tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31350605571277759772012-01-11T08:00:07.604-06:00Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, I gotta stay up late surfing wi-fi.Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.comBlogger6551100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-52109034730498197162012-01-11T08:00:00.000-06:002012-01-11T08:00:07.707-06:00

With all of the hype surrounding The Dark Knight Rises, I thought it prudent to revisit the first two movies that Christopher Nolan directed. I found some interesting things that might have some implications for the film's finale. This... will get spoilery. Awful Titles Let's get this out of the way: Batman Begins was a stupid name for the first movie. It was certainly honest--BB was pure

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-45898301139505271692012-01-02T12:10:00.000-06:002012-01-02T12:10:35.291-06:00

Not too long ago I saw a car with two magnets on the back. One was an outline of a Nativity scene that implored the reader to keep the "Christ" in "Christmas". The other was a Jesus Fish. This is hilarious, for reasons I will outline below. First, let's get one thing out of the way. The "War on Christmas" is a fake conflict. Christmas is a thoroughly secularized holiday. At my office, they put

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-81574163565311643652011-12-30T08:00:00.000-06:002011-12-30T08:12:10.343-06:00

We all know the Nativity Story. The Archangel Gabriel appears to Mary. Mary conceives as a virgin. The angel of the Lord appears to Joseph. Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem for a census. The inn is full, so they stay in a barn. Jesus is born in Bethlehem in Judea. Jesus is wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. Angels appear to shepherds who then worship baby Jesus. Magi from the

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-47067823605679926592011-12-16T09:40:00.001-06:002011-12-16T09:40:47.379-06:00

I should know better than to make political predictions or analysis, because I'm genuinely horrible at it. In the past I've supported Mike "I Throw Rocks Into The Water" Gravel and John "Cancer Wife Love Child Debacle" Edwards. Even as I write this I'm drinking from my John Kerry coffee mug. Yeah, 2004 was a tough year. But if you flip the parties, 2004 isn't all that different from right now.

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-766865725175989842011-12-07T20:00:00.000-06:002011-12-07T20:00:02.081-06:00

On two separate occasions, I've been in conversations with people interested in writing who suggested self-publishing a novel a chapter at a time as a way to make money quickly rather than try to sell it to a publisher. I remember thinking initially that this was a bad idea, but not really being able to articulate why. After some thinking, I found my articulations. Nobody Wants to Read Text-Only

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-16432026772976215712011-12-06T20:31:00.000-06:002011-12-06T21:21:37.668-06:00

Abby and I went to see the new Muppet movie. We may be the only two people in America who feel this way, but we were pretty underwhelmed by it. I should say that it isn't bad by any stretch. And despite Frank Oz's denunciation, The Muppets isn't a cynical cash-grab. It's everything you'd want from a Muppet movie, and very much in the spirit of the original television show and the first few movies

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-58797468938236169792011-11-14T22:39:00.001-06:002011-11-14T23:16:35.137-06:00

So I haven't been writing much here lately, because I've been writing in other places. Namely, I've devoted around 75,000 words to the first draft of a book that I intend to submit for publication. Now that the draft is done, I've been re-reading it so I know what needs attacked for the second draft, but I thought it would be worth recounting some of the lessons I've learned. Forget chapters. I

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-65558209769633120212011-10-02T18:29:00.000-05:002011-10-02T18:29:24.956-05:00

This little bit of ignorance showed up in my in-box the other day. I don't know how they got my email address (although I have a guess), but boy are they backing the wrong horse in soliciting me. I've copied the text in it's entirety below (links disabled), but some of my favorite parts are: "[Homosexuals] ultimate dream is to create a new America based on sexual promiscuity" "[The Student

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-1331588638823664912011-09-09T08:00:00.000-05:002011-09-09T08:00:10.291-05:00

If you look at classic lullabies like Rockabye Baby or Hush, Little Baby, you see some commonalities. They are designed to be easily learned and easily sung. They have even, moderate tempos and simple, lilting melodies that occupy a very small sonic space. They have few rests so they can be sung without accompaniment. And their lyrics would likely traumatize any child that could understand them.

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-20617061618874956212011-09-05T06:00:00.000-05:002011-09-05T09:20:10.326-05:00

I'm freshly back from a four-day business trip to San Francisco attending the 9th Annual DreamForce conference. It was my first such conference, and I learned a lot about the product, and a lot about conferences. If you're planning to attend one in the near future, here are a few pointers: Learn The Public Transit BART is awesome if you're in the Bay Area and take the time to get to know its

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-90660700786333914572011-08-29T08:00:00.060-05:002011-08-29T08:13:44.100-05:00

With the GOP presidential campaign in full swing, it's a good time to look at the front-runners in more detail. Who best represents the Republican voters? Who has the best chance of beating Obama in the general election? Let's take a look at the contenders! Newt Gingrich Campaign Slogan: "Yes I Can!" Platform: To recapture that 90's magic Pros: Led the Republican Revolution of 1994 Cons: Took a

