9 Useful Google Search Tricks

August 19, 2013 By Ben Lane Hodson in Tips & Tricks 2 Comments

While Bing and Yahoo may have their fans, Google is still my go-to search engine of choice. Since I’m on Google for a good chunk of the day, I thought it was worth learning how to use it. Here’s a list of useful tricks I’ve picked up along the way.

1) Conversions
I cook so having a handy measurement converter at my fingertips is super useful. For instance, if I wanted to know how many cups are in 1.2 liters, I just enter this:

1.2 liters to cups

You can use this for any type of measurement such as miles to kilometers or bytes to gigabytes.

2) Make Google do the Math
Enter any math equation and Google will return the result. It’s like a free form text-based calculator. If I wanted to know the cosign of 4 divided by 55, I enter:

cos 4 / 55

Or jump straight to a calculator right in google by typing:

calculator

3) Dictionary
Find the definition of any word by using the define: operator. To find the definition of hubris enter:

define:hubris

4) Translate Languages
Translate english to spanish, french to russian, or any other common language you can think of. Just type the phrase you want to translate and then the “in [name of the language to translate to].” If I wanted to find my car in spanish, I’d enter:

where is my car in spanish

5) Timer
Need to remember to do something at a certain time? Google can run a timer that will count down for you. You can even have it play a sound when it completes. Just enter the amount of time to count down for and the operator “timer”. If I wanted to run a timer for a minute, I’d enter:

1 minute timer

6) Important Dates
Not sure when Labor Day falls in 2014? Google will give you the exact date for any major holiday.

labor day 2014

7) Find all Links to a Site
Want to know all of the sites on the Internet that link back to your site? Just use the “link:” operator. If I wanted to get all the links to crankleft.com, I’d enter:

link:crankleft.com

It’s especially useful if you are running a blog or a website and want to get an idea of who is linking to you and how well you are doing in terms of link backs on the web.

8) Time zones
Want to call a distant friend but aren’t sure what time it is for them? You can find the time zone of any city or zip code by entering:

time zone oklahoma city

9) Search by Site
Want to limit your search to only finding results on a particular website? Just use the “site:” operator to tell Google what site to search in. For instance, if I only wanted to find references to Harry Knowles on aintitcool.com, I’d enter:

site:aintitcool.com harry knowles

Ameoba Music: End of an Era

August 15, 2013 By Ben Lane Hodson in Music

I spent some time in San Francisco a few weeks back seeing the sights with the family. On the last day before we headed home, I went with a fellow music loving friend to Ameoba Music on Haight Street. I remembered visiting Haight Street 15 years before. Back then, there were at least four major record stores on this street alone. Now, only Ameoba is left with a few smaller discount shops scattered down the street.

Nostalgia for the Record Shop

Walking in, memories came flooding back. It’d been at least 10 years since I was in a “real” record store. Why hadn’t I come in so many years? Because they don’t exist. Yes, there are a few last holdouts like Ameoba but they’re only in the big cities and it seems each year, a few more decide to close their doors for good.

I remembered spending hours, flipping through cassettes (records were a “dead” format at the time to me), trying to find a recording I’d never heard of by my favorite band. Every once in a while, discovering some album art that caught my eye and buying it on impulse.

The expensive records are on the wall but you can flip through endless boxes of records as well.

Walking the Store

The place is immense. The record stores I spent time in as a kid would only take up a small corner of Ameoba’s expanse. It takes a few minutes of scanning like a panoramic camera to take it all in. I didn’t know where to start.

I had long since lost my bias against records and was more fascinated than ever by them so I started there. It took at least an hour to flip through just the Rock section alone. I still had Blues, Country, R&B, Punk, Classical, and several others to go. No to mention the option of heading to CD’s, cassettes, posters, and even books on music.

The wall art caught my eye. Every part of visible wall space was covered in posters showcasing bands and albums from every music style and period. I walked the perimeter, continually amazed by the diversity that music has given us. From David Bowie to Merle Haggard, there was something for everyone.

How many record stores still have a Soul Tapes section?

Ameoba is an eclectic music lover’s paradise. Beethoven is just a few steps away from Marvin Gay. There’s something for everyone and enough esoteric stuff that you might question whether it is actually “for anyone?”

