Age of Conan Wanes

Gamespot reports that Age of Conan plans to consolidate its servers, as demand for their game as plummeted in recent weeks. On the periphery, I heard that Funcom installed a patch that somehow nerfed game play, though I'm obviously repeating the shallowest of details. Whatever the problem, AoC never came close to threatening WoW when it peaked with 1.2 million subscribers. I played it for that first introductory month and found it a weaker MMO compared to WoW and LotRO.

A Call to Arms

My fellow countrymen, please visit this website: http://www.house.gov/Welcome.shtml. Here, you can look up your U.S. Congressman or Congresswoman, if you don't already know who they are.

Next, visit your Congressman's website. It turns out mine is John Culberson (R).

Who knew?

Here's his website, including his summary of why he voted against today's bailout bill. In his summary, he said he couldn't vote for a bill that put so much taxpayer money on the line. He counterproposed the following:

"The best solution to this crisis is to suspend mark-to-market accounting rules, establish a mandatory insurance/guarantee program to cover the banks’ losses at no expense to taxpayers, cut the capital gains rate to zero, cut taxes for offshore dollars repatriated back into the U.S., and slash corporate tax rates to encourage investment and lending. Changing the mark to market accounting rule alone will solve a huge part of the problem by allowing banks to keep non-performing assets on their books until they recover their value."

I've said many times that I am not an economist, so I fully admit that much of the nuance of his solution goes right over my head. That being said, I wrote Congressman Culberson the following email message which I just got done sending:

Congressman Culberson,

I read your website summarizing why you voted against the September 28th, 2008 bailout bill. I don't, however, understand how your counterproposal would help alleviate the credit crunch. I see a lot of tax cut proposals, but those strike me as benefiting only the wealthy. I see an insurance program paid for by the banks, but how does that alleviate the immediate crisis? Please explain how your proposals will loosen the credit crunch and free up banks to begin lending money again. And explain how your plan benefits the majority of Americans and not just a wealthy few.

Congressman, let me be clear. I want this situation resolved. I want you to work closely with your peer Democrats. I could care less about Democratic or Republican partisan politics and their ever shifting platforms. The parties can burn for all I care. But my country cannot.

Get the job done. Protect average Americans. Punish CEO and executives that allowed this to happen. Legislate oversight and regulation that will prevent this in the future. Nothing, I mean, nothing is more important than a strong American economy. The future of all other issues rests firmly upon it.

Get the job done.

Your citizen,


James Thomson
http://furiouscognition.blogspot.com/

Friends, I urgently encourage you all to find out how your Congressman voted the bailout bill, read their position, and then question them. I don't care if they voted for it or against it. Send them a letter, tell them what YOU think. The truth of the matter is that our politicians are likely operating on less background and information than we are. Additionally, we need to make our representatives defend their positions. It's not enough that Culberson wants to cut capital gains taxes. He must explain to me, to us, how that's going to HELP the situation and not just enrich some of his most important donors.

This bailout bill may not be the solution to our current economic crisis. We consulted too few true experts on the matter. There are economists out there that disagree with Paulsen and think we ought not give the money to Wall Street, but that instead we should be lending it to them. So who's right?

Who the hell knows?

That's why we need dialogue. We needs information. We need explanations. We need guidance. A good first step is to find out who your U.S. Rep is, find out out how and why they voted the way they did, and then get some answers from THEM. In the process of them telling us the whys and the hows, they might just start begin listening to us.

If that's not democray, I don't know what is.

To Hell with All of Them

The bill failed in the House 228 to 205. CNN estimates around 60% of Democrats voted for the bill, only 30% of Republicans. It's interesting that more Democrats are supporting a bill put forth by the President than the Republicans.

Republicans blame Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi for giving a "partisan" speech condemning Bush and his "failed economic policies" that they claim drove away some conservatives who would have otherwise voted in favor of the bill.

Meanwhile, the Dow plunged more than 700 points at the time I am writing this. There is talk of reintroducing the bill, but no earlier than Wednesday.

I am so sick of these people, these "representatives" and the partisan war they so relish waging. If they exerted half the effort they do in tearing each other apart into protecting our country, we'd likely not be in the mess we are today.

To hell with all of them.

And the Lord Smiled and Said . . .

"LET THERE BE IRON MAN."

And so there was Iron Man.

Iron Man eluded me this summer. This past summer I wrote extensively about how every effort I made to see the movie in the theater was met by fate’s cold backhand. Now the movie is coming out on DVD tomorrow and sweet karma has delivered it into my Netflix queue. That’s right, the gods smiled down upon me. Divine intervention commandeered a Netflix lackey, forcing her, with all the exaggerated jerks and twitches that come with being overridden by a god, to connect a Mr. James Thomson with a freshly minted Iron Man DVD.

You see, it all comes out in the wash.

She Sells What?

I bought She Sells Sanctuary off the Rock Band 2 store the other day. It’s a touchstone song by The Cult, a great band from the 80s. Surprisingly, it wasn’t all that interesting to play on the drums. I’m sure the guitar riffs are plentiful and satisfying, but the drum part was completely lackluster.

The store also had Kasabian’s Shoot the Runner, a great indy band from across the pond. I’m guessing that drum part will be fun to pound out so I’ll pick up that song next.

Sam Harris on Sarah Palin

Sam Harris summarizes well why I’ll elect not to vote before I vote for the McCain/Palin ticket. You can read the Newsweek article here.

When McCain first announced Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential candidate, Matt Damon came out on camera against her, saying, “I need to know if she really thinks dinosaurs were here 4000 years ago. That’s an important — I want to know that, I really do, because she’s going to have the nuclear codes.” It’s a fantastic quote, made even better by his own delivery of it, genuine concern mixed in with some biting humor.

I do share his worry. Can the United States really have a woman a heartbeat away from the highest office of the land, arguably the world, believing Earth no older than 10,000 years?

I say we cannot.

That alone is a deal breaker for me. I don’t care if she’s a working mom of five, an accomplished mayor, and a popular governor. The religion she has worked into her science defies reasoned thought. It indicates an individual willing to put facts on hold, what she actually believes on faith. That’s a problem because President Bush was largely quoted as relying on faith when determining whether to launch a war against Iraq. Looking back, he should have also prayed that Iraq really had WMD.

I’m afraid our country just can’t afford decision making based on the mysticism of a Christian deity. Our next leader must engage in a hefty dose of intellectual wrangling to solve the myriad of problems directly caused by a distracted, stubborn, isolated administration.

And because they’re going to have the nuclear codes.

Bailout Bill Put before Congress

The Republicans and Democrats successfully hammered out a deal over the weekend. The bill currently floats in the House, for later approval by the Senate and President. With the heavy hitters from both parties involved in the negotiations, I would expect the bill to pass easily. I saw a mixture of modification representing both parties, including provisions that CEOs won’t walk away with millions and that bailed out companies buy insurance.

Conspicuously missing is a capital gains tax cut.

I’m sure some politicians, from both parties, will rail against the bill. The debate over passing the bill provides an irresistible opportunity to mug for the camera and complain of corporate excess. Complain against the very companies that likely funded their election campaign. But they’ll sign it, if only because their party leadership will knock them upside the head if they hesitate.

It is incredible that Congress has acted this fast. Currently, I hold them in higher esteem than I did two weeks ago. The bailout may not work. But if it doesn’t, it won’t be because Congress didn’t act. It could turn out that we simply dug ourselves in too deep. If that’s the case, our last recourse will be to hold on tight and pray to a higher power.

Office Space

Wifezilla and I watched Office Space last night. The movie teaches so much truth about the day-to-day work grind, it should almost be required viewing for every employed American citizen. From the opening traffic jam (where the geezer on a walker outruns the gridlocked cars) to the incessantly jammed printer, the movie is equal parts profane, profound, and didactic. Twenty years from now, the movie will still entertain and teach.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to introduce a baseball bat to my localized network printer.

The Last Congressman on Earth

Yesterday afternoon, House Republicans formulated a counterproposal to the $700 billion bailout bill they claimed created more problems than it solved. Their proposal? 1) Bailed out banks take out insurance, I presume, to cover future losses. And 2) a capital-gains tax cut.

Yes, you read correctly. According to the House Republicans that thwarted a deal yesterday, the answer to our nation’s economic crisis is a tax cut for the wealthy.

I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried.

Henry Paulsen, the Treasury Secretary reviewed their proposal and said it wouldn’t work. The House Republicans’ response to Paulsen and stymied Democrats? Not attending a late night meeting to continue negotiating.

That’s right. Like a gaggle of bratty kids, these politicians took their ball and left the playground. Apparently it’s going to be their way or the highway. I heard a pundit last night observe that the most conservative of Republicans could care less about George Bush and his treasury secretary and that some of them are scrambling to leverage this issue for Republican political gain. Or their own.

