tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89062808469003564922024-03-14T04:03:31.007-04:00Automated Sweet Talkwriting, tech, designNick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-56078568886102408992010-11-23T23:40:00.004-05:002010-11-24T01:43:57.754-05:00BirthdaysFor as long as I can remember, birthdays have been a strange thing for me. It's true that there were years when I was much, much younger that I bought into them just like every other kid, having my parents throw parties for the whole class and generally viewing the whole affair as, well, as a birthright. But those days are long past.At some point I started seeing things differently. I was Nick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-24745800231407992972010-07-18T13:57:00.003-04:002010-07-18T14:25:18.705-04:00Jack Johnson: Oracle?This is something that's been bothering me for awhile in a big way, and I really need to share it (before anyone else makes the connection).By now we've all heard about Deepwater Horizon and the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It's about a three hour drive for me to the nearest oil-soaked beach, so it hits pretty close to home, but I'll get to the point: I was listening to a song from Jack Nick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-40445832829026246082010-07-18T01:11:00.002-04:002010-07-18T01:20:22.761-04:00Consumption Junction - ArgumentTo be perfectly honest, I'm not as much an activist as I like to pretend I am. I'll latch onto an opinion and occasionally make an attempt to defend it, but generally I avoid argument as much as possible in my daily life.Capitalism is kind of a touchy subject. Here's my last-minute attempt to discredit it:---Consumption JunctionA Discourse on Market Capitalism More than sixty years have passed Nick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-68930491618860088732010-07-15T15:05:00.004-04:002010-07-16T12:30:33.088-04:00Roommates - Process AnalysisSaying that I HATE process analysis might be a little unfair. I definitely don't love it, though.My professor is decidedly against using research in our papers (as he doesn't want to grade MLA citations until he has to, as far as I can tell), so picking a topic meant that I needed to stay in the realm of the day-to-day. Bad roommates are, I think, a universal constant, but I decided that my Nick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-66827747977780510152010-05-25T14:48:00.006-04:002010-07-15T15:13:01.084-04:00You Get What You Need - NarrativeSummer term might have been a mistake. I wasn't thinking clearly when I signed myself up for four classes (out of pocket, I might add) in addition to a full time work schedule. Not all is doom and gloom, though; I've finally stretched my literary muscles for the first time in ages and have been given the opportunity (read: forced) to do some academic writing again. Fodder for the blog.This week'sNick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-75382873334605314722010-05-25T00:49:00.003-04:002010-05-25T00:54:58.019-04:00RevivalI've been trying to re-evaluate the usefulness of this blog. Originally, I started it as a sort of bulletin board of English assignments, but when that dried up it turned into more of a scarcely-updated political/zombie blog (not to be confused with political zombies).I decided that I would abandon this project until I got some materials together to start an entirely new blog. Then I started Nick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-35016701778066326922009-10-18T11:12:00.004-04:002010-05-25T00:55:21.337-04:00A Coal StoryI recently ran into an interesting little short on the web that I feel I must share here.Produced by the advertising agency Ogilvy and Mather in China, Greenpeace brings us a Coal Story.Nick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-57924639397894571602009-09-22T04:37:00.003-04:002009-09-22T04:49:34.164-04:00It's Ze Brush!Or ZBrush, to be exact.Pixologic's remarkable 3D modeling tool isn't suited to games (at least, not until our computers can handle millions of polygons per object), but the ability to freely sculpt without the need to keep track of vertices and quads is an artist's dream.Plus, it's a LOT cleaner to work with than clay.From ModelsNick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-32164348100303105602009-09-10T12:57:00.004-04:002009-09-10T13:35:57.409-04:00When Alcohol and Classic Gaming CollideI've been a fan of the Wii Virtual Console since day one, but one thing that always irked me was the lack of some of the more beloved N64 classics, such as Mystical Ninja: Starring Goemon, Banjo Kazooie, and of course, Mario Party. So, with the help of my newly purchased hard drive, I recently set out to download the full collection of Nintendo 64 roms and emulators.It was with Logitech game padsNick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-70261992960683609562009-08-14T04:19:00.004-04:002009-08-14T04:22:52.639-04:00For Everyone Who Ever Died of Dysentery...Courtesy* of xkcd. Really, you should read it.