I think that I can speak for my colleagues in referring back to our original WordPress.com about us page in saying, we’re about treating a lot of nonsense with excessive significance. That two-minute snippet, is evidence of that. That same about us page also points to the fact that we didn’t know what we were doing then, and we clearly don’t know what we’re doing now – the fact that we could only salvage a few minutes from that recording session, proves that.

First, equipment. I’ll provide a more thorough review of our recording setup, once everything is finalized – but as of now, we’re using the Alesis MultiMix 4 USB Mixer, three dynamic microphones (one through a mic-PreAmp), with Audacity on an old Pentium 4 Dell PC. Sound quality was surprisingly good, and clear – for the most part. What’s apparent after listening to the full recording was how necessary mic-stands are. Handling-noise was an issue throughout. And a pop-filter would do wonders to cutting down our breathing, and popping Ps. Wire hangers and pantyhose? Most importantly, they would both go a long way in making this project, look pro.

There’s also the issue of our recording blind (or is deaf more apt?). Without proper headphones; we recorded, not really knowing how it sounded through the mixer. There’s no one named Ludwig (or Ray or Stevie) on the flagrant3 team. But perhaps the biggest problem was, we hit the record button, without a game plan. What became immediately clear was that without an outline, Anthony would repeatedly lead us into an endless retrospective of our childhoods, which gets old pretty quick (Pun quota filled.).

What will the podcast about? Us: our opinions, thoughts, and experiences as we try and make sense of stuff.

So… Do you like… Stuff?

And yes, pantyhose and stockings fall under that category.

I’m an Ontario college student.

If this were four years ago, I would have welcomed it. It would have been an extended vacation from a program I had little interest in. But it isn’t 2006.

The reality is, I’m an arts degree graduate; now mature student who’s a semester into a media communications program I’m actually enjoying.

A forced school-stoppage, will force me to find a full-time job I have no interest in – and reintroduce me to an acronym, I didn’t think I would be seeing so soon in, OSAP.

Admittedly I know very little of the issues between colleges and their faculty; but it doesn’t take an expert to know that money is a part of it.

For students, it’s about more than lost money, it’s lost time.

The president of Humber College sent out an email to students this past week, unsurprisingly biased against its faculty that ended,

Given the current situation, the college will have to begin to prepare for the possibility of a strike. Again, I would prefer not to be making strike preparations, but in order to protect your interests and preserve your academic year, I have to do everything possible to minimize potential disruption.

Of course if both sides truly cared about the interests of its students, the strike vote would have been scheduled at some point last summer, instead of right in the middle of an ongoing school year. But then again, there’s nothing like working/buckling under the pressure of thousands of angry college students – at least that’s what both sides are thinking.

If I were a betting man, my money would go towards an uninterrupted winter term. But there’s a reason I don’t bet.

I never thought the city’s civic workers would strike, let alone go on for five-weeks. I never believed that York University would make history with the longest strike at an English speaking Canadian university (12 weeks). Nor did I think that Kevin Garnett would get a championship ring.

And if Kevin Garnett has taught me anything, it’s that anything is possible.

I just want to go school. Unlike KG, I didn’t have the option of going straight to the pros out of high school.

It’s made by the developers responsible for the Diablo franchise. It features, Diablo-style gameplay in a three-quarter’s perspective – with a great emphasis on loot collecting.

But at most, consider it a Diablo Lite. Priced at under $20, this shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s a single-player game featuring three character classes; its presentation, though adequate, is far from great – unless you’re a fan of text-reading; its story early-on, far from compelling.

And after playing through the initial quests, I’ve lost any need to continue on.

Who knew Cows dropped gold items? Blizzard.

Despite its shortcomings however, it is Diablo at its core, making me reconsider my affinity for past Diablo games, and my excitement for the upcoming third.

I was addicted to Diablo 2, and the Lord of Destruction expansion. There’s probably no other game, I’ve sunk more hours into. It was a game a few high school friends introduced me to, and one I played long after they stopped. Cow levels, Mephisto runs, SoJ bartering – I was in-deep.

Interestingly enough, I couldn’t tell you anything about the storyline, nor do I know anything of the overall Diablo canon. I never cared about the story. My friends rushed me through the game, and I never looked back. It was all about the loot. I partook in the occasional PvP match, but never cared much for it. I just wanted the rarest gear.

