Jekyll2019-03-06T23:21:52+00:00http://dhniels.com/blog/feed.xmlDave Nielsen’s BlogI am a Front-End Web Developer, currently working at Iron County. This blog is a collection of my thoughts, both personal and professional.Film Review: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug2013-12-13T22:05:49+00:002013-12-13T22:05:49+00:00http://dhniels.com/blog/reviews/2013/12/13/film-review-the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug<p>While this second Hobbit movie was better than the first in some ways, it had many of the same problems.</p>
<p>As a huge Tolkien fan, I will admit I was a little bit disappointed.</p>
<p>It had many spectacular moments that were unfortunately overshadowed by its length. The movie was WAY too long and there was a lot of stuff that should’ve been left out completely. The love story between Kili and Tauriel was COMPLETELY unnecessary, however to Peter Jackson’s credit, it does work. It could have been another Anakin/Padme debacle but it luckily avoids that.</p>
<p>Thorin is a huge jerk and I have been even further disappointed by his character’s portrayal.</p>
<p>Side note: I’m not a huge fan of the films surreal “video gamey” cinematography.</p>
<p>The barrel scene was tons of fun, Gandalf’s encounter at Dol Goldur was really awesome, Smaug was terrifying (albeit the Smaug scene was drawn out forever) and Legolas and Tauriel kicked some major butt, killing everything in their path the most stylish way possible. These moments were when I really enjoyed myself. Beorn the Bear also makes a great impression but lets you down when his appearance in the movie only lasts what seemed like only about five minutes.</p>
<p><img src="http://i1.cdnds.net/13/34/618x396/movies-the-hobbit-desolation-of-smaug-dwarves.jpg" alt="one of my favorite LOTR moments" /></p>
<p>I must stress though to big fans of the series like myself: don’t have too high of expectations going into the movie.
Honestly, I had a little bit of that let down feeling that i had after the 1st movie.</p>
<p>There were several portions of the movie where I just got bored. Granted, we went to the midnight premiere and I was tired, but I’ve been to midnight premieres that kept me awake a lot better than this movie did. Fortunately I didn’t ever fall asleep (though my wife did several times.)</p>
<p>There were a couple moments where I thought, “what the heck?” Like some of King Thranduil’s behavior, where the scene just completely fell apart and just felt silly and a little awkward.</p>
<p>Smaug was beautifully crafted and wonderfully voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, but unfortunately his time in the spotlight was overdrawn. The Smaug scene occupies the last 30 minutes, at least. It felt so drawn out that it kind of ruined the experience.</p>
<p>One last strong point to the movie that I will add was the acting of Martin Freeman in the role of Bilbo. He was perfectly casted for this role and does a spectacularly wonderful job as the timid, simple, yet courageous Bilbo.</p>
<p>Ultimately, the movie polarized my feelings on a lot of things I felt unsure about from the first movie, and I just couldn’t shake the feeling and thoughts I had over and over the whole way through the movie that “this could be so much better if….”</p>
<p>I would compare my emotions to what I felt after seeing Star Wars Episodes 1,2 and 3. I will still love it because I feel obligated to as a huge fan of the franchise, but I felt extremely let down.</p>
<p>I rated the movie 4/5 stars on <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_hobbit_the_desolation_of_smaug/">Rotten Tomatoes.</a></p>While this second Hobbit movie was better than the first in some ways, it had many of the same problems.Guitar Hero Controller Repair2013-10-18T22:05:49+00:002013-10-18T22:05:49+00:00http://dhniels.com/blog/diy/2013/10/18/guitar-hero-controller-repair<p>About a week ago, I bought a <a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/videogames/detail-page/guitar-wii.jpg">Guitar Hero World Tour controller</a> from the <a href="http://deseretindustries.lds.org/?lang=eng">Deseret Industries</a> thrift store here in Rexburg for four dollars. Upon returning home, I found out that the downward strumming wasn’t working. I decided to tear the guitar apart to see what the problem was.</p>
<p>Apparently, this is a very common issue with the World Tour controllers. I found this out upon doing a web search and perusing through several forums. The down switch seemed to be faulty and prone to early failure.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I was too excited to dig into this project that I didn’t make a guide. What was I thinking?! However, I decided to post the resources I used here so that others can follow the process that I did. I was able to replace the switch and now it works like new. The guitar and the replacement switch together only cost me about ten bucks, less than a third of the price of a new controller.</p>
<p>Side note: My guitar is for the Wii, but this process is basically identical across all platforms (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii) of the World Tour guitar controller.</p>
