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Picked up Me and My Katamari - Weirdest Game I’ve Ever Seen

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 13:01:09 EST

And I love it.

Snagged Me and My Katamari for PSP last night at Toys’R'Us (we were looking for a swingset/play structure thing, now that we have a back yard). Haven’t played more than a hour or so, but starting from the introduction video, I can say that this is the most cracked out game that I’ve ever played. The music, characters, and dialog just scream “weird Japanese game”, and I love it. The theme song is permanently stuck in my head, I’m afraid.

First gameplay impression? The controls are REALLY hard to get used to (at least, for someone like me who never played either of the PS2 incarnations). More after I’ve played for a while.

Oh No! What Happened to 13?

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 12:45:59 EST

I've been known to be a little slow, and since I've only been bloggin' since late 2005, I guess I've missed some of the blog "traditions" that go on in the blogging community. For example, Thursday Thirteen. Correct me if I'm wrong about this, but Thursday Thirteen is about posting thirteen things that I've experiences in the previous week right? So I made a decision... I am going to replace the "This Weeks Comics" with my own version of Thursday Thirteen. And since it's pretty late today, I don't want to jip anyone, so I'll start it next week. Please let me know if I've got it right or not, and if there are any other blog traditions that go on that I'm not aware of. (Do I take this stuff too seriously??!!) Toodles!!

Junobot Nathan Crow

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 12:45:20 EST

Buy on

Buy on cd baby

"instant hooks, rubber-banded synth melodies and mid-tempo beats set one bare foot in the early Reagan years and the other in the less naive '00s." -Cameron Macdonald (Grooves Magazine, Sacramento News and Review):

Eschewing the simplistic, 'cut-and-paste' aesthetic of current digital electronic music, Junobot uses his motley band of vintage synthesizers and drum machines to channel a solid update to the synthpop genre. The way Junobot idolizes 80's synthpop, you might expect a mash of Vicious Pink and Naked Eyes. Instead, he promises a style all his own with The Nature of Technology; electropop with meat on it's bones, electroclash without the irony, industrial with feelings.

Taking the pulsing one-finger basslines of Erasure's Vince Clark and the minor-key despair of Depeche Mode's Martin Gore, Junobot moves deftly between dancy melodies that lodge in your head and darker song subjects.

On "Plastic", he sings "...just give me something/something to live for/just give me something/but don't give me plastic..." The line rings out like a plea for substance in the often tasteless sea of modern electroclash- which is not to say he isn't a fan himself, indicated by the track "Love Me." Dressed up with an eighth-note octave bassline and moog-y melody to boot, the track is a plaintive robotic cry to a lover-to-be with analog chirps in the chorus.

"U R Not Me" rocks the hardest here with a vocodered request for understanding trembling above the dark layers of synth pulses and driving early industrial-like bass drums. Other standout tracks are the remixes by Lemans Electro and the Duke from Freezepop (whose 'Radiant Sun' remix of Smile delivers airy vocals conjuring warm spring days with "...the cute one in the corner..")

Location-Based Internet Search & Navigation

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 12:39:12 EST

Hot dog! They’re doing it with cell phones, and now they’re doing it with WiFi access points. Brilliant.

Loki is the first application to combine the physical with the digital to make the Internet a truly personal and local experience. We let you harness the World Wide Web by automatically identifying your exact physical location and then making the web revolve around you.

With one click, instantly find the nearest jazz band, directions to the closest Thai restaurant, the cheapest gas prices in town…or even pinpoint your exact location on a map. You can even share that location with others.

It is going to be real interesting as the Mobile Virtual Network Operators such as Ampd start to offer seemless coverage from cell to wifi spots.

Comment on PETA’s racism outed (finally) by: Beth

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 11:59:26 EST

They probably didn’t know about it. I didn’t even know about it at the time! (I think it got buried in the war news, at least for me.) It did get some media coverage, though.

Yep, PETA sucks. Actually, that’s putting it mildly.

Firefox Extensions Every Body Should Have

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 11:31:15 EST

According to the Mozilla/Firefox crew, extensions are…

Extensions are small add-ons that add new functionality to Firefox. They can add anything from a toolbar button to a completely new feature. They allow the application to be customized to fit the personal needs of each user if they need additional features, while keeping Firefox small to download.

I’m going to discuss my favorite extensions here with you. I’ll be starting with the extensions I feel nobody browsing the web today should be without and then move onto some extensions that are a bit more specialized in their application.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I get very tired of looking at all the various advertisements plastered over the internet. Fortunately, there are extensions for Firefox which help to clean up the web. To block advertisements, I start off with Adblock Plus. This extension lets you setup filters to block just the ads you want to block. The “Plus” version of Adblock also allows you to setup whitelists so you can view ads on the sites you want to support. The only downside, to Adblock Plus, is the time it takes to setup all the filters you want. This is where Adblock Filterset.G Updater comes in. The FiltersetG.Updater grabs a set of preconstructed filters designed to eliminate the majority of Internet advertisements for you. Using these filters alone kills 85-90% of the advertisements out there. But even those two combined don’t catch everything, so I’ve also added in NoScript to the mix.