I’m not certain how extensive the item library is in Torchlight, but given how quickly I lost interest in Borderlands – it wouldn’t matter.

Perhaps a sign of my age, but a game could look amazing; even play amazingly, but fall flat without a compelling story.

I guess my opinion of Torchlight was doomed, the moment I decided to play it right after completing a 50 hour Dragon Age campaign.

Diablo 3 looks amazing; from its art style to character design and animations. I’m sure the depth will be there as well – from character skill trees, to the loot. The question I’m asking myself is, without a story to match the production, is it enough?

Playing Borderlands with friends, only made me dream of an online co-op Fallout game – where I would actually care for the story and characters. And as much as I loved every minute of Dragon Age, I was disappointed with the lack of depth when it came to item collection and customization.

If Diablo 3 were to feature the tried-and-true Diablo formula, with a BioWare-like focus on story; then count me in once again.

But what was my most anticipated release of 2010 (or whenever they get around to it), has become the game I’m most concerned about.

Especially since Blizzard’s never been known for its story-telling.

It isn’t quite as featured as I originally planned, but I’m a PHP newb. I failed at trying to code it from scratch, so much thanks goes to CgBaran Theme for providing me the basic layout and code to tweak. The latest 2.9 WordPress update has added some nifty new features when it comes to thumbnails and featured posts, which don’t look too difficult to implement – so more changes are imminent.

Also, if you look up, you’ll notice a Podcast link. Yes, a podcast is also imminent. I picked up a sound mixer over the holidays, and will hopefully have the microphones and preamp boxes by the end of this week. It’s looking promising. What can you expect from the podcast? We’ll let you know when we figure out. I wouldn’t expect a feed until we get a few sessions under our belts.

My word for 2010 is “content”. Let’s hope this site is never lacking.

Happy New Year!

You’re welcome.

Of course, unless you know any of us personally, these lists won’t help you. Heck, even if you knew us, these lists are probably useless.

Anthony believes that real or otherwise, the items on his wishlist will tug at the heart when given.

Time Machine

I want to travel to a post nuclear apocalyptic future; pause time and shot things judging by accuracy percentage.

Glow in the dark condoms

It’d be easier to spot holes.

Japanese sex robot

She has the Barbie/Ken doll. I’ve checked.

Scouter

How else would I measure someone’s power level?

Goku Kamehameha Wristbands

Multipurpose. Would go great with my Ryu clothes.

Hot Dog Toaster

Convenience of having hot dogs quick and easy.

Desert Eagle BB

Just in case cops pull me over. My glove box is empty.

Roomba

I’m an equal opportunity employer, robots can clean my floors anytime.

Flavorwave Oven Turbo

Set it to cook, and you’re off the hook.

DR-HO’S Dual Muscle Therapy System

I’d buy anything this guy sells. Dude is my uncle (not really).

Capsule Inn

When I’m married with kids, we’re going to live in one of these.

Link

Last but not least… Just click the link.

Jed’s list is eco-friendly and Al Gore approved.

A Pokemon RPG for the Wii

This is a wish list right? So Nintendo, get on it. Count me in for a pre order for the Pokemon Master bundle with the PokeBall and Ash Ketchum Hat peripheral. And yes, Wii Straps for safety.

The Cosby Show: The Complete Series

The Cosby Show. Enough said.

Motorino VTs Electric Scooter (Orange)

“…18″ wheels and a REAL 500W motor.” I want to feel the wind in my hair, just like this guy.

the smart limited three edition cabriolet

The smart is my dream car. Yes, the smart is my dream car. Put limited in the title, and I want it more. Make it a cabriolet, and I’ll Google its definition… yeah I’ll proudly drive it with the top down.

Charlie Brown’s Tree with Blanket

Because everyone needs a Christmas Tree, and a blanket. And there’s nothing more Christmas Tree, and Blanket, than ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’.

Meiji Yan Yan Chocolate Cream Snack x99

It’s my fifth food group; no matter how much I consume, it’s never enough. And if video games have taught me anything, it’s that you can’t have more than 99 of any item.

Chuck Swirsky Bobble head

It’s sick, wicked, and nasty!

Tauntaun Sleeping Bag

My name is Jed, and Canadian winters are cold.

Fast Grow ethnic hair growth enhancer

I guess I’m ethnic, and I’ve always wanted a pony tail. It’s also an “essential black hair care product,” and my hair is black.

