My Old Rival
There are many thing in life that I don’t like (mushrooms, snooty customers, the ending of “Mass Effect 3”), but few things get such a visceral reaction from me (in terms of spasmodic twitching) as the yellow pollen that carpets my house every spring like clockwork. This pollen, as far as I can tell, comess from pine trees. This is a problem as my street is called “Pinetree”. Perhaps that should give you an idea of the sheer omnipresence of this vile powder which settles in thick layers on every available surface (streets, cars, window ledges, cats, etc.). And given that I am as allergic to this as an Obama supporter is to facts (ooh, political zing), I get to spend two weeks locked inside; otherwise I run the real risk of expelling a lung from the sheer force of my sneezes. Now, spending two weeks locked in my basement without venturing outside may not seem like a huge difference from my normal routine of being a basement-dwelling nerd-loser, but with the Pollen-y Sword of Damocles hanging over me, it certainly feels different. My very life is in danger, though I imagine executives at Kleenex’s world HQ are rubbing their hands in glee at how I’m going to singlehandedly cause tissue sales to go through the roof.
How about no?
So, once again, the United Nations is mulling about trying to wrest control of the internet away from the United States, so that it can be regulated by a global body. This is quite possibly the worst idea ever. As the article states, “the measure is backed by China, Russia…”, actually, let’s just stop there. Any measure backed by China and Russia can usually be assumed to be one that will result in a net (hah) loss of freedom. Say whatever you will about the United States, but under its purview, the internet has remained father free and open. You let the UN control it, that freedom will be gone in the blink of an eye. Some council will be structured to oversee the internet, some third-rate crackpot nation under a dictator will be elected head of the council, and Russia and China will pressure the hell out of the council to remove “offensive” websites.
Just imagine…you Google search for Tienanmen Square in the West, and the first pictures are of the guy standing in front of the tank. You Google search it in China, no tank guy anywhere to be seen, ever. You let the UN control the internet, that’ll become the case everywhere. The internet will be neutered, plain and simple.
30 Days of Games: Midterm Report Card
So, with yesterday’s post about “Mass Effect 3”, I’m now halfway through my “30 Days of Games” endeavor, and it is time for some reflection.
30 Days of Games, Day 15: “Mass Effect 3”
Welcome to Day 15 of my “30 Days of Games” series. Today’s featured title is…“Mass Effect 3” (Bioware, EA, 2012).
(photo credit: Wikipedia)
Accursed Lego
Yesterday I went out and bought myself one of the Lego “Lord of the Rings” sets because I am a child. It’s a cute set and all, but why the hell are Lego sets so damn expensive? I ended up spending $20 to buy something with 87 pieces that I built in, oh, four minutes flat. For a third of the price of a brand new video game, I have a rather tiny Lego set with very limited options for alternate construction. How does Lego justify these insane prices? Is the reason that their products are so much better than everyone else’s because their bricks are 50% solid gold? Because I really can’t think of any other reason for their prices to be so jacked up.
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30 Days of Games, Day 14: “Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2”
Welcome to Day 14 of my “30 Days of Games” series. Today’s featured title is…“Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2” (Westwood, EA, 2000).
(photo credit: Wikipedia)
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30 Days of Games, Day 13: “Toy Commander”
Welcome to Day 13 of my “30 Days of Games” series. Today’s featured title is…“Toy Commander” (No Cliché, Sega, 1999).
(photo credit: Wikipedia)
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Irked by Wonka
You know what’s really starting to bug me? The stupid meme with the picture of Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka looking bemusedly to the left with his head crooked against his hand and some smart little caption attached to it. Especially when applied to political or social issues, it boils down huge complex issues into stupid little phrases and I can just picture the person who made the image sitting there and thinking “Well, I just showed them good” and posting the image to Tumblr or Facebook or whatever and thinking that they’ve “won”. Because patronizing people with differing opinions always helps settle complex socio-economic issues.
30 Days of Games, Day 12: “Aliens vs. Predator”
Welcome to Day 12 of my “30 Days of Games” series. Today’s featured title is…“Aliens vs. Predator” (Rebellion Developments, Sega, 2010).
(photo credit: Wikipedia)
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