Of mind, heart, and Tron

Or so says Will Arnett

http://weblogs.redeyechicago.com/showpatrol/2009/03/will-arnett-arrested-development-flick-to-film-by-fall.html

Today OnLive gaming introduced details about their new gaming service.  (Details here) The jist: users can play any game on any PC or Mac.  They don’t need to have a super powered gaming rig (in theory, any high powered game can be played on a netbook.)  All users need is a high speed connection to connect to the service.  From there, the user plays the game, their input via mouse and keyboard or optional controller from the company (sold separately) is sent back to the server via a plugin.  The server then plays the game for the user using it’s own super high performance machines.

The trick here is that OnLive was able to create a new compression alogrithim for video in order to reduce any sense of lag that such remote playing could create.  Early reviews is that this is an impressive technology that works as advertised.  Users can even play in HD quality (720p – requires a 5.0MBPS download speed).

Essentially the user is playing the game “remotely” with the game being run on servers in their farm.  You are then seeing the “video” of the game being sent to your PC or Mac via high speed connection and their new propreitary super quick video compression.

OnLive also will sell a $50,$100 component that hooks up to your PC or Mac via USB, allowing you to output your playing to your TV.

If they can pull this off this will allow for revenue streams never before considered, such as on demand “renting” of games.

OnLive boasts a line up of tons of big name developers too.

A few quick thoughts:

- This could really completely change the future of gaming.

-   Can this survive the first few years where consoles still are dominant in the marketplace?  Considering most developers are already cutting back on PC development (Im looking at you EA Sports) will they be able to committ resources to PC development to help a feldging service?

Recently people have been in an uproar over the Pope’s recent comments on condoms and the Africa AIDS crisis.  The pooll reporters on the Pope’s plane en route to Africa were able to submit questions in advance to the Pope and he was able to answer them.  When asked directly about condom usage as a way to prevent AIDS the Pope said this: “You can’t resolve it with the distribution of condoms,” he then went on to say “On the contrary, it increases the problem.”

To me, these comments are all about interpretation.  If you read it as “AIDS can never be fully prevented with the distribution of condoms” then that’s correct.  It’s true.  Scientifically (according to avert.org) there can be anywhere between a 2% to 13% failure rate with condoms if you include breakage (2%) and slippage (1-13%).  Even if you go low and say 2% out of the 32 million infected Africans have protected sex where there is failure that would mean another possible 64,000 infections a year. That’s 64,000 more people at risk than if abstience is practiced.

“But absitencne is not practical! Live in the real world!” That’s a popular mantra, and it’s the bandwagon that it seems most are riding nowadays.  But, see, I believe the contrary.  I think the Pope IS living in the real world.  To quote the CDC “To achieve the maximum protective effect, condoms must be used both consistently and correctly. Inconsistent use can lead to STD acquisition because transmission can occur with a single act of intercourse with an infected partner.”  Furthermore “Laboratory studies have demonstrated that latex condoms provide an essentially impermeable barrier to particles the size of STD pathogens.” (emphasis theirs) The fact of the matter is Africa is not a labratory. Human sexual relations are not a labratory.  Let’s be honest: in this country alone (where AIDS education and overall education levels are much higher than they are in Africa) there are MANY MANY Saturday and Sunday morning regrets.  There are MANY MANY people who wake up and can’t believe they didn’t use a condom.  It happens.  Everyday.  And in Africa, statistically, one mistake, one “I forgot,”  one “the moment didn’t allow for it,” one “it happened so fast,”  and that’s it.  You’re infected.

Therefore, the Pope’s message is clear: the only 100% effective way to prevent an STD is to abstain from sex.   No one can doubt that.

There are still many groups out there, in and out of the Church, who believe that it’s still not practical.  That we should be supplying Africans millions of condoms a year.  And that’s up to them.  That’s their decision.  But what does everyone really expect out of Pope?  What does everyone expect out of the spiritual leader of billions of Catholics on this planet?  Do they really expect him to say “You shouldn’t sin (which the Church clearly teaches both pre-marital sex and birth control inside of marriage is sin) BUTTT if you do – well be safe – use a condom?”  That’s not his role.  That’s not his job.  If there are political leaders out there who want to take up that cause, if there are state leaders who think the tax money of thier people is better spent on condoms, then that’s for them.  But let’s be clear: The Pope is the leader of a State that is not of this world.  And he speaks on beahlf of a God who has made the issue clear.  Sin, and there will be consequence.  As a Catholic, I expect nothing less than for the Pope to be faithful to that clear and unmistakable message.  God is no kill joy.  God is not against sex.  The fact is, He understands the absolutley grave consequences of living outside of His plan for sex can bring.