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-5800632616799590872011-08-28T08:00:00.008-05:002011-08-28T08:00:04.471-05:00

I think people underestimate the differences between American and European culture, and I think this difference is no better exemplified than in the videos for Tori Amos' Cornflake Girl. It's kind of an arty song to begin with, a piano-driven female-sung pop song in an era dominated by scruffy men with guitars. The American Version Take a look for yourself. Tori Amos-cornflake girl by

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-36330553592771263452011-08-25T18:27:00.000-05:002011-08-25T18:27:02.224-05:00

This started with an off-hand remark on Facebook about the how Showtime series Dexter seemed to have lost its moral center in the fifth season. It blossomed into a discussion, and is now getting the full essay treatment. Massive spoilers ahead. Seasons 1 - 4 Dexter is about the quintessential antihero--a serial killer trying to make the world a better place. To make the titular character work

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-91108917268468732762011-08-24T00:18:00.000-05:002011-08-24T00:18:39.417-05:00

I love babies and babies love me; this has been true since I was about ten years old. I've spent my entire adult life looking forward to fatherhood, and it's finally here in the form of my three-week-old son, Malcolm. So, how am I doing? I'm effing miserable. Sort of. It's complicated. Let me explain. My Son Doesn't Seem To Like Me Very Much I love babies and babies love me, but it turns out that

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-20224664225687853432011-03-07T08:00:00.001-06:002011-03-07T08:00:17.217-06:00

This Christmas, I got a Kindle. And I love it. I did not expect to love it, but I really do. First, there's the form factor. A Kindle is lighter than a paperback, it can be manipulated with only one hand, you can put it down without losing your place, and the line spacing and text sizes are totally configurable. Since a "page" on a Kindle contains less text than a "page"on a book, it's easier to

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-61608136188996468102011-03-05T15:00:00.000-06:002011-03-05T15:00:01.025-06:00

So, it's been a while since I've updated this thing. Mostly because my spare time has been devoted to work, exercise, and reading the Wheel of Time books. And I get to be snarky out on the Twitters and the Facebooks. But I haven't abandoned this thing altogether. The big recent news that I'm sure all twelve of you know about by now is that Abby and I are expecting a baby in August. We don't

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-68462245263766500512011-03-03T23:00:00.002-06:002011-03-03T23:00:30.532-06:00

Testing. Is this thing on? ]{p

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-30486030498601116462010-12-31T20:38:00.000-06:002010-12-31T20:38:26.877-06:00

In honor of the new years, I present the movies from 2010 that sound like they could have been about poop, ordered by release date. Waiting for ArmageddonExtraordinary MeasuresEdge of DarknessWhen in RomeThe Shinjuku IncidentHappy TearsGreen ZoneHow To Train Your DragonThe GreatestThe Back-up PlanExit Through the Gift ShopPaper ManFurry VengeanceHarry BrownBabiesKillersGet Him to the

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-32406032414121044712010-12-20T19:44:00.002-06:002010-12-20T23:17:15.655-06:00

“There, in the clearing. She was here. You can see where she slept. You can she where she left her droppings. Over there’s the remains of her last meal. She was here, all right, recently. Come on, Winslow.” “Shhh.” “Winslow?” “Shhh.” “Winslow!” “I said ‘Shhh’, didn’t I?” “I heard you, what the devil are you doing back there?” “I’m hiding, which is what you should be doing unless you want

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-57639744690696636322010-12-07T08:00:00.001-06:002010-12-07T23:40:31.522-06:00

Now that I've had a few days to decompress from NaNoWriMo and finish the story (I had the word count above 50K by Nov 30th, so I still "won", but I didn't finish the narrative until a few days later), I'm going to reflect on this year's major writing excursion, what I learned, what goals I met, what goals I did not meet, what I want to do with this story, and where to go from here. Successes/

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-12165908397851982852010-12-01T08:00:00.000-06:002010-12-02T00:38:01.535-06:00

So, here's an outline of the entire completed work, for the ease of your perusal: Only Human Prologue - A Rope Across The Abyss Chapter 1 - The Hunting Party Chapter 2 - The Road To River City Chapter 3 - What Makes Jack So Happy Chapter 4 - I Will Uninstall Your Soul Chapter 5 - Target Acquired Chapter 6 - A Predator In Their Midst Chapter 7 -  When Missiles Streak The Sky With Blood Chapter 8

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-29785009781480780292010-11-30T08:00:00.001-06:002010-12-02T00:16:33.493-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning. Vital stats: Final word count: 55,219/50,000 Working Title: Only Human Epilogue - Beyond The Setting Sun Arkanna dipped his furry nose into the snow. He was still a cub, and his hair was too thin to protect him,

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-91920528696042758882010-11-29T08:00:00.000-06:002010-12-02T00:12:09.852-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning. Vital stats: Word count: 54,945/50,000 Working Title: Only Human Hallucination Jokes: 1 The Shadow And The Face “Our technology is toxic,” said The Brain. “Exposure to it in the form of implants is quite deadly