Except I could really give a shit about the Republican Party right now. If I could sacrifice both parties to fix this situation, I’d do it without hesitation. Not attend the meeting to continue negotiations? Are you kidding me?

For the politicians that seek to raise their station on top of the coat tails of this crisis, I’ll say only this: country comes before party and if all this maneuvering delays or blocks a remedy for our financial woes, I can attest that the last person on Earth I would want to be would be a member of Congress.

Washington Mutual Fails

It's the largest bank failure in history and it went tits up just tonight. The bank was taken over by J.P. Morgan. Bank holdings, even those beyond the $100,000 FDIC cap are said to be guaranteed.

Also tonight, frogs and locusts invade major metropolitan areas throughout the world. Fire reigns from the sky, water turns to blood, and Clay Aiken announces he's gay.

Someone Spiked His Metamucil

Earlier in the day, Democrats and Republicans had a deal ironed out. Later, it fell apart.

Did McCain's arrivals on the scene somehow derail the deal? It was all done behind closed doors, so there's no way of knowing just yet. It does seem a curious coincidence that when McCain got there, the bailout agreement began to unravel. Or maybe it's not a coincidence at all.

Democrats accuse McCain of grandstanding, Republicans hail him for doing his civic duty. And around and around we go again, the rival parties dancing and finger pointing and preening and nitpicking and jockeying for position like our country isn't on the godforsaken brink. It's the same bullshit that we get day in and day out from the dried out swamp. I am completely amazed that not even a crisis of this magnitude can make our politicians blink long enough to behave like human beings instead of the self-serving, egotistical lot they really are.

I'll brook no argument defending McCain's recent antics. The man puts his campaign on hold, says he's not showing up to the debate tomorrow night if an agreement isn't in place, and even cancels an appearance on David Letterman, to the host's complete ire. And for what? To rescue the country? We're talking about a politician who as recently as a week ago said our nation's economic foundation was solid. We're talking about a politician who has long advocated bank deregulation, the very contributing factor that led to this mess. What in the hell does he think he's going to do or say to suddenly save the day? It seems all too likely that John McCain is the LEAST qualified senator to help engineer a bailout bill.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are so screwed. Our wealth has been squandered, our politicians rendered impotent. Unless a red, white, and blue lightning bolt strikes from the skies over Washington, juicing its constituents in crackling patriotic fervor, our politicians are going to continue acting like they always have lo these past decades. In other words, they're going to continue putting their interests first.

And the United States' a distant second. So distant you can see the road shimmer in the intervening expanse, a mirage as ethereal as a solvent American economy.

The Price of Greed

Time magazine has an excellent summary article of the investment bank meltdown by Andy Serwer and Allan Sloan. It helped me understand the crisis in broad terms.

You're Doing a Helleva Job, Bushie

In his presidential address to the nation last night, President Bush declared, “Our entire economy is in danger.” CNN’s Anderson Cooper showed a string of video clips of Bush proclaiming the fundamentals of the U.S. economy “solid” and “efficient,” the earliest from last December, the last from mid-July. It may have been corporate suits lending out money they didn’t have to people that couldn’t pay it back, but it was President Bush who sat in the Oval Office, blissfully unaware of the coming storm.

Or knowing and complicit; I can’t contemplate that right now.

The President needed to make that appearance last night, but he is the lamest of ducks, has been for at least the last few months. I can hear Bush quacking all the way here in Houston. It really isn’t all that important what Bush has to say on this matter because he won’t be the one that cleans up the mess.

That privilege will go to McCain or Obama. Why either man still wants to be president, I can’t fathom. In any case, what they say and think has become of paramount importance. It bodes well that both candidates will meet with Bush today. It’s so vitally important that McCain and Obama be at the cutting edge of this issue, otherwise I would think it nigh impossible to not only talk intelligently about the crisis but also formulate a solution for it.

It bodes less well that McCain wants to cancel Friday’s presidential debate so that he can rush to Washington and work on the bail-out bill. On the surface it might seem like he’s behaving responsibly, seeking to work and vote on what will likely turn out to be the most important piece of legislation since World War II. But everything these candidates do is orchestrated. And the fact that McCain wants to switch Friday’s debate with the next vice-presidential debates makes me think his campaign is politicizing the issue and seeking yet another avenue to keep Palin off the national stage. This is the kind of nonsense that keeps Washington gridlocked. If either candidate tries to maneuver this issue for their own political gain, they’ll be juggling mason jars of nitroglycerin. And they will deserve to have it blow up in their face and lose the election.

I am heartened that Congress did not blindly approve the three page, $700 billion proposal constructed by Henry Paulsen and put forth by President Bush. The counter-proposals I’ve heard and read about seem reasonable, but mostly unpalatable to Wall Street. One condition suggests that the $700 billion be parceled out over a long span of time. That seems perfectly reasonable. Another condition would give the U.S. government equity share of the bad loans it will assume. People blanche at this, whispering, “My God man, but that’s communism!” News flash here: a $700 billion bailout isn’t exactly the hallmark of free market capitalism. It’s funny how Wall Street can so pathetically beg for a bailout but turn their nose at the American taxpayer potentially making some money out of this lousy deal.

Their hubris, their balls of steel never cease to amaze me.

I’m also hearing a rising clamor for the end of “golden parachutes.” Hear, hear. If a bailout bill passes Congress, it must have provisions in place that guarantee no one in a failing bank profits from the government intervention. If I even get a whiff that some CEO will walk from away from this a bigger millionaire, I’m grabbing my torch and pitchfork and marching on their goddamn mansion. It would be the very definition of injustice for anyone involved in this meltdown of epic proportions to profit from this in any way, shape, or form.

It’s high time the American people put the fear of God in an aristocracy that has lost its way, destroyed our economy, and threatened our very national security. It’s well past the time that Americans gave the elite, the privileged a stiff reminder of where political and economic power really lies:

With you and me.

90210, aka Hell's Zipcode

Wifezilla made me watch 90210 last night. I asked if I could eat a bowl of ice cream with razor blades instead. She said no.

The new show is barely a shadow of its former self and the original wasn’t that great to begin with. It would help if most of the cast weren’t meth-abusing rejects from Disney channel auditions. I would also be appreciative if the show didn’t lecture its audience on the dangers of teen sex and pregnancy as its lead female characters pranced around in next to nothing. Don’t get me started about the parent Walshes. A more insipid duo you’ll be hard pressed to find in this season’s TV. If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s the display of perfect parenting, especially behind the backdrop of wealth and privilege. It doesn’t ring true and it makes my stomach turn.

Halfway through the show, I warned Wifezilla she was going to be watching the rest of the season by herself. She poo-pooed me which means I’ll very likely be tuning in again next week. My only hope is that someone at CW is forced to pull the plug, either from poor ratings (which they must surly be earning) or a grass-roots phone campaign blitzkrieg.

So far, the network hasn’t returned any of my phone calls.

Who Can Say He's Wrong?

Before the United Nations General Assembly, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad proclaimed the, "American empire in the world is reaching the end of its road."

A month ago I would have laughed off such a statement as hyperbole. The usual propaganda that Ahmadinejad spews, along with similar banana republic leaders like him. But now his assessment rings true, like a bucket of cold sea water to the face. If our leaders step forward to dismiss the statement, they'll be putting a spin on these recent events. They will be selling something. Will U.S. citizens buy it? Less importantly, will international citizens believe it?

The painful reality is that our country is in big trouble. We weren't doing so hot before the investment bank meltdown. To hear our leaders describe our economy as teetering on a dark abyss that can only lead to utter financial ruin across the country isn't just sobering, it's almost too much to fathom. Honestly, I could really care less what a quaky Iranian dictator says or thinks about our country. Based on what's happened we deserve the scorn and ridicule of countries throughout the world, friends and foes alike. What matters most to me right now isn't our international reputation, but a realistic short-term plan for getting our economy stabilized and an even more realistic long-term plan that returns us to fiscal robustness.

Step one, the nation's debt. With the recent bailout, our country will have accrued more than a $1 trillion in debt. I want to start hearing politicians talk about how we're going to pay that off. I want a timeline. I want a budget. Maybe it's $500 billion over two years. Or $250 billion over four. Or $100 billion over ten. I want to hear specifics, I want the money allocated, I want the debt gone. I personally take out loans and I pay them off in a reasonable span of time. Our government should operate under the exact same parameters. It defies all logic that they don't. They must stop.

Next, I want limits put on what the federal government can spend. Infinite spending must end. Every human being on the planet has to manage their resources, our federal government should be no different. But James! What if the government needs to fund something but the money isn't there! Guess what? It doesn't get funded then! Limitations on spending can be the only rein that keeps Washington politicians from spending money we don't have. Only a hard ceiling can force elected representatives to make the hard choices of what gets funded and what doesn't, instead of the current system where everything gets bought even though the coffers sit empty. One component of the investment meltdown is that banks were handing out loans to people for homes that were completely beyond their means. Someone told me of their teacher friend who recently bought a $300,000 house with little down payment. Her salary? $45,000.

