Quote of the Week:
"I think the worst time to have a heart attack is during a game of charades..., or a game of fake heart attack." -Demetri Martin

• 5Jan 08

  Learning Web Page Design & Java

  This year, I have been taking an AP Java class, and so far its been pretty cool. I have learned how to make Java interfaces like pop-up windows and applets, which can make for some pretty useful programs. We just started learning web page design. I already know a lot of html, but now I can incorporate it with java programs. I'm hoping to make some flash games once we start doing more animation oriented programming. The thing is, I don't really know where to start. I could use the graphical user interface and draw everything, but there must be an easier way. Does anyone know of any good flash game programs that could possibly be of use to me?
  • Posted Jan 5, 2008 8:00 pm GMT
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• 14Oct 07

  Portal...Short But Sweet

  I recently beat Portal on Half-Life 2: Orange Box. Although the game was quite short (about 2 hours), it was a great game. I thought that some of the puzzles were pretty challenging, and I definitely had fun trying out different ways to accomplish tasks. Portal tests your problem solving skills, as well as your common sense, and that is partly why I enjoyed it so much.

  One thing that I wasn't expecting was the subtle, but mysterious storyline of the game. You wake up in a white room to the voice of a female instructor who guides you through the levels. "She" gives you plenty of helpful hints, and can be pretty funny at times. But the tide turns when you discover that **************spoilers************** you are basically just a test subject for a new weapon that the company has developed. But don't worry, there's cake at the end! The voice you hear continually mentions the fact that there will be cake and refreshments awaiting you at the end of the course. However, as you go thorough, you may discover secret rooms where, "The cake is not real!" is written several times on the walls, in blood. There is a very mysterious undertone to the game, and I really enjoyed it.

  It was kind of disappointing that there was no multiplayer feature as they had mentioned before the release. I also wish that there would have been a map maker, because it would have basically provided infinite replay value. It would have been really cool to have been able to make your own puzzles and share them over Xbox Live. I guess that's for the sequel...or maybe a game expansion/update, although nothing has been said yet.

  Half-Life 2: Orange Box really is one of the best values you can find. Half-Life 2, HL2: ep1, HL2: ep2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2 are all included, and are offered at the same price as any other new game. If you haven't played it yet, I suggest you go out and buy it! Even if you already have Half-Life 2, it is still worth it for the 4 other games included in the Orange Box.

  

  • Posted Oct 14, 2007 6:10 pm GMT
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• 22Sep 07

  Modest Mouse's new album- Mini Review

  I recently bought a copy of Modest Mouse's new album titles, "We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank." So far, I really like the album, and would definitely recommend it to fans of their previous albums. Here is a list of all the tracks on the album:

  March Into the Sea
  Dashboard
  Fire It Up
  Florida
  Parting of the Sensory
  Missed the Boat
  We've Got Everything
  Fly Trapped In a Jar
  Education
  Little Motel
  Steam Engenius
  Spitting Venom
  People as Places as People
  Invisible
  
  
  
  
  2. Dashboard- This is one of the album's better tracks. Its pretty "catchy," and I liked the solos, although I'm not sure what instrument they were played on. "The dasboard melted but we still had the radio."
  
  6. Missed the Boat- This is my favorite track on the entire album. The guitar is really awesome in this song, and the same goes for the vocals. The song is also very meaningful, as are many of their other songs. "And we owned all the tools ourselves, without the skills to make a shelf with."

  7. Fly Trapped In a Jar- another good track. It starts out with the sound of a fly buzzing, but then it turns into an electric guitar. "One wing wasn't even enough, it wasn't even enough, it wasn't even enough to leave."

  8. We've Got Everything- I liked this song because its beat kind of reminded me of "The View" on their last album. It starts off kind of repetitive, saying "we've got everything" and "we know everything" about 3 times each, but then it changes up a bit. "We've got everything down to a science"

  9. Steam Engenius- this is a great song, especially in the parts with the fast singing. It has a great beat to it as well. "I held in my hands the beating heart of a robot."

  13. People as Places as People- I enjoyed the opening of this song, and it kind of reminds me of the opening of an anime.

  I am still listening to all of the other tracks, trying to find out whether or not I like them. But if you haven't checked out their new album, you definitely should. And if you've never heard of Modest Mouse, then I think you should have. It is a great band with many good songs.

  For anyone who has listened to this album, what was your favorite/least favorite track?

  • Posted Sep 22, 2007 5:35 am GMT
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