Finding The Ramones

I’ve wanted a classic Ramones record for a long time. I’d come to Amoeba in hopes of finding it. Sure, I had the music on my iPod but I wanted to experience the tactile feel of holding the real thing in my hands. I searched the Rock records but came up short. I couldn’t understand it. A place like this had to have The Ramones!

I went to the information desk and asked the hip music clerk if they had any Ramones records. “Check the Punk section,” he responded. I felt stupid. I should have known there would be a separate section for Punk records here (a lesser store would have had The Ramones filed under Rock but in Ameoba, genres still matter).

Even the bag made me nostalgic for the days when you bought physical media.

The End of an Era

As I purchased my treasures and headed for the door, I had to turn around one last time and look. It hit me as if I were wearing a pare of headphones cranked to 11. This might be the last time I set foot in a record store like this. They died many years ago when digital music hit big. Now all that are left feel more like tombs where music pilgrims wander like ghosts of another era.

10 Perfect Science Fiction Movies

August 12, 2013 By Ben Lane Hodson in Movies 2 Comments

There was an interesting post the other day listing the 50 Must-See Science Fiction movies. I scored 48 of 50 on the list but there were quite a few that I didn’t agree with as a “must-see.” So I thought I’d put my own list together but I have so many favorites that I just got confused. So I decided to do a list of science fiction movies I think are just perfect.

These are the masterpieces. These are the films that define the science fiction movie genere. If you’ve seen a science fiction film in the last 20 years, chances are the director counts several of these as influences. They get better with age. They work on multiple levels as both a compelling story and a moral question.

Alien (1979)

Why did it make the list?
The perfect marriage of science fiction and horror. Not a frame is wasted. The surprise ending just keeps on giving thrills. The creature design is one of the most perfect monsters ever created.

Is it worth watching these days?
Infactically yes. With the exception of super computer “Mother”, most of the tech still looks realistic and believable. Notable for its “used” look, the near opposite of the ship design in Star Trek.

Blade Runner (1982)

Why did it make the list?
Most Anime would not exist if it weren’t for Blade Runner. It’s that influential. Harrison Ford adds to the gloom of this futurist noir. Rutger Hauer is tragedy emodied, and it has James Hong!

Is it worth watching these days?
Barring a few 80’s hairstyles, the effects are still jaw dropping. The film used lens flare before it was “cool.” The analysis of what it means to be alive will haunt you.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Why did it make the list?
The absolute gold standard in science fiction cinema. Kubrick’s film is so deep many believe it to be unintelligible (which couldn’t be further from the truth.) The ballet-like movements of space travel still amaze to this day and the trip into the infinite continues to blow minds. I still can’t get over the fact that this was made a year before we even landed on the moon!

Is it worth watching these days?
Only if you have patience. The film is meant to be contemplative so there are a lot of long tracking shots and no dialogue for large sections of the film. If you have the patience and want to think about what is being presented, you will be rewarded.

Brazil (1985)

Why did it make the list?
A terrifying analysis of what happens when government bureaucracy becomes overwhelming. The heartbreaking ending perfectly completes the dystopian feel of the film. A superb social commentary.

Is it worth watching these days?
It’s Terry Gilliam so it’s weird (to the uninitiated). The costumes, set designs, even some of the acting choices are meant to be bizarre. Even Robert De Niro’s cameo-like role is odd. Prepare yourself for the strange and you’ll love it.

Escape from New York (1981)

Why did it make the list?
I can’t think of another movie that combines the bleakest and most debased view of humanity with the greatest anti-hero character ever created. Metal Gear Solid’s Snake character is directly based on Kurt Russell’s walking “middle finger to the world” Snake Plissken.

Is it worth watching these days?
You’ll fall in love with Snake. As with most of John Carpenter’s films, the social commentary is top notch. The synthesized music sounds like it could have been made by Daft Punk today. Check out the background matte paintings. None other than James Cameron (Avatar, Terminator 2) painted them.

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Why did it make the list?
You’re probably wondering why Star Wars isn’t on the list but its sequel is. Simple answer. The sequel is better. It’s dark, it has tremendous heart, and it has a puppet for a Jedi master! Think about how crazy it would be today to use a puppet as a major character in a film like this? This is the one that made Star Wars matter.

