Scott David Brown's Blog, page 9

Fast Commuting In Minecraft

The lava filled world of The Nether in Minecraft is a very dangerous place. From the moment you enter, you find yourself exploring islands filled with nether rock and endlessly burning fire. If you are lucky, all you are greeted with are the “friendly” zombie pigmen that travel in packs. If not, you’ll run into the dreaded Ghast, a sad-looking creature shooting fireballs at you. To an outsider, it may sound like a worthless place. Why would anyone want to venture into hell?

There are many uses for The Nether. The rare Nether Wart can be found there and taken back to the over-world where it can be farmed like any other crop. Nether Wart is used to make potions. One in which can be used to cure zombies. It can be found in the large fortresses found in The Nether. My most recent goal, however, has been to find a way to travel from my mining company to my keep on my island.

What is interesting about the way the game designers created The Nether is that one can use it as a fast travel method. Eight blocks in the over-world is equal to one block in The Nether. That means that I can use the dangerous hellish world to travel much faster than my old method.

Before, I had to enter my mine and use my cart system until I reached the end of a tunnel that leads to the surface. It connects to a dock by the sea where I then must travel by boat to my island. This process takes several minutes. In-game, that translates to a big chunk of the day for my character. Plus, I can only make the trip during the day.

After doing a little research, I discovered that I could use nether portals to travel long distances from two points in the over-world. To do this, I had to obtain the coordinates of my mine and my keep. If you press “F3″ you can get them. I first tried just making  a second portal at my mine and entering. The game tried to set it up, but the second portal was too close to my first portal in the nether. This messed up the portals.  Both my mine portal and my town portal led to the same spot. I ended up taking down the second portal in The Nether and moving it. Apparently you can set up a manual connection by taking the coordinates of your over-world portal and dividing that by 8. So, say your over-world portal is at 80 and 8 (I believe that is X = 80 and Z = 8). You would then need to venture into The Nether and find the coordinates of 8 and 1. Build your portal there and you will have a working link. Just make sure that you activate the second portal you have in the over-world, but DO NOT enter it. Go back to your original over-world portal and find the right spot in The Nether from your original portal.

The biggest problem I had when I first entered The Nether were the Ghasts that would pop up and attack me. They deactivated my portal with fireballs. This would leave me stuck in the world until I lured the ghast to attack the portal again. That’s why it’s a good idea to have extra flint and steel around so you can reactivate the portal. There were times I didn’t have any, because I had died! Suffice to say, you should be prepared before you go there.

Once I had my second nether portal in the overworld linked correctly, I had to find a way to travel in The Nether without dying! The only real danger in the open spaces of The Nether, besides lava, is fire. The Ghast is the most dangerous as it shoots fireballs that have an area of effect damage. That means nether rock and sand can be blasted away easily. Thankfully, stone is fireproof. Since cobblestone is the easiest material to obtain. It took several real life hours to build my nether tunnel, but now I can travel from my mine to my home without worrying about being burnt to a crisp!

Here’s some pictures of the process:

 

 

June Gloom Walk

Yesterday morning I decided to take a little detour from my typical Wii Fit U workouts. A friend of mine, Mark, visited me he other day to help give me some exercise tips. I thought I’d share some interesting pictures of my little trek: I think that was my favorite shot. The lake is man-made and quite big. There a lot of people walking and running around the lake. I passed runners while I was walking. I passed a woman running around the lake three times. I thought that was impressive, at least compared to my ability. No, I didn’t giver her the thumbs up or say anything. There are several stations around the lake that one can use to exercise. I had decided to use one in particular Normally I workout using Wii Fit U. I’ve talked about it before. The nice thing about having it is that I don’t have to go far to exercise. I also like the privacy. The only downside is that there is a limit to what you can do with your upper body. Sure there is the push up and side planks and a few others, but not enough. This particular area has plenty of bars to do all sorts of things. I tried doing chin-ups and dips, but didn’t do well. I was able to do some pull-ups, hanging under a bar and pulling upwards. I liked those!

