Metal Singing Lessons

As an old hair metal enthusiast, I found this to be totally awesome! To be sure to at least watch from 2:18 for the best effect.

Bow to Nostra-Fletch-a-Damus

Yes folks. I called it... though looking through a glass darkly. Pottermore will be a type of MMORPG, just a bit different from the typical one. Rest assured, my predictions for your future are reliable. For $50 I'll take any other challenges.

I can see into your soul...

Pottermore & Virtual Reality

Today I saw a link the following website put together by J.K. "Awesome" Rowling, http://www.pottermore.com/. If you go to the site, you'll see the following:

I must admit, I'm sweaty with anticipation. But for what? Here are some rumors from jotzoom.com of what Pottermore is:

• It’s a social networking site for Harry Potter fans
• It’s a Harry Potter branded smart phone
• It’s a Harry Potter encyclopedia
• It’s an online Harry Potter MMORPG game
• It’s a iOS game for iPhone, Ipad
• It’s a new series of Harry Potter related books
• It’s a prequel book to Harry Potter
• Another Harry Potter theme park, possibly in the UK
• A new official Harry Potter fan site 

All noble guesses, but there can only be one. Its time for Nostra-Fletch-a-Damus to take over and declare the future!

Pottermore will be a Massively Multi-player Online Role-playing Game or Harry Potter and the MMORPG. (Pronouced "more-pig" - yes bacon lovers rejoice.) For those of you who don't know what that is: 

MMORPG "is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world." Think Everquest, etc. You know the never ending games people get addicted to and wind up getting divorced or kicked out of school over. You must think I'm joking. But people get very serious about their MMORPGs:

http://gamersushi.com/2010/11/22/todays-wtf-virtual-mmo-real-estate-sold-for-335000/

Yes, people spend some serious bucks for their fantasy life. Soon all of the Pottermaniacs can create their own avatar, buy a wand from Olivander and actually attend Hogwarts! (after spending $10,000 on tuition). I can't wait to hear Snape lecture potions, or stroll down Diagonally and try on the latest dress robes, maybe spend a year practicing to play in the Quidditch world cup, or pet a Norwegian Ridge Back!

But here is where Nostra-Fletch-a-Damus is going to get bold. Virtual Reality MMORPGs will become the greatest addiction to mankind on the planet. In the "not too distant future" in the "cyberden of tomorrow" you may go to work for 6 hours a day and spend 10 in the virtual world of your choice. Kevin Flynn certainly got stuck in his virtual world in Tron Legacy and the Lawnmower Man got crazy smart living in a computer. Why can't I become the most powerful wizard in the virtual world of Pottermore? Or fight Darth Vader in the carbon freezing chamber on Bespin? 

But this goes beyond just games. A business conference call could now take place with everyone in the same room. Long Distance relationships? A thing of the past. And if any female readers think there are no perks, how about shopping for clothes or a trip to the spa? Sticking your crazy kids into a cyber trampoline center while you take a nap?

This all sounds nuts to me. But how far off are we from achieving this? NFAD is not sure, but since I've already predicted the world will end on April 6, 2033 http://fletchword.blogspot.com/2010/01/teotwawki.html, the VR MMORPGs people better get moving. I now predict it will happen by 2025. After the Anti-Christ rules the VR MMORPG world for eight years and people give up on the reality God created for them, the Lord will come to reclaim us from our misguided attempts at happiness. Perhaps that is how everyone will see the sign of his comming? We'll all be hooked up to a VRMMORPG. Only those with the faith to unplug themselves will go out to meet Him while the rest burn as they cling to an artificial world ruled by the devil. 

Hold Music

I got stuck on the phone today with some hold music that wasn't bad at first, but after 5 minutes, the clapping drove me nuts. I now share it with you:

And no post on this subject is complete without the following Star Wars parody:

I swear I'm not that bored, just compelled by odd things today.

BTW - In my last post I should have said the Jim Carey "A Christmas Carol" flick based on the Dickens Classic and Polar Express theme should be renamed "A Halloween Carol." It practically scared my kids to death! What's with the Ghost of Christmas Present turning into a laughing skeleton blown away by the wind? Someone fell off the Polar Express and forgot this is a kids Christmas movie. Oh well...

Middle of June

A few random hits for the summer thus far:

• Movie: Hereafter - I heard this was an awful movie, but actually rather enjoyed it. Perhaps it was due to shouting "BDH!!!" every time Bryce Dallas Howard was on screen, who knows? The whole twins thing and the depressing music was great. The Tsunami scene at the beginning made the whole time investment worthwhile. And once again, we have a movie with French people acting like superior self-absorbed, jerks. Good times.

