I have been noticeably absent from this blog for the last couple of weeks. Well, noticeably may not be the right word since there are only a couple of you reading, though I must admit, it’s a lot more of you than I expected.
First off, welcome to the four of you who created accounts. Mike and ZanoT, I apologize for the delay in getting your initial comments approved (part of my anti-spam defense) – I thought the server would email me about the queue, but there appears to be something wrong with my site configuration that I haven’t tracked down yet. Future comments won’t need approval.
Now then… my absence. I’ve been taking a “vacation” for the last two weeks. I’ve actually accepted a position with a marketing company and was taking a decompression break before starting work this Monday. During that time, I’ve gotten my composition studio more or less completed and started mucking about in Logic Pro Studio. There is much to rant about there, but I’m going to hold off until I have my bearings with the software. It is likely that my gripes are simply due to either a lack of vocabulary or a differing UI/workflow philosophy than I’ve been used to with previous sequencing packages.
I also got a game called Bioshock for the Xbox 360 and have played through the first few levels. It’s a fairly standard first-person shooter, but the environment is fantastic. It’s set in 1959 in an underwater city where something has gone horribly awry. The storyline was written by someone who apparently skimmed Ayn Rand (the city’s founder’s name is “Andrew Ryan” for you anagram fans) and came away with a superficial and negative understanding of objectivism. As a result, Bioshock features a hyper-capitalist anarchy where a few psychotics end up running things thanks to some nifty genetic advances. Apparently self-preservation only kicks in for the bad guys.
But it’s all fantasy, right? I’m not really a Russian thug who steals cars, shoots cops, and picks up hookers, but I sure enjoy playing Grand Theft Auto, so why not go with the flow?
My favorite part of Bioshock is the world design. It’s a wonderful 1950s art-deco revival. Think “The Hudsucker Proxy” meets “The House on Haunted Hill.” The sound design is appropriately chilling and insane. The first major level takes you into the medical wing and there are few things creepier than a blood-spattered hospital room.
But I’m going to have to press pause on all of those things, at least for a little while, while I get my career back on track. I’ve been thinking about my next topic and will try to get it written before our weekend guests show up tomorrow.
Thanks for the comments so far (both here and elsewhere for those of you who haven’t registered). I look forward to hearing more from all of you.
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