*For 'courtesy,' read: stolen and reposted from...Nick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-2628015762407317962009-08-11T12:20:00.004-04:002009-08-11T12:33:28.567-04:00ReciprocityGenerally I refrain from simply reposting another person's expostulations, but today I'm going to make an exception.I was reading some question and answer forums earlier today when I encountered an interesting question, something that all of us, I think, can relate to. A user, "socrates," asked: "Why is it embarrassing not to have romantic interest reciprocated?""I just called a girl from one of Nick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-71680085745220692932009-07-25T00:12:00.004-04:002009-07-25T00:22:53.803-04:00Don't Swallow the SeedsBased on a true story.From My ComicsOkay, so maybe not so true.Nick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-66059960890370720642009-07-22T21:06:00.003-04:002009-07-22T21:14:00.636-04:00About a SquirrelFollowing the theme of cute animal videos (I sense divine retribution for this in my future), I would like to present a rather heartwarming video about a big squirrel and a little squirrel.It's impressive how much a bit of music and some narration can transform some otherwise boring amateur footage into a veritable Disney-quality tearjerker.Nick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-42818748366041314552009-07-22T18:34:00.003-04:002009-07-22T18:46:54.395-04:00Stealth Cat is StealthyTruth be told, I've never been much of a fan of anything involving cats or kittens (excepting, of course, this one); too much cuteness is the equivalent of kryptonite to my shriveled heart. Even so, on rare occasion something will pop up that is just too rich to pass up. Enter the Stealth Cat:Nick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-53885703759058815502009-06-22T16:38:00.002-04:002009-06-22T16:54:17.472-04:00The Bug - Part 2From My ComicsThe BugPart 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4Nick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-39085286192970443852009-06-11T01:03:00.004-04:002009-06-11T01:12:50.959-04:00The Music of Blueberry Garden - DadukPlaying Blueberry Garden was a tremendously satisfying experience, but left me wishing there was more. While there may not be a sequel in the works, there's no reason that Daduk's music can't be enjoyed. Featured below is Daduk's album "Et Apres," hosted by Jamendo.com and available for download. Thought-provoking piano arrangements reminiscent of Phillip Glass, how appropriate in a game so much Nick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-1884331620626436132009-06-10T23:51:00.005-04:002009-06-11T00:38:21.610-04:00Blueberry GardenErik Svedang. Game designer and instructor at the University of Skövde in Sweden.His newest game, Blueberry Garden, was released earlier today on Steam, and at the very affordable price of $4.99 I said "Why not?"After stretching the 1-2 hour game into a solid four hours, enjoying each moment as much as the last, I'm left wondering: "Why isn't there more?" This isn't a criticism of Erik's work, Nick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-66879538622998542752009-05-11T01:07:00.006-04:002009-05-11T01:27:44.500-04:00Dancing TeachersThe title of this post is rather explicit, but it might not hurt to give a little bit of information before delving into the content.Teachers are strange creatures. They are well educated individuals who have been tricked into wanting to spend nearly all of their waking hours with children of varying ages, but this is only a small portion of what makes them so strange. A truly complete analysis Nick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-31449790831986967982009-04-22T12:43:00.003-04:002009-04-22T12:50:51.201-04:00Dancing with an Iron FistFollowing the theme of incredible game trailers, I stumbled across what must be the SECOND best trailer ever created. The lack of a serious budget obviously lends itself to creativity, as is shown in what will likely prove to be a sleeper hit: Stalin vs. Martians.That's right.Stalin.Nick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-4481704729711892652009-04-22T01:02:00.006-04:002009-04-22T01:36:18.064-04:00Gardening 101As usual, a busy schedule has dragged me away from my computer at an inopportune time. Normally I would follow the established routine of making up a number of excuses for this and leave it at that, but this time I actually found something that needs to be shared.Anyone who regularly uses Steam may have seen this already, as it's currently featured on the main page, but PopCap Games (the Nick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-48343454458667735352009-04-13T04:12:00.005-04:002009-06-22T16:53:45.076-04:00The Bug - Part 1I thought I saw something move along the floor while I was eating dinner...From My ComicsThe BugPart 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4Nick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-10609925608714189862009-04-12T12:08:00.003-04:002009-04-12T12:10:29.048-04:00Speaking of Giant Rabbits...Happy Easter.Nick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-32780500840519003912009-04-11T00:21:00.004-04:002009-06-11T00:39:18.394-04:00He Lives.Only shock describes the feeling when I say that it looks like my old friend Travis stirs from his slumber.Nick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-16401508737923267582009-04-06T19:25:00.003-04:002009-06-11T00:38:55.657-04:00PassageNot so long ago I stumbled across the work of one Jason Rohrer. It seems Jason is the one programmer on the planet who manages to remain a functional 'free spirit' - a rather interesting story in itself.That isn't what I'm here to talk about. What I'd like to bring to attention is, instead, his 2007 project, Passage. An experiment in minimalistic game design, Passage attempts to explore the Nick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906280846900356492.post-23736869487657894972009-04-05T01:18:00.002-04:002009-04-05T01:23:20.729-04:00Foiled Again! Pun Not Originally IntendedStudies show, the greater the commitment to providing blog content, the less likely I am to follow through. Rather than giving an excuse, here is a rundown of the past months: Eternal Silence, Lord of the Rings Online, Supreme Commander, Age of Empires 3, Company of Heroes, and Red Alert 3. Also: friend had baby, love interest found other love interest, general instances of being a good Nick Wollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14582696975424332551noreply@blogger.com0