Finally, it must be said that the Church is GROWING in Africa.  Exploding actually.  The Church, and the Pope, have an overwhelming heart for the AIDS crisis and the poverty that grips Africa.  And most blessedly, the Pope (nor the Church, nor the Head of the Church) NEVER turn away from those who do live with the most deadly, painful, and terrible consequence of sin.  The fact of the matter is, their eyes are on eternity.  And while there will be temporal conseuqence of their sin, the Church promises that, with contrition, and confession, there will be no eternal consquence.  That’s the message of our God.  That no matter what happens.  No matter how great or small the sin.  No matter what consquence may befall you, I still will be there.  I still forgive.  I still have compassion.  I will still bring you home.

I pray for a day when the condom debate can go away, because this terrible disease has been cured.  But until then, may we always steadfastly pray for Africa, and all of those who suffer from AIDS across our globe

Everyone keeps asking me the same question.  Why don’t you blog anymore?  The answer is, well I do – sort of.  Basically my blogging has evolved into the weekly podcast I do “This Weeks Rub Down with Adam Fischer.”  TWRD has kept me plenty busy.  (you can check it out by the way at www.thisweeksrubdown.com)  But alas there are plenty of things that might not be appropriate for the podcast that still are on my mind, so I fully intend on continuing to blog about them here.  So, of course, stay tuned!

Here it is!

This Week’s Rub Down With Adam Fischer Ep. 1

Of course everyone loves The Onion, but there’s one feature of The Onion that many of you may not know about.  It’s called The Onion magazine.  Basically every week they have a cover for a special Onion magazine (that doesn’t exist).  The covers have hilarious headlines.  One my favorites is the one below.  Check out more of them by clicking the image below.

In most cases I do everything to avoid commercials.  Therefore if a marketing effort makes me actually seek out the commercial, you know you’re doing something right.  Such is the case for the “Whopper Virgins” marketing campaign that Burger King recently launched.  The simple premise: find people who have never had a hamburger in their life and have them do a taste test between the Big Mac and the Whopper.  Below is the movie they made in its entirety (about 7 mins).  Below the movie are my thoughts on it.

So not only did they have a great premise, but they managed to do what every marketing campaign hopes to do: combine a positive feeling or an emotion with one’s brand.  I’ve got to be honest I had an incredibly positive reaction to this movie.  They way they display the  “cross cultural” aspect of the advertisement/experiment with uplifting music really worked for me and had me engaged throughout.  This is brillaintly done and, in my opinion, a sign of things to come in this era of new media.

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Below are videos of different networks calling the election.  This, honestly, is my favorite moment in any election.  Regardless of the candidate or the winner there’s something that just almost reduces me to tears hearing the networks call the election.  There’s just such electricity in the air for an election night and everyone is eagerly anticiapting history.  And the men and women below get the honor to bring the historic news to us:

CBS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR-sn2vzmFQ

CNN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dKAKll1bUE

NBC http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADSRsAyhgxw

ABC http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQGJnKZgyfs

MSNBC http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPw7SCDtuFM

Medley: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPH97Om2OqU

http://jumpcut.com/view/?id=920C59B2ABED11DD9AD3000423CEF682

This afternoon I was sitting around and flipping through the TV.  World Trade Center was on Showtime and I began to watch it.  For whatever reason I felt compelled to look up 9/11 video on YouTube.  I’m always fascinated with live TV and news coverage of live breaking news, so I found it interesting to watch the way 9/11 was covered on channels that I wasn’t viewing when I was watching the coverage.  (On a side note it make me even more sad at the passing of Peter Jennings.  I watched ABC that morning, day, and night and he was quite deft at broadcasting the news of the day)

As I went through the videos I was reminded of something that I haven’t thought much about since the event – The Jumpers.  For those who watched live on 9/11 we can remember that many of the people stuck on the floors above the impact of the planes were faced with a terrible choice.  Stay and be burned alive, or have some control over your method of passing and jump.  All told it was estimated that over 200 people chose to jump.

Many newspapers afterward posted an AP photo showing one man in midair upside down, falling to his death.  This picture went on to be known as “The Falling Man.”  As I continued to view the YouTube videos I came across a documentary called “The Falling Man.”  It is riveting, tasteful, and an absolutely brilliant documentary about the photo, the back story, and the possible identity of the jumper.  It was based on a Esquire piece called By Tom Junod that investigated the photo further.  His piece can be read here.

The video runs over an hour (about 1:08), but it absolutely needs to be seen.  Of course, it’s very hard to view and very emotional, but it’s something that everyone should see.  The YouTube link can be found here.  if anyone does watch it please comment and tell me your thoughts.