<h3 id="resources-i-used">Resources I used:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Strummer switches (GHWT) - $7.95 at <a href="http://www.guitarherorepair.com">guitarherorepair.com</a> or eBay</li>
<li>Soldering iron - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-Electronics-ST-12-Soldering-Tool/dp/B0002LLWZY">Amazon</a> has a decent basic kit for cheap</li>
<li>A repair video can also be found on guitarherorepair.com on the <a href="http://www.guitarherorepair.com/repairs/strummer-repair-kit">product page</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Have fun with this project and let me know in the comments if you have questions!</p>About a week ago, I bought a Guitar Hero World Tour controller from the Deseret Industries thrift store here in Rexburg for four dollars. Upon returning home, I found out that the downward strumming wasn’t working. I decided to tear the guitar apart to see what the problem was.Man’s Thirst For Power (And Why Politics Will Never Work Because Of It)2013-08-19T22:05:49+00:002013-08-19T22:05:49+00:00http://dhniels.com/blog/politics/2013/08/19/mans-thirst-for-power-and-why-politics-will-never-work-because-of-it<p>This is a cross-post of an article I had published recently on the Young Americans for Liberty national blog. You can read the article <a href="http://www.yaliberty.org/posts/mans-thirst-for-power-and-why-politics-will-never-work-because-of-it">here.</a></p>
<p>I recommend following the link so YAL can get the traffic they deserve on their excellent blog (join in on the comments over there!) but I will also post the article here in case for some reason it ever gets taken down.</p>
<p><img src="https://www.indybay.org/uploads/2008/10/12/thatstheticketsmall_1.jpg" alt="john mccain and sarah palin" /></p>
<p>The purpose of the state is clear: It is the system by which a community is governed. Because of the laws of social contracts, a need arises for a system which defends the natural rights of individuals. In the <a href="http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html">Declaration of Independence</a>, these natural rights are defined as “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and it is the role of government to defend these ideals, but let us consider why government must be formed in the first place.</p>
<p>Many have used the classic example of the “deserted island” government building scenario to teach the philosophies of Locke, social contracts, equality, and natural law. These ideas dictate that government exists at the consent of the governed, and that law is a necessary part of society.</p>
<p>We as human beings are constantly forming social contracts with each other, and when these social contracts are broke, the need for law becomes apparent. A third party must mediate between the two parties that formed this social contract. But why are social contracts broken in the first place?</p>
<p>I believe this question can be answered by stating that man is imperfect. It is this philosophy that I believe explains why any form government will always be doomed for failure. How can a system, as perfect as it may be, survive when it inherently rewards those who sacrifice their integrity in order to accumulate power? In a system that rewards bad behavior (look no further than <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/anthony-weiner-unraveling-94940.html">Anthony Weiner</a>), it is destined to bring out the worst in us.</p>
<p>There is something in the nature of mankind and our natural instincts that drives us to compete, to survive. Man’s desire for power is something that has driven the course of history in remarkable ways. The story of mankind without that instinctive need to dictate, dominate, and drive the decisions of other people would be entirely different.</p>
<p>In a Lew Rockwell <a href="http://www.lewrockwell.com/podcast/377-tune-in-turn-on-drop-out/">interview with James Altucher</a>, Rockwell states that:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Virtually everybody in politics desires to be some kind of dictator. They burn to rule others. I think it is very difficult to go anywhere in politics unless you share that ethos.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In this same interview, Altucher describes his foray into “the machine” of political process. He attempts to run for the senate (eventually withdrawing from the race) and shares some of his insight and sentiments that he gained from the experience. It provides supportive insight into this idea that mankind’s desire for power and self-interest is what drives politics. It is for the reason he withdrew from the race, espousing a new opinion that it is from external influence, from pressure outside the political system, that we are able to bring effective change to society. Altucher states:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Everybody has their hand out for something, and its not money, its a lot more subtle than that. Everybody has something that they want, or something that they want to trade. They move up in the machine because they traded their souls for something else.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Rockwell argues that the “moral path” and the only path that can change hearts and minds is not through the political process, but by the power of volunteerism.</p>