I walked to the lake instead of driving, so I could get a good warm up. I feel like the distance was more than enough and I may drive to the lake and some warm-ups at the station. There is a step workout area that would be a good place to warm up too. I just don’t like how long it takes to get there and I don’t really need a 20min warmup (which is about how long it takes to get to the right station from my house).

Probably the most fun part of the day was seeing the ducks and geese!

Looks to me like they share a common ancestor ;).  On the way back, I ran into something I hadn’t noticed before:

Yikes, looks like a repair is in order! I wonder if someone unscrewed the sign from the post. I saw another button with two missing screws from the sign, so I thought maybe someone was doing it.

Overall, the total workout was about an hour-long. That was mostly from walking. I’m thinking of doing two half hour Wii Fit U workouts to see how it compares in terms of effort.

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood, Review

*Spoiler Alert* Video has gameplay footage and may reveal secrets from the game.

Xbox Live Gold members finally can get free games for Xbox One. We got two games instead of just one to start the month. Max: The Curse of Brotherhood was one of them. I was more excited about Halo Spartan Assault until I played as Max. It’s a side scroller, which I’ve grown quite fond of since Deadlight was offered free to gold members last month on Xbox 360. Max is a grade schooler who seems fairly typical for his age.

The cleverness of the title comes into play when you start the game. The intro cut scene plays and we discover that Max is a little annoyed with his little brother, messing with Max’s toys. Wishing his brother would leave him alone, and browsing the web to find a way to get rid of him, a portal appears and a hand grabs the little brother. Max immediately reacts by dashing through the portal after his brother.

You begin in a desert like area, running after a monster who has Max’s brother. It’s a platformer, providing you with obstacles to climb and jump over. I was immediately captured by the beautiful visuals of the game. I felt like I was playing a game designed by Pixar. The frame rate seems consistent at around 60 fps. The musical score from the game adds to the movie-esque feel of the game as you travel through each stage. Many of the levels have a secret to discover and evil eyes to find. If you miss any of the eyes or secrets, you can go back to through the level and find them. Progress is saved with each one discovered, so you don’t have to worry about playing the whole level again.

What is really impressive about Max is how fearless he seems. He’s chasing after monsters and traveling through dangerous terrain. He has snappy comebacks when defeating an enemy or escaping danger. The most fun feature of the game is Max’s magic marker which he can use on certain parts of each stage. There are little places where we can draw platforms to help him traverse the dangerous world. It’s likely that the game is not very long, but there are a lot of achievements to earn. Even if the game is short, it’s certainly a fun one and you can’t argue it’s price! I urge you to download it if you have an Xbox One and a Xbox Live Gold membership. If you plan on getting Xbox One in the future, considering getting this game. It probably will have an affordable price.

Misogyny and Sexual Entitlement

The shooting at The University of California, Santa Barbra, has a misogyny component. While watching CNN and MSNBC for the past few days I have been reminded that violent crimes are more often than not committed by men. Does this mean that women do not commit violent crime? No, but women seem to be much less likely to use violence when compared to men.

After watching some of the coverage on the news networks the main arguments about what causes this violences seems to be media influences, guns, and male culture. As with any generalization there is a danger that we will over simplify what causes violence. It’s easy to blame video games or movies and use them as scapegoats. I feel that this detracts from the conversation about male violence. As a society we can talk about what effect fantasy violence has on children and adults, but we shouldn’t pretend that playing Grand Theft Auto will turn a person into a homicidal maniac!

Statistically it has been said that most violent crimes are done “in the heat of the moment.” Most violence is the result of emotions and rage. It’s better to express emotion rather than repressing it. Anger is an especially dangerous emotion to repress. Anger is often a factor in mass shootings.

I wonder why some of these shooters were so angry? In this latest tragedy, a hatred of women seems to be the prime motivation. The shooter was angry that he wasn’t getting sexual gratification from women. He felt like he didn’t deserve rejection and that women should have submitted to him. These are extreem ideas, but they are still common among many young men. It reminds me of when I was a 20-year-old, trying to understand sexual relationships. I would often visit dating forums in the web looking for advice.