• Movie: Rabbit Hole - Despite the WORST title of all times for a movie, I decided to pick this up at the Red Box. This movie is like rubbing your face against an emotional cheese grater for 2 hours. Its one ugly conversation after another. Nothing in this movie showed that grief can also be beautiful and a necessary part of life. Ekhart's failed seduction scene with the Al Green music was pretty dang awesome. But outside of that, near the end I started wishing a Rabbit Hole would allow me to escape from the film. But I rarely give up on a movie and saw this out to the bitter end. The only fun I managed to have during this movie was yelling "YANG!" at the actress from Grey's Anatomy and telling her to scrub up for surgery. 

• Talking to Movies - I have a problem with that lately. 

• Eating Bugs - The Lizard and I have taken to doing evening bike rides. Can I just say how wonderful it is when your kids are old enough to do things like this instead of watch Sponge Bob and demand ice cream? The only downside is swallowing a mosquito and having it wriggle around in the back of your throat for 10 minutes. Lizard handled an 8 mi ride with flying colors and no complaints. Perhaps its time to get her a road bike and start training for the Tour de France?

• LBJ = Choke Artist - LeBron, you want 7 titles? At this pace you'll be lucky to get 1 or 2 if you keep choking to death in the 4th Quarter. However, the Karma Factor should be considered here. Dirk got hosed by the officiating in Miami in 2006. Perhaps the Universe was just giving it back to him with a sick Game 2 comeback and then a close-out win in Game 6 in Miami? I'm no Mavs lover, but it was good to see Dirk and Kidd win a title and get off "The List" of great NBA players with no ring.

• Chrome Convert - Yes CA, I have converted all of my work and home browsing to Chrome and am LOVING it! Things really do run smoother, faster and I feel a little less evil... Heck, even my work is moving our email provider over to Gmail. We'll still keep our domain, but all of the storage, etc. will be on Gmail when I'm away from my lappie or phone. Does this mean Google is now becoming as evil as Microsoft if I'm using them so much?

• Geeking Out - I want to know what character I should be for the midnight session of HPDH Part Duex - The movie experience of a GENERATION. Yes, I commit here and now to dress up and take pictures. 

I Love the Wind

Lately, we've had a consistent breeze here in the Mile High City. Not necessarily a blustery day like Pooh dealt with, but a mild wind, nothing strong enough to give you serious problems or ruin a picnic. Although I'm not out reveling in it, I'm enjoying it. I wouldn't be surprised to see the ghost of Patrick Swazye show up and start serenading me with "She's Like the Wind" on my back porch as I watch the sun go down. What could be better? 

But I've heard several people complain that this gentle caress of air is driving them nuts.

????

What's so bad about a breeze? Here are reasons why our recent air flow is a good thing. 

1. Keeps the air fresh and the smog away making our skyline beautiful.
2. Evening breezes help cool off the house reducing the need for AC and energy savings
3. Saving energy saves the planet and makes you a good person regardless of how you live.
4. Wind Turbines and tax dollars to build them are suddenly justified.
5. The Bible says being born of the Spirit is like the Wind. (St. John 3:8). The Bible further references wind 158 times.
6. The wind is a gentle reminder from God or the Universe (whatever you prefer) that he is still there even if you can't see him.
7. Sports - Kite flying, sailing, wind surfing, hang gliding, parasailing, snowskiting and ice boating. Are you ready to give those up?
8. Think of all the manual laborers grateful for a breeze to help cool them off as they perform back breaking labor.
9. The Legend of Zelda - Wind Waker.
10. A breeze for football players on a two-a-day in August is a gift indeed.

The list could go on an on, but I've made my point. Whether you are a member of the Green religion worried about your carbon footprint or Old School religion and worried about salvation, white collar, blue collar, athletic or artistic, you should love the wind.

And now to honor the wind I list the 10 greatest songs about the wind.

1. "Wind of Change" - Scorpions
2. "Dust in the Wind" - Kansas
3. "She's Like the Wind" - Patrick Swazye
4. "Summer Breeze" - Seals & Croft
5. "Candle in the Wind" - (Sir) Elton John
6. "Blowin in the Wind" - Peter Paul & Mary - Bob Dylan
7. "Ride like the Wind" - Christopher Cross
8. "Wind beneath my Wings" Bette Midler
9. "Against The Wind," - Bob Seger
10. "Rock you like a Hurricane" - Scorpions

The Scorpions make the list twice and are thus the greatest "Wind" band of all times. If you are still struggling with the wind, contact me and I'll send you a CD of the Top 10 Winds songs absolutely free!! You'll get that fine, breezy feelin back. I'll say it again: what could be better?