Illegitimate cherubs

The verdict is still in doubt. Those damnable politicians with cute little button noses have taken the first step towards absolution. Or so they hope. On the heels of a dry and empty threaded speech by the mighty emperor Bush, they have pushed forth resolutions to hang the Texan cowboy upside by his genitalia until he relents. Which of course will never happen. George's boys must be doubled over in nauseous pain. I just hope he doesn't upchuck on the Armed Services Committee. And the Flava of the Republican White House has decided to get in touch with his common roots. I don't know what this "hogwash" is, but I want in.

In other less substantial fare, it appears that Sony is bound and determined to sell the PS3 at $600. I'm guessing they wanna have it cover the production costs sometime before 2050. Not only has there been slew of pithing comments directed towards the Japanese giant by game programmers, but now the PS3 is gonna continue at the same expense as a cleveland steamer. My weekly allowance won't allow me both, and the steamer is actually sounding more fun. When did Sony go from must have to worse than an awful sexual proposition? Probably when they decided to send the entertainment market straight to hell by dividing the HD-DVD format. They pissed off the gods of capitalism.

In what has become a passing tradition for new roommates, I watched a rather hilarious classic kung fu movie. I use the word classic cautiously, the one voice over sounded rather similar to a drunken John Wayne. Who knew the duke had been so broke and liquored up. I cannot help but recommend East West DVD, whose primary market is those little $1 bins in your local grocery store. 90 minutes of unadulterated camp for one buck. If only there had been boobies.

New Beginnings

So the move in to Purchase went rather smoothly. My roommate is pleasantly chill and has a rabid love of reggae, which I must state is infinitely cool. However there exist rumors abound that Purchase is actually nothing more than a breeding ground for Andy Warhol like terrorists. More on the impending doom to come.

Fox, the perennial example of all things thoughtfully simple has created yet another guilty pleasure of the delicious boob tube. The launch of "Are you smarter than a fifth grader?" will certainly be met with protestations and empty condemnation, and that does not deter me. Even the fact that merely opening my eyes during such entertainment will swallow my soul, I will not be able to turn away. I can only hope it is as good as it sounds, like Jeopardy after the slow long burn of crack. Maybe they can pull a couple of contestants from Stern's equivalent radio program. My heart flutters in bemused anticipation.

Slate has an intriguing article written because of the glorious success of Heroes. They give a thought provoking examination of primarily underground comics which are character based as opposed to the traditional realm of the utterly fantastical to the illustrated realm. It's argument succeeds even where it is not openly stated, comics like great literature are a form of artistry. It is sad however that they are relegated to below "24" in the cannon of American entertainment. I mean Jack Bauer is cool, but not as cool as a talking 40 foot cement monster. I know what you're thinking but I mean that other 40 foot talking monster. The one that's rather intricately drawn in monochrome.


Numerous times I have noted the disappearance of First Amendment rights, rights which have never fully embraced by the American politicians. Support for free speech is vociferously defended by hollow promises, ones which will so obviously go unfulfilled. Luckily the bill to force someone such as myself to register with the government just for spreading knowledge was swiftly defeated in Congress. Yet now the subpoenas are flying like chickens in heat. And they are just as morally corrupt, if chickens can be corrupt at all. One unlucky journalist is being forced to both release and corroborate quotes associated with a former soldier who argues the war in Iraq is both unjust and illegal. While the privacy of sources is not guaranteed in certain aspects (i.e. murder), in the case where the only crime is dissent. The military is necessary and uniformity pertinent, but in times of a unjust battle our leaders and the public must be made aware of it.

Welcome to the hell of journalistic integrity, where Free Speech is the first bastion of defense on the path to Hades. Because the Catholic Church is fully infallible.

Moose rape

It only took far longer than necessary, but the realization that Sylvia Browne is absolute fraud has finally hit home. Not only did she tell the family of Shawn Hornbeck that he was dead, but tried to solicit money from the family to communicate with the supposedly dead boy. But Shawn was found days ago, alive and moderately well off, given that he was kidnapped and not killed. Sylvia Browne is evil and blight upon this land, one which should be quickly eradicated. Preying upon the weak minded is bad enough, but to profit and claim that it is done in the name of God, that is unforgivable. I hope that she is anally raped by a large moose in punishment, although that would not be close to equal to the pain she caused through such outright lies.