<p>It is upon these principles of volunteerism that most <a href="http://www.yaliberty.org/about">YAL</a> members operate. We do not receive reward for our desire for change. We do not receive monetary compensation, nor bait favors from our peers to accomplish agendas driven by self-interest.</p>
<p>In order to conquer this inherent thirst for power and the eventual demise of our government, we must exercise our right of voluntary service. This service is motivated by the “good” nature of man: a desire for better lives for ourselves, our neighbors, and our children. A desire to establish a system in which we may freely choose for ourselves what course our lives will take. By freely participating in an organization like YAL, we are bringing about good change that could never be accomplished through “the machine” of politics.</p>This is a cross-post of an article I had published recently on the Young Americans for Liberty national blog. You can read the article here.How to Enable Facebook Comments on Your Scriptogram Blog2013-07-08T22:05:49+00:002013-07-08T22:05:49+00:00http://dhniels.com/blog/tuts/2013/07/08/how-to-enable-facebook-comments-on-your-scriptogram-blog<p>I recently perused the web in search of a way to enable my readers to comment on my blog posts. Scriptogram had <a href="http://support.scriptogr.am/discussions/suggestions/16-comments">this support page</a> which pointed me in the right direction, but for a n00b like myself, it wasn’t the most clear and straightforward string of commenting. As a result, I decided to make this post in order to simplify the process for anyone interested.</p>
<h2 id="1-get-the-code">1. Get the code</h2>
<p>First, you will need to get the code from Facebook. You can do this <a href="https://developers.facebook.com/docs/reference/plugins/comments/">here</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mistershmi/9243421040/" title="Screen Shot 2013-07-08 at 2.49.21 PM by MisterShmi, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7318/9243421040_99f5023a14_o.png" width="237" height="296" alt="Enter the settings, the click get code" /></a></p>
<p>Enter your site URL, or any URL really, because we are going to replace it later. I left the width and number of posts settings at their default, but you may wish to adjust this according to your needs. Once you have done this, click “Get Code” and Facebook will generate two snippets of code that we will use.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mistershmi/9240648477/" title="Screen Shot 2013-07-08 at 2.50.43 PM by MisterShmi, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3686/9240648477_bde680b37a_z.jpg" width="640" height="406" alt="Copy and paste this code into your blog" /></a></p>
<h2 id="2-copy-and-paste-the-code-into-your-blog">2. Copy and paste the code into your blog</h2>
<p>Go into your scriptogram dashboard and click tools, then click HTML editor.</p>
<p>The first code snippet is a chunk of javascript that will enable the commenting box feature on your blog. My blog already had this script right before the ending body tag under the div id “fb-root”, but if it’s not there you will need to add it there.</p>
<p>The second snippet of code is the HTML that you will need. Search your code until you have found the and tags. In between these two is where you will stick this bit of HTML. Most likely, you will see our other social sharing options as well (a “Like” button, tweet button, and a +1 button). I prefaced the code with a comment (see below) in order to recognize what it is for when I look at my code later.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mistershmi/9240736473/" title="Screen Shot 2013-07-08 at 3.02.09 PM by MisterShmi, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5443/9240736473_c0d09ea762_z.jpg" width="600" height="521" alt="This is where you stick the HTML" /></a></p>
<h2 id="3-enable-permalinks">3. Enable Permalinks</h2>
<p>Once this is done, you’ll notice the HTML you just pasted will look something like this: <br />
<code class="highlighter-rouge"><div class="fb-comments" data-href="http://scriptogr.am/dhniels" data-width="470" data-num-posts="10"></div></code></p>
<p>What happens if you leave it like this is the comment box will remain consistent throughout the blog, meaning if someone comments on a post about cats, those comments will also show up on all your other posts about dogs or chimpanzees (or whatever it may be). What we want (well at least what I wanted) is for each post to have its own unique comments, applicable to that post only. To do this, simply replace the link under data-href to say “”. It will now look like this: <br />
<code class="highlighter-rouge"><div class="fb-comments" data-href="" data-width="470" data-num-posts="10"></div></code></p>
<h2 id="4-the-final-and-most-difficult-step">4. The final and most difficult step…</h2>
<p>Click the save button!</p>