Most of the men on these forums were mainly concerned with having sex. There were “tips,” many focused on acting like a jerk, though not being a real jerk. In one instance there was a debate about jerks versus nice guys. This is something we have all heard about at some point. “Nice guys finish last” and “women like the bad boys.” I have heard men argue that being nice is a turn-off. I have heard men complain about rejection. I have been rejected and I know what that is like. Thankfully, I learned to deal with it.

Sexual entitlement is silly as having sex with someone is not a necessity. There are ways to handle sexual desire without seeking a partner. I don’t think it’s bad for people to seek sexual pleasure in a consenting partner. What people do in private is their business. However, forcing or tricking someone into sex and justifying it is disgusting. If sex is so important to you and you can’t find a willing participant, just go solo. It may not be as fun as the “real” thing, but it’s better than crossing the line.

I think the main problem with mass shootings is that the shooters don’t feel comfortable talking about their problems. There is still a stigma with sharing one’s feelings among many men. While women tend to be more open and willing to share their feelings, men still seem to hide them. Many do not think it is manly to share negative emotions out of a fear of showing weakness. This relates to the need for a strong gender identity. If we tell men that they can determine what masculinity means for them, they may not feel pressure to adhere to a stereotypical image of manliness. Being a man doesn’t mean sleeping with as many women as possible. To me it means being a good person and standing up for what you believe in.

Finding a Career in Teaching

You now have your undergrad or advanced degree. Great right? Well you might be wondering what to do next. I’m in this situation and I’m ready to find a job! I have my BA in psychology and now my Masters. It feels great! I’ve managed to accomplish quite a bit, but now I must put those degrees to use. Some may think that going to school is challenging and it can be, but getting a job can be difficult on its own. I’m using several sources in finding a job, such as:

Monster.com

A decent website that allows employers and professionals to find each other. I’m finding it to be less useful as other sites since I’m looking for professorships. Academic jobs are not easy to find on Monster so far. This is based on my own experience.

HigherEdJobs.com

This is a good site for academic jobs. I’ve found quite a few listings. It’s a simple process to set up your resume and you can have a “job agent” that sends new jobs that are available based on your search preference.

University Websites

I’ve been checking with my undergrad university website for potential jobs. I’ve applied to a couple of positions. Not a lot to offer right now, but I’ll keep checking with it. Community colleges are probably a good source to consider. I’ve applied to my local community college district and applied for a part-time psychology professor position. I’ve been put into a pool and will be considered if a position is made available at any of the local community colleges in my county.

Google Search

Just doing a google search for jobs can be helpful. You may find job search websites that way too. You’re not necessarily going to find open job positions that way, but you might get lucky.

 

All of my suggestions are focused on the online aspects of job searching. I’d like to be an online professor, so it makes sense to find a job this way. You can of course search offline. Networking is very helpful and there are other things you can do. I found an interesting website: http://instaedu.com/ that matches students with tutors. I’ve been accepted and I am waiting my first assignment(s). The tutoring happens online and seems like it will be a good way for me to practice teaching. It’s pretty flexible and you can work as long as you want, providing you get students. It could be a nice little part-time gig while I look for a job. Combine it with a part-time teaching position online and I might make a nice little living. It would be especially helpful in paying back my student loans!

The Lost Elf Book 2 Audiobook

 

I have managed to get two short stories finished in The Lost Elf series thus far. It’s taken me much longer to write this series than I anticipated. I really don’t have much of a valid excuse, other than I’m lazy and school got pretty taxing at the end. Thankfully, I have officially graduated from The University of the Rockies with my Masters degree in general psychology and am done with school. The next step if finding a job, a process that will take up some of my time. However, I can now shift some of my focus back to my fantasy series.