Domke PhoTOGS Vest Large (Khaki)

I’m an aspiring photographer, and equipping this vest will add ten points to photography. More importantly, it would make me look official; which, at the end of the day, is all that matters.

Captain Planet Ma-Ti and Kwame action figures

They come with the rings, and I want the power to be mine. Heart!

Heelys No Bones Hi 7518 White/White Size 10

Heelys are proof that everything needs wheels.

Julian thought that wishing for world peace was a tired cliché, so he wished for a bunch of crap instead.

X-Men 6-Player Arcade

For nostalgia, and since having one would be pretty awesome; like 6-player brawler awesome.

Hoverboard

It’s 2009 already; these should be in every household by now… along with jet packs and flying cars.

Golden Gun

A fully functional golden gun. And I mean one-shot kills; if I hit any body part = death. No respawns.

Dual Lightsaber

Ideally with a blue lightsaber crystal.

A mountain of money

So I can finally “make it rain”.

Transformer Robot

I’m pretty sure Japan already has a couple of these in their military reserve, I just want one so I can rule the world.

Gun Alarm Clock

There is nothing better than shooting your clock in the face. Nothing!

An Eyepatch

‘Cause these never go out of style. Spoiler Alert: Hottest trend of 2010? (Hey that rhymes.) The Eyepatch.

Tron LightCycle

This just looks awesome.

Batman’s Utility Belt

‘Cause you never know when you’ll need tear gas pellets and a laser torch. With this you’ll be prepared for anything.

An endless supply of Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream

‘Cause nothing beats Chocolate Chip and Cookie Dough; except for having an infinite supply of the good stuff.

A Dairy Queen Restaurant

Yes, my very own Dairy Queen. Not because I want to be an owner of a franchise or business, no. I just want to have a place where I can get Blizzards and chili dogs whenever the hell I want.

Now I can only speak for myself, but with the year almost over I can say with certainty that I have done more things in the month of November alone than I have the entire year. And Yes I’m including the summer, aside from working, this last summer was pretty lackluster. I guess you’re wondering what makes this month stand out from the rest. Glad you asked, well first off, as most students know November is the “crunch-time” month, like the final few games before a sports season is over. Essays, projects, presentations, mid-terms, finals, all of these are essentially crammed into this month. Now I’ve had to deal with all of those, and it wasn’t fun. I still have two more exams to worry about and an essay to write but they all occur in December. So I’ll let future Julian worry about those.

Next up is work, or lack thereof. Since I’m in school I don’t have many windows to actually work during the week. But when I do happen to work during the week, it seems that I’m working then going to school afterward, which is a killer. I don’t know how most people do it, but more power to those that can pull it off. Anyways, without many shifts coming my way (not a complaint) I’ve got a lot less spending money. With a lot less spending money I can’t go out as much as I’d like to, and that’s just lame.

And that brings me to my final point. The personal life. It seems that everything just happens in the last quarter of the year. Birthdays, shindigs, outings, box socials, you name it, all in November. And it doesn’t help that my birthday falls at the end of October too, essentially the beginning of November. Oh let’s not forget about the video games (which always seem to be the best) that also come out at this time of the year. Let’s face it I’m a gamer, I had to mention it. And let’s not forget blogging, if I do the math correctly (which is not hard at all) I’ve contributed two blogs this month alone. (Yeah I wrote the “Guide to” piece earlier this month, but filed it under flagrant3 just because) And I plan on writing one more hopefully before the month is over. I didn’t even talk about Christmas shopping, which I plan doing online on Black Friday. To the other Canadians out there, consider Black Friday the Canadian equivalent to Boxing Day except 100 times better.

With all the events that took place, it’s been a fun but crazy November.

*Side note: the way we constructed this list was on a scale of one through ten. One being the gift you should avoid giving at all costs and ten being a somewhat “bad” gift but not as “bad” as number one.

