robot+hugging.jpg" /></a><br />
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I want to thank Rich for <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/6589916/Society-must-decide-if-it-will-accept-relationships-between-humans-and-robots.html">finding this article</a>, and I want to thank <a href="http://tyrnyx.wordpress.com/">Hurray for Mollywood</a>! for the perfect image. <br />
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Lets skip to the most interesting part of this article, when Anna Russel, author of the article "<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VB3-4X8524W-7&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1099897667&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=f91d2b4646b2d2224e287fd2ebcdc0ae">Blurring the love lines</a>", warns that when robots are smart enough, they will want the same legal rights that humans have,<br />
<blockquote>“While this humanoid is a giant leap forward technologically, if a self-aware, super-intelligent, thinking, feeling humanoid is developed, the legal system will be hard-pressed to distinguish this creature legally from human actors on grounds not stemming from a religious or moral prejudice.” <br />
</blockquote>One of the biggest legal battles which might arise, according to Russel? Sexual rights. People can't decide what is morally correct now just between human beings, how much more complicated will the laws be when robots are thrown in the mix, especially when the robots will be able <i>to voice their own opinions</i>.<br />
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The article was thought provoking, but I'm not sure if we will be able to create a fully conscious robot. And if we can, will we be able to program it to feel emotions, such as love and animosity? If you want more information about this dilemma check out the science fiction soon to be turning documentary <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0182789/">Bicentennial Man</a>. <br />
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I'm still giving kudos to Anna Russel for her foresight. She's just trying to avoid the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eY4qU80lPM">Matrix</a> becoming reality (because we all know the robots will win if we ever war with them).Tony G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09528783598932200131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434633614871605484.post-48380425845003661882009-11-18T09:00:00.002-05:002009-11-18T22:59:19.983-05:00Web Comics I've Been Reading<a href="http://anderslovesmaria.reneengstrom.com/">Anders Loves Maria</a>: Read it from the start. It's one of the finest comic dramas on the internet today. The only bad part is that after you get through its archive (you will, it's that good) that you will have to put up with the irregular posting like every other eager fan of <span style="font-size: small;">Rene Engström. Also, NSFW. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfn7JFV4By5X1-uMNUJDJQxT5KIRp-YXoBPdWnxNrX-buVCpgDfIhTZWgE2FvOJgVvQwJDeV5qWOIqmSrYwzj7BcFd-Pu30DOI8RXLl7ImIUwX9Lq71GM5fWaxhPWjDtzmmL2F__giyE/s1600/anderslovesmaria.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfn7JFV4By5X1-uMNUJDJQxT5KIRp-YXoBPdWnxNrX-buVCpgDfIhTZWgE2FvOJgVvQwJDeV5qWOIqmSrYwzj7BcFd-Pu30DOI8RXLl7ImIUwX9Lq71GM5fWaxhPWjDtzmmL2F__giyE/s400/anderslovesmaria.bmp" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.abominable.cc/">The Abominable Charles Christopher</a>: Another great read, Karl Kerschl creates a very elaborate and entertaining fable illustrated beautifully. It's funny, tense, and occasionally tear-jerking. This comic updates regularly on Wednesdays, but that isn't enough! Gank a big hooler, this comic is great. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaC9VPCjNUkMkj4XQviwXedcT54AENgEm32fnrlDYQSgVKXK4yKcSqNM3nHRr-e7itUfzsCsRyGjJfA5eMtD9DF4R7VhxP7MTIYGtK-EszEGzqCgF04nsO3BHnmIIgyzwVka1Je2_W0uY/s1600/2009-11-11-remembranceday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaC9VPCjNUkMkj4XQviwXedcT54AENgEm32fnrlDYQSgVKXK4yKcSqNM3nHRr-e7itUfzsCsRyGjJfA5eMtD9DF4R7VhxP7MTIYGtK-EszEGzqCgF04nsO3BHnmIIgyzwVka1Je2_W0uY/s400/2009-11-11-remembranceday.