This may not be the tech you expected from me, but it is still tech, regardless.

Today’s installment goes with live stage tech, or theatre tech. I am going into a way to make realistic fake blood. This recipe is from Bruce Campbell’s book, If Chins Could Kill. The recipe was used from the Evil Dead films as well.

• INGREDIENTS
  • 6 pints clear Karo Syrup
  • 3 pints red food coloring
  • 1 pint non-dairy creamer
  • 1 drop blue food coloring

• EQUIPMENT
  • Large ceramic bowl
  • Medium sized bowl
  • Spoon
  • Cleaning products

The Karo Syrup is your foundation, the base of your blood. Pour syrup into a large ceramic bowl.

In the medium bowl, stir the non-dairy creamer until it turns into a nice paste. This will provide opacity.

Gradually fold the non-dairy paste into the syrup.

Stir in red food coloring. Add a drop of blue food coloring for density.

Test on white surface.

Coat aspiring actor from the top down.

To remove, place actor in hot shower, fully clothed, and let sit for 30 minutes or until clean.

Now, that recipe there will make some real looking blood, and give a nice texture. However, if you wanted to, take some small pieces of sponge and cut it up in the mixture. When applied to the person, the sponge will look like some marks for the skin, like when you get a bad cut, from like a whip, or a bad knife cut. You may want to experiment with some black around the “affected area”. This works better on stage, as the people are not right on top of the actor with the blood, instead of having a closeup shot with a camera. This effect was used during a production of “Jesus Christ, Superstar” that the local theatre did a few years back.

Keep it digital… or not.

Tags: stage, theatre tech, theater tech, fake blood, bruce campbell

I know that a lot of people are using Windows because it comes with the computers they buy. They like the “look and feel” of it. However, when it fails, it’s up to us, the geeks, to figure out the reason their Windows machine is messing up. However, I got asked by a friend earlier, what else could I run to replace Windows.

Well, for PC based computers, besides Windows I only know of some of the Linux flavors. I am currently running Ubuntu 7.10 on my old 1GHZ Celeron board. I mean, it runs decently, and is really easy to use for those coming from Windows. Ubuntu used Gnome, a GUI that works a lot like Windows. The thing is, there is no START button and such, but there are menus from the “panels” that allow you to access your programs. However much it looks like Windows, Linux flavors will never be a viable replacement for Windows. As in, there is not much software support for it. Some of the basic programs you need are there, like the ability to surf the Web, get email, do office documents, and image edit. However, the biggest thing for people: not many games. Windows is still the gamer’s choice.

I know some of you are thinking Windows will never be replaced. That might be true on the PC based end, but get a Mac and you will be in a place where you can have a great and secure operating system. Now the gamers out there are no doubt crying that you cant play many games on a Mac. This may be true… To an extent. You can get a Virtual Machine program like VMWare and run a different OS from a small Windows in Mac. You can choose from a plethora of OSes to run there, including but not limited to Windows (95 - Vista), and flavors of Linux. With the Windows VM up, you can install a program and open it, just like it is running in a native Windows box. Yes, with Mac you can have a Windows experience that is actually somewhat stable. I know, saying Windows and stable in the same sentence without a not in there is a weird notion. Now, can Mac take market shares from Windows? Give it a few years, and possibly. As it stands right now, not really, but it’s just as popular as Vista.

[Source: W3Schools]

Tags: windows, operating systems, mac, os x, linux, ubuntu

I know, I know. this sounds like a crappy parody of Star Wars. It’s not! However, I’m so sick of people bashing one game console over the other. They are all good in their respective fields, but each system does disadvantages that could drive people away. When people used to ask me when I worked at the Cd Swap Shop in Morristown, Tennessee, “What system do you recommend?” I would give them reasons why each of the three “current gen” systems were great, and then I could give disadvantages to each of them. I will do this for each of the “next gen” system we have. I am going to start with The Sony Playstation 3.

