Forgotten?
I hope not.
I know it’s been a long time. I also know some people are going to think my reasons for not writing are total crap. I think I should let you know what they are though.
I quit smoking, and I did it in what is probably the worst possible way, cold turkey. That phrase makes no sense. I like turkey, even if it’s cold. I didn’t like quitting cigarettes. I went through some horrible withdrawal, then I got sick.
I’ve had a craptacular month, but I’m getting back into things. Now I’m doing it all without nicotine. That is extremely weird.
Priorities
When my schedule started to return I had to prioritize, since I’m trying to do several blogs at once. Thanks to certain posting requirements on another blog, that meant I had to focus solely on it until I could get back into the swing of things. Either that or drop that blog completely, which I didn’t want to do.
Now that I’m learning to write without smoking I’ll be posting here again.
I wish I had a cigarette.
I’ll get right to the point. This movie rocks. It was done right, with respect for the original TV show. I was worried about this version of Knight Rider since I heard about it, but if Battlestar Galactica has taught me anything it’s that new versions of old favorites can be great. So I held off from expressing my opinions until I saw it.
They made it soooo hard
Biting my tongue was difficult. The little bit of news and rumors I heard weren’t giving me much hope. Will Arnett cast as K.I.T.T.? That surprised me. I kept picturing K.I.T.T.(Knight Industries Three Thousand) making it’s debut with Europe’s “The Final Countdown” playing in the background. As time passed I grew hopeful. He does have a nice voice. He could have done a great job, just watch the clip for a very brief sound bite.
Unfortunately due to a contract conflict, he had to leave the show just a couple of weeks before it was scheduled to air. He does voiceover work for GMC. Ford is backing this project, and K.I.T.T. is a Mustang now. Val Kilmer slipped behind the wheel and took over the part. He did a damn fine job too.
If you watched the clip you might have noticed that actor Justin Bruening, who plays Mike Traceur, said this is a continuation of the original series. It is, and that’s the best part. That leaves the door open for characters from the original show to come back. David “The Hoff” Hasselhoff made a short appearance in the movie as Michael Knight.
This could be great.
Don’t Call It A Comeback
Maybe Will Arnett isn’t completely out of the picture. If this project moves forward and becomes a TV show Will Arnett might have another shot. He didn’t get to play K.I.T.T., but he would make a freakin’ awesome K.A.R.R. (Knight Automated Roving Robot). He’d be better as K.A.R.R.. He almost sounds evil when he plays K.I.T.T. anyway. Since K.A.R.R. is kinda like K.I.T.T.’s evil twin I could even accept his first appearance to be accompanied by “The Final Countdown”. In fact, I would love it.
Think K.A.R.R. could make an appearance as a tricked out GMC?
I like Facebook, or at least I did like Facebook. Things are changing over there. Those changes aren’t always for the better. You might have noticed this yourself.
Take the apps for example.
Have you seen something like that? If you like the quizzes and such, I bet you have. A lot of the apps that do that won’t even give you your results unless you invite friends to add the app. That’s just wrong. It needs to stop and it needs to stop now.
I like Internet quizzes and I enjoyed those kinds of apps, but this just bugs me. All I want to do is waste a little bit of time and have fun. I go through and answer the stupid questions that have nothing to do with the topic. Then I get a ransom note. “Give us the names of your friends so we can show them our ads or you’ll never know what kind of breakfast cereal you are.” Does that seem right?
Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t mind seeing the invite screen if I can skip it and get my results. That makes sense. They’re giving you a chance to share your wasted time with your friends. That’s what friends are for, at least on social networks. It’s pretty cool to be able to compare your results with your friends. It is not cool to hold your friends, or your results, hostage. That would be like Google turning over their search results to the advertisers. “You can’t see the results for ‘Bionic Woman Sucks’ until you click on 10 ads.” Yahoo! would love to see that.
Facebook needs to make some changes or a lot of people are going to be leaving. This is annoying. People don’t join social networks to be annoyed.
Except for Myspace.
I don’t know if you’re aware of what Google has been doing since October. If not here’s a short version.
Google decided to hide the Page Ranks of sites that made paid posts and linked without using the non-standard “nofollow” tag. They didn’t do this to all the sites that they could have, just the ones least likely to cause them trouble.
What does that mean?
It means FanaticSpace.com suffered a penalty. I’ve been honest about making paid posts to try and pay for expenses on the site. That’s just not enough for Google, even though their own guidelines tell you to write for people and not search engines.
Can it be fixed?
I’ve thought about this for a long time. Should I add “nofollow” to the paid links and ask Google to reconsider? Should I just accept the penalty and continue as if nothing happened?
I came to the conclusion that I need to comply with Google’s demands. No matter how much I dislike it, I can’t fight Google. They’ve got too many people brainwashed into believing it’s about search results. If I try to fight it, I’ll wind up like the guy from the picture up top.
I’ve added “nofollow” to all the paid links. I’ve also filed for reconsideration.
