When Art Meets Video Games

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This is a fascinating article about a guy who created an extremely controversial video game as a kind of documentary and even a work of art. He wrote a game which allows the player to relive, through the viewpoint of the shooters, the viewpoints of the Columbine Shooters. He then went on to make a documentary about his experiences in making the game and the discussion and reactions that followed. It's a fascinating story on MSNBC, and, if you are into art, video games, documentaries, or even just controversy, I suggest you check it out. (by "check it out", I don't necessarily mean: "play the game". Rather, I mean: "Read the article")

It does challenge the general notion that games are for kids...

"I'll risk saying it: these are the types of games that truly elevate the medium. Those outside the gaming culture may not realize it, but games as a whole are taking a cultural shift right now, fighting between being ‘art’ and ‘entertainment’ … I think it's only right to point out that some of the greatest art in the world is daring and tests boundaries."

- Steve Watts, a 26-year-old games enthusiast from Baltimore - quote taken from the article linked above, called: These games really push our buttons by: Winda Benedetti

This is Not Vigilante Justice

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I was alerted to the following story via digg.com:

How to Perform a Citizen's Arrest of A Bush Administration Official

That's out of the Huffington Post. The Raw Story has the background story of what happened:

Activists charged with trespassing after attempt to arrest Karl Rove

I haven't looked, but I wonder if there is video of this attempt to arrest Rove. I would love to see the look on his face.

Incidentally, the Huffington Post suggests that any citizen thinking about trying to conduct a citizen's arrest of Rove look at the following statute as a possible reason for said arrest:

§ 1505. Obstruction of proceedings before departments, agencies, and committees

Whoever, with intent to avoid, evade, prevent, or obstruct compliance, in whole or in part, with any civil investigative demand duly and properly made under the Antitrust Civil Process Act, willfully withholds, misrepresents, removes from any place, conceals, covers up, destroys, mutilates, alters, or by other means falsifies any documentary material, answers to written interrogatories, or oral testimony, which is the subject of such demand; or attempts to do so or solicits another to do so; or
Whoever corruptly, or by threats or force, or by any threatening letter or communication influences, obstructs, or impedes or endeavors to influence, obstruct, or impede the due and proper administration of the law under which any pending proceeding is being had before any department or agency of the United States, or the due and proper exercise of the power of inquiry under which any inquiry or investigation is being had by either House, or any committee of either House or any joint committee of the Congress—
Shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years or, if the offense involves international or domestic terrorism (as defined in section 2331), imprisoned not more than 8 years, or both.


- Title 1, Section 18, Chapter 73, S. 1505 of the US Code

I just thought this was a cool quote....

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I was reading this article about Obama's visit to Germany, and I really liked this quote at the end. So, I had to write a blog post just so I could put it at the bottom. :-D


There is been really good news here. I finally have gotten some software submitted for the iPhone on the App Store. It's still under review, but at least this means that the ball is "in their court". Once everything gets reviewed, It's possible that my new company, Wet Leaf Software, will finally be getting into action. Maybe we'll even make some money! (I'm hoping we do! lol) Seriously though, this is an answer to prayer over the last few weeks.



So, I've got a new website up for Wet Leaf Software. You can view it here. It's mostly ready, but there's still a little bit of work to be done. (The support page isn't functioning fully yet. I'm hosting it through GoDaddy, and they tend to restrict what their users are actually able to do. I've also had to disable the counter functionality on it for now...) Hopefully, Apple will now get the review process done with quickly. I have to confess, I am so excited / anxious right now about all of this! I've been working on this stuff for most of the last two or three months. Almost every evening I come home from work, and start working again....on this stuff. Hopefully it will generate enough sales to validate that time. It's been one massive ball of anxiety until Apple allowed me to register in the paid-for developers program about 2 weeks ago. Then it's been a couple of weeks of trying to get all the legal work sorted out, and also polishing up our first real program: Convert Aid. I also wrote a new, amusement program called Esteem Aid. Esteem Aid is free, but we might have some followup apps that are very similar in design that cost about $.99. We just have to get our content together. Of course, the trick is navigating the realm of existing material while not violating any copyright. I'm very careful about that. About as careful as I can be. That pretty much limits me to public domain kind of stuff. We'll have to wait and see what materializes next. Praise be to God though for all the ideas He has given me lately, and for allowing us and helping us to come this far! It's all in His hands!