Is it worth watching these days?
Ten times the movie that any of the prequels were, it holds up tremendously well. A perfect melding of fantasy and science fiction elements that completely ups the stakes of the previous film. The special effects are still marvelous.

The Matrix (1999)

Why did it make the list?
This film invented “bullet time”, now a common occurrence in most big budget films, it was truly ground-breaking for the time. But what’s even more impressive are the themes at play here between man and machines. It is impossible to count the number of movies that have ripped this off since.

Is it worth watching these days?
A film that makes you believe Keanu Reeves can act? Now that’s an achievement (actually, he rocks in Bill & Ted’s). Some of the CG is looking a little dated but the story is so engaging and the plot moves so fast, it more than makes this worth checking out.

Solaris (1972)

Why did it make the list?
Note, this is the Russian language 1972 Solaris, not the George Clooney 2002 remake (which isn’t terrible but not as good as this). There is a sense of deep dread throughout as if David Lynch were secretly directing scenes behind the camera. The really unique thing here is how much further this went into the psychological realm than science fiction films before it. Really ground-breaking and not just spaceships and aliens fighting each other.

Is it worth watching these days?
It is slooooow. The director is on record as saying the first 15 minutes of the film were put there to “weed out” the audience so that only the people that really cared and had patience would be left. I’m captivated by it. You may fall asleep.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Why did it make the list?
Star Trek movies are still running on the fumes from this film. It redefined Star Trek with naval combat-like actions scenes and one of the most beloved character deaths ever filmed. Ricardo Montalban plays Khan as if he is doing shakespeare and William Shatner actually seems believable.

Is it worth watching these days?
All the technology, hair styles, & make-up, look horribly dated. The special effects are pretty strong though. The whole film is so adventurous you’ll be swept away. Besides, everyone has to watch the scene where “they put creatures in our bodies to control our minds.”

The Thing (1982)

Why did it make the list?
John Carpenter’s science fiction horror masterpiece. Kurt Russell plays a character that is just as anti-hero as his Snake Plissken but also has a hint of real sadness. The ensemble cast is fabulous. The claustrophobic setting of antarctica in the middle of a storm only adds the terror.

Is it worth watching these days?
This film is worth it just for practical effects alone. The creatures they designed will blow your mind. The tension is off the charts. The stop motion special effects look terrible but everything is so scary, it easily overcomes this.

What am I missing?

Why Start a Blog?

August 8, 2013 By Ben Lane Hodson in Uncategorized

“Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,
And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,
I will be brief: your noble son is mad.”
– Lord Polonius from Shakespeare’s Hamlet (1602)

Lord Polonius said brevity is the soul of wit and I agree. Twitter is great at clearing away the “fluff” from what you say. Nothing enforces brevity better than being limited to 140 characters.

Facebook isn’t quite as good at removing the excess. You can post a lot of text to be sure but because Facebook hides most of that content after the first 200 characters or so, it ends up cutting most conversations short and keeping things under control.

Warning – random annoyance: One of the biggest problems on Facebook is the seeming inability of friends to use paragraphs. I’m a “web-scanner.” Most people are these days. When I see a big paragraph, I skip it. When I read text on the web, I’m like the plant from Little Shop of Horrors. I want quick bite-sized paragraphs, bold headings, and bullets. “Feed me” information fast and in little chunks. Don’t drown me with a paragraph the size of Mt. Everest.

Where Social Media Falls Short

One issue I have with social media is being able to say the words I feel necessary to make sure the reader understands my meaning. Sometimes 140 characters just doesn’t cut it. The tight font spacing and formatting of most social feeds doesn’t help either.

Half the time when I read a tweet, I have to reread it several times before I understand what the person is even trying to say. Twitter especially is a wasteland of hashtags and acronyms. It’s like one big inside joke and I need to have the punchline repeated several times before I “sort of” get it.

Don’t get me wrong. I love Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram (Google+ and LinkedIn to a lesser extent). But sometimes you just need a little more space to say what you mean. So I started this blog and it’s been refreshing to write what I mean in as much space as I want.