Your rights no longer exist in this country. According to Alberto Gonzales, Habeas Corpus does not constitutionally apply to everyone. It's so nice to know that we live in country which bases its laws on pre-Magna Carta concepts. Given the general idiocy of the public at large, we might as well switch from an oligarchy back to a monarchy. And yes we do live in an oligarchy, one under the disguise of a republic, which itself exists under the guise of democracy. Hell I can do better, let's bring back slavery all together, maybe even euthenize the poor to decrease the surplus population. Welcome to the second dark ages where we live in fear of the smiting hand of God who responds to the commands of fat, overindulgent, priest-kings. 800 years of history rewritten in less than 6. Of course it hurts, that's a red and blue elephant screwing you; hard.

Episodic gaming is gathering steam quicker than a Starbucks espresso machine. Half-Life 2 provided the first glimpse for the potential of such a format, and actually managed to revive one of the great franchises in Sam and Max. Word from BioWare is that they have realized the value of such a distribution format. One must wonder if the demise of Gamestop is rapidly approaching. What will their acne riddled, over sized, lisped employees do? Maybe go and hide with large number of bacon wrapped whoppers. So tasty.

Ok that last one was kinda mean. It was meant more for those guys who work at Time-Out while hiding in their parents basement every time a girl passes by.

Weep like a babe

One of the finest shows on television for the past couple of years has been Grey's Anatomy. Understanding that there is little originality, does not keep the program from being excellently made. When I attended Geneseo, the show was essentially watched by the entire college community. Not to watch it meant you were to be shunned like the fat kid in high school. So it is with little reservation that I fully emasculate myself.

Tonight I cried watching as George wished goodbye to his father. Not little tears which whimpered from my eyes, but a river of salty fluids gushed forth. I could not contain it, and more importantly I did not try to. Never has the death of such a minor character on a television show had such an impact. Between Grey's and Battlestar alone I could spend months glued to the large glowing box. My hair might fall out, but with any luck I'll be sent to Seattle Grace.

The Chinese have developed a satellite destroying missile, which the U.S. was quick to condemn. If only because we didn't create one first. While I admit this is a rather intriguing development in a country that pushes militarization, it is hard to fault them for developing what is essentially a defensive technology. These missiles may pose a threat, but they were most likely created as a deterrent for space based weapon technology, which the U.S. is assuredly working on. Area 51 is a lie, they develop advanced forms of teletubbie technology to overtake the world there. Hoboken, NJ is where the real work gets done; underground. Trust me, I have seen area 52 and it is glorious.

Congress appears to both save or condemn itself, given that it isn't a weekend, Friday after 2 pm, a religious holiday, a party retreat, on an election tour, visiting with congressional districts, visiting with lobbyists, or smoking cigarettes. Which leaves about 100 days a year for our representative faction to do something useful. Right after they agree to lower interest rates on congressional loans, a bill is introduced that seeks to control our right to privacy online. It appears that when they swear on the Bible or Koran, it is the hypocritic oath (borrowed from my buddies at PA). That means congress has the right to radically alter its beliefs whenever it's convenient. Congratulations Nancy Pelosi, if you weren't so sexy I'd sack you right here and now.

Anyone with certain level of technological knowledge is aware of the existence of Gears of War, and if you aren't I hope you have had your head up the ass of a rather attractive sheep. Slate magazine has a rather eloquent review of the game and the reasons for its success. As I have noted before, Gears of War succeeds because it is essentially Halo, with the jump button swapped for a duck button. It is amazing how such a simple change can radically alter game play in a positive direction. This may be a road map to success for future developers, taken a proven formula and alter it in a mild way to make it unique and you have a platinum product. Now if only they could make another Legacy of Kain game, one of the most underrated series of all time.

Those damned icicles

Imagine if you will the hypothetical existence of perfection. Ask where this perfection exists, and the answer will blow your mind. Hypothetically that is.