Reptilian Encounter, book 2 of The Lost Elf series, has just been released in an audiobook format: http://tinyurl.com/ld67lqu. Steve Barnes has done another fantastic job bringing my characters to life. We are both excited for the next one! Speaking of which, I am about half way though the first draft of book 3. I hit a snag and felt stuck for a while, but I was able to pick things up. The greatest challenge to writing this short story series for me seems to be trying to separate myself from what has been done. I’m playing Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and it makes me realize how much my stories mirrors this game and others like it. I feel like I have been fairly original while borrowing some elements from other fantasy works like World of Warcraft, The Legend of Zelda, and Lord of the Rings.  My intent was to make the story feel like a video game, but without it becoming too linear. It’s a delicate balance.

The biggest criticism I have had so far was that the story is too much like a video game in the sense that I follow some RPG like conventions. This helps me to shift a bit to make sure that I keep the balance I’m looking for. Many video games these days have deep story lines. Elder Scrolls has become a series with adult themes that mimic reality. The lessons that one can learn from these games is similar to what you might learn from watching a movie or reading a book. As the video game industry advances I think we will see more and more studios working on games that compete with films. I like some of the elements from fantasy games and that is why I have used them in my stories.

I’m constantly coming up with new ideas and sometimes I feel the urge to move on to another project. I so want to go back and work on my sci-fi novel, Target: Foxtrot (a working title), but I feel that The Lost Elf deserves my attention. This is one of the reasons I decided to write the story in shorts, so that I couldn’t abandon it for some other project. So far this has worked!

Plants Versus Zombies: Garden Warfare

I basically just copied and pasted my Amazon review of Plants Versus Zombies: Garden Warfare here for my blog. I thought, why not? I haven’t posted in a while and you all deserve a little something. Plus if you are thinking about getting this game on Xbox 360 or Xbox one you can get an idea of what the game is  like. You basically have to kill plants or zombies (though technically it’s KO’ed not kill).

Amazon review:

I was introduced to Plants Vs. Zombies when I was a WoW player. There was a quest that inspired by it. I downloaded the first PvZ game on Xbox 360 last holiday when it was on sale. I also have the squeal on iPad which is a “free” to play game.

I was a bit disappointed that there was no single player mode in this game. Even though I read the box cover, I was still secretly hoping there would be one! However, I wasn’t shocked that it was online only. I didn’t care about the lack of local play, though I did consider getting an Xbox one for PvZ GW. I feel that the Xbox version is pretty good, though it does seem like it lacks in content for a $30 game.

Here’s what I like:

Graphics are really crisp and clear. I love the colors and the cartoon style fits with the game very well. The music, especially at the results screen, is catchy. The game reminds me of Team Fortress 2. I like the different characters and there is enough variety for now. The game seems well-balanced and I don’t feel that one side is stronger than the other in terms of mechanics. Also, both sides have a certain uniqueness. I think that the chomper is my favorite! There is a co-op online mode which stays with the spirit of the original game that you can play with up to 4 people or by yourself if you want. Personally, I’m not sure that playing by yourself is viable as it is much easier to play with other people. I also like the 3rd person style as the characters are fun to look at.

What I don’t like:

The game really only has two modes for multiplier. A team death-match type and garden vs graveyard. Both modes are fun. The latter is kind of like TF2, because you have to capture several areas as zombies and defend them as plants. Both are fun, but seems a bit lacking without more game modes. Sure there are two more modes, but they are “classic” versions of the first two modes. I am sure there will be DLC coming to this game, but it does mean you will probably have to spend more money!

Bottom Line:

This is a fun game and it’s very different from the original. I think it’s a fun game and should hold my interest for a while, at least until I get all of the achievements. It’s worth a buy if you are a fan of the series and are looking for a great multi-player game. It does have some flaws as far as a lack of content, but it seems to be bug free and I haven’t noticed much lag at all. $30 isn’t too bad a price, but I think it’s really worth $20. Also, no single player mode is kind of a downer. Overall, I feel the game is worth it.

