Divide by Null - undefined

So I guess with the new year comes a (desperately needed) new layout. I don't know why I made the last one. I guess I just wanted something orange. While it worked, it was... bad.

So now there's this. It's rather easier on the eyes than a bright orange. It looks a lot better because of that as well.

Plus now that I have access to photoshop, I'm able to play around with images a lot better and thus this came. Not bad, eh?

One thing though... it's untested in IE6 since I don't have it anymore and I don't want to bother. So... sorry. Get Firefox.

This came about because I was tired of CMSes and working with some other sites. But, I'm going to have to do them sometime, because I said I would. And yeah. I can do it, it's just boring/frustrating.

Oh well. Effective procrastination! Instead of doing what needs to be done now, do something with less priority, but still needs to be done. Better than playing Spider Solitaire or Freecell... of which I played two games of each and won all four!

So it's the end of the year now. It's been over a month since these two consoles started at it. The verdict: Wii.

The Wii is the victor in this 1.5 month "battle" for console supremacy. The hype for the PS3 has subsided. The hype for the Wii is still strong.

A few days before the launches, I asked people at Best Buy about the PS3 and the Wii. They generally were in favor of the PS3. This was just before the PS3 came out so there was a line already forming, so I asked about the Wii line. They scoffed at the idea. Maybe a bit, but hardly longer than the one for the PS3.

Opening day for the PS3, there were only a few consoles available, so it was no surprise that Best Buy sold out of its six consoles. Compare with the Wii that sold all 100 consoles in Best Buy in 37 minutes. The line to get a console was actually longer than that.

Woot sold PS3s just over a month after launch saying that they would buy two Wiis for each PS3 sold to give to their staff. While obviously a joke, it shows the general feeling for Wii vs. PS3.

The Wii has been called a disruptive innovation, which might sound negative, but it's not. If the DS and Wii can revolutionize the way all gaming companies do things, then it's definitely disruptive technology. Until then, a better term for this would be the Blue Ocean strategy, aiming for a new market. Hardcore gamer? Don't have to be for the Wii.

It's only so far one can go with graphics. The Wii is definitely not there for graphics. It's a new experience. My dad is always impressed by the graphics of games, but he doesn't play them. I could stare at the Mona Lisa or an actual photograph if I wanted graphics. Gameplay makes the game. Graphics, sound, story, they're just bonuses that we've come to expect. Why else would something like Katamary Damacy have such a cult following?

And Jeremy, I think you mean teen nature of the PS3. Adults seem to prefer the Wii because it's something they can play almost intuitively. This is the Blue Ocean strategy at work.

Now, this isn't to say that the PS3 is dead. I only analyzed the short time it's been out. I'm sure it can pick up the pace if Sony could, first produce more consoles, then get a few great games out. Zelda a launch title? That was probably the best thing for the Wii.

As far as PSP vs. DS? PSP might have been a bit ahead in the beginning, but now it's more or less down there. Nintendogs + Brain Age = Blue Ocean? Either way...

Innovation is good.

Pinkberry is basically a shop that sells frozen yogurt with two flavors and an assortment of toppings. Basically a simple premise. What makes it stand out? "It is dessert reinvented."

It's a mistake to expect this to be like Cold Stone. It's not sweet ice cream. In fact, it's a bit sour. It's actual yogurt, not Dannon or Yoplait. Free from preservatives, Pinkberry strives to be a healthier and yet still tasty alternative to dessert.

The yogurt comes in two simple flavors: original and green tea. Green tea is there to further the healthiness factor. They both taste nearly the same, the differences generally superseded by the flavor of real yogurt. Toppings can be added ranging from fresh fruits to various nuts, cereals, and chocolate. And no, they don't mix it in like at Cold Stone. The toppings are set in sections neatly on the side of the cup.

The employee told me they had been open for about two weeks and it was the first chain outside of the Los Angeles or New York areas.

The first time I had it up in LA, I actually didn't like it too much. I liked the interior because, for some reason, it made me think "Web 2.0". Rounded corners, bright colors, simple design, large text... ehh anyway... When I saw it right here in Temecula, I decided to take another shot at it. It's a pattern for me. I'll like things the second time I have them if I pretend that it really wasn't that bad before. The sour and tangy flavor is actually appealing to me now.

All in all, I'd say the worst thing about Pinkberry is its location. On the side of Winchester opposite the mall? Well, if people line blocks outside the store in West Hollywood, lines reaching Disneyland length, it seems to have enough appeal to warrant people going the extra mile. I'll certainly return.

I don't know what it was. Maybe it was the radio playing when I don't usually have it on. Maybe it was the Pinkberry that I ate that reminded me of my short stay in Los Angeles. Maybe it was when I was about to text to an online social networking site from my phone (NO, not myspace). Being in Temecula probably had a bit to do with it... but something about all of that, as odd as it may be, gave me this weird though... I think I want to go to the city.

Also, while driving home, I had a weird feeling. It was... nostalgic. As if the road was familiar, but I had not been on it for awhile. I don't know why, but it felt like I had been off in the city for a few weeks, months, and was heading back home.

Am I just excited for college? I think I want to go to UCLA, in Los Angeles, out where the action is, the big city. Off on my own, but still close to home.

Enough of this. Next time: Pinkberry review and the long overdue recap of Wii v. PS3.

2+2=?

This is an age old problem, who knows if it is 4, or 5, or even 3, 6, 2, or pi? Maybe it's 22! Obviously our math is incomplete.

But I have solved the problem! Let & (called twoowt) be defined as ((62^0+49^(1/2)/(3 + 2 * 2)) + (((2+3) * 100 + 23 + 2 * 3)/23^2 + 3 - 2)

2 + 2
= (1 + 1) + (1 + 1)
= (1 + 1) + (1 + (3 - 2))
= (1 + 7/7) + (23/23 + 3-2)
= (62^0 + 49^(1/2)/7) + ((529/23)23) + 3 - 2)
= (62^0 + 49^(1/2)/(3 + 2 * 2)) + (((2+3) * 100 + 23 + 2 * 3)/23^2 + 3 - 2)
= &

I just solved this difficult problem! 2 + 2 = &. Two plus two equals twoowt.

See also: nullity