HBO in all their glorious wisdom will be adapting "A Song of Fire and Ice," series of books by George R.R. Martin for television. The extraneous form of visual pictures unfortunately. While HBO's previous attempts at serial television have been met with critical success I have never truly felt the need to spend such hard earned cash on so few channels. What I have seen of the HBO series', have been mixed. I know that my heresy here may condemn me forever yet it must be said. The Sopranos was and is overrated. It is an eloquently done show, yet it is merely Goodfellas done serialized. Having caught a number of episodes of Six Feet Under on Bravo, I think that it was the finest production HBO has ever done. Now one can only hope that the casting for the Martin series is done properly and HBO is welling to properly budget it. It is a mix of hope and dread that I have not felt for sometime.

For a certain number of years now I have argued two various points. A) That the prohibition on drugs is causing more harm than good, making the war on drugs a pointless, futile effort that is only important to war profiteers. B) That drug tests as screening for employment are a violation of civil rights, given that anything that occurs away from the job can have no bearing on such job, unless they are arrested in a criminal offense.

Apparently I am not the only one who agrees with the former point. Many former policemen and officials agree that the War on Drugs is as futile as searching for a pin in the Atlantic. And if anyone would know what failure is, I am certain it is the soldiers of war. The same truth that we must face in Iraq. Selective hearing is a key component to joining congress. At any point that a law which is certainly unconstitutional but protects profits is challenged, our leaders suddenly find themselves deaf to all concerns.

Now that Bush has fired all the U.S. attorneys, he is sicking the lackeys of the GOP on the First Amendment rights, particularly those of the blogger communities. A Republican introduced bill would force all those critically oppose Congress to register. If they do not, penalties and jail time could and would result. My response:

Huzzah to the warlords of America, for they are the true masters. I pledge my life and the life of my children to your cause, if only because of the muzzle pointed at my liberties.

Flies on the pisser

The Amsterdamians (not sure if that is correct) have seized on America's scientific failings to jump ahead in the important field of urinal technology. I am not one to aim my bodily functions towards a particular object outside of the toilet itself. But having known a number of fraternal brothers I will vouch that the concept of painting a fly on the urinal to improve accuracy most likely will help. Lets just hope that a competing fly doesn't land on the wall or I will have to skip any layovers through Amsterdam in the coming future.

Now to the important news of the day, somewhat. Barak Obama is entering the democratic race, one of two big names to date. When Clinton declares her intentions, which she will, the short list will grow to three deep. Unfortunately because of her current popularity, Clinton is assuredly the front runner to the nomination. A disturbing idea given that she is in fact a closet Republican, despite all appearances to the contrary. She like McCain is an opportunist whose ideologies switch as often as I switch shampoos. Obama sticks to his guns. Of course he has not had the time to flop positions. His inexperience will either prove to his benefit or his downfall. Argument for: His youth in congress means that not enough time has passed to fall deep into the pockets of lobbyists. Argument against: His lack of experience will be seen as a weaknesses both domestically and abroad. I cannot help given my complete lack of faith in Congress but see the former as a strongly superior argument.

1Up has released their "WTF" moments of 2006. Altogether the list is entirely underwhelming. While agree that the renaming of the Revolution to the Wii made me question Nintendo with vulgarities, it was a smart move. Wii is a word that sticks in one's consciousness, a title that the general public will remember. So while it was a wtf moment, it was a successful one. If you read the rest of the list, 2006 looked like a rather boring year for video games.

The military has been as ethical as congress it seems. The Pentagon sold weapons to Iran and China through surplus auctions. Not all that surprising; Iran and Columbia are already the two largest buyers of U.S. produced arms. The concept of the War on Drugs and Terror is nothing more than a lie perpetuated by the economic masterminds who already dominate congressional lawmaking. One more reason we need someone who has not been bought out by damned elitists of the failed American economic state.

Weekend of wow!

What a weekend that was brought to us all. Not only was the television filled with four great games of sport, but I discovered that the mutant frog in my closet can speak fluent Spanish. Which only continues to imply that the amphibian is smarter than even this winterly mammal.