Top 5 Reasons to Start a Blog

“So you started a blog to be more long winded?” Actually, kind of. Yes. There are five reasons I’m blogging:

More Space to Say Things
Your blog is your own place where you can be yourself, say what you’re thinking, and not be censored. You can write as much or as little as you want to make your point.
To Practice Writing with a Deadline
One of the keys to blogging I’m told is consistency. So if you know that you have to get a post up every week or maybe once a day or whatever schedule you have set for yourself, it forces you to sit down and write more often. The way to be a better writer is to write more.
Think More
There is something to be said for just taking time to think. Pondering about the world, how you feel about your place in life, self analyzing who you really are, and trying to find ways to improve is invigorating. If you have to blog about your thoughts, then you’re going to have to get them more organized and try to make sense of things. Blogging can help you be more clever and insightful.
Help Others by Sharing What You’ve Learned
I learn something new daily. Sometimes many things in one day. Failure is a better teacher than success. When I think I’ve got something figured out, I want to share it. A blog can help you share what you’ve learned and has the chance to really make a difference for others.
Build a Profile
Ever Googled yourself? Do you do it frequently? I check about once a year. Fame is not that interesting to me but it is a means to an end in some cases. For instance, I would love more people to experience my art, whether it be writing, music, comics, or films. Blogging helps to build credibility and a platform as an artist. It’s home base on the web where you can let others know about what you’re working on and how they can get access to it.

I’m excited to see where this goes. I’m definitely already seeing the results of my reasons for blogging. So far, it’s been worth the effort and a cool new experience.

The Art of Being Unique

August 5, 2013 By Ben Lane Hodson in Life Lessons

This picture hangs in our bathroom right above the toilet. Sometimes when I have drunk a lot of water, I will stand there for a bit (I won’t illustrate further) and look at all the rocks. Yes, every one of them is a rock. Yes, they are all a shade of brown. But they all have their own shape and contours. It reminds me how great it is to be around unique and interesting people.

Thwarting Conventional Wisdom

I love when the conventional wisdom is thwarted with facts. This usually happens about the time someone questions a commonly held belief, actually applies some science to it, and then discovers the truth backed by proof.

Ironically, these facts are considered controversial whereas the conventional wisdom that came from opinion and groupthink is held as the norm. So what does this have to do with being unique?

We are what we think. Our perspective on the world. Our beliefs. The truths we hold all combine to make us who we are.

“Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.”

3 Steps to Being More Unique

When it comes to art and creativity, it’s even more important to have your own voice. Your art should represent you as much as you represent your art. It’s hard to be creative when you’re thinking the same way, like the same things, and follow the same routines as everyone else.

1) Consider the opposite
Train yourself so that when everyone is thinking the same way, you consider the opposite.

There’s a danger here that needs to avoided. Don’t be a contrarian. Just because everyone loves something, you don’t need to hate it. No one likes to be around negativity like that. Treat each person’s opinion with respect even if you are considering the polar opposite. Buck the trend, don’t take a flame thrower to it.

2) Don’t censure yourself
When you see the white rabbit running in a different direction, get off the path and follow it. Don’t be afraid of the woods. See where it takes you. Don’t stop your creative burst by censoring yourself. We all have inhibitions and beliefs that cause us to do the same things over and over. Take a break from the routine and see where it leads you.

3) Think, analyze, empathize
Think about alternatives. Analyze why you believe what you do. And above all else, really listen to others and empathize with what they are feeling. Put yourself in other shoes.

Although I have a bunch of techniques for being more creative, the three above are my tried and true “go-to” methods. They’ve gotten me out of more than a few creative jams.

Bucket List: Mavericks at Half Moon Bay

August 1, 2013 By Ben Lane Hodson in Surfing

Surfing on the Weekends

Ever since my friend Jack Richins introduced me to surfing, it has been a lifelong passion. One of the better surfing spots coming from Seattle, Washington is Westport. But it’s almost a two hour drive away.

We’d wake up (early for a Saturday) around 6:00 AM, load up our boards, grab the wetsuits, and head for Westport. The music was loud (usually some selection by The Who was playing). It helped to shake us from the early morning stupor. Most conversations revolved around two things: surfing and software programming (who would have expected nerd surfers?).