Now I just have to go to sleep and await the mercy of the pod people Google.
How I Got Sucked In
The first time I saw the commercial for the Creation Station from Rip Roar Media I immediately thought “Video Podcast”. It looked like it would be the perfect starter kit. Camera, green screen and software all included. Even if it only worked half as well as it claimed to, it would be a bargain basement video casting solution.
The price even seemed reasonable, ranging from $79 to $100 depending on where I looked. I did a little looking into other options for chroma keying, the Creation Station’s main selling point. This kit looked even better. Chroma key equipment can be expensive.
When I was Christmas shopping with my girlfriend we saw the Creation Station at Wal-Mart. It was marked down to $35. This should have sent up a few red flags, but I figured it was marked down because it wasn’t selling well and they were trying to unload their stock. I didn’t ask myself why they were trying so hard to unload that stock. I couldn’t resist a bargain like that and agreed to let my girlfriend buy it as a Christmas present for me.
I was planning to write a review of the Creation Station, with a few tips and a video made with the kit. There is a reason this post doesn’t have that video.
The Creation Station Does Not Work
I wasn’t expecting much, but the Creation Station couldn’t even live up to my lowest standards. I did expect it to work, even if it didn’t work well. Instead of a review here’s a list of reasons not to buy the Creation Station.
Cheap Camera. The camera is as cheap as they could possibly make it. You’re much better off buying a cheap webcam for around $20-$25.
Tripod Is Useless. The little plastic tripod included in the kit is so poorly made it can barely support the camera. Forget adjusting it. The materials and construction are so cheap it doesn’t even work.
Software Does Not Work. I tried for hours to get it to work. It kept crashing any time I tried to use it. I did find a solution to the crashing. I updated a .dll file and that fixed the crash problem. It wasn’t enough to fix the software itself. It’s still incredibly horrible.
Green Screen Is Split. I thought this was odd from the beginning. Any time I saw a description for the Creation Station it said it contained a green screen measuring 9.8 x 6 feet. What it really contains is two green screens that have velcro on them. This is bad. Even a cursory search into chroma keying will tell you that the screen needs to be smooth and well lit. A line down the middle of the screen where the pieces are stuck together is a very bad thing.
Verdict
Don’t buy the Creation Station. It’s garbage. I’ve seen the price drop as low as $15 at Walmart.com before it was removed completely. It’s not even worth that much. A trip to a fabric store will get you a much better green screen for $15, and that’s the only functional part of the Creation Station.
I’m still looking into an affordable way to make a video podcast. I’ll let you know if I find something good.
I was contacted by author Kaza Kingsley about a month ago. Looks like FanaticSpace is going to be participating in a blog tour. This will be my first one, and if things go well it might not be the last.
Here’s one of the questions, come back on January 10 to see how she answers.
Who would win in a fight, Harry (Potter) or Erec? Oh, and none of that “They’d be on the same side” stuff either, just assume they were both tricked into thinking the other one was evil…
Erec Rex Book Reviews
Kaza Kingsley was kind enough to send me review copies of the first 2 Erec Rex books. I was going to hold a giveaway once I’d read the books. I just can’t bring myself to do that, since she took the time to autograph them to me. Don’t worry though, I will be holding an Erec Rex book giveaway. I just won’t be giving up my copies.
Who is Kaza Kingsley?
Kaza Kingsley is the author of the Erec Rex book series. The Erec Rex books are fantasy books for young adults. They’re filled with mythological references and a dramatic story. Just the kind of books I like. Perfect.
Whoops, almost started the reviews early.
If you’d like to know more about Kaza Kingsley then stop by during the tour, she’ll be checking in to read the comments and answer your questions. I’d also suggest you check out her blog, The Memory Mogul.
To learn more about the Erec Rex books check out the Official Erec Rex Website. You can also get a sneak peek at the books.
First 3 chapters of Erec Rex: The Dragon’s Eye (Book 1)
First 2 chapters of Erec Rex: The Monsters of Otherness (Book 2)
What is a blog tour?
A blog tour is an online version of a book tour for authors. Several sites agree to post an article about the books or author. Fans get to say hi, ask question and get to know them. The posts are scheduled to run consecutively, much like the appearances on a book tour.
It sounds like a great way for fans to interact with an author they like and with each other. How could I say no?
Kaza Kingsley Blog Tour Dates
Here are the sites participating and the dates scheduled.