We all must begin living within our means. Our government must begin living within its means.

Third, any and all financial institutions that deal with so much money that they can potentially implode the entire U.S. economy must be regulated. And by regulation, I mean oversight. Someone in the federal government should have observed Mae and Mac and Lehman Brothers issuing loans well beyond their holding assets. If they had, they could have stepped in and put a stop to it. I think Ron Paul flat wrong on this issue. When an entity starts funneling billions to trillions of dollars, we can't trust that a free market will regulate it all on its own. The economic forces at work are too complex. The stakes too high. The consequence of failure too dire.

Finally, I want to see an end of multi-million dollar severance packages for CEOs who have run a company into the ground. The so-called "golden parachute." It's nonsense that provisions like that get written into contracts. But James! CEOs won't take the job without a generous severance package to protect them. Good! If that's a deal-breaker for some CEOs, then we more than likely don't want them running our nation's biggest corporations. No other institutions in the United States reward the greedy and the stupid with millions of dollars for catastrophic failure. If a CEO and his top executives destroy a company with their gross stupidity, avarice, and ineptitude, then they should fall just as hard as their worst paid employee. In fact, they should fall even harder because they were steering the ship and responsibility begins and ends with them.

As I read more about all this, I'm sure I'll have more expectations of our elected officials. I encourage all of you to also dig and drink deep into this issue. And for the love of God, don't get all your news from one source. If Fox news is your only lifeline to the world of current events, then I pray for your broad understanding of the issues at hand. Let's be clear: THIS IS NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE. The idiots that messed all this up hail from both parties. Attempts to spin this disaster as a Democrat or Republican created mess will lead to the usual gridlock we get out of Washington.

We can't afford business as usual. We require immediate, decisive, intelligent action. And we better get it.

FBI Probes for Investment Fraud

Surprise, surprise.

The FBI announced yesterday that it is investigating Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, AIG, and Lehman Brothers for possible mortgage fraud.

This entire collapse is like stepping in a pile of shit, except your foot never hits solid earth. It just keeps sinking until you're up to your neck.

How soon till we're all choking?

Ron Paul Says Don't Bailout Wall Street

Ron Paul has an interesting take on the investment bank collapse. He advocates entirely jettisoning Fannie and Freddie Mac and completely deregulating the industry. According to Paul, it's government regulation that artificially inflated housing market prices and that if the government keeps its fat face out of the business of housing loans, market forces will adjust accordingly and maintain the miracle that is free market balance.

What Paul says here is what I most fear: "Additionally, the government's actions encourage moral hazard of the worst sort. Now that the precedent has been set, the likelihood of financial institutions to engage in riskier investment schemes is increased, because they now know that an investment position so overextended as to threaten the stability of the financial system will result in a government bailout and purchase of worthless, illiquid assets."

Coming off bailout after bailout, what incentive does any U.S. company have to conduct themselves in a fiscally responsible manner? If they know they're big enough to bring down the entire U.S. economy, what's to stop them from throwing caution to the wind and gamble high-stakes style? If the U.S. taxpayer ultimately inherits the risk, what's to stop them from making a grab at all that juicy money?

I'd like to hear what some leading economists think of less regulation. It seems to me that not enough oversight led to this crisis in the first place. I'm not a trained economist though. If deregulation really is the solution, then that's what we should do. To be honest, it makes me blindly angry that Wall Street pissed so much money away and that our government will ultimately pull their asses out of the deep fat fryer. I'd like nothing more than to see them burn. I mean, thems the breaks of a free market system. But I don't see anyone, except for Ron Paul, pushing for letting Wall Street hang and twist in the cool autumn breeze. In fact, some economists won't even detail the consequence of letting bank after bank fail; they say it's too dire to even contemplate.

Halloween is coming up, maybe they can share the details then.

The Kindness of Strangers

I’ve only been playing Lord of the Rings Online a few days since I renewed my account and already I’ve been impressed with Meneldor’s player community. My first day out, Lukenbach was grinding worms in that narrow mountain passageway north of North Downs. Even with War Speech, minstrels are not dps powerhouses. Nevertheless, I was cutting a bloody swath through the mountain trails, Lukenbach’s one-handed axe dripping the blood and guts of feral worm-drakes.

Not long into my worm deed grind, a group of three champions ran passed me, nuking everything in sight. Champions are second only to hunters in raw dps and the heavy armor they wear allows them to stand toe-to-toe with their foes. This particular group was led by a level 50 champion, the other two Lukenbach’s level. The two lower level champions blew right past me but the 50 paused in front of me. Seconds later, he ninja invited me. In fellowship chat, he said they were off to kill Mother, an elite master drake for the quest Mother of the Valley. Along the way, we killed four of the elite drakes I needed for another quest. After taking care of Mother, we ground out regular worms for the deed.

A few days later I found myself once again grinding my worm deed. The last stage requires you kill 240 of the beasts. Rather than try and knock all those out in a day, I elected to spread them out to better ease the grind. Once again, I stumbled upon a captain who ninja invited me. She asked if I needed drakes. I didn’t, so we joined forces to deed grind. She left not long after, but with her help I killed twice as many drakes in a fraction of the time.

Last night, I made my way to the mountains east of Buckland. I needed to kill the giant Svarlfang. Right as I got there, a 50 aided a 20ish and slew the giant. Disappointed, I settled in for the respawn. To my surprise, the 50 asked if I wanted help! I replied that I did. They both sat and waited more than five minutes for Svarlfang to repsawn. When he reappeared, we nuked him down in seconds.

I have to admit, I find these kinds of interactions an unexpected, pleasant surprise. Everywhere I turn, anonymous toons go out of their way to help complete strangers. In the three years I played WoW, I witnessed only trash talk in Barrens chat and outright contempt for other players. People went out of their way to screw over fellow players, not help thme. WoW PUGS that I attended almost always degenerated into ninja looting and shrill criticism of how to play a particular class. It’s worth noting that I long forgo pugging in WoW but frequently pug in LotRO. It’s a night and day difference between the two games.

I can’t explain the difference between the experiences. More than likely, it’s pure happenstance. Or it might well be genuine difference in players. LotRO is not the most popular, innovative MMO out there. Bullet point by bullet point, WoW is the technically better game. And millions flock to it. But LotRO has a rare quality that appeals to a minority of gamers. I have a feeling that the bulk of that minority eschews “leetist” play in favor of a more relaxed approach to MMO gameplay. Whatever the explanation, my return to the game has been most welcoming, from a group of people that don’t know me and whom I’ll likely never meet again

I'll Do It Too

Ed Rollins has got an excellent piece observing that neither McCain nor Obama seized last week's bailout crisis and provided the leadership that will guide the United States out of economic Armageddon. Of the man we elect to be president, Rollins writes, "Whatever else the campaigns want to talk about, nothing will matter more than the perception of 'who gets it.' The winner should be the man who appears to understand these financial problems and can convince the country that he can be the "lifeguard" who can rescue ordinary Americans from drowning in this sea of economic uncertainty."

I said the same thing the other day, though not as well. Forget Iraq. Forget education. Even forget environmental issues. None of those matter if the U.S. economy tanks. So McCain and Obama better start talking details. Because if neither one starts providing a cogent proposal to pull us out of this financial disaster, I'm voting for Ralph Nader.

Seriously.

Deep Thoughts

Taking a brief glance at my most recent posts, I realized that I haven’t been writing about my re-acquaintance with Dungeons & Dragons. Having mentioned months ago that I started playing again, a gentle reader might think that my foray short circuited and that I quit shortly after beginning.

I haven’t quit though and if I haven’t been writing about my Friday night sessions, it’s because I’ve been having too much fun. And because I really have been writing about them, though on a different blog. I took it upon myself to summarize our weekly game and post it on this site, http://cormyrcampaign.blogspot.com/.

Of the seven adventurers, I play Queequeg Scaleherd, a coin-collecting dragonborn warlord who excels at helping his fellows navigate the all too often chaotic battlefield. I enjoy playing him. I also look forward to trying out the other classes, especially the warlock.

As fun as the game itself is, it’s the camaraderie that makes D&D shine. I play with two married couples, two brothers, and another guy I’ve known for going on seven years now. We laugh and carry on and crack jokes almost as much as we actually play. Which is an off-task/on-task ratio I heartily endorse.

In hindsight, I made a big mistake abandoning D&D for World of Warcraft. At the time, WoW wooed me away because it offered constant play in the convenience of my own home. Giving up a weekly night out should have been the dying canary signal that I was heading down a poisoned mine shaft. At the time though, I was weary of D&D 3.5 imbalances and some of my fellow players taking twenty minutes to execute their turn; I may be exaggerating their chess playing, but not by much. WoW seemed the perfect substitute for D&D. I didn’t have to wait my turn, I got to play alongside my friends, and I could play in my underwear if the mood hit me. In the beginning, the MMO offered no drawbacks, only benefits.