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-73535968642378432362010-11-28T08:00:00.012-06:002010-12-01T23:18:21.392-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning. Vital stats: Word count: 54,154/50,000 Working Title: Only Human Major Reveals: ??? A Disgraceful End The signal was faint, but strong enough. “You’ve got my position?” asked Jack. “Yes,” said The Brain through

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-47137631479195867282010-11-27T08:40:00.000-06:002010-12-01T00:44:46.738-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning. Vital stats: Word count: 52,390/50,000 Working Title: Only Human Murdered Non-Combatants: 3 Bred To Kill Jack had never been inside a house like this. It went against every instinct he had about living. Three

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-33727337580108711982010-11-26T08:00:00.000-06:002010-11-29T01:04:38.605-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning. Vital stats: Word count: 50,735/50,000 Working Title: Only Human Murdered Children: 2 The Culling Jack and Charlie stumbled out into the street. Smoke billowed from the Southeast. “We need to find Weatherby,”

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-13033182761800353062010-11-25T08:00:00.010-06:002010-11-28T23:35:55.088-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning. Vital stats: Word count: 49,140/50,000 Working Title: Only Human Hidden bombs: 1 A Room With A View For the longest time, Jack and the shadow stared at one another. Neither spoke. Light crept into Jack’s site.

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-62577471825267180462010-11-24T08:00:00.010-06:002010-11-28T20:39:55.002-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning. Vital stats: Word count: 47,197/50,000 Working Title: Only Human Veiled threats: 1 (but it's a whopper) The Mirror Has Fewer Scars The shadow and the face did not visit Happy Jack as he slept. He awoke with no

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-72179636668923365372010-11-23T08:00:00.000-06:002010-11-28T15:12:09.948-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning. Vital stats: Word count: 44,866/50,000 Working Title: Only Human Mistakes: 2 Return To River City “Do you trust them still?” asked the shadow. It was once again formless, shapeless. “Yes,” said Jack. “You saw

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-76836478578032977502010-11-22T08:00:00.000-06:002010-11-27T20:23:15.477-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning. Vital stats: Word count: 42,952/50,000 Working Title: Only Human People who died standing up: hundreds, at least The Ruins It took a few days to get all of the details laid out and assemble squads of men whose

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-68260793670340414262010-11-21T08:00:00.006-06:002010-11-27T16:49:43.975-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning. Vital stats: Word count: 41,015/50,000 Working Title: Only Human Nifty Toys: 1 Scheming Men After breakfast, Happy Jack was taken to meet The Brain once more. The room was much better kept than The Brain’s

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-23633433456660093052010-11-20T08:00:00.000-06:002010-11-27T14:27:41.606-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning. Vital stats: Word count: 39,105/50,000 Working Title: Only Human References to existing cities by their actual name: 1 KC1 Happy Jack didn’t see the Sergeant again. A new commander was put in charge of the

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-32160535922457170512010-11-19T08:00:00.000-06:002010-11-26T22:27:26.969-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning. Vital stats: Word count: 37,180/50,000 Working Title: Only Human Awkward Sex Scenes: 1 More Human Than We Like To Admit Jack emerged in the evening sand wearing his temporary arm like, a badge of honor. The

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-90702259796930397672010-11-18T08:00:00.001-06:002010-11-21T23:01:45.767-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning. These are coming out in fairly-rapid succession, so be sure to check if you've missed anything. Vital stats: Word count: 34,864/50,000 Working Title: Only Human Historical digressions: 1 The Brain Revisited “

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-55342642834703949402010-11-17T08:00:00.000-06:002010-11-21T20:58:44.938-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning. These are coming out in fairly-rapid succession, so be sure to check if you've missed anything. Vital stats: Word count: 33,079/50,000 Working Title: Only Human Execution-style killings: 2 The Subtle Betrayal

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-47516817585704035542010-11-16T08:00:00.001-06:002010-11-21T20:54:27.978-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning. This chapter is late, but they're pretty much all going to be late from here on out, so I'm going to quit apologizing for them. Vital stats: Word count: 31,248/50,000 Working Title: Only Human Wardrobe

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-56466471753622797872010-11-15T08:00:00.013-06:002010-11-18T23:06:57.189-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning.  This chapter is late, mea culpa. Vital stats: Word count: 29,442/50,000 Working Title: Only Human Callbacks to the prologue: 1 The Brain Awaits “I must be dreaming,” said Jack. “Why do you say that?” asked the

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-49116244828654582142010-11-14T08:00:00.000-06:002010-11-18T23:01:05.455-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning.  This chapter is late, mea culpa.  In fact, I'm pretty dramatically behind at this point, so I'll be playing catch-up over the weekend. Vital stats: Word count: 27,568/50,000 Working Title: Only Human Female