Next weekend when the real Super Bowl is played (Pats at Colts), I will be watching in anticipation to see who will lay the smackdown on the Pop Warner champion of the NFC. I'm rooting for Manning because he finally deserves a chance at the big game, but as the San Diego game proved, its never smart to bet against Brady and Belichick. Still my gut tells me that this might be the year and his teammates have finally stepped up to supporting their leader. Peyton leads the Colts to the game, 27-24 over the Patriots. Vinateri hits at 43 yarder as time expires; money in the bag.

It appears that the actual arrival of the Master Chief may not be as far off as thought. I would say it looks cool, but such words might appear redundant. The suit is unbelievably outlandish and yet subtly appealing. The sentence, "Dear Santa for Christmas I want that," is already forming on my lips. Now if only I could get that bionic arm from I Robot, those zombie chickens wouldn't stand a chance.

Sometimes I wonder if there are any sane people in the world, and then I read something like this and I realize they do exist. But they are few and far in between. For years the bottled water industry has continued to pile plastic excrement on the earth, selling a product that is pointless to a point of evil self-indulgence. Much of the world has water which is likely to make one sick and we continue to shell out millions for wasted mineral water that was simply run through an overblown Brita filter. Welcome to the new industrial world, lets all celebrate by downing a few bottles of Poland Spring.

Apologies all around

First I need to apologize for my small tirade yesterday. The woman may or may not be an idiot, that I cannot know. But I will maintain my position that she was duped by an overzealous district attorney whose power hungry desires contradicted those of justice. As if justice occurs often in this country anyway.

Secondly congrats to both the Colts and the Saints. Being the only person I know who at the beginning of the season picked the Saints to win the south (although i did think they would lose in the first round of the playoffs), would show that I have been imparted with powers of prescience. Of course I did pick the Carolina Panthers to win it all, but hey even Nostradamus was wrong occasionally. Maybe this is the year for Manning as well, he certainly is deserving of that golden ring.

It only took half a century but it has come to the attention of our lawmakers that many of them are crooked and continue to benefit even after leaving office. The only truly disappointing part of the legislation is that it does not end the benefits for those dregs of society who have already been convicted. Even while locked up they continue to benefit for acting in personal interests rather than in the best interests of the country. Another example of how this country has confused the concepts of democracy with the opposing beliefs of capitalism.

As many of you know, I have an uncle who is mentally deficient because of a drunk driving crash (which was his own fault and did not injure anyone innocent thankfully). Because of this I am adamantly filled with rage towards anyone caught with a D.W.I., despite that I realize drunk drivers do not cause a vast amount of deaths. More babies die each year because they were not able to see a doctor, and that as well angers me as it should you.
These two pieces of news cannot be ignored. A man in Corpus Christi who killed an innocent teenage boy because he was D.W.I., was sentenced to only 10 years probation with no prison sentence. Proof once again that Texans who claim to be part of the moral majority are nothing more ignorant bastards. How this can pass I do not know, but we will convict a woman for 40 years for accidentally showing 10 year olds some pornography. Violence can be forgiven but anything dealing with sexuality must be swiftly and harshly punished. Puritanism values for the win.
I also came across this press release from MADD, who supported and officer that did not arrest a republican congressman from Delaware after he was pulled over with a blood alcohol content of .14. With such intoxication I was surprised the congressman could find his keys. He pulled out the legislator card and was allowed to call a friend for a ride home. And MADD supports the police officer who let him go. This is inexcusable, both the officer and the congressman should be locked up for a decade. What would have happened if a child had died... more probation. Personal responsibility no longer exists in this country, nor does accountability.

Perhaps when we are compared to apes, the scientists are not far off at all. This yeti's blood has been angered like only a sarsaparilla could do. Time to go for a run.