But WoW’s chat is an imperfect communication venue. And as time passed, friends’ expectations of the game changed. The camaraderie I used to have via D&D all but disappeared; jokes and male-ribbing are difficult to replicate in cyberspace. The relaxed atmosphere of friends hanging out was replaced with suspicion, hurt feelings, and sometimes outright hostility. These were emotions and behavior I personally exhibited, as ashamed as I am to admit it.

That’s the nature of email, chat, and vent communication though. When you don’t have personal proximity, you find yourself typing venom that you would never have spewed towards the person if they were sitting right next to you. Body language is such a vitally important component of human communication and it’s totally absent in MMOs. Consequently, it’s almost always the core source of arguments, innuendo, misunderstanding, and ill-will. Not to mention that vent and chat offer an extremely limited ability to facilitate multiple conversations. High-end raiding especially demanded that only the leaders speak. Everyone else was asked to remain silent. Sometimes they were flat-out told to STFU.

It’s the biggest lesson I learned from WoW: your network of national and international friends can’t replace real flesh-and-blood people that you could otherwise be hanging out with. And that hardcore raiding can so consume your life, not only do you cut yourself off from real world relationships, you also put at risk established intimate relationships and the capacity to do other normal human activities, like read to your kids, exercise, or watch TV. It’s so telling that no one was as happy as Wifezilla that I started playing D&D again. Outside looking in, she could see the MMO difference even if I could not.

What’s that? Hmmm? You’re tired of me dissing on MMOs? I don’t blame you. To be clear, I really don’t mean to. I think games like WoW and LotRO are some of the most fun, engaging games out there. I quit WoW last March, LotRO a few months later. It was great getting a break from the routine those games instill. And yet, just last week, I suddenly got the urge to play both games. Even WoW! Not raid, mind you. Never say never, but I don’t think I’ll ever raid again. Unless I’m sent to prison, my cell complete with a PC, a MMO, and a broadband connection. Then maybe.

I’ve been playing LotRO these last few days and have been having a blast. I’ve mostly been soloing, but some unexpectedly kind PUGS helped me get some fellowship quests done. I really don’t begrudge MMOs mostly because I’m currently playing one! I do see them in a new perspective though. I see them much like alcohol or gambling, as a vice that can be abused to the point of consuming your life. Alcohol and gambling can be fun in moderation; they can destroy lives when taken too far.

So don’t let them! Play MMOs, raid even! But maintain a network of real friends, get outside and breathe some fresh air, enjoy some quality television or cinema. In other words, don’t forget to lead a life. So much of good living stems from the balancing act we all walk. Occasionally we all go off-kilter, our arms flailing to keep us upright. Re-center yourself!

Maybe play Dungeons & Dragons! It’s a game of high fantasy and adventure, and with the right people, can be even more fun than drunken karaoke.

The Guilt of the Displaced

I’m back to work today. I’m actually glad to be back. I was vacationing on company time this past week, occasionally wracked with pangs of guilt as I pounded my Rock Band 2 plastic toms and cymbals and leveled my LotRO minstrel, Lukenbach. I ought not feel badly; if not gaming, I would have otherwise twiddled my thumbs. But while playing, I vaguely discerned the tremor rippling through the universe. I should not have been home enjoying gaming goodness. I was supposed to be plying my trade, earning a living, gathering taxes to pay for the government bailout of Wall Street investment banks. Drumming out Pearl Jam’s Alive isn’t nearly as satisfying behind the backdrop of subtle uneasiness.

But I’m back now. The ripple’s current has expanded into nothingness. The universe has settled down. My guilt is assuaged.

My school didn’t have power yesterday. My principal planned on shipping the entire staff out to another school location. But when I pulled up to the parking lot this morning, the building’s lights burned like an offshore lighthouse. I eased myself into port, relieved that I wouldn’t have to be an employee evacuee.

I can’t tell you how grateful I am that the school is juiced up. At my A Team meeting this morning, Howie D. (our nickname for the principal) informed us that if the school didn’t have power tomorrow, the building’s student and staff population would have been diverted to the nearest high school. In other words, we would have suffered the effects of another hurricane, a storm of Herculean logistics and scheduling.

We don’t have students today, only a hodpog of hastily assembled meetings. I can’t wait to get home and finish Lukenbach’s worm deed.

I rebound from guilt quite resiliently

We Don't Practice Socialism -- Until We Do

Here's a great op-ed piece on the socialization of the U.S. economy, entitled How We Became the United States of France. My favorite quote: "But we [the United States] don't want to interfere with market forces like the French do — until we do."

Bullseye.

The sad result from all the scandal and fallout to come out of the lending collapse and bailout of the biggest investments banks in the United States is that we're going to have to temporarily abandon free market capitalism.

Disney Lab Genetically Creates Its Child Stars

Here's some hard-hitting journalism that blows the lid off the child star industry:


Disney Lab Unveils Its Latest Line Of Genetically Engineered Child Stars

I knew Zach was a pod!

Bush Asks for $700 Billion

Yeah, that's "B" for "billions." That's also nearly twice our nation's current deficit. What I want to know is, if we already owe some $400 billion, how in the hell are we going to pay for another $700 billion?

The strategy behind buying all these bad loans on the cheap: allow their assets to appreciate (or at the very least, settle down), and then sell them off at a profit. This coming from the same administration that told us Iraqi oil profits would fund the war and rebuild that country's infrastructure.

But what else to do? Nearly every economist out there agrees the government has to do this bailout to save the U.S. economy. The crisis has our nuts in a vise grip. We've got no recourse other than to buy all these bad loans, free up the banks to make good loans, and print lots more money.

The real question now isn't how Bush and this Congress plans to solve this problem, but how McCain, Obama, and next year's Congress plan to solve it. I want to start hearing everyone's plan. Americans need to listen closely. And we need to elect the man with the better plan, the representatives that have a handle on what to do next.

Otherwise, we're going down hard.

New LotRO Signature Plates

I'm really digging the new signature plates that Turbine developed for the game. Here's Kammris':



And here's Lukenbach's

My House Survived!

Not my real house. It made it through Ike just fine. I'm talking about my house just outside Bree in Lord of the Rings Online. I heard the siren call this past week and finally gave in and reactivated my account. I had been MMO free since early June. But LotRO has got its claws in me for some reason and I just couldn't resist coming back.

Housing in the game is a great feature. Not only do you get to deck out your yard and interior, it grants cheaper prices at the local store and a one hour cooldown hearth. Usually when you quit the game and your weekly upkeep runs out, the game moves the contents of your house to a special bank vault. After another couple of weeks, even that is eliminated. Last time I quit the game and came back, not only was my house forfeit, but all the cool stuff I had gathered was gone too. Turbine must have changed policy in recent months because today when I logged back in, I had an icon informing me I was locked out of my house. After I paid a 95 silver fee, I regained access. I took quick stock and everything was there, right down to my bear statue.

Woot!

I scanned the ranks of my guild and observed that many officers and members haven't played in weeks. I think currently operating MMOs have suffered population attrition across the board, as new MMOs are launched and gamers distribute themselves across numerous title options. I had not the urge to return to Age of Conan though. I did have mild pangs for World of Warcraft, but in the end, I wanted to play my dwarf minstrel more than I did my blood elf pally. And with Mines of Moria coming out in the coming months, I've got a lot to look forward to in this game I've come to love as much as one of my children.

Don't tell Wifezilla I wrote that.

"We Must Act Now . . ."

" . . . to protect our nation's economic health from serious risk," President Bush said at a press conference this morning. He continued, "There will be ample opportunity to discuss the origins of this problems. Now is the time to solve it"

I disagree. Now is the time to solve it. Now is also the time to discuss how in the hell the greed and stupidity of American banks have nearly pulled our economy into an authentic depression. A crisis this big, this far-reaching should have been headed off at the pass.

As you can see from Bush's press conference, our government is in full reactionary mode right now. They didn't see this coming, even though they should have. I'm not sure what Cox and the SEC does day in and day out, but apparently it's not monitoring the health and behavior of our nation's banks. And so now the federal government plans to buy up all the bad loans, save the banks from themselves. Which doesn't make a lot of sense to me since these genius banks are the ones that issued the bad loans in the first place, plunging us into full tilt economic crisis.

The Stock Market loves the news of the government bailout, of course, because investors smell taxpayers taking the hit that was aimed squarely between their eyes. Where does it end though? If banks know the government will bail them out whenever they're about to topple, what possible incentive do they have to clean up their act? My Dad owns a small business, a muffler shop in South Dakota. It's struggling right now, mostly due to the sluggish economy. Will the government step in and buy my Dad out when the shop goes under? Of course not. It's a market economy. The market decides. Except where banks are concerned. All bets are off with them apparently. Unlike my Dad and his muffler shop, banks get all of the profits with none of the risk. I guess I'd love those investment conditions too, but that's not exactly under a free market. That falls well short of capitalist practices. And it can't last. The United States government does not have limitless resources. Taxpayers can't continue paying the debt of the stupid and the greedy.