Actually, I added in NoScript originally because so many sites were using crappy javascripts to add “features” to their pages. Features I did not need or want. But since installing NoScript, I’ve noticed it helps to block a lot of advertisements that are inserted into webpages via javascript. Bonus! Also in NoScript’s options, there is a checkbox to have NoScript block Macromedia Flash and other plugins for untrusted sites. I recommend turning these options on as it will catch & block even more advertisements.

Annoyances

Especially if you don’t use NoScript to block a site’s javascript, you should consider installing Allow Right-Click. A number of websites with cool images will use some lousy javascript to prevent you from right-clicking on the image to save it. This is ridiculous as the image has already been downloaded to your browsers cache and is on your computer already. Plus with some of the other extensions I have installed, I like to right-click on webpages to get more info or whatever and to have a site try to block me is a great annoyance. Allow Right-Click specifically blocks scripts that try to prevent right-clicks.

Another annoying thing some websites do is to link to file you want to download but setup the link in such a way that clicking on it will spawn a new browser window. *grrr* This is something that really pisses me off. Fortunately, there’s the Disable Targets For Downloads extension for Firefox to take care of that problem.

Then there are sites that will write out a URL but not make it a clickable link. Linkification fixes that annoyance for you. It can also color code those links it fixes to let you know when a site is being naughty.

And let’s not forget the annoyance of PDF Files. For whatever reason, some sites will put up content as a PDF file and then your browser will¹ load the Acrobat plugin to view the PDF in the browser. ARRRRGGGGHHHH! When I want to view a PDF file, I’ll use a proper PDF viewer and not this plugin crap. PDF Download changes Firefox’s behavior so it asks you what you want to do with a PDF fileL Download, View as PDF, View as HTML or Cancel. The View as HTML feature hasn’t worked for me in a long time, but it’s nice to force Firefox to download the file while still having the option to go insane and want to view it as a PDF file in my browser.

The last of my annoyances with the internet are sites requiring you to register to view their content. I run across this the most when trying to view news articles linked to by Google News. Fortunately, there is BugMeNot to take care of that for me. BugMeNot is both an extension and a service. They maintain lists of usercodes/passwords for various registration only websites to allow people to view the content without filling out yet another registration form and giving out their email yet again. It’s very convenient though I’m sure the sites requiring registration hate it.

Web Development

In my spare time², I like to do small amounts of webdevelopment and for that there’s one Firefox extension which is an absolute MUST HAVE, Web Developer. This extension has tons of features to aid you in your webdev work. The features I use the most are: Live CSS editing (let’s you see your changes as you make them), W3C Validation (submits your HTML/CSS to W3C to see if your code is valid) and Resize (resizes Firefox so you have an idea of what people see of your site at various screen resolutions). While those 3 functions don’t even begin to scratch the surface of what this extension can do; they do give you an idea of how useful this extension is in webdevelopment.

Next up is ColorZilla. This extension is great for helping me decide on color schemes. It let’s me visit a website or look at a photo and find the hexcode I need to use in my CSS to have that color. Current versions also have some other functionality (e.g. full page zoom) but I’ve not really looked into those.

When you’re working on a new design and times are not lining up correctly, it can be handy to see how wide something is. MeasureIt helps you get that info.

If the design you are developing is based off some ideas you got from another site, it can be handy to look at a copy of that site’s source code. But sometimes their source code is very confusing and it is difficult to figure out how they accomplished specific effects. The X-Ray extension shows you the HTML tags of a webpage while you’re still viewing the page.

And of course, if you’re working on a website, you are going to be concerned with how well your site is showing up on the various search engines. SEOpen lets you track your site’s ranking (amoung other things).

Foreign Langauge Tools

I only read English and speak a small smattering of other tongues. But I do have a variety of interests including some that tend to get reported online more by non-English speakers. So it’s handy to have the ability to translate the other langauges back to English. Moji is an integrated Japanese dictionary (including kanji). I’m sure when I get ready to start studying to read kanji, this extension will prove very helpful. In the meantime, there’s Translate Page for all my foreign langauge needs.

Cool Tools

These extensions either improve on the basic functionality in Firefox and/or add something new to Firefox that trips my trigger. They’re cool, but I’m getting tired of coming up with something to say about all of the extensions I use, so here’s just a list of the remaining ones:

Themes

I find the default theme for Firefox a bit dull. Fortunately, there’s a wide number of different themes available out there. I generally use the Mostly Crystal theme for Firefox. However there are some other interesting themes out there and below is a short list of ones I like:

¹ If you have Adobe Acrobat installed.
² Which is to say very rarely these days.