1.  ANYTHING

Oh that is no typo there my friend, at the top of our list, any gift. That’s right, the gift you shouldn’t give this holiday season is in fact, a gift. Now before you start grabbing your pitchforks and flames, let us explain. The whole idea behind giving a gift is reciprocity. Even though no one wants to admit it, you give a gift to expect a gift back. And if they say “No, I do it to be nice.” ask them if they’re a little bummed that they didn’t get one in return, chances are that they will be. Next, is the notion of the “gift-exchange”. Now the ideal situation is to have the gifts that are exchanged to be of equal monetary value. As you guessed it, this rarely happens. Which leads to the awkward situation of trying to explain why you didn’t spend as much on that person as they did on you. Aside from the monetary value problem, there is the sentimental aspect. The same theory applies as above except it revolves more around sentiment and thoughtfulness rather than monetary worth. Here’s a pro tip, say: “I wasn’t expecting such a nice gift, had I knew you went through all that trouble I probably would have gotten something with more meaning(or worth).” That should work, and if it doesn’t, you’re screwed. So before thinking of getting someone a gift, think again and don’t. You’ll save them time and trouble cause that would mean they have one less person to worry about getting a gift for.

2. Dragonball Evolution/Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-li

We here at flagrant3 have a special place for this item within our hearts. We had the unfortunate luck of watching these movies back to back, voluntarily. These movies had no reason to be made or even watched, but we did cause we’re just that Xtreme. And in case you didn’t catch it, that’s a capital x. If you’ve ever wondered what it would feel like to want to gouge your eyes out, five minutes of Chris Klein’s performance in the Street Fighter flick will do just that. If you hate anyone and want them to know how much you hate them, give them one of these movies. Or both, if you’re a dick.

3. Gift Cards/Certificates

Hmmm… money would be the better idea here. Why? Because of choice, rather than confining one person to a specific store, you’re giving them the option of getting whatever the hell they want. Take for example, hookers and beer. There is nothing worse than knowing you have (in essence) something worthless, think of it like Disney dollars. If you don’t plan on going to Disney World any time soon than you’re stuck with money that is fucking worthless. Money > gift cards/certificates, so go the “impersonal” route and just give money.

4. Electronic Greeting Card

Do people still use these? It’s a shame if they do. Save yourself and the recipient the trouble of having to read it by not sending one at all. Is that person not important enough for you to give them a phone call? You may as well just disregard them all together. This gift is the equivalent of a text message.

5. An Actual Greeting Card

Same logic applies as above, except you killed a tree to get your message across. Somewhere in the world a tear is running down the face of Captain Planet.

6. A Greeting Card with the “Loved One(s)” on the cover

Consider this the ultimate insult. If these cards had voice logs they would probably sound like this: “Hey check me out, my hot girlfriend/boyfriend and I just wanted to say season greetings. What’s that? You’re alone for the holidays? That’s alright, this picture of us spending the holidays together shouldn’t remind you of how lonely you are.” Or: “Seasons Greetings from our family. Yeah look at us acting like a family, doesn’t looking at us just make you feel absolutely sick? Holy crap look at the size of the smiles on my kids’ faces, yeah I’m a pretty terrific parent if you hadn’t already guessed. Well anyways we’re just wishing that your holiday season will be kick-ass,  and rest assured ours will be, just look at our picture!”

7. Clothing

Unless you are 100% sure, its probably better to pass on giving clothing as a present. You’ll have to find out the size that the person wears, and “knowing is not even half the battle”. Sometimes the sizes don’t go accordingly with the piece of clothing, take for example a pair of jeans. There are so many styles and cuts, that you can be easily overwhelmed. It’s better to just throw up the white flag and give up. Maybe its just us, but if you’re adamant on giving clothing as a gift, give socks. Minimum effort required.

8. Ugly Clothing

Like above except with ugly. No need for explanations, there’s no love for ugly clothing.

9. A Donation

Now we here at Flagrant3 are by no means against donations. But donations as a gift, is a totally different story. Ever get a gift that says “A donation has been made in your name to the (insert organization here)“? Now while the thought of the gift is commendable, noble in fact, the person receiving the gift had absolutely nothing to do with it. Nobody likes a glory hog, and if you give a gift of this nature that’s what you’ll be. So donate in your name, and your name only, and let others get a chance to experience that warm-fuzzy feeling for themselves.

10. Fruit Cake

And finally it comes to this, a gift that was and still is never acceptable to give, fruit cake. Just a bad gift in general, and worst of all it doesn’t really look edible. There is nothing worse than food that looks like its not worth eating. Kind of sounds like a fat person’s mentality but rest assured none of us at Flagrant3 are fat or obese. It would just make sense that if you were to give someone food they’d at least want to eat it.