Money in the bag

What a difference a year can make. Last year at this time Peyton Manning was spotted swearing in sheer agony as the kick sailed wide right. 2007 and the Colts have a leg which seems to never miss when the pressure is on. Congrats to the Colts and specifically Adam Vinateri, certainly a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Apparently Hideo Kojima has decided that the next-gen systems cannot handle the monstrosity that will be Metal Gear Solid 4. 25 gigs will not be enough for the game to appear on the PS3, so odds that it will become a multi-platform game are minuscule. It seems that I have a better chance of getting Vista to operate on my old 386. I have a feeling Konami will have Hideo committed within the coming months. If less than six months after its global launch the PS3 cannot support a flagship enterprise, the developers must be wondering what level of hell they have fallen to. I'm guessing the fifth, the last one where a Starbucks still exists.

The feminists are sure to delight in glee after I tear apart the Duke lacrosse case. By all appearances the woman was rather promiscuous, and after stripping at a party (I have nothing against strippers, it is just a viable profession as any other), decided that she could make out like a bandit by crying rape. I do not know what happened, and I am limited to the news given to me. Yet I cannot help but feel that two things occurred here: 1) The woman must be a total idiot 2) The D.A. seeking re-election and possible run at a congressional post suckered this idiot woman in. The larger problem with the case was the rush to judgment, particularly by the minority communities. These were upper class white males, who while they may be assholes should have been given the benefit of the doubt. Remember it is innocent until proven guilty in this country.

I will however state the obvious that in many criminal cases involving minorities they are often convicted before the trial begins, so perhaps it was not such a great sin in North Carolina to begin with. Of great concern must be the media coverage of trials. Often when one is convicted in public opinion, one will be convicted in trial. We need to remove the coverage of such useless and sensationalistic travesties of justice. Nancy Grace will spend eternity damned for being such an inconsiderate, ignorant bitch.

Gates you sly dog

So the results are in and I believe that Sony is demanding a Supreme Court decision after the recount. The 360 has sold more units than both the Wii and PS3, doubling the amount of PS3's entering the homes of Americans this year. It is not surprising given that the 360 finally was granted a killer app in Gears, to which nothing on the PS3 can compare. The Wii is an entity all to itself and so cannot be grouped in with other next gen systems. It would be like comparing oranges to broccoli. They are on different but equal levels of electronics pyramid.

The list of Presidential candidates particularly on the Democratic side. It cannot help but be noted that none of those who have announced their aspirations nor those who will are appealing candidates. Certainly no more than Kerry in 2004. Yet one cannot help but wonder that should another Republican come to executive power, we would be royally screwed. Like all things in America, politics is upside down. The rats dominate over the much less cerebral populous of sheep.

Lastly I wonder is Stephen Colbert reads this blog because last night there was a quote on the Report that seemed ripped straight from the Yeti's mouth. Three quarters of the way through this clip is a Princess Leia joke about Apple, one which I made days ago. Rather than anger I was filled with a certain glee to see my previous humor used on a national broadcast. But Stephen I'm putting you on warning with a wag of my flaccid device. I'll leave that one to your imaginations.

Surge protectors

What news could I possibly discuss today other than the loquacious yet empty speech by the bumbling Texan. One of my closest friends over the past decade recently left for his tour of duty in Iraq, and I cannot help but worry for him. Despite the fact he is no more than a murse, he deserves my respect and the respect of all those in this country. Yet this is a war that has become a modern Vietnam. Iraq may be more important than Vietnam because the region is already highly destabilized.

The main concern I have with the Iraqi strategy is that it does not take into consideration the desires of the Iraqi's. A people cannot be given freedom, it must be earned and desired. A lesson which history has taught us repeatedly, one which the current administration refuses to acknowledge. While there are numbers of Iraqi's who wish democracy (something which does not even exist in America), it appears as though there are even more who do not. More importantly it does not seem that we are trying to spread democracy but rather western idealism which breeds resentment. Once again, this strikes at the heart of whether conservative Islam is contradictory to democracy and western values which it may be.

I am not an advocate for the cut and run policy, but it is near impossible to support any plan currently coming out of Washington, whether it be Republican or Democrat.

Death screams

The cries of sheer agony you hear across the technological desert belong to Microsoft and the conglomeration of cellphone manufacturers. Their stock plummeted like a large vulture hit by an unseen arrow coated with a white clickwheel flavored poison. Microsoft must certainly have realized that their Zune was damned to a slow and incredibly painful death, the Iphone will only hasten such a demise. Greater concern faces companies such as Motorola and VG, who have spent millions upon "improving" cell phone technology, only to see a computer company erase a past decade's worth of effort. How such an idea has never been conceptualized before, one can only speculate. Are the only technological marvels employed by Apple nowadays? Once again, that anti-creative ideology of modern business rears its hideously ugly face.

