The mugs of me and the Mrs.

I’m a bit of a recluse. I’m content to stay in for a quiet night at home. The one thing I am certainly not, is a bar person. Yet, however, part of my routine and a large part of life involved one. At the tender age of seven, my family moved to Charlottesville for a new job opportunity for my dad. He became a manager at a restaurant owned by my godfather. This restaurant was called ”St. Maarten Cafe.”

For the last 21 years, a hefty part of my life had connections to this restaurant even after Dad stopped working there. I’ve made many friends through that place. I could always come in, even after not showing up for years, and feel at home and that someone there would know who I am.

It was sad to discover this morning that, without warning, an integral part of my life had been shut down. Never again will I sit at that awesome island bar, pull down a mug so I get some extra light or chat away the night in debate with people I called “friend.” I can no longer tell Shannon that I’m hungry and get my classic Big Production Burger, with a side of cajun cheese fries with a side of ranch. It’s hard to imagine my life without Maarten’s in the picture, but all good things must come to their ends I suppose.

To Jim, Russ and all the people I’ve met through Maarten’s over the years, I raise my mug to you.

Thanks for everything.

The most major space-related disasters of the United States space program have anniversaries within one week of each other. It is a humbling and difficult time for those, like me, who see the cosmos as the next great adventure for humankind.

On January 27, 1967; during a launch rehearsal an electrical fire within the cockpit of Apollo 1 claimed the lives of Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee.

On January 28, 1986; a faulty o-ring caused troubles and the disintegration of the Space Shuttle Challenger and the deaths of its crew of seven.

On February 1, 2003; during re-entry the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated and cost seven more lives.

Many others, from other nations, have also given their lives in this great experiment.

For all those who have given their lives in the pursuit of our dreams of yearning to explore; my heart, sympathy and thanks are given with utmost gratitude.

Letter from my Congressman.

Well, not only did I knock my site out in protest (thus inconveniencing all 2 of you out there), I wrote to my representatives: Senators Mark Warner [D, VA] and Jim Webb [D, VA], and Congressman Robert Hurt [R, VA-5]. Warner was already opposed when I wrote, and I still haven’t heard from Webb. Today though, I finally heard from Rep. Hurt. Unlike Warner who just sent out a mass email, I actually got a physical letter in the mail. That was a nice surprise.

Over the years, I’ve gone from apathetic youth to involved citizen. This is the first time I’ve written to any of representatives. Each year, I try to make my point of telling people to vote as it is the very least one can do. Now that I’ve participated and truly voiced my concerns, I may try to keep this up.

Thank you Rep. Hurt. I may not always agree with you, but thank you for taking the time to listen and show me that for all the problems with congress, that my voice isn’t just lost in the crowd.

Alas. Once again, here I come in with the promise of posting content once more. Probably not the art or comics of years past as somehow that aspect of things that I do has died down, though I do want to get back into that. Anyway, I digress.

Now that I’m done with the whole getting married thing, and the holidays are over, I want to get back into writing on my blog (and maybe try to help my buddy revive GeekLore). I’ll be frank, I like writing. It’s fun, keeps my lexicon and grammar skills sharp and it’s a great way to dump my brain driblets out for the world to see. I likes it. So I’m really going to attempt to post at least once a week. And not like the Friday Five once a week. Though I’ll likely revive that feature as well. But post some rambling, news commentary or other assorted items of interest. No set days, no schedule, just when I’ve got something to share, I’ll share it.

So, here, my few readers who are out there. I ask of you: What would you like to comment on?

• Gaming?
• Science?
• Technology?
• General nerdiness?
• What I had for dinner?

Let me know! I’m interested to hear what you like. I want to open up the dialogue with my scant amount of visitors.

Also, did you know murfSTUFF has a Facebook fan page? There’s a handy widget box to the left where you can “Like” murfSTUFF, or you can visit the page on Facebook proper. It’s a great way to keep up with when I post new entries. Anyways, pass that along.

Shortly, I’ll be installing a plugin which will blackout my site for the day in protest of pending two Congressional known as SOPA (for the House) and the PROTECT IP Act (for the Senate). These bills aim to curb online piracy, which in itself is not a wrongful goal, but the means by which they are attempting this action can best be described as “Scorched Internet.” I won’t get into details as others have said far better than I, but these bills would essentially kill the internet as you know it, chill innovation in the internet industry, stifle free speech in the modern era and most concerning to me of course, that these impacts could affect millions of jobs in the internet sector, including my own.