January 7 – A Fort Made of Books
(The tour post is up Kaza Kingsley interview)
January 8 – Books4Ever
( Kaza Kingsley Blog Tour )
January 9 – Baseballs and Bows
( The Erec Rex Blog Tour )
January 10 – Fanatic Space Blog
( Kaza Kingsley Blog Tour )
January 11 – Bibliophile’s Retreat
( And Now Presenting Kaza Kingsley and her Erec Rex Series )
January 12 – Children’s Literature Book Club
( Kaza Kingsley is here today! )
January 13 – Stephanie’s Confessions of a Book-A-Holic
( Kaza Kingsley Blog Tour 2008 )
January 14 – A Year of Books
( Blog Tour )
January 15 – Author Chris Rettstatt’s blog
( Kaza Kingsley and Erec Rex )
January 16 – Deliciously Clean Reads
( Kaza Kingsley on Blog Tour HERE! )
January 17 – Into the Wardrobe
( Kaza Kingsley Blog Tour )
January 18 – Real Gurlz Magazine
( Our Interview With Kaza Kingsley )
January 19 – Chauceriangirl
( Guest Starring: Kaza Kingsley )
Bonus Days
January 20 - Kaleb Nation
( Interview with Kaza Kingsley )
January 21 - The Jay
( The Jay Interviews Kaza Kingsley )
January 22 - Young Adult (& Kids) Books Central Blog
( Blog Tour: Kaza Kingsley )
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Make sure to check out the Blog Tour, and be sure to come back here on January 10.
I’d like to take a moment to thank everyone (Beth) who responded to my previous article “Book Reviews or Book Discussions?“. Book discussions won in a landslide, but like the 2000 American Presidential Election it’s been overturned. Not by an antiquated electoral college, but by practicality.
Looks like I don’t have enough active readers to start up a discussion about, well, anything. Not yet at least. I’m too damn stubborn to give up though. So I’ll do reviews for now. Once things get rolling and we get some regulars, then we can start up some discussions. I’ll bring this up again in the future, once the site is more active.
Or when Gore is President.
I need your opinions
After the posts by Donna and myself, I’ve decided that I should make books a larger part of the site. I’d like to do more posts about books and reading. What I’d like your opinion on is the structure of those posts.
- Should I review books I read?
Or
- Should I open a discussion about a book?
I can see pros and cons for both of those. I’m just not sure what you’d rather see here. That’s why I’m asking you.
What’s the difference?
This is how I imagine these working. If you have other ideas please let me know.
Book Review
- I would choose a book, or let you vote on a book.
- I’d read it and take a few notes.
- I’d come back to the blog and write up a review. It’s pretty straight forward.
Book Discussion
- I would choose a book, or let you vote on a book. That’s the same.
- I’d write a post on the blog to announce what the book is.
- A reading deadline would be set. That way people know when the discussion will start, and will know when to finish the book.
- People that want to join in would, I hope, read the book.
- After the reading deadline I’d come back here and officially open the discussion. I would include some of my opinions and my questions about the book. It wouldn’t be a full review though.
- I would update the post with some, or all, of the relevant comments from the discussion for a period of time. This would make the relevant comments about the book easier to find and make things easier on people taking part. A long list of comments can be hard to follow sometimes.
What do you think?
Does this sound like something you’d be interested in? Do you have any other ideas? I’d appreciate your thoughts on this. I’d really like to make this site something we could all enjoy together.
The Internet and file sharing are becoming a popular alternative to TV or even DVD rental. This has put quite a few executive panties in a bunch. If people are watching TV shows online how are they going to make money? I think the answer is pretty simple.
Commercials
…watch TV from around the world as if you were living there.
Photo by
Flickr User Tim Pritlove.
TV makes money by showing commercials during the shows. Most of ‘em aren’t even that well targeted. I’m not going to be buying a car, so it doesn’t matter how cool the commercials are on TV. The same could be said of any number of products. The commercials run by the local stations aren’t much better, but at least it’s somewhere I can actually get to. Even if I’ll never need to.
The Internet can fix these problems. A short survey when you sign up for a free service can help advertisers find people that might be interested in what they’re selling. This would probably be better for the advertisers than TV spots. Since they wouldn’t be paying for time on a particular show because they think their customers watch it. They wouldn’t have to bombard people outside the demographic they’re looking for in the hopes that it reaches their audience. They would be targeting users instead. Every time the ad runs it could be playing just for the people they hope to reach.
Target local customers, anywhere on the planet.
That same sign up form can make geotargeting possible as well. Which means the viewers would be seeing ads for the things they can walk down the street and buy. Once more targeting your customer and not a time slot pays off. Added to this the possible ads from online businesses such as Amazon or iTunes and you have a working advertising model. A way to make money.
What about the viewers?
Should some glorious miracle make this happen, the viewers could benefit the most. A system like this would make it possible to watch TV from around the world as if you were living there. Shows in your selected language could play online simultaneously with the TV broadcast. With a short delay you could even watch subtitled or closed captioned versions of shows that aren’t broadcast in your selected language.
I’d be willing to watch commercials in a TV show, I do it already. I’d be even more interested in watching them if they’re about something I’m interested in. If that means I get to watch the shows I love I’d be happy to do it. I could watch Doctor Who on the BBC and during the commercials find out that Amazon UK has the new Terry Pratchett book for sale.
All of this, and no one would lose money. Isn’t technology great?
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