Tags: Firefox, Extensions, Themes

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untouchability - an unethical practice by ladakhi buddhists

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 11:16:37 EST

It's not only in India that the caste system is causing suffering. The caste system was one of the practices that the Buddha stood against. Saddening to find it here:

by Stanzin Dawa, The Times of Tibet, March 23, 2006

Leh, Ladakh (India) -- The sugar coated perspective of Ladakh need to be broken if we really want to know the different aspects of peaceful, pristine land. Unless we know the whole truth, we will continue to hold many prejudices, and to know the whole truth we need to unlearn many things which have conditioned our mind to be stereotyped and judgmental.

Behind the serenity of this pristine land, beneath the Buddhist banner, lurks the ugly demeanor of a segretative caste system

The truth is that there are certain practices in Ladakhi culture which are neither culturally appropriate and religiously relevant nor legally legitimate. Despite the Constitutional guarantee of "Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth" under Article-15 of the Indian constitution and "Abolition of untouchability" under article-17.

Garba (the smiths), Mon (musician) and Beda are victims of many violations in Ladakh. They have separate cups and glasses for drinking local beer (Chang) or tea at the village gatherings or ceremonies. They are not allowed to eat or drink from the utensils of others as they fear that they would pollute them. Normally they are deprived of becoming the head of the village (Goba) and head of the monastery (Lobon) irrespective of their proficiency due to their caste identity. Atrocities against them basically arise in the context of 'keeping them' in their place within the social hierarchy, mediated by caste and untouchability.

The land is known for Buddhism & it is truly known that Buddhism is a casteless religion. Ladakh is known as land of lamas, each village has got a monastery treasured with statues and Thankas, but we have miles to go to lead a true Buddhist life.
read more

Nabi Biopharmaceuticals Continues Clinical Development of StaphVax (NABI)

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 10:46:08 EST

Eric Muse submits: Last November, Nabi Biopharmaceuticals (ticker: NABI) announced that the confirmatory Phase 3 study of StaphVax failed to meet its primary endpoint. Because the results were contrary to what the company predicted would occur, they formed an outside advisory panel to determine what caused the “unexpected results.” Two conclusions were reached: 1) the quality of the antibodies generated by the vaccine was inferior to that generated by previous lots, and 2) kidney dialysis patients had impaired immune response and stronger virulence of bacteria.

Although this is a plausible explanation for the poor trial results, it raises questions about the manufacturing of StaphVax given the inter-lot variability. The ability to consistently manufacture a biological product is paramount when evaluating efficacy and safety. Even if a subsequent study does show efficacy, the company is going to have to convince the FDA they have a handle on lot-to-lot consistency. The company said in its press release that they have “defined subtle, but what are now understood to be significant changes in elements of the manufacturing process for the lot used in the confirmatory Phase III study,” which only highlights the complexity and nuances of the StaphVax manufacturing process. Given Nabi is going to develop a next generation StaphVax with additional antigens to improve the immune response, this process is only going to become more complex. This is probably not lost on the Nabi management as they intend to partner with another company with vaccine experience.

The bottom-line: StaphVax still has a ways to go before getting to market

NABI 1-Yr Price Performance:

Comment on PETA’s racism outed (finally) by: oddybobo

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 10:42:41 EST

I think that while it is wrong, I echo the comment above, where were they when PETA was comparing the slaughter of animals to the Holocaust?

PETA sucks. I think I’m going to eat a steak for lunch!

BSD Medical Surges on Filing for FDA Approval of Cancer Treatment Device; Still a Buy? (BSM)

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 10:38:04 EST

The Microcap Speculator submits: Medical device company BSD Medical (ticker: BSM) announced this morning that it has finally filed for FDA approval of its BSD-2000 cancer treatment system. The BSD-2000 uses focused RF energy (also known as hyperthermia) to attack tumors, and allows treatment of cancer located deep in the body. According to the company, the system borrows cutting edge technology from deep-space radio telescopes and advanced phased-array communications. The PreMarket Approval Application (PMAA) is a full filing, covering 24 volumes and 7,243 pages. This is very different than the abbreviated filings we often see for medical devices under section 510(k).

In 2005, business consulting group Frost and Sullivan gave the BSD-2000 its “Technology Innovation of the Year Award.” The BSD-2000 has also received favorable mention in articles appearing in prestigious journals such as Cancer, Journal of Clinical Oncology, and Radiology Today.

I don’t know much about this company, and thankfully don’t know much about cancer. That said, I think the stock is an interesting speculation at this point. The market cap is only $92M and the company has roughly $18M in cash. As a development stage company, earnings are far off. However, the technology looks promising and the potential application is very broad. I have taken taken a small position and may add more.

