Contests are a hit!

At The Outlook, we've managed to put together a couple of really good contests. This is the first year we've had a photo contest, and over the months of July and August we received a large amount of photos. To be honest, we had a very difficult time deciding upon the winners. But a big congratulations should go out to all of our photographers for submitting their entries. It gave us a unique look at the world we live in from so many people's eyes.

And from one contest to another, now we have the second year of Veggie Mania. Last year, people brought in the weird, the unique and the gigantic. And this year, they are doing it again. As September has gotten into full swing, people are starting to harvest those strange and wonderous vegetables from their gardens. And some great ones have been brought in.

A special thank you to all of the local businesses who have supplied prizes for this year's event. Riverbend Co-operative, Universal Healing, D&E Convenience, Variety Place Association Inc. and Outlook Florist and Gifts. Our hard working Laurel managed to get some people on board and donate prizes, so her work is not unnoticed.

Be sure to cruise on over to The Outlook's website and view the winners of our photo contest, and make sure to be watching in the future, because we'll have the Veggie Mania entries posted up there as well.

Until then...

Keep 'em flyin'.

The medium is more than the message

The other day I got to thinking about the things we have seen over the past 20 years. This was in regard to media, how it's presented, what it is and how we as the public receive it. When I was younger, I always remember there was the big three; newspapers, radio and television. Today, that has changed a great deal. Most people receive daily news information from the Internet. I even use the 'Net as a source for getting news, sports and weather information. There are others that I know of that use it to receive financial assistance, job searches, and even entertainment.

The Internet has grown in such a short time as the past five years. Web sites themselves have changed a great deal. Blogging is the current wave for media. Add to that sites like YouTube, and everyone and anyone can post video rants and reviews and entertainment to the 'Net with lightning speed.

So that got me wondering, where is that leaving the big three in media? Newspapers, radio and television all have to evolve and change as this new technology takes a stronger and stronger foothold in a person's daily life. For some, the newspaper will always be there. It's comfortable, familiar and something to look forward to. But still, the big three have to keep in step with the changes.

Already that is being seen on several fronts.

News sites like CTV, CBC, TSN and more are combining the Internet with their regular broadcasting on television. Radio stations all over the province now broadcast online as well as on the AM and FM bands. Not only can you listen to your favourite station in your car, but you can listen to it at work as the sounds come from your computer speakers.

And newspapers are no different.

Many newspapers have a basic website. A good number display the news featured on the site. And some newspaper websites have blogs for their reporters and editors. Blogs are easy to use online diaries for people to post news, reviews, likes, dislikes and more. Anyone can use a blog quite easily.

The comment is often made that in so many years newspapers will be all but dead. I don't believe this. I'll go back to what I mentioned about newspapers being familiar, comfortable and in a way tangible. People do like to read the paper with the morning breakfast or lunch. What has to happen is to combine, or marry the aspect of the newspaper and the Internet.

So far, a good number of media outlets are doing that, and so are we at The Outlook. The next time you open your favourite web browser, take a look at us online, www.theoutlook.ca. We're making a fresh start and utilizing this technology that is available to us.

Remodelling

So, if you're like me and you have some minor redecorating to a room of your house (or in my case, apartment) it can often turn into a major chore. Especially in my case. The chore came in with the placement of my computer system. Now, I only have one outlet in the entire apartment for internet connection. Moving my desk would mean having to reconsider where the cabling would go. And I was loath to string it along the floor.

It was also around this time that my last DVD Player decided to give up the ghost, so to speak. Serves me right for buying el-cheapo DVD Players (my Apex lasted me a total of four years, I should have bought another one of those, as that one outlasted the two others that I had previously owned).

However, the lightbulb went off in my head, and I realized something. My computer has a DVD Rom drive. It also has a video card with an out to a television. So, the annoyance of cable along my floor lost out to convenience of not buying another DVD Player.

This also allowed for something else.

I now have a full entertainment style system set up. Pretty cool, actually. I can play music, movies and games from my computer and have them display on my television. And it worked out great, as can be seen by the pitcures. I also have a switch that allows me to keep my VCR, and I can play VHS tapes (yes, I still have some movies on VHS). Something else that was very nice was to have the additional screen for when I do actual work (yes, I do graphical work at home because I enjoy doing what I do) I can have the space on my desktop computer to do so, and all of the palettes in PhotoShop or InDesign or Illustrator can stay off to the side out of the way on my television screen. This makes for a much better, cleaner and easier environment to work in when I'm creating some of the things I create at home. Most of those are desktop wallpapers, but I also do some work on photographs that I take. Some, because I have my laptop for doing a lot of that work.

