"The Grammar of Fun"

Tom Bissel's New Yorker article is a somewhat interesting profile of Cliff Beszinski, design director for Epic Games, and the video game industry.  I found the language somewhat troubling, because I lack the expertise the comprehend much of the gaming lingo.  The profile of Beszinkski is well-cultivated, however, including multiple facets of his complex personality.

Comparative Review: SIGG and Camelbak water bottles for the busy everyday user

Do you sometimes find yourself running around without a moment to stop and think all day?  Are you so busy that you sometimes don’t have time to take breaks for basic needs like sustenance and hydration?  The truth is, there are many of us living this busy American lifestyle, and it is easy to get so caught up in the business of our own lives that our physical health and wellbeing suffers.  By carrying a water bottle during the day, however, we can keep that easily refillable source of hydration nearby and increase overall health with that little lifestyle adjustment.  Since researching different types of water bottles is not high on the list of priorities for businesswomen or well-rounded college students, I have taken the time to compare two viable options on the basis of, convenience, appearance, health benefits, and material quality.  Here are the contenders: SIGG standard one liter metal bottles and the Camelbak .75 liter plastic bottle.

For most busy Americans, convenience is the most important factor in purchasing a water bottle.  Both SIGG and Camelbak offer screw-top lids with carrying loops.  The bottles can be attached to bags with carabiners at this point.  Another consideration for carrying water bottles, however, is weight.  While Camelbak plastic is lightweight, metal SIGG water bottles can be quite heavy on their own—so the SIGG is heavier when full, but also has weight when it is empty, while the empty Camelbak is almost weightless.  Another feature of the metal SIGG to note is its ability to retain temperatures.  Because of the medium, cold water in a SIGG will stay colder longer than in a plastic Camelbak.  This feature has a flipside, however: in warm climates the SIGG can get very warm and stay so.

One must also consider the drinking opening options for both bottles.  The standard SIGG bottle has an open neck with a screw top.  Although this option is more convenient than the ubiquitous Nalgene with its gaping opening, the standard Camelbak lid is even more preferable.  The Camelbak spill-proof lid is also a screw top, but includes a straw feature so one does not need to unscrew the lid every time one takes a drink.  Although some may consider this appearance immature, as a spill-inclined individual, I value this feature above the more sophisticated look of a pure screw top.  Appearance is important to most consumers, and both brands offer personalization in the appearance of the bottle.  Both SIGG and Camelbak offer a variety of colors and patterns for their water bottles.  While Camelbak offers both solid and translucent bottles (plastic or metal), SIGG offers all solid colored bottles (metal only) but a wider variety of personalized patterns.  A consumer who values individualization more than the practical purposes of the water bottle might prefer SIGG’s multitude of options.  However, there are other factors to consider when purchasing a water bottle besides convenience and appearance—health benefits or risks are important considerations as well.

Both SIGG and Camelbak offer a variety of sizes of water bottles.  The volume range for SIGG is .3 liters (or approximately 10 ounces) to 1.5 liters (50 ounces).  Camelbak offers bottles from .5 liters (16 ounces) to 1 liter (34 ounces).  While SIGG offers a significantly larger range of volumes, this feature should not be a primary deciding factor unless you are looking for a particularly small or large water bottle.  Most people would prefer something in the Camelbak range anyway, and any of these bottles are easily refilled.  If you work in an office of a college campus, for example, you probably spend most of your day near enough to a drinking fountain to take a thirty second break to refill every couple hours, rather than running to the fountain every few minutes for a refreshing drink.  Hydration is important to overall health so having a water bottle easily accessible all day can be a real help!

Today’s health-savvy water bottle user understands the risk of the chemical BPA (Bisphenol A), found in the process of making certain kinds of plastic and resins used to line metal food and beverage containers.  Although the FDA has not yet determined BPA a toxic substance, concerns have been raised in terms of its link to cancerous development, thyroid dysfunction, and neurological issues, and some retailers recalled products containing BPA.  In August of 2008, SIGG offered an exchange system for anyone owning a SIGG water bottle purchased pre-August 2008, to be replaced with a newer, BPA-free version.  Camelbak has never used metals or plastics containing traces of BPA, and even boast first to market with a BPA-free hard plastic water bottle, according to their CEO letter on the Camelbak website.  Camelbak also includes a “BPA-free” label on all of their water bottles.  Currently, however, neither brand includes BPA in any of their products.