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-81066853903405071142010-11-13T08:00:00.009-06:002010-11-14T15:14:30.598-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning.  This chapter is late, mea culpa.  With this chapter, I have crossed the half-way point in word count, meaning I'm on pace to finish NaNoWriMo, even if I'm a few chapters behind at the end of the month (which I have

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-15098446612332994912010-11-12T08:00:00.000-06:002010-11-14T00:11:10.265-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning.  This chapter is late, mea culpa. Vital stats: Word count: 24,010/50,000 Working Title: Only Human Hippy Doctors: 2 Broken Jack “Don’t move, lad. I can’t help you with yer flailin’ about every which way.” For a

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-10816297370120426702010-11-11T08:00:00.000-06:002010-11-11T23:54:36.349-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning.  Last chapter was late, so if you missed the bear fight, click here.  Also, I really could use a better title, so don't be shy about suggestions.  Even stupid ones. Vital stats: Word count: 22,056/50,000 Working

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-88378319781702484732010-11-10T08:00:00.000-06:002010-11-11T21:01:17.938-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning.  This chapter is late, mea culpa. Vital stats: Word count: 19,964/50,000 Working Title: To Be More Than Human Sleepless Nights: 1/2 Approaching The Encampment Their first night’s march passed without event.

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-56441093510668139642010-11-09T08:00:00.005-06:002010-11-09T22:41:33.253-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning.  Last chapter was late, so if you missed the bear fight, click here.  Also, I really could use a better title, so don't be shy about suggestions.  Even stupid ones. Vital stats: Word count: 18,276/50,000 Working

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-10548722574328394392010-11-08T08:00:00.001-06:002010-11-09T20:50:21.332-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning.  This chapter is late, mea culpa. Vital stats: Word count: 16,412/50,000 Working Title: To Be More Than Human Bear Fights: 1 When Missiles Streak The Sky With Blood My God. What’s happening. Jack could hear no

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-28640395702868774762010-11-07T08:00:00.003-06:002010-11-07T23:49:04.482-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning.  The last chapter was late, so if you feel like you missed something (including a scene about a briefing), go here. Vital stats: Word count: 14,343/50,000 Working Title: To Be More Than Human Awkward Reunions: 1 A

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-87349477493309947682010-11-06T08:00:00.010-05:002010-11-07T18:37:07.082-06:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning.  And yes, this chapter is late.  Mea culpa. Vital stats: Word count: 12,423/50,000 Working Title: To Be More Than Human Pompous Officers: 2 Target Acquired It was about noon. Jack had just has his stomach pumped

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-50455831284787614262010-11-05T08:00:00.001-05:002010-11-05T23:42:38.553-05:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning. Vital stats: Word count: 10,346/50,000 Working Title: To Be More Than Human Torture Sequences: 1 I Will Uninstall Your Soul The interrogation room of the military outpost was a 6 by 10 foot box with a stool, a

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-62493907148777905902010-11-04T08:00:00.014-05:002010-11-05T00:07:25.434-05:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning. Vital stats:Word count: 8,070/50,000Working Title: To Be More Than HumanUnexpected delays: 1 What Makes Jack So Happy Happy Jack woke up in his bunk. How did I get here? Come to think of it, it wasn’t his bunk.

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-65818278605546572582010-11-03T08:00:00.017-05:002010-11-03T08:00:04.506-05:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning. Vital stats:Word count: 6,289/50,000Working Title: To Be More Than Human Dead bears: 10 or so The Road To River City The sun began to descend on the troop sooner than Happy Jack would have liked. They were still

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-47463454081181080392010-11-02T08:00:00.004-05:002010-11-02T08:00:06.464-05:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning. Vital stats:Word count: 4,317/50,000Working Title: To Be More Than Human Righteous Action Sequences: 1 The Hunting Party If the sound of boots slapping against dirt could echo, it would have been the only noise for

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-79389509481413517342010-11-01T01:26:00.002-05:002010-11-02T00:02:42.770-05:00

I'm writing a book for NaNoWriMo, and I'm live-blogging the first draft as I go.  Leave feedback and title suggestions in the comments, if you like. Click here to go to the beginning. Vital stats: Word count: 1,684/50,000 Working Title: To Be More Than Human Prologue - A Rope Across The Abyss 600 YEARS AGO A geneticist and a robotics engineer walked into a bar. Thomas Wegman, aged 34, and

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-33602665411842591372010-10-31T12:12:00.000-05:002010-10-31T12:12:05.040-05:00

Well, it's Halloween, which can only mean one thing: NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow.  If you're unfamiliar, the goal of NaNoWriMo (short for National Novel Writing Month) is to write a draft of a 50,000-word fiction manuscript in the month of November.  This year, I will be participating (again). I have my story outlined into 30 chapters, and I have an ambitious goal for this year: to post a chapter

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-1744628253723110862010-10-25T08:00:00.000-05:002010-10-25T08:00:14.585-05:00

So, today I start my new job. Which is the same as my old job. But now, instead of getting my checks from TDK, a software consulting firm, I will get them directly from MasterCard, whom I've been contracting for these last six months. It's sort of a promotion. But it looks better on a resume. Which means, despite the fact that I've been working at MC for half a year, I get orientation today.