The big thing with all of this is, it may seem small (trust me, it wasn't, moving the desk, my cough, end table, and chair, by myself was a chore) but the new look of the place was most satisfying.

I just hope that I don't need to move anything again in the near future.

Until next time...

Keep 'em flyin'.

lolcat cuteness

Because it's cute!

Another lolcat moment from I Can Has Cheez Burger!

More lolcat!

You know, some mornings I just feel like this. Fortunately, today is not one of them. But here for your pleasure is more lolcat goodness.

Hittin' the Ice

Yesterday I started off something with reviews on the all famous (maybe not yet) Bargain Basement Games. We're into September now, and the talk is all about NHL Training Camp. Not only is the NHL ready to strap on the skates and get back on the ice, so is the ever reliable EA Sports. The new edition of NHL for your video console system has come out with NHL 2K8. With it, they are touting all new graphics, all new moves, all new everything. I took a look at a few of the videos and it does look crisp, the perfect game for those days when there's no hockey on TV. I'm sure that NHL 2K8 will have the usual features to it, play head to head, or build your own team of players and play and entire season of hockey.

As has been the case with EA Sports and NHL 2K series, one player from the NHL is featured on the box artwork. And this year's edition is no different. Jason Spezza of the Ottawa Senators has his chance to grace the artwork this time around.

I've still got my old copy of NHL 2K3, still love playing it. Then again, I also have the early Need for Speed series. Those may just come up in a bargain games review at some point.

Until then...

Keep 'em flyin'!

Bargain Basement Games!

Okay, stop right there. I'm not selling any.

A few years ago, on another web site which will remain nameless, I tried my hand at this endeavor. A review of bargain basement games. You know, those gems you find in bargain bunks, or yard sales or even auctions that go for ten dollars or less. Over the years, I've found a few.

With the emergence of the MMO (massive multiplayer online) type of game, there is one that fits into this category that can also fit into this review. Guild Wars. Unlike other MMOs, Guild Wars manages to join huge numbers of people together in a virtual gaming world of high fantasy without the high cost of a monthly fee to play. Don't get me wrong, I love playing City of Heroes (another game from the same developer, NCSoft), but I also love money in my bank account. If you don't have a credit card, don't worry. Instead of the monthly fee, just pay for two-month game cards. Prepaid time, for about eight bucks more than it would cost if you used a credit card.

As of late, I have been looking for that MMO style of game, and something that harkens back to days of getting together with friends for some time invading a dungeon or two (smattered with discussions about work, the big game and what movies are coming out). Guild Wars gives some of that. It has a relatively easy control system to use and incredible graphics on top of that. And, most importantly, no monthly fee.

Yes, the developer is coming out with an expansion at the rate of one every six months. At 50 bucks a pop, that's about equal to paying for six months worth of online play in City of Heroes or World of Warcraft. But the really great thing is, you don't need the other expansions to play online with Guild Wars. No monthly fee after you buy the game.

The playability is quite nice. Once you start, you are always getting new quests and new areas to go to in the game, so it does have a lot of replay value. One thing as of late that I have found playing a game like City of Heroes, things tend to get boring after a while. The same content, time after time, with every character you can create. And you can create a bunch. Twelve per server in City of Heroes. Guild Wars has one server, four character slots. That might not be much, but it's enough for the casual gamer. The one who sits down for an hour or two of play before going to bed.

Visually, the game is stunningly beautiful. The nice thing is, with machines being made now, you can play this game quite well. I have a desktop machine that is a little slower than most current machines and it runs it fine. My laptop also runs the game quite well, with hardly any lag (video lag) problems at all.

Guild Wars is a relatively new game, so you might wonder why it's in a review of this type, with games for less than 10 dollars. Well, a friend of mine, Pike (who also has a blog that you can read at paperhatpirate.blogspot.com) went to an auction this past weekend (please read post at previously mentioned blog). After he got home and got in touch with me, the discussion of how the auction went began. And it was pretty much as I expected. Some games went cheap, some furniture went cheap, and three to four year old computers went for 50 bucks more than what they should have. The price for Guild Wars: 10 bucks, 20 for two copies. I love happy endings.

Until next time...

Keep 'em flyin'.