<p>Voila, your blog is now enabled for commenting from the 1.11 billion Facebook users out there!</p>I recently perused the web in search of a way to enable my readers to comment on my blog posts. Scriptogram had this support page which pointed me in the right direction, but for a n00b like myself, it wasn’t the most clear and straightforward string of commenting. As a result, I decided to make this post in order to simplify the process for anyone interested.Nintendo 3DS XL Review2013-06-19T22:05:49+00:002013-06-19T22:05:49+00:00http://dhniels.com/blog/reviews/2013/06/19/nintendo-3ds-xl-review<p>I recently upgraded from a Nintendo 3DS to the newer version, the 3DS XL, released on August 19, 2012. This review therefore may be a bit dated but still useful to those who would like to make the upgrade on the cheap.</p>
<h3 id="photo-gallery">Photo Gallery:</h3>
<p><br /></p>
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<h2 id="cost">Cost</h2>
<p>The 3DS currently retails at 169.99, while the XL goes for 199.99. As I will describe in more detail, the XL is an absolute must buy for first time buyers, and definitely worth the upgrade for those already owning existing 3DS. Those who are eBay savvy can find a decent used unit such as mine for about $160. Best Buy also had a sale recently where a new unit could be had for $175. I am now currently in the process of selling my old 3DS on eBay, where they sell for used in good condition for about $120-$130.</p>
<h2 id="features">Features</h2>
<h3 id="the-new-displays">The New Displays</h3>
<p>The main draw of the 3DS XL is its 90% increase in screen size. <a href="http://www.theverge.com">The Verge</a> aptly described the comparison in screen size between the two:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The 3DS is like peering through a peephole, but the XL is like stepping through a door.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The larger size makes gaming on the 3DS much more immersive and is much more relaxing on the eyes, especially with the 3D slider enabled.</p>
<p>One minor complaint I have with the redesign is the placement of the power/charge LED’s on the inside of the unit rather than the side. This can be annoying when playing in the dark, as they are very bright and shine almost directly into your eyes. It is a bit distracting from the otherwise beautiful displays.</p>
<p>The displays have also been giving a bump in their anti-glare capability. Reflectivity on the original 3DS screen was about 12%, whereas with the 3DS XL it has been reduced to just 3%. When gaming in any amount of sunlight the superiority of these new displays is clearly evident.</p>
<h4 id="does-the-bigger-screen-compromise-picture-quality">Does the bigger screen compromise picture quality?</h4>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mistershmi/9088073754/" title="image_2 by MisterShmi, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7363/9088073754_2ace9f97e1_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="90% bigger screens" /></a></p>
<p>Some people may have concerns about games being scaled up to that bigger size and how it will affect the picture quality. While the screen resolution stays the same, I didn’t have any complaints. Initially, I could see a slight difference as the picture appeared a bit more “pixely” but after playing for a day, I no longer even noticed it.</p>
<h3 id="build-quality-and-ergonomics">Build Quality and Ergonomics</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mistershmi/9088074782/" title="image_3 by MisterShmi, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7444/9088074782_405f536a04_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Fits nicely in an adult-sized hand" /></a></p>
<p>The first thing I noticed after taking the 3DS XL out of the box was the heft it had. It feels solid without feeling heavy. Handling the XL gives a real sense that the build quality is good, and makes the regular 3DS feel a bit cheap in comparison.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mistershmi/9085859785/" title="image_5 by MisterShmi, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5340/9085859785_3e53426f53_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="Comes in red or blue" /></a></p>
<p>As far as gaming comfort, for bigger hands like mine, the bigger size makes a difference. No longer do my hands get cramped after sitting down for a long session of MarioKart 7 or other button-mashing-heavy titles. Initially, the bigger size takes adjustment. I was a bit underwhelmed at first, noticing my hands felt a little uncomfortable, but after trial-and-error using a couple different awkward positions, found a comfortable way to hold it. This experience may differ from person to person, but ultimately it is a more comfortable experience for adult owners. Children’s smaller hands may have more difficulty navigating the expanded layout, so keep that in mind if you plan to buy one as a gift for a young one.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mistershmi/9085858883/" title="image_4 by MisterShmi, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3772/9085858883_ff897d19d4_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="Stylus relocation is a good thing" /></a></p>