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-69774193163957417752010-10-06T22:35:00.003-05:002010-10-06T22:39:02.272-05:00

Valve. Awesome at all things except meeting their deadlines. Half-Life 2 shipped (famously) fourteen months late. Portal 2's release date was pushed back within weeks of being announced. Team Fortress 2 was in development for longer than The Beatles' recording career. No one even bothers to ask for a ship-date on Half-Life 2: Episode 3 anymore. But this week, we get Left 4 Dead: The Sacrifice,

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-17659984654907508702010-10-04T08:00:00.000-05:002010-10-04T08:00:02.874-05:00

Starting a new feature here at the old Kurtharsis: Rules To Live By. For this, its charter appearance, I thought I'd start with something simple. Pack Extra Socks If you're going on a visit, it's always good to take extra clothes, but if you're running low on space and have to choose between extra socks and extra underwear, go with the socks.  They're the only thing that re-wearing will make

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-26120788506708253522010-09-16T23:14:00.001-05:002010-09-16T23:14:16.473-05:00

Today, after much deliberation, a consultant from Montreal decided that I looked like Russel Crowe. Well done, Canadian man.  Well done. ]{p

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-75662668231956887432010-09-08T08:00:00.000-05:002010-09-08T08:00:05.478-05:00

I know, I know, more Brandon Sanderson... A hot topic among Sanderson-ites (does this work? We need a name) is the prospect of a film based on the Mistborn series--which have been optioned and are in the early, early stages of maybe-it'll-get-developed.  Sanderson doesn't actually expect the movie to get made, but he is a rising star in the world of fiction.  His contributions to the Wheel of

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-49144148528802136732010-09-06T11:21:00.000-05:002010-09-06T11:21:45.595-05:00

There were lots of questions about Brandon Sanderson's expanded cosmology, but the most interesting answer came well after the Q&A.  Said cosmology--the tale of Hoid and the Shards of Adonalsium--at this point amounts to little more than wild speculation about a series of easter eggs throughout Sanderson's corpus; Sanderson has confirmed very little, although you can occasionally gauge by his

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-74115054676160407662010-09-01T00:00:00.009-05:002010-09-01T00:00:05.030-05:00

So, for most of my life I've been trying to be a musician.  And if you're one of the people who've been asking me for years and years when I'm going to have an album available, the answer is: today.  Right now. Go, check it out: Kurt and Chuck This does not mean that Blind Satellite is broken up or on hiatus or anything.  But I did have a bunch of songs that were never going to be Blind Satellite

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-48385271852249342972010-08-28T09:45:00.000-05:002010-08-28T09:45:35.262-05:00

Abby and I watched Clash of the Titans the other night, and it was a lot less awful that I'd anticipated. No doubt because we watched it in 2D.  It's a shame, really.  It's a competently-if-not-expertly directed action film, but it's legacy will be that it was the film where people realized 3D can suck. Oh, there are still things to complain about.  The dialog was clunky.  Some of the CG

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-2596253711131342102010-08-25T00:00:00.000-05:002010-08-25T00:00:03.103-05:00

So, I finally got around to finishing a salable music project.  It's not attached to any band, just a collection of my music, produced independently, that I'm putting out under the name Kurt and Chuck. There are a few items of business to deal with before they actually go on sale, but the music is finished.  And by finished I mean that I've hit diminishing returns as far as improving the mixes

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-5765350149119050982010-08-17T22:45:00.000-05:002010-08-17T22:45:40.554-05:00

So I've been re-reading the Harry Potter series and finished my favorite from that franchise: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.  Unlike its predecessors it doesn't try to be a fairy tale; unlike its successors, it doesn't try to be a sprawling epic.  It's the only book whose villain isn't some incarnation of Voldemort, and it sports a unique dual-climax: first we get the reveal of who

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-3018882828589916852010-07-26T01:16:00.002-05:002010-07-26T01:27:27.543-05:00

Well, I'm done with Wipeout. That guilty pleasure certainly didn't last very long.I was enjoying it, but from the start of this season something's felt a little off. It had always been balancing out the particularly annoying co-host and the please-think-I'm-interesting-enough-to-be-on-TV antics of the contestants against the actual sport of trying to complete a near-impossible obstacle course.