The Iphone is so bedazzling that everyone I have spoken to wants one and they want it now. None of this six month shiite, give me one of those cardboard cutouts and I'll be satisfied till June. Only one concern remains, who do I know that will buy one? Murder seems the easiest way to obtain the second coming of Christ in phone form. "All bow before the Lord Apple," speaks the Prophet Jobs.

To clear up any earlier confusion, Sony has lied once again. While they will receive and Emmy, it is for their Dual Shock technology, not the SIAXIS. My outrage has turned to simple mirth as Sony has once again duped us all. Now if only they would clear the air and state the PS3 has been one big joke. Satoru Iwata is coming over for dinner then a few games of Wii Tennis. We're having tacos.

Welcome to America of the future, where polar bears and caribou exist only in the pictures and models hung in museums. Alaska will soon join Los Angeles as the only places where smog can be seen from space. Huzzah the great American democracy.

Here to choose

First and foremost I must congratulate the Florida Gators on one of the most impressive title game victories in the history of college football. My semi-disdain for the aquatic reptilians notwithstanding, Meyer's boys played their hearts out. I was incorrect in my assessment of their abilities. Not only did the spread offense move with ease on the vaunted Buckeyes D, Florida harassed and contained Troy Smith all night. At times it was like watching a Pop Warner team trying to defeat the 85 Bears. Hopelessly outmatched, the Buckeyes appeared to be as rusty as the Titanic. I would say "mad props", but I believe that the editors of Webster's would hunt me down like a small hare.

Anyone who claims they saw a Florida rout coming must descended from the Jack Thompson genealogical tree of extraordinary absurdity.

In the kill or be killed world of consumer electronics, the not so big secret of an Apple Iphone finally has found a cellular provider. Having no first hand experience with Cingular, I cannot vouch for their quality of service. However many personal friends have done nothing but glorify the exploits of such a company. Cellular phones have held little appeal beside the abilities to call and text from anywhere but the Himalayan ranges. Yet with my recent acquisition of an Ipod, incorporating cellular technology into such a device creates a product whose desire is comparable only to that of Angelina Jolie in a black lace corset. Something which once in view becomes a necessity. If it comes in tie dye that will only sweeten the deal.

The only issue which Apple faces in such an investment is that unlike the Ipod, there are already a number of medium to somewhat high quality mp3 capable phones in existence. The Ipod came to market when mp3 players were in their infancy, creating a highly reliable and intuitive gadget. However the ace in the hole for Apple is Itunes, and until a rival service is developed I am sure Apple will succeed. Yet watch, like Nostradamus I predict you will see a rush of collaborative music services launched in the coming months. Most will fail; the thrown bones whisper to me.

I am not sure who is responsible for this alliance but all I can exclaim is "Hail to the King, Baby!" As one of the greatest comedic actors, be it in B-list movies; Bruce Campbell will certainly influence me to switch from Axe to Old Spice. This even though the former acts as pheremonal attractor for women. Smelling nice is not an option, it is a stipulation.

Like an ephemeral wolf, it is time to howl at the moon. Goodnight my little cherubs.

I want an Emmy!

As with Marissa Tomei when she won an oscar, the adjudicators of the Emmy awards apparently have been sipping from various glasses of influenza infused vodka. Sony the perennial whipping boy of the American gaming media, have been recognized for their SIAXIS technology. Which is most unfortunate given that the Wiimote is a true technological marvel while SIAXIS appears as more of a bastardized version of the Kirby tilt. I guess Sony decided that the PS3 will come in black for the general public, but a bright green for those in charge. George Washington's picture has been emblazoned.