What the Federal government can do is move into the national banking system, wielding a big, huge stick. Since the free market has largely been abandoned with bailout after bailout, it's more than appropriate to get some goddamn oversight into what the hell these suits are doing. I'm the biggest proponent of the free market system. It's a proven economic philosophy. But until this situation is reigned in, the source of the problem properly identified, and solid regulation put in place to prevent it happening again, I want an outside force running the show. If that means Bush and Congress, then so be it.

I can't believe it's come to this.

Spore and DRM

Bill Harris at Dubious Quality has been following the controversy surrounding Spore and its digital rights management (DRM). It's definitely worth a glance, especially if you're thinking of buying Spore.

Economic Meltdown

I'm not sure if we're in the middle of one, but if not, we're surly teetering on the brink. I find Glenn Beck mostly smug and obnoxious, but he's got a pretty good summary of the economic fallout of companies like Bear Stearns, AIG, and Lehman Brothers. Coincidentally, I too thought of Gordon Gekko's famous "greed is good" quote upon hearing of AIG's collapse and following bailout. Greed might the fuel that runs Wall Street, but it might also plunge the U.S. economy into a modern economic depression.

Brian Williams on the NBC Nightly News reported yesterday that in order to bail out the latest failed financial institutions, the federal government will begin printing more money. If you know anything about basic economics, that's a desperate reaction to a fiscal problem. Printing more money devalues the currency and drives up prices across the board. In other words, it directly contributes to inflation, an economic phenomenon that has been harassing the U.S. economy as of late even before the U.S. Treasury started pumping out Monopoly money.

It absolutely boggles my mind that our nation is in the middle of this kind of crisis. Bin Laden's terrorists hijacked airliners and flew them into the Twin Towers in the hopes of wreaking economic damage to our country. He failed spectacularly and instead found the U.S. army right in his backyard. And yet, what Bin Laden failed to do, we have done to ourselves. Handing out loans like they're Pez has blown up in our faces. Institutions that behaved unprofessionally, irresponsibility, unpatriotically, will not have to reap what they sow because our government must bail them out to ensure the nation's economy doesn't slide into a deep depression that could, God help us, rival that of the 30s. I'm at a complete loss at the greed, the stupidity, and total and utter lack of responsibility these institutions exhibited.

I'm at a loss and I'm angry.

I also place blame fully at the feet of the U.S. President and Congress. Elected officials are tasked with the responsibility of protecting our country. Bush sent an entire army to Iraq to root our WMD and take out a renegade dictator. Meanwhile, the real danger ticked away back at home, U.S. banking institutions handing out loans indiscriminately and on a massively unprecedented scale. It turns out a small minority of those loans were grounded in the reality that they could be paid back. The sheer volume belies the defense that the banks didn't know they were overextending themselves as much as their customers. This greed and stupidity has put our nation at risk.

As much risk as when those planes flew into the World Trade Center.

This has to be fixed. Now. I don't care if it's a Republican or a Democrat that gets it done. American partisan politics will prove the death of our country. Someone in the Federal government has to pull their mouth from the teat and start legislating responsible civic policy that protects the United States. Forget Bin Laden for a moment. I won't label the employees of Bear Stearns, AIG, or Lehman Brothers as terrorists, but they've certainly accomplished the terrorists' job. Well, enough. Time to pull our heads out of our asses and focus on the new reality that is hurtling towards us like a brick to the face. Time to stop screwing around in Iraq, pull the camera back, and regain our lost perspective. Time to stop the wealthy few from sabotaging the very foundations of our economy as they money-grab. Time to stop living on borrowed money. Time to stop living beyond our means.

I hope it's not too late.

Age of Conan Director Resigns

Gamespot reports that Gaute Godager, Funcom co-found and Age of Conan game director, recently resigned from Funcom. In a statement from Funcom, Godager was surprisingly candid, "I have done my very best making this fabulous game, but I have concluded there are elements which I am dissatisfied with. I have decided to act on this, and as a result I have chosen to leave Funcom."

Seems a pretty big shake-up for Funcom and AoC. Even worst, coming on the same day that Warhammer Online hits retail.

You're Going to Hate Our Game

G4 reports that the lead designer for Diablo III, Jay Wilson, stated that players will "hate" the next revealed class for the game.

Way to sell your game there Jay.

Controversy seems to be hounding this game ever since revealing its existence. First, the petition against the game's art direction. Then the dude behind the art design leaves. And now the lead designer outright predicts that the player base will hate the next, soon-to-be revealed class.

I'm beginning to wonder, could Diablo III be the first turd that Blizzard churns out? Three months ago, I would not have even entertained the idea. Now, I'm not so sure.

Rock Band 2

I can't personally attest that Ike did no good. The hurricane afforded me some solid playtime with Rock Band 2. I drummed hours yesterday, much less today. I've unlocked a good chunk of songs so far, most of which I like, a few I could do without ever hearing again.

The sequel remains largely unchanged from the original. Harmonix did remove solo play, merging it instead with Touring. Which mean everyone forms a band and tours, even if you solo play the entire time. They also added some quality metadata into the song titles, including album covers and boxes that indicate what level you've mastered the song.

So far, some of my favorite songs are Duran Duran's Hungry Like the Wolf, Interpol's PDA, Ratt's Round and Round, and The Silversun Pickup's Lazy Eye. I unlocked the latter this morning, to much hooting and hollering.

I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't an option to transfer my rock star from Rock Band to the sequel. Instead, Wifezilla and I had to recreate our stars. For some reason, RB2 didn't offer me the option to two-tone my hair blue and lime green, so Eddie seems very plain to me. After knocking out some gigs, I did repurchase his famed Dragon armor. So all is not lost. I once again dubbed our band Moldy Garbage and took the Peanut Reaper as our band icon. The caped peanut wielding a scythe even appears on the bass drum.

I consistently five star songs on easy mode so I'm going to have to start playing medium more often. The problem with medium is that it's greatly more difficult than easy. The songs play totally differently, with more complicated beat combinations and much more liberal use of the bass drum. I often can barely get through a song on medium that I can play flawlessly on easy. I wish the difficulty were a bit more graduated than that, but until I get more accomplished on the bass drum, I bear more resemblance to a monkey banging away with pots and pans than a professional drummer.

Sir, I'd Love to Sell You That Game. But Then I'd Have to Kill You

It's a little surreal jamming out to Rock Band 2 with chainsaws humming in the background. It's also strange that so much of Houston is shut down, but my neighborhood Gamestop was open for business. I drove there yesterday, snotbags in tow. Traffic proved nightmarish. I didn't see a working traffic light in sight, making everything a four-way stop. Except most people don't have the patience (or the training) for that and barrel through when it's not their turn.

But I'll always risk my life for a newly released game.

The specimans at Gamestop are always a pleasure. I'm not sure why, but I think they're actually trained to reflexively tell you the game you want isn't available. I had Rock Band 2 on reserve, fully prepaid. I knew September 16 was the official street date. I also knew that only the game was available. The bundle and the individually packaged equipment go on sale in later weeks. But when I step up to counter and say I'm here to pick up my copy of Rock Band 2, the shaved-headed manager says, "Next week." Apparantly I don't deserve the response of a complete sentence. I respond, "No, actually it's out today. The game only." Inconvenienced and convinced I'm wrong, the manager strolls to his computer and pecks at the keys. He blankly stares at the screen and then grunts. He mumbles something about the bundle coming out next week and then motions to one of his minions who proceeds to go in the back room, returning with a copy of Rock Band 2.

This guy is the manager of the store and he doesn't know the week's new releases? I admit that Rock Band 2's release is fragmented, with multiple release dates for different equipment and platforms. Still, the list of Tuesday releases can't number past ten on any given week. And Rock Band 2 is a hugely anticipated title, one of the biggest of the week, if not for this month. Gamestop clerks should be all over that. Certainly the first thing out of there month shouldn't be, "Next week."

I only harp because this is the kind of service and disinformation I get from that store on a consistent basis. Like I said, it's like they're trained to automatically tell you that whatever you're there to buy, it's not out yet. Rather than listen to what you're actually asking for (I never asked for the RB2 bundle) or respond with clarifying questions of their own ("Do you mean the X-box 360 game only sir?"), they seem curiously unmotivated to match customer to game. Not only that, they seem about as informed about what's coming down the retail pike as my very own mother who, by the way, couldn't tell you the difference between Half-Life 2 and Bejeweled.

I think this stems from monopoly. I knew it bode ill that Gamestop swallowed up EBGames. Not that EB's customer service was so vastly better. But it was better. Now that Gamestop, along with Best Buy, are really the only retail outlets left selling games (I don't count Target or Walmart because for the most part those stores don't offer reserve and pre-order options), customers are going to have to deal with lousy service, disinformation, and general churlishness.