So brings an end to our guide, we hoped you enjoyed it and from everybody here at Flagrant3, Happy Holidays!

Despite a relatively light course load at school, it’s given me little time for anything else. For those not up to date, I’m in my first year (of two) of a new Media Communications program at Humber College. And so far, so good. No program is perfect, but I think I may have found the closest one to it (for me).

Even though I haven’t been writing entries, between my Media Writing and Media Communications courses – Microsoft Word is a fixture on my desktop.

It’s also these courses (particularly Media Writing) that have discouraged me from posting. Simply put, they’ve exposed my lack of quality control.

The last time I’ve had to write a draft, was back in high school. I don’t remember ever writing a draft for any of the essays or research papers I worked on at university – primarily because of my last-minute mentality.  I’m sure my GPA would have appreciated a draft, here and there.

My Media Writing class requires it. And surprise surprise, it’s helping improve my standards of writing.

Consequently, it also explains the three or four ‘draft posts’ that will never be published.

That’s not to say the idea behind flagrant3 is dead; in fact, it’s far from it.

Three things: a design-revamp, podcast and video.

ETA: First-quarter of 2010.

I  blame the Mighty Mouse.

I’ve wrapped my mind around the command-key; the flipping of the window controls; the application-specific menu-bars; and the other more minor Mac-idiosyncrasies. But the Mighty Mouse feels like trying to climb Everest. Who knew one button could cause so much frustration?

This could only help.

One complaint I have of the XS, is its limited use of  its screen for live view shooting. It seems to disable auto-focus, and is only usable in the more programmable/advanced settings for shooting. Ironically, the person needing to use live view, would probably be a point-and-shoot owner, shooting on auto.

Of course I’m still learning. I only recently realized that the minimum aperture setting is dependent on the focal length of the shot. Shooting in Aperture Priority, I was wondering why the largest aperture I could get ranged between 3.5 and 5.6. And working on an assignment that required max aperture, this was a bit concerning.

But as good a quality of pictures I’ve been getting – there still isn’t anything like putting an image through Photoshop and/or Camera Raw. It’s amazing what playing with the RGB levels can do to a photo. Prior to this, my experience with the program involved cropping; resizing; and the magic lasso tool. Learning how to properly adjust colour levels this past week in class, was mind-blowing.

Accessory-wise, it’s an expensive hobby. My camera came bundled with a camera bag, and it shouldn’t come to a surprise that it isn’t a particularly good one. It’s part of the Canon Golla series. You’d think Canon would get it right? The main compartment is locked by magnets and a Velcro strap on one side, yeah one side. I’m not sure how it would fair in heavy rain – nor do I want to find out. There’s also its prominent branding. It may look like a lunch bag from afar, but the Canon branding screams, “there’s a camera in here!”

My bigger problem with the camera bag is, it’s another bag I have to carry. Having to lug around a bag for my books, and a bag for a camera doesn’t make rush hour commutes on public transit any easier. Looking into the world of camera bags, I was immediately hit with two things: 1. sticker shock – they start at $100; and 2. the realization that none are designed to hold books. DSLR backpacks, are just as they sound: a bag for your lenses, flashes, body, any other accessory; and laptop in some cases. I may consider them if or when I get more serious with this hobby, but as of now, my Canon lunch bag will be just fine.

Yet, I did make my first accessory purchase; a lens hood. I decided this after plenty of reading into the filters vs. lens hood debate (ask Google). I wanted some extra protection for my lens, and learned that a filter would just harm picture quality – unless I opted for the higher quality and more expensive. I couldn’t justify spending $50 on a filter for a sub-$100 kit lens. I went with the hood. One bit of advise to those looking at the same solution, buy a 3rd party brand. I went the eBay route, and got an official Canon EW-60C hood for just over $20. After getting my shipment, and seeing that it was just a piece of plastic, this $10 knock-off would have been just fine. As a result I went the knock-off route in ordering a battery. I wanted to keep it authentic, but $80 for a second battery, I’d rarely need? I couldn’t do it. I ordered this set for $7. The reviews seem great, especially at that price. I’ll be sure to give my take on it, after it arrives.

As mentioned in my last entry, photography is growing on me. This first week with a DSLR only made that clearer. (Or maybe it just filled the void in my gadget-spending habit?)

Though I have to say, I’d love it more if I were snapping photos on Pokemon Island.