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> <a href="http://www.orneryboy.com/index.php?comicID=373">Ornery Boy</a>: This comic, created by Michael Lalonde, is a bizarre and hilarious slice-of-life comic, if life was always surrounded by unfathomable horror. Even though some of the acts depicted are truly gruesome, I wouldn't say that the comic ever becomes NSFW. It's a really twisted, fun read! I believe this comic updates every Monday. (I'll give Lalonde leeway because he illustrates his comic in flash and frequently adds animation to his work. Kudos.) </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoiHKrckZ3_hFF2thLKrQTQYTmhmsjk8rL4lbHeLTLJlm2Xf3fQUAuoKnjAvUBDJy62sVm8fBPT4rtNNrdX5WJdKkFKcfAlYlgz1g15Br3psZ3MEuWEqXg0mGQ9ZZ1qyTOufRYHV5FoM/s1600/orneryboysample.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoiHKrckZ3_hFF2thLKrQTQYTmhmsjk8rL4lbHeLTLJlm2Xf3fQUAuoKnjAvUBDJy62sVm8fBPT4rtNNrdX5WJdKkFKcfAlYlgz1g15Br3psZ3MEuWEqXg0mGQ9ZZ1qyTOufRYHV5FoM/s400/orneryboysample.bmp" /></a><br />
</div>Tony G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09528783598932200131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434633614871605484.post-53683552979283387432009-11-17T09:03:00.001-05:002009-12-08T22:29:27.412-05:00Wakka Wakka: An Email Interview with Roomba Pacman Engineer Maciej Stachura<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqYb89U12u-9bov20WyohQrYSYpR-0rKvh-HnMLndiqsAguOhlsV5t-fQEclG9NP1LRl2mKL5eFYDsbVoS6jGnHtKALZqnwzSIm_a_dfTKH0ldCzcYkQ7HTbEuHRtJ73nH9KuNB1l8aI/s1600/roombapacman3.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqYb89U12u-9bov20WyohQrYSYpR-0rKvh-HnMLndiqsAguOhlsV5t-fQEclG9NP1LRl2mKL5eFYDsbVoS6jGnHtKALZqnwzSIm_a_dfTKH0ldCzcYkQ7HTbEuHRtJ73nH9KuNB1l8aI/s320/roombapacman3.bmp" /></a><br />
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At And I'll Form the Head, I've been <a href="http://andillformtheheads.blogspot.com/2009/11/roombas-used-to-recreate-pacman-video.html">freaking out</a> <a href="http://andillformtheheads.blogspot.com/2009/11/pacman-roombas-some-more-info.html">for the last couple of days</a> over the the <a href="http://pacman.elstonj.com/index.cgi?dir=videos&num=&perpage=&section=">Roomba/Pac-Man project</a>. The <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10394057-1.html">original article I read at cnet</a> left many questions unanswered, such as "will the project ever make its way into the consumer marker", and "how cool would it be if I could play with their creation." I think everybody deserves to know <i>that</i>.<br />
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So, I emailed the team over at their homepage with some questions. In turn, the Email was passed on over to team member Maciej Stachura who quickly replied with thorough answers.<br />
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Maciej Stachura, aka "<a href="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/pac_man_hat_clyde.jpg">Clyde</a>", is working at Colorado University and was in charge of different aspects of the project such as creating the <a href="http://teal.gmu.edu/%7Etbeatty/ECE450/Notes/18-Navigation.pdf">interface to the Hagisonic Stargazer</a>, creating an<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalman_filter"> unscented Kalman fitler for navigation</a>, and creating a joystick interface for controlling the Roombas. His input was invaluable, and he's just the person I needed to get in touch with (if I ever wanted to play with their magnificent technology). <br />
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<b>Geeks Amongst the Meek: What inspired your team to simulate Pac-Man on the Roomba vacuum? Were you guys playing Pac-Man when the idea struck, or were you inspired by another Roomba? It's like the age old question, which came first, the chicken or the egg, but ten times more awesome.</b><br />
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Maciej Stachura: We've had the roombas sitting in the lab for over a year for an unrelated project, and we were just joking about using them for a Pac-Man game for a while now. This eventually led us to actually do it, and we decided it was also a nice way to demonstrate our <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unmanned_aerial_vehicle">UAV control software</a>.<br />
But the main motivation was just for the fun of it.<br />
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<b>GATM: How long did the project take to become presentable to outside media sources? I say presentable instead of finished because I'm not sure if you guys are still working on Roomba Pac-Man. If you are, what kind of changes are you going to make?</b><br />