I know hardly anyone visits my site. I know this would barely register as a drop in the pond, but I feel the need to take part and get word out, even if only one person hears it.

Do you part, help save the internet, call your representatives and tell this bills is no good.

You can learn more about these bills, and what you can do please visit FightForTheFuture.org

The following, was my response to his question:

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Never have I been ashamed or depressed in my Nintendo ownership. Nor do I intend too. Nintendo has its ups and downs in hardware, but it still reigns in the world of software.

As long as Mario, Link, Samus, Kirby, Fox and others continue to be made solely for a Nintendo hardware platform I will follow. It’s the same reason people get attached to specific authors, musicians and film directors. You as me who makes the best hardware, and that’s its own debate. You ask me who makes the best games, and I will tell you Nintendo every time.

Few companies have the track record of consistent hits and well-beloved franchises that Nintendo does. Sony and Microsoft can have their silly little guns and military machismo. Give me a sword, a horse and green tunic and floppy hat and I’m a happy man with a grin stretching from ear-to-ear. I play games for escape and fun and the vast majority of games on PS3 and Xbox aren’t really my cup of tea.

For what it is worth. My 360 and Wii are gathering dust at the moment (waiting for Skyward Sword to come out). But my 3DS sees nearly daily usage, though a lot of that stems from the Ambassador programs and reliving my childhood (again).

Nintendo has its faults and its issues. They always have. But as long as they churn out top-notch first party games, I will wear “Nintendo Fanboy” as a badge of honor because Modern Call of Honor: Halo Gears of Warfare Duty does not appeal to me in the slightest. Though Assassin’s Creed and Mass Effect have recently scuttled into my list of franchises I like, but that’s why I have a PC.

I go where the games I like are. Nintendo has those games.

My Proton Pack

Did you know that my favorite movie of all time is The Shawshank Redemption? Great film. Love it. Can always watch it. It has a majorly uplifting finale, but it also has come down moments as well. Sometimes, you need a fun movie to sit at the top of your list as well. What kind of geek would I be if my number 2 film wasn’t something appropriately nerdy? You may expect it to be the standards such as Star Wars or Lord of the Rings, but you would be incorrect. Of all the nerdy films to grace this world, my favorite by an insurmountable measure is Ghostbusters.

As a child of the 80′s, I was quite fond of the Saturday morning treat that was The Real Ghostbusters. I also would watch the movie as well on home video, but since I was only one year old when it came to theaters I never had the opportunity to see it on the big screen. I saw Ghostbusters 2 in theaters when I was about 6, which back then was totally awesome. Ghostbusters fell off my radar for a long time, but was always an unshakable foundation of my youth. Eventually, I was brought back around again when I bought the DVD. Ghostbusters was back in my life, and all was well.

Fast forward to 2009. I move into an apartment with my good friend John Coleman. We jokingly talk about build a proton pack since John is one of those awesome people who likes to build awesome things. It took a while, but it paid off as I soon came into possession of my own Proton Pack thanks to John’s remarkable work despite my best attempts to have him dial back somewhat. So for the first time last Halloween, I donned my pack and my flight suit and stepped into public as a Ghostbuster. Every where I went, people were amazed and some even took pictures. Awesome times.

At the Theater

So… imagine my delight when I heard last month that the original film was coming back to theaters in a really limited re-release on three Thursday nights in October. Imagine my greater surprise when I found out that somehow one of the rinky-dink theaters in Charlottesville (which has no good theaters by the way), was going to playing at least one show. You could be damn sure that I wasn’t going to miss that opportunity even if meant trudging back to my teenage days working at the very theater showing the film.

So, of course, I head to the show all decked out. Sadly though, there really couldn’t have been more than 20 or so people in attendance. I blame the rain and a lack of proper advertising. Then again, it was barely a month before the shows were announced, and they weren’t really advertised all that well. But what few people were there took the time to be impressed that someone in Charlottesville had that level of devotion to Ghostbusters. A few pictures were taken, good laughs were had, and it was fun time regardless. I’m especially thankful for my fiancée who puts up with my strange indulgences.

There is another showing next week at the same time. I may not watch the movie, but I may go back to at least show off again and meet fellow fans. Besides, I could use some practice being the center of attention what with my introversion and upcoming wedding.

Regardless of your opinion of Apple, Steve Jobs and your place in one of the tech-world’s longest running debate, it is imperative to understand that Jobs is one of the fore-fathers of the modern computer age. The two Steve’s (Jobs and Wozniak) had a vision that would move computers from the world of labs and businesses, into the home. They dreamed of machines that were meant for entertainment, productivity and creativity. That those very machines would have an honored in your home. Some thought them crazy, but in the end we see how that turned out for everyone. You are likely sitting at home, in front of computer, reading a story of a 20-something nerd mourning the passing of a modern legend, possibly even on a device that said legend helped bring to market.

