The Eric Wroolie Blog

Overpass Experiences

What I look like now

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If you spend time with me now, you would know that I don’t look anything like the picture on the side panel of this site anymore. That picture was taken two years ago– in the summer of 2006 while standing next to my brother on a beach in San Diego. My appearance has changed since then and people who knew me then don’t always recognize me in public.

Like a lot of people, I’m not comfortable with pictures of myself and rarely like how they look. So, I keep that one up until a better one comes along.

On the train the other day, I took a picture of myself to post on Facebook. Here’s a comparison of two pictures two years apart:

2006 Picture 2008 Picture
2006 Me 2008 Me

I’ve had a beard for about a year and a half now. The weight I put on is concerning (and I’m seriously trying to get rid of it). The gray in the beard is a surprise too. I wear my hair longer and, for now, I like it that way.

When I posted this picture on Facebook, one of my friends said “What have you done to yourself?” Well, that’s it.

When I find a picture I like for the side of this site, I’ll update it– but for now, 2006 Eric stays there.

2008 Baseball is over (for me)

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The baseball playoffs have already started. It seems like the San Diego Padres have been in them so frequently lately that I expect to watch some playoffs in early October.

But this year, they didn’t do to well (an understatement) and the season is over.

The big highlight of the year for me was a few Sundays ago when Chris Young took a perfect game into 8 2/3 innings against the Nationals. It was a day game so I could watch it live in the evening here. It was very exciting and very close. I was also heartbreaking when he was homered off of.

Oh well, next year.

Is the Media catching up?

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Last night, BBC2 started the third season of Heroes in the UK.  This is less than two weeks since the show premiered in the US.  This is great news for those living abroad who have less time to wait and avoid online spoilers until they can watch the show.

Previously, a show like this would take a few months to be shown in the UK.  Typically, a show starting in the Fall season would premier here in January or February.  I believe the motivation was to allow the show to run continuously without reruns.  But this makes it difficult for fans in the UK when surfing the Internet and not wanting to find out too much before getting a chance to see the show.  It’s a lot like taping a sports event and then trying to avoid the sports news until you get a chance to watch it.

I think piracy has helped bring this about.  The big assumption that people are trying to steal content without paying is not always correct.  If more shows are managed like this, you would see a lot less illegal downloads.  If networks offered fee-based programming online, pirated tv shows would dwindle.  Even iTunes shows wait until the UK premiers before something is offered.  But at least they didn’t have to wait long for Heroes.

Still, it did take nearly two weeks to be shown here.  I read a blog post from torrent freak a few days ago, ‘Heroes’ Causes BitTorrent Boom, which says that downloads of the show last week broke new records.  Even two weeks is a long time on the net.

By releasing content earlier, the US TV networks can control their own content before it spreads via piracy.