Looking at the Stock Market

Photo taken from 123RF.com

After leaving my bank’s brokerage and moving to Charles Schwab, I’ve become more aggressive in my stock trades. I’ve been investing for a few years now and I’m more confident now in trading. There is always going to be risk in trading stock, but it’s safer than going to Vegas. It’s always important to do your research when picking stocks. Seek advice and see what the experts say. You can watch CNBC and other financial networks, but keep in mind that the market can be difficult to predict. Even the experts are wrong sometimes.

With that said, I’ll let you know what I have in my portfolio. Today has been a big day for my stocks and I’ve made over $400 for the day so far!

Facebook (FB): I bought this on a whim yesterday based on opinions from CNBC interviews. I knew there would be a profit report coming out at the end of the day. I was looking for another stock to finish up my portfolio and I took a chance. It turned out great as the after hour trading on Facebook (FB) jumped up. It’s slowing down a bit now and I’m not sure if I’m selling it today or not. It may not be a good time to buy in my opinion. It’d hard to say if it will continue to go up or if it has stopped.

Mastercard (MA): I got into this stock before the split and so far I’ve lost quite a bit on the stock. Splits are attempts to get more people to buy a stock by cutting the cost of the stock and adding more available shares for purchase. A split can influence people to buy stock in the company, especially when the company is doing well. It’s still to be seen whether Mastercard (MA) will go up. If you look at the last several years, the company has a steady increase in its stock price. I think this is a good time to get into MA. My recommendation is: buy.

Bank of America (BAC): I’m not really a fan of this company, I used to bank with them, but left because I didn’t like how they ran their business. However, they have changed and the company seems to be in line for increasing their business. My recommendation is: buy.

Vista Gold Corp. (VGZ): This is an American gold mining company that operates in the USA and other countries. The stock price is very, very low. We are talking penny stocks. I bought a small stake in this company, because I feel it is a really risky stock. It has been higher in the past, but right now it’s under $1. Gold is a good investment during economic downturns, but now it may not be such a good investment. I won’t make much money off of this stock unless it jumps up quite a bit, but I won’t lose much  if it drops a lot either since I have a small amount invested with this stock. I bought into this stock as an experiment.

T-Mobile (TMUS) and Sprint (S): There has been a lot of buzz about the possibility of a Sprint and T-Mobile (TMUS) merger. Personally, I don’t think it will happen, but it does have a better chance than when AT&T (T) tried to buy T-Mobile (TMUS). This is because both Sprint (S) and T-Mobile (TMUS) have a smaller hold on the market than Verizon (VZ) and AT&T (T). I rode the Sprint (S) high but got out before it fell back to its current stock value. I like Sprint (S), but I’m not sure it is a good buy right now. If the merger goes through, both companies will see a rise in their stock price. However, if not, Sprint (S) may stagnate. T-Mobile (TMUS) should survive the fallout if the deal doesn’t go through. My recommendation on T-Mobile: buy. Sprint: wait and see.

Hear is the stock prices of the stocks I have mentioned as of writing this post:

FB – $61.27

MA – $79.27

BAC – $16.92

TMUS – $31.00

VGZ – $0.6001

S – $8.50

To summarize, I recommend buying Mastercard (MA), T-Mobile (TMUS), and Bank of America (BAC). Sprint is at a good price to buy, but I’d wait and see if it starts going up again. Facebook (FB) could continue to grow, but it’s too difficult to say if it will continue to go up. I have no recommendation on Facebook (FB) at this time.

Photo source: http://www.123rf.com/photo_8170080_st...

Wii Box 360

Wii U Gamepad and Xbox 360 Controller

I’ve been a fan of Nintendo since I was a small child. I tend to be loyal to brands that I grow up with or use for several years. Nintendo has the innovation that I have come to expect from them. For many years, I was a Nintendo fan-boy and I never gave much thought to owning other gaming systems. In my early 20′s I changed my tune. I had a PS2, then Xbox, then a PS2 again. Got rid of that for a Xbox 360, traded that in and later got a PS3 (had that break, got more PS3′s, they broke too until I got a slim), and finally traded in my PS3 slim and later got a Xbox 360 E. I’ve met people who had Wii, PlayStation, and Xbox at the same time. Heck don’t count out the PC.  I’ve been a PC gamer even before having my NES.

