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Games, Vladimir Putin and Moths



Hey, everyone. I have dubbed this moth the Butterscotch Moth. He is a big guy and looks like he has furry legs and tufts of hair growing from his back. Like a 50 year old plumber in a strap tee shirt.Da Vinci himself couldn't have painted his wings so beautifully.
I just read an interesting article from Sports Illustrated.com by Al Michaels, the terrific sportscaster. He was filling in for Peter King while Peter is on vacation. First of all I was very impressed by how well Al wrote. I mean, this guy could have had a great career as a writer, a columnist or a blogger. Moreover, it would be nice to just sit down and chat with this guy.
It was a lengthy piece and Al touched on a number of subjects with bluntness, knowledge and a toughness that does not condone B.S.
1. The NFL lockout
2. America's infatuation with football.
3. The Oakland Raiders.
4. His admiration for John Madden.
5.Restaurants.
6. Hotels.
7. Stadium Deals and NFL football in Los Angeles.
8. Chris Collinsworth.
9. Candlestick Park in San Francisco.
10.The DeBartelos and the 49ers.
As I read the article, I wondered if his lawyer cringed as he read it, here in the law suit happy USA.
I also read about Vladimir Putin's I-Pad 2 giveaway contest in Russia. I marveled at his seeming unconcern for political correctness. Indeed, I admire the man his boldness. I guess as the former head of the KGB, he doesn't worry a great deal what people think of him. This guy is way up there on my list of people I should never irritate. If you'd like an interesting read, do a Google search on this guy. But, the subject of the I-Pad giveaway was what I was talking about. He suggested that the parameters of the contest were the submission of a video of a striptease. I'm thinking he is a party guy. And I don't mean that kind of party. More Jack Nicholson or Keith Richards kind of party than Nikita Khrushchev kind of party. Well, both kinds, I suppose.
Another note on I-Pad gaming. When and if you buy an I-Pad go one size larger in gig capacity than what you'd planned on. The I-Pad 2 has more power and smoother, faster gameplay than I-Pad 1. The I-Pad 3 will have an exponential improvement in the potential ceiling for game developers. Therefore games will continue to grow more awesome in graphics and quality and also in the gigs used. I had planned on keeping my I-Pad 2 for years but now I can see that the I-Pad tech will drive game developers to step up on game graphics, power, and sophistication. The new games will then in turn drive the consumer to buy the latest I-Pad so that they can get the most from the newer games. As Yogi Berra said, "It's a vicious motorcycle."
The first few days I used my I-Pad 1, I told my wife that we should buy some Apple stock because they had a huge hit on their hands. Let me say that you haven't seen anything yet. This device is going to change America's entertainment habits. My wife and I spend more time with I-Pad than with television. I had not played video games in almost 30 years, now look at me. A whole new segment of society has entered the gaming market. Moreover there is massive enthusiasm, media coverage and a heck of a lot of money to be made. The money will draw the best and the brightest of the big companies and the tiny independents of game developers. The massive app store will be like a boulder rolling down hill. More and better games, cross-generational fans. Grandfathers teaching grandsons how to kill a T-Rex, Grannies teaching grandkids how to work puzzles and play Scrabble. And of course, teenagers having to teach all of us how to beat Nova 2. As Bob Dylan said, The times they are a-changing.
From the author's green retreat, I'm CE Wills.
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