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Maciej S: It took about 3 weeks working on it in our spare time to get the system up and running. Our main goal was just to make the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGMFzpb2VTg&NR=1">demo</a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JHtX2JwZAY&feature=player_embedded">video</a>, so the system worked fine to that point, but still requires our knowledge of the system to run it. We don't have any plans to make it into a product that anyone can use. Also, since most of the equipment was borrowed from other projects, we've since had to return it, so the system was taken apart.<br />
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<b>GATM: How many Roombas were harmed in the making of Roomba Pac-Man? There had to be casualties.</b><br />
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Maciej S: The ghost Clyde was the only casualty after Pac-Man ate a pill, then turned on him. But seriously, nothing was damaged (luckily, since it was all borrowed).<br />
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<b>GATM: Pac-Man and the Roomba seemed to be a match made in heaven. Do you think other games will lend itself so easily to the vacuuming platform?</b><br />
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Maciej S: We've been joking about making a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pong">Pong</a> game with 3 roomba's (two as the paddles, one as the ball). Or even a <a href="http://www.freespaceinvaders.org/">Space Invaders</a> game (we have 11 roomba's, so that might be enough). But unfortunately we have degrees to work on, so we probably won't have time for those, unless we can trick the university into giving a degree for that sort of thing.<br />
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<b>GATM: Do you think this project can be produced for the consumer market? If so, how? If not, can I play Roomba Pac-Man at some point in the future with you guys? I swear I won't break anything.</b><b> </b><br />
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Maciej S: The one issue with producing it for the consumer market is the price. For example each roomba costs ~ $200, the on-board computer is $120, and the indoor positioning system is $900. So if you spread this around 5 robots, that's over $6000. There are cheaper alternatives to some of<br />
these systems, but we used what was available to us. Also, we'd love to have you play it (we had a blast with it), but unfortunately like I mentioned earlier, we've had to take it down and return everything so other people can use it for their research.Tony G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09528783598932200131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434633614871605484.post-20334317934647134132009-11-17T00:47:00.001-05:002009-12-17T09:50:17.876-05:00It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas... Brace Yourselves!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLSlKqBpTvOwHKUVcMyakZcG0SrIomsHwXoSLN9y2wKmhXid3UoLXbmXr_POoGfeIU8HYFhV-JyLhl9pR8G4OHZHdabh7xGSYlwYzpbHismvPKd8jsVJ5i4kvuPbyUmpLxnV4jFFKRoo/s1600/jack+frost+horror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLSlKqBpTvOwHKUVcMyakZcG0SrIomsHwXoSLN9y2wKmhXid3UoLXbmXr_POoGfeIU8HYFhV-JyLhl9pR8G4OHZHdabh7xGSYlwYzpbHismvPKd8jsVJ5i4kvuPbyUmpLxnV4jFFKRoo/s320/jack+frost+horror.jpg" /></a><br />
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Recently <a href="http://waitingonwisdom.blogspot.com/">Becca F.</a> and I have <a href="http://andillformtheheads.blogspot.com/2009/11/roundin-up-robots-by-becca.html">been posting</a> <a href="http://andillformtheheads.blogspot.com/2009/11/lego-factory-ran-247-by-robots.html">about Legos</a>, and those posts have been making me feel quite warm and fuzzy with nostalgia. After the nostalgia ended, I feel a sick feeling coming on but I wasn't sure what was causing it. <a href="http://blog.delivra.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/H1N1.jpg">H1N1</a>? One could only hope, after Legos, and toys in general, had reminded me of the impending holiday season. <br />
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Maybe I've been lucky that I haven't heard any Christmas jingles yet, or I haven't seen that <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76hdHwd14aQ&feature=player_embedded">Steve Buscemi ginger bread commercial</a> for the 15 millionth time, but I saw my first wreath outside of a grocery store and that's as good a sign to panic about the incoming holidays.<br />