There is more to the materials of the bottles than health risks, however.  Material durability is important; as consumers, we want to make the most of out investments.  In my personal ownership experience, both SIGG and Camelbak products stand up against the test of time, exhibiting only superficial deterioration.  The SIGG may acquire dents if dropped and the Camelbak scratches, but neither is likely to crack or break unless under severe duress.  Each product is clearly of high quality and will last with every day use.

Both SIGG and Camelbak offer high-quality products that are durable and healthy options—providing daily hydration without chemical leakage.  But for the typically busy, hardworking American, the convenience of the Camelbak outweighs the personalizing options of the SIGG.  While the SIGG retains cold temperatures longer than the Camelbak, the plastic Camelbak option is more versatile and offers the ease of its lightweight and spill-proof features.  If you consider yourself one of those busy individuals struggling to make time for basic needs, the Camelbak is the best option for you, available online (http://www.camelbak.com/sports-recreation/bottles.aspx) or at outdoor recreation stores like REI.

                                                       SIGG                                 Camelbak

Convenience                                                                               

Temperature                       very affected                        little change

Drinking opening               open neck, screw top           spill-proof straw screw top

Handle/carrying                  lid loop                                lid loop

Weight                                metal weight                        lightweight plastic

Appearance

Translucent/solid                 all solid                               some solid, some translucent

Colors                                 variety                                 variety

Patterns                               many                                   few

Health                                                                                   

BPA                                    no                                       no

Volume                               .3-1.5 L/10-50oz                .5-1 L/16-34 oz

Material Quality

Durability: dents/cracks      easily dents                          scratches

Critical Mass: Everyone listens to Walter Mossberg

Ken Auletta's 2007 New Yorker article about personal technology critic and columnist for the Wall Street Journal, Walter S. Mossberg provides a fascinating profile of the biggest name in technology journalism.

I am intrigued by Mossberg's idea of a class war between techies and consumers.  Decidedly in the latter category, I appreciate Mossberg's ability to combine his expertise with the perspective of a typical consumer in order to offer a review useful to both the producer and the potential consumer.

As far as form goes, I appreciated Auletta's introduction of Mossberg's reputation and anecdote before jumping into his personal and professional history.  By the time I got to the third section of the article, I was really curious about how Mossberg came to be!  Additionally, I found the section about Mossberg's biases and writing flaws crucial to the balance of the article.  Bascially, Auletta followed the business profile article formula smoothly--keeping me engaged and anticipating what I, as a reader, wanted to know next.

With Luddite parents of my own, I am impressed that Mossberg has made a career of critiquing and even shaping the personal technology curve.  I was pleased to read that in addition to weekly columns, Mossberg keeps a video blog in which he responds to user/reader questions.  I suppose I appreciate the technology connoisseur contrast to my own relations who hark back to writing dissertations on typewriters whenever I complain of technology woes.

Comparative Product Review DRAFT: Sigg and Camelbak water bottles

What do people look for in a water bottle?

Fundamental concerns in purchasing a water bottle are convenience, health (hydration, no chemical leaks), sustainability/quality of investment, ability to personalize/accessorize.

CRITERIA

Health

-BPA

-Volume

Convenience

-Temperature

-Straw/open neck

-Handle/carrying

-Weight

Material Quality

-Durability: dents/cracks

-Sustainability

-Taste?

Appearance

-Translucent/solid

-Colors

-Patterns

-Stickers

The Dumbing Down

Emily White's article works on the same understanding as the articles we worked last week about the gradual fazing out of printed news.  White is not subtle in her opinion about the dangers of this trend, citing the "Blogosphere Fear" as a legitimate "terror that the blogs will get the story before the newspaper gets it" brought on by the increasing value of breaking news over anything else as well as the increased accessibility of news published on the web.