Advantages for the PS3

1. Same controller feel. The ability to use the Sixaxis controler to give the feeling of movement.

2. Backwards compatibility. I mean Playstation has hit the motherload here. So far the only thing I see that doesn’t work is the old Guitar Hero 1 controller, even with the converter. Harmonix must have changed something from the guitar from GH1 to GH2.

3. Decent online feel.

4. Ability to charge at least 1 controller straight out of the box.

5. Ability to play higher def dvds with no add-on.

Disadvantages for PS3.

1. Original Price point. Sorry, it was too rich for my blood, even with trading at Gamestop.

2. Long software updates. Must have almost full battery to update.

3. Lack of 1st party games.

4. Must go through a long process to store and use old PS2 and PS1 gamedata.

Now, move on to the Xbox 360.

Advantages for the 360

1. Great selection of first part games.

2. GREAT CONTROLLER!

3. Great online feel.

4. Xbox live free service. Now, I know PS3 online is free, however if I hated the Ps2 situation of changing name for all games.

5. Ability to stream audio and video to system if you Media Center 2005 pr Vista.

6. Free three year Waranty

Disadvantages for 360

1. Needing the free 3 year Waranty.

2. Having to pay more for recharging cable.

3. No built in HD-DVD Playback.

4. Power supply tends to get really hot. Some people failed to see that they needed to set the power supply in a place where the vents could breath, and keep the vents open and free of dust. The same people tend to put game systems on floor.

5. Can be a chore to set up ability to interact with Windows based computer using XP or earlier.

Now to the Nintendo Wii.

Advantages to Wii

1. Innovative controller scheme.

2. Awesome first party games.

3. Nintendo quick to fix problems with controlers.

4. Decent internal storage. If you have Wii external memory cards, you can use them as regular SD cards for digital cameras.

Disadvantages for the Wii.

1. BAD third party support.

2. Idiots (Wiitards) not using controlle right and breaking lamps, lights, and expensive TVs.

3. Needing to move to play games. Sometimes I just want to sit and play, not jump around and move all the time.

4. Online is crappy when compared to the other systems.

5. Lack of large volume inernal storage.

6. Inabilioty to play DVD movies.

There you have it, advantages and disadvantages to the console systems. I know there are more than what I mentioned. If you have more advantages or disadvantages to the syetems, feel free to post. Please refrain from saying one system or system maker is better than the other. Please refrain from vulgar or obscene comments.

Keep it Digital!

Gary/TuxedoJericho

Tags: video games, playstation, xbox, gamecube, microsoft, sony, nintendo, playstation 3, xbox 360, wii, ps3, 360, games

My mother is a secretary for the local bowling association. When something goes wrong with Average Verification request she tends to deal with them. This brings me to just a little while ago. She is having problems e-mailing Average Verifications for one of the league members to someone else because of Anti-Spam filters for this earthlink.net user.

Now, I know no one likes to get spam, and that fighting it is a chore. However you can go to far, and this one person has went that distance. She only accept e-mails from people she knows. I mean that is all fine and dandy for regular people. However, mom is not in this persons list, and can’t get the verification to her. She has been attempting to for the past few days. It’s got mom all sorts of flustered and rightfully so. To send this woman emails, you must fill out an electronic form from earthlink. Escue me?!? A form, you’ve got to be kidding.

I mean, I get spam everyday. Don’t think I am free from the spamtastic world. I tend to just ignore it, or even delete it. Now I know some people get somewhere one hundred spam messages to their inbox a day, and truthfully I could see doing something on that. However, if you know you are going to be getting an important e-mail from someone not on the list, then set up a free account with yahoo, hotmail, google, or one of the other free webbased e-mail companies out there, and give that address to that person. Heck, you could even add them to the approved yourself to spare them the headaches and jumping through the hoops.

Keep it Digital!

Gary/TuxedoJericho.

Tags: spam, anti-spam, filtering, e-mail, earthlink

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