Pics soon, Ninjas now!

For those of you expecting travel pics... well, they're currently making their way from my camera to my computer, but they're not here yet. Soon. Very soon.

What I'm lacking in photos, I'm going to try to make up for in ninjas. Did I mention that before I left for Hungary I had this really crazy weekend where all kinds of people visited me, including a surprise visit from my friend Whitney who was kind enough to tell me buying a Nintendo DS would be a good idea? Probably not, but it happened.

And so the hunt for games was on. New Super Mario Bros.? Sounds great! Mario Kart DS? Excellent! Worms?! Amazing! But there is one game that has become my favorite: N+. Admittedly, I'm not breaking any news. This game has been around (on the web) for a while. I'll spare you the review, but I can't spare you this comparison: this game is the Junior Bacon Cheeseburger of video games - simple, cheap, satisfying, and oh so bacony. But I haven't told you what it's about yet, have I? Well, let me break it down for you.

• You are a ninja.
• You love gold.
• Things are trying to kill you.

Basically, it's not any more complicated than that, which is why I love it. Beauty is, you can try it too.

Swing your hips from side to side...

I had originally intended to share with you how much I loved this show as a kid:

and how every Friday I would run home but somehow always miss this segment of it:

but the internet wants me to tell you that there are way too many musicians with no direction out there (except maybe these guys).

If only I'd stayed one more day...

So, I'm finally back from my scientific conference/vacation, and though I'm glad to be back in the city (and blogging again), I really should have stayed in Seattle one more day. The weather is better, there is food at my parents house (there isn't any in my apartment), and most of all, if I had stayed, I could have met Steve Wiebe.

That's right folks - I could have met the star of "King of Kong." Now, I know that some of you have seen this film, so you will know how big of a deal this could have been. You see, as those with whom I saw the movie are painfully aware, he lives very close to where I grew up, and in fact teaches in the school district where I went to school. I was headed out to Seattle the next day, and after a bit of detective work, found an email and sent him a note requesting a meeting to shake his hand and have him sign a Donkey Kong figurine (which I got in my early teens as a game tester for Nintendo). A week went by and yesterday I received a very nice reply stating that he had just got to my email and that if I were going to be in town on Wednesday (today), he would love to meet with me. Man! If only! Well, I guess it was never meant to be, but it just goes to show that he really is as nice of a guy as he is portrayed in the movie. So, if you haven't seen this movie yet, let me join the others in strongly encouraging you to go and see it. Seriously.

Something you should know about

I must admit that this information is not NEARLY as cool as what is happening over here, but since I don't have a job that gives me these kinds of opportunities (I'm just trying to find a cure for HIV/AIDS - not that I'm bitter or anything), I'll just have to pass on the info that I have. And I must admit, it's pretty cool.

Some of you may know that the 12th Street Guitar Hero Fancier's Association meetings have more of a "soft rock" atmosphere lately, but Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80s might change that. Most of you probably know about this already, but it's set out for release in July and they have finally released a (incomplete) list of songs that will be on it. So, for those of you who might be interested, here's the lineup so far:

• I Wanna Rock (by Twisted Sister)
• I Ran (by Flock of Seagulls)
• Round and Round (as made famous by Ratt)
• I Want Candy (as made famous by Bow Wow Wow)
• Metal Health (as made famous by Quiet Riot)
• Holy Diver (as made famous by Dio)
• Heat Of The Moment (as made famous by Asia)

I'm going to guess that the lack of a "as made famous by" on the first two means they are the original cuts, but who knows. So far, no one has said how many tracks there will be (I'm guessing around 30), so let the speculation begin. If you really care, the actual press release announcing all of this nonsense can be found here.

Musings on Guitar Hero

So, tonight is the 4th meeting of the 12th Street Guitar Hero Fanciers' Association, and I was thinking about some songs that I would really like to hear in a future version of GH. OK, so I'm sure tons of lists like this exist out there, blah blah blah, I'm not being creative. Here's the list:

Songs that would be good
Holiday - Green Day
Stairway to Heaven - Led Zepplin
We Built This City - Starship (I guess it would be better for Keytar Hero)
Sweet Emotion - Aerosmith
Suffragette City - David Bowie
Black Magic Woman - Santana

Songs that would be GREAT
Layla - Derek & The Dominoes
American Girl - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (Runnin' Down A Dream might also be nice...)
Cryin' - Aerosmith
You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC
Any Way You Want It - Journey
Eruption - Van Halen

So, I have recently discovered that a way to mod GH2 has been worked out (requiring a modified PS2, unfortunately) and put any song that you want in. Several of my wants have been done, and many others are out there. Here's a little sample of what the finished product looks like:



There are also a few open source copies of Guitar Hero out there designed to be played with your computer keyboard (or controller, if you buy the correct adapters). Well, that's that.

Bit O' Biology

As I was studying tonight, I learned something interesting. OK, please don't leave just yet, I promise this will be good.
In everything from fruit flies to humans there is a biochemical pathway called the Hedgehog pathway. It is a pretty important pathway that helps regulate stem cells and tissue growth. There are several genes that are a part of this pathway, the most famous of which (and the most common one found in mammals) is called,

Sonic Hedgehog!

Yup, it's named for the video game character. And it also has something to do with hair growth (when the pathway is stimulated in the skin). This isn't the only time that a video game has provided a gene name. This one didn't turn out so well.