The lawsuit against Apple has moved forward, regardless of its true intentions. While Apple did create interlocking technology between Itunes and the Ipod, this lawsuit reeks of the anti-innovation sector of American business. Believe it or not, such ideologies do exist. Apparently the RIAA and technological developers are jealous of Apple's creativity and market control. Rather than develop their own digital media stores, a lawsuit is much easier and will create a greater disturbance in the force. Only the destruction of Alderran made me fall to me knees in greater disbelief. The RIAA are the evil empire and DRM their Death Star. Now if only I could find my Princess Leia, preferably in a skimpy metal bikini.

Oh and one last thing. George Orwell may have been the greatest prophet of the modern era. Scary, truly and obscenely frightening.

Oh you poor cowboy

If anyone watched the playoffs over the weekend, you know of the occurrences in Seattle. Unfortunately I missed most of the battle between such tribal warriors because I was otherwise engaged. I did however catch the tail end of the Dallas game and the only words which could escape my mouth at such an incredulous moment was "Holy Shit!" My excitement over the Dallas loss was inevitably replaced by a feeling of unadulterated melancholy for Tony Romo. Having lived through the Scott Norwood era, one cannot help but feel remorseful; despite the fact that he plays for the Cowboys. While Romo's mistake was by far a greater choke job than Norwood's, Romo is still enough of a noob to mend his image. I would find it easier to root for the quarterback if he did not play for an organization filled with evil on the level such as the Yankees. Only slightly less evil than the newly ordained Antichrist - Paris Hilton.

Defining an entire genre of video games is no easy task, but apparently there are a number of avid gamers who have recorded every storyline of previous console rpg's with what they term cliche. There is a more fitting term which applies to the authors, "confused nerds". While I normally use such terms in an endearing light, here it could be considered a slight insult. Cliches are ideas which appear in nearly every form of entertainment, yet to list 192 of them implies that the authors do not understand the true idea of a cliche. And the fact that someone spent the time to create such a list fills out the negative nerd term quite fully. Of course being a nerd myself this rant is surely to cause me some form of misery.

The last rant of the day involves an ethical decision, one which borders the concepts of eugenics versus general happiness. I can understand the parents desire to have a child whom they can manage for the rest of their natural lives. Yet it was a choice made without the child's decision and smells of ethical quandary. I can relate to the parents of little Ashley because of my uncle who is mentally deficient due to a car crash decades ago. A rather large man he is unaware of his strength as well as the hunger fulfillment sensation. He needs constant care which is found in the group home, which is also fortunately provided for by our state. If my parents were forced to care for my uncle (which I am sure they would), the quality of life throughout my childhood would have been greatly degraded. Yet despite my experience, it cannot compare to theirs and I will not pass judgment upon them. I understand their actions, but at this time I am uncertain whether or not I agree. And that is an idea I find most disturbing of all.

A dancing Mohammed

It has come to attention recently that despite my wealth of knowledge on all topics of interest, my understanding of Islamic culture is rather lacking. While the greatest possibility for increasing knowledge lies with first hand experience, there are few Muslims with whom I have been able to interact. Unlike the vast majority of highly racialized uninformed Americans, I know that most Muslims bear no ill will towards our kind. Just as the radical conservatives are quickly tearing apart this country, it is the minority of radical Muslims who seek to harm. The difference between radical Christianity and Radical Islam is apparently minuscule, at best.

A serious question that has been posed in the past decade, is whether Democracy and Islam are essentially incompatible. One of the more informed articles on the subject can be found here.

Weber's conceptual framework of the Protestant work ethic was correct, however I fear that modernization is quickly becoming incompatible with conservative ideology. The expanding ease of reliable educational sources, i.e. Wikipedia, allows for greater relevant understanding of opposing cultures. While cultural relativism is at its core a great evil, acceptance is a key to future expansion. The basis of conservatism is unfortunately a form of intolerance. They only accept those who will abide the will of God, even though such laws are formed from the mouths of flawed humans.

Despite the rhetoric of acceptance, religion itself is mostly hypocritical. Do not take this rant as anti-religious, but rather as an understanding of pitfalls of such beliefs. There is nothing wrong about faith in God, but it is the religion formed around the faith that evils often arise.