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-54138205576507522412010-07-20T00:03:00.004-05:002010-07-20T00:48:49.950-05:00

It was ten years ago this month (very nearly to the day, I think) that I started reading the Harry Potter series of books. I was a camp counselor, Goblet of Fire had just been released, and I was mystified at how rapt the children were in it. I had heard about the Potter-mania (and let us not forget that it was, in fact, a -mania), but to see it first hand was awe-inspiring. For the week after

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-37619913355024500512010-06-23T07:29:00.003-05:002010-06-23T22:18:28.881-05:00

Well, I made it to 30. It didn't feel like much until a friend asked how it felt to have lived three decades.That made me feel a touch old.Still, no use complaining--on the whole I'm quite happy with my life. I like what I do for a living and it's a career path with some good growth potential. I'm happily married, although currently childless. This is not a point of contention--I just always

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-71609855519395103432010-06-21T22:34:00.002-05:002010-06-21T22:36:50.360-05:00

The Band blog has been revamped. It's not attached to the website yet (long story), but you can follow the link and subscribe for updates or you can do what everyone else does and visit this blog daily and check the blog-roll along the left to see what's going on.That's right, I've become a hub.Either way, as we wrap up one recording project, we're embarking on another, and we've got an

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-67647236611480591032010-06-19T02:24:00.003-05:002010-06-19T02:46:41.470-05:00

After Valve's mini-adventure Portal became the darling of 2007, a sequel would be inevitable. There was so much unexplored with the concept, and so many lovable characters to bring back (by "so many" I of course mean "GLaDOS"). There were rumblings of a Portal 2 early on and expectations were set at a fairly reasonable place: Chell had escaped, GLaDOS had survived--her "death" appeared to have

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-25698606297584740382010-06-06T01:53:00.004-05:002010-06-06T02:15:09.727-05:00

Last weekend was spent visiting the 'rents in Nashville, and I've decided that I never want to live there. It has all the things (except traffic) that I hated about LA (crowds, expense, impenetrable music scene) with a patina of redneck over everything and more religion than I can wash out of my clothing in a weekend. And then there's the ever-pervasive rebel flag, which was particularly

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-49380076625797467102010-05-12T23:11:00.005-05:002010-05-12T23:30:46.785-05:00

As of today, Steam is now available for Mac. And to celebrate this, Valve are giving away their much-beloved puzzle-shooter Portal so any Mac user can try it out. So the question on everyone's mind is this: how is Portal on Mac?Couldn't tell you. Not only did it take me entirely too long to find the Steam client download from the Steam website, but I haven't been able to get Portal to install.

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-75640001563074939202010-05-04T21:20:00.003-05:002010-05-04T21:44:48.632-05:00

I was not expecting to like this. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails quit his band after twenty years to start a side project with his new wife.Was not expecting to like it at all.Now that I've heard a song, my mind is changed. The music is unmistakably Trent. Most of the textures are straight out of his expanded catalog of musical noise, but the musical sensibilities bear an uncanny resemblance

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-82657069403848877192010-04-27T20:46:00.005-05:002010-04-27T21:54:21.515-05:00

Yeah... I'm done with Quentin Tarantino. Inglorious Basterds has been the impossible-to-Netflix movie of the year, and it finally landed in my queue, and Abby and I watched it, and I gotta be honest: it's a piece of shit. No really. It's a piece of shit.First objection: narrative structure. Your immediate response should be "What did you expect? It's Tarantino." Fair point, but in all

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-64151951698729441502010-04-21T22:43:00.004-05:002010-04-21T22:59:29.804-05:00

For the curious, the first week of work is going interestingly and well-enough, and I will say no more in a forum like this because I know better.It's not going badly, though. And it has some clear upsides that I'm not going to discuss in a forum like this because I know better.All that said, one clear drawback is that my new job is eating seriously into my free time, so I'm taking the blog off

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-82547298487075730592010-04-21T08:00:00.000-05:002010-04-21T08:00:03.434-05:00

Kurt's taking a week to evaluate his life, but over the weekend he discovered a prog-metal band called Earl Greyhound that's worth checking out. I particularly like Monkey off Soft Targets (be warned, it's a nearly 9-minute jam song), but you can preview their entire catalog from the "music" link on their site.]{p

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-12043829262402647772010-04-20T08:00:00.000-05:002010-04-20T08:00:07.418-05:00

Kurt's taking a week to evaluate his life. So why not look at some puppies?]{p

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-13228820315660035562010-04-19T08:00:00.001-05:002010-04-19T08:00:10.226-05:00

So, today, I'll be starting a new job--same career, mind you, but I'll be coding for MasterCard rather than NuParadigm.This move is going to be good for the pocketbook, but it's going to eat into the old spare time, so don't expect much from the blog this week while I evaluate how much time I can afford to devote to a project that brings in no money and that only a handful of people read (a much

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-30824727545530010132010-04-16T08:00:00.002-05:002010-04-16T08:00:11.604-05:00

So lately I've been watching Bones on Netflix. Abby's a big fan of the series and I caught most of an episode and decided to give it a try. It's a little CSI-ish (which I don't care for), but at least the smart characters feel like they were written by smart people, not by stupid people who think they know what "smart" sounds like. It's decently well-acted and the subject matter is pretty

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-77086188668988215552010-04-15T08:00:00.001-05:002010-04-15T08:00:09.217-05:00