If I ever lose my library job, I might just have to apply for a Gamestop manager position. I know the first thing I'd say as I stepped into my very own store, my pimple-faced employees lined up before me:

"Time to take out the trash."

Ike Update

While I have power, a good three-quarters of the Houston metro area does not. Most school districts in the area cancelled school through Friday. If power isn't restored to these areas, I imagine the districts will remain closed.

Galveston is turning out to be a true disaster zone. Hundreds of homes were completely annihilated, while the rest experienced storm surge flooding and high winds. Some fifteen thousand residents remain on the island but I heard talk today of martial law being declared to forcibly remove them. With no sewer, water, or food, the island is uninhabitable for a residential community.

For my family and I, quality of life is good. We already cleaned up the mess in our yard. I removed the fallen fence and Wifezilla raked and bagged all the storm debris. It's piled neatly at the curb; I estimate it will take quite a few days until it's picked up. Yesterday, Wifezilla braved the streets looking for a stocked grocery store. Her regular Kroger had a big sign hanging out front listing all the items they didn't have, including perishables, water, and ice. I redirected her to another grocery store. While listening to the radio, I had heard of it re-opening and hoped it had received recent shipments. Its lot was so full, Wifezilla couldn't even pull in. Fortuitously enough, Randall's was immediately across the street. The store had recently received a truck and the employees were opening boxes in the middle of the aisles and allowing customers to pull right from them. She got most everything we needed, including milk and ground beef. We're good for food until Sunday. By then, most grocery stores should be mostly provisioned. I hope.

In the meantime, I've been jamming away on Rock Band 2 and the demo to King's Bounty. More about them later.

We Survivied Ike!

The house was undamaged other than a fence I share with a neighbor. It was old, probably original to the house, its posts rotten at their base. It blew over into my side, nearly into the house. If one part had broken away, I might have had some siding damage.

Our roof is two years old and held up extremely well. Not even a shingle out of place. Our siding is a year old and looks immaculate. I toured a few blocks around my neighborhood and witnessed lots of downed trees. Most fell fortuitously, but a few plowed right into homes, tearing open roofs, smashing windows, and sawing off walls. I noticed that older roofing suffered shingle damage, while the new roofs fared better.

We just got power last night. It's trite to say, but you just don't realize how much you rely on electricity until you no longer have it. A cold front moved in Sunday night, pushing out the hot, muggy air and making life bearable even without air conditioning. Still, we're among the fortunate. As of Monday night, some 500,000 Houstonians have power, 1.7 million do not. Centerpoint energy is bracing the metro area with an estimate that some may not have power for three more weeks. Maybe longer.

School has been cancelled through Wednesday, at least for the district I work. They're assessing damage and will report tonight if further closing is necessary. Wifezilla is crawling the walls and wants school to start immediately. I think the snotbags and I are driving her crazy.

As for me, I plan on getting reacquainted with some old friends. I reinstalled Lord of the Rings Online and World of Warcraft and am contemplating which, if either, to play. I'm going to Gamestop in a little while to see if I can pick up my copy of Rock Band 2. I'm also downloading the demo for King's Bounty, the spiritual precursor to the Heroes of Might and Magic series. All in all, lots to keep me busy while I suffer Ike's aftermath.

Damit Jim! I'm a Star!

According to J.J. Abrams, director of the upcoming Star Trek movie, William Shatner turned down an offer for a cameo appearance in the movie. Apparently The Shat demanded a pivotal, co-starry role. Abrams admitted that Shatner deserved such a part, but that he "died on screen. Maybe a smarter group of filmmakers could have figured out how to resolve that."

Looks like Bill is back to making those riveting Priceline Negoiator commercials I love so much.

Hurricane Ike

The approach of Hurricane Ike towards my house is like staring down the barrel of a gun.

I'm blinking.

I don't live in an area of Houston under mandatory evacuation, so my family and I are nestling in like ticks on a grazing cow. I just hope our cow doesn't tip over when the s*$# hits the fan.

When Rita hit three years ago, it made a sudden turn to the east that left Houston largely untouched. Ike shows no sign of veering away from the metro area; Ike is Pacman and Houston one of those power balls. He's going to eat Houston and then chase some ghosts down.

Really though, we'll probably fare just fine. 60+ mpg winds are estimated for my neighborhood. The biggest problem will be loss of power. Centerpoint was running radio commercials yesterday reminding Houstonians that hurricanes knock down power lines within a massive tract. The ad intoned that it can take from days to weeks to restore power in certain areas.

Weeks? And to think I was in Home Depot the other day lazily gazing at a generator, wondering if I should buy it.

Happy Birthday Furious Cognition!

It was a year ago today that I "took the plunge" and began my hobby as an amateur blogger. At the time, I had a few things to say but no forum to say them. I was WoW raiding full blast back then and didn't want to use my guild's forum boards as my personal soapbox. I had long read Bill Harris' outstanding blog and thought myself capable of creating something similar, though more focused on PC gaming and MMOs. And so Furious Cognition was born.

Early on, my greatest fear was maintaining a writing pace over the long haul. I had a few topics I was anxious to write about, but I had no plan for what to write about past that. I was so paranoid of the ominous blinking cursor that in the first few months of the blog, I pre-wrote a ton of content and then dribbled it out over the course of the week; like a squirrel gathering nuts, I wanted to be prepared for my winter of writer's block. I used most of my weekends to build up enough stuff to sustain Monday through Thursday. The smallest idea blinking in my mind would send me scurrying for the computer to jot down a rough outline before it had the chance to pop out of my head.

I don't do that anymore. My cheeks aren't bursting with stored blog entries; I gather and eat my nuts on the fly now, which isn't nearly as scary sounding now as it would have been a year ago. But the reality is, from idea to entry has become a much more efficient process. I'd estimate that an average entry takes me about a half hour to pump out, thirty-five minutes if it's particularly poetic. And the content is never more than a click away; from television to the Internets to radio, turns out there's way more I could write about if time permitted.

Which brings me to the real challenge of maintaining a blog. I've learned these past months how to write compactly, succinctly, and most importantly, quickly. Too quickly at times, if all my typos and syntax gaffs are any indication. But it's been a great ride and I enjoy the process. Writing has long rested dormant inside me. I've long known I had a small aptitude for it but always brushed it aside. It's been great flexing this muscle. It's become so much a habit, I feel withdrawal if more than a day or two has passed without writing. I find it unimaginable I went years without doing it. Complacency and lethargy are powerful forces in me.

I've heard people quip that blogs are the very epitome of narcissism and self-indulgence. Imagine what they would say about those bloggers who congratulate themselves for a year's worth of work. Well screw them! And whether you visit once in a blue moon (like Wifezilla), or tune in regularly, I thank you for your patronage and look forward to chugging away like I have been.

The Politics of Stupid

The other night, presidential candidate Barack Obama said of John McCain and his campaign promises, "You can put lipstick on a pig . . . but it's still a pig." The Republicans wasted little time crying foul, claiming that Obama actually referenced Palin and her recent vice-presidential candidate acceptance speech.

Let's say for the sake of argument that Obama was covertly hearkening up the image of Palin as a dolled-up swine. Isn't demanding an apology for it playing the gender card too? Clinton took heat for that very issue during the beginning of the Democratic primary race. She (or her minions) hinted that the boys were playing too rough with Clinton, which brought up all sorts of strange emotions in Americans. Until then, Clinton got to portray herself as tough as nails at her leisure. But when things got rough, she tacked left and tried to momentarily play the part of the fair damsel. Dabbing those mascaraed eyes and crying out for some chivalry from all those good old boys out there.

Not just a load of crap, but more so wishful thinking. You want to hold the top office of the country? Or be a heartbeat away from the top office? Then your skin better be thick enough to withstand much, much more than being called a pig, or a ho, or a milf, or a vpilf, or a bitch. Playing the gender card (and make no mistake, it was the Republicans that played it this time) will only anger the more savvy of the electorate; I know that's a relatively tiny portion of the grand total, but nevertheless, it's a tangible, statically measurable group of people. The fact is getting elected president of the United States is an arduous task. Everyone knows that the woman that finally does it will plead no quarter, take no prisoners, and will beat her competition at their own game.

It does crack me up that McCain said, with a straight face, that he hated the recent negative campaign mud-slinging, mentioning specifically Obama's recent pig/lipstick reference. Maybe he forgot he used the very same phrase only a year ago about Clinton's health care plan? Whatever. A NBC analyst got it right when he said that McCain's plan from here to the election is to talk about anything BUT the issues at hand. To do otherwise would be to try and defend a mess of an economy and war front that George Bush has presided over for the last eight years. I doubt even one of our founding fathers could succcessfully run on that sorry platform. Yeah, not even our celebrated war hero, General George Washington. As a result, genuine discussion of the issues take a backseat to the politics of stupid: vicious platitudes, gender and race card games, and theatrical requests for apologies.