Dancing evolution

Apparently the line of what distinguishes humanity from the creatures of mother nature is continuously blurred. While I can relate as a rather hairy snow enamored creature, even my vocabulary seems minuscule in comparison to such an impressive biped. Evolution may be a divine act, be it one independent of a supreme deity. Perhaps the driving force behind life's grand plan, is nothing more than change itself. Would it then be such a transgression to worship such a powerful universal influence? I plead the fifth.

Once again Sony has disappointed their fan base, whatever one remains that is. After stealing the Wii technology half heartedly, they now announce that force feedback is not compatible with the PS3. The next generation won't carry the rumbling amusement that already fills the controllers of the current generation. I fear for Sony, particularly after stories of untold numbers of PS3's growing dust on the shelves of EB Games. While I have been slightly impressed by the 360 of late, to imagine Microsoft dominating both the PC and console market frightens me. I think Bill Gates is actually attempting to become King of the Digital Age. He wears a emerald crown shaped like the windows logo. It's true, I have seen it.

Surreptitiously on the off chance that anyone else here watches football and Jeopardy, you understand the joy filling my heart when I realized the answer to final jeopardy was my own Buffalo Bills. Hoorah for the men of red and blue, at least they won in a way finally.

Here at last are my picks for the weekend. Ohio State 38 Florida 13 (The Buckeyes are merely too much for Meyer's boys to handle).
Indy 35 KC 28 (LJ still runs for close to 200)
Dallas 21 Seattle 20 (game of the weekend, just watch)
Philly 24 NY Giants 10 (Eli Manning will fold like a paper turkey in a tornado)
New England 35 NY Jets 7 (Belichick gets the most of Mangini for this time around)

Feel free to complain all you want, but that Dallas game is gonna be a doozy. Despite the fact that both teams are mediocre at best.

Milk and cookies

Lately it appears that Apple is facing one quandary after another. Mere days after questions of variable stock options floated about the internet, now come rumors of monopolizing. Ironic that the antagonist of Microsoft would be thusly charged. Whether there is truth to such charges I can make no claim. However it is simple enough to state that despite the large number of digital audio programs, Itunes still remains a personal choice. Other programs seem only to aggravate my lack of organizational skills. The fact that Itunes automatically updates the music on my Ipod fills me with joy akin to a child with a rather large jawbreaker. The era of click and drag has hopefully finally passed us by.

Apparently the newly installed democratic majority has decided that its primary efforts would be best served by fighting institutional corruption. While I do agree that controlling private influxes of money into congress is a priority, new forms of legislation are likely to do little to control such problems. The link between corrupted officials and even more corrupt business leaders grows every day. Yet notice how little play within the national media the Abramhoff scandal has received. Controlling efforts and desires of elected politicians will most certainly have little effect, most favors are received deceitfully during the electoral process. Public campaign finance is assuredly the only possible answer, one which I will elaborate upon later.

Like a monkey with a large banana, at the moment I am otherwise engaged.

Music slowly erasing my brain

Being that the Christmas season has finally passed us by, the jolly off tune voices of little children are no longer forcing me to drive a screwdriver through my skull. I must say that despite my discontent for all things holiday-ish, this year has been a rather enjoyable one. The desperate desire for a respectable music was fulfilled by the gift of a rather sleek 30 gig black ipod.
I cannot describe the absolute joy that such a gift has brought me. My music collection cannot even scratch the storage capacity of such a fantastic device, but I am certain various forms of intriguing reggae will soon fill my soul. Even more impressive were the peripherals which seemed to have formed from a Mac genius' wet dreams.
Given my distaste for the public at large, the ability to ignore mass idiots with for hours upon end just fills me unenviable glee. I am actually glowing at the moment. A slight orange melange of sorts.


In more relevant news, I wish that my previous jobs had offered a severance package of over $200 million.
I have never performed a job poorly as this schmuck (yes the title is appropriate), and yet he will live securely in a rather large mansion surrounded by a large number of cabana boys for the rest of his natural life. When nearly a quarter of Americans cannot afford even the basest of health care, to pay such an egregious amount for someone to vacate a position seems not only obtuse but evil.

For my final note I have only one offering: GO BOISE STATE!