It was a bit weird to own a gaming console that wasn’t a Nintendo, but it was fun to break out of my fanboy-ism.  It’s been difficult to decide which to stick with, PlayStation or Xbox. I liked the PS3 because it had free online gaming and it was more affordable. I THOUGHT it would be more reliable, but that turned out not to be the case. I think both Sony and MS have tried to avoid the red ring of death and yellow light of death that Xbox and PlayStation had in the early days. I hope that is true. but I’m going to stick with my Wii U and Xbox 360 for a while. Will I get a PS4 or Xbox One?

I think I’ll end up with one of those next-gen consoles eventually. Right now, Xbox One seems more likely, however I don’t trust the reliability of the hardware. It’s probably best to hold off on a PS4 or Xbox One until the next remodel or two. The most noticeable factor in going back to Xbox is the controller for me. I really like the Xbox controller more than the PlayStation, except that the d-pad is better on the PS3 controller than it is on the Xbox 360. I have heard that the Xbox One controller has a better d-pad than the previous generation.

The Xbox triggers and control sticks are a better design than the PlayStation in my opinion. I like that the sticks are father apart and the triggers feel more natural. The home button is bigger, which is nice. Another thing that I didn’t like about the PlayStation controller was that it felt cheap and too easy to break. I hear the PS4 controller feels sturdier, which is a good thing.

What really made me leave PS3 was the games. I felt that too many of the games  for PS3 are now available on Steam (I heart Steam), so it didn’t seem worth keeping the PS3. The exclusives do not seem to be enough to keep my interest. Uncharted, SOCOM, and a few others are fun, but I feel like I’ve grown tired of them. Meanwhile, Xbox has RARE, Gears of War, Halo, and Forza for some realistic racing action. It really makes sense for me to have one Japanese gaming system and an American console. Both Wii U and Xbox offer different types of games. While Xbox is more FPS and sports, Nintendo has first party titles that take me back and some unique games you won’t get from an American market. I should note that this is changing to some degree.

Sony may indeed be the underdog this generation, as I have heard one executive say. However, Sony does have a lot of fans and I think they will be king of the industry for a while. MS is getting better and Nintendo still has the portable market cornered. It is truly a wonderful time to be a gamer. I like seeing three competitors and I hope they all stick around for years to come. Ohhh, can’t wait to check out a Steam Box!

New Career Change: Journalism!

For those of you who know me, you might say that I can be indecisive. I decide to do one thing and sometimes I change my mind. I probably do that more often than I am willing to admit. Looking back, I remember wanting to be several things over the decades: musician, actor, writer, cop, therapist, and news reporter. Today the journalism bug bit me again. It’s something that comes and goes, much like writing was until I committed to it. Now I write just about every day. I’m not always writing my short stories and novels, but I do have a journal that I write in daily. Of course, I can’t forget all the research papers I’ve had to write!

This blog is a great place for me to practice my writing, yet I tend to neglect this site! I blame Xbox for that and my need to get all the achievements in Perfect Dark and Gears of War. I know, excuses! Well, I am glad that I have been making more progress in The Lost Elf book 3. It got me thinking, I can sit down and write for a couple of hours straight when I’ve got a groove going. I’ve always thought writing as a career would be perfect for me, but I always focused on novels and fiction. I think it’s time that I consider non-fiction. Having a degree in psychology (soon to be two) means that I could look for work in psychology as a journalist. I’m also thinking about obtaining a journalism degree. Having some writing classes under my belt is helpful, including technical writing, so it doesn’t sound crazy.

It’s been a challenge for me to pinpoint a specific career that is a good fit. I tend to throw out ideas to see if something sticks. However, for the first time ever I seem to have a better direction. Once I have my masters degree, I can become a psychology professor. I want to teach online. This will allow me to pursue other interests. So who knows what will happen, maybe I’ll be a psychology journalist. Those do exist right? (Yes, yes they do).