White's anecdote about Sheila Farr's "voluntary layoff"as a Seattle Times arts critic conflicts with my own understanding of the writing market.  Teri Ellison describes Farr as possessing a "gift for putting visual experience into language"--a skill many have explained to me as crucial in contemporary writing.  If even a well-established regular contributer with such refined writing tools cannot make it due to the circumstances and opinions White describes, there is little hope for my own future.

Town Crier Speaks in a Variety of Tones

This past weekend, the University of Puget Sound Student Theatre Productions ran the ninth annual production of Town Crier Speaks in Rausch Auditorium.  As the name suggests, this festival of one-act plays is entirely produced by students of the University: this year, six plays were selected, each written, directed, and acted by students (some members of the Theatre department, others non-major enthusiasts) with a production team of experienced upperclassmen Theatre Arts Majors.  Considering the variety of students participating in the project, this production is far from amateur.  Although some scripts, directors, and actors are more sophisticated than others, the production as a whole makes for a successfully entertaining evening.

The show opens with the challenging “Coroner Elections,” written by Hayley Hilmes and directed by Lizzy Burton.  Miss Burton directs her actors magnificently in navigating the balance between discomfort and humor.  Grace Libby, acting the part of Johanna Crawford, exhibits outstanding command of her own facial expressions, completely engaging the audience in an otherwise off-putting treatment of the duties of a County Coroner.  As an opener, “Coroner Elections” is particularly successful in setting up the audience for an evening of discomfort-based humor.

Nolan Frame’s directing debut, “The Race,” similarly ruffles the audiences’ feathers as seven sperm race toward an egg—but writer Georgina Cohen’s characters are so distinct as to complement the context, granting it an audience of more than teenage boys.  Although most of the actors playing sperm demonstrate a stiff amateurism in the delivery of their lines, senior Jarek Sarnacki throws caution to the wind and engages his whole body in his part as a double-headed sperm.  Sarnacki carries the show, filling gaps in pacing with lines as well as succinct physical reactions.  Despite the overall comparative lack of sophistication in the performance of “The Race,” the Cohen-Frame creative team entertains audiences in their spin on the characterization of the human reproductive process.

Closing the first half, however, Joey Fechtel’s “Thermometer” fails in any attempt at theatrical integrity or humor.  Fechtel’s script lacks any semblance of a dramatic arc, with interchangeable characters and an abrupt and ambiguous shift in the last thirty seconds of the show.  The writing is weak to begin with, but Courtney Weller’s direction provides nothing less than ten minutes of exaggerated fit-throwing verging on annoying whines.  Weller seems to have selectively embraced the persona of a noisy elementary school-age child and instructs her actors to stomp around and yell incomprehensibly to their hearts’ content.  The sheer noise of the three-actor show combined with Weller’s extensive floor work in a performance space with severely limited floor visibility for seats beyond the first two rows makes audiences anxious for a break.

After a brief intermission, the second half of Town Crier  compensates for the slow start, as the sophistication of both the writing and the acting drastically increase.  Caitie Auld’s “Did Someone Order A Chicken Wrap?” showcases senior Theatre Arts Major Jesse Baldridge in the lead role of an office receptionist in a trying first day on the job.  No stranger to comedic acting, Baldridge employs his entire being in the character Mike, from his frustrated ticks to his hesitating speech.  The pinnacle of Baldridge’s performance, however, is of course, his slow-motion cell phone retrieval and destruction.  This fifteen-second sequence not only demonstrates his command for physical comedy, but also keeps the audience in stitches and earns him a round of applause mid-show.

While “Did Someone Order a Chicken Wrap?” is completely carried by the exemplary main actor, the next piece, “The Surprise Party” relies more on situational humor in the writing and a cohesive ensemble to captivate audiences in laughter without an opportunity to die down completely before starting up again.  Writer Taylor Griffin never shies away from the discomfort of the misguided surprise party, and under Abi Dehner’s direction, the actors relish each agonizing moment of misunderstanding.  If any actor in this show can be commended above others, it is Joshua Willis in his understated stage presence, earning the audience’s sympathy and completing the hilarious irony of “The Surprise Party.”