<p>One convenient improvement of the XL is the change in location of the stylus from the back to the side of the unit. It makes it <em>much</em> more accessible. The stylus itself is also thicker and longer, and no longer has to be retracted to full length. This makes using the stylus much more comfortable and quick. You can pull it out and pop it back in without hardly thinking about it, which makes a very noticeable difference when you can continue to game without losing your focus.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mistershmi/9085855441/" title="image_1 by MisterShmi, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5343/9085855441_05b1f7e8e2_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="Bigger stylus for bigger hands" /></a></p>
<h3 id="battery-life">Battery Life</h3>
<p>The battery life in the 3DS XL is noticeably better. Gaming time is increased by about 30-60 minutes, but where the bigger battery shines is when the system is in standby. My old 3DS seemed to die quickly, and I grew into a habit of having it almost constantly plugged into a power source. The XL does give you a bit more flexibility. You can close the lid and set it aside without having to worry about it being dead next time you pick it up, which is really nice from a convenience standpoint.</p>
<h3 id="additional-notes">Additional Notes</h3>
<p>The 3DS XL retains the same cameras and software as the 3DS. If upgrading from a previous Nintendo DS system, you can use the System Transfer utility to move all of your content and purchases to the new console. The process can be a bit frustrating, as Nintendo restricts you to performing the transfer 5 times total and no more than once in a 7-day period.</p>
<h2 id="closing-thoughts">Closing Thoughts</h2>
<p>The build quality, the immersive quality of the larger screens, and improved battery life more than justify the extra $30 for a 3DS XL. I would highly recommend buying one right now. The recent slew of games announced at E3 2013 makes this purchase even more compelling. The 3DS XL may not be the king of the mobile gaming market from a hardware standpoint, but given its large library of quality games, the relatively low price tag, and the “fun” experience it provides (which is Nintendo’s expertise after all) solidify its standing as the #1 gaming handheld on the market.</p>
<p>The Nintendo 3DS currently retails for $199.99 and comes with a 4GB SD card. Additional information from <a href="https://www.nintendo.com/3ds">Nintendo.</a></p>
<p>Thank you for reading. <a href="http://dhniels.com/blog/feed.xml">Subscribe via RSS</a> and enjoy!</p>
<p>Follow me on <a href="https://www.twitter.com/dhniels">twitter.</a></p>I recently upgraded from a Nintendo 3DS to the newer version, the 3DS XL, released on August 19, 2012. This review therefore may be a bit dated but still useful to those who would like to make the upgrade on the cheap.First Post2013-06-08T22:05:49+00:002013-06-08T22:05:49+00:00http://dhniels.com/blog/other/2013/06/08/first-post<p>“FIRST!”</p>
<p>Many a spirited YouTuber has declared these words with giddy excitement in order to prove some sort of point that they are the commenting authority on that particular video. Well I am here to say “FIRST!”</p>
<p>Welcome to my blog.</p>
<p>I don’t have much of a “mission statement” to declare my objective in writing but I intend to keep my scope broad and hopefully as I attract readers like yourselves, establish a narrow focus and interest set to my writings.</p>
<h2 id="lets-talk-about-me">Let’s Talk About Me</h2>
<p>My name is Dave Nielsen. I am a student of Web Design at Brigham Young University Idaho, in a little Idaho town called Rexburg. My wife Taylor and I enjoy the outdoors and all it has to offer.</p>
<p><img src="http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/14704975.jpg" alt="Rexburg, Idaho" title="Rexburg" /></p>
<p>A few of my interests include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Camping</li>
<li>Computers</li>
<li>Video games</li>
<li>Politics, or more narrowly, Libertarianism</li>
<li>Peanut butter sandwiches</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="so-why-the-blog">So Why The Blog?</h3>
<p>I would like to convey my thoughts and hopefully attract a broad audience of readers. Some of my reasons are selfish (to practice writing) but I hope to write about, well, pretty much everything. Anything and everything I experience in my day to day life. This will most likely include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Tech news/reviews</li>
<li>Gaming news/reviews</li>
<li>Technical guides</li>
<li>My daily political research, findings, and musings</li>
<li>Things I am doing in school (HTML/CSS/design/languages/projects/etc)</li>
<li>Travel and adventure in general</li>
<li>…and likely food pics</li>
<li>(also highly probably that I will post pictures of cats at some point)</li>
</ul>
<p><img src="http://www.joeydevilla.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2005/08/jumping_cats_with_lightsabers.jpg" alt="a picture of cats" /></p>
<p>Oh yes, also you can follow me on <a href="https://www.twitter.com/dhniels">twitter</a> if you’d like.</p>
<p>Thank you for reading. <a href="http://dhniels.com/blog/feed.xml">Subscribe via RSS</a> and enjoy!</p>“FIRST!”