Happy Freaking-Out-At-The-Last-Minute-To-Get-Taxes-Done Day.]{p

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-24616319490908899042010-04-14T08:00:00.000-05:002010-04-14T08:00:01.853-05:00

... been a while since I've done one of these, and I happen to know that most of my readers will skip it. So I'll keep it short-ish and pithy. It helps that there's not a whole lot of "badness" to talk about here.Help! (or NUJV!, for those of you who actually read semaphore) is the strongest album from the "early Beatles period. It's certainly an improvements over its predecessor Beatles For

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-37895417183630418392010-04-13T08:00:00.001-05:002010-04-13T08:00:11.396-05:00

So, if you're a fan of Zero Punctuation, Yahtzee Croshaw's weekly game-review vlog, you've no doubt heard him rip into game developers for relying too heavily on their established franchises. He particularly berates Nintendo for the constant stream of Mario, Zelda, and Metroid titles for choking out new and fresh ideas. He points out, for example, that games like Okami are good games in the

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-72565631598208212832010-04-12T08:00:00.000-05:002010-04-12T08:00:05.967-05:00

Over the weekend, I did something that I don't think I'd ever done before. I read an entire novel in one sitting. Okay, it was like three sittings over the course of a single evening, but you get my point. Now, I've come close--I read the last 200 pages of Breakfast of Champions in a single sitting (which I don't recommend, by the way, because it will literally make your brain hurt). But I'd

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-62216264648475232262010-04-09T08:00:00.000-05:002010-04-09T08:00:02.746-05:00

This week, Abby and I finished Super Mario Galaxy. It's one of our favorite purchases for the Wii--I do all the wacky 3D platforming, Abby collects star bits with her pointer, looks up FAQ's when we get stuck, and tries to not scream out loud when I fall to my death (for some reason, she gets really nervous about me falling to my death... and I fall to my death rather often).But we finished it.

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-75549823232393365952010-04-08T08:00:00.002-05:002010-04-08T08:00:00.714-05:00

So, maybe a month ago my engine light came on. I took it to my mechanic and was told that it was an engine misfire and that it needed new plugs, possibly a new coil and wires. Fixable, easy. However, do to some outside circumstances, I decided to put off fixing it for a couple weeks. So a couple weeks passed and it was getting near time for me to replace my tags--which meant I needed an

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-30952211872908881322010-04-07T08:00:00.000-05:002010-04-07T08:00:10.869-05:00

Half-Life 2: Episode TwoHL2:E2 is a nice improvement over Episode One. The gameplay felt more even, the environments were larger and more naturalistic, leading to more instances where gameplay felt sand-boxy but was still linear. Additionally, it cleans up the commentary interface to the standard that Valve has used for all its subsequent titles. This one is slightly longer than its

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-32541784750946376872010-04-06T08:00:00.004-05:002010-04-06T08:00:00.781-05:00

Hey, it's safe to talk about this now. This has been brewing for a while, but I didn't want to post about it until I gave notice.I'm getting a new job. Starting in two weeks, I'll be Java-coding for MasterCard. Nothing against my current employer, it was just a great opportunity for me, so I pursued it, and I got it.So, that's exciting for me. Yay!]{p

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-36438668348987943072010-04-05T08:00:00.000-05:002010-04-05T08:00:06.104-05:00

One of the things I loved about Portal was that I was able to get all the way through it in my first sitting. It took about 3 hours, and was a complete immersion experience from start to finish. In that light, I enjoy the episodic nature of the later Half-Life games. While I wasn't able to get through them in my first go, I could get through them in an afternoon if I were simply interested in

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-37456627869722319682010-04-02T08:00:00.000-05:002010-04-02T08:00:11.454-05:00

Google has absolutely made my April Fool's Day.First and foremost, they changed their name to "Topeka" for the day (which is hilarious if you happen to recall that Topeka changed their name to Google for the month of March).Gmail was missing vowels--low key, but well played.Google UK offered an Android app that will translate animal noises into English.But my favorite was the Google Annotations

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-85560380787860172282010-04-01T08:00:00.000-05:002010-03-31T22:52:38.670-05:00

So, as an April Fool's joke, I had considered not posting today, just so my (six) readers would check back over and over throughout the day. But that struck me as kind of an Andy Kaufman move--moderately funny in concept, hilarious to me, utterly dickish to anyone who is not me.So I won't waste your time with my sophomoric humor; there's a whole interwebz of sophomoric humor to be had

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-61649147120972101972010-03-31T08:00:00.000-05:002010-03-31T08:00:04.296-05:00

One of Java's main competitors in the market for enterprise-application-languages is C#, specifically as implemented by Microsoft's .NET framework. The development environment for .NET is Visual Studio, and when I moved into my office a year and a half ago, I found this poster advertising Visual Studio 2005:The text reads "...Mr. Infinity harnesses the power and flexibility of the .NET framework

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-59735481547178418362010-03-30T08:00:00.000-05:002010-03-29T23:21:39.949-05:00