"Optimists refuse to acknowledge reality. Idealists remind us that it isn’t fixed. "

- taken from the last line of an Op-Ed in the NY Times called "Change Germans Can’t Believe In" by SUSAN NEIMAN

Apple, the Apple logo, iPod, and iTunes are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc.

From the "Texas is going green" department...

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This is a cool story about Texas's ongoing efforts to be one of (if not the) leading wind energy producers in the world. We're already number one in the country, and with the completion of this project, we should have more wind capacity than all of the 14 states following us. Even California has less than half the wind power capacity we already boast.

"The capacity for wind generation in west and north Texas is so great that we could position ourselves in Texas to be the world leader in wind and renewable energy in the next 100 years, just as we were the world leader in oil and gas for the past 100 years.”

- Texas State representative Mark Strama

Enrolled!! But still not making any money...

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I've been pretty busy lately. Even without knowing when Apple would open up it's App Store beta program, I've been busy writing software for it with the sdk (software development kit). Last Friday, the same day that they launched the new 3g iPhone, they contacted me regarding my enrollment status. I am now enrolled!!!

That's really pretty awesome because we've been praying for that for awhile. This last week has, therefore, been a whirlwind. I have now registered a new business name, aquired myself a tax ID, purchased a domain name, and I'm currently setting up the web site for my new company. I was hoping to have the first program in the App Store by the end of this week, but that's looking doubtful at the moment. I'm waiting for Apple to get back to me on some of the more legal aspects of things. Please be praying that we don't have to wait long! I think that it's important to get one's app(s) into the store as quickly as possible. Once I've got the website up and running, I'll try to post the link on here so you can go see it if you want to. In the meantime, mum's the word!

I'll tell you something though... I feel like I'm freaking out here. I feel like one big ball of anxiety. It's a bit risky starting one's own company. Especially when that company is going to be potentially exposed to a large worldwide audience. There are over 6 million iPhone customers in the world, and any of them who to run 3rd party apps on their phone have two choices: "jailbreak" their iPhones or use Apple's App Store. That means that we (Daniel and I) will have our product(s) exposed to an audience of 6+ million potential customers. I've heard estimates of an additional 10 million in the next year. This could be huge for us!!!!

We're hoping it is, of course! We're praying for it, too. Please be praying with us, and pray also that we'll be able to get our stuff in the store very soon!

On another note: The eagle eyed amongst you may have noticed I added a new link on the right to Paul and Becca's blog. They're currently roaming the U.S., but will be leaving us for lovely, safe, and wealthy Ethiopia (please note the sarcasm in my chosen adjectives) within the next couple of weeks. They are going as missionaries to work in / with a missions hospital over there. They are awesome people, and I know God is going to do amazing things with and through them there! They are not just going for a short trip. This is a career decision. Paul will be training surgeons there in a country that has a doctor / patient ratio of about 2 million people to one doctor. They could totally use all the support you are willing to give. They probably mention this on their site, but you can support them through Global Outreach. (you can donate specifically to Paul and Becca if you click on the "Please Give a Donation" button, and then click on the "donate to a specific missionary" link. Just look for Paul and Rebecca Gray )

"In little more than two decades we've gone from a position of energy independence to one in which almost half the oil we use comes from foreign countries, at prices that are going through the roof. Our excessive dependence on OPEC has already taken a tremendous toll on our economy and our people. This is the direct cause of the long lines which have made millions of you spend aggravating hours waiting for gasoline. It's a cause of the increased inflation and unemployment that we now face. This intolerable dependence on foreign oil threatens our economic independence and the very security of our nation. The energy crisis is real. It is worldwide. It is a clear and present danger to our nation. These are facts and we simply must face them."

- Jimmy Carter in a televised speech delivered on July 15, 1979