I’d always bring a stack of surfer magazines. We’d flip through the pages, read stories to each other, talk about what surfers we thought were great and who were overrated. We always looked forward to the yearly magazine issue reporting on Mavericks and the famous big wave riders of Half Moon Bay.

Pillar Point Harbor entrance

Walking the Mavericks Beach

All those years riding waves, talking about Mavericks, and I had never set foot there. I’d been to California many times but never found a way to get out to Half Moon Bay. So I took great pleasure in finally setting foot on the beaches of Pillar Point Harbor and seeing where it all happens.

It’s a bit of a walk from the entrance around the outcropping out to the big waves. Along the way, I encountered sand filled beaches, gorgeous rock formations, and plenty of Northern California sea life.

Tide Pool at Mavericks

The Beauty of Mavericks

Once you’ve reached the edge of the beach, at low tide, you can climb over the slippery rocks to reach the other side. I was amazed by the endless tide pools filled with crabs, lobster, sea anemones, and starfish. It seemed like every few steps, I was finding some new creature I hadn’t seen before.

I’ve spent a lot of time on the beaches of the Pacific Northwest and have a good knowledge of the common sea life there. The tide pools of Mavericks were truly wonderful. I discovered new plants I’d never seen before. The lush colors combined into a rainbow the spread across the jagged beach rocks.

Remembering the dead

Reminders of the Dead

As inviting as the waves seemed, there were constant reminders of the dangers of surfing at Mavericks. It’s strictly for the professional surfer and yet signs everywhere memorialized great big wave riders of the past who died at Mavericks in spite of being pros.

Some names I recognized, others I didn’t. There are probably more that were lost but don’t have a sign to remember them by. But to me, just being in this place, a place I had always wanted to see with my own eyes (not just as a picture in a surfing magazine), made me feel grateful.

All those times sitting out past the break, waiting for the next set of waves, looking at the endless body of water, and the only thought that comes to mind is how small you are. How powerful the sea is. How you always give it your respect. And how much peace it can bring. It’s like being in nature’s church. And that’s exactly how I felt standing on the shores of Mavericks.

You’re Really Writing a Novel?

July 25, 2013 By Ben Lane Hodson in Books, Tales of the Macabre West 2 Comments

“Wait, what? You’re writing a book?”

After the shock subsides, I usually get an immediate follow-up question. “What’s it about?”

I will be the first to admit it. This book is weird. I’ve had many chances to hone my book’s “elevator pitch” by now. So how do I explain what the book is about? Simple.

“It’s a horror story set in the old west.”

What had begun as a look of excitement now turns to confusion. Most of the people I tell this to do no read horror. And in truth, it isn’t really a horror story. In fact, it isn’t even one story. It’s a collection of short stories all happening in the same time period and general location. A better description might be:

“A collection of short stories set in the 1860’s old west of America each containing elements of suspense and horror.”

But that takes way too long to say so I keep it simple. Besides, let’s be honest, this is not “mainstream” literature. There isn’t even a genre at the local Barnes & Noble for “Horror / Suspense / Western.”

It’s Fun to Write this Book

But here’s the thing, I love the concept. The ideas are just gushing from my fingertips. Each story has creepy ideas, interesting characters, and a sense of mystery. The characters have come alive. When it comes to writing for me, whether it be novels, comic books, screenplays, or composing songs, you have to create what you love. I am fully aware this is not a “commercially viable” novel and I am completely fine with that. I love it and that’s good enough.

The book will be titled: Tales of the Macabre West

I’m on track to finish the first draft by the end of this year (2013). Then I will be editing and revising for a publish date in early 2014.

Why am I writing a novel?

1) The world and characters are fabulous and the ideas just keep coming.

2) I wanted to see if I “could”. Writing a novel is a challenge. It requires intense focus. It is something I’ve always wanted to do. So this has been a year of seeing if I had the discipline to sit down and write daily and if by the end I would know whether I absolutely hated it or if it was fun. It turns out, it is really fun.

3) I want to learn more about publishing for both digital and traditional paper books. This is a great project to see how things work.

So there it is. The potential audience for this book may be able to be counted on one hand but I love it. And that’s all that really matters.

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