DISCLOSURE: I am long BSM. Not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. For informational and educational purposes only.

BSM 1-Yr Price Performance:

Analyst: KongZhong Well-Positioned for 3G (KONG)

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 10:23:34 EST

Piper Jaffray’s Safa Rashtchy released a note on wireless value added service provider KongZhong (ticker: KONG) yesterday. Key extracts:

We continue to believe that KongZhong is well positioned for the transition to 3G and that the incremental investment on the WAP portal will solidify its position when 3G licenses are granted. We would be buyers of KONG at these levels. We maintain our Outperform rating and a price target of $15 (16x 2006 EBITDA plus cash).

KONG 1-Yr Price Performance:

Apple Jumper

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 10:06:46 EST

The Joy of Tech is just about my favorite tech cartoon site. They have done it again with another great cartoon about Apple possibly not holding a 30th Anniversary event. Check it out.

Tags: joy of tech, apple, 30, birthday, cartoon, 30th anniversary, apple event, video ipod, iPod video

Nomura Issues Outline of Joinvest Securities’ Business Plans (NMR)

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 09:43:25 EST

Nomura Holdings Inc (NMR) issued a press release following the market’s close in Tokyo regarding its forthcoming wholly-owned subsidiary, Joinvest Securities. Originally I had heard Joinvest would launch in April but it will now be launching its website on May 14th and start receiving orders May 28th. In the press release it says Joinvest “aims to have 500,000 customer accounts by the end of March 2007 and plans to be profitable by the year ending March 31, 2008.”

Despite already having an on-line trading service and offering personal brokerage services, Nomura management doesn’t believe Joinvest will cannibalize commissions. A key strategy nonetheless of Joinvest is to be the low-cost leader in commissions and offer the widest variety of tradable products. I question Nomura’s optimism on avoiding cannibalization but I do believe that it faces little threat of customers switching, especially if it can match or beat E*Trade Japan’s commissions.

NMR 1-yr chart:

Nomura Issues Outline of Joinvest Securities’ Business Plans (NMR)

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 09:43:25 EST

NMR 1-yr chart:

Nikko-Citi Securities Boosts Kirin Brewery’s Target Share Price (KNBWY)

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 09:10:39 EST

Nikko-Citi Securities increased its target share price on Kirin Brewery (KNBWY) to 1,780 yen from 1,480 yen while maintaining a “buy” rating. Although I haven’t been able to find any comments from Nikko-Citi, it’s safe to say that Kirin is gaining ground on rival Asahi Breweries.

From what I understand, Kirin has a broader product selection and is doing well in attracting both price conscious drinkers and those willing to pay extra for premium beer. Beer sales are expected to be strong in Japan (despite a trend towards declining popularity in favor of wine), especially during the first half of the year given higher consumer spending, the Winter Olympics in which Japanese figure skater Shizuka Arakawa won gold, Japan winning the World Baseball Classic, and the upcoming World Cup Soccer tournament. Lastly, it is also hanami (cherry blossom viewing) season now, meaning a lot of beer is being consumed as Japanese gather to sit under the cherry blossoms and welcome in spring.

Kirin Brewery’s ordinary shares (Tokyo: 2503) closed .82% higher at 1,601 yen. The news of the target price increase seems to have come in after market. Kirin’s ADRs closed yesterday down 1.39% at $13.45. A 1,780 yen target converted at Y118/US$1 equals approximately $15.10. The USD value should increase as the yen is expected to strengthen in the second half of the year.

KNBWY 1-yr chart:

Blogdigger GIF Media - Latest links for .gif files

Picked up Me and My Katamari - Weirdest Game I’ve Ever Seen

Oh No! What Happened to 13?

Junobot Nathan Crow

Location-Based Internet Search & Navigation

Comment on PETA’s racism outed (finally) by: Beth

Firefox Extensions Every Body Should Have

Advertisements

Annoyances

Web Development

Foreign Langauge Tools

Cool Tools

Themes

untouchability - an unethical practice by ladakhi buddhists

by Stanzin Dawa, The Times of Tibet, March 23, 2006

Nabi Biopharmaceuticals Continues Clinical Development of StaphVax (NABI)

Comment on PETA’s racism outed (finally) by: oddybobo

BSD Medical Surges on Filing for FDA Approval of Cancer Treatment Device; Still a Buy? (BSM)

Analyst: KongZhong Well-Positioned for 3G (KONG)

Apple Jumper

Nomura Issues Outline of Joinvest Securities’ Business Plans (NMR)

Nomura Issues Outline of Joinvest Securities’ Business Plans (NMR)

Nikko-Citi Securities Boosts Kirin Brewery’s Target Share Price (KNBWY)