Which is great if you regularly tune in to the Jerry Springer show, not so great for the effective management of our country. If the United States eventually goes the way of Ancient Rome, we will have more than deserved it for not having been more cerebral in our political process.

Will Smith as Captain America?

G4 reports rumors that Will Smith has been cast in the role of iconic Captain America for the far away release, The First Avenger: Captain America.

Will Smith is a good actor, but his last few movies have been passable to outright stinky. I'm thinking of I Am Legend and Hancock here. And casting a black actor for this role is about as 180 as you can go. Steve Rogers in the comic iteration is blond-haired, blue-eyed, corn-fed white meat. Which makes me greatly afraid of Smith playing Caps as a home-boy. I just can't envision Captain America flinging his shield to the background rhythm of 50 cent or a Diddy. If Smith eschews The Hood and plays him more mainstream, then it stands a chance of succeeding. Even then, I'm worried that the race cast will prove too distracting to the movie overall. Like getting hit with a thick wet fish every time Will Rogers appears on screen, bludgeoning the story and action right out of the audience.

What about Matt Damon in the role? His brofriend Affleck got Daredevil, Damon as Caps would tie them up. And Damon can do action, as he's proved over and over again with the Borne series. He's got the look, chiseled features and a physique that once effectively modeled Calvin Klein underwear. He's as good an actor as Smith and rather than distract from the role and the movie as a whole, would accentuate a good story and highlight its action elements.

But that's just me. I'm sure some Hollywood genius added all this up and came up with the sum Will Smith. If it's the same bean counter that did Hancock, I'll wait for the DVD.

Xbox 360 Failure Rate

Bill Harris has a great post about the Xbox 360 during its early manufacturing runs. He's got data supporting the fact that the Xbox 360 suffered 68% failure rate in 2005 production runs. Worse still, Microsoft knew their product was full of defect and shipped the boxes out anyway. It was only when consumers cried foul and the media got a wisp that high-defect rate was the culprit that Microsoft capitulated and instituted their current replacement program.

True Blood

It’s been a few years since Six Feet Under last aired. I enjoyed that series, especially how each episode showcased a passing character’s death; I don’t think I’ll ever forget the guy that got cut in half by a malfunctioning elevator, spraying blood all over the remaining confined passengers. The series began as a morbid comedy but slowly morphed into some pretty heavy drama. So heavy, it sometimes became too weighty to watch week after week.

Ball has moved on since the series finale of Six Fee Under to a new series project, True Blood on HBO. Set in Louisiana, the show depicts a parallel universe of today’s United States, where vampires have “come out of the coffin” and now live side-by-side with humanity. Early in the episode, we see a news show interviewing a woman lobbyist for the “American Vampire League. Presumably a vampire herself, she defends a vampire rights amendment to the constitution and tries weakly to defend vampire feeding habits. It seems “True Blood,” a synthetic blood concoction, gives vampires a more pacific method for quenching their thirst.

Not a bad backdrop. If only the initial episode had been more compelling. Sure, the characters are colorful, if not a bit over-the-top. I found Anna Paquin’s character particularly manic. Early on, we figure out she’s telepathic. She hears people’s thoughts. I assume the skill occurs unbidden, but at one point she concentrated and successfully shut the voices out. She plays a waitress at a bar and is infatuated with vampires. When a blood-sucker walks in the restaurant door (for the first time ever!), she fumbles over herself taking his drink order (no, sorry, we don’t carry True Blood. No one ever orders it). She makes moon eyes at him later and becomes concerned when some local white trash leave the restaurant with him.

Out in the woods, she tracks down the white trash pair siphoning the blood from the hapless vampire. This guy has lived for centuries but he manages to get hoodwinked by a couple of amateur yokels. Paquin fends them off and the two talk. This is where the show loses me. Paquin alternates between innocent country bumpkin and fang-banger wanna-be. She coos over the vampire hunk, named Belle, like he’s the last biped on the planet. Throw in her gift for telepathy and that’s quite the train wreck of a character.

Or brilliant characterization, if future episodes pan out.

The episode ended with the white trash ambushing Paquin, beating and kicking the crap out of her. I assume her vampire friend will come to her rescue and either rip off some white trash heads or conduct a blood “transfusion” for Paquin. Either way, I’ll be looking for the show to begin heading in some kind of direction. Frankly, I was little bored with the premier; it didn’t help that the first vampire we see gets its ass kicked. If True Blood continues wandering so aimlessly, I’m going to open up its coffin lid, stake it in the heart, stuff its mouth full of garlic, and then move the coffin under some running water.

Translation: I’ll stop DVRing it.

The Plague

I caught The Plague Saturday. A real nasty virus. Congestion, fever, body ache. It peaked Sunday night when I literally crawled into bed at 7 o'clock. I didn't rest though, just laid there in a fever-stricken stupor. On the fringe of consciousness, I had vague nightmares about moving squares around. I had to move the shapes to sleep. Of course, the shapes wouldn't budge. That didn't stop me from continuing to try however. That went on to around 3 o'clock in the morning when the fever finally lapse for a moment and I truly rested.

I took the day off obviously and am strengthening as I write this. I hate being sick though. Especially when delirium is included in the package. Wifezilla made some awesome soup last night, the leftovers of which will further aid in my recovery. So I'll laze around, watch some movies, maybe play some Neverwinter Nights 2. And sleep too.

As long as square aren't involved.

Wrath of the Lich King, Nov. 4th

X-Play reported the other day that Wrath of the Lich King is due out November 4th. Inexplicably, they also reported that the game will be sold at 7-11s. Yes, the convenience store. No word if the release is exclusive to the convenience store or supplementary. I would guess the later since some area of the country don't have 7-11s.

But why 7-11s? It seems completely random. My only guess is that some market genius pictured all those fan boys standing in line, waiting to buy the expansion. Bored, hungry, thirsty fan boys standing in line, waiting to buy the expansion. If that is the theory behind 7-11 sales, I want very much to their sales figures the day of the release.

"Yeah, pump number four. A Snickers. Gimme a bag of Funyons. Oh, and a copy of Wrath of the Lich King."

That's weird.

No License for Badass in Texas

I benched consecutive sets of 175 today, eight reps the first set, only seven the second. This officially makes me hot s*%^ around the gym. I deal with my new prestige gracefully, with dignity, strutting about the gym floor (always within mirror reflection), my arms slightly bent, my elbows pointed out. I know the honnies dig muscly types like myself. They're drawn to me like Wifezilla is to Sawyer, the Kid Rock wannabe on Lost. They pretend not to stare at me but I know they sneak furtive glances. Dodge to their feint, I deliberately drop my towel and bend over to pick it up, all for their benefit. When I stand back up, I notice the gym honnies do a great job feigning disinterest. Most aren't even looking my way. But I know they looked. Oh yes, I know.

When I start doing reps of 185, I'm going to have to fend them off with my rolled up wife-beater shirt; sweat-logged, it's got surprising heft to it. It has occurred to me, as it must you as well gentle reader, that I might have to slow down my rapid strength gain until I'm better able to control the sheer power I'm harnessing; there's no licensing procedure for badass in the state of Texas. The public at large just has to trust that people like me responsibly manage the raw, carnal strength that we develop, mine directly from a strict regimen of power lifting, Mountain Dew, and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Rock Band Song List Transfer to Rock Band 2

G4 reports that Rock Band 2 owners will be able to transfer the original game's song repertoire for a mere $5. Three songs won't transfer though, presumable because of licensing issues. Da man gots to be paid!

Rock Band 2 is due out in less than two weeks and I'm starting to get tingling all over thinking about playing my new favorite band, The Silversun Pickups. Their song, Lazy Eye, made the Rock Band 2 cut and I can't wait to pound the hell out of that song. I'm also looking forward to belting out Billy Idol's White Wedding. I've had his classic sneer down for years and I sing White Wedding to grand applause when I'm showering.

Neverwinter Nights 2 Update

Since it had been so long ago that I had played Neverwinter Nights 2, rather than piece together the who and the why and the where for quests I hadn’t worked on in more than a year, I started from scratch. After some fairly solid playing these last few weeks, I’m at the point where I stopped oh those many months ago.

I rolled a new toon, but picked the same race, class, and name even: Kammris Caulfield, aasimar cleric. I love clerics in D&D 3.5. The ability to wear plate combined with the most powerful and efficient healing in the game is too irresistible, even if other classes might be more fun to play. I take Khelgar the dwarven fighter everywhere I go. Both he and Kammris tank, with Kammris giving his flaming mace an occasional rest to dish out healing when needed.

