Longtime readers of this blog know that I suffer from cynophobia, the psychological term for fear of dogs. I was diagnosed with this condition in February 2007, shortly after being hired as a full-time employee and getting health insurance. I won't be specific as to which doctor diagnosed me with this condition, as he is particularly willing to sue anyone who he thinks defamed him. So, I'll call him Dr. Nick.
Dr. Nick proposed that I approach resolving my cynophobia by going through aversion therapy, a process where you face your fear head on. The first thing he proposed I do is go to an animal shelter and work with dogs. There's an animal shelter not far from my home, so finding a suitable facility was not an issue. When I got to this facility, I was hesitant to follow through with what Dr. Nick has prescribed for me, but I trusted that he knew what he was doing.
I went into this facility and met a woman named Michelle. Michelle knew why I was there and started showing me around the facility. I passed through the halls of this facility, lined with many cages containing many dogs, most of whom were barking. I tried to quell my quickly rising fears, telling myself that I was safe because all of these dogs were secure and generally well mannered. This did me no good. Roughly fifteen minutes after entering the animal shelter, I ran out of the facility, sweating, shivering, and on the verge of vomiting.
I got on the phone with Dr. Nick while I was in my car outside the animal shelter. Dr. Nick tried to convince me to go back in the animal shelter and do the work he had prescribed for me to do. I wanted no part of it, and told him as such while swearing at him. A lot. I haven't sworn that much since I first learned how to swear.
This incident did not in any way help me with my cynophobia. If anything, it exasperated my condition. Now I start to wig out anytime I hear even the faintest bark from a dog. Whether the source of the barking is a dog nearby me, a dog on television, or a dog that is mixed into a song I'm listening to, I start to panic. This makes listening to DMX very difficult. Well, more so than it is anyway.
This also makes playing Red Dead Redemption somewhat difficult. Whenever I hear a coyote or wolf bay in this game, I put the spurs to my horse and get out of the general area. This even affects the way I react to cougars in the game, even though I know cougars are not dogs and are a completely independent life form.
Red Dead Redemption is a good game, borderline great. I just wish I could do away with the coyotes and wolves in this game. Maybe I can systematically eliminate these creatures the way the Pioneers eliminated the Bison. You know, by murdering the fuck out of them!
Red Dead Redemption: B+
Qwerty?
On Wednesday, Sony announced the Qriocity Music Service. This cloud based music service is set to be compatible with Sony Bravia TVs, Playstation 3s, Blu-Ray Players, and Sony laptop computers. "Via Qriocity, Sony will deliver a variety of digital entertainment content and services... including video, music, game applications and e-books over time," said Fujio Nishida, president of Sony Europe.
Do you know why iTunes is popular? Because it's a great program to use? No. Because music is available on iTunes that is not available anywhere else? Yes, but that's because iTunes is popular so people put stuff on there that is rare in the hopes of getting more exposure on a popular thing. Because of the millions of Apple drones out there? No, because iTunes is popular on PCs. Why is iTunes popular? Because the iPod is popular. If the iPod wasn't the phenomenal success it is, iTunes would simply be a music program with a snazzy interface that Mac users use and PC users wonder why Mac users are so endeared with it.
While there are still Sony Walkmans still on the market, but there are no current plans to roll out a Walkman that is optimized for this service. That is a mistake. in my opinion. Sure the Sony Connect service was not successful, but not putting such a service into a device that has to compete with iPods makes Sony's devices look like lesser devices, whether they are or aren't.
Providing such a service for laptops make sense. Other laptop manufacturers put proprietary software on their laptops, and Sony putting Sony software on Sony hardware is no different. Putting this service in TVs makes no sense to me. If I want to pipe music out of my TV I can plug my iPod into my Xbox 360 and stream most of the music I own. Even if I don't own an Xbox, I can put CDs into my DVD player, Blu-Ray player, or other device that plays CDs that is hooked into my TV. Or I can play music out of my stereo which is hooked up to my TV and is how I hear my TV.
As far as playing music through my Blu-Ray player, why? My Blu-Ray player is hooked into my TV which is hooked into my stereo system. I can put CDs into my stereo and can get a better audio experience from that stereo. Why should I play music on my Blu-ray player?
Putting such a service on PS3 might make sense. Might. Microsoft has the Zune, which can be plugged right into Xbox 360s for use in streaming music during games. If Qriocity can be used to stream music during games without having to buy a device to do so, that might set PS3 apart from Xbox 360. Doing such might piss off the people who make music for games, but how much do you hear them bitch about the fact that Xbox 360 can stream music during games? The problem with this comes with Sony's PS3 online architecture. I've said this many times before and I'll say it again, PSN sucks. I've always had a problem with getting connected and staying connected to PSN. If I'm trying to steam music from an online cloud based music source and I'm having problem connecting and staying connected to the service, I'm going to have another thing to bitch about in relation to PSN.
Qriocity can be a good service if it is implemented properly. From what I've seen thus far, Sony has no intention to do so. If Sony wants Qriocity to flourish in the way that iTunes has they need to release a Sony Qriocity Walkman. Doing so will put this service in the hands of all the people who want a digital music solution put do not want to buy an iPod or a Zune. Once this service is familiar with the public, then introduce the service to other Sony products so that people who own Qriocity Walkmans, or have heard great things about this service, would be more inclined to buy more Sony products. Why am I the one that has to tell Sony this, and not someone with a business degree?
Street Sweeper Social Club- Scars
Black Robin
By Hunter Red
I don’t know why
They keep on forever tormenting me.
I don’t know why
They cannot treat me civilly.
Why can’t they just let me be?
Why can I not just be me?
They’ve never tried
To accept me.
No matter how
I alter me.
If they do not want me
Then I do not want them.
The time gets closer
Every day.
The clock slowly
Ticks away.
One day soon the day will come
When I’ll be rid of everyone.
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