The highlight of the entire production, however, is rightfully placed at the finale: Rollie Williams’ delightful frolic into history, “Independence,” is performed with precise characterization intended for an educated audience.  Director Hayley Hilmes had her work cut out for her with Williams’ clever script incorporating the challenges our forefathers faced when composing the Declaration of Independence.  Hilmes deliberate staging only aids the distinct characterization by each actor.  Matt Hudgins, for example, spares no opportunity for sexual ambiguity in his over-the-top portrayal of George Washington, lingering just long enough in his gazes at the other gentlemen to keep the audience in stitches.  Sophomore Theatre Arts Major Michael Armstrong conveys a comprehensive approach to his characterization of Thomas Jefferson, bridging the gap between realism and comedy with grace as he jeeringly provokes John Adams’ (played by Reeves Richards) proposal for the substance of the document.  Most commendable of all, however, is performance of senior Reeves Richards in his acting debut.  In his portrayal of John Adams, Richards demonstrates an unbelievable stage presence in one so inexperienced.  Richards thoroughly entertains in his unwavering persistence that the Declaration of Independence should consist of the phrase, “Suck on it, Redcoats” as well as his commitment to the belief in Washington’s heterosexuality.  The amalgamation of Williams’ brilliant script, Hilmes’ precise direction and a stellar cast foreground “Independence” as the crown jewel of this year’s Town Crier production.

As a product of University of Puget Sound’s Student Theatre Productions, it is only appropriate that a wide variety of student experience and talent is represented in this year’s Town Crier Speaks.  Producers Ella Wrenn, Taylor Griffin, and Daniel Smith expertly integrate each student contributor in the festival.  And although some students lack expertise in the theatrical realm, the student-produced outlet provides just the opportunity to develop those skills.  The ninth annual Town Crier offers such a spectrum of entertainment for an unbeatable price—no Puget Sound Theatre fan should miss this festival. 

"How to make money writing for the web"

Matthew Stibbe's article is refreshingly ordered and concise.  I appreciate how he takes his own advice and breaks topics up with headings, short paragraphs, bullet points, and bolded phrases--in doing so, he proves his argument about the importance of readability.  Perhaps because of the specific nature of his topic and expertise, but Stibbe seems to have a stronger grasp of the medium than other writers whose articles we have read about the differences in writing for the web versus writing for print.

I have mixed feelings about the prevalence of links Stibbe provides.  On the one hand, I find them pretty distracting.  In some cases he uses five in one sentence!  I realize that they are intended to be helpful bridges to additional information, but the visual abberations interrupt flow and make the entire document a bit more difficult to read.  On the other hand, the secondary pages themselves are fascinating and helpful.  The link for The Economist Style Guide conveniently lead me to the Amazon page, so I already ordered it. Way to go, Stibbe, I hope The Economist is compensating you for your advertising!

Stibbe's tips themselves are incredibly helpful as well.  He takes fairly obvious concepts (like "It's a business, stupid"and "Learn to market yourself") and elaborates in a real, useful manner.  It is fascinating to me how prevalent blogging has become as a viable writing outlet.  In addition to the three or four college classes I have taken that require me to blog in order to get used to the medium and get myself published, Stibbe's is the most recent in a handful of articles about writing that I have read urging me to get blogging for practice, but also for the real world.

"News You Can Lose"

James Surowiecki's New Yorker article on the current financial struggles of American press is quick to acknowledge the circumstances that have contributed to sinking industry.  Surowieki argues that it is not the internet that has made printed news obsolete, but rather, the mindset of the consumer, now used to fast, free information.  The trouble here is that newspapers rely heavily on advertising and sales revenue to keep them afloat, but online news sources have caused printed readership to decline drastically in the last couple of decades.  I appreciated Surowieki's application of Theodore Levitt's theory about "Marketing Myopia" to the sphere of journalism.  If newspaper companies thought of themselves as in the information industry, rather than the print industry, they might be better prepared to adjust to new technology.  However, I think Surowieki is right to conclude with some possibilities for shifting news revenue sources, although none seem as immediately lucrative as the former practices.