The legacy of Jobs isn’t that of one company (don’t forget he helped found Pixar), or a single device. Steve helped usher in a new age by daring to dream big and fill the gaps that no one knew were in need of filling. He alone is not responsible for Apple’s success, nor this modern age. He was, however, always actively striving to push it forward. Never thinking that what we had been good enough. Steve Jobs and Apple did more than just bring a computer into the home, or the world into your pocket.

They brought us the future.

Thanks Steve. For everything.

Image Credit: allanrosenow on deviantART

Back to the Future

To me, Back to the Future is the quintessential time travel story. It is the tale of a fish-out-of-water, his crazy scientist friend and the havoc they’ve accidentally wreaked on the timestream. What makes BttF great is that is does time travel and covers the requisite paradox angle without making your head pop-off in confusion. They cover multiple time-lines, minor butterfly effect bits and other general loopy time stuff. I remember watching Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and wondering how they kept finding handy things in the jailbreak sequence (via predestination paradox it seems), but I never had any trouble understanding that Marty faded away because he intervened in his own history. In addition to all the time-travel, it’s just plain fun. The climax at the clock tower is a classic scene and even though you’ve seen it hundreds of times, it still gets you on the edge of your seat.

WALL•E

An epic tale of robots in love. WALL•E is a film that uses a sci-fi base to tell a love story. Sure there are robots. Sure there is a giant cruise ship in space. What makes WALL•E great is that is doesn’t need to revel in its sci-fi basis. It tells a universal story of love, triumph, failure and the drive to succeed. It is heartwarming and endearing. Often times, you use sci-fi to tell stories of fantastic worlds and tales, much in the same fantasy does. But WALL•E‘s story could have just as easily been modern, used humans, been fantasy, been anything really. Where it truly shines forth is that as the story unfolds, you begin to not notice the backdrop in which in rests. You become invested in the characters and their struggles. That is the hallmark of a good film, sci-fi or otherwise. It just so happens that this one has a sci-fi flare.

The Fifth Element

Some movies are just fun. The Fifth Element isn’t groundbreaking, it didn’t make history or anything else. It was however colorful, over-the-top and an all around good time. The story isn’t that great either, but its the cast that makes it shine. With Bruce Willis playing up his gruff to perfection as Corbin, Ian Holm as the priest, Milla Jovovich as a smoking hot ass-kicking red-head, Gary Oldman being generally awesome and the most perfectly tailored role for Chris Tucker ever. They make it exciting and entertaining all around. Its not of those heady films that makes you wonder about our place in the universe. It’s just a fun adventure in the future and through space. It’s a great movie to turn your brain off and have some fun.

Jurassic Park

You can’t do a Sci-Fi list without getting some Speilberg into it. Just impossible. Of all Speilberg’s sci-fi romps from E.T. to Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Jurassic Park is easily my favorite. For me, I imagine it very much like seeing Star Wars in 1977. It was a film that changed the game. The iconic opening shot of Star Wars with Star Destroyer chasing the Frigate was one of those moments when you saw it, you knew nothing would be the same. To me, that is the brachiosaurus scene. Plus I was about 10ish when the film came out, and what 10 year old boy wouldn’t love to see realistic dinosaurs on a movie screen? It was amazing. It’s not the best film by any means, but carries itself with a heavy air and still stands a cultural stone even 18 years later. It was at the forefront of the CGI revolution and it looks amazing even after all the recent advancements in that technology.

Ghostbusters

Some may argue if Ghostbusters is Sci-Fi or not, and that’s justifiable as it deals in both science and the supernatural. I say it is because it deals with supernatural with a scientific eye. Ghostbusters is easily one of my favorite franchises of all time. It is inventive, original and just plain fun. The concept of 3 out-of-work scientists who start a sort paranormal pest control business based on their research is brilliant. It brings a blue-collar flare to the show and is better off for it. We may not understand all the technical details that Ray and Egon spout, but you can get the general idea of exterminators. And the fact they treat the ghosts and occurrences with scientific scrutiny is even better. They aren’t just schmoes running around looking for ghosts. They’ve got science and data to back them up.  Besides without Ghostbusters, there would not be an army of scientists who would get a chance to say “Back off man. I’m a scientist.” And that would just be a shame. They deserve that.