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Every day leading up to the omegaholiday feels like another Christmas in small increments that gradually increase the shopping and traveling anxieties. You count down the days (<a href="http://www.auburn.edu/%7Evestmon/xmas_cnt.htm">37 now</a>) and you start brainstorming how you will get to see everybody that you need to yell a jolly "Merry Christmas" at, and how you will give gifts to those who you feel deserve one. While I have no definitive answer, damnit Jim, I'm a blogger not a Santa, I have a few screwball suggestions that might help you, even though I'll probably dismiss them later when I'm pulling my hair out while doing my best <a href="http://dcist.com/attachments/dcist_nicole/cathy2.jpg">Cathy impersonation</a>. Wow, I hate that comic.<br />
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So here are some suggestions:<br />
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1) Start making enemies- I think a lot of people have the problem that they want to be liked by everybody. If you made rude comments once in a while, and not to everybody, you would drastically cut down on how many people you needed to celebrate with.<br />
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It's easy to insult people, too! I think the best way to cut your friends list in half is to take a stance on gay marriage. That'll nip at least half of your buddies in the bud. <br />
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2) Re-gift: This might fall into the making enemies category as well, but I believe it deserves its own category because sometimes people re-gift obliviously and don't actually intend on hurting anybody's feelings.<br />
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I think of myself as an innovator. What you need to do is collect every gift that you have gotten from one person and make something out of all the items and give it back to the person as a Super Re-gift. You'll look really generous when you give them a decent sized package, up until they open it and realize it's the <a href="http://walmartnovels.blogspot.com/2009/10/burning-wild.html">steamy Walmart romance novels</a> with every sexual innuendo underlined using the pens they also bought you. I've gotten some shitty presents (and I have half the mind to actually follow through with the novel idea...)<br />
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So take the Super Re-gift into consideration this year. All you have to do is be imaginative!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Okay, so many I'm not that creative. But if they didn't have to think about their gifting decisions, neither do I!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3) Donations- Tell everybody that instead of buying gifts, you are going to donate the money that you would use to buy their gift to go to the charity of their choice. Write this message down in a Christmas card that you made on MS paint and printed off the computer.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This idea would work if you knew some affectionate, caring people. Chances are you know people that act like affectionate, caring people that are going to "donate" your gift next year, too. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Damn, I think it might just be my holiday spirit but I think this is one of my bitchiest posts to date! It might be the fact that I've been working on the blog for the last nine hours, reformatting it entirely. I need to get off of blogger before I choke it out. Goodnight everybody! <br />
</div>Tony G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09528783598932200131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434633614871605484.post-46629916577078704182009-11-16T17:35:00.000-05:002009-11-16T18:04:02.952-05:00And the Transition Was Seamless!From now on, this blog will be the main hub for everything geeky, and my first blog <a href="http://andillformtheheads.blogspot.com/">And I'll Form the Head</a> will be a section to help categorize content. I'm up in the air about whether to keep my robot blog running, but right now it seems like a good idea. <br />
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Some other good ideas? Movie blog, and a zombie blog too! I've got blogs for days, son.Tony G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09528783598932200131noreply@blogger.com0