I was trying to think of a post that I’d want to write between now and Sunday which I’m trying to get my backup post ready for and I couldn’t think of anything I’d want to write about. So instead of writing nothing, I’ll get a couple of different things out in one post. Cool, eh?
Music: Halo 3 Soundtrack
If you’ve heard the played any of the Halo games, you’ll recognize the amazing work that Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori put into creating just the right music for Halo. If you have bought the soundtracks for either of the previous games, though and liked it, well you’re in for a treat. Unlike Halo 2‘s music which changed radically from the original Halo‘s music – most notably the instruments – Halo 3 takes the existing excellence of Halo 2 and tweaks it with both interesting and radical variations on a theme. For example there is a piano refrain that dates back to the original Halo that goes “da-da-daaaa, da-da-daaaa” and has been used in almost every heavy action sequence in the Halo games and almost every piece of advertising for the game. Now the middle note in the refrain has been moved an octave lower and is more punctuated, making what was an otherwise a great instantly recognizable tune just a little bit more varied and interesting than the original.
Halo 3′s music release is similar to that of the original Halo soundtrack and contains all the actual in game music – some 140 minutes of heart-pounding and emotional music. This is unlike Halo 2, which saw two CD releases, one of which was a general atmospheric CD and the other the actual in-game music. However, there is a hidden track at the end of the second CD by some amateur band about the Halo experience that is probably not worth listening to, so stop after the 16th track on the second CD. If you liked the earlier Halo soundtracks, this is pretty much a no-brainer: you’ll love it. If you didn’t know there were earlier soundtracks, then this is a good place to begin – and work backwards. And if you’re a virtuoso, then feel free to download the sheet music, sans charge. Verdict: Buy.
Opera: American Opera Theater does Handel’s Messiah
If I had a penny for everytime someone told me they liked Handel‘s Messiah oratorio and I scowled, I’d have enough money to do a load of laundry. Messiah is an Easter-time performance that apparently is popular around Christmas time in the US. Not sure why. It’s also not a particularly good work by Handel – you should see Giulio Cesare if you want to hear a great Handel work – but it has its moments when performed by a competent orchestra at a rapid clip. American Opera Theater‘s orchestration was probably closest to this ideal, but why thus it’s so popular, I do not pretend to know or guess at; some theories include the American fascination for the Hallelujah Chorus from Act II. Unlike most versions of Messiah, this production staged it, albeit on a very bare stage filled with recently-purchased IKEA furniture. It was… odd. If you’re interested in a traditional singing performance, this is not for you. If you’re interested in Messiah but want something more interesting (read: controversial), this maybe your performance this season and it’s on again on Saturday the 8th of December and Sunday the 9th (i.e.: tonight and tomorrow night) at the Gonda Theater in Georgetown. However, there was much more interesting entertainment that came out the same day which would be a better use of your time. Both Michael Ludico and Tim Page were there, so you’ll see a review pretty soon at Ionarts (with an entertaining title if it gets past the Charlesitarium if the party allows it if he’s allowed to use it) and perhaps one at the Washington Post too.
More Amateur Feline Behaviour Analysis
I’ve continued trying to map the noises my now 8-month old kitten makes to what he wants. He does try really hard to speak when he wants something desperately, but he doesn’t quite have the capacity to say words exactly so. One long-term mystery was solved recently, so that’s worth sharing. This kitten came very well trained from either the shelter or his birth family. One of the things that in particular he does well is go to the litter if he has any urge to go at all; in all these months, even during the first few days, he has had no accidents and with luck it’ll remain that way.
However, his trainer seems to have taught him (or he has rationalized) to only go when a human is present and preferably just before eating. He still does the latter, which I appreciate, but the former is more of a problem, because he really doesn’t go without a human present. This creates problems – such as when I am in my room and my flat mate is not around; he squeaks and whines until you come out and then he promptly runs to the toilet. At least, that is how it used to work – now he squeaks for other reasons too, such as “come play”. I just figured out, however, that when he just wants someone to come out and play, he vocalizes starting with “m”, so we get “miau” or “myaa” and such. However when he starts with a “w” as in “weh” then he needs to go so he needs either me or my roommate to escort him to the loo.
It’s fascinating to see him try to communicate. I’m almost considering giving up economics for linguistics!
Phone Beeps and Boops
I’ve discovered that the two sliding portions of my Nokia N80, which are connected by a long, flat, ribbon cable, are coming apart and slowly causing the screen to fail. Either I can’t hear through the headset speaker, or the screen washes out, comes out blank or garbled. Looks like I will be out in the market for a new phone in the next few months when this fails entirely. Any suggestions?
On the flip side, I didn’t realize how loud the alarm was until Friday afternoon. I measured it at approximately 85db at 1m after about 15 seconds of beeping. To put it into perspective, that’s close to the limit of hearing damage. And I usually keep it less than 1m away, so probably not the best situation all around. But for what it’s worth, if having a good alarm clock in your phone is something of a key consideration, then the N80 is a good bet, even if it is slightly dated.
Meta
Posting will be a little light after the big backup post tomorrow or so. I have some work to get done quickly, and after that’s done, I’ll have time to play around with a few things and write a few more posts. I’d like to play my way through Assassin’s Creed and Mass Effect, but it’ll be a while, particularly Assassin’s Creed, since I’m getting my rear kicked on one of the training missions. Yikes. There’s also this tiny game called Super Mario Galaxy that I’d like to play. I plan to read more from my ever growing list of books which now includes a few more Kim Stanley Robinson novels, Jack McDevitt‘s The Engines of God, and a half-dozen others and re-read Dan Simmon‘s Hyperion Cantos. And I need to do some of those gadget resets and reformats and all that soon too! Once I’m done with that, I’ll have more time to post, and, as a bonus, I’m sure I’ll have stories to blog about as well.
Fun Fact: Most categoried post ever!
