Mike Oren.com

Once again I am posting later than I had planned, but I've been keeping busy. Last weekend I went back home, missed the concert I had won tickets too (long story--not important enough to go into) so went out to mini golf with Danielle instead. Saturday was spent going out to breakfast with my dad (belated birthday/Father's day celebration). Sunday, I went to Six Flags with my mom, Brooke (my niece), and Jimmy (my younger brother) so that was a fun/busy day as well. Then Monday was spent going out to lunch with Danielle and then taking her over to Arlington Heights race track where we celebrated the 4th of July by betting on horses (Danille and I won $40 that we split 50/50) and watching the fireworks.

So that's the abbreviated version of last weekend. As for work, I finished my various initial prototypes of Moosic testing out various sound representation schemes. I also created an online version that I will eventually upload (the other versions probably won't be uploaded, but the mutliplayer networked version is kind of neat). I'm now working on creating a fairly drastic overhaul based on Dr. Harding's ideas--replacing the constant sound emission of the objects with a sonar type version that the user has to hold a button down to activate. It's also the most relative version--only indicating whether objects or higher or lower/left or right/and the type of object and not really indicating a more precise location (just the essentails). I'm kind of afraid it might be overly simplified, but it won't take too long to throw the prototype together and its an interesting approach that I'm curious to see how it will end up turning out, so definitely worth the effort of trying it out. I'll eventually add more details about my work on my project page but don't expect any update to it for at least two weeks.

Outside of work, my apartment hunt continues. University Towers had no efficiencies left and the cheapest apartment they had left was over $600 (not including internet) and thus beyond the budget I'm looking for at the moment (as I want to keep rent below $450--at least for this first year--until I get a better grasp of what my budget needs to be). I've looked at a couple of places, but I haven't signed a lease yet although I should probably get on top of that soon since I need to have a place to live by the 26th.

Today (or I guess rather yesterday--I'm writing this at 12:30 AM on Sunday) I saw Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest. I have to say that I was disappointed in it. I had been looking forward to seeing it for weeks and had watched the first movie for a second time on Friday night in preperation for watching the sequel in theaters on Saturday. The movie started out great--with Will and Elizabeth being arrested for having helped Captain Jack Sparrow escape at the end of the first movie. In return for their freedom, Will has to find Jack and get Jack to give up the compass he caries (which points to whatever one's heart desires). We also find out that Jack has to avoid the open sea due to a deal he made with Davey Jones so this sets things up for a nice adventure. However, scenes seem to be dragged out and the writer's added many subplots that just lacked meat--and led the characters in directions that were unnatural (the most painful of which were serious scenes with Jack Sparrow--you could see Johnny Depp struggling to keep things straight while also maintaining Jack's bizzarre character, not an easy task. He pulls it off fairly well, but the scenes still seem forced). Other scenes--especially a rather long action sequence featuring a three way battle between three key characters--are just dragged out long beyond their usefulness and just make you want to shout "get on with it already". And not to give the ending away, but it ends in a very anti-climatic cliffhanger that makes me think more "what the hell" than "I can't wait until the third movie". It's not really a bad movie--mostly due to the excellent acting abilities of the cast. So pick it up on DVD--unless you're already headed to the theater (perhaps due to not much else to do), but don't bother making a special trip to go see it (and if you are going--maybe go during the matinee rather than paying the full price). Oh, and be prepared to be disappointed because if you go in with that negative attitude then maybe your experience will end up more positive than my own.