Quar (sp) is also a must-have party member. The sorcerer deals out face-melting aoe. Without her, fights would last longer and would too often end in defeat. Quar has become almost unstoppable now that she regularly applies Stoneskin. I round out my party with Neekisha (sp), the rogue. She does decent dps when she’s positioned for backstabbing and she’s absolutely crucial for trap spotting and disarming and for unlocking all those pesky chests.

That means I end up always benching the gnome bard, the elven dr00d, and the human paladin. I’m sure they’re fine toons, each and every one of them. I would likely interchange any one of them if my main was a different class than cleric. But since Kammris always shoulders the healing chores, the party’s most primary need shifts to that of dps, crowd control, and dungeon utility.

I’ve read lots of criticism about NWN2’s original campaign storyline. Admittedly, it starts slowly. But it’s building in the middle part of the game quite nicely. When I reached the actual city of Neverwinter, Kammris and company were immediately drafted in the city’s Watch, a police force ripe with corruption and lethargy. We’ve been conducting missions to help regain control of the city, fighting the town’s local mafia outfit. Most recently, I traveled outside the city to track down a disappearing Neverwinter emissary. Two local orc tribes conspired to kidnap, interrogate, and torture the diplomat as part of a larger conspiracy against Neverwinter. I find it all very appealing, especially the voice-work, the quality of which contrasts sharply with that of The Witcher.

Sarah Palin Is a V-PILF

I can't take credit for coining this acronym. My morning radio DJ used it to describe John McCain's recent vice-presidential candidate selection, Sarah Palin. I think he purred like a cat after he said it. I think I almost purred when I first saw her too. I definitely shouted out to Wifezilla that Palin was a hottie, a revelation that sent her scurrying from the kitchen to check out a competitor. Meow!

But Palin is not a V-PILF yet. Only because she and McCain haven't won the election yet. Now, I clearly accede her status as a MILF. It's undisputed. Her transition to V-PILF will be instantaneous if she and that geezer manage to beat the Obama/Biden ticket. After seeing her, I can understand why McCain wasted no vetting time adding Palin to the Republican ticket. Skeletons rattle ominously in her closet though. I'm already reading sketchy reports of corruption charges, something about Palin receiving the same kind of kick-back for pork barrel politicking that got her fellow Alaskan senator knee-deep in an all-out criminal conviction. And something about firing an Alaskan state trooper, a man formerly married to her sister. Or some Melrose crap like that.

But who cares? She's easy on the eyes! She's a MILF! Maybe even a V-PILF! God knows if the Republicans must win again, I'd rather spend another four years looking at Palin than that gremlin, Dick Cheney.

WoW Killer Made in China?

I'm beginning to think that the MMO that ultimately kills WoW won't be one that sells at retail and charges a monthly fee. Take a look at Perfect World. It's a MMO developed in China that was originally slated for a retail/subscription model, but has since morphed into free-to-play. I'm not saying Perfect World is better a better game than WoW, only that a game like it will likely prove the only real method for breaking Blizzard's hegemonic control of the market. I don't completely understand the economics behind free-to-play but if such a model could sustain a quality MMO, Blizzard could be pressured to follow a similar pricing structure, or at the very least, lower their current monthly subscription charges.

All this could shake out within the next year or two. MMOs like Perfect World will either be successful or they won't. If they're not, I don't see anything retail threatening WoW. Maybe Bioware's KotOR MMO. Now there's a MMO I'd like to see as free-to-play. There's probably as much chance of that happening as there is of me ever playing WoW again. But stranger things have happened.

Like John McCain announcing Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential candidate.

Dan in Real Life

The movie starring Steve Carell shot for mediocrity and that's what moviegoers got. I disliked this movie from the git-go, when Marie, played without note by Juliette Binoche (who?), exhales an impossible monologue on all the qualities of a book she's seeking. I think she's looking for a romance book but who can tell as she meanders aimlessly and contradicts herself repeatedly. All directed at Dan, who she mistakes as a worker at the bookstore. I guess the screenwriter thought that was a great "how we first me" story. Wrong. The scene doesn't even get points for mentioning the book, Everyone Poops. Shame on them for squandering that kind of potential.

And then there's Dan's family. They gather together for a week. It's a big family, more than ten people, including their spawn. They play games together. Like team crossword puzzle, boys against girls. Aerobics on the front lawn. And hide and seek. Yes, the adults play too. Watching Dan and Marie hide behind a bed while Dane Cook prattled on in the midst of his countdown, I imagined myself a participant, oak bat in hand, hunting them all down one by one and clubbing them senseless like a hooded polar hunter beats baby seal pups. I'd club them all until they promised to stop glamorizing family life. And then beat them some more even after they agreed.

I had to clench my imaginary bat quite firmly when the family talent show came together. It was full-blown, complete with sign-up list, decorations, and a fake stage and backdrop. For the love of God, who in the hell wrote this crap (turns out it's the same guy that directed it. Uh huh). A family talent show? That was the only pretext they could think of to allow Steve Carell to badly portray strumming an acoustic guitar and badly singing The Who's Let My Love Open the Door? The Brady Bunch are a more believable family than these specimens. I just pray most of America hated the Burns family as much as I. If most of America is thinking, "Gosh, I wish I could play hide and seek with my extended family," then I just might have to move to Canada. Or Guam.

The show did have a laugh or two. I found Dan's middle daughter amusing and scary. She thinks she's in love and hates that her dad stand between her and true love. At one point she screams across the lawn at Dan, "You're a MURDERER OF LOVE." It was funny, but not even close enough for wholesale redemption. This movie bordered on being as bad as The Family Stone. The two movies share much in common, mostly that they both suck.

Starcraft II Out No Earlier Than 2009

Not surprisingly, G4 reports that Starcraft II won't be out until sometime in 2009. Keep in mind, that could mean 2009's holiday season, more than a year away.

It's Blizzard, so they'll sit on that egg indefinitely, until cute golden Zurgs hatch out chirping for human flesh. It's not all bad news since I need some of these A list titles to be somewhat spaced out. My new vow is to not buy a new game until I'm finished with my currently played title. In other words, no GTAIV until Fallout 3 is finished.

I know, I'm laughing too.

Gone Baby Gone

***Spoiler Alert***

Amazing movie. Surprisingly so, since it starred Casey Affleck and was directed by his older brother, Ben. You know, the dude that starred in Armageddon?

I guess that's why the movie caught me unawares. Turns out Casey is a really good actor, but he is a new face; I've seen him in one other movie, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Ben pulls a coherent, driven narrative together that kept my attention throughout, even had me at the edge of my seat a few times. Both men surprised me with compelling acting and focused directing. I won't underestimate them again.

It's the ending that clinches the movie. When Casey finally uncovers the truth of what really happened to Amanda, he's faced with a moral dilemma. Does he blow the whistle and return Amanda to her mother? Or does he look the other way, knowing an abduction took place but that it likely is in Amanda's best interests that she is removed from a Boston ghetto.

The movie poses the question to three of its main characters, Patrick, Angela, and Jack Doyle. Doyle kidnapped the girl in the first place, so he begs Patrick to drive back down the road and forget he knows where Amanda is. Jack took Amanda both to save her from a self-absorbed, strung-out mother and to fill the void left behind when his own daughter was abducted and killed years ago. His act is illegal but his moral compass is sound. Angela flat out tells Patrick he should leave Amanda where she is. That if puts her back with her deadbeat mother, she'll hate him for it. Patrick represents the only character in the movie who believes Amanda should be returned. It doesn't matter that she will more likely live a better, safer life with Doyle and his wife. The kidnapping mars the good deed of saving her from a life of Jerry Springer, mule runs, and a revolving door of strange men in her tiny life.

In the end, Patrick calls the cops and Amanda returns to her mother. Doyle goes to jail and Angela leaves Patrick. The last scene of the movie is probably the saddest. Little Amanda sits on a couch watching TV while Patrick talks to her mother. She's getting ready for a date, some guy who saw her on TV during the publicity of Amanda's disappearance. She hardly talks to Amanda directly, in fact mostly talks as if she's not even there. Patrick asks who is taking care of Amanda while she's out. The mother laughs at the question and says a friend who is about to find out in five minutes.

Patrick knows he is observing the consequences of his decision right before his eyes. He watched when Amanda was torn from Doyle's wife, a couple that put Amanda first in their lives, as all good parents do. As the mother continues to prep and prune, Patrick sees first hand that Amanda is worse off then she was. He takes all this in, but is he second guessing himself at this point? It would be hard not to, but he so strongly argued the case for returning Amanda, he might still think it was the right thing to do.

Or maybe not. Upon hearing that Amanda might not have anyone watching her, Patrick volunteers. He alone is responsible for putting her back into the care of a mother who isn't selfless enough to care for a fish, let alone a little girl. To make amends, he's going to have to watch over Amanda, protect her, keep her safe. A small price to pay for being able to do the right thing? Or the inevitable burden for having to live with a choice you made? Both probably, given that Patrick would have been conflicted no matter what choice he made.