This weekend we caught a couple movies in theaters, including Dreamworks' new animated film How To Train Your Dragon. I really didn't have any desire to see it at all, let alone in a theater, but it was a pleasant surprise: a movie geared towards children that is appropriate for children but is appealing to adults and not made by Pixar.HTTYD, thankfully, doesn't placate kids. It's not a

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-37770997735494184952010-03-29T08:00:00.001-05:002010-03-29T08:00:00.864-05:00

David Brooks wrote a piece for the New York Times Op-Ed page last week suggesting that the field of economics has been too far separated from humanity and needs to be "blown up" and started over. There's a heavy undercurrent throughout the piece that economists are too blame for the current economic crisis, but stitched into the lining of the article is a fundamental misunderstanding of what

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-11537807573467939652010-03-26T08:00:00.001-05:002010-03-26T08:00:08.647-05:00

Having just finished Half-Life 2, I'm starting to take a more broad-spectrum account of its role in Valve's life and library. The original Half-Life reinvented the first-person shooter, and the sequel sought to do the same. While HL2 doesn't break new ground the same way its predecessor did, it's a vastly better game in terms of improved mechanics, storytelling, graphics, writing, etc, etc, etc

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-27643508129129659422010-03-25T08:00:00.000-05:002010-03-25T09:45:11.835-05:00

No, really.It doesn't update anymore, but it's still a fun sight to waste time: Rock and Roll Confidential's Hall of Douchebags. These are real pictures that real musicians used to promote themselves. Obviously, they're not the most successful musicians...]{p

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-57234090904393641332010-03-24T08:00:00.003-05:002010-03-24T08:00:01.776-05:00

Most businesses are built on other businesses--or at least leverage other businesses to get their jobs done. For example, I write Java, and I write it on a computer. The cost of purchasing and maintaining that computer is a cost of doing business that must be reflected in the price of our final product. This is all well and good, but then I got to wondering about Netflix.Netflix operates

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-12788049351580008332010-03-23T08:00:00.001-05:002010-03-23T08:56:42.171-05:00

So, sensible, comprehensive, non-socialist Health Care reform has finally passed. I declare a national holiday. Everybody get sick!]{p

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-43299349994108911732010-03-22T08:00:00.001-05:002010-03-22T15:00:19.014-05:00

So the band had a last-minute gig on Friday night. I wore this shirt:Like most of my funny shirts, it came from Shirt Woot. And yes, a ceiling Chtulhu is supposed to be funny. And I wear my Woot shirts often and proudly for a very specific reason: shirt-wooters love each other. No really, we'll say hi to each other in a crowd.We all feel like we're in the same club, and we all feel like it's

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-21874911162603491392010-03-19T08:00:00.001-05:002010-03-19T08:00:02.939-05:00

Well, I'm 12 years late to the party, but I finally got through Half-Life. Despite the fact that the graphics are a bit dated, I'm amazed at how well the game holds up. I enjoyed the mystery of the story, particularly that surrounding the G-Man, whom you see in frequent, fleeting bursts, but whom you only meet at the end. I enjoyed the fact that the final confrontation involved using all (or

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-19507065742313241952010-03-18T08:00:00.000-05:002010-03-18T08:00:00.147-05:00

New allegations against Pope Benedict XVI are arising about the role he played in covering up child molestations in the 70's and 80's. Reviews of church laws have brought to light a disturbing little factoid: the pope cannot be removed from office. He can't be defrocked, forced to resign, or even subjected to the laws of any land.This is frightening on its face, but I submit a positive spin.

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-50795974402515081592010-03-17T08:00:00.000-05:002010-03-17T08:00:00.720-05:00

So Abby and I recently watched Adventureland, and I thought I'd give my impressions. This is more of a discussion than a review, so if you haven't seen it, be warned that there will be spoilers. If want you want is a review, here's a short one: I liked it. I didn't love it, but I appreciated the approach it took.Adventureland starts with an incredibly tired premise: geeky, virginal protagonist

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-913008163783165972010-03-16T08:00:00.000-05:002010-03-16T08:00:01.596-05:00

I have a weird sort of affection for Texas, since I grew up there. But this is bullshit.On Friday, Texas's board of education approved a social studies curriculum designed to put a more conservative spin on history. If you read through the article, you'll find a few disturbing trends.First, there's the belief in Texas that history texts are too liberal. I find this frightening because across

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135060557127775977.post-43884809966300722522010-03-15T08:00:00.001-05:002010-03-15T08:00:10.266-05:00

There's currently a bill to ban salt in restaurants in New York.No. Really.Customers would be allowed to use salt, according to the bill introduced by Assembly Felix Ortiz, but cooks, chefs, and bakers would not, under threat of $1,000 fine per violation. Now, this is stupid for more reasons that you think--the chemistry of salt in cooking does more than add flavor. The link above gives a

Kurt Pankauhttps://profiles.google.com/108500389926919033691noreply@blogger.com3