The Greatest Character Name Ever

There’s two types of character names in games and movies: the ordinary ones that you just pull out of a hat, without ever giving them much thought. And then there’s the names you agonize over for extended periods of time because you really want them to say something about the character. Ideally on a subconscious level, to add that extra little bit of punch. Ancient writer wisdom holds that, to create a good character name, you mix one part ordinary, and one part unique: John McClaine. Indiana Jones. Luke Skywalker. Some writers try to be too clever with that formula, giving rise to names like “Max Payne”. (Hit me over the head, I might not get the hidden meaning!)
But hey, there’s many opinions on what constitutes the perfect character name. As far I’m concerned, the discussion is over. The perfect name already exists, and it’s on American TV right now: it’s 30 Rock’s Liz Lemon.

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Silent Reviews

Drei ??? – 125 – Feuermond (CD) – Yes
My Big Fat Greek Wedding – Yes
Pineapple Express – No
Chargers/Colts game – Yes (judged by entertainment value)
Dolphins/Ravens game – No (judged by entertainment value)
Vikings/Eagles game – I guess… (judged by entertainment value)
McAfee VirusScan/Security Center – No

The Middle-Aged Fearmonger

He is seated in a featureless gray room: middle-aged, charming, stylishly lit in black and white. A caption identifies him as John from Lafayette, California. And then John’s heartfelt story unfolds: John had a heart attack. At age 57, when nobody would have expected it. “Can you believe it?” It’s a rhetorical question, of course. Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition. Not at age 57.

But of course there is a silver lining. John didn’t listen to his doctor’s warnings about his high cholesterol. John didn’t act before his heart attack happened. But we can. We can use Lipitor, which is clinically proven to lower bad cholesterol. Why take any risks when so much is at stake?

The commercial turns to color. John is enjoying life once again. And we can, too! We don’t have to worry about the troubling news that have just been delivered to us, because we can avoid John’s mistake: we can ask our doctors about Lipitor. And ensure that John’s cautionary tale wasn’t told in vain.

As the TV picture changes to two beer guys discussing the perfect balance of taste and refreshment, we’re left with a simple question: who is John? What is he? A survivor? A messenger, delivering a much needed wake up call? A future life safer? Or is John a fictitious person? An actor? Conjured up by an ad agency to spread the gospel of Pfizer, “the world’s largest research-based pharmaceutical company”?
In this day and age, we can’t be sure. John might be all of the above, or none. We do know one thing about who and what John is, though: John is a fearmonger. Sent by yet another pharmaceutical company to strike fear into the hearts of all people who were living a justifiably unconcerned life. Who were trusting their doctor to point out potential health problems, and then suggest the correct medication for help with the problems. Not the other way around.

John is a fearmonger. That message bears repeating. Because listening to fear mongers rarely has helped us with making informed decisions.

Silent Reviews

Batman Begins – Kind of…
Get Smart – Yes
CDG Airport – No (it bears repeating)
Wii Sports Bowling w/ family – Yes

The Year That Was: 2008 (Part 2)

Here’s part two of my “Hey, 2008 was pretty crappy but there’s a lot to be thankful for!” list. Read part one for the first four entries.

Green Card

This year I was (finally!) granted permanent residency for the US, after having lived here for over 10 years. And that makes everything a lot easier! I was lucky enough to receive an O-1 visa when Ritual Entertainment first brought me to America, and that made it possible to stay indefinitely (and switch jobs twice) with comparatively minor headaches. But it also brought the pressure of having to be employed without a single lapsed day, annoying immigration procedures at the airport and bi-yearly trips to my favorite heavily fortified building in all of Frankfurt, the American Consulate. All of those things are in the past now, and I can enjoy life in America with one less monkey on my back.

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The Year That Was: 2008

Let’s face it: 2008 wasn’t a great year. Between the record economic downturn, the mortage crisis, the shrinking job market, and a financial stimulus package that didn’t seem to help anybody who actually needed it, this year won’t enter many people’s memories as one to remember. But even though 2008 wasn’t great, and even though the outlook for 2009 isn’t necessarily better (yet), Victoria and I were lucky to not encounter any real hardship during the last 12 months. So with New Year’s Eve is approaching, I decided to look back at the good times that we had last year. Here’s a few things that were decidely cool about 2008:

A Race Season at Sears Point

2008 marked the first year that I received a hard card for Infineon Raceway, and it made for a great racing season. We had easy access and parking to all events; I stood right next to the track as thundering race cars were shooting down the esses at 100+ mph; I filmed some great footage like the NASCAR time lapses; and I got Victoria and her dad backstage access to the prerace festivities of the IndyCar race. I also filmed many of the driver appearances and tests at the track, and in using that footage I gained a lot of experience as a movie editor. The 40 Year documentary was quite a big accomplishment, and the mini promos for the NASCAR and NHRA events were fun. I’m still not doing anything earth-shattering with my movies, but it’s very decent film-making for the web. And it’s a great hobby to balance all the game development stuff that I normally do!

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Silent Reviews

Cloverfield – Yes
Shrek the Halls – No
Tropic Thunder – Yes
Ghost Town – No
Air France inter continental flights – Yes
CDG Airport – No

Okay, usually these are supposed to be “silent” reviews of whatever I’ve watched (or experienced) in the last week, without further explanation. But I just have to add a quick note about the current Air France entertainment center: it’s about as good for in-flight entertainment as it gets. They already had individual screens for every seat a few years ago, with select movies and games that people could chose at their leisure. But these days they have an entire library of movies to choose from. Iron Man, Indy 4, The Dark Knight, all Harry Potter installments, etc. pp. At least 50 movies, and all of them are in the original, unedited(!) version. And various games and TV series on top of that. That’s pretty damn cool.

Sure, air travel in economy seats is still a bitch, and Charles De Gaulle airport never ceases to annoy. But I had quite an enjoyable time during our flight.

Snapshot

Cyber-stalking aid, December 2008:

Reading… The Elfish Gene (Marc Barrowcliffe)
Watching… How I Met Your Mother, Season 1
Playing… Gears of War 2
Looking Forward To… Xmas in Germany

Silent Reviews

Playstation Home – No
Hancock (1st half) – Yes
Hancock (2nd half) – No
The Shawshank Redemption (Blu-ray) – Yes
How I Met Your Mother, Season 1 – Yes

Silent Reviews

Prince Caspian (Blu-ray) -Yes
The Elfish Gene – Yes
Symphonic Shades – Yes
Mamma Mia! (movie) – NO
Bridge To Terabithia (Blu-ray) – Yes
Hellboy (Blu-ray) – Yes
NASCAR Awards Banquet – No